The West Dorset Magazine Edition 32, September 2023

Now

THE LAV OF GOD:

Sherborne Abbey to get new toilets and disabled access in first revamp in a century P42

KNIGHT VISION:

The first black Lord Lieutenant of Greater London tells us why he loves his Dorset home: P47

Plus 11 pages of Whasson, SIX pages of culture, 50+ pages of news, plus features, puzzles, recipes & more

We’re the most popular publication in the area with a readership of 60-70,000!

YOUR LOCAL DRAINAGE SPECIALIST

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Contents:

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Dan Goater Reporter dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Miranda Robertson Editor miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Karen Bate News Editor karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Nick Horton Chief Sub nickH@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Stuart Wickham Sports editor stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Lyndon Wall Cartoonist justsocaricatures.co.uk

Bob Holman Advertising sales bobdiholman@btinternet.com

Laura McManus Advertising sales director laura@westdorsetmag.co.uk

It’s time to talk about cabbages and kings

The King is not so green as he is cabbage-looking in this amazing portrayal of His Majesty King Charles III in vegetables made by Toby Mitchell in the children’s Under 10 class at the Melplash Show.

Well done Toby! We’ve never seen such regal veg.

Right, Emma Middleton’s prizewinning scarecrow at Dorset County Show.

Is cash king? Let your MP know...

West Dorset MP Chris Loder has launched a campaign to ensure that access to cash is protected in his constituency in the wake of several significant bank closures in West Dorset.

Bank closures in Dorchester, Bridport, Lyme Regis and Sherborne have left many vulnerable people and rural residents marginalised.

Now Mr Loder is inviting residents to take a survey or write to him to establish their views.

“Over the last few years, many of our local high streets in West Dorset have seen their banks and building societies close,” said Mr Loder.

“The decreased reliance on physical cash is one reason, along with the push towards digitisation. But these changes risk excluding the most vulnerable and disproportionately affecting residents in rural areas. Cash still has an important and continuing role to play in our

local economy, especially so for our market towns.”

Since the launch of Mr Loder’s campaign, the Treasury has released a new framework to ensure that most people and businesses are no further than three miles away from withdrawing cash. As part of the move, the Financial Conduct Authority has been provided with new powers to protect the provision of cash access services.

Mr Loder said: “I am glad to see that the Treasury are committed to protecting access to cash. Many constituents I have spoken to have no wish to manage their finances digitally and have effectively been forced to succumb to the changes of the banking and finance sector.”

Mr Loder has launched a survey to gather constituents’ views on personal banking, access to cash, and digital banking, at: chrisloder.co.uk/ banking, or write to: Chris Loder MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Art club to hold open day

Dorchester Art Club is going to have a free open afternoon on Thursday, September 28 from 2-4pm at St George’s Church Hall, Fordington High Street, Dorchester.

Anyone interested in drawing or painting is very welcome to go along to see what they do, enjoy half-time refreshments and take part in the afternoon’s activity of autumn colours.

Dorchester Art Club is a friendly club, welcoming artists from absolute beginners to all levels of experience. It

meets most Thursday afternoons throughout the year. Each session has a suggested subject but members are welcome to work on their own.

They have demonstrations from time to time, workshops and competitions. There is a small weekly charge towards the hall hire and refreshments.

For more details see Dorchester Art Club’s website, phone 01305 264568, or just turn up at the open day. Free parking.

Weds, Sept 6

Dorchester and District Gardening Club hosts Susan Vincent, National Trust volunteer and member of the TE Lawrence Society and Richard Wagner Society, to talk about playwright George Bernard Shaw, who was a close friend of Lawrence of Arabia. The club meets at St George’s Church Hall, High Street, Fordington, DT1 1LB, doors open at 7.15pm for a

7.30pm start. Free entry for members, visitors £4 on the door. There is also a bring and buy stall, a draw and tea/coffee afterwards. All welcome. Contact Jane 01305 268523.

Thurs, Sept 7

Portland’s stunning arts festival b-side kicks off today until September 10. Headlined “Breathtaking locations – inspirational festival; turns your brain inside

out!” it’s well worth a visit or several, to see and incredible line-up of different arts in stunning landscapes. Look out for Fringe signs all over the island as you are out and discover some creative gems in open studios, windows, front gardens, and on doorsteps. Discover more: b-side.org.uk

Dorchester’s Dorford Centre is host to Rosie Hardy, winner of 24 Gold medals at Chelsea,

who will be talking about autumn flowering perennials. Organised by Plant Heritage. Doors open 7pm for 7.30 start. Guests and visitors welcome, £5 including refreshments. Contact M Young 01035 814473 for further details.

Bridport’s St Swithun’s Church coffee mornings are now held 9.30am-11am on the first Thursday every month. Free fresh coffee cake and snacks.

October 1, 11am-4pm in Radipole Park

Stalls, entertainment, puppy talk, socialisation talk, harness fitting talk

CLASSES: Most Handsome boy, prettiest girl, trick show, waggiest tail, how many sausages in 30 seconds, best puppy under 9 months, veteran dogs over 9 years, best in class

A surplus food stall and clothes bank is open to all every Thursday in the car park of St Swithun’s Church, Allington, Bridport or in the hall from 9.30am.

Friday, Sept 8

There’s New Orleans jazz at Litton Cheney Village Hall, DT2 9AU. Featuring Ewan Bleach with award-winning group Frog and Henry. Doors open 7pm with Cajun snacks and cash bar. Tickets £10 or (under-16) £5 from Bridport Tourist Information Centre, 01308 424901. Reservations: text 0748 764 0339 with name and contact details, or email D.Charlton@rhul.ac.uk cash only on door.

Saturday, Sept 9

Beaminster Museum

Heritage Open Days are being held September 9 -17 The museum is taking part in England’s largest grass roots heritage festival involving more than 40,000 volunteers and 5,000 events. Reflecting this year’s theme Creativity

Unwrapped, the museum’s self-guided handout directs visitors to some of the more intriguing exhibits, from the ingenious cider press photo in the apple, orchards and cider display, to the equipment created to cut slots in a barn roof to improve ventilation for cattle. Admission is free. Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. Tues, Thurs, Sat,

10.30am-4pm Sun 2pm4.30pm. beaminstermuseum.co.uk

A Cream Tea Afternoon and Tower Tours are being held at All Saints’ church, Wyke Regis 2pm-5pm. Music, chat and a friendly welcome too. Climb the 100 steps to explore the bell tower and experience the wonderful panoramic view at the top. Tours take 45 mins. £5, bookable at parishofwyke regis.org.uk/events

A Mind Body Spirit Fayre will be held at Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 11am to 5pm. All welcome.

There’s Music in the Meadow at Orchard Meadow in Tolpuddle DT2 7EU. Enjoy the end of summer with live music, party line dancing, bar and good food 6pm-11pm. Free entry – donations for village causes. Everyone welcome. See tolpuddlevillage .co.uk/events-and-activities for latest updates. Enquiries: tolpuddleevents@gmail.com

Sunday, Sept 10

Melplash Agricultural Society are offering a free Hedgelaying Taster Day for beginners and Young Farmers 10am-3pm at Wyke Farm, Chedington DT8 3HX. Ring 01308 423337 or email office@melplashshow.co.uk to book a place.

Continued page 8

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

family, no booking required.

Historic Dorchester is offering a day brimming with free activities today. Free to visit on the day is The Keep Military Museum, Shire Hall Museum and Dorset Museum. Dorset Museum will be having a free interactive pop-up exhibition on one of Dorset’s finest Iron Age hillforts, Badbury Rings. At Shire Hall Museum you can look around the cells and historic courtroom and at The Keep Military Museum you can explore inside and see the breath-taking views across Dorchester from their roof top terrace.

St Peter’s Church is offering free self-guided tours, children’s trail and bell-ringing tower tours. Join in with the monthly choral Eucharists, with glorious choral music in their service at 10.30am. On the outskirts of Dorchester, you can visit Thomas Hardy’s House, Max Gate for free 10.30am-4.30pm. Last entry 3.30pm. Booking advised. High West and High East Street will be closed 10.454.30 for people to admire the street and join in with walks being led by Dorchester Civic Society and local historians Mark Chutter and Steve Wallis. The day will finish with a mass hokey-cokey outside Tom Brown’s at 3.30pm followed by free live music with the Chris Davies Band. Plus, a free Dorchester Arts evening concert at Corn Exchange 6pm with piano music and songs by the Smith

Dorchester Mayor Cllr Alistair Chisholm said, “One of our many heritage assets is the High Street, West and East, with, it is claimed, more listed buildings that any other High Street in the country. It is rarely possible to appreciate the range and wealth of architecture in this street because it is usually busy with traffic which makes it noisy, pollutes the air and forces the pedestrian on to its very narrow pavements. We’re taking back this finest of streets and you can delight in its splendours, relish the stories it holds and be reminded of the many centuries it has served as one of the main routes linking London with the west country.”

It is also a free parking day for most Dorset Council car parks, excluding on-street parking. For more information visit discoverdorchester.co.uk

An autumn plant fair will be held at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens 10am3pm.

A must for plant lovers or those looking for a pleasant day out in beautiful surroundings. Several new specialist growers this year, including scented plants and exotics, promising a wide range of plants, and some crafts to buy. There will also be several wildlife and conservation charities with stalls. Admission is £7 and includes access to the beautiful gardens (normally £12.50).

Tickets can be purchased on the day or online: abbotsburytickets.co.uk/events

Winterbourne Abbas Village Fete will be held noon3.30pm at St Mary’s Church. A traditional village fete offering stalls including bric a brac, new 2 you, books, plants, tombola, raffle, games for children and adults. Teas & coffees, with amazing home baked cakes and a barbecue with a great range of food and drink. Everyone welcome. Entry £1, U16 free. Parking in the farmyard opposite.

A Summer Concert with Duncan Honeybourne is promised at All Saints church, Wyke Regis at 7.30 pm (doors open 7pm). Honeybourne is an internationally renowned solo recitalist and concerto soloist. He was born in Weymouth and still lives in the town. A varied programme of organ music from England and continental Europe spanning the last last four centuries. Tickets are £5 (U16 free) at parishofwykeregis.org.uk/even ts or from Jeff Thomas on 07710 096174. Cash bar and retiring collection for the Church Roof Appeal.

Monday, Sept 11

Wessex Morris will start their autumn/winter practice season from today. Anyone interested in having a go at Morris dancing can go to Pulham village hall (opposite the Halsey Arms), DT2 7DZ, between 8pm and 10pm and

have a drink afterwards. Just turn up any Monday evening or contact the bagman, Ray Dyson, bagman@wessexmorrismen.c o.uk, to arrange to come along or for other enquiries.

Wareham Whalers, a Sea Shanty Singing Group, will be performing at the Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild Meeting. Visitors would be made very welcome for £3. After a short business meeting at 2pm the group will be entertaining the guild in Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury, DT1 3DF. Tea or coffee will be available. Enquiries 01305 832857.

Hardy Quilters begin their new year with a short AGM and a show and tell from members. New members –any ability – are welcome at St Francis of Assisi Church Hall, Merredin Close, Littlemoor, Weymouth. DT3 6SB, 9.30am to 12.30pm. All future meetings will be on the 2nd Monday of the month. For more information email Jenny on straitjen@hotmail.co.uk or Sue sue.battley@gmail.com if you would like to receive the newsletter.

Tuesday, Sept 12

Ann & Neil's Acoustic Night will be held at the Woodman, South St, Bridport from 8pm. Solos & duos play and sing

Bride Valley candles made in the workshop Upcycled furniture created and sold in the shop Candles made and sold Antiques & local crafts Workshop space available

SPECIALIST AUTUMN PLANT FAIR

at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Sunday, September 10, 10am-3pm

Large plant fair in beautiful surroundings. Wide range of plant stalls plus some crafts. Admission £7 including access to the gardens (worth £12.50). Tickets at the gate or abbotsburytickets.co.uk/events/plant-fair-507 Free parking. Bring cash/cards for stalls. Gardens open until 5pm. Call 01305 814473 or go to plantheritagedorset.org.uk | Registered charity 10004009

WYKE WORKIES

Whasson? (and where’s

Appeal for funds

A beautiful Dorchester church is facing a bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds after a recent inspection – and an appeal has gone out for help. St Mary’s Church in Edward Road is not only a place of worship, but a venue for concerts, events and celebrations.

Last summer an architect spent several days surveying its fabric in the quinquennial inspection (from the Latin meaning “every five years”) – although it had been about seven since its last inspection. He found parts of the roof are

Tues, Sept 12 c’td

folk, blues, country and all things rootsy in the round. Material for all to join in with. Free. Every 2nd Tuesday. New performers and singers welcome or just listen and enjoy.

Sunday 10 th September 2023 – 10am - 3pm

Radipole & Southill Horticultural Society will be holding its next meeting at the Southill Community Centre at 7.30pm when local horticulturist Martin Young will be talking about making a garden attractive to butterflies. Come along and find out how this important pollinator can be helped to survive and thrive. The event is open to members and non-members. Information on 01305 788939.

Weds, Sept

The best of World Cinema is returning to Dorchester’s Corn Exchange this September with the launch of the film society’s new season. The programme features 18 titles, most of which have won awards on the international

in need of immediate repair, while the rest of it will need to be replaced in the next few years.

The church is relatively modern – its foundation stone was laid on April 21 1910 and was funded by a generous donor who gave £2,500 (£300,000 today) to pay for the chancel and the

film festival circuit including ten winners at Cannes and three Oscar nominations, all presented on the Exchange’s wide screen with Dolby sound.

The society’s 65th season opens today with Queen of Glory, a dry comedy of culture clashes in the Bronx, starring its writer-director Nana Mensah. The programme continues with a wide range of British and world cinema titles including the three Oscar nominees: a delightful feature from Bhutan with the intriguing title of Lunana – A Yak in the Classroom, the ambitious British film

Aftersun, winner of numerous awards for debut director Charlotte Wells and lead actor Paul Mescal, and Broker from the acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazo which also won awards for best film and best actor at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Full details of the programme to be shown, starting at 7.30pm, at dorchesterfilmsociety.org.uk –where you can apply for membership. Members and

for church repairs

Blessed Sacrament chapel, the vestry and sacristy with two bays of the nave and aisles. Another parishioner offered to pay for the rest of the work but then reneged, leaving a huge debt which wasn’t cleared until 1928. Furniture and many artefacts were carried in from the Tin Tabernacle at Top o’ Town. The pulpit and the chancel screen were given by Edwin Pope in 1914. One small stained glass window was in the original building and then all the others were the gifts of individuals over the succeeding years.

their guests only – tickets cannot be purchased at the door.

A Dorchester Tree Walk will be held every Wednesday in September 4pm-5.30pm. Meet at the fountain in the Borough Gardens. Adults £7.50, Children £2.50 (over 8s as a guide). Learn about the trees in Dorchester – how to identify them and the amazing ways in which they work. Duration 90 mins, town centre, mainly on good paths and pavements. Your walk leader is Julie –look out for the orange sun hat and yellow waistcoat! Walks will run whatever the weather, and there is no need to book. Further info: treewalksindorset@gmail.com or find Tree Walks in Dorset on Facebook.

The most recent windows –the Magnificat window completed in 1945 (£475 then, £20,000 today) and the Sidgwick window in 1961 –were the gifts of two individuals, one of whom also gave the chapel railings, the pieta, the communion rail and the choir stalls at different times.

The church is holding a Gift Day on Sunday, September 10 if you would like to pop in. Or you can donate at pay.sumup.io/b2c/QPIGYSM

P?utm_source=qr&utm_me dium=digital&utm_campaig

n=image

Indian and Western Classical Music. Door and bar open 7pm – music 7.30pm. For tickets (£12.50) visit electricpalace.org.uk

Sherborne and District Gardeners' Association will meet at 7.30pm at the Digby Hall, Hound Street. Jenny Short will be giving a talk entitled Rugs, Cushions and Carpets, Ground Cover Plants.

All are welcome. Visitors £3. Details from Richard Newcombe 01935 389375.

Clocktower Productions proudly present Andrew Goldberg and Ricky Romain live in the foyer of the Electric Palace Bridport – a fascinating dialogue between

A Cream Tea Afternoon and Tower Tours are being held at All Saints’ church, Wyke Regis 2pm-5pm. Music, chat and a friendly welcome too. Climb the 100 steps to explore the bell tower and experience the wonderful panoramic view at the top. Tours take 45 mins.

£5, bookable at parishofwyke regis.org.uk/events

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Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Sunday, Sept 17

A folk workshop at the Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne, DT9 3NL from 1.30-4.30pm will get your feet tapping. It’s £15 on the door or cheaper in advance at sherbornefolkband.org

Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky or a guest musician, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and acoustic instruments. Sheet music and audio supplied in advance. info@sherbornefolkband.org

Julia: 07527 508 277

Bring the family along to a beach clean by Dorset Countryside Volunteers at Abbotsbury.

More details at dcv.org.uk, email DCVpublicity@gmail.com, or text or message 07923 498760.

There’s a Divine Union Soundbath at Bell Street

United Church, Shaftesbury, SP7 8AL at 2pm, costing £15. Lie down, relax, and allow the pure sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Please book in advance via 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com

Monday, Sept 18

A six-week Discovering Archaeology course starts in Bridport today, led by Chris Tripp MA (UCL).

You will find out: What is archaeology about? What do archaeologists do? Why is archaeology important? On this six week course

JUNE ROSE CEREMONIES

n Weddings

n Funerals

n Celebrations of Life

n Baby/Child Naming Ceremonies

n Vow Renewals

n Birthday memorial celebrations and any other significant celebrations or rights of passage

juneroseceremonies.co.uk

Thousands enjoy two days

About 60,000 people immersed themselves in all things rural at Dorset County Show. Demonstrations of horses, including the stunning

archaeologist Chris Tripp will lead you along a Medieval alley and a four thousand year old trackway, introduce you to the very first London and one of our Bronze Age Dorset ancestors. After 30 years in commercial and community archaeology Chris has a wealth of stories to

Amadeus, star of the Lloyds Bank advert, falcons, the Dorset Axemen and sheep shearing pleased the crowds along with the ever-popular livestock attractions in the

tell about the sites he has worked on and the treasures he has found in London and Dorset.

Classes are held 2-3.45pm at The United Church, Bridport DT6 3LT, costing £48 in total.

Contact: tripp.chris60@gmail.com or Tel: 07513 006432.

A veggie lion

The Monster Trucks. Pic: PAUL COLLINS

of rural fun at county show

Fee is £65 for six weeks, ‘drop in’ lectures £13 each. Online fee £60. To book and for more information email chris.pamsimpson@btinternet .com

main ring. And new for this year was the monster truck display, featuring Big Pete, weighing in at 7.5 tons, standing 16ft high and 12ft

The Lamorna Cornish Colony of Artists: A September Art History course about the Lamorna Group, will be held on Monday afternoons at United Hall, East Street, Bridport at 2pm or Friday afternoons from Sept 22 at

wide, is the largest and heaviest monster truck in the world.

2pm online. These artists inhabited the Lamorna valley from 1902 onwards, a few miles south of Mousehole in west Cornwall, which developed as a centre for art, a few decades after the Newlyn painters.

Island Voices Community Choir is beginning a new term with a free open workshop in the Peter Trim Hall, St George’s Centre, Reforne, Portland DT5 2AN, run by Su Lewis. All are invited to come along and sing in harmony. New songs are taught by ear so no need to read music.

Island Voices Community Choir started in 2005 as a result of an Arts Council project. The songs they sing reflect the beauty of our environment and many are original. In the last year they

have raised funds for Ukraine, sung at Wyke Christmas Fayre, wassailed apple trees at Tumbledown Farm and are part of the choral element of The Tempest Rerigged on Portland in September. Friendly and supportive group, new members welcome. Sessions are £6 after the first free one. Email: linkusup9@gmail.com or phone 01305 776328.

The Dorchester Children's Society Committee have organised a Cybersecurity event with the Cyber Crime and Prevention Officer from Dorset Police, at 3pm at St George's Church Hall. This is a free event, although there will be tea and coffee available to purchase.

A smiling pig

Scurry racing in action.

Pic: PAUL COLLINS

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Thurs, Sept 21

Bridport & District Gardening Club’s monthly meeting is at 7.30pm at the WI Hall, North Street, when Katherine Crouch will give a talk on Grasses in the Garden. Katherine studied Product Design, graduating in 1981

CALENDARS £10 AVAILABLE NOW!

and has lived in South Somerset for 33 years. In 1999 she won the first Gardener of the Year competition. She set up Katherine Crouch Garden Design in early 2000 and has been designing gardens all over the South West. She won BBC Gardener of the Decade in 2008 and a Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show for designing a display for Kings Seeds 125th anniversary.

Non-members are welcome £2 and more information about the club is available at bridportgardeneingclub.co.uk

Saturday, Sept 23

Many homes across Dorset will be open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday, September 23 and 24 for Dorset Greener Homes. Meet the householders who have taken steps to lower their

Bridport Auction

No 1, St Michael’s Trading Estate,

DT6 3RR

Established and selling successfully for 25 years

Michael Dark and his team of Linda, Maggie, Sallie, Mo, Sarah and Judy work hard on your behalf to identify, research and market your goods to get the best prices for you in our popular worldwide monthly live on-line auctions of collectables and antiques. Entries are now being accepted for our forthcoming auctions.

l Full and part house clearance service

l Valuations for probate & insurance

Telephone 01308 459400 or email for auction valuations

Opening Hours:- 9am-3pm every weekday

Website: bridportauctionhouse.com

Email: info@bridportauctionhouse.com

energy bills and their carbon footprints and are willing to share their experience. See dorsetcan.org/greener_homes for details and opening times. Free.

Frome Valley Morris are hosting a free morris dance workshop at the Old Town Hall, Weymouth, DT4 8JH 1pm to 4pm. Everyone welcome to dance or play.

