Last week saw Rachel Reeves make her Budget announcement. It was a botched opportunity to address some of the fundamentals and raise money through fair taxation to pay for public services. While the changes to energy bills should be welcomed, she failed to embrace the Liberal Democrat proposal that would have saved households more by removing the Renewable Energy Obligation. She also ignored our calls for a cut to VAT for the hospitality sector – vital for West Dorst’s economy.
Edward Morello MP for West Dorset
Despite banks’ profits doubling over the last five years, there was no demand by the Chancellor that they pay more. Instead, the freezing of the tax-bands will mean even more people dragged into higher-rates of tax, with nearly a million extra people now paying 40p on the pound. Meanwhile, per-pupil funding is being cut and interest on tuition fees for university graduates is being frozen at nearly eight per cent (despite interest rates falling elsewhere). And pity too the farmers, who saw no move to roll-back the disastrous family farm tax. For all the Government’s talk about ‘working people’, this was a Budget that will make working families poorer. This week I was proud to host the launch of the newly formed UK Fruit & Vegetable Coalition. Spearheaded by one of our own West Dorset residents, the UKFVC brings together organisations representing organic, agro-ecological growers from across the UK with the aim of ensuring more fruit and vegetables are produced here and reduce our reliance on imports. I look forward to supporting them in their work to improve food security and providing healthy food to the Nation. As I write it is UK Parliament Week – an annual event aimed at spreading the word about what Parliament is, what it does, and how you can get involved. It is especially aimed at young people and improving engagement in politics. I’ve been having Q and A sessions with schools in Sherborne, Dorchester and Bridport, as well as Brownies and Guides groups. Visiting schools and youth groups is something I look forward to: I always get asked insightful questions and come away with loads of ideas for the real-world changes young people want to see. Edward Morello LibDem MP for West Dorset
MP Simon Hoare blasts the Chancellor’s Budget as a rural-punishing exercise in political survival – built on deception, not duty
Simon Hoare MP
Rachel Reeves excelled herself with this year’s Budget. Delivered – without a hint of irony – during the BBC’s scam awareness week, she unleashed her inner Artful Dodger and dipped into all of our pockets. The spirit of Christmas cheer was banished to the wings, and her characters of choice were pantomime baddy mixed with Scrooge at his most curmudgeonly.The Budget was not a good one. First, it was based on three lies: 1) the promise made at the election by Labour not to raise taxes on ‘ordinary people’; 2) that last year’s tax raid was a ‘one-off’ and subsequent years’ spending would be financed by growth and; 3) that there was an extra dimension to the Chancellor’s fictitious black hole (can one have an extra dimension to a fiction?) which required draconian action to create fiscal headroom. All three were lies. I do not use the word lie lightly. Indeed, in Parliamentary terms it is almost as bad as the C-bomb, for no Hon Member can ever lie. But, we were lied to. Rishi Sunak pointed out clearly what a Labour Government would do. He was ignored – and the rest, as they say, is history. Labour’s ‘ordinary people’ – a phrase which I frankly find baffling – are now being taxed more. This is the second year’s tax rises … and there is no growth. There was no extra doom dimension that needed plugging, as the Office of Budget Responsibility had made clear to the Chancellor before she gave her Nightmare Before Christmas press conference. A budget evolved in chaos was based on a bed of deceptions, half truths and sleights of hand. Ms Reeves is the dodgy croupier par excellence.
A punch between the eyes It’s the ‘Why the Hell Should I Bother Budget?’. If you are saving via an ISA to try to do the right thing (and we are all trying to encourage savings) you are hit by a new tax requirement. Paying a bit extra into your pension to do the right thing for your old age? A punch between the eyes again, with changes to pension policy. Trying to create growth through setting up or expanding a business and taking on staff? Hit again with business rates, no changes to VAT for the hospitality sector and just making it harder to be an innovator, investor or entrepreneur. Put simply the Budget flicked a very large V at those trying to work hard and do the right thing. This was not a Budget for the country. It was a Budget to save (temporarily?) the jobs of 10 and 11 Downing Street. Even with Starmer’s eyewatering majority, he still has to pay blackmail cash to appease his backbenchers. Gone is any attempt to reform welfare spending. Instead, a massive series of tax raids to remove the two-child benefit cap. The cap was a popular policy among all voting groups, because it injected fairness and responsibility into the choices of having children. All of that has gone because Labour MPs insisted upon it. Every street, village, hamlet, town across our country will know of someone who milks the system. The person who opts out while the vast majority haul themselves out of bed to go to work, to earn some cash to pay the bills and support their family. This Budget laughs, openly and without embarrassment, in their faces. The Chancellor told us that she needed to increase taxes to pay for existing increases in welfare payments. And, what did she do? She ADDED to those payments. Unless there is growth – and that now seems way out of reach – next year’s budget will see more of the same: increases in taxes to pay for Labour’s increased spending, which it is having to do to keep the unions and their left-wing MPs quiet. Where is Starmer’s spine? Where is Reeves’ resolve?
