Meon Valley - Issue 64 March 2021

Forum

ISSUE 64 MARCH 2021

MEON VALLEY

Life in your Community

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

THE IDEAS OF MARCH

BISHOPS'S WALTHAM FESTIVAL 2021

YOUR COMMUNITY

Delicious - Easter Simnel Cake

By Lucia Foster-Found

Outdoor Peformances in the Palace Grounds

All your local news and features

STYLE ˙ INTERIORS ˙ HEALTH & BEAUTY ˙ INTERVIEWS ˙ FOOD & DRINK ˙ ENTERTAINMENT ˙ EVENTS

Bishop's Waltham - Guide Price: £465,000

Droxford - Guide Price: £725,000

Superb two bedroom ground floor retirement apartment overlooking and opening on to delightful communal gardens. The apartment forms part of the prestigious McCarthy Stone complex on the edge of the Town Centre and benefits from having a carport and is ready to move into! 22’ living/dining room, attractively fitted kitchen, bathroom & en-suite shower room. Please call us to discuss further.

A delightful cottage style country home, lying in a lovely village location. The property is set back from the lane, in grounds amounting to approximately ¼ acre with ample parking and a double garage. Inside, the accommodation has four bedrooms, the master with en-suite and family bathroom. Sitting room, dining/family room, kitchen/dining room, utility, cloakroom and conservatory.

Droxford – Guide Price: £625,000

Droxford – Guide Price: £865,000

Attractive detached family home, set on the outskirts of the delightful village of Droxford. The property has versatile and spacious accommodation which is currently arranged with the addition and benefit of self-contained accommodation which comprises, sitting room, kitchenette and en-suite.

Three/four bedrooms, spacious triple aspect sitting room, kitchen/dining room, utility & cloakroom. Within the beautiful landscaped grounds, there is a spacious home work/office studio, summerhouse and plenty of parking.

Superb new home by Award winning Kebbell, set within a picturesque Meon Valley Village, with delightful rear views over adjoining farmland.

Fabulously finished with stylish accommodation which is perfect for family living/entertaining in the open plan kitchen/dining/family area which has bi-fold doors opening to the rear garden. Sitting room, four bedrooms with two en-suites & family bathroom. Utility/boot rm & cloakroom.

Garage, driveway and additional parking. If you are unable to view at the current time, please contact us to view via our 360 video tour.

Offices throughout Hampshire

01489 660860 bishopswaltham@pearsons.com | 7 Cross Street, Bishops Waltham, SO32 1EZ | pearsons.com

SERVICE | MARKETING | EXPERIENCE

PROPERTY

MEON VALLEY FORUM MARCH 2021

CONTENTS 05 Property Management

Buying, selling, letting?

Find local estate agents and property management services

20 Retail

06

20 Animals & Pets

06 Feature

The Ideas of March -

By Lucia Foster-Found

Trades, services, designers, All you need for your home

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12 Food & Drink

12 Recipe of the Month

Discover local events and days out in

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Director of Advertising Steve Walker stevewalker@forumpublications.co.uk Director of Marketing Rob Harrison rob@forummedianddesign.co.uk Advertising Manager Mandy Head mandyhead@forumpublications.co.uk Design Manager James Curtis james@forumpublications.co.uk Accounts accounts@forumpublications.co.uk

Kate Porter, Head of Sales Tel: 02392 633 026

Kate Morton, Head of Lettings Tel: 02392 633 022

Our knowledgeable and professional use of digital technology and social media has enabled us to reach a huge yet targeted audience.

Not only are we able to tailor campaigns to ensure we reach the London buyers but we are able to target specific demographics suitable for particular properties. The future will certainly see a reduced need for a high street presence for property companies and arguably no need for an office in London.

substitute for human contact. We have developed safe and efficient methods of communicating during Covid-19 and will continue to do so.

As an independent company our focus has always been property and client lead rather than company lead. Not bound by the constraints of corporate policy, dictat or structure, means we are able to tailor our service to the needs of the client, and we can create different and targeted marketing campaigns for each individual property.

One important focus for The Country House Company that will never change is our awareness that there is no long term satisfactory

As in all aspects of life, the survival of the fittest represents the survival of those who are adaptable, flexible and able to embrace and enjoy change for all the opportunities it presents. There are exciting times ahead for property and The Country House Company.

