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Martyn goes the extra mile for air ambulance
A STALBRIDGE man is going to great lengths – repeatedly –spoken to so far have all offered various things, from simply
A breath of fresh air: out and about
THE National Trust gardens across Dorset are coming into full bloom – they’re the perfect place for a stroll in the sunshine. Some offer guided exercise, from gentle walks to more challenging courses. Take in the trees, learn more about our local history and enjoy the benefits of being outside.
Here is what’s happening near you this spring (please check property websites for opening days and times).
Clouds Hill
Discover the rural retreat of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ with a guided tour led by one of the Trust’s expert volunteers. Tours run every day, 10am-4pm, and are free (normal admission applies).
Or explore the hillside at Clouds Hill on a brass-rubbing trail, and learn about Lawrence’s life, from his childhood to his days spent at Clouds Hill. Find the brass plaques hidden around the landscape to create your own rubbings to take home.
Part of Dorchester Walking Festival, on May 15 Walk in the Footsteps of TE Lawrence (10am-12.30pm) is a guided walk around the key areas linked with the British archaeological scholar, military strategist, and author.
The walk includes the cemetery where Lawrence is buried, and finishes outside Clouds Hill, Lawrence’s cottage
retreat.
It costs £3 (normal admissions apply), booking is required.
Discover the birthplace of Thomas Hardy, with a guided tour led by one an expert volunteers. Tours run daily, 10am-4pm, and are free (normal admissions apply).
In the cottage garden, learn about the medicinal properties of herbs and plants by following the nature’s remedies garden trail.
Part of Dorchester Walking Festival, on May 14 In the Footsteps of Hardy’s Childhood takes you from Hardy’s Birthplace Visitor Centre through Thorncombe Woods, to Rushy Pond, the Roman Road and Rainbarrows returning via Hardy’s Cottage.
This will be a walk with frequent stops to talk about the poet and novelist’s life, to read some of his poetry and prose and to make connections between the landscape and his writing.
This walk is from 10.30am12.30pm and costs £5 (normal admissions apply). Booking is required.
below, Portland sheep are lambing throughout April. This weekend (26 and 27 April) you can join a member of the farm team and meet the lambs (10am-11am, 12noon-1pm, 2pm-3pm)
This is a free event (normal admissions apply). Booking is not required.
Also this weekend (April 26) you can learn how to get the most out of your smartphone camera, fall in love with taking pictures, and capture the highlights of gardens on a smartphone photography workshop (1pm-3pm).
The workshop costs £25 (normal admissions apply). Booking is required.
On April 28 (10-11am), trained volunteers from Dorset Council’s health and activity team will be on hand to take you around the Kingston Lacy estate on your bike. The rides last about an hour, and you’ll go at your own pace. Sessions are free and
booking is not required.
If you’re after more of a challenge, from April 24 to June 19 (10-10.45am) Dorset Council’s Health and Activity team will be delivering the Couch to 5k programme. Get active, meet new people, and immerse yourself in nature. This nine-week course costs £10 per person. Booking is required.
Looking to improve your fitness or be more active?
Nordic walking (with poles) increases use of the upper body, enabling you to work harder but to feel less strain. Nordic walking sessions at Kingston Lacy take place on April 29, and May 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 10-11am. They cost £5 per person and must be booked via Dorset Council on 01425 480811.
Kingston Lacy’s seven-acre Japanese Garden turns 20 this year. A Japanese Garden was first created more than a century ago by Henrietta Bankes, but had been lost by the time the National Trust took over its care. To celebrate, until September 28 there’ll be a variety of events, from talks to tea tastings.
On May 16, from 10am11.30am, discover the everchanging Kingston Lacy woodlands and countryside and
Visitors at Clouds Hill PHOTO: National Trust
have the opportunity to meet new people on a gentle group stroll, ranging from 3-4 miles (around 1.5 hours). Assistance dogs are welcomed on the walks.
This is a free event, but you will need to book via the website.
Inside the house, an elegant lace teagown, bought by Henrietta Bankes for her trousseau in 1897, will be on display. The fragile gown, which was recently conserved after being stored for more than a century, was made by pioneering female fashion couturier, Jeanne Paquin. The conservation work uncovered alterations to accommodate a changing shape, showing that Henrietta continued to wear it for a number of years.
and built by Dorset writer, Thomas Hardy, with a guided tour led by an expert volunteers. Tours run daily between 10.30am and 4.30pm and are free (normal admission applies). You’ll need to book via the Max Gate website.
Out in the garden, can you help Bertie the gardener find the herbs and vegetables for Hardy’s dinner before the hare eats them all? Open every day, 10.30am-4.30pm.
On the last Sunday of each month until June, from 11am to 4pm you can hear an instalment of Hardy’s fifth published novel, The Hand of Ethelberta, which celebrates 150 years since its publication in serial.
Take a seat and enjoy the drama. There is no need to book and visitors are welcome to dip in and out throughout the session.
This is a free event (normal admissions apply). Booking is not required.
Gillingham has given local resident Shelly Saunders one of the latest therapy aids.
The ‘walker squawkers’ interactive walking companion is designed to look like a realistic little bird.
It responds to touch or the sound of a person’s voice – its head turns towards the voice and its beak opens when it sings.
As soon as a person sleeps or goes quiet, the bird will remain silent until spoken to, or
touched, again.
It sits on the front of a walker – if someone attempts to walk without their aid, the little bird calls them back.
To encourage people to walk more, the bird will sing as it goes along. It can sing up to six songs, and if a change of song is required, a squeeze of its tail is all it takes.
Shelly – pictured – is delighted with her little companion, which she has named Joanne.
Showroom in Orchard Park Garden Centre, Gillingham SP8 5JG
Open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Town ‘freedom’ for cornerstones of community
TWO cornerstones of Gillingham have been given the freedom of the town.
Mary Bridle, a stalwart of Gillingham Carnival for over 50 years, and Gillingham Imperial Silver Band, whose history stretches back to the 1800s, received the honour.
The freedom of the town is the highest civic distinction Gillingham Town Council can bestow, recognising individuals and organisations which have made a significant and lasting contribution to the life and spirit of Gillingham.
Mayor, Councillor Roger Weeks, presented the awards in a ceremony at the town hall in the presence of councillors, friends and family.
Mary, known affectionately as the Queen of Gillingham Carnival, followed in the footsteps of her late father,
Walter, and is honorary carnival president.
Since 1973, she has played an integral role in the carnival’s growth and success, taking on responsibilities as procession secretary, assistant treasurer, vice-chairman and, ultimately, president.
Her meticulous organisation of the carnival’s processions, judging, trophies and logistics has ensured the continued success of the event.
A spokesperson for the town council said: “Beyond event coordination, Mary spearheaded the transformation of the carnival programme into a professionally designed publication, increasing engagement and visibility.
“She has also been instrumental in fundraising efforts, securing sponsorships and community support to
sustain the event.
“Her work in securing safety measures, traffic management and collaboration with local services has ensured that the carnival remains an enjoyable and well-organised occasion for all.”
Mary has also supported carnivals throughout the region, acting as a judge and adviser. Her commitment has helped cement Gillingham Carnival as the town’s largest and most anticipated annual event.
Gillingham Imperial Silver Band has a history dating back to the late 1800s, and is a pillar of the town’s cultural heritage.
The band initially formed as a jazz group before transitioning to a brass band in 1928 and has played an essential role in civic and ceremonial life.
It has performed at numerous events, including the town’s annual Remembrance Parade, commemorative events such as the D-Day anniversary, the Platinum Jubilee, the King’s Coronation and Gillingham Carnival.
It has also provided musical accompaniment to the Mayor’s annual Civic Carol Service and has performed at remembrance concerts and ex-servicemens’
funerals, playing the Last Post as a tribute to those who served.
In addition to its performance schedule, the band is committed to musical education through its Student Academy.
This initiative nurtures musicians of all ages and backgrounds, with some students going on to professional careers in military and civilian bands.
Gillingham Imperial Silver Band has demonstrated its generosity and community service by continuing to provide performances free of charge.
Speaking about both recipients, a town council spokesperson added: “Their dedication and service have played a crucial role in shaping the town’s cultural identity, strengthening unity and enhancing community life.
“Gillingham Town Council is immensely proud to recognise these outstanding recipients, whose efforts have brought joy, tradition and a profound sense of community to generations of residents.
“Congratulations to Mary Bridle and the Gillingham Imperial Silver Band on this well-deserved honour.”
Mayor Cllr Roger Weeks presents the award to Mary Bridle, ‘Queen of Gillingham Carnival’
Members of Gillingham Imperial Silver Band with mayor, Cllr Roger Weeks, and deputy mayor cllr Fiona Cullen PHOTOS: Gillingham Town Council
Home-Start opens new offices
THE opening of new offices for Home-Start Blackmore Vale (HSBV) in Sherborne was celebrated by trustees, staff, volunteers and supporters in the cafe at Sherborne House.
The chair of trustees began proceedings and a short video showing Home-Start’s work followed, before a home visiting volunteer and parent gave powerful and moving speeches illustrating the importance HSBV’s work.
Jason Walker, base warrant officer, and Colin Keirnan, executive officer, attended to show their support for the Yeovilton project funded by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
This project works with service families through home visiting and group sessions. The base has been extremely welcoming and supportive.
The new offices are in the town council building and the mayor, Councillor Robin Legg, and the town clerk, Steve Shield, attended to welcome Home-Start to Sherborne.
Trustee, Caroline Salt, said: “Our thanks to everyone who
attended and to Sherborne House, which gave us the beautiful venue free of charge.”
She added: “In the last 12 years HSBV has supported 1,800 children and more than 1,000 families.
“The move to Sherborne
brings the administrative hub to the centre of our enlarged patch – now stretching from Beaminster and Maiden Newton in the west to Blandford in the east and Shaftesbury in the north of the county.
“With our larger reach, there is an ever-greater need for more volunteers, and we would welcome enquiries.”
Volunteers should have parenting experience and be able to commit to two or three hours a week to help a struggling family
They use the training Home-Start provides and parenting experience to offer friendship, support and advice, helping families find coping mechanisms for the challenges of bringing up young children. The approach has helped transform the lives of those Home-Start works with.
In the picture (from left) a parent and her son, Colin Keirnan, Paul Makenzie, scheme manager Chelsey Gowan, support coordinator Jamie Keast, mayor of Sherborne Cllr Robin Legg, and Home-Start volunteer Ros
Pedal power for a purpose ANZAC Day tribute
STAFF at Hindon Primary School swapped their pens for pedals as they geared up for a high-energy charity Spin-a-thon, all in support of the work done by Naomi House and Jacksplace, hospices for seriously ill children and young adults.
On the last day of term before the Easter break, the whole school staff team took turns cycling non-stop throughout the day on a stationary bike set up in the school playground.
Pupils and parents got involved too, with music, posters, a cake stall and
cheerleading squads helping to keep the energy up as staff pedalled throughout the day.
“Our team is passionate about making a difference, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Miss Hall, the teacher who organised the event.
“Naomi House and Jacksplace do extraordinary work for children and families going through unimaginable challenges.
“We’re proud to support them in any way we can. The whole team is delighted to have raised £900 for such a worthy cause”
THE 110th anniversary of ANZAC Day will be remembered in a short and informal ceremony in Shaftesbury today (Friday, April 25).
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the same day in 1915.
Allied casualties in this First World War campaign included 21,255 from the United Kingdom, an estimated 10,000 dead from France, 8,709 from Australia, 2,721 from New Zealand
String quartet’s concert
THE Dorchester String Quartet will present A Celebration of Spring at St Mary’s Church, Cerne Abbas, on Sunday (April 27).
They will perform works by Purcell, Borodin and Percy Grainger, as well as Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet featuring distinguished clarinetist Walter Brewster.
Tickets for the concert, which starts at 3pm, are priced £12 adults, children free – including tea and cake – and are only be available at the door.
St Mary’s Church will receive a percentage of the proceeds.
and 1,358 from British India. Members of the Shaftesbury & District branch of the Royal British Legion will assemble at the town memorial in Park Walk at 10.50am for a short silence followed by a simple wreath-laying.
The British Legion says medals and decorations can be worn and ask anyone who goes along to take a sprig of rosemary – the herb is significant as it grows on the slopes of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Guitar music
MUSICIAN Dean Carter – pictured – will be playing tracks from his instrumental guitar album Wheel of the Year at Cafe D’Urberville in Sherborne on Thursday, May 1, at 7pm, suggested donation £5.
PHOTO: Kimberley Smith
Bench in memory of village stalwart
VILLAGERS at Hazelbury Bryan have raised funds for a bench in memory of Alma Tenwick, which will be officially unveiled next weekend.
Alma, who died aged 91 on Boxing Day last year, did a tremendous amount for the village after moving there 25 years ago.
She cooked for events, washed up piles of crockery after village lunches and on many other occasions, painted pictures to be used as raffle prizes and sold paintings to raise money for charity.
She also made and decorated cakes, served drinks at the monthly films, organised raffles
for the gardening club, always attended parish council meetings and was on the village hall committee for many years.
She also did aqua fit and dance fit until just before she died and was a wonderful friend to many.
In appreciation of all that she did for the village, a collection
was organised to raise funds for a memorial bench to be sited outside the Red Barn Village Store.
It will be officially unveiled on Sunday, May 4, at 12.30pm and afterwards tea and cake will be served in the village hall. Everyone is invited to go along and remember Alma.
Hindon Primary School staff raised £900 for Naomi House and Jacksplace with a Spin-a-thon
Family fun run finishes on Gold Hill
THE sun was out for the scores of runners who took part in Shaftesbury Rotary Club’s second Family Fun Run.
The event attracted about 150 entrants who ran 5km or 10km routes around the town before running up Gold Hill at the end of the course.
Abbey Primary School’s RotaKids, George, Iris, Lily and Sophia, handed out water and jelly babies to the runners at Binport.
Shaftesbury Primary School
RotaKids, Sanya, Poppy, Verity and Jack, gave out medals at the end.
The Westminster Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbury will be the main beneficiary of this year’s fun run profits.
A spokesperson for the club said: “We would like to give a big thank you to our sponsors, for the second year running, Bloomfield and Associates Ltd, Independent Financial Advisors, Shaftesbury.
“As well as thanking the
Duck race date
HAPPY children and adults turned out for a duck race and small street party on the River Shreen at Mere.
Four races were held and £520.17p was raised for Mere Foodbank and a cancer charity from the sale of ducks, cakes and hot dogs.
The event was started by a
family, their children and grandchild three years ago and has grown bigger each year –last year about 40 people went along and this year it was around 150. It is planned to hold another duck race next year on March 28, 2026.
PHOTOS AND TEXT: George Jeans, Mere
RotaKids and their parents, we would also like to thank BAD (Brave and Determined) for setting up their coffee trailer and providing refreshments, which not only helped them raise money, but also helped raise their profile.
“We would also like to thank families and friends for giving up their Sunday morning to help set up and marshall the course.”
Youngsters in the RotaKid Clubs are seven to 12 years old
and are elected by their peers to get involved in their community – it is also hoped membership sill boost their own confidence and esteem at a key age.
The clubs are sponsored by the Rotary Club and work closely together.
Shaftesbury Rotary Club is holding its North Dorset Cycle Ride on Sunday, May 18.
Anyone interested in joining Shaftesbury Rotary should visit www.shaftesburyrotaryclub.org.
supply
We’re working hard to enhance the water supply network in your area, ensuring you have improved quality and a more reliable source for years to come.
As part of this improvement drive, we’re carrying out essential work on Front Street (A30) in East Stour during April and May.
This will involve a closure of Browns Lane, as well as multiway traffic lights on Front Street (A30) in East Stour between Tuesday 1 April and Friday 16 May, while we carry out this project.
Our team will be working hard to keep disruption to an absolute minimum and we’re also working closely with local businesses, ensuring that they remain very much open to their customers throughout this period.
We thank all our local customers for their patience, support and understanding and we hope
local businesses while the essential work is taking place.
Greet the sunrise with Morris Men
WESSEX Morris Men will dance as they traditionally do at Cerne Abbas on May Day morning (May 1).
They will greet sunrise by dancing on the trendle area on the hill above the Cerne Abbas Giant at 5.15am.
They will then proceed through the village to dance in the village square from 6.30am,
before heading to the Giant Inn for breakfast.
The group is also looking for new members and will be holding a free workshop for people to try Morris dancing in Cerne Abbas village hall on Saturday, May 3, from 11am1pm.
Those who want to participate should take along
Sewing group at arts centre
THE Community Sewing Group – including knitting, crochet, looming and spinning – is holding an exhibition at Shaftesbury Arts Centre this weekend.
plenty of enthusiasm and –very importantly – a pair of hankies! Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Anyone interested in joining the side can go along to a practice night, which are held at Pulham village hall (DT2 7DZ) on Mondays at 8pm from September through to April.
Alternatively, contact one of the officers – squire David Chiplen at squire@ wessexmorrismen.co.uk; dance foreman, Richard Moorhouse at foreman@wessexmorrismen. co.uk; or bagman – secretary – Ray Dyson at bagman@ wessexmorrismen.co.uk; or speak to a member of the side informally.
State of farming in the spotlight
The group also welcomes visitors to the arts centre on Thursdays, from 7pm-10pm, again free of charge, and with lots of donated material and tools to get started in the crafts.
For more details, phone Debra Howard, on 07493 443252.
The group’s first exhibition will showcase the progress of members’ first crafting projects. The show is open on Saturday, April 26, from 10am-4pm and Sunday, April 27, 10am-noon, and entry is free of charge.
WHAT is the state of farming today? How did we get here? Where are we heading? Will there be any farmers left in the future anyway?
Renowned local storyteller and organic farmer Will Best grew up roaming the fields of Manor Farm. He and his wife Pam were pioneers in the
commercial production of organic milk. Will will be giving a talk as part of the Cerne Giant Festival on Monday, April 28, at 6.30pm for 7pm, at Holy Trinity Church, Church Lane, Godmanstone (DT2 7AQ). Entry is £7 including soft drink.
Spears, swords and smooth steps
by Sheila Chapman
MEMBERS of Blandford Evening WI stepped into spring at the start of the school Easter holidays by helping out at the first open weekend of the season at the Ancient Technology Centre, Cranborne.
Burgers were barbecued, sausages sizzled, cakes cut and beverages brewed as the ladies kept up with demand from hungry visitors.
Guests sat in glorious sunshine watching displays by ‘Celts’ and ‘Romans’, and tried the traditional crafts on offer provided by skilled artisans and knowledgeable volunteers.
Members enjoyed a line dancing lesson at their monthly meeting, given by visitors from Blandford Line Dancing Club.
Great fun was had by all as members concentrated on perfecting the steps – with
mixed success! A few took to the whole experience and will be attending lessons in the coming weeks.
The institute is putting on an exhibition showcasing members’ talents at the Pavilion at Woodhouse Gardens on Saturday, May 3, 10am-noon.
Refreshments, a tombola, raffle and nearly new cloths rack will be on offer, and everyone is welcome.
VE-Day events in Wincanton
WINCANTON & District Royal British Legion is holding a short service of remembrance on Thursday, May 8, at Wincanton War Memorial Hall war memorial to recognise the 80th anniversary of VE-Day (Victory in Europe).
Anyone who would like to attend is asked to arrive at the war memorial no later than 10.45am.
n WINCANTON Town Council is planning a ‘shared moment of celebration’ at Cale Park to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The entertainment includes bouncy castles, bunker bushcraft, family entertainment and barbecue.
The event is on Saturday, May 10, from 1pm-4pm.
Talk, quiz and more
RESIDENTS of Child Okeford will be marking VE-Day on Thursday, May 8, with a quiz, entertainment and songs, plus a talk by retired Colonel James Porter.
The fun begins at 7pm in the village hall (DT11 8EX) and includes refreshments, bar, raffle and silent auction.
Tickets are £15 – call Julie on 07749 486733, Kate on 07725 245066 or email serocharity@gmail.com
All proceeds to SERO, which raises funds for local charities and Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
*Packed lunch included in these trips
TROSSACHS LOCH LOMAND - VICTORIAN STEAM - SB551The Winnock Hotel, Dryman Sun 11th May - £84pp Friday 30th May - £134pp
DV929 - 2 Course meal at The Chequers Inn - Rookley
PADDLE STEAMER - ILFRACOMBELUNDY ISLAND & VISIT - DV941
DRAWN BARGE & FISH & CHIP SUPPER - DV939
*HIGHCLERE CASTLE - DV944
The open weekend at the Ancient Technology Centre, Cranborne
Student support grants on offer
THE Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Society’s Student Support Fund opens for new applicants next month.
The fund, which made a record level of awards in 2024, supports students and trainees setting out on careers in agriculture, horticulture, countryside and other landbased disciplines.
Fund committee chair,
Matthew Price, said: “Accessing training and education in these sectors is often accompanied by significant and unavoidable costs and our aim is to try and remove or reduce some of those financial barriers.
“We hope this will encourage the very best talent to find rewarding futures in these industries which are so
Firefighters in Mere turned out in Mere Square to help recruit paid on-call firefighters PHOTOS AND TEXT: George Jeans, Mere
fundamentally important locally”
Mr Price added: “Our fund is hugely dependent on receiving generous sponsorship and donations from local businesses, community groups and private individuals.
“We are so grateful to those who have backed us in recent years, which have included the local Young Farmers movement
and the local church benefice, among many others.
“We invite anyone else who would like to back this initiative to contact us via the show office on 01747 823955.”
The support fund is open for new applicants from May 1-31 – application forms can be found at www.gillinghamand shaftesburyshow.co.uk
Full steam ahead
GILLINGHAM Library is hosting special events to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in May.
The chair of North Dorset Railway will visi the library to give a talk and show some artefacts, Mere Railway Modellers Club will showcase some of its projects and younger train enthusiasts will get the chance to try railway modelling with the library’s Lego and Duplo.
To find out more or book a space for the talk, visit www. eventbrite.co.uk or email the library at gillinghamcluster libraries@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
How to help the hogs
HEDGEHOG Awareness Week, organised annually by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, highlights the problems hedgehogs face and how individuals can help them.
This year the event runs from May 4-10 and, to mark the occasion, Sherborne Hedgehog Group is holding a cake sale on Saturday, May 3, in Parsons Yard, Cheap Street, Sherborne, from 9am.
Homemade cakes, hedgehog nesting boxes, feeding stations and hedgehog information will be available.
All proceeds will be donated to the Hedgehog Rescue of Hazelbury Bryan. It can be easy to make gardens a more welcoming
place for hedgehogs this spring.
Even small changes can make a huge difference in reversing the drastic decline in their numbers.
Creating a wild corner will provide shelter and natural food.
Hedgehogs’ diet could be supplemented by offering meaty cat food or biscuits, and a shallow dish of water would be appreciated.
Never use pesticides, as they destroy the food chain and can harm hedgehogs.
Keep all netting above ground so that hedgehogs can pass safely underneath and be sure to check carefully for nesting hedgehogs before strimming, mowing or lighting a bonfire.
As hedgehogs cannot climb out of a pond with steep sides, it is important to provide a ramp or half-submerged rocks as an escape route.
