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Ninebarrow

By
Editorial team
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If you went to Ibiza a short while ago you could have experienced a bizarre sight. The Dorset folk duo Ninebarrow – fresh from winning the accolade ‘Best Emerging Act’ at the 2017 BBC Folk Awards – were wowing the crowds at the Costa Del Folk.

It’s worth a YouTube – this most English of bands playing Prickle Eye Bush in the soaring sunshine in a Mediterranean setting.  All the band’s songs are inspired by Dorset countryside and people.

‘It was an intriguing experience,’ Jon Whitley told the digital Blackmore Vale Magazine. Jon and Jay LaBouchardiere, a working GP, are Ninebarrow.

‘The day before it was a thunderstorm and the organisers planned to bring everything under cover, but next day as we were about to come on – the sun came out.’

They played a blinding set, receiving deserved applause and left the stage exhausted but elated.

Famous for their poetic lyrics and tight, clean harmony Ninebarrow are set to become big names following a string of successful albums, concerts and awards. They explain their songwriting process.

‘There’s no basic formula,’ says Jon. ‘Our sitting room is full of books on Dorset, our favourite poet is William Barnes, and we’ll get an idea and build it from there. Or, being keen walkers, we’ll get inspiration from the landscape, a lyric will come, a melody will emerge and we’ll develop it.’

The duo describe their song writing process as ‘constructive argument.’ Similar to the rock band Queen, one will have the germ of a song, the other would take it further, suggest new lyrics and enhance the melody. Sometimes the music comes first, sometimes the lyrics. The vital ingredient is collaboration.

‘It’s a tug of war,’ says Jon. ‘You need somebody to push you further than you’d go yourself. To go beyond where you’re comfortable. You won’t develop as an artist unless you’re pushed like that.’

Studio recording is famously nerve-wracking for bands. One can play a song perfectly in your sitting room, but get in front of a microphone and when the green light goes on you freeze.

‘It’s been easier since Covid,’ says Jon, ‘as there’s only me or Jay there and we find it easier. The really nervous time is when the early mixes are sent through a month later. Has the producer really understood what we’re aiming for?’

The couple, who also run Ninebarrow Walking Tours – for an enchanting mixture of living nature and fine live music – have just released their new album, ‘A Pocket Full of Acorns.’

It is well known that Jon and Jay are responsible for planting 1,000 native British broadleaved trees and 200 shrubs in a three acre site near Gillingham called the Ninebarrow Woodland. Less well-known is the story behind it.

‘We were concerned about the impact our touring had on the environment. In a normal year we’d drive more than 10,000 miles and that alone is frightening in terms of the carbon footprint. And it’s not only our footprint but that of the audiences who travel to see us.’

Being a self-confessed ‘spreadsheet geek,’ Jon calculated that they generated more than 2.5 tons of Co2 annually. Audience travel added a further half ton of Co2.

The inspiration for the woodland came when the band learnt an astounding story while on tour in the Newcastle-on-Tyne.

They found a tribute to vice-admiral Collingwood, who famously took over command at the battle of Trafalgar after Lord Nelson was killed. The admiral was concerned about the future of Britain’s oak forests – which provided the Royal Navy with timber for its ships.

‘Collingwood took to carrying acorns in his pockets, planting them in suitable places as he went on his rambles,’ says Jay.

Hence the title track of the duo’s latest CD A Pocket Full of Acorns.

What they planted

  • 500 oaks
  • 125 silver birch
  • 125 hornbeam
  • 75 wild cherries
  • 50 field maples
  • 25 alder
  • 25 crab apple
  • 25 walnut
  • 25 rowan
  • 25 sweet chestnut
  • 100 hazel
  • 75 hawthorn
  • 25 spindle bushes

Hambledon Hill Loved By Locals 5500 Years Ago

By
Editorial team
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Today, walkers, off-road bikers and dogwalkers use Hambledon Hill as a popular place from which to view and appreciate the Vale.

Aerial photography of Hambledon Hill at sunset by Luke Pankhurst

The hill is an exceptional place; imbued with historical interest, and one of the few areas where Dorset’s once common chalk grassland, with all its rare associated flora and fauna, can be found. A place from where the whole of layout and structure of the Blackmore Vale can be seen. Not many locations can claim to be a Scheduled Ancient Monument, an area of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve – a special place indeed.

