the former radio station for Dorset County Hospital
Ridgeway Magazine
This page accompanies our programme of the same name which is broadcast on a Wednesday at 11am. You can hear the programmes by selecting an edition below.
Today: Ferry question; Weymouth and County at odds? Town Council leader denies “weakness” claims • Illegal car “extras” that invalidate motor insurance • Cyber crime – third largest world economy • Gardening -how green is your lawn? • Jim Potts remembers Kenneth Allsopp
Today, Classic Clips from past shows, including: 18th century dining out – BYO loo! • Ruderies in the Commons • When Prince Philip asked for seconds • Travel – what airlines don’t tell you • and watch those rude hand signs • Very un-PC ads • History of loo paper. Plus Ruth at the Chelsea Flower Show
Fascinating guests, fascinating facts, views and special features. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton. Today: Need cash? Use the pawnbroker • More from Stop Loan Sharks operation • How to grow tomatoes successfully • Weymouth opposes call for fewer town councillors • Take a trip to Helsinki
The programme includes the audio from Michelle’s case study video by Stop Loan Sharks. Two videos can be viewed here –
To Ukraine with aid – one man’s epic journey • Report: “Hidden Debt” evil loan sharks and how to break free • Motoring: RAC surveys traffic light getaway times • Investigation: strange posts appear on Weymouth road • Ruth’s advice on dry gardens • Jim on emmets and grockles. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
Hunger locally as 10 million tons of food is wasted • All say Ahhhhh! Meet a tiny orphaned wallaby • Gardening – are cheap supermarket plants worth it? • The community eyes that watch speeding motorists • The “Godfather” at 50; a walk in his shoes • It’s all Greek to our Poet at Large. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton.
Fascinating guests, fascinating facts, views and special features. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton. Today: Elaine’s Weldmar trek to Nepal • Weymouth charity supports youngsters in work • New lifeboat naming ceremony on song • Meet Dennis Spurr mischief-maker! • Jim Potts our “Poet at Large” reads…
Today: Littlemoor shakes off its lawless image • Meet the man who rescued Weymouth fisheries • The rising cost and threats to fish and chips • Ruth on transplanting – do’s and don’ts • Jim Potts with readings on war!
Today: Big business employs Happiness Officers…really! • March is will making month supporting local charities • Repair Café fixes Daleks to Dysons • Weymouth’s visitor plans for 2022 • Ruth gardens and Jim reads • A Russian visit remembered • Residents, Tesco and booze won’t mix…
Fascinating guests, fascinating facts, views and special features. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton. Today: Raising awareness of Motor Neurone Disease • Annoying neighbours – research • Author Harry Walton’s dystopian novel • Weymouth’s Repair Café to re-open • Ruth’s gardening tips • Meaning of Ash Wednesday with Jim Potts
Report: thousands go hungry in our area • How The Nest combats food insecurity with new branch • Our “Poet at Large” on subject of hunger • John drives a bus! • Ruth shines a light on bulb growing • New Brewing and Distilling exhibition info • Be sure to lick the right stamp! • A history of traffic roundabouts.
Today: Why the £100-a-day holiday car hire charge • The hidden danger of losing a purse or wallet • Gardening and the kindest cut of all • How the Dull Men’s club survived lockdowns • The RNLI and the UK’s most dangerous waters • Jim Potts our Poet at Large reads Thomas Hardy • Watch it! The hand signs that can be misread abroad. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton.
Today: NFU comments on “re-wilding” and farming’s future • Sustainable gardening – Ruth’s ideas • “I wanna be the leader!” says our Poet at Large • When “Vinegar Valentines” replaced loving messages • Stories behind popular food, Bisto, Bovril etc • Posh frocks take off at Julia’s House…
For poetry lovers; introducing our “Poet at Large” • Memories of 2021 include garden grabbing and town cramming • How banks outrage “oldies” • The jam jar dealers’ slang • Sir Max Hastings on the Malta convoy • Fleeing a wild fire • Met the charitable folk at REMAP • How time flies – 2022 anniversaries
Stories re-visited include • Killer cows • Careful with home poured drinks • The history of Babycham and potato crisps • The Police are tired and exhausted! • The Echo at 100 – headlines remembered • The scourge of Japanese knotweed • Paul Atterbury on the novel 1984 • Keeping cool • and “the green thing”.
Fascinating guests, fascinating facts, views and special features. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton. Today: Remember when women could not get a mortgage? • When re-cycling and uncluttering pays YOU! • The puzzle of the Middle East with Sir Simon Mayall • Gardening – making real Christmas trees last • Don’t cross! A history of jay walking
Coping with death and destruction – a doctor talks • Generation Z wants pampering at work! • Christmas gifts for gardeners • A peek at sunny Gibraltar • Pedestrian crossing ignorance costs lives • Getting a “snootfull” of air pollution…
Dorset poet Jim Potts’ incredible life story • Writer broadcaster AN Wilson on “unpeeling” Dickens • Gazing into a sea not made of water! says an author • Gardening with Ruth – the answer lies in the soil • The zebra crossing is 70 years old • A local talent show in Weymouth – book now!
Fascinating guests, fascinating facts, views and special features. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton. Today: Paul Atterbury on 100 years of the Poppy • “The doctor will see you now” – Dr Amir Khan talks about his book • Ruth on gardening and Malcolm on pets and fireworks • Neither a lender nor a borrower be – a new twist on an old saying • A shepherdess on a woman in a man’s world…
From the Dorchester Literary Festival, Sir Max Hastings on the vital WW2 Malta convoy • Fuel economy – driving tips from the RAC • Dining out- would you pay a table reservation fee? • Shopping: posh frocks and vintage fashions at Julia’s House • Research on the runaway growth of internet sales • Customers rally to object to plans for another convenience store • Gardening expert Ruth on the threat to front gardens…
New law to make tipping waiters a fairer affair • Are car park spaces more important than lawns? • Gardeners’ questions with Ruth • Spiders; the “Kalahari Ferrari” and the Noble Black Widow’s nasty nip • How Spotted Dick became Spotted Richard and other traditional dishes • Leather jackets or legless daddy long legs in your garden • It’s a dog’s life – tail wagging explained
Today: Holidays in Dorset – book now for 2022 to avoid disappointment • Portland Island Community receives a huge financial grant • Meet the talented Portland couple who work with driftwood • How green is your lawn? asks gardening expert Ruth • Our “Tame Vet” Malcolm reflects on autumn, squirrels and rabbits…
Preview of the Dorset Sea Food Festival in Weymouth • Paul Atterbury sets the scene for the Dorchester Literary Festival • Gardening expert Ruth on why September is an important month • To the Sahara on the Weldmar Hospice trek • Our tame vet Malcolm and his tale of the camel in the desert • Opinion piece -‘don’t talk to me about the green thing!’
