The event offers, among other things, a free beefburger barbecue followed by strawberries and cream. The aim is to have a relaxed afternoon with old friends.

While there is no charge for the food, do take your purses along as there will be a raffle from which all raised funds will go to either Royal British Legion welfare or the Poppy Appeal.

Local cadets will be attending and presented with a special certificate from the local branch of RBL to mark gaining first and second places at the county cadet standard bearers' competition held last November.

Representatives from the local First Response Team will also be present and other attractions will include Army vehicles, a memorabilia display and bric-a-brac stalls.

All contributions for the raffle would be most welcome and if you can donate anything suitable, please contact the branch vice-chairman Gordon Stevenson on 01366 347585.

If you would like to book for the food then you should contact Gordon or, alternatively, Rose Gidney on 01366 378435 as soon as possible as the caterers need to know numbers.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 28, starting at noon and continuing to 7pm.

• Downham Amateur Dramatics Society (DADS) is holding its annual meeting this evening at the Howdale Community Centre. The meeting starts at 7.30pm and anyone with an interest in the group is welcome to go along.

• Some coffee mornings at Downham Town Hall for you to consider supporting – the first being held tomorrow, Saturday, in aid of the Let the Children Live charity. This will be in the bar rooms from 10am to noon and will include a raffle and stalls. For more details contact Jess Flower on 01366 388887.

Downham Silver Thread Club's event is on Saturday, May 17, from 9.30-11.30am.

Downham RBL branch will be hosting coffee mornings on Fridays May 23 and June 6, both from 9.30am to noon. Everybody is welcome to attend these events, the more the merrier!

• Next Tuesday, our new Mayor and Mayoress will be stepping into role. The official mayor-making ceremony, which also encompasses a full council meeting, takes place at the town council offices in Paradise Road and starts at 7.30pm. Members of the public are most welcome to attend.

• Finally, the sun has finally started blooming and so soon will our flower beds, tubs and hanging baskets.

Last year the town won a bronze Anglia in Bloom award and this year we are all being asked to take an active part in the initiative again, going for silver or even gold.

Brightening up Downham with flowers is not the only way to most colourfully present our town though – keeping it litter free, especially in summer months when we attract more visitors, also goes a long way.

Using litter bins where they are available makes simple enough sense yet some still choose to ignore them.

In his Downham News column this month Tinker Taylor tells of being fed up collecting other people's litter on his travels. I am sure he is.

The last time I caught him picking up litter I asked him why he always does it. He told me: "It's my home, a lovely town. I like to see it clean and tidy."

Well, I think we could all agree with him there, also with the fact that it isn't just up to the council to clean and tidy it for us but that we all have to share and bear, not ignorantly bin, that responsibility.