12th August
Village's busy
food festival has run its course
THE Emsworth Food
Festival has been scrapped.
Community leaders
have decided to ditch the controversial three-day festival and will
be putting on four smaller events spread throughout the year.
The events will be called 'festival markets' and will have up to 40
stalls selling goods in
South Street
car park.
The food festival was cancelled this year after complaints that it
had become a victim of its own success with more than 50,000
visitors descending on Emsworth and effectively closing the village
centre for three days.
But it still remained uncertain whether the festival would make a
return next year.
However, following a crunch meeting between Emsworth Business
Association and the Food Festival Committee, it has been decided to
scrap the idea of having a large food festival once a year.
Brendan Gibb-Gray, chairman of Emsworth Business Association, said:
'I think it is a very exciting idea.
'We have looked at
Winchester
and Chichester and Petersfield and we feel this is an opportunity to
take the best of the Emsworth Food Festival and get as many local
businesses involved as possible.
'We are trying to make it a more contained event and hopefully
minimise disruption to the rest of the town.'
The markets will incorporate businesses in Emsworth after complaints
that the festival was not benefiting local traders. All businesses
in Emsworth will now be given the opportunity to set up a stall.
The main theme will still be food, but other goods will be on sale,
including gifts, books and crafts.
Organisers say the event will still have a 'festival theme' as there
will still be street entertainment and cookery demonstrations.
The first festival market will take place on Sunday December 14 and
will have a Christmas theme.
Mr Gibb-Gray said: 'There are lots of economic reasons that say the
food festival would be a difficult financial proposition at the
moment.
'It would be difficult at the moment to make it financially viable.'
But he added: 'It's not goodbye to the food festival. It's hello
it's back, but it is in a different format.
'Nevertheless it will be the best of the Emsworth Food Festival.'
The News
12-August-08
8th August
Food market
plan for Emsworth
EMSWORTH could host
a Sunday food market three or four times a year under plans from the
town's business association.
The idea will be
tested by a Christmas-themed market in December. The market would
take place in part of the
South Street
car park.
Stallholders would be given guidelines to ensure the food adds to
the variety already sold in the town.
The business association has been discussing the plans with
directors of the Emsworth Food Festival and with Havant Borough
Council Business Development team.
Chichester Observer
06 August 2008
29th July
Meeting to cook
up food festival's future
TALKS will take
place tomorrow about the future of the Emsworth Food Festival.
Businesses,
retailers and the public are invited to discuss a way forward for
the popular event, which has sparked controversy.
It was cancelled this year after complaints that it had got too big.
Last year 55,000 people descended on the vill
ADVERTISEMENT
age, sparking
concerns about disruption as the village centre was effectively
closed to traffic.
The festival committee is considering holding a smaller version
twice a year.
Festival spokeswoman Amanda Fallbrown said: 'The plan is that
something goes ahead. Some of the ideas are to hold it twice a year,
along the lines of a farmer's market with local businesses getting
involved.'
Trader Chris Gorton, owner of Sue Foster Fabrics in Queen Street,
said: 'I can understand they had to take a breather as it had got so
big and everyone needed to take stock. It was a bit like a business
running out of contol.
'I think the festival puts Emsworth on the map. Okay, I don't take
orders when it is on, but it makes people want to come back to
Emsworth.'
The meeting is at
6pm at the Community Association Centre in Church Path.
The News
29-July-08
27th July
Street revamp
could be way to bring in tourists
Part
of a picturesque street is to be redeveloped to breathe new life
into the area.
The 100-space car park in South Street, Emsworth, is
to be redesigned to make way for about six new shops and flats.
The run-down toilet block at the entrance to the car park will be
knocked down and rebuilt elsewhere, and the Emsworth Centre is set
for major refurbishment. Both are owned by Havant Borough Council.
The plans have been welcomed by local people who hope it will
regenerate the conservation area close to Emsworth Quay. Emsworth
ward councillor Brendan Gibb-Gray said: 'I'm unusually enthusiastic
about this, it's a very good idea.
'The Emsworth Centre is a wonderful community asset which is
under-used but treasured by the people who do use it.
'If it is redeveloped it has got to be fit for the next 40 to 50
years, and the redevelopment of the frontage in South Street will go
some way in paying for it.
'At the moment that area is a bit of an eyesore and the gap there
looks like a bomb site.'
The Emsworth Centre will be the centrepiece of the redevelopment. It
is currently leased by Havant Council of Community Services which
runs meals and wheels. Officers believe the run-down building is in
the perfect position to be a tourism and education centre and a
place community groups can meet in. The run-down toilets were once a
magnet for drug takers until police launched a crackdown. Designs
for the new buildings will have to adhere to extremely strict
guidelines because of the area's conservation status.
Chris Close, of Bath Road, Emsworth, has welcomed the plans. He
said: 'As far as I'm aware it is just the car park frontage with the
Emsworth Centre and the toilets that are going to be developed.
'I'm quite sure it will be sensitively done and the toilet block
there at the moment is not the most attractive part of South Street
– which is a very attractive street.'
