Winchester Today - January 2019

news

January 2019

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JANUARY 2019 ISSUE 047

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SWR BOSSES TO FACE CONSTITUENTS

Crackdown on bad Christmas drivers page 2

Super 1s healthy competition

By KEVIN GOVER News Editor NEWS comes from MP Steve Brine that he is set to chair a meeting on the evening of Thursday 31st January where constituents will be able to put questions to the managing directors of South Western Railway and the Wessex Route within Network Rail.

SWR took over the franchise in August 2017 and have faced a difficult start to their tenure with ongoing industrial action, overrunning engineering works and a drop in performance which led to an independent performance review being ordered by the Secretary of State.

In addition, a 3.1% fair increase for 2019 was recently brought in which has angered some users and Mr Brine has said the rise should be scrapped.

“2018 was an extremely trying year for my constituents who rely on the railway, whether as commuters or leisure travellers and I think we’ve all felt the fall in performance showing up in the statistics. My ASKSWT event with the previous franchise holder was a good opportunity for passengers to speak directly with those running the service

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2018 was an extremely trying year for my constituents Steve Brine MP across train operating company and the wider network.

“I hope constituents will come and will find the event a useful chance to engage directly with those running our local train service.”

The event will be held in central Winchester and is open to Winchester & Chandler’s Ford constituents by prior registration to ensure a safe event. To register please email steve.brine.mp@ parliament.uk or call 01962 791110.

NEW YEAR, NEW JOB, SAME CARING STAFF Trust’s new chair pays tribute to his colleagues at RHCH

THE new chair of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Steve Erskine has paid tribute to its caring and compassionate staff as he takes up his role.

contined on page 3 ➜

Beauty and the Beast goes panto page 15

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January 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed Christmas in Winchester as much as everyone here at Winchester Today. Sure, the weather wasn’t exactly on our side for a number of days over the Christmas period, and people at the Market must have got fed up with the number of times they got soaked. But we carried out our promise and tradition of buying at least one item from the Christmas Market, and several from shops in town instead of online. The Market delight was a couple of delightful tree decorations from the St Elisabeth Convent in Belarus… and the tree came from Hilliers on Romsey Road. It’s one of the best we’ve had. And a tree is something that you can’t

ABOUT US

winchestertoday est 2012

n EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Kevin Gover kevin@winchestertoday.co.uk n CONTRIBUTORS • David Cradduck • Drew White • Gavin Harris • Rachel Gover • Helena Gomm • John Ellery • Chrissie Pollard • Freya Storey • Eleanor Marsden • Chris Book • Edyth Miles • Richard Horsman

justify buying online! ***** Talking of trees, we were sickened by whoever it was who thought it was funny to rip the lights off Winchester’s own tree on the High Street. It wasn’t funny. ***** You discover sometimes that there are places right on your doorstep that you never knew existed. I promise you that we’ve not received a penny from the White Hart in Stockbridge for the review. We just had such a good time there that we thought we’d share our enjoyment with you.

Morning-after Operation Holly

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Suite 123 80 High Street Winchester SO23 9AT news@winchestertoday.co.uk This digital edition of Winchester Today has been produced entirely by the commitment of our friends through crowdfunder.co.uk - a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone involved Want to be in the next edition?

Call our sales team on 07456 065100

Finally, a warm welcome to our team to journalist Richard Horsman, who’s spent years and years in newsrooms both as a news man and a trainer. I hope you will love his no-nonsense approach to life, and smile along. Or go “yes!”. Or both!

Kevin Gover

Our message is plain and simple

Charity Partner supporting Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance until December 2020.

Winchester Today Media Partner to Winchester Film Festival and Bishop’s Waltham Festival

*****

YOU may well have seen the smashedup car that was near the Christmas tree in Winchester this year. Sadly, it seems to have little effect on persistent offenders, with 80 arrests for drink driving, and 155 drug wipes carried out across Hampshire and the Thames Valley of which 79 were positive as part of the Christmas campaign.

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n LAYOUT DESIGN • Jon Heal

We hear that Steve Brine is going to hold an ‘Ask’ session with the management of South Western Railway at the end of the month.

The list of questions from our end is endless.

Most begin with “Why…” and absolutely none are positive.

OPERATION HOLLY: 150 ARRESTS IN JUST 16 DAYS

The festive campaign tackled those who drive under the influence of drink or drugs and saw officers carrying out targeted patrols and roadside checks.

Roads Safety Sergeant Rob Heard said they continued to enforce and target drink and drug drivers throughout the month of December: “Sadly, we have made more than 150 arrests for drink and drug driving.

“Our message is plain and simple, please don’t take the risk and drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“It impairs your driving ability and reactions, the consequences are devastating and your thoughtless actions ruin innocent lives.”

Richard Horsman portrait

by Chris Eastham

*****

ROAD policing officers also ran a drink and drug drive ‘morningafter’ operation on the north and southbound carriageway of the A34 near to Sutton Scotney.

More than 70 drivers were engaged with - three were arrested for drink and drug driving offences, and nine other motoring offences were dealt with during the four hour operation.

Temporary Sergeant Paul Blum said the main area of focus was around educating drivers about the risks of drink and drug driving: “It was a successful and effective operation, where we had varying motoring demographics.

“We conducted 26 breath tests, 2 of which were positive. We arrested one male driver of a goods vehicle for a positive drug wipe at the scene. We also dealt with one no insurance, three seatbelt offences, two mobile phone

It was a successful and effective operation offences, one ‘no VEL’ which meant the vehicle was seized, two vehicles issued with a prohibition notice, and one driver given a ticket for defective tyre cord.”

