The Dever April 2023

The Dever

The Journal of the Dever Valley

First Sunday in the Month Fund Raising Walk

First-Sunday-in-the-Month - Fund Raising Walk

Sunday 2nd April 2023

Warren Centre Car Park , Micheldever Station. SO21 3AR starting at 10.30am. 2-mile circular walk. All dog welcome. Return by 12.00

Our thanks to the Micheldever Rights of Way Volunteers

Who have cleared this thoroughly overgrown path again. The residents of Micheldever Station can now access a new 2-mile circular walk without having to drive anywhere.

A welcome addition to the Dog Walking routes available locally.

Do we need another Dog Poo Red Bin?

Is one bin in the Recreation Field enough for this dog-loving community. Join this walk and share your ideas.

This is a very short walk at the start of the Easter School Holiday. It involves a bit of scrambling through undergrowth but nothing too energetic. Dogs will need to be on leads, but I ’m sure they will enjoy it. People are also welcome, with or without a four -legged friend.

Donations purely voluntary

Children must be accompanied by a dog.

For more Info about First-Sunday-in-the-Month Walks contact: suebell0906@gmail.com

The Dove Inn serves traditional Sunday Roast but it is essential to book in advance if you are dining. A warm welcome awaits those just needing liquid refreshment be it alcoholic or non -alcoholic. 01962 774288 / Facebook

www.doveinn.co.uk

St.

Holy Trinity Wonston

Church Wardens

Sarah Hobhouse 01962 760003

St Margaret's South Wonston

Melinda Samms 01962 761036

St

Websites

Editor:

Peter O’Keefe

07515 339279

1 Canada Cottages, Overton Road, Micheldever Station, SO21 3AN.

Email: editor@thedever.org

Printing: James Dixon and team

Micheldever

Andy Adams

Ann Hawkins

West

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Dever Advertiser

Jesus’s Call to Repentance and Faith

In one of her Christmas messages, our late and much-loved Queen said something like this: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Saviour.”

And Jesus made it clear again and again that saving us/granting us forgiveness would require him giving his life in what was probably the most painful, humiliating and cruel form of execution the world has ever seen. He needed to do this because of the seriousness of our failure to live as God has commanded us to live, a failure that means that God’s anger rests on us, and unless we repent and commit our lives to following Jesus, we face a future of total rejection by God.

The Bible teaches that ‘the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom’, and Jesus, in what were probably his most terrifying words, warns us to fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

Repentance was at the heart of the teaching of Jesus. This is not a comfortable word to our post-modern, 21st century ears, and our initial reaction to it can be something like ‘we are law-abiding, respectable Anglicans; surely it cannot apply to us!’ One of the greatest challenges facing all of us is falling into what Jesus calls hypocrisy, convincing ourselves that we are OK, that we are doing all right as far as God is concerned and not seeing the reality of who we really

are, not seeing ourselves as God sees us.

We find this warning clearly set out in Jesus’s parable about a Pharisee and a tax-collector praying in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like other people and points to all the worthy things he does – and they were worthy, extremely worthy and impressive, much more self-denying than I have ever been – and as a result they were hugely respected by the people of their day.

In sharp contrast, the tax-collector beats his breast and cries out ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner.’ And Jesus finished with the shocking conclusion that it was the tax-collector and not the Pharisee who went home forgiven by God.

If we just compare ourselves to other people like the Pharisee did, like the Pharisee we can easily fall into complacency and even pride. But other people are not our standard of comparison. Our standard of comparison is our awesomely holy, just, merciful God. The Bible tells us at least five times to be holy like God and Jesus commands us in the Sermon on the Mount to be perfect as God is perfect.

When we really face up to this teaching we cannot avoid seeing the huge gulf between Him and us, and our only possible response is to cry out:

‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’

And Jesus promises forgiveness and eternal life to those who truly repent and commit their lives to following Jesus, the one who died in our place to make our forgiveness possible.

Peter Russell

News from Woodmancote & Popham

St James’ has had two Services since I last wrote, both taken by Rev. Rob Rees. Firstly an Evensong Service on the 19th February and then Mothering Sunday Service on the 19th March–how time flies! I remember the Service in February being bitterly cold. We were joined that evening by a couple that used to live in the village but now live in France. It was so lovely to see them. We are so blessed when ex “Woodmancotters” come back to join us. They are always welcome and it really is wonderful that they want to occasionally return. Mothering Sunday was well attended. Mary, Linda and Liz had put together some wonderful posies for all the ladies and there was a fabulous afternoon tea following the Service including delicious scones with cream and jam.

