O mio babbino caro
'O mio babbino caro' is the soprano aria from Puccini's one act comic opera Gianni Schicchi; the words mean 'Oh my dear papa'. Click here to listen - even if your Italian wasn't up to the translation (neither was mine!), I'm sure you'll know the tune!
That seemed a fun way to remind everyone that next weekend is Kingfishers Music Weekend, and next Sunday is also Father's Day. Either or both of the Opera on the Lawn on Saturday evening and the Rhythm & Blues Sunday lunchtime and afternoon would make lovely Father's Day treats - and an extra encouragement is the Fathers Day Special ticket price!
In this fifth year of music at Kingfishers, generous host Amanda Mann is raising money for two local charities: CODA Music Trust and the wonderful Lymington based Hammersley Homes, which works so hard to support vulnerable adults living with enduring mental ill-health and in our community: typically alone and some homeless, without friends or a sense of community or purpose – such vital elements of our general wellbeing. Hammersley Homes' outreach programmes help with daily tasks they may be struggling with and encourage them to engage in community activities to enrich their lives, the aim being to keep them safe amongst friends, and reduce the crises which so often result from loneliness, misunderstanding and frustration.
This is going to be a really special event. And the weather, fingers firmly crossed, is warming up. Click here for all the lowdown.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS FOR KINGFISHERS MUSIC WEEKEND
Fraud Alert!
Property fraud has been in the national news lately, including the distressing discovery by more than a few home owners that theirs have been 'hijacked' and apparently no longer belong to them.
This type of fraud can take several forms. A fraudster may attempt to impersonate a property owner in order to sell or mortgage a property. Or criminals may try to intercept payment details, misuse identity documents, or take advantage of empty, rented or poorly monitored properties. While serious cases remain relatively rare, property is valuable, personal information is often publicly available, and fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Certain properties can be more vulnerable than others. Mortgage-free homes, empty properties, buy-to-let properties and homes owned by people living overseas may all attract attention because unusual activity can be harder to spot quickly. This does not mean owners should panic, but it does mean that a little vigilance can go a long way.
So the property lawyers at Scott Bailey have put together a guide to help owners protect their properties, which is this month's feature article. Property Fraud Alert: Scott Bailey Property Lawyers on the Case! is a thought provoking piece including some simple steps we can all take.
For example, one of the simplest is to make sure our contact details at HM Land Registry are correct and up to date. HM Land Registry Property Alerts can also help owners monitor activity relating to their property. These alerts do not prevent fraud by themselves, but they can provide an early warning if someone tries to make changes.
There are lots more helpful tips in the article: do click here to read!
PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY FROM FRAUD!
Upcoming Events...
Along with more summer holiday activities including a brilliant sounding Intensive Swim Course at Durlston, some more unusual upcoming events have been added this week! How about the Charity Polo Day on Sunday 12 July at the New Forest Polo Club? Or the Annual Rickman International Bike Meeting Day this coming Sunday! Both of these will be raising funds for Oakhaven Hospice, so lots of fun and important cause all rolled in together!
In two weeks time, the weekend of 26-28 June is the annual Summer Beer Festival at Monkey Brewhouse, with three lovely days of live music and its own brilliant beer to accompany, line up above.
Next Saturday 20 June the Friends of St Thomas Church Mid Summer Fayre is an important annual fundraising event for the church and promises some lovely entertainments including the ever popular Morris Dancers and a special treat for this year: the Countryside Education Trust will be bringing chickens for the children to enjoy watching as they roam about! Local author Maggie Harmer will be selling two delightful, beautifully illustrated children's stories for her charity, you can follow the guide to find ancestors or folk of interest in the churchyard, and 'Have a Go' at ringing the church bells - if you enjoy it you might be inspired to join the ringers. There's an artisans market, plus the friends' own sales tables will be vast with many bargains - and of course there will be superb homemade refreshments.
Next Thursday 18 June is the 2026 New Forest Business Show at New Forest Showground in Brockenhurst: drop in at any point between 10am and 3pm and stay as long as you like. With 110 businesses and organisations exhibiting, there is plenty to see, explore and discover. Book your free ticket today and join the most exciting celebration of local business the New Forest has ever seen!
Meanwhile this weekend (tomorrow and Sunday) there's a very special opportunity to learn about how WWII took over Beaulieu River at Buckler's Hard Wartime Weekend. This is a mega event with so much to discover - do click the further link to all the information!
And finally! On Sunday it's the all-day Blues and Beyond: One Day Blues Festival at the Turfcutters Arms, with a terrific line up of Blues Bands performing between noon and 8pm - and it's going to be warm and sunny! 'Shake Your Moneymaker' and 'Let's Let the Good Times Roll': see you there!
Best wishes Jane
Read the rest of this week's newsletter here
And check out What's On in the Diary of Upcoming Events!
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