ISSUE 300 January 2009

An impression of the path and footbridge over the A33 by Jayotsna Sadotra. 21

January 2009 Welcome to 2009 and the 300th issue of the Chineham Chat. The Chat is proud to be as strong as ever after 28 years (it wasn’t monthly in some of the early years) keeping the people of Chineham informed of events and happenings in our community. As usual the early close date for the January issue caught out a few contributors and many of the “regulars” submitted shorter pieces this month. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the space “released” has enabled me to include a listing of all the clubs and groups holding sessions in the Village Hall and at Christ Church. I’m sorry it isn’t fully comprehensive for other venues, but only these two responded to my request for information. If you know of other groups etc please let me know so that next time we can make this a full list. The community spirit is alive and well in Chineham. Busy modern lifestyles make it difficult to become involved with voluntary work, but it is an essential for very many charities and other organisations. The Chat is very grateful to those who came forward after the appeal for help in the last issue and to all those who continue to offer their assistance in producing and distributing our community magazine. Dennis Clapp

The Chineham Chat Team Contacts Editorial articles, notices and contributions Dennis Clapp [email protected] Children's editorial and contributions Year 6 Four Lanes School [email protected] Advertising (Paid) Keith Shergold [email protected] Distribution [email protected] Mike Jarvis Team Administration Laura Romney Karen Lockhart Treasurer Advertising Composer Bridget Hunter Webmaster Doug Hunter Plus 100 others who deliver the Chat free of charge to homes Chineham.

472720

467459 819135

throughout

Please Note The views expressed in Chineham Chat are not necessarily those of the Team. The Team do not accept any liability nor warrant any product or service advertised in Chineham Chat. Copyright on all original material and on © Corel Corporation items in this publication strictly reserved.

***NEXT COPY DATE: 14th January*** Chineham Chat printed by Personalised Print (01256) 352434 Please submit copy to isDennis Clapp, 21 Reading Road or as above. Your copy can be accepted handwritten, typed, by e-mail or on common format PC disks.

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Chineham Village Club

Chineham Village Hall

I hope every one had a good Christmas and New Year. News from the Club is that Donna has left after 12 years of loyal service. She will be sorely missed. As we enter a new year we enter into a new chapter, for the Chineham Club. We welcom e suggestions on what you would like from your local club.

Next month’s Chat will contain the nomination forms for anybody who would like to become a member of the Village Hall Management Committee at the annual general meeting at the end of February. Please consider joining us so that you can have a say in how the property is managed.

Membership to the Chineham club is £23 for a Family Membership and £14 for a single membership valid till 1 May 2009

Also you will have already seen that the extension for the new Parish Rooms has at last started after some three years’ discussion on the subject! Apart from being for the use of the Parish Council, it will mean that our local police officer will have an on site office at last which should be of great benefit to the community. The Management Committee will also be able to hire the rooms for smaller events, although the main hall is licensed for 200 people this can often be too large for some and is frequently fully booked. The new building will contain a smaller hall and two other rooms which can be used in conjunction with the hall o r independently, this will obviously give us greater flexibility for parties or meetings. When the work is complete the car park will be freshly marked and the easy access bays will be re-sited at the front of the building.

As from January the new opening hours for the club will be Monday –Wednesday 4pm-11pm Thursday-Saturday 12pm-11pm Sunday – 12pm-10.30 Normal hours will resume once again in the spring. Dates for you diary in January: Monday 5: Bingo 8.00pm Lounge Bar Thursday 15: Senior Citizens Bingo 1pm Lounge Bar Saturday 17: Quiz night 8.00pm Lounge Bar Saturday 31: Family wii Night. Sunday poker evening 1st session 7pm - 2nd session 8.30pm. £2.50 per session, weekly and monthly cash prize. If you are a keen poker player or simply want to learn the art of playing poker you are very welcome to join us. Every Tuesday evening “free Pool”

Building work is due to finish by mid April but this could obviously change dependant upon the weather, we hope that the work will not cause too much disruption to our current hall and club users a n d espe cially to our neighbours.

Excellent home cooked food served Thursday and Friday 12 -2pm, Friday evenings 5.30 – 8.30pm. A full sporting programme is shown on our Big Screen.

Marion Hitchin, Clerk

Jackie Brown. Club Chairman 2

Four Lanes Infant School

practical karate. Training under black belt instruction covers kihon (basics), kata (forms) and kumite (fighting).

We are the Hedgehogs class and we would like to tell you about what we have been learning. We have been learning how to make repeating patterns using Christmas stencils. In the afternoons we have been cutting out material to make hand puppets of fairy tale characters. We are looking forward to the Christmas holidays and are busy rehearsing for our Christmas performance.

The new season starts 9 January 2009. This is an ideal time for newcomers/beginners (children and adults) to join in. Our regular classes are on every Friday 6:15 – 7:30 pm. For new-comers who would like to enquire and find out more, please call 01256 364063. James Wong

Rewarding Job! Four Lanes Community Junior school urgently requires midday supervisory assistants.

Four Lanes Junior School Happy New Year! 2008 ended on a high note with all the children, in both the Infant and Junior school, and their friends and relatives singing carols together on the Infant playground.

