The Dever May 2023

The Dever

The Journal of the Dever Valley

Bazeley Copse - Photos by Lynsey Sweeney

See

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.

St.

Holy Trinity Wonston

Church Wardens

Sarah Hobhouse 01962 760003

St Margaret's South Wonston

Melinda Samms 01962 761036

St

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

The Dever

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

Articles for June issue to be received by the editor before 15th May please.

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

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Dever Advertiser

Just A Thought

Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant–a bite at a time.” Of course, what he meant by this is that everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible, can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. What wise words because, as we look around, whether it be locally, nationally or internationally, there seem to be so many daunting things. But, returning to the “bite at a time”, all of us can actually make a difference. A prime example of this is nature. We hear of the decline in so many species and it would be easy to simply stand by and observe, while doing nothing about it. But all around us there are people working to slow down and hopefully reverse the decline. For example, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is achieving amazing things, both on land and around the coastline.

In our localities, or even in our own gardens, we can also make a difference. For example, making highways for hedgehogs, a species in decline, by making sure there is an opening between gardens. What about those nettles which to us might be unsightly, but to butterflies they are vital as places to lay their eggs? One thing which caught my eye earlier this year was the migration of hundreds of toads, which often involves them having to cross roads, something which is fraught with danger. However, they are helped in some places by people acting as ‘toad marshals’. Perhaps you could become one of them!

The Bible has got a lot to say about nature, not least that we should be looking after it. A quote in Psalm 8 says: “You (God) have put mankind in charge of everything you made; everything is put under mankind’s authority: all sheep and oxen, and wild animals too, the birds and fish, and all the life in the sea.”

So, it seems to me that if we all play a part in “eating the elephant–a bite at a time”, we could start to reverse so much of nature which has been in decline.

Iain Henderson

News from Woodmancote & Popham

What a lovely Easter Sunday it was this year! The sun was shining, the daffodils and primroses were out and it felt like a “good” day. The Easter Service at Woodmancote was taken by a lovely Vicar, Vanessa Cole, from the Registry, who really got us all thinking about how it would have been to find Jesus’s body gone from the tomb–a “where were you when?” moment. Like other moments in our lifetimes that we remember where we were when – such as when the Queen died for example, or 9/11–both “Where were you when …….” moments. It was so lovely to see children in the Church and having fun with the Easter Egg hunt in the churchyard afterwards, while we all enjoyed hot cross buns and coffee. Sometimes, you don’t feel like going to Church as it seems there are too many other

things to do. I’d just come home from a week away and that morning I was thinking exactly that, but after the Service, I oddly felt so much more laid back about my long list of jobs. In actual fact I probably needed to go to Church that morning more than ever, to take that time to get what is really important in our lives into perspective–and that wasn’t really my long list of jobs!

Monday 8th May is ‘The Big Help Out’, a day for volunteering and service and to shine a light on the thousands of volunteers in our nation. Many churches across the country are taking part in this initiative. St James is planning to carry out an hour of litter picking on the approaches to and through the village of Woodmancote. Meeting at the church at 10.30 and coffee etc will be served afterwards. Our ever popular Rogation Walk will be held on Sunday 21st May starting at the church at 3pm, stopping for a wonderful tea along the way and finishing up back there at 6pm. Jane.

Wednesday 3rd May 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 3 rd May

East Stratton Village 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 .

Micheldever Fundraiser .

Sitting watching the news of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in late February, it was quite clear that more needed to be done than the quick, conscience clearing donation to one of the humanitarian disaster funds.

A conversation with the Turkish barber in Winchester resulted in an introduction to a team of Turkish ladies who were doing amazing things to raise funds for specific needs in their home communities that they knew so well. Some six or seven ladies were cooking great rafts of Turkish delicacies to sell in the surrounding markets–and getting stunning responses.

And so it was that a fundraising venture was launched to capitalise on their skills and bring it to Micheldever village. This was going to be an interesting challenge as their previous locations had been in marketplaces where there were already significant numbers of possible purchasers in the overall footfall. In Micheldever those purchasers would have to be enticed to a specific event.

