local businesses

Coffee vs Discount in Eastleigh

March 21, 2016 By chippy minton 8 Comments

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

Tags: books, Chandler’s Ford community, community, Eastleigh, Eastleigh Borough Council, entertainment, local businesses, local interest, memory, review, travel, viewpoint

Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market for the Community

March 20, 2016 By Janet Williams 3 Comments

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

Tags: arts and crafts, Brownhill Road, Chandler’s Ford community, community, craft fair, crafts, Eastleigh, event, Fryern Arcade, hobby, local businesses, local interest

Chandler’s Ford from the 1980s – Part 1

March 16, 2016 By chippy minton 11 Comments

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

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, community, development, history, local businesses, local interest, memory, storytelling, travel

Hiltingbury Post Office (and GoldDust)

March 15, 2016 By Janet Williams Leave a Comment

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)

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, community, culture, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, interview, local businesses, local interest, review

In Love with My Wheelie Bin

March 12, 2016 By Janet Williams 3 Comments

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

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, community, Hampshire, local businesses, local interest, recommendations, review

Producing a Local Legend: Sir Bevis of Hampton

March 4, 2016 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

I love history. Always have done. Always will do. I suppose this is because history is another form of storytelling. It tells the story of where we come from.

I believe there is a great deal of truth in the saying that a nation which forgets its history is destined to relive it.

Stories can be told in many ways to reach differing audiences and this is true for history too. I’ve recently heard of a new comic book (Blood and Valour) and play (The Legends of Sir Bevis) about local mythical medieval hero, Sir Bevis of Hampton. [Read more…] about Producing a Local Legend: Sir Bevis of Hampton

Tags: arts and crafts, books, communication, culture, Eastleigh, Eastleigh Borough Council, education, entertainment, event, Hampshire, history, local businesses, storytelling, theatre, writing

Share Your Hendy Stories

February 26, 2016 By SO53 News 6 Comments

Do you know anyone who worked at Hendy before?

Rebecca Hendy from The Hendy Group is updating the company’s History Book. The company is very interested in producing a chapter based on local people who have worked at Hendy or their experience of Hendy over the years. [Read more…] about Share Your Hendy Stories

Tags: Bournemouth Road, Chandler’s Ford community, community, Eastleigh, history, local businesses, local interest, writing

Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market – Saturday 12th March 2016

February 24, 2016 By Janet Williams 4 Comments

Update: The upcoming Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market will be on Saturday 30th April 2016 at Chandler’s Ford Age Concern Centre.

Below is my original post:

Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market this year will open on Saturday 12th March, from 10am to 1pm, at Age Concern Centre on Brownhill Road.

Last year, Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market was successfully held three times. I picked up a few Christmas presents from the market. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market – Saturday 12th March 2016

Tags: Age Concern Centre, arts and crafts, Brownhill Road, Chandler’s Ford community, community, craft fair, crafts, Eastleigh, event, Fryern Arcade, hobby, local businesses, local interest, social

Christmas Then and Now

December 21, 2015 By Doug Clews 1 Comment

As a child in Chandler’s Ford, Christmas was a special time for my family and me, albeit mostly during WW2, as I was 5½ at the outbreak.

I was, to all intents and purposes, an only child (my sister, Jean, died from Scarlet Fever aged 7, 4 years before I was born), so, I guess, understandably, I was ‘spoilt’ (so I was often told). [Read more…] about Christmas Then and Now

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, Christmas, Christmas 2015 in Chandler's Ford, community, culture, Eastleigh, education, family, history, local businesses, local interest, memory, storytelling, writing

Oh Happy Days! Fond Christmas Memories in Chandler’s Ford 1950s – 1960s

December 20, 2015 By Martin Napier 7 Comments

Reading Andy Vining’s recent article, Farming in the Winter and Christmas at Hiltonbury Farm, sends me back to the 1950s and 60s, when my step-mother, Dad and I lived in the bungalows in the fourth service road (nowadays the third one!), on Hursley Road.

We looked from our back garden across the field to Hiltonbury Farmhouse where, in the 1960s, Andy was milking the cows and delivering milk. [Read more…] about Oh Happy Days! Fond Christmas Memories in Chandler’s Ford 1950s – 1960s

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, Christmas, Christmas 2015 in Chandler's Ford, community, culture, education, family, Hiltonbury Farmhouse, history, local businesses, local interest, memory, storytelling, writing

Farming in the Winter and Christmas at Hiltonbury Farm

December 19, 2015 By Andy Vining 6 Comments

I am now going back to the 1962/3 before I was married, it was often very cold at this time of year. I used to get up at around 5.00 am to get the cows in for milking as we had yet to build the Cubicle House to keep the cows inside.

Sometimes when it was particularly cold and wet we kept the cows overnight in the cowshed but there was only room for thirty six of them in the cowshed so some had to stay under the lean-too to keep out of the weather, usually about 10 to twelve were the unlucky ones, usually the ones giving the least milk! [Read more…] about Farming in the Winter and Christmas at Hiltonbury Farm

Christmas at Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market 2015

December 14, 2015 By Janet Williams 2 Comments

Christmas came early at Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market, held at Age Concern Centre on Brownhill Road last weekend.

It was the third Produce and Craft Market in Chandler’s Ford since October, with over 100 visitors. [Read more…] about Christmas at Chandler’s Ford Produce and Craft Market 2015

Tags: Age Concern Centre, arts and crafts, Brownhill Road, Chandler’s Ford community, Christmas, Christmas 2015 in Chandler's Ford, community, craft fair, crafts, Eastleigh, event, Fryern Arcade, hobby, local businesses, local interest, social

Little Ranch Farm Christmas Trees at Fryern Arcade 2015

December 13, 2015 By Janet Williams 1 Comment

If you haven’t got your Christmas tree yet (or if the one at home is simply not enough), you could pop down to the Fryern Arcade and get one.

Jimmy Peters, who grows and sells Christmas trees, is now busy selling Christmas trees at the Fryern Arcade in Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about Little Ranch Farm Christmas Trees at Fryern Arcade 2015