Dorchester Trinity Club Tribute Acts continue with Liam Halewood as Boy George and George Andrew as George Michael. Book on 01305 262 671 or dorchtrinityclub@gmail.com

There’s a free talk by Anna Kent, author of Frontline Midwife 2pm for 2.30pm, at Weymouth Library. Anna’s story of survival and keeping others safe, with

experiences of a volunteer nurse in war zones, refugee camp and post earthquake locations, will inspire anyone. A Friends of Weymouth Library event. Booking advisable, at the library or on 01305 762410/750557 or weymouthlibrary@dorsetcoun cil.gov.uk

The Band Of The Grenadier Guards will be in concert at Sherborne Abbey at 6.30pm, by kind permission of Major General C J Ghika CBE, Major General Commanding the Household Division. The concert, in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK and The Colonel’s Fund Grenadier Guards costs £25 including a drink in the interval. Tickets from Eventbrite.

Sunday, Sept 24

Pizzeria

Weds-Sat 5pm -11pm. Last Orders 9pm Deli

Mon-Tues 9am-4pm, Weds-Sat 9am-9pm

01308 459274

Unit 3B Dreadnought Trading Estate, Bridport, DT6 5BU

mercatoitaliano.uk

An Open Mic Poetry event

Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

will be held at The Occasional Bookshop 16 Durngate Street, Dorchester 3pm-5pm. Free. Bring your poems to read or just come and listen. All welcome. Doors open 2.30pm. Light refreshment offered.

A Divine Union Soundbath will be held at Oborne Village Hall, DT9 4LA at 2pm, cost £15. Lie down, relax, and allow the pure sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Book on 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com

Melplash Agricultural Society’s annual Hedgelaying and Ploughing Match will be held from 9am onwards on land off the A356, near Corscombe, DT8 3SQ by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Oliver Hemsley of Urless Farm. What3Words: hears.protest.jumbo Latitude: 50.833320 Longitude:2.697780. Refreshments available. Free entry.

Monday, Sept 25

National Trust Golden Cap Association hosts a talk on “Around the World in 60 Minutes” at United Reformed Church, East Street, Bridport. Brenda Hooton from Vancouver has travelled the world and lived a fascinating life. She will give us a brief description of the places she has visited and lived in... 2.30pm. Members £3, visitors £5. Contact Mike Nicks 01308 459855.

Tuesday, Sept 26

Sherborne Historical Society will hear from Sir Christopher Coville on The Battle of Britain: Close call for Europe!

A novel examination of the events leading up to the greatest air battle in history, the battle itself and the dire consequences had the Luftwaffe been the victors.

Digby Hall, Hound Street. Members free, visitors £5 sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Tuesday, Sept 26

Bridport U3A’s September talk at 2pm in the United Church hall East Street will be well known local photographer and naturalist Colin Varndell. The talk lasts for an hour followed by a Q&A session then refreshments. Entry is free to members and £3 to visitors.

Maria and friends (soprano, piano, violin, ‘cello) will be playing popular classics and songs in a lunchtime concert at St Andrew’s Church, Charmouth, at 12.30pm with light refreshments from noon. Free entry, donations welcome. Contact 01297 560681.

Weds, Sept 27

Uplyme and Lyme Regis

Horticultural Society hosts a talk 'Bulbs that Create Sparkle’ by Micky Little of Avon Bulbs, winner of 30 Chelsea gold medals. Bulbs and plants for sale. Uplyme Village Hall DT7 3UY. Members free, nonmembers £3. Doors open at 7pm for refreshments, talk starts 7.30pm. ulrhs.wordpress.com

The Wessex (Weymouth) Branch of the British Sugarcraft Guild will begin their autumn programme with a demo of character modelling in sugarpaste by Sue Rudge of Sussex, at St Ann’s Schoolroom, Radipole Lane, Weymouth DT3 5HS (fourth Wednesday of the month, 7pm). Visitors always welcome to

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Whasson? (and where’s it to?)

Weds, Sept 27 ct’d

come along and learn new cake decorating techniques and be inspired! £7 on the door. Bring your friends too.

Thurs, Sept 28

The South Dorset RSPB group are giving a talk in the Quiet Space, Poundbury, Dorchester. at 7.30pm. Doors open at 7.15pm. The speaker is Rachel Martin, with an update on Arne and Hyde’s Heath. Entrance £3 members and £4 visitors to include coffee and biscuits. All are welcome.

Friday, Sept 29

Steve Knightley brings a new one man show, ‘Unlock Me & other Lockdown Laments‘ to Broadwindsor’s Comrades Hall. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Bar available, cards accepted. Tickets £20 from the community shop, the White Lion pub and direct from Wendy Shields. Insights, anecdotes and a bunch of new songs will attempt to chronicle and draw a line under an extra episode in all our lives. Profits to the hall and equipment.

Sat, Sept 30

Sherborne Abbey will play spectacular host to the world renowned London Welsh Rugby Club Choir. Since its formation in 2003, the choir has brought its spellbinding, melodic sound to sell out audiences across the UK and the World, including high profile appearances at the 2012 London Olympics

Closing Ceremony, British Ambassador’s residence in Rome, Six Nation Rugby Internationals and even Saturday Morning Kitchen. All proceeds to Rotary Club of

Bric a brac helps shelter

Swithun's Church, Allington, DT6 5DU, with breakfast served from 9am, harvest service at 10am followed by coffee and biscuits in the hall. Contact 07741 457505.

A Vagus Nerve Reset Day

Retreat will be held at Launceston Farm, Tarrant Launceston, near Blandford Forum.

Introduction to the vagus nerve and relaxation practices, culinary adaptogens talk and miniworkshop, and a conscious connected breathwork session.

Sherborne Castle and Hidden Needs Trust (who support local children with special educational needs).

Tickets £12.50 adults and £8 for U16 from Eventbrite or in person (cash only) at Sherborne Market on September 17.

An art & craft showcase will be held at Broadmayne Village Hall today and Sunday, Oct 1 : Saturday: 11am-5pm, Sunday 10am4pm.

Entrance £1.50 (U14 free). There will be more than 30 makers exhibiting, with live demonstrations on both days, refreshments, and works for sale. Painting, sculpture, weaving, woodworking, glasswork, mosaic, caning, textiles, lacemaking, carving, papercraft, photography, mixed media and more...

Greener Homes will be open to visitors today and Sunday, October 1. Free. Meet the householders who have taken steps to lower their energy bills and their carbon footprints and are willing to share their experience.. See dorsetcan.org/greener_homes for details and opening times.

Sunday, Oct 1

A tractor ride will start next to Caundle Marsh church, DT9 5LX, off A3030 with breakfast at 9am, ride starts 10am. £15 per tractor. Finish about 2.30pm. General public welcome. Raffle. Money raised towards church and a chosen charity. Contact James Hiscock on 07977446328 to register.

Bark in the Park will be held at Radipole Park Gardens Weymouth DT3 5EZ from 11am-4pm.

There will be classes for most handsome boy, prettiest girl, trick show, waggiest tail, how many sausages in 30 seconds, best puppy under 9 months, veteran dogs over 9 years and best in class, featuring the winners of each category. There will be demos and talks by expert trainers and vets, providing valuable insights into pet care and training tips, stalls filled with treats and accessories, live entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.

To enter, go to eventbrite.co.uk

Bridport Parish Harvest Festival will be held at St

Delicious organic lunch and afternoon tea (gluten-free and dairy-free).

Bookings essential as places are limited.

More information: thewelllifelab.co.uk/events

Tuesday, Oct 3

Dorchester Civic Society talk: The Dorford Centre, Top o’ Town, 7.30pm Pauline Crump, on How to do Social Housing: The Vienna Model. Free for members. Non-members are encouraged to make a donation of £3. info@dorchestercivicsociety. org.uk

Weds, October 4

Dorchester and District Gardening Club are welcoming Alan Eason to their monthly meeting to give a talk on ‘Gardens to visit in Wessex’. The Club meets at St George’s Church Hall, High Street, Fordington, Dorchester DT1 1LB, doors open at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. Free entry for members, visitors £4 on the door. There is also a bring and buy stall and a draw, with tea/coffee and biscuits available afterwards. Everyone

Proceeds from the bric a brac stall at the arts & crafts fair at Weymouth Bay Methodist Church in August were handed over to help the

homeless. Volunteers from the craft fair presented £500 to Shelter Bus Dorset at their Mount Pleasant site.

welcome. Contact: Jane, secretary 01305 268523.

household items and books for sale.

Bridport’s St Swithun's Church coffee mornings are now held 9.30am-11am on the first Thursday every month, please come along and you will receive a warm welcome at the door plus free fresh coffee cake and snacks.

Friday, October 6

St Peter and St Paul church in Caundle Marsh will host a Harvest Festival service at 6.30pm. Evensong with Eddie Upton, singing appropriate country farming songs.

Sat, October 7

A vintage sale will be held at Piddlehinton Village Hall, 11am-3pm, with clothing,

The Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society autumn show and coffee morning will be held at Uplyme Village Hall DT7 3UY 10am to noon. Informal event with classes for produce, flowers, preserves and baking judged by public vote.

9.30am until midday at the United Church Hall in South Street, Dorchester, free entry. Tombola, homemade cakes, homemade preserves, books, body shop, pyrography and more.

Open to all, free of charge. ulrhs.wordpress.com

A quiz night will be held at Wyke Regis Memorial Hall. 7pm (doors open 6.30pm). Entry fee £5 (includes £2 of raffle tickets) payable on the door.

Thurs, October 5 Tuesday,

Bring your own refreshments. Team (max 6) and individual entrants welcome. Contact Jeff Thomas on 07710 096174 to reserve.

An autumn fayre will be held

Proceeds to Dorchester Community Nursery School. Sherborne Digby Hall Monthly Market will offer antiques, arts, crafts, food & more from 10am-3pm. Cafe, free entry, parking and toilets. First Saturday of the month till December. New Digby Hall, next to the library DT9 3AA.

Moonlight Swing Band will mplay at Weymouth Bay Methodist Church at 7.30pm. Tickets £10 in advance from Pete 01305 812637 or on door £12.

will hear about Robert Hesketh - 1918: The Last 100 Days. How some Devon newspapers reported events. Based on a close study of the Devon and Exeter Daily Gazette, the Western Times and other titles, this talk shows how the Allies won an unparalleled series of victories in just 100 days. Digby Hall, Hound Street. Members free, visitors £5 sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Dorchester Civic Society is holding a walking tour of Salisbury with Salisbury Civic Society info@dorchester civicsociety.org.uk

Sherborne Historical Society

£20k raised for legal challenge over

A legal challenge to the Bibby Stockholm migrant accommodation barge has been launched, with more than £20,000 pledged within a few weeks.

Portland’s mayor Carralyn Parkes has hired solicitors to fight the Home Office, saying she believes it needs a marine licence in order to house asylum seekers there. She is also prepared to name Dorset Council as a defendant in the case, believing the authority has not done enough to oppose the barge. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) controls marine licensing, and will also be named as a defendant.

Carralyn, who is acting as a private individual rather than in her council role, said: “I’ve had tremendous support from people – way beyond my wildest expectations.

A GIMMICK: Portland’s mayor Carralyn Parkes says the barge is inhumane and has raised more than £20,000 to fight it

“My primary concern is this is an inhumane way to treat some of the most vulnerable people in the world – those who have fled the most brutal regimes and come here to ask

for our help and care.

“There are also issues with the local infrastructure, which has been underfunded for 14 years. On a humanitarian level it is cruel and unusual to confine people on the Bibby Stockholm and inhumane to expect overstretched local services to deal with 500 people.

“It’s a gimmick – it’s no accident people arrived the same week as Small Boats Week. It’s thought putting people on this barge instead of in hotels has only saved £10 per person. If they had invested that money on staff in Calais to deal with people’s claims they could come here safely and contribute to

Reader argues council have full powers to stop Bibby

A WDM reader who worked closely with the Port Health Authority before his retirement has criticised Dorset Council for saying it hasn’t got the powers to shut the Bibby Stockholm barge down over fire safety concerns.

The reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, says as the council is the Port Health Authority it has the right –and the duty – to put a notice on the barge if it doesn’t comply with health and safety standards.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency would be usually responsible for fire safety on board, however a spokesman said: “Once a vessel such as the Bibby Stockholm becomes permanently moored (this vessel has permanent lines, electricity and water supplies) it is no longer treated as a ship and responsibility falls from the MCA to local authorities (or HSE depending on the nature of the work activity).”

They added: “When permanently moored at

Portland Port, the local authority, harbour authority and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for any inspections or other work relating to the health and safety of those accommodated on the Bibby Stockholm.”

The powers held by the council were conferred to port health authorities (PHAs) as far back as 1972, when a string of PHAs were set up along the coast to take care of the health and safety of any seagoing vessel in their waters.

The PHA’s responsibilities are laid out in the UN’s Safety of Life at Sea convention of 1974. However the council maintains that despite its opposition to the barge, which despite having capacity for 222 people was due to house over 500 migrants and staff, it could not stop the barge being docked at Portland Port and used for migrant accommodation. The council said it considered legal action, but lawyers advised there was limited chance of success and it would cost too much.

Our reader told us: “DC are being lily-livered about this –but they have a legal obligation here.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Through the Multi Agency Forum, which includes Dorset Council and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue service (DWFRS) and others working alongside the Home Office on planning and arrangements for the barge, we are working on the basis that regulation of fire safety falls within scope of the Fire Safety Order. DWFRS continues to liaise with CTM (the barge operated contracted by the Home Office) and the Home Office to ensure that appropriate fire safety measures under relevant legislation are in place.” Even before migrants moved on to the Bibby grave concerns were raised by the Fire Service and protestors about fire safety.

The barge has 222 cabins over three decks, with just two primary exits in case of an emergency, leading to fears it could become a

‘floating Grenfell’. Only a few dozen migrants arrived on the barge before being hurriedly removed again after legionella was discovered on board. Experts say it is incredibly difficult to shift legionella once it’s taken hold – and is likely to be even harder on a 1970s barge.

Now the barge lies empty, however Home Secretary Suella Braverman is insisting it is not only safe, but that migrants will be moved there as soon as it is feasible to do so. Our reader insists it is not the case Dorset Council have to allow that.

He said: “They are the enforcement authority must stick a notice on the barge and say this doesn’t comply. The barge is owned and managed by a private company, contracted by HM Government and does not have immunity.

“The responsibility for ensuring the barge is safe lies with the Port Health Authority, which is Dorset Council.”

‘cruel’ barge plan

society. This has been an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.”

The Home Office has asked for more time to respond to Carralyn’s challenge, as it emerged the Fire Brigades Union is also taking the Home Office to court over the barge.

A spokesman for the FBU said: “Fires do not discriminate based on immigration status, and neither can fire safety regulations. Everyone, no matter where they are from, has the right to live in safe and decent accommodation, and firefighters have the right to expect that they will not be recklessly endangered. “

Carralyn said: “It’s daunting – really daunting – to be

taking on the Home Secretary. It’s not an easy thing to do but somebody had to stand up.

“I’ve been on board and it’s really small – the rooms are only meant for one person and they intend to put two in each. The fire exits empty into the sea and Portland Port are so greedy they want to use the other side of the jetty commercially, leaving a thin strip as an escape route for more than 500 people.

“It staggers me to think you’ve got these people who have created this catastrophe and can’t seem to back down and stop this madness.”

Carralyn’s lawyers were scrutinising a response from the Home Office as the WDM went to press.

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High-density plan for coast site criticised

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Outline plans for up to 141 homes, a 60-bed care home and a gym, swimming pool and spa at a Weymouth beauty spot are going before planners after vehement objections from the town’s civic society among others.

Juno Developments has previously applied for permission to build at Newtons Cove, on the site of the former QinetiQ Bincleaves site, but the applications lapsed.

Now the firm’s new application – for 80 threebedroom homes, 42 one-bedroom homes, 11 threebedroom flats and eight three-bedroom townhouses –is causing deep concern. No affordable homes are planned, and the council intends only to ask for £45,000 towards mitigating this, saying the site

will be expensive to develop given they will have to stabilise the cliff.

Pauline Crump, chairman of the civic society’s planning and environment committee, wrote: “We wish to register the strongest possible objection to this planning application.” She says the development is inappropriate, does not adhere to the local plan, and that the scale of development is ‘overbearing and grossly excessive’. She adds: “In particular the seven-storey mass of the apartment blocks is totally out of keeping with this locality or indeed the whole of Weymouth, and is more akin to high density,

heavily urban cities.”

The society and many residents fear the development would choke local roads around Hope Square and Boot Hill and say the design is just not high quality enough to be allowed on the Jurassic Coast. They also say the homes would be most likely snapped up by second home owners. They added: “The appearance of this vast development would have a most damaging effect on the area, forming a nearly continuous urban block in this most conspicuous location. It would have a major visual impact on the designated Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and its setting around Portland Harbour... It would harm the important local view across Newtons Cove from the Nothe Peninsula and the view outwards from Bincleaves Green above the site. It would

be particularly prominent when seen from Portland Harbour... From here it would obliterate from view a length of the natural coastline fringing Portland Harbour, all part of the Jurassic Coast.” However the council’s senior conservation officers have said the plan, which also includes offices, a restaurant and light industrial units, would cause ‘no harm’.

Weymouth Town Council is unhappy about the height of the buildings, and points out: “The care home will be a relocation so will not create additional employment.” And they pinpoint “a significant loss of employment based on 117 previously employed evidenced in 2000.”

Dorset councillors on the area planning committee will vote on the plans on Thursday, September 7.

More than 30 years since the closure of Fosters and Lord Digby’s Schools, alumni will gather to swap memories such as chilly dips in the open air boys’ school swimming pool and how Lord Digby’s (Sherborne House) appeared before the trees were felled. This year’s reunion will also be held in special memory of Derek Stansfield. He was a long-standing and well respected music teacher as well as the Abbey’s choirmaster. This year’s joint reunion and lunch will be held at The Grange in Oborne, on Saturday, October 14 at 11.30am.

You don’t have to be a member to attend, just an ex pupil of either school. Details on Facebook and the schools’ websites or contact Philip Dolbear 07964 255614.

n The Sherborne Museum now holds a fascinating collection of school documents and artefacts.

n NHS Dorset will be holding a public meeting to present the annual report and accounts on Thursday, September 7 from

10am-10.40am in the Boardroom, Vespasian House, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1TS and at youtube.com/nhsdorset

n Dorset Wildlife Trust has launched an appeal to protect marine wildlife from plastic. An estimated 12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in oceans every year, causing damage to marine ecosystems and habitats. Many species mistake plastic for prey and seabirds, dolphins, whales, fish, and invertebrates are all known to ingest it, leading to suffocation and starvation. Birds, seals, and fish also become entangled in discarded fishing gear and plastic packaging. The charity is appealing for donations to fund work such as clearing up at Chesil and Kimmeridge, surveys of seashore data, monitoring the effects of pollution on seals and other wildlife, and influencing marine policies and local decision-making. Donate at dorsetwildlifetrust .org.uk/wildseas

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Picturing your memories of Bere

Bere Regis will be offering a trip down memory lane with a photographic exhibition entitled Those Bygone Days on Saturday, October 28.

The fantastic photo exhibition of old Bere Regis will be held at the village hall in North Street from 10am-6pm.

Mark Bennett has produced a brilliant souvenir booklet of this exhibition and they will be on sale.

Many photos from Mark’s collections will take you on a journey back in time to the Bere Regis of yesteryear, when the horses and carts travelled the roads and bread was

baked in the village. There will be refreshments and a wonderful opportunity to learn about how the village used to be. Offers of help with refreshments or stewarding call 01929 472023. Admission is £3, children free and the event will be raising money for Bere Regis Village Hall.

HAPPY DAYS: A carnival queen is crowned ahead of the procession and, below, bygone days on the farms

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£800k sewage system to protect beaches

A new sewage system aimed at cutting discharges of untreated storm water on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast has been completed.

A mile-long replacement rising main sewer has been installed between West Bexington and Swyre near Chesil Beach. And improvement work to upgrade pumps and increase sewer capacity have been carried out at both villages. Dozens of beaches in England and Wales were affected by 1.75 million hours of untreated sewage discharges after heavy rain in 2022.

In the Solent and Dorset coast this amounted to 14,000 hours – posing a real danger to human health. Wessex Water now says the £800,000 project will increase sewer capacity and help deal with sudden rises in water volume.

West Dorset MP Chris Loder has welcomed the completion of the scheme. He said: “I have lobbied Wessex Water to deliver on its promises to clean up our rivers and to upgrade its infrastructure, especially along our protected coastline. Wessex Water is a participant in Clean Rivers of West Dorset taskforce, which I set up with others to meet quarterly to discuss the situation we face, and the actions required in the constituency. I am glad that these improvements have been completed, and I am aware that this is one of several initiatives taken by the water company to tackle storm overflows.”

The new pipeline is designed to protect the villages of West Bexington and Swyre and the UNESCO World Heritage Site coastline.

Diagnostic centre planned

West Dorset residents are set to benefit from a new stand-alone community diagnostic centre next to Yeovil District Hospital. The new centre will give people quicker access to diagnostic tests.

Construction on the new centre is scheduled to begin in spring next year and will be completed by winter 2024. It will be open seven days a week and will provide more than 70,000 diagnostic tests and outpatient appointments each year.

West Dorset MP Chris Loder visited the hospital to learn more.

He said: “This is fantastic news for people living in West Dorset. Once

completed, the Yeovil Diagnostic Centre will provide vital diagnostic support in a range of areas, including radiology, endoscopy, cardiology, and audiology, helping to identify conditions early and reduce NHS waiting times.

“The announcement means that, as early as next year, those living in the north of West Dorset will rightly have access to state-of-the-art healthcare. “It follows the development in the south of the constituency at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, where a new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit is under construction.”

Your chance to view green homes in open day series

Households with an array of environmentally friendly features will be open to view as part of Dorset Greener Homes on September 23 and 24 and September 30 and October 1.

More than 40 private homes and some public buildings will be open to visitors across Dorset. In all these homes the owners have taken steps to cut their energy use, some by relatively high-tech approaches, such as heat pumps, solar panels with batteries, mechanical ventilation; others with low cost solutions, using natural materials which can be recycled at the end of the life of the building. Many of these pay back

the cost of installation within a year or two –draft proofing, loft and cavity wall insulation, ventilation and simple maintenance of gutters and roofs.

