Awbridge Newsletter March 2013 by Deon Tucker

MARCH 2013

AWBRIDGE news

Awb ridge

AWBRIDGE DISTRICT VILLAGE ASSOCIATION

V I L L A G E

ADVA

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COMMITTEE Fred Tucker - Chairman Chanwel House, Romsey Road - 340709 Laura Hailwood-Thomas - Secretary 1 Spring Field, Romsey Road - 342020 Nigel Hemsted - Treasurer Emmbrook, Newtown Road - 340986 Paul Jameson Forest View, Kents Oak - 340118 Deon Tucker Bryn Gower, Romsey Road - 340230 Alex Hillier Forest View, Kents Oak - 340118 Lynda Tucker Chanwel House, Romsey Road - 340709

ADVERTISING

Sally McLellan Coles Farm Cottage, Awbridge Hill - 522402 James Child 4 Cowleas Close - 341980 Kay Murrant The Old Police House, Danes Road - 340289 Paul Harvey Rowlands Barn, Dunbridge Lane - 341259 Amanda Hanson 1 Woodlands, Saunders Lane - 340899 Katy Stimson Thurston House, Danes Road - 341452 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Peter Allen, Sandra Tebbett

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SUBSCRIPTIONS Awbridge News is now available by annual subscription. Send your details and a cheque for £15.00 made payable to

ADVA to cover costs and postage to Nigel Hemsted, Treasurer, Emmbrook, Newtown Road, Awbridge, SO51 0GJ.

The deadline for the next edition will be 15th March

Page 2 | March 2013

From the Editorial Team

Litter Pick – 23rd March 2013

Is it Spring yet? It’s easy to both ask the question in hope as much as belief, what with the odd glimpse of warm weather and Easter being early this year. Ruth and I took Isaac for a walk recently at a very cold and blustery Mottisfont Abbey, where the daffodils and snowdrops are in force so maybe things are on the turn!

Further to the note in the last edition about the forthcoming litter pick, work will now include working in/near water filled ditches. We have been asked to request that helpers on the day wear wellies and other suitable protective clothing.

A big thank you as always to our contributors to this edition of Awbridge News, but I do need to remind you all that the deadline remains at the 15th of each month. If I receive anything for publication after that date, it will not make the cut with no exceptions. Please make sure it is in your diary in plenty of time. We are currently in the midst of Lent, which this year has been particularly trying for me. Not in as much as what I have given up (namely takeaway food, biscuits and crisps – all good healthy things I really must do without anyway) but some colleagues who decided to put a financial penalty on things then trick each other into “failing”. The story of the traders being thrown out of the temple came to mind but sadly Lent has become fashionable for all the wrong reasons in some quarters. In much the same way as Easter being seen as chickens and chocolate rather than crucifixion and eternal sacrifice, it is not something I myself see as being for the better. The world keeps changing, as consistently as the weather is “interesting” these days. We now live in times where which politician has wandered into Eastleigh recently gets more column inches than the Pope retiring (I know which interests me more!) so I suppose I’d better get down off the soapbox and make space for the chocolate I’m surely going to end up with at the end of March! Until next month’s editorial anyway… James Child - Co-Editor Awbridge News

From the Chairman’s Pen This month I am writing with a plea for people to help us with the fete. Our request in the magazine last month did bring some fresh helpers but we still have many jobs and activities which need to be done on the day. If you can help set up in the morning or help run a stall if only for an hour this would be greatly appreciated by the committee. This is the only way we can maintain a high standard on the day with your involvement. Please ring either Fred on 340709 or Alex on 340118 to give your support. Do not forget to join us for the Village litter pick on Saturday March 23th at 10.00 meet at the village hall and then enjoy some refreshments afterwards. Fred Tucker - Chairman ADVA

AWBRIDGE FAMILY FUN DAY – CHANGE OF DATE The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted the note last time out about the fun day in the summer. Unfortunately there is a clash on the proposed date with Lockerley Fete, so in the spirit of being fair to our neighbouring village the Awbridge Fun Day will now be held on 30th June 2013, 12 noon start. As noted previously, this will be a picnic lunch followed by games in the afternoon.

