Spanking naked young ladies!

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8 February 2022

The charming tradition of sending Valentine’s Day cards and flowers to loved ones has a racier origin than you’d imaging, says (a blushing) Charlotte Tomb!

*A Valentine’s bouquet from Dorset Flower Co, full of British flowers – a gorgeous mix of doubles and singles tulips, alstromeria and narcissus with Dorset-grown foliage*

It’s still far too early for my flowers to make an appearance, though it won’t be too long and there are a few brave souls showing their faces already: the early daffodils, snowdrops and hellebores.
So I thought I’d do some research and find out a little more about St Valentines Day and how it came about.
Many holidays and traditions that we celebrate today seem to have their roots planted in Pagan history.
St Valentine’s Day seemingly (as there appears to be conflicting views) has its beginnings in a Pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia (‘the god of fertility and flocks’) which was celebrated in Ancient Rome between the 13th and 15th February.
It is said that the festival involved people running naked through the streets and spanking young
maidens on the bottom with leather whips – apparently this was to aid fertility (really? Not in Dorset and definitely not in February!).
As with many of the old Pagan festivals, the early Christian church adopted/absorbed/ smothered (take your pick) the celebrations and made them their own (not to the extent that the Romans did, and readers may well have mixed views on this).

In the centuries that followed, two early Christian martyrs met their grisly ends on the 14th February and it is thought that both their names were Valentinus, the Latin for Valentine.

In 496AD Pope Gelasius declared the 14th February as ‘St Valentines Day’ and it became a Christian feast day.

’My sweet Valentine’

In 1382 Chaucer celebrated the engagement of the young King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia on St Valentine’s Day. And another reference is from an inmate of the Tower of London, where a Duke referred in a letter to his wife ‘as my very sweet Valentine’.

By 1601 William Shakespeare mentions Valentine in Ophelia’s lament in Hamlet, and by 1797 it was common practice for sweethearts to pass love notes to each other. With the introduction of the Penny Post in 1840 by the Royal Mail it became not only affordable but possible to
send cards anonymously with pre-printed verses and pretty pictures not too dissimilar to the cards of today. Then racier cards began to appear which shocked the prudish Victorians.

That’s more than enough history. – back to flowers where I am on safer ground.

Don’t spend the earth for your Valentine
There are British flowers available to buy for your Valentine – and they won’t cost the earth (literally), unlike the rather pitiful foreign red roses flown thousands of miles around the world.

They are a little harder to find, but a good local place to start is The Dorset Flower Company near Dorchester who offer amazing bunches of flowers (see image), plus total transparency as to where your flowers come from: all bouquets come with a card giving the provenance of every stem.
The best way to find a reliable local British flower seller is to use the Flowers from the Farm website, which shows growers and florists who (like myself and The Dorset Flower Co) only use British grown flowers.

by Charlotte Tombs – Northcombe Flowers

Local boy Freddie Gingell tipped for success after poignant first win as he turns 16

By

Laura

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8 February 2022

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Amateur jockey Freddie Gingell, from Mere, celebrated his first ever winner under Rules just a month after turning 16 at his local track, Wincanton. He declared it was “amazing”, before paying tribute to his mum who died of cancer in May 2020.
He achieved his dream of riding a winner after riding West Approach in last week’s Colin Lewis Memorial Open Hunters’ Chase. Freddie lost his mum Kim to cancer in May 2020, and family and friends created an emotional reception on his return to the winner’s enclosure.

West Approach was trained by Freddie’s grandfather, Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Colin Tizzard. He bounded clear in the home straight to score by 21 lengths over the odds-on favourite Alcala in the two-horse race.

*Freddie Gingell and West Approach on their way to victory*

Freddie, who is still studying for his GCSE’s at Sexey’s School in Bruton, said: “It was amazing. This horse jumps for fun. He is amazing and I knew I had a good horse underneath me.

