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Lawrence picture sold
A pencil and crayon drawing of a young tribesman befriended by Lawrence of Arabia was sold for £9,887.The drawing of "Dahoum", to whom TE Lawrence is thought to have dedicated The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Selim Ahmed is thought to have been the "SA" said by Lawrence, in a postscript to the book, to have inspired him to help the Arabs fight for independence. (10/04/01)

Lawrence sleeping bag returned
The sleeping bag which served as a guest bed to some of the 20th century's most distinguished authors at TE Lawrence's weekend retreat has been returned 36 years ago after it was stolen. National trust custodians of Clouds Hill, the author's cottage in Dorset, were amazed when a  from Belgium arrived containing the sleeping bag along with a note which said: "This is yours." The bag, embroidered with the word "tuum", was provided for guests at the cottage, while Lawrence slept on the floor in the other sleeping bag, marked "meum". According to Jeremy Wilson, Laurence's biographer, 'tuum's' occupants included George Bernard Shaw, EM Forster and Robert Graves. Frances Chapman, the custodian of Clouds Hill, said: "We do not know  who had the bag all these years, but we are thankful it's back. It's in good condition, a lot better than 'meum'. The bag's disappearance in 1965 coincided with the release of Lawrence of Arabia, the film which immortalised its owner. It was thought the theft could have been inspired by the publicity and excitement generated by the film. (10/04/01)

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA’S DORSET
"The most delightful of English counties"
A new display entitled "Lawrence of Arabia’s Dorset" which provides an introductory guide to visitors to Purbeck seeking information on the legendary T. E. Lawrence, has opened at the Purbeck Heritage and Information Centre in South Street, Wareham.

Vintage rally for friendship from the Dorset Echo 15/05/00
The friendship between Dorset war hero T E Lawrence and playwright George Bernard Shaw will be celebratedat a special vintage rally which will include Lawrence's favourite motorbike. Motor bike enthusiasts will leave Lawrence's former home, the National Trust property at Cloud's Hill, at 10.30am on Sunday May 21 for a rally to Hertfordshire, where Shaw lived. Riders will be wearing period clothes similar to those in Lawrence's day.
He was better-known as Lawrence of Arabia and he was the most famous owner of a Brough Superior. But the great man was tragically killed on his Brough in 1935. Pictures of this event

The new Lawrence of Arabia exhibition at Bovington

The Tank Museum's new Lawrence of Arabia exhibition was launched on 12 April in an exclusive VIP ceremony, hosted by Col John Woodward, museum director, with Revd Graham Perryman, vicar of St Nicholas Church, Moreton, very fittingly opening the display. Graham had been scheduled to arrive in great style in the museum's armour-plated Rolls-Royce, but heavy rain and sleet prevented this. Col Woodward said that although the museum specialises in the history of the  Royal Armoured Corps, Lawrence had a legitimate place there because he had served in the Tank Corps at Bovington, his house Clouds Hill, was a short distance north of the camp, his fatal motorcycle accident occurred not far from the museum, and he had died in the Bovington military hospital.
The display has been designed to be of interest to the general public, to make the current generation aware of Lawrence, and to point them in the general direction of other Lawrence sites in Dorset. He paid tribute to the efforts of assistant curator Kate White and the museum team who helped put the display together, and also to the designer of the display.
Revd Perryman said that many thousands of visitors visit Lawrence's grave every year and although he felt he should point them towards the church and God, he was equally happy to point them towards the Tank Museum and its new display. He said that Lawrence had been an inspiration to the men he led in the desert campaigns and that he was still an inspiration to people today.
The Lawrence display has been put together beautifully by the Kate White and her team and should not to be missed. I won't spoil it for future visitors by saying what is in it, apart from the fact that it features an 1150cc Brough Superior with a ghost rider amongst its exhibits, and it is both modern and impressive. The museum's extensive gift shop contains a wide variety of Lawrence items for sale.
A buffet and drinks were laid on for guests who were given free access to wander around the museum afterwards and given souvenir books and other items to take away.
For more information on the special display and the Tank Museum in general, visit their website here

Notes of TE Lawrence
Abbreviated extract from 'Exorcism' by Peter Underwood 1990
Henry Williamson, to whom Lawrence had sent a telegram of welcome in answer to a note suggesting he should visit, minutes before his accident, told me that he was convinced that Lawrence's death was no accident; indeed the coroner at the inquest said it was 'a most unsatisfactory situation', but perhaps it is appropriate that the man whose whole life was something of a mystery should meet his death in mysterious circumstances, for Williamson was by no means alone in his suspicions.
Since his Death in mysterious circumstances many people claim to have seen the white-robed figure of Lawrence entering his cottage at Clouds Hill. One witness said he distinctly heard the roar of Lawrence's machine coming towards him. At any moment he expected to see a motorcycle but he saw nothing and then, all was suddenly quiet. Because of concerns that these ghostly noises might be a danger to road-users, an exorcism was performed at the place and repeated each day for seven days. The first exorcism was carried out on 13 May 1985, fifty years to the day after the fatal accident, and since this series of exorcisms there have been no reports of the 'ghostly' sounds.