Winchester Gazette - January 2021

SCAN ME

Community Magazines

Winchester LOCAL DIRECTORY COMMUNITY NEWS REGULAR FEATURES

JAN

2021

In this issue

January

Edition of your local Winchester Gazette Community Magazine!

Here at Modern Magazines we sincerely hope you had a good Christmas and were able to meet with some family and friends. We will certainly remember these times and really appreciate it when we have less restrictions and are able to go out and about more freely again. Inside your local community magazine Daichi, the Dashing Dude family Campervan, looks back at 2020 with some fond memories, despite all the setbacks. We made the most of the times we did have and are now looking forward to some new and exciting places to visit in 2021! Do you have any plans? You cannot go wrong with a good old British ‘staycation’ - no matter the weather.

Whilst it is still a bit chilly, why not sit by the fire and have a read of your local community magazine from cover to cover? There are things to do such as a wordsearch, a sudoku, a pub quiz and even a New Year’s Resolution’s page for you to fill in! There are also of course our wonderful local businesses and trades people. They really appreciate your calls.

2020 was a challenge let’s face it, so let’s make 2021 the year we help our local shops, trades and businesses thrive like never before! Here at Modern Magazines with your local Directory, we intend to do everything we can to help them. I know you are with me on this. I really appreciate all that you do to help keep our neighbourhood businesses alive.

We wish you a great 2021. May we move forward from this past year with new enthusiasm and a spirit of helping one another.

Very Best Wishes,

Debbie, Stephen and Tracey Debbie’s email: debbie@mlggazettes.co.uk Tracey’s mobile: 07500 592584 and email: tracey@mlggazettes.co.uk Emma’s email: emma@mlggazettes.co.uk

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St Swithun’s linguist ranked seventh worldwide

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Quirky Facts about Hampshire

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Exciting new future planned for Clanfield Centre

10 Pub Quiz 12 On your plot: Planning veg 14 Wordsearch 16 Sudoku 18 Monthly Walk: Crowdhill 20 New Year Resolutions Planner 22 The Adventures of Daichi 26 Wild Winter Larders 28 Puzzles Answers

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01264 316499 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.

MLG 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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St.Swithun’s linguist ranked seventh worldwide Twelve-year-old Chloe Johnson, a student at St Swithun’s school in Winchester, has finished seventh in the world at the annual Education Perfect Northern Championships.

Her remarkable score of 15,501 points also earned her a prestigious elite award. Overall, St Swithun’s came a very impressive second out of all schools in England who entered the competition, and fifteenth in the world.

The Education Perfect Northern Championships is a language learning competition where participants are awarded a point for every correct answer. The questions are from a large vocabulary list and from reading, writing, speaking or reading tasks. At St Swithun’s, the students compete against each other in class, learning their chosen languages whilst earning competition points.

St Swithun’s won a total of 28 awards in this year’s competition with its students cumulatively logging 482 hours answering language questions. Anne Steer, head of German at St Swithun’s, said “Education Perfect (EP) sends each teacher a detailed report, analysing how each student has performed in the learning of each list, and it gives us valuable feedback on what words students are finding difficult or not.

EP has been a huge motivator in the way our students now learn their modern foreign language vocabulary and we are very proud of their achievements in this competition.”

Speaking of her seventh place finish, Chloe said “I really enjoyed taking part in this year’s competition and am very pleased to have done so well. The languages I chose to study were German, French, Latin and Turkish and I also learnt some English grammar.”

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QUIRKY

BY MICA BALE

As the new year gets underway. Hampshire begins another chapter in a great line of historical moments and events. From the marriage location of Henry VIII himself to a castle whose prisoners staged theatre shows, here are five more interesting facts from around the county.

It does not take a historian to appreciate Hampshire’s impressive history, in fact throughout the county are many hidden gems that provide snapshots into this treasure trove of heritage. The Fox Pub in Bramdean is one such gem. Dating back more than four hundred years, the pub has witnessed arguably one of the most significant battles of the Civil War and amazingly, the Prince of Wales, later to be George IV, once visited this Hampshire inn for refreshments for himself and his companions. Even more remarkably, the future king even allowed the pub to display his coat of arms, which remains proudly on display in the inn today.

