Church Services the Christmas
Remembrance Day
Steep 900 Concert Sat 9th November
The Sting – Gala Performance
Harvest Supper – Get Your Tickets NOW
Meon Matters Autumn Edition
Available to view as a PDF click the link here
Moviola Autumn Dates
- All films will be screened in East Meon Village Hall
- The doors and bar open at 7pm
- At 7.30pm the programme begins with shorts and trailers
- Then a brief interval for refills and ice creams
- The feature film starts around 7.50pm
Tickets
£6.50 each
- Buy in person at East Meon Village Shop –
(cash or cheque, no booking fee)
- Buy online at
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/east-meon-cinema (a small booking fee applies)
- Buy on the door (card, cash or cheque)
- Email eastmeonmoviola@outlook.com to reserve for collection and payment on the night
NB The seating is not allocated
Bar
The Village Hall doors and the bar open at 7pm for wine, beer and soft drinks. Pay by card or cash
Ice Creams
Delicious Jude’s Ice Creams are available in the interval following the shorts and trailers
Mailing List
If you would like to be kept up to date with future screenings, join our mailing list. Email Lucy or Caroline at eastmeonmoviola@outlook.com
We look forward to welcoming you again
or for the first time!
The East Meon Cinema Team
Mad Monks Invade All Saint’s?
Meon Matters no 221
To read the Summer 2024 edition click 221 final
The D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 represented the largest seaborne invasion in history. Along with the associated airborne operations, it marked the beginning of the liberation of France and western Europe.
Unprecedented coordination between Allied nations, and the intensive planning of engineers, meteorologists, logisticians and countless more, led to a force from 13 countries approaching Normandy in a 5000-vessel armada and a ground force of more than 130,000 troops.
Who better to talk to us about D-Day on this 80th Anniversary than Mike Critchley and Neal Croft, who will cover the landings (Operation Neptune) and the subsequent invasion (Operation Overlord) and include contemporary video clips. D-Day is particularly poignant for our village (and the wider Meon valley) which played an important part in the invasion preparations, and for those villagers who sadly lost their lives.
At the end of the talk around 8.30pm, we should be able to hear the wonderful bells of All Saints participating in a UK wide ‘Ringing out for Peace’ campaign.
At 9.15pm a beacon will be lit on Park Hill. Similar beacons are being lit nationwide and internationally as ‘Lights of Peace’, symbolising D-Day’s contribution to leading the world from the darkness of WWII.
We are fortunate to be able to offer you donated wine and nibbles from 7pm and will gratefully accept any cash or card donations you feel able to make, to be shared between The Royal British Legion, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, being the main charities for this anniversary.
So, in summary:
7.00pm Bar opens
7.30pm D-Day talk and videos
8.30pm Bell ringing
9.15pm Beacon lighting and bar closes
We look forward to seeing many of you for this special anniversary.
May Fair Saturday 18th
Heath Robinson and Co bar construction services
Get set for the village fair. We kick off with the boat race outside the Izaak from 11.00, then move to the village green for music, dancing, games and dog show.
Great East Meon Boat Race May 18th – see Events
Forbes Almshouses Vacancy – Church Street, East Meon
Two further vacancies have arisen in the Forbes Almshouses. Nos 6 & 7 are bungalows consisting of living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom with WC. Residents pay a monthly maintenance charge but occupy as beneficiaries of the charity, not as tenants, and accordingly pay no rent.
The almshouses will be available for occupation by the end of June.
Anyone applying for residence will be considered for suitability according to the trust’s requirements: They should have lived continuously for the past two years in the parishes of East Meon or Langrish. They should be elderly, healthy enough to be able to support themselves, of good character and of limited financial means.
Anyone interested in applying for residence should contact the clerk to the trustees, Mrs Geraldine Lacey, on 823451 or email geraldine.lacey@talk21.com for more details and an application form. Applications should be received by 10th May 2024.
The Trustees 2024
Blown Away
Paragliders over Park Hill last Saturday. I doubt they would attempt that today.
Thank you Margaret Williams for the photograph.
Garston Farm Development Approved
As described in Meon Matters the Garstang Farm development has been approved. The picture shows the development looking towards Bereleigh. For further information contact enquiries@architectural-homes.co.uk
Fairy Trail at Berleigh Opens March 29th
Eager Beavers
Wilson Atkinson Farms (Meonside Beaver Project), in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority, is proposing the exciting reintroduction of beavers to a tributary of the River Meon. These fascinating creatures are natural engineers, known for their ability to restore and revitalize riverine habitats.
For an informative discussion please join the East Meon Annual Parish Assembly on 22nd April at 19:00.
Or drop in to East Meon Village Hall on 26th April between 11.30am and 5pm to find out more.
Learn how beavers can:
- Improve water quality and manage flooding
- Increase biodiversity for plants and animals
- Create a healthier and more resilient ecosystem
Unable to attend? A survey will be available near to the public events for you to submit your thoughts and feedback.
Did you know? Beavers are vegetarian! During the summer they prefer pond weeds, grasses and leaves but in winter they eat the bark of trees, favouring willows and poplar.
Hampshire County Council Future Services Consultation
If you think it is important for East Meon to have a bus service and for Petersfield Recycling Centre to remain open PLEASE tell Hampshire County Council!
The Council is considering £132m cuts to services and our bus service and the Dump are under threat.
If you need the bus to visit the doctor or collect your prescription in West Meon or to go to the dentist or to see family in Petersfield or shop or your child wants to go to 6th Form College tell HCC you need the bus services to continue serving the village. If you believe that taking the bus is the environmentally friendly way to travel – tell HCC.
If you don’t want people fly tipping on country roads and want to recycle as much as possible as easily as possible and don’t want to have to drive to Bordon tell HCC you need the dump to remain open ( maybe for restricted times).
HCC has set up a special Consultation website which can be found at Hampshire County Council Future Services Consultation. The link is below:
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Scroll down to the button which says ”Give us your views”. When given the option you need to tick the boxes HWRCs ( Household Waste Recycling Centres) and Passenger Transport then complete the questionnaire stating why you think the Petersfield recycling centre should not be closed and the No 67 bus should not be axed. You will find the HWRC section fairly straightforward in the section on public transport you need to tick Winchester to be able to select East Meon’s No 67 bus.
For East Meon residents providing services in rural areas is vital!
The deadline for submissions is 31st March
PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY!
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School Grounds Day – Can You Help?
The new school head Cat Olver is planning to hold a community ‘Grounds Day’ at East Meon School on Saturday 16th March. Cat says “As you know, the school has the most amazing sized grounds. However, they are looking a bit rundown and in need of tidying and general improving in order to make them safer, more attractive and easier for us to use for outside learning. I am hoping to open up the site on Saturday 16th March from 10am to 4pm to run a day where the community can work together to improve the grounds for the children. I’ve invited staff, families, children, governors and wondered if you might know of people in the church community (or village community generally) who may want to join us. I’m hoping there will be some little working parties with different areas to focus on – we have some new trees which need planting, pallets which need dismantling ready for some wood projects, brambles, plants, trees that all need sorting out, fences which need painting, sheds which need taking down as they are no longer fit for purpose… I’m also hoping we can do refreshments for everyone who comes, so we also need some volunteers for making tea and coffee etc… There are lots of different roles, all very important in enabling the day to run smoothly, so the more volunteers the better! By running the day from 10-4, I’m hoping that will mean people can choose to join us for a morning, afternoon or the whole day.
If you can help please email Cat at colver@eastmeonprimary.co.uk
May Fair Set for May 18th
Mark your diary, get your glad rags ready, and get down to East Meon green May 18th. Something to look forward to on a frosty January morning.
New Vicar for East Meon and Benefice
A note to parishoners, published on Monday 11th December
Dear Parishioners,
We are very pleased to inform you that Father Tony Forrest has accepted the post of Interim Priest-in-Charge (0.7) of the Benefice of St. John the Evangelist, Langrish, the Benefice of East Meon, and the Benefice of West Meon and Warnford (held in plurality).
