Bestselling author Libby Page answers the Random 19 questions

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20 May 2023

Libby Page is a Sunday Times bestselling author, known for her feelgood novels exploring themes of community, love and connection.
Born and raised in Dorset, Libby’s roots provide a strong foundation for her storytelling.
Her debut novel The Lido received widespread acclaim for its heartwarming narrative and exploration of love in its many forms. Libby has continued to captivate readers with her subsequent novels The 24-Hour Café and The Island Home. Each is infused with a deep understanding of human emotions and the power of connection. Her latest novel, The Vintage Shop of Second Chances, was published in February, and is based in Frome.
In the story, after the death of her beloved mother, Lou is opening her own vintage clothes shop in the town. In upstate New York, Donna is questioning her past. Her only clue is a picture of a yellow dress, currently on display in a shop in England.
Maggy is facing life as a 70-something divorcee. The new vintage shop in town sparks memories of her past and reignites a passion she’s been missing.
Can these three women find their answers – and unlock a second chance?
In her spare time, Libby is a keen outdoor swimmer and she now lives just over the border in Somerset with her husband and young son. Her Twitter followers are still awaiting the tale behind the tweet about a (presumably) Dorset Morris Dance-related incident … (see below)

Sturminster Literary Festival
Libby will be taking part in the Sturminster Newton Literary Festival. On 8th June she will appropriately be appearing in 1855, giving a talk about The Vintage Shop of Second Chances. After the talk and book signing, the team from The Boutique in Sturminster Newton will hold a fashion show of pre-loved items. Tickets are £10 and include a glass of prosecco on arrive – book here

And so to the 19 random questions…

What’s your relationship with Dorset?
I grew up in Gillingham! I went to school there and I visit regularly, as my mum still lives there.
The last film you watched?
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. It was a lovely escapist treat.
It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
I am going to curl up on the sofa with a good book and a takeaway. I’ll probably have a bath and then I’ll be in bed by 9pm.

What book did you read last year that stayed with you? What made you love it?
I loved Jojo Moyes’ latest book, Someone Else’s Shoes. I especially loved it for the depiction of female friendship and the impact of depression on a marriage. It was really moving but also uplifting.
What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
Bitch by Meredith Brooks!
What would you like to tell 15 year-old you?
It’s going to be OK.
And yes, you WILL become an author!
Tell us about a sound or a smell that makes you happy?
The sound of my toddler snoring … and the smell of hyacinths.
What’s your secret superpower?
Being able to nap at any time of day, anywhere. Literally, anywhere.
What would you like to be remembered for?
Being kind to the people I love, and for writing books that made people smile.

Your favourite quote?
‘…but what if it all goes right?’
I have it hanging on the wall in my writing room. I’m a natural worrier, and it helps to remind me that sometimes the worst doesn’t actually happen after all!
Your top three most-visited websites (excluding news and social media)?
The Novelry – where I work as a writing coach
Substack – I have my own newsletter
Lucy & Yak – basically I’m always contemplating which dungarees to buy next
Chip shop chips or home-baked cake??
Definitely cake. Every time, thank you!
Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve had?
My wedding party!
It was delayed due to COVID by two years, and it meant so much to finally have everyone we loved in one room – including our son, who didn’t exist when we got engaged!
What is your comfort meal?
Baked tomato and mozzarella gnocchi
Your most annoying trait?
Getting distracted!
When my mind is in my books and with my characters, I have a horrible habit of just not finishing sentences.
Your most annoying trait?
What was the last gift you either gave, or received?
Flowers, on both counts! I gave them to my mum for Mother’s Day and also received them from my son and husband!
What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
The revival of 90s fashion …
You have the power to pass one law, uncontested. What will you do with it?
Allow public access to the UK’s waterways and put in place stricter rules to stop the pollution of our rivers and seas.
And finally, the best biscuit for dunking?
Chocolate digestives!

Return of the Dorset Business Awards at Chamber’s inaugural Business Festival

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Editorial team

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20 May 2023

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The Dorset Business Festival – the first event of its kind in Dorset Chamber’s 74-year history – will be held in October

The first Dorset Business Festival was officially launched at the chamber’s President’s Lunch, where Shevaun Haviland, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, delivered a keynote speech to over 150 attendees.
The Dorset Business Festival – the first event of its kind in the chamber’s 74-year history – is being held from 10th to 12th October in Bournemouth. The festival will showcase a conference, exhibition, and awards ceremony, celebrating businesses across the county.
Dorset Chamber has secured presenter and former BBC Breakfast business correspondent Declan Curry as host of the conference.
The Sunday Times economics editor David Smith has been named as keynote speaker. Mr Smith will open the topic-based conference on 10th October, which will emphasize the ‘future of business’. The conference will be concentrating on four themes:

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)
place
people.

