Over the last few months, there has been more than a little confusion locally around the existence of two ‘Blackmore Vale Magazines’ (what was once the beloved BVM). So we thought it would be a good time to clarify things – again.
We launched our digital magazine ‘The Blackmore Vale’ in August 2020 – going out monthly, we’re purely digital, and the only way to read our publication is online via our widely-shared links. We are NOT subscription only (you can read us anwyhere!), nor is it just a website – it is a shareable interactive publication, you can download it and read it at your leisure, and all previous issues can be read here (there’s a complete library underneath the latest issue).
The BV magazine (we started as simply the ‘Blackmore Vale’ but have chosen to rebrand as the BV to avoid this exact confusion) is owned and run by us, Laura & Courtenay, a couple from Sturminster Newton, living and raising our four children within the Vale, where we have lived and worked for almost thirty years.
In the month following our own launch, Lloyd and Ruth Armishaw – who also own Armishaw’s Removals in Wincanton – launched a free physical printed fortnightly newspaper ‘The New Blackmore Vale Magazine’.
Neither company has any connection with the original Blackmore Vale Magazine, for which all Intellectual Property, trade marks and copyright are still owned by Reach PLC (the exact reason why our magazine is as different as possible to the original!).
And neither company has anything to do with each other. We do not share content, we are very different publications, we are entirely separate enterprises.
If you were one of the many who wondering – we hope that clears things up. If you have any questions then please do feel free to contact us and we will of course be more than happy to discuss them with you.
Taking Will instructions from clients can, on occasion, be very straightforward. They know exactly what they want to do, their circumstances are genuinely uncomplicated and therefore their Wills are simple in form.
However, often the initial meeting with clients to take instructions turns into a friendly interrogation by the solicitor as they attempt to coax out all the important and necessary information thus allowing them to build up a fuller picture and establish the wider consequences of the Will being prepared. Clients are usually convinced at the outset that their Will is going to be really easy, and that their instructions will definitely not require a more complicated and costly Will. During the course of the initial meeting, expectations sometimes need a little revision.
Unfortunately, few clients really ever fall into that simple uncomplicated box. At the initial meeting, I will work through a series of questions to fact find what areas require more careful thought and more probing questions. It is often the follow-up question in response to the client’s answer that is most important. By the end of that initial meeting I should have all the necessary information to enable me to prepare draft Wills and the client(s) are seeing their instructions perhaps in a different light to those they had originally intended to give me.
Here’s a typical conversation that I will have with clients that often raises an eyebrow or two:
Me: “So Mr and Mrs Smith, is your property Primrose Cottage held jointly between the two of you?” Clients: “Yes, we both own it.” Me: “Now this may seem a silly question but I promise you it’s not, do you happen to know perhaps how you own the property jointly? Is it as joint tenants or as tenants in common?”
Clients: *confused faces* Me: *proceeds to draw diagram and then explain how the property can be held jointly in two different ways*
Now this simple line of questioning can have huge repercussions on how a Will later operates in dealing with the main asset, the family home, on the death of the first to die.
If a couple own their property as joint tenants then regardless of any Will, on the first death the beneficial share will pass automatically to the surviving joint owner so that they then hold the property in their sole name.
The alternative is to own the property as tenants in common which means that each joint owner is deemed to own a distinct share in the property, usually 50:50 but sometimes in unequal shares, and at the first death this beneficial entitlement passes under their Will and not automatically to the other joint owner. The Will then dictates where the half of the house passes and whether this should be outright or maybe only in trust for the survivor. Sometimes, especially if a marriage or relationship is breaking down, the Will is altered to direct their share of the house to other beneficiaries entirely.
Not appreciating this crucial point about how the property can be held and therefore not reacting to “sever the joint tenancy” can lead to some disastrous outcomes at the first death as the property passed to the wrong person or maybe to the right person but in the wrong way! This topic of conversation is especially relevant if clients are worried about potential care home scenarios for the survivor of them or if perhaps they have children from a previous relationship that they wish to benefit whilst also protecting the interests of the survivor. As such, more and more couples at the end of that initial meeting are now instructing me to prepare more complicated Wills to include something called a Life Interest Trust, to deal specifically with their share of the property.
