What’s On – Local events guide

7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm). Come & join us to listen to the Bovington Military Wives Choir perform a wonderful melody of songs from the shows & a mixture of upbeat & easy listening music. Tickets £10 p.p (under 16’s free). To book tickets in advance please contact Susana (details below). Cash Bar, Free teas, coffees & squash. Raising money for urgent repairs to St. Nicholas.

7:00 pm for 7:15 pm. Quiz night in aid of The Children’s Society – 11th October 2025. Teams of 6 or join the Committee Team. Tickets: £10 each to include ploughman’s supper (bring your own drinks) available from Jane Culliford on phone number below.

An evening of musical entertainment presented by the Durnovaria Silver Band featuring the Wessex Musical Theatre. Doors open 7.00pm music commences 7.30pm Interval including Raffle & Refreshments Concert to end approx 9.30pm. Tickets priced at £7.00 in advance – £8.00 on the Door Friends of DSB £6.00 Children under 16 Free.

Come and spend an afternoon at PiP cafe on Poundbury. Either play or learn to play mah jong, canasta, Rummikub, chess, Shut-the-Box etc, etc. This is a free event to include tea and coffee, cakes available to purchase.

Weymouth Gay Group with Dorset Council LGBT+ and growing older in Dorset. Dorset Council is now part of UK Network of Age-friendly Communities. We feel the older Dorset LGBT+ Community needs to be part of this! Are you LGBT+? What support and areas would you like the Council to embrace locally? Share with Sarah your views.

Fawlty Towers The Stage Play by John Cleese. Bournemouth Pavilion, There is a discount of £10.00 per ticket for Members of the Oddfellows. Early booking is essential.

A fundraiser show for the charity, Against Breast Cancer, where all the models are local women who have personal experience of breast cancer. They are taking to the catwalk to show everyone there is life after a diagnosis of breast cancer – and they are celebrating that life. Tickets cost £30 with all proceeds going to the charity.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 18th October between 12.30pm and 1pm for our free lunchtime concert. This is a thirty-minute recital given by cellist Hannah McFarlane, accompanied by pianist Rob Taylor. Their programme includes music by Fauré and Rachmaninov. Admission is free and all are very welcome. Follow web link below for more information.

An evening of live auction, entertainment, raffle, themed tables with items to purchase and a prize for the best pre-loved outfit, bar and music from Moonfleet ~ The Band. Entry is £15 for a seated event, pre-purchased tickets only from BHF shop in Weymouth, this includes a free cocktail/mocktail or wine and buffet. All proceeds goes to the British Heart foundation life saving research.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist on Sunday 19th October at 10.30am in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes: James Whitbourn’s ‘Crown my heart’, Byrd’s ‘Mass for four voices’ and Elgar’s ‘O salutaris hostia’. All are very welcome to this free service and for refreshments afterwards. Follow web link below for more information.

The Band is holding a free concert with a retiring collection. There will be a wide selection of tunes from old to new. Monies raised will be split between the band and the church.

7:00 pm. A free talk by Louise Boston-Mammah, Programme Co-ordinator of DEED, on ‘Where We Can Call Home’ – a community heritage project featuring interviews with over 50 individuals from BCP’s ethnically diverse communities. It explores how people from around the world have come to call Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole home over the past 30 years. Please book your free ticket via the web link below.

Discover magical tales of the oak, birch, and yew. Perfect for young adventurers and families, with storytelling, nature exploration, and fun activities. Get ready to uncover the secrets of the woods where every leaf tells a story and every branch hides a mystery. Free event, normal admission fees apply.

You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong on Saturday 25th October at 4.30pm in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes Dubra’s ‘Ave Maria I’, the ‘Preces & Responses’ by Natalie Burton, Liz Dilnot-Johnson’s ‘Second Evening Service’ and ‘Like as the hart’ by Herbert Howells. Admission is free and there is a glass of wine to follow.

Martin Clunes discusses his new book ‘Meetings with Remarkable Animals’ Members of the Oddfellows £13.00.

