One of the most eagerly anticipated events in the Bryanston school calendar, the A2 Charities Weekend, once again brought the whole community together, raising an impressive £20,000 for both national and international charities. Organised by the Heads of School, the Charities Prefect, and A2 (upper sixth) pupils, the event supported Great Ormond Street Hospital, Child Action Lanka, Ayati, and DBA Africa – all charities Bryanston has worked with over the past year. The weekend kicked off with house-run sweet stalls ahead of the annual Dance Show, followed by a spirited girls-versus-boys hockey match (complete with a choreographed cheerleading intermission). Sunday saw a fun dog show, while the annual fashion show took a new twist, with House Parents and Heads of House swapping outfits. Other fundraising highlights included hamper sales, T-shirt stands and the sale of original fashion designs by two A2 pupils. A standout moment was the My Voice, My Story performance, a collaboration between Bryanston’s Sixth Form and pupils from the Gill Sherlock Memorial School in Uganda. After months of Zoom meetings, the production combined personal stories, reflections on school life and a shared passion for dance, with all the funds raised going towards performing arts equipment for the Ugandan school. Thanks to the generosity of staff, parents and pupils, the event raised more than £14,000 from the Silent Auction alone. Bryanton’s head of charities and outreach, Hannah Fearnley, said: ‘This was a very special weekend, once again highlighting the community spirit and compassion at the heart of a Bryanston education. There was such a buzz across the campus with so many activities raising money for great causes. We’re enormously grateful for everyone’s support.’
The Exchange has a new display space in the Atrium on the lower ground floor. If you’re coming for a show, looking for somewhere quiet to enjoy an interval drink, or just passing though, The Exchange and the Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust have collaborated to bring some of the Museum’s collection to a wider public. Their opening display is of tinware made by Fred Cowley in the very early 20th Century, before his family business developed into the plumbing and heating partnership, still trading in the town 125 years later. Alongside this is a screen showing film from and about Sturminster Mill: it will be running whenever The Exchange is open.
Barnes For All The second space is managed by The Exchange and will show a mixture of local history and what is going on in Sturminster today – an opportunity for local groups to tell a wider public what they do and why. At the moment, and for a few weeks more, there is a display about William Barnes, the Dorset Poet, who started his distinguished life in Bagber, just outside Sturminster Newton. This has been put in place by the William Barnes Society timed perfectly for the popular ‘Tea with William Barnes’, which took place on 23rd February. This event, brought into being by Artsreach, is an annual celebration of Dorset culture, proudly hosted by The Exchange, and it sells out well in advance every year. It is also live-streamed across the British Isles and over the Atlantic. The event includes historic folksongs and tunes collected from the whole county and from the Hardy family songbook, new settings of Barnes’ poetry, traditional work by contemporary musicians and dialect poetry readings. The culture of Dorset is still in good shape, with much credit for that due to William Barnes, whose poetry and learned works have preserved the dialect he grew up with. During the 1850s Barnes was instrumental in the setting up of the Dorset County Museum. Now the Barnes For All campaign is aiming to raise £35,000 to fully catalogue and digitise the Barnes archive and make it available to future generations. Do come and see some reminders of this distinguished local scholar and the other items on display now and in the future – and look out for the celebration of Dorset culture in Sturminster Newton, coming in 2026.
Chocoholics will no doubt be concerned at the recent news there’s a global shortage of cocoa. What will happen to Easter eggs, gift boxes of pralines and that bar that we all love to sneak into our shopping basket? Dorset has several artisan chocolatiers, and we asked two of them how they are affected by the cocoa shortage.
