Join our cheerful volunteer family! Plus cars, boots and looking forwards to Easter

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5 March 2024

Pauline Batstone shares her monthly round up of what’s happening among the town’s collection of community enterprises and events

Some of the wild daffodil planted with the help of William Barnes school in November 2019

Spring has unmistakably arrived, heralding the perfect opportunity for a fresh wardrobe update with ladies’ attire from The Boutique and gentlemen’s fashion from Dapper Chaps.
Alternatively, you might be feeling like now’s the perfect time to revitalise your living space – head to the Furniture Store in the old Barclays Bank for an enticing selection of new-to-you items to keep, upcycle or re-purpose.
Of course, then you should add some practical and/or decorative touches with some items from The Emporium.
For art enthusiasts, The Art Gallery continues to offer a delightful selection of pictures. Additionally, above the Furniture Store, don’t forget the hub providing free school uniforms – if you have no need of it yourself, be sure to tell any parent of school-aged children that it’s there and available.
Embrace sustainability – all our items are
pre-loved, economically priced, recycled and good for the planet.
To sustain our thriving community, we are in need of more volunteers, particularly at The Boutique. Would you like to come and join our cheerful family? Get out the house, meet new people, fill a few quiet hours and immerse yourself in the lovely feeling of giving back. However, it comes with a warning: your new found love for the fashion at The Boutique may necessitate a larger wardrobe from the Furniture Store.
Recently, a Christian Dior silk scarf caught my eye during my shift. It simply had to come home with me, albeit at a price.
Sadly, until we gain some new volunteers The Boutique will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If you can spare a couple of hours during the week, please do drop by The Emporium or 1855 for a friendly chat, or email Cheryl on [email protected].

In other news …
Mark your calendars for 2nd March, when 1855 will host its customary Meet the Traders event in the morning, offering a perfect opportunity for leisurely browse around the ever-changing stock.
Car and Bike Enthusiasts are welcome to come along to the regular event for classic and sports car and bike enthusiasts. Classic cars and bikes, interesting modern sports cars and bikes are all welcome – it’s free and very informal.
They meet from 9am til 12pm on the first Saturday of each month, in the winter at the bottom of the Railway Gardens. Next meet is Saturday 2nd March and then 6th April will, weather permitting, be the first of the year back on The Rec. Please come along with your car or bike, or just to have a look and talk to other enthusiasts.
FREE PARKING in town on both days.
Prepare for the return of the regular Car Boot Sales from the 7th of April until the 1st of September, with sellers setting up from 10 a.m. and buyers welcomed from 11 a.m. Parking will be available on site, with proceeds supporting the Vale Pantry and Hedgehog Rescue of Hazelbury Bryan.
The Newton Residents Association will conduct its 2024 AGM at The Bull Tavern on Friday 15th of March, at 6:30pm.
Thanks to Darryl and Emma of The Bull for their support.

Looking to Easter
As Easter approaches, our churches are abuzz with activities. Look to their respective web pages for event details.
On Good Friday, a brief service will be held at The Cross in the Market Place, followed by complimentary Hot Cross Buns from SturAction.
Central to Easter celebrations, on Saturday 30th March, the three Sturminster Newton churches will embark on Jesus’ Easter Journey, commencing at Christian Fellowship, then Methodist Church, and concluding at St. Mary’s, with sessions at 10.30am and 12.30pm, fostering moments of reflection and praise.
Easter Saturday also promises some tasty indulgence with a Chocolate Fair at The Exchange from 10am to 2pm.
The Vale Pantry Easter Egg Hunt will be taking place on the same day from 10am to 4pm.
And to counteract all that chocolate consumption, assemble at The Exchange at 2pm for an Easter Bonnet Parade around town. Don’t fret if you forget your bonnet – spares will be available at The Exchange from 1.30pm and everyone receives a prize – there’s absolutely no competition involved!
On Easter Sunday, our churches will all hold special services, marking the pinnacle of the church calendar. Consult their notices for precise details.

