Taken on Christmas Day! by Sylvia Deadman

Transcription

1 Taken on Christmas Day! by Sylvia Deadman

2 Office at Old Vicarage, Langrish, GU32 1QY Telephone: Website: Issues on first day of September, December, March and June. Deadline for major copy, one month before issue! Information for the Websites : Squeaker website: - Please contact ian.c.wesley@gmail.com Parish Council news Please contact Helen Marsh on: helenmarsh141@btinternet.com Church news Please contact Julie Blackwell on i.blackwell@talktalk.net Information concerning advertisements / distribution: Please contact Doris Rattray on: doris.rattray@gmail.com Editor Assistant Editor Rosemary Hopewell Ian Wesley Distributors Anne Bailey Sylvia Deadman Jan Mallett Jenny Morris Doris Rattray Bryony Southwell Printed by R.J. Harris Contracts Ltd 2

3 Contents Editorial 4 Editorial 4 Parish & Community news 5 Thank you Superfast Rural Broadband 5 8 Parish & Community news Comment 6 9 Church News A Letter from James Barden 8 10 A dispatch from... Comings Congratulations & Wellington Boot All you need is love Froxfield Entrenchments Church News Alex Berkeley s elderflower cordial London to Portsmouth Direct Cape Town Cycle Tour Reflections on walking 1000 miles Ash Die-back Wild Garlic Pesto Waterloo Langrish Weather Superfast Broad band update Friends Friends Quiz & December s answers Comings Langrish House Events of interest 25 Village Calendar 26 Mobile Library & Useful phone numbers Answers to current quiz 27 Who s Who 28 3

4 Editorial You may (or may not!) have noticed that over recent years as well as having regular features such as Parish Council News, Church News and contributors such as Louisa Denby, Nigel and Robina Talbot-Ponsonby and Betty and Ian Wesley and may others, that there have been themes running through several editions. Last year it was anniversaries, the year before - World War 1. In the past among others, we have had the lives of interesting people from the Villages who have talked about themselves to the then Editor (John). Important buildings around here have also been covered. Taking a leaf from Michael Portillo s Great British Railway Journeys, this year s theme is going to be the old railways around here. We have not thought about next year, so it would be good if you could give us some ideas! There is a change in format to announce. So that you do not have to wait three months and get either forgetful or frustrated for the answers to the Quiz, they can now be found (upside down) on another page. Don t cheat!! Next time, the editorial will revert as in the past, to its more usual philosophical note - hopefully steering clear of the weather and politics. Although that might be difficult with the Referendum in prospect! Rosemary Hopewell Editor February 2016 Our thanks to the following contributors:- Articles Jane Ball, James Barden, Nigel Talbot-Ponsonby, Ian and Betty Wesley Pictures James Barden, Sylvia Deadman, Ian Wesley, the Editor 4

5 Parish and Community news The Parish Council has been busy! Vandalism The following was circulated by Hampshire Constabulary We wanted to draw your attention to a good court result. Two men have been jailed following 35 incidents where car and building windows were smashed along the A272 between June and September Damage was caused to vehicles and buildings along the A272 between Petersfield and Winchester where stones or similar objects, such as ball bearings, were being used. 43 year-old Alec Hammerton of Fieldmere Close, Witney in Oxfordshire, and 44 year-old Damon Jennings of Manorfileds Road in Milton Keynes were both charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy property. They pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court January 6, 2016 for conspiring to commit criminal damage. On January 21, they were each sentenced to 8 months in prison. Police Staff Investigator Karen Slade said; "This was a mindless campaign to cause criminal damage which has had a devastating effect on the community. Some residents felt as though they were being individually targeted as their vehicles were damaged on multiple occasions. Due to the length of time the defendants continued their campaign, some residents considered moving address. I am very pleased that the courts have reflected the seriousness of these crimes in the sentences that have been imposed. "The victims will hopefully be reassured that the defendants can no longer cause havoc in their community. I would like to thank the victims for their assistance during this investigation as their involvement was key to catching both men", Mobile Library The result of Hampshire County Council decision on its Library Service will be published on April 16th. This will almost certainly mean that the last visit of the Mobile Library to Langrish will be on Thursday 30th June

