Operation Elder is designed to reassure local communities says Sgt Jane Moore
With an influx of traffic and visitors to the North Dorset area leading up to and during the Great Dorset Steam Fair, the local Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Rural Crime Team and our Citizens in Policing team will be holding a number of opportunities for the local community to come and speak to us. Operation Elder is Dorset Police’s response for ‘community reassurance and a high visibility presence’ in the area and villages around the site of the Great Dorset Steam Fair. You will be able to raise any concerns, ask any questions or just come and meet the team! They will be held twice daily from 20th to 28th August 2022 at various locations. You can find more information about each location below or online at https://www.dorset.police.uk/neighbourhood-policing/north-dorset-rural/ (we use the What3Words app to indicate precise locations). We look forward to seeing you!
Summer really has begun! If you have decided to avoid airport stress and spend some time in the garden reading (or indeed to brave Heathrow) then I have some excellent summer reading picked out for you, and all are £2 off the marked price. Please do visit the shop or website for a broader selection. Wayne
The Island of Missing Trees – Elif Shafak A tale of love and division moves between post-colonial Cyprus and London, exploring themes of generational trauma and belonging. Shafak tells the moving story of Kostas and Defne Kazantzakis, young lovers in a painfully divided post-colonial Cyprus – one Greek and Christian, the other Turkish and Muslim – and the emotional price they continue to pay after moving to England. A beautiful novel made ferocious by its uncompromising empathy.
Silverview – John Le Carré Julian Lawndsley has renounced his high-flying job in the City for a simpler life running a bookshop in a small English seaside town. A Polish émigré shows up at his door with a lot of knowledge about Julian’s family history. The great spy novelist’s final full-length book is a precision-tooled cat and mouse chase from a bookshop in East Anglia to the old eastern bloc. Crisp prose, the heady sense of an inside track on a shadowy world … all his usual pleasures are here.
The Women of Troy – Pat Barker In the sequel to her retelling of the Iliad, The Silence of the Girls (told from the perspective of captured queen Briseis), Barker moves on from war to its aftermath. Clearly and simply told, with no obscurities of vocabulary or allusion, this novel sometimes reads like a children’s version of the legend of Troy. But its conclusions are definitely for adults – merciless, stripped of consoling beauty, impressively bleak.
“The really frightening thing was the speed at which the fire took hold. It engulfed the field of corn so quickly, despite the efforts of fellow farmers and fire crews to stop it.”
When Graham Birch’s crops went up in flames, help swiftly came from neighbouring farmers as well as the eight fire appliances who attended from the surrounding area. “One of our neighbouring farmers, Mark Tory, set up a Whats App group for us, so we can help each other out. All the local farms are on it, and they all came running to help, creating a fire break. Typically, they will bring a tractor, cultivator, and a water tank to try and create a fire break to prevent it from spreading to other farms and areas. The fire brigade were brilliant at getting things under control and had several engines at the scene. It was an amazing piece of teamwork. We got the fire controlled within about 30 minutes, but it took two hours to put out.”
Graham owns Hedge End Farm in Winterborne Stickland, and he was reflecting on the past week’s events when he experienced a terrifying wildfire on his land. “There’s a lot of flint in our soil, and it is possible the combine harvester hit a flint, with a spark from the flint caused the fire. Everything is so dry at the moment, and our crops are super dry. Within moments the fire took hold. My farm manager had smoke inhalation and had to go to Dorchester Hospital.”
All that remains of the fire at Hedge End Farm in Winterborne Stickland is a large area of scorched earth. Image: Rachael Rowe
These dry conditions prompted Dorset and Wilshire Fire and Rescue Service to issue a Red Fire severity alert last week. They are asking the public to not have bonfires or barbecues during this alert period. A red alert means that, should a wildfire be experienced, it could spread quickly and easily due to the dry conditions. The risk is most significant on large areas of open land, such as heathlands, fields and even cliffsides. In fact, the statistics make grim reading. Area Manager Marc House said: “From 1st – 10th August this year, DWFRS have attended 180 fires in the open. During the same period last year, the service dealt with only 34 incidents of this nature. That is an increase of over 429%.” Last year there were no agricultural open fires, but in 2022 there have been 23, mostly in fields of standing crops. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Services are asking the public to be vigilant. Marc continues: “Farmland is very vulnerable. They are harvesting, and it’s a rural community. They need to get the crops in, and we want to support our farming community. Farmers can do a lot to help themselves such as cleaning out chaff and dust from machinery and also using spotters.”
