St Peter’s Church Electoral Roll

A revision of last yea’s roll is required; those already on the 2020 roll do not have to re-register but please let us know of any change of details.

Forms will be available from Sunday 14 March on the churcwebsite (stpetertitchfield.org.uk) or by telephoning the church office (01329 847003).

A GDPR Consent Form is available in the same way.

New members applying to join the Electoral Roll are asked to complete both forms. The GDPR consent form gives permission for St Peter’s to use your contact details to send you information about services, activities or events at church throughout the year.

Both completed forms should be returned by Sunday 28 March at the latest.

Either email your form to office@stpetertitchfield.org.uk or post it to the Electoral Roll Officer, Mr K. Miller, St Peter’s Church, Church Street, Titchfield, Fareham, PO14 4DU

Vaccination update from Dr Tom Bartram

Sovereign Health Network COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Update

Dr Tom Bartram writes…

I am writing with an update on our COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, as well as important information for those people who have been newly informed by NHS England this week that they should shield.

With help from an outstanding group of volunteers up at Fareham Community Hospital, we have given more than 90% of all people in the JCVI priority groups 1-4 their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, as well as 75% of people in priority group 5 (those aged between 65 and 70).

Remember that if you receive a letter from NHS England inviting you to book an appointment at a Mass Vaccination Centre, you can either take them up on that offer (there are sites in both Portsmouth and Southampton) or you can wait until you are invited by us. All our vaccinations take place at Fareham Community Centre, and as soon as we receive vaccine supplies we put on more appointments and send out more invitations.

We have now been given the go ahead to move into priority group 6 (people aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions). This group contains a large number of people and the order in which people are invited needs to be prioritised. Whilst the most important factor is increasing age, NHS England has developed a clinical risk assessment tool which is designed to identify people who are at higher risk of complications should they catch COVID-19. As a result of that, a further two million people across the country have been identified and asked to shield – if that is you, you will be receiving a letter or an email over the next few days.

Please be aware that if you are newly identified as being at higher risk, we will prioritise you for your COVID-19 vaccination. You do not need to take any action (such as calling the practice). NHS England is letting us know who you are, although you will hear a few days before we do, and as soon as we have your names we will be sending you an invite for our next vaccination clinic.

Please don’t phone the practice about your vaccine if you can avoid it – by keeping the phone lines free you will be helping us to continue to provide our usual primary care service for people who need our help on the day.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Dr Tom Bertram
Clinical Director, Sovereign Health Network
Highlands Practice, Jubilee and Whiteley Surgeries

Two Brothers at The Festival Theatre

Two brothers share a love of theatre, music and performance. This is their story

Will and his brother Pip form a ‘Pals Brigade’ with their local Music Hall troupe, to go to war. Full of optimism, the comrades bring their lust for life to the trenches. But even among the horrors they encounter, will soon face something far worse than the Western Front, for Will has brought and must face, his own demons…

Madman of Loos is part of Titchfield Festival Theatre’s New Play Season, written by Robert Hall.  Set in the trenches during World War One, the story centres on two principal characters, brothers Will and Pip. Both love drama and performance; Will is happy-go-lucky, whilst Pip has his feet on the ground. Together, they form an inseparable duo as they confront the horrors of conflict which lie ahead.

Robert Hall is director of the Madman of Loos and said, “I have always had an interest in military history. Around the time of the 100th anniversary of the First World War I came up with an idea for the play, after reading through family memorabilia about my great grand-father who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps. All of the characters are based around people who I have known, including myself and my older brother who tragically died in 2013.

“The Madman of Loos is a nice, rounded story – with plenty of action. It shows how people coped with the trauma and suffering, supporting each other through the conflict.”

All of Titchfield Festival Theatre’s productions are to be streamed in the coming weeks. Further information for streaming can be found here. The show is being streamed every evening at 7.30pm  from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st February.

