A once neglected Swanage telephone box in Dorset, has been saved and given a new lease of life as a community book exchange.
In a short ceremony involving cake and refreshments, the red phone box on the corner of Ulwell Road and Whitecliff Road in North Swanage, was officially opened on Saturday 3rd May 2025 by a number of local children, ably assisted by Swanage town crier Andrew Fleming.
Swanage town crier Andrew Fleming rings in the changes at the official opening of the new book exchange in the Ulwell Road phone box
As the use of traditional phone boxes has declined, many have been removed including the iconic phone box at Shell Bay in Studland and the phone box outside The Mowlem in Swanage.
However some have been saved by the local communities and been given a new purpose including housing lifesaving defibrillators or becoming information points.
Now the Ulwell phone box can be added to the saved and repurposed list.
Sadly, this much photographed phone box at Shell Bay in Studland disappeared at the start of the Covid pandemic
The Mowlem phone box was removed in September 2021
It all started around early 2020 when BT put up signs in a number of local boxes warning they would be removed.
Fortunately the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust stepped in and bought it for a £1 but then the Covid pandemic meant that little more happened.
Local resident Jo Cole (left) with Kim Gallagher (centre) and the Swanage town crier (right)
There’s a selection of children’s books too
Separately, as the pandemic eased, a book club was set up in Ulwell Road by newly arrived resident Carol Platteuw. She said:
“I had just moved to Swanage and didn’t know anyone but I thought it would be a good idea to start a book club as a way to meet the neighbours. The idea took off and the Ulwell Road book club was formed.
“I’d heard about book exchanges and thought that the telephone box just up the road from me would be ideal for the job!”
At the opening, the town crier Andrew Fleming revealed that he was an author and displayed the book that he wrote at the age of five!
Working together left to right: local resident Jo Cole, Swanage and Purbeck Trust trustee Kim Gallagher, Swanage and Purbeck Trust CEO Ali Tuckey, painter Geoff Brandon, and Ulwell Road book club founder Carol Platteuw
So, fellow book club member Jo Cole stepped in and started to make enquiries about whether they could buy the telephone box. Jo said:
“When I contacted BT, I discovered that the telephone box had already been bought! But fortunately by the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust.
“I already knew Kim Gallagher, who is one of the trustees, so I contacted her and found out the trust was only too delighted that the neighbours wanted to adopt the box.
“So we started work on turning it into a book exchange – all the neighbours have contributed in one way or the other.”
Artist Sarah Wootton turned her hand to signwriting
The community turned out for the official opening
Geoff Brandon was responsible for sprucing up the box for its official opening
Local artist Sarah Wootton volunteered to do the signwriting and some artistic finishing touches, while Marc Platteuw custom made the bookshelves to fit in the box.
However it was Geoff Brandon who cut back the brambles and gave the phone box a fresh lick of paint. He said:
“A few years ago, myself and neighbour Mark Rowley decided to tidy up the area and restore the box, painting it red. It made such a difference.
“Sadly Mark died in 2024 but he was involved at the start of it all, and this year I only had to give it a new top coat of paint.”
The two phone boxes in the High Street by Swanage Library could do with a new coat of paint
The book exchange system is very simple, with the idea that anyone who would like to take away a book, should bring another interesting one in a good condition, to replace it. There are also books for children.
Kim Gallagher from the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust said:
“We bought the telephone box for £1 to save it. The trust doesn’t have much of a presence over this side of the town and we thought we could post information in it. However this was pre Covid and not much happened.
“When the book ladies wanted to take it on, it was wonderful. It’s a real pop of red on this corner, along with the postbox – it’s so important to preserve our local heritage!”
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A daring charity stunt has helped the Wareham town mayor raise £1,700 for Purbeck Air Cadets – after she jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet.
Marian Cotton completed a year as the town’s mayor by helping her chosen charity towards their aim of having a portable flight simulator to help their training and to raise awareness of the RAF Air Cadets when they attend events.
Mayor Marian Cotton with proof of her parachute jump from 10,000 feet
The tandem parachute drop at Old Sarum airfield on Sunday 27th April 2025, took place in perfect weather conditions and was completed successfully, with the mayor joking that she landed in one piece!
Money raised will now go towards a project for the RAF Air Cadets 2185 Isle of Purbeck Squadron, to design and build a new flight simulator which will be a much-needed extra system for the youth group.
Although the air cadet squadron is parented by the Royal Air Force, its main objective is to promote an interest in aviation, through leadership training, adventure training, academic studies, and visits to RAF stations.
And as the squadron offers flights in both powered aircraft and gliders, it uses flight simulators to prepare its cadets for the experience and to teach the basics of aircraft handling.
Having taken the plunge, the only way is down for Marian
“When I became mayor, I wanted to support a charity that is often overlooked and which helps teenagers, taking many of them forward on a career path.
“Being in the air cadets gives them guidance, team building, confidence, discipline, so many life skills, they gain so much from being a part of it.
“They wanted a portable flight simulator, which will help to enhance their skills and which can be taken to events they participate in to raise their profile.
“It will cost between £3,500 and £4,000, and so far my skydive has netted me £1,700 towards it – I’m thrilled we have managed to raise so much, and my Just Giving page is still running.”
The Cessna light aircraft at Old Sarum airfield which was used for the parachute jump
Preparing for the big moment at Old Sarum airfield
“We went up in a Cessna plane, which took six of us, and jumped from 10,000 feet – although I was not really aware of the height. You are not looking down and the next thing you know you are out of the plane, so there’s no time to get frightened.
“Before the jump, you are sitting on the edge, almost hanging out of the plane and then the chap you are with tips you to the left – and then you are falling!
“You travel at 125 miles an hour in freefall for 30 seconds before the parachute opens, which made my shoulders ache with the buffeting of the wind! And when the canopy came up – well, I can’t do fairground rides and my stomach was a bit queasy!
“But you look down onto Stonehenge and Salisbury, so the experience was absolutely wonderful, although the landing was a bit unexpected. I thought we would land standing up but instead I made a very smooth landing on my bottom.”
Air Cadets were at the airfield to support the mayor
Members of the 2185 Isle of Purbeck Squadron Air Cadets, together with flight lieutenant Ryan Whincop, were at the airfield to cheer on the mayor, who has now put a copy of her certificate in the town hall window to prove to all her supporters that she completed the jump.
She will now present a cheque to the flight lieutenant at Wareham Town Council’s mayor making ceremony on Thursday 15th May 2025, before going to the next full cadet meeting and having a photograph taken with all of the cadets.
By then, Marian hopes to have been elected to serve a second year as Mayor of Wareham, having already had her name proposed – though she is not taking anything for granted.
Back on solid ground in Wareham, Marian reflects on her time as mayor
“I have been proud to represent Wareham at civic events throughout the year – it is a real honour to be mayor, I’ve loved the experience and would be very happy to do a second year.
“I was born in Wareham, which is nice, it gives you a special connection to the town and has helped when I’ve shown other civic leaders around the town.
“You are privileged to be mayor, and you get to see things you normally wouldn’t as a member of the public – some highlights for me were going behind the scenes at Portland HeliOps search and rescue centre, and going into a stone quarry.
“I also made a privately funded trip to Wareham in Massachusetts, to help reset a town twinning from years ago – it was a great success, and they are coming over here later in May to help rebuild a link with our friends in the United States.”
Money raised by the jump will go towards a new, portable flight simulator for the local squadron
A spokesperson for the RAF Air Cadets said:
“We offer young people exciting opportunities for personal and professional development.
“We’re an inclusive organisation that cares about helping young people reach their potential, and every year nearly 43,000 air cadets and 10,000 volunteer staff take part in exciting events at over 1,000 squadrons across the UK.
“Being a cadet means trying new things in a safe environment, making friends along the way and gaining skills for life. Through discipline, unique experiences and knowledge gained, our cadets develop into aviators and pick up lifelong friends along the way.
“We’re not a recruiting organisation for the main RAF, so all the skills youngsters learn and experiences they gain will benefit whatever career path they choose.”
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With parts of the seafront in Swanage, Dorset, subsiding due to ground slippage, residents are to be consulted on new proposals for saving the area from collapse and enhancing the promenade, and it could include closing Shore Road to traffic.
Sandpit Field, the Weather Station Field and the Spa beach hut terrace, which run parallel to Shore Road and the seafront, provide green open spaces for events like the Swanage Carnival and for people to relax away from the beach, but geological surveys show that future use of the area is at risk.
In 2023, two options were proposed for stabilising what Swanage Town Council likes to call the Green Seafront – an essential scheme costing at the time £4 million and an enhanced scheme costing an eye watering £11 million.
Following the consultation in 2023, just under half of those who gave feedback (43.6 percent) backed the essential scheme, while just over half (51.1 percent) wanted to go ahead with the enhanced option, with the remainder selecting ‘don’t know’.
Now Swanage Town Council has come up with a compromise option costing £6.5 million, which stabilises the area, makes it more accessible for those using wheelchairs and prams, expands the space for events by filling in Walrond Road, provides a new toilet block, and refurbishes and extends the Spa beach hut area so there are 48 beach huts in total.
Cracks are beginning to show as the ground movement increases
This path has sunk down and the scaffolding railings detract from the beauty of the bay
In addition to the revenue which the beach huts would raise, the new scheme provides the potential to generate income from a concession which could offer refreshments or other services.
The plans also include a small event space which could be registered for weddings, bringing in further income for the town council.
The essential scheme which stabilises the area, replaces the planting, and provides additional beach huts creating a total of 35 in the same style as the existing, is still on the table, but the cost has now been increased to £4.5 million for delivery in autumn 2026.
The number of Spa beach huts has been reduced due to safety issues
With new semi detached houses just behind this area on the market for £2.25 million each, this concrete wasteland has considerable development potential for desirable beach huts
Swanage Town Council currently has £3.65 million set aside to fund the works to the Green Seafront.
It is estimated that a further £200,000 may be available from gains made on the disposal of investments. This leaves a potential shortfall in funding of £65,000 if the essential scheme is chosen or £2.65 million if the new compromise scheme is preferred.
The council says it has actively sought sources of external funding towards this project and is continuing to do so, but opportunities are extremely limited.
However if it doesn’t create the plans and get the support of the local residents, it won’t achieve anything. Only by harnessing the power of the people of Swanage does the council stand a chance of persuading anyone to offer any grant funding.
So this is why this consultation is taking place now, despite the shortfall in funding, to get the expressed opinion of locals, visitors and anyone else who cares about Swanage.
The wartime lookout is starting to corrode and is sadly unlikely to survive any of the stabilisation works but it will be documented for future generations
Swanage Town Council says there are no plans to remove any trees in any of the options
Following the initial consultation in 2023, one of the main issues raised was Shore Road and the battle for space between vehicles, parked cars, and pedestrians.
Swanage is one of the few seafront towns along the South Coast which doesn’t have a wide promenade to stroll along, next to the beach.
In fact, the pavement is so narrow at points that two prams or wheelchairs cannot pass each other, and pedestrians risk being hit by parked car doors being opened across the pavement.
So not unsurprisingly, the message from many who took part in the last public consultation was to sort out Shore Road as part of the Green Seafront project. However this required cooperation from Dorset Council which is responsible for the highway.
Fortunately, the strength of opinion from residents swayed Dorset Council to get involved and it has allocated half a million pounds towards making improvements to Shore Road.
This money has covered the cost of the consultation plans and will go some way to instigating a new scheme, but it will not cover the whole cost. Additional grant funding will have to be applied for.
The cost of any changes to Shore Road will be in addition to the costs to stabilise the Green Seafront. The exact cost depends on the option chosen.
Imagine Shore Road with no vehicles, or perhaps just a one way lane and no parked vehicles…
Parked cars, pedestrians and two way traffic all jostle for space right next to the beach
The stretch of Shore Road included in the consultation is from Ocean Bay to the junction with Victoria Avenue.
For options 1, 2 and 3, Blue Badge parking will be provided along Victoria Avenue where it joins Shore Road.
The road plans are not fully detailed at this stage and modifications of options 1, 2 and 3 will be considered, depending on the consultation feedback and feasibility.
Victoria Avenue will stay and could provide Blue Badge parking
The enhanced scheme proposes filling in this stretch of Walrond Road and creating an area for a refreshment kiosk or similar, and new accessible toilets
“Since the results of the last public consultation, we have been working to further develop the proposals based on the feedback you gave us. Council officers and councillors have now used these to shape this new round of public engagement.
“One key aspect of the feedback concerned pedestrian safety and access on Shore Road. We have been pleased to work closely with Dorset Council to develop the options. This has provided additional expertise and resources to achieve the best for Swanage.
“The seafront is really important, so please take the time to engage with us. We want to hear from you!”
One of the UK’s oldest weather stations will remain
The north end of the Green Seafront is already a quiet place for locals to escape a busy beach but it could get an accessible entrance, a new viewpoint, and a small event pavillion which could host weddings
There are four engagement events planned during summer 2025 where the general public can find out more about the options and ask questions about the plans.
The survey will close on Sunday 29th June 2025
From summer 2025 preferred options will be selected and funding explored.
Stabilisation works are scheduled to start autumn 2026 but subject to change.
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Sick and starving hedgehogs from across Purbeck now have a greater chance of survival after a dedicated treatment centre has opened its doors just 10 miles from Wareham.
A new hedgehog hospital near Bere Regis is expecting to take more than 750 injured or starving animals in its first year, and has been welcomed by the Wareham and Sandford Hedgehog Group.
Ashley Barn, near Bere Regis, has been converted into a full time hedgehog hospital for Dorset
While Wareham and Sandford are lucky enough to have a larger population than most towns – strangely, there are very few sightings of the animals in Swanage – hedgehogs are officially at risk of extinction in the UK, and the threat to their health continues to grow.
Dorset Hedgehog Rescue opened the doors to its rescue centre in a converted farm barn on Monday 28th April 2025 and had its first patient arrive within minutes – Rosie, who had been attacked by either a fox or a dog and had bite wounds to her head.
The centre is being headed by Jim Dunne, who previously ran the Hamworthy Hedgehog Centre with his wife Tracy from their home before finding that demands on time, money and space were overwhelming.
But after being left a large legacy by supporter Derek Cooke, and with public donations, the charity has been able to rent and equip Ashley Barn near Bere Regis and is getting ready to receive sick and injured hedgehogs from across Purbeck and the rest of Dorset.
Desmond, an elderly hedgehog without any teeth, was brought in because he was spotted struggling to eat
“The picture for hedgehogs really is bleak. In the UK, they are on the mammals red list and classified at risk of extinction, and their numbers are now falling sharply across the rest of Europe as well.
“Habitat destruction is a big problem for hedgehogs, but also the overuse of pesticides. They eat earthworms, bugs and grubs, which the pesticides target, so there is less food available, meaning they either die off or don’t breed so successfully.
“The majority of hedgehogs we receive are because of problems caused by man – especially by garden machinery like strimmers.
“But as modern gardens all have six foot fences with gravel boards, perhaps even astro turf, hedgehogs can’t travel between gardens and are losing all their food routes. That’s a big issue.
“We also get a lot of injuries to hedgehogs from dogs, and others with head injuries like they have been hit by a passing car, or perhaps kicked, which is increasingly common now.”
The Hedgehog Hospital is always grateful for donations of food for its patients – cat food in jelly is best
“Hedgehogs are one of the few wild mammals the public will encounter up close and are a firm favourite, but we are seeing some concerning population declines across the UK, especially in rural areas.
“Urban landscapes have become increasingly important for hedgehogs. Gardens and green spaces in towns can support the highest densities of hedgehogs and may act as a refuge from changing agricultural practices and high predator density.
“If communities can join even 10 gardens together with hedgehog highways, that is brilliant – there is pressure being put on the Government to have all new house builds include them, it only takes a five inch square cut into one panel of a fence, and it’s not a great hardship.
“Hedgehogs have a cognitive map of their area in their minds and know their routes, they can travel up to three kilometres a night looking for food, and being able to travel through gardens is very important for them.”
The first 23 pens for patients are already in place, with a further 80 expected soon
Sustainable Wareham has been running a joint project with Dorset Mammal Group in local primary schools to help the local hedgehog population thrive, and has welcomed the creation of the Dorset Hedgehog Hospital just 10 miles from the town.
Its Schools for Hedgehogs project ran a series of sessions for 10 year olds to tell them about the hazards hedgehogs face every day and how everyone can make a difference to helping local populations of the animal survive.
School grounds have been made more hedgehog friendly with nesting boxes for the mammals put out, ramps left in ponds so that hedgehogs don’t drown, routes where they can travel safely marked with a sign to keep them accessible, and untidy areas with brambles, logs and leaves left to ensure good supply of food.
As well as making a difference in their schools, children have also been spreading the word to their families and a growing number of hedgehog highways have been established through Wareham.
Karen Naylor of Hedgehog Friendly Wareham helped pupils of Sandford St Martin’s School to build hedgehog nest boxes
Karen Naylor from Sustainable Wareham, said:
“We are delighted to hear of this brilliant new rescue centre! Like most UK wildlife, hedgehogs are in serious decline, so it’s great news that we can now take the sick or injured to Dorset Hedgehog Rescue where they’ll be given expert care and, crucially, be released back to the wild once they’re well.
“Sustainable Wareham is supporting a ‘Schools for Hogs’ project at our three local primary schools, with children carrying out specific hog-supporting tasks in order to achieve a bronze, silver or gold certificate of hedgehog awareness and care.
“We know our junior Hog-warts will be using their knowledge and skills to prevent hedgehog harms, but should they find a poorly hog they’ll be as pleased as we are that there’s now a safe, caring expert nearby!”
And Kate Brailsford, of Hedgehog Friendly Wareham and Sandford, said:
“It is very exciting news for us, the new rescue is right on our doorstep and will be an invaluable resource for all of us who support Dorset Mammal group’s aim to reverse the decline of hedgehogs in Dorset.
“We will also be more environmentally friendly in terms of mileage travelled, as over the last seven years our hedgehog transport group has made a great many journeys to rescues all over Dorset, including Christchurch, Portland and even Yeovil.
“It has been a long project to establish a hedgehog hospital, but it is brilliant for us that one is open so close – myself and my team have been taking hedgehogs all over the county in the past. It is fantastic news!”
The first patients have started to arrive at the hospital
Dorset Hedgehog Hospital spokesperson Jim Dunne said:
“We used to care for more than 750 hedgehogs a year from home, and we are expecting to get a lot more animals than that, especially as several of the small rescue centres in Dorset have now closed.
“We opened on Monday and the phone has already started ringing off the hook. We have 23 specially made cages at the moment, another 80 on order, and an ICU with 10 incubators for the orphan hoglets and the more seriously ill or injured hedgehogs which need warmth.
“We would prefer people to bring their hedgehogs in to us, or – if they know there are injuries – take them to a vet first, who will treat them, then pass them on to us for ongoing care and rehabilitation.
“When the hedgehogs are better they mostly go back to where they came from, unless there were building works going on or if they were attacked by dogs in a garden and we don’t want them to go through that again.”
The new HQ for Dorset Hedgehog Rescue is set in a valley with its own resident population of buzzards, a red kite, and house martins
“We will be working with the Dorset Mammal Group, who had originally hoped to open a hospital themselves.
“We will do the hands-on rescue and rehabilitation and they will do the education and conservation side of things – it will be two organisations running alongside each other, sharing the same goals.
“Our centre is not a visitor attraction and is not open to the public. Our work with hedgehogs is done behind closed doors for the hedgehogs’ welfare and to give them the best possible second chance at life in the wild.
