The Dever July 2022

King

photo by Anna Parker

Sunday 3rd July 2022

Walk starts 10:00am from the Dove Inn and Warren Centre Car Park

We follow the Rights-of-Way making up the 4-mile Windpump Walk. We have extensive views across the arable North Hampshire Downs with ripening crops of field beans, oil-seed rape and some modern grain/legume combination sowings. Hopefully there will be some orchids in flower along the margins of the fields. Birders—you should bring binoculars.

Book your table at The Dove Inn at 8.00am PRE-WALK BREAKFAST

whilst watching the spectacle of the

Children most welcome but must be with a responsible adult.

on the Recreation Field. Thank you

Further details:

suebell0906@gmail.com

https://www.ellisjourney.co.uk

https://www.doveinn.co.uk

Valley

Church Wardens

St. Mary the Virgin Micheldever

Jan Mason 01962 774362

Juliet Pattinson 01962 774399

Holy Trinity Wonston

Sarah Hobhouse 01962 760003

St Margaret's South Wonston

Melinda Samms 01962 761036

Roger Keys 01962 881718

St Mary & St Michael Stoke Charity

Ruth Guy 01962 760259

Websites

St Mary the Virgin www.stmarysmicheldever.co.uk

Holy Trinity www.wonstonchurch.co.uk

The Dever

Editor:

Peter O’Keefe

07515 339279

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

Email: editor@thedever.org

Printing:

Richard Vellacott and team

Micheldever

Annual Subscription January to December for 12 issues: £8.00; £15.00 by post.

Articles for August issue to be received by the editor before 15th July please.

Articles printed in The Dever are accepted ‘as is’ and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Team.

Subscriptions Enquiries & Distribution

Anby Dixon 07799 212586 Micheldever Station

Andy Adams East of railway line 01962 774363

774956

Dever Advertiser

Sales: Amanda Forsey

My mobile phone keeps sending me photographs taken at the same date one or two years ago, although occasionally those taken 6 years earlier. Holidays, family and the garden are the main subjects and they are an enjoyable reminder of the past. With similar nostalgia, I enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the past 70 years of Her Majesty the Queen’s devoted service.

In the concluding words of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee message to the nation, she said: “We look forward to the future with confidence and enthusiasm.”

Many people of her age would be looking backwards or thinking of retirement, but remarkably she is still looking forward. Despite her recent mobility problems and advancing age, she remains positive and has said in the past “I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad times.”

Although we do not know the future and the last two years remind us of the impact of unpredictable world events, the Christian faith, which is the bedrock of the Queen’s life, has the assurance that for those who believe and trust in Jesus for forgiveness, there is the certainty of eternal life.

Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica: “I want you to know what happens to a Christian when they die, so when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died.”

(1 Thessalonians 4, v 13-14)

With my personal belief and trust in Jesus, I am grateful for this God given eternal perspective, which allows me to look forward to a future beyond this world, secure that God’s love will always be there. This gift is nothing to do with my efforts, status, or education, but comes from the loving, sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

In the meantime, I am mindful of all the blessings that God has given me now and am challenged to make sure that these are shared with others.

I hope that you can also look forward to the future with confidence and enthusiasm and that your summer, with potential holidays and good weather, is a happy, restful and enjoyable time.

Dr Roland Guy

News from Woodmancote

& Popham

Woodmancote hosted the lighting of the Beacon at the start of the long weekend and it was a tremendously successful evening thanks to the brilliant organization of Mary Wallis and Nick Greenwood who hosted it. The weather was perfect and over a hundred people from surrounding villages came to watch the beacon being lit, enjoy the delicious hog roast and participate in the celebrations.

I think it was fantastic to see how the whole country really embraced the Jubilee and wanted to show their appreciation and love for our Monarch, having given her whole life to dutiful service for the United Kingdom.

June also saw our main fundraising event for St. James’ Church, a drinks party and silent auction, generously hosted by Penny and Colin Dixon in their beautiful garden. We all enjoyed wine, canapés and

catching up with friends and neighbours in the lovely Hampshire countryside.

