Winchester Today - May 2013

Cheriton - Romsey - Littleton - Alresford - Chandler’s Ford

… and not forgetting

, and everywhere in between!

May 2013

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UKIP No Clowns

With 10 Seats Gained In Hampshire Elections - Ken Thornber Steps Down UKIP put aside a week of negative headlines when they had been accused of being a party of clowns and racists, by gaining 10 seats in the 2 May local elections at Hampshire County Council from nowhere.

The party effectively helped reduce the Conservatives’ grip on the local authority.

Ken Thornber announced on the Friday morning after the election that he was resigning as leader after 14 years in the post, despite retaining his seat in Brockenhurst as leader of Hampshire County Council.

Just four days before the election, Ken Clarke had upped the Tory attacks on UKIP, branding them “a collection of clowns”. He said that UKIP had no positive policies and just existed to be against foreigners.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage had hit back at the time, saying he wanted to build on success in Eastleigh and accusing Mr Clarke of holding millions of British people in contempt.

The Tories’ number of seats in Hampshire was reduced from 51 to 45 while the Liberal Democrats also saw their numbers fall from 24 to 17.

Labour increased the number of councillors from one to four. The Green Party lost the only seat it had on the council.

Independents gained the remaining 2 of the 78 seats available.

The 10 UKIP wins came in Totton North, Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, Andover North, Andover South, Farnborough West, South Waterside (New Forest), Fareham Continues on Page 2

A Royal

Welcome!

There were hundreds upon hundreds of smiles to greet the Duchess of Cambridge as she spent her second wedding anniversary on a special visit to Naomi House and jacksplace. Here, Kate is welcomed to Naomi House with a bouquet of flowers presented by 8-year-old Sally Evans from Salisbury. More in our Royal Visit special on the back page.

Picture: AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Walk away from Hat Fair? Not a chance! cancer patient facilities

Story on Page 3 Winchester Today - Your local FREE newsaper - out every month.

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WINCHESTER TODAY MAY 2013

Welcome Hampshire Elections

Continued from front page Crofton, Bedhampton and Leigh Park, Eastleigh West, and Eastleigh East.

Letter from the editor As an Editor, all I ask for in life are good stories, great pictures and an enthusiasm for life within those stories. Imagine then, between issues, discovering that one of the most-loved and photogenic people in the world would be in town!

Yes, I’m a Royalist. I’m proud of what they do for our country. Well, most of them! We don’t get many Royal Visits here in Winchester, and it was a joy to see the Duchess of Cambridge who paid us a visit recently to Naomi House and jacksplace. This is the charity that Winchester Today is proud to support.

The sun shone through her radiant smile. She loves children, that is abundantly clear. What was also a joy to see was the hundreds of children smiling back at her. They, in turn, love Kate. *** Last year we cried tears of frustration as we tried to get out the First Edition of Winchester Today through torrential rain. A few days later, there were equal amounts of frustration as it hammered down at Hat Fair.

Imagine my delight at bumping

Your Winchester Today Thanks to all these wonderful people who have agreed to stock copies of Winchester Today for their customers: Halfords in Weeke Flower Pots Inn, Cheriton The Co-op, Alresford County News, Alresford Plaza Theatre, Romsey Cheriton Stores and Post Office Keats, Alresford Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line) Tichborne Arms Steve Brine’s Office, Stockbridge Road Dever Stores, Sutton Scotney Three Cups Inn, Stockbridge Marwell Hotel

WinchesterToday est.2012 Editor-in-Chief: Kevin Gover kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk

into the Artistic Director Kate Hazel in town and being asked by her to go along to the Theatre Royal to talk about this year - and discovering how it will be bigger and better!

If only everyone in the world had the same amount of enthusiasm for life as she does. *** We’re often asked to do things to help out in the community, and hopefully over the next few years we will be able to do even more.

As for big projects, I am delighted to be able to announce our commitment to what has now become the Winchester Short Film Festival. Winchester Today is now a main sponsor for this event in November, and we look forward to bringing you more details on this over the coming months.

The showing was also fairly strong across the Winchester District area.

