The BV: from the heart of Dorset

The BV talks to broadcast legend Henry Blofeld

The February BV podcast begins, as always, with this month's letter from the editor and all the reader's letters - moving on to two interviews; one with the principal of Kingston Maurward college, and the other with Henry 'Blowers' Blofeld.
Letter from the editor, Laura Hitchcock
Reader's letters
Following a local outcry based on inaccurate information, Jenny Devitt speaks to Luke Rake, principal of Kingston Maurward College about the rumours surrounding the cancelation of apprenticeships
Legendary cricket commentator and broadcaster, Henry Blofeld OBE, known amongst his many fans as Blowers and famed for his plummy tones and all-round good humour, invites you to join him in a brand new show, My Dear Old Things - coming to the Exchange in Sturminster Newton in March. Terry Bennett has a chat with Henry to find out about what's in store.Click here to win tickets to one of the shows!

EXCLUSIVE interview with Rupert Hardy and the most haunted house in England. Probably.

Another exclusive interview just for podcast listeners this week - Terry has a fascinating conversation with Rupert Hardy from the CPRE about the 'rooftop vs. field' solar panels debate. Then in Roger Guttridge's column we hear the brilliant story behind the most haunted house in England (allegedly), Sandford Orcas manor. And to finish off we have the wildife and farming sections - the ones everybody asks for :)
Rupert Hardy, chairman of the North Dorset CPRE, takes a long look into the case for solar panels on roofs or in fields - and says 'do not be deceived by the frequently misleading data issued by solar trade associations, whose members are unsurprisingly more concerned with profit than saving the planet.'
In this month’s Looking Back column, Roger Guttridge questions the spooky stories that have long been associated with a Dorset Manor. Mid-16th century Sandford Orcas Manor near Sherborne is among the most exquisite in the county. Google it, however, and it’s not its fine Tudor architecture that makes the headlines but its reputation as a haven for ghosts and poltergeists.
This winter, Dorset Wildlife Trust has been deliberately installing dead trees in a valley near Ansty, says conservation officer Stephen Oliver. ‘This exciting partnership project involved two kilometres of river restoration work on Devil’s Brook, a long watercourse rising in the chalk hills near Higher Ansty and flowing south to join the River Piddle near Athelhampton.'
Wildlife writer Jane Adams is trying hard not to be stuck in the January gloom, and instead to look for the signs of new life 'When I stumble in through the back door and my husband asks if I’ve seen anything on my walk, it’s really no surprise he gets a glare from under my sopping wet fringe.'
Blandford farmer George Hosford abandons the stats and checks his crystal ball to see if his profit calculations will be accurate this year 'It depends on when you sell the grain and when you buy the fertiliser, and whether you have to borrow the money to do so ... A fair bit of number crunching and crystal ball gazing then needs to happen in order to decide the right approach for next season. We have already committed to buy next year’s fertiliser, at eye-watering prices. To leave it longer would have been reckless ...'
Lastly - here’s a horrific notion to get you started for 2023 – should Dorset have a motorway? Farmer Andrew Livingston thinks the unthinkable...

Letters and houses and the state of our world

We start the first podcast of 2023 with all the letters before we listen to what the local experts say about the Dorset property market this year (plus some fascinatingly honest tales of houseselling generally!), and the latest thoughts from all four of our local political representatives.
Letter from the editor, Laura Hitchcock
Reader's letters
Prices may be falling and mortgage lenders nervous – but house hunters are still looking to move. Local experts take a look at the Dorset housing market in 2023
Simon Hoare MP compares our current economic climate of strife with the original winter of discontent.
Mike Chapman of the LibDems looks back at his highs and lows of the last year
Ken Huggins from the Green Party looks for the positives amid a pretty gloomy outlook
Pat Osborne form North Dorset Labour discusses the ongoing strike action.