Why not come along and support your local school. If you can spare an hour each lunchtime to help out with the children and join our friendly team, please contact the school office on 01256 816326 for an application form and further details.

We all had a very busy December with our Christmas assemblies too. Each year group puts on an assembly to their parents on one afternoon each week during the run up to Christmas. We always enjoy this very much but now we are all definitely looking forward to the Christmas holiday.

June Farrow

Basingstoke Shitokai Karate Club

2009 holds lots of exciting challenges for us all at Four Lanes and we look forward to being able to share them with you each month.

The style of karate known as Shitoryu is one of the four major styles in the world. Shitoryu is practised and taught at Chineham Village Hall, Thornhill Way, Chineham, Basingstoke.

We would like to wish you all a very happy new year and a peaceful and prosperous 2009.

We are a small club where quality is more important than quantity. Students benefit from instruction within small groups and individual attention where appropriate. We enjoy teaching and training in traditional and

The Year 6 pupils.

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Art or Eyesore What is that monstrosity in Binfields wood? Who authorised spending our council tax on something that serves no purpose, and how much did it cost? I bet it runs into thousands. The only person to gain was he or she that managed to talk someone into paying for it. I doubt that it was donated. Surely in these hard times we should be trying to save money, or at least spend our council tax on things that benefit the community, like repairing the paths, or something for the youth of Chineham, not on boosting some artist’s ego. Tony Danes

I’ve heard many comments about this artwork—good and bad. What do you think of it? It may be some consolation to know that the cost is not coming from our Council Tax but from funds specifically designated for “art” paid by developers, in this case Bellwinch. Those who have bought a Bellwinch home recently—thanks for your generosity in paying extra to fund the £35,000 for the entire Art Project. (see page 40). Ed.

An Unintended Immigrant I have now lived in England for 35 years, much longer than I ever lived in my home country of Cambodia. As reported by my husband in the May 2008 issue of the Chat, Christmas 2007 saw my first return visit to my homeland. Because of the tragic events which

took place in Cambodia shortly after I came to study in the UK – not least the murder of my entire close family – it has taken me all those years to go back, and then largely because of the determination of my daughters to engage with their ancestral home. Whilst many changes have taken place since I left – not least of which was a change from French to English as the generally spoken second language – I cannot see myself digging up my roots from Europe and returning to the country of my birth. I can never expect to be deemed truly British, despite the documents which class me as such. But I do hope that I am now fully accepted as part of our community, especially in Chineham. Chineham has been my home since 1980 and both my children attended the Four Lanes schools. The family print business is based here and I am deeply committed to my own endeavours to expose the maximum achievable number of children to foreign language learning at as young an age as possible, also predominantly in Chineham. I have made many friends here and have encountered only very occasional instances of prejudice or resentment because of my origins. The one thing I have learnt for sure is that there is good and bad in all societies and our world would be a much better place if people were judged by their contributions to society and not their background or appearance. I wish everybody a fulfilling 2009. Chansopha Biermann 4

News From The Beat

Crime Update: by PC Jim Charlton The past four weeks has seen an increase in vehicle crime; in particular theft from vehicles. A total of four have occurred in the parish and the areas affected were Lillymill Chine, Gilbard Court, Tangway and also Compton Way in Sherfield Park. Different techniques have been used and a variety of property has been stolen on each occasion, including golf clubs and electrical items. Fortunately, this type of crime is very easy to prevent. Don’t leave anything in your car! If a thief believes they can sell it, then they will steal it. There have also been three dwelling burglaries; two of which were the ‘letterbox’ type. These occurred in Minden Close and Tangway and electrical items and wallets/handbags were stolen. As I have explained many times before, this type of burglary is very easy to prevent. If you have a UPVC front door, ensure you lock it with the key so that the internal handle cannot be manipulated by a thief inserting a tool through the letterbox. Although less susceptible to this method, other types of front doors should also be fitted with locks that cannot be manipulated in the same way. For example, slide bolts and mortise locks. You must also ensure that you do not leave keys near to letter boxes or open windows, as thieves can hook the keys through these openings and then either enter your house, steal your car, or (if your really unlucky) both.

The other burglary occurred in Puttenham Road. On this occasion the intruders entered the back garden via the side gate and then forced the patio doors with a shovel. They too stole expensive electrical items, but also located the keys for the car and stole it from the driveway. Your garden gate can restrict access to half of your home! So please make sure that your side gates are fitted with (at least) a slide bolt positioned half-way down and secured with a padlock. Don’t make the common mistake of having an insecure slide bolt at the top corner that can easily be opened simply by reaching over the top. In addition to this, make sure it can’t be climbed over by fitting trellising to the top of it (along with the rest of your garden fence), and by keeping your wheelie bins secure, i.e. fixed in place or in your back garden. Residents Briefing: The next briefing is to be held at 20:00 hrs on Monday 16 February at the Chineham Village Hall. Chief Inspector Jill Baldry, the commander of Basingstoke police, has kindly agreed to attend to give a talk on how the town is policed and the reasons why. There will also be an opportunity to ask her questions. In addition to this, members of Hampshire Constabularies Special Branch will be giving a presentation on combating terrorism through awareness. On this occasion I have chosen to hold it on a Monday, rather than a Friday, to try to maximise the opportunity for people to attend. The number of 5