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Have you visited the Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum?

Believed to be the only Victorian steam-driven brickworks left in the UK, the brickworks date back to 1897 when the Ashby family saw the potential for a lucrative brick trade due to the rich supply of clay in Bursledon. Amazingly, just a few years later, in the early 20th century, more than twenty million bricks were being produced by this Hampshire enterprise! Through the years however, the brickworks saw less and less demand until 2015 when this slice of Hampshire’s industrial heritage was given a new lease of life as a museum open to the public.

Have you tried any of Hampshire’s own Gorilla Spirits? As well as producing a wide range of different spirits including gin, vodka, spiced rum and coffee liqueur, Gorilla Spirits, based in Upton Grey, also donates £1 from every bottle to the Gorilla Organisation which works to preserve endangered gorilla species for future generations. Founder Andy Daniel commented, “My vision for Gorilla Spirits Co. is to move with the market by creating a range of the highest quality spirits and liqueurs that people love to drink. Our commitment to donate £1 to the Gorilla Organization for every bottle that we sell lies at the heart of what we do but we look beyond this to find many other ways of making a positive contribution too”. That’s the ape-eal of Gorilla Spirits!

FOUR

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Marwell Zoo is home to more than one thousand animals, from zebras and giraffes to snow leopards and pygmy hippos.

Interestingly, as well as helping with vital conservation work, the site of the zoo is itself an historic area. Rumour has it that the Marwell Estate which dates back to the 14th century, was the actual site where King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour whose family then owned Marwell Hall.

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As one of the county’s greatest strongholds, Portchester Castle has been a beacon of fortitude since the times of the Romans and has played an important role in many fascinating eras of history. A large section of Portchester’s story includes acting as a gaol for various prisoners of war, most notably in the Napoleonic skirmishes, often holding thousands of foreign prisoners at a time. Amazingly, in 1810, Portchester was transformed into a theatre when French prisoners decided to amuse themselves by redecorating one of the castle’s many rooms and staging shows for fellow inmates and locals who would pay to see these shows!

Exciting New Future Planned for Clanfield Centre Plans are taking shape to breathe new life into Clanfield Sports and Community Centre with a re-opening at the beginning of April 2021. The Parish Council is pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached with local charity Community First to take over as the new operators of the centre.

The good news was shared at Clanfield Parish Council’s meeting on Tuesday evening of this week. New operators, Community First, will shortly be publishing a User Survey inviting residents’ views on a number of topics and outlining more information about their plans over the coming weeks including considering suggestions to rename the centre.

Commenting on this news, Parish Council Chairman, John Bannell, said: “Following the excellent news of a Covid vaccine, this is another positive message for residents as we look forward to a better year ahead.

“Our talks with Community First have been progressing very well and, behind the scenes, we have been getting the property ready for handover to them at the beginning of February, a couple of months ahead of the provisional opening date.

Everything is on track for that to happen.

working. We look forward to welcoming you all to the re-opened centre and would very much like your thoughts and views on what you would like to see at the centre. We’ll keep you all informed as our exciting reopening plans develop in the months ahead and will be reaching out to the community to further ask for your help and support with a number of volunteer roles.”

At Tuesday’s Meeting, Councillors also agreed that the Centre could continue to be offered, when required, to the Local Resilience Forum as a Covid Mobile Testing Unit until the handover to Community First takes place.

www.cfirst.org.uk www.clanfieldpc.org.uk

“I hope that as many people as possible will respond to the User Survey. It will be an excellent way for residents to express their views and it will be an enormous help to Community First and their team.”

Community First’s Chief Executive, Tim Houghton, added: “We are delighted to be working with Clanfield Parish Council and are excited by the opportunity to create and manage a vibrant hub on behalf of local residents. We would like to thank the Parish Council for their cooperation and considered approach to partnership

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?