Video trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2tHje9CVI

NOTE: The site at St Margarets Lane has recently undergone extensive renovations including a refurbished bar, new seating and other facilities, as well as uniquely becoming the only ‘green’ fully sustainable theatre in Europe. The Oak Theatre is also home to a historic 1930’s theatre organ, which has performed at recent productions including Spamalot.

Tickets for streamed shows can be booked online via the website http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com

Village Trust AGM postponed

As Titchfield Village Trust has had to postpone their next A.G.M. (on Tuesday 2nd March) they thought it might be the time to list some of the things they’ve managed to achieve since their last meeting in March 2020.

 Chairman, Nick Girdler, listed the main achievements…

The fund raising thermometer

1.  We became a Charitable Incorporated Charity giving our Trustees (Officers) greater protection

2.  The merger of the Parish Room Charity and TVT is now complete and is reflected on the Charity Commission site.

3.  The new 68-year lease on the Parish Room is now signed and runs until 2088

4. We have applied for planning permission to re-tile the roof and complete some outside work to prevent water ingress. At the same time, we have applied to install flush fitting solar panels on the south side (Queens Head car park side) of the building.

5. We opened an account to hold the funds for this work and set up a committee to oversee the raising of these funds. We need to raise £100,000.  As such we have only been able to hold one meeting but I can tell you we currently have over £30,000 towards that total following applications to both statutory and voluntary bodies including a large grant from the Earl of Southampton Trust. So more than a quarter of the way there already and we haven’t had a ‘launch’ yet !

6.  We are in the process of making more applications and if successful will hopefully be able to begin work later this year.

7. We have joined the Fareham Lottery to raise more funds and would exhort you to buy tickets to support our effort to keep the Parish Room at the heart of the village.

8. We have opened a Just Giving Page for people to make one off contributions.

9. Our Treasurer, Digby Hands, is to retire but a past Chair of the Trust, Richard Ashton, will be taking his place. Many thanks to both for the work they have done for the Trust and the work still to come.

10. Digby also oversaw the regular users of the Parish Room and Suzy Jackson has agreed to take on that role. We’ve asked Suzy and Leslie Blackburn, who looks after the unregular (I’m making this up as I go along) users to join the committee so they can represent all our Parish Room customers.

11. £210 donated to Titchfield Primary School to purchase a computer as part of our small scale grants scheme

12. Our website www.TitchfieldVillageTrust.com  overseen by Chris Turner, is much improved and gives you access to both of our fund-raising sites.

The Trust hopes to be able to hold the postponed AGM at their next scheduled meeting on Tuesday 6th July in the Parish Room at 7.30.

There will be a reminder nearer the date.

Launch of oven valeting business

Former printer Richard ready to make his mark after launching oven valeting business Ovenu Fareham 

A former commercial printer who once produced thousands of Premier League football programmes has a new career goal – having launched oven valeting enterprise, Ovenu Fareham. 

At the age of 55, Richard Lawrence says he is tremendously excited to have finally achieved a long-held ambition of becoming his own boss.

He said: “It’s daunting to launch any business from scratch, let alone in the middle of a lockdown, but I’m very enthusiastic and committed to making it a real success.”

Richard Lawrence

The keen DIY enthusiast has completed Ovenu’s extensive training programme and has an encouraging level of client bookings over the coming weeks. Once established, he plans to grow the businesses by employing a subcontractor to operate a second van.

Richard spent more than 20 years in the commercial printing trade, progressing from the presses to managing a reprographics department. One of his tasks was the printing of programmes for a variety of Premiership clubs.

However, with the general decline of the print industry he was made redundant in 2017 and retrained as a financial services adviser, working for a major insurance provider.

He added: “For the last few years, I’ve worked from home, advising clients over the phone on health and life insurance policies, but the arrival of the pandemic made me realise it was time to take control of my career.

“I’m a people person so I’m really looking forward to connecting with my clients and delivering a tangible product – restoring ovens to showroom condition!”

