For the past three years Sturminster Newton has hosted a Wedding Fair, and alongside it St Mary’s church has added to the celebrations by creating a display of wedding dresses.
Each year has produced something different – from designer gowns to handmade dresses and beauties that have spent years languishing in attics, just waiting for an opportunity to relive their special moment. This year there were some truly memorable vintage dresses, two with poignant stories from both world wars.
Every dress has a story somewhere in its background, like the naval wedding where the groom just made it back from overseas at the very last minute, and another where the wedding vows were interrupted by a naughty page boy. One bride tells a romantic tale of falling in love by the light of a Flower Moon, another describes being very late and literally running to the church. It’s worth noting for next year, a fascinating exhibition filled with social history told through the dresses, photographs and wedding stories the brides (or bride’s descendents) share.
Drumming through the stillness – wildlife writer Jane Adams enjoys the the signal of changing seasons in the rhythmic forest hammering
Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major, climbing a mossy tree looking for food
Winter walks can feel eerily quiet, with only the crunch of frost underfoot and the occasional rustle of leaves. The stillness has its own kind of beauty, but it can also feel a little bleak. That’s when the sound of rhythmic drumming, echoing through the trees, is such a welcome sound. It’s a reminder the seasons are shifting, and nature is gearing up for change. The drumming is made by a great spotted woodpecker. About the size of a blackbird, it’s a striking bird with bold black-and-white feathers and a vivid splash of red. While both males and females hammer away for food all year – opening up cracks and holes in wood – February is different. This month, the male woodpeckers will go into overdrive, drumming to mark their territory and warning off overly pushy rivals. It’s their way of shouting, ‘HEY! This is my patch. Keep out!’
A female great spotted woodpecker in a speedy fly-by
It’s incredible to think that great spotted woodpeckers can hammer up to 20 times per second – without giving themselves a concussion! Their skulls are perfectly adapted, with spongy bone and special muscles that spread out the impact. Even the way their brain sits tightly inside their skull helps reduce movement during all that frantic head-banging. Interestingly, this clever adaptation inspired improvements in cycle helmet design, helping to protect cyclists against rotational brain injuries. If woodpeckers become engrossed in their drumming, you can often get remarkably close. They’re usually perched at the top of a favourite tree – it will be a hollowing dead or dying trunk that offers superior acoustics. On a crisp, clear day, when the low sun is doing its best to warm the ground, take a moment to stop. Crouch down and listen. It might not be spring just yet, but it’s definitely on its way.
Great spotted woodpecker fact file:
With predominantly black and white plumage, male, female and juvenile great spotted woodpeckers all sport red feather ‘underpants’ under their tails.
Juveniles also have a red ‘bonnet’, with adult males having a smaller red rectangle of feathers on the back of their head (image opposite is a male, with a red square on the back of his head. The flying woodpecker above with no red patch is a female)
Great spotted woodpeckers can drum 600 times a day, at speeds of up to 40 pecks a second.
Their tongues can protrude up to 4 cm beyond the tip of their bill, allowing them to winkle out even the most difficult peanut or seed from a garden bird feeder, or wiggly insect from a crack in a tree.
Look for them at the tops of trees, where their movement and distinctive colour are more likely to catch your attention as they drum, silhouetted against the sky.
During the last year the Shroton Ukelele Band performed 37 concerts – or gigs, as they call them. Usually they entertain people in care homes in nearby towns and villages, but during 2024 they performed in both Julia’s House establishments in Poole and Devizes (they charged no fee for those two). The band donate all the money they raise, largely to local charities, and their 2024 total was £2,000 shared across nine good causes. ‘We concentrate in the main on children’s support groups and hospices,’ says band leader Mike Jones. ‘It is a “triple whammy” for us: we all enjoy playing, the audience enjoys listening and joining in and our selected charities gain the benefit too! ‘Band members come from all over North Dorset, and we meet on Mondays at 4.30pm in the Village Hall at Shroton (and frequently afterwards in The Cricketers …). At present we have about 15 members, but we would welcome some new faces! We are really looking forward to our 2025 season, and already have a score of bookings.’ If you would like to book Shroton Ukulele Band for any event, please contact Judy Adams on 01258 452614 or [email protected] ‘The standard fee is £70 per concert,’ says Mike. ‘That includes about six of us for around an hour usually, but we are very flexible – and as I said, all the money goes to charity.’
