Join Wayne for a fascinating event to celebrate his explosive new novel Picture You Dead, the latest Roy Grace thriller from the number one bestseller Peter James.
Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, Peter James has won more than 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. In Picture You Dead, readers discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of Peter James’s award-winning detective series, which is now a major ITV programme starring John Simm as Roy Grace.
Harry and Freya, an ordinary couple, dreamed for years of finding something priceless buried among the tat in a car boot sale. It was a dream they knew in their hearts would never come true … until the day it did. They buy a drab portrait for a few pounds for its beautiful frame, planning to cut the painting out. Then, back at home, they realise there seems to be another picture underneath – and it’s a stunning landscape. Could it be a long lost masterpiece from 1770? If so, it could be worth millions. One collector is certain it is genuine. He is someone who uses any method he can to get what he wants and will stop at nothing. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finds himself plunged into the unfamiliar and rarefied world of fine art. Outwardly it appears respectable, gentlemanly, above reproach. But beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand. And Harry and Freya Kipling are about to discover that their dream is turning into their worst nightmare.
‘Sinister and riveting … Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world.’ Lee Child
Tickets for the talk in Sherborne are £5 from Winstone’s or online here. The ticket price is redeemable against the book
All Floyd’s 2022 tour comes to Dorset this month; faithfylly recreating the classic Pink Floyd anthology in the meticulous detail now expected by All Floyd fans. Delivered with stunning visuals and world-class sound system (surround sound in selected theatres) the 2022 tour builds on the successes of previous tours to both astound and impress even the most hardened of tribute act doubters…
‘Number after number turned out immaculately, note-perfect, complete with backing singers and that wonderful, rich throbbing sound that Floyd fans will be familiar with. Messers Mason, Gilmour, Waters, Wright and Barrett would have been proud to hear their music so faithfully rendered. Close your eyes and they could have been in the room. They weren’t, but they could have been.’ This is a show not to miss, a spectacular and honest display of Pink Floyd’s rich musical legacy featuring tracks from Meddle and the iconic Dark Side of the Moon through to The Division Bell.”
Wincanton Sports Ground could close by the end of September, warn the trustees, if no one comes forward. Rachael Rowe reports
The Blackmore Vale is full of brilliant voluntary services that keep things running in the community. If you want to be a volunteer, there are endless options to choose from – you can help to clear footpaths, run sports facilities or operate a food pantry. But what happens when a voluntary role evolves into a full-time unpaid task? What if the volunteers want to do something else with their time? Wincanton Sports Ground is one of several organisations faced with a desperate need for new volunteers and trustees and it so urgent that it risks closure in a few weeks time.
Volunteers needed Wincanton Town Council chairman Howard Ellard also chairs the trustees of Wincanton Sports Ground. He says: ’The sports ground works on a volunteer basis and is governed by a charitable trust (Wincanton Recreational Trust). Like so many local leisure facilities, it is not overseen by the local council. We have four trustees who have been in the post for seven years, and two wish to stand down. ‘The issue is that two of the volunteers have more or less been doing a full time job working at the sports ground. They want to do other things with their time. It sucks the life out of volunteers when they don’t get any support.’ So, what are the consequences of not having any new volunteers or trustees at the sports ground? Howard explains: ‘The trust cannot operate without trustees. Activities at the sports ground will potentially cease at the end of September. ‘Without volunteers, so many essential jobs just would not get done. At the beginning of October, we will not have anyone to do the day-to-day jobs. We have tried to get people to volunteer – but we haven’t got very far. When someone is already doing something (as a volunteer or trustee), people think “Well, I don’t have to then”. We need people to step up; the sports ground is for the benefit of everyone.’
