ST. OSMUND’S church will be holding its annual patronal festival weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, to celebrate St. Osmund’s Day.

On Saturday everyone is invited to a picnic cream tea in the garden of The Old Rectory, by kind permission of Jilly and Roddy Coleman, from 2.30 to 4.30 pm.

There will be yummy cakes to eat, a cake stall and a raffle, with music and singing by Hedley Kaye. Bring something to sit on.

At the same time a flower-arranging event will be taking place in the church next door. All children are invited to come and help to decorate the church for the next day’s celebration. Bring some flowers from the garden or get together with a few friends and buy a bunch to share. No child is too young to help.

The Festival concludes with choral evensong at 6.30pm on Sunday 19, followed as usual by a social gathering with refreshments. St. Andrew’s choir will be coming to lead the singing, and the preacher will be the benefice team’s new curate, Daile Wilshere.

  • PRESSURE is building up as all those involved get ready for the annual Osmington Fête, This year’s event is on Sunday, August 2 from 2pm to 5pm.

If you have any good quality unwanted bric-a-brac, books, toys, etc., or can donate some home-made goodies, please get in touch with the organisers whose details are in the newsletter delivered to all Osmington and Poxwell residents. Whether you can help or not, come along, have fun, and help The Friends of St. Osmund to support the maintenance and improvement of our historic church.

This year there will again be some fun races for children of all ages, as well as the popular photographic competition in the village hall, for which anyone can enter. Entries will be on-the-spot at the start of the fête and will be judged by public vote. Prizes will be awarded for both adult and junior entries.

Of course, there will also be all the usual elements of a successful village fête - stalls, beer, sideshows, cream teas, music, burgers, ice creams, bouncy castle….. Come and join in!

  • THE Osmington Recorded Music Society has put its equipment away at the end of its first, highly successful, season, after its first annual general meeting on May 11.

The AGM confirmed the present officers and committee members in their posts, and a new member, Andrew Mullett, offered to take up the vacant post of secretary, leaving just one committee post unfilled.

The society’s constitution was formally adopted, and subscription levels and attendance fees were agreed for next season. Chairman Brian Bishop announced that plans are well under way for a full season of sixteen recitals next season, including return visits from the society’s president John Davis, Peter Foster from Dorchester Hospital Radio, and Richard Searle from Dorchester U3A. Betty Roberts and Geoff Stokes, from Wimborne RMS will also be making a return visit, and other visitors will be making a first appearance.

The society’s own members, among whom are two local members with past connections with the Sadlers Wells company, will present the remaining programmes. .

Mike Hart, as treasurer, was able to report a healthy balance and no outstanding debts – something many in more exalted financial positions would wish to be able to say!

Other matters discussed included a possible annual lunch, timed to relieve the gloom of winter. The afternoon ended with a short programme by the chairman, Brian Bishop.

The 2009-10 season starts on Monday, October 5, with a visit from the Society’s popular president, John Davis.