Winchester Today - November 2015

November 2015 FREE… and not forgetting Cheriton, Romsey, Stockbridge, Hursley, Kings Worthy, Littleton,

Alresford, Chandler’s Ford, Micheldever, Bishop’s Waltham, and everywhere in between!

Issue 018 winchestertoday.co.uk @winchestertoday

Winchester Today – Your local FREE newspaper – and online daily at winchestertoday.co.uk

One Poppy, One Man,Two Dogs ...Many Friends!

Remembering The Heroes –November 2015

Short Film Festival Clarendon Way Walk

Time to get dressed up and celebrate the major film directors of the future!

Hospice plans biggest ever fundraiser to celebrate 10th anniversary

In the garden:Top Autumn Tips for your plot...Page 14

Review:English National Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet, The Mayflower...Page 12

Hedge End Gang Show Extends To Hampshire Countywide Invitation...Page 10

Competitions:We have competitions worth a total of £600 in this edition alone!

Page 5 Page 4

2 WINCHESTER TODAY NOVEMBER 2015

Over the last month or so we have bought and worn a poppy, and worn it with pride. As we do so, we are encouraged to remember family and victims of ALL conflicts in which our servicemen and women have been involved. Not just those who have died too - money raised goes towards helping those who have suffered terrible injuries.

Featured in our cover picture is Allen Parton, who knows all about the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. He was a Chief Petty Officer serving in the Royal Navy in the Gulf back in 1991. An operational incident changed his life completely. Allen suffered a severe head injury which left him with physical and emotional trauma. He spent the next five years in hospital.

Then Allen was partnered with Endal, a yellow Labrador assistance dog, which transformed his life.

Allen appeared in a film, urging those buying poppies to:

“Remember 900,000 ex-service people with a disability.” Hence ‘Hounds for Heroes’, which provides specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK Armed Forces and the Emergency Services.

Endal is sadly no longer with us, but since then, a new dog called EJ (Endal Junior) has been helping out Allen, and you can see EJ in the pictures on this page.

The management team and staff at the Holiday Inn Winchester have enjoyed the patter of paws around the hotel while hosting successful training sessions for Hounds for Heroes. The Hampshire based charity was in need of accommodation for the injured and disabled men and women from the armed forces and civilian emergency services, during training with their new assistance dogs.

The hotel stepped in with an offer of free and accessible hotel rooms

for those travelling from across the UK to train with their Hounds for Heroes service dogs.

As well as accessible accommodation for the Hounds for Heroes clients in training, the hotel has also offered to sponsor their private functions suites and meetings rooms free of charge to the charity for fund raising events such as dinner dances, evening talks, race nights, quiz nights, training and meetings.

Allen says there is a natural requirement to be more effective, do things better each time and work more professionally: “It is always a worry when the disabled client is away from their comfort zone and familiar surroundings,” continued Allen Parton. “It is good that the Holiday Inn Winchester really is a home away from home for them, so much so we have an issue trying to get our clients to leave the hotel at the end of the training!”

Inspired by his own assistance dog Endal, and the way he had helped to transform his life, Allen wanted other injured military and emergency service personnel to also benefit from having the support of a service dog and so Hounds for Heroes was born.

“My own assistance dog has been trained to problem solve and that is how we train our Hounds for Heroes dogs. They do all sorts of things to help our injured services personnel from opening doors, picking up items, getting money from ATMs, opening train doors and they also bring the companionship and love that can be missing when someone becomes disabled.”

Hounds For HeroesWhy the poppy is about remembering those still alive as well as those who have fallen

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Welcome

Letter From The Editor

Stories sometimes come to us as such a surprise that you have to read them two or three times to make sure you have understood correctly what is written there. Such is the one on the opposite page.

Many years ago, I lived in Bath - I was born there and never felt in any danger when going out or walking through the streets at night. Just up the road in Chippenham they used to turn out all the street lights at night (c1981). I remember distinctly at the time that it felt like living in another world. For a relatively large town, it quite simply felt like living in the dark ages.

So, imagine our astonishment here in the office that there is actually a genuine proposal going around asking if we would be happy for street lights to be turned off to save money.

We’re told - and you can read in our article - that a minimum of £20,000 could be saved by any one of the three proposals listed. That's around the same amount as it costs the police to investigate a fatal accident, by the way. The cost to society for each serious crash is around £1.5m. Fiddling with street lights. Is it worth it?

***

We've now opened up our new office in Winnall. Before that, I have to confess that Winnall was an area that I drove through to get from town to Tesco. Since being here, I have grown to appreciate day by day the people who live and work here: from the fantastic beer at The Willow Tree, to the amazing sandwiches hand prepared at Snack Attack, to the great comments we’ve received from our new neighbours at Manor Farm.

Hey, and don't forget that Winnall often gets more mentions on national traffic reports than most parts of the city!

***

Finally, congratulations to Sera Baker who is a radio student at Goldsmiths, University of London. Sera spent some time with Winchester Today on work experience earlier this year, including bagging an exclusive way ahead of the opposition. Sera’s feature ‘Radio Gaga’ has been nominated in the ‘Best Radio News Feature’ in the BJTC Student Awards. The ceremony will be held on 25 November at ITV London, South Bank. Good Luck Sera!

NOVEMBER 2015 WINCHESTER TODAY 3

Street Lights Out Across Winchester?New mission to save money on our highways asks for opinions – including turning off street lights

By Kevin Gover, [email protected]

Despite a huge project to install street lighting across the county which was supposed to save money and reduce light pollution, Hampshire County Council is now asking residents for their feedback to help prioritise proposals which aim to reduce the costs of some environmental work on Hampshire’s highways.These include (in their own words) - a possibility that street lights in areas may be turned off between certain hours.

