The largest celebration of history in the UK, The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival is set to return from the afternoon of Wednesday 23^rd to the evening of Sunday 27^th June. Taking place at its spectacular venue in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, it will be one of the first big ‘live’ events of the summer, starting just two days after the proposed lifting of Covid restrictions on 21^st June.

After much consultation with the relevant authorities and key stakeholders, the five-day event – made possible after receiving a generous grant from the Arts Council Culture Recovery Fund – will take place in accordance with Government guidelines, with strict health and safety regulations in place where necessary.

As an outdoor festival, many of the planned activities will be centred around two big marquees and two new stages that will host talks as well as the large tents. The festival will offer its usual amazing line-up of talks, topical debates, living history and activities for children, with eminent historians and household names all bringing history to life.

James Holland, Festival Chair, said: “We are incredibly excited about the festival’s return.  It will be the first big family event to take place in nearly 18 months, and I know the general public, currently starved of real-life festivals, are desperate to get back to some kind of normality. This will be a fabulous chance for families to go out, have fun, meet friends across the spacious layout of the site, to soak up some culture in a safe environment. It goes without saying that the safety of all those attending will be our upmost priority. The programme is going to be wide-ranging with lots to see and do, and we really can’t wait to welcome everyone back!”

There will not be a physical Festival for Schools this year. Instead, the festival will be creating a wealth of specifically generated content ready for the start of the academic year in September.  This will include filming curriculum-based talks from leading academics and historians relevant for students in Years 10 and 12, and also delivering a mass of filmed material for Years 6, 7, and 8. In this way the festival will provide a long-term, free digital resource in line with the aims of the Chalke Valley History Trust.

John Glen, local MP for Salisbury, said: “The Chalke Valley History Festival is one of the jewels in the crown of the area’s cultural life. It is wonderful news that it can proceed this year. It will be a huge boost to the morale of both history buffs and the many local businesses, which supply and support the festival.”

The full programme, and more detailed information about what’s in store this year, will be unveiled very soon. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday 19^th May.

Talks given by incredible historians, taken from the past ten years of the festival, can now be heard on the Chalke Valley History Festival podcast.  Entitled #ChalkeTalk, the podcasts are released three times a week.

The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival will take place at Church Bottom,
Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5DS. 

For more details about the Festival, please visit www.cvhf.org.uk  Follow all the news on Twitter at @CVHISTORYFEST and on Facebook and Instagram.

The Gallery at Shaftesbury Arts Centre reopens on Monday 12 April with a solo exhibition by popular local artist Andrea Jenkins.

Andrea draws on a lifetime of engagement with art to express ideas in a variety of styles and two-dimensional mediums.  

Andrea says “I am very excited to be able to show my recent work at The Gallery as it reopens. The main focus of the exhibition will be strongly coloured abstract paintings and mixed media pieces. Working with bright colour has kept me cheerful over the past months, especially during the dark grey days of winter and lockdown. There will also be some closely observed representational work that expresses my concern for the local natural environment.” 

The Gallery has a full calendar of exciting exhibitions coming up in the future, including Sandy Roberts and her group for Dorset Art Weeks. In the meantime, until the doors officially open, pieces from the cancelled exhibitions will be displayed in their windows.  

Once open, The Gallery will be following the Government’s guidelines regarding COVID compliance, so it will be safe to visit.

Further details at www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk

THE Nobel laureate TS Eliot lived for some time at East Coker, near Yeovil, and is buried in the churchyard. He also used the name for one of the Four Quartets, generally acknowledged as his poetic masterpiece. 

The multi-award-winning theatre and film star Ralph Fiennes will direct and star in the world premiere stage adaptation of this great work, reopening Bath Theatre Royal after lockdown, from Tuesday May 25 to Saturday June 5.

Most recently seen starring with Carey Mulligan in The Dig on Netflix, Fiennes’ many film roles have included Schindler’s List, The English Patient and The Grand Budapest Hotel, while recent stage appearances have included Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and The Master Builder on stage. Fiennes went to Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury.

Four Quartets was the culminating achievement of Eliot’s career. In four powerful sections, Burnt Norton, East Coker, The Dry Salvages and Little Gidding, it offers interwoven meditations on the nature of time, faith, and the quest for spiritual enlightenment, with reflections upon surviving periods of national crisis.

Fanny Charles

Lovers of Mozart’s operas get a treat this summer when the Dorset Opera Festival stages its first ever productions of two of the Austrian composer’s greatest works, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte.

Returning after last year’s enforced Covid-cancellation, the opera festival will run from July 19-24, at the usual venue, Coade Hall, at Bryanston School. But while it will be the first time in its 47 year history that Dorset Opera will stage Mozart, it will also be without one of its most important features, the chorus. 

A key aspect of Dorset Opera Festival has always been the summer school for singers and technical theatre students from across the world who sing and work alongside the professionals. This year, sadly, the festival management feels it would be unwise to run the summer school.

