May

• Restaurant owners spoke of their shock after a fire broke out on Weymouth harbourside. The blaze broke out in the kitchen of Mallams on Trinity Road, spreading to the roof and causing ‘significant’ damage. Mallams owner and general manager Janice Gossom said at the time that she was ‘really shocked’ by the incident. A family had been staying in the restaurant’s upstairs flat when the fire broke out and were evacuated but no one was hurt.

• Hundreds of pupils gathered in the Victorian Hall at Dorset County Museum to say goodbye to Dippy. The Diplodocus cast, which used to stand in the Natural History Museum in London, had arrived in Dorchester in February as part of a national tour. Director of Dorset County Museum Jon Murden said it had been the ‘most amazing three months’.

• An appeal was made for traders to get behind Weymouth BID, which announced a radical plan to improve the town. The new-look group acknowledged that ‘lessons had been learnt’ as it faced a vote to decide its future.

• Residents were given the opportunity to see the new lighting scheme for the Esplanade for the first time. An exhibition was launched so people could share their views on how the lighting scheme could be programmed and the times of day different patterns of light could be shown.

June

• It was revealed that the former council offices at North Quay were costing £80,000 a year in upkeep. The site was at the centre of a legal battle between the borough council and developers Acorn South following the collapse of the building’s sale. The car park had been closed but was reopened at Easter to help cover the costs of the upkeep. Cllr Jeff Cant, leader of the borough council, said plans were being prepared to regenerate the site.

• A veteran modeller who created a matchstick fleet which went on display at the Nothe Fort won royal approval. Philip Warren, who spent seven decades building more than 400 ships and 1,200 aeroplanes out of matchsticks, was recognised at a ceremony by the Duke of Gloucester.

• There were calls for a review over proposals to close Portland Hospital as part of a health shake-up. South Dorset MP Richard Drax asked health secretary Jeremy Hunt if he would ‘review the review’ in order to save the community hospital, which faced closure as health chiefs considered opening a community hub without beds.

• There were health warnings as temperatures continued to rise in Dorset and the rest of the country. The Met Office announced a level two heat-health watch alert, meaning social and healthcare services were at the ready to reduce harm from a heatwave. Farmers faced difficulties with crops and the RSPCA spoke out after being inundated with calls from people concerned about dogs left in cars.

July

• Artists and business owners spoke of their grief after a huge fire tore through studios and offices at a trading estate. Firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to bring the blaze, at St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport, under control. Artist Caroline Ireland had rented a studio for 16 years there, and said the fire was ‘devastating’. Some people had their life’s work in the building.

• Thousands of people headed to Weymouth harbourside to watch England’s attempt to make it through to the World Cup final. A big screen was set up at Rendezvous below the town bridge, with general manager Keith Treggiden saying the turnout had been ‘phenomenal’ due to both the weather and the excitement of England’s performance. Sadly it was not to be, with opponents Croatia scoring a goal in extra time.

• A day at the beach turned into a horror story for Josh Payne-Grover, who was airlifted to hospital after diving into shallow water. But just a month on, the 25-year-old was in rehab and said he was determined to stay positive, pledging to compete in the Paralympic Games if he did not recover fully from his injuries.

• The heatwave was finally over as Dorset was lashed by wind and heavy rain at the end of the month. Weekend events became a washout as they were postponed or cancelled due to the weather. Trees came down and police were forced to close roads in Purbeck, causing delays for people travelling to and from Camp Bestival.

August

• Staff at a Weymouth tattoo parlour celebrated after winning a battle with the council to keep their shopfront design. Artwork was painted on Elite Tattoos and Piercings but the matter had to be retrospectively discussed by the borough council planning committee. Elite had offered to scale down the design and remove the flames but this was recommended for refusal by conservation officers. Councillors voted to keep the design on the basis the flames would be removed.

• An endurance swimmer tackling the length of the English Channel stopped off to meet a local hero. Lewis Pugh, who was aiming to become the first person to swim the length of the Channel from Land’s End to Dover, met local swimming legend Mervyn Sharp on Portland. Mr Sharp has been nicknamed ’the King of the Channel’ after swimming between England and France seven times.

• The new look Weymouth Carnival was declared a super-summer smash hit. Tens of thousands of people showed up to proceedings, which began with the crowning of Carnival Royalty. There was also a sandcastle competition and, of course, the Carnival Procession.

• Residents of a quiet town were left shocked after brazen thieves used a stolen tractor to haul a cashpoint from a wall, partially destroying the building in the process. The gang sped off in a car, leaving a devastating scene in Beaminster. The centre of the town was blocked off as police investigated.