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Dorset urged to raise some dough for Marie Curie this autumn

By
Editorial team
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The UK’s leading end-of-life charity, Marie Curie, is inviting Dorset’s bakers to whip up some much-needed funds this autumn. Whether you’re a star baker or just discovering a passion for pastries, this is a chance to raise dough for a great cause while creating something delicious.
Upon signing up, participants will receive a special recipe pack featuring autumn-inspired bakes from chefs Melissa Hemsley, the Hairy Bikers and actor and author Fay Ripley. The pack also includes everything needed for a successful event, from posters and social media graphics to invitations and fundraising cards.
Fay Ripley, who’s supporting the campaign with her banana and chocolate loaf recipe, says, ‘Get baking with me! Marie Curie’s work in delivering expert care at the end of life is so important, and baking can be a sweet way to support this great cause.’
Kara Frampton, Marie Curie’s community fundraiser for Dorset, added, ‘As the nights draw in, baking could be a fun and tasty way to help us provide expert care and support at the end of life. Whether you host a bake-off with friends or simply hold a cake sale, your fundraising will ensure Marie Curie can continue its work in Dorset.’
Not a cancer charity, Marie Curie cares for people with any illness they are likely to die from. As well as providing hospice care and hospice at home care across the UK, Marie Curie has a free support line which is available to anyone with an illness they’re likely to die from and those close to them. It offers practical and emotional support on everything from symptom management and day-to-day care to financial information and bereavement support.
To join the baking challenge visit mariecurie.org.uk or contact Kara Frampton on 07712 691510 or [email protected].

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Community saddened by abrupt closure of local garden centre

By
LauraHitchcock
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Thorngrove Garden Centre, having been at the heart of Gillingham for more than 50 years, has been closed to the public, though it currently continues to be used as an educational campus. Employ My Ability (EMA) purchased Thorngrove in 2017 from The Charity Scope, who were already running a day service provision at the centre, and embarked on a programme of regeneration. EMA developed the grounds and classrooms, added another glasshouse and introduced The Secret Garden Café, which soon became a popular destination not just for garden centre visitors but for dog walkers and locals enjoying a mid-week catch up or Sunday brunch. In the summer of 2021, a new barn shop was opened on the site, expanding the garden centre’s offering to their customers. The team at the garden centre has worked hard to build it into a popular community hub, with children’s holiday activities and adult workshops through the year.

The announcement of Thorngrove’s closure on their website

Yesterday, attendees of the scheduled half-term children’s activities were unexpectedly informed of the site’s immediate closure. All associated social media accounts have since been deactivated, and Thorngrove has issued an official statement on their website:

‘Today we are sharing an important update about changes to the EMA Gillingham Campus. The on-site garden centre and café are now closed to the public.

‘The closure of the garden centre and café allows us to make positive improvements and focus on developing the Gillingham Campus by repurposing these commercial spaces to better serve both our educational and adult social care services. Part of these plans includes making use of the café environment and kitchen to enhance our hospitality courses and provide greater learning opportunities for our students and adult social care attendees, setting them up for a better pathway into the community and employment.

‘We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all members of the public who supported the café and garden centre over the years. We hope you continue to support our mission in providing an enriching learning environment for young people, and adults.All staff, parents and carers have been notified of these changes, and we wanted to share them here too. If you have further questions about this update, please feel free to contact us using the contact form on our website. Thank you. www.employmyability.org.uk’

Employ My Ability provides practical vocational courses designed to equip students with special educational needs with essential skills, experiences, and learning development. The onsite facilities at Thorngrove, which included hospitality, catering, and horticulture, played a key role in helping students gain valuable expertise and confidence.

The local community reacted with sadness and surprise on Facebook groups following the sudden closure of the centre. One commenter remarked, “That’s really sad to hear. It was a lovely walk with the dog and stop to have a nice cup of tea. A really sad loss.” Others shared similar sentiments, with some expressing their fondness for the gift shop: “Such a wonderful place to go, and the gift shop was so lovely. So many people will miss this beautiful place.”

Some voiced confusion over the closure as a business decision, with one individual commenting, “Doesn’t make sense at all – spend all that money rebuilding the shop, making the cafe the best in Gillingham, a brand-new housing estate built right next door with all those future customers… shame, another loss for Gillingham.”

Half-Term fun for families across Dorset with Artsreach

By
Editorial team
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This October half-term, families across Dorset can enjoy an array of entertaining shows filled with puppetry, live music, and interactive activities, thanks to rural arts charity Artsreach. With mischievous goats, a playful puppy, and a cheeky magpie, there’s plenty to entertain!

The Goat Show
In a countryside corner not too far away, goats are causing mayhem, stealing sandwiches and munching on flowers. Running Dog Theatre brings The Goat Show to Sixpenny Handley (01725 552812) at 2pm on Saturday, 26th October. It’s a fun-filled adventure with puppetry, storytelling, and music about goats, overcoming conflict, and competitive poo collecting! A week of goat-themed activities will also lead up to the show.