It was a fabulous evening and thanks to everyone’s amazing generosity we raised a fantastic amount.

At the time of writing our Pet Service on 19th June has not yet taken place so I will report on it next time.

In July it is our Patronal Service Sunday on 17th July at 6pm. This will be the first time that Revd Rob Rees takes a service of Holy Communion at St James, following his Ordination. Hope to see you all there, we will have wine and other refreshments in the churchyard afterwards.

Jane.

The Dever - July Issue Online

You can download and install the free ISSUU app on your smart device (mobile or tablet) then scan the QR code here or search for the The Dever to access the current July issue and back issues. Alternatively you can access the same on your computer. Look for www.issuu.com using your web browser, then search for The Dever to view back issues and the July edition as flipbooks.

The Dever team are trialling the online version of The Dever and would welcome any feedback, please email: editor@thedever.org

Hint - the email and website links are active in the digital version so if you click on them they will either automatically open a new tab in your web browser or create a new blank email already addressed for you.

Micheldever Parish Council Notice of Meeting

Wednesday 6th July

The Warren Centre 7.30pm

This will be a full face to face meeting of the Parish Council and residents will be welcome to attend in accordance with any current restrictions . 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 .

Wednesday 6th July

12.30pm

at Northbrook Hall

Two course lunch for £4.50

If you need a lift or have not been before, please give me a call Tricia Patston on 795028

Woodmancote Jubilee Beacon Lighting

We had a wonderful celebration on Thursday 2nd June here at The Calvert Centre. The weather was perfect – not raining! We had an enormous bonfire ready to light. People started to gather from 7.30 and from 8pm we enjoyed the most delicious Hog Roast. There was also a ‘Donations’ bar that enabled us to enjoy a barrel of cask ale, lager, wine, and soft drinks. There were over 150 people!

Our Beacon, although not high, was registered and lit at 9.45pm to synchronise with all the others in the country. The PA system played the National Anthem as the fire was lit and we all drank to our amazing Queen.

This Parish event bought people from all our villages. Let us hope going forward we can maintain the community spirit. A big thank you to everyone who came especially to Nick and all the volunteers who helped with setting up and dismantling.

Mary

Micheldever Platinum Jubilee Street Party

One of the many tasks faced by our Organising Committee was the Road Closure issues for which were granted permission by Winchester City Council. Our thanks to Roger Bramley for organising this and sourcing the numerous Road Closed and Diversion signs - he cleverly ordered these early to ensure supply - an important achievement given the later national shortage!

The closure at the Crease was straight forward enough, but the closure at the Northbrook / Weston Colley junction was another matter. It was necessary to explain directions to through traffic–and it required a small army of marshals suitably High Vis attired!

With the rota starting at 8.30am, our thanks go to Graham Metcalfe and Jane Nash, Maurice and Hazel Nugent, Lexi Ray, Grace Brandon, Sam Parker and Graham Matthews. Particular thanks go to Kim Gunston from East Stratton who came to man the barriers whilst we were sitting enjoying the festivities! Additional thanks to John Brandon, Ben Bell and Phil Smith. It was also much appreciated that post event so many impromptu volunteers came to help load the small fleet of vans and trailers. The rain started just as we unloaded the last chair!

An amazing afternoon which bought so many villagers together–with treasured memories for years to come!

Thank you all so much. David Findley.

Micheldever Big Street Lunch - photo by Mark Millar

More photos on pages 22 & 23

Street Party

Photographs from Micheldever Platinum Jubilee

Photo Credits: Anna Parker

Colin Filmer

Marian Jack Sophie Welch

1992 Commemorative Planting Revisited for Platinum Jubilee

On the 5th of June, Sue Bell organised for members of the community to go for a walk (to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee) through Micheldever Woods to revisit a commemorative planting which took place on Queen Elizabeth II’s Ruby Jubilee – the 40th Jubilee. On that jubilee, children from a local school came to the woods to plant forty different trees to commemorate the 40th year of the queen’s reign.

