Features & interviews from the magazine

December 2025 / January 2026 As the turning point of the year approaches, many of us will reflect and wonder what 2026 has in store for family, friends and our community – and, indeed, globally. The Serenity Prayer* holds timeless wisdom and there’ll always be things we cannot change. However, nurturing a positive view on…

November 2025 Regular contributor Robin Stapleton marks Remembrance Day with a visit to an inspiring place commemorating the lives lost in war… The 150-acre National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire honours those – military and civilian – who have served and continue to serve the nation. Planting began in 1997 and there are now around 30,000…

October 2025 Actor and author Martin Clunes is quite a familiar face in these parts, as he lives in the countryside near Beaminster with his family and pops into Bridport fairly regularly. He is appearing at this year’s Bridport Literary Festival talking to Jo Willett about his latest book, the delightful Meetings with Remarkable Animals.…

September 2025 It’s a thing. An interactive one. And it’s coming to Bridport. Currently showing in London’s West End, the play Every Brilliant Thing, written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, stars a rotating cast of actors including Lenny Henry and Sue Perkins. As part of the Allington Arts Weekend, the Bridport production is directed…

September 2025 Walditch resident and local librarian David Brazier takes us on a tour of the village’s book-filled, repurposed phone box… A few weeks after I moved to Walditch, my lovely neighbour asked me to look after the book exchange, which is housed in a red telephone box on the main road of this chocolate-box-pretty…

September 2025 Valerie Payne, formerly the editor of this magazine, died on 30 May aged 91. Her funeral was on 16 June at St Mary’s Bridport, where she worshipped and was a lay minister for many years. Valerie worked tirelessly in the community of Bridport and in the parish of St Mary’s. She was extremely…

July/August 2025 What is it with men? Edmund Brand takes a look at the worrying issues around men’s mental health, and discovers what some local groups are doing to help… Although NHS data says that 12.5% of men have a mental health disorder, the true figure is likely to be higher – after all, men…

July/August 2025 The Estonia grand piano in St Swithun’s Church has an unusual history. It was supplied new in 1982 by Morley’s of Lewisham, and its original owner, Richard Godfrey, enjoyed playing it and giving informal concerts at home. In 2010, when Richard and his wife decided to downsize, they considered living in France, and…

July/August 2025 Ahead of the Melplash Show in August, we meet this year’s president, John Bugler, and discover what the show – and the Melplash Agricultural Society’s wider activities – have to offer, whether you’re a farmer, a confirmed townie, or somewhere in between… Words by Annette Shaw Photo of John and his dog Arthur…

June 2025 Funeral Director Simon Wakely is a familiar figure in Bridport – so much so that shopping in the town with his wife is impossible because so many people stop him for a chat. And this year he looks set to become even more well known as he starts a two-year term as chairman…