Do your bit to support a local village and vote for Milborne St Andrew for the the Big Lottery Fund People’s Millions Award.

Milborne St Andrew has been shortlisted for the Meridian South ITV area final and the winner is entirely dependent on the number of votes they receive.

Part of the project will be to create a wildlife garden, with a focus on butterflies and moths, on part of the village hall land. The rest of the MADCAP bid is for an outside multi-gym and improvements to the village hall facilities - audio/lighting and stage facilities.

Milborne St Andrew needs your vote! You can only vote on the day, 26th November from 9am onwards. The telephone number for voting will be released on the 26th November and is the only way to vote. A video presentation of the project will be aired on the ITV Meridian news and the number to vote will be shown at the end of the clip.

The phone number to vote will also be available on the Big Lottery People’s Millions and Milborne St Andrew village websites.

The Scottish musician Dick Gaughan plays Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday 28th November.

Gaughan has been at the cutting edge of Scottish music for over three decades and his vocal prowess, instrumental virtuosity and intelligence as a composer are legendary.

The common thread running through all of Dick Gaughan’s work is his passion for social justice and telling it like it is and his influences range from Davy Graham to Big Bill Broonzy, Bertolt Brecht to Robert Burns, and Karl Marx to Groucho Marx.

Dorchester Arts Centre: Fri 28 Nov 8pm • £10

David Price, Richard Frewer and Andrew Bannerman bring the poems of Thomas Hardy to life through words and music at Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday 21st November.

The show will feature a lively introduction to the creation of the poems, a recital of several of the best of them, and a performance of some of their musical settings or contemporary music matching the mood of the poems.

This intimate evening of poetry and music will set the various themes in Hardy’s poetry against the important events in his life.

Dorchester Arts Centre: Fri 21 Nov 8pm • £8

Dorchester Drama present Hugh Whitemore’s ‘Pack of Lies’ at Dorchester Corn Exchange from Thursday 13th to Saturday 15th November.

Based on the 1960’s true story of a quiet respectable suburban couple suddenly caught up in a Cold War spy scandal.

Corn Exchange: Nov 13-15 • 7.30pm

California-born Guy Tortora plays Dorchester Arts Centre on Saturday 15th November as part of the Bluesnights series.

Tortota is a major figure on the UK’s blues scene and his shows feature electric and acoustic blues, with Guy on guitar and vocals, Janosch Bajtala (keyboards), Costa Tancredi (bass), and Adam Roman (drums).

Dorchester Arts Centre: Sat 14 Nov 8pm • £10.50adv £11.50 door

Fans of the Middle Ages will be pleased to hear of a new festival being held in the picturesque setting of Woodsford Castle on 18th-19th July 2009.

Dorset Medieval Festival will be a celebration of the colour and spectacle of the middle ages and planned activities will include jousting tournaments, mock battles and fighting skill displays, archery and traditonal craft skills such as rush-weaving, net-making and candle dipping.

Minstrels, jesters, storytellers and magicians will be entertaining the crowds around the castle and also in the tavern, where authentic ales, wines and meads will be available, as will a traditional hog-roast and other culinary delights. 

Dorset Medieval Festival: 18th-19th July 2009

Big State Theatre present ‘The Fire Starter’ at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange on Friday 7th November.

A gloriously irreverent romp through the extraordinary life of the nineteenth century Welsh Arch Druid and Doctor, William Price.  A Pagan, he lived in sin, had children out of wedlock, played his flute naked and shocked the Victorians by cremating his dead relatives.

This hilarious comedy features over 25 characters including a sheep, a parrot, a spectacularly incompetent vicar, rampant twins and the lovesick Smelly Gwennie, all performed by three stunningly versatile actors.

Corn Exchange • 8pm • £9 / £7 members and concessions / £5 under 18s (age 14 plus)

The Fireworks season is almost upon us and there are plenty of opportunities to light up your life at displays in Purbeck and further afield.

Wednesday 5th November

Kingston Maurward Lakeside fireworks. Gates open at 6pm, display begins at 7.30pm. Entry price, adults and children (age over 5): £5.

2CR’s fireworks display at Canford Park, Magna Road, Poole. Fireworks, bonfire plus fairground and live music. Family tickets available through the BIC in advance only (not available on the night), two adults and two kids £15. Tickets on the night £5 per person.

Poole Quay Fireworks live music, steet performers, children’s entertainement from 4.30pm. Fireworks from 7.45pm. FREE 

Friday 7 November

Bonfire, Tank Display and Fireworks at Bovington Garrison. Gates open at 6pm and bonefire at 7pm, tanks at 7.30pm and fireworks at 7.45 (finish 9pm). £3 adults Children £1.50

Saturday 8th November

Bere Regis School is holding its annual bonfire and fireworks from 6.00pm. A bar and hot food are available on the night. Adults £5, Under 16s FREE. (rescheduled from 1 Nov due to bad weather).