The village pub, the Half Moon and Spread Eagle, enthusiastically offered their beer garden and agreed to open early to provide additional support–both in terms of hot drinks, as well as the obvious delights, and running a raffle on behalf of the fundraiser, donating a three course meal in the pub as the prize, subsequently won by Suzi Findley.

The weather could prove to be a challenge–and duly was! Proper cover from the elements was necessary for both the stall of delicious food, the stallholders and those surveying to what they were going to treat themselves. Without a moment’s hesitation, the local company Pole to Pole generously supported with a marquee, including the manpower to erect and drop it. The message needed to be got out as widely as possible. This was achieved with the delivery of a flyer, generously printed by Dever Printing, to every household in some 8 local communities. And, of course, social media played an important role.

Recognising that the parking at the Half

Moon and Spread Eagle was finite and it was impossible to gauge what kind of need there would be, additional parking was sought. Mr Attwood kindly made his field adjacent to the pub available as an overflow facility. As the day approached, the only overflow that the field was likely to accommodate was water and the use of the field would be madness. A local farmer, Mr Peter Crosswell, was quick to release the hard standing around the barns on the Winchester Road as an alternative.

And so the day arrived, Saturday 1 April, the date evoking the cry of “you have to be

Micheldever Fête 2023

Unfortunately, the advertised date of 15th July for this year’s fête is now impossible to achieve.

As stated last year, the Micheldever fête is the Church Fête and raises money for St Mary’s church. The PCC has reviewed what is possible and by when it might be achieved. Therefore, it is intended to hold this year’s event on Saturday 9 September.

Please make a note of this date in your diaries! We would love to have your support.

joking” as the rain fell in torrents. Undaunted, all was prepared and ready for those hardy enough to venture out. And many did. A brisk 4 hours of business to a steady flow of people from the many surrounding villages resulted in £3000 being raised, A sum that enables a living container–a container converted into a two bedroom mobile home–to be provided on the ground in Turkey for a homeless family. A fantastic outcome for which thanks go to all those who made it possible and the unquestionable generosity of the local communities. Thank you.

The word “event” is deliberate. We would like to create something that is more “intimate” and a little different. Clearly, detail is being addressed as this Dever goes to print. We will keep you informed of the evolving detail in each of the Dever magazines between now and 9 September.

We look forward to the fresh opportunity that now arises. Look out for the next update in the June Dever magazine.

Micheldever PCC

The Solent Cellar visits Micheldever Wine Circle

Terroir + Grapes + Climate = Wine

On Friday 24th of March we were thrilled to welcome Simon and Kate from The Solent Cellar. Simon is the owner/manager of this independent wine shop in Lymington which serves both the New Forest and further afield, including delivery to Micheldever.

In Simon’s words this was “an evening in which we will taste some classic grape varieties or blends against some unique styles that have been made in very different terroirs to create a unique take on the classic. An opportunity to explore how different terroir and climate can create a very different interpretation on the same varietal”

Simon’s experience and knowledge took us on a great wine tour!

On this evening 6 wines were paired so we could taste how the different environments in which they were grown

had influenced the flavours and attributes. Firstly we tasted two elegant Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire Valley in France and Marlborough in New Zealand. Opinion was divided almost equally! Then followed a pair of intriguing Pinot Noir wines, one from Burgundy in France and the second from the Yarra Valley Australia. We learnt Pinot is often expensive as it’s a very difficult grape to grow because of the very fine skin, meaning it is susceptible to extremes of temperature and also disease.

Finally we tasted two full bodied & delicious red wine blends from Bordeaux and South Africa. The fuller red wines are tasted last and can often command higher prices, so we were very surprised to find the Stellenbosch available for £8.09 (with 10% discount in the evening)!!.

I haven’t yet been to visit the store but have had a good look at the excellent website. There really is a great selection of wines at all prices, including pre-mixed cases. They also hold free wine tastings in the shop every Saturday as well as bookable tasting events.

Find out more at thesolentcellar.co.uk or by calling 01590 674852.

DMA (thewinecircle@gmail.com)

MICHELDEVER STATION

The community created by the station .