Father Tony’s appointment had unanimous support and we are delighted with the outcome. We have been in vacancy for a long time and to have a steady pair of hands taking up the reins for us all is great news. Tony is known to many of us already, which will make his transition into the role a lot easier both for him and us.
Tony has kindly agreed to continue officiating at services of Christmas and into the new year up until the date of his licensing. This is to be on Tuesday 23rd January in All Saints’, East Meon, the exact timing has yet to be confirmed but it will be an evening event and we shall inform you of the time as soon as we know.
We believe this is very welcome news for the Benefice and we will keep you informed of further news on the licensing date.
We are sure you will all join us in welcoming Tony and congratulating him on his appointment and upcoming licensing.
Yours faithfully,
The Upper Meon Benefice Parish Churchwardens and PCCs
Online version of the Winter issue available
MAGAZINE
School PTA Fair 9th December
Moviola Dates
Friday 26th January
THE OLD OAK
(Cert 15, 113 mins)
This is Ken Loach’s last film and a beautiful reminder of what a community is and can be
________________
Friday 23rd February
THE GREAT ESCAPER
(Cert 12A, 96 mins)
Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine) sneaks out from his care home and goes on one last big adventure to cross the Channel, while reminiscing about his wartime experiences.
________________
Friday 29th March
THE MIRACLE CLUB
(Cert 12A, 90 mins)
It’s 1967 and four ladies from Dublin win a trip to Lourdes allowing them to head off on a witty and slightly rebellious journey of freedom and discovery.
________________
Friday 26th April
NAPOLEON
(Cert 15, 158 mins)
A dynamic action epic that details the chequered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Stunning film-making by the legendary Ridley Scott – perfect for the big screen.
________________
Many of you will have known Michael Blakstad and we were all greatly saddened to hear of his death last week after a long battle with failing health. East Meon Cinema was his brainchild; he, along with Tricia, began it in 2006 and ran it superbly for eight years before handing on the baton.
We remember him with great affection and gratitude and salute his wonderful contributions to the cultural life of East Meon and beyond.
____________________
West Meon Cinema Update
As you know West Meon Cinema is now up and running and it’ll be screening a couple of films which are not being shown in East Meon but may be of interest to you.
Friday 19th January
AND THEN COME THE NIGHTJARS
(Cert 12A, 81 mins)
A heart warming story of friendship and survival set against the backdrop of the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.
Friday 8th March
PAST LIVES
(Cert 12A 105 mins)
A touching film about memories, old friendships and contemporary reality.
Pop-Up Choir
Tuesday November 28th
7.15 – 8.15pm
Izaak Walton
60’s songs and shows!
Court House Carols Date Confirmed
Saturday 23rd December, 7-8pm
Charity collection for Save the Children
Court House Punch and mince pies after the carols!
Contributions for mince pies very much appreciated in advance please and thank you!
QE Country Park – Guided Walks
Meon Matters Magazine – PDF copies
To read the autumn 2023 magazine 217 as a PDF click here Meon Matters 218
East Meon Parish Council have thanked The Hampshire Monday Group who volunteered in Frogmore on Monday 11th September sanding down all the railings and giving them a very smart coat of white paint!
Parish Priorities Meeting – Have Your Say on Village Developments.
Saturday 2nd September – Village Hall. 10.00 am
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is reviewing its Local Plan in line with Government Policy and to ensure the Plan delivers on priorities relating to Climate Action, ReNature and a National Park for All. The views and inputs of local communities into this Local Plan Review are vital, particularly those of town and parish councils. One way in which town and parish councils can contribute to the Local Plan Review is through a Parish Priority Statement (PPS).
The SDNPA has invited East Meon Parish Council to prepare a PPS. The PPS involves answering specific questions, some of which have already been answered in our Neighbourhood Plan (NP). These questions are:
- What are the three key changes you would like to see in your Parish over the next 15 years?
- What type and level of development would you like to see in the parish? (See NP)
- Are there any areas of the Parish you would like to see developed?
- Are there any specific areas you want protected for other uses? (See NP)
- What type of homes would you like to see in your local community? (See NP)
- What size of home is needed locally? (See NP)
- Are there any areas of local character which are particularly important to the local community?
- Any particular features of buildings of local character? (For example, building materials, boundary treatments – see relevant points from the NP)
- Are there opportunities to make nature bigger, better and more joined up? (For example, connecting two areas of woodland or heathland or the restoration of a local pond)
- Provide information about business you would like to protect and business opportunities that should be provided
- Name the important greenspaces in your local area, identify any opportunities for nature recovery (See NP)
- What local infrastructure does the local community need, where are there shortfalls or a lack of local provision? (Consider active travel priorities, roads/parking, community buildings needs, waste/water infrastructure, broadband, renewable energy etc.)
At the Annual Parish Assembly in April, three important priorities for our Parish were discussed and these would form our answer to question 1. They are (in no particular order):
- Solve the village’s sewerage and drainage problems, especially in Workhouse Lane
- Improve safety for residents and visitors by introducing 20mph speed limits on some roads
- Achieve ‘designated’ status for the River Meon in our parish to increase protection of this chalk stream, a rare and precious habitat
The SDNPA will consider the principal needs and prevailing views set out in our PPS in their Local Plan Review and update of local planning policy. Our PPS will also be useful when applying for funding from the Authority, for example, from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Sustainable Communities Fund. Our PPS will supplement the Neighbourhood Plan, not supersede it.
We need your help!
The weight that the SDNPA gives to a PPS will depend upon the level of input from the local community. The Parish Council will be holding a drop-in session for residents to see and comment on the draft PPS during September. The final version must be handed to the SDNPA in October. It will be published on the SDNPA and Parish Council’s websites.
In the meantime, we need as many residents as possible to send in comments, questions and suggestions about any of the questions listed above. Are there any other priorities for East Meon? Do you have any suggested answers to the questions and so on. The more input we get, the more weight our PPS will be given. Even if you simply agree with the priorities, an email saying that will be important!
Please send any comments to eastmeonpriorities@gmail.com. Thank you very much!
Parish Council and East Meon Village Hall Committee Consultation Pop-In Event, Village Hall, Saturday September 2nd.
Pop in between 10am – noon
Do you like a bargain?
Get along to the Village Hall on 2nd September, any time between 10am and noon because we have a 2 for 1 offer for you!
We would like your comments on not 1 but 2 important activities looking forward to the future:
1) The Village Hall will soon be 50 years old – we need to bring it up to date to make sure it’s ready for the next 50 years.
2) The Parish Priorities Statement – East Meon’s contribution to the South Downs Local Plan Review
We look forward to seeing you there.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available too!
For more information, see www.eastmeonvillagehall.co.uk
Parish Priorities Statements – Parish Council need your help!
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is reviewing its Local Plan in line with Government Policy and to ensure the Plan delivers on priorities relating to Climate Action, ReNature and a National Park for All. The views and inputs of local communities into this Local Plan Review are vital, particularly those of town and parish councils. One way in which town and parish councils can contribute to the Local Plan Review is through a Parish Priority Statement (PPS).
The SDNPA has invited East Meon Parish Council to prepare a PPS. The PPS involves answering specific questions, some of which have already been answered in our Neighbourhood Plan (NP). These questions are:
- What are the three key changes you would like to see in your Parish over the next 15 years?
- What type and level of development would you like to see in the parish? (See NP)
- Are there any areas of the Parish you would like to see developed?
- Are there any specific areas you want protected for other uses? (See NP)
- What type of homes would you like to see in your local community? (See NP)
- What size of home is needed locally? (See NP)
- Are there any areas of local character which are particularly important to the local community?
- Any particular features of buildings of local character? (For example, building materials, boundary treatments – see relevant points from the NP)
- Are there opportunities to make nature bigger, better and more joined up? (For example, connecting two areas of woodland or heathland or the restoration of a local pond)
- Provide information about business you would like to protect and business opportunities that should be provided
- Name the important greenspaces in your local area, identify any opportunities for nature recovery (See NP)
- What local infrastructure does the local community need, where are there shortfalls or a lack of local provision? (Consider active travel priorities, roads/parking, community buildings needs, waste/water infrastructure, broadband, renewable energy etc.)
