The West Dorset Magazine Edition 16, September 9, 2022

Edition 16

Friday, September 9, 2022

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Karen Bate News Editor

miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Emma Mitchell Advertising sales manager

Lyndon Wall Cartoonist

emma@westdorsetmag.co.uk

justsocaricatures.co.uk

Contact us: News, letters to the editor and general feedback: newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk Display advertising: advertising@westdorsetmag.co.uk Classified advertising (text ads): classifieds@westdorsetmag.co.uk Sport: sport@westdorsetmag.co.uk Post: 15 Stanstead Rd, Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 0BL

Stuart Wickham Sports editor

Nick Horton Chief Sub

Miranda Robertson Editor

stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk

nickH@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Alana Robertson Classifieds

classifieds@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Dan Goater Reporter dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

( 01305 566336 Contents: News & features Whasson? (events) Church Vittles Down to earth Culture Antiques Letters Home & Garden

4-34 6-13 32 33-37 38-41 42-47 48-49 50 50-53

Constituency issues

54

Politics

54-55

Puzzles

56-57 & 70

Health & Wellbeing 58-60 Business

61-63

Recruitment

63

Sport

64-68

Agriculture

69-71

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

RS! E N N U ST PAGE 3

This posh piggie was snapped at Melplash Show by our Labour Party columnist Claudia Sorin. We couldn’t resist making it our Page 3 stunna!

Submit your Page 3 stunnas to newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022 Melplash Agricultural Society welcomed thousands of guests to its annual show.

Show secretary Lucy Hart said: “It was lovely to have the show back and to see everyone with smiles on their faces having a great time. The last two years have been very challenging, particularly for our show contractors whose work as a result had completely dried up.

“They are very much part of our team, and although the work they do often goes unnoticed the effort and commitment they give us is instrumental to the success of the event. As are our many loyal volunteers who make the day possible. They have, as always, been fantastic and were brimming with ideas for the show and celebrating our 175th anniversary of the society, it was great to see it all coming together.”

Chairman James Vickery said: “It was the most fantastic day. To be able to welcome everyone back after two years’ absence and to see people enjoying themselves was all I could have asked for.

“The show brings the community together, and gives people a real understanding of what local farmers do. The livestock lines were full to capacity, and it was lovely to see the general public interacting with the animals.

“Our Discover Farming marquee was packed with eager youngsters who through the free activities provided were able to learn about food, farming and the countryside, and the important role agriculture plays in all our lives.

“All the main ring attractions were well received and as always, the spectacular grand parade took centre stage.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for making it a very special day.”

The heavy horse class and below, the Etheridge Longhorns. Right, children’s and adult winners in the homecraft tent

So good to have show back RESULTS CATTLE Holstein Female calf under six months: 1st Legge, Sally Dixie. 2nd Whetham, Polly Normandy Crushtime Peachy Heifer, 6-12 months old: 1st Waterford Farm Partnership Frontline Alongside Amazing. 2nd LG Bagg and Partners Huntlodge Cashcoin Dorina Heifer aged 12-18 months: 1st LG Bagg and Partners Shanael Darwin Spottie 2nd LG Bagg and Partners Shanael Renegade Glow Heifer in calf with first calf: 1st Waterford Farm Partnership Willsbro Sidekick Sharon 158. 2nd Cox, Robert, Terry and Mona Hinton Pepper Tonair Heifer, after having her first calf: 1st Cox, Robert, Terry and Mona Holmead Kingboy Socks Dexter Cattle Heifer under 16 months: 1st Bennett, Jason and Millie Cannington Uptopia Cow Dry: 1st Bennett, Jason and Millie Buryhill Maisey Too Bull: 1st Bennett, Jason and Millie Cannington Jacobean.

Young Dairy Handler - Junior: 1st Honeybun, David. 2nd Whetham, Polly Young Dairy Handler – Senior: 1st

Whetham, Polly Pure Breed Beefs Heifer, born 1/1/19 & 31/12/20: 1st Buryhill Dexters Wendy Caradog. 2nd Starlight Charolais Brampton Rainbow Rare and Minority Breeds Bull: 1st Alice Glover Warns Romeo The Best Heavy Horse, In Hand: 1st Chantell Davies Knutsford Elegance.

2nd Trevor Bailey Stapleyhill Timeless The Best Turned-out Heavy Horse in Show Harness: 1st Charlotte Trott Bettws Forest Lad. 2nd Sian Harris Bromford Supreme Miniature Shetland, 3 years old and under, Colt, Filly or Gelding: 1st Debbie Evans Hackpen D’Artangan. 2nd Trudi Ridgers Wotknotts Vera Sheep Small flock (15-30 ewes): Michelle Machin, Walditch: flock of Zwartbles Medium Flock (51-300 ewes): Winner RI Geddes & Partners, Toller Porcorum: flock of Mule x Roussin Large Flock (301 ewes and over): W E Yeates & Son, Swyre: flock of Dorset Rare Breeds Ewe Lamb, born 2022: Geoffrey Barnett Group of Three: SJ and DA Champion Ewe of any age: Chris Stacey Ram of any age: SJ and DA Champion

2022 Farm & Crop competition Small Farm – 199 Acres or Fewer: 1st & Winner of The RM Gillingham Challenge Cup – R I Geddes & Partners, Colesmoor Farm Kitson & Trotman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for the Best Conservation Environmental Practice (Small) – R I Geddes & Partners, Colesmoor Farm Medium Farm – 200 – 599 Acres 1st & Winner of The Borrough Perpetual Challenge Cup – Mr & Mrs Edward and Jo Goodfellow, Higher Silkhay Farm Kitson & Trotman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for the Best Conservation Environmental Practice (Medium) – Chedington Court Estate Large Farm – Over 600 Acres 1st & Winner of The David Williams Bart Memorial Cup – Mr Stephen Raymond, Childhay Organic Dairy Short-Term Cutting Ley: 1st R B Bowditch & Son, North Bowood Farm Long-Term Cutting Ley: 1st Mr James Wallbridge, Bridge Farm Best Field of Winter Wheat: 1st R B Bowditch & Son, North Bowood Farm Best Field of Winter Barley: 1st Symondsbury Estate Best Field of Spring Barley: 1st Mr Andy Sprake, Zephen Farms Ltd

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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Council practice slated by solar firm

By Dan Goater dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

A clean energy company has criticised Dorset Council’s practice of delegating planning decisions to officers as an ‘absolute scandal’.

Enviromena is calling for elected officials – not officers – to decide on its application to build a 40-acre solar farm at Cruxton Farm near Maiden Newton.

Enviromena’s Europe development director Mark Harding said: “It is our view that it’s an absolute scandal that such an important development like Cruxton Farm might be decided, and refused, by an officer under delegated powers rather than having the benefit of due process.

“We are seeking for the project to be taken to committee in the

POWER PLAN: A similar scheme near Winchester

coming weeks and benefit from the democratic process.

“It is our view that renewable developments like Cruxton Farm are absolutely essential to both the local and national cause of providing clean energy. This view, it seems, is shared by a local planning committee at neighbouring Hampshire where in Fleet in July, they voted unanimously 10-0 in favour of our application at Heckfield.

“If nothing else, I am hoping we can persuade Dorset Council to give the decision over Cruxton to elected representatives rather than the Dorset planning officials to ensure the determination process takes into account the prevailing environment which in terms of energy provision, is only going to become more challenging.”

Enivromena claims the Cruxton Farm site would

generate 11.8Mw of electricity per hour, providing enough clean energy to power more than 4,800 homes every year and offsetting more than 3,000 tonnes of carbon production annually.

A council spokesman said: “Local authority decisions are made by elected members but for the council to be able to function on a day-to-day basis the law allows various executive and non-executive functions to be delegated to officers. In addition, there are some functions which the law says must be exercised by specific officers. There is a constitution that sets out the ways in which the officers of the council can make decisions and which decisions they have the power to make.

“It is called the ‘Scheme of Delegation’.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Thursday, Sept 8 b-side Festival returns to Portland until September 11, with 15 major new contemporary artworks designed to celebrate the island’s unique landscape.

The festival will launch on Thursday, September 8 with a performance by climber and poet, Penny Newell. Audiences will be offered silent disco headphones and taken to the cliffs of East Weares for a one off, unique, abseiling poetry recital.

The night will then continue to the backdrop of Pennsylvania Castle and with a performance by The Fantasy Orchestra, which brings together over 50 musicians – both professional and amateur – to create an atmospheric soundtrack to the landscape of Portland.

Over the four-day festival, visitors can expect to dive into a major new augmented reality artwork by Babar Suleman named ‘Requital.

The Lighthouse as the Siren.’ By holding their phones over the Portland Bill Lighthouse, visitors can experience the Grade II listed landmark like they have never before – through a new augmented reality and queer lens, which will see the iconic building brought to life by references to mythical sirens.

There’ll be a long queue for the Gents

The Gentlemen of St John’s College, Cambridge will give a concert at St Peter’s Church, Dorchester at 6.30pm on Saturday, September 17.

The vocal ensemble are internationally renowned – check out their website at gentlemenofstjohns.co.uk Enjoy around 70 minutes of world-class choral singing, then meet the Gents over a glass of prosecco or soft drink In an exclusive screening during the evening of Saturday, September 10, visitors will be led down the coastal path, lit up by glowing lanterns, to Pulpit Rock. Festival-goers will be guided to a cliff-edge viewing point where they can watch Suleman’s film exploring the myth of the siren, which will be projected onto Pulpit Rock, surrounded by the ambient crashing of waves against the cliff sides.

Penny Newell will also be joining b-side’s leading lineup by inviting visitors to

(included in your ticket price).

Booking is essential and tickets, priced £12 or £10 (limited view) are available at ticketsource.co.uk/st-peters-churchdorchester The church often hosts great entertainment – why not follow them on Facebook: Facebook.com/ musicatstpetersdorch or Twitter: @musicatstpeter

join her on the Poetry Ledge, where they can abseil down Portland’s infamous cliffsides to an intimate one-to-one poetry workshop, perched on the rock-face itself. Here, visitors with a flair for adventure will be encouraged to reflect on their experience of seeing the island from a unique, new perspective, and produce their own poetry inspired by it.

Steve Urquhart will also be inviting festival-goers to consider a different side to Portland by showcasing a

unique exploration of what the island sounds like behind the bars of Portland’s Prison with a deep listening soundscape. His immersive audio commission reveals the importance of sound to our current understanding of the world around us, and invites visitors to look at Portland from the inside-out.

The festival will culminate in b-side’s popular Big Portland Parade. Visitors and members of the local community will unite under the theme of ‘Keep Portland Weird,’ which challenges everyone to show off their

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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Whasson? (and where’s it to?) most wonderful and weird costumes. This community parade will take over the island in a musical celebration of Portland’s unique character, landscape, and relationship with all who encounter it.

More info at b-side.org.uk Eyes down for bingo at Dorchester’s Shire Hall at 6.30pm.

Bingo Barry is certain to keep you all entertained and there are cash prizes and a brilliant raffle.

It’s £10 for a book and £1.50 for cash flyer. Refreshments will also be available to buy from Shire Hall Cafe, including teas, coffees, cake and a bar.

Booking is essential! shire-hall-historiccourthouse-museum. myshopify.com or call 01305 261849.

Get ready to laugh your innards out at The Comedy Network at The Corn Exchange, Dorchester, from 8pm-9.45pm.

Enjoy laugh out loud comedy from some of the hottest comedians on the circuit. dorchesterarts. savoysystems.co.uk

Friday, Sept 9 A pottery for the garden session is being held at Puddletown Village Hall at 9.30am.

For £30 you can make a green man, owl or botanical tile for the garden (or an Ooser).

These will be bisque fired, glazed then fired to stoneware temperature. Pre booking only creativeclay forall.co.uk, 07815 819825 or creativeclayforall@ yahoo.co.uk

Drawing Into Life – a sixweek creative course – will be launched at Dorset Museum, Dorchester, by Helen Garrett. The course runs till October 14.

The art course is designed for adults interested in art and archaeology, and is an exciting opportunity to get up close with some extraordinary artefacts in the collection at Dorset Museum. You will be drawing inspiration from prehistoric art including Neolithic flint tools, Anglo Saxon gold, precious burial goods, Roman mosaics, decorative textiles and archaeological maps amongst others, and have the chance to work directly from the Elisabeth Frink collection.

Attendees will develop foundational drawing skills and experiment with a range of materials including earth pigments, graphite, clay, printmaking and painting.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with history in a closely profound and imaginative way. £175 per participant for the 6 weeks.

Book at dorsetmuseum.org/ event/drawing-into-life-6week-creative-course The Portland Office for Imaginary History is running another of its free off-road expeditions, entitled Access All Areas, Part 3, from Reforne, (DT5 2AN) from 11.30am-1.30pm.

Join the Portland Office for Imaginary History’s Ranger Alistair Gentry for an offroad expedition to explore and map Portland’s wildlife and wild places. Designed with and for users of mobility aids, scooters, or trampers.

Priority booking for people who identify as disabled.

All explorers are welcome – everyone will be riding mobility scooters irrespective of walking ability. The tour will start and finish at St Georges Hall, Easton.

Drivers must be 16+.

Booking essential - bring your own scooter or hire one from them for £10.

Free entry: Eventbrite

Cont’d next page Email your events to newsdesk@ westdorsetmag.co.uk

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Saturday, Sept 10 There’s an Autumn Steam Gala at Moors Valley Railway from 10.45am5pm.

Visiting locomotives will run alongside the railway’s own fleet of steam locomotives on a selection of special passenger and freight trains.

Weekend Gala Rover tickets are at moorsvalleyrailway.co.uk The Friends of Holnest Church are hosting Dorset Heritage Open Days at the church (DT9 5PU), on the 10th and 11th September from 10am to 4pm with guided tours at 11am and 2pm each day.

There are exhibitions of locally found pottery and stained glass rescued from the belfry. Refreshments will be available.

All donations go to the Friends of Holnest Church for the upkeep of this historic Grade I listed building.

For further information and to book a tour please contact 01963 210916 Booking is essential as space is limited.

A plant and garden sale will be held at Bridport Millennium Green from 9.30am. Bulbs, books, tubs, etc – anything garden related. If you have anything to donate and would like it collected please ring Sandra Brown, 01308 423078.

Dewflock’s Maize Maze at Dewflock Farm (DT2 8NP) will be open on September 10 and 11 from 10am-4pm.

Trevor the Troll is a funny little soul and lives in the middle of a maze…can you

Celebrating 175 years at match

SOW TALENTED: A contestant in the ploughing competition

Melplash Agricultural Society is celebrating 175 years with a hedge laying and ploughing match – an extra special match with horses drawing the ploughs.

The annual match is taking place on Sunday, 18 September on land at Higher Langdon, near Beaminster.

It all started in the village of Melplash. Legend has it that two farmers in the bar at the Melplash Inn (now the Half Moon) argued whether their carters (the term used for workers who work with horses) could plough better than any other in the area.

To settle their differences each staked the sum of £5 that his employee would do the better day’s work. The contest was held on October 20, 1846, the same day as the Melplash Parish Church was consecrated.

It attracted a great deal of attention and after it was over, there were many more farmers to be heard in the Half Moon asserting that their man could have done a better day’s work than either help Trevor find his groceries that he has dropped on his way back to his home in the middle of our maze?

A chance to come and get lost in the Maize Maze,

of the two contestants. It was decided to form the Melplash Agricultural Society in 1847, so that they could hold an annual ploughing match for the rest of the farming community to compete in. At this time there was a choice of ploughing with horses, or four oxen and the time fixed for ploughing half an acre was three-and-a-half hours!

Ploughing chairman Tim Frampton said: “The annual match is still as competitive as it was 175 years ago. We are expecting a good number of entries this year in both the hedgelaying and ploughing classes.

“Spectators are welcome, and we hope to see many of you there.”

To keep the ancient skill of hedgelaying Dorset style alive, there will be a free hedgelaying taster day on Sunday. September 11 10am-3pm at Higher Silkhay Farm, Netherbury DT6 5NG. Book by email at office@melplashshow.co.uk or call the office on 01308 423337. climb and tumble on the straw play and maybe squeeze a cuddle in with the farm animals – maybe a drive too in the mini Landies? It’s up to you!

Parking and refreshments in

the Pig Shed Cafe.

Macmillan Mighty Hikes Jurassic Coast – are running on September 10 and 11 from Lodmoor Country Park.

Two hikes of 13 miles and 26 miles along the spectacular Jurassic Coast, taking in stunning scenery including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

The full marathon and the half marathon are fully supported with refuelling stops, clearly marked routes and finishers medal and bubbly.

Enjoy a wonderful atmosphere, whilst raising vital funds to support Macmillan Cancer Support. https://bit.ly/3zpSIMR Seafeast - The Dorset Seafood Festival 2022 – will be held on September 10 and 11 from 10am-5pm.

A visit to SEAFEAST – the multi-award-winning Dorset Seafood Festival – offers an amazing opportunity to gain a better understanding of the superb seafood available to us just off our wonderful shores. Watch, taste, learn and enjoy! Book at dorsetseafood.co.uk/book Blackmore Vale Scribes calligraphy group are holding an open afternoon from 2pm-5pm at Bradford Abbas Village Hall.

Go along and see what they get up to, and maybe have a try at calligraphy yourself.

Refreshments available.

Sunday, Sept 11 Melplash Agricultural Society is holding a free hedgelaying taster day from 10am-3pm at Higher Silkhay Farm, Netherbury

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

(DT6 5NG). Call 01308 423337 or email office@melplashshow.co.uk to book.

The 7th Dorchester Jumble Trail will be held from 10am in the streets around Monmouth Road.

By popular demand, there will be a seventh Jumble Trail in Monmouth Road and the surrounding streets.

Residents selling everything from clothes to cakes, books to toys, plants to cars! Come along and find something you didn't know you needed.

There’s an Autumn Charity Plant Fair (with free garden entry) at Mapperton House & Gardens from 11am-4pm.

Admission is £5 with under 5s free, including free entry to the award-winning gardens.

Large number of stalls of specialist plantsmen from all over the region – one of the largest and most popular specialist plant fairs in Dorset.

The Coach House café will be open serving hot drinks and snacks.

Monday, Sept 12 Dorchester Film Society launches its new season at the Corn Exchange at 7.30pm with Phyllida Lloyd’s Herself, an absorbing domestic drama set in Dublin.

Membership of the society is £60 for the full season of 18 films or £40 for the 10 films to be shown this autumn.

For further details and to join online please go to dorchesterfilmsociety.org.uk

Rene Dewhurst of The Horse Course will be talking to the Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild at Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury, DT1 3DF from 2pm-4pm.

The Horse Course is based in Littlemead, Weymouth. It is a local organisation which aims to help both adults and children with mental health difficulties. The horses are trained to give clear and unbiased feedback on mental and emotional self control. Visitors, welcome, £2.50. Queries 01305 832857. Tea or coffee available.

Learn to Dance – Modern Jive (aka LeRoc/Ceroc) sessions are held at Chideock Village Hall on Mondays from 7.30pm10.15pm, cost £6.

New and experienced dancers are welcome.

Fun and friendly group taught by qualified dance teacher Dee Lanning supported by experienced coaches.

Beginners at 7.30pm – come on your own or with friends.

First night free with a ‘Free Class Pass’ from dynamicdance.uk

Tuesday, Sept 13 Ann & Neil are holding their regular Acoustic Night at the Woodman in South Street, Bridport, from 8pm11pm. Solos & duos playing/ singing folk, blues, country & all things rootsy in the round. Material for all to join in.

Thursday, Sept 15 Justine Hopkins will be

speaking at The Arts Society West Dorset Frozen Breath of the Polar Night: An Introduction to Art Nouveau Glass, between 2pm and 2.30pm in Bridport Town Council.

Visitors welcome, £7.50.

perform at Bridport Town Hall, 7.30pm. £8, £7 members, includes glass of wine. In support of the Friends of Bridport Millennium Green. Details Sandra Brown, 01308 423078.

Bridport Broadsides, local male sea shanty group, will

Continued next page

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Friday, Sept 16 Discover Dorchester on a tour of the historic market town.