6 Superfast broadband Please see Ian Wesley s update on page 8 Ham Lane Motocross Track Enforcement Notice A summons for non-compliance has been served by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). The hearing is due to be held at the end of March. However if progress in complying with the quite strict requirements for returning the area to its pre 2010 condition, laid down by EHDC, is considered satisfactory by them, the prosecution will not go ahead. A date of 8th May has been flagged up on a Motocross website, for a potential Scramble event Verge opposite the Church Cars belonging to people attending Church, have for many years been parked on the grass verge opposite Langrish Church. When it is wet, the grass becomes churned up. This has been particularly bad this winter. The Parish Council (PC) has approached Hampshire County Council s Roads Department to see what could be done. They are looking into putting down matting, similar to that in Stroud, along the area. Currently we are awaiting costing and timing. Stiles Walkers may have noticed that some stiles in the Parish are in a very bad condition - beyond repair. The PC is putting in an application for a grant for some replacement stiles that conform with the South Downs National Park s specifications. Litter Litter along the A272, and particularly near the lay-by opposite Reeds Meadow (where there is a litter bin) has been very bad again this winter. Some of us regularly go along the worst bits and pick it up - the only way open to us to deal with it. If you do see people dropping litter, perhaps they could by tactfully reminded that it is an offence to drop litter and please could they put it in the bin provided, or take it home! 6

7 Abandoned car This car has been parked in the lay-by opposite Reeds Meadow for at least three (3) months. It has been reported to the Police and other relevant authorities. If it belongs to anyone who lives locally, please remove it quickly, because if you do not, it will be clamped and then removed and crushed Langrish Parish Plan and Design Statement Ian Wesley (in charge of Planning) writes: These documents are now hosted on the Parish Council website: They are both well worth a look; the Parish Plan outlines how we want to see Langrish and Ramsdean develop (not very much!) and the Design Statement lays down building standards for anything we do. For those of you that cannot get on line, the PC has a limited number of hard copies. Please have a look, particularly if you are thinking of putting in a planning application The next Parish Council meeting is on Monday 14th March 2016 at 7.30pm at Langrish House. All are welcome The Annual Parish Assembly will be held at Langrish House at 7.30pm on Monday 16th May. Chris Patterson (Communities Lead for the SDNP) will come and tell us about aspects of interest for Planning in the Park. Please come. 7

8 Superfast rural broadband update Superfast Broadband Wave 2 Announcement Wave 2 of the Hampshire Superfast Broadband programme is a large and complex project. BT Openreach will be upgrading connections to over 34,000 premises across the county between January 2016 and September Once completed, Wave 2 will make Superfast Broadband available to more than 95% of premises in Hampshire. Upon completion of Wave 1 and Wave 2, an additional 97,000 premises will have access to Superfast Broadband; this will bring the total number of Hampshire homes and businesses with access to superfast services to 570,000. Wave 2 has funding of around million Below is a timeline of 5 delivery phases for Wave 2: Phase 1: January December 2016 During this delivery period we will be providing fibre to over 7,000 premises in parts of the following exchange areas: Arlesford, Basingstoke, Cadnam, Chineham, Dummer, Harestock, Hook, Hythe, Micheldever, Monk Sherborne, Odiham, Romsey, Sparsholt, Sutton Scotney, Totton, Twyford, Winchester Phase 2: July June 2017 During this delivery period we will be providing fibre to over 9,100 premises in parts of the following exchange areas: Bassett, Bentley, Braishfield, Burghclere, Burley, Bursledon, Chandlers Ford, Cosham, Emsworth, Eversley, Fordingbridge, Frensham, Hamble, Hartley Whitney, Havant, Hayling Island, Headley, Headley Down, Heckfield, Highclere, Hindhead, Kingsclere, Liphook, Liss, Martin Cross, Moorhill, Mortimer, Newbury, Passfield, Petersfield, Ringwood, Rockbourne, Rowlands Castle, Rownhams, Silchester, Tadley, Whiteparish, Yateley Phase 3: January December 2017 During this delivery period we will be providing fibre to over 9,100 premises in parts of the following exchange areas: Bishops Waltham, Botley, Droxford, Eastleigh, Fair Oak, Fareham, Farnborough, Gosport, Grateley, Hambledon, Horndean, Lee-On-Solent, Locks Heath, Stubbington, Tidworth, Wallop, Waterlooville, Whitley, Wickham 8