The News16
July 2008
27th July
Emsworth Village Design Statement
At
the Executive meeting of Havant Borough Council on July 16th it was
recommended that the Council approve the Emsworth Village Design
Statement and the Design Considerations it contains as a material
consideration in Development Control.
www.emsworthdesignstatement.org.uk
23rd July
SPECIAL EXHIBITION “MORE ABOUT
P.G.WODEHOUSE”
EMSWORTH MUSEUM 2ND TO 31ST AUGUST
Jeeves and Lord Emsworth are back in town! Well not quite, but this
exhibition gives a close-up picture of Emsworth as PG Wodehouse
would have seen it during his ten years in the town and speculates
on some of the people he might have met.
Local place names and a few locals feature heavily in his books and
even Emsworth itself is described lovingly in them. The display
includes photos, letters, books music and memorabilia
Opening Times; 10.30
to 4.30pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays, 2.30 to 4.30pm Fridays in
August and all Sundays
23rd July
Important meeting for all Emsworth businesses re. Emsworth Food
Festival
Wed 30th July 6pm at
North St Community Centre
If the Emsworth Food Festival affects your business in any way, you are
invited to this meeting, to hear about proposals for the 2009
Festival to promote and celebrate Emsworth.
We have taken account of the ideas and concerns of local businesses, and
need your support to make 2009 a great success.
I hope to see you then
Lulu Bowerman
EFF Chair
Retail
rep-Mary Coburn
Classy Cooks
T. 01243 377518
20th July
Mast
proposal for Emsworth
A planning
application has been submitted by Hampshire County Council for a
50-metre anemometry mast in north Emsworth.
The mast would be
temporary, positioned in Southleigh forest's landfill site for a
year to record wind data.
There would be four sets of guy cables anchored 25 metres from the
base holding it in place.
Chichester Observer
20-July-08
10th July
Footbridge repairs
set walkers on detour
A well-used footbridge has been closed to the public while
maintenance work takes place.
The Highways Agency is carrying out improvements on the Pook Lane
pedestrian bridge over the A27 near Havant.
The footbridge will be closed until the end of the month. It is
expected to re-open in the first week of August after parapets have
been replaced.
A diversion will send pedestrians under the Warblington interchange
via Emsworth Road on the north side of the A27 and Church Lane on
the south.
Martin Wright, route performance manager for West Sussex, said: 'The
Highways Agency has a strong commitment to safety and the work we
are doing on the Pook Lane footbridge will bring it up to date with
the latest safety standards.
'We are encouraging pedestrians to allow some extra time for their
journey while the footpath diversion is in place, and I'd like to
thank them in advance for their patience.
The News 10-July-08
5th July
Royalty beckons
for Emsworth gardeners
Emsworth's
horticultural society will be showing off their gardening talents at
next month's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
The EHS has been
selected to put together a garden in the small garden category of
the esteemed show, which takes place from July 8 until July 13.
The garden's design will focus on encouraging children to become
more involved in gardening and art.
It is the first time garden designer Annette Wood has had a garden
at the show. She said: "The primary purpose of the 'Spot the Art'
garden is to foster children's interest and enthusiasm not only in
the fields of gardening and plants but also art and artists.
"Semi-hidden in the garden are details from works of art for example
Rousseau's tiger or Monet's water lilies which children will be
encouraged to search for and spot after referring to interactive art
posts along the front boundary of the garden.
"The garden is intended to be fun, exciting and stimulating, as well
as visually beautiful."
On the inspiration of her garden, she said: "Last summer I was
walking in our garden when I became aware of our Burmese cat Lucy
hiding in a flower bed, stalking me and ready to pounce.
"I was reminded of the tiger in Rousseau's painting Surprise and
thought how much children would enjoy spotting a tiger in the garden
– and also how this could be used as a tool for learning."
The garden contains two small walkways at the end of which there is
a sculpture in the style of a particular artist on a plinth.
The garden also has a circular pond as seen in one of the Van Gogh
paintings. It has white water lilies, which link to the famous Monet
paintings of water lilies. In the centre of the garden will be a
courtyard. The garden will feature grasses, sunflower, lilies and
other flowers in four different sections.
Chichester Observer 02-July-08
More at:
www.emsworthhoriculturalsociety.org.uk
30th June
MARINE LIFE EXHIBITION
An exciting new exhibition is
opening on Saturday at Emsworth Museum. The exhibition dives beneath
the surface of our local waters to give a glimpse of the amazing
wildlife that lives beneath the waves.
The exhibition called ‘What Lies Beneath’ features underwater
photography from within Chichester Harbour. All the photographs were
taken as part of a recent subtidal survey which discovered 220
different species of plants and animals
and 34 different types of habitats. The divers were amazed at both
the wealth of life and the healthy condition of the habitats.
In addition to the photographs, the exhibition features information
on some of the key species. Video footage also taken by the divers
will be on show on the museum’s new 32” flat screen television.
Chichester Sub-Aqua Club have donated dive equipment and artefacts
they have recovered during local dives.
Ali Beckett who has organised the exhibition said, ‘The divers found
that under the
water it is crowded with life. Pontoon pilings and mooring chains
are covered with a wealth of colourful seaweeds. Reefs of native
oysters provide homes for bright red sea squirts, hydroids and
sponges. The exhibition goes some way towards providing a glimpse of
this fascinating world which is right on our doorstep.’
