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Issue No. 15
MAY-JUNE 2015
Far From the
Madding Crowd –
special feature
A glimpse inside
Dorchester Prison
Charles Street:
Multi-level car park
on Wollaston Field
now under discussion
80 years on – the
mysterious death
of Lawrence of
Arabia
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Community News
Multi-level parking for Wollaston Field?
By Richard Reed
A new lightweight multi-level car park could be
built on the Wollaston Field car park site as an alternative to the controversial underground car park
planned for the town centre redevelopment.
The move follows savage criticism from English
Heritage of the basement parking proposals due to
the archaeological damage that would occur.
Now top-level discussions have taken place with
developers Simons and West Dorset District Council
to look at Wollaston Field as an alternative.
The news comes as the council confirmed its
environment director, David Evans – the officer in
charge of the development – is to retire.
The car park proposal is revealed in a 10-page
English Heritage report to the council on the Charles
Street scheme – and it pulls no punches in condemning the impact on the site’s archaeology.
The report states, “The proposed Charles Street
development as presently configured will totally
destroy a significant part of the surviving area within
the walled Roman town, and represents one of the
single most significant and harmful impacts on a
Roman regional capital in England for many years.”
However, it continues, “If the lower basement
were omitted from the proposals, the archaeological impact would be much reduced. In discussions
with yourselves and the developer, it appears that it
might be possible to do this through providing the
necessary car parking opposite the site by constructing a lightweight decked car park above the existing
Wollaston Fields parking area.”
The proposal to create decked parking on the
An artist’s impression of the proposed development
Wollaston Field site as an alternative to the Charles
Street basement car park has been mooted in the
Voice by the likes of former County Archaeologist
Laurence Keen – who suggests some of the Roman
baths beneath the site could also be put on display
as a tourist attraction (see p12).
Matt Prosser, chief executive of West Dorset
District Council, said: “English Heritage set out in
their planning response to the current application
the suggestion that a lightweight decked car park
on Wollaston Fields could be explored. This is the
responsibility of the developer, Simons, to pursue at
this stage as a concept and not the district council.
“The district council has not taken a position on
this as it is the responsibility of the developer.
“Should they resolve these issues and think that it
is a route to proceed down, then the district council
would have to consider the planning implications of
such an application and the impact that this might
have on the existing development agreement.”
Men’s Shed for Dorchester
A new opportunity for men to meet socially and
share their skills is set to come to Dorchester.
The Men’s Sheds movement started in Australia
and now has more than 150 sheds in the UK
where members can come together to work on
personal or group projects.
Co-ordinator Graeme Tinder said, “When I
broached the subject I was surprised at the enormously positive response I got. We are currently
in the process of making an offer on a site.”
You can contact Graeme on 01305 267722.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
3
Dorchester Voice
Crowds flock to explore Dorchester prison
By Jerry Bird
Hundreds of people flocked to see the
Dorchester prison at a recent open
day – the first time for most to take a
peek at the grand architecture behind
the forbidding walls.
The prison closed in December
2013, and has been bought by the
Essex-based company City & Country,
for a mixed residential and commercial development.
The company is keen to involve the
local community in discussions about
its future, and the open day also gave
people a chance to discover its history.
The Dorchester ‘Model’ Prison was
completed in 1795 and cost £18,000
to build. It was built on the site of the
old medieval castle built in 1154, but
disused from about 1290. It replaced
the previous jail in High East Street.
Prisoners were segregated by their
sex and the different grades of felony.
The prison buildings are of a typical
design for the period with wings radiating from a central hub with galleried
landings.
There were originally 88 cells, each
8’6” x 6’6” x 9’. In the early 19th century prisoners were employed in four
trades – timber, hatting, netting and
mop-making, though for some reason
hatting was discontinued in 1808.
For many years public hangings
took place outside the prison gates,
though they were quite rare. One of
the first was John Higham, executed
for highway robbery in 1801. Elizabeth Martha Brown, a mother of two,
was the last woman to be hanged in
public in Dorset and was executed
in North Square for murdering her
husband in 1856.
Thomas Hardy, aged just 16, was
among the crowd of 3,000 who
witnessed the hanging. The hanging
in Tess of the d’Urbervilles was, no
doubt, inspired by this experience.
Dorchester Voice
4
May-June 2015
Clockwise from left – the cavernous main hall, visitors
quiz staff from City & Country at the open day, the
little seen grandeur of the architecture, the tiny cells,
and the prison clock.
Photos: Jerry Bird
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
5
Dorchester Voice
Historic village bridge
rebuilt to halt flooding
Minette Walters helps out
Home-Start barn dance
This summer will see a new bridge replace the
existing listed bridge in Charminster.
The current bridge has small arches and restricts
the flow of the River Cerne through the village.
At times this has caused flooding and damage to
homes and the listed parish church.
English Heritage have now agreed that the existing listed bridge can be dismantled and rebuilt
with much bigger arches to allow a better flow of
water through the bridge.
Work on the new bridge is planned to start in
May and is expected to last several months, with
the road closed to both vehicles and pedestrians.
The scheme design has been developed in discussion with the church, the local community and
key organisations such as English Heritage.
The replacement bridge is intended to reflect the
character of the existing bridge, using as many of
the original bricks as possible.
The existing historic parapets will be carefully
stored and re-used on the new bridge.
When novelist Minette Walters offered her lovely
thatched barn as a venue for a fundraising barn
dance, staff and volunteers at local children’s charity Home-Start West Dorset were thrilled.
Senior Organiser at Home-Start, Helen Horsley
said: “When Minette kindly offered us the use of
her barn in Whitcombe we were really delighted
– it’s the picture perfect setting for a summer barn
dance.”
Helen added: “I’m sure very many people like
me have often driven past the barn and admired
it, so it’s a great opportunity to actually go inside it
and have a proper look, and to have a fun evening
as well!”
Helen continued: “Home-Start West Dorset’s
barn dance is on Saturday 6 June, we are having a
hog roast and there will be a licensed bar. We are
also proud to have Dorset’s premier ceilidh band
Up & Running playing at the event.”
Tickets are £15 per person and are available
from the Home-Start office on 01305 265072.
Dorchester Voice
6
May-June 2015
Far From the Madding Crowd hits town
The new film version of Thomas
Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd
is taking the town’s cinemas by storm.
Filmed largely in Dorset – unlike
Polanski’s Tess – the Thomas Vinterberg
film has attracted rave reviews.
A lot of work went into finding a
site for Bathsheba’s farm at ‘Weatherbury’ – Hardy’s name for Puddletown.
Ultimately, production designer Kave
Quinn decided on Mapperton House,
a Jacobean manor near Beaminster.
The film also includes scenes shot in
Sherborne, including the abbey.
“The people of Dorset were extremely welcoming,” says co-producer Allon
Reich. “We recruited a lot of locals –
farmers, thatchers and various skilled
people – who were happy to grow their
beards, put on their period clothes and
really get into the Hardy spirit.”
Three of the costumes worn by Carey Mulligan
are on display at the Dorset County Museum
until 8 June, and two more can be seen at
Hardy’s Cottage until 5 July.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
Carey Mulligan
as Bathsheba
Everdene,
Matthias
Schoenaerts as
Gabriel Oak
and Michael
Sheen as
Boldwood
7
Dorchester Voice
Lord Fellowes opens new Hardy centre
A new visitor centre celebrating Thomas Hardy and bringing together his cottage and
the landscape that inspired his
writing,has been opened by
Downton Abbey creator Lord
Julian Fellowes.
The timber-built visitor centre
– a joint project between Dorset
County Council and the National
Trust – is in Thorncombe woods,
at Higher Bockhampton, near
Dorchester, a short walk from
Hardy’s Cottage through the historic broadleaved woodland.
The Hardy Birthplace Visitor
Centre is designed to help visitors find out more about Hardy
and the surrounding woodland
and landscapes that influenced
his work.
At the ceremony, Lord Fellowes was joined by the New
Dorchester Voice
Lord Fellowes with the New Hardy Players at the opening of the visitor centre
Hardy Players who performed
songs and readings from Thomas
Hardy.
Hardy wrote several of his
early short stories, poetry and
novels including Under the
Greenwood Tree and Far from
the Madding Crowd in the cot-
8
tage, and a number of interactive
activities and events are planned
to help visitors learn about his
life and work, as well as ongoing
conservation work.
The Hardy Players are due to
return to the cottage for some
performances later in the year.
May-June 2015
Who will make
sure Mum is OK?
We know the most important things in
life are our loved ones but it is not always
possible to be near them. This obviously
causes anxiety as you are not always
sure that they are safe, secure, warm and
managing their daily lives.
We can provide daily or weekly support that
will help alleviate your concerns. After each
visit we will email an update to you.
For more information phone
Carers Required – We are looking for
people to provide care to the elderly
in their homes.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
0845 603 4743
or visit www.apexcare.org
9
Dorchester Voice
check she is safe and warm | change the light bulb | deal with the post | make time for tea and a chat
‘Why we need to support wind turbines plan’
There are lots of people who support the planning proposal for six
wind turbines at Slyers Lane as a
real opportunity for our community to support and benefit from a
local renewable source of clean,
safe and secure energy.
It is interesting that the Nos’
article doesn’t raise any concerns
about cost or noise; their concerns seem related to the potential
visual impact – “the damage to
our landscape and heritage” and
“the visual impact on the town’s
historic centre” which, of course,
is a subjective viewpoint.
There are residents of Charminster, Charlton Down and Stinsford
who would be happy to see these
turbines as part of the wider landscape north of Dorchester as a
tangible commitment to the provision of renewal energy because:
�We all need to take responsibility now for action to reduce
carbon emissions. Every week
there is evidence of the impact of
global warming, most recently the
reduction of Arctic ice.
� The UK is the windiest country
in Europe. With modern turbines
able to generate power 70-85%
of the time, six turbines have the
capacity to provide the energy
needs of 5,000 local homes.
�Wind power technology is
available now at an economic
cost. In Denmark, wind power
is the cheapest source of energy,
providing a third of the county’s
total energy needs.
�This size of wind farm is on an
appropriate scale in the context
of the continuing development of
Dorchester, including Poundbury,
and visually will be absorbed into
the wider landscape. The countryside is always changing, and has
shown itself resilient.
