St Peter’s Church Bell Ringers
To announce the start of 2025, St Peter’s Church Bell Ringers first rang out the old year by ringing rounds and plain hunt triples before midnight.
This was followed by Katherine Wilkins, one of the young Petersfield band, ringing the old 1770 tenor bell, weighing 15½ cwt, 12 times before the rest of the band joined in with rounds and call changes to welcome the new year.
There followed a drink of Prosecco to toast in the new year.
The Petersfield Bell Ringers wish a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year to everyone.
Alice Holt WI
November 21 was Alice Holt WI’s 58th birthday and 26 members celebrated on November 25 at the Bush Hotel - in the beautiful Oak Room decorated for Christmas, which created a cosy atmosphere.
The meeting in November was our annual meeting, when secretary Ros Cranham gave her report for the year and president Sue Baxter thanked the committee and members who had organised pub lunches, coffee mornings, the book table and the tea ladies. The committee was elected en bloc, and this was followed by tea, coffee and home-made cakes.
For their Christmas meeting they were entertained by Andy Thomas, who gave a fascinating and amusing talk uncovering the long and intriguing background to the festive season. He showed how despite all the commercialisation we can still find meaning and enjoy Christmas today while keeping the flame of light alive in the winter darkness.
Our next meeting is on January 21, at 2.15pm for 2.30pm, when we will be voting on four resolutions:
1) Let’s talk about incontinence: We call for the government to commit to an up-to-date audit to provide a national picture of incontinence care, offering a baseline from which to drive improved services.
2) Bystanders can be lifesavers: We call on WI members to work together to increase public confidence and training of CPR and defibrillation. This can double the chances of survival.
3) Join the repair revolution: The WI calls on the UK government to strengthen the law and investment to support a circular economy of clothing and fabrics in the UK.
4) Eliminate landfill of medication packaging: Medication packaging is difficult to recycle, leading to disposal in landfill. The WI calls for more collection points to return this packaging and to ask the manufacturing companies to provide simpler packaging that can be recycled easily.
Potential new members are welcome to come along and hear more about the WI. Call Ros Cranham on 01252 790318 or email [email protected]
Cycle Alton
Cycle Alton is holding four free bicycle maintenance workshops run by women for women.
They will be held in Alton Community Centre on February 1, 8, 15 and 22. They will cover adjustment and maintenance of wheels, brakes and gears, and puncture repairs.
Ladies attending the sessions should bring their own bicycle to work on.
Alton Art Society
The demonstration at our December 21 meeting was Chinese painting by Jean Turton.
Jean came with lots of brushes (mao bi) and different papers. She handed round samples of rice paper, xuan, mulberry paper and silk. Some of the papers are made from mashed up bamboo. Some have gold flecks in them.
The brushes can be made from sheep or goat hair, weasel hair, cow ear hair and also babies’ first hair. Sticks are also used.
Jean uses ink to paint and do calligraphy - the ink is ground with water on a paint stone. Chinese inks need to be watered down.
She explained about the seals, which are used like signatures. However, when a painting is passed on to another person they will add their seal, and therefore old masterpieces could have many seals on them. The seal is always vermillion.
This was a very interesting demonstration of a very complex art form. Approximately 31 artists attended and enjoyed a cuppa and a mince pie.
The next demonstration is to be held on January 18 at the Alton Assembly Rooms, starting at 2.30pm. Mick McNicholas will be demonstrating charcoal portraits.
The demonstrations are free to members. Non-members pay £5 and tea or coffee is £1 for all.
New visitors are always welcome and we look forward to seeing you.
Luminosa Voices
Do you enjoy choral singing? Is it a hobby you would love to pick up again in 2025?
Luminosa Voices are hosting an open rehearsal on January 21 from 7.45pm at the Alton Maltings Centre, where we will be learning a fantastic new piece by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, based on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Don’t worry – you won’t be singing on your own! All the choir will be there to support you and make your evening as enjoyable as possible.