9 Phase 4: July June 2018 During this delivery period we will be providing fibre to over 9,400 premises in parts of the following exchange areas: Alton, Aldershot, Blackwater, Bordon Braishfield, Bransgore, Brockenhurst, Chandlers Ford, Crondall, Durley, Eastleigh, Fair Oak, Farnborough, Fleet, Hawkley, Herriard, Hursley, Liss, Lymington, Medtsead, Milford-On- Sea, New Milton, Petersfield, Tisted Phase 5: January September 2018 During this delivery period we will be providing fibre to over 10,100 premises in parts of the following exchange areas: Abbotts Ann, Alresford, Andover, Ashurst, Basingstoke, Cadnam, Chilbolton, Chute Standen, Dummer, Fawley, Hatherden, Hook, Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hythe, Itchen Abbas, Kings Somborne, Linkenholt, Lockerley, Long Sutton, Longparish, Lyndhurst, Micheldever, Oakley, Overton, Owlesbury, Preston Candover, Romsey, Sparsholt, St Marybourne, Stockbridge, Totton, Turgis Green, Twyford, West Wellow, Weyhill, Whitchurch, Winchester. Comment Please find opposite the official announcement of the Hampshire Superfast Broadband programme. As usual it s full of PR statements which sound wonderful but are not what they seem: no one is getting connected to fibre as part of this programme. What happens is that Openreach connects the local cabinet which provides your telephone line to the exchange with a fibre optic cable. You then rely on your existing copper telephone line for your connection to the cabinet. Hence although the Langrish cabinet has been connected by fibre to the Petersfield exchange, very few of us have got superfast broadband as we are too far away from the cabinet. As far as I can tell, the Wave 2 programme will have no effect on us at all; under the terms of the programme we are already connected to fibre. There are other initiatives around on the programme using alternative technologies (wouldn t it be nice if we could tap into the fibre cable which will pass through Langrish on its way to East Meon?) but nothing is scheduled at the moment. Overall our broadband speeds have gone up but in many cases people are still held back by the poor quality of the telephone lines in Lan- 9

10 grish. (If you notice that whenever it rains water pours out of the BT ducts in the road you might understand the problems they have.) Please can you help me understand where we are now on broadband speeds by retesting your broadband speed. Please go to the website: and run the test they provide. Please me on giving the download and upload speeds and who is your broadband provider. It will be very interesting to compare the results with the last survey we did in March 2014 and we will publish the results of the survey in the June 2016 Squeaker. Ian Wesley A letter from James Barden Dear Langrish and Ramsdean Friends, I was delighted with your 100 donation towards my amazing and fascinating Japan World Scout Jamboree trip and now I am back I know just how life changing it was. I met Scouting people from over 150 countries and stayed on a huge campsite near Yamaguchi and experi- enced so many different cultures. We had a visit from the Japanese Prime Minister and also Grand Prince Naruhito (one of the princes in the Imperial family). I am still keeping in contact with lots of people I met in Japan from Colombians, Indian, Irish and all the way to Taiwanese. It made me feel just how the world should be. 40,000 people saying hi to completely random strangers and making friendships that will last a life time. We visited Hiroshima for the anniversary which was a very moving and humbling experience. I played a lot of football in Japan, in fact I think that football is an interesting language. On one of the nights we played a huge game in the street with over 30 countries and this was possibly the best experience in my life! That and also debating with the Aussies, Kiwis and 10

11 South Africans about who s rugby team is better! I have many badges and neckerchiefs from countries that visited the Jamboree and loads of photographs and I hope to show them soon! Before we went to the Jamboree we stayed with a family in the Tokyo district of Saitama and I enjoyed a taster of the Japanese culture. The food was amazing and that was when I realised just how different Japan is to England! After the Jamboree we went to Tokyo and not only did I get to go to an indoor theme park but also went up to the second tallest building on the planet! This was an amazing experience and without your help I wouldn t have had such a great time so thank you! James Barden Comings We have several newcomers to welcome into our two villages Sam D Lacey and Mark Grain have moved into Nutcombe Tower, off Harroway Lane in Ramsdean. They have been there a little while so we are sorry not to welcome them sooner. Also in Ramsdean, we welcome Jo Hudek who moved into 3 Pond Cottages in December from West Sussex. She has already been to a Parish Council meeting and is keen to get involved, particularly with footpaths! On Langrish Hill, Sally and Graham Hughes have moved into Hillcrest with their three children: Sophie, Ellie and Bradley. We hope that everyone will be happy here and we look forward to seeing them at various events 11

12 All you need is Love It seemed very strange to be celebrating Valentine s Day on the first Sunday of Lent; the prospect of chocolate, wine, flowers and meals in a nice restaurant all seemed a bit extravagant at the beginning of a season that is usually marked by fasting and abstinence. I ve never really enjoyed the 14 th February and it can be one of the worst or one of the best days of the year. Would this be the year that a card or flowers or chocolates (or all three!) would find their way to my house and let me know that somewhere out there I had a secret admirer, someone who loved me? The answer to that question was nearly always no. Going to a girl s school didn t help but I know that having a partner is not always a guarantee! But who was Valentine, and how did he end up being the focus of our love? The trouble is we know very little about him. We do know that there were a couple of men called Valentine who were martyred during the 1 st Century and who were later commemorated on 14 th February. The stories we know of Valentine today come from something called The Golden Legend. There is little proof that what is written in it has much historical accuracy but it certainly makes for a good read! So, tradition says that Valentine was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudius who persecuted the church at that particular time. Claudius also had an edict that banned the marriage of young people. This was based on the idea that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died. The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the ban. Supposedly he wore an amethyst ring inscribed with an image of Cupid so that soldiers would know to approach him. Valentine was persecuted because of his faith and was interrogated by Claudius. Claudius was so impressed with Valentine that he tried to get him to convert to paganism to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead and because of this he was executed. Before his execution the story goes that he performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailor, Aste- 12