Richard, who is originally from Aldershot, is married to teacher Helen, and they moved to Fareham in the mid-1990s. The couple have one son, who is at sixth form college.

Ovenu Fareham, which also covers Hill Head, Stubbington, Titchfield, Whitely, Portchester and Wickham, is accepting bookings at its discretion, with the strict stipulation that both parties observe the two-metre social distancing rule, along with guidelines on hygiene and cleanliness.

Rik Hellewell, founder and managing director of the Ovenu franchise, said: “Richard not only has the skills to run a successful business but he’s a very practical person who takes immense pride in his work.”

The Ovenu valeting process involves dismantling key components of an oven such as the door, interior panels, fan, and shelves and placing them into design-registered tank equipment, which uses safe, non-caustic and biodegradable products to clean the oven parts.

For a free quote call Richard on 01329 273073, email fareham@ovenu.co.uk or visit https://www.ovenu.co.uk/oven_cleaning/fareham/

Apple appeal - for a laptop charger

Laptop but no charging lead/connector!

A ‘Titchfield News ‘user is appealing for a charging cable for an old Apple MacBook.

It’s a 2009 model and her usband would love to be able to get it working for a school child to use but unfortunately the charging cable was not given with the MacBook.

If anyone has one or can loan one so that they can see if the MacBook they have is usable then they would be extremely grateful.

Unfortunately Apple change the charging leads constantly so the model we have been given is not suitable with the charging units available in newer models!

It looks like it could be one of two designs (See picture).

If you have either version please contact Phil at phil.burner@gmail.com and he’ll pass your info onto the MacBook owner.

Latest Parish Magazine "Titchfield News' out soon

The Parish magazine, Titchfield News, contains information about Church and village news and events and articles about village life.

It has been published bi-monthly since June 2020 and copies of previous issues are available at: http://www.stpetertitchfield.org.uk/titchfield-news .

There is a facility for online copies to be read aloud. Please see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETOohmYui3Q

The February issue of Titchfield News is being delivered to all subscribers at the start of February. If you normally buy a copy in church, this won’t be possible as the church is currently closed but we will gladly deliver a copy to you as soon after the start of February as we can.

Simply e mail magazine@stpetertitchfield.org.uk , heading your e mail ‘Magazine delivery’ and giving your address if you would like a magazine delivered.

The person delivering your magazine won’t be able to accept a cash payment, so please pay for your magazine (80p) when the church re-opens.

From April 2021, Titchfield News will cost:

• £1.00 per individual copy

• £5.00 annual subscription (6 copies)

If you don’t have a subscription and would like one, please contact Gerry Pontefract by text message on: 07818568034 and she will see if there is a distributor for your area.

We do hope you enjoy reading Titchfield News.

EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON TRUST COME TO THE RESCUE OF LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN DURING LOCKDOWN

The Earl of Southampton Trust, a Titchfield charity that runs and looks after 19 almshouses in the village, has come to the aid of Henry Cort Community College students after a request from one of the school’s teachers.

The Fareham secondary school (Henry Cort Community College) which has over 800 pupils and is currently only open to children whose parents are essential workers or children who are considered vulnerable continues to provide education using an on line based curriculum. This of course relies on the fact that all children have access to a computer.

The government has said that they are providing portable devices for those :

• with no digital devices in their household

• with a single device in their household that’s being shared with more than one other family member

Unfortunately in many cases these objectives aren’t being reached even though they have promised to supply one million devices. As a result the Earl of Southampton charity, which along with its almshouses, also provides grants for individuals in need was approached by Mr Ben Parker, Assistant Principal to see if the Trust could help fill the gaps.

Henry Cort students with the new laptops. In the background are EoST Chair Frances Knight (left) and School Principal, Claudia Cubbage and Assistant Principal, Ben Parker

The Trust Chairman, Frances Knight, said, “During these trying times for all of us we wanted to show support for those who through no fault of their own are finding it more difficult than usual to cope.”

