Dorchester Dorset.com Blog

Happy New Year everyone! 2012 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for us here in Dorchester. Here are a few things we’ve got to look forward to in the coming weeks and months…

2012 Olympics

The wait is almost over – this summer the world’s biggest sporting event comes to Britain, and most excitingly the sailing events will be taking place right on our doorstep over in Weymouth. We’re ideally placed to benefit from tourists and visitors flocking down to see the competitors battle it out in Weymouth Bay, so expect it to get very busy for a couple of weeks in July and August!

We’re lucky enough to be on the route of the Olympic torch relay, so we’re hoping for some fantastic celebrations in town to mark the occasion. The big picnic gathering at Maumbury Rings for the Royal wedding was a highlight of 2011, so hopefully we can repeat that kind of success come the summer.

Brewery Square

Phase 2 of the Brewery Square development is scheduled to open in October – bringing popular restaurants like Pizza Express and exciting new shops like Hobbs.

It’s difficult to overstate how important this development is to the town. At a time when the whole country is mired in economic gloom and we’re seeing UK businesses boarding up left, right and centre, it’s fantastic that a previously derelict and abandoned site in Dorchester is undergoing an extraordinary regeneration, attracting brand new big name businesses to the town and providing luxury homes for hundreds of new residents.

DBID Projects

The parking ambassadors initiative we rolled out in the run-up to Christmas was a big success, and we’d love to see that return at some point in 2012. Meanwhile, the much-admired Dorchester free parking scheme has been renewed and will run until early next year. We’ve also got a number of other exciting ideas in the pipeline, so stay tuned!

Other Events

Dorset County Museum’s incredible Pharaoh: King of Egypt Exhibition is here until 22nd January, when the artefacts will all be boxed up and moved on to their next stop on their tour of the UK. If you haven’t been already, it’s an amazingly rare chance to see a fascinating collection of ancient artwork and objects outside of their home in London’s British Museum.

As always, Dorchester Arts have a packed line-up for Spring 2012, starting with a performance of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s endearing classic Angel Exit on 5th, 6th and 7th January. Visit the Dorchester Arts website to see their full Spring 2012 Brochure.

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