SCOTLAND has Robert Burns, Yorkshire has the Brontes, Hampshire has Jane Austen, London has Charles Dickens (and many Moore) – but Dorset, quite small in comparison, has two great major figures who are rooted in the county – Thomas Hardy and William Barnes, who will be celebrated at a gathering to enjoy his poems, with…
THE music of the baroque is some of the most engaging, moving and enjoyable of any classical music era. Shaftesbury Arts Centre celebrates this colourful musical genre at a festival which runs from Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th January, with a programme of recitals, talks and film. What and who do you think of when…
ONE of the great mysteries of the inter-war years is the death of TE Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – in a motorcycle accident not far from his Dorset home at Clouds Hill near Wareham. On Saturday 18th January, Bridport’s Electric Palace has a screening of a fascinating documentary, Who Killed Lawrence of Arabia? is…
ONE of the most influential and high profile scientists in the country, Prof Tim Spector, is coming to Bath Forum on Tuesday 28th January for a give a talk, as a special guest of Bath Festivals. Tim Spector, the author of bestselling books, including The Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed, Identically Different and Food for Life: Your…
THE long and complicated journey of an ancient violin continues – this week Lev’s Violin (the instrument and its story) is in Dorset for dates with Artsreach, including Shipton Gorge village hall on Thursday 5th December, West Stafford hall on Friday 6th and Chetnole village hall on Saturday 7th, all starting at 7.30pm. Former bandmates…
THE winter 2024 study day at Springhead, the environmental arts centre at Fontmell Magna, focuses on the ways our ancient predecessors dealt with death. Grave Concerns, on Sunday 17th November, features three experts, including the archaeologist and television presenter Julian Richards, who lives in North Dorset. Grave Concerns, which runs from 10am to 5pm, follows…
EXPLORER, naturalist, conservationist, broadcaster and passionate lover of all things maritime, Steve Backshall is back on tour this autumn with a new show, Steve Backshall’s Ocean, celebrating what he calls “the most exciting environment on our planet – the ocean”. He is coming to Bournemouth Pavilion on Saturday 26th October, Weymouth Pavilion on Thursday 31st…
THE autumn programme at Sladers Yard, the West Bay gallery, cafe and arts centre, gets under way with an exhibition running throughout October, featuring recent paintings by a gallery regular, a jazz concert with some favourite musicians and the latest in the series of Help Our Planet (HOP) talks. Skylines, the exhibition that runs to…
YEOVIL Literary Festival 2024 has a stellar line-up with top writers, historians and poets coming to talk about and read from their latest works. Over the week from 18th to 27th October, the main festival hosts such household names as Martin Clunes, Wayne Sleep, Fern Britton, gardener Carol Klein, Clarkson’s hilarious sidekick Kaleb Cooper and…
WELLS Festival of Literature, one of the country’s longest established and most imaginatively programmed, runs this year from Friday 18th to Saturday 26th October, with speakers ranging from scientist and broadcaster Adam Rutherford to comedian Paul Sinha, favourite cookery writer Sophie Grigson to people’s poet Pam Ayres. Based at Cedars Hall at Wells Cathedral School,…