Families Solent West issue 23 July/August 2011

Issue 23 – July/August 2011 www.familiessolentwest.co.uk

FREE Magazine

SOLENT WEST • Temporary hair extensions to take home and glitter spray

• Child friendly make up • Nail painting and nail art • Temporary body art and stick on jewels

• Games and prizes • Gift for the birthday girl A fun party makeover for • Party bags supplied at extra cost girls aged between 4-16 • Invitations provided

0845 390 1010 www.gorgeousgirlsparty.co.uk 2 hour all-inclusive party package – call for details or visit our website

ALL THE LATEST NEWS & AN EXTENSIVE GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON IN YOUR LOCAL AREA Distribution: Warsash, Botley, Eastleigh, Chandlers Ford, Romsey, Lockerley, Alresford, Winchester, Southampton, Totton, Hythe, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Lymington and all the places in between.

RSPCA Woofers & Tailwaggers Dog Show Monday 29 August 11am-4pm – Entries from 10.30am

Southsea Common (next to Kite Festival) £1 per class Plus Stalls in Marquee

Contact 01329 666916 The Stubbington Ark Animal Shelter Reg Charity No 205096

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Families Solent West

July – August 2011

Families Solent West

Welcome to our 2011 Summer issue With a huge amount to do over the Summer holidays, see our ‘what’s-on’ pages for inspiration and get out and about with the little ones, or if you plan to have a few days in the garden as well then take a look at the article on page 20, some great ideas for you and the children, which they will just love.

Whatever you do this Summer, we hope you have lots of fun...

Enjoy...

Regards Beth Tired of juggling family and work commitments?

Do you need balance and a flexible lifestyle?

Would a regular part time income make a difference to your quality of life?

If you are honest, ethical, hard working, self motivated and have a managerial, teaching/training, HR, sales/ marketing, recruitment or self employed background or perhaps you have retired or taken a career break to raise a family then we would love to hear from you.

Call Hesione Waugh on 01329 232 084 / 07794127732 or email hesione.waugh@yahoo.co.uk Life is for living! Are you living the life you want?

THERE’S A NEW PARTY IN TOWN… pass it on!

Jamie Oliver is coming to Town!

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to be part of his exciting new business Jamie at Home. We are currently seeking self-employed Managers and Consultants with or without Party Plan experience and anyone looking for extra income in 2011.

Could this be you?

For more details contact Sarah on 07796 170200 or vc_sarah@hotmail.com.

July – August 2011

Spread The Word!

If you know of a nursery, school or other place that parents visit regularly that would like to receive FREE copies of Families Solent West please get in touch and we will bring some round.

Copyright: Families Solent West, July/August 2011.

Data Protection: if you send us your name and address in order to receive free samples or to enter a competition offering prizes in Families Solent West, we may supply your details to the company offering the samples or prizes. If you would prefer us NOT to do so please state this clearly on your entry.

Disclaimer: Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at the owners own risk and whilst every care is taken, neither Families Solent West nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage. We take care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

Families Groups: Families Solent West is part of a group established in 1990, headed by Families South West. All magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

Magazine Designed by www.MatoboDesign.com

Families Solent West

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Families Solent West July/August 2011

contents 4, 5 & 6 NEWS Local news and updates covering events and services 7 EDUCATION Schools and Tutoring programmes 8 – 9 WHY CAN’T WE LOVE OUR BODIES? What do you say to yourself about what you see?

10 – 19 WHAT’S ON Activities and events across the whole area 20 SUMMER WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE GARDEN Garden ideas for all the family 20 – 21 CHILDCARE All types of childcare 22 HOTEL REVIEW 23 COMPETITIONS Win tickets to local parks and attractions for you and your family Editor: Beth Taylor E-mail: editor@familiessolentwest.co.uk FAMILIES SOLENT WEST www.familiessolentwest.co.uk Tel: 01329 310994 Next Issue: September/October 2011 Editorial & Booking deadline: 5 August 2011 To advertise in Families Solent West: Call 01329 310994 or email ads@familiessolentwest.co.uk To place editorial: Email editor@familiessolentwest.co.uk To place a classified advert: Email classifieds@familiessolentwest.co.uk

www.familiessolentwest.co.uk

Early Years Education in Romsey...

Romsey Community Pre-school provides Early Years education for children aged 2 years 9 months to school entry and are based within The Romsey School site.

The Pre-school were the first in the area to become accredited with the Pre-school Learning Alliance in 1998 and have continued to retain this accolade every three years since then.

Romsey Community Pre-school is open 5 mornings during term time and to provide continuity for the children all staff who are level 3 qualified, work every day.

Spaces are available for September please ring Michelle on 01794 527011 between 8.30 am and 1pm.

Looking for a swim school in your area?

G Ball Swim School is a family run swim school focused on providing high quality services and customer satisfaction. We will do everything we can to meet your expectations.

With staff on hand during lessons times and our approachable pool coordinators you’ll never have a question or query un answered. we know how important it is to make you and you child comfortable when joining our learn to swim programs.

With a variety of swimming lessons and locations to choose from visit our website www.gballswimschool.co.uk and if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us to discuss your swimming requirements.

Fancy a change in direction?

Forever Living Products could be for you...

Hesione Waugh has worked with Forever Living Products for the last 6 years. Hesione says ‘I work from home, fitting this opportunity around my 3 children within a very hectic family life. I’m there for all of their plays, sports days, activities and school holidays. I have an extremely good income and work with a team of fantastic people. Lots of different people work with this company, from all types of backgrounds including Managing Directors, Child Minders, Marketing Executives, Aerobic Instructors, Housewives, Hairdressers, Beauticians, Teachers, retired people, to name but a few. They work with Forever for different reasons too; extra income, more time, flexibility, financial security, to boost a pension, and fun!’

If you’d like to find out more, please visit www.hesionewaugh.myforever.biz or phone me on 01329 232 084 / 07794127732

is packed with really useful local information to help make your family life a little easier.

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Families Solent West

July – August 2011

News Kids love drama, parents love the results!

Classes in: Lordshill and Eastleigh.

The Hampshire Baby and Toddler Exhibition is an exciting event for families and parents-to-be We have over 70 exhibitors offering a wide range special show only offers and discounts. We will be running a fantastic timetable of activities including the ‘Face of the Baby Show’ competition, baby first aid, football tasters for toddlers, baby signing, face painting, a charity raffle and we are very proud to be supporting our chosen charity – Honeypot. With great facilities at the event including; baby changing, a feeding cafe and a breast feeding area, free parking and 500 free goody bags to be given away this event is not to be missed! The event will be held at the City Cruise Terminal, Southampton on Sunday 2 October.

ACT NOW – PHONE 0845 226 8117 or email soton@helenogrady.co.uk And we’ll tell you more about Helen O’Grady Drama Classes www.helenogrady.co.uk

Boost your child’s confidence and communication skills with Helen O’Grady drama classes.

For children aged 3 to17, our unique programme provides the best possible preparation for growing up.

Development through Drama.

Free taster session.

Advanced tickets are £3.50 and available online www.thehampshirebabyandtoddlerexhibition.co.uk

To advertise in Families Solent West, email ads@familiessolentwest.co.uk or contact us on 01329 310994 for more information regarding advertising costs.

July – August 2011

Families Solent West

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News What’s hiding in Mottisfont’s enchanted garden this summer?

45 minute classes – no enrolment fee £4.00 per class payable termly in advance Dance, Rhythm, Coordination, Imagination, Fun For Boys and Girls aged 2-5

(Romsey Rapids members £3.50)

THURSDAYS 10.45am @ ROMSEY RAPIDS Call Emma on

0781 8406831

Flower Fairies ™© The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 2011

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the family, come to Mottisfont near Romsey for an adventure. From 2 July to 2 October, ‘Enchanted Garden: Flower Fairies™ and Dark Tales’ offers families the chance to go hunting for magic and mystery in this lovely National Trust property.