The exhibition is on at Emsworth Museum from the 5th to the 27th
July. The museum is open Saturdays 10:30
– 4:30 and Sundays 2:30 – 4:30.
Viewings can be arranged at other times for groups, call Dorothy
Bone 01243 373780.
16th June
Woman
injured in road accident.
A woman has been
left with serious injuries after being hit by a car while cycling.
She was in collision with a car at the junction of Record Road and
Havant Road, Emsworth. The cyclist was rushed to Queen Alexandra
Hospital suffering from leg and facial injuries.
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. The incident
happened at 11.05am on Saturday and anyone with information on the
accident should call Cosham Roads Policing Unit
on 0845 045 45 45.
22nd May
Scheme aims to
boost recycling
A new door-step
green recycling scheme is being launched across Havant.
The dedicated
green waste collection service will be started by Havant Borough
Council next year – but residents will have to pay to take part.
The fortnightly service will collect green waste, such as hedge
trimmings and grass cuttings, and take them to recycling centres
for composting.
The council is spending £82,000 on buying a new collection truck to
provide the service.
Under the new scheme, residents will pay an annual licence fee of
£25 for one reusable bag or £45 for two bags. A collection truck
will come to their door every two weeks.
People who apply early for the scheme will get a discount and will
be charged £22. Those on state benefits will receive a 33 per cent
discount and pay £18.75.
Council leaders are hoping the scheme, to be introduced next April,
will boost local recycling rates.
Around 32 per cent of household waste is recycled in the Havant
Borough compared with just five per cent back in 1993. But the
council has to improve far more to reach the government target of 40
per cent by 2010.
Council leader Tony Briggs said: 'We're up there with the upper
quartile of local authorities for recycling rates in the country and
this is going to help even more.
'We're already meeting government targets, but we want to do even
better.'
The scheme will be in addition to the alternate fortnightly
collection for refuse and recyclables.
Green waste is currently collected by the council, but under a much
smaller and more limited scheme.
Green plastic sacks are sold to residents for £1.50 each, reduced to
£1 for people on benefits.
Residents then have to ring up the council offices to get a truck to
come and collect the bag, which is not reusable.
The council is hoping that around 10 per cent of households – 4,700
homes – take up the new service.
Cllr Briggs added: 'It's also going to reduce people's carbon
footprint. At the moment people drive to the household waste
recycling centre to get rid of green waste.
'But now we will have just one vehicle making that journey.'
The News
www.thenews.co.uk 21
May 2008
20th May
Car park changes in Emsworth
given go ahead
PLANS to slash the maximum stay time at
a car park in Emsworth have been given the go ahead by Havant
Borough Council.
The car park in South Street,
currently has a maximum stay time of 24 hours, but under the
change from the council users will be restricted to a maximum
time of just four hours.
Many of the towns traders rely on the car park for easy access
in and out of work, but will now have to find somewhere else to
park once their four hours are up.
The change will be in force from Monday to Saturdays, between
8am and 6pm. Parking for up to four hours will cost £1.50.
Changes were also made to parking on Sundays and bank holidays,
up to four hours is 50p and over four hours will cost £1.
Permit holders will not be affected by the change.
The plan will come into force within the next couple of months,
once the necessary paperwork has been done at the council.
18th May
|
Down load the Oyster Trail
HERE
|
1st May
TERROR SAILING TRIPS
DEPARTURES FROM EMSWORTH IN 2008
TERROR
- is a 28' traditional gaff-rigged, open decked sailing boat.
She was built in 1890 as a working boat to support the Emsworth
oyster fleet. Terror was fully restored between 2004-06 and an
engine has now been fitted.
COSTS AND
BOOKING - £10 adults and £5 for children
up to 16
years old. All scheduled trips are about 2 hours, but please
allow 3 hours for your visit. All places must be
booked in
advance, please call the booking line on 01243 513275 or call
into the Harbour Office, Itchenor.
PASSENGER
NUMBERS - Terror is certified to carry 6 fare-paying passengers
and 3 crew. All crew are experienced sailors who have
been trained to operate Terror. Please note they are all
volunteers.
CHILDREN -
must be 6 years and over. Each child must be accompanied by an
adult (max 3 children on each trip).
DOGS - no
dogs other than guide dogs.
REFUNDS - if
we have to cancel a trip we will offer an alternative date or
refund your money. Otherwise refund will only be given if a
minimum of 10 days notice of cancellation has been given to the
Harbour Office.
CANCELLATION
DUE TO WEATHER - trips will be cancelled if the wind is 16 knots
or over (Force 4 & above) or if it is forecast to do so in the
next 4 hours, or if there is less than 100m visibility. The
decision of the master of the vessel is final. You will be
offered a refund or alternative date.
WHAT TO WEAR
- warm clothing and a set of waterproofs are essential. Deck
shoes or trainers are ideal. No leather soled shoes or heels are
allowed. Lifejackets will be provided and must be worn at all
times.
TOILET -
there is no toilet on board. The nearest is the public toilet in
South Street car park.
ABILITY - no
previous sailing experience is needed.
ACCESSIBILITY - you must be sufficiently mobile to board the
vessel. As a rule, if you can descend stairs unassisted you
should be fine.
