We’re excited to bring you the very first official pre-show magazine for Frome Agricultural & Cheese Show! It’s been a special one for us to work on – not least because CHEESE! Inside you can obviously find a handy map and timetable for the day (be sure to download or screenshot them!). But that’s not all …
• Meet Jonathan Marshall, the horseback falconer, who will be headlining the Main Ring with his Free Spirits show.
• Discover what’s happening in the totally FREE Play Zone – there’s so much to keep everyone happy, and all at no extra cost!
• We round up What’s New for 2024… (hint: may contain Mangled Wurzels and people dressed in flowers!)
• We asked the show team and got the top insider’s guide on What Not To Miss…
• Ever wondered what the judge is judging? Don’t fret – we went and asked them so you don’t have to. Cows, Camembert or carrots, we’ve got all the answers.
• Paul Hooper OBE is this year’s Frome & District Agricultural Society’s Vice President. Such an important role comes with serious responsibility, of course – so we’ve asked him 19 quick-fire questions on such hefty issues as the best biscuit for dunking and the last song he sang out loud in the car…
From washing dishes in Newmarket to Royal commissions, leading equestrian artist Charles Church answers the 19 random questions
Interview by Sally Cooper
Charles Church in his studio with a current work in progress All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
Charles Church’s reputation as a quiet man was up for debate when he arrived for his interview in a throaty vintage Sunbeam Alpine with the top down, cheerfully calling out, ‘Morning! It looks like rain – can I use the garage?’ North Dorset resident Charles is an internationally-renowned painter of horses, landscapes and country life, particularly recognised for his portraits of racehorses. He describes his childhood as a rural happy life ‘in the middle of nowhere’ on a Northumberland farm. Even as a young child Charles knew he could paint: ‘Around the age of eight or nine I really started to enjoy painting, and found that I had some sort of knack for it. But I was about 15 when I really got the bug, the same time I got hooked on racing at school. I went to a boarding school in Northamptonshire, and the school had a betting office right next to the house. I used to scoot across in the afternoons and watch the racing between lessons! At the same time, I took up painting more seriously, and horses were the first thing I wanted to paint. I’ve literally just kept on painting them!’
However, instant artistic success wasn’t a given – Charles achieved an E in his Art A-level. ‘I will blame the history of art teacher for one part! However, there were three parts to the exam, and all three seemed to go wrong. Firstly, that art history, then they gave you a random title to paint, and I ended up painting a racing scene that had absolutely nothing to do with the title. So I probably got zero for that. The third and final task was a life drawing, during which the model got up and flounced out halfway through, so that didn’t really work out either! ‘From school, I did a standard one-year art school foundation course in Newcastle, with two weeks in each different area like photography, 3D design, print etc. before they decide what you should specialise in. Unfortunately, the art department didn’t think I was conceptual enough! So I was given no choice but to specialise in graphic design and illustration, which wasn’t what I wanted to do at all. I went on to Bournemouth to do wildlife illustration, which again was not what I wanted to do. I was trying to paint horses, and this was the closest thing I could get to it. But it seemed to serve no purpose, so I dropped out after the first term. My parents probably hit an all-time low with my career at that point!’
Florence via Newmarket Charles instead wrote to every stud and hotel in Newmarket to see if he could get a job “in horse land”. Finally, he landed washing up in a hotel for two weeks – he stayed for a year and a half. ‘I did the morning and evening shifts washing dishes, and painted in the daytime. It was brilliant. Then a local gallery started to exhibit my work.’ Charles heard of a new art school in Florence and wrote to the Charles H Cecil Studios immediately. Their response was instant – he was invited to just turn up, there were no requirements. Looking back, he realises that he was lucky: no portfolio or exam results were required as they are today. ‘Then the Newmarket art gallery did the kindest and most amazing thing. They bought my entire collection of paintings, giving me the money to go abroad. So the Florence adventure commenced!’ The training was in the atelier tradition – in which a master painter opens his studio to a select group of dedicated students – and the work returned students to the traditional portrait painting form of sight-size, painting something direct from life in the same scale as you see it, directly onto your easel. Charles jokes that it was a style developed by ‘quite a well-known artist called Leonardo da Vinci’. When Charles returned to England, he began painting equestrian portraits from life, which involved long stays in country houses – convenient for a poor young artist!
