Alverstoke February 2020 | Issue 171 | ÂŁ1.50 where sold
Yo u
A recipe for Chinese New Year Who are the Sandy Beards...? Candlemas at St Mary’s Church
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
A dish inspired by the Chinese New Year
Clinics, playgroups and half term fun!
In between seasons
Pack away your stress
Or is it swimming......
Celebrating hope, peace and Candlemas
february issue 2020
Smalltalk
H
ow are the resolutions going?
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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.
I have been promising myself for years that I would start ‘jogging’. This year a friend and I have made a resolution to crack 10km and take part in the Race for Life. At the time of writing, its early January and I have hit the road a few times already. I have just about cracked 5km and I’m still committed. Keep your eyes peeled for monthly updates! If your resolution was to get fit but you are finding the gym and running a bit boring, then perhaps our ‘Keep on Running’ article will interest you this month. Surprisingly it has nothing to do with running and I know it will catch my husband’s eye! Simon, has Perthes’ disease in his hip and after suffering for a number of years he has had to give up nearly all exercise. In the past he was always active and loved playing tennis and football as well as cycling but in recent years he’s had to give it all up. Last year his resolution was to start getting fit again and with a hip replacement on the horizon he was forced to look for other ways to get active and so decided he would teach himself to swim. In the last 12 months he’s gone from doggy paddling with the kids, to front crawling over a kilometre! I’m super proud of his achievement. I wonder if he will one day be a Sandy Beard or a Shack Shark, turn to page 24 to find out more. If your resolution was to not improve yourself but instead finish that long-standing home improvement plan, then again you are in the right place. This month’s magazine is full of great local companies that will help you get your home in tip top shape, along with a gardening and home article to steer you in the right direction! Have a great month and it’s Valentines so why not spread a little love!
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Get Puzzled 1
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Clues Across
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Informal gathering (6) Intolerant person (5) Bloodsucking worm (5) Exceptional, particular (7) Funeral procession (7) Lazy (4) Short sleep (3) Fakir, mystic (4) Admire, commend (4) Winner's trophy (3) ____ and hearty (4) Salad vegetable (7) Branched horns (7) Sibling's daughter (5) Large wading bird (5) Smouldering pieces of coal (6)
Clues Down 1 2 3 4 5
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Join two ends (6) Casual farewell (7) Physically strong, fit (8) Infuse, ferment (4) Association, society (5)
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Steering lever on a boat (6) Pale with shock or fear (5) Precious metal (8) Four stringed instrument (7) Sword case (6)
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Delux, lavish (5) Splits, cuts apart (6) Subsequently (5) Long period of time (4)
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Recipe of the month
Perfect crispy sticky Chinese Chicken Wings This scrumptious supper dish is inspired by the Chinese New Year festival Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes + 50 minutes Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 1.5 kg chicken wings, 2 level tbsp baking POWDER, ¾ tsp table salt, ½ tsp pepper, 3 spring onions, chopped Sticky Chinese Sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp dark brown sugar 5 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp lemon grass paste (you can buy this in tubes) 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced, 1 tbsp sesame seeds (lightly toasted) Method: Preheat the oven to 120C / 100C Fan Gas ½. Place a rack on a large baking tray. Cut each wing at the joint so you have a mini wing and a drumette. Dry these with kitchen roll (they mustn’t be too damp, then place in a large bowl and add the baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Remove the chicken and place in a single layer on the rack, skin side up. Discard the remaining coating mixture. Place the chicken on the lower shelf of the oven for 30 minutes to dry. After 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 220C / 200 Fan / Gas 6, rotate the tray and place on the middle shelf in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the wings are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven to cool slightly. Place all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan, stir and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Turn off the heat. Place the cooked wing pieces in a large bowl and carefully pour over the warm sticky sauce. Mix to combine, then serve topped with chopped spring onions and some toasted sesame seeds.
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Mum’s the Word Welcome to Mum’s the Word, an article containing helpful information, tips, advice & reviews. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear from you!
