1. pets
2. birds

IT C H E N
M OTO R C o.
L O N DO N RO A D, KIN G S W O RT HY
W IN C H E S T E R , S O 2 3 7 Q N
M OT
S E R V I C IN G
R E P A IR S
T Y R E S & T R A C K IN G
EXHAU STS
B A T T E R IE S
A IR C O N D IT IO N IN G
D IA G N O S T IC S
T e le p h o n e
01962 884 664
2
WELCOME to the valley news
Thank heavens
January is over.
When we get older
we are going to
abscond for the first
month of the year to somewhere
warm, where people don't give up
alcohol for a month, start liquidising
beetroot and adopt a haughty dislike to
all the things that made them bearable
in December. By that time internet
broadband in the Valley will be so fast
that we’ll be able to email our copy
home to Vernon from our sunbeds in
the Caribbean. More on that inside
(Broadband - not the West Indies).
But for now we’re here in boots, coats
and the obligatory furry hat with shaky
pom-pom. Hail February when you can
stuff your face with pancakes, buy
stupid cards and give up something less
onerous like gummy bears or
maltesers.
This month sees flocking brilliant bird
activity at Avington from our resident
birdman, Olá from Food Spy in
Alresford, make your bed and sow in it
from expert gardener Tony Gaster,
and heaps of other local happenings
and interests. Important
announcements are due on Silver Hill
and don't miss the Quizgate answers.
The Itchen Valley becomes a haven for
cultural and fundraising activity during
the next couple of months. Sweet
voices from the Girl Choristers of
Winchester Cathedral, Art Shows in
abundance and the last in the
fascinating Martyr Worthy Lecture
Series. Roll over Hugh de Bonneville,
we’ve got the real Earl and Countess of
Carnarvon heading our way on the
26th February. Meanwhile give it your
’breast’ shot for an exciting new
campaign originating in the Valley for
the wonderful Haven in Wessex, breast
cancer charity.
Thank you to all our brilliant
contributors and a big welcome to
Verity Coleman, our latest team
member, who reveals almost all in the
Itchen Insight. We have a real need for
more contributors and some great
ideas if you have the time. Plus you
might even get to come with us to the
Caribbean—who knows!! That’s it for
now - Happy Valentine’s Day, make
someone smile, celebrate the end of
January, properly flip your pancakes
and enjoy the frosty mornings.
Next month sees Charlotte Appleby
return to edit.
Best Wishes Fi and Lucy
Itchen Valley News
Editor
Vernon Tottle
Sub Editors
Charlotte Appleby, Verity
Coleman, Tony Gaster, Fiona
McIntosh, Lucy Wolfe,
Advertising
Sue Hitchen
Sophie Jackson
Distribution
Mima White
Jane Chichester
Treasurer
Andrew Kennedy
For editorial enquiries, please email:
itchenvalleynews@gmail.com
For advertising enquiries, please email:
itchenvalleyadvertising@gmail.com
Postal address: Itchen Valley News, Hazeldene,
Northington Road, Itchen Abbas, SO21 1BE
Please send all contributions for March 2015 by the
15th of February. All material is published in good
faith and the Valley News cannot be held responsible
for any information given or views expressed; neither
can it be liable for any loss arising from the use of any
information or advertisements contained herein. The
Editorial Team reserves the right to refuse or amend
articles or advertisements submitted for publication.
Cover photo - Duncan Gray. Other photography
credits: Sarah Bullen, Sue Germon, Geoffrey Smith,
Tony Gaster and many others
3
What’s On
Winchester Night Shelter Open Day
7th February
Have you ever wondered what life is
like inside a nightshelter? Winchester
Churches Nightshelter is hosting an
open day on Saturday 7th February.
Members of the public are invited to
drop in to the Nightshelter, located on
Jewry Street in Winchester, for the
chance to meet with staff, residents
and volunteers and see for yourself
how our vital homelessness services
help hundreds of people each year.
Our residents will also be showcasing
their cookery skills with a range of
tasty cakes and savoury snacks, that
will be on offer free of charge along
with tea and coffee. Don't be shy come along and have your perceptions
of homelessness challenged! The event
starts at 11am and ends at 3pm. Entry
is FREE. Visit www.wcns.org.uk for
more information and directions.
Rev Robert Wright of Itchen Abbas –
Poor Man’s Friend or Pillar of the
Establishment? 12th February
The guest speaker at the Worthys
Local History Group meeting on
Thursday 12th February at 7.45pm will
be David Taylor. He will be speaking
about the Rev Robert Wright, rector
of Itchen Abbas (1800 - 1850) and a
magistrate who sided with the poor
and the working class. He will reexamine Wright’s reputation looking at
evidence from his work as a magistrate
and his contribution to the cure of
souls in his five parishes.
The meeting will be at St Mary’s
Church Hall (near Springvale Post
Office), Fraser Road, Springvale Estate,
Kings Worthy, SO23 7PJ. There is a
4
Google map in the Contact section of
our website www.worthyhistory.org
Peter Finn
Don’t miss the Return of the Girl
Choristers of Winchester Cathedral !
This takes place on Friday 13th
February with George Castle and Tim
Parsons at 7.30pm at Itchen Abbas
Church.
Get your tickets from
southwoodplayers.org.uk, £15 or
under 21 £8 to include glass of wine/
soft drink and canapés. More
information from me 01962 779162
Nick Owen
‘Moo Music’ - Coming soon to Easton
Moosical fun for your little one!
Music and movement for 0-5 year olds
and their
parents/carers.
Fun interactive
sessions at
Easton Village
Hall on
Wednesday
mornings during
term-time.
Starting after half-term on
Wednesday 25th February at
10.15am. First session is FREE but
please let me know you are coming as
places will be limited. For more
information, please contact me on
01962 779182, rosewell@live.co.uk.
Denise Rosewell
The
C h e s tn u t
H o rs e
E a s to n
Mould & Thompson
Ltd
Easton Garage
Servicing and Repairs to all
makes of cars and vans
MOT and Bodywork arranged
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2 c o u r s e lu n c h t im e &
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Collection & Delivery
24hr Recovery and
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G r e a t a t m o s p h e re
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K a r e n W e l ls
Te l: 0 1 9 6 2 7 7 9 2 5 7
5
6
What’s on continued…
Lent Lunches 2015
Since the inception of the Lent
Lunches, the Itchen Valley Community
has raised several thousands of pounds
for local and national charities. These
informal and simple lunches take the
form of soup, bread and cheese,
between 12 - 2pm in various houses in
the Valley and EVERYONE is welcome.
The chosen Charity for 2015 will be
Winchester GoLD
(www.winchestergold.org.uk) formerly,
Winchester Mencap.
The lunches provide a great
opportunity to meet all ages within our
community. Please encourage your
friends and families to come along to
the Lent Lunches on the following
dates: Friday 20, 27 February and 6,
13, 20, 27 March (Easter is on 5th
April). The venues for the first two
Lent Lunches are: 20th February, Gilly
Greenwood, Edgedell, Lower Chilland
Lane, Martyr Worthy, 779540; 27th
February, Anna Burness, East View,
Easton, 779993
For further info please telephone
Stephanie Gretton on 779379 or
Felicity Urquhart 779579
Stephanie Gretton
Martyr Worthy Lecture Series
Thursday 26th February 2015 with the
Earl and Countess of Carnarvon on Life
at Highclere Castle - the Real
Downton Abbey. The Lecture will take
place in Itchen Abbas and Avington
Village Hall
Doors open at 7pm for a
complimentary glass of wine and
canapés, lecture from 7.45-8.45 pm
Tickets £15 each. Booking forms and
further details from Verity Coleman at
mumgod@aol.com. Gilly Greenwood
779540, Joanna Lang 779439 or Liz
Platt 779298, also details in the Valley
Churches website
Verity Coleman
Latin American Evening in Itchen
Abbas
There will be
an evening of
song and
dance
provided by
Sonrisa in
Itchen Abbas
& Avington
village hall on
Saturday 14th March. This five piece
band brings its show “A Taste of
Latin” to lighten up the late winter
evening. Their blend of original and
traditional songs with dancing
opportunities for the audience
together with a Spanish themed meal
will entertain you and hopefully get you
up on your feet to try some tangos,
rumbas and other delights.
Hear some samples of Sonrisa’a style at
www.sonrisamusic.co.uk
Children come FREE and tickets for
accompanying adults are £15 to include
the meal and are available from me on
779611 or vernontottle@gmail.com.
