‘Bravest man in the world’

Pioneer aviator Louis Strange died quietly at his home in Worth Matravers fifty years ago this month. Dubbed ‘the bravest man in the world’ by his friend and comrade, Robert Smith-Barry (who developed the internationally recognised ‘Gosport System’ of flying instruction), Louis Strange would have been a national hero in any other age, his life Read More…

Buttoned up

Blandford cartwheels, bird’s eyes, singletons, old dorsets… they could easily be real ales, rare insects, or even Morris dances. In fact, they’re different types of Dorset Button. As with much of its history, the origins of Dorset Buttonry are shrouded in myth, but the industry flourished from the early 17th century until the mid-19th century. Read More…