At the Annual Parish Assembly in April, three important priorities for our Parish were discussed and these would form our answer to question 1. They are (in no particular order):
- Solve the village’s sewerage and drainage problems, especially in Workhouse Lane
- Improve safety for residents and visitors by introducing 20mph speed limits on some roads
- Achieve ‘designated’ status for the River Meon in our parish to increase protection of this chalk stream, a rare and precious habitat
The SDNPA will consider the principal needs and prevailing views set out in our PPS in their Local Plan Review and update of local planning policy. Our PPS will also be useful when applying for funding from the Authority, for example, from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Sustainable Communities Fund. Our PPS will supplement the Neighbourhood Plan, not supersede it.
We need your help!
The weight that the SDNPA gives to a PPS will depend upon the level of input from the local community. The Parish Council will be holding a drop-in session for residents to see and comment on the draft PPS during September. The final version must be handed to the SDNPA in October. It will be published on the SDNPA and Parish Council’s websites.
In the meantime, we need as many residents as possible to send in comments, questions and suggestions about any of the questions listed above. Are there any other priorities for East Meon? Do you have any suggested answers to the questions and so on. The more input we get, the more weight our PPS will be given. Even if you simply agree with the priorities, an email saying that will be important!
Please send any comments to eastmeonpriorities@gmail.com. Thank you very much!
Meon Matters Issue 217
Dear Readers
Well we have a bumper edition for you this quarter with a wonderful array of interesting features to mull over whilst hopefully enjoying the British sunshine which continues to shine down on East Meon.
You’ll be able to read all about the fabulous Coronation celebrations in the village, along with the ever popular boat race, accompanied by some lovely photographs to record the ultimate of royal occasions.
We also bring you our Village People Q&A with Nigel the Postman on life as our village postman over the last decade as he enters retirement, and two inspiring articles by local residents on their Scottish adventures by land and sea – not for the faint hearted!
Along with our regular features, we also bring you news of two fabulous exhibitions from some of our extremely talented local artists.
I think that after reading this Summer Edition of our lovely village magazine, you will agree how lucky we are to have such a wonderful array of interesting people, events and groups to write about.
Happy reading!
Annabel T-D
PS If you have any ideas for Meon Matters contributions please contact us on meonmatters@gmail.com
Organ Recital All Saints Church
Visitors to the latest East Meon arts event are being asked to volunteer ideas for themes for our guests organist to play and improvise over at an organist recital on Friday July 28th at All Saints Church East Meon
Stuart Miles, one of Worth Abbey ‘s organists, is performing a programme of works by Howells, Ireland, J.S. Bach and Liszt plus a couple of lighter musical bon-bons to throw into the mix but has also agreed to open the recital up to suggestions at the end for a 5 minute improvisational piece.
Stuart Miles is much in demand as an organist in London and the South.
Having studied music at the Royal College of Music, Stuart Miles became a teacher and Head of Music at three schools in the West Midlands, Hertfordshire and London, before becoming Head of Keyboard at St Albans High School. Now living back in Sussex, Stuart Miles maintains his link with STAHS as school organist and plays for their Founders’ Days and Carol Services in St Albans Abbey. He is also School Organist at Gordon’s School in Woking as well as playing Masses and the monastic offices at Worth Abbey. He enjoys a busy schedule of playing in London and the South East most recently at St Albans and Arundel Cathedrals
Stuart is passionate about the value of music education for all young people. He was a guest lecturer at the Institute of Education on the PGCE and MA Music Education Courses. He also deputised as a teacher at the RCM Junior Department, and is now a foundation governor at a secondary school on the South Coast with particular responsibility for arts education.
The evening will begin at 7 0pm where visitors can buy drinks – followed by the recital at 7.30
Tickets are £10 each from Eventbrite, the village shop or on the door.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/organ-recital-tickets-661898745967
Hawthorn Heralding Summer
What a fabulous display this year
Eurovision Party
East Meon Village Hall will be simulcasting the Eurovision Final this Saturday. Come and experience the spectacle live from Liverpool on the Moviola HD projection screen and Sound system. Expect Party atmosphere (drinking games optional), pay bar but welcome to bring your own speciality national drinks if they are important to your Eurovision experience. Doors at 7pm, bar closes at 1130pm and we will be broadcasting live until midnight to catch the results. Tickets available at the village shop, at the door or on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eurovision-grand-final-party-tickets-622666029857
All proceeds towards the running of the village hall.
Coronation Litter Picking Heroes
Well done Sharon Sillence and team litter pick, responding to the king’s request for community action to celebrate the coronation.
Repairing the flapgpole
Hats off to Tom TD. Rather him than me.
Church Coronation Event
Coronation Weekend Schedule
East Meon Boat Race – Are You Ready?
The 2nd annual edition of the Great East Meon Boat Race is open to anyone with a connection to East Meon and will be held on Coronation Sunday 7th June at 12.00pm with registration and scrutineering from 11.30am outside the Izaak Walton pub.
Entries/classes
This year 3 types of craft will be eligible:
Class 1.
All craft must fit within a ‘box’ 26cm x 10cm and should be made from recycled/upcycled materials. All small parts should be adequately attached. No glitter allowed. Imagination and ingenuity encouraged! Entry fee: £2
Class 2.
Based upon standard 2-pint PET milk container as the hull but must also fit within the above ‘box’ rule. All other parts up to you but must be adequately attached and no glitter. Boats should be marked or decorated so they can be identified.
Entry fee: £2
Class 3.
The Royal Barge. No size constraint other than it should be able to float down the river. Imagination and ingenuity essential! Recycled/upcycled materials with all small parts firmly attached and no glitter. You can push the boat out here. Big is beautiful! Entry fee: Family £5, Corporate £10
Prizes will be awarded for best boat in class, first boat in each race and ‘most deserving in the eyes of the organisers’
Note: All boats will be inspected and may be refused entry if they do not comply with the class rules.
Good luck and get building!
Meon Matters
We hope you enjoyed the spring edition. To access the PDF copy please click on the link 216 final.
Meon Matters Needs Help
Meon Matters are hiring (but we don’t pay). We need;-
Events editor, to keep the Meon Matters events diary up to date. Its an hour or two a week. Help and guidance is available.
Youth editor. The average age of the team means anyone under 40 but preferably a teeange perspective on village life would fresshen things up. Come and learn to edit websites and practice your journalistic skills.
Other offers of help are always appreciated. Contact meonmatters@gmail.com.
Friday 31st March – Village Hall. 7pm. See events for booking details
Its Snow Time Folks
All Saints Lights Up
Dramatic light in these early spring days.
Meon Matters Matters
Please note our deadline for the Easter issue is March 19th. We welcome contributions from the village.
How Now, White Cow
Bereleigh’s English Whites adding some gentle rustic charm to a winters day on Park Hill
Bingo and Shepherds Pie
The Village Hall is presenting a bingo session in the small hall this Wendesday 18th from 11-2pm, and a slice of pie. Come and have some fun, some company. The event is kindly supported by Meon Valley Lions and will be free for all comers.
Flood Alert
https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/target-area/065FAG012.
Dinghy sailing now a local option.
Moviola 2023 Kicks off with a Bomber
LANCASTER tells the story of the iconic WW2 bomber, through the words of the last surviving veterans. Starting with ‘The Blitz’, we follow 38 contributors as they join up, learn to fly and go to war. With the enemy strong and RAF Bomber Command badly equipped, losses were high. But eventually, the tide turned with the introduction of the ‘Lanc’. Designed to take the war to the enemy, the Lancaster was both loved and feared.
From the firestorms of Hamburg, through the famous Dambuster raids and the still controversial bombing of Dresden, emotional testimonies tell of courage, fear, friendship and moral ambiguity. For there was a deadly price to be paid in the lethal night skies over Germany – 55,000 aircrew and 600,000 civilians were killed. Such was the cost of defeating the Nazis and restoring peace to Europe.
Christmas Service Schedule
The 2022 Christmas Issue Meon Matters is coming this weekend..
Remembrance Day Sunday 13th
The church service on Remembrance Sunday led by Canon Angela Tilby saw a large turnout. The two minute silence followed the Last Post, played by Kati Whitaker. Wreaths were laid by an armed services representative, Hampshire police, East Meon Parish Council and boys from the East Men school. The ceremony was followed by refreshments at the Village Hall.
