Now’s the time to book your panto tickets, says Dorset’s panto expert Gay Pirrie-Weir – they often sell out, and some start this month
Theatres around the country are getting ready for their biggest event of the year, the pantomime. It’s a peculiarly English tradition and it has an important dual purpose – of introducing young people to the excitement of live theatre and of selling enough tickets over the intensive period around the Christmas and New Year holidays to finance other less popular shows during the rest of the year. Often families leave the show one year so delighted and richly entertained that they book almost immediately for the panto 12 months on – no matter what the story. There are a handful of familiar tales and time-honoured set piece routines. There is audience participation – something some people used to dread, but seem to embrace with noisy enthusiasm in all sorts of shows these days. There are always lots of matinees, some in the mornings as well as afternoons, catering for all the family. Look out for men in frocks, villains to hiss, songs to sing, heroes to cheer, and lots of silly fun.
Your local options This year’s shows in Dorset (and immediately over the borders into Somerset and Wiltshire, start with Salisbury Playhouse’s Sleeping Beauty, from 30th November to 12th January. Jack and the Beanstalk is the show at Bournemouth Pavilion, from 7th December to 5th January, and the cast includes Calum Lill, David Ribi, Rachel Grundy and Oliver Brooks. There is a second Sleeping Beauty at Poole Lighthouse, from 12th December to 5th January, starring local favourite Chris Jarvis with Eastenders’ and Spamalot’s Todd Carty. Doubling up again, Yeovil will be staging Jack and the Beanstalk at Westlands, with a new company including Mark Lamb, Lizzie Bea, Alana Robinson, Daniel Page, Kevin James, Georgie Macaskil and dancer/choreographer James Bamford. Jack will be climbing from 13th December to 5th January. The third telling of the story of Jack and his magic beans comes at Southampton Mayflower where Ashley Banjo and Diversity join in the fun from 14th December to 5th January. On the same dates at Wimborne’s Tivoli, you can see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Weymouth Pavilion has Peter Pan for the shortest run from 20th December to 5th January. The “big star” shows this year are well to the west – head to Plymouth for Lesley Joseph and Rob Rinder in another Snow White at Theatre Royal. The hotel-visiting former judge is the Voice of the Mirror from 13th December to 11th January. Meanwhile, Brian Conley and his daughter Lucy are joining David Robbins in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Bristol Hippodrome from 7th December to 5th January.
Keen’s Extra Mature Cheddar wins the first People’s Cheese Championship, organised by new campaign group The Real Cheese Project
George Keen
One of Somerset’s most historic, traditional, unpasteurised, farmhouse Cheddars, Keen’s Extra Mature, has won the first People’s Cheese Champion title, after three rounds of public voting in a new award organised by campaign group The Real Cheese Project. Keen’s Extra Mature Cheddar, produced by the Keen family at Moorhayes Farm near Wincanton, was one of four finalists in the live online final, which was broadcast on Friday 11th October. Cheese lovers across the UK tuned in with their cheese boxes to taste, deliberate and cast their votes for Blue Stilton by Cropwell Bishop Creamery in Nottinghamshire, Keen’s Extra Mature Cheddar, Mrs Bourne’s Cheshire Cheese by Bourne’s Cheshire Cheese in Cheshire, or Thelma’s Original Caerffili by Caws Cenarth in Carmarthenshire.
