Photograph: Meon Valley Lions await the frozen fish
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The planning groups for the Annual Swanmore Carnival and Fete are swinging into action for this year's event which will be held on the Swanmore recreation ground on Saturday 10th July. Put it in your calendar now! Although it's smack bang in the final-stage weekend of the World Cup finals, be assured that the games are evening kick-offs. So Dad can come to the Fete and not worry that he's going to miss any goals in the event of England getting to the last four!
The theme of this year's Carnival is "Swanmore - all at Sea" and we'll be publishing more information for pubs, clubs and groups interested in taking part in this nautical theme, in subsequent editions of this magazine. Meanwhile we are inviting groups and volunteers to join us at a meeting on 8th March for a briefing to discuss all aspects of the Carnival and Fete organisation, to see how we can make it an even bigger and more successful event than before. Please see our separate notice in the magazine for more details.
The Fete and summer sunshine felt a long way off at 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, January 31st as a hardy bunch of Lions assembled on Weston Shore for the annual Ford Sea Fishing Festival. Was it really -5oC on the car thermometer? Sadly yes. Undaunted by the conditions, over 200 eager sea anglers turned out to support this charity event which is now in its 35th year. Through the valuable support of the Transport and General Workers Union The Lions have been able to help generate over £26,500 in this time, with another £2,000 looking likely this year for The Naomi House charity, Winchester. The anglers even added £150 following an impromptu raffle for some additional prizes donated by the sponsors.
Photograph: Meon Valley Lions await the frozen fish
At our February meeting, we were pleased to welcome Deborah Adams of Swanmore to speak about her experiences in Tanzania during her medical elective undertaken in 2009. Deborah is currently studying as a 5th year medical student at Peninsula Medical School, based at Truro and had approached the Meon Valley Lions for financial support for charity and project work during her time in Tanzania. In addition to practising at a medical centre in Arusha, Deborah also spent a week learning tribal medicine in a Maasai village. Our group was intrigued by the amazing Maasai culture and the challenges of delivering healthcare in such a remote and poorly resourced part of Africa. Her tales of the goat sacrifice were not for the squeamish but the DIY wheelchairs fabricated by the Arusha Lions Club from white, plastic garden chairs on castors, raised a few chuckles.
The annual Lions' Christmas collections were certainly not without incident this year, as we visited the villages and hamlets of the Meon Valley during December. The Newtown area run witnessed some of the most atrocious wet weather conditions we have ever worked in, forcing Santa to don goggles and snorkel and Roger Morfill to smugly comment "I was really glad it was my turn to drive!" Meanwhile the Corhampton and Exton evening brought the equally unwanted pleasures of sub-zero temperatures and black ice. Roger got his come-uppance that evening, being the fourth of Santa's helpers to slip and land flat on his back with his legs in the air. At this point we decided to call it a night as we were spilling more money from our collection buckets than we were actually collecting from the generous members of the public. Our apologies go also to the children of Soberton / Hambledon, because on December 16th a complete Santa-sleigh systems failure deprived us of both our flashing sleigh lights and music. Disaster!
Amazingly then, when we finally counted everyone's donations, we were surprised to discover we had collected a record of £4,152 over the month. And all this in the depths of a financial depression! It just goes to show that despite hardships, the people of the Meon Valley truly understand the spirit of Christmas and are prepared to dig deep to support local charities and people in need. So "thank you" to everyone who supported us so generously again this year - your money will be put to good use.
On the social side, our Christmas dinner at the Brickmakers in Swanmore, proved a great hit, with the pub's new hosts putting on a veritable feast which impressed everyone. In a kind of calorie offsetting scheme, Lion Andrew Brown and his wife Pam did their best to ease everyone's conscience by hosting the New Year's Day walk a week or so later.
