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Motoring
Why do you keep your bread-maker in the garage?
When I retired over 20 years ago, I said to my wife “why don’t you make our own bread, as you used to some years ago?” She replied: “I haven’t had the time, and since Sainsbury’s started selling their own organic wholemeal loaf, didn’t need to. If you want a home-made loaf, why don’t we buy a bread-making machine?” “Why do we need to – you made it very well by hand before!” was my reply (not being any sort of a cook myself, or realising what was involved).
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The next thing was the appearance of a bread-making machine, which I took an interest in, as it seemed so easy to use, according to the instructions. I was encouraged to try it out, so I went and bought some wholemeal flour and some dried yeast, followed the appropriate recipe in the instruction booklet and set it up to bake a loaf overnight. The resulting loaf was not perfect, but good enough for me to take advice from a helpline, and get a better result the next time.
I soon discovered, not surprisingly, that the key to consistent good results was the flour: if you buy flour, whether for white, medium brown, or wholemeal brown loaves from major suppliers such as the big supermarkets, or even specialist brands, they will have bought their supplies on the international flour market where the consistency of quality or characteristic is not possible to maintain.
So it was only when I found a supplier from Mid Wales called Bacheldre Water Mill, whose grain was all from organic farmers in their area, and was coldmilled in their traditional water mill, that I was able to guarantee a consistent wholemeal loaf.
Unfortunately, retailers stocking this flour have come and gone over the years, so I have become dependent on Amazon, who also sometimes runs out of stock, and delivers at all times of the day and night – and requires order quantities of up to 15 kilos per delivery to make it economic. I have also got through several different models and makes of bread machine in 20 years, ending with a Panasonic at twice the price of most others, but very well designed and made, and proving most reliable.
When a 12-week cooking course for older men, provided free by Age Concern in the former Methodist Chapel at the top of The Dean, was offered, I was promptly volunteered for it by my wife (whose motives can be readily imagined), and went along happily, not knowing what to expect. A couple of dozen mostly local men turned up, at least half of whom I knew, and a very enjoyable two hours was spent each week, with the demonstration meal being consumed by us at the end. In between, we had much questioning of the instructor on the food preparation and cooking, and the relative merits of various foods and brands. I asked about breadmaking (naturally, as I had no other cooking skills or experience), and was amazed to find more than half-a-dozen participants had bread-making machines at home, but none had used them regularly, and some not at all! One said his wife insisted theirs be kept in the garage as there was no room for it in her kitchen; but I later found their garage was just through a door from their kitchen!
The instructor said she had no time for bread-making herself, so I offered six of those interested a demo in our kitchen when my wife was out, which she agreed to as long as we left no mess for her to clear up. This was quite successful, if somewhat chaotic; and several friends did start to use the machines they had themselves. I subsequently read that the most frequently unused kitchen machine in the country was the breadmaker! My experience seems to confirm this.
Incidentally, the only thing I learnt at that course, which I still regularly do, was how to cut up and dice an onion!
New Alresford Town Council
Stratton Bates playground Exciting news! Following extensive consultation last year with Alresford schools and residents - culminating in a public exhibition in September which showcased potential designs for a new play area - we have now put the redevelopment of the play area in Stratton Bates Recreation ground out to tender. The consultation report with the indicative sketch design (wild adventure play combined with big equipment play) is available on our website, as is the tender document. We look forward to sharing regular updates about progress on this exciting project.
Sun Hill and Arlebury park playgrounds We have commissioned a playground contractor to undertake a comprehensive refresh and refurbishment of the play areas at Sun Hill Recreation Ground and Arlebury Park. This will include repairs to surfacing and equipment, staining woodwork and repainting. Work is due to start end of July, will halt temporarily during the Summer holidays, and be completed in September 2021. Hambone Memorial We commissioned local monument masons Blackwell and Moody to restore Hambone's gravestone and we're delighted with the result. Our thanks to them for such a fantastic job. We are now in the process of producing an information board for this unique and popular memorial.
Council meetings Following a brief recess in August, we will resume council meetings in September. We will be holding meetings in the Lower meeting room located on the ground floor in Alresford Recreation Centre. All meeting dates are on our website, and we welcome public participation. Do please join us.
Holiday Lunch Scheme Winchester Basics Bank are inviting families with school-aged children (who live or attend a school in the Winchester city and surrounding areas, including Alresford) who feel they need some extra help over the school holidays to register for their Holiday Lunch Scheme. You do not need to be registered by your school you can sign up direct with Winchester Basics Bank. You will be able to collect food parcels from Alresford Recreation Centre and Sun Hill Junior School. Please visit www.winchesterbasicsbank. co.uk
Food Donations If you would like to donate to this scheme, Winchester Basics Bank have a list of items that they are most in need of on their website. Donations can be made at the food donation point in the Co-op in Alresford.
