Community

Maressa Mortimer – Part 2 – Being An Indie Author

September 17, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Book covers and author pics were kindly supplied by Maressa Mortimer. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is lovely to welcome back Maressa Mortimer to Chandler’s Ford Today. This week, Maressa shares her thoughts on marketing (every writer has views on that!), and how she feels her writing has developed. She also discusses book tours and why she has used Facebook Live for her book launches. So with no further ado, over to Maressa.

Tags: am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, author newsletter, creative writing, Facebook Live, Maressa Mortimer, marketing, outlining, self publishing

Youth Hostelling then and now – part 2

September 11, 2021 By chippy minton 2 Comments

Remembering the fun I had had when staying in youth hostels in my younger days, I decided to introduce hostelling to my family.

We started with a couple of weekend trips, to Snowdonia and London respectively. And then for this year’s summer holiday – having found all usual self-catering facilities either fully-booked or astronomically expensive – I booked a six-bed room in a youth hotel at Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. This cost around £600 for the week (that was with a 10% member discount, and a further 5% discount for including someone under the age of 26 in the party). Now, where can you get views like this for that price? A hotel up the road was charging as much per night!

Tags: cycling, holiday, walking, youth hostel

Introducing Maressa Mortimer – Being an Indie Author – Part 1

September 10, 2021 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Image Credit:-

Many thanks to Maressa Mortimer for book cover pictures and author headshot photo.

Images for Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing kindly supplied by Wendy H Jones.

Most of the other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

One of the joys of the writing life is meeting other authors. I met Maressa Mortimer via the Association of Christian Writers.

Maressa, who is originally from The Netherlands, and I, as well as meeting at ACW events, regularly meet on her Zoom event held most weeks where ACW writers get together to chat. It can be very funny and at times therapeutic. There is nobody like another author who understands when you have had a rough week.

Likewise, those same authors will rejoice with you when things go well. What goes around comes around in writing circles. Most authors are supportive of each other’s efforts. We know it is not an easy thing to do. We know marketing and drafting the next work is tiring (and invigorating). You do need a shoulder to cry on sometimes (yet another reason to network well and develop friendships).

Tags: am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, creative writing, editing, fiction, Kindle Direct publishing, Maressa Mortimer, non-fiction, planning, self publishing, writing

Youth Hostelling then and now – part 1

September 8, 2021 By chippy minton 6 Comments

Many years ago, at the tender age of 12 or 13, my friend and I stood outside a youth hostel, slightly confused by the notice that said it didn’t open until 7. We’d thought it opened at 5. Soon the warden came outside to welcome us: “you don’t have to wait out here, boys, come on in”. We’d made the schoolboy error (well, we were schoolboys) of reading “1700 hrs” as “7.00 pm”!

This was our first trip to a youth hostel. We’d cycled, well, nearly twenty miles, to Greens Norton and this was a taster to see whether we could cope with a longer trip in the summer. [Read more…] about Youth Hostelling then and now – part 1

Tags: cycling, holiday, walking, youth hostel

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 174)

September 5, 2021 By Rick Goater 3 Comments

Rob wins a chess tournament; “nobody wants to go away with an old woman”; observations on a Rook; a last flower painting?; a lovely day; an outing with Ruth; a talk by Roy Lancaster; a memory of Italy; “life is difficult just now”, and the Mayor tells Gran she’s been busy.

March 2nd 1985 is not a pleasant day for Gran: there is some domestic conflict and she writes:

After an unpleasant morning of continual complaints, I spent the afternoon in my room, wishing to be alone in tranquil and quiet surroundings. I mostly read Arthur Marshall’s book. “Life’s Rich Pageant” and had a short nap. This evening more reading and listening to the radio and, later I stuck in today’s cutting about Julian.

The cutting is from The Daily Telegraph concerning Julian’s decision not to run in the National Cross Country Championships, owing to a heavy cold. But the following day, after the race is run, she is pleased to read in The Sunday Telgraph that the first eight home in yesterday’s National Cross Country have been chosen for the England team, “plus Julian Goater who has been so consistent always”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 174)

Tags: Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Today, family, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, history, Joan Adamson, Joan Adelaide Goater, Julian Goater, local interest, memory, nature, writing

Creativity Matters – Wendy H. Jones – A New Direction

September 3, 2021 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit:-

Book cover image and author picture kindly supplied by Wendy H. Jones.