UKIP came 2nd in the Meon Valley, pushing the Lib Dems into third place. The party also picked up over 1 thousand votes in Bishop’s Waltham which was gained by the Conservatives.

Winchester Eastgate was also a successful hunting ground for the Conservatives, taking the seat from the Lib Dems by just seven votes.

The Liberal Democrats' Martin Tod told Winchester Today about his experience of the Election: "It was a bittersweet night. We did better than some pundits had suggested and I was very pleased with the result in my own area and in Winchester Downlands and Itchen Valley. But the loss of Winchester Eastgate by only 7 votes was a bitter blow and

Film Festival

John and Estelle from the Art Café gearing up for the Winchester Short

I'm sad to have lost many colleagues in the vote".

Ken Thornber told Winchester Today that he always knew what he had planned: "A year ago, there was a challenge to me on the basis of age.

I beat it off by 2 votes and decided I would lead the group into the elections and not beyond, whatever the result. This was the 4th county election that I led the group into and won. I'm proud to hold onto my own seat, and angry about the protest votes, because I feel David Cameron's messages are being diluted because of the coalition."

He told Winchester Today that he's very proud of what he has achieved: "I know that we have been able to take council tax down yet for performance to remain top. I'm also proud that we have made provision in the current budget for 1,000 apprenticeships, with guaranteed jobs at the end, at the rate of 200 a year over 5 years. I'm proud too of being able to turn around the lives of so many damaged young people".

Film Festival which is being held at the venue in November. The Festival is proudly supported by Winchester Today.

In the meantime, make sure you download the details and entry form from theartcafe.co - and get filming!

Apologies for the short issue this time round, due partly to most of the staff going down sick! Back to normal in June!

Paul Hellard & Co, Alresford Alresford Group Surgery IVC (Itchen Valley Cars), Alresford The Sandwich Shop, Alresford The Winchester Book Shop Nanoo of Stockbridge Road The Naked Grape, Alresford The Station Mill, Alresford Laurel House, Alresford Perins School, Alresford The Horse and Groom, Alresford The Running Horse, Alresford The Cricketers Inn, Alresford The Alresford Cobbler The Courtyard Tearoom, A’ford Alresford Dental Practice Long Barn Shop and Café, Alresford

News Theft A callous thief has taken advantage of a 92-year old in Winchester - by not only stealing a purse but by then conning them out of their PIN number.

The incident occurred at some time between 9am and 3.20pm on Wednesday, April 24 at an address on Dean Lane in Winchester.

The offender/s entered the address and took the 92-year-old victim’s purse. The offenders then

Pictured: Maggie Philbin from ‘Bang Goes The Theory’ at the RHCH in Winchester.

Staff at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester found an entirely new audience thanks to BBC1 in March.

The popular ‘Bang Goes The Theory’ programme filmed Consultant Microbiologist Dr Matthew Dryden, carrying out specialist blood tests on a patient who was suspected of needing antibiotics.

The test uses a biomarker called procalcitonin to diagnose bacterial infection and the need for drug treatment.

The programme focused on the need to find new drugs to combat infections and coincides with the statement from Professor Dame Sally Davies, the government’s chief medical officer for England, about the danger posed by growing resistance to antibiotics. She says it should be ranked along with terrorism on a list of threats to the nation, describing it as a “ticking time bomb”.

Presenter Maggie Philbin followed Dr Dryden as he carried out his rounds and then later in the labs as the blood tests were performed.

She also spoke to a group of nurses about the new and strange places scientists are looking to find new antibiotics.

At around 3.20pm that day, the offender/s used the Lloyds TSB cash point in Bishops Waltham to take cash from the victim’s account .

or heard anything suspicous in the area. Did you see a vehicle parked on Dean Lane, or did you see anyone unknown walking in the area? I am also appealing to anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspicously in Bishops Waltham at around 3.20pm on the day of the offence.”

