*Offer based on first enrolment. New members only. Not valid with any other offer.
Valid until 28th February 2025.
Zoom Workouts
3 3 3 3 3 3
I’m starting with a positive note...have you noticed the evenings are getting lighter! January isn’t as bad as we fear!
My cookie love continues. This months recipe is from my current food favourite Kali Jago. They are for Nut Butter & Tahini Oat Choc Chip Cookies. Kali is a plant-based chef, her food looks to find the balance between uplifting, healthy, fun and delicious. My kind of food! I warn you the cookies are rather addictive! You’ll find the recipe on page 6.
Is your New Year resolution to learn to swim or improve your swimming? Take advantge of The Swim People’s January offer! See inside.
Rowing is proving popular according to Hill Head Sailing Club. With delivery of a new locally built gig, in September the Club are looking forward to taking part in local regattas this year, as well as simply enjoying being out on the water on those lovely crisp winter mornings. They are developing their rowing calendar for this year, do you want to be part of it? They are offering free trials. Get in touch with the Club! Check our their article on page 34.
It’s Panto season! Find out about the latest offering from Crofton Amateur Dramatics inside along with other listings of what is going on locally this month. Plus local groups are featured inside from the Menopause Cafe to the local WI groups to folk dancing and bowls.
Rita talks all about her favourite tree, the beech tree this month. You’ll find the interesting article on page 14.
Inside you’ll also find the gardening guide, our festive recipe that you can make to give as gifts, great offers, sudoku, great advertisers, local news and much more!
NEED MORE CUSTOMERS THIS YEAR?
Why not kick start your business in 2025 with an advert in our February edition? Get in touch! Details below or scan the QR code.
I hope you enjoy this months edition. I wish you a very happy and healthy 2025!
See you next month with our new look!
Read me, keep me or pass me on!
NUT BUTTER & TAHINI OAT CHOC CHIP COOKIES
RECIPE BY KALI JAGO
The cookies feel very indulgent, but actually is refined sugar free and made with oats, gluten free if needed. Addictive!
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand alone mixer or food processor with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, nut butter and tahini on medium high for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix the oat flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. With the mixer off, add the oat flour mixture. Then pour in the milk over the oat mixture and begin beating on low. Increase speed to medium and beat for 15 seconds or until just incorporated. The dough should pull together as it moves around the mixing bowl. If the dough is dry and crumbly add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mix until it pulls together, but before it’s sticky. Mix in the chocolate chunks.
Using a spoon scoop large walnut size pieces, roll with clean hands into a ball, place onto the baking tray and press lightly to flatten a slightly. Keep a minimum 1 1/2 inches between cookies, these do spread.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before moving otherwise they’ll break.
* To make the oat flour, briefly pulse rolled oats in a food processor or upright blender until you have a rough crumb.
Find out everything Kali Jago at: kalicooking.com
WHAT’S ON
ROWING AT HILL HEAD SAILING CLUB
Nestled by a natural harbour at the mouth of the River Meon. It is a typical local club, run by the members and full of people who simply enjoy being out on the water. The club is keen to welcome anyone with an interest in rowing to contact the Rowing Captain Julie Thorpe at rowing@hillheadsc.org.uk for a trial row. See page 34 for more details.
STUBBINGTON STITCH AND KNIT GROUP
Meet every Friday in the Foster Room, (next to Holyrood Church) 2-4pm. We make garments and craft items to sell in our sales, to support local Hampshire Charities. For the first time, we are holding a January sale in Stubbington Library, Saturday 11th January, 9.30am- 12pm, where many items will be half price. Why not pop along to see if you could pick up a bargain. All items are priced reasonably to start with, so those that are reduced for the sale, could be just what you and the family need to keep warm. Thanks to everyone who has donated wool, material and other items, to help us in out quest, we thank you, and assure you it is being put to good use. On the 25th of January, at St Columba's Church, we will be back to our usual craft and some knitted goodies between 10am-12pm. Hope to see you soon at our sales. If you wish to donate anything to us, you can take it to Stubbington Library in opening hours or bring to the Foster room on Friday afternoon. Other enquiries ring Chris on 07970 826044.
