Get down with Dippy in Dorset

HAVE you ever spotted a dinosaur in a cathedral, a parliament building or a community centre? Dippy on Tour is kicking off its journey on the Jurassic Coast with a visit to #Dorset County Museum.

Never before on public display outside of London’s Natural History Museum, Dippy is travelling the length and breadth of the country from 10 February 2018 to late 2020. The British icon is on a mission to inspire five million people to experience nature, encouraging families and schools to explore nature on their doorstep.

#Dippy has delighted visitors since he arrived in London in 1905. In partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, it is hoped the tour will spark the imagination of the next generation of scientists and connect the nation with nature.


Dippy is at the Dorset County Museum until May 7, entry to see Dippy is free but be sure to book your space on the Musuems website.


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Picture Credit: Angela Suter

Bournemouth rated best beach in UK

BOURNEMOUTH Beach in Dorset is named the best-rated beach in the UK in the Travellers’ Choice awards for Beaches, announced today by TripAdvisor, the site that helps you find the latest reviews and lowest prices.

Not just a favourite in the UK, #Bournemouth #beach also celebrates the title of fifth best-rated in Europe and 14th in the world, ranking above beaches in locations world famous for their miles of golden sands and crystal clear waters, including the Seychelles, Australia, Turkey and Sicily. 

Bournemouth’s seven mile stretch of sandy beach has something to offer everyone with its traditional seaside attractions, famous beach huts for hire, water sports and stunning views of the Isle of Wight and the Purbecks. The bay also boasts its own micro-climate, giving it some of the warmest sea temperatures in the UK.

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Swan Lake by the sea

ON October 18 The Russian State Ballet and Opera House presents Swan Lake featuring a live Orchestra with over 30 musicians on The Esplanade in Weymoth.

After a successful Ballet tour last year, Russian State Ballet and Opera House is back for their annual UK tour with mesmerising, and captivating full touring ballet production.

One hundred and thirty-five years ago, audiences heard the Swan Lake music by the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for the very first time. From this moment on, the world of ballet would never be the same again.

Tickets start at £31 for an adult with concessions at £29.

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Get Down To Dorset for Great Music

#DORSET Midsummer Music Festival - A family friendly #music #festival based just outside Dorchester, in a natural amphitheatre on the slopes of Bulbarrow Hill is on June 23 and 24th this year.

This year the legendary Ben Waters will be playing as well as local favourites such as Howling At The Moon, new up and coming acts such as DD Allen and even LaceBlack who are an act coming over especially from Italy.

Children's entertainment, most of which is included in the price of the ticket at just £3. This includes Jamie Jigsaw (magician, juggler and all round entertainer), Bugfest (bringing creepy crawlies to life) and Hoop On hula hoop workshops.

There will be a wide range of food catering for every taste - from Pizza to Thai, Fish & Chips to Hog Roast. There will also be local beer, cider and wine to enjoy.

For those who wish to make the most of the weekend, there is also camping available in this area of outstanding natural beauty.

www.midsummermusic.co.uk

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Two scoops please

#BOURNEMOUTH took two top accolades at the 2016 #Dorset #Tourism Awards for the second year in a row. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum picked up gold for Small Attraction of the Year and the resort’s new Information Centre took silver for Tourist Information Service of the Year.

Other Bournemouth winners included:

Small Hotel / Boutique Accommodation of the Year – The Grove Hotel (Silver) and Cliff House Hotel (Bronze)

Café & Tearoom of the Year – Little Pickle Deli Café (Bronze)

Tourism Event & Festival of the Year – Shake and Stir Vintage Festival (Silver) and Bournemouth Wheels Festival (Highly Commended)

Venue & Business Tourism Award – BH Live in partnership with Business Events Bournemouth (Bronze)

Tourism Experience of the Year – Dorset Day Trips (Silver) and RockReef on Bournemouth Pier (Bronze)

Unsung Hero Award for Customer Service – Brenden Howard at The Grove Hotel

Large Hotel of the Year – Hilton Bournemouth (Gold)

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Red Arrows to star at the Bournemouth Air Festival

THE #BOURNEMOUTH #AIRFESTIVAL returns in just under a weeks' time (August 18-21) with a line-up of aviation displays and three nights of live music. 