1. Which famous English poet and novelist used the pen name Ellis Bell?

2. Over 99% of the world’s what comes from Hevea brasiliensis?

7. Before emptying into the Dead Sea, which sea does the River Jordan flow through?

8. How many types of chocolates would you find a box of Quality Street?

3. Which musical features the song ‘Memory’?

9. What is a mochachino?

10. Edward Teach is believed to be the real name of which famous pirate?

11. Can you name 2 American states consisting of only 4 letters in their name?

4. A work shift known as a ‘dog watch’ is related to which industry?

5. What does the German word ‘Meister’ mean?

6. Which famous Italian painted ‘The Last Supper’?

12. Which male artist performed ‘Somebody To Love’ at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in 1992?

13. Who invented blue jeans alongside Jacob Davis?

14. In which ocean was the Mary Celeste discovered?

15. Which Jessie J song begins ‘It seems like everybody’s got a price, I wonder how they sleep at night?'

Want to see how you did? Answers on Page 28 10

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Gardening Tips

On Your Plot Planning veg for the year ahead If you’re new to veggie growing then this is the ideal time to start planning for the year ahead. Think about what space you have available for your crops and plan what you would like to grow and where.

Jobs for January:-

• Plan your crops • Protect crops against the cold and from pests such as pigeons • Sew lettuces indoors • Start rhubarb crowns Gardening may be the last thing on your mind in the cold weather but this is the perfect time to plan what to grow and where this season.

It’s easy to get carried away when looking at catalogues or impressive displays of seed packets - but remember that it only makes sense to grow what you are likely to eat! If that still leaves you with a list that exceeds the space available then it may be wise to trim back on crops that take up a lot of space or are easily and cheaply available from local sources (potatoes perhaps?). Think about concentrating on plants that will crop quickly allowing the space to be used again. Remember also that you can use patio containers and grow bags to add extra growing space.

Once you have your list split your available space into 3 (or 4) areas and then group your crops together by family so that they can be rotated around the areas in a 3 or 4 year cycle.

Group the cabbage family together, then the onion family along with the pea and bean family, and finally potatoes, tomatoes and the carrot family.

This is a great time of year to seriously consider making some raised beds, if you don’t already have them. Make sure that they are not too wide for you to easily reach the middle from either side and that there is sufficient room

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for easy access all the way around. The deeper you can make them the better and higher beds will mean less bending when you are planting out seedlings, harvesting or weeding.

If you have large areas of bare soil, awaiting planting, then you may like to think about covering them with black plastic, or cardboard, to protect the soil against the harsh January weather. Crops still growing, such as purple sprouting broccoli, will benefit from protection against hungry pigeons - try covering with wire mesh, fleece, or some homemade bird scarers (try stringing up some old CD’s).

For those who are keen to get sowing, you can try a few lettuces. Start off on a bright, sunny windowsill, thinning down when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in frost free conditions such as a shed, or polytonal before finishing off under cloches. If you haven’t already planted shallots then it’s not too late to think about it, but don’t put them in when the ground is too wet or they may rot.

Start saving empty egg boxes ready to chit your seed potatoes before planting. Just pop them into the egg boxes, sprout end up in a cool but frost free place and wait for the shoots to appear. You’ll also find the boxes useful for starting tiny seedlings off in months to come as they grow they can be planted straight out with no disruption as the box will simply rot down.

And finally, if you have space, you may like to think about starting off some new rhubarb crowns towards the end of January.

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Telephone: 023 8065 2444 Email: winchester@caremark.co.uk

Website: www.caremark.co.uk/winchester-and-eastleigh Facebook - www.facebook.com/caremarkwinchestereastleigh/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/caremarkwinchester/ To advertise, please call 01264 316499 or email enquiries@mlggazettes.co.uk

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Winter Word Search Can you find all 20 words?

Hint: Horizontal, vertical, diagonal and backwards words makeup this winter word search.

C O L D A H E B D S N M X I C S S B U L L E W G

G A H M R K N S R T E K N A L B Z N G A X H A B

M R N M H C E H V A E G U N E R A O U A O R I B G T S C O G X P N C H N O C E W K V R I A I Y B

A H A G Z T D I B Y X G G A E Z E E R F M V F T

N D D R X T E F W O Q Z W R V O O N A F V A J Z

Y K A Y Y B B R O N E E X F R L I I Z O V N N L

I I N L I K V B N Q P T B O C C T I C I C L E V

Z K C B R S M O S R W S N O W F L A K E E C G E

E S S E A C H I B E R N A T E Y U K E T E A O A

F B C E I R J Q Y C M V U T D J B E F Y A G V N

V R A M V S G W H T F N U K O B J I G L M B C M E D T X E E Z L I Q I C K E J U S W K Z A N P L

L T R Y N U P L U H R Z P X Y I K A N W E Y L B

A A Y V R J N I Y D L H F E L D H Z N N A N B J

A R D C J K Q Z S R M A O K Q I A K K L T N P C

M H C L X G P Z S E V O L G N Z A W Z R E N I U

K P B T I B D A K S A L E T U M K O R W R S G O

L P I N I Y U R D R L S V N A B H X Y T I U F J

Y S N T N C G D H Z W E O I R O Q R B L D V D B

H V M E S I Z M M X M Q H N Z S C Z V Z G K S B

S M K M I O Z K K X T Q B I U V Q J I B Y R N R

Arctic • Blanket • Blizzard • Coat • Cold • Fire • Freeze • Frost Gloves • Heater • Hibernate • Ice • Icicle • Scarf • Season • Ski Snow • Snowboard • Snowflake • Snowman 14

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28/01/2020 15:13

Property Protection Trusts PPTs are by far one of the most common types of trusts included in wills.

The PPT is designed to take the deceased’s share in the home and give someone else (usually your spouse) a life interest in the property which will give them the protection of living in the property for the remainder of their lifetime or earlier if the trust specifies i.e. until remarriage. It also ensures that if the survivor requires long term care, at least half the property is preserved for the benefit of their beneficiaries who are normally the deceased’s children.

These types of trusts are generally used for married couples or civil partners to ensure the share of the home will ultimately pass to your children at the end of the trust period whilst still ensuring the interests of the surviving spouse are protected.

For example, a married couple, who have not been married before want to leave their share of their house to their children. They currently own the house as joint tenants. Dorset and Wight would sever the tenancy on the property registering them each as 50% owners. They then have their wills written to represent that if one died, their half of the property

would be held on Trust for the benefit of their children but allowing the survivor to live in their share of the property for life or a specified period of time.

So, what is the point of a PPT? The main reason for a PPT is the protection it provides for the beneficiaries i.e. your children, to ensure they are protected and ultimately receive a share of the home.

If the share of the home is simply gifted to your partner directly, this could cause a number of issues – the main one being that the whole value of the house could be assessed towards payment of care fees.

Another is sideways disinheritance i.e. the surviving partner remarries and the house passes to their new spouse under the Will. A PPT will enable the partner to stay in the home and will avoid the risk of the partner potentially disinheriting your children.

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Let’s Sudoku!

Do you love numbers? Enjoy 2 new Sudoku challenges in every issue!

5

3 9 7 8 1 2 5 3 3 9 7 2 1 6 9 1 2 7 3 1 3 5 9 2 1 5 3 9 7 3 1 5 9 2 5 3

9

4 1 5 9 2 4 8 1 8 2 2 4 7 9 8 3 2 1 5 4

2 5 1 8 9 4 8 5 9 4 1

9 8 4 2 6

Answers on Page 28

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A fresh walk from

Crowdhill & Fair Oak Start here This months walk heads out Eastwards of the Test Valley and treads brand new ground around the area of Fair Oak. The recommended parking and start point is from The Fox and Hounds, 3 Winchester Road, Crowdhill, SO50 7GD.

This is a walk of around 5 miles with complete variety of terrain and surroundings, but it is worth recording that the early sections are likely to be muddy, so that a time to complete the outing of roughly 1 hour 40 minutes could be acceptable. Thus, starting out from the car park we take the footpath immediately to the left of the pub, aiming down the gentle slope for about 300 metres; up to a T junction where we must turn right along a nice, wide gravel path, but only for 200 metres as far as the sharp left turn, where we go straight ahead into the woods (Upper Barn Copse).

Instead of aiming down the main bridleway we should veer slightly right here, at 45 degrees, up into the woods for just a short distance to join the perimeter path that runs on the edge of the woods, always keeping the wide open fields in view on the right. This path twists and turns regularly but continues on for some 800 metres before swinging right (still maintaining fields over to the right) and joining a switchback of a trail that includes crossing a truly rustic footbridge before climbing up and out onto a farm gravel track where we turn right.