Some images created in Book Brush by both Wendy H Jones and Allison Symes. Other images from Pixabay.

I am pleased and proud to be taking part in Wendy H Jones’ new book – Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing. This came out earlier this week (1st September 2021).

Naturally I’m talking about flash fiction and short story writing. It will be my first venture in non-fiction in print and I hope to do more of this in the future.

Feature Image – Creativity Matters – A New Direction

Tags: Allison Symes, co-operative writing, Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing, new venture, non-fiction, publishing, publishing other writers, Wendy H Jones, Why Write Flash Fiction and Short Stories

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 173)

August 29, 2021 By Rick Goater Leave a Comment

A Club Christmas dinner; “disgusting behaviour” by Connors; Christmas with the neighbours; a “superb boy soloist”; Adrian -remembered; bitter weather; radiotherapy for a fortnight; red and black Adders; along the River; a Tristan cardigan, and some antiques.

It is December 14th 1984, “My driver”, Gran writes:

… called for me at 10.15 this morning to take me to hospital again to have part of the spot cut out for analysis… the operation, under local anaesthetic, did not take too long and I was home by 12.20. I had taken ham rolls in case I was much later, but had one after soup at home. I am perfectly well and am to see Dr Charlewood on Wednesday or Thursday to have the stitches out.

Gran and some other Club members are picked up by coach in Kingsway for transporting to their Christmas dinner on the 15th, and Gran has clearly managed to produce the required floral table decorations, asked for at short notice. She writes:

… as I stood with the table decorations, a lady came and asked me if they were for sale, and another, who lives over the wine shop, and knows Ruth, said she had seen a copy of my “Te Deum”, [recently read out at one of her Club meetings] which Mrs Burton has and she wanted to know if she might read it to a prayer meeting to which she goes. I gave her permission…

Tags: Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Today, family, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, history, Joan Adamson, Joan Adelaide Goater, Julian Goater, local interest, memory, nature, writing

Swanwick 2021

August 27, 2021 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Image Credit: All but one of the Swanwick photos were taken by me, Allison Symes, though I have used Book Brush for captioning purposes. It is a useful tool. Many thanks to Fiona Park for using my phone to take the photo of me signing books. It is tricky to do that kind of photo yourself! Other images from Pixabay as usual.

It was wonderful to be back at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School recently. For the first time in its 70+ year history, it was cancelled last year due to You Know What. So getting back together again at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire was especially nice given I met friends I haven’t seen in person for two years.

There is something special about getting together with fellow creatives in person. Many of my Swanwick friends I keep in touch with via Facebook/Twitter and/or Zoom, which is something positive about social media. It has been a lifeline like that but when you get together in person, you do bounce ideas off each other, share useful tips and so on. There is something in the atmosphere which encourages this.

And it was my first train trip since before March 2020. Annoyingly Cross Country had taken off the direct service from Southampton Airport Parkway to Derby (the service runs on to Newcastle) so I had to go in to London Waterloo, across to St. Pancras, and then go up to Derby.

To be fair it only added another 40 minutes to my journey, which is not bad, but I do still feel it was odd to say the least to send people into the capital when it wasn’t necessary. I am hoping the direct service will be back next year.

My first trip on the train since December 2019 was to Swanwick Writers’ Summer School.

Swanwick – What happens?

The Swanwick Writers’ Summer School runs from a Saturday to the following Friday and comprises workshops, talks, guest speakers, specialist courses, and shorter ones over the space of those few days. The range of topics is incredible.

This year’s school covered flash fiction, poetry, historical fiction, social media, non-fiction submissions, world building (fantasy and science fiction), crowdfunding, book trailer production, creating suspense, writing compelling crime, competitions, writing for children, and the list goes on! I haven’t named half of what was on offer this year.