It will feature:

• The Red Arrows 
• The Swiss Air Force Super Puma Helicopter Display Team 
• A B-25 Bomber
• Aerosparx 
• Night Air flying displays 
• Tigers Parachute Team 
• The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 
• The Great War Display Team 
• The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines 

Tickets are available from bhlivetickets.co.uk

www.bournemouthair.co.uk

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Foot Trails launches walks for 2017

AN INN-TO-INN walk across the Cotswolds is among the self-guided routes for 2017 unveiled by Foot Trails, a West Country walking-holiday specialist.

The 10-night independent trip, from Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire to Bath, Somerset, will be designed to follow local paths, avoiding the crowded national trails. Guests will stay in hand-picked, country inns, and notes about local history and nature will given to walkers.

The company will also extend its four- or five-night inn-to-inn journey in Dorset –six- and seven-night itineraries will be available in 2017.

Foot Trails runs walking holidays on more than 900 miles of trails in Somerset, Wiltshire, The Cotswolds, Dorset, and Devon – – and Wales plans to expand into Wales next year.

www.foottrails.co.uk

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Cool Poole cruises

AS EUROPE'S largest natural harbour, Poole in Dorset is best experienced from the water. City Cruises has a range of trips departing from Poole Quay, with tours allowing visitors to get ocean views of attractions such as Sandbanks, Brownsea Island, the Purbeck Coast, the old Harry Rocks … and the local puffins.

Trips include:

• Harbour & Island cruise 
• Jurassic Coastal cruise & return cruise to Swanage 
• Poole Sea Train Adventure 
• Sundowner Evening Cruise & Jurassic Evening Cruise \Jurassic Evening Cruise 

City Cruises will also run special trips during the Bournemouth Air Show (August 20- 21) for an offshore view of the Red Arrows.

www.citycruisespoole.com

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Make a splash in Dorset

DORSET’S newest waterpark has opened, with inflatables designed to test the toughest of competitors. 

In woods near Corfe Castle, #Dorset #Waterpark has inflatable slides, trampolines, gladiator rings, hurdles, rollers, monkey bars, bridges, and balance beams.

Director Rob Mulliner says: ‘The Dorset Waterpark really is the first of its kind for the country. We’ve been open for a couple of months now and are already booking up fast. Thanks to its individuality, it has proven to be quite the attraction for people from all around the country and of all ages and abilities.’

The waterpark is spread over multiple lakes, with each lake having with its own set of obstacles.

Offering one-hour sessions, the park requires people to be able to swim at least 54 yards and be over six years old.

www.dorsetwaterpark.co.uk

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Festival time …

Children Waltzing Carolyn White -® Larmer Tree Festival.

THE LARMER TREE FESTIVAL returns this summer, presenting a programme of music, comedy, theatre, poetry, and more across five days (July 13-17). It’s set in Victorian gardens in Cranborne Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty spread across Dorset and Wiltshire, 

With more than 80 acts, music forms a major part of the festival bill. The 2016 line-up will see Jamie Cullum and Jack Savoretti joined by Clean Bandit, Calexico, and Caro Emerald.

There will also be a late-night comedy club, poetry readings, workshops, and talks.

For the very first time, children’s tickets for under 10s are free, with prices for youth tickets frozen.

www.larmertreefestival.co.uk

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Throw a knob in Dorset!

WE’VE heard of Bed Knobs and Broomsticks –and doorknobs – but the people of Cattistock in Dorset claim to be specialists in, well, just knobs! The Dorset Knob*, a firm, dry, savoury biscuit – made by local bakers Moores – is thrown over a distance at the village’s annual wacky sporting contest. So proud are they of this local delicacy that a fine art foundry, Coles Casting, was commissioned to produce commemorative bronze Knobs which will be given to the winners of the Dorset Knob Throwing contest being held alongside the Frome Valley #FoodFest in Cattistock on Sunday, May 1.

