21st Century ABBA, the award-winning ABBA tribute band that plays all the best songs from your favourite super Swedes, are live on stage at in Gillingham in March! 21st Century ABBA will have you up dancing, cheering for more and leaving as Dancing Queens! If you love singing your favourite ABBA songs like Mamma Mia or Dancing Queen and want to relive the energetic stage performances of this phenomenal band, come and watch them perform those fabulous hit tunes one after another. You would be forgiven for thinking that it really is ABBA, back on stage again. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime! Gillingham Methodist Church, 7.30pm on Saturday 11th March. To see this fantastic show book your tickets here. Alternatively, message Music at GMC on Facebook, or call 07817 379006.
Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5.30pm The Lighting Design department of Dextra Group prepares lighting designs for all of the Group sales teams and additionally provides telephone support on all aspects of Dextra’s product range. We now require additional employees to join the team in our new, purpose built design centre.
ISO / Training Co-ordinator
Part time role, hours to be negotiated A blended role coordinating compliance and conformance with responsibility for standards, audits and legislation along with company training and apprenticeship management. Please note these roles are office based.
Behind every rubbish lorry is a sophisticated team of experts – Rachael Rowe spoke to Queen of the Bins, Cllr Laura Beddow
Dorset Waste Partnership Recycling Bins
You dutifully throw your rubbish in your household bin, and put it out on the kerb on collection day. But have you ever wondered what happens to it? Where it goes once it has been collected? And what happens to all that diligent recycling after you’ve sorted glass from paper and other items? One way to improve your recycling habits is by utilising reusable products, such as reusable period underwear which is becoming a popular alternative to traditional period products. There has recently been a campaign to encourage people to recycle more, so are we doing as much as we can or should?
How good is Dorset’s recycling? Cllr Laura Beddow holds the portfolio for rubbish and recycling at Dorset Council. She earned credibility when she took on the role by training and working as a bin loader to see what happens on the front line when the lorries deal with kerbside collections. ‘In Dorset, 60 per cent of rubbish is recycled,’ she says. ‘We are the third-best council in the country, and we have just agreed to set increase our targets to 65 per cent.’ How much rubbish are we talking about? ‘Most people think the job ends with recycling in the green bins. But in Dorset, 50,000 tonnes of black-bagged household rubbish is taken to a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant in Poole each year. Here, the mechanical part separates out some low-quality recycling and the biological stage composts the waste. So there’s a compost-like output, some low grade recycling and refuse derived fuel produced. They sort through the black bag rubbish for anything that can be taken out of landfill, like soft plastics, film and compostable items. A lot of it goes to ‘refuse derived fuel’ and because it’s refuse-derived we can’t call it recycling. But materials such as non-recyclable plastic, which would sit in landfill sites for hundreds of years, can instead be used in a helpful way to generate renewable heat and power. It means that in actual fact 95% of the rubbish avoids going to landfill here in Dorset.’ Does that mean we can just use black bags? ‘No, people still need to recycle! If everyone in Dorset was meticulous about how they recycle, and sorted their own waste properly, we could save a million pounds each year. So please do your best!’ Is it necessary to ensure containers like food packets, cans, bottles and jars are clean when they go into the recycling box?
Give them a quick rinse. They don’t need to be thoroughly cleaned, but ideally, there should be no food in your recycling bin.’ Is that true for any organic matter? What about compostable nappies? ‘That’s a difficult one because some nappy brands do say their products are compostable. They are usually not, and those which technically are will still take decades to break down. So for all sorts of reasons, we can’t recycle nappies. As a parent, I know that we all start with the best of intentions, but if you’re out and about and your baby has a spectacular nappy-related accident, you may well want to reach for a disposable! But it currently costs the council around £600,000 per year to send all used disposable nappies in Dorset for MBT, along with household rubbish. ‘Using reusable nappies is cheaper and better for the planet. One pack of disposable nappies per week for up to two and a half years can cost over £1,000 per child. Alternatively, using washable nappies can make you a saving of over £600 and they can be reused for subsequent children.’