Sport for health Wincanton needs all the sports and leisure facilities it can get. According to data from public health, the adult population in South Somerset has high rates of obesity (60% of adults). Wincanton also has higher rates of high blood pressure and mental ill health than other parts of England. These can all be improved by regular exercise. Sports and leisure facilities are crucial to preventing long-term conditions and ill health. Wincanton Sports Ground is home to the tennis club, Wincanton Town Football Club and Wincanton Rugby Club. Popular local cycling club the Wincanton Wheelers is based at the ground, as is a forest school. Naturally, the clubhouse is also booked out for events. Local people walk through the grounds, and the complex is well-maintained by the volunteers. A spokesperson for Wincanton Town Football Club says: ‘Wincanton Town Football Club has been in existence since 1890, and our men’s first team is currently playing at its best standard of football. We have managed to get help from the public to fund urgent drainage works for the pitch, and it is also our first season entering a ladies’ team into the Somerset Women’s League. Wincanton needs to have its much-loved football teams playing here and we are entirely run by volunteers.’
So many tasks There are various jobs that volunteers or trustees do, ranging from maintaining the grounds to doing the accounts and managing the building. There are also cleaning and serving positions in the main building. All the individual clubs run on their volunteers too. Howard continues: ‘We have done some incredible things in the last two years, but we need people to come forward to replace the volunteers.’ The trustees have already looked at other options. They have met with other organisations that have the potential to take on the management of the sports ground. And they have also considered selling their surplus land, possibly for development. ‘We do have more land than we need,’ says Howard.
Community Asset Volunteering is not only an admirable thing to do, it is rewarding and comes with a host of personal benefits. However, when it takes over your life it can become too much. As a society, we have become dependent on volunteers, and their presence can be taken for granted. The work involved in running a charitable trust is also significant. Volunteers step forward to help society – but they also need support and a break from time to time. If you are considering volunteering, remember that just one hour a month taking on a single task can make a positive difference. If you are interested in volunteering at Wincanton Sports Ground, contact Howard Ellard [email protected].
It’s September – if your garden has survived the summer, there’s still watering needed, planting to begin, and maybe no deadheading this year
As mentioned last month, watering is something everyone is going to need to pay close attention to, particularly if there are lots of potted plants around the garden. See last month’s article for more info and handy tips on this. As September quietens down, it’s a good month to look at ways we can help the wildlife in our gardens.
The log stack Why not try adding a log stack in a sheltered corner. Logs can usually be sourced from tree surgeons, landscapers or firewood dealers. Native tree logs are best, but any will do. They can be piled up any way you wish, but a more concentrated stack has more opportunities for wildlife. Log piles can also benefit from having an old carpet on top of the pile. This will help create warmth and a drier place for insects, frogs, hedgehogs and even birds to live. There are numerous hedgehog ‘hotels’ available to purchase – or you can make your own. Position one under the log pile to provide a safe place for them to hibernate. here are many online videos showing how to do this.
Leave those heads alone The seedheads of teasels, lavender, verbena and rose hips are all particularly good for wildlife. If you can, stop deadheading roses to allow the hips to form, providing food for birds in the winter months. Rosa vanina, moyesii, rugosa, spinosissima, and Madame Gregoire Staechelin (to name a few) all produce very attractive rose hips.
Go wild Leave patches of grass in corners of your garden to ‘go wild’. Try to refrain from using pesticides and wherever possible, control slugs and snails organically,
Bat boxes Bats are in significant decline and they need all the help they can get. There are lots of things a gardener can do to encourage them – planting night-scented flowers and building a pond will encourage the insects they feed on, as will letting your garden go a little wild. Having linear features like hedgerows and tree lines help them too. Domestic cats are the main bat predator in the UK – keeping cats indoors at night, particularly around dawn and dusk when bats are emerging and returning to roost, will help protect them. If you erect a bat box, ensure it is high enough (at least four metres, if you can do so safely). The bat box should be away from artificial lights. See bats.org.uk for lots of advice on supporting bats in your garden.
September jobs
Continue to feed and deadhead hanging baskets if they have survived all that heat!
Prune climbing and rambling roses.
When we get some decent rain and the soil becomes workable, spring bulbs – daffodils, crocus and hyacinths can all be planted now.
