Child Okeford’s most famous resident celebrates his 75th birthday. He started life as a simple holiday purchase in Blackpool, but the little yellow hand puppet became a national treasure.

Editor Laura has fulfilled a lifetime ambition interviewing renowned ethologist, passionate conservationist and inspiring activist Dr Jane Goodall – who answers this month’s Random 19 questions. Spoiler alert – Lord of the Rings and a controversial biscuit-dunking policy lay in store.

A retrospective at Sladers Yard gallery celebrates the remarkable career of Philip Sutton RA – an artist who has never followed fashion. Fanny Charles interviewed the 94-year-old painter who lives in Dorset and looked back at his life’s work

Sophie Giles swapped working on an industrial estate for life as an island girl – Tracie Beardsley met Brownsea Island’s youngest ranger, and hears how working on the land has entirely transformed her life.

On the first day of his first archaeological dig, CPRE’s Rupert Hardy made a major – though grisly – discovery and uncovered a sad mystery.

All this plus you could win tickets to the Cheese Festival, farming, wildlife, food and drink featuring the Crown at Marnhull, Smash Burger Tacos and officially the best wine retailer in the UK.



Inside the March issue of the BV magazine, the heart of the Blackmore Vale:

• Guy Deacon from Sherborne has completed an 18,000 mile solo journey to Cape Town – while living with stage 3 Parkinson’s Disease | Page 4

• One in three of us dreams of throwing in the day job – editor Laura spoke to three award-winnning local business owners who did just that | Page 32

• Equestrian’s BACK! And it returns with plenty of foal foolishness (I sense this won’t be the last we see of this bonkers boy Gawler) | Page 86

• Lucy Nolan turned her love of gundogs into a business – now she’s Dorset’s only Accredited Pet Gundog Instructor | Page 28

• Wildlife writer Jane Adams introduces us to the littlest fox in the garden | Page 92

•Plus there’s pages of brilliant community news, 12 pages of What’s On’s, more wildlife, farming, art, food & drink … and I’ll not bang on again about the BRILLIANT reader’s photography (page 100)

The BV – every month we’re jam-packed with Dorset goodness. News, opinion, people, farming, wildlife … and frankly stunning photography. And it’s FREE. Why wouldn’t you want a flick through?

(if you’re staying tucked up against the weather and have some time to fill, you can see all the back issues here. Or if you really should be getting on, why not have a listen to the podcast while you do that thing you should be doing?)

In this issue:

• The Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt have been suspended after drone footage shows a fox being killed. We’ve spoken to both sides, and have a balanced look at the issue | Page 4

• Award-winning writer Sam Peters looks for a game-changing playbook with ex-All Black Jerome Kaino’s rugby clinic at Clayesmore as they work to make the game safer for everyone| Page 34

• In his Farm Tales column, Andrew Livingston shares a streak of Dorset daring rescues – but points out there’s a thin line between humourous mishaps and farming tragedies | Page 56

• Dorset’s leisure centres and recreation grounds at risk – as local communities fight to save their facilities, Rachael Rowe highlights the clash between budget cuts and public health priorities | Page 8

• The Ice Milers of Shaftesbury Lido – it might be actually freezing, but the open air pool has transformed into a hub of cold water swimming camaraderie | Page 20

• A grassroots revolt against The Jockey Club’s closure decision has created a ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ which is breathing new life into Wincanton Golf Course – and has earned them a reprieve | Page 22

• Polecats have quietly been making a secretive but fragrant return, says wildlife writer Jane Adams. So why aren’t we all shouting about them like we do the otters? | Page 64

•Plus there’s pages of brilliant community news, 12 pages of What’s On’s, more wildlife, farming, art, food & drink … and I’ll not bang on again about the BRILLIANT reader’s photography (page 100)

The BV – every month we’re jam-packed with Dorset goodness. News, opinion, people, farming, wildlife … and frankly stunning photography. And it’s FREE. Why wouldn’t you want a flick through?

Welcome to the 41st issue of The BV magazine – and the first of 2024! Come on in, it’s nice and warm in here. 
(maybe go and make yourself a mug of tea or coffee first. And grab a couple of biscuits while you’re there.)