For more information, email hedgehogs.sherborne@gmail. com or visit www. britishhedgehogs.org.uk
Love Grace event
by John McNally
IN 2018 my beautiful cousin, Grace Millane, went to New Zealand on a backpacking adventure.
Sadly, while she was there, Grace befriended a man who would go on to murder her.
Grace’s mother, Gill Millane, along with family and friends, set up a project in Grace’s name to help women who have been affected by domestic violence. Called Love Grace, the project takes donations of pre-loved handbags and toiletries, and distributes them to women in need.
So far the appeal has resulted in more than 7,000 women receiving a Love Grace handbag, across the UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Singapore.
On Saturday, May 10, I will be running a Love Grace Project at Shaftesbury Arts Centre in Bell Street, Shaftesbury, from 9am-2pm. This is an opportunity for members of our community to come and donate their handbags and toiletries and to come and chat to me about Love Grace.
Find out more about the project, and Grace’s legacy, at www.lovegrace.co.uk.
FASHIONS & LINGERIE
Spring clean for Dorset’s beaches
HUNDREDS of volunteers collected an enormous amount of rubbish when they took part in the 35th Great Dorset Beach Clean.
297 volunteers removed 327kg of rubbish from 15 beaches over the course of a week.
The event was organised by Litter Free Dorset and supported by, among others, Lyme Litter Pickers, Dorset Police Cadets, Yoga with Leah Miles, Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, Easy Riders, Water Babes UK, Swanage Beach Buddies, Clean Jurassic Coast,
Service was a first for church
ST STEPHEN’S Church at Kingston Lacy has held a confirmation service for the first time in its history.
Two candidates were Baptised and 10 Confirmed in the service conducted by the Bishop of Sherborne, the Right Rev Karen Gorham, assisted by the rector of the Benefice of Wimborne Minster, The
Wimborne Villages, Kingston Lacy and Shapwick, the Rev Canon Andrew Rowland, and the assistant curate, the Rev Marianne Mangham.
The two readings were read by Claire Lehmann, families outreach worker at the Minster, and the Rector. Robin Langdown, churchwarden at Kingston Lacy, led the prayers.
Sida Yoga, Dorset Goes Wild, Lulworth Rangers and the National Trust.
Volunteers collected 130 bags of rubbish, including unusual items such as school workbooks, a beach roll mat, car tyres and lots of socks!
Common items including
cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, glass bottles, cans and fishing gear were also removed.
Litter Free Dorset would like to thank Baboo Gelato, which provided free hot drinks or ice cream to volunteers at Lyme Regis, and Maciej Pacek for taking photographs.
of the Minster Choir led the singing and Colin Davey, organist and director of the choirs at the Minster, played the organ.
The bishop said: “It was a joyous celebration of the rural
church and good to see so many young families. It just shows what a warm welcome and engaging worship can do!”.
Following the service, a reception was held in Pamphill village hall.
Members
The Bishop of Sherborne with the rector, the curate, the candidates and members of the Minster Choir
Jobs and support fair is open to all
by Tom Dimambro, DWP recruitment specialist
PEOPLE from Martock and the surrounding area can benefit from the employment opportunities on offer at a job fair this month.
Hans and I are the recruitment specialist team for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), covering South Somerset and North Dorset.
Together, we work with employers and local services to connect people to real job opportunities and the support they need to succeed.
We’re thrilled to be bringing a Jobs and Support Fair to Martock – a free event offering help, advice, and live job vacancies.
Whether you’re ready to start work now, looking to change direction, or need support to take the next step, there’s something here for you.
The event features a mix of local and national employers with current vacancies, support organisations, and DWP advisers – including our disability employment advisers, who can help those facing barriers into work.
It’s an inclusive, friendly space, and we’ve introduced a
quiet hour in the final session for anyone who might benefit from a calmer environment.
The fair is on Tuesday, April 29, from 10am to 1pm at Martock parish hall (TA12 6JL).
Online booking is now open; session one (general): https:// shorturl.at/3UCsJ, session two (general): https://shorturl.at/ KCxKM, session three (quiet hour): https://shorturl.at/ RPYma.
We’re proud to be partnering with Lisa from Martock Job Club, a brilliant local service supporting the parish’s residents into work. Together, we’re aiming to support people from Martock and surrounding areas including Crewkerne, Langport, and Yeovil.
Last year’s event in Martock was superb, with over 140 people attending, and vital support offered to many residents from the local areas, including those sadly facing
redundancy during a challenging time for the local community.
Martock is a beautiful rural village and we’re committed to ensuring that people in smaller communities don’t miss out on opportunities. Last year, we hosted similar events in Martock, Sherborne, Wincanton, Gillingham, Yeovil, and Crewkerne – and we’re pleased to announce Sherborne as the next stop on May 21.
You can find out more about the support we offer by searching “Yeovil JCP recruitment specialist team” or visiting www.gov.uk/ government/publications/ how-jobcentre-plus-can-helpemployers/jobcentre-plusworking-together-withemployers
For employers wishing to join our upcoming events, or to find out more, contact us atYeovil.EAteam@dwp.gov.uk
Tom Dimambro, DWP recruitment specialist
Discover the opportunities on offer at Leweston School
I
magine a school where your child doesn’t just learn, but thrives with confidence, independence, and ambition. At Leweston, every student’s journey is as unique as they are. Education isn’t one-size-fits-all; it is a personalised adventure that nurtures individual potential. Leweston believes in crafting an educational experience tailored to each student’s strengths and aspirations, fostering not only academic excellence but a supportive community where success stories unfold every day.
Join their upcoming ‘Visit Week’ for a personalised, guided tour of the school and an opportunity to meet staff, students, the Headmaster and Admissions Team.
Leweston Senior and Sixth Form Visit Week | 28 April – 2 May
The best way to experience Leweston is to book an individual tour, tailormade to your requirements.
Leweston ‘Visit Weeks’ are available to book now. These offer a personalised guided tour of the School during which you can find out more about academic, creative and sporting opportunities, view their extensive facilities and talk to the Admissions team about entrance, transport, enrichment and more. Your visit will also include a meeting with the Headmaster, Mr John Paget-Tomlinson.
Contact their Admissions Team, or visit their website to book your placeadmissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk | 01963 211015 | www.leweston.co.uk
VISIT WEEK
SENIOR AND SIXTH FORM 28 APRIL - 2 MAY
School is at heart of the community
by James Vitali, councillor for Stalbridge and Marnhull Ward
MARNHULL is blessed with two brilliant primary schools. Last year I was lucky enough to join one of them, St Gregory’s, to celebrate its 150-year anniversary. It was doubly special to do so as the village’s newly elected county councillor. It was a joyful occasion, where former pupils, parents and villagers came together to recognise the vital role the school plays in the life of our community.
2025 marks another St Gregory’s related anniversary for me. Twenty-five years ago this September, I was enrolled at the school and joined Ms Meaker’s (rather full!) reception class.
Some things have changed, of course. Technology and digitisation are much more evident throughout the school than it was when I was a student. The staff have converted one of the old classrooms into a beautiful, well-stocked library space in the heart of the school. And St Gregory’s now belongs to the Pickwick Trust, run by the
excellent James Passmore.
But other things haven’t. St Gregory’s is still led by passionate teachers who care deeply about their vocation and the children in their charge. The vital link with the church, which I think adds an essential and distinctive ethical dimension to the education of pupils at St’ Gregory’s, is still strong. And the pool continues to generate much excitement amongst pupils as we get close to the summer months, I’m told… St Gregory’s is undoubtedly facing new challenges, but in that, they are not alone as a rural primary school. The number of students enrolled is less than half what it was when I attended. Much of this is being driven by our ageing population, but also a lack of appropriate housing supply in our area, which is squeezing young
families out. The staff are brilliant with their SEND students, but the unique requirements of these students is certainly another demand on the time and resources of teachers.
But I wanted to write for the Magazine to express how optimistic I am about St Gregory’s future. The experienced new head, Jill Farndale, was kind enough to take me around the school recently, and I was struck by how deeply she has thought about solving those challenges I mentioned.
We discussed the relationship with the pre-school next door, the wraparound provision that St Gregory’s can provide for hardworking families, and the prospect of new families moving into the village’s new developments on Burton Street, and potentially to the east of Marnhull further into the future. These are all huge opportunities for the school’s development.
Anything is possible with good teachers, and St Gregory’s has them in abundance. But what Jill and her team need now more than ever is what the community of Marnhull has
always provided the school with - the energy, interest and support of its residents.
Many of the classrooms and hallways, for example, need touching up, and I will be organising a weekend morning of volunteering to help deliver this. The school’s governing body also needs fresh leadership, now that its esteemed chair Nick Chapman, has devoted some six years to the job. If anyone believes they can contribute in these two regards, please reach out to me or Jill.
But what I most wanted to underscore is the sheer quality of education that continues to be available to pupils at St Gregory’s. The school gave me, a local boy who lived on Crown Road, the very best start in life. It set me up academically to win first class degrees, scholarships, and eventually a PhD from Cambridge. But it also taught me about what it means to belong to a community.
Parents should know that St Gregory’s continues to provide the best platform for their children, and it is entirely deserving of their support. Its future is very bright indeed.
The early spring days that we have with the sun shining through our windows remind us that if it feels hot now behind the glass it’s going to be unbearable by the summer. With that in mind the Spring is a good time to get planning how you are going to keep your home and outdoor living areas cool over the summer.
At LPSS we have a vast range for internal and external shading. If you are looking for blinds or shutters we are experts in getting the right product installed to provide you with a cooler, shaded room or a darkened room for sleeping as the daylight hours lengthen.
Our extensive range of products for your outdoor living area include folding arm retractable Awnings, pergola Awnings, Verandas with glass or polycarbonate roofs with optional sides and sliding glass doors. External roller blinds for rooflights or windows, and premium quality louvred roof pergolas. We will listen carefully to what you want to achieve and advise you on the best option for you and guarantee our first class installation.
IT is 80 years since Blandford was on the front line of the Second World War.
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live with the threat of invasion, to have no idea where your loved ones were or if you would ever see them again? To see the town overwhelmed by friendly strangers from another country? Do you know where the British Restaurant was or how many bombs were dropped on Blandford?
Gardens Pavilion from May 8-10 to answer all these questions and many more.
Blandford Commemoration Group is holding a VE80 exhibition, Blandford’s Role in WW2, at the Woodhouse
Covering all aspects of the war, the exhibition will delve into the strategic importance of Blandford and the Stour Valley, the defences, home life and wartime privations, the chaos of the town during the friendly invasion by the US forces, the sacrifice and bravery of its citizens and the celebrations of VE-Day and VJ-Day when it was all over.
It explores what the ultimate legacy was for the town, county and country, especially in the changing role of women.
Coffee and cake coins in the cash
THE Poundbury office of Symonds & Sampson raised more than £2,000 for good causes at a charity coffee and cake sale.
The popular event, a highlight of the Poundbury calendar, is supported by staff, friends, family and local businesses, all generously giving their time, to bake and donate raffle prizes.
This year, the firm is helping Macmillan Cancer Support and Prostate Cancer UK, and it was delighted that representatives from both charities visited the event to share information about their work.
Symonds & Sampson will organise charity events throughout the year – visit the events page on its website for details.
Plants for charity
GARDENERS can help the Dorchester branch of the Children’s Society by visiting a plant sale being held in the town next month.
The plant sale has become a popular event in the society’s fundraising calendar and this year will once again be held at 8 Grosvenor Road, Dorchester (DT1 2BB).
The society would like to thank Jane and Nigel Culliford
for their hospitality.
Donations of plants for the sale will be gratefully received, either on the day or beforehand, and can be delivered to Jane Culliford at 8 Grosvenor Road or Annette Aldridge at 16 Manor Road.
Collection can also be arranged by phoning Annette on 01305 269245.
The sale is on Thursday, May 8, from 10am-3pm.
Of fish and flies...
HOW does a fly fisherman persuade a canny trout to eat a piece of fluff and feathers?
Jeremy Mackenzie has spent over 60 years figuring this out. His is a quest to intimately understand the terrain of a river and how a trout relates to it, as well as the lifecycles of the invertebrates the fish feed on. The right place must be chosen, the fly imitating the right food for that season picked, and the fly positioned so it is irresistible to the fish. .
Jeremy will be giving a talk at St Mary’s Church, Abbey Street, Cerne Abbas (DT2 7JQ) on Tuesday, May 6, 7pm for 7.30pm. Entry £7 including a drink.
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School report cause for celebration
THORNFORD CofE Primary School is celebrating a glowing report following its recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).
The report praises the school’s strong Christian vision, community spirit and commitment to enabling pupils and staff to flourish.
The school’s guiding principle – ‘treat others as you would like to be treated yourself’ (Luke 6:36), is recognised as a driving force behind its success.
The report highlights the ‘golden thread’ that unites the school community, fostering a culture of respect, kindness and responsibility.
The report highlighted that respect and kindness were key to school life, and throughout their time at Thornford Primary, pupils learn about their responsibilities to each other, displaying kindness and care.
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Tuesday 7pm
Blandford
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Thursday 5.30pm, 7.30pm
Tracey 07776309982
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Mental health is prioritised for children and staff at the school.
A wide range of extracurricular activities enrich students’ experiences, extending their learning beyond the classroom, including daily walks for the whole school, which focus on building conversation skills.
Thornford is twinned with a school in France, and youngsters have built a strong relationship with peers, enabling them to practise their language skills.
religions.
“This enables them to show respect to others that they expect themselves. Pupils value the challenge of the subject and the space to raise and discuss big questions”.
Thornford Primary is part of Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust (SAST) and the report praises the support and opportunities the trust provides.
Pupils demonstrate leadership, initiative and kindness, embodying the school’s core values.
RE has a high profile at the school, with the report saying: “Pupils recognise the importance of RE in helping them to understand and appreciate a range of world
SAST has a clear vision for the flourishing of children, school and communities, and school leaders are well supported with training.
Head of school, Kirsty Blencowe, said: “We were so pleased that the inspector recognised how 'respect and kindness are indeed the hallmarks of our school's work'.
“In particular, she saw how our golden thread of 'treat others as you would like to be treated',
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draws the school community together.
“It is wonderful to see our students embody these values daily, creating a nurturing environment for everyone.
“Furthermore, the determination of our pupils to demonstrate fair play in both academic and extra-curricular activities was recognised as commendable.
“It is evident that our children are not only developing academically but are also growing as individuals who respect one another.”
Sarah Willoughby, who leads SAST’s church schools work, added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to have supported Thornford Primary in their journey to achieving this SIAMS outcome. “The report captures the essence of this church school's vision and values, and how the work of the trust supports and underpins this.”
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Monday 5.30pm, 7.30pm
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Puddletown Village
Young Austin’s Red Nose challenge
A YOUNGSTER in the Reception class at Witchampton First School went the extra mile for Comic Relief when he raised £334 for the cause.
Austin, four, the youngest child in his class, ran 30km throughout March, documenting his runs on a running watch and with photos.
And for the final 2km of his challenge, on Red Nose Day, fellow pupils, teachers and support staff ran with him.
Austin also received a boost
with a video message from fitness guru and television show host Joe Wicks and former Premier League football manager, Harry Redknapp.
Sharon Staddon, executive headteacher at Witchampton First School, said: “We were so impressed by Austin’s enthusiasm and dedication to run 30km for Red Nose Day that we were delighted to join him for the last leg of his target.
“This is an amazing achievement, and he should be
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very proud of himself. He has inspired and motivated the school to get fit for Comic Relief and beyond.”
Red Nose Day supports local
community organisations in the UK and abroad, including people who need food or shelter, and those escaping danger across the world.
In the picture (from left), teacher, Rachel Jenkinson; Austin's mum, Sheri Green; Austin, with red nose; Lee Phibbs, Austin's dad; Alba, Austin's sister; and Sharon Staddon, head teacher
Ready, steady for spring show!
THE Dorset Spring Show is returning, with a new venue and new attractions alongside old favourites.
The show takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4, at Birch Lane Showground, near Puddletown. It promises to be a celebration of everything the
countryside has to offer in spring.
Headlines include the sheep show, Shetland pony racing, poultry, spring farm, Titan the robot, terrier racing, gardeners’ avenue, axemen, floral and food demonstrators, crafters and much more.
The team behind the show
has made sure there is something for everyone, including visitors’ pooches!
Watch and have a go at dog agility or hunt for treats at the dog barn hunt, or let the pooch rest up while you kick back and relax with a local pint at the music stage – it is a bank holiday weekend after all!
New attractions for 2025 include steam engine trailer rides, poultry tent, heavy horse logging, Shetland pony racing and sheep dog demonstrations, alongside an enhanced spring farm, demonstration theatre and a mechanical giant, Titan the robot, on both days.
James Cox, show organiser, said: “The excitement is building for the second Dorset Spring Show, especially at our picturesque new home.
“There are new attractions and areas, and being set on a
working farm makes the site even more unique – it truly brings the countryside to life in the spring!”
Early Bird Tickets on sale now, but be quick – offer ends April 26. Book via www. dorsetspringshow.co.uk
Beyond the battlefield
THE residents of Sandford Orcas are thrilled to welcome Kate Adie OBE for a question and Answer fundraising evening on Friday, May 9, at 7.30pm in the village hall (DT9 4SE).
One of the world’s most renowned war correspondents, Kate has witnessed history unfold in some of the most dangerous places on Earth.
Beyond the battlefield, she is also a celebrated author and has an extraordinary personal
journey, including the moving search for her birth mother.
With her trademark wit, keen insight, and sharp storytelling, Kate is a natural raconteur who never fails to engage and entertain.
A rare opportunity to hear from a true legend of journalism. A bar will be available (cash please). All welcome – tickets £12.50 available from The Mitre or 01963 846526.
Jane Austen talk
THIS year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and fans can celebrate with Cerne’s own literary expert, Elizabeth Merry.
She will reflect on Austen’s sojourns in the West Country, from the opulence of Bath to the rural charms of Lyme Regis, in a talk at St Mary’s Church, Abbey Street, Cerne Abbas (DT2 7JQ) on Friday, May 9, 7pm for 7.30pm. Entry is £7, including wine or soft drink.
Stalbridge Estate sale 1918: New book
A NEW book has been published about the sale of the Stalbridge Estate, near the end of the Great War.
In September 1918, Lord Stalbridge sold the estate as individual lots, including almost every house, cottage, business premises, farm and field in and around the town.
For the first time local people had the opportunity to own their home – though for some this meant losing theirs, rented from the Estate for generations.
100 years later, Stalbridge History Society, after years of
research, mounted a successful exhibition to mark the centenary.
Judith Ralph, from the society, said: “We knew then that we had a duty to commemorate this event in book form, providing a legacy for both the exhibition and to ensure that our research was recorded for future generations.
information from the Stalbridge Archive and Dorset History Centre archive in Dorchester.
“Many of the families whose stories are recorded here still have descendants living in the town.
“The resulting book, Stalbridge Sold – a Town
“We have worked hard to add to our original research, supplemented by information from the 1921 census, released in 2022, together with valuable
Under the Hammer, is to be enjoyed both for its historical information and as a visual record of life in Stalbridge and Stalbridge Weston before, during and after the dramatic year of the sale.
“With over 340 pages, and
lavishly illustrated with original photographs and images, this is a fascinating book.”
Stalbridge Sold… is priced £20 for the soft cover edition and £35 for the hardback. To order a copy, email stalbridgehistory@gmail.com, including your name and address.
The book will be launched at an exhibition at Stalbridge Hall held from Friday to Sunday, June 13-15.
A mini-family history/local historical society fair will be held on the Saturday.
Camera club’s photo challenge
BLANDFORD Forum Camera
Club has had a successful season, coming top of Division 1 in the Southern Counties
Photographic Federation digital image league, and fifth in the print league.
The competition season is
drawing to a close with the members’ Points Cup competitions tightly contested, a set subject competition and the annual Weymouth Challenge coming up.
The club has also enjoyed some inspirational and
interesting speakers, and good practical sessions.
The Photoshop and Lightroom Basics editing evenings are continuing through the summer, and Camera Basics sessions will be added.
A Spring Photography
Challenge will be held on Saturday, May 10, open to non-members.
Awards will be on offer for best junior, the overall winner and all the theme winners.
For more information, visit www.bfcclub.co.uk
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To attend our information evening on Thursday 1st May or the Sixth Form Taster day (places limited) https://www.beautifulmindlearninglabs.com/hummingbird-learning-lab For further info please email Dave at:
Patience, please – the track’s getting closer...
by Hilary Daniels
TRACK laying at Shillingstone Station is continuing apace, and the volunteers have had a busy couple of years.
Back in December 2020, North Dorset Railway put in a planning application to extend track 400 metres northwards from Shillingstone Station.
Even though the application was granted in April 2021, work couldn’t start until the following September, to avoid disturbing nesting birds during the breeding season. Even then, one of the first tasks was to build an artificial badger sett.
But bigger tasks lay ahead – to rebuild an embankment which had been partly excavated to create a tennis court.
2,000 tonnes of material was needed, built up layer by layer and compacted, and carefully monitored for movement.
Meanwhile, the bridge across Haywards Lane – locally known as Lamb House Bridge, though no-one knows why – had to be stripped back to its original Victorian brickwork for independent assessment. It was found to be stronger than expected, and wellengineered, so the good news is that no further strengthening is needed to enable trains to cross the bridge.
Track laying started at the northern limit of the planning permission, and worked back towards the station.
NDR’s ‘Permanent Way’ team – all volunteers – has been
Gillingham community support Memory Cafe relaunch ADVERTISING FEATURE
The Gillingham community gathered to celebrate the relaunch of Fern Brook Lodge’s weekly Memory Café sessions, now held in partnership with Age UK North, South and West Dorset.
The free events run every Thursday from 10 – 11am in the home’s The Brook community space, welcoming people living with dementia and their loved ones. The sessions offer a warm, friendly environment with support from Dementia Friendly Gillingham.
The re-launch event was attended by the Mayor of Gillingham Cllr Roger Weeks, alongside Terri Lewis (CEO of Age UK North, South and West Dorset), Simon Bird (CEO of Care South), and Deb Wiltshire, Home Manager of Fern Brook Lodge.
Throughout the year, the event will feature Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (MCST) led by Age UK North, South and West Dorset, expert Q&As, and engaging activities to promote social interaction.
Fern Brook Lodge, which is part of the not-for-profit charity Care South, offers residential, respite, and dementia care, supported by a full daily activities programme.
out in all weathers, and recently reached and crossed Lamb House Bridge.
The track gets ever closer to the station, and it’s hoped that the gap will be closed by mid-summer.
But what then?
Unsurprisingly, visitors to the station are eager to know when they can ride a train at Shillingstone, blissfully unaware of the many hurdles – permissions to be granted, training to be completed, competence to be assessed,
inspections to be carried out. All of which are vitally important, but take a lot of time.
But in the meantime, there is so much to see and do at Shillingstone Station, including the very popular cafe, which is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm, with free access directly from the trailway.
Rest assured, no-one is keener to get trains running than the volunteers at NDR!
