Andromeda (M31)

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21 May 2021

Meeting Rob Nolan – Your New Guide To The Stars:

A semi professional photographer for 6 years, my passion for landscape photography lead me to shooting commercial events and weddings. During lockdown when the beautiful Dorset coastline was no longer accessible I decided to combine my two life-long interests; Photography and Astronomy. We enjoy some very dark skies in Dorset, and I’m fortunate to live with very little light pollution, so whilst we couldn’t step out more than a mile from our homes, I was travelling millions of miles across the universe from my very own garden!

Astronomy and Astrophotography are hobbies that can be technically challenging, frustrating and tiring; but the rewards whenyou see a planet for the first time, or a nebula in stunning clarity, make it all worthwhile.
It does help to have a very understanding wife too!
I really look forward to sharing my images with you all and hope that my results and experiences encourage others to take a few moments to step outside and look up to explore the wonders of our universe.

Rob

This Month’s Image: Andromeda (M31)

As we say goodbye to our nearest neighbour until the Autumn as it drops low to the horizon, and we enter the so called ‘galaxy season’, it seemed fitting that my first image should be of a galaxy, and I’ve picked one of the most recognised.

The Andromeda galaxy is the closest big galaxy to our Milky Way. At 2.5 million light-years, it’s the most distant thing you can see with the eye alone. This image, taken in February over 2 nights, demonstrates what can be captured with an equatorial tracking mount, a telephoto lens or wide field telescope and a standard DSLR camera. The image was captured using 2 minute and 60 second exposures at ISO 1600. I also use specialist post-processing software and a process technique called stacking to combine all the all the images together which brings out the detail within the galaxy.

The Night Sky, May 2021: what you can see this month:

After sunset, once the sky is dark enough, look towards the South and see if you can spot the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the Herdsman. The red giant star Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation it is also the fourth-brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere. to the left of Boötes is a semi-circle of stars this is the tiny constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown. The brightest star in this constellation is Alphecca and is known as the jewel of the crown. Look to the left of the crown and you’ll spot the constellation of Hercules, the Strong Man.
The sprawling constellation of Hercules is high in the east, and the brightest globular cluster in the northern hemisphere, M13 (the ‘Hercules Globular Cluster’ a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules), is visible to the naked eye on the western side of the asterism known as the Keystone.
The Keystone is formed by four bright stars in the constellation Hercules: Pi, Eta, Zeta and Epsilon Herculis. The trapezoid-shaped pattern makes it easy to identify the constellation; on a clear night, the Keystone can be seen between the bright Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, and the stars of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. The asterism represents Hercules’ torso.
On the 14th May look towards the West just after sunset and
you should see the waxing crescent Moon and the planets Mercury and Venus, with both planets lying low above the Western horizon. If you’re a fan of the red planet, it will be visible too; just wait for the sky to get a bit darker and search for the constellation of Gemini. Mars’ distinctive red colour will make it easy to spot amongst the stars in the constellation.
The May full moon (26th May) is known as the Flower Moon – because of all the flowers that
bloom during this month in the Northern Hemisphere. This month’s full moon will also be a supermoon, so we can also refer to this month’s full moon as the Super Flower Moon. The Moon’s physical size won’t change, but because it will be at its closest to the Earth, it can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter, hence a Supermoon, so it is well worth a look.

By: Rob Nolan RPN Photography

Know Your Rights of Way?

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Editorial team

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21 May 2021

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After what felt like a long winter, spring has finally sprung.

As the ground dries out, walkers, cyclists and horse riders are enjoying the various rights of way throughout the countryside.
Though many adhere to the Countryside Code, sadly, there are always a few who do not. Only last week, a client caught horse riders cantering through his fields in complete disregard to both the public bridleway and to his crop.
The Countryside Code was recently updated – the new version published on 1 April.

Some key changes included:

Advice for people to ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’ as well as ‘enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory’
Not to feed livestock, horses or wild animals
The need to stay on marked footpaths, even if they are muddy, to protect crops and wildlife
Where one party enters another’s land unlawfully (veering off the right of way) they are trespassing.

