The Dorset Life Podcast

The trout is local, the help is real

It’s a summer feast in this month’s podcast – clear water trout, painted stiles, and the life-changing work of a small but mighty Dorset hub.
Editor’s Letter: When July Sneaks Up on YouLaura reflects on the time-warp that is early summer – one minute you’re reaching for winter gloves, the next, the garden’s a jungle and the fetes have begun.
“Everything feels compressed and stretched at the same time. Days last forever, but weeks vanish without a trace.”
Trout in the Winterbornes
Once a trade secret loved by the UK’s top chefs, world-class trout from Dorset’s quiet Winterborne valley is being championed by a local farmer Justin Frampton of Houghton Springs Trout Farm.  Jenny speaks to justin about the aquifer-fed farm where decades of careful breeding produce exceptional table trout.
“Our water is as clean as you’ll ever get. It comes from 110 feet down – no nitrates, no runoff, just pure spring water.”
Justin explains how the fish are raised without antibiotics, why Dorset trout belongs on every local menu, and how floating solar panels could help make the farm greener still.houghtonspringstroutfarm.co.uk
 
Nine Stiles and a Map Maker: The Stourton Caundle TrailMap maker and heritage advocate Catherine Speakman shares the story behind her joyful community project: nine unique stiles surrounding the village, each one adopted, repaired or decorated by local craftspeople.
“It started with a broken stile and a pot of paint – and ended with bird boxes, engraved stone, QR codes and metal sculpture.”
The project aims to celebrate overlooked corners of Dorset, draw footfall to quiet villages, and reconnect people with the stories in their own landscape.See the trail here https://tessofthevale.com/2025/06/04/the-stourton-caundle-stile-trail/
 
The Dorset Insider: Would You Know What to Do?This month’s Insider offers a personal account of a rural emergency – and a call to action for better preparedness, local awareness, and more community defibrillators.
“Do you know where your local defibrillator is – and how to use it? If not, now’s the time to find out.”
From improving signage and street access to advocating for adaptable housing, it’s a powerful reflection on the small changes that could save lives.
 
The Vale Family Hub: Where Nobody Hears ‘No’Dorset councillor Carol Jones talks about the extraordinary Vale Family Hub in Sturminster Newton – a place that began with food parcels and now offers everything from toddler groups and counselling to youth work and domestic abuse support.
“Our motto is: there’s no such word as no. It’s always – how can we help?”
With over 70% of its volunteers having once needed help themselves, the hub’s success is rooted in compassion, lived experience, and practical action.
 
 
This episode is based on stories from July’s BV, available to read online here https://bvmag.co.uk/Jul25. News, people, places – and beautiful Dorset photography, every single month.
The BV – named 2024's Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette). Always worth your ears.
 

A stray cat called Bentley and the ladies who saved Shakespeare

From restoring Shakespeare’s reputation to composing an anthem for a church tower, June’s podcast is all about hidden stories, unexpected legacies and quiet revolutions. It’s a thoughtful listen – and very Dorset.
Editor’s Letter: A Cat Called Bentley
Laura shares the story of Bentley, the anxious, dribbly, slightly battered cat who has joined the household – and the slow work of rebuilding trust.
“Somebody somewhere has hurt him. So we wait. We let him come to us. And that’s absolutely okay, however long it takes.”
The Shakespeare Ladies Club: Rescuing the Bard
Jenny speaks to Christine and Jonathan Haynesworth, authors of The Shakespeare Ladies Club, about the remarkable group of 18th-century aristocratic women - led by the Countess of Shaftesbury –  who saved Shakespeare from obscurity: and why it mattered.
“His plays were being turned into pantomimes. They knew that without intervention, the originals would simply vanish.”
“These women sat on the stage itself, forcing the audience to behave – and bringing Shakespeare back.”
The Dorset Insider
Our anonymous parish councillor is back – this time questioning why Visit Dorset’s marketing seems to end at Dorchester, and why the north of the county is constantly overlooked.
“If people think there’s something worth stopping for, maybe they’ll actually … stop?”
Windelstán: Music for a Tower
Composer Richard Nye talks to Laura about Windelstán, the anthem he created for the newly restored tower in Mere – and why he included the sounds of old weather vanes, spiral staircases and bells.
“I wanted the tower to have an identity. A personality. It’s watched the town change for centuries.”
This episode is based on stories from June’s BV, available to read online now here https://bvmag.co.uk/June25 . News, people, places – and beautiful Dorset photography, every single month.
The BV – named Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette). Always worth your ears.

