|
Emsworth News |
Updated: 27 December 2012 |
|
Comment on any of these news items HERE |
Read our readers comments HERE |
 |
27th December
Agency is committed
to Emsworth flood defences
THE Environment Agency has committed to carrying out a vital flood defence
scheme in Emsworth ‘as soon as possible’.
Following last week’s
floods in which several bungalows in
The work will involve
building two water storage ponds near the A27.
Jo Slimin, a
spokeswoman for the Environment Agency, said: ‘It is estimated that the
scheme will cost around £1m. Currently central government funding will not
cover the full cost of the scheme.
‘We are negotiating
with key partners such as Hampshire County Council, Havant Borough Council
and the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to try and fill this
funding gap to ensure that this much needed scheme goes ahead.
‘Once this funding is
secured we will be in a position to submit a business case which will unlock
central government funding. We will then implement the scheme as soon as
possible.’
The News
18th December
Launch of the "Emsworth Extra Card" Announced.
12th
January sees the launch of the Emsworth Extra Card-a brand new loyalty card
that will be offered by over 30 independent shops, pubs and cafes in
Emsworth.
A prize draw will be
held every month, and a lucky winner will get £25 in shopping vouchers, plus
an ‘Extra’ prize donated by a local business. The ‘Extra’ prize will vary
from month to month-in the first four months ‘Extra’ prizes include
·
The Bluebell -£30 voucher
·
Envisage Dental Practice-New patient consultation
including x-rays and a 30 minute hygienist appointment worth £147.00.
·
Charter Cutting Co-Free cut and finish with graduate
stylist, worth £29
·
Greenhouse Cafe- Cream Tea for Two
The card is simple to
use-pick one up from one of the 30 businesses that offer the card (look out
for the window stickers showing those participating). Get a stamp with any
purchase of £1 or more, and collect 10 stamps from 4 or more different
businesses to fill the card. Drop the card into a collection box in Northern
Lights, Pantry Weigh or Classy Cooks, and it will be entered into the next
prize draw. Pick up a new card and start collecting again!
The Emsworth Extra
card is being organised and funded by the Emsworth Business Association,
supported by Havant Borough Council and Monster Creative.
It is designed to say
a big ‘thank you’ to customers for using local shops and services in
Emsworth-helping to keep Emsworth a thriving and attractive place to live
and work.
Check out
www.emsworthextra.co.uk for details of the
monthly prizes and participating businesses.
You can pick up an Emsworth Extra card from 12th January at any of the participating businesses.
13th December
Emsworth Santa Hunt
For
the first time there was a Santa Fun Hunt as part of the Christmas
Festivities organised by the Emsworth Business Association. Chocolate
Santas were
hidden in the windows of 6 shops-the challenge was to find them all
and name the shops.
Natalya Fidler, Brad Wagstaff, Amelia Fidler and Faith Wagstaff, who attend the Thorney Island CP School, were four of the six winners. The correct names of the shops hiding a Santa were Alwen Wines, Sue Foster Fabrics, Emsworth Home Hardware, Bookends, Awareness and Emsworth Flowers.
7th December
Funding for urgent
community centre work
A BUILDING at the
heart of a community has been awarded a big funding boost.
The cash is needed by
Emsworth Community Association to improve the heating system and repair a
collapsed drain at the community centre.
The association
already has £8,000 and Hampshire County Council has agreed to put a further
£4,000 towards it.
A report to
Councillor Keith Chapman, who is in charge of culture and recreation at the
council, said without the works the users of the building would be at risk.
It is cold during winter time and there is a danger of flooding.
Cllr Chapman said:
‘Community organisations are vital in providing local people with a range of
services that benefit the whole community.’
The News
1st December
Santa Lights
up Emsworth
Yesterday evening Santa visited Emsworth to turn on the |Town’s new
Christmas Lights. The Lights, provided by the Co op’s
community fund, lit up the square above a crowd of over a thousand who
turned out for the occasion.
The event
largely organised by Carol Haskett and Sue Treagust, members of the Emsworth
Business association was a truly community event led by Rev. Simon Sawyers,
vicar of St James’ Church. Simon reminded the crowds of the true
meaning of Christmas, led the community singing and amused one and all with
his jokes!
The
Emsworth Concert Band, who will be giving a concert in the church on
Sunday 9th
December, provided the musical
accompaniment
to carol
singing and entertained the crowds with seasonal music before the event got
underway, a group of singers and guitarist from Emsworth Primary School
entertained the long queue of children, parents and grand parents waiting
their turn to meet Santa, Richard Owen, Emsworth’s Special Constable was on
duty, coincidently on his birthday, a nativity scene was on display in the
centre of the Square, many of the town’s pubs and cafés provided seasonal
fare and many shops stayed open late.
Local councillor
Brendan Gibb-Grey and chairman of the Emsworth Business Association said,
“So
many people turned up and commented that it’s only Emsworth that puts on
such a
great event for the community that represents the true meaning of Christmas.
We
take our hats off to Carol and her right hand woman [Sue] and all the
team that helped to ensure that all passed off in peace and safely. The band
and the singing of carols was heart warming.
It was a magnificent example of the Business Association, Community
Association, St James' Church, Havant Rotary and the Pastoral Centre working
together and achieving so much for so many.”
29th November
Could new estate be
key to flooding plan funding gap?
FLOODING problems in
Emsworth could be eased by a controversial housing development, it has been
suggested.
Barratt Homes has put
forward a second proposal for a field between
Barratt wants to
build 130 homes – reduced from 180 – on a site already ruled out for housing
in Havant Borough Council’s homes allocations plan consultation.
It is holding a
development consultation next week – the third public consultation on the
site – and says it will push for the council to incorporate it into the
local plan for housing.
There are fears over
the loss of the green gap which separates Havant from Emsworth and the risk
of flooding.
But Councillor
Brendan Gibb-Gray, who represents the town, said developers could be asked
to help fund the Environment Agency’s £1m plan for three flood storage sites
in Emsworth. He added: ‘It looks a better development but, of course, though
there are still some major objections.
‘What people are
concerned about is flooding. Selangor is a better site and can handle
flooding better than the other preferred sites that have been chosen.
‘The Environment
Agency wants to create an area to the north, around the A27, which they say
will hold water that comes off the hills and control its emission into the
sea.
‘They have £600,000
but there is a funding gap. Could that be met by developers?’
Flood storage sites
could dramatically reduce the chance of flooding, said Ian Miller, technical
advisor at the Environment Agency.
He said the agency
would be looking at all sources of funding, including developer
contributions, but added that, ideally, it would not want to hang around to
see if the development went ahead.
He said he hoped work
would begin within the next 18 months.
Lorraine Clode,
chairman of the Emsworth Residents Association (ERA) and the Flood Action
Group, said views on the development were split. She said: ‘It is difficult
for the ERA to take a position on because of the divide. It is in a gap and
we would prefer houses were built in other areas.’
But she added: ‘It
makes sense for the developers to speak to the Environment Agency to see if
needs could be met through one solution rather than both organisations
spending separately.’
The development
consultation forum is at
The News
22nd November
|
Inspired by
An eclectic range of
artworks all inspired by Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty will be on display at The Stables,
|
ane Latawski and Judi Darley,
organisers of the Earth Air & Water art exhibition |
|
Throughout the year, the Conservancy have run a range of workshops including photography, watercolours, willow work, acrylic painting, textiles and driftwood art.
These courses are run for the public and also for students at local secondary schools. The results along with artworks submitted by other local artists will all be brought together at an exhibition entitled ‘Earth, Air & Water’ at The Stables. The recently converted farm building with views across Eames Farm and towards the harbour is an ideal location. With full disabled access everyone will be able
to enjoy viewing this exhibition. Jane Latawski who
organises the exhibition said, ‘I enjoy seeing the many different
ways people interpret The exhibition is open
Fri 30 Nov – Sun 2 Dec and Fri 7 – Sun 9 December |
|
16th November
Shoreline Conservation Work Completed 9th November 2012
he Friends of Nore Barn Woods delighted to announce that the construction work, to preserve our beautiful shoreline, has been completed on time and within budget.
More details and a photo diary: http://www.norebarnwoods.org.uk/Coastal%20Protection.htm
The next phase is to clad the new rammed earth bank in concrete "Lego type" blocks, making it last a lot longer Of course this all depends on us raising yet more funds and any contributions or suggestions would be most welcomed.
To donate please contact: http://www.norebarnwoods.org.uk/Contact.htm
Best regards
15th November
Employee Celebrates 30 Years of Service at Local Letting
Agent
Hampshire based estate and lettings agency Johnson
Wood is celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of their staff joining the
company. Hilary Munro has been Johnson Wood’s client account manager since
1982.
Hilary started when the company was located in the
Hampshire village of Westbourne and relocated along with the rest of the
company to Emsworth in 2003. She also experienced the change of management
when the current directors, Jason Cliffe and Angela Hopkins, took over the
company in 2001.
Hillary says: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my 30 years at
Johnson Wood. I have seen a huge number of changes both in the industry and
within Johnson Wood over that time. The business and my role have moved
forward dramatically, especially in the last 10 years. It is extremely
satisfying serving our clients, managing an annual rent role that now runs
into the millions, minimising rent arrears and guiding tenants during
periods of difficulty”.
The recession has been difficult for the property
industry, but Johnson Wood has expanded, adding estate agency to their
existing lettings business and opening a second branch in Waterlooville.
Managing Director, Jason Cliffe says “Hilary has done a
fantastic job ensuring rents are paid on time and actively chases late rents
to ensure we retain a below industry average for rent arrears”.
The company enjoyed a meal out to thank Hillary for her hard work and to celebrate her 30 years in the business
12th November
Havant Parking Charges – BOGOF!!!
Havant Borough Council is
set to offer drivers its first ever BOGOF parking scheme
Every
Saturday throughout December visitors to
ANY Havant
Borough Council Pay and Display car park will be able to purchase their one
hour pay and display ticket and gain an extra hour parking free of charge.
Buy One (hour) – Get One Free, BOGOF !! The BOGOF scheme is only for tickets
purchased for one hour. Motorists should purchase their ticket in the
normal way and display. Havant Borough Council Civil Enforcement
Officers will then note the time the ticket is due to expire and allow for
another hour after that.
Service Manager, Bob Coleman said “We have decided to
trial this BOGOF scheme on the run up to the festive season not only to
assist motorists but to encourage shoppers to stay longer in our Town
Centres.”
The
scheme will start on Saturday 1st December and will continue throughout the
rest of the month.
Portsmouth News TV
12th November
Council wants
public’s views on the future of Havant
PLANS that could
shape the future of a town are to be put out to public consultation.
Havant Borough
Council has been consulting on housing and job locations across the borough
and, after extensive consultation with the community, has whittled down
potential sites.
It is now up to the
public to say what they think are the best and worst sites chosen for the
Local Plan which all future development will be considered in the light of
until 2026.
The six-week
consultation runs until December 21 and a series of meetings will be held
across the area for people to comment and look over the sites.
The council wants to
know which sites should be used to promote future investment in new jobs,
the provision of new homes, and to protect the environment. The consultation
responses will help inform the final stages of the Local Plan and will help
the authority decide on the most appropriate locations for new development.
Julia Potter,
executive head for planning and built environment at the council, said:
‘This consultation builds on earlier engagement with the public and we must
now move forward and fine-tune the proposals.
‘We encourage people
who live, work and visit the borough to view the current plan and let us
know what they think.’
Here are the details
of the meetings:
· Tuesday, November
13 The Meridian Centre,
· Friday, November
16, Common Room, Leigh Park Community Centre, Dunsbury Way from
· Thursday, November
22, United Reformed Church Hall,
· Tuesday, November
27, Foyer of Waterlooville Library, The Precinct, from
· Thursday, November
29,
· Thursday, December
6, The Hurstwood Room, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, from
· Monday, December
10, The Hurstwoood Room, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, from
All the plans
are available now to view online. For more information or to make a comment
go to
havant.gov.uk/havant-12610.
The News
11th November
Online Survey - What
motivates people to get involved in community-based activities?
If you are involved in community-based activities in Emsworth or with Emsworth Clubs, Groups, Societies or other community organisations (either paid or voluntary) then please help me with my research by completing the online survey (link below) which should only take 5 or 10 minutes to do. (The survey will close on 21 December 2012) https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/39YBTQ
All information will be treated confidentially and respondents will not be identified in my dissertation about this subject. I am in my final year as a student studying for a Degree in Community Engagement and Governance with the University of Gloucestershire and I am using Emsworth as a case study because I live here (and a great place it is too)!
I am also emailing the same survey link directly to Emsworth Clubs, Groups, Societies or other community organisations for which I can find contact details from published sources but I am sure there are many people involved in community-based activities in Emsworth that I will not be able to reach via my direct mailing.
I hope you will be able to help me with my research.
Thank you in anticipation.
Vendy Treagust
3rd November
Delight as altar cloth
returned to church
PARISHIONERS have welcomed the safe return of an irreplaceable altar cloth.
Burglars sneaked into ancient St Thomas a Becket Church, in Warblington on
Monday and stole the 14ftx7ft handmade green altar cloth and tore a hymn
book.
It happened between 10.15am and 3.30pm, while the church was open to the
public for quiet prayer and reflection.
Police launched an appeal and days later it was handed back into police
undamaged. On Wednesday, it was given back to the church by police. No
arrests have been made.
Church warden Christopher Morrison said: ‘The police recovered if but I’m
not sure how.
‘It was virtually undamaged, just a bit creased.’
A spokesman for the Church of England said: ‘The parishioners will be
delighted that something that was irreplaceable has been returned.
The News 03-Nov-12
31st October
Burglary at St Thomas à Becket, Warblington
Police are appealing for information after a church was
burgled in Havant. The incident occurred between 10.15am and 3.30pm on
Monday, October 29 at the St. Thomas A Beckets Church in Church Lane,
Warblington. Offenders entered the church while it was open to the public
for prayer and reflection. 
A 14ft by 7ft green altar cloth that had been hand made by a parishoner with a dove embroidered on it was stolen and a hymn book was torn. PC Andrew Fuller from Havant police station said:
“This church was targetted during the day while it was open for the use of members of the public. “The cloth that has been stolen is discribed as irriplacable. I would like to speak to anyone who recognises the cloth from the picture and has information about the incident.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact PC Fuller at Havant police station by phoning 101. Mini-Com users can call the police on 18001 101. Information can be given anonymously by calling the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
31st October
Likely sites
for hundreds of new homes are revealed
The Conservative cabinet has approved
a public consultation on dozens of sites that have been short-listed for
development.
It comes after an earlier round of
consultation where more than 1,400 people made their views known about where
homes should be built.
Planning officers have now analysed
the feedback and come up with a short list of sites.
If finally approved by the government
next year, the sites will be adopted into the Local Plan.
Officers have allocated 2,788 homes
at
This is to meet the target of 6,300
homes by 2026.
The remainder has been met by
development that has already been approved since 2006 – when the target was
set – as well as ‘windfall’ development, where householders develop small
parcels of land, such as large gardens.
Big developments like Hampshire Farm,
in Emsworth, and Woodcroft Farm, Wecock, will also add to the total.
Several controversial sites that were
in the original consultation have been excluded, such as Horse Field in
Emsworth and fields off Goldring Close, Hayling.
Lorraine Clode, chairwoman of
Emsworth Residents’ Association, said she was ‘cautiously optimistic’ about
the housing targets and was pleased they were lower than anticipated.
But she said places like Horse Field
were not safe yet.
She said: ‘Although it’s discounted,
it could be brought back again.
‘The important thing is residents
comment on these sites and give their reasons for or against development
there.’
Councillor David Guest, in charge off
planning at Havant Borough Council, said: ‘It’s a fantastic piece of work.
‘It’s been done very diligently by
professional officers who have listened to what people have said and
considered all the options.’
He added: ‘The sites put forward have
been determined after a lot of public consultation.
‘This now has to go through the
remainder of the process to decide what goes into the final version of the
plan.’
The consultation starts on November 9
and ends on December 21.
The News
31st October
Man takes
jewellery worth around £2,400 from Emsworth store
POLICE have released
this CCTV image of a man they want to find in connection with the theft of
rings worth £2,400 from an antiques store.
The seven gold and
opal rings were stolen from Emsworth Antiques on
Hilary Bolt, who has
owned the store for three years, is working with police to track down the
culprit.
She told
The News: ‘We know this
sort of thing goes on.
‘There are people who
intend to steal and it’s very important for everyone to co-operate as much
as possible to stop it happening.
‘You are always going
to get minor pilferage and we need to get the message across that these
things do happen.
‘The police are very
happy with what the CCTV footage shows.
‘We have co-operated
with the police before in catching people who have attempted theft and they
have been caught as a result.
‘We hope it will be
the same with this incident.’
She added that the
store would continue to be vigilant in the future. Police say the man had
grey hair and wore blue jeans, a blue jacket, and wore a light-coloured
shirt.
Phyl Hudson, owner of
Tiffins Antiques in nearby
‘There is very little
one can do about it – they are so artful with the way they work. It’s very
sad because I have had to close my middle room and use the front of the shop
because we don’t dare leave people in there on their own. It doesn’t matter
how smart they look – they can be perfectly amiable people. It’s very
unfortunate but that’s life now.’
Anyone with
information about the theft is asked to contact PC Megan Edwards at
Waterlooville police station on 101.
The News
31st October
Regeneration plans for historic
church in Emsworth
PLANS have been submitted to demolish part of a church building.