GROUP
BOOKINGS - Terror may be booked for groups of up to 6 people. Up
to 4 hours - £100, up to 8 hours £200.
All bookings
are subject to the availability of volunteer certified crew.
Contact the booking line 01243 513275.
WHERE TO
MEET - Emsworth jetty, wait by the Terror sign on the Mill Pond
wall adjacent to the jetty. Please be there promptly at the
departure time.
Sailing schedule in 2008
Terror
Booking Line: 01243 513275
19th April
14th April
Residents
seek to save village
By trying to save Emsworth from turning into a 'housing estate'.
They are fighting plans to build hundreds of new homes on green
spaces in the town.
The strength of feeling was demonstrated last week when more than
160 people crammed into a public meeting to oppose the plans – which
campaigners say will change the face of Emsworth forever.
Havant Borough Council has been told by the government it must build
6,000 new homes over the next 20 years to meet housing demands.
Residents fears hundreds of homes to be built on green spaces in
Havant borough could be in Emsworth.
Among the possible sites for development are 280 homes in the
Emsworth Gap, 227 homes to the west and east of Horndean Road and
123 dwellings earmarked for Horse Field, south of the A259 in
Emsworth.
Now a protest group, called
Emsworth Fights Back, has been
set up.
A public consultation on the proposals finishes in less than two
weeks – and campaigners are urging residents to write to the council
to oppose the plans.
Penny Salter, of
Birch Tree Drive,
Emsworth, said: 'This will destroy Emsworth completely if it goes
through.
'There is not the infrastructure and the roads won't be able to cope
with it.
'It will just turn Emsworth into a housing estate.'
The main concern for residents is the Emsworth Gap –17 acres of
fields that separate Westbourne and the town – where 250 homes could
be built. The green space is home to tawny owls, buzzards, and
foxes.
Residents say it would mean the death of Westbourne as a village in
its own right.
Emsworth councillor Brendan Gibb-Gray said: 'To have the rate of
housing building we are talking about, with no guarantees for the
majority of those people, is a recipe for disaster.'
The News
14 April 2008
More at:
Emsworth Fights Back
11th April
Council
gives go-ahead to move to tackle binge drinking
A booze ban aimed at cracking down on drink-fuelled crime has
been given the green light.
The licensing committee at Havant Borough Council yesterday
gave the go-ahead to introduce fixed penalties for people who refuse
to hand over alcohol to police if they are drinking in public.
The move comes more than a year after 11 areas were designated
booze-free zones, including Havant town centre and the Greywell and
Park Parade precincts. There are hopes that the latest idea will
dramatically reduce the amount of drink-fuelled crime which puts
Havant at the top of the table in the area for this sort of problem.
But police have promised they will use the new powers only to stop
nuisance behaviour.
Inspector Darren Murphy said: 'If you look at
Havant Park, where
there are very often sporting events, we would not expect to go and
seize alcohol if people are acting quite normally. If they are just
watching a cricket match then that is fine.
'The main thing is that we can
confiscate alcohol
from people who are causing a problem.'
A ban on booze in public has proved a big success in Portsmouth,
Fareham and Gosport and it is hoped it will bring down the rate of
crime in Havant.
The borough is the 14th worst for alcohol-related sexual offences
out of 354 local authorities and it is ranked 45th worst for the
number of violent crimes linked to booze.
At yesterday's meeting councillors voted unanimously to bring in the
ban.
Purbrook councillor David Farrow said: 'It does seem a little bit
Draconian but I think the time has come because our residents all
suffer from it.
'We have drunkenness, especially from the younger population, and
they start out drinking in one area and go on a drinking march.
'Our residents have to fork out thousands each year when fencing and
rubbish bins are taken away and burnt and our play areas
desecrated.'
The News 11 April 2008
April 6th
Floods in March and Snow in April
Emsworth woke up to an inch or so of
snow.
The Foreshore at Warblington Road
(10.00am)
MORE PHOTOS
By 2:00pm it had all gone and the sun
was shining.
April 3rd
CHICHESTER HARBOUR PHOTO COMPETITION
All photographers are
invited to get snapping this summer. The theme for this year’s
competition is ‘People and Places in Chichester Harbour Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).’
The theme will
encourage photographers to go out and explore the villages within
the AONB. These include the much photographed waterside village of
Bosham as well as smaller ‘off-the-road’ places such as Dell Quay
and Prinsted. Chichester Harbour is of course well known for sailing
and watersports but in addition many hundreds of people enjoy the
area each year as walkers, birdwatchers and artists. All these
activities can be captured on camera showing how important the area
is for rest, relaxation and sport.
The competition opens
on 3 April and photographers have all summer to get their ‘perfect
shot’. The closing date for entries is 16 September. Four cash
prizes of £100, £80 and two lots of £50 are on offer. In addition
Whitby’s Imaging Centre are offering a 40 page Photo Book for each
winner.
Mike Repp of Whitby’s
who will be one of the judges said ‘Last year there was an excellent
range of entries and we look forward to working with Chichester
Harbour Conservancy to make this year’s competition a success.’ Mike
added the following advice for competitors, ‘for competition
entries the photo should be printed on good quality paper to show it
off to its best. Also, the photo should be recognisable as having
been taken within Chichester Harbour AONB.’
