This month’s news from the team in Sturminster Newton

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10 August 2022

Sturminster Newton has a new community newsletter – Pauline Batstone tells you how to find it, along with the round-up of what’s happening in Stur

John Dimech’s exhibition in The Baxter’s Room above The Emporium

The third edition of What’s Happening in Stur has now come out. Not everyone is aware of it yet, so do please spread the word among your friends and family. It does the job Stur’s Unity magazine once did, sharing what is happening in the town. The town council is printing off hard copies but do email [email protected] to receive your own digital copy.
Alternatively, you can read it online via the Learning Centre website – snclc.org.uk/whatshappeninginstur. Thanks to David Shepherd, who leads The Exchange Learning Centre and has initiated this.

1855
Work continues to transform the former NatWest Bank into an exciting space for Blackmore Vale entrepreneurs to sell their goods to the public. More than 30 business have so far expressed interest in hiring space, ranging from a shelf to the former manager’s office or the bank’s old strongroom. The latter is the idea of our own local wine producer! We have several local authors who have signed up for shelf space on which to sell their books. Anyone who may be interested should get in touch on [email protected] to arrange an interview.
Jacqui Wragg as been researching the old building, and discovered that it was handed over to the National Provincial Bank on 18th September 1855. Appropriate, then, that an autum opening of phase one is planned.
Gallery and exhibition space
The art gallery above The Emporium is proving a lovely space to display the range of pre-loved pictures, prints and paintings which are donated for sale. There have been some lovely surprises too, with visitors advising that a particular painting priced at £15 in the gallery could well raise 200 per cent more at auction.
The Baxter’s Room on the second floor can now be hired by artists wishing to exhibit their work – £100 fee for the first week, £80 the second, plus commission. Our first exhibitor John Dimech, who filled the space with local views of Dorset, has had lots of visitors.
Stur Arts Week has just come to an end – thanks to all those artists who exhibited and the shops which gave window space.

A selection of John Dimech’s Dorset scenes

SturBiz
Sturbiz is the official Chamber of Commerce for Sturminster Newton and the local area. There is a new focus to play a more active role on behalf of our town’s business community after Covid, along with the aim of increasing membership to 100 this year, says co-ordinator Jacqui Wragg, who is already planning the third Schools Jobs and Apprenticeship Fair for this autumn, where our young people can research potential local careers.

SturBuzz
People often say Stur is buzzing and in the last week of August it will be buzzing even more! We have a number of events, celebrating Sturminster Newton’s beautiful natural environment and the wildlife and plants which share it with us. For information about those partnership events keep an eye on sturbuzz.org.uk. The Riverside Family Fest is on the 20th August (see poster above right) on the Riverside Meadows. There will also be a community fete on 27th August, 12pm to 4pm in The Railway Gardens. A summer quiz, aimed at our young people, will be in the shops from 20th August to 11th September.

Do you have time?
Volunteers play a vital part in all we do in the town and more are always needed. Do you perhaps a have a couple of hours you could fill?
Why not come and use your spare time to serve your community, make new friends and fill a few quiet hours.

Pete’s garden jobs for the month

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Editorial team

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10 August 2022

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In the wake of that heat wave, Pete Harcom has advice on watering and conserving water in the heat, along with your August garden to-do list

Sweet peas are in peak season now – make sure you keep picking them!

The recent run of unusually hot weather (not just the 40º heatwave, but the general pattern of recent years) is a reminder to reassess our garden watering and to look at ways of collecting and conserving it too. Collecting rainwater in water butts is an easy way to make a huge difference – not only is rainwater best for plants, it saves on your water meter bill too!
The best time to water plants is early morning. This allows the foliage to dry quickly, discouraging fungal spores. If you have to water in the evening, aim water at the roots and not on the leaves to reduce any fungal problems which occur when leaves are left wet overnight.
Old washing up water can also be used in the garden once it’s cool.
And an extra tip is to not throw away the water when you boil vegetables for meals – pop outside and pour it over the weeds that are appearing on the patio instead. Scalding hot water is guaranteed to damage even the toughest of weeds!
Ponds and water features will most likely lose water in this hot weather and need topping up – preferably with rainwater. The fish and pond wildlife will benefit from this. Hot weather will also deplete the oxygen levels in a pond, so perhaps consider a small solar-powered bubbling fountain pump, which will help with oxygenation.

