There’s a frightening amount of spooky goings on for Halloween, with events over two weeks. From October 19 until November 4 at 10am Minterne Gardens’ Halloween Trails are back, and this year will be the best yet! Embark on a magical, spine-chilling adventure through 27 acres of the enchanting Himalayan gardens, where surprises lurk around […]

As Britain’s failing prison system continues to make headlines, a talk by ex prison governor and Home Office official Ian Acheson at Bridport Literary Festival next month couldn’t be more timely. With expertise in security, safety, and reform, Mr Acheson leads the Counter Extremism Project’s research on Islamist extremism, risk management, de-radicalisation, and reintegration of […]

The Crown Jewels will be on display at a special evening opening at The Dorset Museum. No, not those Crown Jewels, but those of a horde of naked history…er… buffs. There’s a special deal for British Naturism members, at £16 for the event, on Tuesday, September 17 from 6.30pm till 10.30pm. It’s £20 for non-members. […]

Our illustrious cartoonist Lyndon Wall has created this Roald Dahl inspired front cover of September’s edition of the West Dorset Magazine, especially for the Dorset County Show. Miranda and I, depicted as The Twits, along with Lyndon and a medley of family members, will be at the show on both days, Saturday and Sunday, September […]

This is the gnarly face of the Green Man who was found lurking in Thorncombe Woods by 12-year-old Spencer, who spotted him when out walking with his grandparents. While most images of the Green Man are sculpted, particularly those in churches, or carved in trees, this character looks like he has grown naturally over time, […]

We have been overwhelmed with the response to our July competition for a £40 voucher courtesy of Dorchester BID. There can only be one winner, and from hundreds of entrants to The West Dorset Magazine’s competition it’s Michael Kent from Bothenhampton, who correctly stated that BID stands for Business Improvement District. And now he has […]

By Dan Goater One of the largest battery storage facilities in the world will be built just outside Weymouth after the controversial proposal got the go ahead. Dorset councillors approved Statera Energy’s plan to begin building the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at East Chickerell Court Farm, south of Coldharbour. The facility will include some […]

The effervescent four-time Olympic eventing champion Eric Smiley will be galloping into Whitchurch Canonicorum village hall at 7pm on July 12 to give an insider’s view of the Olympic Games in aid of The Friends of St Candida. Eric, who lives in the village, is a famous face in the horse world, and a popular […]

A man who spent more than 17 years in prison for a brutal rape he did not commit is finally free and healing – slowly – thanks to a Bridport lawyer and the peace and tranquillity of his adopted Dorset home. In what the Justice Secretary described as ‘an atrocious miscarriage of justice’ Andy Malkinson, […]

Members of the recently formed West Bay Swimmers Action Group, which campaigns to improve water quality in our rivers and seas, assembled on East Beach to protest about sewage pollution in the sea. The action was part of the Great Big Green Week, organised by Friends of the Earth. Current legislation requires water companies to […]

The new University Centre at Kingston Maurward has been opened by Countryfile presenter Adam Henson. The college’s principal and chief executive Luke Rake said: “A proud day for me as leader of Kingston Maurward – over the last three years, we’ve built a new Higher Education Building, gained formal University Centre status from the DfE, […]

Weldmar Hospicecare raised a staggering £316,846 in its Making Every Moment Matter crowdfunding campaign after an ‘overwhelming response’. The 30-hour marathon smashed its £250,000 target and raised the highest total of any appeal since the launch of the charity. A number of generous donors and trusts contributed to a match fund, which allowed donations from […]

Matt Rashleigh is well known to Dorchester car booters, with boxes and boxes of useful items piled high at bargain prices. But what the booters don’t know is that Matt has a degree in fine art and has been buying and selling antiques since he was 12. The boot sale bargains are just a fraction […]

The High Court has dismissed a judicial review which argued that Dorset Council has the power to enforce planning rules over the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland. Lawyers for Carralyn Parkes said their client is “disappointed that a loophole continues to exist” whereby the Home Office can “avoid” local authority oversight of its use of […]

Thrilled Nicola Childs from Beaminster has won our John Bright Country Stores competition. Nicola chose the store shed on offer in our competition after counting the wooden fences, hidden among 96 pages. “I was absolutely shocked when I was told I had won,” she said. “This was the first competition I have entered in years, […]

Eighty years ago, Beaminster’s Royal British Legion President Tony Greenham was just eight. But he vividly remembers the stillness after the soldiers left Beaminster on D-Day. He then lived at Pattle (now Eggardon Close). He remembers soldiers being billeted all over the town – their HQ was at Parnham House. He said: “I remember the […]

Fears have been raised that a huge housing development in Piddletrenthide will happen after a multi-million-pound purchase of the 827-acre Lyscombe Farm by Dorset Wildlife Trust and Natural England. The acquisition of the 827 acres of chalk downland and farmland was the most expensive land purchase in the history of Dorset Wildlife Trust and made […]

A village of just 100 people has managed to raise £12,500 towards a permanent memorial to RAF personnel who were based there during the Second World War. A £22,000 project to install a new stained window at Warmwell church is underway, with the remaining money to be raised at a series of talks and fundraising […]

Volunteers are urgently needed to keep the community shop in the heart of Bishops Caundle open at weekends. Bishops Caundle Village Store is run for the community by the community and relies ‘heavily’ on volunteers for support. The shop opens every day, serving villagers with a good supply of newspapers, a bountiful supply of food, […]

West Dorset villagers are preparing to celebrate 1,000 years of community and heritage with a series of events throughout the year. Wheels were set in motion last year to recognise and celebrate that 1,000 years ago in 1024 King Canute wrote a charter giving the area known as Porteshamme to his manservant Orc. Stored in […]

Sherborne welcomed 140 delegates from 24 partner towns, each a different EU country, to the Douzelage General Meeting, an annual meeting which takes place in a different country every year. The local committee of Sherborne Douzelage produced a comprehensive programme of meetings, workshops, musical entertainment and excursions exploring the Dorset landscape to connect with nature. […]

Feeling peckish? We have glad tidings! Weymouth restaurants are offering a simply scrumptious set of dining out offers for two weeks in May – see details opposite. This FEAST fortnight is running from May 10-24 at 12 venues around Weymouth, with a wide range of cuisines to try, from French to Turkish to Indian and […]

“Beware the quiet man. For while others speak, he watches. And while others act, he plans. And when they finally rest… he strikes.” Anon West Dorset’s MP Chris Loder is about as far from the constituency’s usual politician as it’s possible to be. He grew up in an ordinary farming family in Folke, near Sherborne, […]

“You can’t get a tattoo, you can’t drink – you can’t even buy Tippex under 18,” says a Women of Dorset spokesman. “Yet you can be referred to a gender identity clinic and given irreversible drugs to stop puberty, compromise your ability to have children and affect the rest of your life.” A Dorchester mum […]

A stylish summer awaits Marion Toucher from Bridport, who has won the stunning Zest Jasmine Folding Chair after winning The West Dorset Magazine’s Mother’s Day competition in association with Groves Nursery and Garden Centre. Eagle-eyed Marion, who along with her husband Tom retired to Bridport 28 years ago, counted our brightly coloured bouquets in February’s […]

Hopes to bring the once iconic carnival back to Weymouth in August have been dashed. The Weymouth Carnival Committee, formed in 2022, needed to raise £100,000. But they have been unable to secure the necessary approvals and funding to resurrect the colourful cavalcade, which dates back to 1856. Kallum Gethins, director and chairman, said: “I […]

An application by local water campaigners for Church Beach in Lyme Regis to be re-designated as a bathing beach has been approved to go to the next stage. The River Lim Action group had to show at least 100 people swam at the beach each day in season, to convince Defra to consider the site […]

A charity which has provided social care and support to adults and young people with learning disabilities and mental health needs for more than 32 years across Dorset has launched an appeal to provide wheelchair- accessible picnic benches for public areas. Encompass Care, based in Poundbury, was initially being established to support people out of […]

It’s a crying shame! Champion town crier Alistair Chisholm, who has been proclaiming and pontificating his way rather noisily around Dorchester for the past 27 years, is hanging up his bell and his tricorn hat. Now the hunt is on for his successor – but you’ll have to get in quick, as entries close on […]

A few days before Christmas, my esteemed editor Miranda and I had the pleasure of a very leisurely lunch at the home of our illustrious cartoonist Lyndon Wall, who has been toting the WDM pencil since we launched two years ago. We felt it was about time we celebrated the work of this prolific and […]