Set off on an exciting game of clues and challenges designed by the House of Fairy Tales. The interactive trail leads you around the gardens and woodland then into the house, and upstairs to Mottisfont’s spacious new galleries. Here, you’ll find 30 original Flower Fairy™ watercolour illustrations, made by Cicely Mary Barker for her famous books, as well as contemporary works that explore the darker side of fairy tales. Dare you look into the cupboard to find what artist Tessa Farmer has placed there?

Special events include fairy gatherings on the first weekend of each month, when there’ll be storytelling, face-painting and craft activities, all free of charge. Come in costume and get a free fairy cake! There are also woodcraft workshops and creative writing sessions for all ages. Mottisfont is open every day from 10am to 5pm.

See www.nationaltrust.org.uk and search for Mottisfont events for more details.

Southampton’s Oxford Street launches stunning new Arts and Design-led Craft Market Southampton’s Oxford Street Traders are proud to announce the launch of a stunning new arts and design-led crafts market set to take place on the 4th Sunday of every month, 11am – 5pm.

The market aims to highlight the superb high standard of creative work produced in and around Southampton, whether fine art, hand made jewellery, graphics, sculpture, illustration, textiles, including shabby chic, together with Vintage clothes and records will be on sale and members of the public can buy direct from the artist or maker. This market follows a highly successful market already established in Winchester and the creation of the market is the remarkable achievement of the Oxford Street Traders Association collaboration with the same team.

Oxford Street, regarded as being central to the maritime history of the city, is also the food epicentre of Southampton. Visitors attending the market will have a wide variety of choices for brunch, lunch or afternoon tea from a wide range of restaurants and bars. The aim is to bring a vibrant creative vibe to the area to enhance the existing food quarter making it an ideal day out for all the family.

For further info call 02380 001655 or visit www.artdesignmarket.co.uk

Franchise For Sale

Come and visit us at www.familiessolentwest.co.uk

Smallprint specialises in creating silver Jewellery which captures children’s fingerprints, hand and footprints, as well as drawings and hand-writing. Each item is hand-finished providing customers with pieces of Jewellery unique in every way.

So why not have the luxury of being your own boss with flexible hours, working around your family life running a successful tried and tested Smallprint business covering mid/south Hampshire.

Full training and ongoing support given, lots of potential!

Interested? Contact suzanne@smallp.co.uk for further information.

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Families Solent West

July – August 2011

WIN!

Education Easy2Name Off to School set We have 5 Easy2Name Off to School sets to give away, each set is worth £17.90 and contains 30 waterproof stickers, 30 iron on name tapes, 1 set of shoe covers, 1 bag tag and 1 shoe bag.

To enter the draw simply send a postcard to Easy2Name School Give Away, 2 Malthouse Cottages, Ecchinswell, Newbury, Berks RG20 4UA. Please state clearly the name of your child and whether you require the shoe bag in red or blue.

The full Easy2Name range can be seen at www.easy2name.com

Don’t forget to say you saw these adverts in Families Solent West

Home-School Tutoring UK (est. 1984) Tutors (with full references/CRB checked) available for: • • • • •

All ages, levels and subjects Special Needs Support Exam Preparation Support with Home Schooling Holiday and/or Term time work

Initial consultation is free and without obligation

Please contact the Area Advisor for Hampshire (West & Central) Mrs Alex Murray-Twinn, BA (Hons) PGCE, NPQH e: alex.murray-twinn@homeschooltutoring.co.uk t: 02380 275573 www.homeschooltutoring.co.uk

July – August 2011

Families Solent West

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Why Can’t We Love Our Bodies?

By Abi Foss

Stockist: Seraphine www.seraphine.com 0870 609 2602

Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror naked? What do you say to yourself about what you see? Do you judge your body as too fat, too wobbly, too thin, too stretch-marked, too old, too out of proportion?

Do you despair about your dimpled thighs, loathe your jelly belly?

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Families Solent West

July May – August – June 2011

,,

N

ow, how would you feel if someone looked you up and down, shook their head, tut-tutted and pointed out every supposed bodily ‘flaw’ that they could see?

You’d probably tell them (or at least want to tell them) to shove their opinions up a certain part of their anatomy. That kind of talk, quite frankly, is insulting. How sad then, that we cannot delight in our bodies, whatever shape they are, these bodies that have produced our gorgeous (well, most of the time) kids. Why are we women so self-critical?

… And there lies the key: value and self-acceptance. “How do I know this body is the perfect one for me?” the spiritual teacher Byron Katie once asked. t.

“Because this is the one I have got.

Why argue with reality?”

,,

Holy Mother!

Mirror Anxiety According to an early 2011 study commissioned by the online fashion retailer isme.com, 90 per cent of women over forty are so unhappy with what they see in the mirror, they suffer from what researchers have dubbed ‘mid-life mirror angst syndrome’. I would bet this affects a large proportion of the under forties too. As a forty-something myself, it pains me to remember how little appreciation I had for my youthful, slender body with my then (perfectly normal), slightly rounded belly.

The one time I truly loved my belly was when I was pregnant; I felt almost regal, gliding around like a stately galleon. However, I have the kind of dry, sensitive skin that stretch-marks no matter how many expensive oils I lavish upon it. “Oh my God, Abi” a close friend of mine remarked when I showed her my new set of bright red marks, “that is reeeally bad.” (More than once, I have threatened to buy her gift vouchers for ‘The School of Tact’ for Christmas.)

These days, I have a post-pregnancy mummy tummy, which I could, I suppose, flatten down with vicious dieting and a punishing exercise regime. But, you know what? I really cannot be bothered. I mean, who would I be doing it for? To make me more presentable to others, so that they would like me more? To stop myself being self-critical? That would continue anyway – there will always be something about me, physical or otherwise, that is imperfect.

Many, many moons ago, aging mothers’ bodies were not just appreciated for their great contribution to the human race, they were considered to be sacred. Think of that! Droopy breasts, sagging bellies and saddle-bag thighs bringing people to their knees in reverence. I’m referring to the preChristian pagan traditions of ancestor and mother goddess worship. Archaeologists have found a whole rash of ‘venus figurines’ across Europe, Russia and Siberia, statuettes of women’s bodies that today are considered old and ugly, dating back from 11,000 to 35,000 BCE, making them some of the oldest items of prehistoric art known to humanity.

What our school history (and RE) curriculums do not teach us is that God has, in fact, been a woman for far longer than he/she (or it) has been a man (see: ‘When God Was a Woman’

by Merlin Stone, or the ‘Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets’ by Barbara G Walker).

Women’s bodies, with all their lumps and bumps, were considered divine for the simple fact that they created life. I believe we are still suffering the after effects of several thousand years of patriarchal religious denunciation of the body, specifically women’s bodies, as sinful and dirty. And now we have images of models who barely eat and ruthless commercialism to contend with. We don’t love our bodies because our prevailing culture doesn’t value them, exactly as they are.

Reality Check Perfectly Imperfect Because, here’s the thing: perfection does not exist. Never has. Never will. Celebrities who have whole entourages on hand to groom them within an inch of their glamourous lives, still feel as insecure as the rest of us. Our whole Western culture, sadly, lives on a fast-food diet of digitally enhanced images of impossibly thin young women with flawless skin. We worship at the fountain of youth and poke fun at frail ‘old codgers’, studiously ignoring the fact that every single one of us will, at some point, age, wither and die. This strange state of denial is what drives the whole, multi-billion pound cosmetic industry.

,,

…h here’s the thing: perfection does not exist.

Never has. Never will. Celebrities who have whole entourages on hand to groom them within an inch of their glamourous lives, still feel as insecure as the rest of us. s..

July – August 2011

,,

And there lies the key: value and self-acceptance. “How do I know this body is the perfect one for me?” the spiritual teacher Byron Katie once asked. “Because this is the one I have got. Why argue with reality?”