Tuesday 2nd May -

Thursday 29th June 2023

This exhibition will be on display for 2 months in the Foyer of the Hampshire Record Office in Winchester.

A 14-panel, poster display compiled in order to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of our station in 1840 and first displayed in Warren Hall, Micheldever Station on 8th May 2022.

The HRO is a 2-minute walk from Winchester railway station and Car Parking is available closeby in Gladstone Street or Tower Street.

The link on the HRO website gives the details

https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/archives/events/ micheldever-station-2may-29jun23

It is FREE but prospective visitors are strongly advised to check the OPENING HOURS beforehand.

In addition to the poster display there is a glass cabinet of artefacts.

The Hampshire Record Office is an interesting building in its own right being the most recent, and youngest, building to be awarded Grade II Listing.

With thanks to members of the Dever Valley Local History Society , and The Dever Society who assisted the Micheldever Station Heritage Group in achieving this collection of local information.

Wonston Community Café

The March café in aid of the BOAZ project raised an amazing £610, a record for our café to date. £485 was raised through sales of coffee and cake, with a further £125 from the sales from the BOAZ stall, ably run by café volunteer Barbara Harvey with Sally Ratcliffe, another BOAZ volunteer. Rachel Masker, Tom and Andrew joined us later to meet and greet the café customers, don Boaz aprons, and answer lots of questions. In fact Tom turned up just as Barbara was explaining the Boaz poster (he’s in it) on the stage to a group of customers which amused them a lot ..…great timing! Thanks also go to Emily who helped make the tasty lemon drizzle cakes donated by BOAZ. The Wonston Community Café team would like to say how delighted we are to have such generous customers.

It was a very busy, and jolly morning, with a record number of cyclists from Tracey’s ‘Breeze Cycling group’, also a good turn out from the Norton Park Aqua group after their pool session, several walkers and a WI walking group, as well as the many regulars and locals. In total we had about 100 customers during the morning. The Café team were run off their feet, and thanks go to all the volunteers, including Ollie and Melie, the grandchildren of one of our volunteers who helped on the day.

The next Wonston Community Café will be at the Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney, 9.30am–12 noon on Wednesday

17th May.

This month we will be supporting the Church Pantry Food Bank – a local initiative to support families in need. The new Church Pantry Food Bank is now open in the shed adjacent to the Coach and Horses pub 3 times per week as follows:-

Mondays 5–7pm

Wednesdays 2–4pm

Fridays 9–11am

It offers non-perishable foods and hygiene products at no cost to those who need help in providing for themselves or their family. This is an initiative by Wonston  Church and by kind permission of the landlord David. It is stocked by donations from local residents. Please tell anyone you know who might be finding it tough to make ends meet at the moment. 2023 dates/charities already confirmed are:

17th May Wonston church pantry

21st June Sutton Scotney

defibrillator upkeep

Please do come along to support the 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.

Janis Kinnell

Parish Council News

2023 Parish Assembly

This year’s assembly was held at Northbrook Hall on 19th April. The Parish Council would like to extend their thanks to Micheldever resident, Katherine Walker, who gave a very interesting demonstration and talk about public access defibrillators. Katherine has led the very successful fundraising for a device in Micheldever and this will soon be installed outside Northbrook Hall.

Katherine has also kindly volunteered to arrange community training in the use of the defibrillator and basic life support measures including CPR and management of choking, in conjunction with the installation of the 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.

The meeting also celebrated the award recently made by the Mayor of Winchester to Councillor William Helen, in recognition of his 25 years of public service as the Chairman of the Parish Council.

Community Emergency Plan

The Parish Council have begun the process of writing a Community Emergency Plan. It is hoped that it would never be necessary to implement the plan but if there were an emergency situation in the Parish could you help? Do you have a 4 x 4 vehicle, generator or pump? Are you trained in First Aid or have other skills that might be called upon in an emergency?

All of these might be useful and details are retained in case they are needed but we are also seeking two or three individuals who would be prepared to act as Co-ordinators in

the event of an emergency being declared. Please consider if you may be able to help and contact Jocelyn (as below).