You can help tackle the issue by reporting to police anyone you know who is drink or drug driving by calling them on 101.

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January 2019 ➜ contined from page 1

Steve Erskine took up his role as chair of the Trust, which runs Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, at the beginning of January.

He succeeds Elizabeth Padmore after she came to the end of her nine-year term: “I

am looking forward to working alongside our chief executive, Alex Whitfield, the Board of Directors and the Council of Governors.

“Before I joined the Trust, I took the opportunity to meet as many members of staff and patients as I could. I heard from some very enthusiastic staff who want to provide the best care for our

Enthusiastic: Steve with the staff on the Nick Jonas Ward

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patients, whatever their role. I also heard patients and their families say how much they rated the care here. What I heard sounded like a good organisation has a strong and positive future.

winchestertoday.co.uk 3 “I also believe that this future is very closely linked to successful collaborations, both with other NHS organisations and external partners. It is my view that if we all share the same goal – the best possible patient care – then we can make things even better for patients by working closely together.”

Steve has extensive board-level

We can make things even better for patients by working closely together experience, built up over the past 19 years in both the public and private sector.

He has been an NHS Non-Executive Director since 2011, serving as vice-chair at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and chair of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, sitting on the Dorset Integrated Care System partnership board.

Steve’s business career began at Ordnance Survey, where he worked his way up the organisation to board level.

He also served as a director for a Home Office agency and L3 Communications, a large US technology company.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals, added her congratulations: “On behalf of everyone at the Trust, I’d like to offer Steve a very warm welcome. I’m looking forward to working with him and drawing on the experience he brings, both from other Trusts and the world of business.”

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January 2019

MAN WITH A

PLAN EVERY now and again here in Winchester Today, we bring you the background to people who can really make a difference. This month, meet Mike Evans from Winchester Water Softeners. He’s on a mission to rid your life of hard water - especially those who’ve moved here from a soft water area and who just can’t cope with the sudden change.

Winchester Water Softeners was created in 2005 by the respected Rod Adams, who had over forty years experience in the water industry. Rod retired in early 2018 and Mike took over the business. Mike worked for Rod and also Harvey Water Softeners based in Woking in Surrey, and has installed in excess of 1200 water softeners in the last five years alone.

Mike originally started as an engineer working for the Royal Navy many years ago and has travelled the world extensively. Returning to the UK full time in 2002, Mike stayed in the marine

Less scale and scum means fewer cleaning products are needed

industry until 2012 when he was offered an unbeatable deal by Harvey Water Softeners and was converted immediately as to what a water softener can do for you and your home.

Even though the company is called Winchester Water Softeners, he’s been installing water softeners all over Hampshire as well as Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire and West Sussex. He’s even travelled over to East Sussex too.

So, what are the benefits of soft water and how does it work? Well, that’s easy as the device just goes under your sink.

Mike says the first difference you will see is in your home. It will look ‘shiny’, with less limescale on kitchen and bathroom surfaces. There won’t be any residue left behind on glassware and crockery, and cleaning time around the home will be reduced.

On a personal level, how about glossier hair, especially if you want a lifetime solution to bad hair days? Softened water lathers better with products and hair will be softer, shinier and more manageable.

How about softer skin? More lather means you can use fewer abrasive products on skin. Simple soaps produce as much lather as bubble baths and there is no residue left on the skin.

You’ll also end up using fewer products. Less scale and scum means fewer cleaning products are needed, and softened water lathers better, so less of the personal product is needed there too.

You’ll also find your appliances will last longer. With no hard water running through your appliances there will be no scale which can fur up heating elements.

Appliances will become more efficient and last longer.

How about cheaper bills? Pipes descale over time, making your hot water system more efficient. Fewer products throughout the home will save you money and your appliances will last longer.

And - how about bigger bubble baths?

Less scum means more bubbles!

If you would like to talk to Mike about ridding your house of the scourge of hard water, there are a variety of ways: www.winchesterwatersofteners.net sales@winchesterwatersofteners.net 01962 458123 07881 272746

You’ll also find your appliances will last longer

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January 2019

WINCHESTER WINNER GETS EVEN BIGGER Detainment on shortlist for Oscar

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by Richard Horsman

Not easy being green

A short film which had its UK premiere at the Winchester Film Festival has been put on the shortlist for an Academy Award in the ‘Live Action Short Film’ section.

Detainment is now one of ten in its shortlisted category, and will go on to contest for a final Oscar nomination, with those nominations announced on 22nd January.

Director Vincent Lambe posted this reaction on his Instagram account: “Well, I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but DETAINMENT has just been short-listed for the OSCARS! At 11PM last night (around 3PM LA time), the Academy Awards announced a short-list of 10 films and ‘Detainment’ is one of them! I’m lost for words!”

The film won Best Foreign Short Film at the event in Winchester.

Vincent told the audience in Winchester after the screening that he saw it as a tragedy for three families: “While I have enormous sympathy for the family of James Bulger, I think it is also important to acknowledge the suffering of the families of the two boys who were responsible for the killing.

John Hayes is director of the Winchester Film Festival that premiered Detainment. At the time he told Winchester Today why he was prepared to go ahead and show the film when other festivals had not: “The film, without showing the graphic details, spares us none of the horror of the James Bulger story, but dares to humanise his killers.

