December 2011 Discover Meon Valley

DECEMBER 2011

Your comprehensive reference guide for events, useful numbers and businesses serving the Meon Valley

Pippa Greenwood Hampshire Heritage Christmas Traditions Guide to buying a Winchester is so much Stockings, crackers real Christmas tree more than shops and puddings origins SEE INSIDE FOR ROYAL MAIL CHRISTMAS LAST POSTING DATES

01489 660022

Tania

Melanie

Well what an odd start to the winter we have had. Autumn seemed to start in about midAugust apart from a few days’ heatwave in September, and for months it has been bland nothingy sort of weather.

However as you read this magazine it will be December and we forget the grey skies (unless the Met Office promised big freeze has arrived and we are now shrouded in snow), the lights are on in the Meon Valley towns and villages, shops are bustling and Christmas celebrations are underway.

If you feel that the commercial aspect of Christmas is over the top – and I admit I do - then I find a generous charity donation always goes some way to salve the guilty conscience. On the subject of spending did you know that we buy over £120 Million a week of National Lottery tickets (that’s the UK ‘we’, not me and Melanie!). Yes a proportion of that spend goes to good causes, but people don’t buy lottery tickets purely for the charity element. Indeed it’s a staggering number when you consider the huge effort that goes into something like Children in Need to raise just £26 million.

I’ll leave you to mull that one over! Have a great Christmas everyone and here’s to 2012.

Tania Houston, Editor.

CONTENTS Monthly Feature – December Advertiser Feature – Counselling With Julie Chivers

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Fun Quiz – Christmas

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Gardening – A Real Proper Christmas Tree

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Working From Home – When A House Is Not A Home

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Puzzles

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That's A Funny Thing To Say!

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Seasonal Feature – Christmas Traditions

30

Hampshire Heritage

32

What's On

34

Poet's Corner – The Snowman

35

Regular Events

36

Information – Useful Numbers

37

Information – Index of Businesses

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Distribution - Discover Meon Valley is published every month and is distributed by our own carefully monitored team. We deliver through the door of 7500 Meon Valley homes. Copies of the magazine are also available for pick-up at local supermarkets, retailers, newsagents, hotels, restaurants, bars and fuel stations.

Advertising - We understand that the needs of a small business are quite different to those of a big company, and our advertising service is very much targeted at independent and local businesses. From advert design to general advice we are here to help you grow. For more details call Melanie on

01489 660022 or email melanie@discovermeonvalley.co.uk

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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DISCOVER MONTHLY FEATURE

December Look, I’m sorry. I’ve tried, but I just can’t. December IS Christmas, and that’s all there is to it.

And of course, it’s hard to find something to say about Christmas that hasn’t been said already, and by much better writers than me. But one thing springs to mind, and that’s my Christmas dinner without wine.

Not without a drink, you understand, that would be unthinkable! (For me, at any rate).

Usually, I’m in two minds about the right wine for the turkey.

Something light, white, and spicy to cut through the richness – a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, say? But then, although turkey is technically poultry, it still wants something pretty muscular to stand up to it. A Côtes du Rhone or even (if I’m feeling flush) a Châteauneuf du Pape?

One year I decided to have neither. Instead, I’d have beer. But which?

I’m a bit of a beer snob, so the more esoteric the beer the better. But as I live 20 miles from the nearest specialist beer shop, I went to the supermarket instead, where my eye fell on the Leffe twins, Blonde and Brune, from Belgium.

Leffe Blonde, served at around 4ºC in a chalice-style stem glass, was called on to challenge the turkey, and a noble fist it made of it too.

Although delicately flavoured for a beer of 6.6% alcohol, it had the body and the clout to stand up to roast potatoes and gravy; its slight sweetness also went very nicely with the turkey itself.

If Leffe Blonde was a match for the turkey, Leffe Brune was nothing short of a triumph with the pud. It’s recommended for spicy, rich food and/or chocolate, perfect for Christmast pud with brandy butter.

Brune at 6.5% alcohol, although sweeter than Blonde, is actually more bitter too, and it had just the right peppery bite to contrast with the pudding.

A year later I tried it again, but on a more adventurous scale, and this time with guests to impress. Instead of Champagne for an apéritif, I served flutes of well-chilled sparkling Belle Vue Kriek cherry beer with hot chestnuts and chunks of Toulouse sausage. Its slightly sour dryness was perfect.

Beer really came into its own when tackling the main course. Big, spicy Christmas ales with high ABVs and plenty of attitude can easily take on the rich flavours of turkey with stuffing (not forgetting sprouts and cranberry sauce): I went for Adnams Broadside at 6.3% alcohol and wasn’t disappointed.

Strong, dark beers are made for Christmas pudding: some are even called pudding ale. And they’re essential for making it, too: steep the dried fruit in a spicy ale (Robinson’s Old Tom at 8.5% is ideal) for at least 48 hours before adding it to the mix, then stir in the soaking liquor. The aroma while the pudding steams is the very spirit of Christmas and as you’d expect, a glass of the same beer is an admirable companion to the pudding.

And so: cheese. Beer goes far better with cheese than wine or port, especially with those British favourites, Stilton and Cheddar. So alongside our Christmas cheeseboard we cracked open two, a Burton pale ale in the form of Marston’s Pedigree and a traditional dark beer, Marston’s Owd Roger – pretty strong stuff at 7.3%, but hey, we were only sipping.

Finally, Fuller’s 1845, a rich strong ale and the perfect digestif. After that, we retired to the sofa, turned on the TV and fell fast asleep. I don’t remember who washed up. Probably one of the guests.

by Ted Bruning

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

Real food for today’s community making Kavanagh’s Budgens...

