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by Hilary Daniels
WITH clocks about to be turned back an hour, it’s odd to think that we didn’t always keep the same time across the country.
For centuries, local time was dictated by the sun, which rises and sets 20 minutes earlier in London than in Penzance, and about 10 minutes earlier than in the Blackmore Vale, and that meant that midday was different, depending on where you lived. But for all those centuries it didn’t matter.
Then travel by train began, exactly 200 years ago, and it still didn’t matter because the first railway was very short and very local.
But railways began springing up all over the country, and going ever further, and soon railway operators discovered it did matter after all.
How could you set a proper timetable – and avoid trains accidentally colliding – if clocks in Bristol, for example, were showing a different time
from those in London?
So, in November 1840, the Great Western Railway came up with a novel solution – all its station clocks would be set at London time, no matter where they were.
Within seven years all the different railway operators adopted London time, but there was some opposition, with many towns refusing to change from local time for their municipal and church clocks, and passengers had to keep their wits about them if they didn’t want to miss the train.
At first, station masters set their clocks
using manual tables to convert local time to London time, but by 1855 time signals could be telegraphed to all stations direct from Greenwich.
Finally, what started on the railways became the law for all – in 1880 the Government decided that GMT should be applied throughout the UK.
The business of clocks going back an hour in October and forward in March came later and is another story altogether, but it does mean the evenings will soon be darker, and that would have been particularly noticeable at Shillingstone Station. Strange as it might seem, the station had no electricity right up until the line closed in 1966, and depended entirely on gas lamps and oil lanterns.
The station now has electricity, of course, but still has a fine collection of lanterns. And a clock. It can be visited on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 4pm, and entry is free.
A DORSET charity is celebrating after expanding the options for gardeners at Kingston Lacy allotments.
In Jolly Good Company, which works to combat loneliness and isolation, has opened a new polytunnel for its Step Outside gardening group.
The group offers members the chance to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers and more, or simply enjoy a cuppa of Dorset Tea, biscuits, and a friendly chat amid the beauty of the Dorset countryside. The new polytunnel provides a war, dry space to meet and work when the weather is less kind, as well as extending the growing season and creating a perfect spot for nurturing seedlings and young plants all year round.
A Jollypoly opening party was held to mark the occasion, with Jeff Hart, Mayor of Wimborne, coming along to cut the ribbon and say a few words.
There were plenty of homemade cakes, scones, shortbread and brownies to enjoy, all washed down with Dorset tea.
The afternoon was made extra special with beautiful live music from Sarah Pugh on the oboe and recorder, and to everyone’s
delight, a robin in the near by holly tree joined in the tune.
Sarah Rampton, the founder of In Jolly Good Company said: “It was lovely reminiscing with Sue and Robin Cook about how the Step Outside Gardening Group was saved from closure back in 2018.
“Since then, so many people enjoyed this beautiful peaceful space and productive spot. The new polytunnel brings fresh life, more growth and further community spirit to our project.”
Special thank went to head gardener
Anni Sax and volunteer Duncan Ray, fondly known as the “Jolly Volley”, for their hard work preparing everything for the big day.
The charity has also thanked the National Trust, Waitrose Wimborne and Ferndown and Merley Rotary, whose generosity helped fund this new fantastic structure.
Next on the list for the Step Outside group is the creation of a pond on the site to attract more wildlife into the space.
To find out more about the charity or get involved please visit www. injollygoodcompany.com
SHAFTESBURY library is hosting two children’s activities this half term.
Food-lovers will enjoy exploring the selection of children’s recipe books and making tasty treats to take home. This event, on Tuesday, October 28, from 11am-12, is suitable for over-5s (children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult). Booking is advised, either with the library or via Eventbrite.
Jennifer Morisetti of Defashion Dorset will be helping children make and decorate patches and pockets on Thursday, October 30, 2pm-4pm. This event is suitable for over-7s – booking is essential via Eventbrite or the library (01747 852256, shaftesburylibrary@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk).
In the beginning, inspiration struck.
James Marshall, a British Engineer living in Canada wanted to develop a superior system of comfort and support for his wife during a period of illness. Most mattresses in an age of old-fashioned uncomfortable feather and horsehair padded systems with bouncy and unforgiving open coil link spring mattresses just didn’t provide the comfort needed. James soon developed what we now know as the modern pocket spring, an individual coil capped at each end, encased in its very own fabric pouch and tied together with others to create the most responsive surface for the unforgiving contours of the human body to lay on. The idea took off, others fell in love with the feel and products and in 1901 John Nolan and Frederick James introduced Marshalls innovation to the UK, founding the Marshall Sanitary Mattress Company in London, by 1911 Vispring was born, adopting the Roman numeral VI, a nod to the six springs sewn into each pocket.
VISPRING continue to only make pocket sprung beds, and today you can be confident that you are still buying the original and the best. Handmade products from the finest materials VISPRING offer in quality, luxury and style. VISPRING is widely regarded as the finest handmade mattresses and divans in the world. There is no compromise when it comes to quality and the entire range of pocket sprung handmade beds are made to order in Plymouth, Devon.
Nick says “The exceptional strength of vanadium steel is used to craft each pocket spring making the core strength of each mattress robust and supremely responsive. We believe each mattress within the VISPRING collection is worth the investment, especially as we all deserve a great night’s rest without worrying if our mattress will live up to the average 8 hours use each night or 30,000 hours over 10 years and provide the prolonged comfort we all search for.”
FRIDAY 24 TH OCTOBER 2025 10 AM - 5 PM
This year The Bed Specialist is celebrating a huge milestone on the high street; their 60th Anniversary as a trusted family business. As a local independent bed and mattress specialist, much of what they offer is sourced from some of the best bed and mattress manufacturers in the UK, and they are thrilled to showcase the fantastic VISPRING brand throughout their showrooms in their Yeovil shop at 106 Huish, BA20 1AQ.
On Friday 24th October you can experience how these exceptional quality beds are made first hand between 10am and 5pm. We have talks and demonstrations by the craftsman, many of the beds available to try and purchase at further reduced prices only on the day with free luxury bedding gifts and other special offers.
Make sure you put this date in your diary and be sure to call in during the day to secure a special offer that will not be available at any other time – we can’t wait to greet you as we continue to celebrate our 60th Anniversary milestone.
Don’t’ forget, we offer free Nationwide delivery, and you can enjoy free old bed recycling on the day too worth £75.
Now is the time to invest in your sleep and enjoy some impressive savings on a new bed and mattress from The Bed Specialist at 106 Huish, Yeovil BA20 1AQ. Shop online or call us on 01935 423 596.
THE Treorchy Male Voice Choir will be performing a one-off special concert on Saturday, November 15, at 7pm in Sherborne Abbey.
The concert will launch the fundraising for the Sherborne Abbey facilities upgrade and restoration project.
Tickets are £25 per person from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ sherborne-abbey
EMPTY homes across Dorset are set for a new lease of life in the push to increase housing stock.
Dorset Council’s Cabinet has approved its first Empty Homes Strategy, the first step in its mission to reinvigorate abandoned property.
Marking a shift in how the council tackles empty homes, the new strategy will focus on improving data, to better identify and track empty properties, proactively engage owners as early as possible and offer further support and financial assistance.
When all voluntary efforts have failed, enforcement powers such as Compulsory Purchase, Enforced Sales and Empty Dwelling Management Orders will all be used.
The strategy will be applied across departments to better align housing, planning, council tax, and social care.
The council has committed £1.6 million over four years for the voluntary and compulsory purchase of empty houses. It anticipates that much of this money will be recouped when abandoned houses are bought and then sold back onto the market.
Councillor Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Housing and Health, said: “Empty homes are a wasted resource. They can blight communities, attract anti-social behaviour, and sit idle while people desperately need housing. This strategy is about using every tool available to us to bring homes back into use and improve lives.
“This is just the beginning,” added Councillor Taylor. “With this strategy, we’re laying the groundwork for more transformations, bringing homes back to life and helping people across Dorset find safe, secure places to live.”
Since 2021, Dorset Council has brought almost 50 long-term empty homes back into use.
The strategy aims to reduce reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation, support care leavers and provide homes for residents, including those with disabilities.
PLAYFUL puppies are the thing to spot on a treasure trail around Wimborne town centre to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The trail, on Saturday, October 25, from 9am to 4pm, starts from Wimborne Square and Crown Mead, where clue sheets are available for £1 from the Guide Dogs information stands. Completed sheets can be posted into a the treasure chest at Wimborne Square. The prize giving will take place at Café on the Square on Saturday, November 1, at 11am.
THINGS are getting spooky at the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery this half term.
There’s a week of Halloween-themed fun, creativity and adventure planned, in a programme of trails, crafts and eerie tales.
The spooky ghost-spotting trail runs throughout the week, encouraging smaller visitors to explore the galleries while keeping their eyes peeled for cheeky ghosts hiding in unexpected places.
Alongside the trail, families can get hands-on with autumnal crafts, giving visitors the chance to create decorations and keepsakes to take home and treasure.
On Tuesday, October 28, the Museum will host a folk arts and crafts sessions (10am–12 noon and 1pm–3pm), where visitors can design and decorate a hobby horse, black cat, or creepy-crawly spider.
On October 30 and 31, from 2pm–5pm, families can take part in the haunted history hunt, an atmospheric journey through the Museum that uncovers Dorset’s darker past.
Children get free entry to the museum when accompanied by an adult or concession ticket holder. For more details, visit www. dorsetmuseum.org
by Jenny Short (PCC Sec )
THE tractor run took place as planned and somewhere in the region of 50 tractors with drivers and passengers set off on the route after a welcome breakfast at Westhayes Farm courtesy of James and Di Hiscock.
They trundled off soon after 10.30am, and travelled over Cornford bridge before negotiating the narrow lanes round Glanvilles Wootton, Chetnole and Yetminster, and tooting their way through Bere Hackett to the top of Sherborne Hill, before returning home to Caundle Marsh for tea, cake and a raffle.
It was a highly successful event that enthused tractor lovers of all ages and raised a commendable £1,550, which will be shared between the church and the Dementia Society.
The PCC works hard to raise funds annually to ensure that our little church stays open and is an attractive place to visit.
We’re holding a morning service on November 30, and our ‘tune up for Christmas’ get-together on Monday, December 1.
All attendees will receive a warm welcome and great refreshments!
THE Dorchester Townswomen Guild will be hosting Susan Outhwaite, from Snooks the Hatters of Bridport, for a talk at Dorchester Community Church (Poundbury, DT1 3DF).
A Mad Hatter’s afternoon, on November 10 at 2pm, will feature insights into Susan’s world of millinery. She will be bringing along plenty of hats for everyone to try on!
DORSET Council has extended the deadline for its Local Plan consultation in response to high levels of public engagement and problems with the online consultation platform.
The Local Plan consultation will now close on Friday, October 31.
The Local Transport Plan consultation ended on Monday (October 20) after being extended.
To comment on the Local Plan visit www.dorsetcouncil. gov.uk/dorset-is-changing or email planningpolicyconsult@ dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
Alternative formats and Easy Read documents are available on Dorset Council’s website or by request via the email addresses above.
ST MARY’S Church, in Charminster (DT2 9RD) is the venue for a Christmas fair, on Saturday, November 15, from 11am-3pm. There will be plenty of stalls to browse, as well as cakes and refreshments.
IN the lead up to Armistice Day, The Last Thursday Lunch Club (TLTLC) is opening its doors for lunch at 1pm on Thursday, October 30, and welcoming BBC TV’s Antiques Roadshow medals and militaria expert, Mark Smith, to St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary.
Mark’s talk, ‘Boots, Medals & Valour – Tales from Life’, which starts at 1.45pm, draws on his wealth of anecdotes, from personal possessions of great sentimental value to remarkable stories of exceptional medals and little-known acts of valour, courage and bravery in war.
The talk ends with Q&A from 2.30pm-3pm. Tickets are £20 from Eventbrite.
Looking ahead, TLTLC has a busy calendar of speakers. On Thursday, November 20, Bijan Omrani (author of God is an Englishman) will chair an evening in conversation about the state of the nation and the Church.
In 2026, award-winning journalist, political campaigner and volunteer crewman with the Thames lifeboat, Ed Hall, will be reading from Tamesis: a collection of riverside verse, from 6.30pm on Thursday, January 29.
THE human cost of war will be explored in the upcoming Dorchester War Poetry Conference.
The Thomas Hardy Society is joining forces with the War Poets’ Association and other literary groups to give voice to writers such as Thomas Hardy, TE Lawrence, Siegfried Sassoon and Edward Thomas, who each had their own opinions and experience of the First World War.
The event will be held in The Dorford Centre, St Mary's Church and The King's Arms on Saturday and Sunday, November 8-9.
The main conference is on Saturday from 9.30am-5pm when participants will explore the nature of war poetry and read and discuss the words of poets and writers that lived through the First World War.
The readings will cover themes of war –courage, despair, patriotism, loss and sacrifice – and tell the stories, experiences and reflections of these gifted individuals. It will also be possible to view the Poets Tribute book dedicated and given to Hardy by Siegfried Sassoon, and personal letters to Hardy from that time, at a special viewing at Dorset History Centre.
A concert for Remembrance – War, Words and English Song – will be held on Saturday evening.
The performance will bring together the words of Thomas Hardy and First World War poets with English song composers of the early 20th century, echoing the lived experiences of composers and poets affected by the Great War.
The concert is included in the THS War Poetry Conference weekend ticket but can be booked separately.
The conference takes on a more local flavour on Sunday with an exhibition and talk about Dorchester during the First World War and an opportunity to join in Dorchester’s Remembrance services, follow the Poppy Trail or relax in the Casterbridge Room at The King’s Arms.
After Sunday lunch, there will be a staged performance of ‘Strange Meeting’ and the words of Wilfred Owen.
Discounts are available for members of the Thomas Hardy Society, TE Lawrence Society, Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship, Edward Thomas Fellowship and the War Poets’ Association.
As a precursor to the War Poetry Conference, a special performance will be held at Athelhampton House – WW1: Hardy at Athelhampton on Friday, November 7, at 6pm (payable separately).
Thomas Hardy and his second wife, Florence, were dining with Alfred Cart de
Lafontaine at Athelhampton on the day the First World War was declared.
To set the scene for the War Poetry Conference, local actors will recreate the dinner in the room it took place, with the audience moving to other historic rooms to watch events unfold.
For more information and to book, visit www.hardysociety.org/events
For more information, contact Thomas Hardy Society secretary, Miranda Woodgate, at secretary@hardysociety.org.
A WOMAN in Gillingham who made headlines with a fundraising swim 20 years ago has returned to the very same pool – this time at age 96.
Maureen, a resident at The Malthouse care home, swam 71 lengths of the RiversMeet Leisure Centre when she was 76 in 2005 to raise money to help refurbish the Vicarage Schoolroom.
When interviewed at the time, Maureen spoke about her lifelong love of swimming and how she had taken up the sport again at 60 to keep fit.
Now, 20 years later, Maureen visited the pool thanks to the team at The Malthouse who arranged a special visit through their wellbeing programme, which helps residents reconnect
with past hobbies.
Leah Tealey, one of the home’s activities coordinators, said: “Maureen’s story inspired everyone here. She talked so fondly about her swimming days that we wanted to make it
possible for her to relive that experience.
“The Swimming for Memories sessions are all about helping residents reconnect with their past hobbies.”
Before retiring, Maureen
spent many years as a teacher and has always believed in the benefits of swimming for both body and mind.
In her 2005 interview, she described it as ‘a great way for the elderly to stay in shape’ – a belief she clearly still holds true.
Our Weymouth office is expanding
Blanchards Bailey established its Weymouth office nearly 15 years ago, recognising the town’s strong sense of community and the opportunity to support an existing network of valued clients and professional connections.
Since then, both Weymouth and our firm have grownWeymouth and the surrounding area into an increasingly, sought-after destination, and Blanchards Bailey into a leading regional law firm with around 120 expert staff, all dedicated to delivering exceptional client service. Today, we’re proud to share the next step in our journey: We’re expanding our presence and moving into a newly renovated, modern office at Oxford Court on the Granby commercial estate.
Weymouth Family
Law Clinics - see our website for details
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New offices in the heart of Weymouth
Our move to Granby
• Bespoke office fit-out in the thriving Granby commercial estate
• Layout designed to enhance client comfort and delivery of our services
• Improved meeting spaces and accessibility to your lawyers when you need them
• Our Weymouth based lawyers bring their local knowledge and expertise – meaning they are better placed to help you
DORSET Wildlife Trust has launched an urgent campaign to protect and restore the county’s waterways and habitats.
Water for Wildlife spotlights the importance of water for both wildlife and people, and calls on the public to support vital restoration work.
Fewer than 15% of Dorset’s rivers are in favourable ecological condition, putting species such as beavers, otters, kingfishers, and water voles at risk.
Our waterways are under pressure from pollution, habitat loss, and climate change.
Over 90% of the UK’s wetlands have disappeared in the last century. These habitats support rare wading birds, amphibians, and dragonflies, while storing carbon, reducing flooding, and filter pollutants.
Dorset Wildlife Trust takes care of 42 nature reserves, working with landowners and
conservation partners. Its volunteers carry out surveys, practical conservation work and habitat restoration.
Their work is making a real difference to our countryside, says the Trust.
At Wild Woodbury in Bere Regis, pioneering restoration of the River Sherford headwaters created resilient wetlands, improved water quality, and supported wildlife including lapwings, snipe, frogs, dragonflies, and freshwater invertebrates.
At Kingcombe Meadows, restored ponds have boosted biodiversity, supported amphibians and insects, and provided vital breeding and feeding grounds.
The next phase – at Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath – will see the rewetting and restoring floodplains to expand wetland habitats, improve water quality, and support a wider diversity of
wildlife.
Head of Wilder Landscapes, Rob Farrington said, “Wild Woodbury demonstrated how effective wetland restoration can be for water quality and wildlife.
“At Tadnoll Heath, Dorset Wildlife Trust will build on that success to create more habitats, strengthen ecosystems, and ensure Dorset’s rivers and wetlands thrive for generations to come.
“Public support is essential to make this possible.
“Donations to the campaign will fund practical restoration, including leaky dams, ditchblocking, and re-establishing natural river flows, bringing cleaner water, climate resilience, and richer biodiversity back to Dorset.”
For more information or to donate, visit www. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/ appeals/water-wildlife
tailor your funeral wishes
PENSIONERS are being warned to stay alert, as Winter Fuel Payment scams surge by 150% compared to early September.
Thieves posing as government officials are exploiting pensioners’ worries about their Winter Fuel Payments, which are due to be distributed next month.
“Never let yourself be rushed,” says Jonathan Silvester, from HMRC.
“If someone contacts you relating to Winter Fuel Payments, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. If a phone call, text or email is suspicious or unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links.”
If you are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have had a letter telling you how much you will be paid. This amount will automatically be paid into your bank account.
Payments will be made between midNovember and December 2025.
To receive your payment you do NOT
need to:
• Sign up or register
• Provide bank details
• Click links in emails or texts
• Share personal information
Phone scammers use common tactics to pressure you to act. They might claim to be from the Department for Work and Pensions, or DWP. They will often tell you that you have to act immediately to avoid losing your payment. If you feel rushed or stressed, hang up and take time to think.
Email and text scams may look like they come from official addresses and phone numbers, but thieves are able to clone and mask these. Do not click links, scan QR codes, or open attachments.
You do not need to register, give any personal information or your bank details to receive your Winter Fuel Payment.
If you think you may have been scammed, call your bank fraud department on 159. If you have received a text and are concerned, you can call the Independent Age free helpline on 0800 319 6789.
DID you know that Dorset Council can help you if you’re at risk of losing your home?
Its Housing Advice helpline – 01305 221000 – was set up in collaboration with charities Citizens Advice and Shelter.
The helpline offers a range of services including mediation between tenants and landlords, income maximisation support and free advocacy at court.
Portfolio holder for Housing and Health, Cllr Gill Taylor said: “Our triage team who work on the Housing Advice helpline are keen to hear from anyone who thinks they are at risk of losing their home as soon as they can, so we have a better chance of helping them to resolve their situation.”
Visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/ worried-about-losing-your-home for more information.
THE Queen Camel Quilters held a very successful patchwork and quilting exhibition in the Memorial Hall in the village, which raised an impressive £1,817 for The Daisy Garland charity based in Totnes, Devon.
200 visitors attended the exhibition over two days coming from all corners of Somerset, Dorset and Hampshire.
A wide selection of quilts, wall hangings, cushions, maps, wreaths and embroideries was on display with a striking wall hanging made by Mary Gamble called The Tick being visitors’ favourite exhibit.
A bag raffle proved popular, as did a sales table which included a great selection of new Kaffe Fassett books donated to the group, and delicious refreshments were on hand, made by members.
In addition, a patchwork quilt was created using colours from the Daisy Garland logo and incorporating the charity’s logo in the centre with a daisy garland around it.
The quilt was long-arm quilted by Midsomer Quilting in Chilcompton using a daisy design and both The Daisy Garland charity and Queen Camel Quilters members
sold raffle tickets over the summer.
The winner of the quilt was one of The Daisy Garland mums in Totnes.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Thank you to everyone who supported the exhibition so generously and enthusiastically.”
The Daisy Garland is a small charity
The Daisy Garland patchwork quilt was raffled for charity
which works exclusively with children and families whose lives have been touched by drug-resistant epilepsy.
It was set up in 2004 by Sara Garland and her husband in memory of their daughter, Daisy.
Queen Camel Quilters adopted the charity for 2025, as it has helped a family in the village for many years, and made a range of items for its online shop to help raise funds.
Queen Camel Quilters was founded in 2011 and has 20 members. They meet for a whole day once a month and enjoy learning new techniques and working together to create something special from time to time.
In an era in which good news may feel lacking, a reminder of where to look for it
by Canon Eric Woods
DO you remember the tradition which the mainstream television channels used to observe, when, at the end of a long news programme, full of international tensions and conflicts, and disasters and tragedies at home and abroad, the “anchor” would conclude with something cheerful, perhaps an amusing anecdote from the day’s stories or a piece of really good news. It left us with a bit of hope or a smile. Sadly, that practice has long since disappeared.
The bad news must be reported, of course; we cannot live in a make-believe world. We need to be able to enter imaginatively and prayerfully into all the griefs and agonies and despair of our fellow men and women. But a bit of good news about individuals or communities lifts our hearts and makes us realise that there is so much to be thankful for in this world. If you look for the blessings in life, and share those blessings with others, then there is hope and there is peace and there is joy.
Sunday. It used to be observed in December, but the modernisers have moved it. It doesn’t matter. The Bible is not for one Sunday of the year; it is for every day of the year. And that is because it is such a realistic book – or, rather, collection of books – and utterly true to life. The long-defunct Sunday scandal sheet The News of the World used to have at its masthead “All human life is here”. Yes, well, possibly. I’m not sure The News of the World was ever much interested in the good news. But all human life is in the Bible. It is a book of laughter and of tears. It tells of unhappiness and difficulties, wars and destructions, scandal and infamy – but it also tells us about forgiveness and joy, about goodness and courage, about reassurance and love.