13 rius and the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine." So many different stories come together to give us the opportunity to let someone know that they are loved. St Valentine is not the only celebration that falls during Lent though. On the fourth Sunday in Lent we celebrate Mothering Sunday (more flowers, chocolate, special meals) another day steeped in tradition. During the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church, the main church or cathedral of the area, for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday (meaning refreshment). Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone a-mothering. In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, since on other days they were prevented by conflicting working hours, and servants were not given free days on other occasions. Children and young people who were in service (as household servants) were given a day off on that date so they could visit their families. The children would pick wild flowers along the way to place in the church or give to their mothers. Today it is a day when we can give thanks not only for our mums, but for all those who love us and parent us. And it is love that is at the heart of Easter Day the celebration to top all celebrations. Jesus death and resurrection shows us that nothing not even death can separate us from God s love. St Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, tells us that in the end faith, hope and love remain and the greatest of these is love. Love really does conquer all and it s so important that to Christians every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection, even Sundays in Lent! You might have worked out that there are more than forty days in Lent if you count every day from Ash Wednesday, but that s because Sundays don t count. Lent is a time of abstinence; a wonderful time to think about and focus on what really matters, to give something up as a way of helping us to appreciate the blessings that are part of our lives. The Sundays of Lent give us a day off, a pause in our Lenten observance, an opportunity to give thanks and remember that The Beatles were right all you need is love! Jane Ball 13

14 Church News Services for Lent In addition to the 9.00am service in Langrish, there will be a service of Compline at 7.30pm in East Meon each Sunday during Lent. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES - LANGRISH 20 th March - Palm Sunday 9.00am Procession and blessing of Palms starting on the Village Green Monday 21st March (Monday) 7.30pm - Compline with reflections for Lent (Langrish) Good Friday 25th March Walk from Langrish to Warnford 9am Prayers - Langrish Church led by the Rev Jane Ball East Meon Church (Coffee & Hot Cross Buns) West Meon Church (Soup & rolls) Warnford Church (Tea & Cakes) and a final act of worship :- Watch by the Cross pm Easter Day 28 th March 9.00am Blessing of Pascal Candle, renewal of baptismal promises and Eucharist to celebrate the Resurrection Other events and services of note Sunday, 13th March - The Passion 4pm East Meon Church Hall (with refreshments) This is a film (made by the BBC) retelling the last week of Jesus life 14 th April - Annual Parochial Church Meeting Venue and time to be announced 3rd May Rogation Service Butser 7.00pm Sunday 29th May - Cluster Service with East Meon, West Meon & Warnford 10.30am at Langrish. The service will be taken by the Bishop of Portsmouth 14

15 London to Portsmouth Direct The direct railway line from London to Portsmouth, on which Petersfield is located, was one of the last mainlines from London to significant towns or ports to be opened. The major reason for this was because of haggling and the commercial interests of the many small companies (important in their own eyes), that owned and built the railways in the early middle 1800s. Permission for lines to be built and opened also needed to be obtained from Parliament and again vested interests played a part in getting any Bill passed. In the first decades of the 19 th century Portsmouth was an important centre for the Royal Navy and its support activities as well as for ship construction and repair. In 1840 the London and Southampton Railway had opened a direct line from London to Southampton via Woking, and it was proposed that there should be a rail connection from it via Bishopstoke (now Eastleigh) to Portsmouth but Portsmouth Corporation considered a branch line and circuitous route from London unsatisfactory. Nevertheless a line was opened from Bishopstoke to Gosport in November Communication between Gosport and Portsmouth was via the newly opened ferry. Meanwhile promoters and commercial interests in Portsmouth had proposed a more direct line from London, this time via Arundel and Horsham, but sufficient capital to build this long line could not be raised. The London and Southampton line already ran through Woking and permission was granted for a line to be built from there to Guildford which was an important manufacturing town. This opened in this was the first part of what was to become the Portsmouth Direct Line In 1845, three different proposed routes to Portsmouth were put before Parliament by different railway companies. The first was to run from Epsom via Dorking and Godalming to Portsmouth; the second would come from Brighton and Shoreham, with a new line westwards from Chichester to Portsmouth; the third was to run from Guildford via Godalming, Midhurst to Chichester to Portsmouth. The only line that was approved was the Brighton and Chichester extension to Portsmouth. This was opened in Part of this line is today is still utilised between Havant and Portsmouth. The second part of the direct line. Bitter haggling continued between the various companies as to the direct route from London to Portsmouth and who should build and own it. But a short extension from Guildford to Godalming was authorised. This was constructed with difficulty, because of the geology at the site of 15