When I look in the mirror these days, I consciously practice not arguing with reality. I am aging. Fact. And I have realised that aged faces with deep, wrinkled ‘laugh lines’ are far more endearing than airbrushed, soulless mannequin types. It is the kindness that emanates from people that makes them beautiful; like the grandmother who is always there with a warm cuddle and a bowl of soup just when you need it.

Somehow, I do not think that on my deathbed I will wish I had got myself a tummy tuck or Botoxed my forehead. If anything, I will wish I had loved my body more, and respected it as the incredibly intelligent, sophisticated, miraculous temporary space suit that it is.

Abi Foss is a hypnotherapist and writer on all things holistic and spiritual.

See: www.abifoss.co.uk Families Solent West

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4 July

Everyday until Fri 22 July

What's On July/Aug 2011 Where you see this symbol please visit...

www.hampshiretopattractions.co.uk w for more information and discount vouchers.

We aim to be as accurate as possible but the listings are compiled several weeks beforehand and may be subject to change. Please contact venues in advance to check details and prices.

Seasonal Trail: Sculpture Hunt I Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey www.hilliergardens.org.uk 01794 369318 enquiries Fun trail for families to follow as part of Art in the Garden sculpture exhibition.

Free with normal admission

1 July Little Owls Parent & Toddler Club Teddy Bears Picnic on the Farm Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 Fun, nature based activities in the Farm and Garden, Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. 10.00am – 12.00 noon or 1.00pm – 3.00pm session. Taster session & Friends of the Trust £4.00 per parent & child (plus £2.00 for each additional child/adult). Non-members £5.50/£2.75 Advance booking essential.

2 July Enchanted Garden: Flower Fairies™ and Dark Tales – Mottisfont, Nr Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0LP www.nationaltrust.org.uk 01794 340757 Fabulous family trail, unique exhibition and special events, from fairy gatherings to woodcraft workshops. to 2 October

The Sound Of Tudor Music at the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766

Calling 5 – 14 year olds

Come and join us for some fun, action-packed activities this summer!

Based at the Treehouse Study Centre & Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu TALES FROM THE FARM, A PIRATE’S LIFE FOR ME, BUTTERFLY SUMMER, ON SAFARI for 5 – 8 year olds SHIPWRECKED! for 8 – 10 year olds OUTWARD BOUND & SURVIVING THE WILD for 11 – 14 year olds Plus INTRODUCTION TO ARCHERY for families (children 8 years+) HARTFORD NAVIGATION CHALLENGE for families (children 7 years+)

(Details in the What’s on listings) For more details and bookings please contact the Countryside Education Trust Tel. 01590 612401/ email mail@cet.org.uk website: www.cet.org.uk

Tudor musicians, Kit and Kate, demonstrate how the Tudors made instruments. Hear them being played and have-a-go yourself. FREE with valid ticket and children must be accompanied by an adult, 10am – 4pm & 3 July

3 July Norton Rally – Watercress Line www.watercressline.co.uk 01962 733810 Over 100 bikes expected plus FREE vintage bus rides from Alton & 2 steam service – standard fares apply!

Live Music and Picnic in the Walled Garden. Basing House – in the Walled Garden, Basingstoke www.basinghouse.org.uk 01256 463965 Come along and join Essequibo Music for an afternoon of fusion from the Caribbean, India and Guyana. and 7 August: join the six-piece Dixieland band Grandpa’s Spells for an afternoon of jazz. The performances will take place in historic Walled Garden or Great Barn (depending on the weather!) from 12pm - 3pm. Adult £4.50, Concessions £4, Child (aged 5-15 yrs) £3.50, Family (2 adults + 2 children or 1 adults and up to 3 children) £12.

12 noon - 3pm 10

Families Solent West

Macbeth performed by the Pro-Teens Theatre Group The Great Barn at Basing House, Basingstoke www.basinghouse.org.uk 01256 463965 The Pro-teens are proud to present one of Shakespeare’s greatest and well known tragedies in a site specific version at Basing House. The Pro-teens are made up of teenage performers from across Basingstoke and North Hampshire and are the flagship theatre company attached to the Central Studio and Proteus Young People’s theatre. Please pre-book through Central Studios Tel: 01256 418318 or www.centralstudio.co.uk Adult £8, Concessions £7, Students & Child £6. 7pm & 5 July

Chatterbox Monday Intech Science Centre 01962 863791 Secret of the Cardboard Rocket – special planetarium showing where we don’t ask everyone to keep quiet.

2:40pm. +£2.20

Little Owls Parent & Toddler Club Teddy Bears Picnic on the Farm Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk Fun, nature based activities in the Farm and Garden, Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. 10.00am – 12.00 noon or 1.00pm – 3.00pm session.

Taster session & Friends of the Trust £4.00 per parent & child (plus £2.00 for each additional child/adult).

Non-members £5.50/£2.75 Advance booking essential.

9 July Justin Fletcher Paultons Park www.paultonspark.co.uk 02380 814442 Star of CBEEBIES “Something Special” and “Gigglebiz”, Justin Fletcher!

2 fantastic shows each day at 1.30pm and 3.30pm. Normal admission rates apply. No need to pre-book. & 10 July

How the Koala Learnt to Hug Theatre Royal Winchester www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk 01962 840440 This delightful show about the magic of family is the perfect introduction to theatre for children aged 4 and up.

Adapted from the children’s book by Steven Lee (The Witch’s Bogey and Bink and the Hairy Fairy), the show incorporates songs, games and first class hugging.

Steven will be available after the show to sign copies of How The Koala Learnt to Hug. 2.30pm

July – August 2011

Watercress Line Stag Owners Club Rally A fantastic vintage car, the Triumph Stag was manufactured between 1970 and 1977 and now has a loyal band of enthusiastic owners; come and enjoy our two steam service and see the Berks Bucks & Oxon group display of much loved vehicles at Ropley Station for one day only. Standard Fares Adult £14; Child (2-16) £7; Family £35

Victorian Village Wedding & Garden Fete Manor Farm Country Park The Madding Crowd invite you to join them for their Victorian wedding. Meet costumed characters from the past, take part in games and sideshows and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of traditional rural life. 10am – 5pm, Normal farm admission charge.

13 July Space Lecture Intech Science Centre 01962 863791 Astrobiology – the Hunt for Alien Life (Dr Lewis Dartnell) 6:30pm. £6/£5, age 11+

14 July ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Honey biscuits Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book 1 to 3pm. Where does food come from? £4.95 per adult (members free) £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

July – August 2011

15 July Strawberries and Steam Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway www.exbury.co.uk 023 8024 5750 Staged to celebrate the Hampshire Food Festival, enjoy a leisurely summer’s evening at beautiful Exbury Gardens in the New Forest. Enjoy a summer fruit cocktail on arrival before boarding carriages for a two-circuit run of the Rhododendron Line, where the railway’s Summer Lane Garden will be in full bloom. On the second circuit, the train will stop at Exbury North Station, where passengers have the choice of alighting and enjoying a 20 min guided walk through the Gardens, passing Jubilee Pond, the Jurassic Boardwalk and Hydrangea Walk. A delicious 2-course meal will be served in Mr Eddy’s Restaurant, with food sourced from Hampshire Suppliers – including of course, seasonal strawberries and cream! Tickets £25 per person. Call: 023 8024 5750 for tickets. 6.30pm – 10pm

Watercress Line Murder on the Watercress Line – steam hauled dining trains – it’s a murderous affair!

The date is Friday 13th March 2000, the time is around 8.15pm. We find ourselves at the first reunion of the 1975 local school drama club, otherwise known as The Ultimate Repertory Drama Society, the participants have been asked to attend in Gangsters and Molls fancy dress.

In 1975 the school secretary, Jane Wright, along with a cash box containing £5000 from the school safe disappeared without

trace. Whilst foundations were being dug for an extension to the school theatre last year the buried skeleton of a women was discovered along with an empty cash box!

