Christmas is Here!

With the switching on of the Town Centre lights, Christmas has arrived in Whitchurch. Mayor Peter Williams officially welcomed Christmas to the Town with the now traditional ceremony in front of the Town Hall. The Ladies Singing for Fun entertained the large crowd for quarter of an hour before, as if it had been arranged, snow fell on the Mayor as he made his speech.

The Town Hall lights, organised, as usual, by Brian Jackman, came to life on cue and a resounding "We wish you a Merry Christmas" from the ladies ended the formal part of the evening.

The crowds then moved on to a choice of venues, as Glass-Foolery's Shop Next Door was opened with glasses of wine for lots of interested customers and the Parish Hall offered more carols from the ladies and mulled wine .

So with the Christmas tree lights now shining out, Christmas is definitely here!

Panto Tickets Selling Fast!

Oh yes they are!!! Tickets for WADS Panto are selling fast, especially those for Saturday's Matinee, if you want to be sure of a seat for any of the performances starting next Thursday, phone 01256 892514 or visit www.wadsweb.org.uk.

Christmas is Coming!

Decorations are going up around the Town Centre and shop windows are being decorated. This is to be ready for the start of Christmas in Whitchurch 2008 on Friday.

Once again Ian Clacy very kindly allowed the tree preparation team to use his garage to set up the trees out of the refreshing Sunday morning rain and Teressa Job and family beavered away to help make the Town centre the place to be this December

On Friday evening after Ladies Singing for Fun have sung carols, the Town's lights will be switched on by the Mayor at 6pm. So come along and start Christmas off.

The Christmas in Whitchurch events are listed in the latest edition of Update, due to be delivered later this week but available here now. There will be posters showing the coming week's events displayed around the Town so there's no reason not to know what's happening!

and in some places the spirit appears lacking

Whilst some are trying to brighten up the Town, others seem to be doing the opposite.

Flying tipping of green waste continues, as it has done throughout the year, in the wooded areas between the Longmeadow Sports and Social Centre and Winchester Road and some kind person has left 40 or so copies of IKEA's 2009 catalogue in the hedgerows alongside the path leading from Webbs Farm Close, presumably for walkers who require some reading material - thank you, whoever you are!

Nominate Whitchurch's Good Citizens

It's the time of year to nominate Whitchurch's best. If you think someone has gone out of their way to work for the Town, part of it or just one of its citizens then you can put them forward.

They may be residents who voluntarily give of their time to help local groups and organisations in the Town, but it may also be a person who has been a kindly neighbour. There is also an annual achievement award for young people who have achieved a goal and in doing so may have inspired others.

The Town Council administers the scheme, but relies on you to let it know about those who are deserving. Please send or e-mail nominations with full details of your nominee's name address and telephone number; with accurate details of their good works or achievements to Cathy Burt, Town Hall, Newbury Street, Whitchurch RG28 7DW.

Old Library Site Redevelopment

The plans for two and three story blocks of 3 flats and 3 maisonettes to be built on the old library site in Bell Street have been resubmitted for planning permission. At first sight, the looks of the proposed development don't appear to have changed since they were withdrawn earlier in the year. The plans then received 12 responses, all against the proposed development.

It is believed that technical issues such as those related to drainage have been addressed. The details can be seen as BDB/69704 and BDB/69705 on B&DBC's website, where you can have your say on the matter.

Shop Economically - Shop Locally

The Town centre's local food shops offer better value. Locally made bread in The Village Bakery is cheaper than its supermarket equivalent and it's made freshly each morning. Sausages from John Dennett are much taster, fresher and cheaper than the supermarket equivalents. Both shops offer free range eggs cheaper than anywhere else around.

If you have to add to that the cost of travelling to supermarkets outside the Town, it's obvious that it makes sense to shop locally!

Town Centre Improvement Works to Start!

Hampshire County Council have just let the contract to replace the Town Hall Forecourt and refurbish Bell Street Car Park. The works, which are planned to start during the week beginning 5 January 2009, will also include relaying the roundabout granite setts.

When the schedule of what is to be done is finalised, a letter drop to those likely to be affected will give full details. Additionally the contractor will be holding an open session in the Town Hall before Christmas to explain the schedule and answer any questions on it.

Whitchurch - Quiz Capital of NW Hampshire?

Following on from the recent charity quiz night that packed the Harvest Home, there are probably more opportunities to quiz per head in Whitchurch than anywhere else in the area.

Last night's quiz, organised by Helen Rutherford and Christine Brown, raised a further £133 for the Whitchurch Youth Project. There will be another quiz in the Harvest Home on 27 November when the Rising Fives will be organising the evening.

