JANUARY 2012
Your comprehensive reference guide for events, useful numbers and businesses serving the Meon Valley
Hampshire Heritage Exploring Country Churches
Under New Ownership Three ladies, one man and a dog See Centre Pages
January Sales A bargain or a nightmare?
Delivered by Royal Mail into the Meon Valley community
01489 660022
Tania
Melanie
Well this is either ‘hello again’ or ‘welcome’ depending on where you are in the Meon Valley. This magazine has been running for several years, but until this month has only been delivered to part of the area. However we now have Royal Mail doing our distribution so if you receive post, you’ll find a copy being delivered through your door every other month. Whether you are a new or a seasoned reader, if you turn to the centre pages you’ll find a feature on what this publication is about, who we are, and what our aims are for contributing to the Meon Valley community. Anyway here we are in 2012. It’s not looking like an easy year ahead of us if you believe all that’s in the press. But when the UK was formally in recession a couple of years ago, I definitely had a sense that we were talking ourselves into a negative situation. Just ignoring bad news won’t make it go away of course but as the saying goes ‘misery loves company’. So I like from time to time to remind myself of what’s good about life in the UK in the 21st century, and I thought I’d share these thoughts with you. We’ve passed the winter solstice and the days are now starting to become longer; we are surrounded by beautiful countryside in the Meon Valley, and it’s free to enjoy it; it’s less than 45 minutes for any of us to reach the seaside; all of us have a roof over our heads, free education for our children and free healthcare for ourselves. Indeed there is so much in life that is free – if you have internet access you’ll know that a world of knowledge, entertainment and support is there for the taking. (Ok, I know you have to pay for a broadband service but the internet content is mostly free and unlimited.) I know these are small things and I’m certainly not trying to belittle anyone struggling for work and with finances. But you just have to say ‘it could be so much worse’. Tania Houston, Editor.
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CONTENTS Puzzles
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Monthly Feature – January Sales
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Fun Quiz – Review of the Year
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Advertiser Feature – Counselling With Julie Chivers
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Advertiser Feature – Altered Image
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The Handy Household – The Labours of Lemons
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Read All About Us!
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Working from Home
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Home & Interiors - Child's Play
26
That's A Funny Thing To Say!
28
Hampshire Heritage
32
Poet's Corner – A Panda's Lament
35
Regular Events
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Information – Useful Numbers
37
Distribution - Discover Meon Valley is published every month and distributed by Royal Mail to two alternating areas. In January, March etc it goes to homes and businesses in the SO32 1, SO32 3 and GU32 1 sectors. In February, April etc it goes to SO32 2, PO17 5, PO17 6 sectors. This is a total of around 13,300 properties over the two month distribution. Advertising - We understand that the needs of a small business are quite different to those of a big company, and our advertising service is very much targeted at independent and local businesses. From advert design to general advice we are here to help you grow. For more details call Melanie on
01489 660022 or email melanie@discovermeonvalley.co.uk
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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DISCOVER PUZZLES 1
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©Puzzlepress.co.uk
Mark Thompson = 63 years old Sir John Wilson = 8 years old Robert Williams = 57 years old David Smith = 72 years old
4 words
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BUTNOT BUTNOT BUTNOT
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Pictograms Pictograms
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY 24
Across 1. Elephant’s ivory ‘horn’ (4) 3. Legislative assembly of the USA (8) 9. Without defect or blemish (7) 10. Tortilla chip topped with cheese and chillipepper (5) 11. Forgetful person (12) 14. Furrow (3) 16. Bobbin, reel (5) 17. Alcoholic spirit flavoured with juniper berries (3) 18. Swimming method (12) 21. Country, capital Santiago (5) 22. Trips taken to perform tasks (7) 23. Band of colours, as seen in a rainbow (8) 24. Blood vessel (4)
Down 1. Woven picture (8) 2. Middle Eastern country (5) 4. Select as an alternative (3) 5. Shop which sells a wide range of goods (7,5) 6. Engraving made with the use of acid (7) 7. Mixture of fog and smoke (4) 8. Second half of the Christian Bible (3,9) 12. Fowl’s perch (5) 13. Hans Christian ___, writer of fairy stories (8) 15. Rotary engine (7) 19. One sixteenth of a pound (5) 20. Subdivisions of a play (4) 22. Flightless Australian bird (3) Answers: Page 38
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
NEW YEAR SALE
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15%OFF FITTED FURNITURE
5%OFF
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DISCOVER MONTHLY FEATURE
January Sales There’s a wonderful Charles Addams cartoon from the New Yorker of God knows how many years ago showing a sale at a big department store, where a huge poster advertises “Genuine reductions!!!” There’s a queue of normal-sized people waiting to go in...and a line of tiny little people coming out. Well, January sales can be pretty nightmarish, if not perhaps that nightmarish. But the crowds, the elbowing, the fighting over the pricedto-sell designer schmutter... not my cup of tea, but some people seem to thrive on it. It’s either the hunter-gatherer instinct resurfacing, or just a submerged taste for violence temporarily legitimised, but many shoppers love the scrum so much they even queue overnight with sleeping-bag and thermos of hot soup. (Which begs a question: where do they err, go, in the night? A very real problem when you’re getting on a bit, and one reason why I don’t go camping anymore.) Wikipedia having for once failed me, I’ve been unable to track down the first-ever January sale in history. But there’s a linen draper in Philadelphia that has been holding one since 1878: maybe not the world’s first, but a date that fits nicely into the history of department stores where January sales surely originated. It’s all about Christmas. This wasn’t a big commercial event until the second half of the 19th century – in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol of 1843, it’s almost a normal working day. But by that time major cities were already beginning to sprout department stores: Kendals of Manchester in 1836, Bainbridge’s of Newcastle in 1838, Harrod’s of Knightsbridge in 1849, Lewis’s of Liverpool in 1856, Whiteley’s of Bayswater in 1863 and so on. Whiteley’s always claimed to be the first true department store, but Bainbridge’s had first used the term in 1849: you pays your money, you takes your choice. If anybody can be nailed as being responsible for the commercialisation of Christmas, it was these big department stores. And the January sale was an obvious way of ridding themselves of the season’s surplus stock – not just Christmas consumables, but winter wear in general. Little by little the January sales became more than just a festive afterthought but major events in their own right, and an important injection of cash for the stores before the late-winter doldrums set in. By the dawn of the TV advertising era, some stores gave their sale
