Yetminster’s silenced chime

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6 November 2022

Villagers are raising funds so that their 300 year old faceless clock can ring out again to welcome the new King. Roger Guttridge reports.

St Andrew’s church in Yetminster is famous for its chiming clock – and yet it has no clock face.
Image: Michael Day

Silence may be golden but not at Yetminster, where the historic faceless clock on St Andrew’s Church tower no longer chimes.
The clock dates from the mid-17th century but is particularly prized for its late Victorian addition – a carillon that plays the National Anthem every three hours. This rare and possibly unique feature was added by benefactors in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
In about 1670, Thomas Bartholomew set up in business in Sherborne as a clockmaker, whitesmith* and blacksmith. The first records of the family appear in the Sherborne church records in 1674 with the baptism of Thomas, son of Thomas and Anne. The couple had a large family of 19 children. The Bartholomews continued as clockmakers in Sherborne for three or four generations; the last, Josiah, dying in 1792.
One of the first turret clocks that Thomas Bartholomew made was for Yetminster church. His name is on a small brass plate attached to the clock with the names of the churchwardens who commissioned it. Thomas Bartholomew used the frame of a much earlier clock, from around 1600.

A silenced chime
It worked well until last year, when wear and time forced its silence.
Now the village has launched a crowd-funding appeal to raise enough money to restore the clock and carillon to full working in order in time for the coronation of King Charles III next spring.
The work, to be carried out by clockmakers Smith of Derby, will include replacement of worn parts and an improved winding system.
The total cost is expected to exceed £25,400 plus VAT.
Churchwarden Clare Lindsay says: ‘The tower clock is a much-loved and familiar part of our lives and the sound of the bells ringing out over our houses and the fields beyond has been greatly missed over the last year.
‘We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the whole village, with their families and friends, to get the clock striking again and chiming out for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.’
The clock enjoyed a brief break from its silence earlier this year when the National Anthem was played manually for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
More than 80 per cent of the restoration cost has already been promised by various charitable trusts and other organisations but that still leaves £5,000 for the village to raise.
By mid-October they had already raised more than £3,000 of this and are hoping to collect the rest in time for repairs to start at the end of November.

To donate, visit the project’s Just Giving page here or you can email either treasurer@yetminsterpcc@gmail .com
or contact churchwardens Clare Lindsay and Geoff Goater on [email protected].

*A whitesmith is a metalworker who does finishing work on iron and steel such as filing, lathing, burnishing or polishing; it may also refer to a person who works with “white” or light-coloured metal or it can be a synonym for tinsmith.

Pop in for a little distraction

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Editorial team

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5 November 2022

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With Halloween over, Thorngrove are keen to work their magic with a little distraction and fun for the whole community, says Kelsi-Dean Buck

And there we have it – October is in the rear view mirror and the festive season is officially here! Our Christmas plans for Thorngrove are coming to fruition and 2022 is set to be our biggest one ever.
We appreciate the world has been a little upside down, and many hard-working people have experienced difficult times recently. The thought of Christmas might even be a stressful one to some. But we’re seeing it as an opportunity to remind everyone of what’s important at this time of year – making memories, and spending time with those most important to us. Our role in the community goes far beyond selling garden plants and essentials; we want to be a place everyone can rely on for a distraction, and as a destination for making those memories!

Let us distract you
Regular visitors to Thorngrove and followers of our story will be aware that 2022 has seen us get ourselves back on the map as a location for events. The hanging basket workshops have been a staple of our calendar and we’re aiming to broaden the appeal, perhaps introduce new people to gardening, and to become a place for young people to get creative too.
It’s been going really well with our craft events for children. We’ve hosted them at Easter, over the summer, and most recently for Halloween. They have given children an opportunity to visit Thorngrove, and create something brilliant to take home with them. We’ve had pot decorating (and planting!), decoration making, and sessions for making jam jar lanterns.