Join some of the first members of the drama club, Kevin Bloom, Norman Church, Hugh G. Hampton, Rusty Gates, Mary Cooper, Bluebell Hill and Rose Bloom as they become enveloped in a dastardly Murder Mystery!

This is your opportunity to become the Detective and solve a murder whilst enjoying a wonderful meal onboard one of our steam trains. £75.00 per person (tables must be booked in multiples of 2).

Each couple will receive a complimentary bottle of wine with their meal.

16 July The Countryside on Show OPEN WEEKEND at the Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu 10.00am – 4.00pm each day. This event is organised jointly with the New Forest Vintage Tractor & Engine Club. Live events in the arena including - Synchronised Tractor Display Team - Vintage tractors & farm machinery - Craft, Woodworking & machinery demonstrations - Tractor & trailer/Pony Rides - Meet the farm animals - Refreshments with homemade cakes - Activities for the whole family £5.00 per adult, £3.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £4.50/£2.50 (with membership card) No need to book. Free car parking as directed opposite Out of Town Centre & 17 July

Circus Stars Summer Reading Challenge Winchester Discovery Centre The national Summer Reading Challenge, coordinated by The Reading Agency, is run in 95% of UK public libraries. With 750,000 children aged 4-11 taking part, the Summer Reading Challenge is the biggest national reading initiative. Winchester Discovery Centre is taking part in this years challenge and we’ve got lots of events and activities to create a real buzz around children’s reading.The challenge is simple – to read six or more library books over the summer.

What's On

10 July

to 10 September

17 July What’s That Tree?

Manor Farm Country Park Discover and identify the Park’s native trees on this ranger-led walk. 11am.

Meet at Toplands car park. Adult £3, Child £1. Booking essential

Watercress Line Come and see buses of all vintages, shapes and sizes at one of the South’s largest Bus Rallies 10am -5pm Anstey Park, Alton www.altonbusrally.org.uk with FREE Bus services from Anstey Park to Alton, Medstead & Four Marks railway stations.

An intensive train service will also be in operation at the Watercress Line – take the opportunity to visit the railway and see the restoration works underway in the locomotive shed at Ropley or visit our other stations. Bus Rally Fares; Adult £16; Child (2-16) £9; Family £40

Families Solent West

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What's On 23 July Guitar Circus Winchester Discovery Centre www.hants.gov.uk/wdc 01962 873603 Guitar Circus is an ensemble consisting of some of the most talented young classical guitarists in the UK. Organised and funded through The Arts Circus they have unparalleled musical coaching with internationally renowned guitarists Gary Ryan and Mark Ashford. Their exciting programme will include new works especially commissioned for Guitar Circus. £5.00. 1pm

Seasonal Trail: Sculpture Hunt II Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 369318 enquiries Fun trail for families to follow as part of Art in the Garden. Free with normal admission to 23 Sept

25 July Mixed Media Collage Workshop with Sue Riley Winchester Discovery Centre www.hants.gov.uk/wdc 01962 873603 Children draw around each other’s bodies, then return to their own drawing to collage a self portrait or a fictitious character i.e fireman. £8.00 per child (adult free). 4pm - 5.30pm

28 July Finger Puppet Fun Marwell Wildlife www.marwell.org.uk 01962777407 Finger tapping fun for all the family, Don’t miss our new home for Meerkats opening this summer holidays. to 13 Aug

Summer Holiday Fun at Basing House Basing House, Basingstoke www.basinghouse.org.uk 01256 463965 Check our website or call us for various children’s activities throughout the summer such as colouring, flag making and more! Adult £4.50, Concessions £4, Child (aged 5-15 yrs) £3.50, Family (2 adults + 2 children or 1 adults and up to 3 children) £12 to 4 Sept (except Fridays) 10am - 5pm

ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Make an impression Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book 10am to 12. Exploring textures £4.95 per adult (members free) £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

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Families Solent West

How to Look Good Tudor Style! at the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766

Family Activity Area on board HMS Warrior 1860 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766

Try one of our costumes and step back in time. Why not bring your camera to capture the moment? Free quiz for every child visiting the museum. FREE with a valid ticket and children must be accompanied by an adult. 11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm

Daily 10.30am – 4.30pm. Warrior’s gunroom is now somewhere you can bring your young sailors for R&R including costumed role play, toys, games and colouring. FREE with a valid ticket to 4 September

to 1 Aug

Tudor Games and Pastimes at the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Hands on activities for all the family.

11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm. FREE with a valid ticket and children must be accompanied by an adult to 7 August

30 July Exbury Tea Festival Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway Exbury’s third Tea Festival promises a celebration of the nation’s favourite drink! Housed in the Gardens, the Festival promises talks, trails and tastings - in fact everything connected with Tea! Not many people realise, but much of the world’s tea supply stems from Camellia sinensis – a plant found in abundance at Exbury. Children are welcomed to join in our Mad Hatter Tea Party and fancy dress parade! Halfprice Gardens admission applies for this event. & 31 July

Summer Evening: Latin Meets Swing.

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey Book online or tel: 01794 369318 7.30pm. Perfect music for a hot summer’s evening with a heady mix of Latin style Mambas and Bossa Novas to Swing and Dixi. Come along and show off your salsa moves! Gates open for picnics from 6pm. Early bird discount: Book before 20 July: Adults £12 Children £6. Book after 20 July: Adults £15 Children £8. Special Offer: Buy 4 get fifth ticket FREE

Victorian Seaside Weekend to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the commissioning of HMS Warrior on board HMS Warrior 1860 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766

31 July Peg Knitting Workshop

by Donna Vokes, Winchester Discovery Centre 01962 873603 Pick up this amazing new craft that allows you to knit a funky hat or scarf within an hour! We will also be experimenting with a variety of unusual materials to knit with such as wire, fabric and organic materials. Aimed at 8-11yrs, £15.00. 10.30 - 12.00 Noon

Recycled Outfit Workshop Winchester Discovery Centre 01962 873603 We will be embellishing our T-shirt’s (provided) using buttons, zips, fabric paints and crayons. Have a go at sewing on your T-shirt or just draw and get sticky with the glue! We will also be having fun designing and dressing a mannequin using newspaper and recycled fabric. Aimed at 8-11yrs, £15.00. 12.30pm - 2.00pm

August 1 August Summer Holiday Fun on the Farm Manor Farm Country Park Enjoy a fun family day out this summer.

Pop into the farmhouse to take part in arts and crafts or to give a helping hand with some old-fashioned household tasks, or take a Shetland pony ride in the field (weekdays only). Help the farmers as they milk the cows, listen out for the bell to take a Victorian school lesson, and meet our animals.

10am - 5pm daily. Normal farm admission charge. (Additional charge for pony rides.) Pony rides suitable for ages 2+. to 2 September

Spinnaker Tower In Search of Sea Creatures – Under the Sea! www.spinnakertower.co.uk

Join thirty Officers’ and crew on board for a weekend of Victorian naval traditions – see gun drills, small arms demonstrations and Victorian messing including sea songs, knot tying, plus all the fun of the seaside – street entertainers, Punch & Judy show, games & pastimes plus children’s activities, storytelling and workshops. FREE with a valid ticket. 10am - 4.30pm

Family fun as the Spinnaker Tower goes under water. Help fill the fantasy aquarium by decorating your own crafty sea creatures. Plus rockpool residents from the award-winning Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea will be making special appearances in the Spinnaker Tower every Monday and Friday throughout August as part of a marine awareness promotion.

& 31 July

to 2 Sept

Simply call:

01329 310994 or email ads@familiessolentwest.co.uk for information on how to get your own local advert into our next issue...

On Safari for 5 – 8 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 1.00pm at the Treehouse Study Centre, Beaulieu. An Out of Africa experience! Fun games and crafts with an African flavour. Cost: Single sessions £8.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £7.00. (Snacks are provided in these sessions) All 4 sessions £30.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £26.00 per child

Art on Mondays Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 369318 enquiries 1.30 - 4pm. Make and take art and crafts.