GOSPORT JAZZ CLUB - JAN
Rugby Club, Dolphin Cres, Gos, PO12 2HE
15th Tony Waller's Prohibition Jazz Band
29th Speakeasy Revival Orchestra
8-10.30pm M £10 G £12 - gosportjazz.org.uk
ST EDMUNDS (CROFTON OLD CHURCH)
Services 9.30am every Sunday. 1st & 3rd Sunday of month is Holy Communion (BCP). 2nd & 4th Sunday is Morning Service. Coffee served after. The Church will also be open on 18th Jan 10am12pm for visitors/private prayer. We look forward to seeing you then.
CROFTON PROBUS CLUB
Meet for Lunch The Last Wednesday of the Month Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Club at 12:00. For retired and Semi-retired professional/businessmen. If you miss the camaraderie and social connection of the workplace come along to a trial meeting before joining? New members welcome. 07508711299 or email: morton.wouter@gmail.com
TABLE TENNIS STUBBINGTON
Fridays 10am in Stubbington Time for fun and friendly indoor activities. Players wanted to join in Doubles Table Tennis games in Stubbington Fridays 10am. Call Tom 01329 665267.
STUBBINGTON VILLAGE W.I.
Meet on the second Thursday of each month at the Methodist Church Hall in Mays Lane at 7.15pm. We have lots of fun throughout the month with many sub groups who meet up, such as Book Club, Luncheon Club, a Games Morning, a Natter Knit and Stitch Group, a Craft Group etc. so as you can see, plenty to keep us out of mischief. Our monthly meeting usually consist of a speaker, on a variety of different and interesting subjects, some business information relating to the group, competitions, a sales table and a raffle. If anyone out there is thinking of joining a group of like minded women, well, here we are. Why not come along and see what we are about. More info ring Chris 07970 826044.
Whether you are water phobic and very nervous, or someone who just wants to improve their stroke we offer a range of course packages to get you the results you want in a short space of time.
Our courses consist of 90 minutes swimming per day, on a 1:1 basis at our beautiful private pool. For water phobias we offer a 5 day course, beginners we recommend our 4 day course, improvers 3 days and anyone that can swim well but are just looking to really fine tune, 2 days works wonders! Courses are taken over consecutive days which speeds up the whole process taking you from beginner to swimmer in no time at all.
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.
about
Email: mjquigleybuilders@gmail.com
www.mjquigleybuilders.co.uk
Shoreline Church meets every Sunday, 10.15am, in the main hall at Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington
Please join us, everyone is welcome
Visit shorelinechristianchurch.com for more information or phone Kevin Stares on 07462 066104 or Julie Stares on 07531 856465
Waves meet every Sunday in Crofton Youth Project 10.45‐11.45am (adjoined to Crofton Community Centre)
Waves plus are aged 13 to 19 meet every fortnight on Thursdays 6.30‐8.30pm from Thursday 16th January.
JANUARY IN CRESCENT GARDEN
Trees are my favourite living things; essential for our well-being, dominating the landscape in many parts of the world and beautiful shapes, both of leaves and the entire tree.
My favourite tree is the beech (Fagus sylvatica), of which there is a fine example on the western lawn of Crescent Garden. It has smooth grey bark and massively spreading branches ending in finely divided twigs, giving the winter tree an elegant and shapely appearance, which is what I so love about it. Those delicate and spreading twigs bearing the leaves in summer mean that the tree’s leaves are very fully spread to catch every lumen of light falling on them. Very little light, therefore, reaches the ground beneath a beech tree hence the bareness of the soil under a beech tree seen only too clearly in Crescent Garden, where we would very much like to have a grassy sward beneath it!! The root system of the beech is shallow and wide spreading, so the other item interrupting any smooth grassy sward is the protrusion of large, near the surface roots. So be careful as you walk under the beech tree. The only thing you might see growing beneath the tree are fungi in the autumn (see last month’s Gosport Choice). The fungal hyphae below the ground form mycorrhizal associations with the tree roots to aid the tree in its uptake of food and water.