16 the tunnel immediately south of Guildford station and in the early days the line had to be closed because of roof falls. This line, the third section of the Direct Line, was opened in October After yet more haggling, in 1853 permission was finally granted for a line to be built from just north of Godalming to Havant via Whitley, Haslemere and Petersfield at a cost of 350,000. The line was routed in such a way as to avoid major gradients, although there are some quite significant gradients in railway terms, but not necessarily noticeable to us, the passengers; and eliminate the necessity for deep cuttings to negotiate the High Weald, although tunnel was necessary at Buriton to negotiate the South Downs. So in spite of running through largely unpopulated countryside, the line bends and turns and is described as a contour line. This extension, the fourth part, was ready to be opened in May 1858 but did not do so until January 1859 because there was yet another snag and the trains had to terminate at Havant, because the track between there and Portsmouth was owned by another company! So still no direct operational line to Portsmouth. Finally through trains, from what Bradshaw s Handbook 1863 called Waterloo Road Terminus, ran directly to Portsmouth in August Initially it was a single track line but progressively from 1875, it was converted into a twin track. Electrification came in A standard off-peak service then was one express train per hour, calling at Guildford, Haslemere and Portsmouth and Southsea, making the journey in about an hour and a half; and two stopping trains. This new service was a considerable success, particularly for the summer holidays, when extra services were laid on on Saturdays to give good connections to the Isle of Wight and Hayling Island What of Petersfield? Bradshaw, in his 1863 Handbook, makes only a passing mention of Petersfield, which he describes as a neat little town of great antiquity. It has a population of 5,655, and returns one member to Parliament. His mention of the population is interesting because the 1801 census gives Petersfield a population of 2,100 but the 1901 census (some 40 years later than Bradshaw) only gives a population of 4, less than 1863 number! In the early part of the 19 th century, Petersfield had been an important staging stop, particularly for the coaches of naval personnel travelling from London to Portsmouth, and in 1830 there were about 27 stagecoaches calling at Petersfield each day. The coming of the railway made the coaching trade obsolete. But the railways did bring some commercial compensation, in that a milk distribution centre was built beside the station - the old United 16

17 dairies site, which has recently been turned into a housing development. This was to serve the local dairy farmers who now began transporting their fresh milk directly to London. Further expansion of the railway around here occurred in 1864, when a branch line was built between Petersfield and Midhurst. This line was closed in During World War II, between October 1943 and October 1945, there was an additional stop between Petersfield and Rowlands Castle to the south of the Buriton tunnel, known as Woodcroft Halt. In 1940 the Admiralty requisitioned Ditcham Park, then a country house - now a private school, to use as a convalescent home for sailors. The halt was used principally for trains from the extensive naval facilities in Portsmouth. It is rumoured that an extra train ran on Thursday nights to bring in the ladies! Because of its military nature and being wartime, this station was not named on any maps. On some, however it was marked by a little tab without a name. Today Petersfield is an important stop on the fast line, currently with two platforms. Originally there was a third platform branching into the coal yard adjacent to the station (where Majestic and Lidl now are) and a fourth platform to the north of the level crossing which served the Midhurst line before it closed. You can still see remnants of this as the train pulls in from London. The main station building is unchanged and dates back to the opening of the line in The footbridge also looks old but I cannot find a date for it. Petersfield also has one of the few remaining working, old fashion signal boxes but very high tech inside. It would be interesting to know what Bradshaw would make of Petersfield and its railway now! 17

18 Reflections on Walking 1000 Miles I set myself the target to walk 1000 miles in 2015; I achieved it on Friday 18 th December on the beach at the south west corner of Hayling Island. It was lovely to have Ian there with me. He has encouraged and supported me throughout the year, accompanying me on my walks for 450 miles, providing me with daily, sometimes hourly, weather forecasts so that despite the disappointing weather I have not got wet once. He has maintained the Fitbit Flex that he bought me last Christmas to measure each walk and he set up and maintained a spreadsheet to record the details of every walk that I did. Thanks to Ian s meticulous records I have been able to summarise my year of walking. I covered my 1000 miles in 5 countries: England Switzerland Scotland (The Outer Hebrides) America Belgium. I have walked to Ramsdean and back 12 times; this means Doris has kindly made me at least 12 drinks. I have walked 67 of the miles on the heath in Petersfield. Over recent weeks, when it has been so wet underfoot, most of these miles have been covered by walking on the path around the pond. I have walked 52 miles along the Meon Valley trail; a wonderful well drained and well maintained bridleway that can be walked in all weathers. Hayling Island has proved to be an excellent place to walk, especially at low tide and when there is sufficient breeze for the wind and kite surfers to be in action. I have walked 45 miles on the Island some of these with Rosemary and Doris which means as well as clocking up miles I have learnt to recognise and name some sea shore flowers and plants. Needless to say, Langrish features high on the list of places walked and miles covered. I have walked 130 miles in Langrish alone, not counting the miles walked in and around and to Ramsdean. Other local places frequently walked are Froxfield, High Cross and Old Winchester Hill. What I have found most amazing from the analysis of places walked is that I have walked 70 miles along and around the Entrenchments. 18

