April 2019 | Issue 161 | ÂŁ1.50 where sold
Simnel Cake Recipe Easter activities with the kids! Job opportunity...
Photograph taken by Michael Branicki
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THIS MONTH...
y, arit h c y, unit d more m n om s, c rties a e p i Rec prope
CONTENTS 8
Get Puzzled
21
Watering & Wellies
12
Mum’s the Word
24
Keep on Running
16
St Mary’s Church
28
Recipe of the Month
18
Home Focus
Test yourself with this month’s crossword
Easter egg hunts, events and bath bomb making!
Simnel Cake, what’s it all about?
Weeds, how to tackle the unplanned plant Fancy a bit of winter sun and perhaps a run?
Simnel Cake for Mothers Day or Easter
Out with the clutter, in with the stylish accessories
april issue 2019
A
Smalltalk
s the days get longer.....
Peach Publications 01329 630630/07909 627177
Editor
Gemma Harvey-Guttridge editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk
Advertising Sales
editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk
Distribution
This Big Voice Bigazine is delivered to residents and businesses in Alverstoke. For distribution enquiries please give me (Gemma) a call. Two other editions are also published in Stubbington & Hill Head and Lee on Solent. Whilst Big Voice Directories aim to provide a quality publication for local reference, it cannot be held responsible for the services, reputation or cost of any of the advertisers, and content of adverts or editorial herein. Readers must make their own enquiries to establish the credentials of each entry. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the Publishers. The magazines are produced on paper sourced from FSC approved paper mills and printed using vegetable based inks. They love being recycled but please pass to a friend first! Magazine, adverts, design, layout and content ©Copyright Peach Publications Ltd.
.....and the weather becomes milder, Easter is a great time to get out and about. For us, 2 weeks with the kids off school for the holidays is a great opportunity to enjoy some family time, however, planning a full 2 weeks of activities for eager little minds can be a challenge. Take a look at ‘Mum’s the Word’ for some ideas I’ve gathered together. Alternatively, if you are planning to start getting the garden ready for summer, now is a great time. In the ‘Watering & Wellies’ article there are some great tips on how to tackle the ‘unplanned plants’ – WEEDS! Also in this edition of the Big Voice, there is a fantastic volunteering opportunity with a local charity. If you have some spare time and would like to do something rewarding, then take a look at the advert for Brendoncare. These guys really need your help. For those of you that like the sweeter side of Easter, we’ve got a recipe for Simnel cake. This recipe has long been a closely guarded secret through many generations of my family and I’m sharing it with the Big Voice family now…well, maybe that’s not quite true, but I have made it twice and it is delicious, particularly with a cup of tea or a glass of prosecco! Finally, Nick at Alton Sports has done a fantastic job of making me dream of a summer holiday. He tells us about the annual pilgrimage to the Paphos Marathon. The sun, sea, good food and cold beer sound like a perfect reward for all that athletic activity. Now where did I put my running trainers and passport…. See you next month...
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Get Puzzled Crossword Across
9 Be fully aware (7) 10 Everlasting (7) 11 Hotel employee (7) 12 Finger joint (7) 13 An indeterminate place (9) 15 Bell, buzzer or siren (5) 16 Throw out of mental balance (7) 19 Regular payment (7) 20 What you sound like (5) 21 South African gazelle (9) 25 In the same town or district (7) 26 Hunting guide (7) 28 Examines (7) 29 Official permit (7)
Down 1 Clans (6) 2 Cereal for infants (6) 3 Desire (4) 4 Persons (6) 5 Absense of light (8)
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6 Empowerment (10) 7 Pearls or a pendant (8) 8 Honored (8) 14 Urge to travel (10) 16 Evolves (8) 17 Parts of a freight train (8)
18 A writer of literary works (8) 22 Sell again (6) 23 Muscular (6) 24 Cutting utensils (6) 27 Skin irritation (4)
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Mum’s the Word EASTER TRAILS AND EVENTS Titchfield Haven Easter Eggstravaganza Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve Saturday 13th April, 10am - 4pm Children can enjoy painting and decorating a special Easter ornament with ‘Mrs Blossom Makes’, before embarking on an EGGciting Easter egg trail through Titchfield Haven. Seek out clues and each child can win a small prize. Suitable for all ages, children must be supervised. £6 per child. Easter Family 1km Fun Run Stokes Bay Promenade, Gosport Sunday 14th April 2019, 10.30am Join in the fun on a crisp spring morning to run/ walk along Stokes Bay Promenade. Finishers will receive a bespoke Easter themed medal and a cheeky chocolate egg delivered by the Easter bunny! Optional fancy dress. £7.50 per person, includes: medal, bib number, bottle of water and an Easter egg. Under 7 years must run with an adult. All monies raised will be donated to MIND mental health charity. For further information email: mind_vmlm@hotmail.com Easter EGGstravaganza - Family Magic Theatre Show Portchester Community Centre, Westland Grove, Portchester Sunday 14th April, 3pm Come and enjoy this brand new family magic theatre show which is a combination of fast paced high energy illusions and comedy magic! Tickets are £8 each, must be booked in advance and are likely to sell out fast! Visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/sillyscott to get yours!