“But we are always very grateful for the public support we get – it will cost around £275 a day to run the hospital and help from the public, like donations of cat food, or even corporate sponsorship, will help us to look after these lovely, endangered animals.”
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To celebrate 80 years since Victory in Europe towards the end of World War Two – known as VE Day – a number of events are being planned in Swanage, Dorset.
Locally on Thursday 8th May 2025 to mark the day, there will be the signing of the armed forces covenant, a concert at Swanage bandstand in the morning, the ringing of bells at St Mary’s church, and the lighting of a beacon at Durlston Castle in the evening.
Plans for the 75th anniversary of VE Day were curtailed and everyone had to stay at home in 2020
As well as local celebrations there will also be national events in London between Monday 5th and Thursday 8th May 2025, including a military parade, a Red Arrows flypast, a concert, and a service at Westminster Abbey.
There had been plans to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day back in 2020 but they were scuppered by the Covid pandemic, which meant that most people ended up celebrating in their front gardens, socially distanced from their neighbours.
Although the Swanage street party to mark VE Day was cancelled in 2020, the plans were successfully revived in 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
In the morning at Swanage station, Swanage town mayor Tina Foster will sign the covenant which promises that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces are treated with fairness and respect. Since 2022, the Covenant has been signed by a variety of organisations including councils, businesses, schools and charities.
From 11 am to 12 noon, Karen Grant will be singing the songs of Vera Lynn, who was famous for her wartime performances, boosting the morale of soldiers and civilians. Everyone is invited to come to this free concert on the Recreation Ground, to wave flags and sing along to some old favourites. There will be a collection for The Veterans Association.
St Mary’s church in Swanage, along with churches across the UK, will ring the bells between 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm to mark Victory in Europe.
Dorset Council is organising a ceremony including the lighting of a beacon at 9.30 pm at Durlston Castle in Swanage. Everyone is invited to attend and watch the beacon being lit, which will be one of many across the UK.
It will be hosted by the chair of Dorset Council, Stella Jones, with a tribute by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Michael Dooley, and a speech from the chair of the British Royal Legion in Dorset, Gerry Nunn. The evening will conclude with the National Anthem.
“The event will be part of a nationwide chain of beacons, illuminating the night sky across the United Kingdom honouring those who sacrificed for our freedom and inspire future generations to cherish the values of freedom and peace.
“We hope that residents of Swanage and people from other towns and villages across Dorset will join with us for this special event.”
The beacon lighting for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was so successful that Dorset Council wants to do it all again!
A military procession from Whitehall, in central London, to Buckingham Palace will be followed by a flypast of current and historical military aircraft, including the Red Arrows. The Cenotaph, on Whitehall, will be draped in union jacks, remembering those who died during World War Two, followed by a party on the warship HMS Belfast in the River Thames, and street parties around the country
A display of ceramic poppies will be unveiled at the Tower of London, and historic landmarks across the UK will be lit up.
A concert will be held in the evening at Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, in central London
A service will be held in Westminster Abbey during the day, followed by a concert at 8 pm for 10,000 members of the public at Horse Guards Parade in central London. The concert will be broadcast live on BBC One at 8pm and will include performances, readings and poignant moments that will tell the story of VE Day and the nation’s reaction to the end of the Second World War 80 years ago.
The Dorset County Chronicle on Thursday 10th May 1945 says that Swanage streets were ‘carpeted with confetti’
While VE Day was celebrated in 1945, it wasn’t until there was victory over Japan or VJ Day, that the war ended.
The 80th anniversary of VJ Day and the end of World War Two will be marked on Friday 15 August 2025.
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Now in its eighteenth year, the Swanage Railway’s Diesel Gala and Beer Festival is to feature a train named after the former British Rail manager who opened Harmans Cross station in 1989.
The popular diesel gala and beer festival, which takes place from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th May 2025, will also see eight classic 1960s diesel locomotives travelling between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Norden in Dorset.
The opening of Harmans Cross station in 1989 by Gordon Pettitt
Gordon Pettitt, who at the time was a highly respected British Rail Southern Region general manager, was invited to open Swanage Railway’s new Harmans Cross station on a rainy Saturday on 4th March 1989.
This was part of the project by volunteers to rebuild the railway, following the closure of the branch line in 1972, and meant that trains could travel between Swanage and Harman’s Cross.
Later in the mid 1990s the track was relaid to Corfe Castle and Norden.
Built in York during 1967 for British Rail’s Southern Region, the four-carriage Class 423 4VEP electric multiple unit named after Gordon Pettitt
The Gordon Pettitt train travelling past Corfe Castle on a previous visit to the Swanage Railway
In 2004, after Gordon Pettitt had retired, the preserved former South West Trains electric unit was named after him. Speaking at the naming ceremony at Waterloo Station in London, he said:
“I was bowled over when I was told I would have a train named after me. The unit has been beautifully restored, and for the general public, it’s a piece of history.”
From 2014, he was president of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society in Sussex and was instrumental in securing the steam railway’s reconnection to the main line at East Grinstead.
Gordon Pettitt died at the age of 90 on Monday 31st March 2025.
At the opening of Harmans Cross station, Gordon Pettitt took great interest in the steam locomotive
The official opening on a rainy Saturday in March 1989
Event organiser Dan Bennett, who lives in Wareham, said:
“We are delighted the 1967 4VEP electric multiple unit ‘Gordon Pettitt’ will be taking part in our diesel gala as it’s an important piece of almost 60 years of history and a poignant tribute to the highly respected former British Rail Southern Region general manager from the 1980s, who officially opened the Swanage Railway’s new Harmans Cross station in 1989.
“A lifelong railwayman described as a gentle and decisive reformer, Gordon Pettitt was surprised and delighted to have the unit named after him. Owned by the Bluebell Railway in Sussex – and cared for by the Southern Electric Traction Group – the unit has been restored and maintained to a high standard.”
In The Daily Telegraph obituary, Gordon Pettitt was described as a man with a first rate mind and unruly hair!
Barry Light (left) and Andy Dunster (right) pulling the pints at the beer festival in 2023
The other popular attraction of the gala is the beer festival at Corfe Castle station, organised and operated by Purbeck Kitchens.
It will have 45 real ales and ciders on offer, alongside hot food. Admission to the beer festival next to the Victorian goods shed at Corfe Castle station will be free with a token system in operation for the purchase of drinks. There will be trade stands at Swanage station.
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
A new place to seek help and find support for wellbeing has opened in Swanage, Dorset, with people of all ages invited to drop in for a chat about the services they need.
Many years in the planning, the Welcome Lounge in the Focus Centre on the corner of Chapel Lane and the High Street, finally came to fruition with its opening on Tuesday 22nd April 2025.
Working together left to right: Sinead O’Neill, Tania Leigh, Ali Tuckey, Bob Foster, Mel Norris, Dai Hounsell, Kim Gallagher, Chris Brady, Emily Gadd, Kirsty Clegg and Andy Rammell
First conceived around 2019, the Welcome Lounge is run by the community for the community, with trained staff and volunteers who will offer a listening ear, as well as pointing people in the right direction to find help for housing, family support, loneliness, support for carers, employment, or mental health issues.
To start with, the Welcome Lounge will be open every Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to 4 pm with no appointment required – just drop in.
On Mondays, there will be a dedicated team available to chat about mental health and wellbeing issues. This is available to anyone aged 18 and over.
Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust along with partners including the charity Help and Care, is rolling out these Access Wellbeing sessions as part of a Dorset-wide programme.
The Welcome Lounge is ready to welcome visitors with Focus Centre staff member Tania Leigh, Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust trustee and Welcome Lounge volunteer Mel Norris, Welcome Lounge volunteer Chris Brady, and Focus Centre staff member Sinead O’Neill
Making accessing wellbeing easier, left to right: Dorset Healthcare transformation programme manager for Access Wellbeing Emily Gadd, Help and Care comms manager Kirsty Gadd, and wellbeing coordinator for Access Wellbeing in Purbeck Andy Rammell
Dorset Healthcare transformation programme manager for Access Wellbeing, Emily Gadd said:
“We’re now offering mental health services under the Access Wellbeing umbrella from Gillingham in the north of Dorset, down to Swanage in the south.
“People can just walk into the Welcome Lounge and talk to Andy or Nicci who will be here to listen. Then they could suggest either a series of support sessions or signpost people to other services, however it’s all person-led.
“Dorset Healthcare is also developing new therapeutic pathways including ones for complex trauma, something we have not been able to offer locally in the past. This avoids moving people away from their communities to get help.
“It’s wonderful to link up with the Welcome Lounge initiative led by local people and all working together.”
The doors to the Welcome Lounge officially open for business
The opening was the culmination of a lot of coordination between the NHS, local councils, and the Purbeck and Swanage Development Trust
The Welcome Lounge is part of The Focus Centre, which already offers a range of other services from health visitors, drug and alcohol support, and an infant feeding group, plus a SEND support group and a depression support group starting this year.
The Focus Centre is owned and managed by the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust on behalf of the local community.
“We’ve stuck to our vision over the last five years and convinced Dorset Council and Swanage Town Council to back us. This is the community working for the community, and helping people to help themselves.
“So it’s great we are here today and opening the doors to the Welcome Lounge but this is not the end. The Lounge is only part of the complex of buildings offering more services.
“The aim is to be able to address local people’s needs locally and not have to tell them to go to Poole or Bournemouth, but for them to find support that suits them closer to home.”
Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust CEO Ali Tuckey (left) and chair of trustees Bob Foster (right)
CEO of the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust Ali Tuckey added:
“Our dream is for people to come into the Welcome Lounge and for them to get the help they need here. When I’ve struggled in my life I’ve found that the first step is always the hardest.
“If you’ve got to travel a long distance or wait a long time for an appointment it’s so easy to give up. And that’s a particular challenge for us in Swanage, as we are a relatively isolated and small community and it can make it harder for us to access services.
“Here we are empowering our community to help ourselves. We won’t provide solutions or advice but can help people find out about their options and support them to get the right help.
“There’s so many brilliant community groups in Swanage already improving people’s wellbeing and we can magnify the work of others like the Greengage Community Garden and the Loft by all working together.”
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A Victorian brass horn reputed to have been used when the first passenger train in May 1885 departed from Swanage to Wareham, is to be sounded again at a 140th anniversary ceremony at Swanage station in Dorset.
The public is being invited to attend the special event – dressing in Victorian costume if they wish – from 1 pm on Saturday 17th May 2025.
A special train trip will mark 140 years of the Swanage Railway
The Swanage Town Band will play on the platform to welcome dignitaries and other guests – just as their predecessors did in May 1885 – including the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Michael Dooley, Swanage town mayor Tina Foster, and Swanage Railway Trust patron Sir Philip Williams.
After speeches from Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts and dignitaries, the London and South Western Railway brass horn will be blown at Swanage station to mark the departure at 2 pm of a special 140th anniversary steam train bound for Herston Halt, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden.
With the dignitaries and other guests riding in a 1940s ‘Devon Belle’ Pullman observation carriage, the special train will be hauled by the Swanage Railway Trust’s unique Victorian T3 class steam locomotive No. 563 which was built at Nine Elms, in London, during 1893. The T3s hauled trains from London to Corfe Castle and Swanage from the 1890s to the 1930s.
Public admission to the 140th anniversary ceremony at Swanage station is free but members of the public wishing to travel on the special steam train departing Swanage at 2 pm will need to purchase travel tickets.
The pin badge is a collector’s item to treasure
Swanage Railway volunteers attending the special 140th anniversary ceremony – as well as those volunteers on duty on the heritage line on Saturday 17th May 2025, will be presented with a special commemorative badge designed by Swanage Railway Trust director and volunteer Clive Hardy who is organising the special event.
“The event marking the 140th anniversary of the Swanage Railway’s opening will reflect the celebrations that accompanied the arrival in Swanage of a special train that brought the Swanage Railway Company’s directors from London to the seaside town on Saturday 16th May 1885, as well as the departure of the first public passenger train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and the main line at Wareham on Wednesday 20th May 1885.
“In 1885, the new 25 minute train journey from Swanage to Wareham cost eleven pence compared with a traditional horse and carriage journey taking one and a half hours at a ticket price of two shillings and sixpence.
“The opening of the Swanage branch line was historic and a seismic change for the Isle of Purbeck – turning Swanage from a fishing and quarrying town into a popular seaside resort and the picturesque village of Corfe Castle into a desirable daytrip destination.”
Swanage Railway Trust director and volunteer Clive Hardy has organised the commemorative event
The Swanage Railway’s special anniversary comes in the year of Rail 200 – a national celebration, by both heritage railways and the national railway system, marking the 200th anniversary of passenger rail travel in England, Scotland, Wales as well as on the Isle of Man.
Chair of Swanage Railway Trust Frank Roberts said:
“It’s apt the 140th anniversary of the Swanage branch line’s opening in May 1885, falls in the year of the national Rail 200 celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the UK’s railways – celebrating the UK’s railways past, present and future.
“We are delighted that His Majesty the King’s representative in Dorset – the Lord-Lieutenant Michael Dooley – as well as the Mayor of Swanage Tina Foster, Swanage Railway Trust patron Sir Philip Williams and other guests from the Isle of Purbeck community are able to join us for what will be a very special celebration marking the 140th anniversary of the first train leaving Swanage for Corfe Castle and the main line at Wareham in May 1885.
“The blowing of the London and South Western Railway brass horn 140 years after it was sounded at Swanage station to mark the departure of that first passenger train in 1885 will have great historical resonance and be a stirring link with the past.”
The Victorian T3 continues to chug through the Purbeck countryside thanks to the restoration of the Swanage branch line
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Gavin Johns added:
“It is important to mark the 140th anniversary of the Swanage Railway’s opening because the branch line nearly disappeared forever after British Rail ran the last train from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage in 1972 and lifted most of the tracks.
“Since 1976, several generations of dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly and selflessly to relay the tracks and rebuild the infrastructure required to operate, develop and link to the national railway network the vibrant community heritage railway that we enjoy today.”
The Victorian London and South Western Railway brass horn was donated in 2010 to the Swanage Railway Trust’s museum at Corfe Castle station
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Glorious sunshine and an amazing selection of vintage vehicles took the annual Swanage Carnival Classic Motor Show in Dorset to new heights.
Swanage’s Main Beach car park was packed on Sunday 27th April 2025 as the carnival committee hosted the motor show for the third consecutive year, and drew a bumper crowd.
Bob Underwood with Mowgli, the MG TF Midget which was found in the jungles of Borneo in 1968, full of snakes and rusting away
Hundreds of people were enthralled by some of the most iconic cars, from Morris Minors to Jaguar E Types, and including the UK’s only MGB pickup truck and an MG Midget which was discovered in the Borneo jungle full of snakes.
Although the show has been organised and run by Swanage Carnival since 2023 as a curtain raiser to main summer programme, its history goes back almost 30 years and has become a major and much loved event in the Swanage calendar.
Local resident and classic car lover Jenny Lazenby, who began the show as a fundraiser for local charities and ran it until 2022, was back at the event this year to enjoy the spectacle, which is supported by car clubs right across Dorset.
She was delighted by the continued success of the show and said that she was thrilled the event could continue to raise money for important local charities far into the future.
The 2025 show was sponsored by Moonfleet Cars, Langdale Boundary and estate agents Hull Gregson Hull.
A public vote to decide best car in show was awarded to Roger Leslie and his Aston Martin, with Robert Burrows’ Porsche in second place and a Vauxhall Cresta owned by Ian Higham coming in third.
Jenny Lazenby and Jeff Soulsby, organisers past and present of the Classic Motor Show
One of the show’s current organisers, Jeff Soulsby said:
“We took over from Jenny Lazenbury, who set up the Swanage Classic Car Show in 1996 to raise vital funds for charities and support her interest in classic cars.
“It went from strength to strength over the years and raised thousands of pounds for local good causes. In 2022, Jenny was helped to run the show by Culvin Milmer and his son Eddie, and together they agreed for the classic car show to become a Swanage Carnival event.
“So we took over the organisation and continued the fund raising focus by donating proceeds to good causes – we have the resources of the carnival to manage it and thanks to Swanage Town Council we are allowed to use the main beach car park to stage it.
“We can also support other charities who have their own stands here to raise funds for themselves and spread the word about what they do. With around 100 vintage cars and vehicles on show, and some lovely weather, we have had a wonderful turnout to start the 2025 season in the best way.”
Meet Rita, a Ford Zephyr Mk 2 Lowline with original 1950s Venetian window blind, sun visor and white wall tyres
“This is the first big event of the year for Swanage Carnival, and really it is the start of the summer events season for the town as well.
“All funds raised go into the Swanage Carnival kitty and at the end of the year we are able to give away many thousands of pounds to local charities and organisations – last year, it was more than £30,000.
“Excitement will start to mount as Carnival Week starts getting closer – the Swanage Carnival app, sponsored by Purbeck Ice Cream, has just gone live and is ready for people to download.
“Swanage carnival has become one of the biggest events on the South coast, run entirely by volunteers with no paid staff – but we all love what we do so much!”
Waiting for an opportunity to get behind the wheel of this eyecatching Jaguar E-Type
Sorry, pal, you’ll just have to stay in the passenger seat this time…
Secretary of Swanage Carnival, Kevin Langdon said:
“The Classic Car Motor Show is a wonderful fund raising event, and also a great opportunity to let everyone know about the carnival that’s taking place this year over eight days from Saturday 26th July to Saturday 2nd August 2025.
“We choose a different theme for the carnival every year and this time it is Cirque Du Swanage, with some incredible circus acts, street performers and live music to add to the usual fun-packed events – there are 108 of those organised for 2025!
“We were delighted to get the world famous Red Arrows for the opening day, which is a fantastic attraction for our carnival and a major boost for the town.
“The sponsorship for the airshow has come from a couple who have been holidaying in Swanage for over 50 years, with family living here, and who have always said that if we ever got the Red Arrows to come along, they would pay for it.”
Swanage Carnival staff with Ian Higham, who took third place in the public vote for best car in show
Ian Higham with his Vauxhall Cresta, voted third best in the show
“They told us that they were grateful for decades of wonderful memories and wanted to give something back to the place that means so much to them – a celebration of Swanage Carnival and the wonderful community that makes it happen year after year.
“They wanted to remain anonymous, but we wanted to let people know about their generous gesture.
“When we heard that we had been successful in persuading the Red Arrows to come to Swanage, after the Bournemouth Air Show fell through, we didn’t quite know what the family would say, but they were just like, send us the invoice!
“It will be a true honour to have the Red Arrows along on the first day of the carnival, along with another air display in the afternoon, as well as the fire engine pull, a steamship circus up on the field, the Black Eagles acrobats, fireworks in the evening and the big procession the next day – Swanage will be heaving for the weekend!”
This little Italian job proved you don’t need to be big nor flashy to be a classic car
A Ford Twin Beam 100 from the Desert Nutz Garage in Arizona
As with so many of the classic cars, everything was in perfect shape under the bonnet
An MGB GT, built in 1971 and converted into a pickup truck in 1974, a one of a kind registered with the DVLA
Turning a few heads at the show was this Chrysler Plymouth, as used during World War Two to transport movie stars to front line shows
Many cars transported crowds back to mid 20th century – anyone for tennis?
Among a section of working vans was this Austin now used by a business repairing brass instruments
Herston Village Hall was among several groups fundraising for their own charities
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Residents, who were judged to have excelled in their contribution to the town in 2024, have been presented with a community award at a ceremony in Swanage, Dorset.