Dorchester Voice
Members of the Slyers Lane Clean Energy Group
Plans for a wind farm at
Slyers Lane, Charminster have
aroused fierce controversy. This
is a summary of the views of
those who support the project.
�In the event of new and better
future technologies, the wind farm
site can be returned to its natural
state after 25 years.
Those of us who support the
planning proposals refute the
unfounded ‘doom and gloom’
arguments of the Nos’ article as to
the impact of six turbines – “wilfully ignore the impact… on the
number of tourists …and loss of
income and employment”, and
“how can our representatives be
so blinded by ideology contrary to
the interests of the town”.
Where is the evidence for these
assertions? Is it being seriously
suggested that foreign and UK
visitors are going to be prevented
from enjoying the various Hardy
reference points across Dorset?
They do not seem to have been
deterred from visiting Hardy’s
Cottage by the concrete and
constant background noise of the
Puddletown bypass.
Are the Nos also seriously
suggesting that, say, people from
10
Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth are going to stop visiting,
shopping and doing business
in Dorchester due to six wind
turbines outside the town?
Finally – and rather ironically
– the Nos assert that “Dorchester
Town Council were swayed by
emotional arguments about green
energy” when they seem to be
influenced by their own emotive
‘Nimby’ assertions that are not
backed by evidence.
They would be much more
honest if they just said they don’t
like the look of wind turbines
rather than use specious reasons
to justify their perspective.
Some of us have tried to engage
in the process, look at the information, ask questions, and have
reached an objective conclusion
that the proposed wind turbines
are an appropriate development
for our community.
Hopefully the planning committee will look at all the facts
and the evidence and make an
objective decision on planning
grounds, aware of our need for
renewable energy not just now
but for the next generation.
Slyers Lane Clean Energy Group,
Charminster
May-June 2015
Fond farewell for the vicar of St Peter’s
Nearly 200 people packed into St
Peter’s Church, Dorchester for the
final service by the popular vicar,
Rev Vicky Thurtell, who is leaving
to take up a post as a canon at
Exeter Cathedral.
Clergy and congregation
from the town’s other churches
joined the service, presided over
by the vicar of St Mary’s, and
team rector, Rev Canon Thomas
Woodhouse. Rev Thurtell was
presented with a boxed set of
tuning forks and a cheque as a
leaving present.
The Rev Thurtell, 55, will
join Exeter Cathedral shortly as
canon precentor, looking after
the cathedral’s liturgy and music,
and its choristers. All 36 boy and
Rev Vicky Thurtell at St Peter’s
girl choristers attend the cathedral
school next door, and Vicky will
also be priest to the school.
Canon Anna Norman Walker
was appointed as the first fulltime women canon to the
cathedral in 900 years before
Christmas. Vicky’s appointment
means the cathedral now has two
female full-time canons for the
first time in its history.
“I’m delighted to have been
asked to join the cathedral and
bring the experience I’ve gained
in music and leading services in
Dorchester with me,” said Rev
Thurtell.
“I believe very passionately
that music plays an important
part in children’s learning and I’m
looking forward to building links
with schools.”
The Dean of Exeter Cathedral,
the Very Rev Jonathan Draper,
said: ““We look forward to Vicky
and her husband Clive joining us
shortly.”
Green School ‘a sort of civilised St Trinian’s’
“A sort of civilised St Trinian’s,” was how guest
speaker Rev Vicky Thurtell described the Dorchester Grammar School for Girls – widely known as
the Green School from the colour of their uniforms
– including their underclothing!
The outgoing vicar of St Peter’s, Dorchester made
history as the Old Hardyeans’ first female guest
speaker in their 110-year history at the annual
reunion dinner.
Rev Thurtell said although Hardye’s [boys]
school was not far away across Dorchester, there
was a concerted effort to keep girls and boys apart.
“The boys travelled by train from Weymouth, but
we Weymouth girls caught a special Bere Regis
bus for the trip across the Ridgeway to Dorchester,”
she said. “Teachers repeatedly warned us about not
catching the train, being much concerned the lights
may go out in Bincombe tunnel! I don’t know what
they thought we might be up to!”
Rev Thurtell became head girl at the Green
School. “Both of my children received a very good
education at Thomas Hardye School and I welcome the warm links that exist between the parish
church and the school,” she said.
“I do hope the links will continue and I am going to miss you all in Dorchester.”
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
11
Dorchester Voice
Baths: ‘Learn from Exeter’
Dorchester can learn lessons from how Exeter is
planning to re-excavate its Roman legionary baths
and put them on display.
That is the message from former County Archaeologist Laurence Keen, who says at least part of
Dorchester’s Roman baths could be put on show.
“With the depth of the Wollaston House remains, the potential for display below a decked car
park might merit investigation to obviate the massive archaeological interventions on the Charles
Street site,” he said in a letter to the Voice.
Mr Keen says he “greatly enjoyed” Suzanne
Armstrong’s article in the last issue reminiscing on
the excavation work on the baths in 1977-78.
For the record, he says the excavations were
not carried out because the site was to become a
car park. Dorset County Council had selected the
site for a new school, and the excavations were
within the footprint of the school – eventually built
elsewhere. It has always been his ambition that
any important remains would be conserved and
displayed as an educational resource, and believes
this would be the ideal opportunity to do so.
Dorchester Voice
12
May-June 2015
Town residents fuming over dog poop
By Richard Reed
Dorchester residents are fuming over dog owners
who refuse to clean up after their pooch, leaving
poop littering the town’s streets and parks.
One responsible local dog owner told the Voice
how her spaniel became covered in dog excrement
while chasing a ball on Salisbury Field.
“It’s absolutely disgusting the way irresponsible dog owners just leave dog poop everywhere
without making any attempt to pick it up,” said the
woman, who asked not to be named.
“My dog was covered in it, and I had to take him
home and bath him. Next time it could be a child
playing football.
“The town council now not only provides poop
bins, but also poop bags in case people forget to
bring their own, so there’s no excuse. It’s just sheer
laziness. I always scoop the poop.
“And it’s not just Salisbury Field – the path along
the River Frome regularly has mess that hasn’t been
cleaned up, despite notices everywhere, and often
the pavements along Icen Way and Durngate Street
are affected, too.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
“It’s simply not acceptable, and it gives all dog
owners a bad name.”
Barking and Dagenham Council recently became
the first local authority in the UK to introduce DNA
testing for dog poop.
All dogs using their parks will be required to have
their dogs’ DNA registered on a database, and will
be fined £80 if testing on poop proves their dog
to be responsible. Dog faeces can carry a number
of dangerous bacteria and parasites that can infect
humans, and children are particularly vulnerable.
Town councillor Alistair Chisholm backed the
idea of a Barking-style scheme. “I think that would
be an excellent idea and I would certainly encourage the council to look at it,” he said.
“If it works in Barking I see no reason why it can’t
work in Dorchester.
“If one or two people get hammered then the
word will go out and more people will behave
responsibly.
“I just think it needs to happen and for people to
know there is a real risk of the owner being identified. It’s a thoroughly unpleasant business.”
13
Dorchester Voice
Folklore & Heritage
Village bobby nearly ended Garland Day
I
By Jerry Bird
n the 19th century, the fishermen of Abbotsbury
appear to have been a pious and superstitious
lot. In 1863 the Rev William Jenkins noted that
the fishermen “have some old and very peculiar
customs, which are strictly adhered to”.
“Before the first launching of the boat in every
week, when the net and all are ready, the captain
says ‘Let us pray!’ when the whole crew, bareheaded, fall on their knees around the boat and join
in silent address to the Almighty, recommending
themselves and their undertaking to his protection
and favour. Having gone through this ceremony,
they rise, all saying, ‘In the name of God’, their
united efforts thrust the boat from the shore.”
In 1900, Wilkinson Sherren wrote in his guidebook The Wessex of Romance about a custom
which seemed “to be a survival of votive offerings
to Neptune, which still lingers in the fishing village
of Langton Herring. Before the nets are taken to
the beach the contents of a 7lb tin of biscuits are
scattered on the adjacent field by the fishermen,
in the hope that it will ensure a good season”. This
peculiar, and rather pagan-sounding practice, was
no doubt appreciated both by the local children
and the resident seagulls of Chesil Beach.
The garland ceremony at Abbotsbury was first recorded in 1867 in Hutchins’ History of Dorsetshire:
A pleasing custom still obtains on Old May Day.
The children belonging to the crew of each boat
build up a large garland of handsome flowers upon
a frame, and carry it from house to house, usually
getting a few pence a-piece from those who can
afford it. The people throng the beach, weather
permitting, in the afternoon, when the garlands are
taken out in boats and thrown into the sea. The late
Lord Ilchester […] had of late years provided an entertainment for the children, often close upon 200
in number, and was accustomed to attend them to
the beach, where the vicar read a suitable portion of
scripture, a psalm was sung, and prayer offered for
the general welfare.
In 1893, Canon Charles Herbert Mayo, the vicar
of Long Burton, wrote about the changing nature of
this old tradition:
The Abbotsbury children, having prepared their
Dorchester Voice
A painting of Garland Day by PR Morris
from 1893 (since lost) shows the offering to Neptune
garlands of flowers, which are as wide as a child’s
hoop, and surmounted by two intersecting semi­
circular arches, so as to resemble a crown, proceed
with them round the village from house to house,
soliciting gifts of money from the inhabitants. There
are separate garlands for each boat’s crew, this year
11 in number. After the perambulation of the village
is concluded, the garlands are taken to the boats,
which are rowed out from the shore, and their floral
tributes deposited on the waves.
Mayo also wrote that other garland ceremonies
besides that at Abbotsbury survived at Swyre and
Puncknowle, though in each case only a single
garland was paraded. He missed out Burton Bradstock, where the children paraded single-handled
garlands, smaller than Abbotsbury’s. Here the
ceremony continued up to 1914, by which time the
garlands were no longer deposited in the sea, but
taken instead to the church.
The garland ceremonies were gradually reduced
in stature as the fishing fleets declined, until by
1906 only two or three garlands were made in
Abbotsbury each May, though they were accompanied by those from Swyre and Puncknowle. After
the First World War, one was sacrificed to the sea,
and another was placed on the war memorial.
