In memory of my friend, Nick Fisher

5 December 2022

The BV’s Andrew Livingston remembers his mentor, BAFTA-winning writer, chef and, most of all, fisherman Nick Fisher, who passed away this month

Since I heard of Nick Fisher’s tragic passing last month I have been taking the time to delve deep into his archives of film and television.
I went straight to YouTube and there, hosting ITV’s agony uncle show Dear Nick, was the man I knew. Fewer wrinkles and odd grey hairs, but still the charming, engaging man who moved into our village of Hooke when I was a child.
‘Welcome to Dear Nick, the show with more problems than you can shake a stick at, but at least we can talk about them.’
His 1996 words resonate loudly with me today as I stare at the screen and remember my 63-year old friend, whose body was found in a hotel in Dorchester early in November.

Entertaining mundanity
Nick became well-known when celebrity TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall reeled him as fishing expert on Channel 4’s Dorset-based River Cottage.
But, as a child, I just knew him as the funny man down the road with the oddly apt surname-profession combination.
Beginning his writing career in the 80s as an agony uncle for Just Seventeen magazine, Nick moved on to screenwriting for television in the 90s. In 1993 he moved in front of the camera to present his first television show – Screaming Reels on Channel 4,
a light-hearted look into the world of fishing.
Just like Dear Nick, I had never seen Screaming Reels before, but thanks to YouTube there he was again, the fishing-obsessed man I would end up knowing.
Much like his writing in the Marshwood Vale Magazine that came later in his life, in Screaming Reels Nick found the hilarity in the mundane. But this time he got to talk about fishing.
From the age of four he had been obsessed with fish, and watching him on screen you can see his passion. Nick fished all over the world, holding a commercial fishing licence, a charter skipper’s licence and being a certified yachtsman. But I saw him most frequently bobbing on his mooring in West Bay Harbour.

Writing for TV
Nick developed an incredible way with words and it was through this that I got to know him much better – in later life he would mentor me as I tried my hand at journalism.
Living with a Willy: The Inside Story is a hilarious book of Nick’s that I read during puberty. The blurb probably says it best: “This book isn’t going to teach you a lot of long Latin words ending in m, but it might just help you understand what it really means to own a daft tuft of flesh shaped like a chipolata.”
However, I mostly consumed Nick’s writing via the television. Growing up in a time before Netflix, as the credits rolled on so many BBC programmes we’d say, ‘Oh, Nick wrote that!’ Eastenders, Casualty, Holby City, Hustle and New Tricks to name a few.
He also created his own show, The Giblet Boys, and won a BAFTA for Best Children’s Drama in 2006. He dedicated the award to his three sons, who inspired the writing. He said there was nothing on TV for them to watch.
In 2016, Nick once again proved his versatility as he tried his hand at writing fiction.
Pot Luck is a brilliant story of crime, drugs, greed and, of course, fishing – specifically commercial crab fishing. It is set in Weymouth and has been so popular that it has recently been commissioned for television.

The last chat
The last time I saw Nick we stood and chatted on his drive for half an hour about chickens. The fox had just been through his backyard flock, so I donated a couple of our 16,000 hens. Those few birds were nothing compared with the time he had given me, just to help a young writer develop.
Knowing now that it was our last conversation, and having now looked deeper into his life, I wish we could have talked about anything but chickens! But I wasn’t to know what was going on inside his head.
Nick’s death has been a stark reminder that we don’t know what people are going through. In the lead-up to this Christmas I’m going to make a conscious effort to check in more with the people around me.
And wherever we go when we die … I just hope Nick has got his rod and tackle with him.

The unknown work of the Rotary Club

Editorial team

5 December 2022

Shaftesbury Rotary Club are a well known local name – but how much do you know about what the organisation actually does? Laura Hitchcock reports

Shaftesbury Rotary Club was established on 8th March 1963, and will be celebrating a happy 60th birthday in 2023. The club makes donations of between £20,000 to 30,000 each year from the money they raise, with three main events leading their year-long fundraising campaign.

