Big Voice in Whiteley March 2015 by Big Voice Directories

March 2015 | Issue 84 Priceless

MITSUBISHI

HEV O ut lander P HEV APRICOT &

Passion fruit flan

sensei

Says

WHITELEY CHURCH CONTACT DETAILS Reverend Philippa Mills Phone: 07760771667 Email: minister@whiteleychurch.org.uk (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) Churchwardens: Jo Vartan Phone: 01489 505367 Mobile: 07767617797 Email:

Vikki Potts Phone: 01489 588648 Mobile: 07732567953

wardens@whiteleychurch.org.uk

www.whiteleychurch.org.uk www.facebook.com/WhiteleyChurch

It seems as though we’re only just past Christmas and New Year and already school half-term holiday is nearly upon us! Easter is early this year, which means that pancake day (Shrove Tuesday) and Lent start early too. Many of you will be making and/or eating pancakes on Tuesday 17th February, the day before Lent starts. This year Whiteley Church is taking on a challenge for Lent and instead of giving something up we’re encouraging people to be generous in lots of ways. We’re going to be using ideas from ‘40acts’ and hoping you, the people of Whiiteley, might take up the challenge too. Some of you will have used the idea of ‘pay it forward’ or ‘random acts of kindness’. ’40 Acts’ will give you ideas of ways to be generous with your time and your attitude and not just with your money or possessions. If you’d like to take part you can register through the website www.40acts.org.uk. Each day there’ll be a choice of 3 different challenges from which you choose one. I’ve noticed what a fantastic response there is in Whiteley to appeals to support the local foodbank, the women’s refuges, the homeless etc so I thought this might be something we could do as a community. Cornerstone Primary School are going to be joining in and Whiteley Church will be running Lent study and discussion groups on this theme too.

Monday Minis celebrated its first birthday at the beginning of the month with cup cake decorating for toddlers and babies’ ribbon teethers for parents/carers to make. If you’re at home with a baby or pre-school children why not come and join us on Monday afternoons in the Community Centre (1-2.45pm). There are lots of toys for babies and children to play with, there’s always a fun craft activity and it’s a good opportunity to meet other parents or carers. We are planning a number of social events and activities through the year. The first of these will be a Quiz Night at Cornerstone Primary School at 7.30pm on Friday 13th March, which we’re organizing in conjunction with the PTA. Tickets are available from the office at Cornerstone Primary School and cost £2/person with a maximum team size of 8. If you’d like to come along don’t worry about not having a team to bring: you’ll be able to join in with others. You’re encouraged to bring drinks and nibbles with you. As your local C of E church we are here for the whole community, not just those who come to worship on Sunday mornings. If you would like to discuss arranging a Baptism (Christening) , Wedding or Funeral please get in touch with Philippa.

Regular Church activities:

(Sundays at Whiteley Community Centre, Gull Coppice) 1st Sunday First @ 4 Messy Church 4-6pm aimed at families with children age 2+ to 11 2nd Sunday 10.15 am Communion + children’s groups 3rd Sunday 10.15am Morning Worship + children’s groups 4th Sunday 10.15am Communion or Baptism + children’s groups Open Door Cafe Tuesdays 9.30-11.30am Whiteley Community Centre Monday Minis Mondays (term-time) 1-2.45pm Whiteley Community Centre Small Groups Weekly for discussion, fellowship and Bible Study (contact Vicar or Wardens) Men’s Breakfast monthly on Saturday morning (website or contact Wardens for dates)

THIS MONTH..

, ealth h , y nit mmu d more o c , an pes Reci operties pr

26 29 14

23 17

FOOD AND DRINK

CHILDREN, PETS & EDUCATION

...flan de queso with spiced,, roasted pears. A perfect dish to complete a meal on a cold, frosty Sunday!

Some interesting philosophies from Sensei Rob Wood about what makes a good dojo for both adults and children alike.

Sensei Says

HOUSE AND GARDENS

Spot on Spring

Apricot and passion fruit...

Planning Matters

Things to do with the little people in March.

