Local musician, Jane Stokes, has achieved a long-held ambition of recording her first album of Harp music. Jane, who lives in Child Okeford, plays fourteen tracks of varied music from the repertoire for Celtic harp. Much of the music Jane plays is from the folk tradition, though some of the recordings are classical and a couple are written by Jane herself.

Jane was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis some time ago, so it is unsurprising that all profits from the sale of these recordings will go to the MS Society to help further research into this debilitating and incurable condition.

Jane’s album, “Mere Mortal”, can be heard on https://janestokes.bandcamp.com/

The CD, which costs £10, or more if you wish to donate, can be ordered from the website, or digitally downloaded.

If you have any questions, or would like to contact Jane, please email janestokesuk2@live.co.uk, or phone 01258 861763.

For more information about Multiple Sclerosis please visit https://www.mssociety.org.uk/

MermaidsUK took part in a brand new ITV series, Give It A Year Episode 5 on ITV Monday 14^th May 2018, 8pm.

MermaidsUK took part in Give It A Year, a brand new ITV series. The company is run by Mother and Daughter duo, Lisa Bousted and Charlotte Scoins who are both Aquatic Teachers and Tutors. After 18 months of market research, planning and development, Lisa and Charlotte introduced the MermaidsUK Instructor Course to the aquatic industry, allowing the Level 2 Swimming teacher to train up as a MermaidsUK Instructor. This resulted in new businesses being set up around the UK and more recently worldwide. Swish Swimschool @Riversmeet, saw the many physical and social benefits of Mermaiding and have MermaidsUK Instructors offering Mermaid Parties, Mermaid Experiences & Mermaid Swim Courses. Swish offers Mermaid Sessions for children and Mermaid Experiences and Mermaid Parties on request.

In this brand new series, Baroness Karren Brady meets the brave people who decide to go it alone and start a new business. While many take off, every year in the UK 30,000 start-up businesses fail.  This unique take on business follows the first year for intrepid entrepreneurs – will our fledgling business owners be dining on caviar and champagne in 12 months’ time? Or will they be eating humble pie?

Through her travels across the UK, Karren meets people who believe they’ve got the next big thing.  Some ideas are weird and whacky, others are literally out of this world, but all these fledgling business people hope their venture will change their lives and their fortunes. She’ll want to know as much about their hopes and dreams as she does about the sales figures.  This business show is as much about the people and their personalities as it is the profit and loss sheet.

She’ll meet all these people at the start of their first year. Then in an instant, it’ll be 12 months later and she’ll discover what can happen when you Give it a Year.  Tune into the series from Monday, 16^th April, at 8pm on ITV. For further details on your local MermaidsUK sessions, you can contact  swishswimschool@riversmeetgillingham.org. 01747 834013

Shaftesbury Civic Society will salute the town’s most community-minded resident, club or organisation with a new, annual prize.

The winner of the first of the annual Rachel Caldwell awards will be announced during the society’s Civic Day event on Thursday 21st June.

In making their decision, SCS trustees will consider which nominated group or individual has done the most to enhance the quality of life in Shaftesbury during the last year.

Mike Madgwick, Chairman of the Civic Society, said the trustees wanted to dedicate this new commendation to founding member Rachel Caldwell, who died in 2016.

Mrs Caldwell helped to establish the society in 1963 because she was passionate about preserving Shaftesbury’s unique heritage and appearance.

“We’ve decided not to apply rigid rules and restrictive nomination criteria because we want anyone who has worked hard on behalf of our community to gain recognition,” said Mike. “Although there will be only one annual winner, we’re hoping that we’ll be able to thank many worthy nominees on the night. We want to celebrate the strong community spirit that makes this town so special,” he said.

Civic Society members should email their nominations to Honorary Secretary, Jackie Upton King at Shaftesburycivic@gmail.com.

All local residents are welcome to attend the Civic Day events on Thursday 21^st June, where they’ll have a chance to join the Civic Society and learn more about its campaigns, events and activities.

Programme highlights will include tea in the Gold Hill Museum Garden Room from 2pm followed by a talk on Shaftesbury social reformer John Rutter by author Sir John Stuttard. South West Wiltshire MP and author Andrew Murrison will also discuss his new civil-war era novel.

The Rachel Caldwell Award winner will be announced in the Town Hall at 6.45pm.

Shaftesbury Fringe is adding independent movies to this summer’s event, in a new partnership with the Purbeck Film Festival.

Three up-and-coming directors from the region will attend a screening of their works, each lasting approximately 12 minutes, at Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

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The filmmakers will then answer questions and discuss the challenges they faced in both funding and making their short films.

The speakers are Bournemouth University graduate Marc Adamson, Liam O’Hara and Ben Desmond.

Marc’s short film was voted best in the 2017 ‘Purbeck Shorts’ competition, following the votes of the judging panel and general public.

