Nobby and Gareth Raise Nearly £1,000

Nobby Clarke of Micheldever Road and Gareth Evans of The Broadway would like to thank everyone who sponsored Nobby on his 100 mile walk in Holland in July.

This year's money was donated to the Wessex Children's Heart Circle. The money raised was £930. By a combination of Nobby's pounding the roads around Nijmegen and Gareth's visiting most homes in Whitchurch.

The money was handed over to The Wessex Children's Heart Circle By Gareth yesterday at Camms Hall, Fareham. Thank you so much to everyone who donated money to this worthwhile cause.

Faithful Hands Raises £2,400

Just seventeen days in the London Road Road Charity Shop resulted in £2,400 being raised for Faithful Hands' charities - a record for the group.

Felt for the Gill Nethercott Centre

Work is well in hand to produce the felt hanging for the Centre. Pauline Pepper has been working with individuals and groups for a week. Large quantities of wool, colouring and soap, with some physical effort has already produced a colourful array of felts.

There's still time to take part (until 28th September), call Harriet on 895537. The final work will be hung on Saturday November 3rd.

Entertainment in Whitchurch

Last night saw the successful "Gala Opening" of Film Thursday which featured the Moviola film Becoming Jane, a fictional love story about a lass from Steventon (Jane Austen) who went on to write a book or two. The Gill Nethercott Hall was filled with an audience of 60 who seems to enjoy the bubbly before and the films - thanks go to Newbury Building Society for selling nearly all the tickets.

Next month's film is the Oscar winning "The Last King of Scotland" a true (or as true as Hollywood can get) story of Idi Amin's Scottish doctor. The showing has had to be moved to 11th October because of the bye-election. Tickets are now available from Brockenhurst Estate Agents.

If you can't wait until then:

A highly acclaimed recent release will be shown in the newly equipped Baptist Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 28th, there is no charge but donations are welcome.

From 3rd to 6th October Testbourne Community School's latest production "Grease" will be in the Theatre Hall, tickets for what will probably be a sell-out are available from the School Office 892061.

More live theatre will be available at Testbourne when the Newbury Watermill Theatre presents Story of a Great Lady, a comedy by Ade Morris on 15th October. The performance is sponsored by Newbury Building Society, where you can buy tickets.

Town Centre Improvements Manager Appointed

Whitchurch resident, Glenda O'Neill, has been appointed the new Town Centre Improvement Manager. She is currently being briefed on the job and will be seen by the Steering Group at its meeting on Thursday.

At the meeting she will introduce herself and can tell the group a little more about her background, reason for applying for the role etc. Glenda has a fixed two year contract until September 2009, and her usual days of working will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with the distribution of her average of 18.5 hours per week still to be agreed.

She will be based in the e-work centre at 1 Winchester Street, as soon as the communication can be installed. In the meantime she can be contacted via Anne Harrison of Hampshire County Council's Economic Development Office by e-mail.

Smarter Working - Whitchurch in at the Start

The launch of Hampshire's Smarter-Working initiative MATISSE (Mobile and Teleworking Initiative for a Smarter South East) will take the form of 2 half-day seminars and Whitchurch will be there!!

Working4Whitchurch, which is setting up the Town's e.office (the first of several in the county), hopes to be at both seminars on 9th October at the Rose Bowl in Southampton and, more locally, on 16th October at Basingstoke Golf Club, Kempshott Park.

The seminars, which will help you find out how to work smarter, are free. More details and links to on line registration are here.

Free Advice to Small Businesses in Whitchurch

Business Link, the Government funded small business support organisation, runs free confidential advice sessions in the Town Hall every other Friday morning. The only requirement is to book the session on 0845 600 9 006.

Business Advice Clinics offer:

Independent, impartial discussion and advice at no charge
Research for further information
Referral to internal and external contacts for assistance with all business matters
Constructive analysis of your current and proposed plans.

Your business will benefit from:

Face to face discussion in an informal atmosphere with a qualified and experienced Business Link Adviser
A ‘reality check’ for your current plans and ideas in relation to the business
Help with interpretation of information you have researched already
Help with identifying alternative solutions
Assistance in finding appropriate contacts to help you with future plans.

