Winchester Today November 2012

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

November 2012

… and not forgetting Cheriton, Romsey, Stockbridge, Hursley, Kings Worthy, Littleton, Alresford, Chandler’s Ford, Micheldever, Bishop’s Waltham, and everywhere in between!

Monthly • Issue 003

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Interviews

Wedding Special

Winchester Today speaks to David Gower and Ray Winstone

Pages 17 & 18

Ideas and advice for your wedding with our special pullout Pages 7 - 10 section

As the City Pauses...

New Support for Small Businesses in Winchester Help is being provided to micro businesses to try and help stimulate enterprise during the economic downturn, with a pilot scheme of grants.

Businesses with less than 9 employees can now apply for grants of up to £1,000 from Winchester City Council on items required to allow their business to grow. The items could theoretically include things like the purchase of IT equipment, website design, recruitment costs, help with relocation costs to expand the business or anything else which is essential for developing a micro business.

Deputy Leader of Winchester City Council, Robert Humby says the new micro business development grants are one of a number of ways the council is supporting businesses located in the District: “Earlier in the year we introduced improvements to help rural businesses with the planning process. We have also recently launched a new apprenticeship grant scheme to help young people starting an apprenticeship.”

Economy and Arts Development Manager Alison Woods says that hopefully red tape will not get in the way either: “Feedback from businesses has also indicated that they would like local government to reduce red tape so we have tried to make the More on Page 2

By Kevin Gover, Editor kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk

As Remembrance Sunday approaches once again for us to reflect on those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country, we’re being urged to remember them - but also those who are left

behind.

The Royal British Legion has set a national target of £42m for this year’s Poppy Appeal, some £2m more than last year. That means that all of us in Winchester will have to dig deep and up the game too, even after last year’s recordbreaking fundraising.

Steve Elsey works as a County

Welfare Officer in Hampshire for the Royal British Legion alongside Lizzie White. He says he never fails to be astonished at the generosity that people in Winchester can find year after year: “They feel involved, and I think people are much more aware now of what goes on behind the scenes.”

Steve told Winchester Today that

Sandbag Fiasco “Beyond a Joke” As the heavens erupted in Winchester with a huge thunderstorm in midOctober, it was time for businesses along the railway station section of the Stockbridge Road to bring out the sandbags yet again.

Just a few weeks prior to that in September, staff at Winchester Today witnessed the drains lift, with water cascading everywhere like a fountain

that could not be switched off. Two of the drains were so badly damaged that they need repairing.

We watched as it rains and people come rushing into the shops to warn the business owners of what’s happening. They in turn try to stop the water from going over the pavement and into their doors.

Samira Haig runs the newly-opened

the admiration for our Armed Forces never diminishes: “People deep down actually do respect the services; wives, family, the servicemen and women themselves – they all have to give up something.”

Inside

FULL STORY AND MORE ON PAGE 5 >> Essenziale Beauty Salon and Café, and told Winchester Today that she had no idea of the problems: “If I had, I would NEVER have rented this place. Every time it rains I worry about what is going to happen.”

By chance, a van was parked right outside Samira Haig’s shop. It was only because of this that buses and cars were unable to get near and send the water right over the pavement.

Continues on Page 3 >>

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Hampshire take oneday county double Sport ....................... 20 Insider’s guide to life at Naomi House and jacksplace Exclusive ................... 3 William Brougham flies East to beautiful St. Petersburg Escape! .................... 16

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2

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Welcome News in Brief

Stories for the breakfast table.

Letter from the editor October 2012 - the month where local democracy appeared not to matter anymore So, part of the beautiful northern area of the city is now to disappear forever under concrete. As a responsible newspaper, many of you could ask us to welcome the new jobs that this will bring, or the new houses that will help ease the many problems that we have.

But the issue of Barton Farm goes way beyond that. It’s an issue of how local people have been walked over roughshod.

Many of the decisions which affect our way of life are often taken by people who don’t even live here.

So it was with Barton Farm. Under the possible threat of legal action, the project has now been given the go-ahead with the Department for Communities saying in their decision that Winchester could not come up with a 5-year plan that was acceptable.

But for those who live here, what we want to do and how we want to live our lives IS acceptable.

Yes, Winchester has a housing problem, but that’s because of how our city is built. That’s how we live. The Green Belt between the south of our city and the north of Southampton is disappearing bitby-bit and it is not pretty.

Markets in Weeke The next events are on 10 November and 8 December, 10am - 12.15pm at Weeke Church Hall (Wesley Methodist Church)

Most importantly, we placed trust in our leaders. Our leaders said ‘No’.

For a very long time, many of us in Winchester wondered which part of ‘No’ was it that Cala Homes didn’t understand.

There was a reason for the word ‘No’. For let’s be clear about this.

The development at Barton Farm is not just about 2,000 homes. There will be a local centre including a new primary school, a large retail food store, a community building, a health centre, a nursing home with 60 bedrooms, an energy centre, car parking, park and ride. Our MP Steve Brine says he will now work actively with Cala Homes for the good of the city.

Good on him. This paper personally has no grudge with Cala Homes or with Mike Emett from Cala Homes South, who seemed an affable enough chap when we spoke with him; he’s also welcome to discuss his plans with us at any stage in the future.

Life here is about to change forever.

Those who had the courage to say ‘No’ can continue to hold their heads high.

Halfords in Weeke Flower Pots Inn, Cheriton The Co-op, Alresford County News, Alresford Plaza Theatre, Romsey Cheriton Stores and Post Office

News South Wonston Fire

This was the scene a few hours after a fire that destroyed 600 tonnes of hay at a farm in South Wonston.

A call was made to Hampshire Fire and Rescue just after 10pm on 22nd September, as the fire was well alight and was very close to a nearby thatched property.

A crew stayed through the night to prevent the fire spreading to a house nearby on the Alresford Drove.

The damage is thought to be around £100,000.

Picture by: Paul McTaggart

Results News Schools News Oliver Adams PSC awards Dentist visit at St Faith There were smiles all round at St Faith’s CE Primary School recently as the pupils learnt more about main-

This year’s Christmas Lights switch-on ceremony will take place in an afternoon of celebrations on Thursday 15th November in the Broadway between 3pm and 7pm.

A special stage will be put up across the street from the Guildhall. The lights themselves will be switched on at 6pm.

On Thursday 22nd November, the Christmas Market opens after the traditional annual Lantern Parade. Last year’s parade was visually stunning, and held under perfect weather conditions. The parade with start at 6pm from the Great Hall, and then make its way down through the High Street to the Cathedral Close. taining a good diet to encourage healthy teeth.

Dental therapist at City Bridge Dental, Julie Petersen, showed them the ropes about how to brush teeth effectively.

Kevin Gover, Editor Gifts, Pottery, Wood, Plants, Eggs, Produce and loads more.

Entrance free.

Community listings for small events are free – send your information to: news@winchestertoday.co.uk

Your Winchester Today Thanks to all these wonderful people who have agreed to stock copies of Winchester Today for their customers:

Christmas News Lights to be switched on in November

Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line) Tichborne Arms Steve Brine’s Office, Stockbridge Road The Winchester Book Shop Dever Stores, Sutton Scotney Three Cups Inn, Stockbridge Marwell Hotel Paul Hellard & Co, Alresford

Peter Symonds student Oliver Adams has had a summer holidays to remember. On top of winning individual and team silver at the International Biology Olympiad in Singapore as part of the GB team, he’s also become the top achieving student at the college with 7 A* A-Levels. That’s 910 UCAS points.

Principal Neil Hopkins has welcomed Oliver’s results as: “One of the highest achieving students I can remember in the college’s history.”

Interested in becoming a sport contributor or joining the training project for 16 to 25-year-olds, Project:Alfie150?

Drop us a line to news@winchestertoday.co.uk WinchesterToday est.2012 Editor-in-Chief: Kevin Gover kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk Deputy Editor: William Brougham william.brougham@winchestertoday.co.uk Layout Editor: Johnny Blonde johnny.blonde@winchestertoday.co.uk

Property Editor: Adam Zuchetti adam.zuchetti@winchestertoday.co.uk

Photographer: Lisa Gigante lisa.gigante@winchestertoday.co.uk

Sales and Advertising: denise.effenburg@ winchestertoday.co.uk

Music Editor: Rebecca Rayner rebecca.rayner@winchestertoday.co.uk

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News & Features Correspondents: William Brougham william.brougham@winchestertoday.co.uk Annabel Radcliffe annabel.radcliffe@winchestertoday.co.uk Dina Burgess dina.burgess@winchestertoday.co.uk

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NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 3 news@winchestertoday.co.uk

News

Naomi House An Insider’s view

Sam enjoying his work experience placement with the Naomi House fundraising office

Businesses in Stockbridge Road fear the worst each time it rains

By Kevin Gover, Editor kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk

Continued from front page

Pictured with Livy Watson, Communications Intern.