Jobs for August
Complete your summer pruning of fruit trees and trimming of hedges and summer flowering shrubs.
Sweet peas are at their best now and they benefit from constant picking of the flowers for vases in the house – this helps prolong the flowering period.
Keep removing weeds! They compete for water and soil nutrients.
Stay hydrated – hydrangeas in containers need to be kept well watered. Rhododendrons and camellias also need to be kept moist, especially now, as next year’s buds are developing. Dahlias are especially thirsty plants – they need to be watched and watered carefully.
Keep feeding all container plants with liquid fertiliser – once a week if possible.
Remove the long whip side shoots from wisteria to approx 20cm from the main stem (to five or six leaves). This will control the growth and encourage flowering next year. Wisteria will also need pruning again in January or February next year.
Don’t forget to think about next year’s garden! Now’s a good time to order your spring bulbs and perennials for this autumn’s planting.

Pete owns Sherton Abbas Gardening

Sponsored by Thorngrove Garden Centre

It’s our drop in the ocean

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10 August 2022

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Though an inland town, Blandford still has a duty to contribute to ocean recovery, says Labour’s Pat Osborne – and it can start with the Stour

This month I’d like to take the opportunity to talk about some of the work being done by Blandford Town Council’s Climate and Biodiversity Working Group to promote marine citizenship and community custodianship of the River Stour.
The Stour has a very special place in the hearts of Blandfordians, connecting us to one another through a shared sense of place, belonging and identity. The Stour also connects us to the wildlife and ecosystems that it supports, providing generations with the opportunity to live alongside otters, swans, kingfishers and other creatures thriving in their natural habitats. It links us to all the other communities that have built up along the banks on its journey from Stourhead to the sea. And through connecting us to the sea, the Stour connects us to the rest of the world.
At this month’s town council meeting I proposed a Motion for the Ocean, which was developed for Blandford Town Council in partnership with marine biologist Dr Pamela Buchan. The motion recognises that we need ocean recovery to meet our net zero carbon targets, and we need net zero carbon to recover our ocean.
It also recognises that inland communities, like Blandford, have an important role to play in ocean recovery by acting as the custodians of the rivers, waterways and tributaries that run through our towns and villages on their way to the sea.
As a town council, our powers are clearly limited, but the motion recognises that there are things that we can and should do to contribute to ocean recovery. These are sentiments echoed throughout Blandford by community groups like Blandford War on Waste.
The fact that the motion was passed unanimously by the council sends a clear statement of intent: ‘This may be a drop in the ocean, but it’s our drop and we’re going to look after it.’

Welcome back to Ballet Under The Stars

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Editorial team

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10 August 2022

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Ballet Under The Stars once again enthralled three nights of sell-out audiences with a world class evening of ballet and dance in the quiet walled garden of Hatch House, transformed by the Covent Garden Dance Company – Fanny Charles reports

Ballet Under The Stars Stanislav Olshansky and Julia Moskalenko perform Dancing Pergolesi — Stanislav Olshansky and Julia Moskalenko perform Dancing Pergolesi
All Images: Alice Pennefather

THREE years ago everything seemed settled – even Brexit was something we were going to have to live with. Then along came COVID and the pandemic and lockdowns and our lives changed dramatically … and then Putin invaded Ukraine and our government proved to be quite impressive on the international stage … but at home – not so much! Death, disaster, chaos – so many things changed beyond recognition.
What a difference three years makes. And how good to welcome back an event that has been part of the local arts scene for more than ten years.

