review

Fryern Funtasia 2025 – Drizzle, Sunshine, Stilt Walker, Steam Train, Puppet Shows … What an Amazing Event!

May 6, 2025 By Janet Williams Leave a Comment

Fryern Funtasia was such a great success. The weather was quite ‘unpredictable’ but the drizzle didn’t seem to bother us. The event was well organised, and the atmosphere was superb. When people said it’s a ‘community’ event and it truly was. There was something special for everyone, whatever your age. There were favourite games and crafts for children, and there were also boats and steam train for enthusiasts. There was a stilt walker who entertained and surprised the kids. Animals. Music that filled the air. Ice Cream.

The Mayor of Eastleigh Cllr Dave Pragnell and the Mayoress Jean went round to meet many people. At the u3a pitch, the mayor spoke with Pam Moffat (Vice Chair) and Dave Claxton (Chair) about u3a and their role within the community. [Read more…] about Fryern Funtasia 2025 – Drizzle, Sunshine, Stilt Walker, Steam Train, Puppet Shows … What an Amazing Event!

Tags: Chameleon Theatre Group, Chandler's Ford Parish Council, Chandler’s Ford community, charity, community, days out, Eastleigh Borough Council, event, Fryern Funtasia, Fryern Recreation Ground, fundraising, local interest, Methodist Church, review, social, u3a

Fryern Funtasia Chandler’s Ford 2024

May 6, 2024 By Janet Williams 3 Comments

Once again Fryern Funtasia was held during the May Bank Holiday Monday, at Fryern Recreation Ground. Did you have a good time? Yes we did despite the rain.

You can imagine the organisation of this event was a mammoth task and it was so wonderful to see so many people and animals, and so many stalls, games, and activities.

Some children sang some songs about the ‘sunshine’ and don’t we love these children from Fryern schools?

Thanks to Chandler’s Ford Parish Council and Event sponsors – TMT Legal Services are supporting this year’s event, along with
National Lottery Community Fund,
Infinity Playgrounds,
Dripool Ltd,
Vitaplay
and A&A.
(Source – Chandler’s Ford Parish Council)

Below are some photos taken before the rain. Let’s start with some animals –

Tags: Chandler's Ford Parish Council, Chandler’s Ford community, charity, community, days out, Eastleigh Borough Council, event, Fryern Funtasia, Fryern Recreation Ground, fundraising, local interest, Methodist Church, review, social

Lilies on the Land Performed by the Chameleons – a Review

July 29, 2023 By Gopi Chandroth 3 Comments

Albert Camus once said, ‘Impulses are the most sacred of human emotions.” On Wednesday this week, my good friend Janet offered me a free ticket for Thursday evening’s show of Lilies on the Land by The Lions Part at the Chameleon, Chandler’s Ford. On an impulse, I accepted it. I am glad I did.

The advertisement for the play stated, ‘A humorous look at wartime life, based on the real lives of the Women’s Land Army’ (WLA). After the show, I came away with the feeling that the blurb did not do full justice to the director and the all-women cast who put on a show par excellence.

“We shall fight on the beaches …” Churchill’s famous wartime speech set the tone for the evening. Dressed in costumes of wartime England, the WLA girls conveyed the ambience with skill. The sombreness of war was never downplayed, yet they managed to have us splitting our sides with clever and witty dialogues, narrating and bringing to life personal anecdotes. [Read more…] about Lilies on the Land Performed by the Chameleons – a Review

Tags: amateur theatre, Chameleon Theatre, Chameleon Theatre Group, creative arts, drama, entertainment, event, Hursley Road, review, Ritchie Memorial Hall

Review: Spring Trio – The Chameleon Theatre Group

May 5, 2023 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Image Credits:-

Images kindly supplied by The Chameleon Theatre Group. Many thanks to them. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes. Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Two images from the Chandler’s Ford Today archives.

It was lovely to join Janet at Ritchie Hall to see Spring Trio, the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group, on 27th April. (This ran until 29th April). Spring Trio lives up to its name as the audience was presented with three plays, one of which was written by Matthew Meehan from the Chameleons. The plays were a mixture of comedy and drama. There were interesting twists too. All three plays made great use of simple sets and props.

