Solent Life Magazine - East

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solentlife.co.uk

JANUARY 2012

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contents

welcome JANUARY 2012

Here we are again in January and 2012 to look forward to with anticipation. Events this year include the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games on a national level and more locally, Portsmouth’s first Air Festival. In addition to this, there are various events to mark; the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic following its departure from Southampton, 200 years since the birth of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth, the 40th anniversary of the Marwell Wildlife Park in Winchester and a wonderful exhibition of the James bond cars in Beaulieu to mark the 50th anniversary of the first 007 film. With so many things happening this year, it promises to feel very special and very busy.

New years resolutions are of course uppermost in our minds with the ever increasing strain of keeping to them as the month progresses. Plans and intentions for diets and exercise regimes should be well established by now; and so it is appropriate that we explore some of the options and observations about New Year Resolutions this month.

Never afraid to face the more difficult aspects of life, we have explored some of the help and support available to those sadly caught in a relationship breakdown and also the respite available to dementia carers.

On a brighter note, we have our usual features: walks, artists, restaurants, theatres and much more.

Your feedback has been both positive and thought provoking. Please continue to pass to us any comments you have – good or bad, we can only improve by responding to your observations and wishes.

May I wish everybody a very happy and prosperous new year.

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in this issue… features 14… The Interview Solent Life meets the organiser of the first Portsmouth Air Show

Solent Life Magazine Tel… 01489 583800 • Fax… 01489 583803 Online… www.solentlife.co.uk • Email… info@solentlife.co.uk WEBB HOUSE, 20 BRIDGE ROAD, PARK GATE, HAMPSHIRE, S031 7GE

theteam

18… Restaurant Review

A traditional family fish and chip restaurant 28… Relationship Breakdown

A sad start to a New Year 34… New Years Resolutions

Can you keep yours?

Editorial

Dave Hill – Managing Editor Tel… 01489 583743 • Email… davehill@solentlife.co.uk David Rose-Massom – Senior Journalist Email… editorial@solentlife.co.uk

Advertising Sales Sarah Kent Tel… 01489 584010 Email… sarah@solentlife.co.uk

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Abby Champkin Tel… 01489 583815 Email… abby@solentlife.co.uk

Diane Mabbs Tel… 01489 583852 Email… diane@solentlife.co.uk

Design & Production Design by SolentLife Email… design@solentlife.co.uk • Online… solentlife.co.uk Deadline for advertising copy & editorial for next issue: 17th January 2012 Published by Living Coast Media. © Copyright Solent Life 2011. All rights reserved. No part of Solent Life Magazine can be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions contained within.

46… Pamper Yourself

New Year Health and Beauty

regulars 06… New Year Walk

Blow away the cobwebs at Farlington Marshes

10… Art Review

Feel the power of the sea in these stunning works

26… Motoring Review

Volvo S60 - beautifully efficient 52… Green Fingers

Winter Flowering Helibores and Snowdrops 54… What’s On

Reviews events and theatres coming your way 57… Mind Gym

Try our latest puzzles

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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Monday to Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm / Saturday 9:30am - 5:30pm / Sunday 11:00am - 4:00pm. solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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marshwalk

mellow marsh

On one side of the raised embankment Brent geese grazed on the mud flats exposed by the low tide; on the other, Canada geese fed on the lush green grasses of the nature reserve while against the rich blue winter sky clouds of starlings swirled in picturesque patterns… It was a typical, and stunning, winter’s day on Farlington Marshes. words & pictures • david rose-massom

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chill wind whipped across the raised footpath and although there was a low, winter sun sitting above the blue horizon it did little to warm the day; the only blessing on the weather front was that the wind was out of the west and not from the even colder east.

For those Solent Life readers who have not enjoyed the open air pleasures of this nature reserve on the edge of Portsmouth it is 125 hectares of coastal grazing and marshes midway between Portsmouth and Havant and just a stone’s throw from the ceaseless traffic of the A27. It is a flat, open landscape that is protected from the waters of Langstone Harbour by the sea wall

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

that has the footpath gracing its summit.

Although owned by Portsmouth Council it is run, magnificently, by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

On the December day of my walk I had risen early in the hope of catching a glorious sunrise across the marshes, but a heavy covering of cloud allowed me to remain indoors with the morning paper and coffee.

The clouds parted and the forecast was re-checked, maybe I could catch the sunset instead; but the weathermen said just a few hours of clear skies and it was obvious I had to seize the moment.

A great deal of work has gone on over recent years with rebuilding of the sea

defences and on improving the car parking, so it is now a pleasant place to park with plenty of spaces. Although it is a flat, even and easy pathway it is not suitable for wheelchairs and stout, waterproof walking shoes or wellingtons are advisable for the 2.5 mile circular walk.

The grey skies of early morning had by now transformed into a crisp and bright blue sky, and on entering the sanctuary through the swing gate I got the first brushing of the keen wind as it was dipping over the embankment and ruffling both the water’s surface and the wildfowl’s feathers on the first of the many ponds and lagoons that are scattered across the reserve. On the outside of the sea wall the waters of Langstone had retreated with low tide, though it can be a much prettier walk at high tide, there is a more varied collection of waders and wildlife to be seen when the tide is out. There is also something gently spectacular at low tide about the sombre patterns made by the mud as the rivulets of receding water carve intricate patterns into the dark landscape.

It was against this black background that I had my first treat of the day, a little egret, its plumage a bright and flawless white, dipping for molluscs and small fish in the shallows. I am not a ‘bird watcher’ but do love to watch birds and after an hour I noted that my walk had travelled just a hundred yards or so;

although I have covered ground slower on the M25 on a bad day!

As the egret took to the skies, I began walking again but within a few moments progress was halted as this stunning creature circled and flew overhead toward a pond on the sheltered side of the embankment. I was glad he drew my attention because as he landed a marsh harrier, a swift bird of prey, swooped low over the grasslands and disappeared from view as swiftly as he had arrived.

To the left a new set of steps had been cut into the bank that led down to a meandering grassy pathway through the bracken and cutting off one corner of the embankment walk. It appeared to be a bit of cheat taking a shortcut on such a lovely walk but those thoughts were soon put to rest as the path twisted left and right like a green river finding its own route. What it did offer though was some new vantage points cut into the hedgerows from where it was sheltered and had good views of the meadow part of the marshes and where carefree rabbits played and preened.

Farlington Marshes is one of those friendly walks and everyone passed had a warm smile of greeting or stopped to chat about the day and the wildlife; always a pleasing way to pass the time when out walking.

Again clouds made up of thousands of starlings, always an amazing sight at this time of year, swooped and swirled against the bright blue background of the skies.

The pathway rejoined the raised walkway and the wind had begun to have a little more bite, nipping at fingertips and earlobes, as the sun occasionally hid its bright light behind drifting, and ever-thickening, clouds.

Across the retreated waters from this side of the promontory was Hayling Island and an old, white bearded birdwatcher sat on a bench with his momentarily redundant telescope pointing

uselessly out toward the island while he chewed on a lunchtime sandwich. I noticed he continually kept clenching and unclenching his fists to keep out the cold.

His was another of those brief and fleeting walking friendships as we chatted about each other’s experiences and sightings of the day.

While standing there Brent geese continually flew from the direction of Hayling and into the lagoon behind us, they flew in, in tight formation, a few at a time and crossed the embankment at head height just a few yards away from where we chatted before gliding to rest on the wind-roughened waters.

Walkers need to keep their eyes busy when taking this walk; too much attention paid to the lagoons, reed beds and the grasslands and you will miss the action in the skies;

too much watching the aerial antics and fly-pasts of the birds and you will miss the wildlife on the meadow and water surfaces.

My advice, just stay alert!

Viewed from the A27, and the hum of traffic never quite leaves you but after a few yards of walking you do forget it is there, Farlington may appear to be just a flat, featureless lump sticking out into Langstone Harbour but, the moment walkers begin to follow the circular path, it offers up all sorts of gems and jewels. It is rich in wildlife with scenery that, at both high and low tide, will take your breath away. It is one of the most beautiful walks on offer in Hampshire so don’t be deceived by its distant plainness. l

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artreview

high seas,

energy high

I can only really paint when I am in ‘high energy’; some days I go into the studio and it just does not happen. In the early days as an artist I would resist the bad feelings and go through the angst; but now I know when I am in the flow and can keep my energy high… words • david rose-massom

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his month’s featured artist is a mother and grandmother with a surprising ability to paint the power and fury of the sea.

Many artists can produce realistic seascapes, but Jean Dayton produces images of white hulled yachts thrusting their way through sea spray and paintings of powerful seas that drive forward relentlessly. It was this portrayal of the sea’s strength that bought her to the attention of Solent Life.

Jean is very much into meditation and the spiritual side of the artist. “I keep my energy high by walking in nature and that can be a walk in the woods or a walk along the seashore.” She said. “Each gives me a different energy, and to me that energy is everything. I find it meditative and because I have to be creative in everything I do, whether that is in my painting or just cooking dinner, I have to stay passionate about what I do, it heightens my feelings and ultimately I paint from those feelings.”

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Her images come from both photographs and the mental images she collects when out walking and these are combined to create the end product. “I mainly work on a commission basis now and I have a big job at the moment from a couple in Dublin who want a large painting for their new home.” Jean explained. “They had an idea of what they wanted from one of my existing paintings with the Isle of Wight in the background but because of where they live they want it set in Dublin Bay. I have no need to visit the bay but I must see plenty of photographs so that I can get a feel for the location.”

Jean has been a full-time artist for around seven years. “I have always been creative and as a youngster all I wanted to do was go to Art College, but when I finally got there it only lasted for six months.” She admitted laughing gently with embarrassment. “I loved the art side of being there but hated the academia that went with it.

“I would have been 17 at the time and from

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there I went into ‘proper’ jobs working in continued. “I am sensitive to everyone and offices and in admin then within a few years everything around me and that can be a I gave birth to my daughter Gemma, which little overwhelming at first and originally it obviously changed my life but it helped me felt like a weakness but now I see it as very to grow and form as a person; I loved being much a strength; in fact it is my greatest a mum, and three years later my son Ben strength. came along.”

“The energy I get from nature and the world Jean admitted to now being a grandmother around me has helped me grow as an artist but there is still a youthfulness and freshness, and as a person.” Did the spiritual side almost innocence, about her. feed the art or vice versa? “The art and the “Work has mostly been in office admin but spiritual side is a two-way thing and it’s in my last job all I did was dream about about being true to your self; the energy I becoming an artist.” The passion and desire feel, and talk about, can be forceful or it can was back in her voice. “I was working as be calm. It is a little like music, sometimes an artist but overlapping with the day job, I am in the mood for something like but as I become more successful it was not Gregorian chants or it could be Ibiza dance enough to be a part-time artist; so I had to music; it’s about freedom to express mood make a decision! But, that decision was a and to express myself! really easy one to take and the transition “There has to be a balance in all we do in life, from everyday life to being an artist was to and so, especially with my background in get a taste of freedom.” admin, I enjoy promoting myself, marketing “The spiritual side of what I do has been my work and working on my website. I enjoy around since my teens and I have always being a commercial artist as it is a constant been interested in self-development.” She flow of work, I love my pictures and often

name them, but then I am happy to let them go to their new homes. There must be 300 pieces of work now hanging in people’s homes and that is a really nice feeling.

“I do like to meet with my clients and pick up on their feelings but I also need to know about the space where the work will hang; that is important. Then the work begins with me sketching to get the right composition and then getting the go-ahead from the client. Each commission really is a bespoke piece of work. Each piece takes some three or four sittings and each sitting is two or three hours long. In the end my paintings have a little bit of me in them and a little bit of the client.”

So, what does the future hold for Jean Dayton? “I really want to get more work out there, and strangely that is not just about being seen but about getting to work more and being creative everyday, that is part of keeping my energy high.

“The meditation side of my work, and just painting gets me in a meditative state, is very important. With some of my abstract work I have even begun to add crystals to the paints and resins and this is giving me more ideas about expanding my art and expanding myself as an artist. My meditation takes me deeper into the flow of my work.

I cannot separate the person from the art as they are very much one and the same!” l To see more of Jean G Dayton’s work go to www.jeangdayton.com and for commission details email her on jean@ jeangdayton.com Some of Jean’s work can also be seen at the White Dog Gallery in Lee-onthe-Solent.

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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solenttheatre

paul in conversation with

the director

This year The Mayflower Theatre as part of the Music and Lyrics theatre consortium is co-producing a re-staging of The King and I for a 6 month tour. The show arrives in March for a week long run and we caught up with the Paul Kerryson the Director of this production interviewed by robin hancox • pictures by catherine ashmore You first directed this new production of The King and I last year at Curve Theatre, Leicester. What made you choose The King and I? The King and I is one of the great musicals with a truly beautiful score matched by a good story. Nowadays new generations rediscover these classic shows usually by experiencing the original film on television or

by DVD. A theatre production can also bring today’s performers and designers with new ideas to these classic shows. We wanted to choose a familiar title and give it a new look- The King and I proved to be as popular as ever. It's now an amazing sixty years since the original production on Broadway in 1952 with Gertrude Lawrence and a then unknown Yul Bryner.

Why do you think audiences are drawn to it time and time again?

Rodgers and Hammerstein were the first post war musical writers who created a strong story line where the songs and lyrics were vital to the plot. They were the musical pioneers of their day inspiring a new generation of composers like Stephen Sondheim. They understood that magic ingredient that brings the lyrics, story and music together. All their musicals contain familiar and memorable melodies that have stood the test of time. Many songs have even found their way into contemporary culture - whether in television advertising, new interpretations or even a crowd singing 'you'll never walk alone' from Carousel on the football pitch!

What is the story of The King and I based on?

benefits of Western ideas and science, but equally didn’t want to be colonised or lose the beautiful identity of his country.

The real King of Siam at the time played a brilliant political game keeping the colonial powers like England, at bay through very diplomatic but ingenious ways. The story is based on Anna Leonowens best selling memoirs. She was certainly an independent and forward looking woman in a patriarchal Victorian world. The King and I tells of their growing relationship and understanding against the background of political intrigue and of course the large family of children and wives!

This production features 16 children who are all auditioned locally- what do they bring to the show?

The children are a vital element in The King and I and their contribution and commitment is absolutely vital. They get themselves caught in the tempestuous relationship between Anna and the King. For many of the children from the Southampton area this will be their first time of performing on the stage. It should be an unforgettable experience for what may be the start of a theatrical career!

What are your personal favourite musicals?

That’s always a tricky question! I always say it is the one I am currently working on! The next musical for me is the exciting prospect of Gypsy by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim which opens in Leicester. Top favourites would have to be Sondheim’s ingenious Sweeney Todd and Kander and Ebbs dazzling Chicago. l

It’s based on the true story about the volatile relationship between Anna, a British school teacher and the King of Siam, who was coming to understand some of the

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

> PE RFECT PITCH by John Godber

> CO LDER THAN HERE See our full Spring Summer listings, why not get a copy of our Theatre Calendar Card to remind you of what's coming up.

Just phone 01329 556156 and we will send you one free of charge.

>18th – 28th JANUARY

The caravan holiday from hell! Ron and Yvonne, a retired headteacher and his wife, have purchased their first caravan not quite the cruise they are use to but it does have all the mod cons. Enter Steph and Grant in their beaten up caravan but with love making that would make anyone blush. The encounter has hilarious consequences for all and the lives of Ron and Yvonne will never be the same.

A fabulous comedy penned by one of the UK’s finest playwrights.

Support Your Local Arts Centre View our Spring and Summer Season of shows for 2012 at your local arts centre. www.titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com

>15th FEBRUARY – 25th FEBRUARY

A moving comedy of a woman's journey to her grave.

One mother’s lifetime passage is winding down to its final destination… a hilarious and powerful story of our human condition.

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solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…13

theinterview

the

interview There are few outdoor events as exciting as an airshow and in August of this year Portsmouth will be hosting its first such event. It will bring in much needed tourism income but will it do anything for the local community and will they be invited to join in this celebration of flight…? interviewed by • david rose-massom

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

worked on just about every major sports of the world-famous Birdman of Bognor event including the Tour de France when it event, but in miniature and paper, where visited Portsmouth.” He explained. the longest flight wins the prize. “The The Air Festival began with a casual remark furthest plane flight in each school will go made by Maurice Snowdon who is now the into the final to be held at the Air Festival.

Non-Executive Chairman for the Festival.

That event is for the five to ten year olds; “Maurice and I had worked together on for the eleven year-old and up it is more of previous occasions and in May of 2011 he a science project as they will have a project was at an event and chatting with the Lord to design a new paper airplane that will Mayor of Portsmouth. The conversation out-fly or out-manoeuvre the competition. drifted around to the fact that other seaside Hopefully we will find some budding towns along the south coast had airshows designers of the future! Grown ups have and Maurice asked why Portsmouth did not not been forgotten either as we will also be have one, being that it seemed the perfect holding a darts competition.” ver the coming months leading location. The Lord Mayor responded by “Hopefully we are leading the whole up to the Portsmouth Air telling him to just get on with it! community into the Air Festival and the life Festival 2012, Solent Life, who “Southsea and Portsmouth is a great venue surrounding it. It is a celebration of the City, have become partners in this for such an event, it is steeped in history of the waterfront of the armed forces and exciting event, will be highlighting some of and absolutely perfect for an airshow.” of the people who live here and serve the the displays and events, we will be talking Steve continued. “The first thing we area. We will also be selling the businesses to exhibitors and stars of the displays as thought about was this historic angle but of Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, well as looking in depth at the build up to as time has gone by with the organisation from the airfield at Lee-on-the-Solent and the festival. What better way to begin this of the event we realised Portsmouth is a across the region, it’s about shouting about series of features than chatting with one of happening place with lots going on and everything that Portsmouth does and the the main organisers and Chief Executive of we want to add to that feeling. Organising fact it does it so well. the Festival, Steve Lawrance. the Festival has opened my eyes into what “We will help business and social “Community involvement and benefits are communities and from that first idea of very important in the lead up to the Festival, is going on in the City and we want to enhance that. holding an air show it has quickly grown as well as putting on a show that the whole “We are going to acknowledge the heritage into something different. Other towns town can enjoy and be proud of.” Steve but it is also an area that is leading the way have their styles of airshow and we, here explained when we first met just before with some cutting edge flight technology – in Portsmouth, intend to have very much Christmas. “When we first decided to put we may be looking partly into the past but our own identity and that identity is about on the show we had to ensure that all the also very much the present and the future.” a celebration of the air; but also about the funds went to the right areas and so we Steve smiled broadly and spoke with land and the sea as well. formed a not-for-profit organisation where passion. “Portsmouth is an area to develop “It is a free event, but a real quality around £250,000 will be going to charities and grow in, it’s not just a pretty seaside event, because it will be inclusive for the and any remainder of funds will be put town, there is so much more going for it!” community. Yes, it will heighten the tourism toward funding the 2013 festival.”

“We are adding another page to the history and bring in much needed income, but it The cost of putting on the Portsmouth and although producing an event such as will also enhance the community. There Air Festival 2012 is expected to reach this is hard work we are already looking must be a balance between helping and £600,000. to the advanced plans for a 2013 event supporting local business but also in Although billed as a one day airshow Steve where we will be ‘Twinning’ with Boston helping local charities; it has to be a link explained that it will be a weekend of Portsmouth and producing an airshow on between business and community so that events and celebrations. “The airshow itself both sides of the Atlantic, their show being both sides will benefit.” l will just be on the Saturday but it seemed displayed on a big screen here and viceas if we would miss an opportunity to versa. So we are already looking toward offer the people of Portsmouth something Festivals two and three while organising special if we just held the Saturday event. this inaugural event.”

All the exhibitors and concessions have Southsea Common can happily handle been invited to remain for the Sunday when crowds of 200,000 safely and for the first we will also have a six hour concert.

“Some local bands have already offered their Air Festival the organisers are hoping for 50,000 visitors or more on the Saturday of services and been booked and Rhapsody, the event. which is one of the leading Queen tribute “It is not just about what is happening on the bands, have been booked and are an seafront that concerns us as an organising exciting addition to the line-up. It will be a body.” Steve continued. “It is everything wonderful day of music, picnics and fun.” about community and over the next Steve Lawrance is no stranger to working few months we will be getting everyone with large organisations and nor is he a involved. stranger to Portsmouth. “I trained as a “As part of the launch announcement we graphic designer in Portsmouth before my had a paper-plane display and now we are career moved me up to London. There I reaching out to primary and junior schools was part of a family concern that formed a to enter a paper dart throwing competition.” design agency that just seemed to fall into Steve explained that it was a paper version sporting events and for several years we

O

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…15

ArundelStreetDental Quality & Service

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We can usually make you a new one in 24 hours or less Implant retained dentures The predictable solution to most denture problems For a free informal chat about your needs or a copy of our information leaflet, please phone:

02392 829679 272 Arundel Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 1NT • Fax: 02392 864477

www.hurstdental.co.uk 16...

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

PLEASE HELP OUR ANIMALS To make sure our animals are well fed and cared for throughout Winter and beyond PLEASE HELP SUPPORT OUR WINTER WARMTH APPEAL Just £20 could help provide 40 meals for the animals here.

Your gift will provide food and care for the many vulnerable, mistreated & unloved animals at the shelter – some cheaply discarded like unwanted presents in the New Year!

Please send your donation to Vanessa Eden, Stubbington Ark Animal Shelter, 174-176 Ranvilles Lane, Fareham PO14 3EZ 01329 666916 (cheques payable to RSPCA Solent Branch please)

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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restaurantreview

Aboard

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

From outside it appears like an Americana 1950s diner that has been wrongly positioned on the roadside at Paulsgrove, close to Porchester. Inside though, it’s like a blast to the past of a seaside chippy with its displays of sailing boats, oars and wooden mariners, but that retro-chic is blended with the modern and offers a comfortable and clean dining room… words • david rose-massom

D

espite the descriptive invitation into the world of Mother Kelly’s Fish and Chip Restaurant and Takeaway it still does not come close to describing the atmosphere and warmth of this locally famous landmark and eatery.

Whether you are in for a pensioner’s lunch, a family dinner or just a classic helping of fish and chips it is a great spot to enjoy good old English fare!

It is table-service, of course, and within moments of my sitting I had already received a hot and welcome coffee, and had ordered Haddock, Chips and Mushy Peas; I fancied a classic lunch! While ordering I noticed Long John Silver gazing down at me from a corner vantage point and a modest mermaid advertising bath salts from a long-ago extinct company.

If the classic is not to your fancy then there are the slightly more exotic such as sea bass and lemon sole; or away from the fish, gammon or handsome pies to go with your chips.

Glorious, fat chips, proper chip-shop chips, and without a hint of grease or oil; crisp exteriors that break to the bite and inside fluffy potato. Just the way a chip should be; not like those skinny American imports! Mushy peas, rough textured, yet smooth on the tongue; a rich green colour and a strong pea flavour.

The proof of any chippy however, is the fish and the batter that coats it. My fork broke through the thin and crispy dark coating to reveal fleshy and flaky white fish.

The favour delicate and yet clean with the fish melting on the tongue. The batter was crisp and clean.

Excellent fish and chips, as expected from an establishment that has survived many years on a high reputation.

After my meal I sat with co-owner Donna West whose husband Trevor is the other half of the team. “Mother Kelly’s was purpose built 25 years ago; Trevor and I did the work and we had two partners who backed the business.” She explained and I asked about the American diner influence. “Originally it was supposed to have a big American car up on the roof to complete the image but after getting so far with the building it did not seem to fit with what we were doing.”

Despite the occasional rumour that it has been taken over by big corporations it has been Trevor and Donna running the establishment all along. A quarter of a century of keeping up standards and a high reputation, something they, and their staff, should be very proud of.

Even rarer, they are also still smiling!

“Many of the staff have been here since we opened.”

Donna pointed out the smallest staff member, Sue. “She was even the first person we interviewed for the job. The younger staff are made up of the daughters

and grandchildren of original staff; in fact we always ask for the first-born!” Donna laughed before pointing out another staff member, Debbie. “She’s the newbie; she has only been here 15 years!”

The obvious question; who was Mother Kelly? “One of the original partners had a daughter Kelly, she is 30 now…” Donna added. “And, she kept asking for it to be named after her, in the end her dad gave in.”

The business now also has a take-away in nearby Emsworth, but still the staff are like family. “Craig, who is frying today, his mum is the manager over there and his two brothers are the fryers.” Donna added proudly.

Before even being told this tale of a family saga, I had written in my notebook with regard to the service; ‘To say the staff are friendly would seem a little clichéd but it really is a more like family and friends. Mother Kelly’s is one of those restaurants where regulars do eat frequently so the room is full of cheery hellos, happy farewells, warm smiles and conversation in-between.’

Corners are not cut at Mother Kelly’s; although I sprinkled my lunch with salt and vinegar, with just a squeeze of lemon on the fish; the ketchup on the table was of a well known and popular brand – they could get away with a cheaper sauce but that is not this restaurant’s way of doing things.

It is one of those places that if you are on the road and eating alone boredom never has time to set in as the wall decorations and memorabilia keep the eye and the mind occupied. There is just enough to fascinate and entertain but not too much to leave the dining room cluttered. Donna explained that the decor does change from time to time as regulars who travel bring in something new to go on the walls and it replaces something that may have been there for a decade or more.

The restaurant is clean and tidy and so is the frying area; even mid-service. The food is delicious and my traditional lunchtime feast was excellent. Proper English food served in, although maybe a little confused fusion of styles, good surroundings by friendly and efficient staff. It may be ‘just’ a fish and chip restaurant, but it is a very good one which we highly recommend. l

My haddock, chips and mushy peas, £9.45; excellent value. www.motherkellysfishandchips.co.uk/ paulsgrove-restaurant for details of opening times and menus and they also open from 8am till 11.30am for grilled breakfasts.

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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I N D I A N

C U I S I N E

174A West Street • Fareham • PO16 0EQ

NAZ

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T K CAFÉ At The TK Café you can treat yourself to home cooked breakfast in the morning, jacket potatoes, baguettes or salads for lunch and the ultimate treat - homemade brandy pudding for dessert.

The TK Café offers a range of sandwiches, main meals including steak & kidney pie, lamb shank, scampi & chips and roast lunch to name but a few. All is served with a smile from the polite and attentive waiting team under the guidance of the owner Theresa.

So if you are wanting to indulge in something a little special this November why not drop in for a treat at the TK Café.

Open Monday to Saturday from 7:00am to 5:00pm, Tel: 02392 387887, 11 West Street, Portchester, PO16 9XB.

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

AWARDED CURRY CHEF OF THE YEAR 2011 - 2012 It is the first award that Chef Kowsar Miah has won, and what a prestigious award to begin with; Curry Chef of the Year. The annual award is presented by one of the UK’s leading curry magazines. Kowser took over as chef from his father, who has successfully been in charge of the kitchens at MOWCHAK TANDOORI sine 1989.

His speciality dish, of which he is very proud, is tandoori murgh masallam, which consists of chicken, lamb mince and egg. After receiving his award Chef Miah said he was very happy and that the award ceremony was a most interesting experience as he got to see how the other competitors prepared their dishes.

10% OFF ON PRESENTATION OF THIS VOUCHER (January 2012) OUTSIDE CATERING ALSO AVAILABLE, PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS

BUFFET SUN, MON & TUES £9.75 LOCAL FREE DELIVERY

Opening February 2012

For more information please do not hesitate to call

07974 729 008

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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solentbusiness

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce Southampton City Centre – The New Utopia!

These are exciting times in Southampton City Centre and Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is leading the business voice. words • denise barlow

A

s completion fast approaches on the new Sea City Museum, which is scheduled to open for the 100th commemoration of the Titanic in April , it’s been announced that the City Centre is to be really be transformed over two next decades into a totally international, world-class location. And it’s all to be delivered through an ambitious achievable City Centre Action Plan – the result of over two years worth of masterplanning.

The masterplanning exercise has focused on four key roles:

Over the next twenty years, it is envisaged for 24000 new jobs, 5000 homes and over £3bn of inward investment will be delivered in the city centre.

This will come about through seven very important projects (VIPs) which are: l Station Gateway and Western Quarter (Business Quarter) l Royal Pier Waterfront l Itchen Riverside including Town Depot l Heart of the City (Above Bar, WestQuay)

l Help guide investment to and within the city centre

l Watermark, (West Quay Retail Park)

l Raise the profile of the city centre regionally, nationally and internationally

l Cultural Quarter

l Fruit and Vegetable Market l Southampton Solent University

l Provide guidelines on the type and quality of development needed in central Southampton l Inform and support the statutory framework through the city centre action plan (CCAP)

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Jimmy Chestnutt, Chief Executive for Hampshire Chamber of Commerce said, “It will be quite a challenge to deliver this plan.

It’s very visionary. There have been a number of glossy pamphlets produced in the past that have gathered dust. This one will be different. This Masterplan presents the best chance to really strengthen Southampton as a great place to do business, visit and live; and Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and its members are fully engaged. Several sites are already on the horizon especially in the Cultural Quarter and Southampton’s Waterfront, but businesses will be keen for delivery of a better transport interchange at central station, a more attractive gateway vista to a new thriving business quarter and cohesive links throughout the whole of the city centre.”

The plan makes reference to the green agenda by focusing on building design, streetscape and increased interaction of parks. Additional views are sure to come forward following a public consultation throughout February.

What is clear already will be the need for closer working partnerships with landowners, businesses, residents and strategic public sector partners. The Chamber’s support and involvement has been vital to the process thus far and will continue.

How do we get around and get to work?

Are there joined up approaches to public transport? These questions and more are being assessed by Chamber through a concentrated Strategic Transport Review.

Sounds red-tape but in fact it is vital to the above project and throughout South Hampshire as we all look for better, greener cost effective ways of travelling and working.

Full details on this work and an array of other work can be found on our website: www. hampshirechamber.co.uk You will be pleased to know that Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping businesses to grow in order to create more jobs and encourage more businessto-business networking. From the small business operating from home to the large corporates, Chamber is the full voice of business, providing a raft of services and membership benefits in addition to lobbying and campaigning, of which the City Centre masterplanning and transport study are fine examples of.

It’s Chamber for 21st Century businesses!

backtonature

events

wildlife

January

at Farlington Marshes Wildlife Reserve…

Bird Watch

Farlington Marshes is the largest remaining area of grazing marsh in Langstone Harbour; it provides a haven for a wide range of wildlife and is particularly recognised for the bird life it supports. But it’s the harbour that attracts many of the birds to over winter here in the first place!

words • nikki magee image • david kilbey

A

t low tide Langstone Harbour provides a feeding area for waders and wildfowl. Looking at the expanse of mud in the harbour at low tide, it’s perhaps not obvious what these birds are feeding on. The mudflat appear quiet barren and unproductive - but not so. These mudflats produce as much biomass, the total weight of plants and animals, as any rainforest.

Each cubic metre of mud is home to thousands of shrimps, worms and snails that burrow into the mud for protection against drying out during the hours of exposure at low tide. These tiny animals provide an energy-rich diet for any bird that is equipped to get at them. Just as a long slender bill allows the humming bird to extract nectar from deep bell-shaped tropical flowers, the same bill design allows wading birds such as the curlew, godwit and redshank to probe the soft mud and feed on these buried morsels.

However, as the tide comes in and covers the mudflats the birds get pushed up on to the marshes where they take refuge until the sea ebbs again. At high tide the birds spend time resting and preening around the water bodies on the marsh before heading back out to feed as the mud is exposed by the dropping tide.

It’s when the birds are on Farlington at high tide that you can get the closest views of them so why not join the Reserve Officer on February 12th for a bird watch and learn more about the birds of Langstone Harbour and Farlington Marshes.

Your local Wildlife Trust The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust works to create a better future for wildlife and wild places in Hampshire and the Island. As the leading local wildlife conservation charity, it looks after 61 wildlife reserves, has 27,000 members and 1,000 volunteers. The Trust manages its own land and advises other landowners how to manage their land with wildlife in mind.

Staff and volunteers also carry out surveys and gather data to monitor how our local wildlife is doing.

Find out more at www.hwt.org.uk

Join us today …and enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. For more information contact our membership team on 01489 774408. l Unlimited FREE visits to over 55 wildlife

reserves in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and 2,500 reserves nationwide l A welcome pack when you join l Hampshire and Isle of Wight Natural World, the Wildlife Trust’s magazine, delivered to you (or your partner) three times a year l The chance to take part in local group and community activities offering you a variety of opportunities to be involved in more than 400 walks, talks and events throughout the two counties l Join by direct debit and receive your FREE full colour Local Wildlife Reserve Guide.

Visit www.hwt.org.uk and discover your local Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 12th January 12am–3pm Get close to the hundreds of waders and birds on the marshes and lakes around high tide at Farlington Marshes Wildlife Reserve. Guides will be at viewing areas to help you identify the birds and tell you about their behaviour. Drop in anytime during the session to improve your bird identification skills. Parking is available off the Eastern Road (A27/A2030) roundabout (Map ref. SU 679 044). For further details, please contact Jamie Marsh, Solent Reserves Officer, on 01489 774429.

Suggested donation £1.50. Please note this event will not take place in wet and windy weather.

Can you help?

We need help checking the cattle that roam the marshes.

It is very simple, can be done as part of a walk around the sea wall and you do not need to get too close to the cows. If you can spare a few hours, please call Jamie Marsh on 01489 774 429.

Farlington Marshes Reserves Team A small team of volunteers meet every Tuesday to carry out practical work on the reserve such as fence repairs, scrub clearance and path maintenance. No previous experience necessary.

For further details about any of the above please call Jamie Marsh on 01489 774429

Visiting Farlington Marshes Wildlife Reserve Farlington Marshes is 125 hectare of coastal grazing marsh situated south of the A27 between Portsmouth and Havant. The reserve is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust on behalf of its owners Portsmouth City Council.

How to get there Rail: Hilsea train station is 1.5 miles from the reserve with trains from Fareham and Portchester every 30 minutes.

Bus: 21 between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour.

Closest stop is at Farlington Sainsbury’s, 15 minute walk to the reserve. Service is hourly Monday to Friday with a reduced service at weekends.

Road: The car park is off the Eastern Road roundabout (A27/A2030).

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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travelfeature

Iberian serenade my

As we set sail from Southampton, brass band playing for us, the ship slipped her moorings and we were on our way.

Known for its famous white star service, Cunard are renowned for their luxury; from the white gloved greeting at embarkation, to the pure luxury experience on board. Whether you are single, a couple or a family, you will equally have the time of your life. We enjoyed the formal experience Cunard had to offer us, and they still have their tier system in place for dining.

words • karen fisher images • cunard

A

fter we had dinned, danced and watched the West End quality show, all inclusive, we were ready for our beds.

As we woke up, we feasted our eyes on Funchal (Madeira`s Capital), only 32 miles long and 12 miles wide, this beautiful sub-tropical island rises to almost 6000 feet at its highest point. We enjoyed an open top coach excursion, and visited some lush green gardens, no wonder Madeira is called the floating garden. After coming away with plenty of local knowledge, and having a fun packed morning, we decided to eat lunch back on our ship. You can choose to dine formally for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, if you so wish. Dining on board is such a gastronomical experience with eating 24hrs a day, if your waistband allows you to.

Then why not try to use the stairs instead of the elevators, to stop gaining those unwanted pounds, and keeping fit!.

Las Palmas, was our next port of call, on one side, there was the harbour, and on the other the beach, Known locally as The Coco Cabana of Europe, very beautiful. Then in awe, we visited the local Cathedral of Santa Ava, dating back to the 16th Century, it was a wonderful sight.

We were soon off to our next island of Tenerife, known as the island of contrasts because of the variety of landscapes and the great climate. We took an island tour stopping off at Mount Teide.

After a hectic day we headed back to our ship to relax and take

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

in an evening show. Soon we were sailing to our next port of call, Lanzarote. We headed for the spectacular Timanfaya National Park which is often compared to the moon`s landscape. The island was granted World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993 and it is easy to understand why. Then onto our last stop of Vigo. I had heard a lot of bad reports of Vigo, but personally, I loved it, great for that tax free shopping too.

That afternoon, we sat on our own private balcony, sipping champagne, feeling the warm sun on our faces, the seagulls swaying in the breeze, and dolphins playing in the wash. We could feel all of our stress and cares gently release from our minds and body. What could be better? Sadly my cruise was soon to be at an end. The nice part of cruising from Southampton is that you don`t have the hassle of a hectic airport, or that long flight back home, just put your suitcase outside your cabin the night before your cruise ends and let someone else take care of it for you. In the Cunard fleet, you can experience: Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2. All of the ships have their own character and we are sure that there will be one for you to enjoy. So, if you fancy sailing from Southampton to the Canaries, Northern Europe or QM2 across the Atlantic Ocean, We look forward to welcoming you in our new Lee on Solent branch soon where you will find some familiar faces waiting to welcome you.

Give us a call or come in to see us.l

roadtest

elegantly

sound For many years Volvo has been synonymous with square box saloons, drivers with hats and pipes and solid safety.

Well the solid safety remains – and in abundance, but in recent years, with the introduction of a whole new range of cars, it has shaken off that old image and is now squarely in a premium category of elegant, stylish and spacious quality cars. words • dave hill & janet grimm

T

he 2011 version of the XC60 is a crossover/SUV fills the gap beautifully between the flagship and larger XC90, and the other estates in the range. Styled as a smaller version of the XC90, it is modern and en-vogue with the current design trends.

Broadly similar in size is the XC70, but that is more a rugged and butch version of the V70 estate which one might suggest retains that hunt’n, shoot’n, fish’n, countryestate appeal, where the XC60 has far more family interest.

The front seating area is indeed spacious and the seat options with the SE Lux Premium model tested, provided both comfort and support and more than adequate for any long journey. Our test car was equipped with just about every option available. Understandably then, controls are comprehensive, but certainly not confusing or difficult, in fact the opposite with everything being intuitive.

After a very short time in the car, it was like an old friend – I have to admit at this point that I have owned a number of

26...

Volvos recently and so may have a certain familiarisation with the marque and its quirks. However, the controls have been changed and updated and I have not owned an SUV, so it was different, but still easy to adapt to.

The seating position was not at a particularly elevated position requiring a climb up to the driving seat, but more a comfortable slide-in and slide-out at ‘bottom’ height. The general feeling when driving was of a large, comfortable family car.

The All-Wheel-Drive system is extremely versatile and can handle pretty much anything that normal driving will throw at it as well as handle most off-road situations.

It was never designed to crawl its way through mountain gorges or lug its way through three feet of mud, but how many of us want to go to those extremes – I have driven this Volvo system in various snowy conditions in the highlands of Scotland and have to report that it does work extremely well and I have never found any shortcomings or inadequacies.

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

His summary In summary then, the XC60 is a very comfortable, very able and a versatile family car. Excellent build quality coupled with a never ending list of available creature comforts and the many safety features make this a very desirable, safe and enjoyable car.

T

he rain was horizontal and the motorway waterlogged as I set out to drive our latest review car, the Volvo XC60 so I was grateful for the all wheel drive which makes this fabulous car so surefooted even in the most treacherous of conditions. The adverts say that there are 24 Swedish words for snow and that the Volvo is designed to cope with them all and now I can see why. The only weather I haven't experienced in this car is snow itself but it has handled everything else so well that I know that even the 'wrong type of snow' wouldn't cause it any problems.

The XC60 has a cavernous interior and 5 equally comfortable and roomy leather upholstered seats. Despite the weather outside, the efficient heated seat and individual climate control keep me cosy.

The ride height, ease of getting in and out and the great all round vision afforded by this cleverly designed car all enhance the driving experience.

The SE Lux Premium model has numerous features to further enhance the experience including; an excellent audio /satellite navigation/ on board computer system which has an easy to use and intuitive scroll selection system, a driver alert for those rare occasions when you may be approaching a speed camera a little too quickly, adaptive cruise control, clever reversing and blind spot warnings, stop/start fuel saving technology and the really clever City Safety system which automatically brakes to prevent the most common of accidents, a low speed rear end shunt.

My overwhelming feeling as I drive this car is that I am invincible! I feel surrounded by my own personal safety bubble. A sporting feel to the car comes in to play on selection of the ‘geartronic’ manual gear change and with just a flick of the gear selector to a lower gear, it instantly responds and an extra 1000 revs kick in. The 2.4 litre diesel engine growls and the increased power palpable through the accelerator but I still feel safe and the fuel consumption figure remains good.

I always thought that Volvos were a bit of an 'old man's' car but this is without doubt, the most fun, sensible family car I have ever driven.

The whole family fit in easily, there is plentiful storage space and cup holders, Bear and Amber can stretch out luxuriantly in the boot and there is still room for luggage. What a great car to take on a driving holiday! When all that is required to be fitted into the boot is the weekly shop there is a handy divider to prevent it rolling around in the space. There is even a lockable storage space under the floor of the boot - perfect for the laptop or other valuables. You don't even need to pull the back door down - you just need to touch a button! l

Her summary The Volvo XC60 is a smart, strong, safe and well equipped luxury car with bags of style, technology and fun – Inspired?

– I am!

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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solent‘life’

life after

divorce Despite finding more time to spend together over the Christmas break, the stress and demands of Christmas itself, together with the worries of paying for the event can often be the final straw in a strained relationship. It is a sad fact that the early part of January is one of the busiest times for divorce solicitors. words • david rose-massom

D

ivorce, an ugly word, and an end to a huge part of anyone’s life; but it can also be a catalyst to a new start. New beginnings, new friendships and a removal of a stressful and unhappy part of your life; with the right help, support and advice it need not be the traumatic experience you feared.

With any of the downturns that life throws at us it is difficult to see past the drama of the moment but by choosing the right solicitor to handle your affairs and seeking the help available through support groups and agencies anybody can lessen the trauma and set themselves on the road to a new life and new experiences.

A divorce should never be taken lightly, especially when there are children involved, so it is vital to take every helping hand that reaches out.

If your situation is an uncomplicated one you may be able to make your own

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

arrangements when you end a relationship; or it may be that you need help to formally end your marriage and split things between you. Carefully seek out the available information so then you may be able to manage things for yourselves and, more importantly when you may find help from solicitors and mediators useful. Of course, if children are involved professional help and support is needed all the way, if not for your own benefit then for your family’s wellbeing and peace of mind.

It may well feel as if the quagmire of divorce is getting the better of you; but just remember that help is out there from specialist solicitors, from support agencies and from the Government’s own information website. Reach out for help and the transition to your new life may be less traumatic than you first realised. l There is a government website that provides a wealth of information about separation and divorce to help you find the right path in those early days. www.direct.gov.uk, and in the search window type ‘divorce’

Honesty Dating www.mossesolicitors.com

Internet dating with a personal touch We all need someone to love and finding that someone is not always easy and so, On Valentines Day 14th February 2012 a new, unique internet dating agency will be launched in Hampshire.

Harking back to the vintage values of the 1950s Honesty Dating will help you to meet new people or find a serious relationship without all the downfalls or complications of more traditional internet dating.

DIVORCE Strenuously but sensitively handled

Tel: 02392 388220 Contact us via Email at: arlene@mossesolicitors.com lisa@mossesolicitors.com

The main difference is that everyone will have a personal consultation. At this consultation they will be asked about themselves and about their requirements in a potential partner.

A profile will only be placed online when the consultation has taken place and membership confirmed which means that this service is perfect for professionals such as teachers, solicitors, and medical professionals etc who would rather not have their profile available for all to see on the World Wide Web. Busy professionals do not have to make time to separate the good matches from the not so good as this is all done for them. They won't see lots of profiles because at Honesty Dating it is all about quality and not quantity.

Tel: 07532 174018 Email: info@honestydating.co.uk www.honestydating.co.uk

4 Russell Buildings • 86 West Street • Portchester • Hampshire • PO16 9UL

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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moneymatters

review your

investments Successful investment is critical to your future financial well-being, but it is a field which presents a unique problem; future performance is unpredictable. As a result, when you choose a fund manager, no matter how successful, you can never be sure that you have made the right choice. And even if you have, it may not continue to be the right choice over the years to come. The problem stems from the fact that there are very few investment professionals who can consistently deliver high quality investment performance over the medium to long term. words • justin stephens

T

here are many fund managers who have achieved good performance over short periods - the top performing managers in 2000 were, without exception, those heavily exposed to technology based investments. And what happened to these investments subsequently? They crashed spectacularly and many investors are still waiting, or hoping, to recoup their original capital.

For whatever reason, there exists today an obsession with the short term and this manifests itself with investors buying the latest fashion, only then to be disappointed.

What really matters to investors is the longer-term performance of their investments, rather than the outcome for any particular year because short-term results are illusory and have little or nothing to do with the preservation of wealth over the medium to long term.

There are a number of ways to select an investment manager. Firstly, you can look at their past performance. Regrettably this in isolation is of little help - simply because the figures alone do not tell you whether the person who achieved that good result is still managing the assets. Furthermore, past performance figures should not be seen as an indication of future performance. In the investment industry it is commonplace for managers to move around and this has significant ramifications for investors because if they do find out that a star manager has left, they then have to decide what to do next.

It may be that you can transfer your existing portfolio over to the new

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manager - but this may incur costs for you.

Alternatively, if the investment is held in a collective or pooled fund and you wish to follow the departing manager, then you will need to sell the existing fund and then re-invest that money in their new fund.

This may trigger a taxable event and may disrupt your IHT mitigation strategy and also incur additional charges. Alternatively, you might put your trust in the replacement manager, hoping that individual will do as good a job as the previous one. But the outcome is uncertain - how long will you wait to make a judgment as to how good the manager is? Will you have to suffer poor performance in the meantime? Clearly the onus rests with the individual investor to make a decision about what to do for the best.

Having selected a manager to look after your portfolio or indeed a number of investment professionals to manage your assets collectively, you then have the task of monitoring their performance. Most of us do not have the necessary resources or probably the interest to do this in a thorough, meaningful way on a daily basis - preferring instead to review our investments once or maybe twice a year.

Unsurprisingly many investors have, from time to time, experienced poor performance but because it is usually discovered long after the event, it is too late to rectify the situation. On the other hand, if the performance of all your managers is constantly under scrutiny, the chances of suffering under performance are considerably reduced, so professional monitoring is crucial to reduce the risk of poor returns.

As mentioned earlier, the final, and often overlooked, aspect is the benefit of diversification, which is widely recognised as an effective way of reducing investment

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

risk. Experience shows that too many investors are either not diversified or, in contrast, excessively diversified. The former leads to concentration of risk and the latter to the dilution of investment returns.

Whilst most investors understand the need to spread their investments across all the major asset classes - cash, fixedinterest, equities and property - as a way of reducing risk, there is one aspect often overlooked.

Successful strategies are likely to involve a multi-manager approach where risk is further managed through the combination of different managers pursuing different investment styles. It is the latter aspect that causes problems because most investors and advisers do not have sufficient in depth knowledge of a manager’s investment process.

So whilst most investors spread their capital across a number of managers, they have not consciously diversified the specific approaches, and subsequently have not actually managed this risk at all. As challenging as this strategy may be, it does create a genuinely diversified investment proposition that offers opportunity to produce higher returns over the longer term, and belies the notion that low risk must result in low returns.

These aspects are key issues for all investors and make one crucial assumption: that an investor or their adviser are able to identify and select the best investment professionals from the whole market and then monitor those managers on a daily basis. Clearly this is unlikely but it is a very necessary part of ensuring that your investments are given the best opportunity to grow over the medium to long term.

So as a first step you need to reassure yourself that those who are entrusted with the day-to-day management of your money have been handpicked, have a good long term track record and are being independently monitored by other investment professionals. l

To receive complimentary information produced by St. James’s Place Wealth Management, contact Justin Stevens, Partner of St. James’s Place Wealth Management on 01489 790797, by email Justin.stevens@sjpp.co.uk or to see the range of products and services on offer visit www.justinstevens.co.uk

As Justin will also be Solent Life's 'Money Expert' for 2012 he would welcome your questions relating to money matters.

Send them to Solent Life Money Expert at info@solentlife. co.uk or Solent Life, Webb House, 20 Bridge Road, Park Gate, SO31 7GE.

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…31

solentbusiness

a brave new

world

As the New Year gets into its stride there is still talk of recession, of doom on the job market and darkness in all our futures; and yet there are some brave entrepreneurs who, pushing aside the possibility of doom and gloom, go out into the world and start a new business. There are currently some 2.6million unemployed in the UK and in the three months to July 2011, 162,000 people had been made redundant. words • david rose-massom

O

ne such young entrepreneur, who felt as though he had been dropped onto the scrap heap, was 31 year old Peter Axworthy who told Solent Life about his career and its change in direction bought about by redundancy. “As an 18 year-old I was drifting from job to job, with my parents quite rightly pushing me to get a career, when I opened the paper at the job pages and, being keen on how businesses worked, saw and got a job as an accounts junior.

“As my career progressed I worked my way up to being a European Commercial Credit Manager; but then in November 2010 came a completely unexpected redundancy that at first devastated me but then changed my life.

“I just thought, ‘what am I going to do?’ it was close to Christmas and I felt on the scrap heap.” The fear and uncertainty in Peter were palpable even a year on. “My wife and I sat down and discussed the future and we decided it was now or never to try something different. I had three months redundancy pay and I realised I could turn my hobby of cooking into a career but needed to hone my skills if I were to become a professional cook and so I went on an intensive cookery course; and so it began!”

With time to reflect Peter did come to realise that maybe he had been in the wrong job all along. “Somehow, all through my career, I knew it had not been the right

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profession. Yes, I had a proper job but at times I did feel like a sheep following the flock!”

Such was the relaxed demeanour of Peter it was difficult to see him in a suit and tie and working in the world of finance. “I tried to ignore the pull of cooking and I was scared of losing the safety and security of a regular salary. I knew if I changed career I would have to lose some of the material stuff that comes with success as well as letting go of that nine-to-five routine.

“Although from time to time throughout my career I swapped jobs and moved up the success ladder I also had this love of food.”

He continued. “I think that comes from my dad who is into cooking, especially Asian and Indian cuisine.

“Even from the beginning with the hobby of cooking there was a fascination for the way ingredients are sourced and grown; I have always leaned toward the organic and fair treatment for farm animals. In my opinion this ensures not only good quality with produce but also great flavours, especially when the raw ingredients are sourced locally.

“Although it was just a hobby back then I was passionate about the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, with his rustic and free style of cooking but because I am somewhat of a perfectionist I needed to refine what I was learning.” As we sat in Peter’s working home kitchen it was impossible not to be affected by his passion. “I discovered that although I was successful with my career

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

in finance there was no room to express myself in any sort of artistic or creative way – I sometimes felt I needed to let go of the boundaries that work threw up; and redundancy, although a shock to the system, suddenly gave me the opportunity.

“It has been difficult, there have been tears, but it has been an adventure where I have had to become a master of everything; cooking, marketing, web design and even food photographer. It has been hard, it’s the hardest thing anyone can do, start their own business.”

Peter, through his business FRESH FROM 77, now visits clients in their homes and boardrooms and cooks for dinner parties and lunches as well as giving cookery lessons. “I may not have been to college for 3 years and spent 15 years in a restaurant kitchen but I do have a great passion and skill for what I do, I will never compromise on that passion and belief in food being ‘right’! That and the training I have received means that I am fully equipped to enter the trade.”

The pre-preparation for these gourmet meals is completed at Peter’s fully functional home kitchen, which conforms to all the normal catering regulations, and then transported for the final cooking and deft touches at the clients home or establishment.

“Everything that comes at me in this business I have to be the best; as perfect as I can be.” He concluded. “With the teaching side, I have a slogan on my website – ‘if you have the passion, I can teach you to cook’. While on the dinner party side of the business the next twelve months are going to be about me promoting the business and getting the word out there about my services and how good I am at what I do!

And, what better way to impress friends and business associates than having your own private chef; and I’m cheaper than taking everybody out to a restaurant.”

He added smiling. l www.freshfrom77.com

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solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…33

solent‘life’

I resolve

not to resolve 34 million people, or 73% of British adults, stated, in 2011 that they intended to make a New Year’s resolution. Crikey. That is a lot of resolving. And a lot of unresolving, as 80% fail to keep those resolutions. No doubt a similar number will start this New Year with a desire to change and will end the year no slimmer, no fitter and no less sober on a Friday night. As Mark Twain said, now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. words • fiona cooke

S

o why do we do it? There are various beliefs about when the tradition of making a resolution started. Some hold that it was the Babylonians, or alternatively it may stem from Roman times.

Then it was believed that, at midnight on the last day of December, Janus would see the past year and the next year at the same time; so the Romans began making promises to Janus in the hope that he would help them obtain their goals. In the sixteenth century the Roman Catholics apparently jumped on the band wagon, removed the mythical element, introduced a few Thou Shalt and Thou Shalt not’s and made it into a whole different ball game.

Whoever is responsible, I do feel that the whole thing needs a bit of tweaking!

To my mind the problem with resolutions is that they are so, well, big. Take bad habits.

I tend to go through the year indulging my bad habits, letting them get out of control, but consoling myself with the thought that come New Year I will do something about them. And yet, then I set almost impossible goals that doom me to failure.

A resolution to eat healthily and lose two stone in weight would start with much enthusiasm, determination and throwing

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away of the biscuit tin. But a month down the line, when I’d lost four pounds in one week, gained two in the next and reached a stalemate in the third, the end goal would seem unachievable and the only thing which would make me feel better would be reinstating the biscuit tin. Yet if I kept it small, if the only resolution had been to lose two pounds in a month, I would have achieved my goal, be patting myself on the back, reaching for a stick of celery and making a new resolution for the next month.

Then there are the resolutions to change my behaviour. I have spent my whole life resolving to keep my bedroom tidy. As a child my Mother would nag me and, as I grew, my response changed from the childish “Do I have to?” to the typical teenage “Yeah, whatever”. A similar conversation continues to this day but, as I left home long ago, it is now an internal dialogue where I take both roles, but pile on the guilt in a way my Mother never did.”Other people don’t live like this, you are a grown woman, how do you expect your children to keep their bedrooms tidy when you are incapable of it?” The rebellious teenager in me still mutters “Blah, blah, blah, change the record.” Every now

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

and again I grudgingly tidy and clean, and resolve to keep it that way, but slowly and surely I slip back into my slovenly ways, and the voice starts up again. The voice of guilt We live in a society which encourages us to feel that we should be more, or less than we are. There is always something that we should be changing, whether it is diet, exercise, career, spouse, personality or how many glasses of wine we consume in a week. We constantly seem to be trying to live up to the image of perfection that is created by current trends, the media and other people. In doing so we create a cycle of judgement, guilt and recrimination; a feeling that there is something wrong with ourselves which, for me anyway, makes me want to console myself with whatever habit it is I should be breaking or changing. I’m all for some of the Eastern philosophies.....the thinking that intrinsically we are perfect as we are. If we believe that, then we are freed from guilt, from the need to do anything other than accept ourselves, in this moment, as being as we are meant to be. And maybe, only then, can we make the changes we need to, not because it is the New Year or because we feel we should, but because we love ourselves enough to want to be fit and healthy but also curvy, if we choose to be.

So this year I will not be making any resolutions. At midnight I will meditate on my inner beauty, then I will follow the Spanish New Year custom of eating twelve grapes, which will secure me twelve happy months. Finally I will laugh in the face of guilt, throw myself on my bedroom floor, and lovingly embrace two pairs of jeans, four jumpers, a pair of pyjamas, several unmatched shoes, one slipper, assorted odd socks, a pillow, a bedspread, last Sunday’s newspaper and, quite possibly, an escaped gerbil. l

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solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…35

solentbusiness

ASK THE EXPERT

mum’s the

word

A recent Government survey reported that 37% of new businesses were being started by women, whereas five years ago that figure was just 5%. MUMS and BUSINESS is a mentoring service that is working hard toward increasing that number, and they help Dads too… words • david rose-massom

T

he two business partners running Mums and Business are Theresa Lawrie-Ashton, a working mum, and Terry Murphy, a single dad, and they called in to Solent Life to tell us what they were all about.

“Terry and I met at a networking event; I was there with my business ‘I Can Achieve’ and he was there with ‘Axxentor’, his sales mentoring business.” Theresa explained.

“We were both mentoring other people in their business strategies and their lives and there was an instant business chemistry between us. We soon discovered we have a joint interest in getting, in particular, young people to realise their full potential.”

Terry added; “Young people, as with those running businesses, need a belief in themselves. We both share a vision that every child reaches maturity with an unbounded belief in what is possible and that belief stays with them for life and so we founded the Grasshopper Foundation with this broad vision. We plan to work in underdeveloped areas of the world, as well as on a local level to achieve this.

“But, as this is a social-enterprise there is a need for a separate financial base, or in other words a successful business to support the Foundation. So at the moment

36...

Mums and Business is taking our time and drive as a business venture before the Grasshopper Foundation can become a reality.” He added.

Theresa explained how the focus on their, as she refers to them, ‘Mummies’ in business took flight. “We were discussing our respective business experiences and how they overlapped. Amongst other things, we realised that Terry has a particular skill in communicating with women of a generation younger than him, almost as a father-figure, and it seemed that many of our targeted and potential clients were mothers as well.”

“Despite the name, we are also happy to work with Single Dads”, said Terry.

“When the primary care giver in any home is also running a business, it is a very difficult juggling act between the commitment to the family and to the business.” Theresa continued.

The skill set that Theresa and Terry bring to their mentoring is not just about the world of business but also about their clients’ life strategies. They reveal that balance through coaching sessions which are not about telling people what to do, but more about offering guidance and support to enable them to move forward to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Question…

“I’m a fitness instructor and want to start a Zumba class.

I run a number of Pilates, aerobics and other classes, but am not sure if Zumba will be popular.

Do you think I should launch this new class?”

Answer…

Well I guess the first question back to you is why do you wish to start something different?

Valid reasons include offering more to the same audience or serving a need that you are already aware of. If you are not sure of the need, you do have some research to do first.

A less valid reason is that you want a change. I am thinking of the expression “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it”.

So first of all ask your current class attendees if they would they support a Zumba class? If yes, would that be in addition or instead of their current work with you? Then ask yourself, who else can you ask about support? Unless you can almost guarantee a profitable class from the outset, it is a risk.

So let me ask you, do you need more income or are you just looking for a variation?

Do drop me a note with more information and I would be happy to help determine the right course for you.

“We help them find their passions but also guide them to believe in their own abilities both as a parent and a business person in order to create the life they deserve.”

Theresa said. “That last point is very important; it is about what the individual wants from their lives and helping them achieve that balance between their home lives and the demands of their families as well as with the demands of their business.”

Terry took up the mantle once more.

“Through our mentoring service we enable the client to form a strong business plan but also a life plan that can run side by side without either being detrimental to the other. A business is very much like having a demanding child; you can have this new baby and you have to learn how to nurture it and let it grow. But, a real child you can hear when something is wrong because it cries, with a business you have to look for different signs.”

The business partners have both been there, and done that as Theresa explained.

“Although this is a business for us, we are aware that we are dealing with real people and we understand where the ‘mummies’ (and single dads) are coming from. There are few employers who can give the opportunities or the flexibility in the workplace to enable a parent to remain the fabulous mum or dad, and raise amazing kids and yet move forward into a productive business life without guilt.

“You can do it for yourself and with the guidance and support of Mums and Business you can become your own employer and enjoy a professional life as well as a fulfilling family one.” l www.mumsandbusiness.com

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solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…37

education

Charlton House

children It sits atop a hill, almost hidden away from the surrounding homes by trees and greenery, and has unrivalled views across the city it serves. Charlton House School, the Nursery and St Mary’s College, are located on the same 18 acre estate in Bitterne Park. The College itself has existed here for some 90 years and was founded by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. This beautiful, former manorial estate is a safe, secure and happy place of learning… words • david rose-massom

T

he entrance is almost fortified; tone, a softness to her demeanour and a electronic gates are buzzed open quiet confidence in herself, her school and to let visitors in, but immediately her staff. “They are respectful and polite on entering the school grounds but without their sense of humour and there is a sense of security, of community personality being crushed out of them. We and of comfort. A religiously iconic statue, are formal when it comes to respect and bright white against the green backdrop good manners but it is not a stiff and rigid of the shrubbery, gazes with benevolence, thing; it still allows them to build on their toward the gate. Solent Life had arrived on own character. the last day of term before Christmas to “We teach every child as an individual but speak with Dee Owen, the Head Teacher at they also learn how to work within groups Charlton House Preparatory School, part of and then ultimately within society. One St Mary’s College campus, and we were in good thing that Ofsted always mentions is for many gentle surprises. the social, moral and cultural aspect of our “We are a great ‘family’ school,” she began schooling.” as we settled into her small but comfortable There are religious icons throughout the office. “I realise that many schools say that building; the nativity scene a week before but we do see generation after generation Christmas had pride of place in the hallway, coming through here. Our pupils are in the as this is a Christian, and Catholic, school. three to eleven age-range, and then they The College, St Mary’s, itself has existed progress to our senior school. We have here for some 90 years and was founded an incredibly close relationship with the by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. The parents; it is very much a partnership,” Mrs property was purchased by the Brothers Owen added. in 1895 after fleeing persecution in France.

There is a genteel formality at the end of They now run 240 schools in 25 countries. each day which strengthens this bond.

“We are a Christian school, but we have “At the end of each day the teacher walks all faiths as well as those of no faith here,” down to the playground and meets with the Dee continued. “Every parent understands parents. Every pupil shakes hands with the the multi-faith dimension, but at the same teacher to say goodbye for that day before time they are aware that we are a Christian being handed back into the parent’s charge. school. There is a happy balance between The children know why they are shaking high morals and a superb education; it hands – it encourages eye-to-eye contact gives an extra dimension to the pupils’ time between the teacher and pupil and ensures here. that each student goes home with the right “If the children are here from the start it is person.” just a way of life for them. Some children Dee Owen is rightly proud of the way her join here in mid-education, for varying pupils carry themselves. “My students show reasons, and at first they do stand out a confidence and good manners.” She may little but very soon become Charltonised!” sound strict, but there is a gentleness to her This was said with a huge smile and in jest.

38...

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

“It is about getting a feel for the place and joining in rather than just fitting in. It is an osmosis of behaviour as they soak up our unique atmosphere. The spread of ability and background is wide and varied among the students but we try to release the potential in each child, ever mindful of the role they have to play for the good of the whole community.”

“We are in no way elitist; yes, we do have some wealthy parents but many of our parents make sacrifices to pay the fees here because they value what we offer.

This means the support of the parents is fantastic because they have a real investment.”

As we toured the school Dee Owen spoke of the establishment rather than the students, again with much pride. We paused for a moment at the top of the building and gazed out through a picture window and down onto the picturesque version of Southampton. It was a wonderful and peaceful view as we looked down at the city and the Itchen River as it meandered out to sea.

As she spoke in her capacity as Head Teacher it became apparent that the post was not without pressure. “It does put a pressure on me as I have to take ultimate responsibility for the school and the people within it, including a duty to the Trustees; I try to balance the tradition.

As a school we may seem insular but we are in fact a global community, we are a worldwide organisation with a great global awareness for the pupils. The balance for the pupils here is that, yes they are growing-up within a small community but with an awareness of the outside world, whether that is just the other side of the school gates or halfway around the world.

“I am aware of what I have inherited here and of the high standards this school maintains but I still want children to enjoy coming to school and enjoy the curriculum.

I have been here for nine years in total, with the last two as Head, and it is always an amazing place to be!” l www.stmaryscollege.co.uk/charlton-house

Fareham College will be opening its doors once again for its next Open Evening on Tuesday 7th February, 5-8pm.

The College, which offers 130 courses from entry level to level three, is conveniently situated a 10 minute walk from Fareham train station and close to the town centre and bus station.

As with previous Open Evenings, visitors will be able to speak to staff and students, fill in their application form, book their interview slot and take a look at the fantastic facilities available to them.

Visitors will also be able to sign up for the popular Taster Days which are on offer throughout the year. The next one will be on Wednesday 29th February, 9-1.30pm. Taster Days give prospective students the chance to experience College life and participate in two sessions of their choosing.

If you want to book your place before the Open Evening, call the School Liaison Team on (01329) 815250/815380.

To find out more about Fareham College, go to www.fareham.ac.uk, find us on Facebook and Twitter or call (01329) 815200.

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…39

Have you got a problem?

We are Sue Peckham and James Holmes, directors of The Hampshire Hypnotherapy Centre and we are here to help.

After many successful years in clinical practice in the South treating thousands of clients with a wide range of emotional and psychological problems the team at Solent Life have asked us to answer questions from Solent Life and Coastline readers each month in this regular ‘Ask the Expert Feature’.

Please feel free to e-mail your questions about the following areas: ✔ Weight loss ✔ Stopping smoking ✔ Relationship Issues ✔ Sports performance ✔ Sleeping problems ✔ Phobias ✔ Eating disorders ✔ Anxiety and stress

✔ Children’s problems (bedwetting, anger, shyness) ✔ Depression ✔ Lack of confidence ✔ Low self esteem ✔ Panic attacks ✔ Sexual problems

A simple e-mail could give you the answer to your problem. Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at what some of our thousands of clients have said about us.

“I’ve recovered from ME and am looking forward to restarting work and resuming a normal life” “I’ve lost 10 lbs in a month!” “.. I’m so happy now... I couldn’t have done it without you.” “ I now fall asleep very quickly and stay asleep until morning.”

“Thank you for helping me get better and to be able to live a normal life.”

“Since coming to see you to give up smoking I can honestly say I haven’t touched or wanted to touch a single cigarette. “ “Absolutely Fabulous! Fantastic weight loss, works like a charm” “My mum has commented that it’s like getting the old you back” “I feel so much more in control of my life, I am more in control of the decisions I make and have started a journey of selfimprovement that is getting better every day”

A very Merry Christmas at Wykeham House School Christmas at Wykeham House School was celebrated in style.

Nativity plays were performed by the Foundation Stage, Years 1-4 and Years 5 and 6 at the annual Junior Carol Service. The Wykeham House Christmas Fayre was a great success with many stalls, games and activities for the girls and parents. There was great food and the girls could visit Santa in his grotto.

The girls also enjoyed film night with their friends and Christmas lunch with their parents at School and the School organised a lovely trip to the Winchester Christmas market and ice skating on the outdoor rink at the Cathedral for the Senior girls. The Senior carol service put everyone in the Christmas spirit with some wonderful singing from the girls and the congregation. The final event of the year was the Year 11 pantomime where the girls cast, rehearsed, organised props and costumes and performed a pantomime to family, friends and the rest of the School all in three days.

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

“I have come off long term anti-depressants and feel I no longer need them. The work we have done has been more effective than any of the 6 anti-depressants I have been on” Why not take this opportunity to put your questions to us. You never know, we may just have the answer you’ve been looking for that will give you the opportunity to start to live the life you deserve.

Please e-mail your questions to ( janet@solentlife.co.uk)

Ask the Expert Question: “I’m a fitness instructor and want to start a Zumba class. I run a number of Pilates, aerobics and other classes, but am not sure if Zumba will be popular.

Do you think I should launch this new class?”

Answer: Well I guess the first question back to you is why do you wish to start something different?

Valid reasons include offering more to the same audience or serving a need that you are already aware of. If you are not sure of the need, you do have some research to do first.

A less valid reason is that you want a change. I am thinking of the expression “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it”.

So first of all ask your current class attendees if they would they support a Zumba class? If yes, would that be in addition or instead of their current work with you? Then ask yourself, who else can you ask about support? Unless you can almost guarantee a profitable class from the outset, it is a risk.

So let me ask you, do you need more income or are you just looking for a variation?

Do drop me a note with more information and I would be happy to help determine the right course for you.

photography

TO O H P P

CO20M 13

the

white stuff Last year saw most children’s’ wishes come true: SNOW! I would guess lots of images were taken, but were you happy with the results?

Fig 1

H

ere are a few pointers for Compact and DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) users to help create whiter snow prints...

When using a modern digital Compact camera it may well have a ‘scene’ mode in the menu (see fig.1). Within this setting there could be a snow mode, normally depicted as a snowman symbol. Try this out, as the camera will brighten the shot to help reduce the greying of snow when printed.

Use the continuous shoot feature to help capture action or moving shots. This is handy for creating fun shots of people on sledges.

For the snowy blanket effect, look for areas where no one has left footprints. If you brave the weather whilst it is snowing and the light maybe low, switch the flash off as the illumination can reflect off snow flakes and affect the main subject. Also be aware of camera shake or subject movement if taking photographs in lower light.

However, if the flash is used it can make a fun shot highlighting the falling snow.

For DSLR users you have a greater flexibility to control the exposure. Initially, for those quick shots most DSLR`s will have a scene mode similar to a compact, but if you fancy a challenge then try some of these ideas.

When taking photos of snow scenes in bright light use the exposure compensation feature. There is normally a range up to +5 to -5 (this feature can also be found on some compact cameras). Select the + numbers and experiment with the various choices. By setting the + value the shot will be overexposed but for printing, can help recreate the whiter colour of snow. This

function is also ideal for backlit subjects as it reduces the silhouette effect. Exposure compensation is a more controllable feature similar to a compacts’ snow mode.

As DSLRs record the image electronically they have a white balance control also found on camcorders. White balance is controlling the temperature of light. When the camera is taken off AWB (Auto White Balance) a more specific setting can be chosen to help reduce the blue or orange hue (the effect of different light sources or different times of day). Again experiment with the settings, preview the shot to check, adjust and try again.

Filters are handy accessories that screw onto the front of the lens. Neutral Density filters (ND) are grey filters of varying strengths from ND2 to ND8, being the darkest. This type of filter will help reduce the light entering the camera. There are also graduated ND filters available. These graduated filters are useful for controlling bright skyline without affecting the foreground, or if turned round can control bright snow scenes without affecting the sky.

Another filter that is useful is the circular polariser. This type of filter polarises the light to help create a deeper blue sky. As these filters will affect the exposure a few practice shots are advisable.

Please remember to look after your camera in snow conditions Try to keep it dry and look after yourself in the cold or slippery weather. l

If you would like further guidance in photography we run tutorials in-store and you can always call in for some casual advice. Please contact us on 01329 236441 or to visit the store at 135 West Street, Fareham.

The Fareham Branch of London Camera Exchange wishes all the Solent Life readers a happy and productive winter season!

January 2012s winner...

Andrew Gregory

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION WINNER Local photographer Oliver Nelson had an extra enjoyable gift in the lead-up to Christmas when he called into the Fareham branch of the London Camera Exchange to receive his prize as the Nikon sponsored Solent Life / London Camera Exchange Photographer of the Year. As well as £100 in vouchers Oliver’s image of the Viaduct at Fareham graced the front cover of our 2012 Calendar.

A beaming Oliver accepted his award from John Dallimore, LCE Manager, and Dave Hill, Editor of Solent Life Magazine. He said, “I have never won anything for my photography before and the voucher will come in handy as I am saving for a new camera so that I can improve even more.”

The competition for our 2013 Calendar, and Young Photographer of the Year, is now open so get out there with your cameras and see if you can be the best with one of our monthly prizes or the overall winner for next year.

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION SPONSORSHIP Our Calendar competition is kindly sponsored by the LONDON CAMERA EXCHANGE FAREHAM & NIKON 135 West Street, Fareham.

T: 01329 236441. E: fareham@lcegroup.co.uk

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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Looking back on 2011 it’s been another good year for Shaw Stone Limited.

The company has continued to grow despite all of the doom and gloom in the media. We are now fitting an average of 2-3 granite or quartz kitchen worktops per day. I think one of the key factors to our success is customer service and fitting top quality worktops whilst saving our customers money. One of our main marketing goals was getting our message out there that by coming directly to us rather than through a middle man they can save up to 60% off high street prices. This figure came about when we quoted granite worktops for a lady who had also had a quote from a major department store and our quote was 60% less! We got the job and our customer was over the moon with the finished result. Customer feedback is, as ever, also very important and something that we actively encourage. We mainly use CheckaTrade as a medium for customers to leave their feedback and are very pleased with the results so far as we have an average score of 9.9 out of 10 (at the time of writing). We like Checkatrade as they truly do monitor companies and we believe are trusted by the consumer as opposed to some other trade reference organization who are only interested in collecting their yearly subscriptions.

Another feedback platform gaining in popularity is Google reviews as a lot of people find us through the search engine.

Besides from the increased number of granite and quartz worktops we’ve been fitting another area of the business that has been growing massively is our offcuts offer. As we cut lots of worktops inevitably we end up with lots of offcuts. There is nothing wrong with these pieces except they are not big enough to be used in a kitchen; however they are perfect for smaller jobs such as vanity tops, fireplace hearths, cistern tops, window sills etc. To keep things simple we have a standard charge for offcuts regardless of the material depending on the size required. We actively encourage customers to pay us a visit and have a look around the offcuts yard as there is a massive choice and very rarely will someone not find a piece of granite or quartz engineered stone to suit their purpose. We are also open on Saturdays from nine until five which makes it easier for people busy working all week to visit up.

So if you are looking for a new kitchen worktop in 2012 remember we only supply 1st quality stone and with our digital templating and CNC cutting machinery we are probably the most technically advance stone fabrication company on the South Coast, ensuring that you’ll be in safe hands when it comes to fitting your dream kitchen worktop. Also remember that our digital templating service normally worth over £200 is free throughout January & February (see our website www.shawstone.co.uk for terms & conditions).

So if it’s a large or small project you are doing we look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Robert Shaw • MD of Shaw Stone Ltd.

FR EE *

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

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Mobile Carpet & Vinyl Specialists A FRIENDLY LOCAL COMPANY ● Fitted Carpets & Vinyls at Direct Prices ● Our low overheads & bulk purchase power mean Big Savings To You!!! ● 3,500 Quality Carpets & Vinyls to choose from in the comfort of your Home ● All Carpets & Vinyls Fully Guaranteed

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

S E R V I C E S

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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health&beauty

As more and more people are making a concerted effort to improve and maintain their own health and well-being Caroline Herbert, proprietor of Stubbington Natural Health Clinic, has a reason to celebrate…

plan for treatments they receive.

Three years ago members of the Clinic celebrated the 25th Anniversary with a night to remember at a local venue. Now with the new extension complete, they words & images • stubbington natural health clinic celebrated again, but this time they had a “Strictly Come Dancing” theme kindly assisted by professional dancing teachers. n the midst of gloomy news of the worldwide Stubbington Natural Health Clinic is very grateful economy it is nice to hear about something to the many people who have helped them on refreshing that is happening locally. their way. They would like to say thank you to: SK Stubbington Natural Health Clinic, which has been Services (Southern) Ltd Builders for their excellent providing professional private health services for work on the new property, Equity Cleaning 28 years, to local, and some more distant patients Services, Hillcroft Office Supplies, Carpet Fayre, (including from as far away as New Zealand), is Alan Kite Electrical Services and many more local now expanding. trades and services that have been called upon In the early 1980’s Caroline Herbert over the years. began practising Osteopathy from No.5 The Clinic would also like to thank the Consultants Stubbington Lane. Over the years the and General Practitioners who have provided help demand for various treatments including to our Practitioners over the last two years with Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Remedial Continuing Professional Development lectures Sports Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, at the Clinic. This has greatly encouraged cross Psychotherapy, Chiropody/Podiatry, referral between the Clinic Practitioners and these Nutrition, Alexander Technique, Pilates, Specialists to ensure that patients can obtain the Herbal Therapy and Homeopathy has most suitable treatment for their needs. increased dramatically. As a consequence the Finally all at Clinic would like to thank all their Clinic has invited a number of highly qualified patients for their continued patronage and they practitioners to operate at the Clinic to meet look forward to seeing you and new patients in these needs. the future.

In 1999 the Practice expanded next door into No.3 Stubbington Natural Health Clinic is located Stubbington Lane (previously Hills Butcher) and approximately 100 yards away from Stubbington now, due primarily to the increasing need for Village Centre and is directly opposite the free highly qualified Chiropodists, the practice Community Centre car park. The Clinic opens early has expanded into the adjoining No.7 mornings, evenings and Saturdays which ensures Stubbington Lane. There are 3 Podiatrists/ patients are able to make appointments which fit Chiropodists headed by Sian Downing with their lifestyles.

(BSc Hons) who cater for all lower limb See advert on opposite page for further details. related needs. Sian is very excited about the new expansion at the Clinic.

At present there are a total of 43 people working at the Practice including administration staff, receptionists and a wide variety of practitioners. The Clinic is very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of caring individuals who not only provide an excellent service to their patients but who also care for each Celebrating a strictly come other in a cheerful and friendly environment. Many dancing evening staff have been there over 20 years.

The Clinic is approved by Health Insurance Companies such as AXA/PPP and BUPA for many of Judges show their appreciation for the dancing the treatments it provides, which can help patients

I

46...

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Rendezvous Dance Adult Beginners Ballroom and Latin Classes 2012 Commencing: Wednesday 4th January - (8pm-9pm) Friday 6th January - (7pm-8pm) Practice nights available on Fridays

❝

Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington Lane

❝

‘Committed to your Health & Well Being’ Opening Times: Monday - Friday 08:00 - 19.30 Saturday 08:00 - 13.00

For advice and appointments telephone: T: 01329 665871 (answerphone available for out of hours) W: www.stubbingtonnaturalhealthclinic.com E: info@stubbingtonnaturalhealthclinic.com

3 Stubbington Lane, Stubbington, Hampshire, PO14 2PP

SK SERVICES (Southern) Ltd Your Local General Builders Installation & Design Service Directly employed, qualified and reliable traditional craftsmen FREE Home Visits & Estimates

Please call Steve or Nickki

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info@sk-services.co.uk | www.sk-services.co.uk 173 High St. Lee-On-The-Solent Hampshire PO13 9BX

For more details contact Tracy Gibson 07970 857247 Qualified dance teacher IDTA • Other classes available, ring for details

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

Learn how to release any unwanted tension that may be causing you back pain, shoulder, neck ache or vocal problems.

The Alexander Technique improves your posture whilst gaining freedom of movement and general well-being.

Good for Muscians, Horse Riding and all sports such as Golf

Richard Boland BMUS(HONS) MSTAT CTABRSM OCN accr

Tel: 02392 789412

www.alexandertechniqueportsmouth.co.uk richboland@virginmedia.com 6 Northover Road • Baffins• Portsmouth • P036NT Also at: Stubbington Natural Health Clinic 3 Stubbington Lane • Stubbington • PO14 2PP Tel: 01329 665 871

07917 204821 www.benourished.co.uk

Rachel Jessey DipCNM mBANT Nutritional therapist covering • food allergy testing children’s health • female health • infertility stress fatigue • digestive problems and more For prices and further details visit www.benourished.co.uk or call 07917 204821 Offers on allergy testing for January 2012 Weightloss group sessions are held every Wednesday, 1.15pm at Stubbington Natural Health Clinic £5.50 each • free taster session available BOOKING REQUIRED

Troubled in any way and cannot see a way forward?

Are you suffering and don’t know what to do to change things, from addictions, grief, job loss or work related stress?

Jacqueline castle is our new Psychotherapist and has many years of experience in her profession in all above areas.

Jacqueline will be offering 15min free consultations in 2012 to just have a chat for the new opening of her space In the clinic.

T: 01329 665871 M: 07733454790 email: jacqui.castle@btinternet.com solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…47

Three Sixty Health and Performance I am greeted warmly by Chris Neville as I enter Three Sixty Health and Performance within the David Lloyd Health Club at Port Solent. Chris explains that there are a number of services available at Three Sixty that compliment those offered by the more traditional adjoining club. Clients at Three Sixty can also make use of the equipment and facilities next door to aid in their training or treatment.

What makes Three Sixty unique on the South Coast is their NASA designed ‘AlterG’ treadmill and I had been invited to give it a try. The machine was developed to aid astronauts exercise in weightlessness in order to decrease the loss of bone density and muscle mass by creating gravity. Here on the earth the process is reversed and the machine is able to decrease your weight by up to 80% offering virtually no impact exercise.

I am asked to climb into a pair of shorts that look as if they belong in a Wallace and Grommit animation and then zipped into the machine.

I feel rather apprehensive as the air is pumped into the machine and Chris turns the dials and begins to reduce my weight. It is nothing short of miraculous and I feel lighter and more able to exercise. Once I begin to relax, I learn to begin to walk normally, despite my lower body being in almost zero gravity. The whole experience quickly becomes enjoyable and I am so disappointed when Chris turns the dial again and I return to my ‘normal’ weight. Even during this short trial I am able to see the distance I have been able to walk almost effortlessly and the calories I have burned; the figures are impressive.

The ‘no impact’ effect of the ‘AlterG’ means that it is able to help those recovering from injury or post orthopaedic surgery. It can help with weight loss by enabling those who are too overweight to exercise in a normal gym. It can also help serious athletes to improve their performance and is suitable for anyone of any ability from a budding Mo Farrar to a ninety year old. It really seems to be a miracle machine and although I couldn’t wait to get out of ‘the wrong trousers’ I am already planning my next visit.

Give the team at Three Sixty Health and Performance a call and book a free trial on the AlterG - it may well alter your life.

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• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

PORTCHESTER

MEMORIAL

GARDENS A place of peace and tranquillity

Six acres of beautiful landscaped gardens offering a final resting place for the burial of your loved one’s cremated remains along with an individual memorial.

Christmas Memorial Service Sunday 18th December was a dry, crisply cold day; but the temperature did not deter the biggest attendance ever at the Portchester Memorial Gardens Christmas Service. Over a thousand people, united in remembering a loved one, gathered around the temple and lake as doves were released, carols sung and readings quietly listened to. The service raised a massive £960.75 for the Rowans Hospice.

At the end of this annual event, organised by Julie Hind (director) and Katy Watson (office manager), everyone was invited to place a remembrance lantern at their dedicated grave or around the garden which resulted in a prettily lit seasonal landscape.

Portchester Memorial Gardens would like to extend their thanks to: • Lance Blake (Chaplain at the Rowans Hospice) who lead the service, • Co Op Funeral directors (who sponsored hot mince pies, hot chocolate and mulled wine for the families) • The members of the Fareham Philharmonic Choir • Duncan Matthews (Piper) • M Coghlan funeral directors (Orders of Service) • BCS Audio (sound support) • Classic Doves (who released the 24 doves at the beginning of the service) • All the volunteers from the Rowans Hospice , family members and friends who took the time to help Without whom it would not be possible.

The Portchester Memorial Gardens 2012 calendar is available from the office.

Portchester Memorial Gardens, Upper Cornaway Lane, Portchester, Hampshire, PO16 8NF

Location: First left after crematorium entrance

01329 828250 | www.pmgardens.com

Valid Until 31/01/2012 solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

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charityfocus

thanks for the

memories “It’s about being normal for a few hours.” In those few words it is possible to see the devastation caused by dementia; but it is not just the sufferers who have their world shattered, it is also the hard pressed, and devoted, carers. But, now there are Memory Cafes spreading across the country where carers can gain respite and sufferers can get a little more support… interviewed by david rose-massom

T

hose few words were said by Jeni Bell, who is a Clinical Leader with Admiral Nurses, and she told Solent life more about the cafes. “It is a café for carers, but one that the carer can bring the person with dementia along to, so it becomes a social event; but one that has therapeutic value.

“The sufferer meets with similar people but also with plenty of people who are able to hold a normal conversation.”

Jeni then described one very amusing, so called normal conversation; “We asked one lovely old lady how she had met her husband, her response was ‘I don’t know I have dementia!’. Proving a sense of humour is always important and it is okay to just be yourself.

“These cafes also give the opportunity for support between carers as they get to hear each other’s stories. They realise they are not alone - it is good to have those normal conversations; it’s about being normal for a few hours.”

Dementia UK was officially registered as a charity in 1994 to take forward the development of Admiral Nursing. The first Admiral Nurse was piloted in Westminster in 1990 as an initiative inspired by the experiences of family carers. The Admiral Nurses were named in memory of Joseph Levy CBE BEM, who had vascular dementia and was known as ‘Admiral Joe' by his family and friends due to his love of sailing.

50...

The charity has come a long way since its inception and now has in the region of 75 Admiral Nurses, specialists in dementia care, around the country. Admiral Nurses in Southampton are partly funded by the charity, Solent NHS Trust and Southampton City Council and they work within Primary Care Trusts. The charity has a helpline, Admiral Nursing DIRECT, provided by experienced Admiral Nurses, offering professional advice and support via email and telephone.

Many do not understand the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s; Jeni explained. “Dementia is the umbrella term for conditions such as Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.” She said. “Dementia is Latin for ‘without mind’; and it is about the loss of various faculties of the brain. Most people see it as a loss of memory but it is so much more; we do know a great deal about it but not about why it happens.

“It can also hit at a relatively early age; it is not something that just affects the elderly. Author Terry Prachett first lost his co-ordination which meant he could not type; not good for a writer! But then he also developed problems understanding the written word; eventually, he knows, it will spread across his brain functions.”

In Southampton Jeni says there is a Memory café every week. “We alternate between Shirley and Sholing; one week in one then over to the other. We also take the cafe to

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

the pub once a month for lunch; it is not about shutting the condition away; it is about being normal. When at the café, it is about working with the things they can do and working around the things they can’t!”

In June Solent Life will be joining the Memory Café on one of their outings when they visit a local beach, complete with picnic and Pimms!

People that attend dementia cafés often form friendships and can pass on their experiences. They can talk at ease knowing they are not on their own, which often helps people to deal with either their own dementia or the care they may be giving to their partners or family members that suffer.

If you would like to find out where your local meeting will be held, you can get in touch with your GP; to visit the Southampton Memory Café the only criteria is that the sufferer or the carer is under a Southampton GP. Information on other cafes are also available on the internet where local contacts for Age UK or Alzheimer’s Society groups can be found.

The Café is for ALL carers of someone with ANY form of dementia, their spouses, partners, Families, including grandchildren and for all professionals involved in this specialist area of care. l

Phone the Southampton Admiral Nurses on 023 80 60 89 76. www.dementiauk.org People with dementia and their families can also find support at Alzheimer's cafes. NHS Hampshire and Hampshire County Council have teamed up to provide the cafes across the area, as well as the Southampton venues, for example there is an Alzheimer Cafe at Nobes Hall, Nobes Avenue, Bridgemary, Gosport, the third Tuesday of every month, from 7pm-8.30pm.

Call 01252 796223 or visit www.alzheimercafe.co.uk

R

Ruby Funerals Ltd A Woman’s Care & Understanding

Recommended in the ‘Good Funeral Guide’ Highly Commended ‘Customer Service Excellence’ 2010 Gosport Business Awards

‘You were brilliant - Understanding our needs at a time of great stress and sadness in a family.

Many, many thanks..’

24 hour immediate assistance

☎ 02392 501128 Ruby Funerals Ltd • 2 Stoke Parade • Stoke Road Gosport • PO12 1QE

A Grand day out Solent Day Care has been established in Stokes Road, Gosport for less than a year but has already built a great reputation for offering the highest levels of needs centred planned day care.

On Mondays and Fridays the fully qualified team led by Jan Loman offer care to the elderly including those with dementia. Clients enjoy home cooked food and a variety of activities as well as shopping trips and mystery tours or even just some fun and company.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the days for adults with learning difficulties. As with the elderly clients, a full range of activities are available at the fresh, bright well equipped centre and the team also offer regular trips to the pub or the beach, shopping, cookery lessons, as well as canoeing, climbing, sailing, archery and swimming for the more active.

A full days care at Solent Day Care costs just £45 (fabulous value in comparison to residential or even childcare) and includes travel between the clients home and the centre , all activities and a two-course home cooked meal.

If you would like to have a chat or enquire about the day centre please do not hesitate to call Jan and her team on 02392 522773.

A low cost HANDYPERSON SERVICE for anyone over 60 or disabled Mainly for small jobs taking up to 2 hours.

Labour costs £12.00 per hour (plus VAT) but further discounts available if you receive a means-tested benefit. This service is provided

by In Touch and is supported by Hampshire County Council. Labour costs £20.00 per hour (plus VAT) for anyone not qualifying for lower rates.

Carpentry • Plumbing • Electrical • Safety Homecheck • Keysafe Security Please call to make an appointment on (local rate charges apply)

0845 459 5036

Solent Day Care Days you want to remember…

Fun Safe Stimulating Company

Do you need a break? Do your carers need a break? ● W e can of fer you that deserved rest and look af ter your loved ones to the highest standard. ● We can collect you from your home and return you at the end of the day. ● W e provide a full meal at lunch time and snacks and drinks during the day when you are at the centre. ● All inclusive with a set day rate with no hidden cost. ● W e provide care for age groups 18 to 100 plus half day and hourly rates are available on request. ● W e are a person centred day care and provide activities to meet all needs of the individuals attending. ● All staf f have NVQ qualifications in care.

The centre is run by Mrs. Jan Loman (Cooper) who has 28 years experience in all fields of care.

The centre has the following facilities: Wheelchair access • disabled toilets • sleep/medical room We have pool tables • darts • cards • dominoes • baking aromatherapy • indoor golf • skittles • horse racing • bingo and much much more.

Tel: 02392 522773 for more information solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…51

greenfingers

green fingers January

Happy New Year! If you’ve missed out on fresh air over Christmas, spend a little time in the garden and work off those mince pies. words • anne watson

P

rune apple and pear trees now before they start to bud.

Remove dead or weak looking branches and aim for a strong shape with well-spaced branches.

Clear away fallen branches in the garden and give paths and patios a good sweep. Algae build-up on paths can make them slippery so clean it off, along with moss. There are various path and patio cleaners available in the garden centre that just need to be watered onto the surface.

If the ground isn’t too wet, you can dig it over roughly so heavy frosts can break down the soil. When you need a break from digging, take a look at the garden and think about what to change for next season. So long as the ground isn’t frozen and you’re hankering after some winter colour, you might like to consider planting these January favourites that look good through the winter: Sarcocca ruscifolia, also known as Christmas box, flowers from December to March. They have very small flowers with a powerful sweet fragrance. Plant by a door or patio to get the benefit of the perfume. It’s happy in full sun, partial shade, or full shade and is a very hardy plant that’s tolerant of most soil conditions. It grows 50cm high and spreads to 80cm (see below).

Helleborus niger is the Christmas rose and has rose-like flowers from December to February.

It prefers partial shade or a shady position and is very hardy but likes welldrained soil. It grows to 45cm height and spread.

They look good grown in containers as well as in the borders (see top right).

Jobs for this month l If you’ve never tried raising your own spring plants from seedlings and would like to try, you’ll feel a sense of achievement when the first flowers appear. If you don’t have a greenhouse, a sunny window ledge is an alternative position to nurture your young plants. If you would rather skip the first step, January is when Garsons introduces spring starter plants. Many of your favourite varieties should be available, or for a full selection wait until the end of the month. l You can also plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season. And don’t forget to keep putting out food and checking on water sources for hungry birds. l Lastly, clean pots and glass in the greenhouse to remove pests and disease from last season. A sulphur candle can be used to eradicate pests in the greenhouse before growing starts in the spring. l January might be seen as the time to avoid the garden, but the efforts you put in now will be rewarded in the coming growing season.

52...

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Until next month, happy gardening!

USIVE EXCLPETITION CO M

be part of our vibrant local team

WIN

a Luxury Spa Day for Two at Norton Park

Due to our continued growth and success and the fact that our sales representative Abby is going 'walkabout' in Australia, Solent Life Magazines are looking for…

Advertising Sales Representatives To join our successful sales team and sell advertising in our three aspirational lifestyle magazines You should be a team player, professional, innovative and flexible.

Enthusiastic and self motivated you should be able to offer the best in customer service and build strong business relationships with clients from all walks of life.

The role is a combination of field and telesales.

A full driving licence and your own vehicle are essential.

Free parking and generous business mileage allowance.

Applications with CV to: Janet Grimm, Sales Manager janet@solentlife.co.uk

We are also looking for… a Webmaster (Junior) Creative and Innovative with a will to drive change in our stylish online lifestyle magazine in association with our three printed editions.

You should be a team player with excellent Web and Graphic design skills.

You should have an understanding of SEO, PPC, Windows 95 and be familiar with Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, HTML and CSS. You will be able to redesign and maintain our website and to design online magazine advertising.

You should also be willing to maintain and update Facebook and Twitter communications.

Applications with CV to: David Ives-Farren, Senior Designer design@solentlife.co.uk

Every now and again we all need a bit of time out to relax and recharge our batteries and what better way to do it than by enjoying a sumptuous spa day at a top class hotel.

Norton Park near Winchester, part of the award winning QHotels Group, is offering one lucky reader and a friend a chance to enjoy the recently enhanced spa facilities. During the relaxing day take time out to explore and enjoy the elegant spa complete with indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, heated loungers, ice fountain, new relaxation and welcome area, brand new nail bar offering luxurious manicures and the ten stylish treatment rooms each fully equipped with their own shower, treatment bed, low level lighting and individual music playlists. If the weather is fine relax with a book or magazine in the peaceful Spa Garden or if you are feeling more energetic, work off the lunchtime calories in the well equipped Technogym.

Included as part of the prize is the chance to experience one of the new ‘Q Signature Ritual Treatments’. Exclusive to QHotels these signature treatments are the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation. Lasting 50 minutes each of the rituals, using products from world renowned E’SPA, focuses on promoting well-being and nurturing; catering to the comfort of each guest with heated blankets, bolsters, pillows and luxurious mattresses.

