My Winchester Gazette - November 2022

Dear Residents,

We are very excited about our new project to be as eco-friendly as possible. The new paper we are using is definitely a step in that direction. We also have lots of articles this month that align with our view of helping the planet ‘one page at a time’. If you have any ideas locally, or know of a business that is doing all it can to stay environmentally safe, please let them know of us, as we can help spread the word. Let’s keep our planet clean and healthy.

This is in fact the November issue and I for one am so surprised how the time is flying by! I wonder if that is to do with my age? Quite likely! Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? … I cannot say I am as I write this, but that could change at any moment. Maybe a spot of Christmas shopping will do it? Well, it is a good excuse anyway. Stephen and I did manage a few days away last month and you can read all about it inside. It is good to take some time out that is for sure. We do wish you a very happy November and hope you have good plans to spend time with family and friends for the holiday season coming up. Oh yes and please use the advertisers inside to help with anything you need. As ever, if you have any data to pass on to me, I am happy to talk or receive an email.

Wishing you all the very best, Debbie, Stephen & Daichi

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Mayor at the start line for charity fun run

The Mayor of Test Valley, Councillor Alan Dowden was at the start line for the Boaz Fun Run at Hill Farm near Sutton Scotney, last mont. The event was a chance for people to get together, enjoy the sunshine and raise money for the Boaz Project, which is an inclusive, farm-based charity set up to provide a brighter future for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Participants took part in 2k, 5k and 10k fun runs, all dressed as a range of colourful characters, from donkeys to a flock of chickens and an archbishop. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities enjoyed the spectacular Test Valley countryside views out on the trails and received wooden eco-medals at the finish line.

Mayor of Test Valley, councillor Alan Dowden, said: “It was a great day

with lots of support from groups and individuals. The weather was perfect and as well as starting off the races, I also enjoyed welcoming in the finishers.

“The Boaz Project is a wonderful place and I can see why those who live with learning difficulties enjoy helping out there.”

The Boaz project has a 4.5-acre smallholding run on organic principles, producing high quality fruit, vegetables and flowers. Members work alongside volunteers and staff growing plants and taking care of the animals, including sheep, donkeys, guinea pigs and a flock of 120 free range egg-laying hens.

We all know that we need to do our bit to help save our planet, whether that might be changing our diet, reducing electricity usage or using eco-friendly alternatives. Products that are ecofriendly are products that do not harm to the environment.

Eco-friendly products are usually turned down by buyers because of their higher costs. Making a product for pro ts with no care for the environment allows large corporate companies to sell their products at a cheaper price while creating all kinds of damage to our planet. However, many of the cheaper products we buy from corporate businesses are designed to be less sustainable and durable, making us purchase them again and again. Eco-friendly products although pricier initially do not just help our planet but also tend to be more durable. is means that, in the long-term, choosing a more sustainable product can save you money.

Debbie Goes Green: Project Planet

In contribution to save our planet and give consumers an environmentally friendly alternative to household items, toiletries and many more, Debbie Goes Green began in 2019 designed to help local people nd better, and trusted eco-friendly products. Buying eco-friendly products is also safer for you as a consumer, other products are usually made with harmful chemicals. Bigger corporate companies usually use manufactures that use pesticides for cheaper costs, these chemicals can have a bad a ection your health. Eco-friendly products are made organically and manufacturers rarely use harmful chemicals. Debbie Goes Green is a business that makes it easy for you to nd eco-friendly products without having to spend hours researching and spending a fortune. e products on the website are all against animal testing. Use sustainable alternatives and help save our planet. To nd out more, take a look at the website at: debbiegoesgreen.uk Or email: hello@debbiegoesgreen.uk

By Amelia Hartley-Baker

Game for a laugh?

How luck and laughter have kept comedian, novelist and actress Jenny Eclair at the top of her game as she soars into her seventh decade.

You’ll often hear pop stars, entertainers and comedians complaining about life on the road – the travelling, the hotels, the constant and aching repetition of each live show… but not Jenny Eclair.

The husky-voiced fashionfervent 62-year-old doesn’t buy into all that. To her, touring is a chance to meet new people and see new sights – in many respects, it’s a holiday… even if she can’t pinpoint on a map where her destinations are...

“The more I tour, the more grateful I am to be doing this,” she begins. “I do realise how lucky I am, to have people still turning up. That’s pretty special

for me, because there’s a lot of competition out there and it’s quite tough.

“It’s easy to moan about this and that, but you come to realise this is actually a dream job. I get to show off for 90 minutes on a nightly basis. That’s not bad!

“And I love the travelling,” she continues. “There are the places you know, and they are ones that you look forward to. Then there are the surprises: Aberdeen, so friendly; Fowey, in Cornwall, beautiful; and Telford… fantastic! On any normal day you’d think ‘Where the hell is Telford?! Well, I know now!