This time of year is extremely busy for the Lions because in addition to the Christmas collections we also supported the Winchester Young Carers' Bauble Hunt in the Forest of Bere, by laying on a barbeque. A barbeque in December is not as daft as it sounds, because this time the weather worked in our favour, attracting cold and hungry people from miles around in search of the smell of sizzling sausages. In all we raised over £500 for the Young Carers and through a similar Boxing Day barbeque at the Hampshire Bowman were able to elicit a further £235 from people who remarkably still had some room for burger and onions the day after their Christmas Day feast.
Ahead of us lies the Annual Fishing Festival which we help organise with the Ford Fishing club, and through the kind support of the Transport and General Workers Union. Despite all the recent bad news at Ford's Transit plant in Southampton, the event is going ahead again this year and aiming to raise another £2,000 for the Naomi House charity based in Winchester. More of this follows in our next update.
The Meon Valley Lions Club will be out and about again this December helping Father Christmas bring joy and happiness to all the children in your town or village. Starting on Tuesday 1st December and going right through to Christmas Eve, the familiar gold sleigh bedecked with its colourful lights, will be visiting locations the length and breadth of the Meon Valley. As usual, we will also be making our Christmas charity collection and even though times are tough, we are hoping you will all be able to support us and beat last year's collection of £3,700. Eighty percent of our charitable activity is ring-fenced to support local needs and our volunteer code means that all the money you give is channelled into the charity, with no administrative costs devaluing your contribution. Please help us again this year - no matter how small your donation, Father Christmas really appreciates it and every little helps. We will be in each area between 6.15pm and 8pm unless indicated otherwise.
Click here to see when Santa may be visiting you!
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An invitation from the Wickham Beer Festival Group to support their popular bi-annual beer festival event by helping with the catering arrangements was one that The Meon Valley Lions simply couldn't resist. The prospect of an evening involving huge quantities of steaming barbequed food plus hundreds of gallons of real ale meant that the decision to be involved was unanimously adopted in double-quick time.
Chief cook and bottle-washer Roy Cuthbertson, immediately indented for some super new food heaters and ultra-smart linen aprons especially for the event, which was held at Wickham's village hall in September. A duty rota was drawn up and all Lions were strictly coached on the need to avoid mixing the allure of Olde Headache Special with the very serious business of producing delicious food. I am pleased to report that most of the Lions followed these instructions most of the time!
At this point we must express our very great thanks to the Wickham Beer Festival sponsors who supported us so generously on the night - The Southern Co-op who provided the bread, Westland's Farm Shop for the sausages and burgers, and McArthy's Shop for all the healthy veg. As a result we were able to put on a splendid spread that had the real ale brigade flocking to our stall and allowing us to raise over £500 for our charitable causes. The evening was such a success that we have already agreed to repeat the gig and provide the same facility at next April's festival.
The Meon Valley Lions have a full BBQ catering capability and can support your local organisation's event with equipment and manpower. A number of our members have had appropriate training and have Food Hygiene Certificates as well as the very smart aprons to prove it. If we can help with your event, please call 01489 894932. All we ask is that somehow our efforts can benefit a worthy cause or charity along the way.
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Harry Greenslade receiving his presentation from Lion President Ed Barringer
Harry with the framed photograph of his old ship, HMS Cambrian
Not that this seemed to make any difference to the parade marchers, stall holders, classic car and bike enthusiasts and musical turns. The tuba player in the Royal British Legion Victory Band soldiered on tunefully, pausing between numbers to wring out his music sheet and empty the water from his horn. Special mention must go to Kay Blackman and the Newton School of Dance who gave us a spectacular Can-Can as the rain cascaded. The Chequered Flag clog-dancers opted wisely not to chance their skills on the sodden and slippery dance floor and the Tigers motorbike team had to limit their spectacular display to a simple slow formation drive-round. No one was more frustrated than some of the younger team members who were disappointed at not being able to show their skills.
