Alverstoke
December 2019 | Issue 169 | ÂŁ1.50 where sold
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The Christmas Tree Festival Christmas cookie recipe Festive crafts for kids!
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
16
Watering & Wellies
10
Recipe of the Month
21
Home Focus
12
Mum’s the Word
24
Keep On Running
14
St Mary’s Church
Test yourself with this month’s crossword
Delicious Christmas cookies
Christmas crafts and light switch on events
Help your hard work survive the winter
Furnishing for your furry friends
Races of all shapes and sizes
The locally famous Christmas Tree Festival
december issue 2019
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.
T
he end of a year...
Smalltalk
Many of us use this time of year to reflect on the year past and plan for the year ahead. As our lives, work and society move at an unprecedented pace it’s not surprising that a whole year has passed in what feels like the blink of an eye. There have been many highs this year but also a particular low for our community. Sadly, local dance teacher, Dorothy Temple passed away after a short illness in October. Dorothy was a special person to me and in our community as she ran the Dorothy Temple School of Dance at Bridgemary School for 45 years . She taught me dance from the age of 3 and was my daughters teacher from the same age. In between she will have taught many hundreds of young girls in Gosport and Fareham, starting their passion for dance. She will be missed greatly and I will be lighting a candle for Dotty this Christmas. I can’t believe this is already my 4th Christmas edition since taking over the ‘Big Voice’ from Coralie & Sean! I have loved meeting so many passionate, business owners and learning about local charities and organisations that make a difference in the community. I want to thank those of you who take the time to feedback on the magazine. This year I have received some really lovely compliments and it’s great to hear the magazine is valued by so many. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope you enjoy the festive period. Alongside all the regular features in the magazine, this month you’ll also find information about the local Christmas light switch-on events. In our house it’s been a wonderful year and we’re looking forward to 2020. I hope you are too!
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Get Puzzled
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Recipe of the month Equipment: Star shaped cutter, baking tray, (straw and ribbon for tree decs) Ingredients: 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, 100g/3½oz caster sugar, 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 275g/10oz plain flour To decorate: 400g/14oz icing sugar, 3-4 tbsp water 2-3 drops food colourings of choice. Edible glitter Method: Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, just a little at a time, until well combined. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in. Using your star shaped biscuit cutter, cut star shapes out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. To turn these into Christmas tree decorations, press a hole in the top of the biscuit
Christmas Cookies using a straw. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. If you wish to colour the icing, then add the food colouring here. Spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and sprinkle over the glitter. Set aside until the icing hardens. If you’re using these as decorations, add some ribbon through the hole and hang on your tree.
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Mum’s the Word
We All Love Christmas I love that Christmas brings out traditions, it’s a magical way to create memories for the years to come. Every year we have a few special ones but I’m still happy to add a couple more if they seem really fun. If you are looking to start a family tradition here’s a few ideas: • Christmas Lights Switch on: Wrap up warm, get a hot chocolate and take a blanket. Locally we have 3 great switch on events, choose one and go each year. Details of local ones are on the next page. • New PJ’s on Christmas Eve: Put them on, get a cute photo and snuggle up on the sofa with a movie. This is also a great way to make sure the kids have nice pj’s on for Christmas morning photos! • Christmas Cards: We love to make our own Christmas cards. Each year the kids and I make a lovely card out of their hand/foot print. (See how below). • Christmas Cake: Make your own Christmas cake. This is another great one to get the kids involved in. Get them to help weigh the ingredients and make a Christmas wish as they stir it up! • Decorating the tree: This is one I always slightly regret, haha. The tree always needs rearranging after the kids have gone to bed but they love getting involved. • A visit to Santa’s grotto and advent Calendars: Both true classics. • Panto: Be it a big production in the Mayflower, Fernham Hall or The Kings Theatre or on a smaller scale at HMS Sultan or the Crofton Club. Take the kids each year for some fantastic family fun!
Get Christmas Crafty!
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Local Christmas Light Switch On Events VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS AND LIGHT SWITCH ON West Street, Fareham - Friday 24th November, from 4pm
Get into the festive spirit. The lights will be switched on at 4:30pm, so head to the stage to get your spot in the crowd for the best view of the finale! Get your best Victorian costumes out as there will be a competition for the Best Dressed Victorian! The winner will be chosen on the day and will be presented on stage with a family ticket to Ferneham Hall’s panto, Beauty and the Beast. There will also be stalls selling Christmas goodies and yummy food, as well as street performers, fun fair rides and face painting. Please be aware that there will be no fireworks.
