Here are The Field’s essential June dates for the diary. Flaming June may have started stormy, but it does herald the advent of the summer season. Time to scrub down the barbecue in hopeful anticiptation – we recommend trying butterflied haunch of venison or muntjac – and seriously dig into the best British asparagus before it finishes. So make a note of theses June dates for your diary, and be sure not to miss out.

JUNE DATES FOR THE DIARY

5 and 8 June

Charity clay pigeon shoot Warter Estate, near Pocklington, North Yorkshire (In aid of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and GWCT), £1,800 per team. Download an entry form at www.gwct.org.uk/events.

5 June

The Oaks, Epsom

6 June

The Derby, Epsom

6-7 June

National Gardens Festival Weekend More than 500 gardens open across the country to raise funds for nursing and caring charities; www.ngs.org.uk.

6-24 June

Katherine Swinfen exhibition The Jerrram Gallery, Sherborne, Dorset, tel 01935 815261.

9-10 June

Summers Place Auctions Garden and Natural History Sale The Walled Garden, Billingshurst, West Sussex, tel 01403 331331.

10-13 June

Althorp Literary Festival Althorp House, Northamptonshire; www.spencerofalthorp.com.

11 June

Southams Sale of Modern Sporting Guns, Market Place, Oundle, Northants, tel 01832 273565; www.guns.southams.com.

11-13 June

South of England Show (11 hound show) Ardingly, West Sussex; www.seas.org.uk.

12-14 June

Three Counties Show Malvern, Worcs, tel 01684 584900; www.threecounties.co.uk.

Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Malpas, Cheshire; www.cpop.co.uk.

13-11 June

HORSE exhibition by 11 artists at The Gallery, Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington, Dorset; www.thegallerysbtl.co.uk.

13-14 June

Le Mans 24-Hours Race

14 June

Cartier Queen’s Cup final, Guards Polo Club, Windsor, Berks.

14 June-5 July

Fresh Air 2015 sculpture at Quenington Old Rectory, Glos; www.freshairsculpture.com.

15 June-10 July

Hubert De Watrigant equestrian works, Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, London SW1, tel 020 7235 9667; www.osg.uk.com.

16-20 June

Royal Ascot

18-21 June

Royal Highland Show Ingliston, Edinburgh, tel 0131 335 6200; www.royalhighland.org.

18-28 June

Olympia Art and Antiques Fair London W14; www.olympia-art-antiques.com.

20-21 June

Feast culinary and cultural weekend at Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury, Bucks,
tel 01296 653226; www.waddesdon.org.uk.

23-24 June

Cheshire County Show, Tabley

25 June

Wales and Border Counties Hound Show Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys, tel 01267 237812.