more publicity than Christmas itself. And nothing seems to have slowed the juggernaut since: at the height of the Harrod’s January sale last year, the tills were taking £20,000 a minute! (Strictly, since 2002, Harrod’s January sale has been its “Winter sale”, since its opening moved to Boxing Day or the day after – so, no nice long Christmas break for Harrod’s staff.) And I am now told by a friend with retail experience that the January sales are no longer even primarily concerned with clearing surplus winter stock, but that fresh stock is ordered especially for the event. Now, I’m no businessman, but this seems dodgy to me. Don’t sale goods have to be displayed for 28 consecutive days at the “established price” before they can be displayed as sale goods? I suppose the stores’ legal eagles have found a way round the Consumer Protection Act 1987, but I bet that trading standards officers have pretty itchy trigger fingers come January. And anyway, if they can make a decent profit selling goods at half-price in January, why not do the same in the other 11 months? I think we should be told... by Ted Bruning
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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think local | shop local |
SALE NOW ON Pat Staples Interiors Unit 3 Claylands Road Bishops Waltham Southampton SO32 1BH Tel: (01489) 892626 Fax: (01489) 891394 Email: sales@patstaplesinteriors.co.uk www.patstaplesinteriors.co.uk
stay local
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
WINTER SALE 25% OFF EVERYTHING • Sale starts 3rd january
Leicht & Handmade Kitchens, Bosch & Miele Appliances, Granite & Quartz Worktops
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Review Of The Year 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Which famous person did Nancy Shevell marry in 2011? A ban on what items of clothing came into force in France on April 11th? Which dragon did Hilary Devey replace on the 2011 series of Dragon’s Den? On August 18th, a special edition of Crimewatch was aired that concentrated solely on what? Which soap opera celebrated its 60th anniversary on January 2nd? In 2011, David Chaytor, Eric Illsey, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine were all sentenced to at least one year in prison due to the parts they played in which scandal that was uncovered in 2009? When visiting the UK in May, why did Barack Obama arrive one day ahead of schedule? Which boy band finished 11th when representing the UK at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest? Which radio presenter broke a world record for presenting the longest radio show, after hosting a 52-hour live broadcast in aid of Comic Relief? What was described as a “unique sculptural celebratory headpiece in delicate tea rose silk” when it was sold on eBay for £81,000 in May? Answers: Page 38
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
RE-UPHOLSTERY Have your furniture completely re-upholstered at an affordable price (Parker Knoll, Ercol, M&S, John Lewis, Multiyork, Laura Ashley, G-Plan, Wade and Collins & Hayes)
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“My aim is to provide not only the best Whether you need a simple scale and polish, dentistry possible using state-of-the-art your teeth whitening, missing teeth replaced equipment, materials and techniques but also with implants or a complete new smile, “My aim is to provide not only the you and needI awill simple scaleyou andwith polish, to deliver it in a personal andbest caring manner.Whether my staff provide the dentistry possible using state-of-the-art your ‘Ultimate teeth whitening, missing teeth replaced Care’ in modern dentistry.” equipment, materials and techniques but also with implants or a complete smile, my BDS Drnew Simon Smyth to deliver it in a personal and caring manner. staff and I will provide you with the ‘Ultimate Care’ in modern dentistry.” Dr Simon Smyth BDS
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17 Discover Magazine 31
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
Counselling with Julie Chivers: The end of anything actually signifies the beginning of something else. The end of the year is the beginning of the New Year, and with that many of us have new resolutions about diet, money, exercise, and much more. For many of us these resolutions are not always all that new. It may be that year after year we have tried to change a pattern of behaviour; eating, exercise, relationships, even perhaps changing jobs or taking an adventurous risk. The key to succeeding sometimes lies in understanding what it is that is getting in the way, that leads to the frustration of another year where nothing has changed. For those who find themselves in this position, talking through the motivation and the factors of distraction,
New Beginnings
can help a client understand why they want to change something and equally why they find it so hard. For instance, diďŹƒculty dieting has been traced with some clients to not wanting to lose that feeling of being adored for their childhood plumpish physique, even though as an adult this is no longer how they wish to look. Sometimes our emotional needs and our physical ones do not catch up with each other. Equally, sometimes our desired actions and the actual outcome don't catch up with each other either. Recognising that you need some extra help to achieve your goals is the first step in getting there. Julie's contact details are below left. Next Month: Loss
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Counselling provides a unique, supportive relationship to explore reasons behind mental discomfort or distress. It can be a place to share this discomfort and feel less isolated with diďŹƒcult feelings, or a place to understand possible causes, and with that understanding make choices to change patterns and make different decisions. Fully qualified, member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, which in particular governs the code of ethics I operate under. Free Parking, Reception and Waiting Room Comfortable, quiet, confidential, central Fareham Saturday Appointments available 30 Osborn Road, Fareham, PO16 7DS