A description of all the homes, with details of

whether you have to book, plus some videos are at dorsetcan.org/greener_ homes

Dorset Greener Homes is part of Dorset Climate Action Network (DCAN), which is running the event with grants from Dorset

Community Energy and Wessex Water.

Earlier this year over 100 homes installed solar panels at discounted prices in Bridport, Stour Row, Martinstown and Corscombe through bulk ordering, organised by members of DCAN. Some of these deals, with or without batteries, are still available – contact dorsetcan@gmail.com

Concerns over battery storage plans

By Dan Goater dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Controversial plans to build a battery storage facility in Chickerell have been submitted to Dorset Council. Statera Energy is seeking full planning permission to build a 400MW battery energy storage system (BESS) connected to the National Grid near Weymouth FC.

The plan is already attracting opposition from the Chickerell Action Group (CAG), with one member describing the proposed works – with singular vehicular access – as “scary”. The CAG spokesperson said: “We have been researching fire safety advice and note that the proposals conflict with advice published by the

National Fire Chiefs’ Council as regards access for fire-fighting and spacing of containers to avoid fire spread.

“There is a single vehicular access that would be downwind if the wind is from the south or east when fire breaks out.

“In that scenario the fire brigade would be unable to bring appliances to the site to fight the fire and the various security and fences and noise barriers would impede access on foot from other points.

“There would have to be a risk that the fire would burn and spread to remaining containers of batteries out of control.”

The spokesperson said the Health and Safety Executive in Northern Ireland has expressed concerns over

Lithium BESS facilities similar to those proposed for Chickerell.

Another CAG member said:

“I think we all agree the need to find reliable and truly green energy at affordable prices but seeking to place highly hazardous facilities in such close proximity to housing and community facilities is madness.

“The number of these Lithium BESS facilities catching fire continues to trouble me and the probability of fire appears to be directly linked to the size of facility (Ie the number of cells). Some of the statements being made within the industry are very misleading and need clarification or substantiation.

“At the same time reports are now appearing in the

press suggesting that insurers are becoming increasingly wary as claims rates increase.

“There are other, safer, battery technologies being developed and it is these that should surely be selected if it is unavoidable to place some BESS facilities close to residential areas.”

The Chickerell Action Group is holding a public information day on Saturday, September 9 from 11am to 4pm at Reynolds Institute, Broadwey.

Chickerell Town Council is also set to discuss the application at their meeting on Tuesday, September 12 at 6.30pm. The public can comment on Statera’s application until September 23.

Real concerns over battery storage: See Letters

ENERGY EFFICIENT: Find out about environmentallyfriendly developments at Dorset Greener Homes

Stephen’s 250-mile Journey for mum

Portland-based ceramic artist and retired art teacher Stephen Yates will be hoping for good weather when he embarks on the 250-mile walk to Yorkshire with his dog Jack.

Family and friends will wave them off from Coronation Road on Portland for their journey inspired by Stephen’s late mother, Kathleen. The duo plan to walk 10 miles a day, from the South West Coast path, on to the Wessex ridgeway, the D’Arcy Dalton Way, the Jurassic Way, and the Viking Way – eventually walking over the Humber Bridge before heading for their final destination, and Stephen’s birthplace at Altofts, West Yorkshire.

Stephen is carrying a 28kg backpack, complete with tent, solar panels to keep his phone and GPS charged, water containers, a second pair of walking boots to treat his feet to at the half-way stage; and a number of small sketchbooks. Jack too has his own small set of panniers – to carry his own water and doggy snacks.

Stephen’s mother passed away recently aged 95.

“Mum was very independent,” said

Stephen, “and she had that determination in her, even up until the last four weeks.

“Losing her really made me think of my own mortality and to just get on and do things.”

“Jack and I will be stopping by mum’s birthplace of Glatton, near Silton and my brother’s going to meet us, and see if we can find the farm where she was born.”

Stephen will be meeting up with friends along the route – one couple even offering him their garden to camp in for one night

and Stephen plans to fill his sketchbooks as he is planning an exhibition later in the year called The Journey – a reflection of his adventure.

And after 250 miles, at journey’s end in Altofts, West Yorkshire, his brother promises to ‘have a pint waiting’ at the pub. And what about the journey back?

“Jack and I are taking the train!” laughs Stephen.

n To follow Stephen’s walk and follow the fundraising he’s also doing for the NSPCC, where he’s already raised £450, go to: instagram.com/hike_ dorset_to_yorkshire

Bring a little light to your life

Candle-making workshops are now open to small groups at a new rural Dorset business.

Made and Found makes and sells custom Bride Valley Candles for events and businesses at its premises which overlook St Catherine’s Chapel. They also sell antiques, local crafts and upcycled furniture. For details on the business’s products and craft workshops email mandfabbotsbury@outlook.com

ON THE ROAD: Stephen Yates and Jack

Bridport went millinery-mad for its annual fiesta of headwear. Hundreds of hats, from the sublime to the ridiculous were on display.

We've had such an amazing time at the Friary Care Summer Ball!

We here at Friary Care love to give our residents an array of wonderful events and what better, at this time of year, than a Summer Ball.

Our staff were dressed in lovely floral dresses providing a delicious buffet meal in a hall decorated with summery garlands.

We had so much fun dancing to the outstanding musical stylings

Thousands of happy showgoers poured into this year’s Melplash Agricultural Show. Although the judging of some of the livestock and horse classes started in the rain, it soon cleared. By 10am thousands of visitors had flocked in and were awarded with a wonderful day of entertainment. Melplash Agricultural Society chairman Philip Hardwill said: “It was a fantastic day, and we could not have wished for a better one.

“Everybody I met, without exception, were happy and full of praise. It truly was a showcase for local farmers and producers, bringing the whole community together to celebrate our agricultural

of the double act, Sue and Tom. What a lovely song and dance we had!

All in all the residents were really able to celebrate the season... and that's despite the typical British Summer! Come and join us and make your home in one of our care homes in Weymouth, Kingsley Court and Friary House.

n Call the owner of Friary Care, Peter Fry, on 01305 787811 or visit friarycare.co.uk

We had so much fun at our lovely summer ball!

Titfers, no tat!

Photos by Peter Wessel

flock to join show’s agriculture club

heritage and giving visitors a real understanding of what their local farmers do.

“Our Discover Farming marquee, where we aim to inspire a new generation, was packed with eager youngsters who through the free activities provided were able to learn more about

food, farming and the countryside. All the attractions around the show were well received and as always the spectacular grand parade took centre stage. “I can’t thank everyone involved enough for making it once again a very special day.”

SHOW MEN: Melplash chairman Philip Hardwill and president Michael Fooks with Sheridan the sheep dog Pictures by Maria Sage MMS Photography

Residential plan for pub rejected as

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

A plan to turn a much-loved village pub into residential accommodation has been refused – to the relief of campaigners fighting to buy and reopen it.

The Piddle Inn at Piddletrenthide closed during the pandemic. Alan Traske bought the premises during the second lockdown and turned it into an AirBnB. But villagers objected strongly – with the Piddle Inn being the only pub in the village and few other facilities left – a situation made all the worse after the village shop closed this year – they felt the building needed to be saved for the community. A group formed three years

ago, Friends of the Piddle Inn, has held several events to raise awareness and funds to buy the pub, which they have succeeded in getting designated an ‘asset of community value’. Now Dorset Council planning officer Jim Bennett has agreed with them, pointing to other successful village pubs –The Oak at

Dewlish and The Brace of Pheasants at Plush, as well as several pubs in the Piddle Valley – as examples showing village pubs can and do thrive.

Mr Bennett said the plan to turn the inn permanently into residential accommodation would be: “an unacceptable loss of a valued facility and service,

adversely affecting the community’s ability to meet its day-to-day needs.”

In his report, Mr Bennett said: “The building is not listed, but is within the Piddletrenthide Conservation Area and is identified as an Asset of Community Value.

“It directly adjoins the River Piddle to the west, the outdoor seating area of the pub separated from the river by a narrow public footpath. The site benefits from a 14space car park, accessed from Main Street.”

Villagers told the council they felt the community asset was being taken away ‘by stealth’ with no attempt to retain its original function. Mr Bennett agreed, saying: “Proposals which would

New unlimited penalties for environmental polluters

Announced last month, the current limit of £250,000 on variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency and Natural England can enforce directly on operators will be lifted. This will offer regulators a quicker method of enforcement than lengthy criminal investigations, with implications for polluters in England - and here in West Dorset.

The cap on civil penalties

This will broaden the scope of civil penalties for polluters to target a much wider range of offences – from breaches of storm overflow permits to the disposal of hazardous waste.

Enforcing polluters

New legal powers will enable higher penalties to be levied as a civil sanction for offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. This will ensure regulators have the right tools to drive compliance across a range of sectors, strengthening enforcement and holding all who hold environmental permits – from energy and water companies to waste operators and incinerators – to greater account.

MUCH-LOVED: The Piddle Inn at Piddletrenthide

campaigners bid to save inn

result in the loss of a community facility must demonstrate that efforts have been made to retain it. It is clear from the responses of notified parties that many residents of the village used the pub and would do so again, leading to the conclusion that the day-today needs of the village would help to support the viability of the pub.”

He added: “Work is clearly needed to enable the pub use to resume on the site, but it has not been clearly demonstrated why a successful pub business is incapable of being re-established, attracting both villagers and those from further afield.

“This would depend on the business acumen,

marketing, the quality of the food and drink and welcome the pub provided. But the location of The Piddle Inn is no more remote than other local successfully trading pubs and there is no realistic reason why a pub business could not flourish here, particularly being the only pub in the village.”

A Friends of the Piddle Inn

Rising stars

Two West Dorset bakeries have made it into The Times’ 49 best bakeries in the UK. Oxfords Bakery in Sherborne’s Cheap Street has been serving customers baked goods since 1911, and describes itself as ‘the original artisan bakery’.

spokesman said: This is a positive step forward for the return of the pub to our village. Pubs are a valuable community asset, and we applaud the officer's report that sees the value of this. “We look forward to the owner of the Piddle Inn engaging with the community to find a positive way forward for the pub.”

Frank and Olive Oxford launched the bakery in Alweston, near Sherborne, in September 1911. Incredibly, the ovens they use today were installed in 1921. Their largest dough mixer is the last working one of its kind anywhere in the world, and is 75 years old.

A much newer bakery –Peppina in Poundbury – also ranked in the top 49. Angelo Fischera opened the bakery on Peverell Avenue in March 2021, baking the foods of Sicily, where he was born. He says Peppina is ‘probably the smallest micro-bakery in UK at only 13 sqm.

SAVE OUR PUB: The Piddle Inn Friends committee

Holiday park delighted with its prestige honour Family-run firm

A family-owned holiday park business is celebrating being named second in the whole of the UK by Which?

Waterside Holidays, which has holiday parks in Bowleaze Cove, Chesil Beach, Osmington Mills and a fourth in Cornwall, triumphed above giants such as Center Parcs and Butlin’s in a survey of 1,355 Which? members.

Which? said: “It was the smaller independents that triumphed over their megabrand rivals.

First and secondplace Potters Resorts and Waterside Holiday Group are both family-run brands that have been in the business for decades. “They scored five stars in every category, including customer service and value for money. Expect luxury spas, boating lakes and theatres.”

Only the parks and resorts that were top of the table are eligible for Which? Recommended

Provider status, meaning Waterside, which was launched 60 years ago (see main feature) is one of only a handful of holiday parks to receive its endorsement.

With a customer score of 87%, Waterside was only narrowly pipped to first place.

Which? said: “Their caravans are as classy as they come – at least 3.6 metres wide, with central heating and double glazing, plus fully equipped kitchens and widescreen TVs. Or you can glamp in a safari lodge with a private hot tub.”

They added: “Each park is a little bit different: Osmington is grown up, with a country club, gym and swimming pool; Chesil Vista has a splash pool, soft play and lots of other kids’ facilities.

“Which? verdict: The bestrated luxury caravan experience. Waterside offers top-end stays in beautiful coastal locations. Pricey, but worth it.”

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

If Esther Jacobs had liked spiders, there’s a good chance her family wouldn’t be celebrating 60 years in the holiday industry. Waterside Holidays is marking six decades providing blissful breaks this year, on top of celebrations for being recognised by Which? (see left), TripAdvisor awards and numerous new features including The Stables, the luxury extension to their park at Bowleaze Cove. Waterside was started in 1963 after Ralph and Esther Jacobs had saved and saved to buy their own site.

The couple had been living in London, where they ran Ralph’s Gift Box in Brixton –a toy shop that’s still there today – when Esther’s family moved to Australia and they decided to join them. The couple returned after just a year after Esther found she hated the spiders. Back in Britain, someone recommended Weymouth and they moved down and took over the running of the shop at Seaview Holiday Park. They worked hard and saved hard and in 1963 they had enough to buy their own park, at Bowleaze Cove. In 1983 their son Philip, a lawyer with his own practice in Poole, and his wife Judith took over, immediately taking a chance and buying up extra land behind the site. Further acquisitions came in 2001 with the purchase of their Chesil Beach site and in 2009 he bought a site at Osmington Mills.

Philip and Judith’s daughters Claire, now 57, Miranda, now 55, and Olivia, now 49, all

had their own careers. They adored the parks, but they were Philip’s project.

Sadly Philip died suddenly in 2015, aged 73, and the trio were thrust into running what had become a bit of an empire.

Miranda said: “We were thrown in the deep end and learned a lot very fast. But that means I’ve fallen in love with it a lot more.”

Miranda, now the chairman of the group, which also has a site in Cornwall, said: “When my grandparents bought it they were really hands on, digging trenches, putting in electric and water. Then it just grew – particularly after my father took over. My father taught me to keep investing –don’t let it go stale – add more exciting stuff every year.”

LOOKING GOOD: The Shack bar at Bowleaze

PLAYTIME: The Shack and playground

RELAXING: The new Stables development

Mum Judith is now 80, but still takes an active role in the business, attending four board meetings a year.

Miranda said: “Mum really enjoys being involved and there’s something lovely about being in a boardroom with your mum and your sisters –it’s quite special.”

A fourth generation is now enjoying the parks, the sisters having seven children between them aged 16-26.

Miranda said: “We want them to have careers first, but we are hoping one or two will be interested in the business at some point.”

The sisters all have their own careers. Olivia is a theatre director specialising in storytelling and is currently setting up a storytelling company called Yarn. Claire is a barrister, and Miranda has

been in marketing for years. The year she started as chairman at Waterside, she identified a scrubby bit of beach at Bowleaze and set about creating a children’s playground and a bar, which transformed that area. She said: “I’m very, very proud of it. Suddenly the whole park felt like it was facing the sea. “Every year we add a little more, like a big screen for sport and movies.”

This year The Stables – a cluster of luxury lodges – has opened.

Miranda said:

“Whatever we have added though, Waterside hasn’t lost its roots. We

are still trying to provide fantastic memories for families, with lots of caravans but two extra developments with lodges. The views are to die for and the kids are happy.

“There’s no rubbish, but it’s still affordable for most people, it’s relaxing and safe. “It’s great to know we’re one of the best in the country.

“The Stables in particular, are stunning. I’m also incredibly proud of the wildflower planting at our new

development. And of the park we bought in Cornwall, where we have created a tiny touring park with a forest school for kids and fishing, totally from scratch.

“We’re keen to provide a really special experience for people – a real joy for all generations and thanks to our amazing team, we do.”

n The Jacobs are keen to see old photos of their parks for their 60th celebrations. Call 01305 833103 or email info@bowleazecoveholidays.co.uk

AT THE HELM: Miranda, Claire, Judith and Olivia of Waterside Holidays

OLD AND NEW: The park at Bowleaze in the 60s and right, an overhead view of The Stables

Hotel scheme for M&S building up for viewing

Detailed plans for a new Premier Inn on the site of Dorchester’s former M&S are to go on show at two public engagement events in September.

Parent company Whitbread plans to bring the 100-bed hotel to South Street after buying the building in June. There will be a dropin exhibition on Wednesday, September 6 from 2pm to 7.30pm at the site, then an online webinar on Thursday, September 7 from 7pm.

The Marks & Spencer store closed in February 2020.

Louise Woodruff, property acquisitions manager at Whitbread, said: “We opened the doors to our

first Premier Inn at Brewery Square in Dorchester more than ten years ago. The hotel has traded consistently well over this time, often reaching maximum capacity, and we want to invest further and expand our presence in Dorchester”

Research commissioned by Premier Inn in autumn 2022 calculated the economic contribution of a 100-bedroom Premier Inn hotel to be around £3million a year.

To register for the online webinar, go to premierinndorchester.co.uk/register Registration is not required for the in-person event but is welcomed.

Items belonging to famous Enigma code cracker Alan Turing that were stolen from Dorset 40 years ago have been returned from the US. Julia Turing – no relation to the famed mathematician – took 17 items from Sherborne School in 1984, including his OBE medal. A letter to Turing from King George VI, presenting him with the OBE, as well as Mr Turing's Princeton University PhD certificate, school reports and photographs were

also taken. The items were recovered from Julia Turing’s Colorado home in 2018 after she tried to loan them to the University of Colorado while posing as Mr Turing’s relative.

Court paperwork filed in the US shows Ms Turing legally changed her name from Julie Schwinghamer in 1988.

According to the documents and Sherborne School, Ms Turing removed the items without permission from archives that were

Enduring legacy

Born in London in 1912, Alan Turing was a genius mathematician who became known by many as the ‘father of the modern computer’.

01929

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Following an early education at Sherborne School, Turing went on to gain a degree in mathematics from King’s College, Cambridge and later a PhD from Princeton University.

During the Second World War, he went to work for

the government’s Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. For a time, he led the attempts to crack Germany’s naval messaging by making improvements to Poland’s ‘Bomba’ method as well as developing a machine –the ‘first computer’ – that could find settings on Germany’s Enigma machine.

The work by Turing and

SCHOOL DAYS: Alan Turing, second left, with pals at Sherborne School Picture: Sherborne School Archive

returned 40 years after school theft

donated to the school in 1965 by Alan Turing’s family in recognition of his time there as a pupil. A civil case against Ms Turing was settled out of court in 2020.

Sherborne School

headmaster Dominic Luckett described Turing as one of the school's ‘most distinguished alumni’.

He said: “His crucial work as a cryptanalyst at Bletchley Park and his

enormous contribution to the development of computing and artificial intelligence were not merely of vital practical significance at the time but continue to underpin many of today's most

important intellectual and technological advances.

“I am most grateful to all those, in the US and closer to home, who have worked so hard to ensure the safe return of these precious artefacts.”

of genius father of modern computing

NOTABLE: Alan Turing has been on the back of the £50 note since 2021

his coworkers was credited with playing a crucial role in numerous military engagements, and the ultimate success, of the Allies. After the war

Turing worked for the National Physical Laboratory where he designed the automatic computing engine, which included one of the first

designs that could store computer programmes. Turing’s accomplishments, which included authoring academic papers on chemistry, were never fully recognised during his life due to his work being covered by the Official Secrets Act.

In 1952, Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts. Rather than go to prison, Turing accepted punishment in the form of chemical castration.

He died in June 1954, just 16 days before his 42nd birthday, of cyanide poisoning. His death was ruled as suicide at an inquest.

In 2009, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official apology for the treatment of Alan Turing. An annual award for innovations in computer science is now named after Turing and his face has been on the £50 note since 2021.

COLLECTION: Items belonging to Alan Turing on display and, top right, King George VI’s letter to him. Below, Bletchley Park and, right, Sherborne School Pictures: Bletchley Park Trust/David Ridgway

A project to rewet and restore “fragmented and damaged” peatlands in Dorset has received a £1million boost.

Dorset Peat Partnership, led by Dorset Wildlife Trust, was awarded £750,000 from Defra’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, matched by £250,000 from other funders and partners.

The cash will be used to restore 172 hectares of peatland across 16 sites. The grant was awarded following 18 months of survey work by partnership organisations and volunteers to gather data on ‘candidate sites’ across urban and rural Dorset and then to identify 16 sites where the most successful restoration can be achieved.

The funding will enable restoration of sites so they can hold water for longer each year, reducing the amount of carbon emitted from degraded peat bogs. The work will also improve flood, drought and fire resilience by holding more water in the landscape during the summer and increasing site capacity for water storage.

Dorset Wildlife Trust conservation director Imogen Davenport said: “We are delighted that the hard work of the partnership to plan for restoration of some of Dorset’s precious peatlands has been recognised by the award of this grant.

“Our peaty pockets not only act as a carbon and water store, so keeping sites wet in drought and holding back water in

For peat’s sake: £1m boost will improve bog standards

flood but of course, they are home to some of our most precious and specialist wildlife. This includes sphagnum moss which plays a part in forming peat soils, insecteating plants like sundew, and raft spiders, which sense their prey by feeling for vibrations in the water surface.”

Natalie Poulter, Dorset catchment partnerships co-ordinator, said: “Dorset is well-known as a beautiful and wildlife-rich

county, but our peatlands are overlooked and in decline. This £1million project will provide a huge kick-start to the long-term recovery of these precious wetland habitats. The patchwork nature of Dorset’s heaths and mires means that restoring the wet peaty areas will have a ripple effect of supporting wildlife in the wider heathland habitats too, making this restoration doubly exciting.”

Dorset Peat Partnership is part of Dorset Catchment Partnerships and is hosted by Dorset Wildlife Trust. Other partners include Natural England, Environment Agency, Forestry England, Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council, Dorset Council, National Trust, RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and Bournemouth University, plus one private landowner.

GROUND WORK: Volunteers at Stoborough Heath Pictures: GRACE HERVE

GROWING: Sphagnum moss, cotton grass and, right, asphodel slop bog

Invitation to dementia café

Support, understanding and social interaction are the three vital ingredients at Weymouth’s Dementia Café. The café provides a friendly experience for everyone with dementia and the family and friends who support them. Volunteers run the group on the first Friday of the month at Weymouth Bay Methodist Church in Melcombe Avenue for a small charge of £2. The next meetings are October 6 and November 3 between 2pm and 4pm.

Abbey welcomes a new conversion

By Karen Bate karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

The first building development in a century is set to bring comfort and joy to Sherborne Abbey. The conversion of the existing ground and first floor vestries into a twostorey toilet facility, a new vestry, hospitality area and better wheelchair access will bring the abbey’s facilities into the 21st century.