19 I have thoroughly enjoyed fulfilling the challenge. I have lost weight and I am much fitter than I have been for a very long time. Next year? I intend simply to see how far I can walk over the course of the year but I am determined to maintain my fitness, not to regain the weight I have lost and I hope to persuade others to walk regularly too. Rosemary and Doris are you up for the challenge? ~ I plan to continue walking regularly keeping a record of the distances I cover. However, I am not setting myself a specific target. To help me maintain my commitment, I invite family and friends to estimate how far I will walk over the year, starting on 1 st January and finishing on 31 st December If you are willing to participate in this bit of trivia please put your name and your estimate in miles on a piece of paper, seal in an envelope and give it to me or to Ian by 31 st March Please do not tell either of us your estimate. We will open the envelopes on 31st December 2016 and I will donate 50 to the charity of choice of the person whose estimate is the closest to my final total. I will send monthly updates of my progress to those interested. Betty Wesley 19

20 Wild Garlic (Ramsons) Pesto This quick easy recipe makes a good sauce for pasta etc Preparation Time: 10 minutes to wash the leaves plus 5 minutes to blend Ingredients - Good bunch of young wild garlic leaves - 100ml olive oil - 50gm pine nuts - 50gm finely grated parmesan cheese - Juice of half a lemon - Ground black pepper Method Roughly chop the wild garlic leaves Blend in a food processor together with olive oil and pine nuts Stop, push down any leaves. Add the parmesan and lemon juice Blend and add black pepper to choice Spoon into a clean jar and refrigerate until needed Tips Add at little more oil if you prefer it less thick Also lovely on toast or as a basis for a salad dressing If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can use a pestle and mortar Will keep in the fridge for a month in a glass screw top jar Wild garlic leaves (Ramsons) can be found in the bottom of hedges from the end of March until early Summer 20

21 Langrish weather 2015 As you can see from the chart it has been unexceptional year for rainfall. The really negative factor in 2015 has been a lack of sunshine, which unfortunately my weather station doesn t measure. Annual rainfall was 38 inches compared to our average of 40 inches. However after 3 years of above average rainfall the water table remains high so this is why it is so wet under foot in the countryside. Year Rainfall Average rainfall It was another temperate year with no extremes: the lowest temperature in 2015 was -5 C on 23 rd January; the highest temperature was 27 C on 26 th July (bizarrely the same day as the highest temperature in 2014.) This winter the lowest temperature so far is -0.4C on 23 rd November; is it going to be the mildest winter on record?! Ian Wesley 2 January

22 FRIENDS For our December meeting we had our usual, delicious celebratory Christmas meal at Langrish House and, as is the tradition, we didn t have a speaker, giving everyone plenty of time to chat and enjoy the excellent food and wine. For the first meeting of 2016 Dan Oakley, a South Downs Ranger who has the responsibility of helping the South Downs National Park to achieve the standards required to achieve Dark Skies status, gave us a most absorbing, enlightening and amusing talk on Dark Skies. I am sure we all looked at the night sky with much greater interest on our way home that evening and that we will take a much more critical interest in the outside lighting around our own homes and in public areas in future. Future Events Dates for the Spring 2016 meetings are: Thursday 10 th March when Neil Pattenden will talk on some aspects of Russia. It should be interesting Thursday 7 th April. (Please note the change of date) This meeting will include the AGM and Rosemary Hopewell will give us a talk on The Hopewell s and Henry VIII s Great Bible We hope to have another Bluebell walk at the end of April or beginning of May. We will set a firm date for this event when we can more accurately assess when the bluebells will be at their best. Please watch the website and we will also send out s and fliers etc. when the date and details of the walk are firmly fixed 22 Betty Wesley

