The Mosaic Hinton St Mary November 2020 The Yard (Alice Fox-Pitt) What a weird time we are in. Despite the global pandemic, horses need to be fed and worked so despite lockdown work had to continue at Woodlane Stables. Firstly we need to say a big thank you to the village for putting up with the constant stream of horses hacking round the village, we apologise for any inconvenience. Hinton St Mary is the perfect place to train horses and we feel very lucky. The yard used to be one of three dairies in the village but it was converted in 2004 and we moved the first horses in in 2005. We train horses owned by clients for William to compete. William also trains up and coming star riders from all over the world. This year we had a team from South Africa, the US, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Newcastle. Jackie Potts is our head girl and this weird year was her 27th working with William. Obviously, the big disappointment for us was the postponement of the Olympics due to be held in Tokyo in August. William has been training hard on his star horse Little Fire, who is in the British squad of 12. It would be an incredible 6th Olympics should he make Team GB having competed in Atlanta, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio. It was a huge blow for our Japanese star Kazumo Tomoto. He has been here for three years training for a home games. His daughter and wife have stayed at home in Tokyo so it has been a huge sacrifice and commitment. He has been incredible and has refocused on 2021. He has three horses qualified so fingers crossed we can support him to fulfil his dream, no one deserves it more. There have been some competitions but the ‘new normal’ has been a bit weird. We feel so lucky that we got to get the horses out at all. The season finishes this week so things will quieten down a bit before we reboot and prepare to start again next March. If anyone has any questions do please get in touch. Picture: Little Fire [email protected] Www.foxpitteventing.co.uk VILLAGE CHRISTMAS WINDOW COMPETITION As there seem to be such a lot of things not taking place this festive season we thought a village Christmas window competition might be fun. Anybody can take part from the safety of their own homes and the village may look a little more festive as well! Hinton’s resident artist – Katie Scorgie has kindly agreed to judge the competition for us. All you need to do is decorate a front window or your front door in a festive fashion and have fun! Please make sure your window or door is visible from the road. Maybe post a photo on the Hinton St Mary Facebook page. More details regarding judging and closing date will be in December’s Mosaic. Monthly update on the estate (Alice Fox-Pitt) So much is going on on the estate. We are starting a new piece each month in the Mosaic with news. One of the saddest things this month was the retirement of Billy Mathews after an astonishing 63 years working for HSME. Anthony and Val have been here for 50 years so never known the place without him. He will be sorely missed but promises he will be around and certainly will be found fishing down at Cutt Mill! Another end of an era for the amazing Pat Bartlett who has supported the Pitt Rivers for over 30 years. Heartfelt gratitude to two wonderful stalwarts of Hinton. There has been big change also in the management. Fowler Fortescue have replaced Symonds and Samson as the agents for the estate. We are grateful for a partnership that goes back to Senior and Godwin in the 1920s. Simon Fowler is now the agent supporting the family with the running of estate. He is based at Fonthill and is here every Thursday if anyone needs a catch up. It has been a very sad time for all of us with the dispersal of the dairy herd. Hinton had three dairies at one time and it seems unbelievable that there are none now. David Dunn has done a wonderful job for 16 years managing the herd and we are so pleased that he and Michelle will still be in the area as he is now working for the Jeans family at Bagber. The buildings are now filling with stock again as the unit has been rented to Nick Cobb who is using it to raise young stock for his dairy herd at Lulworth. Velcourt continue to manage the farm under Mark Harvey with Dave Stevens supporting. We have been busy during lock down doing up the Manor House Lodge. It is now a holiday let and has been really busy. The reviews constantly remark on what a lovely, beautiful and friendly village. Mr and Mrs Pitt Rivers are allowing tours of the garden and guests are also enjoying tours of the yard as well as of course the wonderful pub hospitality. We are now starting on the Stable Flat which should be ready by the beginning of December. The Stable Flat, like the Lodge will have a double and then an option of a double or two singles. We have been so blown away by the feedback and Emma Welman, Danielle Gorge and Clair Eyres have done an incredible job keeping them looking fantastic. If anyone is interested in supporting the team with the change overs, we are always looking for extra help. We are excited that there has been a lot of interest in the old building yard for industrial lets, if anyone is interested in taking a space please get in touch. We had a wonderful meeting with the Sturminster and Hinton Fishing Club last week. It was incredible that we were discussing a lease that had been drawn up in 1905! The fishing club goes from strength to strength with over 300 members. It is a weird time but an exciting time and there is so much going on going into the winter. Hinton St Mary Estate (Simon Fowler - Fowler Fortescue) Fowler Fortescue are delighted to have been asked by the Pitt Rivers and the Fox Pitts to help with the future management of the Estate at Hinton St Mary. Given challenging times not only with coronavirus but also on the farm there will be plenty to do. Farms are now under pressure to provide the answers to stewardship of the land whilst also producing food in a sustainable way. Measuring carbon use and ecology will be as important in future as the yield of a field of wheat or Barley. The farm already embraces alternative energy with PV panels on the dairy roof and a hydro scheme at Fiddleford and I am sure we will see more development along those lines in the future. Hopefully we can fill the commercial units with exciting businesses which add to the community and at the same time keep up the residential property standards so that residents continue to enjoy village life. News on the Millennium Garden (Gwyn James) You are invited to join a working party meeting in the Millennium Garden on Saturday 7th November, 10:00 – 12:00 a:m The Millennium Garden is in urgent need of an Autumn clear up! We would like to think of this as the beginning of a push to have the garden looking good for the Village Open Gardens 2021 (Covid 19 allowing), as well as ensuring that it remains a community space to be enjoyed by all throughout the year. We appreciate that a number of people have already contributed to the care of the garden over the years. If that is you, please let us know your name, what tasks you have generally done and whether you are happy to continue. This will help with planning for the continued upkeep of the area. New faces will also be very welcome! Please bring your own gardening tools and gardening gloves with you. Wheelbarrows and pruning equipment will be especially useful. This is a list of the basic tasks which we hope to tackle on the day which may help you decide what you can contribute and which tools to bring: Work on the maze to compact the newly laid chalk and help to clear the edges of any overgrown greenery. Weeding the gravel paths. Cleaning and clearing around the seats. General pruning back overgrown shrubs. Pruning the laurel in the orchard area so that we can find the compost bin again! Help to prepare the ornamental bed for more drought resistant planting at some point. The frame of the information board for the mosaic is in need of smartening up. We can provide wood preservative if someone would like to do this. We will also be providing a suggestion box for any ideas on how we can develop and use the garden as a facility for everyone in the village to enjoy. Hand sanitiser will be available and social distancing can be maintained during the session. If you have any information, questions or suggestions please contact: Gwyn James: 473034, 07903280644 ([email protected]). Liz Collins: 07377389453. The Pantry – Stour Connect (Cllr Carole Jones) 01258 472497 / 07968 348481 The Pantry is a food co-operative which will work on membership. It will be for those on a low income and for those in need. Nothing is means-tested, people do not have to be referred, they can simply come along.