“How British audiences react to this dramatisation will tell us whether we are ready to accept it is a tragedy for three families. What is certain is that this unflinching and controversial film will divide opinion and deserves to be seen.”

This unflinching and controversial film will divide opinion and deserves to be seen “Once you remove the anger towards the two 10-year-olds who committed this heinous crime, there are two more sets of grieving parents left behind trying to make sense of what their sons have been capable of doing.

“Detainment does not distract audiences from the horrifying crime. It depicts how these boys confessed to what they had done and the exceptional work carried out by the Merseyside police force.”

Speaking from his first-hand experience of the case, author David James Smith commented that if audiences were willing, they will find in the film the truth of the two boys and their inescapable smallness.

Nominated: Director Vincent Lambe (below) was lost for words

I want to be green. No, really, I do. I was an eco-pioneer in the 70s, buying recycled toilet paper when that made me the butt of so many jokes, unless the outpouring of derision was actually for the edgy tee shirt reading “The Only Safe Fast Breeder is a Rabbit”. Or the haircut.

But I draw the line at the government’s latest proposals for carrier bags.

The planned big shop’s not too bad. The problem is being spontaneous. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve got to the checkout at B&Q, say, before remembering that they won’t actually give me a bag, so I must juggle some batteries, a slippery packet of curtain hooks and three extortionately expensive LED light bulbs across a windy car park.

Even if you do remember a carrier there’s the whole etiquette/status thing to worry about. A Morrison’s bag for life in Waitrose is obviously a no-no.

I tried to trump the whole palaver by carrying a World Duty Free bag a mate who went on a work trip to Dubai once gave me; durable, yes, it’ll still be intact the day the parched remains of this troubled planet Earth finally spiral into the welcoming embrace of an ever-expanding sun, but as it’s only big enough to hold 200 fags or a bottle of scent costing the GDP of a former Soviet republic, it’s not really all that practical.

More to the point, the new 10p charge for all shops, including indies, will destroy the one thing these smaller niche outlets have going for them, and that’s fantastic service. If the lass in the crafty boutique must stand back and watch helplessly as I attempt to balance two scented candles and a milk frother in the crook of my arm to open the door, she’s lost her edge over Tesco.

There’s also something about the whole bag thing that feels a bit petty and theatrical. Just like an earlier recycling campaign in the second world war, in fact. Parks and high streets were denuded of railings in a patriotic campaign to build more Spitfires; piles of pans and kettles

There’s something about the whole bag thing that feels a bit petty and theatrical on every street corner. Very little, if any, of the scrap collected this way ever made its way into gleaming new warplanes but everyone felt a bit better about themselves for doing their bit. The urban and suburban street environment has never recovered its former elegance, but the ministers and civil servants responsible are long forgotten.

Let’s face it, if we’re serious about cleaning the blight of plastic from our oceans it’s not really about the occasional carrier from the corner shop – they can be made of brown paper, anyway.

We need instead to double down on the supermarkets that insist on wrapping swede and coconuts in plastic, when nature gave them perfectly good protective packaging at source, packaging we’re going to discard before we eat it. Tons and tons of pointless plastic that gets ignored whilst we fret about (or double the charge for) an occasional convenience for a forgetful punter.

The same big retail puts meat in black plastic trays recycling centres can’t process, just because it looks nice. Red, white or blue trays on the other hand are no problem. Perhaps we need a new appeal to patriotism. Or perhaps we need to tackle the big problem, not make a show of tinkering around the edges.

Standing up for good manners It finally happened. Out of the blue. No warning.

I was on a bus, and this bloke offered me his seat. Just a regular bus, and a regular bloke.

Not a tourist who didn’t know UK culture better, a Brownie cultivating a good deed badge or a public schoolboy demonstrating noblesse oblige.

I realised it was one of those generation shift moments. There have been others, of course.

I’d been teaching in University a couple of years when, for the first time, one of the effortlessly stylish and popular first years held a door open for me and smiled sweetly, instead of drifting by like a millionaire, walkin’ on imported air ... leaving it to swing shut.

OK, I wasn’t yet ‘dad’ material, but no way was I even remotely a player in that game anymore.

I’ve generally dealt well with the ‘0’ years so

Twenty was eagerly anticipated. Thirty was more an effortless gear shift; more of the same, but with better traction

far. Twenty was eagerly anticipated. Thirty was more an effortless gear shift; more of the same, but with better traction. Forty slipped by almost unnoticed amid family responsibilities and fifty was met with a sigh of regret and a trip to see the Taj Mahal before the prospect of such an adventure felt too daunting. This year it’s sixty and how the heck did that happen?

There are more etiquette questions to be answered. Does one ask for a discount? I’ve been getting the quizzical looks at the admission desk for a bit … “Is that two full price?” ... but it’s a minefield. Free eye checks and prescriptions yes, bus pass no. I can claim a works pension in a few months, but no state pension for another seven years.

Seniority, it seems, is a relative concept.

Different places, different rules and seldom spelt out beyond the euphemisms of “senior citizens” or worse, “concessions”. “Condescensions” could perhaps be a better moniker.

The students used to run an icebreaker club night in Freshers’ week. They called it a traffic light party, so no-one felt under any pressure to hook up. Everyone got three little button badges. Red meant back off, I’m not interested in that kind of relationship, yellow was a definite maybe whilst green meant open to offers.

Maybe we need something similar for the buses, trams and tubes.

A red badge for those who feel capable of coping in rush hour a bit longer. Yellow for when one’s wilting round the edges and green for those occasions when, after four or five hours of gallery gazing or festive shopping, the prospect of a seat for a few minutes would be most welcome.