Save the date
Volunteer Day is on 13th of April, bringing together voluntary groups and potential volunteers from 11am to 3pm at Stour Connect on Bath Road. Come and see if there’s something you could be part of – and there will be an accompanying Jumble Sale if you enjoy a rummage, too!

D Day stories
Lastly, a reminder that we’re seeking contributions from local people whose family members took part in the build-up and military invasion of Normandy 80 years ago.
Stur LitFest will be creating an exhibition of local family testimonies and images that will be on show in the gallery at The Exchange. On 9th June, the exhibition will be formally launched alongside author events commemorating the invasion. If you’d like to contribute to the exhibition, please send a short summary (500 words maximum) of your forbear’s experience in June 1944 and a copy of any images to [email protected] – or deliver a hand-written account to the Town Council Offices in Sturminster Newton, marked ‘FAO Cllr Pauline Batstone, D-Day 80th Anniversary Project’.

The Prep Advantage

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Editorial team

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5 March 2024

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Simon Ridley, the new head of Bryanston Prep, says a prep school education opens new doors for children, whatever their interests

We all know every child is different. They don’t look the same, they don’t have the same skills and interests or family backgrounds, they have their own way of looking at the world and their minds and bodies will develop and mature in their own unique way. All children, though, have curiosity, uncertainties and excitement. As parents and teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to provide the inspiration, reassurance, encouragement and support that will help a child to develop their self-esteem, explore their passions and become the very best person they can be. That is certainly my approach to education.
Of course, ticking all of those boxes is often easier said than done and there will always be challenges along the way. It’s also very important that the learning environment provides comfort, safety, happiness and social interaction, as well as the flexibility to reflect the different abilities and rates of development of each child.
Dorset is blessed with many great state and independent schools with deeply dedicated teaching staff. What’s more, the county provides a myriad of opportunities on the doorstep to help children enjoy a varied and fulfilling childhood. Supportive educational partnerships between schools, through groups like the Blandford Schools Network, are also hugely beneficial for all involved.

Simon Ridley is the new head of Bryanston Prep

An evolving experience
But it’s not just a case of choosing the ‘right’ nursery, primary, prep or senior school for your child. It’s just as important to consider how their learning experiences and opportunities will evolve as they progress through their childhood and develop the skills for a purposeful life.
Some children will be ahead of the curve and ready for new challenges. Others will need a little extra help and encouragement. This is particularly evident in the formative years from five to 13, as children begin to discover their own talents and new areas of interest.
Whether its sport, the arts, the environment, science and technology or an interest in just about everything, a child should have the scope to explore and extend their own learning experiences and to use the knowledge to fire their own imagination. This is where I believe the fee-based structure of prep schools comes into its own for local day pupils and boarders alike.
Pre-prep and prep schools are fortunate – they are in a position to offer a more flexible and tailored approach to many areas of their curriculum, with an array of extra-curricular activities and real scope to explore a vast range of artistic, sporting and academic pursuits. They also have access to excellent facilities, subject-specific teaching and coaching and far smaller class sizes, where pupils can benefit from more personalised support.
Significantly, many prep schools are themselves champions for many activities that will resonate with enthusiastic young minds but are the areas in which mainstream schools face considerable and well-publicised challenges and constraints. Whether it’s sport, music, dance, fine art, classics, modern languages, outdoor learning or cutting-edge technologies, a well-resourced prep school offers every child the opportunities to be inspired and to develop their skills as well as important personal qualities such as determination, empathy and selflessness.

‘It is obvious just how much children enjoy and benefit from creative and imaginative outdoor play and education

