Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls are celebrating superb and well-deserved A level results. Sherborne School leavers look to start their degree courses, which range from Veterinary Science, Medicine, Mathematics and Engineering to English, History and Theology. Sherborne Girls will be taking up a range of courses including Aerospace Engineering, Law, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Liberal Arts, Medicine, Graphic Design, Economics and Finance, International Relations and Neuroscience. Pupils from the two schools will be studying at top UK universities including Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group and prestigious overseas universities including Hong Kong University, as well as universities in Norway, Estonia, Spain, Paris and New York. At Sherborne School, 28 per cent of Upper Sixth boys were graded A, 60 per cent A-A and 83 per cent A-B. Given the additional challenges that they had to endure throughout their Sixth Form careers as a result of the pandemic, these achievements are all the more impressive and a special mention is made by the school of Denys, a Ukrainian HMC scholar, who achieved AAAA despite coping with the dreadful events unfolding in his homeland. Headmaster Dr Dominic Luckett said: ‘We could not be more proud of them all, not simply because of their stellar academic and co-curricular achievements but for the superb young men that they are’. Sherborne Girls are celebrating a record 26 per cent at A grade. Sherborne Girls’ Head, Dr Ruth Sullivan, said: ‘I would like to congratulate our outgoing Upper Sixth who have been a privilege to work with during their time at Sherborne Girls. They have shown a level of maturity, good humour, focus and stoicism beyond their years, while continuing to be caring, compassionate and supportive of one another. I have never failed to be impressed by their approach to learning and life. ‘I, along with all the staff at Sherborne Girls, wish them every success as they embark on the next stage of their journeys.’
Just as the A level cohort had to contend with the added pressures, constraints and frustrations of the pandemic, so this year’s GCSE candidates were required to work towards their examinations against the background of considerable disruption and uncertainty. Despite that, they have done magnificently well – 22 per cent of their GCSEs were awarded the top grade of 9; 48% grades 9 and 8; and 67% 9 to 7 (equivalent to the old A*/A grades). On an individual level, 18 boys achieved ten or more grades 9-7. Among them is Bertie T, who secured an exceptional 12 Grade 9s, a feat emulated by only a dozen or so pupils across the country. Hot on his heels were Max S with ten Grade 9s and two 8s, and Hector K with ten 9s and one 8. Just as impressive were all those boys whose grades demonstrated the power of hard work, commitment and self-belief. Headmaster Dr Dominic Luckett commented: ‘I am tremendously impressed by these results. They have shown great determination, resilience and ambition and their grades are a fitting reward. It is also worth noting that many of the boys have extremely busy co-curricular programmes and have successfully combined their sport, music, art, drama and outdoor activities with the highest levels of academic attainment. Great credit also goes to their teachers and the other staff who nurtured and supported them through some very challenging times. I am very grateful to them all. Equally, I am delighted that pupils at our sister school, Sherborne Girls, have achieved similarly excellent results. Congratulations to them all – I want the boys to know how proud of them we are.’
In her open-minded new biography, Dorset journalist Lorraine Gibson unearths fascinating insights into the complex character of Robert Baden-Powell
Baden-Powell blowing his African Koodoo horn to wake the Brownsea boys (Scouts Heritage)
founder of the Boy Scouts. However, the astoundingly eccentric Robert Baden-Powell was a brilliant military strategist and hero of the Second Boer War, yet later became a pacifist who angered Mussolini and ended up on Hitler’s death list. A conflicted character, he was a macho man who was obsessed with Peter Pan (he saw the play five times) and who was happy to don a frock and entertain troops as a drag artist. He was an elitist man of privilege, but one who gave the poorest children opportunities to discover the great outdoors. It started with a statue After delving deep into the world of Boy Scouts and their famous founder, journalist Lorraine Gibson, who lives near Brownsea Island, became intrigued by the island’s role in the birth of the Scouting movement. She was hooked. In the pandemic of 2020, she reported on a fight between Scouts and anti-slavery protesters, hell-bent on throwing Baden-Powell’s statue off Poole Quay. Now, 90,000 mainly lockdown-written words later, her first book, Robert Baden-Powell: A Biography, is published. It’s available from 16th September.
