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JUNE 2018 ISSUE 040
www.winchestertoday.co.uk
WE’RE READY!
Hampshire Scouts pick up the ‘Skills For Life’ challenge By KEVIN GOVER News Editor SCOUTS in Hampshire say they’re more than ready to adopt a new fiveyear plan to prepare better futures. The ‘Skills For Life’ Challenge is a key moment, inspired by a bold new vision. By 2023 they say they will have prepared more young people with skills for life, supported by ‘amazing leaders’ delivering an inspiring programme. The new plan is being introduced alongside a new brand and visual identity, digital investment to aid programme planning and delivery for all groups; and a review and refresh of the
programme for 14-25-year olds. This will ensure that programmes are youth-led, relevant and accessible to young people from all backgrounds, with a focus on employability and life skills. Scouting will also explore early years’ provision with research and piloting different models to extend Scouting to under-6 year olds. With Scouting showing unprecedented growth, it certainly seems to be exciting the Chief Scout Bear Grylls: “This is an incredible moment for UK Scouting. We’ve got a new vision, a new brand and renewed determination to change lives
Military wives on song page 9
contined on page 2 ➜
Welcome return of War Horse page 13
SHALL WE DANCE?
Winchester Morris Men and Alton Morris take a breather during the MayFest in Winchester to show there really is no rivalry. Or is there? Find out inside ➜
Readying for the Hat Fair page 16
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June 2018
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hello and welcome to this month’s edition, where it seems we’ve had all four seasons every week since the beginning of May! It was an honour for me to be invited along to the Cathedral to be part of Harry and Meghan’s wedding… we sat down, we stood up, we laughed, marvelled and applauded in all the right places. We were all part of the service. And it all felt so normal!
ABOUT US winchestertoday est 2012
n EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Kevin Gover kevin@winchestertoday.co.uk n CONTRIBUTORS • David Cradduck • Drew White • Gavin Harris • Rachel Gover • John Ellery • Chrissie Pollard • Lex Harris • Cate Hardy n LAYOUT DESIGN • Jon Heal
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Challenges form a big part of this issue. On the front cover and on this page we focus on the new challenges facing the Scouts here in Winchester and Hampshire. It seems like a huge undertaking, but with the right attitude it will succeed. It just seems a shame that there are still so many young people on the waiting list. Our own Freya is facing a personal challenge too. She will tell you in her own column that if something doesn’t feel
right, it’s probably time to fix it. Knowing her, I feel that she has the utmost will to succeed. Read more later in the paper. As for me, a challenge too. Third time lucky perhaps for completing the 100 Mile Walk in 48 hours at my old school. This will be the 40th anniversary since my last attempt when I ended up 12 miles short. So near, yet… I will write more about this shortly on our website. Wish me luck! Kevin Gover
➜ contined from page 1
for the better. It’s a vision that inspires me and I hope it inspires you too. Now let’s get out there and deliver this amazing plan together.’ Communications Manager in Hampshire, Ray Noice, says the county will ‘do its best’: “Young people and adult volunteers enjoy fun and adventure while developing the skills they need to succeed, now and in the future. Skills such as teamwork, leadership and resilience - skills that have helped Scouts become everything from teachers and social workers to astronauts and Olympians. Scouts believe in bringing people together, celebrating diversity and standing against intolerance, always.” With 25,489 members (January 2018 figures), Hampshire has the largest Scout County membership in the UK with 18,596 youth members, 4,045 volunteer leaders and a further 2,854 adult volunteers supporting those leaders. However, with 2,620 young people waiting to join, they require even more volunteer leaders and support volunteers. The pictures show Scouts celebrating this years growth figures, hundreds of Scouts from across Hampshire enjoyed an action-packed programme of activities in the New Forest. Coaches full of excited young people and their adult volunteers arrived at the event, held at Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre, where more than 700 young people enjoy archery, climbing, abseiling, zipwire, bush craft and more. Sophie is a Cub Scout aged 9 - and said she had an enjoyable weekend: “The abseiling was quite scary but really fun. I am so happy with what I did and really love the other activity zones.” Martin Mackey is Growth: More and more young people are getting the most from Scouting
It’s brilliant to see people of all ages enjoying the days lead volunteer for Hampshire County Scouts: “It’s brilliant to see people of all ages enjoying the days. I just want to say thank you to all the adult volunteers involved with this event. If it wasn’t for the time and effort they put into these young people none of this would be possible. “I think it’s fantastic to see so many scouts come together as one for a brilliant weekend all while having fun, being challenged and learning skills for life.”