Inside this issue:

• A forestry plan on farmland near Stourhead is proving contentious with the local community – Fanny Charles heard from both sides as she takes a deep dive into the issue | Page 4
• Great women artists in Dorset. A major new exhibition at Dorset Museum explores the life and work of the world-famous sculptor who lived on Bulbarrow for nearly 20 years, and a new touring exhibition of the early work of an international feminist icon comes to Poole Lighthouse | Page 72
• Steve Keenan met Christopher Somerville to talk about his 35-year journey chronicling Britain’s footpaths for The Times and The Telegraph | Page 12
• Not bootiful at all. Andrew Livingston is still furious about a recent Channel 4 documentary exposing the concerning food safety and standards at a Bernard Matthews’ factory. And even more furious we’re not all talking about it | Page 91
• Robert Cowley, MBE – magistrate, volunteer, actor, passionate campaigner … and plumber – selects his Dorset Island Discs | Page 34

The BV – every month we’re jam-packed with Dorset goodness. News, opinion, people, farming, wildlife … and frankly stunning photography. And it’s FREE. Why wouldn’t you want a flick through?
(if you really should be getting on, why not have a listen to the podcast while you do that thing you should be doing? https://bvmag.co.uk/Podcast )

• Hunting humans – Senior Master Jeremy Whaley tells the story of the South Downs Bloodhounds
• She chose the harp over the recorder when she was five – Gwyneth Wentink, internationally acclaimed harpist, talks about her life with her giant instrument as she chooses her Dorset Island Discs
•  Win a hamper for Christmas, packed with £400-worth of Dorset produce in our Local Flavours competition
• It’s panto season (Oh yes it is!). Poisoned apples, dashing princes, magic lamps or talking cats – which pantomime should YOU choose this Christmas?
•Paul Atterbury, Antiques Roadshow expert, answers the Random 19. From puppeteer’s son to TV authority: one of the nation’s favourite experts talks antiques, art, and Andy Pandy
• Unwrap Dorset: From great bustard tours to dry stone walling – Rachael Rowe presents The BV’s guide to local gifts for the person who has everything


• ‘I think I have lost my business. How do you recover from this?’ The Sherborne businesses devastated by flood | Page 4
• From city chef to Dorset farmer – Julius Roberts is the Instagram sensation working to reconnect a modern audience with their food. He takes on the 19 Random questions | Page 20
• If you took a magical mystery tour that began in Swinging Sixties London, went to the potteries in Stoke-on-Trent and to a specialist pottery shop in Stratford-upon-Avon, you wouldn’t expect to end up in Somerset’s hidden village of Shepton Beauchamp, at the home of Dennis Chinaworks and Sally Tuffin| Page 24
•  ‘Sad day for democracy’ as planners ignore neighbourhood plans and approve development on AONB, outside Blandford bypass | Page 6
• Meet Dorset craftsmen Chris and Ed – internationally recognised as two of the world’s best under-40 leatherworkers | Page 50
• Q&A with West Dorset MP Chris Loder. He offered to answer an open postbag – and here he has answered all the letters that were sent| Page 18
• The case of the Spanish oranges: Andrew Livingston considers the UK’s freedom to roam and a misadventure involving oranges and an angry farmer for which he definitely wasn’t to blame | Page 91
•  Cllr Spencer Flower shares his journey from Gillingham council estate to the award-winning leadership of Dorset Council in his Dorset Island Discs | Page 56
• The Dorset Mounties – Riding into the fight against rural crime. Andrew Livingston spoke to one of Dorset’s new rural mounted volunteers | Page 10


Alec’s Field: the amazing story behind a legacy of cricket and kindness in Hazelbury Bryan

International bestselling author Victoria Hislop answers the Random 19 questions

Bad boy Wilf – Andrew Livingston shares his brilliant story of the unintended consequences of unconditional love

A foal named Lettuce – who probably had the wonkiest legs you’ve ever seen.

Inspired by craft ales and Coldplay, Steve Farrell’s Eight Arches Brewery has brought commercial brewing back to Wimborne after a nearly 80-year dry spell

From Michelin kitchens to chilli-fermenting ones: David and Mikka Tamlyn have a new home for award-winning Weymouth 51 in Sturminster Newton

Cat Harris takes the reins at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show

• From desperation to media sensation – how Dorset artist Anna Hamilton’s Twitter plea dramatically shifted her from financial despair to overwhelming success
• The mysterious journey of Alan Turing’s documents, from Sherborne to America – and back. An astonishing tale of undercover archivists, FBI involvement and the triumphant return to Britain of the stolen Turing documents
• Meet Dorset’s soap star Kirsty Hearne – creator of a thriving cottage industry selling goats’ milk and the soaps she makes from it 
• Stranded in the west after the Russian invasion, the Kyiv City Ballet’s never-ending ‘infinity’ tour will stop off in Shaftesbury in October
• Composer and Artmusic director Helen Ottaway selects her Dorset Island Discs – from folk to installation art, Helen talks about about her multi-dimensional journey in music as she chooses the discs she can’t live without
• Gillian Matthews, the pioneering Paralympian who redefined athleticism, leaving an indelible mark on Paralympic history and on grassroots disability sports, has died, aged 87 
• Andrew Livingston is taking a nostalgic stroll through the Dorset County Showground – back to when agri show stands were someone’s caravan with an awning, and the free gifts were a particular treasure.