The beech in the garden is actually a copper beech, Fagus sylvatica purpurea, with purpley-
brown leaves, rather than green. This form was first seen as a mutation in Thuringia in Germany in 1690 and it is assumed that about 99% of all copper beeches in the world are descended from this one tree.
Beech is native to a wide area of Europe extending from Norway in the north to south west in Spain and east into Turkey. Beech is classified as native to Britain, but only south of a line from north Suffolk to Cardigan in Wales, but non-native in the north. Recent research suggests, however, that it is not truly native even to southern Britain as it only arrived in Britain in 4000BC, possibly brought by Stone Age humans, who used the nuts for food.
The smooth grey bark often tempts people to carve patterns or names on it and beech wood tablets were used in the past to carve runes and early Indo-European writings. It is claimed that the word ‘book’ comes from an old Germanic word for beech, Buche. The wood of the beech tree is hard, fine grained and heavy, though it cannot bear weight, so is no good for major building work, but is extensively used in the manufacture of various objects and implements. Because it holds a lot of moisture it can be bent by steaming and is used to make the legs and backs of Windsor chairs and bentwood furniture.
On young branches last year’s leaves do not drop, but remain until pushed off be new spring growth. This is particularly noticeable where beech has been cut into a hedge as at the southern side of Crescent Garden alongside Terrace Walk. This property can make beech a good screening hedge, even in winter, so even if you haven’t room for a large beech tree in your own garden, how about a beech hedge? Even if you can’t manage that do get out into the countryside and admire beech trees in their beautiful winter bareness.
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Pollinator Friendly flower bed with Oak Sleeper retainers
STUBBINGTON 10K
LATEST NEWS
The Stubbington 10k is now all sold out and the preparations for the event being held on Sunday 12th January 2025 are going well.
The event continues to be very popular with the running community as the course is predominantly flat and has some great support along the course. It would be lovely to see the residents of Stubbington and Hill Head coming out to support the runners as they do every year.
The event starts at 10:30am, with Stubbington Village being closed from 08:30 to 13:30. All roads affected by the event will be closed as follows:
Park Lane – 10:15 to 13:30
Stubbington Lane (from Bells Lane junction) to Stubbington Village 10:00 to 13:30
Gosport Road (from Roundabout at Mays Lane to Red Lion Roundabout) 10:00 to 11:00 –
access only after 11:00 to Gosport Road and not Stubbington Lane or Stubbington Village. Gosport Road (from Red Lion Roundabout to Daedalus Way Roundabout 10:00 to 11:00
Marine Parade West from Hovercraft Museum to Sea Lane 10:30 to 12:00
Sea Lane and Salterns Road 10:30 to 13:00
Hill Head Road (from Knightsbank to Crofton Lane at the roundabout by Bell Davies Road) 10:30 to 13:00
The race will start and finish in Stubbington Village and as per all previous years there will be some road closures and we will ensure we minimise the disruption to residents as much as possible by re-opening the roads as soon as it is safe to do so – the understanding of the residents for these closures is hugely appreciated.
Over the years we have raised significant amounts of money for local charities, and we are intending to do the same for the 2025 race. Look forward to seeing everyone on 12th January 2025 for another successful race.
