Paul Jones - Editor in Chief
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AUTHOR Tracy Chevalier is set to unveil a statue of musicologist, novelist and poet Sylvia Townsend Warner in Dorchester.
Townsend Warner (18931978), whose best known novel was Lolly Willowes (1926), lived in the area for decades.
Mark Damon Chutter, chair and academic director of the Thomas Hardy Society, came up with the idea of a statue and enlisted the expertise of Anya Pearson, who, with her daughter, Evie Swire, helped crowdfund more than £150,000 for a statue of palaeontologist Mary Anning in Lyme Regis.
Mark said: “Townsend Warner was a talented musicologist, writer, poet, Communist and a trailblazer for the LGBTQ + community.
“This will be the first non-royal female statue in Dorchester.
“Sylvia will be placed in her rightful literary context and heritage alongside the male statues of [William] Barnes and Hardy in the town.
“Townsend Warner will be placed on a bench and will be interactive.”
Townsend Warner (18931978) lived openly with her
partner, Valentine Ackland, in Chaldon Herring in the 1920s and Frome Vauchurch from 1930 onwards.
They were part of an eclectic
and bohemian group of writers and artists including the Powys family and Elizabeth Muntz.
Townsend Warner was often in Dorchester and visited Hardy’s second wife, Florence, at Max Gate in 1935.
She also corresponded with Hardy about setting his poetry to music.
Ackland died in 1969 and Warner in 1978. Their love for each other was enduring.
The statue was crowdfunded by the public and designed and sculpted by Denise Dutton.
It was commissioned by Visible Women UK in partnership with the Dorchester Joint Heritage Committee and Dorchester Town Council.
The statue will be unveiled outside Goulds Fashion Store in South Street, Dorchester, on Sunday, December 14, at 1pm.
HRH The Prince of Wales stopped by a village pub in Wiltshire –shocking locals and the landlords.
William called in for lunch at the Walnut Tree Inn, in Mere, during what is believed to be a trip to visit part of his Duchy Estate.
The pub said: “It was our great pleasure to host HRH Prince of Wales for lunch at the Walnut Tree Inn yesterday.
“A big shout out to Lisa, Grace and the kitchen team for looking after him so well.”
It is understood the Prince dined royally on a Walnut Burger - and thrilled staff by leaving a £75 tip - though the Royal Household has not commented on the trip officially.
WHERE are Dasher and Dancer, Comet and Prancer and all the rest of Santa’s reindeer?
Christmas fun is on offer at Shillingstone Station on Sunday, December 14.
While Mr and Mrs Santa meet children in their grotto – prebookings only, sorry – their elves will be organising a Hunt the Reindeer trail, with eight wooden reindeer hidden around the station and waiting to be found.
The freshly restored steam engine will also be dressed up for the occasion and might even be in steam if all goes to plan.
The station will be open as usual from 10am-4pm.
To book to meet Santa – £5 per child – phone the station on 01258 860696 when open, but entry to the station is free, as usual.
The station is also open at weekends and on Wednesdays, including Christmas Eve.
DORSET Car Club has presented a cheque for £4,114.08 to the Huntington’s Disease Association.
The funds were raised through donations from exhibiting car owners and members of the public who attend the club’s monthly events.
Dorset Car Club hosts its popular car meets on the third Thursday of every month, excluding December and January, attracting enthusiasts from across the region to support charitable causes.
Dorset Car Club thanked all supporters who contributed to the fundraising, highlighting the importance of community involvement in aiding those affected by Huntington’s Disease.
For more information about Dorset Car Club or upcoming events, contact Chris Wood at dorsetcarclub@gmail.com or visit the club’s Facebook page, Dorset Car Club.
A SPECIAL guest will be flying in to Bere Marsh Farm’s first Christmas Farmers’ Market.
The Teddy20 Santa Sleigh will bring festive sparkle to the event on Sunday, December 7, giving children the chance to meet Santa and receive a special gift.
The market will open at 11am in the Threshing Barn, where Santa himself will officially declare the festivities underway.
Visitors can browse a range of local producers and craftspeople offering Christmas treats and gifts.
The Countryside Regeneration Trust, which owns Bere Marsh Farm near Shillingstone, will also have a stall selling its 2026 wildlife calendar, filled with stunning images of farm life and nature, along with handmade wildlife boxes created by volunteers and its own rare-breed pork, which makes a fantastic alternative to the usual Christmas turkey!
The Buzz Cafe will be open throughout the day, serving homemade seasonal goodies and hot drinks.
The Christmas Farmers’ Market will open from 11am to 3pm, with Santa in attendance until 2pm. A small fee will apply to meet Santa, which includes a gift and photo opportunity.
For more information visit www.thecrt.co.uk/christmas
Husband and wife team Lucy and Mark first opened a furniture sales shop specialising in pine furniture in February 1995.
During the late 80s and 90s, pine was the furniture of choice.
From those early years, their initial business concept continued to grow and evolve.
Now celebrating 30 years in business, A World of Furniture stocks many top brands such as G Plan, La-Z-Btoy, Alstons, Sherborne, Silentnight, Sleepeezee and Highgrove.
The company has made looking after the environment and sustainability one of its top priorities in the last 20 years.
It has been awarded and recognised as a leader in the world of business-based ‘environmentalists’.
Lucy and Mark currently employ more than 25 staff, ‘all of whom are absolutely amazing,’ Mark says. He adds: “Lucy and I are so thankful for the opportunities and some success.”
“The furniture business and our daughters have shaped our lives. Life is a great leveller and we have faced many hurdles. I’m hopeful that, with the introduction of more furniture brands and our own brands, 2025 will be an improvement over the previous year. 2025 and beyond will see us ‘serving up’ more fantastic furniture and the growth of our mattress collection and recycling service.”
THE Christmas elves have been busy at the National Trust’s Kingston Lacy, filling it with festive flourishes.
The grand mansion has been transformed in time for Christmas, made ready for an enchanting ball with a woodland theme. The State Floor is alive with sparkling lights, huge trees and exquisite decorations.
This winter, visitors will be immersed in a spectacular seasonal celebration, setting the stage for a unique storytelling experience.
Guests can follow the charming tale of Kingston Lacy’s newest kitchen servant,
offering a whimsical behindthe-scenes glimpse into the preparations for the ball.
Eavesdrop on secret conversations, admire the sumptuous party fare, and even dress up and join the ball yourself.
Outside, there’s a final festive secret waiting to be discovered in the Fernery, amid the swooping owls and stars…
The whole property will be filled with seasonal magic, including storytime with Santa, and the chance of a photo with the man himself.
Find out more at www. nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/ kingston-lacy.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC group of carol singers will be performing ahead of Christmas.
The Castle Cary Community Choir Christmas Concert will be held at Cary Methodist Church.
It includes not only traditional and more unusual carols, but also Christmas songs and amusing readings.
The money generated will be shared between the choir and the Methodist Church, where the choir rehearses on Monday evenings.
The concert is at 7.30pm on Friday, December 19. There will seasonal refreshments in the interval included in the ticket price of £10.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from Bailey Hill Bookshop, Castle Cary High Street, or on the door.
For more information visit www.castlecarychoir.org.uk
THERE’S still time to do some training – the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon is confirmed for Sunday, February 1, 2026.
The race starts at 11am at Bishops Caundle Recreation Ground (DT9 5NG).
Race HQ is in the village hall, Holt Lane, Bishop’s Caundle on the other side of the A3060.
The course is the usual one and organisers (and runners) all hope it stays dry this year!
The major beneficiaries will be prostrate cancer charities, but there will be other local good causes.
Enter at www.bvlhm.yolasite. com. Get in quick – the race capacity is 450 runners, and entries close at 2pm on January 30, 2026, or when the race reaches capacity.
You must be over 18 on February 1, 2026, to take part.
There is also a fun run which starts 10 minutes later.
BVLC always needs help and new members. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Tim Otter on 07748 090802 or use the contact form www.bvlhm.yolasite.com or https://bvlions.yolasite.com
MEMBERS of Cerne Sheep Group are getting into the swing of the festive season with a meeting on Monday, December 8, that includes the group’s Christmas supper.
From 7.30pm at The Fox at Ansty (DT2 7PN), Mechelle Maidment will give an account of her sheep keeping and the benefits of using sheep’s wool.
The meal, following the talk, is complementary for paid-up members. Other guests are welcome but will charged £16 per head.
Booking is essential, by text or calling 07816 291103.
HEAR a rarely sung dramatic Te Deum (We Praise Thee O God), written to mark the peace at the end of the Boer War, in concert this month.
Sir Arthur Sullivan, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, wrote the work for the service marking the peace at the end the Boer War in St Paul’s Cathedral in 1902.
It is declamatory and tuneful but also reflective. The conflict was controversial here and round the world; 500,000 British troops had been faced effectively by Boer farmers, and there was profound relief it ended after some two-and-a-half years.
Bryanston Choral will open their pre-Christmas concert at 4pm on Saturday, December 13, with the work, and will go onto to sing Orlando Gibbons’ beautiful Advent anthem, This is the Record of John, and, other seasonal works including Holst’s Choral Fantasy on Old Christmas Carols
There will some more familiar carols for hearty singing by the choir and audience, as well as seasonal readings and wine and mince pies.
The concert will be held at Bryanston Church (DT11 0PS), on Saturday, December 13.
Tickets are £12 online via www.bryanstonchoralsociety.co.uk, or £14 on the door, u18s free.
DORSET Chamber Choir will perform its 2025 Christmas concert, Glory to God in the Highest, at Wimborne Methodist Church.
Musical director, John Watkins, will conduct, and the accompanist is Jean Holt.
The choir will be singing a selection of well-known and not so well-known Christmas carols and On Christmas Night, by contemporary composer Bob Chilcott.
There will also be some
DOG lovers can have a professional photo of their pet taken in aid of a good cause at a festive event at Sturfit Leisure Centre in Sturminster Newton.
Lucas Helps Dogs, a UKregistered charity which supports street dogs and cats in Sri Lanka, is hosting Festive Paws on Saturday, December 13, from 11am-4pm.
Visitors will be able to have a photo of their dog taken by Rob Young and will also be able to enjoy aerial circus entertainment, a Santa Paws grotto, tombola, festive refreshments and about 20 craft and gift stalls.
Photography packages include two photos for £15 and five photos for £25 with 100% of proceeds going directly to charity.
Funds raised will support Lucas Helps Dogs' spay and neuter clinics in Hikkaduwa, which provide lifesaving care and population control for street dogs and cats.
The charity also delivers rabies vaccinations, emergency treatments and daily feeding programmes to improve street animal welfare.
Booking is required for photoshoots – one ticket per dog – visit www.lucashelpsdogs. com/event-info/christmascharity-photoshoot-2.
carols for audience participation.
The concert is on Monday, December 15, at 7pm and tickets are £10, free for under18s, available at www. dorsetchamberchoir.com, and from choir members and at the door.
Refreshments will be available during the interval.
TONIGHT, Friday, December 5, St Nicholas Church in Henstridge will be glowing with candles and filled with seasonal music.
Organisers promise a cosy evening with professional musicians playing popular seasonal music including Walking in the Air, a trumpet solo and a choir with solo singers.
Mulled wine, mince pies, tea and coffee will be available by donation. Doors at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
Tickets are available from The Bird, on the door or online: www.tickettailor.com/events/clashcommunitylegalaction forsafetyinhenstridge/1922276
REVISED plans have been unveiled for a new 50-home development in Sturminster Newton.
The outline plans put together by Clifton Emery design on behalf of South West Strategic Developments Limited seek permission to build up to 50 houses on land east on Manston Road, which is currently undeveloped land.
40% of the homes – 20 – would be affordable. Seven two-bed, 24 three-bed, 14 four-bed houses and five two-bed flats have been proposed.
The latest application follows previously refused plans for 52 properties which were also turned down at appeal earlier this year, as the inspector said it would cause significant harm to the landscape character of the Rixon and Eastern Fringe area.
But the applicant has now said that no weight was given to the upcoming shortfall in Dorset Council’s five-year housing land
supply in the inspector’s decision, citing an increase to housing need in the county.
Access to the site has been proposed from two points along Manston Road, with a T-junction to the south and a secondary access point to the north west.
“The current application responds directly to the issues raised in the 2025
THE team at Sherborne Museum are celebrating after the attraction was nationally recognised as a hidden gem by Visit England.
The museum at Abbey Gatehouse on Church Lane was awarded the Hidden Gem accolade – an award given to a select few attractions across the country that boast exceptional visitor experiences.
The accolade is part of Visit England’s Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS), which Sherborne Museum has been part of since 2016.
The scheme provides a consumer-focused benchmark for quality across key areas such as cleanliness, visitor welcome, interpretation, signage, customer care and exhibitions.
To be named a Hidden Gem is to go one step further –celebrating those attractions that consistently exceed expectations
and offer something truly special to visitors.
“This award is a real honour for our dedicated team of volunteers, whose passion and commitment bring Sherborne’s rich history to life,” said curator, Elisabeth Bletsoe.
“It’s also wonderful recognition for Sherborne itself – helping to place the town
appeal decision, with a revised layout, reduced scale, and enhanced landscape-led design approach,” the plans said.
“The social benefits of the scheme are many and varied including the dwellings proposed with a mix of houses sizes, types and tenures, which ensures the creation of a mixed and balanced community.
“The development will also deliver much needed homes that will help Dorset Council address its serious five-year housing land supply deficit, meet its overall housing requirement and provide 20 affordable homes towards requirements that are not being met in full, where there are already 6,711 households on the housing register waiting for affordable housing, and this number will likely grow over time.”
To view and comment on the plans, search reference P/OUT/2025/06076 on the planning section of Dorset Council’s website.
firmly on the map as a cultural and heritage destination.”
Nominations were based on visitor reviews and the observations of the Visit England assessor.
The accolade reflects the museum’s high standards in visitor experience, which runs parallel with its ongoing work within the local community, including education and engagement programmes that make the town’s heritage accessible to all.
With this recognition, Sherborne Museum joins an exclusive group of attractions across England acknowledged for delivering excellence at every level.
Visitors can look forward to discovering inspiring displays, a warm welcome and stories that capture the heart of Sherborne.
For more information, visit www.sherbornemuseum.com or follow Sherborne Museum on social media.
SANTAS will be getting under starter’s orders in next month’s Great Motcombe Santa Run in aid of Motcombe Primary School.
The event offers prizes for the fastest runners and best fancy dress, and includes Gillingham Town Band, a bake sale, tombola and ‘reindeer selfies’.
Entry tickets are £5, under-fours free, and are available from www. ticketsource.com/ motcombe.
The festive event is on Sunday, December 7, from 9.30am, with the run getting under way at 10am from Motcombe Memorial Hall.
by Phil Wheatley
THE gentlemen of one Dorset town are making friends and honing their skills in a community ‘shed’.
With premises in Gillingham, Gillshed is a place a man can visit if he is bored, lonely or looking to work on a project that might not be achievable at home.
We support practical hobbies such as woodworking, some metalwork, repairing and restoring.
Gillshed is a safe and friendly place to get together with like-minded craftsmen, make connections, build friendships and share knowledge and skills.
Our sheds have been
enjoy a cuppa, biscuits and a chat, and to hold meetings and training.
‘Shedders’, as we are known, are 24 times less likely to suffer loneliness, experience a 75% reduction in anxiety and a massive 89% decrease in depression.
Not yet retired? Not a problem – you’ll be very
other ‘shedders’.
Gillshed’s three sheds have been built, thanks to the support of Blue Diamond Garden
Membership costs £30 a year, after which it’s £5 per visit (your first two visits are free). Pop in to find out more, visit
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Poppy Carpenter from Shaftesbury has donated her hair to charity after a drastic chop!
Poppy planned to have 15 inches cut off her long, brown hair at Pamper & Play in Blandford Forum.
Poppy’s hair has been donated to The Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or to other conditions such as alopecia.
The charity is also one of the largest funders of childhood cancer research in the UK.
The Little Princess Trust relies solely on the generosity of its supporters, who help the charity give hair and hope to so many children and young people with cancer each year.
Poppy has also raised £700 for The Little Princess Trust. With that money, the charity can make a wig from the hair Poppy donated, style and fit the wig.
“We are all so proud of Poppy for doing such an amazing thing for charity,” says mum Amanda.
“Well done Poppy, you are the most
who lives in
beautiful, kind and selfless little girl we know and have the biggest heart.
“You are always helping others and so kind to everyone you meet. We are so proud of you.
“Thank you so much to Hannah who cut her Poppy’s long hair. She’s now rocking a beautiful bob!
“We also would like to say how brave our beautiful friend Nathalie is, who is living day in day out with blood cancer. She is such a strong inspiration to us all.
“Poppy is very excited to grow her hair again to donate another 15 inches in the future.”
A CHRISTMAS concert tomorrow (December 6) will be held in aid of the St Mary’s Church, Stalbridge roof fund.
The Songbirds and friends will present “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ – a concert to celebrate Christmas, at 3pm.
Tickets (£5, children free) from Stalbridge Community Shop, WIlliams Florist or from Becky on 07957 133317.
STAFF from Castle Lodge Care Home in Mere, which is set to open in January, took part in Cake4Kindness Day, joining care homes across the Country Court group in supporting the national initiative.
Cake4Kindness is a not-forprofit Community Interest Company (CIC) that works to reduce loneliness and social
isolation among people experiencing homelessness.
The organisation encourages communities to come together through baking and acts of support.
Staff prepared a selection of homemade cakes and delivered them to the Mere Toddlers Foodbank, which provides support to families with young children.
A VALE school has earned national recognition and multiple awards for its music education.
The Thomas Hardye School’s music department has been shortlisted as a finalist in the ‘Outstanding School Music Department’ category at the national Music and Drama Education Awards 2026.
This prestigious national celebration recognises schools, colleges and organisations that demonstrate excellence, innovation and impact in music and performing arts education across the UK.
“We are so proud to have reached the final nine schools for this award,” said Ben Trevorrow, head of music at The Thomas Hardye School, in Dorchester.
“We have a thriving music community here, with over 200 students taking instrumental and vocal lessons and more than 250
involved in our weekly ensembles. These include an orchestra, concert band, jazz band, rock bands, several choirs as well as smaller ensembles for strings, flutes, clarinets, brass and saxophones”.
The school’s passion for music extends well beyond lessons and rehearsals. Around 70 students are currently studying GCSE Music, while 25 are pursuing A Levels in Music or Music Technology — with several applying to study the subject at university or conservatoire.
The Thomas Hardye School also serves as a Lead School for the Octagon Music Hub which helps to provide musical opportunities for students in Dorset and Somerset. The school has also recently received the Music Mark of Recognition for its ambition and quality in music education.
“Being a Lead Music School
gives us the chance to support other schools and music projects across the region,” said Ben Trevorrow. “It’s all about creating opportunities for young musicians to learn, perform, create, be inspired and enjoy music together.”
Collaboration sits at the heart of the department’s success. One of its strengths is the close work with feeder schools and with local and national organisations. Hanna Trevorrow, who leads Wessex Schools Music, the school’s in-house music service, said:
“Our collaborative work is fundamental to the opportunities we provide. For example, this term, we’ve hosted the Dorchester Young Musician Festival, giving over 100 students of all ages the chance to perform and receive professional feedback. We heard some phenomenal performances, and the event was a fantastic vehicle for students to be inspired by each other.”
To learn more visit www.ths. wessex.ac or follow the school
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) has launched its 2ndHeli Appeal, to raise the final £1 million needed to buy and equip a second helicopter for the people of Dorset and Somerset.
NHS Somerset is urging families to get flu vaccinations to avoid illness over Christmas.
Dr Rob Weaver, deputy chief medical officer at NHS Somerset, said: “With the flu season hitting the NHS more than a month earlier than usual and cases three times higher than at this time last year, there has never been a better time to get your flu vaccination.
“Last winter (September 2024 – March 2025), 1,780 people were hospitalised in Somerset as a result of having flu, Covid and RSV.
DSAA’s current helicopter, ‘Peggy’, is flown more intensively than almost any other air ambulance of its kind in the UK. However, the charity recognises that approximately 10% more patients require their specialist skills during their 19-hour day but cannot be reached due to aircraft unavailability. Furthermore, there is currently no pre-hospital critical care across the two counties between the hours of 02:00 and 07:00.
for pregnant women and school children. And, for the first time, you can now get your preschooler vaccinated at most community pharmacies”.
For more information please visit https://nhssomerset.nhs.uk/ my-health/staying-well/ flu-vaccination.
You can still get the flu even if you have been vaccinated, but the vaccine significantly reduces your risk of getting seriously ill, and symptoms are likely to be milder if you do get sick.
With careful stewardship of funds and some generous legacies, DSAA is now putting those gifts to work by allocating £30 million from its reserves towards the second helicopter, redevelopment of an operational base and key modernisation projects. These commitments will also ensure the charity is able to retain financial security while preparing for potential 24-hour operations in future.
“With it taking up to two weeks for the flu vaccine to provide optimal protection, now is the best time for those who are eligible to be vaccinated.
“You can get vaccinated at your GP, your community pharmacy and at pop-up clinics
If you aren’t vaccinated there is a higher risk of catching and spreading flu, and of being hospitalised as a result of flu.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) has launched its 2ndHeli Appeal, to raise the final £1 million needed to buy and equip a second helicopter for the people of Dorset and Somerset.
DSAA’s current helicopter, ‘Peggy’, is flown more intensively than almost any other air ambulance of its kind in the UK. However, the charity recognises that approximately 10% more patients require their specialist skills during their 19-hour day but cannot be reached due to aircraft unavailability. Furthermore, there is currently no pre-hospital critical care across the two counties between the hours of 02:00 and 07:00.
With careful stewardship of funds and some generous legacies, DSAA is now putting those gifts to work by allocating £30 million from its reserves towards the second helicopter, redevelopment of an operational base and key modernisation projects. These commitments will also ensure the charity is able to retain financial security while preparing for potential 24-hour operations in future.
The amounts designated from reserves are not expected to cover the full costs of these developments and the charity will continue to rely on the incredible support of the local community, who fund the life-saving service.
Support the 2ndHeli Appeal at www.dsairambulance.org.uk/2ndHeli or call 01823 669604.
Older people, children and people with a long-term health condition are a greater risk of severe illness or complications (such as pneumonia or a heart attack).
The amounts designated from reserves are not expected to cover the full costs of these developments and the charity will continue to rely on the incredible support of the local community, who fund the life-saving service.
Support the 2ndHeli Appeal at www.dsairambulance.org.uk/2ndHeli or call 01823 669604.
What makes Christmas at Care South so special?
Food
Mealtimes are a very important part of life in a Care South home and even more so at Christmas! We offer a varied menu and make sure there is always something for everyone to enjoy.
Christmas is always a very exciting period for our homes with plenty of events and activities for family and friends to get involved in too.
VISITORS to The Sherborne can enjoy a festive treat with a display of artist Quentin Blake’s original illustrations for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – in the same location where the Victorian author performed the work.
Blake’s illustrations bring to life Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and his family, the four ghosts and the story’s redemptive magic.
The illustrations can only be seen by candlelight, with visitors provided with batterypowered candles to take around the galleries.
Dickens visited Sherborne on December 21, 1854, to give a reading of A Christmas Carol at the Sherborne Literary and Scientific Institution.
It was just the second public reading of his already-famous 1843 novella.
Sir Quentin Blake illustrated an edition of A Christmas Carol in 1995, his drawings guiding
Christmas is the perfect time to strengthen relationships with loved ones. Being able to get together with others to appreciate the nostalgic moments associated with Christmas can be a warm and
experience. Whether it’s moving into a care home, or care in your own home, talk to us.
young readers on Scrooge’s journey to find the meaning of Christmas.
Illustrations for A Christmas Carol will run along with Quentin Blake: Our Friends in the Country, which features recent works celebrating all things countryside by the artist. For more information, visit www.thesherborne.uk
Anexpert from BBC’s Antiques Roadshow marked the start of the festive season by switching on the Christmas lights at Fern Brook Lodge care home.
Paul Atterbury was thrilled to do the honours at the Gillingham care home run by not-for-profit charity, Care South, while residents, their loved ones, the Dementia Friendly Gillingham team and members of the local community looked on.
Afterwards Paul said: “It was a pleasure for me because although I’ve done many things in my varied and adventurous life, one thing I’ve never done is turn on anybody’s Christmas lights before. It was very kind of the team to invite me to do it.”
The event formed part of Care South’s annual Lights Switch On, which saw all of its care homes and care at home services across the south west of England switch on their indoor and outdoor Christmas lights at the same time.
Fern Brook Lodge provides residential, respite and dementia care A dedicated activities team organises a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.
The home’s Christmas fayre takes place on Saturday 6 December from 10.30am to 12.30pm featuring stalls, mince pies and mulled wine, raffle and live music. The free-entry event is open to the local community to attend and join in.
GIVE the gift of wildlife this Christmas, and help one of our native species.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is inviting everyone to celebrate nature over the festive season by giving a meaningful gift that supports local conservation work.
Wildlife-themed courses such as fungi foraging or bird identification at Kingcombe Visitor Centre make thoughtful, eco-friendly gifts.
And the charity offers digital wildlife adoptions, including hedgehog, beaver, red squirrel, seahorse and barn owl. With no physical packaging and minimal carbon footprint, digital adoptions bring the reassurance that all the profits go to helping wildlife in need.
New this year is the opportunity to adopt a Dorset seal – among the most captivating creatures seen along Dorset’s coastline.
Sadly, they face increasing threats from pollution, marine litter, and human disturbance.