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Much Ado About Bishop’s Waltham! New Link-up For Our Newspaper ALL the team at Winchester Today are proud to announce that we have now become the official media partner to the Bishop’s Waltham Festival. Since 1995 Bishop’s Waltham Festival has been presenting exciting and creative performances in Bishop’s Waltham. As a not-for-profit organisation it is managed and run entirely by local volunteers. Past festivals have included music performances by household names such as The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, The Albion Band and many more. Outdoor classic theatre has always proved popular, with audiences of over 300 enjoying a picnic watching excellent professional plays by the best national touring companies. In addition to professional productions the Festival facilitates community choirs, drama nights and community art projects benefitting local people. The Festival group is very excited by Summer 2018’s events. The Come And Sing workshop, hugely popular in 2017, is being reprised. Anyone who likes to sing can register for the day’s workshop, no need to read music, just follow the directions of the professional choirmaster. The day culminates in a public evening concert, all in the lovely setting of St Peter’s Church. Festival members will offer stimulating
Outdoor classic theatre has always proved popular
arts and crafts at the Town Team’s KidsTreat event on 24th June when the High Street is given over to activities for 3 – 13 year olds. On Saturday 30th June the Bishop’s Palace grounds will first become the setting for touring company Heartbreak Production’s adaptation of The Railway Children, a classic children’s story of the adventures of three children who live by the railway line. Later, that evening, Rain or Shine Theatre will perform their version of Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, set between the two world wars. It promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable climax to the Festival’s summer events. And next? The storytellers at Bumblefly Theatre are booked to perform Rumpelstiltskin at the Jubilee Hall on 11th January 2019, designed to banish the post-Christmas back-toschool blues from small children! The Festival organisers are this year hugely grateful to local businesses for their generous support. They tell us (in their own words!) that having a forward looking publication like Winchester Today assisting with promoting events in the wider area is also going to be a huge benefit, bringing even greater success to the Festival. (Images from Twelfth Night last year in the Palace Grounds)
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WATERCRESS LINE’S ‘WAR ON THE LINE’ 1940s nostalgia with 78s, evacuees and Spitfires HERE’S what looks like a fab weekend on the Watercress Line… a chance to step back to the 1940s and experience a taste of railway life during World War 2. It was a time when American soldiers were in Alresford preparing to fight alongside their British allies on D-Day. On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June, 1940s aficionados and families alike can fully immerse themselves into life on the Home Front with a twist, with an American theme! There will be military re-enactments, period displays, vintage vehicles, retro market stalls, singing and dancing to live wartime music at every station, and unlimited day travel on the Watercress Line’s steam trains. A self-guided walk will explore the local market town; exploring places with links to American troops, passing an exhibition in the Goods Shed at Alresford Station and visiting the war memorials. Ropley station will be decorated with vibrant, crochet poppies to commemorate wartime soldiers and the Saturday event will even feature an exciting Spitfire flying over Ropley Station. Woodies Mountford is helping coordinate the weekend: “We are delighted to offer our visitors something a little different to the norm this summer at our War on the Line event. Guests will be
this summer event to be an even bigger hit. “We hope everyone will dress up in 40s attire, join in a jive, mingle with re-enactors, marvel over vintage vehicles and embrace the atmosphere at War on the Line. It’s as much about reliving this period as enjoying the rush of the steam engine, so be sure to jump on board one of our locomotives to experience the entire event.” Local Alresford businesses are also immersing themselves in the event, by dressing their shop window displays with an ‘Americans in Alresford’ theme. There will be a competition for the bestdressed, most creative period display.
Guests will be able to fully immerse themselves
able to fully immerse themselves in the 1940s railway experience, with service men and women dashing about, loved ones saying goodbye, evacuees boarding trains, ‘spivs’ peddling their black market wares whilst avoiding the police, and there are even rumours of an inspection by Churchill himself! We held a similar event in December (Christmas Leave) and it was highly popular with 40s fans and the local community alike, so we are expecting
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June 2018
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ONE MAN AND HIS DOG
THE TOP 20 SIGNS YOUR DOG IS PART OF THE FAMILY (we guess you’ll be nodding already from number 2… and certainly number 4!)
(Or - life would be poorer without Rosie!) IF you live out of town, you probably know that many pubs around Winchester have their own extra resident - the dog. Nine times out of ten, they don’t mind you taking your own along either. It’s part of life. But a recent survey suggested that many families have to do a lot of planning when they go on holiday because a ‘No Dogs’ sign is not what they want to see. Our own David Cradduck’s local - the Flower Pots in Cheriton - is VERY dog friendly - and we asked what having Rosie means to him and the family: “Owning a dog is like having the builders in to stay - it goes on for a very long time - but in a nicer kind of way! We’ve had Rosie with us for 5-and-a-half years and she brings a lot into our lives. We’ve had her from a puppy and she’s our second Golden Retriever. She brings an awful lot into our lives. She’s like a fourth child, she shows unequivocal love to us; she’s friendly, she’s daft, she brings laughter and tears… She’s a tie yes… you can’t really go on holiday anywhere that won’t accept dogs, and we don’t want to put her into kennels - so if we want to go on holiday, everything centres around Rosie. “She also makes us get out and walk, which is probably something we would do anyway but not necessarily in the rain or snow. So we love this fluffy, daft, barky
dog who’s frightened of children and she barks whenever they come close. “Why do we consider her to be part of the family? Well, she lives with us and anyone who lives with you for a long time becomes part of the family. One of the biggest problems is that their lives are too short and at some point we know that we will have to say goodbye to her and that will be very difficult as it was with the last dog we had.