A much-loved, historic village pub could reopen in April, more than a year after it was purchased by a couple of pub enthusiasts. Tessa and Julian Blundy are in their late 60s and have a passion for pubs. They took on the Bottle Inn in Marshwood last February, after it had been closed for four […]

A giant sea monster – possibly the most powerful ever discovered – is now on display after being painstakingly dug out of the Jurassic coast over three weeks. The pliosaur, which had 130 teeth and whose jaws were twice as powerful as a crocodile, was discovered by fossil enthusiast Phil Jacobs, 69, of West Bexington […]

A new drama which aired on national television last week exposing the Post Office scandal that ruined hundreds of lives has a particular significance for Tracey Merritt – once postmistress at Yetminster and Chetnole. Tracey, 56, had worked for the Post Office for six years when she was investigated for fraud – being locked in […]

A grandmother from Sherborne will be celebrating Christmas with a stunning six-foot tree after winning The West Dorset Magazine’s competition in association with Groves Nurseries. Lucky Daphne Langdon, who was born on Christmas Eve, was delighted to hear she had found the eight reindeer hidden in the pages of our November edition. And as such […]

Citizens Advice staff say they are now dealing with cases of destitution – not just poverty – in the Dorchester area. A recent open meeting of Dorchester Poverty Action heard from Caroline Buxton of Citizens Advice, who said some people are now having to make “really difficult decisions” about whether to eat, heat their homes […]

A 16th century pub which suffered a devastating fire but was rebuilt before being hit by covid has closed, after its owners were left with ‘no other option’. Chideock’s The Clock was rebuilt after the blaze, in April 2015, gutted the building. A chimney fire caught the thatched roof and despite the best efforts of […]

A charity tractor parade is being held this weekend – with a stream of festively-lit vehicles trundling through the villages. Anyone who would like to join the parade can do so for a £10 entry fee. Meet at 165-179 Roke Road, Milborne St. Andrew, BH20 7JF – What3Words surveyors.courier.canines from 2.30pm (last entry at 3.30pm). […]

Nature’s Calendar has recorded the biggest crop of Hawthorn berries since records began. Hedgerows and woodlands across Dorset are awash with haws, attracting a constant stream of birds who are feasting on this year’s bumper crop. Nature’s Calendar recorders have given this year’s crop a 4.2 on the fruit scale, a score deemed as ‘exceptional’ […]

Mary Kahn, the founder of Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support, has been honoured with the distinguished Points of Light Award by the Prime Minister’s Office for her exceptional dedication and outstanding contributions to the community. The award, launched by Queen Elizabeth II, is testament to Mary’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of cancer patients […]

Five community groups and charities were presented with cheques totalling £3,000 at West Dorset Vintage Tractor & Stationary Engine Club’s (WDVTSEC) October meeting at Dorchester’s Colliton Club. The money was raised at this summer’s annual West Dorset Vintage Rally held at West Bay – a vintage vehicle buff’s chance to indulge in all sorts of […]

A Portland town councillor is ‘reluctantly’ taking Dorset Council to court after a judge ruled it was the authority’s responsibility to ensure the Bibby Stockholm barge had the correct planning permission. Island mayor Carralyn Parkes, who is bringing the action as a private citizen, tried to take the Home Office to court over its decision […]

Volunteers have stepped up to turn a rural Dorset chapel into their village’s ‘Other Public House’. Since February, Uploders Methodist Chapel has been opening once a week for Post Office staff to offer counter services to locals. But chapel volunteers and co-ordinators are now seeing the venue grow into more than just a part-time Post […]

A couple who launched their print business a month before the first covid lockdown, but battled back to win a business award have opened new premises with an expanded offering. David and Juanita Prince moved from South Africa and took over Dorchester’s main Post Office in Trinity Street in 2018. They bought Sprint Signs in […]

Weymouth pensioner Bob Roberts has swum into the record books as part of the oldest team to swim the Channel – after an attempt last year ended in a row over the rules. Bob, 75, joined a six-strong team with an average age of over 77 to clinch the record. Last year, Bob was one […]

A celebratory tractor run and raffle raised £1,172 for the Caundle Marsh community. Some 55 tractors assembled on Hiscocks’ farm off the A3030 earlier this month for the fundraising event. Organised by the Caundle Marsh Parochial Church Council and led by James and Di Hiscock, the event saw drivers and other workers lining up for […]

A legal fight to stop the Bibby Stockholm being used as migrant accommodation was being heard in London’s Royal Courts of Justice as we went to press, after a donation from Dame Vanessa Redgrave got the fund over £25,000. If the case, launched by Portland’s mayor Carralyn Parkes, is approved it goes on to judicial […]

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters? We suggest calling several hundred mates, and head for Dorchester’s Brewery Square donning a white sheet each – ones you don’t mind cutting eye holes in. The shopping and leisure precinct, flanked by the historic Eldridge Pope Brewery buildings, is set to become the venue for a spooky world record […]

Chesil residents are being urged to go to the polls to have a say on future development plans. The Chesil Bank Neighbourhood Plan referendum will be held on September 28 with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm. People must be registered to vote by September 12 and photo ID is now required at polling […]

A rare Roman coin hoard unearthed in Askerswell is on display at Dorset Museum. The hoard of 627 silver denarius coins was recovered in 2017 during a metal detecting rally. It was probably buried in the late 80s AD, as the latest coin found dates to 85 AD. However, the earliest coins date to the […]

Growing up in absolute poverty in 1950s Nottingham, the black child of a single white mum, Sir Kenneth Olisa’s life chances were pretty bleak. His playgrounds were Second World War bomb sites, their bath was a tin thing hung on the wall outside. And yet here he is at 71, the first British-born black person […]

Melplash Agricultural Society has awarded students £34,000 in its scholarship scheme, aiming to encourage further education in agriculture and closely allied topics. The students, aged 16 years and over, all live within a 12-mile radius of Melplash Village Church. The scholarship offers financial assistance with their apprenticeship, diploma or degree course. The financial support will […]

Portland-based ceramic artist and retired art teacher Stephen Yates will be hoping for good weather when he embarks on the 250-mile walk to Yorkshire with his dog Jack. Family and friends will wave them off from Coronation Road on Portland for their journey inspired by Stephen’s late mother, Kathleen. The duo plan to walk 10 […]

Outline plans for up to 141 homes, a 60-bed care home and a gym, swimming pool and spa at a Weymouth beauty spot are going before planners after vehement objections from the town’s civic society among others. Juno Developments has previously applied for permission to build at Newtons Cove, on the site of the former […]

Portland-based ceramic artist and retired art teacher Stephen Yates will be hoping for good weather when he embarks on the 250-mile walk to Yorkshire with his dog Jack. Family and friends will wave them off from Coronation Road on Portland for their journey inspired by Stephen’s late mother, Kathleen. The duo plan to walk 10 […]

Controversial plans to build a battery storage facility in Chickerell have been submitted to Dorset Council. Statera Energy is seeking full planning permission to build a 400MW battery energy storage system (BESS) connected to the National Grid near Weymouth FC. The plan is already attracting opposition from the Chickerell Action Group (CAG), with one member […]

Outline plans for up to 141 homes, a 60-bed care home and a gym, swimming pool and spa at a Weymouth beauty spot are going before planners after vehement objections from the town’s civic society among others. Juno Developments has previously applied for permission to build at Newtons Cove, on the site of the former […]

West Dorset MP Chris Loder has launched a campaign to ensure that access to cash is protected in his constituency in the wake of several significant bank closures in West Dorset. Bank closures in Dorchester, Bridport, Lyme Regis and Sherborne have left many vulnerable people and rural residents marginalised. Now Mr Loder is inviting residents […]

Campaigners have secured a water boss’s pledge to improve Lyme Regis’s sewage system ‘without delay’ after concerns were raised about poor water quality and an ‘ecologically dead’ river. The River Lim Action group met South West Water’s Chief Operating Officer John Halsall to discuss the thousands of hours sewage has been pouring into rivers in […]

It’s finally happening – the huge former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council building is to be razed to the ground, opening up a prime piece of land on the harbourside. Councillors on Dorset Council’s area planning committee have agreed to demolish the concrete building occupied by the local authority on North Quay for nearly half […]

First Bus has apologised to a holidaymaker from Oxfordshire after he was turned away for having a mobility scooter. Christopher Smith from Didcot was holidaying in Charmouth and was allowed to board buses to Lyme Regis and back with his class 2 scooter, which he relies on after suffering a stroke. But the next day […]