Vernon Tottle
Charity Dog Walk for Home-Start
On Thursday 19th March. Meet at
10.30am at Kilmeston Village Hall,
SO24 0NR (Follow Home-Start signs
for parking). There are two guided
walks of different lengths (¾ hour and
1½ hours) walking along the
Wayfarer’s Walk and through the
Dutton Estate. Both walks leave at
10.45am prompt, whatever the
weather. Donation £10 per walker
(includes soup and a ploughman’s
lunch) Non-dog walkers welcome. Book
7
What’s On cont….
with Sue Barham, Home-Start Winchester
& Districts, Lanterns Children Centre,
Bereweeke Road, Winchester SO22 6AJ.
Call 01962 851177 or email
info@home-start.winchester.org.
The ArtSalon at Avington Park .
during the weekend
of 21st/22nd March.
An exciting new
exhibition of British
Contemporary Art
in support of The
Haven in Wessex.
This event will also
see the unveiling of ‘SnapBreast’ a 5
foot female torso covered in tiny digital
images of breasts (dressed and
undressed) donated by celebrities and
the general public. For more
information visit www.snapbreast.co.uk
Lucy Wolfe
Easton & Martyr Worthy Safari
Supper – Saturday 21st March
This year’s Safari Supper for Easton and
Martyr Worthy residents will be held
on Saturday 21st March. We really
hope that new arrivals to our villages
and people who have not attended
before will come and join us as it is a
great way to get to know your
neighbours.
Whilst enjoying a gastronomic evening
we shall be raising funds for Easton
Village Hall and St Mary’s Church.
Please use the application form
enclosed with this issue to make your
booking and send it with a cheque
made payable to T McGowan to
Wincroft, Easton, Winchester, SO21
1ER. The last date for applications to
be received will be Friday 13th
March 2015.
For those who don’t know, the idea of
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the Safari Supper is that
participants travel from house to house
for three separate courses, meeting
different people at each course. We
shall then all meet up together for the
grand finale at Dymoke House, the
home of Frits and Sara who have kindly
agreed to welcome us at the end of the
evening. For the event to work most
people need to host a course although
first timers are usually exempt! The
donation price is £25 again this year
and at least £12 of this will be divided
between Easton Village Hall and St
Mary’s Church. For those who cater
the reimbursement for each person
will be: Starter Course £3: Main
Course £4: Dessert Course: £3: The
remaining £3 will go towards postage,
administration and for the cost of the
finale.
We hope to make this a truly
worthwhile fundraiser for local causes
and a super evening for everyone who
attends so please come along and join
us. If you would like any further
information please phone one of the
organisers below.
Terry and Anna McGowan Tel 779350
Hilary Castle Tel 779572
Itchen Abbas & Avington Safari
Supper
Those not eligible to attend the Safari
supper on Sat 21st March need not
despair, the IA&A version will take
place on the second Saturday in May,
this year the 9th May. Please put the
date in your diary now, further details
to follow. The format is not exactly the
same as the E&MW one but the
principle is the same, it is great fun and
a brilliant way to meet your
neighbours. If anyone would like to
volunteer to help organise it, please
contact me!
Charlotte Appleby (shrubshill@gmail.com)
Mobiles and Broadband
The Parish Plan highlighted the poor,
or non-existent, signal for mobile
phones in the Itchen Valley as a major
issue for many residents. Also, the
Communications section of the Plan
identified an action for a better
Broadband signal. Here is some further
information.
During 2014, Vodafone offered to
install their Rural Open Sure Signal
system in 100 locations across the
country. This system aims to provide a
mobile signal and 3G to rural
communities with a bad signal, such as
ours in the Itchen Valley. Booster
boxes mounted at key locations are
connected to the
internet and provide a
signal for a 500m radius.
Installation for selected
sites is free, except for
small running costs for
power. Of course the
system only works for
Vodafone users. In
October, I submitted an
application for the Itchen
Valley based on a number of sites for
booster boxes. This included a letter of
support from Steve Brine. It was
accepted by Vodafone and a
preliminary survey was made on 10th
December in order to assess the
feasibiliy of the proposal. A follow up
visit is scheduled for 14th January.
It now seems probable that Vodafone
will only proceed in the short term in
Easton and Itchen Abbas. (For those
interested, I already have a similar
Vodafone Sure Signal system for my
house. The cost of the box which
works through the internet is modest,
and for me it works very well).
Tom Ashbee reported last month on
the new BT roadside cabinet in Itchen
Abbas (previously known as Cabinet 1).
The latest information which I have
from the Hampshire Superfast
Broadband programme is that work
will be progressing on this cabinet in
the next few weeks, and then it is likely
to take several further weeks for the
service providers to offer Broadband
after the work is completed. A note
will be sent to all residents connected
to the cabinet (if they have already
registered as interested in the superfast
service) once the service is ready and
available to order.
The current Cabinet Itchen Abbas 2 is
located in Easton. This cabinet is now
one of those in Hampshire under
evaluation as part of the second phase
contract for the extension
of the programme to 95%
of premises in Hampshire.
The programme is based
on postcodes, and revised
postcode specific
information will be
available in the next few
weeks on the interactive
map on the website at
www.hampshiresuperfastbroadband.co
m. Residents in Hampshire will then be
able to find out whether their postcode
is covered in this phase.
More information on the full
installation programme will be available
at end September 2015. In general
premises within 1,200 metres of a
cabinet will benefit from Superfast
speeds. Others should also see some
improvement.
We still have to wait for more news
about the postcodes in the Itchen
Valley which do not benefit from the
upgrade of properties to be serviced by
the new cabinet in Itchen Abbas. The
present status for Cabinet 2 is that
there are 145 connections to it, of
which only about 25% have so far
9
registered interest in the Superfast
Broadband service, despite repeated
messages in the News over previous
years of the need to do so. (Unlike in
the area of Itchen Abbas Cabinet 1,
where a successful campaign was run).
Broadband and the internet are
changing our world and will continue
to do so in ways which are not yet
foreseeable. Superfast Broadband is
now a must-have service for people
who want the flexibility to work from
home. My view is that properties which
do not have Superfast Broadband will
be less attractive to buyers who want
the service than those with it. At the
western end of the Itchen Valley Parish
we need to make a collective effort to
press for access to Superfast
Broadband as quickly as possible.
Henry Labram
Birds flock to Avington Park
2014
The silting-up of the lake over the
years has had a detrimental effect on
many of the aquatic birds. However
dredging in late 2013 has restored the
natural beauty and had a beneficial
effect on the bird-life. This is,
therefore, an opportune time to
summarise a year’s bird-life since the
dredging. I hope you find this of
interest.
10
Swans, Geese and Ducks
Mute Swans occurred throughout the
year and a pair nested. Unfortunately
the brood of 6 cygnets soon
disappeared. A flock built up to 23 in
September. Canada Geese also
occurred throughout the year and 8
young were reared. A flock in autumn
reached 139. Mallard and Gadwall
were present in significant numbers
throughout the year, with maxima of
136 and 71 respectively. At least 4
broods of each were seen. As usual,
Teal were only autumn and winter
visitors, up to 8th April and from 29th
July onwards, maximum 114. In
contrast Tufted Ducks occurred
mainly from March to October,
maximum 36, with 3 broods seen.
There were occasional records of
Shelduck (up to 3), Mandarin Duck,
Wigeon (up to 7) and Shoveler,
with a Pochard on 16th April.
Cormorant, Herons, Egrets,
Grebes and Rails
1-2 Cormorants were seen on or by
the lake on a number of dates
throughout the year. Grey Herons
occurred throughout the year,
maximum 9. Unlike in previous years,
Little Egrets were seen only
occasionally, maximum 3. Little
Grebes were seen fairly regularly in
numbers of 1-3 but there were up to 6
in September and a pair nested. A
Great Crested Grebe from 26th
April to 10th May is believed to be the
first ever record for the lake. Small
numbers of Moorhens occurred,
maximum 8, with at least 2 broods.
Coots occurred in much larger
numbers than Moorhens, maximum 46,
with at least 6 broods. Water Rails
are elusive but one was heard or seen
throughout the period from March to
October and a pair are assumed to
have nested.
11
12
Waders
Snipe were present up to 28th April
and from 21st August onwards,
maximum 22. Unusually, up to 3
Lapwings were present in June and
July. Green Sandpipers were seen on
14th March and fairly often between
21st August and 31st October, with 2
on 12th October. Migrant Common
Sandpipers were present on 11th and
22nd July.
Gulls and Terns
Very small numbers of Black-headed
Gulls occurred until March with much
larger numbers from July onwards,
maximum 237. Up to 18 Common
Gulls were seen from October to
December. Unusually, large numbers of
Herring Gulls descended on the lake
from July to December, maximum 260.
