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Category: Local History

The Ghost in Room 9 | Looking Back

Pub manager Jamie Clark didn’t believe in ghosts – until the day he moved into the historic King’s Arms Hotel at Blandford in January...

Sturminster Newton High School | Then and Now

It’s a sobering thought that the kids in these pictures of Sturminster Newton High School will be in their 70s now. The photos were taken...

It bain’t just in Darzit! | Looking Back

After kindly mentioning my previous column in the opening lines of his February contribution, Andy Palmer noted that when his family moved the 20...

Town Mills Gillingham | Then and Now

They are sadly long gone, but Gillingham’s old mill buildings once provided the town with a gloriously historic centrepiece. They were attractive enough to catch...

Farmer’s Jesty’s Quantum Leap | Looking Back

Edward Jenner usually gets the credit as the world’s first vaccinator but arguably the title should belong to North Dorset’s own Benjamin Jesty. Almost 250...

Church House Wimborne | Then and Now

It’s not Wimborne’s prettiest building but what Church House lacks aesthetically it makes up for in prominence. Standing alongside the Minster, the two-storey parish room...

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Point to Point returns to Badbury Rings

If you've never been to a point-to-point before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a great countryside day out where horses and riders take...

The BV puzzles – January 2026

Welcome to January's BV Puzzles page – your free spot for a quick brain workout. Complete the crossword, test your logic with a classic...

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