Sara Bamberger Race-Director@stubbingtongreenrunners.net www.stubbingtongreenrunners.net
IN THE GARDEN
• Prune grape vines
• Take down your bird boxes, remove old bedding and clean out
• Deadhead winter bedding (violas, pansies, polyanthus) to prolong flowering
• Water plants and bulbs in containers if sheltered from the rain by their position
• Protect plants that are vulnerable to wind and cold
• Give panels, trellis and decking a fresh coat of preservative or stain
• Clean up fallen leaves
• Plant bare-rooted trees
• Spread a layer of compost around shrubs and along the base of hedges
• Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs, such as forsythia, willow & viburnum
• Check your stored dahlias periodically for signs of disease or rot
GREENHOUSE
• Put any compost you have bought in the greenhouse now to warm up for sowing with next month
• Tidy up!
• Sow leeks, onions, broad beans, hardy peas, spinach and carrots under cover
• Sow greenhouse tomatoes for early crop
• Sow Swiss chard under cover
VEG PLOT
• Prepare your soil
• Chit early seed potatoes
• Cover rhubarb with forcing jars for early harvest
• Harvest your winter veg; sprouts, leeks, parsnips, swede, turnips, celeriac, cabbage, cauli, kale
• Seek out the slippery little slugs! Check under lower leaves of crops for slugs and snails.
• Keep your cauliflowers protected
Grinding
Shrubs:
W L S
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
‘Young at Heart’ is our community for older people in Crofton Parish. It launched in 2019 and, through the pandemic and beyond, has been an invaluable source of friendship and support.
With a significant population of older people in our congregations and in our community, Young at Heart is one of the most important ways in which we try to be ‘the heart of God at the heart of our community’.
The monthly YAH Hub is the main gathering place for Young at Heart. There’s no charge for entry and you can enjoy a café and time with friends, board games, crafts and other activities. Often, we have outside organisations involved at the Hub, including Crofton School and Asda.
We know that older people are at particular risk of social isolation and loneliness. The Young at Heart community – especially through the monthly Hub – is an important part of bringing older people together.
If you come along to the YAH Hub in 2025, you’ll get then chance to meet Emma Sneddon, our new Young at Heart Coordinator. As well as working for Crofton Parish, Emma works for Portsmouth Diocese, helping churches across our region support older people in our communities. We’re delighted Emma has joined the Crofton team and looking forward to you getting to know her.
There are great joys to be found in aging but significant challenges too. If you or a loved one find yourself alone, grieving, or struggling with ill health or becoming frail, it’s important to know you’re not alone. There are many groups and service in our community that support people as they age. Young at Heart is one of these and we’d love to welcome you or a loved one at any of our Young at Heart events.
The Young at Heart Hub dates for Spring 2025 are as follows:
Mon 6 January, Mon 3 February Mon 3 March, Mon 7 April
The Hub meets at Holy Rood Church from 23.30pm. Come and be ‘Young at Heart’ with us - Emma and her team would love to see you there!
Crofton Parish
Holy Rood Church www.croftonparish.org.uk
STUBBINGTON & HILL HEAD WI
Wednesday, 29th January 2pm, Baptist Church, Jay Close, Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington
Our speaker will be Richard Suggett "Coastwatch". If you are wanting to start the New Year with new activities come and visit us! We have a monthly Lunch Club in addition to a Book Club, outings, theatre trips, picnics, Summer and Christmas lunches. We also participate in WI Group activities such as quizzes and day trips. We are a very friendly group and visitors are always warmly welcomed, so if you have just retired and wish to make new friends, come along and try us out! Visitors can come for two taster meetings before joining.