Sometimes the words of Jesus himself are full of compassion and caring. Sometimes they are full of urgency, and occasionally of blistering anger. He saw that he needed to challenge the people who – like so many today – seemed to be sleep-walking to their own destruction in a comfortable daze of selfishness and sin. Jesus’s wake-up call was heeded by some, ignored by many. Still it needs to be heard. It is all in the Bible.
And all of this is completely realistic and down-to-earth; there is no wishful thinking or fantasy about it. And that is the glory of the Good News we find in the Bible.
This coming Sunday is celebrated in many churches as Bible
Once when Jesus was in the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath day, he was handed the scroll of the Scriptures, from which he read. And then he looked up and said “Today, in your very hearing, this text has come true”. He was the Word made flesh who still dwells among us, full of grace, and truth. And that is our good news, that he is our Good News.
Life at Bramley House in Mere has always been about making people feel at home - and what better way to do that than through food? This autumn, we’re excited to launch our very own Great Bramley Bake Off, led by our new Head Chef, Liam. Liam brings passion, creativity, and a love of home-style cooking to Bramley House. From the moment he joined, he’s been sitting down with residents to talk about the recipes that matter most to them - from treasured family bakes to hearty traditional meals. His
mission is simple: to create food that feels like home. Already, the kitchen has been filled with the smell of cinnamon and apples thanks to a resident’s cherished apple cake recipe. As the cake was sliced and shared in the orangery, memories of orchards, harvest festivals and Sunday teas flowed as freely as the tea itself. “Cooking here isn’t just about ingredients,” Liam says, “it’s about the stories behind them.”
The Great Bramley Bake Off is about connection. Residents are encouraged to share their favourite
recipes so Liam and the team can recreate them for everyone to enjoy. For those in Garden View, our specialist dementia wing, these sensory experiences are especially powerful, helping to unlock memories and spark conversation. At Bramley House, food doesn’t just feed the body - it feeds the soul.
Garden View at Bramley House in Mere is our exclusive, intimate wing offering unparalleled, personalised care for residents with advanced-stage dementia. Garden View provides a rare opportunity for personalised, high-quality care in a serene and controlled environment. This exclusivity ensures that each resident receives the utmost attention and bespoke care, tailored to their unique needs.
Family
Comprehensive
Home-cooked
Husband and wife team Lucy and Mark first opened a furniture sales shop specialising in pine furniture in February 1995.
During the late 80s and 90s, pine was the furniture of choice.
From those early years, their initial business concept continued to grow and evolve.
Now celebrating 30 years in business, A World of Furniture stocks many top brands such as G Plan, La-Z-Btoy, Alstons, Sherborne, Silentnight, Sleepeezee and Highgrove.
The company has made looking after the environment and sustainability one of its top priorities in the last 20 years.
It has been awarded and recognised as a leader in the world of business-based ‘environmentalists’.
Lucy and Mark currently employ more than 25 staff, ‘all of whom are absolutely amazing,’ Mark says. He adds: “Lucy and I are so thankful for the opportunities and some success.”
“The furniture business and our daughters have shaped our lives. Life is a great leveller and we have faced many hurdles. I’m hopeful that, with the introduction of more furniture brands and our own brands, 2025 will be an improvement over the previous year. 2025 and beyond will see us ‘serving up’ more fantastic furniture and the growth of our mattress collection and recycling service.”
THE Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and inpatient maternity service at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) is planned to reopen in April next year.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust closed both the SCBU and inpatient maternity service in May for six months because of concerns about the safety, quality and fragility of the paediatric service at the hospital.
Then in June the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published reports into paediatric services at YDH and Musgrove Park Hospital (MPH) in Taunton, following an inspection in January.
The CQC rated the paediatric service at YDH as inadequate overall and the paediatric service at MPH as good overall.
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Trust, said: “We have done a huge amount of work to address concerns about the safety, quality and fragility of the paediatric service at YDH, which led to these temporary closures, and have more work to do.”
He said detailed planning would take place within Somerset NHS Trust, and with Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and other partner organisations, and Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnership, to put safety criteria in place to reopen the SCBU and maternity services at YDH.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced in September that YDH was part of the Government’s national investigation into maternity and neonatal services.
Christmas at Stourhead 2025
PUPILS at St Andrews Primary School, Fontmell Magna, brought their creativity to the world’s biggest drawing festival.
The National Trust’s
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Ticonic Stourhead estate is preparing to dazzle visitors once again as its enchanting Christmas light trail returns from Friday, November 28, to Wednesday, December 31.
The Big Draw Festival celebrates connection through creativity. The children enjoyed creative activities throughout the day, sharing the results with parents and friends. Visiting artists included Yo Thom, potter; Gillian Cross, author; Graham Sims; Des Alner.
All the children were given a special ‘doodle’ sketch book –drawing can help calm anxiety and stress and improve mental health.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Stourhead’s world-famous Palladian house and gardens, this much-loved festive experience promises a magical evening for all ages. Whether you’re searching for Christmas things to do near Bath or Christmas events in the South West, this unmissable experience is worth the visit.
Visitors can expect a brand-new array of dazzling installations for 2025, including the mesmerising Star Show, a shimmering Sea of Light, and spectacular lasers dancing across the night sky.
he National Trust’s iconic Stourhead estate is preparing to dazzle visitors once again as its enchanting Christmas light trail returns from Friday, November 28, to Wednesday, December 31.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Stourhead’s world-famous Palladian house and gardens, this much-loved festive experience promises a magical evening for all ages. Whether you’re searching for Christmas things to do near Bath or Christmas events in the South West, this unmissable experience is worth the visit.
Visitors can expect a brand-new array of dazzling installations for 2025, including the mesmerising Star Show, a shimmering Sea of Light, and spectacular lasers dancing across the night sky.
These new additions join the returning favourites, from the twinkling tunnel of light to the breathtaking display of colour-changing reflections stretching across the lake.
Christmas at Stourhead is brought to life by internationally renowned light trail producers, making it a highlight of the UK’s festive calendar.
For full pricing, ticket information and bookings visit: https://www.mychristmastrails.co.uk/events/christmas-at-stourhead
These new additions join the returning favourites, from the twinkling tunnel of light to the breathtaking display of colour-changing reflections stretching across the lake.
Christmas at Stourhead is brought to life by internationally renowned light trail producers, making it a highlight of the UK’s festive calendar.
For full pricing, ticket information and bookings visit: https://www.mychristmastrails.co.uk/events/christmas-at-stourhead
ARCHAEOLOGIST, writer and broadcaster Julian Richards has a deep connection with Shaftesbury Abbey and a passion for Stonehenge. But what you might not know is that Julian is also fascinated by cars and their connection with the world of art.
In a talk entitled ‘The Car in Art and the Car as Art’, Julian will explain this unlikely connection, from the days of the Italian Futurists who glorified speed and noise to the winner of the 2024 Turner Prize for art (spoiler – this included a Ford Escort and large crocheted table cloth).
In between Julian will explore the amazing creations of the Art Deco era in the 1920s and 30s, when cars were works of art in their own right.
From BMW ‘Art cars’ to his own appearance in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Julian will explore this fascinating connection and along the way may upset Volkswagen Beetle enthusiasts by showing what has been done to some of these much loved cars in the name of art.
‘The car in art and the car as art’ is at the Old Brewery café and kitchen, Wyke Road, Gillingham SP8 4NW at 7.30pm on Friday,
October 24.
Before the talk the Old Brewery kitchen and bar will be open from 5pm-7pm for food and drinks.
Tickets are available from buff. ly/75rhtjH.
Locally please contact Julian at Julian. richards2013@gmail.com.
All profits from this talk will go to the Salisbury Sudan Medical Link which provides medical supplies and training to South Sudan.
AUTHOR Dr Vivien Newman (pictured) will be speaking at The Tank Museum in Bovington as part of an October half-term programme celebrating Women in Warfare.
Dr Newman is an historian and writer specialising in social history and in particular women’s service during the Second World War.
In her short lecture, ‘Cogs in the Machinery of War’, on Wednesday, October 29, she will discuss the vital role women played in both world wars. The museum’s Women in Warfare programme runs from Saturday, October 25, to Sunday, November 2 – with activities and talks included in general entry tickets.
Today there are so many places to sell your car, Facebook Marketplace, Autotrader, and an array of giant online car companies. Navigating those platforms however, is timeconsuming and sometimes extremely stressful. An inbox flooded with messages, not to mention time-wasters and aggressive hagglers.
A Poole-based, family-run business is proving that the human touch combined with over 30 years of experience in the motor industry is the best road to success when selling a car, van campervan or motorhome.
Garrett Dorset in Poole will of course help anyone sell a car but they have built an outstanding reputation in helping those of us who have lost a loved one and need to dispose of their car, or can no longer drive through illness.
Founder Andy Garrett explains: “The idea grew organically after a friend asked me to value a car for someone recently bereaved. The widower was so grateful for the personal and hassle-free service provided; we realised there were many other people in a similarly sensitive situation who we could help.”
This bespoke service takes all the stress out of selling a vehicle. Andy, or a female member of his team if preferred, will visit you at your home or workplace. Over a chat, a complete appraisal of your vehicle will be carried out followed by a free, no-obligation valuation.
Andy explains: “At this point you might choose to go ahead with the sale, which we can conclude there and then. Alternatively, you might like to spend some time considering our offer. Either way, there’s
absolutely no obligation or pressure to sell. If you choose to sell your vehicle to us, we promise a fair and accurate valuation, a quick and easy sale, fast immediate payment, and above all a friendly and efficient service.
The service includes all handling of DVLA paperwork and any administration to settle outstanding car finance on the vehicle. “In times of bereavement or ill-health, taking the burden of all this paperwork away is a huge relief,” explains Andy Garrett, “and it can all be done by us from the comfort and security of your own home.”
Andy added: “There are no fees or administration costs when you sell to us, unlike some of our competitors. We will pay the full valuation for your car with no deductions. The money is instantly transferred at the time of sale so no added anxiety of waiting for the funds to go through.”
Find out more at https://www.garrettdorset.co.uk/ Read the reviews at https://www.garrettdorset.co.uk/what-our-clients-say
A Gillingham care home resident’s special wish came true when he went swimming for the first time in 30 years.
Jim, who lives at Fern Brook Lodge, spoke to the care home team about his wish to go swimming as part of the home’s ‘Make a Wish’ initiative. It encourages residents to share hobbies and passions they once enjoyed but are now unable to pursue without the home’s support. The dedicated team then brings the wish to life in a safe way.
The care home’s team arranged for Jim to join Dementia Friendly Gillingham’s weekly Swimming for Memories sessions at Riversmeet Leisure Centre. These sessions feature a dedicated hour for older people, including those living with dementia, and their carers or loved ones to have exclusive use of the swimming pool in a calm, supportive environment.
Jim said: “It was lovely being back in the water after 30 years. I was born by the sea in Poole. My grandad was a fisherman, so as a child, I used to go on his boat with him and jump overboard to swim in the sea. It all came back to me and it seems that you never forget how to swim.”
Fern Brook Lodge, which is part of not-for-profit charity, Care South, provides residential, respite, and dementia care. A dedicated activities team organises a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.
Fern Brook Lodge hosts its own Memory Café sessions every Thursday morning from 10am to 12pm supported by Dementia Friendly Gillingham for people living with dementia and their carers. There is no need to book - just drop in on the day.
For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Fern Brook Lodge’s friendly team on 01747 449812.
A PRE-LOVED clothes sale has raised £11,500 for a charity that protects the elderly and vulnerable.
The Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust provides a free home security service and online safety service for over 60s, over-18s with a registered disability and people experiencing domestic abuse throughout Wiltshire and Swindon.
The sale was held at Manor Farm, Longbridge Deverill, and made possible by the dedication of dozens of volunteers, who baked cakes, sorted donations, acted as personal shoppers. Charlie Boston’s band, The Olde Boston Tea Party, gave a lively performance that brought energy and swing to the event.
for the Trust. “It was a feel-good day of fun, fashion and friendship – with a real environmental impact too.”
“This was more than just a fundraiser,” said a spokesperson
The positive impact didn’t stop there. Remaining clothes were donated to the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance for sale in their Devizes shop, ensuring every item has a second chance to do good.
Tel 01747 7 840885 or 0800 0833623
Placing your main residence into a living trust can provide effective protection against potential future care costs. If you were to require long-term care, the property held within the trust is ring-fenced, ensuring that it is safeguarded and that your intended inheritance is preserved for your loved ones.
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Transferring ownership of your home—and potentially other assets—into a living trust can help to shield those assets from a variety of risks. These include potential claims from creditors, the financial ramifications of divorce or remarriage, and claims associated with care costs. By utilising a living trust, you can ensure that your estate remains secure and less exposed to unforeseen claims.
Care Fees Protection: With average care fees hitting £2,000 per week and typical stays ranging from 3 to 7 years, these expenses can quickly deplete most estates. Our custom-tailored solutions offer a lifeline. While many believe protection is impossible, we’ve developed a tailored legal strategy fully compliant with UK law to safeguard your assets, including protection against care fees.
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The effectiveness and suitability of a living trust will depend on your personal circumstances. Oakwood Wills offers a complimentary consultation in the comfort of your own home. For further information, you can call 07832 331594 or email info@oakwoodwills.co.uk.
DORSET and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is adding a second rescue helicopter to its life-saving service.
As the busiest air ambulance in the south west, DSAA was tasked to nearly 3,000 missions last year, reaching patients in their hour of need.
But DSAA recognises there are patients needing the medics’ specialist skills that they are unable to reach during their 19-hour day operations because their aircraft is already in action.
Furthermore, between 2am and 7am, there is no pre-hospital critical care in Dorset and Somerset.
Thanks to some very generous legacies and careful stewardship of the charity’s funds, DSAA has been able to commit £30 million to fund the purchase and fit-out of a second helicopter, the redevelopment of an operational base and key modernisation projects.
This money will enable it to prepare for potential 24-hour operations, given the ongoing additional cost that would entail.
However, £30m won’t cover the full cost of these changes. So the DSAA has launched its 2ndHeli Appeal, with the aim
of raising £1m.
Charles Hackett, CEO of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance said: “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, and the careful management of the funds entrusted to us, we are now able to make these vital investments in our future. This is a significant commitment; every penny is being spent to help us reach more patients, save more lives, and provide the very best care we can, day and night.
“We have the foundations in place, but we can’t complete this journey alone. As we draw on our reserves to make these developments a reality, we will continue to rely on the incredible support of our local community. Every donation, every event, and every act of kindness helps us take the next step towards ensuring that everyone who needs us can be reached, whenever they need us most.”
Each incident response costs
approximately £3,500 – last year the DSAA was tasked to 2,909 incidents.
The care that DSAA provides is only made possible because of the generosity of the public, because every mission is funded by donations. Without that support, the service would not exist.
For more information on DSAA’s 2ndHeli Appeal and how you can get involved, visit www.dsairambulance.org. uk/2ndHeli
COMMUNITY spirit was in full bloom as garden lovers across Somerset and Dorset opened their gates and raised over £30,000 for St Margaret’s Hospice.
‘Glorious Gardens’ brought together communities to raise an incredible £31,471 to support the charity, which provides care and support for people facing life-limiting illness and their families.
From cottage gardens and allotments to school grounds and stately lawns, over 50 gardens opened across 31 locations, welcoming visitors to explore, relax, and enjoy tea, cake, and conversation.
The hospice gardens at St Margaret’s are welcoming, calming, and accessible places where patients and their loved ones can spend precious
moments together.
“Having worked at the Taunton hospice for six years, I’ve heard so many stories of how our gardens support patients and their loved ones,” said Caroline, head gardener at St Margaret’s Hospice Care.
“For some, it’s as simple as watching the birds or squirrels from their window; others have enjoyed picking flowers, growing tomatoes, or simply spending time outdoors with visitors.”
“Every pound raised through Glorious Gardens helps ensure that our patients can receive compassionate, specialist care when they need it most,” said Holly Hackett, Community Partnerships Fundraiser. “From nursing visits at home to emotional support for families, the impact of this campaign
reaches far beyond the garden gate. We’re so grateful to everyone who opened their gardens, baked cakes, or came along to any of the openings.”
The 2025 campaign was once again proudly sponsored by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, whose ongoing partnership helps make this much-loved
summer event possible. Looking ahead, St Margaret’s is already inviting gardeners across Somerset to take part in Glorious Gardens 2026. For more information or to register your interest in opening your garden for Glorious Gardens 2026, visit www. st-margarets-hospice.org.uk/ event/glorious-gardens
We’re excited to welcome the new autumn collection from BIBICO, an ethical clothing label known for timeless design, natural fabrics, and a deep commitment to sustainability. Founded in 2007, BIBICO produces just two collections a year in small batches, working closely with artisan makers in India, Nepal, and Italy. Their garments are crafted from hand-made, eco-friendly materials and designed to last—classic pieces you’ll reach for year after year.
BIBICO’s ethos is rooted in fair trade and social responsibility. Many of their partners are members of the World Fair Trade Organization, supporting women from disadvantaged backgrounds with employment, childcare, and social support. Every item reflects a thoughtful approach to fashion—where quality, ethics, and care come together.
We’re proud to stock BIBICO, and the new range is now available at Shirley Allum.
Also, just in the new season Birkenstock collection. Renowned for their iconic footbed and exceptional craftsmanship, Birkenstock shoes combine comfort, durability, and timeless style. The brand stands for sustainability, tradition, and innovation—using high-quality natural materials and ergonomic design to support healthy movement and allday wear.
Whether you’re looking for ethical fashion or footwear that truly fits, visit us in store or online at www.shirleyallum.co.uk to explore these new arrivals. Style with substance has never looked so good.
A PANEL of Dorset residents, chosen at random from across the county, is set to shape how Dorset responds to climate impacts.
The group will meet in October and November.
Over the course of these sessions, the 22 panel members will hear from a range of experts, explore key climate challenges facing the county, and work together to develop recommendations that will help shape how Dorset prepares for a changing climate.
Councillor Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council and Cabinet Member for Climate, said: “This is about making sure our plans to prepare the county for the unavoidable impacts of climate change reflect what matters most to local people.
“The Dorset Citizens’
Climate Panel is a really exciting opportunity for residents to help shape the decisions that will affect their lives, homes and futures.”
By the end of the process, the panel will produce a set of recommendations to inform Dorset’s plan for dealing with the local impacts of climate change.
The panel’s recommendations will be shared with those working on Dorset’s climate response and used to inform the development of the county’s adaptation strategy, making sure it reflects the values, concerns and ideas of local people.
To find out more about Dorset’s Citizens’ Climate Panel, including how members were selected and what the sessions will cover, visit the Dorset Council website.
REVELLERS in Gillingham braved the weather when Storm Amy blew in on Carnival Day.
The children’s carnival and grand illuminated processions came at the end of a week of carnival events.
Parades of bands and majorettes, and a steam cavalcade preceded the grand illuminated procession.
Mary Bailey, Gillingham carnival committee chair, said: “Despite the windy and wet weather from Storm Amy, Carnival Day went ahead, and the crowds were treated to a great afternoon and evening’s entertainment.”
Carnival is the town’s largest event of the year and is organised by volunteers.
It costs £10,000 a year to run and is funded through fundraising and sponsorship from businesses, including £1,000 from Taylor Wimpey for first aid equipment and staff.
BIG carts lit up the narrow streets in Castle Cary’s annual carnival with walkers, majorettes and bands in the colourful procession.
The Bournemouth Carnival – Spiderman – Band did a great job of warming the crowd up and the Blackdown Samba Band kept the party going playing a toe-tapping set after the procession, outside the Market House.
“It was great to see the community come together for a great night out,” said carnival committee chair, Malcolm Wake.
“Entrants always say that Cary Carnival is special because the crowd is so warm and welcoming.
“We proved that with cheers and dancing in the streets!”
Countess Gytha Primary School presented a shoal of glowing underwater creatures to win the Inter Schools Cup, narrowly squeezing Queen
Camel Primary School and its sea creatures into second place.
Malcolm added: “The biggest cheers of the night went to the local entries, especially the primary schools, families and youth groups.
“The numbers of children and the creativity of the entries was great to see!”
The walking entries showed lots of creativity, including Roger Muspratt’s winning entry, The Curse of the Spider King.
The Juvenile categories were some of the most hard fought and featured Just Ed with The Cat in the Hat – best Individual Juvenile; AJ’s Carnival Club with a first glimpse of Santa’s elves in action – best Group Juvenile with prop; and Mini Reveller’s epic Rock cart.
Carnival-goers were pleased to see among the big carts
Magnum Carnival Club’s stunning Flamenco Fiesta and Hot Rock Carnival Club’s Freight Train.
But Kipling Carnival Club won best Overall Float rocking
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its tribute to Country music, Hillbilly Joe's!
The sparkling Enigma Twirl Team high-stepped into first place in the majorettes’ competition.
Doug Crosse, new carnival treasurer, said: “Over 70% of the collection goes to local charitable causes, so we’re delighted to say that from both carnivals [including the
children’s carnival] we raised £2,200.
“A very big thank you to our ever-generous community!”.
The Carnival Society would like to thank sponsors, marshals, collectors and all the other people who help make the big night out happen.
For full Carnival results visit www.ccacs.org.uk.
DORSET’S own communityled ‘conference of the parties’ (COP) will be hosted at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton.
Organised by Sustainable Dorset, this, the third Dorset COP, will take place on Saturday, November 1.
The focus of the event will be on turning environmental ambition into action and looking at the role communities play in shaping a future where people and nature thrive, say organisers.
The one-day event will offer opportunities to learn, connect, and contribute via a wide range of workshops.
Sustainable Dorset Chair, Jennifer Morisetti, said, “This is a day for farmers, organisers, repairers, youth workers, growers, wildlife champions, and anyone dreaming of a fairer, more resilient Dorset.”
Attendees will also be able to meet the people behind inspiring local initiatives – from village-led climate action to town-based campaigns, see creative projects using art to
explore relationships with the environment, and discover grassroots contributions shaping a national food strategy from a rural perspective.
“77% of Dorset’s land is farmed and with Sturminster Newton set in the heart of the Blackmore Vale’s prime dairy farmland it is ideally situated to highlight rural issues,” says Jennifer.
“Topics will include: nature recovery, river pollution, food security, transport and retrofit. We will also be hearing about the energy revolution with solar entrepreneur, Howard Johns.”
Laura Tyley of This Living Place, says, “There’s so much inspiring action already happening across our rural communities. But what we often lack are opportunities to bring all that energy together in one room – to connect, to learn from one another and to feel part of something bigger. Dorset COP is fast becoming that space.
“Local COPs remind us that meaningful action starts in our towns, villages and shared spaces.
THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER
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“These changes bring urgency to the questions so many in Dorset are already asking: How do we adapt? How do we care for each other and the land now and into the future? How do we build local resilience?
“Dorset COP provides us with the ideal space to share these concerns and questions, but crucially, also to share answers. We’ll hear from those who’ve adapted and have examples of best practise to
share via spotlight projects rooted in care, repair, land and community.”
