Arts & Entertainments

Although it is not currently a legal requirement, please consider wearing a face covering to protect yourself and others when visiting the Tivoli.

Model trains steam into town

Model railways of all shapes and sizes are converging on Wimborne Model Town for the charity visitor attraction’s annual Railway Weekend between April 30 and May 2. A ride-on garden railway, providing visitors with a very different view of the vintage model buildings will run with the support of Wimborne & District Society of Model Engineers and hauled by Toby the Tram Engine. Making its public debut is the compact T gauge layout, Keren Cove, having been featured in Railway Modeller magazine. Built and exhibited by volunteer Becky Stares, the 3mm scale diorama, with a distinctly Purbeck feel, has a tiny 1/450 scale train which progresses through cuttings, across miniature bridges and a level crossing to reach it’s destination. Model Town railway volunteers will be operating the developing Tramway system and organising extensive running on the attraction’s expanding 00 gauge layout including trains running underground and hot air balloon flights above the diorama. Standard admission charges apply and booking is not required.

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WILLE & THE BANDITS

Friday 22nd April 7.30pm Tickets £16

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) LIONEL:

THE MUSIC OF LIONEL RICHIE

Saturday 23rd April 8pm Tickets £23.50

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) JIM DAVIDSON presents:

LEFT, RIGHT & CENTRE

OVER 18s ONLY A New TV panel show Filmed live!

25th April, 3rd & 4th May 7.30pm Matinees 3rd & 4th May 2.30pm Tickets £15

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) CARL PALMER’S

ELP LEGACY

Wednesday 27th April 7.30pm Tickets £28.50

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) DEBORAH BONHAM BAND:

BONHAM - BULLICK TOUR

Thursday 28th April 7.30pm Tickets £19

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee)

JAH WOBBLE

& THE INVADERS OF THE HEART

Saturday 30th April 8pm Tickets £21.50

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee per transaction) THE MATT MONRO STORY

Thursday 5th May 7.30pm Tickets £24 LIVE WIRE: THE AC/DC SHOW

Saturday 7th May 7.30pm Tickets £20

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction) SHOW OF HANDS

Wednesday 11th May 7.30pm Tickets £26 THE DAVE KELLY BAND

Thursday 12th May 7.30pm Tickets £20

Literary festival hosts the write stuff

by Faith Eckersall

Booklovers take note! Sturminster Literary Festival has announced its 2022 lineup and bookings for a series of talks by a feast of Dorset writers are now open. The popular event runs from June 6-18 and aims to showcase leading and emerging fiction authors with Dorset connections, as well as celebrate the town’s literary associations with Thomas Hardy, William Barnes and Robert Young. The first week features writing by some popular contemporary Dorset authors including bestseller, Natasha Solomons, who will be at the Exchange discussing her innovative and beautifully written new novel, I, Mona Lisa. At a literary lunch, special guest Minette Walters will talk about The Swift and the Harrier, her historical novel on the horrors of the Civil War in Dorset. Gillingham-based Sally Page leads the literary tea, where she will talk about the writing of her best-selling debut novel, The Keeper Of Stories, which has had excellent reviews. Award-winning crime author, Rachel McLean, will be discussing her popular Dorset crime series, six procedural crime novels set in various locations around the county, the first of which is The Corfe Castle Murders. Meanwhile, historical romance author Karen Dickson from Shaftesbury will discuss her recently published family saga, A Songbird In Wartime, which was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel Awards category this year. And, Via Zoom, Jim Case of Newfoundland, Canada, will talk about his genealogical connections with Dorset’s cod fishing and swanskin industries and how he came to write his historical novel, Ananias, which is based on his family history. During the second week events will focus on the town’s literary heritage, with Professor Angelique Richardson and Dr Steph Alder speaking about Hardy’s Correspondents, a collaborative project between Dorset Museum and the University of Exeter. In this fascinating presentation, guests will learn what the collection of letters tell us about Hardy’s many-sidedness, his relationships and his political activism. Former Yetties band member Bonny Sartin will discuss Hardy’s musical heritage – the music he played, his instruments and the references to traditional song, music and dance in his writing. At a literary lunch, writer Christopher Nicholson will be speaking about the strange story of Hardy’s association with one of the rarest of all British birds, the creamcoloured courser. And in his talk, Sturminster stalwart David Fox will share insights into the town’s past and Blackmore Vale life as depicted in the poetry and writings of William Barnes and Robert Young. On Saturday, June 18, a Victorian-themed family fun afternoon will be held in Railway Gardens and Poet’s Corner area of the town. There will be free village games and circus skills activities, plus side shows and entertainments, including country dancing by Steps In Time and traditional Punch & Judy shows by the acclaimed Professor Gary Wilson. Two guided walks will highlight literary heritage in Bagber and Marnhull and there will also be reading discussion groups and two weekend events for children. More details are at sturlitfest. com/. Bookings can be made at eventbrite.co.uk/o/ sturminster-newton-literaryfestival-33209608299.

