big voice lee on the solent september 2015

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September 2015 | Issue 95 | £1.50 where bought

© Americas Cup by Hypersonic

See our new wedding feature on pages 14-15

Your special day

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THIS MONTH..

HOUSE AND GARDENS

23 AsterThis plant of the month may look a touch like agiant daisy but they’re not weedy at all.

21 In House ChatOur award winning local agent Mark Rowe impartsmore house knowledge and tips on photographs

CHILDREN, PETS & EDUCATION

8 Kids PageOne of our favourite sports is covered this monthwith the kids page - enjoy the Rugby theme!

COMMUNITY

6 St Faiths’ ChurchSing away with the choir at Lee on Solent nowknown as the Lee Choral Society.

14 “I do”Find out more about how to organise your ownwedding on a budget in this lovely new feature

28 Holiday time!Some ideas of activities to do locally with your littleones to keep the holiday time full of fun.

september issue 2015

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ONTH..

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SmSmalal ltalkltalk“Instead of wondering where your next vacation is, maybe you

should set a life you don’t need to escape from” said SethGodin.

I rather like Seth Godin’s musings on life and business as hethoughtfully provokes what you believed to be set in concrete touncover ideas that suddenly ring true like church bells in your head.

This quote is one of my favourites and resonates well especially atthis time of the year. I sat watching my facebook feed this morninglooking at several postings from families doing a countdown to theirannual summer holiday. Some were going to Greece, some weregoing much further afield and of course they were all preceded withcries of “yippee, only 4 days to go”.

With 2 businesses to run and 4 children to amuse over the next 6weeks I had an initial pang of envy. The thought of a blissful,uninterrupted vacation, somewhere in the sun (remember that?!)seemed alluring and indulgent.

I allowed my thoughts to continue in this vein until I pulled myselfback to my reality with a rather pleasant pop. After all, who hascreated the life that I’m living? Who is responsible for the actionsthat I take and the choices that I make each day? Well of course theanswer to that lies totally between my ears so if I don’t like what I’mdoing then I jolly well need to change things. And you know what? Irather love what I have. I can choose to start work at 6am so that Ican leap up every now and then to cut up magazines for the girls toturn into a craft project, or hang out the next load of washing thatkeeps magically appearing for me. I can choose to stop late afternoonto enjoy a cup of tea and colouring with the children.

And best of all we’re workinghard towards a lifestyle where Ivery much hope that instead ofuninterrupted weeks, we’llhave some uninterruptedmonths off to enjoy the world.

Much love until next month

Coralie and Sean x

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St Faiths’ C ommunity

It was the Reverend Sills (vicarof St. Faith’s from 1955- 1965) who,being fond of music himself andhaving once sung in the choir at ElyCathedral, encouraged his newly-appointed organist, John Witham, tostart a new singing group. The groupwas formed in 1959 with John actingas both accompanist and conductor.At first there were only nine singersincluding John’s wife, June, andrehearsals were held in the long-since demolished Lowry Hut. In timethe group grew in numbers andbecame known as the Lee Singers(recently re-named the Lee ChoralSociety). They now meet everyWednesday in the Bulson Hallat St. Faith’s church under the batonof Richard Dewland, their newmusical director who took over afterthe death of John Witham.

Eager to learn more about the choir,

I contacted Hilary Bremner whojoined the group in 1997 andcurrently chairs their committee often. She enrolled with a friend andadmits that she’s never learned toread music (apart from knowing thatthe notes go up or down). She alsoadmits that, at first, she spent morerehearsal time giggling with herfriend than singing! She was keen tostress, however, that whether or notyou can read music, by being in achoir you soon learn to sing yourpart. She now sings with the altosand can be seen in the photographsitting in the front row right wearinga pink cardigan.

Hilary’s interest in singing withothers began when she joined herjunior school choir and, later, thechoir at her secondary school. Aschair of the Lee Singers’ committee,her present role is to lead committee

meetings, coordinate concerts anddeal with correspondence. In 2013she also orchestrated the auditions,interviews and subsequentappointment of the new musicaldirector.

The Lee Choral Society concerts takeplace three times a year. In thesummer they usually perform aselection of light music and in wintera mixture of carols old and newalong with various other works. TheManchester Carols, for example(poems by Carol Anne Duffy set tomusic by Sasha Johnson Manning),will be on the programme forChristmas 2015. In spring theirconcerts are usually devoted to moreserious choral music. In the pastthey’ve sung Berlioz’ ‘Te Deum’,Benjamin Britten’s ‘Saint Nicholascantata’ and, as recently as May thisyear, Mozart’s Requiem Mass.