There were unusual flocks of Lesser
Black-backed Gulls in May and July,
maximum 36. Although normally
thought of as coastal birds, 1 or 2
Great Black-backed Gulls have
been seen frequently at the lake in
recent years and 2014 was no
exception, with intermittent records in
most months. Surprisingly, a
Common Tern flew south, low over
the lake on 16th June.
Kingfisher
1-2 were regular from 30th May to
24th October and on 28th December.
A pair possibly bred at the lake or
nearby.
Other species recorded regularly
Pheasant, Buzzard, Kestrel,
Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove,
Woodpigeon, Tawny Owl, Swift, Green
Woodpecker, Great Spotted
Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw,
Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue
Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit,
Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff,
Blackcap, Nuthatch, Wren, Blackbird,
Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush,
Robin, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail,
Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.
Other scarcer birds
Red Kite: One flew over on three
dates, with 4 feeding together on 23rd
June. Osprey: One circled the lake on
5th and 16th September. Peregrine:
One flew over on 28th November.
Raven: One flew over on 8th January
and 2nd May. Skylark: Migrants flew
over on various dates from 30th
September to 18th November. Sand
Martins were often seen in spring and
August/September on migration,
maximum flock 10. Willow Warbler:
Up to 9 from 21st to 26th August,
presumed migrants. Sedge Warbler:
1-2 from 12th to 26th August,
presumed migrants as, unlike in
previous years, none nested.
Treecreeper: Possibly overlooked
but one on 10th September was the
only record. Starling 15 flew southwest on 3rd and one on 18th
November were the only records,
presumed migrants. Spotted
Flycatcher: one pair on 26th May.
one on 21st August and from 5th to
8th September, presumed migrants.
Grey Wagtail: 1-2 occurred on a few
dates from August to October. Yellow
Wagtail: 2 migrants flew south on 1st
September. Meadow Pipit: 1-3
migrants were recorded on a few dates
between 27th September and 15th
October. Linnet: one on 20th July,
13
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PHONE:
01962
885928
Tel. 01962
779690
www.guttering.uk.com
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AVAILABLE TO HIRE:
The STUDIO AND/OR
Consulting Room
@ hourly rates
Central Alresford with Car
Parking
www.thestudioalresford.com
TEL: 07771 522665 /
07734 425430
Sally Hogg
Pilates @ the Studio
26a,The Dean, Alresford
Small class numbers and individual
support –
For further details:
call/text Sally Hogg on
07771 522665
sallyhogg@btinternet.com
14
PETER G FISHER
GAS SAFE registered 219242
Plumbing, Heating and
Gas Engineer
33 Victoria Road, Fair Oak, SO50 7FY
Phone 02380 600834
Mobile 07860 401304
Credit and debit cards accepted
with migrant parties on three dates
from 27th September to 15th October,
maximum 23. Lesser Redpoll: 3 on
5th November. Bullfinch: 2 on 21st
August. Yellowhammer: one on 2nd
October. A detailed chart showing
maximum monthly counts for 35 of the
above species is available from
john.cloyne@googlemail.com. If any
reader has additional information, I’d
be delighted to hear about this.
John Cloyne
Church Matters
Ministry Team
Curate
Rev Alex Pease
793063
alex@manorfarmkilmeston.com
Curate
Rev Rebecca Fardell
809264
rebecca.itchenvalley@gmail.com
Licensed Lay Minister
Mr Tony Gaster
779110
tonygaster@btinternet.com
Licensed Lay Minister
Mr Gerry Stacey
620263
gstacey@easynet.co.uk
Area Dean
Rev Canon Phil Collins 732105
rector@stjohnsalresford.org.uk
From the Chancel Step
February 2015
I like words. Actually
I like words a great
deal. I like short
words like pox and
long words like
quintessential. I like
new words like blog
and old words like cleave. I like words
that make me smile like incunabula and
words that roll around in my mouth
like mellifluous. I like words for the
sound they make like blast and words
for what they mean like grace.
We are immersed in words everyday:
spoken words, printed words, thought
words, sung words. Even when we are
asleep there are words in our dreams. I
was trying to estimate how many
words I come into contact with in an
average day and was completely
defeated by it: there must be thousands
not to mention all the words which I
use! Our days are full of throw away
words like breakfast and words that
linger like love. I am writing this in the
wake of the tragedies in France when
the prevalence of words is very
apparent: the sheer number of words
that have been written and spoken and
thought as we have tried to come to
terms with the events that unfolded in
Paris and elsewhere. It also reminds us
of the power of words: words in the
hands of a master can paint a picture
every bit as vivid as a brush in an
artist's hands. This power means that
words can be used for good and ill, to
heal and to maim. It has always struck
me that one of the stupidest adages
which we trot out is 'sticks and stones
may break our bones but words will
never harm us'. Broken bones usually
heal but words can inflict lasting
damage, damage to people's hearts and
minds, damage to people's bodies when
they lead to actions, when they create
a climate of hate and fear in which
murder becomes possible. The dehumanising way in which Jews were
spoken about in Nazi Germany was
vital in the road to the death camps.
The words spoken in the Truth and
Reconciliation Committee were critical
in preventing a blood bath in the
aftermath of Apartheid. We certainly
need to be extremely wise and
considered in the words we use to
respond to events such as those in
France.
The Bible is clear about this power of
15
words: the power to create - Genesis
gives us an account of creation in
which God said and the world came
into being - and the power to destroy think of the crowds shouting 'crucify'
which played a part in Jesus' journey to
the cross. The book of Proverbs is full
of wisdom about living and has much to
say about words: 'Death and life are in
the power of the tongue' (18.21) for
'Rash words are like sword thrusts'
whereas 'Pleasant words are like a
honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and
health to the body' (16.24). Indeed the
Bible takes the power of words so
seriously that it tells us that one day
we will be held accountable for all the
words we have used (e.g. Matthew
12.36).
So let's remember that words are not
merely sounds or marks on a page but
things of enormous power and seek to
use them wisely and well. Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be acceptable to you, O
Lord, my rock and my
redeemer.' (Psalm 19.14)
Revd Rebecca Fardell
Lent Course
Lent is a time of reflection and
contemplation as we examine
ourselves and ask what Jesus is saying
to his Church today. To help us do
this, we will be running the Diocesan
Lent Course on five Tuesdays starting
on 24th February. There will be a
morning session (11.00-12.00) which
will be repeated in the evening (7.309.00) to enable as many people as
possible to come. The course will focus
on our heritage from the Benedictine
mission movement to help us think
through what we might put in a Rule of
Life to help us go deeper in our
relationship with Jesus. More
information to follow but do speak to a
16
member of the Ministry Team or look
at the Church website if you would like
to know more.
Rebecca
Itchen Insight
Name: Verity Coleman
Age: What kind of question is that??!
Occupation: Grandmother, cook,
estate agent, fishmonger, mother,
marketing account manager
How many years you've lived in
the Valley: 27
Your life in 140 characters: Surrey
girl, UEA, London, New York then
Hampshire with three children to enjoy
the chaos of family life.
Champagne moment: On top of
the mast of HMS Belfast when she
moved up the Thames to her final
mooring in the Pool of London
Surprising snippet: I went to Iran by
lorry in 1972
Passion: Food
Favourite place in Hampshire:
Itchen bridge at Martyr Worthy
Best thing about the Valley:
Walking in fabulous countryside – Gus
the dog loves it too.
Worst thing about the Valley:
Creeping suburbanisation
Favourite Book or Film: Other
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Men’s Flowers, Field Marshall Wavell
Best one-liner or favourite
quote: One child about another:
“He should have ducked!”
Verity has joined the IVN Team and will be
editing the May 2015 edition - Ed
Winchester Constituency
Update
One key issue has
been rail services as
used by my
constituents,
primarily to get into
(and out of) London
each day. Back in
November 2013 I hosted a big open
meeting, ASKSWT, with the Chief
Executive of South West Trains
taking our questions.
So many excellent issues were raised
and a Winchester wish-list was drawn
up. A little over a year on, we’ve
made huge progress. On-train wi-fi is
now live, parking capacity at
Winchester Station has been
increased by some 20% thanks to the
new decked car park, we have for the
first time a footbridge with disabled
access and just this week we’ve
confirmation that Winchester will be
staffed until11pm each night. Late
night safety, especially for women
travellers, was a key concern at the
2013 meeting and it’s been addressed.
Looking ahead, I want to focus some
more on our other stations –
including Micheldever and Shawford –
but as I said in a key Commons
debate recently, the big issue facing us
in the South is capacity on what is the
UK’s busiest rail service. Early in the
New Year I addressed a special ‘Rail
Summit’ organised by Hampshire
County Council and am working with
18
SWT, Network Rail, Ministers and
neighbouring MPs to draw together an
investment plan worth billions of
pounds.
