Selling your home is a big decision – and you want to get it right. The new Purple Bricks North Dorset team are on hand with some insider advice.
Small details like placing fresh flowers in your home not only make it more welcoming, but also help buyers feel confident that you’ve cared for the house.
Putting your home on the market is a huge life decision and one which takes a lot of careful consideration and thoughtful planning. Purplebricks are proud to work with over 600 local experts located across the UK, each dedicated to taking you through the whole process of selling your home, from start to finish. Here to help you on your journey to getting sold, Purplebricks local expert and North Dorset resident, Chellie Elkington, shares her top tips for preparing your home for market:
First Impressions Ensure the outside of your property is clean, clear and tidy, including entrance ways and the front garden. Potential viewers will often pass by before deciding whether to book a viewing so it’s important to create a good first impression, starting with your home’s curb appeal.
Declutter One of the most cost- effective tips for home selling is to declutter your home. This includes keeping all surface spaces clear, without interfering with your daily life. By removing or hiding unnecessary items out of sight, you are maximising the perception of space in your home.
A new face Freshen up scuffed paint marks by giving your walls a fresh lick of paint, where needed. While this is not essential to do before selling, it will ensure your property is presented in the best way possible.
A good deep clean Give your home a spring clean to show off the property in its best light. This includes descaling the shower, cleaning the windows, ensuring beds are made with freshly washed bedding and mending anything that’s broken.
It’s in the detail Think about those little touches that make a home feel welcoming. Fresh flowers are always great to have around the home for photos and viewings as they show you’re making an effort to sell while helping potential buyers to feel more confident that you’ve looked after the house during your ownership.
If you’re thinking of selling your home and would like further advice, book your virtual or in-home valuation today: purplebricks.co.uk
The arrival of good weather has meant a busy but productive month on the farm, but James Cossins says in 40 years he’s never had to deal with such market volatility.
Rawston Farm’s milking cows have been let out to graze this month, much to their delight
March has been a very productive month here at Rawston Farm. All the sowing of our spring beans and spring malting barley has been completed into good seed beds. (For those who dream of similar hands-on experience, Jooble provides a variety of farm opportunities, making it easier to gain skills and immerse yourself in the farming world). Most crops have received some fertiliser to give them an early boost, and we have managed to cover most of the spring sown area with farmyard manure produced from our cattle, which should hopefully save on spreading so much expensive purchased fertiliser. The milking cows have also been let out to graze, much to their delight, and are enjoying the sunshine and fresh green grass. We also managed a clear TB test much to everyone’s relief, although we now need another clear test in 60 days in order to be able sell cattle to other farmers without needing a movement licence.
Prices, carbon and food Many of our farming meetings seem to revolve around being net zero and measuring our carbon footprint. I know the war in the Ukraine has put some of the discussions on the back burner, but we are still being encouraged to work out what our emissions are and how we can improve. It seems that Farmers are in the forefront of carbon emission targets, without too much regard concerning the food we’re actually producing. The government still don’t seem to recognise the importance of food security in this country – we are only about 60% self sufficient, and current affairs show us that we should not rely on imported foods. Interestingly our number two coal supplier was Russia (with the USA being number one) the coal being used to keep our steel manufacture going in the UK. The war in Ukraine means we now have to import from Canada and Australia, but no one seems to be discussing the environmental impact of doing this.
It’s a challenge The Government should be prioritising food production to make sure that its citizens are fed and can get the food they want from local sources. With Ukraine being a large exporter of cereals, vegetable oils, seeds, fruits, fats and a large number of chickens, the sudden lack of exports has led to a dramatic shortage – naturally leading to an increase in prices to us all. I don’t think in over forty years of farming I have ever experienced such volatility in the price of what we buy and sell on the farm. It makes any future budgeting decisions very difficult. With all this going on, and with the government encouraging us towards ever more regenerative farming and reducing our carbon emissions, life on the the farm seems quite a challenge.
