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April

Edition of your local Test Valley Gazette Community Magazine! Dear Residents, It is with great pleasure that we give you the April issue of your local community magazine. We are really pleased that the magazine is so well received and used by yourselves each month and that you continue to support your local trades and services. At this time of increasing costs and some uncertainties it is as vital as ever that we back up our local companies and keep the economy in our areas thriving. If you know of a company that needs help with their advertising or a local club or society that needs some good local promotion, then please let them know of us. We are here to help them, help you, whether that is in the home, work or for yourself personally. We are here. The April issue is our Anniversary in fact. It is 17 years this month since we published our first edition! I cannot believe it. We are very proud to have helped so many companies, some of which have expanded hugely due to all your calls and bookings. Stephen, myself and all the girls in the office want to thank you for your support. It means everything to us, that you pick up the phone or walk into the office and let the advertiser know that you found their details due to all our hard work. This is hugely appreciated by us and the advertisers themselves! Wishing you a wonderful Easter. May the sun shine and we all get out and have some fun! Best Wishes,

Debbie, Stephen & Daichi

Contact Debbie: debbie@modernmagazines.co.uk or Tracey: 07500 592584 tracey@modernmagazines.co.uk

IN THIS ISSUE... 6 8 12 14 18 20 22 24 32 34 36 40 32 44

Councillor’s Column Weyhill Electronic Organ Society Andover Choral Society Interview: Kenneth Branagh Wildlife: Seagrass Kevin McCloud Column Community Info Hub Building on Digital Success Adventures of Daichi Andover BID News Money Matters: Martin Lewis Pets: Chocolate & Dogs Rachel Khoo’s Chocolate Bark Alan Titchmarsh Column

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Our magazines are printed in a factory that is FSC & ISO 14001 certiﬁed. Sustainable and environmentally friendly printing is part of our ethos. Using vegetable-based inks and recycling nearly 100% of our paper waste means you can be conﬁdent that this publication is not harming the planet.

Modern Magazines Ltd reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit material prior to publication. The opinions expressed or advice given in this publication are the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the publisher. Every care is taken when compiling this magazine, however we cannot accept liability for misprints or mistakes. Dates and information quoted are believed correct at the time of going to press, but are subject to change and no responsibility can be taken for loss, damage or omission of material due to error. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure they have permission to use any artwork which they supply to us or request for us to reproduce. Unless prior consent of the publisher is given, no part of this publication is to be reproduced.

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Councillor’s Column I can’t remember the last time I cried whilst watching the news. But as a dad to a little girl, those pictures of a Ukrainian father saying goodbye to his daughter, quite possibly for the final time, have had me in tears on several occasions recently. His family were fleeing Kyiv whilst he was being conscripted into the Ukrainian army. That’s the problem with war. It tears families apart. And Putin’s evil actions are having the most horrendous of consequences.

At our Full Council meeting recently, I used my opening remarks to announce that I was sure I spoke for everyone who lives in the borough by saying that we stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their hour of darkness. I also said that I know that the people of Test Valley will want to do all they can to help. And whilst our government is providing valuable weapons to help that Ukrainian father defend his country and coordinating the toughest set of sanctions Russia has ever seen. I pledged to use the council’s communications channels to publicise ways in which people can help those who have been displaced. I know there are many local businesses and organisations doing their bit and I’m grateful for that. I was also pleased to join both Andover and Anton Rotary clubs collecting money in Andover town centre that International Rotary will spend on the frontline.

After the initial flurry of money, they need further funds to continue their great work. So, if you are able to donate you can do so at donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukrainecrisis-appeal or www.dec.org.uk. I have also committed to help and house our fair share of refugees in Test Valley. Just like we’ve done with those evacuated from Syria and Afghanistan. I know many people have already made very generous offers under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We’ve been talking to the Home Office and the South East Migration Partnership ever since the crisis began and are also in contact with our local housing associations. I pray that in the future if the attempted Russian invasion continues to stall, that those displaced will have an opportunity to return to their homeland and families can be reunited. Although the road might be long, let’s hope that in the not too distant future the missile-fire of war will once again be replaced by the flame of freedom. For now though Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine.

Cllr. Phil North

Leader of the Test Valley Borough Council

I have also been encouraging people to join me in contributing to the Red Cross and the Disasters Emergency Committee, who are working on the ground in eastern Europe. 6

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Weyhill Electronic Organ Society The next WEOS concert will take place on Thursday 21 April when CHRIS JONES, from Orpington in Kent, will be performing. Chris was scheduled to visit Weyhill in May 2020 but the arrival of the Covid pandemic caused the event to be cancelled. Chris turned professional in 1985, since when he has played for most of the Electronic Keyboard clubs around the UK, as well as performing at all of the major festivals and working in the retail business for a number of keyboard instrument outlets. His musical tastes cover a broad spectrum, such as songs from Musicals, Ballads and Latin American, whilst his varied list of other interests include photography, gardening, cooking, home maintenance and touring in his motorhome. The concert is being staged at the Weyhill Fairground Hall, commencing at 7.30 p.m., with doors opening at 7.00 p.m. Tickets (at the door) are priced at £6.00 and refreshments can be obtained during the interval. Everyone who enjoys 8

melodic, easy listening music is sure to enjoy the evening and newcomers are especially welcome. For more news of Chris visit: http://www.organfax.co.uk/ players/chrisjones and for further information about the Club log on to www.weyhilleos.co.uk or telephone (01264) 323213.

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Andover

Choral Society Andover Choral Society welcomes you once more to an evening of glorious music. This time, we’re singing Mendelssohn’s verse to one of history’s greatest characters, Saint Paul. Rarely performed, and with a huge spectrum of choral challenge, ACS will provide you with an evening of pure joy at St Mary’s Church, Andover, on Saturday 7th May from 7.30 p.m. Our Musical Director, Peter Ford, has adapted an otherwise lengthy and imposing work into one more suited to everyday enjoyment. With a specially commissioned orchestra, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, and professional soloists, this reduced adaptation will

encourage other, particularly smaller, choirs to bring Mendelssohn’s fabulous oratorio into their scope. The performance combines operatic drama with romantic idealism, at the same time revering past masters such as Bach and Handel. This Oratorio of Saint Paul is so well renowned it has been described as utter perfection and how music, drama and art can all come together to create a perfect balance of intrigue and beauty. ACS will provide you with precisely that.