Other quizzing opportunity exist for those who turn out each Monday between September and May to support The Bell, the Prince Regent, the Railway Hotel and the Whitchurch Sports & Social Centre in the pub quiz league. For the less dedicated, there are a Sunday Quiz each week in the Railway Hotel where a collection for charity is made, a fortnightly Sunday evening quiz with curry in the White Hart starting on 23 November and a monthly Inn Quizition at The Bell on the last Tuesday in each month (next one is on 25 November).

So why spend a fortune on electronic gizmos to stimulate the brain on your lonesome when you can do the same in social company in Whitchurch's excellent pubs?

Rec Alley Closure

Rec Alley which runs from Winchester Road to Alliston Way is being closed whilst repairs to a section of one of the walls are made.

A month ago piles of mortar and flints were found in the alley below 2 small areas of the northerly wall (see left). These holes have grown in size considerably since then (see right) but Borough Council Conservation Officers have long prevented repairs except by using the soft mortar and flints that currently are not proving strong enough to withstand whatever or whoever is causing the damage.

Hampshire County Council Health and Safety Officials have now closed the alley on safety grounds and the owner has appointed an agent to facilitate a speedy repair, but until a builder has been contracted, there will be no information as to how long the path will be closed.

The "closure" currently consists of a notice at each end of the alley - pedestrians can still use it -at their own risk, of course.

Borough Council Objects to New Sign

The Borough's Conservation Officers have objected to a new shop sign, despite refusing to give practical advice on what would be acceptable.

Prior to submitting a request for support from the Paint Your Town (PYT) scheme, Bill Judge sent the Conservation Officers a copy of the design for the sign and asked for advice on what would be acceptable and what wouldn't in a new sign for The Handbag Shop. The response didn't answer the question on the acceptability of the particular design but offered advice on acceptance criteria using words like "sympathetic" and "acceptable". The response was not vague in pointing out that it was the owner's responsibility to ensure that the work met the ill-defined criteria and that if, after it was put up, the Officers didn't think that it met their criteria, he would have to remove it. The Whitchurch Team responsible for administering the PYT scheme (funded by B&DBC) saw the proposed design and thought it an improvement on the existing signage.

But, true to their word, the Conservation Officers have now asked for it to be removed, the reasons include their view that the sign does "not respond to existing openings and features". They also point out that the previous sign was painted on the brickwork; painting over this would have lost that element of historic Whitchurch, which is now preserved behind the new sign.

The impact of this is not only that one of the Town's hard pressed shopkeepers now faces the costs of removal and the waste on the original sign, but at least one other Town centre shopkeeper is having second thoughts about investing in a much needed redecoration. This is not what Whitchurch needs when it is trying hard to rid itself of the accusation of being drab when the public consultation took place.

So just like another "authority", the Council giveth and the Council taketh away!

Whitchurch Arts Project

A workshop will be taking place at the Gill Nethercott Centre, on 17th January 2009 between 10am and 1pm, to promote and encourage freedom to express and communicate ideas for a community focused public art project.

It will be open to all residents of Whitchurch, and free to attend. The workshop hopes to encourage all residents to contribute to the project by learning to access their creative mind and express ideas.

It will be led by a local artist who believes that everyone has the capacity to be creative and that creativity should be fun. The workshop aims to open the discussion of what art can be! Provide stimulus and confidence, for individuals or groups, to propose suggestions for a creative community focused piece of work.

All proposals of work will be exhibited subsequently in a public celebration of ideas during February 2009. Public opinion will be sought on the proposals and an identified piece, best suiting criteria and public opinion, situated within the town of Whitchurch.

As a community orientated work the project hopes to attract input from all members of the community. For enquiries please contact the Whitchurch Business Centre on 896548 or email.

Whitchurch Business Centre - Forget Commuting

Are you fed up with commuting? There is an easier (and smarter) way for many office workers to do their jobs and save themselves and their employers time and money and be kinder to the environment by working from home.

Each lunchtime next week (3 - 7 Nov) the government sponsored MATISSE project will be using state of the art "webinars" (a combination of internet presentations and teleconferencing) to address 5 key issues around working from home. You can take part in these at the Business Centre, or even from your own home by visiting the MATISSE website.

If you haven't enough facilities at home or need a little bit of extra help, then maybe the Business Centre can help you - check out its new website. Through the Business Centre, the MATISSE Project can supply your employers with the evidence they need to show that home working is the way forward.

Whitchurch Festival - Funds Available!!

As a result of the Beer Race and Carnival earlier this year, the Whitchurch Festival Committee has around £1,000 to distribute to deserving causes in the Town.

The Committee would like to hear from any group in the Town which needs funds. Either e-mail goodcauses@whitchurchfestival.org.uk or contact Rob Dunlop on 07917 724980 to explain how much your group needs and why. If you aren't a member of a group, you can still nominate one that needs funds, again with the reason why.

The Committee is also keen to hear from anyone who would like to join in and help run next year's Festival, which is already being planned to be bigger and better.