Check out this months round up of planning applications in and around Whiteley.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL

MOTORING

Top tips yet again from Martin Lewis as he shows us how to get cheaper car insurance.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Another fabulous review by Tim Barnes-Clay who says that “The Mitsubishi PHEV may look like a normal Outlander, but hiding behind the mask is the most technologically advanced Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) on the car market.”. A great family car that’s worth a read up on.

Car Insurance

COMMUNITY 2

Whiteley Church

There’s lots going on at our local church - Phillipa and her team would be happy to welcome you. Why not take part in the 40 things challenge?

march issue 2015

BVD Publishing 01329 630630

Joint Editors Coralie Todd & Sean Middleton editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk

Advertising Sales sales@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk

Regular Contributors Martin Lewis, Whiteley Church, Tim Barnes-Clay, Anne Wilson

Distribution This Big Voice Bigazine is delivered to residents and businesses in Whiteley, Titchfield Park and Burridge. For distribution enquiries please give us a call and speak to Sean. Four other editions are also published in Alverstoke, Stubbington & Hill Head, Lee on Solent and Gosport. 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 BVD Publishing.

“I

Smalalltalk Sm ltalk

t’s snowing still... … said Eeyore gloomily

“and freezing”. But what’s not to love about the snow? Sean and I got super excited because, on the day of the Big Cover Selection for the magazines (which is always a fun day in the office because I always pick the covers and Sean has to agree with them) it started snowing. So we grabbed the camera, woolly hats and boots and after we dropped the kids off at school started our mission to get a fabulous snowy picture. First stop was Stubbington for the first batch of shots. Well, we might as well have popped to another country because where was all the snow? There was a rather miserable smattering on the grass in the village which by this time resembled a load of tissue that had gone through the washing machine in one of our kids pockets and not a lot else to show for the wintry skies that morning. Undeterred it was back in the car and across to Whiteley. What a glorious sight awaited us. There was a beautiful blanket of white strewn across the fields, the golf course and even settling on the roads so you couldn’t see that nasty streak of black spoiling our pictures. In fact it snowed so hard at one point that it was blowing straight into our eyes so we couldn’t even attempt to take a shot. It was tempting at that stage to give up and just have a giant snowball fight instead but fairly quickly it slowed down and the grey sky disappeared to make way for one of beautiful blue. See if you can work out where we took the cover shot - it was lovely! Until next month, much love

Coralie and Sean x

Advertise with us! Reliably delivered by our local teams, reaching over 25000 homes each issue, five editions of Big Voice provide exceptional monthly coverage of our area every single month. Call our friendly team now on 01329 630630, jump on our website and have a chat or link up with us on Facebook. Visit our Facebook page Big Voice Directories

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Important Phone Numbers COMMUNITY Citizens’ Advice 01329 237121 Community Association 01489 881190 Fareham Borough Council 01329 236100 Meadowside Leisure Centre 01489 577464 Rotary Club of Whiteley 07599 937252 Town Council 01329 835019 Whiteley Church 07760 771667 Whiteley Community Centre 01489 880041 Whiteley Guide and Brownies 01489 885748 Whiteley Scout Group 07808 301176 Winchester City Council 01962 840222 Police 101 or emergency 999 RSPCA 01329 667541 Victim Support 0845 3899528

First Bus Service 023 9286 2412 Hampshire Highways 0845 8504422

HEALTH Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 7697555 Dental Helpline 0845 0508345 Whiteley Dental Practice 01489 564203 Doctor’s Surgery 01489 881982 NHS Direct 111 NHS Smoking Helpline 0800 0224332 SCHOOLS Cornerstone CofE Primary School 01489 660750 Henry Cort Community College 01329 843127 Whiteley Primary School 01489 881601 Whiteley Pre-School 01489 565717 TRAVEL Coastguard 023 8032 9486 National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950

Love where you live!

P uzzle Answers Answers March 2015

WORDSEARCH

SUDOKU

SCRAMBLE

KIDS PAGE

Auto biographies Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

drain to less than 30 per cent of its charge, a 2.0-litre petrol engine kicks in to life. It acts as a generator to help the PHEV accomplish a total driving range of approximately 500 miles on a full tank.

average, so at least there’s plenty of clarity in the quiet cabin.

