The first day of May once again brought a new May Queen to the village of Ansty, near Tisbury, this year.
10yr old Ansty resident Alice Morgan is crowned the May Queen by Master of Ceremonies Mark Lloyd, beside the traditionally decorated Maypole.
Due to the recent easing of Covid restrictions, the village was able to reinstate its long-standing annual tradition and crown its May Queen on the 1st May after being unable to do so last year.
10 year old Alice Morgan, who lives in the village, was crowned last Saturday by Mark Lloyd, the Master of Ceremonies, who remained socially distanced throughout, at the Maypole in the centre of the village.
Ansty and its Maypole date back approximately 1000 years, and its May Day celebrations are reputed to go back to Pagan times to mark the coming of Spring.
The long-standing tradition aims to ensures fertility for the forthcoming year. The Arundells of Wardour are believed to have erected a May Pole from Wardour Wood, using it as a meeting place for the tenants of the estate to bring their children on 1st of May.
Alice Morgan is crowned the May Queen by Master of Ceremonies Mark Lloyd,
Except for a period between 1644 and 1660, when the Puritans had the May Pole removed, this gathering has continued every year since – until, of course, COVID stopped the May Day celebrations in 2020.
In 1982 the 98ft high pole, reputed to be the highest in England, was put up. It was blown down in a gale in the winter of 1993, and the replacement currently standing is ‘only’ 50 foot tall.
Although there could be no villagers present, and the maypole dancing seen in previous years could not proceed in current restrictions, Alice had her brother George in attendance – himself a previous May King – along with her parents. In the absence of the Morris Men, Alice’s parents lifted her as part of the traditional celebrations.
It is hoped that the traditional May Day celebrations will resume in full next year.
They were put up as a temporary safety measure in August 2019, but it looks like the orange railings eyesore surrounding Sturminster Newton Town Bridge could stay in place for as long as another year.
The proposed engineering project to protect the crucial A357 and restore the river banks to their former glory is proving to be a massive undertaking. The slope between Sturminster Newton Town Mill and the town bridge has been shifting for many years. The footway has been repeatedly patched and repaired, but by 2019 the movement had become too great and it was decided that a more permanent solution was required to protect the highway.
A temporary solution using gabions to make the footway useable failed when it started to move before the temporary works were completed. This was exacerbated by the high river levels last winter.
Jill Barry, Engineer at Dorset Council Highways explains: “This is a major project, and whilst I appreciate that it may look as if no progress has been made since August 2019 because no work has taken place on site, feasibility work on the permanent solution has been underway since then. There has been a lot of information gathering and activity taking place behind the scenes towards designing the permanent embankment remediation.
“This is quite a complicated failure, and the engineering solution required will involve major works and permissions from other agencies, so it’s important that all the work being done now, which forms the basis of the project, is completed. I appreciate that to the outside world it appears that nothing has been done for a year, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth.”
Dorset Council Councillor, Carole Jones, a Sturminster Newton resident who looks out onto the ugly protective barriers, has been pushing for them to be changed to something more in keeping with the beautiful Grade 1 listed bridge.
She says: “A local firm did offer to erect timber fencing along the stretch but that’s not possible because of slippage. If there was a way of having something other than those awful plastic railings, we would leap for joy. I know how unhappy residents and local businesses are about the look of them.”
Jill Crouch explains: “Due to the small but continuous movement of the footway and the post holes, it’s not been possible to erect an all-timber fence, as it would need to be repaired on a very regular basis, whilst also possibly being a hazard. Other options would probably look worse and would require more maintenance. I have asked if the orange barriers could be changed for some of the newer blue ones as they would be less visually intrusive.”
Temporary Solution – image Carole Jones
It would seem the only other option at present is for these different coloured plastic barriers to be erected. Jill Crouch: “As a highway authority the safety of the travelling public is our primary consideration and aesthetics are very secondary.”
Councillor Jones adds: “The unsightly barriers are a pain but I don’t think people fully appreciate just what is involved in getting this restoration work done. I’m in constant touch with the Council about this – there’s about thirty people working on the project, which involves the Environment Agency, the Pitt Rivers estate and the Highways division. We will also need an external engineering company to work in partnership with the council.”
There’s the added complication that restoration work cannot be carried out when fish are spawning or when water levels are high in order to not impact on the river.
Highways told the digital Blackmore Vale they are currently gathering together all the information about the slope ahead of getting the permissions necessary for a full ground investigation which will be the first sign to local people that work is taking place.
They’re also in the process of drawing up a programme of works and, when complete, consultation with the Town Council will begin. The project is likely to cost in the region of £400,000.