North Dorset Cycle Ride
The North Dorset Cycle Ride was started a few years ago to raise awareness of prostate cancer; the popular ride that takes in the amazing natural beauty of the towns and villages around the Blackmore Vale, is Shaftesbury Rotary Club’s biggest fundraising event of the year; few people are aware that Shaftesbury Rotary Club is one of the biggest donators to Prostate Cancer UK. The next North Dorset Cycle Ride is on 14th May 2023, and will once again include three routes: the six mile family fun ride, plus the more strenuous 25 and 50 mile routes (registration is now open here). No matter which route you choose, all rides end one way – up Gold Hill to the finish line at the top!

Gold Hill Festival
The Gold Hill Festival (previously Gold Hill Fair) has now been running for more than 30 years – the popular one day festival enjoys an eclectic line-up of local music acts as well as local producer stalls, food and drink.

Wide Donations
The third big event in Shaftesbury Rotary Club’s calendar is the annual charity golf day at Rushmore Golf Club – last year a record number of 27 teams entered.
From the funds raised throughout the year, the club has given donations to local causes such as Westminster Memorial Hospital, Somerset & Dorset Air Ambulance and Mosaic; as well as national charities CLIC Sargent, ShelterBox (Disaster Relief Charity), Sight Savers and the Ukraine Crisis Appeal. Shaftesbury Rotary Club also makes an annual donation to the Rotary International project PolioPlus, which aims to eradicate polio on a worldwide basis.
In addition, the club supports KidsOut, an organisation working with women’s refuges across the UK to provide toys and games to children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence. It also organises the local support for the Shoebox Appeal, which gives support to less fortunate people at Christmas, as well as many other projects.

Youth projects
The club has also launched a couple of projects with local young people. Youth Speaks is a new debating competition for secondary school students, and in 2023 the second area competition will be hosted in partnership with Shaftesbury School. Shaftesbury School will also be the venue for the Young Chef competition in 2023.
A local RotaKids club was launched this year at Abbey Primary School; with the club members’ support, a number of activities and projects aimed at supporting the local community are being planned.

If you are interested in meeting new people, forging new friendships and making a real contribution to the local and wider community, then the Rotarians would love to hear from you!
In addition to supporting community events they meet fortnightly, and are keen to welcome new members.

A Chicago attorney called Paul P. Harris formed the Rotary Club of Chicago (one of the world’s first service organizations) on 23rd February 1905.
In 2022 The Rotary Foundation has 1.4 million members in 35,000 Rotary clubs across 200 countries. It spends $1,000,000 a day on community projects and charitable causes throughout the world.

The great British turkey gamble

Editorial team

4 December 2022

Guaranteeing a fresh turkey for your Christmas table may be a tricky call this year, says Andrew Livingston

Sadly, this year will be the first time in years that we as a farm aren’t growing our own turkeys. With Avian Influenza (AI) continuing throughout the year we couldn’t risk having 30 or so turkeys potentially contracting the disease and infecting our shed of free-range layer hens.
I miss the sight and sound of the gobbling giants down our drive, but I am definitely going to enjoy a plucking-free Christmas this year!

Turkey roulette
It hasn’t been a good year for the turkey industry.
Last year, Norfolk, the traditional home of turkeys, survived AI; this autumn the county has been decimated with cases. The Animal Plant Health Agency’s map of cases is horrific viewing.
Turkeys and geese are more affected by AI than other poultry, which means that when one farm goes down it’s just a matter of time before neighbouring farms fall to the disease.
If you can’t do without a turkey on the table this Christmas, my personal suggestion is that you buy early and have a frozen one on standby; waiting for fresh-farmed turkey is a game of Russian roulette this year.

Vaccines and superchilling
One point of good news for the industry is that the government this year reintroduced the process of superchilling.
Reserved for seasonal birds such as turkeys, geese and ducks for Christmas, super-chilled birds are frozen rapidly and then defrosted in December to be sold on the supermarket shelves.
Superchilling storage has no effect on the meat taste or texture. Of course, just because your turkey is in the fridge doesn’t mean it’s actually fresh. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is advising consumers buying turkey, duck, capon or goose products in the run-up to Christmas that they may have been previously frozen and defrosted before being placed on sale as chilled. The products should be clearly labelled as ‘defrosted’ and are suitable for home freezing if the label says so.
So if you are picky, choose carefully and read the smallest print on the label.
Ultimately, it’s a bit late for this Christmas, but this means that next year birds can be slaughtered in the summer, frozen and then defrosted for Christmas to avoid the risks of bird flu. Further ahead, there is brightening news that Norway has begun using AI vaccines on their birds. The government will have to make a sharp U-turn on the vaccine policy, but something needs to change as compensating farmers is costing the country millions of pounds.
Currently poultry is not vaccinated due to the risk of bird flu going into the food chain and infecting the public.
Like the Covid vaccine, the AI counterpart doesn’t stop birds from catching the disease but just prevents death. The risk is then what effect the disease has on humans if they eat infected meat.
You could say turkeys voting for the vaccine is the same as them voting for Christmas, but I have heard first-hand accounts of the effect of the disease on a flock of birds and it is harrowing.
It’s not just the financial implication for farmers … it’s the mental strain of having thousands of birds culled by the APHA – if they haven’t all died before they get there.
If you’re lucky it may be turkey for Christmas this year.
But if something doesn’t change soon, prepare to be carving Christmas trout on the big day!

