Karen’s guide to fun festive feasting

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13 December 2023

Expert Karen Geary has your essential guide to enjoying the party while staying healthy and happy during the holiday season

Christmas brings joy, laughter and an abundance of delectable treats that tempt even the most dedicated health enthusiast. It’s a time when staying healthy and avoiding weight gain might seem like an insurmountable challenge. But with a mindful approach and a few simple strategies, it’s entirely possible to revel in the festivities without compromising your well-being.

Embrace balance
The cornerstone of a healthy holiday season is finding balance. Enjoy the traditional holiday dishes and treats, but do so in moderation.
Allow yourself to indulge sensibly without over-indulging:
Portion control is key – three palmfuls of protein a day and one to two palmfuls of carbs. Fats are trickier. I normally say a matchbox size of cheese … but it’s Christmas! If you are a cheese addict, reduce the carbs to compensate.
Limit the snacks. I know, easier said than done with all the Quality Street hanging around, but we all know once you start, one becomes six and then all good intentions go out of the window.
Try to give your system four to five hours break between meals. I eat my Quality Street at the end of the meal with coffee – that way I can enjoy without eating too many.
Avoid the beige food at the buffet. Go for the crudités, maybe the smoked salmon, the salads and fruit … savoury over sweet!

Choose nutrient-dense foods
Christmas dinner is one of the healthiest meals we have – all that veg and lean protein! Load up your plate with colourful vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.
These foods are not only nutritious but also keep you full, reducing the temptation to overeat less healthy options.
Mindful eating practices
Practice mindful eating: slow yourself down, savour each bite and try to listen to your body’s hunger cues.
Stop eating before you are full.
Mindfulness allows you to appreciate the food you’re consuming and helps you recognise when you’re full, preventing mindless overeating.

Stay active
Maintaining an exercise routine over Christmas might seem challenging, but you really will feel better. Find ways to incorporate some physical activity into your festive schedule. Take family walks, join holiday-themed exercise classes, or simply dance to your favourite tunes.
Exercise not only burns calories but also boosts your mood and energy levels.
Plan ahead
Before heading to a get-together, consider eating a small, nutritious meal or snack. Arriving hungry will inevitably lead to overeating. Additionally, contribute a healthy dish to the event, to ensure there’s something nutritious available.

Hydration is key
Amid the festive cheer, don’t forget to hydrate. Opt for water or herbal teas to stay hydrated and curb unnecessary snacking. Sometimes our bodies really do confuse thirst with hunger, leading to unnecessary calorie consumption.
Space out your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water in between each one.
Set realistic goals
Rather than aiming for weight loss during the holidays, focus on weight maintenance. Set realistic goals to stay on track. Celebrate small victories and remember that the holiday season is a time for enjoyment, not extreme dietary restrictions!

Seek support
Share your health goals with your family and friends. Having a support system can help you stay accountable and motivated. Consider involving loved ones in physical activities or cooking healthier versions of traditional dishes together. More people than ever are health-conscious and are likely to welcome your initiatives.

Practise self-care
Amid the hustle and bustle, prioritise some self-care. If you are the host, make sure everyone has a job to do; one tip I have picked up is to write all the tasks on small pieces of paper and let everyone draw one out of a hat – it might be ‘keep drinks topped up’, ‘washing up’ or ‘setting the table’, for example. People are always happy to help.
Try to get 15 minutes each day just for you. Adequate sleep is also crucial for overall health, so get some rest each night.
Christmas is a time for celebration, not a time for guilt or deprivation.
Enjoy it your way by making conscious choices that you know will nourish your body and mind.
I hope you have a very merry Christmas – and thank you for reading me this year!