PC Graham Wren, is urging the local community to act: “I am appealing to anyone in Dean Lane and the surrounding areas to come forward and speak to us if they saw

Anyone with information should contact PC Wren at North Walls police station on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

phoned the victim and managed to impersonate someone from her bank to obtain her PIN.

news@winchestertoday.co.uk

News & Features Correspondents: William Brougham william.brougham@winchestertoday.co.uk Deputy Editor: Annabel Radcliffe William Brougham william.brougham@winchestertoday.co.uk annabel.radcliffe@winchestertoday.co.uk Dina Burgess dina.burgess@winchestertoday.co.uk Designers: Jamie Ludlam - Layout Editor jamie.ludlam@winchestertoday.co.uk Sales and Advertising: Katie Chappell - Ad Design Assistant sales@winchestertoday.co.uk katie.chappell@winchestertoday.co.uk Accounts: Music Editor: Dilyara Gover Rebecca Rayner accounts@winchestertoday.co.uk rebecca.rayner@winchestertoday.co.uk

Media Bang goes the Theory in Winchester

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MAY 2013 WINCHESTER TODAY

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Hat Fair - We’re Back! Bigger and Better!

Kevin Gover meets the Festival’s Artistic Director, who spent most of last summer’s event underneath a brolly.

Cast your mind back to July last year... Winchester Today launched on the Monday before the Hat Fair festival, and we should have seen then what was to come. As we delivered our newspapers it just kept on raining. It just didn’t stop.

While other major summer events across the UK and here in the South were called off, Hat Fair went ahead.

But some of the bigger items never made it, and other elements within it struggled.

Kate Hazel might have been forgiven for wanting to walk away - or never programme anything else again that’s big and outdoors. But that was far from her mind.

Hat Fair now has a new home within the Theatre Royal, and Kate talked candidly to me about thinking bigger - and getting Hat Fair back on the road: “I do actually feel that

it will be bigger and better than before. We’re able to bring people in who have been at Glastonbury just before. We have a lot of new shows ranging from a hip-hop version of Faust to mechanical creatures who rise out of a boneyard of scrap!

We have loads of circus, dance, things for young children and older ones. There’s also a guy who makes wooden structures - and then sets fire to them!”

Although there will be a ‘Plan A’ and a ‘Plan B’ reflecting on how the weather behaves, Kate tells me that despite what happened last year, there’s little point in planning outdoor events if you’re then going to put them indoors. She also says there’s little point in getting upset because it rained constantly: “Personally, I didn’t want to walk away at all. There are so many possibilities I feel that we haven’t explored yet. There are so many things we can do.

We have 39 years of history. Bless them, there are people who will come even when it is chucking it down with rain. So, for all of the stuff that was going on behind the scenes that made it difficult, thinking about those opportunities kept me going. It’s a new chapter, a new beginning. Now I have the space in my head to explore all I want to do.

I can make those opportunities a reality.”

Kate says the audience calls the shots in all entertainment forms now: “We’re in our 39th year; the

artistic ambition and the production demands have grown. The pressure to produce and deliver an artistically great and safe festival is huge.

We’ve struggled to build it up over the years, and let’s face it we’re in economically difficult times.

Organisationally we have struggled to keep up too. We needed to find a way where we could build our capacity. The talks between us and the Theatre Royal started on artistic possibilities of bringing us together as organisations, then building up the capacity, and then went on to talk about being a strong cultural force for the city.”

It’s clear that this was always a

long-term project for Kate: “You have to plan things sometimes almost two years ahead. You lose some things, but that’s life. We like to shake it up every year and have a combination of people who have been before - and also to bring something new that nobody in the world has ever seen. It’s an interesting dynamic for me as an artistic director to find the right balance. There are people who want to see things again, and those who only want to see things that are new.”

I ask Kate if there’s one thing this year that she’s really proud of: “I’m really proud about the ‘Small

Wonders’ project. I feel very strongly about creating work for small audiences but which is accessible.

To have very small children able to engage with the arts is wonderful.

Not many festivals focus on that age group. There are many reasons why it’s great to engage very small people in the arts. A festival environment can be a scary place for a small child, so I am really glad to be able to do that. Oh, and the fire factor. With plenty of safety plans!”

