While the summer of 2022 has been a memorable one, having broken record levels of heat across England and Wales, the summer of 1930 proved to be greatly significant for the Bournemouth Division of Girl Guides after the movement secured fourteen acres of the Ancient Camp of Dudsbury from its then owner, Lord Wimborne. The… Read more The Dudsbury Guides and their link to the past
A crowdfunding appeal by Dorset History Centre and partners Dorchester is home to the finest archive of material by and about Thomas Hardy in the world – that is, the primary sources which support and inform any new research into Hardy and his contemporaries. The archive is recognised by UNESCO as a collection of international… Read more Unlocking the Archives of Thomas Hardy – Dorset’s literary giant
Whilst answering an enquiry email about Stourfield School, Bournemouth, a few weeks ago, we came across a fascinating booklet about a school trip to Holland in June 1938 (S-226/14/4). One was given to each of the girls who went on the trip, providing them with an itinerary, maps, useful information about Holland and reminders about… Read more A School Journey
In July, Dorset History Centre welcomed four students on work experience placements. Throughout the four weeks that the students were with us, they sampled all sorts of elements of life at DHC. In this blog, one of the students, Rosie, explains more about her time with us… — During July 2022 I was fortunate enough… Read more Work Experience at Dorset History Centre
Should the children of the poor be educated away from their families and traditional ways? In 2022 many of us would say not – that the bonds with relatives and with a natal culture are precious and should not be broken lightly. However, history holds many examples of just this and one of these is… Read more The Gypsy School at Farnham, 1847–1855
Dorset History Centre has a collection relating to the author John Fowles, resident in Lyme Regis, chiefly from his activities in the 1970s to 1990s. One of our volunteers has been looking through the 12 boxes of material that we hold, and will be sharing some of the things he has discovered in a series… Read more John Fowles (Part 1)
The Dorset History Centre holds an extensive range of documents charting the life and times of the famous Eldridge Pope Brewery established under that trade name in the 1870s. However the brewery actually owes its existence to two 19th century entrepreneurs that, through their vision and hard work, created the foundation upon which Eldridge Pope… Read more The Eldridge Brewing Legacy
Cast your mind back to 2013. That was the year scientists confirmed a skeleton buried under a car park in Leicester was that of English king Richard III; Andy Murray won Wimbledon for the first time; and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a new royal baby. 2013 was also the year that we… Read more Working Together to Preserve our Digital Heritage
The Dorset History Centre is fortunate to have been given a collection of images belonging to the Gaumont Cinema, Weymouth. The images have been digitised by Eddie Prowse who has provided as much information as is currently available for an interesting insight into 1950s local cinema. Background to the Gaumont Cinema Archive of Photographs In… Read more A Collection Almost Lost: Remembering The Gaumont Cinema, Weymouth
Hello! My name is Kate and I started working at the Dorset History Centre in early June. For anyone wondering what it’s like to work in an archive, here are some of the things I’ve got up to in my first few weeks as a History Centre Assistant. Much of my time has been spent… Read more First Impressions of Working at Dorset History Centre!
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