An Angry Pom-Pom, Building with Straw, Budgeting with Scissors

From building your dream home out of straw to Dorset Council’s proposed cuts to day care centres, to a fledgling crow who briefly took the internet by storm. May's podcast is as Dorset as ever – practical, thoughtful, and full of heart.
Editor’s Letter: May is the Real New Year
Laura welcomes the season when the long socks are finally left in the drawer, blue glows in the woods, and offers a reminder that now is the time to begin again.
🌿 “Spring makes everything feel lighter. Conversations, to-do lists… even the news. Well, just a smidge.”
Council Cuts and Care Concerns: Jane Somper on Adult Day Centres
Dorset Council is consulting on plans to close five of its adult day centres. Cllr Jane Somper explains why these places matter – especially for carers – and why it appears some closures were based on incomplete information.
“The centres are a lifeline for carers – and we’re asking them to send loved ones to another town with no bus route ... and if there’s a reliance entirely on volunteers, I have real concerns. Volunteers burn out too.”
📝 The public consultation is open until 9th June.
 
Building With Straw: Huff and Puff’s Phil Christopher
Could you live in a house made of straw? Phil Christopher thinks you absolutely should – and no, the Big Bad Wolf couldn’t blow it down.
“Straw grows every year. It’s one of the easiest ways to lock away carbon in buildings. We have everything we need in Dorset to build truly sustainable homes – timber, straw ... even the gravel.”
Phil explains the tech behind breathable, beautiful straw bale homes – and why land costs make self-building almost impossible for anyone under 60.
 
Lazlo the Angry Pom-Pom
When Laura Beddow rescued a fledgling rook named Lazlo, she didn’t expect half a million people to fall in love with him.
“One day he was just sitting in a Portmeirion pot while I made breakfast – the next, he’d gone viral."So many people messaged saying they’d donated – because one small angry bird made them realise how vulnerable wildlife really is.”
❤️ Though Lazlo didn’t survive long, his story raised awareness (and funds) for wild bird rescues across the UK.
This episode is based on articles from May’s BV, available to read here. News, farming, politics, nature, people – and beautiful Dorset photography, every single month.
🎧 The BV – named Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette). Always worth your ears.

Turning 100, farming fury and a fond farewell

This episode will stay with you – from a century of stories told with grace by Jim Freer, to George Hosford’s blistering takedown of government farming policy. It's full of insight, history ... and a fair bit of fury.
Also: it’s the final episode with co-host Terry Bennett. You’ll be missed, Terry.
 
Jim Freer at 100: Halifax Bombers and the Art of Staying Nice
Born in 1925, Jim Freer reflects on a century of life – from engineering and war service to marriage, museum volunteering and village fetes.💬 “Be nice to each other. That’s good advice too.”
From post-war production to RAF mail flights in India, Jim’s story is a calm, thoughtful tour through a remarkable life.
 
 
Farming and Fury: George Hosford on the Collapse of Trust
Dorset farmer George Hosford delivers a scathing and sharply informed assessment of DEFRA’s abrupt shutdown of SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) payments – calling it a disaster for trust, long-term planning, and British food production.🌱 ““You're never farming for today – you're always farming for tomorrow, next year, five years down the line.”🌾 “This isn’t just about money. It’s about trust, soil health, food supply ... the future of farming.”
💥 “I can’t process the scale of this incompetence – it takes my breath away.”
George breaks down what sustainable and regenerative farming really mean, why government schemes mattered, and how political short-termism risks undoing decades of progress.
 
These interviews are based on stories from April’s BV, available online now. Dorset people, Dorset landscapes, and the big stories behind our rural headlines – all in one beautiful, free magazine.
🎧 The BV Podcast – twice a month, always worth your ears. Named Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette).