Organ recital tomorrow

To celebrate International Organ Day, John Radford will give a short recital in Gussage All Saints Church tomorrow, April 23. Coffee and cake will be served from 10.30am and the recital itself begins at 11am. There will be a retiring collection for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

HIGH ST, CHRISTCHURCH (01202) 499199 www.regentcentre.co.uk

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE (12A)

Fri 22 April: 10.45am, 2.30pm, 6.30pm | Sat 23: 10.45am | Sun 24: 10.45am, 2pm, 5pm, 8.15pm Wed 27 & Thurs 28: 10:45am, 2pm.

MILTON MUSICAL SOCIETY presents “CHESS”

Wed 27, Thurs 28, Fri 29 April: 7.30pm & Sat 30 April: 2.30pm & 7.30pm | Tickets: £18, Conc. £17

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA (PG)

From Fri 29 April - Thurs 19 May

REGENT COMEDY CLUB with Lou Sanders (18+ only)

Thurs 5 May: 7.30pm | Tickets £17 | Plus two support acts

THE FULL MONTY REVISITED

Fri 6 May: 7.30pm | Tickets: £22.50 Strictly OVER 18s only. Raising funds for Macmillan Caring Locally’s “Brick by Brick” appeal.

THE REAL THING

Sat 7 May: 7.30pm | Tickets: £26, Conc. £25

DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966) - [35mm Presentation]

Sun 8 May: 8pm | Tickets: £10, Conc. £9

BANFF FILM FESTIVAL (Red Programme)

Thurs 12 May: 7.30pm | £15.50, Conc. £14 (Groups of 6+ £14)

IAN WAITE & VINCENT SIMONE… ACT TWO

Sat 14 May: 7.30pm | Tickets: £36, Conc. £34.50 VIP tickets: £70 each (includes a pre-show meet & greet & signed print)

HORRIBLE HISTORES LIVE: TERRIBLE TUDORS

Sun 15 May: 1.30pm & 4.30pm Tickets: £15, Conc. £13 | Family Ticket: £52 (2 adults, 2 U16s)

ROYAL BALLET: SWAN LAKE (LIVE)

Thurs 19 May: 7.15pm. £18.50, Conc. £16.50, Child (U16): £10

THE FOG (1980) - [35mm Presentation] (15)

Fri 20 May: 10pm | Tickets: £10, Conc. £9

REGENT 90TH BIRTHDAY: A Celebration of Musical Theatre

Sun 22 May: 7.30pm | Tickets £10

Reach for the dark skies

by Faith Eckersall

Fancy becoming a piece of living art? Now’s your chance as the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been chosen as one of 20 UK landscapes taking part in Green Space, Dark Skies, part of the Unboxed pan-UK festival of creativity. The Green Space Dark Skies project invites 20,000 people from all paths in life to make a journey into the landscape together. Participants will become ‘lumenators’, holders of specially-designed, lowimpact lights to create enormous patterns and images on the landscape at dusk. In Dorset, outdoor event organiser Activate Performing Arts is inviting people to come together on Saturday, June 11, to create a unique film in the heart of the Dorset AONB, which stretches from Lyme Regis to Poole and up to Beaminster and Blandford. The project says lumenators will: “Experience wild and beautiful places as dusk falls with each mass gathering celebrating nature, our responsibility to protect it and everyone’s right to explore the countryside.” Because the exact locations will be kept secret until nearer the event, lumenators must register beforehand. Find more details at: greenspacedarkskies.uk/ events/england-dorset-aonb/

