Winchester Today - September 2018

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Xxxxxxx 2018

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SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 043

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DON’T GIVE UP ON US! Universities in Hampshire make plea as fewer students consider higher education

Our part in World Record page 3

Meanwhile, Barton Peveril students celebrate their best results ever

By KEVIN GOVER News Editor

FESTIVAL BLOOMS RETURN Winchester Cathedral Flower Festival returns this year with Illumination: A Festival of Flowers from 5 to 9 September. This year’s Flower Festival will feature a stunning array of flower arrangements inspired by the magnificent Winchester Bible, the largest and finest surviving 12th-century English bible.

This year’s eagerly anticipated festival follows two spectacular and highly regarded flower festivals in 2013 and 2015 (pictured) and the Cathedral will once again be transformed by striking and fragrant floral displays.

DESPITE a stunning set of A level results across Hampshire, it seems that may end up being the highest level for some students who have no intention whatsoever of racking up mountains of student debt. On the day the results came out, it also transpired that fewer students think university education is important.

An IPSOS Mori poll on behalf of the Sutton Trust suggested that only 75% of them think it’s important to go on to higher education - in 2013 it was 86%.

Also, half of students are worried about the cost of uni, but 77% want to go.

They also see “no viable alternative” to university.

The University of Southampton plays a huge part in the life of students in Winchester and gave this reaction to Winchester Today: “The Sutton Trust poll is interesting as the respondents are very young - aged 11-16 - so still forming their views on what the future holds and how university might play a part in

their career plans. Those opinions are important but open to change as they experience education - and life - during their formative years.

“University may prove not to be the best option for everyone but our strategy is to engage with students early in their educational journey, and to work with them in a targeted, long-term manner throughout their primary, secondary and further education, providing information and advice at key decision and transition points.

“For example, our ‘Learn with US’ outreach programme engages with students from Years 6–13 (approx aged 10-18) through a combination of aspiration and attainment raising activity with opportunities for them to interact with and learn from our staff and students across the University.

Barton Peveril School Principal Jonathan Prest also wanted to stress to Winchester Today that from his school’s point of view, the interest in University life is still strong: “Today we are

contined on page 2 ➜

First look at chapel renewal page 7

Cathedral’s stunning art restored page 16

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September 2018

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Look up, my friends…

I love it when I’ve got a theme, it’s almost like we’re slightly organised!

You’ll really have to look up for our first subject. As you will read elsewhere, we’ve unwittingly become involved in a World Record attempt to make a huge papier mache version of an African elephant through using old copies of our newspaper. Look up - the elephant will tower over you!

It’s the work of our friend Holly Budge to raise awareness of the plight of this beautiful creature. Holly is really pleased that we’ve come on board: “I’m delighted to be using

ABOUT US

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n EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Kevin Gover kevin@winchestertoday.co.uk n CONTRIBUTORS • David Cradduck • Drew White • Gavin Harris • Rachel Gover • Helena Gomm • John Ellery • Chrissie Pollard • Freya Storey • Eleanor Marsden n LAYOUT DESIGN • Jon Heal

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Winchester Today to make my Guinness World Record paper mache elephant. At the time of writing this, it’s still very much a work in progress but so far I have used 2,000 copies of WT! It’s been a great way to catch up on the local news!

This is an ambitious project to raise awareness of the plight of African elephants, using art & design as a powerful tool to bridge the gap between scientific data and human connection. Huge thanks for your ongoing support.” *****

Look up, my friends…

Have you ever been to the Royal Victoria Country Park? Just go! Look at the new exhibition but look up at the ceiling. Look up at the bell in the Tower.

Go outside and look up at the very top of the building. Amazing. ***** Look up, my friends…

Walk along Parchment Street, and if you’re there at the right moment you’ll see the sun’s rays caught by the Kite Flyer (see left). I was there at the right moment. Looking up!

Kevin Gover

➜ contined from page 1

immensely proud of the achievements of Barton Peveril students and we congratulate each and every one of them on their success.

“Over three quarters of our leavers will be starting courses at University this year or next, including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and other top Russell Group Universities. Alternative destinations for students include top Conservatoires and highly sought after Degree and Higher Apprenticeships.

“The proportion of students choosing to go to University has remained fairly constant over the past four years.

We have not seen a large increase in Higher or Degree apprenticeships.

Nationally there are only 5,000 degree apprenticeships offers made this year through UCAS as against approximately 350,000 degrees - so I cannot see these proportions changing quickly.”

Over three quarters of our leavers will be starting courses at University this year or next

GOONS REVISITED THE radio comedy classic The Goon Show comes to life on Theatre Royal Winchester’s stage on Saturday 22 September.

In 1951 the landscape of British comedy changed dramatically when The Goon Show burst onto the airwaves of the BBC Home Service. Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and co. brought a brand of surreal chaotic humour unlike anything that had been heard before and revolutionised the way radio comedy was produced.

With its bizarre characters, fantastical plot and hilarious running jokes, The Goon Show captured the imagination of the British public and made household names of its three main stars, all of whom would go on to achieve fame across the globe. The show’s influence is still felt today with comedians like Eddie Izzard citing the show as a major influence.

Apollo Theatre Company and Spike Milligan Productions are proud to team up to celebrate Spike’s centenary year

The Goon Show captured the imagination of the British public by bringing this timeless comedy classic to the stage in the first major theatrical production of the show in its illustrious history.

The Goon Show will be at Theatre Royal Winchester on Saturday 22 September at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from theatreroyalwinchester. co.uk and from the Box Office 01962 840 440.

SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO WSFF_2018

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September 2018

MOUNTAINS OF PAPER! Winchester Today proud to be involved in World Record attempt WE knew our leftover newspapers would come in handy one day… we just didn’t know how and when!