‘When I got a commission to paint a hunter, I’d go and stay with the people for a few weeks in their country home,’ he says. ‘I could write a book on some of the funny experiences I had. But it could be really difficult – after about four days, you’ve really outstayed your welcome. It doesn’t matter how good or how well-behaved you are, you are in someone’s private space. And then you’ve got them leaning over your shoulder the whole time, looking at what you’re doing and questioning you … But the biggest pain was the English weather! You could have five straight days of rain, and you are literally sitting around doing nothing all day. ‘After about three years, I decided I’d change things. I’d go and stay with people for a week tops, and paint a study from life of them and/or their horse or landscape, backed up with sketches and photographs for me to work on in my own studio.’
Her Majesty The Queen unveiled The Belvoir Huntsman, John Holliday, on ‘Edward’ in Belvoir Woods by Charles Church – it hangs in the Packard Galleries in Palace House within the National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket
Slapping it down King Charles has described Charles Church as “an artist who has a unique sensitivity and profound understanding of his subject.” ‘I was incredibly lucky to have him endorse me,’ says Charles. ‘He wrote the foreword to my first exhibition in London, which is quite something.’ Charles is no stranger to working with heads of state and famous people: ‘In some ways it’s daunting, but most of the time when you meet these people, they’re very easy and down to earth. Not what you expect. The first three years that I spent staying in country houses actually set me in good stead. It was difficult to begin with because I was pretty shy, but the more you relax, the more they relax, which helps everyone!’ Agreeing an initial brief with a client has caused some issues in the past. ‘I’ve learned that if you give people too much of what they want, you ‘ll get a bad result,’ he says. ‘A client will say, “I would really like my wife on a hunter in the field here with this hill behind and the Labrador to the left”… No! ‘My initial response is always to completely change every part! If someone’s got a clear idea in their head, you can never live up to their vision. ‘Luckily, most clients trust me now, and say, “I’ll leave it up to you”. They get the best result!’ Some of Charles’ more recent pieces have been enormous, and Charles explains that the size of a piece can depend on whether it might be intended to hang in a particular place. But he looks slightly confused. ‘I couldn’t even tell you why it is,’ he admits. ‘I just know that it’s going to work at a certain size. Certain things work better at certain sizes; that is the fact of the matter! ‘I take a lot of time to really study the horse. I have the horse brought out, walk it around a lot. I just really look and take it all into my mind, so that I have totally captured it in my head. And then I am a bit haphazard – I like to just put something down on the canvas, and then alter it. I have taught, and I see some students trying to draw an outline of the back of the horse very slowly … I just say, “Come on, just slap something down!” I’m not linear. I’m more of a tonal painter.’ Charles is also a proponent of turning paintings to the wall in his studio: ‘It’s an essential part of the process of painting,’ he says. ‘If you look at it too often, you can’t see all the mistakes and areas for development. You must have fresh eyes when you’re working. If I go away for two weeks, I come back to the studio and have a brilliant day. I’ll do it two or three times during the process of one painting.’
A neighbour of Stubbs First showing the finished work to the client was no doubt an intimidating experience, but now that he is so established, presumably it is no longer such an ordeal. ‘It’s still as nerve-wracking as ever!’ he says. ‘It doesn’t get easier. It wouldn’t matter how good I got at painting, and I’m still challenging myself all the time. But it’s always nerve-wracking because they’ve put an awful lot of trust in you, you’ve got to pull it out of the bag!’ Rumour has it that Charles is a very fussy framer? ‘Yes, that is true! The frame can ruin the piece. It all stems from a painting I did in Newmarket all those years ago. It was a painting of some mares and foals, one of my very first commissions. They framed it, and when I went round to varnish it I was absolutely horrified by the frame they’d put it in! You can paint a really wonderful painting, and then absolutely destroy it with the wrong frame. So, yes, I do select my own frames now!’ In 2023, Queen Camilla unveiled Charles’ largest piece to date (six foot by seven foot), The Belvoir Huntsman, John Holliday, on ‘Edward’ in Belvoir Woods (opposite), which hangs in the National Horseracing Museum at Newmarket beside a Stubbs. Even the laid-back Charles admits that this is something special: ‘All those years ago, washing dishes in Newmarket, I used to walk around the collection. To have a painting there is just surreal.’ Charles lives in a tiny North Dorset village with his studio in the garden. He and his wife Alice married during the pandemic, and they have two young sons. ‘I’m no longer just thinking about myself – I’ve got a family, and they’re wonderful.’ But have they picked up a paintbrush yet? Charles smiles and nods. ‘I haven’t pushed it on them at all, but Freddie likes a bit of painting. And I think Arthur’s going to be musical – if you put him at the piano, he plays boogie woogie, which is pretty good going for nine months old!’
