Wanted – one honest politician

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10 February 2024

They say there’s no such thing as an honest politician, but that’s an over-simplification. Some politicians are genuinely driven to do their absolute best for all their constituents, particularly the less fortunate ones, and often do so at great personal cost to their private lives. Unfortunately there are others all too willing to accept donations or favours from corporate businesses, and in return they lobby government on behalf of those businesses.
The gambling industry, for example, uses this tactic to influence politicians, as do the fossil fuel companies.
Polls show that the majority of UK citizens now accept the need for urgent environmental action. The fossil fuel industry has therefore changed tack, and now promotes Climate Delay with the message: ‘Yes, of course the climate is changing, but it’s fine. We still have time, so we can all relax and carry on burning fossil fuels for a while yet’.
It’s what we all want to hear, that things aren’t as bad as they seem and that we don’t have to change our lifestyles too much.
Seductive. And destructive.
Try telling the people whose homes and businesses have already been flooded twice this winter that we don’t have to take urgent action.

Don’t tell us
Moving on to New Year resolutions, here’s one I wish all politicians would adopt – Tell the Truth.
Don’t tell us you’re committed to protecting the environment, and then abandon it as ‘green crap’. Don’t tell us you’ve an ‘oven-ready’ Brexit deal, when you haven’t. Don’t tell us you’re building 40 new hospitals, when you aren’t. Don’t tell us that Rwanda is safe to send asylum seekers to, while granting asylum to Rwandans fleeing persecution from their own government. Don’t tell us you’re on track to reach net zero by 2050, when your Climate Change Committee states that you are not. Don’t tell us more drilling in the North Sea will ensure the UK’s energy supply, when most of the oil and gas will be sold on the global market. Don’t tell us the drop in inflation is thanks to your policies, when the real cause is a global drop in prices.
Now, more than ever, we need honest politicians.
Ken Huggins
North Dorset Green Party

Combat the winter blues

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Editorial team

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9 February 2024

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From SAD lamps to simple self-care, Dorset Mind ambassador Lucy Lewis shares some tips for thriving during winter’s gloom

As the days get colder and darker, it is common to notice similar changes in our own mood and wellbeing – the decrease in daylight hours and the arrival of gloomier weather can have a significant impact on our mental health. It’s a phenomenon commonly referred to as the ‘winter blues’ or even Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in more significant cases. But there are some strategies that may help you to manage your mental health during the winter months when the weather becomes melancholy.

Make the most of the daylight
One of the primary reasons for winter blues is the reduced exposure to natural daylight. Lack of sunlight can disrupt our circadian rhythm and decrease the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in mood regulation. This can in turn lead to sleep issues, reduced energy and low mood. To combat this:
Open your curtains and blinds during the day to let in as much natural light as possible and try to sit near a window when you can
Maybe invest in a light therapy box, or ‘SAD lamp’, which mimics natural sunlight and can help improve your mood and energy levels
Spend time outdoors, even on cold and overcast days. Just a short walk during daylight hours can make a significant difference.

Maintain a consistent routine
The winter months can disrupt our daily routines – it feels easier to stay in bed longer, skip exercise and avoid social activities. However, maintaining a consistent routine can be a powerful tool to manage your mental health. To combat this:
Set a regular sleep schedule to ensure you’re getting enough rest.
Incorporate physical activity into your routine, even if it just means doing some indoor exercises
Make plans with friends or family to stay socially engaged, even if it’s just for a video chat.

Practise self-care
Self-care is essential all year round, but it becomes even more crucial during the winter when our mental health may be challenged.
Incorporate it into your daily routine:
Engage in activities that bring you joy – perhaps reading, painting or playing music.
Practise relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation or yoga.
Ensure you’re getting enough rest to recharge your mind and body.
Remember that self-care is not a waste of time; it is productive and important and can help you maintain both your physical and mental health.

Stay mindful of your diet
Comfort food becomes far more appealing during the winter months, but a poor diet can negatively affect your mental health. Opt for a balanced diet:

Include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your meals.
Limit your consumption of caffeine and alcohol – they can exacerbate mood swings.
Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day.
Consider vitamin D supplements if you are not getting enough daylight (discuss with appropriate medical professional first).

Seek professional help
If you find that your winter blues are becoming overwhelming and affecting your daily life, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Talk to your GP if your feel that your daily functioning is being affected by your low mood.