A FORMER inmate of Guys Marsh Prison, near Shaftesbury, is taking on a marathon challenge in aid of two good causes and in memory of someone close to him.
David Haze, 40, will be running 106km in 24 hours starting today (Friday, October 24) in his ‘Source to Sea’ fundraiser along the Stour Valley Way for the Friends of Guys Marsh charity and Weldmar Hospice.
The run is in memory of Ann Davis-Penson, treasurer of the Friends, who lost her battle against cancer in September and who David describes as a ‘beacon of kindness’ to many.
The Friends played a huge part in David’s rehabilitation and Weldmar Hospice cared for Ann in her final days.
David said: “I owe so much of my transformation to the support and guidance of the charities and individuals who helped me when I needed it most.
“Friends of Guys Marsh played a pivotal role in my growth while I was incarcerated.
“Their tireless work in supporting rehabilitation and encouraging positive change is truly life-changing.
“They believe in second chances – and without their help I wouldn’t be where I am today.
David also paid tribute to ‘two remarkable individuals’.
“Steve Penson and Ann Davis-Penson, continued to stand by me after my release,” he added.
“During the tough months of lockdown, they checked in on me weekly, offering guidance, support and encouragement.
“Five years later, they are still helping me chase my dreams.”
David is seeking to raise funds and awareness of the Friends of Guys Marsh and Weldmar Hospice.
To support him, visit www.justgiving.com, search ‘David Haze’ and look under the crowdfunders tab.
CRAFT MARKET, Penselwood Village Hall, BA9 8LS, Saturday 8th November, 10am - 3pm, beautiful handmade items for sale in time for Christmas
JOIN THE SOMERSET COUNTY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
at Wells Cathedral to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War.Somerset Festival of Remembrance, Saturday, November 1 · 7 - 10pm GMT. Doors at 6:15pm, Wells Cathedral, Cathedral Green Wells BA5 2UE
ARTISAN MARKET with unique, affordable gifts. 2nd November 11am-3pm, The New Remembrance Hall, Charlton, SP7 0PL
SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 2025, Jumble Sale, 1pm start. The Hooper Hall, Lydlinch, DT10-2JA. Plus, Bric-abrac/cake stall. In Aid of Hall/Church funds.
DORSET ART GIRLS FESTIVE BAZAAR, Saturday 8 November, 10 - 4, Digby Hall, Hound St, Sherborne. Fab things for gifts & Christmas! Free entry.
GILLINGHAM HANDMADE PRESENTS,
The Autumn Fair on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th October at Shaftesbury Town Hall from 10-4.30. A fabulous selection of handmade products, from crochet, jewellery, art, fudge, shortbread and so much more.
BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA.
Saturday 8th November 7.30pm. Wimborne Minster. Performing Karl Jenkins ‘The Armed Man’ and Haydn Nelson Mass. Tickets from Square Records Wimborne (01202-883203) or at the door.
COME AND HEAR LYNDA MILLS talk about her recent time in Israel and West Bank. Shaftesbury Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Friday 7th November 7pm, repeated Saturday 8th November 2.30pm. Free admission, donations welcome. Please email clerk@shaftesburyquakers.org if you plan to come
At the showrooms in Mere Saturday 8th November 2025 from 10am to 6pm
LYN’S BINGO at Marnhull Royal British Legion DT10 1HR on November 3rd. Eyes down 7pm.
We will again have our party at the shop with bubbles and canapes. Come and see us and enjoy the day wandering through 3500 square feet of Showrooms and speaking to Nick, Paul and Richard Price and Susan Rumfitt from the Antiques Roadshow. THE SQUARE, MERE, WILTSHIRE, BA12 6DL 01747 860050 info@waltonhouseantiques.co.uk www.waltonhouseantiques.co.uk
11 5 40 64 22
Stalbridge Hall Thursday 30th October
Doors open 6.30pm
Eyes down 7.30pm In aid of hall funds 90
An evening with Bishop Andrew Rumsey. Featuring songs from his new album and readings from his acclaimed book English Grounds: A Pastoral Journal T hursday 6th November - 7pmSt Michael’s Church, Mere
T ickets: £10 (advance) | £12 (on the day) Available at www.friendsofstmichaels.org or Sprout and Flower
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II at Wells Cathedral, with a special focus on honouring the contribution of the people of Somerset.
Saturday 1 November 2025, 7.00 p.m.
Tickets available at:
Somerset-Festival-of-Remembrance-2025.eventbrite.co.uk
YOUNG professionals from the Cherubim Chamber Strings are set to present two very different concerts in Tisbury.
A Gipsy Jazz Evening with Casey-Joan Whyte on jazz violin – and Harry Diplock on guitar and Isaac Burland on bass – is at the Victoria Hall on Saturday, November 1, at 7.30pm.
Casey is still only 18 but is a seasoned performer who has studied jazz in the USA and gigs regularly all over England. She is hailed by Nigel Kennedy as ‘possibly the finest player of her generation’ and has now entered the Royal Academy of Music on a scholarship to study jazz and classical violin.
GROUND-BREAKING new collaboration Jon Doran & The Northern Assembly are set to play three venues in Dorset. The trio combine the traditional performance style and striking vocals of BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Finalist 2019, Jon Doran, with virtuosic instrumentalists
Heather Ferrier on accordion and Jordan Aikin on whistles and pipes.
Their eponymous debut EP, released in 2024, gained positive feedback and secured airplay on BBC Radio 2, BBC Introducing North East and BBC Radio Lincolnshire. The trio blur the lines
CaseyJoan Whyte and Nigel Kennedy
All seats are £20 – children free – visit www.cherubimtrust. org/events
The Cherubim Chamber Strings perform at St John’s Church on Sunday, November 2, at 6pm.
Soloists Alexia Pasquariello – flute – and Andrew Taheny –
between two contrasting sides of the folk genre – the bright, vibrant energy of contemporary instrumental folk music, and the intensity of traditional storytelling songs.
Jon Doran & The Northern Assembly are performing with Dorset rural arts charity Artsreach at the village halls at Shipton Gorge on Friday, November 7; Langton Matravers on Saturday, November 8; and
violin – with conductor Arturo Serna will present a concert to suit all tastes.
It will feature Pachelbel’s Canon; Vivaldi, Autumn; Bach, Orchestral Suite No.2; Aldemaro Romero, Fuga con Pajarillo; Dvořak, Serenade; John Williams, Star Wars; and Hans Zimmer, Pirates of the Caribbean. The concert will also include the premiere of Subtle Shifts by 16-year-old Isaac Schaad.
Tickets are £22-£36 –children free – visit www. cherubimtrust.org/events
Jon Doran & The Northern Assembly
Drimpton on Sunday, November 9. Tickets are available at www. artsreach.co.uk
MAKING a Killing, a razorsharp dark comedy by Ben Kernow, is coming to The Exchange in Sturminster Newton next month.
Set against the backdrop of Renaissance Nuremberg, this powerful two-actor production explores the complex relationship between seasoned executioner, Frantz Schmidt, and his new apprentice, Claus Kohler.
As the two men navigate a world where duty, morality and power collide, their fates become dangerously entwined, forcing each to confront fundamental questions about justice, corruption and the cost of survival.
The play draws inspiration from the historical document
The Journal of Master Franz
Schmidt, Public Executioner of Nuremberg (1573–1617), and strips bare the humanity and contradictions of those who kill for a living.
This bold and biting production holds up a mirror to the contemporary world, making uncomfortable parallels impossible to ignore.
Making a Killing is produced by Ha Hum Ah
Productions, a Cornwall-based theatre and film company known for creating bold, imaginative and accessible stories.
The play is being performed on Tuesday, November 11, at 7.30pm, and tickets and further information are available at www.artsreach.co.uk
The play is suitable for ages 14-plus.
FAMILIES are in for a frightfully fun time with two spooky touring shows this October half-term.
In Squashbox Theatre’s Shivers & Shadows! Craig has just inherited a creepy mansion from his great Uncle Vladimir. Join him as he explores the mansion’s secrets and meets some of its spooky inhabitants.
A spokesperson for Dorset rural arts charity Artsreach said the show promises “delightful frights and hilarious horrors, ingenious puppetry and comedy, scary stories and tall tales, music and songs, loud noises, slapstick
and silliness.”
Shivers & Shadows! is at Child Okeford – phone 01258 861621 – on Sunday, October 26, at 3pm; Milborne St Andrew – 01258 839060 – on Monday, October 27, at 2pm; The Mowlem in Swanage –03336 663366 – on Tuesday, October 28, at 2.30pm; and Buckland Newton – 01300 345455 – on Wednesday, October 29, at 11am.
for ages six-plus.
Fideri Fidera will tour across Dorset with Franky – a new comedy adventure for all the family.
Prof Frankenstein feels lonely – she has no friends and the local villagers are afraid of her.
The professor thinks a baby might change things and so, one stormy night with a flash of lightning and the help of her robot, Igor, she creates Franky!
said audiences can expect “a fun-filled story with songs, a riotous hook-a-duck game and the chance to learn the hottest new dance craze, The Franky Walk!”.
Franky is suitable for ages three-plus and is at Sixpenny Handley – 07771 983883 – on Monday, October 27, at 11am; Sandford Orcas – 07837 812468 – on Wednesday, October 29, at 11am; and Litton Cheney –01308 482514 – on Thursday, October 30, at 11am.
The show is recommended
An Artsreach spokesperson
To find out more and book tickets, visit www.artsreach. co.uk
NATIONAL Theatre Live is coming to Shaftesbury Arts Centre this weekend with Inter Alia, starring Rosamund Pike.
The law is on trial once again as Australian playwright Suzie Miller follows up her global hit Prima Facie, for which Jodie Comer won Olivier and Tony awards, with Inter Alia, which sees Pike make a triumphant return to the stage.
It is a scorching drama, merciless in its dissection of our broken system, but deeply compassionate towards the people at its heart.
Jessica Parks (Pike) is a trail-blazing female crown court judge.
Despite her high-powered career, the bulk of the domestic
duties, including raising now-teenage son Harry, fall to her rather than to KC husband Michael – Miller’s depiction of the invisible labour borne by women, and blithely ignored by men, prompts groans of recognition.
The title is both a legal term and sums up her feeling of existing in the cracks of everyone else’s needs.
Her middle-class family is then dealt a hammer blow – Harry is accused of rape by a classmate.
Jessica, a proud feminist who has ruled on numerous harrowing sexual assault cases, must reckon with her own latent hypocrisy when forced into the perspective of the defendant.
Inter Alia follows on from both Prima Facie and recent television phenomenon Adolescence in using drama as a galvanising force. That campaigning element is leavened with sharply observed humour.
Jessica’s well-meaning attempt to have the online porn ‘talk’ with Harry is perfectly
excruciating, and her effort to manage separate-but-competing lives is wittily encapsulated by her wearing both colourful apron and judge’s wig.
Inter Alia will be screened at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on Sunday, October 26, at 7pm. CONTRIBUTED
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THIS week the Speaker of the House granted my Urgent Question regarding the ongoing fiasco of Jhoots Pharmacy.
The closure of Jhoots in Bridport has left residents with limited options and facing long queues to collect vital medicine. The situation in Lyme Regis is even worse, with no pharmacy in the town residents are forced to travel to neighbouring towns or use online services. Staff at both pharmacies have gone months without salary, facing mounting debts and no idea of when or if they might be paid.
Jhoots runs more than 150 pharmacies across the UK, and West Dorset is far from the only area affected. Even in those places where its pharmacies are still open, fellow MPs tell me constituents are writing to them about irregular or limited opening hours, and that
prescriptions are often being unfulfilled, leaving worried and often vulnerable people with little or no medication.
The pharmacy funding model is fundamentally broken and even well run and responsible pharmacies are struggling to keep operating. I am working closely with the Community
Pharmacy Association and fellow MPs to try and get the Government to address the funding shortfall and problems within the model to ensure we can keep these vital community services.
However, in the case of Jhoots, the issue is far more fundamental. The shutting with no notice of the Lyme and Bridport branches shows little concern for the needs of the residents they are supposed to serve. The continued lack of payment to the affected staff is morally, and perhaps legally, wrong. There have been suggestions of activities that if proven may constitute a breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act. With 150 pharmacies across England, this is a national scandal. It has also revealed serious shortfalls in the law, with the Minister, in response to my
question in the Chamber, effectively admitting he was powerless to act. Traditionally, pharmacies would be owned by a single pharmacist or a partnership, operating one or maybe two pharmacy locations. The existing regulations were not written to deal with a business operating 150-plus locations, with a complex business structure. I am meeting Minister Kinnock in the coming weeks to discuss how these shortcomings can be addressed, it is hoped with any changes made retrospective, so that in cases like this the Department for Health has the powers it needs to ensure residents and staff aren’t left in the lurch. Meanwhile, I will continue to insist that NHS Dorset brings in alternative providers to those locations currently left exposed by these closures.
AS a teenager, the rise of people sleeping rough in London broke my heart. My clique was going to clubs and bars, while others had no roof over their heads. So, that New Year’s Eve, we didn’t go out and spent the money we saved on making sandwiches to distribute to rough sleepers at Waterloo Station and ‘up West’.
The night was, long, cold and wet and no-one wanted our sandwiches! The rough sleepers were well catered for by mobile and static food projects – even a television celebrity chef! – and had eaten already. One guy took pity on us, thanked us for caring and relieved us of some sandwiches.
That night did give me an opportunity to listen to people’s stories. Our preconceived ideas of what it meant to be homeless, who they were and how they became homeless was challenged repeatedly.
Many people we spoke to had indeed been offered homes by councils and had the help of veteran charities like the Royal British Legion but ended up homeless again after struggling with their mental health, addictions and unemployment.
Now in 2025 and we are back in a homeless and rough sleeping crisis – all the gains of our
previous Labour government lost to 14 years of underinvestment and neglect. Homelessness doubled under the last government and coalition.
During the last Labour government, the homeless sleeping in West End doorways almost disappeared and this was not solely down to a government prioritising targeted homeless funding and projects.
The 1997 Labour government’s investment in not only health, mental health and substance abuse services, education and supported housing, also involved all government ministries and charities, providing the holistic support that many of the people we spoke to that freezing NYE night needed to get off the streets and not go back – every department pressing forward with a common goal.
Announced this month, by
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed MP, work on the reinvestment in people has already begun, starting with £1 billion being allocated to provide secure homes for the homeless, £39bn invested into new social and affordable housing, £950 million to increase good temporary accommodation, plus an injection of £84m to councils to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. The south west is receiving the third highest allocation of £9.1m – London, £36.5m and the south east £9.6m – a £22,293 top-up for Dorset Council and £2.2m for BCP Council.
Didn’t get a night out that NYE – I got a week in bed with a bad cold, but at least I had a home, a warm bed and roof over my head.
I learnt a lot that New Year.
READERS of a recent article of mine may remember that at a recent Prime Minister’s Questions I raised the issue of funding for our Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. The Prime Minister offered a meeting with the relevant Minister – Sam Dixon – and me. This has now taken place and I was pleased to be joined by the senior operational leadership of the Service where we made the case on behalf of Dorset and, in the round, the case for reviewing the formula for the funding of rural services such as Fire & Rescue. The Minister was sympathetic to our argument and case, and she was alert to the increasing pressures placed on the Service locally. Ultimately, it is the decision of the Treasury, so we will await to see both the Budget and Local Government Funding Settlement for glimmers of hope.
Statistically, more accidents occur on rural roads than on motorways. Narrow, twisty lanes and roads, wildlife, farm machinery and so on all play a
part in increasing the rates of accidents. From my postbag, I know this is an issue of concern to many North Dorset residents. The Sentencing Bill is currently before Parliament, and I am pleased to be a signatory to an amendment that would introduce a lifetime driving ban for those found guilty of causing death by dangerous or careless driving. I am currently working on a case where a young constituent was killed in such circumstances and the punishment really did not fit the
crime. I do not know how the Government will respond to this amendment, but I would hope it will support it. I am confident the vast majority of constituents would support it.
The Government is also reviewing the broad issue of road safety. I have lobbied the Transport Secretary to pay particular attention to newly qualified drivers – my eldest daughter will be sitting her test shortly, so I suppose I have a vested interest. Again, too many accidents happen when freshly passed drivers get behind the wheel of a more powerful car than the one they learned to drive on, they can have music playing and passengers. Supervised motorway driving instruction is not mandatory. Given how many young people are involved in avoidable accidents there is real scope to improve the situation, for example, only one passenger for a period of time, a limit to the size of engine, compulsory motorway instruction, to name but three. In the interests of
OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to come together, raise awareness and recognise the difference early action can make.
I recently visited Asda in Yeovil to meet colleagues supporting the supermarket’s long-running Tickled Pink campaign, which raises money for Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!. Since the campaign began in 1996, it has raised more than £100 million to fund research, improve treatments and help people living with breast cancer.
At the Yeovil store, led by Tracy Jackson, staff are working hard to keep that success going — from raffles and bake sales to fancy dress days and awareness stalls. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and it was clear how much this cause means to
everyone involved. What struck me most was how personal this issue is for so many people. Almost all of us know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Campaigns like Tickled Pink remind us how vital early diagnosis and ongoing support are, not just for those directly
general road safety, and particularly protecting our young, I hope the Government takes the opportunity to improve things.
We had an Urgent Question in Parliament recently relating to the ongoing and sorry saga of the corporate failure of Jhoots pharmacy chain. It is a much geographically larger problem than many realise, affecting thousands of people having to find alternative prescription dispensing provision. Moreover, staff have not been paid for months. I have met local health officials to discuss the situation and, while government is alert to the issue – the key one being that the regulations do not cover corporate failure and that there is no provision for terminating a contract under normal contract law. We need a faster pace on this, and I will, by the time you are reading this, have raised the issue on behalf of the residents of Shaftesbury and the surrounding villages at this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions. Watch this space…
affected, but for their families too.
It’s also important to remember that breast cancer can affect anyone, regardless of gender. About 400 men are diagnosed every year in the UK. That’s why checking your chest regularly and knowing the signs is so important. Early detection can save lives.
The Tickled Pink campaign is helping to spread that message far and wide – making chestchecking as normal as your weekly shop. The money raised supports vital research and services that make a real difference to people’s lives.
As Liberal Democrats, we continue to push nationally for faster access to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Too many people are waiting too long for tests, scans and results. We want to see
a guarantee that anyone referred urgently for suspected cancer starts treatment within 62 days — and the investment in NHS staff and equipment to make that possible.
Closer to home, the dedication shown by Yeovil’s Asda team is a shining example of community spirit in action. Every pound raised, every conversation had and every check inspired can make a real difference.
So, this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take a few moments to check yourself, encourage someone else to do the same and support the campaigns that help keep awareness high all year round. Together, we can continue to make progress, save lives and stand with everyone affected by breast cancer.
WE are very lucky in Somerset that we have a huge network of volunteer organisations that help bind our communities together. At a recent local Chamber of Commerce meeting, I was struck by how passionately local business owners and community leaders spoke about the power of volunteering. Their stories reminded me that, particularly in rural areas across the Glastonbury and Somerton constituency, volunteers are so crucial to our communities, keeping projects alive, services running and people connected.
Yet it’s impossible to ignore the growing pressures they face. The third sector – charities, community groups and volunteer-led organisations – is increasingly having to step in where local government funding is no longer available. Here in Somerset, after years of cutbacks and lack of investment by the previous Conservative administration, the council is now forced to operate on budgets stretched to breaking point and many services have
been reduced or removed entirely. It is our volunteers who are stepping up to fill those gaps, often with limited resources but incredible commitment. And it works both ways – for volunteers themselves benefits can be life-transforming. Volunteering brings people together, prevents loneliness, improves mental health and wellbeing, and fosters a deep sense of purpose and belonging. Something particularly vital in rural Somerset, where
opportunities are fewer, public transport is limited and social isolation can be more common. Many people start by giving an hour or two of their time and quickly find themselves inspired to do more – often building transferable skills, which are invaluable for those trying to get into work.
But there are barriers, too. Young people often struggle to find volunteering opportunities because of insurance restrictions or red tape that discourages businesses from engaging.
Organisations like Scouts and Guides are crying out for adult volunteers, yet too few are coming forward to help lead them. Many people who want to give their time find themselves bogged down in bureaucracy, discouraged by the sheer number of hoops they must jump through just to get involved.
Despite these challenges, Somerset remains home to some truly inspiring volunteer organisations. From Wincanton’s Got Your Six,
THE Government continues its impressive record in our area by allocating nothing to it as part of its new Pride in Place Initiative. Under the last Government we did get Future High Streets Funding for the county town.
First the tax on independent schools, forcing one near Warminster to close. Then the tax on jobs, sinking and shrinking local businesses. And now we’re apparently not deserving of any of its Pride in Place booty. Draw your own conclusions about this Government’s attitude to our neck of the woods.
Deputy National Security Adviser, Matthew Collins, sent three witness statements to the Crown Prosecution Service as evidence for the prosecution of two parliamentary aides accused of spying for China. But
Dr Andrew Murrison
according to the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – an office once held by Sir Keir – the statements fell short of the threshold required to prosecute the two men. Why? According to the head of the CPS, because the
supporting veterans, to Eat Cary’s community food bank, and Blackmore Vale Rotary Club, volunteers across the county are quietly transforming lives every day. Our brilliant local libraries are a shining example, including Somerton's, which is volunteer-led and recently highlighted as excellent in a libraries review. The Repair Cafes I’ve been proud to support are further making a huge difference both to people's lives and to the environment. If you’d like to get involved, the Somerset Council website lists local volunteering opportunities. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our volunteers. It’s time for Government to give them greater support and incentivise businesses to play their part, too.
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 on sarah.dyke.mp@parliament.uk
statements failed to describe China as a threat to national security, which is required to prosecute under the Official Secrets Act 1989.
But now we have the statements, Mr Collins in fact does describe China as ‘the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security.’ Yet that still fell short. Why? At time of writing, the CPS chief hasn’t specified.
What is clear is that the Prime Minister knew the case was about to collapse days before it did. Yet he did nothing. Why didn’t he intervene to make sure the CPS had what it needed to prosecute?
And if the PM knew, the National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell – a political appointee – must have known. But the Government insists Mr
Powell was not involved. Nor, apparently, was the AttorneyGeneral, Lord Hermer.
I asked a minister about this on the floor of the House. He confirmed that Mr Collins did not discuss the matter with Mr Powell or with ministers. Seriously?
I’m concerned that the Government deliberately let the case collapse to prevent a major trial that might jeopardise Britain’s trade with China, sacrificing the nation’s security to Chinese economic might. I so hope I’m wrong. For now, the Government’s line is that they were merely following procedure. If that was so, Sir Keir is yet again proving he’s a lawyer, not a leader. If I were Mr Collins, I’d beware of the old adage ‘deputy heads must roll.’
• All Saints Church, Langton Long: The church is offering hot lunches to eat in or take away throughout the winter months – March to November inclusive – on the first and third Friday of the month, noon to 2pm. Donations welcome.
• Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles: First Sunday of each month at 11am.
• Blandford Methodist Church: Sundays – services at 10.45am. Thursdays – coffee and 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.