Liam is a double-award winning writer and director who began his career as a projectionist in Wareham’s Rex Cinema.

Respected movie critic Mark Kermode praised Ben as “a talented young film-maker on the rise” when he awarded him to top prize in the Isle of Man Film Festival for ‘Pitfall’, which is set during the Second World War.

St James Street resident Lizzie Sykes encouraged the Fringe’s partnership with the Purbeck Film Festival, which is in its 22nd year and attracts hundreds of UK and overseas entries to its short filmmaker competition.

Lizzie has twice helped judge the competition.

Purbeck Film Festival Chair Andrea Etherington says she has been pleased to get involved and welcomes the opportunity for the audience to discuss cinematography, narrative and acting. She expects that the post-screening debate will raise the question, “what makes a good film?”

The Shaftesbury Fringe Mini Film Festival takes place at Shaftesbury Arts Centre from 6.00pm to 7.30pm on Saturday 30th June.

Shaftesbury Fringe organisers say that the three-day event is now England’s third-largest open-access arts festival, based on performance numbers. When artist registration closed on Thursday night, 139 separate performances had been booked, a massive increase from the 83 events offered as part of the 2017 schedule. Only Brighton and Manchester offer larger fringe festivals in England with more performances.

Shaftesbury Fringe founder Andy Tebbutt-Russell says that once a fringe festival reaches a certain size, then word gets out and more acts come forward.

This year a significant number of comedians have registered, including Australian stand-up Heidi Regan. Heidi won the BBC’s ‘New Comedy’ award in 2017.

Andy says the timing of the event is critical. “It’s one month before Edinburgh and that allows comedians to test their new material in Shaftesbury. Stand-ups can’t rehearse alone, at home. They need an audience to gauge which material is funny. That’s why the timing of Shaftesbury Fringe is perfect,” he says.

New additions for the 2018 Shaftesbury Fringe include a free childrens’ hub in the Abbey Gardens on Saturday 30th June. Critically acclaimed children’s theatre company Paddleboat will headline a programme of shows, activities and events designed especially for kids aged between 4 and 12 years of age.

Shaftesbury Fringe takes place across 25 venues, ranging from an estate agents office to a coaching inn, a hidden walled-garden and an Abbey founded in the 9th century.

Each of the venues is within walking distance of all other performances spaces.

The event is being held from Friday 29th June to Sunday 1st July 2018. There’s more information at www.ShaftesburyFringe.co.uk

The Great Get Together picnic is being held on the Town Meadow in Gillingham on Sunday 24^th June from 12 noon. Nationally, The Great Get Together encourages communities to hold an event to spend some time together and emphasise that we have more in common than the things which divide us.

The momentum has come from the approach of Jo Cox, MP for Birstall, who was murdered in June 2016. The weekend of 22nd – 24th June has been chosen for this year’s Great Get Together and is when she would have celebrated her 44^th birthday.

The Great Get Together Picnic in Gillingham will be free, and it will be accessible for everyone. There will be marquees and gazebos to help us shelter from the weather, chairs and tables will be set out for those who would prefer not to sit on the ground for their picnic.

People are encouraged to bring their own picnic and their own mug if they would like tea or coffee. The Scouts will be brewing up and cooking a barbecue. Flags will be available so that if you have space for another person at your picnic spot you can plant the flag to let others know they would be welcome to join you. There is plenty of space for football, rounders and other games, or running around.

There will be activities for children such as the RiverKidz Jungle Bounce, and face painting. A skittle alley will be available, buskers are welcome.

We have encountered much goodwill and generosity amongst groups and  individuals in the town, with several offers of free loans and donations for the day. It will be a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon celebrating being together. Come down to the Town Meadow and enjoy the afternoon, either on your own, as there will be plenty of friends waiting for you, or with family and neighbours.

We still need help if you have time, skill or ideas. Please contact Mandy on 07876 298695 . We will also need help setting up and taking down tents, tables and chairs. Volunteer face painters please get in touch! Musicians give us a shout.

Any financial donations towards the cost of the day will be appreciated.

Award-winning BV Dairy, one of the most respected and successful independent dairies in the South West of England and supplier of dairy products to national / international brands and the hospitality industry, has sponsored Shaftesbury School’s membership of Dorset Chamber’s Young Chamber Programme.

The remit of the Young Chamber is to engage students across Dorset in a programme which prepares them for work, helps them to be aware of the different paths to their chosen career and inspire those who have not yet made a choice about what they would like to do.

As a Young Chamber sponsor, BV Dairy will forge links with Shaftesbury School and provide students with talks, visits and projects and support careers events. In addition, the role of the dedicated Young Chamber Coordinator is to develop a programme that helps the school access other businesses / business people from a wide variety of sectors and backgrounds across the Dorset Chamber membership. Sponsorship also enrols the school as a Dorset Chamber Member, allowing staff to attend learning seminars and network with other business and schools.

