1 BENEFICE MAGAZINE – February 2015 Edition for the parishes of Herriard with Winslade, Tunworth, Upton Grey and Weston Patrick St Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us, though strangely enough there is nothing in his story to link him to romantic love. Apparently the link has grown because birds began to pair up around that date in Italy – that is, according to my book of saints (every vicar should have one!) But it is a pity that we largely associate love only with feelings and romance – though of course all that is in itself very good. And ancient Greek had five different words to express different aspects of love, of which Eros is only one. So the love which Jesus frequently talks of is a different thing altogether, which is why he says in several places we are not only to love one another but also our enemies. Clearly that can’t be about feelings: by definition you can’t feel love for your enemies or those you dislike, or those who have hurt you. But you can try not only to forgive them, but care for them and want the best for them – and that is loving them. It, of course, takes effort and the feeling bit will make it difficult, but it can be done. There are several relatively public examples in the last few years, where someone has had a close family member murdered or attacked and yet they try to forgive and love the person. I am struck how often (though not I stress invariably) the person concerned has a Christian faith. The vicar whom I trained under (back in prehistoric times) told me to pray for those who have upset me. He would say “It’s easy to pray for those whom you feel love towards, but the people you really need to pray for are those who have hurt you.” And he is right and in my experience it makes a real difference – not in a magical or superficial point of view (it can still be a struggle), but in that it gets me trying to see things from their point of view, to understand I don’t know what has gone on in their lives, and that they are a child of God who loves them with an infinity of love. Much of the Christian faith is very practical and most of us need God’s help with being loving. And on that note I do often end my e mails “with love” – that does not mean I am trying to invite everyone out on Valentine’s Day, but it does mean I firmly believe we are called to love one another! Not a bad resolution for Lent. Peter Dyson 2 CHURCH NEWS AND DIARY Lent Course 2015 Lent begins on Ash Wednesday 18th February, with a service in All Saints, Odiham, at 7.30pm; hopefully we welcome Father Anselm from Alton Abbey as our preacher. The Benefice is planning the Lent Course, based on the one prepared by the Diocese. Bishop Tim is leading us towards a Benedictine rule of life in our Christian living, summarised as Contemplative Action. So we are aiming to be people who reflect and act. Three groups will meet in our parishes throughout Lent starting in the week of 24th February: Tuesday 10.30am: Barn Cottage, Upton Grey (Jill and Terry Lestrille) Tuesday 7.45pm: Lower House, Weston Patrick (Felicity and John George). Wednesday 7.45pm: The Vicarage, Upton Grey (Nicola and Peter Dyson). All you need do is turn up. Each group will be relaxed and informal yet helping us to look at spirituality in a frenetic world! All are welcome. Lent Lunches Once more, we can look forward to another series of highly enjoyable occasions during Lent when generous hosts around the village offer hospitality with simple lunches which are totally free, but where donations are invited for good causes. All lunches start at 12.30pm and finish no later 2.00pm. Do come even if you can only stay a short while. All welcome. Hosts this year are: 25th Feb: Val Buckley, The Butts 862460 In aid of St. Michael’s Hospice 5th March: Frances Yeowart and Tessa Morrish at the Old Post House 861218 or 862475 in aid of Christian Aid 12th March: The Ladies Group hosted by Sue Scott, Sherborne Cottage 862445 in aid of Alzheimers Research 13th March: Annabel Acheson-Gray, Old Barn House, 861351. In aid of Charlie Waller Memorial Trust 17th March: Carol Butler Adams, The Old Vicarage, 862319. In aid of St. Michael’s Hospice 19th March: Jo Adair, Cleves Farm, Cleves Lane, 862005 in aid of Treloars College 25th March: Judy Janaway, Hound, Dean Lane, 861200. In aid of Cancer Research. Please make a note of these dates in your diaries and also please telephone your host by the day before if possible to let her know if you are coming. Any queries please ring me on 862131. Jill Lestrille 3 Our next Messy Church will take place again in the village hall on 27th February. Children and families come 3.30–4.00pm for a drink and games, 4.00–5.00pm craft work and messy tables, 5.00–5.15pm short celebration with songs, stories and prayer and then 5.15–5.45pm tea. There will also be crèche facilities available for the under 3s. Upton Grey Family Services which are the 1st Sunday of every month at 10.00am are going to have a 15-minute slot just before the service, ie 9.45– 9.59am (!) geared for young children and their families. It will take place in the children’s corner in the church with plenty of musical instruments etc. Families can then stay for the service if they want, but can slip away if they wish. This will start on 1st February (which happens to be the ancient church celebration of Candlemas which is both beautiful and thoughtprovoking). At the same time we have regular monthly Family services in all our churches: 2nd Sunday at Weston Patrick (11.00am); 3rd Sunday at Tunworth (9.00am) and 4th Sunday at Herriard (10.00 am). Fourth Sunday service at Upton Grey 10.00am in the New Year On 22nd February the theme will be the crucifixion in art. We will be looking at how the crucifixion has been portrayed in art in so many different ways throughout the ages. It will be a very informal event with coffee and cake served café style. Prints and pictures will be on show around the church and we will have an informal discussion about them, which will be led by Viv Anscombe and Jill Lestrille. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously to the church’s charity collections over Christmas. The Upton Grey carol service (collection for Naomi House) and Christmas morning service (for the Salvation Army) raised £1367 between them – a tremendous achievement. pMAPS! Every church in the Diocese is being encouraged to look at its life and how it relates to its wider community – the p standing for ‘parish’ maps. We are being asked to listen to God, to the church community and the wider community and then to put together a practical and achievable programme based round the priorities we have already agreed as a diocese: growing authentic disciples, re-imagining the church, supporting community and helping us care for one another and living generously for others. It all kicks off this January and we have to have our programmes agreed by the end of 2015 – so in each parish we will be consulting everyone (the church belongs to everyone and is there for everyone), sometime in the early part of the year. I do hope everyone will give their views! 4 The Upton Grey adult choir The next practice will be before the Sunday morning service on Sunday 8th February and the choir will help lead worship that morning. Women’s World Day of Prayer Please come and share with us this lively, thoughtful service, designed by the women of the Bahamas. It will take place at All Saints, Odiham, on Friday 6th March, with soup bread and fellowship at 12.00noon, and service 1.30–2.30pm. Everyone is invited – men and children are welcome. For more information contact Eve Baker: [email protected] (note the underscore between the two names), 01256 702565 Website www.uptongreychurch.info Please note that our website will have to have two major changes to its underlying software during the next few weeks. The changes are required to be coordinated with the hosting company and the timing is not yet certain. The website is likely to be unavailable for a couple of days, probably some time in the middle of February. Kids’ Zone January Birthdays 2nd 9th 13th 13th 14th 17th Stephen Bellamy Freddie Slemech Elspeth Holmes Claudia Rule India Del Mar Victoria Stanway 18th 19th 19th 20th 21st 29th Miles Yeoman Poppy Curtis Archie Saint James Smith Georgiana Davy Christopher Driver If you would like a child’s birthday put in the magazine and they are not already on the list, please would you send name and birthday to either Kate at [email protected] or to me. Thank you, Peter 5 Sunday Club Sunday Club normally meets on the second Sunday of every month and is for children aged from 3 to 12. The next meeting will be at The Vicarage on Sunday 8th February. The Sunday Club is a really friendly and informal way for children over 3 to begin to learn about the Christian faith. It starts in the Vicarage and then all the children come over to church near the end of the service for a blessing. Junior choir Junior choir: our next practice will be 9.15am Sunday 1st February, and the choir will help lead the services that morning and then on 15th February Mothering Sunday A date for your diary... Mothering Sunday is 15th March and all four of our churches will be holding Mothering Sunday morning services which will include the giving of flowers or other gifts to mums. Messy Church Our next Messy Church is in the Village Hall starting 3.30–4.00 on Friday 27th February–and in addition to the creative work tables and celebrating together, it will end with a meal together for the children. All are welcome. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian Church, and is marked by services of penitence. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on February 18th. It is the beginning of Lent, a 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting or abstinence. Ash Wednesday occurs 46 days before Easter. It’s the beginning of Lent, which represents the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. This is a period of prayer and fasting. Of the 46 days until Easter, six are Sundays. Sundays are not included in the fasting period and are instead "feast" days during Lent. 6 Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. Marking the cross on foreheads, with Ash. NEWS FROM THE VILLAGES Benefice Quiz Night – Saturday 7th March at Cross Barn, Odiham. Doors open at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start. Everyone is very welcome. Tables of 6 people can be either pre-booked or made up on the night, but to assist with catering please buy your tickets now. Tickets £12.50 per person including a fish-and-chips supper (chicken or vegetarian option by request in advance). There