Feeding enthusiasm and curiosity
Not surprisingly, many prep schools in the west country engage in a wide range of outdoor activities – Bryanston is certainly not alone in providing a dedicated forest school within its own grounds. In my professional capacity, it is very obvious just how much the children enjoy and benefit from creative and imaginative outdoor play and education. This is such an important part of childhood, rather than pushing them to grow up too quickly. Outside, they are getting up close to nature, making things and building dens while also learning those soft skills that will stand them in good stead as they progress through their school years and move towards adulthood. It is also a place where we can feed the enthusiasm, curiosity and interest in the environment that is so much in evidence in today’s younger generation.
The same is true when we look at sport, technology and the arts. Providing every opportunity for a child to excel and to develop their skills and talents is the guiding principle of practically every parent and teacher. The real hope for all is to provide the right learning experience, with the resources to allow personal development uncompromised by curricular or budgetary restrictions.
It is equally important that any school doesn’t inadvertently hold back the development and wellbeing of children.
If a child outgrows their learning environment, they will soon become demoralised and frustrated and their development will be stifled. This is true for all children, but especially those with exceptional talent and ability. That’s why partnerships with neighbouring schools and sports and arts venues, as well as close community engagement, are so important. And it’s why the flexibility and opportunity provided by through-schools are so valued. After all, early exposure to the next level of learning is not only good preparation, but also helps to maintain interest and motivation through all stages of a child’s education.

Writing his own rulebook – Nick Hunt

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Editorial team

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4 March 2024

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Nick Hunt is a quiet, warm man with a dry sense of humour, disarming kindness and a direct manner which small business owners can only find reassuring and easy to understand – both essential characteristics for any accountant. He started running his own business in Yeovil almost 30 years ago, moving to Sherborne as Hunts Accountants in 2003. ‘I went straight from GCSEs into an apprenticeship at 16. It’s a less common route now, most people do a degree or at least A Levels first and skip some of the apprenticeship levels, but I knew what I wanted. Starting at 16, it’s a seven year qualification – which meant I was a qualified accountant at the age of 23.

‘But then I hit a major issue – I knew I wanted to be my own boss, running my own business in the way I wanted to run it. But who on earth would hire a 23 year old accountant?
‘So I started out by selling SAGE – this was the early 90s, and at the time it was ground-breaking new accountancy software. It was incredibly intuitive to use to my young brain, but was much harder to the many people in finance departments and business owners still working with hand-written ledgers. Even spreadsheets were a new thing for them.
‘So I had some business cards created, and spent my Sundays walking round Yeovil’s trading estates, just dropping cards through doors. It was a slow start – I had to invest in my SAGE training, which also happened to be in Newcastle, so that was more cost. Plus I had to buy the dealership to be able to re-sell the software. I also rented a single room office in Yeovil, because back then you had to have premises, a door to have your name beside, even to be considered a professional. It was a full time day job, but I was working evenings and weekends in a pub just to pay the bills.
‘After 18 months doing what every new business owner does and working every hour I could, I had a steady list of clients. I would sign them up for SAGE training, and while there I’d offer accounts advice or suggestions. Inevitably they wondered how I knew so much, and I would point out I was a qualified accountant. Having earned their trust, they would often move their entire business accounts to me.

Common misunderstandings
‘My first member of staff was my cousin, who I employed part time once I simply couldn’t handle the workload alone. I currently have a team of 14.
‘As well as my own experience, I’ve obviously spent my entire adult life with other business owners. And the overriding factor of success, I would say, is that they must really really want it. Starting and running your own business is incredibly hard work. I was driven very much by my desire to do my own thing. But I had to want it enough to make sacrifices for it.
‘And it always takes more money and more time than anyone expects. The time factor is huge – in my experience, most small businesses fail not because they’re a bad idea, but because they simply run out of time.
‘Also, the business doesn’t owe you anything but what you’ve earned. Clients will come and see me and say ‘the business owes me £2k a month’ – well, no, it doesn’t. There’s no value on time and effort and input, and you get out what you create. If it’s not enough, then work out how to make it better.
It’s a bit brutal, but it’s true. You want to be a business owner?
Take ownership.
‘Resilience is probably the biggest skill any business owner can have. You must accept whatever comes up – because it’s on YOU to solve it. This is as true today as it was when I learnt it 28 years ago.

