Professional

Bishop’s Waltham 'Come and Sing Day'

2022 sees the BW Festival organisers reprise our very popular Come and Sing day. Anyone who likes to sing, or would like to have a go at singing in a choir is welcome to sign up for the workshop. You don't need to be a great singer, just an enthusiastic one! You will learn and practise singing some popular songs with a group of likeminded people under the direction of a professional choirmaster. The theme for our songs is celebratory and royal in this Jubilee year.

Lunch is available for singers for an additional fee. In the evening there is a short concert open to your family and friends and the general public where you and the choir will perform the songs of the day.

Charges: Workshop £10 Lunch: £7 Concert: £5 per person to include wine / soft drinks and nibbles. Doors open at 6.00pm. Pay on the door, cash or card. From 28th March paper entry forms for the workshop are available at Best Wishes, Brook Street, Bishop's Waltham.

On-line entry forms will be available from Jan on the same date. Workshop: 10.00am to 4.00pm - Concert: 6.30pm Both at: St. Peter's Church, Bishop's Waltham Email: veck1948@gmail.com

Mr Mac - Support for Apple & Windows

This month - The latest iPhone SE, a very good Screen bar light and a portable Apple Watch charger. Introduced in March the new iPhone SE, 4.7", starting price £419, has had some excellent reviews. It packs a lot of punch for a small phone. Many people like this form factor that slips easily into almost any pocket or handbag and will not be disappointed with the 2022 model. It has a 12 megapixel camera, up to 15 hours battery life and is fully 5G compatible. If you have an older model 6 or 7 and are looking to update it without needing to buy the very latest model this is a great choice. I am always available should you need any help setting up any new iPhone that you might choose. Remember that if you purchase any Apple product from John Lewis you will receive 2 years warranty, one year more than Apple give you.

I have been looking for a suitable light to use with my iMac for quite a while now and recently saw one that fits on the top of any flat screen monitor made by BenQ, called the Screen Bar Monitor Light LED Light Bar, that costs £89 from Amazon. It fits neatly on the top of your monitor with a counter balance weight and takes power from a USB port.

I love my Apple Watch but I become very frustrated if I forget to charge it overnight and it then runs out of juice. Now, for less than £10, it is possible to buy a portable charger that plugs into any USB that lets you charge it on the go. A great travel companion. Search for Newdery USB charger for Apple Watch.

Andy - Mr Mac - 07392 552 592 andy@mistermac.co.uk

Swanmore Village Fete – Saturday 9th July from 12 noon

Don’t forget to book the date in your diary now! Preparations are going well for our annual fete which will be held in the Swanmore Recreation Ground.

We’re keeping all your regular favourites and following the huge success in 2019 we are going to host a dog show again, during the course of the afternoon. We’re not going to recreate Crufts, but hope to have a bit of fun and a chance for local dog-owners to show off their pet’s best attributes. There will be numerous prizes up for grabs for the best pooches in various classes. They’ll be lots of other things to do and see, especially as we’ve booked Mill Cottage Farm Experience – petting zoo.

During the next few weeks, more details will be published on our Fete website page plus there will be social media postings to keep you updated on developments.

The Lions’ Swanmore fete takes a lot of time and effort to plan and we need dozens of people to help us make the event work on the day. If you can volunteer for a few hours setting up the field, manning the gate or running a stall,

we’d love to hear from you. Drop us your details via the contact us page on the website or email: info@meonvalleylionsclub.org.uk

Wickham Beer Festival This year the Lions helped on both days of the 24th Wickham Charity Beer Festival, pulling pints for the thirsty revellers on the Friday and the second providing one of our BBQs on Saturday. Everyone had a great time and we’d like to say a huge thank you to all those who helped us raise nearly £800 to help Meon Valley Lions Club help local people.

If you’d like to make a donation: OUR WEBSITE: https://www.meonvalleylionsclub.org.uk/ donate.html TEXT DONATION: Simply text LIONS to 70490 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.

Your Local Home Care Provider & Consultancy Service, Owned and Run by Registered Nurses

Our experienced and highly skilled team offer bespoke packages enabling you to remain safely in your own home. This can include Personal and Palliative Care, Social Visits and Domestic Duties.

www.lapiscare.com

Want to be part of a fantastic team and really make a difference? Lapis believe that: Cared for staff = Cared for clients Call or email us now for more information

Call us on 01489 890016 to see how we can help you, or email: contact@lapiscare.com

Our fixed cost Employment Law Retainer, ELR, provides support and advice on employment law and HR issues. It gives you peace of mind and can save the stresses and costs involved in employment disputes.

As part of the service you receive a free audit of your employment documentation, including contracts and any policies. To find out more about our ELR service and how it can help you and your business, contact us today on 01730 268211 or linda.wilson@macdonaldoates.co.uk

For more information vist our website at www.macdonaldoates.co.uk

A truly romantic wedding venue with unique, breath-taking views in the heart of the Meon Valley

Formally known as Three Choirs Vineyard Hampshire, Wickham Estate is a fresh start to this venue. From April 2022, new owners have taken over the vineyard with exciting new ideas but most importantly continuing with the same excellent service for all their couples who love to get married at the venue. The new owners of Wickham Estate are not exactly new to the venue, it is the previous General Manager Samantha Davies alongside her husband James, who has worked under Three Choirs Vineyard for over 7 years. Samantha has helped develop the venue to become a fully exclusive wedding and private functions venue that has two licensed ceremony spaces, a large barn and on-site accommodation. When Samantha joined Three Choirs Vineyard it was very early stages of becoming a wedding venue so she has been instrumental in the transformation as well as building a professional and friendly team who will continue to be a part of the upcoming weddings and support all couples with their wedding planning. Been instrumental in the building of three choirs

Wickham Estate combines a rustic style with a modern touch. You don’t have to be a wine lover or a vineyard expert to get married here, it is all about the love! With exclusive use, the vineyard has a relaxed and friendly feel making it the perfect place to take your vows and celebrate becoming a new married couple. Set in between the small villages of Botley and Wickham, it can feel like you are a million miles away when looking out amongst the beautiful vines sipping on their popular sparkling wine.

In addition to the Gazebo, [a must-see outdoor ceremony location] the beautiful inside ceremony space, The Vine Room was created in 2018. The light and airy room has large windows that look out onto the vines, wooden beams and huge halo lights that hang from the ceiling creating an intimate ceremony location. Wickham Estate are proud to be a licensed venue, giving couples the option to say their I Do’s inside or out, so never worry about the typical British weather. In 2019 the house that sits close to the Old Winery barn was transformed into the on-site accommodation. Holding a large honeymoon suite, preparation area and 4 guest bedrooms, giving all couples the opportunity to extend their stay at the venue.

Both Samantha and James are also proud owners of The Old Mill, a fine dining restaurant with a casual feel in a little village close to the Vineyard, for the last few years. With the 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and voted the top restaurant in Botley, they also formed a catering company, Exquisite Catering to provide excellent and high-quality food for all weddings and events at Wickham Estate. Combining delicious menus and the chefs’ experiences, Exquisite Catering work closely with the wedding and events team at Wickham Estate to ensure a seamless service with leading up to and on the wedding day itself.

Samantha and James along with the Wickham Estate team are excited for the times ahead under the new management and to share the news with all booked and new couples.

No Fault Divorce is finally here, but what does it mean?

Helen Clarkson, Family Solicitor

On 6 April 2022, No Fault Divorce came into force. It is hoped it will enable amore amicable and constructive approach to divorce and separation.

Before No Fault Divorce, the law stated that in order to obtain a divorce you had to prove the marriage had irretrievably broken down. To do that, the court had to be satisfied that one of five facts had been proven. Two of these facts placed blame on the other, adultery or the other party’s unreasonable behaviour. Otherwise, the parties had to wait at least two years from the date of separation before applying. This delay often added friction to an already highly emotional situation.

In the ground-breaking case which set the wheels in motion to change the outdated law, Mrs Owens sought to divorce her husband stating the marriage had irretrievably broken down as a result of his unreasonable behaviour. Mr Owens did not accept that his behaviour was so bad that Mrs Owens could not reasonably be expected to live with him. The case went to the Supreme Court and the majority of Justices concluded that based on the evidence, Mrs Owens had to remain married.

Following a campaign by Resolution, backed by other organisations and the press to bring in No Fault Divorce, the Divorce Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 came into force on 6 April 2022. The new Act permits either party, or a joint application to be made to the court seeking a divorce. The application must include a statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably and the court will now take this at face value and no further evidence is required. The power to decide whether a marriage has broken down irretrievably has now been given to the parties to the marriage, not the court. The ability to defend has also been removed to reduce hostility.

For your free 30-minute family law initial consultation, call 023 8032 1000 or email helen.clarkson@trethowans.com

Curdridge Amateur Drama Group (CADG)

As the shadows of war weigh heavy over this green and pleasant land, crime stirs it's ugly head. Foul murder in a country house; nobody is who they seem; everyone has something to hide. A retired Colonel and his houseful of colourful guests, cases of mistaken identity, spies and counter spies, and the odd exploding teapot... Can the hapless and aptly named Inspector Pratt uncover the truth, or true to form will his foot remain firmly 'in it'? Will anyone actually survive to see the final curtain?!? Laughter guaranteed in a heady mix of farce and Foyle's war.

Curdridge Amateur Dramatic Group is staging Peter Gordon's “Secondary Cause of Death” so why not join us for an evening of riotous laughter and just a touch of intrigue when we stage this bumper version in November. It might seem a long way off but we are recruiting NOW! We start with the Play Reading on Monday 16th May in the Curdridge Reading Rooms Billiard Room at 7.45pm.

Then…..Lights! Music! Action! The roar of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd! Curdridge Amateur Dramatic Group is holding open auditions for Secondary Cause of Death on Monday 16th May, 8pm at Curdridge Reading Rooms, Reading Room Lane Curdridge, Southampton SO32 2HE. If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to 'tread the boards', why not come along! All are welcome and you don’t have to participate as it’s just fun listening.

We're a friendly local Drama Group, always welcoming new members or helpers. Whether you want to face the audience or hold everything together backstage, come along and let's make memories together!

Foul murder in a country house; nobody is who they seem; everyone has something to hide. Can the aptly named Inspector Pratt uncover the truth, or true to form will his foot remain firmly 'in it'? Laughter guaranteed in a heady mix of farce and Foyle's war.

The Play Reading will take place on Monday 16th May in the Billiard Room at 19.45 and the Auditions the following Monday 23rd, same venue and time.

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We know that tackling life’s most complex problems takes more than just legal expertise. It is about listening, understanding and communicating.