Oskar’s Amazing Adventure
Fideri Fidera presents Oskar’s Amazing Adventure, the award-winning story of a fun-loving puppy seeking playmates in the snowy Alps. Suitable for ages 2-7, the show is packed with storytelling, clowning, puppetry, music, and song. Meet Oskar at Milborne St Andrew Village Hall (01258 839060) at 2pm on Monday, 28th October; Hinton Martell Village Hall (07476 020522) at 11am on Tuesday, 29th October; and Powerstock Hut (01308 485730) at 11am on Wednesday, 30th October. After each performance, a drama workshop inspired by themes of hibernation will be held – places are limited, so booking is essential.

Along Came a Magpie
Scarlet Oak Theatre returns with Along Came a Magpie, a heart-warming adventure featuring puppetry, plants, and lots of pots! The gardener’s peaceful potting shed is turned upside down by a mischievous magpie.
Find them in Buckland Newton (01300 345431) at 10:30am on Wednesday, 30th October, and Wootton Fitzpaine (01297 560948) at 10:30am on Thursday, 31st October. Each show is followed by a fun puppetry workshop – book your place early to avoid missing out.

For further details on all Artsreach events, please see the website – artsreach.co.uk

Year 2 Class Teacher | Milborne Port Primary School

By
Editorial team
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(Maternity Cover – Full Time)

Fixed term contract: 1 January 2025 – 23 July 2025

Salary Range: MPS/UPS

The Headteacher and Governors are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and inspirationalYear 2 class teacher to join our team and provide maternity cover.  

The successful candidate will:

• establish effective and trusting relationships with pupils, staff and parents

• have high expectations of all pupils’ learning and behaviour

• be passionate about teaching and learning

• have a thorough knowledge of the primary curriculum and a wide range of teaching strategies which will excite and engage all learners

• be committed to collaborative working and ongoing professional development

In return we can offer a warm and friendly school with hardworking and well-behaved children, dedicated and supportive staff and governors and opportunities for continualprofessional development.

Milborne Port Primary School is maintained by Somerset Council but will be joining the ACE Academy in Spring 2025.  It serves a community of almost 3,000 and the number on roll is currently 148.  In summer 2024, it was judged to be ‘Good’ by OFSTED.

Milborne Port Primary School and Somerset Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Visits to the school are welcome. Please telephone the school to arrange a visit.

All applications should be completed electronically and returned to [email protected]

Milborne Port Primary School and The Beeches Pre-School – Job Vacancies

Start Date: 6 January 2025

Closing date: Friday 1st November at 12 noon

Interviews: week beginning Monday 11th November 2024

Cherry blondies

By
Editorial team
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A blondie is the brownie’s fairer sister: and while the texture can be similar, the delicious, caramel flavour of a blondie comes from soft brown sugar. In this recipe, I have used dried cherries because they bring a tiny amount of sourness to offset some of the sweetness. You can find these in some supermarkets (definitely Sainsburys and Waitrose) and in health food stores or online. These are wonderful with a cosy cup of tea when it’s cold and/or wet outside: perfect for our current autumn weather!
– Heather

All images © Heather Brown

Ingredients

  • 12oz/340g soft brown sugar
  • 6oz/170g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • a good pinch of salt
  • 7oz/200g plain flour
  • 8oz/225g dried cherries

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas 6/180º fan. Grease and line an 8” x 8” (20x20cm) baking tin.
  2. In a saucepan, gently melt together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the two eggs.
  3. Gently fold in the flour and then stir through the cherries.
  4. Pour into your baking tin and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. When you move the tin, the middle shouldn’t ‘jiggle’ and the top should have lots of cracks.
  5. Allow to cool in the tin.

Bournemouth fireworks to go supersonic with live music and triple display

By
Editorial team
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Bournemouth’s biggest fireworks party is set to be louder and brighter than ever on Saturday, 2nd November, as Oasiss, one of the UK’s top Oasis tribute bands, headlines the live entertainment. Taking place at the Littledown Centre, Bournemouth Fireworks promises a triple display to light up the sky and plenty of music to get everyone in the party mood.
‘There’s no Definitely Maybe about it – we’re celebrating the Oasis reunion by sending a real Champagne Supernova into the sky from Bournemouth Fireworks!’ says event director Michael Callaghan. ‘And unlike the amazing fireworks, our prices are anything but dynamic. We’ve held our prices steady for the last three years.’
Early bird tickets are now on sale, with family tickets available for just £27 – a £7 saving on gate prices. Adult tickets are £8, children’s tickets are £4.50, and under-3s go free.
Gates open at 5.30pm, and collection baskets will be available to support the event’s charity partner, the RNLI, celebrating its 200th anniversary.
Three displays
The night will have three fireworks displays: 7pm, 8pm and culminating in the famous White Knuckle display at 9pm, the biggest and loudest display in the south! Beyond the fireworks, there’s live entertainment from the amazing fire performers before the 7pm and 8pm displays, and an all-new live music arena.
Firework displays at 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
littledownfireworks.co.uk

Haunted night trip

By
Editorial team
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Employ My Ability offers vocational training for students with learning disabilities and special educational needs. One of their students, Maddie Walters, spent her work experience with us, and now writes a regular column – Ed

It’s October and that can only mean one thing – Halloween is coming! In this month’s article I’m going to talk about some of the great for some scary fun!