Alpacas – a popular Dorset tourism asset • More historic headlines from the Echo • Ruth declares war on garden pests • The Bus Shelter moves to the Park and Ride • Children should eat with their fingers…really? • John, hair singed, flees a wild fire. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
Celebrating 100 years of the Dorset Echo; a reporter remembers the big stories • Caring for your garden in high summer • Part three of the Portland Port story • Meet the dog that runs rings around you • Pet Patter returns with advice for hot dog owners • Charity news – The Blue Marine Foundation in Dorset
“Levelling up” what does it mean for Weymouth’s future? • Britain’s worst drivers • Gardens – how to leave them when away on holiday • The Portland Port story – part 2 • Probing the cashless society • A change of MP for parts of Dorchester and Weymouth • Keeping cool – some real and/or fanciful ideas
Gaming: obsessive and addictive behaviour. A Portland group offers help • Portland Port keeps its business head above water without cruise ships • First instalment of the Port’s history • Keep106 is three – chairman has plans for our future • Section 106 in Littlemoor – hands off OUR cash says councillor! • Weymouth’s BID former chief looks back
Investigation: when obsessive gaming becomes an addiction • Dorchester: how will County planning “protocol” affect town? • Gardening: it shouldn’t cost the earth says our expert • Second hand cars: buy now with salesman’s lingo explained • Charity: The Horse Course turns to gardening • Reading from “Blood Moon Rising”, new book from local author
Killer cows; why we should all take care even on public footpaths • Plenty of work, but where are the staff asks Chamber of Commerce boss •The Weymouth Repair Café, soon to re-open, fixes the unfixable • For peat’s sake – our gardening expert talks compost • We meet the new Weymouth mayor • Those harbourside railings again! • And responsible crabbing • Welcome to the brand new award winning MV Freedom
Will dissatisfied Weymouth and Dorchester Town Councils seek a form of independence from the County Council? • Tarmac, cats eyes, traffic lights and Belisha beacons: the fascinating history on our roads • Over 2800 Dorset children seek mental health help in eight months. A psychotherapist says Prince Harry is helping • Holidaymakers abroad beware. Rip off charges for “sanitising” hire cars – add over £200 and more! • Also gardening tips from Ruth Hayes. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton.
Should Weymouth Town Council declare independence from the County Council? • What was life like for two Weymouth ships’ passengers bound for the New World? • Password tyranny – forgotten yours? • Chips with everything? No! there’s a world shortage • Japanese knot weed in Dorchester. It’s serious! • This week’s charity – Portland Island Community Action
Racist issues and bad behaviour surface on Weymouth Harbourside • Will the area become a no-go area at night? We report • Tree cutting and railways – historian Paul Atterbury’s view might surprise • Weymouth Town Council has money for charities – just ask • There’s cash in old trainers – millions! • What do we buy secondhand? Books, buggies bicycles and clothing • Gardening: advice on shady areas and dry patches
Town Council leader fears for Weymouth’s future – frank interview • “1984” tops classic book sales; Paul Atterbury reviews 70 years after publication • New book about tales from Dorchester Assizes in 19th century • reviewed 100 years of red phone boxes – where have they gone? • R E M A P, the charity that fixes equipment for the disabled • Too dry, too cold – gardening tips for the Spring
Why a policeman’s lot is not a happy one! Police and Crimes Commissioner speaks out • Covid jabs – why the hesitancy? • Good news for pub gardens and b&b business is looking up • Charities in need can apply for local brewer’s Community Chest funding • Ruth talks about weeds and weeding • John talks rubbish!
Today: The nasty side of Brexit – beware unwelcome additional costs on EU purchases • Have you lost track of a workplace pension you may have paid in to? • Remembering the Little Black Dress and it’s male counterpart the DJ with white tie and tails • Mobile phones are nearly 50 years old • Free ‘sitting out’ licences for pubs and eateries. Dorset Council tells more • Ruth, our gardening expert, talks about heather and lavender…
Today: Gazumping is back with a vengeance; an estate agent explains • We investigate why Dorset Council is increasing the rates on empty, but useable, houses by 300% • We have a report from France on how they’re coping with lockdown • A Weymouth care home manager hopes new rules will benefit her residents • Our gardening expert answers some gardeners’ questions…
The introduction of decimal coinage – some personal views • 1971 – a troubled year in review • The stories behind two old favourites; Babycham and Smiths crisps • Cold start, won’t start? Advice from the RAC • Bruised and battered garden? – Don’t worry says Ruth • Final episode – the washer-upper who bought a hotel…
Town cramming and garden grabbing as explained by Weymouth Civic Society • Be careful with your home-poured drinks – just one could put you over the limit! • Are we smoking more during lockdown? We ask Action on Smoking and Health • It’s a good time to plant a hedge says our gardening expert Ruth Hayes • John reports his Covid jab was “seamless and painless” • Our good cause this time is the Margaret Green Animal Rescue centre…
Tales of royalty, film stars and a lady of the night at a grand hotel • Pip Squeak and Wilfred, Rupert Bear and Teddy Tail remembered • Why Christopher Robin’s childhood was unhappy • The history of loo paper and a warning to wash hands • Florence Nightingale at 200: more reformer than nurse • Whatever happened to common sense? • A girl’s dash for her life to escape a desert war • Spotlight on a charity…the ‘MV Freedom’…
Children read their stories about “A different summer”, Tom Restorick drums for the NHS • Gardening expert Ruth on Christmas plants and our “tame vet” Malcolm on talking to pets. • What to do if your dog is lost or stolen. • Getting your own back on the banking rigmarole. • Memories from a top hotelier and a top press photographer • An idea for stress relief in lockdown that works • Dorset’s dodgy car sales and tricks. John Shepherd and Andy Venton present…
British versus French trawlermen; revisiting the scallop wars • Rip off! Motor insurers charge 30% extra for monthly payments • Gardening rubbish; make use of Christmas wrapping • How the p.c. brigade tried to wreck Christmas • Jokey headlines and 2020 cracker jokes. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
Recruitment fraud – job seekers beware! • Shops open again – how is Weymouth doing? • This week’s good cause – Steps, working with young people • Overnight campervan stays on Portland – no! says Civic Society • Our vet says it’s “all in a Christmas Day’s work for a vet” and warns that pet treats can cause problems • Vinegar and lemon cure for hard water limescale • Food at rock bottom prices to help those in food poverty