The expo will feature stands, presentations and networking.

Dorset Business Awards
Returning after four years, the Business Awards will be open to all businesses in the county, regardless of chamber membership, and will feature ten free-to-enter categories.
They will involve judging by an independent panel of business leaders and experts.
The chamber has welcomed five Festival Partners for the event – Blue Sky Financial Planning, Bournemouth and Poole College, Dorset Council, The Dolphin and the YMCA Bournemouth.
Law firm Lester Aldridge will be the Premier Festival Partner.
Bookings for the three-day festival, including entries for the Dorset Business Festival Awards, will open on 9th May.

Discovering the uncharted charm of Dorset

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Editorial team

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19 May 2023

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By exploring the county’s quirky, unconventional stories, Jon Woolcott urges readers to experience Dorset with fresh eyes. By Jane Adams

Real Dorset out in the wild (sitting in the Little Toller bookshop window in Beaminster…)

‘Please don’t use Real Dorset as a guidebook. You’ll get lost!’
As he starts his talk at the launch of his new book, Jon Woolcott says: ‘It isn’t a guide to the best pubs in Dorset, either,’ he adds, ‘though I have included a few …’
Jon Woolcott has an obsession with ‘all things Dorset’. If you meet him, he readily admits it. So when I bagged a ticket to the sell-out launch event for Real Dorset at Folde in Shaftesbury, I was intrigued to hear about some of his discoveries. It is soon obvious that Jon’s Dorset is very much more interesting than the popular ’sea, sand and Hardy’s Wessex’ image.

Spicy spies
Real Dorset starts conventionally enough, divided as it is into five sections; north, south, east, west and central. But that’s where convention ends and discovery of the weird and wonderful – and just plain fascinating – begins.
From the spicy ‘comings and goings of the artistic set at Crichel’, spy scandals on Portland, and 1950s nostalgia at the Model Town in Wimborne, tasty morsels jump from every page.
What I loved most, though, and what kept me reading to the very end, was Jon’s mastery of storytelling.
Real Dorset isn’t a dull ramble through country lanes, villages and towns. Instead its stories are full of humour, unexpected details and an engaging quirkiness.
Whether you read Real Dorset in one sitting, as I did, or dip in and out, you can’t help but feel you’re there, walking with the author, seeing Dorset with fresh eyes.
However, I strongly disagree with Jon on one point. I’m definitely using it as a guidebook. Getting lost in Jon Woolcott’s ‘real’ Dorset, surrounded by music, ghosts, pirates, rebellion and revolt, has frankly never seemed more appealing.

Real Dorset was published in April 2023 by Seren Books, and is available not just in Little Toller Books but in all good local indie bookshops and also online.

A dawn chorus of paperbacks for spring…

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Editorial team

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19 May 2023

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The Nightingale: Notes on a songbird by Sam Lee (£13)
Throughout history, its sweet song has inspired musicians, writers and artists from Germany, France and Italy to Greece, Ukraine and Korea. Conservationist, renowned musician and folk expert Sam Lee tells the story of the nightingale, revealing in beautiful detail the bird’s song, characteristics and migration, as well as the environmental issues that threaten it.

Singing Like Larks by
Andrew Millham
(£13)
Singing Like Larks opens a rare window onto the ancient song traditions of the British Isles, interweaving mesmerising lyrics, folklore and colourful nature writing to uncover the remarkable relationship between birds and traditional folk music. It’s an account of one young nature writer’s journey into the world of folk music, and a joyous celebration of song, the seasons, and our love of birds.

In Search of One Last Song by Patrick Galbraith (£10)
In this beautiful and thought-provoking blend of nature and travel writing, Patrick Galbraith sets off across Britain on a journey that may well be his last chance to see some of our disappearing birds. A story about going in search of the people who are trying to save our birds, as well as confronting the enormity of what losing them would really mean.

George : A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughes (£17)
Frieda Hughes rescued a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm – and embarked on an obsession that would change the course of her life. As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated – and apprehensive of what will happen when the time comes to finally set him free.