For more information call 0845 600 9 006 or visit www.businesslinkhampshireiow.co.uk

Millennium Dogs in the Sun

The latest Millennium Dog Day was a great success with a large crowd enjoying the day, the dogs, the meadow, the food and the sun.

Thelma Cornwell superbly orchestrated a full afternoon's entertainment including finding Whitchurch's happiest dog, best groomed dog, prettiest female dog, hunkiest male dog, cutest puppy, the dog and owner most alike, dog with the best obedience trick, dog with the most amusing trick together with a sausage and spoon race and the fastest returning dog. The latter being slightly in dispute as the fastest dog was prevented from returning by a slightly slower but more cunning competitor.

More pictures here.

New Film Show Programme Endangered by Borough Council

The Film Thursday organisers, whose programme starts on 20th September with Becoming Jane, have had to change the date of the second show because Basingstoke & Deane District Council insists on using the Hall for the bye election.

The second film, The last King of Scotland, has had to be moved to Thursday 11th October because the council is insisting on its right to use the hall, regardless of whether other venues could be used for the election or the fact the hall is being used for a community event.

Paula Chatterton of the Borough's Electoral Services, who has no details of other facilities in the Town (they're all on this website), explained that she would use the hall in future for elections occurring at short notice because the Council has the right enshrined in the lease; the availability of other facilities in Whitchurch and the type of event that would have to move or be cancelled would not be taken into consideration.

Three Whitchurch Pubs in Good Pub Guide!

Yet again three of the Town's pubs have been listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide. The Prince Regent, White Hart and Longmeadow Sports and Social Centre all retain their places in this prestigious tome.

Unlike many other guides, there are no paid inspectors who inspect pubs, it is CAMRA's members, who pride themselves on knowing a good pint, who vote for the inclusion (and removal) of pubs in the book which has now been published for 35 years. The local CAMRA group will, as last year, be "launching" the book locally in a Whitchurch Pub, this year it will be the White Hart on 9th October at 7.30pm when landlord, Andy Moss, with Arkell's brewery, is planning an entertaining evening and invites everyone along.

Whitchurch Singing For Fun Choir Raises £250

The Whitchurch Singing For Fun Choir is very pleased that it is able to make a donation of £250 to Naomi House from the proceeds of its summer concert held in St.Mary Bourne Village Hall on 14th July 2007; the story is here.

Accommodation Wanted - French Students

Two male, non-smoking French students are working for NewVoiceMedia for 3 months. They are twenty years old and calm to be "very quiet". If you have or know of a house or flat share vacancy in the area please contact Alexandre Kubos by e-mail.

Crowds Turn Out to See Cyclists and the South Sees it on TV

A crowd some 500 strong turned out around the Town's centre to watch the Tour of Britain pass through Whitchurch. The picture with Whitchurch fully decorated, bottom left, was seen by millions on South Today as part of its feature on the Tour. Click on it to see a full screen version.

Slightly later than scheduled, at just after 11.44am, the first of the 102 cyclists in 17 teams entered The Square, 14 seconds later they had all passed. Something like 300 people were in the Square and a Testbourne Community School contingent occupied Church Street by the Fire Station. In the 15 minutes or so before the Tour came, they loudly cheered all passing vehicles - the number 76 bus receiving particularly high levels of approbation.

Early arrivers took some of the best places, such as the bench seat outside Somerfields and The Oaktreee Nursery occupied the "high ground" to welcome the riders to Whitchurch as they passed the junction of Lynch Hill Park and London Road. Blue skies even appeared for the time it took the cyclists to cross the Square. On Tuesday Working4Whitchurch put the bunting and flags away for another 13 years until the next cycle race visits!!

More pictures here

Weekend Cycling Events

Whitchurch's cyclists were not content just to watch the Tour of Britain teams do all the hard work as many took part in the historic churches tour on Saturday, some in the immediate area and others travelling further afield to raise funds.

Cycle training and a Treasure Hunt occupied around 20 cyclists of all ages on Sunday morning and afternoon respectively. The organisers, Hampshire Cycle Training, raised £200 for the leukemia appeal .

You can still sponsor the Isle of Wight cyclists at the Old Paper Shop, or e-mail Julie Myall. See the story below.

