It’s always good to have messages and emails from readers, and I do receive quite a few. This most recent one was from James Hamilton who helps to manage the village hall in Ebbesbourne Wake, in the beautiful Chalke Valley in Wiltshire, which is noted for its very successful annual History Festival.

James informs me that they struggle to keep the village hall going financially, which is an enormously appreciated community asset, and Harry Bucknall has kindly offered to give a talk to help with the ever ongoing fund-raising. Those of you who live nearby might wish to attend, and if this wonderful weather continues it could be a lovely evening, with perhaps a pint at the Horseshoe Inn to follow!

Event Details

Wednesday 13th May 2026

“A Road for all Seasons: A tribute to Britain“. Fundraising talk for Ebbesbourne Wake Village Hall (in the magical “Chalke Valley”, SW Wiltshire – postcode SP5 5JD). Join us for a talk by local travel writer Harry Bucknall who will entertain us with an anecdote-rich account of his travels in search of what makes this island nation tick. Propelled by a growing desire to better understand our island nation, Harry decided to undertake a pilgrimage of sorts; he embarked on a series of four journeys across Britain that would mirror the changing seasons, totalling a distance of over 6,500 miles, focusing as much on the beauty of the fertile land as the people who inhabit it.

Harry is an acclaimed travel writer who has chronicled this journey and others such as his pilgrimage on foot from Canterbury to Rome and his peregrinations through the Greek archipelagos on his journey from Venice to Istanbul,

7 pm doors open, 7:30 start.

£10 entry and cash bar; all proceed go to the Village Hall (used by 3 villages: Ebbesbourne Wake, Fifield Bavant and Alvediston)