Basingstoke Observer April 15th

Thursday, April 15, 2021 To advertise call Basingstoke Observer on 01256 952180 www.basingstokeobserver.co.uk 

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Welcome Back To Basingstoke 

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THE mood in Basingstoke was buoyant 

this week as crowds of people flocked 

back to the town centre. 

After a snowy start on Monday, the 

sun shone for much of the rest of the 

week to match the general mood that 

things are starting to look brighter. 

As part of the government’s roadmap 

to unlock national COVID restrictions, 

non-essential retail, personal care 

businesses and outdoor hospitality 

reopened on Monday 12 April. 

Friends and families were able to 

gather for the first time in months 

to enjoy a meal or a drink together 

outside or to hit the shops. For those 

shoppers who have missed the whole 

experience of try before you buy, even 

fitting rooms are open. 

Many others were just keen to have a 

haircut or their nails done and queues 

were everywhere. 

There was a real sense of optimism in 

the Top of Town as it was full of people 

for the first time in months. 

Three generations of the Davies 

family were delighted to be enjoying 

a day out together as they shopped for 

presents to celebrate being reunited. 

Katy shared: “Shopping with my mum 

and daughter used to be a weekly visit 

that I took for granted, Not to be able 

to see my mum for so long has been 

really hard and I know she feels she has 

missed out on so much as my daughter 

was 4 when we were last shopping 

together so has grown so much. I am 

not sure who is more delighted today, 

my mum or my daughter who is being 

spoiled rotten by her Nana. It has also 

been nice to bump into other friends 

who are also visiting town for the first 

time in ages.” 

Visitors will notice that new signage 

has been placed around The Malls and 

Festival Place reminding of key safety 

features, such as social distancing, 

following the one-way system, and for 

those who can, to wear face coverings. 

Hand sanitisers remain at the centres’ 

entrances and a thorough cleaning 

regime will be carried out regularly 

throughout the day so that customers 

can maintain a high level of hygiene. 

While all the teams at Festival Place 

are excited to be fully reopened, the 

centre has of course been partially open 

since the UK’s third lockdown at the 

beginning of January, with essential 

shops such as supermarkets, banks 

and pharmacies open. 

FP Director Neil Churchill said: “This 

has been a long winter for everyone, 

but we can all see light at the end of 

the tunnel. To say that we’re excited 

to reopen fully again is an understatement 

– we can’t wait! All we ask is that 

we continue to ensure the safety of each 

other whether customers or employees, 

by following the government’s guidelines 

on social distancing and wearing 

face coverings where possible.” 

Festival Place has also reintroduced 

its traffic light system on its website 

as an extra safety measure to inform 

shoppers when the centre is busy. 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough 

Council’s Executive Director of Borough 

Development Ian Boll said: “We 

know the pandemic has been a difficult 

time for the local economy so 

I am pleased that a large number of 

businesses were able to reopen on 

Monday. I would also like to thank our 

borough’s businesses who have helped 

to prevent the spread of COVID-19 

locally by continuing to follow the government 

guidelines. 

To show your support for the local 

businesses that we all know and love, 

we would encourage residents and 

visitors to return to the town centre 

to enjoy everything it has to offer. But 

please continue to do this safely by following 

the social distancing measures 

that will be in place, minimising the 

amount of people from your household 

Thumbs up as doors reopen 

THERE was a celebratory yet cautious mood this 

week when more businesses were able to open 

their doors once again. 

We were out and about catching up with many 

of the local businesses who are delighted to be 

welcoming customers back. Speaking on Tuesday, 

Continues on page 28/29 

Secret Garden’s owner Milena Gevasoni, shared: 

“The Secret Garden is glad to finally open our doors 

again, with a smile it’s been a while!” 

See our feature supporting many other local 

businesses inside.

2 | 

NEWS 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 01256 952180 www.basingstokeobserver.co.uk 


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Dear All, 

Snow, sunshine, shops open, haircuts, a visit to the pub - it was all going on this week! 

The seeds of optimism were well and truly sown on Monday as the latest lifting of lockdown 

restrictions took hold. 

It was great to see the Top of Town so busy and everyone seemed to be in high spirits to 

be back. Whether people were shopping, eating, drinking or waiting for a haircut, smiles and 

laughter were everywhere. 

As you can see in today’s edition, the overall messages from businesses who were fi nally 

able to open their doors again after such a long wait was relief and delight and a resounding 

and very loud Welcome Back from each and every one of them! 

It did feel like a very momentous day on Monday and everyone who was out and about 

enjoying their new found freedom seemed delighted to be a part of this historical day. 

There is undoubtedly still a very long road ahead and it is important to acknowledge that 

many have lost their jobs and some businesses are still not able to reopen fully just yet. Sadly 

others have closed their doors for good and to those businesses we hope that you can start 

to rebuild soon in one form or another. 

We also report this week on new businesses launching, showing some more green shoots of recovery which is to be 

applauded. 

It is not just in the centre of Basingstoke, that doors are reopening, there are so many fantastic local businesses elsewhere in 

the town and in all of the surrounding villages and we hope that you all get the support and welcome back to the local communities 

that you deserve. 

Thank you as always to our loyal advertisers, readers and the Basingstoke Observer team, all of whom enable us to continue 

to publish your locally owned, free and independent community newspaper. I cannot begin to tell you how much your support 

has meant, especially over the last year. 

Whenever you can, please go and support these local businesses that are working so hard for us all. 

Stay Safe, 

Man jailed for Alton Assault 

A man has been jailed for two years 

for his part in an assault on Alton High 

Street that left a man permanently 

disabled. 

Tyler David Gard, 26, of Winstreet 

Close in Alton, pleaded guilty to Section 

20 Grievous Bodily Harm at Winchester 

Crown Court on 3 March. 

He appeared before Winchester 

Crown Court on Friday 9 April for 

sentencing. 

The court heard how just after midnight 

on 26 July 2020, following an 

altercation Gard followed the 24-yearold 

victim down the High Street and 

punched him, causing him to fall and 

hit his head on the curb. 

The victim was rushed to hospital 

where he was placed into an induced 

coma, and was not expected to live. 

Despite this initial prognosis, he has 

made some recovery but will likely be 

permanently disabled as a result of his 

head injury. 

Gard handed himself into officers 

later that day. 

He has been sentenced to two years 

in prison. 

Detective Sergeant Dan Hunt said: 

“This act of violence very nearly 

resulted in the death of a man. Due 

to Gard’s actions, this young man’s 

life was changed in an instant. 

The victim will likely be permanently 

disabled, and he and his family are 

living with the consequences of this 

incident every day. 

A single and a split second decision 

can cause lasting damage to people’s 

lives. The message to take away from 

this is, one punch can be devastating. 

If you find yourself getting involved in a 

confrontation or argument, stop, think 

about the potential consequences, and 

walk away. 

We would encourage everyone to 

think about how easily a momentary 

decision can affect the rest of your life 

and potentially others. 

I hope that this sentence provides 

closure to the victim of this violent and 

distressing attack, as well as reassurance 

to the wider public that offences 

like this one won’t be tolerated.” 

4 year sentence 

for motorist who 

caused death by 

dangerous driving 

A motorist has been sentenced to four 

years in prison for causing death by 

dangerous driving after a fatal collision 

in Hound Green. 

Luke John, 26, of Woodley, Reading, 

was driving a silver Toyota Supra when 

the collision happened on the B3349 

Reading Road, at the junction with 

Vicarage Lane, at 10.30pm on 17th 

September. 

Winchester Crown Court heard 

how Tenny Turner (Snr), 53, of Hound 

Green, had been riding his Harley 

Davidson motorcycle northbound 

when he was hit from behind by the 

Toyota, which failed to stop at the 

scene. 

Mr Turner was taken to Basingstoke 

and North Hampshire Hospital, but 

despite best efforts, he sadly died from 

his injuries. 

A subsequent police investigation 

resulted in the arrest of John, who was 

charged with causing death by dangerous 

driving. 

John was sentenced on 1st April to 

four years in prison. He was also disqualifi 

ed from driving for six and a half 

years and required to take an extended 

retest. 

Police Sergeant Jonathan Bates, of 

the Serious Collision Investigation 

Unit, said: “I hope that this case and 

proceedings today will serve as a warning 

to all road users of the need to pay 

attention whilst driving, even when the 

roads are quiet. 

We should all look out for, and pay 

particular attention to vulnerable road 

users, such as motorcyclists. To not do 

so may result in tragedy and is just not 

worth the risk. Your actions can, and 

do have a lifelong impact on the victim’s 

families, friends and loved ones.” 

This has been a long and protracted 

enquiry and my thoughts today are 

with the family and friends of Tenny 

Turner (Snr).” 

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BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 NEWS | 3 

Surge in support to save the arts 

FOLLOWING our call to Save The Arts 

on the front page of the Basingstoke 

Observer on 18th March, there has 

been a huge surge of support to do 

just that. 

The response to the council’s decision 

to cut funding for Anvil Arts was met 

with dismay across the town and as previously 

reported, Anvil Arts released 

a statement strongly contesting the 

council’s decision and disputing some 

of the information presented during 

the cabinet meeting in March. 

A Reverse The Cut Petition was 

launched by The Campaign for Arts 

and signatures are currently at 5,700. 

The Campaign for Arts said “Our 

first local campaign was victorious in 

Nottingham, protecting arts organisations 

from massive council cuts. 

Already, even more people have joined 

this campaign in Basingstoke to oppose 

the council’s cut to Anvil Arts – over 

5000 supporters in less than a week. 

It’s a fantastic start.” 

Anvil Arts CEO Matthew Cleaver 

added: “We’re thrilled that the Campaign 

for the Arts petition has got off to 

such a great start and are very grateful 

to everyone who has made their views 

known by signing and sharing it.” 

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council 

is proposing to cut its investment 

in The Anvil and The Haymarket by 

at least 50% - around £400,000. At a 

time when Anvil Arts has already lost 

more than £1.4m in income from being 

closed for over a year, this will have a 

severely detrimental effect on what it 

is able to do in the future. 

It will damage its ability to deliver 

its arts and entertainment programme 

that attracts over 170,000 people a year 

It will have an impact on the individuals 

and organisations working across 

the already suffering arts and cultural 

sectors who work with Anvil Arts and 

benefit from its venues 

It will impact its vital community 

education programme, including work 

with young people in schools, supporting 

people with special educational 

needs, in care homes, and with people 

with dementia and their families. 

The Haymarket is a much loved local 

theatre and The Anvil is internationally 

recognised as one of the top 10 concert 

halls in Europe, bringing world-class 

artists to Basingstoke and giving the 

people of Basingstoke Borough access 

to the highest quality music, musicians 

and artists. 

Local MP Maria Miller has called on 

the management of The Anvil Trust and 

Basingstoke Borough Council to find 

a way to work together for the good of 

the town to ensure they do everything 

possible to safeguard and continue to 

build a bright future for the Haymarket 

and The Anvil, both important cultural 

community assets. 

Maria confirmed: “Since the pandemic 

started and the doors of The 

Anvil and The Haymarket were forced 

to close, the organisation has received 

important funding from Government 

through two grants of £246,000 and 

£123,000 from Arts Council England. 

This is part of the national £1.57 billion 

Culture Recovery Fund, which 

has supported thousands of cultural 

and heritage organisations to survive 

the closure of live performance due 

to the pandemic. In addition, whilst 

both organisations remained closed, 

the Anvil Trust continued to receive 

a guaranteed grant of £790,924 from 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 

in 2020/21. As part of the 2021/22 

Council’s Budget, the Anvil will receive 

a maximum grant award of £395,462, 

reflecting concerns from Basingstoke 

Council regarding Anvil Arts financial 

planning and the Business Plan. 

A large amount of taxpayers money 

goes to fund The Anvil and the Haymarket 

so it is right that there has to 

be confidence in finance planning and 

the Business Plan produced by Anvil 

Arts. The Haymarket and The Anvil 

are both jewels in Basingstoke and 

our community needs Anvil Arts and 

Basingstoke Council to find a shared 

agreement on how to move forward as 

live performers start to plan for the 

future following the pandemic. The 

Council and the Board of the Trust 

need to work together for the good of 

our community. The reduced funding 

reflects the gap in agreement and a 

shared vision on future plans. 

Basingstoke Council has year in year 

out demonstrated its commitment to 

arts and culture, giving more than £20 

million to The Anvil since it was built. 

The Concert Hall, the Theatre and the 

Council need to work together to find 

a sustainable way forward, ensuring 

they continue to be at the heart of the 

future plans for our town.” 

There are also a number of parties 

interested in saving the Haymarket and 

the Basingstoke Observer understands 

that a letter has been sent to both Ken 

Rhatigan and Matthew Cleaver proposing 

a new partnership be established 

to run the Haymarket Theatre. 

In addition, there is increasing support 

from a group of volunteers who 

are planning a Users’ Panel meeting 

on Saturday May 15 from 2.30 until 

4p.m in Market Chambers. 

It is invitation only but if you do not 

belong to any particular society and 

wish to help, you can contact Hannah 

Williams by email Hannah.williams20@yahoo.com 

or write to her at 

Market Chambers, 2a Church Street, 

Basingstoke. 

If you have not already done so and 

want to support the call to save the 

arts in Basingstoke, you can sign The 

Campaign For Arts’ Reverse The Cut 

Petition at https://www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/basingstoke-anddeane-borough-council-stop-your- 

50-cut-to-anvil-arts/ 

Service station targeted for immigration crime 

HAMPSHIRE Constabulary’s 

specialist Organised Immigration 

Crime team coordinated a day of 

action at Fleet Services Northbound 

on Friday 2 April. 

The term ‘organised immigration 

crime’ is used to describe both the 

facilitation of illegal entry into, and 

presence in, the country and also 

human trafficking. 

Officers from the Roads Policing 

Unit, Commercial Vehicle 

Unit, Response and Patrol, and 

Neighbourhood Policing Teams 

worked with Border Force and 

Immigration Enforcement at 

Fleet Services on Good Friday 

to encourage haulier drivers to 

implement better security in order 

to restrict clandestine entry and 

disrupt organised crime gangs. 

Working closely with Border 

Force and supporting their Clandestine 

Entry Penalties Team, 

officers stopped and searched 35 

HGVs. 

Teams set up 10 bays across the 

lorry park to conduct enquiries 

with hauliers and assist Border 

Force in recovering outstanding 

fines which had been applied 

to haulier companies by Border 

Force for previously being found 

with people on board following a 

border crossing. A total of £2700 

was collected in outstanding fines 

on April 2. 

Out of 35 HGV stops, no one was 

found in the back of these Lorries. 

Hampshire Constabulary’s lead 

for Modern Slavery and Organised 

Immigration Crime, Detective 

Chief Inspector Ross Toms 

said: “Criminals are making cash 

by illegally smuggling desperate 

and vulnerable people into the UK 

through dangerous methods. By 

working with Border Force and 

Immigration Enforcement we are 

doing all we can to tackle the issue 

together. 

There are serious penalties for 

those caught helping to smuggle 

people into the UK in the back of 

Lorries. They could be arrested 

and investigated and their 

employer could face substantial 

fines for not having appropriate 

security. 

We would advise anyone who 

thinks that there may be people 

trapped in a lorry or vehicle to 

report it to police immediately to 

999 as a life could be put at risk.” 

Police Appeal 

After Stabbing 

OFFICERS investigating a serious 

assault in Basingstoke are appealing 

for witnesses. 

Police were called at 6.12pm on 

4 April to reports of a 20-year-old 

man being stabbed in the Holy 

Ghost Chapel grounds, on Chapel 

Hill. 

The man was taken to hospital to 

be treated for his injuries, they are 

not considered life threatening. 

An 18-year-old man from 

Basingstoke has been arrested on 

suspicion of grievous bodily harm 

with intent. He remains in custody 

at this time. 

Officers have conducted a 

number of enquiries over the past 

couple of days but are now turning 

to the public for help. 

Were you in the area at the 

time? Perhaps you saw two groups 

meeting near to the cemetery, or 

have private CCTV that could assist 

enquiries? 

Police are also keen to hear from 

a woman who gave first aid to the 

victim at the scene. 

Anyone with information is 

asked to phone 101 with reference 

44210126765. Alternatively, you 

can phone Crimestoppers 100% 

anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

 

 

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Two commercial property 

specialists combine forces 

Outside London Clancy’s Basingstoke offi ce: L-R: Nick Reeve, 

Jim London, David Bowen, Mark Clancy, Richard Newsam 

BASINGSTOKE commercial property 

expert, London Clancy, has announced 

that it is bringing its business together 

with Surrey-based Curchod & Co, to 

create an expanded commercial property 

specialist with coverage across 

central southern England. 

In addition to its existing Hampshire 

offices, the enlarged business will benefit 

from Curchod & Co’s representation 

in Surrey. 

The name and brand of London Clancy 

will remain unchanged with founding 

partners, Jim London and Mark Clancy 

staying with the enlarged business. 

Jim London shared: “We are 

extremely pleased to be linking up 

with Curchod & Co, not only is there 

an excellent geographical fit, but also 

great similarities in the culture of the 

two firms. This is good news for our staff 

and the many occupiers, developers 

and investors that the firm advises.” 

Mark Clancy added: “By bringing the 

businesses together as part of Curchod 

& Co, our clients will benefit from an 

enlarged team of recognized experts 

across the region, stretching from the 

south coast to London.” 

David Bowen of Curchod & Co’s Camberley 

office said: “There are great 

synergies between the two businesses, 

and it is very much business as usual 

for our staff across the expanded firm 

and all our clients. 

The Covid-19 crisis has been an 

extremely challenging period for all 

businesses, although we have managed 

to keep trading very well throughout. 

We are confident that this will continue 

and further accelerate as the restrictions 

are relaxed. With this backdrop, 

we firmly believe that this is a great 

time for us to agree on this acquisition 

and with our extended coverage, 

fully expect to be able to capitalise on 

many new opportunities in an improving 

market.” 

Nick Reeve of Curchod & Co in Farnham 

concluded: “London Clancy is a 

well-established name and a brand 

with a long history within Hampshire’s 

commercial property market. Bringing 

the two firms together in this way will 

provide clients with a team of local 

experts across the region and an even 

greater level of service.” 

Men charged 

with county 

line drug 

offences 

TWO men from London have been 

charged with drug offences relating to 

a suspected county line operating from 

London into Hampshire. 

Mohamed Mukhtar, aged 22, of Francis 

Chichester Way, London has been 

charged with being concerned in the 

supply of heroin and crack cocaine and 

possession with intent to supply heroin 

and crack cocaine. 

Mohammed Warsame, aged 21, of 

Voltaire Court, Battersea, London has 

been charged with being concerned in 

the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, 

possession with intent to supply heroin 

and crack cocaine and possession of 

criminal property. 

Both men were arrested on Tuesday 

in London as part of a proactive drugs 

investigation with the Metropolitan 

Police into a county line being run from 

the city into the Hart and Rushmoor 

areas between November 2020 and 

March 2021. 

Offi cers located a large amount of 

cash and mobile phones at the time of 

arrest. 

Mukhtar and Warsame appeared at 

Basingstoke Magistrates Court and were 

both remanded in custody. 

They are next due to appear at Winchester 

Crown Court on the 28th April 

for a pre-trial public hearing. 

Dear Editor, 

Help us ‘ease’ into the new normal. 

With lockdown restrictions easing, there is an understandable buzz of excitement in the air as people head outside 

to see loved ones and enjoy the warmer weather. But we are hearing from many blind and partially sighted people 

who are anxious about public spaces becoming busier and have lost confi dence in going outside after a year of Covid 

restrictions. 

Measures to enforce social distancing often rely on the ability to see things like signs, queuing systems, or barriers. 

When you can’t see these changes, they can create new obstacles to navigate and further erode confi dence. 

We’re asking the public to help us safely social distance as the restrictions change. By being aware of the challenges 

we might face, and simply asking if assistance is needed, you can help us keep our independence and stay safe. 

We’re also calling for local authorities and businesses to take action, so that measures designed to protect us are 

inclusive to everyone, not just to those who can see them. RNIB’s website has more information about this. 

Our ‘new normal’ should be as open and inclusive as possible, to help everyone get back outside – not make it 

more diffi cult. 

David Clarke 

Director of Services 

RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) 

The end of the road for the BID 

BASINGSTOKE Together Directors 

have voted to close the BID 

permanently. 

Basingstoke Together Business 

Improvement District failed in its 

attempt to get a re-ballot agreed 

by Basingstoke Town Centre businesses 

in early February this year 

by a margin of less than 1% of the 

rateable value. 

This was primarily due to tier 5 

restrictions imposed as the BID 

went to ballot. The majority of 

businesses who voted, supported 

a second term of the business 

improvement district but Basingstoke 

Together did not achieve 

the required majority of rateable 

value. 

A group of businesspeople in the 

town who support the work the BID 

had achieved, urged Basingstoke 

Together to plan a new BID with 

a new business plan. Work was 

already underway to start the consultation 

process and a timeline 

had been drawn up and agreed 

for a new Business Improvement 

District, targeted at supporting 

the town recovery post-pandemic. 

However, as the town centre 

unlocks and businesses look to reopen, 

this plan has been thwarted. 

Several large businesses who support 

BIDs and the work they do 

to enrich the areas in which they 

operate have reluctantly stated 

they will vote no if another BID 

ballot is run. This is due to the 

fragile financial nature their businesses 

are in following the COVID 

19 pandemic and the effect it has 

had on their cash flow. 

“It is a sad day,”said Jane Stewart, 

Chief Executive of Basingstoke 

Together. “When we closed the 

office and informed our business 

members we were no longer operating, 

many sent us messages of 

support for the work we have been 

doing to support them through 

these critical times in lockdown. 

What we achieved was welcomed 

by all we helped. And we were 

looking forward to coming up with 

a completely new business plan 

based on what our businesses 

wanted and needed. Sadly, the 

Board of Directors had to vote 

unanimously to close the company 

at a Board meeting and not pursue 

a new BID. With the news about 

the voting intentions of these large 

businesses, there was no possibility 

of a ballot being successful.” 

Basingstoke Together is now 

being formally wound up as a company. 

Two members of staff will 

lose their jobs. 

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6 | 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 01256 952180 www.basingstokeobserver.co.uk


Age is just a number 

TWO indomitable local ladies are proving 

that age is just a number. Today we 

celebrate them both. 

Joan Taylor is aged 102 and loves to 

play scrabble and Mary Wythe has just 

celebrated her 103rd birthday. 

Joan who is currently having a respite 

break at Ashcombe House Care 

Home said “I’ve always loved a good 

game of scrabble and I do become quite 

competitive when I play! It’s a great 

game to keep your mind active, we 

have had some brilliant games today, 

it is wonderful that you can learn new 

words even at my age and I’m 102!” 

Joan was speaking as staff and residents 

at Ashcombe House celebrated 

National Scrabble day on April 13th. 

The day is celebrated to praise the 

popular board game, on the birth of 

its inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts, born 

in 1899. He invented the game in 1938. 

General Manager, Louise Lambert 

said: “We love playing Scrabble here 

at Ashcombe and have a scrabble club 

which plays in the café every week, 

so naturally we wanted to celebrate 

World Scrabble Day. Staff also played 

but didn’t stand a chance – we have 

some very experienced and talented 

scrabble players living here!” 

Mary Wythe was Cherry Blossom 

Manor’s first resident, and has just 

celebrated a milestone birthday as 

she turned 103. 

Mary celebrated her 10th consecutive 

birthday at Cherry Blossom Manor 

where she has been a resident, since 

cutting the ribbon on the first day, when 

she moved in at the age of 93. 

Mary has seen many changes 

throughout her life and has experienced 

many milestones over her fantastic 

length of years. Her 103rd birthday was 

no different with celebrations lasting 

the entire day. 

Mary’s special day started with a 

sensory session; of aromatherapy with 

geranium and orange blossom, a virtual 

journey through a butterfly garden and 

relaxation with the tranquil sounds 

of bird song – which is one of Mary’s 

favourite past times. 

Mary’s three daughters and son 

celebrated their mother’s birthday 

celebrations with her, using the designated 

family visiting suite, enabling 

Joan Taylor 

Mary Wythe 

them to share good times, cake and to 

spend quality time together with their 

mum on this special occasion. 

The staff presented Mary with a beautiful 

birthday cake, made by Phil, Chef 

at Cherry Blossom in her favourite 

colour yellow with Mary’s favourite 

lemon sponge. 

Gigi Despojo, General Manager of 

Barchester Cherry Blossom Manor 

commented: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 

a truly remarkable Woman as 

she reaches this amazing milestone.” 