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Flexibility... Balance... Core Strength... Relaxation... Practice in a beautiful purpose built Yoga studio...clean, bright and warm. Set in tranquil green surroundings, a perfect place for yoga practice. A dynamic blend of Hatha & Vinyasa Flow Yoga. Private tuition on request, Workshops. Karen Percival : B.ED. Phys. Ed ; FRYOG Yoga diploma : REPS level 3 Advanced instructor with 25 yrs teaching experience. For class schedule and more details visit www.birchtreeyoga.co.uk
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Whites dental care
01489 892240 Whites Dental Care A well established family practice that has been in Bishops Waltham since 1972 We offer a wide range of dental care for the whole family from routine fillings and hygiene sessions to cosmetic treatment and implants
Telephone:
07976 677 040
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commit get fit
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Visit our website at www.whitesdentalcare.co.uk
We provide a relaxed and friendly environment for both patients and staff alike
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Hoe Road - Bishops Waltham Hants - SO32 1DS
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Treatment In The Comfort Of Your Own Home Also On Offer: Feet and Legs Washed and Creamed
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
Highly experienced stylists
Open 6 days a week with late nights on Wednesday and Thursdays
15% Discount for senior citizens on Tuesdays 10% Discount for students on Wednesdays (on presentation of student card) Loyalty scheme • Bridal packages • Stockist of top model clip in hair extensions Beauty room including eyelash extensions and nails Boo All new clients & Q king Re qu uote DMV ired 011 2
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Altered Image - Under New Management Altered Image has been established for over 30 years and is the only Matrix salon in the village. The salon has recently been taken over by Louise Talman and has been refurbished to a very high standard. Louise has lived in Bishops Waltham all her life and has experience of hairdressing in the village. She has a love of all aspects of hairdressing and is a qualified hairdressing assessor. Furthermore she shares her experience by working at a local college, training up and coming hairdresser. Another member of the team, Coleen Talman, trained and worked for Head Masters in Bishop’s Waltham, Park Gate and Wickham. Finally to complete the team, Rebecca Bowers will be joining Altered Images in January. Both Coleen and Rebecca are delighted to welcome
all their clients past and present to the salon. To ensure they can fit in with their clients’ needs, the salon is open six days a week with late nights on Wednesday and Thursdays. To ensure the service remains affordable for all, there are extra discounts for senior citizens and students, and there is a loyalty scheme for regular clients. Those offers are already great but throughout January, Altered Image are offering all new clients a 20% discount on selected days for cutting and colouring services (on presentation of the above advert). A family friendly, modern salon where the team has a combined experience of over 30 years, Altered Image provide both traditional and exciting fashion hair styling. Book now!
Louise Talman
Rebecca Bowers
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The Handy Household - The Labours of Lemons We all know they go nicely with a G&T, but did you know that lemons contain enough acid to ruin the lives of most bacteria found in our kitchens? So, whether you want to sanitise a chopping board, disinfect a counter top or mop the floor, lemons are a great way to keep our homes clean and healthy. Lemons also make it easy to clean a microwave, simply place a bowl of water and lemon juice in the appliance and warm for a few minutes. The steam acts on any stains or lingering smells and once you’ve removed the bowl, you can simply wipe the microwave clean. When it comes to laundry, lemon juice is also brilliant for brightening your faded whites. You can either add it to your washing cycle, or soak delicates in a solution of lemon juice and water to create a mild bleach effect. What’s more, tough food or blood stains stand little chance against this wonder product – simply squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the stain and let it soak in for around 20 minutes, before rinsing with water. And the benefits don’t stop there, as lemon juice is well known for helping to keep us clean and healthy too. Sore throat? Mix lemon juice with honey and warm water to make a soothing drink. Garlicky and onion-smelling fingers can also be thoroughly cleaned by rubbing over with half a lemon and rinsing your hair in lemon juice can even help to combat chlorinegreen hair after swimming. So, why not swap your harsh chemical products for the natural and economical power of lemons?
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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Kitchens and Carpentry Mint Kitchens and Carpentry is a family run business based in Bishops Waltham with over 19 years of qualified experience. Services include: Fully fitted kitchens or refurbishments Skirting and Architraves Floor and Wall tiling Laminate and real wood flooring Door Hanging Decking And lots more……. Please contact us now for a free of charge, no obligation quotation.
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
Free Pension Review • Are you confident that your pensions are performing as well as they could? • Do you have several plans and want to understand what they could provide in retirement? • Have you moved employers and left pensions behind? • Have you been made Redundant with choices to make about your Pension? Contact Retirement and Investment Solutions for our *FREE pension review worth £325, contact us now on 01489 878300 or via our website www.retirementis.co.uk * offer available to first ten respondents quoting WI
Retirement and Investment Solutions Specialist advisers to the over 50s giving you clear financial advice for a stress-free retirement Telephone: 01489 878300 | Email: advice@retirementis.co.uk | www.retirementis.co.uk Retirement and Investment Solutions, The Rumpus, St Clairs Farm, Wickham Road, Droxford, Hampshire SO32 3PW
Retirement and Investment Solutions is a trading name of Meon Valley Financial Planning Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA Registration No: 185205
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Under new ownership –
what’s in it for you?
Discover Meon Valley (or Discover Magazine) was originally launched in 2008 by Adrian Bird but in September last year he approached me (Tania Houston) about taking over.
My background is marketing communications, managing campaigns for well known companies such as Nokia and Ericsson as well as less glamorous ones (toilet macerators being the least!)
I have run a similar magazine for over seven years (The Chandlers Ford Directory) so I’m pretty experienced in all aspects of running this type of business. More than just the experience though, I really enjoy what I do. I feel so lucky that when I wake up on a Monday morning I’m actually looking forward to my week.
What’s the purpose of the magazine?
