Chandler's Ford Today

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Meet Local Author Claire Gradidge at the Curious Café on 20th September

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On Friday 20th September, the Curious Café (at The Dovetail Centre, Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church) will be hosting Claire Gradidge, local author and winner of the Richard and Judy “Search for a Bestseller Competition 2019”.

The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox by Claire Gradidge
The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox by Claire Gradidge

Claire’s crime novel “The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox” is set in Romsey in 1941. In the book, Josephine returns to her home town of Romsey after a long absence on a quest to solve the mystery of who her father was.

Claire Gradidge - image via University of Winchester
Claire Gradidge – image via University of Winchester

[Read more…] about Meet Local Author Claire Gradidge at the Curious Café on 20th September

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Writing Legacy

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I had the great joy of being at the Winchester Writers’ Festival on Saturday 15th June and a lovely time was had by all. As ever, I learned a great deal from the courses I attended. I also loved chatting to friends, old and new, including Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, author of the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries, who I interviewed for CFT a little while ago.

At the end of the main talks and courses on Saturday, there was a celebration of the life of the late Barbara Large, MBE in the beautiful chapel at the University of Winchester at 6 pm.

Barbara Large. Image kindly supplied by Anne Wan.

It was lovely hearing so many people share their memories of a lady who did so much to foster writing, encourage writers (especially nervous newbies including me), and who promoted writing/education/reading as much as was humanly possible. It was also nice to meet up briefly with Anne Wan and Mike and Brenda Sedgwick after the simple but stylish celebration.
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Audrey Steele Received Recognition from Clementine Churchill in 1942

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This is a community website about Chandler’s Ford, but today we’re going to touch upon the war, knitted scarves, Clementine Churchill, and the Russians – all in this short article. So please read on.

Last week we published an article about Audrey Steele, who at the age of 90 has recently been awarded the Citizen of Honour for the Borough of Eastleigh.

Eastleigh Borough Council recognised Audrey’s excellent community work, and her contribution for the people in Eastleigh Borough and Brazil.

Audrey Steele, Eastleigh Citizen of Honour
Audrey Steele, Eastleigh Citizen of Honour

Today I met Audrey again, and she showed me a handwritten letter sent to her in June 1942 by Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill, a cross-bench life peeress in her own right. Clementine Churchill was described as “a keen promoter of social and humanitarian causes” in this National Trust article by Eamonn Gearon.

Why did Clementine Churchill send Audrey Steele this ‘thank you’ letter? The letter was dated June 1942, sent from 10 Downing Street, Whitehall.

Audrey told me during the war she knitted scarves and mittens for the North Sea convoy.

Here is the 2-page A5 sized letter from Clementine Churchill:

Handwritten letter from Clementine Churchill to Audrey Steele in June 1942. Part 1.
Handwritten letter from Clementine Churchill to Audrey Steele in June 1942. Part 1.

[Read more…] about Audrey Steele Received Recognition from Clementine Churchill in 1942

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Meet 90-year-old Audrey Steele – Eastleigh Citizen of Honour

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I’m delighted to have met 90-year-old Audrey Steele recently. Audrey Steele was awarded the Citizen of Honour for the Borough of Eastleigh early this month.

Audrey has recently celebrated her 90th birthday. This award recognises the voluntary work she has done for the people in Eastleigh Borough and Brazil.

Audrey Steele, Eastleigh Citizen of Honour
Audrey Steele, Eastleigh Citizen of Honour. Image credit: Eastleigh Borough Council.

Eastleigh Borough Council recognised the excellent community work of two local residents, Sri Kandiah and Audrey Steele. The Council conferred them with a Citizen of Honour award at the annual Mayor making meeting on the 9th of May this year. [Read more…] about Meet 90-year-old Audrey Steele – Eastleigh Citizen of Honour

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Travelling for Lisa

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Sequel story to: Doctor’s father makes second epic journey in daughter’s memory after snapping wrong penguin on 8,000-mile trip (The Telegraph), and Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip on Chandler’s Ford today.

Overview

Lisa loved to travel and her extreme joy of being abroad was expressed in several of her diaries. She wrote about the places she visited, whom she met and how she felt on the journey. People and places were often recorded in her photo album. [Read more…] about Travelling for Lisa

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Review: Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities 45th Christmas Market 2018

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As the government is in Brexit turmoil (‘near Civil War’, according to the BBC), we’re bringing you some stability here from Chandler’s Ford for a change.

The annual Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities Christmas Market brings the sort of stability, unity, and friendship that we all need at times of crisis. Last weekend I went to the market, as I had done so for many years, and felt warmth, joy, and a genuine sense of hope for the future. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities 45th Christmas Market 2018

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Travelling by Bus around the World and Inspirational Flash Fiction – Introducing Gail Aldwin

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Further to last week where I discussed the frustrations of publishing, it is my pleasure to share my interview with another writer taking the independent press route. Please “meet” fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin. Also many thanks to her for supplying the images for this interview. [Read more…] about Travelling by Bus around the World and Inspirational Flash Fiction – Introducing Gail Aldwin

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Facts and Fiction

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Fiction is a strange beast. Fiction writers make up new worlds (see science fiction and fantasy) or write alternative histories to those produced by our own. (Many a thriller, including Robert Harris’s Fatherland is based on the “what if we’d lost WW2?” theme).

We make up characters and those of us who write fantasy, as I do, bring in magical elements but what do all of these things have in common? There is at least a grain of truth behind each and every one of them. Readers pick up on that. [Read more…] about Facts and Fiction

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Congratulations! It’s a BEM for Caroline Husain from Chandler’s Ford

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Congratulations to Caroline Husain from Chandler’s Ford, who has been named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2018.

Caroline has been recognised for decades of ‘services to charity and the community in Chandlers Ford’ with a BEM  (The British Empire Medal).  [Read more…] about Congratulations! It’s a BEM for Caroline Husain from Chandler’s Ford

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Review: Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities 44th Christmas Market 2017

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Once a year I go to the Joint Charities Annual Christmas Market in Chandler’s Ford to buy a few Christmas cards (I don’t have that many friends to send cards to) and use it as a chance to catch up with friends, and also have my coffee morning with friends at the Dovetail Centre Café. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities 44th Christmas Market 2017

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Building Bridges through Volunteering

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Last year, I endured an internal crisis. I could no longer cope with the daily news about the war ravaged Middle Eastern region. The images of suffering got unbearably graphic by the day. When I thought I had seen the worst, another scene would break my heart in two. Existential questions such as ‘Can I really call myself educated when I ignore the suffering around me?’ troubled me. But then, I do have a family to look after and a hefty mortgage; responsibilities that limit most of us. [Read more…] about Building Bridges through Volunteering

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Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip

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I have just returned from a trip of a lifetime – a visit to an Emperor Penguin colony on the frozen Weddell Sea within the Antarctica Continent.

Yes it was a bit of a hike to get there. It took me a couple of days to travel to the gathering point in Punta Arenas, Chile. [Read more…] about Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip

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Roger Clark’s Quest to Antarctica to Photograph the Right Penguins

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We don’t normally see the name ‘Chandler’s Ford’ being mentioned in the national news (ok, the HSBC armed robbery on Bournemouth Road in September 2007 was an exception: “Two armed robbers were shot dead by police”).

However today, ‘Chandler’s Ford’ is mentioned all over the media, from The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Mirror…, and on the BBC radio programme. [Read more…] about Roger Clark’s Quest to Antarctica to Photograph the Right Penguins

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Meet 92-year-old War Veteran Frank Damerell

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Last Sunday I had a brief interview with Frank Damerell, the 92-year-old war veteran from Chandler’s Ford.

Frank arrived at the War Memorial on Hursley Road just after 10.30am, accompanied by his son Phil. Frank later laid a RAFA (Royal Air Forces Association) wreath during the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the war memorial at St. Boniface Church in Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about Meet 92-year-old War Veteran Frank Damerell

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The Japanese Red Cross at Netley, 1915-16

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One hundred years ago a group of Japanese Red Cross nurses travelled from their Far Eastern homeland to offer their services at Royal Victoria Military Hospital in Netley in Eastleigh, at the height of World War 1.

The 20-strong team, many of whom had never travelled outside of Japan, spent a year at the Netley hospital, supporting their British counterparts, to attend to the thousands of soldiers wounded in the bloody battles of the war.
[Read more…] about The Japanese Red Cross at Netley, 1915-16

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Review: Joint Charities 43rd Annual Christmas Market Chandler’s Ford 2016

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This morning I went to the Joint Charities 43rd Annual Christmas Market at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church.

I love this annual tradition – as it kicks off my internal clock for Christmas. It reminds me that I need to start pick up a pen, write a few Christmas cards (while adding names or crossing names off my Christmas card list as well).

This morning, former Eastleigh Mayor Councillor Jane Welsh opened the 43rd Christmas Market. [Read more…] about Review: Joint Charities 43rd Annual Christmas Market Chandler’s Ford 2016

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Joint Charities 43rd Christmas Market: Saturday 12th November 2016 at Methodist Church Hall

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The Joint Charities 43rd Annual Christmas Market will be on Saturday 12th November 2016, from 9.30 am – 12 noon at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church Hall (Winchester Road SO53 2GJ).

The Joint Charities Christmas Market is an annual tradition in Chandler’s Ford.

The past Eastleigh Mayor will open it officially at 9.45 am. There will be 12 charity stalls, each selling their own Christmas cards and other goods. There’ll also be a cake stall and raffle. [Read more…] about Joint Charities 43rd Christmas Market: Saturday 12th November 2016 at Methodist Church Hall

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The Writing Life – Barbara Large, Part 2

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This is Part 2 of my interview with Barbara Large, MBE, founder of the Winchester Writing Conference as it was known.  Now known as the Winchester Writers’ Festival, it is recognised as one of the major writing events of the year.

Despite stepping down from running the conference in 2013, Barbara is as busy as ever running workshops, leading tours around the CPI production plant at Chippenham for those interested in self-publishing and having her own creative writing consultancy – Creative Words Matter. [Read more…] about The Writing Life – Barbara Large, Part 2

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The Writing Life – Barbara Large, Part 1

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I had the great joy of meeting Barbara Large at the Winchester Writing Conference (as it was known) many moons ago. Now known as the Winchester Writers’ Festival, this three day writing event was started by Barbara in 1980. She led the conference until 2013.

Barbara is as busy as ever and runs workshops. [Read more…] about The Writing Life – Barbara Large, Part 1

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What Makes a Good Writing Conference?

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I regularly attend the Winchester Writers’ Festival, which was originally the Winchester Writing Conference started by Barbara Large, MBE.

I am glad to say I will be interviewing Barbara soon. Her help and encouragement to so many writers over the years, including me, has been phenomenal and much appreciated. [Read more…] about What Makes a Good Writing Conference?

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