During the walk, everyone assessed each of the trees out of five. They scored one point for each of the following: whether the tree still existed, if there was sturdy growth in the crown, if there was new growth evident in the past year, if there were no flaking, cracks, or cavities in the tree and if there were not any other plants restricting or encroaching growth. The average score from the assessment was 2.6 out of 5 and 16

trees did not exist anymore including three (the Broom, the Oak, and the Mezereom) which grew away from their original positions. Some trees turned out to be very fascinating and some would usually be a hedge instead of a tree (e.g., the Holly). There was also an Elderberry Tree growing next to the Dogwood and Lime which the children–30 years ago–did not plant there.

Overall, since 1992, most of the trees did very well and ended up growing to quite tall heights considering some trees were very restricted due to other obstructions like the Beech plantation blocking the sun out. Also, the Juniper was struggling to survive despite being overgrown with brambles.

In general, I really enjoyed the walk and assessing the trees based on their appearance and how well they were growing. I was happy to attend as it was a wonderful experience.

Oliver Lechowski – 12 Years Old

Juniper covered with Brambles

Students surveying trees

A BIG Thank You

To the Platinum Jubilee Organising Committee:

Olly Bramley and Maurelle D’Agostino

Roger Bramley

David Findley

Anne Freeland

Belinda and Simon Hughes

Phil Smith

Lynsey Sweeney

Additional Thanks to William Helen and David Wandless for so kindly using their vehicles and trailers to collect volumes of

Wonston Community Café

Despite a lower than usual turnout, our May café raised a fantastic £210 from sales of coffee and cakes for HART Wildlife Rescue. Over 40 visitors enjoyed the delicious cakes, with the bonus of seating outside in the sunshine. The next Community Café will be at the Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney, 9.30am–12 noon on Wednesday 20th July when we will be raising funds for Winchester Bereavement Support, a voluntary organisation offering support to bereaved people in Winchester and the surrounding area, either by telephone or through home visits.

furniture. Tables and chairs were stripped from Village Halls throughout the Parish! Also David and Suzy Findley of Micheldever Marquees for 35 trestle tables and 150 chairs provided FOC. Juliet and Tim Pattinson

We are a cash only café, last orders 11.45am, lots of free parking.

Donations to our monthly nominated charity are always welcome.

2022 dates/charities already confirmed are:

20th July Winchester Bereavement

17th August

RNLI

21st September Macmillan

Janis Kinnell

Church Services for Dever Valley Benefice

July 3rd Third Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret’s–South Wonston

Janet Ryan

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity–Wonston

Rev’d Neil Britton

5.00 pm Celebration of Holy Communion All Saints–East Stratton

Rev’d Rob Rees

July 10th Fourth Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Holy Communion St Margaret's–South Wonston

Rev’d Peter Brown

10.00 am Holy Communion All Saints–East Stratton

Rev’d Rob Rees

11.00 am Family Service Holy Trinity–Wonston

Ruth Guy

6.00 pm Evening Prayer St Mary the Virgin–Micheldever

Rev’d Rob Rees

6.00 pm Evening Prayer St Mary & St Michael–Stoke Charity

Roland Guy

July 17th Fifth Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Café Church St Mary the Virgin–Micheldever

Rev’d Rob Rees

10.00 am Morning Prayer St James–Hunton

Campbell Dye

11.00 am Praise Service for Patronal Festival St Margaret’s–South Wonston

Melinda Samms

11.00 am Morning Prayer Holy Trinity–Wonston

Peter Russell

6.00 pm Patronal Service with Holy Communion St James–Woodmancote

Rev’d Rob Rees

July 24th

Sixth Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret's–South Wonston

Roger Keys

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

Rev’d Neil Britton

11.00 am Morning Prayer Holy Trinity–Wonston

Campbell Dye

July 31st

Seventh Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Holy Communion Benefice Service St Mary the Virgin–Micheldever

