WHEN the Hammond brothers, Henry and Robert, set off on their bikes around the lanes of West Dorset in 1905 to 1907, gathering traditional songs and carols from people who were already old, they captured many of the tunes and words that Thomas Hardy knew as a boy. They had long been overtaken by the…
BUFFALO Gals founder and fiddler extraordinaire Kate Lissauer has recently discovered the silent films of Frank Borzage, made almost a century ago. She, with John Whelan and Jason Titley, have worked on three of the earliest short silents by the man who directed 100 films and won two Oscars, composing new music and authentic songs…
SUPERMARKETS are losing their power over us all; dodgy accounting on their part and changes in our habits as shoppers are conspiring to make the behemoths nervous. As a result there’s a vicious price war going on – no-one can fail to notice that, and of course we are all going to take advantage of…
SUMMER Lodge at Evershot is the epitome of the country house hotel – a beautiful old house, set in gorgeous gardens, overflowing with flowers, vegetables and fruit, with a mouthwatering menu of mainly locally sourced food, an internationally famous wine list and stunning West Dorset scenery for walks and drives. What Summer Lodge is NOT is…
Orchestral players take centre stage at The Lighthouse Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Kirill Karabits: Conductor Sunwook Kim: Piano Amyn Merchant: Violin Jesper Svedberg: Cello MAHLER: Blumine BEETHOVEN: Triple Concerto SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 WITH no virtuoso solo concerto in the programme, the focus in this packed Lighthouse concert was on the orchestra, with several principals…
ONLY connect, said E M Forster, quoted by Frank in Willy Russell’s Educating Rita: only connect, the motto written on Forster’s monument in Stevenage, and the two words which sum up not only much of Forster’s output, and Rita’s attempt at education, but also every tiny piece of the magical, mystical, deep, yet seemingly simple,…
ONCE we have been born, the one certainty remaining in this confused and confusing world is that we will die. We can no longer depend on real estate maintaining its value, jobs for life for lawyers, bankers and doctors or the sunshine in summer, but we ARE going to die. Not many of us wait…
ARTHUR Miller’s All My Sons is regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, yet it is performed rarely, requiring a level of emotional and intellectual concentration from its audience that is unusual in these 90-minutes-and-off-to-the-bar days. Set in the back yard of a house in a well-to-do neighbourhood of an American…
A QUICK glance at the long list of awards won by the Eastbury Hotel at Sherborne leads the visitor to expect a memorable experience – particularly in the Conservatory Restaurant – and you won’t be disappointed. The hotel, in an 18th century former town house, is a lovely old brick and stone building with a…
THIS production by Warminster’s Masqueraders was back by popular demand after a successful sell-out production on the Athenaeum stage earlier this year. That demand was certainly evident as this vibrant show, which really delivers what the title promises, once again played to full houses. It is set in a women’s prison, and the stark set…