So how can we all help? Hopefully, people are getting the message about disposable barbecues, but as the recent fire at Studland Heath shows, they still feature heavily in open wildfires. Marc House adds: “People should avoid campfires, barbecues and bonfires. Cigarette ends will ignite a hedgerow. Litter should also be disposed of safely. Glass reflects the light and ignites material. If there is a fire, people need to get to a safe place and call 999.”
Graham thinks basic good judgment plays a part in preventing fires. “It’s not necessarily about legislation, but people having the sense to not use a disposable barbecue or a sky lantern. If you smoke, put the butt out properly. People need to use their common sense.”
Finally, think again if you think an odd rain shower is sufficient to reduce the risk. Everything is still very dry. As Graham reflects: “We need a LOT of rain.”
Farmer, agronomist, chairman of the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, and fan of Magnums, Giles Simpson shares the soundtrack of his life with Laura Hitchcock
Giles Simpson: Image Courtenay Hitchcock
Giles Simpson, the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show chairman, is a farmer and an agronomist – when he’s not lost in To Do lists and committee meetings. He received a good job offer straight from college and then moved to an even better job a few years later. Ten years after graduating from Sparsholt College, he finally decided it was time for his gap year – and spent nine months in Australia: ‘I worked for six months of it, and then just enjoyed the rest. I’d recommend it to everybody. Just go away; Australia, New Zealand, Canada … anywhere, just go away. Even if it’s only for two or three months. Everyone within the agricultural industry should just do it.’ On his return from Australia, Giles was offered a job at local firm Pearce Seeds LLP, a seed and agronomy company based near Sherborne. He has been with them for 21 years this year. It was his job that got him involved with the G&S Show: ‘I worked alongside Mike Simpson (no relation, and sadly no longer with us) for three years. He was very heavily involved with the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, a past chairman and president. He was the one who got me involved. He basically just told me I had to do the livestock car park, actually. Then he told me I had to start at 5.30am. I did that for ten years, probably. Four years ago the then chairman Richard Curtis asked me to be his vice chairman, which meant no more livestock car parking! And then in 2022 I became chairman.’
And so to Giles’ choices for the eight tracks he’d want on his own Dorset island:
Little Lies Fleetwood Mac I’d been given a cassette when I was about 17 or 18, and I just remember driving home from harvest late at night. This was always playing. I’d open the sunroof, drop the windows and put it on full blast. It was just the best thing, driving home singing away to yourself where no one can hear you. It’s got some great lyrics, of course, but for me it’s just a really good tune to sing along to late at night. Every time I hear it I’m that teenager driving home late after harvest.
Holding Back the Years Simply Red Mick Hucknall is unreal – so recognisable. Even now, at whatever age he is (He’s 62. You’re welcome. – Ed.), his voice is just the same. I watched him performing live on TV recently, and it was brilliant. And Holding back the years is a classic. A group of us travelled up from college to Crystal Palace in the late 80s for one of his concerts. It was such a good concert, and a great night.
All Of Me John Legend I had to add this one in, it was the first dance at our wedding! But I did have to ask Mary what it was. I could remember the song, I could! But I couldn‘t remember who sang it. She had to tell me …
A Sky Full of Stars Coldplay Yeah… (long happy pause) Stars is just… Chris Martin is unreal. This song always makes me stop. Coldplay are brilliant. AND he’s local! Went to school in Sherborne. He’s a fantastic writer. We were meant to see them during covid, but obviously it was cancelled. Then Mary was going to buy tickets to see them at the O2 for my Christmas present, but it clashed with the show, so I told her I’d better not.
In the Air Tonight Phil Collins Just … always Phil Collins. All through school I listened to Phil Collins. This is another one that it doesn’t matter how many times you hear it, you can put it on the radio and it never gets old. It’s when you watch him doing it, too – to play the drums the way he does and sing the way he does … When you watch him performing this one, he comes in just singing quietly, then moves and sits at the drums and lets it build. Amazing. This song in particular always reminds me of a cool evening, lots of stars … and I have no idea why.
Money For Nothing Dire Straits This is my first Young Farmer’s Area Weekend when I was 16. We left for Newquay at 9 o’clock on the Friday morning, and the whole way down the driver played Dire Straits, over and over again. There were four or five of us in the car, and we just listened over and over, and this always reminds me of that. It could have been anyone of those songs, you know? Walk of Life, Brothers in Arms, Ride Across the River … any one. It always reminds me of my first Area weekend in Newquay.