The fantastic support we received from the paying public has meant that the Swanmore Carnival and Fete has covered its costs this year despite the weather. Our accounts have yet to be finalised and this financial summary does not take into account the monies made by the various charitable organisations which attended in their own right with stalls. Of course the real success of the village fete should not be measured purely in monetary terms. It is a village occasion organised for the pleasure of the residents and for the benefit of the community - and you can't put a price on that. Interestingly we became involved in a debate on the future of the village fete when Robert Hardman, columnist with the Daily Mail chose to run a story on Hampshire's village fetes in a feature article during the days leading up to the fete. He visited us on the Wednesday before the fete and asked our opinion. To make a story, The Mail wanted to paint a picture of red tape and bureaucracy strangling this great English village tradition and although it's true to say that Health & Safety and public liability insurance are now everyday facts of life, his article really missed the point. Where there's a will there's a way, and thanks to great support and commonsense approach from the Parish Council plus the support of dozens of willing volunteers, the Swanmore Village carnival and fete remains what it is intended to be - a wonderful British Institution. See you again next year!
Joe and Heather have supported community voluntary groups for a number of years. In the past they have helped the Titchfield Bonfire Boys Society with their annual Carnival and Blues at the Abbey events and have both been Community First Responders, until the Titchfield group disbanded earlier this year. Joe was looking for an opportunity to continue his voluntary work and was delighted when Lions member Ian Cresdee suggested that he might consider joining the Meon Valley Lions Club.
At the meeting we were also pleased to receive a presentation from Andrew Tyrrell who talked about his commitment to the Scout movement. Andrew is the son of Lion Jon Tyrrell and Meon Valley Lions have contributed to some of the costs involved in his activities during his pre-University gap-year, 2007-08.
During this time, Andrew has completed his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and fulfilled his ambition to become a Queen Scout - he received his badge from Chief Scout Peter Duncan, at a ceremony at Tate Modern and attended a service at Windsor Castle in the presence of The Queen. Becoming a Queen Scout involved Andrew in numerous activities, including work on a National Trust Project in the Brecon Beacons and attending a trip to Switzerland with Romsey Scouts. During 2008 he also supervised a number of Scout events including the Scout centenary celebration at Brownsea Island and an international Scout Jamboree in New Zealand. It was refreshing to see a young person giving so much back through an organisation that is such a positive force in the community and which continues to thrive in the UK and internationally.
Photograph: Andrew Tyrrell receives his Queen Scout Award from Peter Duncan
We have recently received news from old friends Nigel and Sarah Barette. Although now resident in France, they have committed themselves to supporting projects in Africa, following a holiday a few years ago which gave them an insight into the poverty and suffering so common throughout the continent. In their most recent visit they have donated gardening tools to schools so that staff and pupils can grow their own vegetables. Meon Valley Lions has supported their work with money for hand pumps that allow communities to access clean water supplies. In one school of 800 children, water was being provided by hand-carrying on a daily basis, before the pumps were deployed. Nigel and Sarah's efforts have been covered in "The Point", one of Gambia's National newspapers and we were delighted that our financial support got a mention too. In the native home of the Lion, it's interesting to wonder what sort of image Meon Valley Lions conjures up to the newspaper's readers in the Gambia!
During the recent prize presentation ceremony at Ford's Southampton Sports and Social Club, Peter Oates (Ford SAC organiser) and Ron Wilson Secretary of Meon Valley Lions, presented a cheque for £1,800 to the Winchester based, children's hospice charity. Thanks to the hard work of the Ford Sports SAC and the Lions, plus the generous support of the Transport & General Workers Union, the cheque matched last year's previous effort, taking the total raised for Naomi House to around £27,000 in the 34 years since the event began.
Accepting the donation on behalf of Naomi House, Mary Rochford, Chair of the Solent Fund Raising group expressed her thanks and said, "We understand these are difficult and uncertain economic times, especially for workers at Ford and it is therefore even more fantastic that everyone has been able to continue to support our Charity in this way. Naomi House has also been a victim of the economic recession, losing significant investment funding for a new building as a result of the Icelandic banking crisis, so the cheque has come at just the right time."