“My confidence did start growing turning in but I still had three tough fences to get over. I couldn’t believe it really (when I saw the winning post looming). It is only my fourth ride and I’m still a novice rider. It is amazing to have a winner under Rules.

“It does mean more to ride that first winner here – I never miss a meeting at Wincanton. If it’s a school day, I’m always here for the last race.”

Freddie said he believes he had an extra pair of eyes watching his every move.
“Mum is probably up there crying now. She wanted me to do my best. I want to stay amateur this season and see where that takes me. I leave school in May and hopefully concentrate more on my racing then. It would be nice to get my conditional licence next season but I’m only 16 and in no rush.”

Colin Tizzard, based in Milborne Port, described the race as “beautiful” to watch.

He said: “My heart is still beating now for the last circuit. The horse was absolutely loving it and Fred was loving it and that goes through the reins.
I’ve never seen this horse jump like that. It was lovely for Fred. If Kim is watching now she will have loved every second of it. It was absolutely fantastic.”

Not only was Gingell’s famous grandfather on hand to witness his first success under Rules but so was his uncle and assistant trainer, Joe Tizzard.

He said: “I was chuffed to bits with him. It is a big thing for Fred to come to his local track with half the family here. It is lovely for him to get his first winner here but there is more pressure instead of sneaking off somewhere quiet where you don’t know anybody.

He added: “He does ride well for a little squirt and he is good over a fence. If he wants it he has got a good opportunity to be a jockey and I think he is good enough. He has got a big future I think and that is not me being biased.”

Dorset’s ‘shocking’ housing statistics

By

Editorial team

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8 February 2022

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One in 34 houses are second homes, that’s three times the national average, says the Green Party’s Ken Huggins who proposes radical solutions.

When the new Local Plan for Dorset was put out for consultation last year, many people were dismayed by the number of new houses proposed to be built.
At 4,458 a year it represented a 47% increase on the existing Local Plan. Surprised by the unprecedented number of responses to the consultation, Dorset Council is now rethinking the matter.
Yes, we need new housing, but not so many. And most crucially we need genuinely affordable housing for low-income households and young families. Private developers are focused on building for open market sale, because prices are so high in Dorset. The general requirement for larger housing sites to provide 35% affordable housing does little good for those in need, because affordable is defined
as no more than 80% of open market prices or rents.

That still means prices out of reach for people on an average local income. The same applies to rental properties if they’re set at 80% of market rents.

Also, time and again we see developers agreeing to an ‘affordable’ housing quota when obtaining planning permission, but once construction begins they claim the development is no longer financially viable and so they apply to reduce the number of affordable houses to boost their profits.

A final shocking statistic is that here in Dorset one in 34 homes are second homes, empty for much or all of the time. That’s nearly three times the national average. It is unacceptable. The Green Party approach is as radical as the circumstances demand. Suitable sites should be compulsorily purchased by Dorset Council and made available to housing associations and Community Land Trusts to build social rented housing. This would be the equivalent of council housing that this country once excelled at before the disaster of right-to-buy with local authorities being unable to build replacement homes.

Ken Huggins, Parish Councillor Hazelbury Bryan

The challenges of leadership

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Editorial team

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8 February 2022

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When Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was asked what was the greatest challenge for a statesman, he replied: ‘Events, dear boy, events’. North Dorset chair of the Liberal Democrats Mike Chapman reflects on the impact of leadership styles.

My school cricket team contained two future England caps. Did we lose? No, not ever. Did we feel good about that? Yes. Did the rest of the team improve with such talented teammates? No, we fell by the wayside.

Years roll by, and a new leader joins my business team. He has one strong message: double the output, double the profit or say goodbye. He lasted just long enough to sow the seeds of destruction for the whole enterprise, his youth and boldness clashing against the wall of the older and more experienced.
There are other leader types, too: “There go the people, I must follow them, for I am their leader” is the classic stance of the politician.