Reduce fuel poverty 

and carbon emissions 

HELP is at hand for Basingstoke 

and Deane residents living in cold 

homes and struggling to pay their 

energy bills. 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough 

Council is offering up to £10,000 

of government grant funding to 

low income households to provide 

energy-efficient home improvements. 

These include solar panel 

systems, park home insulation, 

solid wall insulation and low carbon 

heating systems, such as air source 

heat pumps. 

Residents in rented homes are 

also eligible, with funding for 66% 

of the cost of improvements, up to 

£5,000, with their landlords contributing 

the remaining third. 

This funding is through the government’s 

Green Homes Grant 

Local Authority Delivery scheme. 

The borough council is working 

with partners, led by Portsmouth 

City Council and managed by AgilityEco, 

to deliver the energy-saving 

measures and reduce local fuel 

poverty. 

The council’s Executive Director 

Real People Share Real Stories 

THE group behind Buzz podcasts 

have been extending their reach 

across Hampshire with their Real 

People, with Real Stories and Real 

Life Series. 

The team recently spoke to Lauren 

Burlingham from the newly refurbished 

George and Dragon in Tadley 

who said of Roger Noble Production 

Manager: “Roger! Oh, my goodness 

just listened, you are a legend and so 

kind, I sound like a right twit but a 

happy one Haha. Well done I appreciate 

the lovely content. I think the 

plans you mentioned after sound 

great too.” 

Mandy Fleming from WYS Therapy 

said after listening to her interview: 

“I’ve just listened to it; my jaw is hurting 

from laughing so much! I needed 

that today, I had an absolute blast on 

your show and love what you’re doing. 

of Residents’ Services Rebecca 

Emmett said: “This scheme supports 

residents on low incomes 

who are living in the least efficient 

properties in the borough to 

save energy and money. It will not 

only tackle fuel poverty by helping 

reduce energy bills, but the 

improvements at these homes will 

also help to reduce carbon emissions. 

This supports our council’s 

Climate Change and Air Quality 

Strategy which aims to achieve 

a carbon-free borough by 2030.” 

If you have a household income of 

less than £30,000 then this scheme 

is a great opportunity. Applications 

are open now and funding will be 

distributed on a first-come, firstserved 

basis, with measures to 

be installed by September 2021. 

For more information and to apply 

visit www.warmerhomes.org.uk/ 

insulation. 

The council is expecting further 

funding to be made available in our 

area as part of the next phase of 

this scheme in order to help even 

more residents. 

Thank you for inviting me to be part 

of it, and for letting me be me.” 

Roger Noble shared: “The group 

are continually taking a gander at 

approaches to grandstand you, either 

by Podcast, Videography or Social 

Media, or perhaps all three, so we’ve 

had an intense year with our organisations 

struggling with marketing 

and advertising, and we as a whole 

need to elevate our business to tell 

individuals, we are still here and 

open, and this isn’t hard to discuss 

the business you’re passionate about. 

We are in the final planning stages 

for a new style Business and Musician, 

networking group, it’s a whole 

new approach, dynamic, energising, 

fun, challenging and unlike the 

traditional format we’ve all come to 

know Networking but not as we know 

it. Watch this space.” 

Click & Collect or Home Delivery 

At Sandown we offer Click & Collect or Home Delivery 

for New and Approved Used vehicle purchases. 

Caring for our 

Customers 

Call 01256 582795. 

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8 | 


Wildmoor Lane, Sherfield on Loddon, 

Hook RG27 0HA 

Tel: 01256 883907 

Mob: 07776 290348 

D H Watergardens has been based near Sherfield-on- 

Loddon Garden Centre for 35 years. We specialise in 

anything aquatic inside and outside, small and large, 

private and commercial. Recently we have undergone a 

major refurbishment and bought in new and exciting stock. 

We have created imaginative features, plant displays and 

much more. 

With over 35 years of experience, we can build you any 

pond any size 

We stock all Pond and Aquarium Equipment, Water Features, 

KOI Carp and a Vast range of Pond Plants 

Open 7 days a week 

Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm 

Sunday 10.30-4.30pm 

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10.30-4.30pm 

DH Water Gardens Wildmoor Lane, Sherfield on Loddon, Hook RG27 0HA Tel: 01256 883907 Mob: 07776 290348


Brewing up for a celebration 

BASINGSTOKE brewery, The Longdog 

Brewery is looking forward to celebrating 

its 10th anniversary. 

Established in July 2011, Rod and 

Jenny Edbrooke took the brewery over 

in November 2019 and have enjoyed a 

roller coaster journey since then. Rod, 

a lifelong home brewer, shared: “The 

pandemic forced us to get on with a lot 

of things we had originally planned to 

do, only faster! 

Developments have included: setting 

Owners Rod and 

Jenny, enjoying 

a glass of 

Basingstoke Pride 

up a local home delivery and nationwide 

shipping service; creating a web 

shop; refreshing the branding and 

refurbishing the shop and brewhouse. 

Now we feel much better placed to 

face the future, whatever it has got to 

throw at us!” 

There may have been a change of 

ownership, but the core philosophy 

remains the same - brewing a range 

of high quality hand crafted cask and 

bottle conditioned ales in small batches, 

that everyone can enjoy. 

Rod added: “We want to be a business 

that Basingstoke can be proud 

of. We are tucked away underneath 

Academy Snooker, just off West Ham 

Lane, it sometimes feels like the brewery 

is Basingstoke’s best kept secret. 

Although the brewery has been here 

for 10 years, lots of people still say they 

haven’t heard of us. That’s something 

we’re working hard to change. Hopefully 

we can look forward to welcoming 

visitors back to the brewery very soon.” 

The brewery shop and taproom is 

open from Tuesday to Friday 10am-4pm 

and has become a regular fixture at the 

Saturday market at the Portsmouth 

Arms, Hatch Warren. 

A tour party taken 

before the pandemic 

Rod 

bottling in 

the brewery 

Newspapers 

trusted source 

of information 

NEWSPAPERS and their social media 

platforms continue to be trusted 

sources of information for Gen Z and 

Millennials, a survey has revealed. 

The study led by the World Health 

Organisation questioned 23,500 

respondents aged 18-40 in 24 countries 

about their media consumption. 

The social media profiles of newspapers 

(34%) were more popular than 

government channels (28%) as people 

searched for reliable Covid-related 

information. 

This could be related to the fact that 

57% felt that their government wasn’t 

giving them the full picture. 59% of 

respondents were ‘very aware of fake 

news surrounding Covid-19’, and the 

slew of anti-vaxx conspiracy theories 

being retweeted. This resulted in 40% 

of social media users checking the accuracy 

of content before they posted it. 

Reece Matthews, a digital expert, 

commented: ‘It’s unsurprising that at 

times of crisis people look to trusted 

news brands such as the Basingstoke 

Observer to cut through misinformation. 

By embracing digital platforms, 

the news media has been able to 

successfully promote key public health 

messages to even greater numbers of 

people.” 

Family wish to fulfil Oliver’s Dream 

A Basingstoke family are appealing 

for local support to help four year old 

Oliver fulfill his dream of riding a 

red bike. 

Oliver has Spina Bifida so needs a 

specially adapted trike but that comes 

with a hefty price tag. 

When he was born, doctors said 

Oliver would never stand, get around 

easily and certainly, never walk, but 

they hadn’t envisaged Oliver’s determination 

and spirit. 

Oliver’s Grandmother Aisha 

Elshaikh shared his story. “Oliver 

was diagnosed with Spina Bifida during 

pregnancy at the routine twenty 

week scan. 

Oliver was subsequently born 10 

weeks prematurely with hydrocephalus, 

2 types of spina bifida; one of which 

being the most severe, fixed talipes 

(also known as ‘club feet’) and numerous 

other medical ‘issues’. To date he’s 

had in excess of 20 operations and will 

have more to come sadly. 

Although paralysed from the waist 

down, Oliver has found his own way 

of getting around both in and out of 

his wheelchair. He has learned how to 

climb onto chairs, sofas etc and can 

even get up and down the stairs. He 

can pull himself up into a standing 

position and by using predominantly 

his hips, propel himself forward in 

his walking frame albeit very slow 

- at the moment! 

Despite all of this, he is the happiest, 

cheeky, adorable and contented lad 

you could ever wish to meet. He is 

adventurous, funny and everybody he 

meets remarks on how inspirational 

and incredible he is. There is no such 

word as can’t in Oliver’s vocabulary, 

only I can or I will. 

He loves playing out with his friends 

and is very sociable. He desperately 

wants to ride a bike because all of his 

friends do. He’s desperate to join in 

with them. 

My daughter in law Pam contacted 

‘Tomcat’ who supply specially adapted 

bikes/trikes. Oliver tried out a red 

trike, red’s his favourite colour so this 

made his day, and as you can see, he 

got on brilliantly with it but thought 

he could have it there and then.” 

The family have set out to raise £2800 

for Oliver’s trike and have set up a 

GoFundMe page and also a Facebook 

Group, in addition to running competitions 

and holding fundraising events. 

You can watch Oliver trying out the 

trike on the family’s GoFundMe Page 

at: https://gofund.me/97289f8a 

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10 | 

NEWS 


PCC candidates 

urged to help 

fight rural crime 

THE Country Land and Business 

Association (CLA) is asking Police and 

Crime Commissioner candidates to 

help in the fi ght against rural crime. 

Ahead of the PCC elections on May 

6, CLA South East, which represents 

thousands of farmers, landowners and 

rural businesses in the area, is writing 

to each candidate urging them to support 

fi ve key asks. 

They are asking them to commit 

to a rural manifesto focusing on the 

following fi ve priorities: wildlife crime, 

support for the National Rural Crime 

Network, a focus on tackling crime 

against businesses, greater joined-up 

enforcement work, and an effort to 

promote education and the Countryside 

Code. 

CLA South East has this week written 

to all candidates in Hampshire. 

Regional Director Michael Valenzia 

said: “Police and Crime Commissioners 

have the wherewithal to make a 

difference and can help protect rural 

communities through targeted funding, 

resourcing and training. 

For many CLA members, rural 

crime is a blight as criminals are often 

emboldened by the isolation of rural 

communities, leaving families, farmers 

and business owners feeling vulnerable 

and powerless. 

While much good work is already 

being done, police teams can be 

inadequately resourced to investigate 

and prevent criminal activity in the 

countryside.” 

In a survey last year, 38% of the 

8,000 people who took part had fallen 

victim to rural crime in the preceding 

12 months. 

The CLA estimates that the average 

fi nancial impact per incident is nearly 

£5,000, not to mention the psychological 

effects which can be felt for a long 

time after the crime has taken place. 

Mr Valenzia added: “Next month’s 

elections are an important opportunity 

to ensure that the next Police 

and Crime Commissioners not only 

understand the cost and impact of rural 

crime, but are committed to taking a 

stand and reducing it.” 

Elections candidates announced 

BASINGSTOKE Transition Network 

(BTN) has invited all of the major 

party groupings standing locally in 

the upcoming elections to provide a 

representative to participate in an 

THE names have been published of 

the candidates nominated to stand 

in the upcoming Hampshire County 

Council elections on Thursday 6 May 

2021. The list of candidates for each 

electoral division is now available to 

view on the County Council’s elections 

webpages. 

A county-wide election takes place 

every four years and voters in all 76 

electoral divisions choose who they 

want to run the range of essential local 

services that impact on all aspects of 

everyday life for 1.4 million people 

living in the Hampshire County Council 

area - from education, roads and 

social care for vulnerable children and 

adults, to access to the countryside 

and libraries. 

District councils administer the 

County Council’s four-yearly elections 

on behalf of John Coughlan, the 

County Returning Officer and County 

Council Chief Executive. Therefore, 

polling cards, and applications for 

postal and proxy votes will be issued 

by district councils for residents living 

in their area. 

John Coughlan said: “If you are not 

on the electoral register by 19 April, 

then you won’t be able to vote. It’s 

quick and easy to register online at 

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you 

don’t have internet access, contact 

your local district or borough council. 

Registering to vote ensures that you 

will be eligible to have your say at the 

ballot box on 6 May. 

Once registered, you have different 

options for voting – in person, by post 

or by proxy. COVID-safe measures, in 

line with official Public Health guidance 

will be in place at polling stations, 

making them safe places to vote in 

May. Voters can also keep themselves 

and others safe by wearing a face covering 

and bringing their own pen or 

pencil. Do remember to double check 

your polling card as there have been 

a small number of changes to usual 

polling stations for Covid reasons. 

If you are self-isolating or become 

unwell as a result of COVID-19 shortly 

before polling day, or on the day of 

polling itself, you can also obtain an 

emergency proxy vote – but please do 

not go out to vote if there is a risk you 

may be carrying the virus. 

We understand that not everyone 

may wish to or be able to attend a 

polling station on 6 May, in which 

case you can also apply now to vote 

by post or by proxy instead.” 

The deadline to apply for a postal 

vote is 5pm on 20 April. 

For a proxy vote, the deadline is 

5pm on 27 April. 

It will be a combined election on 

6 May with polls for Hampshire 

County Councillors, the Police and 

Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, 

district and borough councillors in 

some areas, and some parish/town 

councillors. 

The County Council Elections will be 

online question and answer session. 

A spokesperson for BTN confirmed: 

“The next three years are the most 

critical 3 years in modern times. The 

Climate Emergency, post-COVID, is 

Bringing talented people together to achieve exceptional outcomes 

Dispute Resolution Private Client Residential Property 

Corporate Law Family Law Commercial Law 

Family Mediation Commercial Property Education 

Employment Law Insurance Notary Public 

www.phillips-law.co.uk 01256 460830 legal@phillips-law.co.uk 

Transition Network Holds Climate Emergency Hustings 

the key election issue. The first council 

elections for 2 years are upon us. 

And, on May 6th, we will choose who 

will be in power for the next 3 years. 

These will be the three most important 

years in responding to the climate 

emergency. This is our last chance to 

elect people who can respond. Making 

changes in 2024 will be too late. We 

need to be carbon neutral by 2030. 

And that means the decisions our 

Council makes in the next 3 years will 

determine if the response is adequate. 

Our two local councils – Basingstoke 

and Deane and Hampshire County 

Council - make key decisions on 

things like: 

How many, and how energy efficient, 

our new homes and buildings will be. 

Our transport policy and whether we 

tackle the immense environmental 

damage our transport system is doing 

to our air quality. 

for all 10 divisions in the Basingstoke 

and Deane area. 

The Borough Council elections are 

for the new ward boundaries and all 

54 seats on Basingstoke and Deane 

Borough Council. You will be able to 

cast your vote for up to three candidates 

in your ward. 

For information on voting and the 

elections visit the Councils’ elections 

webpages: www.hants.gov.uk/ 

aboutthecouncil/electionsandvoting 

and www.basingstoke.gov.uk/elections-2021. 

How we effectively manage waste 

and recycling. 

How much we invest in renewable 

technology. 

Whether we lead, or lag, in creating 

the green jobs of the future. 

How we are going to protect and nurture 

our land and water resources. 

The people we elect on May 6th will 

determine whether Basingstoke and 

Deane tackles the climate emergency 

or falls victim to it. 

The event will be streamed online 

at 7pm Wednesday 21st April. You 

are invited to submit a question to 

candidates via secretrary@basingstoketransistion.org 

by midnight on 

Saturday 17th April. 

Questions with an environmental 

flavour will have preference. If there 

is time, we will also present questions 

asked by the online audience on the 

night.”

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 11 

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Observer_1pp_18.02.19.indd 1 26/02/2019 15:12

12 | NEWS 


Tributes flood in for His Royal Highness, 

The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 

A period of national mourning is underway 

across Hampshire following the 

death of His Royal Highness, The 

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

The official announcement came from 

Buckingham Palace on Friday 9th April 

at midday, which stated that His Royal 

Highness died peacefully that morning 

at Windsor Castle. 

Leading tributes in Hampshire, HM 

Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel 

Atkinson Esq said: “We have learned 

with great sorrow and profound grief, 

of the sad news of the death of His Royal 

Highness, which will be felt keenly 

across the nation and beyond. On behalf 

of the people of Hampshire, we will be 

writing to Her Majesty The Queen, to 

express our deepest sympathy, and our 

humble and heartfelt condolence for the 

loss that Her Majesty and the Royal 

Family are experiencing at this time.” 

Leader of Hampshire County Council, 

Councillor Keith Mans, said: “Hampshire 

County Council extends our deepest 

sympathies to the Royal Family following 

the very sad news of the death of 

His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, 

The Duke of Edinburgh. It comes at a 

time when the nation continues to come 

to terms with the profound ongoing grief 

from the loss of loved ones to pandemic, 

and our thoughts and prayers now go out 

to Her Majesty, The Queen and the rest 

of the Royal Family in sincere condolence. 

Our county has great pride in its 

royal associations, with a strong history 

of connections to the monarchy. Over the 

years, Hampshire has had the privilege 

of welcoming His Royal Highness, on 

many visits to our county, and we now 

remember with warmth and fondness 

these treasured memories.” 

The Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, 

Chairman of Hampshire County Council, 

and County Council Leader laid flowers 

outside Winchester’s Great Hall at midday 

on Saturday 10 April. These flowers 

are now displayed in the main reception 

area of the County Council’s Elizabeth 

II Court headquarters building. 

The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane 

led borough tributes. The Mayor Cllr 

Diane Taylor said: “The death of His 

Royal Highness Prince Philip is very 

sad news indeed and we in the borough 

of Basingstoke and Deane mourn the 

passing of a great man. He has been a 

devoted and loving support alongside 

our Queen for more than seven decades 

and a familiar pillar of reliability to all 

of us in this nation. His unique mix of 

dedication and humour has been a feature 

throughout all of our lives – the 

personification of stability in a changing 

world. He will be greatly missed. I will, 

of course, be sending the condolences 

of the people of this borough to Her 

Majesty the Queen.” 

At the Hampshire headquarters of the 

Hampshire Lieutenancy and Hampshire 

County Council in Winchester, flags have 

been lowered to half-mast. The Union 

Flag will fly outside the Basingstoke and 

Deane Civic Offices at half-mast until 

after the late Duke’s funeral. 

Hampshire Constabulary also paid 

their respects: “It is with great sadness 

that we have learned of the death of His 

Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. 

The Duke of Edinburgh was the longestserving 

British consort and, on behalf 

of the whole Hampshire Constabulary 

police family, we send our condolences 

to the Royal Household. Our flags will be 

lowered to half mast as a sign of respect 

during this period of national mourning.” 

Prince Philip visited the borough in 

November 2013 to open the new art, 

design and technology department 

named The Duke of Edinburgh Building 

at his former school, Cheam School, now 

in Headley. Prince Philip had previously 

visited Basingstoke in December 2000 to 

officially open the Milestones Museum. 

Residents across Basingstoke and 

Deane are being encouraged by the 

borough’s Mayor to share their personal 

tributes to His Royal Highness 

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in a 

COVID-safe way. 

The Royal Family has set up an official 

e-book of condolence which can be 

viewed at www.royal.gov.uk. A selection 

of messages received will be passed onto 

members of the Royal Family and may 

be held in the Royal Archives. 

In light of the current COVID-19 

restrictions, and in line with the Royal 

Family’s wishes, residents wanting to 

express their condolences are being 

encouraged to make a donation to a 

charity of their choice, or one of The 

Duke of Edinburgh’s Patronages in 

his memory, instead of leaving floral 

tributes. 

Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr 

Diane Taylor said: “As the borough of 

Basingstoke and Deane mourns the 

death of a great man, I would urge residents 

to follow the Royal Family’s wishes 

and leave your personal tributes in the 

official book of condolence. 

Prince Philip was committed to public 

service and was associated with over 

990 organisations over the course of his 

life with specialist interests in a number 

of subjects. His hard work and dedication 

to these charities will always be 

remembered and donating to one of his 

patronages would be a fitting tribute and 

ensure his lasting legacy can continue 

for years to come.” 

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Funeral will 

take place on Saturday 17 April 2021 at 

3pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. 

The Funeral Service will begin with 

a National Minute’s Silence at three 

o’clock. The service will be preceded 

by a ceremonial procession inside the 

grounds of Windsor Castle. 

The plans for the funeral are in line 

with The Duke of Edinburgh’s own 

personal wishes, and the occasion will 

recognise and celebrate The Duke’s life 

and his more than 70 years of service 

to The Queen, the UK and the Commonwealth. 

School remembers former pupil fondly 

AS a former pupil of Cheam School, 

HRH Prince Phillip remained a patron 

throughout his life and maintained 

regular contact with the school that 

he once attended. 

Following the Passing of His Royal 

Highness, Richard Marsh, Chairman 

of the Governors paid tribute. 

“You will all have read the outstanding 

tributes paid to HRH The Duke of 

Edinburgh in both the national and 

international media following his sad 

death on Friday. Among so many tributes 

I found perhaps the most moving 

the video of the London black cab drivers 

lining up their taxis in the Mall 

leading up to Buckingham Palace to 

pay their respects to a man who clearly 

attracted both the respect, admiration 

and affection of the people. 

Our thoughts are of course primarily 

with the Queen and her family who will 

feel the sense of loss greatest, but I also 

wanted to mourn the end of Cheam’s 

association with Prince Philip that 

goes back so many years. 

I’m not sure you will all know that 

Prince Philip was an old boy of Cheam. 

He was a pupil at Cheam from 1930 to 

1933 when the school was still situated 

at Cheam in Surrey. He very much 

enjoyed his time at Cheam, excelling 

at sport in particular. His fondness for 

and interest in Cheam is reflected in 

the fact that he accepted the office of 

President of the Cheam School Association 

when it was founded in 1952, 

a position he held until 1973 when he 

became the Patron of the CSA, which 

he remained for the rest of his life. I 

am sure his fondness for Cheam was 

a crucial factor in the decision to send 

Prince Charles here in 1957. 

I have personal memories of that 

time as my uncle was Peter Beck, the 

then joint Headmaster of Cheam, and I 

joined the school a couple of years later. 

I have a clear recollection of my uncle 

greeting Prince Philip on the steps at 

the front of the school and engaging in 

an animated conversation. It would also 

have been an opportunity for Prince 

Philip to see Prince Charles - in those 

days we had no weekends out, let alone 

exeats or half terms! In later years, 

my uncle told me that Prince Philip 

had always shown a huge interest in 

the education of children at Cheam, 

and how to get the best out of them 

to give them a good start in life. That 

is obviously borne out by the hugely 

successful Duke of Edinburgh awards 

scheme he subsequently established. 

As mentioned above, Prince Philip 

had always maintained his association 

with Cheam. He wrote several 

forewords for books, magazines and 

cricket brochures produced by the 

school and on a visit to the school in 

1996, he laid the foundation stone for 

the new Science laboratories that were 

being built at the time. In addition, 

Cheam was not forgotten in the guest 

lists of Buckingham Palace Garden parties 

and many teachers enjoyed meeting 

him informally on such occasions. 

I remember attending a CSA event 

at St James’ Palace kindly hosted by 

Prince Philip in 2003 when he exuded 

huge charm with a twinkle in his eye. 

His last visit to Cheam was in 2013 

when he came to open The Duke of 

Edinburgh Building. I think Prince 

Philip was delighted to have had such 

an important project for Cheam named 

after him. Many of you will remember 

that day, and I have two particular 

recollections. I was standing near to 

him when he drew back the curtain to 

unveil the plaque at the entrance to the 

building, and he turned and said “You 

are very lucky to be watching at work 

the most experienced rope puller in the 

world!” His self-deprecating humour 

has shone through in the tributes over 

the weekend. Secondly, the parents 

and governors attending the event 

were asked to organise themselves 

in groups of 8 in the main dining room 

and that each group would have a fixed 

period with Prince Philip so he could 

leave the room at a precise time. It 

wasn’t difficult to know where Prince 

Philip had reached in the dining room 

as there was a hubbub of smiles and 

laughter wherever he went. He had to 

leave on time as he had a busy schedule 

and another other event to go to, and it 

reminded us that there were countless 

other organisations to whom he gave 

so much time, advice and support. 

Given his duties as consort to the 

Queen, and his wide range of interests 

in so many walks of life, Cheam was 

incredibly privileged to have had the 

benefit of such a long and meaningful 

association with Prince Philip, and he 

will be sorely missed.”


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14 | 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 01256 952180 www.basingstokeobserver.co.uk


Major water main 

upgrade project 

plans are outlined 

Walk For Treloar’s proves a hit 

PLANS for a major, £10 million pipe 

upgrade to protect drinking water 

supplies against predicted population 

growth are set to be revealed. 

South East Water needs to install 

12 kilometres of main between Fleet 

and Odiham to allow the company 

to draw in large volumes of water 

from other areas of its vast network 

of pipes. 

