Among the 35 awards from the local family brewery were 18 Dorset charities and community groups who will receive vital funds
(from L-R) Wine writer Jane Parkinson, Sadie Wilkins, Craig Durham (Managing Director Buckingham Schenk), Hannah Wilkins and Lucy Britner, Drinks Retailing editor
The Drinks Retailing Awards were held last month at London’s Dorchester Hotel. Vineyards fought off strong competition from fellow finalists The Good Wine Shop and Reserve Wines, but won the coveted accolade after impressing judges with their product range, customer service, and community engagement. The rigorous judging process is known as the toughest on the awards circuit, and it included a mystery visit and an interview with head judge Nigel Huddleston. Vineyards, owned by Hannah Wilkins and her wife Sadie, offers an extensive wine portfolio and a personalised service, and they have worked hard to make their new premises a real community hub, where locals regularly enjoy tasting evenings and workshops. Hannah says: ‘It feels absolutely surreal that our little wine shop in rural Dorset has been recognised at such a level. I started Vineyards in 2005, when I was just 24. I’ve been in the trade 25 years, and I can honestly say that this is a career high. I love great wine, I want everyone to enjoy quality wine, I’m passionate about being independent – and to get this award in 2023, all these years later, with such fantastic national competitors, reassures me that we’re obviously doing something right. I’m not sure when it’s going to start to sink in!’
Monthly updates from the various North Dorset police teams. This month’s news comes from Sturminster Newton Town and North Dorset Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team
There are simple things we can all do in the perennial battle against scammers and opportunistic garden thieves, says PCSO Mandy Robinson
Be aware that scams are always changing – but there are still some old ones going around, and they are all after the same thing – your money! Please be on your guard. We have received reports recently of scam calls from the 01258 dialling code – do remember this does not necessarily mean that it is a local caller. Scammers can spoof the area code to encourage you to answer. Our general rule of thumb is that if you don’t know who is calling then don’t pick up! You can protect yourself and your elderly or vulnerable relatives from becoming victims of scam callers by contacting the call provider and asking about call guardian or call blocker. You can also purchase phones with an integrated call blocker with answering service included at a reasonable cost. Hang up on fraudsters and NEVER give out personal or bank details.
One day’s neighbourhood patrol: Stour Provost, Stour Row, Fifehead Magdalen, Marnhull, West Stour, Kington Magna, Fifehead St Quintin, Woolland, Stoke Wake, Park Gate and Hazelbury Bryan – ending with a beautiful winter sunset!
Crime prevention Imagine going to your garden shed or outbuilding, finding it has been broken into and your garden tools and petrol mower have been stolen. There are some simple steps you can take to protect your property: Ensure that high-value power tools and equipment are tagged with a security marker. Do also photograph them and make a note of serial numbers – a simple job with a smart phone. Secure valuable items to a strong anchor point using security cables/chains and robust padlocks – if you have nowhere else to store valuable equipment other than your shed, consider fitting a shed alarm, reinforce the hinges as well as locks and fit metal grills over the windows. Check your insurance cover too – does it include the contents of your shed/outbuilding? Protect vulnerable areas of your garden by growing prickly plants, like berberis or pyracantha, close to boundary walls, fences and oil tanks.
Primary school traffic The team has been in contact with the head of a local primary school after reports of vehicles speeding and parking in an unsocial manner during school drop-offs and pick-ups. During school run times, traffic can be hectic around all schools. If you drive to pick up your child, please be aware of your surroundings, drive slowly and park safely, with consideration.