Dorset’s rubbish What happens to the waste once it has been sorted – how much of it stays in the county? ‘Paper and card are sorted using chemical screening. It gets sent to Shotton Paper Mill on Deeside for reprocessing into paper goods. As for your food bin – all of that is sent to an anaerobic digester plant in Dorchester which breaks down matter without oxygen and turns it into biogas. It is used as electricity for businesses and also as fertiliser for farms. ‘Garden waste is composted and used in parks and farms in Dorset. Just five per cent of waste from Dorset is sent to landfill, and that goes to North Wales.’ So what happens to all the other items that are recycled? ‘Glass gets optically sorted for recycling using lasers. With cans, steel is separated from aluminium using a magnet, and again they get recycled. For plastics we use infrared technology so they can be sorted according to light intensity – they are then turned into pellets to be melted down and recycled. A lot of strategic thinking goes on at Dorset Council on recycling waste. Laura says: ‘People think the rubbish collection is just the bin lorries, but behind the scenes is an entire team of environmental and climate experts working out how to reduce waste significantly. They are constantly looking at new things to do. ‘Dorset is often presumed to be a sleepy rural county, but we sit at the table with ministers in Westminster, advising them on what will work and what won’t. The government wants more crisp packet recycling at the kerbside, for example, but there are lots of reasons why that’s not practical, such as separating it on the trucks. We want a solution that works for Dorset – perhaps community recycling bins.’ How can people recycle more? ‘I think it’s about just doing your best. It’s surprising how much we can recycle. And it’s about education too. I bought nothing new in 2022, and I was astonished at how some friends were quite snooty about it. I’ve learned it’s about changing the mindset of people. And it’s also about using the waste hierarchy; we all know the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra. We can reduce quite simply by deciding whether we need something in the first place. Then reuse instead of throwing it away – I made fairy lights from tin cans for my wedding and I still have them. And then recycle. ‘As a team, we go to schools, communities, parish councils and housing associations to give talks on how to reduce waste. We are always happy to educate and to advise on any issues. My husband calls me the Queen of Bins!
I was reminded of this cake the other day and how many people liked it. It’s wonderfully simple to make but looks brilliantly decadent and tastes amazing! I love to drizzle extra salted caramel across the top; you can find a locally-made (and Great Taste Award winning) Salted Caramel Sauce by A Jar Of – there is also a vegan version if you are dairy sensitive. Heather x
Salted Caramel Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
8oz/225g dark brown sugar
8oz/225g butter
4 eggs
8 oz/225g self-raising flour
For the icing:
6oz/170g icing sugar
3oz/85g butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 jar salted caramel sauce
Method
Pre-heat the oven to Gas 5/160º fan. Grease and line two 8” diameter cake tins.
In a stand mixer (or large bowl), beat together the dark, soft brown sugar and butter until the mixture becomes slightly pale and fluffy. Add the eggs into the mixture one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Gently add in the flour and stir to combine.
Tip the mixture evenly between the two cake pans and smooth out the tops so they are flat. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are springy to the touch in the centre and are just beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. Most ovens cook slightly unevenly so you may need to check the cakes after 20 minutes and rotate in the oven to ensure an even bake.
Leave the cakes to cool completely. Once the cakes are cold, remove them from the tins.
To make the icing, beat together the icing sugar, butter, salt and half of the caramel sauce, gently at first until combined, and then beat well for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is soft and fluffy. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little milk to loosen and beat well. Add a little more icing sugar if it is too runny.
To put the cake together, place one sponge on a cake plate and spoon half of the buttercream over the sponge and smooth out. Then place the second cake on top and repeat with the remaining icing. Drizzle the remaining salted caramel sauce abundantly across the top of the cake, letting it dribble down the sides.
Heather Brown is a food writer, photographer and stylist. A committee Member of The Guild of Food Writers, Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed, championing Dorset’s food and drink businesses, as well as working one-to-one with clients.