Village Warm Room and Emergency Plan
Roaring Twenties Takes Over All Saints
Eats Meon Arts last show of 2022 ended with dancing in the aisles as Thomas Eyre and Kati Whitaker, supported by pianist Tim Elwell led a celebration of 1922, with jazz music and readings from James Joyce and TS Eliot. Tom’s solo unaccompanied singing of Loves Old Sweet Song was a special hihlight. Over £400 was raised for church funds.
Remembering the Queen – Competition for Kids
Offroad Motorbike Nuisance – Have Your Say
A meeting to be held by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) will be held on Thursday 20th October to discuss BOATS (Byways Open to All Traffic). Parish Councils have already given their views to SDNPA, but the article in The Post asked local residents to express their own views and comments. The agenda has just been confirmed.
This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to write to the SDNPA Chairman, Vanessa Rowlands, to comment on the condition of our local BOATS, the damage caused by motor bikes and motorised vehicles, and the danger caused to walkers, riders and cyclists by sharing the BOATS with motorised vehicles. Please make your views known to:-
Vanessa Rowlands
Chair SDNPA
North Street
Midhurst,
West Sussex. GU29 9 DH. Email: vanessa.rowlands@
Meon Matters Issue 214
To open the file click Meon Matters issue 214
Flappers Get Ready
Road Closure – Church Street – Seven Weeks
Church Street is now officially shut due to drainage Improvement Works.
Crime in East Meon
The Police talk on crime will now take place on Monday 10th October at 6pm in the village hall, immediately before the parish council meeting. All are welcome.
Broken Glass
East Hants have temporarily suspended the kerbside glass collection service.
They have provided this interactive map to find where to take your glass. Click here to find the closest place to take your glass.
Message from EHDC’s Leader and Chief Executive about the glass collection service
The explanation from EHDC is that there are national driver shortages and EHDC are also suffering because of this – the contractor Norse SE doesn’t have enough crew to collect waste, recycling, garden waste and kerbside glass.
EHDC are therefore prioritising waste, recycling and garden waste – which means that kerbside glass collection won’t be collected for at least a month. They say “we will review the situation in a month and we are hoping that by then drivers and crew will have been recruited and we can reinstate this service.”
In the meantime, EHDC are desperately trying to help Norse SE recruit drivers and crew.
Churchyard Haymaking
Once a year our wildflower graveyard gets a big prune. Well done the clean up crew
Harvest Time
Coombe Road Development
In line with the village Neighbourhood Plan, the developer has agreed to market the 6 open-market properties to people with a connection to East Meon (have lived or worked in the Parish in the last 2 years or have a close relative who has done so) as soon as information is available. The houses will be a mix of 2 & 3 bedrooms, detached and semi-detached and are currently planned to be completed in summer 2023.
To register your interest, please email info@southcotthomes.co.uk. You will then be on the list to receive prices & sales details when they become available and prior to the properties coming to market. Availability of the 6 affordable homes on the site (a mix of shared ownership and affordable rent) will be administered via Hampshire Home Choice. If you have any questions, please contact Cllr Steve Ridgeon stevenridgeonempc@gmail.com
Parish Council Agenda – Monday July 18th
Residents welcome.
Meon Matters. Delivery Wagon in Action
Let us know if your copy hasn’t arrived. Meonmatters@gmail.com
Rambler Bus Timetable and Fares
Summer Edition – Coming Soon
Gardens Open – Sunday 19th June
Jubilee Programme
Summer Issue Meon Matters
Fifty Boats and Ragnar Wins the Show
The May Day Family Fun went well, with great May Queen and attendants, lots of races, an enormous queue for the excellent burgers, 50 boats entered in the Meon river race, and just under 50 dogs in the show. Best in show winner Ragnar, owned by Jordan Christmas, getting the coverted cup from Andrew Hughes, below. They also won ‘dog most like its owner’ – which surprised no one. The black labrador Olive gets a special mention for winning Agility and second in the Obedience class.
Water Pressure – should be fixed by midday
Whose the prettiest bitch?
Find out at the May Day Family Fun dog show, Monday May 2nd, Village Green. Register from 1pm.
Classes
- Best dog / child handler under 7
- Best dog /child handler 7-14
- Dog that looks most like its owner
- Waggiest tail
- Best puppy (under 12 mths)
- Prettiest bitch
- Handsomest Dog
- Dog the judge would most like to take home
- Overall winner
Also
- Most agile dog. A short agility circuit, owners to run dogs through a tunnel, a slalom, and some jumps.
- Most obedient dog.
-
- Test is sit while ball is thrown, fetch it, drop it, and sit.
- Test is to not eat a biscuit 10 seconds till allowed.
Entries £1 for up to 4 categories.
Rosettes for first three places.
East Meon Parish Council Annual Assembly
More than 50 local residents attended the annual Parish Council meeting on Monday 25th, chaired by its chair, Susan Davenport. They were presented with an overview of EMPC activities, an explanation of the budget, an insight into East Hants local role, planning issues and a chance to ask questions, make comments and meet the PC team. The meeting included a training session from Jennie Ham on how to use the new defibrillators.
More information at https://www.eastmeonpc.org.uk/community/east-meon-parish-council-15063/home/
Pop Up Choir Returns
May Day Family Fun Program. Monday May 2nd
Ukraine Fundraiser – Update
The tea raised over £1400. Fabulous work Helen Galliano and team. More events are planned
Concert
Meon Matters Green Issue Now Out
To read the spring GREEN issue magazine as a PDF click here
Harvest FC hoping for pitch approval
Harvest footbal club hope to be playing first and second team matches in the village from September. The next step up is dependent on pitch and facility approval. If that is given East Meon would have a Hampshire Premier League team playing every week
Water Treatment Works
Does anyone know what Southern Water are up to? Lots diggers busy west of the village. Email meonmatters@gmail.com
Coombe Road House Building Approved
An Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State upheld an appeal by Southcott Homes allowing them to build south of Coombe Road. The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) had refused the original application, and many local residents had also objected. 12 new dwellings (2 detached 2 storey houses, 6 semi-detached two-storey houses and 1 two-storey building comprising 4 flats) detached car barns are planned,
There will be two new accesses from Coombe Road, a new footpath, a pond, swales and a 5-metre-wide landscape/wildlife buffer on the southern boundary. Half of the dwellings will be ‘affordable’. Subject to a number of conditions, the applicant can start developing the site. To see the Inspector’s full report and a list of the conditions covering the development, https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?caseid=3274207
Meon Matters Goes Green
We are panning a green issue for early April. Contributions are welcome, on this or other topics. Please note the deadline for all contributors is Friday 18th March, by email to meonmatters@gmail.com.
Barber Shop opens at the Church – One Night Only
Platinum Jubilee Church Service
All Saints church held a special service this morning to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, organised and officiated by the village. This included the national anthem.
As some will know the new benefice formation means the vicar officiates at services across the local churches, including West Meon, Warnford and Langrish, attending East Meon on the second and fourth Sundays. On other Sundays, including today, a service is held at East Meon run by local residents. The message is that there will be a Sunday service at East Meon every week.
Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run run.
Local resident John Croft, who lives on the Hyde towards Langrish, recently had a surprise visitor – a sea eagle. This is a huge bird – they can measure over 8ft in wingspan. He and fellow villager, Stuart Powney were looking at a group of red kites circling above the hangar opposite John’s garden when, from their midst, a sea eagle suddenly broke away from their group and descended like a thunderbolt. It flew towards them, passing between the garden gates just 3 feet above the ground and then took a rabbit in the garden behind his house. The rabbit was presumably surprised too.
The sea eagle is now a Hampshire bird. So far twenty five sea eagles have been reintroduced on the Isle of Wight and roam considerable distances. You can read more about the reintoduction project at https://www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/isle-of-wight-sea-eagles/. We have heard of two being seen around East Meon on a number of occasions including at Cedar Valley (behind Bereleigh) in past years.