It’s hugely complicated and tied up with
suburban routes into Waterloo, freight
use of the railways, even platform
capacity in Southampton and will
require heavy engineering of the track
into central London. However, now is
the time to make the case for this area
as Network Rail considers something
called the ‘Wessex Route Study’ and I
am getting involved as we look ahead
through 2029. It is real long-term
thinking which has sadly been absent
for so long on this line. You can see
more at www.stevebrine.com/trains
And finally, it’s something we all know
and now it seems the rest of the
country is catching on; Winchester has
been ranked third in a prestigious list
of the top 50 places to live in the
entire UK. The Halifax Quality of Life
survey follows Channel 4's Location,
Location, Location ranking which even
put us on top of the pile a few years
back. You can catch-up on all of my
work via www.stevebrine.com or by
calling 01962 791110.
Steve Brine
The Itchen Valley News
misinformation campaign
Judging by the number of Christmas
trees left out for collection on Friday
9th January, it would appear that very
few people read the coloured box on
page 40 of this magazine. This section
covers a range of permanent but liableto-change information snippets ranging
from bus timetables to rubbish
collection.
Had readers taken note of page 40
they would have seen that trees were
scheduled for collection a fortnight
later – and this indeed is what
happened. However had they also
taken note of the published date of the
library visit and of the bus times they
would have been sorely disappointed.
The box has now been updated to
show the change in the mobile library
date from a Tuesday to a Friday. It has
also been amended to take account of
the reduction in bus services to
Winchester because the 10.05
weekday service and the 15.25
Saturday service have both been
withdrawn.
The Itchen Valley News would like to
apologise for this incorrect
information – but in our defence we
would plead that the changes were
notified to us after the January 2015
edition had gone to press.
Vernon Tottle, Editor IVN
banker and then an industrialist.
However, he was happy to retire
relatively early to Chilland and immerse
himself in his garden and the river.
John loved being surrounded by his
family and enjoyed the company of
people and, whilst he could be a man of
strong opinions, he had the happy
knack of being able to strike up a
conversation with complete strangers.
Obituary: John Impey
John Impey, who died at home aged 83
on 28th November 2014, lived in the
Itchen valley for much of his life. He
was a consummate countryman and
gardener. His family moved from
Oxfordshire to Chilland in 1945 when
they set about establishing a small farm
and the garden at Chilland.
Gardening and the countryside were a
passion of John’s parents and they
became a lifelong love of his too. John
was a keen sailor in his youth and an
accomplished skier. He enjoyed fly
fishing but was not a particularly
dedicated fisherman, however, he
loved the river and its wildlife. He
derived immense pleasure ‘keeping’
the river or just being near it watching
the world go by, preferably
accompanied by friends, some food
and a good bottle of wine.
Professionally he was a qualified
accountant who became a merchant
In his latter years he became quite a
feature by the bridge at Chilland talking
to all who could spare him the time!
He had a great sense of fun and the
ridiculous and never took himself too
seriously. John’s heart was in the
Itchen valley and, appropriately, he is
now laid to rest next to his parents in
St Swithun’s churchyard.
Andrew Impey
Our Wild Valley: Love for life!
As the trees and river banks are bare
in winter, so the persil-white of the
19
swan stands out like a refreshing polo
mint amongst the drab greys, browns
and greens. It is said (RSPB) that they
do mate for life, looking for a mate
after the age of 2 and possibly living up
to 15 years, would give them a good
few years together with luck. If their
partner died they would possibly try
and find a new partner, and not
necessarily pine away.
The nest building is a job for both – the
male providing all the sticks, rushes and
other vegetation and giving it to the
female to make her ideal nest. The
female lays up to seven eggs between
late April and early May. Both parents
incubate the eggs, which hatch after 3541 days. The cygnets stay with the
adults for 4 to 5 months and usually go
off to join a large flock of non-breeding
swans.
The constructed ‘wooden walls’ in the
river downstream of the bridge along
the Itchen Abbas to Avington road
certainly provided a perfect perch for
the swans and ducks this winter, and
maybe the cygnets will enjoy them too
in Spring!
Sophie Rogers
From Our City Councillor
20
Happy New Year.
May it be a healthy,
happy and successful
one for all of us, but
that’s enough of the
elections which are
now less than four
months away with the
clock slowly ticking all
the way. A partial self-imposed limit
on news of Silver Hill too – the Judicial
Review hearing is still on for January
28/29, and other actions are afoot, but
more of that anon.
January/February is a good time to talk
about the weather and the potential
for floods, which were a source of
great fun this time last year. In recent
months there has been a great deal of
discussion within the City Council
about its performance previously and
the need for control centres and
communication between different
authorities, and how we might do this
or do that even though we don’t seem
to have the money to do much of
anything.
The bottom line is that we don’t have
much control over what the Almighty
decides to chuck at us, and whether or
not lessons have been learned by the
City Council and/or the Environment
Agency, the County Council, the Police
and others will be found out in the
unlucky event that we do get a repeat
performance. As always, a little
personal forethought and preparation,
to the extent anyone can, for flooding
and power cuts makes sense.
Other City Council activity locally
includes the proposed closure of the
lay-by on the A31 just west of
Alresford. As some might have heard
or know, it’s been the scene of various
nefarious goings on by non-locals for
many years, and joint action by all the
authorities is planned to bring this to
an end very shortly. My own concern
is that this action doesn’t simply
relocate the problem elsewhere,
perhaps even less suitable, but I am
told that this will be closely monitored.
Also in the news at the City Council is
an agenda designed to prompt us all to
recycle even more of the mountains of
detritus we produce. Even those who
doubt the evidence of climate change
can see the simple logic of recycling
and even the name of the initiative,
“The Great Waste”, provides plenty of
recycling opportunities as we all look
forward to the months of political
campaigning ahead.
Kim Gottlieb
Accommodation
Good food
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Fine Wines
Private Parties
Tel: 01962 779191
info@theploughitchenabbas.co.uk
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21
What’s On in the Village Halls
Itchen Abbas & Avington
Bookings: Jenny Sloan 07969 113630
Village Hall tel no 01962 791021
www.iaavillagehall.co.uk
Weekly bookings: MONDAY TO FRIDAY:
Montessori 8.30am-1pm, Mon to 3pm
MON: Cleaning: 7-9am, School 14.15pm, Zumba 6.30-7.30pm
TUE: Pilates 9-10am, Rugby Tots 1012.10, Short Mat Bowls 6-8pm, Chi
Gong 8-9.15pm
WED: Cleaning 7-9am,Yoga 9-10am,
Playgroup 10-12, School PE 1-2pm,
Short tennis 2.30-4.30pm, Yoga 6.307.30pm, Choral Society 7.30-9.30pm
THUR: School 1-2pm, Badminton 7.30
-9.30pm;
FRI: Cleaning 7-9am, Zumba 1011.45am, Cleaning 1-3pm, School 12pm
SAT: Private use 8.45-9:45am
SUN: Cleaning 2-5pm
Other bookings
Mon 2nd: Wives Fellowship Talk 1.30 4.30pm
Thurs 5th: Parish Council 7-9pm
Fri 6th: Age Concern Quiz 6pm-11pm
Sat 7th: Childs Party 9am-3pm
Sun 8th: Church 9-12noon
Tues 10th: Valley Gardeners 1.154.45pm, Winchester Beekeepers 7.30 –
9.30pm
Tues 17th: Hants Bees AGM 7-9pm
Thurs 19th: NADFAS Study Day 8am7pm, Parish Council Planning Meeting
7pm-9pm
Sat 21st: 90th Birthday Party 10.30am4pm
Sun 22nd: Party 2—8pm
Tues 24th: NADFAS 12.30—4.30pm
Thurs 26th: Martyr Worthy Lecture
22
Series 4.30—10.30pm
Sat 28th: Senior Citizens Party12 - 6pm
Easton
Bookings: Ina Williams 01962 779465
evh.booking@googlemail.com
Weekly bookings
MON: Authentic Pilates 9-10am, 6.307.30pm TUE: Pilates with Emily 9.3010.30am and 11-12 noon; Sally
Stanyard School of Dance & Drama
5.15-7.15pm WED: Moo Music
(clubroom) 9.45-11.15am
THUR: Pilates with Emily 8.30-9.30am
FRI: Authentic Pilates with Judy 910am; Mothers & Toddlers 10-12am;
Sally Stanyard Class 4-6.30pm
SAT: 4th State Yoga class 9.30-10.30
There are no classes during Half Term
Other bookings
Sun 1st: Children’s Party 10.30-13.30
Mon 2nd: Children’s party 10am-1pm
Weds 4th: CPRE meeting (clubroom)
9.30-1.30pm
Thurs 5th: NCT class C1098 7.3010pm
Thurs12th: WI meeting (clubroom)710pm
Tues17th: Police Beat Surgery 5pm
Weds 25th: NCT Class C1098 7.30–
10pm
Martyr Worthy
Bookings: Lucinda Ffennell 779701
Weekly bookings:
MON – FRI Riverbank School 9am –
1pm; MON & WED 9am-3pm Half
Term 16th THUR: Whist drive 79.30pm
Other bookings:
Sat 8th: Village Christening Party
Sat 22nd am: The Ark Sunday School
Itchen Valley Church Services & Meetings
1st February
8th February
15th February
18 February
22nd February
8am
10am
11am
6pm
8am
10am
6pm
8am
10am
6pm
8pm
8am
10am
6pm
BCP Holy Communion
Family Service
Matins
Healing and Wholeness
BCP Holy Communion
Parish Communion
Evensong
BCP Holy Communion
Parish Communion
Evensong
Ash Wednesday
BCP Holy Communion
Parish Communion
Taize
Avington
Easton
Avington
Itchen Abbas
Easton
Itchen Abbas
Martyr Worthy
Martyr Worthy
Easton
Avington
Itchen Abbas
Itchen Abbas
Martyr Worthy
Easton
Itchen Valley Churchwardens
St Mary’s Easton: Sara Janssen 779337 and Anna Burness 779993
St John’s Itchen Abbas: Charlotte Appleby 779778 and Chris Wilson 779249
St Swithun’s Martyr Worthy: Andrew Impey 779645 and Isobel Pinder
For information on other meetings
please refer to the Itchen Valley
Churches website http://
itchenvalleychurches.org.uk/calendar/ .