There were 40 nominations for the awards organised by Swanage Town Council, with 10 awards presented including three lifetime achievement awards and a special Heart and Soul award.
The event took place on Monday 17th March 2025 at The Centre in Chapel Lane, as part of the annual parish assembly.
Addressing all those attending the awards ceremony, Swanage town mayor Tina Foster said:
“The town council would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all the town’s volunteers and local businesses for their dedication, energy and enthusiasm.
“They are the heart of our community, playing a vital role in supporting our towns and villages, especially at a time when public service funding is limited. Their efforts truly make a positive difference, benefitting everyone.
“The council also extends a sincere thank you to the town’s emergency service workers for their tireless commitment and the invaluable service they provide to keep our community safe.
“Thank you all for joining us this evening, let’s continue to support one another and take pride in our wonderful town!”
Harry Peake (left) receives his award from deputy town mayor Chris Moreton (right)
Harry Peake, the drama and performing arts teacher at The Swanage School and founder of the Peake Performance Academy was nominated for his unwavering commitment to the performing arts, leaving a lasting impact on both The Swanage School and the wider community.
He was particularly praised for The Swanage School’s annual productions at The Mowlem, introducing countless children and families to the magic of theatre and the performing arts, attracting audiences from far and wide.
“More than just a teacher; they are a beacon of inspiration. They have transformed the lives of many students, sparking a love for creativity, teamwork, and self-expression, with some who have gone in to pursue studies in the performing arts.”
Stuart Norman (left), who runs IT repair shop Melody receives his award from Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (right)
Stuart Norman, who runs IT repair shop Melody in Station Road, was nominated for engaging with customers and visitors, patiently providing support, assistance and advice, and all with a smile on his face.
“Excellent service, helpful polite man, great value. Highly recommend!”
“Great service and response. This person has helped me many times with repairs to my phone and laptop when everyone else said they could not be fixed. Thank you.”
Joanna Nowosad (left) and Agnieszka Olszewska (middle) from the Old Stables receive their award from Swanage and Purbeck Rotary president Maggie Hardy (right)
Sisters Joanna Nowosad and Agnieszka Olszewska received a ‘special mention’ at last year’s 2023 awards ceremony as a newly established business and have now received a further accolade for their work at the Old Stables, an independent business in the Heart of Swanage.
More than a deli, the shop serves a wide selection of cooked meats, cheeses, fruit, vegetables and specialty foods, as well as offering a cafe, serving homemade food, cakes and drinks.
“A hidden gem, not to be missed! Always has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, is well-stocked, and consistently provides excellent customer service.”
“An eco-friendly shop, accommodating individuals’ needs and also serving homemade food. Highly recommend for a different and tasty lunch.”
Student Pierre Martel (left) receives his award from deputy town mayor Chris Moreton (right)
Pierre Martel has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication to his community, bringing numerous youth projects to life. At the age of 14 at The Swanage School, he was asked to project manage the Formula 24 team, and in under five months he had led a team of teachers and students to transform a metal chassis into a fully functional race car, successfully racing at Goodwood.
When he was 16, he introduced the project to Lytchett Minster School, fundraising £5,000 to purchase the kit, build, and race the car at Castle Combe.
He was also a Purbeck Coast volunteer radio presenter, presenting a youth show until the station closed in 2024. He then went on to establish a youth group as part of the new community radio station Purbeck Sounds and is now working with The Swanage School to run an in-school radio club.
He also dedicates time to look after his elderly aunt, as well as helping an elderly neighbour.
“This extraordinary young person has shown us all what it means to lead with kindness, perseverance and a heart for service. Their passion has not only brought meaningful projects to life but has also inspired those around him to aim higher, work harder and support one another.”
Mo Andrews (left) and David Collacott (right) receive their award from Swanage and Purbeck Rotary president Maggie Hardy (middle)
Mo Andrews and David Collacott have both played a vital role in raising awareness about dementia and helped to make Purbeck a truly dementia friendly community.
They work tirelessly to raise funds for Dementia Friendly Purbeck, as well as helping to organise the Dementia Café fortnightly at The Mowlem and the Singing for Pleasure Group every Thursday at the Emmanuel Baptist church.
“These wonderful people have devoted themselves to raising awareness about dementia and organising supportive spaces where those affected by the condition, along with their families and carers, can find comfort, connection and joy.”
Ross Wayne (left) receives his award from Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (right)
A leading figure in establishing the hugely successful park run at Durlston Country Park, Ross Wayne has shown unwavering commitment, promoting fitness, friendship and inclusivity. The event welcomes hundreds of participants each week and celebrates its third birthday on Wednesday 19th March 2025.
He also plays a key role in a local running club, offering free coaching, as well as serving the local community in his professional role as a pharmacist.
“His efforts have not only benefitted local residents but have also brought visitors into town, supporting the local economy and boosting the hospitality sector. His work has made a real difference, not only in keeping people active but also in enhancing mental wellbeing, forming friendships and quite possibly, saving lives.”
David Pike (left) receives his award from deputy town mayor Chris Moreton (right)
A dedicated volunteer for many years for Swanage and Purbeck Rotary, David Pike has also spent more than 15 years as an integral part of local drama and musical theatre productions, assisting backstage and managing stage operations.
A steadfast supporter of community events, offering his skills and advice to local venues, and whether its organising annual fetes or playing a pivotal role in festive markets, he has made a tangible difference.
“This is not just someone who volunteers their time – it is someone who embodies the true spirit of community service. Their hard work, kindness and selflessness inspires us all.”
Sharon Doherty receives her father Eric Hudson’s award on his behalf while he was away on holiday, from Swanage and Purbeck Rotary president Maggie Hardy (right)
Eric Hudson (right) with coastguard collegues Steve Westwood (left) and station officer Ian Brown (middle)
Eric Hudson’s dedication to serving the community first began as a volunteer with the RNLI lifeboat crew and then as a retained firefighter for 10 years, responding to some of the most significant incidents in the town. For the past 23 years he has been a vital member of the Swanage Coastguard team.
He has also played an active role in community events, in particular Swanage Carnival.
“His resilience, sense of humour and deep local knowledge has made them a beloved figure, not just among colleagues but throughout the entire community.”
Neil Hardy (left) wasn’t able to attend the event but with his wife Maggie (right), they posed for a picture later
Husband and wife, Neil and Maggie Hardy were jointly nominated for a lifetime achievement award.
Neil Hardy has given his time and energy to Swanage RNLI and to the Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Club. For more than 30 years he has helped save lives at sea, serving as the lifeboat operations manager, braving challenging conditions, responding to emergencies and supporting the vital work of the lifeboat crew.
“Whether organising charitable events, fundraising for important causes, or simply being a steadfast presence in times of need he embodies the very spirit of generosity.”
Maggie Hardy has played a pivotal role in numerous organisations, striving to improve the lives of those around her. She has worked relentlessly to support and expand access to life saving defibrillators, fundraise for Swanage and Purbeck Rotary, and dedicate her working life to local healthcare.
She served as manager of Swanage Hospital from 1992, then as the locality commissioning manager at the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and is currently the chair of the Friends of Wareham Community Hospital.
“Her advocacy and support for essential services has strengthened the community in ways that will be felt for years to come.”
Mel Norris (centre) receives the Heart and Soul Award on behalf of him and his wife Gerry from deputy town mayor Chris Moreton (left) and Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (right)
Mel and Gerry Norris in 2021 supporting the Trevor Chadwick Trust
Awarded to Mel Norris and posthumously to his wife Gerry, who sadly passed away in January 2025. Together they have shown exceptional dedication and tireless commitment to the Swanage community, with a number of campaigns to save local services.
In 2008, when the Swanage Community Hospital closed its minor injuries unit during the night, they joined the ‘Open all Hours’ campaign to secure the Swanage Ambulance car and six specialist staff to provide overnight emergency care.
In 2011 they achieved the reopening of the James Day Care Home in Swanage and in 2012 successfully campaigned for a new modern Swanage Recycling Centre. By 2013 they had fought for and won a new NHS dental service after the town’s only NHS dentist stopped accepting NHS patients.
One of the most significant achievements was in 2014 when they saved Swanage Community Hospital from closure. Their fight continued between 2016 and 2020 as they campaigned to save Pool A and E and maternity services.
Although that was not to be, their efforts delayed closures and even helped save Dorset County Hospital’s maternity and paediatric services in 2017.
Most recently from 2020 to 2022 they played a key role in successfully saving the Swanage Ambulance Car from being scrapped.
“Gerry was a great asset to the Friends of Swanage Hospital committee. She fought tirelessly to improve access to services and facilities, always putting the community first.”
“They are the embodiment of community spirit, showing us that persistence, compassion and unity can move mountains. Their legacy is one of lives saved, services preserved and a town made stronger through their unwavering commitment.”
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Successfully running for the last two years, The Purbeck Business Awards in Dorset, has attracted so many entries from Swanage businesses, that the town is to get its own awards for 2025.
First launched in September 2022, the awards for Purbeck covering Swanage and Wareham, have focused on giving a boost to grassroot businesses, especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
Winners of the Purbeck Business Awards in 2024 included artist Andy Knill, Swanage Railway, Jurassic Care, and Corbens Estate Agents
Now the organiser Nigel Reeve from Marketing West SW has decided to recognise each town by creating separate business awards for Swanage and Wareham.
Entries that have already been submitted for the Purbeck awards scheme will automatically be considered for either the Swanage or Wareham awards.
It remains free to enter, with a deadline for entries to the Swanage Business Awards now extended to Friday 29th August 2025. The awards ceremony will be at lunchtime on Thursday 9th October 2025 at The Mowlem in Swanage.
Entries for the Wareham awards close on Friday 13th June 2025.
The first Purbeck Business Awards in 2023 celebrated winners including Swanage outdoor adventure companies, Land and Wave and Cumulus, Purbeck House Hotel and Dorset Adventure Park
“We have had two very successful years with the Purbeck Business Awards, however both Swanage and Wareham have strong local business communities and we wanted to recognise this.
“The aim of the awards is to promote the range and quality of local business, which we believe are the backbone of the local economy.
“Separating the two areas became the obvious thing to do. Taking Swanage as an example, it’s a vibrant area with thriving local businesses and we really wanted to highlight that.
“Entries for the Swanage awards alone are already above the final total for both areas last year which shows the strength of the local traders.
“We’ve extended the deadline for Swanage entries, so there’s plenty of time to apply. It’s free and it’s good fun, so it would be great to get more local people nominating Swanage businesses which they believe should get greater recognition!”
The target is to get 100 plus Swanage entries, with more than 60 attending the lunchtime awards ceremony at The Mowlem in autumn 2025.
To promote the Swanage awards further, Marketing West SW has just released an awards video with details on how to enter or be involved as a sponsor.
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
The annual Swanage Community Awards have been launched for 2025 and local residents are being urged to put forward the names of those who they think are the most deserving of an award.
The aim of the town council awards is to give public recognition by way of an award to individuals or groups who have contributed significantly to the quality of life of the community.
There are eight categories for 2025 plus a special award may be awarded by the panel to an individual or group for an outstanding achievement, or service provided to the community, during the year.
Members of the Swanage Town Band picked up the Community Award in 2024 for the joy they bring to the town with their live concerts
Any member of the public who is a registered elector in Swanage may submit one or more nominations to Swanage Town Council.
Nominations are now open and must be submitted no later than 12 noon on Thursday 6th March 2025.
Selecting the winners will be the awards panel consisting of the Swanage town mayor, Swanage deputy mayor, an officer of the town council, rector of Swanage, and president of Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Club.
Guests gathered at The Centre in Chapel Lane for the award ceremony in 2024
“Our town is full of wonderful people who volunteer or work hard for our community. I’d like to encourage everyone to have a think about who most deserves an award and then fill out the form and nominate them.
“It would be especially welcome to see lots of our fabulous young people get nominated, so teachers and parents, please don’t hesitate to put forward the names of anyone under 25 years in the youth category, who you think deserves an award for what they do within our community.
“We really want to recognise a wide range of well deserving people across our thriving community, so please spread the news. Swanage may be a small town but it’s got a huge heart!”
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A fire that started accidentally in a fat fryer has left the inside of Dino’s Takeaway in Swanage
Poole and Westbourne were called to the scene at 3.24 pm on Thursday 6th March 2025
Firefighters from four Dorset fire stations tackled the blaze
which is in The Square just off the High Street opposite the town’s two main fish and chip shops.
The police had to temporarily close the High Street while the firefighters tackled the blaze.
A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said:
Four firefighters with breathing apparatus used two hose reel jets and one safety line to extinguish the fire.
“The fire started accidentally in a fat fryer within the ground floor kitchen of the commercial premises
“Our stop was at 6.11pm and we scaled back to two crews around that time and left the scene by 7.45 pm
although a crew from Swanage did a reinspection at 10 pm.”
The High Street was closed off during the incident
independently owned takeaway in Swanage and the fire is devastating to the owners.
A community fundraising appeal has been set up to help them through the immediate aftermath.
Dino’s will be closed for the foreseeable future due to the extensive damage
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Following damage to a Victorian railway bridge at Stoborough in Dorset, trains have been unable to travel from the mainline at Wareham through to Swanage, but now work is due to start to restore the transport link.
While Swanage Railway’s heritage trains have been able to continue to shuttle between Norden and Swanage, the damage to the bridge by an oversized lorry in August 2024, has meant special event passenger trains from London have been unable to bring daytrippers to Swanage.
Specialist contractors will be repairing the bridge
The work to repair the brick and iron bridge over Grange Road, between Stoborough Heath and Creech Bottom, is due to start on Monday 7th April 2025.
The repairs, expected to cost £90,000, will require part of Grange Road to be closed for five days in order for the structure of the bridge to be fixed.
The road closure applies to a short 130 metre section of Grange Road linking Stoborough with Creech.
A diversion for traffic heading south will be indicated by signs via the Stoborough end of Wareham bypass, Corfe Castle, Church Knowle and Steeple.
Signed diversions for traffic heading north will be via Steeple, Church Knowle, Corfe Castle and the Stoborough end of the Wareham bypass.
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Gavin Johns at the Grange Road bridge
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Gavin Johns said:
“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to road users and thank them for their patience which is very much appreciated while we carry out the repairs to the Grange Road bridge.
“The bridge repair work has been scheduled so the week-long road closure takes place during the second week of April – and not during the Easter period at the end of April – to minimise any inconvenience.
“Arranging and scheduling the repairs to the Grange Road bridge has been detailed and protracted because of the need to liaise with insurance companies, bridge experts and contractors after the bridge was struck by a vehicle in August 2024.”
The route is used by visiting locos that travel down from the main line to Swanage, like this 1940s steam locomotive No. 34067 Tangmere
It is expected the repair work will be complete by the end of April 2025, enabling Swanage Railway engineering trains, special event trains – and trains running on to the Swanage Railway from the main line at Worgret Junction – to again cross the bridge after eight months of closure.
Further work to clean and paint the metal girders and hand rails of the Grange Road bridge is planned for autumn 2025, which will require the road to be closed again.
The historic Grange Road bridge was built in 1884 and carried its first passenger train with the opening of the branch line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage in May 1885.
The Swanage branch line was closed in 1972, with much of the track lifted for scrap. Volunteers started to rebuild the railway at a derelict Swanage station in 1976.
By 2009 the branch line was reconnected to the mainline at Worgret Junction and although plans to provide a regular passenger service between Swanage and Wareham have stalled, the repair work will enable special event trains to visit Swanage again.
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Unsung heroes who helped Swanage and Purbeck Rotary raise more than £33,000 for charity in 2024 were recognised at an emotional evening of celebration.
The event was held at The Swanage School on Wednesday 5th March 2025 with invited guests from Swanage and Purbeck businesses, clubs and organisations, alongside guest of honour Swanage town mayor Tina Foster.
Outgoing Rotary President Maggie Hardy, pictured with David Pike, paid a moving tribute to long serving member Sue Whitton who died recently
Short video presentations were screened to demonstrate the breadth of Swanage Rotary’s community, international and youth projects which have all been boosted over the last year by their fundraising.
Highlights of the evening included an award of £1,500 to the Swanage Skate Park, bringing the amount raised to almost halfway towards their target of £200,000, and one of £1,700 for Purbeck Youth Music to allow local children to attend a Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concert.
Jacob and Reuben, students from The Swanage School, gave a presentation on the school’s robotics project which was supported by sponsorship from Swanage Rotary’s youth committee
But the most moving part of the event was a heartfelt tribute paid to long serving Rotarian Sue Whitton, who recently died after more than four decades of fundraising and charity work in Swanage.
Sue Whitton (right) in the tea tent at the Rotary summer fete in 2023, with fellow Rotarian Mary Pike (left)
Swanage and Purbeck Rotary president Maggie Hardy said:
“Service Above Self is our Rotary motto and it seems very appropriate to celebrate a Rotary life well lived this evening whilst also acknowledging the tremendous role our friend Sue Whitton has played in this community since she came to live in Swanage in 1977.
“Sue and her Rotary friend Mary Pike have, amongst other things, run a Christmas pop up shop raising over £25,000 in the last five years for international charities, selling their delicious cakes, puddings and Christmas goodies.
“It now seems appropriate to discontinue the shop in this format, as the pair of them were the shop!
“Sue was a very special lady who was actively working for Rotary right up until the end and will be greatly missed by so many people particularly here within Swanage and Purbeck Rotary where we are very proud that she was one of us.”
Mo Andrews and Maggie Hardy present a £1,500 cheque to Heidi Florence of Swanage Skate Park
“Our club has had a successful year raising a lot of money for Rotary projects both in our local community and internationally, increasing our membership, enjoying fun and fellowship and hearing from many interesting speakers.
“During the last Rotary financial year we have donated more than £33,000 to 25 organisations and projects both locally and internationally.
“None of what we do could be achieved without the help of many of you in the local community either in person or through your businesses, so once again a very big thank you to you all.”
International project leader Ali Arnold told the audience about Rotary’s overseas projects
Students Jacob and Reuben of The Swanage School, told the meeting of the robotics project Rotary has helped to fund
Rotary’s youth project leader Susan Treadwell gave an update on the major youth project this year – the donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste to all children at St Mark’s School and the pre-school to help promote good dental health.
And international project leader Ali Arnold described the wide range of overseas projects funded, including Smile Train, Mercy Ships, Shelterbox, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Rotary’s Christmas Shoebox initiative.
A regular highlight of the annual evening is the presentation of the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowships, the gold medal of Rotary, to some of the many individuals who go above and beyond in the local community.
For 2025 the first to receive a Paul Harris Fellowship was Deirdre Mersey from the Swanage Community Defibrillator Partnership for her tireless work for the charity, coordinating the guardians who look after the 48 defibrillators that are installed throughout Swanage and the surrounding area.
Deirdre Mersey (centre) from Swanage Community Defibrillator Partnership received a Paul Harris Fellowship
Helen Hardy was surprised by an award for the huge amount of help she has given to the club
Rotarians Sarah Randall, a volunteer at Swanage library, and David Pike, who has been a supporter of both Swanage Rotary and the wider Rotary district for many years, were also honoured.
And another Paul Harris Fellowship award was made to Helen Hardy for her tireless efforts behind the scenes helping team leaders with the extensive organisation and administration required for the very successful summer and Christmas community events.
To conclude the evening incoming president Bart Libicki outlined some of his plans for the future and said it was a huge honour for him to become president of such a thriving and welcoming club.
