Discover Royal Haslar
Step inside one of Britain’s most iconic waterfront developments. Royal Haslar blends historic Georgian architecture with beautifully restored coastal living — and now, as featured on Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr, the newly decorated show apartments are open for viewings.
Transformed by rising design talent on the hit series, each apartment showcases creative interiors that complement the elegance and character of this unique setting. Viewings now available. To book, call 02392 002087, or visit:
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HELLO!
I never thought I’d have Alan Carr on the front cover! Did you watch the Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr that featured apartments in Royal Haslar?
Ever fancied tennis in the sunshine? Are you inspired by Wimbledon each year? Is now the time to join a local club? Alverstoke Lawn Tennis Squash & Badminton Club have their Open Day this month. Go check out the Club and all it has to offer. All the details inside on pages 6 & 34.
Sticking on the tennis theme...If you’re after a free tennis lesson then the Racket Shack have a fab offer running this month. Check out their ad!
Did you put the date in the diary for the Rowan’s Hospice Annual Garden Sale? It’s this month.
Another Open Day in the form of plants, tea and graves - stick with me - it’s the St Mark’s Churchyard Open Day. A very beautiful churchyard. Details of this event and other events this month are inside.
Don’t forget it’s the Alverstoke Garden Walkabout this month. Take a look at lovely, local gardens and raise money for the Parish Centre. Details inside.
My garden thinks it’s summer. I’ve never watered so much in May! Let’s hope June brings sunshine too! We’ve got the monthly gardening guide to help you know what to do when!
I’m still on the strawberry theme for this months recipe. It’s for roast strawberries with lemon and black pepper. It makes my mouth water just typing those words! The photo isn’t great, I dropped the plate after only taking a couple of photos. You’ll find it on page 8.
So much more in this month edition. For your physical and mental wellbeing we’ve got yoga, fitness, racket sports and massage. Everything for your home from windows to garage doors, roofs, picture frames, antiques, carpentry and more. We’ve even got homes if you’re wanting a new one!
You’ll also find great offers, sudoku, more great advertisers, local news and much more inside!
ARE YOU A LOCAL BUSINESS?
Let us pound the streets and get your advert through 11,000 homes a month and sent out to our growing number of subscribers too! Get in touch! Details below.
I hope you have a good and sunny June. See you next month!
EDITOR
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ROAST STRAWBERRIES
WITH LEMON & BLACK PEPPER
I’m making the most of our delicious English strawberries! This is super quick and super delicious, nice and light. The perfect dessert for this time of year. I couldn’t get hold of any halva so I broke up a good old Digestive biscuit and sprinkled over!
Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
For the strawberries
• 500g strawberries, hulled
• 2-3 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra- virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
To serve
• 250g thick Greek or coconut yoghurt
• A little runny honey (optional)
• 100g halva (optional)
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Method
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/400F/gas 6½. Halve the larger strawberries, but keep the smaller ones whole, and put in a large roasting dish.
Add the caster sugar, pepper, oil, lemon juice and zest, give it all a good toss and roast for 20 minutes. Gently move the strawberries around halfway through cooking to make sure they don’t catch.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
Spoon the yoghurt on to four plates, ripple through some honey, if you like, then top with the strawberries and their roasting juices.
Crumble a little halva over each bowl, finish with a pinch of salt and serve.
Recipe is by Anna Jones annajones.co.uk
Some of the gardens have views across the Solent, one has a model steam railway running during the weekend, and another has a pirate ship for the children to explore.
GARDEN WALKABOUT
Alverstoke residents will be opening their gardens to raise money for the Alverstoke Parish Centre Regeneration Fund*.
The Mayor of Gosport will open the event at 1pm on Sat 7th June at the Parish Centre, where refreshments will be available.
Entry is by programme which costs £10 per adult (free admission for accompanied children) and is valid for both days. It has a stylised map, lists the gardens, their accessibility, whether they are dog friendly, selling plants or refreshments.
Advance tickets from Alverstoke Post Office, Alverstoke Village Hardware, and Queen’s Parade News, Privett Road, Gosport.
Tickets on the day on sale at the Parish Centre, Green Road, Alverstoke PO12 2ET (12-5pm), and from participating gardens.
The Garden Walkabout has now contributed over £30,000 towards the £570,000 raised for the building fund. To date we have constructed a new car park and installed solar power for the Parish Centre. We have still to build an Annexe and extend and refurbish the current building.
DARREN HARRIS
CHAIR YOGA CLASS
HIDDEN TREASURES HIDDEN TREASURES
51-53 HIGH STREET LEE ON THE SOLENT
We urgently require your broken and unwanted gold, jewellery and antiques. Any amount, any condition- top CASH prices paid!
PRE 1947 COINS (SILVER) WANTED
WANTED gold - silver - jewellery of all kinds medals (any militaria) - cuff links - studs - tie pins pocket watches - wrist watches antiques - moorcroft - clarice cliff - old postcards
WANTED - rolex, breitling, omega etc
Please call in to see us. Monday - Saturday 10am-6pm. Alternatively, call to arrange a home appointment TELEPHONE: 023 9255 3428 MOBILE: 07767 304495
JUNE IN CRESCENT GARDEN
If you do any cooking you have almost certainly used sage. You probably grow it in your herb garden as well. There is also some growing in Crescent Garden. The variety grown there is purple sage, Salvia officianalis Purpurescens; grown entirely for its attractive appearance in a flower bed near the fountain. The generic name, Salvia, is derived from the Latin, salveo, meaning I heal or I save, as it was used extensively by the Greeks and Romans as a healing plant. The specific name, officianalis, is derived from officina, the place in a monastery for storing medicinal herbs. Now it is mainly used as a culinary herb, but can be torn into pieces and have boiling water poured on it to make a tea used as a remedy for coughs or sore throats.
In Crescent Garden it is used for decoration only, its young purple leaves maturing to a
silvery-green, though the leaves stay on the plant all year round, giving interest at all times. From late spring and through summer it also produces spikes of bright blue flowers. These are not only attractive to look at, but, being rich in pollen, nectar and perfume gather pollinators like bees and butterflies and these can often be seen above the plants on warm, still days.
The plant is native to the Mediterranean area and, therefore, enjoys hot, sunny conditions. It is, in fact, very drought tolerant, helped in this by the leaves being hairy and tough. The hairs trap moisture and help to reflect sunlight. The plant also has a very deep root system and can, therefore, draw moisture from low levels in the soil and can be used to prevent erosion on slopes in dry sandy soil. Although the perfume and scent of both flowers and leaves attracts insects the smell of the leaves deters animals like rabbits or deer, which might otherwise eat them. So, as well as being very hardy the plant is rarely eaten by them or other pests.
Old plants become woody, which is the case with the one remaining bush in Crescent Garden. In the past there were several sage bushes, but all but one have been removed as they became very straggly. Maybe the one remaining sage bush will need to be removed and replaced by thriving young ones. It is possible to create new bushes by layering old branches; that is lowering them to touch the ground where they will take root and grow. Time will tell; keep an eye on the garden and see what happens.
Rita Rundle
Crescent Garden, Crescent Road, Alverstoke alverstokecrescentgarden.co.uk
Services
Initial advice, design, planning and Building Regulations drawings are all part of my services.
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8am-5pm Friday: 8am-4pm unitrimplastics.co.uk
DECORATIVE FOUNTAINSCAPES
Ideal for front gardens as statement pieces, or for smaller rear gardens where you want the sound of water without the footprint that a pond requires. There are a multitude of fountain designs to choose from and the configurations are endless. These are also really good for attracting birds to drink and wash.
ECOSYSTEM POND
PONDL
Ideal for and stre a hidden water is
Ideal for people wanting to enjoy it as a fishpond, and/or to use it as a recreation pond if the space allows, where your family sit and relax in the summer, but still enjoy the visual of a beautiful natural looking pond all year round. This is the oppos swimming pool which remains a covered over rectangle for most of the year with our English weather! Using the Ecosystem basis for natural chemical free filtration, underwater jets and larger wetland filtration systems can be incorporated to ensure and circulation. Waterfalls, streams and decorative fountainscape elements can be incorporated into the pond to suit your s ultimate outdoor living lifestyle.
I can also create and incorporate Rainwater Harvesting systems to use with any of the water features mentioned. All ponds and water features will periodically lose water due to evaporation, splash and wind. Manual top up is the simplest solution but requires regular checking for levels. Creating an underground water reservoir from collected rainwater for your feature to draw upon is the most environmentally friendly way
Contact Craig to arrange a consultation and design visit: 07787 562490
craig@vikinggardencreations.com www.vikinggardencreations.com
All other landscaping, pond cleaning and garden maintenance also carried out.
LESS WATERFALL
people wanting the impressive visual and sound of a waterfall am, but without the want for fish or pond maintenance. Using n water reservoir to give the illusion of disappearing water, the then pumped back up to the start of the waterfall to recirculate.