She explains: ‘The more I researched, the more I discovered the dichotomy between his “two lives”, as Baden-Powell called them. His difficult childhood really drew me in – a domineering and unaffectionate mother whom he loved even though she forced him into the army at 19, dashing his dreams of becoming an artist. ‘My book considers a recently discovered telegraph that adds fuel to speculation over his relationship with a fellow soldier that endured for 30 years, until, at the age of 55, he secretly married a 22-year-old woman.’ She adds: ‘This is not so much a warts-and-all tale, but a what-caused-the-warts tale. I leave the reader to make up their mind.” Researching in the pandemic had many restrictions, but thanks to modern technology Lorraine was able to interview Baden-Powell’s granddaughter, who is still in the scouts in her 80s, and his grandson, as well as his great grandson, who lives in Nova Scotia.
Baden-Powell in gauntlets and high British boots taken by David Taylor in Mafeking 1900. Image: Australian War Memorial.
She said: ‘I was blown away by the support I got for my fresh take on the man. I got access to his diaries and school records and when lockdown lifted I had the rare opportunity of seeing archived scouting material curated on Brownsea Island.’ And how was writing her first book? ‘The spare room became my writing turret. My computer was on at 4am and sometimes I would sneak there during the night when an idea came to mind. I was paranoid about losing my work so had back-ups on all manner of devices. ‘The wall was covered in hundreds of Post-It notes and a timeline. My husband and two daughters were very patient. ‘I’d be watching YouTube videos about Baden-Powell while I was cooking, and suddenly rush off to write something. ‘There were a few almost-burnt suppers that year!”
Baden-Powell as a clown (far right) in 13th Hussars’ panto at Lucknow 1877
Potentially there are more charred offerings in store for her family: Lorraine is already embarking on another book. She revealed exclusively to The BV: ‘I’m moving from a man in shorts to a man in rhinestone catsuits! I’m a huge Elvis fan and so was my dad. The title of my next book is Elvis: The King of Fashion. What Elvis wore is so culturally relevant. Ask someone how they imagine Elvis and you can almost guess their age. White suit and capes – the Las Vegas 70s. Black leather in the 60s era and drainpipe jeans in the 50s. I’m really hoping to get to Memphis next year to do some real-life research.’
Lorraine Gibson turned her spare room into her writing turret
Robert Baden-Powell: A Biography is priced at £25 and will be available from 16th September. ISBN: 9781399009300 Pen & Sword History
King Arthur’s School is thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of some of its students in their GCSE examinations and vocational qualifications. Moving on to study A Levels at Yeovil College, Eleanor Bowman was excited to receive 10 GCSEs, achieving one Grade 9, a Distinction, three Grade 8s and five Grade 7s. Additionally, She managed to find time to complete and achieve a Level 3 Free Standing Additional Maths qualification. Eleanor is looking forward to enhancing her Level 3 learning by taking maths, chemistry and English at college. Ben Morris succeeded in achieving a Distinction, one Grade 8, four Grade 7s, two Grade 6s, two Merit 2s and a grade B (Level 3) in his Free Standing Additional Maths. Ben leaves King Arthur’s to study A levels in maths, physics and English Language at The Gryphon School Sixth Form. Also choosing a mixture of sciences, maths and English at A level, Katie Bolan is taking up her A level study at Yeovil College. She was thrilled to achieve two Grade 8s, four Grade 7s and four Grade 6s.