And so to the 19 random questions …
What’s your relationship with Dorset? Blissful! I moved here in about 1996 and love it.
What was the last song you sang out loud in your car Money by Pink Floyd.
The last film you watched – and would you recommend it? Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – and of course, I love it!
It’s Friday night, you have the house to yourself, no work is allowed. What will you do? That’s difficult because I probably would work, but I suppose I’d have to watch a film
The best biscuit for dunking Choco Leibniz.
What shop can you not pass without going in? Harts of Stur of course!
What’s a sound or smell that makes you happy? Easy – the smell of sawdust. It reminds me of my childhood, and the smell of my father’s organ-building workshop.
What’s your secret superpower? I would say thinking hard and long about paintings. The detail and memory. IF I have a superpower, and I’m not sure I do, but if I have one, it’s probably just putting the thought in.
What was the last gift you gave or received? I gave my godson a basketball for his birthday.
What’s your comfort meal? Shepherd’s pie.
What would you like to tell your 15-year-old self? Keep going. Never give up. Persevere … it worked for me!
Your favourite quote? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Tell us about a book you read and loved recently? Spitfire by John Nicol, about the history of the Spitfire, the pilots who flew them, and their families. It’s an amazing book.
Cats or dogs? Both, but dogs if I had to choose.
If I wasn’t an artist, I would have liked to have been a … … bloodstock agent. I just love looking at horses. So it would have been another good option.
What little luxury would you buy with £10? Chocolates for my wife.
What would Alice say was your most annoying trait? My snoring!
Chip shop chips or home baked cake? I’d go chips.
What in life is frankly a mystery to you? How some of the old Master painters did some of the things that they did. Some of those enormous canvases that you see – how on earth did they do it? It’s the complexity of it, how they worked it out and how they did things at such scale. Having worked on that large painting I did for Palace House, it made me understand how incredibly difficult it is working at scale
A window to 1983 – a time when the village suffered endless traffic jams, but there were two pubs and two shops … and the school burned down
School sports day 1983 Bourton village
Forty years ago, community activists Sue and John Holman and Trevor Bailey decided to make a video about the North Dorset village of Bourton and its people. In the intervening years the film has been largely forgotten – but now the original tapes have been digitised by Windrose Media Trust, which was founded by Trevor Bailey, and this piece of social history is once again available to watch. Trevor, John and Sue, who had worked together as the Trilith charity for many years on oral history, archive and film projects, were central to efforts to influence the local authority over Bourton’s traffic problems – including a march of protest down the main road which attracted national media attention – and to the successful campaign to get the local pub re-opened after its closure by an unsympathetic brewery. They wanted to make a record of the community as it was in 1983 and, in the process, help residents old and new to understand a little more about each other’s viewpoints.
Farmer Geoff Miller is interviewed mid-harvest in 1983
Rural life had changed massively since the 1960s and would continue to do so. There was much that needed to be expressed. The video was a rather amateur effort, filmed on semi professional borrowed equipment which, by modern standards, was primitive. Made in three parts, it totals about two hours 20 minutes. It took a vast amount of work, but was eventually completed and made available to the community on VHS tapes. Part of the aim was to involve the BBC, which made and broadcast a 26-minute documentary about the creation of the Bourton Village Video. Subsequently a small booklet was published, partly to encourage other villages to use the media in a similar way. The upshot was that Bourton had an unusual moment in the public consciousness. The old master tapes have lain unused for many years. Quite often people who remember the project have asked if the video could be restored and made available again, and now at last that has happened. The original tapes have been digitised by Windrose Rural Media Trust and, although they have developed a few faults over the years, have survived remarkably well. When the film was made, east and west-bound traffic on the A303 all went through the middle of Bourton and the adjoining village of Zeals. The milk factory was in full swing, employing around 70 people. The first new estates, Mill Rise and New Close, had been fairly recently built, and the contentious sale of council houses was advanced. In 1983 the village had two garages and two pubs, and June and Trevor Griffin had revived the fortunes of the old shop. Many local people feature in the film – some have died or moved away, others who were children at the time are now middle-aged. Memories captured on video stretch back to both world wars. Former soldier Ken Harcourt vividly remembers his first sight when he disembarked at Bombay Docks … a crane made by the iron foundry, Hindleys of Bourton. “Pop” Suter talks about the introduction of navy blue PE knickers at the school. The whole community’s dear friend, the late Fran Summerfield, is glimpsed in a most uncharacteristic curly hairdo – and which she got rid of the next week!