Frances held liaison talks with Mr Parker, who said, “We have been unable to provide multiple laptops to some our disadvantaged families that have two or more Henry Cort students in the household.

Families are having to share one device, which significantly diminishes the amount of virtual education they can access. This of course only widens the education gap that many of these families already have.”

Consequently the Trust have bought 10 laptops at a cost of over £4,000 to help those children. The Principal Ms Cubbage, is extremely grateful for the support of the trust and said, “We will ensure that these laptops get to the students who need them most.”

Frances added, “We may be a charity with a past going back 500 years but in this instance it’s the residents of the future we are aiming at.”

Gardeners Club talk on Zoom

Titchfield Gardeners' Club invite you to join their February meeting on Zoom on Wednesday 3rd February at 7.30pm for a talk from Andrew Halstead on "Beneficial Insects in the Garden.

Andrew is a writer, author and lecturer as well as being a member of the Garden Media Guild.

He has now retired from his position as  the RHS Principal Entymologist for many years at RHS Wisley.

He is also a beekeeper. He specialises in garden pests, wildlife gardening and biological control of pests.

He will explain how you can make your garden more wildlife friendly while retaining the style of gardening that you prefer.

Talks are free to Members but non members are invited to join for a fee of £3.

Please contact Tina, the club Secretary,  on info@titchfieldgardenersclub.co.uk if you are interested.

Titchfield residents urged to stay at home

The Council is urging residents to stay at home and stick to the lockdown rules, after a steep rise in Covid cases across the Borough.

 In the first week of January the number of cases increased by 614 (2,730 to 3,344).

 Under the current restrictions, you may only leave the home to:

• Shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person;

• go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home;

• exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area;

• meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one;

• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse);

• attend education or childcare - for those eligible.

 Covid marshals are continuing to patrol shopping areas and open spaces around the Borough, to ensure that the rules are being complied with.

 Executive Member for Health and Public Protection at Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Trevor Cartwright, said:

“With the new strain of the virus circulating it is now more important than ever that residents stick to the rules and stay at home. The number of infections across the Borough is much higher than it was in the Spring, and sadly this has led to more people losing their lives. By staying at home, we are protecting ourselves and others and helping to reduce the strain on the NHS.

 “If you do have to leave home, please remember ‘hands, face and space’ - wash your hands, cover your face and give others space. These steps will help to reduce the spread, and ultimately save lives.”

For more information about the current restrictions visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

The above graph shows the rise in cases in the Fareham Borough:

Hedgehugs raise £1,500 for local charities

Strength trainer raises £1500 for local charities, encourages others to get active and spreads much needed hugs nationwide during the pandemic.

In March last year Alexandra Davison from Fareham decided to get creative and make her mum (mumma Viv) 60 pom pom pigs for her 60th birthday, with a tag attached to each saying why she loved her. Shortly after that lock down hit, and Alex’s job as a Strength and Wellness Coach for technical sports, including Olympic Weightlifting, changed dramatically, leaving her more time on her hands.

Not one to sit still, and after seeing the great reaction and joy her pom pom pigs brought her mum, Alex experimented with different animal shapes and Hedgehugs was born.

Growing organically from strength to strength, what was a cottage business to do in her spare time turned into a full-time job in November. Alex drafted in her mum and partner to help make the Hedgehugs, with orders coming in for 150 at a time and requests for customised Hugs such as Christmas Hugs, Baby Shower Hugs, Valentines Hugs, Superhero Hugs and even Nurse Hugs.

Alex’s intention was always to give something back to the NHS, with the family having received “outstanding care” from Queen Alexandra Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital in the past, Alex’s father a senior practitioner at Basingstoke Hospital, her partner working within medical research and her sister-in-law, Heather, an advanced nurse practitioner. Alex herself had even in the past worked within the Occupational Health Team at her local hospital.

Alex comments on the success of Hedgehugs: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the love for our hugs and have sent them as far as Pennsylvania, USA, which is crazy when I think about it! I never could have imagined we’d have raised so much for charity.” 80% of the money raised has gone to the NHS with other donations going to The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, as well as fundraising for a terminally ill local teenager who sadly lost her battle to Cancer just before Christmas.

