Crossing lines: make a green shift

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13 May 2024

In this year of elections – and hopefully welcome changes – look out for attempts by some to portray themselves as environmental champions. West Dorset MP Chris Loder has just trumpeted the steps being taken to introduce stricter regulation of the water treatment industry, including 4,000 water company inspections by the Environment Agency in order to ensure that our waterways ‘remain healthy’. But our rivers can hardly ‘remain’ healthy when only 14 per cent of them currently warrant ‘Good’ ecological status.
The Environment Agency has been so heavily de-funded by the government that it has simply not been able to monitor sewage discharges effectively: instead, the water industry has been allowed to ‘self-report’.
And those 4,000 inspections? They will need to cover the 22,000 sewage outflows which discharged sewage 370,000 times in 2021.
Also, they will be funded partly by DEFRA, but also by ‘water quality permit charges’ levied on water companies … which will presumably go straight onto our water bills.
North Dorset’s MP Simon Hoare recently claimed that he has ‘supported consistently the drive towards carbon neutral UK generated energy’. This is somewhat at odds with Simon’s parliamentary voting record which says he’s voted against financial support for low carbon electricity generation, and voted instead for the Climate Change Levy to be applied to renewable energy generation. Simon has also voted 16 times against measures to prevent climate change, versus four times for them. More often than not, he has also voted against improving environmental water quality and has voted against improving biodiversity. I’ll leave it there …
There is a national campaign called Project Climate Vote which has active groups in the South West, including Dorset. Although the campaign was launched by Greenpeace, not everyone involved is a member, or even an environmental activist. They are simply reaching out to voters to ask if they will include climate change and the environment among their top priorities when deciding who to vote for. I have personally found that joining with others to do something positive helps me to cope with the relentless tide of bad environmental news. If this appeals to you, then search for Project Climate Vote on Greenpeace’s website and join in. You’ll meet nice people.
Ken Huggins
North Dorset Green Party

Gillingham Singers Spring Concert

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Editorial team

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13 May 2024

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Anyone walking past St Mary’s church, Motcombe on the evening of 13th April would have been treated to the sound of All In The April Evening drifting through the warm spring air as the Gillingham Singers began their Spring Concert.
Inside the church, the audience were treated to a wonderful mix of music from modern British composers, ranging from John Rutter’s The Sprig of Thyme and a collection of folk songs, through to Thomas Tallis’ If Ye Love Me from the mid-1500s. The concert concluding with This is Home by Sophia Efthimiou, which came to public attention during the Covid lock-down.
This is the first concert Gillingham Singers have sung with their new musical director, Richard Nye, with David Grierson providing the accompaniment.
The audience enjoyed other works including Taverner’s The Lamb, where the choir came out from their positions to surround the listeners with a true 360º sound, a selection of songs from Cecila McDowall’s A Fancy of Folksongs and Bob Chilcott’s The Lily and the Rose.
This is Home was then sung as an encore, giving the audience a chance to join in the emotive musical item with sign language, voice or both. A delightful evening for all who attended!
by Mike Turnbull
gillinghamsingers.org

This Ain’t The Way You Go OutLucy Rose

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Editorial team

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12 May 2024

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Communion Records

While on the surface, Lucy Rose sits comfortably in the English female folk singer category, her music has always had something extra.
From the first 20 seconds of Red Face (the shape-shifting opening track from her 2012 debut LP Like I Used To) the inventive dynamism which sets Rose apart from her contemporaries is clear.
Following a burst of creativity between 2012 and 2019, Rose took a lengthy hiatus for the birth of her first child (who features on the track Interlude II), and then to recover from resulting health issues so serious that she was unable to walk or breathe without severe pain (let alone sit at a piano) for many months.
It would therefore have been understandable if Rose’s return was a little on the sombre side – she has had plenty to reflect on, after all. But the album Rose and producer Kwes crafted following these momentous life events (and then recorded in a mere two days) is full of life, and Lucy’s boldest effort to date.
While those recent experiences have clearly shaped the work, they never weigh it down.
On Could You Help Me, Rose asks ‘Could you fit me in your busy day?’ before declaring ‘Now I’m learning how terribly lonely illness is’. But there is a lightness of touch, a deftness in the arrangement of the track, so that it practically skips through its sub-three minute arrangement.
While there is introspection and beauty to be found here, the most rewarding moments on the album are the regular forays into jazz, trip-hop and chamber pop. Rose has expanded her palette in such an organic manner that it feels like the most honest presentation of her true musical spirit to date.
By the time closing track The Racket has reached it’s free-form, heavy-grooving crescendo, it’s clear that Rose and her band of regular collaborators are now reaching the height of their powers. Long may they continue.