The Outlander PHEV isn’t rapid from a standing start, but tremendous pulling power makes up for it once The Outlander PHEV is also the you get going. Initial most fuel efficient four-wheel acceleration suffers simply drive. That’s astounding for a because of the heavy jumble family-size car that tips the scales of battery and electric at a bulky 1810kg, and seats five. motors that the standard Outlander doesn’t possess. As a global first, the Outlander PHEV also has no direct When you need to recharge adversary. The closest is the on the move, all you need to FAST FACTS PROS ‘N’ CONS Lexus RX450h, though it can’t be do is hit the ‘Charge’ switch Cheap to run √ recharged via a powerpoint and behind the joystick, which  Max speed: 106mph Pulling power √ cannot run on electricity alone. fires up the four-cylinder  0-62 mph: 11 secs engine to replenish the battery. A Lots of kit √  Combined mpg: 148.7 Befitting its first-class status in single charge via a powerpoint takes  Engine: 2.0 litre petrol plus two Safe √ the Outlander range, the PHEV is five hours, which could cost you next electric motors  Max. power (bhp): 119 at 4500 rpm Initial acceleration X very well stacked with kit. It has to nothing depending on the hours 18 inch alloy wheels, duskyou choose to plug in to the grid.  Max. torque (Ib/ft): 140 at 4500 sensing auto headlamps, touchrpm screen with satellite navigation Inside, it’s pretty much standard  CO2: 44 g/km and reversing camera, climate Outlander layout apart from the  Price: £40,054 on the road control, parking sensors and joystick-style gearstick and electric seven airbags. charging buttons. The tachometer The Mitsubishi PHEV may look like a has also been replaced by a power normal Outlander, but hiding behind The flagship GX4hs was driven for meter, which shows when you’re the mask is the most technologically this review and the model comes charging-up the battery, using the advanced Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with additional features such as battery, or running the engine. on the car market. adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning. The latter Behind the wheel, body control is ‘PHEV’ stands for Plug-in Hybrid squeals at you if it detects you’ve good for an SUV of this weight as the Electric Vehicle. It means the SUV drifted across the road’s white Outlander PHEV profits from can be fed by electricity from a dividing lines. Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control domestic socket to power electric (S-AWC). This is a system that motors that are supported by a If you’re used to a standard car, it’s ensures maximum stability when petrol engine. going to be a peculiar experience the cornering. first time you gently push the Two electric motors drive the front gearstick over to the right into ‘D’ Indeed, for its green, yet powerful and rear axle separately while and drive off in silence. Even sharp talents, Mitsubishi’s PHEV is an SUV batteries allow electricity-only jabs of the throttle produce the same that many British families will take to driving at up to 75mph. Beyond that amount of hush, though that has its their hearts. pace, or should the battery pack rewards – the audio unit is only

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Writer

www.carwriteups.co.uk

@carwriteups

Remarkable Relationships

Follow your heart and your mind will catch up! Have you ever wondered why the decisions you made a while no longer seem right? There is a good reason for this. The decisions we make at 23 are made with a 23 year olds perspective and mind, and life experience. What was right for us then isn’t necessarily right for us as we get older in life. Problem is that sometimes we try to hang onto what we have created. Why? Because it is too scary to ‘start again’. So how about instead of seeing it as starting again – seeing it as moving forward. Learning from our life experience and letting go of what we don’t want and refining and putting in place what we do want. Finally listening to our heart. I was recently working with a client who wanted to review the past ten years and focus the next ten. What was interesting about our conversation was that as many people do, she had not acknowledged the things she had done and only focused on the things she hadn’t. So using this as a starting point it was good to actually list out and acknowledge the things she had achieved. And then, as with all good foundations, build upon them. Once we know what we do not want it is much easier to discover what we do. Looking back can be useful as we begin to see what was missing and what we would really like to have in our life from now on. The next part is to see that it is not about getting all these things yesterday, but just as the previous ten years were about creating our life up to now; the next ten years can evolve and include all the things we want. It is about starting somewhere – even with a small step. The first step is to learn about your self a bit better. Try out a few things that shift how you see yourself and your world. Be kind to yourself so the world can be kind to you. It will help soften the ground for new things to