To Portland for the latest on the “mighty burner” incinerator plan • More warnings about scams and how to avoid them • Gardening – Winter salads and how you can grow them at home • Pubs…first orders or last orders please! • This week’s good cause – the Dorset Volunteer Centre • How a cheeky mutt scooped the prize in a Weymouth and Portland video competition • We look at a local author’s compilation of lockdown memories. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior: from the battlefields in France to internment in Westminster Abbey, some little remembered facts • Gardening: do’s and dont’s of house plant care • Portlanders feel strongly about demolishing the Pulpit Inn with alarming plans for the SSI • Ten golden rules for avoiding scams from Which? Magazine • House keys – under the mat? Take more care of them • This week’s local good cause – The Lantern Trust in Weymouth…
What does a milk maid have to do with the discovery of vaccination • Why the Council is to take over a sea front café • Car parking in Dorset and local councillors’ fury at “harmonisation” plans • Is Weymouth falling down? A former conservation officer speaks • The mixed history of British Summer Time • This week’s good cause – a phoning and letter writing idea • Nothe Fort received funding for improvements. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
The first in our series about deserving good causes; the mini-cruise ship MV Freedom • Gardening tips from Ruth – talking about hardwood cuttings • There’s a hedgehog in my garage – we learn more about them • Cinema is alive and well in Dorchester says the Plaza • We ask – are smart plugs that smart? Take care… • Premium Bond prize fund reduced – are you feeling lucky? Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
Today – The virus effect; Weymouth’s b & b’s leased from Dorset Council have asked it to reduce rents • Buying a used car? Dorset Trading Standards warn of dangerous cars being offered by traders • Advance warning of road works to remove railway lines in Weymouth • What have an umbrella, a girl and a deadly journey have in common? Mary Poppins is not the answer! • Gardening tips – your lawn in winter. And miner bees in your garden? We explain • Meet the world’s dumbest crooks. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
Two young writers read their stories in Julia’s House “A Different Summer” competition • Author Minette Walters gives a judge’s view of the entries • We examine used vehicle price rises with a scam warning especially on camper vans • Gardening; don’t be afraid of taking cuttings • doing well despite Covid – tree surgeons and landscapers • the American way of justice, so different from our own. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
State education is 150 years old but it was not universally welcome • Dorchester’s old schools remembered • Christopher Robin at 100 – the sad boy whose famous father didn’t like children • Tomatoes, birds and wasps: How to turn your tomatoes from green to red; Where have all the garden birds gone? Bee nice to wasps, the gardeners’ friend.
We take a hard look at vehicle insurance; too complicated…is that why most people don’t read the small print? • Scams revealed: rip off premiums, fake policy documents and “ghost insurance brokers” take motorists for a ride. • Are you insured for that drive to work and car business use? • Two readings – from vet Malcolm Welshman’s new book and the first chapter from a thriller by a Weymouth author. • Radio Postcard from Croatia – a visit remembered…
With the brake on overseas travel, we have “radio postcards” with past reports from Venice, Sicily and Gibraltar…happy memories • What links an outbreak of bubonic plague in Mongolia, the Black Death’s arrival in Wyke Regis and the Weymouth creator of nasty smells? • Also hints on summer bloomers from our gardening expert. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
Best-selling author Minette Walters sets the scene for a children’s writing comp to aid Julia’s House. • The story of the last woman to be hanged at Dorchester prison. • The Dam busters – two family connections and Chesil’s part in the historic raid on Nazi Germany • Weymouth’s business community is doing well despite… •
Gardening expert Ruth Hayes gives advice on clematis. • Facts and figures about Dorchester’s employed denied Government financial aid • The story about carrots helping you see in the dark…
Eleven hundred people in work in Weymouth and Portland are not receiving full Government assistance – worse nearly 800 may be receiving nothing. We talk to Excluded UK which is lobbying for action • One size does not fit all. Bespoke facemasks made to order by an enterprising lady in Broadwey • From washer-up to running one of the world’s finest hotels – the boy that became boss of the Grosvenor House hotel who once had to serve the Duke of Edinburgh seconds from the food waste bin! • Weymouth Harbourside pedestrianisation is not welcome by many. And in this connection, when is a public consultation not a public consultation? Dorset Council is asked…
A hint that Weymouth may get a new ferry service to the Channel Islands. We talk to a Weymouth councillor who is leading initial investigations • When a dog is lost, is there an organisation which the owner can turn to for help. The answer is Yes! • Ruth Hayes brings us more gardening tips and retired vet Malcolm Welshman reads an extract from his new book • We wander down Memory Lane with Red Star Parcels…
The horrors behind dognapping and links to organised crime • All change at the dentist’s and a gruesome history of dentistry • Weeding your garden – we have tips • Weymouth lockdown charity wins nearly £10,000 funding • History of musical instruments continues with the organ • Comment: whatever happened to commonsense? • Down memory lane reprises the 50’s…
The Weymouth Military Weekend has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with most of the usual annual D-Day commemoration ceremonies across the UK and a much reduced attendance at the Normandy beaches. To keep the memory alive we broadcast again an edition of Ridgeway Magazine from 2019 which commemorated the 75th annisversay of D-Day when John Shepherd visited the Normandy landings grounds in the company of historian Andrew Roberts and Lord Dannat, former chief of the Army General Staff. We also heard about the heroic role of the Dorset Regiment and an example of a piece of D-Day history dug up in a field near Dorchester.
Weymouth fishing fleet are doing better than a recent report suggests – we tell more • Stressed out by lockdown? A psychotherapist suggests thinking “inside the box” to achieve peace of mind • Who “laughed all the way to the bank?” And what does it have to do with our history of the piano? • TV antiques expert Paul Atterbury talks about his hopes for the autumn Dorchester Literary Festival • Plus Pet Patter with Malcolm and gardening tips with Ruth. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
This edition was broadcast near the 75th anniversary of VE Day on 8th May 2020. Whilst Europe celebrated victory the Channel Islands had to wait two more days. We explain why • Lassie the Wonder Dog and film star is 80 years old. There was another famous Lassie closer to home – in Lyme Regis – and David Tucker tells the story • Our gardening expert Ruth Hayes talks at length about lawns and their care • Historian Jane Tapley tells us about the history of knives, forks and spoons • We begin a new series about the origin of musical instruments with the drums • From the archives Kate Adie talks about her book about women and war.