Local forester Roger Moores appears at the age of about 12, wise beyond his years. His grandfather, Jack, happily bursts into song, remembering an evening at the pub in his youth. Lifelong Bourton residents Gerald Moores and Danny Lawes have a strong grain of truth in their tersley phrased opinions. Farmer Geoff Miller is filmed in the harvest field beside his tractor, telling how he thought of leaving for another life at the age of 18 – but ‘that soon passed!’.
Hopes of the 80s teenagers Many newer residents were interviewed, too. Tom Mitchell, then clerk to the parish council, talks about how Bourton can get its needs recognised in the wider world. People who live on the new estates give their perspective. Passers-by, stopping for petrol, are asked to guess about the nature of the village and what goes on there. A teenaged Ruth Whitehand and a group of her contemporaries sit on the grass and contemplate the lives before them. The school features strongly, as do the children of the time. The roles of the church and the doctor’s surgery are covered and the then quite new village hall appears, as do many corners of the village as they were in 1983. And there are all the advertisements for Bourton businesses. In the middle of shooting one of the village’s great disasters happens: the school burns down. That provokes many reflections. But at the end of the video the hall is full of Bourton people. The village dances.
The final episode ends with seemingly the entire village enjoying a country dance
Many thanks are due to James Harrison of Windrose Rural Media Trust and James Harrison Productions who undertook all of the technical work necessary. All three parts of the Bourton Village Video are freely available to view on the Windrose Rural Media Trust website , or find them on YouTube by searching ‘The Bourton Village Video’
On Wednesday, 25th September, The Exchange in Sturminster Newton will host a special event featuring one of Britain’s most successful event riders, William Fox-Pitt, in conversation with his wife, BAFTA-winning racing presenter Alice Plunkett. William was the first British rider to become eventing’s World No 1 – a distinction he achieved four times. He has represented his country consistently over the last 24 years, including at five Olympic games, and is the only rider to have won five of the six CCI**** worldwide titles. The fortunate audience will hear him speaking about his stellar 40 year career in eventing and his experiences at the Olympics – the winner of three Olympic medals himself, William has been involved as both trainer and coach at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He will also talk about his recent decision to retire from 5 star events while continuing to train at his state of the art stables in North Dorset. Both William and Alice are kindly giving their time to help raise funds for The Exchange.
A new autumn diary The success of this year’s fundraising campaign has enabled The Exchange to broaden its event offerings throughout the autumn, complementing the impressive lineup of bands already featured in the regular programme. Additionally, collaborative partnerships with other organisations are helping to extend the centre’s reach within the community. In October, working with both Dorchester Arts and Artsreach, there is A Little Bit of The Script’s the Thing, showcasing original work by local writers as part of the build-up to next years scriptwriting festival in Dorchester. In November, Poppy Plowman, a contemporary circus artist, will be performing Turk(ish), an autobiographical show involving tightwire, live music, humour and intimate storytelling. This Artsreach event will also offer a tightwire workshop for brave participants! In December, in partnership with Artsreach, an ensemble from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will be performing Curious Creatures, a Sunday afternoon family concert suitable for all ages. The BSO will be working with the Dorset Music Education Hub in local North Dorset schools in advance of this concert. Tickets are available now from The Exchange, at family-friendly prices made possible by the generous support of the Pitt-Rivers Charitable Trust. A new brochure covering The Exchange programme for the rest of the year will be available at the Cheese Festival – find The Exchange stand and find out more about what the community-run venue offers to North Dorset.