Although it declined in the late 19th century, the
ancient custom survived, with the schoolchildren
being given an annual holiday.
In 1954 the ceremony made national news. The
Daily Express reported that the village constable 0
14
May-June 2015
Green living
St Osmund’s gets a new bike shelter
P
upils at St Osmund’s
School in Dorchester have
unveiled new, secure cycle
storage facilities.
The new bike
shelters will encourage more
students and staff to cycle to
school and is part of a project by
charity Sustrans.
Sustrans is working with
schools, students and parents to
persuade them to choose two
wheels for the school run.
The project is funded by
Dorset County Council who
provided the £55,000 funding
for the shelters. Sustrans is also
providing bike pump facilities at
the schools.
Jonathan Dixon from Sustrans,
said:
“Walking and cycling to
work or school is a great way for
people to get the exercise they
need every day to keep healthy,
and research shows it helps
people to work more effectively
whether they are working or
studying.
“Sustrans, the county council
Pupils and staff at St Osmund’s School officially open their new bike
shelter, provided by Sustans and Dorset County Council
and schools are working together
to encourage students and staff
to cycle to school more often.
These new cycle shelters mean
that everyone has somewhere
secure to leave their bikes.”
Jim Williams, head teacher of
St Osmund’s School, said:
“Our
ultimate aim is to have more
children and staff cycling or
scooting to school. The shelters
of Abbotsbury had stopped the children’s Garland
Day Procession as it danced its way to the sea, on
the grounds that it constituted ‘begging’ and was
therefore against the law. He also confiscated the
collection, which amounted to £1.1s.71/2d. The
resultant uproar reached John Fox-Strangways,
chairman of the parish council and son of the Earl of
Ilchester, who contacted a solicitor and said the village would take steps to preserve its ancient custom.
In the evening the children put the Garland on its
pole and again danced down to the sea.
On 20 May, The Times announced that the Chief
Constable of Dorset had expressed his sincere apologies for the “unfortunate occurrence” to Abbotsbury
parish council and said the constable had acted
without the knowledge of the divisional superintenwww.dorchestervoice.co.uk
keep the bikes safe and dry,
encouraging others to try travelling this way.”
Matthew Piles, the county
council’s head of economy,
said:
“By providing the infrastructure the county council
is helping local residents find
healthy transport alternatives that
will help reduce congestion on
the school run.”
dent. “It is no part of my policy to interfere with old
village customs”, he stated.
Afterwards, in a letter to the Dorset County
Chronicle John Fox-Strangways claimed that on the
evening of that fateful Garland Day one of the best
shoals of mackerel of the year came in, so clearly
the sacrifice had worked. He also claimed that the
garland ceremony might have originated in the fifth
century AD and was certainly 1,000 years old.
The school holiday continued until 1981 when
Abbotsbury School closed, since when the ceremony has been held on the nearest Saturday to 13 May
each year. Nowadays the ceremony is used to raise
money for local charities, and, there being no fishing
boats left on this stretch of coastline, the garlands are
taken to the war memorial, instead.
15
Dorchester Voice
Health & Wellbeing
New home for town’s oldest gym
By Laura Gardner
D
orchester’s longest-running gym has
moved to a new home in the old Salvation
Army hall in Durngate Street.
Dorchester Health and Fitness club left its former
home in Somerleigh Road and its 400 members are
settling into the tastefully restored hall.
Debbie Easter and daughter Rachel work together
in running the gym. Debbie says people don’t come
here just for a physical change but for a lifestyle
makeover, to change both their bodies and mind.
They work with clients to develop individually
tailored programmes that help them develop into the
person they want to be. It may sound like a cliché,
but even as a visitor I was welcomed into the family.
The gym is full of the latest equipment, catering
for everyone’s needs – from free weights to machines
that develop and tone specific muscle groups, from
cross-trainers to stepping and running machines and
bikes; it’s all there.
There is also a range of classes such as spinning
and body pumping, and hydraulics machines specifically designed to help slowly work out the body,
for people who have had strokes or ME.
The club’s oldest member is 80, showing that the
gym appeals and caters to all age groups. It’s open
seven days a week, and they are ready to motivate
you in any shape or form.
Walking into the thriving gym, I was greeted by
owners and members alike. It was my first visit to the
building since I was in the kids club way back when,
and I still remember the beautiful architecture – to
me it feels more homely than an ordinary ‘chain’
gym, perhaps a reflection of Debbie’s and Rachel’s
caring influence.
When speaking both to members who have been
going for 20 years and new members alike, all agree
that while going to a gym is normally a chore, they
actually enjoy coming here.
Debbie and Rachel have worked hard to make
the new gym ‘happen’ – at one stage it looked as if
they might have to close completely when a previous new venue fell through. But thanks to their hard
work and dedication, Dorchester Health and Fitness
is good for the next 20 years.
Dorchester Voice
Debbie (right) and daughter Rachel in their stylish
new Durngate Street gym Photos: Laura Gardner
16
May-June 2015
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17
Dorchester Voice
The mysterious Dorset deat
By Jerry Bird
T
here can be few more
evocative sounds than that
of a powerful motorcycle
speeding along a lonely country
road.
For those who live within earshot of a certain stretch of road between Bovington and Wareham it
may send a shiver down the spine,
for the ghost of a motorcyclist, who
died after an accident here on 13
May exactly 80 years ago is said to
haunt that stretch of road.
The motorcyclist in question
was the archaeologist, scholar,
adventurer, army officer and political campaigner for Arab independence, T.E. Lawrence, the ‘Indiana
Jones’ of his day – also known as
‘Lawrence of Arabia’.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was
born on 16 August 1888 in north
Wales. His father, the aristocratic
Thomas Chapman, had left his
wife to live with Lawrence’s
mother, a governess; and changed
his surname.
In 1896 they moved to Oxford,
where Lawrence gained a first
class honours degree in modern
history at Oxford University in
1910. After graduating he joined a
British Museum archaeological dig
at the Hittite city of Carchemish in
Syria, where he stayed from 1911
to 1914, and learned Arabic. He
developed a deep sympathy for the
Arab people who had lived under
Turkish rule for centuries.
The month the First World War
began, Lawrence joined the map
department of the War Office in
London, charged with preparing a
map of Sinai. By December 1914
he was a lieutenant in Cairo. By
now regarded as an expert in Arab
Dorchester Voice
T.E. Lawrence
affairs, he was posted to British
Military Intelligence and joined an
archaeological expedition exploring northern Sinai – useful cover
for intelligence gathering behind
enemy lines.
In June 1916, the Emir of Mecca,
Sherif Hussein, took up arms
against the Turks – the Arab Revolt
had begun. As Turkey was an ally
of Germany, the British were keen
to encourage the rebellion. Lawrence was sent to the Hedjaz to
act as liaison officer and adviser to
Feisal (or Faisal), the Emir’s son.
Lawrence proved a superb tactician and of guerrilla warfare. His
small but effective irregular forces
attacked Turkish supply routes
and communications, keeping the
Hedjaz Railway from Damascus
to Medina inoperable, and tying
down thousands of Turkish troops
who would otherwise have been
fighting against the allied forces.
Lawrence’s overriding aim,
however, was to help the Arabs
achieve a victory that would lead
to self-government after the war.
The Arab forces won their first
major victory in 1917, seizing Aqaba, a strategically important Red
18
Sea port. The campaign continued,
leading to the capture of Damascus in October 1918.
Lawrence then left for London
to continue the political campaign
for Arab independence and attended the Paris Peace Conference
in 1919, famously wearing Arab
dress.
Before the conference had even
begun, however, the British and
French had agreed on the future of
Turkey’s Arab territories. Lawrence
was disillusioned by his failure to
bring the Arabs self-rule, but was
by now a celebrity, largely due to
the efforts of American journalist Lowell Thomas, who had shot
dramatic film footage of him in
Arabia, and brought his slide and
lantern show to London.
In 1921, Colonial Secretary
Winston Churchill appointed
Lawrence as an adviser, during
which time he successfully lobbied
for self-government for Iraq and
Jordan, which at least fulfilled
some of the promises he had made
to his Arab friends and allies.
In the summer of 1922 he
completed his novel, the Seven
Pillars of Wisdom, an account of
his experiences during the Arab
campaigns.
By now, his wartime privations
and the stress of political campaigning had brought him to the
verge of a nervous breakdown. He
resigned from the government and
joined the Royal Air Force under
the name of John Hume Ross in an
attempt to find anonymity.
Unfortunately he was tracked
down by the Daily Express, which
embarrassed the RAF and temporarily ended his career.
With the help of an old friend
in the War Office he then enlisted
May-June 2015
th of Lawrence of Arabia
in the Tank Corps as
a private, under the
name of T.E. Shaw,
the pseudonym
perhaps influenced
by his friendship
with George Bernard Shaw. He was
posted to Bovington
Camp in Dorset,
where he continued
his literary activities, working on an
abridged, illustrated,
limited edition
of Seven Pillars.
Finding living at the
camp distracting,
he began looking
for a quiet refuge
in 1923, and soon
came across a tiny
dilapidated cottage
for rent, a mile from
Bovington, called
‘Clouds Hill’.
Clouds Hill had been built in
1908 as a labourer’s cottage, probably for a forester on the Moreton
Estate. When Lawrence first saw
it, the cottage was in a poor state,
having been unoccupied for years,
except by a few passing tramps.
To pay for its renovation, he
sold a gold dagger that had been
made for him in Mecca during the
war. He had the roof repaired and
installed a large roof-light window
to give him enough light to work
on the new edition of his book,
which he did nearly every day after
fulfilling his military duties.
Often, though, he would sit and
“dream, or write or read by the
fire, or play Beethoven and Mozart
to myself on the box”. The ‘box’
was a large wind-up gramophone,
which still sits proudly in his
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
Lawrence on one of his beloved Brough Superior motorcycles
‘music room’, as he later called his
upstairs study – the first part of the
cottage he made habitable.
