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Saved from Drowning

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It is not on every holiday that you find yourself involved in the rescue of a drowning man.

Our son, who lives in Chandler’s Ford, was enjoying a holiday at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight.  Relaxing after day visiting nearby children’s attractions with his four-year-old daughter, he heard cries for help.  From his flat overlooking the sea he could see a man in deep water out beyond the breakwater waving, calling for help and in distress.  Already another man was swimming towards him with the life buoy which was provided nearby. [Read more…] about Saved from Drowning

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Chinook

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Every infantry man in a combat zone loves to hear a Chinook. Wop, wop, wop, you can hear the characteristic sound, you know what it is but you can’t see it. The twin rotor helicopter is coming in at 160 mph with 10 tons of stores and ammunition or re-enforcements. Once it lands, it will be there for 60 seconds, there will be no departure delays, no last calls for passengers, no check in queues. What isn’t taken off or loaded within the time is left where it is. [Read more…] about Chinook

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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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The Vinings Invade Hiltonbury Farmhouse!

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On Monday morning 5th June 2017, I, along with my wife Val, my sister, Heather Witham (Nee Vining), my brother Simon Vining and his son Bob Vining met with Rob Preston to see what progress had been made in the refurbishments of Hiltonbury Farmhouse since I was last there a couple of weeks ago.

It is certainly a “Proper” Building site now as it was a requirement for all of us to sign the visitors book and that we all wore high viz jackets and proper boots or to use the technical term we all had to wear “PPE” Personal Protective Equipment. [Read more…] about The Vinings Invade Hiltonbury Farmhouse!

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A Special Visit to “Hiltonbury Farmhouse”

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On 22nd May I went to my old home Hiltonbury Farmhouse to meet Rob Preston the new tenant who is planning to open this wonderful old Farmhouse as a restaurant in early July this year.

Rob is a great entrepreneur who has been in and around the wine and drinks industry all his working life but always wanted to work on “The other side of the bar” as he put it and open a family restaurant setting a high standard for good food and excellent service. [Read more…] about A Special Visit to “Hiltonbury Farmhouse”

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Exclusive – Chandler’s Ford man found in Pyrenees

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José Ascaso had been riding his chestnut mare most of the day and was beginning to feel tired. Together, they had made good progress deep into the Pyrenean valley alongside Rio Ara. His plan was to spend the night in Broto, a small mountain town, and ride on into Ordesa Gorge the next day. The valley had become steep and narrow with the mountains rising to 6000 feet on both sides. He hoped to spot the Lammergeier, it is known to fly in the gorge. It is a large vulture with a wingspan of almost 3 metres and weighing up to 7 Kg. It feeds on bone after the other vultures have taken the flesh of dead animals. [Read more…] about Exclusive – Chandler’s Ford man found in Pyrenees

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The Hutments: Could You Help Find Old Neighbours in Chandler’s Ford?

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Editor’s note: This post was sent to Chandler’s Ford Today by Liz Stothard (re: Dee). She grew up at the Hutments.

Could someone help Liz find out some links about her past in Chandler’s Ford please? Below is her article.

By Liz Stothard (re: Dee):

I was born in Winchester 1950 lived at the Hutments. And also I see from looking that my late Father is mentioned…he worked for Vickers and then ATC! [Read more…] about The Hutments: Could You Help Find Old Neighbours in Chandler’s Ford?

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Introducing Guy Stauber – Marvel at Sir Bevis Comic

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One of the great joys of writing for Chandler’s Ford Today (and in reading it too) continues to be the wide variety of topics it covers. It’s only due to CFT that I found out about the Road to Agincourt Project and, due to my love of history, started writing about it.

I’ve particularly liked The Story Shuffle Project and the Sir Bevis of Hampton posts as the first is a phenomenally good idea to get kids involved in creative writing and a local legend. The second post was, of course, all about that local legend. [Read more…] about Introducing Guy Stauber – Marvel at Sir Bevis Comic

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A Staircase for Sale

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The house of my childhood has been demolished. I am told that the staircase, complete, is for sale. It is solid teak, of excellent quality, impervious to termites. Someone said that one of us should buy it.

Buy a staircase? The million times I ran up and down those stairs, chased by my brothers and sisters, running up to complain to father, running down for dinner. If I buy that staircase, with its brass fixtures and its knurled banisters, will I hear father coming down in his wooden clogs? See the emerald green of his eyes? Will my mother give me refuge from the persecuting siblings? Will I hear the gentle shuffle of her feet? [Read more…] about A Staircase for Sale

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Experiments with Spirituality

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My first son was born in Delhi in 1987. Two months after his birth, like Prince Siddhartha Gautama of Lumbini, I kissed my sleeping wife and son and travelled to Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. I didn’t know then that I would return there 22 years later. But that is another story, to be written when I have the mental fortitude to narrate it.

