There’s some bad news and some good news.

Whilst we can see a light at the end of the Covid tunnel, we’re also aware that there’s a way to go until we can all don our party dress and get intimate. 

So the bad news is that we’re not comfortable planning a full schedule of events for the Hambledon Midsummer Festival in 2021. To do so would require us to make some financial, and other commitments, without being confident that conditions will permit a safe event to take place. So we are postponing the three day festival to midsummer 2022. Jazz On The Green will take place on Friday 17th June 2022, the Fete and the Summer Ball will take place on Saturday 18th June 2022 and Church On The Green and the Classic Transport rally will take place on Sunday 19th June 2022.

The good news is that we do think it will be possible to host a one day, safe, outdoor village event with live music, other entertainment and plentiful food and drink on the Cricket Green on Saturday 19th June 2021.

In addition we hope to hold the annual Hambledon Village Shop BBQ on Saturday 28th August 2021.

More details will follow, in the meantime please save the dates. We all deserve a party.

We’d be getting a little edgy about now. As I write this on Thursday afternoon, the rain has just about stopped, but with just a day to go to the planned opening of the 2020 Hambledon Midsummer Festival, things are little damp.

The marquee would have been up by now, no doubt after endless debate about where exactly on the Cricket Green it should be placed. This year the marquee was going to be bigger than ever, in order to accommodate a record attendance at Saturday night’s Ball. We might just have got it to fit.

Given the current circumstances, we have decided to reschedule this summer’s Hambledon Midsummer Festival to the weekend of June 18th to 20th 2021.

We are planning to hold the same events in 2021 as were planned for this year, so the programme will be:

• Friday evening June 18th – Jazz On The Green
• Saturday afternoon June 19th – Hambledon Village Fete
• Saturday evening June 19th – The Midsummer Ball
• Sunday morning June 20th – Church Service On The Green
• Sunday morning June 20th – Vintage Transport Rally
• Sunday afternoon June 20th – Theatre On The Green

Ticket holders have been sent an email offering them the option to rollover their tickets to the rescheduled dates, obtain a full refund or donate their ticket price to a worthy cause.

After a sell out run at The Guildford Fringe Festival, Olivier Award Nominee Elinor Collett & West End regular (and Hambledon resident) Joanna Kirkland bring their cabaret “Back To Before” to Hambledon Village Hall.

Best friends Ellie and Jo met in the West End working on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White.

They went on to star in many West End shows including Les Mis, Wicked, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Parade, The Witches of Eastwick, Showboat and The Pirates of Penzance.

1 blind date, 2 weddings, 3 dogs, 5 children and 15 years later they come together to celebrate and sing the last 15 years of friendship, love and musical theatre.

Tickets at £12 each are available now at the Village Shop and on line at backtobefore.hambledonfestival.co.uk.

It’s been a busy month….

The Midsummer Ball – Saturday 20th June

Tables for the Midsummer Ball sold out in minutes. Extra space has been added to accommodate more tables and we hope that, when the dust settles, calm will once more descend on the village. Please note that full payment for tables should be made by 31st March.

Jazz On The Green – Friday 19th June

Tickets are selling fast for Jazz On The Green, they are available for purchase on-line at hambledonfestival.co.uk. Adult tickets are £15 each and tickets for under 16 year olds are free.

NEW! Theatre On The Green – Sunday 21st June

A lovely way to end the weekend. Sherlock Holmes – light hearted open-air theatre for the whole family. Sunday afternoon 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

The critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company put dynamic detective duo Holmes and Watson through their paces as they tackle their most fiendish case yet in this delightfully inventive and hilarious show for all ages featuring live music, audience interaction and more mystery than you can shake a magnifying glass at.

Tickets priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under 16’s are on sale now at hambledonfestival.co.uk.

Classic Transport Rally – Sunday 21st June

Once again the Classic Transport Rally will be taking place on the morning of Sunday 21st June. Starting at Hambledon Village Shop, then following a (pot-hole free) scenic route finishing at The Merry Harriers. If you’d like to participate please email [email protected].

The Midsummer Festival – Public Meeting Tuesday 4th February

The first public meeting for the many people involved in the Festival will be held at the Village Hall at 7:30pm on Tuesday February 4th. If you would like to help out in any way, please come along. We’re looking for helpers for the entire weekend, but particularly for Jazz On The Green and the fete.

Show Me the Money

As well as benefiting various Village organisations, the proceeds for the weekend will also benefit the following charities: Cancer Research, Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and Leonard Cheshire Homes.

Anything else…..

If you’d like to contact the organising committee please email [email protected].

In particular if you would like to have a stall at the fete, can offer a prize for the prize draw/auction or are interested in sponsoring the weekend in any way.

The Midsummer Ball – Saturday 20th June

Tables for the Midsummer Ball will be available to reserve on-line at hambledonfestival.co.uk from Monday 13th January 2020 at 10.30am.