The choir is run by our passionate and engaging conductor, Rebekah Abbott, and has a reputation for excellence and fun in equal measure. The latter part of this rehearsal will break away into a social event, with some refreshments and nibbles included.
Luminosa Voices have been performing since 2010. The choir has grown a lot since our beginnings, and now boasts a membership of more than 80 singers from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels.
Some have never sung with a choir group before, some are experienced choristers, but whatever your experience level, our members will help you to fit in. The concerts themselves are an electrifying and highly rewarding experience, and make the effort put in through the term so worthwhile.
Luminosa Voices don't just sing choral works, they also sing other types of music. The theme for our summer term will be a Rhythms of Latin America concert planned for July.
If you would like to join us for our open rehearsal email [email protected]
You can also visit our website www.luminosamusic.com to see details about our choir and our performances.
We hope to see you soon!
Hale WI
On January 8 Hale WI members were entertained by Neil Sadler, who warmed their hearts with his sights and sounds of the Caribbean on a very wintry day.
Neil had been stationed in the Trinidad Police Force and went on to talk about piracy both past and present and about the dangerous nature of some of the islands in the area.
He advised that Trinidad and Tobago were two of the most dangerous places in the world, with a high incidence of murder, and Jamaica and Honduras were also to be avoided.
After tea and cake, members were asked to vote on whether they supported the suspension of the group from the WI. This idea was supported by a large majority and suspension will take place in March.
Alton Probus Club
Probus clubs provide the opportunity for retired and semi-retired professional and business people to meet others, make new friends and maintain and expand their interests.
Alton Probus Club, started in 1971, is very popular and currently has 44 members. Current annual subscription is £20. Members come from a variety of backgrounds – accountants, architects, engineers, bankers, educationalists, self-employed businessmen and many others.
The club meets for lunch on the last Friday of each month at Medstead Village Hall. The meal is followed by an invited speaker. Recent presentations, which are usually booked up to a year in advance, have included such topics as local history, aviation, travel, medical science and magic.
Group outings on varied specialised subjects are organised throughout the year. Recent trips have been made to The Tank Museum in Bovington, the REME Museum in Lyneham, Exbury Gardens, Chichester Harbour for a catamaran trip with lunch at the yacht club, Boscombe Down Aviation Collection museum in Old Sarum, the Watercress Line railway workshops and Brooklands Museum in Weybridge.
For the remaining part of this year planned visits include the Solent Sky Aviation Museum, Weald and Downland Living Museum, Farnborough Airport, Surrey Satellite Technology in Guildford and 2Excel’s commercial aircraft maintenance facility in Lasham.
For more information on Alton Probus Club visit www.altonprobus.org.uk or call membership secretary Jeff Oglethorpe on 01420 82401.
The Arts Society Alton
David Wright will present a talk entitled A Brief Story of Wine to The Arts Society Alton in the Martin Read Hall at Alton College on February 11 at 7.30pm.
Wine has been part of our global society for more than 7,000 years, and the story tells of its origin and appearance in all societies across the Mediterranean and through Europe.
There is rich evidence of the role wine has played in these societies and how it became an important component of faith, well-being and festivity.
From the kwevris of Georgia in 5,000 BC, the symposia in ancient Greece, the thermopolia of Pompeii and the hospices of Europe to the dining tables of fine society, wine has been ever present. Drawings, paintings, engravings, buildings, pottery and wine labels themselves all contribute to the story.
David, a wine retailer, importer and distributor for 30 years, said: “In that time I have publicly presented tastings and talks on wine to trade and private audiences.
“These have taken the form of wine tastings or charity events where a particular subject is presented and wines tasted.
“I have developed a talk, A Brief Story of Wine - a great subject and full of rich evidence going back 7,000 years, in the form of paintings, decorated drinking vessels, buildings and literature that contribute to the story.”
Farnham Castle Supper Club
A five-course tasting menu is on offer in the Farnham Castle library on January 23 from 7pm.
For tickets priced £90 (optional wine pairing £60), call 01252 720402 or email [email protected]