The question is how can landowners and users help each other to eliminate this issue?

Users need to be aware of your surroundings when using footpaths, bridleways, etc. Look for signs, carry a map or use an OS map app to make sure you are not straying off the correct path.
Where possible, landowners should put signs on gates or posts, helping the user follow the correct route. The use of fencing to separate the right of access removes any ambiguity but is not always practical or possible.

Landowners should inform the trespasser that they have strayed from the public right of way and point them back towards it. If a user ignores the landlords requests or is regularly found off the public right of way, then the landowner could take action for damages. Keeping a record (photos) of all trespassing incidents will help support such a claim.
Landowners have a duty to those using their land, pursuant to the Occupiers Liability Act, whether it is on a public right of way or not. Farmland is a place of business, with many hazards and therefore for the user’s safety it is imperative they do not stray from the designated paths.

If you need further advice on Agricultural matters or have any questions, then please contact Sarah Dunlop at Blanchards Bailey for more information.

Voice of the Books | May 2021

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Editorial team

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20 May 2021

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In the quiet Cotswolds village of Great Rollright in 1944, a thin, and unusually elegant, housewife emerged from her cottage to go on her usual bike ride.
A devoted mother-of-three, attentive wife and friendly neighbour, Sonya Burton seemed to epitomise rural British domesticity. However, rather than pedalling towards the shops with her ration book, Sonya was heading for the Oxfordshire countryside to gather scientific secrets from a nuclear physicist. Secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the atomic bomb.

Far from an obedient homemaker, Sonya Burton was a dedicated communist, a decorated colonel and a veteran spy who risked her life to keep the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race. Her husband was also
a Soviet agent and her children had three different fathers from lovers she’d encountered throughout her incredible career. In Agent Sonya, Ben Macintyre reveals the astonishing story behind the most important woman spy in history and the huge emotional cost that came with being a mother, a wife, and a secret agent
at once.
In November 1930, the 22-year-old Ursula Hamburger was visited at her Shanghai home by a good-looking man with a strong German accent, and three fingers missing from his left hand. Here was the stuff of spy movies and Ursula was delighted at the sudden drama.

Ursula Kuczynski Burton was a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent. Codenamed ‘Agent Sonya’, her story has never been told – until now.
Born to a German Jewish family, as Ursula grew, so did the Nazis’ power. As a fanatical opponent of the fascism that ravaged her homeland, Ursula was drawn to communism as a young woman, motivated by the promise of a fair and peaceful society.
From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria, to preventing nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow, Ursula conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century.

In Agent Sonya, Britain’s most acclaimed historian Ben Macintyre delivers an exhilarating tale that’s as fast-paced as any fiction. It is the incredible story of one spy’s life, a life that would alter the course of history.

‘Macintyre does true-life espionage better than anyone else’ – John Preston
‘Macintyre has found a real-life heroine worthy of his gifts as John le Carre’s nonfiction counterpart’ – New York Times
‘This book is classic Ben Macintyre…quirky human details enliven every page’ – Spectator

JOHNSON, Pamela

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Editorial team

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20 May 2021

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Pamela Johnson

Our much loved mother Pamela Johnson of Sturminster Newton passed away peacefully on Thursday 13 May 2021

The Quickest & Easiest of Quiche Recipes

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Editorial team

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19 May 2021

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The weather has warmed up, the cherry blossom is on the trees and Spring is definitely here. With an abundance of bank holidays and a lift in restrictions to allow meeting loved ones outside, May lends itself to picnics in the gorgeous Dorset countryside.

I have put together this delicious quiche recipe that is simple to make and can be made ahead of time. My mum used to make this for me when I was growing up and it is equally as delicious warm straight from the oven as it is cold as part of a picnic.