Rev’d Rob Rees

August 7th Eighth Sunday after Trinity

10.00 am Holy Communion St Mary the Virgin–Micheldever

Rev’d Rob Rees

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

Rev’d Neil Britton

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret’s–South Wonston

John Walsh

10.00 am Morning Prayer with Baptism St James–Hunton

Rev’d Cliff McClelland

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

Sidesmen & Readers ~ St Mary the Virgin

July 10th

July 17th

Dever Valley Church Locations

All Saints East Stratton SO21 3XA ruffling.upstarts.disposing Holy Trinity Wonston SO21 3LS grub.dove.unpacked

St James Hunton SO21 3PX 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

Holy Dusters

St Mary the Virgin Week commencing Monday

4th Tricia & Charlotte

11th Maurelle & Andrea

25th Sue & Gail

Mowing & Path Sweeping

Andy Brown / Torquil Jack / Hugh Sandars / Simon Young

St James

Flowers and Cleaning Belinda Harvey & Mary Wallis

Micheldever Village Store

By the time you read this my credibility should have been restored! But this is not about me, this is about Rajeev. Rajeev has persevered through thick and thin to realise his aspiration–to create a village store in Micheldever. His determination, in the face of so many frustrations, can only be applauded. Hopefully, that determination will now be rewarded. The purchase was completed about a week before this magazine went to print. He will need around three weeks to get the premises sorted out and equipped, with

a view to opening as soon as possible in July. He will be in and around the store to make that happen. Rajeev will welcome you stopping by–to say “hello”, to welcome him to the village, to suggest what you might be hoping for from the store and, well, a chat–just as it should be in a village store. I am sure that you join me in wishing Rajeev a successful venture and that you are looking forward to having, once again, a shop in the village. CH

This edition of The Dever magazine is delivered FREE to every household in the Parish, together with a copy of the quarterly Advertiser which features local trades people. The Dever contains forthcoming events, church services, reports on local clubs, pre-school, city council and the parish council report amongst other articles, all of which affect us living in the villages of the Upper Dever Valley.

If you would like to receive a monthly copy of The Dever, which costs only £8.00 a year, (or £4 for the remainder of this year), please contact your local distributor who is listed on page 4.

You can now pay your subscription by bank transfer to:

The Dever Magazine, Sort code: 40-46-39, Account no: 52117150. please use SUB followed by your name as reference. Please remember to notify the distributor for your area.

International Musicians Head

For West Meon

This year’s West Meon Music festival, from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September, will have an impressive line-up of guest musicians joining the renowned Primrose Piano Quartet, which founded the annual event in 2011. Highlights include guitar legend John Mills, a student of the great Segovia, who will be joined by the Primrose’s cellist, Andrew Fuller, for a programme of Spanish and Latin American music for cello and guitar at East Meon church on the Saturday morning. Not to be missed on Sunday morning at West Meon church will be a recital by Bulgarian pianist Emanuil Ivanov, who has attracted international acclaim since winning the 2019 Ferruccio Busoni Piano Competition in Italy, at the tender age of 19. His programme will include Beethoven’s wonderful Moonlight Sonata, as well as glitteringly virtuoso works by Skryabin, Liszt, Busoni and Chopin. Those with a preference for the baroque will want to head to Warnford church on the Saturday afternoon for a duo recital by Huw Daniel, leader of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and harpsichordist Christopher Bucknall.

Not to be outdone, the Primrose’s evening concerts include some of the best-loved works in the repertoire with piano quartets or quintets by Beethoven and Mozart. The quartet will also be joined by some of the UK’s leading string players – Jonathan Martindale (violin), Norbert Blume (viola) and Kirsten Jensen (cello) – for Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor and Brahms’ String Sextet in G major on Sunday 11th, and for Franz Schubert’s final chamber work, the great String Quintet in C major, on Saturday evening.

Box office for the festival opens in mid-June and full details of all festival events can be found at www.westmeonmusic.co.uk.