Heathers notes: I have sometimes added 200g chocolate chunks with the flour for an even more decadent bake You can also make your own salted caramel sauce – see recipe here
The farming community was unanimous in its praise for the first series of Clarkson’s Farm. Does the second series hold up, asks Andrew Livingston
When he’s not out bashing members of the royal family with the written word, Jeremy Clarkson is able to make funny, engaging, fantastic television. The eight-episode series of Clarkson’s Farm features all your favourite characters from the hit first series, with the now-celebrity Kaleb Cooper, the farm’s advisor Charlie Ireland and of course Gerald the incomprehensible head of security. Series two of Clarkson’s Farm spends a little less time on a season-to-season look at farming and instead tackles the big issue that faces all farmers at the moment … diversification. After Brexit, the UK government announced that our farms would no longer be receiving the EU Basic Payment Scheme, which pays farmers a yearly lump sum based on the land they own. Instead, farmers will now be paid by the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). The problem is, the government still hasn’t actually said what this will look like or consist of, and simply keeps bandying the phrase “Public money for public goods.”
Diddly Squat Farm Clarkson not receiving his Basic Payment is a loss of £82,000 a year to his business. The vast majority of UK farmers won’t lose quite that amount of money – it is increased by the number of hectares of land you own. However, just like Clarkson, for most farmers that money is the difference between breaking even or running at a loss. In an attempt to increase his profits, Diddly Squat Farm goes to war with the West Oxfordshire District Council to gain planning permission for a restaurant in order to sell the meat from the farm’s new Shorthorn cattle. I implore everyone to watch the show – simply to save me describing each funny moment from the series. I do, however, believe that some of the intrinsic character of the first season wasn’t quite there. Interestingly, the gripes I have with Clarkson’s Farm I also have with his other Amazon Prime show, The Grand Tour. I’m not sure if it comes with his increasing age, but his shows are becoming more and more blatantly scripted. I’m not an idiot (most of the time). I know the show is scripted. Unusually for a rural-themed TV show, season one was universally popular with the farming community – mostly because Clarkson’s chaotic actions in season one were believable because it felt off the cuff – it resonated, as it showed what being a farmer is really like.
Farming comeback Jeremy should count himself a lucky man. No matter what your view of the Royals, or where you sit on the everlasting Meghan and Harry debate, what he said in the Sun newspaper wasn’t good. His career was in tatters. Who Wants to be a Millionaire didn’t want him and Amazon was looking the same. They did announce that they are to part ways after 2024 – but after the success of the second series of Clarkson’s Farm, don’t be surprised if they renege on that in the future. Almost 4.3 million people have watched the 62-year-old prat around on his farm, making it the streaming service’s biggest ever original production. Jeremy might not ever be the greatest farmer – his own show is video evidence to prove it. But you can never deny the passion that he has for the industry. Farming is an under-appreciated world that seems just that little bit more significant with him in it.
The Farming section is sponsored by Trethowans – Law as it should be
Richard Gaunt plays Stan the Man, and Linda Mumford, Edith the tea lady in MPO’s Everything Goes Images: Paul Gumbrell
Everything Goes is the exciting new show by the award-winning Milborne Port Opera (MPO). It’s a foot-tapping backstage musical about … performing in backstage musicals! A group of actors are rehearsing their next show on stage. The theatre cleaner (who knows nothing) wanders in and demands to know what is going on. The director and the cast obviously explain by performing their show – managing to provide a potted history of musical theatre from Showboat to Chicago (and back again via Hamilton and Les Miserables). The challenge for MPO is to perform all of the show’s numbers out of context and not in full costume, in order to respect copyright and licensing laws. Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof is suddenly about Tinder dating. A group of men getting ready to go out on the town for the night may just find themselves Putting on a White Tie. Naturally, Oklahoma is the cast’s go-to holiday destination. The show was devised and written by drama teacher Karen Pankhurst, who also co-directs. She joined MPO in 2019 for their smash hit Anything Goes, playing Bonnie, the gangster’s moll. Rachel Milestone (Trial by Jury, Anything Goes and Merry Widow) and Allison Gosney are Karem’s co-directors. Caroline D’Cruz, who joined the company in 2006, continues as musical director.
