The BV: from the heart of the Blackmore Vale

A stoat is stoatally different, a farming crossroads and the tale of Gold Hill

In the second of August's podcasts – still in the new longer format which has proved popular – Jennie talks to both Jane Adams and owner of Little Waddon Vineyard Simon Priestman
'A weasel is weasily identifiable, whereas a stoat is stoatally different'. Jennie talks to widlife expert Jane Adamas about the stoat – its mesmerising effect, how to spot it and why Dorset may be a perfect home for the mysterious little creature
Former Royal Navy officer Chris Taylor has lived a career in the skies The acclaimed civil certification test pilot explains the unique skill set required for the job
Is farming at a crossroads? Andrew Livingston looks at the unfair struggle between agriculture and supermarkets
After 40 years in the TV industry, Simon and Karen Priestman bought a boutique vineyard on the Dorset coast – and promptly created an award-winning wine
Crumbs! It’s 50 years  since that Hovis ad. Exactly half a century after an iconic Hovis commercial hit our TV screens, Roger Guttridge takes a stroll through the story of Dorset’s most famous street

Letters, kites and monsters in the pits.

As usual we start the month with the letter from the edfitor, as well as all the BV's reader's letters.
The red kite is a popular conservation success story, and Jenny talks to Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Adam Woolcott about his love of the birds of prey, who – despite their rising population numbers – are still at risk from poisoning.
Simon Hoare MP asks whether every town needs a town centre - he thinks it does.
MIke Chapman of the LibDems says it's time for a change – and time for the grown ups.
Labour's Pat Osborne condemns the governments recent decision to grant new oil and gas licences.  
Ken Huggins of the Greens talks about the good, the bad ... and the downright ugly.
In part two of Jenny's fascinating conversation with the Co-Director of the Bournemouth University Duropolis Dig, Paul Cheatham, you can hear about the 'monsters' found in the pits – and paul also discusses the compelte lack of human remains from the Iron Age settlements.
 

Jane Goodall’s Random 19, package holiday complaints and a guided tour of Duropolis

Admittedly a chimpanzee-studying lady in Africa may not have been everyone's childhood hero, but for editor Laura – an animal-obsessed girl growing up in a big Essex town – the life of her dreams was being lived by Jane Goodall, the renowned ethologist and inspiring conservationist. Even at 89 Dr Jane Goodall remains a powerhouse of action, and her answers to this month's Random 19 questions are everything you could hope for – from Lord of the Rings to an evocative stream of memories of a life lived in the wild (there's also a controversial opinion on biscuit dunking).
Rachel Rogers provides some specific advice around what to do when a package holiday goes wrong! Talking to Terry, she provides an interesting look at the work of Dorset's Citizen's Advice – no longer the CAB, the organisation does a lot more than is widely understood.
In an engrossing interview, Paul Cheatham, the geophysical survey director responsible for the archaelogical digs at Dorset's 'Duropolis', effectively gives us a personal guided tour of the site that was discovered in 2007, and what the team have found in the subsequent 12 years of digs as they explore the hillside. He admits that everywhere the team survey they find a new settlement to explore – whether Iron Age, Bronze Age or Roman, from the Mesolithic to the late Roman era, the Dorset hillsides are covered in remnants of early communities. During the medieval period people moved into the valleys and finally left the high grounds, but  counter to perceived wisdom, Paul explains that early man did not in fact choose hilltops for defence purposes – and he also talks Jenny through Iron Age fridges.

On a free-spirited artist, marine pollution and politics

You can never say the BV provides a predictable array of subjects! In the politics columns this month, Simon Hoare MP agrees that climate change is all around us – but he is confident that it is being acted on by the government. He also takes time to discuss vaping – our next public health crisis?In a mock exam for politicans, Mike Chapman of the North Dorset LibDems has a long list of questions he'd like to see someone in the government provide serious, grown up answers to.In a seemingly endless line of rage-inducing news items, Ken Huggins from the North Dorset Green Party has found a brighter story to cheer about. And Pat Osborne from North Dorset Labour is similarly positive about a local cricket club. In the light of national news around racism and classism in the sport, he's proud to share the hard work that has gone into making grassroots local clubs thoroughly inclusive.
Jenny talks to Julie Hatcher, Dorset Wildlife Trust's Marine Protection Officer, on their new campaign Save Our Wild Seas,  raising both awareness and funds for practical steps to reduce the pollution on our beaches. Julie discusses the importance of our seagrass nurseries in Dorset in particular.
Artist Philip Sutton RA is now 95 and lives – and still paints – near Bridport. Author and journalist Fanny Charles talks to Jenny about the renowned colourist who has never followed fashion, but has led a fascinating life.
 