Nick Hunt, second left, with some of his team

Love it or loathe it?
‘I do love running my own business – and it’s not about the money (which, I know, sounds like nonsense, especially from an accountant). I love the freedom that it gives. If you don’t like your working week, YOU can change it. Businesses are like boats – the smaller they are, the more nimble they are, and that exciting flexibility can be their biggest asset.
‘If things aren’t going well – well, that’s your fault, and you can find the solution.
And if it’s good? Well, hey! YOU did that!
‘And it’s about your whole life, not the numbers in the business account. I’ve managed to also be the husband and the father that I want to be. I haven’t been in the office on the weekend since my oldest child was born 18 years ago.
‘But at the same time the business is fundamentally mine, and whatever it takes to achieve my version of success, I do it. You don’t even question that when it’s yours. If there’s a challenge, it’s on you to solve it. I like that.
‘It scares the hell out of a lot of people. But a certain type of person will just back themselves, and take the risk.
‘The down side is that exact same responsibility; it has a flip side, and the neverending turning of it can become a grind. It’s great on a good month, but some months it can feel like a noose.
‘My ultimate aim is to retire and become an absolute irresponsible flake. I love the idea of that. Finally being able to enjoy my turn at being an unreliable idiot.’

https://www.huntsaccountants.co.uk/

Dogged determination

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Editorial team

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4 March 2024

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Lucy Nolan was barking up the right tree when she turned her love of gundogs into a business. Tracie Beardsley meets Dorset’s only Accredited Pet Gundog Instructor

Lucy working with dog Penny during a training session
All images: Rob Nolan

My dog Will’s claim to fame is behaving so badly at gundog training he was expelled in week two. Perhaps he picked up that I wasn’t happy standing in a cold field early on a Sunday morning? Or perhaps he just didn’t like being bawled at by a woman, head-to-toe in Barbour, who made Windsor Davies’ Sgt Major Williams in It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum sound as if he was whispering!
What Will and I needed was the calm and measured approach of Lucy Nolan, Dorset’s only Accredited Pet Gundog Instructor (APGI). At Lucy’s home, just outside of Dorchester, I’m enthusiastically greeted by her two bouncy working cocker spaniels, Bella and Penny. With a focused look and a quietly spoken command from Lucy, the notoriously exuberant dogs immediately sit.
It was her love of spaniels that ignited Lucy’s passion for gundogs. ‘They’ve been in my life since I was born,’ says Lucy. ‘I grew up playing with our family’s springer, Holly. She was my best playmate.’
Lucy’s dad, a keen deerstalker and game shooter, was a big influence. ‘I loved going on shoots with Dad and watching the dogs put through their paces. When life eventually allowed me to get my own spaniel, Bella, I wanted to take her on pheasant shoots so I worked with a gundog trainer to help me train her. I absolutely loved the training and soon friends started asking if I could help with their dogs.’

Lucy Nolan with dogs Bella and Penny ,who are mother and daughter.

It could have been as easy as that to set up her dog-training business. Alarmingly, the industry has no regulations nor governing bodies. ‘It’s scary,’ says Lucy. ‘People who do just a two-hour online dog training course and get a certificate can class themselves as trainers.
‘To class myself as a professional, it was really important to me to have proper qualifications, to have all the knowledge to back up the practical side. You wouldn’t even go to a hairdresser who had no qualifications!’
So began 18 months of intensive training of the highest standard with Lez Graham, canine behaviourist and author of The Pet Gundog series. Monthly assignments included canine anatomy and physiology, canine nutrition and the psychology of the gundog. There were also practical exercises in which Lucy worked Bella. She also attended workshops in Scotland, and all this alongside her already full-time job in property.

Lucy working with Otto, a Korthal Griffon, in a training session with his owner.

With the equivalent of two A-levels under her lead, Lucy launched Adhara Dog Training. The name is apt – Adhara is the second brightest star in the Great Dog constellation, Canis Major, and Lucy is married to astronomer and BV’s official stargazer columnist Rob Nolan.
The growth in gundog cross-breeds like cockapoos and springadors, alongside the perennially popular, more traditional, labradors and spaniels, has led to much demand. Lucy’s one-to-one and group training sessions are already fully booked until July.
‘I train a mix of people – those who work their dogs and those who’ve got working dogs as pets. With working breeds you must give them a job, otherwise they go self-employed and do their own thing! I’ve even been training a lady with two miniature wire-haired dachshunds. They now retrieve – albeit small things!’

