The Weld Arms in East Lulworth is holding a beer festival from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 August.

There will be real ale, live bands, a hog roast or BBQ and FREE buses home!

A free bus service will be running on Friday and Saturday up to midnight each day. The bus will be following a couple of routes around the area, and if you live a little further afield, why not catch the train and be picked up from Wool Station for free. Click on the flyer image for more details of the buses.

All the proceeds from the beer festival go to charity in support of the Careline Appeal. The Careline Appeal is a small registered charity, and is supported entirely by volunteers. The Appeal aims to help support local people in maintaining their independence within the community, by sponsoring the rental and monitoring of a special Lifeline unit. The Careline Appeal aims to assist the elderly, the disabled, those who are terminally ill, victims of crime and victims of domestic violence and more recently child carers.

Illyria theatre company present Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ at Corfe Castle on Thursday 5 August from 7.30pm.

One fat knight, two merry wives, three jolly japes and more laughs than you can shake a stick at. Shakespeare has arguably written not just the funniest but also the most PC play in the English language: he insults EVERYBODY equally, be they fatties, skinnies, poofs, chavs, krauts, frogs, taffs, toffs - or the English Suburban Middle Classes

Booking advisable on 0871 527 1885.

Corfe Castle: Tuesday 5 Aug 7.30pm: Adult £14 Child £8

SeaFest takes place at Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve at Kimmeridge this Sunday (2 August, 11am-4pm).

SeaFest is a celebration of our Seas to launch the start of Marine Week and mark the 30th anniversary of the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve.

There will be lots of family fun including seashore activities, competitions, arts and crafts. live underwater camera, snorkel trail, marine minibeasts and much much more.

SeaFest is organized by the Coastlink visitor centres at Studland, Durlston, Kimmeridge, Lulworth and Chesil Beach.

Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve: Sun 3 Aug 11am-4pm 

The annual Dorset Arts and Crafts Exhibition starts on Friday (1 August) and runs until Tuesday 5 August.

Held at Bovington Middle School, it’s the biggest and longest running (since 1907) arts and craft exhibition in Dorset.

Dorset Arts and Crafts Association 1-5 August:  10am-5pm

Summer is finally here and it came at exactly the right time for Swanage Regatta and Carnival which got off to a flying start this weekend with the absolutely phenomenal performance of the Red Arrows over the bay at noon today (Sunday).

We’ll let the pictures do the talking and you can view more of them and the Carnival procession at PurbeckBlog on Flikr.

The annual Swanage Regatta and Carnival Week starts on Saturday and runs until 2 August.

This year’s theme is a ‘little bit of latin’ and there will be over 100 events throughout the week including live music, the sailing regatta, fireworks and the magnificent carnival procession.

Saturday’s entertainment includes the Swanage Half Marathon and children’s activities from 10am, the 2CR Thunder Roadshow at 1.30pm and It’s a Knockout at 3pm. There will also be live music (Creep, The Cruisers, The Mustangs & The Martin Johnson Band) from 8pm and a fireworks display at 9.45pm.

The pre-carnival procession entertainment on Sunday includes The Red Arrows flying over Swanage Bay at 12 noon, the Carnival Queen at 1.30pm, Carnival judging at 2pm before the 2.5 mile procession starts with a big bang at 3pm.

The party continues on Sunday night with a Salsa party at 7pm and live music in the Live Music Marquee (The Firebirds, Tom Canning is Tom Jones) and Live Music stage (Rock Pirates & Headrush) from 8pm. There will be Carnival Bar and Pimm’s Bar to wet your whistle whilst watching all the entertainment.

You can purchase the full programme of events from any Purbeck bookshop or Tourist Information Centre.

All proceeds go to local charities for which over £20,000 was raised last year so dig deep when you see the carnival buckets as it costs thousands of pounds to put on these free events.

Swanage Regatta & Carnival: 26 July-2 August

Purbeck Distirct Council has issued a press statment attacking the decision of The Secretary of State, Hazel Blears’s decision to give her support for the building of over 5000 homes in Purbeck.

Cllr Gary Suttle, Leader of Purbeck District Council, says: “We are extremely dismayed by this news. Purbeck District Council unanimously deplores and condemns the proposals to build on the green belt in this exceptional area of the country.

It is of particular concern that the villages of Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster will be swamped by a major new development and that our green belt will be lost to concrete. Little consideration has been given to the special heathland conservation issues in the district, that limit the ability to widen the road network to cater for the increase in population. This will result in further congestion on already heavily congested roads.