EQDC

Forum Publications Offices Unit 8A, Shelf House, New Farm Road, Alresford, SO24 9QH Tel: 01962 735137

Make your garden dream come true

www.forumpublications.co.uk

Looking after your health

18 Education

Editor Mark Tubb editor@forumpublications.co.uk

Covid-19 will have changed the way businesses, including property agencies, operate in the future, but they were changes that were already happening. For The Country House Company we had already embraced the exciting and innovative changes brought about by the technological revolution that facilitated the growth of property portals, digital and social media.

Get in Touch

17 Wellbeing

Contacts

Lucia Foster-Found www. luciafosterfound.com

14 Garden

Local services to keep your vehicle running smoothly

As property professionals we have all had to adapt to the many recent changes brought about by the constantly altering legislation surrounding Covid-19. As the Government gradually reveals plans to ease businesses out of lockdown, the focus will turn to the new ‘face’ of Estate Agency post Covid-19.

Contributors

Easter Simnel Cake

13 Lesiure & Entertainment

From photographers to solicitors - every professional service you need

22 Motoring

Eat out, stay in: food, drink and dining in Hampshire

From Canine to Equine - all your animal needs

21 Professional

07 Home

Our regular retail feature, Unique, Bespoke, Eclectic and Local shopping

The changing face of Estate Agency

Find local schools and educational experts

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The Meon Valley Forum contains facts, views, opinions, statements, recommendations, advertisements and other content and links to external websites not owned or controlled by the magazine. Meon Valley Forum takes reasonable efforts to include accurate, current information on its pages, but make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy, safety or value of the published items that are displayed. No liability or responsibility can be taken for errors or omissions in magazine content.

Meon Valley Forum magazine content does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or recommendations of its creators and any reliance upon its content is taken at the user’s sole risk. Adverts designed by Forum Publications remain the magazine's legal ownership. Readership figures calculated on an average national statistic of 2.5 readers per household © Forum Publications Ltd, 2021

Experts in property Sales I Lettings I Management Across the South

Selling, Letting & Managing properties in the Meon Valley 02392 632 275

sales@countryhousecompany.co.uk  lettings@countryhousecompany.co.uk management@countryhousecompany.co.uk countryhousecompany.co.uk

½À 5

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o glad to see the back of February; four short weeks that felt like months. Must be a lockdown thing, she thought.

Or maybe the incessant barking from the neighbour’s dogs had made each day and most nights seem longer? The enormous wrinkly puppies acquired during the first lockdown, no doubt at great expense, had morphed into mahoosive, noisy adolescents.

A Baskerville-ian baying erupted from next door. “Paperboy” she thought as she picked up her newspaper from the doormat. She sat with a coffee and read the horoscopes for some light relief.

Apparently Himself’s sun was in Pisces and he should enjoy the little things of life. But what did that mean? Keep tropical fish?

Whitebait for tea? Also, it mentioned the Ides of March; with the full moon in Mars they should avoid conflict and aggression.

Given that they were avoiding absolutely everyone - aggressive, Italian or otherwise… Drivel. Honestly. She turned the page.

Himself appeared and said. “So… I had this idea…” With an excited air he thrust a wristband into her hand, proudly displaying the one he was already wearing. “I came out of the first lockdown fatter and grimmer. I’m leaving this one fitter and trimmer!”

Oh lord – a fitness tracker… She looked from it to him and asked “Who are you and what have you done with my husband?”

“It’s wonderful!” he laughed “I’ve secretly been wearing it and already increased my step count.” All his thundering up and down stairs now made sense. “And the GPS will measure our walks in the forest with the dogs.” Good, that might actually help them find the car again..

He enthused. “You hardly know you’re wearing them, they’re so small.” Crikey - maybe these were his ‘little things’ from the horoscope? He went on ”And they’re waterproof, so we can swim in them.” Aah – the sun in Pisces!

She put hers on and ran to the shed and back. Puffing, she studied the display with interest. Steps; fewer than it felt. Pulse; a good darts score. Bit concerning.

