Dorset Show

MORE than 57,500 people flocked to the South West’s biggest two-day agricultural showcase last weekend – that’s 1,500 more than last year.

Dancing sheep, falconry displays, a man who lived with wolves, 6,000 animals, 475 tempting trade stands, and the Bolddog Lings motorbike stunt team all wowed the crowds who flocked to Cokers Frome, just outside Dorchester.

Show Secretary Sam Mackenzie-Green said: ‘We were lucky with the weather – I was so thankful that the rain held off.

‘We’re all just so delighted because it’s the range of different attractions that make the show so popular with families year after year – and parents love it that kids get in for free!

‘We have sensational headliners topping the bill like Titan The Robot and The Dancing Diggers and that gets people through the gates.

‘Then they have a wander round the livestock pens and watch the falconry or gundog demos and learn a bit about the countryside and simply have a superb family day out.

‘I have to say a big thank you to the Dorchester Agricultural Society and everyone on the Dorset County Show committee for pulling together and helping to make this happen. And of course none of it would be possible without our army of over 200 volunteers – working tirelessly from manning the main gate to stewarding the marquees and rings or delivering straw to the pig pens, this truly is a community event Dorset can be proud of!’

Visitors to the Dorchester Showground on 3 and 4 September enjoyed wandering around, sampling local food and drink, watching show-jumping, ferret racing, viewing gardening and crafts exhibits and browsing a whole A to Z of trade and charity stalls.

The prizes in the men-only baking competition were won by three men from Dorchester. First prize went to Huw Thomas, second was awarded to Roger Fooks and third prize was given to Robert Kennedy. The class had over 25 entries competing for the winning Anzac cookie title.

Find out who else won in this year’s classes and competitions, and who have been crowned the Show champions, on the Dorset County Show website at www.dorsetcountyshow.co.uk

Next year’s Dorset County Show will be held at Coker’s Frome on 1-2 September, 2012.

Cycle to Weymouth

The DCC Travel Choice team has organised an event to celebrate the new traffic free cycle track between Weymouth and Dorchester.  It will take place from 11am on Sunday 18th September as part of “European Mobility Week”, which sees events taking place across Europe to promote healthy and sustainable transport.  The Mayors of Dorchester and Weymouth (Tess James and Graham Winter) will cycle up from their respective towns with fellow cyclists and meet at the Ridgeway for a celebratory ceremonial opening and press photocall.

We would like to get as many people as possible involved in the cycle ride to celebrate this route and enjoy the traffic free cycle ride.  Although there is a bit of a hill, the route itself is short, there is plenty of time to get to the top and refreshments will be available.

SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

Mass celebration cycle ride between Dorchester and Weymouth on the new Weymouth Relief Road Cycle track. 11.15am for an 11.30am start from Dorchester and 11am for an 11:15 start from Weymouth Summary of Event:

Mass cycle ride to celebrate the opening of the new traffic free cycle route built as part of the Weymouth Relief Road.  Two separate groups of cyclists, one from Weymouth and one from Dorchester will cycle with their respective Mayors (Graham Winter and Tess James) and meet at the Ridgeway for a noon press photocall and ceremonial ribbon cutting.  Refreshments and small goodies (water bottle or back-up cycle lights) will be available to participants at the summit of the Ridgeway.

Details:

1.      Dorchester ride: Meet outside the main entrance to Dorchester Town Football Stadium at 11:15am for an 11.30am start and a very leisurely  2mile cycle ride up to the Ridgeway

2.  Weymouth Ride: Meet outside the bus waiting area at Mount Pleasant Park &  Ride  at 11am for an 11:15 start and a leisurely 3 mile cycle ride up to the Ridgeway”

Dorset County Show 2011

YOU MUST BE YOLKING: DORSET COUNTY SHOW ANNOUNCES POULTRY THEME FOR 2011

DOGS herding ducks and birds of prey top the pecking order in an ‘egg-citing’ range of activities on offer at the 2011 Dorset County Show.

Show organisers have got birds on the brain as they step forward to announce the theme of this year’s show is poultry, birds and country living.

Keeping chickens and producing eggs is popular as never before, which has inspired Show Secretary Sam Mackenzie-Green to link up with exhibitors, traders and visitors all keen on home-grown produce and keeping the animals.