Rev. Rob’s sermon of course gave thanks to Mothers across the Benefice and the world, but also to Mothers whose journey to Motherhood has not necessarily been straight forward or maybe, very sadly, never actually happened. I myself had a complicated journey to Motherhood and it can be a very lonely and dark time indeed. Rob made us think about all those who influence a child’s life, who have a mothering role, not just Mothers but God Mothers, Aunts, Grandmothers etc. (even mothers to pets)–so many guide our way. Finally we thought about those poor Mothers anywhere in the world where there is war or hardship and what terrible choices some Mothers have to make, even here in the UK with the cost of living crisis. Being a Mother is not always an easy path. However, that said, the joy of Motherhood for me is unrivalled and is a true gift from God. Our next Service is Easter Day–Sunday 9th April at 10am, where there will be refreshments after the Service and an Easter Egg hunt in the church yard for the children. We also have a Baptism and Holy Communion Service on Sunday 30th April at 11am. We do hope you can join us for one or more of these occasions. Jane.

Quiz Evening

The whole quiz evening was a great success, and everything pitched just right, apart from running out of red wine and having to make a dash and raid a local supply! The buzz in the hall was amazing, and

we all had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, were mentally challenged, well fed, and experienced great fellowship, which all helped to raise an amazing total, after expenses, of £1,419.50 for St Mary’s church.

Thank you to everyone who supported this event

in any way. It was such a relaxed and happy time demonstrating, once again, the wonderful community spirit that we share.

Olly Bramley

Wednesday 12th April 12.30pm at Northbrook Hall

Two course lunch for £5

Please reserve your place by the preceding Sunday by calling Tricia Patston on 795028

Micheldever Parish Council

Notice of Meeting

Wednesday 5th April

Northbrook Hall

7.30pm

This will be an in person meeting of the Parish Council and residents will be welcome to attend.

There will be an opportunity for questions from the public at around 8.00pm

www.micheldeverparish.org.uk

Parish Council Matters–Planning Applications, Meetings–Agendas, Dates & Minutes, Newsletters, Parish Assembly and more.

The Dever Valley Local History Society

Richard Osgood, Senior MOD Archaeologist, DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation), presented a talk intriguingly titled “A Wicked Noah’s Ark”.

The team of archaeologists includes military personnel who are recovering from harrowing postings to hot spots in the world; acting as amateur archaeologists gives a welcome respite from other duties. Operation Nightingale is an initiative to help assist the recovery of soldiers with physical injuries or mental stresses who have recently returned from military operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Burrow’s Island was linked with the all pervasive myths of human bones found, thus it was known locally as “Rat Island”. To the initial amazement of archaeologists the reality proved the seemingly exaggerated myths to be true. This island had been used as a burial ground for inmates who died whilst housed in the numerous prison ships at anchor between Gosport and Portsmouth

including numerous prisoners from the time of the Napoleonic wars from the 19th century and French ships captured. Large anchors and masts were removed as these large capacity vessels could house up to 800 prisoners, policed by Royal Marines. As the usual prisons onshore reached capacity, prisoners of war had to be detained in other facilities sometimes for 2-3 years. Officers were usually billeted in local areas and expected to comply with rules regarding limiting their activities to the immediate vicinity. Rat Island was used as a cemetery. The deceased were initially given a careful Christian burial, with a cheap wooden coffin placed in east/west alignment, but the fact that graves were exposed to the vagaries of powerful tides meant that many had been disturbed and coffins disintegrated so that only partial remains of skeletons were found. Most bodies who died whilst imprisoned were adult males. Only skeletons were found There were no additional grave goods, as might be found in more ancient graves, to add to the story of the life of the deceased. Two dozen large hulks were anchored in Portsmouth Harbour between 1796 and 1814.

Map showing Burrow’s island between Gosport and Portsmouth.

Prison hulks in Portsmouth Harbour by Ambrose-Louis Garneray c1886-14. National Maritime Museum

Initially, as a training task for Royal Engineers, the island was surveyed and mapped and this included making use of aerial photography. These specialised methods were also good training for Military police who had to search for buried bodies. The Veterans were first given training by osteologists to enable them to carefully identify human skeletons which were carefully reburied after scientific examination. The excavated remains were

New Skin and Wellness Clinic in Micheldever

Hi everyone. My names Deborah and I’m the owner of Skin Solutions by Deborah a new Skin and Wellness Clinic set in Northbrook Micheldever. After owning a Beauty Salon for 8 years I decided to pursue my dream of opening my own skin & massage clinic.