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The George & Falcon 4* Inn & Restaurant

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Thursday 22nd December Tiger Tim Ragamuffins live from 8.00pm Dine from 6.00pm – Booking Essential

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For Christmas Opening Hours see our website www.georgeandfalcon.com

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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Counselling with Julie Chivers (MBACP)

at Homewood Chiropractic Clinic

Counselling provides a unique, supportive relationship to explore reasons behind mental discomfort or distress. It can be a place to share this discomfort and feel less isolated with difficult feelings, or a place to understand possible causes, and with that understanding make choices to change patterns and make different decisions.

Fully qualified, member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, which in particular governs the code of ethics I operate under.

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Counselling with Julie Chivers: Family is the first social group we experience and no two families are the same. Jane Austen, in Pride and Prejudice, wrote of the Bennet Family. Mr Bennet, the quietly strong father and complicit husband; Mrs Bennet, the intense wife and anxious mother; and the daughters all different in their individual ways. And it worked very well for them.

Family is made up of individuals and developing relationships. If it works, all is psychologically well. However, for some people, family relationships can be a source of anxiety or confusion and Christmas brings this to the fore more than any other time of the year.

A client initially came to see me because he felt his wife was permanently jealous of his mother.

Family

Through our work together, he came to realise that following his father leaving home when he was 8 years old, he had taken the role of head of the house supporting his mother. Even though he was married now with children of his own, he was still trying to manage two households; wearing himself out trying to please his mother and his wife and feeling he was failing at both.

Through our work he was able to re-establish his relationship as a son to his mother and a husband to his wife, and to be successful in both.

Such situations are rarely resolved on their own and it’s only when we explore feelings and behaviours to uncover meaning that choices and changes can be made.

Next Month: New Beginnings To contact Julie see top right.

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

Kitchens and Carpentry Mint Kitchens and Carpentry is a family run business based in Bishops Waltham with over 19 years of qualified experience.

Services include: Fully fitted kitchens or refurbishments Skirting and Architraves Floor and Wall tiling Laminate and real wood flooring Door Hanging Decking And lots more…….

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Christmas 1. Tinseltown is a nickname given to which district of Los Angeles?

2. At the start of a famous Disney film, Jim Dear gives his wife a cocker spaniel puppy for Christmas. What do they call this puppy?

3. In the song Frosty The Snowman, what were Frosty’s eyes made out of?

4. In 1994, Canada Post issued a postal code for Santa’s Workshop. Consisting of the same one letter and one number combination repeated three times, what is this postal code?

5. Which EastEnders character died on Christmas Day in 2006?

6. Which of Santa’s reindeer has the same name as the Roman God of love?

7. Which 1994 film stars Tim Allen as a father who become contractually obliged to take on the role of Father Christmas after he puts on the previous Father Christmas’ outfit?

8. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, what is Tiny Tim’s surname?

9. In which fictional land is it always snowing, but never Christmas?

10. What is the total number of people that “my true love gave to me” in the song The Twelve Days Of Christmas, remembering that most gifts are given on more than one day?

Answers: Page 38

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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ÂŁ20

DISCOVER GARDENING I have to admit it: I LOVE Christmas… and if there is one part of it I’d hate to do without, it’s a Christmas tree.

No, I don’t mean a tinsley one or trendy black or brown one… I mean a tree complete with needles and ideally that wonderful aroma that only a real, proper Christmas tree can bring.

A Real Proper

Christmas Tree If you’re worried that real trees are not good for the planet, don’t forget that a British grown tree is most definitely not an ecological disaster zone – if you think about it, they’re a crop plant rather like a field of wheat except that they are generally given less fertiliser and fewer chemicals than many more run of the mill crop plants. So go on, make sure you buy one this Christmas!

There are a few things you ought to think about before you buy your tree, faced with rows of different types at often very varying prices. It can be really daunting, so have a read of my guide to real Christmas trees: The Norway spruce (Picea abies) is the traditional tree, my favourite but perhaps not a favourite if you are more house proud. It has gorgeous dark green pointed needles and that unmistakable aroma but sadly it is the most likely to drop its needles. Having said that, if you treat it well, it won’t perform that badly and you can enjoy the lowest cost of the real trees.

The Scots pine is now a regular option as a Christmas tree, with its long paired blue-green needles it’s quite distinctive. The needles are fairly densely packed on the branches and they also hold quite well.

The Serbian Spruce (Picea omorica) has long been the favourite festive tree in central Europe, as it’s good looking and has good needle holding… but of course no Christmas-tree smell!

The Nordman fir (Abies nordmanniana) has become increasingly popular in recent years, with its shiny green needles being almost impossible to shift, so certainly a good choice for those who hate any mess.

The Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) is less regularly available, but the combination of its good looks and needle holding capacity make it well worth considering.

So, you’ve been persuaded to take the plunge, I hope?

But how do you make sure you buy the best tree of the type you’ve decided on? And how do you help it keep its needles and its gorgeous appearance for as long as possible? It’s important not to buy a real tree too early as the longer they hang around after they’ve been cut, the more likely they are to go downhill. I always try to buy a tree produced by a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association – the BCTGA logo should be on the tree or clearly displayed nearby. Take a bit of time to choose the tree – check that it has a good, full shape and that its not too gappy ...Continued on page 16

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...Continued from page 15

or lop-sided (or if it has the leans make sure that this will be hidden when the tree is in your house). Check the needles - they need to be glossy (for those varieties where this is a characteristic) and the correct colour for the type of tree you’ve chosen. They also need to be free from pests and diseases - basically anything yellowed or inclined to shed, or with white fluffy bits should be avoided at all costs. Never buy a tree that has already been netted as this makes it a real lucky dip situation.