All water features can be enhanced with lighting to ensure 24 hour enjoyment of them.
y and friends can swim or site to a standard garden m Pond philosophy as the the highest water quality space and budget, for the
OUT & ABOUT WITH GOSPORT ROAD RUNNERS
A MEMORIAL RUN
On the 29thApril we had our annual Memorial run - an opportunity to pay our respects to club members sadly no longer with us and also a chance to remember our family and friends. This run is for everyone of all speeds and together, we jogged from the Gosport & Fareham Rugby Club to the end of Stokes Bay promenade where a few words of remembrance were said and we had a twominute silence before returning. It was a lovely sunny evening and as we approached Pebbles Restaurant, we could hear a jazz band playing and see crowds of people sitting outside the restaurant and on the beach enjoying the music and the evening - they gave us a clap as we passed through which was a nice touch. The event was an open invitation to all past and current members and there was a large turnout which was really nice to see.
Making a Dream come True If you watched the London Marathon on television and thought ‘” I’d love to be able to share that experience” then you could make a start by coming along to Gosport Road Runners. Four of our
members completed the London Marathon this year and for two of them it was their first experience. You need a training plan, encouragement, motivation and determination to succeed and what better place than a running club amongst a group of fellow runners. Training in the winter months is hard on your own but running with others helps with pushing yourself through the low points which everyone will have at some time. Fitting training in with a busy life isn’t easy either but it doesn’t last forever and the sense of achievement and the memories of crossing the finishing line will remain with you for the rest of your life.
This is an extract from a post from Andy (a club member) who completed his first marathon in April - “Might very well be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced - it’s like a constant wall of noise that is almost overwhelming, you’ve got people constantly shouting your name and encouraging you to keep going. Honestly the atmosphere alone made my day so enjoyable, even when I was suffering!”.
Expert Coaching for all levels from beginner and beyond. A good proportion of club time is spent training, whether that be to a plan with
the aim of a particular race or just following one of the many different routes of various lengths around the local area. If you are training for a specific event and require a training plan, our team is on hand to help! Our Club Coaches and Run Leaders can give you advice and provide you with a customised training plan. They can also help coach you by giving advice on technique or running with you to help you build stamina at your own individual pace. No matter what level or age, we are here to help everyone achieve their running goals - at Gosport Road Runners, noone runs alone!
Club Nights are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we meet at the Rugby Club just before 7 pm. Things kick off with a few
announcements—shouting out recent race achievements, highlighting upcoming events, and sharing the night’s running options (which are displayed on a big screen), then we’re off! Once we’re done, we finish with some cooldown stretches before heading home. Simple, social, and a great way to get some miles in!
Some upcoming events at the club
29 May - Club Out of Town Run
3 June - Club 5km Time Trial. Stokes Bay
8 June - Purbrook 5-mile ladies race.
15 June - Alresford 10km race
For more information see our website: gosportroadrunners.org.uk
GOSPORT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
CLUB
TUESDAYS 7-9pm Wednesday 9.30am-12noon
Do you have important legal documents in place to protect your interests and make life easier for you and your family, whatever the future brings?
If you have received a diagnosis of dementia, or are concerned about becoming ill and unable to cope with paying your bills, wouldn’t it be helpful for a family member to be able to step in and deal with your finances? If your family member needed to make decisions for you, instead of just acting on your instructions, they would need your formal written authority to do this.
Formal authority can be given by creating a Lasting Power of Attorney. This document will allow your family member to take over managing your money, either temporarily or long term.
You can also create a Lasting Power of Attorney which allows your family member to make decisions for you about medical treatment, if you are unable for any reason to make your own decisions. This is not the same as an Advance Decision, which is a document which sets out your decision to refuse medical treatment in the future, under specific conditions.
If you are caring for an elderly relative, or are likely to be doing so in the future, a Lasting Power of Attorney will mean that you can provide the support your relative needs and access services on their behalf, without the difficulties, stress and resistance you would otherwise encounter.
Having a Will gives you peace of mind that your money, property and personal possessions will be going to the people you have chosen to benefit. An out of date Will can cause problems within the family or mean that a chosen beneficiary receives nothing.
If you have any unanswered questions about Wills or Lasting Powers of Attorney, Christine will be pleased to help, so do please get in touch for a free, no obligation, chat.
Call Christine Davies Solicitor on 07860 772274 or email: christine@winterbornelegal.co.uk
Christine is a Fully Accredited Member of Solicitors for the Elderly and a Dementia Friend. Christine will visit you in your own home and aims to provide a warm personal touch to every meeting.
