As the lockdown restrictions are eased, the castle gates will be opened again on Thursday and people will be allowed in to walk in the gardens and grounds although the castle, shop and tea room will remain shuttered.

You can find admission times, ticket prices and guidance on staying safe here.

Sherborne Castle was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 16th century and has been owned by the Wingfield Digby family since 1617. Maria Wingfield Digby talks to TSP in the gardens of the castle.

Alice is the mother of two toddlers who lives in Sherborne. She talks to TSP about how the Dorset mental health initiatives helped her with post-natal depression and then the tragic loss of her partner after a road accident. 

For help from the Dorset HealthCare mental health team go to www.steps2wellbeing.co.uk

Also in this episode, The Courtyard Salon in Long Street is unlikely to reopen before July at the earliest. Owner Becky Burns tells TSP how her landlord is helping her business survive, and how it may be a much different experience for her clients when the salon doors are unlocked again.

Estate agents are among the first businesses allowed to start up again. Luke Pender-Cudlip is head of the Knight Frank office in Sherborne. He says fears of a deep recession may not affect the housing market as badly as some are predicting.

Also in this episode in our series on how Sherborne is coping with the coronavirus pandemic, the owner of The Pear Tree deli and cafe, Steve Taylor, tells TSP what eight weeks of lockdown has meant for his business. It will be late summer before there is any likelihood of cafes, pubs and restaurants reopening. 

The Sherborne Podcast is produced free for the community. If you'd like to get in touch with the producers, contact us via Facebook or Twitter, or leave a comment on our YouTube channel.

Dorset Council says people should continue stay at home this weekend.

Police in the county issued 377 fixed penalty notices in the last ten days to people they say were breaching the restrictions.

Dorset's recycling centres reopen on Monday but Sherborne tip will remain closed.
 

Dominic Raab confirms the prime minister will outline later this week the steps to lift the lockdown but warns phase 2 of the crisis won't be easy.

You can now make a virtual visit to patients at The Yeatman and other community hospitals in Dorset.

Dorset Council will hold its first virtual committee meeting tomorrow to consider a report on how the pandemic has affected the county.

Police in Dorset dealt with nearly 10,000 emergency calls in the last month despite the coronavirus keeping people at home.

Call to NHS111 jumped 62% in March.

Get the latest full episode of The Sherborne Podcast finding out how a hairdressers' in Sherborne, Castle Gardens and The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil are coping with COVID-19. 

Follow TSP on Facebook and Twitter, subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss an episode.

And let us know what you think by writing a review. Or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com

TSP meets Charlotte Fairclough who owns the Pure Hair salon in Half Moon Street and asks whether we should get out the scissors and try a little D-I-Y.

It's rumoured garden centres could be among the first businesses to re-open when the coronavirus restrictions begin to be lifted. Behind the walls at Castle Gardens preparations are underway. 

TSP talks to Louise Burks who opened Castle Gardens with her husband Mike in 1987.

Theatres and entertainment venues have been dark since the start of the lockdown. Productions have been postponed or cancelled, and actors are working other jobs.

The Octagon Theatre's box office supervisor Charlotte Wood tells TSP how Yeovil's entertainment venues are coping during the crisis.

And if you've completed all the levels on your latest PS4 game, TSP has some tips for what to play next.

The government will lay out its plan next week to get children back to school and business re-opened.

Castle Gardens are making preparations for when they can re-open.

Look out for The Sherborne Podcast's "Coping with the Sixth Weekend Lockdown" special coming soon.

Crime in Dorset has fallen by 30% since the lockdown began.

In the latest full episode of The Sherborne Podcast the town's MP Chris Loder explains why strict rules on funerals during the pandemic must be lifted to help grieving families.

The majority of people fined for breaking the restrictions have been from outside the county.

Both men expect the way Dorset is policed in the future to change when the crisis is over.

Also in this episode, West Dorset MP Chris Loder explains why he is trying to persuade churches and crematoria to relax their strict rules on holding funerals during the emergency. He says grieving families should be allowed to attend services.

The Sherborne Podcast is provided free for the community. You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com

Dorset's chief constable says most people in the county continue to adhere to the lockdown restrictions despite the recent fine weather.

Sherborne Viral Kindness have raised more than £10,000 to fund the community kitchen providing meals for vulnerable residents.

Coming soon, the next full episode of The Sherborne Podcast: Coping with COVID-19.

People who need it are urged to seek medical treatment despite fears of coronavirus at doctors' surgeries and hospital A&E departments.

The latest full episode of The Sherborne Podcast 'Coping with COVID-19: On The Frontline' is available wherever you get your podcasts.

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in Dorset hospitals has risen to 107.

Download our full episode Coping with COVID-19: On The Frontline to hear how Sherborne's doctors' surgeries and The Yeatman are dealing with the pandemic.

The Grove Medical Centre is now the 'hot site' for assessing patients with coronavirus symptoms in Sherborne and the surrounding area. 

The Yeatman is treating patients with the virus.

Do they have adequate supplies of personal protection equipment locally and are health staff getting the tests for the virus they need to be able to stay at work?

Also this week,  local author Chris Oswald, whose fourth book in his 'Dorset Chronicles' series is published next week, discusses how the pandemic may be viewed in the future.

Motor insurer refunds cash for cars left idle.

More than 400 people a week are being helped by Sherborne Viral Kindness.

Government medical advisors try to reassure frontline staff about PPE guidance.

The deputy chief medical officer says re-using some PPE is appropriate.

Prince Harry singles out Dorset for praise.

Garden waste collections in Dorset are set to resume.

Sherborne Museum turns to Facebook to stay in the public eye,

Download the third 'Coping with Covid-19' episode from The Sherborne Podcast.

The government scheme to pay furloughed workers is extended to the end of June.

The managing director of Hunt's Foodservice in Sherborne says the pandemic is having a major impact on his company.

Listen to the third special report from The Sherborne Podcast about how the town is coping with COVID-19 wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.

Hunt's Foodservice is a company rooted in Sherborne. Managing director Richard Hunt tells The Sherborne Podcast of the major impact of the lockdown on the firm and its employees. 

Sherborne Museum is closed but is reaching out to people through social media to keep in touch with the community.

The Covid-19 emergency has had unexpected consequences for a Sherborne couple who started their flower-growing farm just three years ago.

You can follow The Sherborne Podcast on Facebook or Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, and you can contact the producers via brookmoormedia@btinternet.com.

Residents are being asked to help prevent fly-tipping while Dorset Council's waste recycling centres are closed.

A leading supermarket is offering all NHS workers a 10% discount for the next three months.

The number of people in Dorset who have died in hospital with corona virus has risen to nearly 80.

Wessex Water offers a rebate to frontline NHS staff.

An Easter treat from The Eastbury Hotel to all Sherborne's key frontline workers in the battle against coronavirus.

Internet use is soaring but people in Sherborne are still reading books.

The Samaritans launch an emergency appeal as funds and volunteers fall victim to the virus.

Businesses which rely on face-to-face contact have had to develop new ways of working. How a pilates teacher in Sherborne has taken her classes online.

You can't browse the shelves in Winstone's bookshop in Cheap Street, but founder Wayne Winstone is still busy.

Sherborne Viral Kindness group have answered hundreds of requests since the lockdown began. 

Generous donation to the Sherborne Community Kitchen

Look out for another special full edition of The Sherborne Podcast: Coping with Covid-19

The Friends of the Yeatman Hospital are appealing for volunteers to sew scrubs.

Call centres for students inquiring about maintenance grants for the summer term have reopened.

People locally have followed the instruction to stay at home this weekend with Dorset Police reporting quiet roads and empty beaches.

Sherborne Abbey's eucharist for Palm Sunday was held online with the choir each recording their voices individually.

You can join the service on YouTube here

Dorset chief constable James Vaughan's latest message to the public.

Help Sherborne Viral Kindness provide more free meals. 

NHS coronavirus tracker here.

Donate to Sherborne Community Kitchen here.

People are being urged to stay at home this weekend despite the expected warmer weather.

Sherborne Community Kitchen serve up 200 meals this week. Support them at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/sherborne-community-kitchen

The Sherborne Podcast is produced by Brookmoor Media for the community. Contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com

Students will still get their maintenance payment for the summer term even though their university or college remains closed.

Got to GoFundMe to donate to the Sherborne Community Kitchen appeal to help the Sherborne Kindness Group provide free home cooked meals to those who need them. 

Parents warned about scammers tricking them into revealing bank details.

To apply for business grants go to: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/business-grants

For more on how Sherborne is getting through the coronavirus emergency  crisis listen to our special full edition: Coping With COVID-19

Martyn Underhill also warns more stringent measures may be needed to ensure people stay at home.

Local MP Chris Loder says people must stay at home to combat "this horrible, horrible virus."

The organiser of Sherborne Viral Kindness tells how the group businesses and volunteers got together to help people through the emergency.

The owners of one Sherborne business see their takings drop 90% but they vow to keep going.