Ukrainian chemistry
The return of Ballet Under The Stars felt wonderful, with its glamorous setting in the walled garden of Sir Henry and Lady Rumbold’s Hatch House near Tisbury, beautiful dance and delicious food. But even this perfect garden haven of art and fine dining has been touched by these massive, catastrophic events.
Two of this year’s dancers came from Ukraine, a poignant and powerful reminder of the rich culture of their suffering country. Julia Moskalenko and Stanislav Olshanskyi, principals of the Ukraine National Ballet, are beautiful, graceful and athletic dancers with a palpable chemistry which brought an added intensity of emotion to their two performances. Of course, our emotional response was deepened by sympathy for two gifted young people who are, on the one hand, free to practise their art, but, on the other, inevitably tormented by fears and worries about their country, their families, friends and fellow artists during the ongoing brutal Russian invasion.

At Ballet Under The Stars, Fabian ReimAir and Fernanda Oliveira dance Three Preludes — Fabian ReimAir and Fernanda Oliveira dance Three Preludes

But it wasn’t just a sympathy vote – these are world-class dancers who brought a taste of the music and culture of their country, particularly in their first piece, the Act 1 pas de deux, from Forest Song, with music by Mykhailo Skorulkskyi and choreography by Vakhtang Vronskyi.
This achingly beautiful work allowed the dancers to display both their physical and dance skills and their emotional connection.
Their second piece, Dancing Pergolesi (choreography by Radu Poklitaru) was similarly technically excellent, with a strong response to the Italian baroque composer’s Stabat Mater. Given the deep religious faith of so many Ukrainian people, this felt a particularly powerful interpretation of the tragic music.

At Ballet Under The Stars, Xander Parish and Anastasia Demidova in The Sleeping Beauty pas de deux Act III — Xander Parish and Anastasia Demidova in The Sleeping Beauty pas de deux Act III

A night of stars
The line-up of dancers included the always enchanting Ksenia Ovsyanick, this time partnered by Timothy Dutson. They interpreted David Dawson’s Voices pas de deux, set to music by Max Richter, and returned in the third dance section with an astonishing and provocative piece, Multiplicity/Forms of Silence and Emptiness. Choreographed by Nacho Duato, this has Dutson playing the “cello”– Ovsyanick – to the accompaniment of Bach’s Cello Suite No 1 in G Major. There is a strong connection between women and the cello and this work is both an interesting and subversive interpretation of a masterpiece.
Also back, to huge acclaim, was Xander Parish, delighting in The Sleeping Beauty Act III pas de deux with Anastasia Demidova, and then revisiting his 2019 showstopper, the technically dazzling and witty 101 (a kaleidoscope of classic dance positions).
New to the Ballet Under The Stars Hatch audience were the young Paris Opera Ballet dancers Hortense Pajtler and Nathan Bisson. They opened the evening with Flower Festival in Genzano, a technically demanding pas de deux choreographed by August Bournonville (music by Paulli), evoking the charm of a Fragonard painting. Their second piece was the exciting and contemporary Triade (choreography Benjamin Millepied, music Nico Muhly).

Ballet Under The Stars and Ksenia Ovsyanick and Timothy Dutson dance Voices pas de deux — Ksenia Ovsyanick and Timothy Dutson dance Voices pas de deux

Compulsion and repulsion
With the long gap since the 2019 Ballet Under The Stars at Hatch, there was an inevitable break in fund-raising for the Dicky Buckle Fund, supporting talented young choreographers and dance education. This year there was only one new work commissioned by the fund – Opposites Attract by Fabian ReimAir, who also composed the music and danced the piece with Fernanda Oliveira. This was a muscular, visceral exploration of attraction, compulsion and repulsion as the two dancers pushed the physical boundaries of expression in dance. Their second piece was Three Preludes, choreographed by Ben Stevenson to music by Rachmaninov.
The final duo were Royal Ballet principals, the exquisite Japanese dancer Fumi Kaneko and the powerful and athletic Russian, Vadim Muntagirov – his jumps and leaps in the pas de deux from Le Corsaire were real crowd-pleasers, bringing gasps and cheers from the audience. The pair brought the evening to an elegant close with the Grand Pas Classique (choreography Victor Gsovsky, music Auber) – technically brilliant, if lacking the emotional bite of some of the earlier pieces.
It was wonderful to have ballet back at Hatch – a triumph for artistic director Matt Brady and his team, and a glorious evening for the capacity audiences over the three nights.

