The 8th March is International Women’s Day, and while this would be a great time to win some brownie points at home by talking about my amazing (and long-suffering) wife, it is also an opportunity to celebrate some of the many amazing – and too often overlooked – women in West Dorset’s history. Mary Anning, born in Lyme Regis in 1804, is one of history’s most renowned fossil hunters. Despite facing so many challenges, her discoveries changed the course of palaeontology forever. Today, a statue in Lyme Regis honours her achievements – a tribute made possible through the dedication of two other amazing women: Anya Pearson and Evie Swire, a mother-daughter duo who successfully crowdfunded for the statue. Yet despite this rich history, there has long been a glaring absence of women represented in our public spaces. Until recently, in Dorchester there were six statues of men, one of a dog, one of a horse, and one of the Queen Mother. But not a single statue of a non-Royal woman. This is not just about stone and metal – it is about the stories we choose to tell. Thanks to the efforts of Anya Pearson and the Dorchester Sheroes campaign, this is beginning to change, with a statue of Sylvia Townsend Warner, a 20th century novelist, poet and pioneer for gay rights, set to be installed in the town centre. Women’s contributions to West Dorset span centuries: The Dorset button makers, who influenced the livelihoods of hundreds of women and played a vital role in the region’s economy; Lucy Emily Baxter, an art writer from Dorchester; Mary Mullet Moule, who worked to improve sanitation during a cholera epidemic and Maude Steele, who was awarded the George Medal after she courageously maintained telephone services during the bombing of Sherborne in 1940. They are all part of our rich history of extraordinary women. On International Women’s Day, let us celebrate these women. Let us continue to push for progress, to support and uplift women in every walk of life, and to ensure that when we look to the past, we see the whole story, not just half of it. Edward Morello MP for West Dorset
This month Barry Cuff has chosen two postcards sent from Alderholt in the early part of the 20th century
Sent on 8th April 1920 to Mr Fred Street in Boscombe. Maud’s suggestion of visiting a place which is ‘good for the nerves’ might at first glance be a humourous comment on the slow pace of life in Alderholt. But sent just a couple of years after the end of the first world war, it potentially takes on a different tone and more poignant meaning if Fred had survived time in the trenches:
‘Dear Fred – These shops are quite close to the station. Why don’t you come up one day – its good for the nerves here – have three people pass the house every day. Love from Maud
This one was quite a challenge to decipher – even the postmark is impossible to read! I have taken the liberty of adding some punctuation …. The three children mentioned have crosses, to the left of the picture. The card was sent to Thurloe Square in South Kensington – close to the Natural History Museum: Dear [I], Here is one for your album. Vais is plain. Ada is peeping through behind [her Thomas] if you don’t know her Flo will. Glad you had a nice time, just had a letter from Hat last. Hope you’ll soon be [m___ful], yes I’ll send you on what you mention the beginning of the week. Hope you’ll get this safely, will write a letter too at the same time. Annie’s time is getting near now. Much love from all, Martha.Am [fussy] Mrs M this tiff today, can’t stand it. No longer wonder how he’ll like it, will tell you in my letter. The boy is Georgie I’ve marked.
A local expert from Citizen’s Advice provides timely tips on consumer issues.
Q: We’re planning a summer getaway to Greece and I’m worried we’ll forget something important, which could ruin the holiday. What can we do to make sure we’re fully protected and prepared if anything goes wrong?
A: Booking a holiday can be overwhelming, especially if it’s been a while since you last went away. It’s unlikely anything will go wrong, but we’ve prepared a checklist to make sure you can relax into your holiday knowing you’re protected from the unexpected:
Check your passport is in date. Renewing your passport can take several weeks so don’t leave it until the last minute. Check the validity of your passport for your trip on GOV.UK by finding out the entry requirements of the country you’re travelling to. If you’re heading to Europe, bear in mind EU countries don’t accept passports more than ten years old. This includes passports issued pre-Brexit, which may have longer expiry dates.