LEE ON SOLENT FRENCH MARKET & LIGHT SWITCH ON High Street, Lee on the Solent - Friday 29th November, from 9am
The French Market returns to the High Street from 9am till late. As well as the market there will be reindeer, Santa’s grotto and fun rides for children. The lights will be switched on at 6.30pm.
GOSPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHT SWITCH ON Lawrence Square, High Street, Gosport - Saturday 30th November, staged entertainment from 2.45-5.30pm
As well as the sing-a-long from ‘The Greatest of Shows’ there will be local talent on stage from The ‘Catgut Hooligans’, plus performances from the girls and boys of Starz Ballet, the Reilly Enterprise Character Show and St Johns Choir. Rick Jackson from Wave 105 will be on stage with a count down to the lights switch on and fireworks at 5.30pm. From 9am Lawrence Square/High Street will host entertainment and fun activities including Christmas crafting, face painting, rides, food and drinks.
Established over 50 years ago, we aim to provide the best start in life for all our children in a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment. A secure time setting for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Funded and non-funded children welcome. Open between 9am – 3.30pm with flexible start and finish times. Thorngate Halls, Bury House, Gosport PO12 3PX
Tel 023 9252 6247 www.alverstokepreschool.co.uk
find us on facebook 13
St Mary’s Church
‘Tis the Season to be jolly! It can be the stress of preparing for Christmas, the shopping and the last minute organising that make Advent a very busy season. This year there is also no running away from the added challenge to our nation of the General Election. The anticipation and build up will be fairly intense, meaning we could all do with a bit of respite from it. So what could be better than to discover the oasis of 90 trees that is the Alverstoke ChristmasTree Festival. The Festival will bring a bit of hope and cheer and a break in the midst of Christmas Shopping and electioneering.
and delighted by the beautiful ambience and positive community celebration that is the Christmas Tree Festival.
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL 6th-8th December 2019
We also host a cafe for coffee, tea or lunch in the Parish Centre! Please note: Care homes and schools have their own other dedicated visiting times.
Although there will be 5000 visitors plus 600 performers providing background music, the festival still presents a place of beauty, joy and celebration in an ambience of peace, goodwill, faith and Christmas hope. As well as trees decorated by different community groups and businesses, there are also the prayer and bereavement trees which each collect over 700 names of visitors and their hopes and prayers, or names of loved ones remembered at Christmas. The festival affords an oasis of beauty and peace for everyone, for all ages, and for people of faith or not. So please come along and join us in this 11th year and step out of the rush, pressures and demands of the season and the election. Be inspired, transfixed
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CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL 2019 Public Visiting Times in St Mary’s Church, Alverstoke are as follows: Friday 6th December from 3.00pm to 7.00pm Saturday 7th December from 11.00am to 6.00pm Sunday 8th December from 12noon to 6.00pm All entries: £3 (children under 16 free)
Christmas continues in Alverstoke Parish when our three churches St Mary’s, St Francis’ and St Faith’s will be packed whilst hosting many schools, uniformed organisations and community groups for their carol and nativity events. During December around 10,000 people will visit and you would be very welcome to join us for any of our carol services and celebrations. Please visit our website for details or follow us on Facebook at Alverstoke Parish Church. From your parish church, wishing you God’s peace, grace and joy for Christmas, Revd Andy Norris, Rector Alverstoke Parish
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Watering & Wellies
SLIPPING INTO WINTER Protecting and preparing for the colder months ahead As the russet browns and golden hues of Autumn slip away into winter, our thoughts turn to protection of our outside plants and structures. It’s important that we look after all the hard work we have done during the year for the next couple of months which may be a little more brutal to our garden. If you can spend a bit of time outside, wrap up warm and enjoy the fresh air. You might not feel much like it if the day is grey but you’ll still get some Vitamin D and coming back indoors for a well-earned cuppa will be most enjoyable. Have a go at insulating your outdoor containers from frost. You can use this as an opportunity to recycle packaging—bubble wrap is great for this and you can secure it in place with