The

Hill JULY 2020

A MAGAZINE FOR ALL WHO LIVE AROUND HAMBLEDON HILL IN CHILD OKEFORD, MANSTON, HAMMOON AND HANFORD

A MAGAZINE FOR ALL WHO LIVE AROUND HAMBLEDON£1 HILL IN CHILD OKEFORD, MANSTON, HAMMOONNon Subscribers AND HANFORD FIRST ISSUED IN 1967

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 7 CIRCULATION 525

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While there are not yet formal services on Sundays Our benefice churches are open on Sunday and Wednesdays for private prayer Please observe social distancing and use the hand sanitiser provided

If you are tired, come and find rest If you are stressed or anxious, come and find peace If you are searching, come and find God

4 WHAT DID YOU DO DURING LOCK DOWN? This has got to be the question that I have been asked the most. The answer, like a lot of people is: I have done those jobs in the house and around the garden that have been hanging on for years. Washing the guttering, cleaning the windows, repairing this that and the other. In relaxing I have taken part, via facebook, Zoom etc, in numerous quizzes. The Short Mat Bowls fraternity ran a weekly quiz as did my extended family. Before lock down I would have said that my general knowledge was pretty good, and when these opportunities to show my intellectual prowess raised their head, it was with confidence that I accepted the challenge. I now know that I am not a quiz champion. In the short mat Bowls arena I am towards the bottom of the table and, with regard to the family, I have been fighting a losing battle not to come last. To look on oneself as knowledgeable, and then find out you’re apparently not, is a rather humbling experience. I therefore retreated to the words of Socrates who said “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” It is a rather pessimistic view but one I think I can understand. It is not that we should give up learning; that would mean we stop living. It is the realisation that, with all the knowledge we have, we have only scratched the surface of all that there is to know. As the Apostle Paul was making his way through first century Athens he came across an altar with the inscription “To the Unknown God”. Paul seized the opportunity to address the people in the Areopagus, and introduced them to the God who they did not know. He is the one who created the heavens and the earth, He is the one who does not dwell in temples and building made with hands; it is in Him we live and move and have our being. We should reach out to Him and find Him because He is not far from us. The Archbishop of Canterbury recently stated that God, who created the world has acted to save the world from itself. He has done that in history through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The God who Paul introduced to the people of Athens and, of whom the Archbishop speaks, is the same God who is at the centre of our Churches across the Okeford Benefice. He is the one whom we seek to make known to the people of our villages. In the same way as I endeavour to attempt to fill the craters that have been highlighted in my knowledge, I wonder if lock down has caused you to realise that you may not know much about God at the moment? That situation doesn’t have to continue….let’s use this unprecedented opportunity to learn more about God and the ways in which He can interact with us. God bless you, Mark

5 YOUR CHURCH July 2020 For the first time in months we have finally been able to open the church for private prayer, for which we are all very grateful. The church is only open on Wednesday and Sunday and there will not be any services yet. Thank you to everyone who helped prepare the church ready for visitors. Advice on releasing lockdown is changing rapidly, so please keep an eye on the Benefice website for up to date information. Zoom services continue and are well attended. There was a family service at the end of June. Everyone is welcome to join in with the services and details are available on the Benefice website. Zoom bible study is on Thursdays, looking at the story of Joseph. There is an online learning page on the Benefice website, providing history and information on a variety of subjects, for those who prefer to do things at their own pace. The churchyard volunteers have continued to work hard through drought and then rain. The churchyard is looking at its best at this time of year. There is a profusion of wild flowers, in spite of the dry weather we have had. Orchids are in full flower in the churchyard, despite it being a poor year in other areas. Yellow rattle sown last year has taken well and this will allow wildflowers to spread over the coming years. The air is alive with bumblebees, honey bees, hoverflies and butterflies. If you get the chance, spend a few moments sitting or standing in the sun in one of the wildflower areas and enjoy the wonder of nature continuing in all its variety. It is almost impossible not to feel better after a few moments of natural therapy.

BERNIE CHISWELL Many of you will have known Bernie and I regret to bring the news that he died on 30th May. Bernie had lived in Manston with his wife Carin for some 20 years and you may have known him in his roles on the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee or the speed-watch programme. Or maybe you enjoyed his singing with the choir, Jubilate, when they entertained locally, waved at him when he walked the dog or watched him go off to fly his model aeroplanes. Whatever your connection with Bernie, you’ll know he was a wonderful family man, courteous, helpful, community-minded, a real gentleman and valued friend. Bernie had been poorly for a while but in true Bernie fashion, and wonderfully supported by Carin, he was stoic and uncomplaining. He was able to enjoy his much-loved life in Manston until his condition worsened necessitating his admittance to hospital some 10 days before he died with his family nearby. The community will be poorer for his passing and he will be much missed by his wife, children, step-children, friends and neighbours. Jane Williams

6 “THE PEOPLE ARE VASTLY FOND OF GREAT NOISES THAT FILL THE AIR…..” So said Paul Hentzner, a German visitor to London in 1598, adding “so that in London it is common for a number of them that have got a glass in their heads to go up into some belfry to ring the bells for hours on end together for the sake of the exercise.” The ringing of Church bells in a musical sequence is peculiar to England and some of her former colonies, notably the USA and Australia with a handful of peals hung for ringing in S Africa, Canada and New Zealand, which is probably why it seemed so remarkable to Herr Hentzner. Church bells were introduced into this country in the 7th or 8th century. By the 15th century it was usual for parish churches to have three or more bells hung in the church tower on a quarter or half wheel so that they could be swung against the clapper causing them to sound – what we now call “chiming”. At that time the primary purpose of ringing church bells was to announce that a service was about to take place – different bells perhaps being used to indicate the kind of service. Generally only one bell would be sounded at a time by the Parish Clerk or Deacon. However, if the bells were to be rung to mark an occasion for rejoicing, then it would be natural to want to hear all the bells ringing in which case outside help from the town or village would be needed – and this is how bellringing started as we know it today. At first the bells would have been rung haphazardly, as is still the custom on the continent (in the Low Countries bells are now often linked to an apparatus to play tunes), however there came a time when it occurred to the ringers that if only a means could be found of controlling the swing of the bell so that it could be accelerated or retarded slightly, then it would be possible to ring bells in a controlled fashion to a set sequence rather than just clashing them together. Thus it was that bells came to be mounted on complete wheels with a stay and slider mechanism to enable the ringer to determine exactly when the bell should sound. In this way bells are rung “full circle”, ie back and forth through 360 degrees, being held mouth up as may be necessary so that they can be made to sound at precisely the right time. In the meantime, trying to control a heavy bell with only a quarter or half wheel mounted on plain bearings was actually jolly hard work – but for young men keen on keeping fit it was fun too, Thus sprung the idea that bellringing could be a pleasurable pastime. There is ample evidence that by the sixteenth century the ringing of church bells was beginning to be practised purely for pleasure, and particularly by the young gentry. Since Dad probably had the gift of the living there was no problem with getting the use of the bells and peals were frequently augmented and improvements made, such as converting the bells for full circle ringing, at the expense of the local nobility – not so much to improve the facilities of the church, but to improve the local gym! Bellringing today is still sometimes referred to as “the Exercise.” At the time of the Reformation in the mid sixteenth century, much of the ringing of bells for liturgical purposes was abandoned, but not only did parish churches keep their bells but very often peals continued to be augmented. This suggests that not only had the ordinary people developed a love of the sound of bells, but that the bells were required for secular purposes too. “Pleasure ringing”, as it came to be called, was the preserve of the higher social classes, and it was left to the labourers and apprentices to ring for Church services – for a fee. Thus in London, in particular, there were often two distinct bands ringing at a Church: the social ringers who rang the bells as a “work out”, and the paid band (known as “parochial ringers”) which rang on Sundays. The former tended not to have any particular allegiance to a specific church, but formed themselves into societies or guilds along the lines of the medieval craft guilds. 7 Only one such society, the Ancient Society of College Youths (members of which rang the last peal on the old Child Okeford bells) founded in 1637 still survives. Many ringing societies, often just comprising the ringers of a particular tower, were subsequently formed up and down the country and one can still find in some ringing chambers boards setting out the rules of the society and the penalties for various misdemeanours. The discipline could be quite strict, with fines imposed for being late, swearing, being intoxicated or breaking a stay. Some towers had a limit on the number of ringers in the band, with new recruits being interviewed by the incumbent before being admitted. In the course of the 19th century, perhaps as the young nobility found new pastimes, the two types of band merged so that today ringers ring both as a service to the Church as well as for personal satisfaction. Bellringing still provides some physical exercise, although with the advent of ballbearings and modern fittings the challenge (and therefore enjoyment) is as much a matter of brain as brawn. Bob Crighton A GLASS OF SOMETHING Well things certainly have been different. I wonder if it has made me lazy, not going out to the shops etc. I still have cash in my wallet, unknown for me I'm usually spending it. No clothes shopping but maybe the money went on more foodie treats! We have eaten reasonably well partly because I have enjoyed cooking more and found I've used far more things from the freezer. Amazing what I have found in there as well which I had forgotten about, not that it was necessarily ancient it was just I've never made a list of what's in it before and now I have had time to do so. It's incredible what one can think up to cook or make into a salad or soup. Talking about soups, the Wild Garlic was a real blessing this year. We ate, or slurped lots of it and the remaining bowls of soup are now, guess where, in the freezer. Reading too has been a pleasure and I now don't feel so guilty about owning so many books! Another photobook has been fun to make and we are now awaiting it's arrival by post. Gardening and lots of it especially in the fine weather has been good and then of course we have to sit back in the evening and admire it with maybe, a glass of wine or whisky, now there's a good drink to keep one going. It has been so good to be able to ring up the Cross Stores, now Totally Scrumptious, and place an order and know that it will be delivered that day or the next. The service has been so efficient and thanks to the shop sorting out all those many orders and the volunteers, couldn't have done without you. You see now why I might think I have become lazy. In fact it will be wonderful to get out again and see one's friends and actually be able to look and choose things in the shop instead of placing an order. Well that's me finished for today I might have to go and sit outside with Rodney, my husband, breath in the country air and who knows, ...... possibly with a glass of something in our hands, after all he has been working hard as well mowing the lawn on the garden tractor. Jo Gardner