(L-R) Karen Pankhurst, Allison Gosney and Sukie Read, rehearse Ladies who Lunch from Company
The MPO company has a well-deserved reputation for beautiful choral singing in light opera, often with a modern slant. Over the last decade the company has also staged several Broadway or West End Musicals, culminating in the sell-out Anything Goes which was performed in the round on an arena stage in the village hall in 2019. MPO is an amateur company. Its members come from all over South Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire and are farmers, teachers, business owners, scientists, students, retirees and many other occupations. It welcomes new performers, particularly younger ones. Enthusiasm, the ability to hold a note, and not knock the scenery over are the only qualifications required. You do not need to be able to read music (although you might find yourself acquiring this useful skill).
Everything Goes plays in the Milborne Port Village Hall 7.30pm 12th to 15th April. Tickets £15 (£10 concessions only on the first night). Box Office www.mpopera.co.uk. Also from Waynes butchers, Milborne Port
Rupert Hardy, Chairman of North Dorset CPRE, shares his thoughts on current planning applications for two huge solar farms in Dorset
View from Chalbury Hill towards North Farm, the site of the proposed Horton/Woodlands solar farm near Wimborne
A few months ago in this column we compared the merits of rooftop solar panels, which CPRE wholly supports, with the damage caused by huge greenfield solar farms – or industrial power stations, which they are, and their potential to desecrate our beautiful Dorset countryside (Rooftop panels vs. solar farms, The BV, Jan 23). We are currently awaiting a planning hearing to determine the outcome of the Mappowder/Pulham greenfield solar application in North Dorset. There are also two other large greenfield solar proposals in Dorset – one situated around Horton in East Dorset and the other north of Chickerell in West Dorset – which, if approved, would be one of the biggest solar farms in the UK. It will take all your support to stop them.
Horton/Woodlands Solar The Horton/Woodlands solar farm envisages two adjacent sites, covering an area up to 260 acres, within open sight of the nearby Grade II* listed Georgian folly, Horton Tower. A lot of the site is classified as best and most versatile land, which currently grows crops vital for national self-sufficiency at a time of very high food price inflation. The Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) adjoins the proposed site. It will suffer significant adverse effects both to its views and its setting. There is a public footpath, much used by residents and visitors, running through the site. These are all excellent reasons to object to this development, which is expected as a formal application imminently. There is a very proactive opposition group, as many local residents are aghast at the damage it would cause.
Chickerell Solar Last year Statera Energy announced they wished to build a huge solar farm and battery storage facility covering 1,400 acres between Chickerell and Hardy’s Monument, close to the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. The development would be nearly as large as Dorchester. Curiously, it appears the company has no previous experience of installing solar farms and yet here it is proposing one of the biggest in the country. The location is close to an existing National Grid substation, which was designed partly for a traditional power station that never got built, so it may have spare capacity. It has already received severe criticism from the local MP Chris Loder, as well as the Dorset AONB, the Thomas Hardy Society, Dorset CPRE and local residents. Ironically, the government has just paid £116m to remove pylons and bury overhead cable to transform views of the beautiful protected landscape in the adjacent AONB!
Three miles of solar panels The developer proposes that a third of the site would be within the AONB, despite the damage it will do to the setting and views. The site includes land classified as best and most versatile, used for arable as well as pasture. Again, therefore, food security is a major issue. There are Grade I and II* listed buildings in close proximity; heritage is another area of concern. The footpaths that criss-cross the site are a valuable amenity; many tourists visit the area each year – more reasons to object. Imagine expecting a pristine view of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex rolling out in front of you from Hardy’s Monument only to see miles of industrial glass panels – equivalent to 885 soccer pitches (quite literally miles of it – the planned area runs 1.86 miles east to west, and more than three miles north to south). The landscape is the very one that so inspired Hardy, with his Budmouth (Weymouth) and Isle of Slingers (Portland) close by.