Work on the project is currently 

planned to begin in June 2021 and 

it is anticipated the project will be 

complete by April 2023. Residents 

may see the company carrying out 

some early site clearance and setting 

up compounds in May. 

The company has set up a virtual 

information event scheduled for 

Monday 19th April via Zoom where 

residents will be able to learn more 

about the scheme. 

Matthew Cooper, South East 

Water Project Manager, said: “This 

project is an enormous investment 

which will strengthen the water 

network across a vast area. We 

know the population in the area is 

increasing and will continue to rise 

so we must act quickly to ensure 

we can continue to supply the community 

with top-quality drinking 

water directly to their taps.” 

South East Water will be working 

in Cove Road, Fleet Road and 

Elvetham Heath Way in Fleet. Pipe 

will also be laid in Pale Lane, Dunleys 

Hill, Poland Lane, Bagwell 

Lane and Odiham Road, Hook. 

Other impacted roads include 

Winchfield Road and The Hurst. 

A combination of road closures, 

footpath closures and temporary 

traffic lights will be enforced 

throughout the scheme. 

The company also needs to lay a 

section of pipe within North Hants 

Golf Club and is working closely 

with its owners and members to 

minimise disruption to them. 

Matthew continued: “While of 

course we do not want to disrupt leisure 

activities, the alternative route 

for the pipe would have involved an 

enormous diversion route which 

would have been extremely disruptive 

to residents. The route we have 

identified is the fastest, safest and 

least disruptive for all concerned. 

We know road closures and traffic 

lights can be disruptive but we 

firmly believe this project is short 

term pain for long term gain for 

the local community. 

I hope you will join us at our public 

information event so we can discuss 

the plans with you in more detail.” 

To sign up to the event, which 

will be held virtually on Monday 

19th April between 6pm and 8pm, 

visit corporate.southeastwater. 

co.uk/fleet. 

New plans afoot at Basingstoke Golf Course 

BOYER’S have supported Bloor 

Homes on the preparation and 

negotiation of outline planning 

permission for up to 1,000 homes, 

a local centre; including retail, a 

community building, and a day 

nursery, sports facilities, open 

space and associated infrastructure 

on land at Basingstoke Golf 

Course. 

Boyer and LRG have worked with 

the landowner since 2011 to secure 

an allocation for 1,000 homes on 

this site. LRG has been acting for 

the Golf Club since 2012 and negotiated 

the sale to Bloor Homes on 

behalf of Basingstoke Golf Club. 

A spokesperson confirmed: 

“Bloor Homes was selected as 

the development partner in 2018. 

Since then, Boyer has been working 

with Bloor Homes and has led on 

the preparation, submission and 

negotiation of the outline planning 

application, which was submitted 

in 2019. Boyer also prepared 

the Environmental Statement 

and negotiated the complex S106 

agreement. To achieve all of this in 

under 2 years is a fantastic result 

for Boyer, LRG, Bloor Homes and 

Basingstoke Golf Club. 

This site is one of the largest 

developments in Basingstoke and 

is an important element of the Borough’s 

housing land supply.” 

Boyer is now working with Bloor 

Homes on the preparation of the 

first phase Reserved Matters application, 

which will be submitted 

shortly before construction can 

commence. 

Photo Treloar’s Helen Moore 

and her family 

OVER 75 walkers headed out over the 

Easter weekend donning their Treloar’s 

tees, raising awareness and vital funds 

for Treloar’s. 

Participants took on either 4 or 8 miles 

or a distance challenge of their own choice 

during the Easter weekend. Thanks to the 

dedicated group of walkers and supporters 

in the wings, Treloar’s has raised over £7150. 

Treloar’s patron Alan Titchmarsh MBE 

took part in the event, he shared: “Huge 

thanks to all those who put on their sturdy 

boots and Walked for Treloar’s. I passed so 

many folk on my way over The Downs that 

weekend - everybody smiling and enjoying 

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Mon 17th – Fri 21st May .......... £199 

Mon 24th – Fri 28th May ......... £199 

Sun 6th – Fri 11th June ........... £245 

Sun 13th – Fri 18th June ......... £252 

Sun 20th – Fri 25th June ......... £259 

Sun 27th June – Fri 2nd July ... £262 

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some bright Easter weather - on my walk 

anyway! It just goes to prove how strong is 

the local support for Treloar’s. Long may 

it continue. Well done!” 

Treloar’s Patrons and Events Manager, 

Karen Sanderson said; “We were so pleased 

to have so many people supporting our 

students over the Easter weekend. Covid- 

19 has made it especially challenging to 

fundraise the necessary amounts to enrich 

our student’s lives and provide them with 

the best care and education possible. But 

we’re very grateful to everyone who took on 

Walk For Treloar’s who are helping make 

a big difference.” 

Mon 31st May – Fri 4th June ... £200 

Mon 30th Aug – 3 Fri rd Sept ... £250 

Sun 4th – Fri 9th July .............. £262 

Sun 11th – Fri 16th July .......... £275 

Sun 18th – Fri 23rd July .......... £284 

Sun 25th – Fri 30th July .......... £284 

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16 | 

NEWS 


Burberry inspired 

venue set to open 

New Zero Waste Shop 

A new zero waste refills store opened 

in South Warnborough on 12th April. 

The aim is to help people reduce 

their plastic use whilst providing an 

extensive selection of vegan-friendly 

and cruelty-free delicious food, 

household and personal products. 

Offering an extensive selection of 

refill products including pasta, rice, 

nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, seasonings, 

baking products, snack and 

sweets; as well as a selection of 

pre-packaged food, household and 

personal products, Naked Refills 

aims to provide essential items for 

households that want to embrace a 

more eco-friendly lifestyle. More and 

more people are looking for a more 

sustainable way to shop, with record 

numbers of people purchasing plantbased 

products than ever before. 

Millie Bushill, said: “Natalie and I 

are so excited to open our refills shop, 

helping savvy shoppers either start 

or continue with a refill led lifestyle, 

buying just what they need and in an 

environmentally friendly, sustainable 

way. All of the products in our shop 

are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free 

– we like to think that by shopping 

at Naked Refills, our customers are 

being kind to the world, kind to their 

pockets, and kind to animals.” 

In addition to foods including: nuts, 

dried fruits, seeds and pulses, oils, 

vinegars and organic products, 

Naked Refills also offers one of the 

best vegan sweets selection in the 

locality with everything from dairyfree 

salted caramel fudge to a fizzy 

sour mix, there is something for 

everyone. 

Customers can visit in-person at 

Unit 3, Granary Court, Alton Road, 

South Warnborough, RG29 1RP, or 

order online for Click & Collect at 

www.nakedrefills.co.uk. Free on site 

parking is available. 

INSPIRED by the famous fabric 

invented by Thomas Burberry, the 

Gabardine Bar is set to be the latest 

venue opening its doors in the Top 

of Town. 

With a unique offering, the Gabardine 

Bar will be a coffee and wine bar that 

offers a location for people to teach 

skills to visitors. Initial ideas include: 

Art; Book Club; Language Lessons and 

the history of Basingstoke. 

Kevin Nelson shared his plans with 

the Basingstoke Observer: “ I want 

to showcase local food and drink. My 

plans are to open early offering the 

best coffee in town with our wonderful 

coffee Machine Barbara. A truly Italian 

experience along with wonderful 

pastries and snacks. 

The decor will be different to anything 

in town. We will have outside 

seating and live acoustic music on a 

Sunday lunch time with free tapas. I 

have pledged to sponsor a Hampshire 

Hog to help build the name of the bar 

and it’s all for a good cause. 

I feel that Basingstoke needs new 

life at the top of town and this is my 

way of introducing it.” 

Prior to embarking on this latest 

venture, Kevin donated and installed a 

living wall at Southampton Hospital as 

another example of Kevin’s creativity. 

Kevin Nelson 

Get out and about with 

GET OUT AND ABOUT WITH JUST DAYS OUT 

Day trips by coach with a friendly courier, 

including entrance fees and/or meals 

Joining Points: Chineham, Basingstoke, Brighton Hill, Hartley Wintney, Hook, Hatch & Yateley. DON’T FORGET TO JOIN OUR MAILING LIST 

Cadbury World Heritage Tour 

and light Afternoon Tea; 

Tuesday 8th June; Price: £72 per 

person | JDO Members: £64.80 

Take a trip down memory lane and explore 

the world of Cadbury’s chocolates including a 

visit to the famous Bournville Village. Uncover 

a world of chocolate delights and enjoy a 

fascinating fun-packed day out at Cadbury 

World. You’ll discover the making and magic 

behind the Cadbury brand. 

Day Trip to the Isle of Wight 

visiting Osborne House and a Fish 

& Chip lunch at the delightful 

Waterfront Inn at Shanklin; 

Sunday 4th July; Price: £89 per 

person | JDO Members: £80.10 

Osborne House was the favourite seaside 

residence of Queen Victoria and you’ll have time 

to visit the House & Gardens in the morning and 

then travel to the seaside resort of Shanklin for 

lunch Includes: coach travel and ferry crossings 

Eastbourne & Beachy Head 

including a Fish & Chip 

Lunch; Thursday 15th July; 

Price: £65 per person | JDO 

Members: £58.50 

Welcome to the 

UK's sunniest 

place. Feel the 

energy of the 

endless blue 

skies, sweeping 

South Downs 

countryside, colourful art scene and 

warm sunshine. You’ll enjoy lunch 

when you arrive, then free time in 

Eastbourne before travelling to Beachy 

Head including a visit to the new 

Beachy Head Exhibition centre. 

Yes its back...A Day Trip to Guernsey. Friday 2nd July; Price: £89 per person | JDO Members: £80.10 

One of our most popular excursions of recent years. We take you down to Poole Harbour where you join the Condor High Speed 

ferry “Condor Liberation” for the 3 hour crossing to Guernsey. You’ll enjoy a full English Breakfast on the outbound journey and 

a hot meal on the return journey. You’ll have up to 4 hours ashore in Guernsey to explore St. Peter Port. (please note this trip 

will operate subject to the approval of the Guernsey authorities under the covid regulations applicable at the time of travel) 

Sussex Prairie Gardens & Borde Hill 

Gardens including a buffet lunch 

Thursday 17th June; Price: £89 per 

person JDO Members: £80.10 

New for 2021 is our visit to two gardens. First a private 

viewing of Sussex Prairie Gardens with tea/coffee on 

arrival and a welcome talk by the owners and then we 

travel to Borde Hill Gardens where you will enjoy a 

buffet lunch in the Marquee before exploring the 

gardens in the afternoon where the roses should be in 

full bloom! 

————————————————————————————- 

A day by the sea visiting Poole, 

Sandbanks, Studland and Swanage 

Sunday 20th June; Price: £49 per 

person JDO Members: £44.10 This lovely 

day out includes a visit to Poole seafront and marina 

and then we take you on a journey to admire 

Sandbanks and Studland before finishing at Swanage. 

You can travel safely on our socially distanced day trips or tours and we expect our 

travellers to wear face masks or face shields during the journey. Our coaches are 

cleaned and sanitised after each trip and the air conditioning system is fitted with a 

special filter to eradicate any germs. Call us for a copy our latest tour programme. 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO 

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AND SAVE 10% on all our Day Trips 

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18 | 

NEWS 


Boyzone singer backs specific 

needs children’s clothing range 

GEORGE at Asda has become the 

first supermarket retailer in the 

UK to offer clothing especially 

designed for children with specific 

or sensory-sensitive needs such as 

autism, through its Easy On Easy 

Wear range. 

Research from George has shown 

that the move is sorely needed – 8 in 

10 parents (79%) of children with specific 

needs say that it is difficult to get 

their children dressed every day. As 

such, nine in ten (89%) say they have 

become ‘distressed or upset’ trying 

to dress their children or watching 

them try to dress themselves, with 

nearly half (45%) saying this is the 

case ‘most or every day’. Similarly, 

90% say their children themselves 

often get distressed whilst trying to 

get dressed. 

The research found that it takes 

nearly twice as long (88% longer) for 

children with specific needs to get 

dressed. This is due to clothing being 

designed with neuro-typical children 

in mind – for example with tight necklines, 

hard to do up buttons or nonelasticated 

cuffs – that is not always 

suitable for children with conditions 

such as autism. 

Commenting on the launch of 

George’s new range, singer, actor 

and long-time autism awareness campaigner 

Keith Duffy said: “I know 

first-hand just how difficult it can be to 

find clothes that children with specific 

needs are happy and comfortable in. 

Not only do they want to feel physically 

comfortable but they also don’t want to 

look or feel different from their friends 

when having to wear specially adapted 

clothes. There are more children with 

specific needs than you might think 

and yet there are not enough options 

to clothe them, which is why I think 

George’s new Easy On Easy Wear 

range will be a lifeline to parents up 

and down the country, helping their 

Keith Duffy 

Photo Credit The Lisa 

Richards Agency 

Newlook in Festival Place is holding a 

student discount event on 

Thursday 15th April 4pm-7pm 

Students will receive 20% off all full 

price (excluding concessions) 

Be in with a chance to win 

2 x £10 gift cards 

children to feel independent and just 

like everybody else.” 

There is more of a need for speciallydesigned 

clothing than many may 

realise. Approximately 2.5% of children 

in the UK are believed to have 

a learning disability. Looking specifically 

at autism, diagnoses are on the 

rise and it is estimated that approximately 

one in every 100 children in 

the UK has autism. In addition, it is 

thought that for every three children 

with a diagnosis, there are another 

two who have the condition but have 

not been given a formal diagnosis 

Tom Purser, Head of Campaigns 

at the National Autistic Society, said: 

“It’s great to hear that George at Asda 

will be developing autism-friendly 

clothing for children. Parents often 

tell us how sensory sensitivities can 

mean that autistic children struggle 

Follow us on instagram & check 

out our new spring collection across 

all departments 

@newlookbasingstoke & download 

our New Look app 

with clothing, like an itchy label, a 

scratchy seam or an uncomfortable 

fabric. 

Finding clothing their children can 

wear can make shopping for clothes 

time consuming and stressful. Many 

parents have to scour specialist shops 

for everyday items that other families 

are able to buy easily. So, it makes a 

real difference when a major retailer 

takes this on. Simple changes like 

removing a scratchy label make an 

enormous difference. Around one in 

a hundred children are autistic in the 

UK – that’s around 120,000 school-age 

children - and they deserve to have 

the same choices as everyone else. 

We hope that even more retailers will 

come up with similar ideas, and do 

their bit to help create a society that 

works for autistic people.” 

Caroline Hicks, Head of Schoolwear 

at George, said: “We’re very proud to 

be the first supermarket retailer in 

the UK to offer clothing especially for 

children with specific needs. We have 

undertaken extensive research with 

customers and charities to ensure our 

clothing is suitable for them. 

Our main goal was to create clothing 

that allows independent dressing 

and that is more comfortable, thus 

addressing some of the challenges 

with clothing not designed for specific 

needs children. Seventy-one percent 

of children with autism attend mainstream 

schools. We know that these 

children want to look the same as their 

peers, so we have designed the range 

to look just like the rest of the school 

clothing we offer. The collection also 

comes with all the great quality, value 

and sustainability that you expect 

from the main range – and all at the 

same price too!” 

The Easy On Easy Wear range was 

launched by George on 6th April and 

is available nationwide via its website 

at www.george.com. 

Invest in grassroots sports to 

allow youngsters to thrive 

SPORTING activities have returned 

and now is a great time to invest in 

grassroots sports to give young people 

the best opportunity to thrive. 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight 

Community Foundation (HIWCF) 

is working with Made By Sport to 

offer the Clubs In Crisis Fund, which 

will leave a long-lasting, positive 

legacy for the future of young people. 

The Made By Sport #ClubsInCrisis 

Fund, supported by the Cash4Clubs 

scheme, opened to funding applications 

on 12th April. Organisations 

that deliver sports development 

programmes for young people up to 

the age of 25 are eligible to apply for 

a grant of up to £2,021. Community 

sports clubs and organisations based 

in Hampshire can find out more 

and apply via the HIWCF website 

before 17th May 2021: www.hiwcf. 

com/grant/made-by-sport/ 

In order to be eligible, clubs and 

organisations must show how they 

use sport to help young people 

develop in areas including employment 

opportunities, reducing crime 

and anti-social behaviour or tackling 

mental health issues. The aim of the 

grants is to encourage 

and develop a range of 

life skills and knowledge 

that benefits both the 

individual and the local 

community. 

Sophie Mason, CEO 

at Made By Sport commented: 

“Whilst community 

sport provision is in 

a precarious state right 

now, there has never 

been more recognition 

that sport is fundamental 

to our individual, 

community and societal 

development. If sport 

at its most grassroots 

level is denied, we risk 

a huge rise in mental 

health issues, anti-social 

behaviour and lack of life 

skills that lead to better 

employment opportunities. This fund 

will make a massive difference to 

thousands of communities all across 

the UK. We are delighted to be working 

with UK Community Foundations 

to make sure this support reaches 

the clubs that really need it.” 

Kate Shurety, Interim CEO at 

HIWCF added: “We know this money 

is needed now and we’re thrilled to 

support this fund alongside Made 

By Sport. Our Community Foundation 

network enables us to reach 

into every community, to support 

organisations that make a real difference 

and this initiative will provide 

young people with opportunities to 

develop their skills and confidence 

after all the challenges and disruption 

they have experienced over the 

past year.” 

HIWCF is committed to supporting 

the resources and projects of smaller 

community groups and voluntary 

organisations across Hampshire 

and the Isle of Wight. During 2020 

the Foundation raised over £2.3 

million to help disadvantaged and 

vulnerable people impacted by the 

Covid-19 pandemic.”


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20 | 

NEWS 


Merger offers 

new START 

COMMUNITY First has merged with 

BRASACC to form an expanded rape and 

sexual abuse counselling service for Central 

and North Hampshire. 

BRASACC will be amalgamated with 

Community First’s Rape and Sexual Abuse 

Counselling service (RASAC), creating a 

new service, START (Sexual Trauma and 

Abuse Restorative Therapy). Bringing the 

two organisations together creates the best 

chance of long term sustainability, whilst 

offering greater service capacity to clients. 

Clients currently in counselling will continue 

as normal, with the same counsellor, until 

their sessions come to an end. 

START will continue to deliver counselling 

from bases closest to clients, currently 

in Winchester, Andover and Basingstoke, 

with plans to extend to Hart and Rushmoor 

in the coming year. 

START will offer face-to-face counselling 

services, supplemented by on-line and 

telephone counselling as options, plus peer 

support groups. 

Trevor Lewis, Vice-Chair of Community 

First said: “This is an exciting opportunity 

for both 

RASAC and BRASACC, we look forward 

to the launch of START, working for the 

benefit of our service users, staff and volunteers, 

focusing on reducing waiting times 

and broadening our service offerings.” 

Kathy Wilson, Chair of BRASACC added: 

“Both BRASACC and RASAC have been 

providing specialist counselling services in a 

very complex area for many years and we 

have shared ethical and professional values 

which make us a good fit. BRASSAC joining 

Community First gives us a better opportunity, 

through START, to sustain this much 

needed service for the long-term. 

We would like to thank our funders for 

their support which sustains these much 

needed services, including The Ministry of 

Justice (through the Hampshire OPCC), 

the Hampshire 

OPCC, HCC and the NHS, plus our 

many donors and the activities of the 

Friends of RASAC, now to become the 

Friends of START.” 

Nationwide efforts for local 

community are applauded 

NATIONWIDE Building Society has 

been reaching out to support the local 

community from its base at Festival 

Place. 

Following an appeal by the Heatherside 

Rest Home in Hook, members 

of Nationwide’s Basingstoke, Alton 

and Crowthorne branches put pen 

to paper and wrote letters to lonely 

care home residents. 

They have also been packing up parcels 

for Spotlight UK, a local charity 

supporting children and young people 

across the region, which has joined 

forces with Covid 19 Basingstoke to 

help the most vulnerable in the community 

get through the pandemic by 

supplying food parcels and hygiene 

products. 

Nicole Peacock, Nationwide Basingstoke’s 

Senior Branch Manager, 

said: “When we saw the heartwarming 

appeal by the Heatherside Rest 

Home for pen pals for residents who 

have been feeling isolated during 

the pandemic, our staff decided they 

wanted to help. At a time when Covid 

has left so many people feeling cut off 

and lonely, we thought this would be a 

lovely thing to be a part of, and letters 

have gone out from our Basingstoke, 

Alton and Crowthorne branches. 

Our staff have also come in on their 

own time to pack food parcels for the 

charity Spotlight UK and we also collected 

Easter eggs for them, which 

were delivered to local families in 

need to make them smile.It’s all about 

helping and supporting our community, 

and we have had a brilliant time 

getting involved.” 

Neil Churchill, Centre Director at 

Festival Place, said “We consider 

ourselves to be at the heart of our local 

community, and are keen to encourage 

all our wonderful customers to 

support the Nationwide’s efforts to 

spread a little kindness in these difficult 

times.” 

Residents and relatives connect 

Smart acquisition expands 

care provider portfolio 

FOR residents at Cherry Blossom 

Manor care home in Bramley, the 

long awaited reunion with one family 

member has become a reality, as one 

single named visitor is now allowed to 

visit each resident in their bedroom. 

There has been much anticipation 

of this moment by families and residents 

alike. 

Despite the need for testing and 

social distancing, it was still welcome 

news for so many residents and their 

family members to be able to meet in 

the comfort of their bedroom. Residents 

and their designated visitor 

enjoyed getting together and catching 

up face to face. 

Gigi Despojo General Manager at 

the home, said: “This is the first cautious 

step towards having a buzz of 

visitors in the home again. It was 

wonderful to see how happy it made 

the residents and their relatives. We 

have a great booking system in place 

to ensure the visits are well organised, 

and visitors are doing a great 

job of following the safety measures 

to keep everyone as safe as possible. 

For those that are not able to come 

inside the home we are pleased to be 

able to continue to offer visits in our 

visiting suites or outdoors when the 

weather allows.” 

Amanda Crowden resident at Cherry 

Blossom said: “The staff here have 

been so wonderful supporting me 

to use video calls and creating the 

visiting suite so I could keep in touch 

with my family, but nothing beats 

seeing my husband in the comfort 

of my bedroom. This was a special 

moment, and I was over the moon.” 

APEX Prime Care is expanding its 

services across the South, with the 

acquisition of Smart Care. 

Apex Prime Care is a domiciliary 

care provider with branches across 

the South. 

The acquisition will allow Apex 

Prime Care to develop their presence 

across Hampshire. The directors of 

Smart Care, Paul King and Alex Van 

Oortmerssen, retired on Thursday 

1st April and the company is set to be 

incorporated into Apex Prime Care 

from Monday 19th April. 

“We aim to foster an atmosphere 

of care and support, enabling our 

service users to live as full, interesting 

and independent a lifestyle as 

possible.” said Malcolm Patrick, Managing 

Director, Apex Prime Care. 

“Our values align with Smart Care 

and this expansion is a testament 

to our desire to make independent 

living possible for all.” 

The takeover will deliver an additional 

2,000 hours of care each week 

and take the company’s total number 

of branches to over 25. 

The importance of Home Care 

Assistants has heightened throughout 

the pandemic as they have served 

as a lifeline to the communities most 

vulnerable.


01256 639 500

22 | 


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loose coins also required – PLEASE OFFER 

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OLD COIN COLLECTIONS NEEDED 

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NEED VINTAGE WOODEN COIN CABINETS and modern 

cases of coins WITH/WITHOUT COINS 

MILITARY/CAMPAIGN/AIR FORCE 

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ephemera and equipment urgently wanted 

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24 | 

NEWS 


Basingstoke Shed 

BASINGSTOKE Shed is based on the Mens Shed 

concept which provides a communal space where 

you can feel at home, socialise and pursue a variety of 

practical interests. 

It’s an opportunity to meet up and share the tools, 

skills and resources to work on various projects. 

Members make their own items and sometimes community 

projects supporting the local neighbourhood. 

Activities are varied with members working at their 

own pace in a safe, friendly and inclusive environment. 

The team are hoping to welcome new members 

and are looking to encourage men to come together 

to work and generally enjoy a fulfilling time. 

A spokesperson explained: “We love to make things 

together. We share practical interests and various 

tools and machines. Come and enjoy the company 

and humour of fellow Shedders. Maybe turn your 

hand to making community project pieces.The social 

interaction and banter help combat the isolation and 

loneliness we often associate with retired men and 

women. Our Shed contains a wood and metalwork 

lathe, a pillar drill, band saw and bench saw along 

with a planer, sanders and lots of hand tools both 

powered and manual. We also have a kettle and enjoy 

tea or coffee breaks with a biscuit and a good chat, of 

course. Existing members have worked as electricians, 

plumbers, heating engineers, joiners, IT Support, 

Product Manager, Electrical Engineers, Teacher 

and Facilities Manager. We often repair and even 

restore items where multiple skills might be required. 