Tags: amateur theatre, performances, review, Ritchie Hall, Spring Trio, The Chameleon Theatre Group, twists

Fryern Funtasia 2023 Chandler’s Ford

May 1, 2023 By Janet Williams 4 Comments

Have you been to Fryern Funtasia today? I hope you have enjoyed this event. This morning I went to Fryern Recreation Ground for a quick visit and this place has brought back some very fond memories. I used to go there with some of my friends and our children, but now our children have left home and my friends were elsewhere, so it did feel quite different and I even felt a tiny bit meloncholic. However it was wonderful to see some friendly faces, beutiful owls, really fluffy dogs, and lots of happy children. It was very lovely to see many local groups such as Scouts, Girlguiding, Boys’ Brigade, Lions Club, Stroke support group, Churches Together….. local businesses such as Peter Green and Gair Gas and many others.

Days to Treasure: Faith and Literature

April 13, 2023 By Christine Clark Leave a Comment

This year Winchester Cathedral hosted the Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature (subtitled as a three-day literary festival with a theological slant). Some of our parish went along to see what was on offer.

One of us volunteered as a steward at the West Downs campus for the Saturday. She says, “I had a very interesting day. As a steward I had the opportunity to attend a number of seminars. My day began with hearing from Brian Draper on the subject of Soulfulness, followed by Rowan Williams speaking on Christian Ethics and Solidarity. I then listened to Catherine Fox and Francis Spufford as authors in conversation together on faith in fiction, and rounded it all off with a discussion between Rachel Mann and Jay Hulme as poets, on (un)holy desire with a trans perspective – a fascinating and eclectic day by anyone's standards, with much to reflect on! (And so much more I didn’t get to hear!)”

Review: The Chameleon Theatre Group – Pinocchio

February 3, 2023 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit:-

A huge thank you as ever to The Chameleons for kind permission to use their photos. One image adapted in Book Brush using a Chameleon photo. One screenshot taken by me, Allison Symes, from the Chameleons’ website re their next production.

It was a joy to see Pinocchio, staged by The Chameleon Theatre Group on Saturday, 28th January. There are many for whom pantomime is their first experience of live theatre. Funnily enough, it wasn’t for me. My kid sister and I tended to go and see the latest Disney releases at the old Gaumont, now of course The Mayflower in Southampton. Remember seeing Robin Hood and Cinderella there.

Tags: amateur theatre, Chameleon Theatre Group, classic fairytale, entertainment, pantomime, Pinocchio, review, Ritchie Hall

Positives and Negatives

December 30, 2022 By Allison Symes 8 Comments

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It’s almost impossible at this time of the old year to resist looking back and weighing up what kind of twelve months it has been. The days and months of the calendar never change (well, bar leap years I guess and even then only by one day!), yet our attitudes towards the passing of time can vary so much.

I must admit this year has struck me as a sad one. I’ve known several friends lose loved ones and I was deeply saddened by the death of the Queen. I was (and remain) saddened (and angered) at the war on Ukraine. So on the face of it, 2022 has not been a great year (and we thought 2020 was bad!).

What I find helps is remembering feeling like this is normal. Every year has its ups and downs though in some years, it is harder work to recall the positives!

Tags: negatives, New Year, old year, positives, review, setting goals, social media scams, the writing journey, writing life

Review: The Chameleon Theatre Group – Sherlock Holmes and The Mystery at Mallen Hall

November 4, 2022 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to the Chameleons for kind permission to use their photos. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos (and in one case my picture of the excellent programme!).

It was with great pleasure I met with Janet Williams at Richie Hall to watch the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group. I love Sherlock Holmes tales so this was a win-win. Congratulations must go to the Chameleons for a sell out performance on all three nights from 27th to 29th October 2022.

Tags: amateur theatre, detective plays, entertainment, review, Ritchie Hall, Sherlock Holmes and The Mystery of Mallen Hall, The Chameleon Theatre Group

Review: A Sherlock Treat with the Chameleons

October 28, 2022 By Gopi Chandroth 9 Comments

“The jasmine in one’s garden has no fragrance,” goes a Malayalam homily – meaning, we don’t appreciate what is right under our nose and seek our pleasures in distant venues. I realised the true import of this saying last evening when we went to see ‘Sherlock Holmes and the mystery at Mallen Hall‘ presented by the Chameleon Theatre Company on Hursley Road, Chandler’s Ford. The theatre is a mere ten-minute walk from my house. In the twelve years that I have lived in Chandler’s Ford, this was my first visit to Chameleon, thanks to a tip from my friend Janet on Chandler’s Ford Today.

