A new coffee shop has opened in Eastleigh town centre.
Now, your reaction to this might be “Bill Bryson was right; Eastleigh needs a new coffee shop like a fish needs a bicycle”.
In a previous post Coffee vs Discount in Eastleigh I pondered the reasons for the consumer demand for expensive coffee. [Read more…] about Too Many Coffee Shops in Eastleigh? Think Again.
On return from holiday in the early evening we hired a taxi from Southampton Parkway Station and arrived safely home shortly afterwards. It was a nice clean taxi with a pleasant and helpful driver. [Read more…] about In Praise of Eastleigh Taxis
This morning, I met Karen Stephen and Catherine Griffin at the local produce and craft market.
They were promoting their first book: Secret Lives of Chandlers Ford: A Collection of Short Stories.
Mike introduced this book and its four authors before in this post. [Read more…] about It’s Back – Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market
In the 1960s my Father, John Vining, and I decided to create a milk round in Chandler’s Ford direct from Hiltonbury Farm and deliver to a growing population wonderful Raw Jersey Milk direct from the farm.
From the Hiltonbury Herds beginnings in 1947 by my Father, we were at that time milking around 40-50 Jersey cows in a long shed that housed 36 at a time, so had to do a changeover during milking to accommodate all the cows. It was very time consuming and labour intensive. [Read more…] about Going Full Circle: the Journey of Hiltonbury Jerseys
“Doing it for Imogen” is a fundraising campaign, which I hope Chandler’s Ford Today readers would support.
Imogen is only 6 years old. She is suffering from a rare disease called Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH). [Read more…] about “Doing it for Imogen” – Bike Ride for Piam Brown Ward
I visited the Central Precinct last week, on my way back from my physiotherapist at goPhysio.
I popped into Dan’s From Old to New furniture upholstery shop for a chat.
I asked Dan if he had any news for Chandler’s Ford Today?
[Read more…] about Is it too Early to Mention…Christmas (in August)?
I remember “The Parade” of Chandler’s Ford well. It is along Bournemouth Road, coming from Southampton, just past the School Lane lights, down past the advertising hoardings. It’s the row of shops on the left before you get to Hursley Rd.
At that time, the Butchers shop where I worked was the first on the left, L.S. Horn, next was Lowmans the bakers, then I think it was the Lloyds Bank, Jenkins sweet shop, G.H.Baker & Sons, and grocers. I can’t remember the next one or maybe two shops, and at the end it was Mr Perrot’s fishmonger. [Read more…] about Where is “The Parade” in Chandler’s Ford? Memories from my 1950s Childhood
I was born in Chandler’s Ford in 1942 and lived in Station Lane until about 1972.
I remember many of the old places. We used to play in the old brickfield then go off up to Knightwood where there was a big sand pit created allegedly by a stray bomb during the war. [Read more…] about Roger White: My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley
The Hiltonbury Farmhouse Pub, a grade 2 listed building in North Millers Dale, is leased by Punch Taverns from Cranbury Estates. Punch want to re-open the pub and have made several planning applications to make alterations inside and outside.
The pub is adjacent to an open grass area about 35m x 50m which is subject of an agreement between Cranbury Estates and Eastleigh Borough Council made in 1980. The agreement and original plan of the area specifically commits Cranbury Estates to maintaining the community car park and public open space as a planning condition. [Read more…] about Protection of Open Space – Hiltonbury Farmhouse. What’s Your View?
One of the strange but nice things about dementia is the way arts can help retain memories. Singing, for example, seems to affect the brain in a way that can put patients on a level playing field with those without that awful disease.
Why? Because singing helps retain memories for all who take part, singing makes all feel good and can be a social event for all. [Read more…] about Interview Kate Day: Chocolate Muffin Publishing
Eastleigh Borough Council is asking for your opinion to help “prevent drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour in the Chandler’s Ford shopping area”.
The shopping area is the Fryern Arcade.
The six-week consultation is from Tuesday 31 May to Monday 11 July. [Read more…] about Consultation on Preventing Anti-social Behaviour in Chandler’s Ford Shopping Area
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
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
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
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
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
Peter Shuttler, Doug Clews, and Martin Napier have contributed some interesting posts about their childhood experiences of Chandler’s Ford between the 1930s and 1960s.
I thought I would complement these by writing about some of my memories from more recent times and see how much has changed – and how much has stayed the same. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford from the 1980s – Part 1
It’s rather unusual that you walk into a post office to buy curry ingredients.
But in Chandler’s Ford you can just do that.
The post office on Ashdown Road in Hiltingbury sells stamps, envelops, cards, soaps and scarves.
It also sells GoldDust Masala Blend. [Read more…] about Hiltingbury Post Office (and GoldDust)
Yesterday late afternoon on my way home I heard the familiar sound of wheelie bins being pressure-washed in my neighbourhood.
Someone’s bin was being spoilt and their bin would be left cleaned and fragrant (and more superior than mine).
You must have seen the wheelie bin cleaning van in Chandler’s Ford before: [Read more…] about In Love with My Wheelie Bin