Why is there a shortage? Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) grow in a narrow tropical belt around the equator, approximately 20 degrees north and south of the (imaginary) line. Cocoa is only harvested once a year, and unlike familiar annual fruit crops such as olives, the trees don’t grow in intensely farmed groves – instead they are interspersed in the shade of larger trees. West Africa accounts for 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa supply, and it suffered with poor harvests in 2024. Farms are being hit by the harshest Harmattan season in six years and extreme drought has led to failed and diseased crops and a short supply. At the same time, demand is rising: countries without a strong chocolate market, like China, are developing a taste for it. John Baxter from Dorset Chocolate, based in Bagber, has worked in the food industry for a long time: ‘I was lucky enough to work with Michelin-starred pastry and dessert chefs. Then I moved to the Cognac region in France. Few places offer full apprenticeships in confectionery now – if you go to some of the larger companies, you are likely to end up in sales. But I made a lot of connections in the industry and that helps. ‘We source our cocoa from farms in South America and we have a long-standing relationship with them. However, it’s all getting very secretive. The big boys in the industry are buying up entire farms! The price of cocoa has been too low for a long time, and it hasn’t moved for a while. In West Africa, cocoa blight has been known about for some time, it’s currently being researched by the University of the West of England. When demand soared, city traders and futures markets began speculating on the price of cocoa and that drove up pricing further, causing more instability.’
The price of chocolate Anna Racaza, from The Little House near Wimborne, started her business in lockdown in Cambridge, after working in patisserie in London for a decade. She and her partner Dan Crossman moved to Dorset and set up the now thriving business together. Anna sources her chocolate from a British ethical supplier. ‘To give you an idea of the rising cost of chocolate, a 10kg bag of 55% dark chocolate was £59 in October 2023. In January this year that same bag cost £111. ‘And of course, cream, butter and packaging have all increased too. There is very little margin for profit in the food industry, and we cater for a very narrow market as well. ‘We make our luxury chocolates by hand, and a box of 12 cost £17.50 three years ago. Today we have to sell it for £24.’ John Baxter sees a wider issue: ‘Bakeries are also struggling with higher energy and staffing costs. I think we will see lots more shops dependent on sugar and flour shut by May. Even the candle making companies are struggling, because they use cocoa butter. In supermarkets you are going to see compound cocoa products to reduce costs.’
Business innovation With higher cocoa costs, businesses must innovate and diversify to survive. Dan Crossman outlined the plans at The Little House: ‘We will not compromise on quality, so we have looked at other ways of working. Luckily, we have very loyal customers who support us – they have been very understanding of the price increases. ‘However, we are increasing our business-to-business work, where we can create bespoke products with branding and colours: businesses often have budgets to pay for this service.’ John has also had to look at how to cut back – and is similarly uncompromising on quality: ‘We’ve just moved into a lovely new factory, so it’s exciting times for us. We will never compromise on quality. It’s the cornerstone of our business. We also use local produce, so I always know where my butter and cream comes from. We might look at adding a little more local honey or honeycomb into a solid bar and using a bit less chocolate. We are looking at reducing our margins, and we are looking at trying a few different products.’
Dorset Chocolate bars are available locally from Folde bookshop in Shaftesbury – just one more reason to pop in Image: Folde Dorset foldedorset.com
Maintaining quality is one issue, but sustainability is not as simply tackled, John says. ‘Fair Trade is not everything. For example, the Ethiopian coffee producers didn’t want to join Fair Trade because they have quality coffee beans and knew they would have to give away seven per cent of their profit margins. Fair Trade is for bigger producers. ‘And is it fair that charity shops, which pay little or no business tax, can sell these products, when small businesses are taxed at a higher rate? I don’t think Fair Trade is fit for purpose for small businesses. What is needed is a fair trade concept for small producers. ‘Keeping our craft alive is the core of the business.’ When you are shopping for your Easter chocolate fix (or any chocolate shopping, for that matter), don’t forget to support Dorset’s local chocolatiers – your taste buds will thank you.
Resident Elaine Greensmith, Colten Companion Kate Seck and Trustees Zilla Brown and Jane Palmer posing in front of the beautiful quilt depicting Sturminster Mill.
Newstone House Care Home in Sturminster Newton has raised £2,441 (and one penny!) for Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust following a year-long partnership in 2024. The trust, which oversees the town’s iconic mill and museum, collaborated with the care home to bring local history to life through events, talks, and a successful Christmas fair. Newstone House, built on the site of the town’s former creamery, played host to a series of afternoon events celebrating Sturminster Newton’s heritage, engaging both residents and the wider community. To mark the success of the fundraising efforts, Home Manager April King and resident Elaine Greensmith presented a cheque to Heritage Trust Trustees Jane Palmer and Zilla Brown. With another charity partnership ahead for 2025, the care home is now setting its sights on surpassing this impressive total in the year ahead.
