Roger Guttridge has lived in Dorset almost all his life and has been a journalist in the county for 50 years and a freelance writer since 1990. He lived at Wimborne for 42 years and was Wimborne district reporter for the Western Gazette from 1972-75 and the Bournemouth Evening Echo from 1975-83, when he became the Echo’s chief reporter. He has been a freelance writer since 1990 and is well known for his historical columns and features in many Dorset newspapers and magazines. He is the author or co-author of 20 books and has appeared on many radio and television programmes. Barry Cuff was born at Blandford Forum, brought up at nearby Winterborne Whitechurch and now lives at Sturminster Newton. Like co-author Roger Guttridge, he attended Blandford Grammar School in the 1960s. He is a lifelong collector of Dorset books and postcards and his collection of more than 10,000 cards has contributed to many books, including the Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton volumes in Amberley’s Through Time series. His long career in the seed industry has included certification, analysis, breeding, trialling, variety maintenance and work for the Eden Project. He currently works for a Dorset-based seed company.

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