Once away along the farm track we are weaving a path towards Stoke Park Farm, a thriving dairy farm, and we thread between a food silo and barns,

first turning left, then once beyond the barns, turning right (the blue footpath arrows on the telegraph poles confirm the correct route) and ultimately pitching up along a fully metalled tarmac road going right away from the farm. We are now

aiming towards a new housing estate some 600 metres away, but not before we pass the Carp Fishery Hatchery on the right, then climb a rise and through the houses that are spread lightly around. Once past the far side of this housing we pass Bishopstoke Cemetery on the left then shortly after we take the left turn through a metal gate that leads back into Stoke Park.

always following the central trail. This feature track, drops down hill, does a shimmy, then returns uphill again until reaching another boundary metal gate (the North Eastern Entrance). We exit the park and aim directly up the unmade road for a further 200 metres, join the road and in about 150 metres turn left opposite the Truck and Trailer Factory.

Just after the wooden marker post we need to turn right at 45 degrees to arc round for 300 metres as far as the main entrance to the Park in Stoke Park Road.

Stoke Park is an area of 512 acres that was purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1948, but can trace it’s history back to 1205 when King John used it for deer hunting.

There are still deer living around the woods but they are now safe from hunting. We are now on the main through trail that defines the entire park, by turning left we are joining the regular walkers going uphill, past a large stack of stored logs, and onwards

We are now commencing the finale of the walk, with a gentle 600 metre stroll beside new house on the left and woods on the right, passing a Children’s Nursery, crossing a local road and passing the entrance into Crowdhill Copse on the left, before arriving at our very first turning (now on the right) in 50 metres. The last 300 metres back to the car is the reverse of the start of our walk some time earlier; with the car park appearing above on the right. A welcome rest and refreshment will always be available at The Fox and Hounds after another well earned outing.

Wrien by Malcolm Price

Finish here

Resolutions for the New Year 2021 More of this...

Less of this...

Things I will achieve...

I will try...

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I will learn...

I will visit...

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The Adventures of Daichi The Modern Magazines Camper Van Daichi the Dashing Dude, our wonderful, playful campervan has been looking back at 2020 and where he managed to take us, despite all the restrictions, lockdowns and worries of this last, unprecedented year.

Yes, it certainly was a year of uncertainties.

Daichi did not take us out every month, as the Government said, “No, there is a pandemic, protect the NHS, stay at home, save lives.”

So, we all did. We sat at home, we did a lot of gardening, Netflix has never been so popular, Disney Plus made a fortune, Zoom calls to friends, family and business associates became the new ‘normal’ and Amazon, one of the biggest companies on the planet got bigger.

Small, local shops closed. What a year.

Well, Daichi is not to be beaten. Nine out of the twelve months of the year he took us to new and exciting places. We started at ‘Slop Bog’ in Ferndown, Dorset. It was a cool, damp day, but the walk was very relaxing. White cows, a curious calf, trees, shrubs, birds and time to chill out and have a chat while taking in our wonderful British countryside. Totally free.

Daichi likes to see how many different types of places he can visit. England has such a wealth of historical sites, it would be amiss

Daichi basks in the sun at Lepe Beach

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Daichi on the ferry to the Isle of Wight to not see a British Castle! The old medieval Wardour Castle in Wiltshire was a great day out, all the way back in February 2020. Castles are inspiring places to visit and I am sure we will find another this bright New Year to show Daichi some of our memorable British history.

A firm favourite of mine is the Isle of Wight.

This time the weather was cold, wet and very windy so the wooden house on the cliff top was both a delight and a ‘haunt’. Waking up in the middle of the night to pitch black, then sudden outside lights appearing, was daunting, but the trip itself was pure family fun and crazy golf. Amazing views with such changing skies.

We could have been abroad, but no, we were on a wonderful British ‘staycation’. There is so much to see that is right on our doorstep, or at least not that far away. Osborne House and Queen Victoria’s beach were truly uplifting.

The New Forest and Lepe Beach was our first drive out after the first Lockdown. Boy, wild horses were not going to stop Daichi from getting out of that driveway! He was raring to go and beamed from wheel to wheel at all the ponies, horses, foals and cattle along the way.