Economy and Transport boss at the council - Seán Woodward - is again blaming a lack of money for the reasons behind the consultation: “Ongoing reductions in our funding from Government have meant we must continually look very carefully at where we focus our resources. We’ve come up with a set of proposals which include further dimming of street lights (more below), less frequent cutting grass along the highway, and less frequent weed killing. We would very much like to hear what people think of these ideas, to help contribute towards the savings targets the County Council needs to make from its highways budget by 2017.

“Residents have told us, through the consultation we ran earlier this year, that they value highways maintenance. Therefore, these proposals do not affect the budgets currently allocated to the repair of the actual road or footway surfaces, nor safety related work and Operation Resilience - our long term approach to managing the network. With 5,280 miles of road across the county to look after, this requires a substantial resource, and it’s important we use the money we have in the most targeted, and cost effective way.”

What the Council says on its own website about the much-heralded street light project: “Street lighting is provided in all our urban areas to help reduce the risk of night-time injury road accidents, reduce crime and the fear of crime.”

The proposed changes to the way highways environmental work is carried out, and on which the County Council is seeking residents’ views, are: Further dimming, longer hours of dimming, or turning off street lights between certain hours; reducing the number of times the grass is cut in rural and / or urban

areas, or stopping grass cutting; reducing the number of times a year that weeds are treated along the highway, or stopping weed killing. Each of these proposals could apparently save the County Council between £50,000 and £200,000 per year.

No. No. Never will we agree to street lights being turned off. – The AA

The AA in Hampshire was quite taken aback when we called them about the proposals, and were vocal in their response: “Quite honestly, turning off street lights will never be welcomed by this organisation. Across England there have been 8 deaths where the switching off of street lights has been a contributory factor. They have all been through inquests and police investigations.

“If you impose times where street lights will be switched off, you are effectively creating a curfew, especially for older people. If they HAVE to do it, dimming is the preferred option.

“We would recommend extreme caution in planning something like this. Don't forget too that issues like this have already become political in Cambridgeshire and Essex, where groups have actually been offering money and have come up with the money to keep the lights on. In areas they've had ‘Right to Light’ campaigns too.”

On the matter of street lighting though, most residents in Cheriton don't see what the fuss is about. If you drive through at the dead of night, the only light guaranteed to guide your way is from the Village Hall - or the phone box. And that's how they like it: “Anything to save electricity and light pollution without endangering life has to be a good idea, yes? We manage with nowt very well and very nice

it is too.” was one comment given to us. “There is something special having no street lights in Cheriton Village - long may it continue.” is another.

The Council has told Winchester Today that details of the consultation and online response form are available on the County Council’s webpages: www.hants.gov.uk/highwaysconsultation. Alternatively, you can call 0300 555 1388 for information, and to request a questionnaire in paper form.

The consultation period runs from Monday 2 November until Friday 11

December 2015. A summary of the responses and analysis will be made available on the County Council’s website before any decisions are made by the Executive Lead Member for Economy, Transport and Environment on 19 January 2016.

This consultation follows the countywide consultation, undertaken by the County Council earlier this year called ‘Shaping Hampshire – Spending Review Consultation’, when residents were asked their views on the three main options for managing the anticipated £98 million shortfall

in funding to April 2017. These options were:

• Raising the rate of council tax • Using the County Council’s

reserves differently • Reducing spending on

specific services.

What do you think? Email us on [email protected] - or leave a message on 01962 860746.Editorial comment: see Editor’s Letter.


Hospice plans biggest ever fundraiser to celebrate tenth Clarendon Way Walk.

Ten years on, the Naomi House & Jacksplace Clarendon Way Walk still attracts huge numbers of participants and plays a key role in the hospice’s annual fundraising.

The first Clarendon Way Walk, held in 2007, attracted some 350 walkers and raised an impressive £58,000. The 2015 event raised close to £200,000 from 1,380 participants.

The charity has confirmed that the Clarendon Way Walk 2016, which will take place on 5th June, will be the best yet and are planning on making the 26 mile sponsored walk walk one big party to celebrate the significant contribution the event and its participants have made over

the last decade.More than 7,000 people have

taken on the challenge of walking between Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals over the years, and organisers hope that many of them will return in 2016 to make it the biggest year yet.

Nicole Denison is Events Fundraiser at Naomi House & Jacksplace, and is sure the 2016 Clarendon Way Walk promises to be the biggest yet: “We will be returning to the traditional route with walkers trekking 26 miles from Winchester Cathedral to Salisbury Cathedral. Those opting for the shorter 12 mile route will begin in the picturesque village

of Broughton. We have a few surprises up their sleeves for next year’s walk and are confident it will be the biggest and most enjoyable yet.”

Naomi House & Jacksplace currently care for more than 370 children and young adults with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. The charity offers the only comprehensive hospice service in the county.

Discounted entry is available for a limited time only. Places cost £15 for an adult and £10 for a child until February 2016. Participants will be given a limited edition T-shirt and medal upon completion of the trek.

Working together for the future of WinchesterBusiness leaders throughout the city are being invited to take part in ‘The Future of Winchester’ conference, which is being held during the morning of Thursday 3 December 2015 in Guildhall in Winchester.

It’s aimed at all businesses, both large and small, located throughout the Winchester area. Attendance is free and breakfast and lunch are provided. Winchester City Council’s Leader, Cllr Stephen Godfrey, will open the event and outline budget proposals for 2016 to 2017. Delegates will be invited to comment on these plans for the coming year.

The second session will be chaired by Stewart Dunn, Chief Executive of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, and will focus on major developments. Steve Tilbury, Corporate Director of Operations, will include a detailed overview of the council’s major projects, including the planned Silver Hill and Station Approach developments in Winchester city centre.