On this website you will also find a
range of services and events on offer
throughout the Valley.
If you are looking for somewhere to
worship and to find out more about
God and his love then we would gladly
help you in that exciting journey. If you
are already a Christian and would like
to join a growing, thriving parish then
do not hesitate to come along.
Meetings this month include:
Little Rainbows for Parents and
Toddlers every Monday morning at 10
am to 11 am in Itchen Abbas church.
Helpers are always welcome to assist
in the running of this lively gathering,
especially those prepared to help
before and afterwards. Call Rebecca on
01962 809264
Mums Bible Study group every Monday
afternoon at 1.30 pm
Free To Be is being set up as a support
group for those of us affected by the
challenges of living with a mental health
problem. This might be a personal
battle or one affecting someone close
to you. We meet on Thursdays at St
John's church Itchen Abbas from 10.00
- 11.30am.
And finally, Winchester Night Shelter
needs more volunteers to cook a meal
once a year for 20 people, a pudding or
main course, such as a casserole or
Shepherd’s pie type food. All expenses
will be reimbursed. This is being done
under the umbrella of the Itchen valley
churches. Please contact Judith Mezger
07834 831450.
23
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& Partners
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Box Office 01962 840440
Over 150 years of Family Service
www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk
Richard Steel, Iain Steel, Mark Allery
Alderman House, 12-14 City Road
Winchester
(01962) 862333
with St Mary’s Chapel & Garden of
Remembrance at 4, Chesil Street
Personal 24 Hour Service
Pre-need funeral plans
www.winchesterfunerals.co.uk
D and G
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Garden landscapes and decking,
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24
Thu 5 - Sat 7 I Believe in Unicorns
Wed 11 Blake
Sun 15 Michael Pennington
Wed 18 - Sat 21 Curtains
Sun 22 Goldilocks
Tue 24 Sir Christopher Bland
Fri 27 Old Time Music Hall
Tree Felling in Itchen Abbas
Give it your Breast shot!
If there is anyone who was not able to
attend the public exhibition in the
village hall about a year ago, and like
me, was puzzling over why so many
trees are being felled in Itchen Abbas,
particularly in the area on the south
side of the main road from the
Rectory Lane junction, the answer has
kindly been supplied by Charlotte Rose
from Natural England.
The tree felling is part of a Higher
Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme to
restore an area of wet fen meadow
SSSI (nationally scarce habitat) to a
favourable condition. The trees
(poplars) were preventing the site from
An eye-catching national fund-raising
campaign for The Haven Breast Cancer
Support Centres has been launched
from the Itchen Valley. Members of
the public (male & female) are being
encouraged to submit anonymous
'selfies' of their breast or chest area.
The images are being used to create a
5 foot sculpture of a female torso
which will be unveiled and auctioned
off at an exciting new exhibition of
British Contemporary Art being held at
Avington Park over the weekend of the
20th/21st of March.
The Haven charity provides free-ofcharge help and support for people
who are living with the effects of breast
cancer in their lives. The weekend
activities are in support of The Haven
in Wessex which will open a new
Haven centre in Titchfield during the
summer of 2015.
The centre will offer complementary
therapies to breast cancer patients and
their families who live in the south of
England. The Wessex Haven launched
a £2.5 million capital appeal in 2013 and
has raised £1 million to date.
achieving this. They were shading out
the wildflowers, drying out the site, and
were a potential safety hazard. This
was demonstrated during the storms
last winter, when several were blown
onto the road. A smaller area of
willow scrub which is also preventing
the site from improving will also be
removed.
The works are scheduled to be
completed by the end of March, before
the bird breeding season gets
underway and the funding runs out.
It will be fascinating to watch the
changes in this habitat over time.
Sue Germon
BE A WORK OF ART– find out more
and upload your ‘breastie’ at
www.snapbreast.co.uk . Participants
must be over 18 years of age.
Lucy Wolfe
2
25
The Practical Gardener
I’ve been asked to write about raised
beds. When I started to redesign my
garden, I had also been working on the
drive and I had a huge pile of top soil
to get rid of – for me raised beds in the
vegetable garden was the answer. Yet
there are more benefits. First and
foremost you add depth of soil. We
are all living on chalk and often the soil
depth is an issue particularly if you
grow root crops.
So I looked into what was available
commercially. There are two on-line
suppliers: Harrod Horticultural and
Two Wests & Elliott who offer systems
at a price. All I can say is that the cost
for me was prohibitive. There’s not
much point for me in growing food
which costs 5 times more than the
local shop.
My main beds are 4.2 x 2.1m. I
constructed these from 3 lengths of
treated timber. I used 50x200mm,
cutting one length in half to provide
two end pieces. The cost is about £4/
m. The corners are simply nailed
together. Some I supported with
timber corner pieces and elsewhere I
have used metal straps easily available
from builder’s merchants. These are
practical and work well but not very
26
pretty; next time
I will secure
them from the
inside so they
won’t be seen.
No timber lasts
for ever so
unless you
choose to use a commercial plastic
system, expect to start replacing some
timber after 8 years. Treated timber
has no effect on plants but the slugs
and snails don’t like it. My garden is not
flat so I laid the timber directly onto
the existing soil. Some of this was grass
which I dug up and turned over, it all
soon rots away.
The disadvantage of a bed 2.1m wide is
that reaching to the centre for any
activity is difficult. Maybe if I was
starting again I would deduce this. I
chose relatively thick timber so that it
needed minimal support along the
length. Small beds would probably
work just as well with 25mm thickness.
Now we all have predators and pigeons
are top of my list so many of my crops
need to be netted. Again there are
many commercial frames available. I
chose again to work in wood using
treated roof battens which are quite
low cost. I make up frames to suit the
crops. So for example my strawberry
bed is just 300mm high whereas for
sprouts I need at least 1m.
Every year I change the crops based on
a rotation system and I add my own
compost accordingly. I never dig my
raised beds. The only digging is done to
harvest potatoes and that’s quite
enough. However, last summer was
very dry and I found it necessary to
rotovate some areas particularly after
growing peas. I make my soil work
hard and often double crop. More on
that next month.
Tony Gaster
Jackie’s County Corner for
February
Worn white lining
Many people are
reporting worn white
lines on roads. Because
of the adhesion, white
lines are not repainted
at this time of year
unless there’s a real emergency. Please
report any worn lines to me so that I
can collate requests to HCC in late
February for contracted work in the
Summer.
County Council budget
The County Council Budget Meeting is
on the 19th February. Council TV will
be running on that day as usual. You
can watch the debate by going to
www.hants.gov.uk and following the
link. You will receive your Council Tax
demands after that meeting. The
Council has said it wants to keep to a
0% increase in Council Tax.
Unfortunately this will result in cuts in
services: the removal of the Culture-all
pass, cuts in services for disabled
children and Youth services and
subsidised bus services. We must all be
grateful to Mervyn, who has agreed to
run services as before but at a lower
cost.
