Two or three times a year, the coconut boy comes around to harvest the coconuts. This year he was delayed as there has been so much rain it has left the palm trunks slippery.
There are six coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) in our garden here and they all have a ‘loverly bunch’ on them. Two of the trees are King Coconut, a variety of large yellow nut found in Sri Lanka. [Read more…] about Dispatches from Sri Lanka: a Loverly Bunch of Coconuts
Further to last week’s post, when Chandler’s Ford author, Richard Hardie of the Temporal Detective Agency fame, shared what signings and other events have occupied him recently, this continuation shares some of his further news as well as tips for fellow writers.
[Read more…] about Adventures of a Fantasy Author – Richard Hardie Interview Part 2
*** Please note that information in this article was correct at date of first publication (December 2015), but may have changed subsequently. Please use more up to date sources for the most recent information on emergency numbers ***
It used to be just 999 for the emergency services, but now there is a whole host of numbers we can use to summon help. But which is which, and when should we use them?
This is the emergency number for police, ambulance, fire brigade, coastguard, cliff rescue, mountain rescue, cave rescue, etc. Note the important word ‘EMERGENCY’. This number should be used only when urgent attendance by the emergency services is required – for example someone is seriously ill or injured, or a crime is in progress.
Calls are free, and 999 can be dialled from a locked mobile phone. [Read more…] about 999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
One of my earliest posts for Chandler’s Ford Today was an interview I conducted with local author, and fellow dog walker, Richard Hardie, who had not long released The Trouble With Swords, his second book in his Temporal Detective series and follow up to the marvellous Leap of Faith. [Read more…] about Further Adventures of a Fantasy Author
I was about 13 at the time, and attending Peter Symonds’ School in Winchester. A friend, and fellow student, was Don Broomfield, whose father was the Police Superintendent at Eastleigh.
The Broomfields lived in the Station House, attached to Eastleigh Police Station in Leigh Road, and I visited Don there on many occasions, cycling down Leigh Road from Meadow Grove … a ‘breeze’ going, as it was downhill most of the way, over Ford Bridge, past Prices Southern Confectioners, North End Secondary School, The Leigh Hotel, Pirelli’s and Caustons Printing Works, arriving finally at the police Station on the corner of Toynbee Road. [Read more…] about A Night in the Cells
I spent a fascinating and hugely enjoyable afternoon at Chandler’s Ford library yesterday where I attended a talk on “Growing up in Chandler’s Ford in the 50s and 60s” by local ‘lad’ Martin Napier.
Extra chairs had to be brought out to accommodate everyone. [Read more…] about An Interactive Local History Talk by Martin Napier
An important department of the University of Peradeniya is Agriculture. It teaches the management of all things agricultural and hosts a seed bank.
Its experimental plots, rather like allotments, are planted with crops with the aim of increasing production in natural ways. [Read more…] about Agricultural Restaurant in Sri Lanka
On Remembrance Sunday on the 8th of November in 2015, people from Chandler’s Ford remembered and honoured the fallen.
180 people assembled outside St. Boniface Church at the Chandler’s Ford War Memorial as poppies were laid at the foot of the memorial. [Read more…] about Remembrance Sunday in Chandler’s Ford: 8 November 2015
By Peter David Shuttler
Here I am at the age of 83+ with still vivid memories of my early life at Chandler’s Ford.
I will have to skip for a moment but you will realise the relevance.
While I lived at Woodbridge (Tasmania) our local GP was a Dr Wilson. When mother was out here she went to visit him. Realising that she was originally from Chandler’s Ford he said that he did his internship at Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about My Memories of Chandler’s Ford in the 1930s and 1940s: Part 2
At the Chandler’s Ford library today I attended an author talk by Richard Hardie: “So you want to be an author?”.
Richard is a Chandler’s Ford author who has written two books in the Temporal Detective Agency series – Leap of Faith and Trouble in Mind. He talked to us about being a writer and good writing tips. [Read more…] about Richard Hardie: “So You Want to be an Author?”
By Peter David Shuttler
I was born in Chandler’s Ford in 1932 – lived at Kingsmead (corner of Winchester Road and Ford Road) until 1946.
I tried to contact Barbara Hillier some years ago as I have two copies of her book. I sat next to David (Ginger) Hillier in Miss Drover’s Grade 4/5 in 1945/46. [Read more…] about My Memories of Chandler’s Ford in the 1930s and 1940s: Part 1
It is good to be back in Sri Lanka. We have been here enough times now to feel it is a second home. All those weird tropical things are becoming familiar. I had forgotten how noisy the night is after rain. All those frogs and things calling out for a mate. The fireflies too, silent and magical in the darkness. [Read more…] about Back to Sri Lanka
Councillor Louise Bloom from Hedge End recently visited Chandler’s Ford promoting Fairtrade.
Eastleigh is now officially a Fairtrade Borough, a status achieved on 7th May 2015. Councillor Louise Bloom, a strong Fairtrade promoter, said she hopes more companies would support Fairtrade in the Borough of Eastleigh. [Read more…] about Show You Care – Chandler’s Ford Fairtrade Autumn Market
Charlotte Mary Yonge? Who is she?
She is the woman represented by the new statue of a seated figure in the approach to Eastleigh Railway Station. Yes, but who is she?
Charlotte Mary Yonge is hardly known these days but she was a notable novelist in her time. [Read more…] about Charlotte Mary Yonge in Eastleigh
L A Hally, a local architect, gave an informative talk about some of her work in Chandler’s Ford Today two weeks ago.
She specialises in designing extensions, rebuilds and redesign of houses in Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about What Do Architects Do?
We have a friend, let’s call her Betty, who is fit but cannot use her legs so she lives her life in a wheelchair. Many people treat her in a “does she take sugar?” fashion. She can answer for herself, she has a PhD, but she has to put up with being treated as an idiot. [Read more…] about Life in a Wheelchair
Parenthood changes your outlook in many ways. One way is when it comes to secondary school education and beyond, with exams in the offing, you can be guaranteed every August without fail your blood will boil. You will be annoyed. Why?
Because, without fail, somebody will claim, as the national exam results are much improved, the exams must be getting easier. That same old tired mantra comes out every August. Your blood boils every August. QED. [Read more…] about Always Annoyed in August (Are Exams Easier?)
This post continues from yesterday’s article where Gill James shared some of her thoughts on life as a creative writing lecturer and author.
Gill gave me my first publishing credit via Alternative Renditions, a Bridge House anthology, and I have since had other work published online and in Limerick Nation and The Shamblelurklers Return. I’m currently working on a short story collection. [Read more…] about Gill James: Top Tips to Writers’ Networking
Earlier this year, I posted my interview with Gill James who as author, creative writing lecturer and small publisher gave me my first break into publication with my short story, A Helping Hand, when it appeared in the Bridge House Publishing anthology, Alternative Renditions. [Read more…] about Gill James: Teaching Writing
We have had many reminiscences about WWII. Here is one about the end of it all. The newspaper is dated 1945. At the time I was with my family, on holiday in Filey, Yorks. Picnics and games were organised for us children on some waste ground at the rear of our lodgings. [Read more…] about VJ Day
