Those of you who like good-quality old-fashioned home cooking and baking are missing a real treat if you haven't visited the Hamble village market which runs from the Memorial Hall every Friday at 10 am.

Villagers (and visitors who have been let in on the "secret"!) come to buy the produce - cakes, pastries, jam, marmalade and eggs. The market also features vegetable and plant growers and crafts people who make and sell their hand-produced fare.

If any organisation typifies the spirit of Hamble village it is the weekly village market. It something we all feel proud of, especially the ladies who maintain this steadfast tradition.

About 30 to 50 people attend the market every week. The market venue also serves as a meeting place for friends to sit and chat over coffee or tea.

The market has been a part of the village community for about 30 years. It began as a W.I. venture and ran for several years before it became independent in about 1991. It continues in much the same way with similar strict rules on quality, packaging and presentation.