Electoral Boundaries Many thanks to all those who responded to the article in November ‘Awbridge News’ about the proposals to change parliamentary constituency boundaries, placing Awbridge outside of the Romsey constituency. A number of local people, as well as the Parish Council, submitted their objections to the Boundary Commission. Both Caroline Nokes and Roy Perry have stated their support for our views. The latest update is that on 14th January the House of Lords voted to delay the whole review until 2018. This was followed by the House of Commons voting likewise on 29th January. For the moment the boundaries will stay as they are, certainly for the next General Election, but we must remain vigilant on this issue for some time to come in case similar proposals are brought forward again in the future. Pam Harvey

Do you want High Speed Broadband? The West Tytherley and surrounding community have managed to establish enough interest to attract a commercial company (Gigaclear) to provide a high speed broadband fibre optic network.

This could come to Awbridge and Newtown if enough people express an interest. To do so, go online and complete the survey at www.gigaclear.com/ can-i-get-it. The greater the number who express an interest, the higher the chance that we will be picked to get it next!! Or get in touch with us at enquiries@awbridge.info

Message From Neighbourhood Watch Romsey Police have informed us that there are a number of heating oil thefts occurring in the local area, most probably due to the increases in prices of late. If you have an oil fired central heating, please make sure you: • check the security of your oil tank • remain vigilant, especially if suspicious vehicles are in the area in the evenings/at night If in doubt and you feel unsafe, please dial 101 for non-emergency and 999 for emergency situations.

Mottisfont Craft Club Due to popular demand the craft club has now moved to a Wednesday from 1pm - 3.30pm every week. Whether you are new to crafting or experienced everyone is welcome, so come and join the fun. If you are experienced and bring your own supplies its £2 a week and if you are new I will provide the materials and that will be £4 a week. Refreshments included. Please contact Shelly on 341519 or email shellyhm@btinternet.com Page 3 | March 2013

All Saints Awbridge - March 2013 Lost for Words: This course is taking place to encourage Christians to have more confidence in expressing their faith. It is being held at Poppies, Choice Plants and includes coffee/tea & cake! Wednesdays 20 & 27 February and 6,13,20 & 27 March. For more information contact Steve Pittis on 368335 or email pittisinc@gmail.com. We had a great supper in Poppies in February when we enjoyed a talk by Fred and Mary on their recent trip to Bosnia, helping to distribute boxes for Operation Christimas Child and showing what an important role the small fragile protestant church has there. The annual service for Womens’ World Day of Prayer takes place on Friday 1 March at 7 30 pm at All Saints Church, Braishfield. The speaker is Karen Smith and this year’s service has been put together by the women of France. Mothering Sunday is on 10 March so we will be celebrating this special day in our service of Morning Worship including children’s activities at 9.30 am. Our First service in February looked at the impact of the shoeboxes in Bosnia and how the church can affect great work through social projects. In the same way, through looking after its local communities and how Jesus’ love has transformed many lives, despite the traumas they have suffered. Our next First service is on 3 March - do come and join this informal service of worship in Awbridge. If you enjoy skittles why not come to our next social event which is Supper and Skittles is on Friday 22 March 7 pm at the Star, East Tytherley. Please book by Thursday 14 March. Tickets are £7.50 including a hot meal and can be obtained from James Alexander 340386 or e-mail: p.alexander386@btinternet.com. or John Harris: 341877 email: jrharrisharris@btinternet.com. or sign the list at the back of church. Messy Church: our next Messy Church will be Sunday 14 April, 2.30 pm “Noah’s Ark, a new start” at the Jubilee Hall Timsbury. This is a new venue as we are moving round our parishes so more families can come to Messy Church in the future. The last Messy Church was in February in Awbridge on the theme of I am the Good Shepherd. Jubilee Kneelers I gather that the busy stitchers are doing really well with their kneelers, well done for all your hard work! We shall be holding a celebratory service on Pentecost Sunday 19 May, 9.30 am at All Saints, Awbridge to dedicate these lovely kneelers so please make a note in your diary to come along! This Easter we invite you to spend some time considering the events of the Easter Story, Jesus’ journey to Jersualem as a hero on Palm Sunday, to being a crucified as a criminal on Good Friday and then coming to life again on Easter Day. The story is amazing, almost incredible; but it has transformed the lives of millions, for generations. Read the story anew, in a modern translation of one of the gospels and attend some of our services to find out more.There are some booklets at the back of the church. Members of All Saints, Awbridge wish you all a very Happy Easter. Worship and Events in Awbridge in March Friday 1 March Women’s World Day of Prayer 7.30 pm All Saints, Braishfield Sunday 3 March (3rd Sunday of Lent) 9.30 am Holy Communion 6.30 pm First service with Awbridge church members Sunday 10 March (Mothering Sunday) 9.30 am Morning Worship & Young church Sunday 17 March 9.30 am Holy Communion Friday 22 March Skittles Evening 7pm The Star, East Tytherley Sunday 24 March (Palm Sunday) 9.30 am Family Service Page 4 | March 2013

“Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive. He is not here; he has risen!” Angel Maundy Thursday 28 March 7.30 pm Holy Communion at St John’s Farley Chamberlayne Good Friday 29 March 9.30 am An hour at the Cross, All Saints, Awbridge 7.30 pm Choral service at All Saints, Braishfield Sunday 31 March Easter Day 9.30 am Holy Communion and Easter Egg Hunt (note clocks go forward) Sunday 7 April 10.00 am United Benefice Holy Communion at Timsbury 6.30 pm First at Awbridge Other Activities for March Five Alive Fellowship Wednesday 20 March 7.30 pm Ladies Day Plaza Theatre Church Rooms, Braishfield Prayer Group Meets in Romsey twice a month, requests to John Twigg 521966 or via prayer request box in church Awbridge Lunch Club Wednesday 13 March, at 12 noon, Awbridge Church Rooms Wednesday 27 March Village Lunch at Village Hall 12 noon contact Delia 340395 Housegroup Tuesday 19 March 7.45 pm Rosemary Croft, Awbridge, contact John Twigg Tel 521966 Open Housegroup Thursday 14 March 7.45 pm venue TBA, contact: Sue Franklin 322185 “The Ark” The All Saints Church Toddler group meets in Awbridge Village Hall, on Fridays in term-time, 9.30 am – 11.00 am. All toddlers and their parents and carers welcome. Refreshments, craft, singing and other activities provided. Contact: Lynda Tucker 340709. Welcome Pack If you have recently moved into the Awbridge area and would like a copy of our village Welcome Pack please contact one of the churchwardens, see details below. Useful church contacts: Rector: Revd Canon Steve Pittis 01794 368335 email:pittisinc@gmail. com or Benefice Office 01794 878020 email: braishfieldbenefice@ gmail.com. Churchwardens: Fred Tucker (01794 340709) or Mary Savage (01794 367908). Young Church: Pepe Alexander (01794 340386). The Ark Toddler Group: Lynda Tucker (01794 340709). Awbridge Neighbourcare: 0845 094 6155 Other relevant information can be found on the village website www.awbridge.info

British Red Cross Romsey & District Local Office Red Cross Centre, 10 Greatwell Drive, Romsey (opposite Nightingale Surgery) 01794 513202 - 24 hour answer phone Romsey Medical Loan Open 10.30am to 12.30pm - Mon to Fri. Enquiries: 01794 513202 (24 hr answer phone). General Information 0844 871 1111. Emergency number for all of the above 07790 670840 A 70 year celebration will be held on Saturday 7th September 2013 in North Baddesley Village Hall for all who are interested or were in the Red Cross from 1943. More details to follow later. Please phone 02380 730843 to express your interest.

2013 Awbridge Boys Ski Trip

how to do these type of jobs, the toothbrush was passed to me. Our sharpest and largest pair of scissors were no help and are no longer very sharp. A trip to the tool kit seemed to be the answer. I found a rusty Stanley knife, a pair of pliers and a wood chisel with a half inch blade and in no time at all, about three hours, my wife had her toothbrush and electric charger in her hand. It was during the battle between me and the plastic wrapping I remembered my great idea while putting the cover on the caravan. Our educated leaders are convinced most of us buy convenience food which is easy to cook, quick, fatty and taste good. If that is true how long does it take to unwrap a beef burger bought at the famous beef burger store with the Scottish name. How difficult is it to get Fish and Chips out of a paper bag or polystyrene box? Go to any supermarket and even fresh fruit and vegetable often come wrapped in plastic. Meat, which has to be cooked, is invariably wrapped in plastic. Fresh fish has been in plastic since being caught in the North Sea. Many breakfast serials, yoghurts, deserts etc all arrive in difficult to open plastic covers or wrapping. Health and Safety demands that our food should be protected and reach high standards. My bright idea, when putting the wrapping on my caravan (remember the caravan?) was that if good healthy food could be bought in a paper bag or wrapped in a sheet of paper we could all eat better and have less recycling to do. We did our shopping that way, at the corner shop, when I was a child. I and many like me are still around and still mobile and able, if we have to, to open, eventually, plastic covered toothbrushes! Maurice Hibberd