A digital seal adoption helps fund essential research and habitat protection, ensuring these charismatic animals continue to thrive.
Other wildlife-friendly options include gift membership or remembering a loved one with a handcrafted bench on a nature reserve.
Explore the full range of eco-friendly wild gifts at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop.
THE family of Charlotte Bingham, who lived in Bruton for a large part of her life, are saddened to announce that the novelist and screenwriter died on November 16, 2025, aged 83.
A bestselling author, Bingham was one of Britain’s most enduring and versatile storytellers, her career spanning more than six decades across literature, television and film.
Her first book, Coronet Among the Weeds, published when she was just 19, is a witty and self-deprecating memoir of debutante life that became an instant international bestseller and established her distinctive comic and observant voice.
Born in 1942, Charlotte Bingham was the daughter of novelist and MI5 officer John Bingham, 7th Baron Clanmorris who, following his death, was acknowledged by John le Carré as the inspiration for his celebrated spy, George Smiley.
Growing up in a world of secrecy and
stories, Bingham would later draw on those experiences in her own writing.
She enjoyed a distinguished career in television, widely recognised for her sharp wit and engaging scripts.
Along with her husband, Terence Brady, she wrote for many highly regarded drama and comedy series – Boy Meets Girl (1967), Play For Today, Three Comedies of Marriage, Diana Rigg’s Three Piece Suite, Robin’s Nest starring Richard O’Sullivan (1977), Take Three Girls (1969-71) and Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-72).
She also wrote No, Honestly (1974-75), starring John Alderton and Pauline Collins, which was one of her most successful works, drawing 17 million viewers at its peak and becoming a landmark in British television comedy.
In the 1980s, her success continued with series such as Thomas and Sarah, again starring Alderton and Collins, Pig in the Middle (1980-83) and the Golden Globe
THE High Sheriff of Wiltshire visited a primary school to celebrate local food and farming connections.
Hindon Primary School welcomed the High Sheriff, Martin Nye, and his wife, Victoria Nye, Deputy Lieutenant.
They paid a special visit to learn about the school’s approach to healthy, sustainable school lunches, and its strong links with the local farming community.
During the visit, the High Sheriff met pupils and staff to learn more about how the school integrates fresh, locally sourced ingredients into its meals, which are made on site.
The High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant enjoyed talking to some of the children about their school lunches, and about their knowledge of farming and where their food comes from.
and Emmy nominated series Oh Madeline (1983-84) starring Madeleine Kahn, as well as television movies like Love with a Perfect Stranger (1986), Magic Moments (1989) and Jilly Cooper’s Riders.
Bingham also wrote more than 40 novels, including To Hear A Nightingale, Belgravia and the award-winning Change of Heart.
Her final series of best-selling novels, beginning with MI5 and Me, were semiautobiographical, inspired by her brief time working for MI5 as a young woman.
These later books blended humour and nostalgia with her characteristic warmth and sharp social insight.
No other British female writer has matched Charlotte Bingham’s combined output in television, comedy, drama and fiction. She leaves a body of work defined by intelligence, warmth and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling.
Charlotte Bingham’s writing combined elegance, humour and humanity. She was admired for her professionalism, generosity and her gift for portraying love, friendship and family life with grace and wit.
She is survived by her son, daughter and two grandchildren.
THE village hall at Templecombe is a more welcoming place following the refurbishment of its loos.
The hall now has three ladies’ toilets and a much-improved gents’ facility, along with automatic hand driers, automatic taps and LED lights.
The work was made possible thanks to funding from the parish council, the National Lottery
Community Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, Bernard Sunley Foundation, Elmgrant Trust, Christine Scott’s book sales, bingo events and the hall’s bottle stall at the 2024 village fete and coffee morning.
Christine Scott performed the official opening.
To hire the hall, phone the booking secretary on 01963 370527.
by James Power DORSET’S Stour
Valley Search and Recovery Club has named 29-year-old Dorchester ecologist Hugo Sewill as its ‘Detectorist of the Year’ at the club’s recent annual awards ceremony, held in Wimborne.
Despite joining the club only two years ago, Hugo has quickly made his mark, uncovering an impressive array of ancient coins and artefacts.
Among his most remarkable discoveries is a stunning gold cross, unearthed on farmland near Blandford.
Classified as treasure, the cross has been sent to the British Museum for expert analysis to determine its likely origins. As is always the case, once valued, any proceeds will be shared with the landowner.
Upon receiving the award, Hugo said: “I am honoured to win ‘Detectorist of the Year’ in such a prestigious club. I’ve
Superb kitchens designed and installed for you. Visit our showrooms to view our kitchen displays
‘Detectorist of the Year’ Hugo Sewill poses with his most impressive find – a medieval gold cross, now with the British Museum undergoing evaluation
been lucky to unearth some interesting finds this year, but I have also enjoyed plenty of muddy days out in the fields with fellow club members, so that’s a win too!”
Shaftesbury: 01747 851 476
Longmead Industrial Estate, Shaftesbury SP7 8PL
Warminster: 01985 219 200 5 George Street, Warminster BA12 8QA www myhomemaker
Q: I’ve struggled with my money this year and have already spent too much on Christmas. I also recently got caught out by a free trial on an app that rolled into a paid subscription. It feels like every month I end up in my overdraft. How can I keep track of my spending better?
If you find subscriptions you don’t want, contact the company in question to cancel them. In future, before signing up to anything, make sure you know what you’ll get, for how long and what it’ll cost. If you do use any free trials, set a reminder a week before the free period ends so you’ve time to cancel it if you want to. Keep evidence of any subscription cancellations in case you need the proof in the future.
A: It can be difficult to stay on top of things like online subscriptions, but there are steps you can take to be more in control of your money.
First, draw up a budget. Remember to include all of your general spending, and any bills you have to pay. Be realistic about what you’ll need for essentials like food and travel. If your income fluctuates, use bank statements, pay slips, benefit award letters or your Universal Credit journal to plan your budget each month. Your bank should be able to tell you what regular payments you have.
If you’ve been relying on your overdraft this year, or you have turned to credit cards or buy-now/pay-later, it’s understandable if this worries you.
Always prioritise paying your rent, mortgage, council tax and energy bills first, because not paying these has the most serious consequences.
If you’re having trouble managing your debts and paying bills, get some free debt advice, either from Citizens Advice (0800 240 4420) or from another free debt provider such as Stepchange (0800 138 1111) or National Debtline (0808 808 4000).
The Citizens Advice website www.
citizensadvice.org.uk has an income checker, where you can see if you’re getting all you’re entitled to, such as benefits or grants.
Everyone’s circumstances are different when it comes to managing personal finances: make sure you are in charge of yours.
Asinging for lung health group in Yeovil is helping local people with lung conditions breathe more easily, feel more confident, and enjoy the power of singing together.
Yeovil Sing2Breathe is part of a wider network of singing for lung health groups with the aim of supporting people living with long-term respiratory conditions. Building on the success of similar programmes in Bridgwater, Cheddar, and Wells, the Yeovil group meets every Thursday afternoon from 2pm to 3.15pm at Westlands Entertainment Venue, led by experienced community singing leader Nikki Hewson.
Participants of the groups live with a variety of lung health conditions, including bronchiectasis, COPD, asthma, and sarcoidosis and the sessions provide a relaxing space to come together and learn breathing techniques, relaxation methods, and singing exercises to help manage symptoms and improve wellbeing. Many have reported noticeable improvements in their daily lives.
“A brilliant new class for our area,” said one participant. “It offers a valuable, previously unavailable way to help manage common lung conditions. Normally, support ends after medication or a one-off rehab course, but Sing2Breathe offers something ongoing and empowering.”
“It’s an excellent way to understand how you breathe and how to control it, all in a happy, inclusive environment. Totally positive in every way.”
“With practice, I can use the breathing techniques every day,” said one member, “Nikki’s love of singing really lifts us all.”
Sing2Breathe founder Kate Lynch set up Sing2breathe in October 2023 and this year the organisation achieved charitable status. Its summer celebration event, ‘Sing Out Loud for Lung Health’, brought together members from all its regional groups for an uplifting afternoon of shared music and experiences.
Looking ahead, Sing2Breathe is now focusing on securing the future of its Yeovil group by exploring local funding opportunities and partnerships to ensure that residents can continue to benefit from this.
Why not come along for a taster session and see how Sing2Breathe could help you breathe a little easier? Places must be booked in advance.
If you are interested in joining the Yeovil group please contact Nikki Hewson at: sing2breathe2@gmail.com 07812 441143
For groups running in Cheddar, Wells and Bridgwater, contact Kate Lynch: sing2breathe2@gmail.com 07595 745884
Placing your main residence into a living trust can provide effective protection against potential future care costs. If you were to require long-term care, the property held within the trust is ring-fenced, ensuring that it is safeguarded and that your intended inheritance is preserved for your loved ones.
Inheritance Tax Planning: Are you concerned about losing 40% of your already taxed hard earned wealth to the government? Our bespoke legal strategies, meticulously crafted using trusts and wills, ensure your assets stay where they belong – in your family’s hands. Fully compliant with UK law, we shield your estate from the grasp of inheritance taxes, giving you peace of mind and financial security.
Transferring ownership of your home—and potentially other assets—into a living trust can help to shield those assets from a variety of risks. These include potential claims from creditors, the financial ramifications of divorce or remarriage, and claims associated with care costs. By utilising a living trust, you can ensure that your estate remains secure and less exposed to unforeseen claims.
Care Fees Protection: With average care fees hitting £2,000 per week and typical stays ranging from 3 to 7 years, these expenses can quickly deplete most estates. Our custom-tailored solutions offer a lifeline. While many believe protection is impossible, we’ve developed a tailored legal strategy fully compliant with UK law to safeguard your assets, including protection against care fees.
A living trust can also play a central role in estate planning, especially in terms of minimising inheritance tax liabilities. Assets placed within a trust may be excluded from your taxable estate upon your passing, which can reduce the amount of inheritance tax your beneficiaries may be required to pay.
THE King’s representative for Somerset, Janet Montgomery, visited Cary Repair Café to learn about what it does and how it supports the local community.
Cary Repair Café offers people around Castle Cary friendly access to the repair of broken domestic items.
About 20 volunteers with wide-ranging skills including bicycle maintenance, carpentry, electronics and sewing undertake the repairs.
The Repair Café includes a cafe with hot drinks and home-made cakes.
It meets on the fourth Saturday of each month – except December – from 10am to noon in the old school room –basement – of the Methodist Church, Upper High Street, Castle Cary.
The Repair Café has been running two years, has undertaken 500-plus repairs and saved more than a tonne of waste going to landfill.
It is funded by voluntary donations from customers.
For more information about Repair Cafés and where they are, visit www.repaircafe.org
Upon establishing a living trust, you typically appoint yourself as the trustee. This means you continue to maintain control over your assets, managing and using them as you see fit. Should you decide to move house, the trust remains in place and extends its protection to your new home. Personalised Advice
Wills: Don’t leave your loved ones squabbling over vague wills! Oakwood Wills specializes in drafting crystal-clear documents that leave no room for ambiguity. No more family feuds. Just smooth, conflictfree asset distribution that honours your final wishes. Lasting Power Of Attorneys: Statistics don’t lie – the chances of incapacity rise with age. With our Lasting Power of Attorneys services, you can appoint trusted individuals to make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf. No more court approvals, no more uncertainty in times of crises – just peace of mind knowing your interests are in safe hands. For a complimentary consultation, reach out to Oakwood Wills.
Christmas Edition Friday 19th December
Booking Deadline - Wed 10th Dec - 4pm
Copy Deadline - Mon 15th Dec - 10am
Tel: 07832 331594 or Email: info@oakwoodwills.co.uk
The effectiveness and suitability of a living trust will depend on your personal circumstances. Oakwood Wills offers a complimentary consultation in the comfort of your own home. For further information, you can call 07832 331594 or email info@oakwoodwills.co.uk.
New Year Edition Friday 2nd January
Booking Deadline - Tues 16th Dec - 4pm
Copy Deadline - Fri 19th Dec - 11am
Classified ads may be accepted after these times, HOWEVER THESE ARE SUBJECT
Remember:
Remember:
• We will collect up to two extra sacks of rubbish beside your bin on your first rubbish collection after Christmas Day.
• We will collect up to two extra sacks of rubbish beside your bin on your first rubbish collection after Christmas Day.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
ADVERTISING FEATURE
• Extra recycling, including glass and food, will be collected on your recycling collection day, provided it is separated correctly and in a suitable sturdy container (no bags) that can be easily lifted.
• Extra recycling, including glass and food, will be collected on your recycling collection day, provided it is separated correctly and in a suitable sturdy container (no bags) that can be easily lifted.
• Please put your glass box out on your recycling collection day before Christmas, even if it’s not full. This gives more space over the festive period, preventing heavy containers.
• Please put your glass box out on your recycling collection day before Christmas, even if it’s not full. This gives more space over the festive period, preventing heavy containers.
See what can be recycled at the kerbside at dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/which-bin
See what can be recycled at the kerbside at dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/which-bin
These are the dates to put out your bins over Christmas. You can now put any items made of carton or foil in your recycling bin.
These are the dates to put out your bins over Christmas. You can now put any items made of carton or foil in your recycling bin.
Wednesday 24 Dec No change
Thursday 25 Dec Saturday 27 Dec
Friday 26 Dec Monday 29 Dec
Monday 29 Dec Tuesday 30 Dec
Tuesday 30 Dec Wednesday 31 Dec
Wednesday 31 Dec
Wednesday 31 Dec Friday 2 Jan
Thursday 1 Jan
Thursday 1 Jan Saturday 3 Jan
Friday 2 Jan
5 Jan
Friday 2 Jan Monday 5 Jan
Monday 5 Jan Tuesday 6 Jan
Monday 5 Jan Tuesday 6 Jan
Tuesday 6 Jan Wednesday 7 Jan
Tuesday 6 Jan Wednesday 7 Jan
Wednesday 7 Jan Thursday 8 Jan
Wednesday 7 Jan Thursday 8 Jan
Thursday 8 Jan Friday 9 Jan
Thursday 8 Jan Friday 9 Jan
Friday 9 Jan Saturday 10 Jan
Friday 9 Jan Saturday 10 Jan
Monday 12 Jan No change
Monday 12 Jan No change
Refer to your calendar or visit dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/bin-day to check your collection days.
Refer to your calendar or visit dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/bin-day to check your collection days.
Text and pics by George Jeans, Mere MERE Amateur Dramatic Society (MADS) presented Allo Allo 2 to sell-out audiences and much laughter at Mere Lecture Hall.
The Camembert Caper, set in Cafe Rene in Nouvion, France, during the German occupation in the Second World War, was based on the original BBC television series by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.
It featured a 22-strong cast, including Madam Fanny La Fan, General Von Klinkerhoffen, two British airmen with pronounced moustaches and an undertaker who gave loans at 50% interest a week.
This Christmas, don’t let all your waste go to landfill. If you live in Dorset*, you can recycle:
This Christmas, don’t let all your waste go to landfill. If you live in Dorset*, you can recycle:
• All cooked and uncooked food waste
• All cooked and uncooked food waste
• Wrapping paper**, cardboard and Christmas cards (no glitter)
• Wrapping paper**, cardboard and Christmas cards (no glitter)
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• Glass bottles and jars (Please keep glass separate)
• Glass bottles and jars (Please keep glass separate)
• Carton and foil***
• Carton and foil***
We’ll collect extra recycling in your own boxes. Thank you for recycling!
We’ll collect extra recycling in your own boxes. Thank you for recycling!
If you live in Dorset*, check for changes to your collection
If you live in Dorset*, check for changes to your collection
* Doesn’t include Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole. Check your council website for details.
* Doesn’t include Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole. Check your council website for details.
** Scrunch your wrapping paper! If it stays scrunched, it can be recycled. If it doesn’t, or it’s foil-based or glittery, it should go in the rubbish bin.
** Scrunch your wrapping paper! If it stays scrunched, it can be recycled. If it doesn’t, or it’s foil-based or glittery, it should go in the rubbish bin.
*** Rinse foil trays and wipe sheet foil clean. Scrunch sheet foil or wrappers together into a tennis-sized ball.
*** Rinse foil trays and wipe sheet foil clean. Scrunch sheet foil or wrappers together into a tennis-sized ball.
by Canon Eric Woods
IF you are looking for Christmas presents for children – grandchildren, perhaps – you could do worse than buy them a boxed set of the Narnia stories by C. S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia were published in seven volumes between 1950 and 1956, and are also available in numerous television and film adaptations. They have sold in their millions over the years, and the books have been translated into 47 languages. They remain as popular today as they ever were Lewis was for many years a Fellow of my old college at Oxford, Magdalen. He subsequently became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge. He was well aware of the power of fairy tales and fantasies as vehicles of truth. Never imagine for one moment that truth can only be conveyed in a telephonedirectory kind of form. A bunch of flowers can convey the truth that you love someone, or are concerned about them, or wish them well. A poem, a song or a box of chocolates can do the same. But the unique thing about a fairy tale or a fantasy such as the Narnia stories is that they begin as an itch in the imagination, a sense that what might be, or what could be. They can enrich the meaning of what is.
‘It seems, then’, said Tirian, ‘that the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places.’
‘Yes,’ said the Lord Digory. ‘Its inside is bigger than its outside.’
‘Yes,’ said Queen Lucy. ‘In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.’
Now the funny thing is that, just as C. S. Lewis died, Dr Who was born. And what does Lewis’s Stable remind you of? Why, the Tardis, of course. Another fantasy scratching the same itch – the deep conviction that there is something bigger than us, more significant than us, but which can tell us more about ourselves and give greater meaning and purpose to our lives. The difference is, the Stable in which the Saviour of the world was born is an eternal fact.
C. S. Lewis once wrote in one of his letters: ‘Just a hurried line...to tell a story which puts the contrast between our feast of the Nativity and all this ghastly “Xmas” racket at its lowest. My brother heard a woman on a bus say, as they passed a church with a Crib outside it, “Oh Lor’! They bring religion into everything. Look – they’re dragging it into Christmas now!”’
Take this snippet of conversation from Lewis’s The Last Battle:
I make no apology for putting the Christ back into Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season. The time of preparation for it is what Advent – which began on 30 November – is all about. So as you rush about getting ready for the ‘Xmas racket’, remember that Lewis also wrote that ‘it was in Advent that the Quest began’. Advent 2025 is here. If you have imagination, it could be the time when the most important quest in your life begins.
THE Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) has launched its 2025 Christmas Appeal to help one of Britain’s most charming but vulnerable small mammals.
Once widespread across England and Wales, the Hazel dormouse, a protected species, has declined dramatically over the past two decades.
The Hazel dormouse population has fallen by 70% since 2000, and the species is now locally extinct in 14 English counties within its historical range.
They are currently classified as ‘vulnerable’ to extinction but research in 2023 suggests they should be re-categorised to ‘endangered’.
The Shelter Belts for Hazel dormice appeal aims to raise £6,000 to fund essential habitat restoration and footprint monitoring tunnels across six CRT farms, including Babers Farm in Marshwood and Bere
Marsh Farm in Shillingstone, helping to protect and detect dormice before it’s too late.
Ruth Moss, the CRT’s conservation and mapping officer, who is also training to get her Hazel dormouse disturbance licence, enabling her to check dormice nest boxes, said: “Hazel dormice are considered bioindicators because they are sensitive to habitat and population fragmentation. When they are present, there will also be lots of other sensitive species from bats and butterflies to birds and amphibians as their habitat is suitable for a host of different species.”
The footprint tunnels, which record dormouse prints as they pass through, can be checked by the conservation team and CRT’s trained volunteers, allowing large-scale surveys without requiring specialist dormouse licences, as dormice
are unlikely to be disturbed.
Ruth added: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to give something truly meaningful this Christmas.
“Every £5 donation can buy a tunnel to help us detect dormice on our farms, while larger gifts will contribute to the creation of a shelter belt that benefits dormice and many other species, including the farm’s livestock. Healthy
hedgerows and connected woodlands provide food, shelter and navigation routes for birds, bats and hedgehogs too.”
Donations can be made directly to the appeal at www. thecrt.co.uk/dormice-appeal. You can support the campaign by buying the charity’s 2026 wall calendar or giving the gift of a CRT Friendship at www.thecrt.co.uk/ christmas.
A WEEKEND of activities and fundraising saw a Dorset school raise a whopping £19,000 for charity.
Bryanston held its long-standing annual charities fair in aid of Right4Children, a Nepal-based group.
Organised by the charities prefect and the school prefect team, the weekend offered a programme of activities and fundraising.
The weekend began with a mixed sixth form netball match, followed by the popular bands gig, which showcased an impressive line-up of live music on the Coade Hall stage.
Sunday saw the main fair, with a range of pupil-led stalls offering games, crafts, food and gifts run by the boarding houses.
Year 10 pupils, who had successfully pitched their entrepreneurial ideas during the Business Studies 10X Challenge, ran a candyfloss, hot chocolate and cake-in-amug stall, while Sixth Form CTEC Business students sold out of their chocolate-coated strawberries in an hour.
The festivities concluded with a
fireworks display on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, an online auction featuring donations from Bryanston families and businesses raised over £12,000.
More than 250 parents joined the celebrations on Sunday, enjoying the afternoon fair, as the Bryanston Parents’ Association hosted drinks before and after supper, as families rounded off the day watching the fireworks.
Right4Children aims to improve the lives
of disadvantaged children, young people and their families, with funds from Bryanston specifically supporting R4C’s Sports in Schools programme, helping provide essential resources and opportunities for children to thrive through sport and physical education.
Hannah Fearnley, head of charities and outreach at the school, near Blandford, said:
“Supporting charitable causes is an integral part of life at Bryanston. Once again, this year’s charities fair has shown what our community can achieve when we work together.
“We are deeply grateful to our parents, staff and pupils for their generosity towards such an important cause. Particular thanks go to our prefects and, especially, our charities prefects, Jalila BM and Ursula R, for their outstanding organisation and enthusiasm in helping to create such a fantastic weekend.”
WORK to improve Gore Clump junction has is expected to last until Friday, December 19.
Dorset Council is improving the junction layout on the C13 Blandford to Shaftesbury road. At the same time as the junction improvements, repairs will be carried out along Boundary Road (the road from the C13 to the B3081, passing Compton Abbas Airfield).
This means Boundary Road will be closed on weekdays from 7.30am to 4.30pm until Friday, December 12. Outside these times, a traffic control system will be in place.
Access to the airfield will be maintained from an end of Boundary Road at all times.
The road repairs work is in preparation for the Dinah’s Hollow stabilisation project.
The C13 will close from 8pm to 6am, between Monday, December 15, and Wednesday, December 17.
A signed diversion route will be provided via the A350 during the night works.
Stop/go traffic boards will be in place during the day.
The new junction will include:
• No right-turn from the
southern arm onto the C13 for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes
• Double white lines to discourage overtaking
• Enhanced signage, lining and rumble strips
• Junction markings to reduce speeds and improve visibility
• Vegetation clearance and speed gateways to reinforce the 40mph limit.
blackmorevale.net
Amy Whitewick, artist name TD Centaur, with a couple of her recent works
WADS GRAND CHRISTMAS BINGO
Friday 19th December
Wincanton Memorial Hall Doors-open 6.30 Eyes-down 7.30
CHRISTMAS FAYRE at Fontmell Magna Village Hall Saturday 6th December 10am to 2pm Free Entry
SIXPENNY HANDLEY CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY Craft Fair, Village Hall, Common Road SP5 5NJ, Saturday 6 December 10.30 am - 2.00 pm | FREE entry, Children’s Choir at 11.00 am | Crafts | Lunch | Cakes | Mulled Wine, Information: 6dhandleyhall@gmail.com
AN artist from Wincanton has gone viral after revealing her highly unusual artistic medium – she paints portraits of cars and aircraft using the actual engine oil taken from the vehicles themselves.
The work, created by artist and pilot Amy Whitewick – artist name TD Centaur – was shared on the Facebook group The Dull Men’s Club, where it instantly captured global attention, receiving more than 11,000 likes, nearly 500 shares and triggering a flood of international enquiries from car and aviation enthusiasts, particularly across the United States.
“Each painting contains the lifeblood of the machine,” said TDC. “It’s a way of preserving engineering history in art — something tactile, personal and impossible to replicate.”
The paintings are entirely hand-created, using small samples of authentic engine oil and engineered to retain a wet, glossy look after drying, resulting in rich, atmospheric portraits that carry the physical DNA and story of the vehicle or
aircraft.
Subjects have included classic British cars, vintage military aircraft and even a forthcoming commission using oil from a Lancaster Bomber, due in 2025.
Collectors describe her work as ‘badass’, ‘a true piece of engineering heritage’ and ‘unlike anything else in the art world’.
The viral post has now launched TDC onto the international stage, with hundreds of messages arriving within hours and her social media following growing by nearly 5,000% in a single weekend.
Despite the sudden fame, she remains grounded: “I never expected this reaction,” she said. “These things don’t happen to people like me – it took two whole days just to respond to every message I received!
“I just love machines – their history, their stories and the way they become part of our lives. Using their own oil felt like a natural way to honour them.”
SIXPENNY HANDLEY COMMUNITY CINEMA, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Village Hall, Common Road SP5 5NJ, Friday 12 December | 6.30 for 7.00 pm, £6 | Bar & snacks | Information: 6dhandleyhall@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS STALLS WITH COFFEE, The Hooper Hall, Lydlinch. DT10-2JA. Saturday 6th December, 10am - 12.30. Home made Christmas Fayre & Stalls. Entry £3. To include coffee and mince pie.