For more information and advice, please contact Adam Hillier on 01935 846165 or email [email protected]
Whilst Artsreach aren’t able to welcome touring performers to community venues at present, many of them are working hard to keep in touch with us all, releasing lots of creative content online. Artsreach have created Digital Diary to include as many events as they can find taking place digitally over the coming days and weeks that you might like to connect with.
This was the moment when Blandford’s railway history reached the point of no return.
The arches at the eastern end of East Street had survived passenger trains by 12 years and goods traffic by nine.
But with their structural condition deteriorating and road traffic increasing, the arches were finally blown to bits on July 25, 1978.
It was a sad day for those who had used the Somerset & Dorset line, including myself, as I went travelled to Blandford Grammar School from Sturminster Newton and later Shillingstone from 1961 until Dr Beeching had his wicked way in 1966.
But it was presumably a powerful moment for the winner the local lottery that decided who got to press the detonation button.
On the right of the 1978 picture is English’s garage, where four-star and three-star petrol could be bought for 79p and 77p a gallon (about 17p a litre).
The filling station was also offering Green Shield trading stamps, which will bring back memories for those of us old enough to remember the days before plastic loyalty cards.
A 2020 view, taken from almost the same spot in Wimborne Road, shows the town houses that have replaced the garage and the open view into East Street.
Local Equestrian Community mourns the passing of Pat Burgess MBE
by Laura Hitchcock
Warmth and love radiates from the countless messages and memories being shared for renowned Wilton RDA teacher Pat Burgess, who sadly passed away peacefully on 4th November at home with her family by her side.
Born and raised in South Africa, she emigrated to England in 1964, and when injury forced a stop to her own show jumping career, Pat turned to teaching.
Hall & Woodhouse has awarded more than £50,000 to 35 local causes through its Community Chest Awards.
The annual awards are an initiative created by the independent family-owned Dorset brewer.
The aims are to improve both the facilities and the lives of people in the community by providing grants to local voluntary groups and causes that require financial support.
Lucinda Gray, Company Relationship Manager & Next Generation Family Director, said: “In a year of such challenge, we’re proud to be helping others make a difference to their communities.
“We understand, and have heard first-hand from the charities, how necessary the grants are for the survival of these local causes.
“The donations are going to a real mix of charities across the south; from youth services to mental health support, to those that specialise in facilities for people with disabilities, to free computer access for those who need it most.”
The annual awards ceremony took place virtually this year and included an online beer and cheese tasting session led by Mark Woodhouse.
Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest Awards
All winners and judges received a ‘Dorset Dozen’ beer box, a selection of characterful and crafted Badger ales, along with the recommended selection of accompanying cheeses, so that guests could participate in the event online.
As part of the Community Chest Awards, an emergency fund of £9,500 was allocated to help local causes earlier in the year during the nationwide lockdown.
Applications will be open for the 2021 Community Chest awards in March
Voluntary groups can request funding ranging from £300 to £5,000, to help achieve their aims.
Grants can be awarded for new equipment, training, transport or running costs, and made towards youth services, the elderly, or any other projects that enhance the local community.
Roger Guttridge recalls North Dorset’s most notorious smuggling gang
As many readers will know, I only need half an excuse to talk about my smuggling ancestors, and an email from Mike Coker has provided just that.
‘I’ve enjoyed reading your articles in the BV magazine and have been the owner of your Dorset Smugglers book for many years,’ he writes.
‘I have a recollection of a story that I read many years ago, the gist of which was that a gang of smugglers led by a Ridout (Roger?) were apprehended by a Customs and Excise officer named Coker (Lieutenant John?).
George Morland’s 1799 painting of smugglers at work
‘Apparently a mutually satisfactory arrangement (a bribe?) was arrived at and Ridout was allowed to go free without any blood being shed.
‘The story had some significance to me and my family as I am a Coker and my wife’s maiden name was Ridout.’
I’ve told Mike that the story doesn’t ring any bells, although that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t have some basis in fact.
If Coker really was a lieutenant, that probably means he was a member of the Coastguard, which used naval ranks but was not launched until 1822, 11 years after Roger Ridout’s death.
