Got up really late. Woke early but was reading and messing around on the Internet. We have 20 hours of wi fi for 15 pounds through the caravan club. Anyway after doing the washing up from the night before, making packed lunch and getting ready we only left at about 11 o'clock. Went a village called Tolpuddle and to the museum on the Tolpuddle Martyrs. They were six men, ordinary farm labourers, who in 1834 were arrested, tried and deported to the brutal penal colonies of Australia for protesting about the low wages and grinding poverty they were forced to endure from their harsh employers. Eventually after a period of 4 years they were granted a pardon and were allowed to return to England. It was on their return that the trade union movement was born.There are still trade union festivals celebrated at Tolpuddle today. The six men eventually emigrated from England with their families to Ontario in Canada.
Had a phone call from lindy about us going over to monkhams hall to see William next sunday. She also asked about charlotte.
We then drove to dorchester. What a nice town with lovely shops and lots of wonderful buildings. I could probably spend quite a bit of time there. We went to Dorset County museum and had a guided tour by one of the volunteers there. Dorchester is very old with lots of history, there are signs of habitation even in the neolithic age! Lots of famous writers and poets from this part of the world including Thomas Hardy. I bought one of his books - the Woodlands - which can join the pile of books for me to read.
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