Sign up to www.hants.gov.uk/
broadband to show your support for
better rural broadband speeds
I am currently conducting a 2015
survey of broadband speeds across the
area. If you want to help me to build up
a picture of the speeds we are
receiving, please email me with your
postcode, and upload and download
speeds. Some people have already done
so, and the results show a poor
correlation between the speeds you
pay for and those you are actually
getting. I am seeking alternative
solutions for the future with the help
of local experts in the community.
Do you have a Good Neighbour in
your community?
Hampshire County Council has
launched its ‘Celebrating Good
Neighbours Awards’ and wants people to
vote for those who have helped made a
difference in their community.
Nominations close on February 2
(hopefully after you receive this) and
can be made by visiting hants.gov.uk/
goodneighbourawards.
#Pledge4Plastics
I am supporting the #Pledge4Plastics
campaign, which aims to get recycling
back on the household agenda. Five
billion plastic bottles were sent to UK
landfill sites last year, so Hampshire has
joined the campaign urging people to
make a promise to recycle just one
extra plastic bottle per household each
week. Recycled plastic can be used to
make a wide range of products from
fleece clothing to picnic benches!
Although we can only recycle glass
bottles at ‘bring ‘sites in this district,
we can all recycle plastic in our green
bins. If every household in Hampshire
27
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Fax: 01962 776111
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Mob: 07703 178219
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Itchen Valley Montessori
Itchen Abbas
9.00 am - 2.45 pm
Monday
9.00 am - 1.00 pm
Tuesday to Friday
The Montessori Method in a
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Activities include Art & Craft,
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28
recycled just one more plastic bottle a
week we would be stopping 30 million
bottles being thrown away every year.
In total over 40% of plastic bottles are
not recycled in the county, that's a
staggering 126.5 million bottles that are
not recycled each year. Surely it’s
worth a try?
Jackie@jackieporter.co.uk 01962 791054
Twitter: @JackieLibDem 07973 696 085
website www.jackieporter.co.uk
PARISH Council Chairman’s
Report
You may have
noticed a lot of
clearance work at
the Fish Farm at
Itchen Abbas. This is
an initiative by
English Nature to
return the site to a wetland habitat,
described in this magazine on page 25.
Having laid a new access way as agreed,
unexpected problems have arisen with
the licence from Hampshire County
Council to connect it to the highway.
As the funding from Natural England to
remove the poplars must be used by
April, it was necessary to proceed
without the new access way
completed. Also, it was expected that
the area would dry out as usual, so that
the trees could be cleared from the
farm end and stacked by the new
access way. However, given the trees
are being felled in standing water, the
contractor has had to restrict the
distance of removal to a minimum and
draw them directly to the roadside.
The new access will still be needed to
manage the habitat on a yearly basis, as
required by the Higher Level
Stewardship Scheme Agreement with
Natural England. The Fish Farm has
promised to keep any disruption to a
minimum.
Knotty problem!
Well I hope it’s
not a problem
for you, but it
has been
identified in the
Itchen Valley
before, so I
should pass on
the recent
clarification
received from WCC. Japanese
Knotweed is classified by the
Environment Agency as an invasive
plant. As such, it should not be
included in green waste bags as the
composting process for green material
would not guarantee that the plant
would be destroyed, leading to a risk of
it still being present in the compost
produced. It is also not accepted at any
HCC amenity tips.
So the advice is that anyone who has
an issue with identifying, handling or
disposing of Japanese Knotweed should
contact the Environment Agency, the
regulatory body responsible for its
overall management, on 03708 506
506. There’s more helpful advice on
what to look out for on the
Government website at www.gov.uk/
prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasiveand-non-native-plants.
Penny Flemons
Chairman, Itchen Valley Parish Council
penny@flemons.co.uk
www.itchenvalleyparishcouncil.org.uk
St Swithun's Martyr Worthy
Flower Rota 2015
The flowers in the church are very
much appreciated by all who come to
worship at St Swithun's as well as those
passing on brief visits or walking along
the Pilgrims Way. So, thank you, to
29
everyone who has given their time and
talent so generously over the last 12
months. The time is fast approaching
when I will be drawing up the new
rota, and look forward to hearing from
anyone who would like to volunteer
again this year. We are always keen to
welcome new helpers. If you would
like to know more, please do give me a
ring or email if you’d prefer.
Amanda Seymour 779401
amandacseymour@btinternet.com
A Dog’s Nose
When I let the Big
Fella out in the
morning, he does
not immediately
attend to his
ablutions. On
stepping outside, he
pauses, stretches and
then stands for a while with his nose
raised in the air. If one watches, one
can see his nostrils twitching as he sifts
through the myriad smells that assail
him. I have watched fascinated and,
indeed, somewhat jealously, as he goes
through this ritual, I long to know the
quantity and, indeed, the quality of
what he is experiencing.
Presumably he starts with the regular,
common smells that he will register
each morning. There will be the trees,
the grass, the plants, the full English
breakfast being prepared in the
neighbour’s house. Then, no doubt, he
will ask himself who has been in the
garden during the night, has it been a
fox, a badger, a deer or perhaps
something less common? Then, he
must come on to the unusual, including
the smells he has not encountered
before. He must consider them, define
them and then presumably, in the case
of the new ones, file them away for
30
future reference should he come
across them again. This process takes a
few minutes and it is only when it is
completed to his satisfaction that he
then attends to the pressing needs of
the morning.
It reminds me of the first time we
walked up the footpath away from
Avington, along the side of the field,
through the wood and along the track
towards Pits Copse. As you proceed
along the track, there comes a point
where the footpath takes a sharp right
turn through the hedge, to run down
the side of the field towards Easton. It
was a beautiful morning; we were
ambling along, each in his own world, I
with my thoughts, the Big Fella
attending to the business of the day. At
some point we had passed a pair of
lady ramblers, stout walking boots,
suitable outer clothing and maps in
plastic cases hung around their necks.
Otherwise we saw nobody.
The Big Fella was trotting on about
twenty metres or so in front of me. He
was near the point where the path
takes the sharp right hand turn. It is
marked by a footpath signpost
indicating the route to be taken. As we
approached the sign I watched him,
thinking that I would have to call him
to me and then, together, set out in
the new direction. Before I could do
so, he reached the point where there is
the gap in the hedge and on the other
side of the track, the signpost. He
stopped, turned across the track so he
faced the new direction, and looked
back at me. I called out something fairly
anodyne, signalling assent and he
trotted off in the new direction.
On we went contentedly, but I was left
pondering how he had known to stop
there. He is a bright dog and quite
sharp but I am not sure that he has
mastered the connection between gaps
in hedges and footpath signposts. All I
could conclude was that, as he reached
that point, the large number of smells
which had been left by those who had
previously taken this route suddenly
became sparse on the track and the
great majority of them appeared to
continue through this otherwise
innocuous hole in the hedge. I presume
that it was this that had caused him to
pause, seek reassurance and permission
to proceed.
“Boss” an Itchen Valley resident
What to give up for Lent?
stretch yourself.
1.
Give up texting and call whoever
you need to talk to
2.
Cut out fizzy drinks
3.
Give up buying fruit to make
smoothies, then watching it rot
4.
Use your weekends to babysit
for free. (If you decide to do this
one please inform all families
with young children and give
them your phone number-Ed)
5.
Give up googling yourself
6.
Give up weighing yourself
7.
Give up googling yourself while
weighing yourself.
8.
Stop having opinions about the
books on your Kindle that you have
not yet read.
9.
Stop pretending not to like
Jeremy Clarkson because you’re
worried about what your friends will
think.
10. Give up writing lists.
Good luck! Ed
WI Report January
Shrove Tuesday on the 17th of
February marks the last day before
Lent, traditionally a period of
abstinence, associated with clearing
your cupboards of goods such as sugar,
fats and eggs. It's commonly known as
Pancake Day because it represents a
good opportunity to use such
ingredients ahead of the fasting period.
Pancake Day takes place 47 days before
Easter Sunday. Because the date of
Easter Sunday is dictated by the cycles
of the moon, Pancake Day can occur
anytime between 3rd February and 9th
March.
So what to give up? We thought it
might be helpful to give you a few
ideas. Remember it’s not meant to be
easy so use it as an opportunity to
January’s meeting started with the
ladies gathered in the Easton Cricket
Club bar
[closed
unfortunately],
sitting or
lounging on
the
comfortable
chairs.
Our guest
speakers
entered and
most of us did
a double take,
as we watched
a spinal
column being
carried before
31
them. Mark Kennedy and Philippa
Prentice, who together run the
Winchester Sports and Spine
Chiropractic practice, came to talk to
us about a few simple things we could
do to help prevent us damaging our
spines.
