Gosport Choice March 2024

HELLO!

On the dog walk I’ve gone down from 5 layers to 4! Spring is definitely on it’s way! The clocks change this month, we have an excuse to eat chocolate, blossom is in abundance and the temperatures are rising. Plus, we have a fab edition for you this month! I am so happy to welcome March!

ALL ABOUT ART

Want to learn about art? Local art society Spithead Arts could be for you! They have interesting monthly lectures all about art! Hear from speakers who are experts in their field, sharing their knowledge, skills and research in an accessible lecture, usually followed by Q&A.

Rita talks about a colourful shrub that’s bringing fragance to Crescent Garden. Every Wednesday morning the Green Team volunteers meet to keep Crescent Garden looking beautiful. If you’d like to get involved pop along or check out their website alverstokecrescentgarden.co.uk

Did you buy a brick for the new Parish Centre? Did you mean to and then forget? Well this my friends is your reminder as they are selling fast! All the details of how are inside.

We all know roses are beautiful flowers to look at and some smell amazing! But are you aware of there medicinal benefits? Louise Courtney talks us through them on page 34.

Gardening guide is inside, along with what is on locally plus the sudoku. You’ll also find lovely advertisers, news and more!

EASTER TENNIS CAMPS

There’s a new coach at Alverstoke Tennis Club! He is running Easter Tennis Camps for 5-16 year olds. Check out his advert inside.

Don’t forget to follow us on our socials!

NEED MORE CUSTOMERS?

Why not try an advert in the April edition? Get your business in front of thousands of lovely local residents! Get in touch! Details below or scan the QR code.

I hope you enjoy this months edition. I also hope you have a lovely March!

Have a lovely Easter time! Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing Mum and all our Mum readers! We’ll be thinking of all the Mums on and off this planet!

See you next month!

Method

Heat the oven to 200C(180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a couple of large trays with baking paper.

OAT, SPICE & CURRANT EASTER COOKIES

Looking for a chocolate-free Easter goodie?

You’ve found it! This is by the wonderful Meera Sodha. It’s basically Easter in a biscuit!

To make around 12 large or 24 small you’ll need:

• 180g wholegrain spelt flour

• 50g rolled porridge oats

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• ½ tsp flaky sea salt, crumbled

• 100g currants or sultanas

• 2 tsp chai or mixed spice

• 50g dark brown soft sugar

• 100g golden syrup

• 120ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

In a heatproof bowl, combine the spelt flour, rolled oats, baking powder, bicarb, sea salt, currants and chai spice, and whisk to mix well.

Put the sugar, syrup and oil in a small saucepan, set it over a low heat, cook until the mixture comes to a boil, then take off the heat. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together into a dough.

Roll into balls the size of a ping-pong ball (about a tablespoon) and weighing about 40g each, or smaller ones at 20g, around a generous teaspoon and place on the baking sheets, there’s no need to flatten them.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden in the centre and starting to crisp to a golden brown at the edges.

Remove and leave to cool on the sheets – these cookies regain their integrity when they cool, so they need a bit of a rest before eating.

Find out more about Meera Sodha at: meerasodha.com

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.

Christine Davies Solicitor

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.

MARCH IN CRESCENT GARDEN

If you walk along to the middle of terrace walk on the southern side of Crescent Garden, just behind the fountain you can take a stepping stone path into a small enclosed garden and there you will see, among other plants, a small shrub bearing clusters of pale pink tubular flowers each with a brighter pink middle and edge. You will also be able to follow your nose to a delightful fragrance produced by these flowers. The plant is Daphne odora Aureomarginata. As the variety name indicates the dark green glossy leaves have a narrow margin of yellow/gold colouring. Like many other winter flowering plants there is a strong sweet perfume which attracts pollinating insects seeking nectar; dominant among them are bumble bees whose large size enables them to survive cooler temperatures than many other insects. Although the plant has such striking flowers and attracts insects it very rarely produces its berry like fruits in this country. It can, however, be quite readily propagated by taking cuttings or by layering flexible branches.