“In the meantime we enjoy her for what she is. She brings us an awful lot of joy and everywhere that we go we have people smile and say: “oh, isn’t she lovely!” “It’s important to have dog-friendly pubs, just the same as it is to have familyfriendly pubs. You can have pubs that aren’t and they’re not going to tick the box. The trouble is that when we take the dog into the pub she’s been trained to put her paws on the bar and ask for Bonios!
Because she does that when you go into a strange pub the barman will look at you in a quizzical way when she does it. She can pull your arm out of its socket just getting you to a pub because she can smell them! “If they come with you as part of the family, you don’t really want to leave them in the car. So yes, we love going to the pub, especially if we can walk there. And sit in the garden, even better. Yes, we love our dog!”
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1. You’ve got pictures of them in your house 2. You give them a nickname as well as their actual name 3. You can’t imagine life with another dog 4. They have their own space on the sofa 5. They sleep on the bed with you 6. You celebrate their birthday 7. You include them in your Christmas family photos 8. You’re happier staying in with them than going on a night out with friends 9. They’re your phone screen saver 10. You pack a bag for your dog when you go away 11. You refer to them as your child or furbaby 12. You’re always showing people pictures of them 13. You’ve gone on holiday somewhere just because your dog would enjoy it 14. You tell them you love them more than your partner 15. You have the vet’s number on speed dial 16. You bought a house only after considering their needs 17. You only go to dog-friendly pubs or restaurants 18. You’ve dedicated a whole area of your house or garden to their wellbeing 19. You make more effort feeding them than you do your own partner or kids 20. Your pet has a social media account
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June 2018
From the Winchester Today Archive
CHOPPING FOR CHARITY AND CHERITON
1 YEAR AGO
Locks to disappear for good causes
THE shock of the 2017 bombing in Manchester reverberated around the country, especially when it became clear that so many young people had lost their lives while out watching a pop concert. Hampshire’s Chief Constable, Olivia Pinkney, gave this message:
CHERITON Primary School pupil Freya Balme is to follow the fine example recently set by The Duchess of Cambridge by chopping her long, thick hair and donating it to the Little Princess Trust www.littleprincesses.org.uk The trust provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children across the UK and Ireland who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment. At the same time as donating her locks to this worthy cause, she is hoping that she will be able to raise enough money for Cheriton School to buy some new resources to help children in the school with learning difficulties. Freya is dyslexic and knows there are lots of fun resources out there
that could make her learning easier and more enjoyable, if only there was some money available to spend! For this reason Cheriton’s headteacher Andrew Goldsworthy has agreed for her to make her haircut a sponsored event. Freya is busy persuading her friends with at least seven inches of hair to spare to join her so hopefully by the time this goes to print she will not be on her own in her quest! Hair Art of East Street Alresford www. hairart.com have very kindly offered to sponsor Freya with a free salon haircut. If you can support these two very worthwhile causes, Freya’s mum has set up an online donation page that can be found at www.gofundme.com/choppingfor-charity-and-cheriton
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signing the book of condolence here in the city. Standing left to right Corporate Director Joseph Holmes, Diane McLean (the Mayor’s wife), Council Leader Caroline Horrill and Corporate Director Steve Tilbury. (With thanks to Winchester City Council for the image.)
Worthy cause: Freya is set to lose most of her locks
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“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the events in Manchester - with the families, friends and loved ones of all those killed and injured. I urge the community to remain alert but not alarmed.” Pictured: The Mayor of Winchester, David McLean,
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WILD NIGHT OUT Get outside for camp fires and star gazing FEWER people, especially young people and children, are getting outside and visiting the countryside and green spaces on offer in Britain. Only a third of children in Britain spent more than an hour a day outdoors, and more than a third of children have never been camping. In an age where more people are becoming inactive and technology is a central part of life from an early age (children spend an average of 6 hours a day in front of a screen), it is more important than ever to get outside. Wild Night Out is a nationwide event which has been set up to encourage everyone – families, first timers, seasoned explorers – to enjoy a night (and day) of wild adventure on Saturday 30th June 2018 on the South Downs at Holden Farm, Cheriton on the South Downs Way near Alresford, Hampshire. As well as the camping experience the event will also include music under the stars, lessons in bushcraft, bird watching and local conservation from Butterfly Conservation. Activities at the campground will include stories round the campfire with several informal short talks including a talk about ‘Everest and Elephants’ by Holly Budge, adventurer, conservationist and Everest Summiteer. All of the proceeds from the event will be going
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It is so important in the busy world we live in to take time out to relax, breathe and simply be in nature to Holly’s award-winning charity ‘How Many Elephants’, that works to create awareness of the declining numbers of elephants killed by poachers for the ivory trade. If current levels of poaching continue, in just seven years there will be no elephants left in the wild. Holly is committed to encouraging children, and young people especially,
to ditch the screen and experience real life, fresh air and adventure in a spectacular setting: “I feel passionate about inspiring others to daydream, meander, run, climb and jump into their own adventures in the great outdoors. I love hiking and camping on the South Downs, this was my training ground for climbing Everest, running up the hills with a weighted pack. It is so important in the crazy busy world we live in to take time out to relax, breathe and simply be in nature. This event will raise funds for my charity ‘How Many Elephants’, which is about preserving, appreciating and celebrating wildlife and nature.” Optional Walk: On Saturday afternoon there will also be an optional 5 mile walk with Holly from Alresford (meet at White Space Alresford) to Holden Farm and back again the following morning. For those wishing to take part in Wild Night Out on the South Downs, they will have to bring their own tent, chair (optional!), food & drink. The facilities onsite include hot showers, toilets and washing up facilities. Tickets are £10 per adult or £25 for a family ticket. Read more at www.wildnightout.org - or follow Holly Budge on Twitter to get access to buying a ticket for Wild Night Out.
