A Tuesday In Wimborne

There's a lot of fun and laughter going on outside the shop right now - but then there would be - it's Wimborne's annual Pancake Day race. The car parks have filled up early and folks are drawn to town for the spectacle. And this year the sun is shining on the proceedings. The route is round the ancient Minster as fast as possible. There are several categories; including young children - one of them I think came dressed as Superman and there are adult races of course including a senior contingent being run round in wheelchairs!

Fun and games, great community, great spirit, and great shopping ... all in the heart of beautiful Wimborne.

Where else would you want to be?

Bradshaw's Wimborne

 


 

A PORTILLO MOMENT

Back in the 1960’s, Beeching’s swingeing programme of economies saw the closure of many of our well loved stations and the hasty and gleeful nation-wide ripping up of tracks, infrastructure and the demolition of bridges.

Wimborne Station, the first to be built in Dorset, and once a vital link when the rail network was at its zenith became one of the first unfortunate casualties. With the distinction of being one of the governments earliest targets it closed to passengers in 1964 leaving only goods trains using the line until the neglected station’s final and sad demise in the mid 1970’s. The railway bridge, which carried the line from the south into our town, crossed the Stour just downstream from Canford Bridge. It  could be seen clearly from the road and although perhaps not a structure of great beauty, with its demolition went part of Wimborne's living railway past.

However, although long gone, Wimborne’s railway history still serves the town well today. The Castleman Corkscrew as the line was popularly known, will not lose its fame, despite Beeching,  and is a favourite among enthusiasts. One such enthusiast of rail travel is the former Minister of State for Transport, Michael Portillo, who took to the tracks last year filming a second series of the extremely popular BBC TV documentary Great British Railway Journeys. This will begin 2^nd January 2012.
In the series he attempts to retrace the original routes described in his rare 1863 Bradshaw’s Guide (possibly known as Bradshaw’s Tourist handbook) which inspired the series. In Bradshaw’s day rail travel was a popular pastime for the wealthy, his publication being the first national tourist guide designed for the rail traveller - and Bradshaw, being a splendid chap, lists among his recommended places to stop and visit where else than our own glorious Wimborne Minster. (This will be accepted locally of course with little surprise).

In the guide, written some 149 years ago, Bradshaw, describes Wimborne as having a population of 2,271, with a telegraph station, two hotels - the Crown and the King’s Arms - with market day on Friday, and having 2 fair days, - Friday before Good Friday, and September 14^th.  Strangely, in his opening listings he also states that the town is 1 mile distant from the station but then informs us a few lines on that it is only half a mile. But, there would no doubt have been transport from the station to the town so I guess to the wealthy tourist the distance would be of little consequence. However, his description of the Minster is more accurate and I particularly enjoyed reading his depiction of the building as having a cathedral-like appearance.

The Lady Wimborne Railway Bridge - still standing today.
A grand crumbling structure - fitting for Wimborne's
historic railway heritage 

And so it was that early last year, unknown to many, Michael Portillo followed the route taken by Bradshaw’s Victorian train tourists and, followed by a BBC film crew, delved into the rare treasures of the Minster’s unique Chained Library. 
The episode featuring Wimborne is due to be shown on the 12^th January - but of course we can see the real thing for ourselves. To coincide with the BBC documentary, the library will be opened weekdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm from January 13^th to the 26^th including the usual 10.00am to 12.30pm openings on Saturdays plus Sunday afternoon between 2.30 and 4.30pm. However, and this is not an advert, merely some helpful advice, a BBC 5 DVD set featuring the 25 episodes and 5 different journeys of this Great British Railway Journeys second series is available from 9^th January.

Fifth FAB Food Fest

This is the fifth year of Wimborne's amazing Food-Fest weekends - a foodies heaven and a place of pilgrimage for all who want a great day out, with free entertainment and retro rides for the children.

The town was packed full of events, people, the smells of cooking and music. It doesn't get much better - even the sun joined in the fun.

We took a few photos from outside Gullivers - all you need to do is add a little music, the laughter of the crowds, and the aromas from the kitchens.

One of the shots shows Malcolm, on a busy, noisy corner of the Minster Green, about to lead a crowd off on a spooky guided tour through the historic streets of our ancient and remarkable town.

The Food Fest Literary fringe was also a great success. I'm going to include some info and photo's hopefully later today. Don't confuse this with our own Lit Fest next week - it's all happening here.

FOOD FESTIVAL LITERARY FRINGE

ANDY HAMILTON: author of
BOOZE FOR FREE 




















                                                                            
JOSCELINE DIMBLEBY: ORCHARDS IN THE OASIS

 

  

 LUCAS HOLWEG: GOOD THINGS TO EAT

Ready for the Autumn

We dug out our old friend Padington - he is thirty this year and despite having fed a few moths along the way we reckon he still looks pretty good for his age!

BANKSY CLOSING IN ON VINTAGE RAILWAY

Each year the demand for quality calendars gets earlier - we've had our carefully selected range out for a few weeks now. And we always guessed that, as in past years, the nostalgic Railway Poster calendars would probably be the best seller. That's not about sentimentality - but because they simply are stunningly well illustrated - an art style that lifts the heart - and a bold image that people clearly want to see on their walls. However, this year the Banksy Grid Calendar is close on the heals of our best sellers, and we're having a fine time trying to keep up with the demand! It's all about the cover picture. It speaks a thousand words. Banksy has struck the right cord.  



ENTER THE DRAGON

The Allen runs through our beautiful town. Chroniclers tell us this water gave the town its name - Wimborne, deriving from the Saxon wine stream, 'because the water is sweeter than all in the land'. It teams with wild life; Salmon, swimming upstream among the trout and grayling, Grey Crayfish, searching the chalk gravel bed, water voles, wild fowl and Otters playing on the surface. While from the loose-strife and tall aquatic plants along the ledges, the Dragonflies emerge in all their rainbow glory. One decided last week to pay us a call; the size of a man's hand, it flew in and stayed a while among the children's literature before visiting our younger readers window. It settled on one of the books, and for all we know was quite content, but the window is a hot place in the summer, and not the ideal environment for such a beast. Ed, came to the rescue and within minutes the creature was outside again and disappearing across the Minster Green heading back towards its natural habitat.

Ed, with Phil Jupitus

Hero To Zero at the bookshop

Director, Matt Camlin and his crew, packed the store last Friday evening, shooting a seqence in the pilot for an exciting new TV series which I guess may be called Hero To Zero. We started around 4.30 and 'wrapped it' (is that the term?) by 9pm - so it was a kind of a long day for us, but great fun - the time just flew by.
The cast includes, Sophie Petzal, Georgina, Ashley Bernard Josh, Angus Fox Roy, and Cian Brennangavin of Only Men Aloud fame, who plays Zero. And that was surreal. 'Who's the guy in the Super Hero suit?' I asked, as Zero took up his position behind a booksigning desk, and one of the crew thought that he was maybe a singer. I don't know, but I think they may have been having me on.

Matt Camlin Director (left) with Chad DOP

Sophie Petzal, Angus Fox, and Ashley Bernard






















Cian Brennan-Gavin





















This was a very different book signing event ...


Between the scenes ... there's a lot of people tucked away in this shot. Can you spot them?