8 COOKING WITH MRS SIMKINS MOUSSAKA Originating from both Turkey and Greece, admittedly there is no shortage of moussaka recipes in the World but this is such a lovely one: I made it the other week to cheer us all up in lockdown and it did the trick nicely! Containing both potatoes and aubergines, the base layer of plain boiled potatoes is the perfect foil for the richness of the rest of the dish. Serve with plenty of green salad and a serving of boiled rice. Serves 4-6 600g cold boiled potatoes, peeled or unpeeled 1 medium onion, diced 2 sticks celery, including green leaves, finely sliced 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 1 large green bell pepper, diced 1 large red bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 600g beef mince ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 beef gel stock pot 1 bay leaf Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon dried oregano or a small handful of fresh, finely chopped 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato puree 2 medium aubergines, around 400g Plus 40g cornflour 600ml milk Ground white pepper to taste 100g mature Cheddar cheese 1 medium-large egg, beaten Cayenne or Paprika pepper to finish 9 Preheat oven to 160C fan oven or equivalent You will need a large casserole dish Slice the potatoes fairly thickly and set aside. Cook the onion in 1-2 tablespoons of the oil with the celery and peppers until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic towards the end. Brown the mince in a separate pan with a little oil if needed. Add the cinnamon and cook for a couple of minutes then add the balsamic vinegar followed by the beef stock pot, bay leaf, black pepper and oregano. Cook for a further few minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for around an hour, stirring and adjusting the heat from time to time. Add a splash of water if it seems too dry. Meanwhile, cut the aubergines into 1cm slices and brush lightly on both sides with the remaining oil. Grill on both sides until slightly browning. Make the sauce by blending the cornflour with a little of the milk to make a smooth paste in a heavy bottomed milk pan. Gradually add the rest of the milk and the white pepper. Bring almost to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Stir in the cheese. Cool slightly. Whisk in the beaten egg To Assemble Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with the potatoes: you should have enough for two layers. Cover the potatoes with a layer of the meat sauce then a layer of grilled aubergines. Repeat with the meat sauce and aubergines, finishing with a layer of aubergines. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with cayenne or Paprika. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until piping hot and golden on top. www.MrsSimkins.co.uk www.twitter.com/mrssimkinscooks

CHILD OKEFORD LUNCH CLUB in Lockdown

Things are beginning to move…some schools have some pupils, some shops are opening, pubs and restaurants hope to open soon perhaps? But for our diners still no date for social events. For some folk they can visit friends and family within limits, for others they are still in their homes and they are people like our diners.

I met a couple of diners the other day, out for their exercise walk and asked them what message they would like put into The Hill this month. Both replied with comments referring to getting the lunch or cuddle club (!) back again. We hope it will not be too long coming!

The Lunch Club Committee Oonagh 860881 Annie 860118 Hilary 863713 Helen 860571 Liz 860432

10 THE CROSS STORES In last months edition of the Hill I invited suggestions for how we might improve the shop. I was therefore especially pleased that the first suggestion was for a suggestion box. This was placed at the front of the shop a couple of weeks ago and we have had a flood of ideas. We have already addressed some of them and you may notice a few differences at the shop. We are actively working on others. Please keep them coming. With the hot weather here to stay and with most of us facing a relatively localised summer holiday, we wanted bring a bit of continental flavour the Child Okeford weekend. We are therefore serving Neapolitan style freshly made ice cream In cones and tubs from a new ice cream freezer unit outside the shop on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The ice cream is supplied by New Forest Ice Cream, which is an award winning, second generation family run business based on the edge of the New Forest. We are able to stock seven flavours. Five of these make up our core flavours and we intend to always stock these. They are: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chock chip and salted caramel. We plan to rotate the other sixth and seventh by selecting from their range of over fifty flavours. We have started with Rhubarb and Ginger, and Rum and Raisin. The list of other choices will be available at the cart and it would be great if you could let us know what you think sounds appetising so we can try these in the weeks ahead too. Meggy Moos local dairy has agreed to supply us with a refillable milk unit which will contain milk from their herd of grass fed cows. Thank you to the anonymous person who suggested this way of cutting down on plastic bottles- and It gives us a chance to taste a new local milk. We shall also be stocking their strawberry, vanilla and chocolate flavoured milk shakes. We are constantly looking at stock and trying to introduce new lines which we hope you will like. Please keep an eye on the the chalk board outside the shop for daily updates. Thank you all for your continued support. In these challenging times we would really struggle to survive without your custom and we are truly grateful. Andrew

OFFICES 2 beautiful brand new, fully serviced single occupancy offices will shortly become available to rent above the Cross Stores. Please register your interest at the Cross Stores. Viewings are expected to commence shortly.