The Reverend Martin Lee said: “Improvements to ‘comfort’ at the abbey are long-overdue, and it was one of my promises, as the new Rector of Sherborne Abbey, to prioritise this

work and to make the abbey an even more welcoming and accessible place to work and visit.

“These proposals represent the most significant improvement to facilities at the abbey since the recovery of The Lady Chapel in the 1920s, and I hope they will be welcomed by the

local community and visitors alike.”

The proposals will benefit the local congregation and wider community but also improve the experience for visiting choirs and performers, schools, and the thousands of visitors to Dorset for whom Sherborne Abbey is a must-visit tourist attraction. The new, purpose-built, single-level vestry will be designed with full consideration to its historic setting.

The plans have now been prepared by the abbey’s Inspecting Architect, Marcus Chantrey of Benjamin + Beauchamp Architects, and these are publicly available to view in The Ambulatory at Sherborne Abbey during normal abbey opening times. sherborneabbey.com

COMFORT BREAK: Sherborne Abbey and, below, The Reverend Martin Lee

Prestige honour for sculpture park

Sculpture by the Lakes has been awarded official Botanic Garden Status – an accreditation held by only 83 gardens in the world.

Botanic Gardens

Conservation International (BGCI) recognises gardens which conform to the highest international standards and make significant contributions to plant conservation.

Sculpture by the Lakes, at Pallington Lakes near Dorchester, joins just seven other gardens across the country which hold the accreditation, including The Eden Project and the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Garden director Monique

Gudgeon said: “This accreditation is testament to years of hard work and dedication by our team, and I’m so proud that we’re officially the only garden in Dorset – and eighth in the UK – to achieve such a renowned mark of status.

“I came across the accreditation in 2020 after

being inspired by Samarès Manor in Jersey and intrigued by how it came to be classed as a botanic garden. I spent the next two-and-a-half years pulling together a detailed strategy plan, with the help of several experts, to work towards meeting the BGCI scheme’s intricate assessment criteria.

“I’m incredibly grateful to my committee of specialists, including Tony Kirkham MBE, ex-head of arboretum at Kew Gardens; Borde Hill Gardens’ head

Poverty Action’s meeting

Citizens Advice will explain how it supports residents in crisis at Dorchester Poverty Action’s annual open meeting next month. The chief officer for Citizens Advice Central Dorset, Daniel Cadisch, will deliver the talk at 7pm on Tuesday, October 10 at the Dorford Centre.

A Citizens Advice spokesperson said: “This year’s annual meeting is an opportunity to find out more about how Citizens Advice is providing support to local people in

our current difficult financial climate.

“A significant number of people are struggling to afford their mortgage, while others are frightened of getting in arrears with their rent and being made homeless, some are finding difficulty affording car repairs to get to work, while others can no longer afford the weekly shop.

n For more information about the work of Dorchester Poverty Action go to dorchesterpoverty action.org.uk

of horticulture Harry Baldwin and consultant dendrologist Tom Christian, one of the UK’s leading experts on conifers.”

Sculpture by the Lakes has

been working with global leaders in plant conservation to develop a comprehensive collection of critically endangered conifers for research, visitor education and enjoyment.

The sculpture park is also home to a grove of Coast Redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens, originating in northwest USA.

Sculpture by the Lakes will host ARBOR: A Month of Trees from September 27 –October 28, featuring exclusive artwork, workshops, and talks from world famous nature specialists.

n

sculpturebythelakes.

co.uk/events

Learn how to make beautiful hand crafted cold process soap to your own design in the wonderful peaceful setting of Abbotsbury at Abbey Farm Workshops. The course costs £85 and includes a light lunch at Cherries Café just a two minute walk from my workshop. Scheduled from 10am to 2pm. Take home 1400g of personalised handcrafted soap that you have made yourself.

Workshop 4, Abbey Farm, Abbotsbury, Dorset. DT3 4JJ

HONOURED: Sculpture by the Lakes

Dig deep for the air ambulance

It is Air Ambulance Week this week (Sept 410) and members are urging us all to dig deep and donate £10 to their life-saving cause. To donate visit dsairamb ulance.org.uk/aaw Or text DSAA10 to 70085 (texts will cost £10 plus one standard network rate message) or ring 01823 669604.

LEP hits back after MP’s accusation

By Dan Goater dan@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership has hit back at West Dorset MP Chris Loder after he accused the organisation of underserving his constituency.

Mr Loder said he has “advanced” his campaign to reform the functions of LEPs – voluntary partnerships between businesses and local authorities established by the government in 2011. Mr Loder said: “In its current format, and in my opinion, the Dorset LEP has not provided enough benefits for West Dorset.

“Over the years, we have received a mere 3% of LEP investment, despite having around 10% of the population in Dorset spread over 400 square miles.

“Preference has historically been given to more urban areas in the east of the county, such as Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

“Moreover, it is questionable as to how exactly LEP funding has been distributed

and utilised, and why there exists a high degree of overlap.”

From April 2024, sponsorship and core funding of LEPs will cease entirely, and local authorities will instead take on the functions they deliver.

Mr Loder said: “I welcome these changes and I hope that in Dorset we will start to see a more representative and fairer distribution of funding to areas which need it. The Government will now support local authorities to take on functions currently delivered by LEPs, meaning that for any future funding, it will be local authorities who decide how to spend it, rather than an appointed board.”

Responding to the criticism, Dorset LEP chair Cecilia Bufton told The West Dorset Magazine: “Chris Loder is not a keen advocate of ours and does have a few factual

inaccuracies.

“We have received £250,000 from Dorset Council for the year, the same as every other LEP in the country.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s not an awful lot of money.

“Mr Loder suggests that certain percentages have not gone to certain portions and he suggests it’s questionable as to how the funding is distributed, but there’s no question at all.

“Growth funds have always been competitive and not allocated on a per capita

basis. Funds have always been won by the best business case as approved by the LEP Board. There is no question on how LEP funding has been used – full details are published in quarterly reports to government, overseen by the Dorset Council section 151 officer, assured by the LEP

Board and scrutinised by our overview and scrutiny committee.

“Mr Loder has always felt he’s not had his fair share, but we have got a set of processes we have to follow when we allocate funds. He should consider how he words his criticisms. He suggests he doesn’t like what we do, and we know he’s fighting for his constituents, but there are ways and means.”

She added: “The LEP remains in Dorset and will continue its work in partnership with local authorities, educators and businesses to support the Dorset economy, its companies and people –assisting in the transition to new devolved arrangements when these are decide by our local authority leaders

“Central government has conducted three reviews in the past two-and-a-half years and has concluded that there is a continued need for LEP functions to be delivered on a footprint greater than a single local authority.”

REPLY: Cecilia Bufton

Poppy honoured in naming ceremony

A vintage military vehicle has been named after 94year-old Poppy Butcher, who for two decades organised the military vehicle parade as part of the Armed Forces Celebrations in Weymouth. Castletown D-Day Centre on Portland has named its prized M16 half-track personnel carrier Poppy. Mrs Butcher said: “I am so pleased and honoured to have my name on the M16!

“I would like to thank everyone at the D-Day Centre for making me feel so welcome.”

Poppy has vivid memories of Weymouth and Portland during the Second World War, having turned 11 when news of the war was announced on September 3, 1939.

She can recall vividly the

day when her father Robert Collins-Dryer, a civilian working at the nearby naval base, was tragically killed by an air raid on Portland Docks on July 4, 1940. As a teenager, Poppy remembers listening to Churchill on the radio announcing the end of the war in Europe, and how the people of Weymouth partied and danced

throughout VE Day. Poppy has a strong link to Admiralty Buildings, where the Castletown D-Day Centre is based, having often visited when the building served as a bustling naval bakery during the war – where many of her cousins worked.

In recognition of her tireless work for the armed

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forces community, the Castletown D-Day Centre commissioned local craftsman Chris Newman of Signs O’ The Times to hand-paint Poppy’s name onto the front and side of the M16 half-track personnel carrier. The owner of the Castletown D-Day Centre, Derek Luckhurst, said: “I was so glad that Poppy and her family could join us for the official unveiling of the M16. She has done so much for the armed forces community in Weymouth and Portland so it felt only right to pay tribute to her. “Poppy’s memories of the war are so valuable as they help us to understand the vital role that the men and women of Portland played during the Second World War.”

HONOUR: Poppy Butcher with the M16 at the D-Day Centre

Derek’s reading his own success story

By Theresa Newton

For more than six decades, Derek Butler hid the fact that he could neither read nor write.

“I was ashamed,” said Derek, who lives in Weymouth.

“But I always managed to work around it somehow, and told very few people.” Five years ago, he heard about Read Easy South Dorset (RESD), part of a national charity that offers free, one-to-one tuition to adults over 18 who can’t read, or find it very difficult.

The course lasts as long as it takes for the reader to master their reading skills. Derek signed up and immediately looked for something that he might be able to manage on his own, with the small number of words he recognised.

He found Ladybird books for young children. It wasn’t easy, but he persisted.

Now he is able to enjoy authors like Richard Osman, whose book, The Thursday Murder Club, is a particular favourite. And at 68, he is a proud possessor of a certificate marking his completion of the Read Easy course – and a library ticket. “I never,

ever thought I could belong to a library,” said Derek. He started his school life unable to hear well and with a stutter and left without learning to read. He obtained HGV licences, served for 10 years in the Territorial Army and found manual jobs, until severe joint pain forced him to give them up.

“My last company wanted to keep me on,” he said. “But I had to tell them I couldn’t read or write and their only option was to let me go.”

That was a turning point. The company were very understanding and he felt so appreciated. He broke his silence and began to tell other people too. When he decided to give Read Easy a go, he threw himself into it with total

determination and good humour.

Derek was the first reader RESD coach Diane Hipkiss taught after working with children with reading and other difficulties. “That made me realise how difficult it would be to leave school without being able to read,” she said.

“It’s a lovely feeling to help people like Derek. “There have been real highlights for me. Once I was a little late and I found him sitting reading while he waited. And it was wonderful when he got his library ticket.”

To anyone nervous about seeking help, Derek said: “Just go for it, it will change your life and make you more independent. It’s never too late. If my story inspires just one person, I’ll be happy.”

RESD is run entirely by volunteers. There is a management team, coordinators and coaches like Diane.

n To find out more about volunteering, or if you know someone who would benefit from Read Easy’s help, please call team leader Christine Voce on 07490 372212.

Long and short term care for the elderly

READ ALL ABOUT IT: Derek Butler and Diane Hipkiss

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Growing up in absolute poverty in 1950s

Nottingham, the black child of a single white mum, Sir Kenneth Olisa’s life chances were pretty bleak.

His playgrounds were Second World War bomb sites, their bath was a tin thing hung on the wall outside.

And yet here he is at 71, the first British-born black person to be the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London (formerly the Queen’s, now the King’s representative in 32 boroughs). He was also the first British-born black director of a FTSE-100 company (Reuters). He has so many gongs and achievements to his name I’d need pages and pages to cover them all.

But asked what he is most proud of he says: “The success of our children. They are both wonderful.”

Sir Ken spends as much time as he can at his second home in Briantspuddle: “Sitting by the River Piddle is my idea of heaven,” he says. His father was a Nigerian law student, who left soon after he was born in 1951. He felt no urge to find him and make contact. His mum Barbara had little to do with her side of the family. They were a team of two, with no resources. But what Barbara instilled in her son was an unbending sense of right and wrong and a work

Sir Ken’s rise from bomb sites to Piddle-side heaven

ethic that has seen him juggle multiple roles

success down to lucky breaks. Actually, he simply has the ability to make the most of any opportunities, to make wine from water. In this industrial heartland of Nottingham, where factories turned out Players cigarettes and Raleigh bicycles, and people were even dubious about people from Derby let alone a kid with Nigerian heritage, there were people who strived to raise the

aspirations of youngsters, much as Sir Ken does today. At his state primary school, the headteacher would play the kids classical music on a gramophone, teaching them about the composers and the stories behind their creation. This same man once fed the children caviar, so they would have the experience of eating rich people’s food, to break down the barrier between the haves and the have-nots.

n TURN TO PAGE 48

WHAT A LIFE: Sir Ken and Julia at home in Briantspuddle and, top right, with the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and right, as a toddler growing up in Nottingham with his mum. Inset below: With his OBE in 2010 for services to homeless charities

Humble beginnings and incredible

n CONT FROM PAGE 47

Ken said: “The headmaster told us: ‘You are too young for Champagne. But there is no reason why you shouldn’t try caviar’. On the count of one, two three… we all bit into the caviar and we all went, ‘bleargh!’.

“I still hate caviar.” Ken and his wife Julia became vegetarians in 1986, long before it was commonplace, after visiting the Anne Frank Museum. “I saw the bookcase they hid behind and instead of the big, heavy bookcase of my imagination it was three planks,” he said. The thought of the Frank family being hunted in this way, “reduced to having to scuttle out of this hole like rodents,” simply because of their race, made him consider why he would eat cows, but not horses and he resolved to live “without killing anything”. The year after, the family moved to America –vegetarian options were limited. “Pasta primavera and I are no longer friends,” he grins.

Sir Ken has been an early adopter of so many things, starting with writing his first computer program in 1968 during a gap year job with IBM. His energy, curiosity and intelligence has since propelled him to the highest echelons of business and

society. In 2015 he was named the most influential black person in the UK. However he refuses to consider his genetics a reason for extra kudos. He once told the Telegraph: “Black people can do everything. There can no longer be an argument that if you can’t get on because you are black.

“There are lots of other reasons you can’t get on –

you’re incompetent, you can’t speak properly, you can’t spell, you don’t get to work on time. But it’s not because you are black.”

Sir Ken leapt all the barriers of race, class and money, passing his Eleven Plus and excelling in education, ending up at Cambridge studying natural sciences on a scholarship awarded by IBM.

THAT’S MY BOY: Sir Ken with his mother Barbara at his graduation and, below, with King Charles and Queen Camilla in Covent Garden and, inset, Ken as a young boy

career of London’s Lord Lieutenant

It was here he met Julia, now a dyslexia specialist who runs her own charity, Literacy100.

The pair spearhead a number of initiatives to help the homeless and Julia aims to encourage literacy classes to improve the prospects of those finding themselves on the street, as there’s a strong link between poor literacy and homelessness.

“Julia is my spark,” he says.

From his gap year job with IBM, when personal computers were far into the future, stemmed his future career.

There he learned a huge amount – not only in how to program, but how to sell. He went on to establish the first

technology merchant bank. The couple had two daughters and spent several years living in America and Belgium before returning to the UK, where Ken served on the boards of major companies including Open Text, ENRC, Huawei (UK) and Nigeria’s Interswitch. In 2010 he was awarded an OBE for his work as president of London homeless charity Thames Reach. He has also chaired the welfare to work charity Shaw Trust, and was the founding chair of the Aleto Foundation, supporting future leaders from tough backgrounds, among many other charitable and philanthropic pursuits. He funded a £2m library at his

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alma mater, which bears his name.

He is also a member of the Windrush Commemoration Committee. He was knighted in 2018 for services to business and philanthropy. Happily, his high profile has made it easy for ‘long lost’ family members to find him, and the connection has been surprisingly welcome after years of believing he had no need to find out about them.

In recent years he has connected with both his father’s family in Nigeria and his mother’s family after relatives made contact. “My older half brother got in touch and I went there to meet

him,” he said. “It was all very lovely, with many gifts exchanged. It wasn’t what I was expecting.”

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Port’s role in bid to keep oil flowing

This month ALVIN HOPPER explains how ships and tanks stationed at Portland played a role in Operation Musketeer, a combined campaign by Britain and France to wrest control of the Suez Canal from Egypt in 1956 that left both western nations with egg on their faces

In July 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser found himself in an advantageous position. King Hussein of Jordan had sacked General Baggot-Glubb, the commander of the Arab Legion Army. Only recently had Great Britain given £7million-worth of new armaments to that army.

King Hussein had also recently returned to Jordan, after having completed officer training at Sandhurst in England, and he considered himself fit to run the Legion Army. This upset caused HM The Queen to send her equerry Sir John Temple to negotiate with the King of Jordan.

On hearing about this upheaval in diplomacy with Great Britain, and knowing that the main oil pipeline under the desert ran through Jordan, Nasser visualised the possibility of the pumping stations on either side of the borders between the Arab states and Jordan, being terminated.

Thus, to obtain oil supplies for the West, tankers would have to pass through the Suez canal, rather than fill up from Tyre and Sidon – where Tapline, the name for the under desert oil pipelines –terminated.

Requiring finance for the completion of a hydroelectric dam at Aswan on the river Nile, Nasser decided it was a good idea

GETTING

ON BOARD:

Helicopters preparing for landing on HMS Ocean and, right, reversing a tank into the hold

to nationalise the canal. Thus, he could ask for tariffs from all vessels transiting the canal. France and the United Kingdom objected after they originally built the canal. French-born Ferdinand de Lesseps was the main architect of the Suez canal and the SCUA (the Suez Canal Users Association) was formed to protect commerce and transit through the Suez.

A meeting of all members was held in London to try and come to some sort of

agreement with Egypt over the usage of the canal under the terms of the nationalising of the canal but no acceptable agreement was made. Consequently, both Britain and France decided only direct action could rescue the canal and return it to free trade.

Having decided to go down that route, it became clear an invasion of Egypt to topple Nasser was one way of restoring free use of the canal. The plan to wrest back

control of the canal would include collusion with Israel to create a grand strategy of feints and diversions in which the Israelis played the major role.

British and French forces would intervene as if to separate opponents from one another and thereby capture the canal. The operation was planned to take place on October 31, 1956, and British intervention was planned for an attack on the port side of the canal on

in middle of Suez Crisis

ALL ABOARD: Troops join HMS Theseus as part of Operation Musketeer in the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956

November 5.

On the same day the French would attack Port Fuad. In England, two embarkation ports were chosen: Southampton and Portland. At Portland, the landing tank ship Empire Cedric was to receive Centurion tanks from Tidworth. Also, the aircraft carriers HMS Ocean and HMS Theseus were commandeered as helicopter and

Royal Marine transport vessels. Both ships had until then formed part of the Home Fleet training squadron. They set sail for Malta on Saturday, October 28, at sunset.

By the Sunday morning, Portland Harbour had a ghostly appearance after the fleet had sailed. The sand colour painted vehicles that for some days lined the beach road to Portland were there no more.

The swiftness of the whole operation was mesmerising. Thus ended Dorset’s part in what was to become a great British embarrassment, when the United Nations called a halt to the invasion of the canal.

By the middle of November, the UN had replaced our forces with the very first Peace Keeping United Nations Protection Force –and this was the end of the Suez campaign.

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Housing consultation

There’s a chance to have your say about the future of housing in Dorset until October 2. Dorset Council’s Housing Strategy Consultation is offering residents the chance to say what’s important to them and influence the council’s approach to housing over the next five years. It should only take a few minutes to complete.

There are four key objectives proposed: housing need, housing supply, housing standards, and prevention of homelessness. Lead member for housing Councillor Graham Carr-Jones said: “We’ve been encouraged by the responses so far, they’ve been wide-ranging, informative, and passionate. We will consider each response as part of this process. I would urge individuals, families, businesses, and organisations to complete the consultation.” The strategy will include new and existing housing, as well as how the council plans to respond to housing issues in Dorset and will dovetail with the local plan. More than 1,300 people who have responded so far. Go to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/housingstrategy-consultation to take part. To request a paper copy, call 01305 221000.

How your will can make a difference to so many people

Weldmar Hospicecare is running its fifth annual Make A Will Month in October, with the support of a number of local solicitors.

The legal experts are giving their time in return for donations to Weldmar, meaning you can write or amend a will at a significantly reduced cost. Over 60% of the adult population of the UK haven’t yet written a will. Weldmar Hospicecare provides specialist care for adults in Dorset who have a life-limiting illness, such

as cancer, heart disease, or motor neurone disease. They also support the loved ones of patients throughout their journey. One in three of the people that Weldmar Hospicecare supports is thanks to gifts left to the charity in wills. Fundraising lead for major gifts and partnerships April Whitehead said: “The importance of gifts being left to us in wills cannot be underestimated. They allow us to plan for the long term, and ensure that our specialist care is there for all those who need it in

the future.”

Anton Harler, from Weymouth, has pledged a gift in his will for the charity. He said: “In 2011, my late wife Gill was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, from which she passed away in 2017. During her journey she found Weldmar Hospicecare extremely helpful. She used to attend wellbeing support in Dorchester every Tuesday where she met other

patients who were in a similar position. They had a number of therapies including arts and crafts, Gill really enjoyed and valued the day. During the last weeks of her life at home she was cared for by Weldmar nurses, for which I cannot thank them enough. The support was there for me too and that’s a fantastic thing.” Visit weldmarhospice care.org/wills, or call 01305 261800.

WILL POWER: It’s Weldmar’s Make a Will Month in October

Roman coins on display at museum

A rare Roman coin hoard unearthed in Askerswell is on display at Dorset Museum.

The hoard of 627 silver denarius coins was recovered in 2017 during a metal detecting rally. It was probably buried in the late 80s AD, as the latest coin found dates to 85 AD.

However, the earliest coins date to the Roman Republic, although there are coins of all of the Emperors of the 1st century AD from Augustus to Domitian.

It is the largest hoard of its date in Britain, and nothing like it has previously been seen in Dorset. The majority of the hoard was recovered the day it

was found through archaeological excavation by Mike Trevarthen and Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen. Following their discovery, the coins were declared as treasure. Dorset Museum raised a total of £34,977 to acquire them last year through the treasure process, with the support

of significant grants from the Arts Council England and V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Headley Trust Archaeological Acquisitions Fund, Richard Beleson and a number of other private donors. The new showcase display, which runs until September 28, allows visitors a first glance at some of the most

important coins from the hoard.

Dorset Museum director of collections and public engagement Elizabeth Selby said: “We were delighted to have been able to acquire this rare and significant coin hoard in 2022 with the support of a number of generous funders and donors.” Dorset Council’s finds liaison officer Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen said: “This exceptional discovery was reported by the finders as potential treasure through the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, and it is important that the Dorset Museum was able to acquire it as a result of the process.”