people attending my briefings has steadily declined from a 100 at the first down to 40 at the last, despite lots of positive feedback. Should numbers continue to drop I will be forced to cancel these meetings. Not only do they take a good deal of effort to organise and prepare, but the guest speakers all give up their time to attend to give you the benefit of their expertise. To my knowledge I am the only beat officer in the county who holds such meetings, which provide you with the opportunity to meet members of emergency and other public services, to benefit from their knowledge, and to ask them questions about what they do. So please come along! In September a green BMX was found abandoned near to the BMX ramp on Thornhill Way by a member of the public. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any record of it being lost or stolen. The person who found it has kindly agreed to store it while I try and locate the owner. If you or someone you know lost a bike like this around this time, please contact me on the details below and I will happily return it to you if you can supply sufficient evidence of ownership. Anti-Social behaviour report: PCSO

Lauren Miller

I am extremely pleased to report that calls relating to ASB have decreased considerably over this last month. This is particularly pleasing as last months rise in ASB related incidents was a real concern for the residents of Chineham and the Neighbour Policing Team alike.

Four Lanes School has been afforded some respite over the last month and it would appear that the youths involved in climbing onto the school roof have realised that this is an extremely dangerous activity and have ceased to continue doing so. I hope that this remains the case over the coming months. There have still been several incidents of ASB reported around the Guinea Court area and I think that it is important to warn any persons/groups of people who frequently loiter in this area that your behaviour may cause alarm, harassment and distress to persons wishing to use the amenities, whether this is intentional or not. I understand that this area is well lit and is seen as the central point within Chineham, but, where reports are made from concerned members of the public or resident’s, action must be taken to alleviate these worries and concerns. There is a development planned for the wasteland next to the Hampshire Centre Court Hotel and if things go to plan this area will be transformed into one of the most modern and comprehensive play areas in Basingstoke. This field will cater for all ages, in particular focussing on the need to provide some much needed entertainment and facilities for teenagers. I am sure this will be a wonderful facility which will be well used by all. On a final note please remember to be considerate to others this holiday and think about how your actions may affect others. Sometimes it pays to 6

Our January and February meetings will be held in the Committee rooms of the Village Hall. Due to the village Hall extension a venue for the March and April has yet to be confirmed. Also, as the April meeting falls on Easter Monday the meeting will be held on the following Tuesday.

take a step back and think about how your actions or presence may be perceived by others, particularly if you hang around in large groups. You may not intend to cause anyone else any alarm but this can so easily be the case, no matter how unintentional. If you put yourself in someone else’s shoes think about how you would feel in different situations. Perhaps this may have an impact on how you would then behave.

The Parish Council is here to help the Residents of Chineham so if there is a Chineham issue you are concerned about please feel free to contact the Clerk, Karen Ross, on 01256 474500 or email [email protected] or Eunice Jones, on 01256 324345 or email [email protected] during office hours only please.

All in all an excellent month!! I hope you enjoyed the festive season and have a very happy New Year 2009. See you soon PC Jim Charlton and PCSO Lauren Miller Office: 843506 (not manned 24 hrs). Messages: 08450 45 45 45 (request to leave message for PC Charlton 21015).

January Rambles Tuesday 13: Meet at 10.30am. Park by or near Church in Longparish, for a 5 mile walk around Longparish Village and River Test.

[email protected] [email protected]

Tuesday 27: Meet at 10.00am at Ramsdell cross roads near old School for a 6 mile walk to Ewhurst Pond, West Heath, Wyeford Farm, Charter Alley.

Chineham Parish Council Happy New Year.

For further information about walks and others on the programme, please contact Stoney Tel: 479951 or [email protected].

The release of the section 106 money for allotments has now been agreed. The Parish Council will now meet with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to revisit the plans and to start moving the project forward.

these walks Tony Email

If you would like to benefit from walking and become a member of the Ramblers Association please contact me for a membership form.

The year’s meetings are as follows: 12 January 13 July 9 February 14 September 9 March 12 October 14 April 9 November 11 May 14 December 8 June

Tony Stoney

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County & Borough Councillor Elaine Still

Borough Councillor Martin Biermann

Since the recent closure of the Post Office in Old Basing, residents have found that they have little option but to use the Post Office in Chineham.

If it is still December when you read this, my remarks might be slightly premature, since I am about to wish all readers a Positive and Fulfilling New Year – this is the January Chat, after all.

Local residents in Chineham have told me they are experiencing long delays due to unprecedented demand at their local Post Office, some customers have complained that they are waiting up to 45 minutes at peak times. I am working with Maria Miller MP to call on Post Office Chiefs to look at the problems we are experiencing at Chineham Post office regarding waiting times. On a more positive note, working with Chineham Parish Council I was able to secure funding from Chineham 106 developers contributions towards the extension to the Scout and Community Hall which I know will be a real asset to our community. I made a request some time back for a small scale Environmental Renewal Scheme grant which looks to have been successful. This is to install bollards with planting on a small area of grass at the entrance to Puttenham Road to stop motorists from parking on this grass verge. Local residents will of course be consulted on the project but I am hopeful that it will go through. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