SHAFTESBURY EMPORIUM, Friday 19th & Saturday 20th December, Town Hall, Shaftesbury, 9-4.30pm, Lots of local crafters, selling unique creations. Supporting DSAA and Weldmar Hospice
‘CHRISTMAS WITH FRIENDS’ a concert of Christmas songs, readings and carols, mulled wine and mince pies, £8 on the door.
GILLINGHAM HANDMADE
PRESENTS, Artisan Christmas on Sunday 7th December at Shaftesbury Town Hall from 10-4.30. A fabulous selection of handmade products, from crochet, jewellery, art, savoury foods, willow trees and so much more.
THE PILGRIM SINGERS
PRESENT: A charity concert in aid of North Dorset Women’s Refuge, GAUDETE! Sun 7th December 7PM, St Luke & St Teresa’s Church, BA9 9DH, Refreshments included, Entry by ticket £12 (under 16’s free) Tickets available t from Wincanton Post Office, choir members, on the door, or contact 01963 33695
GILLINGHAM HANDMADE
PRESENTS Handmade at Stourhead, Saturday 13th December from 10am to 9.30pm and Sunday 14th December 10am to 4.30pm, Stourton Memorial Hall, Stourhead, Wiltshire, BA12 6QD, pop along and have a browse around the wonderful handmade stalls, if you are visiting for the light trail we will be open until 9.30pm on Saturday, free entry to the fair.
THE KING’S CHURCH WARMLY INVITES YOU TO “The King’s Community Christmas” Sunday 14th December 10am-12noon Greyfriars Activity Hall (next to Ringwood Library) Christmas songs and stories, games, a quiz, crafts, and free refreshments for all. Everyone is welcome. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, you can email admin@kingschurchringwood. co.uk or phone us 07712-607610
LYN’S CHRISTMAS BINGO at Marnhull Royal British Legion DT10 1HR on December 15th. Eyes down 7pm.
CONTRARY to some opinion in these pages, every day of the year, solar panels generate electricity. Yes, even when clouds obscure the sun.
Since we had our 9.5 kW of panels and house battery installed in February 2025 for less than the cost of a new kitchen, we have used the tesla app to discover we generated 9,300 kWh, exported 5,194 kWh and imported only 787 kWh.
Octopus paid us £779 for export and we paid them £341 for import and standing charge.
The electric car has been solar charged at home for free.
During March through to October we have not imported from the grid.
Even during the darkest four months we generate some of what we need and get the rest by charging the battery and car at the 7p night rate. This helps balancing the grid.
Overall, in a year, we are £500 in profit as well as saving £1,915 in bills.
My village of Hazelbury Bryan truly is a centre of solar excellence.
We have two 500 kW ground-mounted arrays, a very large roof mount on a big Frampton and Babel cold store, two large arrays on farm sheds, the primary school roofs are covered and at least 55 houses have solar arrays, many with batteries.
420 house roofs have no solar arrays, so installations will continue.
Some houses generate a lot more than they need. Mark’s 18.7 kW system covers both sides of his roof and generated 15,200 kWh last year.
Because he also has a battery, he was in profit by £2,700 from Octopus last year in addition to saving on bills.
Our village hall has a 9.24 kW solar array which generated 9,184 kWh in a year but only used 3,500 kWh, which includes running the air-to-air source heat pump.
Because it has a battery, it only imported 940 kWh. So it will be getting paid around £600 for export and have to pay £467 in bills.
Successful businesses understand the contribution solar makes to their bottom line.
Dykes installed 50 kW of panels in 2009 costing £100,000, benefiting from the feed-in tariff, and a further 40 kW in 2023 – unsubsidised –costing £60,000.
It never needs to export. Its array generates on average 74,000 kWh/year saving it £20,000.
A recent article in The Telegraph states a drop in UK electricity use as evidence of national decline.
Yet 2025 saw a recordbreaking 206,000 rooftop solar installations, which reduces draw from the grid. Solar installations are not evidence of national decline.
Now that solar is so much cheaper than previously, any householder or business with spare cash would be much better off investing in that than any alternative.
Keith Wheaton-Green Hazelbury Bryan
THE ongoing saga of the Stonehenge tunnel continues with its massive cost and likelihood of damage to this world-renowned landscape.
There seems to be a complete lack of imagination from the planners and politicians at all levels.
I understand that the queues are primarily caused by drivers slowing to view the stones.
The obvious solution would be to plant a dense screen of native bushes and trees to eliminate the view of the stones from the A303 and so remove the temptation to slow down.
A temporary fence put in place for about a decade would have the same effect while the trees and bushes grew into an
effective long-term screen.
The cost would be a tiny fraction of a tunnel, the impact on the environment and archaeology would be minimal and the project reversible should circumstances change.
I offer this solution to those who seem fixated on a mammoth engineering solution.
Garry Bristow Mere
MERE Carnival has set out to make sure it can put on a carnival next year.
We have new committee members who are making a big contribution, and with the support of the Wessex Circle Carnival Group we will go forward to deliver the carnival in 2026.
The first event was set to be a quiz night at the Walnut Inn, Mere, on November 24, supported by a raffle to start the fundraising needed.
The official Christmas lights switch-on is on Friday, December 5, with a visit from Father Christmas and a team of elves taking a break from toy-making at the Clock Tower in Mere town centre.
Mere Town Council and the carnival committee are working
I WOULD like to express our thanks to Roland Skeats, highways manager at Dorset Council, who so promptly installed two dropped curbs to enable wheelchair access in Blandford at Old Farm Gardens and Holland Way Industrial Estate junction.
together to make it an evening to remember.
The start at 5.30pm will be community carol singing led by the Screen Harmony choir.
Father Christmas is arriving at 6pm and once in his grotto the lights will be switched on.
Afterwards, children will be welcome to meet Father Christmas and receive a gift, and leave letters for him to open later.
We are grateful to the Sprout and Flower shop for staying open late and providing mulled wine or hot chocolate.
Other retailers in Mere will also remain open during the event.
David Hytch Via email
Damp, mould and drying washing
THE article Top Put-Offs for Buyers – New Blackmore Vale, November 7 – mentioned damp and mould as deterring housebuyers.
This is a recurring issue often mentioned in the context of rented properties, especially flats, where the landlord is often blamed for the condition of the building.
While that might sometimes be the case, I wonder how many tenants are drying laundry
I can now push my partner, Haydn Botwood, through Old Farm Gardens to the access on Salisbury Road and safely cross the junction at Holland Way by the industrial estate junction.
It really makes such a difference when we have wheelchair access.
Sally Oshea Via email
indoors with little or no ventilation.
Of course, sometimes there is no alternative to indoor drying, but some important facts need stressing:
n Laundry coming out of the washing machine contains water weighing 50% more than the dry weight. That is a lot of water.
n When that water evaporates it will – obviously – make the air very moist, and that extra moisture will condense on the nearest cold surface.
Cavity wall insulation will make the inside wall less cold, but it will still be the coldest surface and the likeliest place for condensation.
So yes, outdoor drying is just not possible for some flat dwellers apart from those lucky enough to have a sheltered balcony, but anyone obliged to dry laundry indoors, with or without a heated dryer, should provide maximum ventilation to minimise the problem of condensation and mildew.
Colin Marsh Gillingham
I AM a loyal supporter of Simon Hoare, the MP for North Dorset.
When I vote I vote for the candidate who I think will be best for my constituency and not just vote for a party.
Mr Hoare is seen regularly in the constituency doing what an MP should do locally and on the various news channels in interviews and parliamentary debates and sessions.
I am neither related to or employed by Mr Hoare but I believe my vote was not wasted.
Nick Smith Blandford Forum
I RECENTLY discovered some fantastic exercise classes run by MoveHer Co in Mere and now in the Shaftesbury, and I’m genuinely surprised they’re not packed.
These classes are exclusively
for women, and what makes them stand out is how welcoming and supportive they are.
MoveHer Co’s approach is to help women ‘move better, feel stronger and live confidently’ – at every age and every stage.
One of the sessions is a ‘bring your child’-style class –perfect for mums who want a proper full-body workout but have no childcare.
MoveHer Co also offers a band and ball group, which suits all ages and abilities – perfect for those looking to stay strong and mobile later in life.
Regular movement is so important for women’s health – not just for fitness, but for hormone balance, bone strength, mood and long-term independence.
Staying active helps with everything from energy levels and mental wellbeing to mobility.
Beyond the physical side, these classes are a fantastic way for local women to connect, build community, confidence and support one another – to feel part of something.
They’re friendly, fun and really deserve to be better known.
Since moving the classes to Shaftesbury, there’s sadly been little take-up, which has been really disappointing – and a financial loss for Jade, who puts so much into running them.
I’d genuinely thought they’d be more popular here, especially with all the talk about Shaftesbury’s strong community spirit.
But if we don’t make the effort to support things like this, we risk losing them. As the saying goes, ‘move it or lose it’ – and that’s true for both our bodies and our local community.
If you’re in Shaftesbury and fancy moving more – and meeting a great group of women while you’re at it –MoveHer Co’s classes are definitely worth checking out.
Shaftesbury classes – at Lindlar Hall: Balls, Bands & Boards – Wednesday, 9.30am-
10.15am; Mum Moves Grind
– children welcome –Wednesday, 10.30am-11.15am. Price: £8 per class – £7 with monthly pass.
Sarah Jeans Via email
I AM currently working on a PhD research project, The Only Gay in the Village? Love and Sex Between Men in South West England 1967 to 1987.
I’m looking to interview older men from the LGBT community about their lives and experiences between the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 and Section 28 in 1987.
Most existing research has focussed on London or large metropolitan areas, and little is recorded about those who lived in rural communities.
Interviews can be given anonymously and, if the interviewee wishes, the interview can be added to a growing archive at Exeter University Special Collections
for the benefit of future generations.
I aim to visit Pride events across south west England over the coming year.
More information is available at https://sites.exeter. ac.uk/onlygayinthevillage/ or email at1034@exeter.ac.uk
Alec Thorne Sherborne
group’s
THE Wimborne-Valognes Twinning Association held its annual quiz night at the Royal British Legion (RBL) in October, and a strong contingent of 10 teams battled it out for the Norman Payne Cup.
Wimborne Warriers won the quiz and took the cup home, together with a bottle of wine for each team member.
Thanks go to quizmaster Phil Maul, and to the RBL for hosting this popular event.
For more information about the association’s activities, visit our website at wvta.org.uk
Damaris Eaton President
8 See around Rhode Island bird’s nest (5) 9 Fool almost certain to get stoppage (7)
Place 1 to 9 once into every black-bordered 3x3 area as well as each of the 54 rows indicated by the coloured lines. Rows don’t cross the thick black lines.
Republican gets to develop gradually or turn round (7)
11 Retired serviceman in vehicle has thing to smoke? (5)
12 Spilt cider seen in house (9)
14 Top cyclist in part of Orkney (3)
15 By the sound of it, assess route (3)
16 One led gag comically in successful period in past? (6,3)
1 Slip when crossing hill creating huge fear
2 Hear about a garment in burlesque (8)
3 Betray tight-knit element in group, we hear
4 Conceal part of a car (6)
5 Study carefully Greek island for building material (8)
6 Celebrated Chinese dynasty (4)
7 Aristocrat in place to see Broadway almost
13 Dodge poor eccentric with power gone, righteous sort (2-6)
19 Perhaps, special order provides authority (3-2)
21 Figure Greek character has right to be in dinner, maybe (7)
23 Apply grease effectively in place for extracting commodity (3,4)
24 Uncomplaining Oscar amid a lot of criticism (5)
Killer Sudoku Pro Place numbers 1 to 9 once each into every row, column and bold-lined 3x3 box. No digit may be repeated in any dash-lined cage, and all the digits in any cage must add up to the value shown in that cage.
14 Hear mood has altered to create additional space? (8)
15 Old slapstick actor showing astuteness (6)
17 Large yard containing single learner missing company? (6)
18 Entangle two bridge players left with expert (6)
20 Unknown drink in US university (4)
22 Minute on Welsh river produces strongsmelling substance (4)
• All Saints Church, Langton Long: Hot lunches to eat in or take away throughout the winter months – November to March inclusive – on the first and third Friday of the month, noon to 2pm. Donations welcome.
• Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles: First Sunday of each month at 11am.
• Blandford Methodist Church: Sundays – services at 10.45am. Thursdays – coffee and chat from 10am-noon. Fridays – lunch club for over-55s from noon at £5 per meal. Phone Joyce Wild on 07817 505543 to book. The church offers help to those in need – call church steward John Cornish on 07799 516735.
• Bell Street United Church, Shaftesbury: Sundays –services at 10.30am. Second Sunday of the month, All Age Service.
• Blandford Evangelical Church: Sunday – 10am Family Service, including classes for three-18 year olds. Monday Fellowship – weekly, 2.30pm3.30pm, term times only. Tuesday – Footprints, activities playtime for pre-school children, 10am-11.30am and 1.15pm2.45pm, term times only. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – small groups meet at homes at 7.30pm. The church is in Albert Street. Phone 450689 for more information.
• Blandford Forum United Reformed Church: Sunday, December 7, @3pm Advent Communion Service; Sunday, December 14, @3pm carol service; Thursday, December 25, @10am Christmas Day service.
• Castleton, Sherborne, St Mary Magdalene (DT9 3SA): First, third and fourth Sundays, Sung Mattins; second and fifth Sundays, Holy Communion. All services are BCP at 11.15am.
• Chalbury Church: Fourth Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Hinton Martell: Second Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Horton Church: First Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
• Horton & Chalbury Village Hall: Third Sunday of the month, 9am Breakfast Church.
• Kingston Lacy: Second Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. Fourth Sunday of the month, 9.15am Family Service.
• Lufton Church: Prayer Book services every Sunday at 6pm. Sung Mass on the third Sunday. See www.lufton.co.uk for details.
• Our Lady of Lourdes & Saint Cecilia, Blandford: Sunday, 9am Holy Mass; Monday/ Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, 9.10am Morning Prayers, 9.30am Holy Mass; Tuesday, 6.10pm Evening Prayers, 6.30pm Holy Mass; Saturday, 9.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament/Confessions; 5.30pm Vigil Mass of Sunday.
• Our Lady’s RC Church, Marnhull: Mass Sunday, 9am and 6pm.
• Sacred Heart, Tisbury, and All Saints’ Wardour Catholic Parish: Sunday Mass – Sacred Heart, Tisbury, 9am, coffee after Mass; All Saints’ Wardour 10.30am.
• Shapwick: Third Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion.
• Shaftesbury Quakers (Society of Friends): Meets for one hour each Sunday from 10.30am at the Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8BB.
• Shaftesbury Team Benefice: December 7 – St Peter’s, All Age Worship 10am; St James, Holy Communion 9.30am; Enmore Green, Holy Communion 11.15am; Margaret Marsh, Holy Communion 11.15am, Motcombe, Evening Communion 6pm. December 14
– St Peter’s, Holy Communion 9.30am; Motcombe, Holy Communion 9.30am; St Luke’s, West Orchard Morning Worship 11.15am; Enmore Green, Let’s Go To Bethlehem 11.15am; Melbury Abbas, Matins 11.15am; St James, Pilgrim service 6pm.
• Sherborne Abbey: Monday to Saturday, 8.30am Morning Prayer; The Sepulchre Chapel. Mondays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel.
Tuesday, noon CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion with Homily; The Lady Chapel (alternates CW and BCP). Thursday, noon BCP Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Friday, 9am Ecumenical Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. First Friday of the month, 9am Requiem Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. Third Friday of the month, 11am Remembering the Fallen. Saturday, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel.
• St Gregory’s, Marnhull: Sunday services 8am and 10am. Other services, visit www. stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk.
• St John’s Church, Enmore Green: Service every Sunday at 11.15am; parish communion on the first Sunday of the month; prayer services every other Sunday.
• St Margaret’s, Margaret Marsh (Shaftesbury Benefice) SP7 0AZ: Alternating first Sundays Mattins and Holy Communion, 11.15am.
• St Mary’s, Motcombe: Evening worship (BCP) – every first Sunday 6pm; parish communion – every second and fourth Sunday 9.30am; evening worship – every third Sunday 6pm.
• St Mary’s, Sturminster Newton: First, third and fourth Sundays – 11am Holy Communion; second Sunday –9.30am Morning Prayer; fifth Sunday – 11am Benefice Holy Communion; second and fourth Sundays – 6pm Evensong; Wednesdays – 10am Holy Communion. Sturminster Newton Choral Society present A Feast of Carols on Saturday, December 6, at 7.30pm. Tickets £10 on the door or from 01258 820755.
• St Mary & St Bartholomew’s Church, Cranborne: Book of Common Prayer Evensong with the Benefice Choir, first Sunday of the month at 6pm.
• St Mary’s Church, Stalbridge: All Sunday Services start at 9.30am. Rector, Canon Richard – phone 01963 363367; email canonrick@icloud.com
• St Nicholas’ Church, Holton: Festive concert with the Cantus Amicis Singers on Sunday, December 7, at 4.30pm. Tickets £10, all proceeds in aid of the church. To book and pay, phone 01963 34821 or email lisaprior63@btinternet.com
• St Nicholas, Durweston: Family Communion Service every first Sunday of the month 11am; Evening Service every third Sunday of the month 4pm.
• St Peter’s, Hinton St Mary: First, second and third Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer. Fourth Sunday, 9.30am Holy Communion.
• St Simon & St Jude, Miltonon-Stour: ‘Reindeer Drive’ in church on Friday, December 5. Doors open 6.45pm for the first game at 7pm. Admission £5 adults and £2 children. Refreshments and raffle. Proceeds towards running the church.
• St Thomas’, Lydlinch: Second Sunday, Holy Communion 11am; third Sunday, Evensong 6pm; fourth Sunday, Matins 11am.
• Sturminster Christian Fellowship: Service every Sunday at 10.45am – 10.30am for coffee.
• Two Rivers Benefice: Sunday, December 7: 10.45am Together Communion at All Saints Church, Tarrant Keynston; 3pm Christingle crafts and tea with Christingle service at 4pm at St Mary the Virgin Church, Charlton Marshall. Sunday, December 14: 9.30am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary; 11am Christingle at St Mary’s Church, Tarrant Rushton; 3pm Carols by candlelight at All Saints Church, Langton Long. Tuesday, December 16: 6pm Carols by candlelight at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary.
• West Camel Independent Methodists: Meet at All Saints Church BA22 7QB every Sunday at 3pm. Email Geoff. mead@yahoo.com or phone 01935 850838.
• Witchampton Church: Third Sunday of the month, 10am Holy Communion.
DORCHESTER will be ordering in extra cider supplies when much-loved band Skimmity Hitchers roll into town for a special gig.
The Scrumpy & Western four-piece are launching a new album, Proper Wrong’uns, at the Shire Hall Museum, performing an evening gig in the old courts.
The venue fits perfectly with the band’s love of Dorset and west country history, it being the location of the trial of the Tolpuddle Martyrs and many other important and intriguing cases from 1797 until 1955.
The album is a celebration of the band’s 15th anniversary this year and is a re-recorded retrospective of their most popular songs, including West Country Holiday, Cider Drinkin’ Idiot and Kimberlin
They will be performing all 15 tracks live on the night with a few surprises thrown in. As is
usual with a Skimmity Hitchers gig – expect the unexpected! Tickets for the gig on Saturday, December 6, are available online at www. skimmityhitchers.bigcartel.com and cost £16, including booking fee. Doors open at 5.30pm and the performance starts at 7pm. Band frontman, Tatty Smart, said: “We are very excited to be
celebrating 15 years of Skimmity Hitchers, and what better place to play than the heart of Dorset’s county town?
“Dorchester has been the site of many epic Skimmity gigs over the years – we’ve played at least 12 different venues in town – so it seems only right that we come back to where it all began!”
TWO of Britain’s most virtuosic and versatile performers, Christian Garrick on violin and John Etheridge on guitar, are set to play community venues in Dorset.
The pair have performed together for many years and are comfortable with pretty much any style of jazz and contemporary music from gypsy/Hot Club stylings to jazz rock fusion.
Their eclectic concert repertoire includes everything from Peter Gabriel to Richard Rogers via Dollar Brand and Alison Goldfrapp.
Christian Garrick and John Etheridge are touring Dorset with the county’s rural arts charity, Artsreach.
They are playing the village halls at Hinton Martell on Wednesday, December 10; Halstock on Thursday,
TWO of Britain’s most noted folk voices, Miranda Sykes and Jim Causley, are set to celebrate the festive season at Sixpenny Handley Village Hall.
Miranda is regarded as one of the UK folk scene’s most respected musicians in a career spanning nearly three decades.
She has performed alongside many of the genre’s leading figures, including two decades as double bassist and vocalist with Show of Hands.
Singer-songwriter and musician Jim is an all-round entertainer with a unique voice and persona.
He has become one of the most well-loved and respected figures in today’s contemporary roots and folk scene.
They will be performing west country carols, medieval and secular carols from around the British Isles, poignant settings of Christmas poems by Cornish poet Charles Causley and selected seasonal songs by contemporary UK folk songwriters.
The concert is on Sunday, December 14, at 7pm – doors and bar open at 6.30pm.
Tickets cost £15 plus booking fee and can be purchased online at TicketSource at www.tinyurl. com/6dvillagehall
All profits from the evening will go towards Sixpenny Handley Village Hall CIO.
December 11; Portesham on Friday, December 12, and Shillingstone Portman Hall, on Saturday, December 13; all at
7.30pm.
Further information and tickets are available online at www.artsreach.co.uk
CELEBRATED artist Antony Brean, who normally exhibits in London, is set to showcase his work in Dorset. He is exhibiting at the Cerne Abbas Gallery from Thursday to Saturday, December 4-6, 10am-4pm.
CHRISTMAS is coming and once again the Ridgeway Singers & Band are preparing to bring their popular seasonal celebration to three locations around Dorset, with local songs, carols, toe-tapping tunes, stories and poetry – including contributions from Cornwall this time.
The group was formed 12 years ago for an Artsreach project, its mission to rediscover and promote Dorset music. It goes from strength to strength, constantly growing its repertoire.
Directed by renowned serpent player Phil Humphries, a member of the Mellstock Band, it specialises in performing the kind of music beloved of Thomas Hardy and described in Under the Greenwood Tree
Singers in four parts are
supported by a band of players, and this year new instruments – bassoon, clarinet and flute –will feature to add to the traditional sound.
Long forgotten carols, songs and dance tunes are brought back to life, and new settings and compositions are created in the tradition.
Expect a festive and infectiously enjoyable evening with opportunities to join in. Refreshments will be available.
Traditional fare will be on offer in concerts in Sturminster Newton, Dorchester and Bridport
Concert dates: Sunday, December 7, 4pm – St Mary’s Church, South Street, Bridport DT6 3NW; Thursday, December 11, 7.30pm – The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton DT10 1FH; Friday, December 19, 7.30pm – Dorford Centre, 2 Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RR. Tickets priced £12 adults, under-18s £6 are available via www.ridgewaysingersandband. org or phone 01305 262159.
VOCAL group The Overtones – pictured – are celebrating their 15th anniversary with a Christmas party tour which is stopping off at the Memorial Theatre in Frome today (Friday, December 5).
They will be presenting a blend of Christmas classics and best-loved Soul, Motown, Doo-wop, Disco and Pop hits, along with freshly crafted material written alongside Grammy and Ivor Novello Award-winning producer Eliot Kennedy.
The group is made up of Mark Franks, Darren Everest, Jay James and Mike Crawshaw.
WARMINSTER Philharmonic Orchestra’s ever-popular annual Christmas spectacular is coming to the Thomas Arnold Hall at Warminster School.
And this year’s theme brings a playful twist to the season – a spirited blend of Wild West swagger and traditional Christmas warmth.
Under the baton of conductor Amanda Williams, the orchestra will lead audiences on a cinematic ride across open plains and snow-touched prairies.
The programme features iconic Americana, including Copland’s Rodeo, music from The Big Country, The Magnificent Seven, Ecstasy of Gold and selections from Dances with Wolves
These widescreen, windswept soundscapes will be paired with festive favourites, from sparkling sleigh-rides to much-loved seasonal classics.
The Cantiamo Female Voice Choir will join the orchestra and invite the audience to join in with the carols.
In the fun, relaxed tradition
of the event, concert-goers are encouraged to embrace the theme, including cowboy hats, flashing noses, festive jumpers and tinsel scarves.
Amanda Williams said: “This concert is all about shared joy – glorious music, big smiles and the chance for our community to celebrate the best of the season together.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for the most enjoyable night of our musical year.”
Raffle and refreshment sales will once again support the Warminster branch of Cancer Research UK.
The concert is on Saturday, December 13, at 7.30pm and tickets can be purchased online at https://the-warminsterphilharmonic-orchestra.sumup link; by phoning 01985 216376; or emailing wiltshiremusic making@hotmail.com They are £10 in advance, £12 on the door.
BOURNEMOUTH Symphony Orchestra will be performing at The Merritt Centre, Sherborne, next week.
The Monumental Brahms concert will feature Kernis’s Musica Celestis, Mozart’s Symphony No.39 and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1.
Chief conductor Mark Wigglesworth will lead the orchestra alongside pianist Yuilianna Avdeeva.
Kernis’s Musica Celestis was inspired by the imagined sound of angels singing in heaven and is beautifully ethereal.
Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1, was inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It is large scale, exhilarating and entirely unexpected, and Avdeeva will join the orchestra to take on this mighty work.