Alex Hoare, keynote speaker and Director of Point Line Plane Glassware, will talk about the difference a Winchester City Council Business start up grant has made to her creative business. Kate Cloud, Head of Economy and Arts, will outline the range of business support that is offered within the Winchester area.

There will also be an opportunity to talk to officers from the council’s business-facing teams such as planning advisors.

The conference is free to attend, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your place, send your details to events.north@hampshirechamber or find out more at www.winchester.gov.uk/futureofwinchester

Pictured: James Byrnes (Local Economy); Kate Cloud, (Head of Economy and Arts) and Steve Tilbury, Director of Operations, all from Winchester City Council.


MP Visits the Radio Stars

Winchester’s MP Steve Brine made a visit recently to Otterbourne Primary School to visit what he describes as “brilliant future local talent.”

He's pictured here with the pupils at the “fantastic” Otter Radio. Ella, Isla, Ben, Isobel and Rowan were able to ask Steve about his current work as a Member of Parliament for Winchester and surrounding areas and to gain a greater understanding of his responsibilities, his involvement in local issues and how he manages family life in the midst of all of this.

The Year 5 pupils quizzed him about his previous career as a broadcaster at the BBC and in the U.S (think on your feet), how he manages to get to speak in the House (edit in my head as I'm speaking to get the points out), which profession he prefers (they’re completely different but being an MP is really fantastic), cycling to and from school, local issues (always hospital and school places)… oh, and his ambition as a young person to play for Tottenham. And his choice of music. Er… Eric Church ‘Springsteen’, unknown bands at Glastonbury and Coldplay.

Head Teacher Alison Langrish was very pleased with the visit: “The Year 5 children, who conducted the interview of Steve Brine, were incredibly excited at the prospect of interviewing their local Member of Parliament, especially since their recent visit to the Houses of Parliament.

“They showed great maturity and commitment in their preparation for his visit – undertaking research, planning appropriately

polite but probing questions and managing their obvious excitement!

“Steve’s visit helped the children in many ways - in valuing the school’s radio programmes and the appreciation of the different skills which need to be employed when interviewing VIPs and which are incredibly important in many other contexts.”

Steve says he really enjoyed his visit: “I had a wonderful time at this fantastic school, and being a former broadcaster I was doubly excited to be taking part in the interview.

“I thought the questions were well-researched and the style and professionalism of the children was superb. I would recommend that my constituents tune in via the school website!”

The school has its own radio equipment enabling children to create regular programmes that are broadcast within the school and can be enjoyed by listeners beyond the school who use the link on the school’s website. It has proved very popular with children and the wider community, with listeners tuning in from as far afield as Scotland.

Editorial Comment: If you listen to the interview, you will understand just how much research and work went into this visit. It's not easy to get the best out of any interviewee, but this is a great listen, and well done to all those involved. You can find the full 15-minute interview with those great questions, fantastic presentation - and Steve’s choice of music - on mixcloud.com/otterbourneprimary - or follow the link from his Facebook page.

Winchester Short Film Festival 2015Proudly supported by Winchester Today - official media partner.

The long list has become the initial short list which has become the short list - and soon we will know the winners. The six highly

esteemed judges that make up the judging panel of the 4th annual Winchester Short Film Festival have convened to select the winners of

this year’s short film competition from the staggering amount of high quality entries submitted.

With 13 award categories being

honoured this year, and entries accumulated from right across the UK, including Scotland, Ireland and Wales, judges have been excited to see what this year’s offering might be. Winners of the categories will be revealed at the Black Tie Award Ceremony on 14th November with the award for Best Overall Short Film being voted live on the night. The Award ceremony will be streamed live online across the world.

Festival Director John Hayes told Winchester Today that he believes that this year the festival will be screening some of the rising stars that will shape the future of British film: “Not only is the quality of

the films this year exceptional, but the subject matter and themes are brave and thought-provoking.

“That’s the beauty of the Short Film Festival; filmmakers do not have to pander to the mass market, which gives them free reign to produce unique, curveball, and often poignant or surprising films. Of particular note this year is the quality of the cast members which include actors from productions including Uncle, Utopia, Episodes, Only Fools and horses and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Prepare yourself to be surprised!”

The Festival continues until the Grand Final on 14 November. Box office: winchestershortfilmfestival.com

Pictured: Festival Director John Hayes, and Winchester Today’s Editor Kevin Gover at last year’s Festival.`

How would you like to have a fab £70 voucher in your hands to help with the bill at Côte Brasserie in the High Street? £70? Of course you would!

To be in with a chance of securing a voucher for £70, you need to answer the following question:

Which of the following is not a dessert on Côte’s menu?

a) Crème caramelb) Steak tartarec) Tarte au citron

How To Enter:Send your answer to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester SO22 9AT no later than 5pm on Tuesday 24 November. You can also email [email protected]

DO NOT FORGET to include your name, your address and a contact phone number.

The winner will be announced in our next issue - when you will have the chance to win another £70!

COMPETIT ION


New Home For BikesLooking for a bargain bike or a good quality second-hand bicycle? Winchester City Council has recently donated 20 used bicycles to Winchester charity Emmaus to be given a new lease of life.The Council regularly receives reports of abandoned bikes. A few weeks ago, councillors approved a clear policy to ensure that these do not become unsightly or take up valuable cycle parking. Reported abandoned bicycles

are labelled with a notice giving the owner a minimum of two weeks to remove the bicycle. If the bike is still in situ after this, it is removed and stored in the City Council depot for three months. If it still isn’t claimed, the bicycle can then

be disposed of. Bikes which are in a reasonable condition are offered to local charities for reconditioning and selling on, whilst others may need to be recycled. Following the adoption of the

policy, the Council’s Streetcare Team delivered 20 abandoned bikes that had been held at their depot to Emmaus. The proceeds generated from the sale of these 20 bikes will help Emmaus with its work to provide a home and meaningful work to its 26 residents.