Still, it’s not a small job to coordinate the production and delivery of a magazine and it was important that Discover Meon Valley wasn’t ‘second best’ to my original business. So I asked another local magazine owner if she would join me in this new undertaking, which gladly she agreed to do. Melanie Tinson has run her publication (The Southampton Directory) for over five years. Playing to our individual strengths, I am editor and chief administrator so all editorial, artwork, accounts and printing is handled by me while Melanie focuses on sales, marketing and distribution. Although Melanie and I are the main people in the business, we also have a great support team with Heather our incredibly patient designer and Kevin (my husband) who picks up so many of the ‘bits and pieces’ that need doing. Melanie's dog, a chocolate labrador/cocker spaniel cross called Dempsey, doesn't do anything for the mag of course, but is a welcome excuse to go for a walk so Mel and I can discuss business. I’ll hand over to Melanie now for her to tell you a bit about us.
Who are we?
Tania and I are not just business partners in Discover Meon Valley Ltd but good friends, in and out of work. We are "about" the same age (less said the better), with children in their mid-teens and we both enjoy similar hobbies: squash, walking and skiing to name a few. Tania's background is in IT management so she is brilliant in creating a smoothly run operation with systems and the right software.
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There are three things that we aim to deliver through this publication: a useful reference guide to local numbers and information; a directory of business that specifically serve this area; and a medium by which we can entertain you with articles and puzzles and pass on anything of local interest and community information. Indeed this last part is actually the most challenging. If you run a community organisation, a local charity, or have any news, history, walks etc. that you can send on to us, we’d be delighted to receive it. In other words on that part we need your help!
For local businesses
The businesses that feature in this magazine are what makes it possible for us to produce it. We know from our own publications that people really do like to support local companies when they can and our advertisers have seen a significant growth in their business as a result of advertising with us. What I would emphasise is that we want to help you to grow not just sell you something. Obviously we are confident that by advertising with us it will help you in that effort. But it has to be right for you. We won’t try to sell you a bigger advert than you need; we will give you advice on your advert content and design your advert for you; and if we can suggest any ideas or you want our input – whether advertising related or not - we are only too happy to help. We are now using Royal Mail for our deliveries so we can reach even the most rural homes and we’ve increased the distribution to 13,300 properties. Business or resident, we’d love to hear from you! Businesses: Melanie@discovermeonvalley.co.uk, 01489 660022 Residents: Tania@discovermeonvalley.co.uk, 01489 660023
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
GU32 1 delivered by
SO32 3 SO32 1
SO32 2 PO17 5 PO17 6
Discover Meon Valley is delivered to over 13,000 homes and businesses on a split distribution basis. Each property receives a magazine alternate months.
Wickham Edition
Bishops Waltham Edition
SO32 2, PO17 5, PO17 6 = 7,300
SO32 1, SO32 3, GU32 1 = 6,000
2012 DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE Issue
Edition
Delivery over 5 days w/c
Issue
Edition
Delivery over 5 days w/c
Jan
Bishops Waltham
9 Jan
July
Bishops Waltham
25 June
Feb
Wickham
6 Feb
Aug
Wickham
23 July
Mar
Bishops Waltham
27 Feb
Sept
Bishops Waltham
3 Sept
Apr
Wickham
26 Mar
Oct
Wickham
1 Oct
May
Bishops Waltham
30 Apr
Nov
Bishops Waltham
29 Oct
June
Wickham
28 May
Dec
Wickham
26 Nov
Discover Meon Valley Ltd 57 Wood End Way Chandlers Ford Hampshire SO53 4LN Directors: Tania Houston & Melanie Tinson
Sales/Distribution: 01489 660022 Accounts/Artwork: 01489 660023 Fax: 0871 989 2756 contactus@discovermeonvalley.co.uk www.discovermeonvalley.co.uk c o n t a c t u s @ d i s c o v e r m e o n v a l l e y.c o .u k
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DISCOVER HOME
Working from home I know, as do we all, that smoking in the workplace is banned. And rightly so. It’s a vile habit, and whether passive smoking is as dangerous as they say it’s still selfish and unpleasant to inflict the smell of cigarette smoke on others. And I say this as a smoker. I remember the first time I walked into the newsroom at the Worksop Guardian, where I trained as a reporter: it was almost impossible to see the far end of the room (and it wasn’t a large room) thanks to the coils of lazy blue smoke that hung in the air. But the non-smokers, who were in fact the majority, never complained. I don’t remember the window being opened – in fact I’m not even sure that it did open. That was then, “then” in this case referring to 1977; and it seemed to all concerned to be a perfectly natural state of affairs. I remember just as clearly the outrage more than a decade later (by which time I had moved on from the Worksop Guardian) when a workplace smoking ban was proposed. We smokers felt indignantly that it was our rights that were being violated, and some of the nonsmokers even agreed; it took the asthmatic non-smoker who had first made the proposal quite some time to gather enough support to persuade management to back him. There were some furious rows and long-term damage to friendships, but when I stepped back inside after my first ever fag on the fire-escape, I immediately realised that the antis were right. It was nice to be able to breathe! Not long after that (it was January) I got fed up with the fire-escape and quit the weed. (A thought: does cigarette smoke smell worse than it used to? In the old days, I don’t remember my clothes being absolutely rancid after an evening in the pub, but now I notice the lingering pong if anyone has had a fag anywhere near me. Have the health lobby secretly had a “vile stench” chemical added to tobacco – or do we just notice it more now that we do it less?) Anyway, I started smoking again a few years ago, but by this time I was self-employed and working from
home. The smoking ban hadn’t come in, but with a nonsmoking wife and two non-smoking kids (only one now, alas, the boy has taken to it as eagerly as I did at his age) it somehow felt wrong to infect their air with my poison. In fact, I did my best to conceal from the kids the fact that I smoked at all. They tell me now that I was pretty successful, and that it was a very long time before they realised why daddy sometimes smelt funny. The boy started smoking because his friends did, not because I did, thank God; in fact it was only when he started smoking that he identified the funny smell. Anyway, I’m back on the metaphorical fire-escape now, although these days it comes equipped with garden furniture so at least I can pollute my lungs in comfort. And even though it’s a miserable business in bad weather, I wouldn’t go back to smoking indoors (although I still, with my rather old-fashioned sense of hospitality, dig the sole surviving ashtray out when an addicted guest comes round). But in general, it’s a workplace; and workplaces should be smoke-free. Except for vans and lorries. Two driver friends of mine have recently been nicked for smoking in their cabs. Who were they harming, apart from themselves? And haven’t the police anything better to do? by Ted Bruning
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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DISCOVER HOME & INTERIORS Decorating a child’s bedroom is all about flexibility – and with a bit of flair it’s easy to create a space that’s as practical as it is imaginative, and that doesn’t cost the earth
Child’s Play When decorating a child’s bedroom, remember the three Fs: fun, function and flexibility. Children need stimulation – though too much brightly coloured plastic will make your eyes ache – and organisation, so that you can occasionally see the floor. But it’s flexibility that’s the most important. Unless you really want to redecorate every couple of years, keep the walls, floors and major items of furniture relatively neutral, just changing the accessories, such as rugs, cushion covers, bean bags, blinds and lampshades, as necessary. That way you’ll be able to create a room that will last right through from babyhood until your little darling leaves home. Nurseries The younger the child, the more ‘stuff’ they seem to have, and for a newborn storage is all-important. You could buy a set of free-standing shelves (if the shelves can be raised and lowered when necessary, so much the better) or fix some ‘floating’ shelves to the walls. Better still, if you have a period house with alcoves either side of a chimney breast, consider turning them into conceal-all built-in wardrobes. Most baby toys can be stored in colourful, soft plastic buckets, or in drawstring bags hung from the back of the door or a peg rail. Avoid buying furniture that’s very baby-specific – he or she won’t notice it and it will date very quickly. Instead, choose well-made, simple pieces that will still be useable (even if they have to be given a lick of
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Simple white furnishings will last years and can be accessorised to suit your child’s age. Humphrey’s Corner cot bed, £300, and Brompton furniture, all Mothercare, 0845 330 4030; mothercare.com.
paint) in decades to come. Arrange the room to suit you – middle-of-the-night visits are even less fun when you stub your toe on a sticking-out chair, and instant access to the cot/bed, storage and toys will make your life easier. As for décor, choose soft colours and ensure your lighting isn’t too glarey. Fitting a dimmer is a great idea – usually a quick and inexpensive job for a qualified electrician. Older children The storage theme continues as your children grow older, so increase the options (and avoid spending a fortune) by thinking laterally and visiting junk-shops for chests of drawers, blanket boxes and the like. Make sure they’re stable and don’t have any splinters; then simply sand and paint, changing any knobs and handles if necessary. For storage of small toys, felt tip pens and so on, use washed-up tins (no sharp edges, mind), ice cream tubs or shoe boxes, perhaps covered in offcuts of wallpaper for a unified look. Now’s the time to consider a raised sleeper bed – children of this age need plenty of space in which to play. Keep furniture to the edges of the room, so
DISCOVER HOME & INTERIORS there’s plenty of clear floor area in the middle. And for decorative interest, how about fixing a large magnetic board to one wall, or painting a wall or a cupboard door with blackboard paint? Wall stickers are great fun, or you could hang artists’s canvas painted in bright blocks of colour, or else camouflage nets, bunting, maps or flags. String fairy lights across the ceiling, or glue lightweight plastic toys in formation across it; on wooden floorboards, meanwhile, it wouldn’t be hard to paint paw prints, a race track or a giant game of snakes and ladders. Teenagers Teenagers’ rooms need to be a combination of cosy den, chill-out zone and study area. You’ll need to provide zones for homework and hobbies, socialising and sleepovers – and good lighting in each area is essential. As well as general, overhead lighting, desk and bedside lamps, consider adding something decorative such as a colour-changing LED light or a ‘starlit’ ceiling using fibre optics. Just like anyone working from home,
Older children’s bedrooms need a chill-out zone as well as somewhere to study and sleep. Bean chair and stool, £79, Found Home Store, 01227 807797; foundhomestore.co.uk.
teenagers need a good quality swivel chair, a spacious desk, plenty of plug sockets, an internet connection and storage space for books, files and so on. This could be in the form of built-in shelving or standalone units that can be taken with you when you move. As for relaxing, a sofa, some bean bags or even a storage ottoman will come in handy. A welllit dressing table (this could double up with the desk) is important, too, as is a good mirror. If you want your teenager to be organised, add a pin board or magnetic board on the wall, an accessible laundry bin and some open-topped storage for all those bits and pieces that you’d prefer not to end up on the floor. by Katherine Sorrell
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That’s a Funny Thing to Say! To clear the decks – to clear everything away usually in preparation to do a particular task. A nautical expression, used when sailing ships were preparing for battle, everything that might burn, splinter or that was not lashed down was removed to prevent injury to the sailors during the battle. To the bitter end – to see something right through to the end, or to the death. Again an expression with a nautical origin from around the mid 19th century, although nothing to do with bitterness. The end of a rope or chain was secured in a chain locker, but when there was no windlass the cables were fastened to ‘bitts’ – pairs of bollards fixed to the deck. When
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the rope is let out until there is none left and the end of the rope is at the bitts. Back to square one – to begin again. Two possible origins for this one. It might derive from board games where players have to move their pieces back to the start again. The alternative suggestion is from early radio football commentaries. The pitch was divided into numbered squares to make it easier to follow the action. To eat humble pie – to be humiliated Humble is taken from ‘umble’ which were the heart, liver and entrails of a deer. In the past when the lord and his family ate at high table on venison the huntsmen took lower seats and ate umbles which had been made into a pie
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
Independent, Unbiased, Professional Advice A client partnership based on trust, knowledge and values Protecting, enhancing and maintaining client lifestyles
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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DISCOVER HERITAGE
HAMPSHIRE HERITAGE Exploring Country Churches There’s a scene early in Downton Abbey in which Matthew and Edith are touring the local countryside exploring churches. Church exploring was once the preserve of the leisured classes, but while attending services in church has declined dramatically in the last hundred years, visiting churches simply to soak up their atmosphere has probably never been more popular. Why?
The church of St Mary and St Michael at Stoke Charity
contain a great variety of aspects of interest – soaring architecture, sculpture in stone, carving in wood, richly ornate monuments. Every church is different and is always more than the sum of its parts.
Almost anyone you talk to will tell you they love the atmosphere of little country churches. This feeling, a mixture of comfort and awe, has been described perfectly by the poet Philip Larkin in his well-known poem ‘Church going’ (a title that is a play on words). There can be little doubt that our enthusiasm for visiting churches stems from some deep human need that is unfulfilled in our materialistic, often agnostic, lives.
The oldest churches to be found in Hampshire were built in Saxon times, before the Norman conquest. Many more are Norman, built in the 11th and 12th centuries. None of them look today just as they did when they were built. Much of the fascination of churches lies in the way they reflect the changing patterns of religious worship. Changes in the liturgy (the form of the services) brought huge changes in church interiors. Henry VIII’s break with the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century resulted in the carved screens between nave and chancel being ripped out, carvings and statues broken, stained glass windows smashed, wall paintings covered in lime wash. And it happened again, some would say even more violently, a century later in the time of Cromwell and Puritanism.
But that doesn’t mean exploring churches must be a spiritual exercise. Churches reflect our island’s history and are architecturally absorbing, often beautiful. And their interiors
During these upheavals, which will have been hard for ordinary people to understand or bear, the focal point of the church moved from the altar to the pulpit. Churches became ‘preaching boxes’ with the emphasis on the spoken word of the sermon and biblical texts on painted boards on the walls. Church attendance became compulsory by law and
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...Continued on page 34
DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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DISCOVER HERITAGE ...Continued from page 32
preaching likewise. Grim though it sounds, this movement produced some handsome interiors, with clear glass windows giving a beautiful light, fine box pews and magnificently carved pulpits. Church interiors became simple again, revealing something that Catholicism had obscured: the beauty of simplicity. But things were not to remain like that. For every action, there is a reaction, and in the church it was called the Oxford Movement, a group who believed that the church must return to the forms of service and architecture of what they saw as the high point in its evolution, the Decorated or middlepointed Gothic style (roughly 1250-1350). What I have said above briefly sketches some the background to the changes in church design that have occurred over the centuries. But what of individual churches in our county? What to see, where to go? With so many churches to choose from, even a random approach will yield much of interest. Hampshire’s strength probably lies in early (preGothic), small churches in deeply rural settings, exactly the sort I like best. So it is a few of these that I shall briefly describe now. The church of St Mary and St Michael at Stoke Charity, east of Sutton Scotney, stands in a field, near a pond. Inside it feels like a miniature cathedral. To quote the church’s excellent guide book, it is a treasure house of beautiful and ancient objects. The building dates mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, the Norman nave and chancel perhaps being added to a small Saxon church. In complete contrast, nothing prepares you for the Georgian church of All Saints in Minstead, in the New Forest . Viewed from the lychgate, the church could be mistaken for cottages, but for the later brick tower. Stepping inside reveals an interior almost like a house. There were once three large private pews for the comfort of the parish’s gentry. They even had their own fireplaces. The church of St Nicholas at Boarhunt should not be missed. The Saxon walls are mostly original
All Saints Church, Minstead
and the interior wonderful – quite small, rather dark because the windows are very small, plain and simple. But hugely atmospheric. Lastly, my personal favourite: the tiny church of St John at Farley Chamberlayne, in deep rural isolation northwest of Hursley. It can seat only about 70 people, and apart from some fine monuments to the great and good, it is fairly basic. It is also utterly charming. Every visit to a new church is exciting. Be warned, though, about the bane of the church explorer: the locked church. In theory there may be a telephone number or an address from which the key can be obtained. But I’ve seldom found it to be like that, so if a church is locked I simply move on. To me, a locked church is a contradiction in terms. But let’s assume that, happily, you find the door unlocked and are savouring the atmosphere of a brand new (to you) church. My advice would be not to worry too much about historical identifications but to enjoy the entirety for what it is. Nearly all churches have a little guide book on sale, which is well worth buying. It will help you learn about what you see, and you can build up a collection to look back on. Finally, if you possibly can, do leave a donation in the box in the wall. The cost of maintaining our churches is frightening, and they are a unique part of our heritage. Think of your great-greatgrandchildren. How tragic if they were never to see an English country church. by Stephen Harvey
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
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A Panda’s Lament I’m a little panda, and my keeper’s very vexed, He’s convinced I need a girlfriend; says it’s time that I had sex, He pushes pandas in my den, it’s really just not right, I prefer a bit of peace and quiet; a nice long sleep at night, Oops, here comes another one, this time I’ve had enough, I’m not too sure where this one’s been; she’s looking pretty rough, She seems to be quite keen on me; I find it such a pain, She’s come all the way from China; she can go straight back again, Her markings are just dreadful; Chi Chi’s really not my type, Us pandas are particular, it’s not just black and white, And finally I’ve realised that indeed it’s very true, I just don’t want to reproduce....I’d rather eat bamboo. ©Jan Jack’s Perfect Verse 2011 www.perfectverse.co.uk
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DISCOVER INFORMATION
local events WALKS FOR HEALTH Every Thursday 10.15 BishopsWaltham Square, contact Lydia Lockhart 01962 848925 UNIVERSITY OF THE 3RD AGE Tuesday twice monthly 1.30–3.30 Wickham Community Hall Contact 01489 892499 THE HEALING TRUST Healing Centre, Priory Park Hall, Bishops Waltham. Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month 10am til 12 noon. Marjorie Nutland 01329 832637 SOUL CONNECTIONS – SPIRITUAL GROUP Priory Park Hall, Bishops Waltham. 3rd Sunday each Month, £5.00 Sue Murray 01489 799740 www.suemurrayhealing.co.uk NETBALL GROUP We train every Wed 5.30pm -7pm at Swanmore College of Technology. First session would be free. Call Dee 07979917202 LUNCH CLUB Every Monday Jubilee Hall 1 - 2pm Christine Argyle 01489 894054 Tuesday Gwyn West 01489 891663 Thurs Gill Stainer 01489 893384 JUBILEE WRITERS Thursday (Twice Monthly) 2pm – 4pm Stables Hall, Bishops Waltham Elizabeth watt 01489 892224 ART CLASSES Every Wed 9am - 4pm Helena Hines
COMMIT TO GET FIT Tuesday 7.30pm-8.30pm Circuits Tuesday 6.30pm-7.25pm Pilates Wed 10.30am - 11.15am Active Seniors Wed 6.30pm - 8.30pm Body Blitz See page 12 for more info or call Carole Batten-Rutter 02380 695136 COUNTRY MARKET Every Friday 9.30 – 11.00am Jubilee Hall, Bishops Waltham DRAMA GROUP Every Monday at Jubilee Hall 4pm - 5.15pm (Junior) & 5.15pm - 6.30pm (Senior) Second youth centre-Helena Fox 01962 844600 BW YOUNG FARMERS CLUB 14-26 yrs – Thurs Anne 860236 MEON VALLEY CARERS GROUP The Meon Valley Carers Group is a support group for the carers of people with Dementia. We meet every month for a pub lunch and also for a support group meeting. Cared for are welcome. Phone Debbie on 01489 895444 Mon or Thurs 9.00-13.00 for details. MOBILE LIBRARY WICKHAM SQUARE Tuesday 9.15am – 12.45pm GARDENING CLUB Memberships only £6 call Keith Fry 01489 893755
MEON VALLEY FLOWER CLUB Demos, workshops at Meonstoke Village Hall Ann Hammant 01730 829469 WICKHAM CENTRE www.wickhamcentre.org.uk Three Bears Playgroup every morning 9am – 12.30pm Scouts Monday 7 – 9pm Keep Fit Monday 6 – 7pm Rifle Club Mon 7.30-9pm, Sat 10am-12noon Ladies Circuits Tues 10 – 11am Scallywags Dog Training Tues 6.30pm Wickham Indoor Bowling Tues & Fri 7.30pm Brownies Tuesday 4.45pm Church Room Lunch Club 11.30am Wed, Church Room Cubs Wednesdays 6.30 – 8pm Beavers Thursday 6 – 7pm Home Start Mother & Toddler Fri 9-12 noon Poppins Play Group Thursday Yoga Class (Wickham & Swanmore) Wed 10am - 11.30am, Thur 7.45pm - 9.15pm. Events also held at Swanmore Village Hall, Thur 10am - 11.30am Paula Dixon 01489 891079 EVENTS AT SWANMORE Swanmore Baby & Toddler Group Every Tuesday (term-time only) 10am-11.30am Swanmore Village Hall Contact Wendy Pilton 01489 890694
Charities, free or very low cost events are listed above without change and can be submitted by emailing Tania@discovermeonvalley.co.uk For other events a small charge is made starting from just £7 a month. For more details email Melanie@ discovermeonvalley.co.uk or call 01489 660022 36
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DISCOVER JANUARY 2012
useful numbers
LOCAL DOCTORS NHS Direct (24hr helpline) Acorn Medical, Church Lane, Curdridge Fareham Health Centre Gudge Heath Lane, Fareham Hemming & Partners, Lower Lane, Bishop’s Waltham West Meon Surgery, Doctor's Lane, West Meon Wickham Group Surgery, Station Road, Wickham
0845 4647 01489 782488 01329 823456 01329 280887 01489 892288 01730 829666 01329 833121
LOCAL CHEMISTS Birchall & Haydock, The Square, Wickham PO17 5JQ Tel: 01329 832115 9am all days Wed & Sat 5.30pm finish Mon, Tue, Thurs & Fri 6.30pm. Sunday – closed Boots Pharmacy, High Street, Bishop’s Waltham SO32 1AB Tel: 01489 892603 Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 9am – 6pm, Wed & Sat 9am – 5pm, Sun – Closed Lloyds Pharmacy, High Street, Bishop’s Waltham SO32 1AB Tel: 01489 892499 Mon to Fri 8.30am – 6pm, Sat 8.30am – 5pm, Sun – Closed Rowlands Pharmacy, 7 High Street, Botley Tel: 01489 782065 Mon to Fri 9am – 5.30pm, Sat 9am – 1pm PARISH COUNCILS Bishops Waltham parishclerk@bishopswalthamparishcouncil.co.uk www.bishopswalthamparish council.co.uk Upham uphampc@homecall.co.uk Durley durleypc@homecall.co.uk Soberton norman@soberton.org.uk Droxford rosemaryhoile@btinternet.com Shedfield shedfieldparish@btconnect.com www.shedfieldparishcouncil.org.uk Swanmore clerk@swanmoreparishcouncil.org.uk www.swanmoreparishcouncil.org.uk West Meon Parish Council (Tracy Predeth, Clerk) westmeonpc@googlemail.com Hampshire City Council Winchester City Council Wickham Council clerkwickham@parish.hants.gov.uk Boarhunt brendangibbs@btconnect.com Southwick & Widley swpc@logosoft.biz
