At Wells Cathedral School and Little Wellies Nursery, we think that even with our smallest pupils, we need to remember to focus on the bigger picture. Our school values of Creativity, Aspiration, Responsibility and Endeavour are at the heart of all that we do. These four values – which appropriately also spell the word “CARE” – inspire us as teachers to nurture and develop these qualities in our pupils, with the aim of assisting them in becoming amazing young people that leave school with huge potential for life’s successes.
Why do we put such emphasis on these values? Simply put, it is these qualities – alongside our Learning Powers of resilience, motivation, curiosity, careful thinking and resourcefulness – that are so often the strong predictors of success in life. These are skills that run through every year of our educational journey from Nursery all the way up to eighteen. They grow and develop, and increase in complexity and maturity as the children work their way through school and then into their adult lives. When our children are faced with challenges or things get tough – as has been the case for so many of us in recent years – it is these qualities that will get them through.
Reach for the Stars At our school assemblies, we delve into what these, for a little child, rather big words mean! It is our job in Pre-Prep to turn these large, somewhat generic words into things that really mean something to our children. A recent focus for us has been ‘Aspiration’. We started assembly by playing the song ‘Reach for the Stars’, and explaining to the children that this means to believe in oneself and reach high. Children need to be shown how high they can reach.
Having established this idea, we couldn’t think of any better way to show this than to let our Nursery and Pre-Prep children observe the older children in the School. We chose to focus on the performing arts, and let our children enjoy a whole host of opportunities, devised and delivered by pupils from our Junior School and Senior School. One particularly memorable occasion was when our Senior School musicians put on an inspiring workshop, playing popular Disney songs on a whole host of instruments. This inspired the children in Pre-Prep to come back exclaiming that they want to play every instrument under the sun!
More recently, our Pre-Prep children also had the wonderful experience of watching a dress rehearsal for our Junior School production of Shrek, featuring pupils from Year 3 to Year 6. Our youngest children could not have been more inspired. They could not believe that underneath those costumes and all that make-up were some of the older children that they actually know! These opportunities make our children feel like anything is possible if they work for it. Our children are of course incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such inspiring role models, and we as teachers feel just as fortunate to work with them. So while we aim to inspire them, they also amaze, delight and inspire us, creating a cycle of aspiration where we’re all helping each other achieve our own personal success. We’re all reaching for the stars together! John Fosbrook Director of Admissions
Crushing costs and a difficult labour market are potentially tempered by the positivity of busy order books, says Dorset Chamber CEO Ian Girling
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A really warm welcome to my column and I hope this finds you well. This month I’d like to reflect on the economy and talk about some of the challenges we are facing as consumers and businesses. Considering what we’ve been through with Brexit, Covid and now a war in Ukraine, it’s little wonder the economy has taken a hammering. We are all obviously concerned about rising costs and the resulting decrease in the standard of living. As consumers, we are facing increasing food costs (and indeed many supermarket shelves are often empty), the cost of running our cars is spiralling and heating costs are going through the roof. This all has a real impact on standards of living and unsurprisingly, many employers are facing upwards wage pressure from their staff.
The stress circle With a record number of vacancies, employers are having to do all they can to keep staff – with many consequently seeing wage bills increase as they fight to retain their staff. This is on top of hugely increased transport and distribution costs, increasing costs of raw materials (especially steel, wood and construction supplies) and, of course, escalating energy costs. All of this is hugely eating at margins, yet many businesses are concerned at passing on these costs in the form of price increases when consumers are already so squeezed. This then leads us into what feels like a never-ending downard spiral – reflected in the latest inflation figures and comments from the British Chambers of Commerce and other business groups.
It’s not all doom But interestingly, the high number of vacancies is the complete opposite of the nationwide unemployment situation that was expected after the pandemic. Many employers are currently facing real recruitment challenges and it really is an employee market. Businesses are identifying this as a real barrier to growth at the moment and this in turn is also pushing up wage costs, simply to recruit and retain talent. What may also be surprising is that many businesses are reporting strong demand for products and services and order books are busy – indeed, many businesses I speak to are reporting record growth despite the current economic climate.