Household Waste and Recycling Pedestrians and cyclists can once again access Alresford Household Waste Recycling Centre as part of a six-month trial run by Hampshire County Council introduced in July. Pedestrians have exclusive access for one hour three mornings a week and cyclists are also permitted to use the HWRC during normal opening hours by booking a slot using the booking system. Please visit www.hants.gov.uk/ wasteandrecycling
Virtual High Street Independent shops and businesses together with community organisations across the district are being invited to sign up to the online shopping and ordering platform, ShopAppy.com. Winchester City Council and ShopAppy are offering free membership for the first 12 months. The platform allows customers to browse virtual shop windows, book appointments and events as well as order products from local stores using a deliver or "click and collect" service. For more details visit shopappy. com or contact jane stewart shoplocal@shopappy.com
Vandalism
We are sad to report that one of the new trees in Arlebury Park has been damaged due to vandalism It will need to be replaced at some expense which ultimately is paid for by residents. There have been several reports of suspected criminal activity being posted on Facebook. The police cannot act unless it is reported to them, so please report it by using 101 or 999 if it's an emergency.
New Alresford Town Council Arlebury Park, The Avenue, New Alresford, SO24 9EP Phone: 01962 732079 www.newalresford-tc.gov.uk
Julia Morgan of Tudor House B & B in Ropley is back in business.
She is delighted to be welcoming people from all over to stay and discover the delights of Hampshire and England. Tudor House offers a warm welcome in the hidden heart of the delightful village of Ropley. With a charming garden and on the other side of the house, views across the surrounding countryside it also has easy and spacious parking. Guests experience a comfortable and hospitable stay in a country house inspired home. Julia’s interior decorating background and love of finding an eclectic collection of objects over the years adds to the welcoming feeling. Everyone is greeted with tea and cake on arrival, served either in the garden or inside by a blazing fire in the winter. Choosing breakfast from the menu is always a talking point. There are three bedrooms at Tudor House on offer for the guests; Tulip: an ensuite double with shower; a double, Peony, and single Rose, both sharing a large bathroom for people in the same party. Or the double can be booked with sole use of the bathroom. The single is only available separately for late bookings. All rooms have comfortable beds, plumptious pillows and crisp white cotton.
Each guest also has a waffle dressing gown for use during their stay. Guests often wake in the morning to the sounds of birdsong and the distant steam train’s whistle making their stay evocative and even more memorable. If asked, Julia is happy to share her knowledge of the wide range of venues and experiences that Hampshire has to offer. High on the list are the delights of Alresford and its surroundings, offering those who love to shop the best of the best; with the added delight of a colourful and beautiful Georgian Hampshire town to explore and discover a variety of eateries from Gastro Pubs to Restaurants with diverse multicultural cuisines. Not forgetting the Watercress Festival which attracts thousands of visitors each year giving visitors the opportunity to find countless new ways of enjoying recipes with Hampshire’s nutritional, beneficial and simply delicious vegetable. During the Festival, the town is also filled with a huge variety of stalls, stands and other distractions to entrance visitors.
The nearby city of Winchester with the historic Cathedral offers much to discover and an extraordinary number of restaurants, shops and a famous market attracting people from far and wide. Southampton where shops and theatres abound, Portsmouth with the Naval Dockyard and Mary Rose and Gun Wharf Quay shopping centre, the New Forest. The Watercress Line Steam Railway, theatres, operas including the Grange Festival Opera, Fairs, Festivals, Markets and at the right time of year local Fetes. All of these venues have been explored and delighted in by guests to Tudor House B & B and before that Julia’s previous B & B in Kilmeston. Jane Austin is always high on the list of interests for many, as are gardens and National Trust Properties which are plentiful in the locality. Houses on the National Gardens Scheme are another attraction. The Rivers Itchen and Test with their famous water meadows offer walkers and fishers the best of Hampshire countryside to indulge themselves in. All this is punctuated by countless places to sample the varied delights of food and cuisine and venues that the area offers. Guests often call in at The Courtyard Village Shop in Ropley just a short walk from Tudor House, to take home some of Hampshire’s best produce as a souvenir of their stay. If you are planning a wedding, party or other event, looking at schools, universities or other venues in the area, or just wanting a weekend away, don’t forget to check out the Tudor House website.
Tudor House B & B, Church Street, Ropley, Alresford, SO24 0DS Tel: 01962 773749 Email: info@tudorhousebandb.com www.tudorhousebandb.com
Offering a warm welcome, relaxing and comfortable country house accommodation, delicious home cooked food all in the heart of a village in rural Hampshire. Book your stay
TUDOR HOUSE B&B CHURCH STREET, ROPLEY, NR ALRESFORD, HAMPSHIRE, SO24 0DS
Winchester Go-LD Annual Bridge Tea
This is a charity event and all proceeds are for Winchester Go-LD The event will be held on Wednesday 29th September 2021 from 2pm – 5pm at The Manor House, Preshaw, Southampton SO24 0PF. Come and join us for a friendly competition and a gorgeous homemade tea. To book a table (£80 per table), or to make a donation, please contact: Jo Tyler, email: johanna.tyler@btinternet. com or telephone 01962 736490, 07747 607539
Winchester Go-LD is a registered charity No. 1156536 www.winchestergold.org.uk