She said: ‘Poultry are back at the Dorset County Show this year with a new tent in the popular Countryside Area.  Located alongside the lake, on the way to the Lake Ring, you will be able to find our new poultry display and learn more about chickens!

‘Once seen as a niche hobby for hippies and bored country wives, chicken keeping is now officially cool. And it’s not difficult to discover why: not only are hens easy and cheap to keep, they also provide a steady supply of fresh eggs and a readymade way to recycle food scraps. Eggs are at the heart of the chicken-keeping trend, and as any keen cook knows anything made with a really fresh egg tastes better.

‘Many families across Dorset are enjoying the benefits of chicken owning. Whether you want to breed some of the more unusual or exotic chickens or give a new home to an ex-battery hen, the Poultry Tent will be a place to provide you with the information and contacts you need. 

‘Our thanks go to Heathwood Timber Products, Warmwell and C & T Logistics, Blandford, who are offering Show goers a chance to win a complete home chicken kit including chicken house and run, drinker, feeder, a year’s supply of chickenfeed and beginners book to keeping chickens.  All you need do is add the chickens and away you go!’

She added: ‘Of course, animal welfare is paramount at the Dorset County Show – that is why we are delighted to launch our Happy Homes for Ex-bats campaign, which aims to show people that, contrary to popular belief, if an ex-battery chicken is happy, she will begin to lay again.’

There will be over 20 different breeds of chicken on display in the Poultry Tent and experienced poultry keepers on hand to answer your questions. Those who are already enjoying the benefits of keeping chickens are invited to enter the egg classes, held in the Farm Produce Tent. The four classes are as follows:

·        Four new-laid hen’s eggs (brown)
·        Four new-laid hen’s eggs (any other colour)
·        Four duck or goose eggs
·        Contents of one hen’s egg, to be exhibited on a white saucer (provided) and broken by the judge

The winner of the first prize receives £4, the second prize is £3 and the third prize is £2. Judging begins at 9am on Saturday, 3 September. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 10 August. People can pick up an entry form from the Show Office.

Special Show ambassadors dressed up as chickens will be handing out leaflets and selling tickets throughout August – keep your eyes peeled for them on Dorset beaches and towns!

Sam Mackenzie-Green said: ‘You can pick up more cuisine advice if you stop to enjoy free range chicken produce in our food halls.

‘Alongside the usual animals you would expect at an agricultural show, you will find some less usual ones to get up close with. You can learn more about. falcons and even owls!’

She went on to say: ‘We can’t wait to get cracking with our egg-cellent line-up of attractions at the Dorset County Show – come join us on a flight of fancy!’

Cycle West

Vive le vélo! Dorset set for business boost from a £7.6 million tourist initiative with real ‘wheel appeal’
• Three new international cycling routes will boost green tourism and bring Britain and France closer together
• Weymouth and Poole will provide ‘cross border’ biking links
• Business boost for tourist attractions, B&Bs, cafes, camp sites, pubs and bike shops

Dorset businesses are being encouraged to brush up on their French in preparation for thousands of two-wheeled French tourists coming to our shores. Details of a massive new European-funded initiative to boost green tourism have been announced – with the county set to be a major beneficiary.

‘Cycle West’ is harnessing €8,682,000 (£7.6m) of European ‘INTERREG’* funding to develop and promote cycle tourism for the ever-growing international army of ‘visitors on wheels’. Some 1,840km (1,100 miles) of new and enjoyable cycling routes will take in some of the most beautiful countryside and outstanding attractions in South West England, Normandy and Brittany.

On June 21st, at a press launch in London, the project leaders reported on the progress to date and set out their vision for a future where tens of thousands of additional tourists each year will be pedalling their way round the three regions of South West England, Brittany and Normandy. And ‘La Manche’ will present no obstacle: where a route reaches a port in one country, ferry transport will enable cyclists to continue on the other side.

The project, which was initially announced in March 2010, has been making rapid progress ever since, and the latest development is a new website www.cycle-west.com (which will be used to promote tourist attractions along the routes as well as accommodation, places to dine and bike shops). Further marketing activity will raise awareness of the routes amongst the public and tourism industry.

The 17 French and English partners behind the project (which includes Dorset County Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council) believe the end result will be a huge boost in tourism – not only from overseas visitors but also from within their own countries.