Surely there’s an app for that?

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January 2019

Squirt and Squidge

The Human Touch - and loving those hugs Freya Storey continues to share her life as a mum-of-two NO! I don’t want to chat live to someone I can’t see and I don’t know where they are. I want to at least speak to someone and listen to the tone of their voice and know whether what they’re saying is genuine or insincere.

My latest battle involved trying to leave my old phone contract due to having a window of time to ‘shop around’ and realise I was being ripped off.

I get it that big companies like to make life difficult for us now, so that we succumb to their bullish ways - not having enough time to jump through all the hoops and ties they put on us becoming their ‘customers.’ But I stood my ground and DID speak to a man, and in fact he was really nice and things were sorted swiftly and humanly.

Recently, I’ve been quite surprised at how local schools are beginning to communicate - I am often spammed with emails about ‘dress up days’ and fundraising events, as well as a weekly ‘things to remember’ list. Of course this seems highly efficient and useful, but I can’t help feeling that it’s also a little sad that we don’t get that letter we have to rummage through the book bag to find, or that the teacher hasn’t written a note outside the classroom about the next thing coming up.

It feels to me that we are losing that personal touch!

It feels to me that we are losing that personal touch! I guess it also feels like, whether we like it or not, things appear to be drifting further out of our control, we are lacking a sense of choice and instead being bombarded with information.

It’s been happening with big companies for a while now, at first you had a choice as to whether you wanted to receive things paper free or you also wanted the concrete evidence on your door mat. But now it seems like via text or email are the norm - quite a frightening proposition for someone who may not be au fait with either (and yes they do still exist!)

Far bigger than that though and the point I raise writing this blog, is the lack of human contact - that’s the thing that doesn’t feel right, that’s the thing that lies at the core of our society ... the thing I really hope that remains protected and precious.

Coming to the end of one of my favourite festive periods - Christmas, I found myself feeling tired yet rejuvenated. I had a wonderful week slowing down and looking at my phone less. I haven’t cared about what other people are doing, I haven’t felt the need to keep up with emails or the demands other people may be trying to place on me, I have simply been looking at trying to appreciate and show my appreciation to those people right there in front of me - they are my humanity ... they are ultimately what is real and what is important.

I enter 2019 with a full heart, I aim to keep true to my ideals and I hope to gain and not lose authenticity to my roots.

YOU CAN READ PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF FREYA’S BLOG AT SQUIRTANDSQUIDGE.COM

Since 2005 Winchester Water Softeners have been on a mission to rid your life of hard water and have installed over 1200 water softeners in the last five years alone.

What are the benefitS of Soft Water? n Shiny kitchen and bathroom surfaces. n No residue left behind on glassware and crockery, and cleaning time around the home will be reduced n Glossier hair and softer skin n Less scale and scum means fewer cleaning products are needed n Appliances last longer n Cheaper bills - hot water systems are more efficient. Fewer products throughout the home will save you money and your appliances will last longer.

STORAGE made easy

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For more information about ridding your house of hard water, contact Mike:

www.winchesterwatersofteners.net sales@winchesterwatersofteners.net 01962 458123 • 07881 272746

01962 771993 www.barn-store.co.uk

Holden Farm Cheriton SO24 0NX

K ings’ School

Winchester

BULLETIN

SCHOOL REPORT AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR VISITS KINGS’

Pupil journalists report on the world around them in new school magazine

TO publish one book may be considered quite an achievement.

But to publish one hundred is simply exceptional, and that’s what Alan Durant has done. The award-winning author of diverse books for children and young people has just published his one hundredth book and it is being warmly received and acclaimed by adults and children alike.

Kings’ School was delighted to be included in Alan Durant’s tour to promote Clownfish, a book which deals with the difficult subject of bereavement, with humour and sensitivity. A number of year 7 pupils had the privilege of attending a

Visiting authors foster a love of reading in our youngsters

All smiles for the Christmas Jumper Day which raised money for local charities

presentation by Alan in the school library, where he spoke about his career as an author and read aloud from Clownfish.

Visiting authors play an important role in fostering a love of reading in our youngsters. It is always special to hear an author’s words spoken aloud by the very person who created them. It is also important for the children to see that authors are ordinary people just like them – albeit with extraordinary skills – and that the “job” of writing is challenging but rewarding.

At Kings’ we are always happy to welcome authors to share their creative talents with our pupils.

INTREPID Year 10 reporters from Kings’ School have been taking part in journalism skills in the school’s newest initiative to expose pupils to potential careers: The Kings’ Scribe, a magazine written by students, for students.

With the kind support and sponsorship of The University of Winchester, our novice correspondents have penned, produced and promoted their magazine, from which they have donated all profits to Winchester Churches’ Night Shelter. Issues covered range from school news to political debates, international sporting events to humorous satire. For instance, Isaac Ling has amalgamated both of the latter, with his ‘Dummies Guide to Wimbledon’ and the like. By taking part in the process, pupils have worked hard, met deadlines like real writers and uncovered interesting, little known stories about the local area (a highlight is always Ren Foley’s ‘Blind Spot’ column, discussing topics such as Winchester Prison reforms and homelessness in the city). The pupils have shown the utmost self-discipline and maturity in their work; their writing is always outstanding – well beyond the expected standard

of their fourteen years – and they have collaborated well to proof read and edit each other’s work. If you would like a copy, or just to find out more about how your child could become involved, please contact Milly Gifford in the English Department.