• Bell Street United Church, Shaftesbury: Sundays –services at 10.30am. Second Sunday of the month, All Age Service. Everyone welcome.
• Blandford Evangelical Church: Sunday – 10am Family Service, including classes for three-18 year olds. Monday Fellowship – weekly, 2.30pm-3.30pm, everyone welcome, term times only.
Tuesday – Footprints, an activities playtime for preschool children, 10am-11.30am and 1.15pm-2.45pm, term times only. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – small groups meet at homes at 7.30pm. The church is in Albert Street. Phone 450689 for more information.
• Broadstone United Reformed Church: Dorset Chamber Choir presents The Tudor Byrd, an introduction to the choral music of the Tudor era on Monday, October 20, 8pm. Admission free, cash donations encouraged.
• 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.
Rendezvous Community Cuppa – third Monday each month, 10.30am-12.30pm; support/ advice from local surgery, speak to a pharmacist, blood pressure checks and Age UK will attend. Profits to Rendezvous.•
• Digby Church Hall, Sherborne: Human rights activist Benedict Rogers will give an illustrated talk on his work in Burma/Myanmar, China and North Korea on Friday, October 24, 10am for 10.30am.
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.
• Lufton Church: Prayer Book services every Sunday at 6pm. Sung Mass on the third Sunday. See www.lufton.co.uk for details.
• Our Lady of Lourdes & Saint Cecilia, Blandford: Sunday, 9am Holy Mass; Monday/ Wednesday/Thursday/ Friday, 9.10am Morning Prayers, 9.30am Holy Mass; Tuesday, 6.10pm Evening Prayers, 6.30pm Holy Mass; Saturday, 9.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament/ Confessions; 5.30pm Vigil Mass of Sunday.
• 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 Quakers: One hour of silent prayer or meditation every Sunday at 10.30am at Raleigh Hall, Digby Road DT9 3NL. Everyone welcome. Contact Nick Jackman at sherbornequakers@ gmail.com
• St Gregory’s, Marnhull: Sunday services 8am and 10am. Other services, visit www. stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk.
• St John’s Church, Enmore Green: Service every Sunday at 11.15am; parish communion on the first Sunday of the month; prayer services every other Sunday.
• St Margaret’s, Margaret Marsh (Shaftesbury Benefice) SP7 0AZ: Alternating first Sundays Mattins and Holy Communion, 11.15am.
• 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 Nicholas, Durweston: Family Communion Service every first Sunday of the month 11am; Evening Service every third Sunday of the month 4pm.
• 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: Sunday, October 26 – 9.30am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Charlton Marshall; 9.30am Morning Worship at St John the Baptist Church, Spetisbury; 11am Communion at All Saints Church, Langton Long; 11am BCP Communion at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary. Friday, October 31 –6pm All Souls service at St John the Baptist Church, Spetisbury. Sunday, November 2 – 10.45am Together Communion at All Saints Church, Langton Long. Coffee and cake – Spetisbury, 10am-11.30am, first and third Monday each month. Coffee and cake – Blandford St Mary, 10am-11.30am, Thursday, November 20. Crafternoons –first Thursday of every month, 2pm-4pm (£3 including refreshments). Coffee stop –Charlton Marshall Parish Centre, 10.30am-12.30pm, Tuesday to Friday.
• West Camel Independent Methodists: All Saints Church, BA22 7QB. Contact: Geoff. mead@yahoo.com or phone 01935 850838.
• Witchampton Church: Third Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
INEVITABLY, having read the missive from correspondent Mr White – New Blackmore Vale, October 10 – my fingers found themselves drawn inevitably to the keyboard.
His points were a repetition of those untruths from the right of politics and good old climate-deniers.
So, in order of appearance:
The UK is responsible for about 1% of climate changing emissions currently, having ‘exported’ our manufacturing offshore over the last 50 years or so – China is the classic example.
China is currently putting in place more sustainable energy production than the rest of the world put together.
We have a responsibility to at least fulfil our responsibility, if not set an example.
Wind farms, solar and marine-sourced energy resources are intermittent –although, locally, if the wind isn’t blowing the chances are that it’s sunny – which is why it is necessary to add battery storage.
When the source and storage are combined, they are substantially simpler and cheaper – and so much safer – than the options of burning things – including uranium.
Obviously, the correspondent hasn’t visited the new power station in Somerset – not yet working – it is not a beautiful sight.
There is no need to import anything, although right through the period of North Sea oil and gas exploitation consumers paid the global rate for burning stuff to get heat and power.
We haven’t scratched the surface – literally – of available areas for turbines and solar – look at your local supermarket roof and remember you can graze sheep around solar panels.
My cottage has solar panels on the roof – they were
manufactured in Spain – I could have bought German panels for similar money.
The shame is that British manufacturing was too slow and investment-shy to get into the game at an early stage.
The temperatures tend to vary as seasons change!
The worry is that the patterns of the climate are changing dramatically across the globe –even in USA, in spite of the cry there that all climate scientists are liars.
Our heating planet has implications for the way we live today – for example, check sales of portable airconditioning units in the UK.
Amazingly, across the planet, changes to the way energy is produced are under way at a staggering pace, much to the upset of those who make trillions of dollars by selling stuff to be burned.
Paul East Shaftesbury
I RECENTLY re-read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
For those who haven’t, it’s a dystopian novel set in the futuristic World State where citizens are genetically engineered and psychologically conditioned from birth into a rigid social caste system to ensure stability and happiness through pleasure and conformity.
All religion, evil and illness has been removed from society, and a drug called ‘soma’ is taken regularly by the population to maintain this happiness.
Reading it made me think about letters in recent issues of the New Blackmore Vale about Dorset’s young people supposedly being more stupid than the rest of the country.
As a young person, I don’t
believe we are inherently stupid here in Dorset, but there’s certainly work to do to help impoverished children in rural areas realise the importance of an education.
The truth is many poorer households simply don’t value books and educational resources.
Many young adults from low socio-economic backgrounds drug deal, shoplift or doom scroll instead of reading Shakespeare, Byron or Keats.
There are, of course exceptions, but I do find it deeply troubling that some younger people are trapped in intellectual poverty and a life of ignorance.
In Brave New World, the lower castes – the Gammas and Epsilons – are conditioned to hate nature, art and books, instead becoming factory workers.
“A love of nature keeps no factories busy.” Although written in 1931, I can see many similarities with workers in contemporary Britain.
The message I want to get across is that no-one is inherently stupid – not even Dorset’s young people!
But disadvantaged young people in rural areas must liberate themselves from their mind-forged manacles.
So, here’s a reminder to go read a book, watch a lecture or visit an art gallery.
In the words of John the Savage: “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”
Elliott Wagner-Hale Via email
ONE is always alert to the reality that some messages are difficult for others to have open
debate over without the rebuttals immediately turning into personal attacks.
Thus it was with ‘The wealth effect on exam results’, New Blackmore Vale, September 26.
In a short book, titled Spurious Correlations, by a Havard educated ex-military intelligence officer in the USA, we learn that there is a 99.5% correlation between comic book sales and computer science doctorates awarded.
Or, perhaps a more racy, 99.7% correlation between the numbers of Chinese language exams taken and the chlamydia rate among males!
Thinktanks indeed do give us pause for thought and I agree there are positive influences between wealth and the success of the offspring, but are the relationships that ‘simple’?
Those who work in the ‘dark arts’ of statistics would have us believe much and belief is where the reality of stark outcomes needs challenging. What really is driving the over 100% exam results success rate difference between one county and another?
Do the pushy mid-afternoon chardonnay-quaffing mums of the leafy stockbroker belt in Surrey, along with their rural cousins, the Hon Lucindas, who live to ride out with the hunt in Rutland, solely propel these startling differences?
Or, do prejudices drive what we want to see and reinforce dogma and ideology that we are expected to accept without question, as we are publicly admonished over in my case, a lack of reading skills and understanding?
If we take the latest initiatives that follow a long line of others that consume vast amounts of cash, and still we have the same issues, then it would hold that with the fantastic wealth of London as
compared to any other city in Europe, we would see just stellar exam results in that metropolis. But we do not. An inconvenient fact.
One of the most respected teachers in the UK, a lady who I would sit and listen to anytime, tells us that it is in part basics that drive better educational attainment – such mundane things as consistency in uniforms, parents playing an active role in their children’s education, setting good examples, that thing many hate called discipline, and, horror of horrors – allowing the most able headteachers to set their own school’s curriculums and adjust it to the varying pupils, rather than being told from on-high by those who are not the coal-face doers of life.
It is all well and good wagging one’s finger in print, taking potshots at the messenger – we simply do not these days have the financial latitude to keep trying new initiatives, having been seduced by the latest Svengali.
There are basics in how we educate in the round the next generation, which spans not only educational attainment levels, which are far too patchy
to say the least, but also the vital role that parenting plays, as far too many who produce young people have fully outsourced their children’s development and future to other agencies.
Mike Madgwick Shaftesbury
Walking the
I’m sorry but I don’t see the attraction
Of perambulating with a canine chum.
A pleasant walk would hold no satisfaction
If I spent it staring at a doggy bum!
To stop at every lamppost, every tree,
And wait around while Fido has a smell,
Detecting other dogs who’ve had a pee
Until he finally has a pee as well
The smelly, muddy coat, the deafening barking,
The fights with other dogs, the chasing rabbits,
The dreaded squat! The hope his needs departing !
Then the dirtiest of of all his dirty habits!
I sometimes wonder who’s the master of who ?
The answer surely lied in asking...
Who picks up the poo?
Martin Hobdell Via email
creativity accessible
THE Somerset Art Works
Online Art Group is seeking donations to continue providing accessible creative health and wellbeing support to people across Somerset and beyond.
Founded in the aftermath of the pandemic, the group provides participants with affordable, online interactive sessions delivered by a range of professional artists.
Taking place in a private Facebook group, participants are invited to follow the live sessions or watch back recordings at a time that suits them best.
The group nurtures a creative community, helping members develop skills, connect with others, build confidence and express themselves.
Wherever participants are, or whatever their day looks like, they have the opportunity to
join a community and engage in creative activities.
One Online Art Group participant said: “I don’t think I can fully vocalise just how invaluable the Online Art Group has been for me.
“It has helped keep me afloat both creatively and on a mental health level.
“I am quite isolated, living on my own and not able to travel very far due to ill health.”
Somerset Art Works is asking for donations to help protect the future of the Online Art Group.
By supporting this project, Somerset Art Works is able to continue providing vital space for creativity, connection and community to people who may otherwise be isolated from these opportunities due to circumstantial limitations.
To donate, visit https:// quietplacesathome.online/ exhibition/
For more information about the group and how to get involved, visit the quietplaces athome.online blog.
Thank you for your support. Kaylee Winchcombe Programme & communications coordinator
Across
1 Angry PC a strangely rash figure (6)
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 Posh pair restricted lecturer in US city excessively (6)
8 Excuse gratification? Not sure (4)
9 Term for a revised change in shape (8)
10 Specialist in style? (8)
11 Sisters entering train unsteadily (4)
12 Strange type like one bishop outwardly offended (3,3)
Down
2 Toll lad suffered taking everything into account? (3,4)
3 Songbird passing over island rubbish (5)
4 For mixing, include rapper that’s upright
5 Golf a brunette played – it’s characteristic great sport? (13)
6 Two notes on system of points in disorder
7 Get to know rule kept by British film director (5)
14 Former politician in film is free (6)
16 A day in Caribbean river valley (4)
18 Mention French director among number in charge retrospectively (8)
20 Sell after comeback bat in sports venue (4,4)
21 First person to study carefully holy image (4)
22 Collect artist by yard in person (6)
23 Extension by worker is still standing (6)
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.
13 Curt lady missing a daughter for a short time (7)
15 He, say, is supporting refusal to face global body (7)
17 Protective covering not right for affair (5)
19 Distort unexpected event (5)
THIS month’s auctions at Acreman St Auctioneers and Valuers, Sherborne, are General Antiques and Collectors on Thursday, October 30, 10am; and Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Friday, October 31, 10am.
Viewing is on Wednesday, October 29, 10am-4pm.
The catalogue and bidding is available online through easyliveauction.com and thesaleroom.com
Among the lots are a collection of snuff boxes and a collection of Maucline ware, and a large collection of novelty lighters.
Acreman holds regular valuation days where prospective sellers can take in items for its specialists to evaluate.
Valuation days, 10am-3pm,
are: Jewellery and Watches, Tuesdays and Saturdays; Silver and Obje’t 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, Mondays and Saturdays; Paintings and Contemporary Art, Mondays and Saturdays.
Anyone who has anything they would like to consign can contact Gill Norman on 01935 508764 or 07908 333577 or email auction@acreman streetantiques.co.uk
Acreman Auctioneers and Valuers at 121 Acreman Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PH is open Monday to Saturday 9am-4pm.
CLARKE’S Auctions in Gillingham is already preparing for its next sale, to be held on Friday and Saturday, November 7 and 8, having just held its two-day October auction.
The last sale saw a Lemaina watch sell for a shade under £2,000, including commission.
It is a ‘Dirty Dozen’ watch, one of a group of 12 commissioned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for British soldiers during the Second World War, which are highly collectable in watch circles.
A charming Iranian Safavid Period pottery cat belonging to a local vendor and bought at a car boot sale fetched £3,400 hammer, and a large Chinese blue and white ginger jar and cover made £1,200 hammer.
Sporting and hunting related items from a well known family
in the farming world saw silver cups and trophies sell for double their estimates or more. First edition books and hunting related prints were fiercely contested and found new homes.
Now Clarke’s is taking entries for its November sale and its three-day Christmas sale being held between Christmas and New Year.
Anyone who has anything they would like to enter or would like advice on can phone them to arrange a no-obligation home visit or a visit to the salerooms in Gillingham.
For probate valuations, insurance valuations or full or part house clearances, phone Richard Clarke or Karen Marshall on 01747 685592 at The Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road, Gillingham SP8 4QF.
DUKE’S Auctioneers once again invites collectors and connoisseurs to its muchanticipated Asian Art sale, a highlight of the autumn calendar.
This curated event showcases an exquisite range of works spanning centuries of craftsmanship from China, Japan, India and beyond.
following the success of previous sales.
Highlights from past years include a Qianlong-period imperial vase that achieved a remarkable £380,000.
From delicate jade carvings and porcelain treasures to fine bronzes and scroll paintings, each piece reflects the enduring artistry of Asia’s cultural heritage.
Duke’s reputation for presenting museum-quality works continues to grow,
gilt Bronze Shiva for sale at Duke’s next month
Currently consigned is a magnificent gilt-bronze Shiva, the Hindu deity of destruction and recreation, estimated at £20,000-£30,000.
The auction on Thursday, November 20, promises new discoveries for seasoned collectors and first-time buyers alike.
Duke’s Asian Art sale, with provenance, rarity and beauty at its core, offers an opportunity to engage with history and to acquire a piece of it.
A LARGE diamond solitaire ring is one of the star lots in Charterhouse’s three-day auction of jewellery, silver, watches, Asian Art and antiques on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, October 29-31.
“The ring is a design classic and really pops in the light,” said Richard Bromell, from the auction house.
“Whether it will be bought as a present to go on a loved one’s finger shortly or as an early Christmas present only time will tell!”
The 18ct gold, platinum and diamond ring, weighing in at about 2.4 carats, was brought into the Charterhouse salerooms in Sherborne on one of its popular specialist valuation and antiques discovery days.
Estimated at £3,000-£4,000, it goes under the auctioneer’s
18ct gold, platinum and diamond solitaire ring for sale at Charterhouse on Thursday, October 30, is estimated at £3,000-£4,000
gavel on Thursday, October 30. Charterhouse is now accepting further entries for its busy programme of specialist auctions with coins, medals and stamps, wine, port and whisky, model trains, cars and dolls and pictures, prints and books.
Richard Bromell and the team at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, are available for valuations on 01935 812277 or via rb@ charterhouse-auction.com
by Sally Gregson
AT this end of the year, gardeners’ thoughts are turning to the next season, and pots of those delightful little irises that flower in early spring. Their flowers bring joy to everyone who sees them when the spring sun shines at any time from January until March. And you don’t need a greenhouse to grow them on, just a few pots and some compost and grit. It is a delightful task to choose which dwarf Iris to use. There are so many different colours from bright purple I. reticulata Pauline with yellow splashes, through mid-blue I. reticulata Harmony, to I. reticulata Frozen Planet in palest creams and white. Label the pot with the chosen variety. Using a shallow container,
by Sally Gregson
VEGETABLE growing can seem quite arcane, and yet vegetables are among the easiest of things to grow. And producing food is an ancient practice that gets easier every year. So much research has been done and so many new varieties of vegetables are now available that it increasingly makes more sense to grow your own. Many gardens boast a vegetable patch tucked away at the end of the lawn, on the other side of the borders, out of sight from the main rooms of the house. And yet, many vegetables are extremely decorative in their own right. Think of the brightly coloured leaves of rainbow chard, or beetroot, or, these days, rainbow carrots. These could all be grown in an ornamental vegetable garden, or a few specimens could be put in
‘cap off’ the drainage holes with a shard of broken pot and put in a layer of grit. Then halffill it with a layer of commercial compost. Space the bulbs evenly around the pot, ensuring they are not touching each other. Fungal disease seems to strike warm, damp bulbs that rub up against their neighbours. Then cover the bulbs and fill the pot almost to the rim with more compost. Tamp down the pot to settle the contents and finish it off with a layer of sharp grit up to the top. Pop in a label with the name and date and water it well with a fine rose on the watering can. Place the pots in a cold greenhouse, if you have one, or in a quiet, sunny spot where they will not go unnoticed if
between other garden plants. After they have all been consumed, the space they occupied could be taken up by late-flowering annuals for the remainder of the year.
Growing a mixture of vegetables and flowers seems to confuse garden pests, too. Aphids seem to target rows of ‘delicious’ beans more easily than if the odd French bean plant has been planted in between the peonies. A commercial vegetable grower consolidates all the cabbages in one field for convenience when it comes to spraying and harvesting the crop. If your family only eats one cabbage at a time, as do we all, why not just grow what you can eat comfortably, rather than rows of fat cabbages all demanding to be eaten at once. The pests will be unable to target them from a distance unlike a whole field of
they need watering. The bulbs are perfectly hardy – they would just prefer not to be drowned. Keep them watered from time to time and move them to somewhere slightly warmer if the weather turns very cold. If we do have a severe winter, they might be happier in a spare bedroom on a cold windowsill, although
provided they are not wet, they would be fine somewhere sunny and warm outside. And in January their pointy noses will emerge through the grit, the flower-buds will swell and the flowers will open on a cold bright day in the middle of winter. They bring cheer like a box of chocolates, but so much better on the waistline.
The brightly coloured leaves of rainbow chard make it an extremely decorative vegetable
the same vegetable. Also, as the gardener, you will know how much and how often, if at all, your vegetables have been sprayed and with which chemical. You will not have to rely on ‘organic’ farmers.
All that exercise planting and sowing, raking and hoeing, weeding and watering will make every gardener much fitter and
healthier. Exercise bikes and running shoes will no longer be necessary. Expensive gyms will be a distant memory. You will be living, eating and exercising your way to fitness and health. This is the first of a series of articles on growing fruit and vegetables to appear fortnightly in the New Blackmore Vale magazine.
DAMP or mould and high crime rates are the biggest put-offs to prospective house purchasers, according to a new survey.
Springbok Properties
surveyed more than 1,000 UK homebuyers to find out what would deter buyers when it comes to the property itself and the surrounding area.
The research found that three-quarters of buyers would walk away from a home completely if it had a major turn-off.
Of the remaining respondents, 17% said they would still make an offer but at a reduced price.
One in five would cut their offer by up to 15%, which on the average UK house price of £269,079 equates to £40,361 less, while a whopping 57%
would reduce their offer by more than 15%.
The top 10 put-offs within a property were:
1 Signs of damp or mould – the most common deal-breaker.
2 Very small rooms or a poor layout – a close second.
3 Lack of natural light – ranked third.
4 Strong odours – such as pets, smoke, or cooking smells.
5 Poorly converted garage or loft – viewed as a liability.
6 Outdated kitchen or bathroom
– costly to modernise.
7 Badly maintained gardens or outdoor space – lowers appeal.
8 Unusual flooring choices – for example, carpet in bathrooms.
9 Taxidermy or unusual collections on display –unsettling for many buyers.
10 Overly themed décor –sports team colours or novelty
Dated bathrooms can be costly to modernise and so can put off prospective buyers
wallpaper.
The top 10 outside put-offs were:
1 High crime rates – the top external turn-off.
2 Noisy neighbours – second most off-putting.
3 Lack of parking or contested street parking.
4 Busy roads and traffic noise.
5 Neighbours with large or aggressive pets.
6 Homes under flight paths or near railway lines.
7 Poorly maintained neighbouring properties.
8 Strong political or religious signage – placards, murals, or banners.
9 Too many short-lets or
Airbnbs on the same street.
10 Excess flying of flags –regardless of which flag it is.
Shepherd Ncube, chief executive of Springbok Properties, said: “Selling a home can be a minefield due to buyer preferences and the chances are your home will boast one, if not more, features that could deter a buyer and make it hard for you to sell.
“While some factors can be addressed with a relatively quick fix, others can pose a far more significant obstacle, requiring time, effort and money to rectify.
“That’s if they are within your control, of course, but unfortunately there are many deterring factors that simply can’t be remedied.
“That’s why it’s vital for sellers to understand how these factors could affect their sale, particularly in a market where buyer demand is muted and homes are taking a very long time to sell – especially at higher price bands.”
TOOLS WANTED. Cash waiting. 01747 416022
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
M & A J
Landscaping
~ Fencing ~ Walling ~ Patios/Steps
~ Concreting/Tarmac ~ Tree work ~ Garden maintenance malcgin@hotmail.com 07399-521377
WANTEDDave buys all types of tools Call 01935 428975
DRYSTONE WALLING AND LANDSCAPING
www.yenstonewalling.co.uk 01963 371123 / 07751 278363
WELL ROTTED HORSE MANURE
£60.00 a transit load. Contact Roger on 07885 826396 or 01202 826502
Stockists of new Alko, Mountfield, Stiga, Weibang and Echo.
Come and see our range of garden machinery including lawn mowers, chainsaws, hedge cutters, battery products and more. Servicing, repairs, and parts for all major brands. www.gillinghamgardenmachinery.co.uk 01747 859564 Unit 1, Brickyard Lane, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4JL
PRECISION FENCING & GATES
• Installation • Repair • Maintenance
Feel free to give us a call on 07355-295534 or email at Precision-fencing@hotmail.com
LANGTON NURSERIES (C W Abbott & Son)
Spring Bulbs, Onion Sets and Garlic now available. Fruit Trees and Ornamental Trees, Perennials & Shrubs, Terracotta pots, Wild Bird food 20kg £14.50, Stockists of Kings, Franchi and Fothergill Budget Seeds, Potting Compost. Open daily 10am– 3 pm. Langton Long Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 9HR. Telephone 01258-452513.
PETER PORT UPHOLSTERY A Local Family Run
Business based in Shaftesbury, Offering a wide range of services including foam cut to size and Re-stuffing of feather cushions. 01747-228384 Peterportupholstery@googlemail.com.
