What’s on in Dorset: November

Before we get on to our selection of things to do in Dorset in November, we’d like to let you know about our current SPECIAL OFFER. During the months of November and December you can book three nights in our bed and breakfast or self-catering accommodation for the price of two (Monday to Thursday). So, what are you waiting for?

Dorset is spectacular in autumn and wonderful for winter breaks, including Christmas time, and we would love to welcome you here for your autumn or winter holiday.

Later this month we’ll be posting about Dorset Christmas fairs and markets and Stir-up Sunday, the traditional day for making your Christmas pudding; so keep a look out for those. In the meantime, here’s our selection of November events and activities.

3rd November - Bonfire and Fireworks on the Beach at Lyme Regis. Fireworks start at 6.30pm.

3rd November - Bonfire and Fireworks Extravaganza at Sherborne Castle, Sherborne: entertainment, music, food from 5.00pm; bonfire at 7pm, fireworks 7.30pm.

3rd November - Bridport Round Table Annual Firework Display at Bridport Leisure Centre, Bridport. The gates will open at 7.00pm, and the firework display will start at 8.00pm.

5th November - Firework Display at Dorchester Rugby Club, Dorchester. Hog roast, BBQ, licensed bar and refreshments. Gates open at 6pm; fireworks from 7.30pm. Tickets: Family £10, Adult £4, Child £2.

8th November The Legends at The Regent Centre Christchurch. Poole and Parkstone's “highly acclaimed all-singing, all-dancing spectacular November show makes a return this year with a concert celebrating legendary musicals and their composers. We bring you the music of those writers whose shows have become musical phenomena, providing the spine tingling music which gives audiences the excitement, love and feel good factor that they anticipate from P & P's award winning performances.”

11th to 18th November - The 8th Bridport Literary Festival, Bridport. “The organisers of The 8th Bridport Literary Festival have planned lots of interesting, stimulating, revealing and entertaining talks for this autumn.”

20th November - Budapest Cafe Orchestra at the Electric Palace, Bridport. “The Budapest Café Orchestra play powerful and driving folk-based music from Eastern Europe inspired by the music of European gypsies. The richness and dynamism of Balkan music is on display here in all its untamable glory in a wide-ranging programme of impassioned Hungarian Czardas, tender Russian folk melodies, rollicking dances from Romania and Moldavia, bitter sweet Jewish laments, one or two electrifying compositions of the group's own making plus a few surprises along the way...”

21st November - That'll be the Day at Christmas at Weymouth Pavilion. Get ready for a party as the UK’s most successful touring Rock ‘N’ Roll production, the legendary That’ll Be The Day, returns with a Brand New 2012 Christmas Show

25th November - Norwich Puppet Theatre: The Pied Piper, The Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis. For children aged 3 to 7. “When the Pied Piper plays his flute the rats run, the greedy mayor rubs his hands and the children dance. Norwich Puppet Theatre's humorous and irresistible one person show combines a skillful mix of puppetry, foot-tapping live music and storytelling that will have audiences young and old entranced.”

30th November - Stand Up Comedy Night with Yianni Agisilaou at the Dorchester Corn Exchange. “Sharp social commentary to compare favourably with Woody Allen”. “Dynamic, dramatic, and funny. Catch him while you can!” 8.15pm (doors and bar 7.30pm). Tickets £8/ £6 concessions. May contain some adult content.

We hope this gives you a small taste of the many interesting and entertaining events coming up in November. A little later in the month we’ll be posting details of upcoming crafts fairs and markets in November and December – perfect for a bit of Christmas shopping.

To book accommodation in Dorset for your autumn or winter break, please contact us. We’re also taking bookings for self-catering accommodation in Dorset for Christmas so please contact us to discuss your requirements; or to book one of our cosy and luxurious apartments with panoramic sea and coastal views, and everything you need for a happy and relaxing holiday.

Indoor and outdoor activities for half term

Half term is fast approaching so here’s a selection of recommended activities to keep the whole family busy and entertained.

27th October to 4th November - investigate the superstitions, magic and folklore of 17th Century Witchcraft at Corfe Castle Model Village.

27th October – Flameburst 2012 “The ultimate family firework event” at The Fuzzy Bit, Bakers Farm Road, Verwood. You can expect a “vibrant atmosphere, spectacular fireworks and special effects, singing and dancing to the lively Flameburst stage show, and evening out with family and friends.”