You have probably already dug deep to help Naomi House and jacksplace hospices, based in Sutton Scotney, who provide care and support to life-limited children, young people and their families from seven counties across central southern England.

Unless you know them though, do you ever wonder about the children and young people who are being cared for? What they do and how they cope?

Sam Waddington is a 15 year old pupil at Kings’ School who frequently stays at Naomi House for respite care.

Writing exclusively for Winchester Today, Sam offers an insider’s view: “I’ve been visiting Naomi House & jacksplace for around four years and from the moment I began staying there, every minute has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I have so much fun with the staff, other children and young people that I never look forward to going home.

Naomi House allows youngsters who may be physically or mentally restricted to live their lives to the full, and socially there is always a great atmosphere at the hospice.

It gives me the opportunity to meet lots of new people; each with differing needs. One of the things the hospice From front page - Business application process as straightforward as possible. This is a pilot scheme which will be reviewed at the end of the financial year. If it is successful we hope we may be able to introduce the grants on a

has taught me is that everybody is the same and deserves to be treated fairly.

Everybody that visits Naomi House is given the opportunity to do what they want during their stay and there are so many things for children of all ages to get involved in.

Swimming is one of my favourite activities at the hospice. It is a great way for me to get some exercise, and the pools, both at Naomi House and at jacksplace, are perfect for a relaxing dip.One thing that really stands out for me is the food. Somehow the kitchen team prepares a complete feast for the children, families and staff, each and every mealtime. You don’t go home hungry – that’s for sure!”

Thanks to Sam from everyone here at Winchester Today for this article. Sam recently spent a week with the Naomi House Fundraising Team as work experience. As part of his placement, Sam, a budding journalist, wrote this article exclusively for Winchester Today.

This newspaper is supporting Naomi House as its chosen charity until at least 2015.

Naomi House cannot offer this standard of care and level of enjoyment for kids and young people like Sam without regular donations.

To show your support for the hospice please visit www.naomihouse.org. uk or call the Fundraising Office on 01962 843513. more permanent basis.”

To find out more about Winchester City Council’s micro business development scheme, you can download the criteria and application form at winchester.gov.uk/ microbusinessdevelopmentgrants

She has rented her premises for five months: “I was in horror when I saw this happening the first time”, Samira told me. “I rang the council; I rang everyone for help, even just for sandbags. Everyone was useless, sending me everywhere else instead of taking responsibility. Eventually I bought my own sandbags.” I point out to Samira that it shouldn’t be up to her to buy sandbags – or to think that they would stop the water: “I know, but I just couldn’t get any help. If it was a river, then MAYBE I could have had some sandbags. With this rain we have, I’m 100% going to be flooded at some point. Who’s going to pay for the damage? Everyone seems to be making an excuse. If it’s not environmental, it’s not a river - what is it?

Who’s in charge?”

Although that I was told that the water was not sewage, the smell was absolutely disgusting. It was impossible to walk along the pavement outside The Albion, which also has to rely on sandbags to stop the water coming in to the pub.

We looked at the damage around us that had been caused by the water trying to escape: “Look at the drains there”, (pictured) says Samira:

“Broken because of the force of the water. Even the pavement has moved.”

So why is it happening – and who could sort it out? The water does not come down the road section of the hill from Sussex Street and cause the problems; if it did it would have to take a sharp left and effectively have to travel uphill. It appears to be the pipes that are underground that are either too small, cannot cope because of another reason – or both.

A county council spokesman told Winchester Today: “The pipes that lead away from areas in Stockbridge Road and those running down from Sussex Street are just being overwhelmed. We now of course realise that some parts of the drains and pavement have been damaged because of the force of the water and we will get them repaired.”

As for the pipes underground, a Southern Water spokesman told Winchester Today: “The flooding in Stockbridge Road is the result of torrential rain that has overwhelmed the surface water sewerage system.

This carries water from roofs and run-off from roads and is separate to the wastewater sewerage system. We understand how distressing flooding can be and we are looking at what can be done to reduce the risk of this happening again. However, regrettably, flooding may result from heavy and sustained rainfall such as that experienced.”

Watch this space.

Season’s Greetings 28 Nov-1 Dec 2012

by Alan Ayckbourn

28th, 29th, 30th Nov & 1st Dec 2012 Curtain up 7.30pm (doors open 7.00pm) Cheriton Village Hall SO24 0PZ

£7 (Wed) £8 (Thur) £9 (Fri/Sat) Tickets available online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers or tel 0844 8700 887 (lo-call rate, 5p per min.)

Telephone bookings cost £1.50 extra per booking for mailing etc.

Telephone box office hours 9am–7pm Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm Sat.

www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk

<Scan Here

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 5

News

Development Green Light Given - What Next?

Barton Farm development to include 2000 new homes on farm land

Steve Brine MP talking to Roger Finn of BBC South Today about his disappointment surrounding the decision

Since our last edition, news has come that the Barton Farm development project is to go ahead, after Communities Secretary Eric Pickles gave it the green light – just 1 year after rejecting it. Mr Pickles had to review his decision when it was ruled unlawful.

CALA Group Limited received approval on 2 October for its longrunning application to build up to 2000 new homes at the site it owns

on the northern edge of Winchester, after promoting the site for 14 years.

During that time there have been demonstrations, enforced changes to the plans, dismissals, a public enquiry, three legal challenges – and now a successful appeal.

CALA says the plans will include the provision of 800 affordable homes within the project – around 40% of the total.

Winchester and Chandler’s Ford

MP Steve Brine called it: “a bitterly disappointing decision from the coalition Government.”

Leader of Winchester City Council – Keith Wood – also said he was personally disappointed, but that the council now has “no choice” but to follow the decision.

REACTION

»

FROM OUR MP: Steve Brine has fought long and hard to stop the development from going ahead: “This is a bitterly disappointing decision from the coalition Government. CALA homes have very deep pockets and have relentlessly pursued Winchester over many years until they got what they wanted.

Because of the appeal system it was always possible they’d win one day and today it looks like they have.”

Steve thinks that it was becoming increasingly difficult to save Barton Farm from the moment it was identified a reserve major development area

by Winchester City Council in 2004: “A very real problem for campaigners opposed to development was the fact they had to get lucky every time, whereas CALA had to hit the jackpot just once. I want to pay enormous tribute to the Save Barton Farm Group and the thousands of people who continue to support their campaign.

Assuming Barton Farm is developed, 2,000 houses on this site will in my opinion ultimately make the city a less comfortable place to live. We will get used to it, and not too many years from now we’ll no doubt struggle to remember how it looked before, but a special piece of the landscape setting of Winchester will be gone forever.”

Steve says he will now engage positively with CALA to ensure they live up to their promises: “We will have to see if they give us the high quality development promised. I will also be keeping very close tabs on the affordable element of the housing to see if it really does deliver new homes for local people and dramatically reduce the council waiting list.” He says that he’s seeking an early meeting with Winchester’s state secondary heads, as well as Hampshire County Council, to discuss the effect on secondary school places that development on Barton Farm will accelerate.

FROM THE CITY COUNCIL: Winchester City Council rejected the planning application in 2010 on the grounds that it was premature, stating that there was little evidence to suggest that the housing need and lack of development had reached the levels required to release this site. The Secretary of State initially supported the Council’s position but had to review his decision when it was ruled unlawful. Previously, the Council tried to influence the design, infrastructure and layout of the scheme throughout its development rather than risk a poor quality scheme being taken through the planning process.

Cllr Keith Wood, Leader of the City Council, says he is personally disappointed that the time has come to release the site for housing: “The Secretary of State has applied his own rules and we have no choice but to follow them. We argued strongly about the application, but we have been overtaken by events. The Council now needs to ensure that the development of this site generates all the promised benefits to the community. We plan to set up a forum to help ensure that the development minimises the disruption to Winchester residents, and the infrastructure requirements are implemented properly and promptly.”

The Council has previously involved stakeholders and local residents to get their contribution to the master planning of the site to help address local issues and ensure the development sits well in the context of Winchester. Given the history of this site the Council chose to take the responsible step to influence the design, infrastructure and layout of the scheme throughout its development rather than risk a poor quality scheme being taken through the planning process.

FROM THE DEVELOPER: CALA Homes Group Land Director, Robert Millar, told Winchester Today that he welcomes the appeal decision: “We now look forward to continuing to work positively with the Council and local community to deliver a high quality development. Coming so soon on the back of stimulus packages designed to support the construction industry, we feel this decision provides a major boost to the entire house building sector and reaffirms the Coalition’s stance on the role the house building industry can play in supporting a wider economic recovery.”