Direct hit on rural lives Changes to the Family Farm Tax still do not make this horrid tax any more acceptable. There are ways of taxing the Dysons of this world without punishing hardworking family farmers. The tax needs scrapping. End of. Conservatives would do so. The Chancellor’s proposed pay-per-mile is wrong. Why not simply create a new Road Tax band? Paying per mile is a direct hit on rural motorists. It is also bad environmentally – people will retain or replace their unleaded or diesel vehicles as they are likely to be cheaper to run. Reduced purchaser demand will also likely lead to a decline in the UK car industry and subsequently jeopardise foreign inward investment. This was a Budget for Labour self-preservation. A Budget to save Sir Keir’s job, not yours. A Budget for the unions, not the people. A Budget conceived in chaos, delivered in mayhem and swaddled in a blanket of lies. It was not for the good people of North Dorset – and my post bag and inbox tells me so.
Community kindness still changes lives, says Joanne Platt, who offers struggling families a lifeline from her packed garage in Gillingham
Joanne Platt in her garage, which for the last three years has been home to the BabyBank Gillingham Image: Rachael Rowe
All the bills have come in at once … your hours have been cut at work … the washing machine breaks just as the heating bill lands. Everyone is watching their spending right now, but for some families it takes just one small thing to trigger a financial crisis. Tucked away on a quiet street in Gillingham, one small garage has become a lifeline for parents caught in that moment. BabyBank Gillingham – a community-run service offering clothes, baby food, nappies and other essentials to local families. And behind it all is just one person – Joanne Platt. ‘It started around two and a half years ago. An item on the news about BabyBank Alliance got my attention. People were donating things up and down the country. I contacted them, and they said at that time there was nothing available between Bath and Bournemouth: a huge area. I thought, why can’t I just do something? So I put a simple post on Facebook, saying that I was thinking of collecting items. Within days, the messages began. Clothes, toys, cots, baby food – it all poured in. ‘I’d collected for Ukraine before, but this was different,’ she says. ‘I’ve now helped hundreds of families. And the amount of things that people donate continues to surprise me. Sometimes I message people back and ask if it’s OK, as they have donated so much: they always respond “Yes, we love what you do”. ’I think some people put things in the loft and keep putting things in the loft. Then one day they’ll think – I need to sort that out. Because it’s in the loft you can’t see it – so it ends up as years worth of stuff.’
Even the summerhouse gets pressed into serviceDonations are sorted into age groups
Shelves of kindness Joanne’s garage is neatly stacked with donations for children from newborn to ten years old: piles of clothes, nappy packs, toothbrushes, picture books, and the odd pushchair or baby walker. Everything is impeccably clean. Unsurprisingly, there is also a fast turnover of items. Nothing stays for long. ‘The most popular things are clothes for toddlers – they grow so fast – and wellies,’ she says. ‘You can tell we’re in North Dorset!’ BabyBank works by people simply messaging Joanne through Facebook. A new mum might need items for a six month old, while another mum is looking to replace a winter coat. Joanne then sets items aside and arranges times for collection. Health visitors and midwives also refer families to Joanne, and the food bank shares baby supplies with her. ‘I see grandparents, foster families … families right across the board. I get people from Blandford, Yeovil, all the outlying villages. The furthest someone has travelled is from Corfe Castle. ‘It’s for anyone who needs it. There’s no judgement. Sometimes – I know from my own experience – some months, everything comes in at once and you think “Um … I’m a bit stuck”. I do just offer things to people when they come round. A lot of people have now become friends, and I love seeing the children grow up. ‘I think some people are a little bit nervous asking for help – which is a shame. Especially young people. I don’t judge. ‘I do try not to have people here at the same time, so they can get to know me. Some people don’t want to talk much and I have to ask them what they need. Some just take stuff, say thank you and go. But next time they come they are more relaxed. You’re coming to someone’s house, after all. I just want people to feel welcome.’
