NEXT WEEKEND, June 27and 28, from 2.00-6.00pm, the Upwey Society invites you to come and enjoy our Open Gardens . Programmed a little earlier than usual this year, there will be lots of varied and interesting gardens, all sorts of shapes and sizes with different features to admire and discuss. Plant and produce stalls will be set up here and there.

As always, delicious teas will be available at Jackie and David’s garden in Church Street where Upwey potters will be demonstrating their craft, and there will be a chance to see the beautiful Upwey quilt which will be raffled at the Craft Fair at the end of July.

To coincide with Open Gardens, Westfield School students will be exhibiting their work in the old school and, amazingly, the well-dressing is still alive and well at the Wishing Well after 6 weeks on display.

Parking for Open Gardens will be at Westbrook, well signposted, where programmes and maps are £4.00 for each person, valid for both days.

Tonight (Monday), at St. Laurence Church, the very prestigious Dorset Choral Society is giving a concert – music of all sorts from their repertoire at 7.45pm.

The concert is given free by the Choral Society, but you are invited to come at 7.00pm for wine and nibbles before the concert, tea and coffee afterwards, for which tickets are £6.00 in aid of the funds being raised to install a loo and servery in the church.

The Flower Festival held at the Church on the May bank holiday raised £1000 for the fund.

The last week in July, 18th-26th sees the annual Craft Fair at the Old School which always proves to be such a draw for those seeking beautifully made, original and varied artefacts produced by local artists and some from further afield in Dorset.

Each exhibitor donates a piece of his or her work for raffle, the first prize being the famed Upwey patchwork quilt made by a group of local needlewomen – this year’s sounds particularly intriguing, you can get a preview at Open Gardens 27/28th June.

Entry to the Craft Fair is free, it’s open from 10.00am to 6.00pm each day.