It’s a simple approach, but one we’ve had amazing feedback on. We keep the events affordable too, determined to be accessible to as many people in the community as possible.
Looking ahead, these craft sessions will definitely continue, along with more new events that allow us to continue being that place for a distraction, and a relaxing meeting spot for family and friends.
Our upcoming feature event is of course our Santa’s Grotto. Tickets for this are available now (just go to our website for more info). We’re also delighted to be hosting Angel Exit Theatre from 10th November – they’re offering drama workshops, right here at Thorngrove. All leading to a Christmas show!
With a new menu in the café, and all the Christmas essentials arriving now, let us be your one stop shop for festivities this year. Hope to see you soon!

I’m a bit partial to a solar eclipse

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Editorial team

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5 November 2022

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October was a washout for stargazing, but astrophotographer Rob Nolan captured the eclipse – and is looking forward to some crisp clear nights

Of course, it was predictably cloudy during the partial eclipse on the 25th October. However, perseverance and a bit of luck with a break in the clouds meant that I was able to get a decent image of the event!
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, thereby obscuring the earth’s view of the sun, either totally or partially. Such an alignment always coincides with a new moon, as the moon is closest to the plane of the earth’s orbit. In a total eclipse, the disk of the sun is fully obscured by the moon. In partial and annular eclipses as we saw in October, only part of the sun is obscured, around 15 per cent during this partial eclipse.
If the moon were in a perfectly circular orbit and in the same orbital plane as Earth, there would be total solar eclipses every new moon. Instead, because the moon’s orbit is tilted at about 5 degrees to the earth’s orbit, its shadow usually misses Earth. Solar (and lunar) eclipses happen only during eclipse seasons, resulting in at least two, and up to five, solar eclipses each year, no more than two of which can be total. Total eclipses are more rare because they require a more precise alignment between the centres of the sun and the moon, and because the moon’s apparent size in the sky can be too small to fully cover the Sun.
The next partial solar eclipse will be visible from the UK in March 2025, with a total eclipse not forecast over UK mainland until 2090! Yes, 2090! So if you want to see a total eclipse in person sooner, you’ll need to travel to a different continent to catch one!

This month’s image
The image opposite was taken in a single shot using my standard DSLR camera equipment and 400mm telephoto lens. I used a strong 10-stop Neutral Density filter to allow me to sufficiently darken the sun to be able to see details including 2 sun spots. Usually a dedicated solar filter would be used, but because of the clouds, I was able to use this filter instead. NEVER look at the sun under any conditions without the appropriate solar glasses or filters for your photographic equipment!

The night sky, November 2022 – Rob’s guide for your stargazing this month:

October was a pretty grim month for stargazing; we seemed to have a lot of very cloudy nights which meant we didn’t get to see much, including the meteor showers! Hopefully as it gets colder we’ll see some crisp and clear nights this month. Heading out on a clear night in November will provide stunning views of our very own Milky Way as it looms overhead. Spend some time looking at the structure and you’ll see that it is spangled with glowing diadems. Grab those binocular or a small telescope and those blurry jewels will reveal themselves as distant star clusters.
Constellations to look out for this month include Perseus, the legendary hero who slew Medusa. Look out for the stars in this cluster including Mirfak, and Algol, the demon star, which represents the eye of Medusa. Also look out for the double cluster within Perseus, h and chi Persei, which borders with Cassiopeia.
One of the best planets in our solar system to look out for in November is Uranus. On very dark nights, you stand a good chance of spotting the planet with the unaided eye looking towards southern skies. Uranus is four times the size of the earth, and is unique because it orbits the sun on its side – most likely due to a collision when it was in its infancy.
On the 5th of November, Uranus will be opposite the sun in our skies and at its closest to the earth, so it’s a good time to try and spot it.
Look low towards the south western skies on the evening of the 7th to see the narrowest crescent Moon with brilliant Venus visible to the left.
On the 10th and 11th, the moon will dance with Jupiter and Saturn, passing below the two planets.
The Leonid meteor shower will peak on the night of the 17th/18th, however due to a nearly full Moon, the display this year will likely be washed out by the moon’s brilliance.
See the moon set below the backdrop of the Pleiades on the 19th, above the bright stars Aldebaran and the Hyades.