The application
is part of a revamp of the church in
As well as refurbishing the existing
church building, members are in the process of building a new 300-seat
auditorium.
The church says its latest
application will improve the look of the church.
A planning report for councillors
states: ‘The existing rear two-storey extension, which is thought to have
been added on to the main church in the late 1800s, is now in very poor
condition, with the eastern wall leaning significantly.’
The report adds: ‘This part of the
church has a poor internal layout and very steep stairs.
‘The annex will improve the layout of
meeting/conference rooms, create disabled access and WC facilities, and
allow the annex to be used independently of the church, making it a more
practical asset for the wider community.’
The News
17th October
Soldiers from 12 Regiment Royal Artillery Parade in Emsworth
Once again the town square was packed with residents to see the men and women of 58 'Eyre's' Battery, recently returned from Afghanistan, receive their campaign medals,
Prior to the parade the crowds, marshalled by members of Havant Rotary Club, were entertained b, the Regis Jazz keeping up every ones spirits through intermittent showers.
Two small tracked missile launchers manoeuvred into position effectively blocking access to South Street either side of a podium, from which the mayor later addressed the troops, and praised their bravery and dedication.
The regiment marched past The Square, proceeded by the Parachute Regiment Band, where they were applauded by the crowd, which was full of friends and family. They then marched round and returned to the town centre, to receive their medals.
Brendan Gibb-Gray, the Havant borough councillor and chairman of the
Emsworth Business Association who helped organise the parade, said:
“We were really lucky with the weather.
“It was a brilliant family event for the soldiers and their loved ones and once again Emsworth people came out in numbers to show their support and appreciation for the work that these guys and girls do on our behalf.”
View the Photos HERE
16th October
Public invited to
thank soldiers by attending parade
FOLLOWING a
gruelling six-month deployment in
58 Eyres
Battery, part of 12 Regiment, Royal Artillery, based on Thorney Island,
touched down in the UK on Friday and will be given their campaign medals in
front of friends and well-wishers, in
Councillor Brendan
Gibb-Gray has worked with Warrant Officer Stephen Woolcombe to arrange the
second public medal parade in the town.
The march will begin
outside the Lord Raglan pub, in
WO Woolcombe said:
‘They deployed in support of 5 Regiment and have been operating cameras and
surveillance equipment. They have been our eyes and ears for the
battleground.
‘Emsworth is our
local community and we don’t get to do as much community engagement as we’d
like.
‘We want to be
able to share our parade with
and friends who are travelling from all over the country and wanted to do it
so the people of Emsworth can share in our pride as well.
‘The people here
always rise to the occasion.
‘These sort of events
don’t come up very often and we wanted to do it in public to get as much
support as possible.’
From
Music will be
provided by the Parachute Regiment Band as well as a local jazz band.
The soldiers will
march a loop from the pub, through The Square, around the back of The Ship
pub and back to The Square.
Cllr Gibb-Gray said:
‘Over the years we have been trying to encourage the two regiments at
Thorney to hold their parades in public and they are prepared to do that.
‘It’s wonderful for
both them and the community here in Emsworth.
‘It will be a chance
for the public to say a big thank you to the guys and girls who have just
returned from
‘We’re hoping there
will be a lot of support from well-wishers.’
The News
16th October
Cinema
lovers celebrate Emsworth cafe’s birthday
Cinema lovers from
across the area flocked to Emsworth to commemorate the history of a cafe
building.
Proud Greenhouse Cafe
owners
All profits raised
went to the charity Cancer Research
The event showcased a
host of cinematic experiences, from The Muppets Movie to a rolling programme
from Chichester Harbour Conservancy and a cycle cinema day on Sunday, with
films being screened by cycle power.
The Muppet Movie was
a sell-out, with residents taking up their seats and movie-themed
refreshments in
support of the fundraiser.
“It is really nice
because it has served the purpose of celebrating the history of the building
as well as our own ten-year celebration.
“It has been
brilliant for the community and for Emsworth,” said cafe owner Sian Georgeou.
Aine Comyns, nine,
from Emsworth, who went along for a birthday party, said: “I think it is
very exciting and well organised. It is a very good idea and kind of them to
be raising money for charity.”
Chichester Observer
12th October
Open Day at Emsworth Yacht Harbour
Emsworth Yacht Harbour held their first Open Day on Saturday 6th
October from 12 noon to 5pm. The marina tenants opened their workshops to
berthholders and the public to show what they have to offer while many other
stallholders were there to share their wares on a wonderful sunny afternoon.
The RNLI were busy checking over lifejackets (173 inspected) and at the end
of the afternoon the Bomb Disposal Unit took away 1736 out of date flares.
The Deck cafe was open as usual for lunches, snacks and
afternoon tea while downstairs they were serving delicious baguettes,
sausage rolls and many different cakes. There were cards and crafts from
Arundel based Grandma’s Hands and lavender products from local business
Lordington Lavender whilst Retro Alfresco offered dining in style at a
beauty spot of your choice. The Emsworth branch of the RNLI sold over £750
worth of souvenirs and Chichester Harbour Conservancy with the Friends of
the Chichester Harbour and the Emsworth Cruising Association were all
represented. Entertainment was by Manhattan Nights, a band which includes
one of the marina berthholders. Also part of the day were a display of
vintage vehicles, an art exhibition and past and present working boats while
the children enjoyed a marina duck hunt.
Mid afternoon saw the arrival of a
fire engine and crew from the Hampshire Fire Brigade and the small lifeboat
from the Hayling Island lifeboat station while the Sussex Police were on
site promoting Project Kraken, the marine anti-crime initiative. The
afternoon was concluded with the raffles – first a berthholders’ raffle with
the main prize donated by on site chandlery, the Harbour Chandlers in
conjunction with Lewmar, leading sailboat and powerboat hardware supplier.
The prize, a fully fitted windlass suitable for the winner’s boat, was won
by the crew of American wintering yacht Barry Duckworth. Also up for grabs
were four sets of tickets for the London Boat show donated by the British
Marine Federation. Finally there was the main Open Day raffle with prizes
donated by Emsworth School of Navigation, Taylor Engineering, The Trust Team
and The Deck.
7th October
New ramp makes train travel easier
for the disabled 
IMAGINE having to take a train to the
next railway station just to change platform. This was the bizarre situation
for disabled people using Emsworth railway station because there was no
proper access to the Chichester-bound platform.But, after years of
campaigning, a new ramp was unveiled yesterday following a £300,000
refurbishment by Southern Railway.
The ramp also means cyclists, the
elderly and parents with prams do not have to contend with a steep set of
stairs. The ramp is the culmination of a two-year project, driven by
Emsworth Residents’ Association, local schools and Southern Railway.
Earlier this year the station’s
waiting room was re-opened following a community project to improve
it.Lorraine Clode, chairwoman of Emsworth Residents’ Association, was
delighted yesterday.
She said: ‘We have been campaigning
for this for decades.
‘If you needed to get to this
platform, you would have to go to Havant first and cross the track to be in
the direction you wanted to go in.’
Using the ramp yesterday was Tracey
Ford, the sustainable transport engineer at Havant Borough Council.Tracey
said: ‘We have been trying to get this for 11 years and funding has always
been the hardest problem.
‘I think it’s absolutely brilliant.’
The revamp of the station has allowed
a large patch of green land next to the ramp to be adopted by a conservation
group. The land is looked after by The Friends of Emsworth Waysides, who
look after 16 waysides in the town.
Chairman Brian Fellows said lizards,
slow worms and even roe deer have been spotted. He said: ‘We have 124
different species of plant on the site. ‘This is a really exciting project.’
The project to revitalise the station
is ongoing, with Emsworth resident Jo Dyer donating a book case and books –
which range from novels to biographies – to the waiting room. Emsworth
Councillor Richard Galloway said he was delighted with the changes: ‘It’s a
real asset to Emsworth,’ he said. ‘The station has improved dramatically.’
The News
27th September
Emsworth library
hours will not change
STAFF at a library which was under threat of reduced opening hours have
saved the day.
Dedicated workers at
Emsworth library were told earlier this year two hours would have to be
chopped off opening times to save cash.
But they instead
volunteered to change round their working hours so the branch could continue
with its normal hours.
After a six-month
trial Hampshire Country Council has given the green light for the
arrangement to continue indefinitely.
To find out more
about the library, in High Street, go to
www3.hants.gov.uk/library/emsworth-library.
|The News
26th September
Can You help?
12 Regiment RA based on Thorney Island are setting up a shop on camp to provide the soldiers with a long sought after service as the one stop shop for military clothing/equipment that is not issued. Sergeant Major Ray Keeton who is responsible for this project is trying to find hop fittings, clothing racks/shelving etc. at low and preferably no cost.
If you think you could help please contact Ray: E. 12ra-hq-sms@mod.uk. T. 07502 316671
21st September
It’s the end of the
road for Emsworth gas relic
IT’S a huge structure
that harks back to
And it’s always been
a bit of a talking point in Emsworth – with some loving its striking look
and others seeing it as an ugly eyesore on the skyline.
But, after 160 years,
gas holders will be no more in Emsworth.
The current gas
holder, built in 1934, is being dismantled by Southern Gas Networks and
could make way for new development.
The one-acre site,
off
The current gas
holder was built on a huge concrete base and was used to store supplies that
came from
Tony Yoward, 86, from
Emsworth, has been researching gas holders and said the metal structure was
transported by rail from the north.
He said: ‘The gas
holder always had to be full on a Sunday morning.
‘As everybody cooked
their roast, the gas would go down, so it had to be full otherwise they
would run out.’
He said he was sad to
see it go.
‘We have got used to
it,’ he said.
‘It’s part of the
history of Emsworth.’
Mr Yoward said it is
not technically a gasometer as it was never used to measure gas.
Ray Cobbett, from
Emsworth, from Hampshire Friends of The Earth, said: ‘Over the years there’s
been a love-hate relationship.
‘It’s hardly a thing
of beauty. It’s a piece of valuable real estate.’
Claire Buchanan, a
spokeswoman from Southern Gas Networks, said demolition is likely to take
place in 2013 and the land may be sold.
She said: ‘We
recently purged the gas holder, meaning it’s been cut off and no longer
contains gas.
‘We now have more
efficient ways of storing the gas we distribute, such as in our high
pressure pipes.
‘We appreciate some
people are fond of these striking structures, many of which have been
standing since the Victorian era, however they have served their purpose and
it’s more cost-effective if we take down the gas holders we no longer
require.’
The News 21-Sept-12
20th
September
The Greenhouse Café
will become pop up cinema
for charity
THE CLOCK will be
turned back 60 years at a cafe for a unique cinematic experience.
To mark the 10th
anniversary of The Greenhouse Cafe, in The Square, Emsworth, owners
Film star
Albert Finney, who lives in the town, is supporting the weekend – over
October 6 and 7 – and his classic kitchen sink drama
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
will be shown on the first night.
Two large Chinese
hat-style marquees will be put up with spot lighting and a red carpet
welcoming guests.
And Sunday will be
entirely pedal-powered making it carbon neutral.
Chichester Harbour
Conservancy has provided rarely seen film clips of the harbour and the
people who visit and work in it which will be shown for free throughout the
weekend.
The Sunday
evening’s paid- for film is No Impact Man,
which follows a
‘Families who have
lived here a long time have memories of the old cinema and we wanted to pay
tribute to that.
‘Two of our regular
customers are filmmaker Dan Musty from Millstream Productions, in Emsworth
and Andrew Brabyn, a team cyclist, who are both supporting us.
‘We decided to go
carbon neutral and be totally pedal-powered on the Sunday. Anyone can come
along and cycle.
‘Its going to be an
incredible cinematic experience.’
All the money raised
at the event will go to Cancer Research
Films begin at
On Saturday
The Muppets Movie
is on at
On Sunday there
are films throughout the day with The Muppets
Movie at
The News
20th
September
Primary School Places (Emsworth): Investing In The
Future
Ensuring there are
sufficient primary school places to meet future demand lies at the heart of
a decision to be made by
At his decision day on 26 September, Councillor Roy
Perry will be asked to approve consultations on proposals to enlarge eight
schools across the county creating more than 1,000 additional school places
representing a capital investment of around £15 million
In line with national trends Hampshire is experiencing
an increase in demand for primary school places due to a number of factors
including a rising number of births, housing development and increasing
numbers of families moving into the county. Some areas of the county have
been more affected than others.
The schools proposed for enlargement are:
•Vigo Infant and Junior
schools and
•The Crescent and Nightingale
primary schools in
•Merton Infant and Junior schools
in
•Emsworth Primary in Emsworth
In the case of the proposals for Endeavour Primary this
is a technical expansion –the school was designed to be a two form entry
primary but only half the capacity is currently in use. The other proposed
enlargements will require additional classrooms to be provided.
The latest proposals follow
significant planned investment by the County Council to create additional
places in Fleet, Farnborough, Bramley and Overton. In July Councillor Perry
also gave the go ahead for £10m investment in additional primary places in
Portsmouthnews.tv
19th September
The Southern Co-operative
donates £15,000 to Emsworth community
The Emsworth Pastoral Centre and Emsworth Business Association is
benefitting from a total of £15,000 donated through the Community Store Card
Scheme run by The Southern Co-operative at its Emsworth store over the past
year.
The Community Support Card Scheme (CSC) is run in selected The Southern
Co-operative's stores. It enables local communities to raise funds by
presenting a CSC card, which are issued free by the participating store,
every time they purchase goods in-store. The more customers use the card,
the more quickly funds are raised. Each year, local good causes wanting to
apply for the funding can submit a bid, and recipient causes are chosen by a
panel of local people working with The Southern Co-operative store team.
Emsworth Business Association, which represents over 70 businesses in the
town, has received £10,000 from The Southern Co-operative. The Association's
former Chairperson Carol Haskett explained how the money will be used, "We
plan to renew the Christmas lights around St Peter's Square in Emsworth in
readiness for our Christmas event and also support other local events held
at Christmas and on St George's Day. The £10,000 will make a huge difference
to the local community."
Open daily in the week and on Saturday mornings, the Emsworth Pastoral
Centre provides a place where members of the community can meet others in an
informal environment. Light refreshments are available, the cost of which is
kept as low as possible to be affordable to all. Manager Melinda Crupp said:
"The Centre is a not for profit organisation, and is a friendly meeting
point for local residents as well as visitors. There is always someone to
lend a listening ear if anyone has concerns or worries and we also have a
programme of activities throughout the week which are open to all and free
to join." The Southern Co-operative has donated £5000 to the Centre to help
with its running costs.
18th September
Pedals to the medal 
Remember Clarrie
Kingsbury, the two-time gold medal-winning cyclist from the
During the Olympics I
ran a piece on his epic rides at
Now
Clarrie, who hailed
from North End, turned up on a sheet of three pictures which were recently
picked up at auction by Emsworth resident Michael Edwards. Attached to them
was an Emsworth Cycling Club medal.
I’ve reproduced them
here and, as you can see, the two postcards of Clarrie sit alongside one
captioned ‘Emsworth Cycling Club Sports’ and the date: July 1909.
A year after his
Olympic triumph he must have attracted huge crowds to any public appearance,
but whether he attended this event remains to be seen.
However, he did race
with Emsworth Cycling Club at some point in 1908 as the minute from National
Cyclists’ Union Review of November 1908 makes clear.
Mr Edwards, a member
of Emsworth Maritime and Historical Trust, which administers the museum, has
donated the photos and the medal to the museum.
Please get in touch
if you can shed light on any links Clarrie had with Emsworth.
The News
18th September
Prize-winning
vegetables make for a colourful Emsworth show
THERE
was entertainment ranging from ferrets and ducks to BMX stunts and a
military band as well more than 250 categories for the green-fingered to try
their hand in at the Emsworth Show.
And groups from
across the community were also there.
The First Emsworth
Drake Cubs were running the coconut shy. The group’s Akela John Forster
said: ‘We’ve run this for the horticultural society for 20 years and it’s
always very popular.
‘Some of the kids
come back again and again and again.’
Viv Davies of the
Emsworth Community Association said: ‘It went very well, nearly everything
we brought disappeared.
‘We’re always on the
lookout for new members, and I think we got a few more.’
Pat Carter, 72, from
And Don Hall, 78,
from
The News
12th September
The Friends of Nore
Barn Woods have managed to raise £15,000 to install an earth bank nearly
300ft long to protect woodland on the Emsworth coast.
Parts of the wood are
in danger of falling into the sea unless a bank is built to give protection
from the spring tides. Six mature oak trees, vegetation and part of the
footpath are under threat.
Bruce Darby, chairman
of the group, said: ‘We have received wonderful support from local
organisations and individuals and we are most grateful. We are pleased that
an earth bank should begin to take shape soon, helping to conserve this
well-loved woodland.’
The woods are a
10-minute walk west from the centre of Emsworth and overlook
At the weekend the
Friends of Nore Barn Woods were joined by local contractor Mike Reed who
donated his services for a day and removed overhanging vegetation. Five
employees from Lockheed Martin also got stuck in.
In a few weeks’ time
the machines will move in to deposit tons of clay and stone and a rammed
earth bank will be constructed.
Then applications
will be made to environmental trusts for funding to pay for a membrane for
more protection. If the bid succeeds the work should take place next year.
The shore path will be closed off while the initial work takes place.
Mr Darby added: ‘The
area may look unsightly for a short time while work is going on but the
final result should be a great improvement.’
Significant donations
were made by local businesses and individuals.
Go to
norebarnwoods.org.uk, call 01243 377404 or
email patbalchin@gmail.com to donate.
