Features & interviews from the magazine

March 2022 At Bridport Community Orchard (BCO), nature is preparing herself for the seasons ahead. It might look like nothing much is happening, but just below the surface every tree is waiting to burst into life, using the energy stored over the winter to produce leaf and flower buds that will open in April and…

February 2022 Cathy Harvey is one of the founders of the Allington Hillbillies and now the group’s chairperson. The Hillbillies – who have just celebrated the 10th anniversary of their founding – are a volunteer group who carry out conservation work on Allington Hill, including Cooper’s Field and Cooper’s Wood. The Bridge: What do you…

December 2021 When the Bridport Refugee Support Campaign got in touch to tell us about their 2021 Christmas card (pictured), we couldn’t resist taking the chance to find out more about the local artist behind its creation… I meet Claudio Muñoz at his home in the Dorset countryside, a mile or two off the coast…

November 2021 There’s nothing more Christian than helping those in need, and feeding people for free is perhaps the most immediate manifestation of ‘God’s work’. Bridport is home to so many examples of this, with the food bank and other community groups redistributing surplus food and fresh produce. Of course, this doesn’t have to be…

November 2021 “It’ll be what it is,” says Valerie Goodwin about her inclusive approach to the challenge of staging Shakespeare with a community drama group. Valerie – a retired teacher who was head of drama at Beaminster School for 20 years – set up the Bridport Shakespeare Company (BSC) in 2016 with the aim of…

October 2021 Elected in December 2019 after three years of Brexit wrangling, West Dorset MP Chris Loder knew there were challenges ahead. What he didn’t know, however, was that just around the corner lay a global pandemic that would reset everyone’s priorities. We had a few questions for Chris while he was in Bridport recently.…

October 2021 In the first of a new series of interviews in ‘the pod’ – the team rector’s cool micro caravan – we meet the Revd Peter Clark as he retires from his position as the minister for Bridport United Church and Uploders Chapel. The Bridge: Peter, you’re retiring from the role you’ve held here…

October 2021 Allotments have never been more popular, and many Bridport residents see their benefits first hand every day. As part of its parish plan, Bothenhampton and Walditch Parish Council is considering acquiring a site in Bothenhampton, which currently has no allotments. The council’s two sites in Walditch are both fully subscribed, and it wants…

October 2021 Bridport Area Community Housing is one of the organisations seeking creative ways to address the lack of affordable housing for local people in this part of West Dorset. In common with many UK towns, Bridport has a housing problem, as many locals struggle to find a home that they can afford to rent,…

September 2021 Considering she’s had no formal musical training, Thelma Pulman has had an impressively long career as a church organist. She has held the role at St Mary’s Walditch for 23 years, having previously played at the Askerswell church of St Michael and All Angels since the late 60s and at Loders Sunday School…