Lee Singers

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After talking with Hilary I spent anhour listening to the choir rehearse.They began with simple exercisessinging vowel sounds up and downthe first five notes of the scale atdifferent speeds and pitches. Havingfinished the warm-up session theybegan on the serious business ofrehearsing Mozart’s Requiem,singing all four parts together as wellas singly or in various combinations.

It has been said that the benefits ofjoining a choir can be even healthierfor the body and soul than practicingYoga! Even though I wasn’t singingwith the choir, I felt all the better justfor hearing them sing! If you thinkthat joining a choir might be ofbenefit you, there’s no need to readmusic. With the help of othersaround you you’ll soon learn yourparticular part. The Lee ChoralSociety, I’m certain, would welcomenew members with open arms. Theyare always in need of more people to

swell their ranks – sopranos, altos,tenors and basses, men and women– but especially men! The tenors arefew in number and the basses fewerstill! Rehearsals take placeat St. Faith’s church on Wednesdaynights from 7.30 to 9.15 with a breakin between to rest the voice andmake new friends. If you enjoysinging, why not join the Lee ChoralSociety? It’s better than watching TVand it’s good for your health.

Our wonderful St Faiths contributor, Alan Millard can be contacted via StFaith’s Church, Lee on the Solent.

Parish OfficeMondays - Fridays 10:30am - 12:30pm

023 9255 [email protected]

Dates for your diaryThursday, 13th August, St Faith’s Church 11am. Mothers’ Union Archdeaconry – Day at the Seaside. Coffee in BulsonHall followed by a church service and free afternoon to explore the area.Wednesday 2nd September, St. Faith’s Bulson Hall, 7.30 pm. Open Evening (Lee Choral Society). All welcome – youmight like to become a member!Thursday, 10th September, St Faith’s Church, 2 pm. Service of Remembrance for Rear Admiral Charles Williams.Saturday, 7th November, St. Faith’s Church, 10.30 am – 5.30 pm. Haven Artists, Exhibition and Sale of paintings,crafts, Christmas cards etc in aid of the Rainbow Charity. Refreshments available.Wednesday, December 12th, St Faith’s Church, 7.30 pm. Lee Choral Society Concert: Schubert’s Mass in C.

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Over 60 free events in Gosport 10th-13th September 2015!Over the four Heritage Open Days in September (Thurs 10th–Sun 13th), there will be 66 separate free events andactivities, all celebrating the story of Gosport past and present. All the events are free to enter and many allowaccess to places which are not normally open to the public.

There is plenty for all ages, interests and abilities to enjoy: music; classic buses; stalls, twilight submarine visits;exhibitions; guided walks; tours; quizzes and competitions. There are also several new attractions.The 2015 Events schedule is now live at www.gosportheritage.co.uk.The full programme of events is available from the Tourist Information Centre and other public centres aroundGosport. All events are free entry but some events with limited space require booking in advance. Booking inperson opens on Saturday 15th August at the Discovery Centre, Gosport High Street from 9am. From Sunday 16thAugust, booking can be done by e-mail ([email protected]) or by telephone to the Tourist InformationCentre (023 92522944).

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The saying ‘It’s not what you knowbut who you know’ rings in myears as I have been brought upwith it and I can usually find a‘who’ for most enquiries thatcome in to our businesses. Wehave been discussing the fine linebetween whether the ability toplan your wedding budget downto the last penny with acontingency to boot, or theadrenalin rush / anxiety associatedwith scrabbling for the last fewpounds to pay the balance off foryour venue in the last few weeks isthe best course of action whenplanning your big day yourself. We

both agreed that knowing well inadvance what you needed tospend your money on, what youcould have bespoke or off theshelf and the associated costs ofboth are essential to not lettingyour ‘bridezilla’ side get way out ofcontrol.

We could never cover a full listhere of every item you wouldneed to add to your wedding planas we are all vastly different andwant to follow differing traditions,or in our cases eccentricities, butgood planning and organisation isdefinitely key. Come for a

consultation, hear what we haveto say, but have your budget andtimeframe firmly in mind whenyou do; that way if you love aservice or product you can at leastwork out what you will need tospend less on, like cutting outknives and forks!

Charlie suggests:Using a dream board to collateyour ideal wedding day in pictures,what colours, theme or feelings doyou wish to invoke?