Joanne holds regular ‘shoe days’
It’s not just clothes at the BabyBank
Paying it forward Her 24-year-old son, who has disabilities, often helps her sort donations. ‘It’s a good way of recycling too, which many are conscious of now. So many people get bought so much clothing for babies – they just don’t get through it all. And if you’re in need, even the cheap supermarkets aren’t that cheap any more.’ One story sticks out in Joanne’s memory: ‘Not long after I started, a lady messaged me and said she had some donations. When she pulled up with a car full, she said: “We don’t need anything – but our Mum would have loved you.” The family obviously remembered what it was like when they were growing up, and had decided that wherever they went in life they would always give back. They dropped off some beautiful things, but it was her words that stuck with me. If someone does something nice for you, then you return the favour – pay it forward. ‘The kindness and generosity of people is there. Sometimes it can feel like it is missing these days, but it isn’t.’ In the run-up to Christmas, Joanne’s work only grows. ‘People often ask what they can donate – nappies, wipes and toothbrushes are always needed. If I put a video on Facebook I’ll get 3,000 views, and people can pick what they want from it. I started putting out winter coats in June because I realised people were looking forward and thinking about what they would need in the colder months. ‘This is something I really enjoy doing. And for the foodbank to give me so much … that helps so much, it’s wonderful.’ For now, the garage remains the perfect base. ‘If I had a commercial unit, it’d mean travelling and more expense,’ Joanne says. ‘Here, it’s easy. I can just get on with it.’ One day Joanne would like to make BabyBank Gillingham a registered charity – but she realises there’s a lot of work involved in setting it up. Instead, she’s focused on keeping the garage shelves stocked – and responding to the next message from a family in need.
Lost parcels, wrong porches and a dog bin drop-off have turned winter deliveries into a rural guessing game, as North Dorset villagers turn detective
For years, village Facebook pages debated which postie would be the last to surrender their shorts to winter. This December, the talk’s turned to something new – the thrilling neighbourhood game “Where’s My Parcel?”, We’ve all been there: you receive a text saying your parcel has been delivered to your porch … only to find it balancing precariously on the garden wall. Or the local Facebook page will start getting busy as it’s not actually YOUR porch where your parcel is languishing, and everyone starts trying to match front doors with the one in the photo sent by the courier. There’s even a request on NextDoor to start up a dedicated group for lost parcels as there seem to be so many.
This was The BV team’s unanimous favourite, from a NextDoor post in Henstridge: ‘Does anyone know where this ditch is? My parcel is somewhere in it…’
What is going on? In Okeford Fitzpaine, a dog walker started finding packages in the dog waste bin – apparently a local courier had had enough of unmarked houses. In Buckhorn Weston, the village WhatsApp group recently lit up. Local resident John Grant outlined what happened in what will be a familiar scenario to many: ‘There were 60 or 70 messages on the village group chat. The phones started to buzz – and it was all people looking for parcels. About seven people were affected, all on one day. The parcels were eventually found in a pile in the middle of the village – and still more were delivered to the wrong houses. We put together a list of all the incidents and contacted Evri. ‘Everyone always blows up and says they won’t use them again, but it’s not that straightforward.’ says John. ‘Getting through to someone was difficult, but two days later they came back with an apology. It turned out they had used a third party as holiday cover. Evri acted promptly on the complaint and removed those couriers from their business. They also told me they were implementing stricter oversight to make sure it didn’t happen again. It’s so difficult to get through to them, but when you do they are very helpful.’
This 9pm delivery in Compton Abbas was tricky to track down from that plain black square … Abbas was tricky to track down from that plain black square …
A rural round Evri is, of course, only one of several delivery companies operating in the area. Delivering parcels in the wilds of North Dorset is not easy for non-locals, given the state of the roads, lack of signage, and no street lighting when it gets dark. In addition there are un-gritted roads in winter and when you finally do get to the right house, no one is in to accept the delivery. An Evri spokesperson gave The BV an insight into the huge volume of parcels they deal with: ‘We’ll deliver over 900 million parcels in 2025 – around four million parcels a day during our busiest weeks.’ We might hear a steady stream of horror delivery stories, but Evri told The BV that their record was actually good. ‘Our “Consistently on-time” performance exceeds airlines and railways! We deliver more than 700,000 parcels each week just across Dorset: typically a courier has a regular patch of around a square mile, though this does vary, depending on geography.’ In the busy days running up to Christmas the volume of parcels will inevitably increase. Evri is just one company, and others will have similar volumes of post to deliver across the county. And it’s not all bad news – though social media threads full of frustration are common, there is also plenty of praise from those taking the time to mention their village’s fantastic delivery driver. There are even one or two kind folk across the Blackmore Vale who keep a flask of hot water and mugs in their porch so delivery drivers and post office workers can make a warm drink while rushing from village to village (and no, we’re not telling you where they are in case they get raided for their free coffees).