Today: Advice from the RAC when your car is laid up for a long time • Growing from seed with Ruth Hayes our gardening expert • Weymouth Town Clerk tells us how the one year old council is doing • Poems and memories from three famous voices. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton…
In this edition: Gardening tips from our gardening expert Ruth Hayes • Jane Biscombe, Weymouth Town Clerk, tells us about a scheme in association with Weymouth Churches Together to help those in need receive necessities during the lockdown • What has happened to typewriters? They may have disappeared but you can still buy ribbons for them • Rather indelicately we talk about toilet paper, its history and the 3 P principal • From the archives we hear from Judy Murray, mother of tennis stars Andy and Jamie • Do you talk to your pets? You should says our tame vet Malcolm Welshman…
In this edition: A warning about coronavirus-related scams • a chat with Lord Julian Fellowes • and an extended interview with Martyn Underhill, outgoing (in 2021) Police & Crime Commissioner for Dorset. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
One in five people going abroad do not take out travel insurance. We talk to the researcher and give some prices for treatment – could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds! • The Campervan was introduced 70 years ago and five million were built. We look back and talk to a Campervan fan • With 80,000 visitors steaming into Portland port this year, the Weymouth Ambassadors are ready for them • A visit to the RSPB nature reserve in Weymouth indicates climate change is a reality for bird life • A trip down memory lane takes a fond look at standing for the national anthem at the end of a film or show…or not! • Cyber crime – can you insure against it happening to you
Rates relief for small businesses announced, but will it help. Claudia Webb of Weymouth BID explains • Who remembers Teddy Tail, Pip Squeak and Wilfred while Rupert Bear is still with us after 100 years • Florence Nightingale born 200 years ago was far more than the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ and why did she spend her last 30 years in bed? • Gardening tips and questions answered by Ruth Hayes • Congrats to ‘The Diary’ – 20 years old and still going strong when other publications have failed • Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but do you know if they’re real? • Can cows tell if it’s going to rain and do you get wetter if you run or walk in the rain? Fact or fiction…
Our main feature in this edition is an extended interview with Ken Lennox, four times Press Photographer of the Year, with memories of Princess Diana, to war with Kate Adie and peace with Paul McCartney. Also Car Theft surprise – Dorset is one of the worst areas just behind Glasgow and Surrey. In ‘Pet Patter’ Malcolm Welshman, our tame vet, chooses fish as his subject…
Gardening expert and editor of ‘Amateur Gardening’ magazine, Ruth Hayes gives advice • Should restaurants, bars and pubs charge for tap water? What is the law? • Weymouth hotels and guest houses reveal disappointing figures for 2019 • Returning unwanted Xmas gifts – what are your rights? • We look back a hundred years to 1920. And in the last 50 years, what ‘must have’ items are now obsolete? • Looking to the future what jobs are likely to disappear by 2030? • Garden birds; even though it’s mild should we keep feeding them?
• Meet our new gardening expert – Ruth Hayes, gardening editor of ‘Amateur Gardening’ who will be answering listeners’ questions next year • We explore the history of two seasonal pieces of music, ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ and the carol ‘Silent Night’ • The police woman’s story. How, despite outright sexism and gender obstructiveness Carole Phillips made it from lowly PC to Superintendent • Retired vet and author tells us it’s ‘All in a Christmas Day’s work for a vet’ and advises against over-indulging pets at Christmas where a treat might seriously damage their health
The story of two farms; Tumbledown Farm has been returned to Weymouth Town Council. Ideas needed to make something of its 30 acres. Green and clean activities perhaps? • Fancys Farm is a popular petting farm on Portland with animals including wallabies and alpacas but severe weather has made it short of funds. It needs help • The Dorset Police rural crime squad and NFU insurers discuss measures to combat equipment theft • The history of the potato crisp – 400 different flavours from kipper to turkey dinner • Prue Leith talks about her favourite food
The Mini is 60 years old – its evolution is full of stories • Two authors with new books on the show today – Sir Tim Waterstone and Dom Joly • a report on Weymouth’s harbour consultation • and John drives a steam train! • Oh, and we go to church in the USA with a resume of the roadside signs to tempt you inside and the strange names given to churches and chapels
At this time of Remembrance we discover dissatisfaction in the ranks over the demobilisation of four million soldiers. Was dear old Blighty really a land for returning heroes? • Author and journalist Simon Heffer talks about WW1’s badly behaved leading personalities coupled with views of life on the Home Front, particularly the role of women • In ‘Pet Patter’ retired vet and author Malcolm Welshman brings us another tale from the vet’s surgery • Do you know the difference between compost and mulch? Naomi from Poundbury Gardens explains
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays at 11am
The first six months of the new Dorset Council – has it lived up to expectations. We have views from councillors and the local democracy reporter Trevor Bevins • Long serving town and county councillor Kate Wheller explains why she quit Labour to become an independent • What has become of the red telephone box? Just 70 left in Dorset but you can buy or rent one • In conversation with Alexander McColl Smith author of the “Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” and 100 other books!
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays at 11am
Popular phrases we use daily – where did they come from? “Simples!” • Take a STAND, the campaign against 3,500 new homes for Dorchester’s “garden village” • Weymouth’s BID announces more plans to build business for the town • We visit the Nothe Fort and experience 1940s shopping and a school classroom to teach children about the war years • By bus pass from Lands End to John O’Groats – he did it and raised money for charity • Politicians’ insults….to each other! • Another tale from Malcolm Welshman’s ‘Pet Patter’. Presented by John Shepherd and Andy Venton
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays at 11am
In this edition – 70 years since George Orwell’s book 1984 was published, what are its lessons today? Paul Atterbury discusses • 25 years of the Weldmar Hospice but Matt Smith reveals the hospice movement is under threat • A local author-turned-plumber talks about her new book ‘The Crazy Adventures of a Love Sick Angel’ • We hear about a new initiative called ‘Uniting Weymouth and Portland’ • Are smaller portions and the offer of doggy bags the answer to restaurant food wastage? A local restaurateur thinks so.
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays at 11am
• The charity Shelter reports on why many families in Weymouth and Portland cannot afford their rents which can exceed 40 per cent of take home pay • Weymouth Esplanade lighting is go while plans for the Peninsular site are stop. A county councillor explains • We visit the beatiful 26 acre Sculpture Park near Dorchester and meet the man behind it • Noted chef Mitch Tonks talks about his new restaurant Rock Fish which he hopes will put Weymouth on the fish lovers’ map • Our tame vet Malcolm Welshman gives another in his ‘Pet Patter’ series • In your garden – the topic is those awkward spaces where nothing will grow
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays @ 11 am
• Headline collector and author Melvyn Dover talks about his passion for funny headings culled from newspapers
• The Dorset countryside is riddled with forgotten underground bunkers, relics of the Secret Army. We visit two
• KeeP 106 is one year old. Chairman Andy Worth talks about the station which has listeners in many countries
• Weymouth’s Nothe Fort goes into the beer business. We sample the ‘Whisling Gunner’ and the ‘Sapper’s Courage’
• “Put a sock in it!” and “Back to square one” are among the phrases used by early radio broadcasters. We explain their origins
Ridgeway Magazine is broadcast on Wednesdays @ 11 am
• Speed kills! Village communities are setting up Community Speed Watch groups under the guidance of Dorset Police. We visit the group active in Charminster
• Reports from two events which brought over 60,000 visitors to the Weymouth area – the Chickerell Steam Fair and the Weymouth Sea Food Festival
• We discover some collectors of some very unusual items – eye baths, ladies compacts and disinfectant sprays
• Thought the Resistance Movement applied to France and European countries? The south of England had its own secret army set up under the orders of Churchill. Its memory lives on
• The Fisherman’s Mission is still active and still helping an industry where one seaman is lost every week
• Pet Patter has the story of a chameleon whose owner took it to our Tame Vet for treatment
The Magazine ‘visits’ New Delhi, Beijing and Sao Paulo, three of the world’s most populated cities and samples the atmosphere courtesy of five pods in which the atmospheric conditions were replicated. They were installed in Portland and all were invited to take the ‘poisonous’ air
The first 100 days of the new unitary authority which merged five Dorset councils into one in April. How has Weymouth fared since the change? The Town Clerk speaks
General Lord Dannatt tells RM how he created the charity Help for Heroes. It all started in his flat
A survey indicates how men are forced to use up less space in the house as women take over the drawers and wardrobes and then demand a clean-up and clear out. True or False?
