Hello Poole!

It’s now December and we’re really getting in the festive spirit! Issue No. 43 is packed with good news and local things to do. This week we’ve got a major boost for independent traders (the Town loyalty scheme launches across The Dolphin and Kingland Crescent), a practical heads-up about Twin Sails bridge repairs starting on 15 December, and an incredible new exhibition at Poole Museum showcasing finds from a 13th-century shipwreck. Plus, we’ve rounded up the best local events: Muppet Christmas Carol, craft fairs at Upton House, concerts, family Santa sessions and more.

Read on for the stories and the weeks events to stick in your diary.

PooleNow is now proudly sponsored by Bournemouth One, the local radio station bringing you music, news and travel updates across Dorset. Listen whilst you read!

🛍️ Town Loyalty Scheme Expanding

Those of you who have been with us since the very beginning will remember our interview with Josh Williams as he was preparing to launch a brand new loyalty scheme called Town. His idea is simple: when you shop local, you get free money back. Every purchase at a participating independent earns cashback straight into your Town account, with no fees and no catches.

This week saw a big development as Josh was able to announce that as of 1st December every independent business inside The Dolphin Centre and Kingland Crescent (and many more scattered across Poole) have now joined the scheme. In total around 50 Poole businesses are taking part, from food and drink to homewares, gifts, lifestyle and services.

There’s also a built-in charitable element. Each time you scan your Town Pass, a donation is made to a local cause, which means your festive spending will support both small businesses and the wider community.

The aim is clear: to keep more money circulating in Poole, support real people running real businesses, and make it more appealing to shop on our high streets instead of online giants. Jeff Bezos doesn’t need another rocket, so why not spend your money supporting the local economy this Christmas!

Visit jointown.co.uk, sign up for free, and you’ll receive a digital Town Pass with your own QR code. Show it at any participating business when you pay and you’ll automatically earn cashback.

🚦 Twin Sails Bridge Repairs Set to Begin on 15 December

Christmas might be coming slightly earlier for anyone wanting to travel over to or from Hamworthy! BCP Council has confirmed that essential repair work on the Twin Sails Bridge will begin on 15 December, with the project expected to take around a week depending on safety testing. This means that the bridge may finally re-open on or around the 22nd December.

The council’s operations team has already carried out preparatory work while waiting for specialist materials to arrive in early December. Once onsite, engineers will move forward with repairs designed to improve reliability and resilience.

Twin Sails and Poole Bridge together lift roughly 6,000 times a year and support more than 20,000 daily journeys, making the repairs vital for residents and businesses. Earlier this year, the council announced £6 million of investment for upgrades to both bridges and the area’s VMS signage system. Fingers crossed everything goes as planned!

🤿 Poole Museum Unveils New Mortar Wreck Exhibition

Poole Museum is now home to an extraordinary new exhibition showcasing artefacts from the Mortar Wreck, the earliest known English medieval shipwreck with a visible hull. Discovered in 2020 off Studland Bay, the wreck has transformed understanding of medieval maritime trade and the famous Purbeck stone industry.

The exhibition follows a seven-year regeneration of the museum and brings together finds raised by Bournemouth University maritime archaeologists. The Mortar Wreck was first spotted by charter boat skipper Trevor Small before new surveys revealed a trove of artefacts beneath the seabed.

Students from Bournemouth University were able to dive the site as part of their training, using the wreck to develop survey and scientific diving skills. Many of the recovered items are now on display, including Purbeck stone mortars used for milling grain and two striking 13th century gravestone slabs made of Purbeck marble.

Research shows the ship was clinker-built from Irish oak felled between 1242 and 1265, and likely resembled an enlarged Viking-style vessel. The wreck gained protected status in 2022. The cargo points to the bustling medieval stone trade, with Purbeck marble known to have been used in buildings across Britain and Europe.

One of the standout discoveries is a beautifully preserved grave slab, raised from the seabed and now exhibited for the first time. Archaeologists describe the exhibition as a snapshot in time, offering a rare picture of life, trade and craftsmanship eight centuries ago.