Apprentice Ellie Taylor earned a distinction, having started on the farm 18 months ago with limited agricultural knowledge
The Apprentice Employing people to work on farms, like any other industry, is a key part of the success of any business. In agriculture, quite often employees stay on one farm for many years – one member of staff has recently retired after giving us 51 years of loyal service. Recruiting new members to any team can be challenging, so we decided at Rawston Farm to take an apprentice. We thought it was important to train young people in the work place, with the back up of our local college Kingston Maurward. Our apprentice Ellie Taylor came to us about 18 months ago with limited agricultural knowledge but she was keen to learn, especially about dairy cattle. She has now progressed to looking after our calf unit, and can be called in for relief milking as and when required. She recently received her certificate with distinction for her apprenticeship scheme. We need to bring more young people into farming, and apprenticeships – with the right person and the right ambition – are a great solution.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda may not seem like the obvious choice of show for a cast of discerning 12-18 year olds, but anyone who attended the Leweston Senior School’s performance of the Broadway Junior Version of this show could not argue that it is, in fact, the perfect choice for any age group.
For five performances, the cast’s high-octane energy and palpable enthusiasm permeated through audiences. The extremely talented ensemble gave a strong, confident, and well-rehearsed performanced. Audience feedback said the quality of the choreography and singing was way beyond that of a school setting. But each show has highlights and these have to include the performance of Oliver D, Year 11, as Miss Trunchbull, and Felicity P-R, Year 9, as Matilda. Both embodied the spirit of Dahl’s intended characterisation, and both proved to be talented performers with comic timing and insight beyond their years. Using a simple stylised set integrated with a few ‘technical tricks’ only enhanced the professionalism of this production, and it was easy to forget you were in a school hall operating on a minimal budget. Audiences are already asking ‘What’s Next?’… well, watch this space!
Shaftesbury School were motivated to raise money for the people of the Ukraine – and decided an appropriate way to help would be via Yeovil-based School in a Bag which provides a new rucksack filled with essential stationery items – each bag costs £20 to pack and send. A Target of £1,000 was set for the school, and Mrs Burfitt shared the fundraising target to the school, raising awareness of the conflict in Ukraine.
An online fundraising page on was set up and two hours after the InTouch message was sent to parents the online total already stood at over £250. Fundraising within school commenced with Miss Frazer and Mrs Elphick setting up an activity colouring in Sunflowers, asking students to write messages of hope in exchange for a donation. In three days they raised an amazing £60. A Bake Sale raised a massive £160, and students were invited to donate to wear something in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The generosity of students, staff, parents and carers has been simply heart-warming. School Governor and Rotary Club member, Paul Whiteman, on behalf of the Governors approached the Rotary Club and secured a donation of £500, and an interview on This is Alfred opened the online appeal up to the general public. By the end of the first week of fundraising the school had over £1000 collected in school, and £1400 online. Added to this since is the £500 from the Rotary Club, and final monies arriving means that Shaftesbury School tripled their target. A spokesperson said “We are immensely proud that Shaftesbury School can now pack and send 150 bags to the children of Ukraine. Thank you to each and every one of you who has contributed to this cause and a huge thank you to Mrs Burfitt for coordinating the campaign.”
We plotted this route on the map for one reason – we wanted to finally walk Hell Lane Dorset through to the other end which is the same path but now called Shute’s Lane (between Symondsbury and North Chideock). And what an absolutely gorgeous cracker of a route it turned out to be! The route navigates mostly via ancient green lanes and spectacular holloways in Dorset. It’s got huge variety – some stunning views, ancient mysterious pathways, away from the busier Symondsbury it was entirely unpopulated, there were sneaky peeks at the sea – and we can now agree that the experience of walking through Hell Lane and Shute’s Lane is pretty special.
We elected to walk the route in a figure of eight, which allowed a grand finale walking up the spectacular Hell Lane Dorset and Shute’s Lane – your choice of course, it’s easy to switch, and you could take the ancient quarrying holloway as an easier downhill at the start. Some of the green lanes are actual stream beds – do make sure you’re wearing good footwear if the weather has been wet. For us, though we were walking in glorious sunshine the previous week had been rainfilled. As a consequence there were some seriously splashy sections, and the bottom end of Hell Lane was actually a fast-flowing shallow stream. Another couple of paths ran through the centre of hedgerows and have clearly been re-routed into the neighbouring field to prevent the need for upkeep – we battled through for a bit, occasionally on hands and knees, until we gave in and used the field! None of the hills are too strenuous, and if you’re lucky with your weather like we were it’ll be a spectacular afternoon’s walk.
The middle section of the ancient holloway, where North Chideock’s Hell Lane Dorset morphs into Shute’s Lane at the Symondsbury end
The first section of Hell Lane was a shallow stream which required sploshing through. Once you’re past that, there’s a steady incline up to Quarry Cross through the astonishing holloway
The charms of the holloways never stop – this wall of twisted tree roots is amazing at the top of Hell Lane Dorset
Though the tracks are easy to follow, many are well-used and clearly winter streambeds, like this approach to Venn Farm. Boots definitely required!
As Hell Lane Dorset morphs into Shute’s Lane nears Symondsbury the walls get ever higher and more deeply carved
Colmers Hill is an ever-present unmistakeable landmark on this circular Dorset walk
All the Dorset Walks we feature have been created and walked recently by ourselves, so you know you can trust them – we aim for unpopulated routes with as little road and as many views as possible! You can always see the route and follow it yourself via the free Outdoor Active app – see all our routes here.
Mother’s Day was not the day of rest and relaxation Lucy Procter might have planned – but the unusual daytime foalings were special to the team.
Seebeedee’s Nathaniel filly, one of Lucy’s morning-coffee foals from 13th March.- image Courtenay Hitchcock
Foals, foals and more foals, but before we get onto the foals, we have to talk about Honeysuckle. In the middle of March the TGS-bred mare won her second Champion Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival and by so doing, became the first mare ever to have scored twice in the championship race’s 95-year history. To give our hardworking team the opportunity to see Honeysuckle in the flesh, we sent them all to Cheltenham on the Tuesday, with the hope they would be shouting her home. With the staff having come in early and rattled through morning stables, they were off shortly after 10 o’clock, leaving the bosses at home to enjoy Honeysuckle’s triumph on the television before finishing up for the afternoon.
An unusual early morning foaling before coffee with the TGS staff
Mother’s Day gifts And so, to foals! Most mares foal during the night and the staff don’t see them until they are a few hours old after they arrive at work in the morning. Occasionally a mare will foal during the day. In last month’s column I wrote about sharing the culmination of the dream with the staff when they all came to Wincanton to watch TGS-bred Last Royal’s win. Now, during March, our staff have been able to share the beginning of the dream, with two mares having foaled in the morning before coffee break, and a third having foaled around tea-time.
Miss Moses’ Aclaim foal – image Courtenay Hitchcock
The afternoon foaler was in fact one of four mares to foal on Mother’s Day – literally no rest for new mums (or the bosses) here at TGS! The foals are happily enjoying the dry weather and sunshine. The new foals go out for an hour twice a day for the first few days, and only in the paddock right by the yard. The older ones go further up the farm for a longer period, before they’re all back in a warm, dry straw bed for the night.
Glanvilles Guest, mentioned in last month’s column heading off to be covered, had a successful 28 day heartbeat scan
Equestrian obstetrics Last month we talked about Glanvilles Guest visiting her chosen stallion with this year’s foal at foot. Two weeks after she was covered (mated), we were delighted when our vet scanned her in foal – and even happier when she scanned with a heartbeat two weeks after that. The mare will have one final scan at 45 days after covering, to check that the pregnancy is progressing normally and that will be the last check until stallion fees are due in the autumn. We scan to confirm that our mares are all still in foal on 1st October (a horse’s gestation period is 11-12 months). Three other mares have also scanned in foal this month, so the season is progressing well.
Miss Moses’ Aclaim foal – who was the first morning-coffee foal on 12th March – image Courtenay Hitchcock
A Poet-ic double win To put a cherry atop our March cake, our daughter Alice rode her first point-to-point winner at Larkhill, which then became a double, in somewhat unusual circumstances. Her horse in the first, Golden Poet, was the only declaration so they won with a ‘walkover’ (in racing, if there is only one runner in a race, that horse still has to go onto the track and cross the finish line, hence the term ‘walkover’). Golden Poet was also entered in the last race of the day, which turned out to be a ‘match’ (two runners), which Golden Poet won by 25 lengths, under an excellent ride from Alice for trainer Keiran Burke. We all hope these are the first of many.
A three day old Scalo filly out of Mollasses – another of the Mother’s Day foals – image Courtenay Hitchcock
by Lucy Procter, co-owner of The Glanvilles Stud (TGS), shares her diary of life on a Thoroughbred stud.
