Before I relate more of my life at North End Secondary School, I might regale you with some of the other events and things happening in the area back in the late 1950s and into the 1960s.
The area at the bottom of Hursley Road, where the Central Precinct is now, was somewhat different then.
The precinct was built in the 60s, [Read more…] about Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: The Central Precinct; Bonfire Night (Part 3)
One of the great joys of fiction writing is you have two basic options which are to either invent it all or base your work on a real event. You can be said to be writing history.
Historical novels obviously fall into the second category (as do some crime books). One of my favourite books, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, is based on The Princes in the Tower mystery. [Read more…] about Inspired by Slapton Beach: Felicity Fair Thompson
Driving along a country lane in Surrey, I came up behind a tractor with a tipping transport box attached on the back. Therein were some youngsters dressed in their best.
In front of that tractor was another, and another all with people dressed in their best togs. Further ahead we came to the village church, St Michael and All Angels in Thursley. [Read more…] about Get Me to the Church on Time
I grew up in Chandler’s Ford in the 1950s and 1960s.
When I was about 12 years old, I started my first (part-time) job.
This was as a Saturday van-boy for Mr Smith, a greengrocer, who had a shop opposite “The Hut” on Bournemouth Road. (not to be confused with Mr Smith who had a grocers shop in Hursley Road, opposite the Railway Station.) [Read more…] about Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Paper Boy; North End School (Part 2)
Marie Curie has been shortlisted to be Charity of the Year by Sainsbury’s Eastleigh.
As Chairman of Eastleigh and Chandler’s Ford Fundraising Group for Marie Curie, I hope you could support us.
I recently made a presentation to their staff and we are on their short list of 3. [Read more…] about Marie Curie and Sainsbury’s Eastleigh
A good friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer in January this year.
Jean-Louis Bravard is partly retired now, but works with Boris Johnson promoting London, still runs his own consulting company, and at one time he was the MD of J P Morgan bank.
Jean-Louis has written a short story called “Where is my tattoo?”. This is an account of [Read more…] about Where is My Tattoo? By Jean-Louis Bravard
I was born, not in Chandler’s Ford, but in Tooting, South London, in 1947.
My father came from Lancashire, and my mother from Tooting.
We lived in Streatham, a mile or two from Tooting, but just before my second birthday, my mother died from influenza. [Read more…] about Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s (Part 1)
In 2014, glassware artist Carly Mann was commissioned by Eastleigh Borough Council to design and make a new Ceremonial Mace for the new Mayor of Eastleigh in collaboration with Prysmian Group.
The body is formed in brass by the talented team at Prysmian, then plated in gold and silver. The glass panels in the mace head are painted and gilded by the artist. [Read more…] about Eastleigh Artists Shine: Mayor’s Ceremonial Mace and Chain
Last week (1st-7th June) was Volunteers’ Week across the country, as the tremendous contribution made by volunteers of every sort was celebrated.
I was lucky enough to be part of two events in the Borough. One was celebrating voluntary fire fighters in Hampshire. [Read more…] about Celebration: Volunteers’ Week in Eastleigh 2015
This event took place in the Fire and Rescue Service HQ on Leigh Road on a beautifully sunny Friday evening.
Volunteer fire-fighters from all over Hampshire and their families were able to get together and have a nice social event. [Read more…] about Voluntary Fire Fighters BBQ
Excitement for the grandchildren on the day of a visit to Marwell Zoo. Parents primed, grandparents had the tickets but it was raining stair rods. So we went to the Pub for lunch. As the bill was paid, the air cleared and the sun came out.
Many people have mixed feelings about zoos and I am one of them. There is nothing to beat the thrill of seeing a wild animal in its natural surroundings even if it is only a glimpse. [Read more…] about Visit to Marwell Zoo and Animal Conservation
One thing I love about writing for Chandler’s Ford Today is how one subject leads to another.
For instance, my interview with local author, Richard Hardie, led to my wanting to discover more about The Gang Shows.
Richard wrote one of these with the great Sir Terry Pratchett. [Read more…] about In the Gang Show: Lyn Darbyshire
Kids Today!!!!
When I was young, we never behaved like kids do today!
Actually I think we did, or we’d have liked to, except the knowledge that parents, policemen and shop keepers would give us a clip around the ear stopped us going too far. [Read more…] about Exams “Dumbed Down”? View of an Invigilator
It is said that everyone has a book in them. Some will write one and a few will even publish.
Publishing is changing fast but the constant among the changes is preservation of the magical golden thread that connects the imagination of the writer to the mind of the reader. [Read more…] about Author, Publisher, Reader – A Golden Thread
The Chandler’s Ford Community Association agreed at a Management Committee meeting this week to install air conditioning in the Ritchie Memorial Hall.
With several hot summers behind us coupled with full houses as a result of increasing popularity of our productions, the temperature in the Ritchie Hall was often exceeding 30 degrees Centigrade. It was also stuffy making air quality poor. [Read more…] about Air Conditioning in the Ritchie Memorial Hall
A new and welcoming cafe has now opened on Hursley Road – great news for the community.
Beacon Café is a new cafe at St. Boniface Church.
Beacon Café runs on the first and the third Tuesday of every month, from 10am to 12pm. [Read more…] about Beacon Café at St. Boniface Church – You are Invited
Raffles are a useful source of extra income for an event. They might raise enough to cover the costs of the venue. And they allow people who would have been willing to pay more for an event ticket to spend that extra few pounds.
But there are some holes that people fall into when organising a raffle. Here are (in my opinion) some of the more common. [Read more…] about Running a Raffle? Read This.
The early 1980s.
Telephones were attached to the wall by lines; an international call meant going through the operator – and was very, very expensive; a television remote control meant getting your child to walk over to the set to change the channel; the Intercity-125 was the epitome of modern train travel; Torville and Dean ice skated to victory; Sheffield was famous for its cutlery; children sat O-levels and CSEs – and organised protests to complain about school rules that they didn’t like; people who were out of work were “on the dole” and claimed “social security”; [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Thornden School: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾
Hut Wood is one of those delightful bits of countryside that is just on our doorstep, yet few people seem to know about.
Well, there is an excuse – it’s managed by the Forestry Commission, but even their website doesn’t admit to its existence.
The wood lies to the west of the road from Asda in Eastleigh to Chilworth, just before the bridge over the M27 link road. [Read more…] about Delightful Hut Wood – Have You Been Yet?
Our gliding flights in the Pyrenees were going well. A friendly rivalry arose with the two pilots of another glider and we were determined to outdo one another.
Today was my turn as pilot in command of our 2 seater, Whisky Bravo. The tug plane took us from Santa Cilia airfield on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees towards the local hill where there was some rising air. [Read more…] about Forced Landing
