We start with sadness this month – our writer, colleague and friend Roger Guttridge passed away during August. We know many readers will miss his local history columns – we’ll simply miss him.
Of course we have a full obituary of his remarkable life, written by Fanny Charles, his editor for many many years at the original BVM.
In this month’s issue:
- From desperation to media sensation – how Dorset artist Anna Hamilton’s Twitter plea dramatically shifted her from financial despair to overwhelming success
- The mysterious journey of Alan Turing’s documents, from Sherborne to America – and back. An astonishing tale of undercover archivists, FBI involvement and the triumphant return to Britain of the stolen Turing documents
- Meet Dorset’s soap star Kirsty Hearne – creator of a thriving cottage industry selling goats’ milk and the soaps she makes from it
- Stranded in the west after the Russian invasion, the Kyiv City Ballet’s never-ending ‘infinity’ tour will stop off in Shaftesbury in October
- Composer and Artmusic director Helen Ottaway selects her Dorset Island Discs – from folk to installation art, Helen talks about about her multi-dimensional journey in music as she chooses the discs she can’t live without
- Gillian Matthews, the pioneering Paralympian who redefined athleticism, leaving an indelible mark on Paralympic history and on grassroots disability sports, has died, aged 87
- Andrew Livingston is taking a nostalgic stroll through the Dorset County Showground – back to when agri show stands were someone’s caravan with an awning, and the free gifts were a particular treasure.