The event will run from Friday, September 16 to Sunday, September 18, exploring Poundbury and Fordington on Saturday and Dorchester town centre on Sunday.

On Friday 16th, there will be a tour of Poundbury, starting at PiPs Cafe on the Great Field at 2pm.

On Saturday 17th, St George’s Church at Fordington will be open for self-guided tours between 11am and 4pm. There will be guided tours and talks about Fordington, Rev Moule and Thomas Hardy from Mark Damon Chutter, Thomas Hardy Society and Brian Bates will talk and display information about Fordington. There will also be displays about the Mill Street Mission.

On Sunday 18th, there will be free Astounding Inventions displays and activities in Keep Military Museum, Shire Hall Museum, Dorset Museum and the Ancient Wessex Network will be at the Roman Town House. There will be guided tours of Dorchester Prison, the Corn Exchange and the picturesque Antelope Walk as well as craft demonstrations, live performances and trade stands.

Morse code, Naval flags, quizzes and competitions for all the family.

Free event – all welcome.

Saturday, Sept 17 Wool Skate Jam 2022 will

It’s a 9ft fish! On a bicycle!

A fantastically arresting procession featuring a 9ft high illuminated fish on a bicycle is to weave its way through Weymouth for a second year.

The Dusk Till Dark event returns with an ocean adventure on Friday, September 23 from 7.30pm and Saturday, September 24 from 8.30pm, in and around the town centre.

Activate and Inside Out Dorset festival are presenting the spectacle, which they have named Peixos by Surruga. The free to attend event is a spellbinding parade inside an eerie underwater world featuring luminescent sea creatures and gigantic bicycle-powered wizardry.

The parade has been organised in partnership with We Are Weymouth and the town council.

We Are Weymouth CEO Dawn Rondeau said: “The success of our 2021 Dusk Till Dark event in Weymouth was so resounding we knew immediately this should be held at Durbeville Hall, Wool, from noon to 4pm.

Free to enter skate jam event for skateboaders, streetboarders, BMX and scooter riders Menopause Yoga for Anxiety will be held from 2pm-5pm at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre, led by Kim Jones Yoga and Pilates.

An enjoyable and informative workshop is

be an annual event.

“Events such as this bring vast numbers of visitors, benefitting businesses during an otherwise quieter time of year.”

Mayor Ann Weaving said: “It’s fantastic that young people from the town have been able to take part in Activate’s summer school at Weymouth College and learn more about puppet-making, as well as providing great insight into what goes into staging these imaginative, large-scale performances.”

Activate director Kate Wood said: “Following the success of Sense of promised, where you can gain a greater understanding of your health and the menopause at all stages.

This workshop we shall focus on a common complaint of anxiety and overwhelm related to perimenopause. Refreshments will be provided. Tickets £50 from bookinghawk.com

Sunday, Sept 18 St Swithun’s Church,

Unity in our Inside Out Dorset festival last year, we are so pleased to be presenting another show in Weymouth this September. We have a summer of fishy-themed workshops across the area building up to the performances and Sarruga is a fabulous company from Barcelona which is excited to bring its fabulous parade show here in September.”

Art works and puppets created during Activate summer workshops will be displayed in shops throughout the town in the run-up to Peixos.

Allington, Bridport are hosting another popular fun quiz. To reserve a table call 07741 457505.

Six people per team (max) doors open at 4.30pm and the quiz starts at 5pm. £5 a head, reserve a table in advance and pay cash at the door. During the interval there will be a raffle, tea, fresh coffee and cake (included in the price). BYO nibbles and drinks, all proceeds to church funds.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

All welcome and parking available.

is celebrating 175 years this year. Entry is free.

The High East Street Hokey Cokey will start at Tom Browns Pub, Dorchester at 2pm as part of the Heritage Open Day. Check out the pub’s page on Facebook for more details on dance times and entertainment throughout the day.

Messy Church will be held at St Mary's Church, Maiden Newton from 3pm. Craft and science activities for primary age children, food and drink and a story. Just turn up.

Dorset Blind Association Motor Show will be held at Lulworth Castle from 11am4pm.

2022 sees a welcome return for the South's most picturesque automotive event, hosted by Dorset Blind Association and sponsored by Hendy Group.

As the only Motor Show held on the Lulworth Estate, this unique event raises awareness and vital funds to help the charity support the blind and partially sighted people across Dorset.

The Castle Showground, sponsored by Hendy, will be open to the public for free from 11am. Come along for a family fun day and view over 200 fantastic motors on display at the Castle Showground. There will be live entertainment, a kids' fun area, food stalls, a beer tent and local craft and produce stalls.

As this is a free event, all donations are greatly appreciated and enable Dorset Blind Association to keep offering its services in your local community.

A hedging and ploughing match will be hosted by the Melplash Agricultural Society at Higher Langdon, near Beaminster (DT6 3NA) from 9am-3pm. The society

Dorset Fungus Group is leading a guided walk at Thorncombe Woods at 10am – booking essential on 01305 251228 or hardysbirthplace@ dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Join the rangers and @DorsetFungusGroup for a walk around the reserve to identify the fungi found on the day.

Identifiers will be at hand to point out the seasonal fungi and confirm their identification, often with a great story attached.

This foray is aimed at those wishing to know more about local wild fungus and not a harvesting foray.

Suggested donation £5 or free with Dorset Fungus Group membership

Monday, Sept 19 Art History lectures start in Bridport 2pm-3.30pm, in the United Hall, East Street.

This course will focus on ‘British Romantic Moderns’, figurative art for the most part. For example, Glynn Philpott, Lynn Chadwick, John Craxton, Ivon Hitchens, Mary Fedden RA, Robert MacBryde, Gwen Raverat, Patrick Heron, Keith Vaughan, John Minton and some photography and film.

Fee £65 for six consecutive weeks’ lectures (you can catch up on Fridays via

Zoom if you miss a Monday). Tutor is Pam Simpson MA, Associate

Lecturer London College of

Continued next page

Business events The September Bridport Chamber Meeting is at the town council offices, Mountfield in Rax Lane (DT6 3JP) on Tuesday, September 20 at 6pm.

All local businesses welcome including nonmembers.

Come along and introduce yourself to the local business community, free tea and cake! n A cyber crime expert will be the guest speaker

at Dorchester Chamber for Business’s next breakfast networking event.

Chris Conroy, Dorset Police’s cyber crime lead, will talk to business leaders about how to protect their firms from hackers.

The networking event will take place from 7.45am to 9am on September 13 at The Coach House Inn, Winterbourne Abbas.

Tickets are available on the chamber’s website.

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Fashion. To book email chris.pamsimpson@btintern et.com The second title in Dorchester Film Society’s their new season, Master Cheng, is to be screened at the Corn Exchange at 7.30pm. Cheng is a Chinese chef who lands up in a small Finnish town – described as an unashamedly ‘feel-good’ comedy drama.

Membership of the society is £60 for the full season or £40 for the autumn only.

For further details and to join online please go to dorchesterfilmsociety.org.uk

Weds, Sept 21 Come and meet Dorchester and District U3A on their stall by the War Memorial, bottom of South Street, Dorchester from 10am-1pm and find out what is available on your doorstep.

The u3a is a movement of locally-run interest groups for people no longer in fulltime employment and have reached their ‘third age’.

Joining the u3a will give you the opportunity to make new friends, learn something new or further an existing interest.

The group’s over 55 member-run groups / activities range from archaeology and art to Scrabble and weaving.

Membership costs £15 per year and 50p to attend a group meeting. membership@dorchesteru3a .org.uk

Thurs, Sept 22 An art history course starts from September 22, 6.30pm-8.08pm in two parts

Celebrate harvest at your local churches

Bride Valley Churches will be holding a series of harvest services over the next two months.

St Michael and All Angels Church, Littlebredy will hold its harvest service on September 25 at 5pm followed by a supper.

St Mary’s in Puncknowle will host its service at 9.30am on October 2 and St Mary’s in Burton Bradstock will host its service at 10.30am the same day. The Burton with a short break in the middle, online via Zoom, on The 'Late 16th Century and Early 17th Century Painting'. It is about the tail end of the High Renaissance into the 17c period, for example, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Pieter de Hooch, Van Dyke, Ruisdael, Cuyp, Hals, Leyster, Ruysch.

Fee £60, six weeks of lectures.

Tutor is Pam Simpson MA, Associate Lecturer London College of Fashion.

To book email Pam chris.pamsimpson@btintern et.com

Bradstock service will be followed by a harvest lunch bookable at the Post Office.

St Mary’s Church in Litton Cheney is hosting its harvest service on October 2 at 11am followed by a bring and share harvest lunch.

St Peter’s in Long Bredy will host its service at 11am on October 2, followed by coffee.

St Martin’s Church in Shipton Gorge will host Dorset Museum in Dorchester is holding a free quiet opening for adults from 5pm-6.30pm, where sound will be switched off in the exhibition galleries. The event is particularly suitable for neurodivergent adults and those with other sensory challenges, but any adult who would prefer quiet to explore the galleries is welcome.

The number of tickets available will be limited to ensure the galleries are not too crowded.

Book at dorsetmuseum.org/ whats-on

its service at 5pm on October 2 followed by harvest supper in the hall.

Before the service there will be crafts in the church from 4.15pm.

Holy Trinity Church in Swyre will host its service at 6pm on October 2 and Chilcombe church will host its service at 4pm on October 16.

For church services throughout West Dorset see our Church page later in the magazine.

Dorset Museum is holding a talk by Tom Sharpe at 7pm, formerly curator of palaeontology and archives at the National Museum of Wales, and author of The Fossil Woman: A life of Mary Anning, to examine what we know of the life of this extraordinary woman.

It has been said that more has been written about Mary Anning, the fossil dealer of Lyme Regis, than about any other geologist, apart from Charles Darwin. But how much do we really know about her? How much is speculation? And how much is a myth that has developed

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

13

Whasson? (and where’s it to?) through the uncritical telling and retelling of her tale over the course of two centuries?

Separating the facts from the fiction about Mary Anning can be challenging, but her story is a remarkable tale in its own right. This talk will examine what we know of the life of this extraordinary woman, her famous – and less well-known – discoveries, and her part within the wider network of the developing science of palaeontology in the early 19th century, and will seek to dispel at least a few of the Mary myths.

Adults £10, members £8, students £5.

Book at dorsetmuseum.org/ whats-on

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Harvest festival at St Peter’s

PICKET LINE: Billy Bragg with postal workers

A harvest festival celebration will be held at Caundle Marsh on Friday, October 7 at 6.15pm.

The village’s small church dedicated to St Peter and St Paul will be running a service and a bring and share supper afterwards.

The post code is DT9 5LX with signs for car parking off the A3030. The church will be decorated with harvest produce and flowers to set the scene for short readings and a couple of traditional hymns. Open to all. Any produce left over will be auctioned off – cash or cards – all proceeds to the church.

A previous event in July raised £1,136 and £400 of that was given to the British Red Cross Ukrainian Appeal with the remainder for Caundle Marsh church.

Picture: The Invisible Photographer

Billy’s backing for posties Political activist and singer songwriter Billy Bragg supported posties on the picket line at the Bridport Delivery Office.

These postal workers are members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Royal Mail Group workers.

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More than 150,000 workers went on strike across the UK on ‘this historic day for our union’.

General secretary Dave Ward staunchly defended CWU members and insisted that the strike action was absolutely necessary, vowing that the

CWU would continue the fight and would prevail.

“Today was an historic day for the CWU – the first time we’ve ever taken simultaneous strike action virtually right across our membership.

And our members have responded magnificently across the UK.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

15

Hopes lifted in bid to save Bottle Inn

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Potential saviours have come forward to save a historic village pub and restore a raft of community facilities.

Tessa and Julian Blundy hope to bring a wealth of experience with them if their offer for Marshwood’s Bottle Inn is accepted.

Tessa, 66, is a conservation architect and ideally placed to pull the building back from wrack and ruin.

Julian, 65, is a retired carpenter who has worked on many a pub in the past.

Between them, they have been instrumental in saving two other pubs from being turned into homes and they are passionate about retaining old fashioned boozers for the community, alongside offering the facilities desperately needed by village communities.

Their plan, if Bottle Inn owner Pauline Brooks accepts their offer, is to restore the pub, make the function room available for village events and re-establish the shop.

Tessa said: “We are both retired now, and have been planning to move in that direction for quite some time.

“I have first cousins in Marshwood and spent lot of time there as child and went to the Marshwood village school for a short time.

“I am very concerned about the Bottle Inn. Pubs are being lost all the time and we have fought through the planning system in the past to retain two pubs where developers

STILL HOPE: The Bottle Inn at Marshwood in happier times and, right, how it is today

were trying to get change of use for housing – it’s something we’re passionate about.

“We would not open the Bottle as a gastropub – we are trying to retain an old fashioned pub as a community hub.”

She added: “There’s a huge amount of work to do to put the building back together. It would start as a simple ale house. We would liaise with Camra, Historic England and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings during the restoration.

“Most importantly for Marshwood, the Bottle Inn would evolve in response to the needs of the village community.

“We have got skills and enthusiasm to get the Bottle back, and we have made a formal bid to Pauline Brookes, who appreciates our intention to reinstate her pub.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

By Karen Bate karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

A couple who bought the established greengrocers Bridget’s Market in Bridport four years ago are appealing for gardeners to bring in their fruit, vegetables, and herbs – and get paid!

Larissa and Chris Kemm have been running a campaign this year to source as much local produce from gardens and allotments – paying green-fingered locals for their produce.

Now the pair want to give their campaign an even bigger push as economic times are becoming increasingly harder.

Larissa said: “Our community grows so much great produce, and it seems such a shame that so much of it goes to waste and isn’t used. So, we asked our customers to bring in whatever they had – whether it was vegetables, fruit, or herbs.

“We can either pay the market value for it or swap their goods for produce they need. With times being so hard for everyone we thought it might help. We get to sell their produce on, and they get some money or are able to swap it for fruit, veg or herbs that they might need.

“We have been running this local campaign this year to try and get as much local produce as possible from people’s gardens and allotments. It has been going well so far, but we really want to push this throughout the year and not just for the summer.

“We would love the local

Greengrocers appealing for your produce to sell

WE KNOW OUR ONIONS: Larissa and Chris Kemm and staff at Bridget’s Market in Bridport. They’re appealing to gardeners to bring their produce in to sell or exchange

community to grow us things and we hoped that by getting the word out we can source more local goodies rather than having to buy it from the market.

“This saves us fuel costs and we would get fresher produce picked locally rather than travelling around the country.”

Bridget’s Market has been a mainstay of the high street in Bridport for decades.

But when lockdown

struck, and independent businesses began to suffer, Larissa and Chris decided to deliver boxes of fruit and veg to people’s doors.

The uptick was immediate and huge, so the couple carried on their delivery service to people in Bridport and surrounding villages, Chideock, Lyme Regis, Axminster, Weymouth and Portland.

And now, the couple want to help people further as fuel, energy and food soar

in price, and their campaign to swap or pay for people’s produce locally grown is a winwin. n Anyone who would like to register an interest in the fruit and veg boxes or bring in their home grown fruit, vegetables and herbs can message them on Facebook (search for Bridget’s Market Bridport) or call them on 01308 427096.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Oliver reels in a trophy A warm late summer evening greeted the Juniors of Dorchester and District Angling Society.

The four finalists had competed over three qualifying rounds through the summer to try to win the inaugural Knockout title, and it all came to a head on the Stock Pond at Revels fishery.

Faith Stone, Josiah WellsParkes, Oliver Smith, and Jack Copp had just two hours to catch as many fish as they could, and all set out for one species, carp. Jack had a good start, catching a threepound fish almost instantly but was soon caught up by Oliver in the next peg. Josiah crept past Jack too by the end to claim second place.

Despite trying hard, The

Tractor run for church funds A modern tractor owned by organiser James Hiscock

winner at the end and new knockout champion was Oliver Smith weighing an impressive 18lbs 1oz.

Ollie won a trophy and a £20 voucher for Revels tackle shop. For more info about DDAS Juniors, ddasjuniors.co.uk or email juniors.sec@d-das.com.

Membership info at d-das.com.

Broadband savings on offer

People on benefits are being urged to apply for cheaper broadband tariffs.

Citizens Advice in Dorchester and Sherborne is advising people to talk to their broadband providers about moving over to a ‘social tariff’ deal.

A spokesperson said: “As the cost of living crisis develops, a continuing concern is that increasingly it is only possible to contact many key agencies online.

“This seriously disadvantages people who do not have the skills or equipment or the spare income to easily access the internet.

“However the Government has made it easier for people on benefits to apply for discounted broadband via low-cost ‘social tariffs’ many internet providers

17

now offer those in receipt of benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Income Support.

“These packages are priced from around £10 to £25 a month but Ofcom research suggests only 1.2 per cent of the estimated 4.2million households now eligible for these packages has so far signed up.” n Talk Talk is offering existing customers free broadband if they are referred by the Jobcentre. n It’s always advisable to check these social tariffs against deals available to all. We recommend moneysavingexpert.com/ compare-broadband-deals, where superfast in West Dorset starts from £11.99 a month.

The Caundle Marsh Tractor Run is being held on Sunday, September 25, hosted by Di and James Hiscock of the local farming family.

The tractor run will feature vintage and modern tractors starting at 10am from just off the A3030 at post code DT9 5LX with signs showing the way.

The cost will be £10 per tractor which will include a bacon or sausage bap and a cuppa for drivers.

The public is invited to see

the spectacle before drivers set off on a course round the local countryside. All proceeds will be in aid of Caundle Marsh church.

A raffle will be held, including two £50 catering vouchers for Dykes, a £50 meat voucher for Church View Larder, a two night stay for two at the Snug at Caphays, a hamper from Barbers Cheese, a drinks hamper from Di and James Hiscock and a Pot Doodles voucher.

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

A van-based business that sells retro vinyl records has won Dorchester’s Summer of Sunflowers window competition.

The Vinyl Van in Brewery Square heated, cut and shaped vinyl records to create beautiful sunflowers for their window display.

The homemade sunflowers were accompanied by sunflower themed record sleeves to create their winning window display.

Second place in the contest went to The Posh Partridge Cafe in High West Street.

Staff at the café worked with students from Portesham Primary School to create the main sunflowers in their window display.

Third place in the contest went to Fudges Wool Shop in Durngate Street. Their display featured crocheted,

IN THE GROOVE: Close-ups of the Vinyl Van display

Van-tastic shop is sunflower winner

knitted and woven sunflowers.

Helen Moody, from winning business Vinyl Van, said: “We have

enjoyed getting involved in Dorchester’s Summer of Sunflowers. It has been brilliant to see the town looking so bright and

welcoming and to raise money for such worthy causes.”

Dorchester Town Council commissioned local artist Claire Nuttall to create huge aerial sunflowers that have been suspended across the South Street during the contest.

Maiden Castle Farm also brought back its spectacular Dorset Sunflower Trail and Dorchester Town Council gardeners planted several varieties of sunflower in the town’s Borough Gardens.

Money raised through the competition with go to Dorset County Hospital’s Kingfisher Children’s Unit and Cherkasy Hospital in Ukraine.

Donations can still be made at gofund.me /eacdafbe

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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You can make a life-saving difference A life-saving charity is asking for donations during Air Ambulance Week, which runs till Sunday, September 11.

The national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, will see Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance join other air ambulance charities around the country in a campaign called Critical Moments – Life-Saving Difference.

The campaign highlights how air ambulance charities make a life-saving difference in critical moments, by rapidly delivering advanced prehospital care directly to the side of patients when suffering a life-threatening injury or illness.

Last year, Dorset and

HIGH FLYERS: The DSAA team need your support

Somerset Air Ambulance were called to 2,231 incidents – more than six a day on average. Their critical care team also provided 36 time-critical inter-hospital transfers and administered blood products to 41 patients, drastically improving their chances of getting to hospital alive. With no direct Government or

National Lottery funding, they rely on the generosity of the public to help raise their operational costs of over £5 million a year, with every mission costing approximately £3,000.

During Air Ambulance Week, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is asking the public to donate £5 by texting: DSAA to 70085 or online at

dsairambulance.org.uk/ donate or by calling: 01823 669604.