Photos: 1. The prize-winners' trophies. 2. The cheque presentation. (L to R) Peter Oates Ford Sports Sea Angling Club, Mary Rochford, Chair of Solent Fund-raising Group (Naomi House), Ron Wilson, Secretary Meon Valley Lions Club.
Also in December, The Lions supported the Home-Start charity organisation with a barbeque (yes a barbeque!) at their annual Christmas bauble hunt in the Forest of Bere. The wintry conditions generated an endless queue for the hot food which disappeared down the throats of grateful punters just as fast as the Lions could cook it - helping raise some welcome money for the charity in the process. Undaunted by the obvious madness of cooking in sub-zero conditions, the numb band of Lions volunteers repeated the process on Boxing Day at The Hampshire Bowman. Motorbikers, ramblers and those simply looking to perpetuate the festive feasting, set about the hot soup, burgers and sausages with relish (both red and brown sauce!) Our thanks go to The Bowman for supporting this annual event and allowing us to raise £240 this year.
On the social front, the skittles evening at Wickham proved a hit with some interesting styles and techniques making little difference to the overall absence of accuracy. Requiring much less skill, other than a healthy appetite, the annual Christmas dinner at Banks Bistro proved highly popular with a full complement of Lions turning out. An excellent meal was enjoyed by all and our thanks go to John Campbell and the social team for their hard work in organising these and other dates in the social calendar throughout the year.
At our recent meeting we were privileged to listen to a talk from Lindsey Mason of Swanmore, in which she described the volunteer work she has been doing in Africa in the last twelve months. Lindsey is a medical student studying at Sheffield University and has spent time in Malawi putting her skills to good use with the local people at Monkey Bay on the shores of Lake Nyasa. Meon Valley Lions had supported her with funding which allowed her to purchase much needed medical supplies and sports equipment, plus materials for a new roof in one of the site buildings. We were all impressed with Lindsey's commitment and dedication to this project as well as the confidence she displayed when fielding questions from the meeting.
Lion Ian Cresdee has given Santa's sleigh a fresh lick of gold paint in time for our annual Christmas collection which will run throughout December, the length and breadth of the Meon Valley. Even though times are tough, we are hoping the people of the Meon Valley will provide their usual great support and help us beat last year's record collection of £4,400. 80% of our charitable activity is ring-fenced to support local needs and our volunteer code means that all the money you give is channelled into the charity, with no administrative costs devaluing your contribution. Please help us again this year - no matter how small your donation, Father Christmas really appreciates it and every little helps.
Straight after Christmas, we will be back into action concluding arrangements for the Annual Fishing Festival on Weston Shore, Southampton. This year the tides dictate that the competition will take place between 9am and 2pm on Sunday 25th January, so dig out your rod from the loft. Unbelievably this event is now in its 34th Year and we will be working with Ford's Sports and Social Sea Angling Club to ensure another successful competition and at the same time raise a pile of cash for the Naomi House charity, Winchester. The Ford branch of the Transport and General Workers Union has always been a great supporter, providing sponsorship of prizes (top prize this year is £600) which not surprisingly attracts over 250 eager anglers each year. Our aim is to clear £2,000 for Naomi House, taking the total to around £27,000 since the event began.
So keep an ear open for Santa's Christmas music when his sleigh comes down your street and have a peaceful and happy Christmas period.
Photograph: Santa's collection
The summer weather held fair again this year allowing the residents of Swanmore to enjoy another wonderful village Carnival and Fete. During the morning, a series of music and dancing events warmed people up, creating a wonderful party atmosphere and getting everyone in the mood. With performances at various locations from no less than 3 bands plus a troupe of Appalachian step-dancers, the village was literally jumping. An art show at the Paterson Centre featuring the work of the children of Swanmore Primary School was judged by Mike Read, Mayor of Winchester, who later officially opened the Fete.
