The BV: from the heart of Dorset

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.

A thatcher, a cheesemonger and the Green Man

In the second of October's episodes, we have A Country Living (thatching!), Meet your Local (CHEESE!), the politics section – which is still interesting, though it feels a little dated now. It's been a wild couple of weeks! – and local history with Roger Guttridge:
Mike Howe’s ‘office’ this week is a stunning 16th century cottage in the heart of the beautiful village of Abbotsbury. Far from drawing life’s short straw, Master Thatcher Mike switched career and now teaches future generations an ancient skill
A vintage van was the unlikely solution for cheesemonger Carolyn Hopkins – now she’s an unmissable local sight. The tiny, bright blue 1969 Citroen HY vintage truck is packed with a selection of delicious cheeses as it travels to markets around the Blackmore Vale.
Local politics with thoughts from Simon Hoare MP for North Dorset, plus representatives of the local Labour, LibDem and green parties.
In local history this month, Roger Guttridge looks back at an almost-unchanged Green Man pub at King's Stag.
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 GP’s call systems, good turkeys and Edward Hoare in the Random 19.

As the first episode of the month, it's the front section this week – Ed's letter, the lead feature stories and the Random 19:
In her letter from the editor, Laura is wondering where all the grown ups went (and she apologises for galloping through slightly – this was her fifth attempt at getting through the paragraph about Pog without needing to stop and gulp a little)
NHS Dorset is investing in technology to improve care for the population – sometimes unpopular, it has become necessary in order 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. We spoke to some local turkey farmers for an inside look at the industry, and their top turkey tips.
Letters to the Editor – listen to what others think (our postbag is always open – send emails to letters@theblackmorevale.co.uk )
Edward Hoare is a philanthropist and environmentalist – born at Stourhead, he is a direct descendant of Sir Richard Hoare, who founded Hoare’s Bank in 1672. As a bonus for podcast listeners, you can listen to Edward’s interview and hear his answers for yourself, rather than the edited version that appears in the magazine.
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! 

Lost grasslands, the waste of wool - and letters to the editor

In this episode, we have the equestrian, wildlife and farming sections, plus the Letters to the Editor:
Laura Wilson watched a therapist treat her horse – and gave up accounting to train as a McTimoney animal chiropractor
As weaning begins for this year’s foals, the stud begins to focus on sales, says Lucy Procter of The Glanvilles Stud
The August ground was so hard that Team Bartlett headed north in search of softer going for Equador MW and Cor y Taran, says Toots Bartlett
Autumn is the season of abundance, even after a summer drought, says foraging expert Carl Mintern as he enjoys the literal fruits of the season
Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Marine Awareness Officer Julie Hatcher shares the story of work to monitor the recently arrived furrowed crab.
We’ve lost a staggering 97 per cent of our species-rich grassland since the 1930s. Growing a wildflower meadow in your back garden isn’t quite as simple as you might think – but it’s important to try, says writer Jane Adams
Once a major business, English wool is now a wasted opportunity – the industry needs an urgent rethink, says Andrew Livingston
Letters to the Editor - listen to what others think (our postbag is always open - send emails to letters@theblackmorevale.co.uk )

A lost NHS, the murdering rector and new insight into Robert Baden-Powell

In the second of the September BV Podcast:
'The NHS has lost its way’ – Patricia Miller, CEO for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board, oversees complex health services and health improvement programmes. Her thoughts on Dorset's poverty and its inextricable link to the population's health are eye-opening as she shares her fascinating life's story through her Dorset Island Discs
In politics this month, light-touch government is an excellent theory says North Dorset Green Party’s Ken Huggins, but in practice it just doesn’t hold water. Or sewage.Labour's Pat Osborne says the New Green Deal is already planned, and though a summer of local fairs can lift a community, there’s no hiding from the anxious mood that grips the Vale’s residents, says North Dorset Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman
This month Roger Guttridge tells the story of an 18th cenury rector of Lydlinch who was obsessed with hunting – but his first quarry was an unfortunate old woman
Farmer Martin Green is claimed to be the most profesisonal of amateur archaelogists. A visit to his remarkable Down Farm Museum is highly recommended, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset CPRE
Baden Powell was the Boy Scout who never wanted to grow up. In her open-minded new biography, Dorset journalist Lorraine Gibson unearths fascinating insights into this complex character.