To finish off your day enjoy lunch consisting of delicious yet healthy dishes all presented in a beautifully designed ‘Bento’ box.

The re-launch of the Spa at Norton Park follows a £14 million investment in the hotel in 2007 which saw the creation of an additional 90 bedrooms, the opening of the ‘Norton Suite’ for conferences, banqueting and events with a capacity for up to 340 guests, a new reception building and the extension of the Scene restaurant along with two new terraces.

For more information about spa breaks and offers at Norton Park please call 01962 763000 or go to www.QHotels.co.uk/nortonpark Which celebrity opened the new spa after its £100,000 refurbishment?

(A) Ellen MacArthur (A) Dee Caffari (C) Ben Ainslie TO ENTER, email competitions@solentlife.co.uk quoting ‘Norton Park’ with your name, address and telephone/mobile number together with your answer! Alternatively, post your entry to Solent Life, Webb House, 20 Bridge Road, Park Gate Hampshire, SO31 7GE. The closing date is 31.1.2012 Terms and Conditions Prize consists of a spa day for two people at Norton Park to include a 50 minute Q Signature Ritual Treatment each, lunch, use of a robe and slippers and full use of the spa facilities. Prize to be taken on any Monday to Thursday by 30th June 2012. Treatments must be booked in advance.

Subject to availability. Non transferable, no cash alternative.

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…53

Local events across the Solent region.

what’s

REVIEW

The Point, Eastleigh Tel… 02380 652333 Chichester Festival Theatre Tel… 01243 781312 Salisbury Playhouse Tel… 01722 320333 Mayflower Theatre Tel… 02380 711811 Theatre Royal, Winchester Tel… 01962 840440 King’s Theatre, Southsea Tel… 02392 828282 Tower Arts Centre, Winchester Tel… 01962 867986 Ferneham Hall Tel… 01329 231942 Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham Tel… 01329 310600 The Concorde Club Tel… 02380 613989

If you have anything going on, tell us here at Solent Life and we will include it in our feature Tel… 01489 583800 Fax… 01489 583803 Email…

Hair the musical

Fresh from sell-out European arena tours, the international smash-hit production of 60s musical Hair is coming to The Mayflower Theatre and stars Gareth Gates, Zoe Birkett & Amy Diamond.

It’s 1960 and in New York a group of people come together to fight for peace, love and freedom. Capturing the mood and movement of the times, Hair is the original rock musical and has one of the most thrilling soundtracks ever written, featuring classic songs such as Aquarius, Let the Sunshine in and the infectious title track Hair.

Fresh from his critically acclaimed appearance as Marius in Les Misérables in the West End and on the sell out 25th Anniversary tour, GARETH GATES takes on the leading role of Claude. He captured the nation’s heart in 2002 when at just 17 he was a Pop Idol finalist.

Since then he’s gone on to sell a staggering 3.5m records worldwide, picked up countless awards and has appeared in musical productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Starring alongside Gareth as Dionne will be fellow Pop Idol finalist ZOE BIRKETT, recently seen in the West End in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Thriller Live and Respect La Diva. As well as being an incredible charttopping singer, multi-talented Zoe is an accomplished actress, dancer and presenter. The cast will also include BBC1’S Over the Rainbow finalist AMY DIAMOND in the role of Sheila.

editorial@solentlife.co.uk

54...

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Directed and choreographed by GARY LLOYD, the award-winning director of the huge West End hit Thriller Live, as well as 20th Century Boy – The Story of Marc Bolan and X Factor to name a few.

Hair remains an unforgettable groundbreaking spectacular and although a certain generation of Solent Life readers may well remember this musical, which was both a sensation and sensational, it is a show for all ages and all generations. So, dig out the kaftans, brush up the afros and be prepared to return to an age of peace, love and music… l Tickets for HAIR are on sale at mayflower.org.uk the Mayflower Box Office tel: 02380 711811, or in person from the Mayflower ticket south shop in The Mall (Marlands), Southampton.

Ovation Restaurant bookings: 02380 711833 HAIR the Musical – Mayflower Theatre from 16th to 21st July.

Theatre & dance SCROOGE; THE PANTOMIME Westfield Productions are an amateur dramatics company based in Southampton. Formed in 1938, it was set up as a variety group for local people to show off their talents! Today it is a successful company with a current membership of over 60 people ranging from 4yrs to 70yrs. Last year they were extremely proud to win Best Pantomime of 2010 with their show Jack and The Beanstalk. This year they are back with a family pantomime with a difference – Scrooge the Pantomime. They say this production puts a new twist on the Christmas Carol tale we all know and love.

The Point, Eastleigh. Thursday 19th January to Sunday 22nd January. Thursday – Saturday: 7.30pm / Saturday: 2.30pm / Sunday: 1.30pm Tickets £9/£7 (concessions). Thursday all tickets £7. www.thepointeastleigh.co.uk or on 023 8065 2333.

Classic Cut One of the country’s leading practitioners of the classical Indian dance form Bharata Natyam; Shobana Jeyasingh will premiere her new work, Classic Cut, in Eastleigh. The intriguing new show features two pieces, one revisiting the past, the other stepping into a bold new era.

The first piece sees Jeyasingh revisiting Configurations, a dance she created in 1989, at the start of her company’s career.

Alongside this, Jeyasingh presents an untitled new work that draws on the colourful theatrical genre of classical Indian dance. The premiere of Classic Cut will be accompanied by a post-show discussion with Jeyasingh, who will be talking about her award-winning career.

The special evening will also feature an exciting performance by members of The Point Youth Dance Company that has been

choreographed with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company.

THE POINT The premiere of Shobana Jeyasingh’s Classic Cut takes place on Thursday, February 23, at 7.30pm. For more details, call the box office on 023 8065 2333 or visit www. thepointeastleigh.co.uk SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS All aboard the Swallow!

Follow Captain John and his able crew as they set sail to Wildcat Island on an exotic adventure to encounter savages, capture dastardly pirates and defeat mortal enemies. This is an action-packed musical adventure for the whole family, Swallows and Amazons, based on the novel by Arthur Ransome; it is a story of an idyllic era of endless summer evenings and the beauty of youthful imagination. This delightful and gloriously imaginative production is directed by Tom Morris, who also directed the international smash hit War Horse. It is written by Helen Edmundson, writer of the National Theatre’s astonishing Coram Boy, with music by Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy. Swallows and Amazons presented by the Children’s Touring Partnership whose recent production of Goodnight Mister Tom, starring Oliver Ford Davies, received public and critical acclaim.

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE, 17th to 21st January, Box Office 01243 781312 or on-line at www.cft.org.uk/ swallows-and-amazons THE GRADUATE When East Coast college graduate Benjamin Braddock finds himself alienated and adrift from his peers, he begins to question his existence. When older woman and life-time friend of the family, Mrs Robinson, seduces him, his life changes forever... This classic coming-

Children of-age story is brought vividly to the stage in a tragic threeway sexual odyssey. Warning: This play contains some nudity, smoking and adult themes.

Recommended for ages 15+ THE NUFFIELD THEATRE Southampton. An amateur performance by the superb Maskers Theatre Company; on from 24th to 28th January at 7.30 each night. The 24th Performance is a two for one ticket night.

THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET On this magical piece of theatre for youngsters join four children on their adventures as they are whisked away on their new magical carpet, with help of a mysterious and fiery phoenix!

When a golden egg falls into the nursery fire and hatches a talking Phoenix, Robert, Cyril, Andrea and Jane begin a remarkable adventure that will see them travel the world on their new carpet.

This is a special adventure that will see you transported from an ordinary afternoon in an English nursery across the world to Australia and India, and back again. Along the way you will bump into all sorts of interesting characters including an Indian Maharaja, Australian natives Bruce and Charlene and businessman Mr Crinklemuff.

The performance will be a beautiful and mad-cap piece of magical winter storytelling, performed by five actors and featuring live music, puppetry even a magical flying carpet! For children 5+ and produced by Forest Forge Theatre Company and The Nuffield Theatre.

THEATRE ROYAL, Winchester, www.theatre-royal-winchester. co.uk or 01962 840440.

moving it has triumphed around the world; scooping up no less than four awards for Best Musical in London, seven Tony nominations on Broadway, and receiving a standing ovation at every performance. Set in writer Willy Russell's native Liverpool, it tells the captivating tale of twin boys, separated at birth only to be re-united by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret.

The superb score includes 'Bright New Day', 'Marilyn Monroe' and the emotionally charged hit 'Tell Me It's Not True.'

Even if you do not like musicals you will enjoy this fascinating and emotional piece of theatre.

PAVILION THEATRE, Bournemouth Tuesday 17th January to Saturday 21st January. www.bic.co.uk/ events or Ticket Office on 0844 576 3000.

SIMON CALLOW AS CHARLES DICKENS Few actors can compete with Simon Callow when he takes on the persona of Dickens.

He will perform excerpts from his exciting new book ‘Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World’ and it is in celebration of Charles Dickens 200th anniversary of his birth on 7th February 1812, in Portsmouth. Produced in association with the New Theatre Royal and the Charles Dickens Statue Fund.

NEW THEATRE ROYAL, Portsmouth Tuesday 7th February at 7.30pmTickets £15 (£13 concessions) www. newtheatreroyal.com or call 023 9264 9000.

BLOOD BROTHERS Hailed by the critics as one of the best musicals of all time, and certainly one of the most

solentlife.co.uk • JANUARY 2012 •

…55

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communitynews

January

community news Your essential guide to all the local news and events in your community IT’S A RACQUET The 0900 Badminton Club based at the St. Vincent leisure centre in Mill Lane Gosport is looking for more players. The non-league mixed doubles club, which was formed in 1982, meet every Saturday morning between 9am and 10am in the main sports hall. No membership fee. Pay on the day when attending a club session. Anyone aged 16 and over is welcome to just turn up & ask for club leader Steve Black. Please bring your own racket.

You can visit our new web site www.0900badmintonclub.co.uk

Fareham Art Group holds monthly meetings on the last Thursday of each month at Holy Trinity Church Hall, West Street, Fareham 7.30-9.30 pm. Also offered are painting sessions on Tuesday afternoons and evenings.

Thurs 26th January - A demonstration on Sketchbook studies/ Pen & Wash by Alan Langford then on Thurs 23rd February - A demonstration of Chinese Brush painting by the wonderful artist Maggie Cross Non-members admission £3.00. More details on: www.farehamartgroup.co.uk Email: info@farehamartgroup.co.uk

Fareham West Townswomen’s Guild meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month in St John’s Church Hall, St Michael’s Grove, Fareham at 2.15pm. The next meeting will be on 18th January when the speaker will be B Barrett - Jane Austen (with slides).

They hold coffee mornings and arrange outings and various events and also have craft, art, singing and scrabble groups.

In January they are starting a gardening group. Visitors are very welcome. For more information please call Jackie Walker on 02392 298768.

Farmers’ Markets There will be Farmers’ Markets in Fareham’s West Street from 9am to 2pm on Saturday 7th January, so you can make sure that you are fully stocked with good local food to feed the family over the weekend. Up to 40 local producers will be selling the best of their produce directly to customers everything from freshly picked organic fruit and vegetables to free range eggs, from fish from local waters to rare breed meats, from home-baked bread and cakes to the honey made from local bees. Sample before you buy from the people who actually produce, and taste the difference in quality whilst supporting your local farming and rural community.

MOORGREEN HOSPITAL LEAGUE OF FRIENDS TO CLOSE After more than 50 years of service to the patients, visitors and staff of Moorgreen Hospital, West End, the League of Friends at the hospital has announced its closure as from 31st December 2011. The League wishes to thank all of the volunteers who have given their time so generously to help the League over the years and the staff at the hospital who have supported the activities of the League.

Countess Mountbatten House (hospice on the Moorgreen site) is a separate organisation not in any way affected by this announcement and the Hospice and its own League of Friends together with all fundraising for the Hospice continues as before.

58...

Charity Concert Portsmouth branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers are holding a Charity Concert at Thorngate Halls Gosport on the 20th January at 7.30pm The concert is in aid of their Charity of the year which is “Starlight” a charity organisation which grants wishes to seriously ill and long term illness in children. The acts appearing are the Voxpop Choir, Lora and Spinnaker Brass. Tickets can be obtained from the box office at Thorngate Hall or by contacting Les Ballard on 01329 233020.

• JANUARY 2012 • solentlife.co.uk

Whiteley Wanderers Youth Football Club Winners again! The football club are delighted to have been awarded ‘Club of the Year’ in the 4th Annual Winchester City Council Sports Awards. The judges awarded the accolade to Whiteley Wanderers Youth Football Club in recognition of the exceptional commitment, significant impact and benefit the local community has gained from the development of the Club including the recent addition of girl’s football teams and the high regard of Hampshire FA. Club Chairman Ian Binks, who accepted the award for the club from the Deputy Lord Mayor of Winchester Cllr Frank Pearson, said; “We are absolutely delighted to win this award that follows on from attaining FA Charter Standard Community Award status earlier this year.”

Ian went on to add, “Our aim though is to have our own floodlit 3G facility and Club House in Whiteley as currently in the dark autumn and winter evenings our teams are having to travel up to 15 miles to find suitable venues to train on which is far from ideal and is very expensive. We are discussing this with local partners who are fully aware of our passion to make this vision reality and exploring various funding routes.

Who knows, by this time next year it could all be reality!” Can you help?

IF YOU HAVE A LOCAL EVENT You wish to promote then please contact us at info@solentlife.co.uk

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