Sponsored by Trethowans – Law as it should be

And from The BV contributors …

Editorial team

4 December 2022

We’re fortunate to have some amazing contributors to The BV. Carl Bovis often allows us the use of his amazing photography, and I’m always proud that writers Gay Pirrie-Weir and Fanny Charles are part of the BV team.

Deepest Somerset £25
The perfect Christmas gift for past and present residents of Somerset – and for all those who love the county. Deepest Somerset celebrates the food and history, the wildlife and the landscape, the iconic places, and the fascinating people who live and work in the county. The beautifully illustrated hardback, with an introduction by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales), is a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf. And all proceeds go to three Somerset charities.
Fanny Charles spent a day with one of the world’s great cheese-makers, George Keen, at Wincanton, to learn how his family has been making traditional, clothbound, unpasteurised Cheddar for more than 100 years.
Gay Pirrie-Weir talked to Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis about his lifelong Methodism. Julian Temperley talks about his historic victory over the EU to be allowed to use the word brandy for his distilled Somerset Cider.
Their first book, Deepest Dorset, is now sold out, but Deepest Wiltshire is still available. Both books make wonderful gifts for anyone with a connection to the counties, and are available from independent stockists, or direct from the Deepest Books website: deepestbooks.co.uk

100 More Birds by Carl Bovis £19
This is the follow-up to Carl’s wonderful 100 Birds.
It features another 100 of his best, or most interesting, bird photos, coupled with fascinating information from Carl about how, when and where he got the shots, some information about the birds, plus personal stories and experiences relating to the birds.
The book is a simple format across 200 pages; one side of each is a full page bird photo with its own page of personal reflection from Carl opposite.
Buy direct from Carl’s website carlbovis.com and don’t forget to have a browse of his site for other gifts while you’re there. His jigsaws and calendars always sell out at Christmas. His pack of blank greeting cards, in packs of ten, are perfect notecards to keep in your drawer.

Never been to the races? Me neither…

Editorial team

4 December 2022

My first visit to a racecourse – on a windblown and wet November day in Wincanton – wasn’t at all what I expected, says Laura Hitchcock

Never mind the weather – everyone wears a hat and ignores the rain.
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

A trip to the races always looked like it might be fun. But … to be honest, it isn’t really for the likes of me, is it?
My dad was a milkman and we lived in a big Essex town – horses were as much a part of my home life as art, ballet and opera. Not.
And yet I grew up horse-mad, absorbing everything I could from books – Ruby Ferguson’s Jill series? The Pullein-Thompson sisters’ entire back catalogue? Misty of Chincoteague (though I still have no clue where that actually is) – I had them all).
I paid attention, I studied riding theory just in case. I finally got on a horse for real in my 20s – turns out that you can learn a surprising amount from books, but a real horse definitely helps.
Children’s books about gymkhanas and showjumping abounded, of course, but horseracing? Not at all. If you’re not introduced to it or grow up with it, then it’s frankly a closed, mysterious and mildly intimidating world, even to a grown up.
So when we were invited to Wincanton Racecourse for Badger Beers Chase Day, of course I was keen but swiftly went looking for help – we’re incredibly lucky to have a pair of the UK’s top Thoroughbred breeders, Lucy and Doug Procter, writing for us.