Himself apparently had a (very valid) point and she pronounced herself a convert. Looking delighted, he kissed her on the cheek and trotted on the spot.

The fitness tracker quickly became her conscience. She too thundered up and down the stairs and trotted on the spot.

The sleep monitor, although informative, didn’t register the

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nightmares though. The one where she went into a shop without her mask, then sprinted for the exit like a deranged goal scorer with her jumper pulled over her head, was particularly awful. In a sweat, she’d woken herself up from that and checked her pulse – only to find Himself already awake, muttering. “It’s those dogs again. Woofing. Milkman.”

The next day, he announced “I’ve had a jolly idea! Let’s go for a run together.” Well, neither were what you’d call natural athletes.

Quick sprint from the car to the house in a downpour, yes.

Lurching along the road in lycra, no.

“Best to build up to that sort of thing, darling. Brisker walks and more stints on the exercise bike first, I think.” She worried he might overdo it. She also worried she might too.

But Himself was not listening. Not listening to her anyway; the neighbour’s dogs were at it again. Postman.

“Actually, I’ve had an idea.” He announced. Another one? “‘Next Door’, he’s a jogger – I could ask him if he’d like some company.”

Now she’d seen ‘Next Door’ out and about and she’d definitely have described what he did as running, not jogging. Surprisingly fast for such a big man. And looking very… what was the word…? ‘serious’ was the kindest one that came to mind. “And then I could bring up, you know, casually, the subject of the relentless barking …” he nodded to himself, looking pleased with the notion as he headed out of the door.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, darling.” She called after him. The words ‘conflict’ and ‘aggression’ resurfaced from the horoscope, as she visualised the scary man-mountain that was ‘Next Door’. Plus, the dogs looked like they snacked on paperboys, postmen, milkmen – and neighbours.

The ‘Ides of March’ weren’t drivel. They were a typo. It should be the ‘Ideas of March’ – and frankly the ideas were getting out of hand..

Himself was not gone long. “P’raps you’re right.” He announced, washing his hands. “I’ll give it a few weeks and get fitter. Revisit the idea again next month.”

“Why, what did ‘Next Door’ say?”

Looking vaguely relieved, he shrugged his shoulders and helped himself to a mini mars bar. Between mouthfuls he said “Nothing.

His dogs were in the garden. Lovely – nearly licked me to death.

But barked so loudly he didn’t hear me knocking..”

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Fabulous Clean Carpets

HOME

very reasonable prices, and courteous friendly SUPER-FAST 15 MINUTES DRYING service from people you can trust in your home

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If you need your carpets cleaned and are looking for an award-winning company who will arrive on time, will be courteous, respectful and above all trustworthy -- then you’re invited to take advantage of one of the three extraordinary value, high quality, carpet and upholstery cleaning deals we’re offering new customers this month -- because we want to give you the chance to get to know our service and to find out how impressively new, fresh and bright your carpets will look when cleaned and freshened by The Carpet Care People.

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Here’s a selection of frequently asked questions especially for you sceptics (you know who you are).

1. When you say ‘carpet’ what do you mean? We mean average size areas, say 10x12ft ish. But we don’t quibble if the areas are a little larger - it’s all done on fairness really. 2. Do you move furniture?

Our pricing policy reflects the time it takes to clean working around furniture, rather than moving it. any three carpets That said, we are Have for example, happy to move your three piece suite backwards and forwards cleaning under it and replacing it back into piece position. What we don’t price into the job at these discount prices is and your three moving large pieces of furniture like bookcases, sideboards or wardrobes. Similarly we are not insured upflat-screen for to move electricalsuite items,freshened in particular tvs. Again we apply common sense and fairness to the situation and inevitable we do end up moving some furniture around, even at these discount prices. 3. just £167!

Are there any ‘hidden’ extra costs? The prices quoted above are fully-inclusive and are the actual prices you will pay.

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Whatever you want to store...

WINCHESTER

gutter & window cleaning

WOOD FLOORS

WOOD FLOOR SANDING & RESTORATION HAND FINISHED NEW WOOD FLOORS BESPOKE CABINETRY

Whatever your needs, long or short term

...for whatever reason – house sale and purchase not coinciding, travelling, bereavement, house building work, decorating or even ‘de-cluttering’ to sell your house more quickly – we offer a friendly, flexible and secure facility.

w: winchesterwoodfloors.co.uk e: info@winchesterwoodfloors.co.uk t: 01962 733016

• Gutter clearance up to 15m (50ft) • Soffit, fascia and cladding cleaning • Gutter cleaning and repairs • Window and conservatory cleaning • Dry non-chemical roof moss removal • Fully insured • Free estimates

Barn Store is a rurally-based, family run business covering the whole of the Meon Valley area. We offer all the features associated with the national chains, from high-tech security to hassle-free 24/7 access.

For more information, visit our website:

www.barn-store.co.uk or give us a call quoting FORUM-MV: Fareham:

FRANCHISE AVAILABLE: CALL 07816 780749

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Alresford:

01962 771993 Holden Farm, Cheriton, Alresford SO23 0NX

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Local, professional, gutter cleaning & window cleaning for domestic, rental and commercial properties

Email: kevin@guttersnipe.uk.com

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WINCHESTER WOOD FLOORS IS BASED IN ALRESFORD, HAMPSHIRE

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COMMUNITY / HOME Snowdrop Sundays

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DON S DOORS Warnford Snowdrops The Warnford Snowdrop walks have been held every February in the grounds of Warnford Church and Warnford Park for over 50 years. Visits to this well known collection of Snowdrops are very popular and have always been free of charge although many visitors over the years have generously made donations to support the work of the Church in Warnford.

Due to Covid the walks this year have been cancelled, however if anyone who has visited in years gone by would like to make a donation to the Church cheques can be sent made out to Warnford PCC and posted to The Church of our Lady. Lippen Lane.

Warnford.Southampton SO323LE. Or via “Give a Little” (QR Code below). For further details see Warnford Village Website.

Every year over sixty residents of Warnford and West Meon volunteer their time to help make Snowdrop walks a success and they look forward to welcoming you back in 2022.

GARAGE DOOR SOLUTIONS We supply and install all leading manufacturers of garage doors and in a wide selection of styles

Call 02380 600027 to arrange a free no obligation survey and quote Unit 9 & 10, Vicarage Farm Business Park, Winchester Road, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, SO50 7HD sales@donsgaragedoors.co.uk • www.donsgaragedoors.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK

HOME / ENTERTAINMENT

Easter Simnel Cake Simnel cakes have been known since at least medieval times. Simnel cake is a light fruitcake formerly eaten during the pre-Easter period, a traditional cake for Easter Sunday. Simnel cakes are often associated with Mothering Sunday, also known as Simnel-Sunday.

Equipment

An 8 inch round deep (removable bottom) cake tin. Line it with a cake liner.

For the Marzipan

190g icing sugar 190g gorund almonds 4 tsp lemon juice icing sugar for dusting Apricot Jam for top of the cake

For the Cake Mixture 190g self raising flower 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3 eggs 165g butter 165g light brown sugar 50g sultanas 150g currants

e clusive

Alresford's Conservatory and Window Experts

Double Glazing Ltd

UPGRADE YOUR WINDOWS & DOORS

30g glace cherries 50g mixed glace peel icing sugar butter for the cake tin

Method

Create your marzipan by seiving the icing sugar into a bowl, add almonds and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice until the mixture starts to clump together. Knead until you have a ball of marizpan paste. Take some of the paste and roll it into a circle, place the baking tin ontop of the paste and cut out a circle. Set aside the remaining marzipan for later.

Pre-heat the oven 150C. Measure out the cake ingredients into a bowl and beat throughoughly until blended thoroughly. Use half the mixture in the cake tin. Top with a layer of marzipan mixture, spoon the remaining cake mix on the top. Bake inthe oven for 2hrs (approx) until golden brown, cover the top of the cake whilst cooking if it is browning too quickly. Remove from the tin once cooked, leave to cool for 10 minutes before trying to remove from the tin. Once cooled completely warm the jam and brush the top of the cake, roll out another circle of marizpan to cover the top of the cake and crimp the edges.

Roll the remaining marzipan mix into 11 even sized balls and place around the edge of the cake. Finally grill carefully until lightly browned, one to two minutes, or use a blow torch.

WINDOWS, DOORS, CONSERVATORIES

Wuthering Wuthering Wuthering Wuthering Heights Heights Heights Heights adapted by adapted byCharly CharlyArmstrong Armstrong

• Supply & Installation • New Handles, Letterboxes, Locks • Broken Sealed-Units replaced

adapted by adapted byCharly CharlyArmstrong Armstrong

OTHER SERVICES • Fascias, Soffits & Gutters • Key Cutting & Locksmith Services

Wuthering Wuthering www.exclusive-double-glazing.co.uk FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE Heights Heights sales@exclusive-double-glazing.co.uk WAS ITWAS YOUIT YOU CALL: 01962 732091 adapted by adapted

by Charly CharlyArmstrong Armstrong

SHELF HOUSE, NEW FARM ROAD, ALRESFORD, SO24 9QE

4-14MAR MAR2020 2020@@7.30PM 4-14MAR MAR NO 2020 PERF 99 MAR 4-14 7.30PM &&88@@2.30PM. 4-14 2.30PM. NO 2020 PERF @@7.30PM 7.30PM MAR &&88@@2.30PM. 2.30PM. NO NO PERF PERF 99 MAR MAR 21 MAR 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM 21 MAR 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM

Wuthering Wuthering Heights Heights Adapted by Charly Armstrong

LOOKING FOR

JOE

WAS IT YOU

Pheasant Pheasant PluckerPlucker DIMAGGIO & Friend & Friend

Adapted by Charly Armstrong

4-14MAR MAR2020 2020@@7.30PM 4-14 7.30PM &&88@@2.30PM. 2.30PM. NO NO PERF PERF 99 MAR MAR

21 MAR 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM

Wuthering Heights WORD OF MOUTH WORD OF MOUTHPheasant

S>E>DS>E>D Adapted by Charly Armstrong

23–28 MAR 2020 @ 7.30PM

23–28 MAR 2020 @ 7.30PM

MON 8TH MAR –SAT 14TH MAR @7.30PM ON SCREEN IN YOUR OWN HOME - STREAMED SHOW

Plucker & Friend

6-11 APRIL 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM 6-11 APRIL 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM

MON 22ND MAR - SUN 28TH MAR @7.30PM ON SCREEN IN YOUR OWN HOME - STREAMED SHOW

WORDAUDIENCES OF MOUTH ARE SOCIALLY DISTANCED AND THE VENUE IS COVID SECURE

laughter. laughter.

The story of a bird handler who Thethrows story ofdown a birdher handler gauntlet; who throws down her gauntlet; a soaring of avian antics, soaring andADVICE daring. tale ofHarriet’s avian antics, journey wit and daring. Harriet’s journey VENUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO tale CHANGE DUE TOaofwit HMG of self discovery is both daft and self deliriously discoveryfunny. is both daft and deliriously funny.

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0333 666 3366 0333 666 3366 03336663366 03336663366

73 St. Margarets Lane, Titchfield, PO14 4BG

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6–11 apr 2020 @ 2.30pm & 7.30pm6–11 apr 2020 @ 2.30pm & 7.30pm www.titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com www.titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com • 03336 663366 www.titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com • 03336 663366• 03336 663366 23–28 MAR 2020 @ 7.30PM

6-11 APRIL 2020 @ 2.30PM & 7.30PM

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laughter.

GARDEN

LOV E YO U R G A R D E N Make Happy Memories

TDH

Landscaping & Garden Maintenance Landscaping Gardener with 25 years experience as award winning landscaper in Norway

Hard Landscaping

• Block & Flagstone Paving • Gravelling, patios and paths • Turfing

General Maintenance

• Grass & Hedge Cutting • Hedge, Shrubs and Tree Pruning • Leaf Collecting • Garden Clearance • Borders Cleared • Soil improvement

Free Quotes • References from Norwegian Projects T: 07498 747906

Aluvision Puro series coming soon

1 Hinton Hill Cottages, Hinton Ampner, SO24 0JZ

Supply and planting large specimen trees and shrubs Espalier, pleached and instant impact hedges All trees and shrubs carefully selected Design, landscaping and ongoing maintenance Free site visit and consultation

Please visit our website for all the latest news, information, second-hand machines for sale and special offers in the showroom.