Support for you:

Visit dorsetmind.uk for local mental health support and ways to keep mentally healthy
Call Samaritans on 116 123 for free 24/7 emotional support
Call Dorset’s mental health helpline Connection for support on NHS 111
Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger

When funerals are the family business

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Editorial team

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9 February 2024

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Tracie Beardsley meets a fourth-generation funeral director and discovers what it’s like to have a job that can be a conversation starter – or fast finisher!

Formal attire isn’t always wanted – Richard has been requested to dress down in shorts and a t-shirt – All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

In 1897, in the small village of Broadwindsor, carpenters and gatemakers Arthur and Ernie Wakely turned their skills to making coffins.
Arthur’s son Jack helped his father and uncle in the family business and, with an entrepreneurial eye, he purchased a small funeral business in Bridport. Fast forward more than 120 years and that funeral business has burgeoned into 14 offices covering an area from Sidmouth to Wincanton.
Jack’s grandson, Richard Wakely, is the fourth-generation funeral director to join A. J. Wakely & Sons. Richard says: ‘It wasn’t my plan to come into the family business. My dad, Clive, a director in the firm, never pushed me or my three sisters. It wasn’t like TV’s Succession! Dad wanted it to be a natural progression. This is more of a vocation than an actual job. You’ve got to want to do it.’

Richard Wakely, the fourth generation funeral director. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock

After leaving school, Richard worked in the Philippines for the charity Mercy in Action. ‘That experience was life-changing for me,’ he says. ‘I grew up so much in three years.’
Working in the charity’s homes for vulnerable children in the Philippines, Richard ran a summer programme for street kids and a drop-in centre for orphans. ‘We’d feed them and give them a basic education.’
A keen sportsman, Richard spent time going into the community and playing basketball with the kids. This success led him to run an after-school programme as a full-time job. ‘A lot of the kids had no electricity in the evening and were doing their homework by candlelight. Opening the day centre at night gave them a safe space to study.’

Richard Wakely outside the Sherborne office
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

We’ll find a way
Returning home, a casual chat while walking along the beach with his dad led to him joining the family business aged 21. Richard began learning the ropes as a general employee. He worked on the fixtures and fittings of coffins, having inherited his great grandfathers’ craft skills, and he shadowed experienced funeral director Matthew Paterson.
Richard juggled working with studying for his funeral director’s diploma. ‘Incredibly, you don’t legally need any qualifications to be a funeral director. It’s scary to think anyone can set up – without the right facilities, knowledge, or empathy that this work requires. Hopefully regulations will be coming in soon.’
After nine years, Richard now runs two of the Wakely offices. ‘Our motto is: “we will say yes and then work out how to do it”!
If a family wants it done and it’s legal, we’ll find a way.’
This includes unusual requests – Richard researched if a lady could keep her husband’s skeleton hanging in her office (she couldn’t).
He’s also been asked to dress down in shorts and a t-shirt rather than the usual funeral attire of tailcoated suit.
‘The taboo of talking about death has changed. People are keener to organise their own funeral and take the burden off loved ones. People want a personal touch. We now have a Land Rover Defender converted into a hearse for funerals on private land. Sometimes it’s just in a field with hay bales for the mourners.’
What is the reaction when Richard says what he does for a living? ‘I always say it’s either a conversation starter or finisher. Some people are surprised and hesitant, not wanting to know more. Others ask questions – lots of them!’

‘We will say yes and then work out how to do it – if a family wants it done and it’s legal, we’ll find a way.’

Tough days
Richard’s faith helps him handle the emotions of dealing with death every day. ‘Praying through things really helps. My wife Emily is also a fantastic support. And as soon as I walk through the door, I’m bowled over by two young children and a baby. Work goes to one side for family time and that helps a lot.’
Organising a funeral for a baby or child is the toughest part of his job. ‘You feel for the parents.
‘Also, I’m always struck by non-attended funerals, where the deceased has outlived all friends and relations so there are no mourners. You become the congregation, and when you hear about their incredible lives, it’s very moving. I remember one chap who had been a spy gathering intel during the Second World War. We’re coming to the end of that generation. Such heroic stories will be buried forever – I’m very privileged to hear some of them.’

David, Simon, Clive and Jack Wakely at the opening of the Sherborne office in 1999

Quick fire questions:

Top dinner party guests?
My rugby heroes, Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter. Jesus would be cool … and my great grandfather, so I could thank him for starting the business!