THE ARK It has been fantastic to welcome back so many of our children and their families. All the children have come in brilliantly happy, smiling and excited to be back with their friends and the staff. We are so incredibly privileged to have such extensive outdoor space that allows all the children to be outside, while at the same time maintaining social distancing within their individual groups. There has been a great deal of outdoor learning from planting tomato plants that were kindly donated to us by a villager, chasing bubbles in the wind and exploring for bugs underneath various logs, pots and tubs. For those children transitioning into school in September staff have been focusing on developing the children’s school readiness skills, which now includes keeping a safe distance away from their friends! Sarah McNab Nursery Manager

11 s PURPOSE MADE JOINERY Hopefield' Doors, Windows, Wardrobes, Kitchens etc The Hollow NIGEL BASTABLE LTD Child Okeford Quality Carpentry & Joinery Tel: 01258-860459 Property Alterations and Repairs www.nigelbastable.co.uk

THE NOBLE CLEANER

All Domestic Cleaning Duties Cleaning, washing, ironing etc.

General daily duties. All ironing now undertaken, free collection and deliveries. (Excludes weekends)

Here to help make life easier

Please call Miss Ball 07938389250/01258 861651

Manor Barn, Child Okeford, DT11 8EF Tel: 01258-860638 [email protected] www.manorbarnbedandbreakfast.co.uk Cari and Peter Sorby

Five Star luxury accommodation at the foot of Hambledon Hill. Easy access. Two ensuite ground floor bedrooms with private sitting room.

CHILD OKEFORD VILLAGE HALL Central village venue for all occasions Richard Rowe including parties, weddings, christenings, PICTURE FRAMING social events and meetings. Excellent advice and Expert framing The current regular users are: Badminton. Oils, water colours, prints, photographs etc Table Tennis. Short Mat Bowls. Wives’ Group. Gardening Club. Gilding, wash line mounts, dry mounting Flower Arranging Club. Lunch Club. Restoration of oils, water colours & prints For further information please contact Can collect and deliver Sandra Abbott 01258 861802 Tel. 07968 235566 [email protected] Unit 3, Vale Farm, West Orchard, SP7 0LJ www.childokeford.org

12 24 Hour Service Edward’s Taxis & private hire Serving the Three Okefords 4 to 7 seats – wheelchair accessible vehicles

Local or long distance: airports, Eurostar, assisted shopping, hospital appointments

Telephone 01258 860730 or mobile 07772 231913

The Baker Arms, Child Okeford w 01258 860260. email: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook @Bakerarmsdorset, for updates & events. www.bakerarms.co.uk

James and Desi wish you a warm welcome.

We serve a freshly prepared, regularly changing menu and can cater for small seated gatherings of up to 15 people. We can also cater for buffets, wakes etc for up to 60 people, please contact us to discuss your requirements. If you have friends or family visiting then why not book Daisy Cottage, our ‘Home away from Home’ letting cottage, all details & images are available on our website.

James & Desi

SK Electrical reliable · efficient · insured

Call: Steve Keeble Tel: 01258-690452 Mob: 07711-816995

All domestic work undertaken No job too small, Free estimates, No VAT

Additional sockets/lighting - Fuse board/Consumer Unit change Inspection & Testing - Kitchen & Bathroom electrics Outdoor power & lighting - Partial & full rewires - Smoke alarms Okeford Tree Care

All aspects of tree work undertaken, including detailed inspections and surveys Prompt and reliable service Fully qualified and insured Chisel Barn Free quotations and advice

Luxury barn with spectacular views between Contact Stuart Carter Phone: 01258 861998 Mobile: 07982 040139 Hambledon and Hod Hill overlooking the River E-mail: [email protected] Stour

Two holiday lets sleeping four and six people that can be rented separately or together Lucinda Sunnucks - Chisel Farm DT11 8HH Tel 01258 863413 [email protected] www.chiselbarn.co.uk

ZUMBA - Latin-Inspired, Fitsteps FAB – a fitness class based on Ballroom & Latin dances easy-to-follow, dance fitness class FITSTEPS Monday 9.30-10.30am Portman Hall Monday 10.45-11.30 Portman Hall Shillingstone Shillingstone FAB Wednesday 11.15-12.00. Marnhull Village Hall Tuesday 10.00-11.00am Community Centre £6.00 per class Child Okeford Thursday 9.30-10.15am Pimperne Village Hall Nicola Thommes - 0788 792-1717 Wednesday 9.30-10.30am The Exchange [email protected] S Newton All classes are suited to the over 50’s 13

CHILD OKEFORD ARCHIVE

CAN YOU HELP, PLEASE

Occupants 1 Markstone Cottages For the past 18 months I have assisted with research into the crash landing of a German plane in Iwerne Minster in September 1940. The tail fin of that plane was discovered in a house in the village (1 Markstone Cottages) in 1978 and remained in the attic until the tail fin was sold at auction in 2018. The purchaser of the tail fin has been trying to find out the history of the plane and how the tail fin ended up in Child Okeford. It is thought a member of the Home Guard was involved.

An article on the subject has now been published in the Dorset Echo and can be read here https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/18525134.historian-wants-pictures-plane-crashed-iwerne-minster-battle- britain/ or, on the village web site (childokeford.org – the Village – Village History and Archive – This Month from the Archive) which also includes some photographs.

We are trying to find out who lived at 1 Markstone Cottages prior to Frank Spencer. We know: - Frank moved in in 1978 - In 1939 the occupants were Henry Butt, his wife Lottie and son Dennis - Henry died in 1970, Lottie in 1978. They are buried in the village - We believe Dennis died in 1967

It may well be the Butt family lived in the house until Lottie’s death. But we don’t know. Do you? Any information will be much appreciated.

Home Guard On a separate, but related, issue thanks to Sherry Jesperson, the Archive has received documents relating to Child Okeford’s Auxiliary Unit formed in 1940 and this will feature in a future article in “The Hill”. Ironically, while we have much information on this secret Unit, we have very little information on the Village’s Home Guard beyond a short mention in the millennium book. Official records are restricted to officers only and searches on line and at Dorset History Centre have failed to reveal anything of note. We can only, therefore, seek anecdotal input but as the children of those who served are now 80+ we are, perhaps, reaching the “last chance saloon” to record any memories of those who were involved.

Can you help, please?

If anyone can help on either or both items please contact me. David Pope (01258) 861411, email: [email protected]

THANK YOU

14 SHILLINGSTONE RAILWAY STATION Jack Bath, Museum Curator. Telephone 01258 860696 “A Mexican Wave!” Normally on our ‘Open Day’ events and at most other times as well we open up one of our chief attractions, the Signal Box, for visitors to see what the interior of such an iconic building this is in the operation of a railway. Access to the room where the signalman directed the safe movement of trains was made by way of an external staircase and from this elevated position he could command a view over the whole station vicinity. Above the signalman’s head was a large diagram of the extent of the station’s signalling requirements, below this on a shelf would be dials, instruments and bells indicating the state of the track and each side of him would be the electronic tablet machines by which the signalman could communicate with other signalmen. Shillingstone station was on a section of track which was single line which meant that trains traversed in each direction along the same set of rails between Templecombe and Blandford Forum. This meant extra special care needed to be administered and so the issue of the tokens to train crew as a form of ‘permission’ to proceed was extremely important. To provide a balanced service Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton and Shillingstone had passing loops which enabled the signalman at each station to place a southbound train into the ‘down’ loop whilst a northbound train could pass on the ‘up’ main line. With a platform for both the down ‘loop’ line as well as the station side ‘up’ line this gave the affect of a double track railway but this was only through the station itself. In front of the signalman and appearing to emanate up through the floor would be all the levers which the signalman pulled to operate not only different types of signals but the track points and associated track locking arrangements as well. But “What about the ‘Mexican Wave’” I hear you ask? – well, the journey time from Bournemouth West station to the terminus up at Bath Green Park was several hours and during this time, as the train approached different stations along the route, respective signalmen would be offered and receive the train from the preceding signalman, and then offer and despatch it to the next signalman along the line, often all twenty four of them. So, as each signalman reacted to the timetable, over the whole journey time signalmen in the vicinity of the train would be progressively busy attending to the safety of both passengers and goods! Information whether the station is open or closed to visitors will be posted on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ShillingstoneStation/ and/or our website at www.northdorsetrailway.co.uk