come into your life. We can soften the ground to receive whatever we want by beginning to give it to ourselves first. If it is your career you could begin by just allowing yourself to think big about what you’d like or even simply admit to yourself once and for all that you have no heart in your job and you have to take that courageous step to find out what your true passions are in life. To do that you do need to learn more about yourself. How well do you know yourself? What are you wanting in your life? Are you giving it to yourself? Are you even letting yourself know what you truly want – especially if it means changing your life? So many people have that crisis of realising that they are not living the life they want, or even maybe just part of their life is not as they’d like, and then they bury the feeling for fear of what it means. They allow ‘I don’t know’ to be an answer because the consequence of knowing is too scary. The first step is to start allowing yourself to see these missing bits of you and what you have denied yourself. To really touch in with your heart and find out what it longs for. And then to start moving towards creating that for yourself in your life. As I said to a client recently – don’t wait for your head and ego to say yes to what your heart wants – follow your heart now and let your mind and ego catch up!

Jessica offers Life Guidance to those who are feeling like they are at a crossroads, helping you connect back to your spirit, the true heart of you. If you want to know more you can visit her website http://www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com or email her at jessica@jessicamcgregorjohnson.com

(At order stage. Offer ends 31.3.15)

Finding the perfect final resting place

Losing someone you love is incredibly hard. Even though they are no longer with you, they are still a part of your life. And although you may think of them often, no matter where you are at the time, many people find it a comfort to have a unique spot to go to that is personal to their loved one.

Gardens, an award-winning public garden of remembrance where ashes can be interred in a chosen position and the resting place marked with a personalised memorial.

Opened in 2002, the acres of mature, well-kept gardens feature themed ‘rooms’, including the Garden of the Sea with its sculptural anchors and wooden jetty, and the Hill of Roses, flooded with scent and colour. Linked together by meandering streams and pathways, these gardens are For that reason, a local family established Portchester Memorial complemented by a beautiful

lake and Temple, which provide an unrivalled setting for contemplation. Sympathetic staff will help families to choose a favourite area of the garden to site a grave into which their loved ones’ ashes can be interred in a casket or scattered. Every plot takes up to two sets of ashes. Alternatively, some choose a ‘memorial only’ option, as the ashes have already been laid to rest elsewhere, but they want to have a spot where they can place flowers to mark special anniversaries. To find out more about the peace and tranquillity offered by the gardens, please visit www.pmgardens.com, call 01329 828250 or visit us in person to discuss your needs.

Martin Lewis

Car Insurance

@MoneySavingExpert

Car insurance prices have fallen 40% over the past two years, according to the AA. But with a rise in fraudulent claims, its latest index predicts an increase of up to 8% in 2015; others think 10% is possible. So to help you drive down costs, let me answer your most common questions… Q. Is this only something you can do if you’re at renewal? A. No, everyone should be checking their price right now, even if you only signed up to a new deal a few months ago. Unless you’ve claimed, you can usually cancel a policy for a fee of around £50 and get a refund for the rest of the year (though you won’t earn no claims for that year). It’s worth checking if it’s worth it. Q. My renewal’s only six weeks

away, should I just wait? A. It’s likely if you did try and cancel and get a new policy now, the cancellation fee will diminish any savings – so that’s a bit futile. Yet there is another trick – www.aviva.co.uk, www.postoffice.co.uk and www.lv.com quotes last 60 days, so why not grab them now and you’re effectively locking in those prices in case they rise in the meantime. Q. Are the savings that great? Can’t you just auto-renew? A. Never just auto-renew without checking elsewhere, often it just lets insurers smack a price rise on you, as it knows apathy means many will keep paying more and more. I’m not saying auto-renewing will never be your cheapest option just

that it should never be done without checking and comparing elsewhere first. Q. So it’s just a question of getting on a comparison site? A. That’s the route many use, but there are steps to really kick it up. It’s important to understand that there’s no one cheapest provider, so it’s a case of following a system. Never just do one comparison, you need a benchmark of a few comparisons to find out where’s cheapest. There’s a system to follow fully explained at www.mse.me/ carinsurance. In a nutshell… Combine comparison sites. They don’t all cover the same insurers, so combining a number of sites is the best way to really make a meaningful saving. My current top picks for a typical driver are www.moneysupermarket.com, www.confused.com, and www.comparethemarket.com Check insurers that comparisons miss. Comparison sites let you compare 100s of insurers quickly but they don’t capture the entire market. The biggies, including Aviva, www.directline.com and www.zurich.co.uk only offer their products directly. More than one car at home? Comparison sites can only cope with one car at once so don’t include multi -car discounts. Therefore you should always manually check those that offer it. The big one is www.admiral.com multi-car, but www.churchill.com, www.directline.com and www.privilege.com also offer it. I’m not saying they’ll win, but that you should check. Difficult to insure? Use a broker. If