Robert insists that local people will benefit greatly from the decision: “It will be a major contributor to stimulating the local economy and creating long term jobs. Furthermore, it will make a significant contribution to the chronic shortage of affordable housing enabling key workers and other local people to live in their own city. We will shortly be examining the detailed design for each of the phases in line with our master plan to ensure that much needed housing is delivered as soon as possible.”

ON TWITTER: From fit4thefuture @WinchesterFit

“

2,000 homes will put even more pressure on core services including sports facilities. Will Cala chip in from its ‘deep pockets’?

”

FROM THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: The Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Winchester City Council, Kelsie Learney, told Winchester Today of the party’s disappointment: “With a Conservative Council, Conservative MP and a final decision by a Conservative Secretary of State, there’s not much left of the Conservative promise to ‘Save Barton Farm’. This is very disappointing for those of us who have been consistently campaigning against Barton Farm. We’ll carry on working hard to make sure the development is of the highest quality with roads, shops and school places put in place to minimise the impact and get what benefits we can for local people but it’s inevitable that this development will change Winchester forever.”

6

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Features - City Links With Uganda

Wilderness Expertise

Winchester Students on a Once in a Lifetime Trip Ever wondered what your nearest and dearest get up to on school expeditions? Here at Winchester Today, we’ve been lucky to have access to the report of the Wilderness Expertise expedition which took 11 team members from Peter Symonds College to Uganda in July. It looked at sustainable support for the community of Kanjobe, with fund raising of over £3000 buying sports equipment, t-shirts, art equipment – and 2 calves, 5 goats, 20 piglets and 21 chickens (all benefitting those community members most in need.)

Whilst out there the team visited a primary school called Kyeibale.

Words by Project Leader Ruth Lee.

Having arrived in darkness to a village with no electricity (except Dick’s solar powered light in his living room) the team had a lovely awakening to village life. The cockerel crowed (much to Lindsey’s annoyance), pigs snuffled and chickens scratched. The village and surrounding hills were luscious and green. All meals are buffet style.

Great care is taken to not only give the team local delicacies and staples, but also food they like and the team were brave in trying new foods. Louisa also discovers she LOVES pineapple – it is the best!

After a mini tour of our surroundings the team set to organising their art supplies and various sports equipment.

The welcome from Kanjobe primary school was incredible. A chaotic mix of sport and T-shirt painting then ensued for the rest of the day. Each team member got to spend plenty of time interacting with the children. UNO is the game to play in the evening and many of Dick and Frieda’s extended family and friends squeeze into the living room to play. I believe beginners luck was in my favour that night!

Each team member got to spend plenty of time interacting with the children. UNO is the game to play in the evening and many of Dick and Frieda’s extended family and friends squeeze into the living room to play. I believe beginners luck was in my favour that night!

More in next issue...

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 7

Wedding Special - Entertainment

Getting Hitched

A wedding special for Winchester Today

by Kevin Gover - kevin.gover@winchestertoday.co.uk

Sounding Good – Looking Great!

Those of you who know me will understand that being conventional isn’t exactly in my nature, which is why I’m starting our first wedding special at the end; that is, the end of your big day, where you want to entertain your guests.

As someone who worked as a DJ for 30 years with many high-profile weddings under my belt, I know I can speak first-hand about the problems many brides and grooms face surrounding good entertainment.

The reason: you have to plan well in advance to get exactly who you want.

Good DJs and groups are few and far between. When I worked for an agency, most of my bookings were for 10 months in advance. Many couples leave it until the last minute to sort something out. But think… we’re talking about 5 hours of your big day here. If you plan well ahead, and get it right, you will have a fantastic evening to top a fantastic day.

Someone who has been working as a DJ for six years and who is still only just about to see his 20th birthday is Dan Bridle. Like me, he can remember his first disco:

Wedding Pictures: Lisa Gigante

“New Year’s Eve with loads of inebriated people in Basingstoke!

However, it went very well and that’s why I stuck at it. I was able to use equipment that wasn’t my own, but then earned money through gigs to get all my own stuff. I had to learn a bit about some 70s and 80s music, but it was easy. My dad was a DJ, so music was on all the time. I get requests for tracks that I’m essentially playing for the first time.”

Right at the beginning of his career, Dan asked for work at the Marwell Hotel in Colden Common: Continued on Page 9

8

Hair - Wedding Special

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Looking Good

Feeling Great!

Nyk Sweeten has just celebrated 5 years of styling hair at Nanoo in Stockbridge Road.

He effectively started before the recession, but has managed to live through it and come out the other side.

As far as weddings are concerned, Nyk is a firm believer in the ‘wow’ factor: “This is the most important day in a bride’s life. She also has childhood dreams of looking like a princess on the day, and we want to play our part in making her look like that. We also want to instil a bit of confidence in her so that she can carry it off on the day. It’s not just the bride either, it’s the whole party. The men like to do their hair a week earlier and let it settle, but for the women and the children, everything is done on the day.”

I ask Nyk about the ideas that potential brides bring to him: “Sometimes they have been gathering ideas for 2 years, so that by the time they get here, they are very clear in what they want. They’ve looked at a lot of wedding magazines and been to a lot of wedding fayres; where we add to the mix is how it will all look with the dress, how the bridesmaids will look… matching everything up.”

Everything is done on the morning of the wedding, and the commitment

of his team means that they open at up 7am to be able to cope with getting everyone looking good. But whilst he can rely on his team, the British weather is something else. As I speak with Nyk, it’s pouring down with rain outside.

How does he cope with the appalling weather we have had in Winchester?

“Brolly, hair spray, and hope for the best!”

As Nyk styles her hair, Rosie Walton tells me that she is already planning her hair for her wedding next year: “A lot of my friends have got married recently and they all had long hair for their wedding. I don’t necessarily want it really long on the day – as you can see, it’s quite short now - but I will get it to the length I want it to be with a few funky styles along the way. I’m often having re-styles, but by the time of the wedding it will look long and feminine, even though the overall cut might have shorter parts.”

Rosie says that life and how your hair looks both form part of an emotional journey.“Previously, if I’ve had a bad break-up or something in my life has changed, I have gone straight to the hairdresser and had a re-style! I also think that the relationship you have with your hairdresser is important. If I want a re-style, they automatically know why.”

Rosie and Nyk from Nanoo

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 9

Wedding Special - Hair

TOP TIPS FOR BRIDAL HAIR FROM LIZ AT NANOO Plan well in advance!

1

Always have a trial before your wedding day – both for your hair, and how it looks with the dress

Make sure you have planned enough time on the day for all your party to visit a salon – that’s mum, dad, pageboys, bridesmaids… everyone!

3

2

Pictured: Marwell Hotel resident DJ Dan Bridle - Who has been spinning records for six years

Wear the right underclothes on the day – that means something like a wide-neck shirt or T-shirt - or you won’t be able to take it off over your hair!

Also on the day – make sure you leave enough time for make up and getting dressed

4

Continued from Page 7 “I chose Marwell because it was right out of my area”, he jokes.

“If it went wrong, then so be it! But actually it went really well, and I was taken on to do Christmas parties. They have 2 rooms, and as my team grew then so I went on from doing 1 room to both rooms. (He now employs 7 people and does discos all over Hampshire, particularly south of Winchester). The hotel kick-started my company, and I am very grateful to them for that.

Christmas at Marwell is very busy, but I think I have done 60 weddings over the past year as well.”

Out of all the work Dan carries out, he loves

weddings the most: “No two weddings are the same at Marwell.

We meet up with all our couples; some don’t mind going along with what we do, but others almost want to discuss track-by-track. That bit works both ways. Sometimes what the bride and groom like is exactly what their guests will like. But it helps if they’re flexible. We know that there are always 100 tracks on standby which will work and fill the dance floor.”

I ask Dan about the importance of entertainment, and he agrees with my previous comment: “It’s a massive part of the big day. Five hours.

I’m also lucky that the team there are TOTALLY committed to the hotel and making it work.”

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10

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Beauty - Wedding Special

Feeling Good

Looking Great!

Kevin meets Ros Jones at Beauty Within in Stanmore – and finds that there’s another great deal of involvement and planning to feeling just right on the Big Day. All brides want to look their best on the big day, whether it’s getting their hair right as we have already mentioned, or their skin or weight – and former nurse Ros Jones knows more than most about that.

Ros runs the Beauty Within salon in Stanmore, and is another one who recommends planning ahead for looking great: “I like to find out when the wedding is. It’s very important to do that. Some brides put beauty and beauty treatment out of the mind, when in some cases it can take six months to sort out. The earlier it is that you get into a good routine, the better.”