The Primrose Piano Quartet

From Our MP Steve Brine

The majority of my constituents living in this community are fortunate enough to already be on the property ladder but this is not the reality everywhere which is why we’ve recently set out plans to turn Generation Rent into Generation Buy, supporting more people to achieve their dream of home ownership.

Our plan is built on strong foundations as last year there were over 400,000 first time buyers–a 20 year high–but we must go further.

The challenge facing first-time buyers today is far greater than anything we have seen before. It was only 20 years ago – in 2002 – that a home cost on average four and a half times average incomes. Today that multiple has risen to nine times average incomes and we all know our part of the world often exceeds even that.

Reforms in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill – now beginning its passage through Parliament–should support home ownership over decades to come. Yet as we all know, it is not enough just to build more homes, something we are already doing in the Winchester District. Action is now needed to unlock home ownership for more of our constituents which is why we have announced a review into the mortgage market along with measures to support people to save for a deposit, no matter their financial situation. The review, which will report back by

Autumn, will set out a blueprint for how to widen the availability of low-cost, lowdeposit mortgages that many of us relied on in the past to buy our first home.

There is also a generation of renters locked out of home ownership because of where they currently live. Close to 2 million council homes have been bought by families using their Right to Buy. We made longstanding commitments to deliver the same rights to the 2.5 million households living in homes belonging to housing associations, but they remain trapped. They cannot buy, they don’t have the security of ownership, they cannot treat their home as an asset, or make the improvements they want.

So we are righting that wrong. Over the coming months, this Government will work with the Housing Association sector to bring forward a new Right to Buy scheme. It will work for tenants, giving millions more the chance to own their home by 2024.

Steve with Pauline Latham MP and a well-known face, and my new friend, Bob Harris . Meeting your heroes is not always a bad thing!

There will be one-for-one replacement of each social housing property sold to learn the lessons of the past. Much is lost in the noise of Westminster ‘politics’ but this is really important and has my support.

Finally, in other news completely, I am working with my colleague Pauline Latham MP and ‘whispering’ Bob Harris (pictured) on a new health charity; the Aortic Dissection Trust. It’s a complex heart

condition which took Pauline’s son suddenly at just 44 years of age and we are determined to raise awareness of the often fatal condition when undiagnosed. You can see more at: aorticdissectioncharitabletrust.org

More at stevebrine.com but instant updates at fb.com/SteveBrineMP

Steve Brine

MP for Winchester & Dever Valley

Wonston Community Café

Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney

Third Wednesday of the month

9.30 am - 12 noon

20th July - Winchester Bereavement

17th August - RNLI

21st September - Macmillan

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!

Jackie’s County Corner for July

I’ve been campaigning for better broadband in my County division for about ten years now.

As government services started to transfer online by 2005, getting any functioning broadband at all was the first problem. This picture is of me with Dudley Rees as Gigabeam developed an alternative private service to which many of us still subscribe. The challenge is now for services delivering much faster speeds direct to every home…

Despite the promises, each improvement in internet speed proudly announced by Government only reaches around 95% of our homes; this leaves 1 in 20 homes lagging far behind. If you live in an area with fast speeds, the ‘rolling circle’ on your TV will be a distant memory, but to many of us, this still happens!

The Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) scheme was designed to enable communities to sort out their own service direct with providers registered by the Dept of Culture Media and Sport, the DCMS. This is not ideal, because if services are to be truly universal, it should be exactly that- available to everyone. From the start I have argued that we wouldn’t want to live in a home where water just dripped slowly out of the taps, so why would we want to live in an area of poor internet connectivity?

In June, at my request, HCC Scrutiny took a second look at the extremely slow roll out of the Government-led CFP scheme. The Government’s Broadband Delivery UK, BDUK refused the invitation to come along. In the face of increasing uncertainty that the last 5% of homes will benefit from the commercial rollout,

I have urged the County to extend their budget for these schemes for another year, which could help get these schemes become a reality in our rural communities. More details are on my website: if you have a query, please contact me.