Our loose Canon
by Canon Eric Woods
AS one of his Deputy Lieutenants, I was delighted to be asked recently by the Lord-Lieutenant to represent him at an event at Rylands Farm, Holnest. The farm hosts two amazing projects set up nearly 20 years ago by their charismatic and enthusiastic founder and director, Julie Plumley.
This event was primarily focussed on the Future Roots (FR) project, but Julie first took my wife and me to meet members of the Countrymen’s Club, the other project on the farm – a club for retired farm workers and other outdoorloving men who find themselves isolated, perhaps from deteriorating mental or physical health or changing social circumstances. They ‘come alive’ when back in the farm environment – and meanwhile their wives – their carers – can have a few hours’ respite. It was
Amazing projects down on the farm
good to spend a little time with them.
But then off to see the FR project, for young people who find formal education difficult and need what is known as Alternative Provision to help them forward in their development and in coming to terms with the many difficulties they face – at home, at school and in classroom education. Yet, like the old boys in the Countrymen’s Club, they too come alive on the farm, working in the fields and with the animals.
Meanwhile, other guests were having their own tours led by some of the project’s young ‘ambassadors’. Julie and her husband live on the farm, and she has built up a terrific team of mentors and volunteers. Herself a qualified social worker, she ensures that all the
Outstanding Care
mentors are trained. FR is a member of Social Farms and Gardens, which provides quality assurance, and also holds a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge. FR is registered with Ofsted and receives Ofsted visits as part of the inspection of participating schools. FR has contracts and service level agreements with more than 20 schools across Dorset and Somerset and works in partnership with both local authorities.
We saw the cows, sheep, hens, ducks, rabbits – and guinea pigs! Then, back in the central hub of the enterprise, we were offered tea and cakes and settled down to watch a film in
which the ambassadors themselves were the stars. They told us something of their individual stories and what a lifeline FR has been for them. They have also produced a book, Are You Listening Now?, in which they explain with devastating honesty how their young lives were blighted until they found FR and its caring, natural environment, which supported them in turning their lives around. The book has seven personal stories told in the young people’s own words – and an eighth, Reece’s Story, told in the words Julie believes he would have used himself. He died tragically in 2018, just a month before his 16th birthday. At the end, Julie thanked us all for coming, but expressed her sadness that only one of the participating schools had sent a representative. As Reece once said of his school: “If you had been listening, you would have heard.” Those words will stay with me for a long time. For more information go to www.futureroots.net
Scan me with your smart phone for more information and hear directly from clients and loved ones.
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Redefining Retirement, One Stroke at a Time
At 62, Jane Owen has found freedom, friendship, and the thrill of open-water swimming — all from the comfort of her new home at Chapters, Salisbury.
“I don’t think I imagined I’d live in a retirement village,” says Jane, smiling. “But if I could’ve painted a picture of an ideal retirement, it would be pretty close to this.”
For Jane, a lifelong adventurer and open-water swimmer, retirement hasn’t meant slowing down. Since moving to Chapters, a Platinum Skies community in Salisbury, she’s discovered a lifestyle full of energy, possibility, and belonging.
“Life has opened up even more,” she says. “When you have a strong base where you feel happy and secure, it gives you the confidence to try new things. Being here has opened new doors — and I think they’ll just keep on opening.”
Jane swims regularly in the River Avon, embracing the cold and calm as part of her daily rhythm. “It doesn’t feel cold to me — it’s what keeps me alive!” she laughs. “Swimming is freeing, and it’s open to everyone. It reminds me that retirement isn’t the end — it’s just the beginning. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
Chapters offers more than ease and independence — it’s also a true community, which has been as transformative for Jane as the adventures. “It’s vibrant, friendly, supportive — and full of different people with different interests,” Jane says. “It’s always been important to me to belong, and here, I’ve found new friendships that add to that sense of family.”
With everyday stresses like maintenance and cleaning taken care of, Jane says it’s easy to focus on what matters most. “It’s a lovely place to live — a springboard to fill your days with all the positive things.”
Whether you’re swimming at sunrise, relaxing in your own space, or enjoying lunch with neighbours, life at Platinum Skies is designed to help you thrive in retirement — whatever that looks like for you.
“If I had to sum up this chapter in three words, I’d say: exciting, opportunities, and choices. For anyone thinking about moving, don’t wait. Be bold and go for it. To paraphrase that well-known saying, ‘Don’t regret the things you didn’t do...’”
At Platinum Skies, it’s your retirement — your way. To find out more, call 01722 626385 or visit platinumskies.co.uk/ wiltshire/salisbury
Challenging gender stereotypes
BRYANSTON recently hosted the Nurturing Equality Festival, a full-day event that put gender equality and inclusivity front and centre.
Organised in partnership with The Blandford School, the Festival welcomed 72 Year 6 pupils from neighbouring primary schools for a series of interactive workshops led by Bold Voices, renowned gender equality specialists, and a team of 30 sixth form ambassadors.
Children from Spetisbury Primary, Durweston Primary School, Blandford St Mary Primary, Milldown School, Downlands, and Bryanston Prep spent the day in small groups, exploring how everyday assumptions and stereotypes can limit potential.
The conversations mirrored themes from the recent hit TV series Adolescence, which highlights the importance of challenging deeply ingrained biases and speaking up in the face of societal and cultural expectations. Through interactive discussions, the children examined how gender stereotypes develop, the inequalities they can create, and the ways to interrupt harmful ideas through thoughtful intervention.
Natasha Eeles, founder of Bold Voices, commended the event, describing it as a powerful example of “prevention-led education” aimed at tackling gender inequality and gender-based violence head-on.
Sixth Form Ambassadors, “upskilled” to guide younger pupils, sparked fresh conversations about gender, power, and language, enabling
honest, empathy-building dialogue across age groups.
Bryanston’s dedication to inclusion, already recognised by a 2023 Talk Education “Award for Innovation” in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, shone through as the school continues weaving open discussions about equality into everyday life.
Through active learning, community partnership, and relatable cultural references, Bryanston and The Blandford School demonstrated that dismantling gender stereotypes is more than a classroom exercise; it’s a collective mission that resonates powerfully with today’s youth.
Hanford Prep’s new, flexible day girl offer – find out more!
STOP PRESS! Hanford Prep is accepting girls for day places from September 2025 with a new flexible and more accessible offer for families with girls in Years 3 – 5.
‘Hanford Core’ is designed to give parents more choice when it comes to finding the right fit for their daughter. ‘Hanford Core’ involves a shorter prep school day for pupils, but still involves the vast majority of the many exciting activities and fantastic opportunities a Hanford education offers; academic, creative but with a solid focus on life skills.
Hanford Prep is perhaps best known for its ponies, and most girls learn to ride and they also enjoy spending time at the stables. However there is so much more to a Hanford education: Art and Handwork (textiles) taught separately by specialist teachers in our stunning Art Barn as well as Dance lessons, Drama, Gymnastics and
Music lessons all taught in small classes by specialist teachers. The sport on offer for the girls is extensive, from swimming in our outdoor pool to tennis, netball, hockey, lacrosse, cross country and more. Importantly, girls benefit from small class sizes and the individualised learning that this affords; our scholarship success year on year is testament to the winning Hanford formula.
Hanford Core is already proving a
popular choice for local families looking for the best possible start for their daughters’ education; it brings a prep school education into reach for more parents as school fees have been adjusted to take the shorter day into account.
Come and find out more: OPEN MORNING, Saturday 17 May.
Please email admissions@hanfordschool. co.uk or call 01258 920847 to reserve your place.
OPEN MORNING
Saturday 17 May 9.30am - Midday
• Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles: First Sunday of each month at 11am. BH21 5LZ.
• Blandford Methodist Church: Sundays – everyone is invited to services at 10.45am. Thursdays – coffee and a chat from 10am-noon. Fridays –lunch club for over-55s from noon at £5 per meal. Phone Joyce Wild on 07817 505543 to book. The church is anxious to offer help to all those in need – call church steward John Cornish on 07799 516735.
• Blandford Evangelical Church: Sunday – 10am Family Service, including classes for three-18 year olds. Monday – weekly gathering for older people 2.30pm-3.30pm. Tuesday – Footprints, an activities playtime for preschool children, 10am-11.30am and 1.15pm-2.45pm. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings – small groups meet at homes at 7.30pm. The church is in Albert Street. Phone 450689 for more information.
• Castleton, Sherborne, St Mary Magdalene (DT9 3SA): First, third and fourth Sundays, Sung Mattins; second and fifth Sundays, Holy Communion. All services are BCP at 11.15am.
• Chalbury Church: Fourth Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Cheap Street Church, Sherborne: Prayer time –9.45am Thursday; Thought for the Day – 10.30am Thursday. Sunday service at 10.30am. Monday Music second Monday of the month at 6.15pm with a bring and share supper. Taizé Service second Sunday each month at 6.30pm – half an hour of prayer, meditation and music; further details from vicarlesley@outlook.com Rendezvous Community Cuppa – third Monday each month, 10.30am-12.30pm; chat, ‘cuppa’ (£1) and cake (£2); support/ advice from local surgery, speak to a pharmacist, blood pressure checks and Age UK will attend;
all welcome; profits to Rendezvous.
• Digby Memorial Church Hall: Sherborne Quakers – meet Sundays 10.30am in the Griffiths Room. For more information, phone Nick on 07870 192599. Children’s Choir – rehearses at the Almshouse on Mondays at 4pm. Contact charlie.gurnham@sherborne abbey.com, assistant director of music, to join, or just turn up.
• Hinton Martell: Second Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Horton Church: First Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Horton & Chalbury Village Hall: Third Sunday of the month, 9am Breakfast Church.
• Kingston Lacy: Second Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. Fourth Sunday of the month, 9.15am Family Service.
• Lillington: All morning services now begin at 9.30am.
• Lufton Church: BA22 8SU, just to the west of Yeovil. Prayer Book services every Sunday at 6pm. Sung Mass on the third Sunday. See www.lufton.co.uk for details.
• Our Lady’s RC Church, Marnhull: Mass Sunday, 9am and 6pm.
• Sacred Heart, Tisbury, and All Saints’ Wardour Catholic Parish: Sunday Mass – Sacred Heart, Tisbury, 9am, coffee after Mass; All Saints’ Wardour 10.30am.
• Shapwick: Third Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion.
• Shaftesbury Quakers (Society of Friends): Meets for one hour each Sunday from 10.30am at the Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8BB.
• Sherborne Abbey: Monday to Saturday, 8.30am Morning Prayer; The Sepulchre Chapel. Mondays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Tuesday, noon CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion with Homily; The Lady Chapel (alternates CW and BCP). Thursday, noon BCP
Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Friday, 9am Ecumenical Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. First Friday of the month, 9am Requiem Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. Third Friday of the month, 11am Remembering the Fallen. Saturday, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel.
• Sherborne Abbey: Picturing Easter art exhibition, to Wednesday, April 30. Visual meditations on the Easter story by the Rev David Marl ARCA.
• Sherborne Abbey: Volunteer welcomers required to meet and greet visitors. Just one fixed hour a fortnight and training will be given. Anyone interested or who knows someone who might be, should contact Suzanne Short via the Parish Office or email suzanne.short@ sherborneabbey.com. • St Gregory’s, Marnhull: Sunday services 8am and 10am. Other services, visit www. stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk.
• St James Church, Longburton: Village cafe, tea, coffee – free refills – and cakes for just £2.50, Tuesday, April 29, 10.30am-noon.
• St John’s Church, Enmore Green: Service every Sunday at 11.15am; parish communion on the first Sunday of the month; prayer services every other Sunday.
• St Margaret’s, Margaret Marsh (Shaftesbury Benefice) SP7 0AZ: Alternating first Sundays Mattins and Holy Communion, 11.15am. Everyone welcome.
• St Mary’s, Motcombe: Evening worship (BCP) – every first Sunday 6pm; parish communion – every second and fourth Sunday 9.30am; evening worship – every third Sunday 6pm.
• St Mary’s, Sturminster Newton: First, third and fourth Sundays – 11am Holy Communion; second Sunday – 9.30am Morning Prayer; fifth Sunday – 11am Benefice Holy Communion; second and fourth Sundays – 6pm Evensong; Wednesdays – 10am Holy
Communion.
• St Mary & St Bartholomew’s Church, Cranborne: Book of Common Prayer Evensong with the Benefice Choir, first Sunday of the month at 6pm.
• St Peter’s, Hinton St Mary: First, second and third Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer. Fourth Sunday, 9.30am Holy Communion.
• St Thomas’, Lydlinch: Second Sunday, Holy Communion 11am; third Sunday, Evensong 6pm; fourth Sunday, Matins 11am.
• Two Rivers Benefice: All Saints Church, Langton Long, presents A Spring Concert. Neil Sissons (organ), Winston Leese (trumpet), Jan Wyld (topical poetry and readings) Saturday, April 26, 7pm. Admission £10 at the door. Proceeds in aid of All Saints Church. Sunday, April 27 – 9.30am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Charlton Marshall; 9.30am Morning Worship at St John the Baptist Church, Spetisbury; 11am Morning Worship at All Saints Church, Langton Long; 11am BCP Communion at St Mary’s Church, Tarrant Rushton. Sunday, May 4: 10.45am Together Communion at All Saints Church, Langton Long. Sunday, May 11: 9.30am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary; 11am Communion at All Saints Church, Langton Long; 11am Family Service at All Saints Church, Tarrant Keynston; 4pm Reflective service at St Mary’s Church, Charlton Marshall. Coffee and cake – Spetisbury 10am-11.30am first and third Monday each month; Coffee and Cake – Blandford St Mary 10am-11.30am, May 22; Coffee stop – Charlton Marshall Parish Centre 10.30am-12.30pm Tuesday to Friday.
•Wimborne Minster: Saying Goodbye Remembrance Service on Sunday, April 27, 3pm, for anyone who has lost a baby recently or many years ago, and for those grieving they have never been able to have a child.
• Witchampton Church: Third Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
LYN’S BINGO at Marnhull Royal British Legion DT10 1HR on May 5th. Eyes down 7pm.
Rolls Royce Silver Seraph
For Chaffeur Driven Hire
The perfect car for your special occassion!
Weddings from £450 Call: 07717-112730
Haberdashery
Workshops
GILLINGHAM SINGERS“SPRING CONCERT” in St Marys Church, Motcombe, Saturday 17th May 2025
7.30 pm Tickets £10 in advance NOVIA Gillingham High St
TACK TABLE TOP SALE, 10th May, Damerham Village Hall SP6 3HU, Sellers £10 10am, Buyers £1 11am, Book info@ damerham.org, Refreshments.
GARAGE SALE
11-05-25 10am-3pm. Gardening tools, household goods, nuts, bolts and screws, wood, wool and cushions, model tractors. 24 Downsview Drive, Gillingham, SP8 4RL.
80th ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY DANCE Charlton Horethorne Village Hall Saturday May 10th 7pm £12 incl food 01963 814199 jb@classicmedia.co.uk
JUMBLE and PLANT SALE
On Sat 10th May at 10.00 - 12.30 in Melbury Abbas Village Hall SP70DB. Donations of good quality jumble welcome Fri pm.
SUN 25 MAY 11-4:30 DT11 0EE
Turnworth Day - Family activities Teas Plants Music Crafts Large Garden. Free entry. Fundraising for church repairs.
CASH BINGO at the Hall Charlton Horethorne
Every 3rd Thursday (15/5th, 19/6th, 17/7th) 01963 814199 Proceeds to Hall funds
ALWESTON CAR BOOT
SALE, 5th of May, Sellers 7am, Buyers before 7.30am - £5, Buyers after 7.30am - Donation. See Facebook for more
SHERBORNE SCHOOL SWING BAND.
Wednesday 30th April at 7pm Holy Rood Church, Buckland Newton. DT2 7BX Bar, Refreshments, Raffle. Proceeds to the Chancel Roof Repairs.
Tickets £10. 01300345 434 or 07971 277584
GILLINGHAM HANDMADE PRESENTS: Handmade at the Farm, Frankham Farm Ryme Intrinseca, Sherborne DT9 6JT, Sunday 27th April 2025 from 12-5. Lots of lovely handmade stalls, coinciding with the farms Garden Open day, entry is £7.00 per adult, children free.
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
Free concert will mark VE Day’s 80th anniversary in Shaftesbury
A FREE concert - and the lighting of the town beacon - will honour the 80th anniversary of VE Day in Shaftesbury.
The town is invited to join in the commemorative celebrations on Thursday, May 8, marking eight decades since Germany surrendered during the Second World War.
At 9am on the day, a VE Day proclamation will be made at the Town Hall, with the flag raised.
Then, from 6pm, a free concert will take place at Castle Hill featuring a range of acts.
The line-up includes the
Belle Street Duo, Conor Smith, Samantha and Billy Boy Miskimmin.
At 9pm, the show will pause for the lighting of the Shaftesbury town beacon in honour of the event.
Visitors are being warned there is no parking near the venue.
A Shared Moment of Celebration
Shaftesbury 8 May 2025
9.00am Raising of the ag and VE Day 80 Proclamation at the Town Hall
Free Concert at Castle Hill
6.00pm Belle Street Duo
6.30pm Peeling of the bells
6.40pm Conor Smith
7.40pm Sha esbury Town Band
8.30pm Samantha 9.30pm Lighting of Beacon 9.40pm Billy Boy Miskimmin
10.45pm Concert Ends
Food and drink will be available for purchase
Narrow roads and NO PARKING near the venue Please park elsewhere in town
S H ERBORNE ABBEY FESTIVAL 1st - 8th May 2025
Sherborne Abbey Festival: Bringing the
FROMchamber music to choral recitals, this year’s Sherborne Abbey Festival promises something for everyone.
The 2025 event, taking place at the abbey and a number of town venues, runs from May 1 to 8, with organisers promising a “wonderful series of concerts”.
In 2025, the festival is marking 25 years since it was founded - after a visit to a concert by a cathedral choir.
John Baker, then churchwarden of the Abbey, was inspired to create a festival in Sherborne after hearing his son Edward, a chorister at Wells Cathedral, singing in the Edington Festival.
Established in 1957, Edington specifically celebrated liturgical music in the 14th century Priory.
So, it was no surprise that in
the early years of the Sherborne version one of the concerts was given by a visiting cathedral choir, including those of Wells, Exeter, Salisbury, Chichester and Canterbury.
“Under Mr Baker’s visionary leadership in his dual role as
chair and artistic director, the festival grew in scope and variety, and its concerts have enriched Sherborne’s cultural scene for a quarter of a century,” said John Jenkins, chair of the festival.
“Such is its reputation and
popularity, many visitors from across the country now make it an essential fixture in their concert-going calendar.”
Over the years, the event has welcomed a host of distinguished artists, including famous singers such as Dame Felicity Lott, Sir Willard White, Dame Emma Kirkby, Dame Cleo Lane and Jacqui Dankworth, and some of the country’s finest instrumentalists, such as violinists Nicola Benedetti and Tasmin Little, cellists Natalie Clein and Julian Lloyd Webber, flautists Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway, clarinettists Emma Johnson and Julian Bliss, saxophonist Jess Gillam and pianist John Lenehan.
In 2024, 17-year-old violinist Leah Zhu thrilled an audience in the Abbey with her stunning account of Brahms’s muchloved Violin Concerto.
Three Wishes Music Festival Set Menu
Our opening times will be between 17:00pm and 19:00pm on the following dates:
Thursday 1st May
Friday 2nd May
Saturday 3rd May
Wednesday 7th May
Thursday 8th May
Appetisers
Soup of the day, wholemeal cottage roll and Longman’s butter
Thai spice chicken salad with avocado, mango, mint youghurt dressing and crispy onions
Smoked Mackerel, spinach and spring onion tart, pea shoots, beetroot and horse radish chutney
Main Course
Slow cooked confit duck leg, roast garlic mash, spiced red cabbage and apple, Chinese five spice sauce
Risotto of cumin roasted cauliflower and leeks, kale crisps and parmesan
Fish of the day, crab and pea pappardelle, chilli oil and lemon
Dessert
Lemon Posset with rhubarb compote and short bread
Chocolate and Orange pudding with vanilla Chantilly cream and cherries
Passion fruit and pineapple Eton mess
2 Courses: £22pp
3 Courses: £25pp
To book please email eat@thethreewishes.co.uk
We encourage prebooking but will be accepting walk ins!
78 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ
Chair of the festival, John Jenkins
best concerts to Sherborne for 25 years
Several of these outstanding musicians have performed as soloists with the Juventus Chamber Orchestra, whose leader, Ruth Rogers, a former pupil of Sherborne Girls and Bryanston School, is also leader of the London Mozart Players and in great demand internationally as a soloist and chamber music player.
Her Aquinas Piano Trio is a particular favourite among festival-goers, and she is an artistic adviser.
“With the expansion of the festival came the opportunity to engage a number of world-class ensembles, both instrumental and choral,” the spokesperson went on.
“Over the years, audiences have been treated to performances by London Concertante, The Academy of Ancient Music, The Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen,
Tenebrae, Ex Cathedra and Voces8, with the vocal groups revelling in the Abbey’s glorious acoustic in music ranging from ancient plainchant to 21st century masterpieces.”
But as well as hosting renowned performers from around the world, the festival has maintained a close link with performers from the locality.
“One of the unique aspects of the festival, which makes it such a special community event, is its juxtaposition of performances by famous names with those given by Sherborne’s own amateur ensembles and the pupils of the town’s schools.
“Groups such as the Wessex Strings and Sherborne Town Band have enjoyed a platform
in one or more of the festival venues and greatly enriched the variety of musical fare on offer.”
And in 2006, the Sherborne Festival Chorus was established, providing an opportunity for some 140 amateur singers to perform the major choral works in the Abbey, accompanied by a professional orchestra.
“Schools too have been closely involved in the festival from the outset and it is always a joy to see our talented young musicians taking the stage to present a fantastic mix of music-making in their ‘admission free’ events,” the spokesperson said.
“Sherborne School’s Swing Band and Barbershop Group, Sherborne Girls’ Madrigal Society and Chamber Ensembles, Leweston’s choral and instrumental concerts and the Gryphon School’s musical theatre extravaganza always
S H ERBORNE ABBEY FESTIVAL
attract large audiences and are a testament to the impressively high standards they achieve.”
Despite continuing to grow and welcoming more and more visitors, it remains a ‘local’ event, run entirely by volunteers giving their time and expertise in many capacities; as secretary, treasurer, publications editor, concerts manager and all the other roles vital to the operation of such an enterprise, not least among them a loyal and invaluable band of stewards and guides who ensure the smooth running of the concerts, the distribution of programmes and more.
“It is the dedication of this wonderful army of willing volunteers which has been at the core of the festival’s success over the years,” the
spokesperson added.
“It was always the intention that any profit raised should have three purposes: firstly, to ensure that sufficient funds were retained to enable the festival to continue in future years; secondly, to support the musical life of the Abbey through the provision of singing lessons for the choristers, the maintenance of the Abbey’s fine organ, the purchase of a new grand piano, and, something for which we are all grateful, the commissioning of cushions for those infamously hard wooden pews.
“The third, equally important aim of the festival is to support the music education of young musicians with a connection to the town or the Abbey through the award of grants, either to individuals or groups.”
