Step back in time with our ‘Then and Now’ feature, where vintage postcards from the Barry Cuff Collection meet modern-day reality. Explore the past and present on the same page, and see the evolution of familiar local places. ‘Now’ images by Courtenay Hitchcock
Howard Phipps’ art is rooted in the chalk downs of Wiltshire and Dorset, capturing this ancient landscape in his exquisitely detailed wood engravings
When Howard Phipps prepares to make one of his beautiful wood engravings, he uses a printing press whose design has probably changed little since the time of Caxton and Gutenberg.
His Albion press is more than 160 years old – not quite as ancient as the printing machines invented by those 15th century pioneers, but still very old in these days of fast-changing digital technology, AI, laser and 3D printing and instant communications.
The cast-iron press, which is quite small by comparison with others of a similar vintage, came from the old Cranborne Chase School, based in New Wardour Castle near Tisbury.
Printing presses like the Albion weigh a ton (in some cases more) and come in sections, each finely engineered to fit together precisely.
‘When I brought it back, we had to pull it apart, then when you put it back together, you need to make sure the markings correspond,’ says Howard. ‘But they don’t easily go wrong!’
Wood engraving, like the wood-cut process, is a relief printmaking technique. The artist draws and then engraves an image onto a mirror-smooth surface of a block of end-grain boxwood. The tools have splendid names like spitsticker or scorper. Ink is applied to the relief surface with a roller and a printed impression is taken from the result.
Howard explains: ‘The artist is, in effect, drawing with light, for it is the engraved or lowered areas that come out as white. The main characteristics of wood engraving are the fine stippling and white lines against a dark background. The nature of the wood and the fine tools make a particularly rich-toned range.’
Timeless quality
Growing up in Cheltenham, Howard studied art at Gloucestershire College of Arts in the town, followed by a post-graduate year in Brighton. For some years, he taught art in Devon before moving to the Salisbury area where he still lives. He was elected a Royal West of England Academician in 1979, and a member of the Society of Wood Engravers (SWE)in 1985.
As a young artist, living close to the Cotswolds, Howard got to know the work of the private Whittington Press, which produces limited edition books, many of which have become collectors’ items. This became a lifelong relationship – the Whittington Press published his collections Interiors (1985), Further Interiors (1992) and Ebble Valley (2007), for which he also wrote the text.
After moving to Wiltshire, Howard met the printer and author Walter Partridge, who had a printing business in old barns at Sutton Montis. Before acquiring his own Albion press, Howard made prints on one of the Partridge presses, and also produced frontispieces for some of Walter’s books.
There is something infinitely satisfying about watching a master craftsman at work – and Howard Phipps is both a master of his craft and a hugely talented artist, a combination that has earned him a reputation as one of this country’s (if not the world’s) finest wood engravers. His pictures, whether landscapes or interiors, are instantly recognisable, with their exquisitely fine detail and timeless quality.
He lives in a village overlooking Cranborne Chase and close to the Ebble valley. Much of his art is rooted in the chalk downs of Wiltshire and Dorset, with their deep coombes and beech clumps. He works from drawings and watercolours made on location, using light to reveal the underlying forms of the landscape.
I love cycling and walking – and drawing on location,’ he says. ‘I need that sense of place – it is very important.’ His relationship with chalk downs dates back to the year he spent as a student in Brighton, exploring the Sussex downs inland from the town.
‘I am very interested in the sculptural nature of the downs, ‘ says Howard. That particular feature is powerfully present in Howard’s engravings of the chalk hills and valleys of Wessex. He is particularly drawn to the region’s many ancient hill forts and tracks – prehistoric places on which earlier generations have left their mark. His subsequent wood engravings are profoundly imbued with a sense of place.
Cutting it fine
Howard’s work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal West of England Academy, the Victoria Art Gallery at Bath, the Royal Academy summer exhibition, Salisbury Museum, Dorset County Museum, St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery at Lymington, Messums Wiltshire gallery at the Tisbury tithe barn and Sladers Yard at West Bay.