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Mendelssohn

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Andover Choral Society Westminster Chamber Orchestra

St Mary’s Church, Andover Saturday 7 May, 7.30pm Tickets £20, available from choir members and from The Lights box office on 01264 368368 www.andoverchoralsociety.org.uk

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All the World’s A Stage One of our greatest creative filmmaking forces, Kenneth Branagh, looks back over three decades of big-budget production. Kenneth Branagh is a behemoth of the major film project – a man who subscribes to the ‘more is less’ principle of movie-making, and who has absolute faith in the essence that big budgets make successful movies. That alone, offers a peculiar contradiction. After all, the 61-year-old is someone so creatively and artistically enriched, from within, that a script and a stage would all but suffice given the Belfast-born actor, producer and director’s ability to connect an audience to an idea. How else can you explain his effortless excellence across so many Shakespeare projects, from Henry V (1989) – for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor

and Best Director – through to Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Othello (1995), Hamlet (1996), Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000), and As You Like It (2006). And yet, his big-screen work away from the Bard goes the other way, with high-quality, mass-scale projects that refuse to be held back by budget – consider Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Valkyrie (2008), the blockbuster superhero film Thor (2011), Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017) (2017), and of course Death on the Nile, this year. “Death on the Nile is an immense project and I have always been confident that all the investment and commitment would pay itself back, both financially and artistically. “It’s one of those films that could have been made on the cheap, but it’s the fine details that really begin to shine when you have a bigger budget to play with. It’s the luxury of doing

something really good and knowing you have the time to go back and take another look at something if it hasn’t quite come through the way you had expected. It’s quality control. “Ultimately, I feel extremely lucky to be making the sorts of movies I have over the past couple of decades, and to find the backers who believe in these projects, because it’s not always been like that,” he says, referencing the industry’s lack of money and interest in filmmaking when he was first getting started. “It was a real famine back in the Eighties - so few movies were being made. These days there are sets the size of Soho and investment in filmmaking is so huge, and I would like to think the output validates that; but as ever, it’s the audience who are there to judge, and that’s the way it should be.”

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Would you like to explore the Arts?

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theartssocietytestvalley.org.uk 16

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Seagrass: The Solent’s superhero Beneath the waves of the Solent are hidden underwater gardens of seagrass. These marine flowering plants are known for increasing biodiversity in our coastal waters. However, they are now beginning to gain widespread recognition for their potential to reduce the effects of climate change and what better time to celebrate this superstar marine plant than during Seagrass Awareness Month, which spans all of March. Seagrasses typically occur along shallow, sheltered marine coastlines and estuaries, from the Tropics to the Arctic Circle. They have roots, grass-like leaves and produce flowers and seeds. Under the right conditions, these plants can grow to form flourishing, green underwater meadows which provide food and shelter for an array of wonderful marine life. The seagrass meadows in the Solent are of international importance. They support rich biodiversity, including amazing species such as sea anemones, stalked jellyfish, sea slugs, pipefish and seahorses. They act as nurseries for commercially important fish species, such as cod and sea bass, the latter of which spend up to seven years growing in the Solent before joining the migratory adult population. Cuttlefish visit the seagrass meadows to breed as well, attaching their black eggs known as ‘sea grapes’ to the seagrass leaves. Seagrass also provides a major food source for brent geese, which make the 3000-mile journey from Siberia to the Solent every year for a milder winter. Seagrasses are incredibly important allies in the fight against climate change. They

absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the surrounding seawater and their long leaves slow the flow of water, which encourages settlement of carbon-rich sediment down into the seabed where it is then buried and locked away. This amazing plant also improves our water quality and protects our shores from coastal erosion by slowing wave energy with their leaves and by stabilising soft seabed sediments with their roots. Sadly, seagrass is disappearing. We’ve lost over 90% of our seagrass meadows in the UK over the past century. Disease, physical disturbance from dragging anchors and chain moorings, as well as human-induced threats such as pollution are putting seagrass under significant pressure. At Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, we’re working to protect and restore our seagrass meadows. By monitoring and surveying existing seagrass beds and planting sustainably collected seagrass seeds, we hope to restore these amazing habitats towards their historic levels and create a wilder Solent, for both people and wildlife. To learn more and find out how to get involved, visit: hiwwt.org.uk/seagrass-restoration Photo: Seagrass bed by Paul Naylor

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A Design for Life… The Kevin McCloud Column Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about taking ownership and responsibility for the villages, towns and cities in which we live. I think people sometimes look at me simply as someone focused on developing and building houses, yet I feel much more passionate about the idea of making places; I ﬁnd it is much more important to make communities and to see people ﬂourish in where they live. For years and years development has been top down - it’s been an industry where people have bought and sold land, upping its value through the planning process only to build rather crappy homes and buildings in the end. I’m much more interested in the Gandhian approach, which is from the bottom up. It’s a democratic approach whereby people and communities work together to empower themselves to take control.

That is often just down to a handful of individuals having a conversation with a landowner or a local authority or a local organisation and ﬁnding that, yes, they could do something. It’s discovering the fact they can take matters into their own hands, and there’s nothing more exciting than seeing people taking control for where they live. We’ve all got used to this idea that if the

paving stone outside our house is broken then it’s the council’s fault; or perhaps if the light doesn’t work it’s someone else’s fault; whereas actually, no, where we live is ours, and we should be taking responsibility. We should be taking ownership and we can do this through Community Land Trusts and kinds of other ownership models and initiatives; and I think it’s fundamental that we do this because that way we create

a much more sustainable, coherent civic society. We create a world we are living in that can be shared, for the good of the people who invest in it and live in it, not for the faceless developers and entrepreneurs who are using the concept of home merely as a vehicle for making money. It’s important because we are now seeing transition towns across the UK really ﬂourish. These are places that have adopted this concept and are now moving on with a practical, architectural and community vibe and approach that knits together and unites so many different and important facets of what it is to live somewhere. So next time you see something broken or tatty or perhaps just a bit shabby in your street, step forward, pick it up, take it into your workshop, or do whatever it is that’s needed to replenish it and make good.

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Local LocalClubs Clubs&& activities activities

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Test Test Valley Valley ArtArt Society Society

Community Community

To learn To learn about about art art in all in its all its forms forms including including literature, literature, music music andand arts, arts, joinjoin The The Arts Arts Society, Society, TestTest Valley Valley (TASTV) (TASTV) at the at the Weyhill Weyhill Fairground, Fairground, Andover. Andover. We meet We meet on the on the firstfirst Tuesday Tuesday of the of the month month Choose Choose fromfrom 10.15am 10.15am or 2.30pm, or 2.30pm, lecture. lecture. For more For more information information visit visit www.theartssociety.org/test-valley www.theartssociety.org/test-valley 01264 01264 358065 358065 info@theartssocietytestvalley.org.uk info@theartssocietytestvalley.org.uk

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Test Test Valley Valley Croquet CroquetClub Club

Founded Founded overover 25 years 25 years agoago thethe club club is thriving, is thriving, informal informal andand friendly. friendly. All All thethe club’s club’s facilities facilities and andequipment equipment are available are available to members to members andand their their guests guests every everyday day between between AprilApril andand September. September. bryanjlangford@gmail.com bryanjlangford@gmail.com www.michelmershandtimsbury.org/test-valley-croquet-club/ www.michelmershandtimsbury.org/test-valley-croquet-club/

