SPARSHOLT Music’s winter concert will be at the village hall at 3pm on Sunday, December 3. Tickets cost £10 and are available online or from the village shop.

Returning pianists Tim Morris, Tom Jesty, Ashton Grey and Mark Zarb Adami will perform a selection of seasonal and classical piano solos. A new piano trio will be playing Schubert, with Gilly Slot at the piano. Jackie Drew will be back on the violin to perform some Debussy. And a well-known vocal duet will be reinvented.

For more information go to sparsholtmusic.org/.

SPARSHOLT Christmas Market will be open from 10am to 2pm on Sunday, December 10 with festive food and drink and unique gifts.

THE Plough Inn, in Sparsholt, will be hosting an evening of Christmas carols from 6pm on Saturday, December 23.

A SMALL team of Sparsholt parish councillors will be meeting with county councillor, Jan Warwick, city councillors and the Hampshire Highways Authority to see what might be possible to reduce gridlock, improve traffic flow, reduce the speed through the village and improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders without impeding farm and emergency vehicles.

The issue and its solutions will be considered at future parish council meetings and reported in the Sparsholt Newsletter.

LITTLETON residents are being invited to sign up for the church's Posada. Every December, Mary, Joseph, Donkey and a flock of sheep (all knitted) travel around the village, staying a night at each family's house, before returning to church for the Crib Service on Christmas Eve.

Anyone who would like to join in should message the Posada's Facebook page at facebook.com/LittletonPosada.

FOLLOWING last year’s success, The King Charles, in Lovedon Lane, is making its community Christmas tree decoration evening an annual event.

Any child who would like to decorate a bauble for the tree should let the pub know in advance. Decorating will begin at 5pm before the lights are switched on by the Worthys under 12s girls football team at 6pm on Monday, December 4.

THE Worthies Christmas Fair is searching for more stall holders to help with the event on Sunday, December 10.

Organisers are looking for people who can provide items such as pickles and pickled onions, Christmas puddings, jams, honey, cheese boards and children’s toys.

The fair will be open at the Worthies Sport and Social Club from 11am to 3pm with live music, free entry and free parking.

IT’S less than two weeks until The Worthy Players will be recreating its first ever production, Dick Whittington, for its 50th anniversary pantomime.

Rehearsals are reaching the final stages and the finishing touches are being made ahead of the first performance on Friday, December 1 at the Jubilee Hall in Kings Worthy.

More than half of the tickets have been sold already. To book go to theworthyplayers.co.uk.

THE Smile Education Hub is encouraging people to make or donate woolly hats to help the homeless this winter.

Hats can be dropped off at the collection point at The King Charles Pub in Kings Worthy by Monday, December 18.

THE Martyr Worthy Lecture Series re-starts on Tuesday, November 28. Events begin at 6.30pm in Itchen Abbas and Avington Village Hall for drinks and canapes before lectures commence at 7.15pm.

Tickets cost £25. For more information on the whole series or to book go to tickettailor.com/events/martyrworthylectures. Any enquiries should be sent to Sophie Parry at martyrworthylectures2023@gmail.com.