ON SONG AT CHRISTMAS THE Music Department held its annual Carol Service in Winchester Cathedral on Tuesday 11th December, with a mix of traditional choral and instrumental carols, readings, poems and prayers. The school have a number of pupil choirs who all performed in harmony, ranging from the year 7 choir to the Girls’ Octet and Boys’ Octet, both independently run by the pupils themselves. There were solos from

Clarice Webster and Ronan Drury. The service also featured a 100-strong adult choir, made up of staff, parents and ex-pupils, who performed Lauridsen’s Magnum Mysterium. The orchestra performed a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Trepak” and all the choirs came together – around 200 people - to perform Cleobury’s arrangement of “Love Came Down At Christmas”. Well done to all of you!

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BADDIEL AMBASSADOR FOR AUSTEN JANE Austen’s House Museum in Chawton say they’re delighted that award-winning comedian, author, screenwriter, director and television presenter David Baddiel will be their Ambassador for the Museum’s 70th anniversary year in 2019. Baddiel is a long-standing admirer of Jane Austen’s style and wit and has previously stated that Austen ‘single-handedly’ created the modern English novel: “Jane Austen, often depicted as just a sparky spinster, is in fact one of the greatest geniuses in English literature, the mother of the modern novel.

“The reason her work is still read and filmed today is that she created a type of storytelling that was at once eternal and centuries ahead of its time.

“I’m proud - as a much lesser storyteller - to be the ambassador for Jane Austen’s House Museum in 2019.

Also it’ll really upset Giles Coren.”

2019 will see Jane Austen’s House Museum celebrate the 70th anniversary of the House opening to the public. The Museum’s philanthropic founder, Mr T Edward Carpenter, purchased Jane Austen’s House following an appeal from the Jane Austen Society in The Times, and opened the House as a Museum on 23rd July 1949, dedicating the adored site

January 2019

Democracy In Action

Jane Austen is the mother of the modern novel to the life and works of Jane Austen. The Museum is the only house where Jane Austen lived and wrote that is open to the public.

During this anniversary the Museum will be celebrating the many thousands of visitors who have journeyed to Jane’s home, exploring cherished memories and stories of the House, and admiring the work and commitment of those who have helped to support the most treasured Austen site in the world.

On 23rd July, the Museum’s official 1949 opening date, the first 70 visitors will be able to purchase admission at the original 1949 ticket price of 1/6d (equivalent to £2.34 today!)

STEVE Brine has announced that the next draw for a pair of tickets for PMQs will be for the session on Wednesday 13th March.

In line with all MPs, Steve receives around three confirmed pairs of tickets each calendar year. To ensure absolute fairness, he holds a ballot up to two weeks before each date from all received entries, and the draw will be made on 27th Feb 2019. If you wish to stay in the ballot perpetually for future draws, do let him know.

To enter, email steve.brine.mp@ parliament.uk or call 01962 791110.

January 2019

reviews

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A PERFECT HOME FROM HOME FOR CHRISTMAS THE WHITE HART, STOCKBRIDGE 24-25 December 2018 Accommodation: ★★★★★ Food: ★★★★★ Hospitality: ★★★★★

THE mission was plain and simple, delivered to me by my wife. Find somewhere for Christmas Eve that’s not too far from Winchester, and make it a surprise! Well, that request that pretty easy to fulfill. We both love Stockbridge, but had never stayed there overnight. So, a night at the White Hart was duly organised.

Right from the off it was clear that the staff had thought of everything for Christmas. There were crackers in the room, a box of chocolate brownies, more chocolates, proper glass bottles of water, proper tea in proper cups, and bottles of beer and wine.

Our room was on the ground floor of the converted 15th Century stable block at the back of the property - and it’s obvious that a lot of thought has been put into the conversion. The room was stunning. A beautiful big bed, stripped floorboards, a rustic feel but with modern things like a big telly, wi-fi, en-

The staff had thought of everything for Christmas suite bathroom and fantastic shower.

Breakfast on Christmas morning in a specially allocated room was just perfect.

Eggs anyhow you like (and perfectly cooked) - we had salmon and scrambled - endless refills of coffee, toast, fruit, juice, warm croissants… oh boy!

Most of all, it was obvious that the staff enjoy working there… even on Christmas morning, nothing was too difficult.

The White Hart averages 9 on Booking.com - which is quite rare.

Looking back at other reviews, one man who stayed there around the same time we did said “well there must be something negative, surely… but there isn’t.” And he’s right.

Prices start from £79 on Booking.com - you won’t be disappointed.

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previews

January 2019

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF YORKE DANCE PROJECT COMES TO WINCHESTER TWENTY is a programme of three new works and the first ever restaging of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Playground with guest artist Oxana Panchenko.

Yolande Yorke-Edgell’s contemporary ballet company Yorke Dance Project is coming to Theatre Royal Winchester on 12 February to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Yorke-Edgell first set up her company in Los Angeles in 1999, relaunching it when she returned to London in 2009. Since then, the company has become known for presenting dance by past masters and emerging artists from both the UK and the USA. TWENTY, the company’s anniversary programme, features new works by Robert Cohan CBE, LA-based choreographer Sophia Stoller and Yorke-Edgell herself alongside the first restaging of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Playground since its Edinburgh Festival premiere in 1979. Two of the original performers - Susie Crow and Stephen Wicks are working on the recreation – and Sir Kenneth’s daughter Charlotte is reimagining the original set and costume designs.