If you want to add some local ingredients to your quiche, then I recommend getting hold of some Black Cow Cheddar. It will add some amazing depth to the flavour and is wonderfully creamy. You can also add any seasonal veg that you find in your local farm shop or you have grown in your garden!

I have also teamed up with fellow Blackmore Vale columnist Andrew Livingston to use his farm’s beautiful white chicken eggs in my recipe, from their Dekalb White chickens. You can find out more about these beautiful white eggs in his article on page…

Ingredients

1 pack ready rolled puff pastry* 125g strong cheddar
100ml double cream
handful of cherry tomatoes some asparagus spears

pinch of salt and black pepper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 fan/gas 5.
Line an 8” square baking tin with baking paper.

Unroll the pastry and carefully place into the baking tin, allowing the extra to fold up the sides of the tin.

In a jug, mix together well the cream, eggs, salt and pepper. You can use garlic salt here if you wish and add more black pepper if you want to.

Grate the cheese onto the base of the pastry case. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the pastry, along with the asparagus spears.

Eggs courtesy of Andrew Livingston’s Hens – Image Heather Brown

Gently pour over the cream and egg mixture. You can egg wash the pastry if you want to but you don’t need to.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top goes golden brown and middle jiggles when you shake the tin gently (the edges should be firm).

Eat straight from the oven with fresh green salad or leave to cool and then slice as you wish.

*You can make your own pastry here if you would like – I recommend using Delia Smith’s Flaky pastry recipe. Just roll out to about half a centimetre thick, before adding to the tin.

By: Heather Brown

A sneak peek into St Mary’s Shaftesbury as it transforms into Centre of Excellence for Dorset with £10m SEND School

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Laura

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18 May 2021

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It’s the sense of calm that is most striking at St Mary’s Shaftesbury. The dinner bell is silent and poignant displays of artwork lie abandoned by pupils and staff who always expected to return to their much loved school. An old newspaper dated 4 March 2020 gives a sense of time stood still.

An old newspaper from March 2020 feels like a mark of time standing still.

But behind the scenes there’s a new energy at St Marys as the campus undergoes an ambitious transformation into a school and centre of excellence for children with special needs.

st marys Centre of Excellence for Dorset with £10m SEND School — St Mary’s School in Shaftesbury is set to be a Centre of Excellence for Dorset with £10m SEND School

“It’s not every day you have the opportunity to buy a purpose built school,” says Dorset Council’s Director of Education Vick Verma as I’m shown round the buildings. A cloakroom is set to become a sensory area and classrooms will on average have around ten pupils at a time. Some areas like the catering department will require minimal change. Dorset Council spent £10m to acquire the buildings and grounds and have allocated a further £5 million to adapt the campus. So why did the council spend so much money?

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Many children with special needs are unable to access the support they require to develop and are placed in schools outside Dorset. Each out of county place costs £60,000 on average but placements within Dorset are a third of that cost, making it more economical in the long term. A third of the children currently needing a SEND place live within a 45 minute drive of Shaftesbury.

st mary's school pupil artwork — pupil artwork still adorns the walls of St Mary’s classrooms.

However, Dorset Council’s plans go far beyond money. Councillor Andrew Parry explained: “We are a bold council, and St Mary’s is a very good example of how we have demonstrated that mantra. This is a fabulous place for children to learn and to gain skills to transition in to adulthood. I want families to have confidence and for young people to go on and thrive.”

A sneak peek into St Mary’s Shaftesbury

Phase one will see 60 children access the facilities from January 2022 as day pupils. Residential places will follow along with professional teaching and training for staff so the school develops a reputation as a centre of excellence. Vocational training in subjects like agriculture will be available to prepare young people for the workplace. There are places for 280 pupils when the school runs at full capacity. Existing head teachers are working in partnership with the project as St Mary’s will be one of the wider family of SEND schools in Dorset. An interim head teacher will take charge for the first year as it is vital to find the person with the best fit for the substantive role. Appointing an interim team and working in partnership on recruitment will also help avoid a brain drain from other local areas. A charity will be established to support some aspects of the school.