“The mentality is, ‘I might never be able to come to this place again, so why not do that river trip, why not have that cheesecake?!’ It’s just taking advantage of where you are more than just laying in a hotel room worrying about the gig.”

That Jenny views touring as a holiday

means audiences get the very best out of a comedian who is, ironically, most notably recognised for her sour-spoken rantings on Grumpy Old Women, Loose Women and more.

Her 2022 tour, entitled Sixty! (Ffs!) should have happened two years ago, but Covid saw to its delay. The sentiments are, however, all the same, even now she has ascended to the ripe old age of, well, 62.

“Stand-up is an interesting concept in itself. You’re never totally in control – making people laugh can be tough, after all, but when it goes well it’s like getting into a big bath every night – it’s comforting and it’s comfortable.

“Ultimately, I love feelgood comedy – for me, it’s about performing to women of a certain age… an audience who are experiencing a lot of similar things; but good comedy should be about anything that makes us smile. I think we all need a dose of that right now!”

The Greenest Countries on Earth

The top eight countries doing their bit for the planet.

While environmental groups and politicians may make us believe we, here in the UK, are the scourge of the planet’s health, recent research by Oxford University has shown us to be one of the greenest countries on Earth.

Of course, more can always be done, always, but in the meantime, here are the planet’s top eight eco-conscious countries.

1. Switzerland

The most environmentally friendly and greenest country in the world, Switzerland, achieves its status in the way it has led on hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind turbines and geothermal.

2. France

In their 2019 Energy and Climate Act, France gave themselves an ambitious aim of net zero emissions by 2050. In addition, they made it illegal for supermarkets to discard good quality, unsold produce, and they score particularly well on low air pollution as well.

3. Denmark

With half of the electricity on Danish shores provided by solar and wind power and a very efficient policy on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), Denmark’s rating is boosted by extremely good air quality and rich biodiversity.

4. Malta

Biodiversity is also a big win for Malta, while water is as clean in the country as anywhere on the planet, due to excellent sanitation and resources. The country is also helped by great agritourism - local people hosting in rural areas.

5. Sweden

Another Scandinavian country on the list, Sweden has low CO2 emissions, and their utilisation of renewable energy sources mean they aim to be running at 100% sustainability by 2045.

6. United Kingdom

The UK ranks extremely highly on the purity of drinking water and general sanitation levels.

In addition, while our countryside is revered the world over, our eco rating is boosted mostly by the 9,000 wind turbines scattered around the coastline, which allow for clean and sustainable energy.

7. Luxembourg

In 2005, the diminutive country set itself a target of lowering GHG emissions by more than half by 2030, with a goal of net zero by 2050. Scoring high for water and biodiversity and habitat, Luxembourg is succeeding.

8. Austria

With 40% of the country’s money set aside for green projects and 19% of agricultural land now organically farmed, Austria is doing well in the environmental stakes. In fact, that latter figure puts them top of the EU charts.

Leading countries from other continents

Oceania

New Zealand, 17th Asia

Japan, 20th North America Canada, 25th South America Trinidad and Tobago, 35th Africa

Morocco, 54th

Green ngers… the Alan Titchmarsh column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and allround horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the next generation of green-fingered gardeners.

You’ll find me talking quite a bit about the new breed of gardener coming through. For me, it’s a natural evolution that presents to me two different things – firstly, the art of gardening is much more interesting and much cooler than it ever was in my day; and secondly, it seems as though I am becoming more and more aware of my own mortality!

Percy Thrower was the one who inspired me most when I was a kid. I watched him on Gardening Club on the box, and as the years have gone by, I have been lucky enough to work with a number of the horticultural greats. Christopher Lloyd was a friend, Beth Chatto is a friend who I really value

and whose work I really admire.

After a while you realise you have progressed from the student to the teacher, and I’ve always been very proud

We need to show people that it isn’t difficult or boring, that is it is exciting, and that most of it is just common sense.

to be that person. Ultimately, I want to inspire everybody to get into the garden, because I think there are so many benefits.

When I am presenting, I never have a set section of society or type of person in mind. I guess, in a way, I am presenting to myself - I want anybody and everybody to start thinking about getting into the garden.

And I do admit, the likes of James Swift, James Wong, Annemarie Powell, Katie Rushworth and Frances Tophill all have a knack of conversing to young audiences that I probably don’t have… and that’s great.

I

We have to keep evolving what we say and who we want to position it to, because as I have said before there are so many other distractions for young people these days.

I want to see our gardens and our outside spaces continue to flourish over the decades to come, despite the noise and appeal of doing other things elsewhere; and you know what, I’m sure they will.

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.