We were shown slides demonstrating
how to stand and very importantly how
to sit at our computers; as well as how
to bend and even how to dig. The best
thing one can do is to keep your spine
“in neutral”. This means trying to keep
the hollow in your lower back just that,
hollow. By bending from the hips it is
possible if not terribly attractive.
Having practised a few of the tips over
the past week, I can confirm that they
do help.
During the business section of the
meeting, we did debate which of the
various motions we would like most to
go to the National WI AGM for
discussion. It has not been settled and a
few more members need to decide
whether the government should try to
rein back on the widespread use of
Antibiotics or try to improve the long
term care of the elderly…. Will keep
you posted. Bye the bye, any ladies
who want to come and have a taste of
WI should turn up to the Easton Village
Hall on the 2nd Thursday of each month
at 7.15 pm.
Sarah Robinson
What you always wanted to
know about PCSOs
Are you good at listening? Are you
approachable and capable of thinking
outside the box? Can you
communicate well with other people?
Are you reasonably fit? If you can
answer yes to all these questions, you
are a potential candidate for training as
32
a Police Community Support Officer
(or PCSO as they tend to be called).
I took the opportunity to talk to PCSO
Laura Willshire about aspects of her
work during a Safer Neighbourhoods
team visit to Itchen Abbas. Laura has
been an Alresford based PCSO for
three years. She established herself on
the Sutton Scotney beat before being
allocated to the Itchen Valley last year.
Like most PCSOs she is young, seeing
this role as a stepping stone to full
Police Constable status. Like PCs she
is salaried; this differentiates her from
Special Constables who, although
having the powers granted to
constables, are unpaid volunteers.
Despite not having the responsibilities
of a full constable, Laura still comes
with all the kit. She needs to wear
body armour (a bullet proof vest) when
out on patrol to which are attached a
radio (although this was bleeping to
show low signal strength – no surprise
there!), a torch and various pockets for
pens and notebooks. All this helps
keep her warm in the winter although
it can get very hot during the summer
months when she attends the local pop
festivals. She agreed with me that
these events are well policed and
generally disturbance free within the
gates but festival goers have been
known to forget the rules of the road
once outside the perimeter.
Some years ago Laura was involved
with the Prince’s Trust, helping young
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34
adults to steer clear of reoffending and
supporting them in their efforts of rejoin society. She found that being a
good listener helped her with that, and
her experiences there led to her
application to become a PCSO.
If you would like to meet Laura (the
one in the middle of the photo), she
will be visiting Easton village hall on
17th February at 1700.
Vernon Tottle
Food Spy visits Pulpo Negro
in Alresford
Want to eat, drink and be very merry?
This is the place to be. Pulpo Negro
(meaning ‘black octopus’, after its
signature dish) arrived in Broad Street,
Alresford at the start of December. It
is a Spanish Tapas restaurant, but not
as we know it. Not a single
overcooked oily prawn in sight.
Instead, the dishes you'll find on the 43
item menu, showcase tapas as the
sophisticated and exciting cuisine it can
be.
The concept of ‘tapas’ is a well proven
formula, the idea being that you and
your fellow diners can order a healthy
number of scaled-down, tasty,
appetizer-sized plates that when
combined, make up a full meal over the
course of an evening. It is a “slow
graze” experience.
This way of dining
and sharing what
you choose to eat
is a sociable affair.
Conversation
flows and the Rioja
slips down at quite
a pace too. The
concept has legs –
it is true – you are
not so focused
upon conquering
an entire turgid meal. Instead it’s an
opportunity to taste a wider range of
delicacies. Great for foodies who can’t
decide what to limit themselves to on a
menu. Equally great for those who find
themselves a bit overwhelmed by
eating one large plate of food.
From the outside Pulpo Negro is smart
yet unassuming. Tucked
inconspicuously inside one of
Alresford’s beautiful old Georgian
townhouses, the only immediately
noticeable giveaway that this might be
a restaurant rather than a private
residence are the candles flickering at
the windows. It looks warm and
inviting. Food Spy and companions
entered to be met with a relaxed and
boisterous atmosphere. It was
immediately evident that everyone
seemed to be having a remarkably
good time. We were given a warm and
enthusiastic welcome by the charming
waiting team who buzzed about the
place delivering dishes of mouth
watering fare to the rowdy lot. The
decor is all chunky reclaimed wood
tables and exposed brickwork.
Unfortunately, despite having booked
our table and arrived on time, we were
very amiably told that the earlier sitting
still hadn’t finished. Could we return
in twenty minutes? We didn’t mind.
We went off and had a drink nearby
and returned only to find that still no
one was budging. And who could
blame them? With great food, drink
and atmosphere little wonder nobody
wanted to leave. We were invited to
the bar for a drink on the house while
we pondered the menu and made our
choices. Food Spy has to accept that
despite this hiccup, the staff handled
the situation beautifully and with
genuine charisma.
The waiters were on hand to guide us
though the menu and explain the
35
Spanish titles to some of the tapas.
We chose dishes of: Suckling pig with
apples and brandy (£12), Aged flat iron
steak with cornichons and tarragon
aioli (£7), Chicken thighs, capers and
almonds (£6), Pigs trotter croquetas
(£3), and Goats cheese stuffed
courgette flowers with orange blossom
honey (£8). All washed down with a
bottle of red (£28.75) and a bottle of
white Rioja (£25). Yes, white Rioja.
After tasting morsels from each dish
we ventured further into the menu...
This is what tapas is all about!
Another round of dishes please: ‘Pulpo
Negro’ octopus with squid ink
vinaigrette (£8.50), Air dried tuna and
pear (£7.50), Crispy rabbit shoulders
with morcilla Spanish black pudding
(£6.50), Gambas al ajillo(£7.50) and
Padron peppers (£5). All delicious.
The octopus with its lurid black ink
sauce was a revelation. The rich,
courgette flower filled with monte
enebro and torta de barros cheeses
finished with orange blossom honey
not to be missed. The Gambas al ajillo,
Suckling Pig and Chicken thighs were
particular highlights.
We were a little dismayed when our
puddings of ‘Tarta de whisky’(£5) and
‘Chocolate mousse with apricots’(£5)
appeared within split seconds –
evidently ready-made and lifted straight
from the fridge. However, all was
forgiven because they tasted quite
simply so blooming good.
This is dining at its most laid-back and
entertaining. Highly recommended for
a fun and sociable evening. Just make
sure that you are included in the first
sitting, as evidently nobody wants to
leave!
Food Spy was visiting Pulpo Negro, 28 Broad
Street 01962 732262
36
Quizgate–The Answers
Thank you to all those who entered
the Itchen Valley News Christmas
Quiz. Identifying entrances proved an
interesting challenge. The answers
were:
1. Manor House, Church Lane, Martyr
Worthy
2. The Old Post Office, Easton
3. Entrance to the playing fields at
Couch Green.
4. Longfield House Driveway, Itchen
Abbas.
5. Wheelwrights Cottage, Easton
6. White House, Easton
7. Corntulas opposite the playing field
at Couch Green.
8. Lime Orchard, Itchen Abbas.
9. Martyr Worthy Manor.
10. The Farmyard Easton.
11. Avington Churchyard.
12. Two Church Lane, Easton.
13. Greys Lea driveway, Itchen Abbas.
14. St Anne, Easton.
15. Church Cottage, Chilland.
The small prize for getting the most
correct answers (and nobody got all 15
right) goes to Jenny Sloan.
Vernon Tottle
A Collective Thank you
We had a very
good response to
our collections
over Christmas
which amounted
to £2,435 which
was split between
our link parish of
St James in
Newcastle and
the Winchester Nightshelter
Tony Gaster
Itchen Valley Bookworms
New Year is often a time to leave
behind the rich excesses of
Christmas and eat a cleaner,
simpler diet. And the same can be
true of reading as Bookworms
craved a mind cleansing escape to a
quieter, bygone age. What better
way to start 2015 then, than to
return to the poetic brilliance of
Laurie Lee’s classic, Cider with Rosie.
For readers who haven’t encountered
this novel, you are missing
a treat. Firstly, it is a
touching autobiographical
account of a young boy
growing up in large,
rambunctious family at the
turn of the last century.
They live in the tiny village
of Slad in Gloucestershire
which, when the book
starts in 1917, has very
little to do with the outside
world. Secondly, the language Lee uses
to describe the world around him,
from the wonders of nature to the
eccentrics who people this remote
Cotswold valley, is exceptional.
Thirdly, it serves as an historical work
as it chronicles a way of life that no
longer exists. This book is as close to
time travel as you will get.
