David Walliams has become a very successful children’s author and the Awful Auntie adaptation from the Birmingham Stage Company is a delight to watch from start to finish.

The show begins with young Stella waking up in bed after being in a 3 month coma and her Aunt Alberta tells her the awful truth about a car accident with her parents and that she was the only survivor.  Of course, Aunt Alberta is pretty awful and what she really wants now is the deeds to the huge mansion they live in.

When Stella wouldn’t tell her Aunt where the deeds are she’s locked in the cellar and this is where she makes friends with a friendly ghost called Soot.  Stella and Soot believe that Aunt Alberta poisoned the family on that fateful day of the car accident and they do what they can to inform the police and drive Aunt Alberta and her screeching pet owl out.  Every mansion has to have a butler and Gibbon is definitely the most bonkers and he just adds to the humour on stage.

The set is just incredible and ever changing.  Throughout the show you will see the cast travel though different rooms in the mansion including the roof and there’s even puppets which are cleverly used to portray scenes which happen outside of Saxby Hall.

I can’t recommend Awful Auntie enough, the cast are hugely talented and the whole audience was completely captivated throughout the performance.

Awful Auntie is produced by the Birmingham Stage Company and they are visiting the Lighthouse from Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th March 2024. 

For more information and tickets, please visit Lighthouse Poole or call the Box Office on 01202 280000.

Age guidance for this show is 5+ and parents should be aware that the show contains smoke, haze, strobe lighting and explosions!

Image credit: Mark Douet

It’s been a few years since we’ve visited Tyneham's 'Lost Village' however the wonderful walk down to Worborrow Bay was a first for us and despite it being quite breezy at the coast the views were totally worth it.

If you are in the car park with Tyneham Village to your right then you’ll need to head to the left where you’ll soon see a signpost for a picnic area and garden plus history barn and stables.  The history barn was closed when we visited however we did pop in the stables which dates back over 100 years and remains mostly untouched.  Nearby outside you will find toilets and a display of artillery shells with plaques about the history.  From here you can easily get onto the path which heads down to Worborrow Bay.  It only took us about 20 minutes but we weren’t rushing and the kids were having fun in the big puddles so I’m sure it could have been done much quicker.  The views are incredible when you reach the bay and myself and my daughter stayed by a picnic bench while the boys climbed the steps down onto the beach.  When they came back up we walked back to the village and I had just enough time to wander around before the sun said goodbye.

In November 1943 the inhabitants of Tyneham received notice that the land was required for military training and were only given 28 days to leave their homes.

It is said that the last person to leave posted a note on the village’s church door:

“Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes, where many of us lived for generations, to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly”.

Sadly, the inhabitants were never able to return as the village was compulsorily purchased by the government in 1948 and has been deserted ever since.

As you wander around the village you will see what once was charming cottages and buildings, with old photos and information boards and stories from the inhabitants.  Although most of the buildings are now in ruins you will find some restoration has been completed by volunteers.  The farm has been restored and the village church remains in immaculate condition.

The village schoolhouse is a museum and gives you goosebumps when you see a child’s schoolwork in one of the desks.  It’s like the clocks were suddenly stopped and time has stood still ever since.  St Mary’s Church was one of the first buildings to be refurbished and is now also a museum which tells the story of Tyneham.

Good to know:

It’s always best to check Tyneham Village online before visiting to see opening days and times which is mostly weekends and main public holidays.  Tyneham Village gate permits vehicle access and opens at 9am when no military activity is taking place and is closed at dusk each evening.  The exhibitions in Tyneham School and Tyneham Church are open from 10am until 4pm on non-firing days however this may vary depening on the time of year.

In the car park you will see an honesty box with a suggested £4 parking charge so don’t forget your cash when you visit.

There’s so much to explore in the area including Flower’s Barrow Hillfort which is reached by foot from Tyneham or from the viewing point and car park at Whiteway Hill.

If you need more ideas on places to visit in Dorset then please take a look at some of our other blog posts below..........

Where to see Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Free or low cost things to do in Dorset

ByTheWay Park in Wimborne

Hamworthy Park in Poole

Tout Quarry Sculpture Park in Portland