I got started in

landed by combat support boats to first identify the content of holes in the earth left by disintegrated coffins. Remains were taken to Southwark Dock to the police forensic centre. The remains were also studied by specialists from the RAF and the Navy who were also studying forensic medicine. The 1832 Anatomy Act permitted the use of available cadavers for study in Universities and Medical Anatomy Schools. Some of the military personnel involved in this archaeological dig have subsequently become so interested in the forensic processes used that they have taken further training which has given them another career after leaving the military. This project is ongoing; the dig continues.

Hendrika Foster

this business as I love meeting new people and helping clients achieve beautiful skin and watching them grow in confidence. I have such a passion for what I do which comes out in my treatments. I look forward to welcoming you all to my new clinic.

www.skinsolutionsbydeborah.co.uk

Wonston Community Café

One of our local residents, Pip Varley, attended the café on behalf of Goalball Winchester. Photographed alongside Pip are visually impaired volunteers Rosie and Scott. Rosie plays Goalball, and also helps coach and support the intermediate teams. Scott is a player for the intermediate and elite teams, as well as coaching the novice team. Goalball UK provide and promote sporting opportunities from grassroots to GB squads for blind and partially sighted people across the UK. Goalball is an exciting Paralympic, indoor, 3-aside team sport, of attack and defend – with a unique twist! The café was very busy again in February and we raised a total of £364 for the charity from sales of cake, coffee and donations.

The next Wonston Community Café will be at the Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney,

9.30am–12 noon on 19th April. Christine, a volunteer with the local branch, will be attending the café to promote the work of Muscular Dystrophy. As well as the usual coffee and cakes offered by the cafe, Christine will be offering a tombola – and baking some cakes for us!

Please do come along to support the Wonston Community Café, which is staffed entirely by volunteers. All the cakes are homemade, we have real coffee and plenty of free parking! The café is cash only and we welcome all donations to the nominated charity.

Janis Kinnell

Wonston Community Café

Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney

Third Wednesday of the month

9.30 am - 12 noon

19th April - Muscular Dystrophy

17th May - Church Pantry

21st June - Defibrillator Upkeep

Cash only café

All donations welcome

The café is staffed entirely by volunteers

Cakes are all homemade We serve real coffee

Plenty of free parking!

I wanted to raise money to buy a defibrillator for Micheldever village. Our village is one of the few in the Parish which does not already have a public-access defibrillator.

Thanks to an amazing response to my first JustGiving page we have already raised £3000! I am hugely grateful to everyone who has helped with this. It is enough money to pay for a fully automated defibrillator which can be used on both adults and children, a locked, heated cabinet to store it in, spare defibrillator pads, signage and insurance for 10 years. I am ordering everything this weekend, and hope to have it within two to three weeks.

The Northbrook Hall committee have kindly agreed for the defibrillator to be kept on the outside of the hall, so it will be easily accessible to everyone 24hrs a day. A training session will be arranged on how to use the defibrillator and how to perform CPR to increase everyone’s confidence in dealing with what will hopefully be a very rare event. This will be advertised on the noticeboards and on Facebook.

There are ongoing costs to keep the defibrillator fully functional. The battery and the defib pads need to be replaced every 5

years, even if they have not been used. The current cost of doing this is approximately £350. If the defib is used, then the pads must be replaced as they are a single use item. The current cost of this is £150.

I have set up another JustGiving page to try to raise some money to put towards these ongoing costs. I am very conscious that many people have already made very generous donations at a time when money is tight, and I am very grateful for this. The new page is really for anyone who has not already donated but may still wish to. All donations are very gratefully received.

Why do we need a defib?

72% of out-of hospital cardiac arrests happen at home

The chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute that defibrillation is delayed. Due to our rural location, and the current pressures on the ambulance service, vital minutes could be saved by having access to a local defibrillator. This could literally make the difference between life and death

How do you use a defib?

Anyone can use a defibrillator, even if you haven’t had any training. The public access defibrillators are specifically designed to be very simple and safe to use.

You simply switch it on and it will talk to you and tell you exactly what to do. Can I hurt somebody by using a defibrillator wrongly?

No, you cannot. The defibrillator detects the heart rhythm and will only deliver a shock if it is appropriate to do so.