If you’ve not managed to take a look at the September issue yet, you might like a shortcut to this year’s 2022 Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show results – we’ve narrowed it down to just the local winners, and grouped them together so hopefully they’re more digestible for you:
Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show results: cattle class winners
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Les Bennett of Slades Hill, Templecome, scored a big success for local cattle farmers, taking the Supreme Dairy Championship with the any other dairy breed champion, Lilylane Magic Hawaii. Les also took the reserve championship with his Holstein championship and Holbuts Cup winner, Ciderhouse Springtime Rochele.
Other local champions and cup winners included the Young Entry Dairy champion and Sandroyd Cup winner, Moonlight Stormy Victorious Nouvelle exhibited by Chloe Peach from Donhead St Andrew, the Young Entry Beef championship and Wilson Shield winner Harry Mitchell from Dorchester, who also took the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Cup. The Mitchell family took the Hereford championship and Lamb Cup with Vexour 1 Phantom.
The Aberdeen Angus championship and Barclays Bank trophy went to Angus Neish of Maiden Bradley. The Longhorn championship went to Matt Horne from Overton near Basingstoke, but the Other Indigenous, Rare and Minority Breeds champion was a local winner, Long Ash Eunite exhibited by Sid Hollier from Dorchester. The Dexter championship went to Cannington Mason exhibited by J and M Bennett of Dulcote.
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Local winners:
Young entry, dairy, and Tucker Cup – Amos Craze Mell exhibited by Abigail Rudd. Moonlight Stormy Victorious Nouvelle, and championship, Chloe Peach, Donhead St Andrew. Young entry, beef, and Sidney Perry Shield – Templeton Lele 2nd, Miles Blakeney, Mere; Championship, Wilson Shield, and Gillingham & Shaftesbury Cup – Harry Mitchell, Dorchester.
Holstein Championship and Holbuts Cup, and cow – Ciderhouse Springtime Rochele, Les Bennett, Templecombe. Group – Brickyard Pumpkin, Charlotte Tuffin, Bagber.
Any other dairy breed Championship, and heifer – Lilylane Magic Hawaii, Les Bennett. Cow – Je t’aime Double L Bijou, Richard Norman, Yeovil. Pair and group – Les Bennett.
Aberdeen Angus Champion, heifer, pair – Angus Neish, Maiden Bradley.
Hereford Champion, heifer, bull and pair – Mitchell family, Dorchester. Calf – Baybridge I Flower 3rd, Les Gould, Shaftesbury.
British Blue Cow – Dingvalley Nightingale, R.F & C.L Spiller, Yeovil; Bull – Dingvalley Pluto, Spiller.
Continental Heifers – Brampton Ruby and Lewyd Silvia, Will Glover, Leigh; Pair and Beef Cattle pairs championship – Brampton Rainbow and Ruby, Glover.
Longhorn Cow – Warns Olive, Alice Glover; bull and pair – Warns Romeo, Alice Glover.
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Other Indigenous, Rare & Minority Breeds Champion, cow – Long Ash Eunite, Sid Hollier, Dorchester; Calf – Lodge Farm Queenie, Andrew Smith, Wincanton; Heifer – Bayford Helen, Smith; Heifer – Long Ash Jelta, Hollier; Bull – Long Ash Gatsby, Hollier; Pair – Long Ash Hazelberry, Hollier.
Dexter Champion, cow or heifer, bull – J & M Bennett, Dulcote; Heifer – Downs view Lexi, Miles Blakeney, Mere; Pair – Blakeney.
Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show results: sheep class winners
The big winnner in the sheep classes was Miss Ali Tory from Blandford St Mary who won the supreme sheep championship and the Arthur Cradock Cup. Ali also took the Hampshire Down championship and the Commercial and Shortwool championship.
Other local successes included Trish Gray from Lower Chicksgrove who won the Fleece championship and the Wool Marketing Board Shield with her Shetland sheep and Tom Newth from Castle Cary who took the Commercial & Shortwool group of three championship and the Sheldon Jones Cup.