This month, expert Hannah Wilkins is looking straight at you Rioja-lovers – and tackling the popular misconceptions that surround the iconic wine
Spain’s famous La Rioja region
This year, I firmly believe, will be a big year for Spanish wine. Both reds and whites are simply going to shine. Why? The wines from Spain are so versatile and they partner beautifully with food, so they are a great choice for get-togethers, but are equally enjoyable in front of the TV with a handful of nibbles. Most people have tried a Rioja or two, but despite the fame and quality of wines from this iconic region, there are still so many common misconceptions. The first is that it is a designated wine-producing region in Northern Spain not a grape variety. Up second in the not-true race is the idea that Riojas are only red. Sometimes a customer will look at us in a strange way when they ask for a Rioja and we clarify whether they are looking for a red or white; white Rioja exists, and it brings a lot of flavour to the white wine drinking party. The final most popular misconception we encounter, although there are certainly more, is that all Rioja is bursting with oak ageing notes of vanilla and winter spice – true, many do, but as with any wine, the winemaking techniques applied after harvest really do vary – and therefore so does the wine! What’s rather cool about Rioja wine ageing is that there is a specific classification system, unique to this style of wine. It ranges from no oak ageing for ‘Joven’ Riojas to Gran Reservas that require a minimum of five years (with at least two in barrels and two in a bottle). Why is this great? Because it means there’s lots to explore beyond the grape variety! But there’s so much more to Spain than this one iconic region – as delicious as it may be!
Let them drink grapes It’s perhaps best to take the approach of trying grapes over regions. So, let’s start with whites; there are so many native and borrowed grape varieties used in Spain, but the main ones are Viura, Malvasia, Verdejo, Airen (Spain’s most widely planted grape of any colour), Albarino, Godello, Chardonnay etc., which all bring a difference to the wine. For example, Albarinos are grown mostly in the Rias Baixas region in the Northwest, close to the Atlantic, so they take on a saltier/saline character – great with fish and seafood dishes or Greek salads that need something refreshing to cut through. When it comes to red grapes, you have your indigenous grapes like Bobal, Garnacha (you may know it as Grenache), Mazuelo, Carinena (also known as Carignan), Mencia, Monastrell (sometimes Mourvedre or Mataro), Tempranillo etc. Depending on the grape chosen, the mouthfeel and weight in the glass can vary considerably. Bobal for example gives you a fuller style with lots of jammy fruit, whereas a Monastrell gives you a hedgerow fruit character with subtle spices. As ever, there are many factors that contribute to a wine; the climate, the terroir, the aspect; the winemaking, the ever-changing conditions and decisions made by the winery – it’s what makes it exciting. We’ve got some cracking examples of Spanish wine at Vineyards right now – pop in and we’ll help you start exploring. Cheers! Hannah
In February more than a hundred children from seven local schools – Thornford, St Andrew’s Yetminster, Sherborne Primary, Sherborne Abbey Primary, Buckland Newton, All Saints, and Trent Young’s – competed in the Sherborne area cross-country competition. Hosted by The Gryphon School, high school student sport leaders supported the primary pupils and ensured the highly competitive event ran smoothly.
Sherborne Abbey teamSherborne Primary boysBuckland Newton pupils
The results were: Girls Team: 1st: Sherborne Abbey Primary 2nd: Joint – Thornford Primary and All Saints Primary 3rd: Buckland Newton Primary Girls Individual: 1st: Phoebe (Sherborne Abbey) 2nd: Lydia (Trent Young’s) 3rd: Tilly (Sherborne Primary) Boys Team: 1st: Sherborne Primary 2nd: Trent Young’s 3rd: Thornford Primary Boys Individual: 1st: Lenny (Thornford) 2nd: Archie (Buckland Newton) 3rd: William (Sherborne Primary) Neela Brooking, Headteacher of Thornford Primary School, who organised the event said ‘Congratulations to all the children who took part and a big thank you to The Gryphon PE department and the student helpers for supporting the event. The children are already looking forward to the next competition!’
