Hatch Warren and Beggarwood

BEGGARWOOD PARK: the Borough Council has issued a progress report regarding Beggarwood Park’s improvements. Work on snagging started on 24th November, including the resurfacing, turfing and re-fencing of the soft landscape areas.

The play area should now be open again. Further snagging works will take place in December when extra new fencing panels arrive for the north side of the play area and will include remedial works to the surfacing at the gate entrances.

This work can be undertaken without shutting the play area. A new coco log swing has been ordered and will be installed to replace the one that was vandalised. The Wild Area, which is where the old maze used to be, had had its fencing upgraded and has been reseeded. It will be opened when the grass has had chance to establish itself. Finally, there is a delay in completing the new pump track due to the Covid situation putting contractors behind schedule. This is likely to be opened in the New Year.

HATCH WARREN LIDL opens today (3rd December). I expect this will be a boost for the whole of the Hatch Warren retail park. There will no doubt be many customers eager to see what the new shop looks like - but please help the staff to implement the social distancing rules.

BEGGARWOOD’S CAFE IN THE PARK continues to provide a takeaway service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes and this is proving to be very popular. As a result they are staying open an hour longer: 10am to 3pm as long as customers are there.

IMMANUEL CHURCH at St Mark’s school has published a programme of services throughout the Advent period, based on people zooming in from home, and (regulations permitting) a couple of services in the Church itself. The ever-popular Christingle Service will be a Zoom event on December 6th at 4pm. Full details are on the website at http://www.immanuelhwb.co.uk/

BRIGHTON HILL ROUNDABOUT: it is likely that the improvements to the roundabout will go ahead but without the link road through the Camrose ground for now. Depending on how planning issues are resolved at the Camrose, it is possible that the link road could be added in at a later date, subject to funding. The major improvements to traffic flows come from the changes to the roundabout itself, and these should not be jeopardised by waiting.

Stephen Reid

Chineham

Throughout December, Christ Church will be offering “Shed Nativity”. You might well ask what that could be! Near the front door of the church there will be a “pop-up” shed nativity staffed every weekend from 11am to 5pm. Not only will there be a chance to take a selfie beside the stable but also an opportunity to listen to some carols. Remember to wrap up warm and you may well be rewarded with a cup of hot chocolate.

The church has again been in lockdown and under present circumstances it is really difficult for them to give details of what their services will look like in December. Sadly, they’ve had to suspend meeting up for public worship once again, at least for the time being. Instead they are back to streaming them live on their YouTube channel which you can find at https://youtube.com/c/ChristChurchChineham. Services start at 10am and last for around an hour, and you can join them live or catch up later in the day. All services remain on YouTube, so you can see previous ones too. Following each service they have a 30 minute live Zoom session where one can say hello over a cup of coffee and catch up with news. The church’s Zoom room number is 689 032 1462 – password 6564321. For the latest details, please see their Facebook page, website, or contact the church office, tel: 01256 474280, e-mail: hello@christchurchchineham.org.uk, Website: www.christchurch chineham.org.uk. More information about arrangements over Christmas will follow later in the month.

Chineham and Old Basing National Women’s Register (NWR) continues to flourish despite Covid restrictions. At the beginning of November they had the first of their regular twice-monthly Monday afternoon Zoom meetings when they had a quiz and a general catch up of news. Meeting together for lunch is on hold at the moment but the members who participate in the evening Book Group continue to keep their brain cells active.

Normally a home-cooked Christmas lunch is arranged at Old Basing Cricket Pavilion in early December, but this year they are meeting individually at home via Zoom. To get into the festive spirit they will all wear something Christmassy, pull a cracker so they can wear silly hats; open a gift they have bought themselves costing £1 to show to the others; eat and drink festive food (no need to worry about driving this year); tell the others about a past best or worst Christmas experience and participate in a Christmas Quiz. They say that therapeutic laughter is guaranteed. If you would like to join them for good company, albeit by Zoom for the time being, please look at www.nwr.org.uk, or contact Karen via e-mail karen.dann@gmail.com or call her on 01256 328488 for a chat.

Fiona Biermann

Silchester

CHURCHES our Parish Church continues with the Zoom services at 10.00am and next Sunday December 3rd there will be a Communion Service in Church at 8am with all Covid protocols observed. Two services are planned over Christmas, Christmas Eve at 11.30am and Christmas Day at 10 am. Contact the Wardens if you would like to attend as numbers are very strictly limited. The Methodist service starts at 10.30am on Zoom next Sunday as usual.

SILCHESTER calendar is now on sale with a great selection of super photo taken in and around Silchester and well worth £10 per copy. Please order by email from 2021calendar@silchesterchurch.co.uk soon. These have a tough envelope for posting safely.

ANOTHER CALENDAR Sandi Smithers has produced an African Calendar, with photographs of her trip to the Masai Mara – cycling some 320km - plus some of her own very beautiful paintings. To order one please contact Sandi on 9700394 to get all details. They cost £10.

SILCHESTER MAGAZINE December/January is always a combined edition and will be a hard copy and available this week.

LOCKDOWN has it ended/changed/or what? We all look forward to Christmas and meeting family & friends and hopefully being able to attend a Carol Service. News for all of this soon. Silchester now has new personal carol! Words, music and orchestration by Robin Scott who lives in our village. We await news of the World Premiere of this lovely carol.