you’ve difficult circumstances (eg, past bans or big accidents) that make getting insurance difficult, a comparison site is less likely to help as these are mainly focused on ‘normal’ policies. You may be better off finding a local broker - see the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website (www.biba.org.uk), as these can sometimes find a cheaper deal for you. Q. So it’s all pretty straightforward? A. Ah if only. Common-sense doesn't always do the job… - Third party's not always cheapest. Merely selecting comprehensive makes some insurers see you as a lower risk. So always check both. - Adding a responsible second driver can cut your costs. This can bring down your risk average and price ― of course, it must be someone who may drive your car. As Mazzyb5 tweeted: "Took your advice and

added mum ― saved £500." - Tweaking your job description can cut costs. I'm not saying lap dancers should call themselves cabinet ministers (or vice versa, heaven forbid). But these days many people have such specific job descriptions car insurers don't list them, as Fabsternation tweeted: "Thanks. Changing from creative director to marketing manager saved £300." See my fun car insurance job picker tool www.mse.me/jobpicker. - Beware paying monthly. A monthly payment plan for your insurance is essentially a high-interest loan. For example, if your premium is £1,000 but you’re paying an APR of 25%, your insurance will actually cost £1,140 once you factor in the interest. So either pay in full, or if you can't afford it, use a credit card with a lower APR or better still, a 0% credit card for spending, ensuring your repayments are big enough to clear it

within a year. Q. And any special tips for young drivers? A. With the average premium for a 17-22-year-old at an eye-watering £1,194 per year, young car drivers can be priced out ― all the techniques above will help, but if you’re not getting there, check ‘pay how you drive’ (telematics) this involves a device being fitted inside your car that monitors your actions behind the wheel. Full info in www.mse.me/youngdrivers.

@MoneySavingExpert

Naturally good.. Apricot and passion fruit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;flan de Quesoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with spiced roasted pears

Ingredients for 4-6 servings: For the flan 120ml full fat milk 240ml double cream 100g full fat cream cheese 2 free range eggs 8 large moist dried apricots 1 tbsp honey One passion fruit 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the roasted pears 2 pears Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch ground ginger 1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 300F/150c. 2. Place the milk and dried apricots into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Then remove from the heat and leave to rest for 20 minutes to let the apricots soak up some moisture and become plump. 3. Prepare the passion fruit by scraping out the seeds into a sieve above a bowl, use a metal spoon to scrape the seeds against the sieve to remove as much of the juice as possible, discard the seeds and add the juice to the mixture. 4. Place all of the ingredients for the flan into a blender and blitz on full speed for 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are well combined and smooth, pass this mixture through a sieve into a jug and then use this to fill 4 ramekins (or 6 ramekins if you want smaller portions). 5. Place the ramekins into a large roasting tray and pour in enough hot, but not boiling, water to come halfway up their outsides. (This is called a bain-marie or water bath). 6. Place the bain-marie onto the center shelf of the oven being careful not to spill any water into the ramekins which will ruin the flans (a tip to make life easier is to place the baking dish with the ramekins halfway into the oven before adding the water to the dish). 7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the custards are just set but still a bit wobbly in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the water and set aside to cool to room temperature. Chill until needed for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. 8. When you are ready to serve the flans, prepare the roasted pears. Peel, core and slice the pears and place onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the pears with the ground ginger and cinnamon and add the butter. Place into a preheated oven at 350F/180c for approximately 20 minutes until the pears are soft and the edges are turning golden brown and caramelized.