The marketgoers favourites People’s Cheese 2024 has been created to get more people eating and talking about Britain’s artisan cheeses, with this year’s Heritage Edition focusing on territorial styles. All named after their original locations, this group of traditional cheeses includes Cheddar, Stilton, Red Leicester, Caerphilly, Cheshire, Double Gloucester, Lancashire and Wensleydale, and Dunlop from Ayrshire. The first two rounds of judging took place at Chiswick Cheese Market, beginning with more than 40 entrants into the nine categories. Hundreds of marketgoers took part and voted for their favourites during these early rounds, ultimately selecting the four finalists. The final was broadcast from Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese in Lancashire, and presented by comedian and champion of British cheese, Marcus Brigstocke, alongside The Real Cheese Project co-founder, James Grant. The pair were joined by experts including Jane Quicke from Quicke’s, Lucy Cufflin from Chiswick Cheese Market, Jonathan Pearcey from The Crafty Cheese Man and Graham Kirkham from Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese. This latest accolade for the Keen family reflects the enduring popularity of traditional artisan Cheddar. Production began at Moorhayes Farm in 1899 and five generations later, under the stewardship of George Keen, with his son James now principal cheesemaker, the family is still making cheese with raw milk from their 250-strong herd of Friesian cows. The Extra Mature Cheddar is matured for 18 months to achieve a moist texture and full-bodied flavour, with onion notes and plenty of tang.
Buy the good stuff The Real Cheese Project was founded this year by a group of cheese lovers to celebrate artisan cheesemakers, support independent cheesemongers and get more people buying the good stuff. Championing real cheese, from the soil up, the organisation is on a mission to showcase and protect real British cheese and the people behind it, through storytelling, research, campaigns, events, collaboration and media exposure. In September, The Real Cheese Project launched a monthly subscription box, created to promote Britain’s artisan cheese makers. Each Cheese Crowd box will come with a new cheese to try, a monthly cheese magazine, a hand-picked pairing, a pin badge for new subscribers and access to an online tasting to meet the cheesemaker. Five per cent of all profits will go into a Real Cheese support fund, which will be donated to initiatives that protect, develop and progress real cheese in the UK.
Heather Brown is preparing: she has easy tips for baking the cake, making mincemeat, and sourcing local Dorset produce for a festive feast
Now that it’s November and Mariah Carey has declared that it really is the Christmas season, I thought it would be good to help you look at some ways that you can get ahead with your seasonal food and drink this Christmas.
Christmas Cake Fruit cake is one of my favourite types of cake – my recipe for my Christmas version was in The BV back in November 2020 (you can find it here). At the time I said: ‘It’s traditional to make your Christmas cake in November so it has plenty of time for the flavours to develop. But we all know life gets in the way some years. The magic of my Christmas cake recipe is that whether it’s early November or you’re whisking it up in a panic on Christmas Eve, it will always provide that delicious, deep, Christmassy flavour.’ It is a wonderful, flexible recipe and by cooking the fruits, butter and sugar all together first in a pan, it really allows all those flavours to meld together before being baked. While this recipe tastes just as good if you do end up making it in December, it is definitely a job that can be done ahead of time: just wrap the cooked, cooled cake well in parchment paper, and store it in a box with a good lid until you want to ice it in the days before Christmas.
Mincemeat I love a mince pie … and nothing can beat a mince pie made with homemade mincemeat! Nowhere near as complicated as many people believe, it’s simple to make and keeps for months. I don’t even bother to store mine in jars now, because I know it will all be gone by Christmas! I just put it in a large Tupperware tub with an airtight lid. You can find my mincemeat recipe from the BV magazine in 2020 here. ‘The difference between homemade mincemeat and supermarket mincemeat is so significant that I would encourage everyone to have a go this Christmas (or to buy mincemeat from a small producer who will have handmade it in small batches at home for you). The recipe is not complicated, but it does take a little time – fortunately most of that time is spent waiting for things to soak or cook slowly so you can get on and leave it to it!’ For a super-quick version of mince pies in a hurry, you can find my recipe for mincemeat swirls on the same link!
Order your turkey There are some lovely local farms and butchers in Dorset where turkeys are available for Christmas. Ordering from your local turkey farm means you can be confident that the turkey has been reared ethically, you can speak to the farmers themselves – and you’ll know that the meat will be delicious as well as free from extras like excess water. Dorset turkey farms include Brunsell Turkey Farm near Stalbridge – brunsellfarm.co.uk and Chilcott Turkeys near Dorchester chilcott-turkeys.co.uk. Good local butchers will also source their turkeys from local farms in and around Dorset – but do order yours now to make sure you secure one of Dorset’s finest.