Free with normal admission. These events are free for children but a £1 donation per child to support our Education Service would be much appreciated. No prebooking required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. & 8, 15, 22 & 29 Aug

2 August Bugs & Beasties!

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 369318 enquiries 1.30 to 4pm. Bugs and beasty hunts around the Gardens. Free with normal admission. These events are free for children but a £1 donation per child to support our Education Service would be much appreciated. No pre-booking required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. & 9, 16, 23 & 30 Aug

Pony Days Longdown Activity Farm www.longdownfarm.co.uk 02380 292837 Pony mad youngsters will love our ‘Pony Days’ on Tuesday 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd August when we will be introducing some extra equine activities to our day. For more details, check out our website nearer the time. & 9, 16 and 23 August

Big Owls Club – Happy Harvesters Countryside Education Trust Fun, discovery activities for 4 – 6 year olds with adults. 10.00am – 12.30pm or 1.30pm – 4.00pm session at the Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. Friends of the Trust £5.00 per adult & child (plus £2.50 for each additional child/adult).

Non-members £6.00/£3.00 July – August 2011

What's On July – August 2011

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What's On Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in August Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside! on board HMS Warrior 1860 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 11am – 4pm. All the fun of a Victorian seaside holiday! Dress up and promenade along the “pier”, become a pier entertainer, put on a Punch and Judy show and make a souvenir to take home. FREE with a valid ticket, Children must be accompanied. through to 1 Sept

Every Tuesday in August Macramé Workshop on board HMS Warrior 1860 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am – 4.30pm. FREE with a valid ticket.

All ages welcome.

All Hands on Deck on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11.30am – 12.30pm. What is a fid?

Where would you find a holy stone?

Join us for fascinating, themed objecthandling sessions on HMS Victory led by the Learning Volunteer Team.

FREE with a valid ticket.

All ages welcome.

Rabbit & Small Animal Care Manor Farm Country Park Pick up tips for caring for your pet rabbit or similar small animal at these informal farmyard advice sessions.

(Please do not bring your pet with you!) 3pm, Included in normal farm admission charge.

3 August Make a Dreamcatcher Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Come along and make a natural dreamcatcher (string tying a necessity!).

Any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm. Cost £2.00 per dreamcatcher

Archaeological Pits sessions Basing House, Basingstoke www.basinghouse.org.uk 01256 463965 Adults and children can experience an introduction to field archaeology with this 2 hour pre-booked session from 1pm - 3pm. A great way for a family to work as a team. You will have the opportunity to work in a model pit to dig for finds and learn about the different tasks that make up archaeological fieldwork, handle original finds from the site and make recordings in a variety of ways plus a general questions and answer session. Please pre-book via telephone for Weds 3, 10, 17, 24 or 31 August. & 10, 17, 24 & 31 August

Outward Bound for 11–14 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 4.00pm. Scale the climbing wall and trek in the Forest with team challenges on the way.

Treasure Island at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 Ahoy there! Join us all you marauding pirates for maritime mayhem inspired by the exciting stories of Long John Silver, Jim Hawkins and Captain Flint!

Then find out how the Navy dealt with boisterous buccaneers in the past.

Cost: £20.00 per child, Friends £18.00 per child. 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm

Weaving Wednesdays!

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 369318 enquiries

Butterfly Summer for 5–8 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401

1.30 to 4pm. Braid friendship bracelets and have a go at weaving and felt making.

Expert guidance from the Hampshire’s Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers. Free with normal admission. These events are free for children but a £1 donation per child to support our Education Service would be much appreciated. No prebooking required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

10.00am – 1.00pm at the Treehouse Study Centre, Beaulieu. Discover the dazzling world of butterflies. Learn about the lifecycles of these amazing animals and make some beautiful butterfly creations to take home.

Cost: Single sessions £8.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £7.00. (Snacks are provided in these sessions) All 4 sessions £30.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £26.00 per child

& 10, 17 & 24 Aug

4 August ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Summer Meadows Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book 10am to 12 Noon. Wild flowers £4.95 per adult (members free) £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

Craft Fun Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Come along and get sticky and messy in our summer holiday craft session. Any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Cost £1.50 per child.

Circus Science Show Winchester Discovery Centre 01962 873603 9.30am - 10.30am. In his own unique madcap style, Professor CIRCUS sets out to defy the laws of gravity and understand what forces are all about.

He performs spectacular feats of juggling and balancing acts to astound and amuse, with lots of audience participation, comedy and laughter.

Circus Science teaches our future young scientists the physics of motion and balance by watching circus and magic tricks with a splash of comedy. £4 per person, for 5-7 year olds accompanied by an adult ticket buyer.

Circus Skills Workshop – Juggling Workshop, Winchester Discovery Centre 12.30 - 2.30pm. Workshop with scarves, balls, flower sticks, ball cups and hat manipulation. This workshop will also include some free time where other equipment will be available such as pedal races,mini bike, stilts, tightrope and even unicycles. £8 per child (Parent is free). Suitable for 5 - 7 year olds.

Parents must attend.

Circus Skills Workshop – Balancing Workshop, Winchester Discovery Centre 3pm - 5pm. Workshop with diabolos, spinning plates, feathers and unicycles.

This workshop will also include some free time where other equipment will be available such as pedal races, mini bike, stilts and tightrope. £8 per person (Parent is free). Suitable for 5 - 7 year olds. Parents must attend.

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Every Thursday in August Tiny Tots Telescope Tales at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am - 12pm. Come along to the Family Area for fun, seaside stories, singing and rhymes plus simple craft activities for little ones! FREE drop-in session for Under 5’s and accompanying adults.

Knots and Ropes on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Try not to get tangled up as you use string and rope to make your own maritime creations. FREE with a valid ticket, no booking required. 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm

Punch & Judy Shows Manor Farm Country Park A traditional puppet show for all the family. & 11, 18 & 25 Aug

5 August The Big Bug Hunt Manor Farm Country Park See which bugs, beetles and butterflies you can find in the park. 11am. Meet at Toplands car park. Adult £3, Child £1.

Booking essential. & 12, 19 & 26 Aug

Mr Benn Theatre Royal Winchester www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk 01962 840440 Join Mr Benn in this magical, musical show for everyone aged 3 and up. Mr Benn’s world is turned upside down when he is invited to a fancy dress party and discovers a small dusty shop overflowing with costumes. The shopkeeper shows him into a changing room with a special door that leads to extraordinary adventures. at 1.30pm & Sat 6 Aug at 10.30am and 1.30pm

Please say you saw it listed in Families Solent W Westt July – August 2011

What's On July – August 2011

Families Solent West

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What's On 6 August Watercress Line www.watercressline.co.uk 01962 733810 Day Out With Thomas Last chance to see Thomas at the Watercress Line in 2011 during the Summer holiday.You can travel all day behind large steam engines such as ‘Henry’.

‘Daisy’ the diesel railcar will also be here; FREE activities, bouncy castle slide and miniature railway, children’s entertainment and of course, rides behind ‘Thomas’, ‘Diesel’ and ‘Toad’. Day Out With Thomas; Adult £16; Child (2-16) £10; Family £48 to 14 Aug

7 August Farmyard Tales Manor Farm Country Park Join us on the farm for the telling of Aesop’s animal fables. Sessions available morning and afternoon. & 14, 21 & 28 Aug

Experience the 1940s event Milestones – Hampshire’s Living History Museum, Basingstoke www.milestones-museum.com 01256 477766 Experience the 1940s at Milestones Museum at this special event which will feature singalongs with Basingstoke Amateur Operatics Society, re-enactors from the ‘On Parade’ group, social history presentations from the Milestones costumed interpreters team, 40s sweet shop and more. Adult £7.90, Concession £6.90, Child (aged 5-15 yrs) £4.75, Family (2 adults + 2 children) £22.75. Under 5s FREE. 11am - 4.45pm

The Last Straw!