Find RPN Photography on Facebook here

Wet, dried and fried

By

Editorial team

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5 November 2022

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Filleting since he was 14 – meet the fourth generation fishmonger with no better fish to fry when it comes to his life choices. By Tracie Beardsley

John Bell – John the Fish – is a fourth-generation fishmonger in Wimborne
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

Ask the way to Bell’s Fisheries in Wimborne and you’ll probably get a blank look. Ask for John the Fish and people know exactly who you’re looking for.
In his bright blue salopettes teamed with a funky floral shirt and loud tie on the day we met, this great character of a man has made selling fish into an art form – so much so his nickname embodies his craft.
If you should be asking for John the Fish, you’ll actually find yourself directed to a car park! A huge lorry container, surrounded by a white picket fence, has been converted into John Bell’s unique fishmonger’s stall. The fish is displayed with flair – you’ll find scallops, hake, haddock and cod amongst a cheery coral reef scene among the delicious smells of smoked fish.
And expect a performance. As your fish is expertly filleted, John the Fish will tell you its provenance, share easy-to-follow recipes and advise on accompanying wine.
And once he knows your name he never forgets it.

John only uses sustainable local fish – Poole fishermen for shellfish and agents from Cornish and Devon ports for prime fish

Wet, dried and fried
The sign proclaims ‘Bell’s Fresh Fish, Established 1892’. John is a fourth generation fishmonger in a family that’s always been full of entrepreneurial spirit.
In 1892, John’s great grandmother Eliza imported from France some of the first oil-fired ranges – and so began the Bell’s fish business. In rapid time, the family owned five shops in York. John’s grandfather Alfred became a partner in the business at the age of 18.
John explains: ‘The shops were known as wet, dried and fried. There’d be wet fish sales in the morning, fish and chips sold at lunchtime and then smoked fish in the afternoon. In the evenings, it was time to fry again. Phenomenally hard work!’
The two world wars changed everything. In the first, Alfred fought in Flanders and returned badly wounded. He traded through the 1920s, but an accountant “crooked as a barrel of fish hooks,” fiddled the whole family out of its businesses.
Never work-shy, Alfred moved to London and toiled on the roads until a settlement from the financial fiasco saw him returning to fishmongering, establishing a new business in Fulham with the princely sum of £3,000.
It was here that John’s father Ernest (born 1922), began learning the family trade. The Second World War saw Ernest conscripted and Alfred’s shops bombed.
Surviving the war, Ernest worked for the biggest chain of fishmongers at the time MacFisheries. After 20 years, he fulfilled his dream and opened a shop in the place he had holidayed on the south coast. An only child, John worked for his father after school and on Saturdays. ‘He taught me old-world skills from centuries ago. He passed them on to me and I’ve passed them on to my son Joe, whose latest business venture is building a smoker.’

Expect to queue at the Wimborne fish stall

From the waist up
At 16, John the Fish began his formal apprenticeship, getting the best training in stock control, how to treat customers and knife skills: ‘Quality first … then speed comes naturally,’ says John.
‘My dad made retailing fish fun. He taught me to know the product, to like it and to know how to prepare it and cook it.’
John’s natty attire is also down to his dad’s timely advice. ‘Fishmongering is a messy trade from the waist down. Dad believed it was important to look presentable from the top up. He was a stickler for smart hair and a clean-shaven appearance.’
John the Fish has been trading in Wimborne for nearly 30 years and he still sees customers he started serving as an apprentice. ‘One lady used to come to me when I was 15 and she still buys fish from me to this day.’