Spice and all things nice at Stony Groves

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Editorial team

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13 December 2023

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From Phnom Penh to Poundbury: George Norbert-Munns is bringing the delicate gourmet flair of Kampot pepper to the UK’s foodie scene

Working in a pepper field in Kampot, Cambodia

With the festive season upon us, it’s time to start cooking with some gourmet ingredients and to pop a few celebratory corks.
But what about using the champagne of pepper?
New Zealander George Norbert-Munns spent a decade living in Cambodia, where he discovered the flavours of the Kampot pepper. He now runs his spice business near Dorchester.
Kampot pepper cultivation dates back to the 14th century, and it is one of the finest ingredients in the world. Highly sought after by chefs (and therefore an ideal gift for foodies), it’s little wonder it was the inspiration for George to set up Stony Groves.
‘There is pepper … and then, galaxies away, there is Kampot pepper! It can only be produced in one small and stunningly beautiful region of steamy southern Cambodia, which is known to have produced peppercorns for centuries. ‘It is farmed using traditional techniques and produced on a relatively small scale. Worldwide pepper production is measured in hundreds of thousands of tons per annum, whereas only 100 tons of Kampot pepper is produced each year.’
Strictly controlled production ensures its quality, retaining its international reputation. Among chefs it is known as being the finest pepper in the world.

New Zealander George Norbert-Munns spent a decade living in Cambodia before moving to Dorset and launching Stony Groves

‘After almost ten years living in Cambodia, we knew that Kampot peppercorns were the finest around. In fact, Kampot pepper has been granted Protect Geographical Indicator (PGI) status, which formally recognises its quality and excellence and effectively makes it the champagne of the pepper world. So when I set up my own business, pepper seemed the right place to start. I began by offering black, red and white Kampot peppercorns alongside fragrant long pepper, which has a richer, almost Christmassy smell.
‘I launched Stony Groves at the Dorset Food and Arts Festival in Poundbury in 2021 and was immediately blown away by the positive reaction. Since then we’ve extended to food festivals right across the UK and also offer salts, smoked products, grinders and spice blends.
‘The blends were inspired by my love of cookery. As a child, I loved nothing more than being in the kitchen with my mother in Christchurch, New Zealand. In fact she loves pepper almost as much as I do! I’m still very much the cook at home and I relish experimenting with new flavours. And now I enjoy introducing them to my own children.’

Pepper fields in Kampot Province of Cambodia

Powerful pepper
Since leaving Cambodia, George has made Dorset his home – and discovered the vibrant foodie scene in the county.
‘After many years as an owner/operator of bars and restaurants in Phnom Penh (Cambodia’s bustling capital), my wife and I felt it was time to move on, start a family and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. We chose Dorset to be near to her parents and because of the beautiful countryside. When I first moved to Cambodia in 2010, I’d originally looked into starting a pepper business, but life led me in a different direction. I revisited the idea during the long days of the Covid lockdowns – and Stony Groves was born.
‘I quickly found that south west England is a foodie paradise, with plenty of amazing markets and food festivals to explore. But I also saw that there was a lack of awareness here about the powerful pepper that we’d long enjoyed in Asia. I felt the two could be a match made in heaven, and I also hoped to share my love of quality ingredients with a wider audience – whether that was in people’s kitchens or in restaurants or cafes here in the UK.’
However, it’s not just the food. George and his family love the Dorset countryside.
‘Living in the countryside again reminds me of when I was little. My three brothers and I used to drive around Castle Hill, deep in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, in our father’s old Land Rover … sometimes doing things we probably shouldn’t. One day the gear-stick broke so we drilled in a screwdriver and, voilà, we were back on track! One of us steering, one of us changing the gears, one of us on the pedals and one of us giving directions. We were a disaster waiting to happen, but what fun.
‘Now I enjoy long Dorset walks with the dog, fishing the rivers and sea, and being located in striking distance of so many lovely towns, villages, beauty spots and food havens – there you have it, heaven!’
Most of us have probably been to food festivals and markets, bought a new ingredient, and then wondered what to do with it. There shouldn’t be that issue with Kampot pepper, there is a lot of inspiration on the Stony Groves website (including an incredible-sounding mulled wine recipe, for those looking for a seasonal winter warmer …).
George also has a top personal recommendation:
‘I’m a big fan of prawn linguine with fresh Kampot peppercorns. Start by melting some butter and gently frying an onion. Get the linguini on, then add king prawns to the onions. Once almost cooked, add the garlic, white wine and a little bit of Japanese rice wine. Plate with olive oil, grated parmesan, parsley, and our pink Himalayan rock salt. Finally, and most importantly, throw in at least a dozen of our Stony Groves Salted Fresh Kampot Peppercorns. Job done.’

stonygroves.co.uk

Santa’s coming to Shillingstone Station!

