Category: Uncategorized
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Bridport Dog Training Society… because a trained dog is a happy dog!
June 2026 Friday 26 June is Bring Your Dog to Work Day in the UK. This annual event celebrates the companionship and love that our canine friends give us, and recognises that dogs in the workplace can reduce stress, improve morale and even increase productivity. Of course, not everyone can take their dog to work;…
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Flick through The Essential Bookshelf…
June 2026 In the second of our features to mark the National Year of Reading, Annette Shaw looks at a few of the books we’d all like to have in our collection… In 1950, Eileen Barton recorded the song If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake. Of course, Googling a recipe was…
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From Walditch to Wembley: wrestler JJ Gale
June 2026 Most of us have a childhood dream, but few of us realise it. In early May I caught up with Bridport boy JJ Gale, who will appear at Wembley Arena this August as a professional wrestler for the British promotion Revolution Pro (RevPro) where he will deploy his signature finishing move, the Gale…
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Bridport Stage Company: a diverse, inclusive group preparing for their next production
May 2026 It is 10 years since the indomitable Valerie Goodwin started the Bridport Stage Company. This year, the dynamic director, playwright and force of nature returns to her Shakespearean roots with a new production, Juliet & Her Romeo, which the group will perform at the end of May at Bridport Town Hall, with all…
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In the Pod: Matt Kingston’s unusual route to the top of the musical tree
May 2026 Musician Matt Kingston – also known by his professional name, Matthew Coleridge – was involved with Bridport choirs long before he became a leading light in the world of contemporary choral composition. His new album, The Breath of Life, was released a few weeks ago and two local choirs will be performing its…
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Exciting times for music at the Sir John Colfox Academy in Bridport
May 2026 After Ali Davies’s interview last year for the position of head of music at the Sir John Colfox Academy in Bridport, the head teacher took her into the main lobby to show her one of the school’s greatest treasures. And when Ali saw the Steinway concert grand piano tucked away under the…
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Bridport Clothes Bank: an idea born amid war, now helping the whole community
April 2026 Back in April 2022, during the early weeks of the war in Ukraine, an enterprising Bridport group started to collect clothing to send out to people in need in the newly occupied country. As the war progressed, some of the refugees accepted into the UK came to West Dorset, so emphasis was…
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Mark the book! A round-up of tips for the National Year of Reading
April 2026 An early-age foray into literature has the potential to last a lifetime. Yet reading appears to be on the decline, and a campaign launched recently to reverse – or least stall – the trend is timely. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide initiative led by the National Literacy Trust and…
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The Allington Hillbillies have nature in mind
April 2026 Rising above the rooftops of North Allington, with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, Allington Hill is a place where people come to enjoy fresh air and nature. Behind the scenes, a dedicated group of local volunteers, led by Cathy Harvey and Steve Todd, work hard to keep the hill thriving. This group…
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The yellow-legged hornet threatens our native bees
March 2026 In late November a resident of Swyre noticed a strange-looking nest high up in a tree. The nest had the same look as a wasp nest but was much bigger and in a more exposed position than a wasp nest would usually be found. The resident reported the nest to the National Bee…