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The The Army Army Flying Flying Museum Museum is aisMilitary a Military Aviation Aviation Museum Museuminin Hampshire, Hampshire, telling telling thethe story story of British of British Army Army Flying. Flying. Kings Kings Somborne Somborne Village VillageHall Hall OverOver 30 historic 30 historic aircraft. aircraft. Kentsboro, Kentsboro,Stockbridge Stockbridge SO20 SO208FB 8FB www.armyflying.com/ www.armyflying.com/Kings website website ourour or visit or visit contact contact information information For more For more KingsSombourne Sombourne ,Stockbridge ,StockbridgeSO20 SO206PP 6PP Outreach@flying-museum.org.uk 01264 01264 781086 781086Outreach@flying-museum.org.uk 01794 01794 389354 389354 vhsecretary@thesombornes.org.uk vhsecretary@thesombornes.org.uk www.thesombornes.org.uk/villagehall/ www.thesombornes.org.uk/villagehall/ Upper Upper Test Test Valley Valley Vintage VintageClub Club The The Upper Upper TestTest Valley Valley Vintage Vintage Club Club was was created createdininthe the Stockbridge Stockbridge area, area, butbut we we have have members members from from allallover overEngland England whowho attend attend our our events. events. It'sIt's a Club a Club forfor those those interested interestedininold old machines, machines, fromfrom cycles cycles to steam to steam engines. engines. Stockbridge StockbridgeSO20 SO206HZ 6HZ VisitVisit our website our website for for more more details details www.utvvcrally.co.uk www.utvvcrally.co.uk Andy@utvvcrally.co.uk 01264 01264 810421 810421 Andy@utvvcrally.co.uk

New New Forest Forest Folk Folk Festival Festival

Stockbridge Stockbridge Town Town Hall Hall

High High Street, Street, Stockbridge Stockbridge SO20 SO206HE 6HE 01264 01264 513299 513299 tockbridgetownhall@gmail.com tockbridgetownhall@gmail.com www.stockbridgetownhall.co.uk/ www.stockbridgetownhall.co.uk/

Kings Kings Somborne Somborne Village VillageHall Hall

Kings Kings Sombourne, Sombourne, Stockbridge StockbridgeSO20 SO206PP 6PP 01794 01794 389354 389354 vhsecretary@thesombornes.org.uk vhsecretary@thesombornes.org.uk www.thesombornes.org.uk/villagehall/ www.thesombornes.org.uk/villagehall/

A fantastic A fantastic 5 day 5 day festival festival on on thethe edge edge of of thethe New NewForest, Forest, where where you you can can enjoy enjoy amazing amazing livelive folkfolk music, music, fun funworkshops workshops King King George’s George’s Village Village Hall Hall including including learning learning instruments, instruments, writing writing music, music, taking takingpart partinin meditation, meditation, Morris Morris Dancing Dancing andand much much more, more, plus plus brilliant brilliantlocal local West West Dean Dean SP5 SP5 1JQ paseabrooke@gmail.com paseabrooke@gmail.com foodfood and and drink drink & other & other local local producers producers & traders! & traders! Lockerley Lockerley & East East Dean: Dean:Memorial MemorialHall Hall VisitVisit the website the website for more for more details details www.newforestfolkfestival.co.uk www.newforestfolkfestival.co.uk Lockerley Lockerley Water Water House House EastTytherley EastTytherleyRoad Road nick@newforestfolkfestival.co.uk nick@newforestfolkfestival.co.uk 07435 07435 123057 123057 Lockerley Lockerley SO51 SO51 0JG Upper Clatford Womens Upper Clatford WomensInstitute Institute 1794342019 1794342019 hallsecretary@lockerley.org.uk hallsecretary@lockerley.org.uk http://opencharities.org/charities/301876 http://opencharities.org/charities/301876 Upper Upper Clatford Clatford WI WI is aislively, a lively, friendly friendly group group of of women women who who live in liveorinaround or around thethe village village of of Upper Upper Clatford ClatfordororininAndover. Andover. Houghton Houghton Village Village Hall Hall We offer We offer friendship friendship andand companionship, companionship, together togetherwith withthe the Houghton, Houghton, Stockbridge Stockbridge SO20 SO206LW 6LW 01264 393791 393791 opportunity opportunity to learn to learn newnew skills. skills.01264 028 028 3026 3026 7119 7119 King King Edward Edward VII Memorial VII Memorial HallHall Village Village Street, Street, Upper Upper Clatford, Clatford,SP11 SP117QL 7QL www.upperclatford.com/community/upper-clatford-15048/upper-clatford-wi www.upperclatford.com/community/upper-clatford-15048/upper-clatford-wi Broughton Broughton Village Village Hall Hall High High St, St, Broughton, Broughton, Stockbridge StockbridgeSO20 SO208AX 8AX 0844 0844 800 800 8864 8864

If you If you areare a a Local Group, please Local Group, please get get in touch to be in touch to be If you If you areare a a advertised here forfor free! advertised here free!

Abbotts Abbotts Ann Village Village Hall Hall

Dunkirt Dunkirt Ln Ln Abbotts Abbotts Ann, Ann, Andover AndoverSP11 SP117AZ 7AZ thewarmemorialhall@gmail.com thewarmemorialhall@gmail.com www.abbottsann.com/amenitiesservices/village-hall/ www.abbottsann.com/amenitiesservices/village-hall/

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IMPORTANT IMPORTANT nUMBERS nUMBERS