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Editorial team

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13 December 2023

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Shillingstone Station will be welcoming Santa on his annual visit to the station on Sunday
17th December, between 11am and 3pm. Every year Santa stops by to catch up with his friends at the North Dorset Railway.
All children are welcome to come along and meet Santa, and receive a Christmas Gift but as Santa is so busy you will need to make a booking to see him, either by visiting the Station or by calling 01258 860696 – £4 per child.
You are also very welcome to look around the station, its rolling stock and museum, and visit the café and shop, where there are many railway-related products available to buy – perhaps that will take care of a couple of people on your present list?

The Station is open as usual on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm.
All proceeds in aid of North Dorset Railway.

If you can hang it on a wall, we can frame it!

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Editorial team

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13 December 2023

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As Douglas McLeod Period Frames enters its fifth decade in Salisbury, Gay Pirrie-Weir finds out the essentials of the perfect picture frame

There are more than 2,000 frames in the Mcleod’s workshop – All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

You might be the keenest fan of Fake or Fortune, but have you ever thought about the frames that are carefully removed and set aside before all that “provenance” is explored? Nor had I, until we were sent to “the only place” in Salisbury to get an engraving framed – Douglas McLeod Period Frames in Trinity Street. The shop is a treasure trove of wood, metal, composite, papier maché, plaster and even plastic with which to surround your precious wall hanging, priced from something in the £1 job lot box to a huge and magnificent gilded frame, currently on offer for £8,500.
If you have ever, anywhere, seen a frame that has caught your eye for its intricate detail, its carving, its colour, its unusual texture, its age or its subtly enhancing suitability, the chances are that the specialist business in the back streets of the city has something like it – and if they haven’t they can replicate it in the hidden workshop further out of the city centre.

Douglas McLeod Period Frames on Trinity Street, Salisbury

The business was started on 5th October 1982. At that time, the UK’s only specialist historic framing services were based in the capital, where the major auction houses still organised sales exclusively for frames and “runners” scoured provincial salerooms and fairs to snap up bargains and “run them past” the specialists, en route to potential purchasers.
If you had a family heirloom portrait or landscape, the chances are it had a significant frame, and some were much more “significant” than others, dating back centuries, created by famous craftsmen and worth far more than the pictures they edged. And one of these treasures might just turn up on the parlour wall … or even in the attic.
Douglas McLeod continued with his international architectural work, but in his ‘spare time’ taught himself the historic skills of gilding and restoration, carving, moulding and all the arcane mysteries associated with the ancient craft. Some of the formulae he uses originated in the 17th century and are still closely guarded secrets.

‘You can always use a frame that is older than the picture’

After a spell in Saudi Arabia designing houses for expatriates, Douglas shifted his focus towards the framing business. He had always loved old frames – he bought them from local auctions, and customers began to arrive in the shop with battered, but sometimes beautiful, frames they found at home and were reluctant to take to the tip. People who wanted frames came in, and came back again and again, always impressed by the range of frames they could see and buy and the experienced advice they received. Douglas and his staff learned new skills, perfected those they had and acquired new tools, templates and other gizmos.
As the years went on, wife Susie and son Alexander, daughter Kate Robson and her husband Barry, and Andy Hollywood, (who, at 62, describes himself as the world’s oldest apprentice … although he is also a plumber, bus driver and multi-skilled factotum), all joined the family business. There’s also the indispensable lurcher Grace, ready to greet shop customers.
After leaving London, the McLeods set up a gallery at Dunn’s House in Salisbury, moving on to a rented shop at 10 Trinity Street and eventually to the current shop, which they bought as a home and business in 2000.

