Wildhern
Next meet here in 2023
Friday 11th October 2024
2 nights
Harvest Supper
May Day Weekend
with Maypole & Penny Fair
Wessex Area AGM
Maypole & Penny Fair
May Day Weekend
Booking in advance is essential for this meet.
Please send an email to info@wessexfdsg.org to reserve your place.
We camp on the large field next to Tangley Parish Hall (which is actually in Wildhern).
This is a quiet site in the rural countryside about four miles north of Andover, and is a good base for exploring the surrounding area by car, by bike or on foot.
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 before the meet, or by the Wessex mobile phone on 07340 248 577 during the meet.
What’s on
Friday Evening
On Friday evening, the hall will be open from 7.30pm for a get-together. A chance to chat with friends, play some music and sing some songs.
Saturday
Walk to Enham Alamein
A gentle wander across the fields to the charity shop and café at Enham Alamein. Led by Mike at a time to be confirmed on the day.
Afternoon Tea meets Bake Off
At 2.30pm, bring along a home made cake, a sweet or something similar to share, for a just-for-fun competition for best sweet treat, and an excuse to eat cake and have a cuppa!
Ceilidh
Starting at 7.30pm in the hall, an informal evening of folk dance interspersed with song, poetry or music. You can bring your own refreshments, although tea and coffee is provided in the interval
Sunday
Maypole Dancing
At 11.00am we will gather on the field for a cup of coffee, followed by our annual “dance around the maypole to music” session.
Penny Fair
This starts at 2.30pm on the field (weather permitting). Come and play a range of games, some skilful but mostly silly. Make a £1 donation to our charity and you can play as many games and as many times as you like.
Ceilidh
Starting at 7.30pm in the hall, another informal evening of folk dance interspersed with song, poetry or music. You can bring your own refreshments, although tea and coffee is provided in the interval
Monday
Maypole Dancing
At 11.00am we will gather on the field for a cup of coffee, and “dance around the maypole to music” again to unwind the maypole
All Weekend
Music Sessions
All weekend there will be ample time for impromptu, or slightly more organised, music sessions on the field as and when musicians wish to gather.
AGM & Members Meeting
The Wessex Area AGM will be held on Saturday 29th April, starting at 2pm in the hall on site, with signing in commencing at 1.30pm. Please remember your membership cards. The AGM will be followed by a Members Meeting.
This is a chance for you to have your say in how Wessex is being run, ask any questions or make suggestions for what you would like to see happen.
There are six vacancies on the committee. The retiring officers are Stella Callow, Peter Mullens, Richard Perry and Sarah Perry, all of whom are willing to stand for re-election.
If you plan to attend the AGM, please contact Mark Callow (Wessex Secretary) on secretary@wessexfdsg.org for a copy of the paperwork.
Nominations for the Committee, signed by the proposer, seconder and nominee, should be submitted to the Area Secretary before the commencement of the meeting.
Scarecrow Competition
To help decorate for Harvest Supper and for fun we’d like you to make a scarecrow. It can be traditional or not!
No problem if you’re not camping bring one along to the hall. Judging will be at the supper and there’s even a prize. I can hear the sharp intakes of breath, ‘a prize’ I hear you cry. So over to you – time to be creative.
Wessex Area Harvest Supper
Our annual Harvest Supper is being held on Saturday Evening in the hall on site starting at 5.30pm.
More information about the meal options and other arrangements will be available nearer the time.
We will provide jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings:
– Chilli Con Carne
– Tuna Mayonnaise
– Coronation Chicken
– Coronation Butterbeans
plus a side salad. We also ask that you bring a dessert to share with the group.
Please send an email to info@wessexfdsg.org to reserve your place and make your menu choice.
Cream Tea
After the meetings are done, we are going to have a cream tea! This should be just the ticket to recover from all the valuable discussions that we had during the meetings!
Ceilidh
We will be holding a ceilidh on Saturday evening in the hall on site, starting at about 7.30pm after we have finished supper.
We will be having two ceilidhs this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday evenings, both starting at 7.30pm in the hall on site.
This is an informal evenings of folk dance interspersed with song, poetry or music. You can bring your own refreshments, although tea and coffee is provided in the interval.
There will be a raffle for our nominated charity for the year, which is The Castle School near Newbury.
Tea and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own refreshments for the evening.
Maypole Dancing and Penny Fair
On Sunday, we will have our annual “dance around the maypole to music” session, along with our Penny Fair!
The Penny Fair will take place on the field (subject to weather), so if you have some games that would be good for people to have a go at, please bring them along. Please also bring £1 per person as a donation to our charity – this is the “Penny” bit of the Penny Fair – but allows for inflation!
We will definitely have old favourites such as Horseshoes, “Guess the Sweets in the Jar, and “How Many Marbles Can You Get into an Upside Down Flowerpot with a Fork” – plus anything else that you might like to bring along.
There may also be some prizes for the absolute winners at these games!
Monday
On Monday, we will need to “dance around the maypole to music” again to unwind the maypole.
There will also be ample time for impromptu, or slightly more organised, music sessions on the field.
In the area
The Hawk Conservancy Trust
Birds of prey, including owls, vultures and eagles
Museum of the Iron Age
Tells the story of Danebury hill fort which lies to the south west of Andover
Highclere Castle
One of England’s most beautiful Victorian Castles, and the setting for “Downton Abbey”
Whitchurch Silk Mill
A working Victorian water mill
Directions
Tangley Parish Hall
SP11 0JE
OS Ref: 185/351510
- From Andover, take A343 north to Enham Alamein
- Go through village and after 1 mile take first left (sign Penton Mewsey)
- In approx. 1 mile turn right (sign Wildhern)
- In Wildhern village turn left (sign Village Hall
- The site is approx. 100 metres on the right
- Enter the field through the first gate, not through the car park
Local information
Shops
Tesco Express is 3 miles away in Charlton, and is open from 6am to 10pm every day.
Andover is 4 miles from the site (major supermarkets and shops).
Eating out
The Hare & Hounds and the Old Bell & Crown are both about a mile or less away.
There are many other good pubs in the area, including the Lion at Clanville.
There is also a wide range of restaurants and pubs in and around Andover to suit most tastes and pockets.
Transport
There is no regular public transport serving Wildhern.