As my personal (and often unfulfilled) new year resolutions are of limited public interest, I thought that I’d perhaps list some for one of our public service providers. Since 2009 is the year when we elect a new county council, I have a few issues which might usefully be addressed by these remote decision makers in The Castle, Winchester. Perhaps, when they next do some refurbishments, they will resist buying taps – yes mere water taps – costing £2000 each; however good such taps might be. Perhaps our county could move forward to a change in the stupid policy of not installing zebra crossings; or is this still too ground-breaking a concept to be applied at the several needy Chineham locations? Perhaps, the county council could get on with some of its statutory duties with a little more urgency, like improving the road surface (to help water drainage) beside the Village Hall bus stop, or even taking less than 11 years to adopt local roads (as has been the case with Clere Gardens). Yes, on this last point of getting on with things, the borough council is no racehorse either, but might still beat the county council to the finishing line!

Cllr. Elaine Still

Martin Biermann

Tel: 01256 880926 Mobile: 07747 862913 [email protected]

Tel: 01256 352434 [email protected] www.spotlightonchineham.co.uk

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Children’s Chat

Happy New Year — 2009! This is Josh, Caitlin, Natalia, Emma and Sarah and we are this months editors of the children’s page. You can contact us by email [email protected] We always welcome all new ideas and suggestions for this page.

Happy New Year! I G Y K N K D R C K C

E K D R W N E E R I U

C E L E B R A T I O N

O R K Q G C T V L Y U

E R K W Q P X L M B K

B A B Y A N I M A L S

F I R E W O R K S A P

D A F F O D I L S M R

N E W Y E A R A T B I

V T V Y R M C M K S N

N Q G Y W D A X F Y G

Funny Facts!

Did you know that a gold fish has a memory span of only three seconds?!

new year, fireworks, daffodils, baby animals, spring, lambs, celebration. Can you find all the words in the word search?

Jokes Q: WHAT DID THE OCTOPUS SAY TO THE OTHER OCTOPUS? A: I WANANA HOLD YOUR HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND, HAND! 9

Four Lanes Community Centre

Everest Health & Leisure Club

We have new Classes starting in January 2009.

Everest Health & Leisure is a fantastic facility for the whole community - on Chineham’s doorstep. Based within Everest Community College it offers a host of excellent health and sporting facilities catering for everyone, young and old.

Pilates start the 2009 with a new challenge. Thursday’s 8.15pm – 9.15pm. Jive your way into fitness and have lots of fun at the same time. Monday’s 7.30pm – 8.30pm.

At Everest we understand that individual care and attention is essential for both effective and safe exercise. If you are considering how to get fit, come and view our amazing fitness facilities and classes, and stop to have a chat with us. We have a brilliant January offer coming up: no joining fee, and free January membership, so there has never been a better time to join!

Adult Education & Family Learning: Learn Through Play – Support your child’s pre school learning through play enjoying new ideas of how play helps your child to learn. 6 week course FOC. FEAT – Families Exploring and Achieving Together – Enjoy doing fun activities with your child and see how your child learns and develops. FOC.

The Club also boasts an international sized Sports Hall; flood lit full size Astro Turf pitch, Tennis/Netball Courts, 5-a-side Football Pitches, and fully sprung Dance Studio all available for hire.

Coach Trip to London Museums – February half term choose from Natural History, Science or Victoria and Albert or why not visit them all. £12 per person. Precise date to be confirmed.

We have superb conference facilities for all your business needs too. We can advise you on your room set up and arrange for all the equipment that you need to make your conference a complete success. This area can also be hired for private functions.

Four Lanes Community Centre runs various activities, Adult Education & Family Learning courses, but we want to know what you want from your Community Centre. Theatre trips, museums, flower arranging, entertainment evenings? Just let us know any of your ideas. Please contact either Tracy Neilson or Virginia Wyatt at the Community Centre on 01256 810499. (www.fourlanescentre.com).

For more information, or to arrange a visit please telephone Dawn Purver on 01256-337573. Our address is Everest Health & Leisure Club, Oxford Way, Basingstoke RG24 9LP. Dawn Purver

Tracy Neilson 10

And the Next! Where did the last one go? 2008 that is! Well let me wish you a happy 2009. Has much changed since the break of the credit crunch in 2008? Probably not much…so as we enter this year here are a few thoughts (slightly tongue in cheek!) that might help you cope! Firstly, let me tell you honestly that I’m no psychologist, but I know from my own experience and from other people that these things work. Secondly, they aren’t my ideas; others were inspired to say them, so I’ve given credit where due for each one. Here they are: Three things you can do to put your ‘happiness account’ well back into credit (and have some to share as well) Live one day at a time: We’re ‘wired up’ to cope with what life throws at us during a 24 hour period. Not a week or a month or even tomorrow. Just today and the worries to be found in it. We can’t carry the weight in our hearts of more than this. Cope with today. Trust God for tomorrow. (Taught by Jesus as found in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 6) Be thankful: I believe anyone, no matter how bleak their circumstances, can think of three things to be grateful for. Do this at least once a day every day. Perhaps just before settling down to sleep at night. Try to be more like Tigger than Eeyore. It’ll make a big difference to your life. (Taught by St Paul in his letter to the Christians at

