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

Cliddesden

This Sunday, 27th November, the Millennium Village Hall will host a Christmas Fayre, to raise funds for both the hall itself and Lordsfield Swimming Club. The fayre runs from 11am to 2.30pm, with many stalls including tea/coffee and cake, and a grand raffle. Please do come along and support this event. If you are interested in booking a stall, please contact Alison Hood on 07919 418551.

Things have become quite busy here in Cliddesden and, at times, I’ve had to shuffle my notices around to make sure that everything is covered. Therefore, please forgive me to casting back to the end of last month, but I am keen to include a little bit about Halloween, which saw around 30 children enjoying an organised ‘trick or treat’ along Farleigh Road/Southlea. They wowed everybody with their costumes and, I’m sure, thoroughly enjoyed the hour they spent calling at the houses of villagers who had agreed in advance to take part. You will know from my weekly ramblings that Cliddesden is proud to be a village catering to the needs and interests of all ages and thanks is due to both the organisers and those homeowners who made this event possible.

Helen Walker

Chineham

A resident has now come forward to fill one of the three vacancies on Chineham Parish Council. Jonnie Jenkin offered himself and was duly co-opted at the November parish council meeting.

Helen Veldhuis works at Four Lanes Infant School and is this year an eco-schools coordinator. The school has signed up to become a terracycling recycling point. This means they can recycle some specific items that can’t go into the normal recycling bin, such as dishwater tablet packaging, baby wipe packages, toothbrushes and other items. However, the school must provide its own collection bins. Helen is requesting that anybody who has a spare wheelie bin or black bin in fairly good condition should let the team know. The school can be contacted on 01256 324256 or via gen.admin@fourlanes-inf.hants.sch.uk.

Chineham Library is launching a free, limited-edition tote bag. It is said to be perfect to carry books home from the library.

To claim your free tote bag, sign up to their newsletter using the link below and you'll receive a code. Take this code into the reception at the library to pick up your bag. There are limited numbers so availability is on a first come, first served basis.

Go to this link for more information: https://bit.ly/3EoEiAj 

Fiona Biermann

Hatch Warren and Beggarwood

Christmas Activities start to come thick and fast at this time of year. Here are two:

Basingstoke Community Market are holding their first Christmas Market tonight (24th November) at the Portsmouth Arms. They have lined up a wide variety of stalls, including a mulled wine tent.

Hatch Warren Christmas Market: One of the most important Christmas milestones in this area is the Community Association's Christmas Market, which is being held this Sunday (27th November) from 12 noon until 4pm. A wide variety of local traders will be attending and there will be a food court offering delicious treats and hot drinks. For the children there is the opportunity to meet Father Christmas, as long as the grown-ups book in advance.

Pavements Dug Up: One of the irritations in Beggarwood at the moment is the length of time the pavements are dug up for what looks like water pipe laying. Please be careful around the Beggarwood Community Centre. The Community Association reported that the entrance to their car park had been blocked off, but it looks as if that issue is now resolved. However, the long path at the southern end of the field is shut and there is a deep trench along it.

Anaerobic Digester: Biogen have reported that works to the Digester have taken longer to complete than was planned, so it is not yet possible to assess whether they have improved the situation regarding odour leakage.

Golf Course New Homes: It doesn't seem possible, but the first of the newly built homes on the Golf Course are already being offered for sale. Details are on the Bloor Homes website.

Stephen Reid

Kempshott

The meeting of Kempshott WI on Monday at the Village Hall at 2.30pm will dispel the notion of Jam and Jerusalem! The theme of the meeting is Bollywood dancing, so bring your floaty scarves. Ladies are welcome to visit.

This month is also when contributions are made to Inspero’s food bank operation, small toys also being welcome. This means the usual festive celebration in December will be somewhat muted.

Don’t forget the Christmas Craft Fair on 27th in the hall, which is bound to provide you with inspired Christmas gifts.

Diana Manville

Oakley

T.O.P.S. (The Oakley Pantomime Society) Presents Once upon a Panto on Friday, 9th December at 7.30pm, Saturday, 10th December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm at Andover Road Village Hall.