Hampshire-based adventurer and conservationist, Holly Budge, is pictured here making preliminary work ahead of attempting to gain her third World Record to raise global awareness of the devastating impact of the elephant ivory trade and of her award-winning campaign, ‘How Many Elephants’.

The feat at the Alresford Show was to build a life-size paper mache African bull elephant standing tall at 3.96m (the previous world record for the largest paper mache structure is 3.82m). The model is a collaboration with Paul Baker, who is based locally in Tichborne Down.

The elephant had to be made only in paper mache to conform with the official record rules. The result will not only make a powerful and impactful piece of art but will be the biggest paper mache structure on record. And most of that paper is from us!

Louise Caldwell is a Year 2 teacher at St Swithun’s School: “Holly is committed to building a fantastic network of engaged young people in our district, inspiring the next generation of conservationists.

“The children in our school were excited to have Holly come to the school, as it’s not every day a real life adventurer

It’s not every day a real life adventurer comes to visit who has summited Everest, raced across Mongolia on horseback and skydived off a mountain comes to visit!

“Holly’s voluntary workshops have also empowered our children, teachers and parents to live with purpose, to embrace challenges and to realise we are never too small to make a difference.”

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Squirt and Squidge

It’s the little things that count Freya Storey continues to share her life as a mum-of-two REMEMBER your manners. That’s phrase that reverberated throughout my childhood. Whether it was going to a friend’s house for dinner, or in latter years going for a job interview I was brought up with a strong sense that manners were important.

I began thinking about manners and their place in modern society the other day when I was handing out snacks to a group of children. Upon giving the snack I expected a ‘thank you’ in response. I received few and was left feeling a bit bemused. I wondered why only a handful of the children had bothered to say thank you or hardly even acknowledge the fact that they had been given a snack.

In fact, I made a point of talking to the children and telling them the importance of saying thank you and smiling at the person when they were doing them a favour (poor kids!)

It got me thinking about traditional values and how things are so ‘on demand’ nowadays for children. There is a certain air that things just happen without hesitation or question, as if it is just the ‘expectation.’ Is it all linked to the ‘rush culture’, or perhaps is it because children don’t see manners ‘in action’ as much as they used to, we are living in a far more disjointed ‘real time’ through ‘screen time’ lifestyle rather

September 2018

YOU CAN READ PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF FREYA’S BLOG AT SQUIRTANDSQUIDGE.COM also in some ways incredibly kind and humbling.

In our house I like to think manners still play an important part of our makeup; I get cross with the kids if they forget their ‘pleases’ or ‘thank yous’. I hope to make sure they appreciate what they have been given, and understand it is a ‘gift’ and not a ‘given.’

I still believe in the effort of a thank you card and the importance of children writing them with you, rather than a text or a social media one-liner.

This most recent example, I guess sums it up for me: A friend of mine recently sent her little girl off to Secondary school for her ‘taster session’, we talked about feelings around the transition and how she felt, to which she refreshingly replied: “You know what I told her that the most important thing was to remember her manners.” I smiled and thought how true, making a good first impression and being polite I believe will still get you off on the right foot and show your level of respect and decency.

I still believe in the effort of a thank you card than observing social practices in action.

Perhaps also there has been a big cultural shift towards manners. For example, I see myself as a bit of a feminist, I like to be treated equal to men in the workplace, I like to think my opinions and thoughts are regarded as highly as my male counterparts and I feel thankful to those incredible women (and men) who have helped get women to where we are now. But ... I do also like it if my husband were to dash round and open the car door for me as I am getting out horrendously old fashioned I know, but

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Warmer Weather Bumper For Butterflies THE dramatic change in weather since last summer has seen a huge improvement for many species of British butterfly and has been noted here in Hampshire. Members of the Forestry Commission teamed up with Forest Holidays to support the nationwide Big Butterfly Count at Basing Wood, spotting seven different species in just 15 minutes.

Earlier this year the Forestry Commission met with Butterfly Conservation to discuss a permanent butterfly monitoring scheme at Basing Wood. A peak count of 310 butterflies was recorded on 2nd July.

Jay Doyle is Ecologist for the Forestry Commission: “This project seeks to provide benefit for both people and wildlife by expanding wildlife habitat, enhancing public access and improving engagement with wildlife conservation.

We will soon be installing signage to show visitors where best to see a variety of butterflies in the wood. Early indications are promising with many species seen flying in Basing Wood this summer.”

Early indications following recent enhancement works to the area, suggest woodland and edge habitat butterfly species are responding well, with species such as the Small Blue, Meadow Brown and Silver Washed Fritillary appearing in good numbers. Alison Seymour is the Forest Ranger for Forest Holidays at nearby Blackwood Forest location, and

Increasing: Spotting the Common Blue (above) and Speckled Wood

participated in the Basing Wood count: “At Blackwood Forest we have spotted two Purple Emperor butterflies already this year which is really exciting news. It proves that the landscape management that we are doing is working and providing suitable habitat for them to thrive.”

As well as creating an ideal habitat for many species of butterfly, the scrubby grassland margins with patches of bare earth support a broader variety of wildlife including barn owls, dormice

It proves that the landscape management is working

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and grass snakes.

Simon Holloway is Wildlife Ranger for the Forestry Commission: “This is a great example of how a local project designed to enhance habitat for a particular type of species actually has wider benefits for other species, the woodland and the local community. I’m impressed by the variety of butterflies we saw on this one count day and look forward to working with others to continually improve the habitat for butterflies here, and to monitor their populations.”

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September 2018

From the archive: September 2013 issue

5 YEARS AGO

A property development in Hatherley Road hit the headlines when an early morning fire forced the evacuation of ten neighbouring houses.