The charity will also be using the week to raise awareness of their work via their social media channels, by sharing some inspiring patient stories and messages from their critical care team, who help to save lives every day.

Fundraising manager Emma Jones said: “Your support this Air Ambulance Week is more vital than ever. We totally understand that times are hard, but every penny we raise during the week, will help us to continue being there for patients when they need us the most. Every donation counts, no matter the amount.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

By Karen Bate karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

A tiny hoglet the size of a thumb has been nursed back to health and now been released thanks to the dedication and love of Chris Legg, who has made looking after sick and injured hedgehogs her life’s mission.

Chris opened Prickly Prickles Hedgehog Rescue in Dorchester in 2019 and since then has taken in some 400 hedgehogs, although Chris has been nursing LOOK AT ME NOW: Pea Pod is now fully developed after being cared for by Prickly Prickles Rescue sick and injured hedgehogs long before then.

But when this tiny little mite was found on a farm and taken to Prickly Prickles Rescue, Chris knew this would be one of her hardest hand rearing hedgehog journeys.

“When I saw how small for him to take the mum, many don’t survive. he was and I weighed formula into his lungs.

“As the days went by, Pea him, he registered just Chris said: “This little Pea was responding well to his 18g, the size of a needed all the feeds, so the next step was thumb, a pink help he two-hourly feeds and skinned, white could get, toileting.” spined, waferand it Pea changed rapidly, and thin baby. And was in just eight days his skin I called him now changed colour, his eyes Pea Pod. He up to were more prominent but stole my me to not yet opened and his heart. make whiskers began to grow.

“The next few sure he As the days passed Pea weeks I knew got all the gained weight and began were going to be help he to look like a little challenging, babies this needed even if it hedgehog. His eyes small need their mum to meant many sleepless opened, he started getting feed and toilet them. I had nights. all his fur and new spines to take over and do all I “Pea had to be kept warm and his little feet and could to keep him alive. on a fluffy heat pad, to claws were developing.

“It was the hourly feeds replicate his mum’s fluffy “He was just adorable,” and to toilet him which belly on his skin. And the said Chris. were the most exhausting. warmth of my hand he “Pea gave me a feeling of “Night and day, syringing loved too. He was just so such an achievement, and him small amounts of cute.

I felt so proud to have puppy formula, and being “Every day was a new day saved his life and see him so small and delicate, you not knowing if he would grow up to be a beautiful have to be so careful not make it. With babies this boy weighing 960g. He to overload his tummy, or small not having their was now Pea Podge.”

Sweet Pea ready for a life in the wild after rescue

Despite Chris becoming very attached to Pea, she vowed from the start that if she nursed him to health, he would have the freedom of the wild, in his natural habitat. The time had come.

Chris said: “Pea was released in my garden where he can roam. There are several highways and hog houses if he wants to stay around although he can go where he wants.

Pea would never have been a pet because no wild hedgehog should be kept as one. Just enjoy them visiting your gardens and feel it is a privilege if they do so.

“Keep them fed and watered and provide sheltered places they can nest in. There always help and advice from rescue centres if you have any concern for any hog.”

Prickly Prickles Rescue, which is self-funding, is based at Chris’ home in Dorchester where she has a well-equipped hospital shed at the bottom of the garden.

Chris is able to keep it going thanks to the generosity and kindness of people who donate to Prickly Prickles, which allows Chris to give her charges the daily care they need. Some hedgehogs stay days, while others might stay for months before they are well enough to be released. n If you would like to donate email Chris at pricklyprickles@ hotmail.com or ring her on 07747 344042.

Chris added: “Donations and help would be very much appreciated.”

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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Cancer group’s anniversary exhibition Bridport’s Living Tree cancer support group is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an art exhibition.

Group co-founders, the late Jo O’Farrell MBE and Jo Millar, developed the service after attending a ‘cancer writing workshop’ at Dorset County Hospital in September 2012.

A spokesperson for the group said that workshop proved to be ‘pivotal’ in inspiring the women to explore their shared belief that a ‘more holistic approach’ to supporting cancer patients was needed in West Dorset.

By the end of 2012 the pair had secured a Macmillan start-up grant, and Bridport’s Friends Meeting House became the regular Friday afternoon drop-in venue for group members.

A Living Tree spokesperson said: “We feel it’s vital to offer support in a gentle and responsive way.

“Over the years, and as group numbers have increased, this has gradually developed into what is now a comprehensive programme of creative activities, Friday drop-in speakers, complementary therapies, mindfulness, yoga, and gentle physical exercise such as ambling, table tennis, swimming, and gardening in their allotment.”

To celebrate 10 years of The Living Tree, the group is hosting an exhibition of creative work in the Allsop Gallery of Bridport Arts

MARCHING ON TOGETHER: Members of The Living Tree on parade and, inset below, founder Jo Millar

Centre until September 10.

There will also be an evening of music and food from Maria’s Pantry for Living Tree members on Saturday, September 10 in Bridport’s WI Hall.

The Living Tree spokesperson added: “The exhibition will be a way of saying thank you to the many local people and organisations who have supported The Living Tree in the last 10 years.

“Since they began, they experienced a flood of generosity from local businesses, therapists, artists, health and cancer professionals and related charities.

“Sadly, Jo O’Farrell died in July 2018, but her courage and passion will continue to inspire them. She would have been overwhelmed by what promises to be a wonderful celebration.

“Now it remains for the

people of Bridport to come and enjoy what the Living Tree group want to show you – that having cancer is life-changing, but can open some surprising new doors,

and allow new friendships to develop.”

Further information can be found on the Bridport Arts Centre and Living Tree websites.

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Villagers are coming together to raise the final £20,000 needed to give their village green a makeover in tribute to a community leader.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched in Broadwindsor to pay for new play equipment to be installed at Bernards’ Place.

“The plan has been almost three years in the making but we’re determined to make it happen,” said Sheila Hawkins, who worked with the late David Leader to put the project together for the Comrades Hall, which owns the land.

“It will be a fitting tribute to David, who died suddenly earlier this year.

“He made such a difference to community and sporting life in the village and brought everyone together.”

The village green scheme forms part of a successful bid to The National Lottery Community Fund.

The bid secured grant funding of £84,000 in total, including funding from Low Carbon Dorset, and £45,000 has been allocated to the village green upgrade.

The remainder has funded improvements to make Comrades Hall more

LOVELY PLACE: Broadwindsor is a thriving community and, inset, David Leader

Target of £20k for villagers in green makeover tribute

WELCOME: The lower end of Bernards’ Place will be opened up for community space

environmentally friendly, with the installation of 36 solar panels and an air source heat pump central heating system, which replaced the old oil-fired one, plus improved insulation.

Dorset Council has granted permission for

new play equipment to be installed at the green.

The existing swings in the park will be removed and a new oak-framed shelter is being installed.

Margery Hookings, who is leading the Crowdfunder appeal on behalf of Comrades Hall Management Committee, said: “Fundraising events are planned but we really hope people and local businesses will support our appeal to meet the shortfall.

“During the pandemic, when we could only go out to exercise, our village green became even more important to us as a

community. Bernards’ Place is something we all treasure. By reconfiguring the space, adding new, inclusive and challenging play and activity equipment, introducing exercise sessions and equipment for all ages, as well as staging community events, there will be something for all of us to enjoy, bringing together people of all ages and abilities, and helping to improve health and well-being.” n To support the appeal, go to crowdfunder.co.uk/ p/broadwindsorvillage greenappeal

Don’t keep mum: Have your say on maternity services Mums are invited to go online and give their feedback on the county’s maternity services.

Dorset Local Maternity Services are conducting research to help improve perinatal physiotherapy care.

Dorset County Hospital clinical specialist pelvic health physiotherapist team leader Chris Leadley said: “This project is an exciting opportunity to improve

pelvic health services across Dorset.

“We want to hear the views of as many people as possible, be they good or bad, as all feedback is welcomed and vital to help ensure that our service meets the needs of local women. Our aim is to build a new pelvic health service by 2024 that will deliver better identification of pelvic health problems and will bring together midwives, specialist

doctors and specialist physiotherapists to share knowledge and improve the support to women during their childbearing years with a longer-term goal of improved lifelong pelvic health.”

Share your experiences at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Perinatal PelvicHealthServicesinDorset or nhsdorset.nhs.uk to follow links to the survey.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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£2.7m upgrade to county’s network for EV charging Dorset’s network of electric vehicle charging points is set to receive a £2.7million upgrade.

Dorset is one of nine areas in England to receive funding from a new government scheme to improve its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. As part of the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, Dorset Council and industry will work together to create an improved vehicle charging network.

These will include onstreet charging points and larger, petrol station-style charging hubs.

As well as a planned 175 fast chargers, this pilot will also include the installation of a small number of rapid or ultra-rapid (50 kW to 150 kW DC) chargers on or near main roads to support en route charging. Charge points will also be located at popular tourist locations.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “We are thrilled to hear the

news that Dorset has been selected to be one of the pilot schemes for the government’s new Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding.

“This funding will allow us to expand the number of public charging points in our county’s more rural areas, supporting our ambitions to get at least 80% of Dorset households to be within a 10-minute walk of a charge point by 2025.

“The pilot scheme is backed by £10million of government funding.

Dorset Council has been awarded £1.62million of the funding with a further £1.08million from industry.

Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said: “We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Cyclists are being asked to join a giant attempt to win a national prize as part of the Tour of Britain.

Dorchester Town Council is asking people to bring their bikes to Kings Road Park at 11am on Saturday, September 10 to help create a giant spinning bike wheel.

The giant spinning bike wheel will be seen by helicopters and film crew following the Tour of Britain through Dorchester, and the council hopes to scoop the Tour of Britain’s annual National Land Art competition.

The council has teamed up with Brewery Square to lay on activities to support the AJ Bell Tour of Britain, as hundreds of internationally renowned road cyclists will pass through Dorchester that day.

The UK’s biggest professional cycle race and free-to-spectate live sporting event will see riders make their way through the town at 12pm in the seventh stage of the competition.

Brewery Square is hosting a cycling celebration event from 10am-1pm on the day. Anytime Fitness will host spinning in the Square, with specialists from Pope Street Cycles on hand to provide bike maintenance advice.

Dorset Police will also be there, security marking bikes for free.

Matilda Manley, tourism development officer at Dorchester Town Council, said: “The AJ Bell Tour of Britain attracts some of the best riders from around the world and a roadside audience of over

PEDAL POWER: Action from the 2021 Tour of Britain. Cyclists wll be passing through Dorchester on Saturday, September 10

Spin to win as top cyclists whizz through county town

1.5m spectators over eight days.

“Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world so this is a great opportunity to show off Dorchester on an international scale.

“I have been working with The Tour team and Visit Dorset to help ensure we get as much promotion for the town as we can. In addition to our exciting activities at Brewery Square and the giant spinning wheel competition, we’ve also been editing and submitting voiceover notes for commentators about all the attractions the riders will pass on

their way through the town.”

Keen spectators can head to Brewery Square or Kings Road Park before 12pm to pick up a free paper flag to wave

and cheer on the cyclists. In keeping with traditional bike rides, people can also bring along a cowbell to chime at their chosen viewing

spot to showcase their support.

There are several key spots to watch the cyclists pass in Dorchester as the route weaves in and around the town. Riders will enter Dorchester via Herringston Road, pass Maumbury Rings – which is ideally located near Brewery Square – and Borough Gardens before turning right at Top O’ Town and the Thomas Hardy Statue onto High West Street, where there will be a sprint stage – a thrilling spectacle which will see riders push their speed to the limit.

Riders will then pass Kings Road Park, onto Icen Way and South Walks Road (past the Elizabeth Frink Dorchester Martyrs Statue), along Prince of Wales Road out to National Trust’s Max Gate and on to Broadmayne.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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26

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Stepping Out, the Bridport-based group helping cancer recovery through exercise, received £500 from the Bridport Branch of insurance company Higos at its charity quiz night.

Instructors Richard Walsh and Jo Perfect were given the cheque at their recent Stepping Out class at Bridport Leisure Centre, with many grateful members present.

Richard said: “It is only with the generous support of organisations and businesses like Higos that Stepping Out is able to continue helping people with their recovery from cancer.”

The group has held twiceweekly classes since March 2015, which are free, open to men and women of all ages and adapted to suit an individual’s activity levels and cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Stepping Out aims to improve strength, flexibility, balance and overall fitness and wellbeing, leading to a more active lifestyle. The group

THANKS: Elaine Street and Alex Hook of the Bridport Higos branch present a cheque for £500 to Richard Walsh and Jo Perfect

£500 for cancer recovery group quiz is right answer

also provides friendship and support and a chance to meet others who are living with cancer.

The organisers, both Level 4 cancer and exercise rehabilitation specialist instructors, are welcoming new members who live in Bridport, Dorchester and the surrounding areas who have a cancer diagnosis.

Along with circuit exercise classes, which

start with the Tripudio flow movement that targets the lymphatic system, there is a chance to take part in taster sessions of Nordic walking, yoga, walking football, table tennis and relaxation.

There are educational talks on subjects such as diet and nutrition and mindfulness and members play indoor bowls on a

regular basis.

If you would like to join, new members will need a doctor or health professional for a referral. n Please email programme manager Jo at j.perfect@bridportleisure. com to arrange an initial assessment.

More information is available at steppingout bridport.co.uk

Jurassic Coast with the most for e-vehicle drivers Motoring along the Jurassic Coast has been voted the second-best road trip in the country for electric vehicle drivers.

Research conducted by Saga found that on a 51mile drive along the Jurassic Coast, electric vehicle drivers have access to 15 charging stations, with an average distance of 3.4 miles between them.

Researchers said several factors were taken into account when creating their

list of the best electric vehicle road trips in the country.

These factors included the availability of charging points en route and how different electric vehicle models compare on the journey.

Figures show that the Tesla Model 3 and Kia e-Niro need only 0.22 of a charge to complete the Jurassic Coast drive.

The Volkswagen ID.3 would need 0.24 of a charge

to complete the trip, while the Nissan Leaf would need 0.35 of a charge. The Audi E-tron S would require 0.26 of a charge.

A Saga spokesperson said: “Road trips were ranked based on the average distance between charging points, identifying the journeys where you’re most likely to have access to a charging point in the shortest time possible.

“With a distance of 51 miles and only 0.22

charges needed, a road trip along the Jurassic Coast, the outstanding UNESCO world heritage site, is ranked the second-best road trip for electric vehicle drivers.

“The Lake District’s ‘Land of the Lakes’ route is the most electric vehicle friendly road trip in the UK. “It’s the road trip where you’re most likely to have a charging point to hand in the shortest possible time.”

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

27

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AS IT WAS: Cattistock Lodge when it was well maintained

Fresh application for ruined lodge A new application has been lodged to create homes from the ruins of Cattistock Lodge.

The once fine home, built in the Victorian era after being moved to make way for the railway line, has been left to rot for a number of years. The whole building is in a state of collapse, after the death of its former owner Margetta ‘Peggy’ Soulsby.

An application to convert the main house to seven dwellings and build three mews houses last year was turned down as a formal ecological survey had not been carried out.

Now a reduced scheme for the main house to be converted into seven dwellings has been submitted, along with an ecological survey, which notes the presence of bats.

The surveyor says: “Bats are present in the main building on site and bats are foraging and flying through the site. Bat activity surveys have been carried out and a European Protected Species Licence (EPSL) will be required.”

They added: “Greater and Lesser horseshoe bats are using the main building of Cattistock Lodge to roost.

“Both bat species were seen leaving the building on the SW side through a doorway and two windows, although

the surveyors cannot be certain that all bats emerging from the building were seen due to complexity of the building and the inability to see every elevation clearly. These two species together with both Common and Soprano pipistrelle bats were also seen and/or heard commuting through the site.”

The surveyor said it was not possible to carry out a full survey due to the dangerous state of the buildings.

Mitigation will be needed to protect badgers who may use the site, though there was no evidence badgers were present.

Further measures must be put in place for nesting birds, otters and hedgehogs.

The plans will include bat boxes on trees, integral bat bricks in the buildings, integral bird bricks, bird boxes, on trees in the grounds, a reptile hibernacula, hedgehog houses and bee bricks. The gardens will be landscaped with native fruit trees and species good for pollinators. An ecologist will oversee the installation of all these measures.

The plans, numbered P/FUL/2022/05175, are now out for consultation before being decided by a planning officer under delegated powers.

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28

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

By Karen Bate karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

We all know that music is medicine for the soul and in Sherborne, folk music is thriving. Sherborne Folk Band is attracting music lovers from across the patch and is led by Julia Catovsky, who launched this merry band five years ago in 2017.

Julia, a teacher by profession, has played folk music sessions with informal groups for more than 25 years, originally belonging to The West London Folk Band. She also plays in the band of the Morris side, Treacle Eater Clog.

When she moved to Sherborne, she missed the group West London Folk Band so much she decided to start a new one, here in Dorset. And for the last five years she has created a fun and supportive workshop environment, where members learn ‘by ear’ an eclectic set of tunes, getting their feet tapping and instilling confidence so they feel happy to perform in public.

Julia said: “Sherborne Folk Band is a community band now in its fifth year and going from strength to strength.

“The band meet monthly to learn new tunes and, also to play through the repertoire of tunes the band has acquired over the five years it has been running. I teach folk tunes, harmonies and chords aimed at all levels of musicians playing acoustic instruments.

“During the workshops the tunes are taught by

STRIKE UP THE BAND: Sherborne Folk Band perform at the bandstand

It’s the sound of music as folk flocking to folk band

TAKE IT FROM THE TOP: The band in their new tops and, left, band leader Julia Catovsky

ear but sheet music and audio clips of the music are sent out in advance to participants.”

The band is very friendly.

Many members have been part of the folk group since the first day it started and they welcome and support new musicians.

The band plays a range of traditional tunes from the UK and Europe, which Julia arranges in a way which adds interest

for the audience.

The Sherborne Folk Band has performed on the Harbour Stage at Wessex Folk Festival 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Pack Monday Fair, Sherborne Festive shopping day and at the Open Mic Night at Guggleton Farm Arts.

The band will be performing at the Sherborne Monthly Market in Pageant Gardens on Sunday, September 18 at 11am.

Julia added: “Why not pop along and have a listen?” n Sherborne Folk Band meet on a Sunday afternoon between 1.30pm and 4.30pm once a month at Digby Memorial Hall between for a workshop.

The next one is Sunday, September 18.

Further dates are: Sunday, October 30 Sunday, November 20

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Plenty to see, do and enjoy in a tour Make like a tourist and follow GODFREY HALL as he visits Lyme Regis, Bridport and Weymouth Hop on the Jurassic Coaster and make your way to Lyme Regis getting off in the centre of the town.

Alternatively take your car along the A35 to Lyme Regis and then left onto the B3165 Uplyme Road and into Lyme Regis arriving at the top of the town.

Turn left into Hill Road and then make your way past the police station turning left into the Woodmead Car Park (toilets can be found in Woodmead Hall).

You can also sometimes park along the road as you approach the car park, but regulations apply and you may find you don’t have enough time to enjoy the town and the Cobb.

Walk down the hill to the bottom and take a right turn on the footpath which takes you along riverside walk and the River Lim/Lym towards the Town Mill complex where you find several shops and places to eat.

After this take a right again into Coombe Street and walk down into the town passing by the bakery on the right.

Once on the main road turn right and cross the car park onto the front and follow the road which leads onto the Esplanade and then to the Cobb

GO WEST: Monarch’s Way between West Bay and Bridport and, below, signs at Lyme Regis and, right, the riverside walk

where you can climb the breakwater, weather permitting and walk out along the top for some of the best views in Lyme. If the time is right, you should also stop by

Jane’s Café which is at the end of the front.

It has plenty of seating inside and out and some splendid deals including breakfasts using local sausages and bacon.

Prices are extremely competitive and the service and quality of food is excellent.

The Cobb has been the location for a number of films including recently Ammonite with Kate Winslet as Mary Anning the palaeontologist and Wonka when they sprayed the Cobb with foam to create instant snow.

Lyme has lots of geological connections and

its own dinosaur museum, which you will pass on your route in from the car park.

