YOU can now keep up to date with all the happenings in Portesham with a free newsletter which has been put together by your local councillors and is distributed to all addresses in the parish.

If you’d prefer to receive the next one by email please advise Peter Craggs at peter_craggs@btinternet.com quoting your postal address so that you don’t get one delivered as well!

Portesham parish now also has its own website at www.porteshamparish.org.uk. There are details and information about your councillors, agendas and minutes of Portesham parish meetings together with links to Chesil Bank Parish Council.

The next Portesham parish meeting will be held in the village hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 9 August. Items for discussion will include parish finances and an update on the bus shelter.

THE Walking group will be meeting at Winters Close at 10am on Thursday, 4 August for their latest 6 mile (flat) walk from Fordington to West Stafford. Please bring a packed lunch as a stop is planned en route for a picnic.

WHY not come to one of the Saturday village cafes at the village hall?

There will be a Portesham Produce market and village café on Saturday, 13 August, 10am to 12 noon, hosted by the village hall committee.

If you have any surplus garden produce, homemade cakes, jams or chutneys you would like to sell, contact David McKinna on 01305 871392 to reserve a table.

As usual, bacon sandwiches, tea and coffee will also be on offer.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, 27 August, Portesham Volunteers will be holding their annual village café with a difference.

Starting earlier, at 9am, full English breakfast, served to your table, will be available for the amazing price of only £3. Sausage, bacon baps, tea, fresh coffee, juices and cakes will be served all morning until noon.

In addition, there will be stalls selling homemade cakes, breads, jams, chutneys, local seasonal produce, plants, a bottle tombola and a grand raffle.

The group are raising funds for further village planting and grit bins for the winter.

MORE volunteers are needed to help run the successful Tuesday morning coffee shop at the village hall which runs from 10am to 12 noon.

If you have a couple of hours to spare on a Tuesday morning please contact David McKinna on 871392.

RBL Abbotsbury and Portesham branch’s next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Thursday, 18 August, where Bob Fox will entertain with his talk “A funny way to earn a living – memories of the music halls”.

As a result of the holiday to Norway arranged by Des and Jean Baker, £250 has been donated to the RBL Poppy Appeal.

Des would also like to hear from anyone who might be interested in going to Westpoint, Exeter next February to see “Holiday on Ice – Tropicana”.

Contact him at aveswood@sky.com or on 01305 267617.

THE RBL Women’s section does not meet in August, but will continue in September with a talk entitled “Memory Box” at 7.30pm on Monday, 12 September at Portesham village hall.

The meeting of the South Dorset Group of the Women’s section will also be held in the village hall on Tuesday, 20 September.