If you do buy one quite early then the most important thing is to keep it outside - just re-cut the end of the trunk (yes, its time to dig out your DIY saw) and put the tree in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot outside. If it was in a net when you bought it, remove this as it’s important to have air circulating around the needles.

When you bring the tree inside, try to avoid putting it anywhere too warm or close to a heat source and make sure that you use a stand with a water reservoir with water levels really well topped up – if kept well supplied with water then even the notorious (but

lovely) Norway spruce Christmas tree should hold its needles well.

When Christmas is over and it’s time for the tree to come down, complete the green-loop and make sure you recycle it – they’re not the easiest thing to recycle or compost at home, but many councils and garden centres now offer a recycling and Christmas tree chipping service.

Sign up for Pippa’s newsletter at www.pippagreenwood.com and you’ll receive a free e-book on organic gardening too. On Pippa’s website she also offers a new range of GYO essentials and a stylish ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ gift card, a perfect gift for Christmas, where the recipient receives their chosen garden ready veg plants in the spring and every week Pippa emails with topical hints, tips and advice. Vouchers priced from just £39 for up to 66 garden-ready plants, 6 packets of seed and the weekly emails

by Pippa Greenwood

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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The Complete Service Bathrooms

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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DISCOVER HOME

Working from home When a house is not a home Working from home may not be a bed of roses, but it’s not all bad either. On the plus side can be numbered no transport costs, no fixed hours, and no dress code (okay, I know you’ve spotted that three minuses don’t make a plus but what the heck, this is literature not maths). On the minus side are endless distractions, no colleagues (which might be a plus side), and no support systems.

Actually, though, that last minus can be a plus too.

(Sorry, this seam of plus/minus interchangeability isn’t quite worked out yet. Even though I failed my maths O level three times I’ve decided that this is a pleasing conceit, and I’m sticking with it). I’ve had to call out my IT guy so often now that we’re friends. Not boozing buddies exactly – we don’t know the dates of each other’s wives’ birthdays or anything like that – but he does advertise regularly in my little magazine and unless I get another Trojan I’ll be in credit with him by about April! So that’s all good.

The fact that we sold our home to buy a business and now rent a house neatly encapsulates both themes – the lack of support systems and the plus/minus interchangeability. When you own your own home, you’re financially responsible for everything that can go wrong with it. That’s a definite minus. When you rent, the landlord is responsible. Blocked gutters, a dodgy boiler, faulty wiring – they’re somebody else’s problem.

A definite plus.

Or is it? Because the one thing every office worker knows is that if your support system turns out to be more apparent than real – if the IT manager is a dork (not that that ever happens, of course), or if the courier charged with a vital delivery turns out to be map-illiterate (which does!) – you’re on your own, struggling through a molasses-like swamp of setbacks and let-downs to finish

that vital project knowing that if it doesn’t happen, you’ll be the one who carries the can.

Well, landlords can be rather like map-illiterate couriers – utterly unreliable and impossible to call to account.

They may not be bad people, but their imperatives are not yours. Heating broken down? In your own home, you’d have it sorted right away. But because your letting is his living, he has to find competitive quotes, which takes a few days – especially at Christmas which, thanks to the operation of sod’s law, it inevitably is.

In the meantime you have a bar-fire on in every room as well as the TV, DVD player, CD player, your son’s bass amplifier, computer, printer, fridge-freezer, all-electric oven, washing machine, tumble drier (because of course it’s winter), various alarm-clocks, laptops, mobile phone/ beard-trimmer/electric toothbrush chargers, hair driers, and other electronic what-not all plugged in and because the wiring – which should have been sorted out two weeks ago but is awaiting competitive quotes – isn’t up to the job, there’s a sudden blinding flash and you’re completely in the dark as well as freezing your bits off.

Raw turkey, anyone?

You’d rather pay out of your own pocket if only in the interest of speed. But because it’s not your property, you know that the heating, lighting, TV, and a functioning computer wherewith to earn your daily bread are someone else’s responsibility and therefore not for you to touch. A big plus... or an even bigger minus?

Paradoxes. They look neat on paper, but you wouldn’t want to live in one.

by Ted Bruning

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Treescape Advert_Layout 1 26/10/2010 09:35 Page 1

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

• N.P.T.C Qualified Tree Surgeons • £5m Public Liability Insurance • Emergency Call Out • Free Advice and Quotes • Logs and Kindling for Sale t: 01489 808677

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DISCOVER PUZZLES 1

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3 words

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JOE BLOGGS BORN: 11th FEBRUARY 1955 DIED: 23rd NOVEMBER 2011 REST IN PIECE

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©Puzzlepress.co.uk

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Pictograms Pictograms

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SYMPHON

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UP UP HA HA 24

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Across 1. Cut in two (6) 4. Item applied to a sprain in order to reduce swelling (3,3) 9. Betrayer of one’s country (7) 10. Major religion of the world (5) 11. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 12. Crocus stigmas used in flavouring food (7) 13. Rapid and intense programme of training (5,6) 18. Betting adviser (7) 20. Inuit dwelling (5) 22. Judicial proceedings in a court of law (5) 23. Resembling a lion (7) 24. Placed at intervals (6) 25. Chivalrous nobleman (6)

Down 1. Shirt fastener (6) 2. ___ Warne, former Australian international cricketer (5) 3. Sword (7) 5. Steep high face of rock (5) 6. Country, capital Minsk (7) 7. Star sign (6) 8. Curved section of seats in a theatre or opera house (5,6) 14. Reproduction (7) 15. One-horned beast of legend (7) 16. Position of a person in society (6) 17. Channel between England and the Isle of Wight (6) 19. Mark (~) placed over the letter ‘n’ in Spanish (5) 21. Deviating from the truth (5) Answers: Page 38

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

the tekkie people Plates PCs are your essential specialist IT support with over 10 years established experience.