Sea eagle and a red kite
thank you to Clare and George for their hospitality
Lych gate renovation complete
Court House Carols – Outdoors
The carols are going ahead in the garden outside the hall 7pm Saturday 18th December so same entrance, and format with band, carol/singing, punch and mince pies – all as usual!!
It looks like being dry and not too chilly – but the important messages are – to wrap up warm and bring a head-torch, lantern or phone+torch so you can read the words on the carol sheet!
Wonderful Work from East Meon School
Christmas foodbank efforts from East Meon School. https://fb.watch/9UkZJkwfDi/
Kids like these warm your heart.
Shepherds Warning
Winter Arrives
Park Hill 29th November
Remembrance Day Service
From youth to those that served
A touching and well timed tribute from small children at the Village Nursery
Remembrance Day
Many of us will be attending the Remembrance Day church service and parade on Sunday 14th November. We are remembering the sacrifice of those who have died in the service of our country as well as the dead of other nations. The church service is at 10.00, and the parade at the memorial in the High Street is at 10.45. Tea and cakes will be available in the village hall afterwards (children welcome).
University duties mean we have lost our musician. Kati Whitaker has been asked by the PCC to step in and play the Last Post. She will be using the saxophone, as has been done previously at official events around the country. Kati will be remembering her father pictured below.
Dennis Whitaker, Fleet Air Arm. Arctic Star
Lych Gate Progress at Last
After many false starts East Meon’s fabulous church, All Saints, is getting a new entrance gate. Well done all on the work to date.
In November The Village Nursery will move to the village hall from its current base. This is a professional operation taking children from 2-4 years running five days a week (9-3pm bar Tuesday – 9-12), allowing working mothers to leave their children at the village hall. It costs £5.25 per hour. The Nursery has an established client base, many of whom come from the village. This will save the travelling time.
Local mother and school governor Anna Tebbut – who worked at the previous hall based nursery – said “There are currently children in the village who have never been to pre-school because there are families living in East Meon without any transport. Pre-school is an important element of child development and having a pre-school in the village once more would enable more of our community to access child care”.
Village Hall Committee chair David Pepper said “This is a significant new use for the larger hall and while it will reduce availability for other daytime users, having a nursery in the village again will support children who were unable to benefit from pre-school. The committee has consulted widely on this and also carefully considered how this will affect the village. Appropriate protections are in place and we will monitor how this works over the coming months”.
Hall users should note that the Village Nursery operates in school term only, the large hall is available at other times and during term after 3pm, small hall is available at all times. The Café is not affected. All regular users have been consulted, and an alternative venue is also under discussion.
Contact the hall comms@eastmeinvillagehall.co.uk or Jo Baker at The Village Nursery CNSplay@outlook.com for further information.
Izaak Walton Changes Hands
Report to follow in December Meon Matters magazine.
Moviola is Back
The Village Hall saw a very healthy turnout for Nomadland on Friday 24th September. A full program of monthly, last Friday night whowings is planned. See Moviola in Village Life or Events for more films and dates
Flying Start for Little Steps
“Little Steps” opened their first baby/toddler and mother group in the village hall on Monday 13 Sep, and will be open in future on each Monday morning from 9-30 to 11-30. Delicious, healthy snacks were given to the little ones. Donations received from the mothers were much appreciated.
They were delighted that we had 8 babies and toddlers and 7 mothers, who enjoyed the relaxed morning with their little ones who played happily and began to socialise with each other. What a joy.
The manager, the leader of the group and staff from Home Start Butser a Charity were there and were very happy with the morning. They were supported by volunteers In the kitchen who provided refreshments for the parents and snacks for the little ones.
Sue Croft said “I wish to thank the village hall committee for the work which has been done to welcome “Little Steps” into our village hall making it safer for us all. I am also very grateful for the support from villagers who have donated to the cost of the hire of the village hall which enables us to run this much needed group and also for the support from the ladies who help with refreshments.”
For further information please contact office@homestart-butser.org.uk, 01730 233755
Where Are They Now?
So how many faces can you recognise, and in what year was this taken?
Meon Matters – Autumn Issue
Would contributors note the deadline for material for the next issue is September 10th. Contributions should be emailed to meonmatters@gmail.com. Please send photographs separately in JPEG format. We appreciate additional offerings but cannot guarantee to print everything.
What a Swell Party
Festival comperes Chris Hollis and Richard Gaisford. Picture Nick Williams.
Hats off to David Pepper and the team who created the East Meon Village Festival and to everyone who turned out to enjoy a celebration of East Meon, by East Meon, for East Meon. Full report to follow in the Autumn edition of Meon Matters. See Village Life page for details on ordering high resolution prints of the photo below.
The Devils Music
Latin Jazz combo East of Meon raised the roof and over £1,000 for the church with a well attended concert on Saturday 14th August. Playing through the range of jazz styles from swing to latin, with short explanations of the progress proved a bit hit with over 100 tickets sold. More please.
Summer Makes a Brief Appearance
View from Park Hill, 7th August, in a brief lull in the rain. Credit David Hart
Moviola is back
West Meon Music Festival September – Ticket Sales Now Live
Full details of all the festival programmes can be found on the festival website,http://www.westmeonmusic.co.uk, where tickets are on sale from 1st August.
Defibrillator Fund Raiser
Festival Gathers Pace
Planning for the FREE village festival on Sunday 15th August are firming up. Attactions in include four bands, a beer tent, kids competitions (with prizes), a village photo using the Bereleigh cherry picker, tea and cakes, and interactive art event, and so much more. The festival starts at 12.00, so please be there for the photo shortly after 12.00. See https://eastmeonvillagehall.co.uk/village-festival/
The Satrday 14th Jazz in the Church is going well with over 50 tickets sold so far. Get them in teh shop or here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jazz-in-the-church-east-meon-village-festival-tickets-152485792109
PS Helpers are needed on the Green on Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to set up tents and other facilities. Just turn up please. Pickups especially welcome.
Let them Eat Cake
Village Hall Cafe Reopens Tuesday 3rd August. Hurrah.
She Stoops to Conquer
A large (socially distanced) crowd of East Meon residents enjoyed a knock out presentation of Oliver Goldsmith’s perenial favourite mix of social manners wit and farce on the Court House’s beautiful gardens last Tuesday. The sun came out, the Berry Garden bubbled and all present thanked Clare and George Bartlett for their generous hospitality. The Rosemary Foundation benefitted.
Summer Issue Meon Matters Now Out
A bumper issue has been delivered to most houses. Click here for a preview 209. Email us if you missed your copy at meonmatters@gmail.com
Cricket Sixes – East Meon beat East Meon
Strange game cricket, and many a US observer has been baffled by the rules. How did East Meon beat East Meon? The report in the forthcoming Meon Matters magazine will explain.
Plans for Village Festival Take Shape
The Village Hall are confident the Festival on August 15th will be a big success, with more and more activities, music and attractions being added every week. The plan below gives a flavour of the scale of the event. Look our for the print Meon Matters in the next week and keep checking here for more details.
And its free.
Who Scored a Century for East Meon?
See cricket report – sporting life section
New Petersfield Museum Now Open
Following its major £4 million expansion and refurbishment, the museum will be proudly opening its doors from Wednesday 9th June with innovative designs, engaging presentations and a fascinating range of information and artefacts waiting inside…
Housed in a Victorian Justice Centre (with police station, cells and courthouse) the museum has a range of unique collections including:
- The social history of the town and surrounding villages
- A national collection and study centre devoted to Edward Thomas – including over 2,000 books by and about the First World War poet
- Artefacts from one of the most impressive Bronze Age barrow cemeteries to have survived in south-east England which has been studied in detail in recent years
- Hundreds of works by Royal Academy watercolourist Flora Twort who had a passion for the town and local landscapes
- A collection of historic clothing, from the 1720s to 1950s, accumulated by Bedales School
- An archive of over 100,000 photographs by local press photographer Don Eades during the 1960s, 70s and 80s (a unique record of social life over three decades) and
- A courtyard area with a huge artwork map of the area (and café) which will be hosting a range of external events.
Early visitors have been very impressed. It is anticipated that the museum will become a significant cultural hub and visitor centre within the National Park.