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Hello everyone. As we continue down this strange Covid path I am sorry to say that we have now missed three face to face monthly meetings and so the Committee decided it was time to try the modern on line methods of communication and we have held our first ZOOM meeting. We have chosen Monday afternoon on the same day of the month, the second Monday as our original Annual Programme had been planned. So on Monday 8th June we held our first full WI ZOOM event. I am very new to this method of communication so we had a few little problems, however, Gaynor started the afternoon by conducting a scavenger hunt, a very lively few minutes! Followed by a quiz featuring questions about both Dorset and the WI with multiple choice answers complied by Vanessa, I think we all gained some knowledge and lots of laughter from that experience. We continued with our ‘business’ meeting which we kept to the minimum, all members having received a detailed Agenda in advance. I am pleased to report the the whole experiment was deemed a success. We are planning our next meeting for Monday 13th July. We are aware that not all members are happy or able to use this method of communication so we devised a challenge that everyone would be able to take part in if they so wished. Each member received a package containing three dwarf French beans and an instruction sheet. The idea is that we all grow our beans and make regular contributions to allow the progress of the beans to be monitored the more original method of recording the better. We will all harvest and weigh the produce from our best specimen, share recipes and there are rumours of a book or maybe a calendar. We may award prizes for various categories dependent on the success of the project. Some members are still knitting bears for distribution by DCH. We are now making a monthly collection for anyone who would like to knit masked bears. Same collection point the wicker basket outside my house. The next collection date is Monday 6th July. Regular readers will realise this report is in a slightly different format and this is because I will now be making the reports until life returns to ‘normal’. Gaynor who has been making the reports and worked hard to help to develop our methods of Communication over the past four years has stepped down from the Committee along with two other of our long standing committee members and I would like to thank them for all their hard work. However we have new members of the Committee and we shall continue in these slightly unconventional methods until Government Rulings allow full meetings. I will finish by wishing you all a safe and healthy summer. Kind regards Pam Morris (President) If you would like to know more about our lively, creative and busy WI please contact - me [email protected] Liz our Secretary Childokefordwi@dorsetwiorg Check out our website www.childokefordwiwordpress.com

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THE OASIS PLANT CENTRE DAHLIAS - The origin of Dahlia is Mexico and there are at least 36 species. They were declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. The tubers were grown as a food crop by The Aztecs and used by them to treat epilepsy and the long hollow stems were used for water pipes.

In 1804 a new species Dahlia Sambucifolia was successfully grown at Holland House, Kensington. Lady Holland brought back Dahlia seeds or tubers from Madrid. New stock was brought from France in 1815 and in 1824 Lord Holland sent his wife this verse: “ The Dahlia you brought to our isle Your praise for ever shall speak; Mid gardens as sweet as your smile, And in colour as bright as your cheek. “ Dahlias are unrivalled for their showy display from summer into Autumn and have been called ‘ The Rock Stars ‘ of the garden world for their loud and gaudy variety and colour. They can be combined with Salvias and Grasses for late season borders. Dwarf cultivars give colour in summer containers or they can be grown for cut flowers. Dahlias are perennial plants with tuberous roots , and grown as Annuals in regions with cold winters. Some success has been acknowledged by mulching in the winter months. The beauty of The Dahlia and other plants fills us with a spirit of thankfulness and joy and their resistance to strong winds heavy rain and strong sun urges us to persist and not lose heart in these strange times of lockdowns and isolation. Allow the beauty of your garden help fill you with the positivity of kindness , compassion and love. Dahlia types for sale include : decorative , Cartwheel , Cactus, Water Lily , PomPom and Compact. All priced at £7.50. For help and advice please ring 01258 861325 and leave a message with your contact details if we are busy or email [email protected] Val Harbour MANSTON AND HAMMOON VILLAGE HALL After such a long time we’re planning on getting together in our village hall garden for a long awaited coffee morning on Saturday 4 July. I do hope many of you can make it. 10.30 - 12.00 in Manston.

17 CHILD OKEFORD GARDENERS CLUB June Report Unfortunately the Club remains closed until further notice in line with government restrictions . These restrictions now mean that the Annual Show, usually held in August, has had to be cancelled and will not take place this year. However, if you have something growing in your garden you are proud of, why not take a photograph and send it to Vanessa Dawson (Club Secretary, [email protected]) for inclusion in the next newsletter. We are always happy to receive material which makes for an interesting issue. Tip of the Month from Tina Wright To stop slugs and snails without slug pellets you can use copper tape around pots and copper rings around plants. Most of the copper rings can be joined together to make bigger rims. A hint for the Hill from Roger Hull Multicoloured chard is a useful vegetable for the winter and is attractive as the leaves and leaf stems come in many colours. I germinate the seed in a pot and then prick out. The different coloured seedlings germinate at different rates with the more attractive colours often germinating much more slowly. So if you want the full range of colours don’t just prick out the first rapid germinators but also wait a bit for the slow ones. You would be rewarded in the middle of winter. Hint of the Month from Keith Leighton Now is the time to thin out your growing apples and pears. Reduce the number to two fruit per bunch for quality rather than quantity. (with thanks to Monty) For more advice and ideas of things to be done, why not visit the RHS website. Again if you have any hints or tips you have found useful, send to Vanessa for inclusion in July’s report for ‘The Hill’. We now have had some rain to go with the sunshine, so I hope all grows well in your garden. Keith Leighton (Vice Chair) ph. 01258 861462

CHILD OKEFORD WALKING GROUP The recent pronouncements on reducing lockdown conditions are beginning to look promising, especially on group size and social distancing and it looks likely that there may be further news on this in early July. If there are further relaxations by July 6th and conditions become suitable for a group walk I will contact members of the group to see if we can arrange a walk for the originally planned date of Thursday 17th July. Lets hope that we can make this step back to normality. Roger Hull Tel: 863418 Email: [email protected] 18

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THE SAXON We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and we hope you are all safe, well and are managing to keep busy! We have been spending a lot of time in the garden (like most people!) and look forward to opening the doors to everyone again soon. We are still doing takeaway food and beer with a few “specials” nights! Again, as ever, we can’t wait to welcome you all back when we are able to! All the very best, Craig and Emma. 19 COUNTRY LIFE Rain in May plenty of corn and hay. At last we are having enough rain to do some good. The maize and new ley grass fields were beginning to look very dry. Cracks in fields and gardens are bad news. Another 48 acres of silage have been made. We tend to make the silage at weekends as we can get some help. In the markets calves and young cattle are still selling well. The prices are quite good for the time of year. Dairy cattle prices are high and I can’t understand why as the milk price is still not very encouraging. A retired farmer friend told us that when he retired 24 years ago the milk price was the same as now. Cake price nearly double. At this time of year when the weather is no good for silaging or haymaking jobs are started which have been pushed aside. Cleaning up rubbish in the barn being one of them. My son moved a heap of rubbish and found a hedgehog with three young ones. I think they put a box over them - with an escape route. Something has killed one of the hedgehogs which were in our garden. Would it be a fox or a badger? If any of you have mislaid a heap of beech hedge trimmings they have been dumped in our field! Take care and keep well.