Know your rights if something goes wrong. If your flight’s delayed long enough – usually two to four hours, depending on the journey – your airline must provide access to food and drink vouchers, phone calls and emails, and accommodation if you’re delayed overnight. If it’s cancelled, you’re legally entitled to a full refund or replacement flight to help you get to your destination. You’re also entitled to compensation if your airline delays, loses or damages your checked-in luggage.
Get travel insurance. Although it’s an extra expense, travel insurance can cover many of the things already mentioned, like flight delays and lost luggage, but also things like a holiday cancellation and medical emergencies. Citizens Advice recommends getting insurance as soon as you book a holiday to make sure you’re covered right away – but always check first to see if an existing insurance policy covers what you need for your holiday. There’s no need to double up if you’re already covered! The chances are your holiday will be problem-free, but early planning and preparation can make all the difference.
Peter Wiltshire learned the art of hand bookbinding from his father. Now, he’s restoring literary treasures in his own Dorset workshop
Bookbinder Peter Wiltshire in his workshop in Maiden Newton
Peter Wiltshire gently lifts the lid off an old biscuit tub. Emblazoned across the Family Circle logo in big bold letters is DO NOT DESTROY. Inside is a worn and tattered leather-bound family bible, dating back to 1600. Peter is about to embark on the enormous challenge of painstakingly restoring and rebinding its hundreds of fragile, flaking pages and the disintegrating cover. One of only a handful of professional bookbinders in Dorset, Peter continues this age-old craft of hand bookbinding while co-parenting his three children, all under 10 years old. His workshop in Maiden Newton is crammed with pots of tools, delicate brushes and huge, handsome book presses alongside a collection of discarded book boards. This incredible archive illustrates binding styles from different eras – Peter uses them to help customers (and me) – understand the restoration process. ‘Book binding used to be a cottage industry. It wasn’t mechanised at all. Books were sewn together with their boards cut to fit,’ he explains. ‘These were laced on using cords which went through holes in the boards. There was just no way of speeding up the process. Once the boards were laced onto the book, the leather was cut to size and wrapped around the book in one go. ‘During the Industrial Revolution – and alongside growing national literacy – the Victorians invented case binding, where instead of being sewn, case covers were created separately, then attached to the book. That was the birth of mechanised book binding.’
Bookbinder Peter Wiltshire’s current challenge is restoring a 400-year-old family bible, that had been kept in an old biscuit tin. All images: Courtenay HitchcockDO NOT DESTROY says the label – but the rusting biscuit tin is doing its own job of damaging the ancient book inside
Dad’s apprentice Peter began practicing his skills as a teenager. His father, Tim, ran a prestigious bindery in Winchester, connected to P & G Wells Bookshop, one of the oldest bookshop binderies in the country. ‘I’d sew books for Dad to get a bit of pocket money. I learnt a huge amount from just watching my father at work.’ However, a love of antiques and history was initially a greater attraction, and Peter began working for an auctioneer and antiques dealer. ‘It was only when an older friend of mine, with a slightly wiser head on his shoulders, asked me why I wasn’t training in bookbinding when I had such a unique opportunity within my own family. That was the catalyst, and I entered an apprenticeship under my dad.’ Peter went on to open his own bindery in Hampshire, connected to Petersfield Bookshop, before returning to work in partnership with his father until his dad’s retirement in 2021. ‘Dad was inspiring. The more I learnt about the craft, the more I realised his depth of knowledge and skill. I still pick his brains. I’m grateful there was no pressure from him to make me join his trade – this craft isn’t something you can do if your heart isn’t in it. It demands so much patience and precision.’
Peter at his workbench
I see what he means as I watch him expertly work. Using an incredibly sharp paring knife he gently lifts the inside of a book cover inscribed with the name Jane Dodgson – a relative of Lewis Carroll. ‘You can’t compromise a signature like this – they are literally irreplaceable,’ he says. ‘Often the book is too fragile to soak the pages off and you may damage the book board – so a knife is the only way to save them. It’s nerve wracking!