A new Time Team episode, presented by Derek Pitman and released on 29 November, follows the excavation and conservation process. You can watch the brand new episode here:

Visitors can now explore the full Mortar Wreck story at Poole Museum.

💷 Funding For Scale: Free Four-Part Programme for Growing Businesses

Ambitious businesses in Dorset now have access to a fully funded four-part programme designed to help them secure finance for growth.

Funding For Scale, delivered by Amelia Atkins from Evolve Advisory and funded by Business Growth Dorset, is aimed at businesses generating £500k or more in annual revenue and preparing to scale operations, expand their team, or enter new markets.

Over four weeks, the programme will walk participants through the full funding landscape and give them the tools to approach debt, equity, grants and blended finance with clarity and confidence. Each session is focused, interactive, and geared towards action.

More details and booking: https://evolveadvisory.co.uk/service/funding-for-scale/

🏡 PooleNow Property Pick

Are you of an age that you know who Max Bygraves is? EIther way, you’ll want to see his old house! 👉 View the property

🕯️ Poole Quay Shines Bright in Candlelit Tribute

Poole Quay was transformed last Saturday into a glowing shoreline of remembrance as more than 800 candles illuminated the waterfront in a moving tribute to loved ones.

The annual event, organised by Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, saw families and friends gather along the quay to honour those they have lost.

Children across Dorset played a large part in creating the display, with pupils from Canford Heath Infant School, Ad Astra Infant School, Heatherlands Primary School and community groups from St James Church decorating over 300 lanterns.

Money raised will help provide more than 400 hours of counselling and person-centred care in homes and hubs across the county, supporting around 1,200 people and families.

👨‍🏫 Online Tutoring and Mental Health Support for Students

This is a Sponsored Post

Worried about your teen's GCSEs? Last week we met Andy Hoyland, the local educator who gets it.

Level-Up Online Tutoring combines expert teaching across all core subjects with mental health support – because stressed teens can't learn effectively.

With live lessons, video courses you can rewatch anytime, and a supportive teen community, students are already seeing real results.

And in exclusive news for PooleNow readers, there’s currently 20% off the normal price if you sign up before Friday 19th December.

Learn more and sign up at https://level-uponlinetutoring.info/

🌊 Support PooleNow

Are you a business in the local area? Do you want to reach out to a highly engaged local community? Want to support us so that we can keep running our free local newsletter? Get in touch!

3 Local stories you might have missed

1. Deaflympics day brings children together – Bournemouth One 

2. Poole depot named best in the UK – Bournemouth One 

3. Dorset council announces free parking in run-up to Christmas - BBC News 

📅 What’s on this week in (and around) Poole

Multiple Days

Upton House Christmas Craft Fair, Upton House, Sat 6 & Sun 7 Dec, 10am–4pm
Browse a huge range of artisan makers inside the beautiful Grade II* listed Upton House, with live performances from local choirs throughout the day.

Little Robin Red Vest, Lighthouse Poole, 22 Nov–14 Dec
Family-friendly Christmas show by Filskit Theatre, based on Jan Fearnley’s beloved story.

Open 2025 – The Gallery Upstairs, Upton Country Park, Fri 5–Sat 20 Dec, 10am–4pm
A curated exhibition by PEDAS featuring selected works from artists living within 30 miles of Poole. Expect original paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and mixed media, all chosen by this year’s selector, Paul Newman (Creative Director, Dorset Visual Arts).

Tuesday

The Good Quiz, The Goods Yard
Put on your thinking caps, gather your teammates and take part in the no pen, no paper, NO CHEATING, speed quiz!

Poole Plugged & Unplugged with Rich & Rich, The Portsmouth Hoy, 8pm
Open mic session — perform unplugged or plugged in, with a free drink for performers and the chance to win a gig slot at The Hoy.

Wednesday

Hugh Budden & Ed Fox, Bermuda Triangle Pub, 8:30–10:30pm
A night of blues, harmonica and guitar from two popular local musicians.

Thursday

Poole High Christmas Market, Poole High School, 5:30–7:30pm
Festive stalls, food, drinks and plenty of Christmas spirit. Entry £2.

