What's On

This is the place for all regular events and dates for your diary!
For listings of everything from fairs, lunch clubs, Artsreach performances and coffee mornings, to concerts, workshops, clubs and open days just click on the sections below.

ARRANGEMENTS may change in the light of any further announcements relating to the pandemic. Please check with the organisers if in doubt.

When Forum Focus finishes, this listing may continue elsewhere in print or online. Email niccitab15@gmail.com or phone to 01258 459346 with details of events going ahead, either virtually or in person.

REGULAR EVENTS

Every Monday 2-4 and Thursday 10-1: Kurling, Winterborne Whitechurch Village hall, details 01258 881416

Every Monday and Friday: Lunchtime Bingo, Royal British Legion, Church Lane, Blandford, 12 noon

Every first Monday (except August): Blandford & District Floral Group meets Anne Biddlecombe Hall, Tarrant Keyneston, 2.pm, visitors £6, details 01258 452889

Every third Monday:

Blandford U3A Scrabble, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, 2 to 4.30pm, new members welcome, Blandford U3A Chairperson: Christine Smith (Tel: 01258 455113), Membership Secretary: June Lane (Tel: 01258 458116); for other activities see https://u3asites.org.uk/blandford/home

Strictly Come Tea Dancing with the Soggy Biscuit Dance Band, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 2.30 to 4.30pm, £7.50 per person (£5 for non-dancers), details 07939 030875

Every first Tuesday: Blandford Breast Cancer Support Group, Pimperne village hall, 2.30pm, details 01258 860706 or 453853

Every third Tuesday: The Macular Degeneration Society, Royal British Legion, Church Lane,11.30am to 1pm

Every Tuesday:

Little Hands Mother and Toddler Group, Okeford Fitzpaine village hall, 9 to 11am, book in advance through Little Hands Facebook Group or call 01258 861511

Blandford Citizens Advice, 10am to 3pm at the Parish Centre in The Tabernacle. At other times call 01747 835016, the free Dorset Advice Line on 0800 144 88 48 or email advice-nd@centralca.org.uk

Sing Together, 2.30 to 3.30pm, Blandford Connect Centre, Heddington Drive, Blandford

Every Tuesday and Friday, Methodist Lunch Club, bookings 07799 516 735

Every Wednesday and Friday: Blandford Community Fridge, Blandford Youth & Community Centre, Milldown Road, open 9 to 11am

Every Wednesday:

Methodist Church coffee morning, 10am to noon

Rokit community choir, Methodist Church, Blandford, 7.30pm

Every first Wednesday (excluding August and January): Blandford St Mary Parish Council meeting, 7pm, Brewery Visitor Centre, Blandford St Mary, see www.blandfordstmary-pc.org.uk

Every Thursday:

“Messy Mice” Free Baby and Toddler group, 9.30 to 11am Okeford Fitzpaine CE Primary school Hall (term time only)

St Nick’s Café, St Nicholas’ Church, Durweston, breakfast served 8.30am to noon

Age Concern Blandford, Parish Centre, 10am to 12 noon, details 07305166418 or email: ageconcernblandfordforum@mail.uk

Square Dancing, Spetisbury Village Hall, 2 to 4pm, details 01202 731012

Every Thursday to Monday: Blandford Fashion Museum open 10am to 4.30pm, The Plocks, Blandford, see www.blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk

Every second Thursday: Folk Night, The Saxon Inn, Child Okeford, 8pm

Every Friday: Durweston village coffee mornings, village hall, 10am to 12 noon

Table tennis, Spetisbury village hall, 6.30pm, £2 per person

Every first and third Friday: Bridge ( U3A) in the Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, 2 - 5pm details 01258 450544

Every Saturday: Artori Academy, Blandford Corn Exchange, 11-12:30pm (7-10yrs) and 13-14:30pm (11-16yrs)

Every third Saturday:

Cat’s Protection League coffee morning, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion

Blandford Repair Café, Blandford Scout Hut, 1.30 to 4pm, email blandfordrepaircafe@gmail.com or call 07979887668 if you can help.