All meals (which are generous!) and accommodation is included and I pay a little extra to be on the coach that takes me to and from Swanwick from Derby Railway Station. Many of us meet up at Derby to enjoy coffee and a sandwich before heading off to the school. For us, Swanwick week starts there!

It always feels a little like coming home as you sweep into the front of The Hayes

The Hayes is a big country house with plenty of rooms now used for conferences and workshops

Yes, there is a sports field here and The Hayes provide equipment free of charge, Also nice view up to the main house

After a full day of workshops and courses, the evening entertainment consists of guest speakers who are experts in their field. One talk was from Tony Faber of Faber and Faber who talked about the history of the publishing firm. (Yes, he does have a book out on that topic. How did you guess?!). But it was fascinating to hear the history and especially about the links with T.S. Eliot.

On other nights, there are quizzes. One is a literary one and the other is a general knowledge quiz. I am part of a team known as the Prosecco Queens (no prizes for guessing why) and we ended up in medal position for both (one silver, the other bronze before you ask) so we can hold our heads up reasonably high.

Before Swanwick, there is a competition called Page to Stage where writers are encouraged to send in a script for a five minute play. These are judged anonymously by a professional theatre company and the best scripts go through for performance at Swanwick.

This year seven out of eighteen entries went through. At Swanwick itself, these plays are staged and volunteers are sought for acting, to direct, and of course the writers get to see their plays being performed. During the week the plays are then performed in the main hall in front of the other delegates and we the audience vote on the ones we like best. The winners are awarded a “Swannie”, which is literally a small trophy made to look like an Oscar but clearly isn’t! Trust me, these things are coveted….

Side Benefits

Swanwick has a Book Room where authors can put out their wares. Writers fill out a form listing the books we’re taking in for this ahead of the conference and at the end of the week, when we pick up any unsold books, we sign our unsold books out on that list. Payment is made via BACS after Swanwick.

I was thrilled to sell out on Tripping the Flash Fantastic and I only took three copies of From Light to Dark and Back Again back home with me. This was my best year at Swanwick for sales and my first live event since before lockdown.

Networking is the other big benefit. It was a joy to meet up with Linda W Payne, a fellow Bridge House Publishing/CafeLit and Chapeltown Books author especially. We usually meet at the annual Bridge House event in December and that too was cancelled last year. We have high hopes it won’t be this year.

But you also get to meet new authors, publishers, all kinds of people at Swanwick, and they tell you what they do and you tell them what you do. Nobody thinks it odd here that we sit at our desks and make things up all the time! Of course a lot of the networking takes place at another side benefit to Swanwick – the bar!

The grounds at The Hayes are wonderful to walk around (and the main time for this is after lunch and/or if you decide to not go to a workshop etc). The nice thing about Swanwick is you can pick and choose what you go to. Nobody worries if you decide you don’t like a course and then try the others out instead.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And, after Swanwick, you can download the notes from all of the courses, whether you went to them or not. I don’t know of any other writing event that does this. Most tend to let you download notes only from the ones you went to. And you do feel connected to the overall writing community in a way you simply can’t do when you’re sitting at home drafting a story or a blog post on your own.

The biggest problem most delegates have is when there is a clash of courses you’d like to go to on the same day. I don’t envy the Swanwick Committee for putting this together. There is no way of pleasing everybody but being able to download the notes later from the ones you couldn’t get to helps enormously here.

The Hayes is an old country house and it has its own Chapel. A daily service is held during Swanwick week (only for about 20 minutes) and I led a Lift Up Your Hearts session, as these services are known, on the Monday I was away. I shared my favourite parable, The Good Samaritan, and talked a little about how stories can be told in hymns. (Possibly another form of flash fiction going on here as all hymns are well under the 1000 word count limit for flash!). One lovely thing is here is that the names of Swanwickers who have passed on are specifically remembered at the services here. And Swanwick has its own war memorial too.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So there is a lot going on and a huge creative buzz but everything stops for afternoon tea which is fabulous but fattening!

Of course, you get a chance to try out workshops here on subjects that may interest but which you are not perhaps yet writing in and that is useful. I never started out as a flash fiction writer. Would I have gone to a course on it when I was starting out? Probably. Out of sheer curiosity to find out more.