The News
6th September
Dragon Boat Racing Cancelled
The Emsworth Dragon Boat Race due to be held on Saturday has had to be cancelled due to lack of entries.
Gary Dickens from Alchemy Events explained that "We
now only have three/four teams who can make the event, this unfortunately is
insufficient numbers to viably run an event so we are, with great regret,
going to have to cancel the event for this year. This is not a
decision we have taken lightly but this number of teams will not work.
The two postponements, neither of which were in our control have not helped,
I am sorry to have to do this and we will be contacting teams shortly with
regard to refunds and we are in discussions with various parties, including
the Emsworth Business Association to make the event happen in 2013.
6th September
More Emsworth homes
needed
A growing need for
affordable homes in Emsworth has been highlighted.
Cllr Brendan
Gibb-Gray, who represents the Emsworth ward on the Havant local authority,
is calling for an increase in the number of affordable homes in the town,
highlighting a need for individuals and families to get on to the
much-aspired property ladder.
“The need for housing
is overwhelming – it’s not diminishing and is not going to go away.
“Many young people
aspire to get on to the property ladder, which at the moment is near-on
impossible,” said Cllr Gibb-Gray.
“In the local area we
have more than 4,400 households on the Hampshire Home Choice Register. We
are seeing an increase in the number of families in B&B accommodation and we
have seen a massive increase in people seeking assistance from our housing
department.”
Havant Borough
Council’s local plan outlines between 2008-2026 a total of 6,300 new homes
needing to be built, while Havant Borough Council’s target says 315 homes
need to be built annually.
“Havant Borough
Council doesn’t have land available to release to social landlords, so has
to rely on private landowners to offer their land for development. It’s a
big ask for a small place but we need to take on our share,” added Cllr
Gibb-Gray.
A number of Emsworth
residents fear additional housing could have a detrimental effect on the
area’s infrastructure and threaten the area’s
Mrs Jane Gaylard, 60,
from Emsworth, said: “I understand people, particularly young people, need
places to live but we need to have there as well. I don’t think they should
build on all our open land. I don’t think we have to fill the gap but we
need to house people – not just social housing – and have more affordable
housing for younger people.”
Raymond Latter, 89,
from Emsworth, said: “The infrastructure won’t cope, especially in
Westbourne.
“By the time the new
homes go up, we’ll have lost a lot of our green fields – they will be filled
between Emsworth and Westbourne.”
The Chichester Observer
3rd September
The End of the
Season
Chichester
Harbour Conservancy’s electrically powered boat, Solar Heritage, departed
from Emsworth this afternoon marking the end of her eighth season taking
visitors around the harbour Solar Heritage
is a pollution-free, solar-powered catamaran that can reach 11 knots while
transporting 60 people. However in Chichester Harbour the
boat is licensed to
carry a maximum of around 50 and speed is restricted to 8 knots.
Solar Heritage began life as one of three Solar powered ferries operating
out of Neuchatel in Switzerland's Three Lakes Region (Les Trois Lacs), the
area that hosted the Swiss 2002 National Exposition devoted to Nature and
Technology. The three ferries carried people to and from one of the
exhibitions in mid lake, on a continuous basis for six months between May
and October 2002. The exhibition hosting the Solar ferries was devoted to
Alternative Energy, and part of the reason for obtaining a solar powered
boat by Chichester Harbour Conservancy was to heighten local awareness and
interest in these matters.
The vessel has two sources of energy – electromagnetic energy from the sun
and conventional energy from the National Grid. Questions are asked
regarding operation in cloudy conditions. MW Lines have tested their vessel
at night and have found it will even pick up an electric charge from
moonlight! MW Lines, the Swiss manufacturer, specialise in designing solar
powered vessels and vehicles, used in different countries round Europe. The
vessel is driven by two electric motors, one in each hull. Both have their
own independent propeller and rudder linked to the same steering in the
wheelhouse.
Solar Heritage arrived in Itchenor in May 2004, after a 24 hour drive across
Europe on three articulated lorries. On arrival she was reconstructed at
Northshore Ltd by her Swiss engineers, brought over especially for the
occasion.
3rd September
Coastal Protection Works at Nore Barn Woods will Start soon
The Friends of Nore Barn Woods are delighted that almost all the money for stage one of the shore protection work has now been raised. Thanks to the generosity of many local groups and individuals, the target of over £15,000 has been met and some preparatory work will start in early September. Eventually the group plans an 85m long earth bank along the unprotected shore of the woods. The second stage is unlikely to be completed until next year.
Says Chairman of The Friends of Nore Barn Woods, Bruce Darby: "We have received wonderful support from local organisations and individuals and we are most grateful. We are pleased that an earth bank should begin to take shape soon, helping to conserve this well-loved woodland. Engineers at Havant Borough Council have drawn up plans, obtained quotes and gained consents for this work so we are on the starting blocks."
Local MP David Willetts said: "When the Friends of Nore Barn Woods started on their fundraising, it seemed a very high sum for volunteers to aim for. I congratulate them on raising so much and wish them luck with their other applications to funders. I am delighted to support the work of this local initiative to protect this very popular and attractive stretch of coastline."
Early September 2012, will see the removal of overhanging vegetation by a local contractor, Mike Reed who has donated his services for a day. The construction of a protective rammed earth bank will follow later on. Phase two will be to clad the bank in Armorloc blocks to match the shoreline either side of the unprotected stretch. An application for additional money to pay for the Armorloc blocks and labour has been made to an environmental trust.
The shore path will be closed off while the work takes place and notices about the work will be put up to warn the public. The area may look unsightly for a short time while work is going on but the final result should be a great improvement.
A growing number of local organisations have pledged support and very welcome donations have come in from The Friends of Brook Meadow, Emsworth Residents Association, Hampshire Council (through Ray Bolton, the local councillor), Emsworth Tree Wardens and the Emsworth Horticultural Society. Chichester Harbour Conservancy and The Friends of Chichester Harbour have also pledged significant sums. The Cooperative Community Fund has given £2,000 so The Friends hope people will use their local Co-op supermarket. The Solent Protection Society handed over a cheque for £1000 recently. A number of local individuals have also made very substantial donations, and of course the Friends of Nore Barn Woods have put in some of their own funds. Mike Reed of Michael Reed Treeworks will oversee the clearing of overhanging vegetation to enable machines to get close to the bank. A team of volunteers from Lockheed Martin has agreed to help with the clearance work. All details are on
www.norebarnwoods.org.uk Donors and potential members can contact the Treasurer Pat Balchin at 67 Maisemore Gardens, Emsworth on 01243 377404 or e-mail her on patbalchin@gmail.com
Friends of 
The current and four previous Chairman of The
Friends of Chichester Harbour blew out candles on a special cake to
celebrate 25 years of the charity.
The Friends celebrated their
anniversary last week with a party at The Stables, Eames Farm,
Brigadier Bill Woodburn, the third Chairman, thanked
those who had founded the charity, most of whom were there and are still
closely involved with the Conservancy and the Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty which the Friends support with their volunteering activities and
financial help.
Bill said, ‘I am proud to have been Chairman in the
early days when the charity had just a handful of members. I have watched it
grow over the years to the present 3,000 members, with new members joining
every year. Whether members can do no more than pay their small subscription
every year or get actively involved in work parties and enjoy the special
events organised for them, every member is valued. We all regard as
essential the need for the conservation of our beautiful Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty for the present and for future generations’.
Siún Cranny, Director of the Conservancy, then added her
thanks for all the financial and practical contributions they make.
She said, ‘In the past year alone 41 work parties have been held with an
average attendance of 22 Friends. The Friends help with tree planting,
coppicing, footpath resurfacing and litter picking. There are so many
‘unsung heroes’ who unselfishly give of their time and energies to support
our work. The Friends are truly essential to us in caring for this very
special place We wholeheartedly wish them a further 25, happy and successful
years’.
More
information on The Friends of Chichester Harbour can be found at
membership@friendsch.org
18th August
The Bath Tub curry Sauce event at Whistlers Fish & Chip Shop in Westbourne
Visit any Whistler’s shop on Saturday 25th August for
the Curry Sauce Challenge and help us raise money for Jamie Whitehouse! 
Having received a letter from a young lady, Donna
Maynard to ask if we could help her childhood friend Jamie Whitehouse, we
felt totally compelled.
Jamie is a local 24 year old lad
from Waterlooville who is suffering from Osteosarcoma, a cancer that
develops in the bone and is most common in adolescents. Having had
unsuccessful courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy the disease led to an
above the knee amputation of his right leg in 2010. The
cancer has now spread to Jamie’s pelvis, lung and heart and has
been diagnosed as terminal; however, he is not giving
up. Through a clinic in Malaga Jamie has discovered that a carefully managed
diet and supplements can and has slowed down the growth of his tumours.
Unfortunately, this diet comes at great expense so at
Whistler's we are committed to help raise as much money as we can. 100% of
the money raised will be donated Jamie.
Visit any one of our shops next Saturday to see a member
of staff in a bath of curry sauce and everyone that donates gets to throw
another pot of curry sauce over the staff member!
Please come along and help us support Jamie.
All
contact and address details can be seen on our website:
www.whistlersfishandchips.co.uk
Like our facebook page to see updates and photos:
https://www.facebook.com/WhistlersFishAndChips
15th August
Be our 100th Project!
Chichester Harbour Conservancy is looking for an extra special project to
celebrate our 100th
grant award from the Sustainable Development Fund.
The Sustainable Development Fund is now in its eighth
year. The fund supports projects that bring social, environmental or
economic benefits to Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB). So far Chichester Harbour Conservancy has awarded £455,000 in grants
to 99 projects, with an amazing total project value of £2.8 million.
Nicky
Horter, AONB Officer said “We are looking for an extra special project to
celebrate our 100th
grant award. We would like to fund an exciting project which can help bring
a wider benefit to the AONB and its communities. Your project may help young
or disadvantaged people enjoy the AONB or come up with an innovative way of
benefiting the area, its people or its wildlife. If you have an idea, we
would love to hear from you.”
The maximum grant available is
£5,000, paid retrospectively. Projects must be completed and the grant
claimed by the end of March 2013. This is a competitive scheme and grants
that meet the criteria are awarded on a first come, first served basis.
For inspiration and details of projects funded over the last seven years, please go to www.conservancy.co.uk for further details. If you have a project idea that you think might be suitable, contact Nicky Horter at nicky@conservancy.co.uk or phone 01243 510983
14th Sugust
Broken sluice gate is
blamed for Emsworth Mill Pond not refilling for boat race
THE
Environment Agency has apologised after a broken sluice gate led to the
cancellation of a charity dragon boat race.
Emsworth Mill
Pond was drained more than a week ago over fears of flash flooding at the
beginning of last week.
Although floods never
materialised the mill pond was not refilled by Sunday despite pleas from the
dragon boat race organisers.
It has now emerged
that one of the sluice gates – which lets water in and out – was broken and
that, coupled with lower than normal seasonal tides, meant the race had to
be cancelled.
It was expected to
raise thousands of pounds for a number of charities and was the second time
this year it has been cancelled.
Emsworth councillor
Brendan Gibb-Gray, who is also chairman of the Emsworth Business Association
which organised the event, said the empty Mill Pond is affecting the town’s
economy.
‘A walk it is one of
the best scenes in the borough,’ said Cllr Gibb-Gray.
‘But when it’s empty
all visitors get to look at is a load of mud.
‘There doesn’t seem
to be any sense of urgency about refilling it.
‘The Environment
Agency doesn’t seem to realise it affects our economy if it’s not filled.’
The Environment
Agency says the sluice gate is now fixed.
Area manager James
Humphrys said: ‘It’s a great shame that the dragon boat race couldn’t take
place this weekend due to lower water levels on the Emsworth Mill Pond.
‘The water level in
the pond is controlled by a tidal sluice for flood risk purposes. The level
was dropped the previous weekend to reduce the risk of flooding to
properties, in preparation for predicted thunderstorms.
‘We would usually
expect levels to rise again over the next few high tides or due to rainfall.
‘Unfortunately, lower
seasonal tides, combined with a fault on the automated sluice, meant that
the level of the Mill Pond did not rise back to the level required for the
boat race.
‘We have now fixed
the and levels will rise over the next few days.
‘We have been in
close contact with the local community representative during the last week
and with the race organisers over the weekend. I want to apologise for the
inconvenience caused by this faulty sluice.
‘We are conducting a
review of this incident. We will continue to work together with the local
flood forum and race organisers to ensure we balance protection of the
Emsworth community from flood risk and support the use of the Mill Pond for
recreational use.’
The News
11th August
Dragon Boat Race Cancelled Again!
Tomorrow's Dragon Boat Race has had to be cancelled because the Mill Pond is empty. Alchemy Events who are organising the event would like to apologies to the cancellation and are hoping to reschedule to a Sunday in September.
8th August
Mystery
Pillar Box Decorator Revealed
It’s been on the television and in the newspapers now Emsworth Online can reveal that the name of the enterprising Emsworth resident who "silvered" the pillar box in the Square as a tribute to Iain Percy who won a silver medal in the Star class dinghy final on Sunday was Peter Mahoney landlord of The Lord Raglan and his father, David.
Peter said he They did it on
Sunday evening it as a little joke, but I must say I'm pleased to see the
immense support from the community as a whole.”
8th August
Emsworth Primary
headteacher retires
After ten years of service,
Rosie Law was
presented with portraits schoolchildren had made of her and sang a song
which they had composed to mark her leaving.
She was given a
selection of gifts, including a set of cut glass, an electronic book-reader,
and a garden seat.
In return, she
presented the school with a picture by a local artist and a set of tribal
drums, and composed a song in return to the children, which she performed to
her pupils, staff and governors, who were all there to mark the occasion.
After the assembly a
tea party was held where staff, parents, and former colleagues joined
together to wish Mrs Law well.
Chair of governors,
Steve Leniston, said: “During her time at
“She has also led a
drive to ensure excellent teaching in the school, culminating in children in
all year groups achieving the best-ever results in assessments this year,
including SATs at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2.”
The whole school
community united in wishing her the very best for a long and happy
retirement.
Kate Fripp will
replace her as head teacher.
The News
6th August
Silver Pillar Box - an Unofficial Tribute to
Emsworth Sailor Iain Percy
An enterprising Emsworth resident turned one of the pillar boxes in the
Square silver in recognition of Emsworth sailor Iain Percy’s silver medal
position in the Olympic Star Class final at Weymouth yesterday. Iain Percy
and Andrew Simpson claimed British sailing’s first medal of London 2012 by
winning Star class silver at Weymouth and Portland.
The silver medal makes Iain, from Emsworth, the joint second most successful
British Olympic sailor of all time, equalling Rodney Pattisson’s achievement
of two golds and one silver medal. Iain won his first Olympic medal with
gold in the Finn class at Sydney 2000 before claiming Star gold with Simpson
at Beijing 2008. This medal is Simpson’s second, having won gold in the Star
with Percy in Beijing.
Knowing that they already had a minimum of a bronze sewn up, Percy and
Simpson went into the final double points’ medal race with an eight point
advantage over nearest rivals, Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA), and 12
points ahead of Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen (SWE), in third overall.
Speaking immediately after the race, Iain said: “It can be cruel, it feels
it at the moment. That’s the problem you end up racing in ridiculous
conditions but we got it wrong. It’s pretty gutting, we feel a bit robbed
but we will have to take it on the chin.”
4th August
THORNHAM MARINA CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF 3 YEAR
REFURBISHMENT PROGRAMME WITH A SUMMER BBQ AND GRAND OPENING CEREMONY
Thornham Marina has completed a fantastic 3 year refurbishment programme
involving, a new luxurious shower block named “Heads and Scrubbing Station”,
a new luxurious office block for long standing tenant Multihull World and
the piste de resistance - the complete replacement of all existing pontoons
with brand new fully serviced pontoons provided by Walcon Marine.
To celebrate the completion of the works, they are holding a BBQ and opening
ceremony starting at 2pm Sat 4th Aug 12.
Jeanette Marina Manager of Thornham has said, “It will be an amazing
celebration to finally welcome all of our Boat Owners to the new pontoons.
It is something that both staff and Boat Owners of the Harbour have been
very excited by. Rain will not stop Play!!”
The event is expected to be attended by 180 Thornham Marina boat owners,
with live music in the form of a jazz group, traditional Hog Roast and
Jeanette’s very special Pimms. The opening ceremony will be performed by
very special individuals.
Ends
3rd August
Havant Borough Cycle
Network Map 2012
TWO-WHEELED travel has never been easier, thanks to a new cycle map, compiled by Havant Borough Council.The latest edition of the Havant Borough Cycle Network Maphas been published. The map covers the borough in two sheet sides and includes details of all cycle facilities at the time of publication in July 2012. It is part of a series of maps issued under the banner of the 'Solent Cycle Project' in which the Council has worked closely with environmental charity Groundwork Solent. The map includes local information such as addresses of cycle shops, crime prevention advice, and contact details for cycling organisations. The map includes information for walkers about local bridleways (which can also be used by cyclists), key waymarked routes and the local sections of Long Distance Footpaths. Download the leaflet HERE,
Councillor David Collins, who is in charge of
environment at the council, said: ‘The map demonstrates just how much
cycle-friendly infrastructure has already been provided and our ongoing
programme ensures that travel by bike and on foot will become an
increasingly viable and attractive option.’
Sorces:
Havant
Borough Council
The News
31st July
Travellers move on again -
to a council car park
TRAVELLERS have set up camp in a council car park in Emsworth.