Above –These are all examples of ‘proof of delivery’ images sent: from a random letter box in Donhead St Mary to the blue door which was the ‘proof’ for at least five different parcels. There’s the ‘three white doors’ surprise – and of course, we had to include this Plain Red Square conundrum
More common, however, are those who continue to ask if anyone recognises a particular doorstep in Shaftesbury or a letterbox in Hazelbury Bryan … You can help yourself There are several recurring issues that delivery drivers find challenging. For example, newly-built estates – new residents will order items, but no one on the ground will know the street name when asked for directions, as they have not been set up by the post office for deliveries. Evri told us that the challenges are similar across the country, but there are practical steps customers can take to help ensure their parcel finds the right doorstep: Make sure your house number is visible, and turn outside lights on if it’s dark when you’re expecting a parcel delivery. Keep pets secure: while most couriers love dogs, some four-legged friends can be a bit too excited that your parcel has arrived. Add a map pin via the Evri app – this is particularly helpful for remote locations where postcodes might not take a driver to the right place, or for addresses with multiple entrances. Choose a safe place or divert your parcel if you’re not going to be in. You can nominate a neighbour, pick a safe place, or send it to a ParcelShop or Locker – all in the Evri app. As online shopping increases, the volume of parcels sent by couriers will naturally increase. And while many of us have excellent and courteous delivery drivers, there will inevitably be issues getting some packages to the right place. When you see the messages pile in on the local Facebook page, spare a thought for the courier on a tight schedule trying to find the right door in the dark. They’re working as hard as Santa – but without the sleigh.
Vulnerable young people in Dorset are about to be given an opportunity to rewrite their futures, thanks to an innovative and inspirational partnership between Dorset Council and Salvation Army Homes. The first 24/7 supported living scheme for 18-25-year olds at risk of becoming homeless has officially opened in rural Dorset, in partnership with new provider, Salvation Army Homes.
Gill Taylor speaking at the official opening of West Farm
The smile on Gill Cook’s face is radiant. As Head of Supported Housing at Salvation Army Homes, this is the first time the charity has been involved with a project in Dorset. ‘The building is absolutely fantastic, the location is incredible, and we’re so excited about delivering the project. West Farm itself has 24-hour support, and capacity for six young people. There is also land that will be used in therapeutic ways. Then nearby there are two self-contained flats. The whole idea is to create a really safe space where people can learn how to live independently.’ West Farm was built on land owned by Dr John Caius, one of the founders of Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University – he bought the land in 1570 from the Earl of Dorset. Dorset Council purchased the property from the university, and since then has worked with Homes England, renovating it to provide homes for local young adults. The site has an acre of land and several outbuildings – providing a unique and calm setting for tenants to learn vital life skills and gain self-confidence.
New lounge for the West Farm communityWest Farm has been thoroughly renovated and decorated in a trauma-informed palette
Stopping the cycle Dorset Council formally tendered for a service delivery partner, and Salvation Army Homes won the contract. Gill Cook told The BV: ‘We have several other services like this – although none of the others are on a farm! ‘There are lots of reasons why young people become homeless, from relationship breakdown to offending, substance misuse or domestic abuse. Projects like this are part of our strategic response. It’s really difficult, with the lack of accommodation for young people – particularly in rural areas. It’s a real issue. The people who will move into West Farm may have been in the care system, or will have had other issues that have led to them becoming homeless. ‘The idea of the training flats is that people will initially come into the 24-hour service and learn the skills they need to live independently and become part of a community, engaging in education and training. ‘But when people have been in a 24-hour support environment and are then suddenly put into an independent flat with no support at all, it’s very difficult. That’s when tenancies fail: they go back to the beginning and we end up with this never-ending cycle of homelessness. ‘When people are ready to move on into more independent living, the flats here are fully furnished, and they will still get the support of staff on site so there is continuity of care. They will live there for as long as they need to, learning to pay their bills and other skills. Then, when they are ready to go, we work with other housing providers to get them more permanent accommodation. ‘For young people this is really important. We see so many people entrenched in certain lifestyles and homelessness. ‘If you can break that cycle by providing the right support at the beginning, hopefully you prevent them going in and out of prison and a lifetime of ill health, or disruption to the community.’