The concert is on Thursday, December 11, at 7.30pm.
THE Symondsbury Estate, Bridport, will be the venue for a new literary festival this weekend.
Wild Words will bring together seven authors for a day of talks and book signings exploring themes of nature, sustainability and local life.
“We’re excited to launch Wild Words here at Symondsbury,” said Philip Colfox, owner of Symondsbury Estate.
“The Estate has long been a place where people come to reconnect with nature, so it
feels right to host a festival that celebrates writers who do exactly that – helping us notice and appreciate the world around us.
“Sharing insights about nature, wildlife, landscape, farming and the rural way of life is so important, so it’s wonderful to have these brilliant authors come and share with us how amazing nature really is.”
The event takes place in The Old Pottery on Saturday, December 6, from 10am with talks, each priced £9, by Jeni
Bell and Karen Heaney, Tony Kirkham, Tim Laycock, John Wright and Mark Carwardine.
Each talk is £9 per ticket, with opportunities to meet the authors and have books signed.
LAST month’s Budget was an important moment for the country. After weeks of uncertainty and back-and-forth from the Government, people across our rural communities were hoping for a clear plan to help with the cost of living, support local jobs and give farming and small businesses the stability they desperately need.
Sadly, that is not what we were given.
For many families and businesses in villages across the local area, life has become harder over the past few years. Food prices remain high, energy bills are still difficult to manage, farm incomes are under pressure and many independent businesses are struggling with rising costs. A good Budget would have recognised these realities and set out a plan to help rural areas like ours get back on their feet.
Instead, Somerset was not mentioned once.
This matters, because the challenges we face in our region are not the same as those in large towns or cities. Farming is at the heart of our local economy, yet once again there
was no support on inheritance tax reform and no meaningful plan to help farmers with the transition to new schemes. Many had hoped the Chancellor would finally listen to the concerns raised by rural MPs, but the silence was striking.
Small businesses also needed far more help. Our pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops are struggling with rising bills and falling footfall. The Liberal Democrats have called for a temporary reduction of VAT for hospitality to provide a lifeline to local businesses. This would have been an easy step for the Government to take, and it would have provided real relief for many employers in our area. Instead, it chose not to act.
On top of this, the tax burden on ordinary families continues to rise. Freezing income tax thresholds means millions of people across the country will find themselves pushed into
higher tax brackets even if their wages barely keep up with inflation. The Budget also included plans to spend huge sums on digital ID, while issues like GP waiting times and social care continue to be ignored.
There were some positive steps, including action on online gambling companies and energy costs, but these were small compared with the scale of the problems facing rural communities.
Somerset deserves a Budget that understands our needs. We need investment in rural transport, support for agriculture, a fair deal for small businesses and action on the cost of living. This Budget did not deliver that. I will continue pressing the Government to listen to rural areas like ours and to put Somerset at the heart of national decision making – not leave us as an afterthought.
THE spirit of Christmas goodwill and the reformed nature of Scrooge appear to have been missed by His Majesty’s Treasury. Instead, this year’s Budget shouted Humbug at most people while Ms Reeves donned a Grinch costume. The Budget was not a good one.
First, it was based on three lies: 1 the promise made at the election by Labour not to raise taxes on ‘ordinary people’; 2 that last year’s tax raid was a one-off and subsequent years’ spending would be financed by growth and; 3 that there was an extra dimension to the Chancellor’s fictious black hole – can one have an extra dimension to a fiction? – which required draconian action to create fiscal headroom. All three were lies.
Regular readers and those who know me will, I hope, see me as a well-tempered person. I do not bandy the word ‘lies’ around like confetti. Indeed, in
Parliamentary terms it is almost as bad as the C-bomb for no Hon Member can ever lie. But, we were lied to. Rishi Sunak pointed out clearly what a Labour Government would do. He was ignored and the rest as they say is history.
It’s the ‘Why Bother Budget’. The Budget laughed in
the face of people trying to work hard and do the right thing. This was not a Budget for the Country. It was a Budget to save – temporarily? – the jobs of Nos 10 & 11 Downing Street. Even with Starmer’s massive, eyewatering majority, he still has to pay blackmail cash to appease his backbenchers.
Gone is any zeal to reform welfare spending. Instead, a massive series of tax raids to remove the two-child benefit cap. The cap was a popular policy among all voting groups because it injected fairness and responsibility into the choices of having children. All of that has gone because Labour MPs insisted upon it. Every street, village, hamlet, town across our country will know of someone who ‘milks’ the system. The person who opts out while the vast majority haul themselves out of bed to go to work, to earn some cash to pay the bills and support their family. This
Budget laughs, undisguised, in their faces.
Changes to the Family Farm Tax still do not make this pernicious tax any more acceptable. There are ways of taxing the Dysons of this world without punishing hard-working family farmers. The tax needs scrapping. End of. Conservatives would do so.
The Chancellor’s proposed pay per mile is wrong. Why not simply create a new Road Tax band? Paying per mile is a direct hit on rural motorists. It is also bad environmentally as people will retain or replace with unleaded or diesel vehicles as they are likely to be cheaper to run. Reduced purchaser demand will also likely see a decline in the UK car industry and jeopardise foreign inward investment.
This was a Budget for Labour self-preservation. It was not for the good people of our country.
AS we’ve come to expect from this Government, this was a botched Budget delivered by a Chancellor who at last acknowledged the huge harm Brexit has done to our economy – but having been bold enough to name it, was not brave enough to offer the solution. The single biggest thing the Government could do to turbocharge economic growth and repair the £90 billion Brexit black hole would be properly fixing our broken relationship with Europe, as the Lib Dems have been calling for.
For a Government elected on a promise of tackling the cost of living crisis and growing the economy, this is the second Budget where it has failed on both. In fact, 10 million taxpayers will be hit by more stealth taxes in a £67 billion stitch up. And while the Conservatives were no doubt the architects of this disaster, Labour are building on their foundations.
On Budget day, I joined thousands of farmers in Whitehall in one last desperate plea to the Chancellor to roll back the disastrous family farm tax, especially given we now have clear evidence of the harm it would do. Sadly, the farming community’s pleas went unheard. While a slight
concession on spousal allowance was made, tinkering around the edges of this policy will do nothing to reduce the devastating impact it will have – forcing many family farms to close their gates for the last time.
We Liberal Democrats did celebrate some clear wins –notably the removal of the two-child benefit cap, which we have long called for. It is absolutely the right thing to do, raising 450,000 children out of poverty. I was also pleased the Chancellor listened on hospitality business rates and gambling duty, both of which I’ve campaigned on. Keeping in-person horseracing betting duty at current levels, while upping online and remote gaming duties, just makes good economic sense. And will be a welcome relief to our local racecourse, Wincanton, such an important rural employer and part of the community.
Beyond that, there wasn’t
THE Government came in last year saying its top priority was growth. But, just like last year’s, there’s none in this Budget. In fact, delaying it so long and flying so many kites beforehand meant growth was being walloped even before the Chancellor uttered a word of her leaked speech.
What we have is a classic. Higher taxes to spend on welfare. What that means is Rachel Reeves, or her successor, will likely be back for more at next year’s Budget. And so we go on until the IMF bails us out. A bit like 1976. Rachel Reeves has broken her promise not to raise tax on what she calls working people, a group she has yet to define.
Higher property taxes and the promise of more to come sound great if you’re not, yet,
Dr Andrew Murrison
in the frame to be caught by them directly, but they will have a chilling effect on the housing market. That means job cuts for trades and in retail and falling tax receipts for the Treasury.
I’ve been ploughing through
the Red Book that contains the Budget details for some crumbs that might benefit our area. Can’t find any. This corner of the country is characterised by small- and medium-sized businesses. All I see is more impositions on them and thus fewer jobs.
A government that’s serious about growth must make it happen – by fiscal incentivisation of businesses and individuals and by tackling spending. This Government can’t do that because it won’t carry its backbenchers, as we’ve seen already over its timid attempts to curb spiralling welfare. So, we’re stuck in a doom loop for the next three years.
I presented my antiincineration bill in the Commons on Tuesday, which
much to celebrate. While the Chancellor may have dodged the devastation of markets crashing and outcry over overt tax rises, stealth taxes she slid in will have big impacts. Especially for working people, who will see their wages go up ever so slightly, but the tax burden on those wages increase, as the Government chose to freeze thresholds again.
If the Government was serious about fixing economic stagnation, it would have announced today plans to negotiate a new, bespoke Customs Union with the EU and robust policies to get our high streets and local economies thriving.
As always, I want to hear from you. If you would like to share your views, have an issue I can help with, or wish to register your interest to attend one of my regular advice surgeries, please don’t hesitate to contact me on sarah.dyke.mp@parliament.uk
was well received. It would stop any more waste burners being built and tax those that remain. Given this Government’s fondness for taxes, I thought it might appeal. Sadly, no mention by the Chancellor on Wednesday. It was good to meet farmers who had come to Westminster to protest against the Government’s family farm and business tax that will mean over time that smaller operators will have to sell up. I am not sympathetic to those who buy up land for tax purposes – they can shift for themselves. But I am horrified that family farmers and small business owners should be destroyed by this Government. Their lives are hard enough and, goodness me, they’re paid precious little for the food they produce.
THIS week saw Rachel Reeves make her Budget announcement. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. It was a botched opportunity to address some of the fundamentals and raise money through fair taxation to pay for public services.
While the changes to energy bills should be welcomed, she failed to embrace the Liberal Democrat proposal that would have saved households hundreds of pounds by removing the Renewable Energy Obligation. She also ignored our calls for a cut to VAT for the hospitality sector, which is vital for West Dorst’s economy.
Despite the profits banks make doubling over the last five years, there was no demand by the Chancellor they pay more. Instead, the freezing of the tax-bands will mean even more people dragged into higher rates of tax, with nearly one million extra people now paying 40p on
Lib Dem MP for West Dorset
Edward Morello
the pound. Meanwhile, per-pupil funding is being cut, and interest on tuition fees for university graduates is being frozen at nearly 8% – despite interest rates falling elsewhere – and pity too the farmers who saw no move to roll-back the disastrous
family farm tax. For all the Government’s talk about ‘working people’ this was a Budget that will make working families poorer.
This week I was proud to host the launch of the newly formed UK Fruit & Vegetable Coalition. Spearheaded by one of our own West Dorset residents, the UKFVC brings together organisations representing organic, agroecological growers from across the UK with the aim of ensuring more fruit and vegetables are produced here and reduce our reliance on imports. I was proud to host the launch event and look forward to supporting it in its work to improve food security and providing healthy food to the nation.
As we await the results of the consultation on the Dorset Local Plan, I was in Parliament asking Ministers to work with me to update the Government’s Future Homes Plan to ensure that any
houses built include rainwater harvesting. West Dorset’s sewage systems are already overloaded, with more than 4,200 sewage spills last year, and without rainwater harvesting new homes risk increasing the likelihood of flooding.
This week is UK Parliament Week. This is an annual event aimed at spreading the word about what Parliament is, what it does and how you can get involved. It is especially aimed at young people and improving engagement in politics. I’ve been doing in person and virtual Q&As with schools in Sherborne, Dorchester and Bridport, as well as Brownies and Guides groups. Visiting schools and youth groups is always something I look forward to – I always get asked insightful questions and come away with loads of ideas for real-world changes young people want to see.
THERE’S only one thing worse than being talked about, and that’s not being talked about. When Rachel Reeves’ Budget speech included a pathetic puerile dig at the new leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, she perfectly highlighted the Labour Party’s increasing desperation as it haemorrhages members drawn to the Green Party’s positive political vision. Elsewhere, the latest international COP summit in Brazil failed yet again to agree on how to address the unfolding climate and environment crisis. The COP process has long been captured by vested interests, and this time the petrostates led by Russia and Saudi Arabia ensured the conference’s final agreement failed to even mention fossil fuels. Short-term greed successfully overrode any consideration of the long-term consequences for us all. Russia’s malignant influence
was further exposed in the jailing of Reform’s former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, for taking bribes to make statements favouring Russia when he was an MEP. Gill is reported to have been a key lieutenant of Farage’s when they were both MEPs in Brussels.
You wouldn’t know it from the almost total lack of media coverage, but on November 27 there was a crucial National Emergency Briefing in Westminster Central Hall, where 10 of the UK’s leading experts gave short sharp presentations on the latest assessments regarding the impacts of the climate and environment crisis on the UK’s food and energy security, national security, economics and health. Along with others, I urged our MP Simon Hoare to attend. He didn’t, so I shall now send him a recording of the event in the hope he watches it and heeds its messages. It’s an issue of profound importance for every single one of his constituents.
In November, I was pleased to again be part of a group invited to assist with Weymouth College’s annual Environment Week. This year included
Kingston Maurward College, as the two establishments have now been joined together under the name of Coastland College. The 2023 State of Nature Report assessed the UK as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, so we facilitated open discussions with students on the topic of Nature. Students’ many suggestions included requests that the college engage them more on environmental matters, and provide more education to increase awareness of the critical role nature plays in the health of our country. Students, like the many people now joining the Green Party, are increasingly concerned at the uncertain future we face. We need urgent action by the Government to ensure we have a positive future to look forward to. I say again, we must take action – NOW – because time is not on our side.
A VISIT to the grave of James Hammett, the first Tolpuddle Labourer and the only Martyr buried in Dorset, took place on the anniversary of his death, November 21.
Chair of Dorset Council, Cllr Stella Jones MBE, and the High Sheriff of Dorset, Callum Bremner JP, paid their respects with floral tributes at St John the Evangelist Churchyard.
Honorary Alderman, Pauline Batstone; chair of the Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, Colin Brady; secretary of the trust, Ian Cambrook; and David Willey, former curator of the Tank Museum and consultant for a new heritage initiative being launched; attended the event.
The tribute followed a tour of the renovated Tolpuddle Old Chapel.
Built in 1818, the chapel is a Grade II* listed building and a rare example of an early 19th century earthen vernacular Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.
Some of the men who later became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs constructed it.
The Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, formed in 2014, aims to preserve their legacy, with the renovation and extension completed in 2023 with support from Dorset Council, The National Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England and 11 charitable funding bodies.
Tolpuddle Old Chapel offers a programme of heritage-related activities for local people and visitors.
For more information visit www.tolpuddleoldchapeltrust.
org n THE Tolpuddle Martyrs were six English farm labourers who were arrested, tried and sentenced to seven years of transportation to Australia in 1834 for forming a trade union.
Led by George Loveless, they had formed a ‘Friendly Society’ to protest wage cuts,
LIB DEM MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, Sarah Dyke, has urged Ministers to bring forward a full debate in Government time on the threat of ticket scams, highlighting the damage being done to music fans and to Somerset’s live events economy.
Speaking in Parliament last week, she said: “Last year, gig ticket scams cost music lovers over £1.6 million, as fans were exploited by greedy ticket touts.
“The money they paid for fake tickets often went on to fund serious organised crime groups.
“That makes people less willing to buy tickets for live events, which undermines that important industry, particularly in areas like Glastonbury and Somerton.”
Sarah Dyke’s constituency
but the Government prosecuted them under an old law against administering ‘unlawful oaths’.
Their treatment sparked public outcry and petitions that ultimately led to their pardon and return.
borders the Glastonbury Festival and she has warned that Somerset residents are at particular risk.
A recent BBC documentary also exposed how local scammers have targeted festival-goers and music fans, shedding light on the scale and sophistication of the problem in the South West.
Ms Dyke MP added: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that unscrupulous people are using incredible world-class events like Glastonbury Festival to exploit and rob people.”
The Liberal Democrats have proposals to ban ticket touting and ensure resale platforms verify tickets actually exist before listing them, as well as capping transaction fees, and putting a stop to surge pricing.
Each year, fans lose £145 million to greedy touts.
ACREMAN St Auctioneers & Valuers, Sherborne, is holding its one-day December auction on Tuesday, December 30, from 10am, with viewing on Monday, December 29, 10am-4pm.
The auction house is accepting items for sale until December 14.
Acreman is closing for the Christmas period from Saturday, December 20, through to Sunday, December 28.
The catalogue and bidding is available online through easyliveauction.com and thesaleroom.com
Acreman holds regular valuation days where prospective sellers can take in items for its specialists to evaluate at 121 Acreman Street, Sherborne DT9 3PH.
Valuation days 10am-3pm: Jewellery & Watches, Tuesdays
and Saturdays; Silver & Obje’t D’art, Tuesdays and Saturdays; Toys & Collectables, Wednesdays and Saturdays; Oriental & Asian, Thursdays and Saturdays; Coins, Stamps, Books & Ephemera, Fridays and Saturdays; Militaria, Fridays and Saturdays; Textiles & Fashion, Mondays and Saturdays; Paintings & Contemporary Art, Mondays and Saturdays.
Alternatively, phone or email to make an appointment if you are unable to go in on the allocated days. Acreman is also happy to make house visits if required free of charge.
Anyone who has anything they would like to consign can contact Gill Norman by phone on 01935 508764 or 07908 333577 or by email at auction@ acremanstreetantiques.co.uk
CLARKE’S Auctions in Gillingham is holding a free valuation day next Tuesday (December 9) from 10am-4pm to value any jewellery, gold and silver and interesting collectable items prospective sellers may wish to consign to its bumper three-day Christmas sale, so pop along for a mince pie, a cup of tea and a chat.
More than 2,000 lots of interesting antiques and collectables will be sold on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 29-31.
There is something for everyone including fine jewellery, diamond and gem set rings, gold, silver and diamond necklaces and bracelets, and other beautiful jewellery, silver items including Victorian tea sets, salvers and pretty trinket boxes, collectable ceramics and
glass including a private collection of Georgian air twist wine glasses, Venetian and Bohemian glass, modern abstract art, art by John Bratby, and works by traditional artists like Carot and Otto Von Thoren.
This year’s sale promises to be as busy as previous Christmas sales and there is still time to enter any pieces you might be considering selling.
Call in on Tuesday or give Clarke’s a call to arrange an appointment.
For enquiries for consignment into any of its upcoming sales, or for probate or insurance valuations or full or part house clearances, phone Richard Clarke or Karen Marshall on 01747 685592 at the salerooms at The Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road, Gillingham SP8 4QF.
&
Sale Friday 9th & Saturday 10th August
Mid 19th century Indian school - a small circular ivory portrait of Maharaja Gulab Singh (1792-1847). Estimate £300-£500 Tuesday 9th December between 10am-4pm
An original Fry & Sons 'Fry's Pure Concentrated Cocoa' enamel sign. Sold for £1,600. Clarke’s Auctions o er free home visits and verbal valuations. Now accepting items for this and future sales e Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road Gillingham, SP8 4QF 01747 685592 enquiries@clarkesauctions.co.uk
Units 1 & 2 Kingsettle Business Park, 01747 855109 enquiries@clarkesauctions.co uk
Antiques & Collectables Sale Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st December Open Valuation Day The Old Glove Factory, Buckingham Road Gillingham, SP8 4QF 01747 685592 enquiries@clarkesauctions.co.uk
DUKE’S presents its final Silver, Jewellery, Watches and Currency auction of the year on Wednesday and Thursday, December 10-11.
The sale offers an exceptional range of fine jewellery, distinguished timepieces and notable spirits, and features pieces by renowned makers including Cartier, Breitling, Rolex, Omega, Tudor and Patek Philippe. The full catalogue is now online.
A collection of 20 bottles of Macallan 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, forming a complete vertical run from 1988 – released 2006 – to the 2025 release, each 70cl and in its original box also features.
In 2016 Macallan moved from vintage to bottled year labelling, making this uninterrupted sequence especially desirable. The collection is estimated at £15,000 to £25,000.
A COLLECTION of original oil paintings by Berrisford Hill are going under the Charterhouse gavel in its specialist auction of Pictures, Prints and Books on Friday, January 2, at its Sherborne salerooms.
“The paintings have been amassed over the past few years by a west country collector,” said Richard Bromell, from the auction house.
“Recently they were having a sort out and with a sizeable collection of paintings and not enough wall space, they decided to let new owners enjoy them.”
but his love of the countryside led him to take up painting.
Having obtained a degree at Southampton University, for some 20 years he taught art, painting and exhibiting when he could.
He finally decided to take the plunge and become a full-time artist and is highly sought after today with his paintings at Charterhouse estimated to sell for thousands of pounds.
A highlight is a Burma no heat sapphire and diamond cluster ring, set in silver on 18ct gold, estimated at £4,000 to £6,000.
To explore the full catalogue, or place reserve bids, visit www. dukes-auctions.com, or contact the office on 01305 265080 to arrange a confidential appointment.
Berrisford Hill was born in 1930. Brought up in Warwickshire, Berrisford would spend his school holidays on his uncle’s farm learning about nature and the countryside.
In these early years he wanted to train as an architect,
Charterhouse is accepting further entries for its specialist new year auctions starting with Pictures, Prints and Books, along with Decorative Arts & Design.
Richard Bromell and the team at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, are available for valuations on 01935 812277 or via rb@ charterhouse-auction.com
WANTED Books, collectables and bric-a-brac. Call Jack: 07542 389447
STOURHEAD ANTIQUE & VINTAGE FAIR - Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th December 10am till late. Stourton Memorial Hall, Spread Eagle Courtyard. BA12 6QE - 07720-896129 @stourheadantiquesfair
Call BILL 07967 816506 or 01747 811100
Email: bill@tunes.co.uk
Antique & Classic Clock Repairs & Restoration
Longcase Clocks a speciality Antique Clock sales
Tel: (01935) 423233 Mobile: 07974 520545 bclocksunlimited@aol.com www.clocksunlimited.co.uk
SHOTGUNS and antique firearms continue to achieve high values at HOLTS.
Among many guns consigned from this area to HOLTS recently were two very good examples of the positive international market at present.
An antique .52 percussion breechloading 1863 New Model Sharps infantry rifle achieved £1,600.
And from the smallbore licensable section, a Belgian-made .410 double-barrelled boxlock ejector shotgun, engraved ‘shot & regulated by E.J. Churchill ltd’ – pictured – sold for a very impressive £2,100.
collectors viewing and bidding. This helps to achieve consistently high numbers of lots sold, averaging 90%.
HOLTS is now accepting consignments for its next auctions with valuation days throughout the region. The next local ones are at the GWCT Fordingbridge on Wednesday, January 7, and the NFU Mutual Sturminster Newton on Tuesday, January 13.
For a full list of venues, see the HOLTS website, www. holtsauctioneers.com
HOLTS markets its auctions all over the world and has many international buyers and
To book an appointment or discuss a valuation or home visit, contact David Thurgood on 01297 306123 or by email at westcountry@holtsauctioneers. com
WANTED : ORIGINAL MOTOR RACING MEMORABILIA BY LOCAL DEALER TEL 07771 518629
WRISTWATCHES & ANTIQUE GOLD WANTED FOR PURCHASE. DISCREET, PROFESSIONAL. FAST PAYMENT. WILLING TO TRAVEL. TOM - 07584 622545
Wednesday 7th January The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Burgate Manor Fordingbridge Hampshire, SP6 1EF
Tuesday 13th January NFU Mutual The Creamery Station Road Sturminster Newton Dorset, DT10 1BD
To book an appointment, arrange a free valuation or home visit please contact: David Thurgood 01297 306123 westcountry@holtsauctioneers.com
CHRISTMAS shoppers are being offered free parking at selected spots in the run-up to the big day.
As the festive season gets underway, Dorset Council has announced it is providing free parking at selected car parks this month.
“This initiative is in support of local businesses and encourages residents to shop locally, explore our towns and discover the unique products and festive experiences Dorset has to offer,” a council spokesperson said.
campaign that champions independent businesses and encourages people to shop locally.
During the free parking days:
JustPark app and ticket machines in participating Dorset Council car parks will show no charge
On-street parking charges will still apply
Charges still apply at any car parks not listed on the Christmas parking webpages.
Enjoy the festive season at Knoll House, with the most spectacular views across Studland Bay.
Christmas Day Lunch - £90
Free parking will be available in council-run car parks in Beaminster, Blandford, Bridport, Corfe Castle, Dorchester, Ferndown, Gillingham, Lyme Regis, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Weymouth and Wimborne.
Boxing Day Lunch - £40
“Local town councils may also be offering free parking on certain days in the run-up to Christmas,” the spokesperson added.
New Year’s Eve - £90
*Children are half price. Booking essential.
“Please check local adverts, signage or their websites for details.”
Contact the team to discuss our festive party celebrations and private hire.
The initiative also takes in Small Business Saturday, on December 6, an annual national
01929 450450 | knollhouse.co.uk
Cllr Richard Biggs, cabinet member for property and assets and economic growth, said: “Christmas can be an expensive time, especially with the current pressures on household budgets.
“By offering free parking,
31st December 2025
we’re encouraging people to shop locally and support the fantastic independent businesses that make our towns so special.”
Cllr Jon Andrews, cabinet member for place services, which includes car parking, added: “Free parking in selected council car parks on key dates means you can spend more time browsing, shopping and soaking up the Christmas atmosphere
without worrying about the meter.
“And don’t forget too, if you regularly visit our towns, why not consider a car park permit which will save you money all year round.”
n For full details of Christmas shopping parking dates and locations, visit www. dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/freechristmas-parking.
Simon Hoare MP wishes all of his North Dorset contituents a peaceful Christmas and a happy 2026.
Simon holds regular advice surgeries. If you would like to book an appointment, please contact Simon by...