Manor Farm Country Park A day of straw crafts including corn dollies and a Skep making class, organised by the Fareham & District Bee Keepers Association. 10am – 5pm: Included in normal farm admission charge.

8 August Summer Activity Week for 6–11 year olds Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Indoor and outdoor activities, games and crafts for children including campfire cookery and den building. £85.00 per child. Booking essential to 12 Aug

Shipwrecked for 8 – 10 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 4.00pm each day at the Treehouse Study Centre, Beaulieu. Get cast away on Hartford Island and join our Treehouse paradise. Make driftwood art, compete with a rival island and find the buried treasure.

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Families Solent West

Cost: All 4 days £50.00 per child, Friends of the trust £45.00 per child.

Separate days £15.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £12.50 per child. to 11 Aug

Longdown Activity Farm Great Fun Farm Forage www.longdownfarm.co.uk 02380 292837 Something for all those super sleuths out there – a lucky dip prize for children that finish the trail. Great for super snoopers and nosey parkers! to 14 Aug

Circus Skill Children’s Workshop Winchester Discovery Centre “The circus skills workshops run by Devon-based duo Circus Berzercus are second to none.” Try your hand at juggling, plate spinning, balancing, scarf/poi , Wire walking, diabolo, ribbon dancing, basic acrobatics and human pyramids!

Come along and have fun! £25 per child, suitable for 8 - 12 yr olds. 10am - 4pm

10 August The Seven Voyages Of Sinbad The Sailor at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 Sail the seven seas with Sinbad and play ‘spot the sea monster’ with our ancient maps and charts.Then get inspired by the stories of giant whales, monster birds and shining treasures to make your own fantastic creation. 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm

Paint your own Mug, Winchester Discovery Centre 10am - 11.30am & 2pm - 3.30pm. To tie in with the Tea exhibition, come have fun painting your own special mug using quick-drying paint pens. All equipment provided. Some design suggestions will be provided by local artist Jenny Hill or create your own design. £10 per child, suitable for 8+.

11 August Make Do And Mend on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 Have fun making your own fabric art and discover how to ‘Make do and Mend’ just like a sailor! FREE with a valid ticket, no booking required.

11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm

What’s for Tea Winchester Discovery Centre To tie in with the Tea exhibition join us for a Mad Hatters creative tea party!

Make amazing hats in the shape of tea pots, fairy cakes and cups and saucers.

Use lots of lovely fabrics, sequins and pom poms. Bring your hats with you to our fantastic Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Tues 16th August. £12 per child (adult free), suitable for 5 - 7 yrs with an adult.

10am - 12noon & 2 – 4pm

ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Mammal Mysteries Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book 10am to 12 Noon. Garden mammals explored. £4.95 per adult (members free). £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

12 August Introduction to Archery Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 11.30am and 2.00pm – 3.30pm at the Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. Learn the basics of bare bow shooting and take part in some archery games. Suitable for children aged 8+.

Children must be accompanied by a participating adult. Leaders are GNAS qualified staff of the Countryside Education Trust. Cost: £10.00 per person, Friends of the Trust £8.00 per person.

Mini Circus Workshop Winchester Discovery Centre 10am - 12noon & 2 - 4pm. Create your own mini circus, use wire, textiles, modelling clay and recycled materials to make the Bigtop,performers and animals. £12 per child, adult free for 10am workshop (10am - 5-7 yr olds with a parent, 2 - 4pm aimed at 8-12 yr olds).

13 August 10th anniversary celebration weekend, Exbury Gardens Railway Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway www.exbury.co.uk 023 8089 1203 Join in with celebrations as the Exbury Gardens Railway celebrates its 10th anniversary with visiting locomotives, triple-heading, models and miniatures in the Engine Shed, special NAFAS flower displays and lots of entertainment. & 14 Aug

14 August Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ Theatre Production Marwell Wildlife www.marwell.org.uk Visit during the Summer holidays and watch the magic of Kipling’s Jungle Book unfold in a truly unique setting. In association with Eastleigh’s The Point Youth Theatre, we are proud to present the award winning writer, Neil Duffield’s, adaptation of this heart warming tale, with original songs and music by Hampshire based composer Ivan Stott.

FREE with entry to the park, this family friendly production will be taking place twice daily and invites you to join Mowgli as he travels with his friends Baloo and Bagheera on a quest to discover the secret of man’s red flower, closely followed by Shere Khan the Tiger. to 27 Aug (excluding 22 Aug)

15 August Shipwrecked for 8 – 10 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 4.00pm each day at the Treehouse Study Centre, Beaulieu. Get cast away on Hartford Island and join our Treehouse paradise. Make driftwood art, compete with a rival island and find the buried treasure.

Cost: All 4 days £50.00 per child, Friends of the trust £45.00 per child.

Separate days £15.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £12.50 per child. to 18 Aug

Summer Activity Week for 6 – 11 year olds Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Indoor and outdoor activities, games and crafts for children including campfire cookery and den building. £85.00 per child. Booking essential to 19 Aug

16 August Introduction to Archery Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 11.30am and 2.00pm – 3.30pm at the Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. Learn the basics of bare bow shooting and take part in some archery games. Suitable for children aged 8+.

Children must be accompanied by a participating adult. Leaders are GNAS qualified staff of the Countryside Education Trust.

Cost: £10.00 per person, Friends of the Trust £8.00 per person.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Winchester Discovery Centre Cooking: 10-11.30 and 12-1.30pm, Party - 2pm to 3.30pm. To tie in with the Tea exhibition book onto one of our Mad Hatters Tea Party cooking sessions at either 10am or 12 noon and then come along to our Mad Hatters Tea Party at 2pm in our Performance Hall. Families can enjoy a fun and crazy cookery lesson making sweet scones with Jam and Cream, Cheese palmiers and silly Mad Hatter party sandwiches. £20 per child (adult to accompany, free), suitable for 4-7 year olds.

17 August Jason And The Argonauts at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm. Discover the world of the ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses through our magnificent figurehead collection. Then join Jason on his journey to find the Golden Fleece – who will you meet along the way?

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What's On July – August 2011

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What's On Take Flight – make and take Winchester Discovery Centre – City Space 10am - 4pm. Fee event, drop in and have fun making a pop-up bird card to colour in. Suitable for age 6+. All materials provided. Adult to remain during activity.

Spinnaker Tower www.spinnakertower.co.uk

Fabric Leaf Print Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080

Captain Barnacles, leader of the Octonauts crew, from the popular illustrated books and animated TV series, will be exploring the Spinnaker Tower at intervals throughout the day to greet visitors.

Come along and use fabric paint to make leaf prints for a wallhanging. Any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Cost £2.00 per wallhanging.

18 August Craft Fun Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Come along and get sticky and messy in our summer holiday craft session. Any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Cost £1.50 per child

Scrimshaw Carvings on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 10am – 12 noon. Use special modelling materials to sculpt your own scrimshaw inspired by those created by sailors in the past. FREE with a valid ticket, no booking required.

ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Clever Climbers, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book 10am to 12 Noon. Clever climbing plants. £4.95 per adult (members free). £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

19 August Longdown Activity Farm – Animal rescue with the animal team – Hampshire fire and rescue, Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst www.longdownfarm.co.uk 02380 292837 We are very excited to be welcoming some local super heroes! The animal rescue team from Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst Hampshire Fire and Rescue will be here at the Farm to demonstrate just how they go about rescuing a terrified horse or cow from a boggy ditch or overturned trailer.There’ll be exciting demonstrations with specialist lifting equipment and interaction for the children.

Don’t miss it! (Please note, no distress is caused to animals – life size models are used in the lifting demonstrations).

A Pirate’s Life For Me for 5-8 year olds – Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 1.00pm at the Treehouse Study Centre, Beaulieu. Ahoy me hearties!