I would suggest buying three hours to the car park to give you plenty of time to enjoy Lyme’s delights.

My second suggestion is a walk from West Bay into Bridport along the Monarch’s Way which is said to be the route Charles II took when he escaped in 1651 after being beaten at the Battle of Worcester.

Over 625 miles long the Monarch’s Way meanders around the countryside.

The Yeovil Loop it is called extends down to Charmouth where Charles

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

31

of some of our picturesque resorts

THE FIRST RESORT: Weymouth’s Punch and Judy show on the beach, the famous Town Bridge and beautiful harbour are all well worth exploring

was hoping to escape to France.

Unfortunately, when he arrived the town was full of Parliamentary troops and he was forced to retrace his steps.

This part of the route actually starts and ends in the village of Trent near Yeovil.

Go over the bridge in the centre of West Bay and take a right into the Parkdean caravan site (Part of the public right of way).

Follow the bottom road towards Bridport.

This then becomes a footpath which crosses several fields and goes under the A35 ending up

by a white cottage on the left.

Here you can either continue along the track or take a right along the river Brit. At the end of the track or path, you will come into a road just by Palmers Brewery.

Turn left and followed the road a short distance until you come to the Bridport FC ground.

Turn right across the car park and join the footpath which passes by the grounds, some impressive graffiti and open playing fields. Turn right across the footbridge and then left just after the bowls club which will then bring you

past some cottages and onto the road which takes you to the car park at the rear of Waitrose and the bus station.

If you prefer after you leave the bowls club, take a slight right through the Community Orchard and onto the road leading up to Bucky Doo Square where you will find Bridport Town Hall.

If you go this way, stop and look at the Electric Palace on your right which is an art deco building built in the 1920s and now restored and used for concerts and films.

The town is famous for rope making and the

Charter Market which takes place in the wide sweeping streets used at one time for drying ropes.

Notice the Ropemakers Pub near Waitrose and do stop for a coffee at Gelateria Beppino next to the bus stop on the other side of the road.

The route is much prettier way of getting from West Bay to Bridport than taking the roadway.

It has probably been used for hundreds of years and whenever I walk this route, I imagine how it might have been to use this path several hundred years ago.

My final idea is to take the Jurassic Coaster or car to Weymouth and then explore the main beach and the town on the other side of the river next to the lifeboat station.

Walk from the car park or where you get off the bus at the Kings’ Statue past Marks & Spencer and through the town until you come to the river. Turn right and go up and across the lifting bascule bridge (A moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing) onto the other side where you will find some intriguing shops and cafes.

Weymouth’s wonderful beach is great for families and is in close proximity to the railway station which links the local towns and Yeovil.

Well, that’s it. Join me next time when we venture further afield to the West Bay’s twin town of St Vaast la Hougue in Northern France.

32

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Church

Care for others is mark of a good leader

By Canon Deb Smith, Team Rector of Bridport You may have noticed that there has been a leadership race on – and our news headlines are filled with claims of who is the best person for the top job.

Even among the disciples this jostling for position – or the question, who is the greatest – took up much energy.

And when Jesus took the wind out of their sails by suggesting that greatness might have something to do with being last and servant of all, it turned everything upside down. Jesus is like that.

If being great, holding the number one position, means being last of all and servant of all, then we have completely misunderstood what greatness is really about.

Services Sherborne Abbey Weekday Services Monday to Saturday at 8.30am, Morning Prayer - The Sepulchre Chapel Every Monday at 9am, Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Tuesday at 12noon, Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Wednesday at 10.30am, Holy Communion with Homily – The Lady Chapel Every Thursday at 12noon, BCP Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel Every Friday at 9am, Ecumenical Holy Communion - The Lady Chapel The first Friday of the month at 9am, Requiem Holy Communion - The Sepulchre Chapel Every Saturday at 9am, Holy Communion - The Sepulchre Chapel Sunday, September 11 Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy

Jesus is asking us to reframe our understanding of greatness.

What does it mean and look like for you and me to be great in today’s world? That’s the question.

Jesus answers that question by taking a little child in his arms and saying to the disciples: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

The child is a symbol of vulnerability, powerlessness, and dependency. The child in Jesus’ day had no rights, no status, no economic value. The child was a consumer and not a producer. Greatness, Jesus says, is in welcoming and receiving into our arms one like this, regardless of his or her age.

With the growing sense of fear about how some of us will manage as the

Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong St James the Great in Longburton: 10am Family Communion St Martin of Tours Lillington: 10am Holy Communion St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am Holy Communion St Mary Magdalene: 11.15am Holy Communion Cheap Street: 6.30pm Taize Service Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion Shipton Gorge: 9.30am Breakfast Church Swyre: 11am Holy Communion Litton Cheney: 9.30am Holy Communion Littlebredy: 11am Holy Communion Each week a service is recorded by a member of the clergy team. Listen to this by calling 01308 293062.

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cost-of-living crisis bites, perhaps greatness is to be found not in what we have accomplished and gained for ourselves but in what we have done and given to “the least of these” Our greatness is revealed in our service and care of others regardless of their ability or willingness to pay or return the favour.

Greatness comes to us when we share with others who have nothing to share with us, when we respond to the needs of others.

That’s the life Jesus offers us.

This kind of greatness happens in the simple, ordinary, and mundane.

It often goes unnoticed and unnamed, but it keeps community together.

10.30am Morning Worship and Junior Church Powerstock, St Mary the Virgin: 11am - Benefice Eucharist Broadoak, St Paul’s: 6.30pm Evening Prayer Halstock: 10am Morning Prayer Melbury Osmond: 9.30am Holy Communion Frome St Quintin: 11am Baptism Maiden Newton: 9.30am Worship Service Sunday, September 18 Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy Communion, 9.30am Parish Eucharist, 6pm Choral Evensong St Martin of Tours Lillington: 10am Morning Service St James the Great, Longburton: 10am Family Communion St Paul’s at The Gryphon: 10.30am All Age Worship St Mary Magdalene, Castleton: 11am Mattins 9.30am Family Service Chilcombe: 6.30pm Evening

Prayer Swyre: 11am Morning Worship Puncknowle: 11am All Age Holy Communion Litton Cheney: 9.30am Morning Prayer Long Bredy: 9.30am Morning Worship Corscombe: 10am Morning Worship West Chelborough: 9.30am Holy Communion Evershot: 10am Holy Communion Melbury Bubb: 11am Holy Communion Maiden Newton: 9.30am Holy Communion, 3pm Messy Church Chilfrome: 11am Harvest Service Dorchester United Church: 10.30am Morning Worship and Junior Church Puncknowle and Swyre: Breakfast Church will be held at the Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington Village Hall (in Puncknowle) from 9:30am -10:30am on September 25, and then every fourth Sunday.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

33

Vittles (food & drink)

Teatime! Town officially takes the cake

By Dan Goater dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Dorchester is officially one of the best places in the country to enjoy afternoon tea.

According to research conducted by care home provider Lottie, the county town ranks number seven on the top ten list of places in the UK to enjoy a cuppa and a cake.

Researchers used a range of metrics, including aggregated online review scores and pricing, to determine Dorchester scores a 7.73 out of ten on its ‘overall afternoon tea’ rating.

The analysis showed that while Dorchester has some

SLICE OF THE ACTION: The cakes at The Horse With The Red Umbrella, left, and the Cabin, right

of the more expensive afternoon teas in the top 20 list, the town ranks fifth overall for quality.

A Lottie spokesperson said: “With 61 per cent of its cafés serving afternoon tea,

Dorchester achieves impressively high scores for its online ratings – 9.08 out of 10 – while its pricing scores 7.92 out of 10.

“Overall, the town’s total score is 7.73 out of ten,

putting it in seventh place on our list.”

Beyond the facts and figures behind the research, what is it that makes the county town such a great n Continued next page

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34

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Vittles (food & drink)

Head to destination Dorchester for the n From page 33 place to come to for afternoon tea?

For most café owners in the town, the answer seems to be a combination of the natural beauty around Dorchester and the friendliness of the town’s people.

“Dorchester is a convivial kind of town,” said John Fiori, owner of The Horse with the Red Umbrella.

“Everybody around here is very friendly, and we have beautiful countryside all around us. All of that lends itself to an enjoyable afternoon tea.

“All of our cafes and restaurants in the town have a comforting old-fashioned

POSH NOSH: The Posh Partridge in High East Street serves up some wonderful food

style to them, which is especially true of us, since we’ve been here since the 1970s.”

Emily and Murray Pullman, who opened the Posh Partridge café in High East

The Cabin at Wardon Hill Emporium

Street six years ago, share John’s sentiment about Dorchester being a great place for afternoon tea.

Emily said: “I think the town appeals to visitors because of its heritage and

coming into the Posh Partridge for a good cup of tea and a cake is something that’s really nice to do after a day exploring the town.

“We offer a lovely selection of homemade cakes and

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

35

Vittles (food & drink)

e delights of the best afternoon teas other treats made using local ingredients, which again brings a bit of the local heritage into what we do.

“We’ve been running the Posh Partridge for six years now and I really enjoy it. I love talking to the customers and serving them good food, I like the hustle and bustle of running a busy café.”

Jackie Trickett, who runs the Cabin café at Wardon Hill Trading Post in Long Ash Lane, said: “I think we’ve proved popular because we serve a great range of homemade cakes and scones and we offer a really good service.

“Customers like that what

SUP UP: Left, the vintage tearoom at The Three Compasses, Charminster, above, where you can have tea or gin served in a bone china teapot

we offer is homemade.

“We’re a bit outside of Dorchester so I think the environment and the setting are a draw for people.

“If you’ve spent the morning or afternoon here

shopping, it’s nice to stop in here for a tea and cake afterwards – recharge the batteries a bit!”

Even the pubs are getting in on the act.

Tina Dixon, who runs The

Three Compasses in Charminster with husband Rob, opened a room in the historic coaching inn as a vintage tearoom, where you can get tea – or gin – served up in a bone china teapot!

Cafe and outside catering A family-run business offering breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, plus outside catering for any event

Book your afternoon tea:

01305 342024

Afternoon tea: selection of hand-cut sandwiches, homemade cakes and patisserie, scones with cream and jam with a pot of tea.

Must be booked 24 hours in advance All freshly home made

Open 9am-3pm Mon-Sat: 29 High East Street, Dorchester, DT1 1HF

36

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Vittles (food & drink) Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

According to the meterological office tomorrow is officially the first day of autumn, although the autumn equinox is not until later in the month.

The evenings are now noticeably closing in and although not yet experiencing ‘Seasons of mist’, we have plenty of mellow fruitfulness.

At this time of year fruit and vegetables are plentiful, rich in colour and sumptuous in flavour it’s almost as if mother nature herself is saying: “Take full advantage”.

For many years I experienced France at its most rural.

Southwest France at the time was relatively undiscovered and the locals viewed us initially with an eclectic mixture of amusement and caution, it was a cultural tsunami. This was the area of sunflowers and vineyards of buttermilk walls and pan tiles, miles from the nearest road, the deafening silence disturbed only by the sound of cicadas.

Our village consisted of six ‘chimneys many

Time maybe to resurrect this tradition to combat hard times ahead.

It took a few years but eventually trust was gained and we became very much part of the commune we knew our acceptance was complete when invited to place food in the inaugural lighting of the newly renovated village oven.

GOLDEN, DELICIOUS: Almond Apple Tart

Harvest the taste of early autumn

houses were derelict skeletons from decades of neglect. Some of the houses were owned by Les Parisiennes who were viewed with equal caution, arriving in their smart cars with their elegant haut couture and distinctive gaudy dialect.

Gardens unchanged for decades produced their winters feasts, produce was harvested kitchens became industrious hives of activity it

was a family event.

Vegetables and fruit were bottled, some preserved in Olive oil, tomatoes as big as melons were chopped, made into rich passatas or ratatouille.

Our ancient Victoria plum tree groaned each year with a profusion of the sweet, amethyst-coloured jewels.

Late summer was a time for preparing for winter, instinctive some could say.

Almond Apple Tart 3oz butter softened 3oz caster 2 eggs beaten 3oz ground almonds 1 tsp almond extract 3 red eating apples Readymade short crust pastry Line a tart dish with the pastry Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs, then add the ground almonds and almond extract and blend until well combined.

Spread the frangipane filling evenly on top.

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Danish Apple and Prune Cake

made them sound like a public convenience.

This is a very moist, rich and indulgent dessert cake that has its origins in the glorious days of Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright.

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Ingredients for the batter 140g/5oz butter 200g/7oz caster sugar 2 eggs 85g/3oz self-raising flour 115g/4oz ground almonds 125ml/4floz milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon boiling water

½ teaspoon baking powder Toppings 8 stoned prunes, chopped 115g/4oz shelled walnuts, finely chopped and mixed with 2 tablespoons of sugar 2 apples, cored and sliced 3 tablespoons sugar Ground cinnamon butter Method Whizz up the batter ingredients in the

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9 , 2022

37

Vittles (food & drink) Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside her home in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram.

US pancakes flipping lovely American Style Pancakes American pancakes (or flapjacks as they are often known in the USA) are very different from our ‘English’ crepes.

Fat and fluffy, they can be served for breakfast with bacon or sausage, or blueberries or raspberries.

Alternatively, make a delicious dessert by slicing figs to put on top and serve with ricotta cheese or natural yoghurt.

They’re quick and easy, so why not give them a try this weekend?

Serves 4 200g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar 3 medium free range eggs 25g melted butter (plus a little extra for cooking) 200ml milk vegetable oil, for cooking Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl.

Lightly whisk the eggs and pour into a well made in the middle of the dry ingredients.

Follow this with the melted butter and milk. Whisk together until smooth (if it is lumpy push through a sieve).

Decant the batter into a jug and leave it to settle for 10 minutes.

Heat a tablespoon of oil and the extra butter in a frying pan on a medium heat.

Once the oil is up to temperature (the butter will be frothy) pour in a round of

the batter (approx 7cms) it will spread as it cooks.

Sizzle for approximately two minutes until the base takes on a light brown colour and the surface is full of bubbles.

Flip it and leave for a minute until cooked through. Repeat until the batter is used up. If you need to the pancakes can be kept warm by putting them, lightly covered, in an oven on a very low heat.

If you would like to add fruit to the pancake then throw in approximately 125g berries or chopped fruit once the batter is rested and cook as directed. n Lizzie sells her wares at The Old Ship Inn, Upwey on Saturday mornings and at various markets. If you are interested in finding out more check out her web page lizziebakingbird.co.uk or on instagram lizzibakingbird

with Diana Holman food processor and pour into a lined 25cm/10in round cake tin.

Place the prunes on the batter, and spoon over the walnut and sugar mixture.

Arrange the sliced apples on top of the walnuts.

Bake in a preheated oven 190C/170C fan oven for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle the surface with

sugar and cinnamon and dot with butter. Bake for a further 20/25 minutes till a skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the tin.

Does wine really improve in time?

WINE: With Jack Priestley, manager of wine merchant Morrish and Banham’s Dorchester shop.

Do wines improve with age?

That common phrase – to age like a fine wine. But do all wines get better with age?

First of all, what does it mean for a wine to age and why might we do it?

To age wine refers to storing a bottle for an extended period.

The hope is that over the years it will evolve, both in the flavour profile (developing more interesting and diverse flavours) but also texturally on the palate, (some wines can appear a bit tough or tightly wound in their youth, and a bit of time helps them to relax and expand).

Wines characteristically high in acidity or tannins (or both) have the best ageing potential.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling are two of these.

Acidity and tannin preserve the wine, providing a frame so even as these diminish over time, great older wines should still have freshness and body to carry all the intriguing flavours that develop.

The vast majority of wines are unlikely to get better with any extended time in bottle, though. Most wines are produced for early consumption, meaning they are best drunk whilst they are young, bright and youthful.

Young wines typically have vibrant, fruity characteristics; this is why we enjoy them so much! So when you purchase your average bottle of Cotes du Rhone or Chardonnay, the wine will keep in pretty good condition and stay reasonably fresh for a couple of years, but I’d steer clear of tucking it away for any longer.

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Down to earth

BEACHCOMBING with JO BELASCO BA Hons History of Architecture and Design

In theory Church Ope Cove on Portland should be a treasure trove for beachcombers.

The density of historical buildings including a15th century castle and a 13th century church perched above the beach suggest goodies.

The cove itself was a wellknown smuggling spot and there have been many a ship wreck in the infamous tidal races.

While I did spot cute lizards on the long walk down to the cove I did not see a glint of sea-glass or quartz anywhere.

The pebbles are more boulder-like on the beach, where years of quarrying work have replaced the once apparently sandy beach with chunks of stone.

Possibly, as with West Bay, the treasure is buried too deep for us to get our hands on.

To double-check it was not just me, I viewed many YouTube videos of metal detecting and beachcombing at Church Ope Cove online. This search only confirmed my suspicion – there is not much there.

However, during the same search I stumbled upon another claim to fame for Church Ope cove – it is the first noted place where the Vikings invaded in

STONE ME: A fossil found climbing up from First Beach on Portland

Church Ope Cove with stone boulders and beach huts, part of the ruins of old St Andrew’s Chruch and, right, the path down to Church Ope Cove

Where there’s Ope, there’s a lot of history to discover England. Visions of finding battle-dropped Norse runes, Plantagenet coins and Tudor buttons all in one gorgeous day flashed through my mind.

I could almost hear the pirate ghost of the Flying Dutchman from Sponge Bob Square pants laughing at my daft expectations.

At the top of the walk down to the cove sits Portland Museum.

Next visit I will start my search with a thorough local knowledge data grab

from here. Until then I was guided by the geologist Ian West’s fabulous websites: wessexcoastgeology.soton. ac.uk/Portland-IsleGeological. He had me at ‘Celestite’ – what a beautiful name for a mineral. I suspect if Ian West was taking the same path I did he would be able to detect a spectrum of gems which I do not notice.

He speaks of Portland Alabaster and black magnetite pebbles and I can only dream of

developing the knowledge to be able to spot them!

It’s enough for me that they are there. It ignites the fire in the rock hound that I am.

Ian also mentions trace fossils at the cove and reminds us that it is a Site of Special Interest, so no hammers allowed.

Although I did not spot any fossils at Church Ope, on another visit to Portland climbing up from First Beach I took this photo of a fossil found climbing up from First Beach.

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Down to earth Earth-loving poets are being called to add their voice to a wall of words for the West Dorset Friends of The Earth’s Great Big Green Week.

The group is hosting a week of events to highlight the climate emergency, including an opening event with stalls, refreshments, picnicking and music on Saturday, September 24 from 10.30am-3pm at the Millennium Green.

The theme for the week focuses on local acts of restoration: for our land, our rivers, our seas and how these actions can serve to restore our own hope, energy and perspective.

Many of the events are still being planned, but events from Bridport Tree Planting, Bridport Town Council, Bike through Town, visit a beaver’s lair, a refreshing swim in the sea on the closing weekend are on the calendar and more will be added in the next couple of weeks.

One event starts now.

The group is asking

DOWN TO EARTH: Looking after our land is just one of the many topics during West Dorset Friends of the Earth’s Great Big Green Week

Do the write thing to help the Great Big Green Week people to write a poem, share your favourite quote, or draw a cartoon.

Scott Morrison of West Dorset Friends of the Earth, said: “Tell us your hopes, your worries, your anger or determination.

The Friends of the Earth has a number of ongoing projects on the go. Here are a couple of them: n In autumn 2019 Bridport Tree Planting partnered up with WD FoE to plant trees in the area. Their aim is to encourage and help people plant trees: to reinvigorate our climate and wildlife.

The group can provide trees at low cost or no cost in small numbers to the community of and around Bridport, provide help with planting and procurement, and give advice.

They are cooperating with other planting groups, nurseries and tree

“They will be displayed at the opening gathering on a wall of words and randomly about town.

“Join in, we are all in this ride together.”

Entries should be emailed to jenny@thehacketts.uk

management experts, and have a community nursery for saplings at Riverside Gardens. Anyone with small trees to donate? Or with spaces for planting? Contact Joe on joe@thehacketts.uk n Plastic Free Bridport is a campaign to rid Bridport of as much single-use plastic as possible. Run

by Surfers Against Sewage, it provides a set of instructions for a town to attain plastic free status. In August Bridport achieved this, having recruited 18 businesses to join in and 32 community allies.

or handed in at the tourist information centre.