“As a self-professed fitness fanatic, delivering Hedgehugs on our bikes also gave so much purpose to our daily exercise. We’ve ridden well over 60 miles to deliver a Hedgehug, Fareham to Bordon and back, and have even caught a ferry.

“I love to inspire others to be active and sometimes myself and my partner are joined by my wonderful nine-year-old niece, Caitlin. We created a Delivery Rider Scheme for her which involved Caitlin completing an entire delivery with us and we gave her an award ceremony with a certificate and medal at the end. We hope to inspire others and want to develop this further in the coming months.

“Lockdown has been such a difficult time for so many but making Hedgehugs and reading people’s messages has been so uplifting. I’ve lost count of the amount of times a message has made me tearful, and I’m reminded daily of the love and kindness that exists in the world.”

If you’d like to get involved, either making pom poms or becoming a delivery rider please get in touch with Alex via Facebook or Instagram @haveahedgehug

Web address: https://haveahedgehug.com

Christmas Day fire devastates Titchfield home.

Around mid-day today emergency services rushed to a blazing house on the Bellfield estate.

The fire in Hewett road was attended fire crews from Fareham, Hightown and Cosham.

In all six pumps responded to the call.

Early reports speak of neighbours helping the family, which included a pregnant lady, escape the blaze and later comforting the occupants.

Roads around the scene were blocked off as Police, Fire Service and Ambulances arrived to assist.

Santa is almost here...

Track Father Christmas as he travels the world delivering presents.

Click HERE to see how far he’s got.

New season announced for Titchfield Festival Theatre

Titchfield Festival Theatre is delighted to announce its 2021 programme packed with shows for everyone.

Keeping us entertained has never been more important, and despite the necessary restrictions we have continued to plan some great new productions – and perform too, with rave reviews for shows such as Sweeney Todd and our current panto, Sleeping Beauty. Protecting our patrons is our top priority, so we have reduced the numbers in the auditoria as well as introducing other safety measures; please read the full details below.

Earlier this year, our live streaming service was launched, with the number of people tuning in to the live shows increasing every month. It is the perfect option for those patrons who prefer to or cannot visit the theatre. Every production is available via this service at this link https://www.titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/live-stream

We have over 30 productions lined up for our 2021 programme, musicals, drama, comedy and more.  There are exciting new productions from talented playwrights including An Evening with Rosie, Him & Me: The Tracy and Hepburn story and Lost + Found; classic comedy with the Lavender Hill Mob; popular favourites such as An Inspector Calls; the heart-warming Pollyanna; plus classic musical productions of, The Wizard of Oz and  Kiss Me, Kate. Our intimate studio is also hosting small scale musicals including LIFT.

A TFT season is not complete however without our annual Shakespeare summer festival, The Bard at the Barn. The 2021 summer plays at the historic Great Barn are The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer’s Nights Dream, The Comedy of Errors, Winter’s Tale and Shakespeare’s Lost Play by the RSC( Reduced Shakespeare Company).

The Titchfield Youth Theatre (TYT) promises some great shows too, with short plays and specially written productions including a rewriting of the classic story, Frank n Stein. The coming spring sees the start of our brand-new children’s theatre for youngsters aged 3+, promising interactive shows of popular stories with songs, dancing and theatre skills for all the family.

There is more exciting news, too. We have now launched Titchfield Youth Musical Theatre (TYMT), open to all young people aged 2 to 21. The new programme runs specialised theatre training to develop young people’s confidence and performance skills in acting, singing, dancing and stagecraft. and specifically will train youngsters in the art of Musical Theatre culminating in a performance of The Little Mermaid in June.

For more information on Titchfield Festival Theatre including booking tickets for forthcoming productions, please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.        