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery at Mallen Hall

The tickets were quite reasonably priced and the show played to a full house. The acoustics were impressive – dialogues came across crisp and clear even to those of us who sat in the back rows. In my youth, I have read several Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but this was the first time I watched a live enactment. And what a performance it was. Holmes, Dr Watson and other characters acted with grace and élan.

Can Sherlock solve the mystery surrounding the deaths at Mallen Hall? Image from Chameleon Theatre Company.

Tags: amateur theatre, Chameleon Theatre, Chameleon Theatre Group, creative arts, drama, entertainment, event, Hursley Road, review, Ritchie Memorial Hall

The Dragon of Wantley – Chameleon Theatre Company – Review

May 6, 2022 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Many thanks to The Chameleons for kind permission to use their pictures here. Photos of the programme taken by me, Allison Symes.

It was a pleasure to be back at Ritchie Hall in Hursley Road to watch The Chameleon Theatre Group perform their postponed pantomime, The Dragon of Wantley. This was originally due to be staged in January.

Janet and I had a wonderful evening which was full of laughs. Comedy can be a real tonic at times (as can farcical comedy which pantomime excels at) and I must admit I walked home, feeling cheered and uplifted for watching a fabulous show. After the last couple of years, a good laugh was exactly what was needed.

Tags: Chameleon Theatre productions, local theatre, pantomime, review, Ritchie Memorial Hall, The Chameleons, The Dragon of Wantley

A Walk on a Beautiful Sunny Day – Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

March 20, 2022 By Janet Williams 2 Comments

Have you been to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens recently? We went for an afternoon walk this afternoon with Chippy and his wife Annie. They also did a 10k run in Eastleigh this morning. Wondering how many steps they have done today?

We have captured some photos to share with our readers today. [Read more…] about A Walk on a Beautiful Sunny Day – Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Tags: days out, gardens, Hampshire, history, nature, recommendations, review, Romsey, signs of spring, spring, travel, walking

Spring is here, spring is here. Life is skittles and life is Beer

March 20, 2022 By chippy minton 4 Comments

The spring is sprung, the grass is riz

I wonder where the birdy is

The bird is on the wing

Don’t be absurd

Everyone knows the wing is on the bird

We’ve been in meteorological spring since the beginning of the month and today, 20^th March, is pretty close to non-meteorological spring (which probably has a better name). And the weekend’s weather has also been spring-like too, for the first time this year.

What better time to visit Hillier Gardens at Ampfield and see the flowers starting to emerge from their winter’s sleep.

Here are a few photos from today’s wander. I’m not a botanist so some of my descriptions may be a little haphazard. Sorry, Wellie. [Read more…] about Spring is here, spring is here. Life is skittles and life is Beer

Tags: days out, gardens, Hampshire, history, nature, recommendations, review, Romsey, signs of spring, spring, travel, walking

Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

December 2, 2019 By Ben Williams 4 Comments

This year’s performance by the MDG Players is a pastiche of sci-fi storytelling that lampoons radio plays and the stories of Stephen King and John Wyndham. Presented as a radio play, Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully is filled with clever humour and wit that results in a very original, fun way to spend an evening.

Mike Standing (A Minion), Lester Parry (Gryvook), and Mike Slatcher (Uljabaan)

The plot is simple – the village of Cresdon Green, Buckinghamshire, is a normal English town that has just happened to be slowly invaded by aliens. It starts with a dome being placed over the village and then Uljabaan, an alien trying desperately hard to impress his superiors, attempting to blend in with the villagers. Whilst some embrace the aliens, others, led by the rebellious Katrina Lyons, want to see the aliens gone. Hilarity ensues. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

Tags: acting, arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, Dovetail Centre, drama, entertainment, event, fiction, humour, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, social, theatre, Winchester Road

The Chameleon Theatre Group: My Husband’s Nuts – Review

November 1, 2019 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: A big thank you as ever to Stuart Wineberg and The Chameleons for the images.

