Winter Festival – Light up the River 26th – 29th December

Winter Festival – Light up the River 26th – 29th December

Winter Festival – Light up the River Festive mistletoe arch by day…ethereal River Test bridge by evening… #milltrail #whitchurchhampshire

The Winter Festival ‘Light up the River’ light installation is on display every evening from sunset to 9pm until the 29th December 2021.

Created by artist Raphael Daden, and commissioned by Whitchurch Conservation Group with funding from Arts Council England, the light installation draws inspiration from the spirit of the famous chalkstream river, its riverbanks, which are designated a Special Site of Scientific Interest, and the surrounding trees.

A free, riverside walk along the Mill Trail, a waymarked walk, the River Test light installation is on display every evening from sunset until 9pm until 29th December 2021. It is situated on the Mill Trail network of public footpaths in Whitchurch, on the bridge by Fulling Mill.

Transforming the River Test at night with an orchestrated series of light works that span the bridge by Fulling Mill, one of the historic mills in Whitchurch, its subtly moving sequences of LED light symbolically draw inspiration from the spirit and history of the river.

It encourages walkers and visitors to reconnect with the River Test and combines participation in art and culture with the wellbeing benefits of walking and spending time outdoors as well as a timely opportunity to visit local hospitality businesses in Whitchurch including Kudos Coffee, 909 Bistro, King’s Arms and The White Hart.

Note: it is a muddy, countryside footpath: please do wear appropriate footwear!

The Mill Trail: The Mill Trail is a waymarked walk along the River Test. Find out more here:

https://whitchurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Whitchurch-Mill-Trail.pdf

Raphael Daden is a Nottingham/UK based sculptor working mainly with light. Raphael has been combining different materials with light for over ten years and has been working professionally on commissions within this time. http://www.raphaeldaden.co.uk

Whitchurch Conservation Group (WCG) is a constituted community group based in Whitchurch, Hampshire. Established in October 2020, the group has over 800 Whitchurch resident members.

The group seeks to preserve Whitchurch’s green spaces, enhancing Whitchurch’s status as an economically and socially vibrant town with a strong rural and heritage identity.

www.whitchurchconservationgroup.org

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Belshazzar’s Feast – All Hallows Church – Postponed

Belshazzar’s Feast – All Hallows Church – Postponed

Belshazzar’s Feast – Postponed It is with a heavy heart that we have chosen to postpone the Belshazzar’s Feast Christmas concert on December 23rd. With 140 people expected to turn up, we didn’t feel that we could operate the concert in a way that would be safe or comfortable for many attendees, organisers or staff. Our intention is to reschedule the concert for the Spring, and we are currently working with the venue to sort out a date.

Tickets will automatically become valid for the reorganised event once it has been confirmed, and we will let you know those details as soon as we have them, at which point you can choose to be reallocated or take a refund.

Many thanks, and we hope you have a warm and safe Christmas.

Sincerely, The Whitchurch Folk Club Team

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Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival 2022 is looking for entrants!

Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival 2022 is looking for entrants!

Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival 2022 is looking for entrants! It’s that time of year again where we are looking for creative individuals from across the area to get involved in the Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival.

This prestigious annual event is open to entrants of all ages and experience, with categories covering Creative Writing, Singing, Woodwind & Recorders, Brass, Band, Choir, Ensemble and Orchestra, Pianoforte, Speech & Drama and Strings.

Anybody with a passion for writing (be it poetry, short stories, or articles), performance or music is highly encouraged to enter. Adjudicated by inspiring experts in each field, we are greatly looking forward to hearing from you and seeing the creativity that our area has to offer. 

More information on classes and how to enter through Run My Festival can be found on our website – basingstokemusicandarts.org.uk

 CLOSING DATES FOR ENTRIES Friday 21st January 2022 with the Awards being presented at Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke as follows:

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March – Pianoforte,

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March – Speech and Drama –

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March – Bands, Choirs, Ensembles, & Orchestras, Woodwind & Recorder, Brass Strings, Creative Writing Awards Ceremony and Singing

Sunday 27th March 2:00 pm Gala Performance and Overall 2022 Awards Ceremony

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Santa’s Tour of Whitchurch – 6th – 12th December

Santa’s Tour of Whitchurch – 6th – 12th December

Santa’s Tour of Whitchurch – 6th – 12th December 1st Whitchurch Scout group will again be escorting Santa around town in the run up to Xmas…. be sure to give him a wave. Santa’s Sleigh Itinerary Mon 6th – Bere Hill, Station Rd, Fairfields, Kingsley park, Bicester close, Evingar Rd

