A SLICE OF DORSET ALL IN ONE DAY
There ’ s never been a better time to discover the glorious local produce that is lovingly crafted right here in Dorset
It ’ s also been a momentous six months for Queen Mother Square , with the unveiling of the Queen Mother Statue last October and the opening of The Duchess of Cornwall Inn . So , what better way to celebrate than by entering foodie heaven at the sixth Dorset Food and Arts Festival this August . Once again , Queen Mother Square will be transformed into a one-day festival drawing crowds from near and far . Food producers from the Dorset Farmers ’ Market and Dorset Food & Drink line the square offering artisan baked goods , farm fresh meats , locally caught lobsters and vegetables dug up that very morning . Last year more than 9,500 people turned out to celebrate the finest produce the county – and possibly the country – has to offer . The festival was launched six years ago when the Dorset Farmers ’ Market came together with The Duchy of Cornwall to plan a free festival .
Since then , the Dorset Food & Arts Festival has gone from strength to strength and every year it raises thousands of pounds for local causes . The 2017 event is all day Saturday 5 August from 9am to 5pm with chefs hosting special cooking demos throughout the day . Live music will play on the stage all day – including local singers and national performers . Celebrity chef Lesley Waters , a proud patron of the day , will be featuring in the demonstration kitchen alongside other top Dorset chefs . New this year will be Dorset Art @ Jubilee Hall . For the first time , the festival will have a major visual arts focus , with paintings , ceramics and photography on show and a demonstration by one of Dorset ' s best known potters . There will also be a display of photographs of projects from the three year South Dorset Ridgeway Partnership , exploring the history , topography and culture of this area , which is full of prehistoric stones and burial sites . Festival chairman Christine Walsh , of The Duchy of Cornwall Poundbury , said : “ This last festival was the biggest festival to date and we are so proud to see the day has such a draw of people from near and far . “ It is a really buzzing day from start to finish and we love working with all the incredible artisan food stalls from all over Dorset . “ As organisers it is a pleasure to see the festival grow each year and meet so many families and local people who come along to spend the day soaking up the atmosphere .” In total the festival has raised more than £ 13,000 for local charities . The festival is run each year by a voluntary committee and kindly sponsored by local businesses .
w www . dorsetfestival . org www . facebook . com / dorsetfestival @ DorsetFestival
26 WWW . CELEBRATINGPOUNDBURY . CO . UK
GREEN
Cornwall before work starts.
Poundbury residents Chris Gandy & Mike Walker were delighted
with the new technology and said: “Having had solar panels in
our previous house, and being very pleased with the much lower
electricity bills, we were determined to install more on our new
house in Poundbury.
“This time we decided to go one better and also have a battery, so
that we could store the power we were not using.
“The team from Wessex ECOEnergy were very helpful and
knowledgeable, and the installation, including the Tesla battery in
the garage, was up and running in a very short time. We are already
producing about a quarter of our energy needs. In the summer we
expect to increase that considerably."
GAME CHANGER FOR
SOLAR STORAGE
Poundbury has Dorchester’s first Solar & Tesla
Powerwall installation
T
he new battery pack, which provides the ability to store
unused solar energy that can be harnessed in the evenings
or at other times when the sun isn’t shining, was installed
by Poundbury based Wessex ECOEnergy.
Director of Wessex ECOEnergy Daniel Cole said: “We
were really pleased to work with this customer to fit the Powerwall in
their home combined with a solar array, the first in Poundbury and
Dorchester."
Duchy Estate Director Ben Murphy said that certain solar systems
are allowed in Poundbury, essentially where they do not face the public
realm, but that residents need to obtain consent from The Duchy of
What is a Tesla Powerwall 2?
Essentially, a home battery that provides the ability to store unused
solar energy. The battery can also be charged by the grid when
energy is cheaper (like economy 7) that can be harnessed in the
evenings or at other times when the sun isn’t shining. The new unit
is sleeker and smaller with double the energy storage capacity at
nearly half the cost per kWh of its predecessor.