Lawrence craved the company
of other writers, and on moving to
Dorset, he immediately sought out
Thomas Hardy, visiting him at Max
Gate. After the first meeting, Florence Hardy described Lawrence as
‘a most brilliant, magnetic young
man’. When Hardy visited Clouds
Hill, often with other literary figures such as George Bernard Shaw,
E.M. Forster and Robert Graves.
Lawrence’s hospitality would
have been somewhat basic, however, as he was a strict vegetarian,
ate his food mostly cold, out of
tins, and eschewed alcohol and
tobacco. Importantly for Lawrence, they all shared a love of
music, particularly the work of
the Romantic composers such as
19
Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert
and Brahms, and they would sit
upstairs listening to the gramophone together.
The overnight accommodation
could only be regarded as spartan,
guests being given a sleeping bag
on the bed downstairs, while Lawrence slept on the floor. In his last
days, he constructed a bunk bed in
what had been his upstairs pantry.
Lawrence much preferred the
RAF to the Tank Corps, and eventually, in 1925, he managed to
persuade them to take him back.
He was stationed at Cranwell
in Lincolnshire and then in India,
but was obviously still enchanted
by his tiny Dorset refuge at Clouds
Hill, and, perhaps looking forward
to retirement from the services, he
decided to buy it.
He returned to England in 1929,
Dorchester Voice
by which time his new version of Seven Pillars of
Wisdom had been published, and had already
become a collector’s item. A cheap, popular version
was also published in 1927, called Revolt in the
Desert, which had become a bestseller.
He had also finished his second book, The
Mint, and was working on a translation of Homer’s
Odyssey. The advance from his American publisher
for the latter enabled him to complete the purchase
of Clouds Hill, and he then began to spend his
royalties on renovating and furnishing the rest of
the cottage. He also had an outside ‘convenience’
installed, as well as a small thatched garage for his
beloved motorcycle.
In December 1933 he wrote: “I have lavished
money these last three months upon the cottage,
adding a water-supply, a bath, a boiler, bookshelves,
a bathing pool (a tiny one, but splashable into): all
the luxuries of the earth. Also I have thrown out of it
the bed, the cooking range: and ignored the lack of
drains. Give me the luxuries and I will do without
the essentials.”
Unfortunately Lawrence was not able to enjoy
his completed home for long. He loved riding his
Brough Superior motorcycles, and owned eight
between 1922 and 1932, always having the latest
model, which he ordered direct from the works
in Nottingham. The Brough was regarded as the
Rolls-Royce of motorcycles and was the fastest and
most expensive machine on the road between the
wars, reaching speeds of up to 120mph in testing at
Brooklands.
Mysterious black car
Lawrence enjoyed pushing it to the limit, much to
the consternation of the local police, whom he always left standing – as he boasted to George Brough
himself, who personally oversaw the building of
the last model he rode, which he called George VII,
and also (as he referred to all of them), Boanerges,
meaning ‘Son of Thunder’. Its registration number
was GW2275 (here, the much-lauded film starring
Peter O’Toole is inaccurate), and he described it as
the “silkiest thing he had ever ridden”. George VII
was actually paid for by George Bernard Shaw, who
was later lamented that giving it was like ‘handing a
pistol to a would-be suicide’.
May 13 1935 was a bright, clear, breezy day.
Lawrence’s neighbour brought him his post, which
included a letter from the writer Henry Williamson
to say he would visit the next day. Lawrence went
to Bovington to send him a telegram. On his return,
emerging from a dip in the road, he swerved to
avoid two boys on bicycles who appeared suddenly
in front of him. He clipped the tyre of one of them
and crashed the Brough. He died at the hospital in
Bovington Camp six days later of head injuries, having never recovered consciousness.
Then as now, when a celebrity and/or political
figure dies suddenly in exceptional circumstances,
conspiracy theories abound, and Lawrence was no
exception. Much was made of some ‘mysterious’
circumstances such as a black car that was seen in
the vicinity of the accident; a witness who reported
seeing the car later killed himself; the two boys
were kept incommunicado at Bovington Camp, but
did not testify at the inquest; the inquest itself was
conducted by MI5 rather than the local police.
The most popular theory posits that like other veterans of World War I, Lawrence abhorred the idea
of yet another coming war in Europe, and had sympathy for the peace movement, which unfortunately
included Sir Oswald Moseley, who had launched
his British Union of Fascists in 1934.
Henry Williamson admired Hitler and supported
Lawrence’s beloved Clouds Hill cottage
Dorchester Voice
20
May-June 2015
Lawrence’s grave in Moreton churchyard
Moseley, who believed dialogue with the German
dictator was the only way to achieve lasting peace.
Some conspiracy theorists believe that Williamson
was about to visit Lawrence to set up a meeting with
Hitler, which would have been embarrassing to the
government, who had him assassinated as a result.
Somehow the artist has managed to capture some
of his subject’s fiery temperament in its eyes. It is
likely that this temperament, which tended towards
recklessness, and his love of speed combined to
cause his downfall. It is even claimed that he once
raced a biplane on his motorcycle. He had a Greek
inscription carved into the lintel above his front
door, which translates as ‘Why worry?’.
Clouds Hill was bequeathed to the National Trust
in 1939 by Lawrence’s brother Arnold, and is much
as he left it, except that the rhododendrons have
recently been grubbed out and replanted. His grave
is in the churchyard at nearby Moreton, and a rather
more elaborate memorial depicting a recumbent
Lawrence in Arab dress, also by Kennington, is in
the old Saxon church of St Martin, in Wareham.
George VII was eventually repaired by Brough,
and is now in the hands of an anonymous private
collector, though in the past it has occasionally been
displayed in public at exhibitions. The site of the
accident is commemorated by two stone plaques,
one by the old roadside, and another on the modern
road, which has been slightly realigned, straightened and elevated to remove the hidden dip which
proved so fatally dangerous in 1935.
Rejected Hitler’s overtures
However while he was a long-standing friend of
Williamson, and had been courted by Moseley’s
fascist movement, who wanted him as their chief
of staff, he had publicly rebuffed them, saying “No
please don’t make me any part of your club”.
Interestingly, he had already been contacted by
Hitler’s foreign affairs emissary Kurt von Lüdeke in
1932, but had rejected the overture. It is likely that
Henry Williamson, who wrote for the Daily Express,
actually perpetrated the Hitler rumours himself as
an exercise in self-aggrandisement in the eyes of
his fascist peers. Several times Lawrence referred
to himself as a ‘philosophical anarchist’ and was a
fierce anti-royalist who refused honours from King
George V, so would have made an unlikely fascist.
Despite his demonstrative character, robust
physique and commanding presence, Lawrence was
only 5’ 5” tall and very conscious of his stature.
In Clouds Hill a bronze bust, by his sculptor
friend Eric Kennington, is mounted on a wooden
column at the actual height he would have stood.
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21
Dorchester Voice
Hidden Dorchester
Theatre sparked career for famous thespian
S
By Jerry Bird
ome residents of Dorchester, and many visitors, must
wonder at the curious
name of the busy little café on
the corner of High West Street
and Trinity Street – The Horse
With the Red Umbrella. It has to
do with one of Dorchester’s lost
architectural gems – a Georgian
theatre demolished for redevelopment in the 1960s.
The first theatre on this site, at
10 High West Street, was built for
the well-known theatre manager and impresario Henry Lee
in 1792 by Charles Curme, the
architect son of a local builder,
using part of a 17th-century
building. Curme is inaccurately
named as the theatre’s ‘proprietor’ on the building’s blue plaque.
The same architect was also responsible for the new theatre on
the same site, which incorporated
part of the fabric of the old one,
much heightened and almost
doubled in size. It opened on 22
February 1828 with “the Comedy
of John Bull and the Farce of the
Spoil’d Child,” according to James
Savage’s History of Dorchester.
The new Dorchester Theatre,
which later became known as the
Loyalty Theatre, remained open
until 1843, with Lee’s company
presenting performances three
times a week. The building was
then taken over by Godwin’s
Glass and China Stores, and the
old theatre auditorium was used
as a warehouse at the back of the
shop until it was sold in 1963,
and finally demolished in 1965.
The frontage on High West
Street was spared, however, and
Dorchester Voice
The former Loyalty Theatre and the erroneous blue plaque
opened as the Horse With the
Red Umbrella in 1970, its name
supposedly taken from the last
play performed there.
Thomas Hardy took a great
deal of interest in Dorchester’s
theatrical history, and wrote
three letters about it to the Dorset
County Chronicle in 1897. In
1924, when Hardy’s own adaptation of Tess of the D’Durbervilles
was being staged by the Hardy
Players, he persuaded John Godwin to open up the old theatre
building so that he and several
famous guests could view it. They
all signed Godwin’s visitors’ book,
now in the County Museum.
The signatures include author
J.M. Barrie and T.E. Lawrence,
who unusually (perhaps because
Hardy was standing next to him)
used his own name, instead of
‘T.E. Shaw’, the name under
which he was living as a private
in the Tank Corps (see p18).
Hardy was particularly interested in the great Shakesperian
actor Edmund Kean, who had a
22
close association with the Loyalty
Theatre, having accepted an offer
from Henry Lee to play there
in 1813 that was to prove his
breakthrough.
Although the theatre was only
a third full, S.J. Arnold, the manager of the Drury Lane Theatre
in London, was watching the
performance from his private box.
Arnold immediately engaged
Kean to appear at Drury Lane on
a three-year contract.
His first appearance, as
Shylock in The Merchant of
Venice in November 1814, was
a sensation, and he went on to
play Richard III and Othello, and
was soon regarded as the leading
tragedian of the age.
He became very rich, but
squandered his wealth in dissolute living. Eventually he was
sued for adultery with the wife
of Alderman Cox, a prominent
Dorchester citizen, to whom he
was ordered to pay £800. His
career collapsed and he died in
poverty in 1834.
May-June 2015
Do you know identity of the lady in red?
This haunting portrait of a beautiful young woman on
the beach at Durdle Door has a timeless quality – yet
it was taken in 1913 and is one of the earliest colour
photographs, using the autochrome process.
The picture was taken by Mervyn O’Gorman,
who was involved in the introduction of the Highway Code in Britain in the 1930s, and was Superintendent of the Royal Aircraft Establishment – but the
identity of the girl, Christina, is uncertain.