YARN BOMBING THE POST BOX

Some very clever and creative Stitchers in Titchfield, have produced this amazing piece of work to say ‘Thank You’ to the Postmen and Postwomen, and to the shop keepers in the Village who have carried on supporting us during this Covid year.

Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or ‘street art’ that employs using colourful displays of knitted and crocheted yarn or fibre, rather than paint or chalk.

The Jigsaw Playgroup and other young children have joined in helping the village look more Festive, by making pom-poms for the barrier around the village Christmas Tree.

Thank you clever people, keep those fingers busy!

Titchfield Ablaze – how it started and collecting your tree

Displaying a lit Christmas Tree in Titchfield Village started in the Mid 1970’s when the Bonfire Boys provided some red tubs with trees and lights; these were displayed outside the businesses in the Square and on a few flat porches in South St. The tubs were donated by the Southern Echo.

Moving forward to 1983 Ron Knee who ran the Antique/Chocolate shop in South Street, encouraged a few houses and shops to put up Christmas Trees, white lights preferred.

This idea caught on and in 1987 Tessa Short and Sheila Mayes organized trees for West Street, the first year 12 trees were put up, the second year word spread round the village and 40 trees were purchased and today its over 300. In the early days the Trees were supplied by a local nursery but this proved to be expensive.

At the start the bottoms of the trees were shaped by hand to ensure they fitted securely into the brackets, axes, a planer and finally electric saws were all used. In the early days individual light bulbs could be replaced and Ron Short would frequently be seen up a ladder replacing bulbs that were faulty.

“Titchfield Ablaze reminder...
collection of Trees on Saturday 5th 9.30-3.30pm...at Tessa’s Yard West St.,”

The Team of volunteers start at the end of August when the ‘price list’ arrives from the supplier, the trees are then advertised through October and the orders/payments are received from ‘village residents’. The order is placed at the beginning of November. In addition Trees are purchased for the Parish Rooms and the Church.

The first Saturday in December has always been a hive of activity in ‘Tessa’s Yard’ in West Street with the preparation and collection of trees. For older residents who are unable to put on lights and climb ladders we have a team of volunteers who help, at lunch time we gather together for a bowl of soup and lots of home-made cake so we are refueled for the afternoon tree collections closing the yard around 4pm exhausted.

The ‘Christmas Tree’ on the Green has been supplied by the Bonfire Boys and other local doners over the years but it is now purchased by ‘Hadlows’ the Butchers, Titchfield Village Trust pay £200 for the insurance, the lights are provided by ‘Freemantles’ transport by Mark Harris and the ‘Star’ was made by Tony Traces. It is always a magnificent tree that comes from the same Plantation as the village trees.

As the number of orders grew it became harder to prepare the trees by hand, even for the willing group of volunteers, so in 2017 we approached our Christmas Tree supplier with the problem of ‘trimming the bottoms’ they purchased a machine and now the trees arrive trimmed which saves lots of work and is safer!.

The price of the trees has always been important, our aim is to have as many houses in the village taking part and to source trees grown locally. In 2010 we found a supplier who has allowed us to fulfil these aims… we hope Titchfield residents will continue to support us,

‘Merry Christmas’ from the Titchfield Ablaze Team. (Tessa, Grace and Annette)

Almshouse available in Titchfield

A Three Bedroom Earl of Southampton’s Trust Almshouse is available for person(s) in need who are currently resident n the Ancient Parish of Titchfield.

The Ancient Parish includes Titchfield, Stubbington, Locks Heath, Lee-on-the-Solent, Warsash, Sarisbury Green & Whiteley

Application Forms are available from:

The Earl of Southampton Trust Office, 24 The Square, Titchfield, PO14 4RU or can be downloaded from: eost.org.uk/housing

Please return completed application forms to Tracey Kenney at the above address by 31st December 2020

What the end of Lockdown 2 means for Titchfield

The easing of lockdown from this Wednesday will result in Fareham being in tier two of the national restrictions in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

 As a result the Civic Offices will be open again. There are temperature checks on entry to the building and all visitors will be required to wear a mask. They should also check in for track and trace purposes on the NHS app or provide contact details.

