Every week and in every edition of the Gazette, we include community news from around Basingstoke and surrounding villages.

Chineham

This is just a reminder of the relaunch of the Chineham Conservation Group which has been in abeyance since before the pandemic.

They have a new team of enthusiastic young residents of Chineham who are keen to get back to managing the woodlands. Their first relaunch gathering will be this coming Saturday 11th February 10am-12pm in Great Sorrell’s Copse and, it is hoped, the second Saturday of the month thereafter.

If you would like to meet old colleagues, consider joining a work party, or see in what other ways you could support the work of the group they would be delighted to see you that morning or the following month.

The team at Chineham Library have some exciting events coming up for Hampshire’s Festival of Climate Change week (February 11th to 18th).

Saturday 11th February it is “Valentine to the Planet” (10am to 12pm), and the following Saturday it is “Decorate a Plant Pot” (10am to 12pm).  Tuesday offers “Storytime” from 10.30am to 11am, “Construction Club” from 3.15pm to 4.45pm and “Valentine to the Planet Craft” from 11am to 4pm.

What a great way to keep the kids occupied over half term! 

Fiona Biermann

Cliddesden

This Monday 13th February is Coffee Morning at the Millennium Village Hall, from 10.30am-12 noon. There will be a second hand book stall, crafted birthday cards for sale and the chance to try your hand at table tennis. This is, of course, all in addition to hot drinks and delicious cake. The 100 Club winners are drawn during each Coffee Morning, which is held on the second Monday of each month. All ages are welcome and, I believe, all proceeds go to the upkeep of the Village Hall.

Next Friday, 17th February, is the STaNHD (Stand Up for the North Hampshire Downs) Cliddesden Quiz Night. This takes place at the Millennium Village Hall and tickets cost £10, to include wine, beer or a soft drink for the licensed bar. Light refreshments are also provided. Participants without a team of six will be grouped on the night, so don’t be shy! The organisers say that all proceeds from the evening will be used “to fund work which is necessary to protect the rural character of Cliddesden Village”. For tickets or more information, contact Alex Conboy (07767 890962) or Sarina Smith (07977298038). It’s sure to be a great evening.

Helen Walker

Hatch Warren and Beggarwood

Will Brighton Hill School become an academy? Our local secondary school is considering joining the South Farnham Education Trust - an academy chain. Headteacher Chris Edwards sees potential benefits as the school could establish itself as a leading centre for training teachers and offer enhanced career progression to its existing teachers. In Hampshire over half of secondary schools have converted to academy status.

Nursery Planning Application: Blueberry Enterprises Ltd has applied for planning permission to build a nursery on the Island Site, near to the Holly Blue. This is an expected application on the site of what was originally intended to be a new dental surgery, with similar amenity areas and designated parking areas. The building sought is in red brick with a grey roof and contains a reception entrance, classrooms on the ground and first floors, administration areas, a balcony area to the rear of the development overlooking the ground floor garden and an external play area. Full details are available on the borough council website, reference 23/00236/FUL.

Hatch Warren Community Centre Is looking for any unwanted scooters that children can use who attend the After School Club. If you have one that you could donate, please contact the centre to make arrangements.

No Tech Day Challenge: This weekend (11th and 12th February) St Mark's school is challenging pupils and their families to take part in a day without tech.  Can it be done in this age of computers, phones and gadgets?

Bloor Homes are advertising the first homes for sale in their new development on the golf course. Work is currently under way completing the second access to the site (the main one will be off the new roundabout).

Stephen Reid

Lychpit and Old Basing

Great news! The North Hampshire Repair Café is coming to Lychpit Community Hall on Friday 25th February from 10am-12noon. For a voluntary donation to help cover running costs, the team of volunteer repairers will do their best to repair a range of things including: small household electrical appliances, some IT equipment, bikes, toys, clothing, furniture and garden tools. In just seven of previous Repair Café sessions, they have saved their customers £15,449, saved 554kg of waste going to landfill and prevented 2,671kg of greenhouse gases being generated by new purchases. If you are able to register your visit and type of repair in advance this will ensure a suitable person is available to help. Details can be found on the North Hampshire Repair Café website: www.nhrc.uk - use the book tab. Climate Emergency is a major concern to many of us so it is good to hear that we can do something to help by minimising our domestic waste.