Campaigners fear the Bibby Stockholm asylum seekers’ barge could become a ‘floating Grenfell’ as it starts to fill up over the coming weeks – and their fears seem finally to have been heard after the arrival of 50 migrants was cancelled at the last minute today. The barge, which was built to house 222 people, […]

Steeped in history and pretty as a picture, Abbotsbury is a haven for its residents and a thriving hub for artisan businesses. Famed worldwide for its subtropical gardens and swannery, the village inspired author Ian McEwan to write On Chesil Beach, while director Thomas Vinterberg used it as a filming location for his adaptation of […]

Traders in West Bay say they are suffering badly after parking soared from £2 a day to £15. The little seaside community, where shops are mainly small independent traders, used to be a magnet for day trippers, who would stay all day, buying from the shops and taking their time at eateries. Now, Dorset Council […]

Weymouth College held its annual awards evening with students providing the entertainment and all the food and catering. Engineering student Tom Hepburn followed up his success earlier in the year when he was named the Association of Colleges’ Young Student of the Year by winning the coveted Principal’s Award. More than 20 awards were presented […]

The boss of Portland Port has issued a thinly-veiled rebuke to protestors, saying their action may have lost local businesses £400,000. Chief executive Bill Reeves says the cancellation of a cruise ship visit to Portland – Princess Cruise lines’ Regal Princess with more than 3,600 passengers – has cost the local economy around £400,000 The […]

A scheme to regenerate St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport, a plan which has been on the table for almost two decades, has finally been approved. The plan to demolish some old industrial units, refurbish others and build a mixture of new housing and conversions, has been a hot topic in the town since the […]

World class Clocktower Records in Bridport is fuelling the record shop renaissance ever since Roy Gregory opened his doors at St Michael’s in 2016, and with intimate gigs, a clutch of kitsch and realms of vinyl, Clocktower has become a beanfeast for music lovers everywhere. And now you can take a look inside this destination […]

Kingston Maurward College is launching new degree level courses in its new university centre from September. The Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) in equine, animal welfare & science, and agriculture are two-year courses, equivalent to a foundation degree, and are available to do full- or part-time. The courses allow progression to full BSc degree programmes, some […]

A scheme to regenerate St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport, a plan which has been on the table for almost two decades, has finally been approved. The plan to demolish some old industrial units, refurbish others and build a mixture of new housing and conversions, has been a hot topic in the town since the […]

The Boundary Commission has made its final recommendations on constituency borders in West, South and North Dorset – with some rather perplexing changes. The moves are aimed at equalising the number of voters in each constituency. But rather than moving borders based on geography, it seems the commission has made its decisions based on council […]

After 16 years at Autobitz, Martyn Whelan knows a thing or two about engines. And now this Dorchester born and bred mechanic has fine-tuned his creative skills to give cars, bikes and vans that perfect paint match for a body-shop finish after launching Paints ‘N’ Plates. Martyn can even make your car registration plates while […]

Researchers are calling for help from people in South and West Dorset to monitor what is believed to be Britain’s smallest population of coastal bottlenose dolphins. Sailors, fishers and anyone else who spends a lot of time at sea are being urged to feed information about dolphin sightings to the South Coast Bottlenose Consortium, a […]

A photographer who discovered an amazing view of Colmers Hill after taking some trees down at his new home has now been producing calendars of it for a decade. Doug Chalk, who has a distinctive stall at Bridport Market every Wednesday and Saturday, has just launched his 11th calendar, featuring seasonal images of the well-known […]

An underground bunker decommissioned 67 years ago has come back to life as a quirky holiday home. Sykes Cottages, which manages the Transmitter Bunker, say the unusual pad, set in a hillside at Ringstead looking over the sea, is already fully booked for the summer. Where once it would have been kitted out with radar […]

Bridport Primary School is a ‘happy and welcoming place’ and has been rated ‘good’ after a recent Ofsted inspection. The 330-strong school was praised for its inclusivity. Inspectors said staff have ‘high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs or disabilities’. The school was part of Minerva Learning Trust which has merged with […]

Planning chiefs will discuss proposed changes to the controversial Foundry Lea housing development in Bridport on June 15 following an unexplained delay. Dorset Council planning committee members were due to decide if three drainage ponds at the site could be relocated last month before the item was removed from the agenda at the last minute. […]

The Lyme Morris group has welcomed three women dancers for the first time in its history. Following a relaunch and several successful recruitment events, five new dancers have joined up. Lyme Morris Squire Peter Morton said: “We have had a very successful and fun time introducing new members especially the girls into the side. They […]

Cheesed-off residents say the Cerne Abbas Giant has been ‘castrated’ and made ‘non-binary’ on a dairy company’s labelling. But the Oxford Cheese Company say they were left between a Roquefort and a hard place after a shopper was shocked by the chopper on its Cerne Abbas Man vintage cheddar. The big cheeses at the firm […]

Throngs of people stepped back in time in Dorchester on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of Thomas Hardy. The Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair attracted thousands of literary lovers and history buffs, many wearing Victorian attire, for its third year celebrating the life and times of the novelist and poet, who was born in 1840 in […]

A proud Portlander whose teaching career has seen him travel around the south in various posts is now enjoying his first headship – and just a few months in, his school has been rated excellent across the board. David Newberry, 51, took up the reins at Dorchester’s Sunninghill Prep in September after a 20-year career […]

A rich mixture of concerts and talks will be held at Hanford School in Child Okeford, near Blandford, from June 19-25, as part of their Festival of Performing and Creative Arts. On Monday, June 19 Spanish-born British soprano Alexandra Lowe will perform. She has made an indelible impression on critics and audiences, from her exquisite […]

“We become the family they haven’t got,” says Emily McCarron, 42, who has turned the spark of an idea to help rough sleepers into a community of support for people who have fallen through the cracks. Emily and Eddie – both experienced rough sleeper support workers – toiled day and night to get The Bus […]

An artist in Bridport who has given hope to hundreds of people is holding an exhibition in May to showcase the work she created in lockdown and during the conflict in Ukraine. Thinking of the rose as a verb, Judith Gait has encapsulated the struggles in conflict through her mixed media drawings, including the Conflict […]

By Dan Goater A midwife from Weymouth who has saved thousands of lives in warzones, earthquake hit regions and refugee camps around the world is sharing her incredible story in a new paperback. Frontline Midwife by Anna Kent, a cardiology nurse and midwife at Dorset County Hospital, details her years of volunteer work with Médecins […]

Controversial plans to build a 1,400-acre solar farm in Chickerell have been withdrawn by the applicant. Energy firm Stratera said it is abandoning £300million plans to install solar panels on land between Friar Waddon and Buckland Ripers following a public backlash. A spokesperson for the energy firm said after “extensive engagement with the local community, […]

An incredibly rare, early vinyl copy of Pink Floyd’s classic album Dark Side of the Moon can now be viewed at Clocktower Records in Bridport. Owner Roy Gregory told The West Dorset Magazine: “We are pleased to be keepers of a mythical release. “Very few people have seen it, and we are amazed it came […]

Like a phoenix from the flames, Bridport’s Edwards Tower building is set to reopen to tenants following more than £1million worth of repairs. A major blaze devastated the building in July 2018 and the building’s owners have faced an uphill struggle to bring it back into use. St Michael’s Trading Estate manager Martin Ridley told […]

More than 200 people packed into Dorchester Corn Exchange’s upstairs room to hear about proposals for a 4,000-home ‘garden village’ in countryside north of the town. Many people had to listen from out in the corridor as councillors and Wessex Water’s head of catchment services, Paul Stanfield, addressed the meeting, hosted by the campaign group […]

It was a packed meeting at West Dorset Vintage Tractor and Stationary Engine Club at The Colliton Club, where two cheques totalling £2,611.66 were presented to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. The cheques were presented in memory of Les House, one of the founding members and long-standing committee members of the club who died unexpectedly […]

Lyme Regis is gearing up for a vibrant and colourful Easter weekend featuring its famous bonnet parade and a friendly duck race. Townsfolk of all ages will be showing off their fancy headgear in a parade through the town on Easter Sunday, with prizes going to the most creative hat makers. Organisers said: “Grab the […]

Controversial plans to build a 1,300-acre solar farm and battery storage site in Chickerell have been criticised by local people as bad for the environment. Statera Energy wants to build the £300million scheme – that would take up the same area as 950 football pitches – on land between Friar Waddon and Buckland Ripers. Despite […]