Next steps With such wide-ranging opportunities of further study available to young people, the King Arthurs’ team are proud that 16 per cent of their students will take up apprenticeships locally. Harry Cropper moves on to an apprenticeship at Thales Engineering, a prestigious apprenticeship programme.Harvey Lane secured his land-based apprenticeship through Wiltshire College and University at the start of his KS4 studies. Two students are moving to the newer T Level vocational courses, with the remaining 80 per cent of Year 11 moving to studies at college or sixth form. Students have been confident in choosing courses out of county, as well as at local institutions. They reported how pleased and proud they were, with many wanting to pass on their gratitude to teachers and staff at the school. It was a wonderful opportunity for the school to celebrate success. ‘We are extremely proud of all the hard work and awesome achievements of our students.’ said Headteacher Jen Jacklin. ‘After what has been a disrupted and difficult time, our students have risen to the challenge and demonstrated resilience and commitment to their success. As a school, we congratulate each and every student for their individual success and send our very best wishes for their future studies. ‘The improvement since the last set of formal exams in 2019 is both significant and exciting, and demonstrates what a rapidly improving school King Arthur’s is. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support students to ensure they could achieve and take their next steps. As always, we will be thrilled to hear what our students achieve in the future and look forward to them joining our school alumni so we can stay in touch.’
‘J’adore le Cheddar! Et les flapjacks aussi!’ Madame Maryline Lecampion’s eyes twinkled as she described the food she had tasted at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival. She was part of a delegation from the French town of Montebourg, twinned with Sturminster Newton. Today the team were promoting Camembert, Normandy’s best-known cheese – and taking every opportunity to try food from the other stands. ‘We have been coming here for ten years now, and it is superb.’
image: Pengelly Media
Crowds of people swarmed into the two huge tents lined with stalls. The team from Buckshaw Blewe have been making cheese for five or six years from their sheep’s milk. The blue cheese was delicious and attracted attention. Lyburn Cheese from near Salisbury had an incredibly strong (and delicious) Old Winchester Extra Mature. White Lake Cheese, a Somerset producer, had an excellent range from Driftwood to the interestingly shaped Tor. Some cheese vendors found it hard to keep up with the demand for samples as people made their way around, tasting new cheeses and seeing a few old favourites.
image: Pengelly Media
Some cheese producers had been busy in lockdown, creating new varieties of cheese. Book and Bucket displayed their entire range, but a new one, Wilde, is seasonal. “It’s a cow’s milk cheese with locally foraged wild garlic from Cranborne Chase.” Feltham’s Farm from Templecombe had two newish kinds of cheese. La Fresca Margarita was created in lockdown and is a queso fresco, while the newest cheese, Gert Lush, is a creamy cross between a Camembert and a Saint Marcellin. Wherever you looked, there was the inspiration for a cheeseboard, from Bath Soft Cheese to a Smoke N’ Jack from Padstow Cheese. People were buying the cheese and tasting; some returned for a favourite and others were influenced by a sample that hit the spot.
image: Pengelly Media
And the smell. We’re not just talking ripe cheeses here, but the warm, heartening smell of a cheese toastie from Westcombe Cheddar luring people to its stall and the scent of freshly picked apples from Elwell Fruit Farm. Annie and Will from Sparkenhoe Farm in Leicestershire brought some of their finest cheeses made from their cows and attracted attention from impressed Dorset buyers. If you buy Leicester cheese from a supermarket, you should taste their Sparkenhoe Red Leicester- there’s no comparison. “It’s one of the best shows we attend,” said Annie.
image: Pengelly Media
You could interact with producers, find out how they make their cheeses and get a few recommendations and inspiration. There were a series of interesting talks by makers too. But, of course, cheese needs an accompaniment, and the festival had so much choice here as well. There were charcuterie stalls and sellers with savoury biscuits, cider, and gin (so many different varieties of gin on sale and being tasted!).
image: Pengelly Media
But the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival has so much more than cheese, and showed how integral it is to the community of Sturminster Newton. There were bird boxes galore from Men in Sheds and a fundraising tombola from Vale Pantry. And so many beautiful crafts, from the man patiently weaving a basket to ornate glass decorations and vibrant knitted hats. There were fairground rides for children and entertainment shows. The organising committee seemed to have thought of everything.
image: Pengelly Media
People gathered and sat on hay bales to watch violin and guitar band Ribble entertaining with uplifting music. Families sat chatting, catching up with friends or sampling one of the many food offerings, from Greek souvlaki to Italian pizza. The sun shone on a beautiful autumnal festival, giving people an opportunity to eat outside and enjoy the atmosphere. They came to find inspiration for regional food and some of the tastiest award-winning cheeses in the Westcountry and beyond. Although this year’s cheese festival coincided with a sad and poignant time for the country, the organisers had decided that the event would continue, and the atmosphere was one of life going on.
Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival | image: Pengelly Media
A former Rector of Lydlinch was obsessed with hunting – but his first quarry was an unfortunate old woman, says Roger Guttridge
The Rev William Chafin
You won’t find a country clergyman like him today, which is probably just as well, for the Rev William Chafin was far too outrageous for the modern era. The one-time Rector of Lydlinch was obsessed with hunting and has been called the ‘epitome of the sporting parson of 18th century England’. He was also a renowned eccentric who always dressed in ‘old boots and greasy leather breeches and refused to change even when dining with the Prince of Wales’.
No excessive tenderness William’s character owed much to his unusual upbringing. Born in 1733, he was the 11th and last child of George and Elizabeth Chafin, wealthy owners of Chettle House (now a grade one listed building on Cranborne Chase). Sadly, only three of William’s ten siblings had survived infancy, a record that their father put down to the excessive tenderness bestowed upon them. Determined to improve William’s chances, George had the newborn immediately baptised, then removed from his mother to be wet-nursed by the estate shepherd’s wife. William himself later recalled: ‘I remained in this cottage under the care of the good inhabitants until I was nearly five, without once sleeping in my father’s house. ‘As soon as I could crawl, I was carried by the shepherd to his sheepfold every morning, even in the very depth of winter.’ William was known for his robust constitution, and he put this too down to his upbringing. He was still riding to hounds at 80 and only suffered a decline in health after being struck by lightning while sitting at a window in 1817. Even then he survived another year, eventually dying in 1818 aged 85.
Lydlinch’s Old Rectory today Image: Roger Guttridge
From fleas to elephants Chafin is also famous for his book Anecdotes and History of Cranborne Chase, first published in the year of his death and which reflects his hunting obsession. According to his contemporary, Sir Archie MacSarcann, William hunted ‘everything from the flea in the blanket to the elephant in the forest’ … ‘But his chief sport was afforded by foxes, hares, rabbits and owls,’ said Sir Archie. Chafin’s biggest fan was the novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, who sent some handwritten notes about him to Lord Montagu, which survive in a copy of Anecdotes in the library at Beaulieu. Sir Walter reveals that William’s ‘first commencement as a sportsman [was] rather inauspicious – he shot an old woman [and then] left his game where it dropped without staying to bag it.’
When a servant at Chettle House announced that a woman called Goody had been shot dead, ‘there was a confession in the boy’s looks which made his father exclaim: “There sits the rascal that killed her.”’ What the coroner’s inquest decided is unknown but Sir Walter reports that the boy’s father confined him to a garret for a month on a diet of bread and water. The young William whiled away his time by trapping hungry sparrows using bits of his bread as bait. In a separate letter to Lord Montagu, Sir Walter describes how the young Chafin also ‘shot an old cat’, for which offence he served three months in the garret on bread and water, this time amusing himself by hunting rats.
Deer hunters on Cranborne Chase in the 18th century
Owl hunting It’s not clear when Chafin became Rector of Lydlinch but he was certainly in post by 1769 and probably continued until 1776, when he inherited the Chettle estate following the death of his brother, another George. Diarist Stephen Terry wrote that the entire Chettle household got sucked into Chafin’s hunting, apart from the butler, who ‘superintended the garden’. Terry added: ‘The old cook supervised the cuisine in the kennel as well as in the kitchen, and got the footman up in good time to do his part in the house before he was booted and spurred for the chase,’ For rabbit-hunting, Chafin maintained a pack of miniature beagles, each a mere 12 to 14 inches high, which he carried in panniers on his horse. For owl-hunting, his parishioners were the first pack, flushing out a distressed bird on a sunny day and pursuing it until it sought refuge in a bush, at which point the beagles would be released. Chafin’s inheritance included the manors of Lydlinch, Folke and North Eggardon. Tradition has it that he sold Eggardon Hill near Bridport to his friend Isaac Gulliver, Dorset’s leading smuggler, who planted fast-growing trees on the summit as a marker for contraband ships approaching the coast.