The one thing I don’t join in with at Swanwick is the Fancy Dress Evening/disco. (I have two left feet when it comes to dancing. Trust me, I am being kind on everyone in sitting that out). On the Thursday afternoon, there is a Dregs Party out on the main lawn and, later in the evening, a formal Swanwick Farewell in the main conference hall.

Delighted to sign copies of these during Swanwick week

There are a couple of mini competitions during the week so prizes are awarded for the winners at the Farewell. It is also when the Swannies are given out for Page to Stage and I was delighted a friend, Penny Blackburn, won Best Drama for her five minute short play. I didn’t win the flash fiction competition but another friend, Fiona Park, did. Fiona also took this fabulous picture of me happily signing copies of Tripping the Flash Fantastic – I have the feeling I will be using this picture again in marketing efforts!

Many thanks to Fiona Park for taking this author pic of me on my phone – always tricky to do this yourself

Conclusion

I had a fabulous time at Swanwick as you will have gathered from the above. The Hayes, for the first time, created packed lunches for people to take outside when the weather improved and that was a great idea which went down very well. Prior to that, you could have had three cooked meals a day there!

There were plenty of sanitisers all over the place and people were pretty sensible about distancing when possible, masking in enclosed spaces and so on. There was plenty of ventilation in our rooms and in the conference rooms. (We all carried out lateral flow tests before going and I carried out another on my arrival home on the Friday. Both negative I am glad to say).

What is wonderful is there was a sense of normality coming back, something everyone picked up on and appreciated, I feel. Now for more author events, please, live and on Zoom. I hope to share more news later on in the year as I have a couple of things coming up.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Oh and you may well know The Hayes for something else. It is the setting for the book and film, based on true events, of The One Who Got Away. Yes, The Hayes did see the only German prisoner of war escape Britain. Oberleutnant Franz von Werra escaped from their marvellous grounds during World War Two. On previous visits to Swanwick, you could go and see the remains of the tunnel he escaped from (and it is tiny, even by my standards and I don’t even make it to 5’ tall!).

Will I be back at Swanwick next year? Let’s just say I can’t wait for the booking slots to re-open!

Andy’s Story – Part 2 – Stories from Beechcroft

August 23, 2021 By Andy Vining 5 Comments

Hello again, thank you for all the lovely compliments I received for my first Chapter.

This is not Chapter 2 as promised but more Part 1: Andy’s Story – Part 1: Early Years, Hiltonbury Farm, and… My Old Morris as I have just returned from a visit to Devon where my older sisters Jennifer and Janet live and in conversations with them I have more to add to part 1.

My sisters’ memories about our Grandparents

My Father’s Mother died quite young. Jennifer thinks she died in the Sanatorium, a TB hospital in Chandler’s Ford just off Cuckoo Bushes Lane. It has been knocked down and the area is all houses now.

My Father’s Father was the gardener at Hiltonbury and my Father’s mother married him and it was terrible to marry beneath her. It seems that all the family except her Brother George Beattie disowned her but Uncle George was very kind to her.

Uncle George was the Farmer at Hiltonbury, who took my Father in after both my Father’s parents died and brought him up as his own son, sending him to Peter Symonds School in Winchester.

What an achievement! Cycling 15 miles a day for school.

Father used to ride there every day on his bike all the way from Chandler’s Ford to school, and that’s about seven and a half miles. I agreed there was no traffic in those days but all the same fifteen miles a day and the roads were not up to much either.

I presume he would cycle up Hursley Road to The Pound, go right through Hursley, past his Cousin’s Norman Coopers place – North End Farm, and along through Standon to Winchester, then Chilbolton Avenue to Bereweeke Road and so to College.

What an achievement, rain and shine, hot and cold, along, not roads as we know them today but probably tracks some of the way. Amazing. You would not get the youth of today doing that. It’s even a long way to go in a car, probably take as long today with all the traffic as well!

Now back to Cantley in Wokingham where I was born, there are a couple of fuzzy photographs of me in a pram and sitting on the lawn having something to eat, also a photograph of Mr Watson who was the owner of the farm where my Father was the bailiff / manager.