Since 2000, the festival has been able to make grants totalling an amazing £300,000 to further the musical work of the Abbey, and to support groups including the Sherborne Young Singers, the Sherborne Town Youth Band, the Gryphon School’s music theatre
production and the Sherborne Douzelage programme.
In addition, a large number of individuals of school or university age have received funding to help them in pursuit of their musical goals, via the purchase of instruments or the participation on vocational courses.
As well as benefiting from the generous sponsorship of a
number of businesses, the festival also receives invaluable support it receives from around 180 patrons.
The Patrons’ Scheme provides the opportunity for supporters to donate to the Festival via an annual subscription at various levels, from Bronze to Diamond.
According to their chosen level, patrons receive advance
booking, ticket discounts, an invitation to a preview events and other perks during festival week. New patrons are always welcome, with details available via patrons@ sherborneabbeyfestival.org.
In 2004, following John Baker’s retirement after 25 years’ tireless service, his two festival roles - of chair and artistic director - were taken over by John Jenkins, former director of music at Sherborne Girls, and the distinguished pianist Ana Manero, senior keyboard teacher at Sherborne Girls, respectively.
They are looking forward to seeing the Sherborne Abbey Festival go from strength to strength and to meeting many festival supporters next month.
Now, marking a quarter of a century of staging some of the world’s finest artists in Sherborne, the festival has created a stellar programme.
Highlights of this year’s event
include:
n The Juventus Chamber Orchestra, with cellist Natalie Clein, making a welcome return to the Festival to play Haydn’s D major Concerto.
n Florilegium, a period orchestra in a ravishing programme of Bach and Handel with the soprano Rowan Pierce.
n The Armonico Consort, making their first visit to Sherborne, with a stunning candlelit programme of choral masterpieces. The Armonico Academy will also present a morning concert as the culmination of a singing project with Sherborne primary schools.
n Sherborne Abbey Choir sings an inspiring programme of great English anthems.
n Sherborne Festival Chorus perform Mozart’s sublime Requiem.
n Sherborne Town Band and Festival Cornetts and Sackbuts present a scintillating programme entitled ‘From Cathedral to Colliery’.
n International concert organist Thomas Trotter gives a virtuoso recital in Sherborne Abbey.
n Internationally acclaimed tenor James Gilchrist, horn player Ben Goldscheider and pianist Anna Tilbrook perform Britten’s haunting Serenade in the Gransden Hall.
n Cellist Arturo Serna and pianist Ana Manero introduce The Sherborne as a new Festival venue with a delightful dancethemed programme.
n Soprano Susanna MacRae and pianist Claire Habbershaw celebrate female poets and composers in a beautifully
balanced sequence of Romantic and contemporary songs and readings.
n Wessex Strings with guest soloists offer a richly varied programme in Cheap Street Church.
n Opera at The Plume (pictured): now an annual favourite, an evening of delicious food and wine, serenaded by three stars from the world of opera.
n The line-up also features a series of concerts performed by Sherborne’s four senior schools, including the first joint collaboration between the Gryphon School and students from Bournemouth University Music Department.
n For full details of the festival - and how to secure tickets - log on to sherborneabbeyfestival.org, or pick up a brochure from shops and businesses in Sherborne, Yeovil and Bruton, as well as the Abbey itself.
Arts & Entertainment
Hit the trail for a world of art
MORE than 250 exhibitors at 82 venues will be taking part in the Wylye Valley Art Trail when it is staged next month.
The event, which turns 25 this year, features open studios and workplaces, galleries, exhibitions by art groups and student groups and virtual exhibitions, hands-on activities, demonstrations, workshops and talks.
It hopes to offer something for everyone.
For those who like more traditional things, portrait, landscape and still life painters are taking part, while for those who like their art more contemporary in feel, there are abstract painters, digital,
installation and video artists, as well as those using recycled materials.
The trail also features craftspeople working in ceramics, leather and textiles, jewellers, furniture makers, glass artists and sculptors.
The Wylye Valley Art Trail runs from Saturday, May 3, to Sunday, May 11, and the trail guide can be found at tourist information centres, arts centres, libraries and other places.
The trail app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play, and the website is at www.wvat.co.uk
Trail founder and coordinator, Nick Andrew, said:
Nostalgia for VE-Day
THE D-Day Darlings will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of VE-Day when they perform their new show at Westlands Ballroom in Yeovil.
The group appeared on The One Show, Lorraine and on ITV’s D-Day 80 concert at The Royal Albert Hall for the D-Day landmark last year.
The D-Day Darlings will be performing music from their new album in Yeovil on Wednesday, April 30, at 2.30pm.
50-year showcase
THE Art Stable at Child Okeford is set to hold its fourth exhibition of work by Michael Williams.
Paintings and etchings from 1974-2024 looks back at over 50 years of work.
Michael read History at Oxford University before studying painting at La Grande Chaumiere in Paris.
“From the start we were strong in our desire for an event which was all-inclusive, non-selective, entirely run by volunteers and embracing the work of long-established artists and makers, as well as those just starting out on their creative journeys.
“I’m so pleased that in this 25th year that original ethos still holds firm.”
THE Creatives will be returning to Cranborne Garden Centre in May with new collections of their work.
The exhibition will run from Saturday to Wednesday, May 24-28.
Work will include paintings, textile art, stained glass, ceramics and jewellery.
There is ample parking, disabled access and a cafe on site.
For more information, visit www.thecreativesgallery. wordpress.com.
Barnes in drama and song
THE Friends of St Michael’s Church are set to bring The Year Clock, a dramatic and musical celebration of the life of poet, clergyman and scholar William Barnes, to Mere.
who taught himself 14 languages and championed the Dorset dialect in which many of his poems are written.
This production of The Year Clock, written by Tim Lacock, is in support of the Barnes for All campaign to raise money to preserve the large archive of William Barnes for the future.
He taught Art History at St Martin’s in London from 1964, and then Fine Art at Goldsmith’s from 1972 to 1980, ultimately running the MA course in Fine Art.
The exhibition runs from Saturday, May 3, to Saturday, May 31, and is open Thursday to Saturday, 10am-3pm.
Barnes ran a school in the Market House – above where the clock tower is now – and later, with his wife Julia, in The Chantry just behind the church.
He wrote the poem Linden Lea, which composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams set to music, in celebration of The Chantry garden.
Barnes was an enlightened schoolteacher and a linguist
The event, at St Michael’s Church on Sunday, April 27, at 5pm, will support both the appeal and Friends of St Michael’s, and offer the chance to learn about one of Mere’s famous residents.
Tickets are available from Sprout and Flower and by e-mailing margaretdurkee5@ gmail.com – adults £12/ under-18s, £6.
Refreshments will be available for a donation to the Friends of St Michael’s.
Robert and Jaci Baker will be showing woodwork and ceramics at Furzelease Farm in Tisbury Row.
Pure pantomime enjoyment at the village hall
by David Downing
AFTER the long cold wet dark days of winter, what better than once again being right royally entertained by the ‘Shroton Players’ pantomime, Aladdin, at the village hall?
This is the third time I have had the pleasure of travelling from Wimborne to see a show and I have to say this was the best so far.
The large cast evidently enjoyed themselves, as did the enthusiastic audience who were clearly in panto mode from the very start of the overture, played by the two-man band, who added much to the show, both accompanying the singing and incidental music.
The staging was extremely effective with a variety of relevant sets and props and swift scene changes on a stage which is limited in space.
Congratulations to the often unsung heroes – the backstage staff!
The characters were all very well cast with everything from comic widows, Bubble Buddies and eastern figures to James Bond with Miss M and, of
course, Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie – whose timing, delivery and movement were all excellent and despite his obvious desire to make the prompt work, seemed to have his own fan club!
They were all backed up by enthusiastic youngsters – and even a man from The Repair Shop.
Well done to everyone involved in whatever way in
making this such an enjoyable experience!
The demand for tickets and the limitations of space might make one think the players and audiences deserve a larger venue, but this would bring about the loss of the magic dust I wrote of last year, which is the amazing community spirit so obvious in this lovely village. Trump might be trying to MAGA but there’s no need for anyone to MSGA – Shroton’s great already! Oh, yes it is!
PHOTOS: David Holliday
The ‘Shroton Players’ put on an entertaining Aladdin
Sudoku 3D puzzle
Cryptic crossword
Across
1 Rugby player straying in retreat (4,3)
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.
5 Youngster’s first chat at sea in sailing vessel (5)
9 Nun you flatter wrongly alas (13)
10 Fuss from bachelor and friend, mostly hilarious performance (8)
Killer Sudoku Pro
Down
2 A new Greek character with a line in child’s publication (6)
3 Kelvin currently left on border is learning
(13)
4 Bring fellow to eat (5)
10 Fuss from bachelor and friend, mostly hilarious performance (8) 11 Companion, blockhead destroying quiet (4)
11 Companion, blockhead destroying quiet (4)
12 Commercial document on book by the French? It’s recommended (9)
6 Paintings hidden in partition (3)
7 Keep back stoppage (4,2)
8 Yarn excited a groan (6)
12 Commercial document on book by the French? It’s recommended (9)
16 Arab, say, right away getting flexible pipe (4)
11 Associate to pass over old measure of distance (9)
16 Arab, say, right away getting flexible pipe (4)
17 See prim oddball with director that’s smiled weakly (8)
17 See prim oddball with director that’s smiled weakly (8)
13 Abuse at home son ultimately (6)
19 Health professional endangers lout in
19 Health professional endangers lout in mixup (6,7)
21 Some chippy Londoners in gateway (5)
22 Tome composed about chaps as a souvenir (7)
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.
14 Take up protest in Cyprus as amusing incident (6)
15 Start again concerning shoe (6)
18 Second purpose for computing accessory
(7)
20 Pair also in hearing (3)
Politics
Government acts swiftly on steel
TARIFFS were going to be the subject of this week’s column. Little did I know when I mentioned ‘balls of steel’ in the last edition, that steel would become the hot topic and new entry at Number 1 of the rolling and current affairs shows in the UK.
I am deliberate in stating British Steel is on the lips of newsreaders and political commentators in the UK media, because as the world is still squinting to read the US president’s teeny tiny numbers on the table chart of his foamex graphic board – was this his tombstone, or Liz Truss moment?! – a very British story, that concerns the lives of British workers in Scunthorpe, is now dominating our news. I like that – a lot!
I’m a bit of a ‘parliament anorak’ and like to witness the historic debates. Parliament was last recalled on a Saturday in
Candice JohnsonCole, on behalf of Dorset Labour
1982 for the Falklands War! I was in Runcorn, so missed the April 12 recall. I can only imagine how the mechanics of Parliament – the Speaker’s and Whip’s Offices of both houses from all parties, the Parliamentary Labour Party, the Palace of Westminster staff and so on all sprang into action that day.
Our Prime Minister, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her team, with Business Secretary of State, Jonathan Reynolds MP, coming out of the wings and taking centre stage at the despatch box, acted decisively to recall Parliament on Saturday, April 12, and swiftly passed legislation that enabled our government to take control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant from Jingye (UK), its current owners, to ensure the UK maintains its ability to manufacture raw steel, in the UK.
Had the Government not taken swift action and the plant closed, the UK would have become the only member of the G7 without the capability to produce and export raw steel –something that would be to the detriment of our defence, national security and economic growth.
The Government secured the
Brum’s bins strike tells a
THERE’S always a new low to admire in the curious art of government dysfunction. This week, Birmingham – once the workshop of the world – has become its wheelie bin. Rubbish has been left to fester on the pavements for weeks as the bin strike drags on, turning Britain’s second city into a civic embarrassment best viewed with a peg on the nose. This is no longer just about pay and conditions. The Government, in a rare moment of action, called in military planners to help devise a contingency. Yes, actual defence personnel – presumably trained to deal with hostile environment – now manning the frontline in the War on Waste. Perhaps the rats will surrender unconditionally.
Unite, the trade union orchestrating the strike, was offered a settlement that might have restored sanity and sanitation. Its members
Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison
overwhelmingly rejected it. No matter that residents are stuck tiptoeing through bin juice and dodging rats the size of cats. The strike continues and the misery deepens.
Meanwhile, ministers chant the usual incantation, ‘It’s a local issue.’ That’s the convenient mantra whenever the functions of the state are falling apart. Birmingham City
raw materials required to keep the furnaces ‘fired up’ – had it failed to do so, the damage to the insides of the furnaces would have incurred a multi-million pound bill to repair and enable re-ignition. A bit like when your Nan would yell, ‘I can smell the wick – don’t let it burn out’ –those who know, know!
The world is indeed changing. Cast your minds back to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement. The Government’s commitment to establishing strict fiscal rules and an independent Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), demonstrates it has a plan for growth and our economy.
The Labour front bench was well positioned to monitor any future and current effects of US tariffs, enabling it to move quickly to preserve British steel-making.
Those who can adapt plans, survive.
story...
Council is flat broke and appears to be run by people who think rubbish clears itself.
The public deserves better than to live ankle-deep in garbage. A functioning country really shouldn’t find waste collection so difficult. If the bins aren’t being emptied, if junior doctors and teachers are calling off strikes only to prepare for the next one, and if no action comes from HM Government except unimaginative excuses, one must ask, what exactly is the plan?
On another matter – two MPs were regrettably refused entry to Israel a couple of weeks ago. I have myself visited Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, with the support of both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. Such visits are immensely valuable in helping parliamentarians understand the complexities of the region.
They should not be discouraged, least of all obstructed.
It was, however, unwise of the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, to compare Israel to China in his remarks on X –formerly Twitter. China, let’s recall, is a totalitarian state engaging in systematic oppression. Israel is a democracy with all the imperfections that come with it, but not remotely comparable. It is also our longstanding ally. I said as much in the House of Commons to the relevant minister, and I stand by it. If our foreign policy is to be credible, it must also be calm and consistent, not victim to the occasional grandstanding of the Foreign Secretary. Look to the United States for an exemplary case in how not to keep up alliances.
Though, I must admit, at least in Beijing the rubbish gets collected.
Pressure points for farming
I RECENTLY hosted the latest meeting of my Farm & Country Focus Group at the Dillington Estate – a beautiful and historic setting right at the heart of Somerset’s farming community. These regular events bring together local farmers, NFU representatives, land agents and rural business experts from across the region. They’re about listening, learning and ensuring the voices of our countryside are properly represented in Parliament.
A common thread throughout our discussion was the need for fairness in food pricing. Farmers are facing ever-rising input costs – from fuel to fertiliser – while still being expected to meet the highest welfare and environmental standards. Meanwhile, prices paid by supermarkets have failed to keep
pace, leaving many producers in an impossible position.
At the same time, the sudden closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme has only added further uncertainty. Many had signed up in good faith, investing in sustainable practices to benefit
the environment, only to be left in limbo by a decision that came without warning. We need clarity and consistency in agricultural support – not moving goalposts.
What’s clear is that farming isn’t just about food production – it’s about stewardship, sustainability and supporting the fabric of rural life. That’s why, together with my Liberal Democrat colleagues, I’ve launched my Buy Somerset, Back Britain campaign. It’s a local call to action to support British farmers and producers, and make sure we keep money in our local economy.
We also discussed the importance of helping young people better understand farming. There’s a real desire among farmers to open their gates to local schools, helping
Focus on crime on the farm
IT finally feels like spring has arrived in Glastonbury and Somerton. The Easter parliamentary recess has given me the opportunity to spend more time in the constituency meeting residents, visiting businesses and talking to residents. And earlier this month, I was delighted to host an important farming event.
The Future of Farming in Somerset symposium at the Bath and West Showground gathered a wide range of industry stakeholders, local farmers, agricultural experts and agencies to explore sustainable solutions and innovative approaches to issues such as food security, flood resilience and balancing farming with nature.
One of the important topics of discussion was rural crime – a growing problem in Somerset. Most farmers and landowners at the event had experienced rural crime, which is such a huge drain on their stretched
resources and profits, as well as being seriously detrimental to their mental health.
Officers from Avon and Somerset Police rural crime unit spoke at the event and shared helpful advice and tools to help farmers and homeowners mitigate against the threat of crime. They reiterated the importance of reporting every incident, as it helps them build a full picture of areas being
targeted in order to offer support.
For too long, rural crime has been overlooked by successive governments, and it is spiralling in the south west. NFU Mutual’s 2024 report showed costs to the region had risen by a staggering 41.9%, with costs nationwide now exceeding £50 million. For those living and working in our rural communities, its impact can be devastating, so as chair of the Rural Services All Party Parliamentary group, this is an issue I am prioritising.
I will continue to use my voice to demand action to improve the safety of our rural communities. But without support from the Government, rural crime units face an impossible task. It’s no wonder that farming communities have experienced reduced policing visibility because, shockingly, only two rural crime officers now serve the massive Avon and Somerset area. It is testament to the disastrous Conservative
students see where their food comes from and how the countryside is managed. With support from the NFU, I’ll be writing to schools across the area to promote farm visits and hands-on learning.
Smaller family-run farms, in particular, need to be heard. Too often, they are hit hardest by sudden changes in policy or shifts in market conditions. I’ve pledged to raise these issues with MPs from all parties and to continue pressing ministers to ensure support reaches where it’s most needed.
There’s no shortage of pride or professionalism in our farming community – but there’s growing pressure, too. I’ll keep standing up for our local producers and pushing for a food system that values quality, fairness and sustainability.
legacy which cut policing to the bone that we are now facing the impact of this as rural crime figures soar – to have so few officers dedicated to tackling this issue is a disgrace.
Liberal Democrats are calling for specialist rural crime teams to be embedded in every police force to deliver the frontline policing our rural communities deserve. The Government must take urgent action to address the ongoing and shocking neglect of our rural communities when it comes to dealing with these crimes.
Remember, if you are a victim of crime, please call 999 in an emergency or 101 to report crime or disorder.
As always, I want to hear from you. If you would like to share your views, have an issue I can help with or wish to register your interest to attend one of my regular advice surgeries, please don’t hesitate to contact me at sarah.dyke.mp@parliament.uk
Lib Dem MP for Yeovil Adam Dance
LibDem MP for Glastonbury & Somerton Sarah Dyke
Fears over adult care centres
MY inbox has been pretty full with anxious constituents worried about Dorset Council’s plans to close the Adult Care Centres in Blandford and Shaftesbury. I am doing all I can to ensure that these vital local services are continued. It seems strange – that is the polite version – if not damned hypocritical when the Lib Dem Leader in Westminster highlights the challenges of delivering care and the pressures it places on carers when his Dorset Council Lib Dem foot soldiers, running the council currently, are keen to reduce provision and close services. The council’s plans are fundamentally wrong. We have an ageing population, youngsters with very complex needs and a growing population through new housebuilding locally. If Shaftesbury was to close anyone living in Gillingham, for example, would have to travel to Sturminster. If Blandford closes, then the same happens. And, it’s not just the towns themselves but their
Farming
Conservative MP for North Dorset
hinterland villages. So, please do take part in the council’s consultation on its ill thought out plans – consultation. dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/c-e/ dayopps – we have until June 9 to do so.
We have long thought that we live in an increasingly inter-connected and mutuallyreliant world. International organisations, the Rule of Law, global capital and supply chains made us all outward looking.
Cows in the fields, lambs, primroses and swallows...
by Ruth Kimber
THE cows are out by day! They are always happy to revisit the fields, although the grass has been slow to grow. What’s needed is some warm, soft, refreshing rain, which is in the forecast.
Darren, at Linley, and Hannah’s sister-in-law, Alison, at Melbury Abbas, are on lambing. Grand-daughters Grace and Mabel, who went on a lambing course, are both keen to help out.
The primroses in the verges
However, in recent years inward looking, strategically selfish, geopolitical myopia is catching on. Perhaps it was Covid that highlighted overlooked fragilities? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shaking the post-War European settlement. China’s growing multi-dimensional influence has tensioned the equation of trade versus power. Trump’s election has made the US preeminent in global navel gazing. None of this is good news.
The commonality of the world’s problems, be it war, hunger, economic privation or climate, demands a multinational response. Selfish strategies by their very nature diminish outputs. Fortunately, there are two bodies which can rise to the challenge. Non-US NATO has woken up to the urgent need to step up defence procurement and for a common European stance to be taken. The UK is playing a lead role in this endeavour proving, if proof was needed, that one can be a good European state without
being a member of the EU. The other body is the Commonwealth – 56 independent and equal countries comprising 2.7 billion people. Rising Phoenix-like from the ashes of Empire, the Commonwealth has evolved to include non-former Empire countries because of a shared commitment to democracy, the Rule of Law, peace, prosperity through education and development, all of which one can find set out in the Commonwealth Charter. Many members are at different staging posts along the road. The pivotal point is that there is a commonality of belief of the importance of the values I set out above. I firmly believe that the best days of the Commonwealth are ahead of us, and it is for that reason I was honoured to be invited to become a Parliamentary Patron of the Conservative Commonwealth Group to help ensure that the interests and role of the Commonwealth are championed in Parliament.
and banks have been wonderful this year – they are one of my favourite flowers.
The first of the swallows and martins have returned and will get straight on with repairing their nests. While the weather is so dry, putting out water will really help them create the mud they need to repair their cup-shaped nests.
Wind damage to barn roofs will need attention during the next few weeks – thankfully we were insured and NFU Mutual will help with the costs.
We have finalised the turkey poult order for June delivery. It really is a crystal ball exercise!
A step of faith in our Christmas customers, the national disease situation and the unknown!
Last year, a low-flying aircraft frightened the turkeys at midnight, causing them to flock together, smothering 30 very nearly finished birds. This is so horrible, out of our control and avoidable. We tried to find out who was responsible, but no-one was found.
We believe a map indicating the locations of livestock –cattle, horses and particularly poultry – would help pilots avoid low-level flights over these areas.
The end of the year accounts brings extra paperwork. Annual Inspections on the farm add to the paperwork load.
TB testing also costs time and risk, still that one is over, all clear and no injuries.
Patching up of autumn reseeds has been done and next will be emptying the slurry store and planting the maize.
I was listening to the radio this morning and the talk about keeping the last steel-making plant going in the nation’s interest.
One wonders why the same consideration does not seem to apply to food security and small businesses’ survival with all the extra costs brought in this April – NIC and increased wages.
The inheritance tax and burden of regulations and inspections, and such poor rewards, will lead to more turning their backs on farming. Or is this the plan?
Simon Hoare
Single owner collections sell well
CLARKE’S Auctions in Gillingham saw some strong results at its recent sale with a locally consigned single owner collection of more than 25 Bassett-Lowke boardroom models of pre-Second World War RNLI steamships, yachts and other nautical-related items all selling extremely well.
Another single owner collection of Minichamps 1:12th scale Grand Prix British Superbike motorcycle models found new homes across the country.
Clarke’s is beginning to gain a reputation locally for offering large single owner collections and is pleased to be auctioning a large collection of New Old
Stock air rifles and pistols in its May 9-10 sale, including a SMK CR600W CO2 air rifle, a Remington Ariacobra PCP air rifle, an Artemis M16A, Webley pistols and more than 100 lots of air rifles, pistols, telescopic sights and other shootingrelated accessories.