Matthew Ambrose presents Under The Radar on Tuesday evening at 7pm on Abbey104. Broadcasting on 104.7FM and online at abbey104.com.

The grass that’s too green

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Editorial team

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11 May 2024

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Ever-hopeful of an end to the wet weather, Lucy Procter has her work cut out with poached fields and the dangers of spring grazing

Woolstone One and her 5 week old Planteur colt.
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

Wet and windy – April has left us the same way it arrived. But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom: the sun and wind through the middle of April quickly dried the land, resulting in frantic rolling of the fields before the ground dried out too much.
Rolling is important to level out the ground where horses have been turned out during the winter, the soft ground churned up by the hooves of several half ton horses. The resultant ruts and pitting is known as poached ground, and if this is left to dry hard in the summer, the surface becomes legitimately leg-breaking for horses.

Gawler (3 months old colt) and Randwick (7 weeks old colt) – rough and tumble play fighting is important in young horses, helping them learn vital social and behavioural cues from the other members of the herd

Horses can easily injure themselves by galloping over uneven ground in just the same way that a person is liable to twist or break their ankle over rough terrain. Unlike people who can be warned to walk carefully over tricky terrain, however, turn a horse out in a lumpy, bumpy field and they will most likely will do what horses like to do best – gallop around at top speed to let off steam before stopping to graze.

Roc Royal with her foal Randwick being photobombed by Cairns, keen to show off his patchy, war-paint face, as his foal coat starts to drop out and change colour

Done correctly, rolling also encourages good grass, stimulating growth in damaged areas and improving soil health by increasing soil density, reducing air pockets and improving soil structure. Once the ground has properly dried it will be time to bring out the harrows to help break up any left-over poaching, spread any horse droppings that have accumulated over the winter and remove any dead grass or unwanted weeds.

Roc Royal’s Walzertakt colt, Randwick, has just come in after being out for a few days and is super, super sleepy. Not sure how comfy the feed bowl is, but he’s obviously not bothered!

Lush spring grass is an issue
Most of our horses are now turned out all day and all night. Those with very young foals at foot – or who have not yet foaled and therefore need to stay under camera – are still coming back into stables at night. But turning horses out for the first time, after several months of eating hay in all-weather turnouts rather than grass, is tricky.
This year, the relatively warm winter has meant that the grass has continued to slowly grow, leaving us with fields of excessively long, lush, spring grass. A horse’s stomach cannot tolerate drastic changes in feed. If a horse suddenly begins gorging on lush grass having been eating hay all winter, it is in danger of developing severe abdominal pain caused by problems in the gastrointestinal tract. This is known as colic – one of the most common causes of death in horses.
We start by introducing field time in short periods of a few hours, followed by time back in the stable or all-weather turnout eating hay.
After a week or so of gradually increasing the length of time they are out grazing grass, the horses can safely stay out day and night.

Just look at Belle’s week-old, super-long legs –
no wonder she was needing a rest!

The orphaned foal, displaying more warpaint on his face as his bay foal coat changes to a greyer hue

Go The Swede
On the racing front we were especially pleased to take one of our homebred horses we have been training, The Swede, to race at Axe Vale Point-to-Point. Although she pulled up before the last fence, our daughter Alice, who was riding her, was very pleased with how she travelled through the race and how well she jumped. We are hoping to race her again in May.
While typing this, I can hear the birds singing outside and, although the sky is still grey, it has finally stopped raining. Although last night’s downpour has reduced many of the fields to swamps again, I am allowing myself a tiny hope that we have got through the worst of the winter, and that a drier spring is just around the corner …

Gawler and Randwick still at it – colt foals are more likely to indulge in play fighting than the filly foals.

