The Dorset Shepherd

"An' I do bide all day among
The bleaten sheep an' pitch the vwold;
An' when the evenen sheades be long
Do zee all a-penn'd an' twold"

by William Barnes, Dorset dialect poet.

N had an appointment at the hospital first thing in Dorchester, then we had time to kill so we had coffee at the Potter Cafe in Durngate Street just opposite this statue which was sculpted by John Doubleday for the millennium and is " a tribute to the quiet heroism and wisdom of pastoralists and cultivators who provide literary inspiration associated with Dorchester." At his feet lies his dog. John Doubleday is famous for his sculptures world wide including Nelson Mandela in South Africa and Sir Lawrence Olivier in Beijing.

We then walked to Fordington Green and to St George's Church to attend the memorial service of R's father. He was one of the last of the "old brigade of the town" having served in the local police force and St John's Ambulance. I first met him when I was a teenager!