Frodon to victory in the 61st Badger Beer Handicap Chase

The biggest question
The first worry, obviously, was what do you wear to go racing?
Well, apparently, on your average weekday race meet, it’s pretty much anything goes ‘You’ll see a lot of tweed,’ said Doug ‘but mostly because it’s what most farmers wear most days! Go with anything practical for the weather – a racecourse is an exposed place in November’.
But we were attending on one of the biggest racedays in Wincanton’s racing calendar, which is slightly more dressy. Lucy offered some helpful hints on the ladieswear front: ‘Go for long boots with dark trousers or a skirt and woolly tights. I always opt for a thick polo neck sweater (or three!), and then add a scarf. There’s nothing more miserable than being inappropriately dressed for the weather, so a weatherproof coat is a must: most people will be in a tweed or plain coloured long wool coat, or a Barbour-type/beige waterproof overcoat. And if you’ve got a cap or some kind of hat it’s much easier than juggling an umbrella when it’s raining.’

First impressions
Feeling confident from our pro what-to-wear tips, we headed to the main gates on race day. It was busy and as we watched the queue we were fascinated by who was there. Because it actually seemed to be everyone. Tweed-clad country types hunkered against the rain in their battered wax jackets and flat caps. Sharply-suited men, clearly there for a ‘lads day out’ queued noisily behind retired couples happily chatting. We saw wellies and trainers lined up alongside Dolce et Gabbana and Dubarry boots. Doug was right – there really isn’t a type of person who goes racing. It was rapidly obvious that everyone goes. We’d clearly been missing something.

The packed stand at Wincanton on Badger Beer Chase Day

Working out the system
Once inside the gate, we bought a racecard (£3.50, and DO get one, even if you’re not planning on betting; the whole day makes sense once you have one), and soon worked out the system for what to see. Obviously the day revolves around the races, but we quickly understood that it actually starts in the parade ring (sometimes called the paddock). Head there first and see the horses circling as they wait for the jockeys. I was surprised at just how close we were able to stand, and swiftly became aware that racehorses are… stunning. Powerful, elegant and very very different from the horses grazing in a field on your Sunday walk.
Now’s the point you want to look at your racecard and decide who you’re rooting for. The card’s a bit overwhelming at first – if you’re a statistician you’ll feel right at home – but there’s a key to what all the numbers mean, from the weights the horses are carrying to the names of the owner, trainer and jockey, how far they’ve travelled and a rough guide to current form. But if you’re a racing ‘pro’ like me, you’ll obviously eye up the horses as they walk past and … pick the prettiest one.
Once the jockeys arrive and mount up, the tide of the crowd flows back towards the track. Usually the viewing areas are separated according to your ticket entry (the closer to the finishing post, the more expensive the entry price), but Badger Beers Chase Day was a Single Enclosure Day, meaning anyone could stand anywhere. The stand was packed as most people chose to shelter from the weather, but, working on Doug’s advice, we headed for a gap at the side of the track, ignoring the shivering-sideways rain.
I’ve obviously watched the odd horserace on the television – who hasn’t had a bet on the Grand National? – but the experience of standing right there on the track was very new and entirely unexpected.

Contactless is taken by some of the course bookies

Suddenly feeling it
The crowd, the weather – suddenly horseracing was tangible, something very physical. And then the horses pounded past on the first circuit – mere feet away from where we stood. The noise from the stand began to build, the weather was forgotten, and we found ourselves cheering with the crowd as the pace picked up for the second circuit, eyes glued to the big screen until they rounded for the final straight and came into view.
We could actually feel the horses approaching. It’s a cliché to talk about the thunder of hooves, but what other word is there?
The noise was visceral, sandwiched as we were between the horses galloping past and the wall of sound from the crowd hollering them home.
As they passed the finishing post I was beaming – and keen to head straight back to the parade ring and do it all again.
This time I tried an actual bet – again, don’t be afraid. The bookies make it easy, and the solid advice was ‘if you’re not sure, just go for the favourite. They’re tipped to win because they’re judged to be the best horse on the course, so it’s never a bad idea’.
Nearly all the course bookies had banners declaring their minimum bet as £1 or £2, so don’t be ashamed to put on even a tiny amount, it really doesn’t matter (and some are contactless if you, like us, forgot to bring some cash. Just look for the sign on their board). We actually spent more on coffee than we did on betting, but it was a lot of fun choosing a horse, cheering them on and then going to collect our winnings (which we promptly bet on the next race, of course).