Admission is currently by advanced online booking – using the ‘Tickets’ button at the top of the Museum’s website www.petersfieldmuseum.co.ukhomepage.
The Courtyard Café will also open on the 9th June: open to everyone and serving teas, coffee, sandwiches and delicious cakes throughout the day.
Opening times for the Museum are: Wednesday to Saturday: 10am to 5pm (last entry at 4pm); Sunday: 11am to 4pm (last entry at 3pm).
Do Badgers Read Meon Matters?
A personal view on a thorny issue – See Nature page https://meonmatters.com/nature/
What happened to Spike the hedghog – and what can be done.
Summer Finally Arrives
Reverend Jane Ball leaving East Meon
East Meon Vicar Yomps 55 miles
Village Festival Date Set – August 15th
A CELEBRATION OF EAST MEON, BY EAST MEON, FOR EAST MEON
Come and celebrate our village this August with a summer party featuring all sorts of entertainment on the village green.
Village Photo – featuring the death defying Bereleigh cherry picker
Music
- Nuthin Yet (rock)
- East of Meon (jazz/latin quartet)
- Igloo (ukulele combo)
Beer tent, Cakes, tea and coffee, Hog roast, ice cream and other food stalls, Children’s races and entertaintment, Village clubs, societies, business stands, Village Hall class stalls
Program and timing details see June edition Meon Matters and www.meonmatters.com. Contact Info@eastmeonvillagehall.co.uk
Note. No car parking facilities are provided (with exceptions for less mobile) and the event is for East Meon residents only
Jazz in the Church
The East Meon Village Festival opens with a jazz concert in All Saints Church, East Meon Saturday 14th August at 7.00 pm. Cool jazz in a cool venue on a summer evening. East of Meon are a London band with local connections, featuring saxophone, bass, drums and keyboard playing jazz classics from 1930s blues through to more contemporary numbers.
Tickets £12.50 to include complementary drink
Tickets from the shop or Eventbite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jazz-in-the-church-east-meon-village-festival-tickets-152485792109
Sample music https://soundcloud.com/eastofmeon/eom-moondance-demo
Dreaming of Summer?
Those Magnificent Men – Paragliders Target Park Hill
Two experienced paragliders were trying the air on Park Hill Tuesday 27th April. The hill is ideal for southerly winds when Winchester Hill and Butser aren’t providing the lift needed, but Park Hill is tricky – not least for the limited landing options. At present usage is limited to experienced pilots, and Bereleigh are always consulted. The pilots were disappointed to learn cattle are likely to be in residence soon.
East Meon Thrash Clanfield
See Cricket page for full report.
Nature Group Presentation at Parish Council
Great video explaning Nature Group. See https://eastmeonnature.com/east-meon-nature-video-presentation/
Village Hall Bookings Spring Back
The phased end of lockdown has seen a surge of the right kind, with many of the regular Village Hall classes restarting. So far (April 24th) we have
- Jon Watson (Karate) booked through to the end of year
- Susan Tuff has booked 3 sessions per week for Yoga, although her Monday sessions are still uncertain
- Fiona has booked her Sew Social on Weds
- Moviola Autumn season is booked
The Hall already had:
- Sonja’s roots and wings yoga,
- Baby Sensory
- Garden Club
- PC meetings
- And some ad-hoc events
It is hoped the Cafe can restart after May 18th – watch this space
Cricket Kicks Off
East Meon Cricket Clubs played their first match of 2021 – hopefully first of many. Full report on the Sporting Life page.
The Court House Stoops to Conquer
Theatre is coming to East Meon the summer with an outdoor performance of ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ . The Bartletts have invited Rain or Shine theatre company www.rainorshine.co.uk to return and perform in the Court House garden on Tuesday, 13th July 7-9.30 pm. The company have come in the past but not for a few years and as Clare says “ I thought this was the moment to have them back – to raise spirits and make the most of our new-found freedoms!”
She Stoops to Conquer is an 18th Century farce for all the family “A reserved lover, it is said, always makes a suspicious husband.” Kate Hardcastle is a young lady fixed up to meet the eligible Marlow with a view to marriage. Marlow is a young gent who is tongue-tied with the upper classes and downright lecherous with commoners. So when Marlow is tricked into believing Kate’s ancestral home is a country inn, and mistakes Kate for a lowly barmaid what could possibly go wrong? Plenty! Set against the increasingly chaotic proceedings of one very long night, She Stoops to Conquer is a delightful romantic romp filled with ludicrous misunderstanding, mischief and mayhem.
Bar, loos, ice-creams available. Doors open from 6pm for picnics. Tickets costing £7-15 are available to buy via the the Box Office 03306 600541 (10.30am – 7pm) or (with booking fee) online https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rain-or-shine-theatre-co/t-qoxeyn If you have questions Clare is on 07747 827751 (NB but not for ticket sales)
Villagers enjoying a previous Court House theatre interval
Village Hall Reopens – Children’s Events from April 12th
After a careful reading of the lockdown lift regulations the Hall committee has confirmed that – unless government decides otherwise – the Hall will be open from May 17th. Additionally children’s events and household groups could use the Hall from April 12th.
Sadly the café will have to wait till lockdown is lifted in June. All dates are subject to further government advice.
Charlie and Monty Special – Spring Issue Meon Matters Now Out
Articles on hedghogs, Tudor House, Garden Club photography and much more. You can download the issue here 208. If your copy hasn’t arrived contact us at meonmatters.gmail.com
Easter Week Sunshine
The sun is out, rule of six outdoors applies from Monday, a mini-heatwave is forecast on Tuesday and your Meon Matters magazine has just arrived. Things are looking up. Whats for lunch next Sunday?
Cricket Sixes – now confirmed for June 26th
With only half a season possible last year, this year the East Meon Cricket Club is keeping its fingers crossed that it’ll have a full uninterrupted COVID (and rain)-free season. The Club gets the season underway with a home fixture against Petersfield on 18th April, followed up by home matches against Clanfield and XIIth Men on the following two Sundays.
Although COVID-restrictions are likely to make our teas a slightly more ‘bring your own’ affair than normal, we always love welcoming supporters to the ground on a Sunday for a chat and catch up, and hopefully at some point as restrictions lift, we’ll be able to offer you all a cup of tea and slice of cake.
The sixes competition is pencilled in for the 26th June and we’re looking at ways to hold the summer party that evening in a safe and risk-free way – keep an eye on Friends of East Meon Facebook for more information.
Anyone interested in finding out more and joining, please email captain@eastmeoncricketclub.org.uk, to find out more, or come and join us at our pre-season nets (from April) or on match day to meet the team.
Who’s afraid of the big bad duck?
Dangerous place, East Meon. Wildlife everywhere. Some local warning signs.
Coots in Frogmore
Toads in Coombe (presumably displaced by the coots)
Cats in Chalk Dell
Bull on Park Hill – possibly to be taken rather more seriously – (in summer)
Meon Springs cattle. Why are they crossing the road? Looking for the bull?
Got a better one> Send us some more, to meonmatters@gmail.com
Pigs in the Car Park
The Village Hall have signed up a hogroast service to replace the short lived burger van. Anna of www.simplyhogroast.co.uk will be here on Tuesday evenings alternating with Steve Findlay’s Fish n Chips for a trial period starting next week 16th. They serve from 17:00 to 20:00. No pre order. Card payment.
The coffee team will be here next week and every dry Saturday until further notice, starting at 10.00, finishing 12.30.
The vans make a contribution to keeping the Hall funded during lockdown, and are booked to avoid Izaak serving days (Thu-Sunday). Please make them welcome.
Toads in the Road
We have a new sign in Coombe, part of the Nature Group effort to protect the toads. Look out for a full report in the spring issue of Meon Matters. And don’t forget your froglights.
Garden Club Photo Competition Now Open
See Garden Club page or https://www.eastmeongardenclub.com/photographic-online-competition
Images can be colour or B&W and must have been taken between the competition announcement date of 1 March 2021 and the closing date 30 June 2021.
Please state if entries are from anyone under 13 years old.
All classes are for amateur photographers only. Photographs will be judged on the creative use of the medium to represent the theme of each class.