When the pests attack your cherished plants, it’s hard not to feel that it’s a personal vendetta, says flower farmer Charlotte Tombs
Pog, the menace of the garden. Image: Laura Hitchcock
It feels as though there is always something out to get you when you enjoy growing flowers or vegetables. And I find it very hard not to take it personally. Cats, as much as we love them, seem to be a very common culprits in so many gardens; they will insist on seeing a freshly-cleared, newly-mulched flower bed as one giant litter tray. I’ll admit it does niggle me slightly, especially as we dog owners are held accountable for what their pooches produce when out and about and we as a matter of course clear up after them. If you do suffer from unwanted feline deposits, rose cuttings are your best secret weapon. Place them over your beds and it will hopefully help as a deterrent – holly leaves work well too. The prickles method may also deter squirrels from digging up your bulbs in pots; if they’ve sabotaged your pots before, just put the sharp cuttings on top of the pots. It’s not a great thing of beauty but it will save your bulbs being raided, and is only temporary.
Rattus norvegicus Recently my tulips have been under attack by rats. This is my first big crop of the year – I grow very different tulips from the ones that you can buy in the supermarkets. I choose varieties for their scent (yes, some tulips smell amazing), some for colour and some varieties can reach almost two foot tall, with heads larger than a can of coke. A vase of these is quite a statement! Anyway, the rats have eaten at least a couple of hundred. I asked on the Flowers From The Farm Facebook members page if other growers had experienced the same problem and how they deal with it. Apparently the answer is dried chillies. Rats hate chillies! (this did ring bells for me – I remember reading somewhere that you should put chilli flakes in with your chicken food. Chickens can’t taste them) So, off I went to my local Asian supermarket and bought a large bag of red-hot dried chillis. I’ve sprinkled them all over my tulip beds and it does seem to have stopped the attacks for the time being. Fingers crossed. I have also read that mint tea bags make a good spray deterrent: brew a whole box, allow it to cool and put it in a spray bottle. Then just spray the area you want to protect. I haven’t tried this method yet but it’s worth a thought when I’m desperate.
Shutterstock
Greenfly These can be taken care of with a washing up liquid solution in a spray bottle, as the little bugs don’t like the sticky soap residue. Alternatively encourage ladybird larvae, they can eat up to 5,000 aphids in their life time! Other well-known natural remedies include used coffee grounds, baked crushed egg shell or sharp sand placed round plants that are prone to slug attacks. Saucers of beer can help also in your plants survival, and don’t forget that once most plants are big enough, they tend to be OK.
More attackers My plants also suffer from deer attacks – they love roses! High fencing solves this problem but can be unsightly. Rabbits are an ongoing issue; they always seem to find a way in and I’m forever trying to find how they did it. One year pigeons ate all my hesperis (sweet rocket) – it’s part of the mustard family which includes broccoli and cabbages, so I learned my lesson and now cover it until the plants are big enough.
Charlotte offers workshops throughout the year – please see northcombe.co.uk for further details.
It’s March, spring is in the air, and Caz Richards of Dorset Food & Drink is thinking about mums, chocolate … and leeks.
With a nod to the daffodil-loving William Wordsworth, the delights of a Dorset spring are on their way, with clumps of voluptuous daffodils and pretty primmies adorning the banks, gardens, and hedgerows. As the days get warmer, the scribble of winter trees take on a lush verdant hue as leaves and foliage start to pop into bud. It’s a feast for the eyes, but we’re all about making sure your taste buds are ready for a new crop of seasonal products and ingredients to enjoy! From spring lamb and purple sprouting broccoli to leeks, beetroot, rhubarb, and tasty spring greens. Oysters, mussels, scallops, lobster and Haddock our producers, farmers, growers, and local fishing fleet won’t let you down. Buy it fresh If meat is up your street and you want yours produced sustainably and in harmony with nature, then the Jurassic Coast Farm Shop has some great offers and can deliver to your doorstep. Ditto The Dorset Meat Company who offer a combination of unbeatable grass-fed beef and lamb, outdoor-reared pork, and free-range chicken. If fish or shellfish is your dish, however, buy direct from your fishmonger. They have the best knowledge and produce and will even tell you where it came from, how it was caught, and which boat landed it! If you’re worried about the preparation, you can always ask your fishmonger to do it for you.