If you would like to find out more, and see an example of a defibrillator, please come to the Parish Assembly at Northbrook

Gardening Tips from Hardy’s Plants

Staking plants can be a thorny issue for lots of gardeners, but here we will try to clear away some of the confusion.

Firstly, place your plants with care. Sun loving ones placed in too much shade will stretch trying to find the light. Don’t overfeed them because this will promote fast, soft growth leaving plants vulnerable to the wind and rain.

Some plants however, still need supporting. You need to work early to allow them to grow through the supports without damaging them and to hide the supports from view.

Twiggy sticks can be pushed into the ground around lower

growing plants. Individual bloom supports, for heavy blooms, need to be in place by the time the flower buds start to swell. Many

Hall on the 19th April at 7.30pm.

If you are able to make a donation, however big or small, please visit my JustGiving page, or use the QR code above. Thank you so much!

Katherine Walker’s JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ micheldeverdefibrillatorongoingcosts?utm_ term=xJZ8gzw64

materials in the garden can be used, such as old branches from shrubs and trees, even old Christmas trees can be put to good use. You will also need twine or cushioned twisty tie. Please don’t use wire or bag ties as they can cause damage. Tie in loosely to allow for growth and to enable the plant to move and flex. Use a figure 8 by tying around the support then crossing the ends over and tying around the stem. This will stop the plant rubbing against the support.

Many perennials lose vigour, particularly in the centre, after a few years. Lifting and splitting these, during their dormant season, will give them new vigour and help prevent any outward collapse. Waiting until the plant is starting to suffer will cause damage to the plant and maybe others around it.

This is an edited version of an article on the Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants Website. For the whole piece including more tips on planting, please go to www.hardyscottagegardenplants.com Or visit us in Priory Lane, Freefolk.

Church Services for The Dever Benefice

April 2nd Palm Sunday

9.15 am Holy Communion (said) St Mary the Virgin - Micheldever

10.00 am Café Church with Sunday School

Rev’d Rob Rees

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Mary Cleal

10.00 am Holy Communion St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

Rev’d Neil Britton

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston

Rev’d Rob Rees & Claire Bentham

April 6th

Maundy Thursday

7.30 pm Holy Communion St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Rev’d Dave Mapes

April 7th Good Friday

10.00 am Stations of the Cross Service

Melinda Samms

St Margaret’s - South Wonston

12.00 noon Open Air Service The Square - Sutton Scotney

Rev’d Dave Mapes

April 9th Easter Day

9.45 am Family Service with Holy Communion

Rev’d Rob Rees

St Mary the Virgin - Micheldever

10.00 am Family Service with Holy Communion St Margaret's - South Wonston

Rev’d Jen Holder

10.00 am Family Service with Holy Communion St James - Woodmancote

Rev’d Vanessa Cole

10.00 am Family Service with Holy Communion St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

Rev’d Dave Fenton

11.00 am Family Service with Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston

Rev’d Neil Britton

11.00 am Family Service with Holy Communion All Saints - East Stratton

Rev’d Rob Rees

April 16th 2nd Sunday of Easter

10.00 am Morning Praise St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Janet Ryan

10.00 am Informal Worship St James - Hunton

Ruth & Roland Guy

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston

The Ven. Richard Brand

April 23rd 3rd Sunday of Easter

10.00 am Café Church St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Melinda Samms

11.00 am Morning Prayer Holy Trinity - Wonston

James Gray

6.00 pm Evensong St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

Rev’d Christine Smith

April 30th 4th Sunday of Easter

11.00 am Holy Communion with Baptism St James - Woodmancote

Rev’d Rob Rees

11.00 am Holy Communion

The Dever Benefice congregation to join service at Winchester Cathedral

May 7th 5th Sunday of Easter

9.15 am Holy Communion (said) St Mary the Virgin - Micheldever

10.00 am Service of Thanksgiving for The King’s Coronation

Rev’d Rob Rees

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret’s - South Wonston

John Walsh

11.00 am Morning Prayer Holy Trinity - Wonston

Claire Bentham

For further information, please contact the Parish Coordinator, email: coordinator upperdever@hotmail com

Meet The Police

The well attended event was held at East Stratton Village Hall on 15th March. Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, officers with responsibilities covering Micheldever Parish were able to brief everyone attending on past, current, and future

Dever Valley Church Locations

All Saints East Stratton SO21 3XA

Holy Trinity Wonston SO21 3LS

St James Hunton SO21 3PX

policing initiatives in the area. Residents also had the opportunity to feedback their concerns to the police.