This spur of chalk overlooking the Jurassic Vale is east of Child Oakford, south of Shaftesbury. The area escaped advances of intensive agriculture over the centuries, which mean earthworks and burial features are exceptionally well preserved and clearly visible on the ground. These have not only provided evidence of the earliest British farmers over 5,500 years ago, but also revealed an early enclosure where, at the southern end, a Neolithic long burial mound was built high on the central spine. By 1000 BC this structure had evolved into a Bronze Age settlement where several round burial mounds were created. By 700 BC the Durotriges tribe developed the site into a major Iron Age hillfort to protect their land and trade routes along the River Stour valley. Hambledon Hill is just one of a series of local Iron Age earthworks which also includes Hod Hill, Spetisbury Rings, Buzbury Rings, Badbury Rings and Dudsbury Camp. The Iron Age port at Hengistbury Head forms the final Iron Age monument in this small chain of sites.


History hadn’t finished its association with the site. In 1645, during the English Civil War, Hambledon was the site of the last known British battle on a hillfort. The Dorset Clubman defended the ramparts against Oliver Cromwell’s army, but they were captured after a fight which included a cavalry charge against a hail of musket fire from the ramparts.
Clubmen were countrymen who were weary of war. They tried to live out their lives as normally as possible but, caught in the middle of both Royalist and Parliamentarian troops, repeatedly suffered deprivations as plundering forces from both sides looted villages, damaged crops and land. There was little sympathy for either the monarchy or Parliament and so, with a view to protecting their interests and declaring Dorset a neutral zone, a third faction, consisting mostly of ordinary tradesmen, clergy and yeomen, came into existence.The surrender of the Clubmen is
an interesting story. Suffice to say Cromwell’s rout was humiliating, swift and easy – some Clubmen escaped by sliding down the hill on their bottoms. Reports of death vary fromtwelve to fifty, and around three
hundred were taken prisoner.

Aerial photography of Hambledon Hill by Luke Pankhurst

Cromwell locked them up in Shroton church overnight referring to them as ‘poor silly creatures’ and then, with an unexpected display of leniency, he merely lectured them before releasing all but the ringleaders the next day and allowing them to return to their homes, having promised that they would ‘be hanged before they come out again’. Ten days later, the Parliamentary army stormed and claimed Sherborne Castle; although Corfe and Portland castles held out until early 1646, Royalist resistance in Dorset was a hopeless cause. The Dorset Clubmen kept their promise and disappeared from history.


A final flourish came in 1756 when General James Wolfe trained his army at Hambledon before successfully climbing the Heights of Abraham to defeat the French during the Battle of Quebec, Canada.Explore the ramparts, ditches and terraces today and you’ll be retracing the footsteps of people who lived, feasted, fought and were buried on this extraordinary site. You won’t be disappointed.

By: Paul Birbeck Sherborne Walks & Blue Badge Tour Guide

Chef de Partie | Roth Bar & Grill Bruton

By
Editorial team
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Roth Bar & Grill in Bruton Somerset is a vibrant restaurant renowned for its wood fired cooking serving seasonal and honest food – much of the produce used in the kitchen is from the surrounding farm.

we have an exciting opportunity for a Chef de Partie to join us and be part of our welcoming team and award-winning restaurant.

Salary £25K + Benefits + Tips

What’s in it for you?

Competitive pay +  Great TIPs + Healthcare Cash Plan + Life Assurance + 30 Days Holidays + Employee Assistance Programme + Local Discounts & Incentives + Pension Plan + Training & Development Opportunities + 02 Phone Discount 

The role

Responsible for a section of the Kitchen ensuring the preparation and delivery of high-quality food to the restaurant, outside catering and events catering. This requires working closely with the Head Chef and Sous Chefs.

To see the full job description and to apply click the following link –

https://harri.com/Roth-Bar—Grill—BOH/job/1213588-chef-de-partie

Voice of the Books | July 2021

By
Editorial team
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Summer is finally with us and whether you’re braving the yoyo-ing of government foreign travel policy or enjoying a staycation, we have some wonderful handpicked summer reads to pass the time – and all of them are £2 off! Here are my personal top picks for a perfect hammock read this summer. Wayne

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

Jean Swinney is a feature writer on a local paper, disappointed in love and – on the brink of forty living a limited existence with her truculent mother. When a young Swiss woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. But the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely intertwined with that of the Tilburys: Gretchen is now a friend, and her quirky and charming daughter Margaret a sort of surrogate child. And Jean doesn’t mean to fall in love with Gretchen’s husband, but Howard surprises her with his dry wit, his intelligence and his kindness, and she falls hard.

Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

Set in 1634, a boat leaves the East Indies with a detective duo on board. Although one is locked
up and facing execution, their skills are very much needed when the voyage is beset by a terrible
forewarning.
‘Wildly inventive, Turton’s tale defies definition as either historical fiction or crime novel, but provides all the
pleasures of both genres and more’

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang

In the twilight of the Gold Rush, two siblings cross a landscape with a gun in their hands. Ba dies in the night, Ma is already gone. Lucy and Sam, twelve and eleven, are suddenly alone and on the run. With their father’s body on their backs, they roam an unforgiving landscape dotted with giant buffalo bones and tiger paw prints, searching for a place to give him a proper burial…
A sweeping adventure tale, an unforgettable sibling story and a remarkable novel about a family bound and divided by its memories.

The Ratline by Philippe Sands

In this riveting real-life thriller, Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of senior Nazi SS Brigadefuhrer Otto Freiherr von Wachter and his wife, Charlotte. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, as a fugitive on the run
in the Alps and then in Rome, and into the Cold War.

Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes

‘Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not- very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!’ – Margaret Atwood The Greek myths are among the world’s most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.

http://www.winstonebooks.co.uk/

The Voice of The Allotment | July 2021

By
Editorial team
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It’s been a busy month – here’s how June worked out for us on the allotment (all our vegetables are grown from seed in plug trays, modules and small pots):


May 30th – Plant out 48 Swift sweetcorn in a block. Plant out a block of lettuce.


June 1st – Plant against canes about 40 Moonlight runner beans. These are a white
flowered variety which are less attractive to Sparrows. Weeding and watering. Sow into plug trays Cardinal broccoli. Now harvesting lettuce as required.


June 2nd – Plant out about 30
Safari dwarf French beans. Weeding and watering. Put straw under strawberries and then covered with a net to protect from Blackbirds.


June 4th – Plant out 10 Vert Petit de Paris gherkins. Dug first new potatoes (Foremost).


June 6th – Patched fourth line of Hurst Green Shaft peas with seedlings from plug tray. These were to replace those damaged by the Weevil before they emerged.


June 9th – Sow Witloof chicory, coriander, carrot and beetroot. Pick first sweet peas.


June 11th – Plant out 3 courgettes and 8 Winter squashes including 2 Crown Prince. Plant out 4 cucumbers against wire to give them support as they climb. Harvested Garlic (planted in November).Quite a poor yield this year.


June 13th – Picked first strawberries. A few were slug damaged. Planted a line of Cendis cauliflower. This is the variety that produced some very large curds last year, the largest weighed in at 3.7 Kg. Planted part line of Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

June 14th – Gave potatoes 20 litres of water per line.


June 15th – Sow lettuce in a module (repeated each month for a succession of plants). Sow in plugs Medallion Spring cauliflower and Traviata savoy cabbage.June 18th – Some welcome rain. Weeding in the rain.


June 19th – Patched beetroot and carrot rows. Picked first broad beans.


June 20th – Plant out Cheesy and Violetta di Sicillia cauliflower. Plant out a block of Greensleeves celery. Dug more
first early potatoes.


June 21st – RAIN!


June 22nd – Plant out Ironman calabrese and Natalino Romanesco.

By: Barry Cuff

Sponsored by Thorngrove Garden Centre

Hayley Foy – Female Farrier

By
Editorial team
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Hayley Foy is a 36 year old female farrier from West Dorset. Having completed a four and half year apprenticeship with well known Abbotsbury farrier Ian Marchant, Hayley qualified in 2006 and now has her own business.

Hayley at work with her daughter

Farriers specialise in what happens from the knee down on a horse, learning the bones of the foot,  how the hoof grows and how to trim and shape hooves.

Then of course the different types of shoes, and how to correctly shoe different horses with particular jobs – a racehorse will have very different shoe needs to a working heavy horse.

A Farrier will also  learn about remedial shoeing: 
“I like the remedial side of it all” says Hayley “working with out of balance horses, solving problems, sometimes even making lame horses sound.” 

“I shoe all different types of horses from Shires to Shetlands, lots of show jumpers, eventers, hunters and happy hackers. Whatever the horse, it is always so important to make sure they are moving as straight as possible. This is done through foot balance, and supporting the whole leg not just the hoof. 

I feel very passionate about this, and really enjoy working with local vets to sort out hoof problems.

Over the years Hayley has built up a great client list purely through word of mouth – she hasn’t ever had to advertise, and has no website or social media.

Being a female in a man’s world has always just made Hayley very determined – showing that whatever sex you are you can do it.
Being successful in a job that you love has it’s problems though 

“I love shoeing horses so much it took me a very long time to work out how I could still be a farrier and have a baby!”