The Sherborne branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has said it is “deeply concerned at the parlous state” of Newell House, a Grade II listed building at the junction of the A30 and Marston Road. The CPRE says the western side of the house is thought to date back to the 17th […]

Moonfleet 2000 Ladies have reached the final of the national Vivienne Trophy after an outstanding victory over Arun Ladies from Bognor Regis. Four rinks of Triples teams along with over 30 supporters, many sporting green wigs representating club colours, travelled to Banister Park in Eastleigh, to play the semi-final of this national competition. The 18-end […]

Ahhh, living in the wild… with just cornflowers wafting in the breeze, sheep gently grazing… and a rolltop bath. These are not just shepherds’ huts – these are Plankbridge shepherds’ huts – the original, and arguably the best. Just over 20 years ago Richard Lee, now 52, built his first shepherd’s hut in his garden, […]

Patience paid off for fossil hunter Richard Edmonds, who had to wait five years to get his hands on this Jurassic era giant clam. Richard said he first identified this pinna – pen or shell style fossil – three metres off the end of the East Cliff sea wall at Lyme Regis along with several […]

A farmer’s boy who became fascinated by printing after being given his first John Bull printing set dismayed his family when he left agriculture to chase his dreams. Now that boy is pushing 90, and his granddaughters are busy printing all kinds of materials in the print business he established all those years ago. John […]

Six septuagenarian Channel swimmers frustrated by a governing body’s refusal to ratify their world record-breaking swim have helped stage a coup – to boot out several members of the body’s committee at its AGM. The One Foot in the Wave II team, which has four members from Dorset, were all in their 70s when they […]

The news that The West Dorset Magazine had won the overall Bridport Business of the Year (as well as New Business of the Year) came as a bolt from the blue for its founders, Karen Bate and I. We were overwhelmed, particularly as it came as we marked a year in print, and on the […]

Cancer Research UK had a welcome cash boost thanks to the Wessex Morris Men, who danced their way in Dorchester to raise £226.75 for the charity. The Dance Out was just one of hundreds of events the Morris men attend each year, delighting audiences with their rebel spirit across the county. The team is a […]

The Director of Golf at Wessex Golf Centre has been talking of his delight this week at the club’s success in gaining affiliation to England Golf and obtaining its World Handicap System certificate, set to become the shortest rated course in Dorset. Luke Shaw, a PGA coach who has worked at the centre in Weymouth […]

After almost a decade of planning and fundraising, including 15 months of painstaking renovation works, Tolpuddle Old Chapel – where the famous martyr George Loveless was a lay preacher – will reopen next month. Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, chaired by Andrew McCarthy, has spearheaded the project to renovate the Grade II* listed chapel, which was […]

Bridport’s Lyndon ‘Riff’ Tilbury of Steptoes has had quite the journey – showing patience and agility still pays off in retail, despite massive changes in the high street over the past few decades. And the 72-year-old shoe seller shows no sign of slowing down. Though he’d quite like to go back to his real name. […]

A party is planned in August to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Bere Regis Floral Group. Flower arranging societies have a long history in Dorset thanks to Mary Pope, a member of the Eldridge Pope Brewery family. Impressed by the garden clubs of America where she spent time during the Second World War, she came […]

Damers Blinds has been making quality, made-to-measure blinds, awnings, canopies and materials in Weymouth since 1884. Potter along the Weymouth seafront and the traces of this small family business with a big history can be seen with many old traditional awnings still protecting the little independent shops from the elements. Years ago, Damers were also […]

Dorset County Golf Union President John Gordon was joined by England Golf CEO Jeremy Tomlinson, to welcome honoured guests and representatives to Came Down Golf Club to celebrate the union’s 100th anniversary. The golf union was formed at Came Down in February 1923, and guests from clubs across the county enjoyed a packed day to […]

The cost of living is having a devastating effect on some Portland businesses – with one announcing its closure and another appealing for help to keep going. Fancy’s Family Farm has long appealed for donations to keep open – there’s no entry fee, but there’s a large tin pig for donations and they make a […]

Local travel company Crossways Travel donated £981 to their 2022 Charity Of The Year, Portland Coast Watch. The organisation was established in 1997 to monitor the sea off Portland and keep people safe. With technology constantly changing donations are always needed to keep the lookout fully operational. Volunteer watch keepers are normally on duty for […]

‘The larger than life’ landlord of the Hunter’s Moon pub in Middlemarsh near Sherborne has raised £10,300 for Parkinson’s UK by taking on several tough challenges in honour of a close friend with the disease. Dean Mortimer smashed his £5,000 target having put his heart and soul into a fundraising mission to benefit the charity […]

“We must have some VERY thirsty villagers,” says pub protagonist Barrie Lovelock, after pledges to help buy Tolpuddle’s Martyrs Inn topped an astonishing £400,000 in just a month. Villagers are hoping to buy the building and spend a further £50,000 turning the inside into a ‘proper’ pub rather than a gastro destination. They feel so […]

The Dorchester Bayeux Twinning Society may “wither and die” if it cannot find new members in 2023, its chairman has warned. Gareth Jones says maintaining strong links with our continental counterparts is more important now than ever before in the wake of Brexit and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Mr Jones told West Dorset Magazine: […]

Bridport’s exceptional freelance photographer NEIL BARNES is well known for his work in the West Dorset area and with a regular market stall on Saturdays and a gallery in the Customs House in West Bay, Neil’s stunning photographs captivate locals and visitors alike. The West Dorset Magazine asked (nicely) if Neil would review 2022 for […]

Suffering a life-changing brain injury in a head-on car crash nine years ago has not kept Bridport antiques trader Tristram Latimer Sayer down. The former drummer for 1980s dream pop band Breathless, Tristram can now be found selling country primitive antiques from his unit at the Alleyways Antiques Centre on St Michael’s Trading Estate in […]

Budding writers are being urged to get out and let Dorset’s countryside inspire their craft. The new Green Words scheme is a walking and writing wellbeing project taking place in the Bridport area this spring. Coordinated by Bridport Arts Centre, the project will be led by keen walker Dr Kevan Manwaring, senior lecturer in creative […]

The developer building controversial new homes at Vearse Farm in Bridport has offered to make ‘reparations’ after they tore up an ancient hedgerow on land they do not own. At an emergency meeting hosted by Bridport Town Council, the development consortium admitted a series of ‘weaknesses in the administrative, communications, and supervision processes’ led to […]

Channel swimming septuagenarians who believed they had won a world record with their relay have seen their fundraising top £10,000 after telling their story on national TV. The six-strong One Foot in the Wave team, average age 75.6, four of whom are from Dorset, swam the Channel in September – battling terrible conditions. But they […]

Campaigners against 4,000 new homes in Dorchester say a councillor’s comments in response to their concerns are ‘misleading’ and say they fear the plan is a done deal – despite thousands of objections. Members of STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester) were pleased to see their concerns aired in our last edition. However they […]

Miranda with Pugsie and dog warden Alexandra Whittington An adventurous dog sent her owner on a 120-mile rescue mission after she boarded a train on her own while out on a walk. Pugsie-Mfanwy the jug (pug crossed with jack russell) decided to bolt for the westbound train as her owner, this magazine’s editor Miranda Robertson, […]

Dorchester woman who runs her own hedgehog rescue shelter is urging everyone to be more aware of the creatures’ plight this winter. Chris Legg, who runs the Prickly Prickles shelter from a shed in her garden, warns these ‘endearing’ creatures are in decline due to the impact of climate change and unseasonal shifts in the […]

Despite light snowfall first thing Dorchester’s second all-day Cracker event was a huge success. The town saw thousands of people brave the chilly weather to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Steve Bulley, vice president of Dorchester Chamber for Business, pictured with Paddington and a polar bear. said: “It was wonderful to see the town so busy […]

The West Dorset Magazine’s cartoonist Lyndon Wall has won a national award – beating the likes of The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Spectator and Private Eye. This magazine– which was only launched in February this year – was the only regional/non-London publication to be shortlisted for the Political Cartoon of the Year Awards, […]

Six swimmers who battled challenging conditions to try to break the record for the oldest standard six-person Channel relay swim have been left bitterly disappointed after their bid for ratification was rejected. The Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation’s ratification committee refused to allow the One Foot in the Wave 2 team’s swim, saying they had […]

When a costume makes you laugh out loud, you know it’s going to be a stonker of a show. The moment the Ugly Sisters (Alim Jadavji and Andrew Pollard) appeared in their bikinis I started laughing – they were absolutely hilarious. Their timing was impeccable. One of the many stand-out stars of the show was […]