• Dorset Council has approved a controversial 190-acre solar farm in the Blackmore Vale – we look at the details
• The village of Henstridge is facing 182 new homes – just a few miles down the road to Stalbridge which is currently seeing it’s fifth major development proposal. With access via the already problematic and narrow A357, there are strong concerns about road safety, infrastructure and the impact on the village character
• Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show is back! The rural day out is a celebration of community, countryside and tradition – and it’s a feast for the eyes, ears, and taste buds!
• In the Trethowans farming section, Andrew Livingston doesn’t have a soapbox, but he happily clambers onto a milk crate to look at the unfair struggle between agriculture and supermarket
• Did you know red kite were once a common sight in Elizabethan London? The bird is a popular conservation success story, says Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Jack Clarke, but is still at risk from poisoning
• If you’re attending Dorset County Show this year, you might want to stop and see the Dorset Axemen. Mick Percival went from wood-chopping hobbyist to invincible, record-breaking champion – and now he gives spellbinding showground performances
• After four decades behind the cameras on some of the UK’s biggest TV drama and film productions – including Paddington, Dr Who, Call the Midwife, Poldark and Grand Designs – Simon Priestman and his wife Karen decided it was time for a change in lifestyle. They bought bought a boutique vineyard in Dorset – and promptly created an award-winning wine


Farmers can be prosecuted for damaging short stretches of river, but when will water companies be held accountable for their actions, asks Andrew Livingston

From rural countryside to critical care: Cllr Jane Somper’s massive job. Tackling many of Dorset’s challenges, most people are unaware of the importance, scope and complexity of Jane’s multi-faceted role

You just can’t get the staff… The UK’s first post-Brexit trade deals begin amid agricultural industry concerns and severe labour shortages. 

Where can you go on a £2 bus fare? What does the bus price cap mean for people in Dorset – and just how far can you actually go?

Two staples of Sturminster Newton celebrate 50th anniversaries this month. In ‘From avocado baths to the Michelin Guide: Plumber at 50’, Richard and Alison Prideaux-Brune share the fascinating and occasionally hilarious story of the early days of the restaurant with rooms. Just a week later on the other side of the Stour, Anne and Tony Smith came to Candy’s newsagents. As the traditional family-run newsagents celebrates its half-century, Anne and her son Ashley reflect on surviving industry shifts, local changes – and personal losses

Pack up a picnic and go to a play! Balmy summer nights are coming; it’s time to take the risk and book for one of the many open air plays coming to a garden or a field near you. Gay Pirrie-Weir has an extensive round up of the open air theatre in Dorset this summer. It’s time to book your tickets!

•  Banned in Dorset on council land, disposable barbecues still pose an ever-increasing fire and environmental risk.
• Dorset’s ancient hill forts may offer stunning views to their thousands of visitors, but they bring a challenge for farmers.
• A new monthly Shaftesbury Market begins this month – and with entertainment and a 100 artisan goods and food stalls, the event is expected to be great for tourists and the town alike
• Jim Bettle – Dorset charcoal maker and countryman, makes a living from his ancient craft, fuelling his passion for a more sustainable country. 
• You can’t interview the Tivoli Theatre’s manager Charlie North-Lewis without hearing a steady stream of name-dropping – his long and winding career is a musical tour through 40 years of popular culture. He picks his Dorset Island Discs with Tracie.
• Bestselling author Libby Page answers the Random 19 questions. A Sunday Times bestselling author, known for her feelgood novels exploring themes of community, love and connection, Libby was born and raised in Dorset.
• In local history, Roger Guttridge tells the story of Bradford Abbas’s Rose and Crown pub and its ‘famous five’ customers from the 1930s. We tracked down the actual footage of them, and it’s definitely worth a watch.
• Charlotte Tombs not only has the most glorious page this month, but she also has a pretty blunt explanation of the difference between your supermarket tulip, and the artisan version.


• Although initial fears around the recent Poole Harbour oil spill have been calmed, eventual long-lasting effects are still unknown. 
• Dorset is one of worst counties for raptor persecution, says RSPB, after poisoned birds are found. Following the successful prosecution of a Dorset gamekeeper for rural crimes, Andrew Livingston spoke to the RSPB about the scale of the issue
• In 2021, Brad Jones had a nightmare motorbike crash at Brands Hatch, followed by three weeks in a coma. Now he’s back on two wheels.
• Blandford’s Crown Meadows plan – an act of philanthropy or a Trojan horse? North Dorset MP Simon Hoare objects to a  planning application to site 40 caravans as temporary refugee homes.
• For more than 30 years, Natalie Wheen was an ever-present voice on our radios, with weekly shows on BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 and ClassicFM. After a lifelong career presenting music, writer and radio presenter Natalie Wheen found it a challenge choosing just eight discs.
• Meet the Dorset woman working to preserve a British breed of pig which is rarer than the Giant Panda.