Sandbanks Cru x Shanty Spirit Christmas Wine Tasting, Shanty Spirit Distillery, 6–10pm
Taste over 20 festive wines with local nibbles in the cosy, waterside Shanty Spirit Distillery. Tickets include discounts on wine cases.
Book

Mangalore Lobster Masala Masterclass, Rick Stein, 6–7pm
Learn to cook a rich South Indian lobster masala with Sous Chef Razvan — spices, coconut and fresh curry leaves.
£35.

Tim Young – Singer & Guitarist, The Bricklayers, 8:30pm
A relaxed evening of acoustic covers.

Skinny Malinkys Taco Thursday, The Bermuda Triangle, Ashley Cross, From 5pm
Taco night returns — eat in a buzzy mid-week atmosphere.

Friday

Cabaret With Claus, Lighthouse Poole, 8pm
A brilliantly off-the-wall Christmas cabaret from Charlie Bicknell and Louise Innes — expect angels, shepherds, operatic mischief and festive mayhem in a glittering, high-energy show.
Tickets from £18.50.

The Illegal Eagles, Lighthouse Poole, 7:30pm
The UK’s top Eagles tribute returns with a brand-new show packed with classics including Hotel California, Desperado and Life in the Fast Lane.
Tickets from £35.

Scrooge (1951) with Live Music, St Peter’s Church, Poole, Doors 7pm
Experience the beloved 1951 classic Scrooge with a newly orchestrated live score performed by the FB Pocket Orchestra — a magical combination of cinema and live music.
Ideal for families and festive nights out.

Saturday

Upton House Christmas Craft Fair, Upton House, 10am–4pm
(See multi-day listing above.)

Christmas Fayre, Shaftesbury Victoria School, 11am–2pm
A community Christmas event with Santa’s grotto, stalls, tombolas, crafts and entertainment.

Find Santa in Poole Old Town & The Quay, 12–2pm
Spot Father Christmas doing his festive shopping around Poole

Westover Gardens Christmas Market, Bournemouth, 1–7pm
A cosy festive market with makers, artists and gift stalls in Westover Gardens

Broadstone Christmas Parade, Broadstone Broadway, 1:30pm
A favourite annual community celebration. Wrap up warm and find your spot along the Broadway for a cheerful festive parade through the village.

Handel’s Messiah at Christmas, St Peter’s Church, Poole, Doors 6:45pm
Bournemouth University and AUB choirs perform Handel’s masterpiece, complete with orchestra and soloists
Licensed bar available.

The Muppet Christmas Carol – Live to Film, Lighthouse Poole, 7pm
The full film screened with its score performed live by orchestra — Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo bring Dickens’ classic to life in a magical Christmas performance for all ages.
Tickets from £36.85.

Christmas Party Cruise, Poole Harbour, 7pm
Set sail with mulled wine on arrival, a festive two-course buffet and a DJ to keep the Christmas classics going all night.
Coastal Cruises Poole.

The Alibi Rock Band, Bermuda Triangle Pub, Ashley Cross, 9–11pm
Rock favourites and live energy to kick off your Saturday night.

Sunday

Upton House Christmas Craft Fair, Upton House, 10am–4pm
(See multi-day listing.)

Christmas Arts & Craft Fayre, The Italian Villa, Compton Acres, 10:30am–4pm
A three-floor craft fair with local makers, mulled wine, festive treats and Christmas trees available from the gardens centre.
Free entry.

Storytelling with Santa, Scaplen’s Court, 1pm & 3pm
A magical hour with Santa including crafts, interactive storytelling, a festive gift and a photo moment.
Book: http://poolemuseum.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/71981...

Wessex Winterfest, Lighthouse Poole, 3pm
Young musicians from across the region perform a joyful winter concert featuring the Wessex Youth Symphony Orchestra and ensembles.
Tickets from £15.

Matt Black – Piano Man, The Portsmouth Hoy, 4:30pm
Pianist, comedian and all-round entertainer Matt Black returns for an upbeat Sunday performance.

Monday

Pub Quiz Night – Bermuda Triangle Pub, 7.30–10.30pm
£3 entry includes quiz and bar snacks. Friendly fun to start the week.

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That’s it! See you next week!