The Elephant in the Room

Welcome to the first post of 2016. I have been in hibernation! Actually that is not true, I have just been very busy. The picture above is the frost on my conservatory window last week, the first of the winter, as it has been so wet and mild.

I have been busy working and learning. Last week I learnt how to record a podcast, and if you would like to listen to it, use this link:- Social Embers podcast.

This weekend there has been an event at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester called 'The Elephant in the Room'.  The event is aimed at trying to encourage more people to become aware of, and to talk about end of life issues that affect us all.

The Corn Exchange in Dorchester is now a community venue, for arts, and events and it is a building that the town is very proud of, partly for it's history and its connection to the Thomas Hardy novel 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'.

There are some beautiful detailed needlework projects hanging on the walls, and the one pictured above hangs on the staircase and is stunning!

The event that was being held this weekend, was a mixture of talks, exhibitions and friendly and and open conversation. Refreshments were available, both lunch and tea, and I have to say the most delicious carrot cake I have tasted in a long while.
I was able to attend several talks, all of which I found valuable and enjoyable.
The first talk was by a lady called Antonia Rolls who had her artwork on display. The talks were upstairs so there was plenty of room downstairs for displays from local businesses and charities who's work was related to the subject.
Antonia's talk was called "A Graceful Death" and following the death of the love of her life, she had channeled her her grief into her paintbrush. This is a beautiful and very intimate exhibition and I have included a link here if you would like to find out more.

I also attended a talk given by Felicity Warner who runs an organisation called Soul Midwives. The organisation which has been running for over 20 years uses holistic and spiritual practices to provide gentle palliative care both in the UK and abroad. Unfortunately I missed the beginning, but I was very humbling to meet such a sincere and inspiring woman.

I could not stay to listen to all of the talks, but there were many who did. My day was an important one, and I am glad that I was able to attend.

The Corn Exchange will be hosting a Wedding Fair next weekend, so a good of opportunity to see local businesses all in one place. The full details of the fair are linked here.

'Lead us not into temptation'

Quite honestly finding somewhere good to eat in Dorchester  is a piece of cake! I thought that I would start this post off with a little pun!

Yesterday I had lunch with my husband in the recently opened YC's Cafe and wine bar, which is located next to Dukes Fine Arts Salesrooms in Copper Street.

I chose the baked vegetable frittata, served with salad leaves and pesto drizzle. My food came served on board with a lovely freshly baked flowerpot roll and homemade chutney.

We found the atmosphere of the cafe, very agreeable. The cafe is a new venture for Yalbury Cottage Hotel and Restaurant which is located in Lower Bockhampton near the birth place of local author Thomas Hardy. 

I am not sure that this new eatery is going to be good for my waistline, the patisserie counter is divine! I shared the cake in picture at the top with Richard, my Husband. I did resist a dessert at lunch time, but as the cafe offers both eat in and out options we took one portion of gluten free tiramisu home with us, and then I could resist no longer!

I feel this sweet temptation so close to my home could be challenging, but I was pleased to see that neighbours of mine had also been tempted into lunch. The same neighbours were also at the live streaming event at the Odeon Cinema  in the evening.  William Shakespeare's 'The Winters Tale' was streamed live from the Garrick Theatre in London. We did have to keep our strength up after all,  the play was very long!

Dorset History Centre Birthday Open Day.

I was glad that I had something to do today, as I knew that I would otherwise spend my day watching the dreadful news from Paris. I followed the news way into the night, stunned and shocked at what I was being told. I would not have been able to take part in any activity today that was too flippant, as my mood was somber, as I am sure was the same as many others today.

I was however looking forward to attending the Dorset History Centre open day, which I did feel was suitably distracting. I have not visited before, but I will be going again for sure.

The staff and the volunteers made me feel so welcome and I was pleased to learn that the public is encouraged to use the facility. I attended a talk about how to trace your family tree, and was taken on a tour of the air conditioned rooms that contain a lot of Dorset's written history.

The History Centre on the Bridport Road in Dorchester, can be visited by anyone, to enable them to carry out research.
During our visit we were shown some very interesting exhibits, including 400 year old painted maps, school, medical and criminal records, parchment scrolls that dated back many centuries and various equally interesting records.

I was particularly interested in the grave diggers records, that volunteers are currently transferring to digital ones. I have recently been following the Future Cemetery Project in Bristol, and I feel that  understanding the history of cemeteries, will help with considering their future.
Another of the interesting things that we were shown, by another volunteer was a family history from the village of Nether Cerne. The volunteer was sorting through boxes of written information that was incredibly detailed, down to the names of the family's horses, which were recorded on the farriers invoices.  Included in this collection was an envelope containing a lock of a child's hair, with her name and 'first curl' written  on the outside.

I read about an eight year old boy who was found guilty of setting fire to a hay-rick, and was consequently sent away from his family, to a detention centre in Bristol. It crossed my mind that the children who set fire to the outdoor classroom at the Prince of Wales School earlier this year, may well have been about the same age. Their punishment was not as severe, but the crime was similar. 

My visit did take my mind off the atrocities that have occurred in France for a few hours, but my thoughts are again very much with the families involved in the incomprehensible crimes that took place in Paris last night. 

Instagram at the Dorford Centre

Yesterday I took part in an Instagram for Business course at the Dorford Centre in Dorchester. Whilst I have been using Instagram for some time, I have only recently started using it for my business. The training course was run by ITCoursesDorchester, and was extensively researched and professionally presented by Trudy Ritsema and Jane Askew. 