L-R: Ellen (Head Girl), Grace, Peter, Lauren, Hollie
The Blandford School is delighted to report record-breaking results for year 13 students, who have smashed all previous records.As well as achieving the highest ever number of A* – A grades and A*- B grades, ALL students passed all their examinations. With high grades in abundance across the year group, the following are the students whose results particularly stand out:
Lauren Mooney (AADist) Mollie Joyce (DistDistDist) Jay Spackman (DistDistDist) Zoe Risborough (AAA) Joshua Sterck (AAA) Ethan Cain (AAA) James Corrie (AAA) Oliver Long (AAA) Toby Knight (AAA) Ellen Fale (AA Dist) Finan Barker (AAB) Joe Opalka (AAB) Seb Flavell (AAB) Lewis Revell (A*AB) Joseph Catling (AAB) Daniel Hill (AAB) Daniel Scott (AAB)
Joe, Oli and Josh
Every year students embark on an exceptionally wide variety of destinations, and this year is no exception. Both Zoe Risborough and Joseph Catling will be studying Veterinary Science (a highly competitive field), Zoe at Bristol and Joseph is heading to Keele. Cambridge is the destination for Ethan Cain who will be reading Philosophy at Magdalene College – congratulations to Ethan for securing a place at Oxbridge. Luke Morgan will be heading north to study Archaeology at Durham. Our former Head Boy, Jamie Hall, will be taking up a course at the prestigious Guildford School of Acting, considered a world-class drama school. In a similar vein, Molly Carter has an offer to study Musical Theatre at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts, and Lauren Mooney will be pursuing her dream to study acting at the Oxford School of Drama. In contrast, Tom Fuller has been accepted to study Environmental Geoscience at the University of Exeter; a great example of a cutting-edge course at a Russell Group University. Toby Knight leaves us to commence a degree apprenticeship with UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company. There is also genuine pride that Paige Bryant has the choice of either safeguarding the education of the next generation by commencing a degree in Primary and Early Years education at Sussex or pursuing a degree apprenticeship in the police force.
Stephen, Patrick and Bruce
GCSEs Sally Wilson also congratulated the Year 11s and their GCSE results: ‘This is the first set of national examination results for three years, so we are super proud of Year 11, who have performed exceptionally well; we also believe their results will look strong in comparison with national averages. The students’ commitment, focus and resilience dealing with the demands of COVID, with some challenging individual circumstances plus remote learning and periods of isolation, as well as the new rigour of public examination courses, deserves a huge amount of praise. I lead a strong staff team and they are thrilled at these outcomes, extending their congratulations to the whole year group. ‘And we send a very special well done to the Class of 2022 highfliers who are listed below. We are so pleased for them. But every single one of our students has their own personal and special achievements. We look forward to welcoming most of them back to our sixth form in September, and wish those leaving us all the very best as they head towards college courses and apprenticeships.’