Ryan Turner, real food and low-carb chef - www.thefoodbible.com

9. Spoon the roasted pears on top of the flans and serve.

P lanning Matters

A monthly round up of planning applications submitted since 1 January 2015 FAREHAM COUNCIL REF

LOCATION

PROPOSAL

P/15/0061/ph

32 Andersen Close Whiteley

Single storey rear extension measuring 4 metres beyond rear wall of original dwelling, maximum height of 3.375 metres and with eaves at a height of 2.1 metres

P/15/0055/fp

1 Ibsen Close Whiteley Fareham PO15 7ED

Proposed non frosted opening side elevation gable end window serving a new loft space

P/15/0003/fp

4 Java Drive Whiteley Fareham PO15 7BY

Proposed garage

P/15/0033/to

36 Hanoverian Way Whiteley Fareham PO15 7JT

Crown lift 2 oaks to 5 metres above ground level. The trees are protected by tpo 89

P/15/0028/TO

6 Haflinger Drive Whiteley Fareham PO15 Fell 2 ash protected by tpo 183 7DX WINCHESTER CITY COUNCIL

REF

LOCATION

PROPOSAL

W18070/02

4 Bader Way Whiteley Fareham Hampshire PO15 7JG

Internal alterations to room over existing garage including construction of new dormer window

15/00073/FUL

16 Camellia Way Whiteley Fareham Hampshire PO15 7NS

Proposed rear conservatory

In the Picture

The art dealer is working for you, and making sure you have exactly what you want By Gita Joshi, AWAD. www.orsomajor.com is a priority for them. And as they also have the relationship with the If you thought that commissioning a artist, they can communicate exactly bespoke piece of art work was only for what it is that you would like in the new the wealthy then think again. In most art work. They would do this by looking cases the art work made specifically for at the artists portfolio and seeing what it you would cost the same as it would at is you as a client, are particularly drawn the gallery. So, if you have seen a piece to. Then, by understanding the space of art work at a gallery that was sold or that you are planning to hang the art not the right size for your walls then work at home or work, your budget, as commissioning could be the answer. well as any time constraints, they are in a If you are looking for an artwork similar to position to brief the something you have seen, then the artist artist and keep you will most likely be open to producing updated with progress something for you. Keep it in mind it on the commission. wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be identical, but it could be very similar. How similar depends on how well Often an art dealer will also be able to arrange you brief the artist and for that reason it a studio visit for you to is a good idea to have the art dealer or meet the artist and gallerist on board. see their works in

progress. This would be another opportunity for you to talk about exactly what it is you would like from your bespoke piece of art. Throughout the commissioning process you should expect regular updates from the artist or gallerist with images of the work in progress, until finally, you are the proud owner of a piece of original commissioned art. It really is no more trouble or expense than buying from a gallery but with all the excitement of knowing that the art work was made specifically with you in mind.

Bespoke artwork

THINKING OF

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Chat to us about what’s great about your business and we will create an advert which sends the right message to the right people.

Call us now on 01329 630630 to We’d love to see your business in our reserve your space. newly designed, refreshed magazine, so we’re pleased to offer you this £10 off voucher when you book any size of advert for 4 issues. We are dedicated to working harder than anyone else to get the best response for your business.

Ginger

Growing up to 8 feet tall, the Alpinia Zerumbet (best keep them indoors but they need to be in a bright and known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shell gingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) produces tropical looking flowers humid atmosphere. once into its second year which resemble sea shells. The fragrance of these plants is wonderful and together They are best grown in rich, medium-wet soil that is well with the striking form and colour make for an amazing drained in full sunshine or partial shade. You can also plant - as long as you get some sunshine!

SPONSORED BY KIDDI CARU

Local good news On 17th January four Scouts in 1st Whiteley achieved their Chief Scout Gold Award, which is the highest award that young people in the scout section can achieve. The award was presented by the Scout District Commissioner to Ben Anderson, Joe Goozee, Isobelle Woodward and Jack Moseley during the annual Scoutabout event held by the Fareham West District on 17th January.