As you can see, the heat was so intense that it melted the streetlight.

34 fire crew attended the scene from Winchester, Basingstoke, Redbridge, St Mary’s and Eastleigh.

The heat was so intense that it melted the streetlight WE also brought you news in our September 2013 issue that a successful second round application from the Heritage Lottery Fund had resulted in a £10.5m boost for Winchester Cathedral. The national grant was awarded to enable essential repairs to the Cathedral fabric, conserve its medieval windows, and will also

Evacuated: The scene at Hatherley Road

Photo: Hampshire Fire and Rescue

enable the development of three new major exhibitions.

The Cathedral’s Receiver General, Canon Annabelle Boyes, spoke of how their confidence has come true: “Last year I was able to say that I was delighted that we were in a position where we could realistically look forward to the day when we could fulfil some long held aspirations for repairs, conservation and the significant enhancement of what we offer our visitors. I am delighted to be able to say that work can commence, thanks to this significant contribution from the HLF.” Winchester & Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine told Winchester Today that he welcomed the decision: “This is such good news. I have recently been into the Cathedral to see the plans and the vision the team have so I couldn’t be more pleased they can now be fully realised.

“This building is so much part of Winchester but also of our nation so it’s quite fitting the national lottery can help it thrive and reach out to the next generation in this way.”

It was expected that work would commence on the urgent repairs in the early Autumn and the conservation and exhibition projects will follow shortly.

BRAD TAYLOR AWARDED NEW CONTRACT EXTENSION Player is “raring to contribute”

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

HAMPSHIRE Cricket are delighted to announce that Brad Taylor has signed a new contract extension with the Club.

Taylor is an Academy product who has moved through the Hampshire ranks in recent years, and has committed his future to the Ageas Bowl until at least the end of 2019.

The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout Royal London One-Day campaign contributing with both bat and ball in the 50-over triumph this year, and his consistent spells and valuable middleorder runs saw him cement his place in the List A side, before an unfortunate injury cut short his season before the start of the 2018 Vitality Blast campaign.

Hampshire Cricket Director of Cricket, Giles White says Brad is an exciting prospect: “We’re pleased to extend his stay at the Club. He’s had success at each level he has played at having come through the youth and Academy sides, and has continued to demonstrate his skills with both bat and ball with a particularly strong showing in this year’s 50-over competition – this extension gives him further opportunities to develop his game.

1: talk about Winchester 2: play fantastic music

It’s great the club has shown faith in me Brad Taylor told us he’s excited about the future: “I’m delighted to sign a new deal with Hampshire and it’s great that the Club have shown faith in me - I’m looking forward to working hard on my game again this winter and heading into next year fit and raring to contribute.”

Taylor became the youngest Hampshire player in 146 years to feature for the Club when making his debut in August 2013, aged just 16, and he has continued his development both through the First-Team and as an integral part of the Second XI. The off-spinning all-rounder has also represented England U19s as a youngster, featuring in three Tests and 22 ODI’s whilst also skippering their tour of Sri Lanka in 2015.

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September 2018

REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATION FOR OLD CHAPEL Royal Victoria Country Park sees multi-million pound refurbishment WE were privileged to be one of the first people through the doors on 1st August at The Chapel at Royal Victoria Country Park following a £3.5m refurbishment. The park and chapel have been a favourite place to visit for us for exactly 30 years. The historic chapel is all that remains of the British Army’s first purpose-built military hospital, and now there’s been a restoration of the original Victorian interiors, the creation of a new exhibition, visitor facilities and outdoor information points.

At the time it was a personal project for Queen Victoria who laid its foundation stone. But after the Second

World War the hospital fell into decline and was demolished after a major fire in 1963 destroyed large parts of the building. The site was later bought

by Hampshire County Council and re-opened in 1980 as Royal Victoria Country Park.

The conservation work to the chapel includes the replacement of the original ornate and hand-painted glass windows that were in disrepair due to vandalism and age. A new staircase and accessible lift have been installed as part of the work - significantly improving public access to the higher floors.

As you can see from our pictures, it looks absolutely stunning.

A new staircase and accessible lift have been installed

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September 2018

NEW GCSE COURSES TACKLED IN STYLE! Outstanding GCSE Results At St Swithun’s - SEVEN times the national average

GIRLS at St Swithun’s School, Winchester are celebrating excellent examination results with 29.5% of entries achieving the top grade 9 in the new I/GCSE courses, compared to the national average of 4.3%. Half of the students achieved five or more A*/9 grades in a year where they took a mixture of the new courses graded numerically (9 to 1) and those with the legacy A* to G classification. Three girls achieved straight grades A* and 9.

In the new I/GCSEs more than 40% of entries achieved the top grade in geography, Latin, music and religious studies. In mathematics, 87% of students

achieved grade 7 or above with 36% at the top grade 9.

Of the legacy I/GCSEs 57.5% of results were at A* with girls achieving particularly highly in biology, chemistry, physics and history with 77%, 61%, 63% and 74% A*s respectively. 95% of all entries were graded A* to B and all students taking the further mathematics IGCSE achieved the highest grade, A* with distinction.

Headmistress Jane Gandee says the girls have adapted well to the new rules: “These are our first set of results for 11 subjects that follow the new 9-to-1 specifications, blended with some that

I am delighted with the achievements of the girls

continue to follow the alphabetical grading system and I am delighted with the achievements of the girls.

“They have been a mutually-supportive year group and have demonstrated considerable good humour. They have excelled academically whilst still enjoying notable successes outside the classroom and playing an active role in the local Winchester community.

