A TAXI driver surprised his wife when he told her who he’d invited to stay... five Tibetan monks, their guide and his girlfriend.

Bob Murphy is welcoming the party to the three-bedroom home he shares in Leamington Road, Weymouth, with his wife Victoria.

Mr Murphy, 56, was asked by a friend if he could help out after she met the monks on their visit to Madrid and asked them if they would like to come to Dorset to learn English culture and teach others about themselves.

He said: “Vicki was really shocked when I told her.

“I won’t repeat what she said but whatever I do she goes along with as she is very tolerant.

“I can’t wait, as they are such spiritual people.

“One of them is a famous monk who people wait hours and hours to see to kiss his feet.”

The group will stay with Mr and Mrs Murphy during their six-month visit to England.

Carer Mrs Murphy, 55, said: “I’ll go with the flow.

“It’s not every day your husband comes home and tells you five monks are coming to stay but if we can help somebody then that’s the thing.

“Bob’s always bringing surprises home to me so there’s not many dull moments.

“This is his biggest surprise ever though so let’s see how it goes.”

n The Dolmen Grove pagan group is supporting the monks by hosting a festival at the Great Dorset Maize Maze on June 5, 6 and 7.

Organiser Tony Jameson, known as Taloch from the band The Dolmen, said the important Monk Geshe Lama Ahbay Rinpoche was recognise by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of a former spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists.

He said: “He has just finished his degrees and has been in a monastery since the age of seven where he was recognised by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of a past lama. He had to take the full education the past monk had done which is incredible as that has taken 27 years.

“That’s what you call dedication.

“One job of the past monk was temple builder so part of this is to try and keep a temple in Tibet.”

Festival ticket sales will help rebuild a temple in Tibet, India or Nepal, creating a place of worship, education and refuge.

But Mr Jameson points out the Monks are here to bring attention to Tibet.

He added: “They are very proud and are not coming with an open hand.

“This is something we are setting up voluntarily.”

The pagan group has also arranged to take the monks to festivals, including Glastonbury.

He said: “It’s a brilliant thing for Weymouth to have a lama and four monks coming to stay.

“At the festival the monks will sit and teach so people can come and find out about Tibetan Buddhism.

“The Dalai Lama has endorsed their visit.”

Information and tickets for the Green Tara Gathering are available from dolmengrove.co.uk. Tickets are £30.