Happy Half Term, with a fine weather Bank Holiday Weekend to begin and lots of events and activities for the week ahead including Lymington Open Gardens on Sunday and then the brilliant Solent Music Festival which opens on Monday evening. Plus much more ...

'Manifold May': lots of variety this week including the Spring Autojumble where you may find a manifold, strawberry picking at Goodalls, Science at Durlston, Mental Health and Dementia Action Weeks, plus upcoming events as always.

It's the Magnificent Month of May with spectacular dawn choruses and next Monday the stallions will be released on the forest for the annual breeding season. Scott Bailey's team of 5 completed the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge and calling budding chefs for the Big Careys Cook Off. Plus usual events update...

Happy May Day! Lots of May happenings including the Gardeners World Spring Fair this weekend, Witch/Craft at St Barbe, taking over the whole of the Montagu Arms Hotel for your wedding, and much more.

Dementia and Awareness - an update on the state of play and a look ahead to Dementia Action Week 18-24 May. A mention for Linden House specialist dementia care home, also for Dogstival and the Great New Forest Marque breakfast at Balmer Lawn Hotel tomorrow. And more as usual!

The Earth, Everywhere and Here - Earth Day is an annual event on 22 April to demonstrate support for our planet and the natural world around us, and that includes of course the unique landscape of the New Forest. Also the upcoming Gardeners World Spring Fair at Beaulieu, and other upcoming events.

Settling In To Spring: with the busy-ness of Easter Weekend over and further catastrophe in the Middle East at least temporarily averted, our heads should be a little less full and our diaries a little less hectic, allowing time to enjoy the simple pleasures of spring.

Happy New Forest Easter - sent on Thursday as it's Easter Weekend - from Jane and also from Scott Bailey Solicitors, and the teams at Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa, Oakhaven Hospice and the Balmer Lawn Hotel. Read the newsletter for their news!

Springing Forward to Summertime, clocks go forward this Sunday. The New Forest Business Show is back, New Forest Escapes are house hunting, the Summer Spectacular will include jousting, and Lymington Town Sailing Club invites us all to its Open Weekend. Plus much more - read on

Heralding Huge Happenings - there are some really big events coming to Lymington over the next few months, and this week's spotlight is on two of them - Lymington Seafood Festival and Solent Music Festival. Plus much more ...