People are being invited to step back in time to Victorian Dorchester tomorrow.

Dorchester will celebrate Thomas Hardy’s birthday this weekend with the Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair on Sunday, June 4 from 11am to 4pm in High East and High West Streets.

The town will enjoy free treats such as the Wessex Military Band, Punch & Judy shows, steam engines, Victorian crafts and a fashion exhibition in the Victorian Hall at Dorset Museum.

The Nothe Fort Garrison are ready for action at Keep Military Museum and you can find out about Thomas Hardy’s involvement with daily life in Dorchester at Shire Hall Museum, as he was once a town magistrate at the courtroom there.

There will be a formal procession at 1pm, led by the Mayor, accompanied by councillors and the Thomas Hardy Society, down the length of the high street to Hardy’s Statue, where a wreath will be laid.

Expect live music, fun and frivolity – the streets will be closed, so you can walk like a Victorian – dressing up is optional but adds to the fun.

Free programmes will be handed out on arrival, but full details can be found on the Discover Dorchester website

Go to www.discoverdorchester.co.uk/the-thomas-hardy-victorian-fair