Entries can be handwritten, typed, signed or anonymous. n Go to westdorsetfriends oftheearth.org.uk for more information

The group’s 18 Business Champions have removed at least three different plastic items from their normal practice. Together with our allies they help raise awareness of the massive environmental and health problems emanating from plastic pollution.

Their next scheduled event is our autumn Street to Sea litter clean on Sunday, October 16, which will clean the streets of Bridport, the riversides of the Brit and the beaches of West Bay. If you want to sign up get in touch with Mayor at ianbark@icloud.com

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Down to earth

Hell of a village with Beelze-Bubb PAGAN VIEWS

by JO BELASCO

About five years ago we were house hunting around the Evershot area.

Melbury Bubb is not really a village you can find yourself in by accident, but we were A GOOD SIGN: A fingerpost from a recent visit and, right, the downs above Melbury Bubb nosing around the area and couldn’t resist checking out this funny YOU’RE sounding place.

WELCOME: The T-junction where you The House turn into the cul-de-sac of at Hell Corner at Melbury Bubb is named Melbury Hell Corner, as you can Bubb see from the photo.

The house on the corner has a large sign with Hell House on it.

I was trying to explain to our sons that the hell in the name was probably more to do with hel from the Greek word Helios, meaning sun. Trying to counter their excited imaginations with images of the sun rising and the rays lighting up the pathway.

No, they preferred scaring FONT-ASTIC: The magnificient font at St Mary’s and, right, the animals on the font each other with lurid stories of gateways into hell fire in darkest West beyond the church are the could entertain the idea ordered the already Dorset. hollowed out Dorset Downs crested that early Anglo Saxons The die was cast. totem/column on the hill with woodlands. (or more likely in my What we may have found top to be rolled down and Inside the church my mind Pagan Celts) were quaint was now a bit into the church. favourite find was the reluctant to stop dancing spooky. There was no Just to make the whole wonderfully sculpted round the column-cumobvious place to park and scene a little odder the Anglo-Saxon font. totem pole and sit quietly not a soul about. It is a carving on the font is A menagerie of animals in the church, I could not beautifully well-kept upside down. including a stag, a bird, a quite believe that a village with some So, did they do this on dolphin, a horse and a dog column would have been gorgeous trees and purpose for practical decorated the surface. The hollowed out to make a architecture. reasons? information sheets told us font?

The church has a fortress- that this object had once Or was it done in the same I thought it more likely vein as that Hammer like wall around it with been a column which had that the Pagans were Horror staple – the upside tall gates which block been hollowed out to resisting the pull of the down cross? your view. Looking create a font. While I church so the vicar

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Down to earth

Record numbers of hummingbird hawkmoths Sally Cooke lives in Tolpuddle with her husband, two grown up sons and her spotty rescue dog. You can follow Sally on Instagram at Sparrows in a Puddle There’s a particular garden visitor that I’m always thrilled to see. My mum has phoned me in excitement when she’s seen one, friends have shared little clips of video on social media and my cousin even planted up a flowerbed specially to attract them. The hummingbird hawkmoth looks and behaves so like a tiny hummingbird that the RSPB has a special page devoted to them on their website, calling them one of the most remarkable cases of mistaken identity in the animal world.

Hummingbird hawkmoths are chunky, day-flying moths with brown spotted abdomens and bright orange hindwings.

They are summer visitors to Dorset, migrating up from southern Europe. The long spell of warm southerly winds this summer has meant that record numbers of this amazing moth have visited our gardens. The British Trust for Ornithology (another organisation more associated with birds) has recorded a four-fold increase in garden sightings compared to a typical summer.

In my garden, the hawkmoths are most attracted to red valerian, a flower species introduced in the 1600s and now naturalised in the UK, often seen growing out of walls or bits of broken pavement.

Its tubular flowers are rich in nectar and the moth hovers as it uses its long proboscis (tongue) to extract it, looking just like a hummingbird as it does so. The moth beats its wings so fast (80 beats per second) as it flits between the flowers that it creates an audible hum.

Hummingbirds and hummingbird hawkmoths are examples of a

phenomenon called convergent evolution. Although unrelated species, when faced with the usual challenges of finding enough to eat and living long enough to reproduce, over time Nature has come to the same solution, creating near identical looks and behaviour.

It’s been wonderful to see so many hummingbird hawkmoths in the garden this year and with our climate changing, the number that breed and overwinter here is likely to increase. We can help moths, and butterflies and bees too, by growing nectar-rich plants in our gardens but also by not tidying up too much. I try and resist the urge to cut back the garden too much at the end of the summer.

By leaving some fallen leaves and old stems, I can provide some places where moths and other beneficial insects can safely hide away over the winter.

Berry good way to wake up, if you don’t mind acid JOHN WRIGHT is a naturalist and forager who lives in rural West Dorset. He has written eight books, four of which were for River Cottage. He wrote the award-winning Forager’s Calendar and in 2021 his Spotter’s Guide to Countryside Mysteries was published.

Foragers are notorious for keeping their foraging spots to themselves, telling only blood descendants.

So, do not expect me to give much away here.

However, I am prepared to say that there are several populations of Sea Buckthorn in Dorset, some highly conspicuous, some not.

Certainly, there is enough for me, but only if you take it easy if you find some.

Until fairly recently it was confined to the east coast

of Britain, but its usefulness in stabilising sand dunes has encouraged authorities to plant it around many more coasts, and highway authorities have adopted it as a vigorous and colourful tree to plant on roadsides.

The tree is really a shrub, about the size of an elder, with small, grey/green leaves and (the big giveaway) thousands of brilliant orange berries that form dense clumps along the many branches from late July until November.

The berries are almost unpickable because they burst with the slightest squeeze, so it is much easier to cut away entire clumps using secateurs, trim them, then put them in the freezer for 24 hours.

Place these in a big bin

liner while still frozen and bounce the bag of berries on the floor to detach them.

With some thought, it is easy enough to separate the berries from everything else.

Wash them, then gently cook them with a little water in a pan until they all burst.

Sieve out the tiny pips, pushing the juice and pulp through.

Having done all of this, you will have something that looks like orange juice.

The flavour is not entirely unlike it either, except that it tastes as though half a bottle of sulphuric acid has been added.

In fact, it contains large quantities of malic acid, the acid found in apples.

I love the neat juice and will cheerfully drink a

large shot first thing in the morning as a bump-start to day – adding sugar just draws attention to the acidity.

Why drink it? Well, Sea Buckthorn is high in vitamin C, A, K and E, plus an ironmonger’s shop of minerals, plus essential oils and numerous complex organic compounds normally found in the expensive form of capsules.

If you find the raw juice too much of a deterrent it can be made to taste more acceptably pleasant, as in a sweet Sea Buckthorn jelly, or, best of all, Sea Buck’s Fizz.

Cheers!

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Culture

Poet’s Birds publication takes flight

FIRST PUBLICATION: Poet Beth Brooke

A Dorset-based poet has published a collection of her works for the first time in paperback form.

A Landscape with Birds by Beth Brooke features works she has previously read at poetry events in Bridport, Dorchester and Cheltenham.

Beth describes her work as grounded in nature and the Dorset landscape, but she also writes about universal experiences such as grief, loss, and the ageing process.

The former teacher said: “I used to write school text books but now I have

retired I can focus on writing poetry in a way that I couldn’t before. I loved teaching poetry but writing it is even more satisfying.”

A Landscape with Birds can be ordered from Hedgehog Poetry Press, Amazon, and most bookshops.

West talking to East with Variations Two musicians from wildly different backgrounds have united to record an album they describe as a ‘dialogue’ between Western and Indian classical music.

Pianist Andrew Goldberg, who has a studio in Dorset, and sitar player Ricky Romain are launching their new album Variations in Bridport next month.

Variations is the result of a natural and simple evolution that occurred when Andrew Goldberg on piano and Ricky Romain on sitar started improvising with themes and moods based on traditional Indian Classical Music.

Ricky describes the album as a ‘journey into a musical world or soundscape that hasn’t really been explored, mainly because of the nature of the two instruments which are not natural bedfellows’.

Composer-pianist Andrew Goldberg started studying the piano and harmony in Cologne at the age of eight.

Initially introduced to the works Bach, Haydn and Beethoven, Andrew later came to be influenced by the works of Ligeti, Pärt and Reich.

This opened the gateway to

INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE: Pianist Andrew Goldberg and sitar player Ricky Romain

more ‘spiritual worlds of music’ inspired by compositions for contemporary dance and visual arts performances.

During the pandemic Andrew began working on a film score and crossed paths with visual artist and sitar player Ricky Romain, who has been studying sitar and Indian Classical Music since 1972, after becoming ‘obsessed’ with

the instrument listening to The Beatles. Ricky and Andrew worked together at Andrew’s studio, going through a series of improvisations until they created something they were both happy with.

Ricky said: “We went through a process where one of us would suggest a melody and then go through a process of listening. If we listen back

to it and if we both agree it’s good, that’s it.

“Andrew then adds his recording magic. For me it is the best I have heard my sitar recorded.”

The album launch is taking place at Eype Centre for the Arts at St Peter’s Church, Eype on October 22 from 7.30pm.

Tickets are £18 from the town’s TIC or £15 via Soundcloud.

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Culture Bridport Literary Festival tickets went on sale last Friday, with some events selling out straight away.

Tickets for PJ Harvey and Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, who are at Sladers Yard, West Bay, were snapped up instantly.

Other events involving big names at bigger venues – such as Dame Sheila Hancock, actor Hugh Bonneville in conversation with Lord Fellowes, politician Lord Patten and bestselling author Maggie O’ Farrell, who are all appearing at The Electric Palace, Bridport – are also selling quickly.

Bridport Literary Festival director Tanya BruceLockhart said staff at Bridport Tourist Information Centre “have been working flat out to meet the demand. They always go above and beyond when it comes to BridLit and we’re so grateful for their fantastic support.’

Highlights of this year’s festival include the writer Kit de Waal, who will be at the Electric Palace on Friday, November 11 at 6.30pm, and will be talking to Lisa Blower about her memoir, Without Warning and Only Sometimes - Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood.

Kit, the award-winning author of My Name is Leon, has been reading from the memoir for Radio 4. You can catch up via iPlayer here www. bbc.co.uk/programmes/ m001b3yn In a household of

n Simon Parker and Riding Out

n Chris Patten and The Hong Kong Diaries

n Kit de Waal and Without Warning and Only Sometimes

Snap up a ticket as literary festival is booking up fast opposites and extremes, and caught between three worlds, Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham, Kit and her siblings knew all the words to the best songs, caught sticklebacks in jam jars and braved hunger

and hellfire until they could all escape. Without Warning and Only Sometimes is a story of an extraordinary childhood and how a girl who grew up in house where the Bible was the only book on offer, went on to

discover a love of reading that inspires her to this day.

Dorset’s very own Joanna Quinn comes to The Bull Hotel ballroom on Monday, November 7 at 3.30pm. A former reporter at the Dorset Echo, Joanna’s debut novel The Whalebone Theatre is receiving rave reviews for the immersive coming-ofage novel set on the Dorset coast against a backdrop of two world wars.

The festival launches on Sunday, November 6 at 10.30am at the Bull Hotel with Simon Parker and Riding Out A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings, an inspirational story about his 3,500-mile bike ride across Britain.

For those disappointed at missing out on PJ Harvey or Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, book lovers are urged to consider becoming a Friend of Bridport Literary Festival next year.

Friend receive an advance copy of the festival brochure, priority booking, free postal booking and no booking fee, regular events including an annual party, a twice-yearly newsletter and an opportunity to get involved, all for just £15 a year (or £30 for couples).

Tickets for Bridport Literary Festival events are available from Bridport TIC in Bucky Doo Square (telephone 01308 424901 and email bridport.tic@bridporttc.gov.uk), and online at bridlit.com

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Culture

TOP OF THE SHOPS: Jules Cross’s paintings of Balson’s and Bridget’s and, below, Leakers and T Snook

Artist’s talent in the shop window Bridport artist Jules Cross is opening a window into everyday life in the town on Saturday, September 10.

His 16 oil paintings capture well known Bridport businesses, such as Balson’s and Bridget’s, in such evocative detail they spark a need in the onlooker to go and look at the real thing.

Jules began working on the 16 paintings in 2016, completing them in August 2022. He took five years to paint the first 10,

then eight months to paint the final six.

Jules is hoping to sell the paintings as a set, as a ‘historical document of the town which is ever changing’. He added: “We’ve already lost a greengrocer while I’ve been working on them.

They are a sort of legacy and six years of my life. I would like to sell them, at a fair price, to an individual or institution that would keep them together for future residents of Bridport to see

and hopefully appreciate.”

Jules was born and brought up in north London. His parents retired to Shipton Gorge in 1972 and he maintained links with west Dorset since, moving permanently to Bridport in 2005.

He studied at the Royal Academy Schools from 1973-76.

After the RA he got involved in archaeological illustration and worked for Wessex Archaeology for 10 years.

He said: “My father was a lepidopterist and I inherited his love of the countryside. In 2003 I started work with Carymoor Environmental Trust – a nature reserve and educational facility based on an active landfill site in Somerset. I eventually became reserve officer and worked there for nine years.”

The exhibition is on at the Chapel in the Garden, 49 East St, Bridport DT6 3JX, until Saturday, September 24.

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Culture Dorchester Arts has announced a packed autumn season, taking place in four venues across Dorchester and Sherborne.

Booking is now open for comedy, theatre, music and opera.

In addition to its main venue the Corn Exchange, several major performances are scheduled for the new Hardye Theatre, which seats up to four hundred and is a major new arts resource for the town.

The beautiful acoustic of St Mary’s Church in Edward Road is a must for a Christmas choral concert. And finally, DA is delighted to be presenting a major music performance, featuring Lucy Parham and its Patron Dame Harriet Walter in Gransden Hall at Sherborne Girls School in October.

This will be the most extensive season Dorchester Arts has presented since 2019 and is full of star quality (Isata Kanneh-

AUTUMN DATES: London Tango Quintet and, inset below, A&E Comedy

A packed autumn season for county town arts Mason, Lucy Parham, Dame Harriet Walter); huge bands (Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, Pasadena Roof Orchestra); familyfriendly shows (Tooob, The Lost Present); comedy and cabaret (Jen Bristow, Charlie Bicknell, A&E Comedy) and firm favourites (Frank Griffiths, Craig Ogden, Living Spit). There are also special talks and film

showings, from Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist to a talk by Touching the Void mountaineer Simon Yates; and a special night celebrating all things vinyl with Dorchester’s own Vinyl Van. With a major fundraiser in November and plenty of festive shows too, look out for full details at dorchesterarts.org.uk

Novelist finds inspiration from on high: Her loft Georgina Kenway, a farmer in Axminster, has penned her first novel for teenagers, In My Mind’s Eye, which explores the turbulent times of those teenage years.

Georgina was having a sort out in the loft, when she stumbled upon her old notebooks – the inspiration behind

her first book.

“As the children grew up, I had a few more hours on my hands. As I was having a good sort out in the loft, I discovered my old notebooks. I found the time to sit down and collaborate my notes on life’s lessons, the highs and lows and the twists and turns I had witnessed, I combined this with the knowledge of

how my children had gone through school and I found myself piecing a novel together.

“I wanted to be able to offer young teens a relatable book, one that was combined from true events over the years, one compacted with understanding and empathy on how hard and turbulent life truly can be for young teens.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Culture Book lovers are set to celebrate the compelling line-up of authors and the many brilliant speakers at Dorchester Literary Festival in the county town between October 15 and 22.

Author and TV presenter Ray Mears, novelist and former journalist Robert Harris, along with crime writer Minette Walters, novelist Elizabeth Lowry and British ornithologist Tim Birkhead make-up part of this year’s stunning line-up.

Robert Harris will discuss Act of Oblivion – a gripping novel about one of history’s greatest manhunts, Max Hastings on Abyss, the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Ben Macintyre on Colditz.

During the same week you can delve into the lives of our Queen and the Royal family with eminent royal commentators Robert Hardman and Hugo Vickers or learn about Marine Commandos from Monty Halls.

Visitors can discover The Celts with Simon Jenkins, the life of artist John Constable with James Hamilton, Mary Seacole’s story with Helen Rappaport, Miss Dior’s significance with Justine Picardie, and Josephine Baker’s life in espionage with Damien Lewis.

A range of memoirs that illuminate surprising lives will include Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan revealing his life story, Keith Brymer Jones of The Great Pottery Throw-

BOOK NOW: Ben MacIntyre’s Colditz, Monty Hall’s Commando, Justine Picardie’s Miss Dior Grame Hall’s Perfectly Imperfect Puppy Simon Jenkins’ The Celts and Robert Hardman’s The Queen

Turn up for these books at literary extravaganza down, Norman Scott, once at the centre of the Jeremy Thorpe scandal, and Jackie Malton, the DCI whose life provided the inspiration for Lynda La Plante’s Prime Suspect.

Highlighting the world of nature is Bushcraft and survival legend Ray Mears, who will reveal how to reconnect with the wild with We Are Nature, Dave Goulson explains the world of insects in Silent Earth, Tim Birkhead shines a light on man’s relationship with birds in Birds and Us, while Dogfather Graeme Hall gives sage advice on

how best to look after a new family friend in Perfectly Imperfect Puppy.

And for would be writers there’s an afternoon of seminars to help; Sophie Hannah will provide a Writing Master Class and Rebecca Lee will walk you through the publishing process in How Words Get Good.

Festival directors Paul Atterbury and Janet Gleeson said: “The lineup for the eighth Dorchester Literary Festival is now confirmed - and what a line-up it is!

We can’t wait to welcome

audiences in October, meanwhile do keep checking the website and our social media platforms for the latest news.” n Details of all the events are listed online at dorch esterliteraryfestival.com.

Tickets are available at £10 from dorch esterliteraryfestival.com or from Waterstones, 4547 South Street in Dorchester, 01305 257123 You can follow Dorchester Literary Festival on Twitter/ Facebook/Instagram @DorchLitFest

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Culture

One more time: Bands reunite for good causes Bands and musicians from Weymouth music scene of the 1960 and 1970s are getting back together again for another reunion gig at the town’s Centenary Club.

It’s the latest in a series of reunion gigs which have raised thousands of pounds to be distributed among local charities and good causes.

Performing at the next gig on Saturday, September 24 from 7pm, are: n Violin Shoppe, with Simon Breakspear on keyboards and Mike Stockwell on guitar n Wot 4, featuring Brian Cornish who played with Shandy and The Roger James Band back in the day

n The reformed Crystal Ship, featuring original members Alan Hodder, Phil Biggs and Mick Martin n Monkey Jump, featuring local legends Tony May, Steve Peach and Andy Collett Tickets are just £10 and available from Paul Ward at the Centenary Club on 01305 839310.

Sofa, so good for The Chesterfields Take a seat – The Chesterfields are playing at the Lyric Theatre in Bridport (DT6 3LX) on Saturday, September 24 at 7.30pm, with support from Jody & The Jerms.

The Chesterfields came to prominence in 1986 as part of a thriving UK underground scene that had turned its back on bland over-produced 1980s chart music and was looking for back to basics pop music.

Bands, independent record labels, gig promoters and fanzine editors were making their own entertainment, with The June Brides, The Wedding Present, Primal Scream and The Loft leading the way, championed by Radio One’s John Peel and Janice Long. They released three

BUTTONED UP: The Chesterfields are at the Lyric in Bridport on September 24

albums (Kettle getting to number 2 in the independent charts), five singles (Ask Johnny Dee reaching number 3), and toured the UK and Europe non-stop before splitting in 1989.

They reformed briefly in

1993 to tour Japan and release a fourth album, and then returned to action 23 years later when they were asked to play New York Pop Fest in 2016. The current line-up features Simon Barber on bass and vocals, Rob Parry on

drums, Helen Stickland on guitar and vocals, and Andy Strickland on guitar and vocals. n Tickets: Advance £9 / Door £12.