Born in Ipswich but raised in Oklahoma, and fed an eclectic diet of music ranging from Parliament to Neil Young from a young age, Bartees Strange was always likely to bend genres. But rather than combining multiple elements to produce a unique sound, he has always tended towards a more ‘jukebox’ approach when piecing together his albums, with limited success. But on Horror, his third studio LP, Strange has perfected the art of breaking genre altogether: creating an album which feels more like an expertly crafted mix compilation than a solo record. And while there is a nod towards a concept with a strong lyrical theme (“I get scared of erasure ‘cause it just seems to happen”, “Don’t fear what’s comin’, our blood’s the connection to truth”, “Buckle my knees, for miles afraid of the open road”), the record never feels restrained by its nominal theme of facing ones fears.
The reference points and frequent sharp turns into new sonic territory make the album feel much shorter than its 42-minute running time and satisfy the listener with every new hook. Hit It Quit It opens with a classic Motown drum fill, before blending disco vibes with a four-to-the-floor rock chorus reminiscent of erstwhile Croydon nine-piece Do Me Bad Things. Wants Needs starts like classic Foo Fighters before settling into a hard rock / RnB hybrid. Lie 95 combines Prince’s vocal delivery with an MGMT-style big indie chorus and throws in some Neil Young (“Mining for a heart of gold”), just for good measure. But the highlight of the album draws on much more subtle influences. Baltimore is pure, understated Americana, with an arrangement reminiscent of Cold Roses-era Ryan Adams combining with a melody which would have felt at home on David Ramirez’ high point, 2015’s Fables. It provides the solid perch around which the rest of this stunningly surprising record can spread its wings and fly. The first great record of 2025.
Matthew Ambrose, DJ at Abbey104
Matthew Ambrose presents Under The Radar on Tuesday evening at 7pm on Abbey104. Broadcasting on 104.7FM and online at abbey104.com.
The Dorset Insider is a no-holds-barred column pulling back the curtain on local affairs with sharp insight, unfiltered honesty and the occasional raised eyebrow. Written by a seasoned parish councillor who prefers to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons), it cuts through the noise to expose the frustrations of grassroots politics, and say what others won’t. Rest assured, their identity is known – and trusted – by the editorial team. Expect opinion, candour and a healthy dose of exasperation …
The conference room was soon packed as Dorset’s parish and town councillors flocked into a recent meeting about the forthcoming changes to planning law. While old friends and colleagues were happy for the opportunity to catch up with each other, most councillors were there to assess the impact of the coming changes on their own patch – and how they would have to communicate that to local residents. Dealing with the occasional nimby is one thing, but almost all residents share genuine concerns about how new housing will affect their towns or villages – and particularly its infrastructure. The Dorset Council representatives seemed to have had a talking to from the Deputy Prime Minister’s office. Planning rules are about to be streamlined to make it easy for homes to be built: just how easy that is would reveal itself later. Most Dorset residents understand the desperate need for truly affordable housing in the county. The average Dorset wage is £28,000 and the price of the average home is 12 times that sum. And it’s precisely because Dorset property is so expensive that more homes are required. The current housing target for Dorset is 1,793 units a year – which is about to rise to 3,219 annually. That means that over the next 17 years, Dorset should see an additional 54,725 houses being built. And if no effort is made to reach these targets, the big bad baggy-green-trouser-suited wolf from Westminster WILL intervene. It’s clear that council staff and councillors are under huge pressure to deliver on this ambition. And hopefully it will mean plenty of choice for those looking for affordable homes.
Difficult conversations While some of the more smug parish councillors sat listening, claiming they lived in an AONB so were not allowed to build anywhere (don’t be so sure, mate), others were more concerned about the necessary supporting infrastructure. We heard from a beleaguered councillor faced with 2,000 units on the edge of a small village. Another area had social housing built … and people from the West Midlands had been ‘shipped in’ to some of the homes. We heard real concerns about the non-existent public transport which maroons those living in rural villages unless they can drive. On top of this, at least one new settlement of 10,000 people will be required in each county: where in Dorset will that land, I wonder? With devolution and the super council seemingly inevitable, if one local authority of a group cannot meet its housing targets, then it must look to others to try to provide a solution. This means a lot of difficult conversations between neighbouring counties and conurbations. Dorset currently has its prescribed five-year housing supply – but only until October this year. The clock is ticking. As an aside, I noted that among all the talk there was scarcely a mention of the Nature Emergency declared by Dorset Council last year. When talk evolved to Neighbourhood Plans it became clear that even if a community has one, it would need to be reviewed.
