Abbotsbury and Langton Herring

WE HAVE just returned from a spot of rest and relaxation in the sun to find the garden glorious and the trees dripping with blossom.

Now they are dripping with rain as I catch up with the village news .

  • TALKING of gardens, our friend Di Ludlow is holding an open morning and plant sale in her lovely garden at Friar Waddon Farmhouse on Thursday, May 7 between 10.30 a.m. and 2.00p.m.

This is the annual Lifeboat plant sale with all proceeds going to the RNLI.

It’s the sale of the year and its best to get there early for there are always interesting plants on sale, also homemade produce.

Refreshments will be available and there is plenty of parking.

Friar Waddon Farmhouse is halfway between Upwey and Portesham. Entrance is £1, which includes coffee.

  • THE first email that I opened on my return was from Bunty the cat. Yes, do read on, holidays haven’t quite scrambled my senses!

Bunty is the furry companion of Jackie and Roger Loiselle.

She has been allowed on the keyboard to keep us all updated on her folk’s travels. Good fun her letters are too.

Jackie and Roger are well loved ex residents of the village who ran The Old School House Tea Rooms for some years before moving to Weymouth.

In early spring they gave up work, packed their Gran Torino motor home and went drive about on the continent with Bunty in tow.

Various adventures, mostly good but also some very expensive calamities have beset them as they have travelled down through France into Spain from Calais to Lorient, Nantes, and La Rochelle, on to Bordeaux and Perpignan and Narbonne on the Med. The Costa Brava beckoned as France was beset with rain.

Bunty writes that they are now they are on a lovely site just north of Barcelona where they intend to stop for a while.

The weather is good and the cost of living cheaper than France.

Bunty signs off with TARA to all and to say that himself and memsahib are both fine. I will keep you posted on their travels.

  • ABBOTSBURY Art Weeks runs from Thursday, May 21 – Sunday, May 31.

On the Wings of Desire is a community workshop project being run by Marie Laywine.

It will involve the construction and installation of your own silk wish flag on the peripheral railing of St Catherine’s Chapel.

There will be an A Capella recital in the chapel at 1.00pm.

Special guest artist Clare Trenchard will be displaying her large-scale sculptures of wolves and an eagle in Marie’s studio garden.

This is just one of the many workshops that will be available during the Art Week.

Strangways Hall will host various exhibitions; art, textiles, photography, dressmaking and tailoring and hand crafted rocking horses.

The studios and galleries in the village will be open to visitors.

For more information on the Art Week see www.abbotsburyartweeks.org, our local Chesil magazine or pick up leaflets from TICs and local shops.

  • SERVICES at St Catherine’s Chapel on the hill begin again on Saturday, May 23 at 7.30pm.

On that Saturday it will be followed by St Catherine’s Candles. There will be transport up the hill for those not able to climb it. 1,000 candle lanterns will be lit along the path to the chapel at dusk. Each candle a visible memory of someone special.

Candles may be purchased in advance or on the day. Each costs £2.50. Contact the organiser on 01305 871085 for more details.

It will be a memorable and spectacular evening.

  • A NOTE through our doors from Abbotsbury Residents Corps (ARC) reminds us that there will be a ‘spring clean’ of our resurrected recreation ground here in Abbotsbury on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday May 10 at 10.am.

Volunteers have been asked to turn up suitably clad as the field is quite overgrown and to bring any implements that they can.

Let’s hope there will be a grand turn out for this first stage event.

Langton Herring

  • AN EVENING of light opera, Ivor Novello and Victorian parlour songs will be held in St Peter’s Church, Langton Herring on Friday, May 8 at 7.30 p.m.

Barry Townsend, tenor, and friends a soprano and saxophonist will entertain in the old style manner.

Supper and a glass of wine are included in the ticket price of £7.50.

All funds raised will be for St Peter’s Church.

Tickets should be purchased in advance, as the venue is quite small. So, contact 01305 871407 as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

Entertainment in Langton is always a winner.