The 12 caravans moved on to the Palmers Road car park, at the back of Tesco
Express, this afternoon.
Police and council officers are currently at the car park as they assess the
travellers’ needs.
Havant Borough Council has spent thousands of pounds evicting and clearing
up after a group of travellers who set up camps across the borough over the
past five weeks.
Officers will try and establish if they are the same group who most recently
were encamped at Bourne Community College, Southbourne, West Sussex
The News 30-July-2012
27th July
Councils counting the cost of when travellers move in 
THIS is the mess left behind by a
group of travellers after spending two weeks in a lay-by.
Havant Borough Council officers were left to clear up
the mess on behalf of Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for
Industrial rubbish, rubble, and household waste was
dumped at the site and it took six rangers and a local firm to clear it out
at a cost of £700 which will be billed to the county council.
Court hearing and eviction notice costs have been put at
£350 which will also be picked up by the taxpayer.
The area is a small cul-de-sac used by pedestrians and
cyclists and links to an underpass beneath the A27.
The 12-strong group eventually
left the site on Wednesday morning and moved onto playing fields at
Emsworth councillor Richard Galloway said: ‘When
travellers stop illegally on sites the council’s hands are tied.
‘Councils can’t just take the law into their own hands
and eject these people, they have to go through the due process of law which
takes time, costs money and wastes resources which ultimately the rate
payers have to pay for.
‘But the law allows them on these sites for as long as
it takes to get them to move on and I don’t think the law is going to change
any time soon.
‘The council does try and use barricades on sites to the
best of their ability but unfortunately it does not always work.’
The group had spent more than a month playing cat and
mouse games with Havant Borough Council.
They were originally on two
separate sites,
Clear up and eviction costs were then put at £1,000.
During their time at the Emsworth site one of the
travellers was cautioned by police after his dog, a saluki lurcher, attacked
a PCSO on patrol and ripped her coat.
West Sussex County Council issued
a notice to leave the school by
The travellers ignored the notice and are using
facilities at the onsite leisure centre.
The News
26th July
Dragon Boat Racing Returns to Emsworth
26th July
Travellers leave Emsworth lay-by
TRAVELLERS have moved on almost two weeks after
they first set up camp in a lay-by.
The 12 caravans were parked in Havant Road, Emsworth, from July 13. They are
believed to have now moved on to playing fields at Bourne Community College,
Southbourne, West Sussex after leaving Emsworth yesterday morning. Havant
Borough Council has been dealing with complaints about the
travellers for more than a month. The group previously occupied two
separate sites – Bitterne Park in Leigh Park and land off Barncroft Way, in
Bedhampton. Hampshire County Council owns the Havant Road lay-by but Havant
took on the job of evicting the travellers and will bill the county for all
costs. West Sussex County Council served a notice under the Education Act
requiring them to leave by 10pm last night. A council spokesman, said: ‘The
council acted as soon as it was made aware that a group of travellers were
parked on school land.’
The News 26-July-2012
6th July
Italian Market comes to Emsworth but without the Mediterranean Weather
Despite of it being a rather damp and dull day the a steady trickle of the more hardy Emsworth residents turned out to take advantage of the Town's first Italian market. A tasty looking selection of Italian breads, sweets, olives, meats and cheeses were available to purchase by those who braved the rain. It can only be hoped that it was worth the stall holder's time and that the market will return abother day.
6thJuly
Anger as bus service is stopped
AXING a popular bus
service in
Residents fear they will be left stranded once the
number 11 bus service, ran by Emsworth and District bus company, stops
operating in September.
The bus runs from
It is one of a number of services being stopped as West
Sussex County Council makes £2m of savings in bus subsidies.
It means residents wanting to go
to
Lyn Turton, 68, from Southbourne, said: ‘I have got
nothing – the bus was my lifeline.’
Councillor Pieter Montyn, who is
in charge of transport in
‘We will do everything we can to support those
communities where a service has been withdrawn.’
The News
6thJuly
Watercolour paintings trace
Emsworth’s history
ARTY Angela Loader who is
holding her first exhibition for
19 years
THE anniversary of the tragic
death of a young fisherman is
being marked by his sister
through art.
Colin Loader was only 27 when he
drowned in
His sister Angela, 56, who still
lives in the area, is a
well-known painter whose
watercolours are very popular.
She will be displaying her work
at
It coincides with the 25th
anniversary of her beloved
younger brother’s death. After
the accident a plaque was
dedicated to Colin outside
Emsworth Sailing Club.
The exhibition will include a
picture of Colin as well as
beautiful images of Emsworth
through the years and is
Angela’s first solo exhibition
in almost two decades.
Local musician John Meriton, of
Angela said: ‘He was a popular
and well-liked Emsworth man and
this CD keeps his memory alive.‘
Angela’s idea for the paintings
came from a request to paint
illustrations for a book about
Emsworth’s history called
Uncovering the Past.
The watercolour paintings
include the Mill Pond in 1907
and a recent capture of Emsworth
harbour.
Angela said: ‘I love painting
the sky, which for me creates
the whole atmosphere of the
painting.’
The exhibition has also led to
some distant cousins, whom
Angela didn’t realise she was
related to, getting in touch
with the Loader family.
They got in contact after seeing
the event advertised. She said,
‘I noticed they had the same
surname as my grandmother and
then they said they were from a
fishing background like me.
They’re coming from
Angela turned professional in
1979 and has won national and
international awards.
The exhibition is free and will
be held on weekends from July 7
to July 23. The museum, above
the fire station, in
The News
4th July
Food Festival
Set to Return in 2013?
The popular Emsworth Food Festival, last held in 2007, may yet return.
A working group
of the proprietors of five Emsworth businesses, led by Mary Coburn of Classy
Cooks together with; Giles Babb of the Blue Bell, Tim Brooks of Apricot
Sunset, Albert Mason of Alwens Wines and Amanda Thomas, general manager of
the Brookfield Hotel, have set about investigating the possibility of
reviving the festival. The group’s initial work have been funded
through by grants from the Emsworth
Residents' Association Community Fund and the Emsworth Business Association.
Many residents say that they can not understand why
the festival was cancelled and would strongly support it’s return as it was
not only thoroughly enjoyable but must also have put Emsworth ‘ on the map’
and been of considerable benefit to the local businesses. Giles Babb,
landlord of the Blue Bell Inn, who started a Facebook campaign last year to
bring the festival back said,
“At the time I did warn that if the festival was lost it would have a
dramatic affect on the numbers of people visiting the village. We must
remember that although some who used to come to the festivals may not have
spent a penny with any of the local shops, pubs or restaurants at the time,
surely they would have when they came back later, as a direct result of
discovering the festival? This was a great loss in my opinion. I believe
that bringing the festival back to the village will increase footfall
throughout the year, and positively promote Emsworth.”
Giles is almost
certainly correct in his assumptions. A visitor survey conducted
during the 2006 festival indicated that the Festival was a great success
with very high satisfaction ratings and return rates and that there can be
little doubt that the Festival had both a direct and indirect impact on the
economy of Emsworth providing an excellent means of encouraging additional
visitors to the town.
To date the
working group have undertaken an initial consultation by questionnaire,
targeting the town’s businesses, and received very favourable feedback with
over 80% of the respondents indicating that they would support the return of
the festival to Emsworth. This was followed up last week with two meetings
at the Brookfield Hotel attended by 30 local businesses. The meetings were
facilitated by a professional independent events manager,
Mike Walter,
.director of the very successful
Broadstairs Food Festival, with the aim of
producing a ‘manifesto’
describing the Festival, that can then be used for detailed planning.
The meetings produced a wide range of ideas for a proposed new festival and
the working group is now awaiting Mike’s report before firming up ideas and
creating a definitive proposal. At this stage there is a consensus
that the new festival would have a different ‘feel’, perhaps be spread over
a week with ‘themed days’ culminating in the main “festival’ event at the
weekend. However at this stage nothing is set in stone and all
suggestions and comments would be welcomed.
The Food Festival would be free to
the public and family orientated, with street entertainment and the emphasis
on high quality local producers and traders from both Hampshire and
The final proposals based on these meetings will be
produced in the next few weeks, and whether it happens or not will be
dependant on support from residents and businesses.
Details are available on
www.foodfestconsult.emsworth.org.uk
2nd July
Cheque for £5,100 presented to Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Crisp
Once again members of the Emsworth Business Association enjoyed the hospitality of Abdul Ahad, proprietor of Spice Village, Emsworth, on this occasion to present a cheque for £5,100 to Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Crisp, Commander of 47 Regiment for the Royal Artillery Charitable Fund. This was the total sum raised from the various events held during St George’s week celebrations in April. Which included a Jazz night at Emsworth Community Centre, the Military Parade, The Phoenix Singers at the Community Centre, The Curry at Spice Village, The Springfield quiz night at the Brookfield Hotel, Sea shanties and supper at Emsworth Sailing Club and The Deck Cafe for an evening with Charles Collingwood.
Brendan Gibb-Grey. the associations chairman, thanked
the residents of Emsworth and said,
"This is a tremendous achievement from businesses and residents in our town,
they really do appreciate the work and duty performed by the men and women
of 47 Regiment and we are proud also that Abdul kindly presented the cheque
on our behalf."
29th June
|
Managing Nore Barn Woods for the future
The Friends of Nore Barn Woods
have recently planted oak and hawthorn
saplings as part of the management programme of this very popular
woodland. At a recent work party a number of volunteers,
including a group of young people, helped with future-proofing the Volunteers from the Friends of Nore Barn Woods have been busy fundraising and working closely with Havant Borough Council, the landowners, to move forward on the scheme to protect a short section of the shore from wave action. This is undermining much vegetation and could threaten the future of this wonderful woodland enjoyed by so many. A number of local organisations have pledged their support and very welcome donations have come in from Emsworth Residents Association, Hampshire Council (through Ray Bolton, the local councillor), Emsworth Tree Wardens and the Emsworth Horticultural Society. Chichester Harbour Conservancy and The Friends of Chichester Harbour have also pledged significant sums. A number of local individuals have also made generous donations. The Friends of Nore Barn Woods are most grateful for any contribution, large or small. A target of £18,000 is needed to protect the shoreline from further undercutting. It may be that work will start on this as soon as this Autumn if the fundraising continues successfully.
Donors and potential members can
contact the Treasurer Pat Balchin at 67
|
woods. Most of the large trees in the woods are of a similar
age. That means that when they reach maturity, all at a
similar time, the woods will lose a lot of the biggest trees.
So by planting saplings and making sure they have room to grow, a
more balanced woodland will result. Later some thinning may be
necessary
25th June
Plans for the First Ever WEMSFEST are coming along nicely
Due to take
place during a fortnight in September,
14th - 30th,
WemsFest is
arguably the first ever cross-border arts festival in the
It began life
through one of those casual conversations in a pub (The Stags Head) on a wet
Sunday afternoon in January 2012. Within days the talk had become
reality and a programme, together with a team of willing helpers, was
starting to take shape with the vision of producing a festival which can
grow and grow.
Less than 6
months later we can proudly announce that over 40 events featuring
musicians from as far afield as: Chile, Gambia, Ireland, Israel, Moldavia,
and Senegal, together with jazz, comedy, talks and walks, mini-festivals,
cycle rides, a kite rally, a Hash run, art exhibitions and several
‘home-spun’ productions, will be on-sale representing over 2600 tickets !
Legendary
musician John Otway
launches the festival with a concert on Friday 14th
in Westbourne Club and from thereon the activity swings in all sorts of
directions throughout the area.
Home-grown
talent is in abundance throughout WemsFest starting with a children’s
story-hunt organised by Peek-a-Boo Moves
on Sept 15 moving through an illustrated lecture about the
Lone Twin Boat Project
(Sept 16), Julian Sluggett’s one-man show
‘Notes from a Dishwasher’ (Sept 17 & 24) Roger
Redfarn’s celebration of all things English –
‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ (Sept 18). Barn
Dance music from Wheels of the World
(Sept 15), Christopher Beaumont
(Sept 20), John Meriton
(Sept 27), and The Chase,
and Simon Mayor & The Mandolinquents
( both on Sept 29)
Local writer
Wendy Metcalfe has
a practical writing workshop in the Greenhouse Café (Sept 18), and
special guest author Eileen Robertson
is in conversation in the same venue (Sept 21).
Five ‘Music &
Supper Evenings’ bring an eclectic mix of musicians and cultures to WemsFest.
At The Deck are the Celtic musicians Harriet
Earis & Colman Connolly (Sept 16), Senegalese
kora musician Seckou Keita
&
musician
Mauricio Venegas and
fellow Quimantu cohort Rachel Pantin
(Sept 27).
Irish musicians
Fidil are at
Veteran actress
June Whitfield
Those with
energy to work off can take advantage of the
Full Moon Mtb Ride of around 25 miles (Sept
29), the first ever WemsFest Hash
(Sept 30), or the more sedate Family Bike Ride,
Treasure Hunt, and Picnic (Sept 23), or guided
walks around Westbourne (Sept 19), and Emsworth (Sept 25).
Box-office: Bookends,
Full details are in the WemsFest brochure, and will be
on the website shortly
www.wemsfest.com
Offers of help to steward events are very welcome – please contact Mark
Ringwood on 01243 373950 or
wemsfest@btinternet.com
25th June
OPEN
There will be a unique opportunity to visit an organic beef farm set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on Sunday 15 July.
Eames Farm, a 900
acre farm on
Visiting the farm
will highlight the challenges faced by farmers as they work within a
protected landscape and need to make space for wildlife as well as their
farm animals. In the courtyard, local chef Rosemary Moon will be cooking up
some of the rarer cuts of beef into everyday dishes. A local food market
will feature butchers, bakers and a greengrocers along with some local arts
and crafts.
Children will be kept
busy making bird boxes, planting wildflower seeds and more. The farm is in a
beautiful location and will make a great day out. Refreshments are available
or bring your own picnic.
Alison Fowler,
Environment Manager said, ‘we look forward to working with Simon Sprackling,
the farmer, to welcome people to one of my favourite parts of Chichester
Harbour AONB. With so much planned it will be a great day out for all ages.’
Entry to the event is
free with a small charge made for some of the activities. Places on the Farm
Walks are limited and can be pre-booked for £1.50 per head call 01243
513275. The Farm will be open from
23rd June
August
Bank Holiday on the horizon means that it must soon be Emsworth Show
time again.
Pick up your
free Show Schedule from local outlets from the middle of June. There you
will find information on everything that is happening, together with details
for entering 240 categories of flower, fruit, vegetable, handicrafts,
domestic and photographic exhibits for display in the giant marquee with
some 700 cash prizes waiting to be won. Includes 45 classes for children
and young people aged from 4 to 13.
An eclectic mix
of around 70 stalls, refreshment outlets including Hog Roast, historic
gardening tools display, Local conservation and local interest groups, Tarot
Reader/Medium, Bee Keepers – live bees/honey sales/candle making for
children, local cakes/soaps/jewellery/jams/soft furnishings/cards/prints
and, of course, the plant sales and nurseries. Entertainments and pony
rides will be there and continuous events in the arenas will see Zero
Gravity Mountain Bike display, The Quack Pack, Ferret World’s, The Homested
Dog Agility Team. As usual, The Fun Dog Show will be a great
attraction – just bring your dogs on the day.
The Show runs from
150 plus EHS
volunteers are needed to run the Show and we need more volunteers to help,
especially for clearing up at the end of the Show, please contact Faith
Ponsonby Tel: 01243 372825. The entry fee is £2.50 with accompanied
children under 12 free. Limited parking on the Show Ground itself is
£3 extra per car, so, why not walk or cycle to the Show. This is
family entertainment at its best. For up to date information please visit
our website :
www.emsworthshow.org.uk
21st June
Girls Brigade leader
celebrate
THE leader of Emsworth’s Girls Brigade Group celebrated
26 years in a special service at Emsworth Baptist Church.
The service celebrated Daphne Laycock’s leadership and gave thanks to Eleanor
Day, newly-appointed captain and her team.
Daphne said: ‘I will miss leading the group, it’s been a joy to see the numbers
of girls grow, we hardly fit in the building now and are really excited about
the extra activities we will be able to offer in the new church building.’
The group meet regularly at Emsworth Baptist Church.
If you would like to join, contact Eleanor on 01243 379308
Chichester Observer 21-June-2012
20th June
Get
involved with the biggest local Olympic Countdown event in Hampshire
On
The day will run from
•
An Olympiad
competition
•
Archery
•
Military assault
courses
•
Adult and family
bootcamps
•
Dancing
•
Yoga
•
…and much more
For more information visit: www.fitbeat.co.uk
12th June
Former police officer awarded British Empire Medal
DETECTIVE work comes easily to Brendan Gibb-Gray – whether it be fighting
crime or investigating community issues.
The 69-year-old has been given the honour of a British Empire Medal. The
father-of-two spent 30 years in the force, working his way up to Detective
Chief Superintendent of a murder squad at Scotland Yard.
He has spent the last 15 years fighting to keep Emsworth a vibrant place to
live as a local councillor and chairman of the business association.
Cllr Gibb-Gray, of Queen Street, said: ‘I think it’s an honour for the
people of Emsworth rather than me. I am the recipient and I am very proud.’
The News 16-June-2012
12th June
Drainage channels were
working, says agency
YESTERDAY’S flooding
could not have been avoided, The Environment Agency has said. Officials
said the sheer volume of rain falling in a short space of time had overwhelmed
the area’s drains.