He has had a number of solo shows, including most recently Cutting It Fine, in 2021-22, at Salisbury Museum, which was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row arts programme (listen to hear Howard in his studio, he starts at 11:25).
His many awards include the Contemporary Print Prize at the Royal Academy summer exhibition in 1985, the Landscape Print Prize at the National Print Exhibition and various SWE prizes.
He has engravings in many collections, including the British Museum, the Ashmolean, Cheltenham Art Gallery, the Russell Cotes Museum and Art Gallery in Bournemouth and the Yale Centre for British Art in the USA. He has also illustrated books for publishers including Bloomsbury, The Fleece Press and the Folio Society.
Howard currently has work in the summer exhibition at Gallery Nine at 9b Margaret Buildings, Bath, running until the end of September. The show also features work by Yo Thom, the Japanese-born ceramicist who lives at Fontmell Magna.
For more information about Howard Phipps, more of his wood engravings, drawings and watercolours, and information about upcoming exhibitions, visit howardphipps.co.uk
Permanent, full or part time
Milton Abbey School seeks to appoint an organised and flexible individual for our Events Officer role to work as part of the Development Team, which includes Marketing & Events, to help with the planning and delivery of events during holidays and in term time, for both the school and our commercial clients.
The successful candidate will need to demonstrate excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to multitask and use their initiative. They will help the school to deliver an exciting and diverse range of events, from whole-school celebrations such as our Summer Ball and Carol Service, to residential lets and weddings for our customers in the holidays.
We are looking for someone who has excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and with an enthusiasm for the events industry. The successful applicant will work with colleagues across the school and externally, so must enjoy working with a variety of people. Although prior experience in events is desirable, it is not essential, and we will be happy to consider someone who is keen to learn and be trained in house.
This is a permanent position, either full or part time, to be discussed during the interview process for the right candidate. You will be part of a friendly and supportive team, and training will be available to enhance skills. Full time staff also benefit from 25 days annual holiday plus bank holidays not in term time (part time, pro rata), free parking and free refreshments and a three-course hot lunch during term time and the use of the school’s facilities.
Further details may be obtained from our website or from HR on 01258 880484 or email [email protected]. Applications must be submitted on the school’s application form.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 4th September 2024, although applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviews of suitable candidates may take place before the closing date. Early applications are advised. Please note that we are not accepting applications for this position through any employment agency and all applications should be made direct to the school.
Milton Abbey School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The appointment will be the subject of an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Additionally, please be aware that Milton Abbey School will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. To avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.
Please note that our school is a no smoking site.
www.miltonabbey.co.uk Registered Charity No 306318
This recipe started out as a bit of an experiment but has now become a reliable go-to if I am looking for something summery and floral – the matcha tempers the rose with some earthiness. I use Polly’s Petals for all my food grade edible powders and petals: not only are they locally-based on Portland but they have such a beautiful range.
If you don’t usually buy matcha, you can get loose matcha powder in most supermarkets or health food stores – just make sure it is not the kind in tea bags!
I have used Stork margarine – I was looking for something light and airy and this baking margarine lends itself to that. It also happens to be naturally dairy free.
Wildlife-friendly gardening has an impact: DWT’s Jack Clarke takes a closer look at how your green space can help local species thrive this August
Large or small, your garden or green space can make a real difference to local wildlife – the way you choose to care for your garden really does matter!
Collectively, wildlife-friendly spaces, no matter how small, act as mini stepping stones across our towns and villages, helping wildlife find food, water, shelter and places to breed. Even the smallest space like a window box can encourage and support a variety of fascinating insects, contributing to a thriving ecosystem.
In August, look out for the beautiful hummingbird hawk moth. It’s a summer visitor from southern Europe and north Africa, and its numbers vary year on year depending on weather conditions. With its hovering flight and long tongue, this amazing daytime moth is sometimes mistaken for a small exotic bird, hence its name.