Veterans Hub, Poppy Stables, Legion House, Church Lane, Blandford, 10am to 2pm

Every Sunday: Blandford Methodist Church service 10.45am, book a place by phone on 07799 516 735

MARCH

Wednesday March 30: Lenten Lunches Spetisbury Church 12-2pm, homemade soup, bread, dessert and tea or coffee £5

Saturday March 26:

Easter Community Expo, Blandford Corn Exchange, 10am to 1pm

Blandford Literary Festival in a Day, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, Blandford Library and Dorset Rural Musical School, 10am to 9pm, see www.blandfordliteraryfestival.com

Mayor’s charity concert ‘Outta Space – a musical oddity’ with the Blandford Stour Valley Band, Blandford Corn Exchange, 7.30pm, tickets £5

Durweston Choral Society present Mozart’s Requiem, Durweston Parish Church, 7.30pm, details 01258 472253

Sunday March 27: Bobs Quiz, The Old Powerhouse @Bryanston Club, 7 for 7.30pm

Monday March 28: Panda Pre-school Easter Bingo, eyes down 7.30pm at The Royal British Legion, Blandford

Thursday March 31: Archaeology Group Finds day, Blandford Town Museum, 10am

APRIL ONWARDS

Friday April 1: Season opens at Winterborne Valley Croquet Club, see wvcroquet.co.uk

Wednesday April 6 and 13: Lenten Lunches Spetisbury Church 12 noon to 2pm, homemade soup, bread, dessert and tea or coffee £5

Friday April 9: Film Screening, At Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ (sketches from Monty Python, The Goodies etc), The Blandford School, tickets £10 in support of the Blandford Welcome Group, 07935 973227 or info@blandfordwelcome.group.com

Saturday April 9: Blandford Museum Garden coffee morning, 10am

Sunday April 10: The annual Blandford Run of the Dorset Section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club starts at 11am outside the Corn Exchange, Blandford with bikes arriving from 10am. Details 01258 721356

Friday to Sunday April 15 to 18: Easter: Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday

Thursday April 21: Archaeology Group lecture, Iron Age Excavation at Blandford, Blandford Parish Centre 7.30pm

Friday April 22:

Easter Egg Hunt in Woodhouse Gardens, 10am to 12pm, sponsored by Sarunds, book at www.ticketsource.co.uk/blandfordforum-town-council/t-onqvzj

An Evening of Mediumship with Micky Havelock and Mark Stone, Pimperne village hall, 7.30pm, supporting Teddy 20, for tickets call 07961 796585

Saturday April 23: Mayor’s Charity Race Night, Blandford Corn Exchange, 7.30pm start

Monday April 25: Blandford Town Annual Assembly, Blandford Corn Exchange and online, 6pm

Friday April 29: Blandford Museum Last Friday talk TBA, Blandford Parish Centre, 6.30pm

Friday to Sunday April 29 to May 1: Teddy Rocks, Charisworth Farm, www.teddyrocks.co.uk

Monday May 2: Bank Holiday

Saturday May 7: Paul Kerensa: The First Broadcast, Blandford Corn Exchange, 7.30pm, see www.b-c-p.co.uk

Friday May 13: Blandford Town Mayor Making ceremony, 11am

Saturday May 21: Launch of the Blandford Arts Hub (BAHub), Nightingale Court, Blandford

Thursday to Sunday June 2 to 5: Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Bank Holidays

2: Beacon Lighting, Langton Meadows, Blandford, and tree planting, Bryanston

2 to 3: Beer Festival, The Old Powerhouse, Bryanston

3: Thanksgiving Service, Blandford Parish Church

3&4: Exhibition – ‘Blandford through the reign of Queen Elizabeth II’, Corn Exchange

4: Tree planting, parish churchyard, children’s treasure hunt, Woodhouse Gardens

5: Fun Day, Marsh & Ham lower car park and grassed area, Blandford

Friday and Saturday June 17 and 18: DorsetFest family-friendly music festival, Warren Farm, Bulbarrow DT11 0HQ, see www.dorsetfest.org

Saturday June 18: National Civic Day

Sunday June 19:

Child Okeford Open Gardens

Tarrant Valley 10k race, Tarrant Monkton, 10.30am, details 07799360261 or see www.tarrantvalley10.webs.com

Saturday June 25:

Armed Forces Day

Beer Festival, Blandford Brewery, in support of Dorset Mind

Saturday and Sunday June 25 and 26: Iwerne Minster Open Gardens

Sunday July 3: Macmillan Bike Ride comes to Blandford, see www.macmillanbikeride.co.uk

Sunday June 26: Blandford Hidden Gardens

Thursday Monday August 25 to 29: The Great Dorset Steam Fair

Thursday to Sunday September 1 to 4: End of the Road Festival, Larmer Tree, Tollard Royal

Saturday and Sunday October 1 and 2: Fabric Sale for Naomi House & Jack’s Place, Tarra