St St Peter’s Peter’s Church Church

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Test Valley TestCouncil Valley Council Call 01794 Call527700 01794or527700 visit www.testvalley.gov.uk or visit www.testvalley.gov.uk AndoverAndover Library Call Library 0300 Call 555 0300 1387 555 1387 St St Mary Mary thethe Less Less email andover.library@hants.gov.uk email andover.library@hants.gov.uk CitizensCitizens Advice Test Advice Valley TestCall Valley 0808 278 Call 7862 0808 278 7862 Village Village St, Chilbolton, St, Chilbolton, Stockbridge Stockbridge S020 S020 6BQ 6BQ www.downsbenefice.org www.downsbenefice.org RomseyRomsey Library Call Library 0300 Call 555 0300 1387 555 1387 email romsey.library@hants.gov.uk email romsey.library@hants.gov.uk AllAll Saints Saints Church Church AndoverAndover Emergency Emergency Dentist Call Dentist 07470Call 553807 07470 553807 TheThe Street, Street, Barton Barton Stacey Stacey SO21SO21 3RH 3RH RomseyRomsey HospitalHospital In an emergency In an emergency call 999 call 999 for otherfor enquiries other enquiries call 023 8231 call 023 03508231 0350 01962 01962 886883 886883 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18357/ www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18357/ AndoverAndover War Memorial War Memorial Hospital Hospital Call 01264 Call358811 01264 358811 St St Mary’s Mary’s Church Church Royal Hampshire Royal Hampshire County Hospital County Hospital Church Church Rd, Abbotts Rd, Abbotts Ann,Ann, Andover Andover SP11 SP11 7NR 7NR Call 01962 Call863535 01962 863535 revdkatrina@gmail.com revdkatrina@gmail.com 07922153765 07922153765 River Dental River Call Dental 01264810818 Call 01264810818 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18246 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18246 or email or kingfisher@river.dental email kingfisher@river.dental Romsey Romsey Dental Care Dental Call Care 01794Call 522222 01794 522222 Mary’s Michelmersh Church St St Mary’s Michelmersh Church enquiries@romseydentalcare.co.uk enquiries@romseydentalcare.co.uk Michelmersh, Romsey Michelmersh, Romsey S051S051 0NS 0NS East Street EastDental StreetPractice Dental Practice Call 01264Call 323578 01264 323578 01794 01794 878020 878020 info@eaststreetdental.co.uk info@eaststreetdental.co.uk www.achurchneary-ou.com/church/18504/page/54954/view www.achurchneary-ou.com/church/18504/page/54954/viewBeauchamp Beauchamp House Call House 01794Call 512550 01794 512550 enquiries@dental100.com enquiries@dental100.com St St Mary’s Mary’s East East Tytherley Tytherley Alma Road Alma Surgery Road Surgery Call 01794Call 513422 01794 513422 TheThe Vicarage, Vicarage, The The Street Street Lockerley Lockerley S051 S051 0JF 0JF WHCCG.AlmaRoadSurgery@nhs.net WHCCG.AlmaRoadSurgery@nhs.net 01794 01794 340635 340635 GrattonGratton SurgerySurgery Call 01962Call 760394 01962 760394 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7390/ www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7390/ WHCCG.AlmaRoadSurgery@nhs.net WHCCG.AlmaRoadSurgery@nhs.net Abbey Mead AbbeySurgery Mead Surgery Call 01794Call 512218 01794 512218 Saint Peter’s Church Saint Peter’s Church AdelaideAdelaide Medical Medical Centre Call Centre 01264Call 351144 01264 351144 HighHigh Street Street Stockbridge Stockbridge S020S020 6HE 6HE Upper Upper Clatford, Clatford, Andover Andover SP11SP11 7SF0 7SF0 www.annabenefice.co.uk www.annabenefice.co.uk 07393 07393 944245 944245

01264 01264 810810 810810 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18513 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18513

AllAll Saints’ Saints’ Church Church

Church Church Ln, Houghton, Ln, Houghton, Stockbridge Stockbridge S020 S020 6LJ 6LJ rector@midtest.org.uk rector@midtest.org.uk

www.houghton-hampshire.uk/community www.houghton-hampshire.uk/community /houghton-village-website-12746/all-saints-church/ /houghton-village-website-12746/all-saints-church/

LOCAL LOCAL Fisherys Fisherys Timsbury Fishing Timsbury Fishing

A fishing A fishing group group based based in Timsbury in Timsbury Timsbury, Timsbury, Romsey Romsey S051S051 0NB 0NB 07759 331385 07759 331385 mail.info@timsburyfishing.co.uk mail.info@timsburyfishing.co.uk

www.timsburyfishing.co.uk fordetails more details VisitVisit www.timsburyfishing.co.uk for more

Kimbridge Kimbridge Trout Trout Fishing Fishing

A trout A trout fishing fishing group group located located in Kambridge in Kambridge Kimbridge Kimbridge LaneLane SO51 SO51 0LE 0LE 01794 01794 340170 340170 www.kimbridgeonthetest.com/ www.kimbridgeonthetest.com/

Leckford Leckford Estate Estate Fishery Fishery

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Andover Andover Household Household WasteWaste Recycling Recycling Centre Centre

Scott Cl, Scott Andover Cl, Andover SP10 5NU SP10 5NU www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/ www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/ hwrcfinder/Andover hwrcfinder/Andover

Casbrook Casbrook Household Household WasteWaste Recycling Recycling Centre Centre

Bunny Ln, Bunny Romsey Ln, Romsey SO51 0PG SO51 0PG www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/hwrcfinder/Casbrook www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/hwrcfinder/Casbrook

Romsey Romsey Railway Railway Station Station Romsey Romsey S051 8DU S051 8DU 0845 7480845 4950748 4950

Leckford Leckford Estate Estate ownsowns and manages and manages 16 fishing 16 fishing beats on beats on the the world world famous famous RiverRiver Test which Test which runs through runs through the middle the middleAndover Andover Railway Railway Station Station of the of the Estate, Estate, with with Leckford Leckford villagevillage to thetoeast theand eastLongstock and Longstock Station Approach, Station Approach, Andover SP10 Andover 3HNSP10 3HN to the to the west. west. The The beatsbeats are open are open to fisherman to fisherman from May from May 0345 600 0345 0650 600 0650 to October.We to October.We also also havehave two river two fed riverlakes fed that lakesare that are available available all year all year roundround for fishing. for fishing. Stockbridge Stockbridge S020 S020 6EH 6EH 07860 07860 541933 541933 www.leckfordfishing.co.uk www.leckfordfishing.co.uk

Timsbury Timsbury Fishery Fishery Timsbury Timsbury Manor Manor FarmFarm Stable, Stable, Manor Manor Lane, Lane, Timsbury Timsbury S051S051 www.timsburyfishery.net www.timsburyfishery.net 07831 07831 356265 356265jd@timsburyfishery.net jd@timsburyfishery.net

LS LLS

LOCAL LOCAL Churches Churches IMPORTANT IMPORTANT nUMBERS nUMBERS

St St Peter’s Peter’s Church Church

01264 01264 810810 810810 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18513 www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18513

AllAll Saints’ Saints’ Church Church

Church Church Ln, Houghton, Ln, Houghton, Stockbridge Stockbridge S020 S020 6LJ 6LJ rector@midtest.org.uk rector@midtest.org.uk

www.houghton-hampshire.uk/community www.houghton-hampshire.uk/community /houghton-village-website-12746/all-saints-church/ /houghton-village-website-12746/all-saints-church/

LOCAL LOCAL Fisherys Fisherys Timsbury Fishing Timsbury Fishing

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Kimbridge Kimbridge Trout Trout Fishing Fishing

Leckford Leckford Estate Estate Fishery Fishery

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Addresses Addresses Stockbridge Post Office Stockbridge Post Office

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Andover Andover Household Household WasteWaste Recycling Recycling Centre Centre

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Casbrook Casbrook Household Household WasteWaste Recycling Recycling Centre Centre

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Building on Digital Success The Test Valley charity, Unity is celebrating this week with the news that they have been successful in securing £179,840 over three years from The National Lottery to provide digital literacy projects for communities across Test Valley. Their digital literacy work goes back to the beginning of the pandemic when they started helping to improve the digital skills of vulnerable people many of whom relied on community groups for much of their daily support. A digital expert was employed by Unity and volunteers recruited, veterans offering the IT skills learned during their time in the military and people who had either lost their jobs or were on furlough during the pandemic. With the help of these volunteers, Unity tested the idea of enabling vulnerable people to develop confidence in their use of technology. This was well received, and the charity is now planning to scale up to offer services through the borough.

need help to build the confidence to use it, perhaps to shop online or even complete an online form. This money will help us to extend our reach across the length and breadth of Test Valley so that we can help individuals and local organisations to learn new skills.” Various community initiatives will be devised throughout the threeyear funding term, and these will be offered through Unity’s website and social media platforms. If you are interested in finding out how Unity could help you, your charity or community group, or if you think you might like to volunteer, please contact us through the website www. unityonline.org.uk or call 0330 4004 116 and a member of our team will help.