A blank page is just part of the process for a bookbinderThe fabric of bookbinding – cloth store, each one carefully selected to restore and create beautiful, lasting coversIndividual heated stamps with engraved designs, used for gold tooling and embossing. They are mounted on long handles for control and precision
You really do only get one chance to do it right.’ The work demands complete concentration and though Peter enjoys listening to history podcasts, he often works in complete silence. ‘As you can imagine, with three young children, home life is noisy. It’s relaxing to work this way.’ And when he’s not on dad duty or working, books are his go-to for downtime, too. ‘It’s a busman’s holiday, but I love exploring auctions and second-hand bookshops for rarities!’ Hand bookbinding is a niche profession with no official apprenticeship schemes, but it’s a burgeoning hobby with many amateur bookbinding groups and guilds across the country. It’s a far cry from the bookbinders of the past who, along with leather tanners, used to have one of the lowest life expectancies in London. They were badly paid and often worked in poor light. Popular interest in restoration has seen a surge in commissions in recent years, and family bibles, second-hand literary treasures and even flight logs from the World Wars sit on Peter’s workbench awaiting his safe hands for repair. But first it’s the bible in the biscuit tin!
A bookbinder’s world – beautiful antique presses, weary books awaiting renewal, and a gallery of useful or notable covers
Patience and precision – Dorset bookbinder Peter Wiltshire expertly cuts into a leather book cover
Peter’s dinner party A-list guest?
I’d resurrect Roger Payne, a much celebrated and maligned 18th century bookbinder – as close to being rock-and-roll as you get in bookbinding! He was a wonderful bookbinder but an alcoholic who died penniless. Payne was the first English bookbinder to come up with a new style of bookbinding, and the notion that a book cover should reflect the contents of the book. He wrote poems about beer on customer invoices!
Events were moving very fast the first weekend of March as the diplomatic bromance between PM Starmer and President Trump turned into the undiplomatic, made-for-TV mugging of President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. What has happened to the land of the free? We can only speculate about the motives and strategy of the so-called leader of the free world. In my view there is rarely strategy to Trump. He seeks only TV ratings, cutting real estate deals over the heads of affected people and, above all, avoiding blame. Avoiding blame seems to be a significant motivator as Trump works in his unethical way to ensuring he can blame Zelenskyy and the Europeans for any failure to secure peace in Ukraine. Trump made hay with Biden’s disastrous exit from Afghanistan, and he will want to set up scapegoats for anything that looks remotely like failure. The public mauling of Zelenskyy at the White House needs to be seen in the same way that, for all the tactile patting and public grooming by Starmer and Macron of Trump the gorilla, the two European chimps still left their respective tea parties with no guarantees of US support from the Donald – but at least Europe and allies are working on a plan. Never mind the tea party: we need to smell the coffee! Like far too many professional soldiers in recent years, I started to believe fashionable military talk of hybrid warfare, sub-threshold effects, cyber and influence operations that would all make so-called sunset capabilities irrelevant. But there was always the nagging question of “does clever tech really beat artillery?” I well recall the visiting US Marine Corps general who asked my staff college cohort to remember that “a virtual presence is an actual absence”. We need to rebuild our forces quickly, with lots of good – not gold-plated – equipment and stocks. We need to do it with allies, to get best value for money and cut duplication. We need to recruit talent and retain experience. And we need to be prepared to make savings and pay more to achieve these things, even if the full first cut did not need to choke off international aid. Previous generations spent eight per cent of GDP on re-arming in the years before 1939: and that was too little to deter our enemy. We are beyond the looking glass in the politics of Donald in Wonderland, where everything has been turned on its head. Europe’s enemy is Russia, but if Trump’s statements and actions make us feel that he thinks Europe is his enemy, are we wrong to believe that Trump sees Putin as his like-minded friend? It’s time for Europe to be strong against both the bullies in front of us, and behind. Gary Jackson North Dorset Liberal Democrats
After the runaway success of its debut, the Dorset Spring Show is back – bigger, better and in a brand-new location. The second edition will take place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May 2025 at Birch Lane Showground, near Puddletown. Following a phenomenal first year, which saw more than 10,000 visitors, the show returns with a larger venue, stunning countryside views, a later date, and exciting new attractions, making it the ultimate spring celebration in Dorset. The Spring Arena, sponsored by Handelsbanken, will once again host a variety of impressive displays, from the popular high-speed action of Shetland Pony Racing to the traditional craft of Heavy Horse Logging, where skilled foresters showcase how these horses worked the land before modern machinery. Beyond the arena, visitors can meet spring’s newest arrivals – no one can resist the lambs, piglets, chicks and calves. The show will also feature adrenaline-fuelled BMX displays, live cookery and floral demonstrations, the un-missable Sheep Show, and jaw-dropping feats from the Dorset Axemen. And for those who love a bit of nostalgia, there’s even the chance to hop on board a steam engine trailer ride and take in the sights. Event Organiser James Cox said: ‘This May bank holiday, we welcome in the new season with the year’s first big get-together for Dorset. We open the farm gates with a larger venue and an even bigger offering to provide a fantastic family day out. ‘The enthusiasm for the Spring Show has been incredible – we’ve already sold out the exhibitor spaces in our Shopping Pavilion and Food Hall: it’s going to be a great place to buy local.’