We need a Plan Some parishes without a plan wondered whether there was even any point, given the time it takes to go through the process. And does anyone take them into account anyway? Recent developments in the Blandford and Pimperne area have shown that neighbourhood plans mean nothing at all when a big development is on the way. Neighbourhood planning is essential in order for communities have a strategy, but it’s a highly specialist job. Parish councillors are expected to lead the plan process, but it’s very time consuming. And as we try to encourage more diverse parish councils (we desperately need to move away from the stereotypical retired white middle class male), we hit the issue that many new councillors have jobs. While they bring a wealth of knowledge, their time to work on major projects is obviously limited.
And then there was more However, the biggest surprise was yet to come. After a long day of “chats” with the council and various helpful council officers, I had one more meeting in the diary: a team of local developers wanted to engage with the parish council to discuss their plans. Knowing we already have three developments progressing in the village, I was hoping this latest one would be a slow burn – even if just to avoid the chaos on our narrow roads and to help us manage demand for housing from locals. How wrong I was. We sat stupefied as a well-developed plan was presented for 94 houses on prime agricultural land (in a village of just 1,300 people), almost as a fait accompli. The developers are already talking to the council planning teams, and swiftly marching ahead. Not a single member of the council was anticipating 94 more houses on top of what we have already had to absorb. Clearly there has been no discussion with the local GP surgery or the school, both of which are creaking at the seams. As a council, we now need to fight for the best deal we can for the parish in terms of infrastructure, which is fragile. What might help is if local communities were properly represented. Parish councillors need a seat at the table from the start – not just a flyer, a website link, and a last-minute public “consultation”. Even a phone call or zoom meeting with the planners would help. At least then, with an increasing tide of new developments reshaping rural Dorset, we can prepare our communities and feel like we have a say. Instead, parish councils are sidelined in major developments, treated with far less respect or status than they should have. It might also encourage new councillors to come forward for public service in a county where there were gaps of up to 25 per cent on newly-elected parish councils last year.
Six trays of broad beans have been moved outside to harden off. All images: Barry Cuff
Thanks to the miserable weather, very little groundwork was carried out in preparation for the spring. Even during the drier spell at the beginning of February the lack of sunshine coupled with low temperatures meant there was little drying out of the soil – and just as it became workable on the 19th we had more rain, putting us back to square one again. We had a good harvest though, so we’ve still been cropping parsnips, carrots, leeks, sprouts, broccoli, forced chicons, winter radish and salad leaves. From our store we’re still eating oour own potatoes, onions and winter squash, and in the freezer we have peas, broad beans, French beans and the last of the sweetcorn. The work we did manage to achieve this month: Broad beans: We’ve put six trays of young plants outside to harden. Fruit: Pruned the gooseberry and currant bushes, and the pear trees. We also cut down the old autumn raspberry canes to ground level. Mulched everything with manure, and weeded the strawberry patch. Greenhouse: We washed the glass. Plot work: On the 19th we spread manure on all the empty areas vacated by harvested vegetables, and all around the brassicas. Potatoes: We planted two Jazzy potatoes in a tub for some early new potatoes. Preserved – We had a chutney-making session. Seeds: We sowed lettuce and red cabbage in plug trays. We also sowed trays of mixed spicy leaves and an agricultural pea (to eat in salads as young sprouts). Sweet peppers: We pricked these out into individual pots.Six trays of broad beans have been moved outside to harden off. All images: Barry Cuff
Barry Cuff grows more then 30 different types of fruit and vegetables each year on his allotment
Talking of seed We grow more than 30 different vegetables on the plot and in the greenhouse, and all are raised from seed. It is admittedly becoming expensive, but it is still good value. Stored correctly, most vegetable seeds will still germinate well after two or three years, some even longer (this year we are using cabbage seed bought in 2021!) We test most carried-over seed to ensure it is still viable, and any with a germination rate below 50 per cent is discarded. We have found that French beans do not perform well after the first year, but contrary to advice given parsnip will perform well providing it was above 90% germination rate when packeted. Our Allotment Association is able to buy seed from Kings Seeds at a 40 per cent discount. Because we have a large plot and grow a wide range of vegetables, our seed bill is around £60 this year. The majority of packets are bought from Kings, with a few from Fothergills and Thompson & Morgan. There are some good value packets to be had from Wilko and CountryValue.co.uk. We always look at their displays and end up buying a few! The majority of our veg are started in plug trays, seed trays or small pots, using a good quality multi-purpose compost. Carrots, peas, parsnips, beetroot, spring onion and winter salads are all sown direct into the ground. We now need some decent March weather so that work on the plot can start in earnest!