Buy your local produce Christmas is the time when we all try and ‘buy up’ – it’s often the one time of year that we’ll get the organic veg, the nicer cream, the fancy cheese … There are oodles of amazing Christmas markets throughout Dorset, kicking off with the Athelhampton House Christmas Market organised by Dorset Food & Drink on Saturday 9th November. Aside from being a lovely day out, Christmas markets are a fantastic way to sample local produce for your Christmas table – and you can buy direct from the makers. Farm shops are another good source of local produce, as are local independent high street delicatessens and Dikes in Stalbridge. Producers will already be taking Christmas orders via their websites, and offering easy delivery so you don’t even need to leave the house! Start now, and this year try buying locally for your cheese, chutneys and jams, sauces and syrups, oils and vinegars, fresh veg … let’s all make it a Dorset festive table.
Seventeen-year-old boxing sensation Ruby, from Stalbridge, has been selected from around 1,000 rising stars across more than 60 different sports who have been supported by SportsAid in 2024. She is named among the top 10 finalists for the prestigious One-to-Watch Award, which recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects. Previous winners include Olympic champions Tom Daley and Alex Yee, and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold.
Ruby Else-White
Ruby, nicknamed the Pocket Rocket, has defied expectations created by her small height and light weight, claiming three European and five national titles, and culminating in her history-making performance at the U19 World Championships.
Ruby says SportsAid’s financial support has been essential to her success:
“Funding my career and travel is probably my biggest challenge,” Ruby said. “The train tickets to Sheffield cost £120 each week, and the kit is expensive too. Without SportsAid’s sponsorship, I wouldn’t be able to travel to Sheffield and get the best training.”
In addition to her boxing career, Ruby works full-time and plays for Shaftesbury Ladies Football Club – though football takes a back seat during major competitions:
“I play football as a hobby, but that fits around boxing – I couldn’t play for 10 weeks before worlds in case I got injured. It’s nice to have that extra fitness and a different side of sport as it’s more running based and reactionary. Boxing and football complement each other really well actually.”
At 17, Ruby has already accomplished so much – and she still has to wait two years before she can represent Great Britain on the international senior stage. She has her sights set on joining the GB Olympic pathway and competing in the Commonwealth Games in 2026 and the LA Olympics in 2028.
At this year’s Love Local Trust Local Awards, a new honour was introduced to allow us to recognise not only those currently creating the best food in the county, but also those who have dedicated a lifetime to supporting its producers and growers. The winners – Charlie Goodland, Andrew Robinson and Roger Penny – each have a legacy of service to Dorset – Barbara Cossins
Charlie Goodland
Charlie owns and runs C & S Meats, an abattoir near Sherborne, where he is known for his love of the work and deep respect for animals. Born into a farming family he learnt to shoot as soon as he could handle a gun safely, as well as how to skin the animals he shot and deal with the carcasses. He started work on the family farm, but as soon as a job came up in a Yetminster butchers, he jumped at the opportunity: “I was mentored by a fabulous old guy called Maurice ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, who taught me everything he knew about humane slaughter practices, and to really care for the animals.” Charlie eventually left Yetminster to work in a large slaughterhouse, and in 1996 set up his own business. Charlie has always been interested in animal welfare, and he holds an extraordinary number of different slaughter licenses. His personal favourite animal is a wild boar: “I like how clever and slick they are. You need to be on your A-game when they’re around,” he says. Charlie is a huge contributor to the food and farming community in Dorset, and he’s known for his unflappable calmness. Whether it’s a drop in meat prices, negotiating for full use of the animal, the impact of covid or protecting his staff and business, he meets them all head on with a smile, and he has done for more than 30 years.