Ros has also had a lot of training to do this, even though it was from a slightly different profession: “Being a nurse was a very good grounding for understanding the body and understanding people.

They need to understand what’s

going on in their body and need to get in a good routine.”

Ros says the earlier it is that action is taken, the better – especially if they are making mistakes and don’t know about it: “The most important thing is getting the correct skin care regime going and getting it right. The whole idea about good clear skin is that your make-up can stay in place for the whole of the big day, all day long, and the only thing that needs touching up is the lipstick.”

Others need guidance on whether they’re doing the right thing in diets: “Some people come to us with misguided ideas about their diets. But then it can be easy to actually sort it out. For example, they may be drinking orange juice because they think it’s good in a diet, but because it’s acidic it actually brings out spots. So we can tweak what they’re drinking and replace it with other juices – or even water. It’s also very important to get a trial run underway so that any problems with allergies can be identified and sorted out. Some

might ask us for a light make-up, but their interpretation of a light make-up may not be the same as our interpretation, so it’s important to get that right too.”

I ask Ros about getting the message over to brides about diet and losing weight - and how she can be, well… diplomatic! She laughs: “Well, we can ask the question! Hopefully we can then get brides to concentrate on their body and get them into shape.”

Ros is also excited about the improvements made in technology and how they are relevant to today’s brides: “Beauty training is ongoing and is always evolving, and it’s important to keep up with the new techniques. The advancement of hair removal, for example, with pulse lasers has made us able to remove unwanted hair from all over the body permanently. We’re lucky that we have a multi-pulse laser. We’re getting good results with stretch marks, too. The advancements are there and there’s always the need for us to make investment in the new technology.”

I ask Ros if some people have become obsessed with how they look: “I think some go a bit too far, but the majority of people want to look as good as they can within their budget and want to look the best they can for themselves.

TOP TIPS FROM ROS FOR LOOKING GOOD Make plans and make trials

1

Plan ahead – skin treatments can take a few months to become effective

Have a trial run and find out what your allergies are

3

2

Make sure other members of the wedding party are not forgotten Get your beautician to come to the venue on the day and help

Treatments are available on the day as well – don’t be left out There are simple things to do, like exercise – so we encourage that.

We encourage them to join a gym and also get some healthy eating underway.”

Ros is also pleased when it all

4

comes right on the big day: “It’s a great sense of satisfaction because they have achieved what they wanted to, whether it’s a small amount or a lot. They feel the best they possibly can for their big day.

It’s very satisfying.”

Look out for our next Wedding Special in 2013 - Contact us for wedding special ideas or to advertise!

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 11

Property

Developers Shy on Winchester’s Building Boom Adam Zuchetti, Property Editor

adam.zuchetti@winchestertoday.co.uk Depending on where you live in Winchester, you’ve probably noticed a number of new property developments popping up across the city, and wondered what’s going on. We were keen to find out a bit more about the construction zones, and here’s what our Property Editor Adam Zuchetti found out from the often tight-lipped developers.

CHILBOLTON AVENUE Leafy Chilbolton Avenue is currently the scene of a number of developments, including yet-to-be commenced projects and completed ones currently on the market.

Three of these – Piper Gardens, Kings Place and Lang House – are being developed by Buckinghamshirebased housebuilder Alfred Homes.

Piper Gardens, the smallest of the three, has already sold out. A further 12 new homes are planned as part of the Kings Place development, evenly split between four and five-bedders, while 14 apartments will be incorporated into Lang House, comprising a mix of two and three bedrooms.

ABBOTS WALK Across in Abbots Barton, Redrow has taken “a small number” of reservations since launching its 10-acre Abbots Walk development in Worthy Road at the end of May. Like many medium to large new developments across the UK, Abbots Walk blends a mixture of flats and houses, with property sizes varying between one and five bedrooms.

It will be home to 90 new properties, made up of 54 homes for private sale as well as 36 new affordable homes.

In naming the homes, Redrow has paid tribute to some of the great British authors who have called Winchester home at some point in their lives.

Among the house styles are the Keats, the Austen and the Lydgate.

They are being constructed on just half of the total land area, with the other half retained as established woodland or used for open space and

a children’s play area.

WINTON GATE Work on a new development is underway in Winton Close, after Linden Homes was given the green light at the end of August to build nine new open market homes on the former swimming pool site of Winton House School.

Winton Gate, as the new address will be known, will complete development works in the enclave, nestled just off Andover Road. It will consist of four two-bedroom houses, three houses of three bedrooms as well as one fourbedroom house and a two-bedroom apartment above a garage. A total of 21 additional parking spaces have also been incorporated into the layout of the site.

A spokesman for Linden Homes Southern told Winchester Today that they had listened to those who would be living nearby: “The permission for the development follows pre-application consultation with immediate neighbours, which resulted in a number of amendments being made to the design of the homes.”

Initial groundworks were expected to have begun by the time Winchester Today went to print, and the entire development is due for completion next summer.

PUB SITE SOLD It shouldn’t be too long before we see new homes on the site of the derelict Heart in Hand pub on the corner of Bar End and Milland roads.

After it was closed and boarded up, Hampshire builder Orchard Homes erected signs and featured plans on its website for a corner row of terrace-style flats and a ground-floor corner shop. However the signs were removed months later and the building left sitting idle.

A spokeswoman for Orchard would not comment other than to say: “it’s been sold”.

Residents soon found out that the

The pub with no beer... er, and indeed the pub is now a pile of rubble.

‘For Sale’ and ‘To Let’ signs line Chilbolton Avenue.

pub had indeed sold its last drink - and the pub has now been demolished by Chase Building Contractors. Work will now get underway for the new development.

Construction of the nine flats and a

commercial unit is due to begin before mid-winter, and the new properties ready for occupation by next May. Other developments at various stages of planning and construction include Alfred Homes’ Blue Ball Hill devel-

opment on the bend of Alresford Road on St Giles’ Hill and Burgate’s conversion of a run-down home overlooking the Winchester College sporting fields in Kingsgate Road called Chestnut Mead.

Chestnut Mead sees the transformation of a long neglected house in Kingsgate Road.

12

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Escape Winchester Today’s Deputy Editor William Brougham flies East to discover the beautiful city of St Petersburg william.brougham@winchestertoday.co.uk

Friends and family had told me that St Petersburg was magnificent and had reminded them of some of the most beautiful European cities but on a grander scale. I found all of this and much more to be most certainly true.

We had been advised by my travel agent that I should have no problems in our hotel with staff speaking English. After arriving at our rather non-descript lodgings in the city centre the extent of the staff’s English was “no” when asked if they spoke the language but not to worry. We made our own fun.

Finding someone who speaks English can be scarce in Russia so when you do meet anyone who speaks it you should treasure that moment and make the most of the opportunity by asking for information such as where to go and how to get there.

It also helps to understand a few Russian words and phrases which will not only help make things even easier for you but will be appreciated by your hosts.

St Petersburg though is a very easy city to navigate and many of the museums, cathedrals and galleries are close together. That means you will not probably need to use public

transport, but if you do the city has a good Metro system whose design and architecture are worth checking out.

Many of the older stations are very grand inside with chandeliers and elegant mosaics on the floors, walls and ceilings - though the newer stations built during and after Krushchev’s time as president are rather more modest. Notable stations include Avtovo for its opulence and Ploshchad Vosstaniya for being one of the city’s first metro stations.

We went for a walk around the city and were taken by its sheer beauty.

Everything was so big and stunning.

The first stop was the Hermitage Museum which was built under Catherine the Great but opened to the public in 1852. No visit to St Petersburg would be complete without a visit here. The Hermitage’s collection of art and historic artefacts is nothing short of awe inspiring.

You will pay about four times as much as Russian citizens to go in but it is well worth it. You will also have to pay a bit extra if you wish to take photographs or film video. However entrance is free on the first Thursday of each month.

You can admire everything from

art work by Michelangelo to ancient Egyptian antiques. In fact it houses one of the largest museum and art collections in the world. You could spend a whole day here and leave at the end of it without seeing everything but I would certainly go back for more if you can spare the time.

Following the Hermitage Museum you could do no better than taking a stroll along the backs of the Neva River which forms the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. It forms an excellent opportunity to see historic buildings such as The Admiralty, Peter and Paul Fortress and the Summer Gardens.

It is particularly stunning in winter when it is iced over. This is a very wide river and I suggest crossing one of its bridges to benefit fully from its beauty.

It is the end of the day and you will no doubt be hungry - but do not fear as St Petersburg has restaurants to suit all tastes. The city is not the cheapest in terms of eating out but the cuisine is of a good standard. You will find many good restaurants along or near the main street Nevsky Prospect.

