Chandler's Ford Today

Winchester

Buttercross

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Thanks to Chippy Minton and Mrs Chippy enjoying their walk in Cranbury Park, readers may be interested to hear about another piece of history attached to the park …

I am sure we are all familiar with the Buttercross in Winchester’s High Street. This fifteenth-century market cross stands 43 feet high and is reckoned to be the finest in the country. True to its name, its original function was for market traders to display the butter they had for sale, as well as cheese, eggs and milk. With four statues in niches, only the one of St John the Evangelist is original, the other three having been replaced during restoration in 1865 by Sir George Gilbert Scott (architect of many notable buildings and monuments including the Albert Memorial in London).

Buttercross image via Tim Parker on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Buttercross image via Tim Parker on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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Exploring the Itchen Way

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I’ve written before about how one of my favourite local walks is the stretch of river from Bishopstoke to Highbridge.  As part of our “keeping it local” lockdown exercise, over the last couple of months Mrs Chippy and I have been exploring the rest of the river.

We started by running the stretch from Woodmill to Winchester and back.  No, not all in one go; that would be silly.  We took it in four stages – each stage a round trip of around 8 to 10 km (sorry to die-hard imperial measurers, but I measure exercise in kilometres – probably because the numbers build up more quickly).

The longest stretch was from Bishopstoke to Woodmill.  It takes a lot of perseverance as, once you leave Bishopstoke, there is no crossing point until Mansbridge, 6 km away (the M27 doesn’t count).  It’s also (possibly for the same reason) the least busy part of the path; we passed very few people. It was quite a surprise to see lots of people once we reached Mansbridge and completed the short section through Riverside park to Woodmill. [Read more…] about Exploring the Itchen Way

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M3 to get Smart

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Work will soon begin to upgrade the M3 between Junctions 9 and 14 (Winchester to Eastleigh) to a Smart motorway.  Site clearance and preparation works will start in the winter, with main construction scheduled from later in 2020 until 2022.  When complete, the upgraded motorway will neatly dovetail between the new Smart M27 and the proposed improved junction layout at Winnall.  Does this sound like a coordinated plan of road improvement schemes?  I think it does.

A Smart motorway is a motorway with an extra lane instead of the hard-shoulder.  A host of electronic gismos allow Highways England to monitor traffic flows, respond to incidents, and generally keep the traffic moving. [Read more…] about M3 to get Smart

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Sailing into Christmas with the Jubilee Sailing

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Christmas is a busy time of year for most charities and the Jubilee Sailing trust (JST) is no exception.

Having enjoyed a lovely day at the Chandler’s Ford Joint Charities Christmas Market, we also attended the Romsey Christmas Market and most recently the Winchester Christmas Market in the stunning setting of Cathedral Close. [Read more…] about Sailing into Christmas with the Jubilee Sailing

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A Walk for Adam – from Chandler’s Ford to Winchester Cathedral

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This morning we joined our friends Mike and Alison Standing, together with Deborah Hockney (Alison’s sister) and her family on A Walk for Adam.

The walk aims to raise awareness of the high level of suicide that occurs in our society, especially amongst younger men, which seems to get hidden from view from the general public.

The 40-mile walk started from Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church this morning, and will spread over 4 days. Today we completed our first day’s walk and arrived at Winchester Cathedral. Friends and families will continue the rest of the journey over the next 3 days. [Read more…] about A Walk for Adam – from Chandler’s Ford to Winchester Cathedral

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A Walk for Adam

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Over the August bank holiday weekend, Mike and Alison Standing will be joining Deborah Hockney (Alison’s sister) and her family (Gabriella and Joel) on ‘A Walk for Adam’, to raise awareness of the high level of suicide that occurs in our society, especially amongst younger men, which seems to get hidden from view from the general public.

[Read more…] about A Walk for Adam

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Winchester Discovery Centre – 10th Anniversary Celebrations

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Image Credit: Unless otherwise stated, all images were taken by Allison Symes.

A group of regional writers took part in the Winchester Discovery Centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations on Saturday 25th November. [Read more…] about Winchester Discovery Centre – 10th Anniversary Celebrations

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Who Should I Vote for?

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Who should I vote for in the forthcoming election? A person or party with political gravitas, one that shows qualities of statesmanship. Or should it be statespersonship? Where are such people? I only see squabbling fourth-formers exchanging slogans as if they embody the solution to the world’s problems.

Our politicians try to do their best but they are products of the system which seems to me to be flawed. But that is a story for another day.
[Read more…] about Who Should I Vote for?

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General Election 2017

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So, in two weeks time – and three years earlier than we expected – we have a general election to look forward to.  Some people may have reacted to this news with “a chance to get rid of the current government”; others with “a chance to give the government a greater mandate”.  But for many it is possibly “here we go again”.  [Read more…] about General Election 2017

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Christmas Books and Local Settings

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Once upon a time almost every child found an annual under the tree or in their stocking and I have one given to me when I was about seven – The Christmas Stocking.

We carried on this tradition with our children who always opened their annuals at bedtime on Christmas Eve so they had something to keep them happy until morning. I always hoped they’d lie in bed and read instead of getting up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning, but it didn’t work!
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Local Author News: Richard Hardie

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Christmas is, for authors and publishers, the most important time of the year for selling books and is a major lifeline for our bookshops.

With so few independent bookshops around now, it is nice to be able to share news of one that is not only continuing to do well but is also stocking local author Richard Hardie’s Young Adult novels, Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords.
[Read more…] about Local Author News: Richard Hardie

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Chandler’s Ford from the 1980s – Part 3

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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

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My Favourite Short Walk – Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook

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One of my favourite short local walks is the stretch of the Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook.

It is a rural idyll, yet never more than a few hundred yards from the built-up area and/or railway yard. [Read more…] about My Favourite Short Walk – Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook

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Hampshire Historical Connections

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I believe Hampshire may be unique as a county in having 3 cities within it – Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester. As a result there are plenty of historical connections to our area, some of which make for excellent days out.

The fact we can directly access the Isle of Wight, and there are many historical connections there, gives us even more to see and do. [Read more…] about Hampshire Historical Connections

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Winchester Cathedral Hampshire Harvest Weekend 2015

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This weekend Winchester Cathedral celebrates Hampshire Harvest with the County’s food and farming. The first day was full of gorgeous local produce, live entertainment, and a lot of inspiration.

Don’t miss it – there’s still one more day tomorrow. [Read more…] about Winchester Cathedral Hampshire Harvest Weekend 2015

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Hampshire Scouts Present ‘Stepping Out’

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Hampshire Scout Shows Unite!

For the first time in the history of Scouting in Hampshire, the creative talents of multiple districts will be brought together in collaboration for a one night only performance as Hampshire Scouts present ‘Stepping Out’. [Read more…] about Hampshire Scouts Present ‘Stepping Out’

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