Christine Davies Solicitor
IN THE GARDEN
• Cut away spring bulb foliage once it dies back
• Sow annual flower seeds
• Clip deciduous & evergreen hedges
• Liquid-feed container plants
• Take softwood cuttings
• Sprinkle feed around roses
• Divide congested flag iris
• Spray aphids on lupins with soapy water
• Feed lawns
• Stake tall lillies
• Clear out ponds
• Snip off faded clematis flowers
• Water sweet peas regularly
• Pick fading flowers from rhododendrons
• Sow winter flowering pansies
• Now’s the time to trim your bay tree
• Trim Magnolias if they are outgrowing their space
GREENHOUSE
• Leave windows and doors open when nights are warm enough
• Pinch out developing sideshoots on tomato
stems that need pinching out. Check your seed packets as not all need pinching!
• Train cucumbers and tomatoes to supports
• Increase shading and ventilation
• Damp down your greenhouse floor every morning
• Hang yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse
• Pinch out the tips of cucumber sideshoots
VEG PLOT
• Plant leeks
• Fill gaps with salad leaves
• Sow dwarf beans, runner beans, peas, beetroot, lettuce, salad leaves, kale, carrots, basil, coriander, radish, soinach, courgettes.
• plant out tomatoes, sweetcorn, ridge cucumbers & courgettes, marrows, squashes, pumpkins
• Stop cutting asparagus from mid June
• Sow french and runner beans in pots to plant out for a late crop
• Keep on top of the weeds
• Protect your fruit
• Second sowing of courgettes can be done
ROWANS HOSPICE ANNUAL GARDEN SALE
Saturday 21st June 9.30am-12.30pm 16 Anglesey Road, Gosport PO12 2EQ
Pre-loved goods, jewellery, books, bric-a-brac, toys, plants and more! Entry is free. Takeaway tea and cake available. Lots of bargains to be had. Held in aid of Rowans Hospice.
SHORE LEAVE HASLAR MEMORIAL
GARDEN OPEN DAY
Haslar Road, Gosport. Weds 11th June 11am-1pm. Free entry, donations gratefully accepted. Crafts, plants, produce for sale. Homemade cake and drinks. Walk around the peaceful garden. Please park in main Haslar site. Free entry. Donations gratefully received.
ST MARK’S CHURCHYARD OPEN DAY
Saturday 14th June 2-4pm. St Mark’s Rd, Alverstoke Refreshments and plants for sale. All welcome.
LE
CERCLE FRANÇAIS DE GOSPORT
7pm. Thurs 12th June at Court Barn Conservative Club – Court Barn Lane, Broom Way, not Bay House Pétanque followed by a bring and share supper. New members will be most welcome – telephone Martin Lazell on 01329 314750 for more details.
SUMMER
FETE & “THE GREAT LEE BAKE OFF”
Saturday 7 June 10am–2pm St Faiths Church, Victoria Square, Lee on the Solent PO13 9NF
Family Fun and our “Bake-Off Charity Cake Sale” in support of Gosport & Fareham Foodbanks. Donkey rides, bouncy slides, BBQ, Bar, Family Café, a variety of Stalls, Plants Sale, and Bike Workshop. Be entertained by the Gosport Shed “Ukuleles” Band. Try the Coconut Shy and enjoy the Ice Cream Parlour. FREE ENTRANCE
FRIENDS OF STANLEY PARK LITTER PICK
Litter pick first Sunday of the month 10-11am Meet in The Alverbank Hotel car park. We provide pickers, bags, gloves and smiles!
CATS PROTECTION AT ASDA NEWGATE LANE
29th June 10am-3.30pm Branded giveaways and items for sale. Cat care advice.
OLD FASHIONED SKITTLES (9-PIN)
Saturday 14th June, 2pm-4pm
Gosport Methodist Church, Stoke Road
An afternoon of old fashioned skittles (9-pin). £3 per adult, £1 per child. Includes cup of tea and piece of cake.
ALVERSTOKE GARDEN WALKABOUT
7th & 8th June 1-5pm Adult £10 accompanied children free. Advance tickets from Alverstoke Post Office, Alverstoke Village Hardware & Queen’s Parade News Privett Road. Tickets on the day from Patrish Centre, Green Road & participating grdens.
PICNIC IN THE PARK
Sunday 8th June Stubbington Recreation Ground
Free event. Zorbs, face painting, tin can alley, tug of war, kids races and more! Afternoon of fun! Bring a picnic.