Sherborne's fire fighters are taking on new tasks.

All the interviews for this episode were conducted remotely or under the appropriate precautions and no unnecessary travel was involved. Consequently, the audio quality is not perfect. Please bear with it, it's worth  it.

Sherborne MP Chris Loder says stay at home

SW Railway introduces amended timetable

Sherborne Viral Kindness helps 600

How to help the Sherborne Community Kitchen

Council car parks are now free

Sherborne ArtsLink Fizz finds new ways to connect

Kerbside garden waste collections end

Trains run reduced service

Schools exam information to be published next week

Sherborne tourist office closed

Free 'no callers poster' for your window

Roadworks in Dorset suspended

Appointments required for Minor Injuries Unit at Yeatman Hospital

A statement on council services from Sherborne Town Council.

New procedures for shopping at supermarkets introduced.

The house was acquired by the Digby family in 1617 while Raleigh languished in the Tower of London after being implicated in a plot to topple King James I.

Altered and extended over the years, the house now contains 400 years of history with nationally important collections of art, furniture and porcelain. 

Capability Brown was commissioned to install a lake in the grounds in the 1750's and returned to design the gardens that provide the magnificent setting for the house.

Maria Wingfield Digby talks to TSP about the house and its history and we hear from the castle archivist, the housekeeper and one of the team of gardeners about the preparations to reopen after the winter break which have now been put on hold because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

The house and grounds were scheduled to re-open at Easter but this has been postponed. A decision whether to open the gardens to the public will be announced later on the castle's social media accounts and their website at www.sherbornecastle.com

The festival has been held every year since 2000 and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds which is spent supporting the choir and music at the abbey, and providing grants to musicians connected to Sherborne. The major refurbishment of the organ currently being undertaken at Sherborne Abbey is funded by the festival.

Tickets for this year's festival will go on general sale on February 11th.

A packed programme runs across eight days. Among the highlights will be performances by the Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, acclaimed soprano Kate Royal, and a unique exploration of choral music from saxophonist Mark Lockheart and organist Roger Sayer. 

The Sherborne Festival Chorus will perform Elgar's 'The Kingdom'.

Orchestras, ensembles, singers, and bands from Sherborne School, Sherborne Girls, Leweston School and The Gryphon will be performing at various venues around the town.

The Sherborne Town Band will give a free concert in the abbey.

Celebrating the music of the 'Jazz Sirens' - the 20th century greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee - will be Jacqui Dankworth, whose mother Dame Cleo Laine is a former performer at the festival.

The full programme is available on the festival website at www.sherborneabbeyfestival.org where you can also buy tickets.

Central to the festival will be services at Sherborne Abbey where Festival Eucharist will be celebrated at 9.30am with Festival Evensong sung at 5.00pm on Sunday May 3rd. Festival Mattins will be at Castleton Church at 11am.

The festival will be bookended by two special events: you can enjoy an Italian dinner with opera at The Plume of Feathers on the two nights before the festival proper begins, and close out the festival with a French-themed soiree at The Cross Keys with jazz singer Gabrielle Ducomble providing the entertainment.

The Sherborne Abbey Festival has won several awards over the years. Most recently it won silver at the Dorset Tourism Awards 2019 for the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year, while artistic director John Baker was presented with the gold for his Outstanding Contribution to Tourism.

The Sherborne Abbey Festival runs from May 1st to May 6th. Full information is available in the festival booklet available in the abbey or many other locations around town, or from the Tourist Information Centre, or click on www.sherborneabbeyfestival.org where you can also order tickets when they go on general sale from February 11th.

Peter de Savary, who with his wife Lana is supervising the transformation of the Eastbury into a luxury townhouse hotel, talks to The Sherborne Podcast in a wide-ranging discussion on the cusp of a new decade.

The work at the Eastbury Hotel is nearly complete; there remains a treehouse suite to be built. But such is Mr de Savary’s attention to detail and the emphasis he places on the level of service he expects to be provided for his guests, not much escapes his eye and he is constantly issuing instructions and making observations to his staff.

Five garden rooms designed to outwardly resemble Victorian potting sheds have been built in the garden and a fully-equipped spa with outside hot tub occupies a shady corner.
 

In his nearly six decades in business Mr de Savary has rubbed shoulders with leaders of countries and industry. He talks to TSP about Donald Trump, climate change and the likely impact of the UK leaving the European Union.

If you enjoy this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free to get all our future episodes with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is A Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media. You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or tell us what you think and subscribe via Facebook.

