‘The NHS has lost its way’ – Patricia Miller, CEO for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board, oversees complex health services and health improvement programmes. Her thoughts on Dorset’s poverty and its inextricable link to the population’s health are eye-opening as she shares her fascinating life’s story through her Dorset Island Discs
In politics, light-touch government is an excellent theory, says North Dorset Green Party’s Ken Huggins, but in practice it just doesn’t hold water. Or sewage. Labour’s Pat Osborne says the New Green Deal is already planned, and though a summer of local fairs can lift a community, there’s no hiding from the anxious mood that grips the Vale’s residents, says North Dorset Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman
This month Roger Guttridge tells the story of an 18th cenury rector of Lydlinch who was obsessed with hunting – but his first quarry was an unfortunate old woman
Farmer Martin Green is claimed to be the most profesisonal of amateur archaelogists. A visit to his remarkable Down Farm Museum is highly recommended, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset CPRE
Baden Powell was the Boy Scout who never wanted to grow up. In her open-minded new biography, Dorset journalist Lorraine Gibson unearths fascinating insights into this complex character.
Employ My Ability offers vocational training for students with learning disabilities and special educational needs and disabilities. One of their students, Maddie Walters, has spent the last term working on her journalism skills with the aim of writing a column for us. – Ed
Hi, and how are you doing? This month I am doing a ‘top 5’ list based on my favourite places to visit across North Dorset and surrounding areas, so you can be inspired to go and explore beautiful area. Here are my top 5 places in North Dorset:
Stourhead is one of my favourite places to visit, because it has beautiful nature and fantastic scenery. It is accessible for wheelchair users and it’s disabled-friendly. During the summer holidays lots of people visit forthe nice walks in the sunshine.
Hauser and Wirth
Hauser and Wirth is an art gallery in Bruton where you can look in the gallery and see the artwork, and then eat in the café next to a big firepit. This gallery also does workshops so you can experience different art styles, learn about art in Dorset and also have a shop.
Gold Hill
Gold Hill in Shaftesbury has some lovely views, and is famous for an advert that’s filmed there. Everyone local knows it, but when was the last time you actually went there to enjoy it?
Sculpture by the Lakes
At Pallngton Lakes near Dorchester, Sculpture by the Lakes is an amazing place to go during the spring and summer months. The nature and beauty of this place is fantastic and it is very disabled-friendly.
Hambledon Hill
Hambledon Hill is a beautiful hill situated in the Blackmore Vale. It’s tough to get to the top, but the scenery is stunningly pleasing.
These are my top five places to visit in North Dorset – I hope you enjoyed them!
This month’s news from the unofficial capital of the Blackmore Vale …
Pauline Batstone rounds up a busy month in Sturminster Newton
The John Carrick Financial Services window won the community vote during SturBuzz week
1855 Work is continuing on the 1855 project (the former NatWest building) which is expected to be open for business in the late autumn. The project offers people-facing sales space to artisan entrepreneurs who may have outgrown working solely from home. For more information email Cheryl Basten and Jacqui Wragg at [email protected]
New friends The Emporium and The Boutique are both looking for more volunteers to work on the shop floor or behind the scenes or both. The volunteers are a friendly bunch and working with them offers a good way to get out of the house, meet new people and at the same time use your spare hours to benefit the community. The team also enjoys social events together from time to time. If you are interested, pop into either shop and leave your details for Cheryl to contact you, or email [email protected]
Pure Hair – joint second in the SturBuzz window competition
Art browsing The Art Gallery is open on the floor above The Emporium, and it has a fascinating mix of interesting paintings, cartoons and prints at knock-down prices.
… and furniture too People often don’t realise The Emporium has a wide range of furniture for sale – the larger pieces are stored elsewhere but we can show you photos and take you to look. We can also deliver your purchases – and collect whatever it is you are replacing.