The plants are native to China, Korea and Japan being introduced into Britain via Kew in 1771. Since then Daphne odora Aureomarginata has

become a popular park and garden plant. It is easy to cultivate as long as it is planted in the right conditions. It prefers to grow in dappled shade with well drained, but moisture retentive soil containing plenty of organic matter. It won’t tolerate drought or waterlogging and its deep roots prefer to be cool and moist, so given a dressing of good compost in spring and autumn the plant requires very little care. As it has such deep roots, it is not usually very happy in a pot. It is slow growing and needs almost no pruning. The occasional straggly branch can be removed if required and it is, in fact, a good plant for cutting and arranging inside where the fragrance intensifies. No Daphnes like being moved, so if you plant one in your own garden give it time to settle in, having made sure you meet all the requirements mentioned above and it will give you years of trouble free pleasure.

There are other varieties of Daphne around Crescent Garden. See if you can spot them as you walk round.

Rita Rundle

Crescent Garden, Crescent Road, Alverstoke alverstokecrescentgarden.co.uk

Photo credit: Rita Rundle

Is your conservatory too hot and bright?

Speak to us about solar film!

We at Spithead Arts believe we have the best kept secret in Alverstoke, an art appreciation group which is warm, welcoming and friendly and which has 10 interesting and informative talks a year, by some of the country’s leading experts in their field.

Our lecture program is wide and varied and has, in the past, covered topics from Bach to Banksy, Frida Kahlo to the Black Death.

This type of group is becoming all too rare and needs to be supported and preserved. It provides so much to our members, not just interesting informative talks but the enjoyment of belonging to a warm and friendly society.

Our membership is £40 for the year, or you can come along as a guest for just £7, an amount which is refunded if you decide to join.

We meet early evening at Bay House School once a month. Full details of location, times and talks can be found on our website www.spitheadarts.co.uk

So why not give it a go? You’ve nothing to lose and potentially 10 great evenings to gain.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ENTERTAINED, AMUSED AND INFORMED AT LEAST 10 TIMES A YEAR?

Our talks through 2024

26th March - Art Behind Bars - the role of art in the cycle of crime, prison and re-offending

23rd April - Art after the Windrush - post colonial artists since 1948

28th May - Art & Architecture of Britain's historic pools and lidos

25th June - Medieval Woodwind Instruments

23rd July - The Cult of Celebrity - Omai, the Exotic and Joshua Reynolds

24th September - Olafur Eliasson - Playing with light

22nd October - Grace Darling and the art of saving lives at sea

26th November - The Curious History of Christmas Foods

28th January 2025 - Nazi Looting and WW11

With

We

full range of

Office:

Evenings/Weekends:

PARKING SENSORS WITH AUDIBLE WARNING FITTED

Rear set colour coded: from £160

Front set colour coded: from £190

Both Front & Rear Sensors: from £290

Metatrack insurance approved vehicle trackers fitted from £265

Rear view cameras for Cars £190

Vans from £225 & Motorhomes from £245

Dash cameras starting at £145 fully fitted or FRONT & REAR cameras for just £275

We fit the amazing iroad Fx series dashcams, probably the best value dash cam for sale google it and be amazed iroaduk.com

Mobile Service - We Come To You! Tel: 01489 449020

Mobile: 07979 353696 www.reversepark.co.uk

IN THE GARDEN

• Start cutting your lawn

• Remove old hydrangea flower stalks above a pair of buds

• Pick off any developing seedheads on daffodils and other spring bulbs, but leave the foliage to die back naturally

• Repair fences and outdoor buildings

• Hoe borders now to reduce weeding later

• Scarify or rake the lawn

• Apply residual weedkillers to paths

• Sow annual flower seeds

• Plant summer-flowering bulbs

• Lift & divide clumps of snowdrops while in leaf

• Trim winter flowering heathers

• Protect tender new shoots from slug attack with copper ring barriers

• Lightly trim winter-flowering heathers

• Prune winter-flowering jasmine

• Cut down old growth of perennials and grasses left over winter

• Order and plant bare root roses

• Split polyanthus after flowering

• Lift and divide your summer-flowering perennials

GREENHOUSE

• Sow celeriac, celery, lettuces and parsley indoors to transplant out later

• Sow tomatoes, chillies, sweet peppers and aubergines, courgettes, leeks, peas, beetroot and cucumbers in pots indoors

• Sow dwarf French beans in a large pot for early crop

• Take cuttings from dahlias to raise new plants

VEG PLOT

• Plant out onion sets and shallots

• Sow parsnips once the soil starts to warm up

• Plant out asparagus crowns

• Plant out early potatoes

• Sow broad beans direct outside

• Make the first outdoor sowings of hardy veg, such as spinach, covering with cloches/fleece

• Hoe veg beds as soon as the weather starts to warm up

Opening Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 8am-5pm

Friday: 8am-4pm unitrimplastics.co.uk

Unit 16 Brockhurst Industrial Estate, Wingate Road, Gosport, PO12 4DP (behind The Range).