If you have amassed a collection of antique or vintage items and would like advice on value or suitability for auction, Clarke’s valuers would be happy to take a look and advise, whether the whole or part collection, so please give them a call on the number below to arrange a home visit.
Clarke’s monthly valuation days are on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, May 7-9, from 10am-5pm –if these days are not convenient, phone to make an appointment on a day to suit.
Clarke’s is still taking entries
for its May Antiques & Collectables sale and for enquiries for consignment into either this or any future sale, probate or insurance valuations or full or part house clearances, phone Richard Clarke or Karen Marshall on 01747 685592 at the salerooms at The Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road, Gillingham SP8 4QF.
Clarke’s sold this George V 1912 full gold sovereign at £510 hammer
Antiques & Collectibles
Advertiser’s announcement
Lowry pictures in art auction
ACREMAN St Auctioneers & Valuers, Sherborne, is holding three auctions this month.
Mid 20th Century & Modern Art on Thursday, April 24, at 10am includes nine LS Lowrey drawings and watercolours, two Paddington Bear original artworks for the books, a Urano Palma bronze sculpture and a Charles F Tunnicliffe painting.
A General Antiques & Collectors sale will also be held on Thursday, April 24, at noon.
A Jewellery, Silver & Watches sale, including a collection of gold Brutalist jewellery, is on Friday, April 25, at 10am.
Viewing is on Wednesday, April 23, from 10am-3pm. The catalogue is available to view on Acreman’s two online platforms, Easyliveauction.com and Saleroom.com.
Acreman holds regular valuation days at its premises at 121 Acreman Street, Sherborne DT9 3PH where its specialists can evaluate items for auction.
Valuation days run from 10am-3pm: Jewellery and watches, Tuesdays and Saturdays; silver and objets d’art, Tuesdays and Saturdays; toys and collectables, Wednesdays and Saturdays; oriental and Asian, Thursdays and Saturdays; coins, stamps, books and ephemera, Fridays and Saturdays; militaria, Fridays and Saturdays; textiles and fashion, Saturdays; paintings and contemporary art, Saturdays.
Anyone unable to get along to the allocated days can phone or email to make an appointment – house visits can also be arranged if required.
Acreman is also accepting consignments for its upcoming sales and can offer advice on items being considered for auction.
Photographs can be emailed to auction@acremanstreet antiques.co.uk or visit the salerooms, open Monday to Saturday 9am-4pm.
Acreman can take in everything from single items to
complete collections. It can also offer advice and valuations to householders who are downsizing or who need to deal with a whole house and can arrange full house clearances at competitive rates.
Anyone who has anything they would like to consign should contact Gill Norman on 07908 333577 or 01935 508764 or via the email address above.
Weep, by Kimberley Corson, is in Acreman’s next two-day auction
Dispersal sale for motor museum
DORSET-BASED Charterhouse Auctioneers has been instructed to auction the contents of The Moretonhampstead Motor Museum onsite in Devon on Thursday and Friday, May 15-16.
Hundreds of lots are estimated to sell for £600,000£800,000.
“Frank, the founder and curator of the museum, has been a client of Charterhouse for many years,” said Richard Bromell, from the auction house.
“He bought many of the vintage and classic cars, motorcycles and automobilia from our auctions over the years, and we are delighted to be instructed to conduct the sale for him as he plans to retire –for the second time!”.
The sale features 120 classic and vintage cars and motorcycles in all shapes and sizes, dating from 1914 through
to 2023, valued from £800 to £50,000.
Among the 300 lots of automobilia estimates range from £20 to £6,000, so there is something for everyone.
Viewing is at The
Moretonhampstead Motor Museum (TQ13 8LG) on Wednesday, May 14, and on both auction days.
Further information and live internet bidding is available at charterhouse-auction.com
Frank Loft, owner of Moretonhampstead Motor Museum, with a 1930 Rolls-Royce in the auction
Alternatively, Richard Bromell and the Charterhouse team can be contacted for help and advice at The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, 01935 812277 or via cars@charterhouse-auction. com
Clarke’s Auctions
Antiques & Collectables Friday May 9th & Saturday 10th May
Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road Gillingham, SP8 4QF 01747 685592 enquiries@clarkesauctions.co.uk A George V 1912 full gold sovereign. Sold for £630 including
Antiques & Collectibles
Advertiser’s announcement
Find out what jewels and watches are worth
DUKE’S Auctioneers is offering a chance to have your items valued, free of charge, at its salerooms in Copper Street, Dorchester, next month.
The confidential valuations could answer questions about the cost and quality of your jewellery and watches.
Have you ever looked at a piece of jewellery or a beloved watch and found yourself wondering, ‘what’s this really worth?’.
It’s a question that often lingers, whether it’s an inherited heirloom, a gift from a special occasion or something you’ve simply collected over time.
Understanding the true value of these precious items can be informative for insurance purposes, estate planning or
Duke’s sold this Tompion and Banger silver pocket watch for £6,200, inclusive of buyer’s premium
even simply satisfying curiosity. Duke’s offers a discreet and complimentary opportunity to have those questions answered.
On Monday, May 12, its Fine Art premises in Brewery Square, Dorchester, will host a confidential valuation day for jewellery and watches.
This is a chance to have your treasured items assessed by experts in the field, without any obligation.
Contact reception on 01305 265080 or at reception@ dukes-auctions.com to make an appointment.
Antiques shop’s spring show
WALTON House Antiques is a long established and wellknown antiques shop in the lovely market town of Mere.
Twice a year it holds parties offering live music, delicious canapes made from locally sourced produce, and good wines and fizz for all its guests.
Alongside this, as well as showcasing its beautiful shop, filled with wonderful pieces, it regularly holds talks on various topics, presented by BBC Antiques Roadshow experts.
At the spring show tomorrow (Saturday, April 26), 10am-6pm, Richard Price will be doing a talk on classic wrist watches.
Feel free to wander along and take a leisurely browse around Walton House
Antiques’ spaciously laid out showrooms and maybe have a chat with one of its knowledgeable experts. Perhaps even make a day of it and take in everything else Mere and the surrounding countryside has to offer.
Home & Garden
Sowing lettuce for sunny days ahead
by Sally Gregson
FEW things signal that summer is around the corner more than the appearance of young lettuce plants in local nurseries and garden centres. Everybody’s vegetable patch is looking a little devoid of things to eat, but there are always plenty of spaces to grow a few lettuces. Often, they can be less than straightforward to germinate, however. Many lettuce seeds suffer from heat-induced dormancy. The seed needs to be stored somewhere cool, such as in a sealed plastic box in the fridge. If you have rushed out and bought new seed from the local garden centre, it has often been kept for sale in a hothouse. The seed will have been victim to wildly fluctuating temperatures, especially this spring. So, buy seed online from a reputable seed merchant
who stores seed correctly, to ensure your seed is viable. There are one or two other vegetable seeds that are notorious for not germinating easily during a hot spring –celery is less commonly grown these days, but can also suffer from heat dormancy. Lettuce seed should be sown little and often while it can, to keep up a constant supply. The seed should germinate within a fortnight and the seedlings ready to be thinned within a month.
Very early sowings are often subject to those destructive late-spring frosts. A decorative cloche could be placed over the seedlings for protection, so long as it does not hinder the germination by heating the soil beneath too much. A cloche might also protect the lettuces later in the season from
visitations of aphids and cut-worm moths. But generally, lettuces suffer from few pests beyond the occasional visiting slug or snail.
There are so very many different varieties to choose from it can be tempting to sow too many. Small households might want to try ‘cut and come again’ forms whose leaves can be red, crisp or curly. Hearted lettuces are delicious turned and cooked briefly in good butter
and sprinkled with chopped chives and black pepper to serve. It’s a delicious way of using up a glut. Or try a few small, sweet ‘Cos’ lettuces. They too grow quickly and easily and form the basis of many Mediterranean-style salads. Dishes of salade Nicoise come to mind – crisp tuna fish, anchovies, boiled eggs and blanched French beans, turned with dressed cos lettuce leaves. A delicious summer awaits.
Stake and support summer plants
by Sally Gregson
AFTER such a beautiful spring, our summer garden plants are powering up out of the ground at quite an alarming rate. Flowering perennials in particular – the peonies, the delphiniums, the dahlias – all are rushing up. The slugs and snails are licking their lips. Very soon all that luscious young foliage will just be overnight snacks for their delight, unless we take precautions soon.
Some plants are selfsupporting – they stand up well, their stems are sturdy, they rarely fall over. For instance, tall border phlox stand up straight from the start. But some beauties that no garden can be without, such as those gorgeous peonies, have an alarming tendency to bend their necks and drop their faces into the
mud. Peonies are long-lived and will get bigger and better each year with the right treatment, so it’s well worth investing in some metalwork stakes and supports to keep their heads in the air. And now, before they flower, is the right time to put them in place. Once their heads are on the ground, the damage is done.
Insert stakes alongside the lengthening stems of delphiniums as well. The spires can then stand proudly, heads in the air, showing off their delicate blue, purple and white pompoms – predatory slugs and snails thwarted by organic slug pellets. And once the whole plant has finished flowering, the stakes can be removed.
Dahlias are also very beautiful ‘slug fodder’. They are essentially big plants which need to be supported by a strong, metal framework. Next month, once their leaves are visible above ground in the garden, or the mature plants that you have grown under protection are up and about, ensure they are supported, and protected. Once they are fully grown, the slimy ones tend to look for more tasty morsels that are easier to chew.
So, although it might seem the garden suddenly becomes full of metal stakes and supports, with fewer flowers, they will only be visible for a few weeks while they get underway.
And then the summer garden will be full of flower, and alive with bees and birds.
A gardener stakes tall delphiniums in his garden
Lettuces can be less than straightforward to germinate
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Scent in the garden
I LOVE plants that have a scent as well as colour. Quite often the scent will be of interest not just to us, but to insects as well, including bees and butterflies. This will have further impact in the garden by improving the diversity of visitors and in turn help with pollination and the control of pests.
Top of the list at this time of year are the Erysimum or Perennial wallflowers. The best known is a variety called Bowles Mauve which will get to a size of a couple of feet with similar spread. It is easy to grow and will keep on flowering, especially if the old flowers are removed before they go to seed – this kids the plant into thinking its job of reproducing isn’t done, so more flowers will be produced.
There are also some other wonderful varieties including the wonderfully named Walberton’s Fragrant Sunshine with its yellow flowers with fabulous fragrance. If that’s not enough for you, there is a variegated form, Walberton’s Fragrant Star. More subtle colours can be found in Pastel Patchwork.
The scent from Daphne odora aureomarginata is quite something. A slow-
growing evergreen with variegated foliage, the pink and white flowers really pack a punch and can fill a garden with a beautiful aroma. A newer variety that is especially pleasing is Rebecca. These shrubs enjoy partial shade and a well-prepared soil, and when the flowers have finished, the foliage is very attractive for the rest of the year.
Scent in the evening is priceless and the Night Scented Stock with its mouthful of a Latin name Zaluzianskya. It’s a low-growing plant suitable for a pot or for cascading down a rockery or a wall. The flowers are white with a deep pink back to them. During the day, there is no perfume at all, but once the light levels drop, so the scent starts. Where we have a display of them in the garden centre is quite amazing and the plants can be found even in the dark!
I learnt from Radio 4 that the sense of smell has no filters in the brain and is directly linked with the part of the brain that deals with emotions. Smells are also long remembered, which is why they can often make you nostalgic. The scent of mown grass is often quoted, taking you back to childhood. Of course, it might also mean that your neighbour has cut their lawn and it’s time you did yours!
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G.S GENERAL BUILDER. Extensions, renovations, alterations, plastering, brickwork, block-work, stonework and patios, fencing. NO VAT. Call Garry: 07933-921382
BAILEY & SUN LTD. Groundwork, man and machine hire. Footings, ditchings, driveways, new build, drainage, extensions plus lots more. Call for a quote. 07546-762236. sun@baileyandsun.co.uk.
HANDYMAN, reliable and experienced Call Chris 07413 678076
G ROSE PLASTERING. For all your Plastering needs Experienced and reliable Phone 07766-243762
HARRY JACK, HOME SERVICES. Handyman, home maintenance, landscaping, roofing. Harryjackhome services@gmail.com 07855-544618
or
ASA ARCHITECTS. All drawings for planning and construction. 07770 421624. Free consultation Based in Shaftesbury. Works throughout Dorset. www.asa-architect. co.uk. andystrange@btinternet.com
STEVE ADAMS CHIMNEY
SWEEPING HETAS
registered woodburner and flue installer. Birdguards and cowls 07932 655267
K.SANSOM CHIMNEY
SWEEP
Brush & vacuum. APICS registered 01963 370038
CHIMNEYS
Martin Simmonds
Martin Simmonds
Martin Simmonds
Martin Simmonds
Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
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01963 400186 adverts@blackmorevale.net
Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747
Martin Simmonds
Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
Martin Simmonds Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
Martin Simmonds Chimney Sweep Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
SOLID FUEL INSTALLATIONS LTD
Accredited installers of Wood burning & Multi fuel stoves, Chimney liners, twin wall flues, fireplace conversions, replacement hearths, chimney restoration & rebuilding, dealing with water ingress, cowlings, bird guards. Fully Insured, long term established. 01749 677440 – 07921074602- solidfuel3@aol.com www.solidfuelinstallationsltd.co.uk
Purchase advice, Virus Removal, New PC Setup/Installation, Internet Connection, Upgrades, Computer/Software TuitionCall Gregg on 01963 370713
& DBS
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PAUL WEST DECORATING SERVICES and wall-paper specialist. Also hand-man. 35years experience. Free quotes. 07773-459168. paul.west945@gmail.com
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G.O.T. DECORATING City and Guilds qualified Interior/exterior Decorating Free Quotes no VAT Tel 07736644452 go.tanner93@gmail.com
CARPENTRY Doors, repairs, general maintenance etc Call Nick on 07887 358570
M & M PAINTING & DECORATING. 30 years experience. Fully insured, clean & tidy. References available. FREE no obligation quote. Tel: 07534-952486 / 01305-849380
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Students bring much-loved story to life
STUDENTS at Leweston School, near Sherborne, rose to the challenge when they presented The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The play is based on Mark Haddon’s awardwinning novel about a 15-year-old boy with autism spectrum traits, as he investigates the mysterious death of his neighbour’s dog.
The play was performed by a cast of 10 students
from years 10 to 13 in the round with an ambitious combination of lighting, sound and projection effects.
Miss McIntosh, drama teacher and lead staff member for the production, said: “For both the cast and crew, this production was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences undertaken.
“The students’ dedication, professionalism and creativity was a testament to the power of
theatre in education – not just as an art form, but as a means of promoting empathy, resilience and collaboration.
“It was a privilege to bring this story to life and we are incredibly proud of everyone who contributed to its success.”
Art Bytes
THREE artworks by pupils at The Blandford School have been shortlisted from among 150 schools across the country for the Art Bytes award.
The school has been sponsored by the Arts Society Wimborne & Blandford (theartssocietywandb.org. uk) to enable it to enter.
The society hosts monthly lectures in Wimborne, and promotes educational opportunities among the young.
Art Bytes is a national art and technology programme that combines an inter-school art competition with a bespoke virtual gallery and in-person events in cultural venues across England.
The winners of Art Bytes are decided by public vote – so The Blandford School needs your help! You can vote for your favourite entry online at https://artbytes.co.uk/ schools/the-blandford-school-465.
Voting closes on April 28, so hurry! The winner from each school will be exhibited in a virtual gallery before going on to contest the regional and national awards.
Youngsters’ challenges aid charities
STUDENTS at Milton Abbey School at Milton Abbas have raised £8,900 with more money to come in by taking part in the Oceans Seven Challenge and Peaks Challenge.
The money will go to two charities the youngsters have chosen, Tiny Miracles and Project Planet Earth, and the school’s 75th fund.
More than 100 students and
staff took part in the challenges, held over one day.
In the swim challenge, 27 team members swam more than 9,840 lengths (246km) from 8am to 9pm.
Lower-sixth student Leila P swam 600 lengths, Mrs Burg completed 15km and Mr Hanney, head of swimming, completed 20km.
Mr Hanney said: “What a
pleasure it was to be involved in another fantastic challenge with the students.
“It was amazing to see so many pushing themselves to achieve something special.”
The Peaks Challenge was a gruelling 7km or 12km run in the area around the school, including climbs up Bulbarrow Hill, Bogey, King Eddie’s Drive and The Shute.
Periwinkle ‘was used to promote love between a man and his wife’
by Fiona Chapman
SPRING is such an exciting time of year. As it has been so lovely and warm, you can almost watch the leaves coming out in the hedgerows and on the oaks – the bluebells have more flowers every day, the wood anemone are stunning, the birds are singing and nesting, and it gives hope to a troubled world. The Periwinkle is out with its vibrant purple/blue flowers trailing through the hedgerows – the old name given to it was Joy of the Ground and you can see why! There are two sorts of periwinkle – Vinca major and
Vinca minor. It is an ancient herb mentioned in many old texts, often for its magical properties. It was known by some as the sorcerer’s violet and was used to drive demons and wicked spirits away by fighting against devil sickness and demonical possession. It was also used to promote love between a man and his wife. We could all do with some of that, and I wonder if there is a correlation!
It has been used as a herb for hundreds of years and can be made into a tea, powder, tincture or poultice. It is said that the young leaves, which are very
astringent, when chewed or bruised and inserted into the nostril or mouth will stop them bleeding. For nightmares and nervousness, the young tops can be made into a jam. I am not sure how nice that would be. It is also said to be extremely good for cramp of the lower limbs, cured by physically wrapping the green tendrils around the affected leg or foot. It is used for tension that starts in the lower body and moves up. Its toning and astringent effect is good for women with heavy periods and problems with mucus membranes. It is said to be very effective for bleeding piles if applied locally and taken
Periwinkle is trailing through the hedgerows
internally. You can infuse the fresh green and bruised leaves in a carrier oil – coconut – and it is used for inflammatory skin conditions. The fresh flowers can be picked in spring and made into a syrup to use as a gentle laxative for children. You need to use the flowers fresh, as once they dry, they lose their potency.
I think I might have a go at making some periwinkle cream, I always love experimenting with herbs I find locally – my husband might suggest I make a tea.
n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist (email Pellyfiona@gmail.com).
Ear wax removal in the comfort of your own home or at one of our conveniently located Clinics run in the heart of your community.
SPRING is one of my favourite times of year – not just because of the longer days and colourful vistas that follow winter’s greys and browns, but because of the plentiful long weekends. April and May bless us with three bank holidays, giving us time to catch up with friends and family and finally tackle that DIY project.
Two-day weekends are often filled with chores, socialising and planning. While some of this may be enjoyable, it’s not always restorative. Real rest is harder to come by and requires time and intention. This for me is one of the best things about long weekends – the space for both socialising and ‘true’ relaxation that I can really feel.
We live busy lives often fuelled by adrenaline and stress hormones like cortisol. So, when we try to ‘switch off,’ our nervous systems may resist. After a stressful event or week, the body needs time to metabolise cortisol, working more similarly to a dimmer switch than a light switch.
As a result, even when we try to unwind, we might feel restless, alert or anxious. This is not our fault – it’s the body staying vigilant and protective, but it’s also creating a feedback loop of yet more stress. Unknowingly, this constant stress state can lead us to
burnout, poor digestion, illness and low mood. So how do we shift from a stress state or ‘fight or flight’ to relaxation? It takes practice as the nervous system isn’t always familiar with resting. Be patient, though, wonderful things can happen!
Start by signalling safety to the nervous system. Notice tension, shallow breathing or a racing heart and gently invite release. Try slow deep breathing, facial massage, gentle stretching, humming or walks in nature – these are all scientifically proven to bring us into a parasympathetic relaxation state.
Mindfulness, journaling, tai-chi, yoga, calming music and creativity can also lead us into relaxation. It’s important to find what feels right for you – so I invite you to take time over your weekends and the upcoming bank holidays to explore how you can truly rest.
If you’d like to be guided into deep rest, join us online on Tuesday evenings for an online restorative rest class where we experience various options for relaxation. Come along, you’d be most welcome.
n Nicole Asghar is an integrative therapist working with adults and children online and in Bournemouth and Poole. As a yoga teacher who specialises in working with
Treatment in your own home!
neurodivergent clients, Nicole ensures her therapy and classes are trauma-informed, accessible and adapted to all.
For more information, visit www.ourluminousminds.com or email nicole@ ourluminousminds.com.
Yoga, mindfulness, journaling, tai-chi, calming music and creativity can lead into a state of relaxation
Health & Wellbeing
Meditations in nature: The first fledglings of the year
by Susannah Curtin
IT was yesterday evening when I caught a glimpse of the first fledglings in my garden – baby robins, side by side, clinging shakily to the rim of the bird bath. I had been gardening all day and although I had noticed a parent robin was never far from my fork, there had been no sign or sound of any chicks. How strange I thought that they should emerge from the safety of their nest at dusk.
Feisty, iconic and charismatic, the European robin – erithacus rubecula – is one of Britain’s most loved birds. Their tameness and vivacious spirit has inspired poets and writers, and it is therefore no coincidence that their name is given to some of our favourite characters in children’s literature such as Christopher Robin and Robin Hood. The myths and folklore surrounding robins are as colourful as their red breasts. They are associated with the blood of Christ, happiness, joy, good luck, re-birth and the promise of new beginnings. In addition, I have heard several people, including my own brother, notice the frequent appearance of a robin soon after the death of a loved one. These experiences are renowned and have given rise to the saying that “when robins appear, loved ones are near”. What a nice thought that is. Robins belong to a family of Old World Flycatchers. These include redstarts, nightingales, wheatears, stonechats and the pied and spotted flycatchers. They have evolved to follow large mammals, like us, who
disturb the ground, revealing their favourite food of worms and insects, and because they have not been persecuted in the UK for a long time, they feel safe and comfortable around us. They have endearing nesting habits and can be found in plant pots, abandoned kettles, old pans, boots and even coat pockets. Last year, my garden robins nested in a basket on the tiny shelf in my shed, and I had to remember to leave the shed door open and to tiptoe around the nest so as not to cause too much disturbance. Fortunately, this year they have nested in the lower branches of an evergreen shrub, where I don’t have to worry.
Although robins have been voted as our own national bird, they do have quite an extensive range. The species is common and widespread throughout the whole of Europe as far north as the Arctic Circle, as well as parts of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It is not unusual for our garden robins to migrate to warmer climes for the winter, to Spain or Portugal. So, we can never be entirely sure that our summer robin is the same one that frequented our garden during the winter. These tiny birds, which weigh less than an ounce, need to eat roughly a third of their body weight each day. Because of this, they are fiercely territorial and will fight to the death to defend their patch, especially in winter and during the breeding season. Singing is an integral part of their territorial defence, yet it is
this song that I love the most. Particularly throughout the night when the clarity and intensity of their notes float in the darkness and break through my sleep – such a sweet, delicate tune, almost as moving as a nightingale. It is strange to think that this lovely sound is purely to ward off any intruders and to protect their patch. If this doesn’t work, then a fight will surely follow.