There are two local Emmaus Hampshire shops, both selling donated second-hand goods. One

of the shops is at Emmaus Community at Bar End, Winchester, while a second has been opened in Leigh Road, Eastleigh.Environment boss Frank

Pearson says the year’s corporate campaign for the

City Council is The Great Waste: “We are encouraging residents and businesses to think differently about waste, and to reduce the amount they generate. We are also thinking about the best way to deal with our own waste: this policy on

abandoned bicycles will ensure that many bikes which might once have been scrapped will be given a new lease of life – and will help someone who has experience homelessness or social exclusion in the process.”

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National Award for Hampshire Adoption WorkerA Hampshire social worker has earned a top award for her work in helping children in care find families where they can grow up safely and have the opportunity to succeed.Jo Davis, from Hampshire

County Council, was awarded ‘Social Worker of the Year’ by the Minister for Children and Families, Edward Timpson MP, at the First4Adoption National Adoption Week annual awards in London.The Awards recognise and

celebrate good practice and exceptional achievement among those working or involved in adoption in the UK.Children’s Services boss,

Keith Mans, is delighted: “My congratulations to Jo on this wonderful and well deserved

award. I would like to also congratulate Jo’s colleague, Charlotte Fairall, for making it into the final along with Jo. “Our adoption service does a fantastic job, finding families for some of our most vulnerable children. This is a tribute to the very high quality of work going on within our adoption service, judged by Ofsted as being ‘outstanding’. It is testament to their hard work that two members of the team have received national recognition.”Jo has worked for Hampshire

County Council's Children’s Services for over 14 years. Her nomination came from an adoptive parent who Jo supported through the adoption process and continues

to support, describing Jo as: “not just a social worker, but an inspiration and true professional who never stops. A superwoman and a special breed.”The judges at First4Adoption

were impressed by Jo’s dedication to her work - consistently going out of her way to support both adoptive parents and children who are being adopted. In their view, Jo proved herself as a “true professional who goes above and beyond the call of duty.”Anyone considering adoption

is urged to get in touch to find out more, by contacting the Adoption and Fostering Team on 0300 555 1384 or by visiting www.hants.gov.uk/adoptionandfostering.”

[email protected] 01962 860746

Above: Jo Davis collecting the Social Worker of the Year award from MP Edward Timpson


Special offer 2016 package for £2016Situated in the picturesque Hampshire countryside, the Holiday Inn Winchester is the perfect venue for your wedding. Catering for up to 180 people and licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies our Hampshire Suite faces out onto our glorious terrace, perfect for photographs. For your wedding breakfast our AA rosette Head Chef will deliver a stunning, seasonal menu all created with fresh produce sourced locally. For the evening party, we will transform the function and when the night draws to a close you and your guests can retire to your rooms for a luxurious night’s sleep.

For more information and to book a showround please call 01962 670700

WINCHESTER

For more information on any of the above events and to book please call 0871 942 9188

or email [email protected]

AA Rosette Award

WINCHESTER

www.hiwinchester.co.ukStay at the gateway to the South

Your special day deserves an award winning venue…

The Mayflower has offered us 2 sets of family tickets (4 each) for the performance of Aladdin on Tuesday 15 December at 7.00pm - worth over £200!

Starring Joe Pasquale, Duncan James and Ceri Dupree and an amazing 3D genie, Mayflower Theatre's pantomime Aladdin will be everything you could wish for!

Aladdin will be everything you have come to expect from Mayflower Theatre’s pantomime - a spectacular show, led by a star cast with stunning special effects and lots of laugh-out-loud comedy.

Once again presented by the world's biggest pantomime producer, Qdos Entertainment, this glittering new production will be staged with stunning sets, beautiful costumes and carries the Mayflower pantomime hallmark of outstanding entertainment for all ages!

Before entering, please make sure you are able to go to the specified performance. These tickets are NOT transferable.

The question: Duncan James appeared with Antony Costa, Simon Webbe and Lee Ryan in which band?

How to Enter:Send your answer to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester SO22 9AT no later than 5pm on Tuesday 24 November 2015. You can also email [email protected]

DO NOT FORGET to include your name, your address and a contact phone number.The winner will be announced in our next edition – Good luck!

COMPETIT ION


Christmas is Coming!

[email protected] 01962 860746

We don’t just mean the Coca-Cola lorry - although that will be here too on 17 December! No, we mean the Winchester Cathedral Market and Rink. Other cities try to emulate what we do, but we know that, somehow what we do here is just a little bit better, which is surely down to our unique setting and atmosphere.

Now celebrating their 10th year, setting-up for this year’s Christmas Market and Ice Rink is well under way, and plans have been announced for the Opening Ceremony. The event will take place around the Ice Rink in the Inner Close from 6.30pm on Thursday 19 November.

The exciting ceremony will include skating displays, a performance by the Cathedral Choristers and the blessing of the Christmas Tree by the Dean, followed by a grand finale. There

will also be a chance to shop at the Market until 7.30pm and buy tickets for skating following the ceremony.

Then on Friday 27 November, again at 6.30pm, comes the Lantern Parade, another highlight of the City’s Christmas events calendar. You’ll be able to watch as participants process with their homemade paper lanterns through the Cathedral grounds and light up the night sky in a stunning display. The parade itself will be followed by Community Carols, organised in association with Churches Together in Winchester. For those interested in participating, Bella Crafts will be hosting lantern-making workshops at

their Fair Oak and Romsey sites; they can also provide kits and instructions for those who prefer to make their lanterns at home. For more information visit www.bellacrafts.co.uk. To find out how to take part in the parade, visit www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas

The Market and Ice Rink are actually open from 10am and 9.45am respectively on Thursday 19 November and run, again respectively, to Tuesday 22 December and Sunday 3 January 2016.