Tel: 01258 452585
Email: simon.hoare.mp@parliament.uk
Or by post: The Stables, Whitecliff Gardens, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7BU
FB: fb.com/simonhoarenorthdorset
X: @Simon4NDorset
Website: www.simonhoare.org.uk
N O
D
NORDEN, CORFE CASTLE, BH20 5DT
Sat 22 & Sun 23 November Sat 29 & Sun 30 November
Sat 6 & Sun 7 December 10am - 4pm Free Admission
Come and visit Norden for our Christmas Market
CHandcrafted Gifts by Local Makers
Complimentary Festive Drink
Wander through a winter gathering of Purbecks finest artisans.
Wander through a winter gathering of Purbecks finest artisans browse something beautiful, and find amily and friends
Sip something warm, browse something beautiful, and find unique gifts for your family and friends.
Robin Claridge
Mike Topham
Humorous wire pictures
David Hyde Metal Garden Sculptures
ures
Ceramic & Pastels
Julie Burns Appliqué Cushions & Xmas Decorations
Julie Burns Appliqué Cushions & Xmas Decorations
Emily Clarke
Emily Clarke
Vintage Textiles
Vintage Textiles
Phil Hill, Luca Ciaramella & Stan Davis
Abstract Art
Abstract Art
Look for our flags on A351 at Norden
on A351 at Norden Tele: 07889247981 m ures
Phil Hill, Luca Ciaramella & Stan Davis
Weekdays by Appointment
Tele: 07889 247981
intment ///painting blossom perfumes
///painting.blossom.perfumes.
hristmas is coming and here in Norden, 1 mile north of Corfe Castle, a group of Purbeck Arts members have come together to bring colour and creativity to your search for innovative and lovely gifts for your family and friends. You don’t need to leave Purbeck, and no parking fees! You even get to enjoy a complimentary warming festive drink in our country setting as you leisurely browse a fabulous range of gifts made locally by our artisans.
Silver Jewellery / Ceramics / Humorous Wire Pictures / Applique Cushions / Lampshades and Bunting made from Vintage Textiles / Pastel Paintings of local scenes / Abstract Art / amazing fabric Christmas wreaths / Metal Garden Sculptures and so much more.
Also introducing 14 year old home schooled Luca Ciaramella, a young artist in full flight, always experimenting and always evolving, producing inspirational work using a spectrum of art methods to create spray painted pictures and upcycled retro pieces.
Wander
Robin
Christmas is coming and here in Norden, 1 mile north of Corfe Castle, a group of Purbeck Arts members have come together to bring colour and creativity to your search for innovative and lovely gifts for your family and friends. You don’t need to leave Purbeck, and no parking fees! You even get to enjoy a complimentary warming festive drink in our country setting as you leisurely browse a fabulous range of gifts made locally by our artisans.
Silver Jewellery / Ceramics / Humorous Wire Pictures / Applique Cushions / Lampshades and Bunting made from Vintage Textiles / Pastel Paintings of local scenes / Abstract Art / amazing fabric Christmas wreaths / Metal Garden Sculptures and so much more.
Also introducing 14 year old home schooled Luca Ciaramella, a young artist in full flight, always experimenting and always evolving, producing inspirational work
Visit us this Christmas for all your gardening needs! Festive Festive Festive
Cut Christmas trees in a range of types and sizes
Pot grown trees, mistletoe and Christmas wreaths
Hundreds of plants to brighten up the house and garden
David Austin Roses
Huge selection of rootballed and bareroot hedging plants
Garden Ornaments and statues
Building brick kits for all ages
Monday - Saturday 9am - 5:30pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm
Milton on Stour, Gillingham SP8 5QA | 01747 824015
This year Gillingham are hosting their Christmas Spectacular on Saturday 6th December at the Town Meadow. The event will run from 5pm - 8pm with lots going on!
They will have live music throughout, Father Christmas, food, drink, activities and fairground rides for young children. There will also be a grand festive parade of illuminated tractors that will go through the high street and directly past the Town Meadow.
Enjoy the festive season at Knoll House, with the most spectacular views across Studland Bay.
Christmas Day Lunch - £90
Boxing Day Lunch - £40
There will be other events in Gillingham on the day with several shops, cafes and restaurants having promotions, opening late and with various activities taking place for the public to enjoy. There will also be free parking at The New Car Park opposite the train station.
New Year’s Eve - £90
*Children are half price. Booking essential.
SATURDAY
6 TH DECEMBER 2025
5
Contact the team to discuss our festive party celebrations and private hire.
A Christmas Window Competition is taking place in the town so many of the shop windows will be decorated with a Christmas theme.
01929 450450 | knollhouse.co.uk
Full details will be publicised on Gillingham Chamber of Commerce’s social media. For any queries, please contact secretary@gcci.co.uk.
Sat 22 & Sun 23 November
Sat 29 & Sun 30 November
Come and visit Norden for our Christmas Market
CWander
Wander
Sip
Robin
Handcrafted
Handcrafted
Robin Claridge Silver Jewellery
Mike Topham
Mike Topham
Humorous wire pictures
Humorous
David
Tim
David Hyde Metal Garden Sculptures
Tim Rose Ceramic & Pastels
Julie Burns Appliqué Cushions & Xmas Decorations
Emily Clarke
Vintage Textiles
Phil Hill, Luca Ciaramella & Stan Davis
Abstract Art
Look for our flags on A351 at Norden
Weekdays by Appointment
Tele: 07889 247981
///painting.blossom.perfumes.
Corfe Castle, a group of Purbeck Arts members have come together to bring colour and creativity to your search for innovative and lovely gifts for your family and friends. You don’t need to leave Purbeck, and no parking fees! You even get to enjoy a complimentary warming festive drink in our country setting as you leisurely browse a fabulous range of gifts made locally by our artisans.
Applique Cushions / Lampshades and Bunting made from Vintage Textiles / Pastel Paintings of local scenes / Abstract Art / amazing fabric Christmas wreaths / Metal Garden Sculptures and so much more.
Luca Ciaramella, a young artist in full flight, always experimenting and always evolving, producing inspirational work using a spectrum of art methods to create spray painted pictures and upcycled retro pieces.
Monday - Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm Saturday: 7am - 5pm Sunday: 8am - 1pm
- Est 1992 -
Cranbornes is an independent retailer which has been trading since 1992. We sell a large selection of gifts, cards, stationery, jewellery and women’s accessories.
Come and visit our shop! Next door to our Shaftesbury shop is Cranbornes
Dust Free Sanding System Fully Qualified - 20+ Years Experience 07759 644755 camillepainting1@gmail.com
Enjoy the festive season at Knoll House, with the most
party celebrations and private hire. Open Mon-Sat, 8:00-3:30 10 High West Street,Dorchester, DT1 1UJ 01305 262019 Wishing all our customers a Merry Christmas THE HORSE WITH THE RED UMBRELLA Tea Rooms & Coffee House
DORSET households can leave out extra rubbish over Christmas - but only two sacks! Collections will change for many households over the festive and new year period, with pick-ups returning to normal on Monday, January 12.
Revised bin collection days in Dorset are:
Usual collection day
Revised collection day
Wednesday, December 24 No change
Thursday, December 25
Friday, December 26
Monday, December 29
Tuesday, December 30
Wednesday, December 31
Thursday, January 1
Friday, January 2
Monday, January 5
Tuesday, January 6
Wednesday, January 7
Thursday, January 8
Friday, January 9
Monday, January 12
Saturday, December 27
Monday, December 29
Tuesday, December 30
Wednesday, December 31
Friday, January 2
Saturday, January 3
Monday, January 5
Tuesday, January 6
Wednesday, January 7
Thursday, January 8
Friday, January 9
Saturday, January 10
No change
“We will collect up to two extra sacks of rubbish beside your bin on your first rubbish collection after Christmas Day,” a council spokesperson said.
There will be no garden waste collections from Christmas Day until Wednesday, January 7.
Recycling centres are open from 9am to 4pm each day, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Come and visit Norden for our Christmas Market
“Extra recycling, including glass and food, will be collected on your recycling collection day, provided it has been separated correctly and placed in a suitable sturdy container (no bags) that can be easily lifted by one person,” they added.
C“Please help our crews by putting your glass out for collection before Christmas. This ensures you have as much space as possible in your glass box, helping prevent over spilling containers, and reduces the amount of extra glass we collect over the busy festive period.”
However, Dorset Council does not collect Christmas trees of any kind with rubbish or recycling at the kerbside.
hristmas is coming and here in Norden, 1 mile north of Corfe Castle, a group of Purbeck Arts members have come together to bring colour and creativity to your search for innovative and lovely gifts for your family and friends. You don’t need to leave Purbeck, and no parking fees! You even get to enjoy a complimentary warming festive drink in our country setting as you leisurely browse a fabulous range of gifts made locally by our artisans.
Silver Jewellery / Ceramics / Humorous Wire Pictures / Applique Cushions / Lampshades and Bunting made from Vintage Textiles / Pastel Paintings of local scenes / Abstract Art / amazing fabric Christmas wreaths / Metal Garden
lso introducing 14 year old home schooled Luca Ciaramella, a young artist in full flight, always experimenting and always evolving, producing inspirational work using a spectrum of art methods to create spray painted pictures and upcycled retro pieces.
IN 1863, the orthodox Christian Emperor Theodore of the then named Abyssinnia was angered by the lack of response from Great Britain to his requests for support in freeing Jerusalem from Turkish Muslims. One letter seeming to propose marriage to HM Queen Victoria had been ignored and some regarded the Emperor as being insane. In a fit of rage, Theodore made hostage all the Europeans in the country and marched them to the Fortress of Magdala, a flat-topped mountain rising more than 3,000 metres above the Blue Nile valley. Prolonged negotiations failed to secure their release.
So, in 1867, Britain dispatched an expeditionary force under General Sir Robert Napier, a Royal Engineer commanding the Bombay Army. Landing in the north of the country, the 12,000 troops, equipped with the latest weapons and numerous pack animals, including elephants, marched to Magdala.
On Good Friday 1868, Napier’s force, with rocket batteries and the new rapidfiring Snider rifle, inflicted a terrible defeat on Theodore’s army and released the hostages. Three days later they stormed the fortress. The emperor committed suicide with a pistol presented to him by Queen Victoria in happier times.
After his mother died, Theodore’s baby son, Prince Alam Ahiyou, was brought to England and educated at Queen Victoria’s orders. Sadly, he died at Sandhurst and is buried in Saint George’s Chapel, Windsor. German engineers held by Theodore had been forced to make artillery for his Army and these massive guns had been hauled up to the fortress. Most were destroyed by Napier’s men, but a huge mortar, probably weighing 10 tonnes, was left on the battlefield. In
by John Blashford-Snell,
1995 the Ethiopian tourist organisation asked the Scientific Exploration Society to produce a guidebook of the battlefield and investigate the possibility of moving Theodore’s mortar to Addis Ababa.
Travelling to the base of the mountain we used sure-footed mules to ride up the narrow precipitous track leading to the plateau. “Don’t look down, just hold on tight and let the mule pick his way,” our Ethiopian guide advised as we edged along the cliff edge.
Breasting the last rise, we were confronted by a vista of emerald-green mountains rising to meet a brilliant blue sky, while on the plateau
We were on a remote mountain 400 miles from the nearest well-equipped hospital, our walkie-talkie radios had only a range of six miles at most and the lady was in no condition to ride or walk 14 miles back to our vehicles. We needed a helicopter, but the only one was in Addis Ababa with the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). However, as dusk fell, former soldier Graham Kerridge, from Dorset, and one of our Ethiopian police escorts set off at a run for Tenta town, which had a radio that might reach the capital. Using only a head torch, it was a challenging and risky journey. I was not optimistic.
immediately before us was a large, open space fringed by clusters of round thatched huts and neatly hedged fields.
Pointing at a rectangular stone wall enclosure, our guide whispered: “It is here.” Riding forward, I found myself looking straight down the barrel of the colossal mortar. Theodore had had great confidence in his giant gun until that fatal Good Friday when its barrel cracked in the act of firing its one and only shot. Like excited schoolboys, we dismounted, reaching for the cameras and tape measure. It was massive.
Suddenly a voice called. “I have a problem,” said our lady zoologist, leaning over against a stone wall. “I seem to have a hernia.” The poor girl was obviously in considerable pain. Dr John Davies, from Truro, examined her and turned to me, looking grave. “She’s got a strangulated hernia and I can’t get it back,” he told me in a whisper. “This is life threatening.”
This was extremely serious.
By the light of the full moon, John did his utmost to relieve the patient’s suffering, but her condition was deteriorating. “If there is no helicopter by dawn then we will have to find some other way to get her off the mountain,” he warned. The local villagers had an old iron bedstead they used to stretcher sick people to Tenta. Graham then radioed to say that the MAF helicopter would arrive at 14.00. “We can’t wait that long,” insisted John. So, we had to strap the poor woman onto the bedstead and six bare-footed villagers carried her down the cliff path, with half the bed hanging over the precipice! Accompanying her, John radioed to say he urgently needed more IV fluid. So, Graham again rushed down the rock-strewn track towards Tenta ahead of the stretcher party.
As if to answer our prayers, a small helicopter suddenly appeared over the rim of the plateau and met the stretcher party. Thus, the patient reached the little hospital at the British Embassy in Addis and her life was saved. But it had been a close-run thing. The mortar is still there!
n SIGNED copies of John Blashford-Snell’s recent book, From Utmost East to Utmost West, are available for £20 including UK postage. Contact jenny@ses-explore.org for further details.
by Sally Gregson
HOLLY and ivy are among only six evergreens native to the UK. There’s box (Buxus sempervirens); and there are conifers – yew (Taxus baccata), Irish Juniper (Juniperus communis) and Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris). All other evergreens have been introduced over the centuries.
Our climate may be mild and, some would say, getting milder, and still fairly equable. That is, we rarely experience extremes of hot and cold. And these conditions are not favourable for evergreen plants that dislike ‘false springs’ and intemperate ‘cold snaps’. Evergreens are pushed into growth in the middle of the calendar winter, only to be frosted within days.
For centuries the holly and the ivy have endured in myth and legend. Over the years their use has crossed from pagan to Christian tradition. To pagans, holly was a symbol of everlasting life, keeping
witches and evil spirits at bay, while ivy has been held in high esteem throughout history. In ancient Greece, newlyweds were given wreaths as an emblem of fidelity while
Romans dedicated ivy to the god of wine, Bacchus. Apparently, binding the brow with ivy could cure intoxication – one to try on new year’s day! And then in the early Christian
church holly’s red berries became symbols of the blood of Christ and its prickles, the Crown of Thorns.
There are many different forms of variegated ivies (Hedera). In the garden, on a shaded wall, the large green, grey and white leaves of H. colchica Dentata Variegata really brighten the darkness. As a native of Iran and Turkey, it prefers a spot out of our winter winds.
Holly usually berries in the autumn, and in harsh weather is often bare by Christmas-time. If it is cut and brought into a cool, dark space out of the reach of birds and mice, the red berries will hang on long enough to use over the festive season. And ivies usually flower well in December, providing a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects, and berries for the birds. Both holly and ivy are good, evergreen cover for birds and small mammals who love to nestle and roost among their roots and branches.
by Sally Gregson
AT this end of the year our tastebuds are becoming rather jaded. We long for the crispness of fresh young leaves, and that hint of bitterness that seems to signify new growth. Flaccid lettuces on the supermarket shelves do not come up to our expectations. So, although forcing chicory seems quite an effort, it is one that pays off.
Sow the seed of forcing chicory in May or June to produce plants big enough to lift in November as the leaves start to die back. The Whitloof varieties are successful – Dura Whitloof or Brussels Whitloof. And there’s an F1 variety –Whitloof Zoom, which might produce too many chicons at the same time. It depends on how much you like chicory.
The seed will need to be sown in a heated greenhouse, or
on a warm windowsill, to germinate. If your greenhouse has electric power, you could use a heated propagator set at the minimum temperature. And monitored well. Tall, thin seedlings appear within days if the propagator is not carefully watched.
Thin the seedlings to 10-15cm apart and grow on for the summer. In November lift the big roots, discarding the smaller ones which will not make good chicons, and cut back the top growth to about 2.5cm. Lay these roots horizontally in trays of sand or clean compost and keep them in a frost-free shed. Then, trim the bases of a few chicons and plant vertically with their tops just showing, and keep them at 10 ℃ to 15 ℃. They will produce crisp young bulbils after about four weeks.
Commercially produced chicory ready for harvesting
The leaves are delicious and crisp on their own as a salad, or a whole chicon could be sliced up in rounds with thin slices of orange. The juices of the orange mixed with a little olive oil, wine vinegar and rock salt make
a good dressing to accompany cold roast meats such as turkey or ham. Or the individual chicons could be braised in butter and stock with a few herbs to make a very different winter vegetable dish.
Landscaping, Groundworks and Garden Maintenance, Specialists in Patios, Fencing, Driveways, Walling, Ponds, Turfing Free Quotations
amralphlandscaping@gmail.com www.ralphlandscaping.co.uk
Tel: 01747 631471 Mobile: 07921 637227
Tree Surgery. Reductions. Felling. Hedge Trimming. Stump Grinding. Woodchip supplies.
Tree Surgery. Reductions. Felling. Hedge Trimming. Stump Grinding. Woodchip supplies.
Family run business since 1946
Professional
TEL: 01963 250955
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All types of blinds supplied and fitted for home, office, conservatory or commercial premises. We also supply patio awnings (electric and manual), shutters, curtains and poles.
Tel: 01963 250005
Family run business since 1946
Mobile: 07976 934 252
Tel: 01963 250005
Mobile: 07976 934 252
We carry out all aspects of tree surgery, hedge cutting and stump grinding. Ash dieback specialist.
Fully insured and NPTC qualified.
Call Will today on 01747 854517 or 07872 970741
We carry out all aspects of tree surgery, hedge cutting and stump grinding. Ash dieback specialist. Fully insured and NPTC qualified. Call Will today on 01747 854517 or 07872 970741
Professional Experienced Reliable
Professional Experienced Reliable
90,000
readers
90,000 readers
LANGTON NURSERIES (C W Abbott & Son)
Christmas Trees, Freshly Cut and Pot Grown. Holly Wreaths. Open daily 10am– 3 pm. Langton Long Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 9HR. Telephone 01258-452513.
HUSSEY CARPET AND FLOORING, South Street, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4AP Domestic and Commercial Carpets,Vinyl,Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Laminate and Wood Flooring. Contact Chris Hussey 07885-273470 husseyflooring@gmail.com
MAN WITH MICRODIGGER & 1.5TON DIGGER, stump grinder, Garden clearance, patios, fencing, decking, landscaping, driveways 30+ years’ experience
Contact Ken 07882 441873 / 01963 32034
HEDGE CUTTING AND LAWN MOWING SERVICES, ShaftesburyBlandford & local villages. Please call Trevor 07970-012130
GREENHOUSES
Supplied/Erected Alloy TenColours Spares-Repairs-Glass Chris Abrams 01258-452632
FOR SALE XMAS TREES Sizes None Drop’s. Traditional, Holly, Holly Wreath’s, Mistletoe. Next to Railway Bridge Motcombe. Open 7 day’s a week. From 27th November. T el 01747-850129.
GUTTERS CLEARED
• Windows,
• Fascias,
• Soffits,
• Gutters cleaned,
• Repairs,
• Free Estimates
TOOLS WANTED. Cash waiting. 01747 416022
M & A J Landscaping
~ Fencing ~ Walling ~ Patios/Steps ~ Concreting/Tarmac ~ Tree work
~ Garden maintenance malcgin@hotmail.com 07399-521377
WANTEDDave buys all types of tools Call 01935 428975
DRYSTONE WALLING AND LANDSCAPING
www.yenstonewalling.co.uk 01963 371123 / 07751 278363
WELL ROTTED HORSE MANURE
£60.00 a transit load. Contact Roger on 07885 826396 or 01202 826502
PRECISION FENCING & GATES
• Installation
Repair • Maintenance
Feel free to give us a call on 07355-295534 or email at Precision-fencing@hotmail.com
PETER PORT UPHOLSTERY A Local Family Run
Business based in Shaftesbury, Offering a wide range of services including foam cut to size and Re-stuffing of feather cushions. 01747-228384 Peterportupholstery@googlemail.com.
LES BENHAM
Garden Property Maintenance
All Hedge/tree work/rubbish clearance Gravel Driveways/Pressure Washing Patio and Fencing Work Fully Insured/Free Quotes 01258 458849/07788 907343 lesbenham@yahoo.co.uk / check a trade
JAMES AYRES TREE CARE
Specialist Tree Workers
All kinds of trees expertly felled, topped and pruned. Hedge cutting. All rubbish cleared. Licensed waste carrier. Fully insured. Tel: 01747 850129 Mob: 07951 284639
• Fully qualified & insured tree surgeon
• All aspects of tree
&
• Competitively
• Free no obligation
EX-DISPLAY SHEDS, Stables/field shelters, summerhouses, offices, workshops, agricultural 01935 891195
SELF DRIVE DIGGER AND DUMPER HIRE 01258 861647
TREE CARE 07936-498493
WALK BEHIND FLAIL MOWER and operator hire. Paddock, orchards and neglected area clearance 07432 773151
LANGTON NURSERIES (C W Abbott & Son)
Seed Potatoes, Spring Bulbs, Onion Sets and Garlic now available. Fruit Trees and Ornamental Trees, Perennials & Shrubs, Terracotta pots, Wild Bird food 20kg £14.50, Stockists of Kings, Franchi and Fothergill Budget Seeds, Potting Compost. Open daily 10am– 3 pm. Langton Long Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 9HR. Telephone 01258-452513.
SEASONAL LOGS.
Barn dry. Mainly Ash. 20 miles radius of Sherborne. Preferably evenings01935 815534.
LOGS FOR SALEMoisture Tested - Various Quantity AvailableContact: 07765-930317
SEASONED HARDWOOD LOGS
£200 transit load
£110 half load 01258-880892 07980-036250
GOOD QUALITY
SEASONED HARDWOOD for sale
Barn-stored Any size of load. If you want anymore help contact Andy 07773-254174
SEASONED HARDWOOD LOGS
Small and Large Loads
Tel: 07973 871708 Evenings: 01935 825506
BLACKMORE VALE LOG SPLITTING - Your local mobile service07760 469411
LOGS R US Tipper Load £200
Half Tipper Load £100 dumpy bag £90 All hardwood 07790 404593 01258 818081
LOGS FOR SALE transit tipper load
Half transit tipper load Dumpy bag (Delivered FREE in and around Sherborne) TEL: 07450-435993 or 07846-345294
BAILEY & SUN LTD. Groundwork, man and machine hire. Footings, ditchings, driveways, new build, drainage, extensions plus lots more. Call for a quote. 07546-762236. sun@baileyandsun.co.uk.
Plumbing
Painting &
Shed
Flat
Shelves &
Door hanging & skirting
and facia clearing and
ASA ARCHITECTS. All drawings for planning and construction. 07770 421624. Free consultation Based in Shaftesbury. Works throughout Dorset. www.asa-architect.co.uk. andystrange@btinternet.com
G.S BUILDING & LANDSCAPING SERVICES. Extensions, renovations, alterations, plastering, brick-work, block-work, stone-work and patios, fencing. NO VAT. Call Garry: 07933-921382
K.SANSOM CHIMNEY SWEEP Brush & vacuum. APICS registered 01963 370038
STEVE ADAMS CHIMNEY SWEEPING HETAS
registered woodburner and flue installer. Birdguards and cowls 07932 655267
B.SNOOK CHIMNEYS, Brush, Vacuum, Sweep, Problem Chimney Solved, we also supply bird guards to chimney pots to keep out birds. Phone Donhead or leave message on answer machine: 01747-828904. Cover insurance 5million.
and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance 07368 250305/01747 590799
NVQ Qualified. APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com Manual and Power Sweeping, Stove Servicing and Maintenance, Camera Inspections, Property Maintenance. 07368 250305 / 01747 590799
NVQ Qualified, APICS Registered Friendly, Reliable Service longthorpeindustries@gmail.com
Accredited installers of Wood burning & Multi fuel stoves, Chimney
wall
fireplace conversions, replacement hearths, chimney restoration & rebuilding, dealing with water ingress, cowlings, bird guards. Fully Insured, long term established. 01749 677440 – 07921074602- solidfuel3@aol.com www.solidfuelinstallationsltd.co.uk
COMPUTER MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS
Purchase advice, Virus Removal, New PC Setup/Installation, Internet Connection, Upgrades, Computer/Software Tuition Call Gregg on 01963 370713
DEREK ETHERINGTON BSc(Hons). PC/Mac, Repairs, Networks, Websites, Tuition. Free local callout. 07855-287150 01963-362403 www.dcenet.co.uk
DEWLISH DIGITAL
Design and build websites that cater to the needs of small to medium size businesses.
Ongoing maintenance for new and existing websites. Small friendly team provides personal service. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. Tel: 07877 924765 Email: info@dewlish.digital Web: dewlish.digital
FRIENDLY AND RELIABLE PAINTING and decorating service. Please contact Nick 07914-360571
COUNTRY CARPENTRY
Doors, repairs, general maintenance etc Call Nick on 07887 358570
M & M PAINTING & DECORATING. 30 years experience. Fully insured, clean & tidy. References available. FREE no obligation quote. Tel: 07921-783296 / 01305-849380
Painting & Decorating Local Quality Painter & Decorator.