Roses can be tricky to grow. Our gardening expert offers some advice
Blood Bikes save lives. Who are the Yeovil Freewheelers to whom Simon Gudgeon of the Sculpture By The Lakes near Dorchester has donated a £15,000 motorcycle? More info at yfwbloodbikes.org
Two initiatives from Weymouth’s Business Investment District. One is about responsible crabbing and the other will promote Weymouth and Portland’s many heritage sites
We meet a housekeeper (male) who is all at sea as he looks after the needs of 3,800 passengers and crew
While D-Day is in the news, John visits Norway to learn about an unsuccessful (but gallant) naval landing in 1940 which failed to thwart the Nazi forces and their occupation of the country
Can it be true? Were all US forces dead repatriated to their homeland? Perhaps not so, as historian Roger Guttridge reveals
Another instalment of Pet Patter from retired vet and author Malcolm Welshman entitled ‘Madam Mountjoy’
The focus is on Weymouth and Portland in ‘Bodies and Buddies’
We are looking at the rumours about the burial of hundreds of US troops killed in training in the days before D-Day. An eyewitness to the landing of the bodies tells all
Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the British Army and founder of Help for Heroes talks about the composition of an invasion force
Historian and author Peter Caddick-Adams tells us about the Yanks who became buddies and sets the scene locally before D-Day. See Penguin Books website for more information about Peter Caddick-Adams
Les Sullivan of the Nothe Fort talks about the macabre duty of the Weymouth fishing fleet
Stephen George of the Portland D-Day Centre on the vital importance of the Mulberry Harbour
The irrepressible Poppy Butcher talks about singing for the US troops and her job at Portland Dockyard at the age of 15
Beware scams old and new. Author Roger Guttridge reprises an 18th century Dorset scam which did not end well for the tricksters and Dorset Police add a modern day warning
What happens when the Police seize and impound your vehicle? This has caused no end of trouble for almost 2,400 Dorset vehicle owners since 2017
Old wives’ tales….any truth in them? We explore some
‘Me time’ and why tens of thousands of women are holidaying on their own. A Dorchester travel agent says it’s a growing trend
We have advice for solo female travellers…pack a door stopper and more
Are you a landlord? Don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore far-reaching news laws
Weymouth Esplanade lighting. The project manager says “By the end of the year” for sure
Tune in to Ridgeway Magazine on Wednesdays at 11am
We hear from the President of the Dorset Association of Parish Councils who describes why they are so important and the reason to elect new councillors
Superloos: Weymouth’s Town Clerk talks about the gender neutral element that worries people and seeks to allay their fears
Two items about pets: Pet Patter’s subject is dogs and the signals they give out. And a dog walker gives some advice about insurance and other aspects
Flying away on hols? We tell you the things airlines don’t want you to know by airing cabin crew secrets
Slugs – the gardeners’friend? The Royal Horticultural Society says they can be
Continuing the history of bad weather clothing. This time hats and coats
In this 75th anniversary year of the D-Day landings we present a special edition of Ridgeway Magazine featuring interviews made during a visit John made to the D-Day landing grounds in Normandy.
Lord Danatt, former Chief of Staff of the British Army, reviews the military aspects of both Overlord and the failed raid on Dieppe two years earlier which led to Hitler’s order that commandos and Special Forces were to be shot if captured
Military historian Andrew Roberts reveals some of the ideas that worked for the Allies and some that did not.
Two young French people have surprising views on the landings – seems many French would rather not be reminded
Chris Copson, curator of The Keep Military Museum, reprises the important role played by the Dorset Regiment on D-Day and Dorset’s subsequent fight towards Arnhem
Keeping the invasion plans a secret…a local man tells us about an important relic of that period he discovered
Solicitor Katharine Jones celebrates 100 years of women being admitted as solicitors. Once the legal profession, all men of course, considered women not to be people at all. Therefore as non-persons they could not become lawyers
Weymouth sea front lights – we have an exclusive report on the future of the laser display. They think it’s all over – not yet for this local conundrum which seems to limp along
Would you pay £15 for a cup of coffee? You might do in London but not in Dorset as we hear from a coffee roaster, Nigel Green of the Dorset Coffee Company and Christian and Zeta from the prizewinning mobile coffee bar with a difference called Coffee on the Hoof
Cheesed off with your bank manager? An elderly customer writes to her bank and we read the letter which exemplifies the “Computer says NO” style of banking
Who wants to be a gladiator? Coming to Dorchester, a fight to the death! Full training given. Thumbs up to all that
Wrexit, by that we mean Weymouth joins the unitary authority in April. A county councillor tells Weymouth to wake up to the facts the town’s assets are going to be nabbed leaving it without an income
Those railway lines in Weymouth – should trains run on them again? Rail buff and author Paul Atterbury takes a rather unexpected view
In your garden as spring approaches. Some jobs to do with advice from Lucy our gardening expert and an idea for a lazy answer to weeding
The history of the theatre from Greek times to backstage at Weymouth’s Pavilion Theatre. An expert takes the stage and tells of the days when women were banned from attending
Filled in your self-employed tax return? You might like to hear of some of the more ridiculous taxes down the years from taxes on beards, clocks and hearths to hats!
As for VAT, there are some strange anomalies and some glaring inclusions
What are the chances of picking up a 60 year old magazine and seeing a picture of yourself? One listener did and tells us about her school’s experiment among its pupils in being socially responsible. It made the headlines in its day
Help is at hand with a craze said to be sweeping the country – the Repair Café movement is coming to Dorset.