“Students have helped to launch the UNIT 12 community centre, baked for the night shelter and worked with children from local junior schools. We are looking forward to welcoming them into the sixth form.”

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September 2018

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News from Winchester and amazing songs - ‘The Music From Your Life’ brought to you by radio professionals right here in Winchester.

Find us online via the TuneIn app, or through the ‘Listen Now’ button on our website at winchestertoday.co.uk

MONDAY - FRIDAY 06:00 Breakfast In Winchester.

Upbeat songs to get you in the right mood for the day.

Local news bulletins on the hour.

09:00 Kevin Gover continues with ‘The Music From Your Life.’

14:00 John Ellery 22:00 The ‘No Sleeping’ Zone.

Other stations want to send you to sleep at this time.

Not us!

SATURDAY 06:00 Breakfast in Winchester 10:00 Kevin Gover 13:00 T he Great Destinations Radio Show. Keri Jones brings you the atmosphere of countries and places around the world. He’s not just talking about it either.

He’s actually there!

SUNDAY 10:00 Chrissie Pollard She loves the music.

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13:00 Kevin Gover with the best of the 60s and 70s 15:00 John Ellery with the best of the 80s

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September 2018

AGGRESSION DOESN’T ALWAYS INVOLVE HITTING In the light of a new initiative in Hampshire against domestic violence, Rachel Gover gives a personal view on how words can be just as cruel as physical violence - and meets someone who managed to escape

I

T’S around half past two, early in the morning. It had been an exhausting day; I was moving to a new house for the second time in a few months, and so wanted nothing more than to sleep. I’d left my phone next to my pillow that night, not thinking too much that a message would come through.

The glare on the screen was blinding as a message would light up the screen: ‘You’re a horrible human being, maybe horrible might be too nice of a word for you. You should never have children, I can’t even imagine how cruel you would be as a mother.’ This was a man who was supposed to be there for me, someone to trust and someone to hold.

The relationship had turned sour, and he didn’t like to be ignored. Hiding behind a screen, this would continue for months. Emails would come through late in the night, aggressive voicemails and Facebook posts which my friends and family would later see.

He stood as a gentle giant. Around 6ft 3, muscular, outspoken but never too dominant; everyone loved him. Both of us were individuals in the local yoga community; and I was trapped behind his words. I faced questions, too scared to speak up: “Would anyone believe me?

How could he appear so wonderful to everyone, but be a monster behind the screen? Would this mean the end of my job here at the studio? Would he know where I’ve moved to a new house?”

I would kick myself that I allowed myself to ask these questions; why I should be the one to suffer when it was his words that were emotionally abusive.

For many, these questions seem all too real. And for victims of abuse, both men and women, a house once called a home feels isolating. A home no longer to call safe.

Many will feel a little happier that the County Council here in Hampshire, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and other organisations

have joined together to provide a new service, beginning in April 2019.

The big thing is that it will also target the perpetrator. Patricia Stallard is health boss at the Hampshire Council: “We know that investing in domestic abuse services makes a big difference to victims and their families – but for every victim there is a perpetrator. This is why we need to be providing support services that help victims while at the same time tackling the behaviour of those who abuse.

“Currently only a small number of perpetrators are participating in prevention and/or behavioural change programmes. Unless perpetrator behaviour is addressed, victims, be they men, women or children will continue to suffer.

It’s a Thursday evening after work, and I meet Sarah at a fast food restaurant in the centre of town. No more than 45 years old, Sarah is dressed in a plain black t-shirt, anorak and exercise

He couldn’t see that I was malnourished

trousers. Nothing about where we are, or who we are surrounded by is fancy.

It is real, and each vivid memory Sarah recalls upon, is real. Her body language is gentle, and her words softly spoken.

A

T 19 years old, Sarah met her then boyfriend; a man who would later be the father of her daughter. For the next two hours, Sarah’s memories from this abusive relationship are raw, an honest account of her suffering. We forget there is a tape recorder between us as we come together as two women, to talk, to raise awareness and to bring light upon her harrowing experiences.

Below is an honest account, recalling what happened to her and her newborn daughter.

“My daughter’s father was the one who hurt me consistently over the years.

I was young, 19 at the time and in love.

After 8 months or so, he’d asked me to move away with him. I was failing school

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September 2018

and living in a motel by myself, so I did.

We were out in the sticks, 14 miles away from any other town. I’d quit school, and not long into our relationship I became pregnant. Our little cottage had a wood burning stove, we went for long walks, he would cook and clean and I would do the same; a team. He wanted me to get pregnant, he said that he would take care of me and our child and that he loved me. To the outside world, he was perfect, a good kid at school and a gentleman.

“Everything changed when I was five months pregnant. I was getting noticeably bigger; he stopped touching me, loving me. He made me feel that the sex we did have was just his way of apologising. I didn’t know why he was treating me this way, and I felt used. We didn’t go for walks anymore. At the time, I wasn’t working and so there was little money. Relying on him became isolating.

“The money he gave me was never enough to make three meals. I remember him growling… he wouldn’t listen to me when I told him I was starving. I’d never heard him growl before, only when he wanted me to clean. I was hungry every day, exhausted from walking to the next town at five months pregnant, surviving on very little. He would eat at work and wouldn’t see what was happening to me.

Each day, I was becoming weaker and weaker, I couldn’t work as I was too sick.

There was no food in the fridge, just eggs from the local farm.

“I wanted to get an abortion. I wanted to escape, and to pack a bag to visit a friend, but he told me I was lying. I couldn’t afford maternity clothes, and only had a pair of jogging bottoms which would fit. There was nothing there from him, he wouldn’t hold me; but just ignore that I existed. My mother came to visit me; two days later I was supposed to have the abortion, but I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t a kid anymore. I was a pregnant woman, but I felt weaker than I did as a child.