Neither the Customs nor the Excise, which were separate services until the early 1900s, used naval ranks.
Like most smugglers, however, Roger Ridout would not have been averse to a little bribery and corruption if it kept him out of jail.
Among the family legends handed down by my maternal grandfather, Jim Ridout, of Fiddleford, is the claim that Roger used bribed a magistrate called Dashwood by leaving tubs of brandy on his doorstep in Penny Street, Sturminster Newton.
Corroborative evidence comes from an article by HC Dashwood, published in 1895.
He described how his father and grandfather, riding late at night in or about 1794, witnessed the Ridout gang at work.
They looked on as the ‘string of horses’ loaded with ‘kegs and other contraband goods’ passed along the narrow lane between Okeford Fitzpaine and Fiddleford.
This alone could explain why Roger Ridout felt the need to part with a tub or two from his precious cargo.
And the Dashwoods were certainly well-informed.
HC’s article not only names Roger Ridout as the gang leader but also his horse, Ridout’s Stumpted Tail.
‘One or two men, armed, generally were in front and then 10 or 12 horses connected by ropes or halters followed at a hard trot, and two or three men brought up the rear,’ says Dashwood.
‘This cavalcade did not stop for any person, and it was very difficult to get out of their way, as the roads, until the turnpikes were made in 1824, would only allow for one carriage, except in certain parts.
‘The contraband goods were principally brought from Lulworth and the coast through Whiteparish [Winterborne Whitechurch] and Okeford Fitzpaine, through the paths in the woods to Fiddleford, and thus distributed.’
Dashwood describes Fiddleford Mill and Farm as a ‘great depot’ for smuggled goods, which would be hidden under hay and straw provided by the farmer.
The contraband would be moved further inland at a later date and eventually sold duty-free.
Mill Farm, Okeford Fitzpaine, home of Roger Ridout, pictured in 1982
Roger Ridout was my five-times-great grandfather, and since hearing the family legends in the 1960s, I have been able to piece together his life.
Here are some of the facts I’ve uncovered:
• Roger was born at Farrington, Shroton, in 1736.
• His mother was a Fiddleford girl, Susannah Appowell.
• At the age of 10, Roger inherited his grandfather Thomas Appowell’s leasehold house and grounds at Fiddleford.
• In 1756 he married Mary Hancock of Sturminster Newton and they settled at Okeford Fitzpaine Mill.
• In 1770 Poole’s Collector of Customs reported that ‘Isaac Gulliver, William Beale and Roger Ridout run great quantities of goods on our North Shore’.
• In 1781 Roger, Mary, their eldest son William and a fourth man were tried for murder at the Dorset Assizes but acquitted.
• In 1787 Roger was jailed at Dorchester for ‘smuggling’ but released two weeks later after paying his £40 fine. This was very unusual and suggests his smuggling was doing very nicely!
• Mary and Roger died in 1809 and 1811 respectively and are buried in Okeford Fitzpaine churchyard.
It was an unfortunate present purchase that sparked Casey Gregory’s idea of setting up a luxury online gift store.
Casey, 43, had struggled to find the right gift for a close friend’s 40th.
She ended up panic buying a rather expensive pair of earrings at the last minute.
Casey Gregory by Dave Lewis
But when the friend opened the box, her muted response told Casey that the earrings weren’t quite right.
She said: “What should have been a joyful experience turned out to be a little awkward for us both.”
It did, however, spark a gem of a business idea.
And that idea was to lead to byFoke – an online business offering curated gifts, sourced from unusual, design-led independent brands.
Then either prepared in gift boxes in advance and sold online, or sourced bespoke based on budget and the tastes and interests of the recipient.
For Casey it was a dream business.
She had always enjoyed giving gifts as much as receiving them.
And she always felt the gift giving experience should be as rewarding for both the giver and the recipient.
This fuels byFoke’s mission and led to its tagline – “They’re happy. You’re happy. We’re happy.”
byFoke is run from Casey’s home in Hilton, about eight miles from Blandford.
The business is as much about the service as it is the products.
Each byFoke gift is thoughtfully curated from a selection of handpicked brands, packaged in a luxury gift box and sent directly to the recipient.