The Adventures of Daichi

The Modern Magazines Camper Van

Sometimes we have to change plans and apparently ‘make do’ with less than we originally wanted. Life is like that, let’s face it. Last month was an example of that, but we had a great time despite the grandiose plans taking a back step. You see it was our 25th Wedding Anniversary at the end of September. The plan had been to go on a cruise, sailing around Alaska, or some exotic location. However, we had moved house less than a year ago and with it came a brand new business, we now call “Wafflicious” on the Esplanade in Weymouth, that we had had no prior experience with at all. Fitting in a cruise both financially and time-wise was just not on this new agenda. So where did we go…? Lyme Regis! There were less whales and no black bears (fortunately you may say) but we had a wonderful time. We chose a hideaway just north of Lyme Regis, set in lush trees with a hot tub and sauna. Perfect. Daichi pootled his way there all smiles, ready for a relaxing getaway. We stopped off at a farm shop for a delightful full English breakfast en route, which is when I really knew we had actually managed to ‘escape’ for a few

The first day... it rained!

days. On arriving in Lyme Regis, one of my other favourite coastal towns here on the Jurassic Coast, the wind was blowing, the rain was pouring and by all accounts this was set in for the whole time we would be there. Oh dear. I just decided that whatever the weather, we would have a good time. Afterall there was a warm sauna awaiting us, and I had a good book with me too!

That all miraculously changed! The next day was glorious. Really. We walked along the front with glistening blue sea, swimmers and people in bathing suits, walking alongside ladies and gents in coats and boots! Only in England could this happen. We had lunch overlooking the bay with Portland in the distance. The Cobb majestically positioned, that famous harbour wall where “Persuasion” by Jane Austen and “The French Lieutenants Woman” were filmed some time ago. That must have been exciting to watch in the making. Walking slowly along the promenade we continued all the way to the “Ammonite Pavement” at Lyme Regis Undercliffs. What a find! There are fossils here that are huge, just lying around

bathing in the sun… and hundreds of them! All along this stretch of the coast you can see ammonites everywhere. It is so impressive. You really can feel the sense of history, a time well before us and envisage colossal dinosaurs towering above you. I loved it. Sitting on a rock lazily gazing out to sea, watching others anticipating their historic finds, seeing that actually the world is not as the press make it all out to be, was very rewarding. The passing of time and how things used to be, somehow has a calming effect I feel. For our younger readers this may not yet be so real. Live life now is also my motto!

That evening we had to try the jacuzzi of course and watch the thousands of stars above us. Incredible. Just on a practical note, as I have shivered at the thought of these Jacuzzis in Iceland and very cold climates, but they really are very warm, and keep you warm! It was delightful. The stars were utterly inspiring that evening and this turned out to be another thought-provoking occasion. Now, I was wondering who else was ‘out there’, how far is it really to these twinkling stars, planets and ‘other places’? The distance is remarkable and somehow (once again) made me realize that whatever we have going on, there is always a much bigger picture, a much

Well deserved cup of tea at River Cottage

bigger meaning. Amazingly both Stephen and I saw a shooting star! It was all very magical, sitting in a hot tub in October surrounded by trees. It absolutely made up for a lack of cruise and an apparently more luxurious destination. Life is what we make it.

River Cottage, the now famous Farmhouse with cookery and chef’s courses, was also on the menu. Their headquarters was literally a walk through the woods, some 20 minutes away. We strolled through the undergrowth and had a wonderful cup of tea and cake looking over the rolling English Countryside. Another totally unexpected and unpredicted beautiful day!

So, despite the apparent ‘loss’ of a romantic cruise, Stephen and I had the most relaxing and inspiring time. This was all of course on our doorstep. Daichi with his big white grin and skipping steps was able to take us. No airport delays or worries of luggage, just a good old English getaway, with a few extra trimmings. We hope you are making the most of the beautiful country we live in. It is never very far to the coast, or the countryside to get some space and recharge those batteries. Where will Daichi take us next… I wonder?

By Debbie Corney

The jacuzzi and sauna in the garden

A Design for Life… e 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 returns to the subject of truly making our home into a home.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to get on the property ladder. We are living through an incredible ‘cost of living’ crisis, and that throws the whole housing market into disarray. Should people buy now in fear of things getting even worse? Should they look to rent and wait for things to calm down? Or perhaps if the bubble is going to burst, should they sell up, keep their money to one side and buy something when the property sector crashes?

Through all the worry and uncertainty there is always the

factor of making wherever we do live as happily and as homely as possible.

I feel that sometimes we are so keen to move, so keen to head on to the next place, that we lose sight of the day-to-day joy, satisfaction, security and homeliness of our spaces, and really these things are worth more than any amount of money in the bank.

I have always thought that, right back to the first house I ever bought - an old two up, two down in East Dulwich in London. It was small and not worth a lot, but it meant and still does mean an awful lot to me. It was where I started out, and I look back with huge fondness.

