RAISE your glasses for the Great Weymouth Beer Festival which is making a return and takes place this weekend.

Organisers from Weymouth Rugby Club are lining up 80 different real ales and 20 ciders and perries.

The event is held at the Weymouth RFC grounds in Monmouth Avenue.

Local businesses are showing strong support for the event with barrel sponsorship and raffle prizes – but if any firms want to support the event there is still time to get involved.

Weymouth RFC chairman Glyn Arnold said: “It is great to welcome back the beer festival to the club after many years’ absence.”

The festival runs from Friday, August 24 to Saturday, August 25 and there are lunchtime, 11am to 3pm, and evening, 6.30pm to 11pm, sessions.

Tickets for the sessions cost £5 each and are available from The New Vic Bar & Restaurant, The Kings Arms, Embrace Health & Beauty, The Royal Oak, all in Weymouth and the Turk’s Head at Chickerell and from the website weymouthrfc.org.uk