‘A Grimm Fairy Tale.’ It will run on 31st October (starting at 6:40 pm) and 1st November (starting at 6 pm). The Health & Safety briefing describing roles and processes will happen on Friday 24th October, 7-9 pm, at the Nothe Fort, Weymouth. Volunteer roles: We are currently recruiting volunteers who would be happy to participate as an actor/character or buy a ticket and have fun. A fundraiser for three local charities – Nothe Fort, Epic Games Dorset, and Island Community Action.

We are running both morning and afternoon 1 hour Bushcraft taster sessions every Friday during school holidays. Starting at 11am, 1pm & 3pm. Master skills including basic knife techniques, fire lighting, shelter construction, and identifying plants and trees. at the birthplace of Scouting.

11:00 am. A talk on the voyage of the ship ‘Molly’, and Dorset and Britain’s part in the wider Atlantic Slave Trade. ‘Molly’ sailed from Poole in 1758. Its voyage lasted for more than half a year, delivering a number of slaves to a port in America, then returning to Britain with a cargo of valuable commodities. This is a free talk, but booking is required. Please book your free ticket via ticketsource at the web link below.

30+ Exhibits / Traders expected. Full catering throughout event. Free Parking and Good Access for all. Good public transport links.
Prices: Adult: £7 Family: £15 Children: £2. Note: 4:00 pm finish on Sunday.

Join us for an afternoon of Gypsy history, in partnership with Kushti Bok and the Romany and Traveller Family History Society at Dorset History Centre on 1st November. Running from 12:30pm-3:30pm, the afternoon will include a display from Kushti Bok and a talk at 1pm from Jeremy Harte. This talk is free but does require tickets. Please book your free ticket via ticketsource to reserve your space. Follow web link below.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 1st November at 5pm for our annual Requiem for All Souls. Fauré’s ethereal ‘Requiem’ is complemented by two of William Harris’s great anthems, ‘Bring us O Lord God’ and ‘Faire is the Heaven’, to offer a suitably reflective mood in which to remember friends and loved ones who have gone before us. Admission free.

Join us on Saturday 1st November for Halloween bingo to raise money for the animals at RSPCA Taylors Rehoming Centre! Entry costs £10 which includes your bingo books and there will be a raffle and refreshments on the night. Please make sure to book your place by emailing office@rspcataylorsrehoming.co.uk or phoning 01305 259672.

You are warmly invited to our service of Choral Eucharist. The setting is Will Todd’s ‘Mass in Blue’, which will be accompanied by jazz ensemble! Other music in the service includes Bruckner’s ‘Ave Maria’ and Will Todd’s ‘Stay with me Lord’. This service is free to attend and all are very welcome. Refreshments available afterwards.

7:00 pm. Bonfire party. Refreshments to include a filled roll and a drink. £10.00 for adults Children come free. Please contact Rosemary 07788436797 for catering purposes

The Dorchester Committee of the Children’s Society are holding their annual ‘Coffee, cake and stalls’ event at the United Church Hall in South Street on Saturday 8th November from 10 am till noon. Free entry, coffee and cake £2.50.

Choral Matins for Remembrance takes place in St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 8th November at 11am. The music includes Holst’s ‘Turn back O man’, Stanford’s ‘Te deum and Jubilate in C’, the Seal ‘Responses’, Ireland’s ‘Greater love hath no man’ and ‘For the fallen’ by the contemporary Northern Irish composer Alex Patterson. The service is free to attend and all are very welcome.

Over 20 Local Crafters selling a variety of Crafts & Gifts, ideal for that unique Christmas gift & starting your Christmas shopping early. Refreshments available. A Raffle & Tombola will also be held. Free Entry. A Fundraising event held by Twirl Academy – Baton Twirling & Pom Pom Troupe, a Not for Profit youth group.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 8th November between 12.30pm and 1pm for our free lunchtime concert. This is a thirty-minute recital of music for saxophone and piano given by Maddie McCoubrie and Rob Taylor. Admission is free and all are very welcome. Follow web link below for more information.