PINS & NAILS SOFFITS

FASCIAS

GUTTER SYSTEMS

WINDOW BOARDS, ARCHITRAVES

Would you like to buy a brick for the new Parish Centre in Alverstoke?

There are two donation options:

1. Engraved Brick Slips £50 each to become part of the building and/ or

2. Buy a Notional Brick for £5 each, with your name added to the Donations Archive

LEE PLAYERS

Our next production will be a spine-chilling drama entitled ‘THRILLER OF THE YEAR’, by Glyn Jones, at the Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington, PO14 2PP, on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd March. Doors open 7:30pm, curtain 8:00pm. Tickets, £10.00, from 01329 662128 or from the Community Centre or on the door on the night. An author is terrified that she will suffer the same, awful fate as the heroine in her award-winning novel – don’t miss this gripping drama.

INTERNATIONAL FOLK / CIRCLE DANCING

March 5th, 19th 10am-12noon

RC Church Hall, Bells Lane, Stubbington £6.50 Dances to beautiful music from around the World. No Partner or experience is required & all dances are taught. New members welcome. Contact Bob & Mary 01329 609589 Mobile: 07748009838 neal.bob61@gmail.com

CROFTON PROBUS CLUB

Lunch Meeting last Wednesday of the month. Are you a retired professional or businessman? Would you like to meet others in a social atmosphere? Then why not consider joining our Probus Club. The members meet at Lee-on-theSolent at 12 noon for 12:30 for a three-course meal, followed by a speaker invariably with a topic of interest; or maybe by a club member recounting the “behind the scenes” of an interesting life and career. At the Springtime and Autumn meetings the ‘other halves’ of the membership are also invited to join the members for lunch. Why not come along to a trial meeting before joining? For further info: 023 9235 9365 or email timaus29@gmail.com

LE CERCLE FRANÇAIS DE GOSPORT

The next meeting is on Thursday 7th March, where one of our members will be talking about living in France for 14 years. Meetings take place at 7:30 in Bay House School. New members will be most welcome – telephone Martin Lazell on 01329 314750 for more details.

FRIENDS OF STANLEY PARK

Monthly litter pick first Sunday of the month

10-11am Meet in The Alverbank Hotel car park. We provide pickers, bags, gloves and smiles!

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Every second and fourth Thursday of the month. Members Bar Thorngate Hall, Bury Road. From 7:30pm. Free parkingofrom 7pm. Come along and join in or just come along and enjoy the evening.

THORNGATE MEMBERS BAR

QUIZ every 1st & 3rd Saturdays of month.

£1 to sign in £1 to play. Teams up to 6 followed by card bingo. See website for entertainment. www.gosportcommunityassociation.com

Thorngate Halls, Bury Road, Gosport PO12 3PX

ALVERSTOKE FLORAL DECORATION SOCIETY

2nd Tuesday of each month 1.45pm (not August) St Mary’s Parish Centre, Green Road, Alverstoke, PO12 2ET

Come along, relax and enjoy watching inspiring demonstrations. Refreshments served after demonstration. First visit is free. Contact - Sue 07841 873871 cravenfortescue@gmail.com or Elaine 023 9258 6961 erobere54@gmail.com

Could your swimming skills do with a brush up?

Are you a complete beginner?

Scared of the water?

Do you feel you just sit and watch while your family have fun in the water?

Whatever your level or requirements, we are here to help.

With all of us starting to get our annual holidays booked, why not join us for some specialist 1:1 sessions to improve you stroke ready for your break? If you can’t swim at all, we can get you started on the path to being confident and happy in the water. No one should feel they have to miss out when it comes to enjoying the pool or sea.

