BERE Marsh Farm, the Countryside Restoration Trust’s showcase farm by the Stour near Shillingstone in Dorset, will be at the heart of a pioneering project to make the Blackmore Vale a hive of activity for bees and bee enthusiasts. Gardening clubs, schools, parish councils, allotment holders, indeed any organisation or group, will be invited to…
DORSET farmer George Streatfeild, the 2020-21 High Sheriff of Dorset, has had a short film produced to highlight the dangers of county lines drug gangs to young people in Dorset. It is the true story of ‘Sam’ (name changed) and aims to show the scale of the problem in Dorset, and to educate and improve…
AFTER months of lockdowns, and with the gradual reopening of pubs, cafes and restaurants, we can now look forward to enjoying eating out. But it is also a chance to look back at how we all spent our time and for many it seems that Cheese On Toast was an important part of our lockdown…
SOMERSET craft cider producer Harry’s Cider Company of Long Sutton, has launched a new Pink Rhubarb cider as part of Southwest Cider Week. The new addition to Harry’s fruit cider range has a delicate and refreshing flavour, with a hint of nectarine and some vanilla notes on the finish. Light pink in colour, it is…
WE were driving through Somerton, on our way back from some photography for our new book, Deepest Somerset, when we spotted a sign for a new chocolate shop. Who can resist? Well, not us. New Street leads off Broad Street, to the east of this pretty ancient town, once the capital of Wessex. It’s a…
THIS year’s online Wimborne Spring Green Festival week includes an evening event on Wednesday 21st looking at what organisations can do to ‘green’ their workplaces for the benefit of staff, the general public and the environment as a whole. There is a consensus that we need to act now to make our places of work…
AWARD-winning charcutier David Richards of Capreolus Fine Foods at Rampisham in West Dorset has created a new product which follows in a tradition dating back nearly 1,000 years – the commoners’ right of Mast (or pannage) in the New Forest. Working with New Forest commoner and farmer Jonny Burrell, David is producing New Forest Pannage…
RAMBERT’S new livestream dance-film Rooms, by Norwegian choreographer and cinematographer Jo Strømgren, has been specially created in and for the isolated days of Coronavirus restriction. See it as a glimpse into windows as you take a bike ride through a city, says the blurb. The 17 dancers perform vignettes of life in a series of…
DEVON-based alcohol-free spirits company Sea Arch Drinks is working with The Seahorse Trust to help boost awareness of the charity and raise much-needed funds to support its research and conservation work. Both based in Devon, Sea Arch and The Seahorse Trust share a passion for the coast and a commitment to protecting the natural world….
A MAP is an essential tool for any journey, says Devon cheese-maker Mary Quicke, introducing the Devon-based clothbound Cheddar producer’s Flavour Mapping Project, a new framework to enhance the world’s appreciation of cheese. The project is a response to the growing interest in artisan and farmhouse cheese. It charts the journey, from initial taste to…