will be a pay bar for wine and soft drinks. To book your table and order your tickets please contact: Sian Taylor at All Saints Odiham, Office Administrator & Secretary; tel: 01256 703395 or email:[email protected] Local Police Report from PC Andy Reid Dear Residents, Below are the figures for reported crime in the parishes which are part of my beat area and within this magazine. Overall reported crime increased across by sixteen crimes from 104 to 120. Below are the main crimes reported with the 2013 figures shown in brackets. Dwellings burgalary 2 (8) – man arrested for 1 and sent to prison Non dwelling burglary 28 (24) (sheds, outbuildings) Theft 21 (17) Vehicle crime (includes 6 (11) theft of / from, damage) Criminal damage 22 (13) 7 Parish Herriard Weston Patrick Winslade 2013 7 0 4 2014 11 0 10 Parish Upton Grey Weston Corbett Tunworth 2013 11 0 2 2014 10 1 4 In later editions of this magazine I will break down these figures further. The significant increase in criminal damage offences was partially due to an illegal hare coursing (poaching) competition with a £30,000 first prize held across North Hampshire and parts of the Thames Valley Police area. People involved came from as far as South Wales and Lincolnshire to hunt illegally for hares – the damage occurred when field locks were broken and or vehicles were driven across growing crops looking for hares using a spot lamp or ‘night vision’ then allowing dogs to be released after the hares. Several people have since been arrested for conspiracy to commit criminal damage and are on police bail. As to 2015, I am seeking witnesses / information to two incidents. The first was on Sunday 11th January between 9.00am and 9.45am and was an alleged assault that took place in the field behind the Church in Upton Grey; the field has the Bidden Road on the lower side and Manor Farm on its top side. We are aware that a man and a woman were involved and both were out walking their dogs. Can you help? The second incident took place at 11.40am approx on Friday 16th January at The Avenue, near Shalden, at the site of road works, where it is alleged that a mobile phone was damaged during an altercation between two men. If you can help or assist with information on either case, please give me a call. All calls are treated in strictest confidence. I will also keep you all updated on the latest concerning the rural policing re-organisation and how this will affect the policing of our area – talks are still taking place. Andrew REID - Police Constable 3746, Rural Beat Officer. Police Office at Preston Candover: 01256 389050; HQ: 101; Mob:07768 776844; email: [email protected] 8 UPTON GREY NEWS www.uptongreychurch.info www.uptongreyparishcouncil.co.uk Upton Grey Village Hall 100 Club February Draw First Prize of £100: No 6, Mr J Lawson Second prize No:126, Mr and Mrs Johnson As ever many thanks to you all who support YOUR village hall and participate in our main fundraiser. Annual subs remain at £24 p.a. or £2 per month. Village Christmas post box Thank you so much to all those who used this to post their cards to friends in the village at Christmas and give donations – we made a total of £80 and this has been split between St.Michael’s Hospice and Odiham Cottage Hospital. Also a big thank you to Viv Anscombe, Paul Gray, David and Sue Scott, Julia Harker and the Bellamy family who all helped with the deliveries. Our thanks too to Suki for letting us put the post box in the shop. Barbara Anderson and Wendy Stanway A Grand Day Out The next minibus is to Newbury on Friday February 6th. The bus operates on the first Friday of every month from The Hodd car park at 9.30am returning at 2.30pm. It is open to all. Under 16s must be accompanied. Residents £5, non res £7.50. Book latest day prior at the post office. Friends are welcome but villagers have priority. Book early, book often. Numbers have been light of late. If you don’t want to lose it use it. Safari Supper, 28th March 2015 Reminder: This is the date for the next Safari Supper; please return the forms sent out last month so that you can join in. This is a popular event organised to raise funds for St Mary's church, Upton Grey, and to meet or catch up with fellow village residents. If you have mislaid, or not received the invitation, it can be downloaded from the church website www.uptongreychurch.info or can be emailed to you (requests to [email protected]). Any questions – please call Jo Adair, Cleves Farm, 862005 9 Spring Show Upton Grey – Saturday 11th April Yes, believe it or not but spring is not far away so please try and support this popular village event either by entering it, or by attending between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. The village hall has been booked and there will be the usual teas and cakes together with the lucky dip box for children and of course Gordon's sweepstake for the grand national. Plenty of time to get home and watch the race live on TV as the show finishes about an hour before the start of the race! The programme of entries is being prepared and will be delivered to all villagers but please this year try and enter and remember to put your forcing jars over your rhubarb! The committee would be pleased to beat last years’ record number of entries and for children to have a try at entering exhibits in this