We were set a task of creating an Instagram post. We were all given a random object and asked to write a caption for it. As the course members ran many varied businesses it was an interesting project.

Mine you will see from the picture above was a large peg, if you would like to see it on Instagram and follow my future posts my user name is maumburygal1. I also recently set up an Instagram account for my business and the user name for that one is Socialembers.

If you are not familiar with Instagram and have never used it, you will probably have heard  the younger generation talking about it, as it is very popular with them.  The social media platform that was created in a cafe over a cup of coffee is now a more widely used social media platform than Twitter. 

When I am on ambassador duty for Dorchester BID I often meet members of the public who seem angry at the use of technology in their everyday lives, such as Dorchester's optional pay to park system. This system can save you having to carry small change, and is often a godsend, if you want to renew your parking time with out having to return to your car.

Technology in our lives will soon be used much more widely, when the 'internet of things' collects data from our home without us even realising it, such as central heating systems that are now widely installed in new properties.

My daughter has recently submitted her university application, and having to make a choice of 5, we visited many over this summer. One that was using technology the most was Lancaster.

 Each student who has been offered a place to study there, is given access to the campus app' which gives them immediate access to information about their course, finance, and allows them to integrate with other students before they start. One of the features of the app' that appealed to me as a Mum is the laundrette availability, which not only tells the student the location of an empty machine, but tells the student how far the machine has got through it's cycle.

So there will be no excuses as to why her washing is not done, if she chooses this university in 2016! 

I was really pleased to see students of all ages on our course yesterday, and I know myself, and many others, will look forward to future training courses run by ITCourses Dorchester. 

Poppies, Town Crier and Literacy in Dorchester

Dorchester car parks were full to brimming today with so much going on in the town.

It may have been wet, but it most certainly wasn't miserable. 

The Dorchester Literacy Festival has a programme of cultural events this weekend, which are being  held at the County Museum, Dukes Galleries and Dorchester Library. 

The British Legion launched the poppy appeal in Brewery Square with the help of Dorchester Town Crier, who last week won first place in the National Town Crier competition in Hastings! 

Some very uplifting music could be heard in South Street, where the town's Durnovaria Silver Band was performing. 

Wishing Alistair Chisholm hearty congratulations, Did you hear his powerful today? If not then here is a link to last week's competition. 

Tinderbox Premiere

Well I was there, were you? The Corn Exchange Dorchester, is no longer used for exchange of corn seed, as it was originally built for, but is now a central part of Dorchester's active theatre and music culture.

Thomas Hardy refers to the Corn Exchange in his novel 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'  explaining the purpose it was originally built for, but to see it used as it was last night, for contemporary, creative, live theatre, was a reminder of how historic venues such as these, are as much an important a part of society as they ever were, for bringing communities together. 

"I won't be a slave to the past. I'll love where I choose." 

— Thomas Hardy (The Mayor of Casterbridge)

The premiere of As-One theatre's Tinderbox was attended by Dorchester Town's Mayor and Mayoress, and by many other local residents and families. I was excited to see a large number of teenagers in the audience, as many theatre events I have attended recently have been largely attended by only the more senior members of the community. 

Involved in the opening of the show were members of Stagecoach Dorchester and Dorset Youth Theatre, who then were able to watch the show from specially reserved seats at the front. I could see their faces whilst watching, and that for me was quite special. They were captivated and obviously truly inspired and entertained. 

Using carefully planned props, the cast were able to create a visual spectacle, that carried the audience through a contemporary version of the original Hans Christian Anderson tale. 

The use of clever puppetry, masks and inventive shadow theatre,  the talented performers under the guidance of the show's writer and director,  were able to create illusions that enabled the audience to be transported through the lifetime of the Tinderbox Princess, who was initially represented by a beautiful puppet, evolving into a living character.

Original music was written for the for the play, and was gently introduced as a re-occuring memorable theme through the production. Harmonised voice  in the main, with the accompaniment of two guitars and some cleverly timed rhythmic drumming. 

The show will now be on tour, the venues and dates that you can see a performance are listed on the As-One Theatre website. 

Did you see the show last night? What did you enjoy most? 

Blogging Masterclass Max Gate

A perfect location to be learning about blogging was sat at a table in the dining room at Max Gate in Dorchester.

Today I took part in an event organised by Literatureworks and The National Trust to encourage more people to become involved in literature in the South West of England. 

I previously have attended a very enjoyable talk at Dorchester Museum given by Author Helen Dunmore entitled 'Visiting Hardy' which was also part of their events programme.

My afternoon at Max Gate, former home of Thomas Hardy, was spent with a mix of newbie bloggers, experienced and successful ones, and a few verging on the brink of starting one!

Our masterclass leader has been blogging for 10 years, and was able to share her knowledge of how to create and sustain a following of regular readers. We learned some of the secrets of the publishing world and learned from each other how to advertise our blogs. 

Thomas Hardy first published some of his work in a magazine in monthly instalments, reaching an audience very much like a blog does now.

I was interested to learn that Lynne who writes Dovegreyreader scribbles blog, uses a paper notebook and pen to record her notes as she is reading a book. This is a tip that has helped me recently, when embarking on reading some of Hardy's novels. 

I have two aids now that help me with my reading, adding audio narration to a Kindle download, adds to my enjoyment, and keeping a notes of characters as they are emerge in the story helps me to follow the plot.
I am sure Thomas would have loved blogging!