Lee belonged to a generation which
saw the end of a thousand years-old
way of life. This change showed itself in
the late 1920s when he was 12. He
explains: “Myself, my family, my
generation, were born in a world of
silence; a world of hard work and
necessary patience, of backs bent to
the ground, hands massaging the crops,
of waiting on weather and growth; of
villages like ships in the empty
landscapes and the long walking
distances between them; of white
narrow roads, rutted by hooves and
cartwheels, innocent of oil or petrol. “
Man and horse were all the power they
had. They were also ruled by the harsh
changes wrought by the seasons.
Winter was particularly tough with old
folks curling up like ‘salted snails’ and
‘self-slaughter’ with girls jumping down
wells and young men cutting their
veins. During one particularly gloomy
season, even the coroner ‘did himself
in.’
This book is full of tragedy,
hunger, madness, illness but
also great love and humour
from tales of marauding
goats to the village
eccentrics such as Willy the
Fish. He lost his girl
because transport was bad,
and the sea far away, so he
stank too much for her!
Lee is also masterful at
describing nature.
Encountering grass, aged
three: “It towered above me and all
around me, each blade tattooed with
tiger-skins of sunlight. It was knifeedged, dark, and a wicked green, thick
as a forest and alive with grasshoppers
that chirped and chattered and leapt
through the air like monkeys.”
Lee has a child’s ability to marvel at the
minutiae of life in his small universe.
Reading it is not only a pleasure to
savour as there are gems of expression
in each sentence but it reminds us all
to look more closely at the wonderful
world around us. He didn’t need
televisions or computer games, just the
stones in his own yard, and his
imagination, as he moved through
‘unfathomable oceans like a South Sea
savage island-hopping across the
Pacific.’
Bookworms rates Cider with Rosie 5 out
of 5.
37
ZUMBA
Great music
Great dancing
6.30pm Mondays & 10am Fridays
Itchen Abbas Village Hall
Anyone can do it, everyone should do it!
Friendly classes – all welcome however many left feet you
think you have!
For class details contact Sue Russell on
sue@plays-r-ussell.com
or tel 07947410394
or visit www.zumba-around-winchester.com
Can’t get the hang of
your computer?
One-to-one tuition in your
own home by qualified trainer
Gift tokens available
Call Christine for details on
01962 735359
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New Farm Road
All makes serviced and repaired
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Throw-over bed covers made up from
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Tel: Mrs Egleton 01962 779586
SMARTIES
Top quality second-hand clothes
for children aged 0-15
Please contact Andrea on
01962 779553
07743 042753
and join over 500 other Hampshire Mums at Smarties
38
ITCHEN VALLEY B&B
CHILLANDHAM LANE
MARTYR WORTHY
01962 779379
bh@itchenvalleybandb.com
www.itchenvalleybandb.com
The Valley Gardeners Annual
Luncheon 2015
Two thirds of the Club members were
present at the Itchen Abbas village hall
on 6th January to enjoy the first
meeting of 2015 for the Valley
Gardeners - their Annual Luncheon.
The colour palette on the tables was
pink, purple and silver and the
shimmering tealights, colourful balloons
and vases of roses created a warm
atmosphere on a chilly January day.
Complimentary wine and soft drinks
accompanied a hearty two course meal
and as the members settled down with
their coffee afterwards, the Club
Chairman, Mark Porter began his
presentation, which was entitled How
on earth did that get a gold?
Using his experiences as a Royal
Horticultural Society flower show
judge, Mark gave his audience an insight
into the complicated process of judging
the many aspects of the show gardens
at the main R.H.S. events: Malvern,
Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton
Park. Using slides to illustrate his talk,
Mark explained that the gardens are
judged according to set criteria which
are: brief, level of completion, 2D & 3D
design, sense of theatre, quality of
construction and finally 3 on plants.
Within those categories are aspects
such as colour, texture, balance,
creativity and so on.Taking all these
aspects into account and coming up
with an award of a gold, silver-gilt,
silver or bronze medal cannot be an
easy task and it is not surprising that
there is sometimes controversy and
dissension within the judging panel not
to mention elation but sometimes
despair for the garden designers who
have not (in the judges’ opinion)
fullfilled their brief. Careers can be
made or destroyed in this all important
awards process.
A very happy and convivial afternoon
was had by all and as the 15th year of
The Valley Gardeners commences with
a full to bursting programme of garden
visits, lectures, evening meetings and
short holidays, members enjoyed the
social side of the Club while the
weather confined them to barracks and
they wait for the Spring sunshine to
coax them back into the garden.
Catherine Hahn
Itchen Abbas Carols
Many thanks to all who sang and
sincere thanks to those who gave so
generously to our charity, this year
Barnardos. Over £360 was raised. Our
special thanks to Chris and Gill Cooper
of Little Hayes who provided such
hospitality, and to Andy Muir for
lighting our way with a spectacular
laser display.
Joan & Rodney Dartnall
Tiddler Joke of the Month
Q. What do you
call an exploding
Ape?
A. A ba-Boom!
George and Henry Turner, 9 and 6 years,
39
Tally Ho Ho Ho!
New Year’s Day Hunt at
Avington
Charlie and Sarah Bullen kindly laid on
a very hospitable meet for The South
Downs Bloodhounds, with 52 riders
and around 200 - 300 people on foot.
This was a record turnout for this very
popular meet. The 11 ½ couples of
bloodhounds hunted six human
runners on three hunts over the Stent
family’s Park Farm. Hounds ran well
taking in a number of the hunt’s
portable jumps.
Local monthly information
Waste collections
Black bins and green bags on Friday 6
and 20. Green bins on Friday 13 and
27.
Library
Visiting on Friday 13 February.
Cameo
On Tuesday 17 February.
67 Bus operated by Stagecoach Monday
to Saturday
School term timetable operates all
month except for half term (see below)
Weekdays to Winchester:
07:55 08:30 09:25 11:25 13:25 16:25
17:25
Weekdays to Alresford:
09:18 11:18 13:18 15:18 17:11 18:08
School holiday timetable operates
on Monday 16 to Friday 20 February:
Weekdays to Winchester:
07:55 09:25 11:25 13:25 15:25 17:25
Weekdays to Alresford:
09:18 11:18 13:18 15:18 17:08 18:08
Saturday service (same for the
whole month)
Towards Winchester:
08:25 10:05 11:25 14:25 17:25
Towards Alresford:
09:18 12:18 15:18 18:08
Sunday service — no Sunday service
in February.
40
COMPLETE
TRANSFORMATION
All types of maintenance work undertaken
Warren Taylor
07794 986256
warren.wlt@gmail.com 01962 779693
1 The Terrace, Easton, Winchester S021 1EG
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Com
puter CConsumables
onsumables
Stationery
Printers
Now
Prin
ters N
owAvailable
Available
Also
Pictures,
Frames
&&
Mounts
also
Pictu
res, F
rames
Mounts
3 Stockbridge Road, Winchester
tockbrid
ge RoFax
ad, 01962
Winchester
Tel3 S
01962
877992
877976
Tel: 01962 877992 Fax: 01962 877976
Email:
keith@cartridge-plus.co.uk
Email: keith@cartridge-plus.co.uk
wwww.cartridge-plus.co,uk
ww.cartridge-plus.co.uk
Clarity Computer
Solutions
Computers, broadband, wireless, networks.
PC & Mac
01962 734750 07808 480344
philip@claritycomputing.co.uk
www.claritycomputersolutions.co.uk
Tom Fisher
Tree Care
A professional local service
Specialist in tree care
Hedge trimming Stump grinding
Garden reclamation
Fully qualified and insured
01962 861891
07725 835715
Hypnotherapy at Studio49
26 The Dean Alresford SO24 9AZ
Stress, anxiety, unwanted habits, relaxation,
Call NOW to book your FREE initial consultation and discover
how Hypnotherapy could HELP YOU
01962 738683 or 07724 010244
41
Keylink SAS Ltd
Mercedes, BMW,
Porsche and VAG
servicing & repairs
specialist.
(All other makes too).
Competitive rates, full diagnostics,
MOTs arranged.
Air conditioning service and
repair.
Free collection, delivery or
courtesy car.
www.keylinksas.co.uk
info@keylinksas.co.uk
01256 397150
Unit 15/16 The Calvert Centre
Woodmancott Winchester, SO21 3BN
42
High Quality
- Dressmaking
- Restyling
- Alterations
- Repairs
Traditionally made
- Bespoke curtains
- Blinds
- Cushions
- Curtain tracks
& poles
- Fabrics
Call or email us today
2014 UK Garden Machinery
Dealer of the Year
www.georgecanngardenmachinery.co.uk
Blinds & Awnings
Your local self-storage facility




Convenient Location
 Full Range of Unit Sizes
Easy Access
 Commercial and Private Use
Unloading Under Cover
 Short or Long Term
Friendly Staff
 Competitive rates
Contact us for Information and Advice
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