Admission to the market is free and tickets for the Ice Rink are now available from the Cathedral Box Office on 01962 857 276 and online at www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk. Full details of the market and rink are available at www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas

The Cathedral has also announced that there will the chance to make the Christmas Carol Concert on Friday 11 December at 7pm that bit more special by going to a drinks and canapés reception beforehand. The reception will take place in the Prior’s Hall from 6pm and tickets, priced £15, are available from the Cathedral Box Office on 01962 857 275. The Concert itself will be the ever- popular mix of seasonal music and readings, with the Cathedral Choirs hosted by BBC South Today’s Sally Taylor and featuring guest artists in the form of the popular vocal trio, Blake. Tickets for the concert (priced between £40 and £15) are also available from the Box Office.

(Images by Joe Low and Panache)

Christmas Market – 19 November to 22 December

Christmas Ice Rink – 19 November to 3 January 2016

Opening Ceremony – 19 November, 6.30pm

Lantern Procession – 27 November, 6.30pm


The staff at the award winning Holiday Inn Winchester have been busy cooking up an imaginative range of Christmas events from live music and dine experiences, featuring the music of Michael Buble, with the return by public demand of Andy Wilsher, who is the master of Rat Pack and Buble’s soft soothing sounds on Saturday, 28th November with a three course dinner for just £30 per head. Closer to Christmas the hotel will be hosting a Hollywood Movie Magic Tribute Night on Saturday, 19th December, a live show paying tribute to all those special movie musical moments from Fame, Flashdance, Mamma Mia and more, to be enjoyed with a festive three course dinner with decorations and all the trimmings for £40 per head.

The festive excitement is already building at the Holiday Inn Winchester, as staff are busy making preparations for all the parties and events. “Our staff just love decorating the hotel and our huge Christmas tree that we have every year in our reception area. We sponsor the Hounds for Heroes charity with free meeting rooms, accommodation and training facilities at the hotel, and their service dog EJ just loves finding his way under the Christmas tree,” commented Sarah Waddington, Sales and Marketing Manager for the hotel.

Award winning foodThe AA 4 star hotel is renowned for

its award winning restaurant, which has recently received an AA 2 Rosette Award. This prestigious award is for the best local restaurants, offering higher standards and better consistency, with greater precision apparent in the cooking, with obvious attention to the quality and selection of ingredients. Other awards include the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence, Green Tourism Awards and the hotel is in the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame. “We are

thrilled to have received the AA 2 Rosette Award. We aim to provide the very best dining experience to everyone who comes to our hotel, whether they are using our Morn Hill Brasserie or coming to an event.”

Party NightsThe hotel’s head chef Chris Keel

has enjoyed putting all the festive food plans for each event together and coming up with delicious and imaginative dishes to celebrate the Christmas season, including a series of fun filled Christmas Party Nights. A delicious 3 course dinner and dancing to the hotel’s resident DJ are included for £27 per head and will be held on each Friday in December leading up to Christmas.

Daytime eventsThe festive fun isn’t just happening

in the evenings at the Holiday Inn Winchester, a great deal of planning

has gone into daytime events including a Festive Afternoon Tea at £15 per head (pre-booking required). “Our location and good parking facilities make the hotel an ideal place for people to meet and spend some relaxing time with friends, family, colleagues and enjoy a traditional afternoon tea,” said Sarah Waddington. “Our Sunday Lunches on the 6th and 13th December will feature Santa’s little helpers and are also a great way to exchange presents and catch up with friends and family.”These Christmas Sunday Lunches are

£18 per head and have a special price structure to accommodate families with children under 3 just £5 per head and children under 12 just £9. Christmas Party Lunches in the hotel’s

Morn Hill Brasserie start from £20 per head and are ideal for small parties to larger company gatherings and can be booked on individual dates in December. “For that very special day our

Christmas Day Lunch is designed to take the stress away and where all the family can have a relaxing time, an ideal opportunity for the head cook of the family to take the day off!” said Sarah Waddington. Guests will be greeted with a welcome drink and then enjoy a four course festive meal with a good range of options including Pan Roasted Venison Loin, Fillet of Hampshire Beef and Wild Halibut Fillet as well as the traditional Roast Norfolk Turkey and a delicious vegetarian option. There will also be coffee and mince pies and the price per head is £60 (children under 12 - £30). A gift for all children under 12 is also included. For those who want to have a relaxing

end to their evening or daytime event, special room rates are available from £85 per night including breakfast. For more information call the

events team on 01962 670 700

A huge choice of Christmas events at the 4 Star Holiday Inn Winchester

Advertising Feature

Above: Performers from A Night at the Movies.

Left: The sounds of Michael Buble and Rat Pack music from Andy Wilsher, by popular demand.

Above: Hounds for Heroes service dog EJ enjoying a rest under the Holiday Inn Winchester’s Christmas tree.

Above: The hotel’s award winning Morn Hill Brasserie


Hedge End Gang Show Extends To Hampshire Countywide Invitation

Winchester Today finds out how the Hedge End Gang Show is back on the ‘crest of a wave’ - with big plans for their return to the Scouting Stage.

Hedge End Gang Show has been providing creative activities for

Scouts in and around the Itchen district for over half a century

having celebrated its 50th Birthday in 2013. After a few years away, the Gang Show is back with huge plans for their next production and to celebrate, has decided to open up its doors to Scouts from all over Hampshire.

The ‘Best of British’ production will hit the stage in February 2016.