Local produce and craftsmanship The Shopping Pavilion and 50-metre-long Food Hall are both must-visit’s for those looking to discover and buy from local businesses. Whether it’s fresh produce, handmade crafts or something unique for your home, there will be plenty to browse and take home. Another unmissable on the day is the Competitions Marquee – playing host to more than 90 contests across cookery, photography, flowers, vegetables and crafts, it’s a brillaint way for locals to get involved and to showcase their own talents. The marquee will be situated in the heart of the Gardeners’ Village: all the excuse you needed to pick up some new plants (it would be a bit rude not to), some pots or a new garden gnome.
Tickets on sale now Discounted tickets are available until 26th April, with entry from just £2 per child and £14 per adult, plus family bundle options. For more details and to book tickets, visit dorsetspringshow.co.uk.
Question: if you pay someone to do a job and they don’t complete it, should you be able to refuse to pay the whole bill? If you think ‘Yes, of course!’ then you might be interested in the recent small claims court action by Wessex Water against Caroline Dennett, one of Dorset’s hardest working and most inspiring environmental campaigners. Caroline has been refusing to pay the sewage treatment element of her water bill, on the basis that Wessex Water has obviously failed to adequately provide that service. Unusually for a small claims court hearing, Wessex Water chose to have a Barrister present their case. The judge was complimentary about Caroline’s presentation of her own defence, and she was sympathetic to Caroline’s arguments. She also refused to award costs against her, but ultimately had to conclude that she had no option in law other than to uphold Wessex Water’s claim for payment of the withheld money. So we consumers have no redress when our water company fails to adequately provide the service we pay them for. And because they have a monopoly, there are no alternative suppliers we can turn to. Unless and until the industry is properly regulated, the UK’s water privatisation rip-off will continue. More than 70 per cent of UK water company shareholders are now foreign interests. Wessex Water itself is 100 per cent owned by a Malaysian infrastructure conglomerate. The ten privatised water companies established in 1989 were effectively debt free – they now have debts of more than £60bn, while over £80bn has been paid out to shareholders. And all the while, sewage has increasingly fouled our precious watercourses and beaches. If more of its customers temporarily withheld payment for the waste treatment part of their water bills, the pressure might encourage Wessex Water to fulfil its contract with us. What do you think ? Some farming methods also cause gross pollution of our waterways, for example factory farmed chickens. But here, fortunately, we consumers do have a choice. Cheap chicken doesn’t pay for the huge damage it does to our environment – damage that one way or another we all pay for. So we can choose not to eat it, can we not? Ken Huggins North Dorset Green Party
Tucked into the rolling chalk and flint-filled fields near Salisbury is an iconic art institution. NewArtCentre was once known simply as Roche Court – Roche Court Sculpture Park is a commercial gallery set in the rolling Wiltshire countryside. Early in February, three Gillingham School students and one teacher wound their way there, travelling through frosted valleys, sparkling in the winter sun, to Roche Court – which, since 1958, has championed young and emerging artists and is now a gallery full of art and exciting sculpture, placed carefully into the Wiltshire parkland. The Articulation Prize was founded in 2006 by Roche Court’s Educational Trust and later became part of the National Gallery’s education programme. This prestigious public speaking competition invites 16 to 19-year-olds to deliver a ten-minute presentation on a work of art, architecture, or an artefact. For students at Gillingham Sixth Form, it offers a unique opportunity to engage with art, articulate its significance, build confidence, and explore issues that matter to them.
