It is worth saying how different commentating on powerboat racing was then to how it is nowadays.
As the boat [competitor] of a personality raced past, the commentator would show a degree of deference. [Read more…] about Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: the Joy of Powerboat Race and Cycling (Part 12)
You may have noticed that Britain’s Got Talent is back on our screens.
I’ll admit to having an ambivalent attitude to the programme. It’s not something I go out of my way to watch but when I do I find it generally entertaining. [Read more…] about Not Britain’s Got Talent
Music. Food. Ponies. Dogs. Games. Stalls. Friends. Queen.
Fryern Funtasia this afternoon on the Fryern Recreation Ground was enjoyable.
It’s the 5th Fryern Funtasia event in Chandler’s Ford. The Fryern Funtasia is a community event organised by local volunteers and businesses, with the help of the Chandler’s Ford Parish Council. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Fryern Funtasia 2016
World Book Night is on 23rd April each year, this being the date of William Shakespeare’s birth and his death.
World Book Night also links to the day of the death of Cervantes (author of Don Quixote), Spain’s literary hero, St. George’s Day and UNESCO’s Day of the Book (which I think is a fantastic title). [Read more…] about World Book Night 2016 and the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare
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I have a note in my diary for Thursday 5th May 2016 indicating that is Ascension Day.
This day easily goes without noticing, in fact many diaries don’t even recall it. It’s not one of those major events in the Christian calendar like Christmas or Easter, however it is worth just considering what this day signifies.
Let’s just go back a couple of thousand years. [Read more…] about Mission Impossible Accomplished
This post is about Chandler’s Ford St. George’s Day Parade last Sunday (24th April 2016).
The parade was led by “The Spitfires” – the brilliant 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford St. George’s Day Parade 2016
The 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band (better known as The Spitfires) returned to Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church last weekend for a St George’s Day concert in aid of One Community.
As we have come to expect from a band of such high calibre, the concert showcased the musician’s skills and wide repertoire. We were also treated to a display by the band’s Corps of Drums, who had been busy with other scouting activities at the October concert.
[Read more…] about Review: The 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band St. George’s Day Concert 2016
This morning there were a few surprises at the local Handmade Craft Market at Chandler’s Ford Age Concern Centre.
It was a delight to meet a popular local non-fiction and military writer Penny Legg, based in Southampton. [Read more…] about Not Just Crafts: Chandler’s Ford Craft Market – Crafters, Author, Cartoonist
We were fortunate to pick two sunny days for a trip to the Isle of Wight.
During the trip down Southampton water we saw the Ovation of the Seas, a new 168,000 ton diesel-electric driven cruise liner She is undergoing inauguration event prior to her maiden cruise to China. She will operate between china and Australia. [Read more…] about Walk on the Isle of Wight
Update: 12th April 2016: The Central Precinct of Chandler’s Ford has now put up a new signboard, after receiving feedback from this post below, which was first published on 26th March 2016. [Read more…] about The Central Precinct – Old and New
Given I love history, it was a pleasure to write about the Road to Agincourt project, including the bringing to life via a play of Sir Bevis of Hampton, the legend associated with Southampton.
This post brings news of a new woodland trail, a medieval weekend festival, and interactive wearable map which tie in with the Agincourt project. [Read more…] about History: News from Agincourt
When you are at your most vulnerable, you need all the help you can get. Do you get it? No. I live in a house full of women and I am well looked after in the most part but these girls turn the bathroom into a minefield.
There you are, in the shower, naked, enveloped in steam, water streaming into your eyes. You need shampoo. Your groping hand soon knocks several plastic bottles down into the shower pan. [Read more…] about Always Read the Label
Now for Part 2 of my 50 things to like about the Chandler’s Ford area.
It is a family tradition to have a takeaway and watch a movie on a Friday night. We visit David’s Fish Bar (who regularly offer fish and chip suppers as prizes for various charities raising funds. A delicious prize!). [Read more…] about 50 Things I Like about the Chandler’s Ford Area (Part 2)
In the third and final reminiscence from the late 1980s, Chippy tells us his memories of transport and travel at the time.
Strange as it may seem, I think there was more traffic coming through Winchester Road / Bournemouth Road in those days. I often drive that way on a Friday now, and the queues are nothing like I remember. A lot of local traffic would use that route rather than the notorious A33. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford from the 1980s – Part 3
I celebrated my 50th birthday this week so thought I would see if I could find 50 things to like about the Chandler’s Ford area.
Here goes… [Read more…] about 50 Things I Like about the Chandler’s Ford Area (Part 1)
Chippy Minton moved to Chandler’s Ford in the late 1980s. In this second instalment of his memories from the time, he writes about some of the shops that were around Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh at the time.
The Chestnut Avenue hypermarket had been there for some years. In those days it was still trading as Gateway (having recently changed from Carrefour – and many people still referred to it as Carrefour). Asda took over the store fairly soon after I moved to the area – though continued to sell Gateway branded goods for several weeks. The store closed over an Easter weekend and reopened as a fully Asda-ised store. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford from the 1980s – Part 2
I had an eye test appointment last week in Eastleigh. This was the only reason I needed to go to the town centre, but while I was there I visited one of the many coffee shops for refreshment.
As I sipped my Americano I wondered why. Why had I decided to spend over £2 on a coffee that I didn’t really need when I was only a five-minute walk from home where I could have one for nothing. Why is a coffee stop now regularly included in a routine shopping trip? Why do we need so many coffee shops? [Read more…] about Coffee vs Discount in Eastleigh
In the age of steam every boy wanted to be an engine driver. In my boyhood this desire became a fighter pilot and in modern times it might be an astronaut or a pop star. The nearest I got to being a fighter pilot was to sit in the cockpit of a spitfire and press the firing button. Then came the jet age and we aspired to becoming test pilots.
Then, seventy years later, I was to be a test pilot. A group of us had bought a new glider, a top of the range Duo Discus XLT with a 20 M wingspan. [Read more…] about Maiden Flight
Last Thursday, my mum and I watched an intriguing drama Sudden Death at Thornbury Manor, performed by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players, at the Methodist Church Hall.
The play is about a rich and unpleasant nobleman (played by Lester Parry) [Read more…] about Review: Sudden Death at Thornbury Manor by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players
Are you aware there is a Produce and Craft Market in Chandler’s Ford?
It’s held at the Age Concern Centre on Brownhill Road (to be precise – just next to the Co-op and the Fryern Arcade).
Yes – the market is where you get to buy special gifts from crafters who make the gifts themselves, and buy fresh fruits and vegetables without the plastic packaging.
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market for the Community