From left to right: David Ritchie, Mark Harper, Philippe Preget, Roger Savage, Andrew Harper, Mark Hooton, Jeremy Murrant

Romsey Rural Police Update In Awbridge:

Thoughts For March I have heard it said that the brain is like a computer, which may be true. I know that sometimes I open my mouth and forget what I am going to say. Not sure if that is just age or if my computer has crashed. The process of thinking is described as “referring to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual’s subjective consciousness” which may be the reason why, when I was putting the caravan away at the end of last season I think I discovered the cure for the nations obesity. Obesity. That is the educated way our leaders, who went to the top private schools, describe overweight people. When I was younger we did not have “Obese” and “Anorexic” we had “Fatties and Skinnies”. So lets go back to the caravan and the end of last season. The caravan was packed and ready to be put away for a few months. The final job was to put the protective cover over it. My cover is like a large, elasticated canvas bag, heavy and difficult to put on. It needs at least two and perhaps three people to get the caravan wrapped away for the winter. Life is not that much better at the start of the summer when the cover has to be removed. It was struggling to put the cover on when I had this great idea, but by the time my wife and I were in the car and on the way home my idea had been, in computer terms ”deleted”. With the approach of Christmas and the New Year if I had any thoughts of obesity it was when my wife told me I should get more exercise to get rid of the extra weight. Having failed to buy her an Electric toothbrush for Christmas (my computer “crashed”) she made her own purchase in January but was unable to get it out of the plastic casing. Being a male, and knowing

29/01/2013 between 0730 hrs and 1300 hrs Burglary in Dwelling. Property in Danes Road broken into, rear door smashed and untidy search made items of jewellery stolen – enquiries still on going In Lockerley: 26/01/2013 - Trespass/poaching – males reported poaching on land – police attended details taken of subjects. 30/01/2013 – 4x4 Mitsubishi Shogun found burnt out on farm land, Catapult frame found inside – vehicle possibly abandoned by poachers Pains Hill, between 22/01/2013 and 30/01/2013 shed broken into, 2 lawn mowers stolen together with a hedge trimmer, power tools – enquiries still on going 01/02/2013 - Danes Road Report of White Pick up truck driving up and down the road, 2 males on board selling wood and acting in a suspicious manner (no index noted). 05/05/2013 at 1330 hrs - Danes Road – 2 Males in a Bronze Volvo C90 index similar to **CY10…** selling power tools

Dog Fouling Dog muck on our footpaths is also becoming an issue again and we have seen several lots which, besides not being very pleasant, are also a hazard for other walkers and runners. The parish supply disposal bags on the hall field and in Church Lane, but dog owners must be responsible and clean up their own dog’s mess when they walk their dogs around the village. Page 5 | March 2013

Young Farmers launch campaign to save lives on rural roads

LAURA MAY

A new campaign to reduce the number of young driver deaths on rural roads was recently launched by one of the largest rural youth organisations in the UK - the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC), supported by leading rural insurer NFU Mutual.

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The Drive it Home campaign was launched because statistics show that rural young drivers are 37% more likely to have an injury collision on a rural road than those who live in an urban area (Road Safety Analysis 2012). The majority of NFYFC’s 24,000 members live and work in rural communities putting them in a high risk category for incidents on rural roads. The lack of public transport links in many of these areas mean many NFYFC members have little option but to start driving at a young age. The campaign will work with road safety charity Brake to deliver road safety training by creating Drive it Home Champions who will become ambassadors in their local communities and peer groups, for safer driving. The campaign will also work with advanced driving company Drive Doctors to offer members bespoke courses so they can practice driving in challenging conditions.

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gratefully received by the local children. They have regular visits from a local pastor of the church in the nearby town. As it was the Orthodox Christmas day, late in the evening we were joined by Santa Claus, which helped in the giving out of boxes to another 300 children.

If you are interested in driving tuition on rural roads then contact Rebecca at Lockerley Driving School – rebeccaeyles@hotmail. co.uk or 01794 341671 or see www.lockerleydriving.co.uk Rebecca Eyles

Shoe boxes to Bosnia In January, I travelled to Bosnia to take part in Operation Christmas Child run by the charity Samaritan’s Purse which distributes shoe boxes of gifts donated by people in the UK. We arrived in Sarajevo at 23.00 in heavy snow. After meeting up with the team of six women, one being Mary Savage, two men and our local interpreter Becki, we had a whistle stop tour of Sarajevo, and a team briefing before we set off to travel some 200 miles north to the city of Banja Luka. We were met by the mayor, as was the case in each village and community we visited, and he supervised the distribution of the aid with the help of the local church. The following morning we travelled into the mountains to the isolated Roma communities for our first shoe box destination. Roma children live in very poor housing, which often have no windows or doors in temperatures that can get down to -20c and deep snow. After a few miles on unmade roads we finally found the village. This community are people who were displaced in the war, and there is still a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done. The shoe boxes were eagerly awaited and Page 6 | March 2013