Andrew Robinson
Andrew is firmly committed to protecting Dorset’s land, animals and infrastructure so that farming, business and residents can live in harmony. Symonds & Sampson have been in business almost 170 years, and for much of that time they have been one of the leading auctioneers and surveyors in the region. Many people see a Symonds & Sampson board on the side of the road and think they simply buy & sell property – but it’s much more than that. Over a career of more than 40 years, Andrew has championed a whole host of causes within the agricultural community, including ensuring livestock is cared for properly during the sales process, access and compensation for both water and electricity during rural sales, expert advice in complex farm property sales, detailed succession planning as well as architectural help for farm sales and tenancies on both sides of the partnership. To say he is a good mentor and great mediator is a huge understatement. There have only been three senior partners at Symonds & Sampson in more than 40 years – Andrew being one. It is testament to his reputation and wise brain that he is still quoted today by many of the current and younger staff when making decisions: “What would Andrew do?” is a solid Symonds & Sampson benchmark.
Roger Penny
Roger began his career at Wessex Grain (now Cefetra Grain) in Henstridge in 1985, aged just 16 years old. He quickly established himself as an essential member of the team, working on the intake, storage and out-loading of grain across both the flat stores and the silos. Roger swiftly became the principal operator of the three Svegma grain dryers, mastering the intricate and often temperamental routes of conveyors and elevators that feed 21 silos and three flat stores. His dedication and expertise were unmatched, and over time, he became a familiar and respected figure to all the lorry drivers and local farmers delivering to or collecting from the store. Sadly, after 39 harvests of committed service, Roger was forced to leave Cefetra this summer due to health issues. His absence has left a notable gap in the company, where he was not only a vital operator but also a cherished colleague and friend to many in the local agricultural community.
At the end of the 1990s, Dutch artist Peter Ursem came to North Dorset with his musician wife Helen Porter. She had been appointed as music animateur for Confluence*, a three-year cultural and environmental project to celebrate the Stour, from where it rises at Stourhead in Wiltshire, down to the sea at Christchurch Harbour. While Helen began a long and exciting programme, bringing people together to sing, write songs and music and perform, Peter also became involved in Confluence, his skills as a printmaker contributing striking and original art works throughout the project. His contributions ranged from simple but stylish prints of fish for England’s first Water Market, a national gathering for producers involved with water, at Blandford in 2000, to a series of prints supported by an Arts Council award. Some of his work from the Confluence period, such as the lino-cut of Colber Bridge, will be on show in his 25th anniversary exhibition at Shaftesbury Arts Centre, from 30th October to 12th November. The exhibition will also include a broad selection of new works: prints, designs and paintings.
Woodcuts of the Stour After graduating in literature from the University of Utrecht and in painting and printmaking from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague, Peter arrived in Dorset in 1998 and fell in love with the lines and shapes of the English landscape. He started exploring ways to capture what he saw in relief printmaking (woodcuts, lino prints and wood engravings) and was soon completely hooked. He recalls the thrill of his early efforts: ‘I was gripped by this simple but strikingly powerful technique. I was so excited when I produced my first print of a street view in Mere.’ His print-making was given a big boost in 2000, with an Arts Council award for a series called Reflections, Woodcuts of the River Stour – the 30 wood-cuts were exhibited at the Slade Centre in Gillingham and published in a book. He became a member of the highly respected Poole Printmakers. When the presses that belonged to the group’s founder, printmaker and artist John Liddell, were being sold, with help from two committee members and an agreement to spread payments over two years, Peter was able to buy one, a Victorian Hopkinson & Cope press (above). The purchase enabled him to start specialising in reduction lino-prints, a technique where consecutive colour layers are printed from just one block. As his skill, range of subject matter and use of colour all developed, Peter’s work acquired a strong local following. One of his most high-profile commissions (in a literal sense) was to provide a new mast-head for the front cover of the original Blackmore Vale Magazine. Familiar features of the Blackmore Vale, from Stourhead to dairy cattle, were depicted in the much-loved design. Peter’s commission also included similarly characteristic designs for the Fosse Way Magazine (covering a lot of Somerset) and the Stour and Avon Magazine. He also showed great skill as a curator, working for Salisbury Hospital at Odstock, where he ran the successful Arts In Hospital project, filling the corridors with exciting and often challenging work – abstract, figurative, landscape, portrait – creating a gallery that was not only interesting for visitors but a stimulating environment for staff and patients.