Isabelle and Fin
TBS Highfliers: Elowen Harley (seven Grade 9s, two Grade 8s) Toby Bemand (seven Grade 9s, one Grade 8, one Grade 7) Allegra James (seven Grade 9s, one Grade 8, one Grade 7) Harry Knightbridge (six Grade 9s, three Grade 8s) Evie Biggs (six Grade 9s, two Grade 7s, one Grade 6) Charlie Jenkinson (five Grade 9s, three Grade 8s, one Grade 6) Jaidee Payne (four Grade 9s, three Grade 8s, two Grade 7s) Prajwalshwar Yakha (four Grade 9s, one Grade 8, two Grade 7s) Jack Sully (three Grade 9s, two Grade 8s, three Grade 7s, one Grade 6) Tahiya Payne (two Grade 9s, six Grade 8s, one Grade 7) Thomas Sullivan (two Grade 9s, five Grade 8s, two Grade 7s) Laila Hall (two Grade 9s, three Grade 8s, three Grade 7s, one Grade 6) Joseph Powney (two Grade 9s, three Grade 8s, three Grade 7s, one Grade 6) Alexander Catling (two Grade 9s, two Grade 8s, two Grade 7s, two Grade 5s) John Cairns (two Grade 9s, one Grade 8, one Grade 7, two Grade 6, one Grade 5) Archie Sterck (two Grade 9s, two Grade 7s, two Grade 6s, two Grade 5s, one Grade 4)
7.5 hours/week (0.2WTE) £15/hour gross Office base at The Nadder Centre, Tisbury
We are looking for a well-organised person with some financial experience and very good attention to detail to support our PCN Manager in administering the PCN’s funds. The role is part-time, we expect one day/week, to be worked flexibly by mutual agreement. It would be possible for some of the work to be done remotely.
The role will include:
Paying invoices and reimbursing other expenditure as authorised by the PCN Manager and/or Clinical Director
Maintaining records of all receipts, expenditure, and distributions to Practices, suitable for submission to PCN accountants at year end
Liaising effectively and in a timely way with the PCN lead finance Practice to enable payments and record- keeping
Supporting the PCN Manager in producing an annual Budget, and annual PCN Accounts
Producing regular reports (e.g., for monthly PCN meeting) and budget comparisons as requested
Supporting the PCN Manager (deputising in their absence) in making claims for reimbursement to ICS / NHSE, and in submitting required information
In particular, keeping up to date financial information on all our “Additional Roles” staff to support monthly claims
Answering ad hoc queries as requested The successful candidate will:
Have financial management experience in a private or public sector organisation, including electronic payments, basic book-keeping, and monitoring spend against budgets
Pay very good attention to detail
Be competent using and writing simple to medium complexity spreadsheets for financial calculations
Be trustworthy and reliable
Be able to work independently within delegated authority, knowing when to ask for formal approval for payments Desirable attributes:
AAT or similar financial qualification
Experience of using and setting up a financial accounting package
For further information or to apply with a CV, please contact PCN Manager [email protected]
Fox’s Close now stands on the site of the Fox Inn, once run by a Mr Fox. Roger Guttridge joins the dots in this month’s Then & Now
It’s hard to believe that this is the same location 120 years apart, although the name of this little L-shaped street of bungalows provides a clue. Fox’s Close at Holwell takes its name from the Fox Inn that once stood on the site, and indeed from a Walter Fox, who was the landlord in the early 20th century. As you drive through Holwell today, it’s also hard to believe that this modest Blackmore Vale village once had two pubs to serve its 417 inhabitants. That was one pub too many for some villagers, though, and after the death of a previous landlady in 1883, they campaigned for the Fox’s closure. The stated reason was that a village of Holwell’s size didn’t need two hostelries – which is a fair point, although I’m guessing that the temperance movement may also have had something to do with it.
Men only The campaign against the evils of drink was in full swing in the late 19th century. In those pre-Suffragette days, women did not get a say in such matters, of course; even though they probably suffered more than anyone due to their husbands’ drinking. So it fell to Holwell’s men to sign a petition calling for the Fox Inn’s closure – 67 of them signed, 19 of whom were only able to do so with a cross. The campaign obviously failed, as Walter Fox was still pulling pints at the Fox 20 years later, and it’s known that the pub was still in business in 1915! According to a recent posting by Richard Rolls on the Lost Pubs Project website, the thatched pub was destroyed in a fire in 1961 along with the house next door, which was his great-grandmother’s home. Presumably that’s when the Fox’s Close bungalows were built. Richard also posted a picture of Holwell Working Men’s Club members outside the Fox, which suggests it was once their regular meeting place.