Colin Harding, curator of photographs at the
National Media Museum said: “The truth is we do
not know who Christina is. There is no record of
Lieutenant Colonel Mervyn O’Gorman and his wife,
Florence, having any children.
“There is a census record of a woman named
Christina O’Gorman living in Dublin, who was born
in the 1890s. We do know Mervyn O’Gorman had
family links in Ireland. It is very possible she is a
relative, but we can’t say for sure.
“If anyone does know her identity we’d be very
interested in finding out.”
Several photos of Christina are on display at the
National Media Museum in Bradford, as part of its
exhibition Drawn by Light: The Royal Photographic
Collection, which runs until 21 June.
Do you know her identity? news@dorchestervoice.co.uk
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
23
Dorchester Voice
Wine & Dine
Fifties memorabilia – and great food!
W
Re Loved, Cornhill
eave your way through the crowds in
Dorchester’s Cornhill and you will find
Re Loved tearooms. At first glance,
Re Loved looks like a shop, although the tables
outside are a clue that there is a tearoom to be
found upstairs.
First, however, you have to go through a vintage
shop; an eclectic mix of 1940s-50s hand-crocheted
baby garments, embroidered cushions, odd bits of
furniture from that era and vintage clothes.
The shop assistant adorns a fifties hairstyle- pincurls with a bow or hair clasps and clothing makes
you think you have indeed walked into a different
era. Mount a narrow yellow-painted staircase,
without carpet, and you will find the sun-filled tearooms upstairs. Here is a living room of the fifties
complete with a large fireplace.
You will certainly think you have taken a step
back in time among the variety of different shaped
tables covered with floral or checked table-cloths
of different colours, odd chairs from straight-back
and spindle to fiddle-back; and little nooks and
crannies filled with memorabilia for sale. Scattered
around is an extraordinary mix of knick-knacks
that shout nostalgia. There is even a library filled
with books dating back to the 1940s.
The tearooms are truly a family business, run by
mum Sandra, dad Terry and their son and daughter. The Hicks family opened the Dorchester-based
Re-loved two years ago but there is another in
Wareham (also extended family) which has been
open for six years.
When it comes to the food, be prepared to be
tantalised not just by the menu and the generous
portion on your plate, but by the surroundings,
too, which will bring memories of your grandparents’ house flooding back. It certainly promotes
conversation.
When you arrive in the tearooms the large
home-made cakes are guaranteed to catch eye.
Lemon cake, gooey chocolate cake, Victoria
sponge, spicy ginger cake, and Dorset apple cake.
Little wonder this gem is a popular place to bring a
friend for coffee or tea.
Dorchester Voice
Re Loved in Dorchester’s Cornhill
The main menu is on large blackboard above
the fireplace, and what a choice, with soups such
as broccoli and Stilton, butternut squash, and
spring vegetable and herb.
Main courses include such delights as saffroninfused chicken with an almond crust and lemon
mayonnaise; home-made beefburgers; and homecured salmon gravadlax with salad. Lighter bites
include hot garlic mushrooms on toast, and I still
have memories of the homity pie they had on
their previous menu – and you can be sure every
ingredient is fresh and locally sourced.
Bistro nights are also becoming popular. Simply
bring your own wine, and enjoy the Spanish
guitarists who provide a fabulous atmosphere on
Friday and Saturday nights 7 – 11pm.
The food is a little different on a Friday Saturday
night – beef and dark chocolate pie may sound
like a strange combination, but do try it. In fact
there are 11 main courses on offer in the evening,
and the menu is about to change for the summer
months.
Re Loved tearooms are also open for bookings
for hen parties and recently catered for a party for
150 people.
Sheena Pain
24
May-June 2015
Visit the Poet Laureate in Poundbury and try
our delicious home-cooked meals from our
new Spring menu Plus…
Special offer on Poet’s Puds!
Buy a main course and drink, and get
one of our delicious desserts for free!*
For reservations & queries call Alex or Nicky
on 01305 251511
or visit www.thepoetlaureate.co
*Free dessert available with purchase of main course
and drink – this advert must be presented when
ordering. One dessert per advert, offer can only be
used once. Expires 31st May 2015.
The Poet Laureate, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3GW
Tel: 01305 251511 info@thepoetlaureate.co.uk
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
25
Dorchester Voice
Out & About
Hardy returns home to celebrate new film release
At 34 years old, Thomas Hardy
had his first literary success with
Far from the Madding Crowd,
penned in the tiny cob and
thatch cottage in deepest Dorset
where he was born.
Nearly 150 years on, actress
Carey Mulligan’s costumes from
the new film adaptation are
bringing Hardy’s Cottage to life.
Through the spring and summer, both Hardy’s Cottage and
nearby Max Gate – where Hardy
later lived and died – will be
filled with the words and music
of true Hardy country. The New
Hardy Players (pictured) will be
celebrating the work of Thomas
Hardy, and this year some of the
Players’ major claim to fame is
as supporting artists in the new
film of Far from the Madding
Crowd. Howard and Alison Payton now live in Dorset, and have
a lifelong passion for Hardy.
Howard appears in the film as an
Everdene farmer, and Alison as a
farm worker.
Sir Andrew Motion has always been hugely influenced by
Hardy’s poems, and on Hardy’s
birthday on 2 June he will open
a new Writing Places season
with a Hardy poetry reading and
talk at Max Gate (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/writingplaces).
On the evenings of 9 and 10
July, the New Hardy Players will
perform Hardy’s The Return of
the Native in the garden of Max
Gate (booking 01305 266079.)
Martin Stephen, National
Trust Visitor Services Manager,
said: “With the release of this
major new film, we can bring
both Hardy’s first and last homes
to life with wonderful Wessex
words and music.”
Help remember VE-Day
with 1940s garden party
This Whitsun half-term, to coincide with the 70th
Anniversary of VE-Day (Victory in Europe), the
Tank Museum will be staging activities related to
the Allied victories across Europe.
The Tank Museum will also be hosting a 1940s
garden party where you can take part in creating
flags, bunting and other crafts for the occasion.
There will also be an opportunity to climb in
one of the main battle tanks, ride in a tracked
vehicle, try on replica uniforms and take part in
fun-filled family activity trails.
Tanks In Action will take place every weekday
at 1.00pm from 23-31 May. See tanks thunder into
action and watch in awe at their firing capabilities.
Meanwhile the weekend of the 27-28 June sees
Tankfest at The Tank Museum, bringing the story
of tanks, tank crews and soldiers to life – and an
original Second World War Spitfire will be flying
on both days.
Historic vehicle displays will see a number of
vehicles making their show debuts, and several old
favourites returning to the arena.
Dorchester Voice
26
May-June 2015
Out & About
Gormley work unveiling at Kimmeridge Sponsored walk
Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge Bay
is welcoming everybody to celebrate 50 years of the Landmark
Trust, with a sculpture by Antony
Gormley and music by an awardwinning composer.
A Golden Weekend on 16-17
May will mark the 50th anniversary of the Landmark Trust. Since
May 1965 more than 200 significant buildings have been rescued
by the historic buildings charity.
Visitors to Kimmeridge will see
a striking life-sized cast-iron sculpture on the shoreline, created for
Landmark’s 50th anniversary by
renowned artist Antony Gormley.
Another highlight is a Golden
Moment at 3pm on Saturday 16
May when local musicians across
the country will simultaneously
perform An Anthem for Landmark
at each of the 25 open Landmarks.
Sammy Hurden will lead the
Freedance Choir in a performance
of their interpretation of the anthem, and will also perform a repertoire of locally inspired music,
plus a brand new composition by
Sammy, again inspired by Clavell
Tower and its surroundings, and
supported by Dorset AONB.
Joining the Freedance Choir are
the Ridgeway Singers & Band, led
by folk musicians Tim Laycock
and Phil Humphries, performing a
selection of folk songs.
During the afternoon, Kimmeridge Village Hall Committee
will also be serving cream teas,
with funds going towards a new
children’s playground.
to River Jordan
Would you like to be involved
in a sponsored walk to the River
Jordan as part of Christian Aid
Week?
An 18-mile walk is being
staged, with several stops on
the way, from Dorchester to
Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth,
and back. If you think that’s too
far, there are various stopping
off points for buses en route.
Sponsorship forms are available
from Steve Rider (St Mary’s
Church) on 01305 262839.
And don’t miss the Christian
Aid Week Annual Market on
Wednesday, 13 May at noon in
the United Church Hall, South
Street, Dorchester.
FORDINGTON
HATHA YOGA
including asana, relaxation and breath work
with British Wheel of Yoga Diploma holder
fully insured and experienced local teacher
All abilities and levels of experience
including beginners are welcome
at classes in Fordington and Dorchester
MONDAY:
Dorchester Middle School 5.30 and 7.30pm
WEDNESDAY:
St George’s Church Hall 9.30 - 11.00am (drop-in class)
FRIDAY:
St George’s Church Hall 9.30 - 11am
£7.50 per class payable per half term or term
(Discount if paying for whole term)
For more information or
to book your place please contact
MARJ SNAPE on 07747 429559
or marjsnape@tiscali.co.uk
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
27
Dorchester Voice
Dorchester Arts Scene
Wilde returns with
Picture of Dorian Gray
Farewell act at arts centre
Guitar phenomenon Rodney Branigan features at
Dorchester Arts Centre for its farewell act.
Artists are often described as having “a unique
talent”; few epitomise this more than multi-instrumentalist Branigan. In fact, Texan-born Rodney’s
talents are as plentiful as the many instruments he
expertly plays side by side.
Described by Music Connections magazine as
“impossibly talented”, Rodney’s talent is jaw-dropping as he masterfully plays two guitars at once –
but make no mistake: this is no novelty act.
He manages to play with an almost piano-like
capacity, focusing each of his hands on either
melodic, rhythmic or percussive duties.
Rodney Branigan will be the last blues night at
the Arts Centre and all future events will be at the
Corn Exchange venue. However, Dorchester Arts
promises that while the venue will change, the upclose-and-personal feel will stay the same.
Based on the rapturous response to The Trials of
Oscar Wilde at Shire Hall last year, Dorchester
Arts is welcoming back European Arts with its
new theatrical adaptation of Wilde’s The Picture of
Dorian Gray.