Cinnabar moths are also ‘out and about’ this month. Their larvae are one of many species which rely solely on the leaves and stems of ragwort for food. Ragwort flowers are an amazing pollen and nectar source for many insects, including butterflies, beetles and solitary bees. Often stripped from fields and paddocks, ragwort can pose a health threat to grazing livestock. But in a garden or wild space it is an amazing food plant, supporting more than 200 species – so please do think before you ‘weed’!
Also on the wing this month is the holly blue butterfly. In Dorset, it is warm enough for them to have two generations a year, so the ones we see now are the offspring of the adults you might have spotted in the spring.
Shake some heads
Top nectar sources for insects in August include succulent sedums, tasty marjoram and colourful rudbeckias. If you spot gaps in your borders, pop in a few perennials like salvias or asters which will provide sources of pollen and nectar through late summer and into autumn. And do deadhead plants in pots or baskets to keep the flowers coming. Some roses, such as Rosa canina and Rosa setipoda, will produce hips if you don’t remove all the spent flowers. This will give you a much-enjoyed splash of colour through the winter but could be a genuine life saver for hungry birds and small mammals. Many earlier flowering plants, such as foxglove and sweet William, will have set seed by now – it’s a good idea to collect and save some for future sowing. Choose a dry day and just shake the seed heads into a paper bag. Seed will keep for several years if stored in a cool dry place, but if you have too much, remember to share with friends!
Not all seeds will store well though – for example yellow rattle, sometimes known as the ‘meadow maker’, is best sown fresh between now and the end of the year.
For more wildlife-friendly gardening advice, visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-friendly-garden
Inside this issue:
After the usual Letter from the Editor, we move straight into the local politicians columns, the first since the General Election…
August’s BV can be read here … grab a coffee and jump in to the Dorset-ness. News, opinion, people, wildlife, art, farming, what’s on, horses … and frankly stunning photography.
Did we mention it’s FREE? Why *wouldn’t* you want a flick through? Frankly, it’s so jam-packed with Dorset goodness, it’d be rude not to.
(*don’t forget, we’re proud to be purely digital. The only way to read us is right here online!)
The BV is the ‘glossy’ rural monthly digital magazine from Dorset, this year awarded ‘Best Regional Publication in the UK’
(Newspaper & Magazine Awards)
Wildlife writer Jane Adams explores sundews – Dorset’s carnivorous plants – and Darwin’s fascination with their deadly allure
In a letter dated 1860, the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin wrote to a friend, “… at the present moment, I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world.”
It would be reasonable to assume Darwin was writing about a rare exotic bird, or maybe a species of tortoise … but no, he was actually getting worked up about a carnivorous plant, more commonly known as the sundew.
Carnivorous plants have always fascinated me. When I was a child, I was given a Venus flytrap and fed it live prey with tweezers. I remember watching as its hinged leaves closed around each struggling fly that buzzed for a while – and then went ominously quiet.
While I’m glad I’ve moved on from this gruesome hobby, I’m still amazed at how a rooted plant has evolved to entice, ensnare and ultimately devour another living creature for extra nutrients.
Surprisingly, Dorset is home to three native species of sundew: the round-leaved, oblong-leaved and the rare great sundew. Though far from common, all three species like the moist and infertile soils of Dorset’s boggy lowland heaths. Look for them growing quite close to the ground (their maximum height is 20cm), where their red-tinged leaves sparkle in the summer sunshine, making them easier to spot.
If you do come across one and kneel for a closer look, you will also notice hair-like structures on each leaf adorned with a droplet of liquid ‘dew’. Drawn by this deadly glistening lure, insects soon become stuck in the sticky glue. Then the sundew wraps its leaf around the prey, secretes digestive enzymes – and the unsuspecting insects are turned into a nutritious soup.
As Darwin exclaimed, ‘By Jove, I sometimes think Drosera is a disguised animal!’
Is there a triffid lurking right under our noses in Dorset, albeit in a minuscule form?
It’s an intriguing thought.
