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

Chineham

Chineham WI will hold their June meeting on the 26th of the month and they have a brilliant speaker Rowan Stuart. The title of his talk is "Something for Everyone" which sounds like an entertaining evening. They meet at 7:30 pm at Christ Church Chineham and you are very welcome to join them. Go along and have a chat and a cup of tea or two! They'd love to meet you. For more details, please contact 07588 533340, 02380 616712 or visit the church reception.

The charity plant fair held at Christ Church Chineham last month was a huge success for the second year running.

This year, the event was to support charity Wheels for the World. This is a branch of the charity “Through the Roof” and seeks to change the lives of disabled people and their families in developing countries through the gift of a wheelchair. The Revd Angela Webb was present with her son, Paul. Angela had some copies of her book Grace Upon Grace for people to look at and purchase if they so wished, and both she and Paul mingled with visitors, telling them about the work of the charity. Love Food, Hate Waste, and Greener Basingstoke had a display whilst Triple 0 Packaging with its refill service was on hand. The Repair Café was also busy with plenty of customers.

Not only were many plants and cakes sold, but there was also a really friendly atmosphere leading to the result of over £500 being raised to donate to the charity.

Fiona Biermann

 

Cliddesden

Following a successful ‘Show and Tell’ morning in April, the Cliddesden WI will be meeting tomorrow (June 23) for an afternoon tea party, at 2.30pm. Please note that this is not an open event, but for members and their invited guests only. However, if you are interested in joining future meetings, please contact Diane Rampton on 01256 467533 and she will share with you the details of the future programme, which is both varied and exciting.

Helen Walker

 

Hatch Warren and Beggarwood

Car Meets: I believe I have made some progress in identifying the company responsible for running the car park at the Hatch Warren Retail Park. In the light of the continuing antisocial behaviour at car meets that use the site as a focal point, I am going to ask that a new regime is introduced whereby the gates to the retail park are shut and locked at night. I will seek a meeting of stakeholders to discuss this and work out the best way of defending the site. It is unacceptable that residents should have their summer evenings ruined by people who show no regard for our community.

Lager Festival: The Community Association is reporting that its Lager Festival last weekend was a huge success, saying that Hatch Warren drank them dry!! They have posted a thank you to the volunteers who gave up their Saturday night to make the event a success. Even more is the dedication of the Committee that organises the programme of events each year and makes the Community Association such an important part of our lives. They are always on the lookout for new faces to join them.

Summer Festival: The Community Association's next big event is its annual Summer Festival on 15th July from 12pm to 4pm. They have invited many local traders to showcase their products and we can expect the field to be crowded with stalls, competitions and entertainment.

Hounsome Fields School: A formal planning application has been submitted and it is expected to be considered in July.

St Mark's School Farm: Our primary school has its new farm up and running, and it will no doubt delight many generations of children as they come to know it and the animals it houses. The school has posted its thanks to everyone who helped to bring it into existence.

Hatch Warren Nature Group has reported finding a happy surprise - the ward's first Fragrant Orchid plant. That means that we now have three species of Orchid growing here and it indicates the worth of allowing nature just a little more freedom to show us what it can do!

Stephen Reid

 

Kempshott

There are a good selection of plants available in aid of St Michael’s Hospice to be found at 17 Zinnia Close and 14 Aster Road. The gaps in your borders will be obvious and these are just waiting to fill them. Kempshott Robins meet on 28th June at Kempshott Village Hall from 1.30-3pm, using music from the 50s, 60s and 70s to help those with dementia. This new group is gradually becoming better known, but your help in spreading the word would be appreciated. The beneficial effects are well researched and sufferers and their carers are welcomed for just £5 a session. There is a session of Yoga for All at which beginners are welcome at 7.30pm on a Monday also in the hall - gemmacraws@gmail.com.

Diana Manville

 

 

Oakley

Family Fun Day at Oakley Cricket Club on 25th June from 11am.

Posh Nosh Cakes, Caroline at Funny Faces and Crepes Away will be with us for the day.

We also have a tombola and with the money raised this will greatly help to keep the club running. A big thanks to @bb_bealerbeauty, Lawn Science, Pegasus Karate Club and everyone else who has helped to donate a bottle or 2. If anybody else would like to donate a prize please do let us know.

The OCC Committee

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.

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.

Village map available with list of stalls on Thursday.

Calling all ex-Oakley Infant School students! Many of you in the village over the years have been taught by Mrs Priestner. She started teaching at Oakley in 2002 and has decided now is the time to hang up her whistle and retire at the end of this term. As part of her farewell gift, we would like to do a card from past students full of photos, funny stories, messages and memories and would love as many of you as possible to contribute.

Please use the below email address to send your contributions to: Priestner.memories@gmail.com

The cut off date is 1st July.

Tiffany Wise

 

Old Basing and Lychpit

Old Basing and Lychpit Carnival Committee and all the volunteers who helped them should be really proud of themselves for making last Saturday’s carnival such a success. The huge number of adults and children taking part in the procession and the crowds who turned out to see them got everything off to a fantastic start. It was great to see such a large number of people enjoying the many activities, refreshments, stalls, entertainments etc. so on behalf of everyone who was fortunate to be there a great bid thank you to all those who made the carnival possible.

Another treat’s in store for us and this time it’s St Mary’s Summer Festival at the weekend. The theme is All things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small so what better way to start the event than with a family Beetle Drive on Friday 23rd June at 7pm in the Parish Room. Tickets cost £5 for adults, £2.50 for children or £12.50 for a family ticket with up to 4 children. Places are limited so to be sure of a place book tickets from Debbie on 07541698235 or email admin@stmaryoldbasing.org.uk.

As well as the All Things Bright and Beautiful displays there will be a range of stalls, children’s activities and music plus a BBQ on Saturday. Cream teas will be available throughout the weekend plus a bar and other refreshments. The children of the Infant and Junior Schools will be singing on Saturday at 11.30am and the Royal British Legion Band will play on Sunday from 2pm.  There will also be a Teddy Bear zip wire but please label teddies so that they can be safely reunited with their owners.

Finally on Sunday 25th there will be a Pet Service at 3.30pm to celebrate our animals and give thanks for the joy they bring to our lives. Pets on leashes or in carriers and photographs of pets are welcome at the service.

Elspeth Lee

 

Sherfield

Repair Café: The North Hampshire Repair Café will be at the village hall on Saturday.  This team of talented repairers can restore most things so that you can re-use and re-love your items.    These include electrical items, furniture, garden tools which they ‘sharpen, tweak and fettle’.  They also repair bicycles and jewellery – no diamonds on offer but simple jewellery repairs!f   Unfortunately there are some things they can’t repair - Cane Furniture, Electric Blankets, Petrol Driven Items. Microwaves.   But they can make simple repairs to computers, laptops, desktops and tablets.  

Fete: Visitors packed onto Sherfield Village Green and into the Village Hall on the hottest day of the year so far for this year’s fete. There were traditional stalls, street food stalls, bands, children’s races and rides, vintage vehicles, dog show and arena displays by the young people of Sherfield School, Morris dancers, a marching band, line dancers and re-enactors. Crowds arrived in their droves to enjoy one of the largest village fetes in North Hampshire. The afternoon ended with the annual Tug of War between the two village pubs. Cat Hayward said “All this was thanks to all the hard work of hundreds.  Those benefiting from funds raised are the Sherfield On Loddon Village Hall, St Leonard’s Church and smaller local groups as well as this year's nominated local charity, Basingstoke and District Young Carers, providing support young carers aged 8 to 18 living within the Basingstoke and Deane District. 

Chris Horton