Come on board for a swashbuckling pirate 18

adventure. Discover the buried treasure and play pirate games with the crew. Cost: Single sessions £8.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £7.00. (Snacks are provided in these sessions) All 4 sessions £30.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £26.00 per child

Families Solent West

20 August

& 21 Aug

21 August Park Explorer Walk Manor Farm Country Park A leisurely guided walk to discover the hidden delights of the Park, including its rich variety of wildlife. 11am. Meet at Toplands car park. Adult £3, Child £1.

Booking essential.

22 August Tales From the Farm for 5 – 8 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 10.00am – 1.00pm at the Out of Town Centre, Beaulieu. Meet the real life animals from your favourite farmyard stories and have a go at milking Josie the goat. Cost: Single sessions £8.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £7.00. (Snacks are provided in these sessions) All 4 sessions £30.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £26.00 per child

Summer Activity Week for 6 – 11 year olds Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Indoor and outdoor activities, games and crafts for children including campfire cookery and den building. £85.00 per child. Booking essential to 26 Aug

Zumba Family Fun Day Winchester Discovery Centre

24 August 20,000 Leagues under the Sea at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm. Join us for a thrilling under sea adventure with Captain Nemo and the Nautilus on their journey to the lost City of Atlantis.

Make stunning shell art based on magical seascapes and the museum’s own decorated nautilus shell.

Bob the Builder Theatre Royal Winchester www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk 01962 840440 The Fixham Theatre is set for a grand re-opening and Bob help is needed to fix up the stage. But nothing goes to plan when Spud decides he wants to be star of the show. For ages 3 to 9.

Come along and help Bob to fix it in his big theatre build. 1.00pm and 3.30pm

Bats in the Belfry Manor Farm Country Park An evening talk and walk presented by Hampshire Bat Group. An introductory slideshow will be followed at dusk by a walk through the Farm to the churchyard, where we hope to see bats emerging from their daytime roosts.

7.45pm. Meet at Manor Farm Reception.

Adult £4.50, Children £3. Admission by advance ticket only.

25 August MIWAS Art Fair Marwell Wildlife www.marwell.org.uk Marwell International Wildlife Art Society present the world’s largest annual display of wildlife art with over 700 stunning exhibits from 200 + artists and sculptors. to 29 Aug

Craft Fun Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080

11.30 - 12.30 & 15.30 - 16.30. Come and join the Party! Invitation to all parents, grandparents and children to join Silvia & Max for the latest and most fun of fitness crazes – Zumba DanceFitness – you’ll love it! For children aged 8 and above, their parents and grand parents! Tickets: £5 per adult / £3 per child for each session.

Come along and get sticky and messy in our summer holiday craft session. Any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Cost £1.50 per child

23 August

10am to 12 Noon. Who’s looking at flowers? £4.95 per adult (members free) £4.95 per child; siblings under 2 free

With overnight camp – Surviving the Wild for 11 – 14 year olds Countryside Education Trust www.cet.org.uk 01590 612401 Construct your own shelter in the woods and sleep in it. Keep the campfire burning and learn to cook outdoors. (includes a sundown deer watching excursion). Cost: £40.00 per child, Friends of the Trust £35.00 & 24 Aug

ToTs ‘n’ Tinies: Buzz Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey 01794 522106 to book

Fun and Games on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 Play games popular with sailors on Victory in the past, then make your own to take home. FREE with a valid ticket, no booking required.

27 August A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Chapterhouse Theatre Productions Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway www.exbury.co.uk 023 8024 5750 Picnic with family and friends in the magical surroundings and enjoy a wonderful evening of theatre under the stars. Gates open 6:00pm. Performance: 7:30pm – 10:00pm approx. Tickets available to purchase from the Exbury Box Office tel: (023) 8024 5750 & See Tickets (0871) 2200260. Adults £12 / Students & Children £8 / Families (2 Adults & 2 Children) £35. Parties of 10+, Exbury Season Ticket Holders & bookings prior to Sat 6 Aug 2011 10% Discount

Family Summer’s End Picnic with Fireworks Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey www.hilliergardens.org.uk Book online or tel: 01794 369318 6 to 9pm. Bring a rug and a picnic to enjoy an evening of comedy, craft-making and musical entertainment for all the family.

Pops Incorporated UK play all your favourites and dancing and singing along is encouraged. Gates open at 6pm for activities. Firework finale approx 8.45pm.

Early bird discount:. Book before 17 Aug: Adults £10 Children £6. Book after 17 Aug: Adults £12 Children £8. Special offer: Buy 5 tickets and get the cheapest FREE.

29 August Longdown Activity Farm Arts & Crafts Week Get crafty during the Farm themed arts and crafts week. Meet local artist Simon Chadwick at his fabulously fun cartoon workshop on Friday 2nd September. to 2 Sept

Tudor Games and Pastimes at the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm. Hands on activities for all the family. FREE with a valid ticket and children must be accompanied by an adult to 4 September

31 August Gulliver’s Travels at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk 023 9283 9766 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm. Follow Gilliver’s amazing adventures by making your own mini masterpiece from Lilliput and help us to get everyone home by inventing a navigational instrument inspired by those in the Museum.

Make a Wooden Wind Chime Itchen Valley Country Park www.eastleigh.gov.uk/activities 023 8047 5080 Come along and make a natural wind chime. Any time between 10.30am and 12.30am. Cost £2.00 per wind chime.

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What's On July – August 2011

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Silk Frill Dress Stockist: Marie Chantal www.mariechantal.com

Chill Out Time Children love to have places to sit and also sometimes to hide so make sure you provide enough. A few sawn up tree trunks around the garden are ideal sitting places. An old car tyre works as a seat, is also great for rolling games and use as a container. Willow dens planted in the winter and runner bean tepees are great natural dens and provide shade on a hot day.

Natural Materials Think about whether you have different natural materials available for play? Collections of large pebbles and shells are great for sorting, stacking, and loading into toy buckets and wheelbarrows. Grass cuttings, hedge trimmings and fir cones can be used in similar ways. Sand and soil provide endless opportunities for digging in.

Movement

Summer with your

kids in the garden Create a Children’s Garden

Your garden, however small, provides an important space for your children to develop and learn. There are both physical and psychological health benefits to children of playing out of doors and exploring a natural environment. If children are familiar with outdoor play at a young age then this trend may continue when they are older. However encouraging some children to stay and play in the garden may not always be an easy task. If this is the case for with the children you care for take a look at your garden. See if you could make it more child-friendly and use it in a more inspiring way.

A Children’s Garden All children can benefit from a varied outdoor space that provides a range of experiences and opportunities for play. They need a space to engage in quiet play as well as active play. Try and create an environment that is a mixture of hard, soft, natural and man-made textures and surfaces. Take a fresh look at your outside space and the way in which you use it. Try viewing it from both a child’s perspective and their height.

Keep the plastic garden toys you already have but add to them some of the following ideas. All are easy and relatively inexpensive to implement.

Do you have structures to encourage movement around your garden?

Stepping stones are always a great favourite with children. Use sawn off logs placed around the garden or paving slabs already on a lawn. A snake or train track chalked onto a pathway provides a temporary through way.

Have a go at creating an obstacle course from items within the garden.

Plant with the Children in Mind If you have enough space in your garden your kids can have their own flower and vegetable plot, where they can dig and grow their own. If you are not too sure what to start with, an easy option is to plant herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme. As well as plant them they will be able to learn how to touch and smell them and then eat them. (The Woodland Trust www.woodland-trust.org.uk sells a range of native saplings you can grow in your garden.)

Water For safety reasons it is advisable to avoid ponds and other major water features if you have very young children. On a hot summers day you can kit your kids out with small buckets of water and paint brushes. Then let them paint the brickwork and fences and go wild with their water art.

An indoor plant spray filled with water is great fun. Try placing an old picture frame on the ground and let the kids spray and paint their own pictures. Don’t forget to let the kids help you water the garden.

Your garden is a vital resource for your children. So use it and be inspired by it, but most of all have fun in it.

For more ideas about creating a child-friendly garden visit www.kidsinthegarden.co.uk or contact@kidsinthegarden.co.uk

Childcare Do you need a night off? An extra pair of hands round the house?