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Squirt and Squidge Enough’s enough...
Freya Storey continues to share her life as a mum-of-two I’M British, and with that comes a sense of purpose and entitlement; we are known for our pride and our stiff upper lip, we are often seen ‘puffing out our chests, and just getting on with it.’ Recently, I have been reflecting on this cultural stereotype and the expectation that it is the norm to ‘hold it all together no matter what.’ Personally, I had reached a point in my life where things were beginning to feel like they had begun to spiral a little out of control - I felt that I must show outwardly that I was in control of everything but in fact I was quickly realising that I was burning out and living a life that was in effect unsustainable. I plodded on, as we do saying all the man up mantras to myself ‘pull yourself together’, ‘tomorrow’s another day’... And as I did, I found myself asking ‘when in fact is it ok, to say enough’s enough?’ I remember sitting down one night and my head felt like it was literally spinning, I couldn’t fit everything I was doing in - I was having to write everything down ALL THE TIME, as I was so afraid of forgetting something important. I was always rushing and I felt like I wasn’t doing anything as well as I wanted to. I was spreading myself too far
June 2018
YOU CAN READ PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF FREYA’S BLOG AT SQUIRTANDSQUIDGE.COM and realise that what I was trying to cram in was too much. For me, the answer to my problem was a big one, a bold one, but one I know is right. It was time to hand in my notice and create a career and lifestyle that would enable me to live the kind of life I would be happy to live all my life - to me simply ‘putting up with things’ wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t live a lie anymore, it was affecting me too much. Since figuring out my mini ‘crisis point’ and taking action, I feel a tremendous sense of relief. I OWN my life again and am immensely excited about the future. I feel like I have instantly slowed down and am able to appreciate small things that had begun to be overlooked in my constant state of RUSH! One valuable lesson I have learnt from all of this is to always trust yourself - if things don’t feel right they’re probably not. Do something about it - and do it sooner rather than later. We only get one shot at this life… what’s the worst that could happen?!
Trust yourself – if things don’t feel right they’re probably not and giving too superficial a layer to all the things that really mattered. Luckily, I realised this and decided ‘enough was enough.’ Something had to be done. That first step to owning up to the fact that something needed to change was for me, the first step to relief. I like writing - as you can probably tell, so I set an evening aside and wrote everything down - I needed to get to the bottom of what was making me feel so bogged down. This was a great exercise, and immediately just putting pen to paper and giving myself that time helped. It made me see my life in black and white
(Editor’s Note: having known Freya a long time, a lot of those “Get On With It!” messages have come from here. We are supporting her all the way with this… and no, she has not handed in her notice here!)
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New Record Shows Support For Armed Forces ‘Military Wives Choirs’ brings together more than a thousand voices 2018 marks the centenary of the end of World War I - fierce heroism from the troops at the Front was matched by the country’s women who raised children alone, nursed, and worked tirelessly despite the loss of husbands, sons, fathers, brothers and friends. 69 choirs from across Britain and abroad – the Military Wives Choirs have joined together to acknowledge this poignant occasion through a special commemorative project, coming together with musicians from across the three services to create an album like no other, telling the story of ‘then’ (1918) and ‘now’ (2018). The Military Wives Choirs is a registered charity working in conjunction with SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity. They are celebrating the diversity in their network as choirs contain military wives, female serving personnel, veterans, mothers, sisters and daughters, as well as others with a military connection. A total of 1105 singers from 69 choirs, including 93 singers from overseas choirs, took part in seven recording sessions across the UK. The Choirs’ first album ‘In My Dreams’ featured five choirs, the second album ‘Stronger Together’ had 24 choirs and 760 singers, and the third album ‘Home for Christmas’ featured 65 choirs and 1006 singers, a growth that underlines the importance of the solidarity and strength
We owe it to our ancestors to commemorate what they did for us
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of the network. A Military Wives Choirs member summed up the project: “The women of 100 years ago are exactly the same as us. Proud, adaptable, capable and supportive. We owe it to our ancestors to commemorate what they did for us to have the freedom we have today.” Music for the album centres on five original songs by prestigious composers from the worlds of classical, pop and film music. In addition to Owain Park, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange & Alexander L’Estrange, Adam Langston, James Kennedy & Catrin Southall, Adam Langston, Sean Hargreaves, John Haywood and Laura Wright have written original songs inspired by the thoughts, feelings and direct words of choir members. The album also includes music from ages past and present, referencing upbeat World War I marching songs, iconic regimental and service marches, beautifully contemplative remembrance pieces and contemporary songs reflecting the choirs’ world, all with a fresh take through creative arrangements and collaboration with world-class military musicians, specifically The Band of the Household Cavalry and the Royal Marines Corps of Drums. ‘Remember’ is due for release on 29th June 2018, to coincide with Armed Forces Day the following day (June 30th) which offers a chance for the public to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets.