Saints, pies, mothers and chocolate With quite a few national days popping up in March, there are plenty of ways to use all that seasonal goodness, and with the Easter bunny fast approaching, there are even more sweet treats to look forward to. Dorset vittles are a must at any time of the year, so if you’re planning to dine out, this little list might help you decide where. If you celebrate St.David’s Day on the 1st of March try this vegetarian leek, pesto, and squash pie. Sticking with the pie theme, it’s British Pie Week on the 7th -13th March, and we’ve got a few tasty recipe ideas for you. And don’t forget to make Mothers’ day on the 19th of March with these Dorset gift ideas!
A record-breaking winter freeze ruined the spring greens, says Barry Cuff – but the stores are well-stocked and new veg is growing
Normally we have a good supply of brassicas to last us through February and March. Not so this year – we are only left with Brussels sprout (Brendan), and a few purple sprouting broccoli (Cardinal). All our spring cauliflowers (Medallion), spring savoy cabbage (Vertus) – and most of the purple sprouting broccoli – plants were lost to the severe frosts in December. In more than 30 years I do not recall this happening before. It appears there were big losses right across England, from Dorset to Lancashire. One local Dorset commercial grower even lost cabbages and cauliflowers growing in his polytunnel. I believe in our case it was because the plants were exceptionally lush and almost certainly had some Boron deficiency. However, our Palace parsnips taste even better now thanks to those same frosts during the three winter months, and we do still have a good supply of leeks – many of these are being used in soups! We still have a good selection of vegetables in our freezers and cold store, too. It is wonderful to be able to eat our own produce through the winter months. Our potatoes, squashes and onions kept well in the frost-free shed. Only the two large butternut squashes didn’t survive, whereas Crown Prince, Sweet Dumpling and Honey Boat look as good as they did when they were harvested in early September. With much dry weather through February, all the potato ground has been dug, incorporating the horse manure which had been spread in December.
The broad beans are being planted out. Image: Barry Cuff
A new season We have treated ourselves to three new strawberry varieties, 12 plants of each. These have been planted into a new bed. Our garlic put on a little growth during the month and has been fed with liquid seaweed. The first of the new year’s vegetables were planted out from trays on the 21st, about 60 plants in total. There is a double row of broad beans, two varieties – Witkiem Manita and Masterpiece Green Longpod. In the greenhouse, we have sown Little Gem Lettuce, Golden Acre cabbage and Red Drumhead cabbage. On our bedroom windowsill the peppers sown in January are looking well and have their first set of true leaves. During March we shall be sowing our onions, tomatoes and a second batch of lettuce.
A new season We have treated ourselves to three new strawberry varieties, 12 plants of each. These have been planted into a new bed. Our garlic put on a little growth during the month and has been fed with liquid seaweed. The first of the new year’s vegetables were planted out from trays on the 21st, about 60 plants in total. There is a double row of broad beans, two varieties – Witkiem Manita and Masterpiece Green Longpod. In the greenhouse, we have sown Little Gem Lettuce, Golden Acre cabbage and Red Drumhead cabbage. On our bedroom windowsill the peppers sown in January are looking well and have their first set of true leaves. During March we shall be sowing our onions, tomatoes and a second batch of lettuce.
The out of doors section is sponsored by Thorngrove Garden Centre
Shift Pattern: Night and days available, 12 hour shifts, 7-7 Location: Marnhull
Team Brain Injury Support is one of the very few homecare providers working across the country who specialise in supporting children and adults with a brain injury and other neurological conditions. We are proud to say that our dedicated team members support people in their own homes to live their best quality of life and assist them in better accessing their community.
We are also committed to the continuing development of all our staff, so we can empower them to lead fulfilling careers in care.
