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Chandler’s Ford St. George’s Day Parade 2018 with The 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band (“The Spitfires”)

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The 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band (“The Spitfires”) had a busy day taking part in three St George’s Day Parades today.

They started at 10:00 in Eastleigh, and 12:45 in Winchester, then 14:30 in Chandler’s Ford. Emma Thompson, Media Officer and Deputy Drum Major from the Band said they would like to thank everyone who turned out to support each event.

All photos of “The Spitfires”: courtesy of MJDS Photography. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford St. George’s Day Parade 2018 with The 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band (“The Spitfires”)

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Marie Curie Collections in and around Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh

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Great Daffodil Appeal

This year’s Great Daffodil Appeal gets underway shortly and we would be delighted if you could spare some time to volunteer locally at one of our collections.

Could you give one or two hours so Marie Curie Nurses can care for more people with terminal illnesses? Just 2 hours of your time provides around 4 hours of nursing care. [Read more…] about Marie Curie Collections in and around Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh

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Places Leisure Community Celebration Day

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Places Leisure (the new leisure centre at Fleming Park) held a Community Celebration Day yesterday (17 February).  “You’re an active sporty type of person,” the editor told me.  “Go down and see what is there.”

Balloons around the main entrance
The main entrance – festooned with balloons for the Community Celebration Day

I tried to protest that a bit of running each week doesn’t necessarily define an active sports type of person, but actually was quite looking forward to the chance to go and have a look round the facilities. [Read more…] about Places Leisure Community Celebration Day

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Beautiful Christmas Church Services 2017. How’s your Christmas Day?

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Last night I attended the Candlelit Carol Service at Eastleigh Baptist Church. My friends have recently joined the church and sang at the choir, so I went there for support and friendship.

The service was absolutely brilliant, uplifting, and enjoyable. It was beautifully intertwined with poetry, drama, and songs. There was a choir made up of adults and children, a top-class 4-people band, a modern drama (family got stuck on M25; a sulky teenager; train being late), a classical play (with costumes; tea-towel-headed shepherds that sort of thing), and Spoken Word. The Spoken Word was beautifully written: short passages in rhymes, and the narrators were passionate with their narration. To top that, both screens highlighted the keywords being read, so the visual impact was very powerful.  [Read more…] about Beautiful Christmas Church Services 2017. How’s your Christmas Day?

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Chandler’s Ford Memories from Hong Kong Part 2 – Friends and Neighbours

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Edited by Allison Symes

Hello again. I am Graham McLean, aged 78 years and a long retired former Chartered Surveyor who has spent much of his adult life in the Far East and Canada but I lived in Chandler’s Ford.

My posts are my attempt to share some memories, which I hope trigger other memories in some of you.  My first post last week shared some of my wartime memories.  This week’s post shares some memories of friends and neighbours. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Memories from Hong Kong Part 2 – Friends and Neighbours

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Santa’s Grotto at Brambridge Garden Centre with Eastleigh Lions

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Santa’s arrival at Brambridge Park Garden Centre was met by a huge crowd of smiling faces. He was accompanied by Eastleigh Lions and children from the charities Simon Says and Eastleigh Young Carers, aboard a lovely heritage bus kindly loaned from Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust. Huge thanks go to Tom Lingwood, the driver, for safely delivering the party.  [Read more…] about Santa’s Grotto at Brambridge Garden Centre with Eastleigh Lions

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Eastleigh Lions Club Santa at the Brambridge Garden Centre Grotto

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On Saturday the 25th November 2017 Eastleigh Lions Club Santa will arrive at the Brambridge Garden Centre Grotto in style on a 1960s Southampton City Bus, kindly provided by the Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust, driven by Dave. [Read more…] about Eastleigh Lions Club Santa at the Brambridge Garden Centre Grotto

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The Nativity Experience, 18th and 19th November

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When did you last experience the Christmas Nativity story?  No, not hear the story, experience it.

We’re probably all familiar with the story: Mary and Joseph, Donkeys, Bethlehem, “no room at the inn”, manger, shepherds, angels, and all.  But what does it all mean and – more pertinently – why is it still important and relevant 2000 years later?

This year, Eastleigh Baptist Church will be seeking to answer this question with the Nativity Experience on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th November – planned to coincide with and complement the Christmas light switch-on in the town centre. [Read more…] about The Nativity Experience, 18th and 19th November

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Sign a Petition: Help Save Dial-a-Ride and Community Transport

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One Community is shocked by Hampshire County Council’s Proposal to end funding for Community Transport and Dial-A-Ride across the county, and has started a petition to save community transport in Eastleigh.