For Ballet Under The Stars in 2023, see Hatch House, or please contact 01749 813313 or [email protected]

Moody, Kathleen

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Editorial team

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10 August 2022

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A service of celebration in flowers, words and music at 2pm in St Mary’s on August 25th.

No black please.

An eventful summer!

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Editorial team

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9 August 2022

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It’s a busy changeover month at Thorngrove, says Kelsi-Dean Buck, with a big summer sale, fun events and graduation day

It’s an exciting month at Thorngrove as we look forward to The Gillingham & Shaftesbury show! As in previous years, we’ll be there; it’s without a doubt one of our favourite events in the calendar. If you’re attending the show, please do stop by and see us. We’ll have a huge range of beautiful plants for sale, but will also be on hand for advice and a natter, to talk about our shared love of plants and gardening. Last year we were over the moon to win First Prize for Best Small Stand, which was so humbling given the breadth of amazing local businesses on display. We know it will be the same this year, and we can’t wait to see what everyone brings along, and are looking forward to seeing you all there.

Craft sessions
Throughout August we’re hosting Summer Crafts for Children, so if you’re looking to keep the little ones busy during the holidays, bring them along to get creative with some pot decorating! Check our website and social media for full details. Hanging Basket workshops will be returning soon, too, and keep your eyes peeled for the reveal of our big Christmas event … yes, Christmas – it’ll be here before we know it!

This year’s Employ My Ability graduate Maddie Walters

Graduates
We also wanted to send huge congratulations to our graduating Employ My Ability students. The end of July saw our ‘Leavers’ Day’ celebration of games, karaoke, barbecue, and certificate ceremony. Thorngrove continues to provide a unique environment for learning and work experience for young people with SEN. For more details, just visit: https://employmyability.org.uk/

Sale on now!
And finally – we’ve launched a huge summer clearance sale.Now’s the time when we start making room for new stock and potting up new plants.
There’s plenty of summer left, of course, and many of our plants can still find a spot in your summer planters and borders, but time waits for no gardener, and the seasons roll on.
As for what’s looking good right now, nursery manager Mark Hoskins recommends “Hydrangeas, particularly Paniculata varieties such as Silver Dollar and Hercules, and Hydrangea Annabelle which has huge flowers in shades of white, pink and green.”.
We’re open seven days a week, and the Secret Garden Café is always worth stopping by (if things are a bit hot, it has a fully climate controlled interior). Visit Thorngrove this August!
thorngrovegardencentre.co.uk

Primrose and berries – but not as you thought you knew them

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Editorial team

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9 August 2022

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A favourite spring flower is a surprise stop this month, and expert Carl Mintern has the real reason for those pucker-up sour blackberries right next to the sweet ones

Blackberries are already ripening in the hedgerows
Image: Laura Hitchcock

Those of us with younger children will be only too aware of the need to fill voids created by the school summer holidays. And what better way to occupy them than with excursions out into the vast array of public footpaths and woodlands that surround us in the Blackmore Vale? And if it’s your own free time that needs filling with something healthy and rewarding? Well, the sentiment stands! We spend so much of the year here in the UK dreaming of what we will do in the heady days of summer – let’s not let it slip past us without really making the most of the opportunity a little sunshine and and open space afford.