Bart presented every woman present at the event with a bunch of daffodils tied with a blue ribbon to denote Rotary colours in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Incoming Rotary president Bart Libicki said it was a huge honour for him to lead such a welcoming club
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With the start of the Easter school holidays, visitor attractions in Swanage and across Purbeck have been busy planning egg-citing activities to entice more families to pay them a visit.
The Easter egg hunt in its various forms has become a popular tradition, especially for children who understandably enjoy receiving an Easter egg prize.
National Trust Easter eggs at Corfe Castle
There’s a great choice of places to visit to take part in an egg hunt or trail, with dairy-free eggs available alongside chocolate eggs at many of the venues.
For big kids there’s always the option to visit Swanage’s independent chocolatier Chococo in Commercial Road in the heart of Swanage. It has a wide range of chocolate options including a dinosaur egg, that’s most appropriately consumed on the Jurassic Coast!
If you don’t win one, buy one of Swanage’s luxury eggs at Chococo!
Help the Easter bunny hunt for eggs on a fun filled family trip on Swanage Railway. Collect a form along with tickets at a booking office and then spot the missing eggs from the carriage window during the train trip. Hand the form in at Swanage or Norden station to claim a free prize. Price free (normal train ticket price applies).
Starting at the pier gatehouse, find the Easter bunny and her friends on Swanage Pier, discover the Easter saying and answer the quiz. Hand in the answers at the pier gift shop to be rewarded with a prize and entered into the draw to win an Easter hamper. Price £2.00 per trail (normal adult pier entry applies).
Look out for the Easter bunny at Swanage Pier
Follow the trail to explore the woodland and find each of the fairy doors along the way to win a prize. Collect a booklet from the Durlston Castle reception. Price £3.50 per pack.
Durlston Country Park visitor services ranger Shannon Dugdale said:
“It is such a great time to visit the park, and with such a variety of events and some wonderful wildlife we are looking forward to welcoming everyone here.”
“While you are here, enjoy the fantastic views, stroll the cliff tops to watch the breeding seabirds and the meadows for cowslips and orchids. With so much going on, Durlston is the place to be this Easter break!”
Find the fairy doors at Durlston Country Park
National Trust nature-themed Easter trail and egg hunt. Starting at Knoll Beach, explore the beach, dunes and woodland of Studland to find nature inspired activities for the whole family including games, crafts and puzzles. Complete the trail to earn a dairy, Free from or vegan Easter egg. Price £3.50 per trail.
Hunt among the dunes and the beach at Studland
National Trust fun-filled day of spring-themed games and activities as you explore the ruins of Corfe Castle. Get involved with some garden games, test your aim with a spot of archery, challenge your friends and family to a traditional egg and spoon race, plus much more. Price £3.50 per trail (normal admissions apply).
The Easter eggs have arrived at Corfe Castle!
Blue Pool’s very first Easter hunt. Kids can follow the clues to find the giant eggs, unscramble the letters they see, and collect a special prize. Price £10 (Up to 15 years admission included), £5.25 (Under 5’s and members, free admission).
Blue Pool takes the plunge with its first Easter hunt
National Trust interactive trail where you can dive into various activities and discover the amazing lives of birds. From wearing an Instagram-worthy giant bird head and measuring your wingspan to feeding the hungry caterpillar and joining in a fun bug and spoon race, there is something for the whole family to enjoy. Price £3.50 per trail (normal admissions apply).
Visit Brownsea Island for an Easter egg trail and other activities
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A new early morning yoga class is to be introduced on Swanage Beach in Dorset – and it will be free to try for the first month.
Sessions on the sand will begin on Tuesday 1st April 2025 led by Mark Anderson, whose life has been transformed in the last three years after he took up yoga himself.
Mark Anderson, who will turn 60 in 2025, has seen his life transformed by yoga since retiring three years ago
Following 35 years of desk jobs as an engineer and finance director, Mark found that the weight had piled on and that his middle aged mantra had become back problems, shoulder problems, and neck problems.
A daily dose of yoga and a new weight loss regime helped to turn his life around to the point that he wanted to study yoga and joined a teacher training course on an overseas retreat in France.
As a fully qualified teacher newly arrived in Swanage, Mark has decided to put his skills to good use, to offer Purbeck residents a new outdoor pursuit and hopefully to persuade middle aged men of the health benefits of yoga.
Since mentioning his idea of morning yoga workouts on the beach, around 50 locals have already signed up – but the vast majority are women and Mark is hoping that more men will take the plunge.
Mark has been practising his yoga daily on the beach outside Swanage Information Centre
“I know yoga doesn’t have a very masculine image, but if men knew what yoga could do for them, then more might see through the misleading image of lycra and contortion to realise what it can really achieve for them.
“Men are generally strong at the front but tight, and the back line of our bodies are very weak. Yoga is about balancing the body, so we can strengthen the back, and open up to become more flexible and mobile.
“If middle aged men don’t find a way to stay mobile for the next 30 years, then they will end up hunched over at 80 rather than like my mum who is sprightly and can still do handstands at 85!
“What I teach is based on mindful mobility, there are no gongs, lycra or music, it’s based around strength, balance, coordination and flexibility and during the practice we will work on those four things.”
Yoga classes will end with a mini mindfulness session
“I wasn’t in great shape about three years ago, my health was pretty poor and I suffered from all the usual middle aged man problems.
“I thought I needed to sort myself out if I was going to have another 40 years here and yoga, pilates and tai chi was my way to getting myself into the best shape I’ve ever been in.
“Doing an hour of yoga every day has helped me find a level of mobility I didn’t even know existed. It translates into everyday life, all my sports feel more poised and coordinated than before, I feel balanced and stronger, and it has upped my sporting prowess.
“My knee pain has disappeared – I used to crack and creak, but now it’s like someone has oiled all my joints – is it all yoga? Well, it’s the only thing that’s changed other than me dropping some weight, and I believe it’s probably a combination of the two.”
There’s no better place to start your day than on Swanage Beach!
Around 300 million people around the world do yoga regularly, for lots of different reasons – some are cardio based, some are about pose and alignment, or relaxation, meditation and mindfulness.
Mark’s aim is to lead 45 minute classes starting at 8 am daily with a mixed tai chi and yoga warm up, some classic yoga flow work, a balance workshop and a mini meditation session to close.
Classes will be delivered standing up, so there is no need for a yoga mat – or lycra! – just sandals, trainers or beach shoes to protect against beach debris, leisure clothing that allows students to move and stay warm, sunglasses for bright days and some water.
Sessions will be free for the first month – although there are limited spaces as Mark is keeping classes small – and after that they will be ‘the price of an expensive cappuccino’.
Swanage’s sea swimming community has been quick to sign up for early morning yoga sessions
“It’s not commercial for me, it’s giving local residents something else to do in Swanage first thing in the morning and no one else offers a class first thing in the morning to set people up for the day and get a dose of early sunlight which is so important for all sorts of reasons.
“I don’t want to be competitive, there are lots of other more experienced yoga and pilates teachers than me in Swanage and I would love for this to be a way to encourage people to access those existing classes.
“The beach is one of those wonderful places where the ground, the air and the sea all meet, a unique point in the world where you have amazing views, pure light, the soundtrack of the waves and grounding on the sand, all the things that yoga likes.
“And we are fortunate to enjoy such a beautiful, east facing bay in Swanage, the classical direction to practise yoga and a great place to wake up with the rising sun!”
The new Swanage Bay Sauna run by Tracey Waters (right) has seen an increased interest in wellbeing on the beach
Swanage Town Council visitor services and business development manager Culvin Milmer said:
“Yoga on the beach is a lovely facility to have in Swanage and fits in nicely with the wellbeing culture we are encouraging along the seafront for people who appreciate the outdoors and personal fitness.
“We have already seen the sauna prove very popular, along with a huge increase in the number of people using the seafront for a morning swim.
“Also, the pedestrianisation of Shore Road has made these ways of using the beach much more interesting to residents and visitors.
“Yoga sessions will take place when there are not too many visitors around, which is a key point, and Mark has successfully applied for a sports licence – although perhaps in future we should refer to them as sports and wellbeing licences!”
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Following a major incident at the Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage, Dorset, which left it closed for more than two months, some residents have returned to the home.
Agincare, the company which owns the care home says that all the agencies involved including Dorset Council and the Care Quality Commission have agreed that it is safe to reopen the home which closed in October 2024.
Emergency services including the police, ambulance and fire service, all responded to the incident at the Swanage care home in October 2024
About 40 residents were moved out of the care home at the time. It’s understood that about 16 residents have returned since Monday 6th January 2025.
Sadly, at least one resident has since died after being transferred to another care home and others have not moved back in.
After the temporary closure of the care home, staff were mainly redeployed to other care homes, but most are now returning, having also experienced a difficult and uncertain time.
The lights are now back on at Gainsborough Care Home in Ulwell Road
It all started when emergency services were called to the care home in Ulwell Road on Wednesday 23rd October 2024, after two men aged 74 and 91 and an 86 year old woman were found to have died overnight.
At the time, there was no immediate, obvious cause of death of the three residents, so the care home was evacuated and the residents moved to the nearby hall at All Saints Church. During the day, the residents were transported to other care homes, some many hours away from their families.
At a news conference that afternoon, Dorset Police said the deaths were being treated as unexplained and that possible carbon monoxide poisoning was the primary line of enquiry.
The cause or causes of death of the three residents has still not been established. Dorset Police say they are awaiting results from detailed forensic submissions and analysis to assist them in establishing the causes of the deaths, which may take several months. This means that the Dorset Coroner has yet to open an inquest into the deaths.
The care home is an important part of the community in Swanage
“All agencies involved, including Dorset Council, the Care Quality Commission, and Public and Environmental Health Services, have agreed that residents can safely return to Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage, following the conclusion of health, safety and environmental checks.
“We continue to communicate and work closely with residents and their families, and the return of residents will be carefully managed, with their welfare being a priority.
“The home has been a core part of Swanage for many years and we would like to thank everyone for their valuable support during this difficult time. Our thoughts remain with all residents, families and team members affected.
“We are still unable to give any more information on the cause of deaths and the major incident of the 23rd of October until the police and coroner investigations are completed.
“They advise that this could take several more months. We request privacy and understanding for those returning to the home at what remains a sensitive time.”
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The news everyone wants to hear – The Red Arrows will be returning to the town and putting on a spectacular air display at the start of Swanage Carnival week 2025!
Over the years, the RAF aerobatic team the Red Arrows have entertained the carnival crowds, performing breathtaking manoeuvres over Swanage Bay, but they haven’t visited the town since 2017.
After an eight year absence, look who’s returning to Swanage for 2025!
Now, with no Bournemouth Air Show planned for the foreseeable future, the carnival committee jumped at the chance to extend an invite to the Red Arrows to return to Swanage in Dorset.
Swanage Carnival takes place over eight days from Saturday 26th July to Saturday 2nd August 2025, with the Red Arrows opening the show on the first Saturday.
Red Arrows will be performing in Swanage on Saturday 26th July 2025
The last time that Red Arrows performed in Swanage was in 2017
Secretary of Swanage Carnival Kevin Langdon said
“This is a fantastic attraction for our carnival and a major boost for the town. The Red Arrows are world renowned for their precision and skill and having them as part of our event is a true honour.
“We can’t wait for everyone to experience the magic of their display against the stunning backdrop of Swanage.
“The air show is scheduled for the opening day, so make sure to mark your calendars and find the perfect spot to enjoy this unforgettable spectacle.
“Whether you’re a local or a visitor, the Swanage Carnival promises an event like no other, with the Red Arrows stealing the show, high above the beautiful Dorset coastline!”
Good vantage points to watch the air display include Ballard Down
Every year, the carnival has a theme and this year it is Cirque Du Swanage, promising a fun-filled circus extravaganza, featuring incredible circus acts, street performers, live music, family-friendly entertainment and now, the world-famous Red Arrows.
The carnival is run entirely by volunteers with no paid staff and is funded mainly by sponsorship and donations.
Once all the costs are covered, any additional money raised is distributed to local charities and good causes. In 2024, a record-breaking £30,900 was given away.
The eight day carnival – one of the biggest events on the South Coast – also contributes to the local economy by bringing visitors from far and wide to the town.
With the added attraction of the Red Arrows, it is all set to be a bumper week for Swanage’s cafes, restaurants, hotels, B and Bs and campsites.
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The life of Swanage resident Sue Whitton and her amazing contribution to the local community as a nurse, volunteer, and prolific cake maker, is to be celebrated, after her sad and sudden death at the age of 82.
All those who knew Sue, or Sister Sue as she was often referred to, are being invited by her family to a celebration of her life from 12 noon for 12.30 pm on Monday 10th March 2025 at the Springfield Country Hotel in Stoborough, Dorset.
Sue Whitton was born in Devizes, Wiltshire in 1943 and died at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester on Saturday 15th February 2025
While Sue was widely known in recent times for providing the most impressive refreshments at Swanage and Purbeck Rotary events like the summer fair, she will be remembered by many for her life long work as a senior nurse at Swanage Hospital.
She was especially valued for her role working in Swanage Hospital’s minor injuries unit, providing care and compassion for many hundreds, if not thousands of people including lots of grateful parents after their child’s latest calamity. When she retired in 2007, she was so synonymous with the minor injuries unit that it was named after her!
Sue moved to Swanage in 1977 with her husband Dave and their three young sons Jerry, Steve and Paul. Dave had been offered a job as a physiotherapist in Swanage, while Sue, a qualified nurse, started working as a staff nurse on nights at Swanage Hospital.
A young Sue (second from left) with collegues at Swanage Hospital
Sue and Dave had met while Sue was training to be a nurse at the Bath Eye Hospital in Somerset. Dave had been a physical training instructor in the army and then became a remedial gymnast, helping people to rehabilitate after injury.
He went to Canada to work where he made artificial limbs but missed Sue so much that he asked her to marry him, coming home for their wedding in 1964 which Sue had arranged.
They went back to Canada together, and this was where Jerry was born in 1966. However they soon returned to the UK with Steve born in 1967 and Paul in 1969.
Sister Sue (left) with Swanage Hospital manager Maggie Hardy (right)
In 1977 the family relocated from Trowbridge in Wiltshire to Swanage, living in Queen’s Road just a stone’s throw from the hospital.
Sue ‘s career progressed and she became one of the senior Sisters working across all areas of the hospital excelling in what was then named the casualty department. She would often deputise for the then Matron Dorothy Felton.
In the early 1990s there was a review of community hospitals in Dorset and Swanage Hospital was perceived to be under threat. The hospital team, including Sue, leapt to its defence, greatly increasing the number of services at the hospital and making significant improvements.
In 1995 it was the centenary of the hospital and an appeal was launched with Sue an active member of the fundraising committee.
There were other developments with the introduction of the pioneering out-of-hours telephone service for the Swanage Medical Practice, with Sue as the clinical lead. This received national and international acclaim with Sue travelling to Australia with colleague Elaine Taylor to promote the service at the Nurse Practitioner Conference.
After her retirement she continued her association with the hospital, as an active member of the Friends of Swanage Hospital, raising money by selling her famous homemade cakes, jams and pickles.
Sue (right) receiving a lifetime achievement award in January 2024 from Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (left)
Her work as a nurse was to be unexpectedly resumed during the Covid pandemic, when she volunteered to undertake vaccinations at Wareham Hospital in 2021. Sue was still vaccinating on her 80th birthday gaining much recognition as the oldest vaccinator and a much loved member of the team.
Sue joined Swanage and Purbeck Rotary in 2006, raising significant amounts of money for international causes like End Polio Now and the emergency relief charity Shelterbox. In 2010, she was awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship for her community work.
Other volunteering included providing catering for the Swanage Jazz Festival and the RNLI, as well as working in the RNLI shop. Sue also did the catering for the Queen’s Silver and Platinum Jubilee street party celebrations in Swanage, preparing with her team, hundreds of lunch boxes.
Sue was recognised in January 2024 by Swanage Town Council for her incredible lifetime achievements, receiving her award from Swanage town mayor Tina Foster.
Long time friend and collegue Maggie Hardy (left) with Sue (right) in 2023 at Swanage and Purbeck Rotary summer fair
President of Swanage and Purbeck Rotary, and former work colleague Maggie Hardy said:
“I first met Sue when she moved to Swanage with her family and I’m proud to say that we have been friends for 47 years!
“We became nursing colleagues at Swanage Hospital when we both held Sister posts at the hospital and from 1992 when I became the Swanage Hospital Manager, I relied on Sue to help me modernise the hospital, increase the range of services it provided and upgrade the Victorian hospital to modern day environmental standards.
“Sue was a great ‘ideas ‘ person and I’m delighted to say that with the hospital team we were able to achieve complete transformation in almost all areas of the hospital .
“Developing strong relationships was important to achieve this and Sue became affectionately known as ‘Mother’ to many of the staff for her caring, kind and supportive approach.
“Her no nonsense attitude and common sense and direct way of doing things was greatly valued with no one wishing or even daring to challenge her! Even the local GPs on occasions!
“As her manager, I did have that task on occasions which although difficult did I think actually increase mutual respect for each other.
“Sue continued to be a very active member of Rotary right until the end of her life and will be fondly remembered by all members for her immense energy, enthusiasm, Christmas cakes and puddings, kindness, hospitality and generosity.”
Sue (right) doyenne of the tea tent, with fellow Rotarian Mary Pike (left) and Beate Willey (background) at the Rotary summer fete in 2023
Another friend and colleague, Maxine Ford said:
“Having known Sue for more than 40 years since I moved to Swanage to work with Dave in the physiotherapy department at Swanage Hospital, she has been much more than a friend, she has been my family.
“Sue was the type of person who was there for all her friends, during the best times of their lives and also during the more challenging, always there with wisdom, support and love – and, when needed, with her wicked sense of humour!
“We’re all so proud of all Sue’s wonderful achievements, and so thankful that we shared so much fun, laughter and a few tears together along the way.
“Like many others, I adored Sue and am heartbroken to have lost such a wonderful friend. She has touched so many lives during her amazing 82 years, and I am incredibly privileged that one of them was mine. We are going to miss her so very much.”
Sue with husband Dave on the Rotary stall and an array of goodies at the Harman’s Cross fete in August 2023
While Sue was known as a great friend to many, she was also a mother, wife, grandmother and great-grandmother.
“What a truly remarkable and selfless person mum was, with a huge heart that had room for everyone. We are extremely proud of and so privileged that she was our mum. She gave so much love and was loved by so many.
“She was a second mum to many others. Our family home was always open to our friends and there are so many people who would consider mum as their second mum. Mum was a feeder and you never left the Whitton house hungry!
“Mum always had such a fantastic way with people regardless of the situation. This meant she built many strong, lifelong friendships and was such an important person to so many. She was someone you could always depend on regardless of the ask.
“She would want us all to now get on with things and live our best lives. She would say worry about things you can do something about and then get on with it and don’t worry about the things you cannot change.
“Dad and us and other close family were able to be with mum when she died, hold her hand and tell her how much she meant to us and how much she was loved by us all and to say thank you. We will always treasure those moments. She also told us off for whispering and was also concerned that someone was not at home to collect her online shopping delivery due that day!
“Although mum is no longer with us in person she will remain in our hearts for always. Our huge loss as a family is shared by so many others, along with the great privilege of having her as part of our lives.”
Sue (left) with Mary Pike (right) raising money for Ukraine with their refreshments during the Swanage Blues Festival in 2022
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Eleven weeks of traffic disruption on the main road in and out of Swanage in Dorset, is about to begin, with road works to replace corroding gas pipes expected to last until Easter 2025.
Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) is removing old metal pipes across the town and installing new durable plastic pipes, which the company says will ensure continued safe and reliable gas supplies for the future, however the work along the High Street is expected to cause the most inconvenience to drivers.
Barriers, closure signs and traffic lights have been brought in ahead of 11 weeks of roadworks
While the essential replacement work is being carried out, two and three way traffic lights will operate between the High Street junctions with Jubilee Road and Days Road, which may cause significant disruption at peak times.
Temporary lights, cones and barriers were delivered on Monday 17th February 2025 and are expected to be installed in the coming days.
Road traffic orders are in place until Friday 25th April 2025 as around 350 metres of gas main is being replaced.
The triangle junction of the High Street is also being closed for safety reasons, while a little closer to town there are also two other gas mains schemes involving road closures in Priests Road and Steer Road, which will continue into March 2025.
SGN has apologised for expected delays, but says it is carrying out crucial work to tackle the recent history of leaks, and to provide a permanent solution to end of life infrastructure causing emergency disruptive repairs in the area.
Short term pain for long term gain as Swanage braces for gas mains work at least until Easter
In autumn 2023, a ‘complex’ repair of the gas main in High Street between Harlees fish and chip shop and The Swanage School, led to traffic jams of up to half an hour at peak times, and continued for more than six weeks in the busy run-up to Christmas.
The excavations and repairs needed to be carried out at a deeper than normal depth, as gas was still being detected from Victorian cast iron pipes which were buried further down.
Fast forward 15 months, and the current works are intended to be a long term solution to regular gas escapes as the metal pipes have passed the point where it is viable to carry out permanent repairs.
Flashback to autumn 2023 when emergency gas mains repairs caused six weeks of significant delays
“Our essential programme of gas main replacement along the High Street in Swanage is crucial to address the history of leakage and provide a permanent solution to avoid further leakage and disruptive repairs.
“We are no longer able to provide permanent repairs to leaks on this section of gas main.
“Our engineers will be replacing 345 meters of gas main along the High Street between the junctions of Jubilee Road and Days Road, and because of its location in the road, we need to have temporary three and two-way traffic lights around our work area as we progress between these junctions.
“We will also be closing the High Street junction outside 353 to 349 High Street – the triangle junction of the High Street – for the location of mandatory welfare.”
Stacks of barriers have been brought into Swanage and are expected to be in place shortly
“We appreciate traffic lights on the High Street will be disruptive for road users and for the businesses on the High Street. We apologise for unavoidable delays, but our engineers are committed to completing this work as quickly and as safely as possible.
“Bus stops will be affected as we progress. We would advise passengers to contact their service provider for the latest updates and changes to bus stop locations.
“Bin collection days will remain unchanged unless you hear otherwise from your service provider.
“On-street parking restrictions will be in place as we progress, and local signage and cones will keep road users informed. Access to businesses and properties will be maintained.”
Priests Road is also undergoing gas mains replacement work in February and March 2025
SGN also has road closure orders for through traffic in place in Priests Road between its junction with the High Street and Gordon Road on Monday 17th February 2025, with work expected to be completed by Friday 7th March 2025.
There is also a road closure in Steer Road between the High Street and Wills Road, which started on Tuesday 11th February 2025 and which will be in force until Monday 17th March 2025.
Corroding metal pipes in Priests Road and across Swanage are to be replaced with durable plastic pipes in a major operation
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Both Swanage lifeboats went to the aid of a climber who had fallen a reported seven metres from a cliff onto rocks, just west of Anvil Point along the Purbeck coastline.
The St Albans coastguard also headed to the incident, which happened just after 2 pm on Sunday 27th April 2025.
The Swanage inshore lifeboat heads round to Anvil Point while the all weather lifeboat on the ramps, prepares to launch
The man from the Wareham area, had a suspected broken ankle but despite his painful injury had been able to wave to a passing boat to radio for assistance. His climbing partner also went back up the rock face to get help.
Both the inshore lifeboat (ILB) and the all weather lifeboat (ALB) were able to be on the scene within 10 minutes, while the coastguard team monitored the situation from above the cliff.
“The climber had fallen from around seven metres, when some gear failed, injuring his ankle. He had managed to climb back to a ledge to wait for help.
“His climbing partner had ascended the cliff to raise the alarm and the fallen climber had also waved for assistance to the passing vessel Three Wishes.
“Due to the location of the climber the best route of extraction was by water. The Helm, Fergus Holley, made a careful approach in gentle rolling swell so that the ILB was alongside the rocks.
“The casualty was able to move over the rocks to the water’s edge with minimal assistance from the crew to the waiting ILB and make a quick transfer onto the lifeboat.”
The man’s injuries are assessed by the lifeboat crew at the bottom of the cliff
The man was then transferred from the inshore lifeboat onto the all weather lifeboat and then taken back to the Swanage RNLI boat house, where an ambulance was waiting to take him by road to hospital.
Meanwhile St Albans coastguard gave the other climber a lift back to his car after an eventful Sunday afternoon.
“We hope the climber makes a good recovery.”
Friday’s launch to kayakers in difficulties, saw both lifeboats set off together
This was the second call out for Swanage RNLI in three days, after a group of six kayakers got into difficulty just off St Alban’s Head, near Worth Matravers.
Again, both lifeboats were launched, this time just after 11 am on Friday 25th April 2025 after receiving a broken 999 call from the kayakers.
At least one kayaker had capsized in the choppy sea on a strong ebb tide but by the time the lifeboats spotted the group, they had made it safely to the shoreline at Pier Bottom to the west of St Alban’s Head.
The crew from the inshore lifeboat went ashore to check the kayakers and found all six were fine, experienced and well-equipped.
As the group was happy to make their own way back to Swanage after a break and when the tide allowed, the lifeboats headed back to the Swanage RNLI boathouse.
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An impressive £150,000 makeover of the transport hub in the centre of Swanage in Dorset has finally arrived, making the concourse more accessible and safer for pedestrians.
Work on the Station Approach scheme, which has been years in the planning stages, started in January 2025 and now there’s only a few finishing touches still to be completed.
Dropped kerbs, tactile paving and a highlighted crossing point have improved pedestrian safety
The big changes include narrowing the exit from Station Approach to slow traffic and reduce the hazard of drivers turning off the roundabout into the no entrance area, a better defined pedestrian pathway across the entrance to the Co-op car park, and more accessible footpaths with tactile paving.
The area between Swanage station, Swanage Medical Practice and the Co-op had been developed in stages over time, resulting in a variety of footpath surfaces and dropped kerbs that did not align.
A report in 2022, by highway consultants WSP found a number of safety issues:
“Overall, the pedestrian experience within Station Approach is very poor. With a hodgepodge of surface finishes, undulations, maintenance patching, trench reinstatements, and kerbline inconsistencies.
“General footway widths and routes are also substandard. Creating an uneven surface with many different textures and shades of material, without direct line of sight to required destinations.”
Tactile paving helps the partially sighted at crossing points where kerbs have been lowered for wheelchair users
Councillor Mike Bonfield says the area is much more accessible now that the Blue Badge spaces have been improved
As the landowner it was down to Swanage Town Council to pay for the safety redesign, but it contracted the highways team at Dorset Council to undertake the work.
Swanage town councillor and chair of the community services committee Mike Bonfield said:
“This has been years in the making – I think we got the first reports in 2017 of how hazardous it was to try to get from Station Road to the Co-op if you were in a wheelchair or pushing a pram.
“We’ve worked hard to improve the safety for all pedestrians and those with disabilities, however we have been limited by what we could do. There’s only so much we could achieve in the space available but I feel we’ve done our best.
“It’s hard trying to please everyone, so I’d like to thank all the council staff and officers who worked hard to make it happen. I’d also like to thank the Co-op, as they really went out of their way to work with us, meaning we could minimise the disruption to pedestrians while the work was ongoing.”
Without moving the Blue Badge spaces on the right hand side, the pavenmnet couldn’t be widened on the left hand side to make more room round the bus shelters
Bus shelters are still tricky to navigate for pedestrians
The main problem which could not be fixed as part of the work was the obstruction of the bus shelters along the footpath in front of Swanage station.
While planners came up with various options, they would only work if the Blue Badge parking bays for the medical practice on the opposite side were moved, allowing more space for the pavement with the bus shelters to be widened.
However the medical practice chose not to engage in the plans for the Station Approach redevelopment so that couldn’t be achieved.
In the end, the Blue Badge parking bays were improved by removing the kerbs, which now make it easier for anyone with mobility or sight issues.
Work started at the beginning of January 2025 but mainly took place overnight
The materials for the new road surface get delivered
Swanage town councillor Cliff Sutton hopes residents and visitors will appreciate the improvements
Swanage town councillor and chair of the traffic management committee Cliff Sutton said:
“This area gets very busy in the summer with vehicles, buses and taxis, and the bus and train passengers arriving in the town, plus shoppers heading in the other direction towards the Co-op.
“The plan was to create an easier, more clearly defined pedestrian route and I think that’s been achieved to the best of our ability.
“I think the biggest improvement is the narrowing of Station Approach’s exit, which makes it easier to cross by reducing the width of the road and by slowing the traffic.
“There’s also the tactile paving and highlighted crossing areas which encourage people to cross at the defined areas with dropped kerbs. I’m also pleased with the dotted white line across the entrance to Station Approach which is aimed at slowing vehicles as they turn in.
“It’s all looking much smarter and a great improvement for what is the entrance to the town for many visitors!”
Before: Blue Badge users had to navigate a kerb
After: Blue Badge users will find that the road surface and pavement are level, with a bar to stop vehicles parking on the pavement
Before: Kerbs created trip hazards and vehicles were given priority
After: Pedestrians are given clear priority and it’s all on one level
Before: A ‘hodge podge’ of surfaces made the area unsightly and increased the trip hazard
After: The surface is now uniform and smooth, and the stop sign has been moved forward to make the no entry more visible for drivers
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An appeal to raise funds for a memorial to commemorate five schoolboys who lost their lives when a World War Two mine exploded on Swanage Beach, is close to reaching its target.
The hope is to unveil a plaque overlooking the beach on Tuesday 13th May 2025, 70 years to the day after the explosion which killed the students of Forres School, off Northbrook Road in Swanage – now known as the Purbeck View school site.
Former Forres School pupil Seb Warner wants to honour the lives lost on Swanage Beach in 1955
Robin Ardagh, Richard Birch, Jeremy Dennis, David North-Lewis and Jason Oliver, all aged just 12 years old, were killed when a land mine detonated which they had found in the sand while out for a walk as part of the school day.
There are two memorials to the boys at Purbeck View, one on a school building and the other in the former school chapel, but with plans to redevelop the five acre site as a housing estate, it is feared they may be lost.
Former Forres schoolboy Seb Warner wants a permanent memorial in a prominent position in Swanage in honour of the boys, whose story he believes has largely been forgotten in the town.
Swanage Town Council has worked with him to find a suitable location overlooking Swanage Bay at the war memorial and just along the grassy embankment from the statue of war hero Trevor Chadwick.
Forres School, which merged with Sandleford Manor School and moved to the New Forest in 1993, hopes to be involved with an unveiling ceremony in 2025.
Swanage War Memorial from the air, in front of the site of the proposed tribute
“I think most people have forgotten about the tragedy and it’s important to have a memorial somewhere prominent in town. In a perfect world we would be able to unveil it on Tuesday 13th May 2025, which will be the 70th anniversary of the tragedy.
“On that day, boys from the school went for a walk on the beach with one of the teachers and five of them who were messing around found a metal canister which they tried to get out from the sand.
“The beach had been cleared after the war, reopened and it was all meant to be safe again, but clearly it wasn’t. One boy, Jason Oliver, was blown to pieces and never found while four others were killed.
“A lot of the boys at the school didn’t know a great deal about it other than being aware that there were five empty places at the dinner table that evening. The school closed it down to a large degree and tried not to talk about it too much.
“In those days there seemed to be apathy towards it because of the horrors of the war which had only ended 10 years previously, but what I find hard to fathom is that if this happened today it would be the most unimaginable tragedy which would be reported across the world.”
The existing plaque to the boys at the Purbeck View site where housing is planned
“When I was at Forres between 1988 and 1993, we remembered them at the memorial service every November, and walked past their plaque on the school building all the time, thinking that these boys were our age and got blown up on Swanage Beach.
“I remember our teachers telling us not to touch anything on the beach that looked like metal, so it did resonate with us, but I do feel that the whole town should know their sad story.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate to move the existing plaque on one of the old classroom blocks, and obviously the old Forres School is going to be demolished one day – although whether they should be allowed to demolish the chapel is something to deal with in due course.
“But the Go Fund Me page is doing well, people have been really generous and we are not far away from funding a new plaque which will be made by Haysom’s from local Purbeck stone.
“Swanage mayor Tina Foster suggested a position just in front of the war memorial, a plinth with two memorials and a third, empty space – I believe it was meant to be clearly – and it’s an ideal place for a lasting tribute to the boys.”
Former MP Robert Key who died in 2023 at the age of 77, was one of only two boys at the mine site to survive
One of the boys on the beach that day who escaped was Robert Key, a bishop’s son who later served as MP for Salisbury for 27 years, and in his last speech to the House of Commons in 2010 recalled:
“On Friday 13th May 1955, when I was 10 years old, I was on Swanage Beach in Dorset doing what children on a beach on a Friday afternoon in May do – building sandcastles, digging holes in the sand, making dams and so on.
“I was building my castle with a chap called Richard Dunstan: five of my friends were digging holes, and then one of them found a tin. He thought that it was spam, or something really exotic. Yes, spam was exotic in 1955.
“He was wrestling to move it, because it was lodged between two rocks. He got out a shoehorn but could not break the tin open. The boys stood back, and were seen throwing things at it. My friend and I got bored. We turned round.
“We had our backs to our friends, and there was a huge explosion. We were blown into the sea, and lived. Five of my friends died. Five British children were blown up by a British mine on a British beach, within my living memory, and the living memory of many other people. It was an extraordinary thing.”
The Forres School rugby team of 1954, with David North-Lewis on the back row, second from left
During the 1990s, when Robert Key had ministerial responsibility for the Imperial War Museum, he asked for the papers on the incident.
These showed that the mine clearance officer, who had swept the beach for unexploded devices and had given it the all clear three months before the tragedy, believed the device had been swept in from the sea.
However, half a century after 117 mines were laid on Swanage beach in 1940 as Britain prepared for a Nazi invasion, 58 were still unaccounted for and Robert Key ended his speech in 2010 with a plea for the whole area, from Durlston to Bournemouth, to be swept again for mines.
Munitions are still occasionally found – and safely detonated by the Army – along the beaches of Studland Bay, which was used extensively as an armed forces training area during World War Two.
A wartime shell found on Studland beach in August 2022 was blown up in a controlled explosion
Seb Warner, whose parents live at Studland, said:
“It is probably still the case that there are undiscovered explosives out there and you do wonder whether there should be signs in a prominent place to help keep people safe?
“What concerns me is that if a tragedy like this could happen in 1955, it could still happen today. Boys will be boys and if one was found today – it doesn’t take much for one to be set off.
“At Middle Beach in Studland where the sea is being allowed to reclaim the foreshore, every storm will erode the banks and you could argue it is now more likely for these things to be uncovered with the natural erosion that will escalate here.
“Obviously there will be munitions around as that whole area was used as a training ground during the war, but I do think that there should be signs put up in Swanage and Studland as a warning.”
The old Forres School site, now vacant and up for sale, marketed as an opportunity to build new homes
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One of the first visitors through the doors for Swanage Railway’s community weekend were invited guests Swanage town mayor Tina Foster and her consort Les Parkinson, who got to find out what it takes to run a heritage railway.
With reduced price tickets for Dorset residents, the community weekend which took place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd February 2025, aimed to show locals all the roles they could get involved in as a volunteer on the Swanage branch line.
Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (middle) has a go as a station guard, with her consort Les Parkinson (right)
There were chances to drive a 1950s heritage diesel shunter at Swanage station, help a train guard on the platform or be an on-train travelling ticket inspector.
There were also tours of the signal boxes at Harman’s Cross and Corfe Castle stations, and a vintage double decker bus to transport visitors to Swanage Railway’s engineering works on the outskirts of Swanage.
Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts (left) with Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (middle) and the mayor’s consort Les Parkinson (left)
Chair of Swanage Railway Trust, Frank Roberts said:
“We were delighted to welcome the Swanage town mayor Tina Foster and her consort Les Parkinson to our annual community weekend which gave residents from across Dorset a rare – and fascinating – look behind the scenes while also marking the start of our new operating season.
“She was interested to learn how many people – and roles – are required to maintain and operate a safe train service on a heritage railway that has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976 after being controversially closed by British Rail in 1972.
“At Swanage, the mayor met the crew of a steam locomotive, learnt about the duties that are undertaken by the guard – who is responsible for the safety of everyone on the train – and met some of our dedicated volunteers who help to raise money for the Swanage Railway Trust.”
Diesel trains were in action over the weekend
The mayor travelled on the branch line on a steam train
Also a highlight of the visit was viewing the newly renovated and redecorated booking hall at Swanage station which was originally built in the 1930s.
The mayor then took a steam train up to Corfe Castle station, met a travelling ticket inspector and spoke to porters on the platform, as well as members of Swanage Railway’s track, crane and telecommunications departments before being welcomed in the signal box.
The opportunity to operate a 1950s heritage diesel shunter was popular
Clare Collins, event organiser and volunteer train guard
Organising the weekend event was Swanage Railway volunteer train guard Clare Collins. She said:
“I was really pleased with how the community weekend went. It was super busy on Saturday but less so, on the Sunday, which I think was down to the weather.
“The aim was to make everyone aware of all the roles that they can volunteer for on the railway, whether that’s as a ticket inspector, guard, or driver. The experiences which gave people a taste for the jobs were really well supported with plenty of advanced bookings but also more bookings on the day.
“It was really good to see lots of children taking an interest, as well as adults. And it was lovely to see lots of locals on the trains, although many came from further away like Reading.
“In many ways, Swanage Railway is really a living, working museum so although it’s fun to ride on a train, it’s also educational, showing how people travelled and worked in Victorian times.
“I’d really encourage people to find out more about volunteering on the railway – a couple of weekends ago I helped out at Norden with our youth group the Cygnets, clearing some of the overgrown vegetation and undertaking some maintenance work.
“It was quite cold and grey but there was a great atmosphere, as we worked as a team – it really can be rewarding even in the winter months!
An opportunity to get your hands on the controls in a cab
Investigating how the signalling system works
The idea of a Swanage Railway community weekend started a couple of years ago and has been developed over time. So will there be another similar event next year?
Slightly exhausted after a busy weekend, Clare said:
“Well now isn’t probably the best time to ask me, but I imagine it will happen again!”
How we used to work in the past in the station master’s office
The mayor gets to chat to volunteers at Corfe Castle station
Volunteers can work their way up to driving a steam train
Letting the train take the strain in a heritage carriage
The Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden opened its doors for the weekend
Explaining how it all works at Swanage Railway!
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Swanage Skatepark in Dorset is to run a skate jam and a day of skate workshops for the local community, as it prepares to place an order for the first new ramps.
A public skate day in October 2024 fell victim to the great British weather, but it has now been rescheduled for Saturday 12th April 2025 at King George’s playing fields, as fundraisers march on towards their £200,000 goal.