Louise Adams, photographer for
Chichester Observer will also be judging the competition. An
exhibition of the entries will be held at the Old Court Room, North
Street, Chichester on 19-20 September. The competition has been
generously sponsored by the Friends of Chichester Harbour.
Full details and an entry form are
available from the Harbour Office 01243 512301 or online at
www.conservancy.co.uk .
April 1st
Co-op bags plastic
change
A shop is leading
the way in the drive to consign the plastic bag to history.
Shoppers at the
Southern Co-op store in Emsworth will no longer be able to pick up a
free plastic bag at the checkout to stuff full of shopping. Instead
they will have to pay five pence for a corn starch bag, which can
afterwards be put in the compost heap to decompose.
Emsworth Business Association launched a bid for the town to go
plastic-bag-free last year, and the Co-op has taken up the
challenge.Ted Merdler, marketing manager at Southern Co-operatives,
said: 'We are delighted to be able to encourage a reduction in the
amount of plastic bags used.'
The Co-op held a competition for youngsters to launch the first day
of scrapping its carrier bags yesterday. Local children were asked
to create a collage showing how they thought Emsworth would look in
the future if people continued to use as many carrier bags as they
do at the moment.
The News
01 April 2008
March 31st
Community Street Audit
There is a clearly established case for encouraging people to walk
or cycle around town instead of using their cars. The case for
cycling was documented in A Strategy for Cycle Route Development in
Emsworth published by Emsworth Community
Board in March 2007. This should be read in conjunction with this
report.
The cycling strategy report was presented to local government
transport officers who recommended that the needs of pedestrians
should also be considered. They proposed that a Community Street
Audit should be carried out to provide a comprehensive list of
improvements that would encourage more people to walk and cycle
around Emsworth. Such a list could form the basis for a formal Town
Access Plan for Emsworth which would be consulted when funding for
highways projects became available. Emsworth Community Board
undertook to carry out the Street Audit with the help of other
Emsworth residents. All those who took part were volunteers.
Planning for the Street Audit took place during the summer of 2007
and the street surveys took place in October/November 2007.
Conclusions from the audit were consolidated and published in March
2008.
Download the report
March 28th
First Local Nature
Reserve in Emsworth
Brook Meadow Conservation Group have
done it!!
Brook Meadow is the
first nature conservation area in Emsworth to have
Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status. LNR status is
declared by the local authority, in this case Havant
Borough Council (HBC) with advice from Natural
England. The LNR designation will give additional
protection to Brook Meadow and ensure that this
wildlife haven in the centre of Emsworth is
conserved and managed as a valuable resourcfor the
benefit of the community and future generations.
www.brook-meadow.hampshire.org.uk
March 27th
Emsworth Town Centre Tree Trail
There
are many fine trees throughout Emsworth in recreation grounds,
parks, nature conservation areas and other public spaces in addition
to several tree-lined avenues such as
Havant Road,
Horndean Road and Warblington Road.
In the
town centre, most of the trees of any size are in private gardens,
in Church grounds, along the eastern side of the Town Mill Pond, or
in the area adjoining the River Ems and Brook Meadow. The Trail
takes you around the central area and identifies some fine trees
which can be viewed from public paths, some of which can get very
muddy in spring and winter.
Many of
the trees in the town centre have been pruned, crown reduced, or
pollarded mainly for masons of space constraints or the proximity of
roads. Tree Preservation Orders (TP0s) have been put on a number of
trees throughout Emsworth because of their amenity value. The town
centre area south of the A259 is designated as a Conservation Area.
Any tree felling or maintenance work within this area requires Local
Authority permission.
This
Trail has 26 different types of trees, with 3 conifers and 23
broadleaved trees. Seventeen of these trees are native to Great
Britain, and in addition a mixed hedgerow of at least 8 additional
native trees, including 1 evergreen.
The
Tree Trail is intended to be of interest to both residents and
visitors to create awareness of the value of trees in our street
scene. Children particularly are encouraged to use this Tree Trail
booklet. The Trail takes about one hour to one-and-half hours to
complete.
The map
on the centre pages shows the route of the Trail starting from
Palmers Road car park, although it can be joined at any point.
Copies
of the Booklet (£1.00) \re available from: Emsworth Museum, Emsworth
Bookshop, Bookends, Borland & Bound Estate agents and The Brookfield
Hotel.
March23rd
Chimney fire at flood-hit Emsworth pub
The Lord Raglan hit by floods ten days ago suffered a chimney fire
late morning today (Saturday, March 22).
Police closed Queen Street to traffic as two fire appliamces tackled
the blaze.
On March 10, open fires in the popular waterside pub were put out by
rising seawater as the mill pond overflowed due to a combination of
 strong winds and spring tides and the ground floor was flooded.
March21st
More Southern Co-ops go
plastic bag free
Three more Southern Co-operative stores are to go plastic bag
free from 31 March 2008.
The stores, at Alresford,
Emsworth and Odiham in
Hampshire, will completely replace traditional plastic bags with a
GM-free corn starch version at a cost of 5p to the customer.