Village(s) Spring Clean

A Village Spring Clean is to be held in Micheldever on the afternoon of the Coronation Volunteering Day on 8th May. Thank you to those who have already volunteered but there is room for more.

Events could also 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. 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.

Community Spirit

The Parish Council would like to thank residents who take action to improve their community and assist their neighbours. Many go unrecognised but litter gets collected, branches and other hazards cleared and fly tipping reported so thank you.

In April, local resident David, cleared a large quantity of branches from Winchester Road.

Road flooding has been an issue in the recent rain and is often caused by the grips (channels dug into the verges) becoming blocked. If flooding occurs outside your property please check if clearance of the highway verge is needed.

Although the land is usually owned by the highways authority, it is the neighbouring homeowners responsibility to keep the grips and gullies clear.

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

Coronation Big Help Out Community Project

As our Coronation Big Help Out in the Community Project we are planning to paint the exterior of the pavilion at the Lord Rank Playing Field on Monday 8th May from 9am – midday. We would welcome your help, if only for an hour.

Paint and brushes will be provided. Please contact Olly 01962 774516 orb@bramleys.org or Maurelle 01962 774395 l.dagostino@btinternet.com for more information. Thank you.

The Dever Society AGM

Tuesday 23rd May 2023 at 7:30pm

The Warren Centre, Micheldever Station, SO21 3AR

After the formal business, Cllr Jackie Porter, Chair of WCC’s Local Plan Advisory Group, and Cllr Martin Tod, WCC Leader, will update us on Winchester’s Local Plan, planning developments and the implications for the proposed new town at Micheldever Station

Please join us – all welcome

The Dever Society works to conserve, protect and celebrate Hampshire’s rural heartland

admin@deversociety.org - www.thedeversociety.org

Gardening Tips from Hardy’s Plants

Drought tolerant plants–Iris.

Not all Iris are drought tolerant, in fact, some of them are marginal water plants. However, for the purpose of this article we are going to take a look at those that love to bake their rhizomes in the sun.

In particular Iris germanica, commonly known as the bearded Iris are stout and showy stalwarts of late Spring and early Summer and are Rhizomatous perennials.

A rhizome is a creeping underground root which in the case of these plants, is a swollen root that will pull itself to the surface of the soil and soak up as much heat as it can get.

Over time these roots will spread out making a large patch of rhizomes that will stop almost anything else from growing through. They can be lifted when dormant and split to make new plants. Just make sure that there is at least one toe (upward growing shoot) on each section of rhizome and discard the woody centre of the patch.  Plant so that the majority of the rhizome is just below the surface and it will root down, anchoring itself firmly, and then slowly expand the rhizome towards the surface and all the heat it can harness. Separating

established clumps in this way will ensure that you get the maximum amount of flower. The stems are strong and can hold the flowers aloft without the need for staking. If planted in the shade however, they will extend and lean towards the light. Add grit to the mix when planting if your soil is heavy. They need good airflow so the humidity does not build up. For this reason, they are often grown in Iris only beds to great effect. Don’t plant other plants too close as this can shade the plants as well as slow airflow. After flowering, cut back the spent stems to stop the plant being rocked in the wind. Available in almost every colour even near black, there is likely to be an Iris for almost everyone’s taste.

This is an edited version of an article in our last Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants newsletter. For the whole piece, including more tips on planting, go to www.hardyscottagegardenplants.com to sign up to Hardys Gardeners, or Visit us in Priory Lane, Freefolk, RG28 7NJ

Church Services for The Dever Benefice

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

May 14th

6th Sunday of Easter

10.00 am Holy Communion St Margaret's - South Wonston

tbc

10.00 am Informal Service St James - Hunton

Iain Henderson and Neil McSparron

10.00 am Holy Communion with Baptism All Saints - East Stratton

Rev’d Rob Rees

11.00 am Morning Prayer Holy Trinity - Wonston

James Gray

May 21st

7th Sunday of Easter

10.00 am Café Church St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Mary Cleal