Far more than your local garden centre, Thorngrove offers something rich and precious for the whole community, says Kelsi-Dean Buck.
Spring has well and truly arrived and we couldn’t be happier! The sunnier days bring a Vitamin D and mood boost which has been greatly missed during those winter months. After the storms of February, we’re delighted that March brightened up, and we’re certainly finding more reason to be outside in the our gardens. After a month of beautiful snowdrops and daffodils taking centre stage, it won’t be long before more spring plants start to make themselves known. From Tulips and Lilies to name a couple – and of course, the Roses will start to bloom before we know it!
Children’s events are back At Thorngrove in March we were delighted to announce that for the first time since before the pandemic, events for children are returning to the garden centre this Easter half term! We can’t believe it’s been over two years since we last hosted some craft fun, and although it’s been difficult to wait, we feel now’s the time we can start to encourage more events, and finally show the community that we have so much to offer; that we’re not just the place to pick up your plants – we’re somewhere the family can visit for a day out (or at least a good chunk of it!). We’d love to get young people more interested in plants and gardening, and we’re making plans for more events later in the year. However, sometimes we know kids just want to have fun, so we’re happy to be hosting Easter crafts and would love to see you there!
A diverse community As we’ve mentioned in the past, keeping Thorngrove diverse in terms of the services we offer is a big priority. We’re more than just a garden centre, and as we continue to develop it’s important to us that you, our customers, see the ethos of Employ My Ability through everything we do. Yes, we’re selling plants and gardening essentials, but at the same time we’re providing opportunities for employment, for people to connect, maintain a community spirit, and we feed back into Gillingham and the surrounding areas as our students eventually move on to somewhere new. Whether it’s through events, community projects, or just giving gardening advice, we do our best for the community.
Win Ten one hour free sessions in our agility /exercise arena worth £125!
See details below –
Enter our open day Competition.
When you visit our open day; don’t just visit our arena, take a guided tour, have your free doggie nail trim and ear clean or enjoy a complimentary drink in our rest area. Put your name and address on the back of the printed invitation you will be given, hand it in and take part in our free-to-enter-competition.
One lucky winner will be offered ten one-hour sessions in our agility/exercise arena, entirely free and on days/at a time to suit them.
His own acting career may have peaked with Up Pompeii!, but as a theatrical agent Kerry Gardner went on to shape the careers of some of our best-loved British actors. Now living in Dorset, this month Kerry braved the Random 19 questions.
Born in India to British parents at the tail end of the British Raj and packed off to a miserable English boarding school at a very young age, Kerry Gardner’s years as a stage and television actor culminated in his time as Nausius in Up Pompeii! Without an agent and realising he was wasn’t good at selling himself, (“it was embarrassing, to tell the truth”), he left acting to set up an actors’ agency, Kerry Gardner Management, and helped fashion the careers of Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Pam Ferris and Bill Paterson – to name but a few world talents.
After nearly 30 exciting years of this he took on a partner, Andy Herrity, (who now runs Gardner Herrity), retired, and came to live in North Dorset.
In his recent memoirs, Not Another Waltz (I, Nausius) he has written a frank retelling of his journey from Harrogate to Hollywood (“it came out to tumultuous indifference, which is rude – I’m a bloody good read! It has 26 five star reviews on Amazon to prove it! They include: ‘Beautifully written with sharp wit but also compassion. Funny, sometimes sad, and very often wickedly mischievous’. So there!”)
Kerry Gardner with Biscuit the poodle (from Katmandoodle…)
1. What’s your relationship with the Blackmore Vale (the loose North Dorset area, not us!)?
I fell in love with Dorset when I was working (if you can call acting ‘work’ and not fun) on Bournemouth Pier and stayed through that glorious summer in a house outside the town. I’ve been living just outside Sturminster Newton for the past 25 years. It’s a magical county.
2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
I have adapted Gershwin’s “Bess, you is my woman now” for my dog, Biscuit, so I sing the first verse (‘Biscuit, you’re my woman now’) to her in a gruff voice, and the second verse in her much purer soprano, addressed to me. So it goes: ‘Kerry, I’s your poodle now’. After that it’s ‘Oklahoma, sweeping down the plain’.