Easter Bonnet Disco The Crofton Club, Titchfield Road, Stubbington Sunday 21st April, 1pm - 4pm Have a fun afternoon at the annual Easter Bonnet Parade and Children’s Disco. DJ Claire Branscombe will provide the music and there’s prizes for the best bonnets! Just £1 per child, adults FREE! Easter Egg Hunt and Train Ride Eastleigh Lakeside Railway, Wide Lane, Eastleigh Friday 19th - Monday 22nd April, 10am - 4pm The Easter egg hunt is included as part of the normail train fare and no booking is required. Children aged 2-15 paying a normal return fare will be given a special question sheet with their train ticket and will have to collect information during their train ride. Complete the answers and collect your egg from the ticket office after your train journey. Adult return from £4, Child return from £3. Easter Egg Hunt Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, Eastleigh Saturday 6th - Monday 22nd April, 10am - 4pm Visit us anytime, grab a map and hunt for the eggs to earn a prize. Suitable for ages 4+ £2.50 per person Easter Fun at the Tower Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Saturday 6th - Monday 22nd April Offering breath-taking views across the coast. The glass floor, with a 100 metre drop below, is always a hit with the kids, as is the Sky Garden on the top deck. Enjoy a special Easter trail that will encourage youngsters to explore the building in search of eggshaped puzzle pieces. Bing and Flop from hit CBeebies show Bing are coming to visit on Saturday 13th and 20th April. Appearances at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm!
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Get Crafty! HOMEMADE BATH BOMB There’s something so satisfying about crafting at home. Whether you’re making cards for loved ones, gifts for friends or just something delicious for yourself. My kids are bath bomb crazy! If the weather is not looking great why not plan a day in and get the children involved in making these fabulous homemade bath bombs! Supervision will be necessary! Experiement with different scents and perhaps decorate some paper bags and give them to friends and family as little Easter gifts! • Mix all of the dry ingredients together. • Add the oils. You will need around 40 -50 drops for a good scent. • Once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined test the mixture by squeezing a small amount in your hand. It should press nicely without crumbling. You can add a few sprays of water if it does to combine it. • Pack the mixture tightly into your mould. Silicone ones tend to work best. • Leave to dry for 24 hours. • Remove from the mould and leave for another 24 hours. • Finally drop into your bath and enjoy the fizz!
WHAT YOU NEED:
2 cups baking soda 1 cup cream of tartar 6 tbsp Epsom salts 1 mixing bowl 8 tsp coconut or olive oil Essential oils of choice Moulds - silicon ice cube trays work well
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St Mary’s Church
Try baking Simnel Cake for Mothering Sunday! At the end of the ‘fasting’ through 40 days of Lent there was always the anticipation of the special foods at the great Easter Feast. Notably Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday followed by Lamb and Simnel Cake on Easter Day, these traditions existed long before the chocolate eggs we enjoy giving today. My favourite has to be Simnel Cake. So, now is the time to get stirring and to prepare the fruit cake in time for Easter (or more specially, to give as a gift on Mothering Sunday!)