Book at bridportand westbay.co.uk/product/ the-chesterfield

Embroidery exhibition of natural inspiration A hand embroidery exhibition by Bridport textile artist Deborah Tiltman is being held at Art Unlimited, South Street, Bridport from Friday, September 23 until Thursday, October 6 inclusive, from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Deborah takes her inspiration from local landscapes and nature.

She said: “Being blessed with the coast on one side and the rolling hills on the other, I never find a shortage

of inspiration.

“If I am struggling for inspiration, I can always lie on the grass and watch the clouds with all their delightful colours and shapes.

“I then create a wide and varied range of bespoke hand embroidered pictures using different backgrounds from painted, wet felted or chiffon, with each piece of work often taking several twists and turns trough my IN THE FRAME: Deborah’s embroidery creative process.”

48

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Antiques

Auction house owner’s life has been

Auction house owner Michael Dark has enjoyed a life as varied as the lots in his saleroom – with roles as diverse as lobster fisherman and model.

Perhaps it was the ten different schools in eight years he attended as an RAF officer’s son that created his need for variety. The longest he attended one school was Colfox, where he studied aged 12-16.

From there he attended art college in Brighton before becoming a potter with his own studio in Gloucestershire, then a teacher/art therapist in London and Brighton.

His next move was to become a market stall holder in Brighton and Bermondsey, then an auction porter and lobster fisherman in Newhaven before becoming an antiques dealer with two shops in Brighton’s North Lanes.

He was also a part-time model, appearing not only in catalogues and advertisements, but also featured on a Bristol double decker bus!

His final role before opening his own auction house was as an antiques sair organiser and show promoter for an advertising agency.

Twenty-five years ago he opened his own auction house and hasn’t looked back.

Now aged 70, he still enjoys the tension of the saleroom and intends to “carry on until the gavel falls”. He still takes part in numerous other activities, completing the Three Peaks Challenge three years ago and immersing himself in books, cooking

and watching the rugby.

He said: “My favourite antiques are books, ephemera, photographs, First and Second World War items, kitsch, tribal art, folk art, American painted furniture and antiquities.

“Running an auction is all consuming. It’s exciting – the thrill of the chase, discovering unique items and displaying them for sale. It’s worrying, with P A T (pre-auction tension and post-auction tension).

“But it’s satisfying and rewarding when your successful marketing and research lead to a good price being obtained for the vendor – and for the auction house of course.

“Every month we see something different and we handle beautiful and strange objects.

“It’s a learning curve – not just about history, artists’

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

49

Antiques

as eclectic as his collections lives etc but keeping upto-date with modern marketing methods and collecting trends and fashions.”

Items are now being taken

for Bridport Auctions’ next sale on Friday, September 30.

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No 1, St.Michaels Trading Estate,Bridport DT6 3RR

50

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Letters

Magazine is creating traditions I heard this the other day and thought I would share it with you.

A lady stopped my husband the other day and said how much she enjoyed reading my article in The West Dorset Magazine.

She said it had become a new family tradition on a Sunday evening when her family popped round that they read it out loud together and one of them goes away and during that week makes the recipe, bringing it back the following Sunday for everyone to try.

That really lifted my heart.

Making positive changes to people’s lives, and bringing families together.

I just wanted to say thank you to The West Dorset Magazine for giving me the opportunity to do that.

Karen Broad Vittles n I was interested to see the walks in editions of the WDM dated 12th & 26th August.

I live in Crossways and know the area well and saw Walk no 11 started near Tincleton Church which included a lovely photograph of the church.

In the WDM dated 26th August there is a letter from Clarice Wickenden from Moreton who refers to the dangers of walking along the section of the B3390 for the mile below Waddock Cross.

Also in this edition there is Walk No 12, which is based around Moreton, but which also takes in this section of the B3390 of the mile below Waddock

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall

Cross.

Clarice lists the many large vehicles which use this route, to which I would add vehicles towing horse boxes and motorised horse boxes themselves.

Clarice points out that there is no footpath or verge and it is difficult for vehicles to pass each other and there have been many accidents and damage to the bridges.

As these are labelled Frome Valley Walks, there are only certain places where you can cross the River Frome.

The whole area with its

justsocaricatures.co.uk

minor roads without footpaths through Woodsford and Tincleton and accessing Moreton are full of tractors and trailers. lorries and vans.

There are some lovely walks in the area but it is best to park somewhere and walk off the roads along marked tracks. I would agree with Clarice that the mile below Waddock Cross on the B3390 would be lethal for anyone trying to walk along it either singly or in groups.

Peter Stevens Crossways

Homecraft

Judges were out in force in the homecraft tents at Dorset County Show at the weekend.

Competitors excelled themselves once again.

From left, Diana Holman’s best in showwinning flower arrangement, the scarecrows, and Anna Blackwell’s winning marmalade n ‘Correction: Fortuneswell Cancer Trust - Swingtime event on 17 July 2022 I should like to apologise for an error in the report and thank you letter about this event in the 26 August edition of The West Dorset Magazine.

The Saxtet Jazz Band were in fact unable to play and we were very grateful to the Moonlight Swing Band for stepping in at the last minute.’

Thank you Marjorie Brewer Joint Honorary Secretary

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

51

Homes & Gardensx

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52

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Homes & Gardens x

Horticulture...

Born and bred in West Dorset, Dave has worked in horticulture and botany locally and internationally, notably in Belgium, Jordan and the UAE. He brings a wealth of practical knowledge with its underlying principles to his writing

How cuttings can cut costs and help to As the cost of living continues to rise steeply, many are having to cut back on garden spending.

For some, buying new trees and shrubs will be a luxury and if you are wishing to stock a new garden then costs can be considerable.

Over the past few decades, an instant gardening trend has emerged, where people expect transformation of bare earth into established garden within months. To achieve this, plants are densely positioned, and sizable trees, shrubs and perennials purchased.

Perhaps it is time for the rebirth of a more traditional approach to gardening, buying smaller plants (which establish easier) and enjoying the reward of propagating your own for free. Late summer and early autumn is perfect for taking semi-ripe cuttings. These cuttings are taken from current year’s shoots, they have a flexible tip and a firmer base. It is a

BOX CLEVER: Rosemary and box cuttings

great method for propagating shrubs, climbers and evergreens, and of course, completely free. The procedure is straightforward. Look for

healthy, sturdy growth typical of the plant you want to propagate. Using a pair of secateurs remove a stem from the parent plant just above a leaf joint. Trim

Plant of the week: Bristly oxtongue Helminthotheca (Picris) echioides In this series of Plant of the Week, my aim is to showcase native plants likely to be in bloom at the time of publication.

As summer rolls into autumn this selection becomes less. The bristly oxtongue’s autumn

flowers, reminiscent of dandelions and sow thistles, provide a splash of colour and are an important food source for insects.

Unlike dandelions and sow thistles, bristly oxtongue is covered in stiff hairs and warty leaves. It can reach

90cm, although often considerably smaller.

Interestingly, this plant is considered an introduction from southern Europe over 500 years ago, since these times it has naturalised on chalk, clay and coastal areas.

the severed shoot to just below a set of leaves and carefully remove the lower ones. You want to achieve a cutting between 5 and 15 cm in length. The photo shows a range of cuttings and their stages of preparation from left to right. I prefer small cuttings, often smaller than gardening books describe, because I think they root quicker, and it allows you to pack more cuttings into the same sized space. If your chosen plant has large leaves reduce their size by cutting across their width with a sharp knife. Rooting hormone can be applied to the base then cuttings inserted into a pot of welldrained media, such as a peat-free cutting compost or make your own mixture combining a 50:50 mix of sharp sand and coir. Place in a shady location in the garden, greenhouse or coldframe and ensure they don’t dry out. The time they take to root depends

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

53

Homes & Gardensx Dorset Garden Machinery Ltd ...with botanist Dr Dave Aplin

make your ends meet on the plant in question, but usually they will be ready for potting in spring.

If you are impatient, plant three rooted cuttings into a single two litre pot, this method has become increasingly common in commercial nurseries where they can produce a saleable plant in a shorter duration. The plant should be ready to position in the garden next autumn. With confidence it is possible to bend the rules slightly, in September last year we received a bouquet of flowers from a friend,

amongst them an attractive Michaelmas daisy (normally propagated by division). Through the vase I spotted three possible cuttings. I managed to root them and kept them alive over winter in a cold greenhouse. We are currently enjoying the flowers of three large plants of this daisy but growing in our own garden. This type of propagation can become very addictive, and be warned, you may end up with a small nursery in next to no time.

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54

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Constituency issues

with West Dorset MP Chris Loder

If energy is renewable, why hike price?

The last few weeks have been very busy in West Dorset, with the Bridport Torchlight in August, the Beaminster scarecrow festival that I also visited and also the Melplash and Dorset County Shows.

It was great to see and speak with so many people at these events – to absorb people’s thoughts on the political landscape today and reaching out to those in need of their MP’s assistance.

Both Melplash and Dorset County Show have highlighted the very best of UK agriculture and demonstrated the passion, both for the art of producing beautiful, happy and healthy livestock, and also for sustainability and the longterm future of farming.

My highest priority currently is the price of energy, which I know is affecting everyone. I would like to share with you some insights into this and steps being taken to lessen the impact this is having.

The price cap is primarily based on international wholesale gas price and that has risen due to various factors. Sanctions placed on Russia have meant their retaliatory action is raising the price of gas where there is huge dependence in Europe.

Things that don’t add up.

If you have power supplied by organisations like Bulb or Scottish Power and some others, their bill says

100% renewable energy. I do not understand how they need to increase their price if it genuinely is renewable. I was listening to the energy (Ofgem) regulator on the radio last week. I’m of the view that Ofgem has not been on the side of consumers for years, but I have asked the regulator to explain their decisions.

The Government has released the new Energy Security Strategy, which sets out how Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen to boost long-term energy independence and champion cleaner power.

The Government has already taken steps to help the

lowest-income households through these extraordinary times: reducing the Universal Credit taper rate; increasing the National Living Wage; freezing fuel duty for the 12th consecutive year; and launching a £500 million Household Support Fund.

The Government’s Energy Company Obligation and the expanded Warm Home Discount schemes will also provide at least £4.7 billion of extra support to low-income and vulnerable households between 2022 and 2026, but at the time of writing, we are awaiting for the Prime Minister’s statement on the way forward with address this issue with is by far and away our most important domestic priority at the moment.

Politics

A zombie government leading us to catastrophe West Dorset Lib Dems have spent much of the summer listening to local residents’ concerns about the cost of energy and how they are going to be able to cope in the winter. New polling commissioned by the Lib Dems reveals the public are planning to make heartbreaking decisions to cope with spiralling energy prices. Lib Dems warn of “the worst cost of living crisis in a century” if Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak do not scrap the energy price cap rise.

Our research has revealed almost one in four (23%) of UK adults are considering not turning their heating on this winter. This rises to over one in four (27%) amongst parents

By ANDY CANNING West Dorset LibDems

with children under the age of 18. The new polling also reveals those who are parents of children aged under 18 are increasingly likely to put more on their credit card due to rising energy bills (33% compared to national average 23%). The polling also finds seven in ten (69%) will turn on their heating on less this winter and one in ten (11%) will even take out a loan in response to rising energy prices. Those with children under 18 are again more likely to take out a loan due to rising energy bills (17%).

The findings are revealed

following Ofgem announcing the energy price cap will result in the typical household energy bill reaching £3,549 a year from October 1.

The Lib Dems are calling for the Government to scrap the energy price cap rise in October, as well as provide further targeted support at the lowest paid amid a winter cost of living crisis. The party’s plan to keep energy bills at their current price would be part funded by a further windfall tax on oil and gas companies. In the first six months of this year alone, BP and Shell made a staggering £29 billion in profits.

All across West Dorset parents are having to choose between heating their homes and

feeding their children. We are on the brink of the worst cost of living crisis in a century and yet still Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will not scrap the energy price rise. It is clear energy prices must not be allowed to rise in October.

Their refusal to cancel the energy price cap rise is leaving millions facing financial devastation.

An economic catastrophe is now just a month away because we have a zombie government and two leadership contenders living on another planet.

It is time to tax the record multi-billion pound profits of oil and gas companies and use the money to save British families and pensioners.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

55

Politics

Rethink urgent on generating and supply of energy People are telling me they are deeply worried.

Our winter energy bills are set to rocket to three times their level of last year, leaving many of us in fuel poverty – the point where a household spends more than 10% of its income heating their home. Yet at the same time, we read that the main energy companies are predicted to make profits of £170 billion over the next two years. It seem blatantly obvious that something is seriously amiss and that there needs to be a major rethink about how we both generate and supply energy.

One thing that would help would be the decoupling of gas and electricity prices.

Electricity prices are currently pegged to the

By KELVIN CLAYTON West Dorset Green Party

market price of gas – a commodity whose supply has been seriously restricted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Whilst his linkage may seem reasonable when electricity is generated by the burning of gas, it makes no sense when it is generated by other means. It causes the cost of electricity from solar and wind to be far in excess of its generation costs. Groundmounted solar arrays currently supply electricity to the grid at 6p/kWh, and off-shore wind at 5p/kWh, but all electricity is sold at the wholesale price of over

20p/kWh. On a more fundamental level, should energy generation and supply be in the hands of private companies? Surely energy to heat our homes, energy that we need in order to live, should be regarded as an essential service. As such, energy companies should be in public ownership. In the short-term I would favour their nationalisation. But only in the short-term. As I have argued before in this column, the long-term solution is for energy to be generated locally by energy cooperatives. One possible model for this is being trialled right here in West Dorset – Energy Local Bridport.

But both the decoupling of

gas and electricity prices and the nationalisation of the UK energy market require action from national government. What could Dorset Council contribute to our long-term energy security? Well, it could ensure that its new Local Plan requires all new developments to be build to the highest energy efficiency standards possible. Octopus Energy have claimed that it costs less than £10,000 extra to build a ‘zero bills’ home, one that incorporates a heat pump, solar generation, battery storage and energy optimisation. This is the standard that Dorset Council should be requiring for all new builds, and it is surely a standard that people would want to buy.

reflect on the last few months, we must never forget those people who contribute so much but rarely get the praise they deserve.

In addition, overstretched firefighters fought major fires. Overworked and overwhelmed NHS staff coped with never-ending demands, care workers, often on minimum wage, rallied to keep the elderly cool, comfortable and hydrated. Students and young people, many working for the first time, catered for the large numbers of tourists who flocked to our beaches and attractions.

We also saw a growing number of votes for strike action and to the surprise of government ministers,

considerable support for those withdrawing their labour. Grant Shapps et al, forgot that British people share a common belief in fairness.

Falling wages, (in real terms), at a time of spiralling inflation and soaring profits, do not sit comfortably with them.

What this summer has shown is that we have fantastic people doing tremendous work for our communities. But the country cannot survive on goodwill forever. A decade of austerity and underinvestment has left us with a crumbling infrastructure, under-resourced services and a workforce which has seen living standards fall year on year. It is time for a change.

We can’t survive on goodwill gestures There is an element of sadness about the August bank holiday. It marks the end of summer when tourist areas become a bit quieter and we all start to prepare for those darker nights, cooler temperatures and costly winter festivals.

It has been quite a summer.

Record temperatures which we forget at our peril.

Travel chaos by air or by sea. Longer waiting times for health and care services.

Lines of ambulances outside A&E. Fuel reaching £1.90 a litre and eye-watering energy rises of 80%.

It has also been a summer when the government washed its hands of the problems we face. The Prime Minister was forced to resign by his MPs who told

By CLAUDIA SORIN West Dorset Labour Party

him: “Enough is enough.” A seemingly endless leadership contest followed which highlighted years of failure but offered very few solutions.

Against this background, we have had a summer where people in Dorset have done their best to bring support and pleasure to others.

We have seen record attendances at some of our local festivals, fetes and community events.

Thousands of volunteers organised, delivered and cleaned up after everyone else had gone home. Hours and hours spent making the lives of others better. As we

56

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

EASIER PUZZLES

Tudor Arcade, Dorchester

Arrow words

Crossword

Any old how (2,3)

Server

Leak slowly

Normal

1

Equivalently

2

4

3

5

6

7

8 Manystoreyed (4-4)

‘This Is 40’ actor, Paul

Assembly

9

Ready

Yin and yang philosophy

Wordplays

Plus more (abbr)

Greek letter ‘X’

11

16 17

Repeat

Trick

1 4 9 10 11 12 14 17 18 20 22 23 24

Wily

Wordsearch National Mottoes

I E I S I S E R A C H S O I T

R R S N F A W A H A P O S L H

DESIRE THE RIGHT FREEDOM GOD’S WILL FIRST I SHALL UPHOLD I WILL MAINTAIN LIBERTY ONE HAPPY ISLAND ONWARD

E T T W L A S E P O U T I L P

H S E P L H A P N H L S H M R

19

T S H T I O Y W C H L I H A E

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22

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23

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G N E I R A A L M I O E W W U

18

20

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Indian style Signal ‘yes’ of meditation

H G I E S L R S R O L R N I R

15

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Code word for ‘Z’

T T W Y T R E B I L D V L O T

13

Aflame

George Orwell’s real Eire (inits) name

P H W I T H G O D S H E L P F

12

14

Hot, brown drink

Royal title (inits)

10

S I A M O D E E R F I L O A L

E N O G G T W P I I C O T I S

RAIN TO EACH HIS OWN TO LEAD IS TO SERVE TRUTH PREVAILS UNITY AND FAITH UNITY IS STRENGTH WE STAY AS WE ARE WITH GOD’S HELP

D U H T I A F D N A Y T I N U

24

Across Adhere (6) ‘Understood’ (6) Large, flightless bird (3) ‘Forget about it’ (5,4) Superb, to Jamie Oliver (5) Most prying (7) Uttering (11) Garments (7) One having lunch, perhaps (5) Started (9) Tea dispenser (3) Abrupt (6) Eccentric person (3,3)

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 13 15 16 17 19 21

Down Musical speed reversion (1,5) Goods-transport vehicle (5) Box (9) ‘Stick your ___ in’, to interfere (3) Add a point of view (5,2) Official accounts check (5) Possible outcome (11) Achieved the desired result (9) Answered (7) Smoothed some shirts, perhaps (6) Farewell (5) Shortest digit (5) Intense temper (3)

Sudoku

2

1 9

8 1

8

3 5

1

6 1 6

2 5 8

5

8

9 3

8 18

6 7 9

6

×1/2 ×1/3

For the solutions turn to page 70

5 9

7

5

×3 +50%

-75% +8

8

×7 ×3

×1/3 -24

RESULT

57

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

HARDER PUZZLES

www.bestpricehearingaids.co.uk | 01305 602240

Cryptic Crossword

Jumbo 3D Sudoku 3 4

2

1

6 7

5 7 7 3 1 2 5 8 9 8 9

7

8 1 4 2

9

2 7 3 9

3 6 2 9 9

5 8 2 1

1

3

2

1

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1

1 8

7

2 5 3

9

8 7

6

5

5

4

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4

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1 2

13+

9

10

11

9

12

2

15

5 6

18 19

2 4

15+

14×

23+

16+

45×

2÷

2

168×

16+

7+

35×

4

72×

18+

96×

18×

40×

6+

4

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0

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12+

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Brain chain (Hard version) 25

+60%

+122

-72

-10%

-25

20

21

22 23

5

8+

17

16

3

3

45×

7

13

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6

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5

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

72×

3

8

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2

Killer Sudoku Pro: Place 1 to 9 once each into every row, column and bold-lined 3×3 box. No digit may be repeated in any dashed-line cage, and each dashed-line cage must result in the given value when the stated operation is applied between all of the digits in that cage.

For subtraction and division operations, start with the highest number in the cage and then subtract or divide by the other numbers in that cage.

RESULT

Can you solve these brain chains entirely in your head? Start with the bold value on the left of a chain, then follow the arrows and apply each operation in turn. Write the result in the box.