some string. It’s also waterproof which makes it an ideal material. Any pots that you’ve had outside are probably OK to be left there but do try and lift them off the ground using bricks or ready-made pot feet. This helps to prevent any waterlogging during winter showers. And also don’t forget that even if the winter appears mild, it can only take one night of harsh frost to kill off your precious plants so if you are concerned then bring them indoors to a conservatory or greenhouse until you’re sure any bad weather has passed. If you don’t have the space to bring the plants in then you can use fleece or plastic sheeting to keep them protected. This time of year can also play havoc with your lawn with falling leaves but they’re a really useful addition to adding to your compost heap or as mulch for your 16
beds. Collect leaves up in piles and then keep them in a garden container, bag or a heap that won’t blow away somewhere in your garden. Making sure that oxygen can get at the leaves will allow the bacteria to form that will break the leaves down so if you use bags pop in a few holes in after a couple of days. Leave them to rot down in a shady place for the next 12 months and you’ll end up with a dark, but pleasant smelling mixture which works beautifully as a soil improver. If you’ve still got the itch to plant up new areas, you can plant shrubs, evergreens and conifers now whilst the soil is still moist and has retained some warmth. Even if the weather has stayed dry you’ll still need to water them well as new plants still need moisture at their roots even during the winter. Another job that you can take on at this time of year is checking out your borders and boundaries. If you have a sorry-looking hedge then now is also the time to think about replacing it. You’ll see a good availability of barerooted hedging plants in garden centres at this time of year so you can choose what you need. Prepare your site well ensuring that you have dug in plenty of organic matter into the soil before you plant up. And lastly, don’t forget the wildlife that will be coming into your garden searching for precious food. With shorter daylight hours, wild birds have less time to search for food so make sure your feeders and well topped up at all times as once they know you are a food source they will come to rely on you! Annie Gardner
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Sending Love and Best Wishes This Christmas Time
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Home Focus
It’s not just for humans We spend a lot of time and effort with the smaller details in our homes, to try and make the spaces work functionally, but look beautiful too. Not all of us wants to live in a home that is Instagram worthy, but it doesn’t take too much effort to put consideration into the day to day things that we need to make life better. Possibly one of the most overlooked items in our home is the addition of animal bedding and furniture. Whether you have a dog or a feline friend, you really don’t need to have a smelly old blanket in a hard plastic box any more, ruining the ambience of your room. Pet stores have so much choice nowadays where you can choose different sizes, fabric and materials to ensure that the pet bed you select will blend perfectly into your home décor. More recently we have seen full home designs that incorporate animal beds within the structure of the room. For example when creating a built-in area of shelving and cupboards in the living room
you could easily incorporate a space underneath to include a purposebuilt animal bed. Under the stairs is also a great area for a dog crate and a country kitchen can look fabulous with an oversized wooden dog bed filled with a cushion and washable cover. Make sure that you keep any bedding clean and fresh, just as you would for your own bed linen, to prevent any nasty odours finding their way into your room. There are some cleaning product sprays available that remove odours from fabric which may be useful for an inbetween freshen up. It has also become more common to have beds in more than one room. After all, our pets like to follow us about so rather than encourage them to sit around on our expensive upholstery why not ensure that they have a feline/ doggy equivalent?
Cats often like to climb up onto the arms and backs of sofas so if you are happy to let them claw their way across you to fulfil their feline dreams then why not find some fabric that you can fill with wadding and and use as a ‘bed’ to protect your soft furnishings from falling fur and claw marks. If you have an oversized dog (Dane, or even larger Labradors etc) then, space permitting, you may wish to purchase an additional seat for your canine friend that can be used exclusively for their enjoyment. No matter what size your pet, there’s always a way to stylishly incorporate them into your home!
