The Community Radio Station covering Central-Southern Dorset Dorchester Town Council has told KeeP 106 they are proud to announce a series of events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day A number of events will take place across the town between the 8th May and 11th May as follows: For more information, please contact Tony Hurley, Assistant Town Clerk (Corporate), Dorchester Town Council 01305 249091 or TonyHurley@dorchester-tc.gov.uk Dorchester Beacon lighting ceremony marking 80th anniversary of D-Day.Photo by Finnbarr Webster Copyright © 2018 - 2025 Ridgeway Community Radio beta This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it Major work to improve safety at the Maumbury Cross junction in Dorchester moves to the main crossing areas from Tuesday 11 February This phase includes installing more signal-controlled pedestrian crossing points widening and levelling of footways where possible and upgrading existing equipment which took place just south of the Maumbury Cross junction Focus will now shift to the main junction area Four-way temporary traffic will be set up to start after the morning peak commuter/school traffic on 11 February These signals will be monitored and adjusted to maintain traffic flow as much as possible The signals will remain in place 24 hours a day during the improvement work Please allow extra time whenever possible for your journey through the junction Once the current signalling equipment and pedestrian islands have been removed alterations will start in the southeast and northwest areas of the junction on Maumbury Road Edward Road will be closed between Coburg Road and Weymouth Avenue (B3147) from 9am on 11 February for the duration of the works Pedestrian access will be maintained through the site but as it is a working area there will be times when a slight diversion is necessary Cabinet Member for Place Services at Dorset Council said: “Thank you for your co-operation while we carried out our initial works which are scheduled to complete on time "Our team will endeavour to minimise disruption as they carry out the main junction work there will be times when traffic is slower so we thank you for your patience “The completed upgrades will create a safer environment for the thousands of residents and commuters who rely on this crucial junction daily.” limited space to pass or wait to cross and only one controlled crossing point can make it a daunting experience especially for anyone with limited mobility or vision impairments Full views of approaching vehicles can be difficult and the current layout means some people have to wait in the middle of the road to cross The junction can also be particularly challenging during rush hours when commuting to and from work or school by foot Watch a video of the difficulties faced when using the junction before improvements.  There will be a new layout and an upgrade of the existing signalling equipment The works are scheduled to complete by May 2025 More information about the scheme can be found online at https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/maumbury-cross-improvements Categories: Highways Place based services beta This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it Major safety improvement work will begin at the 4-way Maumbury Cross junction in Dorchester on Monday 13 January This includes installation of much-needed signal-controlled pedestrian crossing points Cabinet Member for Place Services at Dorset Council said: “Full views of approaching vehicles can be difficult and the current layout means some people have to wait in the middle of the road to cross “The junction can also be particularly challenging during rush hours when commuting to and from work or school by foot There will be traffic management in place during construction so drivers are advised to allow for extra time at the junction Pedestrian access will be maintained with a safe route signposted Cllr Andrews continued: “The traffic management is there to ensure the safety of drivers Please expect some delays and plan accordingly with 4-way traffic movement and thousands of vehicles passing through daily so I hope everyone can be patient and understanding.” Watch a video of Geoff using the crossing and hear about the difficulties it presents. See our previous news release Categories: Highways Here are some of our most read articles that might interest you Dorchester Collection has appointed Philippe Leboeuf as Chief Executive Officer Leboeuf has in-depth experience across regional roles in the luxury sector on multiple continents expertise in operations and organisational culture combined with his extensive experience with new openings will continue to position Dorchester Collection at the forefront of luxury hospitality “Keeping the Dorchester Collection renowned culture and values alive was key in the selection of Philippe as CEO,” comments Christopher Cowdray he is highly respected globally by many stakeholders including owners and especially employees and guests.” Leboeuf adds: “As Dorchester Collection hotels write the history of their destinations and have a special alchemy that brings them together I’m greatly looking forward to taking the company legacy and storied heritage to the next