TO JUNE 24: ‘Woman’s Hour Craft Prize’ - exhibition of work by the 12 finalists in the competition Run by BBC Radio 4 and the Crafts Council: at Mottisfont Art Gallery (National Trust), near Romsey. Featuring some of the most innovative and exciting craft makers in the UK.
JUNE 8: ALTON U3A: monthly coffee morning, starting 10.30am at the Allen Gallery, Church Street, Alton. Non-members welcome.
JUNE 9: Community fun rock painting: 10am to 12.30pm at Alton Community Centre. For those who want to get started or to paint, chat and share ideas with fellow rock painters. Suit all ages. £1 per person to include small bag of rocks, use of permanent pens and free tea, coffee, squash and biscuits.
JUNE 9: Walk around the east of Alton: starting 11am from the Curtis Museum, on Crown Hill. Join local historian Jane Hurst in a walk to discover how Alton commemorated the Crimean War and about Mr Enticknap’s building blocks. Tickets £5 - to book call the Curtis Museum on 01420 82802, and pay on the day.
JUNE 9: Alresford Music Festival: 10am to midnight at Arlebury Park. Over 25 bands playing across five stages. Family arena, big screen showing main stages, bungee trampolining, climbing, craft work, theatre tent, festival village with wide choice of local and international food, fine ale, cocktail and cider bars. Free shuttle bus service from Winchester or Alton railway stations. Children under five go free. Further information at www.alresfordmusicfestival.com.
JUNE 9 and 10: Alton Abbey Open Gardens: from noon to 5pm at The Anglican Monastery of Our Lady and St John in Beech. Stalls selling items such as beautiful stationary, second-hand bgooks, plants, and Hadeel products from Palestine. Lace-makings demonstrations and display, plus bantam chicks to see and buy. Piano music in the church at 3pm on Sunday. Discover the beauty and peacefulness of the Abbey, and the joy.
JUNE 10: Bishop’s Sutton village fete and garden party: 2pm to 4.15pm at Bishop’s Court. Fun family day out with barbecue, licensed bar, teas, raffle, tombola, cake, books, plants, bric-a-brac, toy stalls and much more. Children’s treasure hunt, Scotty the clown, face painting, hook ‘a’ duck, glitter tatoos, tennis. The ‘Famous Egg Throwing’ Competition. Heated swimming pool, open rain or shine. All welcome.
JUNE 10: Alton Ramblers: meet at 9.10am at Alton Health Centre car park for a 10-mile walk led by Caroline, starting 10am at Gomshall railway station car park (TQ088478) Charges may apply. Walk from Gomshall to Wotton and Abinger. Views across the North Downs. Picnic lunch. Possible pub stop Stephan Langton, Friday Street. Further details on 01420 23323 or visit www.altonramblers.org.uk.
JUNE 12: Alton Ramblers: meet 9.25am at Alton Sports Centre car park for a six-mile walk led by Trevor and Gill E, starting 10am from The Fox Inn, Ellisfield (SU632454). Circular walk via Farleigh Wallop and Cliddesden. Please support pub after walk. Further details on 01420 23323 or visit www.altonramblers.org.uk
JUNE 12: Alton and District Stamp Club: meet 7.45pm at Medstead Village Hall for a talk and display by Miles Newey on the ‘Royal Mail’. Anyone interested in stamps is welcome to attend. For more information visit www.altonstamp-club.co.uk.
JUNE 13: Ready Steady Mums Walk: meet 1.15pm outside Bushy Leaze Children’s Centre, Eastbrook Road, Alton, for ‘a gentle walk and plenty of talk’, starting 1.30pm and led by Hampshire Healthy Families Service. Ideal for meeting new friends with babies. Every Wednesday.
JUNE 16: Alton Lions ‘Party in Park’, featuring comic book and modern day ’Super Heroes’: 10am to 4.30pm in Alton’s Public Gardens. Family fun day with live music, performances by Strictly Showtime and Alton Infant School, kids’ activities, fun, games, Punch and Judy, stilt walking, balloon sculpting and magic, charity stalls, refreshments including barbecue, teas and bar. Official opening at noon by the town mayor and other Super Heroes. In aid of Treloar School and College.
JUNE 16: Alton Teddy Bear Festival: 10am to 4pm at Alton Assembly Rooms. Teddy bear artists, collectors bears, vintage bears, bear related goods, pre-loved teddy bear and fluffy-toy adoption agency, games and tombola, Teddy Bear Hospital, outside garden fete with barbecue, teas. Free entry.
JUNE 16: Alton Regency Day: 10am to 3pm in the town centre. Regency re-enactors, including soldiers, horse and carriage rides, Mill Cottage Farm Experience, Alton Morris, market stalls.
JUNE 16: Hampshire Farmers’ Market and Alton Lions Craft Market: 10am to 3pm in Alton High Street and Cross & Pillory Lane.
JUNE 16 and 17: Mid Hants Railway ‘War on the Line’: step back in time to the 1940s and experience a taste of railway life during World War II. Life on the home front, with an American theme: Pearl’s Pin-up Parlour and American-style donut wagon at Ropley Station; self-guided walk at Alresford, exploring places with links to American troops; Exhibition in the goods shed at Alresford station. More information at www.watercressline.co.uk/product.php/26/war-on-the-line.
JUNE 20: Ready Steady Mums Walk: meet 1.15pm outside Bushy Leaze Children’s Centre, Eastbrook Road, Alton, for ‘a gentle walk and plenty of talk’, starting 1.30pm and led by Hampshire Healthy Families Service. Ideal for meeting new friends with babies. Every Wednesday.
JUNE 21: ‘Jane Austen: from Zero to Hero in 200 Years’: 7.30pm at the Allen Gallery, Church Street Alton. Sue and Martyn Dell examine how Jane Austen’s fame spread from her being unknown in her lifetime to world-wide celebrity today. Part of Alton’s Regency Week. Tickets £5 (to include light refreshments) from the Allen Gallery, 01420 82802 or Alton Community Centre, 01420 85057.
JUNE 23: FOSStival 2018: Selborne Music Festival: family-friendly music festival from 1pm to 11pm at Selborne Primary School. To raise funds in particular to support music education and performance opportunities for pupils, regardless of background or means.
JUNE 24: Shalden Fete
JUNE 27: Strawberry cream tea: 2 to 4pm at St Mary’s Catholic Church Hall, Normandy Street, Alton. Sales tables. All proceeds to church funds.
JUNE 28: Summer fete and circus: 3.30 to 7.30pm at Four Marks Primary School. The fete starts at 3.30pm and the circus at 5.30 until 7.30pm. Entry £10 each (under twos free) - tickets available from Village Flowers, Four Marks; Reads Butchers, Medstead; the Alton Herald, Market Square, Alton.
JUNE 30: Alton In Bloom, annual scarecrow competition (for children aged 11 years (or Year 6 Junior School) and under): bring scarecrows along to Alton Assembly Rooms from 10am to noon. The scarecrows will remain in place until 2pm to enable members of the public to vote for their favourite scarecrows. They will be judged in two individual categories: individual and groups, such as schools, playgroups, young people’s organisations. There will also be an art competition, to draw a scarecrow. Run by Alton Horticultural Society.
JUNE 30: Walk: Fanny Adams’ Alton: starting 11am from the Curtis Museum on Crown Hill. Tickets £5, place limited - to book a place call the Curtis Museum on 01420 82802, and pay on the day.
* If you have anything you wish to be included in the What’s On column then please send details to the Alton Herald, 13 Market Square, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1HD, or email [email protected].
The service is free to clubs and charitable organisations.