27th October – Magical RNLI Steam Train Experience, Swanage. Join the RNLI team at Swanage Railway to take a magical steam train ride to Harman's Cross to join in the RNLI Family Fun Day. Tickets are limited availability - details at Swanage RNLI shop or email Selina_Taylor@rnli.org.uk.

27th October to 4th November - Skulls, Skins and Gory Things Trail at Avon Heath Country Park. Everyday; anytime between 11am and 3pm.

27th October Family Sleepover: Dinosaurs and Pliosaurs at the Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester. 5.30pm onwards. Dinosaur-themed museum sleepover with plenty of family activities and a midnight feast.

28th October - The Mysterious Vanishment of Pobby and Dingam at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis. “Pobby and Dingan are Kellyanne’s best friends, maybe her only friends. Her brother Ashmol hates them. They’re invisible and they make her act weird. And it’s no fun having a fruitloop for a sister. Then Pobby and Dingan go missing and Kellyanne becomes heartsick. It’s up to Ashmol to find them before she fades away completely, but where do you start looking for something you can’t even see?” For everyone aged over nine years.

31st October – The Big Draw at the Dorset County Museum. 10.30am to 12.00pm. A "Make and Do Family Activity" for the autumn half-term Holidays and part of The Big Draw nationwide initiative. £3 per child. Adults admitted free but must remain with their children during the activity. Up to two children per adult.

Please see our previous post for Halloween half-term activities.

Contact us to find out more about our family-friendly holiday accommodation in Dorset for half term, and to book our stunning bed and breakfast rooms, and self-catering apartments.

And don’t forget we’re also taking bookings for self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation in Dorset for Christmas.

Chesil Beach Café

There are many places to eat in Dorset where you can enjoy delicious food in fantastic locations. Not far from Chesil Beach Lodge, and with the same passion for local, sustainable food, is the Chesil Beach Café at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Beach Road.

The centre is run by Dorset Wildlife Trust on behalf of a partnership including Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and the Fleet and Chesil Bank Nature Reserve, with the help of local volunteers.

This wonderful café has been included in Coast Magazine’s 10 Best New Places to Eat By the Sea. The food is sourced and prepared with strong emphasis on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, including conservation grade beef from Dorset Wildlife Trust's nature reserves and seafood as approved by DWT's Great Dorset Seafood campaign.

Surrounded by fascinating habitats, geology and wildlife, the café is the perfect place to stop off for a meal or for tea and cake. It’s open every day 10am to 4pm for brunch, lunch, tea, coffee and cakes; and open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday 6pm until late.

If you’re visiting the beautiful Jurassic Coast this autumn and winter, don’t forget to book bed and breakfast accommodation in Dorset or self-catering accommodation in Dorset as soon as possible. We look forward to meeting you.

Tips for Geener Car Driving

Owning and driving a car is something that many of us find a necessity, but there are ways to make your car journeys greener with much less of an impact on the environment.

• Get rid of the rubbish in your car boot. Less weight equals less fuel used.
• Unless absolutely necessary; don’t drive with a roof rack or bike rack etc. They add extra weight and create wind resistance, increasing fuel consumption.
• Make sure your tyres are correctly inflated – you’ll use less fuel if they are because under-inflated tyres create more resistance and increase your fuel consumption by up to 3%.
• Find out if you could work from home on one or two days a week and thus save long commutes to work.
• Avoid accelerating or braking hard – both involve using more energy, and of course using less energy means using less fuel.
• Plan your routes in advance to ensure you take the shortest route.
• Slow down. Driving above 60 miles per hour decreases your car’s fuel efficiency.
• Consider using alternative fuels.
• Consider driving a smaller more fuel-efficient car.
• See if a neighbour or work colleague can share car journeys with you.
• Reduce the number of car journeys you make by taking the bus or travelling by train when you can.
• Avoid leaving your engine running.
• And avoid using the air conditioning unless you feel you really need it.

We encourage guests at Chesil Beach Lodge to leave their cars behind and explore Dorset on foot, by bicycle, and by train and bus. We have a wide selection of local guides and maps for you to borrow.
Dorset has three mainline train services and a heritage line serving over 20 stations across the county. Swanage Railway offers a busy timetable of heritage steam and diesel train services, and visitors can experience a unique journey on a steam train through six miles of beautiful scenery passing the magnificent ruins of Corfe Castle.

The South West Coast Path, with its spectacular sea views, runs almost right by our door, as does a regular local bus service that will take you to Lyme Regis, Bridport, Weymouth and further afield.

