There are certain buildings in and around Weymouth which I have passed on so many occasions in my lifetime that they just become yet another invisible part of the scenery, you no longer really see them…not properly. One such grandiose building stood down towards the bottom end of Dorchester Road, an imposing building which towered tall behind its…
Tag: children
Fishing for trouble, Weymouth quayside 1887.
Weymouth harbour early morning is a beautiful tranquil place, with only the local fishermen busy on board their vessels getting ready to set out to sea, but as the day picks up, so the harbourside begins to fill with boats of all shapes and sizes and people, some working and those out enjoying themselves. So…
Victorian Christmas….
Back from the christmas market; WEYMOUTH CHRISTMAS MARKET -DECEMBER 1859. The provision made by the butchers at this market for the wants of the festive season, was liberal in the extreme. The various substantialities that minister to creature comfort were supplied in great profusion and made a most tempting appearance. The Messrs. Baunton’sshow was remarkably…
1869; Battery, Assault and Burial on Weymouth Beach!
In 1869 a little incident occurred on Weymouth sands, it really shouldn’t have been a problem, but it was, and one that ended up in the national papers much to the local council’s horror! William Wynn, a well-educated gent from London had been residing in Weymouth with his family for a much welcomed holiday. The…
1906; The Portland boy buccaneers.
Slightly out of the Victorian era I know, but only just. This story caught my eye as it summed up the excitement and invincibility of childhood, feelings of the exciting escapades of the Famous Five, even though the lads involved were more teenagers, and the story had it’s slightly dark side. In the April of…
1896; Tragedy at Upwey mill, Weymouth.
One of the prettiest little villages on the outskirts of Weymouth is Upwey. As you drive into the meandering village, the houses and buildings snuggle themselves down into a wooded valley, and in the midst of this stands the tall building of the Upwey mill. It’s fed by the river Wey which springs out of…
Tragedy in Weymouth….boys will be boys, 1882
Children being, well, children, have a habit of being where they’re not supposed to be and doing what they’re not supposed to do….we’ve all done it ! When I think of all the scrapes we got up to as kids it’s a wonder any of us survived. Victorian children were no different, in fact there…
Victorian Firework night 1866
You might well think that Guy Fawkes Night is a fairly modern commercial invention, but the Victorians were a pretty dab hand at enjoying themselves, they certainly knew how to celebrate events. On the 5th November 1866, the annual ‘Protestant’ fete was celebrated with great gusto by the folks of Weymouth. Most of the activity…
VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND 