Motoring

Alresford Pigs - The cost of living and the cost of war

The human cost and strife in Ukraine have had an immediate impact on us all. Television, newspapers, and social media are full of haunting images and harrowing stories. The response from our local communities has been both impressive and immediate and will no doubt continue to be so. There are, of course, Alresford people with connections to Ukraine, and we hear at least one refugee has been welcomed here already. The Alresford Pigs stand ready to help. The war adds to an economy already under stress following Brexit and Covid; an energy crisis, climbing inflation and the rocketing cost of living are very real concerns for many of us. For some, tighter finances mean making hard choices, sometimes deciding between heat or food. It can be an embarrassing and stressful thing to ask for help, we understand this, and all enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence, by people who care, and are responded to with a willingness to help - if at all possible.

Compost A successful springtime weekend saw the Pigs distribute over 300 bags of premium, peat-free, compost around Alresford; many thanks to all who bought some – Happy growing! The Pigs would like to thank TIG Transport and JMCL Freightways on New Farm Road who generously stored the compost for us and allowed us to use their premises as a distribution base.

Mobility Please remember we have supplies of walking frames, Rollators with wheels, and wheelchairs. If you are just out of the hospital and need some extra aids, please call us as there are lots of bits of equipment available, recycled from others who found them useful. We also have several powered mobility scooters in stock, please just ask, we have the experience and expertise to help – and it’s free!

If you, or someone you know, needs help please contact us. Be assured all enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence. We consider any request for financial support from within the area and although it’s impossible to list all of the people we have supported down the years they include organisations such as the Scouts, Guides, sports & youth groups, local schools for specific projects, families who are unable to fully fund school trips for their child, single parent families needing white goods, families needing support that cannot be provided by other services, mobility scooters, park benches, senior residents events and activities and life-saving defibrillators scattered around Alresford, plus donations to others in the wider area.

The Alresford Pigs Association is a registered charity (charity no. 1163001). More information can be found at www.alresfordpigs.org or email us at info@alresfordpigs.org or for an immediate request for support call the Pigs Help line 01962 658961.

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New Farm Road, Alresford, SO24 9QE

01962 732338

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Students Step-Up to Fashion Project

Salisbury is not normally associated with luxury fashion, but some young students from Salisbury are challenging this. Godolphin’s art students designed bespoke boots, after being inspired by an art project.

Godolphin is passionate about bringing education to life. Most people struggle to learn effectively, when forced to study abstract concepts within a classroom setting. Therefore, Godolphin looks for every opportunity for students to apply their learning in real-world situations. With this in mind, Sharon Duggan, Deputy Head of Department and lead in textiles, was determined to make last year’s art project as interactive as possible.

Mrs Duggan first took students on a trip to Salisbury Museum, where they made sketches of historical textile items. This was followed by a trip to the Wallace Collection in London, to experience the “An Enquiring mind” exhibition, produced by the international shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik. The 10 rooms, each with a particular theme in relation to the designer’s work, proved inspirational. When the students returned to the classroom, Mrs Duggan tasked students to design an item for a contemporary fashion line and they unanimously chose to create boots. The girls then spent many hours developing concepts, producing larger pieces of fabric and making design choices. The result was the class produced an incredible range of boots, which combined classic techniques with contemporary tastes.

One student, Olivia, used inlay felting techniques and machine embroidery to capture the quality of the vintage artifacts on display at the museum fusing them with more modern influences, by using vibrant colours. Another student, Lexie, took a different approach. Lexie was inspired by the delicate lacework on the costumes at Salisbury Museum. Using heat transfer techniques, lace and dissolvable fabric to impose them on her materials.

Their teacher, Mrs Duggan, said: “When I’m teaching, I want it to be exciting. I want to push the boundaries all the time and challenge the girls to keep them on their toes – inspiring them to go that step further, to hunt ideas out themselves and to want to know more.

“When I’m with my GCSE or A-level students, I teach them in exactly the same way I have taught first, second or third year degree students in the past. Because only then can they show their true potential and immerse themselves in a world of design and textiles and beauty. If you challenge and inspire your pupils in equal measures, I believe the sky’s the limit!”

A Big Thankyou

I would like to thank the shops, friends and family who donated toward the raffle held on the 5th March. The raffle raised £862 for the Winchester Hospice. The evening was a great success. Thankyou to all who helped.

Chris Richmond - Makins Court, Alresford

Half Term Antics with Henry VIII in Bishop’s Waltham

February half-term saw the main shopping area of Bishop’s Waltham full of families undertaking the Where’s Henry? Trail. The trail, part of the town’s 2022 events commemorating the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s visit to Bishop’s Waltham, was aimed at primary school children. They were challenged to find the 20 knitted and crocheted models of Henry VIII that were on display in the town’s shop windows. For each model found, the children were given a quiz question they had to answer about Henry VIII and life in Tudor times. All leaflets with correct answers were then put into a draw, with 3 lucky families winning 2 adult tickets to the Tudor Experience event that will take place in the Bishop’s Waltham Palace Grounds on 2/3 July 2022. The week’s trail ended on Saturday 26th with a Parade of Henry VIII and his entourage through the High Street accompanied by Tudor music. The 3 lucky children whose leaflets were picked out in the draw were congratulated by Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon. They were Bella age 10, James, age 7 and Rueben age 4 (with a bit of help from his big sister Olivia age 8). The event was a great success with the children, their parents, grandparents, and the shops all enjoying it. Many people commented on what a lovely activity it had been.

Sue Thomson, one of the participants said: “We had a wonderful day on Wednesday doing the Henry VIII trail, popping back on Thursday to finish it off. What fun it was! Our 2 granddaughters, aged 9 and 6, loved finding all those beautifully knitted Henrys and then popping int the shops for their questions. All the shopkeepers were so lovely and welcoming. We also enjoyed the Tudor music blasting from the speakers and following the procession on the Saturday. A fabulous few days”.

A second trail and procession will take place again in the Easter Holidays. The trail (with different quiz questions) will start on Saturday 16th April and will end on Friday 22nd April. The procession will be on Saturday 23rd April. These events have been made possible by funding from the European Union, European Regional Development Fund and HM Government through Winchester City Council’s Welcome Back Fund.

For more information on this event and the Tudor Experience on 2/3 July visit www.henry500years.co.uk and follow our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/henry500years