Terry Bishop, Unity Chief Executive said, “We would like to thank The National Lottery players for granting this funding. With technology taking over all our lives, we know that there are people across the community who may 24

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Are you finding life difficult and just need a bit of help and a regular bit of company? Unity provides a reliable, friendly and compassionate home support service to help you with your independence. We are also decluttering experts and are there to offer expert advice and practical solutions. • Highly qualified and caring staff • Tailored services to meet all needs • Helping to improve health and wellbeing For more information please call Call 0330 4004 116 or visit www.unityonline.org.uk/health-care/

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International Space Station

a) False – over 85% of known stars are smaller than the Sun

Welcome to the April Stargazing Page. Highlights this month include a close morning meeting of Mars and Saturn, the Lyrid meteor shower, and Mercury close to the Pleiades.

b) True – Our Moon is tidally locked and the same side always faces the Earth

kateearlastro@gmail.com

a. The Sun is one of the smallest stars in the Milky Way galaxy b. The same side of the Moon always faces the Earth c. Life has been detected on other planets d. All of Neptune’s moons are named after characters created by Shakespeare or Alexander Pope

c) False – Earth is the only place we know of in the entire universe that has life

WRITTEN BY KATE EARL

Quick Quizlet: True or False…

d) False – Neptune’s moons are named after lesser sea gods. Uranus’ moons are named after characters from works by Shakespeare or Alexander Pope

STAR GAZING

The ISS can be spotted in the evening until the 4th. Viewing then switches to the morning skies from the 26th. To establish exact timings please refer to www.heavens-above.com or a similar webpage for up-to-date information, remembering to set the location to your observing area.

Events

The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks around April 22nd. The dust that causes these meteors comes from Comet Thatcher. The meteors originate from a point in the sky close to the bright star Vega, which lies northeast around 9.30pm.

Saturn Mars

Mercury

If you missed Mercury at the beginning of the year, now is the best time to try again. The innermost planet can be seen low in the northwest after sunset from the 10th. It is at its brightest around this time, but hard to spot as it lies very close to the Sun. It slowly rises higher in the evening sky, but becomes fainter as the month progresses. Try looking at around 9.30pm on the 29th or 30th, where it is located very close to the Pleiades cluster (see ﬁgure)..

Venus

Venus is dazzling away in our morning skies, rising around 5am in the east.

Mars

The red planet can be seen just before dawn, rising around 4.30am. On the 5th it lies incredibly close to Saturn (known as a planetary conjunction).

Jupiter & Saturn

Both gas giants are visible in the morning. Saturn rises ﬁrst around 4.30am, and over the course of the month moves higher in the sky, away from Mars and Venus. Jupiter is just visible to the lower left of Venus after 5.30am. All four planets can be seen in a row after mid-month (see ﬁgure).

Moon

April’s full moon occurs on the 16th. 26

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Venus

Jupiter

View SE on 24th April at 5.30am

Trees requiredAldebaran if possible–– the black bar represents the horizon. Dawn sky colours please – lighter at the Pleiades (or the bottom and tored thegiant left star Seven Sisters) Mercury Hyades (or the head of Taurus the Bull)

30th April: View low in the northwest at 9.30pm; Mercury lies close to the Pleiades star cluster

c) False – Earth is the only place we know of in the entire universe that has life b) True – Our Moon is tidally locked and the same side always faces the Earth a) False – over 85% of known stars are smaller than the Sun

d) False – Neptune’s moons are named after lesser sea gods. Uranus’ moons are named after characters from works by Shakespeare or Alexander Pope

Quick Quizlet: True or False…

Saturn Mars Venus

Jupiter

View SE on 24th April at 5.30am

30th April: View low in the northwest at 9.30pm; Mercury lies close to the Pleiades star cluster Please mention Modern Magazines when contacting advertisers

Increasing numbers of homeowners are choosing to hold their properties as tenants in common to reduce inheritance tax and help protect their share from care fees The Property Protection Trust Will package is based around how you hold the ownership of your home. All good estate planning nowadays considers the difference between owning your home as joint tenants or as tenants in common. If you own your home as Joint Tenants; when one of you dies the ownership of the home passes by the Law of Survivorship and not by your Will. Therefore, the surviving partner will automatically own 100% of the property. This sounds right to most people. BUT should the surviving partner need care in the future, the Local Authority can take everything they own (including their home) to pay for the care fees, leaving just £14,250 to be inherited by children and grandchildren.

There is an alternative.

Nowadays many couples choose to own their home as Tenants in Common where each partner will own 50% of the family home. This provides for many benefits. Firstly, it allows you to legally leave your share of the property in your Will to whoever you wish. A properly written Will can ensure that your half of your house will eventually pass to your children even if your widow re-marries. Unmarried cohabiting couples or relatives living together can also use this means of ownership as a way of minimising their Inheritance Tax exposure. It can also help with long-term care costs. If one of you is still living in your home the Local Authority can’t include its value in the means test if one of you has to go in to long-term care. This also applies if the husband or wife still living at home dies while the other is in care as their share will go into the trust.

Dorset and Wight are your local experts in Property Protection Trust Wills. 28

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LASTING POWER of ATTORNEYS Probably the most important documents you will ever own. Wills: £140 each - Single Power of Attorneys: £150 each

Special Offer 1: All four Lasting Power of Attorneys for a couple £570 (save £30)

Special Offer 2: All four Lasting Power of Attorneys & two Wills for a couple £840 (save £40)

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Special Offer 4: The “Ultimate” Family Protection Package includes All Trust Wills and LPAs for a couple - Limited time offer £1,279 (save £881)

If you are concerned about care fees and protecting your children’s inheritance from divorce and other risks.

We are specialists in providing for the elderly or less mobile. Everything is dealt with in the comfort of your own home. Members of the Society of Will Writers and Estate Planning Practitioners.

