Latest news with #DorsetBreakfast
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Gorge Cafe: Dorchester's South Street reopens months after fire
A shopping street that has been closed since fire tore through a cafe four months ago has partially Gorge Cafe was completely destroyed and neighbouring buildings were damaged in the blaze on 9 and engineers have been working to stabilise the remaining structures but the closure has left nearby businesses counting the Friday afternoon, a path was re-opened through the affected part of South Street, allowing shoppers to walk through and for stores to reopen. Speaking to Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, Neil Strudwick, owner of Goldcrest Jewellers, said: "The footfall is going to go up. We can't wait to get back open again and get back to normality."A lot of South Street is niche, independent businesses."We're really looking forward to getting this street open as soon as possible."Michael Quinn of Quinn's Butchers in the Hardye Arcade said a significant proportion of his business came from passing trade."We've dropped at least 25% of our customers and we are looking to get them back now," he Kareem of Mina's Deli said: "It did have a big impact because it happened in December, the busiest month of the year, and it took a while for people to realise we were still open." The Grade II-listed, terraced building, where novelist Thomas Hardy trained as an architect, was destroyed in the fire and collapsed further several weeks Faber, of Jordan and Faber contractors, said his company had been working to make the area safe, erecting complex scaffolding to support the damaged said: "We've had nine weeks to get to where we've got to. "I appreciate the public wanted it open as soon as possible but safety was the number one priority, for the guys doing the work and for the public."Mr Strudwick said: "There will, from Friday be a clear access path past the fire site from one end to the other of South Street, and the blockage at the end of Hardye Arcade will go, allowing full access once again from both ends of the arcade." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bournemouth football fans walk 60 miles after TikTok forfeit
Two friends are walking between two Premier League football grounds to raise money for charity after one of them pledged a forfeit on Phillips promised to walk from Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium to St Mary's in Southampton, and back, if AFC Bournemouth failed to reach the FA Cup is raising money for Alzheimer's research in memory of his grandfather, a former AFC Bournemouth player, who died from the disease in the start of his two-day challenge on Tuesday, he received phone calls from Cherries players Lewis Cook, Adam Smith and Ryan Christie. Mr Phillips, who runs a Cherries fan site called Back of the Net, is taking on the 60-mile (96km) challenge with his friend, Stan made the pledge last month, before Bournemouth's FA Cup hopes were brought to an end by Manchester City. Speaking on Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show at the start of day two, he said: "We really enjoyed it."I had a couple of blisters and my legs are aching a little bit but I'm feeling good to go."Mark McAdam, of Sky Sports, joined the friends for the first three miles and surprised them with the footballers' phone calls."He said, 'I've got a call I want you to answer', and it was Lewis Cook, then Adam Smith."Ryan Christie called as well, just to wish us good luck."The pair embarked on their return journey on Wednesday Phillips has so far raised more than £2,750 for Alzheimer's Research UK, in memory of his grandfather, Ian said: "He used to play for AFC Bournemouth as a striker, albeit in the reserves, back in the day."He passed away from Alzheimer's... so I thought it would be fitting to do something like this." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dorset charity elephant sculpture damaged day after trail starts
An elephant sculpture that forms part of a charity trail of almost 60 has been found damaged a day after going on elephant in West Bay, Dorset, was found with a number of holes smashed along its head on charity art trail, Stampede by the Sea, said "as an event organised by, and raising money for, local charity Weldmar Hospicecare, this is really sad".The free trail, in place until 27 May, is followed by a map or app around Bridport, West Bay, and Lyme Regis. The charity added it was "disappointing" to find the damage after "so much positivity with the launch of the trail."Featuring 31 large and 28 smaller elephants it has been created by the specialist end of life care charity and public art trail producer Wild in the trail has ended its large artist-decorated sculptures are set to be auctioned at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester in June to raise money for the of the elephants been painted by Royal Academy artist Phillip Sutton, 96, who is partially features a cartoon of Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast host, Steve Harris, by cartoonist Lyndon Wall.A map of the trail can be found on the Stampede by the Sea website. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bournemouth Hospital £91m maternity unit welcomes first families
Bournemouth's new £91m maternity unit has begun welcoming its first expectant BEACH building at Royal Bournemouth Hospital opens on Monday, replacing the ageing facilities at St Mary's in House, who had her first child at St Mary's, is due to have her second at the new unit in described the BEACH building as "amazing, huge, light and airy", with private space and room for partners to stay. Ms House, who works in the hospital trust's admin team, said the birth of her first child during the Covid pandemic was a "completely different" experience. Speaking to Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, she said: "My partner was able to stay for the duration of labour but, as soon I was transferred to the post-natal ward, he was gone."That was Covid anyway, but St Mary's didn't have any capability for partners to stay. There wasn't room to have spare beds."She described the new facilities as "absolutely amazing", adding: "It's huge, light, airy - there are some amazing views. "It's a big building and every room is private so everyone has their own space."As well as the maternity unit, all emergency gynaecology and early pregnancy services are now based at the move is part of a major reorganisation of services by University Hospitals Dorset across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stampede by the Sea: Elephant sculpture trail unveiled in Dorset
A public art trail featuring individually designed elephant sculptures painted by different artists has been unveiled in by the Sea is a collaboration between local charity Weldmar Hospicecare and public art trail producer Wild in than 50 elephants are on display around Bridport, West Bay and Lyme Regis for eight event aims to raise money and awareness for the charity. One of the elephants been painted by Royal Academy artist Phillip Sutton, 96, who is partially features a cartoon of Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast host, Steve Harris, by cartoonist Lyndon Wall, who draws primarily for the West Dorset Magazine, said: "The suggestion from the magazine was to draw lots of cartoons, covering all aspects of Dorset - famous people, places and things that were newsworthy as well."A map of the trail can be found on the Stampede by the Sea artist-decorated sculptures will be auctioned at the end of the trail. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