Make sure you try some traditional Russian dishes. My particular favourites were mushroom soup and beef stroganoff. They may not sound particularly exotic to the Western palate but they taste delicious and not one restaurant let us down.

My particular favourite restaurant was Zoom Café on Gorohovaya Street. The place has an excellent menu and the staff speak English.

There are also shelves of books and board games to play. It is an excellent venue to meet Russians and fellow travellers. The staff are very friendly and it certainly offers value for money.

You will find that St Petersburg is never short of cathedrals but one stands out from the rest. Its official name is the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ but it is more commonly known by its rather gruesome title of the Church on Spilt Blood.

This Church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assas-

sinated and was dedicated in his memory.

The architecture is in stark contrast to the rest of city’s cathedrals which are mainly baroque or neoclassical in design. This one is very much influenced by medieval Russian architecture and resembles St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.

Near the Church on Spilt Blood you can find a market where you may find Russian souvenirs at better prices than some of the shops on the main Nevsky Prospect.

Do not be afraid to haggle.

Particularly popular are the Russian military hats and caps as well as the Russian dolls which feature various themes. The one I bought had dolls painted as Russian Presidents.

Two of my other favourite cathedrals include St Isaac’s and Kazan.

Both are definitely worth a visit. The gold dome of St Isaac’s cathedral dominates much of the city. Inside Kazan Cathedral you can see some sculptures and icons created by some of Russia’s most talented artists of the nineteenth century.

If you have a bit more time on your hands you could visit Catherine’s Palace and Park. It was the summer residence of the Russian tzars and is about 12 miles from the city centre but

is definitely worth a visit. The ornate rooms and paintings in the palace are stunning but do not forget to admire and explore the 1400-acre park which includes fountains, bridges, a summer house and a pond.

There is so much do in St Petersburg.

If you want to mix beauty with history then this city is surely the place for you.

It has it all and I would not hesitate to go back and see more. My four days there were four days of discovery, learning and pure pleasure. It was then on to Moscow which you can read about in the next issue of Winchester Today.

So that we can bring you an objective viewpoint on all our reviews, all our trips are funded by ourselves; we have not been paid by anyone to bring you this information.

William flew Rossiya Airlines to St Petersburg from Gatwick (£178) and Aeroflot from Moscow to London Heathrow (£208). Transfer from the airport in St Petersburg to the hotel was £55. 4 nights at the hotel Central Inn in St Petersburg cost £220.

Escape: Top 10 Tips 1 Have a list with the Russian alphabet and common words with you at all times, as it will be of great use.

2 Do not carry your passport around, but have a photocopy of your visa/photograph.

3 Try and organise most travel – including trains – ahead of your trip.

4 The State Hermitage Museum is more expensive for tourists than locals, but the entrance is free of charge for all visitors on the first Thursday of every month.

Closed on Mondays.

5 Most museums and cathedrals charge a small extra fee for taking photos or videos which is worth paying.

6 Avoid souvenir shops and go to the markets, such as the

one by the Church on Spilt Blood to find some bargains.

7 Buy lots of hand-painted miniature Russian dolls for friends and family. Light, inexpensive, and don’t take up too much room in the suitcase!

8 Take the opportunity to ask anyone who speaks English for information such as directions.

9 Don’t buy rubles at the airport. Go to the small cabins on the street. You can’t miss them!

10 Organise your trip through the Russian National Tourist Board.

It takes away the hassle and they are very efficient. They will also know all about the papers you need, such as invitations.

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 13

Treading The Boards

Review: Shakespeare’s

All aboard the Flying Carpet Aladdin marks the 8th year of in-house pantomimes for the Theatre Royal Good grief. It’s not almost that time of year already? Oh yes it is! The team that brought you Cinderella last year is ready to fly in to delight you at the Theatre Royal for this year’s pantomime – Aladdin. If it’s even half as good as last year, you’re in for a treat. ‘The Stage’ described Cinderella in 2011 as: “refreshingly different” with none of the predictable pop songs that accompany pantos. As this year’s Brucie Bonus, for the first time there’s live music to look forward to, that will accompany Simon Slater’s original music score.

The show’s writer and director James Barry - says Aladdin is the ultimate family pantomime: “It has an accessible story, a rich variety of characters, great comedy and the element of fantasy.” He says there’s plenty of the tradition associated with Aladdin that will delight the audience: “The action is set to take place between the bustling streets of Old Peking and the splendour of Egypt’s palaces, and we have some astonishing technical effects and magic to create the ‘Cave of Wonders’ and the flying carpet.”

Some familiar names will be returning from previous years, along with some new faces and a child cast of boys and girls recruited from the local community. Julian Eardley returns to play Widow Twankey, assisted

by Steve Ritchie who is making his Winchester debut as Wishee Washee.

Antony & Cleopatra

Reviewed By

Beccy Conway

Chichester Festival Theatre - 13th September 2012

beccy.conway@winchestertoday.co.uk

(a co-production with the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse)

∞∞∞∞∞ The Chichester Festival Theatre stage has just finished playing host to one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, during the three-week run up to its own close for refurbishment. In the wake of the Theatre’s fiftieth anniversary, their RENEW campaign is nearing its £22 million target ready for an eighteen month renovation project, beginning this autumn after the curtain falls on Antony and Cleopatra.

The production certainly does this momentous stage proud, combining a cast overflowing with experience with astute direction by Janet Suzman, who resourcefully adapts the Bard’s play for the Theatrein-the-Round stage design of The Festival Theatre.

Co-founder of the English Shakespeare Company, Michael Pennington, dons the stately robes of Mark Antony; the passion of his performance trounced only by that of Hollywood and theatre star Kim Cattrall, whose portrayal of Egyptian Empress Cleopatra has the audience captivated from entrance to tragic exit. Suzman herself took up the role of Cleopatra almost forty years ago and takes

full advantage of the pair’s talent, bringing to her direction a clear understanding of the complexity of

Shakespeare’s iconic characters.

Martin Hutson takes on the role of Antony’s ally-come-betrayer

Enobarbus is played by Ian Hogg, and he astonishes the audience with his villainous manipulation and betrayal of Antony in the second act. The rest of the cast of courtiers and soldiers complete this gripping tale with performances of fervent urgency, which are maintained wholly until the lights go down.

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Felicity McCormack also returns as Princess Jasmine, with West End performer Jon Deville starring as the evil Abanazer.

Aladdin is playing at Theatre Royal Winchester from Wednesday 12th December 2012 until Sunday 6th January 2013.

Octavius Caesar, with a performance ripe with desperation and anger. Coupled with the benevolence shown towards on-stage sister Octavia played sophisticatedly

by Ruth Everett, this makes for a hugely emotional performance.

Register for a place now on our next training start date (Sunday 27 January 2013) on news@winchestertoday.co.uk

The styling of the cast is overseen by costume supervisor Mary Charlton and is quite varied in design; there’s modern Egyptian inspired clothing for those in Cleopatra’s court and regal Eighteenth Century military attire for those in Antony’s legion. Caesar’s soldiers are seen in comparison dressed in modern day Armed Forces uniform, complete with machine guns by props supervisor Lisa Buckley, with Caesar himself dressed in a pin-striped suit.

Whilst this combination of costume styles could be imagined as clashing, it does in fact aid the audience’s appreciation of the various groups and character roles in the play. Along with designer Peter McIntosh’s modest staging of low-hung lights and minimalist set, made up mostly of chairs and ladders ascending to a raised gangway, this gives the auditorium poignancy appropriate of Shakespeare’s historic masterpiece of love, power and death.

14

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Turn it Up! Review: Bestival

Robin Hill Country Park, 6-9 September 2012 rebecca.rayner@winchestertoday.co.uk

From India to the Isle of Wight via monkey outfits, amazing food, huge trees and scene-gazing from a grassy hill… Bestival had much more than the music, as our Music Editor Rebecca Rayner discovered: As I walked down the hill towards Bestival in the darkness of Thursday night the magic hit me immediately.

In the distance, the wishing tree lit up the field with sparkles of light hanging from the sweeping branches. Music was playing in the distance and the site was alive. It was a sight like none I had seen before; I knew I was in for a treat being able to experience the amazing Bestival over the next few days.

Unlike other festivals, Bestival isn't just about the music, it’s about discovery. Whether that’s new music, amazing food from all over the world, hidden areas of culture and fun, learning something new or discovering new friends. As I took my first wander around the whole Bestival site on Friday morning I got lost in all the festival had to offer. A whole new world was set up in Robin Hill Country Park.

I found the Ambient forest with uv ping pong and an amphitheater which turns into an outdoor cinema at night; the Bollywood Field which looks as if you've stepped into India, with a Bollywood-inspired bus turned cocktail bar. I discovered giant robots at Arcadia’s amazing mechanical cabaret which combines amazing robotic displays with rising flames, lasers and DJs. My favourite place to spend a sunny morning was sitting on a grassy hill and listening to the great music provided by the bandstand, just like being in a beautiful park but better.