Book by your bedside?
Imagine Heaven by John Burke

The balance of national well-being

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Editorial team

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9 February 2024

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Addressing the complex tapestry of security, Simon Hoare MP discusses defence, environmental threats, and energy independence as key areas

While there are always many issues that generate heated debate among friends and family (and sometimes between Member of Parliament and constituent … [although rarely in North Dorset, naturally!]) I believe that one thing that unites most people is the issue of security. Like many words, security manifests itself in many ways. It is a good catch-all word and there are various issues of security that I think will be important both this year and in the future.

At home
The first duty of government is the security of the country – it is a long established rule. There is little point in having good public services etc if one cannot defend them.
We live in an increasingly insecure world – the Middle East and Ukraine underscore that, along with a myriad of international rows, wars and skirmishes. Our policies on defence are important to provide both that security umbrella at home and also the opportunity to act overseas, alone or in concert with others, to defend our interests, values – and mankind.

The environment
Increasingly, environmental security is pivotal. Clean air and clean water are the obvious ones, but the insecurity occasioned by climate change is now as much a security issue as it is an environmental issue. The potential for our fellow humans to be forced to flee uninhabitable portions of the planet creates, in great part, the problems and tensions caused across Europe by people fleeing their homelands.
As above, global insecurity and the displacement of people as a result of warfare and territorial struggle add to this problem.

Our food
Disruption to international trade in the Red Sea illustrates once again the importance of food security. Of course there is a place for rewilding and similar projects, but these should be focussed on land which is unusable for food production. A nation which cannot feed itself is indeed too vulnerable. So we must focus on sustainable, environmentally-neutral farming and food production. We cannot afford not to do so.

Our energy
Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine highlighted our high risk and fragile reliance on foreign energy sources. We cannot afford, financially or morally, to be in a position where we rely upon overseas fuels, even when they have to be sourced from an enemy and where the purchase of the oil or gas adds to the aggressor’s war chest. That is why I have consistently supported the drive towards carbon neutral, UK-generated energy, as well as accepting the realism that, as industry and domestic life transition to Net Zero, oil and gas will continue to be required. Given that fact, I would prefer it to be from low-transport miles UK sources which also protects UK jobs. For some it is an uncomfortable balancing act. Not for me.
Pragmatic realism has always been my hallmark.

Our economy
Economic security at home, for all of us, is the most immediate pressure. The falling rate of inflation and the easing of interest rates help us all to feel a little more secure. The reduction in National Insurance contributions (hitting pay packets even as I type) is a help, as is the promise of tax reductions in the Budget. These changes, if any, will not be delivered as a result of ideological purity but with the understanding that household financial security is important and only where reductions can be afforded sustainably.
Our country, and the entire world, has come through incredibly choppy waters. I believe we will not only have weathered those storms but come out stronger and more resilient as a result. We will keep the elements of security to the forefront of all policies. I owe that to you and I will play my part in delivering on that agenda for all in North Dorset.

All you can eat, build-your-own kids pancake party!

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8 February 2024

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Thyme after Time Cafe in Stalbridge has announced a new Pancake Day Event – kids can come and enjoy unlimited pancakes form the Build Your Own Pancake buffet!
The cafe will be going flip-pancake-tastic for one day only, making their delicious pancakes using Silverthorne Farm free range eggs and the whole milk from just down the road at Woodbridge Farm.
Choose from a delicious selection of pancake toppings – lemon, sugar, nutella, ice cream, marshmallows, banana, chocolate buttons, sauces, syrups, cream and more! It’s an unlimited return buffet – the only rule is that you must have finished what was on your plate before you return (because no one likes food waste!). The price includes unlimited drinks, too: choose from delicious hot chocolate, cold milk, squash or water.
And there will also be a pancake day-themed colouring table to keep busy between pancakes!
The Pancake Party for children (and their adults) is on Tuesday 13th Feb, 9 to11.45am, cost is £6 per child or £10 for two kids (there will also be an Adult pancake day menu available!)
Booking is advisable as there are limited spaces available – simply call 01963 362202 Monday to Saturday between 7.30am to 2pm

Wherefore the ‘black’ in Blackmore Vale?