Males and females look identical with plump, round bodies and a perky, upright stance. It is only possible to tell them apart during their courtship feeding ritual where it is always the male bird which feeds the female. Then the female robin is the one which selects a nest site, builds the nest and incubates the eggs, while the male robin brings her food. Robin chicks typically fledge around 13 to 14 days after hatching, and about 28 days after the eggs were laid. This little brood is indeed quite early. As I finished for the
evening, I hoped these chicks would return to their roost and survive the icy chill of an April night.
I wake up this morning to a warm blue-sky-day and take my breakfast on the patio to see how my family of robins are faring. It is only a matter of minutes before I see a chick hiding amid my tulips, then another by the roses and the third over by the pond. Meanwhile, the parent birds frantically flit from the sunflower feeder to the ground gathering as much as they can to satisfy these hungry beaks. Already, their plumage has become dulled as all their energy is focused on this next generation. They will no doubt recover and go on to have more broods. By the end of the summer, they will likely perish, exhausted but having fulfilled their duty and assured a future generation, such a heavy responsibility.
n Dr Susie Curtin (email, curtin.susanna@gmail.com).
Robin chicks typically fledge around 13 to 14 days after hatching, and about 28 days after the eggs were laid
Leg of lamb with all the trimmings
SEASON and rub garlic and olive oil all over a boned and butterflied leg of lamb.
Barbecue on both sides for 20-30 minutes or put in the
oven at 200 degrees.
Slice and stir red cabbage, sweetheart cabbage, creme fraiche, garden herbs, lemon and salt and pepper.
Peel small potatoes and boil whole adding a few strands of saffron – or turmeric as a cheaper alternative – and salt to the water until cooked.
Pan fry the potatoes to give them a crisp outside or put them in the oven until you have a crunch.
Slice aubergine, brush with olive oil and put under the grill.
Make a tahini dressing and sprinkle over pomegranate
seeds.
For the salsa verde, chop up cornichon, capers, handfuls of parsley, olive oil and olives.
Halve a few lemons and roast in the oven or on the barbecue.
Garnish with watercress or pea shoots.
n Annie des Forges, DirectorChef, The Table Bruton; Annie Austin, Director-Host & Concierge, Somerset Roadtrip.
Enford Farm Shop
Durweston DT11 0QW
Home reared and locally produced meats, game, deli, fruit, veg, free range eggs and lots more.
Follow us on Facebook for all our latest meat pack deals and what’s in fresh that week.
Chicken feeds etc available.
Half a lamb £90 |
Open Wednesday to Saturday 10am-5.30pm. 01258 450050
TRADITIONAL COUNTRY PUB SERVING FINE FOOD AND DRINKS
Peter and Karlene are delighted to invite you to the Plough Inn at Manston and look forward to seeing you soon.
We are delighted that our renovation and expansion project has been well received by customers as have our food and beverage offerings. After a very long search, we now have a fully staffed kitchen and offer our full lunch and dinner menu every day from Tuesday lunch until Sunday lunch. We are closed after lunch on Sunday and all day Monday. We offer a wide range of beers, cider, wines and spirits as well as a range of non-alcoholic options.
A Pub With Warmth And Atmosphere
The bar and snug have been refreshed but retain all the old features that made this cosy area so attractive. And, by popular demand, we have a new wood burning stove to provide atmosphere and warmth whenever needed! We have a completely new kitchen, beer cellar and new male, female and disabled washrooms. The old conservatory is now an insulated garden room and we have a new dining area which can accommodate a further twenty guests.
Hearty Food And Distinctive Drinks
By experimenting with our menu and listening to our customers we have developed a popular menu ranging from light snacks to exciting specials and everything in-between. Please look at our menu and see if you can spot your favourite country pub meal. For Sunday lunch, in addition to our full menu, we offer a traditional roast with all the trimmings. Our range of drinks has evolved in response to customer demand and caters for all tastes. But most importantly we have built a wonderful team to look after you all and ensure a great experience at the Plough.
We hope to see you soon, Cheers, Peter & Karlene
Roast lamb – a piece of food heaven on a plate
Announcements
PUBLIC NOTICES THANK YOU
THE SKIPLANDER 101 TRUST has been formed and was notarized on 13th September 2024 by Nigel
Maurice Pugh
THE DONKEY FIELD COMMUNITY ORCHARD, Church Hill, Shaftesbury is simplifying it’s constitution with 3 weeks notice. 07468 218909 for details, draft available on site notice board.
MARTIN GODFREY WATERS
Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Church Cottage, Hartgrove, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0JY, who died on 06/09/2024, must send written particulars to the address below by 26/06/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Nazareth Lodge, Penny Street, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1DE; Walnut Tree Cottage, Church Hill, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1PU, who died on 09/01/2025, must send written particulars to the address below by 26/06/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 41 Claremont Avenue, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4RH, who died on 23/01/2025, must send written particulars to the address below by 26/06/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified
Fiona Jane Thomas & Patricia Maureen Brain, Farnfields, The Square, Gillingham, SP8 4AX Ref: SMR/90279-1
AB Conduit Building Ltd is applying for a licence to use The Conduit Group, Marston Road, Sherborne, DT9 4GH as an operating centre for 1 goods vehicle. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner’s Office.
WINNIE HOLLOWAY
David Holloway and Family would like to thank everyone for coming to his wife Winnie’s funeral on 6th March 2025. They would also like to thank everyone for their cards and messages of kindness. Donations in memory of Winnie for Dimentia UK and Cancer Research UK amounted to £420.60.
DEATHS
Rachel Hosford (Cook)
82, of Durweston. Passed away at Forest Holme Hospice, Poole, on 5th April 2025, after a short illness Beloved wife of Jonny, and much missed mother of Martha and Ben, and grandchildren Hector, Eliana, William and Thomas.
KENISTON
Eric Leonard of Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, and formerly of Charlton Marshall, Blandford, passed peacefully away at home on Thursday 10th April 2025, aged 92 years. Beloved Husband of the late Kathleen Keniston and a much loved father, grandfather and great grandfather. Funeral service to take place at Taunton Crematorium on Friday 2nd May at 3.20pm. Family flowers only please but donations if desired for All Saint’s Church, Norton Fitzwarren may be sent c/o Taunton Funeral Service, 55 Bridge Stre et, Taunton, TA1 1TP. Tel: 01823 321077
Trevor John Griffin
Passed away peacefully at Weston General Hospital on 3rd April 2025 at the age of 85.
Beloved husband of June, much loved Dad to Tina, Julie and Tim, Grandad to John and Isobel and Gramps to Ryan, Liam, the late Oliver and Amelia. Great Grandad to Ella, Alex and Tallulah
Funeral service to be held at St George’s church in Bourton on the 19th May at 12md followed by interment. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired can be made on the day for St George’s church.
DEATHS
Jill Arnold
On the 14th April passed away unexpectedly and peacefully at Salisbury District Hospital. Beloved Wife of Geoffrey. Private cremation at Jill’s request.
WESTON, BRUCE MARTYN
Passed away peacefully at Castle House Nursing Home on 5th April 2025 aged 76 years. Beloved Father of Mark & Clare and loving Grandfather to Erin, Ava, Oskar & Amara.
Bruce will be sadly missed by us all.
Funeral service to take place at Salisbury Crematorium on Tuesday 6th May at 1pm. All are welcome.
Family flowers only, but donations can be made in Bruce’s memory to Guide Dogs for the Blind, Macmillan and The Air Ambulance through Much Loved bruceweston.muchloved.com
Passed away peacefully at home, in her sleep, on 27th March 2025, aged 88. Devoted wife to Charles and a dearly loved mother and grandmother, who will be sorely missed. The private family cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service will take place at St Mary’s Church, Motcombe on Thursday 22nd May at 12noon.
As we will be remembering Jane’s life, please feel free to wear something colourful. No flowers please.
Donations to The Donkey Sanctuary or The Cinnamon Trust may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury SP7 0BU. Please make any cheques payable to the individual charity.
Morgan Eileen Rose
Aged 88 years of Wincanton. On 14th April 2025, peacefully at Wisteria House Nursing Home, Tintinhull. Married to the late Christopher for 53 years. Dearly beloved Mother of Shirley, Nigel, Diane and Alan. Grandmother of Chloe and Deanne. Sister of Terry and Sister-in-Law to Joy, Aunt, Friend to Lil and Pauline. Funeral service at Yeovil Crematorium on Tuesday 6th May at 1:20pm. Family flowers only please. Donations in memory of Eileen are being invited for Dementia UK c/o Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES. Tel: 01963 440367.
MARETH SUZETTE CHAVE
On 4th April 2025, peacefully in Salisbury District Hospital aged 81 years. Of Shaftesbury. Wife of the late Nicholas, much loved Mum, Gran and Great Gran. She will be sadly missed by all family and friends. A graveside service will take place at St James Church, Ansty on Wednesday 7th May at 11.00am.
Donations in her memory for The Stars Appeal SDH may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532.
Basil Edward Suter
Formerly of Bourton. Passed away on the 5th of April 2025 aged 88 years at his home in Gillingham. A much loved Father, Grandad & Great Grandad. Funeral Service to be held at St George’s Church, Bourton. On the 7th of May at 12.00pm. Family flowers only please. Donations in his memory for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. Funeral Directors LC Hill & Son Mere BA12 6DZ.
ANTHONY – IRENE ANASTASIA
Of Mudford Sock passed away peacefully in Yeovil District Hospital on the 6th April 2025 aged 71 years. A very much loved daughter, mum, grandma, sister and aunty.
Funeral service will take place on Tuesday 6th May 2025, 2.00 pm at Yeovil Crematorium. To celebrate Irene’s life, please wear leopard print or something bright. Family flowers only please. Donations in memory of Irene for the Palliative Care Team at Yeovil District Hospital may be given online at www.ajwakely.com or sent c/o A J Wakely & Sons, 33 Sparrow Road, Yeovil BA21 4BT. Please make cheques payable to Yeovil Hospital Charity.
To place an obituary or remembrance advertisement in The New Blackmore Vale Magazine
Good turnout for quiz
QUIZZERS turned out in force for another Mere Toddlers Foodbank quiz at the Grove Building.
They filled 10 tables and Penny Fennon posed the questions, with prize money of £100 available from a local sponsor.
A raffle was on offer, and cake and hot drinks were provided.
Lots of donations were made to the foodbank and £424.70 was raised.
The winners were the Purple Pants team.
PICTURES AND TEXT: George Jeans, Mere
Cancer Trust date
THE early history of The Fortuneswell Cancer Trust will be the subject of a talk by Fiona James at the trust’s annual meeting.
The meeting is at the United Church, 29 South Street, Dorchester (DT1 1BY) on Tuesday, May 20, at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.
Light refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome.
For more information, email thefortuneswellcancerturst@gmail. com
The Rector of Wimborne Minster, the Rev Canon Andrew Rowland, greets two miniature donkeys on the Minster Green beside the Church of St Cuthburga on Palm Sunday morning
PHOTO: Anthony Oliver
Letters
Buses: Village OAPs feel stranded
HOW can Dorset Council show such complete disregard for the people of Marnhull who use the CR4 First Bus service to get to Yeovil and Blandford?
With just two weeks’ notice, the decision has been made to withdraw the service from our village.
The news was not posted on its website until April 7 and the service is being withdraw on April 20.
This is going to be so bad for our village and for people who do not drive.
Only today I met people waiting for the bus who did not know it was being withdrawn.
Not everyone has access to the internet and no notices have been put up at bus stops.
My husband and I are pensioners and do not drive anymore.
I use the service at least three times a week. I work two days in Stalbridge, our doctors and dentists are in Sherborne, and we have family in Yeovil.
The current bus times work out perfectly.
Now, every trip will take an hour longer, as we will have to catch the CR3 to Sturminster Newton first.
Even getting to Stalbridge, three miles away, will take 1 hour and 15 minutes, and getting back we will have to wait in Sturminster Newton for two hours for a connection home.
We love Marnhull but feel stranded.
Sandra Dooley Marnhull
Housing crisis: Second homes
PEOPLE in Dorset, Somerset and elsewhere are alarmed at the proposals to build hundreds, sometimes thousands, of houses in different areas.
The main reason given for this is the crisis in housing with the need for about one million new houses planned for the coming years in the UK.
This crisis is not justified for the following reasons.
First, the 2021 census showed that in England and Wales there were about 270,000 empty houses and about 700,000 second houses.
Second, more recent sources suggest about 1.5 million empty dwellings of which 90% are second houses.
In Dorset some of the most up to date data shows that there are 6,367 second houses and about 12,800 empty.
Third, during the last two years, second home numbers have increased by about 520.
In Somerset about 4,200 houses are unoccupied and nearly 3,000 are second houses.
Therefore, both locally and nationally, there are enough dwellings to meet the projected need which could, with new legislation, be used.
Two factors could prevent this from happening – selfish owners of second properties and an uncaring Government that has neither the will nor ability to enact new legislation.
Local people, especially younger ones, have been forced out of their home area.
The problem has arisen through bad housing policy.
It can be solved by replacing it with new laws that give a fair slice of the cake based on need.
Dr Colin Clark via email
Teach children rubbish lesson
RUTH Kimber writes about the appalling amount of rubbish lining our country roads – New Blackmore Vale, April 11.
She mentions the Frome bypass, which is indeed awful, but the problem afflicts even remote back lanes.
It is clear that, in addition to the plague of fly-tipping, too many people open their car windows and thoughtlessly toss out the packaging from what they’ve been consuming –plastic bottles and takeaway
wrappings predominate.
I suspect this is often done by groups of young people out for a ride in the evening.
I occasionally see heroic and public-spirited individuals –Mike Keating in Sherborne is one – picking up the litter, but it is very much an uphill struggle against the odds.
Surely one way of countering this anti-social menace is for children to be taught in school, from earliest years, that treating the countryside as a rubbish tip not only blights it for other people but is extremely bad for the environment.
Teachers need to take the lead, as they do on other issues such as climate warming and tree planting, and children will then shame their elders out of this disgusting habit.
Roger White Sherborne DT9 3AH
Showcase for WI members
SINCE it first began in 1915 the Women’s Institute has been able to turn its collective hands to anything!
Blandford Evening WI is putting on a free exhibition on Saturday, May 3, from 10amnoon in the Pavilion of the Woodhouse Gardens, Blandford to illustrate just how skilful, adaptable and just plain clever women are!
Come along view the displays and, of course, eat some of the famous homemade cake!
Sheila Chapman Via email
Question of good road manners
AS a resident of a small village in Dorset and most days driving on local roads, I would like to thank all the drivers, particularly those in BMWs and Audis, who are polite and keep a proper distance between themselves and the car in front.
The country roads are subject to slow tractors, unexpected
roadworks and so on, and are not the easiest.
And then I would ask all those drivers who are hell bent on getting where they are going, and spend their time trying to get as close as they can to the car in front, to slow down and be a bit more thoughtful.
They seem to think that if they do this the car in front will be forced to go faster.
This is most annoying and has the effect – in my case – of making me go much slower.
It would be so nice if certain of my fellow Dorset residents could be a bit more polite on the roads.
It would be a nicer place if we all behaved in a more civilised way.
Ruth
Alexander Stour Provost
Folk festival help wanted
THE widely anticipated Wimborne Minster Folk Festival will return from June 6-8 this year and we are looking forward to another highly successful weekend.
However, as with many other similar events, we struggle to find volunteers to help with stewarding over the weekend.
This year is so far proving extremely challenging to the point of potentially having to cancel the annual Saturday afternoon procession through the town if we cannot meet the requirements in terms of numbers to steward it.
If we could recruit a further 10-12 people to do a minimum of one four-hour shift – two if possible – over the Saturday and Sunday, we should be able to meet our needs.
Stewards get free parking, refreshments and entry to all ticketed events over the weekend.
If you can help, please email me at paulfolkfest@gmail.com
Paul Gunovsky Project manager, Wimborne Minster Folk Festival
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
to join our team working on a prestigious 7 acre garden near Shaftesbury. Previous experience required and references. 07792-892999..
LOOKING FOR A PAINTER/PREPPER on a self-employed basis. Required to work off own initiative. Monday-Friday. Hours can be adjusted to suit. If you can weld/done a bit of mechanical fitting and stripping of cars that would be an advantage. We only work on classic vehicles, must be fully experienced and would suit someone who wants to work in a laid back environment. A-Z Classic Car Restoration. Piddlehinton. 07749-989624.
CLEANER/MANAGER WANTED FOR HOLIDAY COTTAGES AT HANFORD
ValeWe have three cottages outside Child Okeford. We are looking for a meticulous cleaner/manager to work 4 hours plus on Fridays, and occasional Mondays. The person should be organised and thorough, with an eye for detail. They will need to manage the cottages, clean them and organise supplies. In addition they should be good communicators, responsive to problems, and on occasion will need to use initiative. There is the potential for extra hours and other responsibilities. Locally based is essential. The pay is generous. Ring 07824 638117
Recruitment
PAUL COATES AUTOMOTIVE, East Stour Garage, Level 3, NVQ Motor Vehicle Technician and MOT Tester required. Rates of pay £16-£20 per hour. Contact: 01747-838745
MB CROCKER LTD ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED PART TIME PA/ADMINISTRATOR – 20 hours per week
Must have a good understanding of Farming and Property matters. Office Based in Marnhull
Immediate Start
Please forward a CV & covering letter to mail@mbcrocker.co.uk
Small friendly manufacturing company in Semley, now recruiting for the following full-time role; - Machinery Assembly, Commissioning & Service Technician –Will suit someone with an interest in electrical and mechanical assembly. A personable and motivated individual, willing to learn multiple disciplines. Someone capable of working alone & as part of a team. Worldwide travel required as the role progresses. Basic PC literacy essential.
Enquiries & Applications - 01747 851060
WITH A LARGE INVESTMENT INTO NEW MACHINERY, WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO HELP DRIVE THE BUSINESS FORWARD INTO THIS EXCITING NEW CHAPTER...
We are looking for people with skills suited to working in the following areas;
• Warehouse personnel for order picking and processing
• Steel preservation and paint line operatives
• Saw operatives
Experience in these areas is preferred but not essential as full training will be provided.
Applicants must be highly safety conscious, accurate and reliable with the ability to work as part of a team as well as under own initiative.
These roles require a proactive attitude, ideal for someone that likes to take ownership for their own workload.
To be trained on all machinery including:
• Overhead Cranes
• Sideloader
• Counterbalance forklift
• Steel sawing systems
• Shot blast and paint line
• HGV training can be provided for right candidate
Benefits include:
• Free on-site parking
• Uniform and PPE provided
• Competitive salary
• Overtime opportunities
LOOKING FOR A CAREER WITH A PROGRESSIVE FUTURE?
Please apply by emailing a CV to: neil.cahill@pulhamsteels.co.uk | phil.cahill@pulhamsteels.co.uk | tony.bailey@pulhamsteels.co.uk
Recruitment
GENERAL FARM WORKER
needed on a dairy and beef farm, between Wincanton and Bruton. Tel: 07812-009364
RELIEF MILKER
REQUIRED-330 cows 2 people milking. Must have experience. Thursdays and fri pm. Buckhorn weston. 07919-100341
CLEANER AND IRONING
Help Required East Stour Area
Reliable, trustworthy person to assist with cleaning and ironing in a private home 10 hours weekly Call 07778 053419
CLEANER WANTED for private house 4 - 5hrs/week. Good pay. Please call Fiona: 07742453285
P/T FREELANCE
BOOKKEEPER/ TREASURER
SHERBORNE FOOD BANK
• Flexible 3 hours weekly
• Working from home
• Occasional meetings
• Excel-based system
• MS365 proficient
Well organised local charity, with diligent accounting history and processes.
Seeking a volunteer or selfemployed professional with hourly fee negotiable. Contact David Kemp: chair@sherbornefoodbank.org
A.P.STEPHENS AND SON:
Require “General Labourer” to join the team, Experienced ideally, Full time work, Must be able to drive, Good work ethic, Dorset based work, Call Luke on 07818-297152 Pay to be discussed
Side hustles on the rise
AS salaries continue to be stretched thin by the high cost of living and with National Insurance tax hikes placing more pressure on company budgets – many professionals are being driven to clock into a ‘5-9’ after their ‘9-5’.
New findings from global talent solutions provider Robert Walters reveal that 30% of UK professionals are considering beginning a side hustle – with almost a fifth (19%) already having some form of second job.
A quarter (25%) of professionals, when asked about their exact hours, stated that
each week could see them dedicate between 10-20 hours to their side hustle.
For those also working in standard full-time roles, this could mean they clock in up to 67.5 hours of work every week.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is clamping down on online sellers using sites like Etsy, eBay and Airbnb in a new campaign called Help for Hustles to encourage the tax reporting of side hustles.
Social media has helped amplify the renewed focus on professionals’ ‘optimising’ their time after work – TikTok’s 5-9 after 9-5 tag provides one such place where young professionals share their afterwork routines.
EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS
As a British manufacturer based in North Dorset, we rely heavily on the people in our local community to help us achieve our goals. We’re proud to actively work with and support local businesses and organisations throughout the Blackmore Vale area. British made, locally powered.
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is Dextra Group’s charity of choice, with annual donations of £25,000.
Receiving no direct funding from the Government or the National Lottery, the charity relies on the generosity of the public for support. Operational costs exceed £5 million a year, with each mission costing approximately £3,000. Dextra Group has had first-hand experience of the vital role this service plays in saving and enhancing lives.
CAR DOG GUARD Adjustable with two fixing clips onto head rests. VGC & clean £35 Gillingham 01747 825614
STONE COPPINGS FOR WALLS. 11ft x 18” or 22ft x 9”. £35, Also over materials, enquiries: 01747-840835.
3 Pkts OF 6 SPECTRUM noir Glitter Brush Pens Brand New £20 .00p Buyer Collects Tel 07789-327811
RSPCA calls for action on caged hens
THE RSPCA is calling for a ban on caged hens – and hopes to see the Government launch a consultation into the issue.
It is also asking members of the public to support a ban by contacting their MP to push for government action.
The RSPCA says about eight million hens in the UK spend most of their lives in cages, unable to move around freely and perform natural behaviours like dustbathing.
It says hens can be left stressed and frustrated, often resorting to distressing behaviours like pulling out the feathers of other birds.
Hens can also be left with bald patches on their heads and necks after poking their heads
out to feed.
The RSPCA says one in five eggs in the UK comes from caged hens.
Emily Harris, campaigns manager at the charity, said: “It is vitally important that we treat every kind of animal with kindness and respect, and keeping hens in cages is an outdated and cruel practice which can cause them to suffer.
“It means each hen is allocated only around 30cm (12in) of usable space – the equivalent of an A4 sheet of paper.
“These birds are sentient animals with their own individual personalities, despite common misconceptions, and they do not deserve to be treated
WESTIE PUPPIES FOR SALE. 3 girls left. KC registered. Licensed breeder. 5 weeks old, £1,800. For more information, please call 07907-716666.
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this way.
“We’re asking the public to lobby their MP to make real change happen for millions of hens.
“Together, we want to make the UK Government crack under pressure and finally launch a consultation into this vital issue, and the future of caged hens in England.