With longer days on the horizon, it’s time to sow, plant, prune, and mulch – but Pete Harcom says don’t be fooled, frosty nights aren’t over yet!
March is the month to plant some colourful anemone coronaria tubers – but note that they need particularly well-drained soil, so be sure to add some grit to the soil to avoid water logging
The clocks will go forward on Sunday 30th March … spring is finally in the air, but be careful, it can be late April or even May before night time frosts are finally over. If the weather allows and the soil is not frozen, this could be a good time to prepare a flower bed or even create a new one. Make sure to incorporate plenty of good compost if the soil is in any way impoverished. Consider the siting of the bed when you plan the plants (how much light will they get here?). Also consider the edge of the border – does it need some defined edging? Once the border is prepared, annual flowers can be sown from March onwards: just rake the soil to a fine tilth on a dry day. Watch the weather forecasts for any frosty nights, and protect it if necessary with cloches or horticultural fleece. It’s often best to be patient and wait until late March before you purchase any tender plants like fuchsias and pelargoniums unless you have some good frost protection ready for them like cloches or a cold greenhouse. Keep an eye on weeds – take them out now with a hoe or similar, before they sart to spread. Cover all bare soil patches and around shrubs with a good thick layer of mulch or garden compost. Also take the opportunity to top up your potted plants with a layer of mulch or compost. March is your last chance to plant bare rooted trees and shrubs. Prune any bush and climbing roses quite hard, back to strong stems, with a sloping cut, no more than 5mm away from a bud.
Slug off Now’s the time to plant your summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioli. If you’re tempted by some anemone coronaria tubers, note that they need particularly well-drained soil, so ensure grit is added to the soil when you plant them to ensure that drainage is good and to avoid water logging. Divide your hostas now, before they come into leaf, and also any hellebores and polyanthus-type primulas after they finish flowering. Keep deadheading the winter-flowering pansies – they will carry on into the spring and even to early summer, if attended to frequently. Also deadhead your narcissus (daffodils) as they fade, but leave the foliage alone to die down naturally. Check whether any of your pots need watering – even at this time of year, they can dry out, especially those that are sheltered by eaves or balconies, as they can miss out on any rainfall. Hedgehogs will be emerging from hibernation around now: do remember that slug pellets are poisonous for hedgehogs, and frogs too, as they eat the snails and slugs that have been killed by the slug pellets. Lastly, if you can, clean up the inside of any bird nest boxes early this month, before they move in!
Pauline Batstone shares her monthly round up of what’s happening among the town’s collection of community enterprises and events
The Marketplace is the new name for the furniture recycling part of Stur’s quartet of community benefit shops. It’s had a bit of a makeover with new signs in the windows to brighten up the old bank facade. Not only that, we have some fantastic pieces of newly donated furniture, loads of mirrors, cushions and so many bags – of all types – ready for a new home. Pop in and see us whenever you are in town and hopefully we will have something you like! The Boutique is running a March Madness clearance sale – ANY FIVE ITEMS FOR £10! What a bargain! Come and fill up your bags with lots of fabulous goodies. March Madness will be hapenning until the 15th March. And if you’re in Stur it’s basically obligatory to go for a potter around the Emporium – it’s tricky to leave without something you definitely didn’t know you needed.
Free school uniform Upstairs in the Marketplace we have a large selection of pre-loved school uniform all completely FREE OF CHARGE. Please do come and help yourselves – and of course if you have any uniform in good condition that you no longer need, please bring it in to add to our collection.
