THERE was much merriment in Bransgore over the weekend at the annual beer festival.

The Great Bransgore Charity Beer and Music Festival, held at the Three Tuns Inn, is the major fundraiser for the village's Rotary Club, with a £25,000 haul anticipated from this year's event, going to an array of national and local charities.

As many as 1,250 revellers were present at any one time during the three day event, and there was plenty to keep them entertained in the unseasonal blazing sunshine on Saturday.

Alongside 80 beers from around the country, nearly 40 ciders and a selection of wines, all racked up in the beer tent, the weekend saw live music from the likes of Fiery Fiddler, Big Town Boppers, Joe Boiling, Skamageddon and Cash Converted.

David Holmes, from the Rotary Club, said: "About half the people here come from the village and the rest come from miles and miles away.

"The local camp sites are fully booked.

"And the Campaign for Real Ale always get involved. There are a few beers here you wouldn't normally expect to see in this part of the country.

"This year we had an Irish fiddler in the beer tent on Friday night which created a great atmosphere and got things going with a swing.

"And we have been very fortunate with this weather."

The child-friendly festival had numerous activities for youngsters, including games and face painting, and stalls selling plenty of grub inevitably needing to be washed down.

Last year the Rotary Club paid out £22,000 to charities including Bransgore Community Responders, Julia's House Hospice, Burton Scouts and Friends of Sopley School.