“At home, there was a leather jacket in the cloakroom for him to shadow box, an hour each day. I will remember the noise of his fist slapping against the leather. I told him that it scared me, but he wouldn’t listen and would stand there. There was anger in his eyes and he would ignore me. As I stood in front of the television, I would try to get his attention, but he would only snap at me, telling me that I was always bitching and that ‘it was boring to be around me and that I was a pig’. I tried to grab him, to shake him, to awaken him and make him realise what was happening. I was wasting away in front of him; but he would bark at me, telling me to clean the house, demanding why I was so messy to him. He would go to the bar and drink, forgetting I was there. There was no way that he would change as a man and would remind me that a leopard never changes its spots.

“October came around, and within the next few days I was preparing for the birth of our daughter. I remember crying with the nurse as she took care of me. He was there but would tell me to be quiet with the contractions; only offering to help me once within the seven hours of delivery. After the birth of our daughter, there was nothing for me to give her. During the delivery, I was losing

too much blood and was diagnosed with toxaemia. My blood cell count was low, and I couldn’t breastfeed her. She would just scream… and he would yell at me: ‘Feed her! Just feed her!’ He couldn’t see that I was malnourished.”

C

USTOMERS form a queue nearby us as they continue to order their food. I am quiet as Sarah looks away. There are tears and pain in her eyes as she wipes her face. She recalls how she felt when holding her baby for the first time: “I was so happy to tell the nurse the name of my new daughter. I remember thinking: ‘If I die giving birth to my daughter, I would be okay; as long as she is the one who lives.’ I just wanted her to survive, that’s all that mattered. I didn’t think what was happening to my body. I knew that I had made the right decision not to have an abortion, to get to this moment was all worth it, to be able to hold her.

“That was when he let me go, with the promise that I would return with our daughter. My mother had sent me some money to go and see her. My mother was trapped for many years by my father who was an alcoholic. For three days of the month, we wouldn’t eat; and our mother would distract us from crying.

She didn’t run away, all she wanted was for us to be a family. My father played on our vulnerability; he kept our money and bought himself a new television and a new car. In my family there was inequality. They would tell me that if a child has their father, then that’s all that matters. It was overlooked that my partner almost killed me. Through this, I never felt that I could reach out.

“For a long time, my mother had told me to stick it out and to give my daughter’s father a chance. There is inequality that women internalise because it is so built into the system that we must take care of our children and that when we’re sick, it must be in our minds, even though we feel it. Because there was no physical abuse, my mother didn’t believe me, and no one held my daughter’s father accountable. My mother was trained to believe that men were our masters. It was only when she saw me, at 90 pounds, that she cried. She’d told me to be strong, but she didn’t know I was dying.

“My daughter is now 24 years old, and I have full custody. She has six new siblings on her father’s side, but there is no contact there.”

Sarah’s account is just one of many that go unnoticed, kept quiet or ignored as she tells me further about a patriarchal

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My mother was trained to believe that men are our masters

system embedded in her family.“There are good men. But there are nasty ones too. I want to tell my daughter that it’s not right. We need to protect ourselves and to support each other. To fight for women who feel alone, segregated and isolated. There are good men, there are.

But we need to create awareness. My daughter’s friends need to know that they can go to her.

“My mother was one woman, but if we are united, everything would be different for her, for me. Forget pride. We need to talk about it, as it’s a need more than anything. It’s not seen as that yet, and it feels lonely. We don’t have to do it by ourselves; but there is an urgency to unite so we are not alone. And for this mentality to be memorised because it’s not a familiar.”

It is important to write that it is not only women who may be abused; men can be victims also. Domestic abuse is ongoing across the world; each case, each person different to the next. As I write this piece, I would like to be honest. I am struggling to articulate a conclusion.

Sarah is a survivor, but there are many victims who do not survive. Somehow, someway, their voices deserve to be heard. *Sarah’s name and age have been changed to protect her identity.

reviews

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September 2018

A CLASSIC LOVE STORY TACKLED ANEW ROMEO & JULIET Curious Pheasant Theatre

Plaza Theatre Romsey

by HELENA GOMM THOSE who undertake a modern adaptation or reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet generally face a choice between taking the main events of the story and abandoning the language (as in West Side Story) or keeping both language and plot, but requiring the audience to overlook the fact that 16th-century poetry can sound pretty odd coming out of the mouth of, say, a tattooed punk in a Hawaiian shirt (as in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film).

In their brave new version of the play, which was a big hit at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, Curious Pheasant Theatre somehow manage to pull off a production which both retains much of the original language but also twists the plot to suit their reworking of the story as a gay romance. Romeo

and Juliet are players on two opposing rugby teams, the Capulets and the Montagues, and my initial misgivings at hearing Shakespeare’s words delivered by burly sportsmen in striped jerseys were soon dispelled as it became evident that the macho environment of a rugby club dressing room is perfect for the testosterone-fuelled posturing and violence that ensue. Will Bunting makes a splendidly malevolent Tybalt, and the company’s use of well-choreographed physical theatre (ably directed by Becky Mills, who also plays Benvolio) works superbly to convey the tension and the menace.

In places, the words have been changed to match the fact that the gender of various characters is different from the original, and this is sometimes a little clunky. There is probably no need to keep on emphasising quite so strongly that Paris, the marriage partner favoured by the Capulet family for their Juliet, is a WOMAN! But where no changes are necessary – and one of the most delightful things about this production is that so little has to be changed to make the story work as a gay relationship – the poetry flows smoothly and matches the situation completely. This is particularly evident in the ‘balcony’

My initial misgivings were soon dispelled scene (no balcony here!) and in the interaction between Romeo and Juliet after their one fleeting night of passion.