Flooding in Victoria Road, Emsworth, Monday 11th June.
Around 50mm of rain fell
in the Havant and Emsworth area yesterday morning – the same as would normally
be expected for the whole of June.
The flooding comes
two years after a major flood in Emsworth when a ‘trash screen’ was blocked in a
channel that drains water from the West Brook stream into Mill Pond. Those
screens were clear yesterday and sluice gates were opened by Environment Agency
workers to allow the Mill Pond to drain into the sea.
Since the flood of two
years ago, extra drainage channels have been installed in
Chris Clode, chairman of
Emsworth Flood Action Group, likened the water flowing through the gates at the
Mill Pond to
He said: ‘I have never
seen the water flowing with such force. I don’t think there’s anything that
could have been done about it. Until such time that preventative measures are
put in further upstream, it will happen again.’
The Environment Agency is
looking into installing ponds to the north of Emsworth to store some of the
rainwater during storms.
The News
11th June
Flooding Hits Emsworth
With over an inch of rain falling in less than 24 hours there has been localised flooding in parts of Emsworth and Southbourne. Areas of Emsworth affected included Woodlands Avenue, Redlands Lane, Birch Tree Drive, and Nursery Close and by lunch time Bridge Road had been closed to traffic. Problems were exacerbated by the closure of the A27 between Havant and Chichester causing long delays on the A259 through Emsworth and tailbacks on the A27 west of Havant,
Photo: The News
8th June
Good neighbours are helping those in
need 
IT’S a lifeline to the community which is seeing a surge in
demand and as it celebrates its 15th birthday, Emsworth Good Neighbours is more
needed than ever before.
The last year has seen its 40-strong army of volunteers do
more than 1,150 jobs for people – from taking them to hospital appointments,
helping them on shopping trips, or just popping in for a cuppa and a chat.
As people tighten their belts, the service has become more popular, with the
number of call-outs increasing three-fold over the last two years.
Val Caudeiron, 67, of
She said: ‘When this started up in the first year we did
about 150 tasks.
‘We are up to more than 1,100 tasks now. The last two years
has seen a huge increase.
‘It’s hard economic times and I think taking a taxi
everywhere is expensive for senior people.
It’s great that we are here. I know it’s a service very much
appreciated in Emsworth.’
The bulk of the work is taking people
to St Richard’s Hospital in
Mrs Caudeiron, who was born in
She added: ‘It is as much about the companionship that our
volunteers offer as it about the transport.
‘Often people in our community live in isolated circumstances
with little or no family in the vicinity.
‘A trip to the hospital can seem less daunting when you have
a reliable, friendly face taking you to your appointment and taking you safely
home again.’
To volunteer or receive help from the group call (01243)
430999.
The News
7th June
Anchor Stolen!
The small anchor from the roundabout at the junction of
North Street and the A259 has been stolen within the last couple of weeks.
Anyone who may have any information pertinent to this theft are asked to contact
the police:
T. 101 or E.
emsworth.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
6th June
A Right Royal Nosh!
Residents of 
Over 90 residents, aged
from a few days to 100+, Their friends and families attended a splendid banquet
which included coronation chicken, home cooked ham
and a huge array of salads. A jubilee cake decorated as a union jack and a
multitude of home-made desserts completed the meal. A jolly good time was had by
all and an estimated 60 plus bottles of wine were consumed. After the meal
Her Majesty the Queen, present as a cardboard cut out, was toasted and a
commemorative hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata 'Rosea Flore Pleno) planted on the
green to mark the occasion.
The choice of the tree had caused a right royal rumpus as some felt that the green had enough trees already whilst others wanted a more exotic species and one resident was in favour of asphalting the green to provide additional car parking space, a sort of jubilee car park.
One resident felt compelled to put their feelings in verse;
“The
Royal tree has caused a furor
In the peaceful enclave of Maisemore
With against and for lined up to score
We can only hope it does not turn to war
A settlement must be found
To please the people all around
To get us back to a state of calm
Whether it be tree, bush or Palm
Its size not matters it looks appeal
It will be there to celebrate a time
When all the Country says Three Cheers
For Her Majesty for all her years
In service to our pleasant land
To plant a tree with love and affection
We join in those celebrations”
Never the less, the choice of a pink blossoming hawthorn met
with overall approval and was planted by the street’s oldest resident ‘Dilkie’
Onslow who will be 101 later this year. Mrs. Onslow said:
“I was honored to be asked to help plant the new hawthorn and the party was made
all the more special with the little children clearly enjoying it all.
Maisemore is a wonderful place to live and happy occasions like this help build
lasting bonds in the neighbourhood.”
The revelers had a terrific tine and
didn’t miss the Royal River Pageant as a large TV was wired up in the marquee.
More than two hundred yards of homemade bunting festooned the tent and
children’s games included ‘pin the crown on the Queen!’ The jubilee
provided a great opportunity for this friendly neighbourhood to get together and
celebrate.
27th May
Employees from Snell in Havant set out to raise £20,000 for Cancer Relief UK
Employees at
Snell, a leader in the global film and broadcast market based on Eastleigh Road,
Havant, will cycle or run for Cancer Research UK this summer. The event is to be
held on the Isle of Wight on 20th
July and more than 50 staff will either cycle 64 miles or complete a half
marathon around the island.
The company have been
supporting Cancer Research UK for the past two years since it was nominated by
staff as their corporate charity. During this time, Snell employees have
organised a range of company-wide fundraising events. However, this year’s event
is Snell’s biggest ever annual fundraiser and the company are looking to raise
an outstanding £20,000 for the charity.
Snell offers a
comprehensive range of hardware and software solutions for the creation,
management and distribution of television and film content for today’s multi
screen world, and have been used in a variety of infamous films and events,
including assisting with the delivery of the Royal Wedding to all over the
world, creating the slow motion scene in the Matrix film, and later this year
will help deliver the London 2012 games. An impressive and continually expanding
product portfolio means the company provide all the tools necessary for
Broadcasters to provide TV programming both seamlessly and cost effectively to
today’s digital, high definition and stereoscopic 3D services. Snell’s products
and technologies have won more than 100 awards for technical innovation,
including nine UK Queen’s Awards; five technical Emmy Awards from the National
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the USA; and many global awards from
industry publications.
Staff taking part in the event include:
Cyclists: Simon Derry, Karl Mehring, Chris Lowder, Dominic Bodger, Marcus Hunt, Neil Harding, Daniel Colgan, Marc Nascimento, Reece Percival, Richard Barry, Mark McGarry, Gerard Philips, Dave Collins, Kevin Hewitt, Gavin Squires, Chris Cowley, Jenny Carr, Holly Walker, Tony Spencer, Paul Harding, Rob Pilgrim, Sarah Harris, Jason Ponting, Russell Johnson, Ian Croft, Dora Lackner, Nick Pullen, Julian Smith, Kevin Dodd, Brian Baker, Brian Arbon and Graham Young.
Runners/hikers: Mike Maliphant, Jonathan Proctor, Claire Roach, Jayne Evans, Jodie Brown, Gary McCawley, Joanthan Taylor, Andrew Mann, Jon Heads, Dan Molloy, Greg Mason, Angela Gunn, Brian Skidmore, Julia Winter, Colin Gyue, Jason Rodgers, Sarah Hill, James Walker, Pete Mould, Kevin Dallender, Ted Milne.
Support crew: Michelle Ballard, Kelly Wyles, Richard Cheatle, Richard McGonigle, Peter Lacey, Sandra Cooper, Matt Boxall and Paul Butler.
The staff at Snell
would be delighted if you would visit their Justgiving page at
http://www.justgiving.com/Snellgroup
and spare any change you could to help them reach their incredible target of
£20,000.
27th May
Counterfeit notes in Emsworth
Two counterfeit £20 notes tendered in Emsworth on Thursday last week in a High Street shop, very good replica's, surpassed the shop vetting machine. However, Barclays Bank spotted them when they were paid in and refused to take them.
No other reports on counterfeit in the area so it could be a one-off, but Hampshire police advise residents and businesses to be on guard.
24th May
|
Emsworth Burglary Leads Police To Issue A Hot Weather
Home Security Reminder |
|
|
|
Police are encouraging homeowners to be
more aware of their home security as the temperatures rise this week.
A burglary in Woolmer Street, Emsworth
yesterday (Wednesday, May 23) highlights how important it is to be aware
of how open doors and windows can make it easy for opportunist thieves. An older couple were watching television in
their living room between 3 and The couple’s dog was heard to bark and the man
homeowner went to investigate. A man was found at the front door asking
for directions to the train station. Directions were given and the man
was seen to start walking away from the address. A short time later the woman homeowner noticed
her handbag, which had been on the stairs by the front door was missing.
The bag contained £15 cash. The offender is described as: ·
White
·
Approximately 5ft 6ins tall ·
16-18 years of age ·
Slight build ·
Local accent ·
Short dark hair combed backwards and clean shaven ·
Wearing a striped t-shirt, khaki coloured ¾
length shorts, white ankle socks and dark coloured trainers Inspector Rob Mitchell said: “We don’t expect
residents to overheat in their homes during the hot weather, please just
be aware of the consequences of leaving the doors and windows open and
unattended. Take care not to leave valuables near to windows and doors.
It only takes a second for someone to reach in and grab your property.
Also bear this advice in mind if you are working or relaxing in your
garden.” Anyone who may have witnessed this incident, or
may be able to identify the offender should contact PC Paul Janowicz at
Waterlooville police station on 101. Mini-Com users can call the police
on 01962 875000. Information can be given anonymously by calling the
Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. |
Portsmouthnews.tv
19th May
Emsworth welcomed an authentic French market on
Friday Coming directly from Normandie, the market brought the great
tastes of France to Emsworth. Even though there wasn’t bright sun, it didn’t deter some
brave English people from enjoying some French delicassies. Indeed, a wide
choice of products ranging from croissants and cheese to tablecloths was
available and there will always be a nice French accent around! 17th May
The weather may have been awful, but
organisers of Emsworth’s The cash will go to the Royal Artillery
Charitable Fund in recognition of the close relationship between Emsworth
residents and 47 Royal Artillery, based on nearby Councillor Brendan Gibb-Gray, who
organised the week-long celebrations – which included a military parade – said
he was amazed about how much cash was raised considering the heavy rainfall and
freezing temperatures. ‘The weather was appalling, particularly
during the parade, and we had to cancel the dragon boat race,’ he said. ‘But what was wonderful was people still
turned out – hundreds of them – to show their appreciation. ‘And over the week we raised £5,100 – we
normally raise about half that. People were so generous and it spoke volumes.’ The week long celebrations also included
sea shanties, history talks, a visit from The Archers’
Charles Collingwood, Last Night of the Proms at St James Church, a quiz night
and a curry night. The street collection on
the day of the parade
raised £400 and Abdul Ahad, the owner of Cllr Gibb-Gray said: ‘The whole week was
a success. ‘People showed their generosity by
putting money in the buckets. ‘Everyone redoubled their efforts this
year and I would like to say a particular thank you to Abdul who didn’t just
give us the profits but the whole night’s takings.
‘It would have been great to round it off
with the dragon boat race but it will happen later in the year and next year it
will be part of St George’s week.’ The cheque for the RACF will be presented
to Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Crisp, Commander of 47 Regiment. The charity supports soldiers going
through difficult times.
The News
16th May
Money pours in from Emsworth’s rainy
celebration
Anger as developer eyes up
Emsworth field for new housing
Barratt Homes has invited residents to a
meeting to discuss its plans for a field west of
The field is not included in Havant
Borough Council’s allocations survey – a comprehensive list of six potential
sites offered by landowners for development which the public is being consulted
on.
Andrew Biltcliffe, Havant Borough
Council’s service manager for planning policy, said: ‘This is not a site we
support.
‘It was put forward for us to look at and
in terms of strategic housing it is not suitable.
‘It undermines the gap between Havant and
Emsworth, there is a major gas pipeline running through it and it’s also next to
the motorway.
It is not a preferred option for
Emsworth but the developers are looking to put an application in.
‘They really want to push for it and we
can’t stop them putting an application in, anyone can.
‘But we don’t support it.’
Barratt has not revealed how many houses
it wants to build on the site, which is almost opposite Horse Field, south of
the A259.
Horse Field is on the allocations survey
and there is also strong opposition against that.
In a statement Barrett
said plans have been drawn up to resolve the gas pipeline issues to meet the
requirements of Southern Gas Networks and the
Health and Safety Executive.
It added the strategic gap factor is set
to be reviewed in light of the requirement for new homes in the area.
But Chris Clode, from Emsworth Residents’
Association, is not convinced.
He said: ‘The field is not approved by
the council and was in fact rejected for the development plan.
‘It is subject to considerable flooding
too.
‘Barratt is being very naughty in going
against Havant and the development plans and deciding themselves that it’s
suitable.
‘I think theyre flying a kite – just
making a punt.
‘I feel they are being exceptionally
cheeky about it.’
The developer is
hosting a meeting at the Brookfield Hotel,
The full plans will be at
www.barrattsotoncommunity.com
from Friday.
The News
15th
May
Cranked-up guitars and
real ales at Emsworth’s annual charity bash
Scores of local bands will
take to a stage at the grounds of The Coal Exchange, in
A Pink Floyd tribute band
and three-piece rockers Lynchpin, who hail from
Visitors will be treated
to 12 different real ales and a barbecue at the event, which is in its fifth
year.
Proceeds will go towards
St Wildfrid’s Hospice and The Rowans Hospice.
Entry on both days is
free.
Landlord Peter McIntyre,
45, who has been in charge of the pub for 20 years, said: ‘The atmosphere is
always fantastic. The locals look forward to Coalie Fest every year and they are
always keen to raise money for these causes.
‘We hope to top last
year’s total of £600 raised.’
For more information contact the pub on 01243 375866 or
visit:
www.thecoalexchange.co.uk
The News
14th
May
Just How Many
Artists are there in Emsworth?
Sunday saw the close of
this year’s Emsworth Arts Trail. Now in its fourth year and following the
withdrawal of support from
“We
have had the most wonderful 3 days, with a steady stream of visitors to the
studios. We are some way off the main Trail, so anyone making the effort to come
here, especially in the cold & wind & rain.”
More information and a photo gallery of the trail can be found at:
www.emsworthartstrail.org.uk
10th May
Housing Sites - Which Would you Choose?
ALLOCATIONS PLAN INFORMAL CONSULTATION 4
MAY
– 15 JUNE
Controversial plans for up
to 826 new homes in Emsworth were the hot topic when On
Until 15rh
June it is possible to have your say online at:
http://www2.havant.gov.uk/AF3/an/default.aspx/RenderForm/?F.Name=LABwMjP8K3j
10th May
They are banking on protecting
Nore Barn Wood
The Friends of Nore Barn Woods are spearheading an initiative to raise funds to conserve part of the southern shore of the woods to enable local people to continue to enjoy the area. Situated just 10 minutes’ walk west of Emsworth, the woods are under threat from the sea at high spring tides and at least six mature oaks will be toppled soon unless the shore is protected. A bank needs to be built in order to conserve the 100m stretch that currently has no protection at all.
Chairman of the Friends of Nore Barn Woods, Bruce Darby said: "If we do nothing we risk losing not only some mature trees, vegetation and soil, but part of the shore footpath could go too. Our counts show that hundreds of people walk to and through the woods each day. So we are campaigning to raise funds to do something about this stretch of shoreline."
Protecting even a short length of coast does not come cheap. One of the most cost effective solutions is a simple rammed earth bank. Even that will cost around £16,000. The Friends have started serious fundraising to meet this target. They also recognise that this is a fragile shoreline environment and great care will have to be taken to protect the foreshore and the bird life during any work. If the Friends can raise the money in the next few months then early Autumn work on the shore would not interfere with the over-wintering bird population.
Havant Borough Council owns the woods but public money is difficult to get for projects like this. So if the Friends raise the money Havant Borough Council has agreed to prepare the plans, ensure all permissions are in place, oversee the work and engage contractors. Rachel Moroney, Senior Community Project Officer at BTCV said: "The Friends of Nore Barn Woods do a tremendous job in looking after the woodland both for wildlife and visitors. We support their work on conserving this part of the shore of Nore Barn Woods."
The Friends of Nore Barn Woods have approached some grant-making bodies and are hopeful that they can raise much of £16,000 target through these sources. An early contribution from Emsworth Horticultural Society has been most helpful. Donations large and small from the public and other local businesses and organisations would be particularly welcome. Donors and potential members can contact the Treasurer Pat Balchin at 67 Maisemore Gardens Emsworth on 01243 377404 or e-mail her on
patbalchin@gmail.comFor more details on the conservation work, please contact Mike Thomas of the Friends of Nore Barn Woods at
mike@ctechco.com All details are on the website at www.norebarnwoods.org.uk
9th
May
Historic Hampshire woods
will be full of arty surprises to mark Jubilee year
IF you go down to the
woods in Emsworth, you’re sure of a big surprise. Hollybank Woods will be
decorated with all kinds of weird and wonderful art.
Local children from eight
schools in the Emsworth area have been helping to decorate trees and make paper
bugs. People are being invited to explore the beauty spot, as well as a
wood-carving trail, between
An area of 1.6 acres has
been cleared of brambles and bracken to make way for the plantation.
Saplings of English trees like oak, rowan and hawthorn were planted by
schoolchildren and it is hoped it will encourage even more wildlife to flourish
at the beauty spot.