Key Responsibilities
If you are resilient, reliable, empathetic and looking for a role that truly makes a difference to someone else’s life then we want to hear from you.
Support Workers cover all manners of support for others – from companionship and days out, to personal care and housekeeping. At Team Brain Injury Support, you’ll be working with someone living with complex care needs and receive fully paid, on the job training. So, whether you’re an experienced support worker or completely new to the sector, you’ll have the opportunity to build your skills in a safe and trusted environment.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Requirements: Female only, medical care
We are looking for dedicated personable support workers who are based in the Marnhull area.
You will be supporting a teenage lad who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy resulting in profound muscle weakness, overnight ventilation and gastrostomy fed. Your role is to meet their medical needs, personal care and day to day assistance.
Full training given prior to and starting your new role.
You’ll need to be:
Caring and approachable attitude
Patient and welcoming
Helpful and reliable
Benefits
Access to Westfield Rewards – an exclusive rewards website, with access to special offers on all your favourite goods and services from over 1,000 leading online and high street retailers, restaurants , travel companies and destinations
Access to the Blue Light Card discount scheme
Opportunity to obtain NVQ’s in Health and Social Care
Fully paid on the job training, with shadowing in place
Fully paid DBS
Progression opportunities within the organisation
Pension enrolment
Access to Westfield Health Cash Plan
24/7 management support
A great Refer a Friend scheme – receive up to £500 through our Care Friends rewards scheme when you refer a friend or family member.
About Team Brain Injury
Based in Southampton, Team Brain Injury was developed from a division of our sister company, Team Medical, to become our own company in 2007.
Since 2007 we have grown to a 20 person strong team in the office, including in-house training, recruitment, nurse lead assessments and care planning, and a robust 24/7 out of hours on-call service.
With over 150 Support workers across the south of England and southern Wales, we provide support to service users with varying degrees of Acquired Brain Injury.
Providing the necessary care and support to our service users is a demanding role, this is why we focus on the ongoing training and development of our support workers, ensuring our service users receive the level of support only high calibre staff can provide.
The Dartford warbler may be an elusive Dorset resident, but they’re not as rare as some believe, says conservation officer Hamish Murray
The Dartford warbler is a small, dark bird with a fine bill and a long tail that is often cocked (shutterstock)
One of the pleasures of a walk across the Dorset heathland is hearing the hurried chatter of a Dartford warbler, usually coming from the depths of a gorse bush. Dartfords also have a churring alarm call, which to my ears sounds rather like a soft sneeze. Although most vocal in the spring, Dartford warblers can be heard singing sporadically throughout the year. Most warblers are migratory birds but Dartfords are resolutely sedentary, rarely moving more than a few miles from their native heath. They generally manage to survive the British winter on a diet consisting largely of spiders and small insects. However, Dartford warblers are susceptible if there are prolonged spells of cold weather and the population can be significantly reduced by a severe winter. Dartford warblers are more often heard than seen, but given a reasonable view they are fairly easy birds to identify. The overall impression is of a small, dark bird with a fine bill and a long tail that is often cocked. Closer views will reveal the subtle grey and vinous tones of the plumage and the red eye-ring. The males tend to be more colourful than the females and have distinctive white spots on the throat. In Britain, Dartford warblers are more or less confined to the heaths of southern England but, in the right habitat, they are certainly not as rare as some books suggest. Just typical! Seeing a Dartford warbler is still largely a matter of luck, however. I remember leading a guided walk for a birdwatching group a few years ago, with the main target of seeing a Dartford warbler. We trudged round most of the best-known habitats in Purbeck, and had not a sight or sound of our elusive quarry. Eventually I had to admit defeat – I apologised and bade farewell to the group as they all piled back onto their coach. Naturally, just as they disappeared down the road, I heard a familiar sound behind me and turned to see a wonderful view of a male Dartford warbler, singing its heart out on top of a nearby gorse bush!