One entry only per class.
Forbes Almshouses Vacancy, Church Street, East Meon
A vacancy is arising shortly in the Forbes Almshouses. No. 4 consists of living room and kitchen downstairs and bedroom and bathroom with WC upstairs.
Anyone applying for residence should be 65 years of age, suitable on grounds of health, character and resources, and have lived continuously for the past two years in the parishes of East Meon or Langrish.
Anyone interested in applying for residence should contact one of the following trustees of Forbes Almshouses, either Mr Leo Seymour (07891 638844) or Mrs Jane Cobley (01730 823013) for more details and an application form. Applications should be received by Friday 9th April The Trustees 2021
Bereleigh Announce Summer Events
Bereleigh was unable to hold a Village Mtg in January informing people of event plans for the year. They have now confirmed the following dates.
Lobster Shoot – Friday 25th June 2021 Bereleigh Estate in aid of The Countryside Alliance (by invitation)
Berefest – Saturday 26th June 2021 one day only – Mascombe Valley. All tickets purchased on the gate: Adults £10, Under 18s £5
Hampshire Country Sports Day – Sunday 12th September 2021 Bereleigh Estate in aid of The Countryside Alliance.
Sad End For Tawny Owl – see Nature Group page
Wild About Coffee?
Wild Kite Coffee Ltd are coming to East Meon Village Hall On Saturday 6 March from 8.30am. They are a small independent business and serve artisan coffee locally roasted at Moonroast in Alresford along with other drinks and fresh breakfast snacks. You can’t miss their bright red original Piaggio Ape – please do pop by and say hello.
Bee Happy?
Friends of the South Downs Photography Competition Winners.
Photo competitions are all the rage and East Meon Garden Club offering is offering theirs this spring. The Friends of the South Downs winners are shown on the link below. The brief was to celebrate the beauty of the SDNP – its landscape, wildlife, buildings and other man-made structures contributing to the cultural heritage of the area. Images had to be taken within the Park or as a view from outside the boundaries. The competition was open to both members and the public with the proviso that they were non-professionals.
You can see all of the images on their website https://friendsofthesouthdowns.org.uk/photo-competition/
Villagers deliver hampers to Queen Alexandra hospital staff.
Emily Rich and Suzanne Sparks have started a service giving hamper baskets to the NHS staff who have been working so hard during the pandemic. The hampers contain treats for to all staff working at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth, including cleaners, mortuary staff, reception staff, ward staff, those in the vaccination hubs, testing centres, ambulance crews etc. Last night they delivered 20 hampers to various staff members, and saw how overworked they are and how much they needed it.
Suzanne and Emily rely solely on donations of hampers, bags and treats, like crisps, cans of drinks, biscuits etc, anything that can be eaten on the go quickly. If anyone would like to donate things can be dropped to Emily Rich at 2 Kews Meadow.
There is also a JustGiving page if you would like to donate
What a fabulous initiative.
Creating Hedgehog Highways
Over 100 villagers enjoyed a great talk arranged by the Garden Club and Nature Group last Monday. A full report will follow in the spring magazine but try this link for a flavour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH5MPGevkd0
Snowdrop Pictures
Thank you Rob Ford, Linda Redpath, Brian Biggs, and Rebecca Powney for some lovely snowdrop pictures, now posted here https://meonmatters.com/snowdrops/
The Country Fair and The East Meon Village Picnic (edited March)
The Village Hall have decided that it would be unwise to try and run the Country Fair in May, just 4 months away, given the probability that the pandemic will still be with us.
After consulting with the Parish Council, school and the church they have chosen to hold The East Meon Village Picnic that we were all hoping to hold last summer, on the Bank Holiday Monday on August 14th provided the pandemic doesn’t interfere once again of course. The date gives plenty of time to look at the details of the picnic,
The Country Fair will also be postponed to Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2022 which should be well after the pandemic, helping us all to look ahead with greater certainty.
David Pepper, Chair of the Hall, said “Sadly it’s better to be safe than sorry. While we very much regret a further postponement having already had to cancel the Fair and Picnic in 2020, we have to avoid risks, disappointment and costs that would most likely follow if we went ahead and held a major event in May as we usually do, and then cancelling. Let’s hope the vaccination programme and sunshine allow us to enjoy a Bank Holiday Picnic this August and the Country Fair on the May Bank Holiday next year”.
The major acts and exhibitions for the Country Fair booked for 2020 have been rebooked for 2022.
Village Hall Chair, David Pepper
Burger Van Cancels
Jon the OFM burger van has had to cancel given childcare issues (his wife is an NHS worker). Sobbing chesseburger fans have been spotted haunting the Village Hall car park. Findlays continue their fish and chip service (next visit 23rd February. And our very own Izaak serves takeaway Thu-Sat and a well reviewed Sunday lunch.
Snowdrop Time
Spring in the air this glorious Saturday and snowdrops everywhere. Here’s a shot, but can you do better? Send us some pictures meonmatters@gmail.com.
New Resident in Duncombe
Poppy and Annabelle Lloyd getting to know a new friend
George Thompson Steps Down from Village Hall
After leading the village hall and country fair teams with distinction for some time, George has passed the leadership baton to David Pepper. The sharp eyed may have seen for sale signs outside his house (opposite the hall) and rumours of a move closer to the sea are circulating. David and others are hoping this either doesn’t happen at all, or takes enough time to transfer more of the accumulated know how and know who.
To thank George the Hall committee commissioned a painting from Amy Lague (www.sunnyoutside.co.uk) , who lives on the Green. This features the hall, George’s house and other landmarks. The picture was presented by David Pepper with Alan Redpath and Susan Davenport – past and current Parish Council chairs – joining to send the village’s thanks.
East Meon Featured on BBC Radio Four
East Meon recently featured on a Radio 4 documentary. Punk and folk singer-songwriter Frank Turner returns to the Meon Valley, the area in which he spent much of this early life, to find out more about its landscape and history. To listen to the 24 minutes programme on BBC iPlayer, follow the link below.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qm3q
Tony Perkins – an Appreciation
Fame is a curious thing. The most arrant scoundrel fills the headlines as his retail empire collapses, leaving his employees without jobs or adequately funded pensions. A good man dies quietly in a small Hampshire village and there’s scarcely a ripple on the water. Somehow we seem to have got our focus wrong.
Of course, it’s not as simple as that. Ordinary people, quietly doing good things, do get elevated into the public spotlight and we recognise that it is often the ordinary that is extraordinary and celebrate it accordingly. But, all too often, it seems there is not enough room for all the people who have brought kindness to our lives.
We will each have our treasured memories of Tony. Certainly, we have lost a stalwart of the Izaac Walton Sunday evening dining club: appreciative of the food and wine that Roger and the great Creator placed before him; gentle and a gentleman; solicitous for the wellbeing of his fellow diners and of friends and neighbours more widely; inclusive of those hanging back in the shadows; engaging and kind. He had become an exemplar of those qualities that are East Meon at its best.
I can only record what I know from my brief time in the village. He came onto my radar screen soon after my arrival as the man who had laid out the garden of the Tudor house. I then met him when he invited me to join him and the other Friday evening bell-ringers at their table in the George (I was grabbing a quick bite after a late evening’s work in London); and the invitation was renewed in subsequent weeks. He was the first of many people who made me so welcome in the village. Over the weeks, he was unfailingly warm and engaging – as well as persuasive about the merits of joining the bell-ringers!
The man I met was clearly a shadow, physically, of the man he had been. But there was nothing diminished about his personality. His major heart attack would have driven a lesser man to lock down and slow up. But Tony would not be constrained from visiting friends, getting out to the pub or from his determination to see those corners of the world that had thus far eluded him. I forget the full extent of his itinerary, but there was certainly a trip round Russia. There were ambitions to go to Iran and the Balkans. There were recent trips to the Cinque Ports and to the Jurassic Coast. And there was a restless straining at the leash once the Covid lockdown was imposed; he was wise and honest enough to appreciate that there was not much left of his allotted measure of life and he begrudged being denied the right to decide what risks he might take to enjoy what was left. Better to be a tiger out among the hunters than a caged beast.