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Wednesday saw us back in the mini bus to travel to the town of Zencia which took about five hours through the mountains. This town is a very dark, smog covered town constructed under the communist rule, so architecture is stark, grey concrete with little or any variation. This town has the largest steel manufacturing plant in the Balkans and once employed 26000 staff. Now the total work force is just 3000 and the plant is owned and run by TATA of India. We visited an old army camp, now used by the authorities to house displaced and undesirable families of the area. To give you an idea of the condition of the camp, we would not keep animals in these conditions in the UK. We were very pleased to bring some relief to these children who appear to have little clothing suitable for the weather and temperature that we were experiencing. That night we slept in an orphanage which houses street children from babies to 16 years old. Listening to their stories through our interpreter was a heart-wrenching experience. Thursday was our busiest day with seven drops of shoe boxes, the majority of these villages were in mountainous areas around the town of Zenica. As we tried to approach one village at the end of a long snow covered single track road, we were ambushed by parents and children who had heard that we were on route to the next village. We had to negotiate through our

interpreter; the outcome was the children were given boxes even though they were not on our schedule, all resolved we were then allowed to complete our journey. Friday found us back in Sarajevo to complete our itinerary of three, 100-box distributions. The children were always very polite and wished to thank us for the gifts we were distributing. Our hosts and local agents wished us to pass on their grateful thanks to all the people in the UK who had donated shoe boxes this year. This year Samaritans Purse worldwide has just passed its 100 millionth shoe box, a great achievement in 19 years. Many thanks go to Babcock (my employer), famliy and all the local people for their financial support for the trip to Bosnia and in assisting me in achieving this unique experience. Fred Tucker

Nigella Lawson - How To Be A Domestic Goddess Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake 125g unsalted butter 175g caster sugar 2 large eggs zest of 1 lemon 175g self raising flour pinch of salt 4 tablespoons milk 23x13x7cm loaf tin buttered and lined

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For the syrup: juice of 1 and a half lemons 100g icing sugar For the glaze: juice of 1/2 a lemon 150g icing sugar

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To Make The Cake: Preheat your oven to 180 C/ gas mark 4. Butter and line your loaf tin well.

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Cream together butter and sugar and add eggs and lemon zest, beating them in well.

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Gently fold in the flour and the salt, mixing thoroughly and then add the milk.

Messy Church is organised by the churches in our benefice, for families from all our parishes. Children to be accompanied by parent/carer.

Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 45 mins or until cake tester comes out clean. For the syrup: Put the lemon juice and icing sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. As soon as cake is out of oven, puncture all over with skewer and pour over the syrup. Leave cake to cool completely before removing from the tin. For the glaze: Combine lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth and white, add a little more icing sugar if needed. Make sure your cake is completely cool before drizzling with the glaze. Katy Stimson

JUBILEE HALL, TIMSBURY

Messy Activities

Celebration

Feast

For further information contact: Pepe Alexander on 340386 or email P.alexander386@btinternet.com or Mary Savage on 367908 email savage@choiceplants.freeserve.co.uk

EVENT IS FREE BUT DONATIONS ARE WELCOME Page 7 | March 2013

Awbridge Neighbourcare 0845 094 6155

Many of you will have been to see the beautiful flowers in the Church during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations last summer. There will be another wonderful display for Easter, details of which can be read in the Church’s report in this newsletter. If you would like to go to see the flowers and need transport, Awbridge Neighbourcare will be very happy to help. Please contact the duty co-ordinator in the usual way. The first village lunch of the year will be held on Wednesday 27th March, starting at 12 noon at the village hall. Everyone in the village is welcome to come along to enjoy a delicious meal and a friendly chat. The lunches are great value at only £4 per person. To book, please telephone the duty Neighbourcare co-ordinator on 0845 094 6155, by Monday 25th March. The dates for the rest of the 2013 village lunches can be seen in the advert in this edition of the Awbridge News. Neighbourcare Arrangements 0845 094 6155 Awbridge Neighbourcare volunteers are available to help, as good neighbours, to provide transport for medical appointments, or shopping, or to visit you if you would enjoy a friendly chat. Our volunteers have allocated time to be available to help you, so your requests are vital to the work of this group. All you need to do is call 0845 094 6155 to speak to the co-ordinator to see if they can help you. If you would like to use Awbridge Neighbourcare, please could you try to give at least 48 hours’ notice when you need to book transport so that the duty co-ordinator has time to make the necessary arrangements. Although we will endeavour to help if shorter notice is given, we cannot guarantee the availability of our volunteers. We would very much like to hear from you if you could volunteer as a driver. The more drivers we have to call on, the more people we are able to help. Please contact the duty co-ordinator on 0845 094 6155 if you would like to join this worthwhile organisation.