The community skate day in June 2024 featured some amazing stunt sessions
Swanage Skatepark Community Project (SSCP) was set up two years ago with a vision to get Swanage rolling again, after a number of ramps at the site in King George’s playing fields had to be removed in 2023 when they became unsafe to use.
Grants and donations to the project now stand at more than £80,000, smashing through the stage one target which enables members of SSCP to start the first phase of building, which will include new ramps.
An order is expected to be placed shortly for skatepark equipment which can be used by skaters of all ages and abilities, to increase interest and excitement about the project.
Those first ramps should be installed by autumn 2025 and further fundraising targets will be set for future stages of the skatepark.
Heidi Florence, second from left, foresees a great future for Swanage Skatepark
Secretary of the SSCP, Heidi Florence, said:
“Our mission is to rebuild Swanage skatepark and welcome new riders. So far we have reached £81,200 for new skatepark equipment, but funding streams are limited, and many sources of funding commonly used by skatepark projects are unavailable to us.
“So, in order to get some new equipment in the skatepark we will build in stages as funding becomes available. This method will allow us to replace equipment in two or three phases depending on how much is raised.
“Stage one will be the start of replacing the ramps that were removed in 2023. We hope that Swanage Town Council, with our help, will put out a tender for the works in the next few months and we can complete a new ramp by autumn 2025.
“When Swanage Town Council voted in its January budget to support the Skatepark Project with a further £20,000, it secured our ability to begin building. The future of Swanage skatepark is on the horizon!”
After a year of fundraising, Swanage Skatepark Community Project is almost halfway to its final target
Thanks to funding from Swanage Town Council and Dorset Council, entry to the skatepark community day on Saturday 12th April 2025 will be free and will include workshops with skateboard, scooter and BMX experts to help people start riding or improve their skills.
The afternoon will include three 45 minute skate jam sessions for scooters, BMX bikes and skateboards in memory of Will Paddy, who was a regular at the park and loved riding his scooter with friends.
Will’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 14, but his legacy lives on through #Willdoes, a charity founded by his mother Lesley, which helps young people reconnect through sports and activities.
Money raised at the event, where branded clothing, refreshments and other merchandise will be on sale, along with a raffle, will be split between SSCP and #Willdoes.
Organisers are hoping for another successful community day on Saturday 12th April 2025
“This is our way of expressing gratitude for the grant #Willdoes made to the skatepark, which covered our essential costs like insurance and enabled us to host our first event in 2024.
“By giving back, we hope to support another small charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people, just as ours does.
“Swanage skatepark has proven valuable to many generations of young people over the years, supporting mental and physical health as well as social and personal development.
“We intend to continue the decades of fundraising and community engagement carried out by Lorna Haines before SSCP was founded in 2023.
“We will continue to build an inclusive and welcoming culture around the skatepark by hosting events that will inspire and attract more users.”
Swanage skateboarders are looking forward to showing off their skills again
The SSCP committee has faced a unique challenge in funding the Swanage Skatepark project, as they discovered that three of the largest sources of skatepark funding were unavailable to them – which meant that a potential £120,000 of cash had been lost.
National Lottery funding is restricted to one application per charity at a time, and as Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust – which SSCP is a member of – is already pursuing a grant for another project for up to three years of funding, the skatepark could not submit another application.
And the Landfill Communities Fund allows landfill operators to donate a portion of their tax liability to community, environmental, and heritage projects – but Swanage is too far from landfill sites to be eligible for this funding.
Swanage Skatepark owes its existence to Lorna Haines, who raised around £150,000 since 2003 to help create it
Instead, the £81,200 so far committed to the skatepark has come from individual donors alongside organisations including:
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Authors with fascinating tales to tell will be stopping off in Swanage in Dorset, to share their stories as part of a new series of book themed events.
Tickets are now on sale for four talks by authors booked to appear at The Mowlem arts hub between March and June 2025, with more to be announced soon, and will cover smuggling, murder, marriage and espionage.
Events manager at The Mowlem, Paul Angel, has lined up four very different authors for the new club
It is hoped that the talks will continue regularly through the year and will culminate with the second Swanage Literary Festival after its successful debut in November 2024.
The new series will begin in The Studio at The Mowlem on Wednesday 12th March 2025, with a talk by Malcolm Angel, author of the ultimate book on Dorset’s notorious smuggler, Isaac Gulliver, who for a while ran his contraband operations out of Worth Matravers.
Lucy Brazier, whose new book about her midlife crisis has just been published by Bloomsbury, will open her heart in The Studio on Tuesday 8th April 2025 to talk about The Honesty Box, or the diary of a broken marriage, a mental health crisis and a large marrow.
Malcolm Angel will introduce the audience to Purbeck’s most notorious smuggler, Isaac Gulliver
Lucy Brazier’s new book The Honesty Box is about discovery, denial and salvation and has been recommended by Dame Joanna Lumley
On Saturday 26th April 2025, Rachel McLean and Millie Ravensworth – the latter a pseudonym for Heide Goody and Iain Grant – will be in The Studio to discuss their latest collaborative Dorset based murder mystery, The Lyme Regis Women’s Swimming Club.
Rachel McLean is best known for her Dorset Crime series which has sold over a million copies and won the 2021 Kindle Storyteller Award for the first book in that series, The Corfe Castle Murders.
She has since set murder mystery books at Blue Pool, on Brownsea Island, in the ghost village of Tyneham and in Swanage, where a dead body is found draped over The Globe.
On Tuesday 3rd June 2025 in the main theatre, SAS escape stories will be recounted by Dorset author Damien Lewis, a former war reporter, World War Two historian and expert on the history of the SAS, who wrote the book recently filmed by Guy Ritchie as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
The Corfe Castle Murders started off the Dorset Crime series for Rachel McLean, coming to The Studio in April 2025
Damien Lewis of Dorchester will be appearing in June 2025 to talk about his latest SAS book
Events manager at The Mowlem, Paul Angel said:
“There are a large number of amazingly talented authors in Dorset. I hope we can use the monthly events to build up towards the second Swanage Literary Festival in November – I have already sat down with the organiser, Salliann Coleman, to discuss that.
“I was really impressed with the numbers the first literary festival got and it has given them the impetus to look at slightly bigger names in 2025.
“I come from a family of booksellers and I can use the connections I have to help get the authors in, as we talk to publishers all the time and have a really good relationship with them.
“I hope we will be able to run an author’s event every month, although July and August can be incredibly busy, but we will see how it goes.”
Salliann Coleman organised Swanage Literary festival in 2024 and is already planning a second in autumn 2025
“In consultations that we did before Christmas, one of the things people told us was that they wanted more talks, and authors give us a chance to have a huge range of topics on all kinds of subjects.
“Damien Lewis in June will talk about the history of the SAS, which is very different to what we usually offer at The Mowlem, and we think it will be a very well attended event, so he will be in the main theatre.
“We are trying to fulfil what people were asking for and to make sure we cover a wide variety of topics, which is very evident from our first four events!
“What is nice about having The Studio is that we can experiment with different things to find out what works well with different sized audiences, and we will continue to introduce new things, so watch this space!”
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An attempt to restore life back into the Swanage river the Swan Brook, is to be made with the help of local residents and organisations.
Such forlorn and forgotten rivers like the Swan Brook in Dorset are sometimes referred to as Cinderella streams and now the river that flows through the centre of Swanage is in need of a Prince Charming!
Monitoring stream flow will be one way to help improve water and habitat quality
Swan Brook has been relatively neglected for many years, compared to larger rivers such as the Frome through Wareham, and needs tackling with some urgency making it a significant community project.
The stream and its catchment area, which stretches to Langton Matravers, Harman’s Cross and Ulwell, is officially classified as poor quality by the Environment Agency and considered a failing watercourse in need of improvement, with a notable risk of flooding.
Issues include drainage, pollution, nutrient levels and struggling natural habitat.
However with a concerted effort, the waterway could become capable of supporting a thriving ecosystem of dragonflies, kingfishers and even otters within a relatively short space of time, so the Swanage Streams Partnership has been formed to tackle the issue.
This is a partnership between the National Trust, Dorset National Landscape, Planet Purbeck and Swanage Town Council, and it will be launched at The Swanage School at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 26th November 2024.
Organisers are hopeful that local residents will attend, whether as individuals, land owners or members of action groups, to help save Swan Brook and reduce the flooding risk it poses.
Otters already live wild in Dorset and could be sustained by Swan Brook if it was cleaner
Ian Rees, countryside projects manager of Dorset National Landscape, said:
“We are particularly interested in small streams like Swan Brook that aren’t designated, have no spotlight on them and often aren’t on anyone’s agenda to look after them – so if no one else is doing it, it’s up to us.
“The project offers Purbeck residents a chance to improve the health of your back garden, joining a group of like minded people to tackle an issue close to your heart.
“It will be a ground breaking river restoration and flood protection project where you can make a real difference by improving the environment for people and for wildlife. It’s good for the soul.”
The rare water loving southern damselfly could soon be a regular inhabitant of the Swan Brook
As part of its community engagement programme for Sustainable Swanage, community group Planet Purbeck has been tasked to engage local people in the Swanage Streams project and raise awareness through various events such as talks, tours of existing flood defence systems and demonstrations of helpful activities.
The evening will spell out how rejuvenating the Swan Brook and Purbeck’s other failing streams will benefit local residents, wildlife and the environment by tackling local flood risks, improving water quality and boosting biodiversity.
In recent years, volunteers from Planet Purbeck have built leaky dams on Corfe Common to slow the flow of water on the way to the sea, to reduce flooding risks, improve water quality and create new habitats for water creatures.
The dire state of Swan Brook and its tributaries has been described as a ‘failing watercourse’
Luke M Luke, Planet Purbeck’s co-leader, said:
“We’re proud to unite with such top-tier partners to help transform Swan Brook and surrounding streams.
“Their current state is pretty shocking, but with the help of the Purbeck community we hope to foster a legacy of fun and sustainable practices to rejuvenate these precious habitats.
“We envisage tackling litter and pollution in Swan Brook, helping wildlife habitats to improve the water quality and clearing invasive species like the Himalyan balsam, which can choke our waterways.
“Clearance work will help to oxygenate the water, let more light in which will help more species to thrive and some slow flow work which will help the land cope better both in times of flood and drought.”
Luke M Luke hopes that the community will come together to rescue its failing streams
“We will encourage locals to monitor their own stretch of the river each month, to check it for invertebrates and wildlife, so that people build up a feeling of ownership of ‘their’ part of the stream.
“The Environment Agency places a lot of focus on larger rivers like the Frome and the Piddle in this area and smaller streams are just forgotten about, so it falls to the community to come together and pick up the pieces.
“There will be some pretty big wins quickly, whereas other benefits may take a few years to arrive, but the best time to start a scheme is yesterday.
“A recent audit of the habitat at King George’s Field showed it could be capable of sustaining otters – it is not fanciful stuff to think about the stream being clean enough to have some trout in the water, or to see dragonflies, kingfishers and otters.”
The catchment area of Swan Brook and tributaries. Crown copyright and database rights
As work continues on the project, water flow and water quality will be monitored regularly and benefits to one part of the stream are expected to be replicated almost instantly in other parts.
It’s hoped that the ripples of good work from one section will spread quickly to the rest of the catchment area and that the scheme will also be picked up in other parts of Purbeck, such as along the Corfe River.
Purbeck National Trust ranger Ben Cooke demonstrated how building a leaky dam could improve a local stream within days
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A long awaited regular rail passenger service between Swanage and Wareham in Dorset, has been given high priority status in plans to improve transport links across the West of England between 2025 and 2035.
Extra bus routes across Purbeck and additional train services between Wareham and Brockenhurst, are also on the wish list put together by the Western Gateway regional transport group which is made up of local authorities in the South West including Dorset Council.
Community buses like the 2RN service to Arne could help connect Purbeck villages
The Western Gateway is one of seven transport bodies in England and its area stretches from the Cotswolds in the north, to Portland in the south and includes Bristol and Bath.
It is working directly with the Department for Transport, National Highways, Network Rail and Homes England, with the aim of giving a unified voice to the region’s priorities in order to boost economic growth.
There’s 38 proposals in the Western Gateway Strategic Investment Plan which form the local councils’ recommendations to the government for investment in transport over the next ten years.
Now local residents, businesses, and interest groups who live in the region are being invited to complete an online survey and say what they think before Sunday 2nd February 2025.
Top of the list is a scheme called the South East rural mobility pilot which proposes to introduce improved bus services to rural areas including Purbeck.
It focuses on community buses for smaller villages, following the success of schemes like the 2RN service which was trialled to carry passengers from Wareham to the RSPB Arne nature reserve and to Norden Park for onward travel to Swanage.
Also a rail scheme called the Dorset Metro features high up in the list which would see extra train services from Wareham to Poole and Bournemouth, as well as an hourly shuttle service to Brockenhurst.
Perhaps the most welcome mention for Swanage residents is a regular rail service between Swanage and Wareham which has been on the cards for years but has lacked the backing of long term government investment. It’s now in the document as one of the high priorities.
Despite a growth in cycle hire and ownership, cycling and walking routes have been omitted from the transport document
Nick Ward of the Purbeck Transport Action Group (PTAG) said:
“It is very important for the public to have their say, and PTAG will certainly wish to provide input on the shortlist of 38 transport investment priorities proposed for the west of England region over the next decade.
“PTAG has been invited to take part in Dorset Council’s meeting on the rural mobility project and we will be pressing for some idea of time scales.
“We see the time frame of 2025 to 2035 as medium to long term rather than looking to provide immediate solutions to help the current problems we have, of a huge influx of visitors every summer and how we can encourage them to get out of their cars and use public transport.
“That comes back to the availability of public transport and we are looking particularly at improving the community buses service which will connect outlying communities to the main routes and give places like Kimmeridge and Worth Matravers public transport of some sort.
“We would also like to improve cycle and walking routes into the main transport hubs like Swanage and Wareham, but they don’t seem to put so much emphasis on those.”
Wareham Station could see more services as part of a proposed Dorset Metro scheme
“Regular services between Wareham and Swanage and the Metro scheme between Wareham and Brockenhurst would benefit Purbeck greatly, along with more frequent bus services in Purbeck.
“But we see this statement as more about aspirations than firm schemes, as there is little detail attached to them. Any funding would come via the Department of Transport, so they are all dependent on government funding.
“For example, the proposed Dorset Metro Shuttle service would get A-level students out to Brockenhurst College, but the document implies it is dependent on the closure of the level crossing in Poole.
“When you realise that it is envisaged as part of a wider redevelopment scheme of the shopping centre in Poole, with high level walkways to get from one side of the rail line to the other, you see we are talking about a very long term, very expensive scheme.”
The transport plan includes 38 shortlisted schemes across an area from Dorset to Gloucestershire
The 38 shortlisted schemes on the transport plan – at an estimated cost of £4 billion – have been selected to best support the delivery of five key aims for the region’s transport.
Those are sustainable economic and housing growth, reducing emissions, enabling access to services and opportunities for all, easing freight movements and improving transport links between the north and south of the region which stretches from Gloucestershire to Dorset.
The first day of the Swanage Railway trial regular passenger service between Swanage and Wareham in 2023
“We very actively supported and encouraged having the regular rail link between Swanage and Wareham which was run on a trial basis in 2017 and 2023.
“The trial service was quite well used and very well supported, but the main obstacle was financing the cost of insurance and certification, and really we would need Government assistance as Swanage Railway can’t afford it.
“We have had some encouraging noises in the past from central government and other rail companies like South Western Railways, who are all for it because it would encourage more traffic on the main line.
“It is realistic, but there needs to be some agreement on funding.”
Morebus has improved bus services in Purbeck, but transport campaigners say there is more work to be done
“There is definitely scope for improving bus services in Purbeck, especially with better services in the evenings and at weekends, when Purbeck isn’t served as well as the main conurbations.
“There have been improvements by local providers like MoreBus, but it tends to be mostly in the summer.
“We would like to see outlying communities served all year round by community bus services, an extension of the Purbeck Shuttle service which runs to RSPB Arne.
“The plan is to extend that to cover more areas from Wareham station, so similar services could be run to Durlston and possibly to more remote villages like Kimmeridge and Worth Matravers.
“We are encouraging Western Gateway to take that up. Consultation is a good start, we now just want the talk to translate into action.”
Dorset Council cabinet member Jon Andrews has urged local residents to comment on the plan
Dorset Council cabinet member for place services, Jon Andrews, said:
“I strongly encourage residents and businesses to comment on the draft strategic investment plan.
“The final document will be vital for securing extra investment from central government and will improve connectivity across our region over the next decade.
“It will also better support transportation of goods for businesses and help to provide better economic growth in Dorset.
“The way we travel has a major impact on carbon emissions and the strategies set out here will help us achieve our net zero target.”
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Preparations are underway to celebrate the festive season in Swanage in Dorset, as organisations, charities and businesses all get into the Christmas spirit.
Not just a summer resort, the town is becoming established as a great place to enjoy a traditional Christmas, with twinkling decorations, independent shops filled with beautiful things and plenty of entertainment and festivities including the chance to meet a real reindeer on Swanage Pier.
Swanage station and the town’s beautiful Christmas tree
This year, Santa is really busy and will be appearing, not only on his sleigh touring residential roads and visiting the Christmas Market, but also at Swanage Railway, Swanage Pier, and The Mowlem.
He’ll also be popping into Corfe Castle and Wareham town centres, as well as The Blue Pool near Wareham.
“We’re looking forward to Christmas already – it’s fantastic to see the Polar Express arriving at Swanage Railway for a second year and delighted that the show’s actors will be entertaining us at the switching on of the Christmas lights on the last Saturday in November.
“Along with our popular regulars, there’ll be some new stallholders taking part in the Artisans on the Beach market at the Shore Road beach huts, so do look out for them. It’s a great place to pick up some unusual gifts, as are all our amazing independent shops in Swanage and parking in our car parks is only £2 a day during the winter.
“Swanage is not only a fabulous place for a really traditional Christmas, but there’s also the fun of eating fish and chips on our award winning beach and cheap parking!”
All aboard for the Polar Express including Swanage town mayor Tina Foster
The Polar Express train ride returns to Swanage Railway for Christmas and the performers join residents for the big switch-on of the town’s festive lights
Swanage’s independent shops never fail to make the town centre sparkle at Christmas
Santa will be zooming around town, including making a visit to The Mowlem
Donkeys on Swanage Pier will be back and there will be a reindeer as well!
Winter solstice walk to Old Harry in Studland
Bringing a splash of colour to January, The Blue Pool gets lit up
While Christmas may be over, there’s still some events early in the new year to look forward to!
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Having led the town in a successful battle to prevent the derelict Swanage bandstand from being torn down and then raising more than £150,000 to rebuild it, Alan Houghton and the charity he set up, are stepping aside.
The final £16,000 left in the coffers of the Friends of Swanage Bandstand has been transferred to Swanage Town Council, which will look after its upkeep in the future, with the replacement of damaged coping stones and a repaint already planned.
Alan Houghton with the new noticeboard which will list all the bandstand performances
With the Swanage Bandstand’s new noticeboard now in place on the recreation ground, which will publicise the full list of concerts for the season, it is hoped that the facility will be better used than ever.
Swanage Town Band and Wareham Town Band will be playing a dozen afternoon and evening concerts from May through to the end of August 2025, with guest bands coming in from towns including Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Devizes and Lymington.
With an open invitation for bands and choirs to book spots at the bandstand, more dates are being added all the time, such as the Three Rock Choirs which performed concerts in Swanage on several dates in March 2025.
