The BV: from the heart of Dorset

Letters, cold swims and Polecats

Experience the unique camaraderie of cold water swimming in one of England's highest (and coldest!) towns, and unravel the mystery of polecats with wildlife expert Jane Adams.
Editor Laura reflects on the little pieces of ourselves we unknowingly leave with other people, from helpful motivation quotes to the embarassing little stories we would actually prefer to die away!
In politics, Simon Hoare MP unwraps the intricate issues of security. Ken Huggins of North Dorset Greens is hunting for some honesty in our politicians, and Gary Jackson of the North Dorset LibDems is calling for more help for the nation's league of 'unseen, unsung' carers.
As one of the highest towns in England, standing at 750 feet above sea level, Shaftesbury is known as one of the coldest places in North Dorset. Join Terry as he braves the chill with Harriet Green at Shaftesbury Lido, uncovering the exhilarating world of ice miles and the invigorating spirit of open-air pools.
Polecats have quietly been making a secretive but fragrant return – Jenny learns all about the elusive bandits from wildlife writer Jane Adams. Are the little predatory 'foulmart's dangerous? And how do we tell the difference between them and stoats?

Claire Allen’s Epic Walk and Robert Cowley - the Cambridge graduate plumber

Claire Allen’s Epic Walk: 'I’m surprised I’m still here!’ Terry briefly interrupts Claire's year-long journey walking Britain’s entire coastline to find out how she started, where she is - and how it's going
MP Chris Loder confronts the Post Office’s leadership, offering unwavering commitment to the Horizon scandal victims
He graduated from Cambridge and, to his father’s consternation, went straight into the family plumbing business. Robert Cowley, MBE – magistrate, volunteer and plumber – talks to editor Laura as he selects his Dorset Island Discs
 

Letters, and the case for (and against) Bonham Forest

In the first of 2024's BV podcast we have all the January letters and politics, and Jenny talks to Fanny Charles about the rights and wrongs of the planned creation of the new Bonham Forest near Stourhead.
Editor Laura Hitchock is looking for reasons to be cheerful during the longest month of the year
The Reader's Letters this month include some wonderful memories of Iwerne Minster, triggered by last month's vintage postcard which happened to show the very house the writer had grown up in, back when the village had a whole range of shops and enjoyed hourly double-decker buses (You can see the original postcard, from the Barry Cuff Collection, including the message on the back, on the website here).
Simon Hoare MP is sharing a little spring optimism and his hopes for what the new year might bring
Ken Huggins of the North Dorset Green Party shares a recent personal experience to look at the need to invest in the NHS
Gary Jackson of the North Dorset LibDems is looking forward with optimism , and has hopes that a General Election will bring a fair change
North Dorset Labour's Pat Osborne talks about the need for Britain to become energy-independent
And Jenny sits down with Fanny Charles to look at the pros and cons of the new Bonham Forest plan at Stourhead, which is causing major ripples in the local community.
You can read the full January 24 issue of the BV magazine here – jam-packed with incredible Dorset folks doing magnificent things. There's also farming, wildlife, a huge Dorset food & drink section... and if you like glorious photography you'll be a fan. Did we mention it's FREE?

Pepper, panto and pursuing human quarry

From Phnom Penh to Poundbury: in a fascinating interview, New Zealander George Norbert-Munns tells Terry how he came to bring the delicate gourmet flair of Kampot pepper to the UK’s foodie scene, taking a 'risk' on one small shipment – which he sold in his very first weekend!
Gay Pirrie-Weir has been reviewing pantomime for longer than she cares to remember; she's seen more than 500 productions, she thinks. She chats to Jenny about the history, the tradition, the very best dames – and her first love.
Hunting humans for fun – having become disillusioned with fox hunting, Lifelong hunt kennelman Jeremy Whaley started the South Downs Bloodhounds in 2004: ‘The point is, the hunting of most wild animals with hounds is illegal. It doesn’t matter if it was bad law - it is what it is, it is not going to change and, if we want hound sports to survive, we need to not only move on and hunt within the law, but do so in a way that seeks to impress and educate the average, tolerant, man, woman or any other of the myriad genders that currently exist on the Clapham omnibus.'Terry reads his interview with The BV – we strongly suggest you click through to the website article to see the wonderful photography of the hunt and hounds by Sharon T Photography here: https://bvmag.co.uk/huntinghumans 
The North Dorset MP gets an upgrade to the front benches – Simon Hoare is the new Minister for Local Government: officially the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Terry reads his exclusive interview with the BV, in which he told editor Laura Hitchcock just what happens when you unexpectedly get that phone call.
You can read the full December 23 issue of the BV magazine here – jam-packed with incredible Dorset folks doing magnificent things. There's also farming, equestrian, wildlife, food & drink... and if you like glorious photography you'll be a fan. Did we mention it's FREE?