EXPERTISE • EXPERIENCE • EMPATHY Dorset 01202 065953 Hampshire - 01264 252900 Isle of Wight - 01983 623900 All subject to deliberate deprivation guidelines

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Refresh your home, refresh yourself! Bored of your furniture? Tired of seeing the same wooden wardrobes every day? Home décor guru Kirstie Allsopp has some fresh ideas… Kirstie Allsopp – home ﬁnder, homemaker, designer and allround loveable ‘girl next door’ – is one of the UK’s most proliﬁc advisers on all things homerelated. For years we assumed the 50-year-old Hampsteadborn presenter was an expert judging property from the outside, but her elevation to crafting queen in recent years – whilst adding in dynamic decor and fantastic furniture – adds just another layer of charm. “I think if property itself interests you then you’ve got to, even to the smallest extent, have some kind of passion about what is placed on the inside too,” she laughs, “although I’m frequently aghast at some the beautiful properties we see on Location, Location,

Location that look horrendous once you get through the front door.” Her sibling-like relationship with Phil Spencer on the hit Channel 4 property series is one of the enduring partnerships in modern factual entertainment. The pair spark off one another – they even quarrel like a married couple; her co-host occasionally disagreeing on the appeal of a suburban two-up two-down with a leaky roof. A big fan of handmade crafts and DIY decor, Kirstie’s shows have included Homemade Home and Handmade Britain. One of her particular nuggets for those people who are looking to freshen up their homes without breaking the bank and spending out on new furniture is upcycling. “The concept of upcycling has been around for yonks, but it has been given a fancy name, rebranded, and made to look cool recently. It’s all a reaction to people having to tighten the purse strings, and while the circumstances behind that aren’t anything to be pleased about, it’s great to see people revamping, repainting

and reenergising old furniture. “I’ve never liked wastage and often have a real sentimental attraction to possessions and even people sometimes,” she laughs, “so upcycling is a perfect route for reinvention that ensure we’re not just binning off old things that once were useful or cherished.” Indeed, Kirstie, who looks forward to reviving her Handmade Festival in 2022 after a Covid-interrupted two years away, admits she treads a ﬁne line between upcycling and buying new. “I think there is so much value out there that sometimes you can get a new chest of drawers or wardrobe for the equivalent price of an extensive repolish. Yet there’s nothing to stop you buying new things and still giving them your own personal touch, and a lot of that comes from ideas and inspiration. And I must say, for all its faults, the internet has been just fantastic for that, so log on and get inspired!”

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The Adventures of Daichi

The Modern Magazines Camper Van Daichi is delighted to have bought an Ice-cream parlour! Seriously we did not see this on the cards. Here we are in Weymouth with a wonderful sea view, a holiday flat we rent out on the first floor, with equally magnificent views, and an American style parlour we have renovated. Fuchsia pink benchlike diner seats, American juke box, delicious waffles, sundaes, milk shakes, thick shakes, ice-cream, cornets, organic coffee, cake and deluxe hot chocolate. What more could you want from a beach front location? It has been an exciting if nerve racking experience. With no previous knowledge or skill in this area, taking on a new challenge is both exhilarating and all consuming. Fortunately, we have Emma working with us who has done this before and she has developed the mouthwatering menus and has been able to train Hayden into a connoisseur (well not quite yet…) of what makes an inviting and tasty sweet treat. Daichi of course loves the seaside. His image of swimming with dolphins and diving through white capped waves is what

Proud Biker Grandfather feels 20 again! 32

Beautiful view... and amazing waffles! this is all about. There are indeed dolphins in Weymouth Bay, but we have yet to see one. There is time yet… Apart from living the beach life and all that excitement entails, what is also good is that we now understand ‘Retail’ and ‘Hospitality’ so much more. The joys of customers coming in and liking what you sell cannot be underestimated. One biker gentleman, who tells me he will definitely be back with his biker friends (and with parking right in front of us for bikes - it could not be easier), came in with his grandson. It was a total delight to serve him his Banana Splitz and a Knickerbocker Glory for the young boy. To then be told, with a huge, delighted grin, that he felt 20 again was just the icing on the cake! Or should I say the whippy ice-cream on the top? Two couples staying in a local hotel came back for more the second day and devoured our delectable apple pie waffle as well as succulent strawberry sundae. There were smiles all round. Dog friendly as we are, it is a delight to see the four-legged friends come

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bouncing in with their very happy owners and be given a well-deserved doggie ice-cream as well as a dog biscuit. The Marshfield Ice-cream for dogs is actually good for them! That was a revelation for me. So, meeting and greeting puppies, mature dogs, middle aged dogs as well as two legged very young, old and middleaged holiday makers is fun to say the least! You can see their cheery, beaming faces on our Facebook page @WaffliciousWeymouth. Serving all of them has been a sheer delight! Then there are those days when it pours with rain, there are storms, sand blown in everywhere… and no-one on the beach! Yikes that is totally different. We shut the door, kept the “closed” sign out and were pretty miserable. That is a seasonal business for you, and it takes some getting used to. The veterans around here, those that have had holiday businesses for some time, don’t bat an eyelid. They know the score, they are completely calm. That was not me or Daichi! Oh no, time to panic, worry and wonder what on earth have we done? Sat watching palm trees swaying in the gusts of flying air, sand springing energetically in the air, the very few people we did see, fighting to walk, the white topped waves desperately pushing against

Takeaway Bubble Waffle!

It is ‘my’ Scoops treat! the ongoing wind looking like scared people running away from a ghost. It was quite exciting really and I am smiling while writing this, so please don’t be too alarmed on my part. It is part of life’s learning - and patience is a virtue… so I have been told! The people will be back, the jumping puppies will return, the appreciative and wideeyed children will come bounding in, the sun will once again shine and the world, at least here in Weymouth and along our amazing south coast, will once again be vibrant and highspirited. We are so looking forward to a busy, and electrifying summer, as John Travolta sings to his hearts content on our wonderful juke box which I absolutely love! With Easter just around the corner, I am told it all starts with a vengeance! We await with sheer pleasure, to be able to serve you. Daichi has certainly not had far to travel recently as it is all too exciting at home! He would love you to come in and say “Hello” and perhaps sample one his new delights. Mention the magazine and his name and you will receive a free whippy ice-cream! I wonder what he will do and where he may go next month? Let’s see… By Debbie Corney

Takeaway Bubble Waffle!

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Andover BID:

Kate joins the BID Board of Directors Andover BID is excited to announce newly appointed member Kate Griffin from Andover’s Gin Palace, to the Board of Directors for the BID. The Andover BID board has grown from strength to strength, with Kate, our newest member, joining the wealth of knowledge and wisdom drawn from the business community in Andover. The volunteer board members are sector representative of the levy-paying Town centre businesses. When a vacancy occurs, any levypaying business may apply to join the board and an appointment is made to complement the make-up of the board. Kate Griffin has been on a business journey with her very popular Wessex Gin for the past 5 years, last year Kate was carefully selected to join the InAndover Shared Shop, a premises provided and supported by the Andover BID and TVBC to support businesses looking to have a high street presence and ‘test the waters’ within the incubator unit with the full support and backing of Andover BID. Kate loves what the Andover BID brings to Andover Town and after experiencing their support first hand, she decided to join the team, and become a member of the board of directors, being able to offer her support and knowledge first hand to 34

the rest of the board and offering support to other businesses who, like Kate may be looking to grow a business and become established within the town centre. After spending some time in the InAndover Shared Shop, a strong and close business relationship with Tim from The Andover Tap formed, and this presented the opportunity for not just a great business relationship to form, but also a great business partnership and a successful collaboration, 1 year later and Kate and Tim now share their very own venue in town, previously known as The Lamb Inn, this is now home to Kate’s Gin Palace and The Andover Tap bar under the same roof. The perfect match to complement each other’s business, their values and ethos to support their local community.

