January probably isn't the best month of the year for planning getaways but the chance to celebrate my Grandad's birthday with a Daish's coach holiday in Dorset was not one to turn down. It had been years since I last visited Weymouth so provided the winter weather is kind, we should be in for a good few days...
- Weymouth Harbour -
The break begins on Tuesday 23rd January with our journey down to the south coast via the M5 motorway, Yeovil and the A37 trunk road. Yes I am the youngest person on the coach by some distance but with three generations of the WME family aboard I am in good company, and we check in at the Russell Hotel at around half past two (Daish's also own the Prince Regent next door). Getting reacquainted with Weymouth again initially involves the historic harbour - still home to a working fleet of fishing boats such as Sarah Louise above - and calling into the William Henry Wetherspoons for a relaxing pint or two. An evening meal followed by live entertainment back at the hotel then helps us settle in even more.
- Maumbury Rings -
Wednesday 24th January is dedicated to all things Dorchester, with Grandad particularly keen to sample the county town's famous weekly market; judging by how packed out the number 10 bus is, plenty of other folk have had the same idea! Whilst he browses the stalls in search of bargains, I stage a cultural interlude courtesy of Maumbury Rings, the preserved earthworks of what is purported to have been a Neolithic henge, Roman amphitheatre and a Civil War artillery fort over the course of its long history. I traverse the mounds for photographic purposes just as the morning murk starts to lift.
- Dorchester West Station -
Dorchester is served by two railway stations - Dorchester South (overlooked by the impressive Brewery Square redevelopment which has brought the vast Eldridge Pope headquarters back into public use) and Dorchester West (an unstaffed halt partially redeployed as a Domino's Pizza outlet). My camera-toting circuit also covers the Shire Hall, the Borough Gardens - complete with ornamental clock tower donated to the town by magistrate and benefactor Charles Hansford in 1905 - and the former Lott & Walne Limited foundry beside the River Frome at Fordington. Naturally one of my favourite finds is a pub, in this case the Convivial Rabbit which lurks almost secretively down a Trinity Street alleyway. A devilishly decadent Chocolate Stout is an ideal accompaniment to perusing their bookshelf of walking literature.
- Weymouth Promenade -
Wednesday evening at the Russell was most definitely Elvis Night with tribute artist Barry Paull doing a fine job of belting out the King's greatest hits - Grandad even wore his 'Hound Dog' shirt specially for the occasion. I've only just about recovered come Thursday morning when another early harbour stroll gets me thoroughly energised again; it's a joy to see the promenade and quayside when things are quiet, witnessing the gentle comings and goings as the town slowly springs to life. Other landmarks on my photographic hitlist include the Royal Hotel (with its notable Free Renaissance-styled frontage), the King's Statue (marking George III's Golden Jubilee in 1809), and Rossi's Ices as an unspoiled 1930s ice cream parlour.
- Bridport Bus Station -
Thursday is the worst day of the holiday weather-wise but is nevertheless reasonably dry and mild so we won't be complaining too much. Bridport beckons via a leisurely X51 journey that gets very misty in the vicinity of Winterbourne Abbas, although we can ponder Poundbury's almost fantasy architectural aspects uninterrupted. As for Bridport, the market town's very basic bus station is familiar from when I came with Woody and Rog years ago, likewise the adjacent First Group depot. The Town Hall is a noble Georgian structure with a charming cupola that stands on the junction of East, West and South Streets.
- The Ropemakers -
Bridport's heritage is as a centre for rope and net manufacture, particularly during the Middle Ages, and this industry is reflected in the name of prominent local hostelry The Ropemakers. Keen to sample some Dorset ale, I can't resist popping in for a pint of Palmer's Tally Ho - dark, strong and 5.5% abv, that'll do the trick! Besides the beer, the pub's interior is very beguiling with lots of curios and artefacts to consider, not to mention performance spaces for the wide range of live music acts they host on a rolling programme. The X53 route is then on hand to convey me back to Weymouth care of a scenic jaunt around West Bay and Burton Bradstock.
- Sunrise over Weymouth Bay -
Ant & Dave - most definitely not Ant & Dec - are our Thursday double act specialising in the Sensational 70s, or is that just the sprightly ladies taking to the dancefloor with great gusto? Luckily I'm spared having to bust any grooves myself so Friday morning has relatively few aches and pains during my now-adopted harbour constitutional. Glorious sunshine is in the offing and the golden glints of dawn look beautiful gradually glowing over the waves - you'd pay good money to see sunrises like that, wherever in the world they happen to appear.
- St George's Reforne Cemetery -
After breakfast and a brief bit of railway station reconnaissance, I catch the local 1 service to Portland via Wyke Regis and the Ferry Bridge causeway - the views along Chesil Beach are nothing short of spectacular, particularly when ascending the steep hill out of Fortuneswell. I'd been to Portland Bill previously and as much as I love a good lighthouse, I'm keen to see the island's main villages on this occasion. The bus terminates in Southwell (Rip Croft) so I alight there and busy myself with pictures of the Eight Kings Inn and St Andrew's Chapel. Avalanche Road leads me onwards via Weston for a closer look at Portland Cemetery, all watched over by the redundant yet magnificent C18th remains of St George's as currently cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.
- Spirit of Portland -
Portland of course is renowned for the quality of the stone quarried here which has been used in constructing some of the nation's most prestigious buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. This pedigree is recognised by the Spirit of Portland sculpture on the hillside high above Fortuneswell, well worth seeing with its dramatic rooftop backdrop. My village survey continues with Easton (home to the Punchbowl Inn and the Tophill branch library) before I linger near the Heights Hotel trying to absorb the vistas. Several different memorials are positioned here along with the interlocked Olympic rings in reference to how Weymouth and Portland held the sailing events during London 2012.
- Royal Portland Arms -
Two prime Portland pubs should set the seal on a special holiday, whereby the first of these is the Royal Portland Arms as a Fortuneswell free house of considerable repute. Glastonbury's Mystery Tor is a zingy golden ale with oodles of hoppy bite while the landlady is fully focused on trying to beat one of her regulars at darts. If that place had personality, the same can also be said for the Cove House Inn which literally stands on the pebbles of Chesil Beach. Such is the atmospheric texture of the building here, I can well imagine it being involved in smuggling and shipwrecks over the centuries although that might just be the romantic in me letting my mind wander! A final family evening at the Russell precedes a steady Saturday coach drive home to the West Midlands and it's all over. Thank you Weymouth, I hope to be back!
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