In early February, two young boxers from Sturminster Newton Boxing Club headed to Rotherham for the England Boxing National Youth Championships 2025. Ruby White, who turned 18 in the week of the competition, and 17-year-old Lexi Phillips both fight out of the North Dorset club – though Lexi is from Poole, travelling three days a week to train there. Despite battling illness in the run-up to the competition, Lexi was determined to step into the ring, says head coach and club owner Shaun Weeks: ‘She’s had shingles, and she’s had a really nasty, flu-virus – she’s really had to dig deep. ‘Ruby had the semi final against a girl from Liverpool, and got a first round stoppage. In the final she boxed Ruby Cuthbertson from District Youth Boxing Club, near Sunderland. Ruby Cuthbertson is also a European champion, so that was a good bout. Our Ruby come out on top on points, but it was a really good contest. It was nice to see her actually get three rounds in – she’s stopped her last nine opponents.
Champions Lexi Phillips, left, and Ruby White, with their champion belts from the England Boxing National Youth Championships 2025. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
‘In Lexi’s semi final she boxed Sky Smith from Berinsfield, near Oxford, a four-time national champion herself. It was a very good contest, very close. But Lexi came out on top, with a four/one split decision. She then faced Grace Massey in the final, who is a five-time national champion. They’ve boxed twice before, winning one each, so it could have gone either way. Because of her illness, Lexi was exhausted before she even started, but she managed to dig really deep and got a unanimous win from the five judges. Two female England champions in the club – what a weekend! It’s Ruby’s sixth national title, and it was Lexi’s third.’
Ruby White with her Sturminster Newton Boxing coaches Eddie Wareham (left) and head coach Shaun Weeks. Image: Sturminster Newton ABC
‘I got in the ring for the semi-final and I didn’t box my best,’ says Ruby. ‘I got the first round stoppage, but it wasn’t a good performance, in my opinion. Then on the Sunday, I boxed the European champion – she was on the England team with me a few years ago, we went to the Europeans together. I won all three rounds and got the decision, but my performance will be better next time: I didn’t box as best as I could. I can only improve on that. But it was a good weekend!
‘Now it’s back in the gym to train for the Four Nations. I’ve had a couple days off, but I’ll be back working very soon – I just need a little bit of rest and recovery at the moment.’
National Champion Lexi Phillips. Image: Sturminster Newton ABC
Lexi was open about how she had felt in the run up to the National Youth Championships: ‘Yeah, that wasn’t the best! I’ve been unwell for a good three, four weeks now, and then we found out I had shingles the week before. So my preparation was just about recovering, trying to stay on weight … you can’t train because you’re trying to get better, but then you can’t eat to try and get better! So it was really tough.
‘The semi final was so hard. I found that one the toughest, to be honest, mostly because I knew that I still had to lose weight after it, and not eat a lot, and then go again the next day. But I made it with a four-one split decision, and I still think I won quite well, even though I didn’t box anywhere near my best the whole weekend. For me, it was more about the mental game, getting through it, doing what I had to do to get the win. Sunday, the final, was still tough, but I felt like that was a more comfortable win for me. I felt a lot more positive in the morning because I knew that was the last push, and then I got a nice week off! The dream is to win the Four Nations in May, and then get selected for England performance and hopefully go to Europeans. Simple as that!’
Lexi and Ruby both fight from the Sturminster Newton Boxing Gym. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Shaun agrees that the next step for the pair of champions is with the England team, that they will be competing in the Four Nations, held in Cardiff on the weekend of the 31st of May: ‘We’re hoping, off the back of that, maybe Lexi will get picked up and put on the England pathway, that’s the first step for her.’
Boxers are selected for the England Performance Youth Squad by a selection panel, based on their technical and tactical skills, fitness and commitment to the England Boxing values.
From the England Performance squad, Lexi would potentially be selected for the Europeans and join her clubmate, Ruby.
I mentioned the human super-power of imagination last time, and how it can be used positively to create solutions as well as motivate us to take action and implement them. Sadly there was precious little imagination in the Government’s response to the Climate & Nature (CAN) Bill which was debated in Parliament on 24th January. Spooked by the prospect of legally binding targets, and the involvement of a Citizens Assembly in setting those targets, the Government pushed through a motion to end the debate before it could be put to a vote. The Bill has been rescheduled for 11th July, when there will probably not be enough time for it to actually be debated. And so the CAN has been kicked down the road, yet again, in spite of the obvious fact that the climate is already changing rapidly for the worse and our wildlife continues to decline. That so few MPs turned up for the debate speaks volumes about the lack of urgency among our elected representatives in respect of the two most important issues of our time, climate change and the environment. Greater awareness was at least shown by those MPs who did attend, including the cross-party group of 12 MPs co-sponsoring the Bill. One was our North Dorset MP Simon Hoare, who spoke eloquently about the need for the Bill. Regarding the Government’s aversion to Citizens Assemblies being used to guide policy making, the Tory frontbench spokesman joined in to declare that “it’s not how decisions should made in this country”. They would do well to reflect on how badly the present way we make decisions is failing us, driving a marked decline in public trust and confidence in our parliamentary system, particularly among our younger citizens, who increasingly rely on social media, where they are fed information and motivation that threatens the future of democracy. In one recent poll of those aged between 15 and 30 (the so-called Generation Z) more than half (52%) thought we should have a strong leader “who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”. We know only too well where that path leads. Ken Huggins North Dorset Green Party
Students from Shaftesbury, Blandford and Sturminster Newton schools took to the stage for Shaftesbury Rotary’s biggest Youth Speaks competition yet, held on 22nd January at Shaftesbury School. The event, which challenges young people to develop their public speaking skills, saw teams compete in two age categories: Intermediate (11–13 years) and Senior (14–17 years). Each team had a chairperson, who managed the debate, a proposer, who put forward the motion and an opposer, who argued against it. With a live audience, a judging panel and a time limit to contend with, the students showed impressive composure as they tackled a diverse range of topics – from religion and war to gender and Greek mythology.
Winners and Runners-up In the Intermediate category, the winning team were from Sturminster Newton High School – Tilly Westbrook, Amber Barlow and Owen Jackson – arguing for lowering the voting age to 12. The Blandford School team – Sophie Duke, Arabella Muir and Odette Miller – took second place with their debate on whether children should be told fairytales. In the Senior category, Phoebe O’Keefe, Lucy Holdcroft and Esme Compton-Cowdrey from Shaftesbury School won with their discussion on whether AI is developing too fast. Fellow Shaftesbury students Edmund Dobson, Blake Stonton and Sam Parsons were runners-up, debating whether humans should colonise Mars. The winners will now progress to the district competition on Saturday 5th April at The Mountbatten School in Romsey.
Praise for the Students The judging panel – Rachael Gale (local teacher), Matthew Billingsley (solicitor) and Virginia Edwyn-Jones (Town Councillor and Shaftesbury Chamber of Commerce Chair) – had the tough task of picking winners from a strong field of speakers. Matthew Billingsley, now in his third year of judging, praised the students’ performances: ‘Each year, I’m blown away by the commitment of the students and the quality of the debate. This year was no exception and I was delighted to be asked to take part once again. The opportunity to develop public speaking skills is invaluable, giving each student confidence that will stand them in good stead for the future.’ The event, run by Shaftesbury Rotary Club in partnership with Shaftesbury School, will return for even more spirited debate in 2026.
From parish churches to country barns – have modern weddings come full circle to their historic roots?
1954: Wedding party on the path outside The School House. Photo commissioned by Miss Quelch of The School House, Wimborne St Giles. Spot the twins!
Today, we think of a ‘traditional’ wedding as a bride dressed in white getting married in church. In the past, a wedding was often a simple ceremony that could take place anywhere. All that was needed for a marriage to be legal was spoken agreement between a bride and a groom.
1960s: Bride, father and bridesmaids arriving at St Mary, St Cuthberga & All Saints in Witchampton. The bride’s father was Charles Patrick De Candole, a retired navy chaplain who was the vicar at the church from 1962 to 1982
In the 1750s, a church wedding, carried out by a priest became the only lawful way to marry. The Marriage Act 1753 made the only legally recognised marriages in England and Wales those performed by the Church of England, Jews and Quakers. This meant that Roman Catholics and members of other Christian congregations, as well as atheists, Muslims, Hindus and members of any other religious body, had to be married according to rites and ceremonies they did not support, by a priest who they believed had no authority.
1926: A formal group outside the Rectory, Witchampton after the wedding of Jack Parham and Barbara Baker. Mrs Hill of Rose Lea remembers overstitching the ‘handkerchiefs’ that formed the flowing chiffon skirt of the wedding dress, which was made by Mrs. Winnie White, a London dressmaker who lived in the village.
Eventually, the Marriage Act 1836 allowed marriages to be legally registered in buildings belonging to other religious groups, and also without religious rites. Those campaigning for reform had largely been non-conformist religious groups seeking the right to be able to conduct marriage ceremonies – marriage in the register office was added in almost as an afterthought.
1939: Eric and Joyce Cowdry’s wedding photograph, with the wedding party sitting on a fire engine with the crew. William Cowdry (chief fire officer) on the right, Claude Cowdry top left.
In the first year of the new Act’s operation, just over one per cent of all weddings were in a register office: even at the end of the 19th century they accounted for only 15 per cent. It was only in the late 20th century that civil marriage overtook religious marriage as the most popular form of marriage. By 2015, civil marriages accounted for almost three-quarters of marriages in England and Wales – before the start of the 20th century it was very much a minority choice.
1921: A wonderfully modern-feeling reportage photo of a gypsy wedding at the Methodist Church in King Street, Wimborne … it was obviously a windy day!
Given that all civil marriages had to be conducted in the register office, and that initially there would have been only one register office per registration district, the parish church would have remained the easiest option for most couples, particularly in rural areas.
Group photograph of Florence Stone and Private Thomas Smith of the Machine Gun Corps, taken outside Uddens Lodge in 1917. Thomas Smith met Florence Stone while recuperating at a local military hospital from a wound received while fighting on the Western Front. Thomas Smith (grandfather to Susan Day, née Myhill) is in his army uniform with Florence standing to the right. It is believed that the older man and woman seated left and right are Mr and Mrs Hillier.
Marrying in the parish church was often easier, quicker and cheaper than a civil marriage. Some vicars offered cut-price or free weddings to encourage couples to marry. At Manchester Cathedral and St John’s Church in the East End of London, vicars would routinely marry couples in batches to save time and money. The vicar at St James the Great in Bethnal Green would marry couples for free – simply to prevent them cohabiting without any religious or legal ceremony.
1898: The marriage of Emily Low to John Chissell, taken at the Low family home on Avenue Road, Wimborne
Ceremonies are now held in places such as castles, barns or the middle of woods … have we returned to the more informal weddings of our ancestors?
1904: Cecil Norton Stickland of the Travellers Rest, Three Legged Cross and Louisa Eliza Elton who lived near the Cricketers in Park Lane, Wimborne, were married in Wimborne Minster
Photographs supplied by Museum of East Dorset. Copies of photos from the museum’s extensive library are available to buy. If you have any bygone photos, slides, negatives or film relating to East Dorset that you would like to loan for copying, or to donate to the museum archives, they would be delighted to receive them. For either of the above, please email [email protected]
on the wrong day can irrevocably damage your perception of the art. Conversely, finding the right music at the right moment feels like alchemy. So it was with ‘into a pretty room’, the fourth LP from lots of hands*, the Newcastle indie band which, on my first listening, perfectly reflected the feeling of the calm after the literal storm, following a weekend of battering wind, icy rain and thunderous electrical storms. Album opener alive (not to be confused with Alive, the glitchy opening track of the same name from their 2020 debut Mistake) sets the tone beautifully. In a style which will be familiar to fans of Big Thief, it manages to be familiar and calming while remaining freeform and loose. The internal conflict of the lyrics (“I’m just so scared…. I wanna be alive”) is kept so low in the mix that it feels more like immersion in a hazy dream than a proclamation.
There are many other familiar touchpoints throughout the 14 tracks featured. The frequent blending of acoustic guitars and retro synths is reminiscent of the early noughties production style found on albums such as Lowgold’s Just Backwards of Square and Grandaddy’s The Sophtware Slump. But enough invention and originality is on display to stop the album from ever feeling derivative. While into a pretty room is no departure for fans of the band who have stayed largely true to their earlier work (they’ve been writing music together since the age of 16), this is undeniably a ‘level up’ moment. As evidenced by the outro of slow-burner game of zeroes, lots of hands are becoming experts in crafting moments of beauty and substance. I’m very pleased I decided to spend some time in their pretty room.
(*yes, the lack of capitaliation is deliberate by the band, and my personal kind of nightmare – Ed)
Matt Ambrose
Matthew Ambrose presents Under The Radar on Tuesday evening at 7pm on Abbey104. Broadcasting on 104.7FM and online at abbey104.com.
Looking for a lively evening of fun and friendly competition – all in the name of a great cause? Sturfit’s Games Night on Saturday, 22nd February (7pm to 11:30pm) promises a fantastic mix of games, good food and great company, all while raising vital funds for Sturminster Newton’s Sturfit Community Fund.
Whether you’re part of a club, a group, or coming along solo, everyone is welcome. Teams will be formed on the night, so there’s no need to worry – it’s all about joining in and having a laugh!
What’s in Store?
Expect a brilliant selection of simple, fun games that everyone can get involved in – think beer pong, Jenga, hoopla and basketball shots. It’s all about participation, but if playing isn’t for you, cheerleading and sideline encouragement are just as important (and a great excuse to keep the drinks flowing!).
A hog roast (with vegetarian options), a disco and a well-stocked bar will keep the energy high, and raffle tickets will be on sale for the eagerly anticipated Easter Draw.
How to Take Part
To help with catering and game planning, advance booking and payment are recommended – though a few spaces will be available on the night (without food).
£10 per person (including food)
£5 entry only
Affordable bar prices
If you’d like to help behind the scenes, there are plenty of ways to get involved, from running the bar and selling raffle tickets to assisting with food or even refereeing a game.
This event is part of Sturfit’s wider fundraising efforts, including Hayley’s London Marathon challenge in aid of the Sturfit Community Fund. Every ticket purchased helps support the local community – so why not gather some friends, get competitive, and make a difference?