(Evenings only: Bring your own drinks.)

For tickets at £7 (16 & under £5) please call Murray Simmons on 01256 782916 or email Murraysimmons@hotmail.com

This Friday is the Oakley Infant School Christmas Fair/Market - everyone is welcome! 25th November 6pm -8pm at the Infant School.

St Leonard’s Pre-School, Oakley: We’re looking for an enthusiastic and caring pre-school practitioner with a level 3 early years qualification to join our friendly staff team. We provide a stimulating well equipped environment and attractive outdoor space for children age 2 to 5 years. This popular pre-school is a non-profit making setting with a broad Christian ethos.

Hours – Flexible. Initially 5 hours per week Thursday 9.00-12.00 and Friday 1.00 – 3.00. Term time only. 

Informal enquiries and applications to: preschool@oww.church

CAS Oakley with Sochi - Youth Worker for St Leonard’s Church: If you're between the ages of 18 and 30 and are interested in establishing new friendships, exchanging ideas, going on social outings and hangouts, dining with people your own age, communicating, and developing yourself, have you been trying to find a way to meet other young adults in Oakley?

The launch of a Young Adult group in Oakley is something we're incredibly excited to announce.

The CAS YA aims to unite and foster community & relationships among young adults in Oakley.

Visit https://linktr.ee/cas_oakley to sign up to the YA group.

Our first meet up will be on the 18th Dec 2022, 7pm in Oakley.

Tiffany Wise

Old Basing and Lychpit

The next opening of the Allotment Shop (OBAGS) will be on Sunday 5th December. In the meantime, the OBAGS AGM is being held on Sunday 27th November in the Pavilion Tearooms from 10.30am until 12noon. Light refreshments will be available at the conclusion of the meeting.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with all sorts of festive events to make a note of.

The first event is a Christmas Fayre at the Royal British legion on Saturday 26th November starting at 2pm. There will be refreshments, lots of goodies to buy plus a chance for children to meet Father Christmas at 2.30pm.

Planning for the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s Church from 9-11th December is well underway and tickets for the Christmas Singalong on Friday 9th are now available. If you have a favourite Christmas song that you would like to be included in the singalong please send in your request, before the 25th November.

The theme for this year’s festival is the Twelve Days of Christmas and what it means to you. It costs a minimum of £7.50 to enter a tree and entry forms are available from the email addresses below.  

In the meantime, donations are invited for the tombola bottle stall and seasonal goodies and volunteers to help with stalls etc., would also be warmly welcomed. Please contact admin@stmarysoldbasing.org.uk or Christmastreefestival.stmary@gmail.com for song requests, entry forms, recipe sheets, posters etc.

Later in December on Friday 30th the Big Turkey Lunch will be back at Old Basing Village Hall. The complimentary festive meal is for people in Old Basing and Lychpit and will this year be a Big Turkey Pie. Doors open at noon with drinks followed by lunch at 1pm.

Please call Rosey on 07544 998292 to reserve a place – transport is available if needed.

Volunteers on the day or evening before will be really welcome, if you can spare some time.

There will also be a New Year’s Eve disco at Old Basing Village Hall – more details nearer the time.

Elspeth Lee

Sherfield on Loddon

NWR (National Women’s Register):  The November meeting was a play reading. Gill says: “In keeping with our theme this year of American, the American playwright Neil Simon’s ‘London Suite’ was chosen. It was an amusing and thought-provoking play and 12 of the membership took part. The play was four short stories featuring different occupants of one suite in a London hotel. Our next meeting is our Christmas social.”

Repair Café is visiting the hall this weekend, Saturday 26 from 10 am till 1pm. Repair, Re-use and Relove is their motto. We live in a throwaway society, and we throw away a vast amount of things that, sometimes, have something wrong with them that can be easily repaired. If you have something that can be repaired, you can help reduce the volume of raw materials and energy needed to make new products and this cuts emissions – less new products made equals less CO2 emissions. The repair café can look at computers, small electrical items, clothes, garden tools, toys and bicycles. Go along to the hall or for more information, see their website nhrc.uk.

Chris Horton