As with many voluntary organisations, especially in Whiteley, we face a number of challenges. Our greatest challenge is to grow the Scout group and to reduce the number of young people that are on our waiting lists – but this can only be Currently all of our equipment has to achieved by recruiting more leaders. be stored in either a very small shed or a camping trailer, which inevitably The second obstacle that we face in leads to the equipment deteriorating. Whiteley, which is unique among Scout groups in the Fareham area, is We are so proud of what our The Scout troop in Whiteley has been that we have no permanent place to talented young people have achieved established for approximately 12 meet or store our equipment. The through their effort, dedication and years, but this is the first time that cub and beaver sections meet at hard work in Scouting, and that they any Whiteley Scouts have earned the Whiteley Primary School and the have been given the opportunity to award. To earn the Chief Scout Gold Scouts meet in the Community be part of such an organisation. We Award, Scouts are required to learn Centre. Whilst both of these hope to present more Gold Awards in and demonstrate life skills in a wide locations offer us tremendous the future, and if you feel able to variety of areas, ranging from the support, they are multi-user support us in any way either as a usual Scouting activities such as fire- environments which mean for volunteer, or in our quest to secure a lighting, tent-pitching and cooking example that we are unable to dry permanent base in Whiteley for a through to awareness of global issues wet tents after a camp, as these need Scout hut, we would be pleased to and involvement in the community. to be hung for some days to dry hear from you. properly. Ian David The Scout section is open to all young Scout Leader – 1st Whiteley Scouts people aged from 10½ to 14 years old, and many of our Scouts join us by moving up through Beavers (6-8 years) and Cubs (8 – 10½ years), although we also have some members who have joined us without prior Beaver or Cub experience. We have a small but dedicated leadership team in Whiteley, who work hard to establish an interesting and varied programme of activities that both appeals to the members and also progresses their learning as they work their way through the various awards and badges. Scouting is all about “learning through doing”, and we have a team of leaders with a very wide range of skills that they are able to pass onto the young people.

http://scouts.org.uk/getinvolved/groups/1stwhiteley#&panel1-1

Sensei Says I’ve been asked on many occasions what people should look for when thinking of enrolling their child or indeed themselves into a karate club for the first time. Although I don’t have much insight into the way all other clubs are run, I do have some philosophies that I’ve always adopted in my teaching career that I think are morally correct and proven. Let’s start by saying that I believe a dojo must be run with discipline and respect throughout otherwise the whole ethos of the activity dies in the very first instance. I’m not saying that it should be run with an iron fist but it has to be a welcoming environment where all students are treated equally whist retaining the traditional dojo mentality. A friendly atmosphere is always going to be a better place to encourage and nurture students to fulfil their potential whereas a dojo that has a clique mentality does nothing but segregate the willingness to learn. Some dojos I have trained at whilst a lower grade were horrendous! Black belts refusing to talk to beginners, expecting “newbies” to carry out tasks they felt were above them was simply unacceptable (then and now). Way back then, although I always imagined running a dojo (probably as a pipe-dream) it was something I swore I’d never let happen in MY club. Respect is something that’s earned in my world and just because an individual wears a coloured band around their waist does not immediately make it a given.

Sensei Rob Wood is a Fourth Dan in Goju-Ryu Karate and has taught children and adults for over 20 years in his dojo in the UK South Coast.

correcting. Solution when this happens? The syllabus is set aside for the week and the focus is on ensuring all students are introduced to one another with a forfeit for those not being able to name everyone in class. This absolutely breaks down barriers that students have relating to grade. After all, young students have immense respect for older black belts so why destroy perceptions with ignorance?! Other advice I offer is to go and have a “try-out” lesson first to see if it’s an activity that suits the individual, after all, karate is not for everyone but if it was the world would be a lovely place! A first lesson will absolutely install confidence in knowing if the instructor can actually teach. There are no laws, qualifications or licenses governing who can teach and let’s face it, not everyone is a born leader, Managing Director or indeed Karate Instructor. In my opinion, you can either teach or you can’t and being instructed first hand rather than observing a class will display their qualities as a teacher (if they have any of course). If they can’t teach clearly, safely and practically then find someone who can and don’t settle just for convenience sake.

