Villagers to take part in annual Lover garage sale in aid of community projects

A NEW Forest village is hosting its annual garage sale which is thought to be the largest of its kind.

Now in its 17th year, the event in Lover, near Redlynch, was started by resident David Charles as he sought to get rid of unwanted items.

He said: “The Lover garage sale has an interesting history. It came about when our kids returned from university with a lot of stuff they and we didn’t want.

“’Let’s open up the garage and sell it,’ I announced. Asking if other villagers would like to participate, I got 38 positive responses.

“Now, nearly a third of all houses in and around Lover take part. One person’s junk is another's treasure”.

David, a trustee of the Lover Community Trust, explained locals had fought to turn the former village school into a building for use by the community. They then turned their attentions to its field, creating a village green.

Proceeds from the pitches go towards running the green, while all sales go to the individual – or charity of their choice if they wish.

He added: “The garage sale was acknowledged by the Guinness Book of Records around 10 years ago as the largest, but is unconfirmed as no-one else has one, or has entered their event.”

The event is being held on 6th July between 8.30am and midday. The village hall will also be open for refreshments.

The village – dubbed the most romantic in the world – is well known for its ‘Lover’ postmark stamped on Valentine’s Day cards at its pop-up post office, run by volunteers.

It has sent thousands of Valentines across the world, which raises money for the community.