The Salisbury framers has a £1 job lot box, and gilded frames worth thousands. Whatever frame you’re looking for, it’s probably here

Some are keepers
Forty one years on, Susie is proud to say that the shop really does have something for everyone, from the granny wanting a plain black frame for a football team picture to the owner of a noted painting with a damaged frame from a grand stately home.
The Trinity Street shop is an inspiration in itself – but there are more than 2,000 frames in the workshop, where Douglas and his assistants will restore them as closely as possible to the originals. Some are so precious they will never be sold but will be cherished as examples of a particular style or process. Customers come not only from Salisbury and Wiltshire, but all over the UK and further afield.
Historically sand was used to enhance the texture of a frame – a technique Douglas thinks might have begun in ancient Egypt. A “sanded” frame was brought to the shop, three sides intact but the fourth beyond repair. A sand search was promptly instigated, and after forays to various local beaches, Douglas and Susie found that the sand at Hengistbury Head near Christchurch was the closest match. Even that wasn’t enough – Susie had to sieve the sand to isolate the correctly-sized grains.
‘That’s a labour of love,’ she says. ‘You can’t get rich doing that sort of work, but it’s worth it.’
Another favourite antique frame has little raised blobs of gilded something? – ‘Seeds,’ says Susie.

Douglas McLeod in his Salisbury workshop

Some artists, Whistler and Watts among them, were very definite about the style and material used to frame their works, and the style of frame they designed now has their names. In the shop you can see examples of these as well as original, reproduction and modern frames with the very latest conservation techniques.
Douglas has various gilding processes to match original colours and to suit the woods and materials of the frames. He has used gold leaf, but there is less call for it now that the price of gold has skyrocketed.
Susie and her staff have taken in many unusual items for framing, from the familiar oils, watercolours, etchings, engravings, drawings and photographs, to fabrics, treasured clothes, locks of hair and badges.
McLeod frames have been loaned to film and television companies and, more often, to college students as props.

In the shop, stacked frames wait for new homes

‘One student came in with a chicken’s heart in formaldehyde for us to frame. It was LONG before Damien Hirst,’ says Susie.
The company has done work for the National Trust. Large and grand development projects often bring interior designers to the shop, in search of a number of frames to lend a theme to the required decor.
One of the oldest frames in the shop is a silver oval mirror dating from the 1680s. Douglas also has a frame from the mid-18th century which he is convinced originates in a French royal residence – ‘But I can’t prove it,’ he says, regretfully.

Susie McLeod with Grace, the best shop assistant

While he and Susie nod to the passing of time, there’s absolutely no talk of retirement, and while new equipment is constantly being added in the workshop to ease the creation of more accurately matching framing materials, they know that there is no substitute for painstaking traditional skills.
‘One thing to remember is that you can always use a frame that is older than the picture. It’s often not so successful if you try to do it the other way …
But if you can hang it on a wall, we can frame it,’ says Douglas.

The workshop is the scene of constant experimentation

douglasmcleodperiodframes.co.uk

Recipes from Acorn House Bakery

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Editorial team

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12 December 2023

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Helen’s original home baking is inspired by memories of her Guyana-born mother and infused with the rich colours and flavours of the Caribbean

Be your own Bake Off star this Christmas with a choice of delicious recipes from Wincanton baker Helen Hermanstein Smith of the Acorn House Bakery. Helen, whose cakes are sold direct to customers and at Coles Yard, the Wincanton greengrocers and whole food shop, has lived in the town for many years and has built up an enviable reputation for her delicious cakes, some of which recall the Guyana heritage of her parents, who came to England in the late 1950s. Now she is sharing her baking creativity in her first book, The Acorn House Bakery Recipe Book.
A gorgeous-looking Caribbean Rum Fruit Cake is one of the recipes handed down to Helen from her mother, who made the cake every Christmas and for other celebrations.

A winding route to the kitchen
Helen was born and brought up in south London, in a large household where she remembers her mother and grandmother baking bread and cakes. Work and marriage took her away from the kitchen, and she worked for a publishing company, spending three years in Hong Kong with her husband Derek while their two children were very young.
Back in London, she completed an MBA and worked in tech for several more years before changing direction and retraining in patisserie, bread baking, cake decorating and chocolate-making at Westminster Kingsway College and Le Cordon Bleu School in London, eventually going on to become a qualified baker.