There is so much going on at Bestival, it’s impossible to see and do everything; there are about 25 different stages with music going on into the early hours of the morning.

As part of Bestival tradition, each year has a fancy dress theme. This year’s wildlife theme blew me away.

The art on the programme and the main stage was spectacular; whimsical

paintings of foxes, owls and butterflies leaping out of a woodland background provided the perfect setting. The fancy dress followed the same amazing lines, showing the inspiring creativity of the festival goers unlike any festival I have been before. There were herds of handmade jelly fish costumes made from umbrellas, a group of toadstools whose hats were sewn from scratch, peacock feathers adorning everything - and of course every animal related one under the sun. On Saturday this fancy dress was bought together in a spectacular wildlife carnival parading the site as one big Bestival family.

Aside from the amazement that Bestival provided, the music was still the best part of the festival. There was such variety; safe to say there was something for everyone across all the stages. I had a great time watching some extremely talented artists.

On Friday The xx captured me; it was easy to get lost in the sound of deep emotion as the smoke swept across the stage providing a shroud

of mystery. ‘Angels’ gave me goosebumps as Romy Madley Croft’s enchanted voice whispered words of love over the soft bellowing notes of her guitar.

Florence And The Machine followed with a set bursting with energy.

Florence ran barefoot across the stage and down to the audience looking like

Mother Nature herself in her flowing green dress.

Saturday followed with an excellent and eccentric lineup on main stage, mixing cult disco legends Sister Sledge and The Earth Wind and Fire experience with De La Soul, indie band of the moment Two Door Cinema Club and the headline act of the night New Order.

Across the smaller stages the party was certainly going down; Rudimental, Nero and Justice pleased the crowds well in to the early hours bringing festival goers into the last magical 24 hours of Bestival and towards the legend closing the whole show - Stevie Wonder. In anticipation for the main man himself some great acts kept the masses thoroughly entertained. Rizzle Kicks and Bat for Lashes performed on main stage whilst Brooklyn new comers Friends gave the crowds a huge dose of there quirky sugar coated pop sound. The Replay with Rob Da Bank stage

showcased some amazing talent throughout the weekend with Sunday being particularly exciting with King Charles and Kate Nash performing in the early evening.

The weekend drew to a magnificent close after Stevie Wonder blew the crowd away; fireworks took to the sky and upped everyone’s excitement levels to max; the perfect ending to a bizarrely magical weekend.

I've been left with some life-long memories and discovered some amazing new music. Bestival is for sure the most inspiring festival of them all - conjuring up what feels close to true magic.

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 15

Food

Sakura - Japanese Cuisine

Located in Jewry Street, can they beat the Budget?

TWO TIMES THIRTY. Okay, here’s the deal in our food reviews. We know that people don’t have a lot of money, so we have challenged all our reviewers to take a friend with them and try and get at least two courses – and then see if they have anything left for shopping - for a budget of £30 each. We don’t tell the restaurant when we are coming, and we pay our own bills. First up for Dina Burgess: a trip to the Sakura Japanese restaurant in Jewry Street.

I must admit that when I was asked to review Winchester’s new Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant, Sakura, I wasn’t actually sure what Teppanyaki was. I had a vague idea it was something to do with having your food cooked in front of you but that was about it.

The restaurant looks sophisticated and chic with the Teppanyaki bar taking pride of place in the room. If you prefer to forgo the Teppanyaki then there is a huge choice of traditional Japanese specialities to choose from and you can opt for a quiet table

away from the grill. However, to do so would be to ignore a fun, unusual and highly social dining experience.

The bar seats about fifteen people and we were seated next to three others who were also new to Teppanyaki. In addition to the traditional menu, there are several Teppanyaki set menu options and we opted for three courses at £29.

We were brought the best miso soup I have tasted followed by a selection of starters including sushi and dumplings.

Next it was time for the Teppanyaki which turned out to be as much about the entertainment skills of the chef as the food.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about the show element of the cooking as the surprise at what the chef might do next is all part of the fun. I will say that it involved some very nifty knife juggling and some audience participation which really broke the ice between us and our fellow diners so by the end of the evening we were chatting like old friends.

There is a choice of three meats or fish from a list of six including steak, salmon and prawns. We went for duck, scallops and chicken.

It is then served to you one dish at a time along with rice and stir fried vegetables. I’d definitely go for the egg fried rice as it’s cooked creatively in front of you. The scallops were absolutely delicious, with their juicy sweetness intact. The meat was also cooked to perfection and the vegetables were fresh and crunchy and not overly oily.

To finish we were offered a choice of ice cream, fruit salad or tempura bananas. We had the latter which were surprisingly light and not at all greasy.

I washed this all down with a glass of merlot for £4.25 from the extensive wine list.

All in all it was a really fun night out with terrific food. It’s the perfect way to have a meal with old friends but also a great way to make new ones. I’d recommend booking if you want to be in the midst of the Teppanyaki action but if you want a quiet meal for two, it’s ideal for that as well.

THE VERDICT BUDGET £60 TWO SET MEALS OF THREE COURSES @ £29 each = £58 LEFT FOR SHOPPING: £2, (and drinks had to be extra.)

Stars: FOOD ∞∞∞∞∞ AMBIENCE ∞∞∞∞∞ VALUE FOR MONEY ∞∞∞∞∞

16

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Think!

Sudoku

St.Cross-word N°003

Difficulty: Medium Hard

Concise crossword for a quick break 1

2

4

3

6

5

8

7

9

11

10

13

14

15

12

16

17

18 19

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23

1 Philip ... Author (7) 3 Unhonoured (7) 4 South Pacific island (6) 5 Willing (4) 6 Body part (3) 7 Cheeky (5) 11 Bite quickly (3) 12 Drink (3) 13 Rowboat device (3) 14 Expected (3) 16 Paper folding (7) 17 Joyce book (7) 18 Custodian (6) 19 Freight (5) 21 Musical band (2,2) 23 Stitch (3)

24

25

Scribble space:

Classifieds

Easy!

In Town?

Just drop in to see our friends at:

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Mail Boxes Etc at 80 High Street - and fill in the form!

2 Large country (9) 8 Bath accessory (6) 9 Acid test (6) 10 Declare (5) 11 Inquisitive Colloq. (5) 13 Strange (3) 15 Soda drink (3) 19 Swear (5) 20 Ship’s room (5) 22 Rural (6) 24 Curtains (6) 25 Midwestern US State (9)

Down:

21 22

Across:

Answers to St.Cross-word 002: Across: 2.projector 7.track and field 9.linger 11.beetle 13.yen 15.gone 16.dig 18.bind 20.bit 22.effigy 24.gander 27.vladimir putin 28.high pitch Down: 1.catalogue 2.prawn 3.orkney 4.etna 5.toffee 6.bed 8.eat 10.red 12.endurance 14.nib 17.gig 19.agoing 21.tar pit 23.FIA 25.ditch 26.pimp 27.veg

answers in the next issue

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NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 17

Film & Interview

Review The Sweeney (15)

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Drew, Hayley Atwell, Damian Lewis Director: Nick Love

By Dina Burgess Out on DVD 20th January, 2013 “Re-imagining”, “re-awakening”, “rejuvenation”, these are some of the often pretentious words used by directors these days to describe a remake. Personally I prefer regurgitation.

However, none of these words really apply to director, Nick Love’s big screen adaptation of the classic British television police series, The Sweeney, because there’s actually very little to link it to the original. That’s probably just as well in some ways, as keeping it strictly to its TV namesake would undoubtedly limit its audience to those of us old enough to remember

Carter and Regan the first time round.

However, updating it to modern day London and including one heck of an impressive action scene in Trafalgar Square, may give the film wider appeal but could risk alienating fans of the original Sweeney.

As a big screen outing in its own right this film is visually breathtaking with sweeping London backdrops and head spinning chase and action sequences. It’s not claiming to be a faithful rendition of the much-loved series but it is trying to recreate its essence while updating it for the modern viewer. Fair enough, but even taking it as a stand-alone film, forgetting about the original for a moment,

“Oi! You’re Nicked Dina!”

The Ray Win’chester’stone Interview

When taking on something as dear to the British public’s hearts as classic cop drama, The Sweeney, it’s vital to get the right people in the starring roles. After all, Regan and Carter are

considered him a friend as well as a colleague: “I was lucky enough to work with John Thaw on, I think it was four, separate occasions....I liked him as a man as well as an actor, he was a fantastic actor. He was an icon.

