TWO entertaining – and very different – events are on the cards for audiences to enjoy in a west Dorset village this July.

The Friends of St Candida (FoSC) will welcome local equestrian Eric Smiley FBHS for a fascinating insider’s view of the Olympic Games.

After starting his working life in a British army cavalry regiment, Eric went on to enjoy a long career in eventing at international level, represented Ireland in the Games in Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) and was the national team coach for Belgium at the London Olympics in 2012.

He still works as an equestrian coach and he and his wife, Sue, breed and train horses at their home in Ryall. Eric has written three books on riding and equestrian sports and is one of only about 50 Fellows of the British Horse Society (FBHS) in the world.

“It’s not going to be a ‘horsey’ talk,” says Eric. “I’ll cover what goes on behind the scenes, the things people might wonder about over those endless hours of viewing during the Games.”

Eric’s presentation is on Friday July 12 at 7pm in Whitchurch Canonicorum Village Hall.

Admission is free with a retiring collection in aid of FoSC and there will be a cash bar. There is plenty of parking at the hall.

Later in the month, the annual Alice Dilke Memorial Concert will take place in the Church of St Candida and Holy Cross, Whitchurch Canonicorum.

Professional pianist Alexander Soares will play a programme of music by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Ireland.

He was a BBC Music Magazine Rising Star in 2021 and has gained a reputation as an authoritative soloist and dynamic recording artist. 

Alexander has performed in major venues and festivals across the UK, Europe and USA, with regular radio broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, France Musique and other stations. 

The concert is on Sunday, July 28 at 3pm.

Tickets are £12 on the door (cash or card) and include light refreshments. Admission for young people aged 16 and under is free.

There is limited parking at the venue (DT6 6RQ) although anyone who can do so is asked to park at Courthouse Farm, at the village end of Gassons Lane, or behind the village hall. Both are a short walk from the church.

The annual concert was introduced in 2017 in memory of Alice Dilke (1919–2016), who lived in Whitchurch Canonicorum with her husband Christopher for nearly 50 years. She was a founder member of FoSC, a secular organisation that raises funds to preserve and improve the fabric of the historic church in the centre of Whitchurch Canonicorum.

The charity also works to ensure the church is used for the benefit of the whole community, not just for worship, including through its regular CommuniTea Café social gatherings.

For more information, including the full concert programme, visit www.st-candida.org