LES BENHAM
Garden Property Maintenance
All Hedge/tree work/rubbish clearance Gravel Driveways/Pressure Washing Patio and Fencing Work
Fully Insured/Free Quotes 01258 458849/07788 907343 lesbenham@yahoo.co.uk / check a trade
JAMES AYRES
DORSET TREE CARE Specialist Tree Workers
All kinds of trees expertly felled, topped and pruned. Hedge cutting. All rubbish cleared. Licensed waste carrier. Fully insured. Tel: 01747 850129 / Mob: 07951 284639
• Fully qualified & insured tree surgeon
• All aspects of tree surgery, hedge cutting & stump grinding
• Competitively priced
• Free no obligation quotes 07851
We carry out all aspects of tree surgery, hedge cutting and stump grinding. Ash dieback specialist. Fully insured and NPTC qualified.
We carry out all aspects of tree surgery, hedge cutting and stump grinding. Ash dieback specialist. Fully insured and NPTC qualified. Call Will today on 01747 854517 or 07872 970741
Tel: 07706417594 / 01747-824484
JACKS AFFORDABLE TREE CARE 07936-498493
HEDGE CUTTING AND LAWN MOWING SERVICES, ShaftesburyBlandford & local villages. Please call Trevor 07970-012130
ASBESTOS REMOVAL
Garages, Sheds, Lean to’s, Roofing and Cladding Collection and Dismantling BY Registered Hazardous Waste Carrier Call 07973 444620 or 01722 414478
MAN WITH MICRO-DIGGER & 1.5TON DIGGER, stump grinder, Garden clearance, patios, fencing, decking, landscaping, driveways 30+ years’ experience
Contact Ken 07882 441873 / 01963 32034
HUSSEY CARPET AND FLOORING, South Street, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4AP
Domestic and Commercial Carpets,Vinyl,Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Laminate and Wood Flooring. Contact Chris Hussey 07885-273470 husseyflooring@gmail.com
WANTED PERSON TO TIDY GARDEN monthly, grass cutting fortnightly in Summer. 01935-813053
EX-DISPLAY SHEDS, Stables/field shelters, summerhouses, offices, workshops, agricultural 01935 891195
HANDYMAN SERVICES
Available. Call Gavin. Tel: 07495-892240
MOTORISED LEAF SWEEPER.£150 01963 250108
WALK BEHIND BRUSHCUTTER and operator hire. Paddock,orchards and neglected area clearance 07432 773151
TREES R US DORSET Hedges, Patios, Turf & Fencing
BLACKMORE VALE LOG SPLITTING AND CHIPPING
- Your local mobile service07760 469411
SEASONED HARDWOOD LOGS
£200 transit load £110 half load 01258-880892 07980-036250
GOOD QUALITY
SEASONED HARDWOOD for sale
Barn-stored Any size of load. If you want anymore help contact Andy 07773-254174
SEASONAL LOGS. Barn dry. Mainly Ash. 20 miles radius of Sherborne. Preferably evenings01935 815534.
LOGS R US Tipper Load £200 Half Tipper Load £100 dumpy bag £90 All hardwood 07790 404593 01258 818081
LOGS FOR SALE transit tipper load £260
Half transit tipper load £160 Dumpy bag £100 (Delivered FREE in and around Sherborne) TEL: 07450-435993 or 07846-345294
A TREE in a garden is often the focal point and so of huge importance. If you’re thinking of planting a tree, this is a great time of year to do it.
A fear for those who only have a small space is that it won’t fit, but a good number of varieties are suitable for such a spot.
In choosing a tree for a small garden, it is important to me that it has multiple features, and it has to look good for a long time during the year.
My list of wants would include flowers, interesting foliage, fruit or berries and interesting bark.
Many trees flower in spring, including the Flowering Mays or Hawthorns.
Whereas a number will have pink or red flowers, or even double pink, my favourite is Crataegus orientalis, which has single white flowers.
It also has silvery foliage and then as the autumn comes round so the fruit begins to colour up into wonderful yellows, oranges and reds.
They remind me of a frosted Christmas decoration as the effect is dramatic and evokes all the warm thoughts of a perfect autumn and winter.
The tree will only
ever grow to about 10 feet, so perfect for the smaller space.
With early clusters of white spring flowers in abundance, the Amelanchier is also useful where space is limited.
Several varieties are available and range from the loose-branched Amelanchier canadenisis to the neat upright Robin Hill.
The flowers appear just before the bronze young leaf growth.
Autumn colours from the foliage are assisted by red fruits.
Some large shrubs also can be useful –particularly those that are upright in growth.
One such is the winter-flowering Viburnum fragrans – also known as Farreri.
This tall slim shrub colours up nicely in the autumn and then, after the leaves have fallen, pink and white flowers appear.
These are highly scented, giving an extra boost to the winter garden.
When planting, give the tree a good start with a large planting hole, plenty of compost and a few spoonfuls of Rootgrow.
A low stake is preferred to allow the tree to move, which will encourage the formation of a good root system.
GATES & RAILINGS FENCING GROUNDWORK
GENERAL WELDING REPAIRS METAL FABRICATION
Local, friendly, family business. CAD drawings available on request. Contact Philip on: 07902 003573 obrienp307@gmail.com
Home extensions | Barn Conversions Cottage Renovations | New Build Homes
Project Management
Established over 40 years
Phone: 07979 210 074 / 01747 855 280
E: andy@sandsltd.biz w: www.sturgessandsturgess.com
Concrete & Floor Screed Mixed On site Any Quantity Delivered
Sand Gravel Stone Cement Blocks etc Supplied Loose or in Big Bags Good Quality Top Soil in Stock Now
Rockery Stone
HANDYMAN, reliable and experienced Call Chris 07413 678076
JOHNSTON BUILDING AND PROPERTY MAINTANCE. Mere 07704-419195
Experienced and reliable Phone Gavin 07766-243762
Handrails.Gates.
Repairs. Restoration. 01258 880301
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.
07770
Trade & DIY. Supplied loose or collected. Small or large loads also bulk bag materials & small handy bags. Muck-away service of inert materials
K.SANSOM CHIMNEY SWEEP Brush & vacuum. APICS registered 01963 370038
STEVE ADAMS CHIMNEY SWEEPING HETAS registered woodburner and flue installer. Birdguards and cowls 07932 655267
CHRIS THE SWEEP
Friendly and fully insured. Evening and weekend appointments available. 07725-112160
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
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PHILIP STIRK Painting, Decorating & Property Maintenance
Free Quotations/No VAT Tel. 01747 825725 or mob: 07984 524446
Email: philipstirk@ btinternet.com
& M PAINTING & DECORATING. 30 years experience. Fully insured, clean & tidy. References available. FREE no obligation quote. Tel: 07921-783296 / 01305-849380
GARETH TANNER
G.O.T. DECORATING
City and Guilds qualified Interior/exterior Decorating Free Quotes no VAT Tel 07736644452 go.tanner93@gmail.com
and wall-paper specialist. Also handyman. 35years experience. Free quotes. 07773-459168. paul.west945@gmail.com
COUNTRY CARPENTRY Doors, repairs, general maintenance etc Call Nick on 07887 358570
ASPECTS OF CARPENTRY AND ROOFING. Including leadwork, NO VAT. Tel: 07852-201867
PAUL SPILLER PAINTER & DECORATOR, Interior & Exterior. Est. 1984. 01258-471037. 07903-069556.
and Carpentry Decorating services
and
Congratulations mum and dad on your 60th wedding anniversary on the 23rd October 25.
Love from all the family xx
28th October 2025.
Happy 90th Mum. Love Tracey and Simon xx
JETS HAULAGE LTD of 16 Longcross, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8QP is applying for a licence to use Virginia Hayward Logistics, Henstridge Airfield, Camp Road, Henstridge Marsh, Templecombe, BA8 0TN as an operating centre for 1 goods vehicle and 1 trailer. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre 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 at www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-guide to makingrepresentations-objections-and-complaints goods vehicleoperator-licensing
ROGER THOMAS FOSTER, trading as RT Foster Ltd of Foxfield, Verrington Lane, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8BN. is applying for a licence to use Unit 1, Hopkins Court, Bennets Field Trading Estate, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 9TD as an operating centre for 10 goods vehicles and 0 trailer. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre 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
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 3 The Butts, Child Okeford, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8ER, who died on 01/10/2025, must send written details to the address below by 29/12/2025, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified
Michael Fitzgerald c/o Clarke Willmott LLP, Blackbrook Gate, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, TA1 2PG Ref: 476413 00001
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of West Abbey, Stourton Way, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 3UA; Newstone House, Stourcastle, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1FF; 5 Fippenny Hollow, Okeford Fitzpaine, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0SD, who died on 25/12/2024, must send written particulars to the address below by 29/12/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified
Sue Edwards c/o Blanchards Bailey LLP, Bunbury House, Stour Park, Blandford Forum, DT11 9LQ Ref: STE/MAT0244/0001
Notice is given that Dannie Braithwaite has applied to Dorset Council for a new premises licence under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 in respect of Braithwaites Board and Box, 2 Franwill Industrial Estate, Down Road, Pimperne, DT11 8UP for provision of alcohol generally between the hours of 1400 to 2200 hours, Monday to Saturday and 1200 to 2200 on Sunday. Any interested party or responsible authority may make representations by e-mailing: licensing@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or writing to, Licensing, Dorset Council, County Hall, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XJ within 28 days from the date of this notice. The licensing register and details of this application may be inspected by contacting the licensing Section during normal office hours. It is an offence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application, the maximum fine on summary conviction is unlimited. DATE: 10 October 2025
The family wish to thank everyone for their kind messages and for donations gratefully received by Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance.
Thanks also to Ian Merefield for helping us through a very difficult time.
Peacefully on 8/10/25 Jean Mary Coward, beloved mother of Rosemary, Sally and Frances. Passed away aged 93 years old. Funeral service is to take place at The United Reformed Church, Mere on Tuesday 4th November at 12 midday. Family flowers only please. Any donations can be made to the NSPCC in her memory All enquiries to LC Hill and son. 01747 897 583
Aged 86 years of Wincanton. On 13th October 2025, Peacefully at Yeovil District Hospital. A dearly beloved Mother, Mother-in-Law, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt and Friend. Thanksgiving Service at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Wincanton, on Wednesday 5th November at 2pm. Family flowers only please. Donation in memory of Gillian are being invited for Somerset Sight or The British Heart Foundation. C/o Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22-7ES, Tel: 01963 440367
Aged 80 of Weymouth (formerly Blandford, Bere Regis & Charlton Marshall). Sadly Passed away on Friday 10 October 2025 in the Dorset County Hospital. Much loved wife to Fred; Mum to Kevin & Sarah and Nan to Adam, Liam, Ben, Heidi & Finley. Farewell & Celebration of Life Service at Weymouth Crematorium. Tuesday 4 November 2025 @ 1:45pm All welcome; No Flowers; Donation to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance
Peacefully on 5th October 2025 in Yeovil District Hospital, aged 77 years, of Templecombe. Precious wife of Sam. Beloved Mum of Steven, Simon and Samantha. Dearly loved Nan, Great Nan, Sister, Aunty and Sister-in-law. Funeral service at Yeovil Crematorium on Thursday, 30th October at 1.20pm. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired, in memory of Gill for St. Margaret’s Hospice can be made online at peterjacksonfuneralservices.co.uk Cheques made payable to the charity may be sent: C/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, The Old Reading Room, Shaftesbury Road, Henstridge, BA8 0PP. Tel: 01963 362570
sadly passed away on Saturday 11th October at home. Ronald will be missed by his friends and family. Funeral to take place on 12th November at 11am in Salisbury Crematorium. All welcome afterwards at the Brewery Tap, Hall and Woodhouse, Blandford.
Died peacefully on 25th September, aged 85. Beloved husband of Jo, brother of the late Sal, loving father of Charlie, Annabel and Simon and grandfather of Evelyn, Edward, Arthur and Beatrice. Private family funeral. Thanksgiving Service at Sherborne Abbey on Friday 14th November at 1.00pm
Died peacefully at the Malthouse, Gillingham on 11th October 2025, aged 97. Wife of the late Dr Kenneth Fawcett and much loved Mother to Hilary, Neil, Graham and Claire. Also, cherished Grandmother and Great Grandmother. There will be a private cremation for the Family. Donations in her memory in aid of Dorset Air Ambulance may be made to Bracher Brothers, Gillingham
Aged 88 years of Dimmer. On 3rd October 2025. Peacefully at his home. A much loved husband of Margaret, dearest dad to Mureen and Nigel, father-in-Law to Sim. Treasured grandad to Megan and Katie. Funeral Service at All Saint’s Church, Castle Cary on Thursday 30th October at 2pm. Followed by private interment in the cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations in memory of Tony are being invited for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance or The British Heart Foundation. C/o Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES, Tel: 01963 440367
Of Gillingham. Aged 77 years. Unexpectedly passed away on 30th September 2025. A beloved Brother, Uncle, Great Uncle and Cousin. Funeral Service to take place at Yeovil Crematorium on Monday 27th October 2025 at 11.20am. Donations in memory of Darryll are invited for Cancer Research UK, c/o Bracher Brothers Funeral Directors, Newell, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4EZ, Tel 01935 813479
Died aged 67 on Saturday 11th October. Beloved husband of Fiona and father of Hector, William and Olivia. There will be a private family funeral. A memorial service will be held at Ranston on Friday 21st November at 1.30pm
Aged 89 years, Died peacefully on 10th October 2025. Dearly loved Husband to Mary and Father of Nigel, Catherine, Clare and Rachael and Grandfather of 8. Funeral to be held in St Nicholas Church, Sandford Orcas on Friday 31st October at noon. All enquiries to Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22-7ES. Tel: 01963 440367
Rodney Michael Dixon
Passed Away Peacefully at The Mellowes Care Home in Gillingham. On 24th September 2025, Aged 80 years. Beloved Husband to Sandra, A Loving Father and Grandad He will be Sadly Missed by All That knew Him The Funeral Service took place on Tuesday 21st October At Yeovil Crematorium
Donations if Desired can be sent directly to Prostate Cancer UK
Barbara Doreen Esther White
Peacefully on 7th October 2025. Barbara aged 92 years, formerly of East Stour. Dearly loved Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. Funeral Service at Yeovil Crematorium on Tuesday 4th November at 12.40pm. Donations in Barbara’s memory are invited for The RNLI. C/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Harwood House, Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4QJ
Peacefully on 3rd October 2025 at home, aged 83 years. Much loved husband of Margaret, father to Hannah and Tim, and grandad to Maisie, Eddie, Annabelle, and Hudson. He will be dearly missed. Funeral Service to be held at St Mary’s Church, Puddletown on Monday, 27th October at 12 noon. No black clothing please. Family flowers only. Donations in memory of Leonard can be made to ‘PCC Puddletown’ (for the benefit of St Mary’s Church, Puddletown), or ‘The Friends of Puddletown Library’, online at www.grassby-funeral.co.uk or cheques can be made payable to the charity and sent c/o Grassby Funeral Service, 8 Princes Street, Dorchester, DT1 1TW.
Litton
Barbara Anne.
Finally at peace. Died aged 97 on 3 October 2025. Previously of Sturminster Newton and Marnhull. A courageous person who will always be remembered with love by her family and friends. Funeral service Test Valley Crematorium 12pm on 7 November. Family flowers only but donations, if required to Dementia UK c/o RC Payne, Bitterne Road East, Southampton, SO185EQ
Jane Collins (Formerly Smith, nee: Gray)
Died peacefully on the 16 October 2025 aged 75. Loving wife, mum, grandma and sister, deeply loved and greatly missed by all her family and friends. Funeral service to be held at 3 pm on Friday 7th November 2025 at Salisbury Crematorium. Family flowers only with donations in Jane’s memory to Young Lives vs Cancer and Cancer Research UK c/o I Newman Ltd, Funeral Directors, 55 Winchester Street, Salisbury, 01722 413136
On 11th October 2025, peacefully, in St Denis Lodge Nursing Home, aged 100 years. Of Shaftesbury. Much loved Mum, Granny, Great Granny and Teacher of many. A Celebration of Dorothy’s life takes place at Bell Street United Church on Monday 3rd November at 2.00pm. A splash of colour would be appreciated. Donations in her memory for Julia’s House may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent c/o Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532
COLIN J. CLOSE
COLIN J. CLOSE
Peel Close, BLANDFORD FORUM Tel: 01258 453133 www.close-funeral.co.uk
Peel Close, BLANDFORD FORUM Tel: 01258 453133 www.close-funeral.co.uk
GRASSBY & CLOSE
GRASSBY & CLOSE
Innes Ct, STURMINSTER NEWTON Tel: 01258 471024 www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk
Innes Ct, STURMINSTER NEWTON Tel: 01258 471024 www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk
GRASSBY
GRASSBY
27a High Street, SHAFTESBURY Tel: 01747 440815 www.grassbyshaftesbury-funeral.co.uk
27a High Street, SHAFTESBURY Tel: 01747 440815 www.grassbyshaftesbury-funeral.co.uk
When your family suffers the loss of a loved one, we are here to support, guide and reassure youevery step of the way
Please call Teresa or Daniel for an appointment
100 Lenthay Road, Sherborne DT9 6AG
Email: info@wsbrister.com 01935 812647
Woodside Court, Woodside Dairy Yard, Sparkford BA22 7LH
Email: info@wsbrister.com 01963 850165
www.wsbrister.com
• Unattended funerals starting from £995
• Tailored and unique Attended Funerals
• Tailored and unique Attended Funerals
• Prepaid funeral plans also available
• Prepaid funeral plans also available
•
Sherborne DT9 4EZ Tel: 01935 813479 • Unattended funerals starting from £995
Gillingham SP8 4QL Tel: 01747 822494
Gillingham SP8 4QL Tel: 01747 822494
Sherborne DT9 4EZ Tel: 01935 813479
CHEERFUL CARER/PA for Monday evenings, and occasional weekend help Tisbury
KAVANAGH ROOFING
LTD, 7.5 Tonne delivery driver required, Please contact Lisa@kavanaghroofing.co.uk for further details
EXPERIENCED TRACTOR DRIVER/STOCKMAN required, on busy dairy farm near Shaftesbury. To include yard work and a range of field work. Tel: 07970-925507
WINCANTON UNITED CHARITIES
Clerk to the Trustees required part-time, starting March 2026
Clerical & Administrative duties
For more information & job description please Tel: 01963 33160
DAILY CLEANER –LARGE PRIVATE RESIDENCE, Seeking a reliable, experienced cleaner for daily household upkeep. Duties include cleaning, laundry, and occasional deep cleaning. Must be discreet, trustworthy, and detail-oriented. Competitive pay and long-term stability offered. Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm – ad hoc additional hours/ weekends are available. Exact hours and days are open to discussion. Self-employed basis. Location: East Knoyle. Send CV and references to chrissieopenshaw@ outlook.com
An enthusiastic Sunday groom is required to join an existing team on a private yard in West Dorset. You will be required to work every Sunday from the middle of October until the middle of March to cover the hunt season.
You will be required to work 5 hours per day on a split shift of 3 hours in the morning and 2 hour in the afternoon. Duties will include mucking out stables, turning out, bringing in, feeding, hay and water. Good rate of pay. Over 18’s only.
Please send CV with a covering letter highlighting all experience via email to estateoffice@ilchester-estates.co.uk or call Lee on 07974 428669 for further details.
CARER SEEKING WORK, NVQ 3 trained, 30 years experience Sherborne area, CALL 07753-301530
MATURE LIVE-IN CARER/companion/cook/driver available. Part-time considered. Long Term. Tel: 07867-978558
NVQ3 CARER AVAILABLE for days and nights. 20 years experience. All aspects of care covered. Excellent references. Blandford forum and surrounding villages. Please call 07384-273853
PRIVATE HOME CARER
I offer a Professional Service, over 20 years experience. DBS checked, fully insured. I work in Yeovil/Sherborne area. Tel: 07565 915736
A NEW business initiative has been launched in Dorset to help independent businesses thrive on the high street.
Dorset Chamber is delivering the Supporting our High Streets Business Growth programme.
It is open to all independent retailers, shop owners, leisure and hospitality businesses, those in tourism and the visitor economy and other town centre businesses in the Dorset and BCP councils’ areas.
The free, online programme includes a self-assessment ‘health check’ to benchmark business strengths and identify areas for improvement; insights from industry specialists and successful retailers; practical resources and nine workshops.
All sessions are from 6pm to 8pm to avoid clashing with opening hours.
Dorset Chamber chief executive, Ian Girling, said: “Independent retailers, leisure and hospitality businesses are the heartbeat of Dorset’s high streets.
“Rising costs, online competition and changing
n Business Health Check –October 15
n Effective Merchandising and Window Displays – October 21
n Marketing: Strategies for Independent Retailers –November 4
n Business Planning –November 5
n Essential Finance Management Skills – January 22
n Digital Essentials for Small Businesses – January 29
n Excellence in Sales and Customer Service – February 5
n HR Legislation Update – February 26
n Legal Compliance and Security – March 5
n Developing Talent –Mentoring and Coaching –March 19
customer expectations are among the well-documented issues making it tough for businesses to stay strong and profitable.
“This new programme will equip them with vital tools and knowledge to stay competitive, strengthen their operations, improve their skills, boost sales, drive growth and unlock new opportunities.
“We urge those on the high street to seize this valuable
opportunity to capitalise on some of the best support and advice available from experts in their field, so they can not only survive but thrive, grow and future proof their businesses.”
Dorset Chamber is delivering the programme for Business Growth Dorset, which is managed by Dorset Council with core funding from the Department for Business & Trade.
The sessions are:
Attendees must be registered for the programme to be able to attend any of the sessions. Business Improvement District (BID) managers and stakeholders can join in. Among the speakers sharing their insights and experience will be Jeannette Walsh, owner of the successful and well established Truly Scrumptious sweet shop on Poole High Street.
Visit https://dorsetchamber. co.uk/supporting-our-highstreets-business-growthprogramme-2025/ to register.
NORTH Dorset will take centre stage next month as Hinton Workspace marks its first anniversary with the launch of the Dorset Business Expo.
The day of networking, talks and collaboration is designed to showcase the county’s thriving business community.
Hinton Workspace, in Hinton St Mary, just outside Sturminster Newton, was built on the belief that rural Dorset deserves a seat at the table when it comes to commerce and creativity.
“Naturally, the hub for commerce in our county has been centred around the BCP area,” said Alice Fox-Pitt,
founder of Hinton Workspace.
“But the essence of Hinton was always to champion North Dorset — to make sure this part of the county has a voice and is part of the wider Dorset conversation.
“The Expo is a great opportunity to celebrate the businesses driving that change.”
The Dorset Business Expo is on Wednesday, November 12,
Hinton
Workspace, in Hinton St Mary, just outside Sturminster Newton
from 9am-2pm and is free to attend.
The event includes a networking breakfast, a Lunch and Learn hosted by Alice Fox-Pitt with a panel of Dorset’s leading business voices, and two themed rooms – Business Growth and Wellbeing in Business – packed with talks, stands and opportunities to connect.