Thank you to everyone who hosted, helped and/ or attended events to make the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations so special for us all. I didn’t want to pick out just one photo- there were so many events of all shapes and sizes! I’m sure you’ll agree that it was a great weekend, all in honour of Elizabeth II’s reign for 70 years. Please don’t forget:

If you are hosting a Ukrainian family, why not go along to the WCC Support Hub at The Guildhall on Tuesday morning

from 10 to 12 noon. All guests and hosts welcome, refreshments provided.

Hampshire County Council is asking for your views on proposed changes for local and community transport. The consultation closes on the 24th July. Go to www.hants.gov.uk/passengertransport-consultation or phone 0300 555 1388 for a paper copy.

I really hope that you can enjoy these precious summer months! But if you need help, details are below. Cllr Jackie Porter, tel/text 07973 696 085, email: Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk, www.jackieporter.co.uk

The Dever Valley Federation

Would You Like To Help Future Generations?

The Dever Valley Federation is seeking to recruit new members to our Governing Board.

The Federation comprises of two rural, Church of England primary schools and we pride ourselves on our Family ethos, keeping the wellbeing and attainment of the children at the heart of all we do. Being a Governor is a fantastic way to give back to your community and to develop new skills and experience at the same time. We would welcome applications from anyone who would be interested in bringing their time and commitment to this rewarding role. Extensive induction and development training is offered.

Please contact the Clerk to the Governors for further information or to arrange an informal chat with an existing governor to discuss the role.

r.cousins@bartonstacey.hants.sch.uk

City Councillors’ News

The Government is funding the installation of energy efficiency improvements in private households – owner-occupied and private rentals. Grants of up to £25,000 per property are available to fit insulation, storage heaters, heat pumps, solar panels and heating controls. To qualify, the property must have a lower EPC rating (D or lower) and the household must either have an income of less than £30,000 per year or be in receipt of certain benefits. Apply to the Warmer Homes programme at www.warmerhomes.org.uk or call 0800 038 5737 (freephone). Contact one of us for more information.

The City Council has also reopened its small grants scheme, offering grants of up to £500 to charities, community groups and other not for profit organisations for one-off expenditure on projects, equipment or other items. You can apply at any time, with decisions made every three months. Contact the Community Grants team: grants@winchester.gov.uk or 01962 848 256.

We joined Wonston Parish Councillors to hear Southern Water outline their proposal for a scheme that will take waste water from Sutton Scotney to the treatment works at Harestock. Properties currently using the treatment works at Saddlers Close and Gratton Close will benefit from this scheme. Southern Water were confident that the capacity of the new drains would meet the future needs of the village, although councillors did not share that confidence. Southern Water hope that the new drain will be finished by the end of 2024, subject to permissions. The South Wonston Sustainability campaign to encourage a more sustainable community has been very well received. A similar group will launch soon in Wonston Parish following the successful launch of the Micheldever Greening campaign. Contact one of us for more details.

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 6th July

Wonston PC Wednesday 13th July

South Wonston PC Monday 11th July

Stephen

Cllr Stephen Godfrey

119 Downs Road

South Wonston

SO21 3EH

Tel: 01962 884477

sgodfrey@winchester.gov.uk

The Warren Centre.

Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney.

South Wonston Pavilion. All meetings start at 7.30pm.

Caroline

Cllr Caroline Horrill

Wheatlands

Woodman Lane

Sparsholt

SO21 3SH

Tel: 01962 776844

chorrill@winchester.gov.uk

Patrick

Cllr Patrick Cunningham

The Corner House

North Drive

Littleton

SO22 6QA

Tel: 07866 367897

pcunningham@winchester.gov.uk

Citizens Advice

Winchester District

I’ve got loads of problems with my house that I’ve been putting off fixing–a faulty boiler, a window that won’t shut properly, broken light fittings. The list goes on! I want to sort it out but I’ve had bad experiences with dodgy builders in the past. How do I find someone I can trust?