We urge every resident of Purbeck to take part in Ms Blears’ consultation to try to persuade this government that we will not accept this serious threat to the future of Purbeck”.

Purbeck District Council is already carrying out its own Western Extension consultation with its residents and will be using the feedback received to make its case for formal opposition to the Secretary of State. Residents have until Friday 8 August to complete this questionnaire.

The questionnaire can be accessed online at the Council’s website, or by calling the Council on 01929 557339.

The Annual Flower Festival at the Church of St. Edward, King & Martyr in Corfe Castle starts today (Thursday 24th July).

The flower festival runs for 4 days and refreshments are available.

The inaugural Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle went off with great style at the weekend.

Thousands of festival goers donned fancy dress and enjoyed the stunning Purbeck views with the castle and the sea as fantastic visual backdrops.

As well as a smorgasbord of music including Chuck Berry, The Flaming Lips, Kate Nash, The Imagined Village, Florence and The Machine and The Cuban Brothers, there were a host of DJ’s, comedians and poets to keep everyone entertained.

One of the many highlights of the weekend was the theatrical thrill of watching Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips descend the staircase of Lulworth Castle in a bubble and then being pushed through the audience and onto the stage.

Other joys included the medieval jousting, the animal trail (those alpacas!), the Blue Coats keeping everyone entertained, barn dancing, the Insect Circus, the free whisky and the thrill of finding previous unknown pleasures such as Kid Carpet, Melodica, Melody and Me and Scroobius Pip.

Despite the teething problems with the lack of camping and parking spaces and toilets it was a great weekend and let’s hope it was the first of many Camp Bestivals to be held at Lulworth Castle - check out some photos at PurbeckBlog on Flikr or add your own to the group. 

Camp Bestival has sold out but not long to wait now for all you 10,000 happy campers who got your hands on tickets.

You can look forward to a weekend of top festival action mixed with the delights of a traditional Great British Holiday camp.

Get out your glad-rags and don your fancy dress gear to the themes of Hi-De-Hi or Alice in Wonderland - or anything else that takes your fancy.

Let’s hope the recent good weather holds up for the weekend - see you all there!

If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets then trot along to the free and magnificent Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival instead.

Full Camp Bestival Line Up

Live Acts:The Flaming Lips, Chuck Berry, Kate Nash, The Imagined Village, Hercules & Love Affair, Suzanne Vega, Billy Bragg, The Cuban Brothers, Florence and The Machine, King Creosote, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong, Kid Carpet, Eliza Carthy, Eliza Doolittle, The Ghost, Ebony Bones, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, Black Kids, Ladyhawke, The Wurzels, Emmy The Great, David E Sugar, Gideon Conn, thecocknbullkid, Jon Hopkins, Beardyman presents Battlejam, The Fence Collective, The Melodica The Melody & Me, Micachu, Tawiah, Emiliana Torrini, The Hat, Christopher D Ashley, Sportsday Megaphone, This Is The Kit, Alice & the Majesty, Rod Thomas, Cut A Shine, Lucky Elephant, Bastila, George Pringle, Miss Odd Kidd & Dekker, Imperial Leisure, Rachael Dadd, Tofu Love Frogs, Dulwich Ukulele Club, The Hot Potato Syncopators, The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, The Henry Brothers, Quayside Cloggies …

DJs:Andrew Weatherall (Rock n Roll set), Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve (4hr set), DJ Yoda, DJ Krust, Gilles Peterson, Frank Tope, Rob da Bank, Dub Pistols Sound System, Jon Moore (Coldcut), Kevin Rowland, Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues, DJ Derek, The Nextmen, Ross Allen, Idjut Boys, Greg Wilson, Queens of Noize, Maurice Fulton, Nigel Godrich, Mungos Hi Fi, Greg’s Greats 78s, The Shellac Collective, One Deck and Popular, Rev Milo Speedwagon, John Kennedy, Balearic Jukebox, Sombrero Sound System, Fear of Theydon, Adrian Blunt, Kaptin, Giddy Plays The Beatles, Cato Canari, Ben Davis, Geek Chic Soundsystem, Matthew Burgess ….