Exhibition stands are open to all local businesses, with affordable pricing designed to make participation accessible and inclusive.
“The Expo is really an elevated version of everyday life at Hinton,” added Fox-Pitt.
“It’s about connection, conversation and collaboration. The person you sit next to might influence your next deal, open a door or just offer the kind of advice that sparks action.
“This is about giving Dorset’s business community the chance to grow together.”
Hinton Workspace’s first year has seen it evolve into a hub for local enterprise.
by Susanna Curtin
A BORDER is a complex and fascinating concept. It can be a philosophical, cultural or geographical dividing line that separates one thing or place from another. Today I have crossed the border into Wiltshire to visit a Wildlife Trust nature reserve. Once gravel pits, it is now a network of lakes and wetland habitats adjoined to a nearby river and is a perfect serene and tranquil spot to while away some hours and enjoy the abundance of waterbirds and woodland favourites. Although the UK is a relatively small land mass in the North Atlantic, it is surprising just how diverse it is and even the difference between bordering counties, and countries, within it. Where Dorset ends and Wiltshire begins might only be a fine line on the map, but it is not long before the cosy, undulating fields of North Dorset become the wide, sweeping landscapes, big skies and extensive farmlands so indicative of Wiltshire.
Wildlife is drawn to habitats and resources and know not the
geographical boundaries that we have created. Spending time at Minsmere, I distinctly recall a moment when I watched a Canada goose take off from the nature reserve, fly over my head, and then just beyond the fenced edge of the RSPB, I watched in dismay as it folded and tumbled to the ground having been shot by a gamekeeper or landowner. Protected and revered in one place, but not in another. The borders that nature itself creates are often more nuanced and blurred like the demarcation of foothills into mountains, or the shift of water from an estuary into an ocean. These are often referred to as interactive ‘zones of change’ which, like our coastlines and meandering rivers, are more fluid and dynamic. They are usually places of high biodiversity and can be sensitive to environmental or climatic change. I recall one of my many memorable experiences in Costa Rica where the path in Cahuita National Park took me along an ‘ecotone’ – that is a transitional line between two habitats. I had
the beautiful coastal fringe of the Caribbean Sea to my left and the lowland rainforest on my right. There were different species on either side of me, and then a few unique ones that resided along an in-between space, such as the small but deadly hog-nosed pit and yellow eyelash vipers that curled up on low branches or in the vegetation that lined the edges of the sandy path.
But here, now, on this bright sunny day, my eyes are fixed on the fringes of the waterside. Apart from the hundreds of Canada Geese that have recently flown in, there are Cetti’s warblers, a kingfisher and my first snipe of the autumn – four of them, so beautifully camouflaged against the stones that line the water’s edge and the reeds, I barely spot them. There are also tufted ducks, greatcrested grebes and gadwall. But
the highlight, for me, are the small flock of green sandpipers, six of them, lined up on the far side of the scrape.
These medium-sized, elegant birds are passage migrants and winter visitors to the UK, arriving at this time of year from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Russia. The margins of inland, flooded gravel pits such as this are their favourite habitat. Easily identifiable, they have a spotty dark, blackish-brown or green back and a sparkling white belly and rump, with white-rimmed, black eyes and a long dark beak. I particularly love the way they bob up and down, a behaviour known as ‘teetering’. I have never seen a group of them before, which makes me think they have only just arrived here, as usually they are very shy, solitary birds.
Leaving the green sandpipers in peace to settle into their new home for the winter, I make my way to the other hides. I cannot believe how quickly the year is going by. When I last visited this reserve, the hobbies had just arrived and were circling above the lakes in search of large insects. Now these wonderful falcons have long gone, leaving us for sub-Saharan Africa, and our winter migrants have taken their place.
n Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com).
by Fiona Chapman
WE have recently had a couple of weeks in France, driving down to meet my daughter and husband who are having a European sabbatical. We were in The Lot and it is the cepes season.
My husband was determined to buy some and had great fun looking up recipes. We were told about a cepes market locally, but when we got there, no cepes. Not to be deterred, my hisband found an old man at the end of the market who had brought his table along and joined in the market selling mirabelle plumbs
and some – rather suspect – I thought, red and brown mushrooms called russets.
After asking the man about them in our appalling French, he proceeded to point at the red ones – which made me feel very nervous. We nodded and grinned enthusiastically, not understanding a word, but eventually bought the mushrooms.
I am extremely wary of mushrooms and toadstools and was convinced, despite looking them up, that they were going to make us extremely ill. My husband determinedly chopped
them up and arranged the food for his recipe, and we ate them all and enjoyed some gritty, slightly watery, but quite nice-tasting mushrooms, and lived to tell the tale.
Now we are home, and there are fungi all over the place. I do pick wild field mushrooms, making sure they peel, but will not touch anything else. Mushrooms are, however, incredibly good for us, for the planet, for communication between trees and plants, and, apparently, some fungi that will even eat plastic.
We use a lot of medicinal
mushrooms in herbal medicine, and it is something I would like to study further. Ganoderma, cordyceps and lion’s mane are some of the more standard ones and they help with ageing, sleep, the cardiovascular system, memory, the immune system and supporting major organs like the kidneys and liver.
Just eating mushrooms is good for us. Shitake, oyster mushrooms, chestnut and field mushrooms, all have components good for the body.
n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist (email Pellyfiona@gmail.com).
by Kay Parkinson
WE inherit more than just our physical appearance or a favourite recipe. The ways we cope with challenges, love others and respond to life are often legacies passed down through generations. However, not all of these legacies should be carried forward indefinitely.
Some of this inheritance is easy to identify, such as the colour of our eyes, a laugh that resembles a parent’s or a recipe for a Sunday roast that is always a hit. Others are harder to recognise, yet they have a much deeper impact. These are the patterns of coping, reacting and relating that subtly shape how we navigate our lives.
Some of these patterns are
gifts. A grandmother’s humour can brighten even the heaviest days, a parent’s work ethic can carry us through thick and thin, and a family tradition of always making space for one more at the table can foster connection. These legacies provide us with strength, a sense of belonging and a reminder that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
However, not everything we inherit is easy to bear. We may find ourselves burdened by unspoken rules regarding which emotions are acceptable or unacceptable, fears that we have never thought to question or habits of self-sacrifice that leave little room for our own needs. Sometimes, these inherited
aspects are so deeply woven into our identities that we may not even realise they are not originally our own.
I once heard someone say: “I’m living my mother’s life, not mine.” They said it quietly, but the words landed heavily. In that moment, they realised how their choices, in work, love and life, had been shaped by a script they never chose to write.
Carl Jung wrote: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.” These patterns can run in the background for years, and we can only change them once we become aware of their existence.
Maya Angelou put it simply: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Awareness is the first step. Real change occurs when we use that awareness to choose a different path. Noticing emotional inheritance is not about blaming anyone. It is
about understanding what shaped those before us and deciding for ourselves what to carry forward and what to put down.
You might ask yourself: Which patterns feel true to me?
Which ones keep me small or worn out?
What would I like to create for those who come after me?
Breaking a family cycle can be uncomfortable. However, choosing your own path can be a way to honour your individuality and create a new legacy. Both you and the generations before you. Sometimes the most loving act is to put down what no longer belongs to you and make space for the things that truly do. n Kay Parkinson is a therapist specialising in trauma, emotional neglect and the impact of shame on identity and self-worth. Kay’s work focuses on transforming shame through the lens of authentic honour. Visit: www.placetotalktherapies. co.uk.
STUDENT life is a fun and exciting time for young adults, but it often presents unique food safety hurdles that can put health at risk.
Driven by financial pressures, more than one in three students access food from bins or waste areas of supermarkets and shops, while nearly half experience food insecurity – significantly higher than the national average of 18% for adults.
These pressures, combined with living conditions where students typically have just one fridge shelf each, make it even more crucial to follow proper food safety practices.
Narriman Looch, head of Foodborne Disease Control at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: “Moving away from home into shared accommodation comes with new food safety challenges that can sometimes feel outside of your control, from tight budgets
to limited storage space. But there are simple steps that can help keep you and your housemates safe.
“Keep your shared fridge between 0-5°C, store ready-toeat food away from raw meat and check use-by dates regularly. Wash shared sponges and cloths frequently and always wash your hands with soap and water before and after touching your phone while cooking to avoid cross-contamination.
“Cook food properly and according to the packaging instructions. When reheating leftovers, make sure food is
Students are being warned about how they store and handle food in the kitchen
steaming hot throughout, rather than warmed, as the high temperature will kill any bacteria that may be present.
“More tips can be found on the FSA’s dedicated student guide to food hygiene safety page, as part of a campaign focused on food hygiene in the kitchen.”
Dr Gauri Godbole, deputy director, Gastrointestinal Infections at UK Health Security Agency, said: “Starting university and living away from home is an exciting milestone, but it can also bring new food safety challenges. Taking simple
steps can reduce the risk of getting foodborne infections. Storing and cooking food properly, avoiding crosscontamination, which happens when bacteria pass from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods, and washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially after using the toilet or handling raw meat, can all help prevent infections.
“If you do experience mild food poisoning, make sure you stay hydrated. If symptoms are more severe, such as continuous fever, severe dehydration, or diarrhoea lasting more than 72 hours, seek medical advice. Anyone with diarrhoea or vomiting should avoid preparing food for others until they have recovered and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. By taking these precautions, students can protect themselves and their friends while making the most of their university experience.”
ANNIE Austin’s kale and chickpea coconut soup is a warming, iron-rich, spicy and easy-to-make treat for a cold autumn evening.
Kale and chickpea coconut soup
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch piece of ginger, grated 1-2 tablespoons of oil (for example, coconut or olive oil)
1 bunch of kale, chopped
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can of coconut milk
4 cups vegetable broth
1-2 teaspoons chili flakes or fresh chili (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon turmeric
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper
Instructions
1 In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and lots of black pepper. Sauté until fragrant and translucent.
2 Add the chopped kale and cook for a couple of minutes until it wilts.
3 Add the chickpeas, coconut milk and vegetable broth. Stir well to combine.
4 Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the flavours meld together.
5 Season with chili flakes and salt to taste.
Concierge Somerset Roadtrip. (Email
REAL ale group West Dorset CAMRA has announced the Thimble Inn, Piddlehinton, as its 2025 Beer Drinkers’ Pub of the Year award given to the pub that consistently serves the best cask conditioned real ale.
Campaign for Real Ale members judge pubs throughout the year through a national beer scoring system via the CAMRA website Whatpub?
Every month the scores are presented at CAMRA branch meetings and over the past year the Thimble Inn has stood out as consistently good.
Licensee, Emma-Jayne Trawicki, said: “We are incredibly grateful to have been chosen as CAMRA’s Beer Drinkers’ Pub of the Year. Our team work tirelessly to make The Thimble a welcoming environment where everyone can come and enjoy a good pint.
It is fantastic that we have been recognised by CAMRA for this.”
The award was announced in conjunction with the launch of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2026 and national Cask Ale week.
West Dorset CAMRA spokesperson, Rich Gabe, said: “Overall beer quality in West Dorset is getting consistently better year by year and this award is a reflection of the good cellarmanship at the Thimble Inn.
“This is only the second year we have presented this award and there was a lot of strong competition. Well done to Emma-Jayne and her fantastic team.”
Other pubs in West Dorset to make the 2026 Good Beer Guide include Pursuit of Hoppiness, Ropemakers, Tiger Inn and The
Woodman in Bridport, and the Rock Point in Lyme Regis.
Dorchester has The Bakers Arms, Copper St Brewery Tap and Tom Browns and there’s guide regular The Digby Tap in Sherborne.
Weymouth has The Doghouse Micro and The Dolphin Hotel with The George Inn, Portland.
The Fox Inn at Corscombe, and Winyards Gap Inn, Chedington, heading towards the Crewkerne/Somerset border,
and The Three Horseshoes at Burton Bradstock, along the Weymouth to Bridport coast road, also feature.
Last year’s winner, The Sailor’s Return at Chaldon Herring, keeps its place in the guide for selling excellent consistent beer.
The CAMRA Good Beer Guide is the only guide that promotes pubs on beer quality alone – publicans cannot pay to be included in the publication.
5 DRAWER FREEZER. almost new . £50. Tel: 07770-536656
10x6 GARDEN SHED. Good condition. Dismantled. £100 OVNO. 07803-177164.
TRADITIONAL PURBECK
ROOFING STONE tiles for sale. Price to be agreed about 15 sq m, available in Henstridge. buyer collects Tel 01963 362425 to arrange
TRAILER FOR SALE, Halfords medium size new tubes in tyres ,good condition. £120. Tel 07855-451398
SEA FISHING GEAR, New/ unused, IMAX beach fishing shelter, £75. Shimano 14ft high bred fixed ball beach rod. £75. New/unused, boxed Shimano 14000 XC Fixed Ball reel. £60. Tel: 07907-044084 (after 4.30pm)
PALLETS FREE to collect. Blandford. Tel: 01258880892 / 07980-036250
A SET OF 13 PAPER BACKS by Colin Dexter. Inspector Morse Mysteries. plus 2 others, £10. Tel: 01935-507375
SMALL PINE FIRE SURROUND. Plain, Victorian, stripped, needs paint or wood treatment. £15. plevap500@gmail.com
TWO LENGTHS OF FABULOUS QUALITY (Yorkshire mill) wool crepe fabric, taupe and beige. Each plenty for a women’s trouser suit. £20. plevap500@gmail.com
NEW 50MM BALL
HITCH,Drop plates and spares lots of nuts and bolts.£20-00.phone 01935 475451
CANON MD101 mini digital camcorder VGC .Box, instructions, cassettes.£40 Tel 01747- 838574
THE HOUSE OF PUZZLES LTD, 1000 piece Jigsaw Puzzle, The Potting Shed by Tracy Hall – dated 2014, 483 x 686 cm, 19x27 in, As new, £6.50, 01258 456400
METAL FRAME, wooden top tables. 6ftx2ft6 £10 each Tel :07918-627092
STANDARD INTERNAL WHITE door, 15 panes of glass. £10. Tel: 07791-847767
PORTA-PED adjustable foot rest/stool for travelling reflexologists etc, £10 Tel 07745-179632
PVC GREEN HEXAGON galvanised wire ,still in packaging.25 mmx 600mmx25 m long. £15 Sparkford 07951-132253
7 HAYNES CLASSIC CAR workshop manuals. £50. Tel: 01747-822014
GUEST BEDS SET 2 nearly new mattresses in Birchwood £50 ono buyer collects Tel 07531-561966
QUALITY OF LeMax CHRISTMAS light up houses, hotels, trees, figures etc. £40 the lot. Space needed. Tel 01935 814404. Sherborne
OLD PORTABLE SINGER
Sewing Machine, in wooden case. £20. Tel: 0733-641242
VINTAGE DRESSING
TABLE, mirrors, 4drawers, on casters. £35. Tel: 07886-538350
BOX OF SKIING ACCESSORIES. Goggles, gloves, hats etc. male/ female. £40. Tel: 01963-440455.
IKEA CORNER UNIT, folding single sofa bed, charcoal grey, as new, £50. Tel: 01963-220538
BOSCH 600 under-counter fridge. Buyer collects. £40 ono. Tel: 07354-825081
MINKY 12mtr HEATED CLOTHES airer. Brand new. £10. 5ft pine computer double desk. £40. Tel: 07770-536656
36” PANASONIC FLAT screen TV. Perfect working order. email. pauldryden@ btinternet.com . £50.
LOVELY GTech VACUUM cleaner,perfect con. £5001747-822422
PRESTINOX SLIDE
PROJECTOR, Photo Projection Screen + accessories. VGC, Offers invited. Blandford. Call 07767-622159
AIWA XT003FM Tuner, with FM aerial. four elements. VGC. £15. Tel: 07963-319751 (Gillingham)
EPSON PRINTER, 2830 good condition, bargain £20. Tel 07756-932836
CALOR GAS 6kg Propane Gas refill (full) No longer needed. £30. 07858 263179 Blandford
ADBLUE 2 x 10ltrs. Unopened. Brand new. Surplus to requirements. £10, 07874 266213, Blandford
WHITE MEDEQUIP COMMODE. Barely used. £15. BA8. Tel: 07969-817815
FREE TO A GOOD HOME. 2 Ryobi electric garden shredder. Spares or repairs. Tel: 07950-450824
SOLID LIGHT OAK COFFEE TABLE from Oak Furnitureland in excellent condition. W110cm x D60cm x H40cm. £30.00. Tel 07786 495842
WALL MOUNTED PAN RACK. Ideal over Aga/ Range cooker. Steel. Black. L90mm H30mm D30mm. £45. Sherborne 07906 102490
CURTAINS (3 pairs). Laura Ashley type. Floral/ Lined. Suitable for openings W224xDrop210mm. W112xDrop210mm. W50xDrop140mm. £30 lot. Sherborne 07906 102490
CANON MD101, mini digital camcorder, instructions, box. Cassettes. Case. VGC. 01747 838 574. £40
2 PINK SUITCASES, Hardback with wheels. 1 baby walker, 1 baby bath pink, £50 Call Tony on: 07541-302802
WHITE CHEST FREEZER, L 112CM, H 78, W 60, GWO. Lid doesn’t close too well but no prob. £20. Tel: 07557 518345
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NEW official figures show that councils made £1.189 billion in profit from off-street and on-street parking – up from £1.043 billion last year and £0.896 billion just before covid.
Total income, revealed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, shows that drivers across the UK forked out £2.338 billion to English councils for parking.
That compares with £2.075 billion last year and £1.758 billion in 2019-20.
London councils hauled in £1.065 billion in income, making up 46% of the total in England.
They made £0.638 billion in
profit, making up 54% of the surplus across England.
AA Head of Roads Policy, Jack Cousens, said: “Making £1.2 billion in profit, from an income haul of £2.3 billion, out of people’s pockets and potential consumer spending, is where we are now with so many English city and town councils and their unrestrained costs and fines.
“Originally, council parking charges were supposed to cover the cost of controlled and ordered provision.
“The benefits were to encourage shoppers and other visitors into town and city centres and stimulate commercial activity.
“On-street charges might
A spokesperson for the AA said the cost of parking seems to have gone from a reasonable charge to a full-on local tax
encourage turnover of spaces and permits were supposed to protect residents’ parking from hogging by outsiders.
“Charges were supposed to cover the cost of providing and enforcing this parking, with some profit from fines and reward for successful parking and commercial policies.
“Anything above that is tax.
[The Transport Committee highlighted to Parliament in 2009’s ‘Taxes and charges on road users’ report that “Taxes are compulsory, unrequited payments, whereas charges are paid in return for a service”.
Para 23, House of Commons
- Taxes and charges on road users - Transport Committee].
“For too many councils, particularly in cities, the cost of parking seems to have gone from a reasonable charge to a full-on local tax.
“Why? Because there is next to nothing holding them back.
“They create new ways and reasons to plunder more money from people with cars, often on low incomes travelling in for work.
“Residents feel hostage to permit costs so high that households often rip up their front gardens and turn them into parking.”
A GANG who stole 107 vehicles from driveways in the middle of the night when owners were sleeping – at a cost of more than £2 million – have been jailed.
All vehicles were stolen from across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire between February and October 2023 before being taken to a ‘chop shop’ where they were stripped for parts.
Five gang members were sentenced at Southampton Crown Court this month following what the judge described as a ‘remarkable and thorough’ police investigation.
n George Berry, 32, of Bronte Way in Southampton, was charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles, conspiracy to handle stolen goods, and
possession of criminal property. He was handed a sentence of 56 months imprisonment.
n Benjamin Cross, 25, of Newman Road in Bursledon, Southampton, was charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles, conspiracy to handle stolen goods, possession of criminal property and perverting the course of justice. He was handed a sentence of 64 months imprisonment.
n Rachael Moran, 31, of Bronte Way in Southampton, was charged with possession of criminal property. She was handed a sentence of 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
n Bradley Paddick, 22, of Montague Avenue in Southampton, was charged with
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conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to handle stolen goods. He was handed a sentence of 36 months imprisonment.
n Charlotte Traves, 24, of Newman Road in Bursledon, Southampton, was charged with possession of criminal property and perverting the course of justice. She was handed a sentence of 18 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
The court heard this was a ‘highly sophisticated commercial operation carried out by an organised crime group’, with George Berry and Benjamin Cross playing ‘leading roles in the conspiracy’.
The gang used signal boosters to trick keyless ignition vehicles, making it seem as if the vehicle’s key fob was next to the vehicle and allowing it to be unlocked.
They also used ‘signal jammers’ to prevent the vehicles from being locked in the first place, with the owner not
realising their key fob had not worked.
The gang members would then return in the middle of the night to drive the unlocked cars away.
The judge described the thefts as ‘alarming’ and ‘frightening’ to any owners of high value cars, but praised the police who ‘carried out a remarkable and thorough investigation’.
Speaking after the sentencing, DC Paul Beasley of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “The vast majority of the vehicles were stolen by these thugs in the middle of the night from driveways as the owners slept.
“The financial hurt caused by this group to so many families is vast, and many of the victims of these thefts have also suffered mental harm from the distress.
“For many people, having their car stolen can completely disrupt their day to day lives as these are relied upon so much for their work commutes,
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2010 (59) Renault Twingo 1.2 Extreme 3dr. Great value low-cost motoring, simple & basic small car, cambelt has been replaced, only 52,500 miles......£2350
2015 (65) Peugeot 308 1.2THP Allure Automatic 5dr. 130bhp, petrol, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, park sensors, reverse camera, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, hill hold, only £35 a year road tax, 50+mpg economy, cambelt has been replaced, 69,500 miles..............................................................DUE IN SOON
2018 (18) Renault Trafic 1.6DCi Business+ Nav SL29 Van 4dr. No VAT to pay, 3 front seats, bulkhead with glazed panel, glazed tailgate, ply lined, sat nav, Bluetooth, air con, park sensors, no vat to pay, 82,100 miles.........................£8500
2014 (14) Ford EcoSport 1.5TDCi Titanium X Pack SUV 5dr. High seating, leather, X pack, parking sensors, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, Bluetooth, £35 tax, 60mpg, cambelt kit replaced, 87,800 miles.....................................£5450
2020 (69) Ford Tourneo Custom 2.0TDCi Titanium 320 L1 H1 Automatic 9 Seat Minibus 5dr. 130bhp, diesel, 6 speed automatic gearbox, 8 seat plus driver, reversable seats for conference or forward facing, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, heated front seats, park sensors, cambelt replaced, 97,000 miles ............£21500 + VAT = £25800
2019 (19) Renault Captur 1.5DCi Iconic Automatic SUV 5dr. 90bhp, diesel, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, parking sensors, hill hold, high seating, sliding rear seats, upto 67mpg economy, 20,300 miles .........................................................................................................£12250
2020 (69) Ford Transit 2.0TDCi Trend 350 MWB MR L2 H2 11 Seat Minibus 5dr. 130bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, 10 seat plus driver, 2 front seats, 9 rear seats, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, heated front seats, hill hold, cambelt replaced, 90,200 miles.........................£19500 + VAT = £23400
2021 (21) Ford Puma 1.0T ST Line X MHEV 5dr. Self-charging petrol hybrid, 50mpg, partial leather, sat nav, parking sensors, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, main beam assist, collision detection, road sign assistance, Bluetooth, great size boot with meg box storage, 47,800 miles...................................£13250
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2014 (64) Kia Venga 3, 1.6 Automatic (Sat Nav) 5dr. 123bhp, petrol, 4 speed automatic gearbox, high seating, decent boot, sat nav, parking sensors & reverse camera, electric sunroof, partial leather, heated seats, cruise control, sign recognition, hill hold, only 38,800 miles........................................................£7850
2018 (68) Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi ST Line SUV 5dr. High seating, big boot, sat nav, Bluetooth, road sign assist, cruise, parking sensors & auto park, reverse camera, partial leather, auto
2016 (66) Mazda 3, 2.0 SE-L Nav Automatic 5dr. 120bhp, petrol, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, sign recognition, heated seats, hill hold, 75,900 miles...................................£8450
2017 (17) Vauxhall Astra 1.4 SRi 5dr. 100bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, auto lights & wipers, parking sensors, cruise control, pre-collision assist, sign recognition, hill hold, Bluetooth, 63,600 miles ..............................................£6950
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&
school runs, grocery shopping and social lives.