Awbridge Evening W I - February In January, members enjoyed their annual post-Christmas meal, this year at a new venue, Ampfield Golf Club. Everyone agreed it had been a very pleasant evening. This month we welcomed Deanna Hilton whose talk was entitled ‘it’s in the bag’. Inheriting the sewing gene from her mother, Deanna first gained experience in marketing and accountancy before embarking on a soft furnishing business. However in 2007 she felt in need of a change and began to experiment with making bags of all shapes and sizes. She now teaches the craft at workshops and at home, and brought along a wide selection of most beautiful bags to show us. We were then taken step by step through the stages of making an evening bag with ‘here’s one I made earlier’ as an example. Two members had enjoyed their afternoon at North Baddesley’s birthday party, and others gave a mixed reaction to a recent Speaker’s Selection Day. There are plans in the pipeline for a holiday in Northumberland in the summer with visits to interesting venues in the area. Day trips to Oxford and Legal London are also planned and members were urged Page 8 | March 2013

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to read the new Denman brochure and choose a course in order to take advantage of the bursary waiting to be awarded to a lucky member. A number of members expressed an interest in going to see ‘War Horse’ which is to be performed at the Mayflower in March 2014. Next month’s speaker will be Sandra Simmonds telling us about ‘life under the veil’. Please come along and join us on March 14th at 7.30pm for an interesting evening and a warm welcome. Yvonne Goodridge

Indoor Bowls

11th of feb in the evening found us rolling out the green carpet for another session of carpet bowls with some new people joining us for the first time. The evening started with some practice and then we went in to a games of twos with the final being won by Jan Turner and Jim Hyde. If you would like to join us and enjoy a relaxing evening then look out for the next evening which is 11th March at 7.30 pm at the village hall. Also, we are looking for someone to take up the reins and run the club – let us know if you are interested!

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Awb ridge

AWBRIDGE DISTRICT VILLAGE ASSOCIATION

V I L L A G E

Villager OF THE Year!

ADVA

Is there someone in the village whose service to the community stands them out from the crowd? Has someone done something remarkable over the past 12 months that you feel deserves recognition? After the success of last year’s competition, we are looking for nominations for the Villager of the Year 2013. Just fill in the form and a panel of independent judges will choose the most worthwhile nominee! Please return forms to the village hall post box or Alex at Forest View, Kents Oak by 31st March. I would like to nominate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for Villager of the Year! Reason (no more than 50 words): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................

Your name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Email: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Please tear off the forms, fill in and return to the village hall post box or Alex at Forest View, Kents Oak!

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knightwoodkitchens@yahoo.co.uk Page 10 | March 2013

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Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

It spreads freely by seed and like cherry laurel is extremely difficult to eradicate once established.

The last year has been particularly hard for wildlife, mainly due to wet, cold conditions and an absence of food supply such as nuts, seed, fruit and berries. Whilst the wet summer has allowed many trees to grow prolifically, the cold conditions resulted in an almost complete failure of the autumn hazel nut harvest, with yields down by as much as 95%. For the woodmouse, yellow necked mouse and dormouse, all of which fatten up on hazel nuts to survive the winter, the shortage of hazel nuts has been a catastrophe, made worse by the general absence of oak acorns, fallen fruit such as crab apples and hawthorn berries, which provide alternative sources of food.

Himalayan balsalm and New Zealand stonecrop are two invasive wetland species of plants that are a problem within the parish. Himalan balsalm spreads explosively along the damp fringes of streams and rivers, shading out and suffocating native flowers and plants, as has been occurring along the water course that flows through Coombe woods , whereas New Zealand stonecrop grows in shallow ponds and forms a dense blanket over native species of pondweed and water plants in the area of the wildlife sanctuary.

With a plummet in the woodland mouse population, tawny owls have gone hungry and been forced to hunt in daylight or disperse to new territory in search of food.

