REGULAR EVENTS

GILLINGHAM COUNTRY MARKET
Every Friday from 8.30am-11am at the Methodist Church Hall (next to Lloyds Bank), High Street Gillingham. Gillingham Country Market offers a truly local shopping experience and a warm welcome. We sell genuinely home-produced foods, plants and crafts. Buy direct from our local producers. It is a place to meet friends for coffee, home-made cakes and  biscuits.
COFFEE COMPANION HOURS
Platform One, Station Road, Mondays, 2-3pm
The Phoenix Inn, High Street, Mondays 3-5pm
The Buffalo Inn, Wyke, Tuesdays – Thursdays, 5.30pm – 6.30pm
The Café @ RiversMeet, Wednesdays, 11am – noon
The Wine Bar, Queen Street, Wednesdays 7.30pm-8.30pm
Orchard Park Garden Centre Café, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3pm-3pm
The Dolphin Inn, Peacemarsh, Fridays, 2pm-3pm.

GILLINGHAM FLOWER CLUB
First Tuesday of each month
Flower demonstration by a qualified demonstrator
Vicarage School Rooms (opp St Mary the Virgin church), 7.30pm
Visitors welcome. Contact Jan Preen on 01747 825 927

MINDFUL CAFE: SUPPORTING LOCAL PEOPLE WITH MEMORY PROBLEMS
Every other Tuesday, 10am – noon
This month: September 12 and September 26
St. Martin’s Grange, Gillingham, in the Circle Community Room
Admission and refreshments are free

CAR BOOT SALE
First Saturday of every month
The Mellowes, 9.30am – 12.30pm

QUIZ NIGHT
Every Thursday, 7.30pm
Dolphin Inn
Gillingham Singers

A friendly, mixed SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) choir of all ages and abilities. There

are no auditions though some experience of singing would be useful. Anyone who enjoys singing is very welcome to go along to a rehearsal or two to see if they would like to join.
The choir will begin rehearsing for its Autumn Concert in the Main Hall of Gillingham School, Gillingham, at 7.15pm on Monday September 4. Its new Musical Director is Ed Cooke who, following postgraduate choral studies at Cambridge University, spent a year in China as Musical Director of Hangzhou Youth Choir and currently directs choirs in north and west London
For further information, contact Carole on 01747 825826 or www.gillinghamsingers.org.

Help for Will
Kate Jenkins from Mere is shaving her head on September 10  to raise funds for 14-year-old Will Edkins and his family. Will suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy and needs 24 hour care and the money raised will allow his parents to adapt their home so Will can live comfortably.  So far Kate has raised £1200; if donations reach £2000, Kate’s mum Janet will also shave her head! Find out more at httpss://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kate-jenkins

SEPTEMBER

Friday, September 1 –  29
Free stay and play sessions for two-year-olds
Every Friday, 9.30am-11am
Tops Day Nursery, Gillingham
Call 01747 835533

Friday, September 1
Bingo
Grove Buildings, Church St, Mere
Doors open 6.45pm; Eyes down 7.30pm
Quality of prizes including a family ticket for Haynes International Motor Museum
Specials, raffle, refreshments.
Proceeds to Mere Carnival

Friday, September 1
Gillingham Walking Festival Grand Supper Quiz
Teams of up to six
The Olive Bowl,  £10 including a lasagne supper
Bar, raffle, small prizes
Tickets from Scenes or Sheila; tel 01747 821 269

Saturday, September 2 – 10
Gillingham Walking Festival
A wide variety of walks plus workshops, social evenings and film – see page XX.  your full free programme from libraries in Gillingham, Mere and Shaftesbury or online at gillwalkersarewelcome.btck.co.uk. Some walks need to be booked in advance.

Saturday, September 2
Gillingham Community Cinema: The Way starring Martin Sheen
Gillingham Methodist Church Hall, 7pm
Tel 07817 379006 for tickets

Saturday, September 2
Beach party at the Butt of Sherry, Mere
Fancy dress beach/Hawaiian theme
Live music from Under the Counter and a bbq
From 7pm. In aid of Cancer Research

Sunday, September 3
Organ recital by concert pianist and organist Duncan Honeybourne
Gillingham Methodist Church, 3pm
Duncan will be playing works by Byrd, de Grigny, Bull, Vaughan Williams, Howells, Farrar & Saint-Saens.
Admission is free (donations gratefully received) and refreshments will be provided.

