Stubbington & Hill Head Edition
December 2019 | Issue 59 | ÂŁ1.50 where sold
Yo u
Visit your church this festive season Christmas cookie recipe Festive crafts for kids!
Photograph taken by Barrie Webb
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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
22
Recipe of the Month
12
Mum’s the Word
24
Keep On Running
19
Watering & Wellies
29
Home Focus
20
Crofton Parish
30 Auto-biographies
Test yourself with this month’s crossword
Christmas crafts and light switch on events
Help your hard work survive the winter
Visit your church this Christmas
Delicious Christmas cookies
Races of all shapes and sizes
Furnishing for your furry friends
The New Toyota Corolla Touring Sports car
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 articles on local ‘light switch-ons’ and last post dates. 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
CROSSWORD CLUES ACROSS 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 13. 15. 17. 20. 21. 23. 24.
Decanter (6) Trip (6) Cutting Tool (4) Spiders Web (8) Solemnity (7) Flight (Geese?) (5) Following (5) Coffee Substitute (7) Against the Grain (8) Abundant (4) RIP (4,2) German Accent (6)
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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. 13
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Thursday 19th December 2019 at 7pm
Sending Love and Best Wishes This Christmas Time
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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
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 19
Crofton Parish
IT’S THAT SEASON AGAIN!
Christmas is coming once again. The nights are drawing in and the shops are filling up with all sorts of pretty decorations, yummy foods and ingenious present ideas to entice us and expand our waistlines! As people are starting to prepare at home, here at Crofton Parish, we too are very busy planning for one of the most important festivals in the church’s calendar. We have lots of really exciting Christmas events taking place in December and we would love to see you at some. The first is our Christingle Service at Holy Rood which is held on Thursday 5th December at 6.30pm. This is one of the biggest services of our year and children are each given their own Christingle to take home. Next, on Saturday 7th December we will be holding our annual ‘Live Nativity’, also taking place at Holy Rood between 10am and 1pm. It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to learn together about the real reason behind all the celebrations at this time of year. Come along to meet the animals and interact with the characters from the Christmas story. There will be Christmas themed craft for children and refreshments for all. Why not make a day of it and head over to the village green after to see the Christmas lights switched on at 4pm! Holy Rood is also the venue for our Carols by Candlelight service at 6.30pm on Sunday 15th December. Join us for the service and afterwards for mulled wine and mince pies. If you can’t make it that week, there are great opportunities to attend the following carol services on Sunday 22nd December. The Friends of Crofton Old Church (FOCOC) will be hosting a nine lessons and carols service at 4pm at St Edmunds, whilst 20
earlier in the day at 9.30am, there will be a scratch nativity at Holy Rood. This is a lovely service and a great opportunity for adult and children alike to dress up as any of the characters from the Christmas story and join in. We have even been known to incorporate extra characters as necessary! St Edmunds is the place to be on Christmas Eve afternoon when they have two beautiful nativity services, one at 4pm and the other at 6pm. You’ll have to get there early though, as these services are always packed to capacity. We will then welcome Christmas Day with a communion service starting at 11pm on 24th December, followed the next morning by a quiet Prayer Book communion at 8am at St Edmunds and 10am Family Service at Holy Rood. If you would like any more details about these events, or indeed any of the regular activities, then please do contact us through the parish office. With so many ways to celebrate the Christmas season, we really hope to see you in December this year. Our prayer for you all is that your preparations will go well and that when Christmas finally arrives, the love, joy and peace that Jesus brings will fill your hearts.
Beth Yeandle Staff member Crofton Parish beth@cropftonparish.org.uk
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Recipe of the month
Christmas Cookies 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 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. 22
LAST POSTING DATES - UK Wednesday, December 18 2nd class post and Royal Mail signed for 2nd class post Friday, December 20 1st class post and Royal Mail signed for 1st class post, also Royal Mail Tracked 48® Saturday, December 21 Royal Mail Tracked 24® Monday, December 23 Royal Mail Special Delivery Saturday Guaranteed
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD Monday, December 9 Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and South America, Far and Middle East Tuesday, December 10 Cyprus, Malta Wednesday, December 11 Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia), Thursday, December 12 Australia, Greece, New Zealand and Turkey Saturday, December 14 Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA Monday, December 16 Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Wednesday, December 18 Belgium, France, Ireland and Luxembourg.
HM Forces mail – (BFPO) Monday, November 25 - Airmail to Operational HM Forces Friday, December 13 - Airmail to Static HM Forces
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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.
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‘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
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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. 29
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By Tim Barnes-Clay Motoring journalist Tweeting @carwriteups Instagram @tbarnesclay
THE NEW TOYOTA COROLLA TOURING SPORTS What’s a ‘Touring Sports’? In this case, it’s not a highspeed gentleman’s car, that’s for sure. It’s just a posh term for an ‘estate’. And not the net worth of an individual kind, either. Simply put, the Corolla Touring Sports is like the Corolla hatchback, but with a larger load area grafted on. And that’s what makes it a top family wagon. The new Corolla – in whichever shape you go for, is a handsome, chiselled vehicle. Inside and out, the Japanese motor is every bit a model you’d be happy to take the kids to school in. You might even make some other parents green with envy. You don’t get that badge snobbery thing with Toyota. You do with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, but this marque seems to make you acceptable on the road – and in the school playground. You get nods of approval, rather than scowls. You’re let out at junctions instead of being ignored. And you never get the finger from other drivers in heated traffic situations. The Corolla Touring Sports makes motoring in Britain almost pleasant again. Inside, there’s room for four people – or five, if you really want to sit someone in the middle of the rear bench. My eldest daughter was sandwiched between two child seats on the way to Alton Towers. The trip was just under two hours – and she only started complaining an hour into the trip. The thought of the entertainment at the end of the journey was the one thing to keep her from losing the plot with her siblings. So, think of this as a four-seater car – and only a five-up machine if you have a small human being willing to take the short straw. Luggage-wise, you’ll get a lot into this estate car. It’s by no means the biggest of its type, but the 2.0-litre hybrid, on test here, boasts 581-litres of load space. Of course, if you fold the rear seats, and kick the kids out, the Corolla turns into the perfect tip-run workhorse. 30
The Touring Sports is not just a practical set of wheels, though. The £30,345 flagship ‘Excel’ version lent to me will hit 62mph from a standing start in 8.1 seconds. That’s reasonably swift. And because a petrol and electric mix propel it, the car is frugal, managing between 50-60mpg. Co2 emissions are low at 89g/km – making this a cheap vehicle to tax. It’s perfect company car material, too. A top car in many ways then – apart from one thing – the price. You may have noticed I slipped that £30k figure into the last paragraph. It’s a lot of money. Mind you, this is the top Excel trim – and the most basic Touring Sports is £22,575. That only has a 1.2-litre unit, though – with 0-62mph taking 10.8 seconds and mpg around 58. Still, its cargo capacity is larger than the 2.0-litre version at 596-litres. And if you have an aversion to Toyota, then the similar priced Ford Focus estate might work for you – but the load area is a bit smaller. The choice is yours, folks.
Pros ‘n’ Cons Looks √ Handling √ Efficiency √ On the pricey side to buy X Fast Facts • Max speed: 112 • 0-62 mph: 8.1 seconds • Combined mpg: 50.43 – 60.62 • Engine: 1987cc 4-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid • Max. power (ps): 180 • CO2: 89 g/km Price: £30,345
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