Gill Cook (SAHA), left, and Dorset councillor Gill Taylor cutting the ribbon to West Farm
An inspirational future Cllr Gill Taylor, portfolio holder for housing and health at Dorset Council, says: ‘Eight young people are being given the opportunity to rewrite their futures as this scheme comes to fruition. This project has come alive due to financial investment, plus of course the passion and vision from our Housing service to deliver more new accommodation to prevent homelessness. We are very much looking forward to working with Salvation Army Homes, whose staff have lots of great ideas on utilising the beautiful setting to its maximum potential and engaging with our young people.’ Much thought has gone into the design of West Farm. Swedish furniture brand IKEA provided £1,000 worth of furnishings and supported the team with design tools: the colour palette is a ‘trauma-informed scheme’, ensuring it is the calmest possible environment. Each new resident will be given the opportunity to plant a fruit tree, which will become part of a West Farm legacy. There are also plans to have chickens and to offer other outdoor activities. For Gill Cook, the highlight came when the team actually saw the building and the project became a reality. ‘It’s the building, the location … the care and thought that has gone into the refurbishment. The grounds … well this is incredible. ‘Just imagine you are a young person who has been homeless. You have no family contacts, perhaps you have been in care. ‘Then you come to West Farm – and all of a sudden you have a community. You wake up in the morning, open your curtains and look at that amazing view. You go downstairs and collect eggs outside for your breakfast. Imagine eating a breakfast of something you have created, by working in the garden. ‘Suddenly you are part of something, not on the outside. Just think about the difference that makes to the whole of your life – and the confidence you’ll get from that. ‘And from there you’ll develop so many skills, self awareness and other things, so you can go out into the world and do anything you want to do.’
PLAYWRIGHT Sir Tom Stoppard, who was born in the former Czechoslovakia in 1937, has died at the age of 88. A statement from United Agents said: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family. ‘He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. ‘It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.’
Tom Stoppard at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards, Los Angeles
A Dorset life He lived near Shaftesbury and, despite his international profile and long list of major stage, writing and film awards, was actively supportive of the local arts, theatre and music in the area. There was an early stage performance of his 1967 radio play Albert’s Bridge at the chapel theatre at Shaftesbury School, which he attended. More recently, Shaftesbury Arts Centre staged a very successful production of his first major success, the Hamlet-inspired black comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – he sent a message to director Carolyn Hopkins. Earlier this year, he attended a concert by young singers at the Springhead Constellation academy residency at Fontmell Magna. Stoppard’s family fled imminent Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. He went to school in Darjeeling, India, and came with his family to England after the war. He worked as a reporter on the Evening Post in Bristol before making his name as a playwright. His most famous plays include Jumpers (1972), Travesties (1974), Night and Day (1978), The Real Thing (1982), Arcadia (1993), The Invention of Love (1997) and his final play, finished at the age of 83, the epic Leopoldstadt (2020). The title refers to Vienna’s Jewish district and it is intensely personal. Nearly all of his close relatives, including all four of his grandparents, were murdered in Nazi concentration camps. ‘I knew I wanted to write a kind of oblique version of my family background,’ he told The New Yorker. At the same time, he realised his play tells the story of ‘tens of thousands’ of others. Among his screenplays were Brazil (1985), Empire of the Sun (1987), the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love (1998), and the BBC/HBO Parade’s End (2013). He was knighted for his contribution to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 and awarded the Order of Merit in 2000.
With his joyful, no-audition ROKiT choir, Mark James invites everyone to ditch the sheet music and discover the power of easy, communal, feel-good singing
ROKiT choir performing at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton, with Mark James conducting
When ROKiT staged its summer concert at The Exchange this year, 90 singers squeezed onto the stage and 300 people filled the seats. It sold out fast. This wasn’t a traditional choir; it was looser, warmer, more fun. And now Stur is getting its own chance: the fourth ROKiT choir opens in the town on Monday 6th January. ROKiT is the creation of Mark James, a trained musical theatre performer and qualified singing teacher, whose route into music has been anything but straightforward. ‘I was the person at school who was told not to bother with music,’ he says. ‘It wasn’t my thing, apparently.’