In Pet Patter Malcolm advises ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’
Mallams restaurant in Weymouth has had to close for good and owners Janice and Steve Gosson explain that it wasn’t just the devastating fire which swayed their decision
Alistair Chisholm is in the studio to talk about the ALL For Dorset movement which wants to banish party politics from local government
We talk to James Webb from the Priest’s House Museum in Wimborne about their collection of Victorian Valentine cards
Phil Say from Weymouth Pavilion tells us about the building’s amazing lighting scheme
In Pet Patter Malcolm Welshman recounts the story of the Cow in the Tree, an episode from his latest book ‘An Armful Of Animals’ (available from Amazon)
Local Democracy Reporter Trevor Bevins warns things might not work out as promised with the new Dorset Unitary Council taking over from five urban and district councils on April 1st
Fifty years on; what made the headlines in 1969? The Moon and the Beatles to name but two subjects
The circus is not dead! There are 100 in the UK and a National Centre for Circus Arts with a BA Hons degree on offer
Local photographer and cameraman John Gurd records pantos in Dorset and streams them to children in hospital for no charge
Still with the circus – the story behind the John Lennon song “For the benefit of Mr. Kite” which featured on Britain’s most popular ever album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Our studio guest is Nigel Bundy who tells us about an advocacy initiative run by Age UK and how you can call on their help with tricky problems.
Journalist and television presenter Peter Snow and his journalist wife Ann Macmillan talk to John about their new book ‘War Stories’ at the Dorchester Literary Festival.
Our resident vet Malcolm Welshman tells us about a camel with a sore foot, a story from his latest book ‘An Armful of Animals’.
We have a story about when ‘passenger assistance’ fails at an airport and advice on getting compensation from a reluctant airline.
Interview with Lord Fellowes in which he says the book he has on the go currently is the story of the early life of Marilyn Monroe. He gives his selection of the seven books he would take if marooned on a desert island
We talk to LAPD prosecutor Ron Bowers who was charged with re-opening the death of Marilyn Monroe as a cold case. Was it murder or was it suicide?
As many as 400 Dorset residents in fuel poverty may die of the cold this winter. The charity Surviving Winter is there to help and their CEO talks about its work
Ridgeway Magazine re-visits the Horse Course, a charity in which horses are used to teach people and children how to overcome their behavioural problems and addictions
The long playing record is 70 years old. We look at how listening to music has changed since then and ask our presenters which LP was the first one they bought
Paul Atterbury live in the studio gives a heads up (perhaps that should be eyes down) on the upcoming Dorchester Literature Festival.
Sir Tim Smit, chairman of Eden Project International, introduces Portlanders to the plans for a world class attraction and gives Ridgeway Magazine exclusively his “no brainer” idea for another attraction on the Isle.
“Pet Patter”…vet Malcolm Welshman talks about his new book “An Armful of Animals” and gives us a peek inside it.
Do children still pay conkers in this age of Health and Safety? We report on how the “conkering” Germans have saved the World Conker Championships.
Littlemoor has at last got its new shop which sells food. Is it just what the locals wanted?
The Weymouth harbour-side Peninsular (Pavilion) site. The council’s leisure focused plans, just announced, are derided by the business community. And is the site really worth millions, or not much at all?
We harness the views of the Weymouth Business Investment District, the Chamber of Trade and a developer.
A councillor accuses the council of not listening to the views of the townspeople and voting to go ahead with the unpopular plan.
We visit Radipole RSPB nature reserve and report 17 swans may not have been stolen or slaughtered after all. And autumn is the best time for bird watching.
We air the second part of the report on shared ownership – this time for the elderly in Poundbury.
Why are 30 Weymouth b&bs up for sale? Is the town over-bedded? Many small hotels are struggling despite the summer sun.
Weymouth Council leader says the town’s crown jewels (that’s the properties and facilities it owns) will not be nabbed by the new Unitary Authority. Really?
There’s a stink brewing about the new Esplanade unisex superloo planned for 2020. It’s the gender issue.
Local democracy reporter explains the changes on the local government front when Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester become a Unitary Authority…what does it mean for ratepayers?
What should I do about my frazzled lawn? Leave it alone! advises our gardening expert.
John visits Gibraltar where the pillar boxes are red and the police still wear helmets.
Small shops are suffering but Broadwey Village Stores re-invented itself when all seemed to be lost.
With 3,500 new homes mooted for Dorchester, how to get on the housing ladder. Shared ownership might be the answer.
About half-a-million UK drivers will face prosecution in France this year. The jolly gendarmes are waiting with a mass of new rules…be prepared and learn about them before travelling.
Snails and slugs – new ways of dealing with them that will not harm garden birds says Lucy, our gardening expert.
Badgers – our vet Malcolm Welshman gives his views on a creature that gets a bad press.
“All tourists are b******s” reads the spray paint graffiti on a wall in Venice – really? John visits and finds out if Venice is sinking with visitor numbers.
We hear about the Chickerell Steam Fair and what’s in the programme this year.
Careful when using sign language abroad – a guide when giving the thumbs up or, even worse, showing palms uppermost in Greece. Our hand signals that other cultures misinterpret.
It’s the 13th – but why is it unlucky except for the Chinese?
Pretty lights for Weymouth Esplanade. When the scheme’s bright idea went on show, visitors to the public “consultation” were mainly unimpressed. Bring back the garlands of fairy lights seems to be the verdict.
To Buckland Newton where one man’s creative ideas for slowing down speeding traffic have been dumped for the second time. Do nothing County Council does not approve.
To Sicily for our story about the Mafia which disapproved of the “Godfather“ films. John visits the Corleone village and is totally unprepared for what happens next as he interviews a cast member.
Vinyl records. Sales boom but don’t throw out your old ones just yet…they might be worth money.
What do you do to find your missing mobile phone? There’s an app that will solve this mishap.
We visit Portland to hear about the attractiveness of the port to cruise operators. Thirty three ships will visit this year with a beneficial effect on local tourism.
One attraction that will benefit is the D Day Centre on Portland which welcomed 34,000 visitors last year, three times the expected number. We have a report.
Jobs at sea – great opportunities for young people on cruise ships. We talk to two female officer cadets Molly and Jo (both from the West Country) and their boss on Cunard’s ‘Queen Victoria’.
Press photographer of the year Ken Lennox tells the story of Kate Adie’s undies – all in the best possible taste…
In Pet’s Patter our resident vet Malcolm Welshman talks about ‘Man’s Best Friend’
Following on from an item in the last programme about driving tests, we discover that Dorchester is the best place in the country to take your driving test! And we talk to Julia Manley, a Dorchester driving instructor
We make no apologies for returning to the ever-present subject of online scams. Plus, do you know what a ferrule is? Amongst other things it was the component of a scam in the 1930s
The Banff Mountain Film Festival visits Weymouth for one day only. We talk to its organiser Rosie Fuller
A potted history of the humble Penny….i.e. 1p
Continuing our feature in the last programme on wedding superstitions
Irritating phone calls? There could be scammers “phishing” for your personal details. We tell you how to stop them free of charge through the Telephone Preference Service.
We list eight sure fire ways to spot a scam and warn against some old fashioned con tricks still doing the rounds including Ponzi schemes and pyramid selling.
Table manners and will children stop using knives, forks and spoons? A historian tells us who invented cutlery and why it was important to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
Pet Patter investigates hamsters courtesy of Ridgeway Magazine’s resident vet.