Philippi, chapter 3) Give encouragement: Now you’re getting happier, start to give it away (it grows as you do) by saying encouraging things to others. At home, at work, in the supermarket, start giving positive comments. ‘That’s good!’; ‘good idea!’; ‘you’ve really been helpful!’ You could be making a big difference to someone’s day. In fact you’ll be amazed at the response of people, particularly those who rarely get appreciated. (The example of St Paul as seen in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 20) You’ve probably noticed that all these sources are from the New Testament, which means God is behind them. So why not ask Him for some help to carry them out? He does listen! Also, if you do try them and find they make a real difference (or even if they don’t and you want to complain) let me know on [email protected] There are also plenty more gems like these from the Bible that can make a huge difference for good. So enjoy, and why not write in with some of your own tips if you have some additions! God bless Phil Norris (Pastor, East Church)

Christ & Community Church Activities Sunday services are held at Christ Church at 9am and 10.30am - do come and join us. During the 11

10.30am services there are groups for children and young people from 0-18 years of age - if you would like details or a copy of our sermon programme please contact Ruth in the office. In January we will be looking at John's Gospel to study "The Way of Christ". Alpha: Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? What about the Church? Who is the Holy Spirit? How can I be sure about my faith? Why and how should I pray and read the Bible? How can I resist evil? Do you have questions such as these that you would like to ask? Would you like to learn more about the Christian faith? If so, join us on our next Alpha course! There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions, meet others and take time to reflect. We will be having pudding too! No charge, although we do ask for donations towards the cost of the food. Alpha will run on Wednesday evenings at Christ Church Chineham starting with a special supper at 7.30pm on 21 January 2009. The course itself will start on 28 January and conclude on 11 March with another supper! If you have any questions or would like to book a place please contact Ruth in the office. On Thursday 29 January we will be holding a service of Holy Communion at Binfields' Close (in the Club Room) ­ all are welcome to join us at 10am. Our Monday morning cafe, Coffee and Co, will be open from 10am to 12noon every Monday from 5 January. Do drop in for a coffee and a treat - there are

plenty of people to talk to, toys for the children, and books and fairly traded items such a tea, coffee and kitchen roll on sale. All welcome. Our Fellowship Group will be meeting on Wednesday 14 January for a service of readings, hymns and prayers. Our speaker will be Peter Robinson who will be talking about his mission trip last summer to Tanzania where he helped to build an airstrip with the charity Mission Aviation Fellowship. The edge; Chineham youth congregation will be meeting every Sunday evening from 11 January. That day we will be having a party, and from Sunday 18 January we will be working our way through a Youth Alpha course. Young people in school years 7-9 are invited from 6-7.30pm and those in school years 10+ are invited from 7-8.30pm for a range of activities including singing, talks, games, meals, friendship, discussion groups and lots of fun as they learn more about our faith. CCBBies is a group for pre-school children and their parents/carers. We meet on Thursday mornings during term time from 10-11.30am and use stories, songs, crafts and activities to learn about Jesus. Refreshments are provided and the children always make something to take home! There is no charge and all are welcome. TGIF Youth Club meets on Fridays during term time from 8-9.30pm. All young people in school years 7+ are welcome. The entrance fee is £1, and the tuck shop is always open so bring 12

available for hire for parties, meetings, classes and special functions. We have most availability during afternoons and evenings, and prices range from £6.25 per hour. We have a number of groups that regularly hire rooms for activities for adults and children alike. For example, Tiny Talk is a class that helps babies learn to communicate before they can talk - a group meets here on Wednesday mornings. For details, please contact Victoria Andrew on 364307. In addition, we have a range of U3A (University of the Third Age) groups that meet providing a range of interests for folk who are retired and semi-retired including Bridge, Latin, Art Appreciation and Scrabble.

some extra cash for a hot snack and tuck! Kids' Club will next be meeting on 7 February (no Club in January). On Sunday 18 January from 12noon we will be holding a Bring and Buy Sale to help raise funds for the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Appeal which is raising funds for charities including Save the Children. We would be pleased to accept any donations of suitable items including toys and household items (unwanted Christmas presents, perhaps?) for this worthy cause. Please do come along to the event - refreshments will be available. Families are invited to join us for Messy Church! We will be meeting monthly from January 2009 for crafts, music, games and bible stories as well as a hot meal. Our first meeting will be on Monday 12 January - the doors will open at 3.45pm and close at 5.45pm. The idea is that parents stay and have fun with their children! No charge. If you have any questions please contact Ruth in the Parish Office. We look forward to seeing you!