If space is of a premium, you can purchase smaller beds that are like flat cushions which you can always slide underneath a sofa or fold up into a cupboard should you wish to pack it away when your pet doesn’t wish to use it. 21
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Keep on Running
Well there goes another one! October has been and gone leaving us with some great memories. Not least the Great South Run, the annual homage to the sport of running, personal endeavour and mass participation! This year’s race was no exception attracting runners of all ages and abilities who are chasing personal best times or fund raising targets. There can be no doubt that running has become fashionable, all the cool kids are doing it. Major races now sell out in double quick time which allows some unscrupulous organisers to name their entry fee... naughty really. The Great Run Series is for some, just too expensive at around the £50 mark. Having personally completed almost all the runs in this series since it began in 1988 (yes, I’m that old!), I will probably count next year’s race as my last. The costs are becoming too high and numbers of runners too great. For many others, it will continue to remain as the annual challenge or to be ticked off the bucket list. There is no question, the local community certainly plays its part in bringing the Great South Run to life. Huge, supportive crowds turn out to line the entire route and spur on the elite, club and fun runners. The local economy benefits from the huge influx of participants and their supporters & charities rely on the vast amount of money that runners raise through sponsorship. The day also gives us mortals an opportunity to get up close and almost personal with those special creatures that make elite athletes, but would you be happy paying more every year for the privilege? There are certainly cheaper alternatives locally that provide a great event at a fraction of the cost and are still great fun. 24
‘On the Whistle’ are a small local team based in Portsmouth who have a growing portfolio of races that attract a very loyal following. There are others such as ‘White Star Running’ based in Dorset or ‘Nice Work’ who are a Sussex based family run team. They currently look after our own Gosport Golden Mile and the Summer 5K Series. What this proves, I suppose, is that there really is something for everyone. The next big one locally and the jewel in Gosport’s race calendar, is the Gosport Half Marathon. Taking place on Sunday 17th November this race, as in the previous years, will raise many thousands of pounds for local good causes. Organised and marshalled by Gosport Road Runners, this is an annual event that always enjoys rave reviews and has attracted some big reputations. What is your preferred distance? Do you run alone or with your friends? Don’t forget, you can join our social group the 545 RunClub any Wednesday at The Fallen Acorn Brewery in Mumby Road where you will find a very friendly welcome without any pressure or expectation. Whatever your preferences, we’ve got you covered in Gosport and Fareham. Follow the shoe for regular updates and feel free to email us your stories and photos. Enjoy your running, Article written by Nick Carter GosVegas Running & 545 RunClub email: cartscartergosvegas@gmail.com
Christmas Trees Nordmann Fir Real Trees
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lgs1williams@gmail.com
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Bluebird Care’s Outstanding 1st Year Since opening its doors in October 2018, Bluebird Care has had an amazing 1st year in business. Bluebird Care is a national franchise, providing care and support for adults in their own homes, with the Gosport branch helping those around the Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent, Stubbington and Locks Heath areas. The company came to Gosport in October 2018 led by the director Kat Thomas, who has worked within Bluebird Care since 2011. Bluebird Care Gosport’s focus is to improve the lives of customers by helping them to stay independent and in their own homes, providing a range of services to suit the customer’s need. Since beginning trading, the company has achieved highly. They were rated ‘Outstanding’ by The Care Quality Commission which is the highest grading that can be awarded. The CQC look into every detail of a business during an inspection and a rating of ‘Outstanding’ is absolutely fantastic and a real reflection of how the company operates. The Gosport office have recently been awarded not one but two awards by Bluebird Care at the annual conference.
Firstly, The Spirit of Bluebird Care Award which is awarded to the company who really captures the essence of what Bluebird Care stands for. This was awarded because of the Gosport office’s campaign to ‘Unite Against Loneliness’ as well as its focus on the highest quality care. The Newcomer Award was also presented, which is a real testament to the team’s exceptional effort in its first year of trading. Furthermore, the company was nominated and was then a finalist in The Solent Business Awards annual event under ‘The Best Company to Work For’ category. Stuart McIndoe, Business Operations Manager for Bluebird Care Gosport says, “It was a real honour to be recognised for the company’s nurturing and caring ethos towards the team.” Kat Thomas, the company director says, “We have achieved a great deal in the first year and we all strive to become a bigger heart of our community, coming together with other companies, charities and care givers to unite and improve the lives of as many people as we can”
To find out more about Bluebird Care’s services, please visit www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/gosport or Call 02393 233922 | email gosport@bluebirdcare.co.uk |
@Bluebirdcaregosport
Bluebird Care, Communications House, 1 Quay Lane, Hardway, Gosport. PO12 4LJ
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An OriginAl PAinting fOr ChristmAs
Christmas Fair
Are you looking for a unique gift? A painting of the local area by Lee on the Solent artist John Davies makes a special and personal present for someone else or even for yourself. I Invite you to arrange a time to come to look around the studio at my paintings of sailing and the Solent area with no obligation to buy. All paintings framed and ready to hang. Prices from ÂŁ30 to ÂŁ100.
email: brendanjohn.speen@virgin.net or telephone 02392 363741 Charles Conway House, 35 Marine Parade West, Lee- on- the- Solent PO13 9LW
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Sat 7th December 2019 10.30 - 2.00 Christ Church, Stoke Road, Gosport, PO12 1JQ Father Christmas, live seasonal singing, hot and cold food
lots of stalls!
Two churches!
(Christ Church and Holy Trinity)
twice the enthusiasm and twice the fun!!