This month, I bought a pair of trousers. They are both comfy and flappy.
This may not sound like headline news, but trust me – it’s a revelation. Soft, swishy, deeply satisfying. They make a pleasing noise when I walk. I’ve worn them three days in a row. Life, I’ve decided, is too short for uncomfortable clothes – one of the few perks of reaching an age where you no longer care if your family hates your wardrobe.
My son is currently thousands of miles away – I haven’t hugged him in a year, and right now he is sad and unwell.
And as I write, the Chancellor is sharpening her pencils and her tax plans. Wars around the world make my heart heavy and my brain rage. And I now have enough grey hair for it to visibly appear in my hairbrush (which feels rude, frankly).
So let’s take our wins where we can. The flappy trousers. The good coffee in the right mug. The dog you pass on your walk who simply must be greeted while he wags in circles. The doughnuts my daughter always buys me on publication night – even when I’ve said (pretended) very firmly I don’t want one.
It’s not about being in denial.
It’s about finding balance.
We’re not ignoring the big things this month – inside you’ll find out why you can’t get a GP appointment, how council tax debt is landing more Dorset families a bailiff visit, and how quiet, hidden poverty is growing across the county. Rural communities are struggling to support their most vulnerable.
But for balance, there’s also the Wimborne teenager recently named the UK’s top army cadet. The hockey club storming to success. And the fact that I appear to be going into business with MP Simon Hoare. Probably.
Plus, of course, the usual dose of glorious Dorset photography, from talented locals who, quite honestly, are just showing off.
So for now, I’m raising a coffee (in The Mug) to the little things. The ones that still spark joy, even when the news is dreadful, the mother-worry won’t subside and my hairbrush is rude.
Long live the flappy trousers.
Laura x
On Sturminster Town Council
I was surprised to read about Pauline Batstone step down as Mayor of Sturminster Newton, then hearing that she had just as quickly returned to the council (though not as mayor).
An experienced local politician like Pauline would have surely known this: either the position had become untenable – in which case walking away was the right call – or it wasn’t, and the resignation was a misjudged political flounce.
Going back so swiftly weakens your position. It reads as indecision and undermines public trust. If you’re going to quit, quit properly. If not, don’t storm out in the first place.
Name and address supplied
Local councils are a magnet for big personalities, and Stur certainly isn’t the only town where heads clash and tempers flare.
But some of these dramas could be avoided with a little more turnover. The Dorset Insider is absolutely right (as usual) – there are far too many long-term lingerers on local councils who seem more invested in holding office than doing the job.
Perhaps it’s time for fresh blood. An upper age limit might be controversial, but some form of activity review or term refresh wouldn’t go amiss. Public service isn’t a lifetime appointment, and complacency kills councils.
J.S., Shaftesbury
I went to the Town Hall event about the proposed Local Plan, and I have to say, I came away feeling rather deflated – and oddly sympathetic.
The council officers present did their best, but it was painfully clear they’re stuck in an impossible position: caught between a central government demanding tens of thousands of new houses, and communities asking perfectly reasonable questions about how on earth Dorset is expected to cope.
It’s hard not to feel that the officers on the ground are being used as human shields for a top-down, target-driven system that’s entirely disconnected from rural reality. They looked exhausted, underprepared, and in some cases genuinely embarrassed that they couldn’t provide proper answers.
But my sympathy for them doesn’t make up for bad planning. And this isn’t just bad planning – it’s barely planning at all.
If roads, bridges, water, sewage, GPs, schools and public transport are all “someone else’s responsibility”, then who exactly is coordinating this vision for growth?
How can you propose building thousands of homes without knowing how people will get to work, see a doctor, or even flush their loo?
It’s not enough to say “that’ll be discussed with the developers later”. That’s not forward planning – it’s kicking the can down the road and hoping someone else will sort it out. Infrastructure should be in place before building begins. End of.
Dorset deserves better than glossy posters and vague assurances. If this is truly a consultation, then here’s my input: come back when you have a joined-up plan that actually respects the people who already live here.
Caroline B., Motcombe
I attended the recent local plan consultation at Gillingham Town Hall hoping for answers. What I got was glossy display boards (on all of Dorset, with very little at all on Gillingham specifically), vague hand-waving, and a lot of ‘you’ll need to ask the developers/someone else.’
No one could tell me who will buy the affordable homes – or how affordable they will actualy be. They don’t know what types will be built, or how local infrastructure – roads, schools, GPs – will cope. Is this supposed to be planning?
It felt more like shrugging.
Sally H, Gillingham
Animal Blessing in Wimborne Minster
An Animal Blessing Service was held in the Minster Church of St Cuthburga, Wimborne Minster, on the afternoon of Sunday 12th October. The service was conducted by The Rev’d Canon J.W. Roland, rector of Wimborne Minster.
The service was well attended by beautifully behaved animals, including cats and sheep as well as lots of dogs! The animals came into the Minster for prayers
and a blessing and Ruth Marshall, the parish secretary, gave a short talk entitled My Church and other Animals. She also brought along two of her North Ronaldsay sheep, a rare breed originating from the Orkney Islands.
The sheep are used to graze the graveyard of St Wolfrida’s Parish Church, Horton, and a collection was taken in aid of the sheepfold at this church.
Diann March
Call for emergency suicide training
I’m writing to you about the amount of times our local emergency services have been called out to suicide and self-harm incidents.
The Government currently doesn’t ensure our emergency services provide staff with any national standard of suicide prevention training. Yet, Samaritans found that last year, South Western Ambulance Service were called out to 87,290 mental health-related and 28,667 suicide and self harm-related incidents. These new figures show just how often our local emergency workers are in contact with those in suicidal crises – and why training all emergency response workers in suicide prevention is urgent. Right now, our emergency responders – and anyone who is in crisis from our community – are being failed. These workers are often first on the scene when someone is suicidal: providing them with the skills and confidence they need to identify and support anyone who is suicidal could save lives.
I urge readers to email your local MP and back Samaritans’ call for mandatory suicide prevention training for our emergency responders, to help reduce lives lost to suicide in Gillingham.
Richard Strookman, Gillingham.
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