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SHALL WE DANCE? Kevin Gover finds out what it takes to put your best foot forward in Morris dancing!
IF you were in Winchester over the weekend of the MayFest, you would have been enthralled by all the Morris dancing. It was simply everywhere. We reckon it would have got into the Cathedral too, were it not for the fact that everyone in the packed Cathedral was already pre-occupied with the Royal Wedding! As I joined in with the fun at the Square, I watched the Winchester Morris Men dance alternately alongside Alton Morris. Were they showing off? Were they trying to outdo each other? What does it actually take to be a dancer? Kastonian Harris is the Squire of Alton Morris: “There’s no rivalry… if we see people we know, we just like to acknowledge that. You just need to have a willingness to dance and have a good time. We reckon it’s not at all difficult to learn, and it keeps your brain cells working, keeps you happy... it forces you to be enthusiastic about things. I don’t think there’s a real hierarchy within the team - I think I’m in charge, but two ladies tell me what to do and I just relay it to the rest of the team!” Tom Gregory is the Squire of Winchester Morris Men: “We all want to dance to the best of our abilities. It’s great fun to push yourself and challenge yourself but we’re not here to win.” I asked Tom about the clothes and dance style: They’re doing Border Morris (as in Welsh borders.) We dance Cotswold Morris. For us, we have just a few ribbons to disguise the workaday clothes and Alton tatter their clothes. Our clothes are rag coats and based on Mummers Players - and a disguised form of everyday clothes.” What’s the attraction? “I love it because it keeps me fit. I love the social side. It’s good for your spirit as well as your body.” A little bit further down the Cathedral Close, things were stepping up a gear…
It’s good for your spirit as well as your body
Enthusiastic: Squire of Alton Morris Kastonian Harris (above) and Andy Harvey (below right)
fast, louder and looking a bit sinister. And quite fantastic too. Mythago are from West Sussex - and what a splendid day for the county as Harry and Meghan were getting married! Andy Harvey is the Squire: “Our style is Border, and pagan-looking because we had to go underground because the Church on the Welsh borders fell out with Morris back in the day. We have a lot of energy. Many of our dancers are local people who’ve seen us perform. They see we’re different and like our style. We don’t do the hanky-waving kind of style… we’re loud and we use different masks to tell different tales for street theatre. We’re different to most and that’s what makes it good!”
June 2018
Colourful Landscapes at Winchester Gallery An Exhibition of New Paintings by SUE CAMPION, until 18 June 2018, The Minster Gallery, Winchester THE Mediterranean seascapes and the lush green hills of the English countryside feature in an exhibition of paintings by Sue Campion at The Minster Gallery in Winchester. Painting in pastels, Sue uses pure natural colours with subtle tones, light and shade. She is primarily a colourist, inspired by the Fauvist movement as well as Matisse and Van Gogh. Her compositions are steeped in nostalgia, especially her scenes of English fields in the winter. Evocative pine trees are a recurring theme. She remains entranced by their majesty and frequently returns to them as subjects when visiting the Mediterranean coast of France and Spain. Sue Campion is a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and was featured earlier this year in an RBA exhibition at The Minster Gallery. Sue was born in London in 1944. She studied Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University. She has had numerous solo exhibitions and her work is part of many private and corporate collections. She now lives in the Shropshire countryside that features in many of her paintings.
Nostalgic: One of Sue’s colourful paintings
The Minster Gallery is in Great Minster Street just off The Square. It is open from 10am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday. For more information, phone 01962 877601 or email info@minstergallery.com.
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news
June 2018
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Radio Listening Guide Winchester Today Radio
News from Winchester and amazing songs - ‘The Music From Your Life’ brought to you by radio professionals right here in Winchester. Find us online via the TuneIn app, or through the ‘Listen Now’ button on our website at winchestertoday.co.uk
MONDAY - FRIDAY 06:00 Breakfast In Winchester. Upbeat songs to get you in the right mood for the day. Local news bulletins on the hour. 09:00 Kevin Gover continues with ‘The Music From Your Life.’ 14:00 John Ellery 22:00 The ‘No Sleeping’ Zone. Other stations want to send you to sleep at this time. Not us!