Bosque is a trading name of Just Limegrass Ltd.

t: 01962 771800

Harko: 07710 502798 Tom: 07855 656984 www.bosque international.co.uk

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FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1973, BUILT ON GREAT SERVICE AND VALUE FOR MONEY

SILVERSPRINGS SILVERSPRINGS GGAARRDDEENN CCEENNTTRREE

Home & Garden Furniture in stock or available to pre-order FREE local delivery

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Laceys Farm, Bramdean Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 0JT

www.silverspringsgc.co.uk info@silverspringsgc.co.uk Find us on Facebook: @SilverSprings.Garden.Centre FONTLEY ROAD, TITCHFIELD, FAREHAM, PO15 6QX

COMMUNITY Bishop’s Waltham Rotary Club News

Meon Valley Food Bank Over the last 2 years or more we have been supporting the Meon Valley Food Bank, on a monthly basis, providing them with food and sundries as necessary. The Meon Valley Food Bank was set up in 2015 and to date has helped over 3000 adults and children in what were already difficult times but are now even more so. They were set up to support the villages of the Meon Valley which include Bishops Waltham, Swanmore, Waltham Chase, Droxford, West Meon, Wickham and Knowle together with other villages in the surrounding area.

Meon Valley Baby Bank We were happy to be able to help the Meon Valley Baby Bank with funds towards setting up a permanent site in Bishop’s Waltham.

The Meon Valley Baby Bank is a new, church led organisation offering help to all families in our communities who are in need of baby and children's items. They are open to everyone, but they also work with child and family care agencies to gift items by request to families facing challenging times.

Jaipur Limb We recently made a donation to the Rotary Jaipur Limb Charity to assist with training costs. Rotary Jaipur Limb’s principal activity is the raising of funds in order to finance limb camps and limb centres in Africa, the Indian sub-continent and other areas of the world in need of help, which is achieved through donations from Rotary clubs, Inner Wheel clubs, other organisations and private individuals. In many developing countries there are tens of thousands of people who suffer as a result of amputated or deformed limbs. The causes of this misery are many, but include birth defects, communicable diseases such as leprosy and polio, noncommunicable diseases such as vascular disorders and diabetes, snake bites, and traumatic injuries as a result of accidents, natural disasters and armed conflict.

LOCKDOWN 2020 – A Moment in Time Bishop’s Waltham Rotary Club and several of our members have been featured in a new book “LOCKDOWN 2020 – A Moment in

The Club was pleased to be able to offer help to four local schools by providing Chromebooks. The schools were extremely grateful saying "Your kind donation of the Chromebooks will make such a different to the learning and lives of families who are

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We have also still managed to enjoy ourselves and over the last two months or so: We have had a Zoom wine tasting evening… it took a lot of organising to comply with the rules, but we did it and it was great fun.

We had a Zoom chocolate tasting and talk… less work, someone else organised it and the chocolates arrived in the post.

And several of us also attended a virtual Burn’s Night where you got all dressed up, kilt and all, stayed at home and supplied all your own Haggis and Whisky!

Like our Facebook page or take a look at our website for updates on what is going on, what we have been up to and how you can help us help others!

ian.treveil@bishopswalthamrotary.org.uk to donate £3 or if you would like to donate between £1 and £20 text LIONS followed by your donation amount e.g. to donate £5 text Lions 5 or to donate £10 text Lions 10.

Texts cost your chosen donation amount plus one standard network rate message.

Meon Valley Lions Helping local schools Following the brilliant response Meon Valley Lions Club had to its Christmas collections, the generosity of our communities is always amazing, it was decided to donate the monies raised to help students from local schools who are struggling following the recent lockdown and need for home schooling. With stories of some children huddled around a phone trying to study, the need was obvious and very urgent.

Time”, 20% of the profits from which will be donated to the charities featured.

The book was the Brainchild of training consultant Martine Bolton and Penny Plimmer, a commercial photographer. It is made up of 67stories with black and white photographs telling of many local people and organisations showing how they were affected by the lockdown and how they have helped others.

not in a position to purchase. Such a gesture cannot be underestimated as it will support their future life chances, the families will be so appreciative."