Watching on the screen doesn’t compare to standing within feet of the horses as they hurtle past

We were part of the crowd jumping and cheering local horse Frodon to victory in the 61st Badger Beer Handicap Chase. We picked a couple of winners, we grabbed a (really good) burger from a stand, a warming coffee from another, avoided the busy bars and forgot to worry about the weather. We bumped into some old friends and saw many others doing the same.
It turns out that horseracing isn’t about having a slightly seedy day of gambling, nor is it just for the poshest of hat-wearers politely chatting over a whisky.
It’s just a really fun, relaxed, sociable day – and the attitude to us as blatantly-obvious absolute race virgins, was friendly and welcoming. There’s always someone who knows the answer to a question – just ask the nearest person who looks like they might know what they’re doing.
On top of which you get to be up close to some of the most beautiful animals on earth.
So – the big question. Would we go for another day at the races? The answer to that is that we’re already marking the calendar, and booking up friends to come with us next time …

Letters to the BV Editor December 2022

Editorial team

3 December 2022

Castle Hill Closure
I’m writing on behalf of the Trustees of Cedars Castle Hill to confirm that we’ve reluctantly concluded we have to close Castle Hill House (CHH) and combine our residential and nursing activities under a single roof at our other care home, the Cedars. This move is a pre-emptive response to the financial, staff and funding-related challenges that are threatening to overwhelm the care sector.
Essentially we will offer the 11 current residents of CHH a transfer to a ground floor room at the Cedars where they will be surrounded by those they know well and cared for by staff familiar to them. All this is to be smoothly achieved by Christmas. In the meantime CHH will be ‘mothballed’ (but continue to provide office facilities and accommodation for staff) while we search for a longer term solution for the building.
We recognise that closing CHH may well cause some uncertainty and personal upset. Naturally, we’re sorry about this – but we’re a small charity, facing significant challenges, and feel we have to take action before we’re overwhelmed by events. However, we firmly believe that this move will strengthen our position – to the benefit of residents, staff, families and the local community.
Mike Hall
For and on behalf of
Trustees of Cedars Castle Hill

On Sonnaz and Roger
I was delighted to read the article about Sonnaz, the upholsterer, in your latest edition (The BV, Nov 22). I attended an upholstery course with Sonnaz in Wimborne four or five years ago, where she gave me the very best advice on recovering two wing chairs, which have been greatly admired, she is a lovely person.
Then I turned over a few pages where I read the article by Roger Guttridge about the workhouse in Shaftesbury. We recently went on a Great Rail Journey holiday to Italy and a gentleman, who was on the tour with us, overheard us saying we came from near Shaftesbury. We couldn’t believe it when he told us his parents were the last people to run the workhouse in Shaftesbury and he had gone to school in Motcombe! We didn’t even know there had been a workhouse in Shaftesbury let alone where it was, and that a workhouse was still in operation until relatively recent times.
Thank you for a good read.
Sandy Milne
by email

I do love your ‘Random 19’ column – it’s always fun and never fails to teach me something I didn’t know about the interviewee. I have always been a fan of BBC’s The Repair Shop, but I had no idea that Sonnaz was from Dorset!
You rather skimmed over it in your introduction, but the fact that she moved to Dorset as a presumably very young person with no connection here beyond her work, and then took on a position as the only female apprentice at Sunseeker – what strength of character that shows.
I attended the opening of 1855 in Sturminster Newton this week, just to meet her in person (the shop was excellent too, and I’ll definitely be back!) – and she was just as lovely as she has appeared in your column.
Thank you
Janet Moone
Wimborne

Further to Roger Guttridge’s excellent article on the family emigrating from Sturminster Newton to Australia (some of our members had never see the house they lived in while in Dorset) on 16th January 2023 it will be 230 years since the arrival of Thomas and Jane Rose and their four children as the first family of free settlers.
Our Society is holding a series of events culminating in a re-enactment of their arrival aboard the Bellona, taking place aboard a Tall Ship coming into Sydney Cove on the morning of the 16th January.
Thomas and Jane Rose Family Society
Australia