MacMillan began work on Playground with the Orpheus myth in mind. In rehearsal the Orpheus character mutated into an intruder at a psychiatric hospital as MacMillan explored the blurred lines between madness and sanity. The playground becomes more like a prison with its four inmates acting out fantasies of childhood, sometimes multiplied over and over again, like a hall of mirrors.

Years after the work’s creation, MacMillan acknowledged that Playground drew on his own memories of his mother and her proneness to epilepsy.

As legendary contemporary choreographer Robert Cohan approaches his 94th birthday in March 2019, he is creating his sixth work for Yorke Dance Project. The work for nine dancers is his first for a large ensemble for 20 years.

Four performers play out the complex dynamics of a relationship Mythic and life-enhancing, Communion is set to music by Nils Frahm and designed

by Cohan’s former London Contemporary Dance Theatre collaborator, John B Read.

Between and Within is a new work by emerging LA-based choreographer Sophia Stoller with original music by Long Beach-based composer Justin Scheid. The dance becomes a duet of

duets as four performers play out the complex dynamics of a relationship between two people. Two of them face off, journeying from resentment and anger to resolution and acceptance. Two of them play out the characters’ inner dialogues and internal conflicts.

Yolande Yorke-Edgell’s latest work Imprint pays tribute to the three choreographers who have been most important and influential throughout her career as a dancer: Richard Alston, for whom she danced at both Rambert and his own company, Bella Lewitzky, whose LA company she joined in 1994, and Robert Cohan with whom she has worked so closely over the past few years.

In Winchester, guest artist Oxana Panchenko, who has danced with English National Ballet, Ballet Boyz and Michael Clark Company amongst others, will be joining the company on stage for Playground and Communion.

Theatre Royal, 12 February at 7.30 01962 840440

Welcome return of BBC favourites BBC Drama is set to bring audiences even more top British drama in 2019, and has already seen Idris Elba making his long-awaited return in the award-winning Luther. BBC One fan favourites Call The Midwife and Silent Witness are also back.

Hotly anticipated Line of Duty returns with Stephen Graham as the new guest lead and Peaky Blinders makes its move to BBC One. Dublin Murders will introduce Killian Scott and Sarah Greene as detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, the characters drawn from

Bodyguard became the most requested ever programme on BBC iPlayer

Dynamic: Emma Thompson stars in political drama Years & Years

Tana French’s bestselling Dublin Murder Squad novels.

Emma Thompson leads a dynamic cast for new drama Years & Years, a unique and ambitious drama charting one family surviving the future.

Richard Gere will star alongside Helen McCrory and Billy Howle in political and psychological thriller, MotherFatherSon. As much a family saga as it is savage, it is an unflinching study of power, and how even the mightiest of empires can be in peril when a family turns on each other.

It follows a standout year in 2018 for BBC Drama, which saw original drama Bodyguard smash records to become the most requested ever programme on BBC iPlayer, whilst A Very English Scandal was also a global hit, with both shows garnering multiple Golden Globe nominations; Informer and The Long Song introduced brand new leading stars of tomorrow Nabhaan Rizwan and Tamara Lawrence; Mrs Wilson became the highest rating Tuesday night drama of 2018; Doctor Who introduced Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor with record ratings; EastEnders shined a spotlight on the topical issue of knife crime while Casualty tackled the subject of rape and Holby City raised awareness of male mental health.

January 2019

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A REASON TO LIVE, AND A REASON TO LOVE! of actors in a performance that will leave them and the audience gasping for breath.

Director Helena Gomm says that one of the most exciting things about putting on a play of this scope with a very small cast is the challenge of including all the characters (there are nearly 50 of them), having them convincingly engaged in film noir murders, shootings, train chases and biplane crashes, and getting them to hang from bridges, escape from trilbied thugs in fast cars, make their way across sheep-infested foggy moors and dodge villains with their little fingers missing.

Helena says that she is grateful to her highly talented cast for entering into the spirit of the play from the very beginning and fully realising its potential for hilarity.

However, she is at pains to point out that although The 39 Steps is a fastpaced comedy, it is also a love story about two people who finally discover that there is a reason to live and a reason to love – and also a reason to look after each other and fight for a world of decency, fairness and tolerance. That, surely, is a message that is as true today as it was in 1915.

There will be four performances from January 23rd to January 26th at 7.30 in West Meon Village Hall. Tickets are available via the West Meon Theatre website: www.westmeontheatre.co.uk.

THE 39 STEPS West Meon Village Hall

IT’S all murder and mayhem in West Meon Village Hall as the cast of The 39 Steps rehearse West Meon Theatre’s next production.

The hilarious theatre version of The 39 Steps is loosely based on the popular 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film – itself even more loosely based on John Buchan’s much-loved novel, published a year after the outbreak of the First World War, and which became, in many ways, the blueprint for modern spy stories and thrillers. The play follows the incredible adventures of handsome hero Richard Hannay, who picks up a glamorous and mysterious woman at a music hall, only to find her dead in his flat the following morning.

Accused of her murder, he flees to Scotland, encountering a host of colourful characters: underwear salesmen, mad-eyed hotel owners, grumpy crofters, policemen and, of course, a beautiful heroine, as he tries to track down the leader of an evil spy network and prevent important military secrets being taken out of the country.