The need to plan As I say, given the last five years or so, it’s clearly going to take some time for the economy to settle and it’s fair to say we face a challenging time. However, it’s important for businesses to maintain a clear focus on their plans, look after their teams, invest in technology and, essentially, look after cash flow – the life blood of any business. Should you need any help or support, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Dorset Chamber. Until next time, Ian
Fifth generation farmer James Cossins says it’s time to explore new (old) ways to maintain cattle feed through the summer
Combining at Rawston Farm in the 1960s
Over the last two months we have been busy harvesting our grass crops into silage clamps, silage bales and hay – all to be winter feed for our cattle. In Dorset it has been a dry season, and the showers we have experienced are more of a hindrance – especially when trying to make hay! It seems that every year at this time grass growth stops which means that some cattle have to be supplemented with additional forage. We are currently using last year’s silage bales to keep the milking cows performing. To counter this, we are looking at sowing some herbal leys – following the example of many organic farmers who find these leys productive in dry weather, and perform well without any additional inorganic fertiliser. The majority of modern productive grassland consists of less than five different plant species, and are often composed of just two – perennial ryegrass and white clover. A herbal ley has a combination of 15-40 different grass, legume, and herb species like clover, chicory, plantain, sainfoin and ryegrasses. They are left down for around five years before returning to arable for two or three years. In addition to providing forage, the leys also improve soil structure, add fertility and suppress weeds. This is all part of regenerative farming – something we will hear a lot more about in the future.
Looking towards harvest Our arable crops are beginning to ripen off now. Harvesting is likely to start by the middle of July, with the winter barley crop being the first to harvest followed by our oilseeds. The crops look promising but you can never be sure until they are in the barn! With prices all over they place the marketing of these crops will be a challenge, some can vary by £20 a day. We have marketed some crops already, taking advantage of what seemed like a good price on that day. With fuel prices nearly double last year’s levels, fertiliser still very expensive and general inflation rising, the financial outcome on this years harvest will be interesting.
Tb clear finally Our recent Tb test gave us reason to celebrate; a second clear test after 18 months of testing every 60 days. We can now sell cattle to a wider market at sensible price levels. We will also not have to test for another six months which is a considerable relief. Lets’ hope we can continue to remain clear. Apparently the Tb vaccination programme may be rolled out in 2025, and although according to our vets it will not be 100% effective, at least it is a step in the right direction to eradicating this disease.
Louise Stratton with her leaving gift
In other news It is great to see the Agricultural shows back this year. In Dorset we have three great shows – the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show, the County Show at Dorchester and the Melplash Show. Great days out for everyone. The picture below shows our retiring NFU County Adviser Louise Stratton with a painting of her current horse donated by Dorset farmers. Louise has been a regular writer for the BV but now moves to pastures new within the agriculture industry, and we welcome Gemma Harvey as her successor. As we move into July lets hope the weather is kind to for harvesting and everyone can stay safe in the fields and on the roads.
Not every village has a close social life – Adrian Fisher describes how one Dorset village is successfully strengthening its sense of community.
St Nick’s Cafe
One of the wonderful things about the recent jubilee was that local activities and celebrations continued for four days. It was a once-in-a-thousand years event, and it was incredibly special. Seeing some of the same local people day after day at various events nudged relationships up a notch or several. It is often said there is more direct social interaction in villages than in cities or their sprawling suburbs. Part of the reason is the open land around each village. It makes every person in every household more relevant, just because they are there. So we look out for them a bit more – if we don’t there is always the risk that no-one outside the village will. What really helps in a village is to gather, regularly and frequently. A pub is one way, but because it’s open all hours, all week, there is not quite the same sense of gathering everyone together at one time, regardless of who they are. Something like a darts night is great, but only if you are keen on darts!