The fast-burgeoning rate of new housing developments in Dorset is a hot topic for many local Facebook groups. Rachael Rowe has been looking at who they really serve – and discovered one which is bucking the developer trend for providing genuinely affordable social housing.

Behind every rubbish lorry is a sophisticated team of recycling experts – Rachael had a weirdly fascinating chat with the Queen of the Bins, Cllr Laura Beddow

Rupert Hardy, Chairman of North Dorset CPRE , makes use of his opinon column to share his very frank thoughts on the current planning applications for two huge solar farms in Dorset

West End star Joanna Woodward answers the Random 19 questions – she grew up just over the border in Somerset, and is set to play Clare in The Time Traveller’s Wife – The Musical this autumn.

As event organiser at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, shepherd Bonnie Cradock is facing a doubly-busy spring (thanks mostly to one over-excited fun-loving ram). Her Dorset Island Discs is joyous.

Edwina Baines had an exclusive tour of the exciting art inside the UK’s best new architect-designed house, The Red House.

Roger Guttridge has personal memories of the fire which destroyed Harding’s newsagent’s shop at Sturminster Newton in 1956. Do you remember it too?

Toby Hoad’s Dorset Horse Logging is featured in this month’s A Country Living – and I’ll be honest, it’s an absolutely glorious feast for your eyes. Don’t miss it.

Plus all the usual – local politics, gardening, wildife, books, the local hike (this month it’s a rather marvellous 8 miles from Pilsdon Pen), the stunning reader’s photography (as always) … Really, why wouldn’t you have a flip through?


Should second home owners pay a premium on Council Tax in Dorset? They may soon see the tax double – but is that good for the county’s residents? – P.4

We hear the truth behind the rumours. Following an outcry based on inaccurate information, BV editor Laura spoke to Luke Rake, principal of Kingston Maurward College – P.6

There’s been a complaint … With our national newly-sanitised view of ‘Countryfile-d’ farming, complaints about animal welfare are on the increase – P.6 (and don’t miss the real life story of farming columnist James Cossin’s distress when it happened to him. P.76 Rawston Farm)

Folk musician, singer, actor, storyteller, historian, Thomas Hardy expert … Dorset’s Tim Laycock is a man of many talents. He answers the Random 19 questions this month – P.20

Legendary cricket commentator and broadcaster, Henry Blofeld OBE, invites you to join him in a new show, My Dear Old Things – coming to the The Exchange, Sturminster Newton next month. Editor Laura had the temerity to ask him if, at 83, he might have considered retiring? It didn’t go well. P.54

Not sure why but we had to go to four pages for Letters to the Editor this month. Opinions are running high. Plus it’s always lovely when Val Singleton pops into the inbox. – P.86

• Rupert Hardy, chairman of the North Dorset CPRE, takes a look at the case for large Dorset solar farms in our fields vs. solar panels on roofs – P.6
• Could there actually be an economic case for ploughing a motorway through Dorset? Andrew Livingston ponders the question – P.72
• There’s six pages of local history, including the inside story of Britain’s ‘most haunted manor’ at Sandford Orcas, and an in a new column we gain an exclusive look into the world’s largest collection of Dorset postcards, with some rarely seen before images – starts on P.42
• Prices may be falling and mortage lenders nervous – but house hunters are still looking to move. A round table of local experts takes a look at the Dorset housing market in 2023 – P.14
• Take a deep breath of calm as you move slowly through the six pages of reader’s photography this month – the standard is astonishing and there was a genuine battle for the front cover this month. Did we get it right? – P.72
• New organiser James Cox talks exclusively to editor Laura about his plans for the Dorset County Show in 2023 – P.11
• Take a look at the life of Dorset farrier Sam Wilkes and you will believe horseshoes really are lucky – P.20
• Plus there’s the all the Dorset food and drink, the oddly soothing gardening (I do not grow vegetables. But I would never miss Barry Cuff’s allotment column), fascinating Dorset wildlife, the farming section will really make you think… why wouldn’t you have a flick through?


• “It’s a b****rs muddle.” A swift look at the baking aisle in your local supermarket will tell you that the UK egg industry is in crisis
• Never been to the races? Me neither … and my first visit to a racecourse – on a windblown and wet November day in Wincanton – wasn’t at all what I expected
• The BV’s Andrew Livingston remembers his mentor, BAFTA-winning writer, chef and, most of all, fisherman Nick Fisher, who passed away this month
• We get a look inside the Gritchie brewery; hidden away in a fold of Cranborne Chase outside Shaftesbury, they show us they are more than just a famous name, they’re crafting a fine reputation
• TV presenter Alice Plunkett takes on the Random 19 questions
• It’s 35 years since Mike and Louise Burks opened Castle Gardens – now their Christmas displays are a staple of the region’s festive calendar. Get to know Mike through his ‘Dorset Island Discs’!
• Self-taught wood-turners 84-year-old Peter Thomas and 70-year-old Trevor Ball have turned retirement into a new career.