23 Quiz - London 1. Which tube line connects with all other tube lines? 2. Who was the first King to be crowned in Westminster Abbey 3. Which is the oldest football club in London? 4. What is the shortest distance between stations on the London Underground? 5. What guards Nelson s column? 6. Where, in 1666, did the Great Fire of London start? 7. What was first designed by Harry Beck in 1931? 8. For what is 17 Bruton Street famous? 9. Where would you find the Whispering Gallery? 10. Which football ground is named after a battle? 11. Which is the tallest building in London? 12. Name the Inns of Court 13. Where would you be if you were at postcode HA9 0WS? 14. Great Ormond Street Hospital received the copyright of which book in 1929? 15. Which three stations appear on a Monopoly board? 16. Which is the busiest London Underground station? 17. Where does the annual Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square come from? 18. Which London Park is famous for Speaker s Corner? 19. Who designed the Cenotaph? 20. Where is the deepest part on the tube in London? Answers on Page 27 A Winter MISCELLANY Answers 1. America (USA) 2. Cabbage 3. Candlemas 4.21st December Four 6. Stoat, Mountain Hare 7.25th January 8.Garnet 9. Narnia 10. Christina Rossetti South 13. Ptarmigan 14. JS Bach 15. Nadolig 16. Stir-up Sunday (Last Sunday before Advent) 17. Oliver Cromwell 18. Capricorn 19. Charles Dickens 20. Mistletoe 21. France (Chamonix 1934) 22. Germany / Austria North 24. Bohemia 25. Richard III (Shakespeare) 23

24 Langrish House "World class Chefing at Langrish House." Two relatively recent arrivals of outstanding chefs at Langrish House include - Head Chef - Nathan Marshall. Background : Ockendon Manor, Surrey. 1 Michelin star. 3 AA rosettes. Maze Restaurant. 1 Michelin star and 4 AA rosettes. The Square. London. 2 Michelin stars and 4 AA rosettes. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Hospital Road. 3 Michelin stars. 5 AA rosettes. Pied a Terre. 2 Michelin stars. 4 AA rosettes. Langrish House. 2 AA rosettes. Les Routiers past National Hotel of the Year Award. Gold Award for Green Tourism. Patisserie Chef. Thomas Hilton. Background. Le Cordon bleu UK Scholarship Award Finalist. Patisserie scholarship from Westminster Kingsway. William Curley Patisserie and Chocol atier. Glasshouse Restaurant, Kew. London. Richard Bertinet Bakery. Enriched doughs, fermented goods, continental breads. Rococo Chocolates. Chocolatier, Couture chocolates and truf fles, marshmallows and caramels. In all four Chefs produce enviable 'fodder' of some distinction Nigel Talbot-Ponsonby WaRning There will be fireworks at Langrish House on the evening / night 28th May 24

25 Events of interest Save The Children BouTique Bonanza Save the Children (Petersfield Branch) are launching their Boutique Bonanza (formerly the big sale at the Festival Hall in Petersfield. This will be from Thursday, 21st April to Saturday 23rd April. Please check the website for more details Look forward seeing you all there. Although this concert, directed by Louisa Denby, is in Cambridge, they are fund raising for The Rosemary Foundation, with the following link for donations : 25

26 MARCH 10th 13th 14th 20th 25th APRIL 7th Village Calendar Langrish & Ramsdean Friends 7.30pm Langrish House The Passion (film) 4pm East Meon Church Hall (See page 14) Parish Council Meeting Palm Sunday Procession of Palms 9.00am from Langrish Village Green Good Friday Walk of Witness 9.00am Langrish to Warnford (See page 14 ) Langrish & Ramsdean Friends & AGM 7.30pm Langrish House 14 th Annual Parochial Church Meeting Venue and time to be announced 18th MAY 3rd 8th 16th 29th Parish Council Meeting (Provisional) Rogation Service 7.00pm Butser Potential Scramble Ham Lane Parish Council AGM 6.00pm Langrish House Annual Parish Assembly 7.30 Langrish House Cluster Service 10.30am Langrish Church (Bishop of Portsmouth) 26 Unscheduled events in the interim will be posted on the Website

27 Mobile Library THURSDAYS Four (4) WEEKLY Langrish Village Green am Date 11th February 10th March 7th April 5th May 2nd & 30th June It is almost certain that this service will finish at the end of June Useful telephone Numbers Police 101 (non 999 emergencies) or Community Support Officer PCSO Tricia Gibbs Mobile East Meon Care Group Provides transport to surgeries and hospital outpatients for the elderly and disabled. To request transport call To offer to be a driver contact Libby Swayne Quiz answers 1, Jubilee line 2. William I (Christmas Day 1066) 3. Fulham (1879) m (Covent Garden to Leicester Sq) 5. Four lions (Landseer) 6. Pudding Lane 7. London Underground map 8. The Queen was born there 9. In the dome of St Pauls 10.Chelsea s (Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066) 11. The Shard 12. Lincolns, Grays, Inner and Middle Temple 13. Wembley Stadium 14. Peter Pan (JM Barrie) 15. Liverpool Street, Kings Cross, Marylebone 16. Waterloo (Rush hour) Oxford Circus (other times) 17. The people of Norway 18. Hyde Park 19.Lutyens 20. Hampstead Station (58.5 m) 27