I am a Cider Drinker The Wurzels This is Young Farmers again! And what amazes me is that, even now, all the 16 and 17 year olds still know all the words! Last time I saw them live was probably five years ago, and I couldn’t believe that there were young teenage farmers at the front, singing all the words! The Wurzels have been about for donkey’s years. And this song still makes me laugh even now. They were characters, absolute characters.
American Pie Don McLean This is college, pretty much whenever we were in the bar (I was there quite regularly …)! I was Student Association chairman, and my vice chairman was absolutely mad on Don McLean. I It would get played nearly every night, everyone would be on chairs or standing up, all singing together. It’s a long song, eight or nine minutes, but we never used to last that long! But it always reminds me of the college bar at Sparsholt, and all of us singing it together.
The little comforts My book would be Call of the Wild by Jack London. I don’t read a lot (probably not since I was at school). But I remember reading White Fang and Call of the Wild, and I went back and looked at them when I was choosing this. It’s about a dog stolen from California and sold as a sled dog in Alaska. Through the book he becomes ever more wild, forced to fight to survive. By the end, he sheds the shallow veneer of civilisation and relies on his primitive instinct and experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. It always makes me think about how close we are to being right back there in nature. And that our animals are still wild at heart. Dogs are pack animals, people forget that. It really riles me when you see badly behaved dogs. And it’s not the dog, it’s always the owner. I did have to think about this one. I spoke to Mary about it and she said: “Well, you can’t pick Farmers Weekly and you can’t pick Classic Tractor.” I’d be quite happy with Classic Tractor on my desert island, to be honest. According to Mary I look at it hundreds of times a month… And my luxury item? A big freezer (with a magical power source, obviously), and a supply of Magnums. It’s a very badly kept secret that I’m a bit of a fan of a Magnum Classic (my customers and friends even send me pictures of them, asking me ‘have you had one yet today?’). Mary will probably kill me …
Too old? Absolutely not, says expert Mel Mitchell, as she explains why you should never stop – and why it’s never to late too start
Just one in four people between the ages of 65 and 74 exercises regularly. Many assume that they’re too out-of-shape, unwell, tired, or just plain old to exercise. They’re wrong. The older you get, the more important it becomes to keep moving. A lot of the symptoms of ageing, such as weakness, aching joints and and loss of balance, are actually more likely due to inactivity rather than old age. Exercise is beneficial at every age, of course, and the human body was designed to be active. By continuing to exercise as we get older, we can stay strong and agile, allowing us to maintain our independence and our way of life.
It’s all in your head Exercising as we age becomes more important in lowering the risks of conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. The hippocampus is where we make and store memories and exercising helps keep the hippocampus at a healthy size. As we exercise, blood flow to the brain increases, carrying extra oxygen and other nutrients.
But I’ll fall Exercise will actually reduce your chances of falling by building strength and maintaining balance. Gentle forms like yoga or tai chi are great for boosting confidence. If you have a chronic health problem such as arthritis, diabetes or heart disease, then exercise is almost certainly a good idea. Check with a doctor first, but exercise will probably help; it helps keep blood pressure and blood sugar at normal levels and can be a silver bullet for lots of health problems. If it’s been a while, or you have never really been an exerciser, then simply start slow and build up. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Pensioner training I have been fortunate to work with clients in their 60s and 70s, and over a relatively short time their improvements in movement and posture have been a pleasure to watch. Gym work might initially seem irrelevant when you’re 70, but it has meaningful real life consequences. For one reason or another my clients had all stopped moving as much. The universal consequence was that their joints (especially their knees!) were giving them trouble, they were having difficulties standing up straight and simply getting up from the floor had become an issue. Once they started moving more, the muscles around the knees became stronger. That meant they could squat better in the gym, of course, but out in real life it meant they could climb the stairs with ease and the aching joints almost ceased. Improvements in posture meant they were walking upright, and that meant more easily. Their stamina also improved and they could walk for longer without being out of breath. Improvements in all-round mobility meant actions like moving their arms high above their head became possible – in real life, that’s dressing, and reaching for things from shelves.
Never too late Studies have found that even for people in their 90s living in nursing homes, starting an exercise routine boosts muscle strength. Other research shows that starting exercise late in life can still cut the risk of health problems such as diabetes, and improve existing symptoms. But exercising doesn’t necessarily mean going to the gym. It isn’t for everyone. Why not join a class, or start taking a daily walk? Any form of exercise works; just keep moving!
The heatwave was a problem. And then the rain was a problem. But the 2022 Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show weather gods were kind; the forecasted thunderstorms never materialised, and in the end there couldn’t have been a more perfect setting.