24

26

Across 1 Partially hide short videos in middle of reel (7) 5 Team on board in Cheshire town, it’s said (4) 10 Firmly fixed development for Dublin? It is lacking depth (5-2) 11 Girls without leader becoming fools (5) 12 By the sound of it, look fixedly at part of flight (5) 13 Eastern fighter about to find one living abroad (6) 15 It carried fluid in boat, say (6) 17 Develop a liking for judge with pair in audience (4,2) 19 Old car close to ladder and hole in ground (6) 20 Feature of shoreline, popular rental property (5) 23 Fellow with energy gets exotic fruit (5) 24 Outsiders in cliquey Northern Ireland ring 2 mostly pessimistic about people? (7) 2 25 Surprised expression by Kelvin, a misfit (4) 26 Poor direction for protecting the environment? (7) Down 2 Church by fashionable area in highly populous country (5) 3 Eccentric rev cuts plan to make act of mediating? (12) 4 Second tune’s played, a phenomenon at day’s end? (6) 6 Substiture book (7) 7 Thin strand in straw is pretty (4) 8 Sailor with American I have found to be insulting (7) 9 Like some aids at sea, a vital gain on swims (12) 14 Unfriendly hotel is reviewed (7) 16 Medical accessory deployed yes around group (7) 18 Plant for all to see among reptiles (6) 21 See copper and sulphur in place (5) 22 Self-complacent idiot after start of school (4)

58

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Health & Wellbeing

Walking West Dorset

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

FROME VALLEY TRAIL: 13th WALK This walk is a little over six miles and takes you back to nature, passing through woodlands and water meadows, crossing the Frome several times.

Park near the church at Moreton and walk along the track crossing the ford.

Continue north-east along the track.

About a furlong after crossing another branch of the Frome there’s a path leading south-east, serving a campsite, of which there seem to be dozens in the area.

After a quarter of a mile, your path swings left, north-east and soon enters Forestry Commission land.

This is Access Land on which you’re allowed to wander freely, but they request you not to do so in the season when there are ground-nesting birds.

Continue through the forest along the track that swings around to the south east.

At the end of the forest you youcantalk.net is a new wellness and mental health resource launched by Bridport-based duo Kerry Miller, pictured, and Alex Fender. It features lots of free resources to help people relax and take stock.

Yonks ago someone said to me (without any actual, hard evidence) that only about 1% of what the average Jo/e thinks each day is original thought.

Mind. Blown.

I LOVED this idea. It made

SUPER SPOT: Moreton Ford

enter a military domain so you have to keep to the right of way to avoid being shot or run over by a tank.

The path continues through countryside although you can see houses to your right. Eventually you reach the road opposite the Tank Museum. Turn right, south, and follow the road round the bend. Just before a camp entrance to the left, you’ll see a public footpath

Picture: Moreton Ford Campsite

on your right, heading south across a tank training area.

You’ll notice a couple of fords that tanks use.

Crossing a bridge, you leave woodland and enter water meadows.

Ahead is a raised bridge over a section of the Frome that’s popular with swimmers.

The path then takes you to the hamlet of East Burton

and the road that takes you right back to your car, passing through lots of natural countryside.

The road undulates vertically and horizontally so change sides to enable the best view of traffic.

Stop me if you’ve heard this me laugh out loud because it fitted so well with my own direct experience.

I suppose I would class myself as neurotypical, an ordinary Jo/e if you like (others might disagree).

But because of my job I’ve become pretty good at noticing what my own brain is up to, and I have to admit that for the most part it’s not being wildly creative or original.

It’s mostly just chattering about ‘general housekeeping’ stuff, for example what I’m going to eat next. It also offers an ongoing commentary, on the inner and outer world, and flits from past to present to future. We generally get along okay, which I’m pleased about.

This 1% idea reappeared in the days and weeks that followed, and it tickled me even more

each time, because each time it came to mind again, it proved itself right, again.

It was only an original thought once, the first time I thought it, every subsequent presentation was a rehash. Funny!

It made me feel really smart and really dumb at the same time, and I liked that feeling.

Aside from this being a daft little insider joke I was enjoying with myself, there is

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59

Health & Wellbeing

Common elder helps with relaxation Andy Cole is a reiki healer based in Middlemarsh.

He specialises in planting for healing.

What a welcome break from the hot weather. The rain is steadily falling and will gradually soak in, providing a needed respite for all the plants in the garden.

The grass will start to green up, and you can almost hear the sigh of relief from the shrubs, trees, and the herbaceous borders. The weeds will come back with a vengeance and once again the cycle of gardening will be reinstated. The trees have started to drop their leaves already as the drought has taken its toll on them and some I fear will not recover from the long, hot dry spell.

Walking the dog this evening we came across some common elder. It had fruit on it but very small, the leaves had turned

ENERGIES: Elderberries

brown, and it was dying.

There were several in a row all looking the same, but one plant on the end was bursting with fruit, green leaves and in perfect health.

The energies from the elder plant work on a psychic level, empowering your ability to trust in your own intuition. The energies from the elder help to calm and relax. Elderflowers have relaxing nervine properties, which support the nervous system through stressful periods. It can help to soothe nerves and anxiety and may assist in reducing symptoms of depression.

This in turn reduces negative energy and boosts

your self-esteem and confidence.

The elder most commonly planted in gardens is the Sambucus Nigra ‘Guincho Purple’ this is a cultivar or the common elder it is an upright shrub with dark green leaves which turn purple then red in the autumn, and the lovely pale pink flower contrast perfectly with the foliage, it grows in sun or partial shade in any fertile soil, if left it can grow to 20ft.

Whilst working in a local garden, the silver birch was showing signs of stress, the lawn was completely covered with a layer of small brown leaves, the autumn leaf drop is going to be early this year. All the plants are reducing their foliage in a bid to counter the amount of water available to them. Their energy levels are reduced, and the healing we can receive from them will require us to be within the energy field for a longer period, to receive the same benefit.

Silver birch is a very good

before but here’s a thought value in this awareness that is worth sharing.

There is a (better evidenced) theory that it is the emotional charge associated with a thought that determines its frequency. After all, a thought without a feeling is just words, right?

In my case the emotional charge that went with the thought felt ‘good’. Sadly for many of my clients their

repetitive thinking is charged and recharged by a ‘bad’ feeling, something they would rather avoid, not have or get rid of.

Unfortunately, the harder they try to avoid, not have or get rid of these ‘bad’ thoughts and feelings, the more frequently they occur.

Then there are thoughts about the thoughts. What do they mean? This can be a

downward spiral that takes people to very dark place: ‘Am I sick in the head?’, ‘Does this mean I’m a bad person?’

What my unfortunate clients fail to recognise is that these are not original thoughts, they don’t tell them anything new or helpful, or merit the attention they are given. They are, in fact, just words.

So what to do?

clearing plant. The energies provide clarity of vision when meditating. The layers of doubt and confusion are peeled away from your conscious mind to allow a clear understanding of the meditation. They clear the mind of the day’s stresses, allow your mind time to process the clutter within it, sort out and file what is needed, and dispose of the unwanted baggage, this will improve your mental state and your overall wellbeing.

The leaves collected will make an excellent mulch once rotted down. If you have enough room for a separate compost bin to store just the leaf mulch, it is well worth doing as this mulch will be ready in just one year.

The much-needed rain is very sparse at the moment and with the size of the cracks in the ground we are going to need an awful lot of rain to get the soil back to normal. Let’s hope it is little and often and not sudden downpours as this will cause flooding as the water will just run off.

I refer you back to previous posts The Six Core Processes in ACT, specifically defusion, and neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity.

‘But it’s true!’ It doesn’t matter so much if the thoughts are true or not, it matters more whether they are helpful or not. Of course, some thoughts can be very sticky, and many people need their story to be heard before they are ready to let it go.

I’ll be happy to hear it.

Ordinary Jo/e xxx

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Health & Wellbeing

By Miranda Robertson karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

When Debbie Polden spotted a little shop in Sherborne in 2019 she knew it would be a perfect base to sell her skincare range.

The professional grade Canadian products had until then been mainly sold to salons and spas, as salon owners loved the luxurious range with its gorgeous, fruity scents.

But Debbie wanted to also sell directly to the public.

The old Tourist Information Centre on Digby Road would be the ideal place for her to sell her Eminence Organic Skincare.

She snapped it up and set about fitting it out… then the pandemic came along.

Undaunted, she started boosting the online orders and managed to weather the storm. While many salons closed their doors Debbie had a brisk online trade to fall back on.

She said: “As new business owners we thought this is crazy – salons were closing and it was very scary. But thank heavens for online. We managed to survive as we built up our private customers.

“We didn’t have the best year we’ve ever had, but we were fine. Then salons and spas came up with innovative ideas to keep their trade going.”

Debbie bought the business from Tracy Smith, who had launched the products in 2006 in Bromsgrove.

She and her husband moved north to run the

GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN: Debbie Polden at her shop in Sherborne and, right some of the Emimence range

Quality skincare matters: Just let that sink in, ok? business but in 2019 she figured she could run it anywhere and she returned to Dorset, where she had grown up.

As the exclusive authorised distributor for Eminence she supplied 100 salons across Europe and the UK and business was strong before covid reared its head. Now, having built it back up after the pandemic she faces a slowdown in the luxury market due to the soaring costs of living.

She said: “This year we’re probably not going to see

lot of growth in the luxury market.

“If people are cutting back, the one product they must have is a good moisturiser.”

If you’re in the market for some seriously gorgeous skincare though, Debbie’s range also includes cleanser, toner, exfoliating scrubs and eye products, as well as lotions and hand creams – all organic.

The Eminence range originated in Hungary in 1958 as a small cottage industry. Then two brothers took the range to

North America in 1990.

Debbie ran a spa in Canada for about 17 years, where she first discovered Eminence and fell in love with their products.

She said: “It’s a very active brand – collagen, peptides, vitamins and minerals work hard and the products do a really good job of bringing together ancient herbal craftsmanship with modern skincare tech, using hyaluronic acid and a natural retinol alternative.

“The products smell amazing – strawberry, rhubarb, apricot, citrus and wildflowers and a tree is planted for every product we sell.” n The Skinsmith Ltd 01527 834904 theskinsmith.co.uk

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61

Buiness

By Andrew Diprose editor@dorsetbiznews.co.uk

A new community public access defibrillator (cPAD) has been officially launched in Sherborne by local businesses and organisations that have supported the £3,000 project.

The defibrillator, available 24/7, is located in Cheap Street, outside Sherborne Post Office, in an iconic K6 telephone kiosk originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935.

It features the latest Zoll AED 3 technology, for adult and paediatric rescue.

Designed to give confidence to those attending a casualty, the defibrillator provides realtime voice instruction, helping rescuers deliver high-quality CPR. Its innovative, intuitive design offers even inexperienced users the ability needed to treat sudden cardiac arrest.

Local business Girlings Complete Hearing kickstarted the project in September 2021, following a Sherborne Chamber of Trade appeal, by making a £500 funding pledge and a commitment to manage the project.

Midwest the Stationers raised a further £360 through its charity raffle.

Nicola Girling said: “As hearing healthcare providers, we didn’t think twice about supporting this new health resource for the town. Naturally, we hope the defibrillator isn’t needed, but it’s reassuring to know it is available round the clock for anybody experiencing a cardiac emergency.”

JUST IN CASE: Jane Wood, Andrew Maddock, Nicola Girling, Juliet Pentolfe, David Hayes with the new defibrillator in Cheap Street, Sherborne

Lifesaver installed in phone box after £3,000 campaign Following months of negotiation with BT and Royal Mail, the kiosk was formally adopted by Sherborne Town Council through BT’s ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme.

Steve Shield, Town Clerk, said: “The Town Council is delighted to support this excellent initiative for the best interests of the local community.

“The installation of more potentially life-saving equipment, in such a prominent location in the town, is invaluable for residents, local businesses and visitors alike.”

The new defibrillator, purchased and maintained through the Community Heartbeat Trust, would not have been possible without the generous support of The Friends of the Yeatman

Hospital, which committed £1,740 to the project as part of its community outreach.

David Hayes CBE, Chairman of the Friends of the Yeatman Hospital said: “At the forefront of The Friends of the Yeatman Hospital’s priorities is emergency and long-term care for the Sherborne community.

“The defibrillator project is an excellent example of our contributions to emergency care.”

Inside the phone box, in place of the telephone unit, Sherborne’s new defibrillator is housed in a Rotaid heated cabinet to protect it from environmental elements.

The unit is registered with South Western Ambulance Service.

When someone calls 999, they will be directed to the box, presuming it is the closest defibrillator to the casualty.

No code will be required to access the device.

The British Coatings Federation, in partnership with the Community Heartbeat Trust, generously supplied the paint to revitalise Sherborne’s kiosk, donated through Dulux Decorating Centre Yeovil/AkzoNobel.

BT continues to support the cost of electricity to the box so the equipment will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

BT’s Mark Johnson said: “We launched the Adopt a Kiosk scheme because the red telephone box is a significant part of our national heritage.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Business

Ex-PM Boris signs off with visit to

By Andrew Diprose editor@dorsetbiznews.co.uk

Wessex Internet found itself in the national spotlight after the Prime Minister visited Dorset to mark the company being awarded the first contract in the £5 billion Project Gigabit.

At the start of his last full week as PM, Boris Johnson saw for himself the plans and preparations for connecting more than 7,000 hard-toreach homes and businesses in the county to lightningfast broadband.

The Blandford-based Internet Service Provider – named Best Rural Fibre Provider and Rollout Challenge Buster at this year’s inaugural UK Fibre Awards – has been awarded a £6 million contract by the government.

The first home will be connected by the end of the year, with an expected completion date for all by 2025.

It covers the rural outskirts of towns, villages and hamlets in Dorset from Sherborne to Verwood and Shaftesbury to Blandford Forum.

Project Gigabit aims to bring the fastest, most reliable broadband to areas considered too difficult or expensive to connect under the broadband industry’s commercial plans.

Government funding will complement industry investment to ensure that harder-to-reach areas benefit from the same gigabit broadband as the rest of the country.

The Dorset contract marks the start of a flurry of Project Gigabit delivery contracts to be awarded over the coming months.

As part of the programme, the government has already

MAKING CONNECTIONS: Boris Johnson visits Project Gigabit Pictures: SIMON DAWSON

launched procurements totalling over £690 million aiming to cover up to 498,000 premises.

Work is due to begin to connect hard-to-reach areas in Cornwall, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, and several areas across north east England before the end of the year.

The PM, who was accompanied on his visit to Dorset by Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “From Sherborne to Stirling, lightning-fast broadband is levelling up towns and villages across the country.

“In just three years we have increased the coverage of gigabit broadband from seven per cent of households to 70 per cent.

“I am proud that today more than 20 million households, businesses and organisations are able to tap into rapid and reliable internet, unleashing their potential, creating opportunities and driving

growth across the country.”

Nadine Dorries said: “We enter an exciting new phase of our £5 billion Project Gigabit digital connectivity programme by signing our first major contract in Dorset.

“Thousands of hard-to-reach homes and businesses in the region will get access to faster connections and join the 20 million properties we’ve helped connect over the last three years.”

Gigabit broadband can provide speeds of more than 1,000 megabits per second, more than 30 times faster than copper-based superfast broadband, which is currently available to 97 per cent of UK premises.

While superfast is fast enough for most people’s needs today, the government says gigabit-capable connections will provide the speeds and reliability Britain needs for decades into the future.

According to new data published by independent website ThinkBroadband,

seven in ten UK properties can access the fastest and most reliable internet connections needed to take full advantage of revolutionary new advances in technology in the coming decades.

That compares to seven per cent gigabit coverage in 2019.

The government’s target is 85 per cent coverage by 2025.

In the last five months alone, one million premises have been connected to gigabit networks.

The rate at which gigabitcapable internet connections are installed has increased threefold, with companies like Wessex Internet connecting premises at a rate of one every seven seconds.

More than 740,000 premises have been connected through government funding so far.

The Dorset project is the first large-scale scheme under Project Gigabit to deliver gigabit connections to a regional area en-masse.

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Buiness

check on progress of Project Gigabit Millions of rural homes and businesses across the UK are in line for an upgrade due to dozens of multi-million pound contracts, making Project Gigabit one of the largest national infrastructure projects of recent times.

Now the contract in Dorset has been awarded, the government will work with Wessex Internet and the local authority to begin planning the construction of the gigabit-capable network, with spades set to enter the ground in the coming weeks.

Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO of Wessex Internet said:

SITE VISIT: Nadine Dorries and Boris Johnson

“We’re thrilled to have been awarded the first contract under the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit programme.

“As a business based in North Dorset, our priority has

always been to bring fast, reliable broadband to rural communities overlooked by other providers.”

Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Corporate Development and

Transformation, added: “This significant government investment in Dorset is great news for communities and businesses that would otherwise have been left behind as the country moves to gigabit-capable broadband.

“Good broadband connection has never been more important as we rebuild the economy after the pandemic.

“We look forward to working with Wessex Internet and the government on this exciting development in technology, which will greatly benefit some of the most rural parts of our county.”

Just the Job (recruitment)

Well-known face appointed manager Broadwindsor Community Stores has a new manager.

She is Jane Sloman who has been an assistant at the shop in Drimpton Road since it opened in 2013.

She’ll replace Mike Moles, who has resigned for personal reasons.

Chairman Andrew Hookings said: ‘Broadwindsor Community Stores has seen many changes over its almost ten years of trading but it has had one positive constant: Jane Sloman.

‘If you’re a regular, Jane will most likely greet you by your name, know what you like and if you ask her about anything in the shop, she most likely will have the answer. Talk to anyone who uses the village shop and they not only know Jane but think highly of her.’

Jane said she remembers

Nick Chandler and Jane Sloman at Broadwindsor Community Shop

her interview at the shop like it was yesterday.

‘The shop wasn’t open yet so Sue Williams, the first

manager, and I sat on a couple of upside-down crates in the empty shop to do the interview. And I got

THE CABIN AT WARDON HILL TRADING POST is looking for a MANAGER/ COOK to join our team. Must be able to cook and willing to work front of house when needed.

25+ hours a week, which will include some weekends Contact Jackie on 01935 83069

the job! Haven’t looked back since!’

Andrew said: ‘Jane has been with us since the shop opened in March 2013. She is very popular with volunteers and customers alike. She richly deserves this opportunity.’

The shop committee is now looking for a part-time shop assistant to help Jane and work alongside her colleague, Margaret, as well as with the volunteers who together make the Broadwindsor Village Shop team. The part-time shop assistant role will be on a temporary basis whilst Jane settles into her new role with the aim of being a permanent position.

For more information about the shop assistant role please contact Andrew Hookings at andrewhookings@ yahoo.co.uk

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Sport

Four-midable! Dorchester keep up Dorchester Town 4 Koszela (2, 56), Gwengwe (61, 83) Hartley Wintney 2 Cooksley (17’pen, 88) ATT: 416 BY HARRY ADAMS

The Magpies maintained their 100% home record this season with victory over Hartley Wintney at The Avenue, with Olaf Koszela and substitute Shaquille Gwengwe each bagging a brace in an entertaining game.

In a lively start to proceedings at The Avenue, it took The Magpies just two minutes to take the lead. After Hartley Wintney had a penalty appeal turned at the other end, Koszela broke down the left-hand side, cut inside Hartley’s Tom Leggett before finishing at the second attempt, after his initial shot was blocked.

The fast start didn’t stop there, as Exeter City loanee Harry Lee had to be

BACK OF THE NET: Shaquille Gwengwe scores his second and Dorchester's fourth in the win against Hartley Wintney Picture: PHIL STANDFIELD

at his acrobatic best to tip over a header from Matthew Drage.

Dorchester then countered from the resultant corner, but Alfie Stanley could only flash his effort wide after being played through.

The opening ten minutes set the tone for the first half, with the away side seeing more of the ball, with their Bermudan fullback Reese Jones putting numerous crosses in from the right-hand side, only

Dorchester Town followed up the home win against Hartley Wintney with a well-earned point in a trip to Yate Town which ended goalless.

Afterwards, Harry Adams, caught up with Magpies’ defender Keith Emmerson, pictured inset, to reflect on the weekend’s action and the challenge of playing two games in the space of three days.

Keith said: “For me, it has been a stopstart beginning to the season. I missed the first game against North Leigh as well as the away game against Truro, but I’ve been back into the team for

for the Dorchester backline to deal with them relatively comfortably.