Hedge End Gang Show started in March 1964 when the 13th Itchen North Scouts decided to start up a Hedge End Gang Show and call it Birds of a Feather. A year later the Scouts expanded the cast and asked Hedge End Guides to join the show. It became known as “Scouguids”, calling the show Out Of The Bag. Over the years the creative talents of Scouts from around the district have performed for hundreds of people and provided exciting opportunities for its members.

Earlier this year, Hedge End Gang Show united with other Scout shows from across Hampshire to perform in

‘Hampshire Scouts Present’ here in the city at the Winchester Guildhall. They entertained a full house and received a standing ovation along with their peers, with whom they will be uniting once again in June 2016 at The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton in support of Wessex Cancer Trust.

Scott Marshall is the Hampshire Creative Activities Advisor: “Creative activities such as Hedge End Gang Show provide our young members the opportunity to understand team work, meet new friends, learn new skills, develop their creativeness and much more importantly have fun and experience performing on a public

stage to hundreds of people. It’s great to see the show back with a brand new producer, Kevin Harmer, leading a dedicated production team and the show opening an invite to Scouts from all over Hampshire to join.” Participation is open to all members of Hampshire Scouts aged 9 years or over. No previous experience required just a willingness to have fun! Rehearsals are on Sunday mornings between 10am – 1pm at BP Lodge, Pavilion Road, Hedge End.

For more information email [email protected] or pop along to rehearsals and have a chat with the team.

Book a classified ad by downloading the form from winchestertoday.co.uk!

Brendoncare Clubs

01962 852133www.brendoncare.org.ukRegistered charity number: 10913454

Buy a coffee and get one free!

(so drink 2 - or come with a friend!)

2 De Lunn Buildings - opp Theatre Royal

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Would you like to rent this space?Call us now for some amazing bargains!

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PREVIEW: Art in Winter, StockbridgeWe don't know about you, but we always try to find an excuse to visit Stockbridge when we can!

Good news then, that twelve leading artists from the Stockbridge area are exhibiting in the Town Hall from the 4th to the 6th of December. Visitors to the show will be able to find paintings, prints, cards, ceramics, silver and jewellery. The event is being organised by Wallop Artists.

Opening times:

4 December 19:00 – 21:005 December 10:00 – 17:006 December 10:00 – 15:00

Admission is free, and there’s also free on-street parking. Enjoy!Art

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Sally Tyler

Free Dessert When you order a starter and

a main course in the award winning Morn Hill Brasserie.

Telegraph Way, Morn Hill, Winchester, SO21 1HZ

Telephone: 01962 670700www.hiwinchester.co.uk

WINCHESTER

Terms and conditions – Pre-booking is essential. Subject to availability.

Original voucher must be produced.


Congratulations to all of the filmmakers who made it to competition as part of the Official Selection for the Winchester

Short Film Festival 2015.

The 2015 festival runs from 7th - 14th November. You can find out

more about some of the festival events and the films that have

made it to competition on our website

winchestershortfilmfestival.com

WinchesterShortFilmFest @WinchesterFilm


Review

Review: English National Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet, The MayflowerBeccy Conway is transported back to Renaissance Verona as the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet comes alive on the Mayflower stage.Thrown into the midst of two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets, the audience is captivated from the start, our anticipation heightened by the reverberation of the English National Ballet Philharmonic Orchestra warming up beneath the stage.

The stark divide between the families is made clear immediately by the opulent costumes; the violent red of the Capulet house against the green of the Montagues, which helps guides us through the drama. Classical elements such as the proscenium arch stage and Prokofiev’s infamous score meld perfectly with Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography, which even today feels contemporary. From my seat I

imagine the reaction to Nureyev’s work in 1975, when Romeo & Juliet premiered: how modern this ballet must have seemed, its traditional ensemble movements juxtaposed by cinematic scenes depicting dream sequences and premonitions of death.

Humour is used to great effect across the ensemble. The male Montague dancers are reminiscent of court jesters as they mock those entering the Capulet’s Ball, with sky-high leaps and theatrical miming. Later, the youths of the warring families humiliate each other, mimicking their opponent’s motions to the point of frenzy.

Comedy then turns to tragedy in the bloody duel between Fabian Reimair’s Tybalt and Fernando Bufalà’s Mercutio. Romeo’s vengeance upon Tybalt is all the more cutting after he and his friends mistake Mercutio’s fatal injury for play-acting.

Esteban Berlanga is impressive as Romeo, portraying just the right amounts of boyish charm, and later despair, required of Shakespeare’s most recognisable male lead.

But it is Juliet that really owns the stage. Begoña Cao strengthens throughout the performance, appearing to grow from an innocent girl to a young woman within the two and a half hour production. Her dance style is fluid and seemingly effortless, and we root for her instantly.

The other standout moment is the excruciating scene in which Juliet is offered by her parents to Paris in a

forced marriage, which provides a completely different dynamic to the rest of the ballet. The movements are static, the dancers’ limbs angled and stiff, helping the audience understand perfectly Juliet’s abhorrence at the notion of marrying anyone but her Romeo.

The doll-like limpness Cao exhibits in the final Act demonstrates her remarkable physical control as she is flung about by Berlanga. It is heart wrenching – we all know the story and its inevitably tragic end, but I could nevertheless sense the entire auditorium willing Juliet to wake up in time to prevent Romeo’s fateful demise.

Star rating:

All images: Bill Cooper

It is Juliet that really owns the stage… Begoña Cao strengthens throughout the performance.


Advertising Feature

A special day full of once in a lifetime moments, delicious food, exceptional hospitality and service can all be enjoyed within the elegant, contemporary setting of the award winning four star Holiday Inn Winchester.