Me aged 2 - Andy Vining — Me aged 2 – Andy Vining

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, community, culture, education, family, Hiltonbury Farmhouse, history, local businesses, local interest, memory, storytelling, writing

Part 2 – The Joys and Perils of Writing Humour – Fran Hill and Ruth Leigh

August 20, 2021 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Fran Hill and Ruth Leigh for supplying author images and book cover photos. Also thanks to Ruth Leigh for sharing pictures of her garden (her character Isabella M Smugge would never let weeds be amongst the flowers! Just as well Isabella hasn’t seen my garden – she’d have a fit).

Other images are from Pixabay or from Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

I am delighted to welcome back to Chandler’s Ford Today Fran Hill and Ruth Leigh to continue their interview about writing humour.

Fran writes memoir. Her first book, Being Miss, was followed up by the wonderfully titled Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?, which is my favourite title for 2020.

Ruth has written a marvellously funny and moving diary in The Diary of Isabella M Smugge and is working on its sequel.

Ruth Leigh. Image kindly supplied by her

So back to our conversation on writing humour…

Tags: creative writing. am writing, fiction, Fran Hill, memoir, Miss What Does Incomprehensible Mean?, Ruth Leigh, The Diary of Isabella M Smugge, writing humour

Paperback Writers

August 13, 2021 By Robbie Sprague 11 Comments

Did you know that the Beatles have 229 songs to their name? The Fab Four have each contributed brilliant songs to this total but Lennon and McCartney were the most prolific.

The Beatles Image by Maxpinsoo from Pixabay

Yesterday, we heard from our neighbours, who were visiting Liverpool, that they were drinking in the Cavern Club, birth place of the Beatles. It gave me the idea of writing a short story using the titles of some of those famous hits. It took fifteen minutes and I had a little help from my friend, my wife Jill. It’s not going to be a Booker Prizewinner but it contains 29 Beatles song titles (plus one repeat) and it goes like this: [Read more…] about Paperback Writers

Tags: creative writing, culture, humour, music, storytelling, writing

The Joys and Perils of Writing Humour Part 1 – Fran Hill and Ruth Leigh

August 13, 2021 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

I’m pleased to welcome back to Chandler’s Ford Today two of the funniest writers I know – Fran Hill and Ruth Leigh.

Fran’s second book, Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?, ought to get some kind of award for most amusing title. The book (which is a memoir of life in the classroom) is both funny and moving.

Ruth has created a fabulous character in Isabella M Smugge (to rhyme with Bruge) in her debut novel, The Diary of Isabella M Smugge. Think Hyacinth Bucket deciding to write her own diary a la Adrian Mole. Great combination of ideas there. And Isabella’s exploits, while often laugh out loud funny, are also moving.

Tags: Being Miss, creative writing, diary, fiction, Fran Hill, humorous writing, memoir, Miss What Does Incomprehensible Mean?, Ruth Leigh, The Diary of Isabella M Smugge, writing tips

Our River, the Monks Brook

August 12, 2021 By Christine Clark 8 Comments

We have two beautiful rivers in south Hampshire, the Test and the Itchen. Both chalk streams, in their upper reaches these are noted for their water quality. In fact, due to the chalk aquafer on the Itchen, which has excellent storage and filtration, we get our water supply from this river.

But here in Chandler’s Ford we know of another, less well-known river, the Monks Brook. ‘Fordians see it popping up here and there, through Hiltingbury Lakes, at the bottom of people’s gardens, under roads: sometimes pretty as in Flexford Reserve, sometimes business-like as it rushes down a manmade culvert under Hursley Road.

Tags: Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, local history, local interest, Monks Brook, nature, news, walks

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 172)

August 8, 2021 By Rick Goater 7 Comments

Pacified by stamps; transport to Church – briefly; Lou Meadon is 89; Jane – “back in the bushes” after some successful golf; in demand for flower arranging; Granny Pickford is 98; Barbara Hillier’s book – published; grave news of Tommy; whist drives – surprisingly stressful; an uplifting “God bless you”; the Kingston girls do well, and an appointment at the “South Hants”.

