The BV Magazine - August 2023

In this issue

• Dorset Council has approved a controversial 190-acre solar farm in the Blackmore Vale – we look at the details • The village of Henstridge is facing 182 new homes – just a few miles down the road to Stalbridge which is currently seeing it’s fifth major development proposal. With access via the already problematic and narrow A357, there are strong concerns about road safety, infrastructure and the impact on the village character • Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show is back! The rural day out is a celebration of community, countryside and tradition – and it’s a feast for the eyes, ears, and taste buds! • In the Trethowans farming section, Andrew Livingston doesn’t have a soapbox, but he happily clambers onto a milk crate to look at the unfair struggle between agriculture and supermarket • Did you know red kite were once a common sight in Elizabethan London? The bird is a popular conservation success story, says Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Jack Clarke, but is still at risk from poisoning • If you’re attending Dorset County Show this year, you might want to stop and see the Dorset Axemen. Mick Percival went from wood-chopping hobbyist to invincible, record-breaking champion – and now he gives spellbinding showground performances • After four decades behind the cameras on some of the UK’s biggest TV drama and film productions – including Paddington, Dr Who, Call the Midwife, Poldark and Grand Designs – Simon Priestman and his wife Karen decided it was time for a change in lifestyle. They bought bought a boutique vineyard in Dorset – and promptly created an award-winning wine