Christmas is almost here. This afternoon BBC Radio Solent was recording the annual Christmas carol concert at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church. This festive event was hosted by Tim Daykin, and it also featured the Otterbourne Brass Band.
The church was packed with 400 people this afternoon. Were you one of the 400 people there as well? If so, please kindly share your experience with us. [Read more…] about BBC Radio Solent: Christmas Carol Concert at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church
(Sorry for being one day late this week of this popular Saturday Guessing Game series. It takes a lot of time to obtain photos from various sources, while also trying to untangle Christmas lights, get a friend to jump start our car – thank you chippy minton for your help, and send out Christmas cards that sort of thing. We hope you enjoy the photos today.)
Our loyal reader Mary Peterson sent us these images which she took in September 1984. Thank you Mary for these great photos. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Saturday Guessing Game (21)
On August 20th 1955, Gran plays tennis in the heat in Eastleigh and enjoys an evening at home listening to a Promenade Concert with much music by Gilbert and Sullivan, which she loves. She records that:
At the end of the concert, after Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant Overture”, which was encored, Sir Malcolm was presented with a Peter Scott bird picture in recognition of his sixtieth birthday in April and his work for the Promenade Concerts, by a representative of all Promenaders, both at the concert in person, and listening in at home. Unfortunately we did not hear Sir Malcolm’s response.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 73)
There are many ways to raise money for charity and often people will do something extraordinary like bungee jumping or having a parachute jump etc (though it is not a good idea to try the pair of these at the same time!). All kudos to those who are brave enough to have a go but this kind of thing is definitely not for me.
The idea of writing a book for charity is much more up my street and this is what Barbara Large, MBE, has done recently. Barbara was the founder of the Winchester Writers’ Festival (formerly the Winchester Writing Conference), which is one of the major writing conferences in the country. Barbara has also run creative writing classes, including at the Dovetail Centre. [Read more…] about Scrumptious Cooking, Charity, and Barbara Large
This article is written by David Gurr, of St Francis Church, on behalf of Chandler’s Ford Churches Together (CFCT). You can find Church Services in Chandler’s Ford for Christmas 2018 on the CFCT page.
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As Christmas approaches there is often a debate in our communities about the place of religion and faith amidst all the presents and feasting. Central stage for Christians is the birth of Jesus into a family with Mary and Joseph. Also central stage is the conversation piece of “are the family coming for Christmas?” or “are you going to the family?” [Read more…] about Christmas – A Time for Families?
Gran’s dislike of television seems to have been overcome, and the watching of it more or less normal by July 1st 1955, the word itself no longer qualifying for a capital “T”:
I spent this afternoon glued to the next-door television and saw Tony Trabert of America, win the Men’s singles at Wimbledon from Kurt Nielsen of Denmark… I saw the gold cup presented to the winner by the Duchess of Kent and there was much fun and laughter between the victor and the vanquished which was good to see.
An encouraging and pleasing result of play in the semi-finals of the Women’s doubles is the fact that there will be an All-British final tomorrow – the first since 1936!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 72)
In today’s guessing game, we are asking you to identify
1 – a bus and its surrounding area
2 – an upcoming event in Chandler’s Ford
3 – a local business in Chandler’s Ford [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Saturday Guessing Game (20)
At 11 in the morning of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the guns fell silent on the fronts of the world at war. Turn your minds to that event and write a strict 500 words to catch the moment. [Read more…] about Armistice
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
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
What did Jesus look like? You know, don’t you? He has long, straight hair, a full beard, wears sandals and Arabic robes, he never smiles.
In Europe, he is depicted with fair skin and hair. What did he really look like? There are no clues from the Bible. [Read more…] about What did Jesus Look Like?
News from Mr Roseweir on June 4th 1955, is that V.S. Summerhayes, the Orchid specialist from Kew, plans to visit the area the following day. Gran, with Brother and Fin make their way to Steven’s Castle Down, in the east of the County, in order to check on the condition of the orchids he plans to investigate there. Stopping on their way, to check the Farley Mount area also, she notes:
We turned left at the Farley – Sparsholt fork, past what used to be the vast rookery, but today I hardly recognised it, for all the fine old beech trees have been felled and there is now a wide-open space. If it was cleared in the hope of destroying the rookery, the result must be disappointing, for the Rooks are now occupying a line of Pine trees beside the road, only a few yards away!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 71)
The photos in the past two weeks focused on Hursley Road. Today’s photos are slightly different.
Clue: Letters [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Saturday Guessing Game (19)
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
In the second week of May 1955, Gran visits Salisbury with her friend Joan Sheppard, to see an exhibition of floral art at the Guildhall there. She fully describes, in particular, those exhibits that she finds most attractive, noting that there is only one male contributor – Gordon Clarke from Dorchester – and whose work was “truly sensational”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 70)
Today we continue to share a few precious images collected by Andy Vining’s family. Andy’s family farmed the North and South Millers Dale and surrounding areas for over 100 years, living in Hiltonbury Farmhouse until 1976.
These images may not be very clear, but we hope you get a sense of what the area was like in those days. We hope these inspire your memories and you can share what you remember with us. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Saturday Guessing Game (18)
I don’t know about you but time management is one of those things I always seek to get better at, given there is plenty I’d like to do (especially in writing) but there are still only 24 hours in any one day!
I like my lists, my calendar has plenty of notes scribbled all over it, and by the end of the week, I’ve usually achieved a reasonable amount of what I set out to do. I’ve learned to carve up bigger tasks (like editing my novel) into smaller chunks and accept there are simply some tasks that can’t be done all at once, no matter how much I’d like to do so! [Read more…] about Time Management and Time Travel
As the government is in Brexit turmoil (‘near Civil War’, according to the BBC), we’re bringing you some stability here from Chandler’s Ford for a change.
The annual Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities Christmas Market brings the sort of stability, unity, and friendship that we all need at times of crisis. Last weekend I went to the market, as I had done so for many years, and felt warmth, joy, and a genuine sense of hope for the future. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities 45th Christmas Market 2018
I walked past Chandler’s Ford war memorial this morning and saw this wreath:
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford War Memorial – In Loving Memory of William Joseph Tosdevine
There was a rainbow in the morning and the rain stopped for the Remembrance parade and services.
At the Chandler’s Ford war memorial, a crowd of hundreds – from veterans to youth groups, families, and people of different ethnic groups – all gathered to pay their respects.
Hursley Road looked like this in 1918 (peace day celebration), and 1989. [Read more…] about Remembrance Sunday in Chandler’s Ford 2018