This latest initiative follows a successful trial at the society's
store at Overton in Hampshire, where
the town went plastic bag free in November 2007.
Also from the end of March, the corn starch bags will become
available in the rest of Southern Co-op's stores in Hampshire,
Wiltshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex and Berkshire.
Customers here will then have the choice of purchasing a corn starch
carrier or a Co-op Fairtrade cotton 'bag for life' at 99p, instead
of using traditional plastic bags.
The corn starch bags can be filled with household food waste and
added to domestic compost bins.
March 10th
Emsworth Floods
Spring tides, an intense low pressure and strong winds resulted
in storm damage an floods in Emsworth. Floods were reported in
Bridge Road, Bridge Foot Path and Bath Road, Queen Street, the Quay and the
Slipper Mill Pond.
The Quay
Bridge Foot Path
Bridge Road
More photos:
HERE
February 22nd
Emsworth
Museum
established, managed
and run by:
The Emsworth Maritime & Historical Trust
After structural and refurbishment work during the past year
Emsworth Museum will re-open on Easter Saturday 22 March.
Exhibitions planned for the David Rudkin Room are:-
22 March - 27 April "Emsworth's Oyster Heritage"
3 - 25 May "Many Hands make Light (Patch) Work"
by the Bourne Quilters
31 May - 29 June "Emsworth Trees"
by the Emsworth Tree Wardensr.
..............................................................................................
The 2008 Treasure Hunt will be held on 19 June starting from the
museum at 7.00p.m. Entry Fee £1.00 per person payable as you start
out on the Treasure Hunt. Tea / coffee and biscuits will be
available when you arrive back at the museum to check your answers.
If you would like more information please contact Dorothy Bone -
telephone 01243 373780 email
dorothybone@btinternet.com
www.emsworthmuseum.co.uk
February 13th
Coming to Stansted Park in September
www.athoughtforfood.co.uk
February 7th
Emsworth Eastern Gateway Improvement
project.
Using an old clinker built boat formerly abandoned on the
foreshore. The EBA and
Ward Landscapes are sponsored the
project to improve the eastern approach to Emsworth.
New Project
After the success of this project the EBA hope to carry out a
similar project along the A259 on the other side of the town. the
pictures below show the fine vessel they have been given.
February 5th
|
How festival left bitter aftertaste
 Visitors
throng the stalls - but are shops missing out?
It was supposed to be an event that brought the community
together. But when the Emsworth Food Festival ended up
causing bitter division, chairman Lulu Bowerman knew
something had to be done.
Committee members had been abused in the street, shopkeepers
were threatened that customers would take their business
elsewhere if they supported the festival and a petition was
circulated.
So she and fellow festival organisers acted and axed the
popular event for this year, while suggesting that when it
returns in 2009, the festival may well be scaled down.
Lulu, 49, says: 'It was started with the best of intentions,
but it became so difficult to keep the status quo last year
that we have had to take a step back.
'You want to please the community and not have everybody
fighting. But there have been people going in shops and
saying "if you support the food festival, then we won't shop
here any more''. It is best to let the dust settle.'
She adds: 'Cancelling it was a very bitter pill to swallow.
It was a very difficult decision to make but common sense
had to prevail. The brain had to rule the emotions.
'I remember one of the protesters asked what gave us the
right as an unelected body to impose our will on the
community. That stuck in my mind.'
The problem has been the sheer size of the festival. From
just a handful of stalls at the first festival back in 2001,
it quickly grew to attract more than 130 stalls and 55,000
visitors over three days each year.
 Festival
chairman Lulu Bowerman
It seemed that the town had discovered the recipe for
success. But it got so big that the centre had to be
effectively closed for four days, with large numbers
squeezing into narrow streets and traffic restrictions
imposed by police and Havant Borough Council meaning some
residents couldn't use their cars.
By 2007 the festival was bigger than ever and the goodwill
and co-operation of some people living and working in
Emsworth was beginning to wear thin.
The news that there is no festival in 2008 has pleased
traders who had grown fed up with the disruption. In their
eyes, an event that was originally set up to help support
local businesses was putting people off shopping there.
Evelyn Pearce, of Emsworth Delicatessen in West Street,
says: 'I'm very pleased there isn't going to be a festival
this year. We do less business over the festival weekend
than any other weekend in the year. If there had been a
festival this year, I was going to close the shop on the
Saturday because it would just not be cost-effective to stay
open.'
She adds: 'It was fantastic when it started, but it has just
got out of hand. Now people come here for the freebies, not
to see what shops Emsworth has got.'
 Evelyn
Pearce of Emsworth Delicatessen
Carli Strugnell, 20, of Citrus Flowers in The Square,
explains: 'It has got too big and affects local businesses.
All the visitors are coming for the festival and are not
interested in anything else. We lose quite a lot of money
compared to a normal weekend and a lot of other shops are
saying the same thing.
'The food festival used to be small and each shop would have
a stall. But now it is absolutely massive and stalls are
coming in from other areas and blocking off the shops
behind. So many people have complained about things that
something had to be done.'
 Michael
Starr
Michael Starr, 63, of Starr Butchers in High Street, says:
'It was definitely better when it was a smaller event. The
first three or four years were brilliant, but it has lost
that personal feeling. It's just become too big and got out
of hand.