Beautiful pool in Stubbington

Here at The Swim People we only teach from our beautiful private pool in Stubbington. All lessons are private and with no spectators, leaving you free to focus on learning and relaxing in the lovely warm water. We have over 25 years of experience in teaching adults of all ages and abilities.

We teach water phobic, beginners, improvers right through to competitive and technique refinement. Our adult specialist teachers are ready to get you started on your swimming journey.

So don’t delay, give one of our friendly team a call or email today.

01329 802208

Email info@theswimpeople.co.uk

Website www.theswimpeople.co.uk

OUT & ABOUT WITH GOSPORT ROAD RUNNERS

On 3rd March we will be entering a team into the last of the six races in the Southern CrossCountry League competition which is being held in the private grounds of the Holywell Estate, Fareham. These races can add an additional dimension to your training and are also a good stamina builder for longer distance events. If you love mud and fun there is plenty of both on a cross-country run!

In preparation for the Ryde ten-mile road race a group has been getting up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday to train on the South Downs. The sunrise, the wildlife and the views are stunning - all this is within a short distance of Gosport with the morning being completed with a breakfast at the Buck’s Head pub.

On the 26th January we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Gosport Road Runners and this was incorporated with our annual awards night party. In addition to the normal variety of awards, this year the Club introduced the “Chairman’s Virtual Gemstone Awards” which was warmly received. and taken up by twentyfive of our members who completed the challenge and received their award on the night.

The standards are designed to be challenging but achievable; to encourage and incentivise members to get fitter, stronger and faster through running.

More detailed information on all club awards to aim for is on our website and in our August Newsletter.

If you would like to know more about our club and all our activities, please read our newsletters which are available on the website https://gosportroadrunners.org.uk

Cross Country Team – Holywell Estate 2023

Emerald Gemstone Award

THE BEAUTIFUL BENEFITS OF ROSES

Not just beautiful to look at, roses are good for our health! This month local Apprentice Medical Herbalist Louise Courtney shares the medicinal benefits of roses...

“Of all flowers methinks a rose is best” (Two Noble Kinsmen, Act II, Scene II) Shakespeare clearly had an affinity for the Rose, a beautiful, elegant and gorgeously fragrant flower. Since ancient times Rose has symbolised love, purity, faith and beauty, and was associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and linked to fertility and spring. There are many different medicinal uses for plants within the Rose family, for example, dog rose (Rosa canina), hawthorn and cherry. Rosa canina is high in Vitamin C and quercetin, and has benefits for inflammation, diabetes, depression and stress.

My favourite, the Damask rose, is used to make a range of medicinal products such as rose water, rose oil, and dried flowers.

Traditionally Rose was considered strengthening, astringent and cleansing. More recent research has shown Rose to have antiinflammatory properties and to be effective as a calming nervine and heart tonic.

Physically, Rose can alleviate stress on the heart and reduce palpitations; emotionally it can help heal a broken heart and induce calm after trauma and emotional upheaval. It assists in relieving tension and releasing negativity, despair and anguish. It is an excellent herb for treating female complaints including menstrual cramps, PMS and hot flushes.

My favourite way to take Rose is as a tea with dried petals, usually mixed with chamomile flowers. Rose can have a pretty strong taste on its own! However, if herbal teas are not your thing, then don’t worry you could take it as a tincture, glycerite or syrup, or use an aromatic water, oil or cream. You could even add rose petals to your bath, or use essential oils in a burner or added to a massage oil. This time of year, Rose syrup is great for coughs and sore throats. Nb: as always please consult a qualified medical practitioner before commencing any herbal regime and use Rose with caution during pregnancy.

Follow Louise on instagram @wildsidehealth for photos, tips, research information and all things plant medicine!

Trusted Tradesman with 30 Years Experience

• Extensions

• Loft conversions

• General building services

• Groundworks / Brickwork

• UPVC windows & Conservatories

• Property maintenance

• Property renovations

• New Builds

• Roofing

• Flat Roofing

WHAT’S ON

TABLE TOP SPRING FAYRE

16th March 10am-2pm. Elmore Angling Club, Marine Parade East, Lee on the Solent PO13 9BJ Free entry. Art, gifts, food and much more! Everyone is welcome.