10.00 am Holy Communion St Mary the Virgin - Micheldever

Rev’d Rob Rees

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston

Rev’d Neil Britton

3.00 pm Rogation Service St James - Woodmancote

Rev’d Rob Rees

6.00 pm Evensong St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

Rev’d Christine Smith

May 28th Day of Pentecost Whit Sunday

10.00 am Morning Praise St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Daniel Phelps

10.00 pm Informal Service with children’s activities St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

Ruth and Roland Guy

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston tbc

June 4th

Trinity Sunday

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

10.00 am Café Church

Rev’d Rob Rees

10.00 am Morning Prayer St Margaret’s - South Wonston

Roger Keys

11.00 am Baptism St Mary & St Michael - Stoke Charity

tbc

11.00 am Holy Communion Holy Trinity - Wonston

Rev’d Rob Rees and Claire Bentham

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

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

Cleaning - week beginning Monday 1st Jo and Sheila 15th Helen and Jane

Flowers - from Friday 5th Julia Smart and Marian Jack

St James Gillie Ballard and Karen Taylor

Learning Support Assistant & SEN Support

Closing date: May 19th 2023

Job Start Date: June 2023

Contract/Hours: Negotiable hours – Fixed Term Contract – Initially to 1/1/2024

Salary Type: Support Staff

Salary Details: Grade & salary depending on experience. From £18887 FTE

Hours of Work: 27.5 hours per week / 39 weeks per year (+ 5 hours lunch cover)

Suitable for a job share: Yes

Location of Role: Micheldever CE Primary School – Part of Dever Valley Federation

Job/Person Summary

We are looking for a caring, nurturing and motivated person, who wants to make a positive impact on our children’s’ learning experience, to join our school family as a Learning Support Assistant.

We want every child to have an opportunity to be the very best they can be, and we strive to offer immersive learning experiences through our enquirybased approach which enables them to move towards this goal, supported by caring adults they can trust.

The Dever Valley Federation Schools are two successful village schools who work closely together as a team to provide excellent education and personal growth for our children - Micheldever CE and Barton Stacey CE Primary Schools make up our successful Federation. Our Federation vision, below, underpins everything we do.

‘Like the river running through our valley, The Dever Valley Federation is a place of life. Everyone is welcome in our family where we grow, learn and achieve alongside one another. The gifts given to us by God

support us in our journey; Love binds us together, Trust keeps us together, Forgiveness transforms us and Hope carries us forward through life.’

The post involves supporting pupils with additional needs and supporting class learning. The following are the qualities we are looking for in an applicant.

• A caring, non-judgemental approach

• Able to use initiative and prioritise, demonstrating a flexible approach

• A child-centred person willing to create, nurture and build trusting relationships

• Strong communication skills

• A patient individual with a consistently calm and positive approach

• Resilient and hard working

• A team player

Experience of working or volunteering with children is desirable but not essential, as is knowledge and experience of supporting pupils with communication, social, emotional and mental health needs.

We can offer you a supportive and inclusive staff team of friendly, dedicated professionals, opportunities for professional development and a school full of amazing children.

Application Procedure

For an application pack or to arrange to visit the school, please contact Mrs Christine Ball (Federation Business Manager) at c.ball@bartonstacey.hants.sch.uk or phone 01962 760340 or 01962 774213

Micheldever Open Gardens

Sunday 25th June

2pm to 5pm

Many wonderful gardens will be open

Tickets £6 – children free

Teas, cakes and Pimms

In aid of St Mary’s Church

Jackie’s County Corner for May

So many people complain about dreadful potholes everywhere.

I am worried that the public aren’t looking ahead now when they drive but look down at the road to swerve round the next deep hole in the roadway. Flooded roads means that holes are often unseen until your tyre bursts. Residents are having to pay out for a new tyre or wheel but unfortunately in most cases, HCC refuses to accept their claims for compensation.

Hampshire received £5.954m of the £200m Government budget announcement and has informed county councillors how this will be spent. They will continue to tackle them as they do now. But I know that many of you (like me) are frustrated by the ‘one complaint, one patch’ method, when you can see holes not mended in the same vicinity in one visit.

