It seems that the Blandford 'vampire' Fly may be enjoying a renaissance. 73-year old retired journalist, Peter Dunn, of Bridport in Dorset, spent four days on an intravenous drip of powerful antibiotics after he was bitten by just such an airborne varmint. The larvae of this unusually sanguine fly breed in the weed beds of the slow-flowing River Stour, close to the town of Blandford. After emerging, the female fly seeks a refreshing haemoglobin repast, before mating. The female fly also enjoys nights out at the cinema, and nights in with a DVD and a bottle of wine. In 1988, more than 1,400 people were treated in hospital after being bitten by the sisterhood.
Blandford, in fact, is a rather unusual place all round. It's quintessential rural Dorset, but it's also heavily influenced by the presence of nearby Blandford Camp, home to the Royal Corps of Signals. So it's rather like a vector sum of Hardy's Wessex and Aldershot.
There is a rumour that the Blandford fly is actually a biological weapon that was developed by the MoD, but that escaped into the wild. I don't know if there is any truth to this. It is probably urban myth - or rather, rural myth.
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