We custom build, upgrade, service and refurbish all computers (both PC & Mac).

Expanding? Network generation also available.

Additionally, we offer a smartphone touch screen repair service.

Our outstanding customer service extends to home users right through to large corporate organisations.

Contact:

Wez Hall

Mobile:

07900 214436

Telephone:

01489 890970

Website:

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TeknoIT Solutions

Home Improvements

by RHP Design Kitchen Specialist Complete Design & Installation

COMPUTER PROBLEMS? NEW PC? FAULTY LAPTOP? NEED CCTV?

NOT GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR PC? Then call TeknoIT Solutions TODAY and let us turn your problems into solutions!

We are a well-established, professional IT and Media support company based in Hampshire delivering IT services, solutions & support to your business and home.

Think ‘IT’, Think ‘TeknoIT’

Tel: 01329 888 679

email: support@teknoit.co.uk web: www.teknoit.co.uk Follow Us on

• General Maintenance • Painting & Decorating • Plumbing • Flooring & Tiling

Fully Insured

For a local, reliable service Call Roland at RHP Design 01489 893019 or 07787 507778

That’s a Funny Thing to Say! To take down a peg or two – to lower someone’s high opinion of themselves It is likely this is of nautical origin and possibly relates to the flags flown on a ship. Flags were raised and lowered with pegs. Others argue that pegs have been used for measuring for centuries and that it may relate to measuring the amount of drink taken out of a barrel.

Kick the bucket- to die Although this expression is always associated with dying, there is some dispute as to where the expression comes from. It is considered by some to refer to someone hanging themselves and kicking the bucket away. The argument is that choosing a bucket to stand on seems strange. In the 16th century the word ‘bucket’ had another

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meaning – beam. In slaughterhouses animals were strung up by their feet to a bucket (a beam of wood). When they were killed they often had a post mortem spasm during which they kicked the bucket.

Cut of your jib – general appearance and demeanour This phrase is nautical in origin. The jib is a foresail on sailing ships. Different countries had different styles of jib and the condition of the jib was often regarded as signifying the overall condition of the ship.

The blind leading the blind – incompetent leadership This comes directly from the bible. “They be blind leaders of the blind.

And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” Matthew 15:14

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

A SSURE Electrical Ltd • Free no obligation safety advice & quotations • All domestic electrical repairs & wiring, with no job too small • Domestic rewires, extensions, fuse box upgrades, security & garden installations • All work certified to 17th edition of the wiring regulations

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Christmas Postal Dates LAST RECOMMENDED POSTING DATES UK

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SERVICE

LAST SERVICE RECOMMENDED POSTING DATES INTERNATIONAL AIRMAIL

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Special Delivery™ with Saturday Guarantee

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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commit get fit

stay

be

WELL FIT

PRIORY PARK PAVILLION Elizabeth Way, Bishops Waltham

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MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR YOUR PAPER 2010/11 TAX RETURN? NEW FOR 2011 EVENING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE PLEASE CALL TO ARRANGE

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DISCOVER SE A SONAL

Christmas Traditions As with many traditions, there is usually a story of how a custom came about. Some sound plausible and some less so.

But they almost always have a nostalgic tale behind them and never more so than at Christmas time.

Hanging a stocking by the fire A long time ago there lived a man who had three daughters. His wife had died some years earlier and now his daughters were of an age to be married. However, at that time in history, the prospective husband’s family would expect to receive a dowry – gifts and money – when their son married. The man was very poor and simply could not afford to do this.

Each night his girls would wash and mend their clothes. To enable their stockings to dry they would hang them near the fire.

A wealthy man called Nicholas, who lived in the village, had heard of the girls’ plight and one night called by the house after dark. Seeing an open window he sneaked in and put a bag of gold coins in each of the stockings. When the villagers heard of the widower’s good fortune, they too started hanging stockings by their fireplaces.

Because the stockings were by the fire this lead to the belief that Santa came down the chimney in order to deliver his gifts.

Nicholas did many more secret good deeds – he really was the original benevolent St Nicholas.

Christmas Puddings Christmas Pudding’s history is not as a dessert at all, but as a savoury meat based dish. In Medieval times all surplus livestock were slaughtered in the autumn so that they did not have to be fed over the winter. The meat had to be preserved however and a pottage was prepared in a large cauldron, the ingredients being slow cooked, with dried fruits, sugar and spices added.

It is more likely that the dish was called plum pottage or plum porridge, the dried version of plums being prunes.

As meat preserving techniques improved, the savoury element of the dish decreased, although of course if suet is used a small element of meat may still be included. It was not until the 1830s however that the cannon-ball of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas.

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It is said that the pudding should be made with thirteen ingredients to represent Jesus and His Disciples and that every member of the family should take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west, in honour of the Wise Men. Christmas Crackers No Christmas dinner table would be complete without Christmas crackers, and the hats, small gifts and bad jokes are very much part of the tradition. The crackers were believed to have been invented in around 1850 in London, by a sweet maker called Tom Smith. He was often trying to think of new ways to market his sweets and sitting by his fire one night, he thought it would be a good idea if they could make a similar crackle to a burning log as the sweet wrapper was pulled in half. The idea caught on although rather too well as rival manufacturers soon sprang up. Tom Smith’s son, Walter, came up with the idea of including other items and offering different designs as a way of differentiating his product from those of his competitors.

The best tradition of all of course is to spend time with your family, and that needs no explanation.

