USUALLY the loudest noises heard in the "blink-and-you're-through-it" village are the church bell, the cheers of spectators at football matches and the whoosh of traffic on the B3347 Ringwood-Christchurch road.

But rockers Sue Harper and Ian Head have added another noise to village life in Bisterne.

On Sunday nights Rock 'n' Roll rhythms from the likes of Bill Haley, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly belt out from the village hall as Sue and Ian hold their regular "Record Hop".

No sedate little club this, because Sue and Ian like to dance, and they encourage all-comers to get stuck in and set skirts awhirling.

The Rock and Roll Record Hops have been held there since mid-January after their previous venue The Crown Hotel in Southampton Road, Ringwood closed for refurbishment.

Unhappy about losing their entertainment, Sue and dance partner Ian decided to set up a club for like-minded people.

Sue, a widow who "doesn't believe in age" but admits to "being over 55" lives at Kingston, just up the road from Bisterne, so the hall was the obvious alternative venue.

She and Ian, from Townsend in Bournemouth, take it in turns to DJ and teach dance steps.

The music is not set firmly in the Fifties but encompasses Jump Jive from the 1930s, Swing from the war-torn days of the Forties with Glenn Miller and co, progresses through to the early Sixties, includes Rockabilly and even the odd spot of Elton John.

Elvis "the Pelvis" Presley, the "Big O", Roy Orbison, Tommy Dorsey and Count Basie are other favourites, but with 100-or-so CDs available, the list of stars is extensive.

"We have a couple of smooches during the evening. We turn down the lights and just have the glow of the heaters above," said Sue.

The rest of the dancing is rather more energetic.

"There's a lot of flinging around. It's very good exercise so it's good for keeping fit. You feel quite alive by the end of the evening - or half dead."

There's no bar in the hall so visitors are encouraged to take their own drinks.

"The fact that people have to take their own drinks gives it a youth clubby feel."

Budding Rock 'n' Rollers should contact Sue on 01425 478057 or Ian on 01202 394012 and get out their blue suede shoes. Entry is £3.