Ancient sundew folklore:
Woodpeckers use the dew to harden their bills
Dew from the plant, known as a source of youth and virility, can be used in anti-aging potions
The plant can be used as a love charm because it has the power to lure and entrap its prey
Team Rimmer’s July adventures and a behind-the-scenes peek at the meticulous competition prep, including a top-secret luxury shampoo tip
How is it August already?! I don’t know where the time has gone – when we’re in full swing dashing from event to event, the weeks just fly by.
In July, Team Rimmer has been to Aston-le-Walls, Upton House, and most recently Dauntsey Park Horse Trials. We’ve had some highs: Sir Henry Hall obtained his 3*L qualification at Aston and Jimmy finished in the prizes at Dauntsey. But we also had some lows – Elsa and I took an unlucky tumble at Dauntsey when we landed a bit too steeply from a hedge. Fortunately, we are both absolutely fine, so it’s onwards and upwards!
We were busy getting all the horses and kit clean and ready for Dauntsey when Courtenay paid us a visit for this month’s photos – he managed to grab a sneaky peak into what it takes to prepare five horses for a day’s competition!
A huge amount of mostly-invisible preparation work goes into each event, so I thought I’d put together a little ‘A-Z’ (yes, OK, it’s an A-F!):
A is for ‘Always clean the stud-holes before you get to the event!’ When competing on grass, we screw studs into our horses’ shoes to prevent them from slipping – essentially, we turn their ordinary shoes into football boots! They often get small stones and dirt in their stud-holes, so we make sure they are cleaned out the day before to avoid any last-minute stress.
B is for Braids – I’m cheating now, they’re actually called plaits. Our horses are plaited for all three phases, which requires sectioning the mane into chunks, plaiting it down, and rolling them up into little bobbles. We often do the plaits the day before, especially if we have an early start. Then to make sure they stay tidy overnight, lots of them wear Lycra ‘hoods’ which make them look a bit like Batman!
C is for Clothes – well, tack, but close enough (I know, I’m stretching it here!). If you think your wardrobe is extensive, you should see that of our horses … they have saddles, bridles, boots, numnahs (the saddle blanket that goes between the saddle and the horse’s back) and girths – all of which require cleaning and packing into the horsebox the day before.
D is for Dirt! The day before an event, all the horses have a scrub-down with my favourite luxury shampoo of choice: none other than a bottle of Fairy Platinum! I find this works particularly well on the grey horses, especially Max, who seems to enjoy finding the muddiest patch to roll in …
E is for Essentials. In all the chaos of packing their special competition tack, we also have to pack all the everyday items: plenty of hay and water and rugs to keep them warm if needed. Each horse also has their own passport, which shows all their vaccinations, required every time the horse travels. They even get passport stamps when visiting Internationals, just like us!
F is for Food. Last but definitely not least. Mum and I also need to make sure we have plenty of supplies for the day – mum has a soft spot for a chocolate brioche, whereas I will happily tuck into a sausage roll at five in the morning! Granny brings her legendary egg sandwiches (seriously, she’s known for them!) which keep us going until we get home, and owners often bring yummy picnics too.
It’s no small task getting everything ready to go – until now we’ve done a pretty good job of not forgetting anything major, but I’ve heard plenty of stories of people, saddles and even horses being left behind!
Elaine Gough has been fundraising for her nephew, 16-year-old Alfie O’Neill, all his life. Alfie has cerebral palsy, severely affecting his mobility – he relies on his wheelchair, and he constantly needs both equipment and therapy, which is what the family raise funds for.
Alfie lives with his Mum (Elaine’s sister Pauline), his dad Dan and his sister Maisie.
‘We all love him so much,’ says Elaine. ‘He is such a character and has a heart of gold – and nothing ever phases him.’
Elaine took the extreme step of a wing walk on Friday 26th July at Henstridge Airfield: ‘I had a lot of family and friends turn up to see me do it, it was an amazing experience! Even better that I was doing it for my nephew.
‘Everyone at the Airfield and all the wing walk people were amazing, so reassuring, and they were so pleased we were doing it for Alfie.
Elaine’s Justgiving Wingwalk page is still open here
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