stage.” Registered in England and Wales with Company Number 06637145 We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again More information about our Cookie Policy beta This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it Starting in mid-January 2025, significant safety improvements will be made at the Maumbury Cross junction in Dorchester This includes incorporating more signal-controlled pedestrian crossing points into the junction (south of the skate park) widening of footways and upgrading existing equipment This will provide a safer and more pleasant experience for people waiting to cross Maumbury Cross is a busy 4-way junction used by many people including students residents of a nearby care home and bus users Coupled with approximately 15,000 vehicles passing through daily it can be a daunting pedestrian experience especially for those with limited mobility or vision impairments The current layout consists of narrow footways with little space to pass or wait to cross There is currently only one controlled crossing point This can make it particularly challenging during rush hours when people are commuting to work or school by foot Nearly a quarter (22 per cent*) of households in Dorchester do not have access to a vehicle and the current layout makes it difficult for many residents to reach their destinations Work will include a new layout and upgrading of the existing signalling equipment the northbound bus stop will be moved to the south side of the Queens Avenue junction with Weymouth Avenue said: “Maumbury Cross is a vital route for many people so care has been taken to design a scheme that will enhance safety for all “Our intention is to make the Cross a safer and more efficient place for all Nearly a quarter of Dorchester households do not have access to a vehicle and the pedestrian experience can be unpleasant for many and thousands of vehicles passing through daily but I hope everyone can be patient and understanding.” A guide dog owner who lives in Dorchester is delighted the crossing is being improved She said: “It’s really difficult to cross if you have low vision so avoid using the crossing and walk a different route that is a lot longer “The improvements will make the junction safer for everyone including the students from the nearby schools who have to use the crossing “I am really pleased the council’s highways team reached out to Dorchester Access Group for our thoughts on the improvements and took our concerns seriously before finalising the plan.” The work will start in mid-January and will complete in the spring. Further details will be published as we approach the start date Find out more about the works  Categories: Place based services Highways Looks good but it should have been done 15 years ago Embed on your websiteClose×Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site<iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/news/2025/05/02/dorchester-vietnamese-americans-exhibition"></iframe> Five entered at a time. The line snaked down the hall. Dorchester resident Thanh Nguyen’s memories of Vietnam are vivid. Everywhere she looked in the display space created at Boston College High School were reminders of the life she left behind. Lanterns she used to study. Soldiers’ uniforms hung alongside workers’ uniforms. A bamboo shoulder pole used to carry 60 pound sacks of grain. The sounds of the last radio broadcast as Saigon fell. View of a visual arts project by Tran Vu displayed during commemorative events held by Vietnamese-led organizations. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)Half a century ago, the fall of Saigon prompted Vietnamese refugees to seek safety across the globe. Dorchester is home to three-quarters of Massachusetts' Vietnamese-American population. Hundreds gathered to mark the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war with food, song and an immersive installation. The artifacts, photographs, and stories displayed were curated by Linh-Phương Vũ,  project director of the oral history project called 1975: Vietnamese Diaspora Oral Stories. Vu worked in collaboration with the students enrolled in an Asian American seminar course at UMass Boston. A line of people wait to enter an immersive exhibition offering insight into the movement and path of the Vietnamese diaspora since 1975. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)Nguyen’s daughter-in-law, Vy Vu and two granddaughters listened as their grandmother told them about her life in Vietnam, sparked by the exhibition. It’s a history many struggle to discuss, said Vy Vu. “ I think it just brings up a lot of emotions for any of us attending the event because you know, just a lot of pain, a lot of grief, and the legacy from that. I think it's still with our community, obviously,” Vu said. Visitors connected red strings on a giant map to show all the places Vietnamese refugees restarted their lives and the courage, toll, and scale of displacement. Vu translated as Nguyen, who is 65, talked about living in poverty. “She said that she doesn't think that she can ever be healed,” Vu said. It’s very hard because when the war ended, she was 15 years old and it was hard for her and her family, without food, without shelter, or like the basic necessity of life.” Thanh Nguyen and her daughter-in-law, Vy Vu enter the immersive exhibition, which opens with a passage filled with newspaper clippings from the Vietnam War. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)Both Nguyen and Vu made it to the U.S. in the 1990s. Today, Vu’s sister, Ngoc-Tran Vu, is a prominent Boston-based artist and cultural organizer. Tran Vu is at the forefront of working to create a community-led memorial for the Vietnamese diaspora in Dorchester. “ And especially seeing so many of our elders transitioning and passing on, my own parents', family included, everyone is getting older,” Tran Vu said. “And yet their memories, their experience of the war, you know, coming into new land, coming to the US what does that mean? And, I always think about like, I am who I am and where I am because of the war.” “ I continue to really work off this idea of how do we define ourselves and amidst the complexity of our society, our culture,” Tran Vu said. “And what we want the stories to be thinking of past, present, and, and future.” Mayor Wu was one of the key speakers during the commemoration. Her words were translated for the audience by Nguoi Dan Chuong Trinh. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)The community processed grief in ceremony and song. Many aspects of the commemoration are intergenerational, led by youth. Inside the program were resources for therapy and support in case anyone needed help managing triggers. Mayor Michelle Wu attended the event and spoke to the crowd while holding her daughter. “ We know that those roots from Saigon, that have to be ripped up and taken halfway around the world, were still, in many ways,running deep family to family,” Wu said. “And that as that elder generation came to Dorchester, came to Boston, opened businesses, built organizations, made it possible to come together for the next generation and the one after that to grow and to enjoy a life in Boston.” In one poignant moment, singers paid their respects to boat refugees who escaped Vietnam by sea. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)In one poignant moment, singers paid their respects to boat refugees who escaped Vietnam by sea. Khang Nguyen is vice president of the Vietnamese-American Community of Massachusetts. He survived a seven-day boat trip to Thailand at age 14, leaving his family behind. His mother wanted him safe. The boat was full of children and adults. Nguyen said they almost didn’t make it. He learned to cook, to wash and the community took care of each other. He was there for two and a half years. “My generation [is] okay, but my son, my kid didn't know,” Nguyen said. “I want to tell them the history, the price that their parents have paid.” Thanh Nguyen and Vy Vu place notes inside their glowing jar, which symbolize fireflies, a main theme during the commemoration. (Cristela Guerra/WBUR)At the end of the exhibit, Vy Vu holds a mason jar with little lights symbolizing the firefly. She writes a note and places it inside the jar and beside theother glowing jars on a wall. “ There have been dark days, but you know, we are here and we're thriving as a community and we wanna keep moving forward,” Vu said. Thanh Nguyen has friends she gathers with to talk about what they lived through in Vietnam. They cry together. She points to her right leg. Her knee remains perpetually bent due to carrying so much weight as a girl. After all this time, her body still remembers. Cristela Guerra Senior Arts & Culture ReporterCristela Guerra is a senior arts and culture reporter for WBUR We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. SearchBrowseServicesOpen researchInstitution LoginSearchMenu links A shift towards constructing large circular monuments during the Middle Neolithic of Britain and Ireland is exemplified in the monumental landscape of south-west England Seventeen new radiocarbon dates for the Flagstones circular enclosure and the adjacent long enclosure of Alington Avenue provide a chronology that is earlier than expected Comparison with similar sites demonstrates that Flagstones was part of a broader tradition of round enclosures but was also distinctly innovative These findings reinforce the value in developing precise chronologies for refining understanding of monument forms and associated practices All of those excavated were used for the interment of the dead yet contain relatively little other material such as pottery or flint artefacts 1; see online supplementary material (OSM) Table S1) Three of these dates provide a broad estimate that the monument was constructed in the later fourth or early third millennium cal BC we present a new chronology for Flagstones seeking to answer key questions about this monument and the broader category of proto-henges Map showing the location of Flagstones within the wider Dorchester area; other Neolithic and Early Bronze Age monuments and settlement evidence in the area is also shown (figure by Susan Greaney) Figure 2. Plan of the excavated, western half of the Flagstones enclosure (after Smith et al. Reference Smith, Healy, Allen, Morris, Barnes and Woodward1997: fig Probability distributions of dates from Flagstones Each distribution represents the relative probability