CROFTON PROBUS CLUB
Meet for a monthly social lunch at Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Club. Followed by a presentation of interest. For retired and semi-retired professional/businessmen. Miss the camaraderie and social connection of the workplace? Come to a trial meeting before joining? New members welcome. 07508711299 or morton.wouter@gmail.com
MENOPAUSE TOGETHER GOSPORT
Every first Saturday of the month 10am-12noon Methodist Church, Soke Road, Gosport & Every third Wednesday of the month 6-7.30pm at Lee Hub 14 High St, Lee-on-the-Solent PO13 9BZ
A local support group for others struggling with this journey of menopause. Find our group and page on Facebook - Menopause Together Gosport
CATS PROTECTION AT GOSPORT MARKET
14th June 8am-3.30pm Cat-themed goods and donated items for sale. Volunteers on hand to give catcare advice.
FRIENDS OF STOKES BAY LITTER PICK
28th June Meet by the Splash Park. All equipment provided. www.friendsofstokesbay.co.uk
Rear
Front
With 3 sites in the local area, all of our Garages are high ranking members of ‘The Good Garage Scheme’ and ‘Checkatrade’. Our Garages provide onsite MOT testing. Mon - Fri: 8.30 - 5.30 Sat: 8.30 - 12.30
MOTs | Servicing | Repairs All Makes and Models catered for.
0333 3585 999
Solent Airport MOTs, Unit il1-3, Illustrious Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive, Lee on the Solent PO13 9FX (Stubbington Motors is now at Solent Airport MOTS) Elkins Motors, 99b Mays Lane, Stubbington PO14 2ED Locks Heath Garage, 212 Hunts Pond Road, Locks Heath PO14 4PG
COLLECTION & DELIVERY SERVICE
HVR CUSTOMS
Specialists in VW’s, we also cover many other makes and models in the full or part conversion of camper vans, kombi vans and caddy’s. We manufacture and design custom built camper interiors for Volkswagens and other makes.
Full & Part Conversions
VW Transporters, Campers, Kombi’s and Caddy’s
0333 3585 999 (Option 3)
HVR Customs, Unit il3-4, Illustrious Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive, Lee on the Solent PO13 9FX
CARS AND VANS ALWAYS IN STOCK FOR SALE!
Specialising in transporters and small low mileage cars. (The cars are ideal for first time drivers.)
Sat 7th & Sun 8th June 1-5pm
Adult - £10, accompanied children free Price covers both days
ADVANCE TICKETS
from Alverstoke Post Office, Alverstoke Village Hardware and Queen’s Parade News, Privett Road
TICKETS ON THE DAY
From 12.00 at the Parish Centre, Green Road, PO122ET and participating gardens
Sponsors
All proceeds to Alverstoke Parish Centre Regeneration Project Registered Charity Name - St Mary’s Alverstoke PCC No. 1130178
ALVERSTOKE AND GOSPORT'S 148 YEAR-OLD SECRET
Dog-walkers and parents of school aged children know something of which not many other residents of the borough are aware. In fact, you would have to be a soaring drone or a devotee of Google Satellite View to realise that no more than a stone's throw up Green Lane in Alverstoke sits a multiple rackets club that has been there for 148 years! Its location is close to the heart of the village but the geography of the road means that only pedestrians would walk past it. There is access for vehicles of course, but only as far as the Alverstoke Lawn Tennis Squash and Badminton Club car park.
Having eight (you heard me right, eight) outdoor tennis courts, one indoor court, two squash courts and a lounge and bar you might think that you would hear the sound of play and screams of enjoyment from the end of the lane. But this little 'secret' is virtually soundproof from Anglesey Road, being where it is. Even with the four new outdoor and four indoor
pickleball courts - a growing sports phenomenon in the rackets world and attracting more and more attention from old and young - the Alverstoke peace is not broken.
Perhaps then, with this year's Alverstoke's OPEN DAY being on 14th JUNE, we might hear a few little 'whoops' and laughs as members of the community are all being welcomed into the club to try any racket sport they like. If guests do not have a dusty racket in the attic there are plenty to borrow on the day. And what about when the energy's gone and the ball's finished rolling into the net? I guess that means it's time to grab a drink from the bar and something to eat!
Alverstoke Lawn Tennis Squash & Badminton Club , Green Lane, Gosport, PO12 2ES
Picnic in the Park
Sunday 8th June 12noon - 4.30pm
Stubbington Recreation Ground
FREE EVENT
ZORBS
FACE PAINTING TIN CAN ALLEY
TUG OF WAR
KIDS RACES AND LOTS MORE!
Bring a picnic!
An afternoon of fun!
Organised by THE CROFTON LIONS