Poppy the Springer Spaniel retrieving
Image: Charlotte Cranwell

She adds : ‘ I believe every dog is trainable, and every owner too … IF they’ll invest the time and do the homework. If you imagine a pie chart – five per cent is me as the trainer, and 95 per cent is down to the dog’s owner.
‘My latest success story is an owner and six-year-old spaniel I’ve been training for nine months. He pulled on the lead, jumped up and was thoroughly overstimulated. He’s so calm and well-behaved now – not just because of my training but because his owner has really invested the time.
‘I love helping people understand what makes their dogs tick.
With my own dogs, my passion is working them in the field during shooting season. I’m also a representative in the south for the Girls with Gundogs Club which is a supportive community for women with gundogs.’
So, can you teach an old dog new tricks? Is there hope for me and eight-year-old Will?
’The best time for training is as a puppy, as it’s a blank canvas, but it’s never too late. You’ve got to retrain new behaviours and extinguish those old behaviours, which is admittedly harder. It’s like speaking English all your life and now being told to speak French.’

Lucy sending Penny to retrieve – she’s so fast and keen, ‘that’s why she’s so blurry!’

Lucy assures me training methods like Will and I experienced have changed. ‘Old-school methods were harsh and based on fear. There’s more balance now, with positive reinforcement methods and using food and play as a reward.’
That may just tempt me and Will back into a training field!

AdharaDogTraining.co.uk

Bingo nights to bright lights: a Blandford school’s magical Disney debut

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Editorial team

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4 March 2024

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During February half term, one group of children from Blandford was dancing on the main stage at Disneyland Paris. Rachael Rowe reports

Blandford School of Dance performing on the main stage at Disneyland Paris. All images: Blandford School of Dance

Disneyland is a place that most children dream of visiting – but imagine having the opportunity to dance on the main stage and take part in the famous Disney Parade! That’s what has just happened to a group of youngsters from the Blandford School of Dance.
School principal Gemma Davis worked with a travel company to arrange the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of her students. The school runs classes for a range of age groups from toddlers through to adults.
‘The group we took had an average age of eight years old. The youngest was five and we also took one of our adult students – 13 dancers altogether. We had to raise funds to go and we held quiz and bingo nights. Some families used the trip as their annual holiday.’

The Blandford group was among the youngest of the dancers taking part, with an average age of eight – Ada, the youngest, is five

The preparation begins
There are benefits of dance for children and young people, both physical and psychological. It improves physical health and mental well-being. Children learn balance, posture, and creative skills. With the hard work involved in learning a routine, they also develop discipline and teamwork skills, and an understanding of the effort needed to achieve something. All the work paid off when the preparation for Disney started.
Unfortunately you can’t just rock up to Disneyland Paris and dance on the main stage like an impromptu TikTok video. The young dancers had to prepare for more than a year and also to audition. Disney only takes the best for their performances. It was a remarkable feat for the young Blandford dancers. Gemma described the preparation: ‘They practised for hours and hours, week in, week out, for more than a year. Then we had to audition for the parade and the dances. Some of it was done on video and of course we had to start all over again if there were mistakes. The children were very patient. We also had to send two dancers to audition in person for Disneyland Paris.
Considering how young they are, they all did so well.’

Taking part in the pre-parade through the streets of Disneyland Paris, just before the main character parade

In Paris
When the group arrived at Disneyland Paris the children were amazed.
‘It was lovely to see their faces. They were so excited,’ says Gemma. ‘We were among 330 dancers from various groups. Some were French, others came from across Britain. The Blandford group was among the youngest there. We had practised the routine for the pre-parade, which is just before the main Disney parade with all the characters, and we also had six dances to perfect for the show.
‘We were on the Disneyland Paris main stage, and had 20 minutes to do our six dance routines. Each one involved a costume change – we had to split the group up so they could get changed quickly and go back on for the next song. They did a mixture of jazz and ballet routines. The Disney stage managers were also on hand and looked out for any child struggling with a costume or looking a bit anxious. The show wasn’t just for the parents of the dancers. It was for the public, too. When it was over, Ada, the youngest dancer said: ‘Can we do it again?’