A regular meeting The ratio of village halls to houses in Dorset villages is remarkable. There’s a village hall in most villages, sometimes in a village with as few as 166 houses. Village halls are a great social resource, but they can tend to feel more institutional than a homely pub run by a keen landlord. Nevertheless, when there’s no pub in the village, some village hall committees have started holding a monthly Pub Night, which helps create a must-attend sense of occasion. And of course there’s another building nearly every village has – the church. Churches have character and attitude in spades; and as one of the oldest buildings in the village they are typically very central. A Sunday church service can lead to a social gathering place over coffee afterwards. But with falling attendances and often only monthly services, these occasions may be less regular now that clergy can be stretched to cover anything from a four-parish benefice to as many as eight churches.
St Nicholas’ in Durweston is serving a new community purpose outside regular services
A new way However in Durweston every Thursday from 8.30 till noon, St Nicholas’ church is transformed into ‘St Nick’s Cafe’, with up to 60 people dropping in during the morning. About 150 people went along on the Thursday of the Jubilee weekend. The cafe was a instant hit and has become a sustained success. Parents come in before or after dropping off their children at the school (next to the churchyard); others come in at much the same time each week. Ideas arise, are discussed and the extra people needed are roped in. New events and activities are planned and carried through. The original idea for the Blandford Film Nights, run by the Blandford Welcome Group, was proposed to Duncan Kenworthy and the late Roger Graef in September 2021 at the St Nicholas Church parish fete. More than 200 people had turned out, and again it was a great success. One newcomer, Alan, is seeking to move from the Home Counties to Dorset. He had heard of the community activities in Durweston. On the Thursday morning he visited, he was utterly bowled over by what he found. Smiles were everywhere; longstanding fellow villagers were greeting each other with warmth and joy. Someone began singing in the kitchen. He said he had never come across anything like this before, and is now eagerly seeking to find a house locally.
New communities too Refugee Ukrainian families also gather at St Nick’s, finding a place to speak to others in their own language, and to discuss their shared refugee situation. Vira, a Ukrainian teacher of the English language at high school and college level, told me that the warmth of welcome and desire at a personal level to help had been immensely impressive. But at the government level, less so. The one recurring theme among Ukrainians is the difficulty of finding work. After all they have been through, it is crushing not to be able to do something useful. For Vira, the prospect of having to spend years replicating her qualifications before doing what she is immensely proficient at doing, teaching English to Ukrainians, is soul-destroying. It’s not as if we don’t have lots of Ukrainians all around us, who desperately need to master English before they can get a job (as Irina, a proficient beautician, discovered when seeking work at beautician businesses in Blandford). St Nick’s Cafe is a remarkable success story, which has already transformed the life and spirit of Durweston. Let us hope that other villages can do something similar and build on the strengths that village life can offer.
Redundancy led to a business launched in a week during the pandemic – and now Sarah McCombe has been featured on TOWIE. Rachael Rowe reports
Sarah McCombe of Black Cat Catering Image: Rachael Rowe
When I met Sarah McCombe, she had been in her new catering unit near West Orchard for just one week. Black Cat Catering was created in the early days of lockdown and continues to thrive with its colourful grazing tables and buffets. Sarah outlined how it all began. “I worked for a company in Sturminster Newton, but there was just no work during the lockdown, and after a few months, I was made redundant. I had always done food and cookery when living in Surrey, I had a small redundancy payout, so I thought, why not? We were born within the space of a week in August 2020.” It’s not every day you hear about a business setting up so quickly, but for Sarah, things moved rapidly. “I organised a stand at a one-day event organised by Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show and I had business cards by Friday. My friend Holly creates grazing tables in Surrey and suggested I do something similar in this area.” But where did the black cat idea come from? Sarah smiles. “We have a black cat called Oreo, and my son Toby suggested naming the business after it. I also wanted something that was a little bit different.”
One of Sarah’s grazing platters
Talking of different, one of the distinctive features of Black Cat Catering is the remarkable grazing tables. If you think a grazing table belongs in a barn or have never seen one, you’re in for a treat. Think enticing, creative displays of food, and in this case, piles of local Dorset produce. It’s the kind of display that literally makes you want to dive in and graze. Sarah explained: “It’s a colourful feast of colour and textures, and each one is unique. A grazing table is not a beige buffet! However, in North Dorset, we still do a lot of traditional buffets because grazing tables are less common here. I also like to add homemade food to the display. We include selections from local producers such as The Real Cure, Dorset Blue Vinny, and clotted cream from Crook and Churn. Every table is different and depends on my mood on the day.”