Harry Cowan, Commercial Director at BV Dairy said: “We celebrate our 60^th anniversary this year and have growth plans which includes long term recruitment. We want to present ourselves to the local area as an employer recruiting at different levels, including apprenticeships and management across different skills sets. For example, our Ultra Filtration Plant is a world class facility for manufacturing requiring expertise in running and maintenance and, like any successful business, we have IT, HR, New product development, finance and sales, departments, as well as a requirement for the specialist food technologist skills needed for the development and sale of our new dairy-based products. As a local employer to the school we see this is as a perfect fit. We place a strong emphasis on training and lifelong education of our workforce to face the dynamic challenges of the 21^st Century.”

Harry adds: “Forming a close link with Shaftesbury School makes sense on many levels, but what we also like about the Young Chamber Programme is the additional support its Coordinator is able to provide to the school through other Dorset Chamber members.”

Tim Farrer, Principal at Shaftesbury School, said: “We are delighted that BV Dairy has sponsored us as part of the Young Chamber and myself and our Careers Advisor, Karen Johnson, visited BV Dairy straight away to see the facilities ourselves and understand how we can work together for the benefit of our students. Being outward facing is imperative if we are to offer outstanding opportunities for young people in the area. In addition, Karen is currently working with the Young Chamber to develop the programme and engage other business to fulfil a speaker timetable, suggest projects and visits and support our careers events. The latter has involved inviting businesses to attend the school for events which are planned, catered and served by our students, which BV Dairy is happy to support as well. As a school, it is vital for us to seek active partnership with first class employers like BV Dairy and this is a key focus for us this year.”

Young Chamber is a British Chambers of Commerce and Industry initiative designed to bridge the gap between business and education. Young Chamber in Dorset works with the Careers and Enterprise Company and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), all of whom are addressing the need for greater involvement between businesses and schools for the benefit of young people entering the world of work.

Joan Senior, Young Chamber Coordinator, said: “The latest Government announcements on careers strategy, options into higher education including apprenticeships, and aligning businesses and schools means engaging businesses as is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but a necessity. Schools who choose to make full use of the Young Chamber programme are potentially providing an advantage for their students. I am delighted to be working with such a proactive school and engaging sponsor.”

Young Chamber in Dorset currently has several schools seeking business sponsors, as well as schools asking for speakers and site visits for students in different sectors. For more information, please contact Joan Senior, Young Chamber Coordinator at joan.senior@dcci.co.uk

Gold Hill Museum opened for the season on Saturday 24th March with two new exhibitions, sponsored by BV Dairy.

One of the displays features life on a North Dorset dairy farm in 1940. It reveals how we take modern luxuries for granted.

“I want people to realise how recently mechanisation hit farming,” says organiser Janet Swiss. “Our featured farm employed four men and three horses. All the muck-spreading and milking was done by hand,” she says. “Each cow was known by name – like Princess, Daisy and Queenie,” Janet adds.

Janet’s display includes a life-sized cow, as well as a scale model of the riverside farm that straddled ‘chalk and cheese’ arable and dairy land. The display also features the farm’s first foray towards modern mechanisation – a model of a small Massey Ferguson tractor.

Janet is hoping that visitors will have fun guessing the use of a more unfamiliar implement – a mangold chopper.

“Thomas Hardy referred to this area as ‘The Vale of Little Dairies.’ I wanted to record how important these farms were in the social history of our area,” Janet says.

Jim Highnam, Managing Director of BV Dairy, says, “It is a pleasure to be asked to support the Museum’s latest exhibit, which obviously has such a close connection to our business. We hope it brings pleasure to the many people who will visit Gold Hill Museum in 2018,” Jim adds.

Shaftesbury-based BV Dairy was founded in Kington Magna, a village in the Blackmore Vale.

“The Dairy continues to have strong relationships with, and purchases milk from, farms within this beautiful area,” Jim says.

You’ll be inspired to dig your garden in a hunt for treasure when you visit the museum’s second exhibition, also sponsored by BV Dairy.

‘Found Underground’ features sixteen items discovered by locals on their land.

Whilst you’re unlikely to find artefacts to rival the 1940s ‘Shaftesbury Hoard’ of 11th century silver coins, Janet says most objects uncovered reveal an interesting story.

“Oyster shells are regularly unearthed here,” says Janet. “The shellfish was considered cheap food and was transported from Poole to a fish market on Gold Hill.”

Visitors will be able to touch all the exhibits, including a hoop of metal called a patten. It formed part of an overshoe. “It would keep your shoe off the ground and out of the wet. People had damp, cold feet until very recently,” Janet says.