ruffling.upstarts.disposing

grub.dove.unpacked

lingering.dwistract.improve

St James Woodmancote SO21 3BL scatters.helper.rating

St Margaret's South Wonston SO21 3EW diver.guises.tarred

St Mary the Virgin Micheldever SO21 3DA sprays.serenade.gripes

St Mary and St Michael Stoke Charity SO21 3PG

evaded.avoid.lyricist

photo above: Cllr Caroline Horrill, Donna Jones, Inspector John Stribley, and Constable Emma Hoskins

CIVIL WAR SITES IN HAMPSHIRE

The talk follows the Civil War sites in Hampshire and starts with the Siege of Portsmouth and ends with the trial of King Charles I and the restoration of Charles II .

By Don Bryan Blue Badge Guide

8pm Tuesday, 18th April, 2023

Northbrook Hall, Micheldever SO21 3DF

All welcome: £4.00 at the door

Jackie’s County Corner

Council Tax 23-24: You will have received your Council tax bill for 23-24 by now. The HCC part of your bill is the major one. HCC manages children and adults’ social care, disposes of the household waste that we put out every week, and manages highways, libraries, country parks, many schools and the footpath networks. For 2023/24, the County requirement from each Band D household is £1460.25. The lowest charge (band A) is £973.50, upper (H) is £2920.50. Other charges on your tax bill include the Fire, Police, City and Parish precepts which thankfully are much lower than the County proportion. If you are struggling to pay your bills, please don’t wait but please seek help as soon as possible. Citizens Advice or your housing provider can help.

Several additional provisions for children with special needs are being built on the sites of mainstream schools. This is good news, especially for younger pupils. Children with SEND needs often travel long distances to school; this can be distressing and tiring. The County is building more units to improve life for parents and children, but SEND numbers are still rising, so there’s more to do to satisfy everyone’s needs. If your child has SEND needs, and you are concerned about which school your child will be moving to in September, please contact me by email.

The County Council holds decision days and one March decision day had several items which will be of interest to residents. One item was ‘movable traffic enforcement’ which allows the new wardens to act not just on parking breeches but other enforcement too. Take care: this may affect

you in the Autumn when the County takes back their responsibility of Winchester’s enforcement of on-street parking.

The second item of local interest was the decision to continue with Cala’s plans to close a section of Andover Road in Winchester to traffic (probably around 2025) which links with the Movement Strategy. I know this was not a popular decision for many, but I hope it will allow the site roads to build out now: they are in such a poor state at present. I have placed a link and comments to the paper on my website, www.jackieporter.co.uk.

This paper included the decision to make changes to the B3047/A33 (Cart and Horses) junction in conjunction with National Highways as they construct the new motorway junction (but not until they build, so likely to be 2024- 27). I remain hopeful that some short-term safety improvements will be implemented soon, but so far, the Executive Councillor has not agreed to anything specific at the Cart and Horses, which is disappointing. Did you use the junction whilst the traffic lights were in place? What was your view of that potential solution? Many people thought it was a trial for traffic lights: it

was not, but merely a safety issue for the work team as they renewed the popular section of path alongside the A33. Talking of paths, a contractor has been chosen to mend the Millennium Walk in Alresford this summer! This is exciting news because it is so dangerous being plagued with holes for so long now. The path is so popular, but the river is teeming with creatures that need protection and cannot be disturbed. As a result, the work can only be done in July and August, so it may occupy much of the school summer holidays. I’m hope you’ll agree that this needs to be done. The result should be a much more accessible path, still with a great place to feed the ducks by Autumn 2023.

Holy Dusters

Tree planting. HCC has been planting trees on highway verges. Many people are delighted but you can’t keep everyone happy. Some residents don’t want a tree, and some want a tree, but none has been planted!

To request a tree at www.hants.gov.uk/ transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/ tree-planting

And to complain, go to www.hants.gov.uk/transport/ roadmaintenance/roadproblems/treehedge County Councillor Jackie Porter

Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk

Tel /text 07973 696085

www.jackieporter.co.uk

twitter @JackieLibDem

St Mary the Virgin Week beginning Monday; 3rd Anita and Louise

St James

Northbrook Hall

Opening times 2 - 3.30pm

Tuesday afternoon only

(PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DAY)

Mary Wallis Belinda Harvey Plus Easter clean and flowers Micheldever

Citizens Advice Winchester District

I ordered a watch online with personalised engraving for my partner’s birthday. The company has since gone out of business. I keep phoning and emailing them but can’t get through. I’m assuming they can’t fulfil my order, but I’d paid for the watch upfront and can’t afford to buy another gift until I get my money back, please help?