A fire’s a fire Kate, I venture... “Oh, we’ll have an extinguisher ready, don’t worry!”

Would you like to join a friendship club for people in the South?

Brendoncare Clubs are devoted to giving older people the opportunity to meet new friends, take part in activities and enjoy club outings. Here are the clubs running in your area. Why not come along and try out one of the activities and see how you can become a member....we’d love to welcome you there.

Allbrook Good Companions Club (Eastleigh) St Peter’s Church Hall, Shakespeare Road, Boyatt Wood, Eastleigh SO50 4FP 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 2pm-4pm Badger Farm Friendly Club (Winchester) Badger Farm Community Centre, Badger Farm Road, Winchester SO22 4QB Alternate Thursdays, 2pm-4pm Romsey Companions Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey SO51 8GL Alternate Mondays, 1.30pm–3.30pm Romsey Tuesday Luncheon Age Concern Centre, 24 Linden Road, Romsey SO51 8DB Every Tuesday, term time, 11.30am-1pm Weeke Gaiety (Winchester) St Barnabas Church, Fromond Road, Weeke, Winchester SO22 6DY Alternate Fridays, 2pm-4pm

We really enjoy our weekly meetings, this club is great and we thank Brendoncare for making it possible.

Margaret Townsend

If you enjoy meeting new people and would like to know more about joining as a member or helping as a volunteer, we look forward to hearing from you.

For more information, please contact Norma, Clubs Administrator on 01962 852133 or visit www.brendoncare.org.uk Registered Charity No: 10913454

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News The creation of a new cancer treatment centre for Hampshire has come one step closer after Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust selected the team who will design it.

BDP will now work with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, to design a state of the art building. Patients will be able to access essential cancer treatments, supportive care and therapies all under one roof.

Chemotherapy treatment is already provided here in Winchester, but patients have to travel to Southampton or Guildford for radiotherapy. Patients also need to visit a variety of other places for supportive care. The new cancer centre will provide radiotherapy, chemotherapy, palliative care and therapies, as well as information, advice and psychological support for patients and their families in an outstanding environment.

36 architect-led teams entered the design competition process from which six were shortlisted to submit design concepts which were revealed at The Ark Cancer Centre Charity launch in November 2012. All six are said to have met the original brief to design a cancer treatment centre of outstanding architectural

merit which enhances the healing environment, but the Foundation Trust selected BDP as their preferred design team.

BDP’s submission proposed a ‘hospital without corridors’ which is filled with light and brings the outside inside. Their previous projects include the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Bristol Breast Cancer Centre and the Nottingham Breast Institute.

As well as projects in the UK, BDP have an international reputation.

They designed the Bispebjerg Hospital Masterplan in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Kiev Hospital for Mothers and Children, Ukraine, both of which show BDP’s approach to creating modern healthcare facilities.

Hampshire Hospitals Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Dr Lara Alloway, says they wanted to provide a centre which improves the experience of living with cancer for patients, their families and friends, and which reflects the excellent care provided: “It’s really exciting to be one step closer to our goal. BDP showed their experience and knowledge by not only considering the look of the outside of the building but carefully considered how the inside of the building will feel, making it a welcoming, reassuring and comforting space for patients and their families.

The team at BDP are already encouraging us to think differently and we are pleased to have appointed them to work with us on realising our vision for a new cancer treatment centre.”

Nick Fairham is Architect Director for BDP and says he's delighted to be involved: “Our design focuses on the needs of the patients, families and staff to provide a truly supportive and flexible environment while offering state of the art clinical services. The forward thinking approach Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has taken to the procurement of the design and site

selection has maximised the opportunity to provide an uplifting and inspiring environment.”

The aim is for the new cancer treatment centre to be open in 2016.