An Evening with William Fox-Pitt 25th Sep 2024, 7:30pm, £15 tickets from stur-exchange.co.uk
The race is over, and there were 360 entries, with 319 finishers in the half marathon – a fantastic turnout! Thomas Corbin of Poole AC was the overall winner of the race, in a brilliant winning time of 1:12:12. First lady was Vicki Ingham from Poole Runners, in a time of 1:22:41. The first local runners were Rich White of Dorset Doddlers and Emma Mogridge – who has since joined the Doddlers! The oldest runners were Geoff Scott of Poole Runners and Patricia Seabrook of Finch Coasters. A big thank you to Ruby Else-White, our local European Youth Boxing Champion, who started both races before helping at a water station with other young boxers from Stur ABC. Unfortunately she had an important football match in the afternoon, so couldn’t help at the presentation, but her fellow boxer, National Champion Freddie Norman, stepped in. Another huge thank you to Honeybuns, who have been providing the runners with race cakes for more than 20 years – this year an even bigger Team Honeybun took part in the race too! Our local supporters must be mentioned – the High School, Harts of Stur and Barbers Cheese for the local prizes, and Root & Vine in town for supplying the oranges. Thank you to Race Timing Solutions, who organised the race entries and results. They also made our medals and trophies. Richard & Tracy White, from On The Road Motorcycle Training, opened the course, followed by our lead cyclists, Shams Wahab, Sara Cross and Andrew Cross. Following at the back were our sweepers – the two Richards, who made sure everyone came in under three hours. An exception was made for Patricia Seabrook of the Finch Coasters: at 85 she was our oldest runner. She knew she would take a bit longer, so she started an hour earlier … and still finished in just over three and half hours! Around the course were marshals and water stations manned by The Blackmore Vale Lions, Run Blandford, Doddlers – some in fancy dress – and lots of friends and family. Our race village provided refreshments from The Really Tiny Coffee Co: as always we were provided with excellent barista coffee. Lindsey from Big Bun, Little Bun did a very good job of refuelling the runners and helpers after the race, and Peter looked after rehydration at our own Doddler Running Bar. Massage was provided by Pete from Pete’s Functional Fitness Club, with proceeds going to help Julia’s House Hospice. While the race was in progress the children were entertained with fun races on the school field and then enjoyed a free Fat Sam’s Ice-Cream. The Vale Pantry joined forces with us by collecting donations of unwanted new running kit – thank you to all who donated, this will help others get into running, a sport that we all love.
Stur 5K The Stur 5K has gained in popularity since its relaunch three years ago with a new and improved course. We’ve received great feedback about the new route, and with the emphasis firmly putting the Fun into the Run, this year’s race attracted more than 60 runners. The Stur 5K sees the runners start just after the Stur Half, before taking in a beautiful course along Jubilee Fields and a scenic loop of Hinton St Mary before joining the Half Marathon route to cross the finish line. First over the line was Ed Rees (18m 18s), setting set the course record for the new route. He was followed closely by Tom Andrews (18m 45s), and third place went to Finn Powell (20m 28s). First Lady was Ayla Chard (20m 35s), second was Harriet Scott (22m 52s), followed over the line by mum, Samantha (22m 53s). First Local Male and Female went to Zagarin Cosmin and Abigail Horne respectively, and First Male and Female Dorset Doddlers were Anthony Down and Charley Mack. By Christine Willis, Race Organiser
The UK has gone Oasis crazy. News of their re-formation (and the widespread frustration of ticket-hunters) has been huge news for weeks now, bringing with it a wave of 90s British indie nostalgia. By happy accident, Cornish guitar band Wunderhorse released their sophomore LP, Midas, the day before the fated Oasis ticket sale. Appropriately the album harks back to the heyday of Britpop supremacy, but it also provides a welcome reminder that the UK still produces plenty of great indie rock/pop groups. The glories are not all in the past. Forged in the isolation of Covid lockdowns on the Cornish coast, Wunderhorse began as the solo recording project of frontman Jacob Slater, but they have rapidly developed into one of the UK’s best guitar bands – their first LP, Cub, made many year-end lists in 2022. And Midas emphatically proves this was no fluke. The opening one-two punch of the title track and recent single Rain showcases the band in free-flowing guitar-pop mode, in harmony with the blueprint laid down with aplomb on their debut. It might have been tempting to continue to plough the same successful furrows, but from here Wunderhorse explore new (if not ground breaking) terrain. From the self-reflective Silver (“I’m just an empty promise with nothing left to say”) to the 80s-inspired, plaintive refrain of Arizona (“where do you go to my love”), Midas satisfies more and more as it unfurls. But the album really sparkles when it wears its influences on its sleeve. The heavy-hitting grunge of July, Pablo Honey-esque production of Cathedrals and Teenage Fanclub-influenced vocals of Girl build beautifully towards Aeroplane, a closing track presented with such poise and gracefulness that it begs the listener to press play and hear it all over again. A true oasis of sound.