01258 880670
07825512627
GARETH TANNER
G.O.T. DECORATING City and Guilds qualified Interior/exterior Decorating Free Quotes no VAT Tel 07736644452 go. tanner93@gmail.com
PAUL WEST DECORATING SERVICES and wall-paper specialist. Also handyman. 35years experience. Free quotes. 07773-459168. paul.west945@gmail.com
PAUL SPILLER PAINTER & DECORATOR, Interior & Exterior. Est. 1984. 01258-471037. 07903-069556.
RANGE COOKER REPAIRS Gas and Electric. Local company with local engineers. We also repair Washing Machines, Ovens, Dishwashers &Tumble-dryers, 01202-934118
LES BENHAM PAINTING SERVICES
Property Maintenance Domestic/Commercial
Inside or Out
Fully Insured/Free Quotes 01258 458849/ 07788 907343 lesbenham@yahoo.co.uk / check a trade
will not be sending Christmas Cards this year. A donation will be sent to the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance.
Wishing a very happy Golden Wedding Anniversary
Tommy & Pam Miles.
13/12/1975-13/12/2025. Congratulations on reaching this milestone and celebrating 50 years of marriage. With love from your children Natasha, Lee and Lynette, Daughter in law Lizzie, Son in law Darren and your 5 grandchildren Samuel, Eleanor, Tilly, Tabby & Matthew xx
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Evergreens, 20 King John Road, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4PG, who died on 24/02/2025, must send written details to the address below by 06/02/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified
Fiona Thomas
c/o Farnfields Solicitors, The Square, Gillingham, SP8 4AX
Ref: HEP/90470-0001
Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 15 Hawkesdene, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8NT, who died on 29/09/2025, must send written details to the address below by 06/02/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified
Tom Gawler
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 2 Holland Way, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7RU, who died on 21/02/2025, must send written details to the address below by 06/02/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified
Sarah Hawtree
c/o Farnfields Solicitors, 4 Church Lane, Shaftesbury, SP7 8JT
Ref: SH 90507-1
Martin, June and the volunteers of Shaftesbury Car Link wish all our customers a peaceful and safe Christmas and Happy New Year
The telephone line will be closed from 4.00pm on Tuesday 23rd December 2025 until 9.00am on Monday 5th January 2026
There will be a reduced number of volunteers between Christmas and New Year for pre-booked appointments only ALL COMMUNICATIONS INCLUDING TELEPHONE, EMAIL, TEXT AND WHATSAPP WILL THEREFORE BE UNANSWERED. ALL PRE-BOOKED JOURNEYS WILL BE FULFILLED.
Shaftesbury Car Link are needing a volunteer (or volunteers) to assist with running the scheme initially part-time but with a view to eventually taking over the scheme in its entirety as Martin and June intend to retire on or before the end of September 2026.
For further information or an informal chat please contact Martin and June on 07763 426664 or via email to shaftesburycarlink@gmail.com
Shaftesbury Car Link is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company No. 1509979.
c/o MacLachlan Solicitors Limited, 2 Salisbury Street, Shaftesbury, SP7 8EJ Ref: TG Stuckey 6724-4 90,000
J Lloyd trading as The Tally Ho of Flat 5, 280-282 Fulham Road, London SW10 9EW is applying for a licence to use Charleston Homes Ltd, Henstridge Airfield, The Marsh, Henstridge, Templecombe BA8 0TN as an operating centre for one goods vehicle and Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice.
A Guide to Making Representations is available at www.gov.uk/object-hgv-operator-licence.
of Tarrant Monkton. Peacefully at home on Saturday 22nd November 2025. The funeral service is to be held on Friday, 19th December 2025, 2:00pm at Lesley Shand Blandford Service Chapel. Donations are invited for Compassion In World Farming and MSF and can be made c/o Lesley Shand Funeral Services, 28 East Street, Blandford Forum, DT11 7DR 01258 453425 www.funeraldirector.co.uk/funeral/annie-colligan
Michael Norman
Passed away peacefully on 15th November 2025 at his home, aged 77 years. Very much loved Brother, Uncle, Cousin, Step Nephew and Friend to many.
Funeral Service to be held at Salisbury Crematorium on Wednesday 10th December 2025 at 1.00pm. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for The Haemophilia Society, may be made c/o Colin J Close Funeral Service, Peel Close, Salisbury Road, Blandford, DT11 7JU. Tel: 01258 453133
Jenny of Sturminster Newton sadly passed away on 9th November 2025 at Nazareth Lodge , aged 76 years. Beloved Wife of Jeff, devoted Mother, Mother-in-law, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Sister, Sister-in-law and friend to so many. Funeral Service at Yeovil Crematorium on Tuesday 16th December at 12pm. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for Parkinsons UK, may be sent to Grassby & Close Funeral Service, 4 Innes Court, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1BB, Tel: 01258 471024 or made online by visiting www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.ug
Ron of Sturminster Newton took off on his final flight on 19th November 2025, aged 83 years. Much respected and loved husband, father, Grumps and friend. Funeral Service at St Mary’s Church Sturminster Newton on Monday 15th December at 12pm, no dress code. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for Parkinsons UK and The Exchange (Sturminster Newton) may be sent to Grassby & Close Funeral Service, 4 Innes Court, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1BB, Tel: 01258 471024 or made online by visiting www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk
passed away peacefully in Dorchester Hospital 10th November aged 87yrs. She joins her husband Jim Fox who passed away in 2021. With love from Marianna, Aaron, Emma and Matthew your children. Private funeral on the 12th December. May they rest in peace
Of Sutton Montis. On 20th November 2025. Suddenly at Yeovil District Hospital. A much loved Husband of Anna, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle and Friend. Funeral Service at Holy Trinity Church, Sutton Montis. On Wednesday 17th December at 2pm. Followed by interment in the churchyard. Family flowers only please. Donations in memory of Martin are being invited for, Sight Savers, C/o Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22-7ES. Telephone: 01963-440367
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Celia on 22nd November at Weldmar Hospice, Dorchester. Much loved wife, mum, sister, auntie and friend. Remembered for her kindness, humour and generosity. A celebration of Celia’s life will be held at Harbour View Crematorium on Tuesday 16th December at 2.30pm. Friends are warmly invited to join us in remembering her. For full notice please view online at www.tapperfuneralservice.co.uk
Of Shaftesbury.
Passed away peacefully on 21st November 2025 in The Malthouse Care Home, aged 91 years. Wife of the late Reg, a loving Mum, Gran and Great Gran who will be sorely missed.
Funeral service takes place at Salisbury Crematorium on Friday, 12th December at 11.00am. No flowers please but donations if desired for The Stars Appeal, SDH or Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU.
Tel: 01747 853532. Please make cheques payable to the individual charity of choice.
Any family or friends who are unable to attend the service are welcome to attend a gathering at The Royal Chase Hotel, Shaftesbury at 1.00pm.
Passed away peacefully in hospital on 24th November 2025 aged 83 years. Beloved husband of Valerie. He will be sadly missed by all of his family and friends Funeral Service at St George’s Church, Fovant on Thursday 11th December 2025 at 2.00pm. Family flowers only please but donations for The Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance c/o Chris White 12 South Street Wilton SP2 OJS
Passed away peacefully at Fern Brook Lodge Care Home, on 22nd November, aged 78 years. Barry will be sadly missed by all his loving family and friends. Funeral service to take place at Yeovil Crematorium, on Friday 19th December at 14:00.
Family flowers only please. Donations for Fern Brook Lodge may be sent by cheques made payable to Care South and sent to The Co-operative Funeralcare, 2 High Street, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4QT
Peacefully on 13th November 2025, at home in Purse Caundle, aged 95 years. Lifelong partner of Jeanne Blatcher. Dearly loved friend and teacher to many.
Funeral service at St. Peter’s Church, Purse Caundle, date to be arranged. All enquiries to Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Henstridge. Tel: 01963 362570 peterjacksonfuneralservices.co.uk
Died peacefully on 25th November 2025 aged 90, after receiving wonderful care at Coneygar Lodge Residential Home in Bridport.
Beloved wife of the late Tony Jenkins, much loved mother to Amanda and Della, grandmother to James and Harry and great-grandmother to Paloma.
Myrtle started her nursing career at St Bartholomews in London, continued in Singapore after marrying Tony then moved to Malaysia. After moving back to Dorset in 1979, Myrtle resumed her nursing career at the former West Dorset Health Authority until her retirement in 1994 when she and Tony moved to Cornwall where she enjoyed spending time with her two grandsons.
A private service will be held to celebrate her life.
Peacefully passed away at home on 18th November 2025, surrounded by his family.
Beloved Husband, Father, Father-in-law, Grandad and Brother He will be greatly missed.
former Dentist of Blandford. Passed away peacefully at home on 3rd November 2025
A much loved husband, dad and grandad The funeral service has already taken place
of Fonthill Bishop. Passed away peacefully at Salisbury Hospital, on 22/11/2025 aged 93 years. Cremation at Salisbury Crematorium, On Tuesday 16th December at 12 noon Donation in aid of Cancer Research UK At Chris White Funeral Services. Wilton
Aged 87 years of Templecombe. On the 21st November 2025 peacefully at Elliscombe House Nursing Home, Holton. A much loved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt and friend.
Funeral service at Yeovil Crematorium on Wednesday 10th December at 11:20am. Family flowers only please, donations in memory of Doreen are being invited for Arthritis Research UK. C/o Harold F Miles Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES. Tel: 01963 440367.
When your family suffers the loss of a loved one, we are here to support, guide and reassure youevery step of the way
Please call Teresa or Daniel for an appointment
100 Lenthay Road, Sherborne DT9 6AG Email: info@wsbrister.com 01935 812647
Woodside Court, Woodside Dairy Yard, Sparkford BA22 7LH Email: info@wsbrister.com 01963 850165
www.wsbrister.com
Peel Close, BLANDFORD FORUM Tel: 01258 453133 www.close-funeral.co.uk
Peel Close, BLANDFORD FORUM
Tel: 01258 453133 www.close-funeral.co.uk
Innes Ct, STURMINSTER NEWTON Tel: 01258 471024
Innes Ct, STURMINSTER NEWTON Tel: 01258 471024 www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk
www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk
27a High Street, SHAFTESBURY
27a High Street, SHAFTESBURY
Tel: 01747 440815 www.grassbyshaftesbury-funeral.co.uk GRASSBY & CLOSE
Tel: 01747 440815
• Unattended funerals starting from £995
• Unattended funerals starting from £995
• Tailored and unique Attended Funerals
• Tailored and unique Attended Funerals
• Prepaid funeral plans also available
• Prepaid funeral plans also available
• Local knowledge and expertise with a reputation for quality that is second to none
• Local knowledge and expertise with a reputation for quality that is second to none
• Reassurance that your loved one will be looked after with utmost care and professionalism
• Reassurance that your loved one will be looked after with utmost care and professionalism
Gillingham Town Council
An opportunity to join our friendly Town Hall team
Newbury, Gillingham SP8 4QL Tel: 01747 822494
Newbury, Gillingham SP8 4QL Tel: 01747 822494
Available 24 hours a day.
Newell, Sherborne DT9 4EZ Tel: 01935 813479
Newell, Sherborne DT9 4EZ Tel: 01935 813479
Find us at: dignityfunerals.co.uk/local
Available 24 hours a day. Find us at: dignityfunerals.co.uk/local
The role involves administrative and research support in the preparation and delivery of the Town Council’s strategic documents. This includes gathering and managing information, coordinating consultation activities and assisting in the drafting of reports and other public documents
20 hours per week
Working days/hours to be agreed - will include occasional evenings/ weekends
23 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays/Statutory days (pro rata) Local Government Pension Scheme
Further information and application details can be found on our website: www.gillinghamdorset-tc.gov.uk/recruitment
Closing date for applications: Sunday 21 December 2025 PART-TIME ADMINISTRATOR 2 YEAR FIXED TERM CONTRACT
by Susanna Curtin
AS the year marches towards its finale, the countryside is steadily retreating deeper into its winter slumber. The hedgerows have shrunk back to their bones. But there, scrambling over them, is one plant that never ceases to catch my attention in the dark, grey weeks that lead up to Christmas, and that is our very own native clematis, Clematis vitalba, otherwise known as Old Man’s Beard, or the more poetic Traveller’s Joy, so called by a herbalist, John Gerard, in the 16th century for “decking and adorning ‘waies’ and hedges where people travel”.
Clematis vitalba is a tall, climbing and rather persistent wild plant. From July to September, it has very pretty clusters of cream-coloured and fragrant flowers which have four petal-like sepals and very prominent stamens. Their intricate beauty is easily overlooked, but once noticed, they are indeed a joy to behold for any traveller. But it is now, in this steely, wintry sunlight that
Tarzan-like swings. These tough stems, that can grow as thick as our wrists, have been used since the Stone Age to make baskets and ropes.
the plant is at its most conspicuous as shafts of low light shine through the masses of feathery, smoke-like seedheads that cluster and straggle the hedgerows. Walking down a familiar ride in the bright winter sunshine today, I stop to marvel at its abundance.
Just like the clematis varieties that we plant in our gardens, this vigorous plant uses its leaf stems to support its journey by entwining them around shrubs and trees. It is a rambling vine which apparently can grow faster than ivy and can reach up to nearly 100ft towards the light in a dense woodland. In such a forest, you may have seen the rope-like stems that hang from the canopies of the host tree, sometimes almost reaching the ground. As children, we would imagine that we were in a jungle, and if the vine was strong and old enough to take our weight, we would try our
Travellers Joy
The plant is more commonly found in the south of England and parts of Wales but gets less common the further north you travel. It prefers chalky or limestone soils and loves to seed in hedgerows, woodland edges and scrubby grasslands. Although considered invasive by many, it is vitally important for wildlife. For it is the sole foodplant for several of our moth species such as one of my favourites, the small emerald, as well as the small-waved umber and Haworth’s pug. The flowers provide nectar for bees and hoverflies, and the seeds are sought after by the gold and green finches that flock together in winter in fast, chattering squadrons flitting from hedgerow to hedgerow. Above all, given its rampant nature, clematis vitalba offers a unique habitat. The fuzzy seedheads deliver cover and nesting material for birds while also providing shelter for overwintering insects.
Given its prevalence and its nature, it is not surprising that this interesting species appears in our rich and varied folklore. It was considered a guardian of the road and a source of good luck by bringing joy to a weary traveller, especially in late summer when it is in bloom, and then again in these winter months with its intriguing smoke-like appearance. On the
other hand, its aggressive habit and ability to smother other plants has provoked its name of Devil’s Guts or Devil’s Twister – a place overrun with it was seen as being neglected or bewitched. Personally, I prefer the former. For me, it is a plant that gladdens my heart. In some counties, notably Wiltshire and Hampshire, rural lore held that hedges abundant in Traveller’s Joy kept fields safe and marked a ‘content and well-kept’ boundary linking to the wider concept of the plant as a shelter, a threshold and a safe passage for the traveller. It is even said in witchcraft folklore, that dried seedheads should be worn as a protection against being led astray. This led to it being carefully woven into charm bundles carried by long-distance walkers, symbolising lightness of journey and protection from misfortune.
I don’t intend to be led astray today or suffer any misfortune, but I cannot help myself collecting a small bundle to adorn a winter display for my mantlepiece. I love the plant’s tenacity, resilience and adaptability – qualities we all need to harness in today’s world. Maybe it is for that reason that I like to incorporate the seedheads in my display of Christmas foliage, for it to sit alongside the mistletoe and soften the edges of the holly and ivy. This time of year can feel devoid of colour and texture, so to stop and marvel at this adaptable, changeable vine gives any traveller pleasure, especially as the setting sun shimmers through its fine seedy tendrils. n Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com).
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by Nicole Asghar
AS the end of the year is upon us, we are often faced with a sense of uncertainty, something I’ve come to realise asks more of us than we realise. It stretches our sense of safety, stirs old fears and can leave us feeling unsteady. Yet the capacity to stay with the unknown, without rushing to fix it or retreat from it, is one of the most transformative skills we can embody.
It begins with the simple act of meeting ourselves exactly where we are. Not where we think we should be, and not where others expect us to be. Just here, in this moment, with whatever mix of emotions is present. When we meet ourselves with compassion, something softens and the tension of self-judgment loosens.
Compassion gives us permission to be human. Of course, uncertainty rarely feels comfortable. It often brings discomfort in waves – doubt, longing, frustration,
hope, fear. We often want to avoid or erase it, but what if we found ways to withstand it? By staying with the discomfort instead of abandoning ourselves, we slowly expand our ability to hold the challenging emotions uncertainty brings. We build a kind of inner endurance, a quiet trust that we can navigate far more than we once believed.
Each moment of compassion, each intentional exhale that helps us release the desire for control or self-criticism, becomes a small act of courage and care. Over time, these small acts accumulate. They remind us that while we can’t always choose certainty, we can choose how we meet ourselves within the uncertainty.
There have been times when I worried that uncertainty was going to destroy everything in my life – it felt that strong. It didn’t, because I learned to see uncertainty differently. It stopped feeling like a threat and became more like an invitation into growth. The potential for
by Fiona Chapman
I SUPPOSE it is about time we had some cold weather to kill off all the nasty bugs that seem to be hanging around. But it is quite a shock to the system and there have been mad panics in my house trying to find gloves and scarfs.
I come and go a bit with herbs for myself – it is easy to recommend them for other people, but not so easy to find the time to make up prescriptions for myself. All the herbs I harvested and dried in
summer have been made into a delicious, if strong, tea and this has inspired me to be a bit more active and to look after myself so that I don’t succumb to a dreadful lurgy. As I have mentioned before, if it is possible to eat herbs and incorporate them into everyday life and food, it makes it very easy. With that in mind, I bought some dried Schizandra chinensis berries which I use either whole as a
need not be a threat, it can be an invitation to growth
growth is something we can believe in, and something we can influence. Moving into the unknown with a sense of courage, that maybe, ‘it will all be okay’, felt like the only way forward.
Sometimes it’s in therapy, sometimes it’s with our friends or family, but we can begin to see, and perhaps even believe, that we have everything we need within us to find the way forward.
Ultimately, we can hold uncertainty, when we can start
tea or ground up in a coffee grinder to make a powder to add to my newly discovered overnight oats.
Schizandra is what we call an adaptogen. The berries have five flavours which, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are very important –they are sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty, which benefit all the Yin organs, the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs and spleen.
Because it has been considered such a useful and powerful herb, it has had a lot of research done on it.
An adaptogen helps the body adapt to stressors. In the case of schizandra, it has an amphoteric effect on blood pressure which means it either raises it if too
to hold ourselves. It becomes less about enduring it and more about trusting that we will find our way – one slow exhale and compassionate step at a time. If you have any thoughts on this topic, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to get in touch. n Nicole Asghar is a Dorsetbased therapist working online and around Bournemouth. Specialising in neurodivergence, trauma and yoga. Get in touch via nicole@ourluminousminds. com or www.ourluminousminds. com
low or lowers it if too high, so normalises it.
It also protects the liver by increasing glutathione, a major liver antioxidant, and helps regenerate the liver cells. It is also extremely good for the nervous system, calming it down while improving mental clarity. It is great for the immune system, especially when it is depleted, and is used for cancer and HIV. It is astringent, so dries up excess fluid in the body, and can be added to formulas for wet coughs and COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is an amazingly effective herb, but you do have to be prepared for the five tastes – it takes some getting used to!
n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist (email Pellyfiona@gmail.com).
DISHWASHERS may appear clean on the surface, but food particles, grease and limescale can build up posing a significant hygiene risk.
Dr Richard Anderson, head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training, said: “A poorly maintained dishwasher can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mould, which accumulate in warm,
I THOUGHT I’d demonstrate some easy canapés to make at home for Christmas Eve drinks or before lunch on Christmas Day.
You can get the kids to help too with these ones.
Figs wrapped in Parma ham with basil oil for six
1 large fig – halve and then cut each half into thirds (nip off the stem and its bottom)
2 slices of Parma ham – slice each into three ribbon strips
6 micro basil leaves or ribbons
1 lid cap of basil oil
Salt and peppers
On a chopping board, drizzle the fig with a little oil and wrap it quite tightly with a strip of Parma ham.
Garnish with a basil leaf.
Scatter a little Maldon salt from a height over the finished figs and add a good grind of black pepper over them all.
Lightly grate the figs with Parmesan cheese, if you like.
Transfer onto a silver serving dish or black slate.
n Annie des Forges, DirectorChef, The Table Bruton; Annie
moist areas like filters and seals.
“This not only leads to unpleasant odours but can also cause blockages, reduce energy efficiency, shorten the lifespan of the appliance and lead to poor food hygiene.”
Key cleaning tips for a spotless dishwasher:
Check the filter weekly: The filter is the number one culprit for trapping food debris and
Austin, Director-Host and Concierge, Somerset Roadtrip. Email annie@thetablebruton. com; phone 07834 487381; find
more of Annie’s recipes and about her private catering on Instagram at thetablebruton and anniedesforges
causing bad smells. Ensure you clean your dishwasher filter regularly to prevent bacteria build-up.
Run a monthly deep clean: To tackle hidden grease and limescale, a monthly maintenance wash is essential. It is advised to run an empty, hot cycle with either a cup of white vinegar in a bowl on the top rack or a dedicated dishwasher cleaner.
Use natural cleaning hacks: Placing a half-cut lemon on the top rack can break down grease and add a fresh scent, while sprinkling bicarbonate of soda in the base can help remove stains and odours.
Don't forget hidden areas: Grime loves to hide in the rubber door seals and edges. You can wipe these down with warm, soapy water to remove grease and prevent mould.
Solve cloudy glasses: For those in hard water areas, regularly using vinegar or a limescale remover is key to preventing cloudy marks on dishes and glassware, as well as
protecting the machine's heating element.
Dr Anderson added:
"Regularly cleaning your dishwasher is a simple process that protects your family's health and keeps your kitchen running smoothly.
“By following these steps, you'll get spotless dishes every time and extend the life of your appliance, saving you money in the long run.”
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ONE of the south’s most popular motoring events, the Dorset Blind Association Motor Show, returns for its 10th anniversary at Lulworth Castle next May.
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The 2026 show promises to be the biggest and best yet, featuring hundreds of vehicles – from classic cars and sports cars to show-stopping supercars. Visitors can also enjoy live entertainment, family-friendly activities, artisan stalls and local food vendors.
families and the local community for a day of spectacular vehicles, entertainment and fun – while raising vital funds for people living with sight loss across Dorset.”
Car owners are encouraged to book early, as exhibitor spaces sell out quickly each year. Entry for exhibitors is £17 per person, which includes vehicle display space, a breakfast roll, hot drink and access to Lulworth Castle.
15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road
Blandford DT11 8ST Tel: 01258 459798
Blandford DT11 8ST Tel: 01258 459798
15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road
Email info@sunriseservicecentre.com www.sunriseserviceandmotcentre.com
Email sunriseservicecentre@hotmail.com www.sunriseserviceandmotcentre.com SUNRISE SERVICE & MOT CENTRE
2016 (65) Audi A5 Coupe 1.8TFSi S Line Nav 2dr. Sat nav, park sensors, cruise control, leather, heated seats, road sign assistance, Bluetooth, 92,900 miles................................................................................£8650
2017 (17) Ford KA+ 1.2 Zetec 5dr. 85bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, parking sensors, cruise control, hill hold, air con, Bluetooth, upto 56mpg economy, small exterior with a spacious interior, 76,900 miles ....................................£6450
2017 (17) Ford Ka+ 1.2 Zetec 5dr. £35 road tax, 56mpg economy, city pack, parking sensors, cruise control, Bluetooth, 1 owner & only 29,300 miles.......£7450
2012 (62) Ford Ka 1.2 Studio 3dr. 69bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, £35 yearly tax, 50+mpg, simple car with basic spec, cambelt replaced, MOT Nov 2025, private sale on behalf of a customer, 73,500 miles .......................................£2950
2014 (14) Ford EcoSport 1.5TDCi Titanium X Pack SUV 5dr. High seating, leather, X pack, parking sensors, cruise control, Bluetooth, £35 tax, cambelt kit replaced, 87,800 miles................................................................£5450
2014 (14) Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi Titanium X AWD 4x4 SUV 5dr. 163bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, 4x4, high seats, leather, heated seats, heated screen, sat nav, park sensors, auto park, reverse camera, sunroof, auto lights & wipers, cruise, lane aid, sign recognition, hill hold, electric tailgate, cambelt replaced, 92,500 miles .........£7450
2021 (21) Ford Puma 1.0T ST Line X MHEV 5dr. 155bhp, sat nav, parking sensors, cruise control, main beam assist, road sign assistance, Bluetooth, partial leather, 47,800 miles.....................................£13250
“We’re thrilled to be hosting the Dorset Blind Association Motor Show for its 10th anniversary,” said Samantha Baker, community relations officer. “This milestone is a fantastic opportunity to bring together car enthusiasts,
Last year’s event was a huge success, attracting more than 6,000 visitors, 250-plus vehicles and raising in excess of £37,000 in support of the Dorset Blind Association’s services.