Hartley House @ Home can provide babysitters and mothers helps whenever you need them.

Call 01962 860036 or email home@hartley-house.co.uk All our staff are CRB checked

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Families Solent West

Riverbank Kindergarten Martyr Worthy Parish Hall, S021 1DY • Open 09.00–13.00 • Open Tuesdays 09.00–15.00 Summer term only • Children aged 2yrs 9m – 5yrs • Continuous provision • Peaceful, rural setting Contact Babs 07867 530075 babs_smith@btinternet.com

Earlybirds Pre-School Offering a warm, caring & stimulating environment where children can feel secure & happy, & so develop & learn. Excellent links with Newtown Soberton Infant School; Local to Wickham, Boarhunt, Southwick, Droxford & Denmead; Small Groups; High staff ratios.

Morning / Afternoon & All Day sessions available for children from 2y 9m – 5y.

Earlybirds Pre-School, Newtown Soberton Infant School, Church Road, Newtown, Fareham, PO17 6LJ. Telephone: 01329 833161.

July – August 2011

Childcare

Registered Charity Number: 801708

Located on the grounds of Romsey Abbey Primary School.

Fantastic indoor and outdoor play facilities.

‘Outstanding’ Ofsted 2009.

Care for children aged 2yrs 9mths to 5yrs.

Opening times: 9am to 3pm Monday and Friday (lunch club 12pm-1pm) 9am to 12pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Flexible hours to suit.

Spaces le Availab

We offer care and education of children, following the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.

Friendly, highly qualified staff.

Feel free to visit, or call 07946113678

www.romsey romseycentre centrepreschool preschool.co.uk

July – August 2011

• Graduate leader managed • Qualified and committed staff team • Flexible sessions or full day care, 9am-3pm • Excellent facilities including attached outside playspace • We accept children from 2 years old • Little or no fees for all 3 and 4 year olds Moorgreen Youth House, Moorgreen Rd, West End Tel 023 8047 1070 Fryern Infant School, Oakmount Rd, Chandlers Ford Tel 023 8026 8480

Families Solent West

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Hotel Review

by David Taylor

The Sandbanks would like to offer Families Solent West readers 10% discount when you book direct by the 31st August 2011.

All you need to do is quote the reference SOLENTWEST when making your booking.

The Sandbanks Sandbanks Poole Dorset BH13 7PS www.sandbankshotel.co.uk 0844 880 6551

S

un, sea, sand and The Sandbanks, as perfect a combination as you will find anywhere in the world. This is a hotel with a real family friendly feel as soon as you walk through the door. Entertainment for the children most definitely a speciality!!!

‘The Funsters’ run children’s entertainments throughout the school holidays (Easter to Autumn half-term inclusive). Our little one had a whale of a time on the beach building sand castles, taking part in games sessions right through to late night discos. The entertainment laid on for the children was exemplary; she could have joined in one activity or another for over 6 hours a day. Older children can enter ‘The Zone’ and entertainment for all the family is laid on during high season.

Of course it is the location that makes the hotel special, right on Sandbanks beach with views from The Needles all the way around to Swanage, the start of the Jurassic Coast. The sun shone, the beach was sandy and the stresses of a working week just fell away. What more can a family ask for? Plus even if you are not staying in the hotel you

are welcome to bring the children down to the beach on any Sunday afternoon throughout the summer for the Sunday Beach Club, another fun event organised by The Funsters. (booking recommended) The rooms are very comfortable with plenty of space for extra beds for the children. You can overlook the beach or the harbour and even splash out on a balcony to watch dusk settle over the vista. Nobody could be disappointed with what is on offer at The Sandbanks. With daily specials and barbeques available, children can eat with their parents or, if you fancy a quiet meal for two, they can eat early at the children’s restaurant and then head into the evening Funsters entertainment leaving mum and dad to some quality adult time.

There are regular special family events and rates available at The Sandbanks including their winter terrace event on Christmas Eve featuring live reindeer.

Check it all out online and head on down where all the family are most definitely welcome.

It encourages children aged 4-11 to continue reading over the summer holidays by challenging them to read six books over the break. It will be running in Hampshire Libraries from 18th July to 11th September.

It is free to take part and this year children will get a 3D circus stage to build, with stickers (some of them smelly!) to collect along the way. Every child who completes the challenge is given a medal and certificate.

Children can choose any books they want from the library to complete the Circus Stars challenge: story books, information books and audio books all count. The Challenge introduces children to new books and authors as well as building their confidence in reading.

Every child in a Hampshire primary school will receive an invitation to join during the summer term… so look out for yours. Also look out for Circus Stars in your school assemblies! Last year over 24,000 children took part in the Space Hop summer reading challenge across Hampshire’s libraries, reading over 100,000 books.

To find out more visit www.hants.gov.uk/summer-reading-challenge The Summer Reading Challenge is organised nationally by The Reading Agency and has become a summer highlight in libraries all over the country.

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Families Solent West

July – August 2011

Competitions WIN! WIN 1 of 4 family tickets to the fun packed Paultons Park

WIN 1 of 3 family tickets to Beaulieu – A Great Day Out For All The Family!

WIN 1 of 5 family tickets to Longdown Activity Farm – perfect for a family day out!

The daily timetable is packed with hands-on farming activities, which run throughout the day. Have a go at bottle-feeding a goat kid or a calf!

Maybe hold a duckling, baby rabbit or even a piglet! See lots of other animals too including our resident giant – Billy the Shire horse.

The Farm has an outdoor play area and four brilliant indoor play areas, including a ball pool, pre-school area, lots of trampolines and a huge straw barn. So whatever the weather, there’s always something to do.

On your way home, visit the Longdown Farm Shop, which stocks a wide range of delicious locally produced food.

Check out the Longdown website for our fabulous events, which run throughout the year.

Come to Beaulieu this summer and see the National Motor Museum’s latest exhibition ‘Feats of Endurance’ showcasing vehicles that stretch the boundaries of motoring endurance.

The museum has over 250 vehicles telling the story of motoring, from World Land Speed Record Breakers to F1 racers. Take a ride on ‘Wheels’, a fascinating journey through motoring, and visit Jack Tucker’s 1930s style garage. Displayed in World of Top Gear are actual cars from the BBC show, and the James Bond exhibition houses genuine vehicles and memorabilia from the Bond films.

Added summer attractions include falconry demonstrations in the Cloisters of Beaulieu Abbey during August, family games and playlets outside Palace House, and veteran cars driving around the grounds.

By entering our competition you could win a family ticket to visit Paultons Park and the fabulous new Peppa Pig World. With nearly 3 acres of fully themed fun and 7 new and exciting rides including Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight, Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride, George’s Dinosaur Adventure, Grandpa’s Little Train and you can even ride in a ‘cloud’ around Windy Castle! With huge indoor and outdoor play areas, superb animated and themed attractions, a new café it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience! But that’s not all! Be sure not to miss the star of CBEEBIES “Something Special” and “Gigglebiz”, JUSTIN FLETCHER, who will also be appearing at the Park on Sat/Sun 9th/10th July with two fantastic family shows each day at 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Jump aboard the Monorail and opentopped London Bus for an exciting way to explore the grounds and don’t miss the stunning artwork on display in the Beaulieu gardens.

Q: What is the name of the CBEEBIES star who will be at Paultons Park on the 9 & 10 July?

www.longdownfarm.co.uk

Beaulieu is open daily from 10am.

For more information telephone 01590 612345 or visit: www.beaulieu.co.uk

Q: What is Longdown’s Shire horse called?

Q: What is Beaulieu’s latest exhibition called?

To enter any of the above competitions simply email your answers to competitions@familiessolentwest.co.uk, stating the name of the competition you are entering along with your name, address and telephone number.

Closing date: 12th August 2011 July – August 2011

Good luck...

Families Solent West

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Families Solent West

July – August 2011