HCC say the primary objective of the programme will be to deploy more smaller patching teams that can focus on fixing potholes and other localised defects across the road network. HCC will utilise the existing ‘Dragon Patchers’ and other established repair techniques. The Director estimates that the extra money should enable HCC to repair up to 40,000 more potholes. Please continue to report highway issues online at www.hants.gov.uk/ transport/roadmaintenance

Once logged, you can review the status of reported issues.

If you are struggling with this system, just email your complaint noting the site, preferably with a picture and/or a what3words location if in rural areas to roads@hants.gov.uk

and copy to me. Thankyou.

Community First Funding Fayre

I recently joined a ‘funding fayre‘, sponsored by WCC, to see if there are any tips to help you and groups in your area. It was really useful, and if you need general funding advice, Community First is an excellent place to start. www.cfirst. org.uk County Councillor Grants start again in June: contact me for details.

Bus Service changes

Although the £2 fee (running until 30th June) has been popular, the bus services in Winchester district are changing with some bus cuts too. The new timetable is on the Stagecoach website, but changes are as extensive as the weblink, so I’ve created a tinyurl which works too: https:// tinyurl.com/BusChangesApril23

Use of buses has declined since Covid, and recovery is slow- driver shortages contribute to this. These cuts and changes will be hard for students and keyworkers who rely on buses. No route in my division has been eliminated, but please contact me if anyone in your family is experiencing difficulties. I continue to campaign for a better early/late offer for all communities along the 86 route. School Places for Children starting school

The current HCC school transport

policy adversely affects children starting at rural schools with long journeys as the free school transport offer is not provided for children before the term after they are 5 (unless they are entitled to Free School Meals). If you are worried about getting your child to school please contact me without delay. I want to ensure that all parents are confident that transport arrangements are in place for September. Cart and Horses Junction

Cllr Nick Adams-King has again refused to

Show Me The Way To Weston Colley!

RoWVers take on jobs large and small across the parish, to keep our rights of way clear and signposted.

We reinstalled a Fingerpost at Weston Colley this month that had a bit of a wobble on it.

A bit of digging and half a bag of postcrete later, the post is shored up and should now be serving the good folk of Weston Colley, and visitors at the local Rivermead Campsite for a few more years. The post shows the way to a lovely little path that connects Weston to Norsebury

meet with local councillors on this matter, until the recent accident investigation is received. This is very disappointing. We have secured the principle of works when the M3 junction 9 work is being done, but this is subject to funding and only likely by 2027!

Like you I want to HCC to install earlier, simple and effective changes now.

Cllr Jackie Porter, text/tel: 07973 696 085, ansaphone 01962 791054

Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk

and Wonston, taking walkers on a more pleasant path than the main road, ultimately leading to Sutton Scotney on back lanes and river routes. Also at Weston is a Map Board sharing local history and mapping rights of way; well worth a wander.

Beautiful Bazeley: Make May The Month You Go!

The Micheldever Parish Rights of Way Volunteers (RoWVers) were out in April, clearing the footpath at beautiful Bazeley  Copse, a local spot and a bit of a hidden gem. Situated just southwest of the village centre, access to the Copse is easy. Go along Sloe Lane to Borough Farm (admire the new thatch on the long old barn there), then take the track that runs to the side of the farm, up past two houses, following it for approx 1 mile to reach the bottom edge of the wood. Rights of way posts will lead you to that point and show you the way through; follow the natural track along, through and then gradually up, right to the top. You can then go down to the track adjacent to the open grassland alongside Bazeley and admire the view as you walk back down to your start. If you want to walk longer, leave the Copse, join the track, then turn left across a field path (signed) that takes you to the Alresford Drove. You can get your bearings and gather local info from the Map Board there, installed at the Drove by RoWVers.

Bazeley Copse is well worth a visit any time, but early May is the time to go! The bluebells are up and out, their scent is just emerging, and they carpet whole areas of the Copse.