SATURDAY 06:00 Breakfast in Winchester 10:00 Kevin Gover 13:00 T he Great Destinations Radio Show. Keri Jones brings you the atmosphere of countries and places around the world. He’s not just talking about it either. He’s actually there!
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June 2018
NO ORDINARY CURTAINS Huge conservation project at Mottisfont on show FOR the first time, members of the public will be able to witness first-hand the start of urgent conservation work on a pair of Britain’s most famous curtains. The curtains in Mottisfont’s celebrated Whistler Room, marked with artist Rex Whistler’s own brush strokes, are original features from the design scheme commissioned by Maud Russell. They’re of great historical significance, as Whistler was painting the mock ermine lining when the Second World War broke out. High up on the wall, out of sight, the artist painted this message: ‘I was painting this Ermine curtain when Britain declared war on the Nazi tyrants. Sunday September 3rd. R.W.’ But the curtains need critical conservation work, as they’re deteriorating rapidly. They will need to be taken down for an intensive programme of repair and restoration, which will take up to five years to complete. The velvet is too degraded to repair, and needs to be completely replaced; the curtains are also harbouring
an active carpet beetle infestation, which can only be treated by freezing. Each 4m x 2.5m curtain will have to be taken apart for the mock ermine lining to be conserved and, later, hand-stitched to new velvet. During this process, the textile conservators will be able to document the curtains’ condition and construction, which has never been done before. Once unstitched, the curtain linings will be sent away to be frozen, to eradicate the pest infection. Meanwhile, the room will be thoroughly cleaned and monitored, to ensure it’s free of insect pests. As the room will look quite different with the curtains removed, Mottisfont is using the opportunity to tell more of the room’s story. Rex Whistler’s original design sketches will be shown in here for the first time, placed beside the final artwork on the walls. First, one pair of curtains will be sent to a textile studio for conservation work while the others remain at Mottisfont. This first pair will help inform the costs
Critical: The team working hard at the curtain restoration
photos:Sophie West
and timescales for the rest of the work. Once these have returned, the curtains will then be sent, in two phases, to the original studio and a second studio to speed up the process. As each pair returns, the curtains will not immediately be rehung, but will be placed inside polycarbonate boxes for public view. The work is estimated to take four – five years, with the hope that the curtains will be reinstated simultaneously in the spring of 2022. The restoration is a vast undertaking, which can only be carried out by a handful of highly-specialised textile conservators. The work is estimated to cost around £175,000, although this will not be finalised until the curtains have been taken down and fully documented. Mottisfont needs help to raise the funds for this vital, specialist work. Visitors can donate to the project when they visit, by either buying a raffle ticket, purchasing something from the secondhand bookshop - or just contributing spare change into one of the property’s donation boxes.
It’s 73 not out for Hillier at Chelsea! By KEVIN GOVER THERE are a few things that are almost a given at the Chelsea Flower Show… the Queen comes on the Monday, there are film and telly stars galore out in force – and Hillier gets a Gold Medal. What do you know – they’ve only gone and done it again, their 73rd in a row. I’ve personally been following the achievements of Hillier at Chelsea since 1989 – wow, that’s 30 years ago and they hadn’t yet even reached the magic 50 at that time! But I distinctly remember being there and being impressed at how they’d cleverly built everything around the monument. Well, we hope that you’re as amazed as us that it looks different from all directions, despite being in a relatively small space in the main pavilion. This year’s exhibit, “Stihl Inspiration” took on a more rustic theme than previously featured, with corten steel throughout, and orange and blue flowering plants adding warmth alongside the traditional feature of Hillier’s mature trees.
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Normally, unless you are lucky enough to attend the press show – where you are actively encouraged to walk through the show gardens – you may have been slightly disappointed in only trying to be able to see the gardens from behind a cordon, and with four or five people in front of you. Sarah Eberle is the lead designer for Hillier for the third year running and this year put that right. Keen to boost interaction with the exhibit, she deliberately created a walkway through the garden that will provide opportunities for greater interaction with all elements of the exhibit: “It often feels such a shame that gardens have to be seen from afar. This year we decided to counter that! “We’ve opened up the garden to allow people to interact with it and take inspiration for every aspect so they can get up close to the planting, see all the intricacies, and smell the flowers! With a love of countryside, and the inspiration that rustic materials brings, this garden aims to excite and inspire visitors as to the possibilities of their own plot.” A shame of course that it only lasted a week. Then it’s on to Gold number 74?!