Sit down and realistically work outyour budget. Is it a grand figure or

Planning the big day yourself

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do you need to work out what youcan afford per month for the nextyear or two?

Look at venues that can be suited toyour theme. Our venue decor servicecan turn the look of most venues,using props, drapes and lighting sodo keep an open mind whenviewing, but be realistic - do youwant somewhere to dance forexample, or is it all about the food?

Look for an event coordinator (likeus!) or separate suppliers (also likeus!) to organise your venue decor,entertainment, catering, finishingtouches, bridal wear, transport etc.

Please remember that a good price isnot always the cheapest option; askpotential suppliers forrecommendations, pictures of theirwork (portfolio) and ensure they arehappy to supply their insurancedetails if you enter into a contractwith them. It can be costly to have tosource another supplier at the lastminute, or mortifying to not get theservice you expected.

If you have your heart set on thatsomething special, handmade orbespoke, factor this in when lookingat theming your centrepieces andother decor options, to enhance andnot work against your beautiful item.

Lastly, if you are unable topay for your services in alump sum consider making apayment arrangement withyour suppliers ensuring thatall of your little details arepaid for well in advance ofthe run up to your big day(when you are supposed tobe glowing with anticipationand not wiping sweat fromyour brow!) Having regularcontact with your supplierskeeps you linked in to them,they can advise on yourplanning and the inevitablelists well in advance,

everyone gets to the week beforeand wonders what they haveforgotten a good coordinator orgroup of trusted suppliers will havealready checked your list twice!

Janet Mist has some great ideas:DIY weddings are massive, broughtabout by Pinterest gorgeousphotographs, Bridal Blogs, weddingmagazines and Bridal Boot Fairspopping up all over the country.

A lot of themes are inspired by allthings mix and match vintage and astand-up to the modern throwawaysociety: to save money and recycle.

Here are my tips to pull off a DIYwedding:

Decide on a colour or theme to pullit all together, like starting from afocal piece on an interior designscheme.

Put a Pinterest page together, orscrapbook with pictures with ideasto base it from. Do your homeworkand be realistic, do you really wantthe handmade look? Are you able tocreate, afford and make the bits youneed? Is it really going to save youmoney? If the answer is no then doyour homework and seek bitsneeded within your budget, or adjustaccordingly.

Set a budget for everything anddon’t waste money on impulsespends on ebay and car boots ifyou’re not going to use them - youwill regret it later. Make lists foreach category and decide what is themost important and spendaccordingly.

Remember, a good wedding plannercan actually save you money so it’salways good to seek advice firstbefore you waste lots of moneythinking you can do it all yourself;trust me...you cant.At the end of the day it’s all abouthaving the best day with your newhusband and not stressing over thelittle details. Just be honest and setrealistic goals.

And enjoy every single minute x

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Recently, I had a local homeowner call toask me this very question: “I’m currentlyon the market and I haven’t sold. I’mwondering if I have enough or too manymarketing photos of my house?”

When I asked how many photos he had,his reply was quite shocking: “I have 32”he said.

As you may have guessed, I confidentlyresponded by saying that 32 was toomany!My belief, along with many otherproperty marketing professionals, is thatyou should only give away the true sellingpoints of a home, nothing more andnothing less. A buyer needs to seeenough to want to view the propertyinternally, but not so much that it putsthem off all together.

Keeping a little back to pique a buyer’sinterest is very important. Here’s my toptips on how to grab their attention:

The average size home only needs amaximum of 15 images on the details/property websites.

When a buyer looks at property imagesthey are trying to envisage their life beingin that home. A buyer needs to see that itmatches their lifestyle and they need tosee it at a glance, not an hour longsession scrolling through irrelevantimages.

Highlighting rooms that open up intoothers or even into the garden are greatfor property details. A good example ofthis is a kitchen that has nice French styledoors to the garden, taking a shot thatencompasses all of this on a sunny day isa real winner!

Descriptions are very similar in that theyneed to offer full measurements, floorplans and short, bullet point information.

My advice here really is to leavesomething to the imagination. If your

buyer wants more, they’re more likely topick that phone up and book the all-important viewing!

In house chatHOWMANY PHOTOS ARE TOOMANY?

Mark Rowe,MD & Owner of RPS Estate and Letting Agents

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Looking a lot like a giant daisy, an aster springs forth with a starry shaped head providing colour in late summer andautumn when many of the other blooms may have already faded away.