The play’s title indicated there would be play on words (in every sense) running through the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group. With a title like this, it can hardly be avoided! Still it does tie in with my post last week on Meanings!

Feature Image - Chameleons - My Husband's Nuts - Review — Feature Image – Chameleons – My Husband’s Nuts – Review. Image taken by Allison Symes

Tags: drama, farce, humour, My Husband's Nuts, plays, review, Ritchie Hall, The Chameleon Theatre Group

Review: They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in Time for the Townswomen’s Coffee Morning

July 28, 2019 By Ben Williams Leave a Comment

Last Thursday I watched the latest Chameleons Theatre production – They Came From Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in Time for the Townswomen’s Guild’s coffee Morning – yes that is the title. A double parody of both amateur dramatics and sci-fi, the play is hilarious in how layered the comedy was, with multiple levels of humour. This performance also came ploughman’s dinner beforehand, which I thought was a nice touch and made the fourth wall breaks more immersive and “in tune” with the style of the play.

The nature of the play also meant a fake programme was created with lots of funny notes such as “Tickets cost £1 each- a strip of 5 is a bargain at £6” and the fact that Mrs Reece is the only member of the behind the scenes crew. The basic plot has the fictional Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society putting together a really, really, really dreadful version of They Came From Mars. Hilarity ensues. [Read more…] about Review: They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in Time for the Townswomen’s Coffee Morning

Tags: acting, Chameleon Theatre, Chandler’s Ford community, comedy, drama, Hursley Road, review, Ritchie Memorial Hall

Fryern Funtasia 6th May 2019 in Chandler’s Ford

May 7, 2019 By Janet Williams 2 Comments

Once again I spent the May Bank Holiday at Fryern Funtasia yesterday – as I did every single year in the past few years.

I really love the traditional open-space event, where I met up with a few old friends there, and soaked up some local news (or gossips) from just walking about. [Read more…] about Fryern Funtasia 6th May 2019 in Chandler’s Ford

Review by Ben Williams: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

November 30, 2018 By Ben Williams Leave a Comment

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most iconic stories of all time. Centered on the miserable and rude Ebenezer Scrooge, the book – oh who am I kidding, everyone knows the story. There have been countless adaptations of the story and everything from The Muppets to Blackadder to Doctor Who have tackled it. [Read more…] about Review by Ben Williams: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

Tags: A Christmas Carol, acting, arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, Dovetail Centre, drama, entertainment, event, fiction, humour, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, social, theatre, Winchester Road

A Christmas Carol – The MDG Players – Review by Allison Symes

November 30, 2018 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is amongst my favourite stories, as I’m sure it is with many of you. It is ultimately a tale of redemption and also a cracking ghost story.

My favourite versions of it (and there have been many produced over the years) are The Muppet Christmas Carol (Michael Caine playing Scrooge) and the version starring Patrick Stewart. It is a question of getting Scrooge’s hardness of heart right without it spilling over into melodrama, something both knights of the realm did fantastically well. [Read more…] about A Christmas Carol – The MDG Players – Review by Allison Symes

Review by Hazel Bateman: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

November 23, 2018 By Hazel Bateman Leave a Comment

I enjoyed a very entertaining evening yesterday when I went to watch A Christmas Carol by the Chandler’s Ford MDG Players. It was held in the Dovetail Centre of the Methodist Church, and this venue facilitated an intimate theatre experience.

The production followed Charles Dickens’ famous story using acting, narration, carol singing and audience participation for the sound effects, which was great fun! The play was brilliantly adapted by James Reynard. [Read more…] about Review by Hazel Bateman: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

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Image Credits:-

Images kindly supplied by The Chameleon Theatre Group. Many thanks to them. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes. Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Two images from the Chandler’s Ford Today archives.

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Image Credit:-

A huge thank you as ever to The Chameleons for kind permission to use their photos. One image adapted in Book Brush using a Chameleon photo. One screenshot taken by me, Allison Symes, from the Chameleons’ website re their next production.

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

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Image Credits:-

Many thanks to the Chameleons for kind permission to use their photos. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos (and in one case my picture of the excellent programme!).

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Image Credit: Many thanks to The Chameleons for kind permission to use their pictures here. Photos of the programme taken by me, Allison Symes.

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Image Credit: A big thank you as ever to Stuart Wineberg and The Chameleons for the images.

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