So this is why, when we have so much worry and concern

over the way the market is going – and let’s be honest, for several years now it’s only been going in one direction – we can sometimes lose sight of the contentment and happiness that a property brings us. Perhaps it’s the garden, or the cellar, or just the hour or two you get to sit in the front room and relax on an evening.

My point is we are always trying to move on and aspire to the next thing, when in reality so much of what we should do is about sitting still, looking around, being in the moment and saying to ourselves, ‘you know, this is okay – in this moment, I am happy’.

Make the most of your home’s best features, because adding value isn’t always about money and it never has been. Wherever you find yourself, just enjoy your time there.

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 the current energy crisis, and the fact no real solution appears close.

Our energy sector is in a mess, and there is little doubt about that. For too long we have experienced this continual up and down shift of prices and supply and tari s and everything else that, as consumers, drives us bonkers.

The reality of what we have and what’s going on right now has been brewing for a long time. A perfect storm of situations, from Brexit to covid to the conflict in Russia, e ectively means we are being throttled in our desire to heat and light our homes, ensure water comes through our taps and more.

You may say we have been unlucky to find these factors all colliding in together at one time, yet it is the job of the government – and any sort of decent opposition – to put fail safes in place so that when something

catastrophic result

It’s a disastrous combination and we are

praying for short- and medium-term solutions that will see not just the most vulnerable through the winter, but everyone else besides, because this is a national problem coming at a time of huge inflation and cost of living emergency.

Let’s just go to a basic summary of what we have here – in the UK we’re talking about having privatised energy firms, but we e ectively now have restricted competition and regulated prices in the form of a price cap. You have to ask yourself, what is the benefit of privatisation if you work in that marketplace?

The next price caps – they’re going to be in January and April – will reveal where we go from here.

All I can say right now is energy bills will go down – they will be lower in April than they will be in January, but higher than they are now.

And while we wait for a solution, we will need to ride this out – we have no choice. Yet rest assured the consumer has been sold down the river and the lessons of this will resonate with both current and future governments, as they should.

catastrophic like this happens, the end result isn’t the sort of bewildering increase in bills that really may move a greater quantity of people into poverty than we have ever seen before.

The waiting is almost over for the biggest festival of football to begin as the FIFA World Cup breaks new ground with its foray into the Middle East. Qatar is set to host what will be the 22nd edition of the sport’s most famous event, as a planet of football fanatics hold their breath.

This winter, hosts Qatar will kick-off the World Cup in the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday 20th November against Ecuador, hoping not to join South Africa as the only host nation not to advance from their group. Senegal and Netherlands complete Group A.

Group B sees England and Wales, alongside USA and Iran; while Group C contains twotime winners Argentina, as well as Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland.

In Group D, it’s defending world champions France paired with Australia, Denmark and Tunisia.

The might of Spain and Germany will clash in Group E, with Japan and Costa Rica seemingly fighting for third place.

Former World number one ranked Belgium are in with

The Teams, The Groups, The Venues, The Coverage show

2018 runners-up Croatia, as Canada and Morocco sit alongside, in Group F.

Record five-time winners Brazil play Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in Group G, whilst the first-round stage is completed by Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea in a tough looking Group H.

The 64 tournament matches will be played over 28 days and in eight different venues, as the sides battle it out to face off in the World Cup final, to be held at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which is about 20km from the capital of Doha.

In the UK, free-toair channels BBC and ITV share the rights to screen every single match, and both will show the final in full. Globally, the viewing figures

for Russia 2018 were record-breaking, as over half of the world watched at least one minute of coverage. With the Middle East only a few hours ahead of the UK, the majority of matches will kick off in daytime hours. After Qatar’s opener on the Friday evening, there will be four matches a day throughout the group stage from 11am to 8pm start times (GMT).

There will no break between the group and knockout stages. The first hiatus in action will come in the days before the quarter-finals on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th; the semifinals take place on the 13th and 14th, and the third-place playoff is on Saturday 17th December.

The showpiece final, and the crowning of the Qatar 2022 World Cup winners, kicks off at 3pm on Sunday 18th December.

Hold onto your hats –it’s going to be quite a ride!

Answers:

Across: 1. Avion, 4. Delight, 8. Elastic, 9. Clour, 10. Rough, 11. Inertia, 12. Kidnap, 14. Endure, 17. Lucigen, 19. Masks, 21. Junta, 22. Lottery, 23. Yanking, 24. Forgo.

1. Afear, 2. Iracund, 3. Natch, 4. Deceit, 5. Lectern, 6. Gloat, 7. Tartare, 12. Killjoy, 13. Afghani, 15. Upspear, 16. Analog, 18. Canon, 19. Motif, 20. Stylo.

1. Trick Question: Nepal/China (Mt Everest straddles the border)

Madagascar

5. Mongolia (could also be Northern China)

Vatican City

India 8. South Africa