Eggs, Anger and Artisan Chocolate

Shrinking Easter eggs, three buses and a chocolate artist in WimborneIt’s April, the Easter chocolate’s out (if you can still afford it), and Dorset Council has launched a ‘visionary’ transport plan that gives North Dorset… three Saturday buses. Hurrah?
From grumbles and glorious letters to chocolate-making wizardry, this first episode of the month is warm, witty and quietly furious in all the right places.
Editor’s Letter 
Editor Laura Hitchcock reflects on The BV’s national award shortlist nod, the return of the Glanville foals, and a must-read piece by George Hosford on the collapse of the SFI scheme.“George writes with a barely contained fury that’s impossible to ignore – and entirely justified.”
Letters to the Editor: From Walkers to Farmers
This month’s postbag takes in the White Hart Link, elderly drivers, and the ever-divisive meat tax debate.✅ Readers heap praise on the Dorset Insider✅ Farmers ask not to be demonised for raising livestock✅ Environmentalists say it's time to face the facts✅ A walker wonders why Blandford and Sturminster are skipped by a local trail✅ Margaret F from Milborne Port concurs with last month's letter writer on the risk of elderly relatives driving longer than they should – but fears there's no easy solution: “Until we fix rural transport, we’ll keep having quiet crises on country roads.”
The Grumbler: Three Buses and a Vague Promise
This month's writer of our anonymous column isn’t buying the glossy headlines around Dorset Council’s new transport plan.“North Dorset gets the long-awaited return of three Saturday services. No weekday buses. No evening buses. No progress. Urban voters see improvements. Rural ones see spin.”This is rural Dorset's reality – a county divided by postcode and prioritisation.
Chocolate from Dorset
Dan Crossman and Anna Rakasa of The Little House artisan chocolatiers in Wimborne share the realities of running a luxury business in a time of cocoa chaos.“Three years ago, we paid £70 for 10kg of chocolate. Now it’s £170.” – Dan“We matched flavours and colours to women in history – a chocolate homage.” – Anna
From flavour alchemy to corporate commissions in bespoke colours, this duo are flying the flag for creative, sustainable Dorset chocolate – one beautiful Bon Bon at a time.“We pause production in summer – our workshop isn’t air conditioned, and chocolate is fussy.”thelittlehousedorset.com
These stories are all based on pieces from April’s BV, available to read online here. News, farming, art, food, politics, wildlife, letters, horses – and photography that’ll make you pause.
The BV: Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette) 2024. Free to read, packed with Dorset, and impossible to put down.

Have a coffee, find a friend

Buses, beans and baby groups – March’s second BV Podcast has it allThis one’s a quietly powerful listen – tackling public transport failures and the remarkable transformation of a warehouse into a buzzing family hub. We have three very different conversations, all rooted in the same thing: Dorset community.
Pop it on in the background – between the chocolate and the chaos, you might just find yourself unexpectedly inspired.
 
 
No Bus for 10 Years – and No Plan Yet
Jes Hughes of Dorset CPRE explains why Dorset’s public transport system is one of the worst in the UK – and why it’s dragging down everything from job opportunities to mental health.🚌 “If public transport were a species, it would be classed as highly endangered.” – Jes Hughes🌍 “Without a car, living in rural Dorset is well nigh impossible – and the system is quietly eroding community life.”
He calls for shared car schemes, stronger government investment and a joined-up council approach that takes rural needs seriously.📉 “Public transport returns four times more value than investing in roads alone – so why aren’t we funding it?”
 
 
The Vale Family Hub – More Than Just a Food Pantry
Cllr Carole Jones shares the inspiring story of how a modest food pantry in Sturminster Newton became the main Family Hub for North Dorset – now supporting over 360 families with affordable food, mental health help, and everything from homework corners to domestic abuse support.💬 “If someone’s in food poverty, that’s not the problem – it’s a symptom of something else going wrong.” – Carole Jones☕ “Come in. Have a coffee. Watch the kids play. Find a friend. We’re here for everyone.”
It’s an extraordinary achievement – 24 vital services, open six days a week, funded almost entirely by local donations and grant-writing graft.
 