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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17 Discover Magazine 31 c o n t a c t u s @ d i s c o v e r m e o n v a l l e y.c o .u k

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DISCOVER HERITAGE

Winchester draws visitors in their thousands at this time of year, as the Christmas shopping season gets underway. But Winchester is steeped in history and has so much to offer within walking distance of the High Street which doesn’t involve spending money.

HAMPSHIRE

HERITAGE Winchester Cathedral Obviously by merit of its size, Winchester Cathedral is a big draw, and no review of the area’s heritage would be complete without at least a mention. In many cities the commercial area has developed well away from the places of interest, but the Cathedral is just behind the High Street and during December the ice skating rink and the Christmas market are sited in the grounds so the Cathedral is easy to include in a shopping visit. However as this series is about less well known heritage which is off the beaten track, we’ll move on.

Winchester City Museum Also just behind the High Street is Winchester’s City Museum. The museum tells the story of the city through its extensive display of archaeological and local history collections.

Starting on the top floor (there are three floors, lift available) the museum covers Winchester’s pre-historic origins, from Roman times to its development under Alfred the Great.

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Round Table, Great Hall, Martin Kraft

On the second floor the city’s decline in the later Middle Ages details the creation of a new centre of government at Westminster in London, the Black Death in the 14th century and the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. On the ground floor, Winchester’s modern day role as a local shopping centre and tourist destination beginning in the 19th century is shown with Victorian and Edwardian shops.

Entrance is free (donations suggested) and the museum is open all year round.

St Lawrence in the Square and St Swithunupon-Kingsgate churches Unlike many attractions churches really don’t need to have their particular attractions pointed out. Any long-surviving church will be fascinating in itself and these two in Winchester are no exception.

St Lawrence in the Square could easily be missed - indeed you may have walked past it without realising it. Half way up the pedestrianised

DISCOVER HERITAGE High Street you will see the Buttercross (an attraction in its own right) and just behind is an alleyway which would take you through to the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. As you go into the alleyway, on your left is the entrance to St Lawrence in the Square.

St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate is built above one of the ancient gates in the walls of Winchester.

It is first mentioned from records in 1264 when it was also destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt and has been much restored over the centuries. The church can be reached by going round to the south side of The Cathedral and going through Kingsgate.

Worth calling in if you are in the area, or calling to check if they are open if you are making a special trip. www.stlawrence.hampshire.org.uk The Great Hall If you walk to the top of the High Street – beyond the pedestrianised area and up to Westgate (the large grey stone arch) you will find on your left The Great Hall and Round Table. The Great Hall was originally part of Winchester Castle which dated from the reign of William the Conqueror (1066-1087). By the end of King John's reign in 1216 the castle and its royal palace needed extensive repair. Between 1222 and 1235 the Castle's hall was replaced by the building which stands today, the Castle itself having been demolished

by Oliver Cromwell in 1646.

The Hall is a tourist attraction in its own right, but the real draw is the magnificent round table, mounted vertical on one end wall. Although now known to have been constructed in the late 13th century, and painted in its present form for King Henry VIII, the table has for centuries been venerated by generations of tourists as the mysterious table of King Arthur.

The table is 5.5 metres in diameter, weighing 1200kg and is constructed from English oak.

St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate (entrance on right of picture), Christophe Finot

Entrance is free (donations suggested) and the Hall is open all year round.

The Gurkha Museum In the same general area as the Great Hall is The Gurkha Museum.

Gurkhas are Nepalese fighters who have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years.

They fought in the First and Second World Wars, in Kosovo, The Falklands, Iraq and are still serving in Afghanistan.

In the Second World War their numbers peaked at 112,000, and although today there are only approximately 3500, they are still highly respected soldiers.

The Gurkha museum covers the history of the Gurkas involvement with the British Army, and also gives an insight into the Nepalese cultural diversity, religious beliefs, dress and customs.

Open all year, Adults £2, OAPs £1, children and service personnel free.

Winchester’s Military Museums Again near the Great Hall there are other Military Museums well worth visiting. For further details go to http://www.winchestermilitarymuseums. co.uk/

by Stephen Harvey

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DISCOVER WHAT’S ON Suitable for ages 10 to adult.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. £4.50 adult, £4.00 concessions. 023 8047 5080

what’s BRASS BAND AT CHRISTMAS Sun 11th Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey Enjoy your favourite Christmas music performed by Southampton's Ocean Brass BIRD SPOTTING 11 Dec 8am – 10:30am Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve An expert guide will help you identify some of the reserve's many winter resident species, both within the reserve and off shore. £5.00 per adult; £2.50 per accompanied child. Book in advance on 01329 662145 SANTA DASH Sunday 11th, 10.30am The Common, Southampton Thousands of people dress up as Santa and run, walk or jog a Christmas Fun Run to raise money for good causes. 16+.

Under 16s can enter 100m Kids Dash. Registration fee: £12 per person (includes your free Santa suit!) www.santadash.com/ pages/southampton CHRISTMAS MARKET AND FESTIVITIES Sunday 11th, 10am-5pm Manor Farm Country Park Local craft and produce stalls,

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music, theatre and festive entertainment. Visit Father Christmas in the stable, dress up in the farm nativity and enjoy mulled wine and mince pies in the Victorian farmhouse.

A traditional Christmas carol service at St Bartholomew's church at 3pm.

THEATRE AND STREET PERFORMANCE Mon 12th, Wed 14th & Fri 16th 7:30 Holyrood Church, Southampton The Ghostly galloping hooves of horses from Southampton’s equine past will be thundering through the streets of Southampton this December in a spirited recreation of the town’s dubious past from the view point of our four-legged friends. From the trenches of the First World War, to the pulling of regency coaches, to supporting the seats of the great and not so good horses have seen it all.