Gary Neild, CEO of Blue Sky Financial Planning, the event’s Platinum Sponsor, said:
2009 (59) Renault Clio 1.5DCi Expression Sport Tourer Estate 5dr. Bargain clearance car, MOT Nov 26, £35 tax, 64mpg, 1 owner, full history including original bill of sale, full cambelt kit replaced, 160,500 miles......................................£1500
2006 (06) Mercedes-Benz CLK200 1.8 Kompressor Sport Automatic Convertible 2dr. 163bhp, petrol, 5 speed auto gearbox, recent new roof & shocks absorbers, full history, 15 stamps, heated leather, electric roof, auto lights & wipers, cruise, park sensors, MOT June 25, private sale on behalf of a customer, 77,500 miles ...........................................................................................................£4250
2024 (74) Suzuki Swift 1.2 Ultra MHEV Automatic 5dr. Sat nav, parking sensors, reverse camera, adaptive cruise control, heated seats, main beam assist, road sign assist, blind spot assist, 10,500 miles..........................................£17950
2015 (65) Peugeot 308 1.2THP Allure Automatic 5dr. 130bhp, petrol, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, park sensors, reverse camera, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, hill hold, only £35 a year road tax, 50+mpg economy, cambelt has been replaced, 69,500 miles..............................................................DUE IN SOON
2016 (16) Vauxhall Mokka 1.6CDTi Tech Line Automatic SUV 5dr. High seating, big boot, sat nav, cruise, parking sensors, Bluetooth, 93,500 miles..................................................................................Available soon £5450
2005 (55) Ford Focus 1.4 LX 5dr. Bargain clearance car, MOT March 26, not perfect but it’s a nice genuine car with service history including cambelt change at 46k, only 58,800 miles..................................................................................£1350
2020 (69) Ford Tourneo Custom 2.0TDCi Titanium 320 L1 H1 Automatic 9 Seat Minibus 5dr. 130bhp, diesel, 6 speed automatic gearbox, 8 seat plus driver, reversable seats for conference or forward facing, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, heated front seats, park sensors, cambelt replaced, 97,000 miles ............£21500 + VAT = £25800
2019 (19) Renault Captur 1.5DCi Iconic Automatic SUV 5dr. 90bhp, diesel, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, parking sensors, hill hold, high seating, sliding rear seats, upto 67mpg economy, 20,300 miles .........................................................................................................£12250
2018 (68) Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi ST Line SUV 5dr. High seating, big boot, sat nav, Bluetooth, road sign assist, cruise, park sensors & auto park, reverse camera, partial leather, 61,800 miles........................................................................£11750
2020 (69) Ford Transit 2.0TDCi Trend 350 MWB MR L2 H2 11 Seat Minibus 5dr. 130bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, 10 seat plus driver, 2 front seats, 9 rear seats, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, heated front seats, hill hold, cambelt replaced, 90,200 miles.........................£19500 + VAT = £23400
2014 (64) Kia Venga 3, 1.6 Automatic (Sat Nav) 5dr. 123bhp, petrol, 4 speed automatic gearbox, high seating, decent boot, sat nav, parking sensors & reverse camera, electric sunroof, partial leather, heated seats, cruise control, sign recognition, hill hold, only 38,800 miles........................................................£7850
2016 (66) Mazda 3, 2.0 SE-L Nav Automatic 5dr. 120bhp, petrol, 6 speed automatic gearbox, sat nav, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, sign recognition, heated seats, hill hold, 75,900 miles...................................£8450
2017 (17) Vauxhall Astra 1.4 SRi 5dr. 100bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, auto lights & wipers, parking sensors, cruise control, pre-collision assist, sign recognition, hill hold, Bluetooth, 63,600 miles ..............................................£6950
2016 (66) Vauxhall Mokka 1.6CDTi SE 4x4 SUV 5dr. 136bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, 4 wheel drive, high seating, big boot, heated leather seats, heated steering wheel, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, hill hold, performance & economy, upto 60mpg, 65,500 miles ....................................£7250
2023 (73) Vauxhall Vivaro 2.0TD 3100 Pro L2 Van 6dr. Sat nav, reverse camera, cruise control, air con, twin side doors, ply lined, bulkhead, exceptional condition, 21,300 miles, selling for a customer...............£17250 + VAT = £20700 WE BUY CARS & VANS SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL GIVE
“Blue Sky is proud to have supported the DBA Motor Show over many years. Hitting the 10th anniversary is a huge milestone, and we’re thrilled to be part of the celebrations again. It’s wonderful to see how the event has grown while raising funds for such vital local services.”
The show is on Sunday, May 17, with the showground open to the public at 10.30am with entry free for spectators.
Car owners wishing to exhibit their vehicles should visit DBAMotorShow2026. eventbrite.co.uk
For more information about attending, volunteering or sponsorship opportunities, contact Sam Baker at communityrelations@ dorsetblind.org.uk or phone 01202 712865.
Dorset Blind Association has supported people with sight loss across Dorset since 1918. The 10th anniversary Dorset Blind Association Motor Show is at Lulworth Castle in May
BLUE VW GOLF SE TDI. 99,000 miles. 12 months MOT. Annual Tax £20. Cam Belt changed recently.
by Lynn Broom BVSc, GPCert(ExAP), AdvDipAAB, MRCVS
MANY services are available to enhance pet care, such as trainers, behaviourists, pet sitting, physiotherapists and lots more. It is important to ensure the service you choose involves an appropriately qualified person who is correctly licensed and complies with current legal requirements.
Trainers can vary in their experience and approach. The current widely accepted techniques involve positive reinforcement. Approaches that involve correction and negative feedback have been proven to be less effective long-term. Many dogs’ behaviour issues are related to anxiety and chastising them for a behaviour may work in the short-term but will increase anxiety. Ensure the trainer you choose is qualified and has been
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Dog behaviourists specialise in managing behaviour problems. Ensure they are fully qualified and registered with a recognised Animal Behaviour society such as the ABTC. Many people will advertise themselves as behaviourists but, if they are not registered, you cannot be sure their approach will be appropriate. Groomers generally have different levels of qualifications. Investigate their qualifications and ensure you have personal recommendations. Meet the groomer first to ensure you approve of their methods and how they will handle your dog. Be clear with your requirements to ensure there is no misunderstanding such as whether to trim hair between toes or to leave hair on the tail, for instance.
Dog physiotherapists and
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hydrotherapists can provide preventative and supportive care for active dogs or those with, for instance, arthritis. They can aid recovery from surgery and maintain muscle strength to support damaged joints. Therapists should contact your veterinary surgery first to ensure they are aware of the issue to be treated as well as other disease processes or medications.
Dog walkers are required to have liability insurance and pet first aid skills. Meet them first and introduce them to your dog to ensure that you like their approach and understand your pet’s needs. Again, recommendations are helpful.
Kennels and catteries have to be licensed and meet certain conditions. Ensure the one you are considering using fully complies and visit first to ensure you are happy with the
accommodation and cleanliness. Ideally, put your pet in for one night initially to see how they cope. Clarify if your pet has specific dietary requirements or is on daily medication. Agree on what you want to happen if your pet becomes unwell while you are away.
Dog sitters range from informal agreements to licensed companies. Ensure you know what you need for your own peace of mind and plan for what might go wrong.
Using pet professionals can be worry free if you do your research. You often get what you pay for, but not always, so check qualifications, society registrations and get recommendations. Pet services are a personal choice and you need to ensure you are leaving your beloved pet with someone you trust.
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THE first cold snaps of winter have already hit the south west, and with more sure to come, animal welfare charity the RSPCA has issued tips to help owners keep animals safe and happy during cold weather.
RSPCA pet welfare expert and veterinary nurse, Lauren Bennett, said: “The cold weather seems to have suddenly sprung upon us so please spare a thought for our animal friends who may be feeling the chill this winter. We can all take simple steps to help keep our pets, farmed animals and wildlife safe this winter, and if we all do our bit, we can create a better world for every kind.”
Top cold weather tips:
n If your dog feels the chill, you can buy a special coat or jumper to keep them warm when you’re out walking. Make sure it fits well and that they can still go to the toilet freely.
n When walking your dog or riding your horse in the dark, wear reflective clothing.
n Keep your pet dog away from frozen ponds, lakes or rivers, which can pose a danger, and check their paws when you get back from walking to ensure they’re not covered in grit and don’t get impacted with snow.
n Ensure cats have constant access to the house or to a warm, indoor area such as an outbuilding or barn, and keep their bedding warm, dry and away from draughts.
n Anti-freeze and rock salt are poisonous to pets, so keep any stored products out of their reach. If you’re concerned your pet may have ingested anything they shouldn’t, speak to your vet immediately.
n Keep a close eye on outdoor pets like rabbits and guinea pigs, and consider moving them inside if the temperature drops, but try to give them lots of time and space to exercise properly. If outside, give them lots of extra bedding and protect their
home from adverse weather with covers. Keep them in hutch with a sloped roof which should be in a sheltered position raised off the ground by four inches.
n If you keep pet birds in aviaries, coops or runs, then you should also protect them from the cold weather. Provide plenty of dry, warm bedding such as straw and cover enclosures to keep the wind and rain out. Birds will eat more to keep warm in cold conditions, so ensure they always have access to plenty of food and fresh water, ensuring water does not freeze over.
n If you have a fish pond, check it every day to make sure the surface is not entirely frozen as poisonous gases can build up under the ice. Don’t break the ice as this can harm the fish but carefully place a saucepan of hot water on the surface to gently melt a hole in the ice. Never tip boiling water straight onto the pond, as this can also harm or kill any fish living there. And never try to use anti-freeze or salt to thaw frozen ponds or birdbaths.
n Wildlife may need an extra helping hand during tough, winter conditions. Birds can struggle to find food during the winter months, so to help them stay strong over this period, householders can leave out extra food for them. That could include suitable seeds and grains such as oats and sunflower seeds, cooked pasta or rice, boiled potatoes, cheese or uncooked unsalted bacon rind, raisins and sultanas, net-free fat or suet balls, apples, pears and soft fruits, insects such as mealworms or waxworms.
n Carefully check any wood or leaf piles for wild animals such as hedgehogs, frogs and mice before lighting any fires or bonfires. If you find wild animals in hibernation, be sure to leave them be.
n For details, please call the helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website, www.cats.org.uk/middorset n Farm and stable homes needed for outside cats
Blandford 2
Gosport Borough 2s 1
by Paul Cross
ON a wet and blustery day, Blandford set their sights on another three points and the opportunity to match their female counterparts at the top of their league.
Gosport Borough 2s, despite languishing towards the bottom of the table, were fresh off a 4-0 win and were not to be underestimated.
Blandford were on top in the early stages, playing direct.
Theo Browning’s movement, Gaz Hardiman’s presence and Paul Cross’s surging runs linked to great effect. However, a combination of Blandford rustiness and quality goalkeeping from Gosport kept them at bay.
Five minutes in and Blandford’s first big opportunity. A ball into Hardiman, an off-the-ball run from Cross to draw the defence and a sweet strike culminated in a magnificent save from the
Gosport keeper.
Blandford pressed again on nine minutes when a strong pass into the D from Matty Lewis found Hardiman in space. He had time to control the ball and waited for the Gosport keeper to charge off his line before coolly lifting it over his head.
Blandford maintained the pressure, shutting down the centre of the pitch and restricting Gosport to halfchances.
Blandford had to stay on their game, as the Gosport striker got in behind the home defence. A pinpoint pass found him and only Clint Thrower’s heroics prevented the teams going into the break on level terms.
As the match resumed, Blandford initially maintained their dominance, but cracks began to show. Gosport maintained their positive attitude and teamwork, and as the game started to swing in
by Graham Howard
LUCKFIELD Lake was the venue for the final round of Dorchester & District Angling Society’s 2025 Junior Championship.
Four points separated the two main contenders for the title, one of whom was also fighting a third junior for the title of Silverfish Champion.
All 10 pegs were filled for the match but the day started slowly with only a few small fish caught in the first hour.
After a quiet period midmatch, a few larger species like bream and tench started showing, along with a few carp.
Sadly, for those that caught them, the carp were returned unrecorded, as it was a silverfish-only match.
Kenzie Toulson was match winner with a big bream and some tench for 14lb 10oz. Second went to junior newcomer Dougie Francis with some fine roach for 9lb 8oz, and Jayce Hardware missed out on second by just two ounces with two bream for 9lb 6oz.
Alfie Ellis fished his heart out to try and wrestle the Silverfish Championship from Josh Roe, but Roe came out on top to claim the trophy.
In the main Championship, both contenders ended up level on points after 12 matches throughout the year, but Roe was again victorious thanks to his four wins over Austin Scott-Kennedy’s two.
their favour, Blandford’s composure crumbled.
50 minutes in and Blandford were finally punished, when Mike Higgins was left free in the D to finish.
Cross words, tossed sticks, Blandford’s ill-discipline saw them lose two players, before they were joined by one of Gosport’s, and suddenly the game opened up with opportunities coming for both sides.
Five minutes later, Blandford finally got the chance their first half efforts deserved. A Gosport
tackle fell to Cross who fed a screaming Tom Tridgell at the top of the D. His effort slotted into the corner to put Blandford back in front.
Gosport kept going and twice found space behind Blandford’s defence, but their efforts failed to get the results they deserved. Wins for both Blandford sides places both the Men and the Ladies at the top of their leagues and mean that Blandford and Sturminster Hockey remain the only club in Great Britain with unbeaten Men’s and Women’s sections.
Pitching In Southern League Division 1 (South) Mousehole AFC 1 Shaftesbury 1 by Avril Lancaster
THE Rockies had previously lost 4-1 and 5-1 to their bogey side this season, but that was before Shaftesbury hit five straight league wins.
The visitors endured a long afternoon with both Alefe Santos and Brandon Mundy receiving reds.
Santos put Shaftesbury ahead with a penalty and Harry Baker made way for Mundy as they fought to defend their slim lead.
But the two red cards turned the tide.
Mousehole dominated and Shaftesbury finally succumbed to a 95th minute goal by James
Ward to deny them three points. However, it was an away point, and their first draw of the season.
Manager, Jim Milligan, was not happy about the red card decisions but the team showed resilience to hold on for a draw against dangerous opponents.
MARTINSTOWN Cricket Club
were bowled over when they were announced as winners of the Jack Douch Trophy for cricket in the community at the Dorset Cricket Board presentation evening.
Henry Lewis accepted the award and the cheque for £500 at the event at Hamworthy Club, near Wimborne.
The annual award in Jack Douch’s memory was presented by grandson Nick, who now runs the family business, Douch Family Funeral Directors.
Jack loved the sport and was well-known across the county for his enthusiasm and encouragement he gave to all the clubs.
wide range of youth activities.
“We share our ground with two local schools, one of which we also share fundraising activities with.
“We have started girls’ teams, hosted a girls’ festival and we’ve become a Disability Champion Club.
Martinstown’s community efforts saw the judging panel select them ahead of Wimborne CC and Broadstone CC.
Henry Lewis, from Martinstown CC, said: “We have a number of dedicated volunteers who give their time and expertise.
“For several years we have been progressing both on and off the pitch and we now offer a
THE Dorset Road Race League (DRRL) season has drawn to a close, with the Dorset Doddlers celebrating another year of commitment, consistency and strong performances across the county.
The league features 12 races ranging from 5km to marathon distance, with team positions decided by the first three women and the first four men across the line in each event.
This year, the Doddlers’ women’s team, competing in Division 2, secured an impressive 4th place, ensuring their place in the division for
another season.
Their success was led by Emma Mogridge, who delivered an outstanding year to finish as the top female runner in the league, completing the seven races required to qualify for the overall standings.
Emma was strongly supported throughout the season by Charley Mack, whose consistent performances proved crucial in the club’s late-season push to stay up.
The men’s team, newly promoted into Division 2 last
“Our ground plays host to the Hardy half-marathon as well as hosting a range of school and community activities.
“And we will be reducing our carbon footprint by installing solar panels.
“We are extremely grateful to Douch Family Funeral Directors, and the money will be spent on helping provide the best facilities we can.”
Nick Douch said: “My grandfather would have been
year, continued to build on their momentum by finishing 3rd in the division.
Their campaign was anchored by a core quartet: Rich White – 5th overall and 2nd in the M40–44 category; Ed Rees – 4th in M36–39; Charlie Coleman – 2nd in M25–29; and club captain Ian Barnes – 4th in M60–64.
These runners were supported throughout the season by many other Doddlers who stepped in across various fixtures, contributing valuable points to keep the team competitive.
Away from racing, the Dorset Doddlers offer structured training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday evening, alongside a popular Couch to 5K programme for beginners.
The club welcome runners of all abilities and ages whether they are new to running, returning after a break or keen to race in club colours.
For anyone looking to get fit, make friends or compete in the DRRL and other events, the Dorset Doddlers provides an encouraging environment for every runner.
For more information, visit https://dorsetdoddlers.org/
delighted with all the great things going on at Martinstown.
“They have worked extremely hard to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved – and to do so in a rural location makes it more impressive.
“Wimborne and Broadstone were also highly commended by the expert panel, and we are lucky to have so many clubs doing great things for their communities.”
WINCANTON Golf Club results.
Monthly Medal – November 16: 1 Rick Graham nett 73; 2 Richard Czemerda nett 79; 3 Nigel Orr nett 81.
Seniors Greensomes –November 18: 1 Phil Francis/ Chris Mieville – 37; 2 Kevin Bieda/Richard Strong – 34; 3 John Westaway/Kevin George – 33.
Seniors 9 Hole Greensomes – November 18: 1 Jim Bunce/ Tim Godfrey – 17; 2 Geoff Lye/ Dave Shean – 13 ocb; 3 Harry Eden/Jon Reed – 13.
Seniors Roll Up Stableford Back 9 – November 21: Winners : Phil Francis/John Westaway/Dave Hardiman - 42 points
Monthly Stableford –November 22: 1 Jim Phillips 31; 2 Steven Ireland 27; 3 David Whitehand 26.
Seniors Monthly Medal – November 25: 1 Philip Dewar nett 70; 2 Phil; Francis nett 73; 3 Chris Dibben nett 74.
Seniors Monthly Medal 9 Hole – November 25: 1 David Hallett nett 38; 2 Harry Eden nett 41; 3 Neil Auckland nett 44; 4 Jon Reed nett 45.
Seniors Roll Up Stableford Front 9 – November 28:
Winners: Andy Blandford / Richard Strong / David Hallett/ George Wagland – 50 points.
Monthly Medal – November 29: 1 Jim Phillips nett 74 ocb; 2 Richard Czemerda nett 74; 3 Mike Case nett 76.
COT AND MATTRESS, Hardly Used Excellent Condition, £90 (Sherborne), 07513 866504
TEN GALLON MILK CHURNS £95 each. Tel: 07588-053555
GUITARS, AMPS PRIVATE
SALE - MOVING ABROAD
Amps: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Champion 100, Marshal MG 50fx, Marshall Valvestate.
Guitars: Fender Special Squire Strat, Prs se std 24 08, Epiphone Les Paul, all in excellent condition.
Also available original rare Fender tilting Amp stand.
Large Fender tilting Amp stand, Large Fender shop display stand.
Call Jon for more details & prices 07796 531000
RANGEMASTER
Professional+FX cooker and cooker hood, vgc £500. 07810 156612
PAIR OF HARDLY USED
V0LT electric bikes. Ladies Burlington and Gents, Pulse 28’’ in excellent condition. Offers in excess of £600 Phone 01963 458045
WHEELCHAIR £60. Tel: 07427 691721
Ifor Williams GX 84 Plant Trailer, 8x4 internal, excellent condition, used privately to move ride on mower. £1950
Please call Jon 07796 531000
JEFF BANKS TROUSERS (JEANS STYLE) 30W & 29L, Zip Front, BACK POCKETS, £7.50, 01258-456400
3 BOXES OF GLASSES, 6 each sherry, wine, water. Never used. £5 per box or £12 for 3. 01747-838521.
BEAUTIFUL MUST SEE darlighting-hyperion black chrome&crystal LIGHT WITH CHAIN codeHYP0567 5 LIGHTS COST £300, £50 01747-822874
STAIR GATE FOR CHILD or pets. Little used .Excellent condition £20, Tunturi Exercise Bike. Sturdy, solid ,very good condition. with manual. Little used! £20 01258-817300
WILKINSON LAWN SHEARS like new, £12, Gillingham 07963-319751
1 x LARGE CHEST OF DRAWERS , good condition.£50, 07909-524497
3 OLD SEWING MACHINES job lot for £40 ONO. 01963-23412
GRANDPARENTS SELLING TRAVEL COT with mattress (bought separately) as new used twice £50 ono 01935 421313
BOSCH ELECTRIC HEDGE CUTTER £25.01935 814746
FARM TOYS Stable, Animals, and Farm Tractors.£15. - 01747 870778
WHEELBARROW, galvanised heavy duty, puncture proof wheel. £25. Incinerator galvanised 90 litre. £10. Phone 07765-635330
HIGHCHAIR, Good Condition, Folds Flat for Storage, £10 (Sherborne) 07513 866504
WALLPAPER PASTE TABLE £5, Phone 07765-635330
LARGE WHITE HERITAGE TEDDY bear still in package. £30. 01749-830241
BRAND NEW SPARE WHEEL for a Kia Sportage, fitted with a Hankook Optimo k415 tyre 225/60r17 99h - never used - £49. Tel: 07563 677169. (Gillingham)
M&S DINNER SUIT, 44” chest 40” waist. NEW. £40. 2 M&S evening shirts. 17” & 17.5” £5 each Tel: 01258-817136
SELECTION OF MEN’S CLOTHING. Trousers 30” waist inside leg 31”. Jacket suits and dinner jackets £50 01749 812940
MAC ALISTER ALUMINIUM folding platform, 60cmx30cmx0.47m high, £10, Tel 07951132253 Sparkford
LE MAX CHURCH(lights up) with several figures.(vicar, choir etc) Also an apartment building that lights up, with some figures. £45 the two. 01935 814404 (Sherborne)
ARSENAL engraved whisky glass, logo + motto . Presentation boxed. Never used. Ideal Christmas gift. £25. 07532-025256
SAITEK FLIGHT SIM YOKE & throttle quadrant as new £50 07890 545587
KENWOOD, Rice Cooker / Steamer, Good Condition £8, Tel 01985 844606
THOUSAND PIECE PUZZLES, excellent condition 01747 851296 speak clear and slow as hard of hearing £3 each
STAMPS, CHOICE OF THREE albums containing first day covers . £40 each 01747822422 lovely Xmas present
PINE 2 DRAWER 2 DOOR Sideboard £30 01935 872664
GOLF CARRY BAG with stand (Ben Sayers) Good condition. £20, 01747 840681
MAHOGANY DESKTOP 5ft 6”x3ft x1 1/4” thick. £20 ONO. Large toolbox 40”x14”x16” £20 ONO. Bundle wall ties £10. 01747-840835.
SINGLE BED FRAME. Solid pine. Needs 1 new slat otherwise very good condition. £30. Tel: 01258-454786
THOMAS THE TANK. Complete box set collection (68 books) excellent condition. £12.50 Tel: 01963-363255
HORNBY RAILWAY TRACK £25. 07791 847757
NEW HAND KNITTED baby cardigans. Various sizes and colours. £5 each. 01258-452118
CLOVERLEAF PEACHES & CREAM tea set (new) 6 tea plates, cups & saucers with milk jug and teapot £9.50. Oval mirror teak coloured surround 14.5” x 20”, surround 1.5” £5.50. 01258 452703
25 VARIES TOY CARS/VANS. In boxes,as new £2 each. 07593-750711
CHAIR BED, DARK GREENISH colour with black lines, never been slept on and as good as new condition wise. Bargain at £50, please phone 01202 822066
LARGE CHEST FREEZER FREE. Works well. Milborne Port. Can view. Tel: 01963 363455. Can leave a message on answer phone.
FULL LENGTH ELECTRIC BACK and neck massage mat. Used once. £50. ono. Tel: 01747-853913
PARTY SHOES SIZE 5. Jewelled/sequin top and leather lined. Kitten heel. Excellent condition: two pairs, one pair pink and another pair black. 2 pairs for £10. Tel:07485 107859 TOW BAR MOUNTED 2/3 bike rack with number plate mount. £16.00 - DT11 9PNTel.0258456400
NESS ELECTRIC OVEN. £50. Tel: 07588-053555
SIEMENS EXTRACTOR FAN. £25. Siemens Electric Hob. £25 Tel: 07742-189135
ROLLATOR WITH SEAT. Foldable. Great condition. £25 Gillingham 07588-562300
HIFI SEPARATES and Turntables, If you have these items gathering dust then why not sell them. Other HiFi Items considerered, Call Andrew on 07799-417711 CIGARETTE CARDS WANTED. Bought for cash. Fair prices paid. Phone Kevin. 07907-888672 WANTED
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
OLD BOOKS BOUGHT. Will call by appointment entirely without obligation. Bristow & Garland 07392 602014
by AJ Selby
“As a little girl living in the English countryside, I used to go running around in the forests creating my own fairytales.” Lily Collins –actress.
DECEMBER: the end of another year, a time to look back and reflect on the past 12 months and to look forward to the next. A still, cloudy and silent December day suits my mood at this time of year. All is dead and decaying and quiet, and everything has been put to bed – the garden is full of dormant plants that just a few short months ago were bursting with colour, the fields are a duller green, the surrounding hedgerows leafless and the woods are skeletal and bleak. All is sleeping.
And yet is there a better place to sit and reflect than in a winter wood on a still day, where the Beaufort Scale of 0, ‘smoke rises vertically’, is so
poetic that it can conjure up many images? In my own mind it’s a remote cottage on the edge of a wood, where there are billets stacked up in a lean-to and the fire is lit with the wisps of woodsmoke fingering into the sky. A hen or two is scratching around outside and in the kitchen garden some winter cabbages and leeks remain for eating on the coldest days.