Making home improvements can be stressful, but there are a few steps you can follow to help it go smoothly. First, find a Trading Standards ‘approved trader’. You can look for one in your area online or use the Government’s approved trader scheme TrustMark.

It’s also worth checking if they’re a current member of a trade body. Trade bodies have codes of practice and can help resolve problems if things go wrong. Ask who they’re registered with and then check the trade body’s website.

For any gas and electric fixes, only use certified traders–it’s dangerous to use someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. You can check the Gas Safe Register for a list of traders and use a registered electrician who can certify their own work.

It’s always helpful to get references or recommendations where possible. Ask your friends, family or neighbours if they know of anyone they’d recommend. You can also ask the person you hire for examples of work they’ve carried out in the past.

Try to avoid contractors who won’t give references–it’s a sign they could be dishonest. When you find someone, ask for a written quote–this is different to an estimate. A quote is legally binding and the tradesperson can’t change it without a good reason–for example, if you ask for extra work

to be done. It’s worth comparing quotes from several contractors to make sure you’re getting a fair price.

Next, get a written contract. This should cover exactly what you’re paying for and everything you’ve agreed on, including timings, payments, who will pay for materials and any subcontractors if needed. When it comes to payment, it’s best to opt to pay in stages rather than upfront. Try to pay by card if you can–this can give you extra safeguards if something goes wrong. Finally, make sure your trader is fully insured. Keep copies of receipts and your written contract. These will be important as evidence if things go wrong. It’s also helpful to take photos of any problems if they arise. If you have a problem with a contractor and you’re not sure what to do, call the national Citizens Advice consumer helpline 0808 223 1133 or if you’d like to talk to a local adviser at Citizens Advice Winchester District, call 0808 278 7861.

Lesley Rose, Advice Services Manager for Citizens Advice Winchester District gives advice on what to do when you’re looking to employ someone to make repairs to your home .

Your Organic Garden in July

July is the month when all the hard work pays off. Herbs and flowers are fragrant, and the soil rich with your homemade compost. After the rush of May and June growth, you can relax a little and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Soil matters

Cover all bare soil with mulches to prevent moisture loss. For instance, grass clippings piled thickly onto layers of newspaper (6 – 8 sheets). Before applying mulches, hoe off any weeds and water dry soil well.

As you add material to the compost heap, mix greens (nitrogen rich) with browns (carbon rich) at a 50/50 ratio. Dry heaps will need watering. Turning the heap will aerate it and speed up decomposition. If you have a worm bin, make sure it doesn’t get too hot and kill the worms.

Vegetables

If your first sowings failed, there is still time to sow lots more veg through July for late summer and autumn cropping (including French beans for a September crop).

Before going on holiday, hoe, weed and mulch to keep weeds under control and the soil moist, while you are away.

Sow a green manure crop if you still have large areas of bare ground. Suitable for this month are buckwheat, mustard, phacelia, crimson & red clover, fenugreek and trefoil.

Fruit

July is the month that the fruit garden comes into its own. However, once a crop has been harvested, remove protective nets to allow birds back in; they will continue to pick off pests over the rest of the summer.

Thin out apples and pears, particularly if you have a heavy crop. Firstly remove any diseased, damaged or unusually small

fruits. Then carefully reduce numbers to no more than 2 or 3 per cluster. You will get larger sweeter fruits as a result.

If you have not mulched under your strawberries with straw, do not delay. It helps to reduce grey mould (botrytis). Once fruiting has finished, cut off old leaves to prevent disease.

Summer prune red and white currants (not blackcurrants) and gooseberries. This allows more air circulation, lets light in to ripen the fruit, and reduces disease. Trim back all side shoots to 3 or 4 buds from their point of growth and cut out crossing shoots in the middle of the bush.

Herbs

Mulch around moisture-loving herbs, such as agastache, basil, chamomile, coriander, fennel, mint, bergamot, silver tansy and sweet mace. Use grass mowings and newspaper layers, after watering.

Let herbs flower to encourage and feed pollinators. Many have edible flowers, such as borage, bergamot and chives.