Plus there’s the HUGE annual Festive Food & Drink special, the always-fascinating local history, some genius Christmas gift inspiration (gardeners, books, art, crafts, and anyone who eats nice things), wildlife, farming, charity news… why wouldn’t you have a flick through?

• The Pocket Rocket is European Champion! 15 year-old boxer Ruby White from Stalbridge has won her first European title
• John the Fish. If you’ve ever bought fish from a car park in Wimborne (hear us out) then you’ll know what an institution Bells Fisheries is
• The Repair Shop’s expert upholsterer Sonnaz might grace your favourite evening TV show, but she’s also braved the Random 19 – did you know she lives near Wimborne? Or that she loves prawn cocktail crisps and custard creams? Oh yes, we were sure to get all the hard-hitting insider info
• Haidy Mansfield has a rescue hen rehoming day this month. WARNING – see her story, and you’ll be seriously wondering if you do in fact have room for a young retiree chicken or three.
• Acclaimed author and journalist Roger Guttridge tells the story of Australia’s first non-Aboriginal great-grandmother who came from Sturminster Newton, and takes a look at Shaftesbury’s workhouse.  


Hate those dreaded GP’s online systems you have to battle to get an appointment? NHS Dorset is investing in technology to improve care for the population – often unpopular, the new online systems have become necessary to cope with demand.

👉 If you think your traditional turkey is a dry, under-flavoured, over-rated bird, then you might want to change where you buy it. Local turkey farmers have shared a look inside their industry; have you booked yours yet?

👉 Stourhead-born philanthropist and environmentalist Edward Hoare takes on the Random 19

👉 In a fascinating A Country Living, Tracie interviewed Master Thatcher Mike Howe. Far from drawing life’s short straw, he switched career to own an artisan business and teach future generations an ancient skill.

👉 In the always-popular Local History section, Roger’s sharing some brilliant pictures of the original The Green Man at Kings Stag in Then & Now, and he’s looking at Thomas Hardy’s rough-and-ready sketch-map of ‘Tess’s Country’ that Hardy drew as he was preparing to write Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Rupert Hardy has shared the story of Blandford’s B’Stard brothers, including the update involving the portrait of William B’Stard with his black eye.

👉 Plus there’s pages of local Food & Drink, 12 pages of What’s On, we welcome the return of Rob Nolan, our Night Sky columnist and photographer, and Jane Adams takes us for a walk at dusk. SO much to get through this month!

Welcome to September! It’s a bumper issue – we have ALL the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show results, as well as the local GCSE and A Level results from all the schools (does your child get a mention?).

Plus there’s news of Boris Johnson’s visit to Iwerne Minster this week and a desperate plea to stop Wincanton Sports Ground having to close.

We’ve asked the always-lovely Minette Walters 19 random questions (hint: yes to horror films, no to biscuits and yespleasethankyou to Denzel), and Luke Rake from Kingston Maurward has a brilliant and must-read explainer about why the school exam system feels a bit … rigged.

Dorset women fighting (and winning), a brother actually beheading his sister for having cream cheese on her chest, and Dorset’s ‘bins & museums’ councillor who is a fan of Optimus Prime and limpy parrots. Oh, and your next prime minister, too!

👉 In 1963 an astonishing Roman mosaic was found at Hinton St Mary. This month, the Archaeologists are poised to pen a new narrative after this year’s dig at the site has found a SECOND mosaic – and debunked a few long-held theories about the Romans who live there.

👉 One North Dorset housing estate has become a top holiday destination, and residents in Okeford Fitzpaine are working together to create a welcome for their African guests

👉 David Mirus from The Old Malthouse Bakery- Wimborne is our subject in A Country Living. The artisan baker sells 250 sourdough loaves every Saturday from his bread shed.

👉 Maggie Ollerenshaw, the acclaimed British actress, perhaps most famous for playing comedic Northerners in the sitcoms Last of the Summer Wine and Open All Hours, takes on the Random 19 questions

👉 Our Dorset Island Discs castaway this month is Philip Coward – chairman of Hillbrush, he sits on the Royal Warrant Holders Association executive committee and has been a Mere councillor for 46 years

👉 Blandford Hospital and the Case of the Sozzled Servant – in this month’s Then and Now, Roger Guttridge finds the cottage origins still within Blandford’s hospital and discovers the very first patients

👉 In equestrian this month, local breeder Kate Walters explains the appeal of #Connemara ponies, and introduces a couple of historical superstars. Lucy from The Glanvilles Stud shares the story of last month’s adorable foal with a ruptured bladder . 