Troy Chessman as Romeo and Samuel Prentice as Juliet deliver the lines as if they were written for them. Their lighthearted flirtatiousness is a joy to watch, yet there is no doubt about the depth and sincerity of their characters’ attraction for each other. Oveis Rezazadeh, in a fine performance as Mercutio, milks every last sexual innuendo from his speeches, again showing just how well they work with a different gender mix.

Of course, you can

only push Shakespeare so far with an alternative agenda, so after Romeo and Juliet’s night together, the plot kind of gives up. There is no secret marriage, no Friar Laurence, no poison, no letter to go astray, no outbreak of plague ...

Perhaps one shouldn’t enquire too closely or too prosaically into what is or is not missing. This is, after all, billed as a ‘gay reinvention’ of the story. But I couldn’t help feeling that one or two tricks had, perhaps, been missed. It would have been interesting to see Friar Laurence, for example, reinvented as a performanceenhancing-drug-pushing team physio.

Instead, with Romeo and Juliet’s first sexual encounter over and done with, we are whisked off with somewhat unseemly haste to the death scene. This takes place at the station, where Romeo awaits the 8.15 to Mantua, only to be set

upon and beaten to death by hoodied thugs, overseen by the menacing figure of Capulet (Daniel Harris). This is also the only place where the otherwise consistently good direction goes a little awry. Romeo clearly envisages the front of the stage as the platform edge, from which he is dragged back and killed by the Capulets. However, when Juliet enters, finds his body and decides to fling himself under the next express train, it is into the wings that he launches himself. So unless Verona station has weird L-shaped platforms, something has gone a bit wrong.

Nevertheless, playing as a double bill with Glasgow ’14 by Nags Head Productions, this show makes for an exciting night of theatre and thoroughly deserves the accolades it received in Edinburgh.

One-hander leaves plenty to think about GLASGOW ‘14 Nags Head Productions

Plaza Theatre Romsey

by HELENA GOMM THIS compelling one-man show, written by Sally Lewis, directed by Benet Catty and performed by Neil Gwynne presents us with four men who happened to be in Queen Street Glasgow in December 2014 when an out-of-control bin lorry mounted the pavement and ploughed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers, killing six people and injuring 15.

With the help of subtle lighting and unobtrusive music, Gwynne transforms himself seamlessly from character to character – a well-spoken English clergyman, a Polish immigrant who was manning a hot dog stall, a homeless ex-serviceman from Yorkshire and a Glaswegian. They have not only been traumatised by what they saw on that fateful day: all have back-stories which involve some degree of suffering. The Polish man’s father shot a child dead in circumstances that remain unexplained but which have resulted in his son’s exile from his homeland, wife and children;

the homeless man is an ex-soldier who has witnessed terrible scenes in war; the Glaswegian saw his four-yearold brother fall to his death from a bedroom window, perhaps when trying to join him and his friends as they played football below; the exact cause of the clergyman’s previous trauma is unclear, but his inner demons seem very real.

The bin lorry crash means that they are now also battling the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: depression, insomnia, OCD, panic attacks and flashbacks.

The elephant in the room is the crash itself. It takes a while before anyone mentions it explicitly and, understandably, few details of the actual event are given. The focus here is on the trauma suffered by witnesses, but it is the crash that suddenly and inextricably causes these four lives to entwine, and it is perhaps avoiding talking about the event itself that gives them licence to start talking about the long-buried dark events of their pasts.

Gradually, they move on to relate what happened to them that day in Queen Street, and it is the small details that give these accounts such authenticity.

The Glaswegian points out that the Pole was wearing elf shoes to sell his hot

Gwynne transforms himself seamlessly from character to character

dogs (‘Who the fuck wears elf shoes?’).

The Pole noticed that a small child had dropped his hot dog and started to cry, and the mother was still chatting to her friends as he bent down to pat the boy on the back and reassure him that he would replace the hot dog. These details trickle out, as they do when people in distress start, perhaps for the first time, to put into words what they have been

reliving over and over again in their anguished minds.

In one of the most memorable parts, Gwynne re-enacts, from both points of view, the moment when the clergyman sees the Glaswegian teetering on the brink of the kerb and instinctively embraces him from behind to stop him falling and to protect him – and gets a punch for his trouble.

The piece raises many questions.

Where are these men now? Are they in some kind of therapy, individually or together? Are we, the audience, part of their therapy group or are we their counsellors? What will happen to them eventually?

Good theatre leaves you with plenty to think about – and this was extremely good theatre.

preview

September 2018

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COMEDY, COMMENTARY, CRIME AND CONFUSION Busy year ahead for Chesil Theatre

IT’S certainly a busy time for the Chesil Theatre, with some exciting productions to look forward to.

Rehearsals continue for the September 2018 production For Services Rendered

by Somerset Maugham. In the cosy England of 1932, the Ardsley family seems to be managing their lives well following the trauma of World War I and the Great Depression. Yet each of them struggles for survival in a world turned upside down. This brilliant commentary was originally considered defeatist, even subversive, but certainly still resonates today.

Honour by Joanna Murray-Smith is a provocative drama that challenges notions of honour, and the belief that love will prevail. After 32 years of apparently happy and contented marriage one of the couple has the unexpected chance of an exciting new way of life but at the expense of the happiness and security of the other members of the family. Should the opportunity be taken or should a sense of honour prevail?

In A Bunch of Amateurs, Stratford turns out not to be the famous home of the bard Between editing Private Eye and appearing on Have I Got News For You, Ian Hislop, with Nick Newman, turned his hand to writing comedy.