Are you looking for something fun to do with your little one? Here are this months suggestions... THURSDAY
MONDAY
AS Football Academy HEDCA, Coombe Road, Gosport 11am - 12pm, £5 A fun football group aimed at 2-4yrs
TUESDAY
Stay & Play Storm Cheerleading, Unit 8 Alphage Road, Gosport 9.30am - 11.30am, £2 per child Inflatables, soft play, games and more!
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WEDNESDAY
Phonics Club Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport 4.15 - 4.45pm, FREE (book in advance) For children 4-7yrs who need help with phonics
Rhyme Time Stubbington Library, Stubbington Lane 11.15am - 11.45am, FREE Fun, songs and rhymes for children aged 0-4yrs
FRIDAY
Sticky Fingers Messy Play Alver Valley Family Centre, Rowner 10am-12pm, £1.50 per family Messy, sensory play... no tidying up!
Looking for something different to entertain the kids
over half term
Craft Club - FREE The Reilly Enterprise will be running a FREE kids craft club on Friday 21st February from 10am - midday. Kids can enjoy themed craft tables, glitter tattoos, soft play, biscuits and squash. Spaces are very limited and this is a ‘PRE-BOOK’ session only. If you are not pre-registered and confirmed a place there will be no entry. To register please email: charlie@thereillyenterprise.com. The Reilly Enterprise can be found at Studio Two, North Meadow, Royal Clarence Marina, Gosport, PO12 1BP Messy @ The Movies - ONLY £1 per person Fareham Methodist Church will be showing ‘The Prince of Egypt’ on Wednesday 19th February. Doors open at 3pm, film at 3.30pm. £1 per person payable on the door to cover the cost of popcorn and a sausage in a bun. No charge for under 2s. Booking is essential! All bookings are to be made before 11am on Thursday 13th February. To book please email: fareham.methodist.messy@gmail.com stating any dietary requirements & number of tickets required. Fareham Methodist Church can be found on Kings Road, Fareham, PO16 0NU Stubbington Springboards Gymnastics Holiday Club - Half day £10 / Full day £18 Tuesday 18th, Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th February. Full day is 9.15am-3.30pm and a half day is 9.15am-12.15pm or 12.30pm-3.30pm. Suitable for girls and boys from Year R to Year 12. Sessions include use of the double-mini, vault, floor, beam, bars, trampoline and lots of fun games. All coaches are DBS checked. Places are limited and must be booked and paid for in advance by calling Nathalie on 07817 391860. Last date for booking is Friday 14th February.
INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT February half term can be a wet one so if you find you’re stuck indoors and have some little people to keep entertained, there are a couple of games that you can set up to amuse them and they don’t involve too much mess or preparation! The first one is the ‘Sock and Bucket Challenge’. Simply grab your laundry basket, plus a pile of kids socks and set the basket up at one end of the room. Use a pair of tights, or other ‘long’ item to mark the ‘line’ to stand behind (you can adjust this for age groups accordingly) and then let the children take it in turns to see how many sock balls they can get into the bucket. The other thing you can do is to find some old plastic drinks bottles. Fill the bottoms up a little with water to stabilise them and then use the same socks to play indoor bowling. You can do it with as few or as many bottles as you like - just make it up as you go!
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St Mary’s Church
HOPE AT THE START OF LIFE & PEACE AT THE END Celebrating Candlemas on 2nd February 2020 There is a very moving story that takes place shortly after Christmas. A story of ‘blessing’ in the life of a new born child and of an elderly man anticipating his death. From Luke’s gospel, it is the story of the baby Jesus being presented by his parents for dedication at the temple in Jerusalem, whereupon the old man found permission to ‘die in peace’. St Mary’s Church in Alverstoke is the host for such Christenings and Thanksgivings for children, welcoming about six families each month throughout the year. It is a celebration of the love of God for each person. A love shared tangibly today by the gift of God’s Spirit in us, and this is the love that Jesus came to make possible for us to embrace. It is not just a love for children, but for the elder members of a family too. How wonderful, the joy of the great grandparents who find peace in the context of their family gathered together around a new born. Peace that gives them permission to be ‘content’ and allow the ‘baton’ to be passed on to their children. Following the Christmas story, Mary and Joseph are seen to travel to Jerusalem to perform this simple but significant right of passage for their new born son. The occasion is now called ‘The Presentation of Christ in the Temple’ and is also known as ‘Candlemas’. When they arrived at the Temple Joseph and Mary entered the religious ceremonies and passed Jesus over to an old priest called Simeon. Simeon then spoke some amazing words in which he revealed that he’d had a vision from God declaring that he would not die until he’d seen the Messiah. Simeon knew instantly upon holding the baby that this was the one from God to save us and he sang a song which said: “Lord, now 14
let your servant depart in peace for your word has been fulfilled; my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared, to be a light”. Jesus went on to call himself the ‘Light of the World’ and so at Candlemas we celebrate the light of God’s love for all people, young and old. On 2nd February 2020 St Mary’s Church will be full and blazing with hundreds of candles, it is always such a beautiful sight. Please be invited to come along during the day to see the candles. Candles can be sponsored in advance to remember and celebrate someone dear to us who has died. We shall also host two special services for Candlemas. The first at 10.45am which will be our Church Alive Christingle Service. The Christingle is the orange representing the world, with four cocktail sticks and fruit (harvests, seasons, fruit of the world), a red band representing Good Friday and a candle lit to celebrate Jesus, The Light of the World. At 6.30pm there will be a wonderful and classic Choral Evensong for Candlemas with our full choir singing whilst the candles are ablaze. Candlemas is a wonderful celebration of light in the midst of the darkness, at the heart of winter. Come and share the joy of Jesus’s dedication as a baby and the hope it brought to Simeon and the people. Hope and light for where there is darkness in the world today. Revd Andy Norris Rector for Alverstoke www.stmarysalverstoke.org.uk
PROVIDING QUALITY CARE IN YOUR OWN HOME We are a family run care company providing care that allows people to remain in their homes and continue their life as they choose. • Domiciliary Care • CQC Registered • Fully trained and friendly carergivers • Care Packages cover home care, dementia care, personal care, emergency and respite care, overnight care, companionship and support. • Care within as little as 24 hours • Active Call Monitoring service for peace of mind At Serenity Care Solent we believe in providing care that is tailored to your needs, it’s always a difficult time when deciding to choose care, but with Serenity Care you can be assured peace of mind. If you are looking for care for your loved one or yourself with companionship, personal care, medication support, meal preparation, social visits in and out of the home, dementia care, domestic and overnight care. Please contact our friendly team on:
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Watering & Wellies
IN BETWEEN SEASONS Things to do in the garden when the temperature is yo-yo’ing
February can be a month of seasonal confusion. Some days can see us in the depths of dark and cold and then other days it can feel as though we’re screetching towards springtime at a rate of knots. And during those times it can be easy to want to get a head start on your early sowings as you’re lulled into a sense of security with the odd warmer days but please try to be patient. Freezing days can also suddenly appear and ruin your hard work so if you’re itching to get in the garden and ‘get on’ then spend your time trimming off any dead growth and tidy things up a bit in readiness for the new season which I promise isn’t too far away. Winter flowering plants and shrubs all need a bit of a tidy at this time of year and cutting them back now prevents plants from becoming leggy, setting seed and encourages new growth when the weather starts to improve. For those of you who want a bit more physical activity, start digging some manure into your soil but make sure your soil isn’t too wet before you start. You can sew some early veggies too, especially if you’ve started craving parsnips since Christmas, but make sure that the soil is warm enough before you do. The best rule of thumb is to hang on if you have clay soil as this takes longer to get up to temperature than a sandier based soil. You can speed up the process if you want by covering the seed beds with fleece, cloches or polythene (just make sure that you are careful with the plastic so that you can reuse it year after year). You might like to consider adding some raised beds to your garden if the aesthetic (and space) allows. They are relatively simple and best of all they allow you to make an early start in the garden because the soil contained inside warms up faster, drains quicker and this can be the perfect antidote to those of you cursing a clay soil. 16
Your lawn may be wanting a trim but try and keep off the grass if there’s a frost and avoid cutting it then as the blades on your mower are more susceptible to damage. But you can still work in this area - try installing lawn edging which gives a neat and tidy look and helps with maintenance. Go through your collection of pots and wash and repaint any that are looking a little lacklustre. That way you’ll have a good set to choose from when you’re ready to plant out this year and it won’t increase your workload on top of all the jobs you’ll want to be doing when the weather really improves. Don’t have a water butt? Get one in now in readiness for the summer. There’s really no excuse to not install one—they are super easy and rainwater is particularly useful for watering acid-loving, ericaceous plants since tap water is often slightly alkaline. And more than that you are recycling what nature has provided us with from one easy to fit container. If the weather hasn’t graced us with much warmth or sun yet, or if it’s just a bit too nippy for some of you to want to venture out, then February is still a great month to work on armchair gardening. You can plan out your veggie plot for the year - remember to consider crop rotation if you had a plot there before, as this helps to prevent pests and disease building up in the soil. You can order your seeds and plug plants online now and by planning in advance you’ll only buy what you need. Consider the display of colour and spread in the garden of plant heights. Do you need to order up some more annuals / hanging basket items? Again all these can be ordered as bulbs now for summer colour and just the delight of receiving this gift of nature by post is enough to want most of us to get out there and get our fingers dirty. Annie Gardner
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Squaring it all away The key to a successful and happy life is in storage and organisation. OK that might seem a little far fetched, and we know that life is more than just acrylic containers, but getting this right in your home really will create a ripple effect across many areas of your life. Consider when you stay in a hotel room how less often you lose an item, or feel stressed by the mess around you. Invariably you have less belongings with you, but there is generally good storage solutions for you to unpack and then you enjoy the ambience of your surroundings far more. Transfer this feeling back into your home. When you open your wardrobe doors in the morning are you faced with a horror scene, or are your clothes neatly laid out in front of you, on matching hangers, so that you can see what you have? Do you purge your belongings regularly so that you can see past
the clutter and only use those things that you really enjoy? By only keeping those clothes that fit you and that you go to regularly, you’ll reduce the space you need for storage, and create an experience that is far less stressful when choosing an outfit to wear. Depending on the amount of hanging space you have, wooden hangers will give a luxurious, ‘boutique’ feel but will take up more space. If you are a little tight for room, have a look at metal hangers but covered in velvet. These take up less room on the rail but have the added bonus of not letting the clothes slip off. Transfer these concepts to other areas of your house. Your fridge is another place that can be an area of waste and frustration. Take everything out, give it all a really good clean and then reorganise it. Set up baskets for different types of food (acrylic does tend to work best
in a fridge as it’s hygenic and you can see the contents inside). That way, when you need something, especially in a larger fridge, you don’t have to be rummaging through to the back to find it, you simply pull out the container that has it in, and replace it when you’re done. It’s far easier to manage stock control in a space where you can see what you have, than second guessing. How many bottles of sauces and oils have we all thrown away because we didn’t realise there was one lurking in the back of the cupboard? Kitchen drawers need to be neatly organised but allow yourself one drawer in the house where ‘bits’ can be thrown. Nobody is perfect and everyone needs somewhere to pop those bits and bobs that don’t immediately have a home. Screwdrivers, pens, elastic bands, all these things can be popped into the ‘bits and bobs’ drawer guilt free. Just remember to give it a bit of a clear out every now and then! For the rest of the drawers, make sure each one has a purpose (cutlery, tea towels etc) so everyone knows where to find things. It makes life so much simpler when your belongings are organised and then you can get on and enjoy the rest of your time with little fuss! 21
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Keep on Running
Keep on Swimming By the time you are reading this we will be in a new decade and probably all trying to stick to those New Year’s resolutions!
they boast athletes of all standards from absolute beginners to those who have completed the coveted Ironman events.
