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A win for gaming fans as new collectable shop opens in the Chantry Centre

A brand new pop-up shop, Collecteebles, has opened its doors in the Chantry Centre. Appealing to gaming fans and collectors, the shop will primarily specialise in selling Pokémon. The store will also stock some Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, a vast range of gaming accessories, Hot Wheels, Top Trumps and board games. The pop-up is located next to Toy Arena in the centre and will be open seven days a week, with plans to host special gaming events going forward. Collecteebles has been active for the past four years and prior to opening the unit in the centre has been trading online and attending pop-up events and car boots sales in the local area. Collectables hosted an official opening day on Saturday 10 December. To celebrate the launch, the first few customers received a free gift with their purchase and visitors had the chance to learn how to play Pokémon.

The new shop is the latest to open in Andover’s indoor shopping mall, following the likes of Boba World, Yana Vintage and Celebration Cube. After trading online for the past few years, we have now been able to offer the business a secure indoor space in the Chantry Centre to not only sell their goods, but also host special gaming events as well.

Test Valley Borough Council has ambitious plans for the future of the Chantry Centre as part of the town centre redevelopment project. In the meantime the council is actively looking at options for the building’s underutilised space. The council operates a flexible easy-in, easy-out scheme for local retailers who may wish to trial a short term residence in a retail unit and raise their profile in the town before making a longer term commitment. Anyone interested in a Chantry Centre pop-up shop can contact the Chantry Centre management team at ccmanagement@testvalley.gov.uk

Museum continues to build on event success

Following on from their successful Autumn season, the Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop hopes to continue bringing new audiences through its doors as it announces its first collaboration with The Brick People. On the weekend of the 4th and 5th of February, the Museum will stage a large-scale event featuring a wide range of LEGO® related activities which is sure to attract enthusiasts of all ages from far and wide. Nestled amongst the historic aircraft in the Museum, visitors will have the opportunity to build super flying machines out of LEGO® bricks, take part in a speed build challenge, complete an anagram trail around the Museum and browse a wide range of models on display. There will also be a LEGO® Duplo® area for younger builders. Steve Hodges Co-Founder of The Brick People said: "We are excited to be able to bring our popular events featuring LEGO® bricks, to the Army Flying Museum in February 2023.

The launch of this event follows on from a wide range of events that the Museum has staged this Autumn, with visitor figures above average for both October and November. Chief Executive of the Army Flying Museum Lucy Johnson said: “It has been wonderful to see so many new faces through our doors, not only to enjoy our wide range of new events, but also to learn about the history of army aviation and enjoy the sights on the adjacent airfield as the Apache helicopters fly by. We are really excited about our collaboration with The Brick People and think the surroundings of the Museum will make this a very special event indeed.”

The event will run across the weekend of 4th/5th February with two sessions per day and bookings can be made via the Museum website at www.armyflying,com

Hello, and a warm welcome to our monthly interiors column to begin this New Year!

Charlotte Stuart Interiors is a local Hampshire interior design studio working with home owners in the Test Valley, Winchester and London area. Here, we hope to share our design expertise, tips and tricks and some colourful inspiration along the way.

Founder Charlotte is a professionally qualified interior designer, member of the BIID and former Colour Consultant at Farrow & Ball, offering a wealth of experience from the interiors industry.

As an Interior Design Studio, our projects range in size and scope. From designing a single room to full property renovations, we work alongside trusted tradespeople and a high-quality finish is imperative to our vision. Our practice is flexible, which means we can tailor a package to suit our clients. This could mean an hourly consultancy or a fixed fee for larger projects. Our hardworking, professional team are warm and friendly, aiming to make the design process enjoyable and to exceed expectations.

We lead clients through the full end-to-end Interior Design service for building projects, helping them make those all-important decisions. This includes sourcing brands and suppliers across the spectrum of the project, and recommendations for local artisans and tradespeople. We specialise in window treatments, upholstery, soft furnishings and joinery, creating beautiful homes that flow cohesively throughout. We understand the business of the budget, so through sharing our advice on where to spend and where to save, we ensure a successful delivery of every project.

In addition to this, we offer an hourly Interior Consultancy service to help with anything from paint choices and fabrics, to making the best of existing furniture or new additional pieces. This is a more flexible design approach, perfect for clients who know their own style but just need that vote of confidence to either get going with a project, or help to complete it.

Supported by a small team, Charlotte collaborates closely with her clients to elevate their ideas into stylish and practical homes. She believes interior design is highly personal, and that we are attracted to colours and styles that reflect us. Part of her expertise lies in understanding clients’ tastes and preferences, then carefully considering all the elements from decorative to functional, for longevity.

Please get in touch if you have an interiors project in mind, we would be delighted to hear from you to discuss how we can help.

Come and visit our website at www.charlottestuartinteriors.co.uk Or find us for further inspiration on: Instagram @charlotte_stuart_interiors Email: info@charlottestuartinteriors.co.uk Contact Number: 07973 886 152