Sunday 12th February just before St Valentine’s Day is a particularly appropriate day for the Wedding Fair at Old Basing Village Hall from 10am-4pm. The spacious hall itself can be booked for wedding celebrations and Sunday’s event gives an opportunity to see the lovely surroundings, large carpark, well equipped kitchen and other facilities. At the fair there will be a chance to check out wedding dresses; mother of the bride outfits flowers; favours; hair and makeup ideas; wedding cakes; cupcakes; table displays; entertainment such as discos and karaoke; bar and catering companies and much more. Refreshments will also be available. Old Basing Village Hall can be booked in advance for special occasions or on the day at bookings@oldbasingvillagehall.co.uk or sheenagrassi@hotmail.com

Elspeth Lee

Oakley

Jolly Olly’s: As of Friday 3rd February, we will be offering a small range of freshly baked breads for sale in Jolly Olly’s. Bread will be sold on a trial basis, on Fridays, alongside a “Friday Special” bake on our cake stands or Specials board each week.

Come and enjoy a hot drink and bowl of soup at the Oakley and Deane Parish Council Warm Hub running every Thursday during the winter months at Newfound Pavilion from 10am-2pm.

We can provide transport from your home and back. Please contact the parish clerk: clerk@oakleydeane-pc.gov.uk or call 01256 780886 / 07983500372.

Friends of St Lawrence - Recipe ideas please for FoSL Cookery Book: When it comes to eating what do you and yours enjoy? Do you have a signature dish that can be relied on every time to bring sighs of delight from your family and friends? Does your flapjack fly, do you have a marvellous method with mushrooms, a sensational style with steak or a Hampshire hotpot to rival Lancashire’s?

The world needs to hear more of this culinary good news so the Friends of Saint Lawrence are looking for lots of lovely recipes to add to a new cookery book which will be sold in aid of St Lawrence for Our Time Project.

Could you contribute a favourite recipe to our book?

Please email your recipes to: friends@oww.church. 

We will happily sell you a copy of the finished item for posterity!  Entries as soon as possible to help with planning, we hope to have the books on sale by the summer.

Thank you so much for your support, we can’t wait to get the rolling pin out, apron and start trying out your recipes!

Annie’s Charity Shop, Meon Road: This week at Annies we have half price on pictures, mirrors and material remnants.

We're still collecting used postage stamps and on the lookout for shelving/ display units.

Friends of Oakley Infant School are holding an Easter Fayre on Saturday 25th March. We are looking for any small or big businesses who may be willing to kindly donate us a raffle prize or offer the event some sponsorship. We are a registered charity and can provide headed letter with our charity number if required.

All proceeds from the raffle go back into the school providing extra resources, experiences and enrichment activities.

From local resident Nicola Buss: I am currently assisting arranging a charity virtual race night in aid of The Pink Place on 11th March.

To help raise funds we are doing a fab draw, tickets are £1 a ticket or £5 for a book.

If you would like some draw tickets please message me and I can arrange for these to be dropped to you.

Or if you are due a night out with friends, tickets are £5 or £15 with food, it would be great to have a sold out event. Tickets must be purchased prior to the event.

If there is any other company that would like to donate a prize it would be greatly appreciated.

Tiffany Wise

Sherfield

NWR (National Women’s Register). Gill says: “Tonight is our February meeting where we will discuss what career we might have taken instead of the path we ended up following. As we have a varied membership this should be an interesting evening.”

Warm Place: St Leonard’s Church is open every Wednesday from 11am till 2pm and offers a warm place, warm drink and a very warm welcome to all. There’s soup and toast, free of charge and all are welcome. There will be lifts from the village and Sherfield Park. Please contact Carol on 0118 981 6593.  If you can’t be there but would like to help, maybe volunteer to make soup, provide some vegetables for the soup or biscuits for the day, please contact Anne on anniehemmings03@gmail.com or 07770 303303.

Valentine’s Day: There will be a St Valentine’s Day Tea Party at the Baptist Chapel in Breach Lane from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.  For further details, please contact Tina Taplin on 01256 881608.

Chris Horton