👉 In  farming, we welcome new NFU county advisor Gemma, who’s written a serious and insightful piece on the coming impact of the agricultural transition and the National Food Strategy. James Cossins is considering herbal leys on the farm to counteract the effects of climate change, and as the disconnect between comsumers and the food on their plates has arguably never been wider, young farmer Andrew Livingston explains how social media can help.


Adrian and Marie Fisher have opened their home to three generations of one Ukrainian family – with no shared language, they play card games, explore Dorset, and Adrian discusses how Liliia and Iryna are not here for a holiday.

👉 Natasha Solomons takes on the Random 19. Bestselling author, including Mr Rosenblum’s List (set in Dorset) and The Novel in the Viola, which was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. Her latest book, I, Mona Lisa, is just out in paperback. She finds life frankly a mystery “I just thud from one corner to the next, mostly wondering how I got here.”

👉 Luke Rake is our castaway on Dorset Island Discs

👉 Editor Laura spoke to Tom Robinson who will be at The Exchange later this month ahead of his Glastonbury set. Laura spoke to him about his 50-year career as a musician, as a broadcaster and as an activist.

👉Plus all the usual – fascinating local history, outdoors, farming and health sections, the stunning reader’s photography (as always) and ten pages of jobs. Really, why wouldn’t you have a flip through?

Top stories this month:

👉 A Dorset Kitchen is so much more than a cookbook. Life could have been shattered by the death of a son. But a local family have strained every sinew to wrestle good from the tragedy, says Rachael Rowe p.4

👉 Storm clouds are brewing on the horizon at The Vale Pantry. A growing number of proud pensioners are in tears when seeking help to feed themselves – the Pantry’s Carole Jones spoke to Rachael Rowe p. 8

👉 The Covent Garden Dance Co. Director Matt Brady takes on the Random 19 questions ahead of this year’s Ballet Under the Stars at Hatch House p.19.

It heads a section on live performance, with an essential round up of this summer’s open air theatre in Dorset, and Artsreach Dorset‘s ‘must see’ events this year

👉 ‘Forging ahead to restore the past’ seems a good motto for Ian Ring, who owns Newton Forge, the Sturminster-based World Heritage business, whose work is in demand across the UK. Tracie Beardsley reports in A Country Living p.15

👉 This month’s Equestrian section (starts p.54) is packed – we have the inspiring story of paradressage rider Jemima Green. Also there’s life or death foals, DIY one-sided milking, windswept legs, film stardom and “Go Honeysuckle, go!” – it’s another average month at The Glanvilles Stud with Lucy Procter, and we have a duffer’s guide to three day eventing as Toots Bartlett gets her season under way.

👉 In local history (from p.64), the tale of an innocent Stalbridge boy who quickly became a man in the horrors of the Napoleonic war is vividly described by Roger Guttridge, and he shares a ‘Then & Now’ of The Cricketers. Rupert Hardy shares the Battle of Hambledon Hill. Starts on p.48

👉 In‘ farming, NFU county chair George Hosford is battling the beetle, unseasonal weather and confusing, costly messages from the EA. James Cossins is worried about war and water, and Andrew tackles the truth behind ‘green credibility’

👉 Rachel McNamara, chair of #Shillingstone Parish Council, acted on the universal urge to ‘do something’, packed a bag and took a flight to Poland. S p.4
👉 A heritage project between Sturminster Newton High School and J.M. Olds Collegiate (a high school in Twillingate, Newfoundland) has proved not just to be fascinating for the all involved – excitingly, it has also led to the discovery of the only known surviving garment made of swanskin, a fabric made only here in the Blackmore Vale from the 16th to 19th centuries. p.8
👉 Equestrian - Sara Greenwood talking about horses as therapy, Lucy from The Glanvilles Stud shares life as foaling season gets into swing  and we welcome Toots Bartlett Eventing 
👉 Giles Henschel, head oliveer at Olives Et Al shares his ‘Dorset Island Discs’ – he came to his national artisan brand by way of school expulsion, the Army, being deported from Libya with his wife (twice), and Take That …, and the influence of his travels are revealed in his eight song choices. p.18
👉 Local shepherd Bonnie Cradock is the subject of this month’s A Country Living from Tracie Beardsley. She shares what it’s like running a flock of almost a thousand sheep with her brother, whilst keeping up a career as Assistant Events Organiser for the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show ) P.68
👉 In local history, Roger Guttridge tells the tale of Durweston’s Runaway Rector, and shows a ‘Then & Now’ of Cheap Street in #Sherborne, featuring Sherborne School’s Abbeylands. I’ve been talking to our own Allotment columnist Barry Cuff – the man with 10,000 postcards. It’s a fascinating collection. Starts on p.48
👉 In farming  James Cossins is worried – in 40 years of farming he’s never seen such price volatility. Andrew is scathing about TV’s ‘Fast & the Farmer-ish’ , and NFU county chair George Hosford finds himself struggling to remain calm P.72