Helen and Derek lived in London but had a country get-away in Wincanton. They eventually decided to move full time to Somerset, and this was the perfect opportunity for Helen to focus on her baking, particularly in making and decorating celebration cakes, cookies, chocolate and confectionery.
A few years ago, she began to make an organised collection of her tried and tested recipes, both from her childhood and from her professional training. Her mother’s influence has continued since her death a couple of years ago: ‘It was in baking that I sought solace, not only to help deal with my grief and loss, but also to bring back many happy memories of our times baking together.’
In 2021, she set up Acorn House Bakery at her home, specialising in luxury treat boxes filled with personalised artisanal cookies, chocolates and fudge. Two years on, the range has extended to include her own-recipe artisanal jams, marmalades and chutneys, using locally grown produce and fruit from her own garden.
Now collated into her first book, Helen’s recipes range from savoury to cakes to confectionery and special treats such as a sophisticated gin and tonic lemon drizzle cake or locally inspired Somerset cider apple cake. The savoury recipes include the utterly moreish Parmesan shortbreads. One of the most inviting is the almond and apricot flan pictured on the book cover!
Baking has always been a family affair for Helen – and it still is. She says: “Derek and our children Charlotte and Adam love baking and cooking too. Sadly, it’s a bit of a competition between us – but I’m the master baker!’

The Acorn House Recipe Book, price £14.99, is available at Coles Yard and Paper Trees in Wincanton, at Stripy Duck bookshop in Bruton and Bailey Hill Bookshop in Castle Cary.
Contact Helen on the Acorn House Bakery website or find her on Facebook @AcornHouseBakerybyHelen

Paul Atterbury, Antiques Roadshow expert, answers the Random 19

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Editorial team

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12 December 2023

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From puppeteer’s son to TV authority: one of the nation’s favourite experts talks antiques, art, and Andy Pandy

Paul Atterbury is a writer, lecturer, curator, historian and broadcaster. He’s also a familiar face to the nation simply as one of the Antiques Roadshow experts (specialising in 19th and 20th century Art and Design).
Now living in Weymouth, Paul and his wife Chrissie moved to Dorset, near Bridport, in the early 1990s – Paul was born in London. His mother was puppeteer Audrey Atterbury, known for her work in the 1950s on the BBC’s Watch With Mother programmes such as Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben, the Flowerpot Men and The Woodentops.
‘I was the model for Andy Pandy,’ says Paul. ‘The craftsman who made the Andy Pandy puppet based it on five-year old me!’
Trained initially as a graphic designer, Paul later studied art history and then worked for Sotheby Publications, first as historical advisor for Royal Doulton and then as editor of Connoisseur magazine. His television career started in the early 1980s on Thames Television’s Afternoon Plus and TV-AM. Ten years later he was invited to join the nations favourite team of experts on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. He’s usually found in the miscellaneous section, which gives him the opportunity to explore the antiques and collectables of the 19th and 20th centuries, his personal passion. He has taken part in more than a hundred Roadshows and has also appeared regularly on the Great Antiques Hunt, The Antiques Show and on Hidden Treasures on BBC Radio Four.
‘Appearing on the Antiques Roadshow is an important and enjoyable part of my life. It appeals to me because I like meeting people and hearing their stories. Even though the Roadshow days are long and tiring, they are always exciting. Each item is a new challenge and a voyage after the unknown. There will be a team of 20 of us on duty, and collectively we’ll see between 10,000 and 15,000 objects in the course of that day, of which 50 will be filmed.’
It is the story behind each item that keeps Paul excited and interested through the long days, rather than the prospect of a highly valuable item: ‘One of my favourite encounters was quite a long time ago – we went to Belfast and I saw some photographs brought in by two ladies who were the direct descendants of the two girls who foxed the world with fairy photographs in 1917. The ladies were the daughter and granddaughter of one of those girls – they had the camera that had been used and the photographs. It was a story I knew very well but to actually touch it was wonderful.’
Outside of his TV work, Paul has curated many exhibitions for museums and galleries, including several for the V&A in London. He has also written or edited more than 50 books on art, antiques, ceramics, silver, sculpture, canals, railways, travel and World War I. He has also recently published a couple of books on Eype and West Bay, as seen through old postcards. Paul gives more than 100 different lectures around the UK each year, specialising in 19th- and 20th-century art and design.
In 2014, with author Janet Gleeson he started the Dorchester Literary Festival, which he still organises ‘with the aim of giving book lovers the opportunity to hear stimulating talks and discussions by leading authors.’