Adam Bows of Dorset County Council is leading the three-year project within the county, using the European funding to oversee £270,000 worth of improvements to existing cycle routes, completing missing links and installing cycle parking at key attractions. “This is a good opportunity for the county to diversify and appeal to holidaymakers that don’t necessarily want a ‘bucket and spade’ holiday or a quiet weekend in the country,” he says. “We have miles of routes on quiet roads, bridleways and traffic free routes that really allow you to explore the beauty of our local countryside and coastline – some of which has World Heritage status.

“The county already receives 1.5 million tourists a year and many local jobs depend upon the money they spend – and we know that in Europe and in other parts of the UK, where cycling tourism is more developed, cyclists spend more per head than the average visitor.”

Supporting that argument is Weymouth and Portland Borough Councillor Andy Blackwood, Briefholder for Leisure and  Tourism; “The whole nature of tourism is changing and this is a fantastic chance for us to broaden our offer to appeal to the many people who want to have an adventure or a new experience on their holidays.”

“The 2012 Olympic Games will be putting Weymouth and Portland on the international map, and the Cycle West initiative will really help by attracting more visitors outside of the holiday peak times. We have such stunning local scenery, including large areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty… what better way to enjoy these than by bike? Businesses will need to respond to the opportunity – offering somewhere for guests to store and clean their bikes, for instance – and make sure we really give these visitors a warm, Dorset welcome.”  

There will also be new business opportunities in markets for cycle hire, cycling holidays, guided rides and baggage services which it is hoped the project will stimulate.

Dorset features prominently in two of the three new routes. The ‘Tour de Manche’ is a 1,000 km (600 miles) loop between Roscoff, Mont Saint Michel, Cherbourg, Poole, Dorchester, Torbay, Plymouth and back to Roscoff. It hugs the coastline on both sides of the English Channel, and passes though some sites of exceptional natural interest, including the Bay of Morlaix, the Pink Granite Coast, the Bay of Mont Saint Michel and the UNESCO designated Jurassic Coast.

The shorter ‘Petit Tour de Manche’ is 400 km (240 miles) long, a circular route between St Malo, Mont Saint Michel, Cherbourg, Poole, Dorchester, Weymouth, Jersey and back to St Malo. While shorter than the full ‘Tour de Manche’, this circular route still offers plenty of serious cycling – and also the opportunity to visit Jersey, the island where French and British cultures blend seamlessly together.

“While 240 or 600 miles might sound a bit daunting,” says Adam Bows, “I expect many people will just try shorter sections – including many British visitors who just have a few days to spend cycling between Poole and Weymouth. There really are some superb places to visit on or near that route – including Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Corfe Castle, Hardy’s Wessex and Chesil Beach.”

“Having local councils and tourist boards partnering up in all three regions will have a real impact on how much benefit everyone will gain from ‘Cycle West,” says Michael Dodds, Director of Brittany Tourist Board. “And it makes this a unique exercise in collaboration that will bring England and France much closer together.”

“Many more people will have the chance to sample each other’s culture and cuisine. We think the South West of England is a great destination for French visitors – and they will be seriously impressed with the food, the facilities and the warmth of local people. And I know that English visitors who come to Brittany and Normandy go home with the same, positive experience.”

It might also be time for more enterprising business people to brush up on their French!
Cyclists welcome! – Les cyclistes sont toujours les bienvenus!
Leave your bike here – Vous pouvez laisser votre vélo ici
Our delicious Full English Breakfast will keep you cycling all day – Notre petit déjeuner anglais est délicieux et vous aidera à rouler toute la journée

Moreton Tearooms

Moreton Tearooms is a very good place to visit, you can tell that when you drive the half a mile road aproach to the Old School House in Moreton underneath a canopy of trees that eventually opens out onto a very quaint and extrmely Dorset styled 3-way crossroads. The pretty and very inviting building on the left is the Old School House and it’s a joy to enter.

Once inside you can see old pictures of past school classes and read about Lawrene of Arabia in a room that they have dedicated to him.

The menu is also full of information but the food is worth the trip from Dorchester too, make sure that you keep an eye on the Specials Board, you don’t want to miss out on anything!

The tastefully decorated interior gives off  a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere and on fine days there is the old school yard, now a well laid out garden to sit in too.

Tables are waited on and the food is of a very high standard, if you want to learn more about them you can visit their website here.