Di Morgan

Child Okeford, DT11 8HB 01258 863866 www.theartstable.co.uk

Gary Cook High Ground 20 June - 18 July 2020

The works in Gary Cook's upcoming High Ground exhibition expertly capture the soft Dorset light and its magical effects on the slopes of Hambledon Hill. He weaves an ecological theme into this haunting collection, recording the names of the hill's precious fauna within his ink, watercolour and charcoal paintings, while also incorporating a timeline of our powerful connection to the site. "The hill is intriguing, from the first flint and antler-dug earthwork markings 5,700 years ago, a millennium before Stonehenge, to the present day. I've been including sketches of found lithics and timelines in the watercolours. For example the mind- blowing thought that when the first mounds were built here the world population was just 7m. There are now 7,710m of us. Yet somehow the hill still feels remote and potent, and you can easily understand why our ancestors were drawn to this magical spot."

20 NEWS FROM THE SURGERY https://www.theblandfordgrouppractice.co.uk/ 01258 452501 or 453171 There have been some posts on facebook from the Practice so I will pass them on for those that won’t have seen them. • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blandford Group Practice made the decision to temporarily close the branch Surgery at Child Okeford for clinical appointments. Please be rest assured that there are no plans to permanently close Child Okeford Surgery and that once we feel it is both safe and viable it will be reopening. In the meantime, you are still able to collect your prescriptions from the dispensary hatch on site • To all our patients who have nominated an online or internet pharmacy. We advise that you order your repeat prescription yourself rather than relying on a third party to do this. Due to the current demand on their services sometimes the requests are not coming through to us and therefore your prescription is not being processed and sent to your nominated pharmacy. • Asthma reviews are still being provided via telephone consultation with the specially trained Chronic Disease Nurses. If you feel you need a review, please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment. • The Practice has started to resume some of our normal clinics. However, we are requesting that patients remain mindful that we are currently only running at 70% capacity. We will update patients via facebook (I will let you know about theses notices) and the website as and when we open up further services. If you are unsure as to whether we are running the service you require, please contact the Surgery. • If you need to speak to a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner about an urgent or routine medical need please call the Surgery in the morning. If you are enquiring about test results please call the surgery after 2pm.

CHILD OKEFORD PARISH COUNCIL The Parish Council did not have a meeting in June but will be having another Zoom Meeting on Monday the 6th July at 7.00pm. If you would like to attend this meeting via Zoom please contact our Clerk ([email protected]), who will provide you with all the log in and password information.

21

Call Andrew on 01258 837092, weekdays or weekends

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Fully insured, reliable service, references available

SEAMSTRESS Clothing alterations & bespoke clothing. Curtains & cushions. No job too big or small. City and Guilds qualified. Call Rosie Lovell 01747229981/07780703641 www.facebook.com/rlneedlethread

22 The Saxon Inn Child Okeford Come to your friendly old village pub

Excellent home cooked food Good selection of Real Ales Cosy bars and log fires Large Garden and Superior Four en-suite Bedrooms Alfresco Dining Area Call 01258 860310 Craig and Emma welcome you

CHILD OKEFORD COMMUNITY CENTRE Monday – Friday Your venue for coffee mornings, childrens 8am – 6pm parties, family celebrations etc at Playing, Learning, Having Fun competitive rates All year round Full kitchen facilities For more information or to make a booking Baby Room Ursula Taxis 07581 041778 Toddler Room [email protected] Pre-school Room www.facebook.com/ChildOkefordCommunityCentre Breakfast, After School & Holiday Clubs High quality play and learning RB BURROWS & SON experiences tailored to meet each (ROGER BURROWS) child’s individual needs

PLUMBING & HEATING ENGINEER Good links with school and easy access to well -equipped outdoor GAS SAFE/OFTEC Registered installer play areas and countryside

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M&M Stoves & Chimney Services Child Okeford Your local friendly HETAS Qualified Engineer ● Fully Certified chimney sweep ● Installation of Multifuel/wood burning Stoves ● Installation of liners and twin wall systems ● Chimney Construction, Pointing & Capping ● CCTV Surveying Call Jason on ● Free no obligation quote 01258 451067 ● Fully HETAS Insured ● For all your chimney needs. Man & Van A.R.O Cleaning Service A competitively priced & reliable fully insured service. Offering house moves, office moves or single items. Carpet Cleaning, Chimney Any distance 7 days a week. Sweeping, Domestic Cleaning, Contact Tim 01963 204205 0r 07745 858440 email [email protected] One stop shop for all your home & business cleaning needs.

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23 NATURE NEWS First, another Hobby sighting. Simon Baird emailed in early June to say that he and his son Logan (11 years old) had seen two Hobbies, one with prey in its talons, when walking on the Hill one evening looking for orchids. He added that they had also been watching two Barn Owls hunting near the Millham Island nature reserve (the small reserve down by the Stour near Bere Marsh Farm), and Logan had found an owl pellet on the path outside the church; probably a Tawny Owl, he thought, as it is more wooded there. He was now waiting for Logan to dissect it to see what this would reveal. A few days later, I had another email from Simon to say that they had found a grass snake skin in their wood pile. 36" long and 2" wide! “She must have been huge! “ (see photo with Logan below.)

Roger Hull continues to find rarer moths and butterflies, This time he found a flight of white plume moths while clearing some bindweed and managed to photograph one (see below). He tells me that the caterpillars live on bindweed, though he did not find any evidence of them. “Out of the beast (bindweed) comes forth beauty”, quoted Roger.

24 A moment of drama in our own garden. A hot afternoon in early June, we were sitting at the side of the pond enjoying a G&T, when there was a sudden “kerfuffle” at the side of the pond - a male blackbird had pulled an adult newt out of the pond. There was a brief struggle before the blackbird flew off with the newt. The incident begs a number of questions. Adult newts, in our pond at least, only seem to come to the surface of the pond during the day for a quick breath of air before descending back to the depths, and only come out of the pond at night. So had the blackbird ever seen a newt before, and how did it know it was potential food? As the blackbird flew off with it, presumably it was taking the newt back to feed its young. Given that blackbirds typically are only dealing with insects and worms, was it able to dismember the newt, and feed it to the chicks? I presumed what I had seen was a rare occurrence, but on googling “blackbird eats newt”, I found several reported occurrences, with one person speculating that the birds were looking for other sources of food, as a result of finding it difficult getting worms in the hard, dry ground we have at the moment. Regular correspondent Jo Gardner reported various happenings throughout the past month from her garden bordering the Stour, beginning with a deer, a Roe Deer she imagines, on the lawn. Towards the end of May, beginning of June, when it was still sunny a Swift appeared and swept the sky of insects, “very swiftly!….they don’t appear over here very often so lovely to see”, and several Swallows joined in. Some baby wrens fledged and tumbled about on a small conifer before finding their wings and going off. She has had quite a few Banded Demoiselle and Beautiful Demoiselle Damselflies around, either in the rose garden or on the river skimming about just above the surface of the water, “glamorous to look at with their green, turquoise, golden colours”. And on the river she’s seen three or four Mallard, two Swans and fleeting glimpses of a Kingfisher, plus occasional fleeting visits from Herons and Little Egrets. She also has regular visits from Tawny Owl which has a favourite branch down over the riverbank (see photo below).