Community Church: We worship at Four Lanes Community Junior School every Sunday from 10am. For any further information please contact the office on 812708, or check the web site www.bccnet.org.uk. Mid week home meetings happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Chineham, which are open to all. Please call 01256 812708 for further details. Ruth Randall

If you would like to know more about the life and activities of Christ Church, please contact Ruth in the Parish Office (tel. 474280 or [email protected]) or take a look at our website (www.christchurchchineham.org.uk). You are most welcome to come in to look around the building and/or sit quietly in our worship area or prayer room. If you would like to find out what is offered at the Church, including our rooms for hire, please contact Ruth. Rooms of varying sizes are

Thank You Chineham Once again the people of Chineham have responded to the clarion call for volunteers to help the Chat. After a long search, suddenly 3 people come forward. Volunteers are essential to maintain the Chat as an ind ependent publication. Thank you all. Dennis Clapp 13

Nature Notes And so another year appears! I wonder what this one will bring. I remember the year before last, wondering if I would get the leaves cleared before the New Year but this time the vast majority of them were swept and tidied away well before December. Having been asked previously if anyone knew a way to discourage squirrels from stealing food from the bird feeders, I read an article in the Press which said that if you add chilli or cayenne pepper or curry powder to the peanuts (by simply shaking them together in a bag,} the birds will continue to eat them without any side effects. The squirrels however, can’t abide the taste and will soon learn to leave them alone. If anyone has tried this, or will in future, I will be very interested to hear if it works. The Pied wagtail appears as if by magic directly it gets cold, and we now have a pair of jays jostling for room with the magpies who don’t seem to appreciate the new arrivals at all. I was given a gift of a bag of sunflower hearts, but unfortunately they are definitely not in favour with our birds so I shall have to go back to the ordinary Black sunflower seeds. The heron has also paid us several visits but hasn’t stopped long as we didn’t restock the ponds after his previous depredations and he doesn’t appear interested in a few Water­ boatmen and Pond skaters! Has anyone else spotted him lately? I always find it magical to hear the buzzards calling whilst I am stood in

our garden. It’s the sort of thing you think should only happen in open countryside or on the high moors. We had a trip to the New Forest at the beginning of December which turned out to be freezing cold and wet. However we were kept entertained by the various animals and birds that visited the site. A lot of campers had bird feeders out and peanuts were put out in profusion. I have never seen five jays feeding together before. The antics of the Grey squirrels were very amusing as they took turns with the crows, rooks, and magpies in driving each other off, without any great success I might add. There were dozens of tits and robins and blackbirds as well and we even got a glimpse of a hare dashing across a gravel track. Katie Ford put a Xmas card through the door (thank you) to say that she had seen the White egret twice down at Pettys’ brook. Our son and daughter-in-law who live in Buckskin found a Slowworm on the path outside their house at the end of November. It was relocated to a grassy area nearby. You never know where the wildlife is going to pop up! Janet Mott

Sports Medicine Many problems associated with taking part in sport and exercise can be prevented if they are identified and diagnosed quickly. The Sports Medicine Services at The Hampshire Clinic is fronted by two Sports Doctors 14

Yet Another French Year Gone!

who between them look after Southampton Football Club, London Irish Rugby Club, The England Hockey Squads and are Chief Medical Officers to England Cricket. There is a team of specialised physiotherapists with a fully equipped rehabilitation gym and hydrotherapy pool, and on site diagnostic imaging (X-ray, ultrasound and MRI scanning).

As I write this on a cold and damp December evening, I think of the lighter evenings earlier in the year when the children and helpers of L’école Française were out enjoying the ample nature experiences to be had around Chineham. This is an ideal way to initiate language learning because there are so many things to see, enjoy and discuss.

If you have any queries regarding a sporting injury or problem, please contact Sarah Owens on 377637.

Even the dark winter days and evenings offer alternative language learning experiences such as creating our annual calendar and other festive season related bits and bobs.

BAOS—The Gondoliers Love, romance and melody: just three of the ways to describe Basingstoke Amateur Operatic Society's lively production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers. BAOS transports you to beautiful Venice for a romantic romp f i l l e d w i t h s o n g , d an c e an d humour. The story follows the quest for a long lost prince who may just be one of two brothers plying their trade on the canals of Venice - but which one is he? Come and join us as the story unfolds, from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 16 February at The Haymarket.

Our programme for 2009 (oh dear!) has been prepared and we look forward to covering topics like cultural festivals, seasons and especially spring. In the hope that you enjoy a good festive season (especially for the young ones) and a really good friendly start to the new year, I wish you Bonne Année from all the L’école Française team. If you are interested in securing a place at L’école Française in 2009 for your yo ung one, ple ase gi ve Chansopha Biermann a call on 352434 to see us in action, or e-mail [email protected].

Tickets: Tue 10 £12; Wed 11 £14; Thu 12 not for public sale; Fri 13 £15; Sat 2.30pm £14; Sat 7.30pm £16 Over 60s and students £1 off; under 16 £2 off. Group discounts available (not Sat 7.30pm).

The L’école Française Team

For tickets please contact the Anvil Arts Box Office Tel: 01256 844244 www.anvilarts.org.uk. Carlie Cohen 15

Friends of Basing House

speaker on 7 January will be Kevin Ennis of BDBC on Energy Conservation.

There will be the annual New Year’s Day walk from the Great Barn, on Thursday 1 January starting at 2.00 pm. We resume our programme of winter talks on Tuesday 13 January when David Ford will be speaking about ‘The Monarchs we Never Had’. Members free, guests £1. All welcome.

All Civil Servants and their partners are welcome at our meetings held on the first Wednesday of each month at 10am at Brookvale Village Hall, Lower Brook St. Basingstoke. Tea and coffee are available.

On Tuesday 10 February our speaker will be Rupert Willoughby and his subject is ‘Reading and Its Contribution to World Culture’

Joyce Neville Tel. 01256 357932

Short and Sweet

If you are interested in joining the Friends please phone 01256 327014.