These plants can grow up to 8ft in height depending on the variety chosen so they’re a great choice for many gardensgiven their flexibility. Make sure that you don’t plant the annual varieties in the same place each year in order to

prevent plant disease such as Aster wilt.Nature lovers take note – these flowers attract butterflies so you’ll be able to enjoy watching new wildlife too.

Aster

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Interia are a highly successful Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroomshowroom, situated on the first floor of the Locks Heath ShoppingCentre. They offer an extensive range of modern and traditionaldesigns that are tailored to meet each customer’s specific budget andrequirements. Their extensive and inspiring showroom displays areupdated regularly in order to showcase the newest and mostinnovative designs on the market. Last year they launched a new rangeof German inspired kitchens, by Kesseler, which have been a hugesuccess due to their superlative quality and modern, contemporaryfeel.

Interia have achieved a 5 star Neff Master Partner rating and theexperienced and friendly team are able to offer advice on the newproducts as well as offer fantastic value on all Neff appliances. If youare just replacing your appliances, they also offer the full range fromBosch, Neff and Siemens as well as core ranges only available to MasterDealers.

Interia would also like to extend an invitation to our readers to attend acelebratory cooking demonstration in their show kitchen on Saturday26th September 2015, running between 10 am and 4 pm.

So if you are looking for a full installation or supply only, pop along tothe showroom for expert advice and service.

invites you to visit their showroom

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171 - 173 High StreetLee-on-the-Solent

PO13 9BX

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HHOOLLIIDDAAYY AACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS FFOORR KKIIDDSSKrafty Kids – Minions! - Thursday 3rd

September 3:30 - 4:30pmElson Library, 136 Chantry Road, Elson, Gosport. PO12 4NGThe Film came out in the Summer Holidays. Now make yourown Minions! Krafty Kids meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday ofeach month. 50p per child. Suitable for ages 5 – 10years. Parents/carers must remain in the library during thisactivity. No need to book, but places are limited. For moreinformation call 023 9252 4608

Pirates for Beginners -Wednesday 2ndSeptember 2:00 - 2:45pm

Gosport Gallery @ Gosport Discovery Centre, Walpole Road,Gosport PO12 1NS. Workshop in Gosport Gallery’s Pirates!exhibition for under-5s with parents or carers, including astory, hands-on activities and a make and take. FREE, no needto book, but places are limited. Tickets: £1 for the make andtake.

Alien Antics Story Time Special—Saturday26th September 11:00 - 12:00pm

Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport. PO12 1BTWhen aliens fly down to Earth, They don’t come to meetYOU… They simply want your underpants, I’ll bet you neverknew! Join us for a hilarious, out-of-this-world story andmake your own spaceship! Suitable for children aged 3 – 10,must be accompanied by an adult. FREE, No need to book butplaces are limited.

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Did you think the Red Cross wereonly responsible for setting up tentcities or refugee camps or droppingaid from helicopters in times of crisisin faraway lands? Did you have anyidea that they are often among thefirst on the scene of a crisis righthere within our community? I didn'thave any idea of the complexity ofthe work the Red Cross do here inour area until I met recently with JanTreacher-Evans, the local seniorcommunity fundraiser based inPortsmouth.

It is the Red Cross who set up restcentres when people are trapped intheir cars in the snow , they offersupport to victims of crime duringthe first 48 hours, they could be thecrew of an ambuance on a 999 call ,offering first aid training ortransporting patients to our local

hospitals.

The Red Cross also offer short termmedical appliance loan across the BigVoice distribution area. So if youneed a wheelchair for a holidayingrelative to get out and about in ourlovely area, a walking frame forGranny on her release from hospital,or bathing aids for a loved onefollowing an illness or accident thenyou can go to ;The Health Centre, Osborn Road,Fareham Monday - Friday 9.30am -11.00 am, Gosport War MemorialHospital, Bury Road, GosportMonday- Friday 10.00am - 12.00pm,Lee on the Solent Health Centre,Manor Way, Lee on the SolentMonday -Friday 10.00am- 12.00pm.

The service is run entirely byvolunteers and is provided with

money raised by fundraising in manyand varied ways throughout theyear. Sadly 1 out of every 3 itemsloaned by the service is not returnedand needs to be replaced so thefundraising is ongoing - we'll tell youmore about that in a future edition.

In the meantime if you have anunused wheelchair that you wouldlike to donate for loan or to be soldto raise funding for a new chair orappliance, any fundraising ideas youwould like to discuss ordonations pleasecall Red Cross (Portsmouth) on 08450547222

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big voice lee on the solent september 2015

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