Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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?
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Bradshaw's Wimborne
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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 2nd 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 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 14th. 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.
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| 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 12th 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 13th to the 26th 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 9th January.
The episode featuring Wimborne is due to be shown on the 12th 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 13th to the 26th 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 9th January.
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