Flowers

Hoe and remove weeds regularly, before they have a chance to seed. For perennials with deep roots, use boiling water or a flame-weeder. Treatment must be frequent to prevent plants making growth.

Cover bare soil where moisture can evaporate, either with mulches (compost, grass cuttings on newspaper–after watering) or with ground cover plants.

Keep watering plants in dry spells, especially climbers, growing at the base of a wall or fence. This always tends to be a dry spot even in heavy rain, and these plants frequently suffer from powdery mildew, induced by dryness at the roots. Roses can get black spot. Save almost-clean water from

salad and vegetable washing, for use on the garden. Don’t use water that has had strong soaps, detergents or cleaning fluids added.

Keep bird-baths topped up and clean. Birds are superb pest-predators, feeding aphids and small caterpillars to their young.

Many flowers are delicious to eat. They make colourful additions to salads and other dishes. Below is a list of flowers safe to eat - do not try other flowers without expert advice, some can be poisonous.

Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Heartsease (Viola tricolor)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Violet (Viola odorata)

Pinks (Dianthus sp.)

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Bergamot or Bee balm (Monarda didyma)

Day lily (Hemerocallis sp.)

Rose (Rosa sp.)

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)

Greenhouse

Leave doors open on warm sunny days for good ventilation to discourage disease build-up.

Nip off and destroy any diseased leaves on sight; botrytis (grey mould) and other pathogens will spread if given a chance

Don’t over-water, and avoid wetting leaves when watering. Wet leaves = spore germination

Use biological controls (Nematodes) to prevent pests such as red spider mite, whitefly and sciarid fly. Biological control is less effective when an infestation has been allowed to build up. Squish pests by hand (wear gloves if squeamish), until the biological controls arrive.

In the conservatory, check for vine weevils and use a nematode for control, treating every pot. They particularly like fuschias, heucheras and succulents.

Lawns and hedges

Grass is a drought survivor so don’t bother to water your lawn in dry spells, even if it starts to turn yellow and brown. It will recover very quickly when the rain does come.

In hot weather, raise the mower cutting height to at least 3-4cm. Cutting it shorter weakens the grass.

Leave the box off the mower. The clippings will rot speedily in warm weather, returning valuable nitrogen to the growing grass. Alternatively, any collected mowings can be used (over layers of newspaper) as mulches to retain moisture around plants. Always mulch onto moist soil. Or add to the compost heap, alternated with dry, carbon rich, material–such as straw, cardboard and crumpled up paper.

Trim back hedges now, but still check for active nests. Some birds have several broods each year.

If the hedge looks straggly and feeble, add garden compost to help stimulate growth long-term.

Ponds

Use rainwater to top up ponds; tap water can be too high in nutrients, encouraging algal growth.

Rake out any blanket weed that has formed. Leave it by the side of the pond for a couple of days, so any creatures caught in it can return to the water. Then add it to your compost heap.

Remove duckweed regularly, daily if necessary. Blast off water lily aphids with a strong jet of water.

Forthcoming Events 2022

Micheldever Village Lunch – Northbrook Hall

2nd 7 .30pm Micheldever Parish Council – The Warren Centre

December

7th 7 .30pm Micheldever Parish Council – East Stratton Hall

July Diary

3rd 8 .00am Ellis Journey Breakfast – The Dove Inn

6th 12 .30pm Micheldever Village Lunch – Northbrook Hall

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

20th 9 30am Wonston Community Café – Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney

Hall Booking

East Stratton Hall 01962 774517, Northbrook Hall 07731 952705, The Warren Centre visit www .thewarrencentre .co .uk/hire

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

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

FRIDAYS 2.00–4.00 pm Community Library, Northbrook Hall

Platinum Jubilee - Champagne Breakfast at The Half Moon & Spread Eagle - Photo Marian Jack

Platinum Jubilee - Flower Festival at St Mary the Virgin church - Photos Colin Filmer

MICHELDEVER FETE & DOG SHOW