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8 February 2024

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Delving into Blackmore Vale’s past, Richard Miles reflects on its changing landscapes, from Thomas Hardy’s era to the impact of modern lighting

The view from the ridge above Minterne Park – Thomas Hardy’s chauffeur drove Hardy to this spot so that he could delight in the view of his ‘Vale of the little dairies’
Image: Richard Miles

If you search the origin of the name ‘Blackmore’ or ‘Blackmoor’ in Google, you will be told that it is derived from the Old English (OE) word “bloec” meaning “black, dark”, and “mor”, meaning “hill”. But beware of Google as it often oversimplifies things. The word ‘mor’ in Anglo-Saxon times also referred to a ‘morass’ or ‘swamp’ and could mean an area of raised ground liable to hold water: one that would be difficult to grow arable crops on, for instance. As to the ‘black’ part of the name, this was written as ‘blæc’ or ‘blÆc’ and could mean ‘ink’, the colour black, or dark. A variant of this is the OE feminine noun ‘blæcce’ meaning black matter.
My feeling is that anyone viewing Blackmore Vale from one of the surrounding hills, such as from the Dorset Downs to the south more than a thousand years ago, would have seen predominantly forest, which, during most of the year (apart from high summer), would endow it with a more-or-less dark, shadowed appearance.

The Hardy Way
Some 15 years ago while walking along the elevated ridge above Minterne Park in the direction of Dogbury Hill in search of a picnic place, I noticed that at one particular place you can see clearly both sides of the ridge: to the left (south-west) the upper reaches of the Cerne Valley near Minterne Magna, whereas over to the right a splendid panorama unfolded of the Blackmore Vale. So, drawn by the view, we turned right through the gate and walked a little way down the slope (OS map reference
ST 6684 0456) encountering two ladies who had just finished picnicking at that very place. In conversation, we discovered that one of them was a granddaughter of Thomas Hardy’s chauffeur. She said that during the 1920s he occasionally drove Hardy along the track to that same spot so that he could delight in the wondrous view of his ‘Vale of the little dairies.’
The track above this spot has recently been named the ‘Hardy Way’.
A century has now passed since Hardy surveyed the scene that he wrote about in Tess of the D’Urbevilles. What would Hardy make of the Vale nowadays? I would like to think that its name is still very appropriate, but I fear that nothing remains the same and the little smallholdings have largely disappeared, as has much of the woodland, transformed by larger scale farming methods over the intervening years.
Another change has been the march of technology – and in my role as dark skies adviser to Dorset CPRE, I have seen a widespread increase in lighting across the Vale. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against lighting per se. But we need the right type of lighting, in the right places, pointing the right way and switched on at the right times.
Dorset does have a good deal of ‘full cutoff’ street lighting (designed to direct the light downward and outward, rather than upwards towards the sky), and those bright sodium lights – some of which used to illuminate the dual carriageway between Sherborne and Yeovil – have thankfully now been replaced. But the countryside is also threatened by ever more development, as well as the introduction of more and higher-intensity LED lighting and the like.

Modern car headlights
One little-known fact about modern lighting is the trend towards ‘white’ light. No doubt you will have noticed those particularly dazzling headlights in new cars. The manufacturers claim they provide improvements in safety for the driver and add a stylishness to the look of the vehicle.
However, has anyone considered the problems they create for other road users and wildlife? To make the light appear white requires adding blue light to the spectrum they emit, but unfortunately ‘blue light’ is invariably ‘bad light’! One reason is that scattered light causes glare, and the amount that is scattered is much greater at the blue end of the spectrum. Technically speaking, scattering increases as the fourth power of the frequency, so the bluest light we see scatters about 16 times worse than red light of half the frequency. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlights are the worst offenders as they are both four times brighter than the standard yellow halogen light but they also have this nasty blue tint.
As well as wet weather and wet windscreens enhancing their glare, as we get older our vision also suffers from scattering of light inside the eye – blue light especially. Yellow-tinted driving spectacles work well, I’m told.
Although white headlights were first permitted as early as 1993, I was astounded to discover that in 2019, the EU mandated the use of ONLY white lights in main and dipped-beam headlights in new vehicles – and that these headlights emit a higher proportion of blue light than is present in daylight. One small relief – since Brexit, the UK has not had to adopt this rather draconian change and yellow headlights are still permitted here!
But what about the effect of unnatural levels of blue light on our wildlife and human health? That is a whole new story that has yet to be fully understood. My concern is that the march of technology will lead to the ever-increasing use of HID and LED lighting, to our own detriment, and that with increased light pollution (especially by blue light) across this part of Dorset, we will lose even more of the ‘black’ of Blackmore Vale!

A wander through Colehill Wimborne | POSTCARDS FROM A DORSET COLLECTION

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Editorial team

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8 February 2024

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This month Barry Cuff has chosen a couple of postcards of Colehill near Wimborne Minster.