The Copse is a registered ancient woodland; it contains the site of a Roman settlement, and to the west of the Copse (near the open grassland) is evidence of an earlier Celtic field system and an Iron Age banjo enclosure. Imagine the lives that have lived or passed through the Copse over the centuries; how lucky we are to have the woodland still and to enjoy it. In its recent history, one of our very own RoWVer volunteers proposed marriage to their beloved right in the heart of the Copse, and pleased to report all ended well!

Whatever gets you to Bazeley this May, go. Enjoy its beauty, peace and tranquillity; a chance to commune with nature and recharge the soul.

Wonston Community Café

Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney

Third Wednesday of the month

9.30 am - 12 noon

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!

A Festival With Wide Appeal

This year’s West Meon Music Festival, from 14th to 17th September, promises a wide range of classical music to appeal to all tastes: favourite chamber pieces, song and piano recitals, early music and composers from Monteverdi to Mahler, Schubert to Schoenberg. The festival, now in its thirteenth year, opens with the event’s founders the Primrose Piano Quartet, performing Brahms’ A major Piano Quartet as well as duo works by Mozart and Schubert. Friday evening sees a recital by Thomas Kelly – winner of numerous international piano competition prizes – followed by “Who’s afraid of Arnold Schoenberg?”an informal late night concert by the Primrose exploring his work.

On Saturday 16th September the festival spreads out across the Meon Valley: in the morning the strings of the Primrose will perform a version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at East Meon’s historic All Saints Church while in the afternoon the beautiful twelfth century Church of Our Lady at Warnford hosts the Gonzaga Band performing works from the “Age of Monteverdi”.

On Saturday evening the Primrose are back at West Meon Church with Schubert’s Trout Quintet followed on Sunday by a morning recital of French Song with exciting young soprano Harriet Burns. The French theme continues for the “Festival Finale” in the afternoon with works by Fauré, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Françaix and Bizet.

Full details of all concerts are now available at www.westmeonmusic.co.uk and the box office opens on 1st June.

(PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DAY)

City Councillors’ News

REMEMBER: You will need PHOTO ID if you are voting in person at the local elections on Thursday 4th May 2023. There is just one election this year – for one of the three City Councillor positions to represent Wonston & Micheldever Ward. All normal polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. The public inquiry to determine the appeal against planning enforcement action at Carousel Park, Micheldever, has finally been scheduled. The inquiry will start on 26th September 2023 in Winchester Guildhall and run for 15 days on dates from September to December with a decision reached by mid-2024. Contact one of us if you have any questions or have points you want made.

In March, Donna Jones, the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner spoke at a public meeting in East Stratton. Following this meeting – arranged by Caroline –changes have been made to the police activity in Micheldever to tackle some of

the concerns raised. These included flytipping, anti-social behaviour and theft. By the time of publication, the new covert surveillance camera being funded by the Police Commissioner should have been deployed in Micheldever, giving real time intelligence and collecting evidence. We have been using the new online police reporting tools to report incidents, including the video uploading tool that is ideal for dashcam footage – search for Hants SNAP on your browser.

Caroline and Stephen attended a meeting organised by South Wonston Parish Council, bringing together the Hampshire highways chief, Cllr Nick Adams-King, and residents of Alresford Drove. Many ideas were put forward and we expect to see some of those put in place later this year. These should improve the safety and the appearance of Alresford Drove.

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 3rd May East Stratton Village Hall.

Wonston PC Wednesday 10th May Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney.

South Wonston PC Monday 15th May South Wonston Pavilion.

All meetings start at 7.30pm.

Stephen

Cllr Stephen Godfrey

119 Downs Road

South Wonston

SO21 3EH

Tel: 01962 884477

sgodfrey@winchester.gov.uk

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

From Our MP Steve Brine

A few years back, when I held the Public Health brief in Government, I published a robust tobacco control plan to drive down the number of smokers and support people to quit. Smoking is still the biggest preventable killer in our country so it’s the right thing to do.

Now, my successor is going further with an updated plan to help meet the ambition of being smokefree by 2030 –reducing smoking rates to 5% or less. Part of this will see one million smokers encouraged to swap cigarettes for vapes under a pioneering new “swap to stop” scheme.