We hope that in time you will join us and have 

fun making things, as well as enjoying the friendship, 

humour and support of your fellow Shed members. 

We very much look forward to hearing from you.” 

Basingstoke Shed is part of the UK Mens Shed 

Association (UKMSA) and there are now some 603 

Sheds throughout the UK. YOu can learn more 

online at: www.basingstokeshed.org.uk. 

NOW OPEN! 

Children delighted by 

flying visit to hospices 

THIS Easter, the children visiting 

Naomi House & Jacksplace were 

paid a surprise visit by the Easter 

Bunny. 

The Easter Bunny made a special 

visit to the local hospices for children 

and young adults, and flew in by 

helicopter to deliver a whole load 

of Easter eggs for the children to 

enjoy. The visit and flight were made 

possible by the Gazelle Squadron 

Display Team. 

Huw Bromage, Activities Team 

Leader at Naomi House & Jacksplace, 

said: “It was a real treat 

for the children to see the Easter 

Bunny appear from a helicopter 

in the Naomi House garden, and 

we’re grateful for the chocolatey 

goodies the Easter Bunny brought 

along, too! Events like these create 

special memories for all the children, 

young adults and families who use 

our services.” 

This visit comes after celebrities 

and gamers helped raise over £17,500 

for Naomi House & Jacksplace during 

the recent online gaming event; 

Game On! 

Players set challenges to help their 

fundraising efforts, some gamed for 

24 hours and others set forfeits, like 

shaving their heads. 

Inbetweeners star James Buckley, 

comedian Glenn Moore and a prolific 

streamer on gaming website Twitch, 

who goes by the name ‘Sheila’, 

all got involved to support Naomi 

House & Jacksplace. 

The hospices had originally set 

a £5,000 goal for the entire weekend, 

starting on the 26th and 

finishing on the 28th of March. 

However, in just the first few 

hours of James Buckley’s stream 

Animal Farm voted nation’s 

favourite school book 2021 

GEORGE Orwell’s political fable 

Animal Farm has been voted the 

nation’s favourite ever school book, 

in new research commissioned 

ahead to mark International Children’s 

Book Day on 2nd April. 

The study conducted by Oxford 

Home Schooling, asked 2,000 UK 

adults which books they most 

enjoyed reading when at school 

and Animal Farm was selected 

by a quarter (25%) of respondents. 

The novella was followed in the 

rankings by Charles Dickens’ A 

Christmas Carol (21%) and John 

Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (19%). 

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird 

is the most popular school book 

written by a female author (18%), 

placing sixth on the overall list. 

Orwell and Dickens both appear 

twice in the top 10, as does William 

Shakespeare, showing his 

timeless appeal to all ages. Romeo 

and Juliet is the UK’s favourite 

play by The Bard (19%), ahead of 

Macbeth (15%). 

The UK’s top 10 favourite school 

books are: Animal Farm, George 

Orwell; A Christmas Carol, Charles 

Dickens; Of Mice and Men, John 

Steinbeck; 1984, George Orwell; 

Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare; 

To Kill a Mockingbird, 

Harper Lee; Great Expectations, 

Charles Dickens; Macbeth, William 

Shakespeare; Jane Eyre, Charlotte 

Brontë; Lord of the Flies, William 

Golding. 

The majority of the most popular 

books are from the 1900s, but 

three 21st century works made 

this goal was exceeded, when James 

and his fans raised a total of £6,840. 

Connor Phillips, event organiser at 

Naomi House & Jacksplace shared: 

“Everyone at Naomi House & Jacksplace 

has been blown away by the 

generosity of the online gaming 

community. 

We have been so grateful for not 

only James, Glenn and Sheila’s support 

but all of our fantastic participants. 

The donations make such a huge 

difference to our hospices and 

enables our charity to care for lifelimited 

children, young adults and 

families. 

We cannot thank you all enough 

and hope to see you back at next 

year’s Game On!’’ 

the top 40. John Boyne’s haunting 

Holocaust novel, The Boy in the 

Striped Pyjamas, published in 2006, 

was the highest rated work from 

this millennium (30th), with Mark 

Haddon’s The Curious Incident of 

the Dog in the Night-Time from 

2003 and Noughts and Crosses by 

Malorie Blackman in 2001 also 

featuring highly. 

Greg Smith, Head of Operations 

at Oxford Home Schooling, said: 

“The books we read at school can 

affect our general interest in reading 

in later life, so it’s really important 

that people enjoy the novels 

given to them. 

Animal Farm is an incredibly 

powerful story and it’s not surprising 

to see that people remember it 

fondly. It also topped our rankings 

when we ran this study five years 

ago, showing that its popularity 

is enduring. 

However, it’s also interesting to 

see other works creep up towards 

the top of the lists. We’ll have to see 

whether Orwell can complete a hattrick 

in years to come, or whether 

a new favourite will emerge!”

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 25

26 | NEWS 

Residents face 

energy bill hike 

MORE than 1.3 million households face 

a £324 million rise in their energy bills at 

the end of April as 56 fi xed deals come 

to an end as revealed by new data 

from Uswitch.com, the comparison and 

switching service. 

Affected households could see their 

bills rise signifi cantly, by £244 on average, 

as they are moved automatically 

onto a Standard Variable Tariff (SVT), 

which are typically among the worst 

value deals on the market. Some customers 

could even see their bills rise by 

as much as £319. 

The potential increased cost to consumers 

is the highest it has been since 

July 2019. 

Energy bills have risen since Ofgem 

increased the price cap by £96 at 

the beginning of April, impacting the 

estimated 11 million people on standard 

tariffs. With time running out until the 

end of the month when the 56 fi xed 

plans come to an end, Uswitch is now 

urging customers to check the status 

of their current energy deal and take 

action now if their deal is due to expire. 

There is currently a £234 gap 

between the cost of the best deals 

on the market and the £1,138 default 

energy price cap. 

Sarah Broomfi eld, energy expert at 

Uswitch.com, said: “The cost of not 

switching to a new plan when your 

deal comes to an end can be huge, and 

consumers could soon be spending 

as much as £319 more a year on their 

energy if they don’t take action. More 

than a million households will be on 

the receiving end of a shock increase 

in their energy bills from next month if 

they don’t act quickly. The good news 

is that it is simple to switch suppliers, 

and the process can take as little as ten 

minutes. You can also use our online 

guide to fi nd out if your tariff is due to 

end and what to do next.” 

Light pollution 

is reduced 

A nationwide Star Count conducted in 

February has revealed a signifi cant drop 

in light pollution levels across Hampshire. 

The annual citizen science project 

asked people to count the number of 

stars they see in the Orion constellation. 

Nearly 400 counts were submitted 

across Hampshire between 6 and 14 

February with 47% of people noting 

ten or fewer stars, indicating severe light 

pollution. 

This compares to 61% during the 

same period last year. 

Crispin Truman, chief executive of 

CPRE, the countryside charity, said: 

‘It’s been an absolutely stellar year for 

Star Count. We had three times as 

many people taking part compared 

to previous years and I’m delighted 

to see severe light pollution in the 

appears to have fallen. It’s likely this is 

an unintended positive consequence of 

lockdown, as our nighttime habits have 

changed. Let’s hope we can hold onto 

some of this achievement as we ‘unlock. 

Looking up at a starry night sky is a 

magical sight and one that we believe 

everyone should be able to experience, 

wherever they live. And the great thing 

is, light pollution is one of the easiest 

kinds of pollution to reverse - by 

ensuring well designed lighting is used 

only where and when needed, and 

that there is strong national and local 

government policy.” 

NO matter where you go in Hampshire, 

you’re never very far from 

water. Our chalk streams, in particular, 

are so entwined with the 

landscape that even miles from their 

banks you can still be close to them. 

But to understand how, we need to 

begin miles underground and millions 

of years ago. 

Long before people roamed the 

earth, the space that is now Hampshire 

lay beneath a shallow sea. The 

warm water teemed with coccolithophores 

- tiny algae which thrived in 

the plentiful sunlight. Though each one 

was microscopically small, together 

they would build something incredible. 

As eons passed, the exoskeletons of 

these algae settled in their trillions on 

the sea floor. The weight of millennia 

pressed them into a layer of chalk that 

in some places towered to hundreds 

of metres. Rich in calcium carbonate, 

this rock’s bright white colour echoed 

its bony ancestry. 

In time the sea receded, exposing 

the chalk to ice, wind, and rain. The 

elements wore away its soft surface, 

shaping it into rolling downs and winding 

valleys. In some places the rock 

was blanketed with material from 

retreating glaciers, while elsewhere it 

lay just below the soil. Through a happy 

collision of natural forces, wildlife had 

gained a mighty ally. 

True to its aquatic origins, chalk has 

an almost magical relationship with 

water. In our county, so much rain 

disappears into the ground that one 

might picture a vast lake deep below. 

The truth is rather more bizarre: the 

chalk is riddled with tiny holes, enabling 

it to soak up water like a giant 

sponge. This rock reservoir, known 

as an aquifer, has a truly staggering 

liquid capacity. 

When the rock is fully saturated, 

its cargo makes a bid for freedom. It 

bursts onto the surface as springs - 

the sources of our chalk streams. In 

higher parts of the landscape, where 

the aquifer rarely fills completely, 

intermittent streams called ‘bournes’ 

can dry out into grassy hollows for 

months or even years at a time. Those 

that appear only in the very wettest 


Rock of Ages: Discovering 

Hampshire’s Hidden Aquifer 

Aquatic plants visible through the ‘ginclear’ 

water of the River Itchen © Guy 

Edwardes/2020VISION 

River Itchen underwater © Linda 

Pitkin_2020VISION 

seasons earn the title ‘winterbournes’. 

While this process is straightforward, 

it is anything but speedy. A 

stream’s resurgence can occur months 

after the wet weather that prompted 

it, and water can take decades to fully 

traverse the aquifer. The timescale is 

predictably unpredictable: the only 

certainty is that what goes in will, 

eventually, come out again. 

When water does re-emerge from 

the aquifer, it has been fundamentally 

changed by its subterranean journey. 

It leaves the rock filtered of impurities 

and slightly alkaline; since rain 

is naturally acidic, it dissolves a little 

of the chalk during its passage. This 

suits species like the white-clawed 

crayfish, which uses calcium to harden 

its shell, and water crowfoot, which is 

hungry for bicarbonate ions. 

Passing through miles of rock lowers 

the water’s temperature, causing 

it to arrive at around 11 °C regardless 

of the season. With this coldness 

comes abundant oxygen - a valuable 

quality for fish like brown trout and 

freshwater eels, which can suffocate 

in overly warm water. Aquatic plants 

are just as appreciative, and their 

increased growth lays the foundation 

for a vibrant ecosystem. 

Sediment, which in excess can menace 

a whole host of species, is also 

found in lower-than-average quantities. 

In other landscapes much of the 

sediment in streams is washed in by 

heavy rain, but chalk is so absorbent 

that relatively little rain stays on the 

surface. This helps to keep the gravelly 

stream beds clean and the water itself 

famously ‘gin-clear’. 

While these qualities are all unusual, 

the consistency of the water’s presence 

is also significant. The aquifer 

can maintain a flow for months after 

being topped up by rain, creating a 

relatively stable aquatic environment. 

Species in the intermittent streams, 

meanwhile, live in sync with their 

transient nature; many insects have 

drought-resistant eggs, which lie dormant 

until the water’s return. 

Just like the rock which held it, the 

water in our chalk streams is a window 

through time. When it returns to the 

surface, it carries not only the remains 

of ancient algae but also mankind’s 

destructive legacy. Pollutants that 

entered the aquifer decades ago are 

still emerging today, and our own 

choices - whether good or bad - will be 

the inheritance of future generations. 

It takes distressingly little human 

activity to undo the gifts the aquifer 

gives us. Fertilisers from agriculture 

can acidify the water, while eroding 

White clawed crayfi sh © Linda 

Pitkin/2020VISION 

banks can introduce sediment. Poor 

management can leave streams shallow 

and sluggish, drastically raising 

the water temperature. Tapping the 

groundwater to supply homes and 

businesses can cause whole stretches 

to artificially run dry. 

While the prevalence of chalk 

streams in Hampshire creates the 

impression of abundance, in reality 

they are vanishingly rare. The circumstances 

which formed them are so 

specific that only 210 exist worldwide. 

This scarcity makes them vulnerable, 

and their wildlife - so perfectly 

adapted - has nowhere else to go. If 

we’re not careful, these waters born 

from prehistoric rock could soon be 

history. 

So what can we do to protect these 

precious habitats? There are many 

ways in which our lives affect our 

chalk streams, giving us the chance 

to significantly brighten their future. 

One way to get involved is through 

Watercress and Winterbournes, a 

partnership scheme which is caring 

for seven such streams. 

Many thanks to Hampshire and Isle 

of Wight Wildlife Trust for sharing 

this article.


The Malls welcome you back we have had an 

extensive deep clean for your safety. 

Please wear your masks and follow the 

Government guides. 

We welcome the famous Hog Roast 

back from Gourmet Grill.

28 | 


Welcome Back To Basingstok 

Continued from front 

visiting the town centre and avoiding the 

busiest times of the day.” 

Assistant Chief Constable Maggie Blyth 

commented:“April 12 marked the start of 

some easing of restrictions and while the 

move towards ‘normal’ life is welcome, 

there are rules still in place and that’s 

important to remember when planning 

activities with family and friends. We can’t 

become complacent and risk undermining 

what we’ve achieved so far. 

We are still in the midst of a pandemic 

and everyone’s priority needs to be the 

safety of themselves and others. 

It’s important to remember that you can 

only meet friends and family outdoors, 

and that the rule of six or two households 

remains in place. 

We will continue to use the tried and 

tested approach of engaging, explaining, 

and encouraging with those that we come 

into contact with in our communities. We 

will use enforcement as a last resort, but 

those involved in blatant breaches of the 

Health Protection Regulations, such as at 

indoor parties, can still expect to receive 

afi n e . 

Our local Neighbourhood Policing 

Teams have identified local areas that 

may see increased numbers of people 

outdoors and alongside our partners we 

have put in place regular patrols and will 

provide support to businesses and individuals 

as needed, to ensure that everyone 

stays safe.” 

Libraries have also reopened their doors 

to the public for browsing. 

Hampshire County Council’s Director 

for Culture, Communities and Business 

Services, Felicity Roe, said: “We’ve worked 

hard to offer residents a range of digital 

and ‘order & collect’ services throughout 

the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can’t wait 

to welcome people back through the doors 

in the coming weeks. There are a range of 

measures in place to provide added reassurance 

to our customers. This includes 

reduced capacity to allow social distancing, 

pre-booking for public computers, 

and the quarantine of all books returned 

to us. We are also encouraging library 

users to use self-service machines, cashless 

payments and to download our app 

which enables you to check out books on 

your smartphone.” 

Steve Lucy, Managing Director of 

Observer Media Group explained why it 

was so important to shine a light on these 

local businesses and services: “As a local 

independent business ourselves, we can 

truly appreciate and empathise with other 

local businesses and the challenges that we 

have all faced over the last twelve months. 

I was so pleased to catch up personally 

with all of the businesses featured today 

and wish each and every one of them all 

the very best moving forward.” 

“It is amazing to fi nally open the doors and to see all our 

lovely customers again.” 

Sabrina, Manager Consol 

“We are very pleased 

to fully open again the 

social aspects of trading 

online are nothing 

compared to face to face 

customer interaction.” 

Alan Stone - Owner 

Squirrels 

“It’s brilliant to see the Top of Town so full of people again and we 

look forward to serving you all soon in our outdoor seating area.” 

Mary Stevens, Owner Willows 

“I am delighted to welcome all our customers back and I am looking 

forward to seeing them soon.” 

Sava, Sava’s Tailoring 

“Really glad to see our lovely clients again,” 

Joanne, Owner English Rose 

“At last we are back and busy. See you soon!” 

Milan Hairdressing, Owner 

“Really pleased to serve so 

outdoor seating area. Look 

Trudie Gregory, Manage


e 

The Malls Shopping Centre welcomes 

its shoppers back into town 

During the Lockdown year the team 

has been working tirelessly to ensure the 

cleanliness and safety of everyone who 

visits. 

Sue Harris – Centre Manager shared:” I 

am so proud of the Malls Team, the three 

of us on the Management side, Security 

and Cleaning staff. Without my team we 

would not have kept the Malls area both as 

safe and clean as we have done. Our keep 

left barrier system will remain in place, as 

safety to our visitors is in the forefront of 

our minds, at all times. 

Bucking most trends across the country, 

we have successfully opened two shops 

during Lockdown. The first being iRepair, 

a mobile phone repair centre, which has 

managed to keep trading with a drop and 

collect system from the front door. 

Secondly, Prime Opticians, a new independent 

Opticians, dealing with all the 

modern techniques in Optometry. With 

designer brands and styles and are happy 

to go the extra mile to try and source what 

you need. 

Also, we are very pleased to announce 

that Bon Marche will be re-opening, along 

with all the other shops in the Malls. 

The barrier system will be back in place 

to control the queues for Primark, please 

remember you social distancing and 

respect others. 

The rule of thumb for across the town 

is Sanitise your HANDS, wear your FACE 

mask, keep a safe SPACE, avoid grouping 

and things will start to return to normality 

again. 

Welcome back!” 

“Thank goodness we are back! See you soon!” 

Alan Knight, Stones Jewellers 

Shoppers queuing patiently. 

“I have been looking forward to getting my nails done for weeks, 

my hands actually look like mine again, I am so happy. Thank you 

to the team at Citrine Spa.” 

Customer, Citrine Spa 

“Tutu2Tango are looking forward to some tutu-ing and 

tangoing soon.” 

Katrina Pearce, Owner 

“We welcome everyone to the 

Top of the Town. Come and 

support all your local shops.” 

Kishor Patel, Owner Surya’s 

International Food Store 

“At last we are back and ready looking forward to 

cutting your hair.” 

Bekir, Owner Golden Scissors 

many customers old and new in our heated 

ing forward to seeing you soon.” 

r Festival Street Kitchen

30 | 


Encouraging signs as 

town unlocks 

By Neil Churchill, Festival Place Centre Director 

“Nice to see life injected back into the Top of Town.” 

Eric, Manager Vape Store 

“We are all extremely excited to be reopening 

after such a long time. We look forward to being 

of assistance in Cross Street.” 

Joshu, Eveliba, Ashoka, Basingstoke Wellness 

“It’s fantastic to be back and say hello to all the ARC 

clients again ... we are ready!” 

Phil Robbins, Owner ARC 

“Great to see the Top of Town so full of people. We 

look forward to serving you soon in our outside area.” 

Ugur Cigdem, Manager Poppins 

Basingstoke opened its doors again 

this week and despite very wintry 

weather, the public were undeterred 

and came out in force to support their 

town. 

Perhaps what was most encouraging 

wasn’t just the volume of people, 

but the way in which they behaved. 

Unlike the last time lockdown 

restrictions were lifted, people seem 

more accepting – even conditioned 

– to the safety measures that are in 

place. People have followed the oneway 

systems, they’ve not questioned 

the wearing of face coverings and noone 

was interested in breaking social 

distancing rules, whether in trying 

to get their first pint, or a look inside 

Primark again. 

Walking around the town and Festival 

Place, it was great to see the public 

out and about again. It all felt very 

under control, positive and happy, but 

sensible. Speaking to people, their 

views were, that they wanted to get 

back to some normality, but not at 

any cost. 

There is now an acceptance that in 

order to enjoy more freedoms, we have 

to remain aware of safety and hygiene 

guidelines and not throw caution to the 

wind. It’s this incredibly encouraging 

attitude – along with the ongoing vaccination 

rollout – that could just make 

the big difference this time around. 

Before Monday, we didn’t know 

how people would react – stick to 

their online worlds or venture out. 

So far, we have seen that people are 

prepared to do both. And as long as 

the town continues to work together 

and support each other, there couldn’t 

have been a more encouraging start. 

“ We are happy to be back and really looking forward to seeing 

you all again soon!” 

Charlotte, Manager Naomi House & Jacksplace 

“Great to be back we look forward to 

seeing you soon.” 

Michael Sydney, Owner Nail Master 

“Great to be open and looking forward to seeing you soon.” 

Syed, Owner Prime Opticians 

“We are delighted to 

see the Top of Town 

so busy and now we 

have reopened, we will 

be happy to help you 

with all your appliance 

servicing requirements. 

We are glad to be back 

and extend a welcome to 

customers old and new.” 

Sandra, Basingstoke 

Service Centre 

“Really glad to be open again. Ready to see you soon. 

Owner, Beauty by Aga


Volunteering at the 

Cinnamon Trust 

New classes to get people moving 

By Jo Davidson 

I’VE always wanted my own dog, 

but working full time means unfortunately 

I can’t commit to having 

one of my own. It was through my 

Great Auntie that I first heard of 

the Cinnamon Trust, as she also 

volunteers for the charity. 

I have always wanted to volunteer 

my time and give back to my 

local community, and with a love 

for dogs, what better charity to 

volunteer for than the Cinnamon 

Trust. 

Almost immediately after signing 

up to become a volunteer in 

June 2019, I was contacted by the 

Trust to say there was an elderly 

lady local to me that needed help 

in walking her three year old Snug 

(Schitzu X Pug), Poppy. I was so 

excited that I had been given my 

first dog to walk! 

As soon as I met her lovely owner 

Elizabeth and Poppy herself, I 

knew we were going to be best 

buddies! 

I walk Poppy for an hour every 

Saturday morning and I can honestly 

say she’s an absolute dream 

to walk; she’s well behaved, loves 

other dogs and people and gives 

the best cuddles! I usually walk 

her locally but sometimes take her 

in the car to a larger field where 

she loves to have a good sniff and 

explore, as it’s somewhere new. 

Not only does volunteering with 

the Cinnamon Trust get you out 

and about in the fresh air, you meet 

new people and their dogs whilst 

walking and most importantly, 

you know you’re not only helping 

the dog, but you’re helping the 

owner too. It’s wonderful to know 

I’m giving something back to the 

community. I take pride in telling 

people I am a voluntary dog walker. 

I am so pleased I became a volunteer, 

and hope that I can continue 

to walk Poppy for many years to 

come. 

Thank you to The Cinnamon 

Trust for giving me the opportunity 

to make a new best friend in 

Poppy, thank you to Elizabeth for 

trusting me to walk your little furry 

companion, and most of all thank 

you to Poppy for making me smile 

every Saturday morning! 

FROM May 17th, Home Instead will 

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32 | 


HampshireHe 

UK Space Agency launches drive 

to design hospital of the future 

THE government has invited the 

UK’s world-leading innovators to help 

design a new ‘space age’ hospital that 

could use technologies and techniques 

pioneered on missions to Mars or the 

International Space Station to help 

treat patients and make life easier for 

hard-working NHS staff. 

Up to £5 million of UK Space Agency 

funding is available to support a joint 

initiative with the Hampshire Together: 

Modernising our Hospitals and Health 

Services programme. The programme 

is part of the government’s Health 

Infrastructure Plan, which includes 

the provision of 40 new hospitals across 

England by 2030. 

The space-enabled services could 

be inspired by a whole range of activities 

and technologies pioneered by 

the UK’s growing space sector, which 

currently contributes nearly £15 billion 

to GDP and supports 42,000 jobs. They 

might include new diagnostic tools, 

improved logistics by tracing goods 

or using drones, improving hospital 

parking or better patient reach using 

tele-rehabilitation or care. 

Science Minister Amanda Solloway 

said: “The UK is a world leader in using 

space technology and data to tackle the 

challenges we face on Earth, and this 

initiative is another example of how one 

of our most thriving sectors is driving 

improvements in everyday life. 

As we build back better from the 

pandemic, I am confident that UK 

businesses large and small will come 

forward to produce some truly aweinspiring 

ideas to help design this 

space-age hospital, support our heroic 

NHS staff and ultimately save lives.” 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock 

added: “This trailblazing collaboration 

– bringing together exceptional 

THE continued need for The Fire 

Fighters Charity’s mental health 

support services has been highlighted 

with the publication of 

research claiming that 65% of the 

UK’s fire and rescue service personnel 

have seen a deterioration in their 

mental health during the pandemic. 

The study, conducted by Mind’s relaunched 

Blue Light Programme – of 

which The Fire Fighters Charity is 

a partner – found that mental health 

scientists from the UK Space Agency 

and Hampshire Together – will help us 

apply space age innovations to building 

hospitals of the future. 

The UK is unashamedly pro-tech 

and these government-backed medical 

advancements will give our amazing 

NHS access to some of the most innovative 

technologies.” 

Space is already playing an important 

role in supporting healthcare. The UK 

Space Agency has provided funding 

for projects to help the NHS tackle 

the Coronavirus pandemic, including 

electric drones that navigate via satellite-enabled 

GPS, carrying COVID-19 

samples, test-kits and PPE to improve 

delivery times and free up transport 

infrastructure. 

Health technologies inspired by 

space technologies have helped provide 

real-time diagnosis of bowel cancer, 

developed more compact 3D X-ray 

machines and improved healthcare in 

the community through both remote 

diagnostics and an app targeting people 

at risk of social isolation and mental 

health issues. 

The Hampshire Together programme 

is a partnership between a wide range 

of bodies responsible for the health and 

wellbeing of the people of north and 

mid Hampshire, focused on ensuring 

that any investment is made not just in 

hospital buildings – but in local people. 

Tony Mears, Associate Director of 

Innovation for the Hampshire Together 

programme, said: “We are delighted to 

be working with the UK Space Agency 

as part of our programme. It opens up 

new opportunities for us in terms of 

innovation and technology and shows 

our commitment to incorporating new 

ideas into our plans for the future. 

The UK Space Agency has really 

has worsened across all 999 services, 

with 20% of fire service personnel 

rating their mental health as either 

poor or very poor. 

Funded by The Royal Foundation of 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 

the Blue Light Programme brings 

together The Fire Fighters Charity, 

The Ambulance Staff Charity, Police 

Care UK and Mind to further the 

mental health and wellbeing of the 

UK’s emergency responders. 

helped the NHS to overcome the challenges 

posed by COVID-19 and we are 

excited to see how we can use this 

innovation-by-nature sector to help 

provide the best health and care services 

for people across Hampshire in 

the future.” 

The call for space-inspired ideas 

is supported by the European Space 

Agency’s Space Solutions, through their 

Business Applications programme, 

in which the UK is the leading investor. 

The UK continues to be a leading 

member of ESA, which is independent 

of the EU, having committed a record 

investment of £374 million per year in 

November 2019. 

A panel of experts, including representatives 

from the UK Space Agency, 

Hampshire Together and ESA, will 

assess the proposals for how spacederived 

technologies can contribute to 

the design, development and utilisation 

of services for any new hospital and its 

surrounding community. 

The successful projects, which could 

be new ideas, or using technology that 

already exists in a different way to 

support healthcare, will then be incorporated 

in any new facility, as well 

as the wider health system. Where 

appropriate, these ideas will also be 

used to improve services across the 

area before the construction of any 

new buildings. 

Arnaud Runge, Medical Engineer 

at ESA’s European Space Research 

and Technology Centre, said: “In the 

Speaking of the research, Dr Jill 

Tolfrey, Chief Executive of The Fire 

Fighters Charity said: “We commend 

Mind and the Blue Light Programme 

on the publication of this 

latest research, which once again 

highlights the incredible pressures 

faced by those who work across our 

fire and rescue services. 

Covid-19 has amplified these pressures 

for many on the frontline and 

brought new mental health challenges 

for others. As ever, our role 

at The Fire Fighters Charity is to 

ensure that we are always here for 

those in need. While we have had 

to move our mental health services 

online during the pandemic, we 

have supported thousands through 

virtual consultations over the past 

year and will continue to do so, while 

also bringing back our face-to-face 

services over the weeks to come. 

My message to anyone facing a 

past but also more recently throughout 

the COVID-19 crisis, the use of space 

technologies and satellite data has 

proven to be an essential driver for 

innovation in the healthcare sector to 

address existing and new challenges. 

We are delighted to extend our fruitful 

collaboration with the UK Space 

Agency and NHS in this exciting initiative 

and demonstrate how space can 

contribute today to shape the hospital 

of tomorrow.” 

Mental health research welcomed by charity 

challenge to their mental wellbeing 

today is therefore simple. We are 

here for you. Please pick up the phone 

or get in touch through our website 

and we will do whatever we can to 

help you.” 

Members of the fire and rescue 

services in need of support with their 

mental wellbeing can call The Fire 

Fighters Charity Support Line on 

0800 3898820 or visit www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/support.


althMatters 

Time for a Cuppa to support dementia 

WHEN things get challenging or 

difficult for people with dementia 

and their families, Admiral Nurses 

work alongside them giving compassionate 

one-to-one support, 

expert guidance and practical 

solutions which can be hard to find 

elsewhere. 

Dementia UK’s annual fundraising 

event has raised over £1 million 

since its launch, with the support 

of fundraisers, Dementia UK staff 

and celebrities. 

Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral 

Nurse and CEO of Dementia UK, 

said: “Families with dementia have 

been adversely affected by lockdown 

for just over a year now. Care home 

visiting restrictions, the closure of 

support and respite services, and 

the resulting social isolation and 

loneliness, has disproportionately 

affected people living with dementia 

and their family carers. 

Whilst Time for a Cuppa will be 

slightly different this year, we know 

that dementia support is needed 

more than ever. We are so grateful 

to all of our fundraisers who will be 

whipping up treats, enthusiasm, 

funds, and who are giving their time 

for others – in a socially distanced 

way, of course – in what will be a 

very special and important Time 

for a Cuppa.” 

Karen Houghton, whose mum 

Christine lives with dementia, is 

only too aware of the toll that the 

pandemic has had on people with 

the condition. With the support of 

her Admiral Nurse, Marie, the family 

has felt less alone: “Marie is so 

personable and has developed a 

great relationship with my dad, who 

had been struggling to cope with all 

the support services closing down. 

We needed to move mum into residential 

care, but this was hard to do 

in the middle of the pandemic as 

we couldn’t really get a feel for the 

homes. Marie picked up the phone 

and knew exactly what questions to 

ask the care homes so we could be 

confident that we were placing mum 

in the best place possible. Without 

her, we just would not have felt supported 

or valued as a family.” 

The event takes place 1st-8th May. 

Dear Editor, 

I am very concerned that I was not informed 

of a possible confl ict between having the Coronavirus 

vaccination and certain treatments for a 

medical condition. 

I was supposed to have the fi rst of 6 B.C.G. 

treatments for Bladder Cancer last Thursday at 

the North Hants and Basingstoke Hospital. I just 

happened to mention to the nurse, just before 

she administered the B.C.G., that I had my 2nd 

Corona Virus vaccination the day before. I now 

have to wait for a week before I can be given 

the B.C.G. 

This is a WorldWide problem and people 

should be asked, before having the Coronavirus 

vaccination, whether they are receiving any 

treatment for a medical condition. 

I would appreciate your publishing this, in 

the hope that it will save others from a possible 

confl ict with its implications, as well as a waste 

of everyone’s valuable time attending for an 

unnecessary hospital appointment. 

Keep Safe 

Mike OLIVE (Former Nurse and Paramedic) 

Start your home care journey with 

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Each Home Instead franchise is independently owned and operated. Copyright © Home Instead® 2021.

34 | HAMPSHIREHEALTHMATTERS 


COVID-19: 

One year on... 

HAMPSHIRE Hospitals NHS Foundation 

Trust (HHFT) is offering an 

opportunity for members of the local 

community to learn about the trust’s 

response to the COVID-19 pandemic 

at the trust’s latest virtual event. 

At 6:30pm on Monday 26 April, 

members of the local community are 

invited to hear from Dr Avneet Shahi 

and clinical matrons Sarah Gold and 

Natalie Doney as they refl ect on how 

they responded to the pandemic and 

what was learned along the way in 

their respective teams in pathology, 

critical care and the newly-created 

COVID swabbing team. 

Attendees will also have the opportunity 

to ask the speakers questions in 

real time. 

The event is free and open to all 

members of the public and Foundation 

Trust members. Alex Whitfi eld, 

chief executive at HHFT will join the 

speakers to share a brief update on 

the trust. Between them, the speakers 

have been at the centre of innovation 

at HHFT with COVID-19 testing, 

cared for some of the trust’s most 

critically ill patients over the last year, 

and developed a new service ensuring 

symptomatic staff can be tested as 

quickly as possible to keep colleagues 

and patients safe. 

Alex shared: “I’m very excited to 

offer this opportunity to open our 

doors, however virtually, to give our 

community fi rst-hand insight into the 

incredible work of our teams over the 

last year. 

As we are now one year on from 

the beginning of our COVID-19 journey, 

this offers a great opportunity for 

our staff to share their experiences of 

caring for patients and to share some 

of the things we have learned – I look 

forward to seeing you there!” 

New Governors are welcomed 

at Hospital Foundation Trust 

HAMPSHIRE Hospitals NHS Foundation 

Trust (HHFT) has welcomed 

the latest members of the Council of 

Governors to join the HHFT team. 

The Council of Governors plays an 

important role, working alongside the 

Board of Directors to ensure that the 

local communities and staff have an 

influence in how services are developed 

and delivered by the trust. The Council 

of Governors is made up of local people, 

staff members and representatives 

from local authorities. 

The HHFT Council of Governors is 

made up of fifteen public governors, 

five staff governors and five appointed 

governors. 

Steve Erskine, Chairman, said: 

“The Council of Governors is central 

in voicing the needs and interests of our 

local communities and staff, as well as 

providing an important scrutiny role 

of what is going on in our hospitals, 

holding our non-executive directors 

to account for the performance of the 

board of directors. 

I am thrilled to welcome our new 

Governors, who I am sure are going to 

be an excellent addition alongside our 

existing members, at what is a really 

important time for our organisation. I 

would like to congratulate our Governor 

colleagues who have been re-elected 

this year, and all our newly elected 

staff Governors. Finally, thank you 

to those whose terms have ended, for 

your valuable contributions to team 

HHFT over many years.” 

Douglas Ralph, Lead Governor, 

added: “The role of a Governor has 

never been more important than it 

is today, as we see our trust confront 

the challenges of a global pandemic, 

but also look ahead to the future of 

healthcare in Hampshire through the 

Abigail 

Hampshire Together: Modernising our 

hospitals and health services. I am 

looking forward to welcoming them 

all as we support our incredible colleagues 

in the NHS.” 

HHFT’s new governors for 2021 

include Anthony Bravo and Abigail 

Compton-Burnett for North Hampshire. 

Anthony moved to Basingstoke in 

2009 and works as the Principal of 

Basingstoke College of Technology. 

Anthony was previously Principal at 

Crossways Academy in Lewisham, 

which has become a world reference 

Anthony Bravo 

site for the use of ICT in education and 

a model for integrated smart building 

technology. He also represents 

the college at other local and national 

organisations, including the Hampshire 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Abigail has worked as a personal care 

attendant and a registered hospital and 

community nurse, as well as a management 

consultant for a diverse range of 

projects from NHS communication 

systems to transformations of retail 

banking. After leaving consultancy 

to raise four children, Abigail then 

became involved in various school 

and community groups like the Parent 

Teach Association. Recently, Abigail 

has gone above and beyond, helping 

to establish and run a COVID-19 Community 

Hub, alongside her many other 

roles which include Governor of Winklebury 

Federation Schools and Trustee 

of Besom in Basingstoke which works 

to support vulnerable people in the 

local area. 

There is still a vacancy for a Public 

Governor in the West and South Hampshire 

Constituency. 

Rapid testing for all available 

THE Government has announced 

that free rapid coronavirus testing 

is now available to everyone in England. 

People without symptoms are 

being encouraged to take regular 

twice weekly tests to help prevent 

outbreaks and help us reclaim a more 

normal way of life. 

People aged 18 and over can collect 

two packs of seven lateral flow device 

test kits from a test site. There is no 

need to book an appointment. Testing 

should be done twice a week. 

Step-by-step instructions are 

included with the test kit. There is 

no need to book an appointment to 

collect a test kit. 

Kits can be collected from the 

Regional Testing Site at Churchill Way 

Long Stay Car Park. The site is open in 

the morning for appointment-only testing 

for those with COVID symptoms. 

Following a deep clean, the site will 

re-open for people without symptoms 

to collect the test-at-home kits. 

Hampshire County Council’s Director 

of Public Health, Simon Bryant, 

said: “As we see the number of positive 

cases decline, it’s tempting to think 

that COVID may soon be a thing of 

the past, but the virus transmits so 

easily from person to person, and if 

we do not continue to exercise caution 

and do all we can to minimise spread, 

we may have to live with some form of 

restrictions for the foreseeable future. 

Don’t forget that one in three people 

may have the virus but not experience 

any symptoms, so alongside 

the COVID-19 vaccine and following 

‘hands, face, space’, regular testing 

will continue to be essential to preventing 

further spread, helping us to get 

back to a normal way of life. 

I am therefore urging Hampshire 

residents to take up the offer of free, 

regular testing – and make Test- 

Record-Repeat a part of your weekly 

routine.” 

Watch out for vaccine 

fraudsters 

By Kit Malthouse MP 

AS I write this, we are further reopening 

society. People are now once again able 

to return to their jobs and livelihoods, 

get a haircut, go to the gym and have 

a pint. 

This is in huge part thanks to our brilliant 

vaccine programme which continues 

at pace. All over 50s and everyone 

in our top nine priority groups have now been offered a jab and now over 45s are 

able to book for their vaccinations – ahead of target. More than 32 million people 

have now received a fi rst jab, and a further 7.6 million have received their second. 

Locally, the rollout continues to go well. 

However, I am saddened to have to warn you about fake vaccines being offered 

to vulnerable people. Many thousands of online scams have been taken down by 

our brilliant cyber security centre, and in the Home Offi ce we’re working closely 

with police to track this crime and catch those behind it. It is disgraceful to hear 

this is happening during a pandemic. 

So, if you see anything suspicious online or if anyone tries to sell you a fake vaccine 

on your doorstep, please report it immediately. You can fi nd more information 

on the offi cial gov.uk website: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resources-for-raising-awarenessabout-vaccine-fraud


We are back! 

We pride ourselves on 

keeping our practice 

immaculately clean, 

however, due to Covid 

19 we have introduced 

further extensive 

hygiene measures for 

both the safety of you 

and staff. We hope this 

gives you peace of 

mind. You are very 

welcome at ItalDent.

36 | 


BusinessObserver 

Promoting your business in North Hampshire 

Brought to you in association with the Basingstoke Observer 

Basingstoke recognised 

as a thriving tech hub 

WIRED has recently identified Basingstoke 

as a tech hub that will thrive 

after the pandemic. The town has been 

labelled as ‘in a position to be one of 

2021’s big tech hub winners’. 

WIRED shared: “With total deals 

worth £425 million between 2015 and 

2018, Tech Nation named the Hampshire-based 

town of Basingstoke the 

fourth-best place for tech investment 

in the UK last year. With rail journeys 

starting at 43 minutes into London 

Waterloo, this commuter town location 

is in a prime position to be one of 2021’s 

big tech hub winners” 

This is no surprise as Basingstoke 

provides the kind of vibrant “Tech 

Scene” that is a prerequisite for technology 

businesses, so let’s take a look 

at what it has to offer. 

Real-Estate: Having great office 

space at reasonable cost and with great 

communication links is essential for 

technology businesses. The redevelopment 

of Basing View provides exactly 

that. Providing close proximity to Basingstoke’s 

Festival Place retail centre 

and its railway station, which provides 

express services to London Waterloo. 

Established by Enterprise M3 as an 

Enterprise Zone it offers grade A office 

space and is fast becoming a vibrant 

centre for high tech companies. 

Business Incubation And Acceleration: 

It’s vital for early-stage companies 

that they have access to high quality 

business support and mentoring to 

help them successfully grow. Root21, 

a hi-tech business accelerator, has 

been based in Basing View for the last 

18 months. Supporting more than 70 

companies that have gone to raise more 

than £25 Million in venture capital, 

Root21 is building a start-up ecosystem 

in the town that means it’s a great place 

to start a business. 

Entrepreneur Training: Getting 

entrepreneurs off to a great start is 

really important and Entrepreneur 

Training programmes can do just that. 

Over the last few years Basingstoke 

has run multiple training programmes 

for entrepreneurs with more than 200 

start-up businesses attending, it’s a 

programme that has brought many 

entrepreneurs into the town. 

Technology Networking: If you want 

to build a community, you have to have 

networking events where people from 

different businesses can meet and 

engage. Basingstoke has developed 

active hi-tech networking events such 

as the Google Developers Group and 

5G technology group, Talk5G. They 

play a big role in expanding the town’s 

technology ecosystems and communities 

that are a big factor in bringing 

technology businesses into the town. 

Hack Weekends: Hack weekends 

are a great way to generate ideas for 

new businesses and build potential 

teams to exploit them. Basingstoke 

is active in this area too, having run 

hacks around the Internet of Things 

(IoT) and community support projects. 

Some delegates have gone on to turn 

their work into businesses and have 

subsequently joined the incubation and 

acceleration programs run by Root21. 

Tech Juice covers all the technology 

business developments in the town and 

has regular articles covering subjects 

from 5G, VR/AR, gaming, software 

development and market trends. All 

written by columnists that are active in 

Basingstoke’s hi-tech community. It’s 

the place to go to find out what’s happening 

in the local technology community. 

As you can see Basingstoke has a lot 

to offer hi-tech companies, probably 

more than most people know so, it’s 

great that this has been recognised 

by WIRED as one of the places to be. 

Thank you to Tech Juice for this 

contribution. 

Are you looking for flexible workspace? 

Choose from hot desks or flexible serviced offices at 

Worting House. With fast internet, free on-site parking 

and on-demand access to meeting rooms. 

CONTACT US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE TRIAL. 

wortinghouse.co.uk • 01256 817 640

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 BUSINESS | 37 

Small business confidence 

rebounds as shops reopen 

CLOSE to two thirds (58%) of small 

businesses expect their performance 

to improve this quarter, and fewer than 

one in three (31%) expect theirs will 

worsen, according to the latest FSB 

study of almost 1,700 business owners. 

With trading restrictions easing 

across England this week, the business 

group reports that its UK SBI 

confidence measure has risen to +27.3 

in Q1 of this year, up from -49.3 last 

quarter. The index is at its highest 

level since Q3 2014, when it hit +41.0, 

and is in positive territory for the first 

time since Q2 2018. 

More than half (51%) of those surveyed 

for the SBI expect their revenues 

to increase over the coming 

three months, the highest proportion 

since the summer of 2015. Fewer than 

one in four (24%) expect sales to fall 

– the same figure stood at 84% at this 

time last year. 

The majority (53%) aspire to grow 

their firms over the next 12 months, the 

highest share since Q3 2019, marking 

a 22 percentage point jump compared 

to the same period last year. 

Make 

Basingstoke 

Work For 

You 

BUSINESS Hampshire is working 

with Basingstoke and Deane Borough 

Council on a new campaign to promote 

Hampshire as a destination for 

businesses that may be looking for a 

base in the form of a satellite office 

outside of London. 

Business Hampshire has launched a 

campaign to highlight the many benefits 

of working locally to encourage 

London-based businesses to establish 

satellite offices in the county. 

The campaign; Make Hampshire 

work for you, has been devised by the 

County Council’s Economic Development 

service, Business Hampshire, 

in collaboration with local authority 

partners, and invites London commuters 

to Work Smarter – Live Happier 

– Commute Closer. 

Research and views of leading 

economists suggest that many businesses 

are rethinking their property 

requirements and want to be able to 

provide a better work-life balance for 

their employees. Before the pandemic 

more than 25,000 Hampshire residents 

regularly commuted to London, and 

many have been working at home for 

the past year. 

The campaign showcases flexible 

office solutions across key locations 

in Hampshire including Basingstoke 

and Hart. 

The campaign is supported by a 

Nicola Bailey 

With the job retention scheme starting 

to wind down over the coming 

months, one in seven (14%) small firms 

with staff say they are likely to make 

some or all of their team redundant 

this quarter. 

number of key stakeholders including 

commercial property specialists 

Lambert Smith Hampton and Vail 

Williams. 

Andy Hodgkinson (MRICS) Director 

in Office Advisory at Lambert Smith 

Hampton added: “Replacing the grind 

of the daily commute with time to 

focus on health and wellbeing has 

been a huge positive to come out of 

lockdown. We’re seeing an increase 

in business focus on productivity, wellbeing 

and workforce safety. Adopting 

a hub and spoke approach with an 

increase in regional office space will 

remove the long commute, facilitate 

collaboration, and support employee 

connection to their employer brand. 

Hampshire has all the ingredients to 

meet this demand and deliver a desirable 

location for business to expand 

or relocate.” 

Russell Mogridge (MRICS) who is 

the lead partner for the business space 

team at Vail Williams commented: “To 

say that 2020 has altered our world of 

work would be an understatement. The 

approach Business Hampshire are 

taking is backed by data and business 

intelligence and is a great initiative. 

We are seeing clients based in London 

reassess their real estate strategies 

with a push to the regions such as 

Hampshire to cope with the economy 

returning to normal.” 

FSB Development Manager for 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Nicola 

Bailey said: “It’s fantastic that our 

shops, hairdressers and gyms can 

get back to doing what they do best. 

The certainty provided by the Government’s 

road-map is filling many 

small business owners with renewed 

confidence. We live in hope that the 

virus stays in retreat so the remaining 

indicative dates for unlocking can 

be met, enabling our vital night time 

economies, offices and travel and tourism 

businesses to get back to it as well. 

It’s worrying to see such a sizeable 

proportion of employers fearing 

redundancies over the coming months. 

Initiatives like Kickstart, as well as 

incentives to take on apprentices and 

trainees, need to be delivered efficiently 

over the coming months to protect 

against a job market shock and support 

the young people that have disproportionately 

borne the brunt of rising 

unemployment. 

Policymakers also need to look at 

measures to encourage hiring activity. 

Bringing down the non-wage costs of 

employment, starting with employer 

national insurance contributions, which 

essentially serve as a jobs tax, would 

certainly help. 

With emergency loan repayments 

now starting to bite, the Government 

should carefully consider routes to 

realising economic value from the facilities 

it has underwritten: an approach 

to repayment based on the student 

loan model and greater adoption of 

employee ownership trusts could both 

mark constructive ways forward. 

Lockdowns have caused our £23bn 

late payment crisis to deepen. As confidence 

returns, now is the time to 

bring forward reforms that will help 

audit committees gain full visibility of 

payment practices. 

As the economy shifts, support measures 

need to evolve – particularly where 

support for start-ups is concerned. 

The Help to Grow initiative should 

be urgently reformed in order to both 

widen its support remit and make it 

open to all small business owners 

as they start out, not just those that 

already have staff.” 

Working for today 

and tomorrow 

Babl Lucinda Lamont 

BASINGSTOKE business Babl has 

grown significantly in the last year 

due to the increase in the number of 

businesses using virtual conferencing 

and online video calls.. 

Lucinda Lamont, sales director, 

EMEA, explained: “Babl has built a 

strong reputation for secure telephony, 

mainly with financial services, government 

and public sector customers. 

After a year of Covid-19 restrictions, 

the company is successfully positioning 

itself as the go-to provider for a broader 

range of much-needed business services 

in the ‘new normal’ world of work. 

We design, develop and deploy proprietary 

technology that is entirely 

cloud based and fully customisable to 

suit customers’ requirements. Our aim 

is to offer completely flexible services 

that meet our customers’ requirements 

as they evolve.” 

Babl was established as Speakserve 

in 2002. A name change last year to 

Babl Group reflected its global ambitions. 

In March 2020, a team of 10 based 

at its Basingstoke head office was busy 

winning corporate and government 

contracts at a steady pace that accelerated 

with each new lockdown. Today, 

headcount has more than quadrupled, 

and Babl has opened offices in New 

York and Melbourne. 

“Much of our growth has been 

through word-of-mouth recommendations,” 

said Lamont. “Our customers 

are generally very loyal. Once a business 

sees how easy our services are to 

use, and learn about the added benefits 

we offer in addition to telephony, they 

usually are keen to do more with us.” 

Its global presence means Babl provides 

a 24/7 helpdesk, where you’ll 

speak to a human, and that includes 

real-time hosting of virtual events. 

“We respond quickly to customers and 

that builds trust in us,” said Lamont. 

“What they really like is our attitude. 

There’s a lot of hand-holding to ensure 

the experience is positive for them. 

We’re not trying to be another Zoom 

or Teams. 

After moving to online conferencing 

out of necessity, many businesses now 

realise they can make significant and 

permanent cost savings, especially 

from reduced travel and avoiding the 

logistics of putting on physical events. 

