I was debating what to do my next blog on when I became sidetracked by a lively discussion going on in a Facebook group that i belong to. The first discussion, that was becoming a little heated concerned three new sculptures by artist Andy Kirby that had recently been unveiled in Weymouth. Some loved them, some hated…
Tag: seaside
The Victorians love of seaside fairy lights.
Living in a traditional seaside town as I do, I have grown up with, always loved, and miss terribly, the good old fairy lights that used to be displayed around the promenade, someone had rather poetically described them as a ‘necklace of lights,’ and that is just what they were, colourful jewels that once adorned…
Weymouth’s St John’s Terrace Gardens.
I know…it’s just outside the Victorian era, but close enough I thought. St John’s gardens are situated at the end of the long terrace of houses that run along the start of the main Dorchester Road, known as St John’s Terrace, past St John’s church which stands proud at the end of the sea front,…
Weymouth 1866. A Cruel Life for Victorian Beach Donkeys
Donkeys on Weymouth beach can boast a long history, they are an iconic image of traditional seaside holidays dating right back to the mid 19th century when sea bathing and beach holidays became a booming trade. (image © Channel Coast Observatory) Small children (and many adults) adore them, love to stroke them, and if lucky,…
Weymouths beginnings as a sea bathing resort 1750
When ever Weymouth is talked about concerning it’s seaside status, generally it is said that George III made it what it is today, that’s partly true, but there is a little more to it than that. Weymouth was becoming popular long before the end of the 18th c. A certain Bath gentleman, Ralph Allen had…
Weymouth’s history as a harbour on the frontline. 1795
Being in the process of writing a book about the history of the Nothe area in Weymouth, I’ve uncovered many interesting facts about the past history of the town while trawling through the old newspapers and documents. Some of which I’ll narrate here, little snippits of what life was like for our ancestors, living on…
Easter at Weymouth in 1896
Weymouth is basically a tradition bucket and spade seaside town, that is how we began our rise as a resort in Georgian times, and so it has been ever since! The town council has the task of helping to promote the town, as it always has done, but as the recession has hit, they have…
VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND 