Category: Local History

Meeting Mr Hardy: a famous man and his infamous dog

Fanny Charles tells the story of one of the world’s most famous – notorious – pets, who died 100 years ago this year, and...

Name that village …

Last month’s mystery postcard was successfuly named quite swiftly on Facebook – it was Cowgrove, just outside Wimborne!This month Barry has offered a clue:...

Sydling St Nicholas in focus

The following photographs are a selection from a collection of 47 images preserved and shared by the Dorset History Centre. They offer a rare,...

A cruel father found guilty in 1905

Southern Times and Dorset County Herald - Saturday 07January 1905Charles Stay, a tramp, was charged with wilfully exposing three children, Charles, 16, Elizabeth, 11...

Churchill’s secret army, part II

Secret civilian networks, hidden transmitters and chalk-marked raids reveal how Dorset prepared for invasion in the shadows, writes Rupert Hardy During the Second World War,...

Meeting Mr Hardy: The Birdsmoorgate murder, Tess and Lady Pinney

Martha Brown, a widow married to a much younger man, John Brown, ran a little shop in the tiny village of Birdsmoorgate in the...

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From Piglet to paddock topping

Doug Procter welcomes the final 2025 foal as he tackles baked paddocks, protects delicate noses and wonders if a rain dance might help That’s it!...

How Open Banking Is Turning Fast Checkout Into a Trust Signal for UK Businesses

Open banking is becoming a familiar option at checkout for UK consumers. If you have not noticed it already, we urge you to take a...