Back to the elder
I want to start this month by revisiting a plant I discussed last month – the elder (Sambucus nigra). If you took my advice in July, you have already harvested the flowers and are no doubt sipping on some delightful homemade elderflower cordial while reading this edition. Well, now we return to this bountiful plant for our second elder shopping trip of the season – to harvest the berries.
As stated last month, elder is one of the most abundant hedgerow harvests we have, with many landowners opting to use it to form the hedges that border our country roads. As a result, Elderberries are extremely abundant and very easy to find.
They can be used for jams, jellies and crumbles but these juicy, sweet berries can also make liquor and syrups (our nutritionist Karen Geary shared her recipe for elderberry rob

bomb’ and suggests taking a daily spoonful during cold and flu season – Ed).
Used for millennia, the elderberry’s distinct flavour can also make a simple puree to serve with meats.
Be aware that all parts of the elder are mildly toxic when raw, so be sure to cook them, (please see last month’s column for my slightly extended thoughts on this). Elder trees have feathered leaves that grow in opposite pairs along the stem with a terminal leaf. The berries are deep purple and formed from the same sprays of flowers we target earlier in the year.

Elderberries can be used for jams, jellies, syrups and robs, as well as a purée for meats.

Primrose
Next, I wish to continue my crusade against boring-looking salads and bring you the common primrose (Primula vulgaris). A plant most walkers will already be familiar with, primroses don’t tend to grow in shade, so be on the lookout for sunlit areas of meadows and forest clearings.
The whole plant is edible; the roots, stems, leaves and petals have all been consumed for culinary and medicinal purposes by our ancestors, as they contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals. Their petals are yet another way to brighten a salad, although these are more likely to have been found in spring. But in August the roots can add a crunch and the leaves can also be included.
Be aware that if you plan on harvesting roots, you will need the landowner’s permission. To harvest the rest of the plant, our rights are protected in statute, which allows us to forage the four Fs, – flowers, fruit, foliage and fungi – on public land.

Primrose may not be in flower in August, but don’t ignore its potential for your salad

Not your average blackberry
Finally this month I want to talk to you about a plant many people think they know … but I assure you, most do not.
When I am out leading foraging walks, I know from the look on people’s faces that no-one wants to ‘learn’ about blackberries. Everyone has been picking them since childhood, collecting them from the hedgerows with their parents.
So stick with me – there is a secret layer to be uncovered here that will change your understanding of this quintessential foraged harvest. When out picking blackberries we have all eaten a tasty fruit straight from the bush and remarked to our fellow pickers ‘try these, they’re delicious!’, only to follow up a few minutes later taking another from a different spot just a few metres away and finding it so tart it makes our eyes water, or so bland as to be inconsequential.
So what is going on here? I have heard many versions over several years of how the taste is being affected by the weather, or the soil conditions, or some other capricious act of nature affecting this plant this year. In fact, this seems to be the prevailing thought among most novice foragers. However there is a far more interesting and predictable component to this mystery.
Vegetable gardeners are familiar with the idea of picking a specific variety of plant to grow in their garden – we choose to grow a certain tomato variety for its giant fruit, small fruit, yellow fruit, blight resistance or huge yields … and yes, of course they all taste different.
You may be surprised to learn, though, that we also have hundreds of varieties of blackberries growing wild in the UK. It naturally follows then that your hedgerow harvest contains a huge variation in flavour!
So, what can we learn from this? I would suggest that instead of a haphazard wander along a hedgerow, try making a blackberry map and marking the locations of the tastiest fruits. Harvest from those plants every year, and you can reliably collect the perfect fruits for eating fresh with desserts while avoiding the sourface lottery!

The cheese is back in Stur

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Editorial team

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9 August 2022

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Sturminster Newton was once home to one of Europe’s largest cattle markets. In the late 1990s the market site was sold for development, the closing of the cattle market ending a 700-year tradition of livestock trading in the town. One of the other claims to fame Sturminster had was as home to Sturminster Creamery, makers of award-winning Sturminster Cheddar and other cheeses. Following these damaging closures a public meeting was held where the town decided an event to celebrate cheese was one way to keep Sturminster Newton on the map. In 1999 the first Cheese Festival was held – it lasted four days and was a whole-town event, from tours of the Creamery to a tea dance in the old Sturminster Hall. There were three scout marquees on the recreation ground hosting local food producers and crafters (and a fashion show one evening!).

