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July 2021 July 2021

BERE REGIS HISTORY SOCIETY BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND
ENVIRONMENT GROUP
BERE REGIS'S FIRST TIME MACHINE

One hundred years after the restoration of Bere church, The meadow areas at May’s Wood are now at their
which took place between 1873 and 1875, there was a best, so do take a look. There is a wonderful show of
series of celebration events in 1975 and for some unknown Knapweed and other wild flowers such as Ox-eye
reason, the primary school on Rye Hill asked me to build a Daisy. Knapweed can be identified by its thistle-like
time machine to be the focus of a play conducted in the church on the evening purple flowers which bloom from a spherical blackish
of 2nd October 1975 where the child actors played out a time-travelling story to bud. Knapweed is a firm favourite of pollinating
explain to the audience how the church evolved from its earliest incarnation insects, be they bees, butterflies or beetles, the flowers being a source of good
almost one thousand years before that. The script for the play was written by the quality nectar. Later on its seed heads provide plentiful food for many birds. On a
deputy head-master and my father Fred, and I immediately went down Barnes's sunny day you are likely to see clouds of butterflies, including Common Blues,
yard to purchase timber to construct the machine. Small Heath, Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites. Knapweed has many local
names around the country, such as Hard Head, Bachelor's Buttons, Blue Bottle
The time machine was built to resemble a and Iron knobs.
telephone box with double-doors and a flashing
light on the conical-pyramid top. It was sufficiently Some annual flower meadows have also been created at May’s Wood (above
different to Dr Who's Tardis to avoid any legal the school and at the far end of Shitterton). They should be ablaze later this
problems, and the noises for the functioning of the month with the varied colours of traditional cornfield flowers. They include poppy,
machine were tape-recorded from the noise of corn marigold, corn cockle, scentless mary and common toadflax. Do go and
our very early tumble-dryer in the utility-room take a look at these areas and see what you can find. And, if you have a garden,
why not create your own meadow area next year – the insects will really
which made most extraordinary noises when
switched on and off. appreciate it.

About a week before the performance, Dad and I
carried the completed machine down through Souls Moor Ponies and their Conservation Work
the street, him at one end and me at the other. On Souls Moor, the ponies are back and doing a great conservation job once
Nowadays, of course, this would have been an more, helping to create a more diverse and wildlife friendly meadow. Do say
internet sensation, but probably then it was more “hello” to the ponies when you pass, but please do not feed them or approach
a case of "Oh, it's them again". The dress- them and keep dogs on a lead. For those of you concerned for the ponies’
rehearsals went reasonably well, but I did have to welfare, be assured they are regularly checked and they have a plentiful supply
record the noises again so that there wasn't any re of water from the pond.
-winding of the tape needed. Also, I seem to
remember, they wanted parts of the machine re-painted a slightly different
colour, but essentially it was all okay. Orchids
The play went ahead as planned and the actors performed very well, and for One of the plants that has benefited from the grazing regime at Souls Moor is the
each era came out of the machine and imaginatively described the church Southern Marsh Orchid, as pictured.
building in a way which conveyed, each time, the changing structure of the
building. It really was captivating and turned out extremely well for everyone Their numbers have noticeably increased at Souls Moor over the past few years,
involved. I still can't quite understand why I was asked to make the time machine, although still number just a few dozen. As their name suggests they favour damp
but perhaps it was suggested by Bere Regis's premier woodworker who thought ground (as found in parts of Souls Moor) and are found in the south of the UK.
that I was up to the job. They can vary in colour, from pale to dark pink, and grow to a height of 30 to
50cm. The leaves tend to be unmarked whereas the lips of the flower tend to be.
John Pitfield, Project Secretary They flower from June through to late July.

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