A Bunch of Amateurs in January 2019 finds a Hollywood star in the twilight of his career invited to play King Lear at Stratford. However, it turns out not to be the famous home of the bard but a small provincial town with the RSC replaced by the local amateurs! What can possibly go wrong?”

The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, is the March production. Henry is a successful playwright married to Charlotte who has the lead role in his latest play about infidelity. Her co-star Max is married to another actress, Annie, and Annie and Henry are madly in love – but is it any more real than the subjects of Henry’s play? Stoppard’s brilliant wit is demonstrated superbly in the sparkling dialogue. This play will stretch the mind and steal the heart.

The multi-award winning The Children by Lucy Kirkwood premiered at the Royal Court, London in November 2016. The Chesil Theatre is honoured to be the one of the first amateur companies licensed to perform the play in May 2019. Two retired scientists move to an isolated cottage as the country around them crumbles. One day there’s a new arrival, an old friend they haven’t seen for many years. Why has she come?

This rich and beautifully written play provokes questions that will develop in the mind long after the lights have faded.

The July play Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime adapted by Constance Cox from a short story by Oscar Wilde has been described as Jeeves and Wooster meet Fargo.

When a chiromantist (a reader of

Busy season ahead: Chesil Theatre (above) shows A Bunch of Amateurs (right) and Somerset Maugham’s For Services Rendered (below)

For Services Rendered was originally considered defeatist, but still resonates today palms) predicts Arthur will commit murder, he decides to postpone his wedding until the dastardly deed is done.

Aided by Baines, his trusted butler, and an inept anarchist, a comedy of errors ensues, putting Arthur’s relatives and marriage plans in jeopardy.

Add the 10x10 New Writing Festival in October and the Youth groups preparing for their show in February 2019 and it’s clear that the Chesil continues to bring live theatre of the highest standard to the city. More details can be found on the website chesiltheatre.org.uk

news

September 2018

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What’s On in Winchester and beyond September 2018 Friday 7th - Saturday 8th The Exploded Circus Theatre Royal Winchester, Jewry Street, Winchester. Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm/7.30pm. Tickets: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Sunday 9th From New Orleans – Luke Winslow King & Band The Square Tower, Broad Street, Portsmouth.

7.15pm – 10pm

Friday 7th – Saturday 8th Goodwood Revival

Monday 10th – Saturday 15th Jane Austen’s Persuasion

The Goodwood Estate Co Ltd, Chichester.

Tickets available here: https://www.goodwood.com/flagshipevents/goodwood-revival/

Theatre Royal, Jewry Street, Winchester. 7.30pm.

Tickets available here: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Friday 7th – Sunday 9th Petersfield Antique Fair

Tuesday 11th Hampshire Writers’ Society

Festival Hall, Heath Road, Petersfield.

Venue: St Alphege, Room 001 University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester.

7pm – 9.30pm

Saturday 8th Alton Farmers’ Market All information: hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk

Saturday 8th Jimmy & Sid Play The Hyde Tavern 57 Hyde Street, Winchester.

7.30pm – 10pm

Saturday 8th The Romsey Show Broadlands Park, Romsey. 8.00am – 6pm.

Tickets: romseyshow.co.uk

Saturday 8th – Sunday 9th CSI Weekend Winchester Science Centre, Telegraph Way, Winchester. 10.00am – 5pm Tickets: winchestersciencecentre.org

Saturday 8th – Saturday 29th Women in Power Nuffield Southampton Theatres City, Studio 144, Above Bar Street, Southampton. All event information: www.nstheatres.co.uk

Saturday 8th – Friday 30th November WILD Art Exhibition Gilbert White’s House, The Wakes, Selborne. 10.30am – 5pm daily

Sunday 9th Wedding Showcase Balmer Lawn Hotel, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst. 11.00am – 3pm. www.balmerlawnhotel.com

You do NOT have to pay to have your event listed here! . You can send printed leaflets or brochures to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester, SO23 9AT, send details by email to news@winchestertoday.co.uk or tweet us the info @winchestertoday All event details listed are correct at time of going to press.

COMPILED BY

RACHEL GOVER Saturday 22nd – Sunday 7th October Emsworth British Food Fortnight Various Venues and Times, Emsworth

Sunday 23rd Winchester Half Marathon The Broadway, Winchester.

10.00am – 4pm.

Event info: winchesterhalf.co.uk

Sunday 23rd Dame Esther Rantzen Live, Theatre Royal, Jewry Street, Winchester. 7.30pm. Tickets: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Monday 24th – Saturday 29th Eastleigh Film Festival 2018 The Point, Leigh Road, Eastleigh.

Event info: eastleighfilmfestival.com

Wednesday 12th The Legacy of Alfred: the Anglo-Saxons and the birth of England

Thursday 27th Silent Summer Screenings Open Air Cinema and Live Music: Grease

with Michael Wood and guests, Winchester Discovery Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester. 7.30pm – 9pm

Havant Park, Elm Lane, Havant. 6.30pm 10pm. Tickets: silentsummerscreenings.com

Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th Winchester Heritage Open Days

Friday 28th Macmillan Coffee Morning

City of Winchester Trust, Upper Brook Street, Winchester.

10.00am – 10pm. Every event is FREE

The Swan Farnborough, 91 Farnborough Road, Farnborough.

10.00am – 12.00pm. £2 suggested donation

Friday 14th Don’t Go Into the Cellar Presents Morbid Curiosities Guildhall Winchester, The Broadway, Winchester. 7.30pm

Friday 14th Ladies Night for Wessex Cancer Trust Blue Lagoon, London Road, Portsmouth. 7pm – 11pm.