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reviews
June 2018
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A STELLAR CAST FOR A STAGE CLASSIC Beccy Conway watches the anniversary production of Willy Russell’s legendary musical BLOOD BROTHERS Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
TWINS, separated at birth and brought up in opposing social circumstances, find themselves drawn back together throughout their young lives in Willy Russell’s tale of friendship, motherhood, mental health and tragedy. Which will win out: nature or nurture? Lyn Paul leads the stellar cast, which is at the tail-end of a lengthy 30th Anniversary tour, not that you’d know it from the unwavering energy on stage. Having played the character on and off for twenty years, Paul has been voted the definitive Mrs Johnstone; single mother to seven children and living on a council estate in 1960s Liverpool. Whilst working as a cleaner for the wealthy Mrs Lyons, Mrs Johnstone learns she is expecting again, this time twins, and frets about the additional mouths to feed. Mrs Lyons (Sarah Jane Buckley) is unable to conceive and is desperate for a baby, and so begins a twisting tale of two brothers raised apart, one in near-poverty, the other wanting for nothing. The production opens onto a sombre scene, before rewinding to the start of the boys’ lives, and a sense of foreboding underlies the early scenes in Act 1. It is a testament to the skill demonstrated by every member of the cast that we soon forget about the ending
that must come as we’re swept up into the childhood and adolescent tribulations of Mickey (Sean Jones), Eddie (Mark Hutchinson) and Linda (Danielle Corlass), the girl they both love. There are no children in the cast, instead the actors play their respective characters at several stages of their lives. Jones is simply wonderful, his childlike mannerisms as seven-
There is heartbreak abound in the performances
DON’T MISS THIS HORSE’S LATEST RUN WAR HORSE Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
By KEVIN GOVER NOBODY in this show needs a reviewer like me to tell them how good War Horse is. Ten years should more than adequately have done that already. This is the second UK tour which carries through until 2019. It’s apt that we’re seeing it in the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War. No, what is important is that the story and the message of what happened in the First World War gets to new audiences. That is my job, and it’s an honour to do so. After all, there was a new generation of audience here tonight - schoolchildren who would have only been a few years old when Michael Morpurgo’s book was written. Since then, there has been the film. But as Michael himself says in the programme notes, seven million people have seen the play and that is where it comes alive: on the stage. A thousand actors have also taken part - including Michael himself. The story is simple and inspired by real events. Ten million people died in this war. Villages here in Hampshire were ripped apart. An entire generation of men was lost. Albert Narracott (Thomas Dennis) wants to join up but he’s too young. Somehow he enlists, and his horse, Joey ends up in France with him. They get split up and we’re all willing them to get
Villages here in Hampshire were ripped apart
home. Various parts of the story are projected onto a huge ripped-out piece of paper, including superb line drawings and animated weather effects. Then there are the two horses, played in rotation by twelve puppeteers... each horse with three people in each performance. Their movements and mannerisms - and consequently those of the horses - are sublime, perfectly observed, perfectly executed. As the
performance progresses, you only see horses on stage, not the humans. Yes, it’s THAT good. Those puppets extend to a goose and flying birds. There are inevitably some deeply sad moments, most in the heat of battle. Expressions on faces are extraordinary as it’s all done in slow motion. Lighting is important in a show of this size, and I was impressed by the stark white lights placed just above the heads of actors which gave an added sense of
year-old Mickey uncannily convincing, and as time moves on he is a walking caricature of a scruffy, angst-ridden teenager. Hutchinson as Eddie, Mickey’s wealthy, sheltered counterpart is just as endearing, and Corlass is hilarious as Linda, firstly a tomboy seven-year-old and later a sassy teen. Mathew Craig is the omnipresent narrator who guides us through Mickey and Eddie’s entwined lives with Shakespeare-like rhyme and a phenomenal singing voice. Craig is the manifestation of the two mothers’ conscience, an ever-present reminder of the fate that will inevitably befall the brothers as a result of the pair’s deception. There is heartbreak abound in the performances by Lyn Paul and Sarah Jane Buckley. Paul personifies the trials of single motherhood as she watches her children fall through societal cracks and mirror her mistakes, despite her unwavering love for them. Buckley’s Mrs Lyons embodies all women who feel like mothers without children in her despair over infertility. Her breakdown over fear Eddie will discover his true identity sets off a series of events which drive the brothers apart forever. Blood Brothers is unusual in that the music, lyrics and book were all written by one man, Willy Russell, but if it it’s unusual it certainly isn’t ineffective. Never before have I experienced such a broad spectrum of emotions during the course of one production, from eyewatering hysterics to horror-struck sobs. My one regret is that I’m not seeing the show again! claustrophobia and fear as the soldiers marched forward. The realisation that you’re in the middle of a battlefield is when the explosions start. They are so realistic and so loud that the whole theatre shakes. Cleverly placed speakers behind you give the impression that bullets are flying over your head. The sensation is enhanced by a life size field gun. Then you suddenly realise there’s a tank on stage. A tank! At the end, I have no hesitation in admitting I was emotionally drained. People around me were crying - but they loved the (genuinely funny) comedy bits too. Congratulations to the many people both on stage and off who contribute to this story of honour and courage, of fear and desperation - and of futility. The music, songs and effects only add to the most powerful show I have ever seen on stage. If you haven’t seen this, put it on your bucket list. Watch it with fear and trepidation - much of it from behind your hands. If you have missed out on the Mayflower, there are plenty of opportunities left to see it until March 2019: The Lowry, Salford (June 13 - 20); Wales Millenium Centre (July 4 - 28); New Victoria Theatre, Woking (August 1-18); Plymouth Theatre Royal (August 29 - September 15); Milton Keynes Theatre (September 19 - October 6); Birmingham Hippodrome (October 10 - November 3); London National (November 8 - January 5); Glasgow SECC January 11 - 26); Sunderland Empire (February 6 - 23); Canterbury Marlowe Theatre (February 27 - March 16). Laugh in the right places... cry bucket loads. Tell your friends. Go with your friends. But above all, go.