Chair of Sturminster Newton Town Council, Councillor Charles Fraser said: “The feeling from the public at our last town council meeting was very much that our community are now resigned to the fact that these barriers are here to stay for much longer than originally intended.”
Philippa Davis is private chef and food writer. She works all around the world cooking for a range of international clients including celebrities, royalty and entrepreneurs.
She grew up on her family’s smallholding in north Dorset where they reared their own meat, grew their own fruit and veg and even had a go at wine making.
Chef Philippa Davis | Image: Hugh MacNish Porter
At 18 with a desire to pursue a chef career she moved to London and worked at Lidgates the butchers, the Michelin starred The River Café and Moro restaurants before setting up and running the Mudchute Kitchen in London’s Docklands.
In 2011, keen to explore more of the world’s food cultures and flavours, she became a private chef. Since then she has cooked all around the world for an exciting range of clients. Philippa also writes for BBCfood, The Deepest Book series, The Field magazine, Dorset Magazine and House & Garden. She also helped set up Liberty Kitchen, a BBC Food and Farming award winning street food project based in Pentonville prison that aims to help reduce reoffending rates.
The Random 19
1. What’s your relationship with the Blackmore Vale (the area, not us!)?
I’m always excited to see the Blackmore Vale as it means I’m home!
As a private chef I travel abroad a lot but my family has lived here for over 35 years so when not working, like a homing pigeon, I always return.
2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
I don’t do that much travelling in cars, its mostly trains, planes or walking. However, I absolutely love singing and listen to a lot of music from pretty much any genre.
Currently I’m taking the train fairly regularly between Dorset and London, the two-hour trip is a perfect amount of time for me to do some writing. I usually pop my earphones in and get totally absorbed in the music, tapping away on my laptop. As the trains are pretty quiet at the moment I may have once or twice caught myself bursting out into song.
I’ll have to check with the conductor but I think my last performance in the carriage was “Coffee, black” from BIG the musical which is all about getting lots of stuff done, but needing caffeine first, which I can relate to.
3. Last movie you watched? Would you recommend it?
I’m going through a food and environmental documentary phase at the moment. I have worked my way through Seaspiracy, Cowspiracy, and Game Changers.
I only recommend you watch these if you are prepared to do more research around the subjects for a more balanced view.
Like many involved in the food industry I don’t find them particularly helpful in moving the debate forward. Such a shame as they tackle incredibly important subjects we all need to address.
4. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
Friday night? House to yourself? Not working??
What’s this I’ve been missing out on???
As a chef weekends are usually spent working. However if ever such an event was likely to occur I would instantly notice the house felt a bit quiet so invite people round and cook for them. I love it.
5. If you were sent to an island for a year and could only bring three things, what would you bring (the island is already equipped with a magical power source, a phone and a laptop)?
My bed – complete with its pillows, duvets and linen. Quality sleep is so important.
Tom is an incredible bladesmith based near Blandford and each of his creations are unique.
My knife brings me such joy when I use it and I assume I will still need to cook on this island, so I might as well have the best tools for the job.
6. What would you like to tell 15yr old you?
Buy Amazon shares.
7. Most embarrassing moment of your teen years?
There are many moments I’m sure but I try not to dwell on those bits too much as I don’t think its healthy and it isn’t usually helpful. We all have our moments but it’s how we pick ourselves up that counts.
8. Who’s your celebrity crush?
I actually get to meet a fair few celebrities through my private chef work but luckily I’ve never been the sort to get star struck so am rarely phased.
That said, I do have a writer’s crush on food critic Jay Rayner and would jump at the chance to have dinner with him.
9. What book did you read last year that stayed with you?
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – I have actually only read the first few pages as haven’t made time yet to read the rest so it’s literally ‘stayed with me’ as I’ve carried it round for about the last two years whilst travelling. It better be good…
10. What was the last gift you gave someone – or you were given. Your choice.
I love buying little gifts for people. They are usually food or drink from places I’ve visited and are usually accompanied with a story about the product or producer.
Having just finished doing my research for our new book ‘Deepest Somerset’ which explores the arts, history, culture, people, places and of course food of the county, recently prezzies have mostly been cheese or cider related.
11. What shop can you not pass without going in?
I don’t have much patience for most types of leisure shopping (except food) so I’m very happy walking by and just admiring window displays. When in Shaftesbury however my pug Tilly demands I go into Abbott’s the green grocers as they always make a fuss of her and give her a dog biscuit.
Slow cooker lasagnewinter vegetable curry
12. Favourite quote? Movie, book or inspirational – we won’t judge.
“One cannot think well, sleep well or love well if one has not dined well.” By Virginia Wolf.