As a runner, my articles are invariably running related but running isn’t the only activity to offer respite and a solution to an expanding waistline. Back in 2011 when Absolute Running first opened its doors, we started organising Friday night meetings at Stokes Bay where we offered supervised open water swimming, with kayak support. We literally stuck our toes in the water to gauge interest but immediately realised that swimming outdoors was extremely popular! The numbers grew to such proportions, that after two summer seasons we were forced to withdraw our services because we simply could not keep a watchful eye on so many swimmers at one time. So, we sat down with a few dynamic individuals and decided to form Gosport’s first triathlon club and this was when the Bayside Tri was born. Now in their 6th year,
Not wanting to give up their passion for open water swimming, others formed their own social swimming groups and continued to support each other as they looked to make the most of our fabulous coastline. Enter ‘The Shack Sharks’ who meet regularly at The Shack in Hillhead and ‘The Sandy Beards’ who base themselves near Leon’s Bistro at Lee-on-the-Solent. Both groups swim all year round and will always offer a friendly welcome to anyone of any standard wanting to join them. ‘The Sandy Beards’ have even persuaded me to don their distinctive yellow swim hat and join them, but not during the winter months, I’m definitely a fair weather swimmer/paddler. This year, I hope to join the swimmers more often so that I too can make better use of what nature has given us. So, if running isn’t for you but you fancy a go at swimming, check out the above groups on their social media platforms and get in touch. Or, if easier, simply drop me an email and I’ll put you in touch with some lovely people. It all happens in GosVegas! Happy New Year and we hope that 2020 is good to you. Article written by Nick Carter GosVegas Running & 545 RunClub Email: cartscartergosvegas@gmail.com
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Doris’s Story... Have you ever thought about care at home for you or someone you love? Maybe you feel too apprehensive to make the first step? Having care at home can be a huge step in someone’s life, firstly it is good to think about what type of care would suit you or your loved one and whether it would be home care or in a care home. We spoke to our customer Doris as we believed hearing her experience would help others. Firstly, we asked Doris how her life has changed since being with Bluebird Care. Doris lives at home on her own, she has recently moved to Locks Heath from Southampton. She lived in Southampton for 60 years and moved to be closer to her son. She states, ‘I found it incredibly difficult to walk up or down the stairs in my previous house as my back was very sore and I struggled with the pain. I needed someone to stand behind me going up the stairs and support me coming down.’ Her son organised for a care assistant to see Doris daily as she needed support to get ready in the morning. Doris said ‘When I realised my son had organised care for me, I said I didn’t need a carer. I didn’t think there was a need for me to have someone support me every day. Soon after the first visit I began to realise how much easier my morning routine was, it didn’t seem such a struggle.’ Doris also says ‘I thank my son now, I am lucky that someone organised this for me and it has made my life a lot easier without taking my independence away. I started with Bluebird Care when I lived in Southampton and I then transferred to Bluebird Care Gosport when I moved to the Locks Heath area, it was very straight forward.’
Doris has built great relationships with her care assistants at Bluebird Care ‘They do all that they can for me, they even pop down the shops if I’ve run out of anything.’ She says she trusts them and she likes to have a laugh with the care assistants as it cheers her up and makes her feel relaxed. Doris’ call involves personal care, housekeeping and checking her mail. Doris did not want to go into a care home, she likes her home comforts and being in her own space, which encourages her independence. She sees a care assistant for 1 hour a morning on weekdays.
We also spoke to Doris about how it has helped her family. Doris says, ‘My son works long shifts so it is difficult for him to come around often, he doesn’t have the time, but he takes me out when he can and when the weather is nice. He has peace of mind that I have support at home and I am also able to attend the monthly social events organised by Bluebird Care, I like socialising.’ Bluebird Care organise coffee mornings, Christmas parties and arts & crafts clubs so customers have a chance to socialise with one another. Doris enjoys these events and she likes to make everyone laugh and we thoroughly enjoy her company.
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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