Ode to a New Year's Run

T'was a cold and frosty morning, but the sun was shining bright

As we drove into Sturminster, it was a true delight.

Cars from all parts North and South

And from the East and West, they all came to Sturminster.

A road run was their quest

Austin, Morris, Rover there were quite a few,

Fords, Hiillmans and MGs lined up behind the queue.

There were cars of every make and type

All waiting for the off:

Even an Aston Martin waited to lift off.

There were cars of different colours,

Red, Blue, Green and Black,

Even a pink BMW

Had turned up for the crack.

The run was for a purpose,

One of great respect -

Supporting our Air Ambulance

To whom we owe a debt

A little girl called Ellie

Flagged the cars away,

On a run of 40 miles

Around Dorset's highways

Our destination was the Fox

In Anstys' lovely vale;

Good food and drink was had by all

To end a perfect day

So thanks to all who drove,

To all who gave their time,

To Phillip Hart who sponsored us,

You all are very kind.

On thousand, two hundred and seventy pounds

Was what we all have raised

To keep Air Ambulance in the sky

And maybe save our lives.

Len Melling by e-mail

Where's the logic

The title "Illogical cowpats", at the top of last week's letters was illogical in itself. Cowpats have very little to do with the methane produced by ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. These animals in fact produce methane within their rather complicated stomach set ups, of which the rumen is simply part. Their food undergoes a system of enteric fermentation within these stomach chambers, mainly due to some very specific bacteria (methanogens). A bi-product of this process is methane gas, which the animals actually get rid of via the mouth by eructation or exhalation, this amounts to in excess of 90% of the methane produced by an animal The remaining CH4 produced is in fact expressed as flatulence from the other end. While the actual urine and faeces mostly undergo oxidation, on or in the soil in aerobic conditions, forming nitrates, carbon dioxide and water. All three of these products are in fact taken up after a time, by the grass swards that the animals graze.

The problem from methane, where ruminants are concerned, is because it is actually formed directly as a gas, as a natural part of the life cycle for these animals, from their natural food source grass and its derivatives, hay, silage and haylage. It is possible to feed rations to ruminants which can reduce the methane production, thereby limiting their intake of grass and its derivatives, but this is expensive and "unnatural".

Now methane as a green house gas is much rarer in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, 2 p.p.m. compared with 380 p.p.m. However methane as a greenhouse gas is twenty five times more effective than carbon dioxide, and since there are huge amounts of methane hydrates beneath the oceans, frozen bogs and other permafrost situations, methane could be a serious problem of the future. What agriculture is producing now is only a very small part of what could be a real threat in the future. Even so in the USA methane from agriculture forms some 1.9% of that country's green house gas emissions.

What can be done to counteract these methane emissions now? Changing the ruminants diets has been mentioned already, but this not really an alternative. Therefore the answer has to be to reduce the numbers of cattle, sheep and goats actually farmed. What is wrong with having a partial vegetarian diet? Soya beans are already grown extensively and are included in many livestock rations, as well as in such products as soya-milk, quorn (meat substitute) for human consumption. Perhaps we ought to mention here, that soya milk should not be used to make rice puddings, since rice, paddy fields are themselves an abundant form of gaseous methane, because of the anaerobic conditions in the rotting, vegetative conditions under the water. So with beef and lamb, we have to eliminate rice from our diets, if grown in the traditional paddy fields.

As for creating unemployment by getting rid of livestock or reducing their numbers, this is not really the case, as intensive arable farming is or can be very labour intensive, while livestock units are becoming less and less labour intensive. Most dairy herds would have 100 cows per man on average, with sheep flocks of many hundreds of animals in the charge of one shepherd. It must be remembered though, that much of the land used for grazing would be unsuitable for arable farming, being too inaccessible, too stony, too far from a suitable market etc. etc.