I mentioned last month that Bill Morris in Duck Street had seen miner bees while digging out a wildife pond in his garden. The pond is now filled with water, and I have been promised a regular update on what wildlife colonises the new pond. So far he has resident frog, and a myriad of pond skaters. Large Red Damselflies have been regular visitors, on two occasions a Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly, and most recently a Broad Bodied Chaser, have been seen. 25 Birds have also been very entertaining, he says. “Blackbirds and Sparrows have been coming and wading in from the ‘beach’ end, and then having amazing bath/showers. We have a nice feature log at the end of the pond, which the birds can go onto for a post-bath preen!” He has also had a recent visit from a large flock of Long Tailed Tits, comprising both parents and recent fledglings, who were feeding on insects in his pear tree. And now a little personal musing. Firstly, it is commonly given out that blackbirds sing (a) to attract a mate, and (b) to declare the boundaries of their territory to other male members of their species. However, we have a blackbird which sings (beautifully) several times a day in our garden (and we know it is the same bird because it has a distinctive phrase it sings around every thirty seconds, which sounds like “Pretty Boyee”). It presumably has a mate by now, so in theory its singing should be intended to warn off other blackbirds. But while it sings, for up to twenty minutes at a time, there are usually at least two other male blackbirds in the garden picking up seed from under the birdfeeders, who seem totally oblivious to the singing blackbird, while at the same time, the singer totally disregards them, They say nothing is done in nature without a purpose; so what is it? And secondly, a topic I’ve commented on before, the lack of swallows, martins and swifts around the village. In one of my first columns around three years ago, I said that my wife and I had taken a walk through the village from The Saxon to our house in Duck Street, systematically looking for signs of swallow/house martin nests, and didn’t see a single one, though I had a report that there were nests at the manor house. Why so? Can anyone now claim to have a nest? With regards to swifts, Jo Gardner above commented on the rarity of swift sightings, and I don’t think I can recollect ever seeing them around the village. Contrarily, only the day before writing this in mid-June , I visited Harts in Stur, and heard a screaming sound as I was going in, and looked up and four or five Swifts zoomed low overhead. I’ve also seen them in Blandford and Iwerne Minster. So why not in our village? Finally, I thought you might be interested in what birds have been seen in the Child Okeford area (ie bounded roughly by Hambledon Hill, Little Hanford, The Stour, and Hamoon) so far this year, based on what I have seen and all the information I have received. The list is as follows: Pheasant, Mute Swan, Little Egret, Heron, Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, Kestrel, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo (heard), Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Kingfisher, Lesser and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Grey and Pied Wagtails, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Wheatear, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Raven, Crow, Rook, Starling, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Brambling, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, and Yellowhammer. Counting “Gulls” as 1, this gives a total so far of, I think, 58. Can anyone fill in details of “Gulls”? Also not sure about Linnet, Stonechat, Coot, and Moorhen. Can anyone confirm these, and/or add further? Email me at [email protected] if you have anything of interest that you would like to share.

26 BLANDFORD MUSEUM Bere's Yard, The Market Place, Blandford Forum, DT11 7HQ Can I reassure everyone that Blandford Museum though shut due to the virus pandemic has been busy preparing for the time when we can open. Plans have been drawn up to ensure social distancing and other safety measures will be in place as well as crowd control! We are sorry that we cannot say when or any other details as we are waiting for government advice. Of course, even without being open, costs continue fortunately support has been forthcoming from the Leisure part of Tourism Funds, this has been of immense help in seeing us through this time. Our A.G.M. has taken place with new Trustees voted on, sadly, some trustees decided to step down after giving the Museum many years of dedicated service. A grant has been obtained to hold events to attract more volunteers, keep an eye out for details when allowed! Plans for the future include turning our building into a hub from which we will reach out to other organisations to encourage a wider interest in our history. Lastly, Please, Please do not forget to pass over your memories, pictures etc. etc. of the virus pandemic. Your Museum Needs Then! Pass then over via [email protected] Lastly, Lastly! how about visiting your new web site blandfordtownmuseum.org.uk Regards John Tanner.

THIS MONTH’S QUIZ.

No prizes for guessing where this photograph was taken by villager Tony Ward. When was the signposting of roads first made compulsory? What do the numbers on the roundel at the top refer to? What do the finger posts at Winterbourne Anderson, Benville Bridge, Poyntington and Hewood Corner all have in common? What’s unusual about some of the posts at Sixpenny Handley?

27 ANSWERS TO LAST MONTHS QUIZ. There are other types but the commonest trig points to be found were designed by Brigadier Martine Hotine in the 1930’s when the Ordnance Survey decided to re-survey the British Isles. This required the division of the country into large triangles. If the length of one side of the triangle had been accurately measured, and if all its internal angles were known, the lengths of the other sides could be calculated without the need for further measurement. By using one point of a triangle as the starting point for another, vast tracts of land could be surveyed with only periodic measurements of new base lines being made to ensure accuracy. Angles were measured by theodolite but these required a firm base and had to be centred over a fixed immoveable position. This is where the trig point comes in.

Nearly four feet below the surface of the soil1 a 1’ cube of concrete was set into the bedrock. On the upper surface of this cube is a ‘lower centre mark’ covered by a little wooden box. Above this, but not attached to it, is an even bigger concrete block to which is attached, by metal rods, the pillar itself. The base of the pillar contains an ‘upper centre mark’ which is placed directly above the lower centre mark. The metal fitting at the top is called a spider and supports the theodolite in its three arms. The spider has a plug in the middle which can be removed exposing below it a centre pipe. The hole shown in last months picture is the opening of a sighting tube into which torches were shone to illuminate the upper mark making it easier to centre the theodolite over it. With the plug removed a large very bright lamp could also be inserted into the centre pipe so that it could be observed from a distant trig point. In later years the theodolites was replaced by telemeters but were still placed on the trig point. Attached to the side of the pillar is a ‘level flush bracket’ which is metal benchmark. Given the situation of many of these trig points, on the tops of mountains and so on, it is remarkable to think that they 2were all built ‘on site’. The overall height I leave you to calculate. (1 The minimum was 3” 6”)

28 GOLD HILL ORGANIC FARM Ridgeway Lane, Child Okeford, Dorset DT11 8HB, 01258 861916 www.goldhillorganicfarm.com Email: [email protected] We have had Mia, my cousin's daughter here working for us since lock-down as she was supposed to be helping on a farm in France which obviously didn't work out. This is what Mia has written about working on the farm. We are really pleased it has given her the opportunity/spring board to go on into the world and learn how to produce good food. My experience from working on this amazing farm has truly been most life changing for me. I first came here early March to help whilst Sara and Andrew were in Scotland. With the lock down, the French Student and Danish students couldn't come over so Sara offered me work for 3 months. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had struggled for a year or two with anxiety and depression and no direction. Unaware that she had given me the key to fulfilment, working on this organic farm. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world. Working together as a team with Sara, Andrew, Phil and Nestor but also with nature itself. I believe in the work they do here. This family put their love and good energy into the plants they grow for the community. They have now inspired me to start my journey and I am now going to an Organic farming school start of August. I now feel more content than I have ever been. This is all thanks to the Cross family and the beautiful plants and countryside I have been working with. Who needs a therapist when you can tie up tomatoes, strip spring onions and enjoy weeding? Go Organic! Mia Tripp Foulds I have attatched 2 photos of our epic bike ride: 1) Start/finish of route 253 in Okeford Fitzpaine 6.30am - 6.30pm 2) After 50miles resting/dozing by the Stour I was being a bit optimistic with 68.1miles for the route, We needed 4miles to get to Okeford and back and I hadn't really thought about 'getting lost'. None of us had apps or smart phones on us, so at a guess we ended up doing 75miles. A PB for all of us by 25miles! We were so

lucky with the weather. For 7 June it was exactly right for cycling, not too hot/cold/, not too windy/still or bright/cloudy. We had 4 maps and rarely used them as the signage was so good. It was like 'I spy signs' on bikes. The countryside was stunning. Going past a big old house/Chateaux, near Moor Chritcheal, with its avenue of trees we could have been in the south of France.