“Our investigation has been extremely thorough. Seven different police forces were involved in some capacity, and my team alone put in more than 12,000 hours to make sure this group was brought to justice.
“I’m proud to say that our efforts have completely dismantled this organised crime group and I hope this serves as a warning to those who think they can just take what other people have worked hard to earn.”
A further seven members of this group are set to be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on November 21.
n Frank Bran, 23, of International Way, Southampton, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.
n Brandon Cross, 26, of Bursledon Road in Southampton, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.
n Jason Downs, 21, of Walton
Place in Winchester, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
n Gary Kelly, 38, of Ringwood Road in Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset, charged with conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
n William Martin, 24, of Corfe Lodge Road in Broadstone, Dorset, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.
n Billy Masters, 24, of Bramley Crescent in Southampton, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and possession of criminal property.
n Matthew Watkins, 24, of Manor Road in Ringwood, charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and dangerous driving.
The force is encouraging owners of keyless cars to keep their fob away from doors and windows so their signal does not travel far.
Faraday pouches can also be used to block the signal from keys when people are not using them.
THE driver of a car failed to stop at the scene after being in a collision with a 12-year-old girl in Dorchester.
Police said the incident happened at the traffic lights crossing near the St John roundabout in Bridport Road between 5.50pm and 6.05pm on September 30.
The girl, a pedestrian, suffered an injured leg but the injury was not described as serious.
PC Bradley Ware, of Dorchester Police, said: “We have now obtained an account from the victim and are now appealing to any witnesses who may have seen what happened to please come forward.
Police said the car, a grey people carrier with a taxi sign on top of the passenger’s side, was being driven by a stockily built man wearing a striped top.
The force is now appealing to the public for any information.
“I would like to hear from any motorists who were travelling in the area and may have captured anything of relevance on dashcam footage.
“Also, I am appealing to the driver of the car to please do the right thing and come forward so we can take your account of what happened.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police online or by calling 101, using reference number 55250145332.
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by Lynn Broom BVSc, GPCert(ExAP), AdvDipAAB, MRCVS HEART
disease in cats typically affects the muscle wall of the heart leading to thickening of the wall of the left ventricle – the main pumping chamber of the heart – or restricted ability of the chamber to expand. It is frequently under diagnosed.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common form of heart disease seen in cats and a thickened left ventricular wall leads to secondary changes within the heart and a reduced area for filling with blood, together with a reduce ability for the ventricular wall to expand and contract. Restrictive cardiomyopathy develops when
the muscle wall becomes less elastic and loses its ability to expand and contract.
The overall effect is reduced heart function leading to reduced exercise tolerance, an increased heart rate – as the heart tries to maintain blood movement with a reduced volume at each beat and eventually a build-up of fluid in the lungs. Exercise intolerance in cats is very difficult to assess because cats may simply go out and play less often, and this may be mistaken for aging effects. A cat which breathes with its mouth open after exercising should be assessed for heart disease.
The change in ventricle size together with secondary changes leads to a change in blood flow and this typically leads to an audible heart murmur. There are also other causes of heart murmurs, and they are graded from 0/6 – no
murmur – to 6/6 – severe murmur – and young cats with lower grade murmurs do not necessarily have heart disease. However, severe heart disease may be present without an audible murmur.
The main complication of heart disease in cats is the formation of blood clots which typically affect the main blood vessels to the back legs and the lungs. The clot may completely obstruct the blood supply to one or both back legs, leading to acute severe pain, leg weakness or paralysis and cold paws on the affected limbs.
Affected cats often cry out in pain and pant with their mouth open. Prognosis is guarded if this happens and many cats do not survive, despite treatment.
Cats are less responsive to heart medications than dogs and the aim of treatment is primarily to reduce fluid build-up using diuretics, and to prevent clot formation using medications such as clopidogrel.
Causes of heart disease can be genetic with certain breeds, including Maine Coons, Persians, Ragdolls and British Shorthairs, being more susceptible than others. Certain viruses can cause damage to develop. Hyperthyroidism – an overactive thyroid – is a common cause of cardiomyopathy in older cats, and may resolve with treatment, but damage can be irreversible. Diets lacking taurine – an amino acid present in protein – can also cause heart disease.
Heart disease in cats may go unnoticed for months due to cats’ ability to ‘mask’ symptoms and cats often present with severe symptoms such as fluid build-up in their lungs or a blood clot.
n Cats Protection also has Muffin, two, a
girl who could be homed with Muppet (pictured); Howl and Sophie, four months, who need the right people to bring them on; and Chandler, Monica and Rachel, four months, who are looking for rural homes where they have the choice of an outdoor life if they choose it. Farm and stable homes needed for outside cats
THE RSPCA is urging people in Dorset and Somerset to consider adopting a rescue cat, amid an all-time high in numbers of moggies in the charity’s care.
New data unveiled during the RSPCA’s Adoptober rehoming drive reveals that the number of cats being cared for just in the charity’s 14 national centres waiting for homes has more than doubled from 800 in 2020 to about 1,700 this summer. Thousands more are being cared for by the RSPCA’s dedicated branches network across England and Wales.
RSPCA records also showed cats are now waiting more than a week longer to find a new home – 40 days on average, a rise from 32.5 days in September last year – a 23% increase.
n For details, call the helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website, www.cats.org.uk/ middorset
Although RSPCA centres and branches across England and Wales rehome more cats than any other animal – more than 17,000 last year or about two every hour – the charity still has a record number of cats in its care.
One feline looking for her forever home is Ophelia, a three-year-old tortie and white Maine Coon being cared for at RSPCA Dorset Taylor’s Rehoming Centre, near Dorchester.
She is a friendly girl who can be a little shy initially. She enjoys a fuss but is not keen on being picked up and likes her own space sometimes. She would need people around a lot of the day and safe outdoor access away from busy roads. She does not get on with other animals but could live with older children.
Black and white cat Bertie is one of the luckier ones, having found a new home. He was rescued after being traumatised when a group of teenagers hit him with a stick, kicked and threw him about. Happily, Bertie was spotted by a new
family on the RSPCA’s Findapet webpage and was adopted – and hasn’t looked back.
RSPCA cat welfare specialist, Alice Potter, said: “Sometimes, people choose not to adopt particular types or colours of cats due to assumptions or ‘myths’ that are not evidence based.
“For example, we find it can take black cats three times longer – 29 days – to find homes than tabby cats – nine days – meaning not only are there more in RSPCA care but they are also staying for longer.
“There’s a cat for everyone – cute kittens, marvellous moggies, fireside felines and outdoor adventurers, we’ve got every kind of cat waiting for another chance at happiness.
“We always encourage prospective pet owners to look beyond appearance, breed and colour and instead look for a personality that matches you and your lifestyle. However, we also have purebred and pedigree cats coming into our care – so even those who have a particular breed or type in mind may find their perfect partner, without fuelling problematic commercial breeding.
“We’d urge anyone ready and able to adopt a rescue animal to fill in a ‘perfect match’ form with your local RSPCA centre or branch and they’ll let you know when an animal who matches you comes into their care.”
Getting a pet brings a lot of joy, but before committing, it’s important to understand the costs. The RSPCA pet cost calculator can help would be adopters prepare. It’s also important to consider pet insurance to protect against unexpected costs.
More information about cats and other animals available for adoption can be found on the RSPCA’s ‘Findapet’ webpage.
by Paul Cross Havant 5s 3
Blandford & Sturminster 4
BLANDFORD made it five wins from five against their toughest opponents yet, the free-scoring Havant.
Havant showed their threat early on, pressing Blandford into mistakes and gaining possession high up the pitch. But Blandford, true to form, soaked up the pressure, before capitalising on the counter. Matty Lewis pinged a ball into the D for Theo Browning to deflect the ball past the keeper’s left glove and into the goal, to take the lead after 10 minutes.
Six minutes later, Havant brought the game back level through Knaresborough. The
Blandford have now won five matches out of five
game continued with Havant pressuring and Blandford hitting Havant on the break. An aerial into the Havant D was nearly turned in by Gareth Hardiman.
On the 22nd minute, Tom Tridgell played the ball into Hardiman, who rolled his
player and coolly faked the keeper, before slipping the ball past him to re-establish Blandford’s lead.
10 minutes before half-time, Havant’s keeper pushed a save into the path of the onrushing Tom Tridgell, who volleyed the ball into the top left corner for
Blandford’s third to take them into the break.
Early in the second half, Havant struck again through Craig Duffy. Blandford missed a couple of chances and a penalty. At risk of letting their lead slip, Paul Cross subbed on and was instantly found in space by Matty Lewis and proceeded to go on a run into the opponent’s D. He rode a tackle and deflected the ball for Finn Hardiman to volley into the back of the net, to make it 4-2.
Havant threw everything into their attempts to equalise. On the 62nd minute, Ben McCosh came up from the back and proceeded to rip a drag-flick inside the left-hand post to reduce the deficit to one goal. Havant kept pushing, but despite managing to strike Rob Browning, failed to hit the net. The whistle blew, only to be rescinded. A tense two minutes ensued before finally the final, final whistle blew.
by Hannah Waters Blandford & Sturminster
Ladies 2
Romsey 2s 0
BLANDFORD and Sturminster Ladies put in a fine performance to take the points from a difficult Romsey side.
Coming off two back-toback draws, Blandford had some pre-game nerves with many of their key players missing.
The two sides were evenly matched over the opening
exchanges but Blandford began to find their feet with Caroline Smith and Susan Bovenizer making key interceptions in midfield. Bovenizer sliced a stunning ball into Romsey's D, which was narrowly missed by Emelia Green.
Romsey fought back, with two fast youngsters on the wings making wonderful runs. However, they were both continuously forced to play the ball back, as Steph Chick and
DORCHESTER Panthers
Under 13 Girls football team got all kitted out thanks to Local Food Links’ sponsorship for the 2025/26 season.
Catering manager, Barry Dovell, presented the team with their new kit just before a pre-season friendly against
Weymouth at the Avenue Stadium in Dorchester.
Local Food Links is an independent caterer and not-for-profit social enterprise that supplies 5,000 meals a day to 59 schools in Dorset and Devon.
Hannah shadowed the attackers and kept them well away from Blandford's D.
In a moment of brilliance, Susan made a run from the midfield into the D and took a shot on goal. Their captain tried to clear the ball, but instead sent it into their own net, putting Blandford ahead.
Soon after the break, Romsey were awarded a couple of short corners and a number of long corners which were defended with ease by the Blandford defence. Keeper
Zena Parry was required to make just one key save, which she ensured was spectacular – diving across goal and swiping the ball away with her stick.
Eventually the home side increased their lead. Caroline Smith intercepted, outpacing Romsey players into the D, and heard a satisfying clunk when her shot hit the back board of the goal.
Blandford and Sturminster stay second in their league and remain unbeaten this season.
by Graham Howard DDAS junior secretary
THE junior anglers at Dorchester & District Angling Society fished a fun match on Charlotte’s Lake at Harbourbridge Lakes fishery in Chickerell.
The idea of the rotational pairs match was to get nonanglers involved in the sport and to encourage the juniors to take more of a coaching roll with their teammates. Each would have a 30-minute turn fishing before swapping over for the duration of the five-hour event.
Conditions at the fishery were not ideal. As with many fisheries, the lack of rain has left water levels very low. Despite this, the father and son team of
A trophy was awarded in memory of Susan Haine (left)
WINCANTON Golf Club results.
Austin Scott-Kennedy and Tom Kennedy managed an impressive net of carp weighing in at 18lb 14oz which was more
than enough to secure the win on the day. Tom and Austin will receive their trophy at the club presentation evening in April.
The match was also held in memory of a dear friend who sadly lost her battle with cancer recently and the trophy for it will be known as the Susan Haine Memorial Trophy. Susan’s husband, Neil, kindly brought along some prizes for all those participating in the event and, on behalf of the juniors, we thank him for his generosity.
For more information, contact juniors.sec@d-das.com or go to ddasjuniors.co.uk
For club information, go to www.d-das.com. Fishery information from harbourbridgelakes.com
Bishops Cleeve 3
Shaftesbury 2
Pitching In Southern League South 1 by Avril Lancaster
SHAFTESBURY suffered a heartbreaking last-minute defeat to recent leaders Bishops Cleeve.
Toby Holmes, with his
WINCANTON FC Ladies are enjoying life in new training shirts supplied by Wincanton Kebab House.
The ladies are once again
tenth goal of the season, put Shaftesbury ahead, before former Burton Albion and Weymouth player Tom Hewlett added his second goal in a week to put Jim Milligan's side 2-0 ahead at half-time.
In the second half, Jay Malshankskyi hauled back the Rockies' advantage with a brace as Bishops Cleeve turned the game on its head.
Will Turner headed in the Mitres' winner from a corner with the match entering the last minute.
keen to welcome new players and fans alike.
The team train between 7pm-8pm on Wednesdays at Wincanton Sports Ground, where new players can try out.
The minimum age for the league is 16 but the club
encourages 15 year olds to go along to training.
Wincanton player, Hollie Wing, said: “It’s a friendly atmosphere and bunch of ladies that work hard for each other –there’s no other team I’d rather be a part of.”
Seniors Monthly Stableford – October 7: 1 Andy Blandford 40; 2 Mike Case 37 ocb; 3 Rick Graham 37.
Seniors Nine-hole Monthly Medal – October 7: 1 Dave Shean 20; 2 Harry Eden 18 ocb; 3 Tim Godfrey 18. Seniors Roll-Up Stableford – October 10: Winners –Kevin Francis/Phil Francis/ Kevin George: 58 points.
Monthly StablefordOctober 11: 1 Adam Smith 39 ocb; 2 Steven Ireland 39; 3 Jim Stephen 34.
Seniors Monthly Medal – October 14: 1 John Westaway nett 64; 2 Tim France nett 68; 3 Chris Dibben nett 70.
Seniors Nine-hole Monthly Medal – October 14: 1 Dave Hardiman nett 34; 2 Dave Shean nett 35 ocb; 3 Ray Phillips nett 35.
Seniors Roll Up Stableford Back Nine – October 17: Winners: Pete Starkey/Kevin Bieda/Philip Dewar/Cliff Hibberd – 74 points.
Monthly Stableford –October 18: 1 Nigel Orr 37; 2 Rick Graham 36; 3 Mike Case 32.
WHAT IS KNOCKDOWN DISBUDDING? WHAT DOES THE PROCEDURE INVOLVE? HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO CONVENTIONAL DISBUDDING?
by Bogdan Butnaru, Vet, MRCVS
KNOCKDOWN disbudding is now a routine procedure to prevent horn development in calves, improving safety for handlers and reducing injury risk among animals. Animals with horns can bully the others without horns, which is not permitted under Red Tractor standards. Knockdown disbudding involves sedating the calf before the procedure, simplifying handling compared to conventional disbudding.
IN this article we discuss why it has become popular, alongside new research about the negative effect on growth rates on sedated calves.
All disbudding has the potential to cause stress and pain.
Knockdown disbudding provides several benefits:
n No set up needed – calves are restrained for a very short time only while administering the sedation. No need for a crush or any other form of handling system.
n Very efficient: The procedure is much quicker and cleaner compared to the restraint handling system.
Previously, we would have assumed that knockdown disbudding reduced stress, as it requires limited handling compared to conventional disbudding, however recent research suggests that growth rates are reduced about 21 days post disbudding in sedated calves, compared to those conventionally disbudded. This evidence is important to discuss on farm when creating a bespoke disbudding plan for your calves.
relax the calf followed by lateral recumbency about 10 minutes later.
n Pain management: A local anaesthetic is injected halfway between the corner of the eye and base of the ear and NSAIDs for ongoing pain relief.
Disbudding: Once the area is numb, a hot iron is used to cauterise, burn the horn bud and remove it.
n Recovery monitoring: Calves are monitored during recovery and put in a sternal position to enable release of abomasal gases and prevent bloating. It would take two to three hours for the calves to recover fully.
THERE is a visit fee and a fixed charge of £9.50 per calf including sedation, pain relief and labour. While the calf is sedated, we can perform other procedures like castrations at an additional cost.
WHAT DOES THE KNOCKDOWN PROCEDURE INVOLVE?
n Sedation: administration by a vet of a sedative to calm and
A RECENTLY published article found that in the short term post-disbudding period – up to three weeks post disbudding – sedated calves had a reduced growth rate of 0.14kg/day compared to conventionally disbudded calves. This difference was not present after six weeks post-disbudding, when conventionally and sedated calves growth rates were
comparable. Importantly, the level of sedation achieved had the biggest effect on this growth rate reduction, with calves who did not lie flat out after sedation, seeing the largest drop in growth rates. This cohort of calves who were incompletely sedated contributed to the overall reduction in growth rates in the sedated group. We have worked hard within the practice to ensure that maximum sedation levels are achieved during knockdown disbudding, but it is important that we monitor and discuss reasons for incomplete sedation on each farm, as breed differences and calf stress prior to disbudding may have an effect on this. Knockdown disbudding has become increasingly popular within the practice and offers a quick and efficient method to disbud calves. However, the new research indicates that there is a short-term effect on the calves following sedation, which can result in a reduction of growth rates.
If you would like more information on disbudding, please contact us for creating a disbudding plan that works for your farm.
n Friars Moor Livestock Health: 01258 472314; farmoffice@fmlh.co.uk; friarsmoorlivestockhealth. co.uk
AFTER several years of campaigning, the NFU has secured a change to the Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) which will allow workers to re-enter the country sooner than had been allowed previously. This gives much greater flexibility to both workers and growers and has been a key pillar in the NFU’s horticulture growth strategy.
The rule change, which comes into effect in November 2025, will allow horticulture workers to work in the UK for up to six months within any 10-month period.
This greater flexibility means they can move seamlessly across the growing seasons, from harvesting daffodils and asparagus to strawberries and plums. By reducing the required gap between visas, the change is expected to significantly increase the availability of seasonal workers, especially for early crops in the following season, when the old rule has
caused labour shortages.
The NFU would also like to see more flexibility for seasonal poultry workers to help meet the demands of the sector.
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair, Martin Emmett, said: “This is a significant achievement and something we’ve long been campaigning for.
“It gives workers and employers the flexibility needed for the unpredictability that can often come with farming and growing.
“This will also help workers, who are a vital part of our industry, to maximise their earning opportunities, as well as boosting confidence among farmers and growers.
“To strengthen this further, it’s essential the Government confirms the SWS 2026 visa allocation as soon as possible, giving growers the certainty they need that enough workers will be available for next year’s harvest.”
A series of seminars has been scheduled to ‘debrief’ farmers and landowners on the measures announced by the Chancellor in her November budget. Speakers will include property experts from Symonds & Sampson, accountants from Albert Goodman, and agricultural industry experts from Lloyds, to explore matters such as business planning, succession, tax liabilities and relief, and fiscal issues related to finance within the industry.
Don’t miss your opportunity to hear from and question local experts at three events taking place in Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Follow the link from Symonds & Sampson’s website to book in at:
• Cullompton on 2nd December,
• Blandford on 8th December
• Wincanton on 9th December.
All are welcome, and the talks are free of charge. Spaces are limited, so do book early to reserve your space.
Booking & info: www.symondsandsampson.co.uk/blog/news-whatfarmers-must-conider-post-budget
HEDGE
Mobile: 07850489782 Email: andrewlee01@btinternet.com
Pneumatic
Air
Hose
Hydraulic
CONCRETE GROOVING, Mobile Grain Crimping and dry rolling Service. Cowco Southern. Call Ted: 07970-965040
SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR SALE / HIRE
Tel: 01258 472288 Mob: 07977 936109
New and second hand containers - blue/green - all with box locks
We provide a friendly, local service at competitive prices. Based at Redlynch near Bruton, we supply Car, Commercial, Agricultural, Plant & 4x4 tyres and offer a 24hr breakdown service. We won’t be beaten on price.
ORGANIC PIG FEED - No GM, 25kg bags, £17 each 01258-920133
WOOD CHIP - 45mm screened, small bags / bulk 01258-920133
DOUGLAS FIR SLEEPERS - 8”x4” x 8ft, beautiful & resilient, £29 each 01258-920133
SHEEP KEEP WANTED. Anything considered. Tel: 07495-423751
R&W FENCING. Agricultural paddock and stock. Also part time help required. 01258-88089207980-036250
TRACTOR + HEDGE CUTTER, 07711-980871
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
or dumpy bags, would suit pig & beef rations Analysis available on request.
Peter Snell for more
Since April, 17 lives have been lost on British farms due to accidents; a stark reminder that agriculture remains one of the most dangerous professions. And at this current rate, the industry could exceed last year’s total of 27 fatalities. Many of these incidents have involved vehicles, machinery, livestock or falls from height, all everyday farm tasks that can turn tragic in seconds.
These fatalities underline the importance of taking a moment to think about safety before starting any job. Simple steps such as planning work carefully, checking equipment and assessing risks can make a real difference. When workloads are high and time is short, it’s easy for routine checks and risk assessments to slip down the list of priorities, but even small changes can have a big impact.
Cornish Mutual is encouraging farmers across the South West to review their health and safety practices and make safety conversations a regular part of farm life. It has produced a free Farm Health and Safety Guide, packed with straightforward, practical advice on machinery maintenance, working at height, handling livestock and managing other everyday hazards.
For those wanting more in-depth support, Cornish Mutual’s Farm Health and Safety Service provides tailored, onfarm guidance. The service includes detailed risk assessments, help with legal compliance and documentation, and ongoing one-to-one advice from experienced specialists. It’s designed to take the complexity out of managing health and safety, helping to not only meet legal requirements but also provide reassurance that your farm is as safe as it can be.
To download the free guide or find out more about Cornish Mutual’s Farm Health and Safety Service, visit https://www.cornishmutual.co.uk/what-we-do/health-and-safety
by Ruth Kimber HAVING
had a local scare with bird flu, which thankfully was a one-off case, we have now let our turkey flock out with fingers crossed.