Matthew Ambrose presents Under The Radar on Tuesday evening at 7pm on Abbey104. Broadcasting on 104.7FM and online at abbey104.com.
Native plants can help to boost biodiversity on the ancient floodplain meadows beside the Stour at the CRT’s Bere Marsh Farm
Volunteers sowing wildflower seed in areas where the top layer of vegetation has been stripped
A team of Dorset conservation officers and volunteers has begun a project to plant native wildflowers and meadow grasses at Bere Marsh Farm near Shillingstone, aimed at enhancing biodiversity on the Stour floodplain fields. The 92-acre Bere Marsh Farm, between the old Somerset and Dorset railway line and the river, is owned by the Countryside Regeneration Trust, a charity promoting nature-friendly farming to help reverse the biodiversity decline and combat climate change. The team will be reseeding a total of one hectare with brush-harvested seed from floodplain meadows managed by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The plan is to increase coverage over the rest of the floodplain fields at Bere Marsh in future years (a total of 13.5ha). The CRT head of conservation and land management Helena Darragh explains why the project is so important: ‘Species-rich floodplain meadow habitat in Britain has dramatically declined due to agricultural intensification, urban and industrial development of these flat, low-lying and fertile areas, as well as alterations to their hydrology through changes to river systems. ‘Due to their proximity to watercourses, species-rich floodplain meadows were once the most productive fields on farms, receiving their nutrients each year through highly fertile silt deposited on the land during flood events. This special value has decreased with fertiliser now used more widely across farm holdings and high yielding grasses selected to grow hay or silage adding to the overall loss of this biodiverse habitat.’
Volunteers and staff planting wildflower seed
An annual cycle Floodplain meadows are characterised by diverse herb-rich swards and feature the iconic great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) plant with its crinkle-cut leaves, producing beautiful burgundy seed heads in summer. Other wildflowers include common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis). ‘These magnificent lowland habitats contribute to nature-friendly farm practices through providing a valuable nutritious source of food for livestock,’ says Helena. During winter and spring months, floodplain meadows are often inundated with floodwater, providing nesting and feeding habitat for a huge array of birdlife. As the ground becomes drier, livestock can be let on to graze the early grass growth, before being shut out to allow wildflowers to come through and produce a herb-rich hay crop, and so the cycle comes full circle. Native wildflower seeds need contact with bare soil to germinate so machinery is used to scratch the top surface of vegetation away to create perfect conditions for sowing. ‘It may not look much at first, but keep an eye out in the spring and summer next year for a boost in wildflower abundance on these fields, providing pollen and nectar for a range of pollinators,’ adds Helena. ‘With the UK now subject to more short, sharp downpours in winter months (and throughout the year) ensuring our floodplains function more effectively by storing water helps to alleviate flooding downstream and reduce soil erosion, providing benefits to local communities.’
Established in 1993, the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) takes a holistic view of why the countryside matters, viewing wildlife, food production, employment, economics and development as all essential.
The Royal Bath & West of England Society has announced the appointment of Robert Drewett DL as its new President for the 2024/25 term. Robert, who currently serves as Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset and recently held the role of High Sheriff for 2023/24, brings decades of involvement with the Society, having served as Honorary Show Director for over nine years before retiring in 2022.
Robert’s connection with the Royal Bath & West Show spans nearly 50 years, starting as a steward at the Bicentennial Show in 1977. His family has deep roots in the Society, with three generations of Drewetts playing significant roles. His father, Bill Drewett, was Honorary Show Director from 1978 to 1989, a period that saw the visit of HM the Queen and the inception of the Dairy Show. Robert’s three children are also involved, with two stewarding Ring Events and the third acting as a steward for the Grandstand.
Robert officially assumed the role of President during the Society’s Summer Council Meeting and AGM, succeeding Lord and Lady Falmouth. In his farewell address, Lord Falmouth expressed gratitude to the Council and the Society’s team for their support during his presidency. Robert thanked the Council for the honor and acknowledged the high standards set by his predecessors, stating that he looked forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones in the year ahead.