that an event occurs at a particular time For each of the dates two distributions have been plotted: one in outline which is the result of simple radiocarbon calibration Distributions other than those relating to individual samples correspond to aspects of the model the distribution ‘StartFunerary’ is the estimated date when funerary activity began The large square brackets down the left-hand side define the overall model exactly (figure by Peter Marshall) Figure 5. Probability distributions of dates for key events at Flagstones derived from the model defined in Figure 3 (figure by Peter Marshall) The funerary activity closely coincides with the construction of the enclosure Perhaps the burials were interred at the same time as part of an initial dedication of the site investing the new enclosure with the presence of the dead Such a hypothesis is supported by the position of the burials at the base of the pits; only the child burial in Segment 14 was interred after the accumulation of the primary silts Following a hiatus in burial activity lasting more than a millennium (Figure 4c), a young adult male was inhumed beneath a large sarsen stone at the centre of the enclosure, which was then covered by a mound of chalk derived from an encircling ditch (Smith et al. Reference Smith, Healy, Allen, Morris, Barnes and Woodward1997: 39) the burial of this person under a large sarsen closely parallels some of the earlier funerary activity at the site The construction of Flagstones can now be placed within the ‘timescape’ of the wider Dorchester monument complex (Figure 1). The earliest construction in the area was the causewayed enclosure at Maiden Castle, and several large and complex monuments, including Mount Pleasant henge, were constructed towards the end of the Late Neolithic, in the centuries either side of 2500 cal BC (Greaney et al. Reference Greaney2020) Flagstones was constructed 100–375 years (95% probability; Figure S11c) probably 145–295 years (68% probability) after the long mound at Maiden Castle which was built over the circuits of the earlier causewayed enclosure Figure 6. Plan of Alington Avenue long enclosure and associated later ring ditches (after Davies et al. Reference Davies, Bellamy, Heaton and Woodward2002: fig Although these monuments were left unchanged Greyhound Yard and Maumbury Rings all being built at a close but discrete distance These new monuments perhaps gained some of their legitimacy by being located close to earlier earthworks It is possible these actions represent continuity of memory and understanding but they may equally result from the reinterpretation of older monuments to fit contemporary needs Probability distributions of key construction events in the Dorchester complex (figure by Peter Marshall) may be remnant or residual bones derived from deeper terminal pits that formed part of an earlier enclosure perhaps similar to the intercutting pits that form the enclosure at Flagstones although it may have been preceded by an earlier ditch or circuit of pits following the same line from which the material for the primary mound was derived The placing of burials into the ditch and interior of Flagstones parallels funerary practices at other proto-henges. At Stonehenge, the cremated remains of at least 60 people were placed within and alongside the Aubrey Holes (a ring of 56 pits), into the ditch and on the bank (Willis et al. Reference Willis2016; Willis Reference Willis2021) The earliest of these cremation burials are estimated to include individuals who died in 3075–2945 cal BC (95% probability; StartCremations; Figure S12) probably in 3035–2970 cal BC (68% probability) while the latest include individuals who died in 2890–2765 cal BC (95% probability; EndCremations; Figure S12) probably in 2870–2715 cal BC (68% probability) contemporaneity of construction and burial activity is suggested by the position of the smaller segmented enclosure directly outside the single entrance as well as by finds from the enclosure ditch and the placement of the inner cremation on an axial line Figure 8. Probability distributions of dates for the construction of three large circular enclosures and their associated funerary activity: Flagstones (derived from the model described in Figure 2) Stonehenge (see Figures S12–14) and Llandygái (see Figure S15) (figure by Peter Marshall) Location of circular ditched enclosures associated with Middle Neolithic cremations included in the chronological comparison (figure by Susan Greaney) Figure 10. Probability distributions of dates from cremations associated with small ringforms. Distributions other than those relating to individual samples have been taken from models defined in Figures 3 (Flagstones), S16 (West Stow), S19 (Imperial College Sports Ground) and S20 (Sarn-y-Bryn-Caled 2). The format is identical to that of Figure 3 (figure by Peter Marshall) The construction of Flagstones enclosure and its associated funerary activity, now dated to the thirty-third or thirty-second centuries cal BC, can be placed at the end of a sequence of earlier Neolithic activity in the Dorchester complex (Figure 7) Despite the circular form of the enclosure representing a dramatic shift away from linear constructions such as Alington