3. What was the last gift you gave someone?
Gift giving at my age is a problem. Because you have everything you need, and gifts are inevitably greeted with “Oh, thank you. Another one.”
So you end up going out to buy the most odd thing you can find. Which will naturally end up being greeted with either ‘THANK you, that’s terrific!” or a horrorstruck “what is it?”.
It’s a 50/50 adventure.
4. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
Mind your own business.
5. What was the last movie you watched? Would you recommend it?
Simon Amstell’s Benjamin. Being a bit soppy myself the love story appealed to my treacly core. The acting is superb throughout, and it’s very funny!
6. What is your comfort meal?
*suitably thoughtful pause* “Well, I think it’s just about anything that passes in front of me…”
7. What would you like to tell 15yr old you?
Try and see the world through other people’s eyes, not just your own.
8. The best crisps flavour?
Plain, lightly sea salted. Probably Walkers. If it’s got flavours like chilli, well then I’m afraid I’m obliged to spit it out. That’s not a crisp, that’s the work of the devil.
9. And the best biscuit for dunking?
*swift and unhesitating* Dove’s Digestives.
They must be Dove’s. You’ve never tried them? Rush out now and buy them. Everyone who comes to my house adores them. I mean, I may have a gun to their head at the time of asking, but still, it’s a unanimous response.
10. What shop can you not pass without going in?
Any hardware store: they’re just an Aladdin’s cave of extraordinary, mysterious objects, the uses of which can only be guessed at. I could spend hours in one very happily.
11. What book did you read last year that stayed with you? What made you love it?
A History of Loneliness by John Boyne. It is… superb. Witty, searching, moving … honest. The book is stunningly written, it is immediate, shocking and powerful.
Kerry Gardner’s memorable read from the last year is ‘A history of loneliness‘ by John Boyne: “…stunningly written, it is immediate, shocking and powerful.”
12. Cats or dogs?
Dogs, dogs, dogs. My present one is an excuse for me to write poetry – which she usually appreciates. I’m still working on ‘There’s a little yellow poodle to the north of Katmandoodle’.
There aren’t too many rhymes for ‘poodle’, so I sense it’ll take time to complete.
Cats can be very beautiful, but I could never love a serial killer.
13. Your top three most-visited, favourite websites (excluding social media & BBC News!)?
Can I cheat with a podcast? I do love LBC with James O’Brien (who’s on live 10 am – 1 pm weekdays). There’s always a catch-up online: look for ‘james o’brien the whole show’
*a heavy pause as Kerry searches his memory for another website*
I am just not a creature of the web, I’m afraid to say. It’s so infuriating I tend to find it safer to stay off it. Why is there no common sense on the internet?
I’m going to have to say Amazon, aren’t I?
Sorry.
I’m not proud.
But it IS so convenient – I simply can’t drive across half the county trying different shops to see if they have the thing that I want (usually to be told no, but I can get it online).
You do need to be careful to check the weights though – I’ve ended up with vast sacks of dog food for my poor little poodle more than once. HUGE they were. The weevils moved in before she was halfway through!
14. What’s your most annoying trait?
A rather rude urge to throw a verbal hand-grenade into a conversation when I’m bored with it.
15. Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve ever had?
Oscar night in Tinsel Town.
A truly bizarre day led up to the most other-worldly evening of razzmatazz and over-the-top shows of advertising I’ve ever experienced.
The clothing, the jewels, all hanging on the shapeliest bodies that exercise, the surgeon’s knife, diet and money can produce.
The bonhomie of all those fabled film stars was just jaw-dropping fun – but completely manufactured.
16. What’s your secret superpower?
A sense of the ridiculous. All my best friends have it. Without it conversations can grind on without anything being said for what seems like hours. ‘Pleasantries’ should be a dirty word.
17. Your favourite quote?
‘Try not to dominate, or be dominated’ – Ursula le Guin, American author.
Speaks for itself, really.
18. What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
Cruelty to defenceless children and animals.
19. Chip Shop Chips or Home Baked Cake?
Well. I like both. Obviously. But cake does go on rather, doesn’t it? By the time I’m halfway through I’ve had enough, it just goes on forever. So I’m going to have to choose the chips, please.
Kerry Gardner’s autobiography, Not Another Waltz, is out now – cick the image.