If your own digging reveals an unusual item, you can bring it to the museum for identification by Ciorstaidh Trevarthen, the Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset, on the morning of Saturday 14th July.

Young Gillingham woman raising money to support voluntary work in Cambodia

Rowan Mackain-Bremner, from Gillingham Dorset, is raising money to support a project that tackles poverty in Cambodia, where she will be volunteering for 10 weeks.   Rowan, 22, will travel out to Cambodia on 6th May this year with international development organisation VSO, as part of the UK government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme.

She will work in partnership with Cambodian volunteers to help lift some of the world’s poorest communities out of poverty. The project aims to improve accountability of schools and participation of youth, increase the employability of the youth and increase their voice and that of marginalised groups in Council decision making. She will also be living with a local host family, to fully immerse herself in the local community and gain a better understanding of the challenges they face.

Before Rowan leaves for Cambodia she needs to raise £800 for VSO.

Rowan said: “I can’t wait to get to know the community I will be working with. I’m excited to be involved and hopefully enable young people to have ‘Choice, voice and control over their lives’. I have never been to that part of the world before, so it’ll be really interesting to meet the Cambodian volunteers and find out about their home. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of an organisation that is making an impact across the globe.”

“I have raised £750 so far, selling crafts at the Gillingham Country Market and generous donations of individuals. I am hoping to smash my target with a Cambodian themed Quiz Night!”  This will be  accompanied by a raffle and Cambodian-style food. The money Rowan raises will help to make sure that communities in developing countries continue to benefit from the work of future volunteers.

If you can sponsor Rowan in any way, please visit

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rowan-to-cambodia

ICS allows young people aged 18-25 to make a valuable contribution to sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  On return to the UK, ICS volunteers undertake an ‘Action at Home’ project, ensuring that their new skills also benefit their local communities. More than 13000 young people from the UK have taken part in the scheme since 2011.

Felicity Morgan, Director of ICS at VSO, said: “Rowan will be joining thousands of other ICS volunteers who are doing amazing work around the world, every day. We’re incredibly proud that UK aid is supporting young Brits bring about positive change in some of the world’s poorest communities. As an organisation working on the frontline against poverty VSO see how people across Britain play an important role in delivering UK aid; from the NHS and Army  helping end the Ebola crisis, to the millions who donate, and the contribution we all make through taxes, together we are all making the world a fairer, safer place.”

To find out more about ICS or to apply, visit www.volunteerics.org.

‘What have you found?’ Jeanette’s words were whipped away by the wind and never reached her husband’s ears. She caught up with Mark, crouching on the shingle, examining his latest find.

‘What is it?’ she said, a little breathless.

‘It’s only a big old rusty nail. I feel like someone out of “The Detectorists”, never getting to do the Dance of Gold.’

Jeanette laughed. Beachcombing was a common pastime since buying their cottage by the sea, and although they were not equipped with metal detectors, they had sharp eyes. They had never found anything of value, and now they had decided to sell the cottage they hoped for a ‘special’ find on what would be one of their last trips to the beach.

‘At least you’ve found something,’ said Jeanette, as the wind and spray blew fiercely.

‘And something I can easily carry home,’ said Mark, slipping the nail into his pocket, and promptly forgetting it. They turned back to the cottage where their son, David, would be making coffee.

‘You know you don’t need to do this,’ said David, helping them off with their coats.

‘We’ve talked it over many times, David, it’s what we want to do. We’ve had some good years here, but now we want to help as much as we can. So we’ll sell the cottage. It’s simple.’

And it would help, David didn’t deny that. Since the tragedy that left David bringing up twin infant sons alone, life had become financially difficult. Industrial Archaeology, David’s passion and recent employment, did not make for a lavish lifestyle.

‘Well thanks both of you, I really don’t know what to say. I think I need a walk. Can you watch the twins for me?’

‘It’s just started raining look, borrow your dad’s coat.’

‘I’m really going to miss this old place,’ said Jeanette after David had left. ‘I was really looking forward to holidays here with the twins, they would love it when they’re older.’

‘I know, but we’re doing the right thing. David needs the money now.’

The door pushed open and the wind and rain blew in David, soaking wet and holding the rusty nail in his hand. ‘What’s this Dad? Where did you get it?’

‘Just a rusty old nail I found on the beach, I’d forgotten about it.’

‘But look here, dad.’ On the head of the nail were the corroded remnants of letters and numbers.

‘This isn’t a nail dad, it’s a rivet! You can just make out an R, and a T, and a 4. I think this is a 401 rivet. They were used on the Titanic.’

Later the rusty nail went to auction. It had been dated and authenticated as being part of the Titanic itself. Speculation suggested it might have been one of the ‘faulty’ rivets that caused the ship to sink. The hammer fell at £650,000.

That evening, back at the cottage, they all performed the ‘Dance of Gold’ passing the twins between them.