Sarah also sells grazing boxes direct from her website
Successful collaborations One of the striking things about Sarah’s business is the collaborative working with other companies. Sarah loves going to country shows and talks to potential companies. “We’ll send pictures of our work and ask them if they want to be included. We’ll ask for a trial if it’s a new company.” She also works with glamping companies (her Firepit Graze boxes are popular) and events businesses. “I’ll give it a go, and if it works – great. I’m very much into celebration and creation.” Her business focus is very much on grazing tables and afternoon teas. But, incredibly, she had to learn to bake, having not done it before- you’d never believe it looking at some of the displays.
The fruit platters served on the TOWIE beach setAnd Sarah’s grazing platters taking centre screen in the TOWIE beach house
Featured on TV An early opportunity for Sarah was being approached by the TOWIE production company to provide products for their shows – their 2021 season started off in Dorset. She had to swiftly work with other companies to collate the food for grazing tables and small platters, but that opened doors. “I went to Bournemouth to set up; the downside was having to take everything onto the beach! We also had to be with the cast, so there were many photo opportunities. And I met people there that I still work with in business.” With a business set up in such a short time, I’m curious about what she’s most proud of. “Simply having the guts to go ahead and do it – and in one of the toughest environments possible.” www.blackcatcatering.co.uk
Afternoon tea for a recent local wedding
Quick fire questions for Sarah:
What went well? “That first week. When you say go, you have a short time to do things. The first show at Gillingham and Shaftesbury, where we had a display, was brilliant because we connected with many other people.”
What was not so good? “Right now – I’m still finding my feet. It’s a challenging environment at the moment, so it’s just keeping the business going.”
Best advice? “To have a clear vision of where you want to be. You also have to be thick-skinned and prepared to take a knockback. And do take time to know your clients in the first weeks. You also need to have the guts to stand by your instincts- if you have a USP, keep it.
The transition from the EU’s Basic Payment Scheme is likely to result in a big loss to the Dorset economy, says NFU county advisor Gemma Harvey
According to Defra’s Agricultural Price Index, the cost of fertiliser more than doubled between March 2021 and March 2022, with ‘red’ diesel used on farms going up by almost a half in the same period. These rising costs and simultaneously reducing support payments mean the situation is growing increasingly difficult for many farmers. But in order to deliver socially, economically and environmentally, Dorset’s farms need to remain financially resilient, profitable and productive. The rising costs are happening against the backdrop of agricultural transition, as we develop our own policy after years of being part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. A key part of this transition is a move away from direct payments, in the form of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), towards a system of payments for ‘public goods’, such as environmental outcomes and benefits.
A loss to the county Research commissioned by the Great South West Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the NFU shows that Dorset is due to lose tens of millions of pounds as a result of this. In 2020 Dorset received £38.3m in BPS payments. Payment reductions will be incremental over the course of the transition period (between 2021 and 2027). By the end of 2027 the total BPS amount lost from the rural economy of the county will be £33.5m.
A suitable replacement There is no single replacement for these payments. Farmers will be able to apply for environmental stewardship agreements, the main one being the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), due to open for applications at the end of June 2022. Many farmers and growers may also be eligible for some funding towards productivity schemes. Although still being developed, as things stand the SFI will fall far short of replacing what is lost by the phasing out of the BPS. The report suggests that SFI payments will only deliver 10 to 30 per cent of the lost BPS by 2028.
UK food production The recent publication of the government food strategy, which follows the independent review of the food system carried out by Henry Dimbleby in 2021. The strategy sets out the government’s policy initiatives, taking into consideration the more recent challenges posed by the war in Ukraine and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy. The strategy issues a clear statement of governmental support for domestic food production, maintaining our productive capacity and growing more food in this country in order to address the mounting concerns around food security. The NFU believes that domestic food production and environmental delivery go hand in hand. We are proud that British farmers have an ambition to reach net zero by 2040, while still maintaining current levels of food production.