Steve Godwin, Andover BID manager shares: “We are so pleased that Kate is joining our experienced voluntary board drawn from the town centre business community. I have personally been impressed with Kate’s work ethic, her enthusiasm for developing her business and her love of her hometown; this is indeed good news for the BID and for the Andover business community.”

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Why are prisms prescribed in glasses? Seeing people or things as single objects is something we assume as normal, but a change in parts of the vision system can lead to double vision.

Prisms in glasses are used to primarily correct Diplopia, commonly known as double vision. Recently, prisms have also been used to help people with hemianopia – a condition that causes blindness in half of the visual field in both eyes. This condition is common to those who have suffered brain injuries, and stroke victims. Diplopia is perceived when the image one eye sees is not in line with what the other is seeing, thus creating an impression of two images instead of one. If there is a weakness in the muscles that move the eyes, this can result in misalignment of the images produced on the retina of each eye, leading to double vision because the brain is unable to fuse the disparate images. If glasses have a prism lens, it will trick the brain into thinking that the eyes are working together, by shifting what

you see slightly to align it with the other eye. Normally glasses only correct two types of eye conditions: focal distance (near or farsightedness) or an unusual curving of the cornea, such as astigmatism.

Prisms have a thinner apex and thicker base.This is to enable light rays to bend and slow. The angle, or index, of refraction that the light bends at will depend on the shape and thickness of the prism. Sometimes the prism is not worked into the lens but a clear sheet of prisms is stuck to the surface of the lens. This is known as a Fresnel and is used where extra strong prisms are needed that would be too thick and heavy if incorporated into the main lens. Many health conditions such as Diabetes, High blood pressure, thyroid issues and cataracts can cause double vision too. So it is important you get it checked out as soon as possible by a qualified optician.

RINGLANDS OPTICS Qualified Spectacle Dispensing

Debra J Watts f.b.d.o.

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Money on my mind... the Martin Lewis column He’s the UK’s leading money saving expert - a journalist and presenter who has kept millions of pounds in people’s pockets as well as lifting the lid on the threats and dangers we need to be aware of as consumers. In this month’s column, Martin Lewis looks at budgeting. Here’s an uncomfortable fact for you - many people are appalling ‘budgeters’. We all know what we earn, but we don’t know what we spend, and you cannot balance the see-sawing budget without being clear on both. The biggest problem that people have is they look across the month at what they typically pay for things. So, they’ll look at their food bills, their utilities, their mortgage, car lease and all those things, and that’s all good and well. But you know what, the average family in the UK spends £600 on Christmas, which is £50 a month. They buy a new sofa every three or four

years for maybe £1,000. They buy a television that is £300. They go on holiday, and so on. The fact is, rarely are these costs factored into monthly spend, but they should be. We need to break down those big amounts into a monthly cost, across the whole year, and add that to our monthly ﬁgures. I have a tool called the ‘Budget Planner’ which is free to use on my website – have a look. Ultimately, the way I suggest people manage their money is by using a system I call ‘Piggybanking’. It involves moving things into hypothetical ‘accounts’. So, let’s say you have your ‘Standard Bills’ account, which is all the regular bills you need to pay each month; you have your ‘Holidays’ account - you know you spend £1,000 a year on a holiday and that’s about £85 a month. You have

your ‘Christmas’ account and you have your ‘Big One-offs’ account. Those are examples, but use whatever is personal to you. Each month when you get paid, you siphon the right amount of money into the Bills account, you put the right amount of money into the Holidays account, the right amount of money into the Christmas account, and so on. So your Holidays account will categorically confirm to you that you have, say, £512 to spend. If you’re spending more, you cannot afford it, so you have to cut your cloth accordingly. Many people swear by this technique, lots of people swear at it too, but it truly works! In the current climate, we can’t compensate for what’s around the corner, but being equipped to confront it will make you feel good about your finances, your life, and your prospects of overcoming that financial bump in the road.

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Input Joinery - Portrait ad 2015 - outlined.indd 1

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04/11/2015 09:18

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Fancy a break? A selection of locations to choose from...

Seaviews Weymouth - Spacious one bedroom apartment on Weymouth Esplanade with stunning views across the bay - airbnb.com/h/seaviewsweymouth

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Waterfront @ Rockley - Cozy and relaxing waterfront two bedroom park home with uninterrupted views across Poole Harbour airbnb.com/h/rockleywaterfront

Theta Glade - Homely, quiet, semi-rural location near forest. Three/four bedroom property with spacious lounge/dining room and large garden to rear - airbnb.com/h/thetaglade

For more information about any of these locations, please visit their respective web pages or give Stephen a call on

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Vets Column: Chocolate poisoning in dogs With Easter coming up we will all have a few chocolate eggs within easy dog reach, and sometimes our pets take advantage of this and eat things that they shouldn’t! For dogs, chocolate can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. In this article we will talk about why chocolate is so bad for dogs, and what you should do if your dog manages to get hold of it, but please remember the best thing to do is keep it well out of your dog’s reach! Why is chocolate toxic to dogs and what happens? Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical which dogs can’t metabolize as well as humans can. If dogs eat chocolate then theobromine can build up and cause problems. Dogs with chocolate poisoning often show signs of: • Vomiting and diarrhoea • increased thirst and excessive urination • panting or restlessness and hyperactivity • A fast heart rate. In severe cases chocolate can cause muscle tremors, seizures and even heart failure and death. How much chocolate is toxic? The amount of toxic theobromine depends on the type of chocolate. Dark or baking chocolate contains a lot more than normal milk chocolate, and white chocolate contains very little (but still doesn’t make a good treat for dogs with all that fat and sugar!). Items such as chocolate cake which contain a lot of cocoa powder can also be toxic. The size of the dog affects how much chocolate they can eat without serious risks to their health. What should I do if my dog eats chocolate? If your dog is displaying any of the symptoms listed above then call your vet straight away. Make sure you know how to contact your vet outside normal opening times. All vets provide 24/7 cover but it may not be at your usual practice. It is better to check early rather than in an emergency situation! If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten

chocolate but they aren’t showing any signs then call the Animal Poisons Line on 01202 509000. This is a 24 hour service provided by specialists, who will ask you questions about how big your dog is and what kind of chocolate they have eaten, and be able to work out if they have eaten a dangerous amount and need to go to the vets or if you can save yourself a trip! There is a cost and this will vary depending on time called. If you go to see your vet shortly after your dog eats chocolate, they will most likely give your dog an injection to make them vomit and may give them some activated charcoal to prevent any toxins from being absorbed. Be warned, this can all be a messy process! If your dog is showing signs of toxicity, has eaten a very large amount or it is too late to make them vomit then your vet may wish to hospitalise your pet for further treatment and monitoring. They can try to help control symptoms such as seizures and a fast and/or abnormal heart rate with medication, and give your pet fluids to reduce the risk of permanent kidney damage. At the point where your dog is showing these types of symptoms they are seriously ill and will need intensive treatment to help them to recover. Severe chocolate poisoning can be fatal, particularly in dogs with other health conditions. Overall, chocolate poisoning in dogs is not only very dangerous for your pet, and very upsetting for you, but likely to be expensive as well, so please remember to prevent it by keeping chocolate and other goodies somewhere safe where your dog can’t reach them!