A Tripadvisor Hall of Fame Award is the Holiday Inn Winchester’s most recent award, with this unique accolade only granted to businesses that have won the Certificate of Excellence for 5 years in a row. This award follows on from a long list of awards that the hotel has won since it was opened five years ago and Siobhan Thomasson, General Manager for the hotel commented: “We are particularly thrilled about this award as it is so strongly influenced by those who have visited our hotel and we value their comments. A lot of visitors to our hotel also give us valuable feedback directly and it is so good to hear that they have had so many positive things to say about all aspects of the hotel, including our weddings offering.”

The hotel has received great praise from

clients who have booked their weddings at the venue and here is a sample testimonial from some happy parents: “We would like to thank you and your team at the Holiday Inn Winchester for making Sam and Pete’s wedding day so special. Everything was perfect, it was all organised so well. Please also pass on our compliments to the chef and kitchen staff, as the wedding breakfast and evening buffet was all that we asked for and more. We had found all the staff were extremely professional and polite, several of our guests commented on how they were impressed with the service.”

“We understand just how important everyone’s wedding day is,” continued Siobhan Thomasson. “As a predominantly female management team at the hotel we all love helping to organise the weddings and ensuring that every wedding is memorable for all the right reasons.”

“Our Morn Hill Brasserie has an AA Rosette

and we ensure that the high quality of our food is maintained at every event we have in the hotel. Our wedding menus are interesting and imaginative and we get great feedback from our wedding parties.”

The contemporary venue also offers many

picture perfect places to take all the important wedding photos, from the elegant, light, contemporary and very spacious reception area, with its staircase leading to a balcony - to the stylish outside courtyard terrace. The romantic bridal suite offers the newly weds privacy and space, with luxurious soft furnishings in the bedroom and living area - another ideal location for some before wedding photos of the bride. There are also 7 contemporary designed ceremony and reception rooms to choose from, with the hotel licensed for civil ceremonies.

The 141 room hotel is large enough to

accommodate large wedding parties and guests, with a range of rooms available including standard, executive, family rooms, luxury suite and eight accessible rooms, with special rates for wedding guests and ample easy car parking.

The hotel can accommodate weddings from

small groups up to 200 guests, with late booking availability for 2015 and a variety of packages available including the Diamond Wedding package for 2015 starting at £3,300, with similar packages for 2016 and 2017, including a very special 2016 package for £2016. All of the packages are based on 50 day guests and up to 80 evening guests in total.

For those who are planning a wedding there

are a number of opportunities to see the Holiday Inn Winchester as a wedding venue, all dressed and presented to show visitors how it would look on their special day.

Autumnal Wedding ShowTaking place on Sunday 25th October from

11am - 3pm the hotel will be offering a free

entry fun day filled with all things to do with weddings. The day will include an arrival drink, fashion shows, exhibition of 35 local suppliers, free entry into a prize draw and goody bag.

Sarah Waddington, Sales and Marketing

Manager for the hotel commented:“It is the perfect way for visitors to see how

the hotel will look and feel on a wedding day. We also have some Wedding Open Evenings planned as well, where we will have

our Hampshire Suite set for a ceremony and wedding breakfast. This is a great opportunity to discuss your big day with the team.”

Wedding Open EveningsThursday, 19th November between 6pm and

9pm, no appointment necessary For more information call the events team on

01962 670 700

Award winning 4 star Holiday Inn Winchester is the perfect place for your big day


bomb

Wednesday 18th - Saturday 21st November 2015To be performed in Cheriton Village HallAll performances commence at 7.30pm prompt (doors open at 7.00pm)

All tickets £10Tickets available online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayersor tel 0333 666 3366 (standard rates apply)Telephone bookings cost £1.50 extra per booking for mailing etc. Telephone box office hours 9am–7pm Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm Sat and all telephone enquiries are handled through TicketSource – this is not an exclusive number for Cheriton PlayersThis amateur production is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Ltd

Based on a short story by Oscar Wilde

www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk

How would you like to enjoy a sumptuous and delicious Festive Afternoon Tea for four at the 4 Star Holiday Inn Winchester? The perfect way to meet up with family and friends.Start with a glass of Winter Pimms, followed by a selection of festively filled sandwiches, homemade scones with cream and preserves, homemade festive cake selection and a choice of Twinings tea or coffee. Served in the hotel’s award winning restaurant - The Morn Hill Brasserie, or in the hotel’s elegant lounge between 2pm and 5pm.

To be in with a chance of winning a Festive Afternoon Tea for 4 at the Holiday Inn Winchester, answer this question:

What is the name of the hotel’s award winning restaurant?

How To Enter:Send your answer to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester SO22 9AT no later than 5pm on Tuesday 24 November.You can also email [email protected] DO NOT FORGET to include your name, your address and contact phone number.

The winner will be announced in our next issue – Good Luck!

COMPETIT ION

In The Garden With The Veg Man.Growing one’s own vegetables is so rewarding, not in a pecuniary sense, but eating really fresh produce is an absolute joy.

Supermarket vegetables, many of them produces in other countries, are often days old before they reach the shelves and much their flavour has been lost.

Late Autumn is the time when many crops are coming to an end and now is the time to prepare for next year by turning over vacant ground. Winter frosts will break up heavy soil and digging now, gives the soil time to consolidate before planting next spring. Our local chalky soil is very light and I am digging in as much compost as I can, to add humus to give the soil more body and increase its moisture holding capability.

Ideally one’s own garden compost is best. We compost all vegetable matter except potato peelings from the kitchen and anything from the garden, even including weeds. Properly prepared compost heats up and kills off weed seeds.

Shredded paper and cardboard can also be added in moderation, provided if mixed with plenty of green matter.