All this is portrayed by just a handful

Helena says that she is grateful to her highly talented cast for entering into the spirit of the play

Above: Richard Hannay (Charlie Hellard) and Pamela (Becky James) are driven across the Highlands by two men claiming to be policemen (Stuart Forsyth and David Cradduck)

Glynn Williams and David Cradduck as two heavies (above), lurking menacingly under a lamp post outside Hannay’s flat

Richard Hannay (Charlie Hellard) is forced to give an impromptu speech at a political rally Images: Craig Robertson

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January 2019

SUPER START FOR SUPER 1s SINCE our last edition, young Winchester cricketers with disabilities have taken part in a tournament at the Ageas Bowl to be crowned Hampshire’s Super 1s champions. Five hubs from across the county - Southampton, Fawley, Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Winchester, played against each other in a series of matches where a combined Portsmouth and Winchester side came out as winners.

The players involved all have a disability whether that be a specific learning difficulty, hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability or autism. The Super 1s programme is fully funded by the Lord’s Taverners and gives young people with disabilities aged 12-25 the chance to play cricket regularly.

Sessions in Hampshire are run on a weekly basis to give participants the chance to compete against peers and enjoy the benefits of sport and an active lifestyle.

Competitions like the one in December are a key element of the Super 1s programme. They provide participants with the opportunity to compete and this gives them a real sense of achievement. Across Hampshire young people will play for the opportunity to progress to the regional and then national finals in 2019.

Super 1s benefits youngsters in all aspects of their life; it has been proved that engaging in regular sport helps young people develop personal skills, including confidence, leadership, and independence.

The Disability Development Officer for Super 1s in Hampshire is Andrew Woods: “The competition was a great opportunity for young players across the

Super 1s benefits youngsters in all aspects of their life

county to showcase their skills.

“The level of competition was very high and the eventual winner, a combined team of Portsmouth and Winchester, were really challenged by the other hubs.”

Ben Thompson is Cricket Development Director: “The Hampshire Cricket Board is really excited about the new partnership with the Lord’s Taverners.

“The Super 1s programme will enable us to extend the reach of our disability programme further than ever before, enabling more people with a disability in Hampshire to get involved in sport and be physically active.”

If you would like to find out more about the Super 1s programme, please contact Andrew Woods on Andrew.

Woods@ageasbowl.com

Benefits: Being given the chance to compete gives participants a real sense of achievement

We do two things on our internet radio station...

1: talk about Winchester 2: play fantastic music

FIND US ON THE TUNEIN APP!

January 2019

arts

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HITTING THE SPIT SPOT! Chris Book gives 4 stars to the Mary Poppins sequel

VINYL

Emily Blunt is an absolute treat, bringing her own slant to the character

MARY POPPINS RETURNS Dir. Rob Marshall

★★★★✩ WITH a mascara warning from the start, this film is set 25 years on from the first with recently widowed Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) still living in the same house at Cherry Tree Gardens with his three young children and housekeeper Ellen (the ever brilliant Julie Walters) and visited regularly by younger sister Jane (Emily Mortimer).

The Banks family have fallen on hard times with the bank and with a repossession order slapped on the house, help is urgently needed. This is on hand with local lamp lighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and former family Nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt).

Emily Blunt is an absolute treat, never trying to copy Julie Andrews in any way and bringing her own slant to the character. She looks fabulous and the scene where she first arrives as a tiny speck in the sky certainly brought a tear to my eye and probably a few more of the audience. She quickly exerts her gentle authority with the children taking them on fantasy rides via the plug

hole at bath time and into the scenes depicted on a porcelain bowl that had pride of place in the children’s bedroom.

The CGI as you can imagine by Disney is brilliant especially in the way they used the cartoon styles and quirks of the original film.

The choreography is excellent, with the Lamplighters dance scene as good as the chimney sweeps scene in the original.

Homage is also paid very subtlety to the 1964 film with snippets of that soundtrack interspersed with the new score and Admiral Boom still causing Naval chaos next door. Dick Van Dyke and Karen Dotrice also appear which I think is a nice touch.

Will the film still be a classic in fifty years time? Who knows… only time will tell. In the meantime, go and see it with all your family and friends, it is a true delight.

New Year’s Resolution with a difference Ward Thomas Twins ban social media on Sundays to be more creative RISING UK stars Ward Thomas (24 year old twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy), begin 2019 by setting themselves and their fans the New Year’s Resolution challenge of taking time away from social media every Sunday.

The girls who have been outspoken on the subject of mental health and social media, which is a topic they also tackled on their upcoming album Restless Minds set the task to remove themselves from the addiction of scrolling to help with their peace of mind and creative process, whilst encouraging others to do the same.

“After experiencing our own levels of anxiety through our constant use of social media and the addiction to scrolling, we drew on these feelings in some of our new songs and consequently feel that it is important to practice what we preach”.

We feel that it is important to practice what we preach

ESSENTIAL

Catherine explained more about the idea behind #NoScrollSunday “Sometimes we have felt time just slips by as we are mindlessly scrolling, when instead we could have picked up our guitar, we could have gone for a

walk, we could have sat in that moment and come up with a song idea.”

You can hear Restless Minds in February, and see them at the O2 Guildhall in Southampton on Tuesday 2 April.

T.REX

ELECTRIC WARRIOR Released: 24 September 1971 Fly Records There are three ‘album moments’ I remember from school. The first was Frampton Comes Alive on endless repeat on our very expensive record player during the sixth form morning coffee breaks. Another was when someone brought in Aladdin Sane. But the first was Electric Warrior. It was late 1971, my first year at senior school (Beechen Cliff in Bath, Form 1B) - and someone had brought it in to share around. Yes, we shared albums back in those days.