However the use of dairy cows to produce suitable milk for our tea, coffee and cereals in the morning is not so easy to replace. Soya milk in coffee is a no, no as far as I am concerned; but I don't mind drinking my coffee black. However I love my morning cereal with cows' milk; could I get used to using soya milk? I don't know, but I believe we must all make sacrifices in the future. If we do continue using dairy milk, there will of course be dairy bull calves produced, which are very poor performers when it comes to beef production. In fact, with the general public's demand for higher and higher quality in meat, as in all other products, we must foresee that in the future many bull calves born to dairy cows, will be slaughtered soon after birth and used for alternative purposes such as pet foods and meat and bone meal, as some already are.

If we are to save our planet for future generations we have to change our lifestyles and I say this as a meat eater, a lover of milky drinks and cereals and a driver of a 4x4, but I hope all in moderation.

Ted Cox by e-mail

More people-friendly please

When I saw the artist's impression of the new shopping are in Charles Street, Dorchester in the 11th December edition of the BVM I could not but be reminded of the dreary developments of the 1960s and 1970s. There were no trees, no planters, nothing to be gained from the whole thing being outside rather than covered. Also I suspect it will be incredibly noisy and echoing, like a canyon. The council and librarians look as if they will be pleasantly housed but the poor shoppers will not enjoy their experiences a bit.

I hope it is not too late for Dorset County Council to tell Simons Development to have another go and redesign Charles Street in a far more people-friendly way.

It would be very interesting to read about other people's opinions.

Joanna Clark, Sherborne

Silton wind farm

As a former resident of Silton whose ancestors lived in and around the village for over 400 hundred years, I would like to comment.

When a previous correspondent aw the 41 wind turbines on the Continent he did not say if they were in a village. No comment was made on the fact that any continues noise no matter how pleasant will eventually become an irritant to most people; the value of property will plummet and may become worthless. The village will be destroyed.

The correct place for these turbines is a few miles east on the Mere downs, out of sight and in a far better wind flow.

As far as power is concerned the river Stour could produce as much if not more than is required locally. Reinstate the water wheels and you will have a constant supply of electricity along the course of the river. As a boy I can remember the water wheel at Stour head by the rock arch, another one about a mile downstream followed by one at pen mill at pencilwood,the large water wheel at the old foundry at Bourton followed by mills at Silton, Milton on stour,Gillingham ect all using the same water.

The writer of this letter seems to indicate that power will be in short supply. What about hydrogen? The world is swimming in it. All it needs is the political will to commence the changeover. I will refer the writer to the motoring section of The Telegraph 9th December 2009 - hydrogen future fuel cell technology.

Anthony Burpitt by e-mail

Hayter family

Just before Christmas I received a phone call from a lady researching the Hayter Family. I must apologise in not returning her call (it was Christmas Eve) and now I have lost her number. If she would care to call again I will attempt to let her have the information, if I have it. We are well spread out around the world.

C Bowie, Wincanton

Wrong name

I was very impressed with the picture of the South West & Wilts Hunt's Boxing Day Meet on the cover of the 1st January edition, however you could have spelt the name of the Hunt Master correctly – Adam Waugh.. He comes from a rather famous family, particularly in the publishing world !

Paul Knocker, East Knoyle

Ed: note. Our sincere apologies.

Oliver's so right

Congratulations to Oliver Dowding on another excellent article and of course he is so right regarding the vitamin deficiency in our soils through sixty years use of oil based nitrogen products sucking all the goodness out of the land, together with other essential trace elements.

He is also so right to highlight the dangers of genetically engineering crops, which will merely exacerbate the problem. We only hope all involved in food production will read and take aboard what he is saying but sadly it is going to be very difficult to turn around the thinking that has been indoctrinated by agricultural colleges and expounded by the NFU ever since the 1950s when the likes of I were working at ICI and were only doing what the government exhorted us to do. DEFRA continue down this dangerous road.

When asked what we are giving up for New Year we tend to reply anything

that is not organically grown. When people say isn't that going to

cost more we say: "Eat better, eat less".

Bill Woodhouse, Mappowder, Dorset

Refuse fiasco

Last year I read via BVM of the problem with vermin in Gillingham.

Well the fiasco of refuse collection over this Christmas holiday can only cause a resurgence of vermin numbers with bin collection once in four weeks.