John the Fish credits his dad with teaching him everything about the business

common, as they are for the Saturday pop-up cafés run by his wife Sally. People sit on converted whisky barrels behind the picket fence and enjoy the dish of the day with a glass of wine or beer. There’s no menu and no booking. It’s first come, fish served!
The lights in the lorry container flicker into life at 4am, five days a week, as John, along with his team Mike and Sarah, start curing, hot smoking and cold smoking fish in preparation for the day. There’s always time for a workers’ breakfast of fish too. ‘I eat fish every day,’ says John.

John the Fish will tell you its provenance, share easy-to-follow recipes and advise on accompanying wine.

‘Sustainability and seasonality is key to this trade. I don’t buy frozen fish, processed fish or imported fish. I want to fillet it myself. I use Poole fishermen for our shellfish and have agents in Cornish and Devon ports such as Newlyn and Brixham for prime fish. Why do I need red snapper from a different hemisphere when we’ve still got the best fishing grounds in the world?

John and his wife Sally who runs the Saturday pop-up cafés

‘I’m driven by the love of what I sell. And my love of people. Talk about full circle. My father worked for me for ten years before he died. In fact, he was working right up until the day before he died. Now that’s a lifelong passion for what you do!’

Fishmonger John is already passing his skills on to a fifth generation, his son Joe

Quick fire questions:
If you could cook one fish on your desert island?
Lemon sole – dust it in flour and seasoning, stick it in a frying pan for a couple of minutes, or under the grill, and you’re done. Fish is the best fast food in the world.
A-list dinner party guests?
My dad would be first on the list. History-makers Winston Churchill, Montgomery and Kennedy. And I’d serve lemon sole!

Bell’s opening hours:
Tues-Wed: 8.30-12
Thurs-Fri: 10-12
Sat: 10-11.30
Find it in the car park at the back of No.1 High Street in Wimborne.
Bell’s Famous Fisheries

Pocket Rocket Ruby – European champion!

By

Editorial team

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5 November 2022

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In September Dorset teen Ruby White travelled to Italy to compete in the EUBC Junior Boxing Championships – and won gold. Laura Hitchcock reports

Ruby White, the 15 year old from Dorset, is the newly-crowned European Champion
All images © Courtenay Hitchcock

Ruby White, the 15 year-old Stalbridge teenager who stands just five-foot-tall, travelled as part of the England squad to Italy in September for a week-long knockout tournament, and had four bouts in her Under 48kgs category.
‘I think people underestimate me, because of my size. They don’t notice my power and my strength,’ she says.
She won two of the bouts by stoppage; the quarter and semi-finals were won on points. ‘I knew the semi would be the hardest opponent. I wasn’t worried about beating her, but I knew she was the biggest challenge – she was strong, a good boxer. The others were … easier?’
Ruby may have felt the semi was a tougher bout, but England Boxing’s Matt Halfpenny reported on the final: ‘Ruby arguably produced her best performance of the championships in the final with an outstanding showing against Azerbaijan’s Narmin Alizada. The Sturminster Newton club boxer was quick out of the blocks, forcing two standing eight counts in the first round and a further count in the second before the ref stopped the contest to give the Three Lions their first gold.’
BV readers may well remember Ruby, who was spotted as a seven year-old by her coach Shaun Weeks at his Sturminster Newton boxing gym. When she was 12 she participated in the biggest female amateur championship in Europe, and won the ‘Best Prospect’ award (The BV, May 21).
Later last year she was selected at the England Boxing National Schools Championships as ‘Female Boxer of the Tournament’ – from all classes – by the England Talent coaches (The BV, Oct 21), and invited to join the GB Pathways squad.