29 We went through all those villages I have only seen on signposts before, Buckhorn Weston, Farnham, All the Chritcheals, Gussages and Tarrants. There were a few Hills to remember, Motcombe to Shaftesbury, Springhead to Ashmore then Milton Abbas to Hilton/Ansty Bullbarrow. Wow, was it exiting zooming down from Ibberton. We struggled a bit coming up into Child Okeford and felt we would burst into tears if we had to go up another hill. If it wasn't for the sponsorship we would have stopped at 50miles. Thanks to everyone who supported us we raised £500. Mel Jeans has done a fantastic job in clearing our footpath next to our vegetables. It's great seeing so many people out walking and calling a cheery hello to us. As you walk past you will see our sweet corn loving this weather. Hopefully we will have some by middle of July. We do want rain, but the plus side is we don't have many weeds. Sheep will be grazing the other field soon, just for a few weeks, so keep a close eye on your dogs and the electric fence. These permanent pastures are a rarity nowadays, as grass is mainly grown as a 'short/long lay' made up of only a few species and mainly for silage. We have only ever cut ours for hay and graze them.. As far as we know they have never been ploughed, same as the fields above the farm, and are very species rich. Keep walking and cycling through our lovely county, there is so much to see. Sara

DISTRIBUTION OF THE HILL & COPY DETAILS We have again reviewed the latest government advice on COVID 19 and concluded that on balance The Hill magazine July edition should not be delivered through the letterboxes of Child Okeford, Manston, Hanford and Hammoon. It will instead be sent out to those subscribers for whom we have email addresses and posted on the Child Okeford village website (www.childokeford.org). Some paper copies will also be available from The Cross Stores in Child Okeford. Do please feel free to forward the magazine on to anyone who may be interested and do let us know if you have difficulty in obtaining a ‘hard’ or ‘digital’ copy. (01258 860010). We will review distribution again for the August Hill and, depending on the risk level and government advice, we would hope to resume deliveries.

Please could we have your copy for the next edition by 19 July. We welcome contributions by email to [email protected] or please pop them through the door at Highlands, opposite the ‘old’ Post Office. It is also helpful if you would leave a phone number. The letters and articles published in The Hill are accepted in good faith and the views expressed are not necessarily the views of the Editors, whose decisions on publication are final. The Hill is published by the Child Okeford Parochial Church Council & printed by Sarum Graphics. The Hill Team

30 COINCIDENCES I am a Moonraker by birth (for those who don’t know that means a Wiltshire-man or woman), born in Wootton Bassett though actually in Melksham cottage hospital (which my mother always told me was a thatched hospital – well it was war time. I had three elder brothers : Martin, identical twins Roger & Peter and a younger sister Mary. An idyllic place to grow up in and in many ways like the sister county where I live now. Still in an agricultural area, though Wiltshire with its gently rolling downs, whereas Dorset has often steep-to hills and thus smaller fields. However I am not writing today about differences or likenesses but about coincidences, which have been occurred over the years, but seemingly commonplace. I think we all have co-instances at sometime or other, but I think I have experienced more than my due. One of the first was when I worked in Germany for a while. One weekend I was told about a beautiful open air swimming pool in a village outside Frankfurt. As I was walking down the lane I met a fellow who had been at university with me. Then in 1969 I moved the family to Denmark, in a fishing village 30 miles north of Copenhagen. We moved into a newly built block of flats – idyllic again as it was a fifteen minute walk to the little beach. The whole block was mainly Danish, but there was a Brazilian, French and a young German couple in the flat next to ours. No British people at all with a kilometre. Then in our second or third year we were told that a new person was moving into the flat above us and he was English and his name was Roger Upton! I also knew an American writer who lived in Copenahgen who was a Robert – I cannot remember his surname. Then in 1977 I worked in USA in a factory building computers (they were still huge things in those days) near the city of Minneapolis. One evening we went to much admired theatre in the twin cities, for a new play and noticed the writers name was the same as Robert’s and of course I bumped into him in the theatre. Then when I met Sammy, she introduced me to her “surrogate daughter” here in CO. On hearing my surname, she said did I “know Guy Upton the jockey?” , and I replied yes he is my nephew. There have been several more but the most recent is very close to home – last July one of brothers invited us to the opening of an exhibition of my brother Peter’s paintings, in a gallery in Jermyn Street near Piccadilly. A lot of the family were there, and feeling I should circulate – I looked across the room and saw a woman, the image of H* from C.O.. As I circulated I came up to the woman – I think we both chorused “it is you! - how is that you are here?”. Stretching to others in my family – the eldest and the identical twins and myself are often mistaken for one another. Peter one of the twins started many years ago was interested in genealogy (it was all on paper in those days). He lives in Shropshire and some years ago, was invited to a dinner with friends and other guests that he had not met before. So as the introductions went round the table, the wife of a couple said when she heard Peters name, “Oh Upton is my maiden name”. Peter and the lady quickly identified the family relationship through our mother. An intriguing instance. To set the scene as my twin brothers were identical, they were often mistaken, and it was common that they were distanced would regularly purchase the same present for a friend. 31 However my story is from a long time ago when I was in the 6th form at school (some 7 miles from my home). So I had to always make sure to catch the last bus home (which also meant I always missed the end of films at the cinema, due to the bus timetable). At this time Peter was at teaching college, training to be an art-master. I was at my girlfriends house where I would be, as normal, expecting to catch the last bus home – when I suddenly said “I don’t know why - but I feel I have to leave now”, off I dashed to the bus station and my brother Peter was sitting on the bus. He had trained down form teaching college without notice. Was it telepathy or just chance? The final one, is not verifiable but is intriguing. Some years ago I picked up on Peter’s genealogy efforts, to further our knowledge. Our mother’s family had lived in Silton (just outside Gillingham) since 1629. Our grandmother was one of four women, one of them having a first name of ‘Rose’, in 1882 she married a Jacob Rose and became Rose Rose. Like most families the mother is the one to turn to to learn about forebears – and I remember vividly on a visit to us in Dorset, my mother said she thought the Rose family ran a shop near Blandford. Some years ago I obtained a copy of a CO photograph of a 1920s gala day – it is an amazing photo of the bicycles and pony traps all decked out. But what intrigues us is the shop, that is our house, on the corner of Haywards Lane now but it has been shop, baker, hairdresser and shopkeepers house. In the photo the shop keepers are leaning on the fence and one can just make out the proprietors name above the shop window “ROSE”. Could it be? Just to complete the story of the shop – one Christmas Sammy and I entertained the Shaftesbury WI, and at the table afterwards we were talking to the other ladies, who enquired where we lived. We said Child Okeford at which one lady exclaimed that is where my father used to take us for day out (from Shaftesbury). Imagine at that time I suppose a village 8 miles away was a day out. It transpired this lady’s father was friend of the shop keeper. We obviously said our house is the one she visited all those years ago. I worked in London for some time, usually driving up each morning and back at night. For the long journey I would often pick up hitch hikers. One day – on my way home to Winterborne Stickland, I picked up a hitch hiker just before the slope up to the M3 starts. It was a young man with a back pack who said he was trying to get to Salisbury. We talked about all sorts of subjects and on approaching Salisbury I said “where would you like to be dropped”. The young man said “well actually I was hoping to get to Blandford”. Of course I said “you are in luck” today. As we approached Blandford I said where do you want to be dropped. He replied “well actually I want to a village called Winterborne Stickland”. Naturally I dropped him off at his friends house, three doors away from my house. A final memory of friendship formed with my son’s English (and sailing!) teacher and wife in Swanage. They had a lovely heinz dog called ‘Tigger’. In the summer holidays the friends went away for the summer holiday. Our family holiday that summer was in Cornwall based near the Helford River. We were all walking along a quite busy, clifftop path when we met a couple coming towards us with a dog on a lead. The four of us said “that looks like Tigger!” and the couple holding the dog’s lead said “yes it IS Tigger – how do you know?”. It transpired that our friends were house bound with an injury and this couple were walking Tigger for them. Charles Upton 32 The “known knowns” and “known unknowns” of COVID-19 In the June Hill I described the virus particles of SARS- Cov- 2 which causes COVID-19 (COronaVIrusDisease-2019) pandemic and some of their features which could impact on (hopefully not) you. This description was based on reasonably firm science derived from long- term studies on closely-related viruses and are “known knowns” (term made famous by the US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld speech on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq). In this contribution I describe some of the less firm science which is being highlighted in the media. It must be remembered that this virus was first recognised infecting humans in late 2019, about 8 or 9 months ago and although there much research being done on it, there are many “known unknowns”. One of the first things that national and local decision makers need to know is how quickly the pandemic is spreading. One major piece of information that they rely on is its R (reproduction) number which is the average number of people that an infected person can pass the virus on to. For COVID the unrestrained number is about 5 which means that an infected person can infect about 5 people each of whom can after 5 days or so incubation can infect a further 5 people (that is 25 in all) and so on. For an R number =1 the rate of new infections stays the same and for less than 1 it decreases – hence the decreases in lockdown. The R number is estimated by computer programs using information on a range of factors including the current new cases (5 or more days after infection), number of deaths (15 to 30 or more days after infection), the number and density of susceptible (uninfected) people in the population; different computer programs put different weights on the factors. The published R figure is then taken as the average or range of numbers from 10 or more programs. There are two important features of the published numbers, they are retrospective (about 5 days infection before symptoms show) and it is now being recognised that a significant proportion (estimates ranging from 30 to70%) of infections are symptomless though they can still transmit the disease. Furthermore, different approaches to estimating the pandemic spread give different results. For example, in week starting 8th June the R number for South West England (including Dorset) was the highest (0.8 – 1.1) in the UK (probably due to a local outbreak in Weston-Super-Mare), whereas Dorset had the second lowest case rate of COVID infections (91.1 per 100,000 population) of upper-tier authorities. However, despite these shortcomings, the R number is still one of the best indicators available of how the pandemic is progressing. As well as the excellent nursing care that the NHS provides to an infected person, there are three main approaches being developed to mitigate the effects of the virus. The first is to interfere with the replication of the virus. A broad-spectrum anti-viral medication, Remdesivir, which was developed for control of Ebola virus by blocking the replication of the RNA genome, is being repurposed for medication against SARS-CoV-2. It has shown initial promise and is undergoing various trials. The second is to inject antibodies (termed convalescent plasma, the antibody-rich part of blood) produced by people who have had COVID infection (including the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock); this approach is also undergoing trials. Thirdly, pharmaceutical interventions that try to reduce COVID symptoms, such as pneumonia or fever are used together with those for dealing with other underlying medical conditions.