 
Chocolate, Climate and Cocoa Chaos
As cocoa prices soar, local chocolatier Johnny Baxter of Dorset Chocolate reflects on why quality chocolate is under threat – and why some small makers are already disappearing.🍫 “We’ve seen the price of cocoa quadruple – and it’s not just the weather. It’s traders, plantations, and fear.” – Johnny Baxter⚙️ “We’re not cutting quality – we’re creating new things instead. Fudge, caramels, local cream. We’re makers. That’s what we do.”
Despite market chaos, Johnny remains determined to keep Dorset’s chocolate-making tradition alive – and maybe even reimagine it.
 
 
These interviews were based on articles from March’s BV, which you can read for free online here. People, politics, farming, food, wildlife and plenty of Dorset spirit – all packed into one beautiful magazine.
The BV: Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette) 2024. If it matters to Dorset, it’s in here.

25 Years, 3,000 Missions: The Dorset Air Ambulance

There’s a lot in this one – from letters on elderly drivers and dodgy photo competition terms to powerful columns on Trump, planning law, and… beavers. (Still beavering away, apparently.)
But the heartbeat of this episode? The awe-inspiring work of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, celebrating 25 years of saving lives. If you think it’s ‘just’ a helicopter, think again.
“We’re essentially bringing hospital-level care to the roadside – and it’s made possible by ordinary people giving a fiver a month.”
🎧 Tune in while you tidy the kitchen or walk the dog – your brain (and your heart) will thank you.
Powered by People: Laura’s Letter from the Editor
Laura Hitchcock opens with reflections on the turquoise-tinted national protest against uncredited AI use – and celebrates how this month’s issue was quite literally built by human generosity and connection.🧠 “AI is just a tool. The real debate isn't about what it can do – it’s what it should do.” – Laura Hitchcock
 
Letters to the Editor:
From the heartbreaking to the hilarious, the letters this month cover:✅ The last bank leaving town – and the isolation it brings✅ Elderly drivers – and how to have that conversation✅ The real cost of ‘free’ photo contests✅ Greenwashing land grabs✅ Calls for more from Mike H’s musical memoir🔥 “Taking away the keys is taking away their independence – but safety has to come first.” – Joanna Spencer
 
Political Perspectives:
Simon Hoare MP warns of NATO instability in a new Trump era, urging the UK to hold firm against bullies.🗣️ “To end the fighting is easy. Russia has only to withdraw her troops.” – Simon Hoare
Ken Huggins tackles the alarming Wessex Water case, where a campaigner was sued for withholding payment after repeated sewage failures.💧 “If you pay someone to do a job and they don’t do it – should you still have to pay?” – Ken Huggins
Gary Jackson explores military readiness, Trump’s performative politics, and why Europe must ‘smell the coffee’.⚠️ “A virtual presence is an actual absence.” – Gary Jackson
Edward Morello celebrates Dorset’s overlooked heroines – and calls for more visible tributes.🗿 “This is not just about stone and metal. It’s about the stories we choose to tell.” – Edward Morello
 
Feature Interview: 25 Years of the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance
Charles Hackett, CEO of the DSAA, joins Terry to reveal what it really takes to run this life-saving service. Spoiler: it’s a lot more than a helicopter.🚁 From 0 to nearly 3,000 missions a year, the DSAA is now a flying ICU, operating 19 hours a day and funded entirely by donations.🌟 “We’re essentially bringing hospital-level care to the roadside – and it’s made possible by ordinary people giving a fiver a month.” – Charles Hackett🎯 “One of the biggest ways people can help save lives is learning CPR – it makes a vast difference.”
The Dorset Insider: Build, Baby, Build
This month’s anonymous column lifts the lid on the chaos brewing in Dorset planning policy. With 54,000+ new homes on the way and pressure from Westminster, local voices are being pushed aside.🏘️ “Parish councils are sidelined in major developments, treated with far less respect or status than they should have.”🛠️ “Neighbourhood plans mean nothing when a big development is on the way – but we’re still told to make them.”💬 “A field of 1,300 souls, now facing 94 more houses. The GPs and schools can’t cope, and no one asked us.”
These interviews and features were based on articles from March’s BV – available now. Read the full issue for more voices, news, arts, farming, horses, and your favourite local chaos – beautifully photographed and 100% Dorset.
Did we mention it’s free?
📰 The BV: named Best Regional Publication in the UK (ACE Awards) and Regional News Site of the Year (Press Gazette) in 2024. You’d be mad to miss it.