'Local people who get their meat from me don't come in when
the festival's on. If I didn't have my barbecue going
outside, I might as well shut up shop. Other shopkeepers are
the same. Visitors come here to walk around, go in the wine
tent and get free tasters from the stalls; they don't come
in the local shops. The only ones earning a crust from it
are the pubs.'
Some residents are also pleased to see the festival taking a
breather. Emsworth Residents' Association chairman Chris
Curry adds: 'There are quite a few people who were very
inconvenienced by the festival, particularly those who live
in roads that were shut off from 9am-5pm for three days.
'They got really uptight about it and created a bit of a
furore. I know it also affected shops and businesses.'
But others who wanted to keep the festival angrily claim it
has fallen victim to a small but vociferous minority of
whingers. Comments posted on the Emsworth Food Festival
website are powerful and emotive – using words such as
'devastated', 'dismayed' and 'outraged' to describe their
feelings about the event being cancelled.
Lulu, who was voted Business Personality of the Year at The
News Business Excellence Awards last month for her work
organising the food festival, explains: 'The festival was
started to help local businesses survive and flourish, but
it had become a juggling act to keep everybody happy.
'When a growing minority of people say they are not sure
they want the festival any more, then you have to take that
on board.'
But she says the festival will come back in 2009 – although
its exact form has yet to be decided.
'If people want it back, then it will come back. I'm not a
dictator. Getting smaller is an option. The feedback so far
has been that people want it to be a very local event and
relevant to Emsworth.
'They want it to celebrate shops in Emsworth and businesses
in a 10-20 mile radius. People love it as a street market
with atmosphere, entertainment and fireworks.'
Another option is to make it a cultural festival, not just
about food. Lulu says: 'We have other culture in Emsworth.
For instance there are very good artists here.'
Lulu says organisers will talk to people on both sides of
the debate and take on board their opinions so nobody
feels alienated.
Festival directors met last week and now intend to visit
other food festivals to see how they are run.
Meanwhile festival projects will continue in schools and
colleges and several young chefs competitions will still
take place. Local charities and initiatives will also
benefit from money raised by the 2007 festival.
Lulu thinks it likely the Emsworth festival will continue in
a smaller form in the future, perhaps without elements such
as the competitions, demonstrations, wine tastings,
marquees, classes and celebrity chefs.
Residents' association chairman Chris Curry believes that
would win a lot of support. He says: 'We would like to see a
smaller, good quality event kept in the town.'
As for Michael Starr, he also thinks that smaller would
definitely be better.
'Emsworth's a lovely little place and ideal for a food
festival, but it has to be smaller in future.'
To comment on this news click
HERE
The News 5th
February 2008
|
February 4th
Slow going in the
cone zone
Traffic is reduced to a crawl in the
cone zone on the A27 watched over by the "Yellow
Vultures" to enforce the 40 mph speed restriction.
February 3rd
Work starts
on oyster bed study
Emsworth Museum's
first special exhibition for the 2008 season will focus on initial
results of this unique project the first exhibition to be held in
the Rudkin Room for the museum's 2008 summer season will feature the
initial results of the research and field work undertaken for this
special project. The official opening will be Saturday 22nd March
during Easter weekend.
The Trust in
partnership with the
Chichester and District Archaeological Society has started work on a
unique study into the history of Emsworth oyster beds.
“This is an
exciting opportunity to find out more about the oyster industry
based in Emsworth over hundred years ago" said John Tweddell, the
project co-coordinator "We hope to gain a better understanding of
how it changed from a successful business in the 19th century to its
collapse in the early 20th century.”
After winning
funding from the Chichester Harbour Sustainable Development Fund,
the project will cover both research into the records held by the
museum and field work on the site itself. Training for the
volunteers who are undertaking the field work element of the project
took place in early December 2007.
In January and
February this year the team are undertaking the work involved in
mapping the beds and looking at evidence to help us understand their
construction.
www.emsworthheritageproject.org.uk
2nd February
The Mothers' Union are holding a Table
Top Sale
on Saturday 9 February from 10am to 12 noon at the St. James’ Church
Parish Hall, Emsworth and will be advertising for Table holders @ £5
per table. What they raise is for their own use. The Mothers' Union
hope to raise funds by renting Tables, sale of coffee, etc.,
organising a Raffle and charging a 50p entrance fee for the public.
January 25th
Food festival chief had recipe for success
A woman who helped organise the most successful
food festival in the area has been honoured in The
News Business Excellence Awards.
The efforts of Lulu Bowerman in organising the
Emsworth Food Festival and galvanising a group of
volunteers to create an event that celebrates local
produce have won her the title of Business
Personality of the Year.
She was cheered as she walked up to the stage to
accept her award from Robin Dickens, of award
sponsor Lambert Smith Hampton.
A clearly stunned Mrs Bowerman said: 'I didn't think
I would get this.
'It's great getting this award, but the festival
wouldn't have happened without my team of
volunteers.
'It's for all the volunteers that I'm accepting this
award - I'm accepting this on behalf of the
committee.
'We were up against a few obstacles this year but we
came through it.'
These obstacles mean the festival will be smaller in
future years.