Event info: facebook.com/ journalprojectthisisme

Saturday 15th Eastleigh Remembers: A day of activities and events marking the centenary year of the end of the First World War Leigh Road Recreation Ground, Leigh Road, Eastleigh. 11.00am – 5pm

Vintage cars abound at the Goodwood Revival on the 7th and 8th

Saturday 15th Nuffield Southampton Theatres Open Day

Sunday 16th/Sunday 30th Dave Pearson Big Band Orchestra

142 – 144 Above Bar Street, Southampton.

10am – 6pm

Blue Lagoon, London Road, Portsmouth. 12.30pm – 3pm

Saturday 15th – Sunday 16th Royal County of Berkshire Show Newbury Showground, Hermitage, Newbury.

8.00am – 6pm

Sunday 16th A Walk in the Park at The Grange Grange Park, Northington, Winchester.

9.00am – 3pm. Event information available here: breastcancerhaven.org.uk/Event/awalk-in-the-park

Sunday 9th/Sunday 30th Winchester Farmers’ Market,

Saturday 15th Heritage Open Day

Sunday 16th Rowans Ride: Annual 18-mile Bike Ride

Middle Brook Street, Winchester.

9.00am – 2pm

The Vyne, Morgaston Road, Basingstoke. 10.00am – 5pm

Purbrook Heath Road, Waterlooville, Portsmouth. 8.00am – 5pm

‘PEBBLES’, IOW

Beach hut themed self-catering, holiday chalet in Niton, fully equipped, stunning location. From £280pw. 07717 134272

Thursday 20th Sound & Gong Bath Mediation: A meditative journey through sound and music

Monday 17th Leviathan: Multi-award-winning choreographer James Wilton re-creates novel Moby Dick Theatre Royal Winchester, Jewry Street, Winchester.

7.30pm - 8.30pm Tickets: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Thursday 20th Paint and Drink Night – Gin Night Southsea Slug and Lettuce, Palmerston Road, Southsea.

7.30pm - 9.30pm.

Tickets: tickettailor.com/events/ paintchillco/182216

The Hilt, Hiltingbury Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh.

7.10pm - 8.10pm

Thursday 20th – Thursday 29th November Astronomy Course at Gilbert’s White’s House The Wakes, High Street, Selborne. 8pm - 9pm

Saturday 22nd Alton Classic Car Show

Friday 28th Silent Summer Screenings Open Air Cinema and Live Music: La La Land The Views, Harlington Way, Fleet.

6.30pm - 10pm. Tickets: silentsummerscreenings.com

Saturday 29th Beyond The Barricade Theatre Royal, Jewry Street, Winchester. 7.30pm. Tickets: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Saturday 29th Winchester Coffee Festival Guildhall Winchester, The Broadway.

11.00am – 11pm.

Tickets: winchestercoffeefest.co.uk

Saturday 22nd Charmed Life Festival

Saturday 29th Silent Summer Screenings Open Air Cinema and Live Music: Dirty Dancing

Victoria Park, 3 Stanhope Road, Portsmouth.

11.30am – 11.30pm

Meadowside Park, Whiteley Way, Whiteley, Fareham. 6.30pm - 10pm. Tickets: www.silentsummerscreenings.com

Alton. 10.00am – 4pm

Greenwood Therapies ALRESFORD

Jikiden Reiki, Holistic Massage and Bodywork Therapies, Hair Analysis Testing

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sales@winchestertoday.co.uk or call/text 07456 065100

16 winchestertoday.co.uk

the final word

LET THERE BE LIGHT! Vital conservation work continues at the Cathedral A couple of weeks ago in the editorial offices at Winchester Today we heard about the proud team at Holy Well Glass from Wells in Somerset about the beautiful stained glass window work they have been carrying out at Winchester Cathedral. We got in contact with them after their Twitter update to see if they wouldn’t mind sharing it all with you here in the newspaper. We’re delighted to say that fantastic pictures were duly sent, along with an idea of what’s involved. The words and images are by Jack Clare, joint director at Holy Well Glass: “We have been installing repaired stained glass panels into the Cathedral following our work between 201517 where we repaired the eight large medieval stained glass windows on the north and south of the presbytery clerestory, as well as the East Window.

They contain highly significant stained glass from the 15th and 16th centuries.

“Immediately following this we have been repairing a number of windows from the north transept and north presbytery.

They also contain a great deal of the 15th & 16th century glass identical to that present in the presbytery clerestory level windows.

“The photos have been taken from the north transept/presbytery windows, and are part of Bishop Fox’s early scheme.

Repair work has involved removing the glass from site and taking it to the workshop for repair. Repairs have included, glass cleaning, edge-bonded broken pieces of glass, and replacing fragile lead came, that is too weak to hold the glass together.

We are immensely proud to work on the glass at Winchester Cathedral “A bespoke system of protective glazing has also been designed, manufactured, and installed by HWG, alongside the repair of the stained glass.

This acts as a weatherproof skin for the building, so that the medieval glass is no longer exposed to the damaging effects of the elements.

“We are immensely proud to work on the valuable medieval glass at Winchester Cathedral. We are proud to play our part in helping to sustain this precious inheritance for future generations. Holy Well Glass is one of the largest and well known stained glass conservation workshops in the country.

“We are used to working on large high profile projects such as this. This work is meticulous and requires high levels of concentration, as well as a broad knowledge of the ethics of conservation.

For this we follow national and international professional conservation guidelines. In our team of 15 staff members we have 2 ICON accredited conservators (ACRs), 2 qualified stonemasons/conservators, and 3 SPAB Fellows (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings). Please see our website for more details of the work we do: www.holywellglass.com

Magnificent: Just some of the valuable medieval glass being restored at Winchester Cathedral photos: Jack Clare)

September 2018