Do you or anyone you know need help?

If you, or someone you know, needs help please get in touch on 07443 753780 or go to our website: www.meonvalleylionsclub. org.uk/_contact.html If you’d like to donate: To go: Donations - Meon Valley Lions Club (CIO) (peoplesfundraising.com) Text Donation: Simply text Lions to 70490

Our Website: www.meonvalleylionsclub.org. uk/donate.html Send a cheque: If you prefer to donate by cheque, bank transfer or cash please email our Treasurer: treasurer@meonvalleylions. org.uk. Please help us to support our local community. As always thank you for your support.

Dates For Your Diary Swanmore Fete 2021 - We’ll keep you updated on our website but in the meantime please add next year’s date to your diary: Saturday 10th July 2021.

Annual Ford Charity Fishing Festival 2021 – We’re sorry to report this has been cancelled for 2021.

Felling more isolated and anxious during lockdown? are you having trouble hearing TV or talking on the telephone?

WE ARE STILL OPEN

EDUCATION

St Swithuns, Winchester 10,000 hours of purposeful practice or of unstructured dabbling. Which is most likely to make your child successful?

Who will be more successful, the child who dedicates herself to at least 10,000 hours of purposeful practice on, let’s say, the piano from an early age or the child who dabbles with a range of instruments? Which is more likely to become a professional musician?

It turns out that the answer is significantly more nuanced than I would have thought before reading Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Books like Bounce by Matthew Syed and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell have popularised the notion that at least 10,000 hours are required to become an elite musician or sportsperson. Epstein agrees that this is true in some fields, those he calls ‘kind’ learning environments. These are ones, such as chess or golf, where patterns repeat, feedback is immediate and clear, and similar challenges occur repeatedly. However, most domains are ‘wicked’. In these environments, feedback can be confusing and patterns are either non-existent or difficult to spot. It turns out that in these domains, varied experience is far more useful than a large amount of practice focused on one area.

For many parents, it feels counterintuitive

to suggest that it is at best pointless and at worst harmful not to get their children ahead by starting them early on music, sport, Mandarin or whatever is the hobby of the moment. Contrary to popular belief, most top sports players were not ruthlessly channelled into one sport from an early age. Rather, they played a wide range of sports before specialising relatively late.

And yet, most parents, understandably, imagine that concentrating on one activity will bring more success more quickly to their offspring.

In school, we similarly assume that rapid progress is the best sort of progress and that getting lots of the answers right in class indicates successful learning. David Epstein tells us that actually we don’t want our pupils to get things right all the time. We want them to struggle to make connections for themselves rather than mindlessly following patterns. Alarmingly, research has shown that although a significant percentage of questions in class start out as making-connections problems, in some countries well-meaning teachers give so many hints that not one of these questions end up as making-connections problems. The educational culture in countries such as the US, and indeed the UK, is such that pupils don’t expect to struggle in class without the teacher intervening.

Teachers whose pupils get questions right in class are highly ranked by their pupils. The pupils feel as though they are making good

progress. But when they came to take tests a few weeks or months later, they performed worse than pupils who had struggled more in class on the same topic. Why? Because, amazingly, struggling to generate an answer on your own, even a wrong one, enhances subsequent learning. What can we do as parents? Explain to our children why we are not going to help them with their homework, make them a healthy snack and encourage them to come to find us when they have solved the problem themselves. Will this work?

There is a good chance if your child’s school encourages the same approach.

What can we take away from Range, which I thoroughly recommend you read? That we shouldn’t worry whether our child is the first to master a skill, that we should encourage them to try a range of activities, that desirable difficulty is important in the classroom and that we accept that real, sustainable progress may look more like zigzagging than we had ever imagined.

A leading independent day, weekly and full boarding school for girls aged 11-18

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A leading independent day school offering outstanding education for girls (4–11) with a co-ed nursery Jane Gandee, Headmistress of St Swithun’s school

Making a happy start to school Insider secrets from the experts at St Swithun’s Prep Thursday 25 March, 7pm

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COMMUNITY / MOTORING Meon Valley Heartstart turns a Crisis into an Opportunity and goes Digital!