We’ve only really scratched the surface 

of what we can offer businesses.” 

Borough 

Business 

Partnership 

Returns 

FOLLOWING a hiatus in 2020, the 

Borough Business Partnership is set 

to return. 

The next meeting will take place on 

Thursday 22 April 2021 from 11:30am 

to 1pm and the virtual host for the 

meeting is Lavazza Professional. 

The BBP is your chance to hear 

about the latest developments in 

Basingstoke and Deane from local 

partners and businesses. 

This session will include updates 

on economic recovery, the EM3 

Apprenticeship and Skills Hub and the 

Kickstart Programme. 

A full agenda will be going out soon 

so if you are interested in attending, 

please email business@basingstoke. 

gov.uk to be included on the invite list. 

Business 

Centre is new 

acquisition 

LONDON Clancy has acquired Vickers 

Business Centre on behalf of a 

Private Investor client. 

Vickers Business Centre comprises 

a thriving serviced business centre, 

and industrial site with buildings totalling 

70,000 Sq Ft and is home to over 

forty tenant within the well-known 

Houndmills area of Basingstoke. 

London Clancy identifi ed this 

investment opportunity on behalf of a 

Private Investor client and were able 

to quickly negotiate and agree the 

transaction. The deal was complex 

and comprised of a Long Leasehold 

site acquisition. The agent acting 

on behalf of the vendor was Simon 

Taylor at SBT Property, also based in 




Observer 

Twitter 

#BasingstokeNews

38 | 


Advertorial 

Commercial Property –Use Classes 

The commercial property market has seen 

a major overhaul of the ‘use class’ system 

in England. 

Emma Elkington, who is an Associate Solicitor, 

specialising in commercial property at Phillips 

Solicitors, sets out The Town and Country 

Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) 

Regulations 2020 which came into effect on 1 

September 2020. 

The changes represent the most extensive 

change to planning use classes since The Town 

and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987. 

Use Classes under the 1987 Order 

The 1987 Order consists of four primary use 

classes, each with several subclasses within 

which a change of use do not require the grant 

of planning permission. 

The main four main use classes under the 

1987 Order are as follows: 

Class A – retail, food and drink, financial and 

professional services; 

Class B – offices, industry and places of work; 

Class C – homes and residences; and 

Class D – leisure, assembly and institutions. 

New Use Classes 

The intention of the new regulations is to 

simplify the regime and allow for more flexibility, 

with a particular emphasis on the retail sector 

to enable the repurposing of buildings on high 

streets and town centres. 

The previous Use Classes A1-A5, B1, D1 and 

D2 are revoked and replaced with: 

New Class E - Commercial, Business and Service 

- which now incorporates shops (A1), financial 

and professional services (A2), restaurants 

and cafés (A3) and offices (B1), gyms, nurseries 

and health centres (D1 and D2) and other uses 

suitable to town centre locations. 

New Class F1 - Learning and Non-residential 

Institutions - which incorporates former D1 

uses such as, buildings for the provision of 

education, museums, public libraries, public 

halls or exhibition halls and buildings used for, or 

in connection with, public worship or religious 

instruction. 

New Class F2 - Local Community – which groups 

together uses from former Class D2 covering 

activities which primarily the government 

wishes to protect for the local community, for 

example, buildings primarily used by the local 

community and for activities such as swimming, 

skating rinks and areas of outdoor sports. 

Revocation of former Class A4 (drinking 

establishments), Class A5 (hot food takeaway) 

and Class D2 (cinemas, concert halls, bingo halls, 

dance halls and live music venues), which are 

now classed as Sui Generis and as such, require 

planning permission for a change to and from 

these uses. 

From 1 September 2020, if a building is 

being used for a purpose falling within Class A1 

(shops), A2 (financial and professional services), 

A3 (restaurants and cafés) or B1 (offices), then 

it will be deemed to be used for a purpose set 

out in new Class E. Change of use to another 

use within Class E will be permitted without the 

need for planning permission. This is still subject 

however to any prior planning condition which 

may affect the specific property in question. 

Applications for planning permission, 

permission in principle or approval of reserved 

matters, which were submitted before 1 

September 2020 and refer to the existing use 

classes, are to be determined by the local 

planning authority using the use classes under 

the 1987 Order, as they existed on 31 August 

2020. 

From 1 September 2020 until 31 July 2021, 

where permitted development rights set out 

in The Town and Country Planning (General 

Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 

are to be used, the use of the development 

should be assessed based on the use classes 

under the 1987 Order, as they existed on 31 

August 2020. New permitted development 

rights will be introduced from 1 August 2021. 

If you have any questions about the new use 

classes or would like legal advice on any other 

commercial property matter, please contact 

Emma by emailing emma.elkington@phillipslaw.co.uk 

or by calling 01256 854610. 

Emma Elkington. 

Do I need a Business 

Lasting Power of 

Attorney? 

As a business owner if you become mentally incapacitated tomorrow, who would pay 

your bills or invoices, ensure staff salaries are paid and complete any outstanding work 

for your customers and clients? 

You cannot assume that a colleague or family 

member will be able to gain the relevant authority 

to make decisions on your behalf. 

Therefore, to protect your business interests, 

particularly if you are a sole trader or self-employed, 

you ought to consider a Business Lasting Power of 

Attorney. This is a legal document that allows you to 

nominate people to make decisions on your behalf 

if you were ever become incapacitated. 

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) do not only 

cover personal assets but may also cover business 

assets and interests in a business. As a business 

owner it may be in your best interests to review 

your affairs and look to put in place a Business LPA 

to cover the situation, not only if you were mentally 

incapacitated, but if you were abroad on holiday 

or on business, or if you were to 

have an accident and were unable 

to attend meetings. 

What happens if I don’t make 

an LPA? 

If you have not made a Business 

LPA and you subsequently lose 

the capacity to make your own 

decisions or become of unsound 

mind, then, if you do not have 

other arrangements in place, 

such as partnership agreement 

or Articles of Association, it may 

be necessary for someone to apply 

to the Court of Protection for a 

Deputyship Order. This process 

can take between six to 12 months 

to complete and can be expensive. The appointed 

Deputy may not be who you would have appointed 

as your Attorney. 

If you would like any further information in 

relation to Business LPAs or a review of your current 

LPAs or business structure, please contact Sian Lias 

in the Wills and Probate team or Jack Gardener in 

our Commercial team at Phillips Solicitors. 

You can call Sian on 01256 854618 or email 

sian.lias@phillips-law.co.uk or call Jack on 

01256 854665 or email jack.gardener@phillipslaw.co.uk 

To find out more about the wide range of legal 

services offered by Phillips Solicitors, please visit 

www.phillips-law.co.uk 

Jack Gardener and Sian Lias. 

Bringing talented people together 

to achieve exceptional outcomes 

Residential Property Dispute Resolution 

Wills & Probate Corporate Law 

Family Law Commercial Law 

Family Mediation Commercial Property 

Education 

Employment Law 

Insurance 

Notary Public 

www.phillips-law.co.uk 

01256 460830 legal@phillips-law.co.uk

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 BUSINESS | 39 

Funding turns dreams into reality 

By Adrian Braine 

IN part one of this article, we looked 

at the sources of funding that could be 

considered. The next step is to understand 

how to match that to your needs 

and situation and develop a funding 

plan. 

First then you need to understand 

where you are in the development of 

the business and therefore the most 

appropriate sources of funding. The 

chart shows the funding cycle. 

There are two things to take from 

this, first you need to determine where 

you are in terms of the business development 

as this will determine the funding 

options available to you. So, are you 

Seed stage, Early/Growth, Expansion 

or Pre-Sale? Secondly the risk/return 

nature of the funding cycle. The more 

to the left you are the greater the risk 

and therefore the higher the expected 

return, the more to the right the less 

the risk and consequently the lower 

the expected return. This is because 

in the Seed stage the business is not 

making profit, it is still trying to prove 

its business model, whereas in the 

later stages you have some customer 

validation. Someone, at least, has been 

prepared to pay for what you do. You 

have demand. 

Consequently, Seed stage investors 

are taking a big risk so will expect a 5 

to 10 times return on their investment, 

whereas in the later stages, where 

risk is lower, that might only be two 

times. The sums invested at each stage 

are also quite different though. In the 

Seed stage investments are typically 

£150k-£250k, whereas in the later stages 

it’s more likely millions! 

Whichever stage you are at, you have 

to consider first if you are investable 

in your current position for that stage. 

In other words, have you done enough, 

proven enough for an investor to be 

interested to invest? Is it compelling? If 

the answer to that is yes, you can look 

at which of the investment options we 

discussed in Part 1 are open to you at 

your stage of the funding cycle. The 

possibilities are shown in the table. 

The Seed stage has the most options, 

but as mentioned the sums here are 

relatively small. As the business develops 

the sums required are larger and 

so the options narrow to commercial 

and institutional investors. So far, we 

have only considered equity investment 

(shares) but at later stages debt 

is also a possibility. Why is this? Well, 

in the Seed stage the business has no 

profits and so doesn’t have the financial 

resources to service (pay interest) on 

its debt but, as the company grows and 

has profits, it can. Keep this in mind 

as equity is the most expensive way to 

raise money and debt may be a more 

attractive option. 

Having considered all of this and with 

reference to your Strategic Plan you 

need to draw up an Investment Plan. 

This plan should consider the following: 

How much funding do you need? 

When do you need it? 

What will be the source of the funding? 

Do they invest at your stage? 

Do they invest in your market sector? 

Have they invested recently and if so 

to whom? 

Having a plan will save you lots of 

time and energy as it will provide you 

with a shortlist of investors that are 

a good fit for you, rather than just 

pitching to anyone who will listen. But 

beware, this will take time. Raising 

investment typically takes 6-9 months 

so you need to start early, don’t wait 

until you really need the money. 

So far in Parts 1 and 2 we have covered 

the different types of investor, 

where they sit in the funding cycle and 

how to create a funding plan. In Part 3, 

next month, we will discuss the actual 

money raising process. 

Funding sources at each stage of the funding cycle 

The “Funding Cycle” 

Where are they now? From financial sales to personal trainer 

Why do we love working in a recruitment 

agency? Let us count the ways! At the top 

of the list is helping Basingstoke people 

find a way to earn a living doing what they 

love. 

You might have heard the Harvey Mackay 

quote that goes, “Find something you love 

to do, and you’ll never have to work a day 

in your life.” 

Yet so many people let years of their lives 

pass by, doing job they don’t really enjoy. 

Boredom and resentment will impact their 

productivity and their mental health could 

suffer. That’s no good for them, and no good 

for their employer. 

Here at Wote Street People in Basingstoke, 

we believe that the right job is the job that 

makes you HAPPY. When that alarm goes 

off in the morning, we want our candidates to 

look forward to the day ahead. For the local 

businesses we recruit for, we want them to 

reap the benefits of that enthusiasm and 

emotional wellbeing. 

Ready for an inspiration boost? 

If you’re looking for a job in Basingstoke, 

or trying to fill a vacancy, we’re sharing 

positive tales from people who are thriving 

in careers they have true passion for. 

We recently shared the success stories of 

former temps Bunny Waring, now a Field & 

Research Archaeologist (A.K.A. Archaeology 

Grrl) and Natalie Iacona, Senior Accountant 

for a fund administrator. 

This time around, we’re limbering up for 

some star jumps to celebrate the career 

journey of Tom Chandler, Personal Trainer at 

Village Hotel Gym. Tracey Fisher from Wote 

Street explains where it all began: 

“Tom came to us looking for some work 

while he was learning to become a personal 

trainer. He’s clearly ambitious and loves his 

Advertorial 

sport. I was recruiting for the new Village 

Hotel in Basingstoke at the time and I felt 

Tom would be a valuable addition to their 

gym team. 

“He was an absolute pleasure to deal with. 

It was so nice to assist him in finding a role 

that helped him achieve his ambitions, rather 

than just a job.” 

Tom’s story: A decathlete makes a winning 

career jump 

“I had recently left my role in financial 

sales in London with the aspirations of continuing 

my athletics career as a decathlete. 

I knew I was looking for a role in the fitness 

industry as it complimented my background 

in professional sport whilst combining my 

passion for helping others. 

“Tracy was fantastic with channelling my 

passion into the right role at Village Gym 

where I am currently working and transitioning 

to run my own business! Wote Street 

People were there at the start when it was 

really just a dream for me. They helped guide 

me to where I am today. 

“For anyone thinking about becoming a 

personal trainer, I can wholeheartedly say it 

was the best decision I have ever made. Helping 

other achieve their fitness and personal 

goals is the most fulfilling part of my day, and 

it has enabled me to continue my childhood 

dream of competing in the decathlon at the 

commonwealth games. 

“Wote Street People where so kind and 

understanding of my situation when I first 

started and placed me in the perfect role for 

me to continue to learn my craft.” 

Turning daydreams into day jobs 

Hopefully, Tom’s story has showed you that 

you can find a career that aligns with your 

passion. If your current job doesn’t feel like 

the best fit for your skills, personality and 

personal aspirations, we are here to help 

you find one that does. 

If you’re looking for candidates, Wote 

Street will introduce you to people who don’t 

just have the right skills – but the energy 

and zeal that every healthy business needs. 

Contact our friendly team today on 01256 

799127 to talk about jobs in Basingstoke, or 

email maxine@wotestreetpeople.co.uk 

E tccoaching Q @tccoaching 

Contact us: 

Wote Street People, Suite 007, 

View point, Basing View, RG21 4RG 

Telephone: 01256 799127 

Email maxine@wotestreetpeople.co.uk

40 | 


Homes&Gardens 

Homebuilder 

breaks down 

barriers to 

moving home 

DAVID Wilson Homes is helping 

Hampshire residents overcome their 

barriers to moving properties which 

have been revealed in a recent survey. 

The difficulty of selling an existing 

property and increasing house prices 

making it harder to buy are just a few 

of many thoughts that come alongside 

moving home. 

The survey conducted by David 

Wilson Homes has revealed that the 

biggest concerns amongst residents 

are that selling their existing home will 

be hard (28%) and that the prices of 

houses are increasing meaning that it is 

harder to buy (33%). 

Rob Allen, Sales Director at David 

Wilson Homes Southern, is giving 

residents in the county a helping hand 

to conquer their moving fears.He said: 

“If you’re worried about the difficulty of 

selling your existing property, speak to 

our sales team about our Part Exchange 

and Movemaker schemes which can 

help make the process so much easier. 

For example, Part Exchange speeds 

up the moving process as we will nominate 

two estate agents to instruct on the 

sale of the current property, handling all 

viewings and enquiries, giving you less 

to worry about.” 

Addressing the worries regarding 

increasing house prices, Rob added: 

“The second half of 2020 saw house 

prices increase dramatically, with 

December setting a new record high for 

the average price of a house in the UK.1 

So residents’ concerns are certainly 

warranted, but the Chancellors recent 

budget announcement may help to settle 

their concerns. 

The mortgage guarantee scheme 

offers confidence for lenders to help 

families take a first step on the property 

ladder, widening home ownership and 

enabling industry to increase housing 

supply, building more homes and creating 

more jobs and economic growth 

across the country. The Stamp Duty 

extension will also help thousands of 

people complete the purchase of their 

homes over the coming months, supporting 

the housing market at a time of 

uncertainty. 

Furthermore, the new Help to Buy 

scheme is available on a number of our 

new build properties which may help 

first time buyers get onto the property 

ladder. 

No matter what the barrier may be 

to making your move, we advise you to 

get in touch with one of our awardwinning 

sales teams, who will answer 

any questions you may have.” 


Twitter 

#BasingstokeNews 

Bring Nature Back 

STEVE Backshall is calling on residents 

across the region to recreate 

homes for native wildflowers and animals 

that are in urgent need to help 

BringNatureBack. 

Steve has joined forces with WWF 

and Botanica by Air Wick and together 

they have pledged to restore 20 million 

sq. ft of UK wildflower habitats. 

On Thursday, 8th April, Steve 

launched Let’s Bring Nature Back 

increase UK native wildflower habitats 

over the next three years having seen 

the depletion of these natural spaces 

by 97% since the 1930s. This initiative 

will recreate homes for precious UK 

wildlife under threat and Steve is inviting 

us all to make our contribution too. 

Let’s Bring Nature Back focuses on 

the conservation and enhancement 

of nature; from plants and animals 

like orchids, bumblebees, dormice, 

butterflies, moths and birds, to the 

vibrant colours and fragrances these 

habitats produce. 

Steve is hoping the nation will be 

inspired to get involved, step on to the 

‘wildflower property ladder’ and start 

recreating their own ‘wildflower homes’, 

even if that’s just turning a corner of 

their garden, windowsill or doorstep 

LOCAL communities are being invited 

to view the latest plans for the next 

phase of homes, green space and public 

amenities at Hartland Village in 

Fleet. 

People who live, work and visit the 

area are encouraged to find out more 

about the third phase of development 

at an online event on Thursday 22nd 

April at 6pm and give their views. 

Attendees will hear from the team at 

Photo credit: Jonathan 

Hordle/PA Wire 

into a wildflower haven where these 

species can thrive once again. 

Steve Backshall says of the initiative: 

St Edward including Thrive architects 

and landscape architects Murdoch 

Wickham about the proposals for the 

next phase of development including 

public, commercial and leisure space, 

as well as new homes. 

Planning permission for the overall 

masterplan for Hartland Village was 

awarded in 2018 together with detailed 

planning for Phase 1 of development. 

Phase 2 was granted permission for 

“We need to protect what is on our 

doorstep – the plants and creatures 

that also call Britain their home and 

Locals are invited to view 

plans at Hartland Village 

reserved matters in November 2020; 

both phases are currently in construction 

and the first residents moved to 

Hartland Village in May 2020. 

While some elements of the plans for 

Phase 3 have already been approved 

as part of the overall masterplan, the 

community is invited to share their 

thoughts and ideas on the village centre 

– the community hub and centre of 

the new village – and its uses. 

For those who cannot attend the live 

webinar, a recording will be available 

online after the event, along with the 

presentation information. People will 

be able to submit their feedback for a 

two-week period thereafter. 

Paul Vallone, Executive Chairman at 

St Edward, said: “We’re really looking 

forward to sharing the latest set of 

designs with the community. Phase 

3 is a particularly exciting part of the 

development as it includes not only new 

homes and green space, but a variety 

of public and community spaces which 

on completion will truly bring Hartland 

Village to life, not only as place to live 

but as a place to live well.” 

To find out more, visit www.hartlandlife.co.uk 

for information about the 

project and how to get involved. 

provide really positive benefits to our 

ecosystems. I am thrilled to support 

Let’s Bring Nature Back. It’s pretty 

simple really, the name says it all – 

and the best bit is we can all play a 

part. If we want to continue to enjoy 

nature, we have to get to the root of it 

and support the restoration of these 

diverse ecosystems and give new homes 

to wildflowers and wildlife species in 

desperate need.” 

Five wildflower meadow species 

threatened by loss of habitat you can 

support: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

Butterfly; Moss Carder Bee; Black 

Oil Beetle; Meadow Clary; Man Orchid. 

Mark Wright, WWF Director of Science, 

added: “The UK is one of the most 

nature depleted countries in the world 

with more than one in seven native species 

facing extinction and more than 

40% in decline 3. Habitats for our native 

wildlife are shrinking – but it doesn’t 

have to be this way. We can change how 

we use our land, to help restore nature 

through the way we farm and produce 

food but also in our own gardens and 

outdoor spaces. Planting wildflowers as 

well as giving nature space to recover 

by leaving areas of gardens to go wild 

all makes a difference.” 

Retirees Open 

Day Launched 

MCCARTHY Stone, is inviting locals in 

Basingstoke to find out more about its 

forthcoming Island View Retirement Living 

development on Shortwood Copse 

Lane at an appointment-only Reservation 

Day event on Friday 23rd and Saturday 

24th April. 

Attendees will need to book a private, 

one-to-one appointment with McCarthy 

Stone Sales Consultant, Julie Mansbridge, 

in advance in order to maintain social 

distancing and ensure everyone’s safety. 

Nicki Beswarick, Divisional Marketing 

Manager for McCarthy Stone Southern, 

said: “We have been truly overwhelmed 

by the fantastic response to our new 

Basingstoke development. It’s fantastic to 

see so many people recognising the benefits 

of independent, low-maintenance 

living and who have subsequently started 

planning to live their retirement to the full 

at Island View. 

We have already experienced unprecedented 

levels of demand for these 

properties, with Phases One and Two 

selling out in record time, so I would urge 

interested purchasers to get in touch and 

book a one-to-one appointment as soon 

as possible.” 

The one and two-bedroom apartments 

at the new Island View retirement 

community are currently under construction, 

with first homeowners expected to 

move in during summer 2021.

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 41

42 | 

WE BUY 

GOLD, FINE 

JEWELLERY, 

MEDALS, 

COSTUME 

JEWELLERY 

AND MUCH 

MORE! 

We are here! 

SQUIRRELS 

ANTIQUES 


SQUIRRELS: 

QUALITY, 

FRIENDLY AND 

FREE ADVICE 

Squirrels Antiques is the 

only antiques shop in the 

heart of Basingstoke. 40 

years serving our local 

community with free and 

friendly advice on all aspects 

of antiques and jewellery. 

From the humblest 

collectable to world renown 

works of art, We often get 

you a much better return than 

using auction rooms. 

Remember, auction rooms 

charge commission to the 

buyer and seller regularly 

taking in excess of 45%. 

Squirrels Antiques are one 

of the longest established 

shops left in Basingstoke, 

with friendly and 

knowledgable staff. We are 

passionate about what we do 

and the history behind the 

vast array of items we have in 

stock. 

Why not pop in and see us, 

our shop is full of curios. 

Talk to us about any aspect of 

the antiques or jewellery 

market. 

What we don’t know, one of 

our trusted contacts will. 

Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 

9:30 - 5:30 

Phone: 01256 464885 

Address: 9A New Street,Joices Yard, 

Basingstoke, 

RG21 7DE 

Email: info@squirrels-antiques.co.uk 

Find us on: 

Facebook: Squirrels Antiques 

Instagram: @squirrelsantiques 

WE BUY GOLD & SILVER


Arts&Culture 

Boy George and Culture Club set to 

headline Heritage Live Concert Series 

BOY George & Culture Club have 

announced a series of exclusive UK 

outdoor shows as part of the Heritage 

Live Concert Series for 2021. 

The multi-million selling group will 

perform at some of the country’s most 

stunning venues, beginning with a 

very special concert at Kenwood on 

Hampstead Heath in London on Saturday 

26th June, where Boy George, 

who lives locally to Kenwood, will celebrate 

his 60th birthday which falls 

the week prior. 

Boy George & Culture Club will also 

perform at the South of England Showground 

in West Sussex on Saturday 

17th July, Englefield House in West 

Berkshire on Saturday 24th July, and 

Audley End House & Gardens in Essex 

on Thursday 12th August. 

Very special guests for the shows will 

be Bananarama for the Kenwood, Ardingly 

and Audley End shows, and Lulu 

who will perform at all of the concerts. 

Kim Wilde will also perform at the 

Englefield House and Ardingly dates, 

and Gabrielle will perform at the Englefield 

House and Audley End dates. 

DJ Fat Tony will get the party started 

at all four of the shows. 

Since their inception in 1981, Culture 

Club have sold more than 150 million 

records worldwide, recognised as a 

Grammy Award winning UK institution 

with a stream of classic hits including 

‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’, 

‘Karma Chameleon’, ‘Church of The 

Poison Mind’, ‘Victims’, ‘It’s A Miracle’ 

and ‘The War Song’ 

The group are fronted by singer/ 

songwriter Boy George, universally 

loved as one of music’s most iconic 

artists who performs alongside original 

Culture Club members Roy Hay and 

Mikey Craig. 

As the first multi-racial band with an 

openly gay front man, Culture Club set 

many records and established themselves 

as icons of British musical history 

and popular culture. 

Originally formed as a trio in 1981, 

Bananarama became an omnipresent 

staple of the British pop music 

scene in the 80s consistently producing 

hit after hit, with timeless classics 

including ‘Shy Boy’, ‘Cruel Summer’ 

and ‘Really Saying Something’. Their 

staying power would ultimately be 

solidified when they released ‘Venus’ 

which topped the US charts in 1986. 

Their incredible run between 1982 and 

2009 saw the group achieve a total of 

28 singles in the UK’s Top 50 Singles 

Chart, and a Guinness World Record 

for the most chart entries ever for an 

all-female group. 

Since establishing herself as one of 

the best-selling female singers of the 

1960s with her trademark song ‘Shout’, 

Lulu has cultivated an incredible career 

in British popular culture. 