Arts & Entertainments

Love letters straight from the art

by Lorraine Gibson

When calligrapher Alan Mason was asked to create someone’s precious family tree, it became one of the largest commissions he’d undertaken. Having meticulously researched her ancestry, his customer wanted it to be beautiful enough to be framed and given as a gift. “She’d traced the generations back to 1274 to Robert De Bruce, a total of 25 generations,” says Alan. “The scale of the request took me aback but I agreed to give it my best effort. Plenty of planning and rough working was needed and any unusual spellings had to be confirmed.” Despite it being a demanding project, Alan, who got into calligraphy after becoming fascinated with the effect of white writing on black paper, relished the task. “Many people in the lineage had grand titles such as Lord of Pittendriech, 4th Baron, Scottish Secretary of State, etc. It gave me a great sense of history working through this list of people spanning the centuries,” he says. “Spelling mistakes are the calligrapher’s nightmare. It took seven weeks and I never made any.” The Southbourne pensmith and calligrapher of 50 years, used a dip pen and black Walker’s ink and red paint, a fine brush was used for other colours. He says good handwriting is not essential to be a good calligrapher, but lots of practice definitely is. “One has to commit to a couple of hours per week and keep at it - don’t give up,” Alan advises. His attention to detail has paid off and he’s been widely commissioned throughout the county and beyond to design invitations, place names, books of remembrance and even love letters. Alan’s a member of the Copperplate Special Interest Group where practitioners send one another examples of their calligraphy in the form of addressed envelopes. This maintains standards as can be seen in the one above he made especially for our magazine. Does he have a favourite letter? Why ‘A’ for Alan, and artist, of course! amason- calligrapher.co.uk email gothic1943@gmail.com.

Brocante spring fair

The Dorset Brocante will be returning with its Spring Fair on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2, at Deans Court in Wimborne. The lanes will be frothing with cow parsley and we are hoping for a beautiful spring day in the gardens of Deans Court. We will have 40 wonderful exhibitors, who will be bringing you the very best of artisan gifts and homewares, unique vintage finds and French Brocante. If you are looking for gardenalia, rich textiles, vintage quilts, jewellery, slow fashion or chippy painted furniture, you’ll be sure to find it at the Brocante. With local artisan foodies offering freshlyground coffee and light refreshments, you can relax in the cafe by the fishponds and enjoy a lovely spring day out. Tickets can be bought at the gate - £7.50 for adults (under 14s free), dogs on leads are welcome, and there is free parking on site - please use the town car parks if full. The garden lawns are accessible with gravel paths. The Brocante is open from 10.30am until 4pm at Deans Court, Poole Road, Wimborne. For more information about the event, visit thedorsetbrocante.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!

Vintage, Artisan & Decorative Antiques Fair with local Foodies

40 Exhibitors

BH Monday 2 nd May

Enjoy a fun evening out with Harry

by Faith Eckersall

Fancy an evening out with Harry Redknapp? There’s one going on Thursday, May 12, at Poole’s Lighthouse Theatre, where Dorset’s very own ‘King of the Jungle’ and ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’ winner is back in his hometown by popular demand, to regale his audience with side-splitting stories from his football and TV career. Raconteur Harry is said to give one of the funniest, most entertaining talk shows on the circuit. Expect a hilarious evening with the former footballer who had a long career in club management as he gives an insight into his life and adventures. More details from lighthousepoole.co.uk.

BSO to celebrate Queen’s Jubilee

CELEBRATING: Kirill Karabits and the BSO

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a feast of music inspired by Shakespeare and the monarchy. Their ‘I Was Glad’ concert at the Lighthouse in Poole on Wednesday, May 11, features Parry’s song of the same name, which was sung at the Queen’s Coronation. It also features the Tempest Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky and Walton’s Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario. Conducted by Kirill Karabits, Tchaikovsky’s music for Shakespeare’s supernatural play The Tempest creates a visceral feeling of atmosphere — the gently undulating sea in the opening is seemingly calm, yet something eerie and foreboding lurks just beneath the surface. It is preceded by a work which has become an essential part of the British coronation ceremony; I Was Glad, by Bournemouth native, Hubert Parry. Laurence Olivier’s Henry V marked a significant cultural moment when it was released in 1944, and Walton’s celebrated film score remains equally significant. The orchestra will perform Christopher Palmer’s hour-long arrangement, a ‘Shakespeare Scenario’ under the baton of Karabits. Tickets cost from £8 and are available by visiting bsolive.com/events/i-wasglad/.

