NOTES FROM THE CHAIR – June 2020

The third issue of our Magazine is published today.  It contains fascinating articles by George Mortimer about the Preaching Cross in the Burial Ground, Robin Mills about Farming in the Tudor Period, Ian Denness about the watercolourist John Yeend King and his paintings of Cerne Abbas and Mike Clark about the Society’s research about the Abbey buildings.  Also included are further memories of Joan Keeble about her life in Cerne Abbas.  All contain many interesting photos and paintings. I’m sure you will enjoy the whole magazine.

 

Also published today is a new book the Society has produced called “CERNE ABBAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20th CENTURY”.  It’s a beautifully designed and printed 64 page, A4 size, all colour hardback containing all the photos and other material we assembled for the Exhibition in St Mary’s last year and is a fantastic record of that event as well as being a fascinating account of life in Cerne in the 1910s and 1920s.

The book costs £15 and will be delivered free if you live within 2 miles of Cerne Abbas. Elsewhere in the UK there will be a postage and packing charge of £3.00.

If you would like a copy details of how to obtain a copy are on pages 2 and 3 of the Magazine which is downloadable above.

 

Previously…

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR – May 2020

The celebrations of the 75th anniversary of VE Day on the 8th May must necessarily be muted because of the Coronavirus and the self isolation to which we have to adhere.

 

Nevertheless it is an occasion to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe, to celebrate the victory that was achieved and to remember all those who died in the struggle and all the sacrifices made. 


In the second issue of the Society’s magazine George Mortimer, aided by Ian Denness, reminds us of the effect the War had on Cerne, the men who lost their lives fighting in the War, the conditions under which the villagers had to live and their joy on the 8th March when the end of the War was announced.


The magazine also contains the first of a series of three “memories” of Cerne by Joan Keeble who lived in the village with her family in the 1970s and an article by Martin Papworth, the National Trust’s archaeologist, describing what he and his fellow archaeologists found when they carried out excavations on the Giant in March. The National Trust was planning to celebrate the centenary of its ownership of the Giant and announce the results of laboratory tests to date samples they took at that time in July but it is likely that both will have to be postponed until later in the year.

 

Gordon Bishop – Chair

 

You can get in touch with Gordon via

the Contact Us form on this site.

 

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR – April 2020

Regrettably we have been forced by the Coronavirus Pandemic to cancel the meetings of the Society planned for 23 April and 28 May and the Larmer Tree Gardens visit on 13 May. The meeting on the 25th June is also almost certain to be cancelled although a formal decision has not yet been made. We are hoping to be able to re-arrange the very interesting talks that were to have been given for later in the year or next year.

 

To keep the Society active during this period of self-isolation we decided to produce for our members an online magazine with articles about the history of Dorset and Cerne in particular. The first issue of the magazine is published today, the 9th April. We are making it available not only to our members but to anyone else who would like to read it. We hope you will find it interesting, informative  and entertaining.

 

Please let us know what you think about the magazine and what subjects you would like covered. We intend to publish further issues at about 4 week intervals. They will contain further information on the tests carried out by the National Trust to determine the Giant’s age, including we hope an article by the NT’s archaeologist Martin Papworth, as well as articles about the research we are planning on the site and buildings of the Abbey and a Letters Page. We would particularly like to include reminiscences, stories and photos from our members and readers.

 

I very much hope you will enjoy the magazine and look forward to receiving your comments about it.

 

Wishing you a Very Happy Easter despite the difficult circumstances we all find ourselves in.

 

Gordon Bishop – Chair

 

You can get in touch with Gordon via

the Contact Us form on this site.