The coffin in the crypt, a walk in the woods and some Dorset Yuzucello

It’s a perfect half hour’s listening to start the new year – we catch up with the latest political thoughts before Roger shares the tale of the 18th century death that may not have have happened. We explore the winter woodland landscape with Dorset Wildlife Trust, and Jane Adams has some fascinating insight into our winter bees.Lastly, in yet another podcast exclusive, Terry has a chat with the always-interesting Caz from Dorset Food & Drink:
Almost 250 years after the funeral of the young Milton Abbey heir, questions remain about whose “body” was actually buried. 
As winter sets in, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Reserves Ecologist Steve Masters urges us all to go down to the woods today
Wildlife writer Jane Adams is on the lookout for a winter wild bee fix - even in December you can find them, she says
Dorset is known as a natural larder, from meat to dairy and veg to cakes. Caz Richards chats to Terry about the work of Dorset Food & Drink, how they're supporting local producers and businesses - and shares her personal tips on some Dorset-produced highlights!
 

EXCLUSIVE interview with Mike Burks, Alice Plunkett on roast dinners and octogenarian craftsmen...

It's a perfect half hour's listening this week - we start with TV presenter Alice Plunkett answering the Random 19 questions. Then, in a podcast exclusive, Jenny has interviewed Sherborne's Mike Burks on his Dorset Island Discs choices. Lastly Tracie met up with the two 'retired' craftesmen who have established an entirely new career, and MP Simon Hoare discusses Levelling Up here in the south:
Answering this month's random 19 questions is North Dorset resident Alice Plunkett, one of the leading horseracing presenters for ITV. A former eventer and National Hunt jockey herself, Alice has also been the Radio 5 Live equestrian correspondent and has hosted equestrian events for Eurosport, Sky Sports and Horse and Country. Alice is married to top eventer William Fox-Pitt, and they have four children.
It’s 35 years since Mike and Louise Burks opened Sherborne's Castle Gardens – now their Christmas displays are a staple of the region’s festive calendar. Jenny Devitt spoke to Mike to find out about his choices as December's castaway on Dorset Island Discs
In a tiny village in Dorset, talented 84-year-old Peter Thomas and 70-year-old Trevor Ball are keeping the old man well and truly out - both are supposedly retired and now work happily every day on their “addiction’’, woodturning and stick dressing. Although they never intended to set up a business, both men now have a hugely satisfying and successful second career. 
Westminster policy has a habit of ignoring the less populated rural areas of the country, says MP Simon Hoare, and it's time to discuss Levelling Up in the south.

A muddle of eggs, racing, letters and beer.

It's the first episode of the month, so it's of course the front section this week – starting as always with Letter from the Editor, then the lead feature stories, plus this month's reader's letters:
In her end-of-the-year round up, Laura thanks the team - and you
A swift look at the baking aisle in your local supermarket will tell you that the UK egg industry is in crisis. Andrew Livingston reports
Ever been to the races? Me neither. My first visit to a racecourse – on a windblown and wet November day in Wincanton – wasn’t at all what I expected, says Laura Hitchcock
Letters to the Editor – listen to what others think (our postbag is always open – send emails to letters@bvmagazine.co.uk )
Hidden away in a fold of Cranborne Chase outside Shaftesbury, Guy Ritchie's Gritchie Brewery is crafting a fine reputation
1855 has opened in Sturminster Newton, and the eclectic new browsing bank of artisans and traders has proved an instant and massive hit in the town

Hares, hedgerows and down on Hosford’s farm

Rewilding Wild Woodbury – Dorset Wildlife Trust’s project records more than 1,100 species in its first year
Wildlife writer Jane Adams goes in search of mysterious hares in Dorset churches which may have originated in Buddhist China
Hedgerows have inexplicably been left out of the climate change action plan, says Rupert Hardy, chairman of North Dorset CPRE
A recent case of animal neglect on a Dorset farm has highlighted red flags with the Red Tractor accreditation systems, says Andrew Livingston
Alarmingly, bird flu is on the rise – new laws apply to backyard poultry keepers too, says NFU county advisor Gemma Harvey
Farmer George Hosford discusses the latest news on ELMS, crosses his fingers on the new oilseed rape, and says goodbye to two old friends