HISTORIC HOARD: The rare Roman coin collection

Can you help with family’s history

By Karen Bate karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk

A larger-than-life character who adored his ‘beloved’ Jurassic Coast has passed away, leaving a large hole in the hearts of his family, who would love to learn more about their wider family with Weymouth roots.

Alan Ford was born under the staircase at his home in Alperton on February 9, 1945, as a doodlebug strike by the German Luftwaffe raged on London. As the bombs fell, his father Harold shielded his wife Ruby and their newborn in the cramped space in blackness until the immediate danger had passed, and a midwife could reach mother and baby. Harold had lost his father Francis, a leading seaman, during the First World War, as he served on a war ship in 1914. He lost his mother Sophia (née Legg) to TB shortly after, leaving him and his sister Dorothy orphaned. Sophia’s family had lived in the Weymouth area for generations and Dorothy went to be cared for by a relative in Abbotsbury. Harold was taken to The Boys’ Home in London. The siblings wrote long and detailed letters frequently, and Harold travelled to Weymouth as often as possible to visit Dorothy. Harold married his sweetheart, Ruby, and they had three children, Cyril, Alan and then Jean, who was born with cerebral palsy. The family spent long summers in Weymouth, spending their time in caravans, hotels and visiting Peggy and her husband Henry on their farm in Abbotsbury.

Alan’s eldest daughter Christina said: “We know Aunt Dorothy never married, she was a regular at her local

parish church and I know she worked in a bakery in Weymouth. We know very little about Sophia’s family, although my dad recounted many long hot summers he spent with his family in Weymouth, visiting Peggy and Henry and their children Bridget, Helen and David.” Alan married Teresa and three girls, Christina, Marianna and Georgina,

followed. The family would holiday in Weymouth as often as they could, staying on coastal campsites, where often a friendly farmer or two were called upon to tow their campervan from the mud.

Georgina said: “Dad would talk often about his childhood summers in Weymouth. He spent most summers in this most beautiful part of the world, which held precious

memories for him forever in his life. He was always fascinated with swans, most likely from the scores of visits to Abbotsbury Swannery as a child, and he drew swans all the time with such ease and skill.

“Dad would take us rockhopping, indulge in cream teas and take us to the little coves on the beaches where we could stay hidden and

MEMORIES: Alan on his motorcycle and, right, with Cyril on Weymouth seafront, Weymouth Carnival programmes from 1957 and 1973 and, below, the family join the carnival procession

and their happy holiday memories?

more as I know how much Dad loved it here. I’m sad that he never quite got his wish to visit for the last time before he passed.”

immerse ourselves in the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.

“When his time was near, I gently reminded him of his time in Weymouth and Chesil Beach, fondly recalling how we would lean into the wind, arms outstretched as if we were flying. Dad took some slow gentle breaths, and it was clear these memories brought him great comfort.” She added: “Dad was kind,

he was always there for others less fortunate than himself.

“He raised money for charities by dressing up, shaving, and dyeing his hair.

“Helping others was always at the forefront of his mind, whether he could help with gardening, shopping or DIY or even just sitting with someone lonely or who needed a friend, he was always there. Dad possessed

a playful and fun spirit – he loved to dance to rock and roll and to jive and would spend many evenings in Weymouth dancing the night away.

“I plan to visit the Weymouth area so much

Eldest daughter Marianna said: “We would often stay with Auntie Ivy or at the campsite in Weymouth. Dad and mum would take us to the fair where we would spend hours on the trampolines. I loved the sand artist and all the bric-a-brac and souvenir shops. I will always remember the man with the monkey where we would have our pictures taken.”

Christina, Marianna and Georgina would like our readers to help them trace a little of their family history. n If you might be able to help, please email Christina at chrisdenbeigh67@gmail.com

HAPPY DAYS: Alan and his family on Weymouth seafront and, left, Alan as a toddler and, below, Alan, Jean and mum Ruby at Portland Bill

It’s Roger, over and out at family firm

Department store chairman

Roger Gould is retiring after 54 years at the head of the family firm.

After a brief spell at Bentall’s Department Store in Kingston, Roger joined the business in 1969, following the death of his father Ronald. Together with his cousin Stephen, and his brothers Richard and Philip, the third generation of the family developed and expanded the company during successive decades. Roger has handed the chairmanship over Alan Rodgers, who joined the company last year as an advisor. Alan runs accountancy firm Advoco, based in Weymouth.

Roger Gould said: “It gives me great pleasure to hand over the reins to Alan. I am confident that he will continue to guide the business through these difficult times.”

Following his appointment

Alan said: “It is a huge honour to be given this role, the company has such an esteemed history.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the management team and all the hard working staff, in what are clearly challenging times for all high street retailers. On behalf of everyone associated with the

company, we express our sincere gratitude to Roger for his 54 years’ service.”

Anthony and Chris Gould, joint managing directors at Goulds, added: “We are both delighted that Alan has joined the board as our new chairman. His broad knowledge and expertise have proved to be invaluable to our business during the past year and we very much look forward to working with Alan during this exciting new chapter for our company.”

Phillippa Edwards has also been promoted to the management team as finance controller and company secretary.

Established in 1902, Goulds has been a familiar part of the retail landscape in Dorchester for over 120

years. Founded by Harry and Florence Gould, the Goulds business started life from a small shop in High East Street and is still run by members of the fourth generation of the same family.

The Goulds group currently comprises four separate trading sites, two department stores in Dorchester, Goulds Garden Centre in Weymouth, and Fields Department store in Sidmouth, Devon.

AT THE HELM: Anthony Gould, Roger Gould, Alan Rodgers, Phillippa Edwards, Chris Gould

BACK IN THE DAY: Goulds directors in the 1980s

Chesil banking on your say for plans

Chesil residents are being urged to go to the polls to have a say on future development plans.

The Chesil Bank Neighbourhood Plan referendum will be held on September 28 with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm.

People must be registered to vote by September 12 and photo ID is now required at polling stations. Dorset Council said the community could have a Neighbourhood Plan if residents vote to give it the go ahead.

An authority spokesperson said: “Following the successful examination of the Chesil Bank Neighbourhood Plan, incorporating the villages of Portesham, Abbotsbury, Langton Herring and

Fleet, Dorset Council has agreed that the plan, as amended, can go to referendum.

“The plan was drawn up by local people and agreed by their parish council who felt confident that the plans reflect the hopes and views of their local communities.”

If the plan is supported by the local referendum it will be used to make decisions on planning applications.

Cllr David Walsh, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, said:

“It takes a tremendous amount of work to pull together a Neighbourhood Plan. I congratulate all involved in getting to this stage.

“I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future development of Chesil Bank, to view the plans and have their say.”

The Chesil Bank

DEVELOPMENT

PLANS: The Chesil Bank Neighbourhood Plan is up for discussion

neighbourhood plan can be viewed online with hard copies of the supporting material on display in the Council Offices at Colliton Park in Dorchester, Portesham Village Hall foyer, and at Dorchester and Chickerell Libraries.

n To vote by post or proxy in the referendum, you will need to have filled in an application form and sent it to Electoral Registration.

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The Old Salvation Army Hall, Durngate Street DT1 1NA (google The Pointe) Tracie 07827 710552

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WAREHAM

Masonic Hall, Howards Lane

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PUDDLETOWN

Puddletown Village Hall, High Street DT2 8FZ

Call/text Julie 07871 821928

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Dorchester Youth & Community Centre, Kings Road, DT1 1NJ

Sam 07814 619200

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Get on your bikes again for church fundraiser

A fundraising challenge that raised a whopping £107,000 for church repairs last year will be running again on Saturday, September 9 in Affpuddle. Volunteers are gearing up for the Dorset Historic Churches Trust’s Ride+Stride in a bid to raise vital funds, of which 50 per cent will go to Affpuddle Church. Chairman John Stokoe said: “Ride and Stride is a great way to assist in the maintenance of historic church buildings all over the county. In the last five years over £100,000 per

year has been given out in grants, largely for restoring roofs, walls and floors to keep out the rain and damp. This is what the

trust is all about!”

The trust is always looking for volunteers with an interest in historic buildings to get involved

in its work at parish, Deanery or county level. Please seek out your parish organiser or go to dhct.org.uk

CPRE fears over Green Belt ‘vision’

Dorset’s Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) group is calling on the government not to redraw Green Belt boundaries to allow development.

The CPRE’s new State of the Green Belt 2023: A Vision for the 21st Century report said the green belt is “the indispensable solution” to climate, nature and food security challenges. The report found that planning, farming and forestry policies need “integrating in countryside closest to where people live” to protect towns from climate change and “enhance nature”. The CPRE said new farming subsidies that will pay for environmental improvements “should cover at least half of Green Belt land”.

It also aid an “acute housing crisis” in the countryside means small rural exception sites consisting entirely or primarily of affordable and social housing should be

encouraged on the edge of villages within the Green Belt.

The report said: “The Green Belt is being overlooked as a pivotal solution to climate change (and) the decline of nature and food security vulnerabilities.”

Commenting on the report’s findings, Dorset CPRE chair

Peter Bowyer said: “This report is both timely and important.

“The government needs to commit, in planning policy, to protect and enhance the Green Belt. This would show it is serious about ‘brownfield first’.

“It would also demonstrate its recognition of the enormous value to health and wellbeing of the countryside around our towns and cities.”

He added: “Dorset CPRE strongly opposes the re-

drawing of the Green Belt to allow housing developments. “Wisely Green Belt areas have been protected from development for the benefit of succeeding generations, yet pressure from Government targets and developers threatens that protection. “Meeting housing need appears to be the main ‘exceptional circumstance’ asserted by Dorset Council to justify building in the Green Belt.

Dorset Council has already granted permission for 13,000 homes to be built in Dorset that have yet to be constructed, amounting to about 10 years of future growth, so we campaign for that land to be used first.” The CPRE’s report argues the

Green Belt, which protects 12.5% of England’s land area from development, should become greener, wetter and more biodiverse. It says re-wiggled streams, new wetlands, restored peatlands, expanded woodland and revived hedgerows could help the countryside around towns and cities soak up more water to protect urban areas from increased floods, droughts and other natural disasters. Food security could be strengthened by creating nature corridors that link rewilding projects with farmland and encouraging people to buy food produced locally that enhances the environment where they live. It also says tourism and recreation should be encouraged, with better footpaths, facilities and public transport links, so that people get maximum benefit from the improved environment.

SADDLE DO NICELY: Last year’s event raised an amazing £107,000

Cash on offer to agriculture students

Agriculture students in the South West are being offered the chance of extra funding to support their studies by applying for a Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursary.

Building on the success of the existing Further Education Bursary for Level 1-3 students, the farming insurance expert is offering two levels of bursary to include students studying a Level 5 or 6 course. Also new is an additional award – the Cornish Mutual South West Agricultural Student of the Year, with the winner selected from the 2023 bursary recipients. The Higher Education Bursary of £750 is open to any student studying an agriculture-based Level 5 or 6 course at University Centre Somerset and

Duchy College. For those studying a Level 13 agriculture-based course at Bicton College, Bridgwater & Taunton College (Cannington Campus), Duchy College or Kingston Maurward College, the Further Education Bursary of £500 is available. In each category, one bursary is awarded per college and students must be enrolled to study during the 2023-2024

academic year.

WIN-WIN: Bursary winners 2022, clockwise from top left: Rosie Squire, Rebecca Hewlett, Molly Leigh, Grace Harding

Previous bursary recipients have used the cash to fund PPE and safety equipment, laptops, college books, training certificate fees and travel expenses.

“The bursaries form a key part of our Future Farming Programme and support talented young farmers,” says Peter Beaumont, Cornish Mutual Managing Director.

“We encourage any student with an enthusiasm for agriculture to apply for a Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursary and look forward to celebrating the passionate young people who are the future of British agriculture.”

Bursary applicants should submit either a 500-word essay, 20-image photo essay or 2-minute video or podcast on the following subjects: Higher Education bursary: ‘What excites me about the future of agriculture’ Further Education bursary: ‘Why I am studying agriculture’

Entries open on September 8 and close at midnight on November 5.

To find out more and to apply, visit: cornishmutual.co.uk /future-farming-programme/ young-farmer-bursaries

Let’s tell the council these batteries aren’t safe

Two months ago, a Mercedes electric van at Heathrow burst into flames without warning. The first indication was a cloud of white smoke shortly followed by flames that engulfed the vehicle. The van was reported to be powered by about 90 kWh of lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) prismatic cells. The incident is especially worrying since this type of lithium cell is reckoned to be one of the safer types of cell and is now used extensively in the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) being installed all over England. Statera Energy have recently put forward a planning application to Dorset Council to build a BESS at Chickerell on land south of Coldharbour (see story P28) adjacent to the electricity substation. This BESS will be composed of 600 containers, each of which will contain thousands of LFP cells. The amount of energy supplied by each container is about 4MWh, around 40 times more powerful than the Mercedes van.

Statera say the storage systems they have built so far have not burst into flames. But in recent years there have been spectacular BESS fires around the world. In July 2021 one of the battery storage containers at Moorabool in Victoria, Australia burst into flame during its commissioning and burnt for over three days.

Residents within 30 sq km and up to 9km away were advised to stay indoors with windows closed while the fire authority strove valiantly to prevent the fire from spreading. This year alone, there have been at least 11 BESS fires.

The Chickerell Action Group was set up in March to warn people in Chickerell,

Weymouth and the surrounding area of the dangers of this proposal. The group have a website cagonline.co.uk with information about the dangers of ‘thermal runaway’ where a single cell bursting into flame will ignite adjacent cells and eventually the whole container. The CAG have distributed leaflets in Chickerell; many houses now display warning placards about dangerous giant batteries. The CAG recently ran a successful public engagement event in Southill. A further public engagement will be held at the Reynolds Institute, Broadwey on Saturday, September 9, 12pm-5pm. Please find the time to attend, to learn about the threat and to make your voice heard at Dorset Council.

Dr John A Fannon

Buckland Ripers

On Wednesday 9 August2023, about 4.15pm, our car ground to a halt with a burned out clutch, on a steep incline near Mapperton House. We would like to convey our heartfelt grateful thanks, from two senior people, to the kind people of Beaminster who came to our rescue. Most of all we would like to thank a lovely gentleman, who would not give his name, who towed us to safety with his truck to await the RAC, who then returned later with delicious hot chips. We would also like to thank the two gentlemen in a Land Rover for providing our ‘What Three Words’ location, which helped us stay in contact with the police. This experience finally ended safely after traveling 64

miles in the exceptional care of the RAC. Thank you, once again, to the wonderful local community.

Sam & Freda Turner, Ashurst

In response to Darren O’Donnell’s letter, (WDM, August) it’s good to see that people are actually walking these routes. I know one lady, a keen walker, who cuts the walks out of the magazine and saves them!

To see what the problem was with the Wynford route I walked it again this afternoon, retracing my steps. I think that Darren must have been distracted by the view ahead and walked past the waymarked bridleway gate that transfers you from one side of the hedge to the other. I know I didn’t mention it in my article, but I can’t put in too much when I’m limited to 300 words.

Chris Slade

I am writing to highlight the proposed closure of rail ticket offices that will have a devastating impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to travel independently: stopping people getting to work, health appointments, and seeing friends. Ticket offices are not just about selling tickets. They provide a reliable first point of contact for many kinds of staff assistance such as arranging sighted guidance through the station and safely on to the train, to advising on any changes to journeys.

Modernisation of our railways doesn’t just mean apps and touchscreens; modernisation means inclusivity and not leaving anyone behind. These proposals must be scrapped. David

Lawrence, Lyme Regis

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk

Recent visits to local hostelries in Bridport gave me a better insight into the ‘cash v card’ debate featured on recent letters pages.

One landlord explained how card-only payments meant he could get to bed much earlier as he no longer had to balance the books after closing time –previously this took until the early hours. Another said he no longer has to queue to deposit cash in a local bank or post office (and pay when depositing coins). A third said the pub accepted cash or card but, pointing to a customer who emptied a pile of coins from his pocket to pay for a round, told me: “Paying by card is much easier when the pub is busy!”

I learnt that, although there is a slight charge, competition had brought down card charges since lockdown. I also discovered there are hidden costs with cash, including the time it takes to go to the bank and the costs of insurance if cash is on premises. This explains why some shops (especially those in rough areas) insist on card-only. Better to have an open card-only shop than a closed shop!

I am aware that bank notes are now made of plastic and have to be disposed of in a secure and expensive manner – polymer notes release 9kg of CO2. Using cash is starting to worry me as much as picking up a plastic bag used to! Some people may have concerns regarding privacy but as banks are strictly regulated this shouldn’t be a concern –unless you’re a Russian oligarch or a drug baron!

Brian Kelly, Bridport

Lawrence Moore’s letter last month complaining about the growth of cashless transactions makes several – specious –pleas for coinage. And he ignores one vital point: high

an open

street banks are disappearing even faster.

So where are all these retail outlets supposed to bank their proceeds? They can’t and shouldn’t keep them in the back office overnight.

Having a few coins in my pocket is scarcely a ‘hard-won freedom,’ nor does it make the UK ‘one of the most tolerant in the world’. Our tolerance and respect for the other person are deeply held British values. Money has nothing to do with it. Richard ‘credit card’

Lewington

I really enjoyed reading this month’s magazine.

I find the continual bleating about sewerage problems very sad, as it has been rumbling on ever since I started training to become a chartered civil engineer in the 1960s. Until farming methods are properly addressed very little will change regarding river pollution and survivals. Sewer design methods from the past will eventually be sorted, but not until fortunes are spent on new sewage works to prevent outfalls into the sea. As populations have risen so have the sewage issues grown;

swathes of the Mediterranean died because of sewage pollution and measures are slowly being taken, yet it takes time and of course money. This country wants answers and actions overnight.

According to most, the planet is in trouble primarily due to industrial emissions yet industry is not hounded like the general public. Why? Could it be that greed and greed alone rules?

Alan Lindley, Bridport

RESTAURANT REVIEW

The Taj Mahal Bridport

By John Clements, chef at The Olive Tree, Bridport

I’m not a gambling man but I did recently win a bet. It concerned the Taj Mahal Restaurant or ‘The Taj’, as we call it. Did Michael Portillo go there on TV or was it Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall? The Taj is also a place where we go when we get good news. Like when you win a bet. Nice one, Hugh. This curry house in Bridport is an institution and it’s been in business for more than 40 years. You don’t hang around that long in this industry without doing something very well indeed. The owners Helen and Rafique Choudhury are respected and loved members of Bridport’s restaurant community. As we took our seats Helen was overseeing the kitchen and dispensing a takeaway order that must have been for four rugby teams. Across from us a table of 14 surely ordered everything on the menu. It was a nondescript Tuesday at 6.30pm.

INSTANT KORMA: The excellent Taj Mahal in Bridport has an extensive menu

On a winner for more than 40 years at old school Taj

Pristine white laundered tablecloths and napkins. Rare and lovely. Poppadoms to start... of course. Onion bhajis, yes please. We were hungry and in love.

You know you’re in a good restaurant when the phone is ringing off the hook in the background. It was. The menu is extensive.

Think old-school curry house with a few daring and interesting dishes that need trying, including rabbit. For mains we had lamb korma with plain rice (mild and tender) and the tandoori mixed grill (a punchy, protein-powered platter) with salad and naan included. It was served snarling, spitting and

sizzling on a cast iron skillet that would remove two layers of skin if touched. We were warned not to touch. The service was kind, attentive and discreet. Just how I like it. The atmosphere was a garam masala of good and lovely things.

Love The Taj. It’s always been a safe bet for me.

Vittles (food & drink)

I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so

When my career in catering began, I never would have imagined that my culinary journey would allow me to offer others the same voyage of discovery that I enjoyed.

For years I worked in education, and soon realised that if you inspire, and empower a child they will learn. I worked in a behaviour support unit, working with some seriously damaged youngsters.

Given a chance, inside every child is a rainbow waiting to shine so I began cooking classes with those excluded from lessons. They learned through writing and reading recipes, they learned though kitchen discipline, they learned the importance of maths for calculating quantities, and they didn’t even realise they were learning.

I also taught adult education classes and realised that many of my ‘students’ gained so much more than just learning

to cook. Elderly gentlemen having lost their life partners came along to learn how to cook but this was also a recipe for the loneliness they were struggling with. Cooking unites; it brings people together.

I worked for a brain injury charity and as part of a patient’s rehabilitation plan, we taught new skills and brushed up on old ones.

My journey continues I love to test my own skills occasionally; fancying

something different I decided to cook Japanese.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese street food – a savoury pancake – and is a great way of using up leftovers. Okonomiyaki sauce

1½ tbsp tomato ketchup

½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp runny honey

1 tsp dark soy sauce

For the Batter

3 large free-range eggs

3 tbsp plain flour

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp toasted sesame oil

2 large spring onions, thinly sliced.

275g/9¾oz white cabbage, shredded.

Sunflower oil

Topping of your choice: prawns, belly pork, ham, tofu

Method

Whisk together the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and dark soy sauce in a small bowl until combined. Set aside. Whisk together the eggs, flour, salt, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil until smooth.

Fold the spring onions and cabbage into the batter until everything is well coated. Drizzle enough oil to just cover the bottom of a large frying pan and pour the cabbage mixture into the pan.

Using a good spatula to flip the pancake so the top cooks until golden brown. Turn out and drizzle with the sauce and any topping. I used lardons of belly pork and aioli; it was simply lush.

Mum’s Kitchen... with Diana Holman

Chicken, Leek and Cider Pie

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, or same weight of chicken breasts if you prefer

400g leeks – about four average leeks. Home grown leeks, as they come into season, are amazing in this, but shop-bought are good too.

400ml dry cider

100g full-fat crème fraiche

320g pack of ready-rolled puff

pastry

Rapeseed oil or olive oil for frying

50g butter

Beaten egg to glaze the pastry

Method:

Chop the chicken into 2cm nuggets. Wash and trim the leeks and slice

into thin discs.

Heat a good-sized saucepan over a high heat, and add a glug of oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry until all sides are more or less browned. Remove from the pan and put into a bowl, setting aside until needed.