 

Reader’s letters, Polluted waters and Holtby & Co

Editor's Letter from Laura in which she muses on her optimism for the future, plus all the reader's letters from June
Farmers can be prosecuted for damaging short stretches of river, but when will water companies be held accountable for their actions? Jenny talks to Dorset farmer and journalist Andrew Livingston.
George Holtby of Holtby & Co in Sherborne previously worked as a porter at Christie's in South Kensington – the busiest saleroom in the world – where he absorbed knowledge 'by osmosis'. He ended up in Sherborne by accident, and has now set up for himself in the Old Yarn Mills. Terry hears about how and where he buys, and George's plans for the future ('I want to buy better!').
The BV podcast goes beyond the pages of the magazine, providing you with exclusive insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and in-depth conversations with our guests. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to take a look at the July issue of the BV here or visit our website to explore the articles and stories featured. 

A seaside bus route, worried farmers and good snacking

Thanks to a nudge from a local villager, Rachael Rowe tried a trip under the new £2 bus fare cap. Terry finds out that she hasn't been on a bus since moving to Dorset, and has now discovered a new method of adventure! Environmentally and economically, opting for the bus is a great idea - and Rachael points out that there are a lot of routes included in the scheme, not just to enable a weekly shop but also for days out to the coast and the New Forest too!
On a visit to Oliver's Coffee Shop in Sherborne, Terry chats to owner Jane Wood in this month's Meet Your Local – discovering the century of history still visible in the cafe's decor, as well as finding out more about Jane herself as she lets us behind the counter to hear about the current challenges and what's happening in the popular coffee shop on Cheap Street. The UK’s first post-Brexit trade deals begin amid agricultural industry concerns and severe labour shortages. Jenny talked to farming columnist Andrew Livingston about the real effect on our supermarket shelves. He suggests that it's not even so much about supporting British farmers as much as it is an issue around animal welfare. UK farmers are held to high standards, but the latest trade deals allow for a concerning flexibility in welfare of animals raised in other countries.Nutritional therapist Karen Geary is a regular BV columnist, and she spoke to Terry about how her time living in California lead her into a later-life career switch. She admits her patients are often turning to her as a last resort, when they're frustrated with the lask of solutions elsehwere, as she finds solutions to health issues. This month she's looking at snacking – and what night be a good strategy for a balanced diet and losing weight.
 
The BV podcast goes beyond the pages of the magazine, providing you with exclusive insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and in-depth conversations with our guests. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to take a look at the June issue of the BV here or visit our website to explore the articles and stories featured. 

Rescuing 40,000 animals, TV’s Salvage Hunter in Sherborne, and a lack of listening in the food industry

Jenny's interview with Kevan Hodges of the Ferne Animal Sanctuary looks back at the last 80 years, from the shocking (to modern minds) need for a sanctuary in wartime Britain (an estimated 3/4 million pets were euthanised at the start of the war), to reflecting on the fact that Ferne has saved around 40,000 animals.They have up to 200 dogs a year surrendered to them, and the same for cats – the vast majority of whom they need to rehome – but the livestock they take in finds its forever home at Ferne. The Sanctuary receives around 10,000 visitors a year, and they're keen for more! (You can find them at ferneanimalsanctuary.org - we're especially keen to find a home for lovely Amber the lurcher!)
Terry visited the Old Tarn Mills in Sherborne to talk to Karyn Speed of Molecula Antiques, who appears on TV's Salvage Hunters. She invited Terry into the surprise interior of Molecula, where the old industrial factory unit is laid out with a stunning display of their modern 20th century design, Molecula's speciality and passion: "the attitude used to be that 'antiques were more than 100 years old'. And we used to go to antique fairs with 1950s, 1960s furniture – the looks we used to get from some of the dealers! They were like 'this is NOT an antique, I grew up with ths stuff!'. But we were ahead of our time, it's never been more popular!"She talks Terry through some of the items on display, and talks about her time on Salvage Hunters.See Molecula's website molecula.co.ukJenny talks to John Farrand about the work of the Guild of Fine Food, including their Great Taste Awards – many will recognise the iconic black and gold logos. The guild also runs the world cheese awards, and works with the nations small food and drink businesses. The organisation has become a powerful voice, representing the smaller producers and retailers at government level, is present on a DEFRA steering group... though John points out they're not always listened to. He talks to Jenny specifically about the government's recent Farm to Fork summit – and the lack of representation through the fact that 'those in power only consult with those in power'. He points out that the nimbleness and sharp, innovative thinking is present within the multitude of smaller businesses across the country. See more about the guild on their website gff.co.uk