“So, for the first time ever, we are presenting a MozartFest featuring operas that, as they have little or no chorus, we would never normally be able to consider,” says Dorset Opera Festival artistic director Rod Kennedy. As well as the two great da Ponte operas, there will also be a semi-staged version of Händel’s Acis and Galatea, using the Mozart orchestration.

There are options to go outdoors if social distancing is reintroduced. For this reason, tickets will initially be sold for a 50 per cents capacity audience. If the government lifts all restrictions on theatrical performance on 21st June, the remaining seats will then be released. Visit the website, dorsetopera.com, for more information.

Fanny Charles

Organisers of Shaftesbury Fringe says they’re excited by their decision to go ahead with the event this summer.
Fringe will be held over four days on 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th August 2021.

Shaftesbury Fringe was last held in 2019 when it was England’s third-largest performance event. Co-Chairman James Thrift says the festival may not be as large this year because of Covid-19 uncertainties and because organisers expect some social distancing measures will be in place.

“I think we can all accept now that this is going to be a different Fringe,” said James.

Fringe committee members are currently talking with Shaftesbury businesses that have expressed an interest in acting as venues.  
The organisers say they understand their important role in hosting a celebration to bring our community back together. They are committed to playing a part in helping Shaftesbury ‘bounce back’, supporting businesses and local performers and artists in a safe, responsible way.

“If you’re a band or individual, no matter where you are, if you can get here to perform and you want to do something, get in touch. We will find somewhere for you to do something,” said co-Chairman Rob Neeley.

Event information will be added to the website https://www.shaftesburyfringe.co.uk/ as it becomes available.

Discover Wimborne this April with a host of virtual events, videos and activities for all the family.

Every April Wimborne’s businesses and other venues have opened their doors, offering events, workshops, special promotions, competitions and activities as part of a festival of discovery.

Last year Discover Wimborne was cancelled, and this year, to comply with Covid 19 regulations, the festival is going digital.

Wimborne BID organise the event, and BID Manager, Tammy Sleet, said it’s all about connection, “we wanted to provide something that connected people to the town, and Discover Wimborne is a great way to do that. There’ll be a dedicated website, and people will be able to view videos, download activities and see special offers.”

And this will be the start of something special, “we’ve never thought of doing a virtual festival before the pandemic,” said Tammy, “but in future, even when we are allowed to get together again, I am sure an element of online will stay with Discover Wimborne.”

Some of the events on offer include a virtual version of the well-loved craft market, Handmade Wimborne, a virtual food tour, and some top tips from specialist businesses.

As well as the website www.wdiscoverwimborne.com, the events will be supported by Wimborne’s digital shop window, ShopAppy. ShopAppy, supported by Wimborne BID and Dorset LEP, gives an opportunity for every business in Wimborne to sell online. It has been a lifeline to some businesses in Wimborne and allows customers passionate about shopping local to support their favourite businesses, even if they are closed. The platform will play host to the Handmade Wimborne market. Visit www.shopappy.com/wimborne to see who’s there.

An Update from BV Dairy sponsored North Dorset Cycle Ride 16^th May 2021

Following a period of uncertainty, Shaftesbury Rotary Club are delighted to announce that their charitable fundraiser, the North Dorset Cycle Ride, has received the green light to go ahead as planned on Sunday 16^th May, 2021.

This popular ride, that takes in the amazing natural beauty of the towns and villages around the Blackmore Vale, is Shaftesbury Rotary’s biggest fundraising event of the year. With many charities suffering financial hardship, due to COVID-19, this event will be even more important than ever. The Rotary committee have set themselves an ambitious fundraising target of £20k that will go to Prostate Cancer UK, as well as to other local charities.

Jim Highnam, Managing Director of BV Dairy, comments; “We are proud that our local family business is supporting the North Dorset Cycle Ride. We have some keen cyclists at BV Dairy, including myself, that will be taking part and many employees will be volunteering as marshals too. The stunning route, that takes riders to the South and West of Shaftesbury, will actually pass many of the local dairies that we buy milk from, so it’s a perfect fit for us.”

The entry numbers will be capped this year to allow for staggered start times and social distancing. However all the usual event day charm will be there; including the iconic Gold Hill “finish” line that will involve cycling (or attempting to!) ride up the famous Hovis hill.

There are three routes to choose from all starting on Castle Hill and finishing on Gold Hill. The easiest is a family friendly 12 mile route, the second a tougher 25 mile route and lastly a 50 mile ride for the more serious biker!

Registration is now open online for a modest £25 per adult for the 25 mile and 50 mile rides, and £20 per adult for the 12 mile ride, unfortunately due to COVID restrictions entries will not be accepted on the day. Young people aged 10-16 years are half price, and children under 10 years are welcome join in for free.

Riders can sign-up by going to the website 

www.cycleride.shaftesburyrotaryclub.org or can contact Martin on 07341 866941

We hope our readers will come together and support this fantastic event!