Physical albums on vinyl that you could hold. You can’t exactly share around downloads, can you?

There he was. Right there was Marc Bolan in gold on black.

WHAT an image. The album went on to become the best selling album of 1971, got five star ratings across the board, and was essentially credited as the first glam rock album. No wonder. Get It On and Jeepster were huge, as were the pics inside of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn.

The album saw a terrific resurgence in the film Billy Elliot:“wow, is that Cosmic Dancer I can hear?” were my first thoughts as I watched the film.

Bang up-to-date and I went down to HMV in Winchester on the day I heard the chain was in trouble. “We’ve got lots of vinyl in the sale”, said the assistant.

Wouldn’t you believe it, there was Electric Warrior. On vinyl. In the sale. I snapped it up because I realised that I had never ever actually owned a copy. I was a ‘singles’ boy throughout the 70s.

Right at that moment, 47 years on, I felt that something had just become complete.

Kevin Gover

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news

January 2019

January 2019

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CAN ‘BEAST’ BE PANTO? OH YES IT CAN! BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Theatre Royal Winchester

by David Cradduck IT’S panto night at Theatre Royal Winchester and despite the dark, gloomy, rainy conditions outside, all is buzzing and very much aglow with excitement and multi-coloured wands inside Winchester’s Edwardian-style, 400-seat theatre.

If there’s one thing Winchester likes it’s Christmas and it seems they can never get those festive lights turned on soon enough each year. But we all know it’s getting into the seasonal mood ‘proper’ when panto comes to town!

2018 marks no less than James Barry’s 14th Christmas production at Theatre Royal Winchester – he has, as both writer and director, a wonderful knack of taking a good show and making it a traditional cracker. Last year’s Peter Pan was a sellout and if audience reaction is anything to go by, Beauty and The Beast is likely to follow suit over its month-long run.

My first thought when I saw this year’s choice of panto at TRW was that there have been several productions of the same title locally this year. Indeed another local theatre has also chosen it for its Christmas production. My second thought was what a strange piece to turn into a panto.

But my immediate answers to these thoughts were “so what?” and “why?” respectively. It is because it is a panto and has Barry’s indelible signature on it that it marks it out as different; and if ever there were pantomime plot and characters galore in a story it’s this one: Beauty is eminently suitable as a festive panto and the proof is plain to see on the stage tonight.

There is a familiar line-up in the cast: Eleanor Bennett, last year’s Wendy, returns as petite Belle; the infamous pantomime dame Julian Eardley is back as Dotty, the Beast’s unlikely housekeeper, sporting those amazing eyebrows and dodgy pink frocks.

Ed Thorpe completes the list of regulars as Wally, cheeky son of Dotty.

He played Smee in Peter Pan and was 1 of 5 nominees for a national award for

Ed Thorpe steals the show once again with quick one-liners

Costumes, sets and lighting are classy and visually slick his panto and character roles… which is fantastic as Peter Pan was his first panto!

Ed steals the show once again with quick one-liners, natural warmth and affinity with the audience, plus an amazing rapport with his stage ‘mum’.

Joining them are Nathan Turner as Prince Vincent/Beast, Tim Faulkner as Belle’s father, Sarah Annakin playing the evil witch Malevolent (very much living up to her name) and Kristopher Milnes in the role of Bouffon, a Presley-esque suitor to Belle, sporting a suitably French accent to match his outrageous wig. He engages with the audience to perfection with the character’s preening self-admiration and his comic timing is spot on.

Completing the line-up of principals is Fairy Fifi, played by Alice Bonifacio, who can not only wave her magic wand but who is also a dab hand at the violin, often heard (and sometimes seen) like the Fiddler on the Roof, accompanying the singers and the band, led by Tom Attwood.

Like the previous ten Christmas shows, the upbeat music is provided by Olivier-nominated composer and actor Simon Slater. You won’t hear many of the more familiar Beauty and the Beast melodies in this version but the tunes will certainly have your foot tapping.

The ‘pros’ are more than ably supported by a talented team of local young performers, who are not just chorus or colourful background – they really do integrate in every way through voice, dance and acting, with assistance from choreographer Sam Taylor-Martin.

The tango sequence is superb.

Colourful costumes, sets and lighting are classy and visually slick. In true tradition, complex scene changes, and there are several, are conducted in near silence behind beautifully painted backdrops and the use of patterned gauze and lighting to create moody background scenes is impressive.

For those of you who managed to miss multiple incarnations from the original 18th century fairy story La Belle et la Bête to Disney’s lavish film and stage versions, the plot is relatively simple: a vain and handsome prince rejects the advances of a wicked witch who wreaks revenge by turning him into a hideous beast. Only one thing can save him: someone must fall in love with him before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.

James Barry’s version sticks faithfully to the essence of the storyline but replaces characters like the candlestick, clock , teapot/cup and wardrobe with Dame Dotty, cheeky chappy Wally, a pink fairy and the occasional appearance of Gigi, the pantomime horse. It works!

I guarantee you would have to be a real old grump not to enjoy this delightful Christmas show, one of the best I’ve seen at this theatre and one that will appeal to any age group – this is definitely a family show. Yes, there are one or two adult gags, but nothing you will be embarrassed about when telling your granny. This is what real, family panto is about. Oh, yes it is!

This first appeared on our website in a slightly longer version.

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the final word

STORED AWAY, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Back on Thursday 21st November, 2019 Brought to you with the proud help of

January 2019