Image: Rachael Rowe
Local winners:
Young Handler Championship and John Menlove Shield, and 12 years and under winner – Charlie Coombes; 6 yrs and under – Harriet Griffin, Hazelbury Bryan; 8 yrs and under – Elise Rochford, Wincanton.
Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Ram, ram lamb, ewe lamb, and group of 3 – Alexandria James, Shaftesbury; Ewe – Emma Crosfield, Gillingham.
Hampshire Down Championship and Woolley & Wallis Cup, ram, ewe, ram lamb and ewe lamb – Ali Tory, Blandford St Mary.
Continental sheep Championship and Mole Valley Farmers Cup, ewe, ewe lamb and group of three – Tom Newth, Castle Cary; Ram – Alistair Lyle, Yeovil.
Zwartble Championship and Kathy Watt Cup and ewe lamb – John Case, Lower Odcombe; Group of 3 – Heather Vincent, Gillingham.
Jacob sheep Group of 3 – Liz Butler, Yeovil.
British Native Longwool Championship, ewe – Miss JA Gamblin, Somerton; Ram – Malcolm Hunt, Wincanton.
Black Welsh Mountain Championship and Glebe Heath Shield, ram, ewe, ram lamb and group of 3 – Mrs Rhian Rochford, Wincanton.
Dorset Down Ram – Jenny Wyre, Salisbury.
Shetland sheep Championship and John Maylam trophy, ram, group of 3 – Mr and Mrs David and Carolyn Gill, Chantmarle; Ewe, ewe lamb – Trish Gray, Lower Chicksgrove.
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Greyface Dartmoor championship and Valerie Pratt cup, shearling ram, shearling ewe, group of 3 and Hillside & Hearne Flock Shield – Christine Nugent, Mere; Ram lamb – Mr and Mrs JM & RB Gatrill, Wells; Ewe lamb – Mr and Mrs R & J Baker, Tisbury.
Primitive breeds Ram – Keith Street, Salisbury; Ewe, group of 3 – Caroline Bulmer, Shepton Beauchamp.
Hill, Heath and Mountain Breed Championship, ram, ewe, ram lamb, group of 3 – Geoff Barnett, Bridport.
Downland breeds Ram – Calvin Bent, Shaftesbury; Ram lamb – Paul Dunnings, Fifehead St Quintin.
Fleece classes Shetland – Trish Gray; Down & Fine fleece – Jenny Wyre; Luster fleece – Darren and Sarah Rashley, East Coker. Pair of commercial sheep – Martin Jennings, Pitcombe.
Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show results: equestrian class winners
Local winners:
Local Novice Ridden Hunter and Vaughan Cup – William and Clare Gundry, Sturminster Newton. Small hunter and Dorset Lettings Cup – Brickell Danielle and Emma Fitzgerald, East Chinnock. Leading rein and open unaffiliated leading rein pony – Haffendens Winston and Imogen Groves, Bridport. First ridden – Finnlea Finders Keepers and Rosie Gundry, Sturminster Newton. Small breeds – Sharptor Kingpin and Jess Talbot, Martock. Ridden veteran – Happy Times and Mrs Mouse Berry, Gillingham.
Image: Chris Robinson
Open ridden cob – Poachers Moon and Josefine Board, Stoke sub Hamdon; Racehorse to riding horse – Josefine Board. Racehorse to riding horse, to include small jumps – Salcombe and Georgia Bennet, Frome. Young horse breeding in hand, brood mare, and Dufosee Cup – Carry On Tiffin and Sally Fox, Bournemouth. Young horse breeding in hand, foal, and Wallis Cup, and Young Horse Breeding In Hand Championship – Sir Sidney Ruff Diamond and Sally Fox. Young horse breeding in hand, young horse, yearling, 2 & 3 year old – Baloo and Mrs Lucy Felton, Droop. In hand veteran – Pokeys Lane and Amy Edmeads, Todber.