Raise a glass with Wimborne Wine Society

The saying goes… ‘Life is too short to drink bad wine’ but if you don’t know your Bordeaux from your Beaujolais or your Chablis from your Chardonnay where do you start? How about the Wimborne Wine Society? This friendly group of wine lovers welcomes new members to its monthly meetings at Dorset Community Action’s Community Learning and Resource Centre at King Street in Wimborne. The society meets the first Wednesday of each month. Members can enjoy a wine tasting and a presentation, often delivered by a visiting expert from local vineyards or wine shops. And don’t worry. There are no wine snobs to intimidate you or any pressure to buy the wines. Member are encouraged to bring along their own nibbles to enjoy while sampling the vintages. The next meeting is on Wednesday, May 4, at 7.30pm with a presentation: ‘Toasting our Queen’, looking at wines with a royal connection in preparation for the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee. Dust off your tiara or crown and come along in your best red, white and blue for this special evening. Guests are welcome before committing to becoming a member. Guest fee £10 a visit. Membership costs £25 annually and includes a set of wine-tasting glasses. To find out more visit wimbornewinesociety.org

Arts & Entertainments

Oh chums! Having a ball with Paul

by Hilary Porter

They were last on a stage together in 2019 but nothing is going to prevent the on-the-spot and off-thecuff comedy antics of Paul Merton’s Impro Chums as they head for Dorset. The adlibbing troupe – comprising Mike McShane, Suki Webster, Richard Vranch, Kirsty Newton, and, of course, Paul Merton is back with another selection of games spurred on by those all-important audience suggestions. They spoke to us as they head to Lighthouse, Poole, on Tuesday, June14...

So, is it likely Covid will be mentioned during a game or will you avoid it like the plague? Paul Merton: My own view is that people would want to get away from it. Not every comedy show has to hold up a magnifying glass to society and be about how we live today. The whole idea of entertainment, for me, is to take you somewhere else, not to remind you of where you are.

Suki Webster: I think the particular form of comedy we do is about us having fun and being silly; It doesn’t lend itself to satire or indepth discussion on difficult subjects because you’ve got four or five minds on stage all weaving in and out. The depth of it is in the joy and connection with each other and the audience. And we’re all going to be so giddy with excitement at being back together that I can’t see it being a focus.

What have you missed about the touring life? Richard Vranch: The thing I’ve missed is laughter. I’ve been watching a load of telly and there has been wonderful stuff produced by an arts industry that has been having a hard time. But I’ve really missed laughing with mates on the bus on the way to the gig and on stage during the gig. Mike McShane: The last tour was exemplary for us as a group; it felt like a

Marx Brothers show in the best way possible. We now had music from Kirsty and it was all very nice. Getting on the bus, checking in on each other, hanging out, acting like idiots. And doing the show is fantastic and everything you hope for.

Those 2019 shows marked Kirsty’s first Impro Chums tour of duty. What was your overriding memory of the experience?

Kirsty Newton: I felt as though I’d been let into the coolest, ‘funnest’ club ever and we had such a wonderful time. My over-riding sense of it is that it’s probably the best job in the world; just consistent fun and loveliness all the way.

Without a script to learn, the notion of rehearsal is clearly very different for you as a group. But how do you get the comedy muscle moving before a show? PM: The most important thing is to be together beforehand. So we’ll throw a ball around to be in each other’s orbit and to just tune in to each other. KN: And we do a vocal warm-up to make sure the pipes are working and we don’t start off croaky.

Finally, how important is the audience in making an Impro Chums show the best it can be? SW: We’ve really missed the connection with an audience. If you’re doing a play or stand-up there’s a bit of us and them, but with our show it’s about everybody, because their energy and their suggestions build it in a way that no other show can have. Everything is happening in the moment and what they’re doing is absolutely crucial. When it goes right that means everyone is involved and having a good time. It’s like a big party! www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Have a pint of Sandi

by Faith Eckersall

Popular broadcaster Sandi Toksvig will be sharing her reasons to be cheerful at Poole Lighthouse on Saturday, May 7, after long months of ‘coronacoaster’ gloom. Sandi’s first tour since 2019’s ‘National Trevor’ promises new discoveries, new adventures and new ideas, and you can expect fascinatingly funny facts, silly jokes and a quick-fire Q&A. Booking details at lighthousepoole.co.uk.

Boost for literary development

Literature Works is the regional literature development agency for the South West, which includes Dorset. The organisation is on a mission to ‘open up the flexible literature artform of poetry and story, creative writing and reading as widely as we can to the benefit of all in the South West of England’. This means lots of assistance, from the Free Reads scheme, to obtain professional feedback for writers via The Literary Consultancy, to a range of courses and events. Literature Works also holds shared reading sessions, which promise lively conversation and thoughtful discussion and a monthly online reading group. Visit literatureworks.org.uk.