Musical walks with Ninebarrow

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Editorial team

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11 May 2024

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Regular readers of The BV will know that editor Laura and husband Courtenay Hitchcock are keen walkers, sharing some of their routes – and stunning photographs – in the magazine.
But for those who would like even more of Dorset’s dramatic and inspiring landscape, there is a new collection of walks from Dorset’s much-loved folk duo Ninebarrow – James LaBouchardiere and Jon Whitley.
For some years, the duo, renowned for their beautiful harmonies and charming original songs, have been leading walks and writing books to introduce their fans and fellow walkers to different areas of their home county, which inspires so much of their music – they even took their name from the Purbeck landmark Nine Barrow Down.
Their third volume of Ninebarrow’s Dorset Walking Book contains ten routes in some of Dorset’s most spectacular and exciting scenery – the Purbeck coast, North Dorset’s ancient hillforts and the mysterious landscape of Cranborne Chase where you can find traces of human activity that date back many millennia.

The muse is the wild
It is some years now since Jon and Jay gave up their day jobs (Jon was a teacher and Jay was a GP) to become full time musicians. That decision has paid off, with a string of critically acclaimed albums – the most recent is their fifth, The Colour of Night – as well as two books of walks, and a sideline in organising musical walking holidays, which combine three days of walking with fine food and evening concerts.
Walking is an essential part of their lives: “The outdoors is our muse,” says Jon. “For Jay and I, walking is a creative experience. We never feel more creative than when we’re out hiking.”
There is certainly plenty to inspire your imagination in this latest collection of walks, which are graded from easy to moderate to challenging to hard, and are mostly around five to six miles. The ten routes are: Hambledon Hill and Hod Hill; Badbury Rings; Martin Down; Ballard Down; Ringstead and White Nothe; Lulworth Cove and Mupe Bay; Lyscombe Bottom; Duncliffe Hill; Cerne Abbas; and Tynehgam and Kimmeridge.
The walks are well-researched and described, both in words and in beautiful photographs. There are clear maps and directions, and essential advice on the basic facts such as availability of loos, where to leave your car and where you can find refreshment on or after your walk. There are also handwritten side-bars giving additional information on such features as medieval lynchets, Iron Age hill-forts, the origin of place names or what you can see from a particular high-point.
The book is a handy size that fits in a pocket or backpack and has a sensible, strong plastic cover. It all adds up to a very useful addition to the walking library of anyone who loves Dorset – and if you don’t already know it, it should also encourage you to listen to Ninebarrow’s music.

Ninebarrow’s Dorset Walking Book – Vol.3 is available to pre-order now from their shop: ninebarrow.co.uk

A message from our Astrophotographer Rob Nolan of RPN Photography

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Editorial team

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10 May 2024

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Northen Lights alert! Tonight and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday nights 10th & 11th May 2024) could be rather spectacular, with Northern Lights being visible across the entire UK! I took these images of our Sun today and you’ll see the large group of Sunspots towards the bottom. These are responsible for some huge CME’s that are now bound for Earth and due to hit Friday evening, bigger than anything seen in a very long time! The weather forecast looks good with clear skies and next to no moon, so do go outside after dark and take a look north, and let your kids stay up too! This could be one of those very rare events! I’ll update Friday evening if things are looking good!

Mixed EA, Office Management & Administration Role | Higher Farm Group

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Editorial team

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10 May 2024

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Higher Farm is a regenerative food and farming project on a mission to increase access to local & natural food. We are a new and exciting company based near Castle Cary and looking to grow our team!
We are currently hiring for a mixed administrative position that involves being EA to our two founders, Giacomo and Matteo, and as general Office and Company Administrator.

Responsibilities:
Executive Assistance to Founders: Assisting our two co-founders with all areas of “life admin.”

Office Management & Administration:

Site & Property Administration: managing the administration for the farm including organising
maintenance works, health and safety, insurance policies, etc.
Accounts: processing payments and invoices, liaising with company accountants to process payroll, VAT
reports and yearly accounts.
HR Admin: Organising contracts, holidays, company off-sites etc.
Enquiries: most enquiries will be directed to our relevant department but you will manage any enquiries
coming into our main email. You will answer our phone and assist in processing cabin accommodation
bookings.
Office management: maintaining the office space, staying on top of supplies, organising the company diary
etc.