The festive season is upon us and if you fancy buying your nearest and dearest something a little different, there is a host of independent West Dorset shops offering unique gifts which are truly inspired. Hunny Bunnies 7, Redlands Yard, Broadwindsor In Redland’s Yard in Broadwindsor, stands the little crafting shop Hunny Bunnies, Alison and […]

A popular village pantomime which has been staged for more than 40 years has been cancelled halfway through rehearsals due to concerns over ‘cultural insensitivity’. Ansty has enjoyed four decades of its annual show, and local children had been busily learning their lines for this year’s show – Aladdin, which was due to be staged […]

By Dan Goater An avid fossil collector has slated the failed £5.5m Seaton Jurassic World Heritage Site Visitor Centre as ‘not only a waste of money, but also a wasted opportunity’. Geologist and fossil guide Richard Edmonds says the visitor centre, which opened in 2016, lost £500,000 in running costs due to ‘poor visitor numbers’ […]

A young chef from West Dorset has wowed the judges and critics on MasterChef: The Professionals and looks set to go far in the BBC1 competition. And the good news is that Charlie Jeffreys, 24, aims to return here and open a fine dining restaurant of his own one day. Charlie’s love of good food […]

The Boundary Commission has issued new proposals for the division of constituencies in Dorset, which would see several West Dorset communities move into the North Dorset constituency. Under plans unveiled online, Cerne Abbas, Puddletown, Tolpuddle, the Piddle Valley and Cheselbourne would be shifted into North Dorset constituency, as the commission seeks to increase the number […]

A well-known teacher, musician and composer is holding the biggest event of his life in hopes of finally hearing his works performed by a professional group of musicians before his illness stops him in his tracks. Rick Birley, 68, who lives in Dorchester, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 15 years ago. The disease hasn’t stopped him […]

A metal detectorist from Dorchester has been helping reunite people with their lost jewellery. When he’s not unearthing ancient coins and artefacts in Dorset’s fields, Keith Brown has been stepping up to help people desperate to find their lost jewellery. Retired prison officer Keith recently helped a woman named Jenny from Cattistock find her Victorian […]

An extraordinary collection of rare and vintage equipment has been sourced to establish a fabulous recording studio just outside Dorchester – and it’s all fully accessible. Grace and Nick Capaldi started to establish Echo Town studios just before lockdown. While covid presented many challenges they battled through, fired up with passion for vintage sound. Nick, […]

For both good and ill, Weymouth’s connection to the sea has always been critical to its place in history. The Black Death famously entered the country through the town’s port in the 1300s while, centuries later, Allied forces would set out from that same port to liberate mainland Europe from the Nazis on D-Day. The […]

A young chef from Dorchester who now works at The Dorchester is going into battle with some of the finest cooks around in the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals. Charlie Jeffreys, 24, cut his teeth as a teenage apprentice at Yalbury Cottage Hotel in Lower Bockhampton before making the move to The Dorchester in London, where […]

“I am always getting asked for fork handles,” says Simon Larcombe, grinning. Larcombe’s of Beaminster is 20 years old this month, and it’s the type of shop that really does make you feel you’ve stepped into that scene from The Two Ronnies. Everything is here. Around 36,000 items, to be almost exact. And if it’s […]

This year’s Poundbury Christmas Market promises to be a celebration of the best local businesses as well as the festive season. Coinciding with Small Business Saturday, the seasonal market will return to Poundbury’s Crown Square on Saturday, December 3 from 10am until 4pm. There will be live music from the Rock Choir and the Durnovaria […]

A Christmas single recorded in Sherborne will raise money to help parents at the worst of times. Santa Leave Something For Me was written by Dorset’s Benjamin Francis after his son Oscar was born with his intestines on the outside of his body and had to be put into a coma to recover after lifesaving […]

A unique kite dreamed up by the High Sheriff of Dorset is flying out around the world after its innovative design captured people’s imaginations. Sibyl Fine King’s pterodactyl kite is now being sold all over the UK and in Europe, Australia and North America. Pterodactyls were a type of pterosaur, a flying reptile that flew […]

The first time I visited Redlands Yard in Broadwindsor, I was suitably impressed. I walked into a courtyard boasting a dizzying array of independent shops and celebrated restaurant The Stableyard, so popular that yes, you must book for lunch. What several decades ago used to be a farmyard has over the years grown into a […]

The Melplash Agricultural Society’s annual Hedgelaying and Ploughing Match took place on 60 acres at Higher Langdon, near Beaminster in a tradition dating back 175 years. The society is passionate about keeping the ancient skills of hedgelaying and ploughing alive for the many farming families and countrymen in the area who for generations have passed […]

People often write that Poundbury is our area’s ‘model village’. Apart from this terminology being incorrect (Poundbury is an urban extension) there’s actually a proper ‘model village’ in this area – one that pioneered farming techniques and a way of living that was way ahead of its time. The news that one of the Debenham […]

Finding the perfect Christmas present will be a joy as the doors of Goulds household and fashion stores in South Street, Dorchester will be kept open until 9pm on Wednesday, November 2 in their Late Night Shopping Spectacular. Both stores will be showcasing fabulous offers, a host of new ranges and a new look perfumery […]

A schoolboy from Sherborne has earned two Guinness World Records after becoming the youngest pilot to fly around the world solo in a microlight. Sherborne School pupil Mack Rutherford, 17, completed his record-breaking journey in August, landing in Sofia, Bulgaria after having taken off from there five months and one day earlier. Mack’s epic journey […]

Six Steps to a Fantastic Lawn Here at Sherborne Turf, we’re really proud to have been growing turf and looking after lawns locally for 50 years this year. As experienced growers we are always happy to share our knowledge and advice. After a summer of heat and drought (and little that can be done for […]

A community variety show featuring musicians, actors and dancers will be held in Litton Cheney to raise money for Dementia UK and Thorners School Association. Organiser Tricia Gates was inspired to set up the fundraising show after losing her mother Joyce Baker to dementia late last year. The show is taking place at Litton and […]

The Sherborne Abbey Social Committee have issued a plea for volunteers to help revive the fund-raising café. Traditionally Sherborne Abbey Social Committee has organised a fund-raising café in the Digby Memorial Hall on Pack Monday, October 17. But after coronavirus restrictions enforced a two-year break, the committee hope to revive the café again this year, […]

A restoration campaign for the oldest working pendulum clock to ring again at St Andrew’s Church in Yetminster has been launched by The Friends who are appealing to the community and beyond to dig deep and help raise the final £15,000. The faceless clock was built in 1683 and is of national significance. The National […]

A very special ceremony was held for the unveiling of a plaque in Winterborne Monkton dedicated to Captain Lionel Ernest Queripel VC of the Royal Sussex Regiment (1st Airborne Division) who gave his life in a selfless act of bravery during the Battle of Arnhem. Captain Queripel was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his […]

After seven years in the planning, 22 pylons in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are coming down. The ‘Going Underground’ project will see almost 9km of overhead line now replaced with buried cables and the natural landscape being restored. The work is the first project in the National Grid’s £465 million Visual Impact […]

‘Inequality for women must end in Dorset’, say the Women’s Action Network Dorset. The group has launched a campaign for a Women’s Charter in the county, hoping to tackle inequality. Women in senior and influential positions from many backgrounds including politics, culture, business, education, and finance, joined forces at a meeting earlier this month, to […]

A family-run farm shop is going green after a shock electricity bill for more than £9,000 for just one month galvanised them into action. Simon Holland and his sister Bryony Brock were horrified to receive a massive bill for August’s electricity at Washingpool Farm, just outside Bridport. August had always been a bit of a […]

Despite working in some of the most dangerous places in the world, West Dorset photographer Carlos Guarita reflects on his life’s work with good humour. Insisting he is not a war photographer, Carlos has nonetheless spent much of his working life in African combat zones, often behind the frontlines capturing a first-hand view of how […]

Six septuagenarians have swum into the record books with an epic relay swim across to France in very tough conditions. The team, whose average age is over 75, clinched the record for the oldest Channel relay team after 17 hours 57 minutes in the brine, starting at 12.30am, a time when most pensioners are safely […]

A trading estate in Bridport has earned a following among the cool kids, having been transformed from a derelict netmaking area to something resembling Carnaby Street over its 54 years. One of Bridport’s seven industrial estates – whoever knew that many were squeezed in to such a small town? – St Michael’s is effortlessly cool. […]