The location for the cancer treatment centre has not yet been identified, although it is likely to be in the north of Hampshire to meet the requirements for travel time for treatment. That would still mean travelling for Winchester patients, but they should be able to find everything under one roof.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is funding the building and the provision of essential cancer treatment services, while the Ark Cancer Centre Charity has committed to raising an additional £5 million to add the ‘wow factor’ to the building and surroundings and to provide supportive care not currently funded by the NHS. You can find out more and donate through the charity website www. arkcancercharity.org.uk

Trust Apologises After Long Delays in A and E

hospital. Unfortunately there have been delays and we continue to work to find solutions.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has apologised after it was found some patients had waited 12 hours in the Emergency Department. NHS figures show that the RHCH in Winchester was among the worst performers in the last year.

Bosses there are partly blaming the long winter, and gave this statement to Winchester Today:

We have seen a combination of factors combine to make the first few months of this year extremely demanding on our staff and available beds. These include a prolonged winter and an increase in the severity of illness patients are presenting at hospital with. We have also experienced increased attendances following the introduction of the new 111 service, which has not yet rolled out in neighbouring areas.

"We make around 90,000 emergency admissions per year and we are sorry that 26 people had to wait more than twelve hours for a bed after being seen by doctors and the decision made that they needed to stay in hospital.

Patients who need to be admitted and are waiting for a bed on a ward

are cared for and monitored by our staff. They are not left simply waiting. They are regularly seen by doctors and necessary tests carried out.

To make things better for our patients we try not to move patients to wards during the night and aim to make sure the patient goes to the most appropriate ward at the first opportunity, rather than carrying out multiple moves.

At the other end of the patient's stay with us, we work closely with others, such as community services and patients' families, to ensure that those patients who are well enough to be discharged home or into the community are supported to leave

This winter we opened two new wards - one each at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester - to cope with increased demands".

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WINCHESTER TODAY MAY 2013

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Help us with your time, skills and friendship Buy a coffee and get one free! (so drink 2 - or come with a friend!)

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To find out more about volunteering please contact Volunteering Manager Julie Lamont on 01962 857097 or visit www.brendoncare.org.uk

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WINCHESTER TODAY MAY 2013

Review Spark-tacular effects light up Cheriton

‘A Bolt From The Blue’ by David Tristram -

Sometimes you have to take risks.

You have to step away from the norm and be bold. Well, this was bold. A bold decision to choose a play that’s relatively new (2006) and far from what is normally tackled in Cheriton. You can just imagine the production meeting: “Right, we need an electricity pylon on stage, and you only have around 8 feet in height to make it look good!” The thing is that you know the crew behind the Cheriton Players will have taken this in their stride and they always come up with the goods. The reason being is that this

pylon (for reasons which will become clear) has to be climbed, and has to be sturdy.

In fact, the effects were great. No, I’ll go further than that. The visual and sound effects were superb. I note - and praise - the crew, especially surrounding the acting from Charlie Hellard (Edward) as he suffers the ‘Bolt From the Blue’. The way in which the lighting and effects showed even just this one moment was thoughtfully and breathtakingly done.

In fact, Charlie deserves full praise for completing what is a demanding role in a faultless manner. And there was a genuine “how on earth did they do that?” moment involving an exploding person.

I have to note here too that the backstage crew’s sense of humour was not lost on me... yes, I noted OMD’s ‘Electricity’ being played during the break. Ha! Credit also is due to David Cradduck (left), who took the importance of his role to the

absolute limit and had his head shaved - notably raising £700-plus for Naomi House and jacksplace. In fact, he drew applause from the audience once they had realised what he had done. As for his character, well whoever heard of a bald hair specialist or a doctor who faints at the sight of blood?! It was, after all just another example of being asked to suspend our belief!

Suffice it to say that I would spoil everything by telling you the story, but I loved the routine involving the trip to hospital after the accident, and right at the very end when Edward sits ‘bolt’ upright... well, those who were there will appreciate what I just did!

I have to take my hat off to the Cheriton Players for attempting something so bold. There was a lack of pace in places, and pauses between scenes - but this was opening night after all and I’m sure that it shifted up a gear if the comments and the number of tweets I saw was anything to go by. The Players should be proud that Friday and Saturday were, yet again, sell-out performances well in advance of the days themselves. KG. Staging, effects and production all deserve 5 stars

Review: Wicked – Apollo Victoria, London.