Classes need to be tailored to suit the age of the students. Infants need to have an exciting and enjoyable time if we are to keep their interest. These kids are the future of all dojos and retaining them is difficult enough what with all the other activities out Occasionally I do see a small divide in there for them to do, so an enjoyable class where the total focus may not students where grades become be entirely set on Martial Arts per se insular in their groups. It’s not an is essential . To add clarity, infants of intentional one and in fairness, can be caused by long periods of training between 4 years – 8 years approximately, still require elements hard and little room for social in physical development that they interaction with a partner. All the essentially need for Karate same, if I notice it then it needs

fundamentals. Hand/eye coordination, balance etc are skills we take for granted as they get older but for little ones these can be difficult at times. Adopting exercises, karate “games” that increase their awareness and proficiency of these motor skills allows me to relatively quickly get the Karate basics installed and allow them to progress and graduate into the Junior class whilst knowing they won’t get awestruck or left behind in the process. Juniors and Cadets are a different audience all together. The age group can be quite vast (sometimes 7 years to 15 years) so classes need to be structured in a way that keeps them all fired up and keen. Giving older students roles that allows for their personal development can often lead to the respect I spoke of earlier becoming evident. Additionally it also offers a chance for those born leaders to shine. I look back on the students that have become excellent Sempai (Assistant Instructor) and ALL of them have that special something that makes them exceptionally great Instructors in their own right. I like to give all students an opportunity to be a Sempai in the dojo but in my experience, there are those that can teach and those that it doesn’t fit

quite as well with. Seniors are like sponges! They recall almost everything that’s taught albeit they need repetitive training for it to become second nature but all the same, classes need to be physically demanding but also technically challenging. Unfortunately many adults do not want to get a sweat on these days and many new comers have a trial lesson, complain that they ache like crazy in the following couple of days and never return. I completely understand that levels of fitness are a personal challenge but working students to their maximum in class is part of my job. Over time, physical development levels improve and as a by-product, their mental states mind changes from one that screams “I CAN’T do this” to one that says “ I WILL do this”. It’s an excellent philosophy to have in life, knowing that challenges are always there but with a positive mental attitude and physical ability – almost anything can be achieved. So what makes a good dojo? Lots of things… a disciplined, safe & enjoyable class, a good Instructor that can teach, a dojo with no barriers amongst its students and most of all, a Sensei that has an awareness of all his students and their development needs.

It’s all child's play

Take a walk in a wood, on the beach or even down your Who hasn’t wiled away the time on a long road and see what sounds, sights, smells walk by playing ‘I spy’ or blurred motor and textures surprise and delight you. It miles with a number plate or car spotting may be the loud gurgling sound of game? There’s nothing remarkable about running water; the plethora of different these age-defying games, or is there? bird sounds being chorused; the scent of With over 80% of environmental newly mown grass or salty sea air; or soft stimulation visual, it is hardly surprising velvety feel of floating petals. that much of what we do is influenced by sight. And yet with such a strong visual Older children can keep a sensory tally or focus I wonder how many other take a bag for collecting treasures, be it a sensations we might be missing on a daily vibrantly coloured springy piece of moss basis? or a silky feather or fragrant leaf. If you take the time to actually listen to the March is a time of changes, with new sound of silence it can yield surprising shoots springing up, Spring blossom results. As a backpacker in the Australian bouncing in the breeze, the cheery sound rainforest I was struck by how deafeningly of bird song and the abundant weather, loud silence can be, especially from the be it wind, rain or snow! In fact it’s the smallest insects! perfect time for going on an ‘I notice’ walk. Children are often so much better If your children like mine are keen to turn than us adults at spotting the detail found everything into a challenge, they'll relish all around us, and so they will definitely the chance to find the most sounds or have the upper hand in this ‘I spy’ game smells or the most unusual ones. You can with a difference. choose to up the ante by seeing who can

come up with the rarest answer, or score senses if wished.

Spot on Spring

We all know the importance of appropriate clothing when heading outdoors, and I’m talking as much about us adults as the children, so wrap up well and head out with your ears, noses, hands, taste buds and eyes primed to discover the environment anew. You’ll be amazed at what you might discover, like the baa-ing sheep we heard in a town garden! Sue Gascoyne Sue is a published author and educational consultant and therapeutic play practitioner. She is the founder and Creative Director of Play to Z Ltd, specialist providers of award winning Sensory Play resources. To find out more about Sue’s latest research and resources go to; sue@playtoz.co.uk |www.playtoz.co.uk 01206 796722