We look at the history of crosswords and challenge listeners to answer clues from the first ever printed 105 years ago. Not many clues but we defy you to get them right.
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Town and district councillor, David Taylor, is our studio guest and talks about the question of the future of the charter market. If shops are built on the market site, will Dorchester become a town of two halves?
Weymouth councillor Alison Reed puts the case for Weymouth becoming a town council…in other words a parish council, and what’s in it for the town when it joins the unitary authority.
A warning from Dorset Police to be on our guard against fraudsters pretending to be police officers. We hear a recording of an actual phone fraud in progress.
We list a few events for which 2018 is an anniversary year.
Who remembers Max Collie and his Rhythm Aces? We air an appreciation and receive a cd for the Ridgeway Community Radio sale of music appeal.
Got a wedding coming up? Why not hire a wind-up gramophone plus 78s specially for the occasion. Mike Coslett from Bridport has all you need.
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Vindictive Valentine cards? As well as sweet sentiments and soppy poems, 150 years ago there were also cards for cads and pigs…..male, of course. They are on display at the Priest House Museum, Wimborne.
The ancient Roman way of romance entailed violence to young women. Saint Valentine was not amused and lost his head to the Emperor Claudius, but not before he left a love message to a young girl…and started something!
Gardening tips – how to use ash and soot in the garden. Slugs and snails do not like it.
Even pets get the January Blues as we are told in this instalment of ‘Pet Patter’.
Five things you must do before you go on holiday. And how you might beat the price hike for a passport.
News from Ridgeway Community Radio: plans for a ginormous fundraising sale of vinyl records, CDs, music videos and DVDs.
A Sneak Peek of the work in making the Shire Hall in Dorchester an historical experience to really look forward to.
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Enigma, the German military encoding machine, drew a full house at the Corn Exchange when it went on show as part of a talk given by world authority Dr. Mark Baldwin on how the enemy codes were devised and then broken. He tells Ridgeway Magazine Enigma was invented 20 years before the war and was sold in shops.
Weymouth’s early history will have to be re-written…research shows the Black Death and great plague did not start with rats jumping ship in the port.
Where have all the newspaper delivery boys and girls gone? Broadwey Village stores still delivers newspaper but the number of boys and girls have halved in recent years and the conditions of employment (yes, really!) have tightened.
Second Chance, the Weymouth charity which collects and sells re-conditioned furniture and appliances to needy folk has closed – but there is still Dorset Reclaim as we report.
Is art worth collecting? No, we are told, buy what you really like.
And we invite listeners to play our song title game, courtesy of broadcaster and jazz band leader Chris Walker.
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Dorset Police invited John to join them in the hunt for illicit drug dealers who take over vulnerable people’s homes.
The circus….a British innovation. It lives on but not in the new film’s way.
John has lunch in Madeira – you cook the meat yourself.
New Year resolutions – blame the ancients for the idea. But who keeps them?
A warning to avoid ‘shyster’, or copycat websites which try to sell you a new passport, driving licence, EHIC Card, and others, for MUCH more cash than you NEED to pay.
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Matt Smith, whose 10 ‘colossal’ challenges have raised £45,000 for Weldmar, talks live in the studio about fundraising
Regular contributor and retired vet Malcolm Welshman talks to the owls
The Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance has a new £8 million aircraft called ‘Pegasus’. For more information about the service visit dsairambulance.org.uk or email info@dsairambulance.org.uk or phone 01823 669604
Sandwiches – big business worth £8 billion; we munch the figures and tell the history
Why the suggested Weymouth to Waterloo alternative route via Yeovil by train is a daft idea
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If you would like to comment on the programme please do so below. Also we’d be grateful if you could mention us on social media. Thank you.
Radio One is 50 years old but we celebrate Pirate Radio with our own Geoff Atherton, Ridgeway Radio presenter, former pirate radio DJ and record plugger.
Elvis died 40 years ago. We mark his passing (did he ever leave?) with an extended interview with Ted Harrison, author of the book “The Death and Resurrection of Elvis Presley”.
Lost for words? We read 30 funny old words that have been rediscovered
What happens to lost luggage? It goes to auction!
Weymouth Council leader explains the North Quay sale problem.
Pet Patter: our vet talks about saving a python which had swallowed its heating pad.
Lost your umbrella on the underground? The lost property office dealt with 332,000 items last year.
War on waste – how long do things take to biodegrade?
Have you forgotten about a personal pension paid into at work? We tell you how to track it down. Useful info to accompany this item: to trace forgotten pensions phone 0345 600 2537, or go to this website www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details or write to Pensions Tracing Service 9, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton WV98 1LU. Note, the Government’s service is free whereas commercial companies providing the same service will charge you.
Four legs good, two legs bad. This edition features animals.
Vet Malcolm Welshman tells us how dogs communicate – is the tail wagging up, down or sideways?
A dog whisperer (yes really!) talks to a mixed-up dog about its unhappy past.
We visit the Horse Course where mixed-up adults and children find that horses can change their moods.
The pig is man’s best friend….discuss.
Those clever children from Damers First School are still selling their prizewinning ‘Spic and Span’ product. We visit Poundbury Food Festival and meet them again.
To the Norwegian fjords where folk have to have two jobs to survive.
Know a wolverine: the mad dog-like predator that can climb trees and kills sheep for fun!
Politics: in Norway, even the fish voted no! to the EU.
We go below decks on a mighty cruise ship and the captain reads a letter form a 10 year old.
Follow-up story: winning Damers First School do it again. An interview with Eco Club Team Leader, Edd Moore. Also read the full report in the Dorset Echo here.
In the week the Dunkirk film is released, we hear about “My Girl” and her float-on part.
You can go on a Hard Hat Tour of the Shire Hall in Dorchester which will reopen as a heritage centre next year. We report on progress.
The Decadettes give us a tune or two resplendent in their Poppy Dresses while they collect money for the Royal British Legion.
We talk to Poppy Butcher, organiser of Weymouth’s Military Vehicle Parade, now in her eighties and just as well organised as the young secretary she once was on D Day.
Do pets look like their owners? Ridgeway Magazine’s vet Malcolm Welshman tells us.
Railway trivia – some stories from life on the lines.
Lisa Bond from Poundbury Garden Centre takes us to her allotment for the third time.
Dorset Police with a serious warning about fraud – don’t let it happen to you.
With 2 billion people expected to speak English by 2020, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) pays well and we tell you how to get on a course.
Our feature “Pets Patter”, with retired vet and author Malcolm Welshman, tells us how to make a cat do what YOU want!
Where is the “Bus Shelter”, a converted bus which will sleep 20 homeless people, to park? “Not here!” say Weymouth councillors.
Gardening tips concentrate on slugs and other pests.
We report on the newest must-have, reconditioned wind-up gramophones.