The turkeys rush about exploring the paddock and test the fence – they have to learn the rules, staying inside the fence and returning to the safety of the barn at nightfall.
The children, Paul and I, and our farm hand, had to give them their first lesson, slowly encouraging them to return to the barn. I hope it will be a quicker job as they learn the ropes! They are difficult creatures to move on mass, often preferring to follow rather than be driven.
Seeing them in the field is
great – at this time of year they like to chase the craneflies as they emerge from the soil. They defiantly like to eat insects, even from day olds they will search out flies and so on in a flash.
The farm shop sells turkey all year from our freezers. We grow turkeys for the Canadian and American Thanksgiving festival – they will be ready soon and are sold fresh, then it won’t be long for the main flock for Christmas.
We have received much of the Christmas shop stock, which will start to appear around the shop. Don’t come to the shop on Sundays or Mondays, as we are closed.
Paul has had to replace the farm shop gate post after a customer reversed into it and snapped it off! The driver left
without a word! I expect the car had the imprint of the post, though!
We are still able to keep the dairy cows out by day and the rest of the cattle are still out day and night, due to the late growth of grass and the dry conditions of the land. This will make a big difference to the forage stocks for winter.
However, many farmers are facing big shortages of fodder and are making expensive decisions to import silage, straw and so on from further afield with the added transport costs. Others have reduced their herds and some given up altogether.
Turkeys love to eat insects – even from day-old they will search out flies in a flash
Much of our wildflower mixes are still going strong with another flush of flowers and loads of seeds for the birds and other wildlife. Hedgehogs visit regularly – they no doubt appreciate the additional insects.
The grass reseeds are all up and establishing well – we also put cover crops after the maize to prevent erosion which can also produce extra grass for early silage.
We wait with trepidation what the Budget might mean for the rural economy, small business and anyone who tries to better themselves or help their families.
It has been a busy period on the sheep side of the practice for annual disease screening, ram vasectomies and reporting worm egg counts galore.
Cull ewes are a useful cohort of sheep to monitor the presence of performance-limiting diseases such as Maedi-Visna and Johnes in the flock. These diseases can cause premature wasting and general poor performance so if these diseases are present in your flock, the culls are the most likely place we will find them.
Vasectomised rams (or teasers) are used to gear up the ewes before the stock rams are introduced and can help to tighten your lambing period, particularly in ewe lambs or out-of-season lambing. Teasers can be run at a ratio of 1 to 100 ewes and need six weeks recovery after surgery before being put to work.
We tend to recommend performing vasectomies on rams that are 1-2 years of age and otherwise fit and well.
SOMERSET | HAMPSHIRE | WILTSHIRE | CORNWALL | LONDON
Kington Magna
Bowridge, Gillingham
Guide £1,250,000
Guide £650,000
Hazelbury Bryan
Okeford Fitzpaine
Guide £475,000
Mappowder Guide £595,000
A well formed double fronted house, built some 35 years ago of local stone with mullioned double glazed windows, in a central village location. Freehold. EPC-F, CTB-E.
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.
A fine period farmhouse in a quiet position boasting far reaching views. Dating from 1737 the farmhouse offers 3 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Outside is a wonderful stone barn with potential (stp), workshop, large garden and paddock, in total 4.13 acres. CTB E, EPC E, Freehold. Further land available.
Marnhull Guide £525,000
A fine Grade II listed former village Post House with attractive gardens, A character south-facing stone house in an excellent central village
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Guide £825,000
An exceptional detached 5 bedroom residence, finished to an impeccable standard. Set within beautifully landscaped gardens with stunning countryside views, in a highly sought-after village. CTB G, EPC B, Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
473766
Freehold. Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766 DORSET |
St Mary
Nr Sturminster Newton Guide Price £1,100,000
Guide £800,000
A particularly spacious family house with 3500 sq ft of accommodation over three floors in a quiet location with wonderful far-reaching views over the Wiltshire/Dorset countryside. CTB G, EPD D, Freehold.
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
Sturminster | 01258 473766
| 01258 473766
A very well presented 2 or 3 bedroom converted Chapel with parking and a small garden to the side adjoining the village playing fields. Freehold. EPC-D, CTB-A.
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 extended and modernised period house combining character and charm with contemporary family living in a quiet location on a nothrough road with wonderful views, land and stables. In all about 2.40 acres. CTB F, EPC D, Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Guide £810,000
D, EPC F, 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.
A beautifully presented 2 bedroom bungalow with terraced garden and off-road parking, situated in a village location on the edge of a Conservation Area. Freehold. EPC-D, CTB-C.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Newton | 01258 473766
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Okeford Fitzpaine
Guide £775,000
Leigh OIEO £500,000
An attractive and beautifully restored Grade II listed former farmhouse with plenty of charm and original character features along with a 100’ garden in the heart of the village. CTB F, EPC Exempt, Freehold.
A tastefully improved 4-bedroom village house with light and spacious accommodation, set in attractive gardens and backing onto farmland. No onward
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Torrington
AUCTIONS FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024 & FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024 AT THE DIGBY CHURCH MEMORIAL HALL, SHERBORNE AT 2:00PM AND VIA LIVESTREAM
PROPERTY AUCTION THURSDAY 24TH JULY 2025 AT 2:00PM AT DIGBY MEMORIAL CHURCH HALL, DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE, DT9 3NL
PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025 2:00PM AT MERLEY HOUSE, WIMBORNE BH21 3AA & VIA LIVESTREAM
Guide £25,000
Guide £50,000
rich in biodiversity, in a secluded, peaceful area south of the River Frome. Freehold.
Level pasture land and a traditional stone building set in 2.15 acres on the outskirts of the village of Queen Camel. Freehold.
Guide £9,500
Wimborne | 01202 843190
North Perrott Guide £45,000 3.01 acres (1.22 ha) of gently sloping pasture land with direct road access. Freehold.
3.51 acres with a useful agricultural storage shed in an attractive rural location with good access. Freehold.
Yeovil | 01935 382901
Sixpenny Handley
Guide £150,000
Holt, Wimborne Guide £80,000
Tiverton | 01884 218922
Yeovil | 01935 432526
A detached barn of about 125 sqm. in just under 1.70 acres with off-road
An opportunity to purchase a parcel of permanent pasture in the village of Holt, extending to approximately 4.51
Charlton Marshall
Gillingham
Pallington
Guide £300,000
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Guides £495,000 & £210,000
23.55 acres of permanent pasture, with fishing rights along the River Stour, which borders the land. Freehold.
Dorchester
Melplash
Hayle, Cornwall
Guide £200,000
Guide £50,000
Guide £15,000
Witchampton Guide £50,000
0.12 acres in a residential setting with development potential subject to planning permission/consents. Freehold.
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.
A former village hall with parking situated on the main road in the heart of the village. GIA 175 sqm. Freehold. RV TBA.
0.19 acres of amenity land with scope for a range of uses (STPP/consents), adjoining residential properties. Freehold.
Axminster | 01297 33122
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Tarrant Rushton
Sherborne
Wareham Guide £110,000
Yeovil
Portland
Bournemouth
65.92 acres and 22.50 acres of pasture land with stream frontage on the northern outskirts of Gillingham town. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Sturminster | 01258 472244
9.13 acres of freely draining land, predominantly comprising pasture with an element of woodland, located between Wareham and Wool. Freehold.
Guide
Guide £185,000
Guide £250,000
Guide £200,000
A garage site with full planning permission for 2 dwellings, in an excellent position within this sought after town. 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.
A semi-detached 3 bedroom property for refurbishment with scope for extension and remodelling (STPP) in a convenient location on the A31. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
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.
Blandford Forum | 01258 452670
Winterborne Zelston Blandford | 01258 452670
Sherborne | 01935 814422
£225,000
Motcombe
Wimborne | 01202 882103
Ilton
Okeford Fitzpaine
Milborne Port
Bradworthy, Devon
Guide £190,000
Guide
Guide £125,000
Guide £25,000
Guide £200,000
A Grade II listed building offering several uses/options with planning permission and LB consent for conversion to residential. Freehold. EPC-D.
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 former public convenience on Portland Esplanade, suitable for storage/warehouse use subject to planning permission. Freehold. RV £1,375.
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.
Yeovil | 01935 423526
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Horton Heath
Swanage
Guide £275,000
Guide £190,000
Guide £80,000
Milborne Port
Wimborne
Guide £90,000
Guide £150,000
A semi detached, extended 4 bedroom period property for complete renovation with a generous garden adjoining Ferndown Forest. CTB C, EPC F, Freehold.
A building plot with full planning permission for 2 dwellings, situated in a sought after location within Milborne Port. 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.
A charming 2 bedroom ground floor apartment with parking conveniently situated in the town centre, with parking. Leasehold. Service Charge £4,269 pa. G Rent £30 pa. CTB-D; EPC-D.
Sherborne | 814422
Wimborne | 01202843190 Guide £225,000
Sherborne Sherborne | 01935 814488
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Milborne Port
Fifehead Magdalen
Marshwood
Guide £250,000
Guide £150,000
A partially renovated and extended 2 bedroom bungalow with potential for upwards extension, subject to planning permission. CTB C, EPC E, Freehold.
A ground floor 2 bedroom flat, of non-standard construction, in need of renovation throughout, offering an excellent investment opportunity. Leasehold. CTB. EPC D.
A mid terrace 2 double bedroom property in need of renovation throughout, with an enclosed rear garden situated close to the town centre. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-D.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Dorchester Dorchester | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Guide £350,000
20.70 acres (12.01 ha) tucked away in a quiet rural position in 3 lots.
Guide £395,000
A 2 bedroom bungalow of concrete panel construction for refurbishment or replacement (STPP) in 0.24 acres. Freehold. CTB B. EPC F.
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.
charming 2 bedroom period cottage, situated at the end of a terrace in a quiet village location. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814488 Guide
Axminster | 01297 33122
Fontmell Magna
Henstridge Guide £300,000
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 rare chance to finish an incomplete new build 4 bedroom property to your own specification, enjoying a good size garden.
Freehold. CTB E. EPC predicted B.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Traditional stone barn set in 5.97acres. Positioned in a private location with residential conversion opportunity (STPP & relevant consents). Freehold.
Lot A – 15.02 ac arable capable pasture land with a gentle south facing slope£115,000
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Ilminster | 01460 200790
Tiverton | 01884 218911
£190,000
Batcombe, Dorchester Guides £40,000 to £115,000
Lot B - 3.57 ac pasture and woodland including an old brick pumphouse - £40,000
£250,000 A semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage in 0.89 acres offering character and charm throughout and enjoying views over the surrounding landscape. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
A charming 2 bedroom period cottage, situated at the end of a terrace in this popular village close to Sherborne. Freehold. CTB C. EPC E.
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 C – 11.11 ac pasture and strip of woodland with stream frontage - £90,000
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Yarlington Sherborne | 01935 814488
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Gillingham
Guide £85,000
Port
Guide £210,000
Chilcompton Guide £195,000
Horton, Wimborne
A 3 bedroom
a
A partially built 5 bedroom detached house, with double garage and gardens. PP was granted under application reference 2022/1683/FUL. Freehold.
74.24 parcels of level and southfacing arable land, arranged in two parcels of 54 and 20 acres, with the added provision of a circa 1,200 sqft barn currently used for the storage of machinery. Freehold. PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025 2:00PM THE DIGBY HALL, SHERBORNE DT9 3AB AND VIA LIVESTREAM
to an AOC. CTB E, EPC F, Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Wimborne | 01202 843190 Guide £450,000
Fiddleford
Guide £525,000
Shaftesbury Guide £95,000
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.
An investment opportunity comprising 2 retail units and 2 x 1 bed flats, in a convenient location, next to Gillingham station. Freehold. CTB A. RV £4,950. EPCs D, D, C, C.
Shapwick
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
A lofty workshop with large and level fenced outside space. 0.66 acre plot on the Marsh Lane Trading Estate. Freehold. RV Workshop-£9,600 Yard£12,000; EPC-C. Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sturminster | 01258 472244
Guide £395,000
Guide £200,000
£375,000 A charming Grade II Listed3
A semi-detached 2 bedroom period cottage in need of renovation throughout with a pretty rear garden in this sought after village. Freehold. CTB D.
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.
A detached 3 bedroom character property in a village location with scope for improvement, sitting in a 0.66 acre plot less than 2 miles from Sturminster Newton. Freehold. CTB-F; EPC-F.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Corfe Castle Wimborne | 01202 843190
Blandford | 01258 452670
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Guide £400,000
A substantial bungalow requiring renovation, providing potential for extension or replacement, subject to PP, in a rural position enjoying grounds of 1.60 acres.
A 4 bedroom bungalow in need of modernisation throughout, with 0.62 acre grounds, multiple outbuildings and stunning views. Freehold. CTB-E; EPC-E.
Guide £250,000
An attached 3 bedroom property with scope for refurbishment, conveniently located on the edge of Wareham with off-road parking and a rear garden. Freehold. CTB C. EPC C.
A period detached cottage in need of general improvement throughout, set in spacious gardens of 0.21 acres (0.08 hectares). Freehold.
Iliminster | 01460 200790
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Wareham Wimborne | 01202 843190
Guide £225,000-£250,000
Somerford Road, Christchurch
Guide £275,000
Sandford Orcas
£500,000 A residential development site measuring 0.87 acres with full, detailed planning permission for 7 residential dwellings (planning ref: 20/01206/ FUL). Further 1.13 acre field included. Freehold. CTB-D; EPC-F.
Guide £650,000
A detached 2 bedroom cottage for complete renovation, situated in this highly sought after village within Cranborne Chase. Freehold.
Guide £280,000
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.
A charming semi-detached cottage in the heart of the village with 3 bedrooms, a large garden, and views over the village green. Freehold. CTB C. EPC F.
Blandford | 01258 452670
Yeovil | 01935 423526
Frampton Dorchester | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
A semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage believed to date back to the 18th century, located within the sought after village of Sanford Orcas. Freehold. CTB D. EPC G.
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.
£595,000 A detached 6 bedroom farmhouse in need of renovation and a courtyard of traditional and modern farm buildings, situated in a rural location on a no through lane and boasting far reaching views. In all 1.82 acres. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Yeovil | 01935 382901
PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025
PROPERTY AUCTION THURSDAY 24TH JULY 2025 AT 2:00PM AT DIGBY MEMORIAL CHURCH HALL, DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE, DT9 3NL
PPROPERTY AUCTIONS FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024 & FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024
2:00PM AT MERLEY HOUSE, WIMBORNE BH21 3AA & VIA LIVESTREAM
PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025 2:00PM THE DIGBY HALL, SHERBORNE DT9 3AB AND VIA LIVESTREAM
rich in biodiversity, in a secluded, peaceful area south of the River Frome. Freehold.
Level pasture land and a traditional stone building set in 2.15 acres on the outskirts of the village of Queen Camel. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
North Perrott Guide £45,000 3.01 acres (1.22 ha) of gently sloping pasture land with direct road access. Freehold.
Yeovil | 01935 382901
Sixpenny Handley
Holt, Wimborne Guide £80,000
Guide £150,000
| 01722 334323
Yeovil | 01935 432526
A detached barn of about 125 sqm. in just under 1.70 acres with off-road
An opportunity to purchase a parcel of permanent pasture in the village of Holt, extending to approximately 4.51
Charlton Marshall
Ashbrittle
Guide £350,000
Melplash
Dorchester
Guide
Guide
£300,000
Dorchester | 01305 236237
23.55 acres of permanent pasture, with fishing rights along the River Stour, which borders the land. Freehold.
An attractive 2 bedroom barn conversion with an outbuilding and 1.55 acres of pasture land, in an edge of village location with rural views. Freehold. CTB C. EPC E.
Wareham Guide £110,000
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Guide £50,000
£200,000
Guide £325,000
Witchampton Guide £50,000
Yeovil
Bournemouth
Symondsbury
Guide £300,000
Guide £125,000
Guide £200,000
Verwood Guide £125,000
Wimborne
Lyme Regis
Sherborne
Guide £350,000
Guide £225,000
Guide £150,000
Winfrith Newburgh Guide £170,000
A charming 2 bedroom end terrace cottage requiring modernisation in a private rural location in the popular Chalke Valley. Freehold. CTB B. EPC F.
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.
0.19 acres of amenity land with scope for a range of uses (STPP/consents), adjoining residential properties. Freehold.
A former village hall with parking situated on the main road in the heart of the village. GIA 175 sqm. Freehold. RV TBA.
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Bishopstone Salisbury | 01722 334323
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Winterborne Zelston
Tarrant Rushton
Guide £250,000
Guide £185,000
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.
A Grade II listed building offering several uses/options with planning permission and LB consent for conversion to residential. Freehold. EPC-D.
A detached 3 bedroom cottage in need of modernisation in an idyllic rural location with a further 0.75ac available separately. Freehold. CTB D. EPC G.
Yeovil | 01935 423526
Bridport | 01308 422092
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Horton Heath
A 3 bedroom maisonette and restaurant with commercial kitchen and potential for a variety of uses, subject to requisite consents. Freehold. CTB B. EPC s D & C.
A semi detached, extended 4 bedroom period property for complete renovation with a generous garden adjoining Ferndown Forest. CTB C, EPC F, Freehold.
20.42 acres (8.26 ha) of level, productive permanent pasture land adjacent to Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath. Freehold.
A charming 2 bedroom ground floor apartment with parking conveniently situated in the town centre, with parking. Leasehold. Service Charge £4,269 pa. G Rent £30 pa. CTB-D; EPC-D.
Axminster | 01297 33122
Wimborne | 01202843190
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Guide £190,000
Guide £275,000
Fifehead Magdalen
Guide £250,000
Pallington Guide £350,000
Tiverton | 01884 218911
Dorchester | 01305 236237
9.13 acres of freely draining land, predominantly comprising pasture with an element of woodland, located between Wareham and Wool. Freehold.
Motcombe
A semi-detached 3 bedroom property for refurbishment with scope for extension and remodelling (STPP) in a convenient location on the A31. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
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.
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.
A detached mixed-use property comprising a retail unit and a 3 bed maisonette with a garden providing scope for a range of uses or re-development (STPP). Freehold. CTB B. RV £6,100. EPCs G & C.
Blandford Forum | 01258 452670
Blandford | 01258 452670
Christchurch Wimborne | 01202 843190 Guide £375,000
Bradworthy, Devon
Guides £40,000 to £115,000
20.70 acres (12.01 ha) tucked away in a quiet rural position in 3 lots.
Guide £395,000
Lot A – 15.02 ac arable capable pasture land with a gentle south facing slope£115,000
Set in the town’s Conservation Area this is arguably one of Ilminster’s
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.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Traditional stone barn set in 5.97acres. Positioned in a private location with residential conversion opportunity (STPP & relevant consents). Freehold.
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
Lot C – 11.11 ac pasture and strip of woodland with stream frontage - £90,000
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Tiverton | 01884 218911
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Guide £775,000
Horton, Wimborne
Chilcompton Guide £195,000
A partially built 5 bedroom detached house, with double garage and gardens. PP was granted under application reference 2022/1683/FUL. Freehold.
Guide £450,000
74.24 parcels of level and southfacing arable land, arranged in two parcels of 54 and 20 acres, with the added provision of a circa 1,200 sqft barn currently used for the storage of machinery. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Guide £400,000
A 4 bedroom bungalow in need of modernisation throughout, with 0.62 acre grounds, multiple outbuildings and stunning views. Freehold. CTB-E; EPC-E.
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.
Iliminster | 01460 200790
Sherborne | 01935 814488
A mid terrace 2 double bedroom property in need of renovation throughout, with an enclosed rear garden situated close to the town centre. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-D.
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
Dorchester Dorchester | 01305 261008
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
Henstridge Guide £300,000
Fiddleford
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
A lofty workshop with large and level fenced outside space. 0.66 acre plot on the Marsh Lane Trading Estate. Freehold. RV Workshop-£9,600 Yard£12,000; EPC-C. Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Somerford Road, Christchurch
Guide £225,000-£250,000 A detached 2 bedroom cottage for complete renovation, situated in this highly sought after village within Cranborne Chase. Freehold.
Blandford | 01258 452670
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Guide £375,000
Guide £395,000
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.
A detached 3 bedroom character property in a village location with scope for improvement, sitting in a 0.66 acre plot less than 2 miles from Sturminster Newton. Freehold. CTB-F; EPC-F.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Guide £650,000
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.
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.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
LUXURY APARTMENT lively village in Motcombe, Shaftesbury for age 55+. Spacious accommodation, hall, cloaks, lounge/diner/balcony, well fitted kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, 4 piece bathroom. Lovely views. Beautiful gardens. PRIVATE LIVING and great friendly communal facilities as desired. £248,000. Tel: 07305-190818
TO LET 2 BEDROOM HOUSE, Gillingham. Ensuite bathroom and garage. £950. 01963-362182
2 BEDROOM COTTAGE TO RENT, town centre Shaftesbury. Parking optional. £1150 pcm, bills not included. Also, a smaller 2 bed cottage available, £1150 pcm bills included. 12-18months. John 07836 616130
SELF-CONTAINED ACCOMMODATION on quiet farm near Yeovil 01935 892476
INDUSTRIAL UNIT FOR RENT between Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury 1660sqm Gated Park Additional Parking Kitchen Toilet Office 3 Phase Electric Alarm System Personnel and Roller Shutter Door Tel 07966-494112
THE latest research from over-50s property specialists, Regency Living, reveals that homebuyers in England have already paid more than £3.24 billion in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in 2025 (January to August), an amount that would have been saved under new Conservative Party proposals to abolish the tax entirely on primary home purchases.
This year alone, homebuyers have paid an estimated £3.24bn in stamp duty across £116bn worth of residential property transactions in England.
London homebuyers alone have paid more than £1bn in Stamp Duty, followed by the
south east – £771.5 million and east of England – £414.4 million.
Homebuyers have paid the least stamp duty across the north east, but even still this equates to a total tax bill of £40.7m.
Across England, the average stamp duty bill currently stands at £4,593.
But in London, where the average house price reaches £561,587, the average bill stands at £18,079, climbing to £79,914 for the most expensive borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Outside London, the south east sees an average bill of £9,088, with potential savings in the region’s priciest area, Elmbridge, reaching £26,886. At the other end of the scale, the north east records the lowest stamp duty bills, with an average of just £774, based on an average house price of £163,684.
FOAM REMOVAL FROM £995.00
If spray foam is fitted to your property it can mean that it may be unmortgageable, meaning when you come to sell your property the new owners may not be able to secure a mortgage due to the spray foam installed between your afters. If you have spray foam fitted in your roof, if left it can cause rafters and timbers to rot. The spray foam in your roof can be removed by our professional roofing team, rafters will be sanded down and wood filled and treated. Spray foam will be removed from your property and disposed of safely.
Do you have damp patches, stains on the ceiling, water coming into the property? DON’T DELAY! Call Worksmart today on 01963 530544 / 07958 662504. Someone will be with you within 12 hours.
I am a great believer in prevention is better than cure. So my team and I are offering a moss removal service which entails all moss removed and to re-point any defective cement works from ridge line and re-cement any broken gables.