There are four people presenting themselves in England today as our leaders: he who seems to self-serve; he who has served well in another career; he who pushes for fairness and opportunity. Then there is Nigel.

What sort of leader do we need, then? Boris, the chaotic in charge of the chaos? Keir the not-quite- charismatic, always looking back over his left shoulder?
Ed, someone tapped into the thinking, practical heart of our nation? And no, not Nigel under any circumstances.
That phrase from a bygone age will help nudge us along the path to a decision:
“Events, dear boy, Events.”
How apt that a party should be an Event.

How a 19thC ‘relic’ allowed partygate to happen

By

Editorial team

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8 February 2022

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Our current ‘unwritten constitution’ is unfit for purpose and ripe for abuse, argues Labour’s Pat Osborne.

“Partygate” continues to dominate the news, while the Tory’s plan to address the cost of living crisis is still nowhere to be seen. In fact, Sunak and Johnson seem content to announce confirmation of National Insurance increases from April. This will undoubtedly make a bad situation worse for people in North Dorset who are already paying more at the pump, paying more in the shops, and feeling less in their back pockets after a week at work.
With Sunak’s previous £20 a week cut to Universal Credit having already pushed some 200,000 of the most vulnerable people into poverty, and energy bills set to climb 70% in just over a year, we’re all going to find it increasingly difficult to get by without the Government stepping in.
Whilst Sunak sharpens his dagger for an inevitable leadership bid, the business of running the country for the benefit of the people takes a back seat.
So, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of why this is happening. Partygate is happening because we are among a tiny minority of countries in the World that don’t have a written constitution. Until we do, checks and balances like the Ministerial Code will always be open to abuse by those in power.
While the national press focuses on Colin the Caterpillar’s trip to Downing Street, the power of
the Government is increasing with every Bill, the authority of the Courts and our human rights are being eroded, our rights to citizenship, to protest and to vote are all being swept away. The most recent example being so called ‘Brexit Freedom Bills’ which seek to give ministers the power to make law without Parliamentary scrutiny.

With the exception of a few notable changes made by the last Labour Government, our current ‘unwritten Constitution’ is largely a relic of the 19th Century. It’s ripe for abuse and no longer fit for purpose.
It’s high time that we renewed our expectations of those who seek to serve us and hardwired them into a written constitution that genuinely holds the public as sovereign.

Cllr Pat Osborne Labour’s former Parliamentary Candidate for North Dorset

Carer Needed Lytchett Matravers

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Editorial team

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7 February 2022

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We are recruiting carers to work as part of a team helping to look after a gentle, elderly lady of 97 in her own home.

Experience or age is of no consequence, but kindness, patience and an understanding of old age is a must!

Some aspects of personal care of a routine nature and supervision are required.

Shifts are divided into morning and afternoon and are 4 hours each. Immediate payment is made at the end of each shift.

For more details please phone/text Bridget on:

07503 953848

or email

[email protected]

Grain Store and Silo Cleaning Technicians | B&W Feeds

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Editorial team

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7 February 2022

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The cleaning of farm and commercial grain stores across Southern England. Removing the dust and debris of the previous stored crops.

Full training and independent certification is given – Working at Heights; Confined space safe working; Powered access platforms; Alloy Tower erection; Manual Handling and First-aid. Qualifications for you to keep that can be used across a wide range of industries.

Contract period from Mid-April to Mid- August

Working hours – Monday – Friday 06:00-18:00; Saturday. 06:00 – 14:00 (If required)

Excellent Hourly base pay + end of contract Bonus

On site subsidised accommodation for the duration of the contract is available if required.

Please reply to, [email protected] with a CV or email outlining your experiences

Pool closure sends shock waves

By

Editorial team

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7 February 2022

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A community is devastated at radical council cutbacks ‘which will affect public mental health’, says Steve Keenan.