And, of course, he was a passionate gardener. I was lucky to be allowed to help him with his garden. Lucky because I also love roses and iris of which he had a wonderful selection. Lucky because I could sit in the garden with him for a coffee break, chatting about his extraordinary life farming in Africa and then working in the North of England. And lucky because he was always generous and tolerant of what I did. Many gardeners – myself included – are scarily particular about how they like things pruned – roses above all. I took on the task with trepidation and there was certainly the odd thing I did not get entirely right. But he was effusive in his appreciation. He was a rewarding man with whom to spend time.
And then he was a man of faith. I don’t mean he went to church – though of course he did. Rather he had a profound and deep faith that put mine to shame. This was rooted at the centre of his life and was the force that drove so much of what we valued in him.
You will all have your own memories of Tony, and indeed of Tony and Judith. Many of you will have spent time in his wonderful garden. Many of you will have been invited into the historic house which was such a source of pleasure to him (notwithstanding the cold of winter). And many of you will have shared his generous hospitality.
But as you sit down to eat tonight and wonder how long it will be until we can meet again in the Izaac, be in no doubt that it is a life to be celebrated rather than a passing to be mourned. That is what he wished. So, fly the flags; put on some stirring uptempo music; place a sprig of scented winter honeysuckle or Christmas Box in the centre of you table; bring out some hearty home-cooked food; break open a bottle of full-bodied red wine; and wish Tony Bon Voyage as he joins Judith in a place where there are no lockdowns but where I am sure there is a place for a good-hearted gardener and friend.
Have a good good week and keep safe.
Jonathan Iremonger
Spotted. An Imaginative Advent Calendar – Village Shop
Well done the shop
Idea credits;- Jane Martin, Freddie Martin, Jane Sims
A LockDown Letter from the Tudor House: Light on the Horizon
The Government’s decisions on the social distancing controls that are to operate at Christmas and before do not make easy reading. We all want to see family and friends but the regimes put on place will severely constrain what we can do. We are far from the only country around the world facing such controls and it’s not hard to see the pressures that have led the Government that they know will be a hard sell to their party as well as to people across the country.
So where’s the light on the horizon? Well, it could of course be the string of announcements about successful vaccine trials. But it wasn’t that that I had in mind, heartening though these are. Advent, which begins today, is perhaps my favourite season of the year. I suppose it’s something about the power of hopes and dreams, the licence to imagine the things that can often be submerged in what life throws at us. There’s also a chunk of childhood nostalgia for the decorated shop windows, the Christmas lights, the wonderful Advent carols and then all the present manufacture and packing that’s going on somewhere near the North Pole. And it has a particular significance for those among us who are Christians. None of this is removed by lockdown, though we will need to brace ourselves for a Santa who looks more like a masked bank robber than the usual white bearded old fellow doing his Ho Ho Ho bit. So I will arrive at dinner tonigjt having soaked up some distanced advent carols from St John’s College Cambridge (Radio 3 at 3pm).
Before addressing who my dinner companions might be, I should mention that tomorrow is the anniversary of the Zong Massacre, when the British trading ship of that name threw over 130 slaves overboard to get the insurance money, having run out of water for them after a navigation error. All of this was legal. The incident was instrumental in the launch of the anti-slavery movement in Britain but also inspired Turner to paint his great but terrible picture ‘The Slave Ship’. One of those ‘not to be forgotten’ moments in our national history.
My dinner guests are a rather different bunch from last week’s, but there is no less self-indulgence on my part. That is the joy of dinner parties, and the more so fantasy ones where one can imagine ones guests to be obligingly on their best form.
My first is the great Arts and Crafts gardener, Gertrude Jekyll, who was born on this day in 1843. Trained as an artist, and admitting a debt to Turner, she was a past master of colour and texture as well as a great plantswoman, and she worked closely with Edwin Lutyens to create some of the great country houses of Britain. Her influence on later gardeners – English and beyond – has been profound. She might be persuaded to wander round my garden before a pre-dinner drink, though I fear she would be rather taken aback at my Jackson Pollock-esque mixing of colours. This could be painful, and even a little humiliating. But it would all be worth it to hear her talk about some of her 400 or so garden creations – such wonderful creations as the gardens at Sissinghurst and Hestercombe.
The choice of my second guest, Louisa M Alcott (born on this day in 1832) is partly a tribute to my daughter. Like many adolescent girls, she went through a period of deep immersion in the world of Little Women, and I think was none the worse for it. Who has not been moved by the reach of Beth or the scene where Amy and Laurie are rowing. Whether I can attribute her liberal values to Alcott’s passionate commitment to the emancipation of women and abolition if slavery in the US I’m not sure. No doubt Alcott’s deep humanity helped. Interestingly, Alcott came to her children’s novels relatively late in life, having cut her teeth on lurid short stories and sensational novels for adults that were thick with passion and revenge; but that was what she thought would sell and she and her sisters were, from a young age, providing financially for her impoverished family. I’ve no doubt she would be a passionate and intelligent dinner guest, having in her own life held her own with the likes of Thoreau, Longfellow, Emerson and Hawthorn. And I like to think that she and Jekyll would be generous enough to be curious about each other’s passions.
Interestingly, both these women remained unmarried throughout their lives. I’m sure this had nothing to do with their merits as partners, but it was generally much more difficult in the 19th century for a married woman to combine her “duties” as a wife and mother with an active career in the arts. I’m not sure it’s easy now!
My final guest is C S Lewis, the author, academic and Christian thinker. Again articulate, passionate and thoughtful, he made his name through his children’s Narnia series, and the way in which he made Christianity accessible through his talks and books. The start of his life was problematic – his dog, Jacksie, was killed in an accident when he was four and, though christened ‘Clive’, he refused for some time after to be called anything but Jacksie, eventually allowing Jack instead – the name by which he was known for the rest of his life. His mother died when he was 9, and he then went through a series of somewhat unsatisfactory schools. He was wounded in the trenches in WW1 and then, in parallel with a highly successful academic career and, as a result of a mutual pact, he looked after the mother of a wartime friend of his who had been killed in action. She became for him a surrogate for his own mother and helped him through the disillusionment that followed his experience of the war. They were very close until she was hospitalised in 1940 and, though she was 26 years his senior, it seems very likely that they were also lovers. He married later in life but lost his wife to cancer after only 4 years of marriage.
Lewis would certainly find common ground with Alcott. On the face of it, he would find much less with Jekyll, but they were both highly cultured and it is hard to imagine there would be many awkward pauses in the conversation. Selfishly, I would be interested to hear what he had to say about his pathway from atheism to a passionate advocacy of Christianity, and I am sure he would have had interesting views about the plight of the church in the modern world. And if that failed, then he was also a distinguished writer of science fiction. The relationship between this and his faith would be an interesting area to explore.
I’m not sure what would appeal from Roger’s menu, but I think we would be looking at good solid homely food for all three – the sort of fare for which Mrs Beeton had a large following.
Today is also big on the musical side, being the anniversary of the deaths of Monteverdi, Donizetti, and Puccini. I suspect that the former would jar on the ear of my guests, though the odd madrigal whilst we walk around my warm and sunny garden might be acceptable. But I have no doubt that the subsequent proceedings would be enlivened by some good Italian opera – aided of course by a decent Barolo or Chianti.
I am more stuck on Flags. There’s a Liberian national holiday, and another for the former Yugoslav Republic. But I suspect that Malcolm will have his own surprises. I visited his amazing barn ‘café’ last week and shared an excellent cake (his) and some chocolate biscuits (mine) – all properly socially distanced. Definitely worth calling in if you’re up that way.
Congratulations too to Nicky on her second grandchild in almost as many weeks. One boy and one girl safely delivered – named Lochie (the boy – a family name) and Aphra (the girl – named after the great English 17th century English playwright and spy, Aphra Behn). I guess they’ll be a few more grandchildren popping up around the place after two periods of lockdown, though I will be a little surprised if there are any heading my way since marriages still seem some way off (they’re still young, or so I’m told 😀).
Have a good week and keep safe
Jonathan
Happy Christmas-Meon Matters 207
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