questions…

What’s your relationship with Dorset?
Dorset is where I live and where I always want to be. I am, of course, a blow-in – I came to the county from London in the late 1980s but my wife grew up here, so I think I can claim residency? I certainly have no real roots anywhere else.
The last film you watched?
Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill. I don’t watch much TV but one evening recently my wife found this, knowing it would keep me quiet for a bit. She was right!
For me, classic films are so much better than most things made today, despite all the technology. The last film I actually saw in a cinema was 1917.
What would you like to tell 15 year-old you?
Just say yes – and just do it!
It will go wrong sometimes, but mostly it will be exciting and there will be lots of memories to enjoy later.
The best flavour of crisps?
Plain! Salt and black pepper are OK, and I’ll accept salt and vinegar if there is nothing else. All other flavours range from disappointing to disgusting.
What was the last song you sang out loud in the car?
I Saw Her Standing There.
My brain is filled with the lyrics of 1960s songs – some in bits, some complete. This one has been complete since I had the Beatles first LP and saw them perform it live in 1963.
What book did you read last year that stayed with you? What made you love it?
Encounters with Artists by Richard Cork, the famous art critic. He describes his meetings with a number of great modern artists, from Picasso, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon through to Damien Hirst and co from the 1990s, via great Americans and Europeans. It is exciting and hard to put down.
The best biscuit for dunking?
I don’t eat biscuits, so I don’t dunk. However … I do like the Australian take on this. Get a Timtam biscuit (a sort of chocolate coated wafer thing) and dunk it in Baileys. The wafer melts and you suck up the Baileys through what becomes a chocolate straw.
And if you don’t like Baileys, other strong drinks also work!
Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve had?
Watching the Rolling Stones at the Rod Laver stadium in Melbourne on 25th February 2003, celebrating my wife’s 50th.
Your favourite quote?
I haven’t really got one.
However, when I was a student in Italy I found a great one which roughly translated as: ‘He who lives in hope dies in the lavatory.’
It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
I’ll have a malt whisky, rummage up something to eat and listen to some 1920s and 1930s jazz – a passion since my teens.
What’s your most annoying trait?
I asked my wife but she couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell me. I do have many passions and interests, so we have a lot of stuff, reflecting all the enthusiasms I have – or have had. I’m glad it wont be me that has to clear the house!
Top three most visited websites?
• Google/Wikipedia – I am insatiably curious and always looking things up
• The weather; I like to go walking
• The FA Championship (so I can follow the very erratic progress of Norwich City).
Chip Shop Chips or Home Baked Cake?
Home baked cake – especially those made by my wife.
Cats or dogs?
We have had both, and are now happy with neither. If I had to choose, it would be a rescue dog.
What’s your secret superpower?
I am blessed with a very good memory. I can describe in detail things that happened both ages ago and last week. It’s an enormous asset for working on the Antiques Roadshow!
What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
Why does anyone pay hundreds of pounds for what is essentially a pair of gym shoes?
What is your comfort meal?
Curry. Almost any curry! I’d happily eat Indian and Asian food every night (but no Chinese thank you).
What shop can you not pass by without going in?
No surprise here – any antique or second hand shop. Even charity shops are hard to resist. I rarely buy anything new!
You have the power to pass one law, uncontested. What will you do with it?
I will impose an immediate and substantial tax on sugar, with health warnings on the packaging of all food and drink with a high or unnecessary sugar content.

