Events

In Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Woodlanders (1887), he describes the local landscape of North Dorset as filled with orchards and the smell of apples. An iconic image depicts the hero, Giles
Winterborne, standing with his specimen apple tree in the midst of the town of Sherborne. Elisabeth explores the little-known history of cider-making in the local area, using her own research and oral histories she has collected from residents of several villages.

Speaker: Elisabeth Bletsoe

Speaker: Jacquie Wragg

Topic TBC

During the First World War, an estimated 60,000 volunteers served with the British Red Cross Society in auxiliary hospitals across the United Kingdom, providing much-needed care for sick and wounded servicemen returning from the Front. This talk explores the pivotal role played by the VADs in Dorset during the war and highlights how this remarkable contribution was largely sustained through the efforts of female voluntary labour.

Speaker: Luke Mouland