Alongside some unparalleled milestones, 

Lulu made her film debut in 1967 

opposite Sidney Poitier in ‘To Sir, with 

Love’, and performed the title track 

which was a No.1 hit in the US. Lulu 

also was one of four joint winners of 

the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with 

the song ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang’, and later 

found success with her own self-titled 

BBC TV show; as well as having a hit 

with the title theme to the 1974 Bond 

classic ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. 

With her debut single ‘Kids In America’ 

in 1981, Kim Wilde established 

herself as one of the biggest stars of 

the 1980’s, including holding the record 

for being the most-charted British 

female solo act of the decade. Alongside 

selling over 10 million albums and 20 

million singles, she is also a renowned 

presenter on both television and radio. 

This year, Gabrielle celebrates over 

20 years of her incredible album ‘Rise’. 

With hit singles such as the title track, 

April’s Andover Artisan Market 

as well as ‘Out of Reach’, ‘Sunshine’, 

and ‘Should I Stay’, the album has gone 

on to achieve 4x platinum sales and 

was in the Top 10 album charts three 

summers in a row from 1999-2001. 

DJ Fat Tony is the original superstar 

DJ. A mainstay of the London party 

scene having performed at some of 

the most legendary clubs of all time, 

and birthday parties for the likes of 

Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson, 

Tony lit up Instagram with his DJ 

sets throughout lockdown providing 

a source of entertainment for many. 

Tickets: Register for priority access 

to Early Bird Discounted Tickets now 

at heritagelive.net. 

Pre-Sale for those registered: 

Wednesday 21st April 9am with general 

sale tickets being released by ticketmaster 

on Thursday 22nd April at 9am. 

Bananarama 

THE first full Andover Artisan Market 

of the year is back in the High 

Street this Sunday, 18 April from 

10am – 2pm. 

There will be a wide variety of stall 

holders with everything from gifts 

to treats to food and drink. Indulge 

yourself with edible treats from The 

Biltong Bar , The Travelling Cupcake, 

Market for all Seasons and Warrenfield 

Farm. 

Pamper yourself with handmade 

skin care products from White Horse 

Soap or indulge in a gift for a loved one 

or yourself from The Mad Bag Lady, 

VandI Handmade or Goofy Goat Gifts, 

plus lots more. 

There will be no live music for April 

due to Covid-19 regulations, but the 

mix of stalls will be sure to provide a 

lively buzz! The market provides the 

opportunity to buy local and support 

small local artisans, bringing a sense 

of normality and vibrancy back to the 

High Street. 

The Andover Artisan Markets take 

place on the third Sunday of each 

month for the rest of the year.

44 | 


THE 

GOURMET 

GRILL 

Your fanta 

Basingsto 

Observe 

is insid 

NOW 

OPEN! 

Thursday, November 28, 2019 To advertise call Basingstoke Observer on 01256 952180 www.basingst 

Hog 

Roast 

Traditional Roast Pork 

served with a choice of 

apple sauce or 

Sage & Onion Stuffing 

£5.00 

Taste how much we care 

“Sorry Pig!” 

GOURMET 

BURGERS 

4oz 

Classic £3.50 

Cheesey £4.00 

Bacon Deluxe £4.50 

8Oz 

Double Stack £4.00 

Cheesey Double £4.00 

Bacon Double £5.00 

Deluxe 

Webb Enterprises present the fifth year of The Malls Christmas Market with 21 cra 

and food stalls including the fabulous Traditional Hog Roast, Sausage & Burger Sta 

Teddy, Charlie, Sharon, Matthew & Michael 

Footlong 

Sausage 

In the early 80s, original founders, Michael and 

Sharon Webb made a decision that changed their 

lives forever. The working couple gave up their 

respective careers as a butcher and commercial 

banker to start their family business. Initially 

working on the smallest markets in England, 

within 10 years, the duo was selling on the largest 

markets. 

Son Matthew worked for the family business 

until he turned 18, when he then founded his own 

company; Webb Enterprises. 

With the knowledge learnt from his early years 

working with his family, Matthew managed events 

and sold trading space. The company then started 

In the early 80s, original founders, Michael and 

Sharon Webb made a decision that changed 

their lives forever. The working couple gave 

up their respective careers as a butcher and 

commercial banker to start their family business. 

Initially working on the smallest markets in 

England, within 10 years, the duo was selling 

on the largest markets. 

Son Matthew worked for the family business 

until he turned 18, when he then founded his 

own company; Webb Enterprises. 

With the knowledge learnt from his early years working with his family, 

Matthew managed events and sold trading space. The company then 

started selling space to traders for events including local fetes and 

fairs which led to Christmas Markets, Music Events, County Shows and 

Food Festivals. 

The Basingstoke Christmas market has been one of Matthew’s proudest 

business achievements as he now has over 25 traders selling a wide 

range of products from fully decorated Christmas sheds. It is truly an event 

that the whole town can enjoy. Working closely with Sue Harris, Centre 

Manager and the rest of the team at The Malls over the last 5 years, has 

really enabled Matthew to grow the Christmas Market. 

Matthew recalls: “I remember watching Only Fools & Horses on the TV and 

chuckling at how accurate and relatable some of scenes were to my early 

selling space to traders for events including local 

fetes and fairs which led to Christmas Markets, 

Music Events, County Shows and Food Festivals. 

“Come and visit the best! A popular sight 

throughout the year at big Country Shows and 

Music Festivals, this Christmas the only place you 

find the famous Gourmet Burger, Sausage and 

Hog Roast stall is The Malls. Why not delight your 

taste buds, and give the Webb family your true 

and loyal support this Christmas and into the New 

Year. We look forward to welcoming you.” 

You can access the Gourmet Grill from the 

Station, Anvil and from Robert Dyas end 

of The Malls. 

youth working on the markets. I was delighted earlier this month, to me 

John Challis who played “Boycie” in the series when he came to town to 

switch on this year’s Christmas lights in The Malls, after an afternoon of 

book signing and selfies in the market. 

My children, Teddy and Charlie are now approaching an age where their 

own journeys are beginning and hopefully they will both continue the 

family tradition in running their own businesses and chasing success.” 

Sue Harris,The Malls Shopping Centre Manager said: “It’s been a great 

pleasure working with Matthew for five Golden Years, and the market ha 

gone from strength to strength in every way it can. The look this year is 

better than ever, the reindeer and parcels on the chalet roofs give a great 

3-dimensional look and the variety of new goods are as different as can 

be to accompany traditional old favourites. We have been inundated with 

telephone calls from people asking when and who is back this year, which 

is really encouraging, not only for Matthew but also for the centre, as it is 

important to us to offer our visitors what they want.” 

Bacon 

Cheese 

Burger 

Matthew concluded: “Come and visit the best! A popular sight throughout 

the year at big Country Shows and Music Festivals, this Christmas the only 

place you find the famous Gourmet Burger, Sausage and Hog Roast 

stall is The Malls. Why not delight your taste buds, and give the Webb 

family your true and loyal support this Christmas and into the New Year. 

We look forward to welcoming you.” 

Visit us at The Malls Shopping Centre, Castle Square 

(by Primark) 

You can access the market from the Station, Anvil and from 

Robert Dyas end of The Malls.

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 ARTS&CULTURE | 45 

Cultural Trust 

Receives Funds 

DO 

HAMPSHIRE charity, Hampshire 

Cultural Trust (HCT), has been 

awarded £240,000 as part of the latest 

round of awards from the Government’s 

£1.57 billion Culture Recovery 

Fund (CRF) to help the trust recover 

and reopen, the Culture Secretary 

has announced. 

Hampshire Cultural Trust was 

established in 2014 to promote Hampshire 

as a great cultural county. The 

trust manages 23 arts and museum 

attractions and delivers a huge variety 

of exhibitions, events, workshops, 

classes and projects, with particular 

emphasis on reaching people who are 

vulnerable and would not normally 

be able to access arts and culture. 

The trust also cares for 2.5 million 

objects relating to Hampshire’s rich 

and internationally important heritage. 

Its charitable purpose is changing lives 

through culture and the organisation 

is passionate about achieving this, 

particularly throughout the pandemic. 

During the past, turbulent year, 

Hampshire Cultural Trust’s virtual 

doors have remained open with its 

innovative digital publication, Culture 

on Call. Now, preparing to re-open 

its venue doors once again, the trust 

continues to find ways to reach those 

in need, supporting health, wellbeing 

and happiness with creative cultural 

experiences. 

The second round of awards will 

help Hampshire Cultural Trust and 

other organisations to look ahead to 

the spring and summer and plan for 

reopening and recovery. After months 

of closures and cancellations to contain 

the virus and save lives, this funding 

will be a much needed helping hand 

for organisations transitioning back 

to normal in the months ahead. 

Paul Sapwell, Chief Executive Officer 

for Hampshire Cultural Trust, commented: 

“We are thrilled to receive 

this vital funding as Hampshire Cultural 

Trust prepares to start welcoming 

visitors back to our museums, 

galleries and arts centres in May. The 

support we have received from DCMS 

and ACE is crucial in ensuring that we 

can continue to provide creative cultural 

experiences and operate safely 

as we begin to re-open our doors once 

again. Culture has such an important 

role to play in supporting everyone’s 

health, wellbeing and happiness and 

we look forward to playing our part 

in the recovery of our communities 

as we move towards a future where 

we can put the pandemic behind us.” 

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts 

Council England, said: “Investing in 

a thriving cultural sector at the heart 

of communities is a vital part of helping 

the whole country to recover from the 

pandemic. These grants will help to 

re-open theatres, concert halls, and 

museums and will give artists and 

companies the opportunity 

to begin making new work. 

We are grateful to the Government 

for this support and 

for recognising the paramount 

importance of culture 

to our sense of belonging 

and identity as individuals 

and as a society.” 

Hampshire Cultural Trust 

is among more than 2,700 

recipients across the country 

to benefit from the Culture 

Recovery Fund, administered 

by Arts Council England. 

Contestants Wanted For 

C4’s Come Dine With Me 

you think you’ve got what it takes 

to host the perfect dinner party and 

walk away with £1000? 

The hit Channel 4 cooking show, 

Come Dine With Me, are looking for 

amazing home cooks in Basingstoke 

and surrounding areas for their new 

series. 

Are you bored of cooking for your 

partner? Housemates? Children? Think 

your cooking skills have improved over 

lockdown and finally ready to test them 

out on the wider world? 

Sasha Risner, Casting Producer 

explained: “Following the success of 

previous episodes in Hampshire we 

BASINGSTOKE & SURROUNDING AREAS! 

are back looking for hosts to create 

the recipe for success. We are looking 

for keen cooks with bags of energy 

and who are up for the challenge of 

winning £1,000!” 

The only criteria is that you are over 

18 and not working or trained as a professional 

chef. 

For this series, a centralised house 

will be used to host social dinner parties. 

The shoot will take place between 

the 31st May - 4th June 2021. 

Apply online: https://itv.etribez.com/ 

ag/itvmultistory/cdwm/welcome.html 

or email: cdwm@multistory.tv. 

FANCY TRYING 

SOMETHING NEW? 

Watercress Line goes loco 

FAMILIES returning to the Watercress 

Line this spring will be 

‘chuffed’ to discover a brand new 

locomotive playground adding to 

the fun. 

The themed children’s play area at 

Ropley Station will help the popular 

railway get back on track. 

The new attraction has been modelled 

on Southern Railway Schools 

Class Locomotive No 30925 Cheltenham. 

Youngsters can let off steam 

exploring the replica train, which 

features a tunnel, a slide, a fireman’s 

pole and lots to climb on. 

The playground has been funded 

with a £40,000 grant from South 

Western Railway’s Customer and 

Communities Improvement Fund 

and £15,000 from the Government’s 

Department for Digital, Culture, 

Media and Sport’s Covid Recovery 

Fund. 

Visitors will also be able to enjoy 

hot and cold food and drinks at the 

new T-Junction cafe, situated next 

to the playground and the picnic 

area. 

The railway’s general manager 

Simon Baggott said: “It’s wonderful 

to be opening and we look forward 

to welcoming visitors back to the 

Watercress Line after the past few 

months in lockdown. 

We have plenty to see and do for 

people of all ages and this season 

promises to bring even more fun. 

The new locomotive playground is a 

fantastic new attraction for children 

and we are grateful for the support 

we have received from South Western 

Railway and the government. 

There’s a full calendar of exciting 

activities for the year ahead and 

we’re all looking forward to welcoming 

back Thomas this May - a 

day out at the Watercress Line is 

always a memorable one!” 

INTERESTED? Then come along and have a go at 

OLD BASING BOWLS CLUB 

*OPEN DAYS 17th April 10.00am - 4.00pm 

25th April 10.00am - 4.00pm 

29th May 10.00am - 4.00pm 

Contact Maurice Hockley 01256 421867 

or visit our website 

www.oldbasingbowlingclub.co.uk 

GET ACTIVE HAVE FUN PLAY BOWLS AT OLD BASING 

* Dates subject to Government/Bowls England Covid guidelines - please check our website.

46 | 

ARTS&CULTURE 


Healthy and delicious watercress salads 

NOW we are all able to get out and about to enjoy some sunny weather, what better way to celebrate the season 

than a plate of fresh, crisp, healthy salad? 

To give any salad an extra kick of flavour, be sure to include a substantial handful of locally sourced Hampshire 

watercress. Whichever your preference, you’re guaranteed a great tasting, satisfying and healthy solution to 

outdoor eating. 

Ultimate 

superfood salad 

Ingredients 

85g watercress 

100g quinoa 

1 pomegranate 

1 ripe avocado 

100g roasted sweet potato 

1 small punnet alfalfa sprouts or 

mixed sprouts 

1 clove garlic 

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets 

25g almonds, toasted 

Sea salt and black pepper 

Pinch chilli flakes 

Juice of 1 lime 

75ml olive oil 

25g chopped coriander 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 200°C, then chop 

the sweet potatoes into inch cubes with 

the skin on. Place into a roasting tray, 

season with salt and pepper, drizzle 

with olive oil and roast in the oven for 

15-20 minutes. 

Cook the quinoa in salted boiling 

water according to the packet instructions. 

Place the broccoli into a metal 

colander and set over the boiling quinoa. 

Cover and steam the broccoli for 

three minutes. 

Once cooked, drain and rinse the 

quinoa and broccoli under cold running 

water. Remove the sweet potato 

from the oven. 

Cut the pomegranate in half and 

squeeze the juice from one half into 

a large bowl. Add the olive oil, chilli 

flakes and lime juice, whisk together 

and season to taste. Add in the coriander, 

alfalfa, quinoa and sweet potato 

and toss well. 

Peel the avocado, remove the stone 

and roughly chop. Spread the quinoa 

and sweet potato mixture onto a serving 

plate and dot the avocado over the top. 

Finally, bash the second half of the 

pomegranate with a wooden spoon to 

knock the seeds out and scatter these 

over the plate along with the toasted 

almonds. 

Warm watercress, bacon 

and apple salad 

Ingredients 

150g watercress 

6 rashers smoked streaky bacon 

2 Bramley apples 

100ml apple cider 

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 

Bread rolls & butter to serve 

Method 

Chop the bacon into small pieces. Cut 

the apples into quarters before removing 

the core and cutting into segments. 

Place a large frying pan or wok onto 

the stove on a high heat and add in a 

half tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once 

the oil is hot, add in the bacon and apple 

and stir. Fry until the bacon begins to 

crisp and the apple is coloured nicely 

on the outside. Add in the cider and 

reduce to a sticky consistency. 

Add in the watercress and stir fry 

for 30 seconds, making sure it is well 

coated in the bacon and cider. Serve 

in a large dish along with some crusty 

bread and salted butter if having for 

lunch, or why not serve with a pork 

chop and some mashed potato for a 

delicious evening meal. 

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No. 5185 

Your regular puzzle challenge 

CROSS CODE 

A B C D E F G HIJ K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z 

Each number in our Cross Code grid represents a different letter 

of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control grid to start 

you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, 

then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters 

should go in the missing squares. 

As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number 

in the main grid and control grid. Check off the alphabetical list of 

letters as you identify them. 

MAGIC SQUARE 

STATISTICAL PATCH 

Using all 16 letters of the phrase above, form 

four words each of four letters which will fit in the 

grid to form a magic square in which the words 

can be read both horizontally and vertically. 

SUDOKU 

Easy 

7 8 1 3 6 

9 1 5 

3 2 7 

1 4 9 3 

5 7 6 4 2 8 

6 9 2 3 

3 1 6 5 

SOLUTIONS 

NONAGRAM 

How many words of four 

letters or more can you 

make from this 

Nonagram? Each word 

must use the central letter, 

and each letter may be 

used only once. At least 

one word using all nine 

letters can be found. 

Guidelines: 

18 Good; 21 Very Good; 

25 Excellent. 

Any word found in the Concise 

Oxford Dictionary (Tenth Edition) is 

eligible with the following 

exceptions: proper nouns; plural 

nouns, pronouns and possessives; 

third person singular verbs; 

hyphenated words; contractions 

and abbreviations; vulgar slang 

words; variant spellings of the 

same word (where another variant 

is also eligible). 

Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box. 

NONAGRAM: 

oops; opus; poof; poor; porous; port; 

post; pouf; pour; pout; prof; proof; 

purr; roup; RUSTPROOF; soup; spoof; 

spoor; sport; spot; spout; sprout; 

spur; spurt; stoop; stop; stoup; strop; 

stupor; topo; topos; torpor; troop; 

turps; uproot. 

Across – Quilt; Idler; Keyed. 

Down – Quirk; Inlay; Tired. 

Across – Fists; Abode; Radar. 

Down – Flair; Scold; Shear. 

(2) 

FIVE ALIVE: 

(1) 

R O T 

O P 

3 8 6 

S 

F U R 

QUICK CROSSWORD: 

Across – 1 Genesis; 5 Koala; 8 Hue; 9 Soprano; 10 Biped; 11 

Ogled; 13 Ebbtide; 15 Lyre; 17 Crimea; 19 Rhesus; 22 Lego; 24 

Trachea; 26 Sober; 29 Amiss; 30 Lineage; 31 Tie; 32 Suede; 33 

Scalene. 

Down – 1 Gusto; 2 Nepal; 3 Swaddle; 4 Shower; 5 Kebab; 6 Applies; 

7 Address; 12 Gar; 14 Berg; 16 Yale; 17 Cutlass; 18 Imagine; 20 

Hosanna; 21 Use; 23 Eagles; 25 Haste; 27 Blade; 28 Reeve. 

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD: 

Across – 1 Avid; 4 Fiddler; 8 Pleasure boat; 9 Draw lots; 10 

Home; 12 Venice; 14 Depart; 16 Legs; 17 Spoon-fed; 20 Plain 

dealing; 21 Red-eyed; 22 Deem. 

Down – 2 Villa; 3 Deadlock; 4 Fourth; 5 Does; 6 Leonora; 7 

Retreated; 9 Developer; 11 Recoiled; 13 Niggard; 15 Upheld; 18 

Fence; 19 Inky. 

Quiz Challenge 

1. Who devised the ‘law’ which 

predicates that work will 

expand to fill the time available 

to complete it? 

2. Which TV quiz programme 

takes its name from a word 

which means studious people? 

3. Shirley Bassey, Harry Belafonte 

and Tarriers all had a 1957 hit 

with which tune? 

4. Which fine blend of tea takes 

its name from an explosive 

mixture? 

5. The prefix ‘Luso-’ denotes 

which European country? 

7 4 2 

5 3 1 9 

1 7 9 

6 

5 2 6 

2 8 4 1 

8 1 9 4 2 

WORD PYRAMID: 

Three-piece suite. 

EQUALISER: 

Clockwise from top 

left – divide; 

subtract; add; 

multiply. Total: 6. 

MAGIC SQUARE: 

asti; spat; talc; itch. 

WORD PYRAMID 

Spell out a 15-letter word or 

phrase by moving from one 

chamber to another within 

the pyramid. You may 

only enter each of the 

chambers once and 

may only proceed 

through openings 

in the walls. The 

first letter may 

appear in any 

chamber. 

FIVE ALIVE 

6. If you ordered Chateaubriand in 

a French restaurant, what 

would you expect to be served? 

7. The science of hydroponics 

studies what? 

8. A forward sweep or a draw 

stroke might be performed In 

which sport? 

9. The Ottoman Empire was 

founded in the 11th century in 

which country? 

10. What was the name of US 

singer Jason Derulo’s debut 

single which went triple 

Platinum? 

QF IU SI TL ST 

UL CN IH 

Hard 

C 

AI DB LO ED RE 

IR AL EA 

RK EA YD AE DR 

3 4 2 1 7 8 5 6 9 

6 5 1 9 3 2 8 7 4 

9 7 8 4 6 5 2 1 3 

5 6 3 2 4 1 7 9 8 

1 8 4 7 9 3 6 5 2 

2 9 7 8 5 6 3 4 1 

4 1 5 3 2 7 9 8 6 

7 2 9 6 8 4 1 3 5 

8 3 6 5 1 9 4 2 7 

E 

EQUALISER 

4 4 

14 2 1 

2 2 

2 2 2 

3 4 

I 

E T P 

S E H E 

U I T R E 

Here are two 

miniature fivesquare 

crosswords 

using the same 

grid – but the 

letters have 

been mixed up. 

You have to 

work out which 

letters belong 

to which 

crossword. 

Place the four signs (add, 

subtract, multiply, divide) 

one in each circle so that 

the total of each across 

and down line is the same. 

Perform the first calculation in each 

line first and ignore the mathematical 

law which says you should always 

perform division and multiplication 

before addition and subtraction. 

This puzzle page is supplied by 

Sirius Media Services. 

To try our new puzzle, 

Zygolex, go to 

www.zygolex.com 

© Sirius Media Services Ltd 

4 5 7 8 9 1 2 3 6 

9 2 1 3 5 6 8 7 4 

8 6 3 4 2 7 9 1 5 

2 1 4 9 7 8 6 5 3 

3 8 6 2 1 5 4 9 7 

5 7 9 6 3 4 1 2 8 

6 9 5 7 4 2 3 8 1 

7 3 8 1 6 9 5 4 2 

1 4 2 5 8 3 7 6 9 

EASY SUDOKU HARD SUDOKU 

CROSS CODE 

QUIZ CHALLENGE: 1 C. Northcote Parkinson; 2 Eggheads; 3 The Banana Boat Song; 4 Gunpowder tea; 5 Portugal; 6 Fillet steak; 7 Growing 

plants without soil; 8 Canoeing; 9 Turkey; 10 Watcha Say. 

PZ1P5185 

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 

1 

8 

9 

12 

16 

20 

21 

1 

8 

11 

ACROSS 

2 

13 

1. Keen opera singer makes a 

comeback (4) 

4. Dishonest player? (7) 

8. In which one should enjoy 

being on the water (8,4) 

9. Attract many to make a 

random selection (4,4) 

10. Former prime minister’s 

residence (4) 

12. Italian city is very nice 

without a railway (6) 

14. Go away from French 

region (6) 

16. The usual stocking fillers (4) 

17. Artificially fostered – a baby 

might be (5-3) 

20. Being candid even before 

trading (5,7) 

21. Looked after revolutionary 

who had been crying (3-4) 

22. Believe that some will evade 

embarrassment (4) 

1 

9 

11 

17 

24 

29 

32 

12 

2 

18 

3 

19 

3 

15 

25 

31 

4 

15 

17 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1. First book of 

Bible (7) 

5. Marsupial (5) 

8. Tint (3) 

9. High voice (7) 

10. Having two feet (5) 

11. Leered (5) 

13. Receding sea (7) 

15. Ancient harp (4) 

17. Black Sea 

peninsula (6) 

19. Type of monkey (6) 

22. Construction 

toy (4) 

24. Windpipe (7) 

10 

16 

22 

4 

15 

4 

8 

13 

23 

30 

33 

13 

14 

DOWN 

5 

11 

22 

10 

6 

18 

18 

2. House I will have in 

Virginia (5) 

3. Lifeless hair responsible for 

lack of progress (8) 

4. Fraction behind the 

medallists (6) 

5. Cleans up for rabbits 

perhaps (4) 

6. Girl alone or in trouble (7) 

7. Went back to negotiate in a 

rush (9) 

9. Chemical used by one 

making a photograph 

appear (9) 

11. Staggered back and looked 

annoyed about eastern 

firm (8) 

13. Miser pullin’ back (7) 

15. Kept up first and gave moral 

support (6) 

18. Guard low-lying area near 

the church (5) 

19. Blue or black perhaps in 

Kentucky (4) 

5 

14 

19 

26. Moderate (5) 

29. Astray (5) 

30. Line of 

descent (7) 

31. Bind (3) 

32. Soft leather (5) 

33. Type of 

triangle (7) 

DOWN 

1. Zest (5) 

2. Himalayan 

country (5) 

3. Swathe (7) 

4. Light rainfall (6) 

5. Skewered 

meat (5) 

5 

10 

20 

26 

6 

27 

21 

7 

7 

28 

6. Implements (7) 

7. Sermon (7) 

12. Pike-like fish (3) 

14. Floating ice (4) 

16. American 

university (4) 

17. Short sword (7) 

18. Dream up (7) 

20. Cry of praise (7) 

21. Employ (3) 

23. Birds of prey (6) 

25. Hurry (5) 

27. Cutting edge (5) 

28. Chief 

magistrate (5)

48 | 


ObserverServices 

Local, Professional Tree Services 

No Job too Big or too Small 

Monster Tree Services 

ross.stickland@monstertreeservices.co.uk 

07872 567381 

www.monstertreeservices.co.uk 

Boiler Installation/Repair 

Central Heating Engineer 

General Plumbing 

Solar Heating 

A Lady 

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● Free Estimates 

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20 years experience 

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● Hedge Cutting 

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● Site Clearance 

● Logs and Firewood delivery 

Under Floor Heating 

Bathroom Refurbishment 

Power Flushing 

Tel: 0800 4488515 Mob: 07772919035 

www.iplumb.net 

Still Open 

As usual 

• Tree/Hedge Care 

• Fencing• Grass cutting 

• Patios Pressure Cleaned 

• Garden Waste Cleared 

• Free Estimates 

07721015248 / 01256 851601 

aaronsgs1951@gmail.com 

Andover Turf 

Company 

andoverturf.co.uk 

For quality lawn turf, top soil 

and solid fuels. 

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01264 889769 

APOLLO 

Satellite and Aerial Services 

● TV & Radio Aerials 

● TV Wall Mounting, Installation & 

Cabling 

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● Audio Systems 

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Specialists 

Don’t bin it 

Fix it 

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Fully seasoned logs in Bramley, 


Fully Seasoned logs for sale 

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Kiln dried firewood logs for sale 

FREE local delivery! 

Get stocked up with logs now. … 

We sell quality seasoned hardwood firewood logs, ready to burn in 

your wood-burning stove or open fire. All our logs are seasoned & 

dry stored 

1.3 cubic meter (approx) loads – £110 free delivery 

Double load (2.6 cubic meter approx) – £210 free delivery 

We also sell builders bag – £80 free delivery 

or…Small bags – £5 each 

A1 logs is a local family company supplying seasoned & dried 

hardwood logs from our wood yard in Bramley Hampshire. 

A1 Logs, The Wood Yard, Bramley Rd, Tadley RG26 5EY 

a1logs.com 

Repairs for the following 

and many more: 

Vacuums • Food Mixers 

Processors/Juicers • Microwaves 

Irons/Kettles/Toasters/ 

Shavers/Heaters/Lamps 

Haircare Products GHD’s 

Call in and see us at 

16 Winchester Street, Basingstoke, RG21 7DZ 

Give us a call on 01256 357640 

Or drop us a line at contact@basingstokeservicecentre.com 

www.basingstokeservicecentre.com 

START 2021 

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Call: 0118 9810002 

Or: 01256 811 288


ObserverServices 

NASH ARBORISTS LTD 

professional tree surgeons 

• Professional certificated arborists. 

• 25 years experience. 

• Fully insured. 

• Free quotations and advice. 

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We stock all Pond and Aquarium Equipment, Water Features, 

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Open 7 days a week 

Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm 

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Tel: 01256 883907 

Mob: 07776 290348 

D H Watergardens has been based near Sherfield-on- 

Loddon Garden Centre for 35 years. We specialise in 

anything aquatic inside and outside, small and large, 

private and commercial. Recently we have undergone a 

major refurbishment and bought in new and exciting stock. 

We have created imaginative features, plant displays and 

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With over 35 years of experience, we can build you any 

pond any size 

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STONEBASE 

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4 Reynolds House, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke RG22 6RW 

www.stonebasepaving.co.uk

50 | 


ObserverMotors 

Honda CR-V 2.0 i-MMD Hybrid EX – AWD CVT 

By Tony Yates 

THE new CR-V I have on test is a modern-day 

Hybrid, so that means you get 

a 2.0 Litre petrol engine that has 145PS 

and 175 Nm of torque. Then you add in 

the CR-Vs Hybrid system, which then 

gets you 315Nm of torque and 184PS 

thanks to that electric motor - which 

in turn makes it into a totally different 

machine altogether. 

Top speed – 112mph along with a 

0-62 sprint of 9.2s. Now, I would not 

call it ‘sporty’ – but it does get a move 

on thanks to the additional push from 

that electric motor. The CR-V was also 

fitted with an eCVT gearbox – which 

I’m going to say I am not a fan of, but 

saying that, it’s functional and it gets 

the job done - so I’m not going to complain 

too much. 

On the road 

A good ride height is a big plus point 

for the CR-V - along with how it feels 

out on the open road. The chassis and 

suspension are also set up very nicely 

indeed for all sorts of surfaces and it 

felt well planted to the road ahead. If 

you do have to go off-road – then don’t 

expect the CR-V to come to a sudden 

stop as soon as you hit the grass either. 

That’s because Honda has managed to 

do a very good job of getting the (AWD) 

system to function as a proper 4X4 – 

which makes it more than capable of 

doing more than its fair share of offroad 

work when it comes to going out 

on the sloppy stuff. 

Also, I may have told you this before 

– but when I get a car to test, I always 

take a pre-set route that can take me 

up to 100miles away from my starting 

point which for me is a good test of 

how tired or relaxed I feel after a long 

drive. Well, I have to say – because the 

driving position and the Petrol/Hybrid 

systems were so refined – I arrived 

back home as fresh as daisy. 

Safety and technology 

The interior is of a good standard 

and its controls are well set out and all 

the dials are clear. The space inside 

is good – better than most large SUVs 

I care to mention. You would easily 

fit in a very large family along with a 

couple of Dogs if the need was there. 

Plus – everything inside the CR-V 

feels well put together. There is also no 

corner-cutting when it comes to quality 

either – Honda has gone the extra mile 

to make it feel very upmarket inside. 

Boot space inside is also good with a 

rear seat up capacity of (497 litres) 

and rear seats folded flat capacity of 

(1064 litres). 

Standard equipment in the EX model 

range is good and includes; ABS (Anti- 

Lock Braking System) Airbags - Front 

Driver & Passenger, Airbags - Side 

Curtain (Front and Rear) Blind Spot 

Information incl. Cross Traffic Monitor, 

Agile Handle Assist (AHA) ECON 

Mode, Electric Parking Brake, Brake 

Hold, Head-Up Display, Hill Start Assist 

(HSA) Dual Zone Climate and Air Conditioning 

– including Rear Vents, Rear 

View Camera, Bluetooth TM Hands- 

Free Telephone (HFT) DAB, Honda 

CONNECT with GARMIN Navigation 

(7” touchscreen, AM/FM/DAB, internet 

radio, Aha TM app integration, Apple 

Carplay and Android Auto) 9 Speaker 

audio and Wireless Charging. 

To sum up 

A brilliant machine from Honda. If 

you are looking around for one of the 

best petrol/Hybrid large SUV’s currently 

on the market; then you need to 

look no further than the latest version 

of the Honda CR-V. 

Price from £39,050. 

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Advertorial 

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Why you should consider a Dashcam 

a dashboard camera or simply dashcam, also known as car digital video recorder 

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that continuously records the view through a vehicle’s front windscreen and 

sometimes rear or other windows. 

The devices are conveniently placed to 

observe the whole of the road ahead, therefore 

any accident which you happen to see or be 

involved in is going to be recorded. 

Most authorities in the UK now accept dash 

cam footage as evidence. They can therefore be 

used to prevent future accidents by reporting 

reckless and dangerous drivers. 

Some insurers are recognising the preventative 

nature they have and offer a discount if you state 

that you have one fitted in your car. 

What are the benefits of a dashboard 

camera? 

l Evidence of an accident. 

Having a dash cam in your car means 

supporting evidence at your fingertips – 

should you be involved in a car accident 

or witness one. 

l Reporting undisciplined drivers 

l Peace of Mind 

l Fraud Prevention 

l Insurance Cost Savings. 

A dash cam can have cost-effective benefits 

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insurance premiums. 

Some insurers are recognising the 

preventative nature they have and offer 

a discount if you state that you have one 

fitted in your car. 

l Memories. Capture Great Events. 

Besides capturing the bad things on video 

such as accidents and bad driving, having a 

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some great events that may occur in your 

driving eye line when on the road. These 

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l Make Driving Better. 

As a better driver, you will get a good driving 

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52 | 


ObserverMotorServices 

EST 1989 

BASINGSTOKE’S 

PREMIER 

ACCIDENT 

BODY REPAIR 

CENTRE 

Check out our reviews 

on yell.com! 

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TKdetailing 

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We are approved by some of the best car care companies 

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• New Car Ceramic Coating 

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Service & MOT offers 

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Unit 10, Basingstoke Business Centre, Basingstoke, 

Hampshire, RG22 4AU 

LAND ROVER & 

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Basingstoke RG26 5ED 

Telephone 07931 670882 

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BLUE PETER 

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“We are one of the largest 

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● Servicing of all makes of vehicle 

● MOT’s Cars & Light Commercials 

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Advertorial 

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When you come to us about replacing your car… 

....whether new or used… 

Martin Dunn 

“Nothing is too much 

trouble for DEMEC 

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Nick Bailey 

“Our fixed price 

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and such good value” 

Zsombor Racz 

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“People seem to want 

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We start by finding out about your motoring 

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Our whole customer-based process is hassle-free. 

Mark van Meerkerk 

“We’re now into the 

larger vans-with our 

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Jenna Godleman 

carrying out a free 

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Greg Noon 

“DEMEC MoT’s are 

top value” 

Matt Godleman 

“DEMEC’s 

Quality management 

approach is the only 

way”! 

Brunswick Place, Basingstoke RG21 3NN 

Telephone: 01256 359994 

Email: info@demingcarservices.co.uk 

We will almost certainly save you money in the short 

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Brunswick Place, 

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Telephone: 

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Email: 

info@demingcarservices.co.uk

54 | 

Covid-19 Update 

The Repair Centre has been modified to ensure they adhere to 

government guidelines. Fix Auto UK repairs is enrolled with 

Safety 4 Bodyshops the recognised safety platform for the industry. 


Advertorial 

Fix Auto in Basingstoke 

Business as Usual 

Commited to safety, but it is still business as usual for a family 

run vehicle repairer in Basingstoke. That’s the clear message 

from Dale Morris who owns Fix Auto Basingstoke, formerly 

known as Smart Bodyshop. 

0% available 

T&C apply. Please ask for details. 

BASINGSTOKE 

In early December last year 

Dale joined Fix Auto UK, the 

country’s largest network of 

independently owned vehicle 

repair centres and by 

doing so changed his business’s 

name to Fix Auto 


Formed six years ago, he 

relocated his operation to a 

new 10,000 sq ft repair centre 

18 months ago as part 

of his development plans. 

However, in order to further 

elevate his business, 

Dale joined Fix Auto UK - 

the global organisation that 

provides business support, 

training and industry-leading 

initiatives. 

Explaining why he joined 

Fix Auto UK and rebranded 

his business, Dale said: “We 

have excelled as a standalone, 

independent, repair 

centre and I am extremely 

proud of where we are 

today after just six years 

but there is only so much 

you can achieve on your 

own. In order to progress 

and be at the cutting edge of 

our industry you have to be 

part of a network and work 

alongside fellow ambitious 

repairers. 

“It has long been recognised 

Fix Auto UK provides 

unrivalled support and we 

can utilise their help and 

guidance to continue our 

progression plans. We have 

built up an enviable customer 

base and I want old 

and new customers to know 

while our name may have 

changed and we are now 

part of a large organisation, 

it is still the same business. 

Only better.” 

Dale believes the benefits 

of being part of the 

Caption: Fix Auto UK’s Head of Franchisee Development Mark Hutchins 

(left) welcomes Dale Morris of Smart Bodyshop that now operates as Fix 

Auto Basingstoke. 

network include Fix Auto 

UK’s numerous customerbenefitting 

schemes and 

he singles out its recently 

launched interest free credit 

payment method enabling 

motorists to spread the cost 

of repairs over a three, six, 

nine or 12 month period. 

“While we are highly 

driven to repair a vehicle 

swiftly and provide customers 

with the best service 

possible, there is only so 

much we can do as we are 

a small family-run business. 

We have many customers 

arrive without realising they 

have to pay excess on their 

insurance claims for example. 

The interest free payment 

scheme is through a 

highly credible finance company 

organised by Fix Auto 

UK and takes that pain away 

for our customers.” 

STILL THE SMART WAY TO GET YOUR CAR REPAIRED: 

CAR DENT REMOVAL • PAINT REPAIR & RESPRAYS 

CAR SCRATCH REPAIRS • ALLOY WHEEL REPAIRS 

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De-sanitise and 

recharge aircon. 

Removes all bacteria 

including Covid 19 from 

the air con system. 

Prices from £75.00 

FIX AUTO BASINGSTOKE 

Unit 6 Ringway Centre, Edison Road, 

Houndmills, RG21 6YH 

01256 517230

BasingstokeObserver @BasingstokeNews Thursday, April 15, 2021 OBSERVERSPORT | 55 

Save The 

Camrose 

Campaign 

FOLLOWING Basron’s appeal against 

planning refusals the campaign to save 

the Camrose will inevitably be protracted 

overnight. 

Martin French, Basingstoke Town FC 

Secretary, explained that it is important 

to form a solid basis for a sustained 

campaign: “The Community Club is 

currently working on a detailed document 

making the case to transform the 

Camrose into a community sports hub 

to serve the whole Community. This 

will be fully presented to the newly 

composed Council after the local elections. 

In the meantime, it is important 

to hear where the individual parties, 

councillors and prospective councillors 

stand on BTCFC‘s vision.” 

Early work shows that there is a huge 

need for football facilities in the rapidly 

growing borough including the town 

itself. The Council is aware of this from 

its own study with the Football Association 

and the Football Foundation. The 

shortfall is four artifi cial pitches. 

The Community Football Club 

believe that the Camrose and the club 

brand make the case for such a facility at 

the Camrose which would be available 

80 hours a week. 

Steve Williams , Board Member 

and Chair of Save the Camrose, 

commented: “Any clubs, schools and 

voluntary groups interested in using 

such a facility at the Camrose should 

register their interest by email to steve. 

williams@btfc.co.uk.” 

It is understood before the appeal 

Basron showed a willingness to engage 

in discussion with the club. The Club 

says the appeal was not unexpected as 

Basron seeks to protect the value of the 

land. The Community club intend to 

join the council in defending the planning 

refusals. 

Steve Williams continued: “We shall 

need to match the legal and planning 

professionals that Basron calls on. The 

club is also working on a soon to be 

launched national campaign with the 

aim of stopping the loss of sports facilities 

through property speculation and 

avoiding others suffering in the same 

way as our borough.” 

You can show your support is by 

purchasing Save the Camrose T-shirts 

and car stickers which are available from 

the club shop. 



Observer 

Twitter 

#BasingstokeNews 

Local Teams To Compete In 

Hampshire Invitation Cup 

HARTLEY Wintney, Alton Town and 

Whitchurch United are set to make 

a welcome return to resuming the 

remnants of the 2020-21 season. The 

Hampshire Football Association have 

taken the initiative to arrange a competition 

which will last out for what 

remains of the season. 

The competition will see teams from 

the Southern League, the Wessex 

League and the Combined Counties 

League play matches over the spring 

and early summer months. The format 

of the Hampshire Invitation Cup 

will be four groups each with up to 

five teams. Each team will be placed 

in their groups according to their 

respective area. The top two teams 

from each group will progress to the 

quarter finals, with the remaining 

teams taking part in a straight knockout 

journey. 

The area groups are: 

Group 1; AFC Porchester, Folland 

Sports, Hamble Club, Petersfield 

Town, US Portsmouth 

Group 2; AFC Totton, Blackfield and 

Langley, East Cowes Vics, Fawley 

AFC, Hythe & Dibden 

Group 3; Bemerton Heath, Brokenhurst, 

New Milton Town, Ringwood 

Town, Winchester City 

Group 4; Alton Town, Andover Town, 

Cove, Hartley Wintney, Whitchurch 

United 

All matches are to be played behind 

closed doors unless otherwise advised 

by the Government guidelines. 

WOMEN On The Tee is a new initiative 

which has launched this month to 

offer competitive and fun opportunities 

for amateur women golfers. It’s been 

created to complement existing club, 

county and national events. 

Women can sign up individually, with 

friends or as a group to enjoy the challenge 

of different courses across the 

country and meet like-minded players. 

Photo by Josie Shipman 

The Hartley Wintney FC Junior 

set-up received a recent boost when 

they attained the Community Charter 

Standard from the Hampshire FA. 

This Charter acknowledges the 

most advanced level of club development 

and football provision. Only a 

few clubs are awarded this level, and 

Membership is obtained through the 

website womenonthetee.com and for 

2021 is at the discounted rate of £30. 

The Women On The Tee members 

only competition schedule for 2021 

includes: five one day stroke play 

events; one two day event Four Ball 

Better Ball and one day stroke play. 

The flagship event is the WPGA 

Ladies Pro Am at Bowood Golf Club 

on 19 August. This is an all female Pro 

Am with up to 28 teams playing for 

team prizes, with Pros also competing 

in an individual WPGA Order of 

Merit competition with a pros prize 

fund of £2,000. 

Each event offers prizes and Women 

on the Tee Order of Merit points for 

gross and net winners in two divisions 

– Mid Amateur (age 49 and under) and 

Senior (50 and over). 

The latest Golf Genius tournament 

software provides the players with a 

contactless experience. Digital scorecards, 

tee sheets, course information 

and integration to the World Handicap 

System will be readily available by a 

new Women on the Tee Golf Genius 

mobile app providing a smooth pre 

and post round experience. 

On the day players can expect a welcome 

desk, starters on the first tee 

to explain local rules, ball spotters if 

required, a roaming referee and a live 

leaderboard in the clubhouse, on the 

they must demonstrate sustainability 

and prioritise qualified coaching and 

safeguarding, as well as the values of 

the FA Respect campaign, as part of 

their game. 

Suzanne McDermott-Swan, the 

Junior Club’s Welfare and Charter 

Standard Officer since 2018, has championed 

this successful process. 

Hartley Wintney FC currently have 

an Under 23 Development team in 

the Suburban League, and several 

members of the team have already 

featured in the First Team squad. In 

addition, the club’s Under 18 team play 

in the Allied Counties Youth League. 

Women on the tee announce tournament schedule 

website and mobile app. 

Founder of Women On The Tee Julie 

Walker commented: “Our goal is to 

Dear All, 

Basingstoke Voluntary Sports Council are planning to hopefully be working within 

and in partnerships alongside the Sport and Health community of the Borough 

over the next 18 months at least to promote a ‘Basingstoke & Deane Get Active‘ 

initiative. We are a fully voluntary organisation not funded by BDBC. We will link 

with local media to promote wherever possible and of course via social media. 

The aim is to assist facilitation in getting everyone back to Sport and Health 

activities including Competition, Volunteering, Offi ciating, Coaching and just general 

healthy exercise. Details have been communicated via local newsletters and 

also on our Facebook page and will continue to be so over the coming months 

linked to local events etc. Local clubs and centres have been requested to update 

us of activities and we plan to work alongside as many relevant organisations as 

possible. 

As well as existing activities, we would like to know about planned events as 

Covid eases and things return to some form of normality. Details of relevant 

organisations or activities at your centres or clubs would be appreciated plus any 

links with local schools or needs for assistance with Coaching, Volunteering etc. 

With both European football and the Olympics later this year alongside various 

other sports, there are opportunities for promotional events so please consider 

that as well as the simple fi tness activities for all ages and standards. 

We plan to interact with the Basingstoke Aquadrome and Sports Centre, Tadley 

Pool and hopefully other Community Centres, Schools and Colleges and hope we 

will also gain some proactive responses from the outlying areas of Basingstoke & 

Deane. Linking with existing projects and allocated funding would obviously assist 

progress. 

Kevin Laing 

Chairman of Basingstoke & Deane Voluntary Sports Council 

create professional and well organised 

events where players feel they are 

getting an elite golfing experience.”

56 | 


ObserverSport 

Inside: Women on the tee announce tournament schedule | Local Teams To Compete In Hampshire Invitation Cup | Save The Camrose Campaign 

Return to GT Championship 

for Halstead 

FOX Motorsport have announced a 

return to the Intelligent Money British 

GT Championship in 2021. 

The team will compete in the GT4 

Pro-Am category with a newly-acquired 

McLaren 570S GT4, which will be driven 

by Ginetta racing champion Nick Halstead 

and British GT4 title winner Jamie 

Stanley. 

Nick, from Andwell near Basingstoke, 

has been building towards racing at the 

top level of UK motorsport ever since 

making his competitive debut in the supporting 

Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2017. 

With Fox he won the series’ Am division 

in 2018 and was a pole-position 

starter and podium finisher in TCR UK 

the following season while also finishing 

third in the Citroen C1 24 Hours at 

Spa-Francorchamps. 

Last year he contested the Ginetta 

GT4 Supercup Am class; winning from 

pole on his debut and finishing third in 

end-of-season standings. 

The 2021 British GT Championship 

gets underway on May 22-23 at Brands 

Hatch, Kent, and features seven events, 

culminating in what’s anticipated to be 

an action-packed finale at Donington 

Park, East Midlands, on October 16-17. 

A varied race format, designed to spice 

up the action, means weekends can 

contain two races of one-hour duration 

or a single ‘enduro’ of up to three hours’ 

length; all featuring mandatory mid-race 

driver changes. 

Nick Halstead commented: “I’m absolutely 

thrilled to make my British GT 

debut this year. It’s not something I 

thought would be possible for 2021, but 

a situation developed so quickly that it 

went from a distant dream to a reality 

in just a couple of weeks. I absolutely 

love McLaren as a brand. I’ve supported 

their F1 team for decades, had a couple 

of their road cars and was one of the 

founders of the UK McLaren Owners’ 

Club, so to now be able to race a 570S GT4 

in the UK’s leading GT championship 

is an amazing feeling. I couldn’t wish 

for a more professional team than Fox 

Motorsport and in Jamie Stanley I have 

a co-driver who’s already won the GT4 

title and who’s been in my corner since 

my very first race in a Ginetta back in 

2017. British GT has huge kudos and 

its global live streaming adds a lot of 

value for our partners too, so it really 

is a win-win situation.” 

Jamie Stanley added: “It’s mega to be 

back in British GT. Although I’ve managed 

to win quite a few championships 

Photo credit JEP 

and get a few international victories 

since my 2010 GT4 title, I really haven’t 

had many full seasons in British GT. To 

have the chance to race the McLaren 

570S GT4 alongside Nick, and with a 

team I’ve worked so closely with for 

many years, was an opportunity far too 

good to miss. I’ve worked with Nick ever 

since he decided to go racing and chose 

Fox to help him move up the ladder. He’s 

made huge progress in that time, as 

his many successes show, but this will 

definitely be his biggest test. It’s up to 

us to make sure he’s as well-prepared 

as he can be and to give him everything 

he needs to thrive in the McLaren.” 

Paul McNeilly, Team Principal, concluded: 

“It feels great to be back in British 

GT, a series where we’ve always felt 

at home, and to do it with Nick and Jamie 

- two drivers who have long histories 

with Fox Motorsport - is even better. The 

McLaren is completely new to us and 

will take a bit of time to learn from an 

engineering point of view, but the quality 

of our technical staff has always been 

such that no matter what cars we’ve 

run previously, be it a GT, touring car 

or single-seater, we’ve always managed 

to get the best out of the machinery. I 

think it’s going to be a season where we 

have to really fight for every position, but 

we’re ready for the challenge.” 

10% Discount 

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British Curry Award Winners 2007-2019 

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encourage you to try something new, or 

why not let our waiters suggest a range 

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range of delicious flavours. 

Enjoy your meal and we look 

forward to seeing you again soon. 

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MEDIA GROUP 

Hook Tandoori are proud to announce our prestigious awards 

The Fleet Food Festival “Big Curry Cook Off” Winner 2014 

& The British Curry Awards 

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 , 2013, 2014, 2015, 

2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 

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Basingstoke Observer April 15th

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