Booking is recommended 023 8083 3333. All tickets £5 STORIES & CRAFT 13th, 10am Eastleigh Library Come along to Eastleigh Library for Christmas stories and simple craft. Will start with stories in the Children's Library - a craft session will follow in the

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Community Room (ticket holders only please). Free but limited tickets. 0845 603 5631 AWAY IN A MANGER Wed 14th – Thu 15th, 6.15pm & 7.30pm Manor Farm Country Park Using live characters and a selection of favourite carols, the nativity story unfolds on a 30 minute guided farmyard tour, followed by a chance for children to meet some of the farm animals. Mulled wine or squash and a festive mince pie on arrival theatre. 5+ Tel: 01489 787055 (B) CAROL SINGING Thu 15th 6pm Itchen Valley Country Park Come along and sing some carols with the Otterbourne Brass Band. Festive refreshments are available and children can make lanterns to take on a walk through the woods. Text 07581 575202 with numbers attending. Free CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING 18th, 2:30pm to 4:30pm Itchen Valley Country Park Make a lovely Christmas wreath and indulge in a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine (nonalcoholic version available).

ART & DESIGN MARKET 20 Dec 10am to 4pm Winchester Centre The perfect place to purchase quality art & design-led craft direct from the artists and makers. Fine art, mixed media, graphics, glass, jewellery, photography, graphics, textiles, cards, wood carvings, sculptures, prints, illustration, home furnishing, bespoke furniture, vintage clothes and accessories.

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS CRAFTS Mon 19th to Fri 23rd Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey Enjoy making Christmassy things and other decorative crafts with natural materials from the Gardens to take home. Booking by timed ticket on the day. Free with normal admission.

REENACTMENT EVENT 26th & 27th December Watercress Line, Alresford Experience the atmosphere of a WWII Xmas. Join civilian and military re-enactors and witness the relief and joy of the journey once taken returning home from the War. Song, dance, steam and seasonal merriment! Standard Fares Adult £14; Child (2-16) £7; Family £35. Platform only, small charge.

(B) = Booking essential Remember to tell us about your events, so we can tell our readers! email events@ discovermeonvalley. co.uk or call us on: 01489 590024

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

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The Snowman My daughter built a snowman; it took her quite a while, A carrot for his nose, a row of stones to make him smile, I told her she could go upstairs, look in the landing drawer, And choose a woolly hat for him; we had them by the score, I went off to the shops to buy some special winter treats, But when I came home later, my poor heart skipped such a beat, Gazing at her snowman in that cold December chill, ‘Frosty’ looked quite different, and it seems, was dressed to kill, He wore designer sunglasses; he looked so self possessed, He wore my husband’s winter coat; the one that’s kept for best, Adorned around his frozen neck? My lovely Chanel scarf, The neighbours really loved it…but it didn’t make us laugh. ©Jan Jack’s Perfect Verse 2011 www.perfectverse.co.uk

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DISCOVER INFORMATION

local events WALKS FOR HEALTH Every Thursday 10.15 BishopsWaltham Square, contact Lydia Lockhart 01962 848925 UNIVERSITY OF THE 3RD AGE Tuesday twice monthly 1.30–3.30 Wickham Community Hall Contact 01489 892499

COMMIT TO GET FIT Tuesday 7.30pm-8.30pm Circuits Tuesday 6.30pm-7.25pm Pilates Wed 10.30am - 11.15am Active Seniors Wed 6.30pm - 8.30pm Body Blitz See page 12 for more info or call Carole Batten-Rutter 02380 695136 COUNTRY MARKET Every Friday 9.30 – 11.00am Jubilee Hall, Bishops Waltham

THE HEALING TRUST Healing Centre, Priory Park Hall, Bishops Waltham.

Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month 10am DRAMA GROUP til 12 noon. Marjorie Nutland 01329 832637 Every Monday at Jubilee Hall 4pm - 5.15pm (Junior) & 5.15pm - 6.30pm SOUL CONNECTIONS – SPIRITUAL GROUP (Senior) Second youth centre-Helena Fox Priory Park Hall, Bishops Waltham. 3rd Sunday 01962 844600 each Month, £5.00 Sue Murray 01489 799740 www.suemurrayhealing.co.uk ART CLASSES Every Wed 9am - 4pm Helena Hines NETBALL GROUP We train every Wed 5.30pm -7pm at Swanmore BW YOUNG FARMERS CLUB College of Technology. First session would be 14-26 yrs – Thurs free. Call Dee 07979917202 Anne 860236 LUNCH CLUB MOBILE LIBRARY WICKHAM SQUARE Every Monday Jubilee Hall 1 - 2pm Tuesday 9.15am – 12.45pm Christine Argyle 01489 894054 Tuesday Gwyn West 01489 891663 GARDENING CLUB Thurs Gill Stainer 01489 893384 Memberships only £6 call Keith Fry 01489 893755 JUBILEE WRITERS Thursday (Twice Monthly) MEON VALLEY FLOWER CLUB 2pm – 4pm Stables Hall, Bishops Waltham Demos, workshops at Meonstoke Village Hall Elizabeth watt 01489 892224 Ann Hammant 01730 829469

Charities, free or very low cost events are listed above without change and can be submitted by emailing Tania@ discovermeonvalley.co.uk For other events a small charge is made starting from just £7 a month. For more details email Melanie@discovermeonvalley. co.uk or call 01489 660022 36

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WICKHAM CENTRE www.wickhamcentre.org.uk Three Bears Playgroup every morning 9am – 12.30pm Scouts Monday 7 – 9pm Keep Fit Monday 6 – 7pm Rifle Club Mon 7.30-9pm, Sat 10am-12noon Ladies Circuits Tues 10 – 11am Scallywags Dog Training Tues 6.30pm Wickham Indoor Bowling Tues & Fri 7.30pm Brownies Tuesday 4.45pm Church Room Lunch Club 11.30am Wed, Church Room Cubs Wednesdays 6.30 – 8pm Beavers Thursday 6 – 7pm Home Start Mother & Toddler Fri 9-12 noon Poppins Play Group Thursday Yoga Class (Wickham & Swanmore) Wed 10am - 11.30am, Thur 7.45pm - 9.15pm.