The beloved breed of the late Queen, Pembroke corgis like Claire’s four-year-old boy Thegn were originally bred to herd cattle. The fifth generation in a line of Welsh hill farming stock, Thegn – a name derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning servant to a lord – still shows his herding instinct to this day. “Oh, […]

A warm late summer evening greeted the Juniors of Dorchester and District Angling Society. The four finalists had competed over three qualifying rounds through the summer to try to win the inaugural Knockout title, and it all came to a head on the Stock Pond at Revels fishery. Faith Stone, Josiah Wells- Parkes, Oliver Smith, […]

Potential saviours have come forward to save a historic village pub and restore a raft of community facilities. Tessa and Julian Blundy hope to bring a wealth of experience with them if their offer for Marshwood’s Bottle Inn is accepted. Tessa, 66, is a conservation architect and ideally placed to pull the building back from […]

My beautiful, intelligent and funny little girl struggled in many ways as a child. She was a little more anxious than her peers, a little more sensitive, a little less patient. Jessica hated bright lights and busy places and, while she was academic, she hated school with a passion. I, of course, worried. She was […]

When Debbie Polden spotted a little shop in Sherborne in 2019 she knew it would be a perfect base to sell her skincare range. The professional grade Canadian products had until then been mainly sold to salons and spas, as salon owners loved the luxurious range with its gorgeous, fruity scents. But Debbie wanted to […]

A new application has been lodged to create homes from the ruins of Cattistock Lodge. The once fine home, built in the Victorian era after being moved to make way for the railway line, has been left to rot for a number of years. The whole building is in a state of collapse, after the […]

A tiny hoglet the size of a thumb has been nursed back to health and now been released thanks to the dedication and love of Chris Legg, who has made looking after sick and injured hedgehogs her life’s mission. Chris opened Prickly Prickles Hedgehog Rescue in Dorchester in 2019 and since then has taken in […]

Six swimmers with an average age of 75 are getting ready to swim into the record books, with an epic Channel relay planned between September 8-15. The swimmers – four of whom are from Dorset – are raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK with their attempt to claim the record for the oldest six-person English […]

Described as a collaboration of styles, the Paint and Pixels exhibition is being staged this bank holiday weekend at The Salt House in West Bay, showcasing the stunning work from renowned Dorset photographer Neil Barnes and abstract artist Louise Perkins. Louise, who owns Essence Lingerie in Barrack Street, has developed her abstract style over the […]

A vineyard in the Piddle Valley has gone on the market with an asking price of more than £1.2million. Muston Vineyard covers around 44 acres and includes around 30 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties. The grape varieties are in their sixth year of growth and are set to reach full […]

A Second World War army officer who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his remarkable bravery will be honoured with a ceremony and plaque in St Simon and St Jude in Winterborne Monkton, the church in which he was baptised in August 1920. Captain Lionel Ernest Queripel of the Royal Sussex Regiment (1st Airborne Division) […]

Scores of youngsters turned out for the first junior parkrun from Poundbury’s Great Field – now organisers are inviting others to join them. Junior parkruns take place all over the UK, South Africa and Australia at 9am on Sundays and there are now nearing 400 individual events, with most being in the UK. Junior parkrun […]

Relieved and delighted beachgoers are praising campaigners and the town council after a new £3,500 wheelchair-friendly path was installed at West Beach, West Bay. The 100sqm of matting on the beach means people who struggle with mobility and walking on the stones can finally get to the shoreline and not have to simply admire the […]

Young artists from Bridport’s Colfox School have created what is believed to be the UK’s biggest mural. Evoking themes of work/life balance and living by the coast, the 133-metre mural is the result of a youth-led project supported by Bridport Arts Centre. Funding for the mural, which has been painted on the exterior wall of […]

Dignitaries from Bridport paid their respects to French fisherman lost at sea on a visit to North West France. Bridport Twinning Association members, the town’s mayor, clerk and crier recently returned from joining in the Benediction de la Mer event held once every ten years in St Vaast La Hougue. Hosted by the French twinning […]

Campaigners say it is a ‘great disappointment’ that Dorset Council has approved plans to build 760 new homes at Vearse Farm, Bridport. The authority has approved plans to let a coalition of developers build at the site known as Vearse Farm, now officially renamed Foundry Lea. The 43-hectare site is in an Area of Outstanding […]

I’ve never wanted a Henry. Never. I already have far too many things with a face following me round the house – two dogs, a cat, a son, a husband… In any case, I’ve been a Vax fanatic for 25 years – until the fateful day that my trusty 6131 bit the dust instead of […]

A feast of farming is on offer over the next few weeks, with no fewer than four huge agricultural shows in Dorset. The farming fun kicks off at the Turnpike Showground (SP7 9PL) on Wednesday, August 17 with The Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show. The long-established show features a huge array of countryside pursuits, plus food, […]

Grade I listed Parnham House, which was gutted by fire in 2017, is set to have six holiday chalets, a marquee restaurant and a new car park after plans were approved. Its former owner Michael Treichl had spent years and over £10 million restoring it before the fire, which destroyed all but the bones of […]

A beaver has been born in West Dorset for the first time in more than 400 years. Trail cameras at a beaver enclosure on Dorset Wildlife Trust land have captured images of the new kit and his mum. The adorable little kit can be seen exploring the waterlogged woodland created by its parents after they […]

A damning new report by the Environment Agency has slated two water companies that serve west Dorset – and suggests some water company executives should be jailed. The 2021 environmental performance report on UK water and sewerage companies said South West Water has fallen to a single star rating, meaning their performance was ‘terrible across […]

By Dan Goater Would Dorset benefit from an Angel of the North-style sculpture overlooking its rolling fields – an Angel of the South – if you will? It’s a question that’s prompted some lively debate and interesting responses after it was posted on social media site Reddit. Posting in the r/Dorset subreddit, username VirusRelative asked […]

Dorchester is bursting with brightly coloured sunflowers to raise money for Dorset County Hospital’s Kingfisher Children’s Unit and Cherkasy Hospital in Ukraine. Summer of Sunflowers is all about putting a smile on people’s faces and helping good causes. Everyone is welcome to view the spectacular sunflower displays that are hanging across South Street, adorning shop […]

A former councillor says she is ‘disgusted’ nothing is being done to save a historic pub from being ruined. But the current councillor says hope may be on the horizon, though it may not ever reopen as a pub. The 1585 Bottle Inn at Marshwood – for years the venue for the famous nettle eating […]

An American professor and beach expert has praised the fine sand of Weymouth beach and the impressive geology of Chesil Beach, saying he has “never seen such super fine sand around the British coast and very few beaches in the United States have it.” Dr Beach, or Professor Stephen Leatherman from Florida International University in […]

He put millions of pounds’ worth of paintings through some of the world’s biggest and best-known auction houses, exposing their frailties and leaving the art world shaken to its core. Ten years ago his luck ran out and at the age of 63 Billy Mumford, aka Billy the Brush, was handed a two-year prison stretch […]

It started as a flight of fancy in 2008. But Dorset Falconry Park near Dorchester is now a reality – and the family behind it all need your help to continue protecting endangered birds of prey. Martin Ballam, 50, is a wildlife enthusiast. He has worked with animals and birds all his life, and takes […]

The spirit of union activism will return to Dorset this weekend as the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival makes its triumphant comeback. Running from Friday, July 15 to Sunday, July 17, festival organisers promise an eclectic mix of live music by local and international artists as well as spirited political discourse. The festival will build up to […]

Children in Ravens’ Class at Stickland’s School in Evershot have been learning about bees and becoming beekeepers at Summer Lodge. Once a week, the chair of governors, Suzie Mutch, has been teaching the children the vital role of bees in pollination, enabling children to gain a thorough understanding of why bees are so important and […]

Excitement is palpable as the Melplash Agricultural Show will be returning to West Bay after a two-year break on August 25. The show is a true celebration of farming and rural life by the sea, bringing together the very best of West Dorset with animals, food, fun and entertainment and with agriculture at the top […]

Budding young writers from Beaminster School are celebrating the launch of their creative writing anthology. The ‘I Have a Dream’ anthology launch event will be held at Little Toller Books in Beaminster at 6pm on Thursday, July 14. The anthology is the culmination of a series of creative writing workshops for pupils in Years 7, […]

First Beaminster Scout Group is crying out for a new leader to take charge of its Beaver colony. Scout leader Joy Edwards said the First Beaminster Scout Group has continued to thrive despite the covid pandemic. But she added that the forthcoming departure of their current Beavers leader leaves a gap that needs to be […]