Help for the Foodbank
I am the secretary of Kilmington and Stourton WI and we recently held our Christmas celebration meeting where we had a buffet for members, carols and readings.
This year we asked our members to bring an item or two to donate to the Gillingham Foodbank and they more than responded! (see image above)
We were delighted to deliver all the food to the Foodbank and the money we raised for our raffle ticket sales on the night – £110 – will also be going to them.
We always make a charitable donation at Christmas as a WI but this year with the cost of living crisis ever more apparent, our members were delighted to be able to help such a worthy cause.
Here are the committee members, all volunteers, who organised the evening in a photo with all the donations from our members.
Bernie Isted
Secretary, Kilmington and Stourton WI

Wincanton U18s need you!
Could you be a sponsor for our Under 18s football team for the 2023/24 season?
We desperately need donations towards – and sponsors for –
Home/Away kit, training kit and tracksuits, training and match balls and equipment, registration and insurance costs.
For more information, please contact Sean Corney on 07763 708125 or email me on
[email protected]

Calling all non-Dorset readers: we want you to email us!
We know that we have readers in more than 100 different countries – we’re fascinated, and would love to know where you are, and why you read The BV every month!
Did you used to live here?
Do you have relatives here still?
Are you just a fan of Dorset?
Please email [email protected] and we’ll share some of the stories!

Christmas gift buying needn’t be stressful!

Editorial team

3 December 2022

Christmas gift buying needn’t be stressful!
As always there are a wonderful range of book ideas that make perfect presents – I’ve rounded up some of my top suggestions below, and naturally they’re all available from your favourite local independent bookseller (that’s me, by the way). Have a good Christmas! Wayne
PS – Just click the book covers to buy. And you can see all my previous Book Corner recommendations on the BV website here!

The Countryman by Johnny Scott £17
From the toad to the bumblebee, the cuckoo to the pheasant, the life cycle of the dragonfly, the attractions of the nightjar and the dove, the development of sheep breeds and the value of the cottager’s pig – these are just some of the characters of the natural world as described by Johnny Scott.

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama £25
The former First Lady shares her practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer £17 – signed copies available. The much-loved comic proves adept at noir-ish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart.

And Bob’s other half Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) …

Birds by Jim Moir £15
Jim loves birds. His popularity as a painter has soared. The simplicity and sincerity of his bird paintings have given them cult status. Now, for the first time, one hundred of these beautiful paintings are gathered together in this exquisite book.

Slow Cooker Favourites £5.99, stocking filler
For those of us with busy lifestyles and little time to spare, slow cookers are a priceless helping hand in the kitchen – with as little as ten minutes spent preparing a dish at the beginning of the day, you can enjoy delicious food a few hours later without slaving away at a hot stove.

A Ukrainian Christmas £17
‘History, stories, recipes and beautiful illustrations’ – Olia Hercules
’Christmas brings the indestructibility of hope in times of the greatest hopelessness. As long as we celebrate this holiday, we can neither be defeated nor destroyed. This is the message that Ukraine is trying to convey to the world. A donation of the sale of each book is made to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

The Lost Orchards : Rediscovering the forgotten apple
varieties of Dorset £18
About two-thirds of Britain’s small, traditional orchards have been lost since 1960. This is a loss in ecological diversity, in community knowledge and the intricacy of local distinctiveness. In 2007 the pomologist Liz Copas and cidermaker Nick Poole began a quest to find and identify old varieties of cider apple trees around Dorset.

Taking Stock : A Journey Among Cows by Roger Morgan Grenville £17
At the age of 61, with no farming experience, Roger signed on as a part-time labourer on a beef cattle farm to tell their side of the story. The result is this lyrical and evocative book.

The Book of Dog Poems by Ana Sampson £13
The relationship between us humans and our dogs has inspired some of the world’s greatest poets. Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, the poems in this beautifully illustrated anthology are a true celebration of the faithful, affectionate, delightful dog. The perfect gift for dog lovers.

Book of Cat Poems by Ana Sampson £13
This beautifully illustrated anthology of cat poetry is a celebration of the world’s most loved pet by the world’s best loved poets.
The purrfect gift for cat lovers (sorry).

Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray Williams £10
Gobbolino has sparky whiskers and magic tricks, but he wants to be a simple kitchen cat.
Reissued for its 75th anniversary with illustrations by the award-winning Catherine Rayner, this classic tale has been loved by generations of children.

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher £8
In this timeless picture book adventure. Christmasaurus wants more than anything to be able to fly, and help pull Santa’s sleigh across the sky on Christmas Eve. But flying turns out to be much harder than he thought, even with Santa’s help! One special Christmas, however, he falls down a chimney and meets a dinosaur-obsessed little boy who teaches him the magic of believing …

Oh yes it is!

