Community news from Basingstoke and surrounding area

Chineham

Chineham Repair Café will be at Christ Church Chineham from 11 am to 2 pm this coming Saturday 17th June. This week is Basingstoke Green Week and the repair café is offering its services with extra enthusiasm in tune with other "green" activities around the borough. Regular sessions take place on the third Saturday of every month.

If you have broken items at home, putting them in the bin and buying something new, not only costs money, it also means more emissions. Take along any household items you’re thinking of chucking away and replacing to the Chineham Repair Café instead. An expert volunteer will do their very best to fix them for you.

Greener Basingstoke and local language school Linguatastic will be sharing a table at the World Party being held in Eastrop Park on Saturday the 17th.  Weather permitting there should be a very enjoyable event for young and old whilst also providing a good opportunity to be exposed to other cultures.  Highly recommended.

Basingstoke Community Radio has moved to new studios in the Chineham Shopping Centre. To celebrate this landmark event, they are holding an open day on Saturday, June 24. Why not pop along to meet the team, grab some merchandise and you could even win a DAB+ radio in their prize draw? A tour of the studios is on offer and you might even get onto the radio.

Fiona Biermann

Cliddesden

A reminder that the Cliddesden Players’ performances of  ‘Home Is Where Your Clothes Are’, by Anthony Marriott and Bob Grant, are taking place this weekend. If you would like tickets for a performance (and maybe the BBQ too), please contact Angie Fewster on 01256 475848 or angie@fewster.me.uk and she can advise you on availability. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd.

The premises are licensed, so please bring some money for the bar and refreshments (cash will limit transaction charges so please use this payment option if at all possible, although a card machine is available for your convenience when making larger transactions).

Please remember that volunteer helpers are always greatly appreciated and that every penny raised through ticket sales will go towards the upkeep of our village hall, which is so central to our community here in Cliddesden.

Finally, as a side note, there will be no Farleigh Playgroup tomorrow, due to the stage being set for the above.

Helen Walker

Hatch Warren and Beggarwood

Community Association Annual Meeting: Just over the necessary 25 people attended the Community Association's AGM on 7th June. They heard that this had been a difficult year for the Association which was hard hit by the rise in energy prices. It had made a smaller loss than originally budgeted, but financial pressures are still high. The good news was that the events organised by the committee were proving successful, including the best fireworks display in the area, which was a sell-out. The Cafe in the Park is now making a small surplus. Volunteers to join the trustees are always welcome. The new committee was elected with one fresh face from the audience volunteering to join.

Hounsome Fields School: Plans have progressed to the stage where a formal planning application will shortly be submitted. A suitable academy chain is being sought to run the school. After that a decision will need to be taken on the catchment area boundaries.

Road Works: Following the disruption caused by the overnight closures past the golf course, it looks as if the resurfacing and white-lining have been completed. The major task now is to fit the new traffic lights at the junction. Residents have asked me if this will be the only entrance to the golf course site. No; eventually there will be access off the Hounsome Fields roundabout as well.

Thunderstorm! Last Sunday saw a spectacular thunderstorm after many days of hot weather. The smell of the air, cleaned of the built-up dust and pollen was noticeable and very welcome.

Lager Festival: The Community Association's Lager Festival is on Saturday (17th June). The organisers promise something for everyone with a selection of wine, prosecco, ale and cider so don't let the name put you off! They will also have some amazing food on the night supplied by El Bigote - Mexican Street Food. To book your tickets please use Ticketsource.

Stephen Reid

Kempshott

The Village Hall Sunday Market featured several new contributors last week, including a bbq stall, which proved a popular addition. As part of Basingstoke Green Week, Stratton Park Men’s Shed held a successful open morning at the Scout Hut in the park, where they are to be found every Tuesday morning from 10. Basingstoke Horticultural Society has no meeting in the Hall this week as members make their annual garden visit, this time to Malverleys. The Kempshott branch of Oakley Stitchers meets in the Community Room of the Hall on Wednesday 21st from 10-11.30. Why not drop in for a chat and to collect supplies for the many articles being made for people in need? Supporters provide items for premature babies, people in hospital, those who because of cancer surgery rely on “knitted knockers” and many others. If you would like a purpose for your stitching hobby, be it knitting, crochet or sewing, the Stitchers are the perfect organisation with which to become involved. The Women’s Institute monthly meeting is on Monday 26th at 2.30 in the Hall. The speaker this month is Kate Legg, herself a Hampshire WI member, who works for Dementia Carers Count, an organisation which seeks to support and inform those who care for sufferers of dementia and cognitive impairment.  If this subject is pertinent to your circumstances, why not come as a visitor? Ladies would be most welcome.