The festivities will feature crazy games, all with a #DorsetKnob theme. Here’s a taster: Knob Catapults, the Dorset Tea Knob Pyramid, Putt the Knob, Pin the Knob on the (Cerne) Giant, and the Knob and Spoon race.

More than 60 local food and drink producers will be showcasing their wares at the #festival, and there will be craft and skills stalls, and live music.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm. Visitors are advised to approach from the Maiden Newton direction and follow the signs for free car parking.

www.dorsetknobthrowing.com
www.visit-dorset.com/whats-on

*Dorset Knobs are small biscuit-textured buns made by Moore's of Morecombelake since the mid-19th century. It’s thought the name derives from the hand-sewn Dorset Knob buttons that were also made locally.

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Gather the clan in Dorset

SLEEPING 14 and dog-friendly, The Gate House at Wimborne Minster, #Dorset, could be the place for large family or group self-catering holidays. 

Available through West Country Cottages, it has seven bedrooms, parking for four cars, a large garden, and a games barn.

The Georgian country house is an easy walk from the town centre, Bournemouth and Poole are a 30-minute away, and the New Forest is on the doorstep.

Prices: From £2,015 a week, or £1,082 for a three night break

www.westcountrycottages.co.uk

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Picture Perfect

AN IMAGE of the cliffs at #BurtonBradstock in Dorset taken by a local #photographer has beaten hundreds of entrants to scoop the South West Coast Path's annual photographic #competition. 

The photograph shows the coastal landscape at twilight and was taken by Ian Alcock, who describes how he captured the image: ‘This was taken nearly 15 minutes after the sun had set below the horizon and the remaining clouds reflect the pink tones left from the suns afterglow.

‘I am passionate about the Dorset coast. I grew up in Weymouth, so I know Portland and the area quite well.’

Mr Alcock’s prize package includes a two-night stay at the Thurlestone Hotel in South Devon, and £100 worth of camera equipment.

His picture will feature alongside 11 others pictures in the official 2017 South West Coast Path calendar.

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Picture Credit: Ian Alcock

What shall we do today?

EVERYONE booking a break with West Country self-catering cottage agency Helpful Holidays will get a free booklet – What Shall we do Today? – featuring ideas for days out and discount vouchers for 88 major attractions in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset 

It features:

• A calendar of events 
• The best coast and country walks, favourite beaches, places to eat, houses, and gardens 
• Top attractions for children

 
The booklet is sent to holidaymakers before their stay so that outings can be planned in advance.

www.helpfulholidays.com

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Lantern & Larks opens glamping site in Somerset

LANTERN & LARKS is opening its fourth glamping site in April 2016, in the hills of Somerset.

It’s in Kittisford Barton near Wellington, on an organic farm with the Blackdown Hills as a backdrop. 

Half an hour west of Taunton and 10 minutes from junction 26 of the M5, some of the delights of the Somerset/Devon border are within easy range, including the beaches at Minehead and Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater Bay, Cheddar Gorge, and the National Trust's Dunster Castle & Water Mill.

All Lantern & Larks colonial-style tents sleep six people in three bedrooms (double, twin and bunk) and also have a large living/dining area, fully equipped kitchen with running water, log burning range, WC and shower with hot and cold running water, and a large wooden deck.

At Kittisford Barton, there will be five tents in a 12-acre field.

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The golden thread that links tourism gems

THE SOUTH WEST COAST PATH is fast becoming known as a vital link between South West businesses, particularly those in the tourism sector and the coastal towns and villages through which it runs. Every year, it attracts almost nine million visitors who come to walk this world-class route, each of whom contributes to a total spend of £436 million that can be attributed directly to the coast path. This figure does not include the everyday walkers such as dog-walking local residents, who might frequent the various places to eat and drink on a more regular basis.  

Alistair Handyside, chairman of the South West Tourism Alliance, says the coast path is ‘critical and integral to the visitor economies of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset’. 

With 630 miles of continuous coastal walking, from Minehead on the edge of Exmoor to Poole in Dorset, thousands of businesses benefit from the access to the coastline that the path provides for free. But it costs at least £1,000 to maintain just one mile, and it needs help.  