Ghost Hunting
Ghost hunting is an experience where you can go, usually with a group of people and a guide, and hunt for ghosts in a stately home or castle. Two companies that offer ghost hunts in Dorset are Haunted Happenings and Ghost Hunt Events – both have upcoming events in Dorchester at the Shire Hall and Dorchester Prison, Nothe Fort, the Rifles Museum in Salisbury and Merley House in Wimborne. They tend to book up quickly.


There are some fun local ghostly events happening this month:
Haunted Harbour Tour, Weymouth takes you on a trip to the darker side of history. Saxon massacres, the Black Death, murders, mysteries and secret tunnels will all be discovered. Many dates still available for 2024 – including Halloween itself, October 31st! – £11

Ghost Hunt at Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne
Built in the 16th century, will you experience the reported disembodied footsteps or even see items moving mysteriously by themselves?
Saturday 26th October, 8.30pm £33

Ghost Hunt at Shire Hall Courthouse, Dorchester
19th October 2024
8pm until 2am, £46


And if an organised event isn’t your thing, Dorset has plenty of properties said to be haunted which would be fun for a walk as dark closes in:
Knowlton Church, near Wimborne
Corfe Castle, near Wareham
Tyneham – Dorset’s ghost village, near Kimmeridge
Happy haunted Halloween!

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Dorset voices, big issues: housing, farming and hidden science

By
LauraHitchcock
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Welcome to the first October episode of the BV Podcast! In this episode, hosts Jenny Devitt and Terry Bennett cover key stories from Dorset.

After this month’s letter from editor Laura Hitchcock, we hear the most recent political columns discuss the economic challenges facing Dorset pensioners and farmers, with MP Edward Morello calling for urgent changes. Ken Huggins explores the issue of electoral reform and political donations.

We also hear from Gary Jackson, who talks about the need for more affordable housing, and Simon Hoare MP, who shares his thoughts on the role of the state and citizen responsibility.

Jenny chats with BV journalist and author Rachael Rowe about her new book, The Science Lover’s Guide to London. Rachael shares intriguing stories about lesser-known scientific wonders in the capital (and its connections to Dorset), including a revolving door shaped like DNA and that the first plastic ever made was in Hackney. As Rachael puts it, “There’s science hidden around every corner – you just have to look for it!”

Our readers also get involved in this episode, with the month’s letters to the editor. We hear from a passionate farmer defending the future of Dorset’s wildlife, and a frustrated resident sharing concerns about dangerous traffic on local roads. One reader wonders if it’s time to raise the alarm over a potential threat to our sycamore trees.

These interviews were based on articles found in October’s BV, which can be read here … grab a coffee and jump in to the Dorset-ness. News, opinion, people, wildlife, art, farming, what’s on, horses … and frankly stunning photography.
Did we mention it’s FREE? Why wouldn’t you take a look?!

(We’re proudly 100% digital, so the only way to read us is right here online.)

The BV is Dorset’s go-to digital magazine – this year named ‘Best Regional Publication in the UK’ (ACE Awards) and ‘Regional News Site of the Year’ (Press Gazette). Brimming with Dorset’s people and places, it’s too good to miss!

Motcombe: Then and Now

By
Editorial team
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Step back in time with our ‘Then and Now’ feature, where vintage postcards from the Barry Cuff Collection meet modern-day reality. Explore the past and present on the same page, and see the evolution of familiar local places. ‘Now’ images by Courtenay Hitchcock

The Street is largely unchanged, though hedges have replaced the perimeter stone walls. The single storey building with the tall chimney is just about still visible, too. The angle is changed as the street is wider and straighter than it once was
The church is still there – just no longer visible from the road!
The iron railing is still present today – it’s apparent how much lower the road level used to be.

In his 1937 Shell Guide to Dorset, Michael Pitt-Rivers is rather unimpressed with Motcombe: ‘A sprawl of cottages, some old but mostly new. A large symmetrical church (St Mary) built … in 1848. Dark trees without; cream-wash and pitchpine within. A few dim medieval features incorporated. One brownish stained glass window.’
The ‘dark trees without’ theme remains to this day, obviously!
Motcombe House, now Port Regis Boys’ School, was built in 1893 by Sir Ernest George for Lord Stalbridge in an Elizabethan manner with red brick and a Tudor-style tower.

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