Landscape Day Attracts Crowds

Graham Burgess' Landscape Day which is intended to give snapshots of Whitchurch from geological times through to the plans for the Town Centre Improvements attracted a steady flow of visitors to the Gill Nethercott Community Hall.

One early visitor was MP, Sir George Young. He and others saw displays of the town's geology and farming history together with photographic records from the Local History Society and a collection of images taken in the last month. The plan is to retake photographs regularly in future years from the same view points to provide a photographic history of Whitchurch.

Outlines of the strawman plans for some of the Town Centre Improvement Projects were on show, with an opportunity for those interested to sign up to be involved in reviewing and approving the detailed plans.

Whitchurch Ready for Tour 2

Two days before the event, Whitchurch town centre is decorated and the dry run for the Tour of Britain passes through The Square.

Over 20 police motorcyclists will form a rolling road block, stopping traffic ahead of the cyclists taking part in the race and then moving on behind them. As they move on, they leave traffic chaos behind them.

Meanwhile, undisturbed by the town centre traffic jam, cycles were being checked and post coded outside the Town Hall by Hampshire Cycle Training and PCSO Helen Rutherford, respectively.

Whitchurch Ready for Tour 1

Once again Stewart Parrington has braved the heights of the shop fronts of Whitchurch to prepare the town for a festive event.

The Chairman of Working4Whitchurch has led his 2 man team in decorating the centre of Whitchurch with bunting and flags to welcome the Tour of Britain on Monday. The cyclists are expected at 11.30 through The Square.

Other cycling events are happening this weekend see here for details.

Tanner Family Visit

On Sunday 7th October descendants of the TANNER and HARRIS families will be meeting together in Whitchurch for the first time for 100 to 150 years. They hope to visit the churches of Tufton, Whitchurch and others in the area and weather permitting participate in a walking tour of the Town. A lunch is being planned to conclude the activities.

Anyone interested in joining with the family then please email Jim North, Les Arcs sur Argens, France.

Gateways Complete

The final parts of the Town Gateways have been installed.

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Charity Art Exhibition

A steady flow of visitors enjoyed an exhibition of the many styles of work by Rose Eastman. Profits from the exhibition are being donated to the Countess of Brecknock Hospice, where Rose spent her last days.

A resident of Whitchurch since the age of ten, Rose was a well known and prolific artist. Throughout her life she took a keen interest in art, visiting many museums, galleries and art exhibitions, gaining inspiration to paint in different styles using a variety of mediums. For many years she concentrated on painting birds, animals and flowers. In the 1990s she visited Paris several times and, although thoroughly enjoying the delights of the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. she found her imagination most captured by l'Orangerie, famous for its impressive basement panels of Monet's "Water Lilies". Ancient Egyptian art influenced her so much that she decorated her bedroom in the style of the 18th Dynastyle and tried her hand at sculpting, producing a statue "Anubis" – the Egyptian god of the dead and embalming. Rose's last works were mainly modern, with titles such as "Navaho Stones", "Silver on Blue" and "Boxed Energy". The exhibition comprised a variety of paintings brought together from various homes plus the sculpture of "Anubis".

New Notice Boards on the Meadow

Two new notice boards have been erected on the Millennium Meadow. Designed (and erected) by Brian Shrubshall and built locally, the boards at each end of the Meadow, in addition to displaying information, will contain cards that will describe what is to be found on the site. The cards be collected at one board and left at the other.

Noelle Shrubshall, Millennium Green Friends Secretary, admires the new notice board erected by her husband Brian

Community Art Project

Felt wall hangings to decorate the Gill Nethercott Community Centre will be made as a community project between 17th and 28th September; groups and individuals are all welcome to take part.

The week days are for local groups, such as Beavers and Pre- schools, by booking with Harriet on 895537. The weekend 23-24 is open for anyone to turn up and join in. Times are 11am to 4pm.

There will be an artist in residence, Pauline Pepper, to lead the way. The outcome will be felt wall hangings celebrating life, work and play here in Whitchurch, to be hung in the Nethercott Hall. The final work will be hung on Saturday November 3rd. Everybody is welcome to turn up for this.