Welcome to December’s BV magazine – unbelievably our third festive edition! There’s frankly SO MUCH in this month’s issue, you’ll want to grab a coffee first. Some quick highlights:
- “It’s a b****rs muddle.” A swift look at the baking aisle in your local supermarket will tell you that the UK egg industry is in crisis
- Never been to the races? Me neither … and my first visit to a racecourse – on a windblown and wet November day in Wincanton – wasn’t at all what I expected
- The BV’s Andrew Livingston remembers his mentor, BAFTA-winning writer, chef and, most of all, fisherman Nick Fisher, who passed away this month
- we get a look inside the Gritchie brewery; hidden away in a fold of Cranborne Chase outside Shaftesbury, they show us they are more than just a famous name, they’re crafting a fine reputation
- TV presenter Alice Plunkett takes on the Random 19 questions
- It’s 35 years since Mike and Louise Burks opened Castle Gardens – now their Christmas displays are a staple of the region’s festive calendar. Get to know Mike through his ‘Dorset Island Discs’!
- Self-taught wood-turners 84-year-old Peter Thomas and 70-year-old Trevor Ball have turned retirement into a new career.
Plus there’s the HUGE annual Festive Food & Drink special, the always-fascinating local history, some genius Christmas gift inspiration (gardeners, books, art, crafts, and anyone who eats nice things), wildlife, farming, charity news… why wouldn’t you have a flick through?
We’ll be a week late in January; we’re just off for a little lie down…