By Dave Lewis
Casey writes a gift message by hand on a notecard enclosed within every gift box.
The gift wrapping is done for free and so the customer pays the same as if they had bought each product separately.
“I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with how presents are wrapped and presented, I think half the joy of receiving a gift is the experience of opening it,” she said.
Casey previously owned a women’s clothing and lifestyle store in Blandford.
She said the key to the shop’s success was the personal experience offered to customers.
This not only included a personal shopping service, but every item purchased was wrapped before being given to the customer.
sustainable luxury gift boxes byFoke By Dave Lewis
All of byFoke’s packaging is 100 per cent sustainable.
“Unfortunately, not as easy to achieve as you’d think,” said Casey.
Also, for each box sold, byFoke clean a square metre of Dorset coastline “throughout the autumn and winter when all the tourists go home and the beach cleaning services stop,” she said.
Casey runs byFoke with her husband Dan, a graphic designer, illustrator and animator, pictured left.
They have worked together for many years, as they also own a small boutique design agency called Caravan.
It means Dan has been able to design all of the branding and packaging for byFoke and build the online store himself, saving the couple a huge amount of money during the start-up phase of the business.
His design background, which includes designing games and interactive comics for Lego as well as branding for a number of museums and attractions including Dorset County Museum, Paulton’s Park and Royal Museums Greenwich, also allows byFoke to offer in-house branding services for any of their corporate clients wishing to have bespoke branded gift boxes for their corporate gifts.
Casey and Dan Gregory launched byFoke in August 2019, initially to corporate clients.
The business then expanded during the autumn and winter of 2019 to friends and family.
The couple spent months researching their business plan and independent suppliers and wanted to start with a “soft launch” to see how the idea of byFoke was received and allow it to grow slowly and organically.
byFoke offer sustainable luxury gift boxes. Image By Dave Lewis
However, with the onset of Covid lockdown this spring, they saw sales soar as the appetite for personal, curated gifts rocketed.
Casey said: “People wanted that personal, helpful shopping assistant experience from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
“They couldn’t go out to the shops but wanted to reach out to make loved ones and colleagues smile.”
Dan added: “It’s been a bit of a logistical nightmare as initially we weren’t expecting to sell the kind of volume that we have been.
“Fortunately because most of our suppliers are small and we manage all areas of the business in-house, we have been able to adjust to the demand with no problems and have been steadily growing over the last six months.”
Lockdown resulted in a boom in sales of ‘Stay at Home’ gifts – a new section of gift edits curated by Casey specifically for the needs of lockdown.
These included packets of seeds, gourmet popcorn and embroidery kits.
By Dave Lewis
Casey has already started curating a selection of luxury autumn/winter gift edits ready for Christmas this year ranging from £23 to £84.
She is now running the business full-time while Dan is currently juggling both businesses.
For a bespoke experience, people often call up with a budget, explaining a little about who they are buying for and then Casey collates four different “gift edits” that the buyer can choose from.
Something tells us that Casey is in for a busy few months…!
Relationship breakdown can be one of the most stressful and emotional experiences you can have. Whatever the reason for your separation, whether you were at fault, or not, the breakdown of a relationship can be devastating.
Your future may suddenly appear very uncertain and out of your control; for many this can be overwhelming.
Everyday life can become disrupted. There may be changes to your routines, responsibilities and how you care for your children. You may face uncertainty with your home or finances, and relationships with extended family members and friends may change.
Exacerbating the already difficult situation, we have the added dimension of the coronavirus pandemic, which has undoubtedly created additional uncertainty and raised the potential for increased conflict.
You do not have to face this alone. Make the right choices for you and your children by choosing a Resolution lawyer to help you through this difficult time.
Resolution is a group of family lawyers, and other professionals in England and Wales, who promote a constructive and non-confrontational approach to family matters.
Our Family lawyers are all members of Resolution; we treat everyone with respect and without judgement and we act with integrity and objectivity, encouraging solutions that consider the needs of the whole family, and in particular, the best interests of the children.
As members, we follow a Code of Practice that promotes an approach to family law that is sensitive, constructive, cost-effective and most likely to result in an agreement.