very friendly village event. Hoddington Arms Our events for February 2015 are as follows: Tuesday 10th February: French Cinema Love me if you Dare with English subtitles: £20.00 including meal, starts 6.30pm 13th and 14th February: Valentines weekend special sharing menu Sunday 22nd Feburary: Quiz Night, starts 7.00pm Upton Grey Community Information Facebook page Find the page by following the link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Upton-Grey-Village-CommunityInfo/1520370834896592 This page is for anything going on in the village so if you want anything added please send a message on Facebook or email [email protected]. Also if you have any interesting photos we can put those on as well! Sarah Gray 862440 TEA@3 Viv and Richard Anscombe are kindly hosting our tea on Thursday 19th February at Christmas Cottage, Weston Road. Please let Viv or Barbara know if you would like to join us and we shall be happy to arrange a lift if you need one. We look forward to seeing you! Barbara 862627 Viv 862455 Jill 862131 Judy 862060 10 Tennis Coaching The Upton Grey Tennis Court Committee wish to announce that there will be more tennis coaching with coach Andrew Ridgers this year. During the Easter Holidays there will be a children’s coaching course from 13th–17th April in the mornings at Upton Grey Tennis Court. Sessions will be for children aged 4–12 years old and will be 45 minutes long and cost £15.00 for the week. Timetables will be available by the end of March. There will also be the usual Summer tennis coaching between 3rd–7th August. Last year we had a terrific response to children’s tennis with over 40 children attending the summer course. Due to the children’s and parents’ enthusiasm we also ran weekly tennis groups until Autumn half term. It was great to see the court being used and enjoyed by so many young members. The summer course makes for a very fun, communitybased week in the summer holidays for those of us who are here! Please support it and save these dates. Hope to see you there. Julia Harker – Treasurer of UG Tennis Court (01256 862975 or [email protected]) Village Fete – Saturday 6th June This year the village Fete will be held on Saturday 6th June at Upton Grey Place. We would like to thank Nicholas and Frances Menges for allowing us to use their beautiful garden. Please add the event to your diary! There will be more information nearer the time but if you would like to help in any way please do contact us, Rossella and Gary Sharman or Rosie and Nick Ralls at [email protected], as we are always looking for more volunteers. Many thanks. Gary, Rosie & Nick Silent Auction in support of the Fete The silent auction has proven to be an excellent fundraiser for the fete, but its success is entirely dependent on the donated items. We need new items on the list: it can be difficult to gain commitments particularly for the ‘big ticket’ items or if an individual or company has previously donated. So, if you are interested in donating an item or a service, or if you know of someone or an organisation that could, please let us know! Gary Sharman at [email protected] 11 In 2015 we will continue to publish obituaries of people from Upton Grey who lost their lives serving in the Great War – here is the latest: Private Richard James Ridgers (killed in action 1st December 1917) Richard James Ridgers was born in 1895 in Long Sutton. His parents, Richard and Christine, aged 30 & 31, were living in South Warnborough in the 1901 census and Richard senior was described as a wheelwright. His brother Anthony John was born in 1898 and in the 1911 census we find Richard senior, now an Estate Carpenter, and Christine in Upton Grey with Anthony and a four year old daughter Margaret. Richard James is not living at home on the night of the census and does not appear anywhere else in the census. He enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment soon after the outbreak of war and was placed in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Territorial Force, which mobilised for war on 5th August 1914. Initially it was sent to India to replace British and Indian regular army units being moved to the Western Front. Within a few months they were transferred to the 33rd Indian Brigade, landed at Basra and served in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia. They were in action during the retreat from Baghdad to Kutel-Amara in late 1915 and in the siege that ended on the 29th of April 1916, when the Battalion HQ and one Company were captured. In mid-November, now in the 2nd/4th battalion, he was involved in an advance to Biddu, but no further move could be made unless the dominating hill of Nebi Samwil, reckoned to be the key to Jerusalem, had been secured. The battalion went forward after dark and held the position despite shelling, which increased in intensity during the day followed by long counter-attacks. Initially these were repulsed, but the Turks came on in greater force and, although hard-pressed, the battalion kept the enemy at bay until reinforcements arrived. Two officers had been killed and there were 24 men killed or missing. The battalion then went back into support, but was soon required in the line again, at Sheikh el Gharwahi. During the night of 30th November, early enemy patrols were repulsed and then in the early hours