Book a stall for £5. Call Rosie 0783 4560075 or Cheryl on 07584 191727 to book a table.

GOSPORT JAZZ CLUB - MARCH

Gosport & Fareham Rugby Club, Dolphin Cres, Gosport, PO12 2HE 8-10.30pm

13th Nat Gonella Night with Chris Newman’s

Georgia Ramblers

27th Nat Gonella Night with Chris Newman’s Georgia Ramblers

M £10 G £12 - book early 023 9242 9302 or ww.gosportjazz.org.uk gjcreserve@gmail.com

GOSPORT CATS PROTECTION

Saturday 9th March 1.30-3pm

Cats Protection Easter Fayre at St Mary's Parish Hall, Alverstoke. Variety of stalls, including catthemed goods, chocolate tombola and raffle.

EASTER EGG HUNT

Saturday 23rd March 2024 2pm-4pm Join us for an Easter Egg Hunt in the Nicholson Gardens (Carlton Road, Gosport PO12 1JU) £3 per child includes the hunt and an Easter craft. Cakes, teas and coffees available to buy and enjoy in the gardens.

EASTER TENNIS CAMPS

SEE PAGE 11 FOR DETAILS

At Alverstoke Tennis Club. Suitable for new and experienced Junior Players aged 5-16.

MONTHLY COFFEE MORNINGS IN ALVERSTOKE PARISH CENTRE

Tuesday 26th March 10.30am

Green Road, Alverstoke PO12 2ET

Every 4th Tuesday of each month (except December) alverstokeparishcentre.org.uk

FRIENDS OF STANLEY PARK

AGM Thursday 14th March 7pm

Anyone who wants to join our committee and become more involved in our wonderful park can attend. The meeting is being held in the Alverbank Hotel.

SHORE LEAVE HASLAR OPEN DAY

13th March 11am-1pm

Open for visitors to the Memorial Garden. Access is through the green pedestrian gate on Haslar Road.

You are strongly advised to park on the Haslar site (drive in the main gate and you will be shown the way to the carpark) and then take the 3 minute walk to pedestrian gate. As Haslar Road gets busier with construction and through traffic there is an increased risks of accidents and we wish to avoid such eventualities.

Crafts and plants will be for sale, you can enjoy a walk around the garden and see what our Veterans and Volunteers do, and then finish off with a hot coffee / tea and a slice of homemade cake.

We now have a card machine if you want to pay by card. Cash still welcome. Entry free but donations gratefully accepted.

MINI MARKET

Saturday 23rd March 10am-3pm

High Street, Lee on the Solent

adverts@gosportchoice.com

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REGENERATION PROJECT UPDATE

Your continued support for the redevelopment of the Parish Centre has kept the project going since it started in 2016.

Here, at last, is the long-awaited update on fundraising. During the past year we split our fundraising efforts into two teams – the Events team continued their invaluable work in organising events for the community, and the Capital Grants team drafted and submitted applications to Funders who support capital projects such as ours.

Despite receiving positive feedback on the strength of our applications, we did not receive any offers of grants, although we do have a pledge from GBC for £20k towards the cost of building works. We applied to a variety of Funders whose eligibility criteria we met, and made three separate applications to the National Lottery, none of which were successful. TNL advise that they are not minded to fund “New Builds” in Gosport, as they feel that funding can be invested in projects that bring an immediate benefit to individuals, and families in need.

This is incredibly disappointing for all of us, and we must now consider options for how we proceed.

Plan A is still our objective - but if we cannot secure funds to cover the cost of the new build, we must consider options for a reduced development. We now have over £333,000 in the bank for the building phase. A reduction in the development will reduce the amount we need to raise from capital grant funding, and we hope that applications for lower amounts from funders will be successful.

The good news is that your support and generosity has provided sufficient funding to make an early start on essential aspects of the original project – potentially new drains and car park.

We are developing Plan B, and following a review of a potential new source of funding, we will present an options paper to the PCC in March 2024 for their decision on how they want us to proceed.

We’ve had to work within a fast-changing and difficult financial climate, but with your help and continued support, we are determined to redevelop the Parish Centre into an energyefficient, accessible, community hub that will serve all our needs.

I hope you will stay with us on the next stage of the Project.

www.alverstokeparishcentre.org.uk