It’s a baker’s dozen of working hours for David Mirus, perfecting his sourdough before Wimborne awakes. Tracie Beardsley reports in A Country Living
David Mirus spends Tuesdays prepping in the bread shed. All Images: Courtenay Hitchcock
As a self-confessed insomniac, ridiculously early starts and a punishing work regime don’t bother David Mirus. His alarm goes off at 12.30am in the week and midnight at weekends. He works through the night to make dough and prepare pastry for delicious bakewell tarts, scones and quiches. At 5am his wife Ann joins him to start on the fillings and the bakery opens at 9am. Before most of us have even got to work, David has already clocked up an eight-hour day – and doesn’t finish until 2pm. Despite the 13-hour shifts, he has finally found his vocation at the age of 55. “This is what I was supposed to be doing all my life,” says the man who arrived from Australia as a 23-year-old with nothing more than a backpack. A former film and TV cameraman – his claim to fame is that two films he crewed on were voted the worst ever by film critic Barry Norman – he’s worked as a linen porter for the NHS (where he met his wife) and as a chef in numerous restaurants, pubs and clubs in Australia and London. He also has a degree in art.
Artisan baker David Mirus
To the bread shed David now owns his artisan bakery – a family affair along with Ann and son Stefan. It’s tucked away down Mill Lane in Wimborne Minster, in a 260-year-old building that has seen many incarnations, from a mechanic’s garage to a furniture restorer’s workshop. With its roaring open wood oven, it’s now nicknamed the ‘bread shed’, and I defy anyone to walk past without being tempted to indulge. Its success in just three years has been phenomenal. Starting as a pop-up shop during the Wimborne Folk Festival, The Old Malthouse Bakery now has queues snaking around the block for its superb sourdough (250 loaves sold every Saturday) and renowned jam doughnuts – 120 sold daily, some partly responsible for my expanding waistline!
David Mirus starts his working day at midnight
“The alarm going off doesn’t bother me,” says David. “I go to bed about six in the evening but often still can’t sleep. I do get bad nights and if the bread suffers then I have to start again from scratch. Pastry is a devil – it will punish you if you try and make it when you’re in a bad mood. You’ve got to relax and be in the right mind-set for baking.” Music helps, and David makes pastry to loud German punk or the more mellow Elbow. The World Service is often his night-time companion. Having a Ukrainian father, he still has relations in Lviv so the news is of huge importance to him, as is the Ukrainian flag flying outside his bakery.
The family bakery started as a pop-up shop during the Wimborne Folk Festival
A family business “Food has always been a big part of our family life,” David recalls. “My dad was a real foodie. Being Ukrainian, he’d come home with such delights as pig’s trotters and smoked eel for us to eat!” David’s 27-year-old son, Stefan, is responsible for breakfast baps, cinnamon rolls, teacakes and those legendary jam doughnuts. Natasha, his youngest daughter, is also a talented baker but has chosen other paths. His other daughter Bryony didn’t seem to get the baking gene but she lived in Japan for two years and has come home with new cooking skills to share. With such a foodie-focused family, is there any watershed hour at home to stop talking about business? David says: “No, we’ve always talked about food so it never feels like we’re really talking about the business. I’ve been banned from eating my bread though. I’ve got a niece getting married this month so I’ve got to get into my wedding suit!” It’s only 8.30am when I finish the interview, time for David to lay out his array of delicious temptations as a queue already begins. I leave with a doughnut – be rude not to – and glad that I don’t have a wedding coming up myself!
David uses a wood-fired oven in conjunction with standard industrial ovens
David sells 250 sourdough loaves every Saturday Image: David Mirus
Quick-fire questions with David:
A-list dinner party guests past or present? My dad – he died at 89 about eight years ago. I’d love him to see how well the bakery is going and chat to him about it. And my Uncle Boris from Lviv – he died of Covid before I had the chance to meet him. Given what’s going on in that country, it would’ve been fascinating to get to know him. He also loved food!
Books on your bedside? I’ve got one about coffee at the moment as we’ve just starting selling takeaway coffees – the proper stuff from Honduras. Before that, I was reading a book about sourdough. I guess I never really switch off from baking.