A very boring BV podcast (that isn’t)

Do you know what’s tricky? Making three deeply interesting interviews sound like they’re worth your time, when they’re about ‘eating healthily, loans for home improvements and the old planning vs wildlife chestnut’. SEE? Don’t tell me your brain didn’t just switch off a bit, because I know it did. 
But hosts Terry Bennett and Jenny Devitt have done a brilliant job – it’s an admittedly eclectic mix of three wildly knowledgeable and informative guests. But just press play in the kitchen while you do the washing up, or you take the dog for a walk. Because this is such a great episode – even if it IS about the downside of too much vitamin C (ick), council-backed affordable home loans (interesting AND super-useful) and where and how we’re building in Dorset (so. much. to. say).
 
Can Food Really Prevent Colds?
Nutritional therapist Karen Geary is always fascinating as she shares her expert advice. This month she's looking at how to support your immune system through what you eat. From gut health and fiber intake to the role of Vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin D, Karen explains how small changes can make a big difference in keeping winter colds at bay.
💡 “70% of your immune system resides in your gut—so if you're not taking care of it, you're missing a huge piece of the puzzle.” – Karen Geary
She also busts common myths about supplements, revealing why many over-the-counter vitamins don’t work as advertised – and what to look for instead.
The Grumbler: Are Green Policies Just Land Grabs?
This month’s anonymous Grumbler column takes aim at government environmental policies, calling out the contradictions between expanding Heathrow Airport while pushing carbon offset schemes that take farmland out of food production.
🔥 “We should be growing food, not exporting our emissions with bad offset schemes.” – The Grumbler
The column questions whether the government is prioritizing PR-friendly initiatives over real climate solutions and what that could mean for rural communities.
 
 
Low-cost council-funded loans to help with those much-needed home improvements
CEO Emma Lower of Lendology explains how the social enterprise lender is helping homeowners secure low-interest loans for home improvements – from solar panels and heat pumps to insulation, double glazing and roof repairs.
🏡 “Unlike traditional lenders, we offer the same interest rate to everyone – so more homeowners can afford to go green.” – Emma Lower
With local councils backing these loans, they are able to offer exceptionally rates and bespoke terms, so that more Dorset residents can access funding to make their homes warmer, more energy-efficient, and better for the environment.
 
 
Wildlife vs. Housing: Can Dorset Have Both?
In a deeply interesting interview, Imogen Davenport of the Dorset Wildlife Trust discusses how housing developments can coexist with nature – but only if environmental planning is a priority from the start.
🏡 “in the old system, our local authorities argued successfully that because of the green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Pool, the heathland around them, our significant areas of National Landscape, our highly protected Jurassic Coast, various other ancient hill forts and protected sites … together add up to be something that makes it significantly difficult to deliver these housing numbers. And that had been accepted, which is why our numbers were that much lower. So it’s not to say we can’t, but it’s where these houses can go without causing damage.” – Imogen Davenport
She highlights why bad planning leads to unnecessary environmental damage and how better green infrastructure, protected green spaces, and smarter site selection can create wildlife-friendly communities.
 
 
 
These interviews were based on articles found in February's BV, which can be read here … grab a coffee and jump in to the Dorset-ness. News, opinion, people, wildlife, art, farming, what’s on, horses … and frankly stunning photography.
Did we mention it’s FREE?
The BV is Dorset’s go-to magazine – named ‘Best Regional Publication in the UK’ (ACE Awards) and ‘Regional News Site of the Year’ (Press Gazette) in 2024. Brimming with Dorset’s people and places, it’s too good to miss!