Recommended not to submit Residents are also concerned about the fire risk, with possible toxic fumes, posed by a battery storage unit being sited so close to Chickerell, as well as the appalling congestion construction will cause. Access to the site will be via typically narrow country lanes. It is interesting to note that the AONB has stated that ’the envisaged proposal will be unable to achieve consent, and therefore recommend that an application is not submitted.’ Astonishingly strong words for an AONB to use! The reasons given by the AONB included key protective policies, a previous refusal of a much smaller solar farm on the site, and a need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances. The battery storage facility will be assessed by Dorset Council, but the huge solar farm qualifies as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) due to its scale, and will be handled by the Planning Inspectorate, with the decision passed to the Secretary of State. The NSIP process is lengthy and complex, so a decision would be unlikely to come until 2025, at the earliest, unless the development is recommended for rejection by the Inspectorate at any early stage, which is possible, given the many reasons for objections. The only NSIP proposal thus far in Dorset has been the Navitus Bay offshore wind farm, which was halted after concerted efforts by local authorities and campaigners. An action group is now being formed to fight this monstrosity.
We (CPRE) ask anyone wishing to help stop these two solar power stations from desecrating our countryside to email me on [email protected] so that I can forward on action group details. Remember these developers are motivated by profit, and NOT by protecting the planet.
Today I popped down the garden, and paused for a second. There it was. That inescapable, inevitable scent on the wind. Spring. It wasn’t a conscious choice, but my mood immediately lifted, and I took a few moments to smile at a suspicious robin who was waiting for me to leave. This winter has been so very long – endlessly, ploddingly, dully long. But you can’t keep a good year down, and as the days lengthen our gloomy northern-dwelling brains, despite their best grumbling intentions, will start to feel that positivity that comes simply from a little brightness in the day. Sometimes, you have to stop thinking so much about how wretched the world is and just feel the spring. We have had long conversations with our son in America today as he tussles between two excellent job offers. One with a stellar global company but a rigid, restrictive work routine, the other with a young company without the name, the recognition or the stability – but all the flexibility and autonomy he could desire. Ultimately his decision won’t be made in a neatly thoughtful pros and cons list. He’ll simply go with which feels right. And rightly so. Our front cover isn’t necessarily the most technically perfect image that was in our submissions this month. But that happy, pollen-coated fat little bee with his foolishly dangling legs gave us both that same warmth of optimism that a little sunshine in March brings. He’s heading down to just-one-more sticky yellow crocus stamen like it’s a packet of chocolate digestives that it’s frankly rude to say no to. It’s perfect. It feels right. Highlights in this month’s issue for me are the Country Living focus on Toby Hoad the horse logger, the weirdly interesting insight into where our rubbish goes, and if you never venture as far as the Health columns, don’t miss Karen Geary’s comments around the news that our GP’s will be mass-prescribing statins. As you’d expect, she has Some Thoughts. And finally, in a bit of a scoop by Edwina, the BV can give you a tour of some of the wonderful art inside The Red House, the winner of the Royal Institute of Architects (RIBA) prize for the UK’s best new architect-designed house. It is nestled in rolling hills south of Shaftesbury. Enjoy March – don’t forget to go outside and lift your face to feel the sunshine when it shows up.
Second home owners As I write this I note that Dorset Council has just voted through the additional levy on second home owners. Thank goodness. Second homes are the death by a thousand cuts for any small community. And it’s no good a holiday home owner suggesting that they contribute to the local economy – of course you do, but nowhere near as much as a family who work locally, attend school, shop, use the GP and pharmacy etc. It’s a nonsense argument. At the end of the day, if you can afford a second home, you can afford a little more tax on it to aid the community you are stripping of an asset. (Terry’s interview with Cllr Peter Wharfe on the podcast was an excellent follow up to last month’s article, I urge others to go and listen to it.) John Reid, Shaftesbury
Re. The original Blackmore Vale Magazine I saw a mention in a recent article about being printed since 2020 and could only think you referred to your own tenure of the BVM. In 1987 it was recommended to me by a local while I was searching for a place to live in North Dorset. It was packed with useful information and in fact lead to me finding a home. It provided details of employment, local events, Council activity and much much more over the years – I think it deserves a bit of a drum roll for a lengthy and informative history. Suzanne Webb, by email
