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The SDFHS Blog

The Greenwood Tree May 2014

Posted on 26th April 2014

Bob Barber gives a preview of the next edition of the Greenwood Tree We start the May edition of The Greenwood Tree in seasonal mode with an account by Maureen Bowler of the social history of the celebrations of May Day This brings back grim memories for me of having to learn country dances at school, but the folk customs surrounding May Day spread much wider Bob Evered has unearthed a very nice etching of St George’s church Dunster by Elizabeth Piper, an etcher and painter... more

The Deacon Family of Basket Makers

Posted on 21st April 2014

I have a collection of baskets that were made by members of the Deacon family in the village of Nether Compton in Dorset and all are around seventy years old Luckily my father looked after them and I now have the pleasure of using them around the house where I enjoy them and the memories they bring back I also find it satisfying to use the modern day versions and I have a laundry basket, waste paper baskets and kitchen storage baskets all in regular use This interest led me to visit the unique... more

‘The Bishop, the Devil and the Boot’ – Katherine Barker’s reading of Sherborne Museum’s medieval wall painting

Posted on 24th March 2014

Early in March, the SDFHS Research Centre hosted a talk by Katherine Barker for the Sherborne Museum Association on a medieval wall painting discovered in 1962 during renovations to a house in Sherborne Katherine has very kindly enlarged on her original note describing the talk, to enable us to provide a more thorough record of her investigations: - The house was ‘Tudor Rose’ in Long Street and the painting, found during the removal of what was discovered to be a heavily papered-over... more

Upcoming Events in Sherborne

Posted on 12th March 2014

In addition to the (usually monthly) talks organized by our 10 Groups throughout Somerset and Dorset (see http://wwwsdfhsorg/groups/) we now have a very full programme of Members' events at our Research Centre in Sherborne Full details of all these events (and others later in the year) and a downloadable booking form are on our website: http://wwwsdfhsorg/events/sdfhs-events/ but here are those upcoming between March and the end of May Starting on Wednesday 19 March (7-9pm), the SDFHS... more

Grandad and Charlie Hounsell

Posted on 4th March 2014

In 2013 Barbara Elsmore arranged an exhibition on Foster's School for the Sherborne Museum and recognised her grandfather on one of the Museum's photographs I found this old school photograph in Sherborne Museum and realised my grandfather, Arthur Collings, was standing on the far left with his hands on the back of the chair of the boy in front of him The photo was taken in 1898 at Foster's School in Sherborne and is of the boys in forms IV, V and VI It was published in the SDFHS journal The... more