In the aftermath of Storm Eunice, one small hamlet was left without power for six days, struggling to stay warm, and lambing by head torch with no light or heat. P.4

👉 Andrew Livingston looked at the debate raging around the upsetting BBC Panorama documentary ‘A Cow’s Life: The true cost of milk’.  P.6

👉 A 400 year old Trust is still helping young people in North Dorset, and yet no one knows who William Williams actually was. However, thanks to his actions in 1623, there’s a multi-million pound fund waiting to assist people in need; *IF*  P.9

👉 Valerie Singleton braved the Random 19 questions this month. Yes. THE Valerie Singleton lives here in Dorset, and considers her favourite comfort meal to be chocolate. Like you needed another excuse to love her more… She’s on p.16.

👉#Sherborne‘s Taff Martin shares his ‘Dorset Island Discs’. He’s a Falklands veteran who has had a lifelong ‘side hustle’ as a successful gigging musician. The unexpectedly shy welshman talks about his work in the town, and reveals a deeply romantic streak as he shares his eight songs, an eclectic mix of all-time classics. P.20

👉 Self-sufficient Carl Mintern, our own Dorset Forager columnist, is the subject of this month’s A Country Living He discusses his self-sufficient lifestyle, which is far more than just veg growing. He makes his own cheese and ice cream from the 20 pints of milk a day he gets from his goats, and he slaughters and butchers his own pigsP.42

👉 In local history, Roger Guttridge shares the tale of two pubs at Fiddleford, and shows a ‘Then & Now’ of the old school house in #SturminsterNewton. Paul Birbeck discusses the rise (and fall) of cinema in Dorset  p.45

👉 In  farming  James Cossins also touches on the Panorama documentary, rightfully declaring it’s ‘not all farmers’, and also expresses concerns over the governments drive for rewilding. Andrew Livingston has been suffering from egg theft, and discusses the constant pressure on small scale family farms. P.54

👉 Should second home owners pay a premium on Council Tax in Dorset?  They may soon see the tax double – but is that good for the county’s residents? – P.4
👉 We hear the truth behind the rumours. Following an outcry based on inaccurate information, BV editor Laura spoke to Luke Rake, principal of Kingston Maurward College –  P.6
👉 There’s been a complaint ... With our national newly-sanitised view of ‘Countryfile-d’ farming, complaints about animal welfare are on the increase – P.6 (and don't miss the real life story of farming columnist James Cossin's distress when it happened to him. P.76 Rawston Farm)
👉 Folk musician, singer, actor, storyteller, historian, Thomas Hardy expert ... Dorset’s Tim Laycock is a man of many talents. He answers the Random 19 questions this month – P.20
👉 Legendary cricket commentator and broadcaster, Henry Blofeld OBE, invites you to join him in a new show, My Dear Old Things - coming to the The Exchange, Sturminster Newton next month. Editor Laura had the temerity to ask him if, at 83, he might have considered retiring? It didn't go well. P.54
👉 Not sure why but we had to go to four pages for Letters to the Editor this month. Opinions are running high. Plus it's always lovely when Val Singleton pops into the inbox. - P.86

• Fast broadband is coming to north Dorset – (P.4)
• Cozmo Jenks, milliner to the royal family and countless celebrities, is our Random 19 guest this month  (p.12)
• Dorset Council are searching for host families for Afghan child refugees. (p.9)
• Village Halls - what is the point of them?  ( p.10 )
• Have you heard of Violet Cross? Lifelong resident of Hazelbury Bryan, she was one of few women to be awarded the Croix de Guerre (P.14)
• Dorset Mind have shared the shocking history of sexual bigotry ahead of LGBTQI+ History month (p.24)
• In A Country Living, Rachael Rowe has been talking to dairy owner Rachael Perret about cows and their favourite robots, queuing at the ladies, and the ones who ‘milk’ the system (sorry). (p.30)
• In Equestrian this month, we're talking to Claire Fowler about Endurance rides, and Lucy at The Glanvilles Stud is discussing the less glamorous side of winter with 30 horses (p.40)
• In Food & Drink, Heather's sharing a recipe for a breakfast pasty that we all need to start making. Rachael spoke to the new landlords at Ye Olde Two Brewers, and discusses the seven things in a butcher's shop you can't get in a supermarket.

