Sam Peters on rugby's dangerous evolution and Rob Nolan's stellar photography

The BV: from the heart of the Blackmore Vale

• Sam Peters, former rugby correspondent at the Mail On Sunday and The Sunday Times and author of Concussed, talks to Terry about the gathering debate around concussion in the sport: 'There was a seismic shift moving from the amateur rugby game in the mid-90s to the pro game in the mid 2000s. The game is completely different to how it looked 30 years ago, and evidence says clearly that the game has never been more dangerous at professional level.'
  Sam's book Concussed: Sport's Uncomfortable Truth has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. You can find it on Amazon here and the audiobook version is on Audible here
• Richard Miles, the dark skies adviser to Dorset's CPRE, looks at how the Blackmore Vale got its name, and the modern effects of light pollution on it's previously dark – or black – nature.
• Terry reads The BV's article on Richard Wakeley, the young Sherborne father who also happens to be a fourth-generation funeral director. After leaving school, Richard worked for the charity Mercy in Action, in the charity’s homes for vulnerable children in the Philippines. ‘That experience was life-changing for me,’ he says. ‘I grew up so much in three years.’ Coming home meant a new direction was required, and a walk on the beach with his dad led him to join the family business: 'It wasn’t like TV’s Succession! Dad wanted it to be a natural progression. This is more of a vocation than a job. You’ve got to want to do it.’
• In a fascinating conversation, the BV's night sky columnist Rob Nolan talks to Jenny about astrophotography, which he switched to during COVID when his landscape photography was curtailed by lockdowns. As well as telling us what to look for in the sky each month, Rob also shares one of his stunning images, which are enjoyed by BV readers. He talks about those amazing images of the far corners of our universe, and how he sets about capturing them.
  If you'd like to see Rob's astrophotography (and we strongly suggest you do), you can find it on the website here https://bvmag.co.uk/DarkSkiesDorset