Gwyneth Wentink’s Dorset Island Discs, and Jane Adams talks lichen

We start the month, as always, with the Letters to the Editor, before listening to a Brecon Cathedral bellringer at Hazelbury Bryan Primary School. Jane Adams chats to Jenny about the fascinating (no, really!) world of lichen, and lastly we hear from International harpist Gwyneth Wentink.
In her letter this month, editor Laura is looking back to a specific shopping list she once saw on Twitter which has stayed in her head ever since. Following the letters to the editor, we move on to this episode's features:
Hazelbury Bryan Primary School’s call to ‘make a noise’ against bullying was answered by a cathedral bellringer’s visit last month
Jane Adams delves into the peculiar world of lichen, revealing a vibrant, year-round splash of colour in the UK’s landscapes, even on the darkest days. She and Jenny take a fascinating walk through the secret world hiding in plain sight, used for centuries for firelighting, perfumes, clothes dye … and growing on slow-moving sloths.
She chose the harp over the recorder when she was five – and she talks about her life with her giant instrument as she chooses the discs she can’t live without. Gwyneth Wentink, internationally acclaimed harpist, selects her Dorset Island Discs

The drive to a cashless society, Cllr Flower’s story, and the birth of a market

In this episode Terry gets to grips with some of the biggest issues currently pressing Chris Loder MP, Cllr Spencer Flower gives us a peak into his personal life, Penny Nagle talks to Jenny about a new producers market and Terry discovers the fascinating men behind award-winning Orris Leather in Wimborne.
Cllr Spencer Flower shares his life's journey from a boy to a single mum on a Gillingham council estate to becoming the leader in charge of a £348m budget for Dorset Council as he chooses the music he can’t live without in Dorset Island Discs.
In the second part of his interview, Terry talks to West Dorset MP Chris Loder about topics as diverse as the current state of government, the relentless drive to a cashless society and speed cameras on the A30.
Penny Nagle, well known for her Feltham's Farm cheese, talks to Jenny about the new Horsington monthly market which is her brainchild, where local growers and producers are celebrating homegrown produce, promoting sustainability and fostering a real sense of community.
Dorset craftsmen Ed Waldron and Chris Holbrook have been internationally recognised as two of the world’s best under-40 leatherworkers – but it all sorted as a bit of a hobby.
You can read the full November issue of the BV magazine here – jam-packed with incredible Dorset folks doing magnificent things. There's also farming, equestrian, wildlife, food & drink... and if you like glorious photography you'll be a fan. Did we mention it's FREE?

Chris Loder, Sarah Dyke and Karen’s Kimchi.

We start the month, as always, with the Letters to the Editor, before moving on to a slice of seriousness – along with the usual political columns we have the first part of Terry’s interview with Chris Loder MP as he answers the open post bag from this month’s Q&A. Finally Jenny chats to BV columnist and Nutritional Therapist (and podcast favourite) Karen Geary.
Reflecting on the current seemingly intractable conflict on the Middle East, Simon Hoare MP offers his own route map to an enduring solution
Sarah Dyke MP is advocating for fairness in the treatment of same sex couples for IVF therapy
Ken HUggins of the Green Party bemoans the government’s can-kicking with regards to achieving Net Zero by 2050
Labour's Pat Osborne says it's profits for banks – but suffering for ordinary people
In the first part of Terry's interview with Chris Loder, he talks in more depth around his answers to the reader's questions sent in last month. Included in his comments are subjects as diverse as access to a local NHS dentist (he’s 'not convinced the NHS is prioritising this enough') and planning ('communities need to assess if the time a Neighbourhood Plan takes to draw up is ultimately time well spent.')
And finally, Jenny chats to Karen Geary, who has some great and timely tips on how to eat healthily on a tight budget and also how what we eat can help us to stay well in the winter months through flu season.

The farmer, the brewer and the coffin maker walk into a bar ...