Nancy Jones

Kempshott

Kempshott residents will have been saddened to hear of the passing of Cllr Anne Court. She was involved in so many aspects of our lives - the Kempshott Kourier, which we rely on every month, the Village Hall, Kancare, the neighbourcare organisation in Kempshott, which cannot operate at the moment but will be back, Inspero, which runs a food bank at the moment and has the sumptuous community garden at the back of the Village Hall, not to mention her work as our local councillor.

The Village Hall reopens after lockdown this week. You will need to contact your group organiser to find out the precise details.

Diana Manville

Cliddesden

Happy End of Second Lockdown! The Village Hall will be dusting off the cobwebs and opening its doors again, the first time being tonight for the Social and Entertainment Club. They’ll be showing “Something’s Gotta Give’. Doors open at 7.30, entrance £2, all very welcome. Indoor services at St Leonard’s are still paused, but they do hope to hold the annual carol service, possibly outdoors. Plans are also in place for a virtual nativity video, starring many children and families from the villages in Farleigh Parish. The Parish Council are looking for volunteers who can spare a couple of hours a month to help with analysing data from the Speed Indicator Devices around (SIDs) the village. You will need a laptop and bluetooth, and training will be given for everything else. Contact sibarksy@hotmail.com for further information. No panto this year, but it’s still possible to purchase a pack or two of limited edition Cliddesden Christmas cards, designed and drawn by our ‘resting’ panto dame. All profits go to supporting the village hall during these tricky times. Contact thecapehorns@me.com to place an order.

Rachel Beresford-Davies

Oakley

I’m sat here surrounded by twinkling Christmas lights and listening to festive music. Christmas has finally arrived. It may be a bit different this year but we still have the beautiful countryside around us and a lot to be thankful for.

The new Co-op opened last week to much fanfare and a visit from local Mayor, Diane Taylor. I have not visited yet but I have heard good things.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for giant numbers in peoples windows as you roam around the village. These are part of Oakley community advent calendar. On the date specified by the number, the window will display a picture. Like opening a giant advent calendar. Have you found the first numbers yet?

Light up a Star:

Place a star (colour one in, light one up, print one off..any star will do) in your window from the 5th December and then enjoy walking around the village spotting everyone’s stars. A bit like the NHS rainbows but more Christmassy.

Oakley’s Virtual Christmas Market.

On the 4th December there will be a virtual Christmas market evening streamed live through the OCA Facebook page. The fun starts at 7.30pm.

To get the latest updates and to be reminded about the event please click ‘interested’ or ‘going’ on our Facebook event page.

It is shaping up to be a great night packed to the brim with a huge range of local Christmas gift ideas. Make sure you watch!

A message from a Friends of Oakley Infant School -

To add some festive cheer in time to guide Santa’s reindeer to your homes we’ll be selling homemade reindeer food. Get your orders in, they’re only £1 a cone! The first collection date for the cones will be 30th November from the village school at pickup time (2.45 to 3.30pm).

Oakley Men’s Shed Christmas Stall -

Saturday 5 December 1.00-3.00pm

Barley Mow Car Park

Your opportunity to buy Christmas items, locally made and good value.

Preview our Christmas Shop video advert on www.oakleymensshed.com.

And a big thank you to everyone who has already bought our Christmas items!

Link Magazine -

Due to lockdown, Link magazine will be delivered 1 week later than usual this month. Thank you for your patience.

Basingstoke Food Bank -

The Basingstoke Food Bank are making up hampers in the shop next door to Next on the Upper Level of Festival Place. As well as food donations, they are particularly in need of good quality wrapping paper for wrapping the boxes and hope for some more volunteers to wrap and fill the boxes. If anyone can help, please get in touch and email abigail@comptonburnett.com

Annie’s Charity Shop, Meon Road, RG237AL is open for business!

They have a wide variety of Christmas gifts(new items) and other Christmas goods at very reasonable prices.

Toys are half marked price during December. Opening hours 10-4 Mon to Fri and 10-1 Saturdays.

Tiffany Wise

CLUB NEWS

BASINGSTOKE LIONS CLUB – NOVEMBER 2020

QUIZ Night 14 November: This was a quiz which had been prepared 15 months earlier and was therefore intended for delivery in the Cliddesden Millenium Hall, our normal venue for these disputaceous (yes, I know, there’s no such word) events. I make no claim to infallibility, just state that I am right. I do make an exception if I realise that I’ve given the answer to the next question eg. The glorious twelfth is on the 30th of November (you can work that one out for yourselves). Anyway our Zoom quizzes are gaining traction. Contestants for the last one were up to 24 and donations rose correspondingly.

Donation: Our Club received a surprise donation of £500. Apparently the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was persuaded that we were a worthy recipient in view of the work we do to support members of the local community. We are most grateful, both on our behalf, and on behalf of the many people it will help.

Fundraising: In my last report I mentioned the Basingstoke and Deane Community Lottery on which we have a page which enables our supporters to buy lottery tickets to support us. That seems to be working very well. In a full year it already looks as though we will be the beneficiaries of at least £350.

Welfare: The latest specs collection arising from World Sight Day has been delivered to Chichester. Two families have been helped with replacement white goods and thanks to the beneficence of our Treasurer (after the thumbscrews had been applied) we will be donating over £2000 to a variety of causes which help troubled people.

Anyone who was hoping for a “Get Out of Jail Free” card for Christmas must be sadly disappointed. Perhaps that is why my fellow members have sent me to Coventry for suggesting a Zoom get together where everyone has to perform some sort of party piece. Party Poopers.