Pauline Batstone shares her monthly round up of what’s happening among the town’s collection of community enterprises and events
Welcome to Stur to all our lovely visitors exploring our town this summer! As you explore the town, don’t miss our four individual shops supporting re-investment into our lovely little town.
If you haven’t been to see us yet, you don’t know what you are missing!
1855 is the indoor artisan’s market with more than 90 Dorset-based craftspeople and traders.
Find it at the end of Market Cross. Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am til 4pm.
The Pre-loved Boutique has a range of ladies quality clothes and accessories, plus children’s clothes. Find it at 7 Church Street, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
The Emporium is our own version of a department store on The Market Place, recycling good and useful things. Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturdays 10am til 4pm.
Dapper Chaps is the gentleman’s boutique, found inside The Emporium
Art Gallery is up on the first floor above The Emporium – the name says it all!
Furniture Warehouse is filled with used but good and new-to-you furniture for a replacement, a need or simply an upcycle. Also on The Market Place but not always staffed, so if you find it closed please do pop into The Emporium and ask for us to open up.
And for those whose children who go to our local schools, we have FREE school and other uniforms available on the first floor above the Furniture Warehouse (and we are very pleased to accept your outgrown items).
Plus we have a community fridge and assorted free foods available in The Emporium – freely available to anyone, please help us to avoid food waste.
We are often asked where the money raised through SturAction’s shops goes – as an example, over the past month the shops have:
Helped support the fifth Stur Literary Festival, which brings new people into our town (put next year’s dates in your diary now – the LitFest will be back on 7th to 15th June 2025!)
Agreed a grant to the third Riverside Family Festival which aims to give a cheap fun day out to our local families while raising money for local charities.
Supported the Car and Bike Enthusiasts Meet on the first Saturday morning of every month, and we also pay for free car parking that day – again aiming to bring customers into our local independent shops and cafes.
Been asked to assist The Exchange with their new community project.
Through our events organiser Jacqui we are organising Sturminster Newton’s own Art Week 13th to 21st July, with more than 30 artists exhibiting their works in our shop windows, plus a couple of exciting events: an Art Race and a mural painting workshop. During that week the town’s own graffiti artist Tom Wolfe will be completing the train mural in the Station Road car park.
And the summer flower planters which Jacqui organises with our local businesses have arrived in town from Thorngrove
