Author talk, watercress festival and community action in and around Alresford
WRITER Tom Moorhouse will be speaking in Alresford next month on the threat to the nation’s rivers. He is the author of Elegy For a River, Whiskers Claws and Conservation’s Last Hope. The book charts 11 years spent studying endangered and invasive species. In this talk, Tom will share his insights into the water vole, and explore what the future might look like for our rivers. Tom spent more than 20 years working for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University, and is now an independent researcher. His research began with single species conservation issues, including water voles, signal crayfish and hedgehogs, and moved onto methods for reducing global demand for wildlife products. He is the author of Elegy for a River and Ghosts in the Hedgerow, as well as children’s books like The Rising and The River Singers. The event is at John Pearson Hall at St John’s church on June 4 at 7pm. It is part of the Tales from the Riverbank Literature Festival - a celebration of how rivers inspire creativity. This festival is a collaboration between the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme and Hampshire Library Service. Tickets are free and available from www.eventbrite.co.uk. LAST reminder that the Alresford Watercress Festival takes over the town centre this Sunday, May 19. There will be hundreds of free bags of fresh watercress for visitors, and the chance to watch Tom Hamblet - 2023 winner of MasterChef: The Professionals - and other chefs show how versatile watercress is for cooking. The World Watercress Eating Championship will try to set a world record, currently held by Alresford’s Glenn Walsh. Live music will be put on through the day and there will be many drink and food stalls. Visit www.watercressfestival.org for event timings and for full details. See next week’s Chronicle for full coverage of the day. BUILDING work on the new estate off Sun Lane in Alresford is getting underway with preparations for the initial construction of a new access off the A31 bypass. Fencing has been erected, tree stumps have been removed and earthworks created at the southern part of the site. A community helpline has been set up by the main contractor Taylor Wimpey, 0800 689 5209, email info@alresfordmeadows.co.uk or see website alresfordmeadows.co.uk. SATURDAY June 8 will see people taking part in the Alresford Big Help Out. It is part of a national initiative from June 7-9 to encourage people to volunteer to carry out work to make their home towns and villages nicer places to live and work. Alresford Pigs, Rotary, town council and town trust have been co-ordinating ideas. CHILDREN are being encouraged to enter a poetry competition inspired by local chalk streams. Tales from the Riverbank poetry competition is aimed at 7- to 18-year-olds with prizes to a value of £75. Winning entries will be included in a commemorative booklet. It is part of the Watercress and Winterbournes project organised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The closing date is July 31. For more details see hiwwt.org.uk/tales. NEW Alresford Town Trust is fund-raising to replace its minibus which is now 18 years old. The trust runs a service to take local people shopping and on day trips. It is considering buying a £130,000 electric vehicle and charging station. The trust has £80,000 in reserves but needs to raise the balance over the next year or so.CHERITON Singers are putting on a concert with local school children this weekend. The choir will be performing at St Michael’s church on Saturday, May 18 at 7.30pm. It will be joined by pupils from Cheriton School in a performance of Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo. The choir will also perform A Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott and a piece for female voices by Poulenc. It said it was delighted to welcome the Cheriton Golden Fields Ringers to perform a selection of classical and traditional pieces from their repertoire. Tickets are £10, free for under-16s. They are available from the village shop and on the door. FLOODING alerts remain in place in the Alresford area. The Environment Agency has flood alerts in place in Bishop’s Sutton, Bramdean, Cheriton, Old Alresford and the Candovers. It says cellars will still be affected and there could be impacts on septic tanks. The agency says groundwater is high but falling very slowly. SEND us local news of community events from the Alresford area. The patch stretches from the Candovers to Kilmeston and Tichborne to West Meon. Email newsdesk@hampshire chronicle.co.uk or call 01962 861860 (choose option 1).