“In September last year, we called on the UK Government to do this by January 2025, so this move is now long overdue.”
The charity also says food labels should be more transparent, so shoppers understand what they are buying when purchasing certain products.
Posy, a former caged hen which went to the British Hen Welfare Trust
It says many people choose to buy free range eggs in their supermarket, as boxes are clearly marked.
However, companies do not have to declare the kinds of eggs they use as ingredients in items such as cakes, pies, biscuits and quiches.
This means shoppers could be unwittingly buying food with caged eggs in the ingredients.
Ms Harris added: “The only way to stop this cruel practice altogether is to see a ban on cages, and we urge the public to help us make this a reality. We can achieve so much together for animal welfare.”
Let us pamper your pet in our luxurious kennels and cattery. All accommodation has central heating and double glazing to keep our guests comfortable. Our dogs are exercised in secure gardens. Open for boarding 7 days per week from 09.00am. See website for details of opening times.
FELINE lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is multifactorial and can be difficult to manage in view of the multiple underlying causes. FLUTD typically causes recurrent symptoms of cystitis. There is often no underlying
infection although underlying causes such as bladder stones or bacterial cystitis should be ruled out if symptoms are not responding as expected. There are a number of common features but these are not present in all cases. Commonly cats are anxious or are living in stressful situations such as multi-cat households.
LABRADOR PUPPIES. Sire and Dam both working/pets with great temperaments. Pups have been raised in the family home with children and other pets. Used to everyday sounds. Handled daily and well socialised. Mother can be seen with pups. Vaccinated, Wormed, Health Checked and Microchipped. Ready for their forever homes. 1 black bitch, 1 red dog and 3 black dogs. Contact 07775-913515.
Mid Dorset
Cats Protection
Volunteers Needed
We are looking to strengthen our branch and need more volunteers to help us in a variety of roles
Fundraising Team Leader, Fosterers, Fosterer support driver Gillingham based, Enquiries, Homing and Fundraisers
The love of cats and a bit of time being the primary requirements
If you would like to find out more about any roles
Please contact us on 01258 858644
Email: enquiries@middorset.cats.org.uk
Website: www.cats.org.uk/middorset
Frequency of symptoms can be reduced by managing stress – perhaps in multi-cat households, ensuring each cat has its own space, eating and drinking area, and litter tray
Overweight neutered males are at a higher risk of urethral obstruction due to FLUTD and can present with an acutely life-threatening urinary blockage.
Frequency of symptoms can be reduced by managing stress – for instance in multi-cat households, ensuring each cat has its own space, eating and drinking area, and litter tray. You can reduce obesity by increasing activity – which may include managing pain from arthritis which can reduce mobility – and by feeding lower calorie foods. Increasing water intake by feeding diets specifically for cats with urinary issues and feeding lower magnesium diets can help. If your cat won’t eat the urinary diet then feeding purely wet/ tinned food is the next best thing. Cats are more likely to drink from running water, so a water fountain can help increase water intake.
Cats prone to cystitis with
bloody urine, where other underlying causes have been ruled out, can benefit from glucosamine supplements. Often all that is needed, during short episodes, is pain relief. Pheromones can help stressed cats feel less stressed. Sometimes off licence antidepressants –licensed in dogs – are required to manage the behaviour if other steps have not resolved the issue.
Even if infection or bladder stones are not present during initial episodes, cats with FLUTD are at higher risk of developing them during subsequent episodes and any cat not responding as usual to typical management should be re-evaluated.
Neutered male cats which present with acute obstruction often require catheterising to relieve the obstruction and intravenous fluids to ‘flush’ through the kidneys because acute – often reversible –kidney injury can develop due to the obstruction. Blood tests are beneficial to monitor kidney function when this occurs. Cats with recurrent obstructions may need surgery to widen the outflow from the urethra which is at its narrowest through the penis in neutered males.
Understanding why cats get FLUTD is essential to long term management so that your cat’s lifestyle can be altered to cause less stress and increase water intake while keeping pain relief at home to treat acute flare-ups.
Mid Dorset
Cats Protection
For more details, please call our helpline 01258 858644 or visit our website: cats.org.uk/middorset
Essential tips for firsttime dog owners
by Raychel Curson
BRINGING a dog into your home for the first time is an exciting and rewarding experience, but it also comes with responsibilities. To ensure your new furry friend thrives and you feel less stressed, here are some essential tips for first-time dog owners.
Choose the right dog for your lifestyle
Before adopting, consider factors like breed, size, energy level and temperament. Some dogs require lots of exercise and mental stimulation, while others are more relaxed. Research breeds or consider mixed-breed dogs from a rescue to find the perfect fit.
Prepare your home
Make your home dog-friendly by removing hazards like toxic plants, small objects that can be swallowed and electrical cords. Provide essentials such as a comfy bed, food and water bowls, and chew/ enrichment toys to keep them entertained. Establish a routine
Dogs thrive on consistency. Set regular feeding times, potty breaks and walk schedules to help them adjust quickly. A structured routine reduces anxiety and promotes good behaviour.
Prioritise training
Teaching your dog basic manners – sit, stay, come – is crucial for a well-behaved dog. Positive reinforcement, like treats and praise, works best.
Introduce your dog to people, other animals, sounds and different environments early on to prevent fear or other behaviour issues – seek behaviour advice if this is not safe to do, or have any questions. I would also recommend finding an activity you and your dog love to do together, whether that is tug, tricks, a special walk – it can help you bond.
Invest in quality nutrition and vet care
Choose high-quality dog food – within your budget – suitable for their age, size and breed. Regular vet check-ups, vaccinations or titre testing, and flea/tick prevention can help to keep your dog healthy.
Provide exercise and mental stimulation
Daily walks, playtime and puzzle toys help prevent boredom and destructive behaviour. Each dog has different exercise needs, so adjust accordingly.
Be patient and show love Dogs need time to adjust to their new environment. Be patient, offer positive reinforcement and build a trusting bond.
Owning a dog is a lifelong commitment that requires time, effort and love. While the initial adjustment period may come with challenges, the unconditional love and companionship they provide make it all worthwhile. The key to a successful relationship with your dog is understanding their needs, providing consistent care and nurturing a strong bond.
n Raychel Curson BSc (Hons)
MA CCAB APBC-CAB FABC
ABTC-CAB is owner of Pet Peeves Animal Behaviour & Teaching; email raychel@ petpeevessomerset.co.uk.
Misty and Jasper are a delightful pair of cats desperate to find a new loving home soon.
They are great friends and we would love to home them together.
They came into us in September last year when their owner was unable to take care of them any longer.
They are both delightful cats, very affectionate and loving, and great characters.
Misty is 10 and in good health, Jasper is coming up to 12 and has been through the wars in the last few months.
He’s had most of his teeth
removed his right eye and has an overactive thyroid which is being easily managed on medication. He is now fit and eager to be in his new home with Misty. Could you give them that home? They need a safe location with a garden of their own.
n For details, please call the helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website www.cats. org.uk/middorset
Mel and Sue, six years. Sweet, sensitive pair looking for a home together
Rosie, three years. Sweet affectionate girl, probably would prefer a home without young children
Bobak, four years. A shy boy to begin with but once he gets to know you he is fine
Driving test waiting times hit new high
AVERAGE waiting times for a driving test have reached a new high, with learners typically facing waits of 20 weeks.
The number of driving test centres showing the maximum wait of 24 weeks has doubled in the last year from 94 in February 2024 to 183 in February 2025 – more than half of test centres (57%).
Only 14 test centres had waits at or below the DVSA’s end-of-year-target of seven weeks. This has fallen since February 2024 when 83 test centres had achieved a waiting time of less than seven weeks.
The data, from a Freedom of Information request to the DVSA by the AA Driving School, shows the average waiting time to book a driving
test has steadily risen in the last year from 14.8 weeks in February 2024 to 20 weeks in February 2025.
Driving licence holding among young people has fallen, with the most recent data showing 29% of 17-to-20-yearolds hold a licence, compared to 35% pre-pandemic.
Amid this, the number of young people not in employment or education has risen by 26,000 on the year from October to December 2023.
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: “We are pleased the DVSA has laid out its plans to reach an average waiting time of seven weeks by December 2025 and wholeheartedly
support their goal.
“It is crucial efforts to meet this target are effective and result in this significant reduction.
“There are rising numbers of young people who are registered as economically inactive.
“Bringing down driving test waiting times is vital to ensure a lack of driving licence does not become an ongoing barrier for young people trying to access education and employment.
“The most effective way to ensure waiting times are brought down is to increase the number of test slots available
Most learners face waits of at least 20 weeks to get a test
by increasing the overall number of driving test examiners.”
As part of its strategy for the next year, DVSA has committed to recruiting 450 new driving test examiners.
With an expected loss of 130 examiners, this would lead to an overall net gain of 320 examiners and would enable the DVSA to deliver about 590,000 additional driving tests annually.
At the end of 2024, the DVSA employed 1,627 people as driving test examiners. This figure remained relatively constant throughout 2024.
Car safety: Size isn’t everything
THE latest results from Euro NCAP’s new car safety tests show that when it comes to choosing a safe car, size isn’t the be all and end all.
Experts from Euro NCAP tested the latest little and large electric models from MINI and Audi, and both were shown to provide good protection to those onboard and other road users.
The latest MINI Cooper E and Audi A6 e-tron were each awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating.
Dr Aled Williams, programme director at Euro NCAP, said: “The new MINI Cooper E shows how you could own a fun-to-drive, small electric car and not have to compromise on safety. It’s also a reflection of MINI’s
ALFA GT FOR SALE, 2004, low milage, must sell hence £2,500 good condition. Phone 01258473598 for details
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STORAGE FOR CARAVANS, boats and cars at Enford Farm near Blandford. 01258 450050 / 07704 813025
commitment to raising the protection of its cars from one generation to the next. As for Audi’s new A6 e-tron, we were particularly impressed by how well this large family car protected both adults and children in the event of an impact.”
The new 2025 MINI Cooper E achieved protection scores of 89% for adults, 85% for children, 77% for pedestrians – vulnerable road users – and 79% for its active safety systems – safety assist.
The new 2025 Audi A6 e-tron scored an impressive 92% for the protection of adult occupants and 91% for the protection of child occupants in the event of an accident, while its active driver aids performed robustly.
2018 (68) Renault Megane DCI Estate GT Line 2 owners, Silver, 47,000 Miles, Renault Service history, Sat Nav ............................................... £10295
2018 (18) Vauxhall Mokka X Design Nav 1.6 CDTi, Only 21,000 Miles, Met Blue, Service History ................................................................... £10295
2017(67) Ford Kuga 1.5 Titanium Auto 4x4, 5 Metallic Blue, 44,000, Miles, Service History ................................................................................... £10995
2016 (65) Audi A1 TFSi SE 1.0 Sportback, 5Dr, Red, 45,000 miles, £20 Road Tax ............................................................................................... £8995
2012 (62) Mercedes SLK200 AMG Sport, Auto,Blue Efficiency Convertible, Black with Full Oyster Leather Trim, Sat Nav, 60,000 Miles ............... £8295
2011 (11) VW Golf 1.6 TDI Match, Grey, £35 Road Tax.115,000 miles, Service History ..................................................................................... £3995
(13) Suzuki SX4 Auto,
£ FOR SALE ON CUSTOMER’S BEHALF *************************************** 2004 Swift Celeste 2 Berth Caravan, Awning, Shower, Motor Movers, etc, Good Condition ....................................................................................... £2995
Blandford loss turns into win
by Paul Cross Blandford 4
Swanage & Wareham 2s 5 (corrected to 5-0) WITH two games to go and second place in the league secured, Blandford went into this game keen to show the gap between themselves and the rest of the league.
Blandford struck early, captain Cross driving up the right of the pitch and winning a short-corner. Matty Lewis, continuing his rich vein of form, collected the ball from the ever reliable Tom Tridgell and blasted it through the keeper’s outstretched stick and into the left netting.
Theo chased down a ball inside the D and took a stick to the knee for his troubles, ending his game. Without their star striker, Blandford struggled, and Swanage took advantage.
Twice in the first half, Swanage won short corners. On each occasion, their routine fell
HOCKEY
apart, but they somehow managed to squeeze the ball into the back of the net to take the lead against the run of play.
With the Swans midfield looking dangerous, this was a recipe for disaster and Swanage picked Blandford off to take the score to 3-1 at the break.
Half-time came and with it a change of formation, Blandford placing star man Andy Smith centrally to counter the threat Swanage were posing. Another botched Swans’ short-corner somehow squeezed in but Blandford looked far more threatening, shutting down the central threat and posing questions out wide.
Midway through the second half, Blandford pulled a goal back, taking the score to 4-2.
With Blandford looking to get back into the game, disaster struck. A tame ball from outside the area trickled into the D.
Clint’s attempt to clear failed, allowing Swans to bundle another goal into the back of the net. At this point, Blandford began losing their way, with Chris Nobles taking a card for his team-mate and Harry Munton being sin-binned after throwing his stick in frustration.
However, with Swans becoming frustrated themselves, Blandford bounced back. First Brian Bell had a great effort on the left-hand side denied by a wonder save from the Swans’ defence. Shortly after, Paul Cross pushed up the pitch, collecting the ball from Andy Smith. With his back to the goal, Paul spun and hit a ball on his reverse, which sailed into the right corner, bringing the score back to 5-3.
In the final minute of the game, Blandford were awarded a short-corner. The final whistle blew and Blandford had one opportunity to make it count. The ball struck a defender’s foot and Blandford were awarded a penalty stroke. Cool-headed Matty Lewis shrugged off the pressure, stepping up to the spot and rocketing the ball into the bottom left, hitting the backboard, keeper and back into the goal to make the final score 5-4.
It later transpired that Swanage had fielded several players from three leagues above, leading to Blandford being awarded a 5-0 victory.
Josh wins ‘no carp’ contest
by Graham Howard DDAS junior secretary
DORCHESTER & District
Angling Society juniors gathered on Charlotte’s Lake at Harbourbridge Lakes in Chickerell for round three of the junior points championship.
The event was a silverfish only match, meaning the usual target species, carp, were not allowed.
The action was frantic as the juniors caught some of the countless small roach and rudd that inhabit the lake.
The key to the day was to
ANGLING
maintain a steady supply of bait to the ravenous fish, while trying to locate some of the larger specimens.
The winner with some impressive-looking rudd, some over 1lb, was Josh Roe with 12lb 2oz.
Josh earned 25 points and now lies just two points behind second-placed angler, Josiah Wells-Parkes.
Jo managed a good weight of 11lb 14oz on the pole, a method he is still getting to grips with.
GOLF
Golfers help children’s charity
SHERBORNE Golf Club have teed up a significant victory for Mosaic, the Dorset-based children’s charity, with a £13,000 donation.
This contribution, raised throughout 2024, will help Mosaic provide support to children navigating bereavement.
The funds will enable the charity to continue offering counselling services, teacher awareness training, fun days and resources that help young people build resilience and find hope at a challenging time.
In the picture (from left) are Wayne Butcher, Mosaic head of Funding; Patricia Rawlins, immediate past ladies captain; and Russell Mead, immediate past club captain.
TABLE TENNIS
Third went to newly crowned silverfish champion, Alec Campbell, who was not far off a win with 11lb 7oz.
Even the youngest junior, Alexander Adey, had a great day catching little fish and looked pleased with his efforts, which he should!
For more information about DDAS Juniors, visit ddasjuniors.co.uk or contact the junior secretary at juniors. sec@d-das.com
For fishery information, go to harbourbridgelakes.co.uk
Blandford Ladies scored 14 goals in their Hampshire Women’s Vase semi-final victory
Goals galore as ladies reach final
by Paul Cross Blandford and
Sturminster Ladies 14 Fleet and Ewshot 3s 1
BLANDFORD & STURMINSTER Ladies easily beat Fleet & Ewshot in the semi-final of the Hampshire Women’s Vase.
In the opening minute Jenny Smith made her signature run, driving the ball through the midfield and sweeping it into goal. The Smiths ensured Blandford Ladies made their mark from the outset, with Caroline Smith scoring just three minutes after her sister, and Linda Smith following her
HOCKEY
two daughters’ lead with a goal from a short corner.
A fourth goal came once again from Jenny, followed by a tap in on the right post by Hannah Waters. Jenny decided to finish the first half with a hat-trick to make the scoreline 6-0 at half-time. With Blandford in the driving seat and creeping ever closer to a cup final, it was decided to take Zena Parry out of goal onto the field and continue pressing hard. Another attempt on goal from Jenny saw another rattling of the near post,
but yet again, Maddie Cowley ‘s calm positioning saw a near identical repeat of her first goal minutes later, bringing the score to 8-0.
Fleet decided enough was enough and got themselves on the score sheet with a great goal from a short corner.
Flying high from all the excitement, Chantelle Talbot’s eagerness to score culminated in a fantastic hit after the whistle was blown, resulting in a green card and two minutes in the sin-bin.
Despite being down to 10 players, Laura Robinson ensured the momentum stayed in Blandford’s favour. Having been a thorn in Fleet’s left hand side all game, her swift tackle allowed Phoebe Whitely to put a neat ball across to Caroline, who fired the ball to Linda. With a stunning deflection through the keeper’s legs, Linda put Blandford into double figures.
To top off a phenomenal ladies game, Chantelle redeemed herself with lovely hit to end the game 14-1.
The win advances Blandford and Sturminster ladies to the Hampshire Vase final on Monday, May 5.
Seven up for Rockies!
by Avril Lancaster Shaftesbury 7
Helston
Athletic
0
LEIGHTON Thomas-Young hit a hat-trick as the Rockies bagged seven goals for the first time ever in the Pitching In Southern League Division 1 (South).
Luke Burbidge opened the scoring with a smart finish in the 19th minute after Gabriel Rogers set him up.
Burbidge contributed five assists with Thomas putting away the second in the 37th minute and Burbidge laying on his next two in the 52nd and 61st minutes.
Burbidge found Toby Holmes to drill in the fifth with Rogers curling in the sixth 20 minutes from time.
Substitute Moss JacksonCollis wrapped up the scoring with 12 minutes left, again set up by Burbidge, after a good save by Aaron Sowden Bird.
Bemerton Heath Harlequins 4
Shaftesbury 1
SHAFTESBURY’S match away to Bemerton Heath Harlequins in the Pitching In Southern League got off to a crazy start with three goals in the first four minutes at the A Class Arena.
Ronan Clancy put the home side ahead after two minutes before Leighton Thomas fired in an equaliser – his fourth goal in two games.
Bemerton’s Seung Yang then shot across Heath Bartram into
One easy win and one heavy defeat for Shaftesbury
the far corner, before the fast-paced game settled into a smoother rhythm.
Bradley Waters added a third goal with a piledriver in the 18th minute and Brandon Mundy scored the fourth following a corner just after the hour.
Waters and Yang also both hit the Shaftesbury crossbar.
The win puts Harlequins back into the play-off frame.
Clubs’ invites to try sports
YEOVIL & Sherborne Hockey Club are running Back to Hockey sessions from next month for those who have not played the game for a long time – or never before.
The sessions are for all ages, from the age of 16, and all abilities, at Yeovil Recreation Centre in Chilton Grove.
A spokesperson for the club said: “Back to Hockey has inspired thousands of players across England to pick up a hockey stick. It’s a great way to get fitter and the perfect opportunity to meet new people.
“This is your chance to have a gentle, friendly reintroduction or introduction to hockey in a sociable and informal environment.”
Each Back to Hockey session will aim to develop individual skills and involve small-sided friendly games.
Fun and interactive one-hour sessions start on Monday, May 12, at 7.30pm and will run until July 21. If you do not have a stick, the club will provide one. For more information, visit the club’s website at yshc.co.uk or contact the club secretary, Jo Stevenson, at secretary@yshc. co.uk.
n BLANDFORD Bowling Club are inviting anyone with an interest in lawn bowling to two open days next month.
The club, at The Recreation Ground, Milldown Road (DT11 7DD), are staging the open days on Saturday, May 3, 10am-4pm; and Saturday, May 24, 1pm4pm.
Qualified instructors will be available, along with bowls of all sizes to try. It is advised to wear flat shoes, such as trainers.
To find the club on Facebook, search Blandford Bowls Club; and visit their website at www. blandfordbowlsclub.com.
The coaching coordinator is Tim Bryning – phone 01258 450102.
Field & Stream
Be still and nature comes to you
by AJ Selby
“May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope.”
– Emily Brontë FIRSTLY, a quick apology for the random hyphenated words in last month’s article. Apparently caused by a glitch in converting my document into the magazine print software. I hope it didn’t spoil your enjoyment. (A friend emailed me to ask if la-goons were a French iteration of Secombe, Sellers and Bentine!)
And so we move into May, my favourite month of the year and the month when it’s hard to keep up with everything going on, from the dawn chorus reaching its peak to the arrival of more migrant birds, the trees in full leaf and many plants at peak flowering, not least our gorgeous bluebells at the start of the month to the may tree blossom and then hedgerows bedecked with cow parsley.
Oh! what promise does May bring for the summer on the very near horizon, and what beauty does nature offer us along every hedgerow, copse and riverbank. May is a great time to just get out and drink it all in – the sounds, the scents and the colours. The swooping swallows skimming the verdant green meadows and nimble dragonflies darting along the water’s edge. The majestic horse chestnut blossoms standing erect like candles, the delicate flowers of the early purple orchids almost hidden in the grass and the virgin white stitchwort in the hedgebanks. April, too, brought its own pleasures. Another nature
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AJ Selby saw Sika deer on a visit to Arne nature reserve
reserve visit, this time to Arne just outside Wareham to see the elusive Dartford warbler and many other bird species. I have often mentioned the benefits of sitting or standing still and waiting for nature to come to you, and so on a bench by a duckweed-covered pool I sat and waited and watched. Out of the waterweed came a grass snake, oblivious to my presence, slithering through the water and out of sight.
In the beech tree above, a chiff-chaff made himself heard atop the highest branch while further down in thicker greenery were four different species of tit all at different levels – longtailed, great, blue and coal. Then a Jenny wren belting out the loudest of tunes and a chaffinch just off to one side. All in 20 minutes of sitting quietly.
The Shipstall hide that overlooks the wetlands and Poole beyond were quieter than usual but there was still plenty to see from spoonbill to godwit, shelduck to avocet and egret to oystercatcher. In the long, reedy marsh grass a Sika deer was contentedly grazing and a heron stood forever motionless by a rivulet in the mudflats.
The oystercatchers took off, some two dozen in number, their skittish calls floating across the water as they turned this way and that playing the stiff breeze that gusted in from the east. As their cries faded, an aircraft came into view, descending into Bournemouth airport, but what a contrast to see man and bird sharing the skies – you have to feel that the oystercatchers may still be here long after planes exist, no more in some future world that we can’t yet imagine.
Throughout the reserve one shrub dominated – gorse. Its golden yellow flowers were everywhere, reflecting the sun and breaking up the brown and grey of the mudflats and harbour water behind. Across the road on Hyde Heath people were searching for the elusive Dartford warbler, its scratchy, weak and somewhat hurried song a giveaway but the birds in the main remained hidden low down in the gorse and heather. A few times a bird popped up out of the undergrowth and binoculars were raised to the eyes to confirm its identity but on every occasion it turned out to be just a stonechat.