The group performed six routines in a 20 minute slot on the main stage

Ada’s mum, Louise Billingsley, was in the audience watching.
‘It was such an amazing opportunity. Ada’s only five – she’s a huge Disney fan and adores her ballet. She just loved the whole experience and it massively built her confidence. But the dancers did the work and put in the hours to get there. Ada never once said she didn’t want to go to ballet class.
‘It was so emotional when they first came on stage, I just welled up! Then as the show started I thought “I have to watch this, I can’t cry now!”’
For Gemma, the best moment was at the end: ’When they took their final bow, the look on their faces said it all. They were all so proud of what they had done. ‘Suddenly it was all over. The group all came from different classes, and some were worried they wouldn’t be together again – they had become almost a family group over the year of hard work. But we’re looking at ways to bring them together.’
Proud parent Louise was thrilled. ‘The memories made from this will last a lifetime. They will never forget the time they danced on the Disney stage.’

blandfordschoolofdance.co.uk

Sturminster Newton – home of the best girls boxing club in Europe?

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Editorial team

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4 March 2024

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Packing a punch: Sturminster Newton’s female boxers bring home gold, silver and ‘Best Fight’ from the world’s largest female boxing tournament

Sturminster Newton ABC’s golden girls (from left): 11-year-olds Mariaya Ivanova and Ruby Gibbon ten-year-old Mollie Callaway, and 17-year-old Ruby Else-White – image Courtenay Hitchcock BV Magazine

A small but formidable boxing club in the heart of Sturminster Newton is punching well above its weight on the international stage – and it’s the girls in particular who are getting noticed.
The Golden Girl Championship is the world’s largest female boxing tournament, the Golden Girl Championship, is held in February in Borås, Sweden. This year’s event attracted 400 participants from more than 30 countries, showcasing talent across all levels and categories.
Under the guidance of Shaun Weeks, the club’s owner and head coach, five girls travelled from Sturminster Newton to Sweden to compete.
‘This is the fourth time we’ve been,’ says Shaun. ‘The first year we just took Ruby Else-White – she won a gold medal, and was also picked out as the Best Prospect, so they obviously saw something in her even then.
‘The following year, we took two girls, and came home with a gold and a silver. Last year we went with the two Rubys, and came home with another two golds.
‘This year we’ve got more girls in the club, and we were able to take five to Sweden.
‘The youngest is Mollie Callaway, who’s 10. Mariaya Ivanova is 11, Ruby Gibbon is also 11, Courtney Steel is 12 and Ruby Else-White is 17.
‘Mollie, Mariaya and Ruby Else-White all won gold, and Courtney and Ruby Gibbon won silver.
‘Little Ruby Gibbon had to move up a weight group, because there was nobody in her weight category. She boxed a girl from Spain in the final, and lost on split decision, which was harsh. But if she had won, her record would have been five contests, five wins, two Golden Girl Championships … and it would have been very difficult to match her back in the UK! So it wasn’t all bad, and still an amazing achievement. Courtney was boxing the reigning champion from last year, also a Spanish girl, who’s had ten contests and won all ten. Courtney got through the three rounds against a much bigger and more experienced opponent. She did herself proud to get silver.

Shaun Weeks, left, with Ruby Else-White and coach Eddie Wareham. Shaun says he’s ‘my right hand man, he always travels with us.’