Maggie Ollerenshaw, a proud Mancunian now resident in Stalbridge, is perhaps most famous for playing comedic Northerners, particularly in the sitcoms Last of the Summer Wine and Open All Hours (and Still Open All Hours). She has also appeared in various other television roles such as Holby City, Doctors, Heartbeat and Midsomer Murders, but off-screen has demonstrated a versatile ability, playing intense American leads in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as Shakespearean roles in The Merry Wives and King John. In addition, she has toured internationally in her own show Sincerely Yours, a tribute to singing legend Vera Lynn.
1. What’s your relationship with the Blackmore Vale (the North Dorset area, not us!)?
It all began with my husband (actor Geoff Leesley) and his son, Sam, who is autistic. When we got together in the early 2000s, Sam was at the Forum School in Shillingstone. Geoff lived in Sussex, I was in London, and we were looking for a home together. We instinctively headed west and first of all we came across Frome. We bought a house there in 2002, but we couldn’t find the house we really wanted. In 2016 we finally found the house of our dreams – and moved to lovely April Cottage in Stalbridge, opposite the church. It’s so quintessentially English!
2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
It was (Make me an) Angel from Montgomery – it’s a country song. Bonny Raitt is the singer most associated with it – she didn’t write it but was a great friend of John Prine, who did.
My musical taste is quite eclectic – I certainly wouldn’t call myself a Country and Western girl. But the lyrics to this are just fantastic. It’s like a play. The character is a middle-aged woman who feels older than she is, and she wants to get away from her life and where she lives, which is Montgomery, Alabama. It’s wonderful.
I discovered it when BBC4 ran a repeat of an old concert from the 80s when Bonny Raitt was over here doing a tour. It was at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, I think. This was one of the songs she played, and I just thought ‘that’s amazing!’
3. What was the last movie you watched? Would you recommend it?
It was a film called Cyrano, based on Cyrano de Bergerac. It stars Peter Dinklage, the small actor people will know from Game of Thrones. The original story is that Cyrano has this enormous nose – he’s in love with a beautiful woman but it’s all hopeless, and instead she falls in love with a very handsome man. Cyrano has a wonderful way with words, however, and he ends up writing the handsome man’s love letters to Roxanne. Brilliantly, instead of using Cyrano’s enormous ugly nose, the film uses Peter’s height. So clever! It’s sumptuous to look at, too. It’s a musical, but I would hesitate to describe it as one because the song interludes are so integrated into the narrative you almost don’t notice.
The other thing I love is the message – especially in this age of celebrity. The story emphasises that it isn’t what you look like that’s important. It’s really not. And it’s a message that needs saying over and over.
4. Your favourite quote? Movie, book or inspirational? We won’t judge, but would like to know why.
It’s by John Guare, the American playwright. He was once asked to go to his old college to talk to leaving students. He said (I’m paraphrasing) “the world doesn’t need more lawyers and bankers, we need dreamers, we need people with imagination. Please don’t get up in the morning and hate your life and hate what you do.”
5. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
Okay, I’m going to cook myself something. Some veggie pasta, maybe. Have a nice glass of red wine. And watch a Bette Davis movie. Or maybe Joan Crawford. But something black and white, certainly.
6. What is your comfort meal?
Egg and chips. DOUBLE egg and chips. With a little Heinz ketchup.
9. What book did you read last year that stayed with you? What made you love it?
Small Island by Andrea Levy. I was made aware of the book by watching an episode of Alan Yentob’s Imagine series, in which he interviewed her. I didn’t know anything about her at all, but she sounded such an interesting woman, and this book in particular. I absolutely loved it. It just gave me a totally different perspective on my own country.
10. Favourite crisps flavour?
Cheese and onion (swift and unhesitating!)
11. And the best biscuit for dunking?
Well. I don’t dunk. Why spoil a good biscuit, and why spoil a good cup of tea?
12. Cats or dogs?
Dogs. Proper dogs. Big dogs. Not handbags.
We can’t have one due to our lifestyle, and our place in London is three floors up with no outside space. But we always invite our friend’s dogs to stay – we’re very dog-friendly!