That was one of the things about doing this when we came to do it. I kind of thought to myself: ‘how do you follow that? How do you try and make that better or even as good?’ But you can’t, it’s impossible. The man was fantastic

as much a British institution as fish and chips or tea and cake. Get the balance wrong and the project would be doomed from the start.

When it came to Regan, played in the original by John Thaw, director Tim Love knew from the start that there was only one man for the part.

However, actor Ray admits it was a fairly daunting task to try and fill the Thaw’s shoes especially as he

at what he did, so you have to try and reinvent it and make it your own.”

Winstone admits to being a huge fan of the original TV series and thinks it has paved the way for the grittier cop shows we see on television today both here in the UK, and in the US: “It was kind of ground breaking TV at the time. You had Dixon of Dock Green and Softly Softly which were great shows in their own right but this

Casting a remake of an iconic classic must be a nightmare. Winchester Today’s Dina Burgess has the tough job of meeting top bloke Ray Winstone to see if they managed it for The Sweeney.

Damian Lewis (right), recently of Homeland fame play’s the role of Regan’s Department Chief.

there are some fundamental problems.

Firstly Ben Drew (aka rapper, Plan B) doesn’t really convince as Carter.

He comes across pretty much as he comes across in real life albeit with a few angst ridden expressions thrown in for good measure. He may have a multitude of talents but I’m not sure acting is one of them. Luckily the rest of the cast are pretty strong and Ray Winstone is at his hard guy best as old school copper, Regan, the unlikely sex symbol of the film as he demonstrates an interesting array of underpants in the various sex scenes he shares with his gorgeous co-star, Hayley Atwell.

Secondly, considering it’s not meant

to be taken too seriously, there just isn’t enough humour -which is a shame as Winstone is so good at delivering dry one-liners.

Thirdly, the interrogation scenes involving various suspects take place in white rooms, with London landmarks dominating the background, with no lawyers or taperecorders. The headquarters of the Flying Squad are terribly glamorous and bear no resemblance to the formica tables and peeling paint that we came to expect from the TV show. Again, all fine if it’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek but without the right balance of humour it just comes across

as daft and unbelievable.

Overall this is a visually stunning film but with very little substance.

There’s a lot to look at, but not much going on underneath. There’s no doubt that a lot has been achieved with a relatively small amount of money. Actionwise it will hold its own alongside many bigger budgeted Hollywood blockbusters. But sadly that’s all it has to offer really. If it had sent itself up a bit more it might have just got away with it.

was probably the first show that I can remember that came on TV that was down and dirty if you like and I think we could all kinda relate to it in a way, well where I lived you could anyway!

So it was kinda real on TV and I think it was probably groundbreaking all over the world. Now you’ve got shows like The Wire in America ... they may be updated, but it all kind of, for me, came from The Sweeney.”

I have met Ray before, and am always delighted to interview him because you know what you’re going to get. He’s always polite, forthcoming and chatty, whatever mood he might be in, and is the proverbial ‘diamond geezer’ a proper Cockney with a twinkle in his eye.

There’s something reassuringly old fashioned about him. He always dresses smartly for press events, stands up when a woman enters the room and answers every question politely. He’s the kind of bloke older men identify with, younger men aspire to be and women want to be protected (amongst other things) by. And yet only a fool would want to get on the wrong side of him, especially as he was champion boxer as a schoolboy before he turned his attention to acting.

He has appeared in a huge range of films from Hollywood blockbusters such as Cold Mountain and The Departed to British TV series including Robin of Sherwood and Great Expectations. He’s no stranger to the theatre either and recently became an ambassador for The Two Worlds of Charlie F, a new play devised and performed by a cast of wounded soldiers at London’s Theatre Royal.

At 55, Winstone is the oldest cast member on The Sweeney but holds his own in the action scenes with his

younger co-stars, frequently showing how it should be done. While some older actors bemoan having to give up the parts they easily took on as young men, Winstone embraces change and says working with younger actors keeps him on his toes: “I turn up on a film and I’m not necessarily 100% sure of what I’m going to do or how I’m going to go about it. I think you’re thinking about it all the time and you don’t really know you are... with young actors they are so far in front of what we were when we were that age, and probably still are at my age now. It ups your game. It kind of reminds you of the basics that you forget about.... it’s just those basic techniques that you knew as a young man that stood you in good stead.”

We get to see quite a lot of Winstone (and there is quite a lot of Winstone to see) semi-clad as he has several steamy scenes with Hayley Atwell who plays Regan’s love interest. With most film actors you can imagine a lot of thought goes into what they will look like naked, what underwear they’ll be wearing etc. Not so with our Ray who admits the only reason he is wearing rather striking bright yellow

pants in one scene is because those were the ones he happened to put on before going to work! It’s that lack of self-consciousness that makes him so endearing. He’s been married for 33 years to Elaine (with whom he has three children) and is recognised as having one of the strongest marriages in showbiz. Perhaps this is because he has more or less managed to keep his private life out of the limelight although his actress daughter Jaime has had more than her fair share of tabloid coverage.

I suggest the sex scenes in this film will seal his growing reputation as an unlikely sex symbol. He gives his trademark raspy chuckle: “As a sex symbol, I dunno what is appealing to women! I’m a 55 year old fat man, you know, and I think it’s the way you treat women that makes you sexy if you like. You gotta be genuine, you gotta be a bit of a gentleman and a bit of a rogue at the same time but if you try and set out to be that you’re never going to achieve it..... I haven’t got a clue but if I am (a sex symbol) fantastic! I love every minute of it.”

∞∞∞∞∞

dina.burgess@winchestertoday.co.uk

18

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Entertainment Laura’s Downton Abbey

We’ve been expecting you, Mr Bond…

Former college student graces our screens

Laura Carmichael

Period drama Downton Abbey may not have had the huge success expected of it at the Emmys recently – but fans of the itv1 BAFTA awardwinning show will have been delighted to see the return of the third series.

Amongst those on screen you will find Laura Carmichael – the 25-yearold former Peter Symonds ‘A’ level student - playing Lady Edith Crawley.

This year Laura has had a chance to enjoy Downton Abbey’s growing global reputation. In May, both she and Michelle Dockery went to New York for the Met Ball, the fashion industry’s ‘night of nights’: “It was crazy. It was like Madame Tussauds every famous face you’ve ever known was there. They were all smiling at us and talking to us about… our show!

Edward Norton came up to us in a restaurant and said he liked Downton.

Mark Ruffalo, who’s awesome, came over… Brooke Shields, Mick Jagger… it was insane. And lots of fashion people too, designers, talking about how they love it and the costumes. So it’s been really exciting.

Plus we’ve got about eight different spoofs on American chat shows – that’s how you know you’ve arrived!”

And yet, she says, it was a phenomenon that none of the cast expected: “It was my first TV role. To be in such good company, and the fact that people like it, and they talk about it, it’s just an added bonus. I just can’t get over how

Picture:ITV

kind people are – the big stars want to help you. They share stories, and make you laugh all day long. It’s a really good discipline for us younger ones to see that there’s absolutely no need to behave like a diva because we work with the best and they’re not like that.”

Laura needs little prompting to recall this season’s highlight: “When Shirley [MacLaine] pulled up at the house and she gets out of the car, Brian [Percival, Director] had to come up to me, Jess and Michelle and say, ‘Girls, close your mouths. She’s your grandmother – she’s not Shirley MacLaine. Just try and chill out a bit.’ We were just going, ‘SHIRLEY MACLAINE!!’ It was hard to remember you were acting when you were completely in awe.”

Her ‘sulky’ character still captures the viewers’ imaginations with her unlucky love ventures. But in real life the future for Laura is as rosy as ever, as she is set to make her West End debut as Sonya in Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at the Vaudeville Theatre. Laura will be performing alongside Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West. The play will be running throughout this November.

Sign of the times at the Everyman Cinema in Winchester the day after Skyfall’s release

We’re not going to review it; there simply is no need. We’re not going to tell you what happens either. It is the best Bond film, ever. End of.

Daniel Craig himself told Winchester Today that you CAN believe the hype: “There’s plenty of action, there’s a great storyline, so yeah I’m just

keeping schtum! I’m very proud of it – it’s a great Bond movie. We had some very clear-cut plans for the film, not least of all having a good script. There were some things that we wanted to achieve, and I genuinely feel like we have achieved them and – thankfully - many, many more. ” Daniel has also paid tribute to the

Review Not Out First Ball:

Celebrating 25 Years of the White Hunter Cricket Club

By Kevin Gover

College Principal Neil Hopkins says everyone at Peter Symonds is delighted for Laura’s continued success, and wish her all the very best for her future career.

English Test legend David Gower speaks at the book’s launch.