Rodney Smith,
vice-chairman of Friends of Hollybank Woods, said: ‘We are going to have a
woodland fair with lots of country crafts like wood turners and bee keepers.
‘There will be boards put
up to explain the new estate.
‘It’s completely free and
it should be a lot of fun.’
The area is a remnant of
the
The arts project is being
supported by Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival. The project has been
made possible thanks to support from Natural England, the Big Lottery Fund,
Havant Borough Council, Friends of Hollybank Woods and South West Trains.Parking
on the day will be available in
The News
9th
May
Line-up announced for
Havant Literary Festival
THE
Havant Literary Festival poetry competition is now open.
Renowned poet, author and
playwright Naomi Foyle has agreed to judge the competition which attracts
entries from across the country.
It is just one of the events at the festival which begins
on October 19 at The
Spring Arts and Heritage
Centre, in Havant.
On the Friday night there
will be a ‘Bookshelf Barney’ where well-known writers and artists will pitch the
book which they think is the best ever written.
Saturday will offer
a writing workshop for young people from local schools with Miriam Halahmy,
whose novel for young teenagers, Hidden,
set on Hayling Island, was short-listed for several awards.
Crime writer Graham Hurley
will give a talk on his prodigious output, much of which is set in and around
The News
5th
May
Emsworth Election Result
Suprise
Although Brendan Gibb-Grey (Conservative) was re-elected a
Green surge in saw Sophie Cobbett taking nearly 20 % of the vote ahead of both
Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The one surprise, saw The Green Party's
Sophie Cobbett, 29, take a respectable second place in the Emsworth count.
Even though it remained a Conservative seat, with Brendan
Gibb-Gray taking 57.77% of the vote, the next in line was Cobbett who took
19.84%, an outstanding result for a first time candidate.
Miss Cobbett said: "I stood for election because I felt the
voters should have a genuine green choice. I ran a very active campaign and
decided to focus on what I wanted to do if elected for Emsworth, rather than
knock the competition.
"Most people care about things like traffic speeds, road
safety, new developments, local shops and recycling. A lot of Emsworth residents
are looking for change and care very much for the future of their environment.
"Despite being one of the youngest candidates I am not new to
politics as my father, Ray, was a Lib Dem councillor, and I helped him out on
his campaigns."
Emsworth had the best turnout with 37.69% of the population
voting, and Warren Park had the lowest turnout with 16.20%. Throughout the
borough the turnout was 27.51%, lower than the estimated national average of
32%.
UKIP did well in the
The final position of the council after election was 34
Conservative seats, three Labour seats, and one Lib Dem.
5th May
Olympiad boat project unveiled
A
boat crafted from 1200 pieces of wood, including fragments from the historic ship Mary Rose and Jimi Hendrix's guitar, has been officially unveiled as part of a national art project to mark the Olympics.Created as a "floating collage of memories", The Boat Project
has been funded by the Arts Council England's Artists' Taking the Lead project
as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
The artists who came up with the idea, Gary Winters and Gregg
Whelan, known as Lone Twin, visited 20 locations across the region seeking
contributions to be used in the building of the craft, which will be launched
and named on Monday.
They also invited members of the public
to bring wooden pieces to the
The diverse contributions include a
plank from the London 2012 velodrome, several hockey sticks, a Victorian
policeman's truncheon, large crates used to transport gold as British securities
to
A spokeswoman for the project said: "People from all walks of
life responded by giving treasured items from all parts of the world and, more
humbly, their garages.
"Each and every fascinating back story was digitally recorded
and photographed with its donor."
Winters said a sense of fun flowed through the whole design
and construction of the boat.
"The call-out was for objects which had a significance and a
story, and people responded to that in all sorts of ways and we were given some
lovely, lovely things, personal and emotional things," he said.
"It's very difficult to be very serious with an aardvark and
a coat hanger.
"I don't have any favourites but I like a stick which came
from someone who made a pilgrimage to Sad Hill Cemetery in Spain, which was used
for the set of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and that stick has made a
migration to the boat and will continue to do so."
Winters said it had been an inclusive project about bringing
people's lives to the front and "celebrating ordinary people's lives in
something extraordinary".
As well as Lone Twin, the build team also included Olympic
silver medallist sailor and boat-builder Mark Covell and international boat
designer Simon Rogers.
"We had no idea what was going to be given to us and the
first question a designer is asked is, 'What are you going to make it of?' and I
had 1500 pieces of wood," he said.
"From a design point of view it was a very challenging brief
as we were completely in the dark."
The yacht, which took a year to build and which is capable of
reaching speeds in excess of 20 knots, is to be publicly launched at Thornham
Marina at Emsworth on Monday.
The vessel's name has been chosen by the public and the
winning nomination will be unveiled as part of the launch day.
It will then begin its maiden voyage
visiting locations along
Associated Press
5th May
History in the making
Head of creative and performing arts at
the school Vanessa Meyer said: ‘We came up with the idea of doing a mural that
represented Emsworth through the ages.
‘The students went to
‘There’s also images of when the food festival happened and the shop that used
to sell the oysters.’ She added: ‘When we finished it was a quite a
hilarious journey getting to the community centre with the mural on top of the
minibus.’
Brendan Gibb-Gray, who came up with the
idea of a mural in the community centre, said it had given the centre a new
lease of life. He said: ‘It’s absolutely superb. It’s a work of art.’
The News
23rd April
By
George! What a turn out!!
Wet weather doesn't
dampen Emsworth's parade.
It may have Rained on our Parade but Emsworth residents and
visitors turned out in their hundreds to applaud the men and women of 47 Regt.
RA.
47 Regt marched through
the village followed enthusiastically by the children of Thorney Island Primary
School to parade in the square. The mayor of Havant gave a brief
introduction to the proceedings thanking the Business Association for organising
the event and the veterans for turning out and paid tribute to the regiment on
parade some of whom are currently serving in
Once again Emsworth was proud to demonstrate its link to the armed forces. As one visitor, Dave Ewan, to the occasion , Dave Ewan, said, "'I've just been to the Emsworth Rose parade! Great turnout despite the weather. Old vets stood their ground in adverse weather conditions .Hats off ' to you"
View the photos
HERE
Video courtesy The News:
20th April
St
George's Week Window Competition 2012
Emsworth looks great for next week, and there have
already been a great many compliments from visitors and residents. It has also
raised more than £100 for the nominated charity, The Royal Artillery Charitable
Fund.
Local artist Carol Price
did the final judging this morning. It was very difficult to choose only 4
winners from a wide range of different, good entries.
The top spots were finally awarded to
1.
Charter Cutting Co
2.
Northern Lights
3. Bookends and Driftwood (joint 3rd place)
The winning team - Charter Cutting Co
More photos: HERE
19th April
Giving
the next generation of entrepreneurs a helping hand
Introduction
Out of work?
Aged 18 to 30? Want to set up your own business?
Starting in
May, Chichester District Council is helping up to 12 young people in the
district find out if they could start up their own businesses.
The council
has awarded a grant of £6,161 to the Prince's Trust to provide an
The free
programme will work with the young people who have a business idea to make sure
that they understand the local market and whether it is a plan that is likely to
succeed in
The
It includes
an information session and four-day 'Explore Enterprise' training course. After
this course each young person can attend some surgeries to explore their ideas
further and to decide if self-employment is for them. If it is they are matched
with a business mentor who may work with them for up to two years.
The Trust
also provides some low interest loans of up to £5,000 and grants of up to £1,500
to support the start of a new business.
Those who
decide self-employment is not for them are offered mentoring for up to six
months for support with progression into education, employment or training.
The Prince's
Trust is a registered charity that works with disadvantaged young people, aged
13 to 30. It helps them to develop the skills and motivation to re-engage with
society, secure employment, return to education, gain qualifications and
ultimately, become economically active.
Councillor
Myles Cullen, Chichester District Council's Cabinet Member for Economy, Property
and Tourism, says: "One of our key priorities is supporting the local economy
and helping businesses to develop employment opportunities. One way we can do
this is supporting the growth of new viable businesses. In the Chichester
District we are lucky that have below average levels of unemployment overall,
however the trend of increasing youth unemployment in deprived areas is an
issue."
Places on the
programme are limited. To book a place or for more information please contact
the Prince's Trust on 0800 842842.
Source: Chichester District Council
17th April
Emsworth Prepares for a
week of Celebration.
With something happening on everyday from Friday 20th
April 29th
to Sunday 20th
April preparations are now well under way for ten days of community
celebrations. Patriotic bunting is going up and village chefs are preparing for
an expected high demand for their creations.
As usual the highlight of
the week will be the parade of 47Reft. RA on
The celebrations “kick off” with a shop
window dressing competition on Friday to be judged by local artist, Carol Price.
Over twenty shops have entered the completion and will have to be outstanding in
their display to beat last year’s winners, Cabelos Hair Salon in
Sold out!
Tickets for the presentation by
Charles Collingwood, a descendant of Admiral Collingwood, who plays Brian
Aldridge in The Archers at The Deck Café are already Sold out. However,
you might still get a place at the Deck to listen to a
Great Singer called Dawn who will be singing songs from
stars from the past and dressed in vintage of course – at a Vintage Tea
afternoon on the 25th April.
· Friday April 20: Best
dressed shop finals
· Saturday April 30: Jazz
night at Emsworth Community Centre with George Regis Jazz Band. Starts
· Monday April 23,
· Wednesday April 25
· Thursday April 26: Elgar
Society presentation on the composer at the Brookfield Hotel
· Friday April 27: The
Deck Cafe for an evening with Charles Collingwood who plays Brian Aldridge in
The Archers.
· Saturday April 28: St
James Church for the Emsworth Proms with the choir of St James. Will include
music by Elgar.
· Sunday April 29: The
Emsworth Arts Trail in The Square all day and the Dragon Boat Race takes place
on the Mill Pond from
All that is needed now is
some fine Spring weather!
17th April
Royal Jubilation Exhibition – Emsworth Museum needs your Help
-
Where were you on Coronation day?
-
How did you celebrate this grand and festive occasion?
-
The exhibition "Royal Jubilation" runs from 2nd June to 1st
July and is about Emsworth's celebration of royal events, from coronations and
jubilees to weddings and royal visits. We also want to find out what you did to
celebrate.
What are your memories of the Coronation or the Jubilees? Where you and
what were you doing?
Did you have a street party? How old were you?
We also want your photos or film of the street parties held, the water
festival or the decorations of the town or businesses. These will all be
returned to you after the exhibition. Have you any memorabilia photos etc of the
coronation, past jubilees or other royal events? The broad theme of the
exhibition is Emsworth and royalty and this not only includes how the people of
Emsworth celebrated these royal occasions but also royal connections with
Emsworth including visits they made here.
We would also be interested in your stories .. what did you do on
coronation day? Were there any Street parties or festivals? If you have a tale
to tell (however short) or any photos or other items that we could use for the
exhibition please do contact me. Please do not send in any ornaments or items of
value before contacting me. If you do send any photos or your memories of royal
celebratory occasions could you please mark them "Royal Jubilation Exhibition"
and supply your full contact details. I look forward to hearing from you.
Marguerita Taplin 01243374105
marguentataplin@Yahoo.co.uk
16th April
DOZENS of people helped make bunting for an Olympic-themed art project.
Visitors to 
The Boat Project, based in Emsworth, asked members of the public to donate
wooden objects to build a vessel.
It is one of 12 public art commissions across the
The bunting, made by members of the public at workshops across the south, will
be hung on the boat for its launch next month.
Each flag has been made out of donated material that holds special
memories to the owners. Dominique
Cooper, 25, of Little Hackets, Havant, went to the workshop in Emsworth with
friend Maria Bailey.
Dominique said: ‘It was very interesting to see how the flags are made and to
learn more about the project.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it before so I was fascinated.
‘It really got me interested in The Boat Project.
‘I can’t wait to see it launch now
The News
12th April
Loyalty Counts at Classy
Cooks in Emsworth
Mary, proprietor of Classy
Cooks, has become the first independent retailer to introduce a loyalty card
scheme.
Mary opened her business
selling cookware in Emsworth some six years ago and puts much of the Classy
Cooks’ success down to listening to what her customers want.
Undaunted by the
current economic climate Mary began the scheme shortly before last Christmas and
now has more than 100 customers signed up! Membership enables customers to
collect “points” which may then be redeemed on future purchases so that there is
always a good reason to return to shop on another day.
Mary says that she is
delighted with the way the scheme has taken off.
“With the loyalty card I’m able to say thank you to customers for shopping with
us by giving money off future purchases, and also let them know about our latest
products, special offers, seasonal recipes and special events through our
monthly email newsletter.”
Mary is a keen member of
the Emsworth Business Association and a firm believer in working with other
local retailers to promote Emsworth as a good place to come and shop.
“Emsworth is a terrific
place to live and work but small businesses like mine need to work together to
promote the town with positive marketing to increase footfall and encourage
return visits.
We need local residents
and visitors to use the local independent shops if Emsworth is to survive, but
in this day and age customers have a choice-we aim to be first choice by giving
good value and friendly service.”
Classy Cooks has special
offers linked to local Emsworth events. For
St George and the Dragon Celebrations (20th
-29th
April) Classy Cooks is giving double points on every purchase, plus 10% off all
the new Emma Bridgewater range and10% off all the 'Street Party' range.
The shop
will be open on Sunday 29th
April (
Classy Cooks is open Monday – Saturday
from
12th April
Thorney
Island 
The public footpath at
The work has been carried out by Chichester Harbour Conservancy.
Ali Beckett, publicity officer for the
conservancy, said: ‘The new section runs north from St Nicholas Church and is
surfaced with shingle.
‘Previously the path was in a very poor condition with its narrow width and uneven, muddy surface making it hard going for walkers. It is now vastly improved.’
The News 11-April-2012
6 th April
CHICHESTER HARBOUR
- A YEAR OF PHOTOS
An exciting new project
to collect a photo of
Chichester Harbour Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a paradise for photographers. Endless
possibilities abound with seascapes and landscapes, habitats, wildlife, historic
buildings and local characters.
In this new project, A
Year of Photos, Chichester Harbour Conservancy aims to build a picture of all
these elements of the harbour through the seasons. From the balmy days of summer
with hundreds of boats bobbing about on the water to the short days of winter
when thousands of migratory birds make their home here,
Everybody is welcome to
take part in the project by submitting photos to the Harbour Office. Ali
Beckett, Publicity Officer for Chichester Harbour Conservancy said, ‘We want as
many people as possible to get involved. Simply email me your photo with details
of when and where it was taken and up to three will be added to an online
gallery for each day of the year. Don’t worry if you can’t submit it on the day,
just send it in at anytime during the project and we can retrospectively post it
to the gallery.’
In addition, to celebrate their 25th
anniversary the Friends of Chichester Harbour are sponsoring a professional
photographer to run photography field trips to
A Year of Photos can be viewed online at
www.conservancy.co.uk. To submit a photograph,
please send it by email to
allie@conservancy.co.uk
along with details of where and when it was taken.
5th April
New Community
A new community woodland at Maybush
Copse, Chidham, will be officially opened to the public on Easter Saturday,
April 7th,
at
The opening marks the fruition of three years of work by a partnership between Chichester Harbour Conservancy, Chichester Harbour Trust and the Maybush Copse Friends, with the support of the local community.
The formerly derelict eight-acre site
has been planted with 4,500 trees and has a network of woodland paths and a
wheelchair path for people to enjoy. There are three beautiful viewpoints with
Oak benches looking out over the neighbouring farmland towards the
A new permissive footpath links
Maybush Copse to the local public footpath network offering links to the
The entrance to Maybush Copse is on
Nicky Horter, the Conservancy’s Countryside Officer said, ‘We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Maybush Copse; this project could not have happened without the support of the local community and all our funding partners’.
For more information on the project visit the Maybush Copse pages of the Chidham and Hambrook community website www.chidhamandhambrook.info.
3rd April
French Food Food Market is coming to Emsworth
Le Marche de France
has
been invited to come and visit
EMSWORTH, and bring
a great range of high quality & fresh produce from all regions of
Wonderful selection of Genuine French produce:There will be a
magnificent
cheese stall with a truly enormous selection of French cheeses.
Bread will be
baked onsite, in front of visitors, on the NEW BREAD& PATISSERIE STALL
and the smell of bread,
croissants and patisseries should hopefully spread in the whole town centre.
Also will be the
Charcuterie with
wonderful sausages, olives, Turkish delights, smoked ham and
Calvados pate.
Pure Butter
Homemade biscuits, cakes and Ginger bread,
Mustards, sauces and, of course,
garlic
will be on offer
as
well! For those with a sweet tooth,
wonderful natural honeys as
well the hugely popular crepes stall will be on display.
For those with a small space left,
the sweet stall will also be making
fresh pralines, almonds and cashews on site.
And for those who like South of France, they will find
soaps from Marseille,
lavenders,
tablecloths
from
22nd March
ALLOCATIONS PLAN
INFORMAL CONSULTATION 4
MAY
– 15 JUNE
Where should new jobs and new homes go?
The Borough Council needs to
find enough land for approximately 5,000 new homes and 65,000 square metres of
employment space (equivalent of approximately 9 -10 football pitches). Planning
Policy would like your help so together we choose the most suitable sites for
development.
We need to know your
thoughts on the sites that you would prefer to see developed. There will be a
number of local exhibitions around the Borough and the the exhibition in
Emsworth will take placeon Friday
11th
May
at The Pastoral
Centre at the Emsworth Methodist and
Pastoral Centre, 11.00am – 2.00pm and 6.00pm-6.00pm
. If you are unable to attend there
will be a follow up exhibition for all areas at the Public Service Plaza, Civic
Centre Road, Havant on 30th
May 2012.