Book 215

At home at The Ridge on September 29th 1984, Gran does not hear the early arrival of the postman and coming downstairs finds:

… there was a Post Office card on the mat, saying that it had not been possible to deliver a registered package and it must be signed for and collected from the Post Office in Eastleigh. So I had to go there this morning but I was pacified when I found that it was stamps and coloured postcards from Tristan da Cunha. The stamps were featuring the constellations in “the night sky at Tristan da Cunha” and, as always, are very attractive. Also mentioned in the bulletin was the cottage craft of knitting garments from native Tristan wool, and those collecting the stamps are offered the chance of purchasing them. I have ordered a cardigan but it will be months before it comes. There was a Speckled Wood flying about in the sunshine…

The Tristan stamps, franked and un-franked – “as always, very attractive”.

Gran has not forgotten the presumed theft of her painting of an Early Spider Orchid while it was on show a few years ago, but she still remains pleased to be able to exhibit some of her work in order to raise money. On October 2nd:

In the Parish Magazine (Compton) today there was an appeal for funds for urgent repairs to the 800 year old Church, so I phoned Mr Ovenden to ask if he thought enough parishioners would be interested in seeing my paintings. I explained there would be some difficulty as, since one was stolen when I lent them out some time ago, Barry has said they must not go out of the house. Mr Ovenden thought it a splendid idea and he agreed to give some thought to it. He is going to pick me up or arrange for someone else to, for the Family Service in Church at 10 a.m. on Sunday and once monthly in future. I shall feel better if I can go.

And a few days later:

… Mr and Mrs Paris, from Shawford, kindly called and said they would gladly call for me at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning to take me to Church and bring me home again. Mr Paris has recently retired from the Solicitors Paris, Smith and Randal, who looked after Aunt Em’s affairs. A very nice couple indeed..

In the “Echo” was a picture of Lou [Meadon], unrecognisable at 89 and dressed in an embroidered blouse and now living at Fleming House Home. After having known her always in a black costume and hat, summer and winter, she now looked to be another person. I wrote to Barry and Jane Elizabeth and sent this cutting…

Lou Meadon – seemingly known to everybody and well-remembered in Chandler’s Ford. Image courtesy of Eastleigh History.

Tags: Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Today, family, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, history, Joan Adamson, Joan Adelaide Goater, Julian Goater, local interest, memory, nature, writing

Welcome Back, Chameleons

August 7, 2021 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Image Credit: A huge thank you to The Chameleons for the pictures. I took the screenshots of the programme and the Chameleon Facebook page. (Do check that out – see the link!).

It was a joy to finally return to Ritchie Hall to watch The Chameleon Theatre Group take to the stage for the first time since the pandemic “broke” in March 2020. It has been a long year without you all.

(Though it was a pleasure to share posts here during lockdown – The Chameleons Say Hello. See the Related Posts section at the end of this for links to these and also for when my last review of a Chameleon production was – ages ago, basically).

Tags: amateur theatre, Bombshells, local theatre, Lockdown in Little Grimley, plays, Ritchie Hall, The Chameleon Theatre Group

Confusing signs

August 7, 2021 By chippy minton 4 Comments

Signs are provided to inform, warn, and direct. Road signs are designed so that drivers can read and understand them in no longer than four seconds. Most of the time, the sign writers get it right. But there are a few that leave you scratching you head in bewilderment.

Here are a few puzzling ones that I have seen recently.

At first sight, this one look fine. It’s pointing to the Stoneham Lane Football Complex, isn’t it?

[Read more…] about Confusing signs

No tags for this post.

Andy’s Story – Part 1: Early Years, Hiltonbury Farm, and… My Old Morris

August 6, 2021 By Andy Vining 10 Comments

Having been asked to write some articles for Chandler’s Ford Today I thought for ages where to start and what to tell.

My Mother and Father had got married in around 1938 and my sister Jennifer was born on the 6th of Feb 1939, followed in 1941 by Janet, then the son that they craved (or so I was informed) dutifully arrived on 6th April 1943. I am told there were air raids while in the nursing home and I was shoved under the bed in a basket a number of times it seems.