I understand the frustration you must be feeling–especially as you’ve already parted with your money and presumably spent time searching for a suitable gift. I assume you haven’t had a dispatch note yet, which suggests the order isn’t on its way.

If the company’s gone into administration, it may still be able to fulfil outstanding orders, but if the company is already in liquidation, you’ll need to try to get your money back. If you’re unsure about what state the company is in, the Citizens Advice website has information on how to find out.

As the company hasn’t responded to your calls or emails, is there a shop or office you can visit or write to, to get an update on your order, or request a refund? If that isn’t possible, the next steps depend on whether it’s a limited company (it will have ltd or plc after its title) or if it’s a sole trader (someone who runs their own business) or partnership.

If it’s a limited company, you’ll need to get details of the administrator or receiver–the person dealing with settling the trader’s debts. The names of those administrators will usually be on the website of the company that’s gone bust. You should register your claim as a creditor on the GOV.UK website. Fill out the form with

details of what you’re owed and send it to the administrator dealing with the trader’s debts. Unfortunately, there’s only a small chance you’ll receive any money back because you’ll be last in a long list of creditors who need to be paid.

Manager for Citizens Advice Winchester District gives advice on what to do if a company you’ve ordered from goes out of business.

As the order was online (and I’m therefore assuming you paid by debit or credit card) you could also try getting your money back with a Section 75 claim or a chargeback claim to your card provider or bank. Full details about both these types of claims can be found on the Citizens Advice website.

If the seller was a sole trader or partnership and not a limited company, pursuing a Section 75 or chargeback claim is your best option. Every case is different when traders go under, but you can call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline to find out exactly what your rights are on 0808 223 1133, call your local Winchester District office on 0808 278 7861, or visit the national Citizens Advice website www.citizensadvice.org. ukwebsite (www.citizensadvice.org.uk).

Lesley Rose, Advice Services

Parish Council News

Parish Assembly Wednesday

19th April 2023

This year’s Parish Assembly is to be held at Northbrook Hall in Micheldever, from 7.30pm, and will include a presentation by Micheldever resident, Katherine Walker, who has been leading the project to raise funds to buy a defibrillator for Micheldever village. This will include a demonstration of a public access defibrillator and a chance to ask questions. The Parish Assembly will conclude with refreshments and an opportunity to meet the councillors and residents in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Community First Aid Training

Katherine has also kindly volunteered to arrange training in the use of the defibrillator and basic life support measures including CPR and management of choking, in conjunction with the installation of a village defibrillator. More details will follow but please consider taking this opportunity to improve your skills and awareness of how to deal with life threatening health emergencies.

Village(s) Spring Clean

Following the item in last month’s Dever about the opportunity to borrow equipment and hold village litter picking events, to date a response has only been received from residents of Micheldever

village. In light of this, it has been decided to hold a Village Spring Clean in Micheldever on the afternoon of the Coronation Volunteering Day on 8th May. Events could be organised elsewhere, either on 8th May or a different date, if sufficient volunteers come forward. There is also still the opportunity to set up a regular litter picking team who could be provided with suitable safety equipment and covered by Parish Council insurance to pick as often as they wish or are able throughout the year. If you would be interested in either or both of these then please contact Jocelyn (as below). The litter picking team would be particularly effective if we could appoint a volunteer leader who would check that each volunteer has appropriate safety equipment and fully understands the risk assessment.

Ted Mitchner

Ted was a key figure in the football in Micheldever and a memorial bench was installed on the LRPF after his death. This is now in very poor condition and the Parish Council are seeking to replace it but would like to liaise with Ted’s family first if anyone could help by passing on contact details.

Jocelyn, the Clerk, can be contacted via micheldeverpc@hotmail.co.uk or on 01794 368951 (office hours if possible please).

