MEON Voices will be holding its Christmas concert at St Peter’s Church, Bishop’s Waltham, on Saturday, December 14, from 7.30pm.

This year the programme includes a moving medley from Les Misérables, three of John Rutter’s most beautiful pieces: What Sweeter Music; The Colours of Christmas and Christmas Lullaby, Eric Whitacre’s Glow and as always, audience carols. There will be an interval with tea, coffee and mince pies. There is no need to book, and whilst the concert is free to attend; there will be a cash collection, the proceeds of which will be divided between the Choir and the Church’s charities.

Anyone who wants to join the choir is welcome to do so, with Monday night practices recommencing in mid-January from 7.30pm to 9.30 pm at the United Free Church in Bishop’s Waltham.

A SPECIAL lecture on those who died during the World Wars will be held at St Barnabus Church in Swanmore on November 6. The event will be open from 6pm for tea and cake, before the talk begins at 7pm – it will last two hours with time set aside for questions. The lecture will be presented by Village War Memorial Custodian Gary McCulloch and resident Kerry Fox, as well as special guests. The talk is around the lives of those who the village remembers at this time of year as well as a bit of village history from the period of the Great War. This is going to be both an educational and an emotional evening, with introduction by Commodore Dean Bassett CBE Royal Navy and The Reverend Canon Nick Whitehead.

Tickets are limited, with more than half already sold, and are £10 each with all proceeds being split evenly between the Royal British Legion, St Barnabas Church and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tickets can be purchased online from Eventbrite by searching The Missing Five and setting “Swanmore” as the location.

BISHOP’S Waltham Rotary Club is running a fundraiser to get polio vaccines to Gaza.

Rotary has committed US$500,000 to bolster a polio vaccination campaign which began in Gaza on September 1, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation matching all donations 2:1. To donate to the campaign, either visit the Bishop’s Waltham Rotary Club website or make a donation direct via www.endpolio.org. More information about the campaign can also be found on the Bishop’s Waltham Rotary Club Facebook page.

THE Greater Winchester Neighbourhoods Police Team is holding a beat surgery at Bishop’s Waltham Country Market on Friday, November 8 from 10am to 11am. Beat surgeries are an opportunity to meet the local policing team and share concerns. Officers will be happy to provide crime prevention and personal safety advice.  Ask them about the 'Let's Talk' survey to help set community priorities and ensure police are focusing on what matters most to you.

THE Pumpkin Patch is to return for its second year at Lycroft Farm, Park Lane, near Droxford/Upper Swanmore. There will be wand making, potion creation, wizard workshops, a broomstick academy, straw bale cinema, a café, plus more. Tickets on sale from October 1. The patch will be open 9am until 3pm on October 19 and 20, October 24 until October 27, and October 30 until November 3. A fright night event will take place on November 1, from 3pm until 7pm. A special dog day will take place on November 3. For more details email hello@droxfordpumpkinpatch.com.