It’s too early to say what actual numbers through the gate were, but it was simply amazing to see such an enormous crowd back at the Turnpike Showground for the first proper one-day agricultural show since 2019 (the 2021 show was planned through COVID lockdowns, and was a very different show to normal, set over two days).
Visitors certainly weren’t disappointed – between the IMPS motorcycle display team, the Lightning Bolts Army Parachute display team and (really, this was the biggest event of the day) the much-celebrated return of the Grand Parade, it was tricky to pull away from the big attractions in the Gritchie Brewing Co Main Ring. But there was so much else to see and do! The cattle, sheep and equestrian classes all needed watching. There were other acts to see such as the falconry display and Jonathan Marshall’s Spirit of Freedom show (regular readers will remember him from the Countryside Spring Show). There was dog agility and ferret racing. A signing choir. A funfair. So. Much. Food. There were more than 400 trade stands to get round (garden furniture, clothing, high street brands and local producers – it was a country high street located in a field!), plus of course the honey and bee marquee, the Wool Village for the sheepshearing… SO MUCH to do and see!
It’s a wonderful show; and a lot of that is thanks to the fact that it never forgets that for more than 160 years it has been an agricultural show: with farming strongly at its heart, it’s a brilliant day out for everyone, whether you’re a farmer or not!
Battens Solicitors has a bold new look – a new yellow and black colour palette has replaced the old dark blue and silver branding and the Battens logo has been refreshed with a progressive design. Along with new branding there’s a new website, which has been devised with Dorset-based international digital agency, Fathom. It has been designed with the user in mind; a quick and easy site to navigate from a desktop, laptop, or phone.
The new brand reflects the new leadership team which took over the management of Battens Solicitors more than a year ago. Managing Director Ceri Stephens said. ‘We are very proud of our 300 year old heritage and legal expertise, but we are also a forward thinking firm with innovative ideas and plans for expansion. It is vitally important that we keep ahead of the curve in terms of technology, in the way we communicate with clients and the business world. We are delighted with what Fathom has achieved for us. They fully understood our vision; an old established legal firm meeting the challenges of the 21st century.’ The Managing Director of Fathom, Nigel Parsons said, ‘After a series of brand workshops – diving into the heart of what Battens is about and the journey they are going on, it was paramount the new brand identity exuded their forward-thinking team, progressive nature and positive energy.’
Edwina Baines visits equestrian artist Katie Scorgie in her Dorset studio to discover her intriguing change of direction
Katie Scorgie in the Old Blacksmith’s Forge studio at Hinton St Mary Image: Edwina Baines
Many thousands of years ago, cave art provided some of the earliest depictions of the horse. Although these wild animals were probably hunted for meat, once horses began to be domesticated their likeness also appeared in Egyptian, Roman and Greek art, their anatomy and movement being studied in detail. The numerous rough but exquisite sketches of horses produced by Leonardo da Vinci have a magical lifelike quality, and his perseverance to capture detail shows the challenge of the subject matter. Horses move so quickly that many early artists struggled to understand and depict the different gaits; George Stubbs even dissected a series of horse carcasses to greater understand their anatomy. However, in 1878, pioneering photographer Edward Muybridge took a series of images of a rider on a galloping horse, the photographs confirming that, at the gallop, all four hooves may simultaneously be off the ground and not extended – as sometimes depicted in earlier paintings. In order to convey the accuracy and beauty of a galloping horse, I believe one must have a passion for the animal – and artist Katie Scorgie has spent most of her life surrounded by horses, riding from an early age.
Katie Scorgie in her studio Image: Edwina Baines
A horse-mad secretary I interviewed her at her home in the old Blacksmith’s Forge at Hinton St Mary which is also her studio. The rough-hewn stone walls were lined with studies of racing and military horses, polo ponies, dogs and the occasional landscape. Through Katie’s accurate drawing and fluent handling of the paint, each scene is brought vividly to life. Although she is known as an equestrian artist, I would hesitate to label Katie as such. During our long and wide-ranging conversation, it became clear that she is seeking to emerge from that description. As a little girl I too was fixated on ponies; as a six year old, I shared the same excitement for her weekly riding lessons that Katie describes: ‘My mother had always loved horse racing and my parents had shares in racehorses right up to the present day – even though my mum is now 90! It was her dream to have horses, so perhaps I was fulfilling her wishes. We had a Connemara pony and a cob when my father retired and we moved to Dorset. Horses are quite spiritual. Touching a horse is therapeutic. It’s like a comfort blanket.’ Although she applied to art college, Katie ended up doing a secretarial course before working for the Jockey Club and in the City for several years, returning to Dorset at the weekends to team chase on Coriander, her mare. She managed to buy a flat in London with her sister, but her passion for riding continued; she started training as a point-to-point rider and ended up spending seven seasons in the saddle, notching up a win and some sound results. What better way to study the action of a galloping horse?
