November 2009
BBC Radio Solent presenter David Allen is sharing the best of Dorset for charity with the launch of a brand new walking DVD.
The presenter took a film crew with him on his favourite walks through the Dorset countryside to produce a stunning DVD “My Dorset” It features five of his favourite walks. On the way he meets many local people with fascinating stories to tell about
the history, folklore and wildlife of the landscape.
David said, “I’m often talking about my favourite places in Dorset on my radio show and I hope this DVD will inspire people to put on their walking boots and do the walks too. What’s more the net proceeds of the sales will go to a cause I care about
very much - Bournemouth Hospital’s Jigsaw Appeal.”
One of the walks takes David from Hardy's cottage at Higher Bockhampton to Dorchester along the River Frome. The DVD features interviews with Mike Nixon from the Thomas Hardy Society and Alistair Chisholm - Dorchester's town crier. The other walks take him to Shaftesbury, Studland, Cerne Abbas and Hengistbury Head.
The DVD is priced at £10.99 plus £1.00 postage and packing and available for sale online at www.mydorset.net or by sending a cheque made payable to Switched-on Multimedia, Chessel Studios, 114 Athelstan Road, Southampton, SO19 4DF, UK.
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October 2009
Photographs Of Thomas Hardy come up for sale.

John Benjafield informs us:
I'm writing to offer for sale photographic platinum prints of Hardy taken in 1913 by Olive Edis, a life-long photographer who often photographed members of royalty and society. Since Olive's death in 1955 these photographs have remained locked in her studio and now that her beneficiary has died his widow wishes them to be sold. The attached show illustrations of the photographs and one may be seen on p22 of 'Face to Face', a book written by Childs, Nunn and Sampson [Tiverton: Halsgrove, 2005. ISBN 1 84114 434 7].
1 Hardy at his desk.
Platinum print measuring 15 inches x 12 inches, card mounted. The image is in fine condition.
There are four copies of this photograph, all that were found in the collection. Each photograph is priced at 650 GBP.
2 Hardy at his desk.
The dry-plate negative for this photograph. The condition is very good and copyright passes to the buyer.
Price: 900 GBP.
3 Hardy profile.
Sepia toned platinum print measuring 8 inches x 6 inches. The print, in fine condition, is mounted on card
bearing the Edis embosure. Price: 400 GBP.
Packing and shipping are at cost.
Sincerely
John Benjafield
2 Balderston Court, Calvert Street, Norwich, NR3 1BJ, UK
+44 (0)7976 255041 : ben@photo-uk.co.uk
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September 2009
Under The Greenwood Tree
Adapted by Helen Davis this production by the Dorset Corset Theatre Company promises to be a terrific performance and real Autumn treat. For tour dates and venues during October and November 2009 visit www.dorsetcorset.co.uk
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Dorset School's Feature Film Far From The Madding Crowd
Dorset Comprehensive The Gryphon School in Sherborne screened the world premiere of its full-length feature film "Far From The Madding Crowd" on Saturday 4th July at the school.
The 140 strong cast and crew, all students at the school, and their guests, saw the culmination of ten months filming work.
Rosita Clarke, Head of Drama informs us 'all screenings at the Gryphon were sold out. The film has received interest from everywhere including Australia and America and we have been asked to enter it for multiple categories for the youth film awards, backed by BAFTA in October'.
Visit www.farfromthemaddingcrowd.org.uk
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BBC
Radio 4 Woman's Hour - Hardy Walks
During
the Spring and early Summer 2008 BBC Reporter Fiona Clampin met members of The
Thomas Hardy Society for a series of Hardy Walks around the country of 'The Mayor
Of Casterbridge', 'Tess Of The d'Urbervilles', 'Return Of The Native,
Far From The Madding Crowd and 'Jude The Obscure'. The series explores the
women in Hardy's novels and is being broadcast over the Autumn/Winter.
