ORGANISERS are hoping for warm weather in a bid to entice people to have a tipple at Somborne beer and musical festival.

Next Saturday's festival (May 18) is much earlier on the calendar than the previous three events and for good reason as the organiser Doug Stammers explained.

“It is moving to May in search of better weather,” joked Doug.

He added: “We have held the event in June for the last three years now and whilst only one was really wet on the actual day, we do seem to have a knack of holding our weekend just after a long unbroken spell of sunshine!”

The festival kicks off at 2pm with a series of folk and blues acts performing on an outdoor stage on the village recreation ground.

“This year we have five acts performing during the afternoon, starting with village based band The Chanters which features saxophone and bagpipes,” added Doug.

Two excellent folk/acoustic acts and the Melo Daemons will follow.

Southampton blues band The Intruders along with Stockbridge-based pop and soul group Mango complete the afternoon entertainment line-up.

And in the evening local band The Locators will be performing in the village hall. Also on stage will be Ben Goddard and the Heartbeats and Winchester-based Polly and the Billet Doux.

There will be a wide selection of Hampshire beers at the festival which includes Morris dancing and entertainment for children in the afternoon.

Tickets for the whole festival which concludes at 11pm cost £10 or £5 for the evening only and they are on sale through the festival website sombornebeerandmusic.weebly.com or via 01794 389192.

All profits from the festival will go towards a redevelopment scheme at Kings Somborne Village Hall. Previous beer festivals raised over £2,000 towards the fund.