Reduce the heat to low and add the

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.

SAVOURY PANCAKE: Okonomiyaki is Japanese street food

Vittles (food & drink)

Get figging for that fruity feeling!

Fig cake with orange cream cheese frosting

The fig cake is made with brown sugar and the addition of wholemeal flour gives a certain nuttiness to the cake. It has fresh figs and is topped with a cream cheese frosting flavoured with fresh orange zest. Paired together oranges and figs are delicious.

If you prefer you can add most fruit and it’s that time of year when blackberries are about too!

Prepare the 18 cm square cake tin (20cms round tin) before you start - grease and line with baking parchment.

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and make sure that it is at room temperature. If the cheese is too cold it will not blend with the butter and will become lumpy.

Gas mark 4/ 180C

Ingredients

300g butter, softened

300g light brown sugar

5 eggs

300g wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 or 5 figs, chopped into pieces (around 8)

150g butter, softened

100g icing sugar

200g cream cheese

Zested orange

Method

Cream together the butter

sliced leeks with the butter. Allow the leeks to slowly caramelise, stirring occasionally, for around 20 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, and pour over the cider, seasoning to taste. Increase the heat and bring the contents of the pan to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes. The cider should evaporate a little. Remove the pan from the

and sugar in a bowl until it is light in colour. Mix the baking powder with the flour. Add one egg at a time to the mixture beating it well in-between. If your mixture curdles stir in a tablespoon of flour with the eggs. Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder. Do not over beat it. Stir the

heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C fan. Once the filling has cooled, add the crème fraiche, more salt and pepper to if needed, and stir until well mixed. Pour the filling into a suitable pie dish and top with the pastry. Brush the pastry well with beaten egg and bake for around 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.

chopped figs in. To a prepared tin add the mixture. Gently smooth the top of the cake (use a wet hand or spoon) and add a small dint to the middle. Place it in the oven and cook it until light brown and a skewer comes out clean (50 - 60 mins). Leave cake to go cold. Cream together the butter and sugar until light in colour and texture. Tip in the cream cheese and gently mix until completely combined. Add in the orange zest and mix. When the cakes is completely cold top with cream cheese. Just add a cuppa.

n Lizzie can be found at her bakery on Friday mornings 10 -12 and every Saturday morning at The Old Ship Inn selling her wares.

Check the website for news about the bakery

www.lizziebakingbird.co.uk Have a look at instagram lizzibakingbird and see how this is made.

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker and has recently moved into her own bakery. She also has a stall outside The Old Ship Inn in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram.

IT’S A PIECE OF CAKE: Fig cake with orange cream cheese frosting

Down to earth

Now sometimes I get a little envious. I see photos on social media of friends going for spa weekends, lounging in luxury with triplethickness fluffy pink bath robes, feet scrubbed, rubbed, sweet and soft from an aromatherapist’s talented hands. Or lying limp and languid after a hot stone and argan oil full-body massage with their only quandary being whether to have a dip in the jacuzzi before or after a three-course meal. And then I spied a pumice stone on the beach and decided to see how much of a DIY spa I could recreate.

So, I have the piece of natural pumice (ancient lava foam). It is light and abrasive ready to tackle my hard soles. Millions of years ago it probably originated from a volcano in the Caribbean. But what else can I find?

Strolling along the Chesil Beach I spotted an orange puffball sponge on the shingle. He was stranded on a low tide. My overwhelming instinct was to gently lob the poor creature back into the water rather than include him in my spa treatment! These days vegetable

Amazing feat of clay from this shoreline beautician

sponges are used rather than these cute Sponge Bob cousins. Thankfully, there are no cruelty issues involved with plunging tired feet into glutinous creamy beach clay. Now if I tell you it has most of the same properties that an expensive mud pack contains? Will that make it more attractive? At least around Weymouth the clay mud has a high percentage of fuller’s earth, which is very sought-after in the cosmetics industry. During

the Second World War, fuller’s earth was mixed with water and used to reduce inflammation of the feet. It’s often found in shampoos, conditioners, soap and even used for special effects in movies. And there’s also the lather, the sea foam. I think it’s the special combination of brine and freshwater in the Chesil lagoon which encourages such prolific foam. When it’s windy the foam flits about like children’s bubbles in the air, dancing like foam

butterflies. I used to worry that the spume was made from chemicals which were polluting the lagoon but have since read that the foam is natural and incredibly important for wildlife made up of decomposed organic material which helps keep the environment fertile. Okay, I concede my DIY experiment is not perfect. But really the only important thing missing is a mobile beach-combing beauty therapist! Any offers?

SOMETHING’S A FOOT: Mud treatment and pumice stone and, below, foam and lagoon water, an orange puffball sponge and, right, sea foam and pumice stone

BEACHCOMBING with JO BELASCO BA Hons History of Architecture and Design

KIM BERLIN – A newcomer to the Rock

Global fame of pieces from our island

My house is one of the oldest on Portland. Extensively rebuilt around 1680, there are still visible clues to an earlier Tudor building; large areas of wall made from ‘slat’, the thin, fractured pieces of stone that could be easily gathered from the surface without the need for quarrying. Above and around the slat are the more expensive dressed blocks from the 17th century rebuild. But inside, there are clues that link it with a far more august history. Two marks carved into the stones that match, exactly, the mark on another piece of stone that lies beside the grave of probably the greatest British architect that ever lived – Sir Christopher Wren.

After The Great Fire of 1666, Wren was commissioned to rebuild London from the ashes and later, in 1675, work started on building his masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral. Wren selected Portland stone for these gigantic projects and the areas known as Penn’s Weare and East Weare behind my house were extensively quarried for this purpose, lowering the cliffs almost to sea level, the stone being taken away directly on sailing barges for delivery to London. Unwittingly, 300 years later, this has created an area of extraordinary

beauty, riven with paths. Wren created particular marks to be carved in the stone for the pieces he selected to go to London so that they could be easily identified. In the early 1970s one such piece bearing his mark, that had probably fallen off a barge, was dredged up from the sea. It was presented to St Paul’s and lies, now, beside Wren’s tomb. Two more, bearing the same mark, are inside my house, eternally awaiting the honour of becoming a component of some grand building of state or religion. Other pieces of Portland are also still waiting. The large cylinder of stone lying on its side next to the path halfway down to Church Ope, known locally as the Roll of Butter, is a roughed-out part of a column. Above it, if you look carefully, is the

old cart track down to Church Ope and it is thought that the Roll of Butter rolled off the cart, off the track and onto the ground below, and it wasn’t worth the bother of trying to raise it up again. Similarly, down by Durdle Pier, there’s an avenue of dressed blocks of stone, peering at the sea, still waiting to go. By all appearances, a Brutalist Easter Island installation. It has long been a sort of educational family game, spotting pieces of the island home we love in distant places, using them as a touchstone. Leaving The Globe Theatre on Saturday evening, St Paul’s lay across the Thames, lit up and splendidly reflected in fractals by the dark, confusing, waters. Buckingham Palace was re-clad in Portland stone after the original structure

began to fall apart. The Cenotaph was built from stone from a small quarry opposite the island’s museum at the southern end of Wakeham. The Tower of London, the Palace of Westminster… so many pieces of Portland. But it isn’t just London that has the distinction. Exeter Cathedral and Christchurch Priory are early examples but further away, the UN building in New York, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and the infamous General Post Office in Dublin, the Commonwealth War Graves gravestones, all made from or utilising Portland stone in their construction.

A short distance from my home there’s a quiet walk down a lane and at the end, a viewing point looking east to Purbeck and south, towards France, just 65 miles away. Above are the tiny, ruined remains of Rufus Castle, the first known structure to have been built from Portland stone in the 11th century. And below, this place of extraordinary natural beauty that in its earlier, industrial destruction, gave the world so much of its history and human and architectural heritage. Small wonder that Portland stone has been designated as a Global Heritage Stone Resource.

LANDMARK: St Paul’s Cathedral was built by Sir Christopher Wren using Portland stone.

Down to earth

JO BELASCO BA Hons History of Architecture and Design

It just might be a lunatic you’re looking for In the past, police forces have put more cops on the beat when there is a full moon. Non-believers used to say this was purely because getting up to no good was easier under the bright lunar light. But even these days with electricity in every building an article in The Guardian from June 2007 reported the Sussex police saying: “Research carried out by us has shown a correlation between violent incidents and full moons.”

Trust the national press to focus on the negative! I have many friends who are affected by the full moon (and not all of them are very hairy!) For some it’s insomnia and restlessness, for others it’s a wild energy. Many (including myself) find channelling this energy or restlessness into something creative is the answer.

Don’t moon around when urge is strong

At the tail end of August there was a blue moon. A blue moon is defined as the second full moon in one month. It was also a super moon, which means it’s relatively close to Earth so would appear especially large to the human eye – but I doubt many humans saw it in Britain anyway because of the cloud. We didn’t see it – but boy, did some of us feel it!

I had been collecting belemnites from a West Dorset beach and thinking of ways to use them artistically. When I remember, at full

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.

There are very few movies where the main ‘character’ is a fungus. The two recent and surprisingly good efforts, The Girl With All The Gifts and the series The Last of Us, take a fungus with notoriously unpleasant habits and imagine it has evolved the ability to parasitise humans. The reprobate star of these shows, the exotic Ophiocordyceps

moons I put my crystals and jewellery outside to cleanse and for them to soak up the nocturnal energy. So this month I added the belemnites and a few other fossils I had found to the mix. In that time between waking and sleeping the night before the blue moon I hit on the idea of making a dragon from some Oxford clay I had picked up locally. I had never made a sculpture before but the desire to try now was very strong and urgent. The belemnites would be spikes for his back and his teeth and the

tiny ammonites his eyes! I imagined adding the dragon on a water feature we had recently bought. Under the influence of the blue moon I dolloped the clay down on the water feature and it kind of already had a body and head shape, or so I fancied. I just brought him to life a bit more… just followed a suggestion of lines which seemed already there?

n Jo is available for talks on beachcombing or sacred sites. Email josiebelasco@ gmail.com

Germinating and infecting

unilateralis, earned the part through its talent for killing ants in an entertainingly gruesome way.

The spores of this fungus chemically drill their way through the ant’s chitin near the head, then proceed to germinate and infect the ant’s brain, turning it into a ‘zombie ant’. The behaviour change involves the ant leaving the foraging trails, then climbing to a vantage point about 25cm

above ground level. Using its mandibles, it permanently attaches itself to the underside vein of a leaf.

The fungus consumes the soft parts of the ant, then grows a vaguely lollipopshaped spore-producing body from the neck region of its victim, the subsequent spores evidently being released from the optimum height for dispersal.

We do not have this species in Britain, but we do have several that are related, three of which I see most years.

Tolypocladium longisegmentis and T.

ENTER THE DRAGON: Jo’s Oxford clay beast created under a full moon

PAGAN VIEWS with

Sally Cooke lives in Tolpuddle with her husband, two grown-up sons and spotty rescue dog. She loves to photograph and write about the everyday wildlife she sees in her garden and on her daily dog walks. You can follow Sally on Instagram at Sparrows in a Puddle.

Hello autumn, goodbye summer visitors

Time to say goodbye to our summer visitors!

September is the start of autumn and the time of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’. But people of my mum’s generation who learned the famous poem To Autumn by heart at school, need to get to the final line to see that Keats also noticed that ‘gathering swallows twitter in the skies’. I often see swallows and the related house martins flying in the evenings, feeding on insects in huge groups, putting on a little fat reserve in preparation for their journey south. I’ve seen them take over rooftops, tall trees and most commonly, and, certainly not available to them in Keats’ time, the telephone wires. The sight of them lining up along the cables in huge numbers always makes me feel a little melancholic, as

I realise another summer is coming to an end. I have loved watching the swallows and house martins that our village has hosted this year. Since their arrival in April they have re-used, repaired or newly built their nests and

their youngsters fledged, both birds are restlessly gathering, preening their feathers and chattering as they wait for suitable conditions to help them start their migration to Africa. This summer’s early broods are the first to go and most of the others will follow later in the month

raised one, two or even possibly three broods. When I’ve walked through the village the house martin nests of dried mud and grass have been quite noticeable, up in the eaves. The swallow nests were less visible as they will have been tucked away in a garage, stable or shed. But now in September, with the last of

with some stragglers still here in October.

The return journey to Africa takes about six weeks with birds from different parts of Europe flying to different destinations. Our swallows are known to travel to the very south. They migrate about 200 miles a day, at night roosting in reedbeds at traditional stopover

spots. As insect eaters they feed as they travel along, but some still die of starvation along the way. Before migration was understood, the sudden disappearance of swallows in the autumn led to the theory that they hibernated in the mud at the bottom of ponds. Samuel Johnson, of the eighteenth-century dictionary, believed this –‘Swallows do certainly sleep all winter. They conglobulate together by flying round and round and then, all in a heap, throw themselves under water.’

Even with all our modern knowledge I still find it hard to imagine the thousands of miles our Dorset birds will travel in the coming months. I am sad to see them go but wish them safe travels until we see them again in the spring.

brains, turning you into a zombie? You’re a fun gi...

ophioglossoides are vegans, parasitising only false truffles and producing large and spectacular ‘lollipops’, and the avowedly carnivorous Cordyceps militaris, the Scarlet Caterpillar Club. The last of these spends much of its time an inch or so underground and inside its dinner, a moth pupa.

The fruiting-body grows from the pupa, emerging as a 30-50mm high, bright orange (not scarlet!) and slender club. This is ornamented with tiny, hemispherical jelly-blobs from which

the spores are ejected. It is frequent in permanent grassland.

More worrying is the native British fungus, Entomophthora muscae, which infects House Flies. Like the unfortunate ant, the fly’s behaviour is changed. After a few days of infection, it will climb to a high vantage point, then ‘spread-eagle’ itself to provide a large surface area for the sporeproducing bodies that will soon cover its corpse. Should we be worried about infection

by any of the hundreds of fungal species that kill invertebrates in this way?

No. Although a few (eg: Aspergillus) can be extremely dangerous, they usually infect people with compromised immune systems or via wounds. Also, you cannot catch them from someone else or be induced to climb a tree and hang there by your teeth. And, mercifully, ‘spreadeagling’ will remain entirely voluntary.

Arrow words

23 Placeofhighereducation (3)

24 Partitions (9)

25 Long-hairedbreedofcat (6)

26 Extremelyenergetic (5)

Down

2 Leastgood (5)

3 Entirelynatural (7)

5 Roughly (5)

6 Modellandscapescene (7)

7 Bistro (4)

8 Short,pastoralpoem (5)

9 Relatingtothemakingoflaws (11)

15 Apprehending;catching (7)

16 Probity (7)

17 Economicalwithwords (5)

19 Triballeader (5)

21 Runaway (5)

22 Hawaiianskirt (4)

Sudoku 7435 9 257 536 9458 165 612 2 3796

Brain chain (Easy version)

For the solutions turn to page 78

Jumbo 3D Sudoku

Cryptic Crossword

Brain chain (Hard version)

130 RESULT ×2/5÷2×9/13+102+5%

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.

Killer Sudoku

Pro:

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. Down

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.

5 Athome,cooltimeforyoungchild (6)

8 Detectpimple (4)

9 Oscar,servingmanwearingconspicuous jewellery,iscourteous (8)

10 Right-wingclubstakingwrongstepfor ideas (8)

11 Needsfirstoffforcolonists (4)

12 Apoetexcitedaboutminuteintime (1,5)

14 Annuloldrecordpennedbyengineersona line (6)

16 Birdthat’spalefollowingsun (4)

18 TipsshownbyFrenchmanamongformer elderssay (8)

20 Energyverymuchabouturgetogetcoffee (8)

21 Acclaimhospitalbeforetrouble (4)

22 Confinedspacebyariverstorageplace? (6)

23 Friendlyinthiswayconcerningpeopleon reflection (6)

2 Takeadvantageoffeat (7)

3 HighroombelongingtotheGreeks? (5)

4 Forcedoorssopossiblyholdingfrontof preciouskitchenaccessory (4,9)

5 DeceptiveappearancesaboutItalianeateryin pictures (13)

6 Flogmappossiblyasaidfordrivers (3,4)

7 Disadvantagewhenfishing,say,formusical composition (5)

13 Undergroundworkeronalakegetsore (7)

15 ExplosionofcrimeintwoareasinWestern country (7)

17 Useunprofitablypartofagarment,we’re told (5)

19 MoralsenseinElizabethIcontemplated (5)

Here’s why we CAN have nice things

By Canon Deb Smith

I heard a story recently about an experiment that staff in an infant school carried out which really made me think. In the class of around 20 five and six-year-olds the teacher gave each child a balloon with their name written on it. Then she said she would release the balloons into the courtyard just outside the classroom and the children had to find their own balloon as quickly as they could and bring it back inside. The excited youngsters watched as the coloured balloons drifted away out of the door and then ran

after them squealing and crying out in delight. A few minutes later their shouts turned to tears and rage. In the commotion to get to their own balloon the youngsters got tangled up with one another, bumped heads and fell over. Balloons popped or floated up to the sky in the confusion and the whole class were left upset and inconsolable. After they calmed them down, the teacher persuaded the class to have another go at the experiment. But this time the children were told to pick up the first balloon they came to, read the name on the balloon, find

Communion

the child it was meant for and give it to them. The balloons were released, the children were still excited, but there was less chaos, more focus and in five minutes each child had been handed their balloon by a classmate and all was well. This story made me think because these little ones were so open to trying the new way of doing things. Instead of chasing after their own happiness, they were open to making somebody else happy when it was within their reach, and to trust that someone else might do the same for them.

Obviously, life is not that

St Paul’s at the Gryphon: 10.30am Holy Communion

simple, but the principle is a good one. When it is within our reach to make life happier for someone else, even if that means going out of our way a little bit, or giving something new a try, even when we’d rather stay in our comfort zone, isn’t that worth doing?

Jesus told a version of the balloon story when he asked us to treat others as we would like to be treated. It’s a lesson little children can learn easily – can we too?

Burton Bradstock: 8am Holy Communion

9.30am Café Church

Swyre: 11am Morning Worship

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 CommunionThe 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

Wednesday, September 6

Burton Bradstock: 11.30am Holy Communion followed by light lunch

Sunday, September 10

Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy Communion 9.30am

Parish Eucharist

6pm Choral Evensong

St James the Great, Longburton: 10am Family Communion

St Martin of Tours, Lillington: 9.30am Holy

St Mary Magdalene, Castleton: 11.15am Holy Communion

Cheap Street Church: 6.30pm Taize Service

Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion

Shipton Gorge: 9.30am Breakfast Church Back to School Ride and Stride

Swyre: 9.30am Holy Communion

Litton Cheney: 9.30am Holy Communion

Littlebredy: 9.30am Holy Communion

St John the Baptist, Symondsbury: 9.30am Celtic Worship

St Mary Magdalene, North Poorton: 9.30am Holy Communion

St Saviour’s, Dottery: 10.30am Morning Worship

St Michael & All Angels, Askerswell: 11am Benefice Eucharist

Friday, September 15

Lady Chapel, Sherborne Abbey: 11am

Remembering the Fallen

Sunday, September 17

Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy Communion 9.30am

Parish Eucharist

6pm Choral Evensong

St James the Great, Longburton: 10am Family Communion

St Paul’s at the Gryphon: 10.30am All Age Worship

Harvest

St Mary Magdalene, Castleton: 11.15am Mattins

Puncknowle: 11am All Age Holy Communion

Little Cheney: 6pm Evensong

Long Bredy: 9.30am Harvest Festival

St Mary Magdalene, Loders: 9.30am Celtic Worship

St Mary the Virgin, Powerstock: 11am Benefice

Eucharist

St Paul’s Broadoak: 6.30pm Harvest Festival

Sunday, September 24

Sherborne Abbey: 8am Holy Communion 9.30am

Parish Eucharist

6pm Choral Evensong

St Martin of Tours, Lillington: 9.30am Morning Service

St James the Great, Longburton: 10am Said Holy Communion

St Paul’s at the Gryphone: 10.30am Morning Worship

St Mary Magdalene, Castleyon: 11.15am Mattins

Burton Bradstock: 11am Holy Communion

Chilcombe: 6pm Evening Prayer

Shipton Gorge: 11am Holy Communion

Puncknowle: 3pm Pet Service

Litton Cheney: 9.30am Holy Communion

Littlebredy: 11am Harvest Festival followed by Harvest lunch.

St Mary Magdalene, Loders: 9.30am Celtic Worship

St Mary the Virgin, Powerstock: 11am Benefice

Eucharist

St Paul’s Broadoak: 6.30pm Harvest

Homes & Gardens

Mike Burks is the MD of The Gardens Group, with garden centres in Sherborne, Yeovil and Poundbury. Mike is a former chairman of the Garden Centre Association and is a passionate advocate of ecofriendly gardening practices.

September brings with it an array of blooms from the blushed rose hues of cyclamen, and autumn bedding plants like primula, pansies and violas that spread a little cheer amongst the later months of the year. However, now is the time to start thinking about planning for next year with bulbs available from early August –they will be at their peak from August to September. The selection is plentiful with tulips, alliums, dwarf daffodils and narcissi all on offer.

Remember, the higher quality the bulb selection, the higher quality your spring plants will be. You don’t need to plant them straight away if soil conditions are too tough but store them in a cool, dry space until November when the garden is ready for planting. Waiting until November also means the ground is moist and will require less tiresome digging to plant.

Dwarf daffodils are a favourite of mine. They can be used for all sorts of displays in the garden, from hanging baskets to tubs or even as a front centre piece for a border. Tete a Tete, Jack Snipe and February Gold are great to use for these centre pieces, blooming in early spring when the rest of the garden is still dormant. Another favourite of mine is the dwarf iris, the

All set for next year’s garden

scent of Harmony along with its vibrant purple blues are attention stealing to say the least. There is a new variety this year called Louise, which I cannot wait to plant. It is a wonderful creamy yellow colour and will sit beautifully amongst the daffodils. Alliums add a height and architectural structure to your garden. You might recognise them for their bulbous purple heads but there are hundreds of species available. Try Allium Globemaster or Purple Sensation for some show-stopping results. They thrive in more sheltered areas away from all the elements. Cyclamen for bedding are a crowd pleasing addition to the autumn range, with petite and fragrant flowers. Growing only 5-8cm, the cyclamen Coum have a scented dark pink bloom and are great to provide ground cover. I really like the foliage of cyclamen too. For a splash of yellow try using Winter Aconite, part of the buttercup family. They like partial shade in moist ground like that of the cyclamen. There is plenty to choose from so why not be bold with bulbs this year and explore something new. Next year’s garden will thank you for it.