Monday, September 4
Rachel Billingto talk:  From Reading to Writing – Books do Furnish a Room
Gillingham Library, 3pm-5pm
Tickets cost £6 and numbers are limited; contact: Lydia Everitt at lydia.everitt@uwclub.net or 01747 826007

Saturday, September 9
Cheese & Wine evening
Part of Gillingham Walking Festival
Also Gillingham Arts Workshop – ‘Voices of Gillingham’
RivversMeet Leisure Centre, 7pm
Tickets £3 in advance from Riversmeet and includes first glass of wine. Cheese trays, £6.

Saturday, September 9
Coffee morning raffle & cake stall
Held by the Gillingham branch of the Devonshire & Dorset Regiment and the Rifles Association
Gillingham Royal British Legion, 10am – noon
Proceeds to the Poppy Appeal

Sunday, September 10
Car Boot Sale
Turnpike Showground, Motcombe.
Sellers from 8am. Cars £5, vans £10.
Buyers before 9am £5, after 9am by donation.
Refreshments and toilets on site. Proceeds to Motcombe Memorial Hall

Sunday, September 10
Bingo in the Bandroom
Band room, South Street, Gillingham, 3pm
Gillingham Imperial Silver Band bingo with cream teas at half-time

Monday, September 11
Hot Rock Carnival Club Bingo
Vicarage school rooms, Gillingham; eyes down 8pm

Tuesday, September 19
Hot Rock Carnival Club Bingo
Zeals village hall; eyes down 7.30pm

Sunday, September 24
Wessex Heavy Horse Show
Turnpike Showground; adults, £7; children 5-16, £3; family tickets £18
Heavy horse classes, fun dog show, vintage vehicles, terrier racing, stalls and children’s activities
https://www.whhs.org.uk

Friday, September 29
GMS Lions coffee morning
The Grove Building, Mere, 10am-noon

Friday, September 29
Carnival Concert – Last Night of the Proms with Gillingham Imperial Silver Band
Methodist Church hall, 7.30pm
Includes the crowning of the Carnival Princess and Attendants.
Adults £5; accompanied child, £2

Saturday, September 30
Mere Autumn Fair & Family Fun Day
Mere Social Club, 11am
Bands, bbq, stall, cafe, kids’ activity room, raffle and tombola
In aid of Stars Appeal’s Little Lives Fund

Saturday, September 30
Macmillan Coffee Morning
The Community Church, Station Road Gillingham, 10am-2pm
As well as coffee, tea and soft drinks, there’s a surprise tombola, bric a brac, stalls selling handmade items and cake stalls for adults and children. Th event is being opened by David Wathen.

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 7
Gillingham Walkers
Meet at 2pm at Peacemarsh Surgery carpark for a two hour (four mile) walk.

Monday October 9 – 15
Mere Literary Festival
This year’s festival offers books and authors of local interest, readings, history and gardens, the community lunch, film, a children’s event, poetry and poets, and the award ceremony for this year’s competition. Find the full programme at local libraries, many other outlets including the Creative Mere event, and on www.merelitfest.co.uk

October 14 – 15
Help for Heroes Tesco collection
Help for Heroes has been invited to hold fundraising collections in Tesco stores throughout the country to mark the charity’s tenth birthday. The collection will be held during the weekend of October 14/15, and the charity is calling on the people of Gillingham and Shaftsbury and surrounds to take part in the special one-off event, either as a volunteer team leader or a collection volunteer, from a couple of hours to a whole weekend. For more information, call Help for Heroes on 01980 846459, or email campaigns@helpforheroes.org.uk, or visit collectforheroes.org.uk

NOVEMBER

Saturday, November 18

Gillingham Town Twinning Association Dinner/Dance to celebrate 40 years of Twinning friendship between Gillingham and Le Neubourg
The Olive Bowl, 6.45pm. Tickets £30
Further details from Muriel Shean 01747 821604 or email muriel.cliff@hotmail.com