The Portland Rocks CIC

 

Last week we had the privilege to go to a performance of Carmen at the Roman Amphitheatre  in Verona, however there were differences.

 

 

This was the scene at around 8.30

Ten minutes after, the heavens opened for a full on thunder storm that lasted around two hours. We all sheltered from the rain as the performance was merely postponed, apparently they never cancel, and eventually started around 11pm. Carmen is over three hours long so with intervals it didn’t finish until 3am and by the time we got back to our hotel in Garda we eventually got to bed around 4.

The performance was amazing and on a grand scale with a large cast including 6 horses and numerous motor vehicles. The full orchestra included four harps, all the vocal performances were without microphones such is the quality of the acoustics in the venue.

All together an amazing experience.

 

Check out our new look Facebook page.

 

 

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Look out for us over the summer as we will be attending some community events to collect memories and show progress so far.

The film of the last train to Easton has now been made available via the Dorset History Centre. Here it is, makes very interesting viewing.

Our Facebook page has been feeling a bit unloved for some time. it has undergone a bit of a facelift tonight and will be updated regularly from now on.

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The CIC is pleased to announce that we have secured funding from Dorset Music Services to run a ten week series of music workshops for young people at Wey Valley School in September. Details to follow over the summer.

This is an exiting development and will hopefully lead to longer term community music provision in 2019

We will be at the Portland Library in Easton on Saturday between 10 and 12. Please come along if you have a story connected with the railway and tell us about it

First recording session successfully completed today at Fairfield Day Centre. Back tomorrow for a second session with two further community recording sessions planned for Thursday and Friday afternoon.

Recording sessions sessions booked in this week and a visit to Portland Museum, things are really getting started.

First planned recording sessions will be taking place soon and we will be out and about in the community over the summer with what we hope will be an interesting display. Please come and talk to us, especially if you have an interesting piece of social history connected with the line or maybe you just want to find out more about the railway and its fascinating history.

We are currently trying a new style of web site so as to get the large number of posts into a more manageable form. Logos etc will be aded over time and who knows even the theme may change.

This site has been running since we formed as a CIC in 2012 so there are a considerable number of posts representing the wide variety of arts projects and performances we have been involved in. In 2016 with the educational situation on Portland and Martyn no longer working on the island we took the opportunity to re group and take stock.

As a CIC we have evolved again, now being involved in a Heritage Lottery history project. We hope to have some new music and arts strands running again soon.

Let us know what you think of our new web site.

An artefact has been donated to the project. A non working model of a locomotive used on the line in the 50s. The engine could be made to run but will most likely be left as it is so it can be passed round, handled etc. It is a very nice example though with wrong number and logo for the 50s (from the later 1950s) The fact that things are wrong could stimulate discussion on its own. Perhaps once the project is complete I’ll get it working?

Looks like our social media feeds are up and running again so you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Interesting article by John Flann on the history of the railways on Portland featured in Backtrack magazine.

 

We are aware that our site hasn’t been posting to our Facebook and Twitter feeds for some time. We are currently working to resolve the issue.

With so much exiting stuff happening it is even more important our feeds are up to date.

The project is bringing forward some great memories

The first from engine driver Don Mintern

And a second set of memories from Barry Norris

From the Daily Telegraph and makes quite a lot of sense.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/family/lessons-killing-childs-love-music/

 

Thanks to ICA on Portland an ad has been run in the Free Portland News asking for volunteers to help with this fascinating project. We are still looking so please contact us if interested. Training will be provided.

As well as the Wesex FM interview I recorded last week there has been an article in the Dorset Echo and it has already generated some responses.

Article can be found here

 

Recorded an interview for Wessex FM and have been approached by people with useful contacts for some promising stories.

Looks like we are getting underway.

Recorded an interview on Monday that was broadcast on Wessex FM to raise interest in the project. Big thanks to Justin at the station for organising it.

Also made a few useful contacts with interesting stories that will need following up.

As part of our Heritage Lottery project on the social history of the Rail line to Portland we are looking to recruit up to three volunteers. Attached to this post is the job description and a covering letter. If you think you could work with us, please read the details and email us at: portlandrocks@live.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

Volunteers cover letter January 2018

Volunteer job description Jan 2018

 

 

 

 

Portland Rocks, previously known for its music and art workshops, has secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for an exciting project collecting the memories of those who knew and used the railway line from Weymouth to Easton, Portland; a social rather than technical history of the line.

Having lived on Portland in Dorset for the last thirteen years, Director Martyn Mullender said:” I have become increasingly fascinated by the railway that ran from Weymouth along Chesil Beach and then climbed from sea level to around 285 feet above. It then followed a circuitous route around the cliffs to arrive at Easton.”

 As many will know, the railway to Easton closed to passengers in 1952 and finally to all traffic in1965, over 50 years ago.

 Martyn remarked: “The line was unique in many ways: the traffic it was built for, the manner of its working, the challenges of getting the line built and the protracted amount of time this took. There will still be some residents and former residents with memories of the line that form a vital link to its history, which have not been recorded. Using audio visuals and the Internet, we plan to record as many memories as possible, making them available to the public for research or even genealogical purposes. “

 An online archive will be created, including photos and transcribed recordings, which will be placed with the Dorset History Centre and freely available online. The project has received letters of support from the Portland Museum, National Railway Museum, the Professor of Railway Studies at the University of York and local historian Stuart Morris among others.

 In order to develop the project, Portland Rocks will be recruiting a small group of volunteers, for which a letter of application is available at www.portlandrocks.co.uk or can be collected from and returned to the Island Community Action office in Easton, Portland, if people would like to register their interest in supporting the project.

 The project will run until November 2018 and Portland Rocks also hopes to run an arts project linked to the research, involving visual and sound art in September 2018, if they can secure further funding.

 The proposal includes taking display boards of information currently available to local events and gathering evidence from people who come along to talk about their memories of the railway.

 If you wish to know more about this proposal, please contact Martyn Mullender at: portlandrocks@live.co.uk

 Tel:07596657363

After some difficult times Portland Rocks has secured funding for an exiting and substantial community arts project taking us in a new direction.

Once all is in place a full announcement will be made.

The Mental benefits of music education

Brain benefits of music lessons

Musicians have superior memories

 

Yes we are still quiet. However, one large funding bid has been submitted awaiting a decision another will be submitted within the next week or so and two more are in the pipeline. We hope to be active again in the new year.

Yes it has been a long time but as you know there have been turbulent times in education on Portland meaning big changes. When we return we will be bigger and stronger so watch this space as they say.

Martyn

At a recent B Side retrospective on the work of Joe Stevens I happened to meet up with David Oates who did a great sound art project with our young people as part of the cultural Olympiad. Hear they are: