Here we hope you get to discover Chandler's Ford, through local stories, Chandler's Ford history, events, and reflections and debates of topical issues. How has Chandler's Ford shown community spirit? How are we connected? This tag invites you to explore and develop our community together.
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
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
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
Today Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association was collecting donation in Eastleigh town centre for the Nepal Earthquake appeal fund.
I met some members of the group at Swan Centre Shopping Centre this afternoon. They told me they will take the donation to Nepal directly to help the most desperate people.
Here are some words in their leaflet:
“Nepalese, Gurkhas of the British Army now resident here are breaking their hearts trying to send help back to their stricken country. We ask you to open your hearts. To give what you can.” [Read more…] about “We Ask You to Open Your Hearts” – Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association
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
This is a new Do you Remember series. You’re invited to share your fond memories of Chandler’s Ford.
Is there a particular shop, a person, or a service that you remember and want to share?
Today I start off this series with my favourite gift shop, The Precinct Gift Centre, which closed in February 2006.
The Precinct Gift Centre was a precious gift shop at the Central Precinct of Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about Do You Remember…The Precinct Gift Centre?
Gill James and I met at the Isle of Wight Writers’ Conference, which was run by Felicity Fair Thompson from 2000 to 2005.
This was a weekend conference based in Shanklin or Sandown with guest speakers. There was a special speaker after the main Conference dinner on the Saturday night. David Nobbs (Reggie Perrin) and Raymond Allen (Some Mothers Do Have Them) were just two of the after dinner speakers who entertained us all. [Read more…] about Life as a Small Publisher: Allison Symes Talks to Gill James
Wednesday was the first showing of the Chameleon Theatre Company’s Fawlty Towers.
I got to see it on Tuesday night at a free “press screening” and a special night to entertain the elderly from our local nursing homes in Chandler’s Ford.
Here is my review of the show. [Read more…] about Review: Fawlty Towers by Chameleon Theatre Company
One of the great joys of stories is that there are so many formats in which to enjoy them. It is far easier now to have stories on demand especially via laptop, tablet or mobile. The Banbury Cross lady had music wherever she went but I’d rather have stories wherever I go!
There are flash fiction stories, standard length stories (usually up to 2000 words) [Read more…] about No Books = No Movies?
Have you heard of the Society of Authors?
Congratulations to local writer and regular contributor to Chandler’s Ford Today, Allison Symes, who has been elected to become a Full Member of the Society of Authors.
Update on 1st May 2015: Gibson’s Card Gallery reopened two weeks after this post was first published.
The owners of Gibson put a note on the shop window about its brief closure for 2 weeks: “Please use us or lose us!” [Read more…] about What’s Happened to Gibson’s Card Gallery at the Mall?
One hundred years ago, on the battlefields of Flanders, lay a young officer of the Royal Horse Artillery. He was wounded, presumed dead.
Twice more during WWI he was wounded and recovered. He was awarded the Military Cross.
After the war he was able to pursue his dream and study forestry at Cambridge. [Read more…] about A Hero of Trees – Richard St. Barbe Baker
Easter Sunday – how did you spend your day today?
The wooden cross at St. Boniface Church is decorated with hundreds of yellow daffodils.
A little display area shows the scene of “He is not here, but is risen”. [Read more…] about Easter Sunday: Daffodils Cross and Easter Eggs
I’ve loved Doctor Who since I was a child. I was gripped by the stories, terrified by the Daleks (while at the same time enjoying every moment of being terrified!) and couldn’t wait to tune in to the following week’s edition.
As I was growing up you had one story spread over several parts and it seemed an age before I was to find out if Tom Baker, “my Doctor”, was going to pull the leads apart that would lead to the destruction of the Daleks in Genesis of the Daleks. [Read more…] about The Doctor Who Experience by Allison Symes
By Reverend Tim Searle
There’s no doubt about it: the death of Jesus was unexpected, and although he gave quite a few hints that it would happen, the disciples either didn’t believe him, or just didn’t want to.
And when it did finally happen, it left the disciples in a state of shock and dismay that they wouldn’t have recovered from had it not been for what happened next. For if Jesus’ death was unexpected, his resurrection was doubly so … or was it? [Read more…] about Minister’s Letter – Easter 2015
Just after recent solar eclipse was over, the first verse of an Easter hymn by Charles Wesley came into my mind:
Love’s redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo, our Sun’s eclipse is o’er!
Lo, he sets in blood no more.
Chandler’s Ford MDG Players successfully performed yet another comedy, Worth a Fortune, to a packed audience at the Methodist Church, from 26 – 28 March 2015. My son and I watched it last night and we were hugely impressed.
Hiltingbury resident Tom Whyte sent me his review of the comedy Worth a Fortune:
“With my wife and a couple of friends went to see the production of Worth a Fortune performed, to a packed house, by the MDG Players at the Methodist church in Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about Comedy Review: Worth a Fortune by MDG Players
It was a crazy idea from the start. A mixture of the imagery of Vita Sackville West’s White Garden at Sissinghurst and watching Jurassic Park just once too often. Could I have a pre-historic garden like the ones where dinosaurs must have browsed?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Professor Challenger found a lost world, I would create my own lost world.
[Read more…] about A Dinosaurs’ Garden