Comedy:Roy Walker’s ‘Catchphrase’, Andrew Maxwell presents ‘Full Mooners’, The Pros From Dover, Phil Nichol, Glenn Wool, Craig Campbell, Jason John Whitehead, Andy Askins, Adam Bloom, Sol Bernstein, Pete Cain, Susan Murray, Jonathan Mayor, John Fothergill, David Hadingham, Jeff Innocent, Carl Donnelly and more …

Spoken Word:Scroobius Pip Presents… Polar Bear, Poem Inbetween People, Peggy Sue & The Pirates, Gideon Conn, Kate Tempest, Matt Lloyd, AF Harold, John Berkavitch, Riz MC, Ventriloquist …

Literature: Howard Marks, Richard Milward, Tom Hodgkinson, Joe Stretch, Gautam Malkani, Sebastian Horsley, Henry Hemming, Edward Docx, Marie Phillips, Nigel Spriggs/Daniel Clay, Tom Leveritt, Book Slam - Ben Mellor, Salena Godden, Sophie Woolley & Tawiah, Michael Smith, Nicholas Hogg, Andy & Dave Hamilton, Damian Barr, Gabriela Blandy, Ross Raisin …

More Info: http://www.campbestival.net/

Theatreworks present Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ at Corfe Castle on Thursday 31 July.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is rooted in Hardy’s atmospheric ‘Wessex’ and skilfully recreates the story of Tess - a maiden who falls victim to male lust and social hypocrisy.

Bring your picnic cheese and ale and let Theatreworks transport you back to Thomas Hardy’s Dorset!

Booking advisable 0871 527 1885 - any remaining tickets will also be on sale at the National Trust Shop in the week prior to the performance.

Corfe Castle: Thur 31 July 7.30pm: Adult £14, Child £8

The Margaret Green Foundation Trust is holding a companion dog show and family fun day at their animal sanctuary in Church Knowle on Sunday 3rd August.

As well as pedigree and novelty dog classes there will be stalls and refreshments and fun for all the family.

MGFT: Sun 3 August, 10am-4pm

Following recent perfomances (and rave reviews) at the Square & Compass in Worth Matravers and Maumbury Rings in Dorchester, the Miracle Theatre Company bring ‘Jason’ to Kimmeridge Bay on Sunday 10 August.

Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece contains most of the ingredients you’d expect to find in a classic story: a perilous journey, bravery, jeopardy, revenge, plenty of comedy and a dose of the supernatural.

A BBQ and Bar will be available - please bring a cushion or rug to sit on, picnics and warm/weatherproof clothing as appropriate.

Tickets are available from 01305 269512, 01929 480701 and Clavell’s Village Café and Farm Shop in Kimmeridge.  

ArtsReach: Tickets: £8, £6 (under 18s), £24 (family of 4 - max 2 adults)

Explore up to 12 gardens in Bere Regis this Sunday (13th July).

The gardens will be open from 10am to 5pm and programmes (£3.50) are available from the Drax Hall in North Street.

Don’t forget that the Swanage Jazz Festival also takes place this weekend or take a trip out of Purbeck to the Dorset Seafood Festival in Weymouth.

Swalland Farm in Kimmeridge is also holding an open day on Sunday from 11am-6pm.

If you haven’t bought your Camp Bestival tickets yet you need to get your skates on as there are only 500 left.

The new festival at Lulworth Cove which runs from 18-20 July features Chuck Berry, festival legends The Flaming Lips and Kate Nash in the headline slots and there’s also a staggering array of amusements including Balearic Bollywood, The Laughter Library, Karaoke with a twist, Physics In the Field, Come Dancing, Strummerville, the Knitting Tent and oh, so much more.

If you like dressing up then the fancy dress theme for Camp Bestival is loosely Alice in Wonderland and Hi de Hi but feel free to get dressed up in whatever takes your fancy! There’s even a dressing up area to help you get dolled up!

You can also hear a special Camp Bestival edition of the fortnightly Sunday Best Podcast, which Rob da Bank has just put together to get you in the mood for this year’s fun and games. The podcast features tunes from Chuck Berry, Suzanne Vega, Flaming Lips, Billy Bragg, Micachu, Hercules and Love Affair and more.

As well as weekend camping tickets there are also day tickets available (£45 adults, £22.50 (age 13-15), FREE for  under 13s but tickets required).

Ticketline: http://www.ticketline.co.uk// 0844 888 4410 (24 hr)
Lastminute: http://www.lastminute.com/
Lulworth Castle: in person [no booking fee]