Just a quick piece of hopefully helpful advice for your excellent publication.

Andrew Howard

On p28 of December issue there is an article from Janet Mott with a whopping 7+ line url (internet address). Typing this in is unlikely to be successful and will at best be tedious!

Basingstoke Civil Service Retirement Fellowship The CSRF 40th anniversary was celebrated by lunch at Basingstoke Colege of Technology and was very much enjoyed - also the Tinsel and Turkey break at Weston-SuperMare. At our Christmas meeting a super spread was provided by members and a grand raffle. Past members who had moved from the area came for the occasion and members of Tadley group. We were entertained by Terry Elford on guitar.

There is a solution for such issues – tinyurl – www.tinyurl.com. Simply paste in the long url from a browser into this site, press the button and it automatically generates a tiny url! Pasting the long url into Tinyurl has generated http://tinyurl.com/65esv3 Ask your readers to type this in and you get the same page without all the typing!

Unfortunately the trip to Sonning theatre had to be cancelled but a lunch has been provisionally arranged for 24 February at Guildford College. Anyone interested please contact Kate on 01256 328791 as soon as possible. On 17 March there will be an outing to Bletchley Park. The

Voila! Chris Read

16

Chineham Clubs and Groups Aerobics

Adult classes Tracey Cavanagh tel: 410804 7.30-8.30pm Tuesdays, Village Hall Ante Natal Class Supporting pregnant women Janet Hunter tel: 479721 Arranged dates, Christ Church Baby Clinic Baby weighing & advice Janet Hunter tel: 479721 9.30-11.30am Mondays, Christ Church Baby Massage Baby massage classes Gail Harbers tel: 323409 5/6 wk classes, Christ Church Ballroom Dance Class Village Hall Bookings tel: 334930 10.00am-12.00pm & 12.00-2.00pm Sundays (monthly), Village Hall Bridge Bridge classes Brian Knight tel: 334316 7.30-9.30pm Tuesdays, Christ Church Brownies Rhian Lane tel: 476935 6.00-7.30pm Wednesdays term-time, Christ Church 3rd Brownies Eleanor Bradley tel: 07801 534593 5.30-7.00pm Mondays term-time, Village Hall Chineham Pumas Tae Kwon Do Youngsters classes Kate Scorse tel: 07887 993207 4.45-5.45pm Thursdays, Village Hall Craft Circle Craft group Janice Hens tel: 352257 7.30-10.00pm 1st & 3rd Mondays ex bank hols & Aug Christ Church Dance & Exercise Up to 12 years Village Hall Bookings tel: 334930 4.15-5.15pm Tuesdays, Village Hall Dinky Dancers Pre-school dance class Sharon Moore tel: 01635 552556 10.10-11.10am Fridays, Village Hall 1st & 2nd Guides Eleanor Bradley tel: 07801 534593 7.00-8.30pm Mondays term-time, Village Hall Gym-minis Pre-school gym Shelly Kerr tel: 01420 562461 9.00am-12.30pm Mondays term time, Village Hall Hola! Spanish classes for children Noelia Rios tel: 842156 Various times, Saturday mornings, Christ Church Karate Youth & adult James Wong tel: 364063 6.15-7.30pm Fridays, Village Hall L’ecole Francaise French classes for children Chansopha Biermann tel: 352434 9.20 11.20am Tuesday & Thursday pre-school children Christ Church 3.50-5.30pm Friday school age children, Christ Church Little Kickers Pre-school football Stephen Finn tel: 01252 651329 2.00-5.00pm Wednesdays, Village Hall Monkey Music Music for pre-schoolers Kristi Hibbard Jenkins tel: 359119 Various times by age Mondays am, Christ Church Motor Neurone Disease Association Support group Linda Ingham tel: 01252 682749 2.30-4.00pm Wednesday every other month, Christ Church Mumbaba Music for pre-schoolers Joy Vaughan tel: 327268 9.30am & 11.00am Fridays, Christ Church Post Natal Classes Supporting new parents Sarah Roberts tel: 883309 1.00-3.00pm Fridays, Christ Church

17

Rainbow Brownies

Eleanor Bradley tel: 07801 534593 4.15-5.15pm Mondays term-time, Village Hall Rosemary Conley Diet & exercise Helena Housego tel: 07733 306158 6.30-8.00pm Mondays, Christ Church Rosemary Conley Slimming club Helena Housego tel: 01189 889744 Cher McCarthy tel: 07733 306158 7.00-8.30pm Thursday, Village Hall Slimming World Diet class Faith Howard tel: 811575 10am, 5.30pm & 7.00pm Thursdays, Christ Church Tiny Talk Communication for babies Victoria Andrew tel: 364307 10.00am Wednesdays, Christ Church Toddle Time Parent & toddler group Cherie Worsfold tel: 327644 10.00-11.30am Thursdays term-time, Christ Church WeightWatchers Diet class Karen Settle tel: 01264 398260 10.00-11.30am Wednesdays, Christ Church WeightWatchers Adult group As advertised 6.30-8.30pm Wednesdays, Village Hall U3A Art Appreciation Anne Ward tel: 782243 2.00-4.00pm 3rd Wednesday of every month, Christ Church U3A Bridge Harvey Wallace tel: 780358 2.00-4.00pm Wednesdays (part year) beginners, Christ Church 1.30-4.30pm Thursdays improvers, Christ Church U3A Family History Richard Risby tel: 334142 2.00-4.00pm 3rd Tuesday of month, Christ Church U3A History Andrew Hague tel: 478218 1.30-3.30pm 1st Wednesday of month, Christ Church U3A Knitting Maureen Scorse tel: 325539 9.30-12noon 1st & 3rd Fridays of month U3A Latin Joan Geering tel: 466483 2.00-4.00pm 1st Monday of month, Christ Church U3A Patchwork Jenny Hornsey tel: 816188 10.00-12noon 2nd & 4th Wednesday of month, Christ Church U3A Scrabble Heather Quilter tel: ex directory 10.00-12noon 3rd Monday of month, Christ Church