The Classic Cars have become an increasingly popular feature of the Carnival and this year over 30 vehicles paraded through the village thanks to a great turn out from The Solent Renegades and Portsmouth and Southampton Mini car clubs. Continuing the theme, around 100 classic motorcycles gathered at The Rising Sun for the annual Meon Valley run - a scenic ride to the Cricketers at Tichborne Down, a spot of lunch and back in time to display on the Recreation ground.
At the Fete, music played continuously thanks to the Birnie Boozle Band, Meon Circuit Band and RBL Victory Brass Band. Chequered Flag got everyone moving with an energetic step-dance display and people dug deep to support the numerous stalls and side-shows. The highlight of the day in the main arena was "Hawkeye" a falconry display from the Welsh Marches. Layla Bennet and her colleague Mike entranced the crowd with some amazing flying demonstrations accompanied by an interesting and insightful commentary on their techniques and the history of falconry. At one point, one of these graceful birds swooped over a line of prone Swanmore volunteers, gliding within inches of their faces. Then a few children were challenged to outrun the birds trailing a lure - but needless to say none succeeded.
Organisers of the Swanmore Carnival and Fete, Meon Valley Lions, would like to extend their thanks to the numerous, stall-holders, sponsors, volunteers and performers for supporting the event so enthusiastically again this year. Particular mention must go to Brian Pancott for giving freely of his photographic services, Ken Brady for managing the Classic Bike Rally, the Lions clubs of Petersfield, Swanwick and Fareham for their total support and the Parish Council for providing the Recreation Ground facility. The objective is to lay on a fun community event that everyone can enjoy and at the same time make some money for deserving local causes - so mission accomplished again this year. The books have yet to be reconciled, but The Lions hope to clear in excess of £1,000 which will be used to fund their local charity support work.
Put the date for next year in your diary now - Saturday July 11th 2009! We expect to be laying on a similarly varied show with something for everyone and would like to hear form organisations and clubs interested in participating in a morning parade through the village prior to the fete itself.
Photographs are courtesy of Brian Pancott Photography, 01489 891832. Please credit him when reproducing these images.
Photograph 1: James Lamerton, age 9 of Swanmore with his ferret friend
(Note - we have parental permission to reproduce this picture of James)
Photograph 2: The Italian Job - Swanmore style.
Photograph 3: Winning classic motorbike
Since 1925, Lions International has had a commitment to supporting the blind and visually impaired. During the month of May, Lions collect used spectacles for donation to the Lions' Eyeglass Recycling Centres that are located around the world. The used glasses are then cleaned and classified by prescription by trained specialists. Lions volunteers and other organizations hosting optical missions in developing countries, then distribute the glasses to those in need.
In the Meon Valley we collected just short of 1,000 pairs for the Spec-Trek campaign and passed these on to the Petersfield Lions Club which has been actively involved with this programme for the last 26 years. Their 2008 collection amassed a staggering 104,990 pairs - the first time they have exceeded 100,000 and bringing the overall total to almost 2 million since their collections first began. If you would like to support this activity by donating your old specs, please call Ron Wilson on 01329 832610.
Another regular event in the spring calendar saw the Meon Valley Lions, together with multiple-district colleagues from 35 other clubs, organising an open day for disadvantaged and disabled children at Paultons Park. Meon Valley Lions sponsored 22 local children and took them in Lions' minibus to join over 1,800 children and carers for a highly enjoyable day in the sunshine. Our thanks go to Paultons Park for generously subsidising entry costs and making this an annual treat to look forward to for so many children.
The Lions minibus is in regular use most weeks, providing transport for local clubs and societies within the area. In May, it was also pressed into use transporting tents and equipment to the annual camp organised by the National Association of Swimming Clubs for the disabled. If we can help your club or organisation in this way too, please give us a call.
During April, we were pleased to support the Wickham Parish Council in their bid to achieve recognition in the National Village of the Year competition, by providing a display and representation at the judging session. On the following evening the Lions team was delighted to be involved with the Annual Parish Assembly together with numerous other clubs and societies in a vibrant expression of community spirit. Good luck Wickham!