One Community will challenge this proposal, which will affect the quality of life of thousands of older and disabled people in our local community. [Read more…] about Sign a Petition: Help Save Dial-a-Ride and Community Transport

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Re-designing Chandler’s Ford Infant School: April Rapley Shortlisted for Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists Award

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Recently a tweet by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) caught my eyes:

“Chandler’s Ford Infant School Project – April Rapley. Shortlisted for Student our Excellence in AT Award.”

Congratulations to April Rapley, Architectural Design and Technology graduate from Southampton Solent University! Her re-design of Chandler’s Ford Infant School on Kings Road has been shortlisted for the Student Award for Excellence in Architectural Technology (Project) 2017. [Read more…] about Re-designing Chandler’s Ford Infant School: April Rapley Shortlisted for Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists Award

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Review: Eastleigh’s 12th Annual Mela on Sunday 30th July 2017

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As always, I had a great time at Eastleigh’s 12th annual Mela on Sunday 30th July. The word means “a public event held to celebrate a special event” (Cambridge Dictionary) and comes from the Hindu word for a festival.

Ours is a multicultural carnival of music, dance and cuisine with such diverse contributors as; Irish Dancers, Southampton Buddhist Centre, Thai dancers, a band from Afghanistan called the Kabul Boys, traditional Indian dancing, Chinese Lion Dancing, the local Nepalese association, more bands including Crestwood’s Panatical steel drum band, who who always make me feel cheerful when I hear them, and a large range of stalls.  [Read more…] about Review: Eastleigh’s 12th Annual Mela on Sunday 30th July 2017

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Barton Peveril Students Excel in 2017 A Level & Vocational Qualification

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Barton Peveril College is celebrating another outstanding set of A Level and vocational programme exam results, achieving some of the best results in the college’s history.

The overall pass rate at A Level for the college was 98.3% with 77% of grades at A*- C. In total, 764 A*/A grades were achieved and 15 students have received offers from Oxford or Cambridge. [Read more…] about Barton Peveril Students Excel in 2017 A Level & Vocational Qualification

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parkrun 101 – a run (or walk) in the park

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A few years ago someone told me that a group of people meet in Fleming Park every Saturday morning to run 5 km.  My first thought was “why would they do that?”, swiftly followed by an assumption that it was a training run for a local running club, and wouldn’t be open to non-runners like me.

That’s before I discovered parkrun.  I ran my first parkrun – after over 25 years of not running – in March 2015 and since then have been back 100 times – pretty much every week.  I think it’s safe to say I’m hooked. [Read more…] about parkrun 101 – a run (or walk) in the park

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Peter Green: Mid-Summer Entertainment on Saturday 1st July

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We have some great news for fans of The Chameleon Theatre company and lovers of a Midsummer Night’s Dream might.

The Chameleons will be performing a couple of funny 10 minute sketches at Peter Green on School Lane, on Saturday afternoon 1st of July from 2pm to 3pm.

Peter Green will be hosting a fun afternoon to celebrate its 61st Annual Summer Sale, and the Chameleons have been invited to perform one of its popular plays, The Pocket Dream. [Read more…] about Peter Green: Mid-Summer Entertainment on Saturday 1st July

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Who Should I Vote for?

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Who should I vote for in the forthcoming election? A person or party with political gravitas, one that shows qualities of statesmanship. Or should it be statespersonship? Where are such people? I only see squabbling fourth-formers exchanging slogans as if they embody the solution to the world’s problems.

Our politicians try to do their best but they are products of the system which seems to me to be flawed. But that is a story for another day.
[Read more…] about Who Should I Vote for?

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General Election 2017

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So, in two weeks time – and three years earlier than we expected – we have a general election to look forward to.  Some people may have reacted to this news with “a chance to get rid of the current government”; others with “a chance to give the government a greater mandate”.  But for many it is possibly “here we go again”.  [Read more…] about General Election 2017

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Janet and Fred Saying Goodbye to Nightingale Pets After 29 Years

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After 29 years, Janet and Fred are saying Goodbye to Nightingale Pets today!

Fred’s been finding the dusty, seedy atmosphere, caused by the birds in particular, just doesn’t do his chest any good, and Janet is sure that the right thing to do is to stop while they are fit and able to enjoy life, travelling, cycling, motorcycling, gardening and enjoying themselves and their family. [Read more…] about Janet and Fred Saying Goodbye to Nightingale Pets After 29 Years

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Highlights of Fairtrade Fashion Show at St. Martin in the Wood Church: May 2017

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I attended the Fairtrade Fashion Show last Friday at St. Martin in the Wood Church in Hiltingbury. It was a fun and relaxed fashion show, with lots of Fairtrade items for sale.

Fairtrade Fashion Show was organised by local fairtraders, Tricia Urquhart, and Heather Dibb (minus one arm). [Read more…] about Highlights of Fairtrade Fashion Show at St. Martin in the Wood Church: May 2017

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