Set in the decadent world of Victorian London, a
beautiful young man called Dorian Gray becomes
infatuated by the exquisite portrait that Basil Hallward has painted of him. He makes a Faustian pact
that he will remain forever young while the picture
grows old. Adapted by Wilde’s grandson Merlin
Holland and European Arts’ John O’Connor, this is
a gripping and hugely entertaining theatrical event.
Saturday 16 May, 8pm (doors & bar 7:30pm), Dorchester Arts
Centre. Tickets: £13 / £6.50* in advance, £14 / £7* on the
door, Senior Citizens £11 in advance / £12 on the door
Fri 15 May, 8pm (doors and bar 7:30pm), Dorchester Corn
Exchange, £12 / £10 members & concessions
Scintillating flamenco
In a scintillating fusion of heart-wrenching vocals,
explosive footwork and virtuoso guitar playing, we
welcome Jaleo as they return to Britain with their
latest stage show.
‘A Compás’ (‘In Rhythm’) charts an evocative
musical journey through the diverse flamenco
regions of Andalusia.
In this completely authentic show some of
Spain´s finest artists combine their talents in a
mesmerising tour de force. A spectacular evening
encapsulating the very essence of flamenco.
Thursday 14 May, 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm), Dorchester
Corn Exchange, £15/£13 members/conc
Dorchester Voice
28
May-June 2015
Dorchester Arts Scene
Thought-provoking yet uplifting look at war
Rhum and Clay bring their
Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit, A
Strange Wild Song, to Dorchester
in June.
This critically acclaimed ensemble will enchant audiences
with their unforgettably touching
tale about finding light in the
darkest of places.
A Strange Wild Song takes
the audience to northern France
during the Second World War,
where three children encounter
a lost American soldier. Decades later, the soldier’s camera is
unearthed and the photographs
inside reveal an incredible story
of childhood and imagination.
Accompanied by an original
award-winning musical score,
the production fuses cinematic
A Strange Wild Song – finding light in darkest places
imagery, absurdist humour, and
physical theatre to tell an epic
story that is thought-provoking
yet entertaining.
Dorchester Corn Exchange, Thursday
4 June, 8pm (doors & bar 7:30pm)
£10/£8 members/conc, 01305 266926
Bridport Arts Centre 5 June 7:30pm
01308 424204
Art exhibition and talks
look at Hardy the man
Artist Susan R Hughes returns to the home of
Thomas Hardy with an exhibition of new art that
looks at the final year of the relationship between
Dorset’s most famous writer and his first wife. Open until the end of May, this show is situated
in the Tess study at Max Gate and aims once again
to present a visually stimulating show for National
Trust audiences, Hardy enthusiasts and art lovers.
Meanwhile, a series of illuminating talks about
author Thomas Hardy and his work is taking place
through the year at Dorset County Museum.
Professor Angelique Richardson will give a talk
on Hardy and the New Science on 28 May. Other
talks in the series include professor Ann Heilman
on Hardy, women and marriage (30 July) and
Philip Mallet on Hardy, Wessex and the poetry of
war (29 October).
You will
be
moved!
Independent
Sales, Letting &
Property Agent
Talks begin at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm). Free, £3 donation is welcome.
Max Gate opens from Wednesday to Sunday until 1 November, from 11.00am-5.00pm (last entry 4.30pm). Admission £7
for adults and £3.50 for children.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
49 High West St
templehillproperty.co.uk
Dorchester, DT1 1UT
01305 751772
29
Dorchester Voice
Dorchester Arts Scene
Kaz will get you dancing
Aladdin is set to dazzle
Underground for years as a secret songwriter, Kaz
Hawkins is now established as one the biggest
performers to come out of Northern Ireland.
With support slots for Van Morrison, Nanci Griffiths, Chris Farlowe and Matt Andersen under her
belt, Kaz was recently awarded the 2014 Rising
Star Award from Blues & Soul magazine.
Having recently launched her debut album Get
Ready – a passionate celebration of her roots and
inspirations in music – Kaz wants her live shows
to evoke a time when people danced in the aisles,
so invites her audience to dance and rejoice in the
glory of her gutsy, heartfelt blues and soul songs.
Saturday 13 June, 8pm (doors & bar 7:30pm), Dorchester
Corn Exchange, £13/£6.50 conc. in advance £14/£7 on door.
Rich European folk music
In 19th century Eastern Europe, Jewish musicians
travelled from town to town performing at weddings and other celebrations, meeting and playing
with local musicians and sharing repertoire.
London-based group She’Koyokh has spent
the last decade soaking up the rich folk music of
Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Balkans.
This acclaimed group’s evolution spans the
humble origins of busking at London’s Columbia
Road flower market to performing in the concert
halls of Europe, as well as Glastonbury.
With a sumptuous mix of violin, accordion,
clarinet double bass, guitar and percussion, and
vocals from acclaimed Turkish singer Cigdem
Aslan, expect a night of exhilarating music.
Ballet Theatre UK is set to wow audiences
Following the enchanting production of Swan
Lake, Ballet Theatre UK returns with a dazzling retelling of Aladdin – an exotic tale boldly brought to
life through the magic of classical ballet.
With just one rub of the magical lamp, Aladdin’s
journey will sweep you into an exotic world full of
daring adventure, enchanting spells, unbelievable
riches, treachery and of course true love.
Ballet Theatre UK is building a reputation as one
of the finest small-scale touring dance companies
in the UK, and now there is the chance to see
these talented young dancers and choreographer Chris Moore’s imaginative productions in
Dorchester once more.
Wednesday 3 June 2015 at 7:30pm, Buckland Newton Village Hall, tickets £9, £7 u18s, £28 family 01300 345455.
Thursday 28 May, 7pm (doors and bar 6:30pm), Dorchester
Corn Exchange, £15/ £13 members, £11 conc.
Seascapes exhibition opens
Down To The Sea is a
new exhibition of paintings
by
Angela Goodman at The Gallery on the Square
in Queen Mother Square, Poundbury during May.
Angela, who lives in Weymouth, is an artist
whose paintings and printings have sold widely
throughout the South-West and in London, and
whose recent work has centred around a series of
Dorset cliff studies and seascapes.
Dorchester Voice
30
May-June 2015
Dorchester Arts Scene
Don’t miss Restoration romp
Catch Curst Sons at Goldies
Do the names Patrick Stewart, Daniel Day-Lewis,
Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, and Pete
Postlethwaite ring a bell?
They all trained at the renowned Bristol Old Vic
Theatre School – so don’t miss the school’s flying
visit to Frampton to stage The Beaux’ Stratagem.
The Lichfield stagecoach is a’comin’ on over the
hill, laden with gallants and intent on fine females
and their even finer fortunes.
But are they prepared for cross-dressing Irish
priests, honourable highwaymen, lardy landlords
and scheming servants?
The stage is set for one of the finest Restoration comedies of the age. George Farquhar knits
together a panoply of stock and ‘not so stock’
characters, weaving plots and sub-plots in an 18th
century carnal comedy, where not all is as it seems
and the country folk of Lichfield are not quite as
dumb as we think.
Curst Sons have a unique and entertaining take on
American traditional music, playing blues, gospel
and bluegrass with a kick-ass stomp and a large
shot of wry humour.
The Brighton-based trio have released five
albums on their own Curst Mountain record label,
played too many pubs and clubs to remember,
played two sessions for Radio 2’s Mark Lamarr,
and were both the Guardian’s ‘pick of the week’
and Time Out’s ‘critic’s choice’ in January 2014.
Saturday 27th June 2015 at 7:30pm
Frampton Village Hall, tickets £9, £7.50 u18s 07968 586906
Sunday May 10 4pm Goldies, High East Street, Dorchester.
Birdy’s cellist Morse-Brown BBC Young Musician joins DCO
creates moving soundscape Dorset Chamber Orchestra welcomes Cordelia
Williams as the soloist in Grieg’s immensely popular but ever fresh and exhilarating piano concerto
in a concert at St Mary’s Church, Dorchester.
Cordelia (pictured) is the latest in a remarkable
series of BBC Young Musician of the Year prizewinners to appear as soloist
with the orchestra. She has
appeared all over the world
with major orchestras and
performed Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto at the Barbican Hall, London in December 2014. Cordelia
has been acclaimed as a pianist of “great power
and delicate sensitivity”. She is recognised for the
depth and maturity of her interpretations.
The concert opens with Cinderella, one of
Rossini’s most sparkling overtures, followed by
Schubert’s famous Unfinished Symphony, conducted by Robert Jacoby.
Duotone is the name under which Barney MorseBrown (cellist for multi-platinum artist Birdy) writes
and performs his own contemporary acoustic
songs.
Single-handedly disproving the myth that men
can’t multi-task, Barney loops guitars and cellos,
percussion and voices to create ethereal soundscapes around which to weave his poignant lyrics.
Following hugely successful appearances at the
End of the Road Festival and Green Man, Duotone
is fast growing in popularity, with his unique
shows moving seamlessly between riotous energy
and heartfelt intimacy. An emerging band not to
miss.
Meanwhile backing him is Indie/electro outfit
The White Bicycles, who have gained a local
following from their last two visits with Saturday
Sun and Lily and Meg. Their hugely original sound
weaves ambient electric guitar melodies and
sparse drumscapes around Matthew Howe’s poetic
and melancholic lyrics.
May 16 7.30 pm St Mary’s Church, Dorchester. Tickets £12 in
advance or £13 at the door. Under 18s free. Advance tickets
from Harmony Music, 3-4 The Forum Centre, Trinity Street,
Dorchester 01305 260360.
Friday 12 June, 8pm (doors and bar 7:30pm) Dorchester
Corn Exchange, £9/ £7 members/conc.
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
31
Dorchester Voice
Out & About
May
8-10 May Diesel Gala. Swanage Steam Railway.
9 May Printmaking Workshop. Create your own lino-prints with
Sarah Morrish. The Kingcombe Centre. £80 includes materials.
Book online at www.kingcombe.org
9-10 May Poole Harbour Boat Show. Poole Quay.