Peter Ursem’s mast-head of the original Blackmore Vale Magazine
Overwhelmed by the beauty In 2011, some years after the end of Confluence, Peter and Helen moved to Cornwall, settling near Calstock, at Gresham House Studios, a former mine captain’s house. Peter’s spacious art studio has spectacular views towards Morwelham Quay, with Dartmoor in the background and ever-changing skies above. Peter says: ‘Initially, I felt so overwhelmed by the beauty, purity and magic of the landscape that not much more than soaking it all up seemed possible.’ But as he became more used to the unique atmosphere of their new home, he found that immersion in his surroundings led to a flurry of new and more intricate lino-prints, as well as atmospheric charcoal drawing and oil paintings. Peter’s subject matter is usually landscape, exploring deeper than simple realism. A series focusing on Dartmoor captures both the surface aesthetic attraction of the landscape and the often disturbing, almost primeval, majesty of the moor. The moor is, he says, a continuous source of inspiration.
Peter Ursem in his studio with his Victorian Hopkinson & Cope press
A fiction ambition The history of Gresham House played a part in Peter’s own writing career. In 2016, he fulfilled his long-held ambition to write fiction, when he published The Fortune of the Seventh Stone, a young adult novel written under his Dutch name, Petrus Ursem. The setting is a mine captain’s house, with nearby atmospheric ruins of tin mines and a cast of colourful characters. The book is a genuine page-turner, with a real sense of place. It was followed by The Truth Teller (2018) and Black As Ink (2020), together making up the Steven Honest Trilogy. In 2022, Peter branched out into a different style of story-telling, publishing The Bigger Picture, a collection of witty and thoughtful fables for adult readers. He is currently working on a new book of fables, Stellar Celebrations. Over the years, Peter has established a tradition of reading stories during his exhibitions, and he will be doing this at the Shaftesbury exhibition: every morning at 11am, he will read one of his fables and be available to chat about his work and his approaches to art and writing. Stellar Celebrations is not quite finished, but he will be reading from The Bigger Picture. If you’re not able to come to the exhibition you can order his books online from the gallery shop on his website.
Port Gaverne, looking west, 2022
• 25 Years of Printmaking exhibition at Shaftesbury Art Centre, 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission. • For more information about Peter Ursem’s work as artist and writer or to order a book, visit peterursem.co.uk
**CONFLUENCE – was created by the ground-breaking Shaftesbury-based environmental arts charity, Common Ground, to encourage new music for the Stour. There followed an extraordinary range of participatory music events and programmes, workshops, courses and concerts. Composer and musician Karen Wimhurst, who lives in Shaftesbury, was the composer in residence.
• THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride in Swanage Running from 23rd Nov to Christmas Eve: it’s an hour-long train journey with a fully-themed, production of songs and moments from the movie on the platform, and then hot chocolate and a cookie delivered to you in your carriage by THE POLAR EXPRESS™ chefs. £46.95 per person swanagethepolarexpresstrainride.co.uk
• Harts of Stur Late Night Opening After many years absence, the popular event is returning for 2024! On Thursday 5th December, Harts will stay open until 7:30pm, with festive fun for the whole family, including face painting for the kids and a special visit from Santa. Grown-ups can keep cosy with mulled wine and mince pies in the Coffee Loft.