Source Havant Borough Council
Local butchers aim to be a cut above the rest
There are two good reasons to visit your local butcher’s shop in the next couple of weeks.
One is the fact that it’ll soon be National Butchers’ Week (March 25-31), an event dedicated to promoting the importance of your local shop.
And the other is the good old-fashioned bacon sarnie.
We’re in the middle of Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week and that means the opportunity to devour the nation’s favourite ‘guilt’ food with no shame whatsoever.
The Red Tractor quality assurance organisation, which organises the week, has declared it Britain’s top snack so there’s no need to worry about that ketchup-drenched sizzling treat.
Emsworth butcher Richard Treagust says your local expert is more likely to serve you a good quality product, so there’s every reason to shop at a proper butcher’s shop before making your bacon butty.
‘You can have it cut to a certain thickness and have smoked, unsmoked, streaky. You can buy bacon just the way you like it and you can also find out where it has come from,’ says Richard.
There have been health concerns regarding processed meat in recent years, with some reports suggesting that it could be linked to cancer. But many experts say it’s a case, like most things, of eating it in moderation.
Richard, the owner of family business H.H Treagust & Sons, says buying a good quality product that has less preservatives and additives is the way forward.
The curing of bacon stems from a traditional preserving process and there are different methods – dry cured, wet cured, maple cured and sweet cured. Sweet cured bacons are best found at farm shops.
Richard says a reason to shop at a butcher’s is being able to discuss the product and find out where it has come from.
‘It’s about traceability, knowing that it comes from a good producer who doesn’t use flavour enhancers and other things. More people want to know where their food has come from and I think that’s great. A lot of people these days are looking for free range and organic.’
He sources pork from Scott Free Range in West Sussex and organic lamb from Dorset.
Many butchers’ shops have struggled because of the convenience of supermarkets, so Richard is proud of the fact that Treagust’s has been in the family since 1920.
And he would encourage people to go to their local shop wherever they are.
‘It’s a much more personal service. We know most of our customers by first name. People feel happy to ask for advice and we can give it, telling them the best way to cook things and encouraging them to buy different cuts.’
The News 22-March-2012
21st March 2012
I’ve been a florist
all my working life and in April 2006, I woke up with a swollen leg and couldn’t
get down the stairs – this was the start of a different chapter of my life.
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and it took two and a half years
before they got my medication right. I had to give up my florist shop and
lost all my confidence.
I have always been a
dog person having trained gun dogs with my ex-husband. However, at that
stage I was living alone and felt very vulnerable. A chance meeting with
three volunteer puppy parents for Canine Partners opened my eyes to what might
be available to me and before I knew it phone calls were made, forms filled in,
references obtained and I was in the pipeline for a canine partner. I
didn’t think anything would come of it, so was dumbfounded to receive a call
asking me if one of the trainers could pay a home visit.
After further
assessment and training I thought I had won the Lottery, when I became the very
proud custodian of my darling Dasher. He has made such a difference to my
life both physically and emotionally. I struggle with my hands, which have
become very unreliable and I am often unable to pick things up, so Dasher does
it for me. He helps me take off my shoes and socks when I come in the
house and fetches my slippers.
When we go into
town, I have become a person again and people chat to me like they used to
without any sense of discomfort. In the supermarket he helps me to get the
lower items from the shelves that I can’t reach. However, I have to keep
him away from the biscuit aisle where he sits staring at the packets of Rich
Tea!
When I head into the
garden on my walker, Dasher is there to get any tools I need and keep an eye on
me. He takes the washing out of the machine then once outside hands each
item to me so I can peg it on the line.
Since having Dasher
I have been on holidays with a friend to places accommodating the disabled,
which Dasher loves. He visits National Trust houses with me and I get a
great deal of pleasure in taking him places where he can run around without his
jacket and just be a dog.
Dasher really does
do anything he can to help me. He is always so alert to my needs and makes
sure I know if someone has opened the gate at the end of the drive so I can see
who it is and get to the door in plenty of time with the walker. If I am
having a bad day Dasher knows and is always with me should I need anything, he
even feels bad leaving me when a friend comes to take him for a walk. If I
have a fall he will go and get the phone so I can call for help, then he waits
with me until it arrives. The other day my leg was really swollen and I
couldn’t get my jeans off. Dasher had already gone to bed but I asked him
come and help, so he got up, came over and slowly pulled my jeans off. I
then asked him to get my pyjamas, which he duly did. However, he now
thinks this should happen every night and dutifully gets them when I go to bed!
I truly feel Dasher
is a gift and I don’t know what I would do without him, especially as I was
friends with Anne Conway who was a founder of Canine Partners. I am doing all I
can to raise awareness of the fantastic work of Canine Partners around where I
live and am even embarking on a public speaking course to help at more events.
I am very grateful to Canine Partners, without whom I feel sure I would be a
recluse.
Rosemary wrote a poem to
Canine Partners, as follows:
Thank you
Thank you are two little
words that mean so very much.
Thank you for your
kindness.
Thank you for your care.
Thank you for the
knowledge of knowing that you are always there.
Thank you.
www.caninepartners.org.uk
T.08456 580480
Registered charity number
803680
Registered in
20th March 2012
Anniversary pint
in
Ireland
AN ANNIVERSARY
pint in
Ireland
Six years later Hilary and Michael Bolt
can taste the fruits of their hard work – down at their local pub. They
have built their own microbrewery at the back of their shop, Emsworth Antiques,
in 
Mrs Bolt, 57, said: ‘It was about the time
that Fullers took over Gales and promised they would not be moving the brewery –
then promptly did
‘We had gone to Cork to celebrate our anniversary and came across a really nice
little microbrewery. I had never seen one quite like it before.
‘When we moved to Emsworth in 1984 there were quite a number of pubs and it had
a strong brewing background.
‘There was even a brewery in the
‘I said “Isn’t it a shame Emsworth doesn’t have a little brewery?”
‘My husband so liked the idea he didn’t let it go.’
Mr Bolt wanted to create a brewery small
enough to run alongside his day job as a radar engineer.
The equipment was finally installed in November and the first cask was snapped
up by the Gosport Beer Festival last month.
Mrs Bolt, who backs our Love Your Local
campaign which supports community pubs, said: ‘We think it’s important for all
the beers to have a local identity so we’ve given them local names. The
winter brew was Hollybank after the woodland and the summer session ale is
Slipper, after the Mill Pond. That went to the Old House at Home in Chidham
which was run by the temporary manager of The Crown Hotel, in Emsworth. We got a
telephone call saying “help” – they had just run out at the Crown and could they
take some Slipper?
‘We were delighted especially because it was brewed with the help of our
grandson, Sam.’
The News
Party marks 165 years of
town’s train station 
IT’S not every day a train
station gets to celebrate its birthday with balloons, cakes, and a jazz band but
it was certainly worth making a fuss for the 165th anniversary of Emsworth
railway station opening.
Residents have rallied
round to give the station a stunning makeover, including the reopening of the
station’s toilets and waiting room. A year ago the waiting room was a
grotty mess and had not been open to the public in years. Members of
Emsworth Residents’ Association and other community leaders have worked
tirelessly to co-ordinate the revamp of the station with the help of Southern
Railway.
The waiting room is now a
bright and colourful room, with community boards giving information on local
events and wildlife, as well as artwork by local schoolchildren.
And pupils from
The station revamp was the
vision of Lorraine Clode, chairwoman of Emsworth Residents’ Association.
She said: ‘It’s a very
joyful day.
‘It’s celebrating not only
the birthday of the station, but reopening rooms that will benefit the
community.
‘I think we have done the
station proud.’
The Mayor of Havant, Ken
Smith, cut the ribbon to officially reopen the waiting area, which will also
include a cafe area selling home-made cup cakes.
He said: ‘It’s about time
we got some character back into our railway stations rather than the bland old
things we have had put up over the years.
‘A station like this is a
pleasure to use.’
Schoolchildren ably handed
out refreshments to guests at the party.
Grace Fisk, nine, said: ‘I
think it’s really nice and bright and colourful.’
Isabel Stratford-Burden,
also nine, said: ‘It’s been exciting and quite a fun time to be here.’
Ebony Marsh, eight, added:
‘It’s nice there’s going to be a waiting area so people can sit down.’
Running the cafe business
will be Garry Pascoe, 49, an ex-army commando, and his wife Chief Petty Officer
Michelle Pascoe, who is based at HMS Temeraire in Portsmouth and plans to leave
the forces to concentrate on the cake business.
The scheme has cost around
£25,000, with most of the cash coming from Southern Railway, as well as
contributions from SEEDA, the Residents’ Association and Hampshire County
Council.
Music at the party
was provided by George’s Regis Jazz Band, who played
Sweet Lorraine in tribute to
Mrs Clode’s efforts.
Mrs Clode, who danced
along to the tune, laughed: ‘It’s absolutely made my day!’
The News
16th March
Proposed Parking Charge Hike Scrapped.
Following
intensive lobbying of local councillors by the Emsworth Business Association,
independent businesses, publicans and restaurateurs the proposed increases to
parking charges in Emsworth have been
taken out of this years budget. Parking charges will now
to remain the same, at least for the next year, and parking in the
Bridge Road
16th March
Help add a splash of colour to Olympic boat
project by designing your own bunting
A STUNNING wooden
boat made from pieces of violin, wooden spoons and even lollipop sticks has been
given a launch date. The Boat Project is part of the Cultural Olympiad which is
running alongside the 2012 Olympics.
Artists Lone Twin have been working
alongside professional boat builders at Thornham Marina, Emsworth, for the last
year, creating a boat from pieces of wood which people hold dear to them.
The launch will be at the marina on May 7 and Leigh Park craft
organisation, Making Space, needs help to decorate the building.
It wants to add a splash of colour by
inviting the public to create bunting with meaning.
Lynne Dick, from Making Space, said:
‘Bunting flags can be made out of any type of fabric that has a memory attached
to it. Old curtains and clothes are both good candidates, as are oddments left
over from a past project. f you would like to drop into one of the Making Space
Workshops, local artist, Georgina Giles will be on hand to help.
The workshops are free and anyone can
attend. In Emsworth the workshop will take place on April 14th,
Pupils and community groups can make
bunting in their own time by using a downloadable pack from
www.makingspace.org and dropping
them off by April 24. Tickets for the boat launch are free but must be booked in
advance from theboatproject.com.
The News
15th March
Facelift for Emsworth
station on right track 
A special event is being
held in Emsworth today to mark the 165th anniversary of the opening of the
town’s train station and its new refurbishment.
The train station has gone
through a sympathetic restoration of its waiting room – an area not seen by rail
users for decades – and the addition of a new platform toilet.
Work is also taking place
to add a ramp to the eastern platform, the lack of which has caused havoc for
years for anyone in a wheelchair or travelling with a pushchair.
There are two waiting
rooms that have been opened up on the westbound platform. The smaller one will
be home to a new shop selling coffee and cakes, while the larger one with its
original Victorian wooden floor and benches, will be a traditional waiting room,
complete with a table and magazines.
The changes have come
about after hard work and lots of lobbying from Emsworth Residents’ Association
and its chairman Lorraine Clode, who admits she had a bee in her bonnet about
it.
“I don’t see why Emsworth
should be at a disadvantage to every other station,” she said.
Being the gateway to
Emsworth, it let the town down.
“After years of Emsworth
being at the end of the line in terms of investment, all of a sudden we have
come to the top of the list.
“The waiting room was shut
many years ago because of vandalism, that’s what the rumour is.
“You can see how lovely it
is with the original benches, and original floor – everything there is
original.”
The ramp has been a bone
of contention for years, and has come about after funds were freed up by
Southern Railway because of a project that was cancelled elsewhere.
“People have had to go to
the next station on the other side of the station to go down the line to come
back, that’s how stupid it’s been,” she said.
The lack of a toilet has
also caused problems, especially as some of the trains going along the south
coast no longer have toilets on board.
She said: “I had a bee in
my bonnet about it, so I met with Southern Railway and I learned that the trains
coming through here would no longer have toilets, and so that got to me.
“I don’t regard having a
public toilet at a railway station a luxury when you can’t use the train.
Chichester Observer
9th March
Emsworth Residents' Association Announce Community Chest
The Emsworth Residents' Association is supporting a campaign
to give cash to grass-roots activities in Emsworth, helping to hand out £500
every three months.
Many people across Emsworth are making a difference to the
community by volunteering, building facilities and staging events.
Sometimes the best-laid plans can struggle because of a lack
of a cash. We can now help with the Emsworth Community Chest, funded by the ERA,
which will now award L500 at each QGM, with attending residents voting and
making final decisions.
That means £2000 to give away in 2012 to a variety of
organisations – from sports clubs and community groups to support organisations
and many more.
If you are involved with a group which could use some extra cash, let us know what difference the money could make – initially by filling in and returning the downloadable application form which is now available on the ERA website.
The Ems March-2012
7th March
Eight hundred New Homes in Emsworth?
THE first details of where thousands of new homes could be built across Havant,
Waterlooville and Emsworth have been revealed.More than 80 plots are being
considered as potential housing sites, including farmland, car parks, recreation
grounds, allotments and school playing fields.
A handful have planning permission for
housing, but the vast majority of the sites do not. The locations have been
outlined by Havant Borough Council and will go out for public consultation in
May and June. The council has agreed with the government a housing target of
6,300 new homes between now and 2026. Space has already been found for 2,691
homes with big developments such as the Waterlooville Major Development Area
taking a large chunk.
Now the council has to find room for a
total of 3,609 more homes in the borough. Most of the sites have been put
forward by landowners expressing an interest in them being developed.
Residents’ group leaders said they
recognised the need for new houses for young people, but were worried about loss
of green belt and community spaces.
Pam Cooper, from Purbrook and Widley
Residents’ Association, said: ‘It’s getting to the point to the west of the A3M
where it’s more infilling than not. There’s very little space left – I think
they have to be very careful.
‘With the Waterlooville
‘Let’s see how we go with this before we start nibbling into playing fields and
recreation areas.’
And Lorraine Clode, chairwoman of
Emsworth Residents’ Association, was worried about Emsworth Victoria Cottage
Hospital being turned into housing. She said: ‘There are
definitely pros and cons. My own personal view is hands off the hospital. We
want that to be primarily reserved as a community medical facility.’
Cllr Tony Briggs, leader of the council,
said no final decisions have been made.
He said: ‘For housing it’s really about looking to the land that’s available in
the area. It may be in some instances while people accept they have to have
housing, they would rather it be on a site that has not been designated as
opposed to one that is designated. It’s about giving the community an
opportunity to comment.’
Details of the public exhibitions will
come out at the end of the month.
POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SITES IN EMSWORTH
Emsworth
Land off
Victoria Cottage Hospital, 6
Part of
Emsworth Delivery Office, 5
Hampshire Farm, 279
Horse Field,
Land west of
Land east of
Land west of Coldharbour Farm, 66
Land north of
3rd March
Advance Warning - A27 Closure for Maintenance
Between Saturday 17th March for a period of 10 nights, the A27
Chichester by-pass will be closed every night from 20.00 hrs and 06.00am for
maintenance works. all traffic eastbound and westbound will be diverted A259
through Emsworth and all the Bournes.
The A27 will be closed
between Warblington and Fishbourne at
3rd March
Wheel of good fortune sees popular cycling shop saved
in town
THERE was a wave of disappointment when a ‘closing down’ sign
appeared in the shop window. Yet again another independent shop at the
heart of the community was being lost. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Rob Sheppard, who had managed Emsworth Cycles for the past
six years, decided to pour in his own cash to save the business, which has been
a fixture in North Street for a quarter of a century.
His 11th-hour decision has delighted the large cycling
community in the Emsworth area. There were champagne and cheers yesterday as Mr
Sheppard, family and customers raised a toast to a bright future.
The 42-year-old, who lives in
‘There’s been a car spare and cycle shop here for 25 years.
‘I had been manager for six and it was either be unemployed
and no promotion, or be employed with a promotion!
‘This was going to be converted into flats if we did not
carry on as a shop.’
Three jobs have been saved by the business staying open.
Customer Steve Wagg, from Quinton Fields, Emsworth, said: ‘I think it’s vital
for the community that a bike shop remained here.
‘It’s a service that Rob can provide and is in demand here.
‘It’s important cycling territory for
riders up the
Customer
Bradley Piper added: ‘It’s fantastic news.’ Mr Sheppard’s mum Zandra, 70, said:
‘It’s a brilliant idea. He was facing being out of work.
‘Jobs round here are not great, especially in this sort of business. I thought
he could do it and he had our backing.’
The shop being saved has received the support of the wider
community. It comes after a couple of independent shops have closed in
Emsworth, including a grocers. The bustling town still boasts two
butchers, a baker, a grocer and a delicatessen.
Lorraine Clode, chairwoman of residents’ association, said:
‘I’m absolutely thrilled the bike shop is staying in Emsworth. It’s a great
asset.’
Mr Sheppard wanted to thank his partner Janine for helping to
save the business. Mr Sheppard will now be able to continue his passion for
cycling – and changing wheels at lightning speed.
Two years ago he hit the headlines after being named the
Fastest Wrench in the West. Tasked with unlocking the brakes, taking off the
front wheel, flattening it, pumping it up again – then putting the whole thing
back together – the mechanic managed the job in a 58 seconds at the national
Cycle Show in London.