A family farm is making all the difference to their cows – and the proof is in the taste of the milk. The Marsh family, who have been farming in Martinstown since 1963, extend such a high standard of care to their herd at Eweleaze Farm they even provide them with an Astroturf strip for […]

The results of one of the ‘most prestigious garden competitions’ in the West Dorset area, the Melplash Agricultural Society’s Annual Gardens and Allotments Competition are in. Some 16 gardens were judged over two days by Tim and Sibyl Gale, Jackie Seogalutze, accompanied by society president Nigel Jones, Society Chairman James Vickery and Vice Chairman Philip […]

It’s rare that a medicinal nostrum from a bygone era is held in high regard. Images of snake oil salesmen plying their dubious wares from roadside stalls spring to mind. But in Bridport there was one medicinal product the locals swore by for more than 50 years – Fudge’s Mentholated Honey Syrup – known affectionately […]

One of the oldest fairs in Wessex will be taking place on July 16 on the grounds of Yetminster Community Sports Club. The Yetminster Fair has been running almost continuously since the 13th century, when it was formed under a charter granted by the Bishop of Salisbury, Simon de Ghent, for a fair ‘to be […]

Recent sudden changes in the weather are increasing the risk of landslips on the West Dorset coast, a coastguard has warned. Rob Sansom, senior coastal operations officer for the West Bay coastguards, said both locals and tourists alike need to take care when visiting the county’s coastline. Mr Sansom also said that people should not […]

Bridport Bowls Club celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a fun day, where the bowlers had to navigate six different stations with points up for grabs at each. The special equipment included a target, a ramp and skittles, buckets, a goal post with guards, a raised target with holes to aim for and a casting-the-jack […]

French composer Oliver Messiaen’s rapturous masterpiece is just one of the highlights performed by a top cast of principal players from major European Orchestras and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Cerne Abbas Music Festival between July 7 and 10. The musicians, who perform with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Salzburg’s Camerata, English Chamber Orchestra and the […]

After hanging up her rolling pin for the final time, former pâtissier and novelist Lynette Fisher has now penned and illustrated her first children’s book. Inspired by the day-to-day adventures of her ‘naughty’ Jack Russell puppy George, Lynette’s new book The Tail of George, Prince of Puppies also features original oil paintings by her. The […]

A brace of West Dorset attractions have been named national award winners in Visit England’s annual ceremony. Evershot’s The Acorn Inn scooped silver in the Pub of the Year category, while West Bay Discovery Centre won bronze in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award. Just outside the district, Weymouth’s Nothe Fort won a glittering […]

Royal Voluntary Service members have been hard at work creating a fabulous display of ‘Royal Knitting’ for Dorset Libraries. Earlier this year the RVS started inviting people to knit and craft items to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. A spokesman said: “We have done similar projects before, but this one was special as HM […]

Scores of businesses in Bridport are taking part in Totally Locally Bridport’s Magic Tenner campaign until July 30, to highlight the importance of buying local and organisers are urging all the town’s independents to take part. Team member Kim Squirrell said: “The Magic Tenner is a brilliant opportunity to find out more about your local […]

Tiny tots celebrated the Platinum Jubilee with a party fit for a queen. Dressed as royalty, the children at Summertime Nursery and Pre-School in Dorchester ate at the Queen’s table and tucked into a royal feast surrounded by staff, friends and family. Manager Cathy White said: “We had a lovely day; the weather was perfect […]

Dorset Councillors have approved eight Public Spaces Protection Orders for 2022 to tackle anti-social behaviour which include Bridport, Dorchester and West Bay. The new orders hold dispersal powers and will tackle unauthorised camping on Chesil Beach, Weymouth Beach and Lulworth in response to the rising number of people camping on beaches during recent summers, which […]

A fascinating ruined estate in Cattistock has been the subject of numerous YouTube ‘explorer’ videos. Thousands of people have viewed footage of Cattistock Lodge – a once grand estate which had numerous buildings and fine gardens, set on the edge of the village. Now boarded up, it still attracts huge interest from viewers from around […]

Once a feature of every high street and serving as a village hub, the traditional red phone boxes are loved up and down the country – in 2015 they were even voted as being the ‘best of British design’. But from the 10,000 still standing, maybe half are operational, and hundreds are crying out for […]

Dorchester photographer Steve Pallant captured these images when Prince Charles came to open the new playground at Poundbury. The prince was flanked by Conservative MPs Michael Gove, Jacob Rees Mogg and West Dorset’s Chris Loder.

The work of Bridport-based impressionist Hugo Grenville has been exhibited alongside pieces by Cezanne, Degas and Renoir in New York. The Impressionism: A World View exhibition taking place at Nassau County Museum of Art this month has brought together major works by the French impressionist masters with pieces by contemporary artists. Hugo Grenville, regarded by […]

Nonagenerian artist and Poundbury resident Monica Perry cut the ribbon and officially opened the It’s Up To Us exhibition in the newly refurbished Jubilee Hall on Saturday. Hundreds of visitors attended the event, with Pounbury WI ladies handing out glasses of fizz! Special guests were a Ukranian family, who only arrived from Poland last week, […]

Parents left shattered by the death of their son are raising money for two vital charities which have helped them battle through their grief. Yvette Bowler, 63, and husband Paul, 61, lost their son Keith Parvin to suicide in 2018. He was 35. The music festival fan had struggled with his mental health for many […]

Quilters from Eype have spent two years working on a stunning quilt memory of their much-loved founder member Diana Davis, who died of Motor Neurone Disease. The Schoolroom Quilters are raising money for the West Dorset branch of the MND Association with a raffle of the king-size quilt at their Quilt Show in St Peter’s […]

Sherborne Town Ladies U13s 3 Merley Sports Cobham 2 Sherborne Town Ladies U13s completed a brilliant treble, winning the league cup against a good Merley side, having already been crowned league champions and securing victory in the County Cup. Justin Walbrin’s team, on an incredible 25-game unbeaten streak, won the Dorset Youth League Division 1 […]

It was the year that saw the coronation of Edward VII, the second Boer War ended, Land of Hope and Glory received its London premiere and Marmite was first produced. And in Dorchester, Harold and Florence Gould opened a store stocked with general and fancy drapery. The year in question was 1902 and on April […]

Campaigners say there is still time to rethink controversial plans to build 760 new homes at Vearse Farm near Bridport. Former town mayor David Tett, speaking on behalf of pressure group Advearse, says the planning application for the proposed ‘Foundry Lea’ development has been rushed and will not meet the housing needs of local people. […]

The scene of contented bovines happily munching their way across lush fields at Modbury Farm is not a new one – this has been a working dairy farm since 1857 and many of the field names were recorded as early as 1587. But the 150-acre farm, in the Bride Valley near Burton Bradstock, still has […]

A mixed group of West Dorset Morris dancers are celebrating their tenth anniversary of defying tradition. Frustrated by the gender division in traditional Morris dancing groups, retired airline stewardess Briony Blair established Wyld Morris as a way to let men and women dance together. The group, which is now 20-strong, will soon celebrate its tenth […]

Campaign group Save the Area North of Dorchester (STAND) is calling on Dorset Council to suspend work on the proposed development north of Dorchester after Wessex Water expressed concerns that the 4,000-house development could have a significant negative impact on the quality of the town’s drinking water. The concerns are set out in an email […]

As we steam towards the first day of summer, the Wessex Morris Men will be celebrating the first sight of the sun in the wee small hours on May Day at Cerne Abbas in a ritual dating back centuries. With the new Dorset Ooser in tow, and playing quite a part in the party, the […]

Two friends from Bridport who decided to take action to help people in Ukraine have been completely overwhelmed with the staggering level of support they have received. Claire Nuttall and Jane Wain were chatting in the pub not long after war had broken out. “We were feeling so terrible about it,” says Claire. “We thought […]

Bridport traders, the town council and the chamber are on a mission to breathe new life and vitality into the high street of this seaside town, and with a few campaigns up their sleeves, their quest is one of hope. On market days, Bridport is a shining example of a thriving town. Saunter along any […]

More than 200 striking sculptures by 30 contemporary artists are on display at Dorchester’s Sculpture by the Lakes until the end of May. The new artworks include nine pieces by the late Heather Jansch, the first exhibition of her work since her death last year. Also among the new sculptures are Barn Owl III by […]

Fears that Sherborne would lose its only dine-in Indian restaurant after a planning officer at Dorset Council approved plans for the building were raised at a town council meeting this week. Azizul (Abdul) Haque has run Rajpoot in Half Moon Street for 35 years and has a firm following. However Huish Estates’ plans to increase […]

Shoppers can park for free in Dorchester after BID members agreed to fund the Park4FREE scheme. More than 70 shops and other businesses in Dorchester and the Dorchester BID are paying the parking charges for anyone who spends more than £10 in a participating business. Two hours’ parking will be refunded to shoppers via the […]

An incredible set of play equipment is nearly ready to open in Poundbury finishing £1m-worth of facilities that will make the Great Field the envy of the world. There’s now something for all ages at the park, with facilities for teenagers, adults, toddlers and pensioners now in place, with a café and public toilets to […]

A planning application for a 40-acre solar farm near Maiden Newton has now secured the backing from the parish council after a new route into the site has been agreed. While Maiden Newton Parish Council had agreed the application ‘in principle’ councillors were concerned with the amount of ‘construction traffic’ on small narrow lanes. However, […]

Six parishes are preparing a long list of concerns to present to the group that runs their GP surgery. Ammonite Health Partnership has been running the Bridport Medical Practice, Beaminster’s Tunnel Road Surgery and Maiden Newton’s Tollerford Practice since May last year. In the middle of the pandemic, and during summer weather patients put up […]

Coastal erosion in West Dorset is releasing toxic waste from a disused landfill site into the sea. As the coastline at East Beach cliff is washed away by the tide it is revealing plastic, metal and concrete waste that lay buried in the Spittles Lane landfill site since the 1970s. Now scientists at Southampton University […]

A fisherman and conservationist from West Bay who was honoured by the Queen for his work protecting marine life and making his industry more sustainable, has died aged 84. David Sales spent 40 years of his 60-year fishing career in West Bay. He was instrumental in a campaign for a wildlife protection enclosure 60 miles […]

A violin restorer from Cattistock is bringing a cello which belonged to Thomas Hardy’s grandfather back to life. Hardy’s grandfather, also called Thomas, played in the Stinsford Quire between 1800 and 1840. Over the last six decades, John Dike has been bringing back alto, soprano and tenor radiance into the violin-family instruments he is asked […]

A group of traders who clubbed together to buy a defibrillator, fearing their shops were too far from the nearest one, have saved a person’s life within three weeks of its installation. Shopkeepers in Dorchester’s Durngate Street were shocked when another trader in their street moved to different premises – and took the defibrillator she […]

A solar scheme covering 40 acres of farmland near Maiden Newton, producing enough green energy to power 4,800 homes, has been submitted to Dorset Council. Energy company Environmena want to build a 40-acre 11.8 MW solar installation on two fields at Cruxton Manor Farm, which is 0.7km south-west of Dorchester Road on the A356. The […]

For Pat Bowcock, 70, one of her greatest thrills has been the acquisition of a shiny new twin tub which runs off her solar panels and wind turbine. This is a big win. Pat, a former dispensing receptionist, arrived on the five-acre site in Litton Cheney 21 years ago, having become drawn to the ethics of […]

Gallons of raw sewage was discharged into the sea at Burton Bradstock, West Bay, Seatown and Charmouth on March 16 when storm overflows released wastewater at the Wessex Water sites to prevent properties from sewer flooding after heavy rainfall. Raw sewage overwhelmed underground networks and was dumped into the sea. Charity Surfers Against Sewage said […]

  “It’s about listening to the horses,” says Vendela Eversden of her daughter Rebecca Maslen’s new enterprise, helping anxious young people learn coping strategies using equine assisted learning (EAL). Mum of three Rebecca has loved horses from an early age, having been inspired by her mum’s love for the creatures. Various work in schools, and […]

WHOLLY TRINITY: Chairman Dave Smith, secretary Ian Titterington and bar manager Sean Martin It’s such a traditional concept – a social club offering up classic league games of pool, skittles and darts, alongside bingo, entertainment and snacks. And it’s possibly something very few people under the age of 40 has experienced – I well remember sitting […]

     A woman from Maiden Newton who works for a Ukrainian health charity staged a moving gesture of support for her colleagues caught up in the war – with a crowd of people gathering at the village war memorial. Rebekah Webb has been in regular contact with colleagues as Putin’s armies move through their […]

    Pictures by Neil Barnes A bevy of older ladies are chatting excitedly when I arrive at Bradpole Village Hall on a Wednesday afternoon. They are looking forward to their weekly ballet class – an incredible 11 of them, with the three oldest members all in their early eighties. “Some of us have metalwork […]

Anybody remember pushing into a heaving Three Compasses in the 80s, 90s and noughties? Where the live music blared, beguiling, pulling us in, making us dance, making us happy, joyful and contented. It was one of a handful of venues in this area which always delivered top nights – entertainment, a great atmosphere and more. […]

By Steve Poole Memories of growing up in Bridport in the 50s & 60s – an era of innocence Steve age 11 second from left front row – Bridport General School Football Team I was born in my grandmother’s house in St Andrew’s Road in March 1946 but lived in a two-up, two-down terraced house […]

By Steve Keenan The Pedlar Dolls Pictures: Josie Sturgess-Mills/Sherborne Museum The 1930s were the peak of the Sherborne Pack Fair, the highlight of the year when half the town took part, riding in on their bikes while several hundred Gypsies brought their horses in for sale. “It was a good time for settling old grudges: […]

By Toby Hartwell The village of Yetminster has recently welcomed new owners to the historic White Hart pub. David Morgan and Ellis, his stepson, bought the pub in October last year and I had the opportunity to catch up with them as they drew breath during some interior refurbishments. David has enjoyed a long career […]

    Diversity is one of the secrets behind the success of the oldest family business in Beaminster, who are celebrating 45 years of baking this week. And as we follow the footsteps of Shirley and Rob Samways from their time at the Evershot Bakery to opening the highly acclaimed, vegetarian Trading Post and Café, […]

When Colin and Stella Powell packed up their most precious possessions, with their two children, two dogs, six vintage cars and mum Edna in tow and left Australia for England in 1978, they faced life living in a campervan, with nowhere to go during the winter of discontent. But while things were bleak, and certainly […]

Photos by Neil Barnes Every morning at 11am, farmer Cameron Farquharson can be found atop Eggardon Hill, tending his herd of Highland cattle. Checking them over, feeding them and spending time with them, Cameron loves them. Cameron had a particular soft spot for Gladis, who was due to give birth on May 29 last year. […]

A couple who launched their own garage services business in Yetminster during lockdown say they have been overwhelmed with the welcome they have received from villagers. Richard and Emma Cable had long wanted to start up their own business. But they were wary of doing so while covid wreaked havoc on the economy. However they […]

It’s springtime and in farms everywhere, herds of cows are being turned out into acres of grassy fields for the first time since the onset of winter. Everywhere, that is, except at Tom Foot’s farm in Little Bredy. The view at Tom’s farm, The Open Air Dairy Farm, is a sight to behold and one […]

Beaminster Cricket Club has smashed its ambitious £8,000 funding target to enhance facilities and support the development of the club’s rising academy stars thanks to big hearted supporters, team members and the committee. The club launched the Crowdfunder to plug gaps in funding caused by the coronavirus restrictions which put a stop to the club’s […]

Each edition, we will be asking a local tradesperson for the low-down on their day to day. This week, Tristan & Cameron Murless of Tristan G Murless Ltd answer our questions. Where do you live? Tristan (Weymouth) Cameron (Bridport) Where is your business? Weymouth & Bridport What area do you cover? Dorset What do you […]

A plan for the future of Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca goes to a vote on February 22, which could pave the way for 115 new homes, business opportunities and community facilities. An amazing 34 per cent of residents responded to a call for their views on the Yetminster & Ryme Intrinseca Neighbourhood Plan (YRINP) – […]

A devastating illness could have ruined Sam Peacefull-Day’s life. Aged just 41, the hard-working author and housekeeper was left immobile after a post-viral illness paralysed her legs. The future could have been very bleak. But Sam, who has just turned 56, has actually found a new kind of peace. In tackling the transverse myelitis, a […]

A procession of Minis followed the funeral cortege from Misterton to Crewkerne to pay tribute to much-loved family man, rally driver and motor trader Geoffrey Frank Restorick, who died on January 13. Geoff, 79, was carried to his funeral on the back of his daughter Val’s flower- laden recovery truck. His friends and family followed […]

A planning application to drill for oil near Puddletown has sparked a national outcry. Campaigners from Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion and Save our Shores have been urging people to sign a petition objecting to the plan for an oil well near Puddletown. The plan, (WD/D/19/002866) is for the ‘drilling of a single vertical […]