Authors: Roger MorganGrenville and Richard Perkins Foreword by David Gower Bene Factum Publishing £9.99 Not so long ago, I used to live in a converted hospital in a village north of Dorchester in Dorset. It was one of those places where the patients came for a long time to convalesce – and one of the many splendid things to enjoy in the grounds was the fact that they had a cricket pitch. All you could see from the pitch were the surrounding Dorset hills. It was beautiful.

I would sit there for hours watching

the teams – and what teams they were.

There were 18-year-olds playing alongside 55-year olds who couldn’t wait to get to the pub. Slogging away, bashing the ball over the ropes, and then halting play for 10 minutes while they tried to find the ball. On one of those long summer evenings, they were still there at 10pm, even though they could hardly see the ball. Cricket – the quintessential part of English village life, for all levels, for all skills; just turn up on the day.

So it is with this book, where everyone has a Name - but not their own. The story of how the White Hunters actually got their own ground as the scheduled match at another ground became rained off. How cricket matches should actually start at 8.30 in the morning because the weather is better, but don’t because jobs get in the way.

Above all, it is the tale of camaraderie. You stick at it, and as I explained through my own watching of village cricket, you don’t criticise because you want 11 men to turn up. And escapism – as wonderfully described in the book. Which would you rather do? Field at long-off in the evening sunshine and be away from the emails and the mobile – or be involved constantly in the rat-race? That cricket is about laughter at your team-mates successes and failures – and that

work put into the film by director Sam Mendes: “He’s a life-long Bond fan and has thrown himself into this, and has thrown himself into the whole huge machine that is a Bond movie. He’s got a huge amount of confidence and know-how; he’s a great manmanager and he’s a superb director, so we couldn’t be in a better place.” cricket is from a time when things moved more slowly. I laughed out loud at the bits concerning team selection.

What do you do when everyone turns up? Especially if it’s 12? Easy – hope that the other side only have 10, and give them one of yours!

Speaking recently at the launch at One Tree Books in Lavant Street in Petersfield, David Gower joked about his involvement: “I feel that I should speak in proportion to the amount of effort I’ve put into this book… so thank you for coming, and good night!”

After the laughter had died down, he remembered that it was a pleasure to meet up: “I met the group at a dinner in Alresford when someone asked if I wouldn’t mind coming to see them.

They didn’t look like cricketers, didn’t talk like cricketers and cricket was a minor part of the conversation and that was my first link with The White Hunters. Here we are now, years down the line, and things have moved on in many ways. The book arrived from the Land Agent with a note saying ‘You’ll quite like this’ – and I did. I think I took it to read at a Test Match rather than watch the cricket… 5 days can seem a long time! I giggled a lot. To be re-connected with cricket at grass roots level was an absolute pleasure.

The foreword didn’t take too much out of me! So, I wish the authors, the publisher and everyone connected with it the Best of British!”

A must for all lovers of village cricket.

NOVEMBER 2012 WINCHESTER TODAY 19

Bit at the Back

Bit at the Back

The new reader requested section featuring a look back at the forgotten past

By Kevin Gover kevin.gover@ winchestertoday.co.uk Welcome to the Bit at the Back - notes and memories for boys and girls of a ‘certain age’. I hope that some of you will go “wow” when you see what I have in store here over the next few editions. If not… well, you’re probably not of that ‘certain age’. Nevertheless, you may want to bear with those of us who are – and discover what we are re-discovering! If indeed your memory has been stirred, please do get in contact and tell us what you think.

Something to Do Anyone remember this gem of a book? Originally released in 1966 and discovered by me through junior school in around 1971. Seven authors got together and came up with thoughts and ideas set out in calendar months.

Each month had a poem, what to do indoors and outdoors, what to make and what to look out for. This edition of Winchester Today is out at the end of October and that’s the month from the

book that I always remember. It talks of autumn leaves, chestnuts, berries, hedgehogs, Halloween, looking after your bike, making miniature tables and chairs out of conkers – and giraffes out of pipe cleaners. The book is written with a certain charm that will also have you thinking: “where on earth can I buy some blotting paper?”

This book would have set you back a whopping 25p. Worth every single penny.

The Commodore 64

when I was a lad.

This summer saw the 30th birthday of the Commodore 64.

Yes, the one that cost $595 in 1982 and would get you 64kb of RAM. As many as 17 million are thought to have been sold as it stayed on the market for an astonishing 12 years.

Here are some happy memories of the early days of PCs

by Nick Bulfin at Rooster Digital.

Box in the Attic by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

This is the part where we re-discover the old vinyl that’s in the box in your attic. The box that you really should bring down, open up and then stick the vinyl on the record deck that we’re sure you still have. Alternatively, buy the CD!

It’s 1982, and I’m just about to turn 11 years old.

“What do you want for your birthday?” my Dad asks. “I want a Commodore 64 computer” I replied.

THE DISC: Two Days Away RELEASED: 1977 on A & M THE DEAL: Recorded in London and New York in 1976, and produced

“Computer at home?” my dad says… “Only large corporate companies have them and they take up a room the size of our lounge!”

Includes two Top 10 singles.

FEATURES: Sunshine After the Rain, Pearl’s a Singer, Spiritland, Honey, Can I Put On Your Clothes.

WHY: One of her finest albums and worth so much more than just the two hit singles. Elkie’s voice is amazing, her band is amazing, the horn section is huge, all the instruments are real, there’s not a synthesiser in sight. You can sing along in full gusto and dream of New York in equal measures.

WHY NOT: Er… really can’t think of anything!

“No dad, not anymore… you can now get a Commodore 64. It’s the size of a typewriter and you can play games on it!”

It was a pretty cool machine.

Obviously nothing like computers today, but for its time it was a real personal computer breakthrough.

Graphics wise, the football games had square balls and about 4 colours - but great fun.

I would sit for days programming it to make a little man run around the screen while playing bleeping music - or have it repeat my name across the screen with a 40 go to 10 command. Those were the days!

Internet, what was that? These machines were gaming monsters of the 80s, loaded via a cassette deck, or 5 1/2 inch disk if you were posh.

It took hours to load, but it was well worth the wait.

Hours were wasted playing Pac Man, Manic Miner and Jet set Willy - then arguing in the playground between the C64 and ZX Spectrum: "Mine's better than yours” was often heard being shouted across the land.

Who would have thought that 30 years later we would be playing games on our phones, with graphics far superior to those early computers; that we would have the internet where you can find, buy and share anything you like at the

click of a button - or social media where you can share your thoughts with the world 24/7.

And there was little old me: a child of the 80s who first started using the C64, ZX Spectrum and BBC micro computers, and who is now running Rooster Digital - a full service digital agency that builds online websites, games and mobile apps around the world.

That’s where it all started; thanks for the memories.

Nick (and Jon Williams and Chris Tyler-Smith) - Rooster Digital

Interested in becoming a sport contributor? Drop us a line to news@winchestertoday.co.uk

Sport

20

WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2012

Inside: Food, Classifieds, David Gower speaks & More

Kings of the 1-dayers!

Hampshire managed to secure both the 40 and 20 over titles this season.

By Kevin Gover This is the first chance we have had to say congratulations to the Hampshire Royals on their two 1-day successes which saw them lift the Clydesdale Bank 40 Final at Lord’s on Saturday 15th September, just a month after the Friends Life t20 Final in Cardiff.

virtue of losing fewer wickets than their opponents, the Warwickshire Bears, despite both teams notching up 244.

It was a final ball thriller to add to a long list of final-ball and final-over thrillers – the Bears needing five off two. They struck a four – and all of the Hampshire supporters were silent; maybe the weight of expec-

tation too much to bear. But then a full toss was missed by the batsman, Michael Bates took it beautifully and whipped the bails off to make sure the ball was dead and no run could be taken. Cue rapture, delirium, mayhem!

The next date on the calendar for Hampshire was the T20 Champions

It was there that they entered as underdogs, with the might of Somerset and Sussex also in the semi-finals who were both hotly tipped to win the top spot. But for the Hampshire lads it was their performances not the odds that they were focussing on, managing to topple both Sussex and finally Yorkshire to win the title. When they met Warwickshire in the CB40 final they were still second favourite.

As they admit themselves, the Hampshire Royals don’t do things the easy way... but somehow they do get them done! Led by their inspirational captain, Jimmy Adams, who scored 66 to set his team en route to victory, they secured a win by

Introducing:

Bit at the Back Turn the page now to see what’s new inside!

Photos: Dave Vokes at LMI Photography

League tournament in South Africa alongside Yorkshire. It was here though, that the string of success ended. Despite the efforts of Michael Carberry and Glen Maxwell with the bat, the team were unable to get a win in the Qualifying stage and had to get an early flight back home to get ready for a surely competitie home 2013 season.