Sent initially to Titchfield, this postcard was forwarded on to Seven Sisters Road in Holloway, London. It was sent in January 1910 to a Miss K Bond c/o The rev’d Matthews, and appears to be simply known as ‘Nurse’. She in turn seems to know the gentleman of the sending couple by his surname – perhaps they were all in service together?:
‘Dear Nurse We had quite a surprise on Sat, Burling met Anstee (?), and Mrs M have taken a house about 7 or 8 minutes walk from here, so I suppose we shall [have] the pleasure of seeing you & the family soon. Only fancy Mrs M coming to live so near us, it really was a surprise. Our very best respects to Mr & Mrs Matthews & love to yourself from your old friends H & E Burling’

‘Millie’ sent this chatty postcard of the stores and post office at Colehill to Miss D Morris on 13th October 1908 – Millie feels like a young girl. Dorrie’s address is simply ‘Stanley Villas, Downton, Salisbury’, which we cannot find in modern day Downton:
‘Dear Dorrie Very many thanks for P.C. was very pleased to receive it and to hear you are all well. Have made another sachel with the silks and have begun a glove case which I hope to finish this week. Give all my love to all, yourself included. Best love, Millie

*Barry has always understood that postcards were often written upside down ‘to prevent the postman reading them’. It’s a puzzle as to which way up to display it on the page! – Ed

Come racing at Badbury Rings!

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8 February 2024

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Tickets for the ever-popular Countryside Alliance point-to-point at Badbury Rings on Sunday 18th February, kindly supported by Howden Insurance and Savills Estate Agents, are now available to buy online.
If you are new to point-to-pointing, it is a form of amateur horse racing, where horses and jockeys race over steeplechase fences. It is a great day out in the countryside where you can meet family and friends, watch a fantastic sport and socialise. When you arrive grab a race card and study the form of each horse as they walk around the parade ring.
There is no better location than the historic Badbury Rings – an Iron Age Hillfort between Wimborne and Blandford – where from the top you have sweeping views out across Dorset. The course at Badbury Rings is rectangular and undulating with an amazing view of the four fences in the home straight, so you can watch the horses battle it out to the winning line. An amazing way to watch horses who love what they do speeding across the line to applause.

Plenty to do
Gates open at 10am with the first race – the Countryside Alliance Club Members Conditions Race – starting at 12 noon. This allows plenty of time for racegoers to arrive in good time, enjoy the entertainment and perhaps consider a visit to the bookmakers for a flutter before the first race. It’s a super family day – enjoy a picnic or purchase a variety of food and drinks from the stalls, and stroll around the trade stands selling many great locally-produced gifts and products. Another firm favourite of this annual event is the family dog racing so bring your dogs along too!

The Patron experience
There are a limited number of Patrons’ tickets available – these offer a thrilling race day experience which includes entry and parking. Other inclusive benefits of the Patron’s package are all-day access to the designated marquee area, which is positioned in a prime location and offers seating, a welcome aperitif and buffet lunch, refreshments throughout the day and a complimentary race card.
Tickets for the Patrons’ area cost £45 each and must be ordered before 10am on Friday, 9th February. You can purchase your patrons’ tickets HERE.

Early bird tickets are currently available to buy online at £12.50 per person – card or cash entrance on the day is £15 per person. Further details can be found on the point-to-point website, just click on ‘Buy racegoer tickets’.

View the full 2024 list of point-to-point meetings here.

Rare chance to go behind the scenes at Swanage Railway

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7 February 2024

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Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are to stage a two-day Community Weekend, offering a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of the award-winning heritage line. The special event takes place on the weekend of 17th and 18th February, with staff at Swanage, Herston, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden stations all taking part.
There will be the chance to drive a 1950s heritage diesel shunter at Swanage for £20, watch a train guard or on-train travelling ticket inspector perform their duties for £5, as well as enjoy £5 behind-the-scenes tours of the award-winning signal boxes at Harman’s Cross or Corfe Castle stations.
Free events include guided access to the footplate of a steam locomotive at Swanage, visits to 1960s heritage telephone exchanges at Harman’s Cross and Corfe Castle stations (both subject to volunteer availability) and the chance to have a go at signalling at the Corfe Castle signalling museum.
Event organiser and volunteer guard Clare Collins said: ‘Our Community Weekend is a different and interesting day out for all the family – a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of a working heritage railway, explore some of the many different roles required to operate the Swanage Railway and find out about varied volunteering opportunities.’
In addition, for people living in the BH and DT postcodes, half-price train tickets for the Community Weekend are available in advance from swanagerailway.co.uk.