Real Dorset
Join us for an illustrated talk with author Jon Woolcott

Listen to Jon and his personal, detailed and idiosyncratic look at Dorset, at the subversion, rebellion, revolt, wealth, poverty and ghosts which lie behind
the tourist-friendly façade

22nd June, 6.30 for 7pm
Venue: Winstone’s, Sherborne
Tickets £2 (including a complimentary glass of wine!)

Artisan tulips vs the supermarkets

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Editorial team

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19 May 2023

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Our resident flower farmer Charlotte Tombs loves tulips. A lot. And she has something she needs to get off her chest …

Tulip La Belle Epoque
All images: Charlotte Tombs

Supermarket tulips are cheaper than artisan tulips. It’s a fact, and I’m not arguing with it.
But … I’m going to be straight with you.
The supermarket ones are hydroponically grown – they haven’t been near a speck of soil. They are mass produced and then wrapped in single use plastic. Some of these tulips are fed with growth inhibitors (that’s why they don’t open up in the vase and just sort of dry out as they die). Artisan tulips, on the other hand, will open up to their natural, glorious conclusion.

Artisan tulips vs the supermarket version

I spend a lot of time, effort and money choosing my tulips for colour, shape and perfume … when has a supermarket tulip ever smelled amazing?
Take a look at the image, right. On the left are some of my pale pink artisan tulips that have been planted and cared for in the ground. Look at that stem length and the size of the head compared to the red supermarket tulips next to them!

In the full page image opposite are La Belle Epoque, an absolutely beautiful double tulip, and one of my own favourites.
Do note that tulips continue to grow in the vase and can change direction from where you carefully placed them! You can also see that they are loose and opening up – you just don’t see this from the supermarket ones.
The burstingly pink tulips below left are Big Love. They grow to nearly two foot tall with a head the size of your fist in that most amazing lipstick pink. They are another of my personal favourites. Other varieties to look out for are Brownie, Silk Road and Amazing Parrot, which goes from pink to orange.
Tulip Negrita is a great perennial tulip – it really does come back year after year. Last but not least is Foxy Foxtrot – almost worth buying for the name alone. It’s a gorgeous double yellow tulip that turns pink with darker yellow flashes.

A selection of Charlotte’s artisan tulips

See Charlotte’s Insta here to see what she’s picking at the farm near Wimborne (contact her via northcombe.co.uk), or try flowersfromthefarm to find a flower grower near you

The BV scoops a Highly Commended at national award ceremony in Mayfair!

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Editorial team

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19 May 2023

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The London Marriott Grosvenor Square was the place to be last night for the prestigious 2023 Newspaper and Magazine Awards. The glitzy evening was presented by Niall Paterson of SKY News, and 19 hotly anticipated categories were awarded winners.

As a tiny team, just to be shortlisted for Regional Publication Of The Year, and to be considered among the top three regional titles in the country, was an honour. On the night, to receive a Highly Commended was beyond anything we expected. Only a handful of the 19 categories awarded a Highly Commended accolade.

The BV impressed the panel of 25 industry expert judges, who awarded the distinction, commenting that we exceeded exceptionally high and challenging targets. The judges also commended The BV for establishing a genuine connection with our audience.

We were delighted to be there, it was a great night, and we’re incredibly proud to see how far we’ve come.

Meet your local farmer, learn about your food – attend Open Farm Sunday

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Editorial team

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18 May 2023

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Love Local, Trust Local founder Barbara Cossins is passionate about the benefits and opportunities from Open Farm Sunday

I would like to start by congratulating Laura and Courtenay on being shotlisted for a major national award! It’s so rewarding to get recognition for all your hard work, and it’s very well deserved.
The BV started at exactly the same time the Love Local Trust Local Awards were being launched. We both started out on our journeys together, back when nothing was happening in the world (apart from the whole global pandemic, obviously). Three years on and it is great to see both of us still working hard to champion and deliver what we set out to achieve in the most difficult and challenging of times.