Art rediscovered In her late twenties Katie moved out of London and began to reconsider the future. It was a turning point in her life and she told me that when anyone talked about art: ‘I would get a knot in my stomach because I knew I should be painting. I had neglected any drawing during my time in London. But I realised that the time was right and finally I decided to go to art college. I was offered a place at the University of Plymouth in Exeter. I was the only student to have a pet racehorse! Although I was mainly painting landscapes at that time, in my final year I worked on some atmospheric monochrome images from my racing days.’ After graduating, Katie sold her London flat and was able to buy a cottage in Hinton St Mary where she continues to live and paint. However, with two teenage daughters, an ageing mother in need of care, two horses, a dog, a cat and a household to run, life is a constant juggling act. Understandably, these numerous commitments sometimes keep her away from her work which is why she says:
‘I love a deadline which forces me to put one foot in front of the other and make my way to the studio.’ Additionally, Katie runs life drawing classes on the last Friday of every month at Marnhull Village Hall. Recently she even welcomed a work experience pupil from Sturminster Newton to join her for several days to absorb life in a professional artist’s studio.
The Household Cavalry The Forge is open daily for visitors and Katie has recently taken part in the successful Dorset Art Weeks. Much of her work comes from commissions of landscapes, equestrian-themed work and dogs. Several years ago she was lucky enough to be introduced to the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. She was then able to visit the Hyde Park Barracks as an artist in residence, culminating in an exhibition at the Barracks, attended by ‘a smattering of royalty!’. A series of prints from this time has proved to be popular – especially since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Katie sketching on Lundy Image: Katie Scorgie
Back to the land Katie went on to explain: ‘Recently I am beginning to feel more drawn to the landscape. My style lends itself to the freshness of plein air painting and I want to do more of that. I have recently returned from a three-day, action-packed working holiday in Lundy, gathering material for a series of paintings which I have been asked to complete of this beautiful place. I loved it there, it’s so remote. I walked a great deal and made lots of sketches. I am hoping to return to Lundy as this type of work has given me immense satisfaction. When people look at my work, I want them to think they could be there in the moment and enjoy the painting in its own right.’ Kate’s affinity with horses will always remain – but the dramatic skies, spontaneous brushstrokes and freedom of expression in her recent landscape work will perhaps mark an intriguing change of direction.
Katie’s studio is usually open on weekdays between 11am and 3pm, and by appointment.
WELCOME to the 2022 Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show and our first ever digital magazine – thanks to The BV!
On Wednesday 17th August the show returns to its usual one-day format, and once again we celebrate everything great about Great British agriculture, the countryside and rural life. We have a range of new attractions and some familiar attractions are returning in new formats. Some changes we made in 2021, due to COVID, are staying, thanks to the positive response from visitors. This year we are pleased to welcome new additions to the show including the Bees & Honey Marquee (thanks to the North Dorset BeeKeepers), and the sheep shearing which proved so popular in 2021 returns – but this year it has spun into an entire Wool Village! Zooming into the Gritchie Brewing Co Main Ring is the IMPs Motorcycle Display Team. And there’s an exciting surprise addition this year – the Lightning Bolts Army Parachute Display Team will be jumping onto the show ground. But really, the biggest news is that after more than 15 years the Grand Parade of Livestock will finally return to the Gritchie Brewing Co Main Ring. The move puts AGRICULTURE where it should be – truly at the heart of the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show. This has also resulted in a layout change for the show this year, to ensure a safe and easy route for livestock to reach the Main Ring. That has allowed us to encircle the Ring with our vital agricultural businesses. As always, we’re showcasing agriculture and rural life in the modern working world, with the newest farm machinery on sale here at the show, set against the history and heritage in the Wincanton Races Heavy Horse Village and the Steam Engines. More than 80 agricultural businesses – buyers, suppliers, machinery dealers, etc. – make the G&S Show a serious networking event for the farming sector! On the day, more than 300 volunteers, combined with 100-plus paid contractors, are the reason our gates open – we are so grateful! If you enjoy your day, it’s thanks to them. We truly hope you enjoy the 2022 Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show! Team G&S