of 1st December the Turks suddenly attacked in strength, forcing the two companies from the battalion to hang on all day under heavy fire without food or water until relieved at nightfall. Thirteen men were wounded in that action and nine were killed, including Pte Ridgers who was aged 22. He is commemorated in Ramleh War Cemetery south east of Tel Aviv and was awarded the Victory, British and 15 Star Medals. Trevor Hart 12 HERRIARD NEWS www.herriard-pc.gov.uk www.herriardexservicesclub.co.uk Local man goes barefoot for bladder cancer A Herriard man will be going barefoot to raise money for the national Fight Bladder Cancer charity campaign for greater awareness and to support those affected by the disease. Ivor Davies, 52, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in late October 2014. “I’ve already had successful surgery and I’ll be getting three-monthly check-ups to spot any recurrences but I now realise how vital early treatment is in improving survival rates. With bladder cancer there is a 50% chance that it will come back”. To raise public awareness, Ivor will be spending the entire month of chilly February completely barefoot. “Going barefoot in public places, especially in cold weather, certainly attracts a few stares and comments so I reply by thrusting a leaflet into their hand and telling them about the charity. At the very least I’ve raised their awareness about the disease and quite a few have already given me money to donate to the cause”. A key symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your urine. “A lot of people feel embarrassed or self-conscious about being seen barefoot anywhere. People have these same feelings when talking about their pee and this is a major reason why people with symptoms of the disease don’t tell friends or family or go to their GP quickly enough. Feeling embarrassed when talking about pee is costing people their lives”. “The next obstacle to get over in early diagnosis is the medical profession itself which is reluctant to perform simple ultrasound scans or visual examinations on people presenting obvious signs of the disease” says Ivor. “This is what happened to me and by the time they finally got round to giving me a scan the tumour was completely obvious and far larger than it should ever have been”. “There is a charity called Fight Bladder Cancer and it is the only patient-led bladder cancer charity actively campaigning for greater awareness amongst the general public and the medical profession and provides one-to-one support for people affected by the disease. I decided to support the Fight Bladder Cancer charity because I believe their work is special. Their expertise and the one-to-one support they offer people directly affected by this disease is unique”. 13 Every year in the UK, approximately 10,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer and the number of patients being treated for the disease is rising. Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men and 11th most common in women. Over 5,000 people in this country lose their lives to this disease every year. That’s more people than are affected by many better known cancers, including leukaemia, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer and brain tumours. Each year more people die in the UK from bladder cancer than die in road accidents. Andrew Winterbottom, Founder and Director of the Fight Bladder Cancer charity, said: “Of the top 10 cancers in the UK, bladder cancer is the only one where survival rates have been shown to be getting worse. If caught early, the 5 year survival rates for this disease can be as high as 80%, but if treatment is delayed this can drop to as low as 15% or less for advanced cases. Fight Bladder Cancer campaigns for greater awareness both in the general public and amongst the medical profession and thanks to Ivor we will be a step closer to achieving our goal.” To donate directly to the campaign please visit www.justgiving.com/IvorDavies. For more information about bladder cancer and the Fight Bladder Cancer charity please visit www.fightbladdercancer.co.uk or email [email protected] A mowing legend! After 19 years of keeping the Churchyard in fantastic condition Frank has decided to call time – with his hard work and cheerful outlook, anyone who knows Frank will know that he is an absolute pleasure to work with. Being so visible by the road the Churchyard is always much admired and has attracted many compliments over the years, and those compliments are down to Frank’s professional approach to the job. He has kept to a routine which has kept the grass etc in tip-top condition particularly for weddings, and for the photographs afterwards. Thank you for all you’ve done Frank – you’re going to be a tough act to follow! Herriard Litter Picking – date for your diaries Herriard litter picking will be on Sunday 22nd March. Please keep the date free. Full details will appear in next month’s magazine. 14 Jobs to do in your garden for February All the signs of Spring approaching are here, bulbs appearing and wildlife waking up! 1. Prune winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering. 2. Prune wisteria to two to three buds. 3. Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over winter. 4. Dahlia tubers stored over winter can be started into growth. Place them in a light, warm place to sprout before planting. 