Can’t Help Myself In January, Gillingham held its internal heats, with seven students – who have been developing their public speaking skills through the Sixth Form’s innovative enrichment programme – delivering presentations on a diverse range of art. Topics ranged from the Nye Bevan Memorial Stones in Wales to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Wrapped Reichstag installation. There were stand-out speeches by Beth R, who explored gender and society through the knitted installation Non-Binary Code by Ben Cuavas, and Adam C, who tied art with history and politics in a moving speech about the sculptures at Soviet Memorial Treptow in Berlin, making listeners think about the way society remembers war and sacrifice, providing a poignant reminder of current events in Ukraine. Travelling to Roche Court in February, however, was Gillingham School’s winner, Katie B, whose heartfelt, personal response to the installation Can’t Help Myself by Chinese artists Sun Yuang and Peng Yu had moved some of the judges to tears. Can’t Help Myself became a viral hit across social media: a giant robotic arm, more commonly seen in a car manufacturing line, installed inside a large perspex room or box: it writhes and dances as it tries to mop up its leaking hydraulic fluid, coloured red and with the viscosity of blood. Katie used this artwork to boldly tackle topics of authoritarianism and migration, exploitative labour practices and mental health and isolation. Teacher Lydia Richards aid: ‘As Katie stood in the gallery space at Roche Court, it was wonderful to see a young person feel their own power and speak so passionately and persuasively. ‘She was commended by the adjudicator for her stirring words and “clear passion for social justice” which was met by a spontaneous round of applause by the audience, clearly moved by her performance. ‘As a teacher, it is moments like these which really count. The moments when you see the true purpose of education – not just grades and academic achievement, but helping young people find their voices, so they are ready to be the artist of their own lives, to go out and sculpt and shape the world … perhaps into something better.’
NewArtCentre is open 7 days a week and is free to visit, but they ask you to book ahead if possible: sculpture.uk.com Gillingham Sixth Form is still accepting applications for this September gillingham-dorset.co.uk or contact the school office to arrange for a visit 01747 822 222.
This simple and not-too-sweet loaf bake requires no fancy equipment – just a little time to steep the dried fruit before a nice slow bake. It’s the perfect way to use up dried fruit that’s still in the cupboard after Christmas, and it’s delicious with some salty butter (try Meggy Moo’s award winning butter, churned from the milk from their herd in Shroton) and maybe a little jam (for a delicious local one try From Dorset With Love, or you could make your own using my recipe from last September’s BV. I’ve also been told it goes really well with some strong cheddar or a little blue cheese.
Ingredients
350g dried fruit (your choice of sultanas, currants, raisins etc)
300ml boiling water
3 tea bags (English breakfast or Earl Grey work well)
200g soft brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
275g self-raising flour
Zest from 1 lemon
1 egg
Some demerara sugar to sprinkle on top
Images: Heather Brown
Method
Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for at least 10 minutes, then discard the tea bags.
Pour the tea into a big bowl and mix in the soft brown sugar, cinnamon and the dried fruit. Stir well so the sugar dissolves and the fruit is covered. Leave for at least two hours (or overnight) for the fruit to soak up all those lovely flavours.
Pre-heat the oven to 130º fan (gas 3). Line a 2lb loaf tin (10cm x 21cm, 7cm deep) with baking parchment or a loaf tin liner.
Into the fruit and sugar mixture, mix the flour, lemon zest and the egg and stir until completely combined. Pour this mixture into the loaf tin and sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely (I have to admit to never waiting long enough before impatiently cutting a slice and smothering the still-warm cake with butter …)