Mike Burks thegardensgroup.co.uk

The garden is looking lovely with the mixture of sunshine and showers, everything is looking vibrant. The hibiscus is in full bloom and is doing so well, as it was rescued in

the spring from a garden that was being redesigned and it was no longer required.

We planted it in the Zen Garden and had no idea what colour the flowers (

positivity into our darkest moments

would be, they are a lovely shade of raspberries and cream.

The energies from the hibiscus help to provide a balance between your spiritual and physical bodies, keeping you firmly grounded and in tune with your natural body, whilst allowing you to explore the spiritual enlightenment which will bring a better understanding of your inner being.

In our herbaceous holding area of plants to pot on and weed out, the rudbeckia are out in full bloom. The bees are also enjoying their wonderful flowers. The yellow petals and black centers brighten up the whole area like sunshine. The energies from this plant are very apt as it brings light into darkness, bringing in positivity to improve your wellbeing. The increased positivity

enables you to come to terms with or cope with the negative aspects of your life. Darkness has a lot of different levels from bereavement through to just being fed up; either way this plant can assist in your quest for positive energy and will renew your outlook on life. We noticed an addition around our small pond the other day, a grass snake was taking a look around and seeing what it could find to eat. We haven’t seen it since but hopefully it has found a nice safe place to be.

n Can you help? We are looking for a mobility scooter because we want to be accessible to everyone. Give us a call on 07767 200267.

Shepherd’s hut makers endorsed by

Treat your waste and help the planet

Most people are horrified to learn that our UK water companies discharged raw sewage into rivers more than 300,000 times last year and feel powerless to change the situation, yet many residents living in rural areas are unaware of the hidden source of pollution closer to home and what action they can take to stop it. People are unaware of how much water they use and how much liquid comes out of the septic tank. For a household of two the volume is typically around 100,000 litres, a huge volume, all of which contains a significant amount of nitrate and phosphate. Even with a soakaway, pollution is still common when land drains too quickly or too slowly. New regulations brought in by

The Environment Agency in 2020 mean it is illegal to pollute surface or ground water, so if your septic tank is near a watercourse (ditch, stream or river) you can make your property legal by replacing the old tank with a wastewater treatment plant that removes practically all of the pollutants.

“Everybody is in agreement that allowing untreated sewage into our rivers is awful,” said Tom Beels, wastewater system

specialist and director at Burrow Environmental

“but this is exactly what septic tanks without a wastewater treatment plant do every day. There is so little information or help from the government on this subject that most of the people I meet have no idea that they have the power to make a difference.”

“I would like people to understand the environmental impact that septic tank effluent has on the watercourses of their local area, it affects biodiversity because of the fertilising effects of phosphates and nitrates in the water that make weeds and

algae bloom, stopping creatures at the bottom of the food chain from flourishing. That affects everything from fish to birds, including many protected species.”

“Getting rid of wastewater is a complicated area unknown to many. It can be an out of sight and out of mind situation, so we want to bring clarity to this subject that can be confusing or stressful, to help explain the options and show people what they can do to take control and have a positive impact on their local environment.”

If you would like free advice from a Dorset specialist, site visit or quote, get in touch with Tom on 01935 507508 or at hello@burrowenvironmental.com

For more information go to burrow-environmental.com

Plenty of work in the pipeline for dad and son team

After 25 years in the drainage industry, Darren Norwood, 52, might be forgiven for being a little… well, drained. But the drainage engineer, who spent years working for Wessex Water, then Dyno-Rod and Filta Environmental before going it alone, is pretty chipper. Nothing pleases him more than getting to grips with blockages the rest of us would prefer to avoid.

Now Darren’s son Jak, 22, has joined him in the business, which offers an emergency drain unblocking and repair service. They cover all of the DT area, plus Yeovil and south Devon from their base in Compton Valence. They also provide external property cleaning services including gutter clearing, soffit, fascia and gutter washing down and hard surface cleaning including block paving, patios, paths, decking, walls, and any other hard surface that gets covered in the green slippery slime and lichen caused by exposure to the elements. He loves tackling gunk, does Darren. He said: “As we approach autumn it’s advisable to have your drains , gutters and hard surfaces prepared for the incoming winter months.

“Fallen leaves and debris blown around ends up in

Dorset Garden Machinery Ltd

gutters and garden drains and eventually ends up in your underground drainage systems which can lead to internal damp problems, blocked drains and on occasions property flooding.

“Good general maintenance can help to stop all these nasty events occurring. If your paths and patios slippery when wet this can end up with a nasty slip and possible injury. Let us remove all the slippery surface and take your paths and patios back to new with the use of our specialist pressure washing equipment.”

n Valley Drains 07958 335973

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We are keen to purchase small or large collections at this time. Tel Rod 07802 261339 or 01308 863790

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collects 01305 772085. Electric Sander – good working order – £10 Weymouth – buyer collects 01305 772085.

Flat edging gardening scissors – £5 Weymouth –buyer collects 01305 772085. Lawn Aerator – new – £10 Weymouth – buyer collects 01305 772085.

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Please ring Mike for a quote on 07470 007588 or go to beaminsterupholstery.co.uk

CALL THE GUNKBUSTERS: Darren and Jak Norwood of Valley Drains

Culture

Singers celebrate a decade of song

The Ridgeway Singers & Band are celebrating their tenth anniversary by presenting a celebratory evening of traditional music, folk songs, West Gallery carols and stories from Dorset.

RSB was formed by Artsreach in 2013 to explore the musical traditions of the South Dorset Ridgeway. The group is led by serpent player Phil Humphries and folk musician, actor and storyteller Tim Laycock. The group initially rehearsed at Abbotsbury Village Hall, and

Puzzle solutions

researched the carols and Christmas music, stories and poetry of the Ridgeway area. The first concerts were very local, at Winterborne Abbas and Abbotsbury. The following year they widened their approach to

look at the folk songs collected by the Hammond brothers in Dorset, and the dance tunes of the Hardy and Benjamin Rose collections. The group’s repertoire has expanded to include new songs and music on local themes

composed by members of the group and their many musical friends in the county.

They will celebrate their tenth anniversary year by performing at the Old Brewery Hall, Hartfoot Lane, Ansty DT2 7PN at 7.30pm on October 21 and at St Mary’s Parish Church in Bridport, at 4pm on Sunday, October 29.

n Tickets are £12, U18 £6 and refreshments will be available. Book at ridgewaysingersand band.org or call 01305 8528526.

From pages 70-71

ALL TOGETHER NOW: The Ridgeway Singers & Band

Arts festival explores island’s community

An eclectic and vibrant mix of artists are performing at the b-side festival in Portland until September 17.

The festival, entitled This Land, aims to connect islanders with each other and the land they share.

For the last two years, artists have been planning and creating artworks inspired by two fragile Portland sites – a derelict cottage at Brandy Row in Chiswell, and the distinctive landscape surrounding Portland Bill as the future of both sites is uncertain

due to possible development. The festival will take place across 19 sites on Portland, with many events being free of charge to ensure the celebration is accessible to all. To view the programme visit bside.org.uk

Rock ’n’ rolling back with more nostalgia

Billed as the world’s leading rock‘n’roll show, That’ll Be The Day is coming to Weymouth Pavilion on September 22. Combining uproarious comedy sketches and impersonations with breathtaking vocals and dazzling musicianship, That’ll Be The Day takes you on a spirited journey through the years, celebrating the most iconic moments in comedy, rock

‘n’ roll, and pop culture from the 50s right through to the 80s.

First performed in 1988, That’ll Be The Day has built a long-standing reputation for five-star quality entertainment that entices audiences to return year after year.

A Pavilion spokesperson said: “This sensational show has been touring solidly for over three decades, performing to

over five million people nationwide and playing over 200 performances yearly.

“Unashamedly nostalgic and relentlessly entertaining, audiences are invited to travel back in time with the show’s outstanding ensemble cast, and immerse themselves in a night of effervescent music and comedy by the 20th century’s most revered superstars.

“The autumn tour of this beloved production will be infused with the same unique formula that fans have come to know and love, promising some old favourites as well as some thrilling new additions.” That’ll Be The Day has also raised over £1million for Childline, Make A Wish, Help for Heroes, and the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal through post-show bucket collections.

THEN AND NOW: Brandy Row and Portland Bill feature in September’s b-side festival on Portland

Rework of Bard’s play causes a storm

A community play based on The Tempest will explore climate change and the landscape of Portland from September 15-17. The new adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play premieres as three plays over one weekend as part of b-side Festival Fringe, staged at three stunning locations – Chiswell Earthworks, High Angle Battery and Portland Bill. The innovative outdoor production has been created by professional actors and writers working with community members from Portland and surrounding areas to create three unique plays. Director Charmaine Kay said: “The whole play is

imbued with everything about nature and humans’ relationship to it and how much they disregard or honour it. It’s the power of

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civilisation and man-made construction versus the power of knowledge of nature.”

The Tempest: Rerigged has been created from workshops and rehearsals with local people since the spring and also

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around the UK. The actors from that production are working alongside the community actors of the Portland Players and Offshoot Collective.

Producer Jon Nash said: “The show is a real collaborative effort with professional and local community actors performing scripts written by local writers, costumes designed and made by local designers and Bournemouth students and music and song performed by Portland’s Island Voices Community Choir and Weymouth’s Harmonics Choir.”

Tickets are £6 from ticketsource.co.uk

ISLAND

The Tempest: Rerigged will be staged on Portland

DRAMA:

A popular choir originally launched during the Second World War to cheer people up is starting a new term on Tuesday, September 26, and inviting people to join them.

The Briantspuddle Singers originally came together to cheer local people through the dark days of wartime. Life has changed greatly over the last eighty years, but the basic aim of the choir has remained the same – to spread the pleasure to participants and listeners alike of good music carefully studied and well presented. The choir has performed throughout the county in venues ranging from Poole Lighthouse to many of the lovely local village churches, singing a huge variety of music from Bach to Bernstein, Tudor motets to folksongs and spirituals. But its home has always been Briantspuddle Village Hall, once the great village barn but now transformed into a comfortable, well equipped centre for the community.

The choir has enjoyed the leadership of just five conductors over its 80-

in with choir’s cheery mission

year history – for nearly half of that time they were directed by Richard Hall,

who stepped down after 37 years.

The Singers have always

prided themselves on welcoming people entirely new to choral singing, as well as those with some choral experience. The choir meets on Tuesday evenings from 7.45pm-9.15pm and the new term will begin on September 26 – new members are welcome to join at any stage. Ring Andrea Smith on 01929 471412 for further information, or just turn up and give it a try.

Thank you and goodbye, say The Producers

Top UK Blues band The Producers will make their last ever appearance in Dorchester before they retire. Dorchester Arts is welcoming the performers to the town’s Corn Exchange on Thursday, September 7.

A spokesperson for Dorchester Arts said: “Having announced their retirement will be at the end of 2023, acclaimed band The Producers is

bringing a final exciting stage show to Dorchester Corn Exchange – a celebration of their long relationship with the county town.

“The show will cover all aspects of Blues, from pounding slide reminiscent of early Fleetwood Mac, easy listening country blues reminding one of Leon Redbone, to the smoking Delta blues of Muddy

Waters or Howling Wolf.

“As well as key members Harry and Dave, the present band features popular sessioneer Ray Drury on keyboards and ‘Biff’ Smith on drums, all playing the freshest live blues in Britain today. ”

n For tickets visit dorchesterarts.org.uk

You’re welcome to join

A SONG IN OUR HEARTS: Briantspuddle Singers today and, below, back in the 1960s

Culture

Star names to turn up for the books

A dazzling array of writers is lined up for this year’s Bridport Literary Festival, running from November 5 to 11.

This year’s eclectic programme includes broadcaster Clive Myrie with his memoir, Love Hate and Hope, and Sir Chris Bryant MP talking with Oliver Letwin about Why We need to Fix Parliament.

Also on the programme is BBC News international editor Jeremy Bowen with his reflections on The Making of The Modern Middle East, as well as military historians James Holland and Ben Macintyre, naturalists Patrick Barkham and Megan McCubbin plus an insight into the highs and lows of farmer’s wife Helen Rebanks.

Historians Tracy Borman and Simon Heffer are joined by novelists Joanne Harris and Amanda Craig, and re-wilding champions Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell. Also set to appear is Philippa Gregory, one of the world’s most celebrated historical novelists, who brings us a forgotten social and cultural history of ordinary women.

Festival director Tanya

Bruce-Lockhart said: “The varied programme will appeal to all members of our community and beyond. It’s a celebration for all those who read books and love literature.

“BridLit is now firmly in the diaries of our friends and supporters – we

continue to attract audiences of all tastes and ages who enjoy the festival in our bustling market town of Bridport, as well as the thrill of the Jurassic coastline at nearby West Bay.”

There will also be a quiz night at Palmers pubs in the area on October 18,

with questions geared to literature.

Tanya added: “Luke Machin of Palmers has come up with this brilliant idea as a fundraiser for the festival.”

Tickets are on sale at bridlit.com and at the box office at Bridport TIC in Bucky Doo Square.

Wartime drama set to raise money for refuge

The New Hardy Players will perform Stronghold of Happiness, an adaptation of Devina Symes’ novel at The Corn Exchange on September 30 with all proceeds going to the West Dorset Women’s Refuge Welfare Committee.

The play, set in wartime Dorset, follows the lives of Peter and Ella

Samways and how life-changing conflict affects their lives.

The play and the novel tackle strong themes of abuse that make them unsuitable for a younger audience. Devina said: “I wanted to tell a story that turned the tables on the usual narrative about war and look at the unspeakable traumas and conflicts

sometimes experienced by vulnerable women left at home.”

Devina’s novel will be available on the night and is also available in bookshops and online.

n Performance starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 from WeGotTickets.com or on the door, subject to availability.

STAR TURNS: Clive Myrie, Tracy Borman, Chris Bryant and, below, Philippa Gregory, Jeremy Bowen and Joanne Harris are lined up for Bridport Literary Festival

Dorchester Arts is promising a golden autumn of entertainment beginning this September.

Comedian Simon Evans, classical pianist Martin James Bartlett and wildlife presenter Iolo Williams all feature in a varied month of live performance and film.

The music starts early on Thursday, September 7 with blues favourites The Producers – retiring at the end of 2023 but playing here for the last time with an exciting show covering all aspects of blues.

The music continues on Friday, September 8 with classical pianist Martin James Bartlett playing Rameau, Couperin, Ravel, Ginastera and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue solo.

Friday, September 15 sees elements of Berlin cabaret, Latin tinge, French musette, and storytelling meet, as the Moscow Drug Club deliver an intoxicating and intimate musical experience. A change of emphasis on Sunday, September 17 sees you invited on a cinematic journey through the life of the iconic Frida Kahlo.

Frida takes an in-depth look at key works throughout her career, revealing her deepest emotions, and unlocking the secrets and symbolism within her art.

At the Hardye Theatre on Saturday, September 23

A month of music, comedy and bird-watching ahead

comedian Simon Evans performs his show Have We Met – and finds that after finally solving the mystery of his existence and identity he has still not overcome the more daily challenges of remembering what he came upstairs for… a sidesplitting evening of laughter. Back at the Corn Exchange on Thursday, September 28 the Philip Clouts Quartet perform with the joyful passion of Caribbean calypso, the middle eastern praise exuberant sway of Cuban dance music and

tuneful essence of Gospel – a real treat for jazz fans. A major event for fans of the TV programmes Springwatch and Countryfile at the Hardye Theatre on Friday September 29, when presenter Iolo Williams recounts his fascinating experiences as a species officer for the RSPB. And finally, on Saturday, September 30, the music group Passamezzo perform A Handful of Pleasant Delight. A programme of music, words and songs illustrating aspects of life in Elizabethan England –

beautiful music played in the lovely surroundings of Athelhampton House. And as a free extra event on Wednesday, September 6 join us for a mindful moment at the Corn Exchange to see a superb display of nature photography by local photographer Trevor Parsons, shown on a loop on Dorchester Arts’ giant projection screen and accompanied by a beautiful music and nature soundtrack. A pop in free event from 1pm – 7pm.

n For full details and to book see dorchesterarts.org.uk

ON THE BILL: Moscow Drug Club and, below, Simon Evans and Iolo Williams will be appearing at Dorchester Arts in September

Constituency

issues

with West Dorset MP Chris Loder

Digital threat to cash a very real worry

Last month after years of hard work, students who sat exams across West Dorset received their results for AS, Alevels, T-levels, and GCSEs. I hope everyone received the grades they wanted. While a degree can open many doors, it is worth mentioning there are lots of choices for students, whether they want to train on the job through an apprenticeship, or continue studying at higher levels, including through Higher Technical Qualifications. I was not fortunate enough to go to university, and instead opted for a 20-year career on the trains, which was an enriching experience and ultimately helped prepare me for entering national politics.

Over the last decade, we have seen a fundamental shift in the patterns of our personal banking. What once dominated our financial behaviour for centuries –cash – has been overtaken by credit and debit cards, and more recently, contactless payments.

The pandemic has accelerated

Politics

these trends. Only 15% of all payments were made with cash in 2021, down from over 60% a decade ago. The decreased reliance on physical cash is one of the reasons banks and building societies have withdrawn from our high streets. Here in the south west we have felt this hardest: in the last decade, our region has experienced the largest fall in the number of bank and building societies compared to the rest of the UK.

Across West Dorset, we have seen banks disappear, leaving users of cash and derelict buildings behind. It raises important questions about the role cash will play in the future of our economy. It may surprise you that cash is still the first preference payment method for one in five people who use it for their everyday spending. This is particularly so for those aged over 65; who live in rural areas; use cash for smaller purchases or budgeting; or who are not used to using, or do not have access to, digital

technology and the internet. There is still an evident need for banks and building societies on our high streets. Many constituents have told me how important it is for them to be served by someone in person when dealing with personal finances. This is echoed by those who recently gave feedback to my survey on the proposed changes to staffing at train station ticket offices. A blanket approach to the digitisation of personal banking risks excluding the most vulnerable and disproportionately affecting residents in rural areas. Many constituents have no wish to manage their finances digitally but have been forced to. I’d be interested to know what your views are on this issue. You can submit your views to my survey at: chrisloder.co.uk/banking or write to me at Chris Loder MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. As always, if you have any other thoughts or views, I would be very pleased to hear from you at: hello@chrisloder.co.uk

Government continues to set records for ineptness

I have previously written here about the scourge of pollution in our rivers and beaches. I have also written about the profiteering housebuilders building huge numbers of poor quality and unsuitable developments in the wrong places. Finally, the Conservative Government has decided to act on these twin issues! How? By scrapping rules preventing housebuilding if it pollutes the water… No longer can communities use preventing environmental damage as an “excuse” to stop unwanted housing development.

On healthcare the Conservatives continue to smash all previous records: 7.42m people are now waiting

By EDWARD MORELLO West Dorset LibDems

for routine hospital treatment. The highest since records began and nearly three times the number compared with when they came to power. As I experienced very recently, the amazing staff and volunteers at DCH continue to provide a fantastic service despite the strains put on them by this Government. A recent Quality Care Commission survey showed patient experience at the hospital has got worse over the last 12 months.

Healthcare records continue to tumble elsewhere with a massive 27,000 children on

waiting lists for specialist dentist appointments. Looking for an NHS dentist appointment in West Dorset? I’m afraid you’ll have to drive to Bristol. Not much better news to be found at The Melplash Show. It’s a wonderful event which flies the flag for West Dorset farmers, producers and small businesses. Like every year it was heaving, and all the stalls looked to be doing a roaring trade. But the success of a fantastically well-organised one-day event in the middle of summer does not tell the whole story of what is going on in rural West Dorset. In conversations with individual farmers and business owners person after person relayed

their frustration at Conservative policies seemingly designed to make the already difficult business of making a living off the land even harder.

In immigration news the Government has managed to improve on its own personal best with a massive 175,000 people now waiting for their asylum claim to be processed. An increase of 44% on last year. Meanwhile the British taxpayer is paying £1.6 billion a year to house 500 migrants on the (currently empty) Bibby Stockholm. Value for money?

Apparently for £1.5 billion we could buy 500 tickets on a luxury all-inclusive year-long round the world Disney cruise. What a record.

Funding central to easing social housing crisis

It used to be the case that if you asked a local councillor what issues they received most correspondence about the answer was either litter or dog poo. For me, the answer is more serious. By far the biggest issue that I am contacted about is requests for help to find suitable social housing, particularly for adults and children living with health conditions and/or disabilities.

My biggest frustration in responding to these requests is what I can only term ‘silo thinking’. To get social housing you need to be on the housing register, and this is administered by a team at Dorset Council who do a

By KELVIN CLAYTON West Dorset Green Party

great job within their limited remit.

Your banding on this register largely determines your priority in being offered suitable housing, and for some people this will require an assessment from a specialist working in a different team at Dorset Council – a team who also do a great job within their limited remit. And because Dorset Council do not manage their own council housing, any offer of suitable housing needs to come from an independent social housing provider. My point here is that there

is no coordination between these roles, there is no professional responsible for the person, or family, at the centre of what is often a very stressful situation. It used to be the case that the person in need would be allocated a semipermanent social worker, a qualified professional, who not only knew and understood their needs, but understood ‘the system’ –who knew who to contact for which issue in which organisation. This job often now seems to fall to their local councillor. Now please don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to avoid helping these residents. I’m simply pointing out that I don’t have the training or

expertise that social workers have.

And I’m also not blaming Dorset Council. I’m sure that they could be persuaded to employ more social workers to take on this role – if they could afford to do so.