Events also held at Swanmore Village Hall, Thur 10am - 11.30am Paula Dixon 01489 891079 EVENTS AT SWANMORE Swanmore Baby & Toddler Group Every Tuesday (term-time only) 10am-11.30am Swanmore Village Hall Contact Wendy Pilton 01489 890694

DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

useful numbers LOCAL DOCTORS NHS Direct (24hr helpline) Acorn Medical, Church Lane, Curdridge Fareham Health Centre Gudge Heath Lane, Fareham Hemming & Partners, Lower Lane, Bishop’s Waltham West Meon Surgery, Doctor's Lane, West Meon Wickham Group Surgery, Station Road, Wickham

0845 4647 01489 782488 01329 823456 01329 280887 01489 892288 01730 829666 01329 833121

LOCAL CHEMISTS Birchall & Haydock, The Square, Wickham PO17 5JQ Tel: 01329 832115 9am all days Wed & Sat 5.30pm finish Mon, Tue, Thurs & Fri 6.30pm.

Sunday – closed Boots Pharmacy, High Street, Bishop’s Waltham SO32 1AB Tel: 01489 892603 Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 9am – 6pm, Wed & Sat 9am – 5pm, Sun – Closed Lloyds Pharmacy, High Street, Bishop’s Waltham SO32 1AB Tel: 01489 892499 Mon to Fri 8.30am – 6pm, Sat 8.30am – 5pm, Sun – Closed Rowlands Pharmacy, 7 High Street, Botley Tel: 01489 782065 Mon to Fri 9am – 5.30pm, Sat 9am – 1pm PARISH COUNCILS Bishops Waltham parishclerk@bishopswalthamparishcouncil.co.uk www.bishopswalthamparish council.co.uk Upham uphampc@homecall.co.uk Durley durleypc@homecall.co.uk Soberton norman@soberton.org.uk Droxford rosemaryhoile@btinternet.com Shedfield shedfieldparish@btconnect.com www.shedfieldparishcouncil.org.uk Swanmore clerk@swanmoreparishcouncil.org.uk www.swanmoreparishcouncil.org.uk West Meon Parish Council westmeonpc@googlemail.com Hampshire City Council Winchester City Council Wickham Council clerkwickham@parish.hants.gov.uk Boarhunt brendangibbs@btconnect.com Southwick & Widley swpc@logosoft.biz

01489 892323 01489 860236 01489 860236 01489 877378 01489 878768 01329 830060 01489 890651 01730 301606 01962 841841 01962 840222 01329 835019 02392 264528 023 8046 3228

LOCAL SCHOOLS Bishop’s Waltham Infants Bishop’s Waltham Juniors Curdridge Primary Droxford Juniors Durley Primary Kings School Meonstoke Newtown Infants Rookesbury Park St. Johns Primary Swanmore Primary Swanmore College Upham Primary West Meon C of E Primary School Wickham Primary Wyvern Technology College

01489 892375 01489 892368 01489 782613 01489 877537 01489 860207 01962 861161 01489 877568 01329 833161 01329 833108 01329 833141 01489 894555 01489 892256 01489 860355 01730 829213 01329 833065 02380 692679

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS All dates taken from - http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/schools/ holidays.php Autumn Term Christmas: Mon 19/12/11 - Mon 2/1/12 Spring Term Half Term: Mon 13/2/12 - Fri 17/2/12 Easter: Mon 2/4/12 - Fri 13/4/12 Summer Term Half Term: Mon 4/6/12 - Fri 8/6/12 Summer Holiday: Tue 24/7/12 - Fri 31/8/12 LOCAL LIBRARY www.hants.gov.uk/library/bishopswaltham Bishop’s Waltham Library, Bank Street, 0845 603 5631 Mon/Thur: Closed, Tue: 1pm – 7pm, Wed/Fri: 9.30am – 5pm, Sat: 9.30am – 1pm CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Bishops Waltham Wickham Community Centre, Fareham EMERGENCIES Police, Fire or Ambulance Services Police (Incident Reports) Portsmouth Water - Fresh Water Supply Portsmouth Water - Leaks to Report (Out of hours 24hr) Southern Water - Sewage Southern Water - Tech Support Gas – National Grid (If you smell gas, then call us immediately) Electricity

01489 896376 01329 223119 999 0845 045 45 45 02392 499888 02392 477999 0845 272 0845 0845 278 0845 0800 111 999 0845 7708090

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DISCOVER INDEX For Advertisers offering multiple property services look under Property Maintenance, otherwise see specific trade e.g. electrician, carpenter etc.

