Ration Book – Special Offers for June only where to find them & collect stamps

For the whole month of June, locals & visitors of all ages can start visiting the growing list of businesses supporting the initiative (see above) and upon spending money on whatever their deal or special ‘Ration book’ offer is, collect a stamp to show they have had that offer.

How the DBID Ration book project works:

1. For the whole month of June, locals & visitors of all ages can start visiting the growing list of businesses supporting the initiative (see above) and upon spending money on whatever their deal or special ‘Ration book’ offer is, collect a stamp to show they have had that offer.
2. Multiple visits to the same business for the same or different offer (may change over month) are allowed.
3. Offers vary a lot from a free drink, two for one deals, 25% off all drinks to an amazing 15% of everything from KwikFit.
4. Ration book holders will in most cases, need to spend something to get a deal and their stamp but, there may be some shops that wanted to join in but will just stamp the book not having an offer.
5. We know some people will only be visiting for a few days in town so, you may only be collecting for a few days or a week. No matter how many stamps you have collected, if you have finished collecting, you can take your rations book to ‘Checkpoint Charlotte’ at the concierge office and get it ‘verified’ and have your name entered into the grand prize draw for a bumper goodie bag of prizes which we are starting to collect!!
6. The list of participating businesses will be updated on here on a regular basis (weekly) https://www.dorchesterdorset.com/events/ae-ration-book/ and also posted from time to time on the Dorchester, Thomas Hardy Facebook page and Instagram.

This whole initiative is aligned with the exciting A&E event on the 20th June more details below.

About the event itself on Saturday 20th June 2026

Armour and Embarkation is a WWII living history event (founded by Jack Beckett & Jim Clarke back in 2010) which commemorates and re-enacts the 1944 build-up to D-Day in Dorset. On Saturday 20^th June a massive convoy of over 100 original, primarily American World War II vehicles, including Sherman tanks, Half-Tracks, Jimmys and Jeeps corralled by motorcycle Dispatch Riders all in period 1940’s uniform is coming to Dorchester’s  Brewery Square!

The US First Division were based here in Dorset, and left here for ‘Bloody Omaha’. Elements of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion left from here for Pointe du Hoc.

The convoy travels through rural country lanes, before arriving into the heart of Dorchester (via High East Street) just after 3pm – The sound and smell of vehicles in transit to their embarkation ports in the run-up to D-Day would have been an awesome sight and will be brought back to life on the 20^th June.

We advise arriving early, have a relaxing day in town and find a good spot to watch the convoy arrive into town. They will park up in Brewery Square where there will be more vehicles & equipment all day.