This month Barry Cuff has chosen a couple of seasonal chilly postcards full of the white stuff. One’s a typically abrupt ‘Dad message’ from Evershot, and the other shows the senders house in Iwerne Minster.
This postcard was sent to a Master E Smith at 23 Elvaston Mews, Queen’s Gate, South Kensington in 1909. It feels a rather typical ‘Dad’ message of just four sentences! ‘This is Evershot whilst the snow was about. It was alright for snowballing then. Hope all are well. Love to all. Dad’ (the mews still exist, and the same property last sold in 2015 for £5.2m)
This card of Iwerne Minster was taken in the same snowfall of winter 1908, seemingly taken from this point on the Blandford Road. It was posted in Iwerne Minster, and only sent as far as Rushay House in the hamlet of Bagber, just outside Sturminster Newton. It was sent to a Mrs E Duffett – and if anyone can enlighten us to what the illegible word says, we’d love to know! ‘Dear A, Happy New Year to you all. Thank you ever so much for your present, I am very pleased with it. I’m doing […illegible]. This is our house, where you see the porch, taken with the snow on the ground. Hope you are better. Tell Ernie(?) not to worry about that. With love to all from EHJ’
The staff and 66 residents of Maiden Castle House, a not-for-profit care home in Dorchester, are proudly celebrating a significant milestone – Alison, one of the home’s housekeepers, has reached an impressive 35 years of service. She’s become not only an essential member of the team but also a beloved part of the Maiden Castle House community. Alison’s journey with Care South began in its early days when it was still part of social services. She has been a key witness to the home’s growth and transformation, including its move from Weymouth to Dorchester in 2007. Remarkably, Alison still works the same shift pattern she began 35 years ago! Renowned for her infectious smile, Alison brings a daily dose of cheer to everyone at the home. Her cleaning trolley, often accompanied by music, isn’t just a tool for housekeeping; it’s a beacon of positivity on wheels, spreading comfort and happiness to everyone around the home. Alison said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be celebrating 35 years with Care South. It’s been an amazing journey – the support from my colleagues and the wonderful atmosphere at Maiden Castle House have made every day a joy.’ Ash Smith, home manager at Maiden Castle House, said: ‘Alison’s dedication and positive spirit have been a cornerstone of Maiden Castle House for more than three decades. We are proud to have her as part of the team and look forward to many more years of working together.’
This year’s supermarket Brussels sprouts might be on the small side – but the homegrown ones are doing just fine, says Barry Cuff
Barry Cuff’s Sturminster Newton allotment getting its annual feed with 20 wheelbarrow-loads of compost
A report on Radio 4’s Farming Today programme this month warned that British-grown Brussels sprouts would be smaller this year. This is due to the majority of the plants in the muddy fields leaning at an angle due to the very wet and windy weather experienced over the last few weeks – resulting in the lower larger buttons being splattered with soil – and unusable. This year, growers will have to harvest the smaller sprouts further up the stalk to compensate. Having a large allotment we’re able to devote a large area to brassicas, including Brussels sprouts. For us, the brassica plot is looking exceptionally well with some very tall plants, all of which were tied to stakes in the early autumn to avoid wind damage. The whole area is also netted against pigeons! We grow the complete range of brassicas with the exception of kale: Broccoli – we’ve grown two varieties this year. Rudolph for December to February, and Cardinal ready from March onwards. Brussels sprouts – we have grown the variety Brendan for a few years now and we picked our first buttons recently. The plants will continue cropping until the end of February, and we’ll have a good supply for Christmas! Calabrese – we are still cutting small side heads from Ironman, a top-selling variety that has been given the RHS award of garden merit. Cauliflower – This year we have grown four varieties of cauli: Cheesy – all cut in September and October. Snow Prince – we cut the last two heads of these in mid-November. Cendis – a wonderful variety producing large, pure white heads. These will be ready in December and January. Medallion – still growing, will be ready to cut from February onwards. Red cabbage – we grow Red Drumhead which produces tight heads with crisp hearts for stir fries and salads. They have been harvested from mid August and we are down to the last plant. Romanesco – Natalino plants should be ready to harvest in December. Savoy cabbage – Vertus is our favourite, and we planted on two different dates. One plant remains of the first sowing and more are coming on from the second. These will be ready in mid December.