9-10 May 10.00am-5.00pm Saxon & Viking Academy. Corfe
Castle. (Normal admission prices apply). 01929 481294
9-22 May 10.00am-4.00pm Dorchester Arts Centre Open 2015
Exhibition. The Grove.
10 May 10.00-6.00pm Animal Festival. Kingston Maurward.
01305 215003
10 May Willow Structures for the Garden. Create obelisks, hurdles and willow structures with Kim Creswell. The Kingcombe
Centre. £85 includes materials. Book online at www.kingcombe.
org or call 01300 320684
11 May 2.00pm Alan Payne talks at Max Gate about Brough
Superiors. 01929 405616
11-17 May Lawrence Week at Clouds Hill. A week of talks,
walks and activities. For further details call 01929 405616
11-23 May 11.00-4.30pm Art Exhibition in aid of Cancer Trust.
The Studio, Vermont, Cheselbourne. 01258 837082
12 May 2.00pm Alan Payne talks at Max Gate about Lawrence’s
journeys 01929 405616
13 May 1.30-4.00pm Tim Laycock performs Lawrence and
Friends, an afternoon of stories, song and music in celebration
of Lawrence and the interesting friends who visited him. Clouds
Hill. 01929 405616
13 May From 12pm Christian Aid Week Annual Market, United
Church Hall, South Street, Dorchester. Stalls galore. Coffee and
tea, ploughman’s Lunches and desserts.
14 May 11.30am Peter Preen tllks about Lawrence’s notoriety.
12.15pm Roger Holehouse talks about the diplomatic background to the Arab revolt. 2.30pm Alison Jolly gives a short talk
(approx 20 minutes) about the Kennington bust of T E Lawrence.
3.00pm Marilyn Holehouse talks about Lawrence’s family background. Clouds Hill. 01929 405616
14 May 7.00pm Dorset in Film. Dorset History Centre. Tickets
£10 (including canapés & glass of wine) 01305 228945
Mid May – end June Cygnets hatching. Abbotsbury Swannery
15 May 8.00pm The Picture of Dorian Gray – European Arts
Company. Dorchester Corn Exchange. £12/£10 members. 01305
266926
15 May 1.30-4.00pm Tim Laycock performs Lawrence and
Friends, an afternoon of stories, song and music in celebration
of Lawrence and the interesting friends who visited him. Clouds
Hill. 01929 405616
15 May 2.00pm St Martin’s, Broadmayne. Community Market.
15 May 7.00pm A John Craxton Talk: John Craxton’s Dorset by
Ian Collins. Dorset County Museum. 01305 756827
15 May 10.00-5.00pm Tank Experience Day. Bovington Tank
Museum. 01929 462359
15 May Dawn Chorus Breakfast. Join Su Gough for a guided
walk followed by a hearty breakfast. The Kingcombe Centre.
£15. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684
15-31 May Jawsome Sharks: BRP Roadshow. Weymouth Sea life
Adventure Park.
16 May Christian Aid Week. Charminster & Charlton Down
16 May 11am-3.00pm Gathering of Brough Superior
motorbikes.1.00am – 3.00pm National Trust Archaeologist
Nancy Grace will be on hand with a display of archaeology
finds and brass rubbings. Clouds Hill. 01929 405616
16-17 May 10.00-4.00pm Spring Tide Food Festival. Hive Beach,
Burton Bradstock, Nr Bridport. 01297 489481
16-17 May 2.00pm-5.00pm Smedmore Hose & Gardens Open
Day. Smedmore House, Kimmeridge, nr Wareham. 07811
871347
16-17 May 10.00am-5.00pm Saxon & Viking Academy. Corfe
Castle. Free event (normal admission prices apply). 01929
481294
17 May 11.00am-3.00pm National Trust Archaeologist Nancy
Grace will be on hand with a display of archaeology finds and
brass rubbings. 2.30pm Guided walk around part of the Law-
Dorchester Voice
rence trail. Clouds Hill. 01929 405616
20 May 1.00pm & 3.30pm Adult Craft Workshop – Rug Weaving. Dorset County Museum. £10 per session. 01305 756827
21 May 7.30pm Tom De Wit – The Tolpuddle Protest. The Justice
Café at Shire Hall. £5 01305 266926
22 May 7.00pm Talk: Stolen Images – Pagan Symbolism and
Christianity by Peter Knight. Dorchester Museum. Free (donation
of £3 encouraged) 01305 756832
23-25 May Hawk Experience. Weymouth Sea life Park.
23-25 May Kingcombe Arts Weekend. A celebration of nature,
landscape and wildlife inspired art from Dorset and beyond
including exhibitions, talks, sculpture, photography, painting and
more. Full details at www.kingcombe.org
23-24 May 10.00am-5.00pm Saxon & Viking Academy. Corfe
Castle. (Normal admission prices apply).
23 May – 7 June Purbeck Art Week. Various locations throughout
Purbeck.
23-25 May Monkey World Big Banana Bonanza! Monkey
World, Longthorns, Wareham. 01929 462537
23-31 May King Tut’s Treasure Hunt. The Tutankhamun Exhibition, Dorchester. 01305 269571
23-31 May 10.00-5.00pm Victory in Europe. The Tank Museum,
Bovington. 01929 462359
24 May Dorset Tour Vintage & Classic Vehicle Rally. Lodmoor
Country Park, Weymouth.
24-25 May 10.00-6.00pm Fayre in the Square. Trinity Road,
Weymouth Harbour.
24-25 May 12.00-10.30pm Quayside Music Festival. Custom
House Quay, Weymouth Harbour.
25 May 10.00-6.00pm Sherborne Castle Country Fair. 01963
220490
26-31 May The Spice Box. One-woman street theatre show.
Corfe Castle. For times and more details tel. 01929 481294
27-30 May Royal Bath & West Show. Shepton Mallet, Somerset
27-30 May 7.30pm Evita. Weymouth Pavilion. Details and
tickets from Pavilion box office. 01305 835554
27 May 10.30am to 12.30pm Family Activity – Become an Archaeologist’s illustrator. Dorset County Museum. 01305 756827
28 May 7.00pm Thomas Hardy Talk. Dorchester Museum. Free
(donation of £3 encouraged) 01305 756832
28 May 7.00pm Aladdin – Ballet Theatre UK. Dorchester Corn
Exchange. £15/£13 members/£11 concessions. 01305 266926
29 May 3.00pm Aladdin – Ballet Theatre UK. Dorchester Corn
Exchange. £15/£13 members/£11 concessions. 01305 266926
31 May 3.00pm Pop! A Magical Comedy Show – Children’s
Theatre. Dorchester Corn Exchange. £6/£20 family ticket. 01305
266926
June
4 June 8.00pm A Strange Wild Song – Rhum and Clay Theatre
Company. Dorchester Corn Exchange. £10/£8 members and
concessions. 01305 266926
5 June 6.00pm Archaeology Field Trip: Maumbury Rings. For
details 01305 756832
6-7 June Historic Falconry at Corfe Castle. 01929 481294
7-11 June Flower Festival. Athelhampton House.
7 June 10.00-4.00pm Blue Pool 80th Anniversary Celebrations.
Blue Pool, Furzebrook, Wareham. 01929 551408
10-11 June 7.00pm Alice in Wonderland/The Jungle Book. DYT
double bill. Corn Exchange. Tickets £7.50/£4 under 18s. 01305
266926
13-14 June Historic Falconry at Corfe Castle. 01929 48129
13 June Behind the Castle Musical Festival. Sherborne Castle.
Adults £46, children 8-17 £25, under 8 free. 01935 812072
14 June 10.00-5.00pm Open Day & Country Fair. Kingston
Maurward. 01305 215003
17 June 1.00pm & 3.30pm Adult Craft Workshop – Midsummer
Willow Garland. Dorset County Museum. £10
20 June 10.00-4.00pm Dorchester Craft & Gift Market. Corn
Exchange
20-21 June Historic Falconry at Corfe Castle. 01929 481294
20-26 June Weymouth & Portland Armed Forces Day Celebrations. Weymouth Seafront. 01305 785747
21 June 2.00-5.00pm Abbotsbury Open Garden. The Old Gate
32
May-June 2015
Corn Exchange regular bookings
Dorchester Bridge Club - Monday Evenings
Leroc Dance Classes - Tuesday Evenings
Taekwondo - Tuesday Evening
Fizzy Boppers - Children’s Dance Classes - Wednesdays am
Bridge Lessons - Wednesday Evenings
Salsa Cascara - Salsa Classes - Wednesdays Dorchester Country
Market - Friday Mornings Dorchester Family Church - Sunday
Mornings
The Kingcombe Centre, Toller Porcorum, offers a variety of
courses and guided walks Visit www.kingcombe.org
House, Abbotsbury.
25 June 7.00pm Thomas Hardy Talk: Whistler and Monet.
Dorchester Museum. Free 01305 756832
26 June – 4 July Beaminster Festival of Music & Visual Arts.
Beaminster. 01308 862943
27-28 June Historic Falconry at Corfe Castle. 01929 481294
27-28 June Armed Forces Weekend at Swanage Railway.
27 June 7.30pm The Beaux Stratagem by Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
The Village Hall, Frampton. Tickets £9, £7.50. 07968 586906
27-28 June 10.00-5.00pm Tankfest! Tank Museum Bovington.
28 June 10.00-4.00pm Jurassic Mini Car Club Display. Jubilee
Clock Weymouth seafront.