The visitors’ pressure paid off just before the twentyminute mark. Skipper Harry Cooksley picked up the ball midway inside Dorchester’s half before driving into the box, only to be upended by Matthew Neale. Penalty was the verdict of referee Andrew Hobbs, and Cooksley picked himself up to send Lee the wrong way from

the spot to bring The Row level.

The visitors stayed in control after the equaliser, passing the ball around nicely in the middle of the park, making life difficult for the hosts and drawing fouls with their quick movement. Despite their possession, the visitors failed to create many clear-cut chances, and it was Dorchester who nearly went back in front with the first real

Emmerson in with a shout as the last couple of games. From a team perspective, though, it’s been a very good start.

“There’s obviously been numerous changes to the squad and there’s a different set up this season, but the coaching staff have done well in terms of assembling this

new squad to challenge in the early part of the season. To be where we currently are and to have the number of points we’ve got is very impressive.”

It has been an excellent start for The Magpies, with the team currently occupying fifth place in the Southern League Premier South. On the game against Hartley Wintney, Keith said: “The win was brilliant, very well deserved. It

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Sport

home record with impressive win opportunity since the leveller, with Ollie Balmer seeing his shot well saved

by Hartley Wintney’s rookie goalkeeper Killian Barrett, on his first-team debut.

Balmer’s strike was the last real piece action of a first half that saw the visitors edge proceedings in terms of possession, whilst the hosts had arguably the more favourable chances in front of goal.

Glenn Howes’ half time team talk - and the introduction of Gwengwe clearly worked, as the Magpies began the second half much the better side, and started to stamp their authority on the game.

Ten minutes into the second period, the home side got their reward when Balmer beat Barrett to a though-ball, leaving the ‘keeper stranded in the process. The Town striker then fed Koszela, who showed great composure to tuck away his second of the game.

Momentum was clearly

IT’S FOR YOU: Olaf Koszela celebrates his first goal after just two minutes Picture: PHIL STANDFIELD

with the Magpies and, six minutes later, they made it 3-1 with Balmer again the provider. The forward latched onto a loose ball after some sloppy midfield play from The Row and found substitute Gwengwe, who cut inside before finding the far corner with a wonderful

finish. The two quickfire goals were no more than Dorchester deserved after a brilliant start to the second half, which saw them outrun and outclass their opponents.

The fourth Magpies goal came about in somewhat dramatic fashion with ten minutes to go. After some

Magpies continue good start was almost like a basketball game first half, very end-to-end, but second-half we showed our quality and earned the win. The game on Monday against Yate was very much a game of two halves. It was a very resolute display defensively from our perspective.”

The thought of having to play two games in the space of three days would have the likes of Jürgen Klopp apoplectic with rage. However, for a

non-league footballer, it is nothing out of the ordinary, and there are often additional challenges.

Keith said: “It does take its toll.

Obviously, some of the lads have jobs in between playing, which makes it very tough for them, and, with us all not living in the same area, you have to factor travel into that as well. Not many teams at this level have the squad depth to be able to regularly

rare Hartley Wintney pressure saw a fine effort from substitute Anis Nuur strike the inside of the post, Dorchester hit their opponents on the counter.

Full-back Harvey-Joe Bertrand broke down the right-hand side and slipped in Gwengwe, who finished coolly past Barrett for his second of the game.

The visitors managed to close the gap with two minutes of normal time remaining, with Cooksley finishing well on the edge of the box after beating Town skipper Buckley with some neat footwork.

The Magpies almost added some real gloss to the score line in stoppage time, with Barrett denying Koszela what would have been a deserved hat-trick.

So, 4-2 it finished after a dominant second-half display saw The Magpies blow The Row away. The home crowd clearly loved what they saw, with tongue-in-cheek chants of “We are going up” emanating from a group behind the goal.

rotate either. On a personal level, I think I’ve added some experience to the squad.

“I’m very vocal on the pitch, so if I can help the younger players in any way, then that’s a positive.

“I knew a few of the lads before I signed in the summer which was great, and I’ve worked with the gaffer before at Poole, so I already had a good relationship with him. Shaq (Shaquille Gwengwe) came in as a bit of an unknown entity from Totton, but he’s shown his quality this season.”

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Sport

Dorchester miss out on fourth title

By Stuart Wickham stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Premier Division Dorchester CC 1st XI 202 All Out (45.2 Overs) Bere Regis CC 1st XI 203/5 (43.3 Overs) Bere Regis CC 1st XI won by 5 wickets – Bere Regis CC 1st XI 20 points; Dorchester CC 1st XI 6 points Dorchester Firsts missed out on a fourth consecutive title as Bere Regis produced a strong all-round performance to register a comfortable win, although Poole’s victory maximum points haul against Sherborne meant that even a victory for the visitors would not have been enough.

Dorchester had been the beneficiaries of Bere Regis’ final day exploits in 2021, but found themselves on the receiving end of a team intent on ending their own season on a high.

The game was shaped by brilliant opening spells by Bere Regis’ front-line bowlers, Richard Payne and Robert Murphy, with Dorchester reeling at 2-3

OUT OF LUCK: Eral Anderson’s knock of 52 was not enough to save Dorchester

by the end of the sixth over.

Payne dismissed Jim Ryall and Jamie Barrett for ducks in consecutive balls at the start of his second over, and although Simon Mitchem survived the hattrick ball, he too was quickly on his way, with Murphy having him caught at slip without scoring.

Eral Anderson offered some stoic resistance, scoring a measured 52 before being run out to leave the visitors teetering at 94-5.

Gautham Rajendar and skipper Dan Belt gave the innings some impetus,

putting on 71 for the sixth wicket, before Belt became the first of Matt King’s three victims, having scored a breezy 48 off just 42 balls.

Brandon King and James Dunham fell cheaply, and with the tail exposed, Rajendar fell for an excellent 58 when looking to add some quick runs, and Murphy returned to take the final Dorchester wicket as they were bowled out in the 46th over. King finished with 3 for 29, with two wickets apiece for Murphy, Payne and Pete Russell.

In reply, opener Russell

helped to build a solid platform for Bere Regis, scoring 35, although two James Dunham wickets in the kept the hosts in check at 37-2.

Russell and Murphy then fell in quick succession to leave the contest evenly poised with the score at 864, before Sam and Tim Goodhew produced crucial contributions to take the game, and any chance of the title, away from the visitiors. Sam Goodhew top-scored with 57 before being bowled by Rajendar with the home side 42 runs short of victory.

Tim Goodhew continued to take the attack to the bowlers, hitting three sixes and four fours on his way to an unbeaten 43, while Cameron Robertson’s rapid 25 not out came from just 12 balls and included two maximums.

The result sees Dorchester finish in third place behind winners Poole, and Wimborne and Colehill.

Bere Regis consolidated their fourth place in the division and again demonstrated their ability to beat anybody on their

Beaminster clinch promotion and now wait on County Division II Shaftesbury CC 1st XI 268/9 (45 Overs) Beaminster CC 1st XI 269/7 (44 Overs) Beaminster CC 1st XI won by 3 wickets – Beaminster CC 1st XI 19 points; Shaftesbury CC 1st XI 8 points

Beaminster edged a highscoring encounter to win a share of first place in Division II and cement their promotion to Division I for next season.

The win, their 14th of a successful campaign, was another close contest which demonstrated Beaminster’s resolve and strength in depth.

Batting first, the hosts amassed an imposing 2689, with a third-wicket stand of 142 between Kevin Monaghan (60) and Lawrence Yeo (89).

The Beaminster bowlers struggled to keep the pair quiet on a strip favouring the batsman, but chipped away at Shaftesbury’s middle order to keep the

total manageable, when a score of 300 plus had looked possible at one point.

Nick Hollely took three wickets, with Oliver Bareham and Paul Edwards bagging two a-piece.

Fittingly for such a united group, Beaminster’s reply was a team effort, with all batters reaching double

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Sport

to Poole as Bere end season on high day. Both clubs will hope for better things in 2023.

Dorchester chairman Mark Derrien said: “Naturally we are disappointed not to retain our Premier league title but Poole have been the most gracious and worthy opponents I’ve seen in the past four seasons and thoroughly deserve the title. Dorchester and Poole have been the top two teams for a while, and Dave Miller deserves to lift the trophy. We have nothing but respect for them.

“Next season we will try our hardest to win it it back. Dorchester are digging up the square at the Rec next week and spending £7,000 levelling the wicket. We have been successful in obtaining a £21,000 grant to get solar energy to complement our ground-source heating so we are virtually carbon neutral. While short-term we are disappointed not to retain the title, long-term we are well-placed to compete for many years to come.

“Congratulations, Poole.

We look forward to trying

to win the title back next year.”

Sherborne CC 1st XI 166/6 (50 Overs) Poole Town CC 1st XI 170/6 (29.2 Overs) Poole Town CC 1st won by 4 wickets – Poole Town CC 1st XI 18 points; Sherborne CC 1st XI 6 points Poole Town Firsts eased to victory at the Terraces to wrestle the Premier Division title from threetime winners, Dorchester.

Sherborne elected to bat first and came up against a mean Poole attack determined to give nothing away. Tim Durston’s fine 63 not out was the standout innings for the hosts, who found it hard to build momentum in the face of such tight bowling.

Although batting through the 50 overs, Sherborne looked short of a challenging total.

Two early Ni Denham wickets in Poole’s reply gave the home side some encouragement, although the Sherborne attack lacked the same control as their opponents and leaked far too many extras, with

Denham himself being the main culprit. However Sherborne chipped away at the champions-elect, with Otto Denham taking 3-36, to leave the game in the balance with Poole at 1266. Richard Armstrong’s unbeaten 52 ultimately proved decisive and it was somewhat fitting that Poole captain David Miller, having joined Armstrong at the crease, was on hand to score a four to secure the win, and the title, for the visitors.

Puddletown CC Saturday 1st XI 233 All Out (48.3 Overs) Broadstone CC Saturday 1st XI 201 All Out (34.4 Overs) Puddletown CC Saturday 1st XI won by 32 runs – Puddletown CC Saturday 1st XI 20 points; Broadstone CC Saturday 1st XI 6 points A Puddletown side featuring 15-year-old Evie Snow making her first team debut gave themselves a chance of surviving relegation from the Premier Division with a brilliant win at Broadstone.

bonus points verdict figures. Standout contributions came from Ross Baker with a hardhitting 43 and wicket-keeper Adam Moss, who top-scored with 67.

Keeping pace well with the asking rate throughout, Daniel Hillier (36 not out) and Oliver Bareham (10 not out) saw the visitors home with just six balls of

the contest remaining.

Having finished level on points with Chalke Valley CC, Beaminster must wait to see if they can be separated on bonus points, or will simply share the title.

Either way, with two promotion spots up for grabs, they will be playing in Division I next season.

Batting first, Puddle posted a strong total, largely courtesy of a half century from James Mitchell and a composed 39 from Adam Barrett, but also aided by some ragged bowling from the home side contributing 43 in the extras column.

Mitchell’s measured innings of 55 helped the visitors navigate to 162-5, with some useful late order runs giving them a defendable total.

In response, Puddletown’s under-strength bowling attacked whittled away at Broadstone’s batting line top and middle order, with captain Ryan Norman’s 453 leading the way, ably supported by Adam Weir’s 3-41. Skipper Ryan Norman gambled on bowling out his front-line bowlers who responded to the challenge by dismissing the home side in the 35th over.

The hosts were well ahead of the run rate and Broadstone captain, Dan Cook, who finished unbeaten on a brilliant 79 not out, ran out of partners as nobody was able to provide sustained support.

FINAL TABLES

Poole Wimborne Dorchester Bere Regis Sherborne Broadstone Martinstown Cattistock & S Puddletown Christchurch

P 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 18 18 17

Beaminster Chalke Valley Parley

18 18 18

Dorset Cricket League Premier Division Batting Bowling W L Pts Pts 16 2 84 82 15 3 86 76 15 3 83 73 11 7 68 77 9 9 66 69 7 11 66 67 5 12 60 50 3 15 55 65 5 13 47 52 3 14 52 54 County Division 2 14 4 81 13 3 78 12 6 73

83 73 82

Total Pts 326 312 306 255 225 203 160 150 149 138 336 336 292

68

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Sport

By Stuart Wickham stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Annie Bowden, the President of Bridport and West Dorset Indoor Bowls Club, says that it is vital that their membership is increased to ensure that the club remains viable in the face of unprecedented financial challenges, with rent and utility bills set to increase exponentially.

The club, based at St Andrews Trading Estate, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023, making it the oldest indoor club in Dorset. Annie feels it’s important that the club survives and thrives, for the benefit of their members.

Annie said: “We want our club to keep going and to prosper and it would be nice to get to celebrate the 50th anniversary and many more beyond this.

So many of our members are local, older people and they simply can’t drive any distance to other clubs, so it’s really nice for them to have the chance to come and play here at Bridport. They would lose that social interaction if we were ever forced to close.”

With the aim of boosting membership numbers, Annie and her committee are encouraging people to give bowls a try across the next two weekends.

Guests of any age or ability will have the opportunity to see the facilities, enjoy a friendly game, and chat to current members. New members will benefit from a reduced annual membership fee.

The club currently has 120 members, some of whom compete in county teams while others are social players. Annie said: “We cater for everybody, whether they are competitive or just want to have a bit of fun. We would

WARM WELCOME: Bridport Ladies pictured at the indoor club and, inset below, club president Annie Bowden

Join the bowling club and we’ll help you keep warm! love to boost our ranks of competitive players and are open to seeing potential players who have competed in other sport. We’ve had a lot of ex-golfers and former badminton and hockey players, and they tend to have that competitive spirit.”

A welcome also awaits for those who don’t want to play the sport competitively.

Annie said: “We have such a broad mix and lots of our members are really happy with the social side of coming to the club. We have our Acorns Group, who can join on concessionary rates for just £20 per year. The Acorns include people who may have mobility issues, perhaps Alzheimer’s and wheelchair users – for many of these members, it’s about playing a couple of ends and then having a nice cup of tea and a chat.”

With the club being completely wheelchair-

friendly, Annie is hopeful that the open days might appeal to wheelchair users. Annie said: “We have two specially adapted wheelchairs that can be used. We have disabled parking and our building is 100% accessible. We are all on one level and the sides drop down for wheelchairs to access. There’s disabled changing on the ground floor which is great, too.

“We have players who have had strokes or suffered serious injuries and it’s a great way of helping them to regain their flexibility, strength and motor skills - and to help keep their minds active as well. We have put fliers in doctor’s surgeries and with physiotherapists, just to let patients know that we’d love to help through bowls if we can.”

“We used to have over 240 members and if we got back to somewhere near that number, we’d be fine with costs going up. Unfortunately, with many of our members are older players, we inevitably lose some of them each year. It would be good to see some

younger people coming along to our open days.”

The rising costs of gas and electricity is a concern for most at the moment, and Annie is braced for the impact on the club’s finances. Annie said: “We are waiting for what the first bills look like, and are certainly prepared for these going up a lot. Of course it’s not like we can just switch off the heating and tell our members to put on an extra cardigan or get them doing star jumps. We have to keep them warm while they’re with us, although I don’t mind it so much as I’m used to working outdoors and it makes the green faster which I like!

“I suppose you could look at it as a positive for members really.

“Come to the bowls club and you won’t have to heat your own home for a few hours.

“We’ll certainly give everybody a warm welcome.”

Please refer to the club’s website for details of the open days n bridportindoorbowls.co.uk or call them on 01308 424074.

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

69

Agriculture

Lots of courses on offer at new premises

By Ed Powell-Jackson Veterinary Surgeon Synergy Farm Health Vets It has been a busy summer at Synergy Farm Health.

Our move up the hill to our new premises on Rampisham Down was smooth.

The arrival of our laboratory a few weeks ago was the final phase. The team worked hard to ensure that there was no disruption to any of our service provision.

With our 13-year tenancy at Evershot now over, a new chapter in Synergy’s story has begun. Our new space will enable us to build the client events and farmer training courses we offer.

One of our first events was celebrating 10 years of our smallholder scheme. It was lovely to see in excess of 60 smallholders on site, taking the opportunity to learn and take the knowledge back to their livestock. In the coming month we have our first Setting Up a Smallholding training session, and another on Alpaca Husbandry. We

welcome the Dorset branch of Women in Dairy on October 6 for a Dairy Cow First Aid workshop with vet Claire Rudd.

The summer show season has certainly been busy, with all shows (up to the point of writing!) blessed with large crowds and good weather. It has been great to finally get back to normal and see so many clients and their families off farm.

The extreme weather needs no introduction! We have certainly seen a variety of cases which have been due to the extended hot and dry spell. Our most recent newsletter (available on our website) advises on the potential TAS ASTER ER SESS SSION IONS: poisonous COME IVE BOW OWLS A TRY TR COME & GIVE plants Mondays: 7.30pm Wheelchair accessible stock may Saturdays: 10am All ages and abili琀es welcome graze as grass BRIDPORT & WEST growth is hindered DORSET INDOOR and water courses BOWLS CLUB dry up.

Contact Arthur Stone to book or for Colleague more details: 01308 425278 Mike bridpor琀ndoorbowls.co.uk Kerby

gives hemlock water dropwort aka dead man’s fingers as an example: “Common in ditches and water courses, this plant is particularly toxic. Leaves and stalks (which look remarkably like celery) are commonly eaten by cattle when grass is short, and have been identified at post mortem on several occasions this summer as the cause of sudden death outbreaks.

“The roots are very poisonous also (and look remarkably like a human hand – hence the name).

These may be exposed with dropping water levels, or following ditch clearance work, and cattle seem to like to eat them. Beware!”

Quality forages underpin profitable livestock farming and this is an area for improvement on many sheep and beef farms.

Forage analysis can enable rationalisation of concentrates purchased and fed (in many instances reducing costs) and identify any potential nutritional shortfalls early. Whether applied to beef

suckler cow or ewe nutrition, our teams are receiving an increasing number of requests for analysis and the results used to help target nutrition.

Later in the month we have our first EID (electronic identification) sheep training programme, developed with external consultants who live and breathe EID. We have eight sessions, on the most popular weigh heads and software found within the sheep population under our veterinary care. For our sheep vets, data (or the lack of), is often the rate-limiting step in many investigations, but can also be the magic tool which unlocks our understanding of what is happening on farm. Growth rates are a nice example. We also see lots of great equipment on farm on our travels, but knowing how to unlock the potential is key.

All our training courses are open to any attendees, take a look at our training section on our website for full details.

With the maize harvest not far away let’s hope this goes without hitch, as forage stocks are likely to be an issue for many units this winter.

70

The West Dorset Magazine, September 9, 2022

Agriculture

Rural crime on the increase again An apparent decline in rural crime during 2021 was caused in large part by the covid pandemic, and NFU Mutual is warning that data for the first quarter of 2022 shows thieves are busy making up for lost time in the South West.

And people with outbuildings, farmland, machinery, and vehicles are being advised to ‘review their security’.

According to NFU Mutual’s (NFUM) latest Rural Crime Report, rural crime costs fell by more than 18% to £4.3m.

NFUM says the South West remains one of the regions worst affected by rural

and replacement parts with claims for thefts of the vehicles shooting up by 87% to £2.6m nationally.

Although the number of fuel theft claims received by NFUM fell from 2020 to 2021, with prices for diesel and heating oil reaching record highs, claims data from the first half of 2022 indicates the frequency and cost of fuel theft has more than doubled compared to the same period in 2021.

crime.

High-value farm machinery remains a popular target for thieves.

Land Rover Defenders are particularly sought after by thieves, with owners paying the price for the rocketing value of second-hand cars

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registered for this year’s biggest harvest festival – Harvest LIVE. Harvest LIVE, an initiative from the NFU’s education team, is set to return on September 29 and 30, to teach children about the journey of farm to fork and the roles involved in food production, while delivering key STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) objectives.

Students can go behind the scenes of real British farms and meet the people responsible for producing their food.

From pages 56-57

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Harvest fun Some 40,000 pupils have

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The West Dorset Magazine, September 9 , 2022

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