But they can’t. Most local authorities are doing all they can to keep their financial heads above the water as it is. If they dared to raise council taxes to pay for this service there would be an outcry. No, the blame sits fair and square with our central government who, in this current financial year, have contributed a meagre 1.5% towards the services delivered by Dorset Council.

Barge gimmick deflects from woeful asylum policy

There has been a great deal of coverage around the Bibby Stockholm, the barge being used to house migrants who are awaiting decisions on their asylum claims. Government claims that the barge will save taxpayers money have been disputed by some who say that savings would be minimal. It seems more likely that the barge is purely a gimmick to try to appease critics who say that we’re spending £6 million a day on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers. Portland Port owners stand to make huge financial gains from this venture and are the only ones in favour of the barge with local politicians, campaign groups and individuals all voicing their

By CLAUDIA SORIN West Dorset Labour Party

anger, albeit for different reasons.

This gimmick has turned out to be a disaster for the government mired in controversy and mismanagement and is symbolic of the appalling lack of effective immigration policy which has seen the number of people on the waiting list for asylum claims skyrocket by 44% in the last year to 175,000. PM Rishi Sunak is probably wishing he never made that pledge to “Stop the Boats.” Sunak and other Tory ministers continually feed into a divisive narrative with this type of language whilst

failing to get to grips with the real issue of a huge backlog in processing claims and a refusal to provide safe routes for people fleeing conflict and persecution in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. Unfortunately, this language emboldens racists to spread their hateful views within the community on social media and on the ground. It appears that some members of far-right groups deliberately seek out communities where migrants are being housed and target them for political gain – this is happening in Portland and Weymouth. Citizen media outlet Dorset Eye has published an expose of one local group revealing the level of hate witnessed in

some of the comments and it’s truly shocking. Let’s not lose sight of the people at the heart of this –many of whom are fleeing unbearable and dangerous situations to seek asylum in our country. A lack of safe routes means that they have taken desperate measures to get here; they hope to be treated with compassion. The UK Government website states that 71% of asylum claims in the year to June 2023 were granted refugee status and yet they refuse to provide safe routes, instead allowing the horrific practice of people trafficking in small boats to proliferate and an increase in the numbers of those being held in limbo, unable to work and contribute to society.

Being your own boss is your decision

If you’ve ever dreamed of the freedom of being selfemployed, it’s likely your summer holiday stoked the intensity of those visions. Having no boss means you get to choose the tasks, set the hours and go to the (home) office in your pjs. At least, that’s the fantasy. If you’ve run off your holiday beach excited at the prospect of running your own business, here’s the cold shower of a reality check. Along with a splash of inspiration. Working for yourself means no salary, no holiday or sick pay and no pension.

You don’t get paid simply for turning up or clocking on. You have to work for every penny. However, you get the freedom to work on what you want, to your chosen timescales. Many who work for themselves prize this freedom highly, taking it in exchange for a pay cut. Not that self-employment necessarily means earning less. With the right skills, connections and drive you can find yourself banking more than you did from employment.

Just remember you can’t compare your employed

hourly rate with what you charge per hour when you’re self-employed. Your employer also covered pension, sick and holiday pay, and National Insurance contributions. There’s no precise formula, but a useful guide is that to be equivalent to your salary, the money from your self-employment should be around 25% higher. So if you’re paid £2,000 a month, your own business should aim to pay you £2,500 a month. This isn’t meant to put you off, or be an accountancy exercise. Get advice about tax, pensions and the like. Talk to others who work for themselves. You don’t need to hire an accountant, but you need a reasonable grasp of how all this works. As you may have picked up from this finance talk, being your own boss doesn’t mean you only get to do what you want to do. You’re now responsible for everything – including bookkeeping, your computer, insurance and marketing. That last one is really

important. Every year thousands of new oneperson businesses die through not understanding the importance of marketing. Expect to spend at least one day in five on marketing, particularly in the early stages.

Dorset’s awash with freelancers, sole traders, self-employed and microbusinesses – people who work for themselves (I’m one). It can be a great way to work, but there are frustrations, jobs we don’t want to do and anxieties about future income. Years ago, my summer holidays from corporate life set me thinking about selfemployment.

If you feel the same, cherish those dreams. But ground them in reality –what you’ll do, how much money you need, what hours you’re willing to put in, what differences it could make to your life.

And talk to others who’ve done it. Ask them about the pains as well as the pleasures. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best.

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As a trainee sales person you will be working with our two amazing sales people and learning from the best. You will gain skills by watching, listening and mirroring that you simply won't get on a training course in a classroom –

Lisa Pharaoh is the west of Dorset’s only qualified and registered mediator with the Civil Mediation Council. Contact her on 01305 819696 or at info@pharaohlaw.co.uk

A Legal Power of Attorney (LPA) gives you the opportunity to legally appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make them for yourself. There are two types of LPAs –one for Property & Financial Affairs, and one for Health & Welfare matters. Each allow you (the ‘donor’) to nominate trusted individuals (‘attorneys’), or a solicitor’s practice, who will have the authority to make decisions regarding the welfare, property, and finances on your behalf. ‘Attorneys’ do not need special legal knowledge or training and should be someone you know well. If you have lost mental capacity (the ability to make a specific decision at the time it needs to be made) and there are no LPAs in place, there will be no one to make appropriate decisions for your

medical care or finances. An application to the Court of Protection will need to be made, including a fee. Consider the obtaining of LPAs as an insurance against the unfortunate possibility of a loss of mental capacity in the future. Once made and registered, the LPA will be ready for use whenever it might be needed. Hopefully it will never need to be used, but if it is, you can be assured that decisions will be made by others whom you have chosen to act in your best interest. They also can avert potential issues for your loved ones. In the case of joint assets, for example, once a bank is aware that one party has lost mental capacity, the remaining party may be prevented from using the joint account until matters are sorted out legally. The way to avoid this is to make LPAs whilst you still have capacity.

though we do offer a day release course at a local college, too. Great sales people earn fortunes, and these skills will set you up for life.

As a small, friendly team we offer proper old fashioned employment where we all pull together. You certainly won't be just a number. Start your sales career on the right foot and give us a call. Applicants must have transport to get to appointments. Expenses paid.

These will be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian, so it is easy for your attorney/s to make decisions on your behalf if a problem arises.

An LPA is invaluable and means the people you choose are in control. Where an LPA is drawn up by a professional

on your behalf, there are fees to pay for this service, and there is also a fee to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) for registration currently £82 per LPA. We can deal with any difficulties on your behalf, and ensure the process goes smoothly.

When you’ve got the power, you can make a difference

n Visitors try their hand at archery following the reopening of Piddlehinton Gym by Jill Haynes of Dorset Council on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28. Guests enjoyed a variety of sporting activities on the day. The community hub has undergone significant improvements including a roof re-build, made possible by a community fund-raising campaign. Please see the gym's website for details and contact piddlehintongym@gmail.com for booking enquiries.

Belle stars as Betty bashes

Belle Chidzoy emerged victorious as 29 juniors turned out to fish for the Stokes Family Trophy, with Storm Betty raging on the East Pier, West Bay. The wind and recent rain had badly churned up the sea, and discharged a lot of freshwater into the harbour to make conditions testing for the young competitors. Instead of going after mackerel under floats as might be expected at this time of year, the chocolatecoloured water meant that everyone was fishing hard on the bottom.

Belle Chidzoy landed a sizeable five bearded rockling and even a

freshwater eel on her way to winning the trophy. Pout dominated the fish weighed-in with some whiting. Alfie Jeans caught a plaice and Ben Stokes landed a nice bass, with a

trophy event

small-eyed ray going to Chelsea Pearce. The club would like to thank all those that helped, especially Norman Stokes for keeping everyone in rigs and bait, Ian Draper, and Tom Marley at Angling Centre West Bay for his help and support throughout the match.

The next match is the hotly-contested Juniors versus Parents match on Saturday, September 9. The club are hoping to run some evening boat trips for

juniors when the weather allows, please contact the club for details or visit the juniors’ WhatsApp group.

Stokes Family Trophy –Full Results

First place with 245g (including a sizeable 5 Bearded Rockling) was Belle Chidzoy

Second place with 584g was Ben Stokes

Third place with 306g was Chelsea Pearce

First fish: Charlie Walkey

Most fish: Belle Chidzoy

Biggest fish: Ben Stokes

Smallest fish: Lily Ascott

The wooden spoon went to Harry Hamlett

Third place with 306g was Chelsea Pearce

Oliver crowned Knockout Champion with top haul

Oliver Smith retained his Knockout Champion title at the final match of the DDAS junior float only knockout series that the club have been running throughout the summer. Oliver joined the winners of two other qualifying rounds, Jack Copp and Josiah Wells-Parkes, plus the highest- weight runner up, Jake Taylor, as the quartet competed for the

chance to be crowned the 2023 champion on the Stock Pond at Revels Fishery.

A wide variety of fish species, in an even wider range of colours, were caught from the start of the two-hour match on a mild, overcast late summer’s evening.

In a tight match, it was difficult to separate the four young anglers, but

there could only be one winner and Oliver retained his title with a winning weight of 10lbs 6ozs. Jack came in second with 9lbs 9ozs, and Josiah third with 9lbs 6ozs. Jake, who started late, had an enjoyable evening with 5lbs 14ozs.

n For more information, please go to ddasjuniors.co.uk.

Membership/

MORE! Oliver Smith with his knockout haul

TIGHT LINES: Tom Marley, Norman Stokes, Junior Secretary Ben Carter. Front: Belle Chidzoy and Ian Draper

Casuals achieve comeback double

Dorchester and District Evening Cricket League

By Robin Potter

As the curtain falls on our 2023 T20 season, congratulations must go to all 20 sides in our leagues for their contribution to cricket, allowing players of many different standards to play and enjoy the game, with Dorchester Casuals, Bere Regis and New Look/ASM winning their leagues. Casuals pulled off the double of league and cup in their first season returning to the league. Having made serene progress through the cup rounds, they won a comfortable victory over St Georges in the final. Casuals also triumphed in the league competition, winning Division 1 with games to spare, and their solitary defeat coming at the hands of Martinstown by the narrowest of margins.

Last season’s champions Puddletown had to be content with the runner-up spot, with St George’s taking third. Hazelbury Bryan finished bottom and now face relegation to Division 2. Bere Regis will take Hazelbury Bryan’s place in the top flight, as they won Division 2 by four points, to earn a second consecutive promotion.

New Look/ASM took the honours in a closely-fought Division 3, winning their last four games in a row, to pip Puddletown Rugby Club and Charlton Down 2nds to the top spot.

The league are hosting a presentation evening at Dorchester Cricket Club on Wednesday, September 13,

where individual and team awards will be presented. In line for honours are Sam Roles of Charlton Down for most runs, Crispin Brown of Dewlish for most sixes, and Cameron Robertson of Bere Regis for his outstanding innings of 131 not out.

Puddletown bowler Ryan Norman has claimed the most wickets, frequently aided by son Regan, who is leading the race for most wicket-keeping victims. Young players Tom Munnings, Jaden Gerety and Harry Jones are also in line to be recognised, and there will be awards for the most sportsmanlike club and for outstanding contribution to the league.

The league would like to thank all players, umpires, scorers, groundskeepers and other league and club officials who give their time so that this wonderful sport can be enjoyed.

FAMILY WINS: Ryan Norman and son Regan Norman, were the top bowler and wicket-keeper in the 2023 season

Ladies first: Lionesses inspire plans

Dorset FA have recently announced a new partnership with Foster with Dorset Council, which will include the naming rights of the Dorset Youth Cup competitions for the 2023/24 season. The fostering service helps children in care stay close to home by placing them with foster carers from their local communities, giving young people throughout Dorset a loving, stable place to call home.

Foster with Dorset Council is facing increasing pressure in finding homes for children across West Dorset, and hope that the partnership will help to promote their valuable work in the local community.

Dorset FA CEO, Roger Vaughan, said: “We are really pleased to be able to partner Foster with Dorset Council and support the excellent work they are doing in supporting young people in the county. The sponsorship of one of our most prestigious Junior Cup competitions is very fitting.”

Cllr Bryon Quayle, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help said: “We are delighted to sponsor the Dorset

Fostering deal is home win for FA

Youth Cup Competitions for the 2023/24 season. Football brings joy to so many of Dorset’s young people and we are proud to lend our support and play a part in this. Dorset has a great need for foster carers, and we urge anyone who is thinking about fostering to reach out and find out more.”

Dorset FA’s Partnership Lead Jemma

Tewkesbury said: “It’s fantastic to be able to partner with Foster with Dorset Council. They provide essential services in our local community, as they search for loving, local foster homes for children across Dorset.

“We hope this partnership can help Foster with Dorset

Council reach further into our community, through football.

“It is so important to young lives and football is such a community sport which helps to bring people together.

“It really is a perfect fit and we hope it will raise awareness of the importance of fostering in our area.

“We are working on a number of other potential partnerships and are passionate about working with businesses and not-forprofit groups to promote their work wherever it is mutually beneficial.

“I am aware that money is tight for some businesses and some funding is being cut, but it’s important that we all support each other.”

By Stuart Wickham stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk

The Partnership Lead at Dorset Football Association has been talking about the Association’s Stepping Over the Sidelines initiative, which is a drive to attract more female coaches to the game in the wake of continued success of the women’s national game. The England Lionesses narrowly missed out on winning the World Cup, and Jemma Tewkesbury hopes that the Lionesses’ exploits will help to inspire more women to become involved.

Jemma said: “Expanding the participation of women and girls is a priority for us. Although the growth of interest has been phenomenal over the last eight years or so, football remains a male-dominated sport.

“We want to find good female coaches who can be great role models for the women and girls who are either new to the sport or looking to build their skills. “I would urge anybody who is interested to get in touch and give it a go.

“The campaign is aimed at those people who might be involved in football as a supporter and who might be open to getting more involved. Stepping Over the Sidelines is a free, introductory workshop designed to encourage mums, female guardians, helpers, assistants, young

PLEASED: Dorset FA CEO Roger Vaughan is positive about the partnership with Foster with Dorset Council

to encourage more female coaches

on those people who freely give their time to enable others to play, and often there is a big weight of responsibility on a few individuals. When volunteers leave, it can leave a big hole, and it’s important that clubs try to find fresh volunteers to ensure that football is sustainable and can continue to grow in popularity. We recognise that everybody is so busy and there are a lot of different sports vying for people’s time.”

leaders and players take their first steps into coaching football.”

Female coach development at Dorset FA gives the opportunity for female coaches (18+), of any level, to access specific coach development workshops run by Dorset FA and England Football, and to network with others on a similar journey.

Jemma, herself a successful manager and UEFA-qualified coach, has worked extensively with coaches and is positive about what can be achieved with the right approach.

Jemma said: “I work with new coaches in my spare time and it is richly rewarding. It is just about having the right attitude and are willing to learn.

“They will have a great support network and we have a development group in place which can help

them to build their skills, together with online and face-to-face workshops to accelerate their learning.”

“We have seen some good

people coming on board, but any volunteers are always so welcome and vital for the future. As a sport, we are so dependent

Although the England Lionesses continue to inspire players across West Dorset, their performance at the World Cup was somewhat overshadowed with headlines focusing on Royal Spanish Football Federation President, Luis Rubliales’ ‘unsolicited kiss’.

Jemma said: “It’s a shame that something like that has taken the shine off what the England team achieved. You like to think you are making progress in getting women onto an equal footing, but then something like this happens and you realise you’ve still got a long way to go. It’s quite frustrating that there are still people out there who think this is okay.”

n To express an interest or to find out more about Stepping Over the Sidelines or to explore other ways to volunteer, please contact Jemma Tewkesbury at jemmafa@outlook.com

ROAR POWER: Female coaches can be inspirational for young players and, right, Jemma Tewkesbury and, inset, England’s Lionesses

View the hall with a park and woodland stroll

ATHELHAMPTON WALKING IN DORSET

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

Athelhampton is a tiny village on the south side of the river Piddle a short distance to the east of Puddletown. The countryside is pleasant parkland and wood on the hillside.

Park near the church, which is unusual as it is orthodox (maybe that should be unorthodox) then walk a short distance to the entrance to the big house, Athelhampton Hall. You

can get a good view from the entrance but you have to pay to go in. Go back and join the bridleway that starts next to the church, heading uphill to the south. It soon turns into a shallow hollow way. When it enters the wood turn left and follow a path south eastward through the wood and crossing a Roman Road. The path continues, running parallel

to the Park Pale. At the parish boundary, you’ll meet a bridleway coming from the west. Join it and head west along high downland with wide views. You might notice a solitary stone at the top of the ridge on your left. It was erected in memory of Adrian van de Weyer of the Rifle Brigade who lost his life at Calais on May 26, 1940. Continue along the bridleway until you get to

Admiston Farm. They have a fine avenue of lime trees which is abuzz with bees when they’re in flower. Head north along a bridleway, at first crossing a field and then into the wood where you rejoin the hollow way. Follow it down the hill to the road.

To see a little more of the village head east along the road for a furlong and then join a footpath on your right which takes you west, back to the church and your car. You’ll have walked a little over four miles..

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PLEASANT STROLL: Athelhampton Hall near Puddletown

Charity’s link-up with mobility firm

A mobility firm has partnered with a Dorchester charity to support people suffering from Kennedy’s Disease.

TGA Mobility, based in Suffolk, is supporting the organisation Kennedy Disease UK so people with the condition can ‘more easily benefit from its mobility scooters, wheelchairs and powerchairs’.

Kennedy’s Disease is a rare inherited condition, similar to Motor Neurone Disease. One in every 40,000 people are estimated to have the condition with many undiagnosed until later life.

Having Kennedy’s Disease makes coordination harder and harder as it progresses so owning a scooter enables outdoor mobility even if walking

becomes difficult over time.

Kim Slowe, chair and trustee of Kennedy’s Disease UK, has the condition and recently contacted TGA about obtaining a chair with canopy.

Retired Royal Navy frigate captain and helicopter pilot

How you can feel better for free with healthy walks

Free health walks are on offer in the Beaminster, Cattistock and Maiden Newton areas, enabling people to start building exercise into their daily routine, be out in the fresh air and meet new people. The walks alternate between Cattistock and

Maiden Newton every Tuesday at 11am. On Wednesdays in Beaminster they run from Tunnel Road Surgery at 11.30am (every third Wednesday of the month they leave from Beaminster Museum). The walks are free, short and guided for people of all abilities, especially for those that would like to get more active or to meet new people.

Call Barbara Evans on 07810 153012 or email Barbara_evans@hotmail. co.uk For details of other health walks around Dorset visit dorsetcouncil. gov.uk/dorset-health-walks

Kim wanted to remain “free outdoors” as driving a car was no longer possible. Kim’s scooter allows him to

travel to and from Dorchester without worrying about parking, especially at the hospital. Set up by Kate Hopps, whose husband has the condition, Kennedy’s Disease UK is the only UKbased charity of its kind. It is run by volunteers and people with the disease with the aim of raising awareness and funds to help find a cure.

The team also provides guidance and support to individuals with Kennedy’s Disease.

UNDER COVER: Kim Slowe with his mobility chair and canopy

Show’s £34k for promising students

Melplash Agricultural Society has awarded students £34,000 in its scholarship scheme, aiming to encourage further education in agriculture and closely allied topics. The students, aged 16 years and over, all live within a 12-mile radius of Melplash Village Church.

The scholarship offers financial assistance with their apprenticeship, diploma or degree course. The financial support will be extended throughout the successful student’s course provided they receive a satisfactory annual report from their college or university.

This year a total of £34,000 was awarded to 11 students:

n Harry Hughes studying land based technology at Hartbury University, Leo Rich studying agriculture and farm mechanics at Cannington College

n Bekah Hughes studying agriculture at Kingston Maurward College

n Erin Hayball studying agriculture at Hartbury

University

n Adam Attwell studying agriculture at Harper Adams University

n William Banham studying agriculture at Bicton College

n Isabel Cooper studying agriculture at Kingston Maurward

n Jack Bartlett studying countryside and wildlife management at Kingston Maurward College

n Bobby Hutchings studying agriculture at Bicton College

n Anna Mears studying veterinary medicine and surgery at Nottingham University

A travel bursary was

awarded to Matthew House, who is travelling to New Zealand and has a placement through Bleekkers Agricultural Services, south of Christchurch to go contracting.

The society continues to support the following students: Ceri Edwards, Darcy Shaw, Isobel Minshall, Cerne Iveson, Ellie Hughes, Harry Papworth and Kirron Wheeler.

Melplash Agricultural Society director George Rendall said: “The level of funding is variable; each application is assessed on its merits. In total since the

scheme started in 2007 the society has awarded 86 scholarships to the value of £226,000. Many are now working in the community, helping to fill our food baskets, ensuring the excellent health of our farm animals, maintaining farm machinery and contributing to many of the diversification schemes that are operating on our larger farms and estates.”

n The application form is available to download from melplashshow.co.uk For information contact secretary, Lucy Hart at lucy@melplashshow.co.uk or ring 01308 423337.

Society hedgelayers showing off their privets

The 176th annual Melplash Agricultural Society Ploughing & Hedgelaying competition is being held on land off the A356, near Corscombe, DT8 3SQ on Sunday, September 24.

The ploughing competition is divided into 14 different classes including vintage, match, conventional, contractor’s challenge, young farmers, open, local and reversible with judges awarding marks for opening, straightness, even depth of ploughing, headlands, burial of trash

and finishing. Alongside the ploughing match, running concurrently is the hedgelaying competition. There are classes for individuals and pairs open to both novices and experienced hedgelayers. Hedgelaying and ploughing chairman Tim Frampton said: “We are expecting a good number of entries this year in both the hedgelaying and ploughing classes, and are very pleased that society president Michael Fooks will still be competing in the ploughing match as

he has done since he was a Beaminster Young Farmer some 60 years ago.”

The event starts at 9.30am, results at 5pm. It is free to attend and there will be refreshments available.

Schedules at melplashshow.co.uk

Before that, a free taster day will show people how to lay a hedge Dorset style on Sunday, September 10 at Wyke Farm, Chedington DT8 3HX 10am-3pm.

Call the society on 01308 423337 or email office@melplashshow.co.uk

WELL DONE: MAS scholarship recipients at Meplash Show Picture: Alan McNamee