As far as I can tell reading the BVM all other areas had alternate dates for collection except for Gillingham.

As I said to the council "a really, really, poor service" with bags of rubbish split open by cats/foxes strewn all over the streets.

Graham Hart, Gillingham

Fairer charter for women

I read Jenny Dwyer's article "Educating Girls" (BVM 1st January) with interest and in particular educationalists and a Doctor of Medicine's ideas on what higher education will wrought in those women and how men will view them. It inferred that educated women would not make good wives or mothers.

The Head's comments on women "having it all but not the pressure to have it all at the same time" in defence of educating women in good sense.

I have long been of the opinion that it is a great sadness that some women have to continue working rather than having the choice to remain at home with their baby.

The financial hardship only came about when banks and building societies started taking two incomes into account when allocating mortgages. The result was disasterous. Prices of property doubled and women were caught in the tangled web of having to choose between home and baby.

If banks and building societies reversed their decision in the current climate it would provide a fairer charter for women of the future, release more occupational opportunities for the unemployed and give children the right to be brought up by their mothers.

There will be howls of protest at my suggestions by feminists and those who would find themselves caught up in negative equity (although they did sign up for this disadvantaged, to my mind, way of life.)

At the beginning of the last century people's life expectancy was only the late forties and if society doesn't put a stop to this unfair expectation of women could we see a return to early 20th century statistics in spite of contraception and medical advances?

Abigail Kelly, Shaftesbury

Many thanks

I fell in Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton on Sunday 20th December and would like to thank the kind gentlemen who came to my assistance.

Name and address supplied

On the morning of 23rd December I slipped on the icy pavement in Gillingham High Street and two ladies helped me to my feet. A young lady from the charity shop opposite also came to my aid and helped me into the shop for a sit down. One of the ladies who picked me up came into the shop and offered to drive me home - this she did and because my driveway was covered in ice she spread towels from the boot of her car across the drive and down the path to my back door.

I do not know how I would have managed without her. She told me she lived in Mere but I do not know her name or full address and would like to thank her and the other ladies so much - their kindness was without equal and I am so very grateful to each of them - true Christian spirit showed forth on that day.

Betty Hill, Gillingham

Can you help?

I parked in Sherborne car park behind the Telephone Exchange below Somerfields on Friday 18th December from 13:45 to 15:30. During this period some person in their vehicle hit my car creating a significant amount of damage to the front wing, passengers door and rear door.

Please did anyone witness and record the details of this incident? Please contact me, Colin Jacobs on 07767205002.

Thanks to supporters

We would like to thank everybody who supported the Naomi House Christmas Shop in Blandford this year.We would also like to say thank you for the very generous donated goods received at the shop.

Thanks is also due to Reg and Jill Budd of The Forum Cafe for providing the premises rent free, also to Jill's friend, Sandie for making the beautiful Gingerbread House cake which was raffled in the Cafe with other items  donated by Jill. Thanks also to Hall & Woodhouse for their offer of premises after we had accepted Reg and Jill's offer.

Supporters told us that they were pleased to see the shop back in Blandford again this year. We sincerely hope to obtain premises next Christmas and ask everyone for their help and assistance.

Also, thanks to the BVM for their help in securing premises this Christmas.

Lloyds TSB Shaftesbury once again provided their foyer for our Christmas shop and for this we are very grateful.

Finally, thanks to all our supporters in Shaftesbury and to Pete Capel for making the Doll's House.

Joyce Thomson, chairman Blandford and Shaftesbury Friends of Naomi House Children's Hospice

How shortsighted

With recycling top of South Somerset's agenda it seems quite incredible that they are to shortly remove a number of recycling centres around the area.

As a constant user of the one in the Castle Cary car park I cannot believe how shortsighted some of our councillors must be. I presume that they are unaware that this centre is in constant use and the bins are always full, a sign that it is well used. The units are centrally situated and are ideal for both young and old. I trust that the council will reconsidered their decision which seems to go totally against their green policy.

Godfrey Hall, Castle Cary