Listen
again at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/04/2008_48_wed.shtml
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Thomas
Hardy Society Promotion With OUP
Oxford
University Press is pleased to offer members of the Thomas Hardy Society 20% off
Thomas Hardy's 'Poetical Matter' Notebook edited by Pamela Dalziel and Michael
Millgate. To claim this discount visit www.oup.co.uk/sale/WEBSOCHAR
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Claire
Tomalin
On
24th April 2008 Claire Tomalin visited The Exchange in Sturminster Newton. www.stur-exchange.co.uk
The
Dorset based performing arts outreach charity responsible for taking live entertainment
to the County's rural outposts, has its latest season's listings at www.artsreach.co.uk
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Cross-in-Hand,
Dorset
The
stone pillar has recently received some significant attention. It is on the road,
which runs south of High Stoy over Batcombe Hill to Holywell, Evershot.
Tony
Fincham visited the site and found:
'Instead
of being submerged in the hedge and grassy overgrowth, it now has its own protective
enclosure. Whilst it is unfortunate that the farmer has seen fit to grub the hedge
- this ancient monument (Pevsner suggests that it is pre-Norman) is now more clearly
displayed than it has been for a long time.
The
pillar has been considered by some as an ecclesiastical boundary stone or may
'mark the site of a miracle or murder, or both'. The miracle associated with the
stone is the subject of Hardy's poem 'The Lost Pyx' Alec d'Urberville insisted
that Tess place her hand on the stone and swear never to tempt him again.
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Thomas Hardy Society President
We
are delighted to announce that the writer, actor and film director Julian Fellowes
has agreed to become the Society's President.
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National
Trust News Dorset Evening Echo April 2008
Plans
to offer Hardys Cottage as a holiday let have been dropped for the time being
at least.
The
charity announced that it was dropping the proposal after more than a third of
those who responded to the consultation objected. Helen Mann, National Trust Property
Manager said:
"The
most contentious issue was our proposal to offer the cottage as a basic holiday
let in the winter. The
National Trust has considerable experience of sensitively converting protected
buildings and managing them as holiday cottages. However we want to ensure that
we reflect the breadth of views of those taking part in the consultation in our
decision-making process. We have therefore, decided not to move forward with the
holiday let proposal at this juncture. In the long term, however, we do want to
leave open the possibility of considering whether to offer winter accommodation
for specialist retreats at the cottage".
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Norrie's
Tale
This
is the Autobiography of Mrs Norrie Woodhall, a remarkable lady who is the last
surviving member of Thomas Hardy's 'Hardy Players' of the 1920's. Norrie's Tale
gives an account of life in Dorchester where she was born at the beginning of
the twentieth century, and of her's and her sister Gertrude's part in Hardy's
plays at that time. The book is now on sale as a not-for-profit publication for
£6.95.
Alan
Hodge, 7 Holland's Mead Avenue, Owermoigne, Dorchester, DT2 8HX is running a mail
order service for Thomas Hardy Society UK members who are not local to Dorchester.
The post and packing charge is £1.20. Two to three weeks should be allowed
for delivery. This is a Lullworde Publication.
Find
out more about the Hardy Players...
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15th
Century Rampisham Ox for public viewing
The
recently rediscovered Rampisham Ox is now being made available for public viewing
for the first time. Thomas Hardy Society members will remember Hardy's well loved
poem The Oxen. Professor Claudius Beatty identified his inspiration for this poem
as the medieval stone carving of a kneeling ox in Rampisham Church, Dorset. Recent research has
dated the tower and the Ox to 1326.
Hardy
worked on the church restoration in 1858-59. A decade earlier Augustus W Pugin designed its fine Gothic
chancel. Thomas
Hardy Society members are invited to visit the church. For
private viewings of the Rampisham Ox contact Michael Nisbet 01935 83263 michaelnisbet@mac.com
Alternatively choose to visit on one of the National Garden Scheme Open Days when Rampisham Manor Gardens are open 2-5pm and tours made of Rampisham Church. Grid ST 562023 |