Image: Derick Pannel
Large breeds, yearling – Popsters Power Ballad and Amy Baynton, Martock. Small breeds, 4 yrs or over – Sharptor blackthorn and Mrs Megan Bullen, Shaftesbury. In hand: Youngstock – Stockford Little Superstar and Andrea Vickery, Dorchester. Coloured – Auzzie Boy and Mrs Teresa Elson, Dorchester. Race to riding horse – In The Tub and Tamsin Reynolds, Shaftesbury. Heavy horses – Donhead Hall Hickory and RJ Hiscock, Donhead St Mary. Agricultural heavy horse turnout – Holbeane Isaac & Res Gestice Valentina and Michael Yorke, West Hatch. Trade heavy horse turnout – Donhead Hall Liberty Bell & Donhead Hall Shenandoah and RJ Hiscock.
When the cattle market and the creamery closed at Stur, locals found a new way to keep the town on the map.
image Courtenay Hitchcock
Sturminster Newton was once home to one of Europe’s largest cattle markets, until, in the late 1990s, the market site was sold for redevelopment. The closure of the cattle market ended a 700 year old tradition and was quickly followed by the closure of the Creamery, makers of the award-winning Sturminster Cheddar and other cheeses. A public meeting was held at which the town decided that an event to celebrate cheese was one way to keep Sturminster Newton on the map. In 1999, the first Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival was held –four days long and a whole-town event. Attractions ranged from a tour of the Creamery to a tea-dance in the old Sturminster Hall. Three scout marquees on the recreation ground hosted local food producers and crafters – and there was even an evening fashion show.
image Courtenay Hitchcock
The best of the West Fast forward to 2022 and the festival is still going strong. It is now held for two days over a weekend with rather larger marquees and it takes over the whole recreation ground, off Ricketts Lane. This year’s festival will feature 21 cheese producers and 47 artisan food and drink producers, showcasing the best that the West Country has to offer. Naturally there will be a huge variety of cheeses and you can sample them with an array of chutneys, bread, biscuits … and of course follow up with some sweet treats of jam, cake or chocolate. Perhaps you might like to finish off with some locally distilled gin or vodka – or maybe wine from a Dorset vineyard? The craft tent will be home to jewellery, portraits, photography, home scents, wood turning and more. Outside there will be other stands, including plants and garden furniture as well as craft demonstrations. And don’t forget the local charities and other organisations which are represented too. Add to the mix some children’s entertainment (including free Punch & Judy shows and entertainment from Strawberry Jam), live music, the Real Ale and Cider Tent and an array of outside caterers to choose from – of course, including cheese toasties! There is something for everyone … And you never know who you might see – the founder of the world’s largest greenfield festival has been spotted at the Cheese Festival in the past.
Image Courtenay Hitchcock
Millennium of milling If you fancy a short stroll, then perhaps take a break to wander down to the town’s historic 16th century mill, which is still operational – milling began on the Stour at Stur in 1016. It made international news during the first pandemic lockdown, when its wheels ground into action for a short time to produce flour commercially, rather than just for its visitors. Once you’ve had a quiet look around the mill, head back to the Festival for some liquid refreshment – or maybe an ice cream – before one last round-up of the food marquee.
Image Courtenay Hitchcock
Find out more at www.cheesefestival.co.uk and buy your tickets online. Earlybird tickets purchased before 10th September are £7 (£8 on the gate). Children under 15 go free. (Free parking is available in the field adjacent to the site). You can also keep up with all the Cheese Festival news on Facebook and Instagram.
Local family brewer Hall & Woodhouse will be running the main bar at this year’s Dorset County Show – and has pledged to donate all profits from the event to charity. This will be Hall & Woodhouse’s first time at the county show, and all profits will be split between the show’s chosen charities, The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and The Farmer’s Crisis Network (FCN) Dorset.
