Dorset is beautiful

We’re part way through English Tourism Week.

You might not have known this, as most ‘weeks’ begin on a Monday and finish on a Sunday.

But being English, and maybe a bit eccentric, this official week, which shines a spotlight on all the lovely things on offer for the tourist in England, started last Friday (13 March) and runs through until this coming Sunday, 22 March.

Most weeks last seven days, but this one goes on for 10 days.

I don’t know why but I’m assuming it’s because the dates incorporate two weekends, which gives visitors more time to time to explore this beautiful country of ours.

And, despite the naysayers and doom mongers, England is a beautiful country and, when you think of the rubbish going on all over the world, we’re very lucky to live here.

Yes, it has its faults (where doesn’t?) and the weather can be a bit iffy, but all the beauty of this earth is right on – or not far from – our doorsteps.

Here in the south west, we’re blessed with a wonderfully long and varied coastline, and the most sumptuous hinterland anyone could wish for.

It’s the season when daffodils are in full bloom, the primroses are lining the grassy banks, the birds are chirruping and excited about the arrival of spring. And it won’t be long before the trees will burst forth with green leaves and the damp, grey winter is long forgotten.

According to the Visit Britain website, tourism is one of England’s largest, most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of small-to-medium sized businesses, over two million jobs and generating about £127 billion annually for the economy.

And Dorset is no exception.

“Our visitor economy is vital – it sustains vibrant rural and coastal communities and contributes £1.73 billion to the Dorset economy while supporting 30,000 jobs,” says Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland.

As an interloper from Somerset, I’ve been in Dorset for the past forty-four years. And despite travelling here, there and everywhere, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here, hidden away and tucked under the radar in Lush Places.