On the lorry off the lorry

By

Editorial team

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12 December 2023

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Donkeys have a strong Christmas connection, says Sally Cooper, but its their wicked personalities that make the donkey-keeping challenge worth it

Donkeys seem inextricably linked with Christmas (well that’s my excuse for writing about them again for the month of December!). But why do we have that association? Is it purely the religious image of one little donkey carrying Mary on a dusty road? Or are there other links? There do seem to be plenty of images of them dressing up for seasonal pictures. Dressing up … well there’s a while new question.
Do they enjoy it? Or are we forcing them into human games for our own amusement? Our Rodney adores all new things – dressing up and pulling fabric items around? Well, that is just FABULOUS! However, there are rules. Rodney says ‘no
bells’ – this is apparently just a step too far. Mister Pebbles is less keen about the fancy dressing up. He’s possibly shy.
However, on last month’s long-promised castration day clothes played a big part.

Mr Pebbles has high hopes for snow this year
Images: Sally Cooper

The donkey on the lorry
Nothing on this planet was going to get Mister Pebbles on that lorry to the vets. Rodney ran on and off, happily showing him the delights of the lorry ramp and the treats that await you at the top. Nope. No movement. Oddly enough, he’s as stubborn as a mule!
We rang the vet surgery to explain the situation, and to my amazement the response was ‘have you tried the jumper method?’. Well no, we hadn’t.
A jumper was found and duly placed over the donkey’s head from behind, with the arms over his ears. The lights went out and a suddenly floppy-bodied donkey relaxed.
Then we simply had to physically move each leg up the ramp – with a human operating each corner, naturally.
Miracle of miracles, the donkey was finally on the lorry!
The operation went well (no details required).
Then more lorry antics. The vet kindly donated a jacket for the ‘cover the head’ routine, and we made it onto the lorry without any drama. The problem for the return trip was at the home end – Mister Pebbles decided he was now not, not, not getting off the lorry.
Rodney encouraged and nudged and hid round the corner … Nothing. The decision was finally made to leave him in there, with the ramp down, in the secure yard area.
We watched from the kitchen for a while, but there was no movement.
Two hours later, once we’d all stopped watching, he sneaked off and ate all my flowers and herbs. And yes, there was a definite ‘that will teach you’ smile on his face.
Donkeys may represent Christmas and Peace on earth, but they are also great fun and
wicked friends.
Merry Christmas from us all!

Exams Officer | Fairmead Community Special School

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Editorial team

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12 December 2023

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Part-time/full-time, negotiable (term-time only) 39 weeks

Grade 13-12 – £20,460 – £22,625 (based on 37 hours, Term Time only)

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Fairmead Community Special School transforms the lives of pupils aged between 4-19 years with additional learning needs (MLD and ASD). The school works in partnership with parents/carers and other stakeholders to develop our pupils in becoming positive individuals who make a valuable contribution to their community.

We are looking to recruit a part-time examinations officer who will be responsible for the organisation and smooth running of both internal and external examinations. The officer acts as the primary liaison between the school and external examination bodies. They will be familiar with the requirements and regulations placed on schools by both awarding bodies and the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), and will ensure that the school is compliant with these before, during, and after examination periods.

To obtain an application pack please view http://www.fairmeadschool.com/vacancies or contact [email protected]

Prospective candidates are warmly invited to visit our school; this can be arranged by contacting [email protected]

Closing/Shortlisting Date: Tuesday 2^nd January Interviews: Thursday 4^th January

Fairmead School is committed to safeguarding the school community. All job applications must contain the disclosure of any spent convictions and cautions. The school will carry out pre-employment vetting procedures, which include an online search for shortlisted candidates and the successful outcome of an enhanced DBS

Stable lunch

By

Editorial team

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11 December 2023

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Weird weather means the mares are still out, and the Glanvilles Stud team had to magic up a pop-up restaurant, says Lucy Procter

The warm sunshine and heavy downpours that I wrote about in September continued in October and November. With night-time temperatures rarely dropping below ten degrees the soil remained relatively warm and the grass continued to grow unseasonably late, with the result that many of our mares and youngstock are still living out, supplemented with hard feed but not yet requiring any hay to top up their grazing. Our January and February foaling mares are already coming in at night, however, as we need to ensure they have extra hard feed during the last three months of their pregnancy.