At its lowest ebb – the bandstand without its roof in 2017
But on Saturday 26th October 2019, the bandstand was reopened, along with its new roof, despite the rain!
“We are just winding up the charity accounts now and as soon as that is done the Friends of Swanage Bandstand will disband because we have achieved what we set out to do, which was to get the bandstand back for the town.
“I was determined that we weren’t going to lose it because it was part of the heritage of Swanage – it was like a red rag to a bull to me when they said they were pulling it down.
“But the town rallied round in a wonderful way and I feel so proud of what we have done. We have 16 damaged coping stones being replaced and the bandstand is about due for a repaint, but we have a lot of bands booked for the season so it might have to wait a while.
“We now have an events board that we paid for to tell everyone what is going on, and Swanage Town Council has also agreed to put our events up on their website as well so that everyone can easily find out what is happening there.”
Six benches with grandstand views have been dedicated to sponsors who supported the project from day one
The bandstand bank account has been closed, with just over £16,000 being transferred to the town council to be held in an earmarked reserve for future bandstand maintenance and improvements.
The charity itself, set up for the restoration of the bandstand, is also being closed after eight years, with the committee delighted at the end result.
With seating on both levels completed to the committee’s satisfaction and six new benches installed, paid for and dedicated to sponsors who supported the project from the first day, Alan Houghton said he could not have dreamt of a better outcome.
He has passed on sincere thanks to the committee of Roger Brewster, Peter Wakefield, Jill Henstridge, Amanda Jenson, Chris Makin, Richard Cook, and Rob Sutton, and to the town council, Swanage Information Centre, local businesses and above all, to the people of Swanage.
The Three Rock Choir who made guest appearances at the bandstand in March 2025
“Well done, Swanage, you can be proud. People say that I am Mr Bandstand, but this project was too big to have been done by one person – I managed to get likeminded people to put money in, the same as I did, and off we went.
“I have always been so focussed on making sure we got our town bandstand back, I pledged that right from the start and we have done it, together, against the odds. It looks great, it is well supported and we have a future with it, which is wonderful.
“I do especially want to thank Karen Grant, because she donated so much of her energy and time to organise fund raising concerts at the bandstand and even when some had to be cancelled due to bad weather, she only ever redoubled her efforts.
“Bands like Allsort’d, Kelp, Harmony Rocks, Wareham Whalers, and many others all came here and played a part in getting our bandstand back.
“Lawrie Sandford spent a massive amount of time recording our campaign and taking a wonderful collection of photos, Andrew Cannon made time for raising funds – there are literally too many people to mention, but we’ve appreciated you all and we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Alan Houghton and the Friends of Swanage Bandstand have passed on responsibility – and funds – to Swanage Town Council
Work began on the original Swanage bandstand in early 1923 after young soldiers who had returned home from World War One found themselves unemployed – so ‘for the benefit of their mental health’ they were put to work digging out the amphitheatre in which the bandstand sits.
They also built the surrounding walls and the two-tier seating area out of local Purbeck stone, with the bandstand itself built by Glasgow company Walter MacFarlane, the leading manufacturers of the cast iron ‘parkitecture’ movement of the 1920s.
It was one of the jewels in the crown for Swanage over many decades and even featured in tourist posters for the town, being given the same prominence in advertising as the steam railway, the sandy bay, paddle steamers and Punch and Judy on the beach.
But during bitter storms in the winter of 2011 to 2012, the roof of the bandstand suffered severe damage and during subsequent inspections was found to contain asbestos and had to be taken down.
When Swanage Town Council announced that it was to dismantle what was left of the bandstand and fill in the amphitheatre, a packed local meeting of more than 200 people began the campaign for its restoration and the Friends of Swanage Bandstand was formed.
On Saturday 26th October 2019 on a very wet morning, the Swanage bandstand was officially reopened and while the Covid pandemic initially curtailed many performances, it has since become a popular place to meet up and listen to music.
Summer concerts at the bandstand draw big crowds – and there will be more events than ever in 2025
Christmas Carols at the bandstand have been scheduled for Wednesday 10th December 2025 at 6.30 pm
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
Swanage’s annual Christmas market went ahead a week after being postponed by Storm Darragh – and proved a huge success thanks to the town’s community spirit.
The event was called off at short notice at the beginning of December 2024 when weather forecasts – which turned out to be accurate – predicted 60 mile an hour gusts of wind for Swanage in Dorset.
Top team Helen Hardy (left) and David Pike (right) of Swanage and Purbeck Rotary
The AllSort’d choir entertained market visitors with Christmas songs
The organisers Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Club pulled out all the stops and with help from Dorset Council managed to get the necessary permissions to rearrange the market for Saturday 14th December 2024.
And apart from one brief shower, the rearranged festive fair was blessed with blue skies and little wind, an excellent number of stalls and traders, and attended by hundreds of shoppers looking for inspirational, locally made Christmas gifts.
The shopping experience was improved as Rotary spread out the stalls and expanded almost to the end of Institute Road, and many visitors remarked on how much they enjoyed and appreciated the day.
Entertainment was provided by Keith Lockett, the AllSort’d choir, Bruce Evans, the Kelp sea shanty choir and the Churches Together choir.
Of the 60 stallholders who were due to take part on the original date, eight were unable to attend the rescheduled date but six new traders contacted Rotary and asked if they could join the market instead.
Carve Coffee with cakes, providing breakfast on the go for the first shoppers
Rob, of Swanage based Willow Creations, with his amazing Christmas wreaths
Swanage and Purbeck Rotary President Maggie Hardy with Liz LeFevre, making sure the rearranged market was a huge success
President of Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Maggie Hardy said:
“We have been very lucky with the weather today, but last week it was a very different story and having to postpone the market was a major blow as a lot of hard work and organisation had gone into setting it up.
“Because we are all local, we know how the wind conditions affect Swanage when it arrives from different directions – sometimes we can get away with it and sometimes we can’t, but last week it was straight down Station Road and there was no way we could have held the market safely.
“But I am really grateful that almost everybody has returned and that the weather is on our side today – after our summer fete when it just rained continually, I can finally feel grateful that someone is looking out for us!
“As President of Rotary, I have been delighted by the level of help and support we have received this morning. Some of our helpers were unable to rearrange their plans but we have pulled through thanks to the great Swanage community.”
Wareham author and illustrator Linda Webber promoted her new book The Cute Green Octopus with help from the star of the story
Purbeck Chocolate had plenty of takers for their tasty products
“We always give precedence to local stalls and traders and in the end, we have almost had a full quota of Purbeck and Dorset traders, and have also taken the opportunity to spread stalls out and go almost to the end of Institute Road to make it a better shopping experience for all our visitors.
“The set up has been well organised by Helen Hardy and David Pike and went just about as smoothly as it could – they have been stars and it absolutely shows!
“We have tried to establish a team approach to organising and reorganising the market, and reached out to the community for help, so there was a united approach and work wasn’t just down to one or two people.
“Rotary has worked closely with the emergency services this year and with Dorset Council to make sure that the rearranged event went off without a hitch.
“We would like to pass on our heartfelt thanks to stall holders who have recognised the importance of new safety regulations. There has been a lot more bureaucracy this year, but it has been necessary and we think the market is better for it.”
Award winning underwater photographer Maria Munn showed off some of her work
Jurassic Coast Mushrooms sold some of their exotic fungi – and also kits for customers to grow their own
Chris Le Fevre from Swanage and Purbeck Rotary said:
“It was disappointing that we had to cancel last weekend especially as we know that some people had made special arrangements to come and see us, but the weather has been a lot kinder this week and it looks like we have a very good turnout.
“An application had to be made to the government to rearrange the Christmas market, but Dorset Council was able to do that on our behalf at short notice last week and we needed to know that we had that approval before we could publicise it.
“It was really good work all round to get everything rearranged ahead of time, but anyone who was in Swanage last weekend would be in absolutely no doubt that we made the right decision, there wouldn’t have been many marquees still standing otherwise!”
Guitarist Keith Lockett got early shoppers into the festive spirit
Swanage based Waves and Whimsy with their eco friendly, vegan and smoke free candles and wax melts
“We did have a look at the possibility of expanding our event into the Heart of Swanage shopping area behind Station Road, but there is just not enough space to put stalls in.
“We would have loved to do that, but there was absolutely not the space to allow people to circulate around there safely with stalls on the roads.
“However, we are doing as much as we can to make visitors aware that there are some amazing independent businesses down those roads.
“We are hoping that a lot of the visitors who have come for the market will also visit the Heart of Swanage and we will do all we can to make it clear that there is plenty to see and buy around the corner.”
Swanage Coastwatch raising awareness of its vital work
The ever popular children’s roundabout was once again taking young customers for a spin
The Italian Bakery had a huge array of tempting bread and pastries
One of the latest TikTok sensations, freeze dried confectionary, was available to try
Durlston Sheddies filled a stall with their latest Christmas creations
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Rob Collier is to tackle the London Marathon, to thank the lifeboat crews including Swanage, who did all they could to rescue his father after a kayak race went tragically wrong.
Rob’s father Alistair died after he went missing in October 2018 during a race from Knoll Beach to Swanage Pier in Dorset, despite one of the largest search operations launched by the RNLI.
Alistair Collier had been taking part in a kayak race from Studland to Swanage Pier in October 2018
Crews from Swanage, Poole, Mudeford, Bembridge, Yarmouth and Weymouth were launched to find Alistair on Saturday 6th October 2018, when he became separated from the racing group and stranded at sea.
But a storm blew in and conditions worsened, making it almost impossible to see anything more than 10 metres from the lifeboats, which continued searching regardless.
It was not until the following afternoon that Alistair’s body was found and recovered, alongside his outrigger kayak, some 22 miles south of Tyneham further along the Purbeck Coast.
Now his son Rob, who met the Swanage lifeboat crew after the tragedy to thank them for everything they did during the search operation, wants to show his gratitude in another way.
Rob, now 34 and living in Worcester, will run the London Marathon on Sunday 27th April 2025, in memory of his father and also to raise at least £1,500 for the RNLI.
Rob Collier wants to show his appreciation for the work of the RNLI
“Dad enjoyed running, he participated in loads of Great North Runs and an odd London Marathon or two.
“I have fond memories of playing with the medals he kept in a drawer in the kitchen, we used to run together when I was a teenager and I picked up running again after he died. I’m excited about running London in his memory.
“We miss Dad a lot and the thing that makes me emotional is how many crews went out. When their pagers go off, they can be doing anything and then suddenly they’re out at sea doing whatever job needs doing.
“The RNLI offers a public service run by volunteers, providing a lot of public good. It’s a really obvious choice for us to support when it comes to fundraising, because it’s an amazing charity of inspiring people – something I know firsthand.”
Alistair was a keen runner and watersport enthusiast
“Rescue teams from Swanage, Poole and other stations were heavily involved in the search for my dad when he was lost at sea.
“It was one of the largest of its kind for the RNLI and the coastguard, and we could not imagine how much worse our experience would have been without their expertise.
“Every single possible resource was deployed and we have such a huge amount of respect and gratitude for those who dedicate their time and energy to providing safety for those at sea.
“I came down to Dorset with my family the morning after Dad disappeared. I was walking the coast and even without having direct news from the teams, we knew the search was significant.
“I saw multiple boats, the helicopter flying over, and the coastguard going up and down the coast. Seeing them out there, knowing there were more searches taking place, helped provide some solace for me.”
Dave Turnbull, coxswain of Swanage Lifeboat, was on a Shannon class lifeboat, one of the first to launch in the rescue mission
Dave Turnbull, Swanage Lifeboat coxswain, said at the time:
“It was my wedding anniversary, and my wife and I had just been out for lunch. We’d literally just arrived home when the pager went off. I remembered seeing some kayaks out in the bay and thinking it didn’t seem quite right.
“When we started off, the conditions were not too bad. Quite quickly it turned pretty horrible. There was a strong wind that blew up to a gale at one point.
“I’d expected to find this guy quite quickly because we were told he was part of a race from Studland to Swanage and had somehow become separated from the rest of the pack.
“I assumed that we’d find him in the northern end of Swanage bay somewhere, within 30 minutes to an hour or so and that would be that. After we’d finished our initial search, I realised it wasn’t quite unfolding as I thought it was going to.”
The Swanage Shannon class lifeboat, on a callout in rough weather
“When it starts to get dark, staring out over the side looking for something that, in those conditions, is probably no more than 100 metres away, is tough. After a few hours of doing that, you start to lose your concentration and focus a bit.
“If you can, you need to swap people out. With the speed of our boat, we were able to get back to the station quite quickly, swap crew and head back out again.
“We did five hours on the first stint, then came back ashore to swap over with another crew. There was a strange moment when somebody had spotted something red in the water down near St Alban’s Head.
“We’d completed our search and been ashore for 10 minutes when a call came in that something red had been spotted in the water.
“The man we were looking for was wearing a red buoyancy jacket, so we were immediately sent back down that way. The coastguard helicopter got there before we did and saw that it was two spear fishermen – not what we were looking for.”
Rob Collier, who is also a keen cyclist, wants to show his appreciation for all that the RNLI does
“We’re watersport enthusiasts in the family and we’re all extremely familiar with the RNLI as an organisation. But it’s also one of those things that are kind of invisible to you until you really need it.
“We went to Swanage lifeboat station the day after Dad was found, we wanted to show our appreciation and just be there and show some solidarity with the teams that had been out looking for Dad for as long as they did.
“When you visit Swanage Lifeboat Station, it’s an amazing facility. You think of it as a volunteer or charity organisation, but it’s all so professional, and the crew is naturally humble.
“I’m glad I met them and have that image of the teams, to go with the image of them out on the coast. As a family, we’ve done a lot of fundraising since, to recognise the RNLI and all the stuff that they did over the weekend. It’s something we’re really grateful for.”
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Residents were woken in the night by the sound of explosions, as fire burnt out a tractor parked behind the tip in Swanage, Dorset.
Swanage Fire Station was alerted to the blaze at about 2 am on Saturday 8th February 2025 near the household recycling centre on Prospect Business Park, just off Victoria Avenue.
The fire engine and the landrover were deployed to tackle the fire and the police were asked to assist.
“At 2 am, crews were called to an unknown fire. We managed to find a tractor well alight behind the recycling centre.
“Crews got the fire under control using breathing apparatus and compressed air foam.”
While Swanage fire crews were busy with the tractor fire, Wareham Fire Station went to check on a residential property in Swanage, where the fire alarms were going off.
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Swanage’s Des Wood, known as Mr Electric due to his job as an electrical repair man, has celebrated his 100th birthday at home with his family and friends.
Des, who was born in a house in Cluny Crescent in Swanage, Dorset, on Friday 19th December 1924, has lived in the town all of his life, only ever moving away for three years during World War Two when he served in the Far East.
Des and his wife Betty took their honeymoon in Cornwall in 1950
Royal greetings from Buckingham Palace on a special day as Des Wood receives a birthday card from the King and Queen
He joined Southern Electric in 1940 and remained working for them until his retirement in 1989, carrying out domestic repairs and installations throughout Swanage and Purbeck, including farms and quarries, becoming a familiar sight on his bike and earning the nickname Mr Electric.
For many years, he would have to carry cables and work tools with him on his bike and he still remembers fondly receiving a letter of thanks from The Day of the Jackal actor Edward Fox for mending the cooker in his Kimmeridge cottage.
Des was a founder member of the Swanage Town Twinning Association setting up a link with Rudesheim am Rhein in Germany, learning the language and taking his one and only foreign holiday – a trip down the Rhine – as part of the twinning process.
His honeymoon in 1950 with wife Betty, who worked for Swanage high street grocer Robsons, was spent in Cornwall and later family holidays with sons Mike and Andrew were spent closer to home.
Actor Edward Fox personally thanked Des for mending a cooker at his Kimmeridge cottage
“For every other holiday, I would hire a car and we’d drive out to visit other places, like Salisbury, but I never wanted to drive too far.
“I think I am really lucky to live in Swanage, it is a wonderful town and there is so little crime here, you always feel very safe living here.
“I was born in Swanage and never lived anywhere else in my life. The only break was during World War Two, when I was away for two or three years, but as soon as I was demobbed I was back in Swanage, back in my old job and here I’ve been ever since.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in Swanage is in the hotel industry. Before the war, people didn’t have cars so they used to come on the railway and stay a week or a fortnight in Swanage – now they all have cars, and a lot of the hotels and guest houses have closed. There’s nothing like as many as we used to have before the war.”
Des trained as an RAF wireless operator, but served with the Royal Artillery in the Far East
Des was only 14 when the war started, but as soon as he turned 18 he enlisted in the RAF as a wireless operator. However, once he had completed his training he was transferred into the Army’s Royal Artillery to join an anti mortar regiment in Singapore and Malaya.
He talked little about his war service to his family, until son and daughter in law Mike and Marilyn Wood surprised Des and Betty with a holiday in Cornwall for their 60th wedding anniversary, to visit all the places they had been on their honeymoon.
There, when they visited the Eden Project in St Austell, the tropical biome filled with plants from rainforests around the world, brought back memories of the conditions in Malaya.
Des spent 50 years working for Southern Electric in Swanage, eventually upgrading from a bicycle to a van to make home calls
“I was with the anti mortar regiment, the idea was to find the mortars by range finding and then to bring them down with 25-pound shells.
“But although we were all ready for it, we never got around to doing it because the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Japan and ended the war before we got to see any action.
“I can remember a lot about Swanage before the war, especially Swanage Carnival which then only lasted for one day, not like it does now. I can remember there was a parade which was led by someone important from the town on a horse, with a brass band marching behind it.
“They had a greasy pole and children used to bombard each other with bags of flour and bags of soot, but I don’t think they’d allow it today because of health and safety.
“On the Rec they used to have swings and roundabouts, and rifle shooting with air guns, but that was about the extent of the entertainment.”
Des was an original member of Swanage’s town twinning committee which set up a permanent link with Rudesheim in Germany
“There were some funny people about in those days – we had a man who walked around town wrapped up in a white sheet and we never found out why, then there was another who wore a kilt and used to play the bagpipes on Armistice Day.
“There was a bloke who lived in a stone cottage with rendering on the front, including a picture of an apple tree, and every autumn he used to collect real apples and hammer them with a nail onto the wall of his house, he was quite mad.
“He also used to throw coppers for the children to scramble for, but our headmaster at Mount Scar, Freddy Moore, didn’t go a bundle on that and we were all instructed we must never scramble for the money.”
Despite a recent fall which left Des in Poole Hospital for five days, he is now back at his home near Townsend Nature Reserve, having previously lived in Osborne Road, Hillview Road, Priest Road and Bell Street, although when he and Betty first married they lived in a flat in Station Road over Smiths Radio.
Swanage seafront in the summer of 1934 – much has changed since Des’s childhood, but it still remains the best place to be!
“Living at home is the best arrangement for him, Care Purbeck is brilliant and send someone round four times a day to help him get up, prepare lunch and tea and go to bed.
“He has weekly visits from myself and my brother Andrew, and other friends drop in to see him, as well as George the gardener and a lady who does the cleaning.”
“Probably now he’s one of the few, born and bred in Swanage who has lived and worked his entire life here. I think many people in town will still remember him fondly, he was a great tennis player and crowds would come to watch him play.
“When younger, he would go off cycling miles with his then fiance Betty and a group of friends. He loved electronics and built radios, the family’s first television in 1960 and even a telescope to enable stargazing.”
