I enjoy interviewing authors for Chandler’s Ford Today. I love finding out their top tips, how they work and what inspires them.
It was a joy then to meet local children’s author, Anne Wan, for tea, coffee and a chat at Bay Leaves Larder recently. Anne has a background in primary school teaching and her book Secrets of the Snow Globe: Vanishing Voices is now out (North Oak Press). [Read more…] about Writing Children’s Fiction – Anne Wan – Interview Part 1 by Allison Symes
I often drive along Hursley Road on a Friday evening and it seems that almost every week the Give Blood vehicles are parked outside St Boniface church – a blood donor session is underway.
Today (14 June) is World Blood Donor Day, so I thought I would write a little a bit what happens when you give blood – and highlight some of the improvements that have been made over the thirty-plus years that I’ve been a blood donor. [Read more…] about World Blood Donor Day
By Karen Stephen
Sshh – do you want to know a secret about Chandlers Ford? You may not be aware that last year, we were thrilled and proud to publish a collection of short stories called “Secret Lives of Chandlers Ford” . Together with my writing chums, Maggie, Catherine and Sally, we spent a year researching, writing and publishing our first anthology of short stories: “Secret Lives of Chandlers Ford”. We wanted to write stories that were locally set and derived from the happenings and history of this lovely area. We also wanted to reflect Chandlers Ford modern and diverse characteristics. [Read more…] about Sshhh – Do You Want to Know a Secret about Chandlers Ford?
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!
Following Janet’s post with Carl Maskelyne’s pictures of the “Flying Scotsman” locomotive, I thought I’d post this short video of it pulling a train out of Stirling the other day.
It’s a fine beast and my video clip, though a bit amateurish, builds the expectation nicely, giving brief glimpses of smoke in the trees, before it bursts into view in all its splendour. [Read more…] about The Flying Scotsman in Scotland
Just to let people know that the Twyford Waterworks Trust is having one of their interesting Open Days on Sunday, 4th June.
Information taken from their website:
Sunday 4th June 2017
Today we will be focusing on our industrial railway. [Read more…] about Twyford Waterworks Open Day: Sunday, 4th June 2017
Carl Maskelyne from Chandler’s Ford took these wonderful pictures of the Flying Scotsman when it came through Chandler’s Ford yesterday morning (Wednesday 31st May 2017).
These photos were taken at the new footbridge in Sutherland Way just down from Chandler’s Ford station (heading towards Flexford Road). There was around 50 people there and the Flying Scotsman came through at around 10:25am. [Read more…] about The Flying Scotsman in Chandler’s Ford
May 7th 1948:
In Kingsway the beautiful and unusual Adam Laburnum is just coming into flower. M. Adam, a French nurseryman in 1826 grafted a bud of Purple Laburnum on to a yellow. The hybrid tree produces three kinds of flowers, the yellow of one parent, purple of the other and the pink hybrid flowers. This is the most celebrated record of hybridization.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 17)
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”
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
By Caroline Tilley
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
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
On April 27th 1948:
An entomological friend of Barry’s came down from Bradford today to go with him for Scarlet Tiger caterpillars. He remarked upon the wealth of blossom on the flowering trees and shrubs down here and said that Spring in the south seemed a good three weeks in advance of Yorkshire… Nightingales were singing all along the banks of the river [Itchen] and a Grasshopper Warbler was also heard.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 16)
What does the average author, with a book “out there”, want from their readers? Well, we obviously want you to enjoy what we’ve written but what we would appreciate are reviews on blogs, certain famous online retailers, Goodreads and so on. Why?
Book reviews are a lifeline for writers. Reviews help spread the word about the book. Given every writer must be prepared to do their own publicity, (even the big publishers save their efforts and budgets for the blockbusting author, everyone else has to “hit the campaign trail” for themselves), reviews give a helping hand. [Read more…] about The Art of the Book Review by Allison Symes
I shared some news from The Central Precinct in the past before.
Today I took some photos from a few shop windows to keep you up to date with the changes in our local area. [Read more…] about Some Changes at The Central Precinct and Bournemouth Road in Chandler’s Ford
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
This is the time of year for festivals. After the self-imposed misery of Lent, it starts with Easter. When is Easter? Bishop’s secretaries throughout the land are kept busy answering that question.
Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or soonest after March 21st, the Spring Equinox. So now you know for all time. The earliest Easter Sunday will be on March 22nd but that will not happen until 2285 so you need not worry about it. The latest possible is April 25th and that will be in 2038. [Read more…] about Festivals
I saw A Comedy Trio by The Chameleon Theatre Group on 27th April 2017. Despite feeling miserable due to a heavy cold, (I am not the world’s best patient!), I am glad to say the production made me laugh and I went home feeling considerably better in spirit, at least, than when I arrived! Now there’s a review for you…
Many thanks, as ever, to Lionel Elliott for supplying CFT with the pictures. [Read more…] about Review – A Comedy Trio: Chameleon Theatre Company – Allison Symes
The Fryern Funtasia is a community event organised by local volunteers and businesses, with the support of the Chandler’s Ford Parish Council. The Fryern Funtasia has become one of the most popular local community events in recent years, and it is in its 6th year.
Today the event was officially opened by the Mayor of Eastleigh, Councillor Des Scott. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Fryern Funtasia 1 May 2017
By April 13th 1948 many summer migrant birds (Cuckoos, Wood Warblers, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers) have been recorded in the local woods, and Gran is ecstatic about her lovely England in Spring. The weather has been warm, she notes on the 12th:
In the Park Road garden this afternoon there was a positive plague of flies, swarming everywhere, the gutters and front of the house black with them in parts, and all warm places like the edges of the frames, water-tap, shed doors and the grid over the water-cock were thickly covered. D.D.T. did not seem to deter them for long.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 15)