Back to our roots
The Love Local Trust Local food label was created in 2018 after an Open Farm Sunday, during which it was very apparent that people wanted to support British farmers but they simply didn’t know who to trust anymore.
This year we will be hosting Open Farm Sunday at Rawston Farm for the first time since then – please put Sunday 11th June on your calendar now! It’s a national event, so if Rawston is a little far you can go to FarmSunday.org and find the nearest open farm to you. Do visit, and meet the Dorset farmers feeding us all. Talk to them, make them feel wanted and supported, and learn more about the British produce on your plate.
At rawston we will also be showcasing some of the best Dorset products that entered the 2022 LLTL Awards. They are all winners in our eyes – please come and meet them and support their small, independent businesses.
We are also hoping all our award sponsors will be there to talk to local residents and visitors about how they work with the local farmers. Representatives from Damory Vets, the NFU, Blanchard Baileys, Symonds and Sampson, Kingston Maurward College, Saffery Champness, Meggy Moos Dairy, Dike & Sons and Roberts Food Service are just a few of the names that will be supporting us in some way or another for Open Farm Sunday 2023.

Education, education, education
As an industry we need to encourage and engage with the general public more about farms, farming and food production locally. This national day gives us the chance to show people where their food is coming from, it helps to educate the young (and old!) that supermarkets do not grow and produce the food they sell, the farmers do.
It’s an important difference.
I’m always sad to hear in meetings that farmers feel the public don’t care or don’t want to support them. It’s not for a lack of interest – there simply needs to be more education on the truth around the UK food industry. Together we need to make a stand against big brand names and their bullish behaviour towards our farmers. Something has to change, and soon.
We need to go back to basics. To grow food on our land, to start cooking from scratch again, to eat seasonal food like our ancestors did, and to stop relying on imports of cheap food that we can’t trust. The more we know and understand about the food we eat, including how it was produced and where it came from, the better for our health and wellbeing too.
Let’s keep buying, shopping, eating and supporting local. It’s the least we can do.

Dorset County Show raises £8,960 for farming charities

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Editorial team

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17 May 2023

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The Dorset County Show Annual Tractor Run helped to raise nearly £9000 for two local farming charities.

The Dorset County Show has successfully raised £8,960 to support two local farming charities, with both the Dorset Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Dorset branch of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) receiving £4,480 each. The funds were collected through two events: an annual tractor run and a special charity night at the show.
Show Chair Nicki Ralph presented the cheque to Rebecca Hill and Steve Cove, who were thrilled with the outcome. Rebecca, representing Dorset FCN, expressed immense gratitude to the Dorset County Show and explained that the funds would be used to assist farmers and their families throughout the region. FCN is a vital charity that provides one-on-one support for farmers and their families during times of crisis, addressing issues such as suicide threats, depression, illness, family disputes, and financial struggles.
Rebecca emphasised the crucial role played by the Dorset County Show in funding FCN’s efforts, stating that their work would be much more challenging without such generosity.

Mental health support
Steve Cove, who represented the Dorset branch of RABI, remarked that the substantial sum raised would greatly assist farming families in need. Founded in 1860, RABI offers guidance, financial support, and practical care to farming individuals across generations. Steve cited an increased need for mental health support identified through RABI’s ‘Big Farm Survey’ and highlighted RABI’s efforts to provide training and a confidential helpline to farmers and other businesses.
Dorset County Show is scheduled for Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September and anticipates drawing 60,000 visitors with a variety of new and exciting attractions for 2023. The event’s chosen charity for 2023 will be announced soon.

Small shop, big heart – plus all the letters

By

Laura

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17 May 2023

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The May BV Podcast begins, as it does every month, with this month’s letter from the editor and all the latest reader’s letters. Next we hear from our local political party representatives, and their timely commentary on the state of the world. Lastly we have an interview with Carole Jones, who gives us a peek behind the scenes of a social supermarket in North Dorset.

Letter from Laura, the editor
Letters to the editor
Populism in politics always over-simplifies issues. Effective and lasting political change requires active listening across divides, says MP Simon Hoare
Mike Chapman of North Dorset LibDems urges us and the government to do more …
Pat Osborne of North Dorset Labour questions whether the coronation of a new monarch should prompt a wider deabte about our British head of state, and the implications for democracy
Ken Huggins of the Green Party says it’s time to wake up and see the flood
Tucked away in a back street of Sturminster Newton is the Vale Pantry. The vibrant little community supermarket currently supports 360 families and opens its doors six days a week to all those who find themselves struggling to manage. Forty willing volunteers work cheerfully, offering not just an affordable full shopping basket but a listening ear, empathy and practical support too. Jenny spoke to Carole Jones to hear about the work that happens there.