In November 2020 Hayley had her first child, managing to shoe very sensible calm horses nearly to the end of her pregnancy thanks to some help from a great farrier friend who would go out shoeing with her.

“Now I’m a mum and a farrier, I just needed to get very organised with how to fit it all in.

But it is so great to be able to be shoeing with my baby sleeping in the van, happily watching in the yard or going on a walk. I’ll be flexible until she is ready to go to nursery for a few hours and I can get back to shoeing a few more horses in a day!”

Farrier or Blacksmith?

Historically, the jobs of farrier and blacksmith were practically synonymous. A farrier’s work in pre-Industrial Revolution Europe would have included shoeing horses, as well as the fabrication and repair of tools and so on. Modern-day farriers specialise in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse’s hoof. For this reason, farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate, though related, trades.

National Trust Stourhead – Staff Required Immediate Start

By
Editorial team
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The National Trust Stourhead require the following staff for immediate start.

Cook – 30 hours per week – £18,075pa

Food & beverages Team Leader – 37.5 hours per week – £9.75ph

Both these positions are permanent roles which offer realistic salary progression based on annual reviews.

The National Trusts policay means you won’t be required to work nights, split shifts and will be off on Christmas Day as the property is fully closed to the public.

To find out more about either of these roles and to apply, please send your CV to the hiring manager –

[email protected]

The Story of Rob Adams

By
Editorial team
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The creative journey of the artist can be full of perils: self-doubt, fear, inner criticism, procrastination, avoidance and even resignation. But this journey is always one of interest – such is the route Rob Adams has taken. His father was a photographer, author, film maker and broadcaster and his mother a keen amateur painter; and from a youthful aptitude for art and mathematics (which was leading to architecture) through to a peaceful retirement in Dorset, his journey is fascinating. Fate intercepted when a serious motorcycle accident put Rob in hospital for a year and necessitated another year in rehabilitation. Having to spend hours on his back provided the opportunity to draw…. and draw. On recovery, there was a Foundation course, a study of Sculpture at Portsmouth and a degree in Fine art. As Rob says, “I am, I suppose a little unusual in the painting world in that I have had several careers in the art and design industry before becoming a full-time dauber.”

Rob Adams in his Child Okeford Studio – Edwina Baines

Initially working as an illustrator, Rob penned a children’s book, published in 1995, featuring a character called Abysmal Gloom, a small blue monster who always moans and complains about everything. One review said:

“This would have been a great book to read when I was a kid: basically, one in which you learn that it’s okay to be gloomy because it is what you are supposed to be in the world. There are those of us who have delighted over time in our own misery, and this book is the best example of why we exist that I have read.”

However, the gloom dispersed when Rob was given the opportunity to design sets for film and television. He made stage sets for the theatre and models for some very large productions such as the first Batman movie and a thirty-foot-high polystyrene version of Rodin’s The Kiss for a pop video. There were vast murals for the VE day celebrations, the Queen’s Jubilee and the re-design of the O2 following its use for the Millennium. He was involved with the Tussauds group for many years, designing Theme Parks and roller coasters for their many attractions, including Alton Towers. There were projects with famous photographers of the time including David Bailey and Terence Donovan, plus videos with Duran Duran and Sting. During all this time Rob continued to paint landscape and architectural watercolours and was also one of the finalists for Artist of the Year 2013 run by the Artists and Illustrators magazine.

Studland Bay – Rob Adams

The Wapping Group (or the ‘Wappers’ as they are known), are a group of twenty five dedicated and capable painters, whose aim is fellowship and the enthusiastic recording and interpretation of London and the Thames. On initial application to be a candidate, Rob was turned down as his work was perceived to be too ‘slick’! However, he persevered and gained full entry in 2014 when he was, amongst others, instrumental in ensuring the inclusion of the first women into the group.

At the age of fifty-three Rob took the bold decision to give up full time work. It was “one big experiment” but has now paid off. In a move that surprised not only himself but all his friends, he moved to Dorset and has been painting the wonderful local landscapes ever since: “I am minded to pursue a humble course of painting what moves or merely interests me in the most capable way I can manage, with no expectation of others either liking or being moved by my efforts. … I have come to think what I wish to show is ordinary things around me in moments of extraordinary beauty. This often means getting up very early!”

“I have no set way of working, sometimes I will draw a picture out carefully, other times I dive straight in with the paint. I frequently finish work ‘en plein air’ but don’t hold back from adjusting or amending once back in the studio if I feel it necessary. I often use photographs as reference in studio paintings, but am careful not to allow the photographic image to dominate proceedings. My great passion is drawing and I am a regular attender at a local life-drawing group. For me drawing is the bones upon which the flesh of the rest of the painting is hung. … My professional life has left me comfortable when working with many different media, from pen drawing to watercolour.”