Mark James is an infectiously enthusiastic choir master. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
He ignored the advice. Mark began teaching from home, later opening his own music school in 2014. He trained through the Voice College, gaining an upper merit diploma and a nomination for the PJ Proby Student of the Year award. Since then he has taught hundreds of students, including gold record selling artists, across the UK, Europe and the USA. He has worked as a master vocal coach for River Studio in Southampton as well as the preferred coach for Evolved Artist Management. In 2018 he appeared as one of the 100 judges on BBC One’s All Together Now with Geri Halliwell and Rob Beckett. His trademark hat made him a recognisable presence on the show – ‘people kept asking who the man in the hat was,’ he says – and after the series ended, he wanted to use the momentum for something closer to home. ‘I wanted to do something a bit more modern,’ he says. ‘There wasn’t a huge amount of choice in the area. And I’ve always been someone that wants to give access to music to everyone. Music can feel a bit elitist these days, and all the fun seems to have gone.’
Blandford ROKiT rehearsal night Images: Courtenay Hitchcock
ROKiT was built deliberately to cut against that. No auditions, no sheet music, no barriers. ‘Members don’t need to read music,’ he says. ‘It’s all done through lyrics. Everything’s done on a backing track – and we share all the tracks on the ROKiT drive. People can learn at home, and then they all get together.’ On the very first night in Gillingham, back in September 2018, 44 people walked through the door. ‘Numbers always drop slightly in the first few weeks,’ Mark says. ‘But we ended up with around 30 regulars.’ Blandford followed, then Wincanton, and now there are more than 130 singers across the groups. ‘They’re all a good bunch,’ he says. ‘They all get on really, really well.’
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
You’re just ROKiT ROKiT’s social side is as important as the music, says Mark: ‘We don’t put pressure on anyone,’ he says. ‘We don’t have set solos. And there’s no cliques – which I’m really proud of. As soon as someone walks through the door, they’re just part of the choir.’ He’s seen people join at difficult points in their lives and find something steady and supportive. ‘We’ve had people come in who’ve been through breakups,’ he says. ‘And it helps them build their friendship groups again. We’ve had relationships start here as well.’ There have been harder moments of grief, too. ‘We’ve unfortunately lost some of our members,’ he says. ‘But everyone supports each other, going through it together. And it’s not just “Blandford looking after Blandford”, or “Gillingham looking after Gillingham” – everyone knows everyone, across all three choirs. ‘Once you’re a member of ROKiT, you’re not a “Blandford member” or a “Gillingham member”. You’re just ROKiT.’
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
That sense of belonging aligns neatly with what science has shown repeatedly: group singing lowers stress hormones, boosts mood, steadies breathing and builds social connection. For many people it’s as effective as a therapy session. Mark sees it weekly. ‘Some people just need to come and blast out a song,’ he says. ‘It relieves the stress. And that’s absolutely fine.’ Mark keeps the choir deliberately affordable. Membership is £35 a year – which covers T-shirts and access to the online learning tracks – and rehearsals cost £7 a night on a pay-as-you-go basis. ‘Times are quite hard for a lot of people,’ Mark says. ‘The last thing I want is someone worrying about whether they can afford next month. They’ve got friendship groups here. Some people need to be here.’
ROKiT choir performing at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Ray Charles to Radiohead The ages range from teenagers to people in their 80s or 90s. Men were scarce at first. ‘We had just one man originally,’ Mark says. ‘He used to call it his harem!’ Now there are growing tenor sections at all the groups. The repertoire covers Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody took four months to learn), Ray Charles, Robbie Williams, The Monkees, Snow Patrol, Radiohead … ‘They do Creep really, really well,’ Mark says with clear pride. ROKiT has also swiftly become a familiar part of the local Christmas season. ‘We’ve had to turn down quite a few requests this year, because so many asked us to perform,’ he says. The choirs support charity events too – raising around £15,000 so far. ‘We don’t have one charity, we raise for lots of causes. One close to all our hearts is CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), in memory of one of our original choir members. She was only 52 when she had a major heart attack. ‘We’ve supported the Ukraine appeal and earthquake appeals, Brave & Determined Co, Air Ambulance … We try to support as many as possible,’ Mark says. From 6th January, Sturminster Newton’s own ROKiT choir will meet every Monday at 7.30 at the town hall. As always, anyone can join – no experience, no auditions, no pressure. ‘Just turn up on the night,’ Mark says. ‘Rock up and rock it.’ It’s a cheering thought for the dark nights of winter: a roomful of strangers, gathered on a Monday evening, lifting the roof together.