John Chitty

BVetMed CertZooMed MRCVS

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www.antonvets.co.uk

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Full supervision for hospitalised patients Unit 11 Anton Business Park Anton Mill Road Hampshire SP10 2NJ @antonvets search ‘Anton Vets’ 24 hour emergency care

Puzzle Page Answers Quick Crossword Solution #014 Answers: Across: 1. Paralympic, 8. Assassin, 9. Tuba, 10. Earn, 11. Memoirs, 13. Demoralises, 15. Scatter, 17. Brew, 20. Melt, 21. Turmeric, 22. Simplicity. Down: 2. Anagram, 3. Also, 4. Yonderly, 5. Patio, 6. Cyborgs, 7. Isle, 12. Oriental, 13. Duchess, 14. Serpent, 16. Totem, 18. Wait, 19. Croc.

Egg Head answers

1) Sunday 2) Judas 3) 30 pieces of silver 4) Germany 5) Lily

6) Red 7) Palm Sunday 8) 90 million 9) Chile 10) New life and rebirth

Vi s i tourWor k s hopat : Uni t1A,ManorNur ser y ,St ockbr i dgeRd, Ti msbur y ,Hampshi r e,SO510NB

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Rachel Khoo Chocolate Bark Introduction Making your own chocolate bark couldn’t be simpler. Great for a snack, after-dinner chocolates or the perfect edible gift, and it will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Method 1. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of ‘just simmering’ water, but don’t let the bowl touch the water. Stir occasionally until melted. 2. Line a tray with baking paper and pour the chocolate on to it, then spread with a spatula or palette knife into a rectangle about 18x22cm and around

0.5cm thick. 3. Immediately sprinkle the seeds, pistachios and cranberries evenly over the top. 4. Transfer to the fridge to set for at least one hour. Once set, break the bark up into jagged pieces.

Ingredients (serves 4) • 200g dark chocolate (70%) broken into pieces • 15g mixed seeds (e.g. sunﬂower, pumpkin and sesame) • 15g pistachio kernels • 20g dried cranberries

Top Tip The toppings you can use for this are endless. I usually see what I have left over in my cupboard – from dried apricots, ﬁgs or freeze-dried fruit (great for colour), to hazelnuts, pecans and sugar sprinkles.

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A5 landscape advert_Layout 1 20/04/2018 15:15 Page 1

Family Owned Funeral Directors Serving Romsey and district for over 100 years, and through three generations of the Peace family

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Greenfingers… the Alan Titchmarsh column He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh talks about the advent of spring, and how our gardens are beginning to open back up again. There is something about spring that just feels like the world is alive and fertile and rich again. You can usually sense it on a particular day – that day when you can smell the season has arrived; when you see those first shoots breaking on an apple tree branch or a hawthorn hedge.

Where the garden is concerned, there are a few basics to look on and check you need to remind yourself of your plot in terms of sunshine and shade, and its capabilities. Remember, poor soil isn’t a barrier - you can grow all kind of things in tubs and pots and troughs. And just because what you have may be small, it doesn’t mean it’s hard to find things to grow in it. It’s easy to grow salads in a small space, or tomatoes in summer. Even dwarf fruit in large pots. No, you won’t be self-sufficient, but you know that you grew it.

It’s like all those months of dampness, coldness and struggle have just flitted away on the breeze – the world feels like a different place. And as a gardener you always have a little moment in February when you think maybe this year it won’t happen, but it always does, and I love it when the first green haze comes across the horizon. Of course, that’s the signal to formulate plans and consider the things you want your garden to represent this year, and that’s very exciting. A big part of that is anticipation, which is an underrated commodity. People want everything instantly now because they are able to go into a supermarket and have what they want, when they want it. I quite like looking forward in life, I enjoy anticipation because, of course, when it does happen, it’s that much more enjoyable.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the first sight of asparagus in April. And from this point forward, there will be something new poking its head out every few weeks – the garden is like a theatre production playing out in front of you as things gradually come into their natural season… from winter snowdrops through to daffodils, then tulips, summer strawberries into autumn raspberries. It’s all there in front of you, so make the most of your garden this year by planning for each month now.

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Advertisers Index

Your quick guide to everyone and everything in your Gazette... Appliance Repairs

Funeral Directors

Opticians

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... T.A.Spacagna 17 ................................................................................................................................................................ AH Cheater & Sons 43 .......................................................................................... Ringlands Optics 35

Bathrooms

Garage Doors

Pest Control Services

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... AHM Installations Ltd 31 ................................................................................................................................................................ Fix My Garage Door 45 .......................................................................................... Pest Control Test Valley 43 ................................................................................................................................................................ Skandoor 9

Blinds, Curtains & Shutters

Pet Services

Garage Services Andres Blinds & Signs ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 .......................................................................................... Anton Vets 41 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Winchester Blinds & Shutters 31 ................................................................................................................................................................ Premier Car Care 38 ................................................................................................................................................................ ReversePark 21 ................................................................................................................................................................ Scratched Cars 41 Plumbers ................................................................................................................................................................ Test Valley Car Breakers 38 Builders .......................................................................................... DJ Harris 38 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... JS Building Services 16 .......................................................................................... Humphrey & Crockett 48 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Paul Jones & Co 45 .......................................................................................... NO.1 PHD 2 Garden Services ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... SB Renovations 25 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Willmont Building Services 38 ................................................................................................................................................................ Andover Patio Centre 17 ................................................................................................................................................................ ATH Machinery 15 Roofing Services ................................................................................................................................................................ Hillier Landscapes 19 .......................................................................................... Work Smart Roofing 1,3 ................................................................................................................................................................ Romsey Stump Grinding & 16 Carpenters Landscaping ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Input Joinery 37 ................................................................................................................................................................ The Handyman & Garden Co Ltd 45 Serviced Offices

.......................................................................................... The Commercial Centre 38

Carpets & Flooring

Health Clinics

Taxi Services

.......................................................................................... Apex Cars 7

Charities

Hearing Services

Will Writing Services

.......................................................................................... Dorset & Wight Wills 29

Chimney Sweeps

Holiday Accommodation

Windows, Doors & Conservatories

Computer Services

.......................................................................................... Alpha Glazing Ltd 9 Memorial Stonemasons ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Widenet Computer Services Ltd 21 .......................................................................................... G S Windows Ltd 5 ................................................................................................................................................................ Lockerley Stone 41

.......................................................................................... KJM 1 ................................................................................................................................................................ M.J.Sly Monumental Sculptor 45 .......................................................................................... Outlook Window Systems Ltd 47

Drainage Services

Services

A to B Mobility ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 ................................................................................................................................................................ DF Mobility 17 ................................................................................................................................................................ Inspire Mobility 38 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Peak Electrics 45 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... RG Electrix 7 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Romsey Electrical Services 21

Electricians

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THE TEST VALLEY Gazette • www.modernmagazines.co.uk