The Boutique, joint second in the contest
How many shopping days? An early warning about Christmas – Jacqui Wragg is already working with a small team to plan the Christmas events for this year. The Christmas Tree lighting will be on the 26th November, and it is hoped to have an ice-rink in the town that weekend. Father Christmas will of course be on duty. There will also be late night shopping on the Friday evening before. If you want to be involved in the planning, or have time to help on the day, please let Jacqui know – [email protected]
Library sessions The Friends of the Library are getting back in action after COVID, and have been running craft events for children during the summer holidays. Volunteers are needed to continue the Saturday craft sessions and also the planned after-school club for younger children. If you would like to be involved, please contact Michaela on [email protected]
The Queen’s Green Canopy During October there will be further contributions to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Green Canopy, with tree planting around the town. A new leaflet has been produced, introducing walkers to the remarkable specimen trees we have in the town. It is available from the Town Council and The Emporium – for information contact Taprisha Seifert – [email protected]
The Friends of Sturminster Library need more volunteers to help the Saturday craft sessions
Car meet The car enthusiasts will be back in the recreation ground between 9am and noon on Saturday 3rd September, and again on the 1st October. From November to March inclusive they will be meeting either outside the Medical Centre or Hansons and Streeters. Numbers have increased over the summer and quite a collection now gathers every month. It’s definitely worth a wander round, and always good to chat to the owners. If you’d like to bring your car, it’s a relaxed meet and no booking or qualifications are necessary – just an interesting car (with the relevant insurance)!
Next year’s wedding fair A second wedding festival is being planned for 5th and 6th May 2023, with a wedding fair at The Exchange and support from shops in the town, a display of dresses and culminating in a wedding ball at The Exchange. To help with the planning or get involved in the event, please contact Debbie at Stur’s bridal shop Forever Bridal – [email protected].
Successful Family Fest The Riverside Meadow Family Fest was a great success, and plans are already underway for a bigger, better event next year – but the plan is to move it to the start of the school holiday rather than have it at the end of the summer. For information contact Ruth Caldwell [email protected]
Thank you And finally, thank you to all those who supported the Community Fete on Saturday 27th Aug and especially the shops who supported SturBuzz week by decorating their windows. The business voted the best by the public at the Community Fete on Saturday was John Carrick Financial Services with a joint second of The Boutique and Pure Hair. SturBuzz will definitely be back next year!
Huw Wiggin (saxophone) and John Lenehan (piano) join forces in this duo which has been described as “a sympathetic and imaginative partnership” Thursday 6 October 2022, 7.30pm Tindall Recital Hall, Sherborne School Tickets £12.50 01935 812249 [email protected]
Would you like to join an enthusiastic, friendly team, working for a children’s charity in Dorset? The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the Referral Team, dealing with schools, local authorities, parents and counsellors. Processing referrals and reports.
Requirements:
Minimum 1yr administration experience
Excellent communication, telephone and networking skills
Excellent organisational skills and time management
Ability to work as part of a team
Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook)
Closing date: Friday 30th September 2022
Further details and application form available from:
Mosaic is a Dorset wide charity offering support to bereaved children, young people and their families facing the death of a loved one.
We are seeking fully qualified counsellors/therapists as sessional workers in North and West areas of Dorset and Purbeck. If you have experience of working with bereaved children, young people and their families and would like to be part of our friendly and supportive team, please contact us for further information and an application form.
Requirements:
BACP or similar accreditation in Counselling
Minimum of 2 year post qualification
Experience of working with children, young people and families
Driving licence
Further details and application form available from:
Monthly updates from the various North Dorset Police Teams. This month’s news is from Sturminster Newton’s PCSO 5352 Mandy Robinson
The pedestrianised section of Sturminster Newton’s Station Road comes under attention after reports of an increased amount of traffic
“Local NPT officers have been patrolling areas near to the Steam Fair, a visible deterence to criminals that may be in the area, providing a reassuring presence to locals who feel vulnerable.”