BOWL FOR FUN, FITNESS & FRIENDSHIP
Crofton Short Mat Bowls Club Wednesdays 1:30-4pm. Community Centre Sports Hall
We are a small relaxed club. only requirement is to wear flat-soled footwear on the mats. We welcome new and experienced players. we play indoors and over a short distance. Simply turn up or contact the Club Secretary on 01329 315304 email PRKavanagh@hotmail.com
STUBBINGTON AND HILL HEAD
HISTORY SOCIETY
Roman Catholic Church Hall, Bells Lane, Stubbington 7.30 p.m. Monday 13th January
The Queen Mary, from War to Retirement. Stephen Hoadley. Enquiries to merrieldixonhistory@gmail.com shhhs.co.uk
INTERNATIONAL FOLK/CIRCLE DANCING
January 7th, 21st, 28th 10am-12pm RC Church Hall, Bells Lane, Stubbington £7 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 AMATEUR DRAMATICS SOCIETY (CADS)
‘Robinson Crusoe’ is our pantomime performed 23rd-26th January at Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington. Thursday/Friday performances are at 7:30pm, and Saturday/Sunday performances at 2:30pm. Tickets are £5 children and £10 adults. Tickets are available by online using TicketSource, or from 01329 661143, or email info@cadsamdram.co.uk, or at the door at each show.
CROFTON GARDENING CLUB
20th January 7.30-9pm Roman Catholic Church Hall, Bells Lane, Stubbington. Speaker is Glenn Duggan. The Dorien: Orchids, Terrorists and Kidknappings
STUBBINGTON BELLES W.I.
Monday January 13th 1.30-3.30pm at The Crofton Club, Titchfield Road, PO14 2JH
This month’s speaker will be Jackie Dimmock giving a talk on ‘The Good, The Bad & Downright Funny’. We have a varied programme of speakers or demonstrations, plus a monthly coffee morning and Lunch Club. We also organise outings such as coach trips and local garden visits. Visitors are always welcome so come and give us a try. Please contact stubbingtonbellessec@hampshirewi.org.uk for more information.
LE CERCLE FRANÇAIS DE GOSPORT
Thursday 9th Jan 7:30pm Bay House School
Annual General Meeting – followed by cheese & wine. The Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Richard Earle and Councillor Kirsten Bradley have been invited to attend. New members welcome. Call Martin Lazell on 01329 314750 for more details.
FIND MORE ‘WHAT’S ON’ INSIDE!
MENOPAUSE TOGETHER GOSPORT
Now over two years old, Menopause Together Gosport was the idea of Claire Gurling who after suffering with severe menopause symptoms and after being introduced to another lady experiencing the same, decided to start a local support group for others struggling with this journey.
This year we became a small charitable group and over 450 members strong in a private Facebook group and face to face group meetings, providing safe places to discuss symptoms they are facing, or just a place to sound off to others that understand.
The menopause and perimenopause is not just about hot flashes and brain fog, it can manifest in any number of ways including:
● Heightened anxiety
● Difficulty sleeping
● Night sweats
● Palpitations
● Headaches and migraines
● Muscle aches and joint pains
● Changed body shape and weight gain
● Skin changes including dry and itchy skin
● Reduced sex drive
● Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
● UTIs
● Sensitive teeth
This list is not exhaustive, and is what doctors should be gauging your menopause situation on, rather than relying on blood tests, which can give a false reading, or as is often the case you are told it is normal and left feeling lost and vulnerable, only to discover that ‘normal’ is in relation to someone experiencing the menopause or perimenopause.
For some it is a walk in the park so to say, but for many others it can become a debilitating situation, having an impact on relationships and working environments. Our group can help arm you with the correct information to get the best results from your GP, give you the opportunity to discuss your situation with others who understand and give you a sense of belonging and knowing that you are not alone in this journey. We often have a practice nurse at our meeting and in fact Nicola is one of our trustees, and specialising in menopause. As well as Facebook, there are face to face meetings that take place twice a month, every first Saturday at Stoke Road, Methodist Church 1000 - 1200 where we have around 30 plus members every month and every third Wednesday at Lee Hub 1800 -1930, a smaller group, but still as informative. For anyone anxious about coming along we can arrange for you to be met at the door by one of our friendly members to support them taking that first step into a supportive group, please reach out if you feel you need support.