Little did we know at the start of 2020 what a difference a year would make! Meon Valley Heartstart’s training rate of 5,000 people in 2019 plummeted within weeks as Covid-19 began to take hold and we entered the first lock down. Our hugely popular free face-to-face training in emergency lifesaving skills came to a very sudden halt.

All planned training had to be cancelled and all promotional activity to encourage people to attend our public courses was put on hold. As a result, donations, upon which we are wholly reliant to cover our costs, took a massive dive too! We did not rest on our laurels, however.

Realising that we were likely to be facing long term restrictions we decided to look at different ways of offering our training so that we can still provide our service, which is so much in demand. After a bit of trial and error, we are now pleased to officially launch our new training package Heartstart Online to individuals and households.

Heartstart Online A simple and easy way to learn or update your emergency lifesaving skills. All you need is a computer or tablet and a couple of hours of your time and you too can help us become a nation of lifesavers www.heartstartmeonvalley.co.uk/online to register for the free training package Heartstart Online is a tutor supported training module that covers all the essential areas of emergency lifesaving skills. Individuals or households who register can (if desired), have an initial one-to-one conversation with an online tutor who can explain how the module is structured. They work their way through the course at their own pace and in their own time – always with the knowledge that a tutor is available to provide support, as necessary. The course materials include presentation slides, videos with practical demonstrations and mini quizzes to confirm knowledge and understanding along the way. At the end of the module a tutor will again be available to answer any outstanding questions and to arrange for follow up activity, if required (for example hands on CPR and defibrillator practice).

“This new offer will be a real asset in these socially restricted times”, said

Bishop's Waltham Festival 2021 Outdoor Performances in the Palace Grounds.

2020's Festival events were sadly cancelled, like so many thousands of others around the country, casualties of coronavirus. Fortunately the two theatre companies we booked last year have both survived and are ready and eager to perform for us again.

So now the Festival Committee's plans are underway to stage live performances against the lovely backdrop of our very own Palace this midsummer. Our regular players, Rain Or Shine Theatre will perform She Stoops To Conquer. by Oliver Goldsmith on the evening of Friday 25th June at 7.30pm. Kate Hardcastle is a young lady fixed up to meet the eligible Marlow with a view to marriage. Marlow is a young gent who is tongue-tied with the upper classes and downright lecherous with commoners. Set against the increasingly chaotic proceedings of one very long night, She Stoops to Conquer is a delightful romantic romp filled with ludicrous misunderstanding, mischief and mayhem.

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David Williamson, MVHS Scheme Coordinator, “It means there is still a way for people to get access to our training – something we know is very much needed from the genuine calls for help we have received during the pandemic from families who have experienced an emergency and wanted reassurance and training to be better equipped if a similar emergency should happen again”.

Meon Valley Heartstart relies completely on volunteers to provide its services and on donations to fund our activities.

If you are interested in joining this amazing team as a trainer or in any aspect of support, or if you would like to donate to our cause visit our website at www.hearstartmeonvalley.co.uk for more information.

This course will add an extra boost to what we can offer in more normal times too, for those who find it difficult to get to a face-to-face session at a fixed time, or for those who simply want to refresh their knowledge and skills on a regular basis from the comfort of their own homes.

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For more information email info@heartstartmeonvalley.co.uk or call David Williamson on: 07730 148920 We're following this at 2.30pm on the afternoon of Saturday with fun for the children who will see Heartbreak Theatre Company's adaptation of Mr. Stink, based on the book by David Walliams. You’re invited to celebrate Annabelle’s 10th birthday, hosted by everyone’s favourite MP candidate, Janet Crumb! (Almost) everyone is welcome… that is, everyone apart from Chloe’s particularly smelly new friend, Mr Stink.

We hope to conclude Saturday with a relaxed evening of jazz music.

Our performances are all outside, the safest place to be. While we're totally optimistic that outdoor performances will be permitted in late June it may be that some restrictions have to be applied but as we've all dealt with so much this last year I'm sure we'll manage! We hope that you, the public, will celebrate the return of sociable community events with us and come along and support us and the theatre companies as you have in the past.

A note of thanks to our sponsors without whose backing none of this is possible:

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