He was in his element. Lepe Beach and the ice cream van after months of not getting out were

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a sight for sore eyes and we all beamed from ear to ear at this! Delicious. It was a simple trip with coffee and a picnic but most enjoyable.

We were free again and that was intoxicating!

A Treasure Trail was our next adventure. You can buy these online or at Information Centres and some local shops. The one we chose took us all around the Isle of Purbeck where there are Ball Clay Mines. These trails give clues and directions to find out ‘who dun it?’ and where?

The stories are fictional, but the clues take you from one location to another around the area you have chosen. This one was a drive and walk trail so Daichi literally took part as he drove us over hills and winding roads, through beautiful Purbeck villages and even passed the house where the family lived that inspired the James Bond movies. Fantastic, long ranging views of greenery and perfect countryside, whilst educating us along the way. Daichi highly recommends Treasure Trails.

Beacon Hill on the A34 may not seem like an exciting day out, but the views from this very steep hill and 360 degrees of pure space are breath-taking. The sheer exhilaration of climbing the 261 metre incline and then seeing the sheer expanse of hills, trees and the beautiful Highclere Castle, otherwise known as Downton Abbey, in the distance were worth every effort. Again, learning about our history and the ‘Mummy’s Curse’ when the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was bitten by a fatal mosquito after funding the expedition which finally discovered

Daichi admires the sea at Bovisand

Daichi looks over the Isle of Purbeck Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. This story has evoked many a movie since! The Earl’s tomb can be seen at the top of the hill.

Taking my Mum and Dad to Docklow Pools was a real treat. Poor Dad, who is 85 now and Mum’s carer had managed on his own during the lockdown, so fishing at his favourite retreat was a delight for us all. A holiday to remember… and we are hoping to make it again this year!

Finally, our year ended with two fantastic trips, one to Devon and one to Cornwall. Bovisand in Devon with spectacular sea views over Plymouth Sound and the following month a trip to Kingsand and Cawsand literally opposite, across the large expanse of water.

We loved this whole area and Daichi skipped his way around the winding lanes with gorgeous beaches, watching crashing waves on the shores.

It may have been a year of ‘can’t do’ and many inhibitions but in between these trying times of being careful and protecting ourselves, Daichi still found time to take us out, when it was allowed, and have some family fun. His philosophy is very much what can be done, keep a positive view, get some space, get out and about and the world suddenly seems a better place. We hope you have plans to get out and about this year. We certainly have!

Where will Daichi take us in 2021?

By Debbie Corney

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Untangling the jargon!

One of the first things I do when I visit a new customer is to check the speed of their internet connection. There is a lot of confusion regarding the services available and the service providers, ISPs, tend to play with the wording of what is on offer.

For example, the use of the word “fibre”.

Let me try and reduce the “jargon” into plain English! A fibre connection is when there is a fibre optic cable between you and the ISP, this is as good as it gets and is excellent. It is certainly more than enough for most households.

Next is when the word play comes in, fibre broadband, this is when the provider has installed fibre to your local junction box, but the last part of the connection is not fibre, it is the older copper cable. This is usually adequate for most households. The worst connection is when there is no fibre anywhere in the connection where basically, the further away you are from your nearest junction box, the slower the speed of the connection.

The fastest home internet connection is pure fibre, this can give download speeds approaching 150Mbps, very fast indeed.

However, this is not widely available yet and the only way you can find out if it is available for you is to go to your, or another, provider’s site and enter your Postcode.

Generally speaking, at the moment, the best most of us can expect is fibre broadband with a speed in the area of 60-80 Mbps. The worst option is basic broadband with speeds as low as 6-10 Mbps. The monthly contract price you pay will be reflected in the speed you have, so if you are only paying £15 do not expect lots of whistles and bells, however, if you are paying in the region of £70 you should

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have full fibre. Always check around with the various providers especially when your contract has expired.

What happens if you temporarily lose the internet at home? You can use your mobile phone as a bridge. On an iPhone, open settings and tap on Personal Hotspot, switch this on and it will generate a password that you can enter from any device needing the internet, just look for the name of your phone in the wi-fi list, connect to it and you will be back online. If you have an Android phone open the settings app, tap the Network & internet option, select hotspot & tethering and then tap on wi-fi hotspot and then choose from the various options.