Station Road in Sturminster Newton, the top section, has been pedestrianised for a significant number of years. Recently we have received reports of an increased amount of traffic, with suggestions that some drivers are not permitted to use this section of road. We will be showing an increased presence on this section of road and any driver caught contravening the traffic order will be subject of a fixed penalty notice, resulting in a non- endorsable fine of £50.
“Station Road is pedestrianised; following recent complaints about misuse and unnecessary usage there will be an increased presence from the local team.”
Anti-social behaviour Making Communities Safer is a nationally-run campaign with the aim of bringing communities and organisations together take a stand against anti-social behaviour (ASB), in order to make communities safer. During ASB awareness week, and due to recent ASB in Sturminster Newton, the neighbourhood Policing Team PCSO Mandy Robinson and PC Phil Sugrue invited district councillor Carole Jones and town councillor Debbie Mantock to join them in ASB preventative foot patrols in Sturminster Newton. This was an opportunity for working with our partners and to engage, jointly, with the young people who meet up in the town. We patrolled the Railway Gardens, the town area, Butts Pond, Rixon Rec and Ricketts Lane Rec (also known as the Town Rec). Only two groups were seen and spoken to during the evening.
“Make sure you remember to drive to the conditions. Heavy rain and standing water can take the driver by surprise – often with dramatic consequences. This driver got caught out & tipped over just outside Shaftesbury, fortunately was uninjured.”
Banking scam Recently a local residence was contacted by phone by a male purporting to be from Barclays Bank. The caller stated that there had been fraudulent activity on the bank account and that it was necessary to move the money to a ‘safe’ account. The caller then shared bank details for this safe transfer account. The intended victim was told to attend the bank and to phone the caller – the scammer – when they arrived, and to keep the phone line open. Fortunately, the bank realised this was a scam and no monies were lost. DO NOT ENGAGE WITH FRAUDSTERS AND HANG UP! Please be on your guard and report suspicious activity to the police either by calling 101 or via the police website www.dorset.police.uk/
If a crime is occurring or a life is in danger, always call 999.
The dry summer continues its impact on Dorset farmers as we move into autumn, says NFU county advisor Gemma Harvey
A parched Cranborne Chase during August image: Laura Hitchcock
We all know by now that July 2022 was the driest July in England since 1911, and it has been the driest nine months (November 2021 to July 2022) since 1975/76. Met Office figures show that there has only been 24 per cent of the average rainfall for July. The impact of this prolonged spell of dry weather is hugely challenging and causing concern for many agricultural and horticultural businesses across the country. The dry weather is severely hampering grass growth. In Dorset, as with much of Britain, most livestock is grazed in a grass-based system, meaning that livestock eats grass from the fields in the summer, with farmers harvesting surplus grass to feed animals in the winter in the form of silage. The lack of grass this summer will inevitably hit feed supplies for the winter – many farmers are already having are already having to feed their livestock the forage reserved for winter to compensate for the lack of grass currently available. For the county’s arable farmers, the dry weather has meant that harvest came early this year, with many having finished in time for the Gillingham and Shaftesbury show, which is somewhat unprecedented.
Fire risk still high Attention now turns to the planting of winter crops; with the ground still cracked and parched, the establishment of crops such as winter cereals and oilseed rape will be difficult. On top of all this, as I’m sure many will have seen and heard, the dry conditions are having widespread implications for fire-risk and farm safety. The county has experienced several fires over the past few weeks. This is devastating and dangerous for all those involved but is also a heartening example of how the farming community is able to pull together in times of need. Neighbouring farmers are making great use of WhatsApp to alert one another to fire risks, and coming to one another’s aid with tankers of water to help extinguish fires and cultivators to stop them spreading (see the story our news pages). This does serve as an important reminder though, with weather conditions so dry and temperatures high, the fire risk remains high. With an increased number of people making the most of the weather and enjoying being out and about in the countryside, there has also been an increase in the use of disposable barbecues. The NFU is reminding the public to be safe and responsible when out enjoying the countryside.