Editorial team

3 December 2022

After three years, panto season is back with no restrictions. The FTR’s Gay Pirrie-Weir has rounded up your pantomime options this year

It’s pantomime and Christmas show time again, with a full house for the first time since the pandemic, and some changes to the traditional timings. Several productions are starting earlier than usual – Panto was a Christmas Eve thing once!
As always, some theatres rely on big stars of television and stage to bring in their audiences, while others have learned that regulars are what brings families back year after year. The stories, of course, are the old favourites, with their happy endings, heroes and villains, comic baddies, a fat man in a frock (aka The Dame) and lots of chances for the audience to join in, hiss, boo and shout It’s Behind You until they’re hoarse.

Cinderella
Often reckoned to be the most popular story of all, Cinderella’s reputation is borne out this year with three productions. See it at Bristol

Hippodrome with Craig Revel Horwood, from 2nd to 31st December. It’s at Poole Lighthouse from 8th to 31st December, and is ‘traditional pantomime fun, with plenty of songs, laughter and more magic and sparkle than you can shake a wand at’. Starring sitcom star Tyger Drew-Honey, making his panto debut as Prince Charming and Lighthouse favourite Chris Jarvis.
Salisbury Playhouse started early on 26th November and are running to 8th January: ‘This year’s Cinderella is packed with songs to sing along to, plenty of adventure, sparkle and laughs (for youngsters and their grown ups!) with this rags to riches tale. It’s a festive treat for all the family – do not miss out.’

Aladdin
The one about the lazy son of Widow Twankey who falls in love with a princess, but is duped by his wicked uncle into going into a dark cave full of treasure, where he meets a genie who can answer all his dreams. Aladdin is on stage at Bath Theatre Royal from 8th December to the 8th January, with favourite performers Jon Monie and Nick Wilton joined by Tom Lister. Aladdin is also at Wimborne Tivoli from 16th December to 1st January.

Beauty, Dick and The Nutcracker
Beauty and the Beast has been chosen by Bournemouth Pavilion – starring Emma Barton, it runs from 3rd December to 2nd January.
At Yeovil Octagon, old favourites Thom Ford, Gordon Cooper and Jack Glanville are back to tell the story of Dick Whittington, the boy who left the west country to go to London to find his fortune. Of course, he falls in love with the boss’s daughter, but then has to rely on his super-hero cat to help him rid the city of a plague of rats, before heading off on board ship to an island full of treasures (and foreign rats too). It’s on from 9th December to 1st January.
Further afield you can see Jason Donovan leading the cast in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Southampton’s Mayflower from 10th to 31st December, or something different at Bristol Old Vic, where the show is The Nutcracker, from 24th November to 7th January. It stars Tristan Sturrock and musician Gwyneth Herbert, and is ‘a bold and wild theatrical re-telling of The Nutcracker, full of magic, adventure and show-stopping music numbers’.

Book now
Tickets for all the Christmas productions are selling fast, so it really is necessary to book early if you don’t want to disappoint the family. Not only is the annual pantomime the ‘banker’ for theatres going through difficult times, but it is the perfect way to introduce young audiences to the joy of live performance, especially as it’s the one time they are positively encouraged to join in and make noise.
Oh yes it is!

A bugger’s muddle

Editorial team

3 December 2022

A swift look at the baking aisle in your local supermarket will tell you that the UK egg industry is in crisis. Andrew Livingston reports

Tim Gelfs’ white eggs, as featured in Eggism (The BV, May 21
Image: Heather Brown

‘A bugger’s muddle’ was the only way that West Dorset egg producer Tim Gelfs would describe the state of the egg industry at the moment.
Walk down the baking aisle of your local supermarket and it is either bare of eggs, limiting the purchasing of eggs or (worse) stocked with European imports.
As with most farming at the moment, costs to produce eggs have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For months, egg producers have pleaded with supermarkets to increase the price they pay so that farmers can break even.
Tim, who has 16,000 birds, is thankful he isn’t affected. He cut ties with supermarkets more than a year ago to sell to North Dorset egg packers Foots Eggs, who deliver to smaller independent shops and restaurants locally.
Nevertheless, the Beaminster-based egg producer has been speaking passionately to news organisations to ensure his fellow farmers have a voice:
‘The supermarkets haven’t increased the price [they pay farmers] – they use the excuse that with the cost of living crisis the consumers wouldn’t be able to afford it. But they have put up the [price of] eggs. They just haven’t passed the increase on to the producers.’