This question is raised frequently – you might like to read the article we wrote in November 2020 to clear the confusion. It may also interest you to know that we’re very proud to have the long-time editor of the original BVM Fanny Charles and equally-long-serving Dorset journalist Gay Pirrie-Weir as sub-editors – Ed
Developers in Marnhull The arrogance of developers and their agents is breathtaking. Despite approval in recent months for nearly 300 homes, Marnhull is once again having to resist a major planning application on a greenfield site. But the applications and supporting documents submitted are an insult to the intelligence of local people. Quite apart from the skewed arguments in favour of ‘sustainable development’ and ‘enhanced bio-diversity’, the casual incompetence of professional consultants beggars belief. Out-of-date plans and photos, inaccurate measurements and incorrect statements abound. It is evident that basic research has not been carried out and that no site visit has occurred. On one recent application a consultant re-routed a public footpath through our garden and across the patio. You couldn’t make it up. Except they do, as a result of cynical, sloppy and unprofessional practice. It’s bad enough to impose unwanted, unnecessary and excessive expansion on the rural community with all the harm to the landscape and environment that implies, but to do so with such incompetence adds insult to injury. Stephen Boyce Marnhull
On the flood at Bourton Further to Roger Guttridge’s The day the Dam burst (The BV, Feb23): We live right next to the dam in question on the road to Gasper and I’m pleased to say that a) it looks very solid and b) there is a very effective run off system now. The lake is drained every year to manage the fish stocks. There is a plaque on the dam commemorating the events of that night. Nick Allott, Facebook
For Barry and Pete I just wanted to write and thank Barry Cuff and Pete Harcom for their gardening columns. I don’t even grow veg except a few tomatoes – but I never miss Barry’s column, much like I never miss Gardener’s World. I enjoy the gentle, calm tone and the obvious experience and passion that comes through his words. Who knows, maybe I’ll plant some carrots this year, just to join in. And Pete’s column always has a couple of jobs for me to get on with – despite not having a huge garden, I do love to keep on top if it. His timely reminders on a Friday always give me a task for the weekend ahead. Could you thank them both for me, and tell them they are much appreciated? Iris Bell, nr Blandford. (you just did so yourself – Ed)
Dorset Business Festival, the first of its kind in Dorset Chamber’s history, has partnered with Lester Aldridge, a leading law firm, as the lead partner.
FESTIVAL: Law firm Lester Aldridge has backed the Dorset Business Festival. From left are Dorset Chamber vice-president Tony Brown, Lester Aldridge partner Grant Esterhuizen, Dorset Chamber president Caron Khan and Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling
Dorset Chamber has revealed its partnership with leading law firm Lester Aldridge as more information about a major business festival is revealed. The Dorset Business Festival, which is the first event of its kind in the chamber’s 74-year history, will be held from 10th to 12th October. The three-day event is expected to attract delegates from across the region and will feature a conference, expo and the eagerly anticipated return of the Dorset Business Awards. Lester Aldridge has committed as the lead partner for the summit. Ian Girling, CEO of Dorset Chamber, said, ‘We are delighted to have Lester Aldridge as our lead partner for the Dorset Business Festival. As a long-standing supporter of the chamber and a leading local business, they are the ideal partner for this event, which will showcase the success of the region’s businesses and consider the major challenges that they face today. We are confident that it will be a fantastic showcase for Dorset’s business community.’ Lester Aldridge, a full-service law firm headquartered in Bournemouth with offices in Southampton and London, is a Premier Partner of Dorset Chamber and the first business to commit to the festival, which will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth town centre. Grant Esterhuizen, Partner at Lester Aldridge, said, ‘We are excited to be a part of the Dorset Business Festival. It will provide a tremendous opportunity to bring the business community together after the turbulence of recent times, and we hope that many other Dorset businesses, organisations and individuals will also participate.’ Additional details about the Dorset Business Festival have been revealed. On 10th October, a conference will be hosted by presenter and former BBC Breakfast business correspondent Declan Curry. It will feature a keynote speaker and expert panel discussions, with topics likely to include technology and the environmental, social and governance agenda. There will also be networking opportunities. On 11th October the expo will feature stands, presentations and networking, while on 12th October the revamped Dorset Business Awards, which have been on hiatus for four years, will be presented in ten categories following judging by an independent panel of business leaders and experts.