As an alternative to home produced compost, consider using locally produced Pro-Grow. Veolia have a composting plant near Chilbolton, where waste garden material from the County Council recycling centres is dealt with. Special machinery breaks everything down. It is then heaped up, in huge piles, watered and regularly turned over until after about four months it is ready to be screened into 20mm or 10mm product.

I have a trailer and collect my own, but bags can be bought at recycling centres and there are specialist firms who will deliver to those needing more.

Pro-Grow can be dug in, used as a lawn dressing and for mulching. As my ground has not been properly dug over for two or three years I am digging in about a ton in each 50 square metre bed.

To dig in compost in, take out a trench from one end of the bed, and wheel the soil to the other end. Spread compost into the trench and using a spade, dig the next row into the trench. After digging a couple of rows, spread more compost on top. Do not attempt to break the clumps up, but leave the frost and the

weather to do this and worms will deal with the compost. Use the spare soil, to fill the last trench.

Next spring, tread the loose soil down and break it up, ideally using a turned over fork or cultivating tool to produce a good seed bed. It is best to rake off the stones, to make hoeing easier.

Jobs for NovemberSow garlic, overwintering

onion sets and overwintering broad beans. If you have glass, continue planting winter salads. Cut down asparagus stems and lift three to four year old rhubarb roots, leaving outside over winter.

And The Winner Is…Thank you to everyone who entered our main competitions last month. Pictured at Mint Velvet with the Winchester Today winners’ bucket are Lauren and Natasha. They drew out the name of Laura Myhill who lives in Winchester - Laura you’ve won £100 to spend at Mint Velvet!

Also pictured at Côte Brasserie is Ellen Whitfield - Ellen drew out the name of Ella Moseley - who also lives in Winchester - from the Winchester Today winners’ bucket. Ella, you’ve won a £70 voucher

towards a meal at Côte Brasserie!

If you didn't win, don't worry because there's another chance in the paper!


REVIEW - Jane Howard has a look at ‘Five Children on the Western Front’ by Kate Saunders, longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize 2015, and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016.The release of Five Children on the Western Front triggered a flurry of five star reviews.

Although intrigued, I was nervous about reading this modern sequel to the children’s classic, Five Children and It, by acclaimed author E. Nesbit. After all, I still remember my treasured copy of The Phoenix and the Carpet, dog-eared from repeated readings, and stowed lovingly inside my bedroom cabinet. Could a modern sequel really live up to a classic like that?

Set nine years after the original stories about the Pemberton children and their adventures with the Psammead, a magical yet grumpy sand fairy, Saunders skilfully picks up the story in 1914 at the start of the First World War.

The older children, now grown up, are busy with the war effort, while Cyril, the eldest, is heading for the trenches. And so, it is the younger siblings who must care for the Psammead on his return.

They don’t know it yet, but their future is entwined with the Psammead’s past. With him, they will come to understand redemption and witness the misery of war.

This is a beautifully drawn story in which Saunders presents the horrors of war with a gentle honesty while at the

same time capturing the political and social history of the period. The dialogue is delicious, and the economic writing drives the plot forward. You don’t need to have read the originals, although, I urge you to do so, because Saunders weaves the old with the new, seamlessly.

A heart wrenching and compelling read, this book is packed full of wit and charm. A fitting tribute to a children’s classic.

Highly recommended for children of nine years-old and over. Adult fans of E. Nesbit will enjoy it too.

(Jane Howard is a teacher and children’s author. In 2013, she won the Little Tiger Funny Prize for children’s fiction and was first runner-up in the international Greenhouse Funny Prize. She is represented by literary agent Polly Nolan.)

This is a beautifully drawn story - presents the horrors of war with a gentle honesty.

Fe, fi, fo, FUN!It will soon be time for the Theatre Royal Winchester’s traditional family pantomime. Jack And The Beanstalk features villains to hiss, heroes to cheer, songs, slapstick and lots of joining in. Follow Jack’s adventures as he tries to get back his cow, meets a Giant and makes off with a golden egg laying goose. Jack And The Beanstalk runs from 8 December until 3 January. Book now on 01962 840440 or at theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

The Theatre has offered us two x family tickets worth almost £70 each.

To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question...

What does Jack climb to reach the Giant?a) A ladder b) A staircase c) A beanstalk

How to Enter:Send your answer to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester SO22 9AT no later than 5pm on Tuesday 24 November 2015. You can also email [email protected]


The winner will be announced in our next edition.

Good luck!

COMPETIT ION

How would you like £100 to spend ahead of Christmas courtesy of our friends at Mint Velvet? You know you would! We know that hundreds of people already love the new outlet in the High Street!

To be in with a chance of securing a voucher for £100, you need to answer the following question:

Where is the Mint Velvet Winchester store?

a) High Streetb) Jewry Streetc) The Brooks Shopping Centre

How To Enter:Send your answer to Winchester Today, Suite 123, 80 High Street, Winchester SO22 9AT no later than 5pm on Tuesday 24 November. You can also email [email protected]


The winner will be announced in our next issue - when you will have the chance to win another £100!

Good Luck!

COMPETIT ION

Winchester City are pictured here during their 4-0 Division 1 South and West demolition of Banbury United last month, with two goals each from Warren Bentley and

Jamie Barron. The attendance of 192 was the second highest throughout the division on that day. Pictures from Tony Smith Photography.At the time of going to press, City were third in the league, with

an extremely healthy goal difference, and up to two games in hand over some other clubs.

Forthcoming Fixtures:• Saturday 14 November: Winchester City v

Shortwood United.• Tuesday 17 November: Marlow v Winchester City.• Saturday 21 November: Winchester City v

Tiverton Town.• Saturday 28 November: Bridgwater Town v

Winchester City.


Sport

Documents

Winchester Today - November 2015