LAST weekend more than 110,000 people across the country came along to host and attend get togethers of all kinds from street parties, to concerts, barbecues and bake sales.

They did so with the idea of bringing people together to celebrate in the face of disaster and conflict and to honour the memory of murdered MP Jo Cox and her belief that people have more to unite than divide them.

Lin Scrannage from Bridport Cohousing, said as the group was all about creating a neighbourhood with community values, she was inspired to create a special event for Bridport - a Pop Up Picnic where people gathered in the Community Orchard last Saturday.

She said: ''I have only been a resident of the town since last September but have already formed a strong network of friends and associates who were ready to step in and help me.''

Two members of Bridport Cohousing, Jemima Morgan and Kate Robertson led the singing. Rose Allwork captivated the audience with her interactive storytelling and friends from the West Dorset Circle Dancing Group, Anne Waldron, Jane Silver- Corrin and Lyn Lidiard taught folk dances from around the world including some Dances of Universal Peace. Other helped with putting up handmade bunting and co-ordinating the music via their smartphone.

Lin added: "The focus of the event was on the life of Jo Cox, whose murder last year shocked the world. The Cox family came up with the idea of the Great Get Together - a nationwide initiative to gather communities for picnics, street parties and fetes and remind us that we do indeed have'' far more in common than that which divides us '' something Jo had said in her maiden speech to the House of Commons in 2015."

Speaking last Monday, Brendan Cox described his wife’s “amazing empathy” and “zest for life” and said her killer had failed in his aim to drive people apart and instead ensured that her voice was heard more than ever.

“Jo’s killing was designed to do a few things,” he said. “It was designed to divide communities and it’s failed in doing that, it’s actually brought Jo’s community much closer together. It was designed to stop her speaking, stop her message reaching people, but has utterly failed to do that Actually her voice and the messages and the things she cared about are reaching many more people even after her death.”

Get Together events were also held in Broadwindsor and Beaminster.