Our Community Engagement Officer spent a lovely morning with the Swanage Probus Club in early March. Maria received a very warm welcome and was able to tell the members about our work collecting and preserving records and making them available to the public. There were also plenty of pointers on documents and collections that may help with house or family history.
The group found the talk ‘stimulating, fascinating and enjoyable’. We look forward to welcoming the Probus for an onsite visit to Dorset History Centre in the future.
Over lunch it was wonderful to meet a descendant of Grace Darling and to talk records, flying boats and changes in Swanage.
A Probus member had written a special form of Grace to be used at lunchtime, which seemed to sum up so much of why we care about history and heritage. With Andrew’s permission, we share his thoughts here:
We’re all a part of history,
We make it as we go!
But in a world so full of change
The future’s hard to know!
We seek to find some meaning
Of how and why we’re here:-
Maybe it’s a simple story
Or perhaps just downright queer!
Lord of all discovery,
Help us to find what makes us, ME
And living in this time and place,
Bless our lives, our world, with your good grace.
Amen
Andy Roberts, Probus Club, Swanage
If you are a member of a group who would be interested in having a speaker from Dorset History Centre, or an onsite visit, please remember to contact us well in advance to make arrangements.