the final word
16 winchestertoday.co.uk
June 2018
GOING HEAD OVER HAT TO HAVE FUN Hat Fair’s Back - David Cradduck takes a personal view I have a special affection for, and affinity with the UK’s longest running street fair, Winchester’s Hat Fair that returns to our streets on 29th June. From the days when my kids, now in their late 20s, soaked up the zaniness of the Sunday’s family atmosphere in Oram’s Arbour to the day in 2013 when I led 300 kids from Abbey Gardens to the Cathedral Grounds dressed as The Mad Hatter, accompanied by my friend Glynn Williams as the March Hare. I also helped with the marketing and behind the scenes stuff for a few years. At that time the edgy, visible entertainment was reflected in the sometimes chaotic and bohemian way the festival was run from a make-do-and-mend office, but they somehow always pulled it off with aplomb and enthusiasm which creative folks thrive on.
The festival is now run on a very professional footing Roll on a few years and the free, outdoor circus-inspired festival is now run on a very professional footing by the Live Theatre Winchester Trust, based at the Theatre Royal Winchester. At first, TRW tentatively took Hat Fair under its wing but now they soar together and one is synonymous with the other. You might be forgiven to think that because of this rather more organised management structure, the festival could lose its dangerous, spontaneous quality that makes upwards of 55,000 people come back year after year to be entertained, surprised and involved in three days of fun, but not a bit of it. The top street theatre performers – or ‘hatters’ (so called because you put money in their hats busking-style) are still there at the heart of it with their acrobatics, live music and ‘cheeky idiocy’, knife juggling, hula-hooping and offering circus entertainment close-up and personal. But what has happened is the blossoming and broadening of variety in the programme: top billing highlights this year include NoFit State Circus/ Motionhouse’s dance/circus production ‘BLOCKS’ involving giant Jenga blocks and thrilling, split second timing and feats (Friday, the bus station); Sur Mesure’s ‘Fillage’ a fusion of circus acrobatics, juggling and music (Saturday at the bus station); Max Calaf Stevé’s ‘dip’ with breath-taking, air twisting tricks and funky tunes (Saturday at The Broadway). New for this year is ‘The Hum Winchester’, an app that will allow you, via your smartphone, to hear and experience a selection of often overlooked locations and the ‘everyday choreography of everyday people’ on the streets of Winchester. Seven such major headliners happen because of the support from many organisations such as Arts Council England, Winchester City Council and collaboration through ‘Without Walls’, a consortium of other major festivals
From acrobats to robots, the Hat Fair will have a wide range of entertainment. Below: David and friend Glynn Williams as Hatter and Hare Images: Dan Tucker, Maria Spadafora, Adrienne Photography
All in all, Hat Fair would appear to be in good shape
across the country and abroad including Brighton Festival. This allows Hat Fair, as director Andrew Loretto explains, ‘to punch above its weight’. Other support comes from long running partnerships with the Universities of Winchester and Southampton (the latter allowing six paid internships to be created for Winchester School of Art’s students),
Winchester BID and a raft of sponsors and volunteers. This year’s theme for the Hat Fair Parade (Friday from the Cathedral Outer Close) will celebrate 100 years of women’s rights to vote and will involve five local primary schools and nurseries. Inclusion is very much a feature with performances by Blue Apple Theatre and Candoco and an emphasis on youth
theatre involvement. The Sunday ‘family day’ has moved from the confines of Oram’s Arbour to the more spacious North Walls Recreation Ground which promises to be every bit as intimate and exciting for all ages, but in a bigger space. The hatters will all be there doing their stuff from origami, deadpan comedy and slack rope walking to driving nails through boards
with bare hands and Young Theatre Royal will perform four pieces inspired by ‘Vote 100’. The gardens of St John’s Almhouses will, for the first time, become the venue for a new ‘Village Fete’ with free tea and cake, live choral entertainment and a series of short films in St John’s Chapel, inspired by the lives and experiences of the more senior residents of Winchester. So all in all, Hat Fair would appear to be in good shape, with a close knit team to run it and funding secured for a good few years ahead. There is even a winter version of Hat Fair – Woolly Hat Fair – to bring the spirit of Hat Fair to the city’s Christmas celebrations. No wonder Jonathan Kaye, who started the whole thing back in 1974, is happy to return to see his creation thriving. Hat Fair runs from 29th June for the whole weekend and the complete line-up and programme can be found at www.hatfair.co.uk