• Christmas Magic at The Blue Pool From 30th November to 23rd December, children can visit Santa in his grotto (£15 per child, booking required). Take a peaceful winter stroll through the Nature Reserve, enjoy hot, seasonal drinks on the terrace by the fire pits, surrounded by twinkling lights and get crafty and create fun decorations while enjoying a cup of delicious hot chocolate (£5 per person) bluepooltearooms.co.uk/events
• Carols in the Gardens FREE carol concert on Thursday 19th December, 6.30pm to 7.30pm in Dorchester’s Borough Gardens, accompanied by Durnovaria Silver Band and Encore Singers. Carol books will be provided, so everyone can take part. Mulled wine and snacks will be available to purchase
• Wimborne Save the Children Parade On Saturday 14th December, the parade of will start at 2pm from Eaton’s (formerly Cobham’s) car park. Father Christmas will stop at the Museum of East Dorset where he will remain with his sack of presents – children will be welcome to visit him there and receive a (free) small gift. Carols in the Corn Market Wimborne’s magical Annual Event is on Friday 20th December at 6pm. Music provided by Broadstone Community Concert Band and singing accompanied by choristers from Wimborne Minster.
We asked local chef Philippa Davis, the food writer for The Field, for the best place to start when cooking game. Philippa also researched and wrote the recipes for the Deepest Books series (Deepest Dorset, Deepest Wiltshire and Deepest Somerset):
If you are new to trying venison meat, firstly I must say you are in for a treat! You are about to try some of the most delicious, sustainable and nutritious meat we have here in the UK. Although less fatty, it is very similar to cooking and eating beef, and the various venison cuts can be swapped in for most recipes: use it in your next bolognese, cottage pie, curry, pie or ‘steak’ and chips. This hearty venison chilli recipe makes the most of the rich, flavourful meat. It can be made a couple of days ahead and it also freezes well, so is great for batch cooking. As well as the venison, I’ve put in italics ingredients you can source from local producers. Philippa
Ingredients
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
500g wild British venison mince (Dorset Game Larder)
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
½ – 1 tsp of chilli powder depending how much spice you like
1 x 400g chopped tin tomatoes
1 tsp Dorsetshire sauce (From Dorset With Love) or Worcestershire sauce
1 x 400g tin of kidney beans, strained and lightly rinsed
30g 70% Chocolate (Chococo)
To serve
4 – 6 tbsp of plain yogurt (The Dorset Dairy Company)
4 tbsp grated cheese (try Hardy’s from The Book and Bucket Company or Coastal Cheddar)
Method
In a heavy-based pan on a medium heat, add the oil and venison mince. Season with salt and pepper and – stirring often with a wooden spoon to help break up the meat – fry until the moisture has evaporated and the meat starts to brown (this will take about 15 minutes).
Once the meat has browned, add the onions, garlic and coriander stalks. Still stirring often, fry for another ten minutes until the onions start to soften.
Stir in the cumin, oregano, cinnamon, chipotle paste and chilli powder and cook for a couple of minutes before pouring in the tinned tomatoes. Fill the can with cold water, swill it around then tip into the pan.
Add the Dorsetshire sauce and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low. Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally.
After an hour, stir in the kidney beans and chocolate. Continue to cook on a low heat for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finally take off the heat, stir in the coriander leaves and check the seasoning. This is now ready to serve.
I love to eat mine with basmati rice, tortilla chips, spoonfuls of yogurt, a sprinkling of cheese and a green leaf salad.
