 You may be in for a few surprises when you are in Lyndhurst this Summer!
Look out for a white rabbit in a hurry, a top-hatted hare, an angry imperious queen, or perhaps a blond girl in a blue dress and white apron and other characters from the Lewis Carroll Alice books who may be popping up round the village.
What's happening?
The idea came from you, the village. The Lyndhurst Area Plan questionnaire threw up the expected moans about the traffic but also revealed that you loved living in a village community but wanted more family activities, like the Fun Day and the former Carnival, and more provision for the village youth.
We planned a one day event but, like Alice in the stories, this has grown and grown until, thanks to village enthusiasm, we have a programme lasting from May to December which, unlike Alice, shows no sign of shrinking. Alice Liddell, the real life inspiration for the Alice stories, came to live at Cuffnells Park in Lyndhurst when she married Reginald Hargreaves.
As the couple were so involved in many village activities and organisations the Alice theme seemed the obvious choice for a community event with activities for all the family, young and old.
Any admission costs have been kept as low as possible and all profits will go to projects to improve local youth facilities.
The fun begins with the arrival of Alice and some of her friends by pony and trap on Friday May 15 at the New Forest Centre.
That weekend is packed with a host of events from Flower Festival to Mad Hatter's Fun Run, croquet on Queen's House lawns, Rustic Sports, walks,
Victorian cricket match and activities at the New Forest Centre.
Alice themed activities stretch from May to December with music, song, dance, drama, walks and talks, art exhibitions and sports. Emery Down, Bank and Gritnam have already begun with a sell-out talk on local characters by Georgina Babey and a local history exhibition on How We Used to Live.
The Lyndhurst Drama Society are rehearsing for an open air performance of Alice in the grounds of Queen's House. A new Alice in Lyndhurst production is planned for September.
We had planned to finish the Festival with a Grand Ball in September but an offer to hold an Alice in Winter Wonderland in December at Appletree Court sponsored by NFDC was too hard to resist!
Festival Flyers will be distributed to all local households in April and a full programme of event details and times will be on sale.
- A website will shortly be available.
- Want to find out more?
- Want to help?
- We really do need more volunteers.
Please contact Joan Bisson 023 8028 2517 georgebisson@tiscali.co.uk
or
Angela Trend 023 8028 2842 angela.trend@nfcb.me.uk
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