Fireworks on Wareham Quay, organised by Wareham Round Table in conjunction with the Granary, The Quay Inn and La Trottolina. Music in the Quay Inn featuring Steve D Neil Diamond Tribute starts 7pm.

Fireworks at Kimmeridge. Gates open at 6.30pm with fireworks at 7.30pm

Bournemouth Fireworks at Littledown Centre. There is a family funfair and live music. Gates open at 5.30pm, with firework displays at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Adult £6, Child £3.

Southhill fireworks display in Weymouth, 7pm. BBQ, entertainment, Dorset Fire Service pump display. Free Entry .

Dorset Scrapstore is holding an Open Day on Tuesday 28 October.

The Scrapstore, located at Three Lanes End in Puddletown, collects materials donated by industry, commerce, individuals and makes these materials available to the community as a valuable, low cost resource.

The Open Day is a great opportunity to search this veritable Aladdin’s Cave - if you are feeling creative some ideas include materials for a witch’s costume for Halloween, a shepherd’s cloak for the Nativity Play, or materials to make decorations or cards for Christmas.

Dorset Scrapstore: Tue 28 Oct, 10:00am-8pm, Tel: 01305 849444

Dorchester Arts Centre is holding a series of workshop for children during the half-term break.

The workshops are for children aged 7 to 14 and run from 9am - 4pm. 

Prices are £18 per day (£80 for the week) and you can place a booking on 01305 266926.

Monday 27 October
Play in a Day
Create a story board, make props and costumes, and perform a play (at 3.30pm, family members invited!) under the guidance of TOM PRIOR, Assistant Leader with Dorchester Youth Theatre.

Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 October
Marketing Campaign
What are the most successful ways of getting a big audience to a gig, event or show? Come and learn the ins and outs of putting together a marketing campaign for a future show or event. Help write exciting press releases and design eye-catching posters and flyers with Arts Centre Marketing Officer Simon Barber. The posters will be displayed throughout the town between Wednesday and Saturday.

Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 October
Stop Frame Animation
Join Alastair Nisbet to create your own animation, from storyboard to DVD, and see the results screened before Flipron’s matinee show on Saturday. Here’s a film from a previous workshop.

Thursday 30 October
Spooky Accessories
Join Kathy Webb to create a collection of unique Halloween-inspired accessories, using fimo, beads, fabric and much more.

Friday 31 October
Halloween Lanterns
Join our Artistic Director Sharon Hayden to create spectacularly spooky halloween lanterns to decorate the Arts Centre for Flipron’s matinee show on Saturday.

Saturday 1 November
Family matinee show
Flipron
Dorchester Arts Centre • 6pm • £5 • Free to all workshop students
Come and see this fantastic band play a specially spooked-up set of songs.

Dorset Food Week starts on Saturday (25th October) and runs until Sunday 2nd November.

There are hundreds of mouth-watering events all over Dorset so check out their website to search for events near you or download the event listing.

Purbeck highlights include the Flavours of Dorset Food Fair at Studland Village Hall, Purbeck Farmers’ Market at Putlake Adventure Farm, Langton Matravers and the Wareham Food Festival at Wareham Quay, which all take place on Friday 31 October.

The final day (2nd November) has been designated Great Dorset Sunday Lunch day and is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a relaxing Sunday meal at one of Dorset’s many fine eateries - or why not purchase the produce from a local supplier and rustle up a sumptuous home-cooked Sunday lunch.

The Sam Kelly Band play Dorchester Arts Centre on Saturday night (18th October) as part of the Bluesnights series.

The Sam Kelly Band is a rarity in being led by a drummer - the legendary Sam Kelly. Five-times UK blues drummer of the year, Sam’s band plays a unique mix of blues with a flavour of funk, soul, and reggae, reflecting the backgrounds and experiences of the musicians in the band.

Dorchester Arts Centre: Sat 18 Oct, 7.30pm, £10.50adv, £11.50 door

The Martin Harley Band play Dorchester Arts Centre on Saturday night (11 October).

Their fusion of folk, world music and funky roots has been attracting large audiences at gigs all around the world so be sure to catch them as they tread the Dorchester boardwalks.

Dorchester Arts Centre:  Tickets £10.50 Advance, £11.50 Door 

BBC TV’s Antiques Roadshow presenter and long-standing expert, Paul Atterbury, talks about his personal favourite artefacts from Dorset County Museum’s huge collection this Friday (10th October, 7pm).

During the interval there will be an opportunity to explore the Museum and take a closer look at Paul’s chosen ‘treasures’; many of them previously unseen items from the reserve collections.

Tickets for this event are available from the Museum Reception (and on the door) and cost £7.00. For further information, please telephone 01305 262735.

Dorset County Museum: Fri 10 Oct, 7pm, £7

Spend an evening with journalist, writer and broadcaster Will Self on Monday 29 September at Poole’s Lighthouse. 

The evening will feature readings, stories and a wealth of anecdotes drawn from his colourful career and he will also be signing copies of his latest novel.

Lighthouse: Sep 29 8pm, £13