This is so true. Eating well is so important for our physical and mental health. It doesn’t have to be fancy – just nutritious, well balanced and ideally often shared with others.
13. Write the review for the last thing you cooked (no cheating – the actual last thing!).
“Clearly the work of a truly competent chef. The biscuity aroma was rich and inviting and I was impressed by the crunchiness of the outside texture that contrasted well with the softer, chewier middle. With a delightful slight sweetness at first the flavor developed beautifully with some toasted nuttiness, a pleasant hint of sourness and touch of malt. Truly, toast doesn’t get better than this.”
14. A penguin just walked in the door wearing a panama hat. Why is he here?
That’s strange, I asked him to wear his bowler.
15 Your top three most-visited favourite websites (excluding social media!)?
Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group, for anyone interested or wants to know more about rural land management I highly recommend this site which is run by a group of game keepers’ wives. It does a brilliant job of connecting and educating people with why and what goes into maintaining their incredible landscape.
BBC News – I try and read a mix of sources but mostly BBC, FT and New York Times.
Local news or events sites wherever I am in the world. I have total FOMO especially when it comes to food so I try and do lots of research and keep updated on what’s going on around me. Right now it’s ‘The Infatuation London’, a regularly updated website about London’s food scene.
16 What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
A sense of direction. Which is unfortunate as I spend a lot of time travelling to new places. But on the plus side, getting lost often makes for a good adventure.
Whole roasted cauliflower cheese with garlic butter crispy breadcrumbs
17 Chip Shop Chips or Homebaked Cake?
Home baked cake, probably my cinnamon, coffee and cardamom one or a sticky ginger cake.
18 Favourite crisp flavour?
Torres black truffle. They are outrageously expensive which is actually good as I don’t buy them often but when I do I make sure they last.
19 The best biscuit?
Anything baked by Lizzie.
During lockdown we formed a bubble with an old school friend of mine who lives nearby. She is a brilliant cook and would always bring round a tin of freshly baked biccies. Caramelised pecan cookies, macrons, rich butter shortbreads, tahini bites …we ended up calling it Pavlov’s tin.
To see more of Philippa’s work, please her website www.philippadavis.com. To keep up to date with Philippa’s culinary adventures do follow her on instagram @philippadavis_food. Philippa has also just made her TV debut as a judge on Channel 4’s Beat the Chef. You can catch her at 5:30 pm weekdays from 4th May for six weeks, she appears in half the episodes.
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Of Sherborne, formally of Holnest Lodge, passed away peacefully at Yeovil District Hospital 22nd April 2021, aged 88.
Loving husband to Peggy, devoted father to Paul, David & Lynda, doting Grandfather & Great Grandfather.
Family flowers only please, but if you wish to make a donation in lieu, please send a cheque made payable to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance directly to Funeral Director C/O Stuart Foster Funeral Services Ltd, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ 01935 508971
I’ll be honest – even though I’ve read two of her books, I had no idea that Sarah Naughton was a local until her Mum emailed me and told me so (*waves to Sarah’s Mum*). Thank goodness she did, because not only was Sarah brave enough to be the first subject of The Random 19, but it also gave me the excuse to buy her latest book The Festival…
Sarah Naughton’s first book was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Award. She also writes bestselling psychological thrillers for adults and is published in eleven territories. Married with two teenage sons, Sarah divides her time between London and Dorset. She has yet to win a Nobel Prize, but did get a Highly Commended for her herb display in the Whitchurch Canonicorum produce show.
Bestselling Author Sarah J. Naughton grew up in a tiny village on the Somerset/Dorset border
The Random 20
1. What’s your relationship with the Blackmore Vale (the area, not us!)?
I grew up in a tiny village on the Somerset/Dorset border, with a school, a post office and, latterly and excitingly, a video shop. Our house used to back onto fields and a pig farm. The whole estate smelled of it. My mum would get me up at night to see the badgers and hedgehogs who had wandered into our garden. There was only one other single parent family in the village so we would hang out a lot. The other mum had an open fire and we used to wheel a shopping trolley to the local wood at night to pilfer firewood.
Cut Mill was my favourite place in the world and even now, after it sadly burnt down, it’s my sons’ favourite too. They’re as afraid as I was of the legendary pike that lurks in the mill pond, who must be drawing his pension by now. As a non-sporty teenager there wasn’t much to do, so I would go on endless tramps around the lanes, dreaming of what my life would be like when I moved to the big city, which I did aged seventeen.