Nobody came
Thanks to the supermarkets actions (or lack of), the situation really is a “bugger’s muddle”.
In April, the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) called a crisis meeting with the supermarkets, to be held at the Pig and Poultry Fair in May. Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencers, Waitrose, ASDA, Aldi and Lidl were all invited. Not one attended.
Warnings duly ignored, the supermarkets now have no eggs and are continuing to anger farmers by blaming the shortage on the Avian Influenza outbreak.
‘They’re using that as an excuse,’ says Tim. ‘The consumers are very frustrated. The supermarkets are using it as a smokescreen against the real reason, which is that they simply haven’t paid for the eggs.
‘What we are seeing now is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve lost nearly five million pullet placings where people haven’t invested in a new flock over the past ten months. We won’t really feel the effects until next year.’

Edwina and the eggs
The national flock has decreased by 13 per cent. Sheds that previously housed thousands of birds now sit empty, waiting for the price of eggs to rise to a point where farmers can make a profit.
In the last two weeks, the cost of eggs has risen in supermarkets by more than 20 per cent – and it will continue to rise as the number of eggs decreases.
‘Already, Sainsburys have been importing Italian eggs,’ says Tim ‘I reckon by Christmas they will all be importing eggs, which is quite frustrating as they are all committed to Lion Coded British eggs. So they have thrown their commitment out the window.’
European eggs do not have the same vigorous salmonella testing as the UK industry, meaning that vulnerable people (children, pregnant women and the elderly) shouldn’t eat these eggs runny.
Farmers are now worried about the irreparable damage that is being done to consumers’ confidence in something as simple as an egg.
In the 1980s the industry experienced a similar situation when Edwina Currie, the then Health Minister, said that there was a Salmonella epidemic in British eggs. She later had to resign from her position due to the damage she caused to the industry with her false statement.
‘It’s taken us 30 years since Edwina Currie and the Salmonella threat in the 80s to get the eggs-per-capita back to where it was.’ says Tim. ‘Where is it going to be at the end of this crisis? People will switch from eggs and go and buy something else and we will struggle to get them back.’
The National Farmers Union has called for the government to intervene and ensure that farmers’ livelihoods are secured, but the new DEFRA Minister Mark Spencer has said that the Government will not step in.

More teeth required
However, West Dorset MP Chris Loder has been in direct communication with his constituent Tim and has taken the matter to Westminster. He gave an impassioned speech at the Westminster Hall Debate Support for British Farming: ‘The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) – the regulator for supermarkets, farmers and price controls – needs to be given more teeth and to have greater control so that our farmers are not suppressed. Most of my local farmers in West Dorset tell me they don’t want to receive government subsidies.
‘But they have to. And why do they have to? More often than not, they are forced into that position because the GCA is not doing its job and is allowing supermarkets to dominate the field … In my opinion the Government is ultimately subsidising supermarket profits. That has to stop.’
Tim Gelfs is calling for new legislation to give farmers the confidence to invest in producing food. He says: ‘I think the government needs to be serious about food security and introduce some legislation to take some of the power away from the supermarkets and give it back to the farmers.
‘That’s not just eggs, that’s all products, else we’ll be back at this point again when we have another crisis. And I think the crises are going to be more often because of climate change and civil unrest around the world.
‘When there’s fights in aisles over eggs like there were over toilet roll, then the government will step in. At the moment it’s all lip service because although we’ve got a shortage of eggs, it’s more of an inconvenience than a disaster. But it’s only going to get worse.’
At the Westminster Debate, Chris Loder concurred with his constituent’s view on the outlook for the British egg industry: ‘I am afraid this is the beginning of a ticking time bomb. If ever there was a time that this House had to urge the Government to give the Groceries Code Adjudicator the teeth it needs to sort this mess out, it is now.
‘If we think there is difficulty in the market today, I can assure this Chamber that in less than 12 months’ time we will not be in a situation where we have a reduction in eggs available for sale to consumers—we will be lucky if we have any eggs on the shelves at all.’

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