Elsewhere on the plot … During November we added 20 wheelbarrow-loads of homemade compost to one of our plots – the remaining plots will receive farmyard manure. The delivery will be stacked in heaps, ready for spreading as areas become available after cropping throughout the winter. Our Witloof chicory was lifted on the first of the month, topped and tailed and put in a large container of moist compost in the dark. We hope to cut chicons by the beginning of December. Carrots, parsnips, leeks, celeriac, celery, radishes and autumn salad leaves are all still being harvested when required From our stores and freezer we have also been eating our own winter squash, potatoes, onions, peas, sweetcorn and broad beans. As I write we have only experienced two slight frosts, but I will be keeping a close eye on the forecast over the coming weeks; if frost is predicted then the salad leaves will be protected with fleece.
David Frank Rose formerly of Sturminster Newton passed away at age 75 on Monday 27 November in Paignton, Devon. He will be greatly missed by brother Les, family and friends. Private cremation at David’s request. Donations to the Donkey Sanctuary.
The tiny Clouds Hill Cottage near Bovington is in the care of the National Trust and preserved as a memorial to T.E. Lawrence. It has been essentially ‘frozen in time’ in the mid-1930s. Just like the BBC series A House Through Time, in this talk for the Dorset Archives Trust Martin Gething – a volunteer guide at Clouds Hill Cottage – will build up a picture of the families who all called Clouds Hill home over a period of more than a century. The story of the cottage draws extensively on the archives at the Dorset History Centre, in particular the Estate Papers of the Framptons of Moreton together with other historical sources. Come 14th December at 6.45pm for a 7pm start and enjoy some nibbles and a glass of wine or a soft drink, tickets £12.
Q: ‘I like shopping online and I’m always on the lookout for a bargain, especially with Christmas coming up, but I’m worried about scammers. How can I avoid getting caught out? ’
A: While scams can be tricky to recognise, there are steps you can take to stop yourself falling foul to an unscrupulous scammer. Remember, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. If you’re buying from a site you haven’t used before, do some research before hitting buy: firstly find the company’s return and refund policies so you know your rights if something goes wrong. You should also look up the company’s address (normally found in the website’s ‘contact us’ section) which should include a street name, not just a PO box. Also take some time to see what other people have said about the company. Look at different review websites – don’t just rely on reviews the company has put on its own website. Scammers will often ask you to pay in unusual ways, or put you under pressure to buy, so do be wary of people contacting you out of the blue offering an item for a quick sale or with a special deal. If you do fall victim to a scam, don’t feel ashamed. Scammers are clever and they regularly adapt their methods, making them harder to spot. And do report it, as this alerts authorities to scammers’ techniques and prevents others from being taken advantage of. You can report a scam to Citizens Advice or to Action Fraud. If you’ve transferred money in the last 24 hours, contact the police via the non-emergency number 101 – but if you feel unsafe use 999. You should also contact your bank to let them know you’ve transferred money.
Sturminster Newton Freemasons (Blackmore Vale Lodge No. 3625) have raised £1,372 for local charity Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust. The Master donated funds raised at his 2022 Christmas function to the charity, which he believes is such a worthy cause. The Provincial Charity Steward was made aware of the charity and asked for a donation from the Dorset Masonic Care who donated a further £1,000. The Masonic Care Foundation then used their matched funding scheme to add a further £1,000, making a grand total of £3,372 for the charity. Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust is based in Dorset, and was founded by Andrew Drake and his family following Andrew’s bowel cancer diagnosis at the age of 24. The Trust works to create awareness of bowel cancer in young people aged 18 to 30 in Dorset and across the UK. It supports bowel cancer patients and their families through the provision of specialist equipment and financial aid, and fund specialist nurses in Dorset County Hospital, specifically in the Colorectal Department. They also provide financial support for equipment and the new cancer unit at the hospital.
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