• When Dickens came to Sherborne - and didn't want to:  "Must I come? The place smells of CowSh*t".  Roger Guttridge has the details of the second public reading of A Christmas Carol, in what is now Macintosh Antiques (p.12)
• The Love Local Trust Local Awards dinner was this week (Page 8  )
• Steve from Oxfords Bakery is the 4th generation 'Happy Baker' in A Country Living  (p.14)
• Christmas traditions - the team share theirs, and some of this year's featured celebrity guests were invited to share their own favourites (p.18)
• The Random 19 is with primetime drama actress Hermione Norris (p.30)
• In equestrian, retired international event horse Happy Times is enjoying a well-earned retirement from Griffiths Eventing Team outside Gillingham with Mouse Berry, and at The Glanvilles Stud Ltd. there's an insight into Tattersalls and latest news of their record-breaking girl Honeysuckle. (p.44)
• In  farming Louise from the NFU Mutual Sturminster Newton discusses Dorset's groundbreaking approach to the nitrate levels in a local catchment, James Cossins is happy November is behind him, and Andrew is looking back at a disastrous nativity play (p.48)
• In Food & Drink, fabulous Christmas Baking Treats Special of simple treats (p.79), Meet Your Local is talking to The Fleur de Lys Inn, (p.84), Rachael Rowe has been talking to Bramble Restaurant's Mat Follas about his Mure Liqueurs (p.87), and Vineyards are back! (p.88)


• North Dorset MP Simon Hoare was one of just 13 Conservative MPs to defy three-line whip in the Commons vote on the Leadsom Amendment - we have an exclusive interview on why he breached protocol to vote with his conscience (p.6)
• The shocking truth on how 'Kicking Out' racism in football has missed the grassroots clubs 
• The Random 19 is with local antiques expert and BBC television presenter Timothy Medhurst (p.16)
• The changing face (and windows) of a new antiques market in Sherborne (p.10 - Sherborne Antiques Market )
• Dorset's rights of way are nearly 3,000 miles in length - Tracie Beardsley's been fighting for our footpaths (p.14)
• Roger Guttridge shares the fascinating and inspiring story of Dorset's first woman driver (p.18)
• In farming, the NFU has some serious questions around the important role of agriculture in our move to a carbon-neutral future, while James Cossins  is reflecting on the difficulties of the rocketing fuel costs for farmers and Andrew is looking at the lack of workforce (p.39)
• in Equestrian news, The Glanvilles Stud Ltd. shares the excitement of Soul Icon, a true Procter homebred success (p.36)
• In Food & Drink, The perfect autumnal Sausage Bake recipe (p.66), Meet Your Local is talking to The Queens Arms - Corton Denham, (p.68), the top local postable food gifts for Christmas -  exclusive preview from Gritchie Brewing Company(p.76), and  how Shopping local might just save your bacon (and turkey) this Christmas


• What do local GP surgeries do when they receive over 14,000 phone calls a month, and can physically only answer half of them?
• 14yr old Stalbridge girl Ruby Else-White has become two times National Champion boxer - and also named 'best female boxer' at the national titles tournament last weekend. (p.8 )
• Roger Guttridge has shared the tale of Durweston's 'intelligent poltergeist'. It's fascinatingly creepy. (p.14)
• Carl Bovis has treated us to three pages of practical, sensible and equipment-free advice on how to take great bird pictures. Along with a generous sharing of his own wonderful images (p.42)
•Food Consultant and Judge Simon Vernon is sharing his insider's guide to the Great Taste Awards, the 'Oscars' of the food industry - and we share the local winners of the coveted stars.
• Our Random 19 guest this month is award-winning Dorset writer and poet Louisa Adjoa Parker (p.64). 
• equestrian. We have internationally renowned trainer Shena Kozuba-Kozubska's London Marathon attempt at the age of 77 - whilst still recovering from her near-fatal accident (p.16). Lucy Procter from Glanville's Stud is talking mare pregnancies and floating teeth on p.46, and Sara Greenwood shares why the Pony Club Efficiency Tests are so important for young people.
• We're saddened to share the death of Richard Batterham (p.18), one of the most revered potters of our time. So many will know him from his 60 years in his Durweston pottery.
• There's a terrific look at the life and work of champion hedgelayer Russell Woodham in this months A Country Living (p.22)
• in farming, James Cossins is mulling on the 'Great British Sowing... Bet' (p.53), and Andrew reflects on Farmer Dads with the birth of his daughter Martha p.54.

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The BV is the 'glossy' award-winning monthly magazine from the heart of rural Dorset –  take your time, come spend half an hour and a weekend coffee with us.
From astonishing photography to fascinating UK wildlife, opinionated and entertaining farmers and celebrities answering random questions, there's something for everyone.
Not from Dorset? Feel free to just skip the first 10 pages, and you'll love the contemporary rural lifestyle magazine that is the rest of the BV behind the local news. And do NOT miss the reader's photography.

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