Mr Sheppard said: ‘If the competition is there, I would do it
again. But they didn’t run it last year.’
The News 02-Mar-12
2nd
March
Chance to have say on
plans for new homes
Residents in Emsworth have been told to have their say over where hundreds of
houses will go in the town, as preliminary discussions get under way with the
community.
Chairman of the Emsworth
Residents’ Association, Lorraine Clode took part in a recent workshop run by
Havant Borough Council for stakeholders in Emsworth about what sites are
available for housing development in the future.
The Emsworth ward needs to
find room for up to 826 new dwellings before 2026, planning permission has
already been given for 334.
Although public
consultation is not set to take place until later this year, she felt it was a
good start, but warned residents that they must make their voices heard now to
help shape the allocations plan rather than after all the decisions have been
made.
“We thought it was an
extremely good process,” she said. “The actual number of homes is not being
imposed on us by Havant Borough Council, it’s very much a consultative process.”
Those at the workshop used
a traffic light system to rate the sites. A red marker was used if they felt it
was unsuitable, an amber marker if they were undecided, and a green marker if
they thought it was suitable.
She said: “Before we
started putting the red, amber, and green next to the sites, we had to put a
little blue spot on the road where we lived so there was no possibility of us
being accused of being nimbys.
“If people don’t take part
in the discussions about the allocations then they don’t really have much room
to complain about the end result if they are not part of shaping it.”
The information gathered
from the workshops will be put into a draft allocations plan which will be the
subject of an informal public consultation running from May 4 until June 16.
A spokesman for
The Chichester Observer
1st
March
Up to 200 new homes planned for ‘green gap’ between Havant
and Emsworth
FARMLAND and a former garden nursery are at the centre of plans for almost 200 new homes.
Developers want to build in a chunk of the green gap between Havant and Emsworth and look set to make major changes to sort out the Denvilles area traffic problems.
The two parcels of land
will be developed separately – the former Manor Farm by
But the two firms have
joined together to find a solution to the congestion at the level crossing in
Julian Jones, development
director, said: ‘We’re looking at 190 units, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less,
depending on how the planning process goes, of two, three, four and five bedroom
properties.
‘We’ve been in dialogue
with Havant Borough Council for about a year now but these things take a long
time to come forward because we have had to address the issues the council has
raised such as the effect on the level crossing.
‘It’s the only crossing on
that stretch which doesn’t have a passenger footbridge and we will be working
with Network Rail to try and address that.
‘A lot depends on what
comes out of the Development Consultation Forum.’
Developers, architects and
planners will be at an exhibition outlining the plans at St Faith’s Church Hall,
The Pallant next week.
One of those who will be
there is Keith Chessell, of
The former chairman of the
Warblington and Denvilles Residents’ Association, said: ‘My opinion is that we
have to build houses somewhere and this is a place that has been set aside for
building houses for many years.
‘The big problem has
always been the railway crossing. There’s a concern about traffic flow and what
this will mean at the barriers but I know there is talk that the developer may
pay for it.’
The exhibition is on
Tuesday, March 6, from
The News
February 28th
Emsworth exhibition is eye-opener
THE fascinating history of a local landmark will be explored in a free
exhibition.
The story of St Thomas a Becket Church in Warblington will be the focus of a display at Emsworth Museum. The exhibition will show how the Saxons built the church in the 10th century and will chart the extension in the 13th century and the modernisation by the Victorians. Music in the church, the ancient yew tree in the churchyard, church linen, pictures of the stained glass windows and other artefacts will also feature. The exhibition begins on Easter Saturday, April 7, and is open until April 29. Opening times are 10.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday and 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Sunday. The museum will open on St George’s Day, April 23, from 10am to 2pm.
The News 28-Feb-12
February 19th
Oral history files at museum updated
THREE enthusiastic history students from
The mature students are undertaking an Oral History
module as part of their degree course at the university and helping out at the
museum under the supervision of Margaret Rogers and Sylvia Courtnage.
The museum project involves collecting oral history
interviews from local residents with interesting memories of life in Emsworth in
past decades.
Margaret Rogers said: “The museum has recently started
recording interviews on video and the students’ help means that we can tackle
subjects more quickly.
“In the first session we showed the students how to
start work by practising interviews. They’ll also be transcribing some past
interviews and helping out on new ones.”
Student, Liz Slater, said: “You’re keeping history
alive in Emsworth.”
The museum is keen to hear from more people who have
stories of old Emsworth or memories about local community groups to share.
Please contact the museum on 01243 378091.
For more information about the museum, which is above
the fire station in
Chichester Observer 19-Feb-12
February 18th
Business Association Announce programme for Emsworth St George's Week
With something happening every day between 20th and 29th April this year's week of celebrations promises to be more exciting than ever before. Highlights include the parade by 47Regt. RA on Tuesday 23rd and the Dragon boat race on Sunday 29th. Who more appropriate to listen to in St George’s Week than a true Englishman. A descendent of Admiral Collingwood no less! Better known today as the man who plays Brian Aldridge in the Archer The JR of Ambridge! Charles Collingwood will entertain you with a few hilarious antidotes, a few impressions and the opportunity to ask him some awkward questions at the end. There will also be a chance to buy a copy of his autobiography “Brian and Me” . Charles Collingwood will be at 'The Deck' on Friday 27th
.
The nominated charity this year is The Royal Artillery Charitable Fund. This year it is hoped to raise £5000.Once again, Spring?eld Care Homes and HBC are joining the EBA, ECA and ERA in sponsoring and supporting various aspects of St. Georges Week
To get the full details of all that's going on download the full programme HERE
February 12th
In the SAT
results published in
The
Headteacher, Dean Clegg expressed his delight at the results and said ‘that they
show that every child is receiving an excellent start when they move onto
secondary school.’
Asked how these
results had been achieved, he said ‘The key for us is excellent teaching and a
traditional curriculum that focuses on the basic skills of reading, writing and
maths.
The children are happy at
school and well behaved, which in turn leads to a positive learning
environment.’
He also said that the
school uses intervention strategies effectively if we think that children need
extra help and support.
(Picture of Eagles Class with Dean Clegg (Headteacher) and Year 6 Teacher Karen Moody (Assistant Headteacher)
February 11th
The drainage system around 
Two years ago dozens of homes were hit when a drainage channel that carries surface water into the nearby Mill Pond overflowed. The EA is now throwing its resources into solving the problem over the next two years.
Options include making the culvert bigger
and installing different screens along the drainage channel to stop it getting
clogged up with rubbish.
It comes as the EA announced a massive
funding drive across the country – with 60 schemes shortlisted for construction
works, with a total of £1.3m being spent in
Residents in Emsworth reacted with
delight.
Chris Clode, chairman of Emsworth Flood
Action Group, said: ‘We’re delighted by the fact that through the efforts of the
flood action group and the support of the national flood forum that the EA has
now agreed to put in measures to alleviate the flooding in Bridge Road and other
areas of Emsworth.
‘It means everything that we’ve done over
the past year or so is worthwhile.
‘It caused a lot of damage and distress.
‘These sort of flood reduction measures
I’m sure will alleviate the problem.’
The News 11-Feb-12
View photos of the flooding in Bridge Rd. November 2010
HERE
February 6th
Emsworth Parking
Charges to Rise
Parking charges in Emsworth and throughout
the borough are set to go up and Sunday charges could be introduced to rake in
an extra £180,000 for Havant council.
Councillors are discussing proposals to up parking fees at 14 of the borough’s car parks.
The extra income will help balance the
books at the authority, which has decided not to increase council tax for the
fourth year running.
Parking charges in
Charges are proposed to go from 70p to 80p
for one hour, £1.50 to £1.60 for two hours, and £2.20 to £3 for up to four hours
throughout the borough. However in Emsworth the proposals are are
an increase of 70p to 90p for one hour and £1.50 to £1.80 for up to two hours at
South Street, Emsworth, with new £3 rate for up for four hours and to introduce
parking charges for the currently free Bridge Road car park,
Emsworth.
January 25th
Now Published
See previous article on November 27th 2011
January 21st
Southbourne goes live on the Web
The
Brain child
of Ruth Heelan a Southbourne resident, the site went live last weekend.
Ruth had the idea that with our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics
coming up, Southbourne should celebrate 2012. She already has people
offering to do events over the weekend of 23 and 24th
June.
A Village Show with various competitions in the village
hall, a Flower Festival in St John’s, a children’s art exhibition in
the Age Concern, a Teddy Bears Picnic in the Library, a BBQ and games at the Sea
Scouts and an open afternoon at Tuppenny Barn to celebrate the events of 2012,
which prompted her to think about how to promote the village in which she lives.
To many, Southbourne is somewhere they just pass through on the way to somewhere
else but it is in fact a thriving place with a strong community spirit.
Ruth said,
“It’s
no good having the best of anything if no one knows about it. So that’s
where the website comes in. We need to tell people what’s going on.
Our neighbouring villages are very good at promoting their community, we have
been a bit tardy, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a very strong
community, it just mean we have to promote it.”
“In case you
wonder why I am doing this, I just have a very strong sense of community.
I’m not religious or politically motivated, I just believe that having a really
good community spirit and network can enhance and improve our quality of life
and in some cases change people’s attitude.”
The website has a
directory of local businesses and organisation, a news page and an events
calendar as well as some background information about Southbourne and its
history. Since going live it has had over two dozen businesses and community
organisations requesting inclusion and has had over 500 ‘hits’. Its future
success will depend on contributions and suggestions from the community so that
it becomes an informative and interesting tool for both residents and visitors
alike.
20th January
Havant artists wanted to show off their work
ARTISTS are being sought for a unique exhibition that will showcase their work.
Every year since 2006 there has been an Arts Trail throughout Havant borough,
with artists and craftspeople opening up their homes and studios for a weekend
for the public to visit.
This year the trail takes place on May 12 and 13 for Havant and May 19 and 20
for Leigh Park and Waterlooville.
Emsworth artists will showcase their work on May 5 and 6 and May 12 and
13.
19th January
Emsworth coastal path is shut for revamp
A
WALK near Emsworth has been closed off for the next three weeks for improvement
works to the footpath.
Public footpath 202 at
Ali Beckett, information officer for the conservancy, said:
‘Currently the section of coastal path running north from the church is in poor
condition – it is very narrow and uneven, making it hard going for walkers.
‘A closure will be in place for the
duration of the works, as machinery will be operating on site. Unfortunately
there is no alternative route, so the
‘We are sorry for any inconvenience caused, and have planned the works at a quiet time of year.
The News 19-01-12
12th January
10th January
What treasure can be found on the shoreline, how to have the best day out and what wildlife you can spot throughout the year are all themes of feature articles in this year’s Chichester Harbour News and Guide.
The 84-page magazine
produced annually by Chichester Harbour Conservancy is now available. Feature
articles cover a range of harbour-related topics. Local journalist Janet
McMeekin went in search of the perfect harbour day out and valiantly tried boat
trips, bike rides and picnics to come up with her suggestions. Four people who
are lucky enough to work within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
all tell their story. Local bed and breakfast owner Sue Muffett explains how she
loves to share her passion for the harbour with guests, whilst farmer Simon
Sprackling talks about the challenges of farming in an environmentally sensitive
area.
The new Director of the
Conservancy, Siun Cranny, is interviewed and outlines her aims to encourage
younger people to get more involved with the AONB. Keen racing sailor Roger
Palmer shares his tips on using the wind and tide to advantage when racing near
East Head. A new feature this year is a directory section. Packed with
information for visitors by land or sea, tide tables, local contacts and a
directory of local marine services this new section is sure to be useful for
most readers.
The Harbour News and Guide is generously supported by The Friends of Chichester Harbour. It is available free of charge from local tourist offices, the Harbour Office and other local outlets.
10th January
8th January
Christmas
Trees Removed
The Square has been returned to
normal.
T
Our voluntary team of helpers Dave Sly
Southern Tyre and Battery, Sue Treagust Treagust butchers,
and Gareth and Carol Haskett GCS Computers Services Ltd, who
this morning took all the decorations down and thank you to
Lloyd Fowler from Llloyds Tree Surgery, who volunteered to
bring a shredding machine to the square and shred all the
small trees along with the main one which he managed in
under half an hour!!!
8th January
Westbourne Villagers Recycle
Christmas trees
|
Villagers in Westbourne, near Emsworth, have held
their most successful Christmas tree recycling event yet. Today [8 January] they brought almost 100 trees to
the village square, where they were turned into chippings. The recycling event was organised by climate change
action group Greening Westbourne, who also collected Christmas cards for
recycling. Campaigners provided mulled wine and mince pies for people
who brought along their trees. The recycling session was the fourth such event
organised by the campaign. Its aim was to encourage residents to
recycle, and to reduce the distance traveled by local waste. Westbourne
tree works specialist Michael Reed performed the chipping for free. The
chippings will be used to cover paths at village allotments. |
|
Campaign chairman Colin Carré said: "The event is part of
village tradition now and it's great that so many more villagers are taking
part. Last year we had about 70 trees, and this year we had 98.
"We're now looking at other projects to take on, and we're
continuing our push to get as many homes in the village insulated as possible.
We're encouraging them to get their cavity walls done, as well as proper 270mm
insulation in
their lofts."
The campaign is
following a format successfully tried in local many communities across
Villagers
interested in the campaign can email
greeningwestbourne@hotmail.co.uk
01 January
Why wait to insulate? It’s now FREE!*
H
avant Borough Council and Hampshire County Council are working in partnership and with funding from ScottishPower to bring residents Insulate Hampshire. Insulate Hampshire offers cavity wall insulation FREE OF CHARGE and loft insulation FREE OF CHARGE** subject to a free, no obligation technical survey provided by the scheme.Insulate Hampshire can also offer rolls of insulation to top up your existing loft insulation for £49 for a maximum 100m2. Installing home insulation can offer savings of over £300 a year!***
They can also help advise you on installing solar panels and refer you to other community services such as benefit entitlement checks and home safety visits.
*Available for Hampshire homeowners and privately renting tenants (with landlords permission)
**Where there is currently less than 60mm (2 1/2 inches) and is subject to extra meterage charges ***Statistics from the Energy Saving Trust based on an average 3 bedroom semi-detached property.
01 January
S
oldier needed stitches after late-night fight after row in Emsworth Pub
A PUNCH-UP left a soldier needing stitches to his head after he was kicked and
stamped on in the street. John-Claude Fowler, of the Princess of Wales’s
Royal Regiment, was out drinking with a group of fellow soldiers at the Ship
Inn, in Emsworth. But the evening took a turn for the worse when the
friends, who are all based at the
The argument flared up again when the two
groups met outside a nearby takeaway in the early hours of the morning.
About a dozen men were involved in the violence as punches were thrown.
Grant-Loveless, who works in the building trade, punched Mr Fowler to the ground
and then stamped on his head. The soldier was taken to
Sentencing him at
‘You were part of a group that took part
in this altercation and you used a shod foot to kick or stamp on the head of the
victim.’
Grant-Loveless, of
Judge Pearson warned him: ‘If you breach
the terms of the order you will be brought back to court and the suspended
sentence will be activated.’
Nicholas Cotter, defending, said: ‘There
was a group of people involved here. The crown agree that there was provocation.
Several people ended up on the floor that evening. The defendant was one of them
– he was kicked and punched. Whilst that doesn’t excuse his behaviour when he
stood up it perhaps paints a picture of provocation.’
He added: ‘This offence is out of
character for this young man. It was spontaneous, not premeditated violence.’
The judge ordered Grant-Loveless to pay
£500 in compensation to Mr Fowler and £500 in court costs following the assault
in September 2010.
The News
01 January
Junior club is opened to help bored Emsworth children
YOUNGSTERS in Emsworth have no reason to be bored on a Friday
evening any more. The police, residents, local businesses and teenagers in
the town have joined together to create EJC, the Emsworth Junior Club. It’s a
place for seven to 14-year-olds to hang out, enjoy each other’s company and play
computer games and is based at the Syrch Centre, in Spencers Field.
The idea was driven by PC Claire Proudfoot, the Emsworth beat
officer, who saw a desperate need for a focal point for young people.
She said: ‘It’s a long-awaited and well-needed youth club.
It is run solely by local volunteers with the support of the local police team.
Its aim is to give the local children a place where they can meet, interact,
socialise, learn new skills and have fun safely. We believe this
club will help lead to a stronger community in Emsworth and give a greater sense
of responsibility and cohesion to all those involved in it.’
The Syrch centre only had basic equipment such as pool and
table tennis. Bats and balls were donated by a volunteer. As an extra
boost, Steve Baxter, the Chief Inspector of Hampshire Constabulary, gave £400.
Martyn Griffiths from Hermitage Housing donated £100, and £600 came from the
youth participation team at Havant Borough Council. Giles Babb, the
landlord of The Blue Bell Inn, grew up in Emsworth and gave PC Proudfoot £100 to
spend on equipment. Lillywhite Bros and Co garage have offered to
pick up the cost of the hall hire.
It’s been going three months and around 25 people attend each week. PC
Proudfoot said:
‘All the children are keen to keep the club running and have been encouraging
the adult members of their families to come and help out and their friends to
join in. At the moment the club is being run by the kindness of the local
community. It’s a non-profit-making organisation and all money
received benefits the club and its members directly. We believe that
the club will benefit not only those who attend or are involved, but also the
wider community.’
Donations can be made to PC Proudfoot by calling 0845 045 45
45 or by dropping into the EJC when it is running.
The club is open every Friday, from
The News 28-12-11
You can still check out last year's news HERE