The Badger Beer Volkswagen will be offering free samples of Badger
The Badger Beer Volkswagen will also make an appearance at the show, offering free samples of Badger, as well as selling some bottled Badger and branded merchandise. There will also be free ‘Badger beer and cheese’ tasting sessions, hosted by Mark Woodhouse, Hall & Woodhouse’s family director. These will run at 1pm on Saturday 3rd and 12pm Sunday 4th, and encourage visitors to try new ways of enjoying everyone’s favourite food with Badger beer. Anthony Woodhouse, chairman of Hall & Woodhouse, said: ‘This event celebrates the best of local agriculture, farmers, and producers. As a Dorset business, it is so important that we give back to our community. ‘We are excited to be part of this year’s Dorset County Show and spend time with the visitors who are just as passionate as us about supporting our farmers and local producers.” Nicki Ralph, chair of Dorchester Agricultural Society, added: ‘We are thrilled to receive Hall & Woodhouse’s support for our chosen charities. We’re delighted the Dorset County Show is back with all the major attractions the show is known and loved for, such as cattle and livestock, sheep shearing, vintage tractors, show jumping, shopping, and plenty of food and drink. There’s live music, the fun fair, a local artisan’s tent, the Fabulous Food and Farming zone – it’s ideal family entertainment’ The show is on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September at Dorchester Showground, Cokers Frome, 8.30am- 6pm both days. Tickets £23pp, under 16s free.
Boris Johnson’s levelling-up agenda comes to rural Dorset, bringing ‘lightning fast’ broadband and other benefits. Fanny Charles reports
A £6 million contract signed with North Dorset-based Wessex Internet will bring the government’s new Project Gigabit to 7,000 rural properties across the district over the next three years. Forget super-fast or even ultra-fast broadband – the £5 billion Project Gigabit aims to bring the fastest and most reliable internet connections to hard-to-reach rural areas, to enable families and businesses to take full advantage of technological advances in the coming decades. For North Dorset, the contract with Wessex Internet will result in vastly improved connectivity for businesses and individuals outside the market towns and larger villages. The first home will be connected by the end of 2022, with an expected completion date for all by 2025.
Wessex Internet was started by James Gibson-Fleming, now chairman and founding director. Initially it was a response to the problems of business people and individuals in the Iwerne valley who were struggling to get reliable broadband. Since then, the company has expanded to serve communities in Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, and has provided fast broadband to most built-up areas of North Dorset. But it is very expensive to reach people in the remoter, scattered settlements and farms, and this is where the support funding from Project Gigabit comes in. It’s not just ‘lightning fast’ broadband, as Boris Johnson called it, when he came to North Dorset to sign the project’s first major contract, on one of his last prime ministerial visits. It will also have far-reaching benefits for local business and the community, providing employment opportunities and improved skills for local people. Hector Gibson-Fleming, chief executive of Wessex Internet, is justifiably excited about the contract and what it means for the area: ‘We care about our community and we are really proud as a business to be part of this.’ he says. ‘It will not only bring unlimited speed broadband to the hardest-to-reach areas, it will also create employment opportunities for businesses and is good news all round for the prosperity of the area.’
It’s not just good internet Wessex Internet currently employs 150 people, and the new contract will see that figure rise by around 100 over the next 18 months, says Hector, who urges local people to look at recruitment prospects offering skilled jobs across the company. These employment benefits will spread across the district, as the improved connectivity allows entrepreneurs, farmers and businesses to expand into old farm buildings and other potential workplaces. The new businesses will mean more and better employment and training for local people. ‘There will be opportunities for people to have high-skilled jobs in North Dorset,’ says Hector. ‘We are really proud of the difference we are making to our community.’ The government press release, announcing the visit by Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, says: ‘Gigabit broadband can provide speeds of more than 1,000 megabits per second, more than 30 times faster than copper-based superfast broadband, which is currently available to 97 per cent of UK premises. While superfast is fast enough for most people’s needs today, gigabit-capable connections will provide the speeds and reliability Britain needs for decades into the future.’ For more information on ‘proudly local and independent’ Wessex Internet, visit wessexinternet.com
The first full one-day show for the new G&S team was deemed a roaring success, report Laura Hitchcock and Rachael Rowe
It was a relief for everyone – organisers, volunteers, traders and visitors – to see such an enormous crowd back at the Turnpike Showground for the first proper one-day Gillingham & Shaftesbury agricultural show since 2019. The 2021 show had been planned through COVID lockdowns, and restrictions were only lifted the week before the show itself. It was, by necessity, a very different show from normal, held over two days.