As part of the world-first national scheme, almost one in five of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside support to help them quit the habit as part of a series of new measures.

Hampshire County Council will be invited to take part in the scheme and design a scheme which suits our needs, including deciding which groups to prioritise.

And following the success of previous schemes, pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to help them stop smoking. This will involve offering vouchers, alongside behavioural support, to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of next year.

Supporting more women to have a smokefree pregnancy will reduce the number of babies born underweight or underdeveloped with health problems requiring neonatal and

ongoing care. It will also reduce the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

I hear the government will also consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts with positive messages and information to help people to quit the habit. There will be a welcome crackdown on illicit vape sales as part of measures to stop children and non-smokers take up the habit – which is growing in popularity among young people.

NHS figures for 2021 showed that 9% of 11- to 15-year-old children used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018 so we must act.

The fact remains, up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly.

But for those who quit, the risk of heart attack is halved after one year of quitting, ultimately halving the likelihood of ending up in a hospital bed or worse.

Cutting smoking rates reduces the number of smoking-related illnesses needing to be treated, in turn reducing the pressure on the NHS, helping to cut NHS waiting lists.

All of this follows positive progress in

Steve’s visit to Downing Street to catch-up on various policy issues with the team

the recent decade; smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13%–the lowest on record thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services.

Last year an independent smoking review led by Javed Khan proposed a range of measures to help people stub out the addiction, which has informed many of the measures set out in this new plan.

You can search online at Gov.UK for the full details and you can hear me discuss this on my new podcast–Prevention is the

Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat

Organised by Micheldever Variety Group, ‘Play In A Week’ returned again this Easter.

Eleven incredibly talented children took part in the musical drama at Northbrook Hall. The show was again directed by the amazing Debi Rush, assisted by Susannah Lowe who single handedly ironed all the colourful fabric that decorated the stage.

Every child had multiple parts to play (lines to memorise) in addition to learning songs and dances in just five days culminating with a fantastic show on the Friday night.

Sound for the show was handled by Belinda Hughes with Andrew Tollyfield

new cure–which is recorded fortnightly and available on all the usual podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple.

It is a discussion on all things NHS and health with a political twist between myself and well-known GP Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard with occasional guests. Do give it a try and remember to ‘like’ the show if you enjoy our chat.

Long live the King!

Steve Brine

MP for Winchester & Dever ValleySteve Brine MP

operating the lighting. Both did a remarkable job with only one morning for the technical rehearsal.

A truly uplifting experience for all involved, with a promise from Debi to return with a new show next Easter! Keep your diaries open 29th March - 12th April 2024, and look out for future announcements.

Forthcoming Events 2023

June

1st 10 .00am Plant Sale - Micheldever village

3rd 1 00pm East Stratton Feté & Dog Show - The Green

7th 12 .30pm Micheldever Village Lunch - Northbrook Hall

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

21st 9 30am Wonston Community Cafe - Victoria Hall Sutton Scotney

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

25th 2 .00pm 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

September

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

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

9th Micheldever church Feté - St Mary the Virgin church

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

13th 12 .30pm Micheldever Village Christmas Lunch – 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

May Diary

2nd Micheldever Station exhibition (starts) - Hampshire Record Office, Winchester

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 12 00pm The Big Lunch + entertainment - The Lord Rank Playing Field

8th 9 .00am Community Project (see page 24) - pavilion at the Lord Rank Playing Field

8th 11 .30am Picnic in the Park - The Warren Centre Field

14th-20th Christian Aid Week

17th 9 .30am Wonston Community Cafe - Victoria Hall Sutton Scotney

19th 8 .00pm Micheldever Wine Circle - Northbrook Hall

23rd 7 30pm The Dever Society AGM - The Warren Centre

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

& & D o g D o g

S h o w S h o w

S a t u r d ay 3rd Ju n e 1 - 4p m

Join us on the village green, opposite the Northbrook Arms

Magician

Dog show

Gourmet Barbecue

Pimms bar

Grand draw

Sideshows

Jazz band

Free parking

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