Judas. Hence, Simnel Cake, packed with fruit, spices and marzipan has since become a classic Easter recipe. Simnel Cakes appear in church records as far back as 1072! No one seems sure what the word Simnel means - though it may come from the Latin for ‘fine flour’. There is an odd story combining the names of Simon and Nell who fell out over how to cook their fruit cake. One wanted to boil it, the other to bake it - so in the end they used both methods!
What was the tradition from the 17th Century? Wasn’t it that women in service would take a Simnel Cake to their family when they visited home and their ‘mother’ church on Mothering Sunday? (This year Mothering Sunday is 31st March). A gift from the ‘house’ in which they served for them to ‘show off’ their cooking skills and to make as a gift of gratitude to their own ‘mum’. The cake was usually saved to eat at Easter and is topped with eleven marzipan balls to represent the eleven apostles of Christ, minus 16
These days Simnel cake is baked with a layer of marzipan in the middle of the fruit mixture
(Jesus’s robes in the tomb?) as well as being decorated with the 11 marzipan balls. On Easter Day we put a candle on our Simnel Cake to think of the light of Jesus’ bursting out from the tomb! Easter Sunday falls on 21st April this year and however you will be marking this occasion, we’d love to invite you to join us in celebrating at one of our churches in Alverstoke where you’d always be very welcome.
On behalf of the parish may I wish you a joyful Easter. Revd Andrew Norris Rector for Alverstoke Parish St.Mary’s, Alverstoke; St.Faith’s, Leesland; St.Francis’, Clayhall; St.Luke’s, Haslar) Church Office: 02392 580551 Rectory: 02392 503308 rector@alverstoke.church
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Home Focus
HOME FOCUS
Update with Accessories Have you ever been to a Home Décor shop and bought a gorgeous candle or cushion, and brought it home only to feel slightly disappointed that it hasn’t totally transformed your room? I know this is something I’ve been guilty of in the past. Beautiful stores like Laura Ashley, John Lewis and the like, display their wares in such a fashion that it’s easy to get drawn into purchasing that ‘perfect’ thing. But the reality is you will probably need to buy more than one in order to create the ultimate impact. To illustrate this, next time you look at a beautifully styled room or showroom, take a good look at how the space has been set out. Notice if the design is simplistic or ‘busier’ and consider how these looks would place themselves in your home. It’s no good going for a minimalistic or monochromatic feel if you live in a gorgeous country cottage full of velvets and gilted frames (unless you like the eclectic look of course!). Consider the vibe you want to create and look at your existing pieces before you commit to adding to them. Notice how pieces are cleverly grouped together - oftentimes a pair of objects placed symmetrically on a table can look far better than one sitting on its own. Equally a row of three things are visually appealing, particularly on a mantelpiece or windowsill. Popular at the moment are succulents in copper or rose gold containers and miniature ones look super grouped together on a shelf or glass tray.
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beeswax or other materials that don’t contain parrafin as this can release toxins into your home that can be harmful. Fresh flowers in simple glass vases are great for an instant room refresh. As well as vibrant colours and the touch of nature that they inject, the scent may be good enough to brighten the mood and make your room feel luxurious. Picture frames are reasonably priced nowadays so take a look at the ones you currently have and consider if they need an update. Again rose gold or plain white are good options for a fashionable choice and don’t detract much from the pictures enclosed. Hanging pictures can be a bit of an art too - get inspiration from Pinterest and see how best to group them on the wall.
If you want to buy a cushion, consider buying them in a set - group them together by colour tone or pattern and set smaller ones in front Consider what you put on your coffee table. Whilst it has practical uses of course, it is also of larger ones for a sumptuous and elegant a great place to display beautiful books. look on a bed or sofa. There are many hardbacks on sale now that Candles are particularly good pieces to cover a multitude of interesting topics freshen up your home décor but be careful to fashion, architecture, nature and cooking are choose ones that are made from soy,
all great ones to dip into when you’re relaxing with a drink and once replaced onto the table will look beautiful too. Just make sure you place them considerately by size or colour and keep the table free of clutter and dust to display them at their best. Try not to clutter your room with accessories. A few well chosen pieces will look far better than adding more and more - then your one little cushion that you bring back won’t be sitting there looking lost in a sea of confusion!