Good use for an old double decker bus. We report on one being converted into a “bus shelter” for rough sleepers
Dorset Police are asking for volunteers from villages to join “Community Speed Watch” while the French Police aim to issue 12 million speeding tickets with the help of new sophisticated radar traps.
Meanwhile the Community Car Scheme in Dorset needs volunteer drivers to take folk to hospital and doctors’ surgeries.
Want to squeeze inside a WW2 tank, “drive” a Jeep and shoot down a plane? The Portland D Day Centre is hands-on war!
Dorset Police give a timely warning about the safe disposal of marine distress flares. A weekend collection of out-of-date flares saw 2,000 handed in, the oldest dating from 1964.
We take a look at the history of holidays for the workers and found Britain has only eight public hols while the rest of Europe averages 11.
A report on the still-closed Colwell Centre, Weymouth, reveals some interesting facts about an unofficial Tourist Information Centre.
Two Weymouth stories – has the “decaying”town been smartened up for summer and a report on the Lions’ Club “wave wade” for charity.
Ridgeway Magazine went on patrol with Dorset Police in the search of mobile phone users. The new law was explained together with a warning that a “stop” by Police might end with your car being seized!
A million visitors are expected in Weymouth; we look at some of the 250 events and festivals planned for 2017.
We follow up the story about dilapidated Weymouth with Rachel Stretton from the Dorset Echo.
The leader of Weymouth council talks about plans for the Peninsular (Pavilion) site.
We have a special report on loneliness among young people with psychoanalyst and counsellor Alison Moore.
Cyber Crime. Are you among the 1 in 4 Brits who have been affected?
The empty Weymouth Council Offices and why local councillors are powerless to decide the future of the buildings.
Being invited to dinner in a grand house 300 years ago. Did you know that, as a guest, you were expected to take your own knife, fork, spoon and potty!?
Battlefield Tours. Featuring the Western Front Association, based in Pimperne.
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Why is Weymouth among the 10 unhappiest places to live? Two views; journalist Harry Walton lists Weymouth’s faults and good points and guest house proprietor can only see the best. The peninsular site by the harbour; Weymouth council leader Geoff Cant explains the idea for a giant entertainments complex and the in-house finance possibility.
As the clocks go back, we find the extra hour is 100 years old this year and remember when there were TWO extra hours in summer..
The national Illegal Lending Team has got its collective eye on Dorset loan sharks with a phone number to report usurers.
Finally, examine the small change in your pocket. Some coins are worth £10’s and £100’s and we tell you which.
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The Fire of London – recently remembered on its 350th anniversary, was nothing compared to the Great Fire of Dorchester which in 1613 almost destroyed the entire town of 2,000 souls. Local historian Kate Hebditch tells the story.
High Speed History – A young art expert was challenged to relate the history of art in five minutes …she did it in eight!
Seagulls – A local councillor set out the initiative that has been taken to discourage people from feeding gulls by sticking advisory labels on takeaway food packaging. Can seagulls read?
Interviews by Los Angeles Police Department – Another in the series of interviews by Los Angeles Police Department prosecutor describing crimes committed by the “dumbest” criminals.
Gardening tips for September. Lucy Simpson from Poundbury Gardens joins us once again with some very useful advice.
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We look in to the possible demise of local tourist information centres. Joining in the discussion are David Taylor, town and district councillor, and Alison Weller, Chair of Weymouth Hoteliers, Guest Houses and Leaseholders Association. Also in this edition we ask when is a supermarket not super except for its super-inflated prices and investigate our enthusiasm for forensic science with the help of a former Los Angeles Police Department forensic scientist. Finally, continuing the tourist theme, we feature some daft questions asked by tourists!
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Ridgeway Magazine featured an interview with a Los Angeles Police Department Prosecuting Attorney who talked about the history of forensic science which began in England 200 years ago. He brought the subject to life by discussing the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe which he recently re-investigated as a “cold case”. Modern policing was reflected in an interview with the “No excuses” campaign leader in Dorset who talked about the county’s introduction of drug driving tests. Other subjects: when suntans became fashionable replacing the often poisonous pale and interesting look, a wry take on whether the Chinese can build Hinkley Point and why Mr. Punch might be forced to leave his pitch on Weymouth beach.
Dorset Police Superintendent Peter Little was a live guest on Ridgeway Magazine and explained why research showed 40 per cent of Dorset parents believe their children are safer playing outside than being on-line. He discussed “stranger danger” in the context of children making “friends” with people they don’t know who could lead them into trouble and what parents should do to install parental controls. Ruth Hayes, gardening editor of “Amateur Gardener”, stood in for our regular gardening expert and gave answers to the most frequently asked questions. We reported on the anniversary of credit cards which are exactly 50 years old, and asked if Britain is living above its means given the startling amount of personal debt.
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John concludes his cruise to Russia by talking to the Captain of his cruise ship, The Emerald Princess, as well as the Cruise Director and his assistant who are in charge of the on board activities. Also, some useful information about the Isle of Wight as John talks to an island Tour Manager. Plus did you know that the Speaking Clock is 80 years old? – everything you need to know is here.
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This edition features part 2 of John’s trip to Russia taking in Finland and Poland along the way. Also, in this edition, txt spk…the acronyms we use when texting or, in years gone by when writing home to our loved ones, including a few you may never have heard of.
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Come with us to Ghent, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Estonia in Part 1 of this very special edition featuring John’s recent trip en route to Russia.
The Ridgeway Radio Outside Broadcast Unit went to Russia and many ports on the way. This programme featured Ghent, a canal trip, a report on world famous Belgian chocolate and why the city has 2,000 pubs. John visited Copenhagen and heard about its mermaids, its palaces including the changing of the guard and was told a Hans Christian Anderson story about a little mermaid. Then to Stockholm to see the most amazing museum devoted entirely to a 17th century man of war which, apart from the sails, is virtually complete having been salvaged from “sweet” non- corrosive water. The guide in Estonia talked about the country’s rich flora and fauna which is the backbone of its tourist trade. Its capital Talinn has a medieval charm, a small city where time stands still. There will be more to come from John’s trip in the next edition of Ridgeway Magazine.
Back home, also in this programme, the gardening slot featured a young novice gardener and a visit to her allotment. Under the guidance of Poundbury Gardens (one of our supporters) she told listeners how she started from scratch with no experience in February and, apart from growing 23 varieties of potatoes, is now cropping strawberries, rhubarb and rocket and her broad beans are coming on nicely.
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Subjects in the latest Ridgeway Magazine included charity funding for a new cancer facility at Dorset County Hospital, Weymouth Pavilion BrExit meeting, gardening tips from Poundbury Garden Centre, and tipping – rubbish and waiters! The guest on Legal Eagles was Nick Grassby from Humphries Kirk, Solicitors, who talked about Making a Will.