 The tier two restrictions mean the following:

• You must not socialise with anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place.

• You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 people outside, including in a garden or a public space – this is called the ‘rule of 6’

• Businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a Covid-secure manner, other than those which remain closed by law, such as nightclubs

• Pubs and bars must remain closed, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals

• Hospitality businesses selling food or drink for consumption on their premises are required to provide table service only; in premises which sell alcohol, close between 11pm and 5am (hospitality venues in airports, ports, transport services and motorway service areas are exempt); stop taking orders after 10pm

• Hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through

• Places of worship remain open but you must not socialise with people from outside of your household or support bubble while you are indoors there, unless a legal exemption applies

• 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, and 15 people can attend linked commemorative events such as wakes or stonesettings.

• Organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue

• Organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes will only be permitted if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with). There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing

• You must continue to follow tier 2 rules when you travel to a tier 1 area. Avoid travel to, or overnight stays in, tier 3 areas other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through a tier 3 area as a part of a longer journey

Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Seán Woodward, said: “Whilst we are pleased to be coming out of this lockdown phase it is still important that we observe the tier two restrictions that we now face in order to stop the spread of the virus. We all want to be back to normal as soon as we can be and the best way to achieve that is to follow the instructions now.”

Proposed changes to parish boundaries

A notice from the Diocese of Portsmouth re the proposed changes to Pastoral Parish Boundaries

Draft Proposal affecting Parishes of Titchfield, St Peter Curdridge, and Shedfield also impacting on the conventional district known as Whiteley:

“A Notice giving the objects of proposed pastoral reorganisation affecting this parish has or will be displayed near the main door of St Peter’s Titchfield and on the Church of England website.

The Notice includes the last date by which representations regarding the proposed reorganisation may be made to the Church Commissioners.”

Sleeping Beauty comes to Titchfield

The timeless classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty set to enchant Titchfield this Christmas

Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale that we are all familiar with; a princess who pricks her finger, cursed to sleep for 100 years by an evil fairy, before a handsome prince awakens her with a kiss… it is a timeless classic and is this year’s Christmas pantomime at Titchfield Festival Theatre.

The story follows the magical journey of Princess Rose, as she faces the curse of the evil fairy godmother Carabosse. There will be all of the well-loved characters in this wonderful panto … and of course, plenty of dancing and singing, whilst not forgetting our hilarious Dame, Queen Ella, guaranteeing lots of fun for all the family.

Will King Sam and Queen Ella ever be able to save their daughter from the evil fairy’s curse? Will Princess Rose find her true love to help break the spell? Will we ever be able to get Queen Ella out of her protective rubbers!?

Sassy Harvey has adapted this production as well as directing Sleeping Beauty. Sassy said, “This is the first play that I have directed and written – and Sleeping Beauty was the perfect choice for me. It is a timeless classic: the beautiful princess and her handsome prince, the evil fairies… it is a magical piece of pure escapism for all the family to enjoy. I love it.

“Our panto is based on the original story; however, we have added some new characters as well, working with the cast to reflect their humour naturally, bringing out the best of their comedy talents! All of the cast have worked incredibly hard. Indeed, it is only 9 weeks between when we cast the parts for the panto until the opening night.

“All of us are really determined to perform a panto this year. I believe that people are really longing to enjoy a sense of normality over Christmas; and the best way of doing this is to come along to our panto to feel the magic, enjoy the singing, the dancing and the laughter. It will be huge fun!”

Sleeping Beauty opens on 9 December 2020 and continues until 19 December. Matinée performances are on Sunday 13 December and Saturday 19 December (both performances are currently sold out). There will be live screening of three performances on 18 and 19 December at 7.30pm, plus a live screening session for children on 18 December at 2.30pm.

For more information on Titchfield Festival Theatre including booking tickets for forthcoming productions, please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.