Find our group and page on FacebookMenopause Together Gosport
ROWING AT HILL HEAD SAILING CLUB
All along the Solent and in our harbours and rivers you may have seen people out rowing in traditional boats. Gig Rowing, historically a West Country sport, has been growing in popularity over the last few years, and the Solent region has proved perfect for getting on the water in these lovely boats.
Hill Head Sailing Club is nestled by a natural harbour at the mouth of the River Meon. It is a typical local club, run by the members and full of people who simply enjoy being out on the water.
The club borrowed two scout rowing boats to do some trial rows and found that there was a group of members keen to develop a rowing group.
Part of the club’s history is an old, clinker-built wooden boat called Alston - named after one of the club’s founders. The Alston has been lovingly maintained by members over the years, keen to keep hold of this part of the club’s history. Two members took on the task of converting The Alston into a rowing gig, adding thwarts, footrests, rowlocks and a rudder.
Before long, The Alston was proving a popular boat to row, solid and very seaworthy. It was so
popular, in fact, that a crew rowed her all the way round to Langstone Harbour to take part in the Tudor Challenge - a 10 mile race around the harbour hosted by Tudor Sailing Club. With rowing proving so popular, Hill Head Sailing Club’s Rowing Committee applied for and was successful in being awarded a grant from Sport England to purchase a brand new modern fibreglass Bursledon Gig. These gigs are used by a number of local clubs and benefit from being very versatile - they can by rowed by between two and four people plus a cox, and are ideal for local waters.
Hill Head Sailing Club took delivery of their new locally built gig, in September. To mark this new venture for the Sailing Club, Mayor Cllr Pal Hayre presided over a naming ceremony for Bramble, with the boat being blessed by Revd Steve Dent.
Hill Head are now looking forward to training hard over the winter so that they can take part in local regattas next year, as well as simply enjoying being out on the water on those lovely crisp winter morning and is developing their rowing calendar for next year.
The club is keen to welcome anyone with an interest in rowing to contact the Rowing
Captain Julie Thorpe at rowing@hillheadsc.org.uk for a trial row.
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
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
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.)
AWARDS GALORE FOR CRESCENT GARDEN
In recent years the Friends of Crescent Garden have worked hard to achieve annual Green Flag Awards and Green Heritage Awards, as a historic garden. They swept the Awards board again in 2024!
• Our latest in a long line of Green Flags (in the photo proudly held by the Green Team in the Regency Crescent Garden itself)
• Gold in the South & South East In Bloom "Small Parks" section
• Golds in Gosport In Bloom for:
"The Mayor's Community and Neighbourhood Group Award"
"Best Public Attraction"
"Best Wildlife Garden"
"Best Bee & Butterfly Garden"
A big thank you, especially to the Green Team who work so tirelessly & in all weathers in the garden & to all the Committee & Friends who support us & help us to win such prestigious Awards!"
The Friends of Crescent Garden formed in 1991, is now a thriving community group of members. The Friends of Crescent Garden work hard to preserve the historic character of this evocative small Regency Garden and to keep the garden at the centre of the local community. To ensure the sustainability of the Garden’s Regency character, only plants introduced before 1850 are used. The maintenance of the garden is carried out in partnership with Gosport Borough Council and the Friends of Crescent Garden, who share the labour and the funding as a team effort.
The Friends of Crescent Garden is a thriving community group of members. There is an annual Garden Party, a plant sale, and an AGM attended by the mayor. The Friends also arrange regular visits to other gardens of interest.
The Friends of Crescent Garden have three main ambitions for the future:
▪ To maintain Crescent Garden to the highest possible standards in partnership with Gosport Borough Council.
▪ To keep Crescent Garden in its place at the heart of the community it serves, as a welcoming, historic, and refreshing community.
▪ To concentrate on the sustainability of the enterprise. This requires the active good will of not only the Community and Council, but particularly the volunteers, whose recruitment and management are of the utmost importance.
If the Garden remains volunteer-friendly and environmentally friendly, there is every hope it will continue to flourish.
