Category: Local History

Blandford Railway | Then and Now

This was the moment when Blandford’s railway history reached the point of no return. The arches at the eastern end of East Street had survived...

Smugglers! | Looking back

Roger Guttridge recalls North Dorset’s most notorious smuggling gang As many readers will know, I only need half an excuse to talk about my smuggling...

Fire St James’s Street, Shaftesbury | Then and Now

Roger Guttridge recalls a fire that ripped through terraced cottages at Shaftesbury What a difference 63 years makes! The above picture shows some of the devastation...

The Reddlewoman | Looking Back

Roger Guttridge recalls a colourful character from old Dorset Thomas Hardy fans will remember a character in The Return of the Native called Diggory Venn,...

The Original Blackmore Vale Magazine’s early years | Looking back

As one door closes and another opens, Roger Guttridge looks back on the Blackmore Vale Magazine’s early years Sipping a pint in his local one...

Sturminster Newton’s Market Cross | Then and Now

It’s been home to a pump, a horse trough, market stalls and parked cars, but now the roadside spot at Sturminster Newton’s Market Cross...

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No lions were harmed in the making of this safari …

From racing clubs to Pony Club safaris, it’s been tours with tea and snoozy foals (and sausage rolls) for Doug Procter, with one final...

Planning Your Trip to the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show: Where to Stay and What to See

There is something uniquely British about voluntarily spending a significant portion of your August weekend standing in a field in Motcombe, surrounded by pristine...