Ms Bowerman was one of many happy trophy winners
whose successful companies and enterprises we
celebrated within the area's business community.
The event, which was held at Portsmouth Guildhall,
is the highlight of the year for the business
community.
It involved nearly 550 guests - made up of mayors,
company leaders and representatives of leading
business organisations who were there to network and
more importantly to find out who had won awards in
one of the eight categories.
They heard from guest speaker and England Football
legend Sir Geoff Hurst - still the only person to
have scored a hat trick in a World Cup final - while
BBC presenter Sally Taylor compered the evening.
The event, which is sponsored by Business Link, is
now into its sixth year.
Chairman of the board of Business Link in Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight, Phil Wilding, said: 'I think
these awards are very important - good people in
business strive to be the best and I believe we
should recognise that.'
The
News 25 January 2008 |
January 24th
2008 CHICHESTER HARBOUR NEWS & GUIDE
The 2008 edition of the Chichester
Harbour News and Guide is now
available. This 84-page full colour booklet is packed with news
features, information and local tide tables. It is an interesting
and informative read for local residents and visitors alike. The
Harbour News has the latest information on what is happening in
Chichester Harbour and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
with reports from the Harbour Master and his staff and a number of
feature articles.
This year there is a break with tradition. Rather than having a boat
on the front cover, there is a beautiful picture of the sand dunes
at East Head. The photograph was taken by Emma Millen, it won second
prize in the harbour photography competition held in 2007.
The feature articles in this issue include ‘Lending a Helping Hand’.
Local journalist Janet McMeekin has interviewed five people who help
out around the harbour. The diversity of their work is interesting;
it ranges from conservation tasks to archaeological digs and helping
with school trips.
Janet has also taken her family out to explore great days out in the
AONB. They report back on their favourite activities which include
cycling on the Salterns Way and taking a trip on Terror, the
restored oyster boat.
Regular contributor Ian McIntyre poses the question ‘What do
Fishbourne Roman Palace, Warblington Castle and Tournerbury Fort
have in common?’ He then delves back into the history of these
scheduled ancient monuments and what they tell us about how people
have used this area over the last 2,000 years.
The specifics of how climate change will affect those who live near
or use Chichester Harbour is explored by AONB Officer Nicky Horter.
Using a wealth of facts and figures, she looks at the changes we can
already see, such as the appearance of seahorses, and also discusses
what can be done in our area to address climate change.
MORE OVER
Racing Tips this year has been written by Olympic sailing coach Mark
Rushall. Mark explains the techniques required for sailing in waves.
He claims that by following his advice, all dinghy racers will be
‘looking for the biggest wave’ rather than avoiding it!
As well as the regular articles giving updates on projects
throughout the Harbour, there is an informative guide section and
twelve months of tide tables. This is particularly useful for
visitors and those new to Chichester Harbour.
The Chichester Harbour News and Guide is produced by Chichester
Harbour Conservancy and has a circulation of 32,000 copies. Copies
are available free of charge from the Harbour Office and local
tourist information centres and libraries.
January 21st
Food Festival
in 2009 will be scaled down
THE
Emsworth Food Festival has received another blow with the news the
event could be scaled down in 2009.
Residents and traders have been torn over the impact it has on the
town when 50,000 people visit over three days in September.
An
intense debate led to this year's festival being cancelled last
month, but chairman of the festival committee Lulu Bowerman has said
next year's event could be cut back to the stalls and fireworks.
She
said: "If that is what they want, that is easy to deliver. People
want their fiesta, which is how they describe it."
Ms
Bowerman said a lack of interest had been shown in the
demonstrations, wine tasting marquees, and celebrity chefs.
"I
was stunned," she said. "It is really strange not to have people
talking about the other bits we worked so hard to run, but that does
not seem to be what they want.
"We
cannot just steamroller people into having it. It was becoming
really divisive in the community.
"It
was a very difficult decision to do it. It was a very emotional
moment for me. You give your heart and soul to it, but sometimes you
just have to be grown-up and responsible."
Manager of the newsagents in St Peter's Square Kharran Piper fears
the event could be over-run by disappointed people if it is
downscaled. She said:
"I hope they do not come a bit of a cropper with millions of people
turning up and it is not what they expect it to be - it would be a
disaster.”People coming from far and wide are going to expect it to
be what it always has been.”
"I think people have got over the fact there is not going to be a
festival. Most people have accepted it."
"It is all a bit of a shame, really. Obviously they are all
volunteers and it is a huge amount of work."
It's so
good for traders
MANAGER of Emsworth Hardware Dave Wagg is in support of the festival
and does not understand how it cannot be good for trade.
He
said: "I think it will struggle to come back smaller because there
will always be that number of people attending."
"It is pretty crowded anyway, If you decrease the number of stalls
it will be bedlam.”
Ros Oakley of the Pantry Weigh said:
"The risk is you have a lot of people turning up and there is not a
lot to see and it falls flat on its face.
"From a stall holder's point of view, on Friday and Saturday people
seem to be happier, more relaxed. By Sunday people have been
jostling for space everywhere and they are not so happy”
Ems
Valley Gazette January 17th 2009
To comment on this news click
HERE
18th January
Campaigners
admit defeat in battle to stop superstore | 