Champion Ruby White with Hugo at home in Stalbridge

Corruption in the sport
Ruby’s dream since she first picked up a pair of boxing gloves was to win Gold at the Olympics in 2028. But amateur boxing has recently suffered a major blow with the announcement the sport will not be included in the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A 2021 independent investigation into the 2016 tournament in Rio de Janiero confirmed more than ten suspicious matches were likely corrupted as part of a “bout manipulation” scheme in place at the event. The report details how “compliant and complicit” referees and judges, acting under a “culture of fear, intimidation and obedience” created by the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA), corrupted the boxing tournament.
An Olympic medal is the most coveted prize for any amateur boxer and has been the starting point for many of the big names in the professional ranks. Now a number of Olympic boxing teams – including Team GB – have taken to social media to start a campaign to ensure boxing is included in the programme for the 2028 games.
‘I always dreamed of being in the Olympics,’ says Ruby ‘I was so upset when I heard. My dream is maybe gone. Now the aim is that when I age into the Youth category I can go to World Championships. Hopefully I’ll still be in the England squad when I go into Seniors in 2026, and I can then box in the Commonwealth Games. With no Olympics, if I can get a Commonwealth title, or win a World title, then that still gets me off to a good start when I turn professional. I don’t want to go pro too early, you really need to win something big to start your career.
‘But I have a feeling that boxing may be brought back – the 2028 Olympics are in Los Angeles, and boxing is massive in America. Imagine having the Olympics in a country where it is one of the biggest national sports and not actually having any boxing in it?’

Ruby with the celebratory poster which hangs in her gym

Teen spirit
How does life as a normal teenager fit around such a dedication to her sport?
‘When I’m in training camps, like the eight weeks I did in Sheffield every weekend in the lead up to the European Championships, I can’t do anything else.’ Ruby said ‘But when I’m not at camp, I work Saturdays and Sundays, and I cover odd shifts during the week too. And of course I get to see my mates. I’m going out tonight! I’m in Year 11, it’s the year we all go to parties!
‘But yes – if I have a bout coming up obviously I’m sensible.
‘My friends are so proud of me, so supportive. They all watch my bouts, and I never get any stick from anyone at school.’
Ruby acknowledges the impact on her family, and on Shaun, too:
‘It’s not just the time taken up in driving me around. The finance side is tough. I don’t have a sponsor. We’ve set up a GoFundMe page, which I’m really grateful to people for donating through, it really helps. But when I have to travel to Sheffield for the GB training camps it’s £180 each trip just for the fuel. If it’s just a one-day training session there’s no accommodation provided, and it’s a five hour journey each way. And then obviously there’s travelling for bouts etc. We have to find that, plus any equipment I need. I do worry about it.’

Ruby in the Sturminster Newton gym with her title belts and golden gloves

A new future
With the massive rise in awareness around women’s sport in 2022, does Ruby think the women’s football team has helped the women’s boxing audience?
‘Yes. Definitely. The England team has such a big support system. They’re all over every social media. And I loved that meme this summer:
“Men: Football’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home…
“Women, 60 years later: … For goodness’ sake, I’ll get it myself.”
‘I loved that! But the knock-on effect is that women’s sport is finally becoming mainstream. It’s not just football, it’s rugby, cricket … and in boxing. Sky Sports’ main Saturday Night Fight in October was an all-women show for the first time. And the O2 was packed! That just wouldn’t have happened even a few years ago.’
Coach Shaun agrees ‘Without a doubt Ruby’s prospects are very different from those she would have had even five or six years ago at the same stage.’
So what’s next?
‘I have a bout in November against a boxer from Switzerland. Then on the first weekend in December I’m in another international tournament, the England Boxing Women’s Winter Box Cup in Manchester.’

Ruby hopes the Olympic committee will reverse its decision to remove boxing from the 2028 Games.

If you feel you can help with sponsorship of Ruby or SturminsterABC let us know and we’ll put you in touch.

Ruby’s titles:
2 x MTK Lonsdale Box Cup
National Cadet Champion
Bristol Box Cup Champion
Riviera Box Cup Champion
3 x MTK Lonsdale Box Cup Champion
3 x Western Counties Junior Champion
3 x National Junior Champion
2 x Golden Girls (Sweden) Box Cup Champion
GB Three Nations Junior Champion
European Junior Champion

Health, Safety & Project Manager | Milton Abbey School

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Editorial team

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4 November 2022

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40 hours a week (Monday to Friday)

Milton Abbey School seeks an experienced and competent Health, Safety & Projects Manager to work within our busy Operations Team. This will be an all year round, varied role within the School Operations Team, this is an exciting opportunity to be part of a forward thinking, supportive team working on a historic site, set in the heart of the beautiful Dorset Countryside.