Avenue deposition of burials within the ditches and location in an area of previous activity all point to continuities of community and practice It was the large and perfectly circular form of the earthwork enclosure and the interment of an adult cremation burial that were the innovative aspects of this monument if this monument did indeed begin as a circuit of pits although chronological models based on currently available evidence place the construction of Stonehenge a couple of centuries later These two enclosures and their associated burials can be seen as foundational monuments in their local settings fundamentally influencing the local development of major monument complexes during the later Neolithic The problem might lie more with our wish to create neat typologies out of diverse and disparate interconnected practices and the networks of shared ideas and practices is now an imperative task that must be underpinned by robust and precise chronologies Richard Breward and the volunteers at Dorset Museum for facilitating access to their archive and for giving permission to sample their collections Thanks are also extended to Simon Mays for identifying the calcined human bone to Josh Pollard for discussions on the potentially earlier date of Stonehenge and to Roy Loveday for providing access to his ringform gazetteer Both Alasdair Whittle and Josh Pollard made useful comments on an earlier draft and feedback from two anonymous referees helped to improve the article; thanks to all of them This article contains research by Susan Greaney which was funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) PhD studentship award (1502811) West & Wales Doctoral Training Partnership The radiocarbon dates obtained from ETH Zürich and the Centre for Isotope Research The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the online supplementary material To view supplementary material for this article, please visit https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.28 and select the supplementary materials tab western half of the Flagstones enclosure (after Smith et al.1997: fig Intervals between episodes of activity at Flagstones derived from the model defined in Figure 3: a) interval between the infilling of an early Neolithic pit (EndPit00221) and the construction of the circular enclosure (BuildFlagstones); b) duration of funerary activity; and c) interval between the end of Neolithic funerary activity (EndFunerary) and the interment of a young adult male in the centre of the enclosure (HAR-9159) (figure by Peter Marshall) Probability distributions of dates for key events at Flagstones derived from the model defined in Figure 3 (figure by Peter Marshall) Plan of Alington Avenue long enclosure and associated later ring ditches (after Davies et al.2002: fig Probability distributions of dates for the construction of three large circular enclosures and their associated funerary activity: Flagstones (derived from the model described in Figure 2) Probability distributions of dates from cremations associated with small ringforms Distributions other than those relating to individual samples have been taken from models defined in Figures 3 (Flagstones) S19 (Imperial College Sports Ground) and S20 (Sarn-y-Bryn-Caled 2) The format is identical to that of Figure 3 (figure by Peter Marshall) - No HTML tags allowed- Web page URLs will display as text only- Lines and paragraphs break automatically- Attachments Your email address will be used in order to notify you when your comment has been reviewed by the moderator and in case the author(s) of the article or the moderator need to contact you directly shared ownership in or any close relationship with any organisation whose interests may be affected by the publication of the response Please also list any non-financial associations or interests (personal religious or other) that a reasonable reader would want to know about in relation to the submitted work This pertains to all the authors of the piece etc.venues 8 Fenchurch Street - 15 May 2025 which operates a range of luxury hotels around the world Leboeuf will oversee the Dorchester Collection's 10 properties in operation as well as planned new properties in Tokyo and Dubai Leboeuf was most recently managing director of Raffles London at The OWO, which opened in September 2023 and previously served as director general of Concorde Hotels and as regional VP of operations for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Dorchester Collection president and former CEO Christopher Cowdray called Leboeuf "highly respected globally" in a statement announcing the appointment “Keeping the Dorchester Collection’s renowned culture and values alive was key in the selection of Philippe as CEO,” added Cowdray Leboeuf will replace co-CEOs Ernesto Pirri and Helen Smith who both departed the organisation in January The Dorchester Collection is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency As business travel accelerates, Cathay Pacific remains a leader, delivering seamless, end-to-end... KEEP READING with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines... KEEP READING United Airlines is the largest airline in the world by available seat miles, offering flights to more... KEEP READING