Reader’s Letters, plus The Repair Shop’s Sonnaz and John the Fish

Kicking off with the Letters to the Editor, we've then had some fascinating conversations with some well-known local personalities, including Sonnaz from the Repair Shop (who answers our 19 random questions), and Athelhampton's owner Giles Keating sharing his Dorset Island Discs:
Letters to the Editor – listen to what others think (our postbag is always open – send emails to letters@bvmagazine.co.uk )
Sonnaz Nooranvary is a British-Iranian upholsterer who lives near Wimborne, best known as the resident upholstery expert on BBC One’s The Repair Shop. This month she braved the BV's Random 19 questions.
Filleting since he was 14 – meet John the Fish, Wimborne's fourth generation fishmonger with no better fish to fry when it comes to his life choices.
Pies, pasties and sausages are on the menu at Yeovil-based Wild and Game as they promote the use of wild British game into our diets.
Giles Keating, the owner of Athelhampton House, one of England’s finest Tudor manors, has overseen a major plan of maintenance on the much-loved building. He shares his story through his Dorset Island Disc choices – be ready for Dr Who, LEGO and Taylor Swift.

The Pocket Rocket, Hen homing, and Somerset’s silicon valley of cheese

As the first episode of the month, it's of course the front section this week – starting as always with Letter from the Editor, then the lead feature stories and this week we've added the current political thoughts (because the way things are, if we wait another week on those they'll be irrelevant!):
In her letter from the editor, Laura (like us all) is considering the ever-more-worrying cost of living, especially its impact on local independent businesses – and what the BV, as a community resource, is trying to do to help.
The Pocket Rocket is European Champion! Tiny teenage boxer Ruby Else-White from Stalbridge has won her first European title.
Do you have room for some girls? Haidy Mansfield talks about the current hen rescue situation in the UK – and she has a hen rehoming day this month.
For three consecutive years, the Supreme Champions at the Virtual Cheese Awards have come from within five miles of each other, between Templecombe and Wincanton!
Politics is not a soap opera. A serious sense of purpose and a united, dedicated application has returned, says Simon Hoare MP, who has just one simple word for his constituents.
It’s time to grab the opportunity and place the environmental agenda back on the top of the To Do list, says North Dorset Green Party’s Ken Huggins.
The ringmaster has changed, but it’s the same old Tory circus with a worrying downgrade of climate policies, says Labour’s Pat Osborne.
A general election could re-energise the tired parade of the same old faces and develop a national consensus, says North Dorset Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman.
The BV magazine is the monthly digital magazine from Dorset - you can read the entire latest issue here  and why not subscribe (it's FREE!) so that it drops into your inbox every month on publication day? Just click here! 

The Blandford Bastards, a peek in The Gugg and night walking

Dorset Archives Trust has begun fundraising to enable it to unlock the internationally significant, UNESCO-listed archive of author Thomas Hardy. At present the collection consists of more than 150 boxes of material including diaries, photographs, letters, books, architectural plans and poetry, and is only available to those searching the archive in person, and they hope to digitise the complete collection. Roger Guttridge examines Hardy's relationship with the north of the county,  looking at a moderately unknown – but vastly interesting – rough-and-ready sketch-map of ‘Tess’s Country’ that Hardy drew as he was preparing to write Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
A recent clean of William Bastard’s portrait in Blandford's Corn Exchange revealed an intriguing detail, says Rupert Hardy, chairman of North Dorset CPRE
John Stanley and Deanne Tremlett give Edwina Baines a tour of the enormous range of creative options available for the whole community at The Gugg in Stalbridge
As the summer crops hang on a little longer and the autumn season begins, October is the best month for foraging, says expert Carl Mintern 
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Autumn is the time to delay your daily walk until the light begins to fade, suggests wildlife writer Jane Adams. Podcast listeners can hear her interview with Jenny as she talks about the enrishment of a night walk.