Best club in Europe
‘Ruby Else-White was moved up a weight category, and was drawn to fight the Icelandic national champion, an 18-year old who was obviously three to four kilos heavier than her.
‘I don’t normally get nervous when I walk into the ring with Ruby, but watching that girl walk across and get her gloves on, I thought to myself: “Oh, she looks big! Ruby’s only five foot tall!”
‘Ruby stopped her in one minute, 20 seconds.
‘And then in the final she boxed Angela De Felice from Switzerland. They’ve already fought four times, Ruby’s won on points on all four occasions – they’re good friends. But both girls stepped it up. Ruby gave Angela two eight counts in the first round, and another in the second, and then the referee stopped it early, which gave Ruby the gold through stoppage. It was actually really disappointing for both the girls. Both are very experienced, neither was getting hurt and it was a good, well-fought contest.
‘At the awards presentation at the end of the whole tournament, Ruby and Angela were presented the Fight of the Year award, which was well deserved.
‘But the icing on the cake was Sturminster Newton ABC being selected as Best Club. It was totally unexpected. I got quite emotional about it.
‘There were 400 contestants and maybe 60 or 70 clubs there from all over Europe. And we won the Best Club Award! I’m so proud of the whole team. Absolutely phenomenal!’
Increasing numbers of girls are joining the boxing club, once the preserve of the town’s boys.
‘When Ruby started, she was the only girl! There are definitely more girls coming to the Beginners Club, our entry point. In the Funbox Club – which is for five to 10 year olds – it‘s probably 40 per cent girls now. But I think that’s not just us, I think that’s true across the whole of boxing. Lots of clubs are seeing an increased interest from girls, and even girls-only tournaments are possible now. There just weren’t enough female boxers to do that even a couple of years ago. It helps that female boxing is being shown on TV now too.’

Shaun Weeks with the Sturminster Newton Golden Girls – image Courtenay Hitchcock BV Magazine

What’s next for Ruby Else-White?
Ruby will be fighting for a title at the European Championships in Croatia in April, aiming to pick up a third European title.
‘But she could be coming up against girls who are well into their 18th year,’ warns Shaun. ‘She could be giving away nearly two years to the oldest girls in the new age bracket.
‘Then it’s the Tri-Nations again, and then we have our eyes firmly fixed on the World Championships. We’re hoping Ruby will be boxing for a world title at the tail end of the year.’

Ruby Else-White Honours:
3 x MTK Lonsdale Box Cup Champion
5 x Western Counties Champion
National Cadet Champion
Bristol Box Cup Champion
Riviera Box Cup Champion
National Schools Champion
2 x National Junior Champion
2 x GB Tri-Nations Junior Champion
2 x European Junior Champion
European Nations Cup Junior Champion
2 x Women’s Winter Box cup Champion
National Youth Champion
4 x Golden Girls Box cup Champion
24 titles and undefeated for
35 consecutive bouts

Allotment update: February was soggy : The Voice of the Allotment

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Editorial team

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3 March 2024

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The greenhouse is an oasis amid the continuing deluge, says Barry Cuff – but the jobs, like the veg, just keep coming

Celeriac is still being harvested from the allotment in February
All images: Barry Cuff

It is raining again as I write this – February has been a wet month so far, with more than four inches of rain, bringing the total to nearly eight inches for the year.

On the allotment
There have been very few days this month when work could be carried out. Soil structure can be damaged by moving around on saturated ground, and most work was done from the paths.
All four plots were edged, a total of about 380 feet.
It has also been too wet and windy to burn the fruit bush prunings and the hazel trimmings; we can only have a fire on a still day as we are surrounded by houses and commercial buildings.

In the greenhouse
It’s always nice to work in the greenhouse when outside jobs are not possible. All the staging and glass was cleaned and the soil from last year’s pots emptied out. The pots were then all washed in soapy water and made ready for this year.
Most of our vegetables are sown in trays and plug trays, to be planted out when large enough. During the month we have sown Red Drumhead cabbage, a second lot of sweet peas and nine half-trays of broad beans – three varieties this year: Masterpiece Green Longpod, Witkiem Manita and Bunyards Exhibition.
Inside the house, the sweet peppers on our bedroom windowsill that were sown in January have been pricked out into individual small pots. They are at the cotyledon/first true leaf stage.
We have also had a bit of a mouse problem, so have set a few traps.

Salads
Our Oriental Leaves have finished, but we are still harvesting Red and Blue Moon radishes from the plot, together with celeriac and the odd spring onion.
We have this month sown a tray of agricultural peas in the greenhouse for a ‘cut and come again’ addition to our salads. We have also sown a tray of mixed spicy leaves for the same purpose.
The chicons are doing well – a fourth cut was made on the 20th.