A Monday afternoon of tabletop games at PIP Café Poundbury 2pm-5pm. This is a free event, tea and coffee provided. Cake available to purchase. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Rummikub, Bananagram, chess, backgammon, mah jong, canasta. Dates include:10th November 8th December 12th January 2026 and 9th February 2026

7:00 pm. Mike tells us about the Pont Aven school of artists, including Gauguin, and their impact on the Parisian perspective at the time. Mike leads the local U3A History of Art group.

For more than 300 years Portland Bill’s famous lighthouses have warned ships of this treacherous coast. Join renowned local historian Stuart Morris online to explore the fascinating history of these iconic buildings. This talk will take place over Zoom on Thurs 13 Nov 2025 and the event link will be sent out two hours before the event. Tickets £5 DAT Members, £6 non-members. Book via ticketsource – see web link below.

On Friday 14th November at 7pm Music at St Peter’s presents ‘After Sunset Fadeth’ – a programme of early music for lute and baroque guitar performed  in candlelight by renowned lutenist Matthew Nisbet. Matthew will introduce these incredible period instruments as well as the music written for them. Tickets £10  available to buy online at  ticketsource.co.uk/st-peters-church-dorchester

7:00 pm. Sample a 3 course feast in the wonderful 16th century barn of Kingston Country Courtyard, just a short drive from Corfe Castle. Kingston Country Courtyard has an established restaurant using locally sourced produce from Purbeck and Dorset. Courses will be served to the middle of round banqueting tables to allow sharing. Music of the time will be provided by Courtlye Musick. Tickets £35.

You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong. The music includes Reger’s ‘Nachtlied’, the ‘Preces & Responses’ by David Bruce Payne, Howells’s ‘Collegium Regale’ and ‘Welcome sweet and sacred feast’ by Gerald Finzi. Admission is free and there is a glass of wine to follow. All are welcome.

St Mary’s Church in Dorchester will be filled with the glorious sounds of choral music, as the Occasional Singers perform a programme of Advent songs and carols. Taking us from 1597 through to the present day.

Join the RSPB for one of the biggest conservation events in the country. By cutting your own Christmas pine tree, you’ll be helping to protect this rare and wonderful heathland. It’s a fantastic way to start the festive season with family and friends—and most importantly, a chance to support nature and make a lasting difference.

University Music Chamber Choir (formed from singers from Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth) will be providing the music for the  Advent Carol Service at St Peter’s Church. Moving from darkness to light, the service will include choral music by Anna Lapwood, Anton Bruckner, Sally Beamish and John Tavener (amongst many others) and traditional Advent hymns for all to sing.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist. The music includes: James MacMillan’s ‘O radiant dawn’, Grayston Ives’s ‘Missa brevis’ and Karenza  Briggs’s ‘A tender shoot’. All are very welcome to this free service and for refreshments afterwards. Follow web link below for more information.

10:00 am. Christmas Wreath making, Frampton Village Hall DT2 9NF Saturday 13th December 10am. Come and make your own Christmas wreath, with Chelsea Gold Medallist Denise Jones. All materials and refreshments provided Oddfellow Members £40/Guests £55.

Join DHC for an afternoon’s delight in the spoken word, celebrating seasonal poetry and prose. Enjoy readings from well-known Dorset authors such as Thomas Hardy and topical readings from the archives. Experienced performers, such as Mark Chutter, and renowned folk musician, Tim Laycock will bring these readings to life. Tickets £5 for DAT members, and £7.50 for non-members. Book via ticketsource – see web link below.

2:00 pm. Windrush Willow at The Sleeping Bear Hotel. Come and join in our workshop, learn to create willow dragonflies and bird feeders. Cost £35.00 refreshments provided.

Get ready for an epic clash of titans! Join us for a thrilling charity football match as the South Western Ambulance Service takes on Dorset Police in a battle for bragging rights and, more importantly, to raise vital funds for four incredible charities. Tickets on sale now – Check out our website!