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
This year’s heatwave was a serious problem, causing last-minute changes as the hard ground threatened the safety of polo ponies and showjumpers. And then, in a swift change of fortunes, the rain became the problem instead, as the day before the show was washed out with torrential downpours and thunderstorms. But on the day, the weather gods were kind: the forecast thunderstorms never materialised, and in the end there couldn’t have been a more perfect setting. Right from the start, there was a vibrant buzz on the showground. Wherever you looked, there was something to see or an old friend to greet.
While the livestock and pristine rows of tractors and farm machinery signal it is very much still an agricultural show, there’s something about the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show that is a lot more. It’s the sense of community and passion for the countryside that make it an unmissable event in North Dorset’s August calendar.
Image: Derrick Pannell
It’s the people
The G&S Show spans the generations, from a weather-beaten man giving a terse nod to a neighbour to an excited child leading a calf into the main ring for the first time. Small children in long white coats carefully led sheep around a ring, appearing overawed by the crowds and the rosettes. Others trotted ponies through their paces in the rings or helped parents feed animals.
Children (and adults) sat captivated by Signature, the Dorset and Wiltshire signing choir, who kicked off events in the music area with modern songs ‘sung’ in sign language.
Over in the marquees, perfectly-shaped vegetables competed alongside glorious dahlias in a riot of colours as inspirational flower arrangements filled the horticultural tent.
Image: Chris Robinson
Fresh eggs sat on plates, this year unaccompanied by their feathered producers, thanks to Avian Flu. The new Wool Village was busy with sheep being shorn by experts and the public learning about the value of British wool.
Steam to ferrets
There was laughter and curiosity at the ferret racing, where spectators were constantly warned about the perils of picking up an animal. The furry creatures raced down drainpipes – it’s tails out first, not the nose, that wins.
The speed at which the Shetland Pony Performance Display team hurtled around the main ring was quite a spectacle but highly entertaining.
The Terrier Racing was unmissable, with some spectators not there for the dogs so much as for Bill Galpin’s commentary.
Image: Chris Robinson
There seemed to be someone working continuously on the steam engines, polishing and making sure the paintwork was gleaming. But what joy when they all rumbled into the main ring for a circuit or two.
The Grand Parade
The relaxed atmosphere of the day was juxtaposed at times with the strictest formality. Bowler hats in the judging ring, elegantly dressed ladies driving carriages, and pristine white-coated families leading cattle in the main ring. Some things at the G&S Show have remained the same for years. The big news this year was that the Grand Parade made an important and oh-so-welcome reappearance, after a 15 year absence.
It was eyes to the sky when the Lightning Bolts Army Parachute Display team landed in the middle of the show – the Dorset crowd feeling special pride as they learned the jump master is from Gillingham.
So. Much. Food
It’s at places like the G&S Show that you realise just how much food is produced within the Blackmore Vale. The Gritchie Brewing Company Bar was popular, and there was a lot of interest in tasting the gin distillers’ botanicals. There were long queues at the hog roasts and ice cream stalls, selections from so many choices at the fudge stand, and the delicious aroma of curry. You could make a picnic from tasty salami, a mountain of regional cheeses, plus local bread and cakes.
Image: Derrick Pannell
The great thing about the G&S Show is that you never know who you might meet as you make your way round. You may bump into old friends and colleagues while for generations of farming families it’s a chance to get together.
For the first timer, there’s that affirmation that you’ll be marking the third Wednesday in August in the diary for next year’s show.
And the year after …
The BV produced the first ever official G&S Show magazine this year – crammed full of fascinating insider peeks into what goes on behind the show, and extraordinarily serious *cough* in-depth interviews with some of the organisers. If you’ve not read it yet, you can do so here!