It’s been a year, hasn’t it? Not the triumphant hoorah kind. More the head-down, keep-plodding, ‘is it bedtime yet?’ sort of year. Whether you’re a farmer battling the weather (and the government), in hospitality and wondering where the customers are (and the tax money is coming from), a local journalist trying to keep the lights on (ahem), or simply doing your best to pay the heating bill – 2025 has not been gentle. But we made it. Just about. And as we shuffle slightly frayed and biscuit-fuelled into December, I’ll admit: I’m tired. Possibly delirious. Almost definitely weepy. ClassicFM keeps ambushing me with Somewhere in My Memory from Home Alone, which is frankly a cheap shot when you haven’t seen your eldest child in over a year. But he and his wife will be home in under three weeks – we’ll have a full nest for Christmas. We really will have ‘All of the music. All of the magic. All of the family, home here. With me.’ (…nope, weepy again. Definitely need more sleep.) But even as we’re winding down for Christmas, we’re winding up behind the scenes. We’ve got big, exciting things planned for 2026 at BV Towers – and no, we can’t share them yet. But oh, we really want to. Just know that we’re already plotting and scribbling and quietly fizzing with anticipation. Until then, we’re officially off-duty. We don’t do the fake “oooh we’re still monitoring emails” nonsense – the office door is shut, the mince pies are out, the wine is mulling, and January’s issue will be along on the 16th. Ish. Wishing you a peaceful, joyful, well-fed Christmas. May your trifle be boozy, your mince pies plentiful, and your egg nog just the right side of questionable. See you next year. (But not too early.)
Laura x
On more doctor strikes With more junior doctor strikes ahead, we’re being told – again – that this is all about pay. But is it really? According to Guido, even the BMA’s own chairman, Dr Phil Banfield, recently admitted that junior doctors have had a 7.9% real-terms pay rise since 2015. That may not match inflation perfectly, but it certainly undermines the narrative of complete stagnation. The real crisis isn’t pay – it’s retention. We spend up to £250,000 training a single doctor, only to make it near-impossible for them to progress or specialise. Many leave the NHS entirely or emigrate. We urgently need to widen training opportunities, reduce pointless bureaucracy, and create a system that values and keeps the doctors we already have. Throwing slogans and strikes at the problem won’t fix what’s become a deep-rooted failure of long-term planning. Name and address supplied
On devolution I was pleased to see the vote tonight in favour of Dorset Council continuing its discussions on Wessex devolution. It was not, as some seem to fear, a vote to sign us up to a mayor or a new tier of bureaucracy. It was simply an essential step to keep Dorset at the table while Government works out the national framework. Given the funding landscape, refusing even to explore this route would be an act of self-harm. The Leader made the point plainly: without a Mayoral Strategic Authority we are already losing around £300 million a year in investment that other regions can access. Transport, skills, housing, economic development – these are areas where Dorset has long struggled to attract serious Government money. Standing alone, we simply don’t carry the weight. Acting with BCP, Somerset and Wiltshire offers us a realistic chance of being heard. No one pretended tonight that an elected mayor is universally popular. But the direction from Westminster is unambiguous: no mayor, no meaningful funding. We can dislike that reality, but we cannot afford to ignore it. Keeping the door open is not capitulation; it is prudence. It’s not a major decision moment yet, and the council made the right call. Continue the talks, shape whatever deal emerges, and bring the final proposal back for a proper democratic decision. Dorset’s residents deserve the chance to benefit from the investment that almost every other region is now positioned to receive. Elliot Marsh, by email
On one councillor’s attitude to ADHD Today I came across a Dorset councillor posting on social media, questioning whether ADHD is “the new normal”, suggesting that we should stop labelling people and simply celebrate everyone’s uniqueness instead. While I believe the sentiment was meant to be kind and inclusive, the comment reveals a worrying misunderstanding of what ADHD actually is. ADHD isn’t a personality quirk or a lifestyle choice. It’s a recognised neurodevelopmental condition, involving a measurable chemical imbalance in the brain. For many of us, it affects executive function, time management, memory, focus and emotional regulation. It’s not about being “different” – it’s about trying to function in a world that wasn’t built for our brains. The current so-called “gold rush” to get a diagnosis is not people jumping on a trendy bandwagon – it’s people, especially girls and women, finally being listened to after generations of being overlooked, misdiagnosed or simply told to try harder. For those with ADHD (which is estimated to affect up to 20% of the population), a label isn’t a limitation – it’s a lifeline. It opens the door to understanding, support, medication, workplace adjustments and, crucially, self-compassion. Being told to just “be yourself” is not helpful when “being yourself” can mean struggling to manage relationships, hold down a job, or complete simple daily tasks without overwhelming exhaustion. I’d respectfully suggest that before public figures comment on complex neurological conditions, they take the time to understand what they actually are. Name and address supplied
On the wax-jacket-wearing Grumbler As a 60-something man with a strong attachment to my Barbour, I read last month’s Grumbler with both a chuckle and a slight sense of unease. I appear to also be the suspicious wax jacket man.