In our effort to get out and about as much as possible to review and recommend things to do for you, we present here our first excursion to the West End, as Beccy Conway experiences 'Wicked'.

certainly not been done by halves, not only is the dragon delightfully terrifying, but the whole set design is imaginative and allows audience members in every level of seating a fantastic view of the action.

beccy.conway@winchestertoday. co.uk

Under the direction of Joe Mantello, the beautifully powerful voices of Louise Dearman and Michelle Francis as Elphaba and Glinda unquestionably do justice to Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics.

Dearman’s rendition of “Defying Gravity”, arguably the show’s most renowned song, has the auditorium applauding long after the curtain has fallen for the interval. Francis’ equally emotional and comical performance has the audience as captivated by Glinda as her subjects in Munchkinland.

As we sit and wait for the show to begin, the atmosphere in the Apollo Victoria theatre is tangible; the full orchestra can be heard warmingup from below stage, under the leadership of conductor James Draisey. The hum from the gathering audience rises as people take their seats in front of the magnificent map of the ‘Land of Oz’.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1990 novel of the same name, Wicked opened in London in 2006, having been brought over the Atlantic from Broadway in New York. This spellbinding musical has become one of the most highly successful and well-acclaimed productions in London.

“The greatest show in London!” is plastered over the theatre’s entrance, and as the show opens it is clear that the billboard might have it right; from Susan Hilferty’s elaborately detailed costumes to the wonderfully executed choreography, it is difficult to know where to look. That is, until a roar is heard from above the stage and the audience excitedly peers up at the great dragon whipping its head about. Eugene Lee’s staging has

Ben Freeman depicts the shallow but ultimately brave Fiyero with ease and Keith Bartlett’s portrayal of the fraudulent Wonderful Wizard of Oz has just the right balance of scariness and charm. The truly frightening performance comes from Louise Plowright as Madame Morrible, the power-hungry magic teacher. Christopher Howell as Doctor Dillamond, Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose and Sam Lupton as Boq all help complete this brilliant cast.

Perhaps part of the reason behind Wicked’s international success is the sublime manner in which the story addresses universal social issues of corrupt governing bodies and a new generation’s attempt at generating

change. The masterful way in which L. Frank Baum’s infamous The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) characters and plots are interwoven with the on-stage action, leaves us chatting appreciatively about the cleverness of writer Winnie Holzman.

It is often considered risky to make-new something that is so well loved, but it is a risk that has most definitely paid off for this magical production.

Sleeping Beauty On Ice Mayflower Theatre, There is something about watching skating and ice dancing that sets your heart racing and transports you to another world in equal measure.

Forget everything you've seen on the telly - it just doesn't come anywhere close to witnessing it in a real-life performance like this.

Reading through the notes of who's taking part, you realise just how high the bar is set; drawn mainly from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, we're talking about junior World Champions, and skaters that we would have seen on the telly in the European Championships and Winter Olympics. Just 25 of them, but they have amassed over 200 competition medals between them. They hardly put a foot wrong all night. They are of such a high

“The summer sun flooded the lens with pure energy and singed a tiny dot into Edward's scalp Mike Cornter Charlie Hellard A Bolt from the Blue

calibre that they demand thought and attention; it's no wonder at all that the rink takes the best part of 34 hours to be prepared and ready ahead of rehearsal.

Right from the off, the skaters (especially Carabosse - pictured) set their mark as to how close they would come to the very front of the rink without falling over the front with their momentum. Make one mistake, and it would be an awfully long drop into the front row of the stalls. But their skills are such that instead you are left open-mouthed at the scale of their ability to enchant and enthral.

The theatre had thoughtfully provided us with seats in the dress circle, and it certainly helped with the enjoyment of the show; watching from an elevated position certainly helped with that enjoyment process.

Sleeping Beauty is a story of hope, heartache, romance, anger, and of good overcoming evil all rolled into one. In their portrayal, the skaters

glided, they jumped, they embraced, they danced with fire - and with the help of technology they even flew through the air. The beautiful music of Tchaikovsky resonated through the theatre. It was almost too easy!

