Ibsley

Friday 14th February 2025

Christmas Party

Wessex Birthday Party

This is our last event of the 2024 season. This year we are holding the party at Ibsley Village Hall, which is right on the edge of the New Forest.

This is our first event of the 2025 season. This year we are holding the party at Ibsley Village Hall, which is right on the edge of the New Forest.

The site opens at 12pm on Friday, and closes on Sunday. The stewards for this meet can be contacted by email before the meet at info@wessexfdsg.org, or by the Wessex mobile phone on 07340 248 577 during the meet.

The hall will be open for use from Friday afternoon through to Sunday morning. The field here is not accessible, so all units must camp on the hardstanding area around the hall.

As this is a special meet, fees are slightly different to our normal pricing structure. The cost of the meet is £20 per night for a couple, or £15 per night for singles. If you are just coming out for the day, the cost will be £6 per person. Fees will be taken on Saturday evening, either by card (preferred) or cash (please bring the exact amount).

What’s on

For those camping, the hall will be available all weekend.

Friday evening

On Friday evening we will gather in the warmth of the hall for a singaround and a craft natter. Please bring a favourite cheese to share with the group, crackers and grapes will be provided.

On Friday evening we will gather in the warmth of the hall for a singaround and a craft natter.

Saturday

We are organising a programme of activities in the hall through the day on Saturday.

We are organising a programme of activities in the hall through the day on Saturday. More information on these will be available nearer the time.

We’ll start the day with chair Yoga, followed by a festive film and popcorn. In the afternoon, there will be a craft gather and music room.

On Saturday evening we will be holding a ‘bring-and-share’ supper starting around 5pm. Please bring a plate of your favourite food to share with the group.

Birthday Party

This starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, and features the usual range of dancing, music, singing and other entertainment.

The party will take place in the evening, starting with a choice of 2 homemade soups with a bread roll (we will ask for a voluntary contribution towards the costs). We will then have a bring-and-share pudding course – please bring along your favourite to put on the table. Please also bring your own crockery and cutlery (including a soup bowl!).

After clean-up, the evening can begin with our traditional ceilidh, including a coffee break with the answers to the quiz (and a chance to finish off any puddings still around!).

This starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, and features the usual range of dancing, music, singing and other entertainment.

You can bring your own refreshments, although tea and coffee is provided in the interval.

There will be a raffle on Saturday for our chosen charity, the Castle School in Newbury. Please bring prize donations, and cash for tickets – they will be £1 per strip.

Christmas Ceilidh

We hope to make the evening have a real party atmosphere, so we encourage you to enter into the Christmas spirit with seasonal dress, a celebratory drink, or just whatever you feel comfortable with!

The ceilidh starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, and will feature our usual range of dancing, music, singing and other entertainment.

There will be a raffle on Saturday for our chosen charity, the Castle School in Newbury. Please bring prize donations, and cash for tickets – they will be £1 per strip.

Sunday

For those who are staying over, there will be a coffee morning in the hall on Sunday morning, and the site will close at 12:00noon.

In the Area

The New Forest

This national park covers vast areas of unspoilt woodland, heathland and river valleys, with deer, ponies and cattle roaming free in its ancient heaths and woodland. Ideal for walking, cycling and horse riding.

Directions

Ibsley Village Hall
Gorley Road, Ibsley
BH24 3NL
OS Ref: 195/161099

  • From Salisbury take the A338 South to Fordingbridge.
    • Continue beyond Fordingbridge for 3 miles.
    • After the Old Beams Inn, turn left signed South Gorley and Mockbeggar.
    • In ½ mile, at the crossroads turn left.
    • The hall is ¼ mile on the right, up a short track.
  • From Ringwood take the A338 north for 2½ miles.
    • Turn right just before the Old Beams Inn, then as above.

Local information

Shops

Ringwood and Fordingbridge are both about 3 miles from the site and each have a wide range of shops and supermarkets.

Hockey’s Farm Shop and Café is a 10 minute stroll from the site, stocking local produce and open from 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Eating out

The Old Beams Inn is about half a mile from the site.

There are also several restaurants and pubs in Fordingbridge and Ringwood (both 3 miles).

Transport

Wilts and Dorset bus Route X3 runs from Ibsley Church every 30 minutes (hourly on Sunday), to Fordingbridge, Salisbury, Ringwood and Bournemouth.