I scoffed at people who said I would miss the countryside. And then of course I did. A few years ago we bought a place an hour from my parents and I’ve missed it so much during lockdown.
2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
The car playlist is strictly controlled by my teenage sons, so I tend only to sing in the kitchen when I’ve had a few ciders. The last one was I Need A Hero by Bonnie Tyler.
3. Last movie you watched? Would you recommend it?
It’s very hard for us all to agree on films. My eldest likes gross-out comedies, me and my youngest like supernatural horror, and my husband likes classic gangster movies. The compromise is never successful but I’m not going to slag the most recent one off as I admire all these indie filmmakers who are getting such a great platform on Amazon and Netflix.
4. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself. What will you do?
That doesn’t fill me with any excitement. Writing is a solitary occupation and I get more than enough time on my own.
Last time I had an evening to myself I sugar-soaped the kitchen.
5. If you were sent to an island for a year and could only bring three things, what would you bring (the island is already equipped with a magical power source, a phone and a laptop)?
A massive inflatable in the shape of a flamingo, a bottle of rum to go with the abundant supply of pineapples and coconuts, and Maggie O’Farrell’s entire back catalogue, as I realised, when I heard her on Desert Island Discs the other day, that I’ve never read anything by her.
6. What would you like to tell 15yr old you?
Everything will be alright.
7. Most embarrassing moment of your teen years?
Uh uh. No way. I’ve spent years trying to forget that stuff and reinvent myself as Successful Writer. You’ll have to ask the people I went to school with.
8. Who’s your celebrity crush?
It gets harder as you age, not to feel ashamed of yourself for fancying the same type you fancied as a teenager, ie men in their twenties, so I’ll just pretend to like Daniel Craig, like every other forty-something woman (actually it’s Iwan Rheon).
9. What book did you read last year that stayed with you?
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. It uses the experiences of three different women to explore female desire and sexuality: which sounds really worthy, but isn’t. I recommend it for women of any age – I guarantee you will relate to it – and to men who want to understand women better.
10. What was the last gift you gave someone?
As a Father’s Day present for my dad I’ve just bought a framed woodcut of a Dore etching from The Ancient Mariner. It is loaded with meaning that he and I will get. Hopefully he’ll laugh.
11. What shop can you not pass without going in?
Peter Jones in Sloane Square. I’m with John Betjemen: nothing unpleasant could possibly happen there. I’ve written all my books in the café on the 6th floor. In fact I went into labour there too, which I think should entitle my son to free scones for life.
12. Favourite quote? Movie, book or inspirational – we won’t judge.
I had a boyfriend who used to say this to me if I was sad: ‘All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.’ It’s by the English mystic, Julian of Norwich, and I used to think it was a bit earnest, but it has stayed with me over the years. I also like ‘Suck my fat one’ from Stand By Me.
13. Write the review for your latest book that you wish someone would leave on Amazon for you.
“Sarah Naughton’s recent Nobel Prize for literature was highly deserved, as was the seven figure advance this book received. Five stars ★★★★★”
14. What was the last gift you received?
A friend with her own teenage boys, predicting my Mothers Day might not be as replete with thoughtful gifts and pampering as everyone else’s on social media (#blessed), sent me a bottle of gin. Best Mothers Day ever.
15. A penguin just walked in the door wearing a panama hat. Why is he here?
To give me my Nobel prize and my million pound cheque.
16. Your top three most-visited favourite websites (excluding social media!)?
Like most writers my internet history is both random and sinister.
The last thing I Googled was How to Destroy Bones and the one before that was about autoerotic asphyxiation.
The only website I visit with any regularity is BBC Sounds, as sometimes it’s the only thing that will quieten my racing thoughts enough to sleep. My favourite section is Horror and Supernatural, but I do love a good In Our Time, especially about science. That sends me off in a nanosecond.
17. What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
How people feel very strongly about trivial things (eg. Megan and Harry) and ignore huge issues like political corruption and cronyism. We laugh along when they joke about it on Have I Got News for You and then promptly forget about it, so those in power get away scot free. You don’t beat the system by laughing at it, you just make life easier for the political elite. They’d rather be chuckled at than made accountable.
18. Chip Shop Chips or Homebaked Cake?
It would be sadistic to make me choose.
19. Favourite crisp flavour?
My relationship with crisps has been a troubled one. I used to love Smoky Bacon flavour, but after I got chicken pox they never tasted the same again. After that it was Wotsits, but I had to eat forty packets of them to save up for a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles watch. I can’t even look at someone eating them now.
20. The best biscuit?
Biscuits are a scandalous waste of calories that you could spend on cake.