The successful candidate must hold a relevant H & S qualification, have suitable experience within the H & S field, with a reasonable knowledge level of project management.

You will be part of a friendly and supportive team, and training will be available to enhance skills. Staff also benefit from free parking, free daily lunch and annual leave.

Further details may be obtained from our website or from HR on 01258 882182 or email [email protected]. Applications must be submitted on the school’s application form, download here – https://bit.ly/MiltAVacsBV

The closing date for applications is Thursday 17^th November 2022.

Milton Abbey School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The appointment will be the subject of an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Additionally, please be aware that Milton Abbey School will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. To avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

Please note that our school is a no smoking site.

www.miltonabbey.co.uk Registered Charity No 306318

Win a £300 KitchenAid food processor with Harts of Stur

By

Laura

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3 November 2022

12

**** COMPETITION NOW CLOSED ****

We’re so excited to be working with Harts of Stur to offer you the chance to win an amazing 3.1 litre KitchenAid food processor!

The KitchenAid 3.1 L Food Processor is a highly versatile machine with enough capacity to shred, dice, chop, slice, mince and knead all your ingredients – perfect for your Christmas food prep. You can create thin or thick slices using the exclusive external slicing lever, which means you can adjust the thickness of slices from thin to thick at the touch of a button. The 3-in-1 ultrawide mouth feed tube allows you to fit in hard and soft foods of many sizes for both horizontal and vertical slicing. There’s even a dough blade to make kneading dough easy and a dicing kit to create uniform cubes like a chef. When you’ve finished, all the accessories fit neatly into the work bowl, ready for your next culinary adventure.

And thanks to Harts of Stur, we have one to give away! To be in with a chance to win, just answer the first four questions in the widget box below. There are more chances to win by completing the other entry options if you so wish – they’re entirely up to you! The closing date for this competition is 30th November 2022 and only entries received on or before that date can be included. The prize will go to the first randomly chosen entry. Good luck!

Walk near Forde Abbey (but Abbey-less) | 11 miles

By

Laura

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3 November 2022

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This walk in the Marshwood vale is a quiet and beautiful day’s hike. It’s well marked, but does cross a lot of streams and fords so choose footwear with care if it’s been wet! It is so-named because we don’t recall getting a sight of Forde Abbey itself, despite its proximity!

To follow this route using the Outdooractive App, please find the route here.

Do keep an eye on the map – as you switch between major paths (the Monarchs Way, the Wessex Ridgeway, the Liberty Trail) it’s easy to stroll past your next turn, enjoying your current easy path!

The terrain is varying, with lovely views of the wide Marshwood Vale as well as green lanes, sheltered fields and a beautiful woodland lake.

We parked on the broad verge outside the gates of the PYO farm – not ideal, but completely off road and out of the way. Another option would be to park in the NT car park at Lambert’s Castle, which is almost halfway round the route – you’d add a short length onto the walk, but do get to take in a iron age hill fort too!

All the Dorset Walks we feature have been created and walked recently by ourselves, so you know you can trust them – we aim for unpopulated routes with as little road and as many views as possible! You can always see the route and follow it yourself via the free Outdoor Active app – see all our routes here.

John (Jack) DOWN

By

Editorial team

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31 October 2022

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Of Zeals, passed peacefully away on 22nd October 2022, aged 93 Years.

Funeral service takes place at Mendip Crematorium on Friday 18th November at 12.30pm.

Family flowers only please.

Donations in lieu, if desired, made payable to either The Stroke Association or Dementia UK may be sent to Trotman Funeral Directors, Ashdene, Frome Road, Cranmore, Shepton Mallet BA4 4QQ.