*Philippa Davis is a Dorset-based chef and food writer who loves to champion local produce. You can follow her foodie adventures on Instagram @philippadavis_food
Dorset Wildlife Trust’s conservation officer Mariko Whyte takes a closer look at just a few of the fungi you can find on a walk in Dorset
Yellow brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica) looking like orange jelly on the tree
When we think about nature, we often think of the plants, animals, birds and even insects and other invertebrates – but how about fungi? Fungi comprise some of the most diverse and fascinating organisms in the world, and they can survive and thrive in all habitats and under the most extreme conditions, even at the bottom of deep oceans. They are vital to many ecosystems, playing a key role in nutrient cycling and breaking down organic matter, forming a key component of healthy soils and helping some plants access nutrients and water. They also provide a food resource for animals and people. Some are even able to break down plastics and hydrocarbons, and research is underway into their potential for cleaning up our messes including oil spills[1] and plastic pollution[2]. Fruiting of fungi is usually triggered by changing environmental conditions such as temperature, light and moisture. In the UK, we see many fungi starting to fruit in the autumn, as the hotter, drier summer weather gives way to our usual milder, wetter conditions. Although many fungi might seem instantly recognisable, there are often very subtle differences between similar species and identification is difficult. Often, microscopic examination of spores is needed and even experts are frequently baffled, with new species being discovered every year in Britain. Below are just a few examples of interesting fungi you can find in Dorset.
The parasol mushroom’s cap opens to a large, flat parasol up to 30cm across Image: Tony Wilson
Parasol mushroom A classic ‘mushroom’ which has a tall stalk and a cap with gills beneath. They are commonly found on permanent grassland, heathland and woodland glades throughout Dorset, including Greenhill Down near Blandford, usually appearing towards the end of the summer. The cap opens to a large, flat parasol up to 30cm across.
Yellow Brain fungus This is a type of jelly fungus – it is parasitic, feeding on other fungi that feed on dead wood. It is common on gorse on heathlands but can also be found on other dead wood and in woodland such as Bracketts Coppice nature reserve near Yeovil. It can vary in colour from bright pale yellow to a rusty orange when dry.
Waxcaps are found where the soils have been undisturbed by ploughing or the use of fertilisers
Waxcaps Waxcaps are a group of colourful grassland mushrooms which are great indicators of high quality, unimproved grassland. Often seen at our Kingcombe Meadows nature reserve near Maiden Newton, they are found where there is a long history of traditional grazing management and the soils have been undisturbed by ploughing or the use of fertilisers. They begin to appear in autumn, peaking in November, and they come in a range of colours from pink to bright red, orange, yellow, white and even green.
Turkeytail is a bracket-type fungus which grows in tiered clusters on dead wood
Turkey tail This is a common bracket-type fungus which grows in tiered clusters on dead wood – it can be seen all year round. The fruiting bodies have pores beneath instead of gills. The common name comes from the concentric coloured patterning on their top surface. Turkey tail can be found at Ashley Wood nature reserve near Blandford and Girdlers Coppice nature reserve near Sturminster Newton.
Scarlet elf cups grow on damp woodland floor, or near rivers and ditches
Scarlet elf cups These appear in winter through to early spring, and form bright red cups which are smooth inside and pale and downy on the outside. Recorded at Kilwood nature reserve near Wareham and Lorton Meadows in Weymouth, they are attached by a short stem to twigs and deadwood on the damp woodland floor, or near rivers and ditches. A puff of white spores is released from the upper surface in response to external triggers such as a change in temperature. Try blowing on the mature fruits in late winter to see this in action!
Devil’s fingers emerge from a gelatinous ‘egg’ – its tentacle-like arms are covered in a dark olive-coloured, smelly slime
Devil’s fingers This is a strange-looking fungus which grows in grasslands and is recorded at Loscombe nature reserve near Bridport. The fungus emerges from a gelatinous ‘egg’ and its tentacle-like arms are covered in a dark olive-coloured, smelly slime which contains the spores. This attracts insects such as flies which help disperse the spores.
Earth balls are shaped like a leathery potato, solid with a brown/black interior
Earth balls These are a group of similar-looking round fungi which grow on the woodland floor: find them at Holway Woods near Sherborne. They are shaped like a leathery potato, and are solid with a brown-black interior beneath the off-white outer skin. When mature, the inner flesh develops into powdery spores which are released through splits in the outer skin.