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Watering and Wellies
GET ON TOP OF THE WEEDS Weeds can be the bane of a gardener’s life, but with a bit of preparation and knowledge your garden can remain under control and beautiful all year round. They’re the things of nightmares. Strong, generally ugly and aggressive with their territory, the garden weed is enough to bring most of us out into a cold sweat as we see the fruits of our labour drowning under the threat of an unplanned plant.
As with many things in the gardening world you need to be patient - a sheet mulch can take a year or so to be effective.
They’re useful in the sense that you can plant through them so it doesn’t render the area useless - the weeds will die But panic not. There are things you can underneath and the sheet will protect do to alleviate the problem even when your new crops from them coming your back is turned! through and attacking them. Ideally a time span of 2-3 years is ideal as any If you have a plot that has been perennial weeds won’t have a chance to untended for some time then be come through in that period. prepared, of course, for a lump of hard graft to get the soil ready for a fresh, You need to be aware, though, that new start. A big proportion of this work weeds can stll strike. Seeds dropped by is likely to be weed removal. But if you birds or carried by the wind can land on tackle the job in smaller chunks it won’t the fabric and attempt to bed in - you seem too bad and you’ll honestly be very need to remove these before they have proud of yourself once you’ve completed a chance to sink their roots through the it. Once you’re on top of weeds, as long bottom layer of the sheet. as you stick to a ‘weeding routine’ you’re The timing of your weeding is important never likely to get into a pickle again. - ideally aim to do some immediately Get into the habit of checking over your after rain. This will allow for a more beds every other day. It might sound successful overkill but you’ll be thankful for it. ‘pull’ of the weed, as opposed to It’s worth noting that all soil contains tugging it from dry soil. If you’re weed seeds, but it’s only the top couple struggling to remove a weed, the next of inches that get enough light to trigger best thing is to literally chop its head off. weed growth. Every time you dig into This at least reduces the opportunity for the soil you effectively unearth more it to reseed itself and it forces the weed weed seeds ready to erupt like Vesuvius to use up its food reserves, exhausting so dig around only when necessary and their supply of root buds and therefore be ready to treat the area to prevent any limiting their spread. growth. Getting your fork and digging out clumps Using a sheet mulch is a popular option of weeds is often the only way to get rid as it saves an awful lot of time and effort. of rambunctious perennials (these are This involves covering the ground with a things like nettles, dandelions etc) and dense layer of different types of the key is to get right down to their main mulching material which will starve both root remove it from the ground. Some annual and most tough perennial weeds perennials can re-sprout from the tiniest of much needed light to grow. fragment of root so be careful to pull as much as you possibly can.
‘Drown’ the roots in water before you chuck them on the compost heap to protect yourself from them reinfesting your beds. You may choose to use a weed killer to speed up the job. These must be used with care, not only from pets and and children but also other plants. Choose the right weed killer for the job - there are different types available for your lawn versus beds and indeed different varieties depending on the type of weed. Non-selective herbicides will kill every plant they come into contact with so must be used with extreme care. They can take 2-3 weeks to work but perform well on all leafy weeds whilst leaving the soil unaffected for planting up later. You may prefer to look at more natural solutions for the job - you can purchase ready -made weed killers in this category which contain vinegar and salt. They will damage any plant though - they are not selective with the dehydration that they cause which kills the weed from the top down. Selective herbicides are those which are able to kill just weeds but not lawn etc. They are often found in products which contain feed so the ‘feed and weed’ can be done at the same time. Again, be careful to check the instructions and only use according to the packet. So there you have it. With a bit of initial hard work, and then with eagle eyes, you'll be able to keep your garden reasonably weed free and looking beautiful all year round.
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Keep on Running
Winter Sun Run We seem to say the same thing with every month that passes, ‘Where did the last month go?’ It seems that we are suddenly part way through the year and are fast approaching the GosVegas Running annual ‘holibob’! For the past six years a group of us have travelled to the beautiful island of Cyprus to take part in the Cyprus Marathon week. I’m certain, that as in previous years, the first thing my wife Kim and I will do post-race, is sign up to repeat the experience in 2020. Not usually creatures of habit, we find ourselves returning to the idyllic town of Paphos year after year where we enjoy a mid-winter break from the wind and rain of home. It’s lovely to share a relaxed week with friends in a coastal town that sees the traditional Cypriot experience meet the 21st Century. The locals always greet the several thousand runners and their families with open arms and we return home having enjoyed new experiences and made new friends. This year, the event has introduced a Friday 5K Wine Run which takes in a tour of local vineyards, a Junior Golden 1K fun run on the Saturday and the Sunday sees a running menu that includes a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and of course the flagship race. The Cyprus Marathon starts at the beautiful Aphrodite’s Rock which overlooks the Mediterranean and sees the participants run back into Paphos where all runners finish at the historic castle, receiving a medal and a free, ice cold beer (or two).