33 Stop Press: Just after this article was written, it was announced that trials on NHS patients showed that a widely-used steroid, Dexamethasone, which was developed in 1957 to reduce inflammation in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, cuts the risk of death by a fifth for COVID-infected patients on oxygen (as Boris Johnson was) or on a ventilator; a treatment course of the drug costs just £5.00. This is a good example of the breadth of approaches being explored to control the virus and its symptoms, and the unexpected results that may result. The ultimate aim for controlling COVID is the production of one or more vaccines which introduce a viral protein (the antigen) into people prompting the immune system to produce the antibodies before they are exposed to the virus. There are more than 100 groups worldwide trying to produce a vaccine by three main approaches (Oh dear, 3 again -sounds like the government messages which are groups of 3!!). As described in the June Hill article, the RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 produces a number of proteins which make up the virus particle; from the outer shell of the virus particle, the spike proteins protrude as shown in TV images. These spikes enable the virus particle to attach to the host cell and are the main viral antigen that interacts with the host immune system. In the first approach, the virus is grown in culture, them inactivated and used as a vaccine; this is the way flu virus vaccines are prepared. In the second, the genome of a virus (called a vector) that does not infect humans is engineered to express the spike protein on its surface, cultured and then used. The Oxford group that have been in the press much recently use this approach (which has been successful in producing a vaccine against a form of meningitis) with a chimpanzee virus. Several other groups are using plant viruses which will not infect humans as vectors which can be grown easily in large amounts (e.g. fields of tobacco). Thirdly, DNA or RNA containing the spike protein coding sequence can be used to let the persons’ normal cell processes to express the antigen. The development of mitigation and vaccine approaches are testing the major “known unknowns” of this pandemic and it is anticipated that many of them will fail as they go through the various human trial stages. Normally, it takes more than 10 years to produce a new vaccine but it is hoped that the world-wide focussed effort at controlling this pandemic virus will succeed in a much shorter time. Vaccines are opening up “unknown unknowns” in the understanding of the complexities of individual immune responses to the COVID antigen. If the vaccine approach succeeds, various other “known unknowns” surface including political, international and national problems about equal access to it and who will be first in the queue. As Robert Kennedy once said, misquoting a Chinese curse “We live in interesting times”. I would be happy to answer any questions – prone number, 863418, email address, [email protected]. Roger Hull

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The Waitrose staff were very kind, I told them it had slipped my mind. WORDSWORTH 2020 They asked what else I had forgot. I wandered lonely as a cloud They clearly thought I’d lost the plot. Two metres from the madding crowd, I ‘phoned my wife again to ask. When all at once my name was called She ‘minded me this special task:- To enter Waitrose hallowed hall. “I need some flour to bake a cake This was the pensioners special hour. With all that cream you made me take” My wife said “Buy a bag of flour”. “Ah yes, of course” I had to lie. But I forgot when through the door I dared not ask what flower to buy, What I had gone to Waitrose for! But then I saw them by the tills

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35 AGE CONCERN NORTH DORSET (ACND) As you all may know, ACND is a small independent charity based in Sturminster Newton but supporting the 22 villages and hamlets to the North West of the town. Most of our services are delivered by home visits which during this difficult period has meant we are supporting our clients by telephone and e-mail. Most of our Trustees and volunteers are of an age and have also had to stay at home. However, both of our younger part-time staff members have been working hard to keep the office working and we have also set up a ‘door-step’ service for local people with complicated health issues. We were lucky enough to recruit some willing volunteers and have been supporting people with essential shopping and pick up of medical prescriptions from the Blandford Surgery. Before we set up this service we liaised with all the other groups in the area offering similar services and decided to cover the areas without support to avoid any duplication. We have therefore expanded our area for this service to include Blandford, Blandford St Mary, Durweston, Stourpaine and Pimperne. I understand people are still nervous about home visits but I would like to re-assure everyone that our services are still accessible by telephone and e-mail. Our services include: • Welfare Benefits and related advice • Telephone Support Service – covering most age-related topics • Befriending/Friendship • IT Support • Exercise class • Foot Clinic (started up again on 15 June 2020) • Door-Step service for those with no support and having to self-isolate (only covering the Blandford area as mentioned above but can advise on who to contact for other areas) Office Telephone 01258 475582 e-mail: [email protected] www.acnorthdorset.org.uk Dianne Cooper Chairman

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