Specifications
1-2 years of experience in a relevant field.
Clerical skills: good understanding of how HMRC accounting works, understanding PAYE, payroll, managing
invoicing, managing payment transfers etc
Outstanding organisation skills to manage multiple work streams and small tasks.
Proficient IT skills: you are likely to be processing lots of information using a computer, so you’ll need
strong IT skills.
Excellent communication skills: very important for liaising with our growing team and with customer
enquiries.

Details
Work will be at our office on the farm: Higher Farm, Sutton, BA46QF (5 minutes from Castle Cary)
Salary: £28k/year
28 Days holidays
Vibrant, inclusive, energetic work culture
Lots of fun food, farming, and people activities for you to enjoy!

If interested, please contact [email protected] with CV and cover letter.

Experienced Gardener required | Plumber Manor Hotel

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Editorial team

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10 May 2024

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Experienced Gardener required urgently for planting, pots and general garden maintenance

Contact; Plumber Manor, Sturminster Newton 01258 472507 [email protected]

Election reflections

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Editorial team

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10 May 2024

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From campaign trails to optimistic tales: MP Simon Hoare has been considering why we see so little positivity in politics

I sit writing this article in the twilight zone of a local election campaign: I have been out and about across North Dorset, working alongside my Conservative colleagues to make our case to voters. As you read this we will know the results. As I write it I only have sore feet and crossed fingers.
I was struck by one particular conversation with a lady who asked me: ‘Why is politics so negative these days?’ We had a good conversation, and she told me I should write my next article on the issue – so here we go…
The simple answer is that it doesn’t have to be.
The media and, in particular, social media, set traps which we politicians seem very disposed to fall into. They let us find and exploit fault lines and differences. To motivate people by opposing things, to serve up a diet of ‘we don’t like / we want to stop / this makes us angry.’
However, most people are optimists. I certainly am. My glass is always half full. There is always a new challenge and opportunity to face. But it is not always easy when the social media trolls and others wait to pounce on one’s every word. The House of Commons allows itself to be portrayed almost solely through the bear pit prism of Prime Minister’s Questions. Of course there are passionate arguments and conflicting world views – but most of our Commons politics is actually done rather calmly and quietly.

Opportunity in every difficulty
My politics is founded on what good I can do, what positive change I can affect. My politics is not founded on frowns and a down-turned mouth. I am motivated by what I enjoy about politics and public service, not what I want to stop or am opposed to. I am happy when visiting a school, or having a school visit me in the Commons, when I hear our young people’s hopes for the future and the concern they give to today’s challenges. I am excited when I visit a business that is growing and employing local people – creating hope and opportunity. I am humbled and moved when I meet carers, foster parents or community activists seeking to make things just a little bit better.
I felt ecstatic when talking to the young family who were moving in when I was canvassing. I asked them why they had come to North Dorset and the simple reply was: ‘Because it’s a little bit of heaven isn’t it?’
My job satisfaction is derived from helping those who visit my advice surgery and we can find a solution or a route out of their problem. I go to the House of Commons not to jeer and demean but to find people who want to work together on issues.
I feel only positivity when I talk to farmers about the food they are producing, the trees and hedgerows they are planting and the real care they have for the environment. Spring, with all the new life and growth, seems to make the relevance of farming to our area even more acute than usual.

Rose-tinted specs
Reading that back I suspect you now think I am a cock-eyed, rose-coloured, spectacle-wearing optimist.
I am not. I am a realist.
I know full well the need to turbo-charge social mobility, that we have inequality and injustice in North Dorset; that rural life needs levelling up; that we have infrastructure and investment challenges.
I know all that. But, as I said to the lady at the top of the article, I really do not believe you can have any hope of making a positive contribution and delivering help and progress if you are consumed by negativity. I don’t get out of bed of a morning because I am opposed to something or someone – I get out of bed to help someone, to try to make things a bit better. People don’t want to vote against things; rather they want to vote for things.
Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter to the US Presidency on a simple slogan: “it’s morning in America”. That homespun phrase spoke of hope, and the promise new day brings; that we do well when looking ahead rather than backwards; when we embrace and shape change rather than, ostrich-like, seek to resist it by ignoring it. We can skulk in the dark of the cave or we can stride out to meet the dawn. I’m personally motivated to stride out to do, not to oppose.
Anyway that’s what I said to the lady. She told me to write it down. I have followed her instruction.