Bryan Raines

Awbridge Gardening Club

The winter has also been difficult for the local barn owls which predominantly hunt field voles. Field voles require areas of undisturbed grassland and have enjoyed a population boom as the result of the creation of new forestry plantations within the area of the Wildlife Sanctuary, where lush grass has flourished. For our resident barn owls, this new habitat has been critically important this winter, in saving them from starvation.

Our February meeting took place on Wednesday 13th February when Mr. Kevin Hobbs talked to us on “Autumn beauties”. With all the resources of the Hillier Arboretum to call on, he showed us the wonderful autumn colours of trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs, many of them unusual cultivars. His enthusiasm was plain to see, and infectious.

Cherry Laurel , an unwelcome alien!

Eileen Henderson

The cherry laurel was introduced to Britain from southeast Europe in 1576 for use as an ornamental evergreen hedge and by the 1960`s it had become a familiar feature of suburban gardens. Also planted up by estate managers to screen off woodlands and land, as well as provide cover for pheasants, today this invasive and unwelcome alien species is being allowed to grow unchecked along miles of roadside verge. Cherry laurel is very hardy and grows vigorously even when planted in shade and on the poorest of soils. If left unmanaged, cherry laurel will spread out across woodland by layering and suckering, as well as through seed dispersal from berries which are eaten by birds. Sadly, once cherry laurel establishes its grip on the landscape, it becomes an impenetrable shrub layer in which all other native plants and young trees become shaded out. Cherry laurel is of very limited ecological value, the leaves contain cyanide and are poisonous to browsing animals and leaf eating insects. The colonisation of hedgerows by cherry laurel is most apparent from Kimbridge through Awbridge along Danes Road, to Shootash then on down to Woodington in the direction of Wellow, where the introduction of this unwelcome alien species, is slowly transforming much of the road side verge into an unattractive overgrown monoculture, devoid of wildlife. The cherry laurel has been used very much as a quick fix, that is simple to grow and will rapidly screen off all from view, however managing a mature rapid growing hedge can quickly become a nightmare, as cherry laurel will always outgrow its plot. If the cherry laurel is pruned to restrict its growth, it becomes very unsightly. The disposal of cherry laurel hedge clippings can be extremely burdensome for they are bulky and do not rot down or burn easily. Another aggressive unwelcome alien is the rhododendron, which was introduced from Asia to be planted as game cover in local woodland .

The March meeting will be held on March 13th when Mr Steve Austin will talk to us on “Westonbirt’s magical maples”. Visitors are welcome to join us.

MBR PLUMBING & BATHROOMS * Free Estimates * * Competitive Rates*

Call Matthew Rowe on 01794 341709 or 07831 624887

*** EMERGENCY CALLOUT *** * Complete Bathroom Refits inc tiling * * New toilets/baths/basins supplied & fitted * * Leaks fixed * * Showers supplied and repaired * * Washing machines & Dishwashers installed * * Gutters/Drainage etc *

NO JOB TOO SMALL !!! Page 11 | March 2013

Awbridge Parish Council Chair: Mark Caplen - 342315,

mcaplen@googlemail.com

Councillors: Peter Allen 342040, Peter Milani 523066 Pam Harvey 341259 Paul Legon 340539

allen609@btinternet.com peter.r.milani@googlemal.com pam.harveyp@virgin.net legon@btinternet.com

Parish council members are mindful of the current economic climate and looked long and hard at each element of the budget before reaching their decision. The precept does represent a marked increase from the previous financial year. However, parish council members feel that the precept balances prudent financial management with the increasing financial resource implications of the parish council’s growing role in supporting the health and wellbeing of all parishioners. Ian Milsom – Clerk to the Parish Council

Clerk: Ian Milsom 07745411274 awbridgeclerk36@googlemail.com

Awbridge Village Lunches 2012

Parish Council Website http://communities.hants.gov.uk/awbridge-index

Would you like to join friends and neighbours from the village for Lunch?

Parish council sets budget for 2013/14 At its meeting on 31 January the parish council set its budget for the coming financial year. The budget forms the ‘precept’, which is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, Test Valley Borough Council, which collects the tax for the Parish Council. The precept is converted into an amount per council tax band and forms part of the overall council tax bill, along with the precepts set by Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Police Authority, Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire Fire & Rescue Authority. The precept set by the parish council is £25.25 for a Band D property. This means that residents will pay on average only about 48p per week, per household, for the services that the Parish Council provides. These include maintaining local amenities such as notice boards, benches, flower beds, stiles, grit bins and dog waste bins. The parish council also supports local groups and local conservation.