“There’s real warmth within these walls,” says Theresa Levy, Director of Children’s Services at Dorset Council. It was a much respected school where generations studied and has a glittering alumni of former pupils. It’s that warmth, energy and positivity that stays with me at the end of the visit. St Mary’s means a lot to people in the area but it is the new chapter in its history that is probably its most exciting. It is an opportunity for some of Dorset’s most vulnerable young people to learn and thrive and ultimately shape the future of special needs education -and inspire all of us as the alumni of the future.

by Rachael Rowe – http://rachaelrowe.com/

It’s Eggism

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Editorial team

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17 May 2021

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When I began writing for The Blackmore Vale, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t talk about chickens every month – I have enough abuse from my friends if I dare mention my passion for the two-legged critters. This month’s issue, I was planning to use as therapy and share with you all the tale with the alpaca that still keeps me up at night in cold sweats. Fortunately, there is a more pressing matter.

I feel as though I need to use my voice on this digital platform to begin to make a change and to save myself from having to march down the streets of Shaftesbury handing out flyers calling for equality!

“Inequality in the egg industry?” I hear you ask. Unbelievably – yes – it’s true.

Within our shed we have a mix of both brown and white birds, which both lay eggs in their respective colours. Other than the colour of the shell, the two are identical. However, when it comes to selling on the farm gate, the pristine white eggs are shunned for their brown counterpart, even when sold 80 pence cheaper per dozen.

Image by Heather Brown https://www.heather-brown.com/

Thankfully this hasn’t always been the case. The golden age for our white feathered friends was during the Second World War and the following few decades. Unfortunately, during the 70s, public perception began to change and people started to believe that brown eggs were healthier as they resembled brown bread rather than white processed loaves. Today, only 0.5% of the market is made up of white eggs.

It may seem trivial to complain about people’s preference on the colour of their egg, but in a few years brown eggs may be rarer than hen’s teeth on the supermarket shelves if the UK government bans the process of ‘beak trimming’.

Currently, most chicks at a day old will have the sharp tip of their beaks trimmed by an infra-red beam to protect one another from pecking and other aggressive behaviours. ‘Debeaking’, as it is also known, is a controversial topic for many and is accompanied by the constant talk of prohibiting the practice.

The supermarket shelves with a ban introduced may look a lot different; firstly, the price per dozen of your eggs will go up as farmers look to house fewer birds in their sheds to protect them from each other; secondly, the brown birds may be ostracised for white breeds as they are more docile toward one another.

It seems that the brown bird and all its many colours on their plumage cause offence for one another and can lead to aggressive tendencies, whereas the white hens are calmer and behave more passively.

Personally, I would continue to trim the beaks of the birds till the public are willing to buy white again, as the damage that a full beak can do to one another is worrying, as birds will always display their natural behaviours and look to create a pecking order (pun slightly intended).

If the poultry industry looks how I expect it will do in ten years, then I suggest you start getting used to the white eggs. If you pass our farm on your travels I suggest you pick up some of both our eggs to sample and complete your own taste tests at home. Have an omelette in the name of science and see if you can notice a difference.

I, on the other hand, am going to head out into the Spring fields and canvass our Aberdeen Angus cows and calves for next months edition so I hopefully don’t have to talk about Pepper the alpaca!

By: Andrew Livingston

COOPER, Malcolm

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Editorial team

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17 May 2021

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Malcolm Cooper

Aged 79 who sadly passed away at home on the 10th May 2021.

He loved his Camping holidays and his dogs. And was a keen photographer. He will be sadly missed.

Private funeral has already taken place.

Donations to Macmillan Cancer Support

LAWRENCE, James

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Editorial team

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16 May 2021

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James Lawrence

Known affectionately as ‘Jimbo’, died peacefully on the 8th May

He will be missed greatly for his ability to ‘live in the moment’ and gentle humanity.

A private cremation will be held. Any donations to the South West Air Ambulance Please.