Born and Bred Book Launch

Born & Bred: Celebrating Broadwindsor’s Stories

New book and film bring Broadwindsor's past and present to life

On Saturday 1 November, the White Lion pub in Broadwindsor, Dorset, was buzzing with the launch of the book Born & Bred, the result of a community heritage initiative led by the charity Windrose Rural Media Trust under the direction of Margery Hookings.
 
The project asked local residents aged 55 and over who were born or bred in the village to share their memories, and those stories were gathered during six separate meetings. 
 
At the event, 30 copies of the book were sold and a further 20 were generously gifted to participants in the project, whose contributions formed the backbone of its content. The older contributors spoke with visible pride of seeing their voices preserved in print.
 
The book has been very well received locally: many said the experience of being interviewed and reading the finished product brought a real sense of validation. Looking ahead, the charity has confirmed that a short film documenting the project will be screened early next year.
 
This initiative marks a meaningful step in preserving the village’s living history, giving voice to those whose recollections might otherwise fade, and reinforcing a sense of community in Broadwindsor.
Montage of images showing people gathered at the White Lion pub in Broadwindsor attending the launch of the Born and Bred book
Reactions to the Born and Bred project from those who took part:

“I enjoyed every minute of this! It brought back many happy memories, conversations with family. Nice to remember the village as it was and how it is now – still lovely with friendly people.”

“Hopefully because of this project, it will show the villagers of Broadwindsor to come what it was like growing up in rural Dorset in the 1950s/1960s when life was much slower and more fun.”

“The front page made me feel quite emotional. My cousins and several old village residents are no longer with us. I will spend much time reading the book and it will be an asset for the village to keep many memories alive.”

“Thank you Margery for all your time and effort. The meetings you organised where I met up with old friends of the village were very enjoyable.”

“A lovely book which will bring back many memories. I also enjoyed meeting people who lived in the village years ago.”

“It is so interesting to hear what happened years ago in the lovely village of Broadwindsor. A real keepsake to pass on to my family.”

Born and Bred Project Leader and Author Margery Hookings

The project is being supported by a grant from Dorset Council’s Community and Culture Fund, the South West Procurement Alliance/LHC Community Benefit Fund, Magna Housing Association’s Community Improvement Fund, and the British Association for Local History’s Small Grants Programme.

Read a Case Study reflecting on the success of the Born and Bred project prepared by one of the project’s funders, the South West Procurement Alliance/LHC. The South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) is a not-for-profit public sector procurement body that develops and manages compliant frameworks to help local authorities, housing organisations and other public clients efficiently procure construction, refurbishment and maintenance work to deliver better buildings, homes and community outcomes.