ON A glorious late summer afternoon the villages of Ovington and Itchen Stoke held their biennial fete in the grounds of Itchen Stoke Mill, home of Roger Harrison.

The weather certainly helped and over 300 families joined in the fun.

Pony rides and games for all, including a Coconut Shy and our favourite Splat the Rat kept them occupied.

As well, there were the old favourites, Bric-a-Brac, Tombola, a Bottle Stall, Cakes and Produce and a popular second-hand Book Stall.

The raffle with many generous prizes from local retailers, including a case of the Grange Estates’ Sparkling Wine, was drawn by actress Sarah Parish who lives nearby.

The ever popular Teas on the banks of the river Itchen, with a fly casting competition in the background, were very well attended.

Sitting in the sunshine in this idyllic spot was not a problem!

The team of over 40 willing volunteers did a wonderful job on Sunday September 15 and £3,720 was raised for the St Peter’s Church Fabric Fund, which well exceeds previous years. The organisers said: “Thank you to all - supporters and volunteers from both villages - we worked hard and had fun!”

The fete is due to return in 2021.