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The atmosphere around the town, particularly on race day is relaxed and people of all nationalities rub shoulders happily. Local restaurants and
bars are all busy and the cuisine is of a very high standard, with fresh sea food in abundance. What the week abroad shows us, is that we can all really get on and reinforces just how inclusive sport is, particularly running. What makes the Cyprus Marathon different from most modern races is the absence of prize money. This brings a completely different mood to proceedings as every participant is there purely to enjoy the occasion without any real egos or superstars, who tend to focus on the pot of gold promised by other races. In Paphos, the winning men and women receive laurels dipped in Gold, Silver and Bronze, in keeping with the Marathon’s amateur roots and there are trophies for every age group which is a lovely touch. Understandably, Gosport runners are warmly welcomed, we love to add a splash of yellow to proceedings and I am honoured to have been invited to address the pre-race seminar with a short presentation on how running can bring communities together. If you are fortunate enough to be able to take a mid-winter break and would like to have a go at running or supporting, Cyprus could be worth a look. We’re always available to discuss and advise…..you know where we are. Now, off to prepare for tonight’s midweek 545 RunClub. Thanks for reading. Article written by Nick Carter GosVegas Running Alton Sports Gosport
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Recipe of the Month
Ingredients: * 225g sultanas * 100g currants * 50g mixed peel * juice of 1 lemon (optional * 50 ml brandy (optional) * 50 ml orange juice (optional) * 225g soft butter
Simnel Cake
* 225g light muscovado sugar * 4 eggs * 225g self-raising flour * 100g glace cherries, rinsed in hot water, dried and quartered * grated rind of 2 lemons * 2 tsp mixed spice
Method: If you have time, two days before making the cake place the sultanas, currants and mixed peel in a bowl with the juice from the lemon, brandy and orange juice. Mix well and leave the fruit to soak in the liquid. This additional step will help produce a much moister cake but can be omitted if you are short on time. Pre-heat the oven to 150C/Gas 2. Line the base and sides of a 20cm deep round tin with silicone or baking paper. Place the rest of the cake ingredients into a bowl with the fruit and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Put half of this mixture in the bottom of the lined cake tin and level it off. Divide the marzipan into three equal parts and roll out one piece into a circle 20cm diameter. Place this on the top of the cake mixture. Gently spoon on the rest of the cake mixture, levelling the surface again. 28
For the topping: * 450g best quality marzipan * 2tbsp apricot jam * 1 egg beaten, to glaze
Bake for approximately 2 ½ hours until brown, risen and firm to touch. Cool for 15 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Allow to cool. Once the cake is cooled, warm up the apricot jam (either in a small saucepan or in a cup in the microwave) and brush the top of the cake with it. Roll out half of the remaining marzipan to the size of the top of the cake (you can use the cake base as a guide). Make a fancy edge if you like, or leave rustic looking. Place it on top of the cake. Roll the rest of the marzipan into eleven balls to represent the Apostles, without Judas. Brush the top of the marzipan with the beaten egg and place the balls evenly around the outside, brushing the tops of the balls as well. Place the whole cake under a hot grill until the marzipan turns a light golden colour.
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Volunteering for Brendoncare Brendoncare Clubs is a registered charity dedicated to providing older people with opportunities for social interaction through its friendship and activity clubs in Hampshire and Dorset. The clubs are run by dedicated volunteers and supported by the Brendoncare team. Volunteers play such an integral part in our clubs service - you only have to see the smiles on the faces of club members to understand the significant role that volunteers play in people’s lives. Our volunteers range in age from 16 to 90+ and, in our clubs, provide a range of services from
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