5. Cut off old leaves of hellebores that produce flowers from ground level to expose the beautiful flowers. 6. Mulch beds with good compost for soil improvement and feeding. 7. Take the opportunity to dig a new pond - the spring rains will help to fill it. 8. Prepare your greenhouse for Spring. On sunny days ventilate to reduce the risk of fungal infections. 9. Prepare vegetable seed beds and sow some vegetables under cover. 10. Chit potato tubers. Blow the cobwebs away in your garden and don't forget to send your applications in to enter the Garden competition. Gill Venning RHS Dip. 01256 381053 Herriard & Lasham with Bentworth W.I: Tea Party at the Royal British Legion Hall, Herriard Thursday 15th January: After a very windy night it was a relief to see the sun shining in the morning. Despite warnings about not traveling unless necessary making the front page of the newspaper, the weather remained kind for us during the afternoon as we made our way to Herriard. It was pleasing to find so many of our members gathered at the hall to enjoy a delicious array of sandwiches, biscuits and cakes, and catch up on all the local news and Christmas/New year happenings. Time passed quickly as usual and the sun was still shining as we left, all of us looking forward to our February meeting, which will be on Thursday 5th February. Our guest speaker will be Mr Alan Grace on the subject of ‘The Story of ENSA’. Venue: the Royal British Legion Hall, Herriard. Time: 2.30pm. Our competition is for a memento/photograph that best reflects the 1940s. Jean Spottiswoode Clark 15 Herriard ex-Services club We would like to wish all our customers a happy new year. February events: Saturday 7th: quiz night with hot buffet £2.50 per person / £5.00 for buffet. Starts at 7.30pm. To book a team please ring 01420 769246 Saturday 14th: ‘Mr and Mrs’ competition £50 prize Our Easter Bingo will take place on 7th March. Eyes down at 7.00pm New Year’s Day Charity Fun Run around Lasham Airfield Happy New Year! Despite the weather we had a good turnout this year for our annual charity event on the airfield, with 38 entrants and many more visitors to watch and cheer them on. The winner was Oleg Fylypenko in 19.02 minutes – he was quite disappointed that it was only one circuit! We raised £374.00 from entrants fees, donations and the tombola for the Murray Parish Trust. The Trust is raising funds for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton Hospital, for critically ill children across the whole of the South of England. If anyone would like to send a donation to them I am sure they would appreciate it – no matter how small. They can be contacted at [email protected] Marjorie Hobby, Organiser WESTON PATRICK NEWS Candlelit supper Weston Patrick village hall threw open its doors on Saturday 17th January and the hall was transformed into a pop-up restaurant for a candlelit supper organised and catered by Felicity George and Rebecca Fletcher. Lucky supper guests enjoyed champagne and canapes, followed by a three course menu including local roast mallard and specially selected wines, with all proceeds going to St Lawrence, Weston Patrick. A fantastic evening - we look forward to welcoming more of you at the next one! 16 AND OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS… Volunteers needed for the viewings of the Odiham Embroidery Many of you reading this will have been involved with the Odiham Embroidery which is to be unveiled for the Magna Carta Festival in May. Whether you have or haven't, there are still some ways you can help in the future which will also help the whole community. Would you like to know more? We are very pleased to say that, after much research, the embroidery has finally found a home – in the library in the historic Bridewell. You will probably know that the library is open six days a week but not all day. We are expecting visitors from far and wide who will come to see the embroidery and they will arrive at any time, seven days a week. With the full cooperation of the library service, the library can be open at any time but will have to be manned by volunteers at times when the library would not normally be open. These extended opening hours will be extremely useful to the community as they will be able to use the automatic library service at this time and also pick up local information. So, we are looking for volunteers who would enjoy working in the library environment, meeting people and enabling visitors to view our splendid embroidery. There will be free leaflets about the embroidery available as well as postcards, brochures and other items to purchase. It is also hoped that there will be audio visual representation. It is expected that volunteers would work in pairs on two hour shifts at times to suit. If you think you would like to be part of a volunteer team, please email [email protected]. If you do not have access to the internet please put your name, address and telephone number into an envelope marked ‘Odiham Embroidery, c/o Barbara Igra’ and pop it through the letter box, Kingston House, 126-132 High Street, Odiham (opposite the opticians). In each case you will be contacted with more information. There is no commitment at this stage but we would hope to have a rota in place before the unveiling so we are starting to collect names now. Please mention this to friends and neighbours as well! We do hope you would like to take up this exciting new opportunity in Odiham and look forward to hearing from you soon. For more information on the Odiham Society see our website: www.odiham-society.org or phone 01256 704912 17 Alton Abbey concert Make a date in your diary for Friday 21st March, when Prof June BoyceTillman with soloists from Winchester University and King Alfred Consort choir, will perform in the Abbey Church of Our Lady and St John. The concert starts at 7.30pm, but come at 6.30pm for refreshments and wine. Tickets £15.00 available from ‘Tickets’, Friends of Alton Abbey, Alton Abbey, Beech, Alton, GU34 4AP. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Friends of Alton Abbey’. Please include a SAE & a telephone number and/or email address North Warnborough & District Garden Club Our next meeting will be held on Thursday 26th February in North Warnborough Village Hall at 2.10pm for a 2.30pm start. The speaker will be Tim Woodland whose talk will be ‘Planting & Growing Summer Flowering Bulbs’. The competitions for February are: 1. A Spray of a Flowering Shrub. 2. A Posy of Snowdrops with Greenery. Visitors are very welcome to join us. We are a friendly Club whose members share an enthusiasm for gardens and gardening. During the growing season, we always have a plant stall starting at 2.10pm. For further information, please telephone 01252 843848. February 2015 events at the Basingstoke Discovery Centre As usual the Basingstoke Discovery Centre offers an exciting range of films, talks and workshops in February. The Second Chance cinema club will be showing some past British films, such as Shakespeare in Love. There will be talks on Jane Austen, Basing House and the Hartley lavender fields, and workshops on photography and singing. There are also plenty of activities for children, such as films and a movie-making workshop. Something to suit everyone! To find out more or book a place, go to https://www.hants.gov.uk/shop/home.php, visit Basingstoke Discovery Centre in Festival Place, or call 01256 478670. Advance booking is strongly recommended. 18 SOME JOKES, AND THOUGHTS..... One day God was looking down at earth and saw all the rascally behaviour that was going on. So he called one of his angels and sent his angel to earth for a time. When the angel returned he told God, “Yes, it is bad on earth. 95% are misbehaving. Only 5% are not.” God was not pleased. He decided to email the 5% who were good, because he wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what the email said? No? OK, just wondering... I didn’t get one either! So far today, God, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty or selfish. I’m really glad about that. But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on, I’m going to need a lot more help. Thank you. One day an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. “One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. “The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought for a minute, and then asked his grandfather “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed”. Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this magazine are the contributors’ personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of the editors. 19 SMALL ADS The Handmade Fayre Saturday 7th February 1.00-5.00pm - Upton Grey Village Hall. Everything Hand Made from Jewellery to Jams, Bunting to Baking and Wood to Wool all under one roof. Free public entry, raffle, teas and refreshments and a light kids buffet supper available too! Come and support crafters and small businesses. See you there Villa in Turkey In leafy quiet area, within minutes’ walk of the village with restaurants, harbour and beach, no need for car hire. Panoramic views, roof terrace, gardens with mature exotic plants, shady secluded olive grove. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. 20m pool. Nicola Dyson 07780653588 or [email protected] www.kalkan-rose-villa-turkey.co.uk Herriard, Converted Stable Block Available for short lets, weekends, holidays, wedding guests etc. Beautiful countryside, walk straight onto foot/bridle paths. Large double bedroom, bathroom, open plan 26' kitchen/dining/drawing room with log burning fire. Small garden. 2 night minimum. Breakfast food provided for 2 night stays. Tricia Neri 07788 585001 or [email protected] HALLS AND MARQUEES FOR HIRE Upton Grey Village Hall for hire from £7 per hour. Functions, meetings, parties, private and commercial. Full kitchen facilities, central heating and sound system, chairs, tables, crockery and cutlery available. Contact Brian and Pam Dixey for further information, 01256 862577. The Royal British Legion Hall, Herriard Available for hire: wedding receptions, functions, parties, meetings, events. Fully licensed bar, full kitchen facilities, garden, tables and chairs, sound system, disabled access, central heating, pool table and darts. Key holder 01256 381403 or email hall bookings to [email protected]. Marquee For Hire: 6m x 12m marquee for private functions only. The insurance liability is for the hirer with a donation of £275. For details, please contact Sarah Whitcombe 01256 862495 or [email protected]
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