Reflecting on his appointment, Robert said, “When I first started stewarding in a very junior capacity at the Bicentennial Show in 1977, I never envisaged that I might one day be invited to serve as President of the UK’s oldest continually operating agricultural society. I am enormously honoured and look forward to supporting the Society over the coming year.”
The Society is set to welcome Robert at his first official event in October, the Dairy Show, where he will begin his term as President.
When friends and family gathered to celebrate Jackie Upton-King’s 80th birthday on a weekend in Lyme Regis recently, they had no idea that it would be the last time they saw her. Later that evening she was suddenly taken ill with a serious stroke and sadly died, leaving those who knew her with a wealth of wonderful memories and achievements. Jackie’s legacy is all over North Dorset. From The Exchange in Sturminster Newton to the establishment of the annual Civic Award in Shaftesbury, Jackie Upton-King touched many lives. Determined, driven and incredible are just a few words frequently used to describe her passion for community involvement. ‘She was amazing,’ says Jacqui Wragg from Sturminster Newton Community Benefit Society. Sturminster Newton councillor Pauline Batstone recalls how hard Jackie worked in the town: ‘Jackie was Practice Manager for the Stur Medical Centre before her retirement. She was one of the team involved in the early days of SturQuest, the community partnership initiated by North Dorset District Council. Stur was going through a bad patch as far as its economy was concerned, with low wages and a loss of job opportunities. Jackie was involved in the building of The Exchange on the former Market site and also the re-establishment of the medical centre there.’ When Jackie got involved in Sturminster Newton, the town was in a difficult place having just lost its famous cattle market. Robert Cowley was one of the driving forces behind the development of old site into what is now The Exchange: ‘The process that led to The Exchange took a full five years. It involved the bringing together of a wildly diverse group of organisations, represented by an equally diverse mix of individuals. A shared objective brought together many different strengths, at times in the face of some very significant opposition. Jackie and I worked together through some of the most difficult local politics. ‘No one person ever dominated the collective effort, and Jackie was notable for her ability to work with people and to make it possible for others to work together. She was always at the centre of the core team, calm under pressure, enthusiastic, well organised and determined. ‘Jackie would have agreed that if there was a key ingredient to the remarkable achievement that made The Exchange possible it was partnership. That can be very difficult to achieve and harder to maintain, especially between those who don’t agree in the first place. She was absolutely key in keeping the steering group together and focused on what became The Exchange, a major contribution to the history of Sturminster Newton.’ Jackie won an MBE for her work in the town, and when she got the letter from Downing Street she was moved to tears. Sturminster Newton had a major new development that was unique in a small country town, helping the community to move forward in a positive way. When Jackie and her husband Norman moved to Shaftesbury, her drive and determination to improve things in her community continued. She became involved with Shaftesbury Arts Society, where she supported concerts with her love of music. She was also chair of the Shaftesbury Civic Society, where she soon got her teeth into several projects to improve the town. One was Project Belle, aimed at regenerating the old supermarket on Bell Street. Jackie scrutinised every proposal, from pedestrianising the area to attracting new businesses. Another was the Lidl development which she wanted to be a site in keeping with the town. Prior to the Civic Society being disbanded, Jackie established the Rachel Caldwell Annual Civic Award, an annual prize that recognises volunteer and community activity that makes a real difference in Shaftesbury. The award is now administered by the Rotary Club, celebrating unsung heroes in the town. Jackie was also involved with Shaftesbury Abbey, cataloguing artefacts and working with others to maintain the historic site. Even when she became less mobile she took the computer home to work there. The Abbey plans to commemorate her contribution to the town with a memorial, a project which is to be confirmed. Pauline Batstone summed up Jackie’s character: ‘She was a gentle but strong person, with a lovely sense of humour. I happened to bump into her and her husband Norman when I was delivering leaflets in Shaftesbury in the run-up to the election and we promised to have a coffee together after it was over. Sadly that was not to be.’ When you next visit Sturminster Newton or Shaftesbury and see the events and buildings that are created and cared for by volunteers, a physical reminder of a vibrant community spirit, remember Jackie Upton King and the difference she made across the Blackmore Vale.
