This weekend sees the return of the annual Beerex Beer Festival in Dorchester, and this year is extra special because it’s the 25th anniversary of the festival. It runs today and Saturday, with 11am-3pm lunchtime sessions and 6pm-11.30pm evening sessions. It’s taking place at the Corn Exchange on the High Street, and more than 80 real ales and ciders from all over the UK are on hand for you to try, including some special brews just for the festival. There Read more…
The West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland Domestic Violence and Abuse Forum is hosting a free day-long event in Dorchester next month on the subject of domestic violence and abusive relationships, called No Excuse for Abuse. The information sharing event will take place on Friday February 15th, from 8.30am to 2.30pm at South Walks House, the new West Dorset District Council offices in Dorchester. The aim of the event is to raise awareness of domestic violence, and find ways to Read more…
As part of the fundraising efforts for the 2013 Mongol Rally, a local team are hosting a fundraising ball at Athelhampton House on the 23rd February, all proceeds of which will be split between Spinal Research and the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. A team of four Dorchester men are taking the challenge to drive two small and highly unsuitable Suzuki Altos the 10,000 miles from Goodwood to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capitol, in order to raise money for two worthy Read more…
Christmas is almost upon us! Just a couple of shopping days left now, so we expect the town centre to be buzzing this weekend as everyone rushes to get all those last minute presents. If you’re stuck for ideas, you may find our Virtual Dorchester tool useful for knowing where to get interesting and unique gifts in Dorchester. If you’re going to be shopping or looking for fun things to do here over the Christmas period, here are a few Read more…
We hope you all made it to Cracker Night last night – the weather did us no favours, but a great time was had by everyone who came along and visited the shops and stalls in Dorchester town centre. Those of us who braved the rain were treated to mince pies, mulled pies and all manner of other tasty treats to keep us warm as we explored the stalls and enjoyed the festive atmosphere in the town. Thanks to Andy Read more…
A big thank you to everyone who came to our Dorchester first aid course this week. Local company Everycare Wessex gave us a brilliantly informative and practical course, and it was fantastic to have a sell out attendance, with businesses from all over town keen to get as much as they could from the session. BID director Phil Gordon was very impressed with both the content and response to the session – “the feedback was so good, we are already Read more…
Dorchester will be transformed into a glowing winter wonderland this festive season, as over 100 trees decorated with lights will welcome visitors and shoppers to the town. With Christmas just a month away, Dorchester faced a problem. As you may know, the Dorchester Town Council had once again kindly promised to deliver Christmas trees free to the town’s businesses for the festive period, but the lights that had been used to decorate them in previous years were now no longer Read more…
Dorchester Cracker Night is almost upon us again, and if it’s anything like previous years we can expect an absolute riot of fun, food and festivities as we celebrate the official start of Christmas in the County Town! It will take place on Thursday 6th December, and we’re expecting to have as many as 60 stalls around the town centre, extending along South Street and onto the High Street. As usual it will be a lively mix of charities and Read more…
The acclaimed Durnovaria Silver Band have found a new base to practice in Dorchester, after being told their long-time home at the Fordington Methodist Church Hall is to be closed and sold at auction. They will now move to the nearby Scout Hall for a three month trial run, with the possibility of a longer stay there if all goes well. It’s great news for the Band, as there had been concern for their future after it was announced that Read more…
It’s that time of year again when the nights grow dark and the weather grows cold, and it’s easy to get fed up at home and start yearning for a holiday. While you may not have the time or the money so close to Christmas for a big getaway, a weekend break may be just the thing, and so this week’s blog looks at how to have the perfect weekend away in Dorchester. Hotels in Dorchester Dorchester is blessed with Read more…