Peeping through the ‘postbox – Rob Adams

When I visited Rob’s delightful village studio during Dorset Art Weeks there was a wonderful range of work on display from atmospheric landscapes reflecting both the changing light and the seasons to street scenes that conveyed a real sense of time and place. There was a quirky and self-deprecating self-portrait showing him peeking through the ‘letterbox’ shape of the frame, to light infused seascapes such as Studland Bay. Rob explained: “The only problem with painting this was that the tide came in so quickly I had to retreat! When painting ‘en plein air’ you often have less than an hour to get the picture mostly done. Here I had to finish the foreground from a phone snap.”

Looking West to Corfe – Rob Adams

Looking West to Corfe Castle portrays the sensitive use of colour and composition to create atmosphere and harmony.  “When painting a scene like this on the spot I first of all try to get the mood of the day established as I want to paint that particular moment. This is why I mostly paint from life rather than photos. The challenge here was that the sunlight was constantly changing as the clouds rolled by.”

You can find an extensive selection of Rob’s work on:

https://www.instagram.com/treeshark12/

or for sale at The Gallery at 41in Corfe Castle and the Gallery on the Square, Poundbury, Dorchester.

By: Edwina Baines

Prescribing a Dose of Kindness- A Day in the Life of a Social Prescriber

By
Editorial team
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An elderly lady walking slowly across the Town Meadow pauses as Liz Rose stops to chat with her. Kindness and positivity radiate from Liz who is Gillingham’s first social prescriber and has been in the post since October. There’s a brief conversation before Liz joins me. The lady walks on with a smile beneath her mask, Liz’s words clearly making a difference to her day.

Social prescribing is a relatively new concept to the NHS but one that is increasingly important as the country recovers from the lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic. Around 30 per cent of GP appointments are made for non-medical reasons and frequently turn out to be for other issues such as financial problems or loneliness. A social prescriber like Liz connects people to others and to support services. They are based with GP surgeries but work in the community and in partnership with support groups. Instead of a medical prescription, you could find yourself introduced to the coffee companions or the forthcoming Gill Sheds. Liz is a trained mental health nurse and has lived in Gillingham all her life. “I saw the job advertised and went for it. I like people, I’m nosey, and I love Gillingham- it’s a great community.”

Liz Rose by Rachael Rowe

Liz outlined some of the cases she had dealt with that day which gave a good insight into her role. A lady recently discharged from hospital after a road accident was unable to walk her dog. By making a phone call, Liz was able to find a volunteer willing to take the job on which gave peace of mind to the dog owner. She also helped support another resident who was experiencing severe mental health problems. Liz was also honoured when she was recently invited to the home of some local Syrian refugees that had been helped to settle into the town. She also helped bring people together with knitted squares on the Town Meadow and the biggest knitted blanket in Dorset. As Liz said: “The job is as big as you want it to be.”

One of Liz’s main roles is to connect people who may be feeling isolated in the community. On Tuesdays the Coffee Companions meet up. There is always someone there to say hello and make people feel welcome. The Green Gang work with people of all abilities to plant tree, clear paths, and renovate signs. Gill Sheds is coming to Gillingham soon and there is a singing group in the area. Liz is part of the team working on Dementia Friendly Gillingham, another community project.

Liz also works with Gillingham Community Kindness- a team of 86 volunteers. “They help with anything from befriending to doing the shopping for someone, and they even moved furniture for a local lady coming home from hospital.” During the first lockdown, Gillingham Town Council got a leaflet to each resident outlining where they could get help and the volunteers were on hand to offer support.

Asked about challenges, Liz identified a few. Not surprisingly, time was an issue, and having to be in two places at once on occasions. It can be difficult as a lone worker- she is looking for a “partner in crime.” A second post to work alongside Liz is currently advertised just in case anyone is inspired by the work she has been doing.

I asked Liz how people in Gillingham can help support the service. “They can like our Facebook page and also spread the word about Gillingham Community Kindness. If they know someone who may need a little support in the community, please reach out to us so we can get in touch. There is always a need for volunteers and people are welcome to join the team.”

Social prescribing in the NHS is here to stay and it seems that the small things and a dose of kindness make a big difference to people.

If you would like to get in touch with Liz at the Vale Partnership you can contact her on [email protected] at Gillingham Medical Practice.

By: Rachael Rowe

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