This list is for the Village Hall and Christ Church only. Four Lanes Community centre and the Scout Hall did not respond to my request for information. Are there any other meeting places in Chineham? Let me know.

Issue 300

Serving Chineham for 28 years 18

Useful Contacts Member of Parliament Maria Miller County Councillor

Elaine Still

District Councillors

Elaine Still John Downes

Tel: 020 7219 5749 Email: [email protected] Tel: 01256 880926 Mob: 07747 862913 Email: [email protected]

As above Tel: 01256 474393 Mob: 07957 581320 E: [email protected] Martin Biermann Tel: 01256 352434 E: [email protected]

Parish Council

Clerk Karen Ross Asst Clerk Eunice Jones

Police

Tel: 01256 474500 Email: [email protected] Tel: 01256 324345 Email:[email protected] Tel: 08450 454545 (messages)

PC 21015 James Charlton PCSO Lauren Miller Hampshire County Council Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Trading Standards Rapid Response

Tel: 01962 841841 Tel: 01256 844844 Tel: 01962 846232

Rail Enquiries (National) Bus Enquiries (Basingstoke)

Tel: 08457 484950 Tel: 01256 464501

Chineham Medical Practice Chineham Dental Surgery Guinea Court Dental Surgery North Hampshire Hospital

Tel: 01256 479244 Tel: 01256 469004 Tel: 01256 840141 Tel: 01256 473202

Christ Church Room Hire & Activities Village Hall Bookings Four Lanes Centre

Tel: 01256 474280 Tel: 01256 334930 Tel: 01256 810499

Four Lanes Infant School Great Binfields Primary School Four Lanes Junior School

Tel: 01256 324256 Tel: 01256 460532 Tel: 01256 816326

Electricity Emergency Gas Emergency Water Emergency

Tel: 0845 770 8090 Tel: 0800 111 999 Tel: 0845 602 1724

E:[email protected] E: [email protected]

19

Art Update The Binfields Woodland Arts Project, funded by Bellwinch Homes, continues and the first artworks have now been installed. Located adjacent to the A33 footbridge is 'Working Wood' by artist Jeff Higley. The three-sided oak artwork reflects the traditional art of woodland coppicing. It also references the legend of the Green Man, the my thic al care take r of ancien t woodlands. Jeff worked closely with children and teachers from Great Binfields Primary School to inform the final designs. A series of wooden totems by carver Clinton Chaloner are also now in place. These can be found alongside the main tarmac pathway and include carvings of many of the species native to ancient woodlands.

Willow artist, Angela Morley, and felt­ maker, Pauline Pepper, will be holding drop-in workshops at Chineham Library during 2009. Sessions will be held on the following dates: Mondays 12, 19 and 26 January, 9.30am – 12.30pm Thursday 22 January, 3.30pm – 6.30pm Mondays 2, 9 and 16 February, 9.30am – 12.30pm Thursday 19 February, 3.30pm – 6.30pm Workshops will be open to all ages and abilities. The workshops are free of charge and all materials will be provided. Please note children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. As numbers are limited please pre-book on 01256 844844, email [email protected]. Ceri Adams

Diary of Events January Thur 1 Mon 5 Mon 12 Tue 13 Wed 14 Thur 15 Sat 17 Sun 18 Sun 25 Sat 31 Sat 31 February Sat 7 Mon 9 Tue 10 Mon 16

New Year Day Walk 2.00pm Great Barn, Old Basing House Bingo 8.00pm Lounge Bar, Village Club Parish Council Meeting 7.45pm Meeting Room, Village Hall Talk Monarchs Never had7.30pm Bothy, Old Basing House Fellowship Group 9.45am Christ Church Senior Citizen Bingo 1.00pm Lounge Bar, Village Club Quiz Night 8.00pm Lounge Bar, Village Club Bring & Buy Sale 12.00 noon Christ Church Coppicing Gt Sorrell’s 10.00am—1.00pm Meet Mulberry Way Family Wii Night 7.30pm Lounge Bar, Village Club NHMF Swimathon Brockhurst School, nr Newbury Kids’ Club 5.00—6.30pm Christ Church Parish Council Meeting 7.45pm Meeting Room, Village Hall Talk Reading Contribution 7.30pm Bothy, Old Basing House Police Residents Briefing 8.00pm Village Hall 20