Skittles & Supper Evening Starts at 7pm on Friday 22 March 2013 organised by All Saints Church, Awbridge The Star Inn, East Tytherley

Menu Main course e.g. Shepherd’s pie Home-made pudding Tea or coffee At 12 noon Awbridge Village Hall Wednesday 27th March - £4 per person Wednesday 26th June - £4 per person Wednesday 25th September - £4 per person Wednesday 11th December- £6 per person, Christmas Lunch Booking and Transport arrangements:

To let us know numbers for catering, please ring the Neighbourcare co-ordinator on 0845 094 6155 by the Monday before the lunch. If you would like transport, at no cost to you, please ask the coordinator at the same time. (If you normally attend the All Saints lunch, arrangements for booking are the same as usual). These lunches are being jointly organised by All Saints Church and Awbridge Neighbourcare with catering provided by a team of cooks and volunteers. We hope that you will come and enjoy these events.

Tickets: £7.50 including a hot meal To reserve tickets contact:

Kindling Wood

James Alexander on 340386 or email p.alexander386@btinternet.com

£ 3 a bag !

or John Harris on 341877 or email jrharrisharris@btinternet.com

Adam & Jacob’s pocket money project Clean pinewood for bird and bat box’s etc

Closing date for bookings is Thursday 14 March

01794 340175

Page 12 | March 2013

Awb ridge

If you would like your event in the diary, send the details to bertanddoris@btinternet.com

V I L L A G E

Diary

Date

Event

Venue

Time

Monday 11 March

Carpet Bowls

Awbridge Village Hall

7.30pm

Saturday 23 March

Litter Pick

Awbridge Village Hall

10am

Wednesday 27 March

Village Lunch

Awbridge Village Hall

12 noon

Saturday 11 May

Village Fete

Awbridge Village Hall

1pm

Wednesday 26 June

Village Lunch

Awbridge Village Hall

12 noon

Saturday 29 June

Lockerley Village Fete

Glebe Field, Lockerley

tbc

Sunday 07 July

Awbridge Summer Fun Day

Awbridge Village Hall

12 noon

Sunday 21 July

Inter-Village Fun Day

Mottisfont Village Hall

tbc

Sunday 11 August

Mottisfont Village Fete

Mottisfont Village Hall

2pm

Saturday 07 September

Produce Show

Awbridge Village Hall

TBC

Wednesday 25 September

Village Lunch

Awbridge Village Hall

12 noon

Wednesday 11 December

Village Lunch

Awbridge Village Hall

12 noon

Friday 20 December

ADVA Disco

Awbridge Village Hall

6pm

Kooking with Kate Kate Buchan, Sous Chef at Kimbridge Restaurant. Gives you your Seasonal Produce Recipe

Spiced parsnip soup

T his soup is given a special touch with aromatic spiced garlic and mustard seed garnish. This recipe serves 4 to 6 persons. Shopping List: For the stock 3 tablespoons of butter 1 large onion 1.5-2kg of parsnips 1 teaspoon of ground coriander ½ teaspoon of cumin ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper 4 vegetable or chicken stock cubes 150ml of double cream 1 tablespoon of sunflower/vegetable oil 1 garlic clove finally sliced 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seeds Salt and pepper

How to make it: Firstly peel and chop the parsnips then, roughly chop the onion. In a large saucepan melt the butter and add the onion and the parsnips and slowly fry off for about 3 minutes, stir in the cumin, coriander and the cayenne pepper and continue to fry for another 2 minutes. Dissolve the stock cubes in 800ml of boiling water and add to the pan, lower the heat under the pan and cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes until the parsnips are soft. Leave to cool slightly then with a hand blender or a food processer blend the mix until the soup is completely smooth. Taste and season accordingly. Return the soup to a clean pan and add the cream and heat thoroughly over a low heat. In a small pan heat the sunflower/vegetable oil and once hot, add the finely sliced garlic and mustard seeds and quickly fry until the garlic starts to brown and the seeds start to pop. Remove from the heat. Place the hot soup into bowls and garnish the tops of the soup with the fried garlic and mustard seeds.

Please remember to mention Awbridge News when responding to any adverts in the newsletter

Page 13 | March 2013

Awb ridge

If you would like your organisation/amenity in the directory, send your details to bertanddoris@btinternet.com

V I L L A G E