Ibsley

Friday 1st December 2023

This meet has been cancelled

This meet may be changed or cancelled depending on any restrictions on social gatherings in place at that time. Latest information will always be available on our website.

Christmas Party

Wessex Birthday Party

This is our last event of the 2022 season. This year we are holding the party at Ibsley Village Hall, which is right on the edge of the New Forest.

This is our first event of the 2023 season. This year we are holding the party at Ibsley Village Hall, which is right on the edge of the New Forest.

The site opens at 2pm on Friday, and closes on Sunday. The stewards for this meet can be contacted by email at info@wessexfdsg.org, or by the Wessex mobile phone on 07340 248 577.

The hall will be open for use from Friday afternoon through to Sunday morning. The field here is not accessible, so all units must camp on the hardstanding area around the hall.

As this is a special meet, fees are slightly different to our normal pricing structure. The cost of the meet is £16 per night for a couple, or £15 per night for singles. If you are just coming out for the day, the cost will be £4 per person. Fees will be taken on Saturday evening, either by card (preferred) or cash (please bring the exact amount).

If you do prefer to pay that way, please bring the exact amount, as we will not be able to provide change.

We don’t require people to book to attend the meet, but it would be really useful to know if you intend to come, so we can make sure to have enough biscuits!  If you are planning to camp, or just come for the day, please send an email to info@wessexfdsg.org, or call/text 07340 248577.

What’s on

For those camping, the hall will be available all weekend.

Friday evening

On Friday evening we will gather in the warmth of the hall from 7:30pm onwards to chat and have a singaround, along with jigsaws and quiz sheets to complete.

On Friday evening we will gather in the warmth of the hall from 7:30pm onwards to chat and have a singaround.

Saturday

We will be organising a programme of activities in the hall through the day on Saturday. More information on these will be available nearer the time.

On Saturday, the programme kicks off with a movie and popcorn. From 2:30pm there will be the opportunity to play some music, play some board games, or you can sit and chat with a nice cuppa.

The programme kicks off at 11:00am with a Christmas Movie (decided on by popular vote) with popcorn provided. During the afternoon, there will be some “Have-a-go” crafts available – these are very easy to do, and all the materials are supplied (50p voluntary contribution for the materials).

On Saturday evening we will be holding a ‘bring-and-share’ tea starting around 5pm. Please bring a plate of your favourite food to share with the group.

Instead of our usual American Tea, we are asking people to bring their own food this year and we will sit down for a communal tea. After that we will have our normal Christmas Carol session.

Christmas Ceilidh

This starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, and features the usual range of dancing, music, singing and other entertainment.

We hope to make the evening have a real party atmosphere, so we encourage you to enter into the Christmas spirit with seasonal dress, party food, celebratory drink, or just whatever you feel comfortable with!

We will be holding a raffle to raise funds for our nominated charity.

Birthday Party

The party will take place in the evening, starting with a choice of 2 homemade soups with a bread roll (we will ask for a voluntary contribution towards the costs). We will then have a bring-and-share pudding course – please bring along your favourite to put on the table. Please also bring your own crockery and cutlery (including a soup bowl!).

After clean-up, the evening can begin with our traditional ceilidh, including a coffee break with the answers to the quiz (and a chance to finish off any puddings still around!).

This starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, and features the usual range of dancing, music, singing and other entertainment.

You can bring your own refreshments, although tea and coffee is provided in the interval.

There will be a raffle on Saturday for our chosen charity, the Castle School in Newbury. Please bring prize donations, and cash for tickets – they will be £1 per strip.

Sunday

For those who are staying over, there will be a coffee morning in the hall at 10:00am on Sunday morning, and the site will close at 12:00noon.

In the Area

The New Forest

This national park covers vast areas of unspoilt woodland, heathland and river valleys, with deer, ponies and cattle roaming free in its ancient heaths and woodland. Ideal for walking, cycling and horse riding.

Directions

Ibsley Village Hall
Gorley Road, Ibsley
BH24 3NL
OS Ref: 195/161099

  • From Salisbury take the A338 South to Fordingbridge.
    • Continue beyond Fordingbridge for 3 miles.
    • After the Old Beams Inn, turn left signed South Gorley and Mockbeggar.
    • In ½ mile, at the crossroads turn left.
    • The hall is ¼ mile on the right, up a short track.
  • From Ringwood take the A338 north for 2½ miles.
    • Turn right just before the Old Beams Inn, then as above.

Local information

Shops

Ringwood and Fordingbridge are both about 3 miles from the site and each have a wide range of shops and supermarkets.

Hockey’s Farm Shop and Café is a 10 minute stroll from the site, stocking local produce and open from 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Eating out

The Old Beams Inn is about half a mile from the site.

There are also several restaurants and pubs in Fordingbridge and Ringwood (both 3 miles).

Transport

Wilts and Dorset bus Route X3 runs from Ibsley Church every 30 minutes (hourly on Sunday), to Fordingbridge, Salisbury, Ringwood and Bournemouth.