28 Who S Who Parish Council Mrs Rosemary Hopewell (Chairman & Tree Warden ) r.radley-smith@virgin.net Mr Gary Hodgson (Vice Chairman, Roads & Footpaths) Mrs Alison Meggeson Cdre David Mowlam Mr Nigel Talbot-Ponsonby Mr Ian Wesley (IT & Planning) Mrs Helen Marsh (Clerk) helenmarsh141@btinternet.com District Councillor Cllr Rob Mocatta robert.mocatta@easthants.gov.uk County Councillor Cllr Ken Moon ken.moon@hants.gov.uk Parochial Church Council Vicar Rev.d Jane Ball revjaneball@gmail.com Churchwarden Mr Nigel Talbot-Ponsonby ntp@gva.co.uk Mrs Charlotte Denby (Deanery Synod Rep, and Hon. Secretary) Mrs Julie Blackwell (Hon Treasurer) Mrs Debbie Luff (Deanery Synod Rep.) Cdre David Mowlam (Electoral Roll Officer) Mrs Robina Talbot-Ponsonby Mrs Rebecca Thomas Mr Peter Thomas 28

29 Langrish and Ramsdean Friends Rosemary Hopewell (Chairman) Doris Rattray (Hon.Treas.) Julie Blackwell Sylvia Deadman (Hon.Sec) Roger Deadman Jan Mallett Tim Siddons Chris Siddons Betty Wesley Squeaker Committee Mrs R Hopewell jph.langrish@virgin.net Mrs Sylvia Deadman Mrs Doris Rattray Mr Ian Wesley Langrish Primary School Governors Jon Allen - Chair & Community Representative James Greenwood - Vice Chair & Parent Representative Alan Burges - Community Representative Nelly Hall - Community Representative Tony Llewellyn - Community Representative Mark Christmas - Parent Representative Julie Gray - Parent representative Vacancy - Parent Representative Sarah Cowlrick - LEA representative Vacancy - LEA representative Vacancy - LEA representative Vicky Boulain - Staff Representative Sarah Wright - Head Teacher Mrs Mary Downes - Clerk to Governors 29

30 Do you have a busy schedule? Unable to leave the house? Do you suffer from aches and pains? Why not see if Osteopathy can help? I will travel to you! Home visits in the Froxfield, Langrish and Privett areas Tuesday-Wednesday 10am-7.30pm Contact me to book an appointment or for further information: Emily Moss emilymoss@mossteopathy.co.uk PA / SECRETARIAL / BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SERVICE PA services Typing and transcription Web design and maintenance Diary management Marketing General secretarial support Scribus offers a completely flexible approach to office administration. Whether you require a complete office management service or a one-off project, we can help. CONTACT SOPHIE RICHARDSON TODAY ON OR

31 Painting & Decorating Interiors/Exteriors By Paul Penson Tel

32 Petersfield Framing Studios Bespoke picture framing service. All types of work undertaken, such as: watercolours, oils, pastels, charcoals, photos, embroidery, tapestry, etc. etc. 3-D art (such as medals, indentures, even a cricket bat!) are our speciality. Picture restoration service. Over 750 moulding samples. Over 400 mount board samples. 25 years experience. Collection and Delivery service available in the Langrish and Ramsdean area. Guild Commended Framer. All picture framing carried out at our workshop in Petersfield Tel

33 Rattray Tree Services Thomas Rattray Bricklaying and Building Contractor Geoff D. Cook From Home Extensions to Garden Walls Free Estimates Horndean Quality Craftsmanship and Reliable Service 33

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36 COLIN NORGATE WORKSHOP Designer Maker in Wood Furniture Bespoke Joinery Courses Sculptural Turning Letter Carving Consultation Showroom Commission Handmade Gifts Tactile Fluid Workshop/Showroom open by appointment Contact: Colin Colin Norgate Workshop The Barn, Manor Farm, Langrish, Petersfield GU32 1RG Tel:

37 Monthly evening meetings at East Meon Village Hall on 1 st Monday of the month from October to March, 7.15p.m. for a 7.30 start. Outings and visits to local gardens and practical workshops organised during the summer months. Membership 5.00 per year. Something for all gardeners. 37

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39 Sleepless Nights, Aching Muscles & Stress are just some of the many things that can be helped by REFLEXOLOGY Please contact Debbie Luff for further information and to book your first session on British Red Cross Various equipment is available for hire for the disabled, or those in need of equipment whilst having care in the home: Wheelchairs, bed tables, commodes and many more items are available from :The British Red Cross, The Health Centre, Dryden Close, Waterlooville, PO8 8JX Tel: Open: Mon Fri to am and 2pm-4pm Please ring before to find out more should you need any equipment. NADFAS Alton Decorative and Fine Arts Society meets on the second Tuesday of each month at Alton 6th Form College at 7.15 for an 8pm lecture. Anyone Tel.: or

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