h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Wareham - A4056923
Author: DanLadle - U1553050

This is an entry about Wareham, Dorset in the South West of England, UK.

There seem to be some entries for the surrounding towns and villages but Wareham is not there for some reason!

Hi Dan,

Welcome to h2g2! I always think an entry on one's hometime is a great first entry to write!

I think this is a really good start, but I think there needs to be a bit more information about Wareham. I spent a number of excellent holidays in the Wareham/Swanage area, and what I remember most about Wareham is the Bear Museum. Is it still there? Isn't there also a reasonably good football team in Wareham (compared to the size of the place!).

Could you say a bit more about the history of Wareham? The stuff about the walls is a good start, but do you know (or could you find out) when and why they were built? Also, a paragraph or so about each of the local tourist attractions would be excellent. As well as the Bear Museum, there's a lot of scuba diving around that part of the world if I remember rightly.

There's a list of geographical entries at C104, which is definitely worth a look to get some ideas about what to include. There's some really good entries there, as well as some rather average ones.

There are a couple of nitpicks about guide style too. One is that the title should be in the form of 'Wareham, Dorset, UK' (because the guide has an international audience). The other thing is that entries can't use first person ('I' or 'me') - just a house style thing.

Hope this helps

Hello Dan,
My wife and I have been on holiday in the general area of Wareham for a number of years. We first went down to the south coast when our youngest son taught sciences at the Thomas Hardye (sic) School in Dorchester for 6 years.
We prefer to go self-catering in a good quality caravan park. We first went to the Durdle Door park in West Lulworth, and to another in West Bexington near Swyre, and yet another in West Bay, Bridport. Recently we have been to Beer and Seaton, visiting a lovely valley which opens out onto the seafront in Branscombe. We spent a week in Swanage 3 years ago and were really taken with its simple charms. The pier is unique in its staggered turn of about 45 degrees to its end point. We went to the castle at the headland for cream teas. We prefer to walk as much as we can and usually cover many miles in a week. We did venture into Bournemouth by bus via Poole, which we are told is one of, if not the, most rich areas of England, particularly in the Marina and Poole harbour areas.
We also took the train from Swanage to Corfe Castle, a fascinating edifice in an equally fascinating village.
The fact that you have chosen to write about your home district tells me that you are very proud of your origins in Wareham. That's the one place we haven't really visited. Thinking it to be just another small commercial centre!
But all the areas I have mentioned are, to us, really beautiful seascape country, and that's a compliment from one who lives in the green rural pastures of Cheshire. After all, it isn't known as the English Riviera for nothing!
Having said all that, I shall now read your 'take' on the area and get back to you anon.

Ron

This is a good start, Dan. However, as s'one else said, you need to say a lot about the walls. Also, if I recall, there is an Anglo Saxon church nearby. Also a quarry which is of archaeological interest. I believe the church is of some interest; in fact as I write I've just recalled that it's essentially a Minster church but, for some reason it's not called Wareham Minster. The church has some stone coffins outside (?Roman). This Entry needs fleshing out but, has the potential to be a fascinating Entry. . I believe there's also a connection qwith Lawrence of Arabia.

P.S. You mention the River Piddle. Is it at Wareham where they bottle 'Piddle Water' (I'm being serious folks; there's a town in Dorset that sells bottled Piddle Water)

The river Piddle also has another name. Oddly enough it is the name of that other (but more major) river: Trent. There is a village nearby called
Piddletrenthide, just north of Dorchester.

Nice neat little Entry mate A little more and it'll get into the Edited Guide, if that's what you want

Like your personal tone, unfortunately EG Writing Guidelines say you have to take the first person references out ('I was born there by the way' being an example of that).

A bit more expansion, but not too much, on the other points everyone else has made will make this a woderful edition to the EG. You may be interested in going here A1286886

A few more hints and tips from the Royal h2g2 Geographical Society might make this little gem an absolute diamond

HF

Brings back memories of childhood holidays at Sandford Park

You could mention the river is navigable, and its possible to get to Poole Harbour from there.

Just so you know there is another town nearby called Shitterton.

Dorset also used to have a Piddleton but when the Queen visited at the start of the 20th Century they changed it to Puddletown, which it still is!

Reference my earlier posting:

In St Martins Church is the memorial to Lawrence of Arabia and the coffin of Edward the Martyr who was murdered at Corfe Castle.


In Wareham Museum in East Street, as well as local history artifacts, there is a collection of Lawrence of Arabia's photographs and ephemera.
Close by, at Furzebrook is the Blue Pool. which has an usual colour range due to fine clay particles.


There is also the nature reserve at Arne which also has a small beach nearby.