01489 892323 01489 860236 01489 860236 01489 877378 01489 878768 01329 830060 01489 890651 01730 301606 01962 841841 01962 840222 01329 835019 02392 264528
LOCAL SCHOOLS Bishop’s Waltham Infants Bishop’s Waltham Juniors Curdridge Primary Droxford Juniors Durley Primary Kings School Meonstoke Newtown Infants Rookesbury Park St. Johns Primary Swanmore Primary Swanmore College Upham Primary West Meon C of E Primary School Wickham Primary Wyvern Technology College
01489 892375 01489 892368 01489 782613 01489 877537 01489 860207 01962 861161 01489 877568 01329 833161 01329 833108 01329 833141 01489 894555 01489 892256 01489 860355 01730 829213 01329 833065 02380 692679
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS All dates taken from - http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/schools/ holidays.php Spring Term Half Term: Mon 13/2/12 - Fri 17/2/12 Easter: Mon 2/4/12 - Fri 13/4/12 Summer Term Half Term: Mon 4/6/12 - Fri 8/6/12 Summer Holiday: Tue 24/7/12 - Fri 31/8/12 LOCAL LIBRARY www.hants.gov.uk/library/bishopswaltham Bishop’s Waltham Library, Bank Street, 0845 603 5631 Mon/Thur: Closed, Tue: 1pm – 7pm, Wed/Fri: 9.30am – 5pm, Sat: 9.30am – 1pm CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Bishops Waltham Wickham Community Centre, Fareham
01489 896376 01329 223119
EMERGENCIES Police, Fire or Ambulance Services 999 0845 045 45 45 Police (Incident Reports) Portsmouth Water - Fresh Water Supply 02392 499888 Portsmouth Water - Leaks to Report (Out of hours 24hr) 02392 477999 Southern Water - Sewage 0845 272 0845 Southern Water - Tech Support 0845 278 0845 Gas – National Grid 0800 111 999 (If you smell gas, then call us immediately) Electricity 0845 7708090
023 8046 3228 c o n t a c t u s @ d i s c o v e r m e o n v a l l e y.c o .u k
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DISCOVER INDEX
For Advertisers offering multiple property services look under Property Maintenance, otherwise see specific trade e.g. electrician, carpenter etc. Appliance Repair: JP Appliances Bathrooms: See Plumbing Beauty Treatments: Essential Beauty Blinds & Curtains: Pont Furnishings Solent Blinds & Curtains Co Ltd Builder: R & G Gamblin General Builders Carpenter: Mint Kitchens & Carpentry Carpet Cleaning: Clean Plan Chimney Sweep: Pebble Beach Sweeps Cleaning Service: Top Class Cleaning Services Computer Services: Plates PCS TeknoIT Conservatories: Britannia Conservatories Counselling: Counselling with Julie Chivers Dentist: Simon Smyth Dentistry Whites Dental Care Electrician: Assure Electrical Ltd D.Daniel Electrical Svcs Ltd
8 35 11 28 10 17 27 31 7 24 18 39 13 12 14 16 24
Financial Services: Avalon Financial Services In-Home Legal Services Retirement & Investement Solutions Funeral Services: Town & Country Mem. Ltd Furniture: Pont Furnishings Swan Systems Furniture Ltd Garage Doors: Fix Quick Garage Doors Solent Garage Doors Garden Design & Services: Adtree Care Jon Curtis Tree Surgery & Garden M. TreeScapes Woodleigh Landscapes Gas Services: See Plumbing Grocers: Budgens Hairdresser: Altered Image Hair Salon Health & Fitness: Birch Tree Yoga Commit 2 Get Fit Health Services: Counselling with Julie Chivers Footcare by J Hallum Interior Design: Pat Staples Interiors Ironing Service: Top Class Cleaning Svcs Kitchens: Controlled Interiors Kitchen & Bathroom Transformations Kitchen Living Mint Kitchens & Carpentry
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD Across: 1 Tusk, 3 Congress, 9 Perfect, 10 Nacho, 11 Scatterbrain, 14 Rut, 16 Spool, 17 Gin, 18 Breaststroke, 21 Chile, 22 Errands, 23 Spectrum, 24 Vein. Down: 1 Tapestry, 2 Syria, 4 Opt, 5 General store, 6 Etching, 7 Smog, 8 New Testament, 12 Roost, 13 Andersen, 15 Turbine, 19 Ounce, 20 Acts, 22 Emu. FUN QUIZ - REVIEW OF THE YEAR 1. Paul McCartney, 2. Burqas, 3. James Caan, 4. The England riots, 5. The Archers, 6. The MPs expenses scandal, 7. To avoid potential disruption from the ash cloud, 8. Blue, 9. Chris Moyles, 10. Princess Beatrice's hat (that she wore to wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton) PICTOGRAM 1. The Night Is Young, 2. Last But Not Least, 3. Green With Envy
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w w w. d i s c o v e r m e o n v a l l e y.c o.u k
29 18 19 31 11 5 35 23 35 24 23 24 25 15 13 14 13 14
Pet Services: Wagging Tails Plumbing Services (including bathroom installation and gas and boiler services) see also Property Maintenance: I.R. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pipe Dreams Tom Mitchell Plumbing TP Watts Property Maintenance & Improvements: Controlled Interiors J.S. Roofing Kitchen & Bathroom Transformations Kitchen Living Mint Kitchens & Carpentry Pat Staples Interiors R & G Gamblin General Builders Restaurant: Bahn Thai Rimjhim Solar Panels: Finesse Energy Ltd Tree Surgery: See Garden Upholstery: Pont Furnishings Veterinary: Shield Veterinary Centre
8 7 9 8 40 17
Although every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error or omission in the printing of an advert. Discover Meon Valley Ltd does not officially endorse any advertisers included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without the prior consent of the publisher. Publisher: Discover Meon Valley Ltd, 57 Wood End Way, Chandlers Ford SO53 4LN.
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