Off-Grid, Power Cuts & Off Peak Charging
Some new features are the ability to provide energy in a power
cut, work off-grid and the ability to re-charge the Powerwall when
electricity is cheap.
Technical Spec
The battery’s lithium-ion setup remains the same but it now
incorporates an inverter that is taken from the Tesla cars. The
capacity is listed at 13.2kWh with 100% depth of discharge. The
power is rated at 7kW peak and 5kW continuous. At 125kg and IP
rated the battery can be installed outside or in a garage.
RIDING ON
A HIGH
JOIN THE WORLD’S TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Tesla’s Powerwall 2 Now Available to Pre Order
When your job is your passion, then it clearly shows in
your work. Heidi Gould is an elite cross country mountain
bike rider and one of the owners of Poundbury Cyclesport
on Hessary Street
Charge your Powerwall
when the tariff is cheap.
Off peak tariffs are
66% cheaper.
W
Backup your home.
Protect your home
during a power cut.
Call us for a
home assessment
01305 250429
21 Buttermarket, Poundbury DT1 3AZ
T. 01305 250429 E. [email protected] W. www.wessexecoenergy.com
50 WWW.CELEBRATINGPOUNDBURY.CO.UK
Store solar generated
energy and cut your
energy bills by up to 75%.
hen she’s not training
hard on one of the
many off-road trails
around Poundbury,
Heidi is busy getting
to grips with customers.
Bikes, accessories and clothing festoon the
shop like an Aladdin's cave and who better
to advise on the equipment available. Raised
in Dorchester, Heidi is currently 20th in
the British Cycling rankings for elite cross
country mountain biking.
Having only taken up mountain bike
riding competitively four years ago, Heidi
has a place on the Merida Factory Racing
Team and regularly takes on some of the
best professional riders in the UK.
Making the jump to elite level has meant
Heidi has to train rigorously and is a regular
fixture at cycling events across the country.
“I ride each day and follow a training
programme. It works out at roughly five
to eight hours a week, I also do interval
training using an indoor bike trainer. The
plan for the future is to keep on training,”
says Heidi, 31.
Being based in Poundbury it provides the
perfect backdrop for some great cycling.
“Off-road mountain biking is never far
away and the small roads and lanes of
South-West Dorset call out to be explored
by bicycle. The Dorset scenery and
challenging terrain never disappoints.
“There’s so much wilderness and trails to
find out there with my particular favourites
being Wareham Forest, the Ridgeway and
the coastal paths with breathtaking views
over Portland,” adds Heidi.
Her love of cycling is what has made
Poundbury Cyclesport such a popular
destination in Poundbury. Stepping into the
independent shop and it’s immediately clear
that this is a labour of love.
Opened in March 2010, Heidi and her
partner Darren Matthews have created a
friendly, relaxed hub for cycle enthusiasts or
those new to the highly-popular sport.
With 18 years of experience as a master
wheel builder and cycle mechanic, you
can usually find Darren busy in his open
workshop in the store. Darren also loves
nothing better than cycling be it on a road
or mountain bike and
also competes at a high-level.
Putting the bike equipment through its
paces, they both fully stand behind the
products they sell. A key principle of the
business is to provide something different in
the ever-growing cycling world.
Bringing a touch of the European passion
for cycling, they stock leading specialist
bikes from the continent such as Orbea and
Merida. Not to mention a wide-range of
parts, accessories and clothing with brands
such as Shimano, Lazer, Catlike, Santini
clothing, Oakley sunglasses, schwalbe,
continental and SIS Nutrition.
Heidi and Darren also play a key role in
the local cycling community and have just
started the Poundbury Cyclesport Cycling
Club and provide support and kit to the
nearby CC Weymouth Cycling Club.
Why not get on your bike and find out
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