City Councillors’ News

We have been given the first indication of submissions received during the public consultation on the draft Local Plan, which will determine where new development will go over the next 20 years. While we have been given very little new information, two items stood out for us. The first was the high number of objections to the allocation of new housing in South Wonston. We support these objections and hope that they will lead to a change in the next version. The second relates to land around Micheldever Station. The landowner has started to challenge the City Council over the number of new homes that need to be allowed for. The Council has indicated that they have not yet finished their joint strategy with Portsmouth, Southampton and Fareham councils for the allocation of additional housing. This strategy could lead to a significant number of new homes in the Winchester district, which could require a large site, such as the land offered

around Micheldever to be allocated. We have been raising objections for many years and will continue to do so. Caroline put this to the recent meeting, but received no reassurance from the answer. We arranged for Donna Jones, the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner to speak at a public meeting in East Stratton. With the local chief inspector, she answered questions about the many concerns residents have. She told the audience about the new police approach to dealing with crime in our Ward. The Government have extended the subsidy for bus companies, so the £2 fare for single journeys on all buses will now continue until 30th June. We urge you to use the bus to save yourself some money, reduce traffic congestion and make a positive impact on the environment.

REMEMBER: You will need PHOTO ID if you are voting in person at the local elections on Thursday 4th May 2023.

You can contact your City Councillors at any time or you can catch us at any of the Parish Council meetings. Their next meetings are on:

Micheldever PC Wednesday 5th April

Wonston PC Wednesday 12th April

South Wonston PC

Stephen

Cllr Stephen Godfrey

119 Downs Road

South Wonston

SO21 3EH

Tel: 01962 884477

Monday 10th April

East Stratton Village Hall.

Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney.

South Wonston Pavilion.

All meetings start at 7.30pm.

Caroline

Cllr Caroline Horrill

Wheatlands

Woodman Lane

Sparsholt

SO21 3SH

Patrick

Cllr Patrick Cunningham

The Corner House

North Drive

Littleton

SO22 6QA

sgodfrey@winchester.gov.uk

Tel: 01962 776844

chorrill@winchester.gov.uk

Tel: 07866 367897

pcunningham@winchester.gov.uk

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Winchester City Council

Election of District Councillors for the Wards listed below

1. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LJ on any day after the date of this notice, on Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding bank holidays) but no later than 4 pm on Tuesday, 4th April 2023.

2. Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LJ, during the times stated above or can be requested by emailing ereg@winchester.gov.uk.

3. If any election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 4th May 2023.

4. Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Monday 17 April 2023. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

5 Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LJ by 5 pm on Tuesday, 18th April 2023.

6. Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

7 New applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LJ by 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2023.

8 Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LJ by 5pm on Thursday, 4th May 2023

Dated: Monday 27 March 2023

Laura J. Taylor Returning Officer

From Our MP Steve Brine

I recently led an important debate on the future of electric vehicles in the House of Commons; a subject I know will be of interest to many living in these villages.

As you know, the Government has committed to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and wants all new cars and vans to be zero emission by 2035. So I posed the question; “are we ready and are we on track to meet this target?”

The debate arose in response to current concerns expressed to me, by constituents and local motor retailers, surrounding the cost and availability of new electric vehicles as well as the infrastructure for charging them as I highlighted concerns surrounding a target of 300,000 EV charge points by 2030 and widespread disparities in the geographical distribution of them across the country.

Winchester is in the top 100 in the UK in terms of charge points per population but I wanted answers from the Minister, Huw Merriman MP, as to how the Government will meet its own ambitious target. And I called for further government grants to be made available following the closure of the ‘plug-in’ car grant scheme last year which saw a big spike in the number of new EV’s sold.

A large focus on the debate was on the worldwide shortage in supply of available vehicles and the almost complete absence – for understandable reasons–of a second-

hand market in them at the current time. I pointed out that the average waiting time currently was seven months with many car manufacturers asking customers placing an order for a new EV to wait upwards of ten months. And I highlighted the high upfront cost of electric vehicles which I said acted as a “serious deterrent” to people making the switch without significant spare resources in their household budget.

My sense is, many people want to do the right thing, and make the switch, but the economics do not stack up right now and that’s if you can even source a new electric vehicle given the worldwide supply issues we face. So while I, and many of my constituents, back the phasing out of combustion cars as a move to support the commitment to being Net-Zero by 2050 there remain to my mind legitimate concerns that the 2035 target is attainable.

In reply the Minister said; “The Government are committed to decarbonising transport and to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, becoming the first G7 country to do so. The benefits of zero-emission

Steve Brine speaking in Westminster

motoring are there to be won, improved air quality in our towns and cities, economic growth through our automotive industry, and ultimately cheaper and cleaner driving for all. Getting to that point will require Government and industry to furnish this country with an accessible, affordable and secure charging infrastructure network.”

To be fair, he acknowledged there was a lot to do but said there are “reasons to be cheerful”. I hope my debate focused

on some of them while shining a light on some of the very real challenges we have to make the change. And it is a change that is needed given transport is the largest carbon emitting sector in the UK making up 27% of total greenhouse emissions with 91% of them stemming from vehicles. You can review, and watch back, the whole debate at stevebrine.com/greenwinchester Steve

Brine

MP

Working hard for Winchester & Dever Valley

Forthcoming Events 2023

May

3rd 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

3rd 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - The Warren Centre

4th Local Elections

6th King’s Coronation

7th The Big Lunch + entertainment - The Lord Rank Playing Field

8th Community Project (Details to follow)

14th-20th Christian Aid Week

19th 8.00pm Micheldever Wine Circle - Northbrook Hall

June

1st Plant Sale - Micheldever village

3rd 1.00pm East Stratton Village Feté & Dog Show - The Green

7th 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

7th 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - East Stratton Hall

22nd-24th7.30pm Play On, MVG - Northbrook Hall

25th Open Gardens - Micheldever village

July

5th 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

5th 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - Northbrook Hall

8th 8.00pm Micheldever Wine Circle, Summer Party - venue tbc

15th Micheldever Feté - Lord Rank Playing Field

September

6th 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

6th 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - The Warren Centre

15th Harvest Supper - Northbrook Hall

22nd 8.00pm Micheldever Wine Circle - Northbrook Hall

October

4th 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

4th 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - East Stratton Hall

7th Safari Supper - Micheldever - at your home

27th 8.00pm Micheldever Wine Circle - Northbrook Hall

November

1st 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

1st 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - Northbrook Hall

December

6th 7 .30pm Micheldever Parish Council – The Warren Centre

8th 8.00pm Micheldever Wine Circle, Christmas Party – Northbrook Hall

April Diary

1st 10.00am Table Top Sale of Turkish Delicacies - Half Moon & Spread Eagle

3rd - 7th Play In A Week, Joseph - Northbrook Hall

5th 7.30pm Micheldever Parish Council - Northbrook Hall

12th 12.30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall (NOTE: Change of Date)

18th 8.00pm History Society, Civil War Sites in Hampshire - Northbrook Hall

19th 7.30pm Parish Assembly - Northbrook Hall

Hall Booking

East Stratton Hall 01962 774517, Northbrook Hall 07802 755132, booknorthbrookhall@gmail.com

The Warren Centre visit www.thewarrencentre.co.uk/hire

Micheldever Shop - Opening Times

Monday - Saturday 8.30am - 6.30pm, Sunday 10.00am - 3.00pm

Mobile Post Office

Wednesday morning 9.30 – 10.30 Lord Rank Car Park (please note: times may vary slightly)

Regular Dates and Times – Weekly

SUNDAYS Church Services Details on centre pages

TUESDAYS 8.00–9.00 pm Circuit Training by Toppe from T Fit Training, Micheldever School Hall. contact Jane 07919 018877

2.00–3.30 pm

Community Library, Northbrook Hall

WEDNESDAYS 9.30–10.30 am Mobile Post Office, Lord Rank Car Park, Micheldever 9.00–10.00 am Body Control Pilates–Micheldever Village Hall. contact Fredricka Brooks, 07979 254895

THURSDAYS 8.00–10.00 pm Dever Singers Rehearsal–Micheldever or South Wonston churches. contact, ruthironton@gmail.com

CORONATION BIG LUNCH

Sunday 7th May from mid-day at The

Lord Rank Playing

Field

Bring your own picnic

Hog Roast also available (at £5 per person)

Bar Games for all ages Competitions Maypole dancing

Community singing Free event!!!

Everyone welcome, including well behaved dogs!

To book your place please contact Belinda by Friday 28th April by email micheldever.coronation@btinternet.com or phone 07899 990565

(Numbers are needed for insurance purposes)

If you would like to help in any way, please contact Olly orb@bramleys.org 01962 774516 Maurelle l.dagostino@btinternet.com 01962 774395

For our ‘Big Help Out’ project on Monday 8th May, between 9am and mid-day we are planning to paint the exterior of The Pavilion. We would welcome your help, if only for an hour. Thank you.

Kindly sponsored by Dever Printing

King Charles III Coronation

Picnic In The Park Picnic In The Park

MONDAY 8th MAY from 11:30 at THE WARREN RECREATIONAL FIELD

Everybody Welcome!

Bring your own picnic, blanket & chairs -BBQ & refreshments also available-

GAMES FOR ALL AGES

Rounders - Walking Football Table Tennis - Petanque