See our post with suggestions for walking in Dorset

If you’re considering visiting Dorset this autumn, please contact us to book sustainable accommodation in Dorset. We know the local area well, and we are always happy to help you plan excursions and activities.

What’s on in Dorset: October

Hello, and welcome to October on the Chesil Beach Lodge blog!

As in many areas of the UK, autumn arrived in Dorset on the wings of a storm, with very heavy rain some areas. We hope you weren’t too badly affected. Now that the weather has settled down again, we’re looking forward to the colourful and bright autumnal days in Dorset that we love and enjoy so much.
Later this month we’ll be posting some suggestions for activities for half term and some tips for greener car driving, but, as always, we’ll start with our selection of things to do in Dorset in October.

Starting 2nd October (until next spring) the Bridport Film Festival at Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport. See the Bridport Film Society website for a packed programme of contemporary world cinema.
6th October Ancient Harvest & Apple Day, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne. See the Roman Cider Press in action. Bring bottles and apples and press your own juice to take away. A lovely, fun family day. 10am to 4pm.

6th October Big Green Apple Day Family Green Fair and Apple Day at Thorners School, School Lane, Litton Cheney. Celebrating sustainability, creativity, the outdoors, conservation, wildlife and community - a fun day out with music, local hot foods and cider, crafts stalls and eco & information stalls. Have a go at stone carving, archery, woodland crafts, and bushcraft for children.

11th October Francesca Martinez- What the **** is Normal? Tour at the Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne. “Francesca Martinez is an English stand-up comedienne and actress. She has toured internationally, including sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival, the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. She has completed a 33-date UK tour and two off-West End London runs at the Tricycle Theatre and the Hackney Empire. She has cerebral palsy but prefers to describe herself as "wobbly".”

13th October Truffle Hunting Experience Day at a secret location in West Dorset! Would you like to experience truffle hunting with dogs? The English Truffle Company offers truffle hunting experience days in Dorset. These comprise an introductory talk on truffles, lunch, two hours of truffle hunting, and afternoon tea including sampling of a truffle dish. Contact the English Truffle Company to find out more and enquire about availability.

19th October Seven Ages at The Corn Exchange, Dorchester. “Fresh from a sell-out world tour this delightful show by Kepow Theatre takes a comic look at the seven ages of life. After 5 star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival it received a standing ovation on its opening and closing nights in London. Combining improvisation, masks and storytelling it explores going to school, falling in love, finding a job, becoming a parent and growing old disgracefully!”

24th October Family evening The Enchanting World of the Pumpkin at Uplyme Village Hall, near Lyme Regis, at 7.30pm. Bring your carved or decorated pumpkin to be judged in the pumpkin lantern competition, and join in the quiz and games.

25th October to 28th October the Sherborne International Film Festival, at the Powell Theatre, Abbey Road, Sherborne. A full programme of films includes Rio (PG), a colourful, energetic and entertaining animated film for children; In a Better World (15), Oscar winner for best foreign language film in 2011; Habemus Papam (PG), a beautifully crafted Italian irreligious comedy; and The Big Picture (15), the story of a character who assumes a dead man’s identity and goes on a journey of personal exploration.

27th October ‘Sunrise from Golden Cap’ – a Ranger led walk along the Jurassic Coast. “The great rocky shoulder of Golden Cap offers magnificent views at every compass point. On a clear day you can see across Lyme Bay to Dartmoor - well worth the effort of the walk uphill.” From Langdon Wood car park SY413931 at 8.30am. Allow 2hrs for the walk. The walk is free, but there is a charge for food. Booking is essential – telephone 01297 48948.

27th to 28th October Autumn Colours Weekend at the historic Sherborne Castle, from11am to 4:30pm. “Explore 42 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, and enjoy the beauty, peace and tranquillity of this perfect natural setting.” Reduced price entry to garden and grounds.

28th October Local Producers Market, Marine Parade, Lyme Regis. Quality, handcrafted food and craft from local smallholders who follow the highest standards of environmental practice. Stall-holders on Sunday will be selling a range of local food products including fresh vegetables, organic eggs, handmade ice cream, elderflower products, preserves, cheese, locally grown cut flowers, pottery, sheepskins, and other crafts.11am – 4pm.

We hope this gives you an idea of the variety of interesting and entertaining events coming up in October. To book accommodation in Dorset, please contact us. The Dorset countryside is stunning in autumn, and perfect for an October break.