Mum and Dad's wedding Circa 1938 (Photo by Andy Vining) — Mum and Dad’s wedding Circa 1938 (Photo by Andy Vining)

Not that I am into the stars but it reports that people who are born on the 6th of April in 1943 have an astrological sign of Aries ♈. Aries’ life pursuit is the thrill of the moment and a secret desire to lead the way for others. People of this zodiac sign like taking on leadership roles, physical challenges, individual sports and dislike inactivity, delays, and work that does not use one’s talents. The strengths of this sign are: courageous, determined, confident, enthusiastic, optimistic, honest, passionate. OK on most of that but not so sure about the physical challenges bit!! [Read more…] about Andy’s Story – Part 1: Early Years, Hiltonbury Farm, and… My Old Morris

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, community, culture, education, family, Hiltonbury Farmhouse, history, local businesses, local interest, memory, storytelling, writing

The litter problem

August 3, 2021 By chippy minton 8 Comments

Britain has a problem with litter. Despite several decades of “keep Britain tidy”, it seems that you can’t go anywhere without coming across discarded food wrappers and drinks bottles.

[Read more…] about The litter problem

Tags: clean streets, litter, volunteering, walking

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 171)

August 1, 2021 By Rick Goater 4 Comments

The highs and lows of being a Gran; Lady Wimbledon Champions; a Club holiday in Buxton; Prince Andrew -“a serious young man”; worries about Geoff; 80th birthday celebrations; a rapt silence as Gran reads; recollections passed to the Hilliers; good and bad behaviour at the Olympics; another Royal Prince is born, and a pleasant surprise at the VG.

Book 213

June 23rd 1984 Gran calls “A day of extreme emotions, starting most pleasurably and ending in great disappointment.”

Barry phoned and the Family has been making great efforts for my eightieth birthday celebrations and they can all manage the Monday 23rd July, the day after (except Andrew, who will be in Norway), and Julian and Sue want it at their house, Sue specially wanting to do the catering. Barry and Jane go to France at 6 o’clock the next morning and will stay at Farnham on the Monday night and no-one will actually be here on my birthday. That will not matter…

… but it was athletics that caused my heartache and disappointment. Julian did run, but the 10,000 metres started late and only the early laps were shown and the introducer said the result would be given on the News at 5.55. I became more and more nervous and was shattered when it was announced that Julian again ran third and did not qualify for the Olympic Games. This is the second time he has missed out… I watched Val Doonigan’s [sic] show without my usual enthusiasm and enjoyment and have retired sick at heart for Julian.

Gran was an avid watcher of Val Doonican on television, though she never spelled his name correctly. She preferred him to most of his guests. Image courtesy of Alwyn Ladell via Flickr.

Tags: Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Today, family, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, history, Joan Adamson, Joan Adelaide Goater, Julian Goater, local interest, memory, nature, writing

parkrun is back

July 31, 2021 By chippy minton Leave a Comment

And it’s back! After 70 long weeks of suspension, parkrun finally returned to England last weekend (24th July).

Almost 250 runners assembled at Fleming Park, both this week and last, plus about 40 volunteers to make sure the event ran smoothly and everyone stayed safe. This week’s participants included twenty brand new parkrunners, plus another nineteen who had never run at Eastleigh before. [Read more…] about parkrun is back

Tags: Eastleigh parkrun, Fleming Park, running

« Previous Page

Community

Youth Hostelling then and now – part 2

Introducing Maressa Mortimer – Being an Indie Author – Part 1

Youth Hostelling then and now – part 1

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 174)

Rob wins a chess tournament; “nobody wants to go away with an old woman”; observations on a Rook; a last flower painting?; a lovely day; an outing with Ruth; a talk by Roy Lancaster; a memory of Italy; “life is difficult just now”, and the Mayor tells Gran she’s been busy.

Creativity Matters – Wendy H. Jones – A New Direction

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 173)

A Club Christmas dinner; “disgusting behaviour” by Connors; Christmas with the neighbours; a “superb boy soloist”; Adrian -remembered; bitter weather; radiotherapy for a fortnight; red and black Adders; along the River; a Tristan cardigan, and some antiques.