The Sherborne Podcast talks to the chair of trustees Revd Jono Tregale and Michael Graves who supervises the food bank depot where the food parcels are prepared and despatched.

Donations of tinned and dried foods can be left in the special collection boxes in Sherborne's supermarkets, churches and schools which participate in the scheme. The food bank also relies on donations of money which enable them to supplement their stock of food when needed.

The food parcels are distributed to families and others referred to the bank by a variety of local organisations including churches, GP surgeries, mental health groups and housing associations.

If you can help by making a donation go to the food bank website www.sherbornefoodbank.org and use the Just Giving button. Or you can send a cheque to: Sherborne Food Bank, c/o St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Close, Sherborne DT9 4DU.

If you enjoy this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free to get all our future episodes with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or tell us what you think and subscribe via Facebook.

In this bonus segment discover the extraordinary reason fewer people are dialling 999 when they see an emergency.

And learn how a free app for your smartphone and three words can help the fire and rescue service pinpoint your exact location if you need help and you don't know where you are.

If you enjoy this taste of The Sherborne Podcast you can listen to the full episode with Sherborne's on-call firefighters and all our previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast apps.

The Sherborne Podcast is A Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or tell us what you think and subscribe via Facebook.

Station Commander Simon Gillett has been a firefighter in Sherborne for 25 years. He tells The Sherborne Podcast about the demands made on his crews and the commitment they make to be on-call firefighters.

The firefighters spend one evening a week checking and maintaining equipment, and holding training drills to keep their skills up to date.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service are recruiting. They are looking for people willing to commit up to 120 hours a week to the brigade and for employers who are willing to allow their staff to respond to emergencies during the day. The firefighters commit to be on standby in the evenings and overnight.

If you want to know more about becoming an on-call firefighter go to https://www.dwfire.org.uk/working-for-us/on-call-firefighters

If you enjoy this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free to get all our future episodes with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or tell us what you think and subscribe via Facebook.

The party is proposing a Green New Deal costing £100bn over the next ten years to cut carbon emissions and create a net-zero carbon economy by 2030.

Dr Clayton says the party is putting forward radical plans to transform housing, farming and transport which include improving energy efficiency in a million homes a year, building energy efficient council homes, improving public transport and ending the sale of all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

He says the question is not whether we can afford the measures to tackle climate change, but whether we can afford not to.

If you enjoy this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free to get all our future episodes with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or tell us what you think via Facebook.

If you enjoy this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free to get all our future episodes with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or via Facebook.

Mr Morello says Brexit is the defining issue of the campaign and he believes the Liberal Democrat policy of cancelling the UK's departure from the European Union will make him the winner of the constituency that includes Sherborne, Dorchester, Bridport and Lyme Regis.

Aside from Brexit, Mr Morello talks to The Sherborne Podcast about the decline of local services as an issue in the campaign.

He says the Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has categorically ruled out entering into a coalition with either the Conservatives or Labour if Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn continue as leaders of their parties after election day. But he says the Liberal Democrats could be king-makers if either of the parties ditch their leaders.

He says it is possible for Jo Swinson to emerge as our next prime minister.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries. You can also leave a review.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or via Facebook.

Mr Loder was born in Sherborne's Yeatman Hospital and went to The Gryphon School before beginning his career in railway management with a summer job at Sherborne station.

He believes people in the town want the Brexit issue decided once and for all so that the country can move on.

Mr Loder also discusses transport policy, planning issues in rural areas and the size of Dorset Council tax bills.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Sherborne Podcast you can subscribe for free with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all other leading podcast libraries.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers at brookmoormedia@btinternet.com or via Twitter @thesherbornepod or via Facebook.

The fair is said to have gained its name in 1490 when the craftsmen building the fan vaulted nave of Sherborne Abbey completed their work, packed away their tools, and spent a day at the fair celebrating their achievement.

Written accounts of the fair date from the late 18th century and tell of an agricultural market where livestock is traded, vegetables and fruits are sold, and villagers from the surrounding area travel to Sherborne to buy drapery, hats and bonnets, and enjoy fairground entertainments lining the streets.

Nowadays, the town's main streets are lined with food carts and stalls selling a wide variety of goods, toys, clothing and fresh produce.

In 2018 Brent Mitchell's Events Crew company was awarded a five-year contract to revamp Pack Monday Fair to ensure it remains relevant and viable into the future. As a Sherborne man, Brent understands the place the fair occupies in the town.

The Sherborne Podcast is a Red Mic Production for Brookmoor Media.

You can contact the producers of The Sherborne Podcast via brookmoormedia@btinternet.com