28 June 10.00am Chickerell Fun Day & Classic Car Show.
School Hill, Chickerell Weymouth. Tickets £4
Local farmers’ markets
Poundbury Farmers’ Market is held on the first Saturday
of the month
Bridport Farmers’ Market is held on the second
Saturday of the month
Sherborne Farmers’ Market is held on the third Friday
of the month
Dorchester Farmers’ Market is held on the fourth
Saturday of the month
July
3 July 6.00pm Archaeology Field Trip: Druce Farm Roman Villa.
For details 01305 262735
4 July 3.00pm-9.00pm Show of Hands – Annual family open-air
concert. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. 01305 871130
4 July Coastal Festival. Corfe Castle. 01929 481294
9 July 7.30pm The Magnificent Three – Miracle Theatre.
Outdoor theatre at Maumbury Rings. £12/£10 members, £8
concessions, £30 family. 01305 266926
Gig Guide
May
10 May 3-5.00pm Jack Daniels. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
10 May 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
10 May 4.00pm Curst Sons (Americana). Goldies, Dorchester
01305 458202
11 May 8.00pm Traditional music session, Fox & Hounds, Cattistock 01300 320777
13 May 1.30-4.00pm Tim Laycock performs Lawrence and
Friends, an afternoon of stories, song and music in celebration
of Lawrence and the interesting friends who visited him. Clouds
Hill. 01929 405616
14 May 8-10.00pm Jerry Bird (English & Celtic folk on guitar &
fiddle). Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café, Dorchester 01305 756019
14 May 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
14 May 7.30pm Jaleo: A Compas (Flamenco dance) Corn
Exchange, Dorchester
15 May 10.30am Alan Davies with Merry Conceit (Playford
dance workshop). Village Hall, Corfe Mullen 01202 872795
15 May 9.30pm Vanilla Radio (pop/rock covers). Tom Brown’s,
Dorchester 01305 264020
15 May 1.30-4.00pm Tim Laycock performs Lawrence and
Friends, an afternoon of stories, song and music in celebration
of Lawrence and the interesting friends who visited him. Clouds
Hill. 01929 405616
16 May 9.30pm Dusty Stray (alt. folk). Goldies, Dorchester
16 May 9.30pm Dinnerladies (60s/70s covers). Tom Brown’s,
Dorchester 01305 264020
16 May 7.30pm Rodney Branigan (DA Blues) Arts Centre, The
Grove, Dorchester 01305 266926
16 May 7.30pm Dorset Chamber Orchestra play Rossini and
Schubert, with BBC Young Musician Cordelia Williams. St Mary’s
Church, Dorchester. Tickets £12 in advance/£13 on door, Under
18s free. Tickets from Harmony Music, 3-4 The Forum Centre,
Trinity Street, Dorchester. 01305 260360
17 May 3-5.00pm Kipper (Dylan covers/Americana). Durnovaria
Wine Bar/Café, Dorchester 01305 756019
17 May 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
18 May 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. Goldies,
Dorchester 01305 458202
20 May 8.30pm Jazz Club Open Session. The Three Compasses,
Charminster 01305 263618
20 May 8.30pm Matt Tarling & Friends (Irish Folk Session). The
Blue Raddle, Dorchester 01305 267762
21 May 1-2.00pm Mike Denham (ragtime piano). Dorset County
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
pop, rock, folk, classical…
Museum, Dorchester 01305 262735
21 May 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
21 May 8-10.00pm Steve Frapwell. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
22 May 1.00pm Lunchtime Concert: Illumine (classical piano
and clarinet. Dorchester Museum. Free (donation of £3 is
encouraged). 01305 756832
22 May 9.30pm Red Rooster (blues). Tom Brown’s, Dorchester
01305 264020
23 May 9.30pm Finnian McKurk (Celtic folk). Tom Brown’s,
Dorchester 01305 264020
24 May 3-5.00pm Will Sear. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
24 May 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
24-25 May 12.00-10.30pm Quayside Music Festival. Custom
House Quay, Weymouth Harbour.
28 May 8-10.00pm Mitch Norman. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
28 May 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
28 May 8.00pm The troubadours. Sunray Folk Club, Village Hall,
Broadmayne 07786 654074
29 May 9.30pm The Darwins. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester
29 May 7.30pm Namvula & Band (World music), Village Hall,
Corfe Castle 01929 480483
29-30 May Lyme Regis jazz & Blues Weekend.
29-31 May Wessex Folk Festival. Trinity Street, Weymouth
Harbour.
31 May 3-5.00pm Julie Lewis. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
31 May 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
June
3 June 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. The Blue Raddle,
Dorchester 01305 267762
3 June 7.30pm She’Koyokh (gypsy/E European folk). Village Hall,
Buckland Newton 01300 345455
3 June 8.30pm Jazz Club. The Three Compasses, Charminster
01305 263618
4 June 1.00pm Lunchtime Concert: Emilie Capulet. Dorchester
Museum. Free (donation of £3 encouraged). 01305 756832
4 June 8-10.00pm Jamie Parker. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
4 June 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
5 June 9.30pm Skimmity Hitchers (Dorset scrumpy & western/
33
Dorchester Voice
Gig Guide
cow-punk). Goldies, Dorchester 01305 458202
6 June 9.30pm T.B.C.. Goldies, Dorchester 01305 458202
7 June 3-5.00pm Jerry Bird (English & Celtic folk on guitar & fiddle). Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café, Dorchester 01305 756019
7 June 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
8 June 8.00pm Traditional music session, Fox & Hounds, Cattistock 01300 320777
11 June 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
12 June 7.30pm Duotone/The White Bicycles (contemporary
acoustic music). Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 267992
12 June 9.30pm Tom Clements. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester 01305
264020
12-14 June various times Wimborne Folk Festival www.wimbornefolk.co.uk
12 June 8.00pm Duotone + The White Bicycles. Corn Exchange.
Tickets £9/£7 concessions. 01305 266926
13 June 8.00pm Kaz Hawkins and Her Band O’ Men - DA
Blues. Dorchester Arts Centre. £13/£6.50 in advance, £14/£7 on
the door
13 June 7.30pm Acoustic Strawbs. Village Hall, Harmans Cross,
Swanage www.harmanscrosshall.co.uk
13 June 7.30pm Kaz Hawkins & her Band O’ Men (DA Blues).
Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 267992
13 June 9.30pm Million Dollar Bash (Dylan/Band tribute). Tom
Brown’s, Dorchester 01305 264020
14 June 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
14 June 3-5.00pm Kipper (Dylan covers/Americana). Durnovaria
Wine Bar/Café, Dorchester 01305 756019
15 June 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. Goldies,
Dorchester 01305 458202
17 June 8.30pm Matt Tarling & Friends (Irish Folk Session). The
Blue Raddle, Dorchester 01305 267762
17 June 8.30pm Jazz Club Open Session. The Three Compasses,
Charminster 01305 263618
18 June 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
19 June 9.30pm The Remedy. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester 01305
264020
19 June 7.30pm Dallahan (Irish/Hungarian folk). Powerstock Hut
01308 485264
19 June 7.00pm The Nash Ensemble (classical). Dorset County
Museum, Dorchester 01305 756827
20 June 9.30pm Blue Commotion. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester
01305 264020
21 June 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
21 June 7.30pm Dallahan (Irish/Hungarian folk). Village Hall,
Studland 01929 450204
25 June 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
25 June 8.00pm Boo Hewerdine. Sunray Folk Club, Village Hall,
Broadmayne 07786 654074
26 June 9.30pm Gill Anne. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester 01305
264020
26 June 7.30pm The New Jersey Boys. Oh What a Night – The
Frankie Valli Story, Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 267992
26 June – 4 July Beaminster Festival of Music & Visual Arts.
Beaminster. 01308 862943
27 June 9.30pm Inspire. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester 01305
264020
28 June 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
pop, rock, folk, classical…
2 July 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
4 July 9.30pm The Skones (punk). Goldies, Dorchester 01305
458202
4 July 7.30pm Brooks Williams (DA Blues). Corn Exchange,
Dorchester 01305 267992
4 July 9.30pm Howling at the Moon. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester
01305 264020
4 July 3.00pm-9.00pm Show of Hands – Annual family open-air
concert. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. 01305 871130
5 July 3-5.00pm Bitter & Twisted. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
5 July 7.30pm Songwriters’ Open Mic. Night, Sydney Arms,
Dorchester 01305 259250
9 July 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester
01305 264020
10 July 9.30pm~ Neon. Tom Brown’s, Dorchester 01305
264020
11 July 7.30pm~ Mozartissimo – An evening of Mozart opera,
Swansea City Opera. Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305
267992
Telephone numbers are those of the venue/box office/ organiser.
Dorchester Voice suggests you check for ticket availability and
prices (where necessary) before attending. Please note, regular
music sessions sometimes vary times.
Information in this magazine is published in good faith. The Dorchester
Voice does not accept any liability for the accuracy of any material
included, nor from any losses or claims arising from any such inaccuracies.
All contributions are accepted on the basis that they are free from any
copyright restrictions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
form without the publisher’s written permission. Published by New Media
Horizons Ltd, 7 Durngate Street, Dorchester DT1 1JP. ©2015
July
1 July 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. The Blue Raddle,
Dorchester 01305 267762
1 July 8.30pm Jazz Club. The Three Compasses, Charminster
01305 263618
2 July 8-10.00pm Julie Lewis. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café,
Dorchester 01305 756019
Dorchester Voice
34
May-June 2015
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Casterbridge Trading Estate
Marabout Industrial Estate
Motor Body Repairs
Windows
Tony Johns Bodywork
West Coast Window Centre
Motor body repairs
panel beating & spraying. Unit 20
01305 268594/07957 890645
UPVC windows, fascias, soffits & gutters
Unit E4 01305 257267
sales@westcoastwindowcentre.co.uk
Dorchester & surrounding area
Blinds
Locksmith
Dorchester Blinds Ltd
10 Pomeroy Buildings 01305 265555
info@dorchesterblinds.com
www.dorchesterblinds.com
Smart Lock Solutions
24/7 local locksmith & glazing. No call-out fee.
CRB checked; OAP service, 20% discount.
01305 789160 mob. 07551 713484
Motor Services
Holiday Let
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info@xwayscarsltd.gmail.com
01305 854719
Extra accommodation needed for
visitors? 3-4 day bookings welcome.
Sleeps 4 07875 842399
Cleansing Services
Property Maintenance
Tip-Top Cleaners
Commercial and Domestic
No job too large or small!
01305 266527 mob. 07805 494744
Dorset Paint & Property Maintenance Co
Your local taxi company
0778 7031333
www.dorsetpaint.company.co.uk
email: dorsetpaint@gmail.com
Chimney Sweep
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available county-wide
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email: conal70@gmail.com
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Call Sheena on 07875 842399
or email sheena@dorchestervoice.co.uk
www.dorchestervoice.co.uk
35
Dorchester Voice
Dorchester Voice
36
May-June 2015