Des with sons Michael and Andrew, grandson Alastair and granddaughter Emily
In retirement, Des spent a lot of time playing tennis, then table tennis at the football club’s sports hall up until the age of 80.
He and Betty would also take regular walks to Corfe Castle, catching the bus back, and they would regularly drive to Devon to visit their grandchildren, turning up at his son’s house before 7 am because Des didn’t like driving on busy roads.
Des has already received an envelope from Buckingham Palace with greetings from King Charles and Queen Camilla, and family members will join Mike and Marilyn at his home before Christmas to wish him a happy 100th birthday.
They include grandson David, a doctor at Manchester children’s hospital, his son and daughter in law Andrew and Yvonne, and their two children Alistair and Emily.
We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.
The much cherished steps down to the beach at the north end of Swanage Bay are being repaired with local government cash after they were swept away by winter storms.
The path from the Ballard estate down to the area of the beach called Sheps Hollow, is expected to reopen by Saturday 9th November 2024, eight months after it was closed to the public on safety grounds.
Local contractor James Rose has been rebuilding access to the sea
Replacing the steps has been a priority for the North Beach area of Swanage since a public meeting was held in April 2024 and local residents overwhelmingly requested action at the popular beauty spot.
The closure has meant residents in North Swanage losing their easy access to the beach, making a quick dip in the sea or a dog walk much less convenient. It’s also meant there has been no safe escape route up the cliff from the north end of the beach at high tide.
Although Dorset Council was awarded £3 million from the Environment Agency to address the growing problem of coastal erosion, it was felt that the Sheps Hollow restoration was too urgent to wait until the cash arrives in 2025.
Instead, emergency funds were found by Dorset Council, local contractor J S Rose arrived on site on Tuesday 5th November 2024 and work began to provide safe access to the beach, scheduled to be completed within the week.
A wooden walkway and slope have been rebuilt for much of the way down, but the final 15 steps will be down a metal staircase repurposed from a building site.
It’s intended as a short term solution which should last for eight to 10 years, while a longer lasting resolution to the problem of beach access down an unstable cliff is considered.
The final 15 steps down to the beach will be via a metal staircase
“We are due to finish work by Friday afternoon and it will hopefully be open by the weekend. The cliff is a clay and sand mix – we were worried when we started digging into it that we would find a lot of hard rocks, but it was actually quite easy to work.
“I would have liked to see a more permanent solution with timber steps all the way down, but it is likely that another route is going to be created in the next 10 years, so these steps are designed to last for the short term.
“You get a lot of beach visitors here in summer and a lot of dog walkers, and while the area is still accessible in many ways, it was just the last few steps down to the beach that needed something done to them.
“There have been people still using the route down even when the steps have not been there, and that was really dangerous.”
The previous wood and plastic steps at Sheps Hollow were badly damaged in November 2023
By spring 2024 they had been completely washed away by winter storms
The lower half of the steps ended up in the sea
Dorset Coast Forum project officer Sara Parker said:
“A contractor has been engaged to restore access to the steps following community requests that a temporary solution be reached. It was felt that this necessary eight to ten year ‘temporary’ solution was required as soon as possible, so funding secured, and work is now underway.
“At the public meeting in April 2024, the overwhelming concern raised was about the future of Sheps Hollow steps, everyone was talking about them.
“People were saying they will still try to get down to the beach that way and it was not safe. It is tricky – I know people wanted to get down there, whether it’s walking the dog or for swimming, and they won’t always listen if you tell them not to.
“Steps had to be taken to close off the route from Ballard estate down to the beach, with an alternative route suggested at Burlington Chine.
“With CTAP funding available at the earliest in 2025, funding was secured by Dorset Council from outside the CTAP project fund to reinstate the access to and from the beach for the community and visitors. We hope everyone will enjoy the new steps.”
Access to Swanage Bay is expected to be restored by Saturday 9th November 2024
The Environment Agency’s Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme helps communities to plan for the long term, including through interventions such as improving and replacing damaged community infrastructure like beach access or coastal transport links.
Dorset’s grant – to be shared with Charmouth in West Dorset – can be used for repurposing land in coastal erosion zones for different uses such as temporary car parks, and restoring and creating habitats to include green buffer zones.
It aims to accelerate strategic planning to set out how local authorities, partners and communities will address the long-term transition of homes, businesses and assets away from the coastline at risk.
It is hoped to establish medium and long term plans that enable coastal areas at significant risk to address the challenges posed by a changing climate.
Contractors started work on Tuesday 5th November 2024 and made fast progress
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In an important change to the management of Swanage Railway, the heritage attraction has recruited Dorset-born Abbie King to the newly created full time paid role of chief executive.
Having pulled through recent difficult financial times during the Covid pandemic, Swanage Railway has been advertising for a while to attract the right candidate to keep it on track for the future.
Abbie King will become Swanage Railway’s first full time chief executive from mid March 2025
High inflation, increasing employment costs, and the cost of living squeeze on peoples’ incomes have all adversely affected the railway’s finances. On the plus side, there’s been growing passenger numbers and a reinvigorated programme of special events which have been attracting new visitors.
Abbie King, who grew up in Dorset and used to work at the Tank Museum in Bovington, is currently a director of the charity Shrewsbury Ark in Shropshire, which helps homeless and vulnerable people.
In her role she has developed the charity’s business, board and mission as well as creating financial systems and supporting staff with their development.
She will be joining the Swanage Railway team from Monday 17th March 2025.
“I am looking forward to coming back to Dorset and joining the established team at the Swanage Railway to help make sure the wonderful heritage line is future proofed for generations to come.”
In 1976 volunteers started to rebuild the Victorian railway line which had been left to decay by British Rail
Swanage station has now been restored but there’s plans for further improvement in 2025
The Polar Express experience has brought a new way to bring income to the heritage railway
Work to restore the Swanage Railway branch line began in 1976, after being closed down by British Rail in 1972.
Since that time, volunteers, supported by a small team of staff, have managed to turn the railway into a major tourist attraction, while also physically reconnecting it to the rail network at Wareham.
Now entering a new phase of its development, the new chief executive will be tasked with ensuring its future profitability.
Gavin Johns (left) and Frank Roberts (right) volunteer their time to keep the railway running
Gavin Johns who is the chair of Swanage Railway Company in a voluntary capacity said:
“I am delighted to welcome Abbie King as our new chief executive. Abbie’s wide breadth of experience is very relevant to the Swanage Railway and the way that it needs to develop to position itself for the future.
“Abbie’s Dorset roots bring a vital perspective that will enable her to quickly establish relationships with staff, stakeholders and our visitors that will support the Swanage Railway’s aims.
“The Swanage Railway is working hard to stabilise its business following the pandemic – and the effects of increased material and operating costs – to create a sustainable base for the future with 2024 trading being a positive step towards this aim.
“Part of our plans require the extra day to day support of a chief executive for the shaping and leading for our management team and staff – including our crucial volunteers – as they develop and deliver our ambitious plans.
“The newly created chief executive role focuses on developing the business so it delivers our charitable aims and business plans to establish the Swanage Railway as a living museum by bringing in new thinking and experience, continuing the improvement of railway management and focusing on investing to improve the experience for our valued visitors.”
New year’s day 2025 signalled the start of celebrations marking 200 years of passenger railways
Abbie studied travel and tourism at Weymouth College before going on to university to study business and finance.
Wanting to build a career in museums and heritage, Abbie worked at Weymouth Museum before moving to Merlin Entertainments within its Sea Life brand.
Working at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth led to a new challenge working for the Lulworth Estate in the Isle of Purbeck where Abbie managed commercial interests at Lulworth Cove.
From 2012, Abbie was the visitor services manager for the Tank Museum at Bovington near Wareham where she helped to increase the number of visitors and commercial activity while keeping the integrity of the museum’s mission.
Abbie later became the assistant director of the Shire Hall historic courthouse museum in Dorchester before taking on the role of director at the museum in 2020 where she created a profitable museum while keeping its missions of learning and being a social justice hub.
In 2023, Abbie moved to the midlands to take on the role of chief operating officer at the Ironbridge Gorge museums where she worked with a large and effective team caring for some of the world’s most important industrial heritage sites.
Swanage Railway has so much to attract visitors from the UK and around the world
Volunteer and chair of the Swanage Railway Trust Frank Roberts said:
“I look forward to working with Abbie as the Swanage Railway Company’s new chief executive and welcoming her to the Swanage Railway family which has achieved so much across the generations, and against the odds, since the heritage line started to be rebuilt in 1976.
“Abbie’s role is crucial and part of an important plan to take the Swanage Railway to the next stage in its development – bringing in new and fresh ideas to increase our income so we can achieve an enhanced heritage experience for our train passengers.”
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After a few unexpected delays, the new sauna overlooking Swanage Bay in Dorset and ideally located for sea swimmers, is now operational and taking bookings.
It had been hoped that the new beach-side facility would open in time for summer 2024 but the discovery that the sauna required an upgraded electricity supply delayed the installation of the sauna on the terrace area, just off the closed part of Shore Road.
The sauna cabin is located between The Mowlem and the Swanage Information Centre, just off Shore Road
One of the first to say hello was the Swanage Information Centre team
However after much paperwork and digging up the road by the electricity company, Swanage Bay Sauna welcomed its first customers on Wednesday 15th January 2024.
As it is on Swanage Town Council land, the business is paying the council to operate from the location following a competitive tender process.
It’s open for everyone to use, either by booking or just turning up, with prices for individuals from £5 for 15 minutes.
“Obviously I’m relieved and excited to welcome everyone to try out the new sauna. It’s taken about a year to make it happen but it’s been an exciting adventure.
“Although it’s been difficult at times and a long process, it’s just the nature of things when you are trying to do something new. However, the massive support from the town council and local people has been amazing!”
One way glass reflects Ballard Down in the window
The redwood cabin has huge one-way glass windows which means that those in the sauna can look out over the bay but people strolling along the seafront can’t see in.
The cabin has two sauna rooms – one for private hire for up to 10 people and a smaller sauna that has capacity for up to five people and is available for anyone turning up on the day.
It is operational seven days a week from 7 am to 7 pm, all year round, which means you can watch the sun rise over the bay, or enjoy an evening dip followed by a sauna session.
Tracey Waters (right) with new recruit Alex Woodman (left) who will assist Tracey when he isn’t professionally competing or coaching triathlons
While Tracey says that it’s down to personal preference how people use the sauna, there is evidence that having a dip in the sea and then going into the sauna and then back into the sea, is good for wellbeing.
“There are brilliant benefits of having a sauna and combining it with dips in the sea. Not only can it be a great social experience if you do it with a group, it’s also very exhilarating. It makes you feel fantastic!
“Some people will be booking an hour-long session and nipping out of the sauna and into the water for about three or four sea dips. It’s recommended that you end the session on a cold sea dip for the best effect.
“However if anyone just wants to experience the sauna, then that’s fine too – it’s all down to personal choice. I just can’t wait to see everyone try the sauna out!
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opened its doors for the first time in two weeks and welcomed customers in from the February rain
The new look cafe and bakery in Institute Road has been enlarged with more seating
and made a lot more welcoming with new furniture and beautiful new lighting
The revamped Swanage branch of Cornish Bakery with its newly painted signage in Farrow and Ball’s trendy Sulking Room Pink
the counter area has new green tiling and more space to display tempting treats
One of the first customers to visit was Swanage town mayor Tina Foster and her consort Les Parkinson
who obligingly cut a ribbon to formally reopen the premises on Wednesday 26th February 2025
in 2016 and has been a popular haunt for both locals and visitors with its large windows
One of the first through the door were Swanage town mayor Tina Foster (right) and her consort Les Parkinson (left) welcomed by Swanage shop manager Rosie Wylie (centre)
Rosie says she’s very happy with the refurbishment
Rosie Wylie has worked at the Cornish Bakery in Swanage for two years and was promoted to manager in September 2024
“It’s amazing to become the manager and then for the shop to get a total refit – I’m so happy and I just can’t stop smiling
“I love how it’s turned out and having the extra seating means we can welcome in more customers
There’s also little touches like the heater over the door and the better display areas by the counter
A new wooden rail defines the seating area and the parquet flooring has been sanded and repolished
The toilet has been moved into an old office area
making more room available for the new tables and artwork
the need for additional tables was very obvious when the heavens opened and lots of people headed into the cafe to shelter from the rain and warm themselves with a hot drink and have something to eat
one of the most popular pastries is the cherry and almond croissant
while the top selling pasty is the traditional pasty which is made in Cornwall but cooked on the premises in Swanage
“All our products are baked freshly everyday
That’s why they taste so good and why we have lots of regular customers
“While lots of people go for our traditional beef pasty
my favourite is the chicken masala pasty – it’s not too spicy and it has a lot of chicken in it
I’d really encourage people to pop in and give it a try.”
The cherry and almond croissant is a Swanage favourite with the Pain aux Raisan selling well too
Lunchtime rolls are freshly prepared daily
The traditional pasty sells well but Rosie says the chicken masala pasty is lush
The Cornish Bakery is an independent chain with 66 outlets in the UK and Swanage is one of five branches that have undergone recent major refurbishment
It provides employment in Swanage for 10 local people all year round and the revamp represents a significant investment by the company in the seaside town
The Cornish Bakery in 2022 before the makeover. The building was constructed after World War Two, on the site of the Westminster Bank which was bombed in 1942
The new exterior bring more style to Swanage in a prime location
Cornish Bakery’s managing director, Mat Finch said:
“We absolutely love Swanage and take great pride in having a Cornish Bakery here. It is such a stylish and trendy year-round location.
“During the early part of this year, we are taking positive steps to invest in several of our properties and most importantly our team, who are vital to the everyday success of all our bakeries.
“After many glorious years here in Swanage, it was clear that a complete overhaul was required, given that our brand has changed significantly, our product range has evolved into a more fulsome bakery experience and coffee has become our best seller.
“Now, I am fully confident that we’ve made it the premium, stylish space and experience for both residents in, and visitors to, the town, including their dogs! We’re looking forward to welcoming customers, new and old, into our beautiful new space.”
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Swanage’s former Salvation Army church has just been put up for sale at a bargain price of £350,000 – and could become one of the most unusual homes in town.
The Victorian church building has entrances onto both High Street and Kings Road East, giving it a prime town centre location within 500 metres of the beach, and has more than 2,500 square feet of floor space.
Access to the Victorian building from High Street is via a walkway bridge
Despite being more than 150 years old and having a rich ecclesiastical history, the former church is not on the National Heritage List for England and could probably be converted to residential use – at a cost.
Currently, the lower ground floor which is accessed through Kings Road East is mostly taken up with a huge meeting hall, though it does include a working kitchen of around 15 feet by 13 feet.
On the floor above – ground floor level on High Street – three quarters of the space is a church hall, with a separate lobby room and a smaller kitchen.
Entrance off High Street is over a stone walkway bridge and through an arched church door, while light is let in through three arched Gothic lancet windows. The building currently has no bathroom or bedrooms, although it does have three toilets.
Much of the ground floor is taken up by the former church hall
The lower ground floor has been in use as a meeting hall with two store rooms
It is being marketed by Corbens Estate Agents of Swanage, and spokesperson Nick Corben said:
“This is a rare opportunity to acquire a very unique premises in the town centre of Swanage. We feel it would be suitable for both commercial and residential use subject to the usual planning applications.
“It has been used for many years by the Salvation Army but unfortunately it is now no longer needed by them.
“We hope that when a new buyer is found, the appearance will not alter too much and it will still remain one of Swanage’s most interesting buildings.”
While there are no bathrooms, bedrooms or reception rooms, the church does have two kitchens
The building, originally a mission hall built in 1872, unexpectedly shut at the beginning of March 2024 as the property department of the Salvation Army’s national organisation took the difficult decision to sell some of its least used churches.
Its closure left both the Swanage Salvation Army organisation and the Swanage Food Bank, which had used the church premises as a headquarters, looking for new premises.
Fortunately other local churches came to the rescue with the food bank relocating to the United Reform Church, and the Salvation Army finding a new home at the Methodist Church, both further along Swanage’s High Street.
Although there is space at the back of the church, off Kings Road East, it may not be possible to use it as parking
The Salvation Army Church building began life in 1872 as an independent Christian mission hall by the group that was eventually to become part of the United Reformed Church. When the hall became redundant in 1887 it was first leased and then sold to the Salvation Army.
A spokesperson for Central, Southern and Channel Islands Salvation Army said:
“Although our building closed and is now being sold, the Salvation Army remains in Swanage. We have forged a covenant of friendship, an ecumenical partnership, with Swanage Methodist Church.
“Our church members are now using the Methodist church building where we can serve and welcome the community more effectively together. People can join in with Salvation Army worship in Swanage Methodist Church every Sunday morning at 10.30 am.
The people of Swanage Salvation Army now have a covenant of friendship with Swanage Methodist Church
“We engage in joint worship, prayer and study so that we may know and value each other, and seek God’s will for us, as a congregation and for the community we serve.
“We can also be of mutual support for each other, pastorally and spiritually. The Salvation Army has been in Swanage since 1887 and we will remain here.
“Like many organisations, we have had to think about how best to use our resources, and are reminded that church is not limited to a building but remains in the bodies of its people.”
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A scheme in Swanage, Dorset, is being reinvigorated to help residents get the support they need to improve their wellbeing and mental health.
Community Connectors was set up by the charity Wellbeing Swanage in January 2023, based on the scheme pioneered in Frome in Somerset, which uses word-of-mouth to signpost people to services available in the local community.
The management of the attractive day centre building was transferred from Dorset Council to the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust in March 2024
Now that Wellbeing Swanage is based at the former day centre, it is looking to bring back even more services to Swanage including those providing family support, mental health, housing, loneliness support and employment advice.
The current programme already includes toddler groups, breastfeeding advice, health visitors, speech and language therapy, drug and alcohol services, and social prescribing. Care Dorset continues to offer a day centre for disabled and older people.
The buildings including the old Children’s Centre and The Centre are managed by Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust and are now collectively known as The Focus Centre. They are located on the High Street at the junction with Chapel Lane.
So to get the message out about the current and new services coming back to the town, those who signed up to become a Swanage community connector are being invited to come along to some new information sessions to get the latest update.
New people, organisations and businesses are also being encouraged to join up.
CEO of the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust Ali Tuckey has a long to-do list in his new job!
Ali Tuckey, who was a familiar face at Durlston Country Park, is now the CEO of the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust. He said:
“Community connectors are people who can help friends, family, neighbours and people in Swanage and the surrounding area to find support.
“Anyone can be a community connector! It is not about volunteering, it’s about being someone in the community who knows there’s help out there.
“It’s about encouraging conversations, listening and being inquisitive. It is not about providing solutions, but helping people to find their own.
“You don’t need to be an expert on services – just by encouraging people to visit us at The Focus Centre you will be helping others to get some support.
“I’d really encourage people from all walks of life to sign up to an information session, whether you’re a taxi driver, hairdresser, student, or work in a cafe or shop.
“Anyone who has a bit of time to chat. Sometimes the only contact that some people have during the day is with those serving them in shops.
“We’d also like to hear from business owners, clubs and societies. It would be good to embed information about Community Connectors into staff training – we’d love to develop that!”
The Focus Centre is continuing to offer a day centre provided by Care Dorset for disabled and older people, alongside the services of the Family Hub including toddler groups, breastfeeding advice, and health visitor sessions, with more to come
The sessions are no more than an hour, and include refreshments and a tour of The Focus Centre.
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