Maggie Ollerenshaw likes “Dogs. Proper dogs. Big dogs. Not handbags.”
13. What are your top three most-visited, favourite websites (excluding social media and BBC News!)?
Guardian
IMDB
Manchester City! I’m a BIG football fan. I come from Manchester and have supported them since I was yay high.
14. What’s your most annoying trait?
Well, I say it’s interrupting people. My husband says it’s impatience. I guess it’s probably the same thing!
15. Who’s your celebrity crush?
Idris Elba.
I was at a busy function at the BBC once and he entered the room. It was quite a large room, he came in on the far side, and suddenly you saw virtually everybody notice him. He’s one of those people who just has an aura. The only other person I saw with the same effect was George Clooney. I wasn’t even that close to him – it was a Q&A after a film, in a big cinema in the West End, and he was right down on the stage and I was way up in the circle. But again even from up there I could feel it. So charismatic …
16. What was the last gift you gave someone?
It’s a slight cheat – it’s for my husband’s birthday next week, so it’s not been given yet, but I know it’ll be perfect! There’s a wonderful traditional barbers in Curzon Street in London. I’m sending him for one of those superior shaves with hot towels – the full works
Acclaimed actress (and Stalbridge resident) Maggie Ollerenshaw takes on the BV’s Random 19 questions
17. How would you like to be remembered?
Well. I should probably say ‘as a really good friend, someone you could rely on, having had a useful life’ but that all sounds terribly worthy. I think I’d actually just like to be remembered as someone who was good fun to be with!
18. What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
I have two answers – am I allowed to be political? My instinctive response is simply people who voted for Brexit and/or the Tories.
But if you prefer, my non-political answer is golf. Is that any less controversial? (not much – Ed)
19. You have the power to pass one law tomorrow, uncontested. What would you do?
Universal income. It would solve so many problems at a stroke. And obviously would save money. Isn’t it crazy that it’s just not happening?
This was a new route for us circling the back of the Gussages and enjoying an empty path around the ancient tumuli and barrows of the Cranborne Chase. We enjoyed almost every step (read on to discover the bit we didn’t), and we fully intend to repeat this one before long. (NB – when this route was published in the June issue of the BV magazine there was a problem with the app, and only five images were showing. That has now been fixed, and you can see the full glory of this stunner of a walk)
We didn’t meet another person, the paths were easy to follow, and though the inclines look alarming on the app they are very gentle on the ground. We had a fabulous few hours taking this one at a very gentle pace, stopping to enjoy the views at every turn.
The route winds around a number of ancient barrows and tumuli
There’s nothing nicer than walking through waist high grasses – this is a section of Ackling Dyke, the Roman road, and it was thick with the sound of insects as we shushed through the grasses.
I never can resist a perfect hedgerow ‘window with a view’
Beware the small bit of super-busy road walking … This is the small road stretch outsode Gussage All Saints. Do look to your right when you reach here, there’s a lovely view across to famous Knowlton Church.
The paths are often straight for long stretches, allowing you to be free of map reading
There is a small car park at the start, but is is NOT where it is shown on the OS map; the farmer has moved it from the side of the field into the natural layby within the strip of woods. It makes total sense, and is conveniently placed – just look out for it. Our route starts where the car park is, so do trust it!
The one issue we had on the whole route was less than a mile into the walk, as we left the tumuli on Wyke Down and approached the A354. The path runs between two fields , but it was entirely overgrown and completely impassable in June (see above – the image left is the entrance, and the image right is the exit once we’d circumnavigated to the far end)- instead we hopped the fence and walked the parallel edge of the neighbouring field. Not correct, we know, but what else can you do when the bramble and nettles are shoulder high?
Apart from that, the route is clear, easy to follow and just gorgeous walking, taking in part of the ancient route along Ackling Dyke.
All the Dorset Walks we feature have been created and walked recently by ourselves, so you know you can trust them – we aim for unpopulated routes with as little road and as many views as possible! You can always see the route and follow it yourself via the free Outdoor Active app – see all our routes here.