For now, let me tell you about my spiritual quest and how unlike Prince Siddhartha, I failed to become the Buddha or the enlightened. [Read more…] about Experiments with Spirituality

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Give a Girl Some Graphite

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For a pre-Christmas treat I took my wife on a special trip. She dressed beautifully in mainly white with her large sunhat and a pair of gold lame shoes. I like to give a girl a good time and I had heard of this place up in the hills near Kurunegalla in the centre of Sri Lanka. Not many girls get a chance to visit there.

We drove up a narrow lane through an attractive area of jungle to a small settlement with a couple of bungalows and installations of mining equipment. [Read more…] about Give a Girl Some Graphite

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What I Like (and Dislike) about Christmas

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I love Christmas, most of it anyway. I would love to see more goodwill being shown by the Christmas shopping crowds as we all try to buy presents and so on but that’s another story.

Being a Christian, the Christmas story and services have special resonance of course, though I know all would welcome the idea of goodwill to all men being practised by ourselves at all times of year (despite mankind failing on this count miserably so often, just look at the news for the proof, but the goodwill idea is a sound one and we shouldn’t give up on it. I don’t think it’s been given a long enough trial period!). [Read more…] about What I Like (and Dislike) about Christmas

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Room 235

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What is special about this card key that occupies a prominent place in my museum of memories? The story may amuse you, but to me it is just one episode from a long list reinforcing my lifelong suspicion that I am the unsuspecting protagonist in a never-ending series of candid camera.

I was in South Tyneside College to attend a course on high voltage electric propulsion, in connection with an investigation. I had rung ahead to a nice hotel located by the sea and asked for a room with a sea view, but when I checked in, was told that all the rooms with sea views were taken. Nothing new there; I rarely got a hotel room with a view. [Read more…] about Room 235

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Local Author News: Richard Hardie

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Christmas is, for authors and publishers, the most important time of the year for selling books and is a major lifeline for our bookshops.

With so few independent bookshops around now, it is nice to be able to share news of one that is not only continuing to do well but is also stocking local author Richard Hardie’s Young Adult novels, Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords.
[Read more…] about Local Author News: Richard Hardie

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Chandler’s Ford Local History: Purkess Close, off Brownhill Road

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This photograph was taken in 1949 of my Grandad’s brother, Sid. It is outside 25 Purkess Close, off Brownhill Road in Chandler’s Ford.

My Nan and Grandad (Ivy and Charles Kenchington) bought the bungalow in 1936 for approx £400! I have very happy memories of playing at their house, which was white with blue guttering and paintwork. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Local History: Purkess Close, off Brownhill Road

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As Others See Us – Brexit Britain

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I spoke with a Sri Lankan Professor called Sunil about who are the Sri Lankans. The guide books say there are Sinhala, Tamils, Burghers, Moors and Veddah. How do you tell which are which? I asked.

“Did you expect Britain to vote for Brexit?” He asked. “And did you expect Donald Trump to be elected President of USA?” I told him “No” on both counts. ” [Read more…] about As Others See Us – Brexit Britain

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British Etiquette: a Survivor’s Guide

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Someone intending to visit the UK for the first time asked me for some tips on British etiquette. This is what I came up with.

Dear Raj,

Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet once wrote A Man’s a Man for a’ That. My advice to you therefore is – be yourself and you will be fine. However, since you ask, I will jot down some thoughts accumulated over a quarter of a century on this island. [Read more…] about British Etiquette: a Survivor’s Guide

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Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip

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I have just returned from a trip of a lifetime – a visit to an Emperor Penguin colony on the frozen Weddell Sea within the Antarctica Continent.

Yes it was a bit of a hike to get there. It took me a couple of days to travel to the gathering point in Punta Arenas, Chile. [Read more…] about Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip

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Roger Clark’s Quest to Antarctica to Photograph the Right Penguins

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We don’t normally see the name ‘Chandler’s Ford’ being mentioned in the national news (ok, the HSBC armed robbery on Bournemouth Road in September 2007 was an exception: “Two armed robbers were shot dead by police”).

However today, ‘Chandler’s Ford’ is mentioned all over the media, from The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Mirror…, and on the BBC radio programme. [Read more…] about Roger Clark’s Quest to Antarctica to Photograph the Right Penguins

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