I’ve triggered more than one doorbell camera while returning misdelivered parcels, and been pinged on the village WhatsApp group while walking my dog (who, for the record, is considerably less suspicious than I am). Still, I won’t be giving up the wax jacket. It’s absolutely older than some of the tech that’s now apparently accusing me of shoplifting. G. W., Marnhull
I wonder if local readers are familiar with William Barnes’ Christmas invitation? He seems to have loved Chrostmas – he write about it beautifully. The following is my favourite of his, in his perfect ‘Dorset-ese’, and I thought you might like to give it an airing in your December issue? Merry Christmas to all! Annie Bartlett, Blandford
Come down to-morrow night; an, mind Don’t leave thy fiddle-bag behind; We’ll sheake a lag, an’ drink a cup O’eale, to keep wold Chris’mas up.
An’ let thy sister teake thy earm, The walk won’t do her any harm; There’s noo dirt now to spweil her frock, The ground’s a-vroze so hard’s a rock.
You won’t meet any stranger’s feace, But only neighbours o’the pleace, An’ Stowe, an’ Combe; an’ two or dree Vrom uncle’s up at Rookery.
An’ thou wu’lt vind a rwosy feace, An’ peair ov eyes so black as sloos, The prettiest woones in all the pleace, – I’m sure I needen tell thee whose.
We got a back-bran, dree girt logs So much as dree ov us can car; We’ll put ’em up athirt the dogs, An meake a vier to the bar.
An’ ev’ry woone shall tell his teale, An’ ev’ry woone shall zing his zong, An’ ev’ry woone wull drink his eale To love an’ frien’ship all night long.
We’ll snap the tongs, we’ll have a ball, We’ll shake the house, we’ll lift the ruf, We’ll romp an’ meake the maidens squall, A’ catchen o’m at blind-man’s buff.
Zoo come to-morrow night; an’ mind, Don’t leave thy fiddle-bag behind; We’ll sheake a lag, an’ drink a cup O’eale, to keep wold Chris’mas up.
Want to reply? Read something you feel needs commenting on? Our postbag is open! Please send emails to [email protected]. When writing, please include your full name and address; we will not print this, but do require it.
After a year-long internal review, we regret to report that The BV has repeatedly caused unexpectedly high levels of enthusiasm across rural Dorset.
Findings include:
• Weekend conversations derailed by ‘Did you read that BV piece?’ • Excessive forwarding of stories to unsuspecting family members. • Local businesses experiencing statistically significant boosts in visitors. • Readers developing firm emotional attachments to our photographers. And our equestrian’s horses.
Further investigation shows that our Christmas issue – historically responsible for seasonal outbreaks of delight – is shaping up to be the biggest culprit yet. Forecast models suggest raised heart rates, involuntary smiling and a tendency to say ‘Dorset’s actually brilliant, isn’t it?’
We sincerely apologise for any disruption this may cause. We will not, at this time, be reducing journalistic quality, local storytelling or photographic excellence. Management has agreed to allow the cheer to continue unchecked. Please proceed to open our Christmas issue at your own personal joy level. You have been warned.
Sincerely, The BV Team
P.S. The December issue is out now – filled to the brim and behaving exactly as predicted. PPS – MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! From Laura & Courtenay