You are rude about the holidaymakers who come to Dorset, and rude about your fellow townspeople in their attitude to the latter! You are obviously envious of the fact that you are now living in Nottingham, the gun capital of the UK, and not back in your native Wareham. Why not return? I don't think you would be welcome there, with your abominable attitude!

There are two 'm's in accommodation.

'Cannon' is both singular and plural in usage.

I wrote my reply to your piece in praise of your Wareham countrymen and women. We always find them polite and helpful. I spoke highly of the south west as a whole and I hoped that would please you!
Why don't you go and live in that 'town' you pointed out to us? It would suit your on line manners.

My criticism is that Wareham is gorgeous and I don't think this has been adequately communicated to the world! (speaking as a sort of local!)

I think if people look up the entry on a town they are going to be most interested in what there is to do and whether it's a nice place to hang out. So rather than just mentioning there are two rivers and a station you could say there's an attractive old square alongside a river with several traditional pubs by it where you can sit on seats by the river and feed the ducks (and observe holidaymakers staggering off boats)...And if you mention Lawrence of Arabia you could direct people to the cafe in the high street where you can sit in 'his' seat. Also that Wareham is the gateway to Purbeck etc etc. Oh and the Saxon church. Elaborate a bit. There is a reason why all those holiday makers are there!

I believe the correct Dorset word for tourists is grockles

In an earlier posting, I mentioned that there is a quaryy which of archaeological interest. Having now visited your PS, I notice that it's actually your mother who runs it!(Actually, I think it was probably her with whom I had a convesation when I was lasythere a year ago - she led a tour around the town wall for us, and then spoke about her work at the quarry). Hence I'm doubly surprised you didn't mention it in your Entry.

Thanks for that mate. I had totally forgotten about the museum. Have put a link in to the website so people can find out for themselves.

Thought I'd try and keep the posting fairly specific to Wareham so I haven't included other towns/villages. Might have a think about that though as Arne and similar places are pretty nice!!!

I have made the changes you suggested to the spelling, thanks for that.

In response to your other comments...I love Wareham, it is where I grew up and where I go back to to visit family and friends. I am sorry if you thought I was a bit harsh, but I was just trying to bring a smile to people's faces while giving them some useful information about the town.

I am a big fan of Douglas Adams and was trying (and obviously failing from your comments) to write my entry in the way that they Hitchhikers Guide from the books gives information.

I will take your criticism on board and attempt to be slightly nicer about my townsfolk and holidaymakers, as well as checking all my spelling before making any further entries.

I was feeling quite good about the whole H2G2 experience until I read your reply, but it has made me feel like I am not quite so welcome now!

I hope you don't feel unwelcome

I think that people who've posted here were probably right to say that you were a bit harsh about people who live in Wareham (I used to live in London, and Londoners complain about tourists. I bet everyone complains about tourists!), because I've found people in that neck of the woods to be very friendly, but I'm sure they say things about tourists to other locals that they wouldn't say in front of tourists.

I think this entry is *much* improved, but I think it could be even better. Westcountrylinks refers to a number of tourist attractions near Wareham that I think deserve a mention (chimp sanctury, tank museum etc)
http://www.westcountrylinks.co.uk/inf/attcdt.htm
And the Bears!!

One of the difficult things about writing about somewhere you know well is writing about visitor attractions, because they can often be taken for granted. In London there's loads of things I've never been to, or only been to once.

It's great to see that you've searched the guide for other entries to link to (too many authors don't do that), but edited guide entries are only allowed to link to other edited guide entries - that is, entries which have gone through this process of review.

I think the comment about Wareham's hotels being either too expensive or not decorated recently might have to come out. It might be true (I've not been there for years and we always went self-catering), but 'too expensive' is subjective. What's too expensive for me might not be for someone who earns more money!

Finally, I think the opening line 'Wareham I?' is genius!

The process of PR and improving the entry can take a while, but this is on the right track, so don't be discouraged!

Ignore the negative comments and keep on pegging away, you're far from 'not so welcome', it's just some Researchers can get a bit tetchy Don't forget there's more to H2G2 than the Edited Guide and PR. There's the <./>UnderGuide</.> and <./>ThePost</.> if you feel you need to vent your spleen in other ways
The Frood

Working on the edited guide entries bit as we speak...actually about to go home but I'll finish checking it tomorrow.

I 'got' the bit about locals moaning that it's dead in the winter and that they can't move in the summer - it is absolutely true after all! I just think that underneath the half-hearted moaning there is a grudging pride that it's popular, because it confirms their view that it's far nicer than everywhere else.

is that third church still an art gallery? I thought it closed and had been turned into tourist information or something?