*Dorset Council is set to withdraw an annual £500,000 grant to manage and subsidise the QE leisure centre in Wimborne* : Steve Keenan

Wimborne residents are facing loss of access to the swimming pool and sports facilities at Queen Elizabeth school following council cutbacks. Dorset Council is set to withdraw an annual £500,000 grant to manage and subsidise the leisure centre attached to the school.

Without the money, the school has indicated it could not afford to keep the 25m pool, gyms and 3G outdoor pitch open to the community.
It will now have to find ways to fund the leisure centre, while the centre’s public closure would also reduce central government funding to the school by £280,000 per year.

“We would find a way to continue the commitment to our school sports programmes, but our preferred option is for the school and council to continue working together,” said Head Teacher Katie Boyes.

But that seems highly unlikely, with Dorset Council saying the centre accounts for 30% of its £1.7m annual leisure budget, the rest being shared between eight council-owned leisure centres.

Cllr Laura Miller, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said: “Dorset Council simply cannot justify spending so much public money managing a centre we do not own, in an area that has so much comparable leisure provision close by.”

Overwhelming support

The news is not unexpected as the council went out to consultation last year. It received 1,800 replies: unsurprisingly, there was overwhelming support for the status quo.

Claire Ruscoe from Wimborne said: “My sons aged 14, 12 and nine all swim with the Manta Rays swim club at QE on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. It is very well attended so if this facility goes, many of those regular swimmers will have to stop swimming and some will never start it back up.”
Liz Mills of the Manta Rays club added: “This is the only leisure centre in Wimborne and there is a high demand for swimming – we have a waiting list for our swimming club. It is so important.”

The news comes just six months after Port Regis School closed its pool and gym to adult members. The former St Mary’s School near Shaftesbury is also planning to only allow schools or clubs in future, rather than individuals.

Swim England (SE) recently warned that up to 2,000 pools could be lost by 2030 as they come to the end of their lifespan, while not enough new facilities are being built to replace them.

SE is asking the Government for £1bn for new pools and for refurbishment of existing ones.

’Counter-productive move’

It says that swimming helps to save the health and social care system more than £357m a year as being active in the water can help prevent, and treat, a number of physical and mental health conditions.
But while councils have statutory responsibility for social care and libraries, they do not have to provide leisure facilities by law – and councils are all facing pressure on their budgets.

Dorset Council has said it will help the school find alternative funding and offer a one-off £150,000 to replace the all-weather pitch. It also maintains there are a number of other leisure centres nearby, including a pool at St Michael’s Middle School in Colehill.
In a statement, it added: “Dorset Council operates three other leisure facilities in the East Dorset area, as well as two country parks, so it is felt that there is clear evidence that Dorset Council is supporting the community to be physically active. Many other areas of Dorset are less fortunate and don’t have access to the same level of leisure facilities.”

The decision to withdraw the funding will be taken at Cabinet on March 1.

by Steve Keenan

PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT | The Glanvilles Stud

By

Editorial team

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7 February 2022

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PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT

Be part of the unfolding racing story of our young racehorses, helping shape their futures from birth.

Part-time hours, approx. 3hrs a day, 3 days a week (fit in around the school run?).

We are a mares’ only stud with high standards, breeding top quality, champion racehorses with an excellent team of full-time staff on the yard who all enjoy following the racing careers of the foals and youngstock they have helped raise.

Some previous experience with horses would be ideal, so that the terminology and basic day to day routines are familiar. Bookkeeping experience would be good but is not essential. The role entails keeping the horses’ information uptodate on our yard management software, keeping records of breeding certificates, registering foals, preparing paperwork for walk-in covers, keeping track of vehicles and machinery maintenance and MOTs, preparing employment documents, filing and generally working alongside Doug and Lucy Procter to help the office and the stud, run smoothly.

We are easy to get to, in Glanvilles Wootton, five miles south of Sherborne – we’re even on the Dorchester/Sherborne bus route if that helps.

Please email [email protected] or call Doug Procter on 07974 314262 to discuss.