Businesses can show their support for the path and the income it generates for the local economy by becoming a business member. Available to businesses large and small, there are a number of benefits, from online listings alongside relevant walks, to being part of the marketing and promotion of the National Trail, which receives approximately one million annual visits to its website. 

Ken Carter, vice chairman of the association, says:
‘It really is the thread that brings tourism businesses together in the region. In supporting our activities, from path improvements, to event support and advertising online, businesses and individuals can give something back while continuing to benefit at the same time. With the public sector’s declining investment, it is more important than ever that we raise funds to improve the path for everyone to enjoy.’

Full details of the benefits for business members are listed online at www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk, while more bespoke arrangements can be made by contacting staff members: Esther Pearson or Sophie James on 01752 896237 or email hello@southwestcoastpath.org.uk 

South West Coast Path National Trail is considered one of the world’s great hikes, covering two World Heritage sites, five areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and one National Park.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/127726808@N04/15765047495">Hurlstone Point_U3A Photography _5</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)

West Country escapes

WEST COUNTRY COTTAGES’ 2016 brochure features approximately 130 self-catering holiday homes in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Hampshire’s New Forest. Sleeping two to 11 guests, they range from romantic retreats to converted barns and large family houses. More than 50 welcome pets. 

Highlights include two holiday homes, Quakers and Chaffinch, converted from ancient barns on a former Quaker farm and meeting place near the unspoilt village of Membury in East Devon. Quakers is attached to the Grade II listed farmhouse, which has its origins in the 14th century. Chaffinch is a ground floor retreat for two. Dogs welcome at both.

Tucked away in a hamlet just over a mile from Chagford in the heart of Devon’s Dartmoor, thatched and detached Thorn Cottage – which sleeps six – has woodland and moorland walks all around.  Dogs are welcome here, too.

The agency has several holiday homes welcoming more than one dog. Among them is Bramble Barn, converted from a three-bay cart shed at Longcross, a mile from the Dorset town of Shaftsbury. Sleeping four plus two dogs, the cottage has been built from local Shaftesbury green stone and Gillingham brick, and has views over the ancient woodland of Duncliffe Hill and Blackmore Vale.

For a free copy of #WestCountry Cottages 2016 brochure, go to www.westcountrycottages.co.uk.  

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West Country choices

Helpful Holidays’ 2016 portfolio has grown to almost 650 large and small self-catering properties from West Cornwall to Dorset. 

Prices start from £268 (£90 per person) per week for an early New Year break for three in either Lopes Cottage at Belstone in Dartmoor National Park or Ginentonic Cottage on Cornwall’s Lizard peninsula. At the top price level is Great Bidlake Manor, a Grade II listed 16th century manor house near Bridestowe on Dartmoor for 13 priced at £3,621 (£279 per person) for a high season week.

Other highlights include Sandpipers, a waterside house for nine at Feock in South Cornwall. Bicycles, kayaks, and boats can be hired with river mooring nearby to explore the Carrick Roads waterways … and pets are welcome. Prices start from £1,096 (£122 per person) per week

For a copy of the agency’s latest supplement and its main brochure call Helpful Holidays on 01647 434063 or go to www.helpfulholidays.com

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A week of walking!

THE #LymeRegis #Walking Festival (October 17-25) offers visitors and locals the opportunity to explore the coastline and hinterland of West Dorset and East Devon. 

There are organized, themed walks led by resident historians and specialists, nature walks with RSPB guides, and self-guided walks, plus quizzes and walking-themed exhibitions.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93472573@N00/6768055437">Dorset 2012</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)

West Country choices

WEST COUNTRY cottage specialist Helpful Holidays' 2016 brochure features almost 600 places to stay, with an increase in properties in Cornwall and North Devon.

The agency’s holiday homes – in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset – range from romantic retreats for two up to large country houses for a maximum of 38 guests, with weekly rates from £179 to £7,175.

Many are within strolling distance of a beach or local pub, and more than half welcome pets. More than 70 have an indoor or outdoor swimming pool, while others have private moorings or fishing rights, and some are on working farms.

www.helpfulholidays.com

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