The chicons make a reliable and tasty winter salad

Vegetables
Fresh from the plot, we have harvested carrots, parsnips, leeks, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, sprouts, romanesco and celeriac.
From our store we have eaten potatoes, onions, butternut squash and hazelnuts (shelled and stored in Kilner jars). From the freezer we’ve enjoyed our own peas, sweetcorn and broad beans.

Potatoes
Our new seed potatoes are chitting well in trays in the garage. We planted one Jazzy in a potato pot in the greenhouse on the 19th.
Hopefully March will be a drier month.

The littlest fox

By

Editorial team

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3 March 2024

0

The commonly found tawny mining bee doesn’t sting, isn’t aggressive, and in a world of wildlife doom is a tiny success story, says wildlife writer Jane Adams

The female tawny loves gardens, often making her nests in lawns and flowerbeds. Each nest will have several tunnels. Image: Jane Adams

Imagine a tiny fox digging in your lawn … and when I say tiny, I mean really, really tiny. Imagine it has a thick gingery coat and a sooty-black face and legs. And, as it digs vertically down into your closely cropped grass, it leaves an equally small volcano of soil behind, with a neat hole down the middle.
Over the coming days, imagine more and more of these eruptions appearing, until eventually your lawn looks like a miniature assault course.
That’s how my lawn looks each spring – and I couldn’t be happier. Initially, I thought the mini-Vesuviuses were just common worm casts. It wasn’t until a foxy-coloured insect flew past, quartered back, and promptly vanished down one of the holes, that I realised.

If you’re thinking of mowing soon and don’t want to harm your lawn-loving miners, just increase the cutting depth of your mower

Tiny warrens
These easily-overlooked insects are tawny mining bees – and they are one of the more then 250 species of wild solitary bees living in the UK.
Despite being the size of a honeybee, they don’t sting and they are not aggressive. They’re also common and widespread – something to celebrate in our seriously nature-depleted world. The female tawny loves gardens, often making her nests in lawns and flowerbeds. Each nest will have several tunnels, with individual chambers where she carefully lays an egg and stocks up with pollen and nectar (for when the egg hatches). Sadly, within a few short weeks, once her work is complete, the adult tawny will die. She will never meet her offspring, who develop slowly and hatch the following spring. If you’re thinking of mowing soon and don’t want to harm your lawn-loving miners, just increase the cutting depth of your mower for a week or two. Even better, make yourself a cuppa and watch as these bees collect pollen on their legs and deposit it in their nests over and over again. And if your neighbour asks what you’re doing on your hands and knees peering into the grass, just smile and tell them you’re watching foxes. The tiny, tiny precious foxes living under your lawn.

Tawny mining bee facts
Latin name: Andrena fulva. Fulva comes from the Latin for tawny, the colour of their foxy coat.
Females might be spotted in the morning, sunbathing next to their nests as they warm up before flying to collect pollen and nectar.
Most likely to be seen from mid to late March through to June.
Unlike bumblebees and honeybees, solitary bees mostly nest alone.
They play an important role as pollinators of fruit trees such as apples and pears, but can also be found on hawthorn, garden plants, blackthorn, dandelion, buttercups and willows.
More information: bumblebeeconservation.org/tawnyminingbee/

Your Community Cinema is back!

By

Editorial team

-

3 March 2024

0

Gillingham Community Cinema was in need of a new home following the closure of the Methodist Church.
We are pleased to announce that following a long search, a home has now been found at Vicarage Schoolroom on Queen Street!
The team behind the community cinema have been working hard to get their equipment reinstalled and working, and have announced their opening night.
The screening of Wonka (PG), starring Timothée Chalamet, will be at 7pm on Thursday 21st March. The film is not a remake of the original – instead it follows the story of the aspiring magician, inventor and chocolatier as he arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at The Galéries Gourmet, with affectionate nods to the 1971 original. Tickets are £6 for adults and £1 for children under 12, and seats can be reserved in advance by emailing Gordon on [email protected] or calling 07817 379006.
Early booking is recommended since it is likely that this event will be very popular.
The team hope to see you there!