Antiques Road Trip in Sherborne, Robert Boyle and all the letters

The June BV Podcasts begin, as every month, with this month’s letter from the editor and all the latest reader’s letters. Next historian Roger Guttridge talks to Jenny about Stalbridge's most famous resident, and Terry has a chat with local antiques dealer Craig Wharton about the time TV's Antiques Road Trip came to town.
Letter from the Editor - Laura Hitchcock gladly welcomes June's wooing ways, and celebrates being an overweight middle-aged mum kickboxer.
This month's readers letters include some disgruntled locals unhappy at the coun cil mowing glorious verges during No Mow May
Local historian Roger Guttridge muses on Robert Boyle. The man who gave us Boyle’s Law was also Stalbridge’s Lord of the Manor and carried out his early experiments in North Dorset
Craig Wharton from Sherborne Antiques Market reveals that TV expert Paul Atterbury was the first of the market's 38 dealers to sign up, and talks about how a recent episode of Antiques Road Trip featuring Catherine Southon was filmed in the Market. But on the day, Craig and his partner Philip had tickets for the opera, so they cleared the crew out by 6.30!
Finishing up with the politics round up, we hear from West Dorset MP Chris Loder, plus the current musings from the North Dorset represnetatives of Labour, LibDems and Green party. It's worth noting that we have a strong 'no-party-bashing' rule for the politics columnists, which means they spend their time discussing pressing issues.
 
 
 
Chris Loder
Politics
 

Jane Adams on the dawn chorus and Shaftesbury Indie market’s Jules Bradburn

Wildlife writer Jane Adams grew up in the suburbs, and vividly recalls the first time she shared her morning tea with the waking birds "In the past, I didn’t understand why people got so excited about the dawn chorus. Wasn’t it just a bunch of birds singing ridiculously early in the morning?" Jane sat down with Jenny and they chatted about the early morning birds - and their unreliability when you go to all the effort of getting out of bed to listen!
Roger Guttridge tells the story of Dorset’s first newspaper and the ‘Sherborne Men’ who ‘rode Sherborne’ to distribute it
There’s a major new independent market in Shaftesbury – the launch event had more than 70 stalls, and was a resounding success with almost 6,000 people visiting. The monthly event will boost tourism and trade, says market director Jules Bradburn, who already runs the hugely popular independent Sherborne market which she has grown to 200 stalls. She spoke to Jenny about how it’s going, and about some of the incredible artisans, producers and traders that are finding a new audience.
Jim Bettle makes a living from an ancient craft, fuelling his passion for a more sustainable country. One of very few British charcoal producers, by the end of August he’ll produce more than 35 tonnes of sustainable British charcoal from within his North Dorset woodland 'office'.

Tivoli Theatre’s Charlie North-Lewis selects his Dorset Island Discs

You can’t interview Charlie North-Lewis without a steady stream of name-dropping; his long and winding career is a musical tour through 40 years of popular culture.
Charlie was working at BAFTA in 2002 when he decided it was time to go back to his professional roots after long years managing band tours, and look for a theatre job. ‘I just happened to see the advert. It said: “Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne, Dorset, is looking for a general manager.” I’m sure it said something along the lines of 'knowledge of the area useful' or helpful or something. And I just thought, well, I went to school in Dorset. That’ll do ...’
This month the Tivoli's theatre manager sat down with Tracie Beardsley to choose his Dorset Island Discs – highlights are in the May issue of The BV magazine here, but in this extended edition of the BV podcast you can listen to the unedited full conversation, with all the bits we had to chop out!You can listen to all Charlie's music choices in his Dorset Island Discs playlist here(Apologies for any background sounds - Charlie and Tracie met at the Crown Hotel in Blandford!)