The Cheese Festival 2021 Image: Courtenay Hitchcock

23 years later
Fast forward to 2022 and the Cheese Festival is still going strong. It is now a two day weekend, with some rather larger marquees, and it takes over the whole of the recreation ground on Ricketts Lane. This year the show will feature 21 Cheese Producers and 47 Artisan Food & Drink Producers, showcasing the best that the West Country has to offer. Naturally there will be a huge variety of cheeses on offer, and you can sample them with an array of chutneys, bread, biscuits … and of course follow up with some sweet treats of jam, cake or chocolate. Perhaps finish off with some locally-distilled gin, vodka or wine from a Dorset Vineyard.
The Craft Tent will be home to jewellery, portraits, photography, home scents, wood turning and more, with more stands outside, including plants and garden furniture as well as craft demonstrations, not forgetting the local charities and other organisations which are represented too. Add to the mix some children’s entertainment (including free Punch & Judy Shows and entertainment from Strawberry Jam), live music, the Real Ale & Cider Tent and an array of outside catering to choose from (yes, including Cheese Toasties!) there is something for everyone. And you never know who you might see – the founder of the world’s largest greenfield festival has been spotted at the Cheese Festival in the past.

Millenium of milling
If you fancy a short stroll then take a break to wander down to the Town’s historic 16th century mill which still grinds wheat for flour. It became an international star during the first lockdown when it leaoped into action for a short time, once again producing flour commercially.
Then back to the Festival for some liquid refreshment or maybe an ice cream before one last wander around the food marquee.

Find out more at www.cheesefestival.co.uk and buy your tickets online. Earlybird tickets purchased before 10th September are £7 (£8 on the gate). Children under 15 go free. (Free parking is available in the field adjacent to the site).
You can also keep up with all the Cheese Festival news on Facebook and Instagram.

Push-me-pull-you and magic moneyfruit

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Editorial team

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9 August 2022

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The worry of the Australia deal, swinging politics and the ever-more-terrifying cost of living – Mike Chapman speaks for Liberal Democrats across the Blackmore Vale

What is happening to our democracy? The Australian trade deal has been formalised without any democratic scrutiny of any kind – not a single parliamentary vote. It’s even worse when you realise it is likely to form a template for other such deals. Britons may gain as consumers and a few exporters and services companies may benefit, but most of us are likely to be exposed to an increase in cost-driven, lower-standard competition as a result, especially in the agricultural world. The level playing field of the EU’s Single Market has gone.

Swinging politics
That the Brexit wonderland was voted in by a majority of about 2.7% of the electorate is bad enough. But now we are about to witness a lurch to the right due to just 0.3% of the electorate; the 150,000 or so Conservative Party membership. This may lead to a lurch to the left in a subsequent general election, if the polls are anywhere near correct. Push-me-pull-you politics as always. We ought to know better by now. We ought to drive for a better consensus and be led by people with real skill and understanding rather than dogmatic, career-driven professional politicians.

15 per cent mortgages?
Still, not to worry. We are told that somewhere out there a magic tree is bending under the weight of luscious moneyfruit – ready for picking as early as September.
It will then be fertilised with loads more tax-free magic money, which apparently won’t even attract higher interest rates.
What a difference a few years make. My first mortgage was up around the 15 per cent interest mark. There was just no money for anything else much. Apparently, though, economic fundamentals don’t apply these days if you wish hard enough. Mind you, we may all need a bank loan soon just to pay the energy bills.
And there’s the rub: if all it takes to re-budget your household is an adjustment here or there, then fine, you carry on.
The cry from the streets, from the working majority and from the vulnerable, however, is that with everything else going up sharply, nothing coming down and the fuel bills doubling, maybe tripling come January, ends cannot – cannot – be met, inevitably leading to disequilibrium, debt and a great deal of unhappiness, here in rural Dorset as much as anywhere.

G&S Show
We are going to be at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show on the 17th – we want to listen to local hopes, fears, gripes and groans but also to visions and ideas. We want to find that common ground and a forward view that everyone can get behind.
See you there!