WEST MALVERN

START time for the weekly Wednesday walks from the Brewers Arms is being brought forward an hour from 6.30pm to 5.30pm.

This is because the Brewers has been attracting a great many people on Wednesday evenings this spring - presumably because of the popularity of the very good-value Curry Night. Consequently seating has sometimes become difficult by the time the walkers return from their hour's stroll at around 7.30pm-7.45pm. Most of the regulars have been informed, but organiser Dru Bentley says he wouldn’t like anybody new to the walk to turn up at the Brewers at 6.30pm only to find that the group had already departed an hour before!

West Malvern will be hosting a truly unique live music event on Saturday, May 16. From 10am to 10pm St James's Church will resound to an all-day musical miscellany, featuring everything from organ, cello and flute through folk bands and local singing groups to psychedelic blues. Local artists have responded magnificently in support of a 'Drop-In Musical Marathon' arranged to raise funds for the church organ appeal and a total of 18 groups and individuals will perform a wide range of music for all tastes in timed hour- and half-hour segments. Listeners can drop into hear their chosen items for £5 per hour, or for £15 purchase a day ticket with which to come and go as they please. Full timed details of the programme will be in the May Hills Echo and also on the very informative village web site www.westmalvernhallandvillage.net.

This year's Garden &and Nature Club show is to be held on August 22 to coincide with the West Malvern Arts Festival. And the quality of the vegetable section should be the best ever, if members at Tuesday's meeting took due note of the expert advice they received on growing and preparing produce for show. It came from BBC H & W's horticultural host Reg Moule. In his inimitable homespun style he revealed many useful techniques and cunning tips to increase your chances on the big day. These included feeding various crops on things as different as seaweed, salt and molasses, and laying your produce on black cloth to enhance the colour and catch the judges' eye. His impersonation of a runner bean trying to grow straight was a highlight of the evening!

COLIN JACKSON 01684 577604