Jazz On The Green – Friday 19th June

Jazz On The Green will follow a similar format to two years ago – a relaxed, kid-friendly evening of music from the 17-piece Junction 4 Big Band, The Hambledon Village Shop Choir and others, accompanied by sunset and local food and drink.

Tickets are now available for purchase on-line at hambledonfestival.co.uk. Adult tickets are £15 each and tickets for under 16 year olds are free.

The Summer Fete – Saturday 20th June

The first public meeting for the many people involved in the Summer Fête will be held at the Village Hall at 7:30pm on Tuesday February 4th. If you usually help with a stall, would like to help with a stall or run a new one, or would like to help out in any way, please come along.

There are still a few tickets available for the Hambledon Village Christmas party at the Village Hall on Saturday 14th December. It’ll be a good night of dancing, food and drink. Toxic Sausage always put on a great show.

Tickets can be purchased at £15 from Hambledon Village Shop or online at hambledonfestival.co.uk.

It’s less than a month away, get tickets while you still can.

Tickets are available at £15 per person, either on-line at https://ti.to/hambledon-festival/christmas-dance-2019 or at Hambledon Village Shop.

Proceeds from the event will be split between Cancer Research and village organisations

This years Christmas Dance will be held at the Village Hall on Saturday 14th December from 8.00pm to midnight.

Toxic Sausage will be providing the music, there will be a licensed bar and the Vann Lane Gin Bar. Grazing Boards will provide fuel for the dancing.

Tickets are available at £15 per person, either on-line at https://ti.to/hambledon-festival/christmas-dance-2019 or at Hambledon Village Shop.

Proceeds from the event will be split between Cancer Research and village organisations.

It’s only 15 months until the 2020 Hambledon Midsummer Festival. It was big enough last year to be seen from outer space and someone arranged for the Google Maps satellite to pass overhead on fete day to prove it. Click on the image below for a larger view of The Cricket Green on fete day 2018.

Plans are afoot for 2020 and the dates have been set, the Festival will take place on the weekend of Friday 19th to Sunday 21st of June 2020. Get it in your diary.

While you’re doing that here are some other dates for your diary:

• Poetry, Music and Comedy with Ian McMillan & Luke Carver Goss at Hambledon Village Hall – Friday April 5th 2019
• Hambledon Shop End of Summer BBQ – Saturday 31st August 2019
• Hambledon Christmas Dance – Saturday 7th December 2019

The Calendar on the Village web site attempts to provide the dates of all the events going on in the village, if you know of an event that is missing from the Calendar then please send details to the web team.

Fete Day 2018

Come along and enjoy dance music from Toxic Sausage, a buffet and a Gin bar, in addition to the usual festive drink offerings.

Saturday 8th Dec 8pm at Hambledon Village Hall.

Tickets at £15 are available at the Village Shop and the Merry Harriers or on-line at hambledonfestival.co.uk.

Planning is in full swing for the Christmas Dance on Saturday December 8th at Hambledon Village Hall.

Toxic Sausage will be providing the music, there will be a licensed bar and buffet food is included in the £15 ticket price.

This year there will also be a Gin Bar featuring Vann Lane Gin & Tonics and a special Christmas cocktail at only £5 each for a generous serving.

Tickets are available now at Hambledon Village Shop and on-line at hambledonfestival.co.uk. All proceeds to good causes.

Dance the night away to Toxic Sausage. Chat with your fellow Villagers over the buffet and a glass of something from the bar.

Hambledon Village Hall – Saturday 8th December 8pm ’til late.

Tickets are available now for only £15 (including the buffet) from Hambledon Village Shop and on-line by clicking here. All proceeds from the event will go to Village organisations and local charities.

We are now in a position to announce the funds raised by the Hambledon Midsummer Festival held on 22-24 June 2018 and how they will be distributed.

As of today, a total of £11,500 has been raised (after expenses) and is available for distribution, a further £3,000 may be forthcoming. 

£700 of the £11,500 available will be retained to cover any unforeseen expenses associated with the weekend. The remaining £10,800 will be distributed as follows:

Charities

£500 to Citizens Advice Bureau
£500 to Hope for Children
£500 to Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice
£500 to Surrey Search & Rescue
£500 to a victim of the Hambledon House Fire (already distributed)

Village Organisations

£2,000 to Hambledon Cricket Club
£2,000 to Hambledon Football Club
£2,000 to Hambledon Village Hall
£2,000 to Hambledon Village Shop
£300 to cover Cricket Green Insurance

The donation to Hambledon Village Hall will be used to fund a new soak-away to alleviate drainage problems, with any surplus going towards repainting the interior of the Hall. The donation to Hambledon Village Shop will help fund their project to replace kitchen equipment and domestic grade cabinetry with stainless steel, professional standard equipment, the total cost of this project is estimated to be around £5,500.

Thanks to everyone who got involved and made the Hambledon Midsummer Festival such a success. Sometime next week, when more of the dust has settled, we should be in a position to let you know the amount raised. In the meantime, enjoy just a small sample of photos from the weekend, most of which were taken by the very talented Jo Plaistowe.

Click or tap on any photo to get an enlarged view.