What a difference a day makes – one day playing in the sunshine, and the next a dusting of snow on the ground. November looks to be going out with more seasonably chilly weather.

The rest of the mares will be in from 1st December, so that we can have them ‘under lights’ to help shorten their gestation period and bring any barren mares into season earlier.

The scene for the successful TGS pop-up restaurant – the Thoroughbred Breeders Association members lunch was held in the mares’ barn

The Glanvilles Stud pop-up
A few weeks ago I was struggling to erect a substantial marquee in the front paddock. With the help of three of the stable girls, it was girl power that got the marquee up in the end, two days ahead of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) members visit, which included lunch and an afternoon tour of the stud. With the unseasonably mild weather we had been having, lunch in a marquee in late October had seemed like a fantastic idea when we originally planned it.

However … the night before the visit, one of this autumn’s many named storms arrived in Glanvilles Wootton.
On the morning of the visit, we woke to find the marquee flooded. Unless we were to ask our guests to eat lunch wearing their wellington boots, inches deep in water, there was no chance of food being served in there.
A plan B was needed – and fast! A brief panic was followed by frantic cobweb hoovering and picture hanging, and we started setting up the tables and chairs in the mares’ barn.
Thankfully, since the annual deep clean and disinfect of all the stables in the summer, those in the main barn had not yet been bedded up for the winter and quickly our Glanvilles Stud Pop-Up-Restaurant took shape.
Once Rebecca Green Catering had arrived, and spotless white tablecloths, sparkling glasses and gleaming cutlery had been laid, all was ready for our guests – just minutes before they all descended! We were the second stop on the members’ itinerary – they had spent the morning visiting champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ yard.

Triple Trade before winning at Cheltenham in November

Wine flowed, a most delicious cottage pie was devoured, and the mares and foals that we had brought into the barns adjacent to the lunch barn calmly enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the visitors!
After lunch, our vet, Paul Legerton, demonstrated scanning a mare in foal and answered questions about his methods of scanning the mares in the lead-up to their being covered by a stallion.
With the stud as waterlogged as the marquee, we paraded foals in the barn, and in between showers paraded some of the mares and the racehorses we have in pre-training on the yard outside. Despite the disastrous start, we had a lovely afternoon with the TBA members, with everyone commenting that it was one of the best stud visits and lunches they had been on and certainly memorable!

When he grows up, he plans to be a giraffe …
Woolstone One’s colt foal – or Onion, as he is known at TGS. Readers may recall that this year our foals were named after salad-related ingredients (Onion’s field companions are currently Cress and Mayo).
Having sold our half share in Onion during the summer, Onion’s owner has renamed him Toulouges, a type of French Onion which originates from the town by the same name. This may well remain as his registered racing name – so look out for a Toulouges on the racetrack in a few years time.

Triple Trade
A November highlight was shouting home another TGS winner at Cheltenham, the Joe Tizzard-trained 7yo, Triple Trade, sired by Norse Dancer and out of Doubly Guest – a mare we have in foal this year to a stallion called Planteur.
After a promising second on seasonal reappearance at the Cheltenham October meeting, everything fell into place for Triple Trade’s first-time owners Simon, John and Simon (SJS Racing), with a first Cheltenham win. He came out again eight days later to run in the £125,000 Hurst Park Handicap at Ascot, where he was a brave third. Fingers crossed he will keep on improving for the rest of the season and perhaps we will see him in one of the handicaps at next year’s Cheltenham Festival.
With Doug at the mare sales in Newmarket (he’s looking for new owners as much as broodmares), some top quality racing and the small matter of Christmas, December will fly by.
Before we know it, we’ll be sitting up through the night in January, watching for those first foals.

The Glanvilles Stud