Like the summer weather, our social programme is also hotting up. Following a gloriously patriotic St George's day feast featuring a variety of traditional English puddings (that's a description of the food not the Lions members!) we continue the culinary theme with a curry banquet and midsummer-night barbeque. Perhaps an autumn sponsored diet competition may be in order?
With the days lengthening and summer fast approaching, the Meon Valley Lions now have the 2008 Swanmore Carnival and Fete well and truly in their sights. If we are to make this year as memorable and successful as 2007, then we can't start too soon on all the planning and arrangements.
We are therefore taking this opportunity to give you a preview of the programme to whet your appetite and ensure that the date 12th July 2008 is set aside on everyone's calendar. This year we will not be featuring the Carnival of Floats that precedes the opening of the Fete, to give the clubs, schools and societies who work so hard on building the floats a well deserved break. (Don't worry they'll be back next year.) Instead we have planned a series of fun events, activities and musical turns around the village during the morning, including an art display, Morris dancing, and impromptu performances from local bands.
The Meon Valley classic motorcycle run is now a major event in the classic bikers' calendar attracting over 100 bikes in a wonderful display of the very best of classic British and International models. The riders assemble from 10am at the Rising Sun for bacon rolls, coffee and bike-banter, before departing for Alresford, lunch, and then the return trip to the Swanmore Fete arena for judging of best-in-category. Growing in popularity year-on-year, the classic car parade will once again travel in convoy from the Brickmakers through the village and park up on the recreation ground for public viewing.
During the afternoon there is a busy programme in the main arena including a live Falconry display, a musical band and, following last year's wonderful display, the return of Newtown School of Dance. Many of last year's stall holders have already booked so there'll be plenty of reasons to dip your hand in your pocket to grab a bargain and at the same time support local clubs and charities. And as in previous years there'll be all the usual children's rides, food and refreshments plus a licensed bar for Dad. Why not come to the Lions tea tent to rest a-while, sample our delicious (non-fattening) cakes and relax to the soothing sounds of the Bernie Boozle band - courtesy of our chums at Swanwick Lions?
Swanmore Village Carnival & Fete has become a real community event. If you would like to be involved in it, we are still looking for stall holders, classic car and bike owners, an ice-cream vendor and volunteers to help with the set up and running of the event. Please contact: Ian Adams on 01489 894 932 if you are interested.
A full published programme will be distributed in the weeks prior to the event.
Members of Meon Valley Lions always keep a wary watch on the winter weather forecast as the annual Fishing Festival on Weston Shore looms on the calendar. Fortunately we were lucky again this year. When dawn broke on Sunday 27th January, conditions were ideal - cold, crisp and sunny with a gentle onshore breeze.
This is the 33rd year of the fishing competition run by the Ford Sports & Social Club and sponsored by Ford's own branch of the Transport & General Workers Union. Meon Valley Lions have traditionally supported the event with manpower, logistics and plenty of hot tea. Around 200 fishermen from all over the south of England came to support this year's event, helping to generate over £2,000 for the Naomi House Children's Hospice near Winchester. Since its inception, this event has raised over £25,000 for the Naomi House Charity which is a remarkable achievement.
The Meon Valley Lions Club is extremely active within the Meon Valley area, with 80% of its charitable funding going to local charities and people in need. Our work isn't just about charitable money-raising, because our members are able to provide service to the community in many other ways. This may be in the form of simple tasks such as gardening for people who can no longer manage for themselves, or providing a local transport service for those unable to get out and about under their own steam. On a regular basis the Lions minibus does regular trips for the Swanmore Friday Friends and Wickham Lunch club and has just taken on monthly services for the Carers Together Group. If this local service philosophy appeals to you and you would like to get involved in any small way, please contact our Secretary Ron Wilson on 0845 8337812