Or it could be within the wood itself where a bodger or woodsman maintains a small fire to keep himself warm and boil his billycan for some hot drink or other. His fire is lit with the shavings of his labours, and offcuts from his coppicing keep the blaze going. How in-tune with nature is this nomad of the forest who sees much and hears even more. He knows where the badger has his set, and the tawny owl her nest in a dying oak, where to look for the ceps and
small flocks of a dozen or two, and it’s such fun to watch them.
It’s also a great time to watch the winter visitors from the far north – is there a better sign that winter is here than the fieldfare rooting around in old tufts of grass or perched on a may tree full of berries? His chack-chack echoes across the landscape and is quite distinctive, and very different to the other thrush that accompanies him, the redwing. His call is a dropping, scratchy song and he is less wary than his cousin – while atop a berried shrub you can get quite close to him and see the red flash on the flank below his wing, which extends to the underside of said wing, and his creamy eye-stripe.
chanterelles in autumn and the glades where the butterflies dance in high summer. He hears that lone tune of the robin in mid-winter that gladdens the heart and the cacophony of the dawn chorus in late spring when everything is so alive.
He takes each season as it comes and enjoys each in turn, and soon he will wait, as will I, for those very first signs that the year has turned and spring is imperceptibly starting to emerge from the leaf mould beneath our feet. The tiny shoots of celandine and perhaps snowdrops on forest floor, the catkins of alder, birch and hazel with their tiny flowers, and the slow increase in daylight. All that is to come in just a very few short weeks’ time.
But what of now? Midwinter is the time to observe the wildlife that is abroad at this time of year, made easier with leafless hedges and trees. I love to watch the long-tailed tits make their way down a hedge line, pausing to search for food in the bare branches and twigs, before moving on. They are gregarious birds often seen in
The best place to see lots of birds in winter is marshland, preferably coastal, where migratory birds congregate in large numbers, having arrived from the frozen north, and mingle with our permanent residents. These include not only the popular waders such as knot, dunlin, sanderling and turnstone, but also duck and geese, which alternate between tidal mudflats and pasture or, to the farmer’s chagrin, autumnsown cereals. Look out for the black and white oystercatcher with his bright red bill, and the redshank who wheels away alerting other birds with his sharp stabbing call that drifts over the marshes. Avocets are now more common than they were and other waders to observe, using a good field guide, include the sadly diminishing curlew, sandpiper, lapwing, godwit – two types –and ringed plover.
Wherever your winter walks take you there will still be something to see, something new to observe and hopefully something to surprise and delight you. Wrap up, dig out the binoculars, take your time to observe and enjoy! See you next year.
by Tria Stebbing
THE quiet time for the animals has given us breathing space to plan for the winter ahead, as well as lambing.
This year we have put more sheep than ever to the ram, the consequence being that we will need to be prepared. The field will need to be full of grass to turn the new lambs out on to, the barn will need to be empty of bales to set up the lambing pens, and the rest of the animals accommodated elsewhere, but within reach if needed.
If you think about wartime images of the map of Britain and strategically placed troops moving about you would be spot on!
With that in mind we will rest our fields but need to get the hay out now so that we do not have to drive across the fields when the grass is growing. The long-term forecast is for a tough winter, so preparation is the theme currently.
The animals are now scattered all over the place, in
fact, in five different locations.
This year’s ewe lambs are enjoying a large field to themselves, and Nova and Nirvana are behaving more and more like the sheep they should be and less like bottle-fed toddlers that have been too humanised. However, they are always first in the queue for head rubs and treats. Nirvana is still on the small side, still only six months old, so plenty of growing time ahead.
The ram lambs, of which there are fewer, are grazing locally. Overnight, they morphed into little rams – they spend their days head-butting each other and anyone else brave enough to venture into the paddock. One of the ram lambs is so large and clearly ‘able’ he has gone for a short holiday to meet some ladies.
At this time of year, the rams develop a smell, part of the physical and hormonal change associated with breeding season. Rams have scent glands next to their eyes – infraorbital sinus –and between their toes –
interdigital sinus – and during breeding season these glands increase in size and activity, producing a musky odour. The odour contains pheromones to stimulate the ewes and to communicate with them that the ram is ready.
The ram also has an increased sense of smell during this time, his nasal passages expanding to accommodate a larger area for detecting ewe pheromones.
Some rams smell muskier than others, but it is a vital part of successful breeding, and they do it all by themselves with no human intervention.
Both Humphrey and Lychett are with ewes and each has a very different approach – and yes, both smell! The ewes are fertile every 17 days and we
will leave the boys in for about six weeks to ensure that all have been covered.
Nature is fascinating. I have wondered how the little ram lamb knew what was required having not spent any time at all with adult rams – clearly instinct took over and he just knew.
The ewes too give signals out to the ram. As well as smelling differently, they crouch and urinate in front of the ram, giving a clear signal it is time.
The cold snap has meant we have now started to feed the hay we baled during the summer. The sheer joy on the faces of the Highland Cows as the first bale was deposited was a joy to see and certainly made the backbreaking harvest worthwhile.
by Ruth Kimber
IT’S great to see some frost and I hope it will kill off some of the germs and bugs floating around.
We have had good orders in for Thanksgiving, and the Christmas order book is filling up well, ahead of this time last year.
Growing turkeys is a speculative business but we have many regulars and each year more people join in. Whole birds are still the most popular, but crowns and rolls are also an important part of the job.
We always grow more than just for Christmas and have turkey available throughout the year.
Paul and I enjoy our
garden and spent a lovely bright autumn Monday cutting back, tidying, planting bulbs and putting away the more delicate plants – just in time, as it happens!
We, like many, are waiting to see what the Budget will bring – it seems the Government has no clue what impact the last Budget made. I can’t see it brought in the desired revenue but it added costs to business and drove away many businesses at the higher end abroad, losing their taxes completely.
As for the inheritance tax, genuine farmers have been targeted with a low valuation before 40% tax kicks in, when I think the Government was trying to dissuade
http://www.dorsethorsetransport.com Type 2 DEFRA Approved. Tel 07470 496074
SMALL BALE WHEAT STRAW collect/delivered Tel 07980-147019 / 01747-870360
TO RENT- DIY STABLES for 1-2 horses, yard, tack/feed room, all weather arena, grazing/paddocks, Holwell. Please contact Lisa 07710-182566.
Your business could be here for as little as £45 per week... *Based on our
investment in farms and land as an avoidance by rich non-genuine farmers. In both cases, it failed miserably.
I met an old friend in Kimber’s Kitchen this week, the wife of our old vet the late John Hudson. He was such a great guy. When we had a particularly difficult calving season many years ago, he not only looked after heifers, but Paul and I with love and care. The issue stemmed from a bull whose calves were too big, with shoulders that got stuck in the birthing channel. We lost several calves as a result and damaged the heifers for future seasons, spoiling their milk production into the bargain. Happily, nowadays, the testing of bulls for breeding purposes is more stringent and the calving ease score is foremost in selection of stock bulls for semen collection.
We have been collecting the Samaritan Christmas shoeboxes for distribution to
needy children across the world, whether through famine, war or displacement. Our local church filled 70 boxes. My sister, Jean, headed this up with a group of people who collected the contents and then filled the boxes one Monday morning during the regular coffee and chat session. Customers also filled boxes and some were brought to us as a collection centre. We then have to put the shoeboxes into age and gender groups and box them into a large box of 12, ready for collection. There is a lot of love and generosity in the community, quietly going on behind the scenes.
Most of the cattle are now housed for winter, just a few dry cows and some beef stores remaining outside to eat up the last of the autumn grass. The late growing season has made a good difference to winter stores and the establishment of next year’s crops.
Quick release couplings
Pressure wash hoses + lances
Up to 1 ½ “Hose stocked
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Grass flail and scrub flail available for the management of scrub, brambles, grass etc.
Working on slopes of up to 50 degrees with operator.
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07811 381159 Brookfield Livestock Marketing Ltd 7 days a week.
TRACTOR + HEDGE CUTTER, 07711-980871
CONCRETE GROOVING, Mobile Grain Crimping and dry rolling Service. Cowco Southern. Call Ted: 07970-965040
3 DEXTER FEMALE
R&W FENCING. Agricultural paddock and stock. Also part time help required. 01258-88089207980-036250
CATTLE and 1 kune kune female pig to a good home. Near Shaftesbury, 07817-244760.
APPROX. 7 ACRES
GRAZING, with stables and water. TO LET in Sandford Orcas. Preferably somebody prepared to look after 4 beef cows as well. Tel: 01963-220773
We provide a friendly, local service at competitive prices. Based at Redlynch near Bruton, we supply Car, Commercial, Agricultural, Plant & 4x4 tyres and offer a 24hr breakdown service. We won’t be beaten on price.
us on 01749 813957 or 07971 012628 or find us at www.southwesttyreservices.co.uk
CARAVAN REMOVAL SERVICE, old, unwanted caravans, cars, trailers, vans, etc. Garden machinery, tractors, scrap metal. Yard, garden, garage removal clearances undertaken, dismantling and gas cutting service. Please call 01935873169 or 07368-380477
HELP WANTED ON SMALLHOLDING NEAR MERE
2hrs per day M-F. General livestock duties, sheep,chickens and horses. Must be reliable. Training will be given if required. Contact 07767 827132 or whatsapp
CONTRACT SHEPHERD available, very experienced. 07968049218
Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.
SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR SALE / HIRE Tel: 01258 472288 Mob: 07977 936109 New and second hand containers - blue/green - all with box locks
In 2025 we sold over 4,000 acres across 7 counties, with a total value of over £60m. We currently have over 2,000 farm and land buyers registered.
For a free market appraisal for sale purposes of your farm, estate, smallholding or land please contact one of our farm agents.
Colehill
Bere Regis
Stourpaine
PROPERTY AUCTION THURSDAY 24TH JULY 2025 AT 2:00PM AT DIGBY MEMORIAL CHURCH HALL, DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE, DT9 3NL
AUCTIONS FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024 & FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024
THE DIGBY CHURCH MEMORIAL HALL, SHERBORNE AT 2:00PM AND VIA LIVESTREAM
PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 2025 AT 2:00PM AT THE DIGBY CHURCH MEMORIAL HALL, DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE DT9 3NL AND VIA LIVESTREAM
PROPERTY AUCTION FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025 2:00PM AT MERLEY HOUSE, WIMBORNE BH21 3AA & VIA LIVESTREAM
Guide £5,000
Guide £60,000
Guide £25,000
Stoborough
Guide £50,000
A single garage in a block of 3. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
A 0.13 acre (559 sqm.) parking area with a favourable pre-app response for a dwelling with parking and a garden. Freehold.
Guide £25,000
A block of 4 single garages. Freehold.
2.23 acres of diverse broadleaf woodland and pasture adjoining the River Stour, with single bank fishing rights, accessible by foot, bicycle and horseback. Freehold.
Portland Poundbury | 01305 251154
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Marnhull
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
East Stoke
Queen Camel
A 311.5sqm. site with a block of 11 garages. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Wincanton
Guide £25,000
0.75 acres of amenity land on the edge of the village. Freehold.
Guide £95,000
Guide
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wareham
Guide £50,000
6.21 acres on the edge of the town. Freehold
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sherborne
Guide £50,000 214sqm. of land off Dalwoods. Freehold.
£50,000
Level pasture land and a traditional stone building set in 2.15 acres on the outskirts of the village of Queen Camel. Freehold.
Guide £30,000
A 142sqm. site with a block of 6 garages. Freehold.
13.02 acres of wetland and woodland, rich in biodiversity, in a secluded, peaceful area south of the River Frome. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
North Perrott Guide £45,000 3.01 acres (1.22 ha) of gently sloping pasture land with direct road access. Freehold.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Yeovil | 01935 382901
Sixpenny Handley
Fordington
Guide £50,000
2 detached garages in plot of 0.07 acres.
Holt, Wimborne Guide £80,000
Guide £150,000
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Yeovil | 01935 432526
A detached barn of about 125 sqm. in just under 1.70 acres with off-road
An opportunity to purchase a parcel of permanent pasture in the village of Holt, extending to approximately 4.51
Charlton Marshall
Wool
Point. Freehold.
Guide £195,000
Guide £300,000
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Melplash
Upton
Dorchester
Guide £75,000
Guide £50,000
Guide £200,000
Witchampton Guide
£50,000
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sherborne
Blandford
Yeovil
Bournemouth
A 0.16 acre site with 18 garages in 2 blocks. Freehold.
Guide £200,000
0.19 acres of amenity land with scope for a range of uses (STPP/consents), adjoining residential properties. Freehold.
A former village hall with parking situated on the main road in the heart of the village. GIA 175 sqm. Freehold. RV TBA.
A garage site with pp for 2 dwellings. Freehold.
A centrally located Grade II Listed property currently arranged as 3 x 1 bedroom flats and walled gardens, requiring modernisation throughout. CTBs A, EPC Exempt, Leasehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Tarrant Rushton
Milborne Port
23.55 acres of permanent pasture, with fishing rights along the River Stour, which borders the land. Freehold.
A detached 2 bedroom bungalow for modernisation/extension (STPP), with a garage and off road parking, in a convenient location. Freehold. EPC E. CTB C.
Wareham Guide £110,000
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Guide £250,000
Guide £185,000
Guide £200,000
Pallington Guide £350,000
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Dorchester | 01305 236237
9.13 acres of freely draining land, predominantly comprising pasture with an element of woodland, located between Wareham and Wool. Freehold.
Guide
£225,000
A semi-detached 3 bedroom property for refurbishment with scope for extension and remodelling (STPP) in a convenient location on the A31. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
A detached, extended 3 bedroom cottage for renovation, enjoying a rural position and delightful countryside views in 0.20 acres of gardens. CTB C, EPC G, Freehold.
38.42 acres (15.55 hectares) of fertile, workable arable land with good accessibility. Conveniently split into three workable parcels. The land has previously been used to grow salad crops and is understood to be very productive, more recently the land has been in a combinable crop rotation. This Autumn, the land has been drilled with a cover crop. Freehold.
A 3 bedroom detached bungalow in a sought after village with a south facing garden, garage and off-road parking.
Blandford Forum | 01258 452670
Winterborne Zelston Blandford | 01258 452670
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Wimborne | 01202 882103
Guide £295,000
Upton
Guide
Yarlington
Guide £295,000
£225,000
Wareham
Guide
Bradworthy, Devon
Guide £125,000
Guide £50,000
Guide £200,000
Wimborne
Crossways
Guide £70,000
Guide £150,000
Guide £225,000
A Grade II listed building offering several uses/options with planning permission and LB consent for conversion to residential. Freehold. EPC-D.
Verwood Guide £125,000 1.38 acres with a derelict barn in a residential location falling within the main urban development area on the Local Plan. Freehold.
A workshop and showroom with street frontage and vacant possession with a flat above and separate garden already sold off on a long leasehold basis. Freehold. EPC D.
A grand, 4 storey (including basement) mixed-use Victorian building occupying a prominent corner plot on Lansdowne Crescent. RV: £53,500, £8,300, CTB A, EPC TBC. Freehold.
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Dorchester Commercial | 01305 236237
Yeovil | 01935 423526
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Horton Heath
Dorchester
Guide £275,000
Guide £190,000
Guide £200,000
Winfrith Newburgh Guide £170,000
A semi detached, extended 4 bedroom period property for complete renovation with a generous garden adjoining Ferndown Forest. CTB C, EPC F, Freehold.
A spacious first floor flat requiring some modernisation with 2 bedrooms, parking and a communal garden. Leasehold 90 years remaining. SC: £1,364.16 (£113.68p/m incl. ground rent). EPC C. CTB A.
20.42 acres (8.26 ha) of level, productive permanent pasture land adjacent to Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath. Freehold.
A charming 2 bedroom ground floor apartment with parking conveniently situated in the town centre, with parking. Leasehold. Service Charge £4,269 pa. G Rent £30 pa. CTB-D; EPC-D.
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Sherborne Sherborne | 01935 814488
Wimborne | 01202843190
Dorchester | 01305 236237
Milborne Port
Fifehead Magdalen
Piddlehinton
Guide £250,000
Guide £225,000
A mid terrace 2 double bedroom property in need of renovation throughout, with an enclosed rear garden situated close to the town centre. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-D.
A partially renovated and extended 2 bedroom bungalow with potential for upwards extension, subject to planning permission. CTB C, EPC E, Freehold.
A site comprising a detached 3 bedroom Woolaway bungalow with full planning permission for 3 dwellings.
£200,000 A charming 2 bedroom period cottage, situated at the end of a terrace in a quiet village location. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
An attractive semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage for renovation with a generous garden situated in this much favoured North Dorset village. CTB E, EPC G, Freehold.
Winterborne Houghton Guide £400,000 42.94 acres (17.38 ha) of productive arable land. Free draining loam soil over chalk, two road access points, a cattle handling race, outstanding views and private water supply. South east aspect suited to vines and solar. Freehold.
A 3 bedroom semi-detached cottage on a quiet no-through lane, backing onto fields and with off-road parking. In need of some modernisation. Freehold. EPC E. CTB C.
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Yetminster Sherborne | 01935 814422
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Guide £350,000
Henstridge Guide £300,000
Fontmell Magna
Sandford Orcas
Fiddleford
Guide £395,000
Guide £395,000
20.70 acres (12.01 ha) tucked away in a quiet rural position in 3 lots.
A charming semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage with a separate 1 bedroom, single storey annexe with off-road parking and gardens. CTBs C & A, EPCs D & B, Freehold.
£240,000
Batcombe, Dorchester Guides £40,000 to £115,000
Lot A – 15.02 ac arable capable pasture land with a gentle south facing slope£115,000
A detached 2 bedroom period property with scope for renovation and extension (STPP/consents), enjoying a large garden and a convenient location. Freehold. EPC F. CTB B.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Traditional stone barn set in 5.97acres. Positioned in a private location with residential conversion opportunity (STPP & relevant consents). Freehold.
A former primary school measuring over 6,300 sq. ft./585 sq. m. in grounds of 0.54 acres, providing development potential, subject to planning permission. EPC D, Freehold.
A semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage in 0.89 acres offering character and charm throughout and enjoying views over the surrounding landscape. Freehold. CTB-C; EPC-E.
Lot C – 11.11 ac pasture and strip of woodland with stream frontage - £90,000
Lot B - 3.57 ac pasture and woodland including an old brick pumphouse - £40,000
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Tiverton | 01884 218911
An attached 3 bedroom property with scope for remodelling/refurbishment, conveniently located on the edge of Wareham with off-road parking and a rear garden. Freehold. EPC C. CTB C.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814488 Guide £250,000
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Guide £85,000
Horton, Wimborne
Chilcompton Guide £195,000
A Grade II Listed period property for renovation with well-proportioned rooms, character features, off-road parking and a generous garden. Freehold. EPC exempt. CTB E.
Guide £450,000
A partially built 5 bedroom detached house, with double garage and gardens. PP was granted under application reference 2022/1683/FUL. Freehold.
74.24 parcels of level and southfacing arable land, arranged in two parcels of 54 and 20 acres, with the added provision of a circa 1,200 sqft barn currently used for the storage of machinery. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Sturminster Newton | 01258 472244
Guide £250,000
Frampton
Shaftesbury Guide £95,000
A former doctor’s surgery in 0.58 acres with prior approval for change of use to a residential dwelling under application P/PACD/2024/02991/. RV: £5,100, EPC C, Freehold.
A semi-detached 2 bedroom cottage believed to date back to the 18th Century, located within the sought after village of Sandford Orcas. Freehold. EPC G. CTB D.
A charming 1 bedroom property forming part of a Grade II* Listed building, ideal as a buy to let investment or bolthole. Leasehold with 50% share of freehold.
Sturminster | 01258 473766
A lofty workshop with large and level fenced outside space. 0.66 acre plot on the Marsh Lane Trading Estate. Freehold. RV Workshop-£9,600 Yard£12,000; EPC-C. Dorchester Commercial | 01305 261008
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Sherborne | 01935 814422
Guide £275,000
A charming Grade II Listed3 bedroom stone cottage for complete renovation, situated close to the centre of this highly sought-after village. CTB E, EPC Exempt, Freehold.
A charming semi-detached cottage in the heart of the village with 3 bedrooms, a large garden, and views over the village green. Freehold. EPC F. CTB C.
Milborne Port Guide £150,000 An attractive period property for renovation enjoying a generous garden sitting on the outskirts of Milborne Port. Freehold.
A detached 3 bedroom character property in a village location with scope for improvement, sitting in a 0.66 acre plot less than 2 miles from Sturminster Newton. Freehold. CTB-F; EPC-F.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190 Guide £375,000
Dorchester | 01305 261008
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Guide £400,000
A substantial bungalow requiring renovation, providing potential for extension or replacement, subject to PP, in a rural position enjoying grounds of 1.60 acres. Subject to an AOC. CTB E, EPC F, Freehold.
A 4 bedroom bungalow in need of modernisation throughout, with 0.62 acre grounds, multiple outbuildings and stunning views. Freehold. CTB-E; EPC-E.
A detached mixed-use property comprising a retail unit and a 3 bedroom maisonette with a garden, with scope for a range of uses or re-development (STPP/consents. Freehold. EPCs G & C. CTB B. RV £6,100.
Iliminster | 01460 200790
A period detached cottage in need of general improvement throughout, set in spacious gardens of 0.21 acres (0.08 hectares). Freehold.
Sherborne | 01935 814488
Christchurch Wimborne | 01202 843190 Guide £350,000
Guide £225,000-£250,000
Somerford Road, Christchurch
A detached 3 bedroom property for modernisation, situated on a quiet no through lane on the outskirts of the popular village of Marnhull. Freehold.
EPC D. CTB E.
Guide £420,000
A detached 2 bedroom cottage for complete renovation, situated in this highly sought after village within Cranborne Chase. Freehold.
Blandford | 01258 452670
Yeovil | 01935 423526 Guide £500,000
A site measuring 0.39 acres with full planning permission for an exclusive development of 9 x 2 bedroom apartments (8/22/0470/FUL), situated in the heart of Christchurch close to Avon Beach and Mudeford Quay. Potential for alternative schemes STPP. CIL: £98,735.93, Freehold.
A residential development site measuring 0.87 acres with full, detailed planning permission for 7 residential dwellings (planning ref: 20/01206/ FUL). Further 1.13 acre field included. Freehold. CTB-D; EPC-F.
Marnhull Sturminster | 01258 473766
Wimborne | 01202 843190
Belchalwell Guide £250,000 A detached bungalow on a 0.30 acre plot for modernisation/replacement (STPP) with a positive pre application response for a 4 bedroom house. Freehold.
A substantial Grade II Listed property comprising 2-3 self-contained residences (10 bedrooms), with fine period features and private gardens, all providing excellent scope. Freehold. EPC exempt. CTB G.
£595,000 A detached 6 bedroom farmhouse in need of renovation and a courtyard of traditional and modern farm buildings, situated in a rural location on a no through lane and boasting far reaching views. In all 1.82 acres. Freehold.
Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766
Yeovil | 01935 382901
Now it’s the law, find out how the act will affect you as a local landlord
The seminars will cover Notices, Grounds, Awaabs Law, Environmental Health and pets in rented property, as well as providing an update on current rental market conditions and Buy To Let opportunities offering up to 5-7%
Thursday 15 January
5pm - 7pm
The Crown Hotel, Blandford
Thursday 29 January 5pm - 7pm Yeovil Golf Club, Yeovil
Limited availability, visit our website to book your place today
For further information, please contact 01258 474265
MANY of us fancy taking on our own Grand Designs-style project to refurbish a property and create our dream residence.
And some took the first step on the road to reno during a recent property auction, snapping up properties in need of a makeover.
The Greenslade Taylor Hunt (GTH) November sale, at Sedgemoor Auction Centre, saw a number of residential renovation lots sold.
Among them were 29 and 27 Lyde Road, Yeovil, two Victorian terrace houses in need of complete modernisation, which attracted great interest from both online and in-room bidders.
The lots eventually sold to
the same online bidder for £148,000 and £130,000.
Another redevelopment opportunity, Old Wells Road, Glastonbury, guided at £210,000, sold to an in-room bidder for £285,000.
Meanwhile, 2 and 4 Chandos Street, Bridgwater, a pair of period terrace properties in need of full renovation, guided at £70,000, sold for £144,000.
The House of Antiquity, in St Mary Street, Bridgwater, also sold above its guide price of £175,000, with an online bidder securing it for £225,000.
GTH’s final auction for 2025 is on Wednesday, December 17, from 2pm at Batch Country House, Lympsham, near Weston-super-Mare.
Renters Rights Act Explained
It’s here, it’s the law, and it’s something all landlords need to be familiar with. The Renters Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October, and whilst some of the finer details of the legislation are yet to be confirmed, the first phase comes into effect on 1st May 2026, reforming tenancies as we know them.
Symonds & Sampson will be hosting seminars in January, where landlords are invited to hear Partner and Head of Lettings, Rachael James, speaking on aspects of the Act, including:
• The Abolition of Section 21
• Grounds for possession
• Default Periodic Tenancy structure
• Rent Review procedures
• Deposits
• The new Rights for Tenants
• Property standard requirements
• Audit requirements
Our seminars in the summer were ‘sell-outs’, as Landlords and clients gathered to hear Rachael outline the proposals within the bill. In a third series of seminars in January, she will provide clarity on the details and how, on a local level, landlords can ensure that they are fully compliant.
She will also provide an update on the changing face of the letting market in the region, where an imbalance between demand and supply can offer attractive returns for Buy-to-Let Landlords.
The seminars are taking place in Blandford and Yeovil in January; they are open to all and free to attend. Places are limited, so please book early to secure your place.