I say ‘just a stonechat’ as though that was a disappointment, but, of course, these lovely birds are wonderful to watch in their own right and most enchanting they were, too. As I walked back down the slope to the road and thence the car park I heard a Dartford the other side of the hedge, just a few warbled notes but my ID was positive. A couple had travelled down from London to try and see these lovely birds without success but once I saw the little chap I had been listening to fly up onto a young oak branch I motioned his presence to them, and they got a spot as he flew across the track and into the gorse. It made their day.
I had hoped to hear the cuckoo in the Big Wood at the reserve but alas this bird is becoming rarer by the year. However, the chiff-chaffs seem to be in greater numbers than usual as all the way home with the car window open, they seemed to be in every hedge and tree. My regular reader will know that I have recorded the first chiffer for over half a century now with the average date being around March 13, although he arrived a little later this year on the 19th. Enjoy the spring and drink in every golden moment of this wonderful time of year.
Herd genetic report helps track breeding progress
by John Walsh BVSc MRCVS DBR
Friars Moor Livestock Health
YOU may or may not have seen these reports before, but if you milk record you will have access to a report called the Herd Genetic Report (HGR). This summarises the genetic make-up of your herd and allows you to identify strengths, weaknesses and breeding opportunities for the future.
This allows you to select your best heifers or cows to breed from each year and greatly accelerates your rate of genetic gain. This is an example of a herd’s genetic report. This herd breeds its own replacements and below is a summary of this herd’s strengths and weaknesses based on its HGR.
Looking at the average for PLI (Profitable Lifetime Index) in the milking herd you can see that this herd is in the 55th percentile. There is room for
improvement overall, and looking at the graph, which shows average PLI by lactation, you can see this herd is improving its genetics over each lactation, but its genetic progress is below the national average.
Strengths
This herd has good PTA for milk with the milking herd
sitting in the top 30th percentile for milk yield. Bulls have obviously been selected for more milk.
Protein and Fat PTA are also in the 40th and 45th percentile respectively, so should have good fat and protein yields.
Weaknesses or breeding opportunities
There are three stand-out areas in this herd for improvement:
Fertility index and Somatic cell count (SCC) both in the 70th percentile and Mastitis, which is in the 90th percentile.
By selecting for bulls that have higher breeding values in these identified traits you can make real improvements to your herd’s performance in the future.
Other tools that can help you speed up your genetic progress are the use of genomic testing in your heifers. Genomics looks at the DNA of each heifer and gives you a much more accurate
EXAMPLE HERD GENETIC REPORT. MILKING HERD MAIN BREEDING VALUE AVERAGES AND COMPARISON TO NATIONAL HERD TRENDS
breeding value for each animal compared to using the parent averages alone.
This allows you to select your best heifers or cows to breed from each year and greatly accelerates your rate of genetic gain.
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If you would like us to come out and go through your own Herd Genetic Report or to discuss genomic testing your heifers, please give the practice a call or speak to your routine vet.
John Walsh, of Friars Moor
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New president for show society
ONE of Dorset’s longest running agricultural societies has welcomed a new president. British farmer and political campaigner, the Right Honourable Baroness Minette Batters, has become the 86th president of Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Society.
She is also known as Baroness Batters of Downton, and is a farmer, managing the 300-acre Barford Farm Park in Downton in Wiltshire.
As a young girl she grew up on a tenant farm and always wanted to become a farmer.
She was the first female president of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales (NFU) from 2018-24, and in July 2024 was granted a life peerage and became a crossbench member of the
House of Lords.
In her role as president of the NFU, Baroness Batters represented the farming community at a time of great change with the impact of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.
She is a strong advocate for balanced land use and food production policies in the UK, campaigning for clear food production targets and government-backed strategies to optimise agriculture.
She was recently appointed honorary president of The Farming Community Network (FCN), a charity that supports farmers through challenges and crises
On taking up her new role as president of the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Society, which was merged into its current form in 1860, to
Early Fly Prevention by Meghan Vellam, K-SQP (RAMA) Synergy Dispensary Team
As the weather begins to warm up and spring takes hold, in the Synergy Farm Health dispensary our team of ‘Registered Animal Medicines Advisors’ (RAMAs) are preparing themselves for discussions about fly control on farm. The flies caught us all by surprise last year, with a mass hatch occurring in the middle of March resulting in cases of fly strike, and early treatments being required.
Implementing measures early in the season before flies are readily visible will make control easier and more effective. Once you start seeing flies, the population has already exploded making it harder to manage them. The most effective control method is to use a topical application (or long-acting fly control ear tags in cattle), alongside environmental management to control fly breeding sites.
support farmers in that region, she said: “I hope I can continue the legacy of those that have been president before. They’ve all done an amazing job.”
She said she was most looking forward to hosting the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show, which takes place on August 13-14.
“It’s my local show, so I’m just feeling very privileged to be involved,” she said. “In this challenging economic climate,
our county shows offer great value for money and a wonderful day out for the whole family. The future is about being relevant to the customer, people who have grown up with the show and attracting newcomers.”
The first Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Show was held in 1930 and for the past 31 years it has been held at the Turnpike Showground in Motcombe.
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Topical applications must be applied correctly and at the right dosage for specific animals. All applicators should be calibrated and serviced before use enabling the product to be applied effectively. We are happy to discuss product choice with you and we can advise what control methods are most appropriate for your stock, taking into account specific farm factors including timings around shearing, for example. Our RAMAs are here to support and assist with this discussion.
Livestock safety in summer
With more people enjoying the countryside over the summer, farmers and landowners are advised to take practical steps to safeguard both livestock and members of the public on their land.
“We know walkers don’t always follow the Countryside Code, which is frustrating and potentially dangerous, but being proactive and taking preventative measures can help,” said Amy Jasper, Risk Management Team Leader at Cornish Mutual.
Landowners should be aware of their legal responsibilities regarding public rights of ways. Obstructing a footpath is a criminal offence, and you could be liable for any injury resulting from damaged stiles or kissing gates. Public rights of way should be kept accessible and free from obstructions, with all access points regularly inspected.
Making paths obvious helps. When footpaths are not clearly defined, walkers are more likely to stray. Keeping a one-metre-wide area on either side of the path clear helps show people the correct route. Using fences and way markers can also support safe access.
Extra attention should be given to fields containing livestock, particularly where footpaths intersect areas with cows and calves. Where feasible, livestock should be in fields without public access. Where this is not possible, follow guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Fencing and gating must be secure and checked regularly, with clear signs reminding dog owners, their dogs must be kept on leads around livestock.
As part of its continued support for Members, Cornish Mutual is offering free ‘dogs on leads’ signs to help promote responsible access. To request a sign, email marketing@cornishmutual.co.uk or call 01872 277151.
Want to speak to us direct? Call us on 01872 277151. We’re in it together
To all Landlords and prospective Landlords
Invitation
Landlords Seminar
Are you up to date with the latest news on the Renters Rights Bill & EPC requirements?
Gain essential insights into the legislation as it progresses through Parliament. Join Rachael James, Partner and Head of Lettings with over 30 years’ of experience, for the latest updates and industry predictions.
Wednesday 30th April | 5pm - 7pm The Crown Hotel, Blandford
Limited availability, book your place today: 01258 474265 | enewman@symondsandsampson.co.uk
Sturminster Newton
A particularly attractive Grade II listed terraced cottage with plenty of character in a convenient location a short level walk from the town
Mappowder Guide £595,000
A fine Grade II listed former village Post House with attractive gardens, a substantial barn/workshop and lovely views to the village church and surrounding countryside. CTB E. Freehold.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Shroton
CTB D. Freehold.
CTB D. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766 DORSET
Nr Sturminster Newton Guide Price £1,100,000
Tucked away down a no through lane is this extended and very well presented 4 bedroom country home with stable yard & paddocks, in total 4.11 acres. CTB E.Freehold, Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
An elegant, architecturally designed barn conversion set within idyllic countryside surroundings, offering a contemporary finish throughout, and with seamless open-plan spaces and architectural focal points.
Marnhull Guide £525,000
A character south-facing stone house in an excellent central village location with a large oak-framed double garage, workshop and southfacing gardens. CTB E. Freehold.
An attractive, double-fronted 3-bedroom period property tucked away on an idyllic country lane with character features throughout and views over the neighbouring countryside. CTB C. Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Leigh OIEO £500,000
A tastefully improved 4-bedroom village house with light and spacious accommodation, set in attractive gardens and backing onto farmland. No onward
North Cheriton
OIEO £400,000
Bere Regis
PPROPERTY AUCTIONS FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024 & FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024 AT THE DIGBY CHURCH MEMORIAL HALL, SHERBORNE AT 2:00PM AND VIA LIVESTREAM
Guide £60,000
A 0.13 acre (559 sqm.) parking area with a favourable pre-app response for a dwelling with parking and a garden. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
East Stoke
Guide £95,000 13.02 acres of wetland and woodland, rich in biodiversity, in a secluded, peaceful area south of the River Frome. Freehold.
North Perrott Guide £45,000
Wimborne | 01202 843190
3.01 acres (1.22 ha) of gently sloping pasture land with direct road access. Freehold.
Sixpenny Handley
Guide £150,000
Yeovil | 01935 432526
A centrally located Grade II Listed property currently arranged as 3 x 1 bedroom flats and walled gardens, requiring modernisation throughout. CTBs A, EPC Exempt, Leasehold. PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025 2:00PM AT MERLEY HOUSE, WIMBORNE BH21 3AA & VIA LIVESTREAM
A detached barn of about 125 sqm. in just under 1.70 acres with off-road parking and paddock. Freehold.
Blandford | 01258 452670
Hammoon
Guide £250,000
A peaceful, secluded bluebell wood set in an idyllic rural landscape. About 26.31 acres. Freehold.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Dorchester
Guide £200,000
Witchampton Guide £50,000
0.19 acres of amenity land with scope for a range of uses (STPP/consents), adjoining residential properties. Freehold.
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Charlton Marshall
Tarrant Rushton
Guide £250,000
Guide £300,000
23.55 acres of permanent pasture, with fishing rights along the River Stour, which borders the land. Freehold.
A detached, extended 3 bedroom cottage for renovation, enjoying a rural position and delightful countryside views in 0.20 acres of gardens. CTB C, EPC G, Freehold.
Pallington Guide £350,000
38.42 acres (15.55 hectares) of fertile, workable arable land with good accessibility. Conveniently split into three workable parcels. The land has previously been used to grow salad crops and is understood to be very productive, more recently the land has been in a combinable crop rotation. This Autumn, the land has been drilled with a cover crop. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Blandford Forum | 01258 452670
Guide £275,000
Okeford Fitzpaine
Guide £295,000
Bournemouth
Guide £200,000
Verwood Guide £125,000
1.38 acres with a derelict barn in a residential location falling within the main urban development area on the Local Plan. Freehold.
A grand, 4 storey (including basement) mixed-use Victorian building occupying a prominent corner plot on Lansdowne Crescent. RV: £53,500, £8,300, CTB A, EPC TBC. Freehold.
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Wimborne
Guide £225,000
A semi detached, extended 4 bedroom period property for complete renovation with a generous garden adjoining Ferndown Forest. CTB C, EPC F, Freehold.
Winfrith Newburgh Guide £170,000 20.42 acres (8.26 ha) of level, productive permanent pasture land adjacent to Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202843190
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Horton Heath
Guide £275,000
Fifehead Magdalen
Guide £275,000
A partially renovated and extended 2 bedroom bungalow with potential for upwards extension, subject to planning permission. CTB C, EPC E, Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
An attractive semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage for renovation with a generous garden situated in this much favoured North Dorset village. CTB E, EPC G, Freehold.
Winterborne Houghton Guide £400,000 42.94 acres (17.38 ha) of productive arable land. Free draining loam soil over chalk, two road access points, a cattle handling race, outstanding views and private water supply. South east aspect suited to vines and solar. Freehold.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Fontmell Magna
Guide £350,000
Corfe Castle
Guide
£375,000
Batcombe, Dorchester Guides £40,000 to £115,000 20.70 acres (12.01 ha) tucked away in a quiet rural position in 3 lots.
Lot A – 15.02 ac arable capable pasture land with a gentle south facing slope£115,000
Motcombe Sturminster | 01258 473766
A charming semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage with a separate 1 bedroom, single storey annexe with off-road parking and gardens. CTBs C & A, EPCs D & B, Freehold.
A former primary school measuring over 6,300 sq. ft./585 sq. m. in grounds of 0.54 acres, providing development potential, subject to planning permission. EPC D, Freehold.
Lot B - 3.57 ac pasture and woodland including an old brick pumphouse - £40,000
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Lot C – 11.11 ac pasture and strip of woodland with stream frontage - £90,000 Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Horton, Wimborne
Chilcompton Guide £195,000
A former doctor’s surgery in 0.58 acres with prior approval for change of use to a residential dwelling under application P/PACD/2024/02991/. RV: £5,100, EPC C, Freehold.
Shaftesbury Guide £95,000
A charming 1 bedroom property forming part of a Grade II* Listed building, ideal as a buy to let investment or bolthole. Leasehold with 50% share of freehold.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
A charming Grade II Listed3 bedroom stone cottage for complete renovation, situated close to the centre of this highly sought-after village. CTB E, EPC Exempt, Freehold.
Milborne Port Guide £150,000 An attractive period property for renovation enjoying a generous garden sitting on the outskirts of Milborne Port. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Somerford Road, Christchurch
Shaftesbury Lane, Blandford Forum
A substantial bungalow requiring renovation, providing potential for extension or replacement, subject to PP, in a rural position enjoying grounds of 1.60 acres. Subject to an AOC. CTB E, EPC F, Freehold.
A partially built 5 bedroom detached house, with double garage and gardens. PP was granted under application reference 2022/1683/FUL. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190 Guide £450,000
Hurcott Guide £200,000 A period detached cottage in need of general improvement throughout, set in spacious gardens of 0.21 acres (0.08 hectares). Freehold.
A site measuring 0.39 acres with full planning permission for an exclusive development of 9 x 2 bedroom apartments (8/22/0470/FUL), situated in the heart of Christchurch close to Avon Beach and Mudeford Quay. Potential for alternative schemes STPP. CIL: £98,735.93, Freehold.
Iliminster | 01460 200790
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Tarrant Gunville Guide £225,000-£250,000 A detached 2 bedroom cottage for complete renovation, situated in this highly sought after village within Cranborne Chase. Freehold.
An equestrian facility comprising a substantial, detached property with a separate 2-3 bedroom annexe, outbuildings, and 3.42 acres of paddocks and gardens, situated on the edge of the town close to amenities and road links. CTB F, EPCs C, Freehold.
Blandford | 01258 452670
Belchalwell Guide £250,000 A detached bungalow on a 0.30 acre plot for modernisation/replacement (STPP) with a positive pre application response for a 4 bedroom house. Freehold.
A further 2.50 acres available as a separate lot. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Blandford Forum | 01258 452670
DORSET
Shroton
Guide £435,000
This delightful 2-bedroom end-of-terrace cottage has been fully updated but retains great charm. It is situated in the heart of this most desirable village. CTB D. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Established in 1873, the village school at Okeford Fitzpaine near Blandford was once a thriving village institution. However, as the number of pupils dwindled and a new school was built in Shillingstone, the difficult decision was made to close the school in 2023.
Symonds & Sampson will offer the attractive property for sale at their collective property auction in Wimborne on Friday, 16 May, with a Guide of £295,000. Auction Partner Meredith Wallis is looking forward to the sale. “The building is a typically Victorian, built of brick and with the original bell tower. It is deceptive, however. For many years, I have driven past without realising it is so large – the floor area is over 6,000 sqft and includes the expected classrooms, general hall, kitchens, etc. The area outside includes the playground; it would not take too much investment to turn it into a substantial garden.
Mappowder Guide £595,000
A fine Grade II listed former village Post House with attractive gardens, a substantial barn/workshop and lovely views to the village church and surrounding countryside. CTB E. Freehold.
Nr Sturminster Newton Guide Price £1,100,000
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Tucked away down a no through lane is this extended and very well presented 4 bedroom country home with stable yard & paddocks, in total 4.11 acres. CTB E.Freehold,
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
“The key to the sale will be what to do with the building and whether planning permission would be possible – it would make a most lovely house, but it is large enough for three dwellings.
Shroton Guide £435,000
This delightful 2-bedroom end-of-terrace cottage has been fully updated but retains great charm. It is situated in the heart of this most desirable village. CTB D. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Nr Sturminster Newton Guide Price £1,100,000
Tucked away down a no through lane is this extended and very well presented 4 bedroom country home with stable yard & paddocks, in total 4.11 acres. CTB E.Freehold,
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
An attractive, double-fronted 3-bedroom period property tucked away on an idyllic country lane with character features throughout and views over the neighbouring countryside. CTB C. Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
accommodation, set in attractive gardens and backing onto farmland. No onward chain. CTB F. Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
“I am sure the buyer will learn all about the property, carry out a full examination, have the answer after doing their homework and will do their sums but if they have questions they should contact me 01202 843190”
An attractive, double-fronted 3-bedroom period property tucked away on an idyllic country lane with character features throughout and views over the neighbouring countryside. CTB C. Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488 Leigh
A tastefully improved 4-bedroom village house with light and spacious accommodation, set in attractive gardens and backing onto farmland. No onward chain. CTB F. Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
North Cheriton
OIEO £400,000
North Cheriton OIEO £400,000
£725,000 Pen Selwood
£310,000 Wincanton
Thinking of moving?
Thinking of Moving in 2025?
Over the Easter period we have registered many buyers looking to purchase a property in the local towns and villages. If you are considering a move in 2025 we will be delighted to offer a free valuation and marketing advice on your property.
Having enjoyed a busy summer we still have many buyers registered with us wishing to purchase within the local towns and villages. If you are considering bringing your property to the market we would be delighted to hear from you.
Please call 01963 34000 to arrange an appointment or email wincanton@hambledon.net
Please call 01963 34000 or email wincanton@hambledon.net to book an appointment.
£380,000 Wincanton
£225,000 Wincanton
A
£675,000 Pen Selwood
Somerset.
A quite unique village property with excellent accommodation, annexed cottage and delightful garden.
Misterton, Somerset. Guide Price £1,270,000
Misterton, Somerset. Guide Price £1,270,000
Hall, open plan sitting/dining/kitchen, wc, utility, 4 bedrooms (2 downstairs), ensuites, further sitting rooms, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, garden, roof terrace, parking.
A detached bungalow situated on its own in an idyllic elevated rural setting with wonderful far-reaching countryside views, extensive grounds & further potential.
A rare chance to acquire three individual properties on the outskirts of Crewkerne, requiring some improvement, but positioned next to each other and offering a lifestyle opportunity. 5 bedroom seventeenth century Farmhouse, 3 bedroom converted Granary, 1 bedroom seventeenth century Cottage, gardens, orchard, barn, walkable to mainline Station.
Tisbury, Wiltshire. Guide Price £550,000
A unique, mostly single storey period property with good rooms conveniently situated in this popular village. Hall, 2 sitting rooms, kitchen, office, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath/ shower rooms, wc, courtyard garden, garage.
A rare chance to acquire three individual properties on the outskirts of Crewkerne, requiring some improvement, but positioned next to each other and offering a lifestyle opportunity. 5 bedroom seventeenth century Farmhouse, 3 bedroom converted Granary, 1 bedroom seventeenth century Cottage, gardens, orchard, barn, walkable to mainline Station. East Orchard, Dorset. Guide Price
A charming country house set in superb location on the edge of the Donheads with outstanding southerly views to Win Green.
Hall, drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, wc, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 shower rooms (all ensuite), variety of outbuildings, indoor swimming pool, workshop & wc, south facing gardens.
A beautifully presented & most attractive refurbished period cottage in a rural hamlet setting with lovely grounds and country views.
A rare chance to acquire three individual properties on the outskirts of Crewkerne, requiring some improvement, but positioned next to each other and offering a lifestyle opportunity. 5 bedroom seventeenth century Farmhouse, 3 bedroom converted Granary, 1 bedroom seventeenth century Cottage, gardens, orchard, barn, walkable to mainline Station. East Orchard, Dorset. Guide Price £995,000
A rare chance to acquire three individual properties on the outskirts of Crewkerne, requiring some improvement, but positioned next to each other and offering a lifestyle opportunity. 5 bedroom seventeenth century Farmhouse, 3 bedroom converted Granary, 1 bedroom seventeenth century Cottage, gardens, orchard, barn, walkable to mainline Station.
A delightful period cottage located in a lovely rural village with versatile accommodation and a raised garden from which to enjoy country views.
Hall, sitting room, kitchen/dining room, utility, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms (one ensuite), gardens & woodland of about 0.79 acre.
An Edwardian country residence with wonderful rural views, extensive & versatile accommodation, outbuildings and delightful gardens. Hall, five reception rooms, family kitchen/breakfast room, utility, 2nd kitchen, cloakroom, 6 bedrooms, 6 bath/shower rooms, studio, carport, outbuildings & stores, gardens approaching 1 acre.
An Edwardian country residence with wonderful rural views, extensive & versatile accommodation, Hall, five reception rooms, family kitchen/breakfast room, utility, 2nd kitchen, cloakroom, 6 bedrooms, 6 bath/shower rooms, studio, carport, outbuildings & stores, gardens approaching 1 acre.
OFFICE/SALON/STORAGE in traditional tythe barn to let. Prices from £24pw to £33pw. 07811 837061
SELF-CONTAINED ACCOMMODATION on quiet farm near Yeovil 01935 891817
SECURE LOCK-UP GARAGE TO LET. Water and electricity included. Centre of Blandford, £150/month. 01258-456960
PROPERTY
RHJ CONSTRUCTION LTD SPECIALISTS in listed building restorations, extensions, project management and general building. Member of The Federation of Master Builders RHJConstruction.co.uk 07747 606 605
SEASIDE FLAT FOR SALE MEVAGISSEY,
Cornwall 60 yards from harbour. Prime ground floor corner position, 2 bedrooms. £125,000. Over 60’s only. Enquiries, Tel: 01747-858327
House prices rise as spring hits market
SPRING has seen temperatures - and house prices - rise, according to property website Right Move.
The firm said the usual increase in activity in the housing market has seen some bigger changes in the market than usual, with the temporary stamp duty holiday ending from the start of April.
However, the firm’s latest snapshot of the housing market shows most people are continuing to proceed with their home-moving plans.
As a result, the average price of a property coming to market has risen by 1.4% (£5,312), reaching a new record of £377,182.
Right Move said they tend to see bigger, seasonal house price
increases in the spring, when the housing market is busy, and 2025 has seen demand from those looking to buy a home is up by 5% compared to this time last year, while the number of new sellers coming to market has also increased by 4%.
Property expert, Colleen Babcock, said: “We’ve seen our first price record in nearly a year, despite the number of homes for sale being at a decade-high.
“The increased choice seems to be bringing more homemovers into the market, with both buyer demand and seller numbers up.”
She said with more homes available for sale than at this time last year, it is important for sellers to price accordingly.
