Village Launches The Place I Love project

The Place I Love project successfully launched in Broadwindsor on Saturday with an exhibition by local artists at Comrades Hall.

Many paintings sold and a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the community project, which is being led by village resident Margery Hookings on behalf of Windrose Rural Media Trust.

Rural media charity Windrose is a creative organisation bringing together communities in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, through film, audio and heritage.

The Place I Love project includes researching village field names and folk songs. It will culminate in an interpretive map by artist Megan Edwards to be unveiled in Broadwindsor in February.

Margery said: ‘The project is all about respecting and caring for the place in which we live and those who work within it. At the launch we had some great feedback from people of all ages about what they loved about the village, from its many facilities and landmarks, including the community shop, church and primary school, but the key thing that came through was Broadwindsor’s community spirit and glorious landscape.’

Margery will be handing over the information gathered on post-it notes to Megan to help her shape the map, which will be installed in a central location in the village for all to see.

‘I would like to say a massive thank you to all the very talented artists who took part, to those who helped set up and take down and to the WI ladies in the kitchen dishing up delicious cakes and teas.

‘My friend Donna Heys (main picture)  put in a massive amount of work, exhibiting, co-ordinating her art group and running the refreshments side. It wouldn’t have happened without her drive and imagination’

Artwork by children from Broadwindsor Primary School
was also on display.

Margery said: ‘The school has been very enthusiastic in getting on board with this project, which is lovely to see.

‘It turned out to be much more than an art exhibition, with new contacts made and new ideas that look set to add additional strands to The Place I Love project.’

The project is being funded by Dorset Council’s Community and Culture Project Fund, Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s (AONB)Sustainable Development Fund, the National Community Lottery through the AONB’S Stepping Into Nature Project and Broadwindsor Group Parish Council.

Photo credits: Margery Hookings.

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