Finally, if you have difficulty reading the small text on your telephone you can increase the size from small to very large.

Open the accessibility app and you will find the option to adjust the size there.

Best wishes to everyone for 2021 and remember to stay safe.

I can be contacted for help or advice via my website: mistermac.co.uk and by email at: contact@ mistermac.co.uk

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25

Wild Winter Larders, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust The sight of your fridge or cupboards full after a trip to the shops can be very satisfying, but did you know humans aren’t the only ones who like to keep a wellstocked larder over the winter months?

All sorts of animals have been seen hiding food away, ready to eat in the depths of winter when other food sources get scarce.

Under the ground: Perhaps more unexpectedly, some British subterranean species also keep food stores in winter.

Moles keep stores of earthworms at this time of year, in preparation for the ground freezing and becoming too hard for them to feed. A mole’s storage method is rather gruesome; they bite the heads of worms, immobilising them and then keep their meal in chambers off their tunnels. In areas where flooding is likely the moles might also store their prey in a ‘fortress’ above ground. Some worms have a lucky escape, if they haven’t been eaten by the time the weather warms up, they can heal their heads and tunnel their way out.

Helping wildlife stock up for winter can be really simple. Putting out food for birds and letting your garden grow wild, with log and rock piles provides food and places for wildlife to wait out the cold.

PHOTO BY DAVID WILLIAMS

In the woods: Some of the first animals that we might think of when we hear the words ‘winter larder’ are squirrels. These furry mammals hide high-fat food in a scattered fashion, either burying their hoard or stuffing it into hollows in trees. Their stash often includes nutritious meals like acorns and hazelnuts, but red squirrels have also been seen keeping fungi in dry spots between branches to eat later.

Squirrels hide so much food in preparation for winter that they inadvertently help woodlands to grow, with many of the forgotten seeds germinating in spring.

Looking to our feathered friends, acorns are also a firm favourite with jays. They cache their food in a similar way to squirrels, scattering it throughout the forest and often

forgetting some of the piles. If not buried or hidden well, their stores may be eaten by mice before the jays ever get the chance.

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Answers Page PUB QUIZ 1. Emily Bronte 2. Rubber 3. Cats 4. Maritime 5. Master 6. Leonardo da Vinci 7. The Sea of Galilee 8. 13 9. A drink made with coee and chocolate 10. Blackbeard 11. Ohio, Utah, Iowa 12. George Michael 13. Levi Strauss 14. The Atlantic Ocean 15. Price Tag

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Be sure to check out the next issue for more game pages!

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7 2 9 4 6 8 1 3 5

POETRY PAGE

The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Source: poetryfoundation.org

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Index of advertisers

Your quick guide to everyone and everything in your Directory...

Bathrooms Ocean Bathrooms................................. 21

Garolla.................................................. 27 Skandoor............................................... 5

Cameras Rocky Rock Cameras............................. 21

Garden Services Barker & Geary..................................... 25

Carpenters & Joinery Input Joinery......................................... 32 Tucker Joinery....................................... 11

Hearing Services Winchester Hearing Centre.................. 5

Community News St Swithun’s linguists ranked seventh in the world.......................... 4 Exciting new future planned for Clanfield Centre............................ 8 Computer Services Mr Mac................................................. 25 Driveways County Block Paving............................. 27 Features Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust: Wild Winter Gardens............... 26 Monthly Walk: Crowdhill & Fair Oak.... 18 New Year Resolutions Planner.............. 20 On your plot: Planning veg for the year ahead............................. 12 Poetry: The Road Not Taken................. 29 Quirky Facts on Hampshire................... 6 The Adventures of Daichi...................... 22 Garage Doors Fix My Garage Door............................. 25 30

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Home Care Services Caremark.............................................. 13 Hotels & Restaurants The White Horse Romsey...................... 9 Puzzles Pub Quiz............................................... 10 Puzzle Answers..................................... 28 Sudoku.................................................. 16 Wordsearch.......................................... 14 Solicitors Godwins Solicitors................................ 15 Waste Services SES Environmental Services.................. 11 Will Writing Services Dorset & Wight Wills............................ 17 Windows, Doors & Conservatories GS Windows......................................... 3 Outlook Windows................................. 31 @mlggazettesnews

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