Wed 8th – Kings walk, Firsway, Rookery, Newbury Rd, Test Rd

Thur 9th – Dances lane, Lynch Hill Park, Hill side, The Green, London Rd

Sat 11th – Daniel Rd, Mcfauld Way, Neuvic Way, The Knowlings, Micheldever Rd, Mill Springs

Sun 12th – Wells Lane, Park View, Bloswood Lane, Richard Adams Way, Hartley Meadows, Ceasers Way

Weekdays starting at 6:30pm and weekends at 6pm

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The North Wessex Downs – Protected National Landscape

The North Wessex Downs – Protected National Landscape

The North Wessex Downs – Protected National Landscape   Whitchurch Conservation Group, in collaboration with the North Wessex Downs AONB Partnership, are delighted to announce the installation of a new sign to the north of Whitchurch, alerting walkers and drivers that they are now entering an area which is a nationally protected landscape.

Whitchurch is a ‘gateway town’ to the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; but despite it being a protected landscape, it currently faces a massive threat from land speculator, GENKO, who are trying to develop thousands of houses in this area – contrary to national legislation.

The new sign is an initiative spearheaded by David Gosling of Whitchurch Conservation Group, a constituted community group in Whitchurch. Established in October 2020, the group now has over 800 Whitchurch resident members and seeks to preserve Whitchurch’s green spaces, enhancing Whitchurch’s status as an economically and socially vibrant town with a strong rural and heritage identity.

Whitchurch Conservation Group’s campaign to protect the North Wessex Downs AONB north of Whitchurch has gathered much momentum and has attracted support from notable celebrities including Bill Bryson, who says “The North Wessex Downs is a rare and lovely landscape, but it is also painfully finite. What a tragedy it would be to lose it.”

Pictured alongside David Gosling are Ann Shepley, Communications Officer for the North Wessex Downs AONB Partnership, Councillor Paul Miller, the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council representative to the Council of Partners (CoP) of the NWDAONB, whose aim is to enhance and protect the natural beauty of the AONB, Councillor Lucie Follett Maitland, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councillor for the ward of Whitchurch, Overton and Laverstoke, and Jackie Browne, Vice-Chair of Whitchurch Conservation Group.

David Gosling, of Whitchurch Conservation Group, says: “Our intention is to lay down a visual marker and remind people that this is a National Protected Landscape”.

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Christmas Fair at the Gill Nethercott Centre

Christmas Fair at the Gill Nethercott Centre

Christmas Fair at the Gill Nethercott Centre Start you Christmas shopping early at the Gill Nethercott Centre Christmas Fair this coming Saturday; A lovely opportunity to purchase that unusual gift hand crafted by local Artisans.

We will have jewellery, woodcraft, wreaths, pictures, hand crafted gifts, Ethel’s Pies, wine gifts and more.

Teas / coffees and mince pies will be available

For further information telephone: 01256 896270

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Gastronomic achievement – Watership Down Inn Win Gastro Pub Award

Gastronomic achievement – Watership Down Inn Win Gastro Pub Award

Gastronomic achievement – Watership Down Inn Win Gastro Pub Award Congratulations to Watership Down Inn for being awarded 2022 Good Food Award for Gastro Pubs – Blue Ribbon for Delicious Dishes™, for the second year running.

The Inn writes, “We have a great team and a simple focus, great food and drink, great service and always a smile. We’re so pleased that this has helped us win the  Good Food Award for Gastro Pub for the second year running, we’ve also been voted the best destination pub in Hampshire and the Isle of White. These awards are voted for by our guests and that makes us extremely proud, our focus is working, and our guests are having a great time.

We are just a stone’s throw away from the Bombay Sapphire Distillery where you can take a tour and sample the delights they have to offer without having to drive. Many of our guests combine a tour with accommodation for the night, and often a meal. As the only Inn within walking distance, its perfect.

We are situated in Freefolk Priors, just outside Whitchurch, there are lots of things to do and see in the area and our location is easy reach of Basingstoke and surrounding areas, close to the M3 and M4, as well as mainline railway lines. There are beautiful walks right from the front door and we welcome your four-legged friends both in the bar and some of our bedrooms, we just ask that you keep them on the lead”.

Congratulations to all .

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