Tune into a candid conversation where soil meets soul, with Fifth-generation local farmer James Cossins. Delve into the trials and triumphs of this year's difficult harvest. Discover a world where the crunch of fresh produce and the rustle of golden fields meet business savvy and environmental stewardship. James opens up to Jenny about the delicate act of juggling profitability with passion for animal care and land conservation. It's an enlightening insight that foodies, farmers, and eco-enthusiasts alike will not want to miss. rawstonfarmbutchery.co.uk
Brush shoulders with literary royalty as Victoria Hislop, the mind behind the international phenomenon The Island, reveals the muses and memories of her journey in literature our Random 19 guest of the month. Jenny Devitt brings Victoria's voice to life.
Crafting Ales and Reviving Traditions with Steve FarrellRaise a glass to the incredible story of Steve Farrell, the homebrew aficionado turned founder of the award-winning Eight Arches Brewery. From a 10-litre hobby to a 1,000-litre business, Steve tells Terry about his flavourful voyage of bringing commercial brewing back to Wimborne.See the BV feature on Steve and Eight Arches Brewery here
Cath Abbott: Weaving Nature into Every Strand of LifeDicky Meadows is lovely to work with but Flanders Red is harder,  and the flecks in Harrisons Purple are lovely.Join Jenny as she weaves a conversation with Cath Abbott, the artisan who crafts life's final journey with willow coffins and sails history with her viking ships. Explore her growth from local hazel harvests to championing the revival of willow in everyday use through shopping baskets and trolleys at cradletogravewillowcoffins.co.uk.
Read the full October issue of the BV magazine here – jam-packed with incredible Dorset folks doing magnificent things. There's also farming, equestrian, wildlife, food & drink... and if you like glorious photography you'll be a fan. Did we mention it's FREE?

Putting on a LitFest and travelling 11,000 miles from Blandford... to Bridport

It's a mixed package for the first of the October podcasts. After the usual start with the letters, we delve straight into the politics columns. Then Jenny has a fascinating conversation with Dorchester Literary Festival's co-organiser Janet Gleeson, and Terry talks to Pauline Batstone who's currently in Bridport ... the one 11,000 miles away in Tasmania!
 
As usual we start the month with the letter from the editor, in which Laura looks for the goodness of humans - and shares an only-Laura tale of four cheese – as well as all the BV’s reader’s letters.
In politics this month, newly-elected MP for Somerton and Frome, whose consituency encompasses the western end of the Blackmroe Vale, sets out her plan of activity for the coming months. Ken Huggins from the Green party looks at Dorsets first COP - and the inspirLabour's Pat Osborne ing positivity surrounding the event.
Labour's Pat osborne is raising an eyebrow at the rising NHS waiting list - and looking at the far-reraching consequences of them. West Dorset MP Chris Loder has launched a campaign to make the stretch of A30 between Sherborne and Yeovil (a stretch he calls an 'unofficial racetrack') safer.
Jenny sat down with Dorchester LitFest owner Janet Gleeson to look at some of the highlights of this year's much-anticipated festival, with a round up of authors from Victoria Hilsop returning for a third visit to first-timer Lemn Sissay, one of Janet's personal favourite poets. Together they discuss the appeal of non-fiction authors at literary festivals, how unpredictable the success of any talk can be ... and also to hear about the nuts and bolts of running such a large, popular literary event.
Lastly, Terry chatted to Cllr Pauline Batstone who is currently 11,000 miles away - just outside Bridport, near Weymouth. I'll leave her to explain how...

Weed whacking and the death of dairy farms.

In the second of September's podcasts – still in the new longer format which has proved popular – Jennie talks to Jane Adams about how we welcome (or don't!) bindweed, dandelion and ivy. And don't miss Terry's brilliant interview with Alex Stevens of the NFU, shedding a lot of light on the modern dairy farming business.
Resident wildlife columnist Jane Adams would like to see the term 'weeds' thrown out - if we use 'wildflowers' instead, perhaps we'll stop fanatically removing them from our gardens and leave some for our wildlife to enjoy. 
Driving community connections: how Paul Futcher’s fish and chip van The Pilgrim Fryer has become a weekly staple in some North Dorset villages
From desperation to media sensation - how one Tweet saved Dorset artist Anna Hamilton. Her quiet social media plea turned into an overnight sensation, shifting 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
Swimming with blue sharks reveals their stunning beauty, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Julie Hatcher tells Jenny – but lack of regulation makes them deeply vulnerable
Dairy farm businesses are under threat, according to a recent NFU survey. In a fascinating interview with Alex Stevens of the NFU, Terry uncovers the reasons behind the growing uncertainty among the UK’s dairy farmers