Accountant: Butler & Co Appliance Repair: JP Appliances Bathrooms: See Plumbing Beauty Treatments: Essential Beauty Blinds & Curtains: Pont Furnishings Solent Blinds & Curtains Co Ltd Builder: R & G Gamblin General Builders Car Sales: BTA Car Sales Ltd Car Service/Repair- See Garage Svcs Carpenter: Mint Kitchens & Carpentry Carpet Cleaning: Clean Plan Chimney Sweep: Pebble Beach Sweeps Cleaning Service: Top Class Cleaning Services Computer Services: Plates PCS TeknoIT Counselling: Julie Chivers Dentist: Simon Smyth Dentistry Drain Services: Meon Valley Waste Ltd Electrician: Assure Electrical Ltd D.Daniel Electrical Svcs Ltd Estate Agent: A2Dominion Bishops Independent Estate & Lettings Fashion: Butterfly Labels Dress Agency

29 23 21 11 12 18 27 9 7 35 14 25 26 8 31 23 27 25 40 21 21 20

Financial Services: In-Home Legal Services Retirement & Investement Solutions Florists: Hazel's Florist Funeral Services: Town & Country Memorials Ltd Furniture: Country Attic Pont Furnishings Swan Systems Furniture Ltd Garage Doors: Fix Quick Garage Doors Solent Garage Doors Garage Services: BTA Car Sales Ltd Garden Design & Services: Adtree Care Arbor-Call Tree Surgeons Jon Curtis Tree Surgery & Garden M. TreeScapes Woodleigh Landscapes Gas Services: See Plumbing Gifts: Acacia Country Attic Grocers: Budgens Health & Fitness: Commit 2 Get Fit Health Services: Counselling with Julie Chivers Housing: A2Dominion Interior Design: Pat Staples Interiors Ironing Service: Top Class Cleaning Svcs Jewellers: Simon Lawson Jewellers Kitchens: Kitchen & Bathroom Transformations Mint Kitchens & Carpentry RHP Design

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD Across: 1 Bisect, 4 Ice bag, 9 Traitor, 10 Islam, 11 Omega, 12 Saffron, 13 Crash course, 18 Tipster, 20 Igloo, 22 Trial, 23 Leonine, 24 Spaced, 25 Knight.

Down: 1 Button, 2 Shane, 3 Cutlass, 5 Cliff, 6 Belarus, 7 Gemini, 8 Dress circle, 14 Replica, 15 Unicorn, 16 Status, 17 Solent, 19 Tilde, 21 Lying.

FUN QUIZ - MUSICALS 1. Hollywood, 2. Lady (in the film Lady And The Tramp), 3. H0 H0 H0, 4. Coal, 5. Pauline Fowler, 6. Cupid, 7. The Santa Clause, 8. Cratchit, 9. Narnia, 10. 140 (8 maids-a-milking on 5 days, 9 ladies dancing on 4 days, 10 lords-a-leaping on 3 days, 11 pipers piping on 2 days, 12 drummers drumming on 1 day) PICTOGRAM 1. A Grave Error, 2. Unfinished symphony, 3. Double Up With Laughter

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8 39 20 9 20 11 13 35 16 27 35 14 17 23 14

6 20 5 29 8 40 9 14 20

Letting Services: A2Dominion Bishops Independent Estate & Lettings Painter/Decorator (see also Property Maintenance): RHP Design Plumbing Services (including bathroom installation and gas and boiler services) see also Property Maintenance: I.R. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pipe Dreams Tom Mitchell Plumbing TP Watts Post Office: Bishop's Waltham Post Office Property Maintenance & Improvements: J.S. Roofing Kitchen & Bathroom Transformations Mint Kitchens & Carpentry Pat Staples Interiors RHP Design R & G Gamblin General Builders Restaurant: Bahn Thai Rimjhim The George & Falcon Solar Panels: Finesse Energy Ltd Tree Surgery: See Garden Upholstery: Pont Furnishings Veterinary: Shield Veterinary Centre Waste Disposal: Rubbish Clearance & Waste Removal

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Although every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error or omission in the printing of an advert. Discover Meon Valley Ltd does not officially endorse any advertisers included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without the prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Discover Meon Valley Ltd, 57 Wood End Way, Chandlers Ford SO53 4LN.

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DISCOVER DECE MBER 2011

Free Pension Review • Are you confident that your pensions are performing as well as they could?

• Do you have several plans and want to understand what they could provide in retirement?

• Have you moved employers and left pensions behind?

• Have you been made Redundant with choices to make about your Pension?

Contact Retirement and Investment Solutions for our *FREE pension review worth £325, contact us now on 01489 878300 or via our website www.retirementis.co.uk * offer available to first ten respondents quoting WI

Retirement and Investment Solutions Specialist advisers to the over 50s giving you clear financial advice for a stress-free retirement Telephone: 01489 878300 | Email: advice@retirementis.co.uk | www.retirementis.co.uk Retirement and Investment Solutions, The Rumpus, St Clairs Farm, Wickham Road, Droxford, Hampshire SO32 3PW

Retirement and Investment Solutions is a trading name of Meon Valley Financial Planning Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA Registration No: 185205

c o n t a c t u s @ d i s c o v e r m e o n v a l l e y.c o .u k

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Looking for a place to call your own?

External image of Pater Court

Show Apartment at Knowle Village

40%

share Two bedroom apartments for sale through Shared Ownership from only

£63,600

*

Shared ownership, also known as part-buy, part-rent, is a scheme to help people who can’t afford to buy a property outright on the open market.

It’s perfect for first time buyers or those past homeowners looking to get back on the property ladder.

For more information about Knowle Village, to book an appointment to view or find out about shared ownership in more detail

0845 408 6699

call: or visit www.a2dominion.co.uk/newhomes Follow us on Twitter @A2DominionSales

*£63,600 quoted for a 40% share of a two bedroom apartment, full market price £159,000. Affordable monthly rent of £218.63 payable on the share not owned. Service charges are in addition. All prices correct at the time of going to print (November 2011).

Your home is at risk if you fail to keep up payments on a mortgage, rent or loan secured on it. A2Dominion New Homes is a trading name of the A2Dominion Housing Group Ltd, an exempt charity (I&P Soc. No. 28985R, TSA Reg. L4240) and its legal subsidiaries.