THE winning combination of a pint and a panto will help to raise spirits and money in Exbourne's Red Lion Inn this Christmas.

On the nights of December 27 and 28, the pub will play host to Exbourne's Village Idiot Productions' Dick Whittington, following the success of last year's Snow White and the Three Dwarves. The show starts at 9pm each night.

Last year's panto was the second put on by the group at the pub. It was one of a number of fundraising events for the village pre-school, helping to raise a total of £820. This year's panto will again be raising money for the pre-school.

The panto is part of the pub's real ale festival, running from Boxing Day to December 30, also part of fundraising efforts.

Ten different real ales will be stocked behind the bar and served straight from the barrel, with a percentage of takings from each pint going to charity.

The pub has a fine record for serving quality beer already, having appeared in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the third year in a row. Landlord Nick Hamlyn has chosen a range of dark and winter ales for the event.

Nick said: 'It is fantastic to get the hat-trick and be in the Good Beer Guide for the third year in a row. You see pubs going in for one or two years, but we are really happy to maintain that level and get in again.

'We are looking forward to the ale festival and the panto, it is always a lot of fun. We just want to raise even more for charity, and it should be good fun.'

There is no entry fee for the panto, with a raffle and collections on the night raising money for the pre-school. The pub will open from noon each day for the ale festival.