The choreography was stunning, the lighting and backdrops fantastic, the costumes were amazing and the energy and elegance outstanding.

The costumes have been created especially for the company by Moscow's Stanislavsky Theatre. I loved the dark and sinister portrayal of Carabosse - and the beautiful elegance of Princess Aurora, danced

by Olga Sharutenko - recently in 'Dancing On Ice' - but who has also been with the Imperial Ice Stars since 2004.

I had never seen anything like this before - but I have to say that the dance interpretation of the 'Garland Waltz' at the end of Act 1 was quite simply one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in a theatre. (continues on tour throughout the UK until June)

MAY 2013 WINCHESTER TODAY

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Sport Medal Haul at the National Badminton Championships for Westgate

By Kevin Gover kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk There are some very proud young people at Westgate following the National Badminton Championships, which took place in Redbridge in London, for age groups U11, U15 and U17.

Winchester’s ‘Westgate Performance Centre’ ended the weekend with two Gold, two Silver & three Bronzes in various events – a magnificent medal haul!

In the U15 Boys Singles, unseeded Westgate’s Joshua Musty won Bronze by getting through to the semi-final stage, causing many upsets on the way putting out seeded players in his box stage.

In the other half of the draw, Max Flynn of Westgate won Silver getting into the Final, unfortunately falling at the last hurdle, and going out to the same player as had put Musty out in the semis.

The U15 Ladies Doubles threw up a series of amazing results, as new Champions were crowned. Libby McMorrow (Westgate) and her partner Evie Burbidge took the title in a gripping manner – putting out the top seeds at semi-final stage

Medal Haul Pictured: L-R Annie Lado, Libby McMorrow, Max Flynn – Solo Picture: Josh Musty

and going on to take the Gold medal in the final. A surprise but well deserved result, as the pair played at the top of the game.

Running alongside the U15’s finals day saw the U11’s battle it out for what will be the very start for many successful future badminton players.

Westgate’s Anneliese Lado formed a new partnership for the event with Kaira Henry - with the pair winning through to the semi-final and taking a Bronze medal, before going out in

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a close match.

Two weeks later, the U17 event took place in Redbridge. The girls singles had some very surprising results in every stage of the tournament. Top seed Westgate’s Lynlette Aung had her hopes dashed at the quarter final stage by Jess Pugh – who then was beaten by Westgate’s Ira Banerjee in the semis. In a long three setter, Ira lost the final to Jess Hopton.

However Hopton was not to enjoy the perfect weekend after Ira

Banerjee, paired alongside Pugh, denied her glory in the Women’s Doubles final.

After the weekend, Ira posted on Twitter that she was “so so so happy” after claiming a gold and silver at U17 level despite “being a year young”.

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WINCHESTER TODAY MAY 2013

Just a day before her visit to Naomi House, the Duchess of Cambridge released a video to show her support for children’s hospices. She said she had seen for herself the passion shown by staff, and the care they give to sick children in work she describes as “transformational”.

During the visit, Kate toured the facilities including the hydrotherapy pool, children’s bedrooms and gardens. She met children, young people and families who rely on the services provided by the charity near Winchester and had a tea party with brothers and sisters of children cared for at the hospice.

She then heard a live performance of ‘Free’, a song written by a Naomi House sibling, Ollie Wade, as a tribute to his brother. Ollie Wade has recently released his personal and moving song to raise money for Naomi House, and the track is now available to buy on iTunes.

Chairman Khalid Aziz says the visit was an enormous privilege: “When it opened in 1997, Naomi House was the eleventh dedicated children’s hospice in the UK. Today there are more than 40 children’s hospices all doing sterling work for children with life limiting conditions and their families. So when HRH The Duchess of Cambridge decided to visit us at the start of Children’s Hospice Week we were of course delighted.

Words: Kevin Gover Photo credit David Cunningham photography.

A great deal of work goes into making a day like today special and on behalf of our children and families I would like to thank all who have been involved in creating such a very special event and of course to Her Royal Highness herself for gracing us with her presence.”