Diana Manville

Oakley

News from Friends of St Lawrence: Please join us for a musical evening of entertainment from local choirs Ooh Mama Ladies Choir and Basingstoke Male Voice Choir, on Thursday, July 6, at 7.30pm at St Lawrence Church, Wootton.

Tickets available from eventbrite: MusicaleveningatStLawrence.eventbrite.co.uk. Tickets cost £15.

Doors open 6.30pm. Evening starts at 7.30pm. Complimentary refreshments.

Funds raised go towards St Lawrence for Our Time improvement project - to provide a water supply, toilet, kitchen and meeting area in our beautiful church. Do please spread the word.

Oakley Ramblers June Walk on Saturday 24th June - Mottisfont, morning 6.5 miles. Find further details at oakleyramblers.org or email oakleyramblers@gmail.com.

Oakley Infant and Junior Schools Summer Fayre: Local businesses would you like to donate a raffle prize, have a stall at the fayre, please contact Jeni Saunders if you are interested or have a donation jeni@saundersweb.co.uk.

Don’t forget to register for this year’s Oakley Front Garden Stalls on Saturday 24th June between 12noon to 4pm. Visit a wide range of stalls all around Oakley. Full details and booking form can be found online at ocaoakley.org.uk.

Book your stall by Saturday 17th June.

I will send a confirmation to those I have email addresses for in the next few weeks.

Village map available of stalls in the following week.

Vapes and e-cigarettes should not be put into your kerbside general waste or recycling bin. Check the manufacturers recommendations and see if they offer a take back scheme, if not:

if you can remove the battery, do so safely and put the battery in a battery recycling bin, available at most shops. The rest of the vape will then need to go to a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) drop off point.

if you cannot remove the battery, take the whole vape pen to a WEEE drop off point, these are available at the Waste and Recycling Centre and other locations.

Find a WEEE drop off point: basingstoke.gov.uk/recycling-sites or drop your used vape into the VPZ store in Wote Street, Basingstoke.

Tiffany Wise

Old Basing and Lychpit

Although the recent heavy rain was very welcome after the long dry spell the sunny weather seems likely to return and continue into the weekend which is great news for the organisers of The Old Basing and Lychpit Carnival and of course the many people who are looking forward to joining in the fun on Saturday 17th June. There will be a raffle with some fantastic prizes to be won; a variety of stalls; fairground games; lots of refreshment opportunities; classic cars on display and various arena events, with some brilliant acts for all ages.  Although card payment will often be acceptable, please be sure to bring plenty of cash…just in case.

Old Basing Recreation Ground opens for the Carnival at midday (entrance just £1 per person) but don’t forget that one of the highlights of the Carnival - the procession, starts at the British Legion at 11.30am. It will be led by the British Legion Band and will feature many local groups and societies.

Scarecrows are popping up in all sorts of places and more will undoubtably join them until the close of the Scarecrow Festival on 17th June. Check out the Old Basing and Lychpit Carnival Facebook page for the most recent additions.

The Village Café continues to be a popular place to visit on Fridays from 2-4pm with visitors no doubt enticed by the delicious homemade cakes and treats. All profits from this venture, which is run by volunteers, will go to St Michael’s Hospice until the end of summer.

Elspeth Lee

Sherfield

Fete: It was lovely to see the Village Green bursting with people and action on Saturday for the fete.   There were so many attractions, music, refreshments and a fantastic raffle (even though I didn’t win anything!). Thanks, on behalf of us all, to all the volunteers on the Committee, supporters, collectors and those who donated to the raffle. And thankfully the rain held off!

Loddon Quilters:  Every third Thursday you will see ladies and gents arriving at the village hall with bags, sewing machines and more. This is the Quilting group. This Thursday, June 15, today, they are holding an Open Meeting from 11.30pm until 3.30pm and they do have some spaces. So, if you are interested, do go along.     

Chris Horton