Hampshire on high alert - again

Hampshire prepares for coastal flooding risk

As heavy rain and high winds are set to batter Southern England overnight tonight (Thursday 2 January) and into the weekend, staff at Hampshire County Council  have said they're ready again to keep the county moving. This prolonged bad weather comes as the clear up operation continues following the Christmas and New Year’s Day storms. The number of highways emergency crews with tankers and jetters ready to deal with water on the roads and blocked gullies. Extra arboriculture teams with chainsaws are also on standby in the event of trees coming down. With Amber warnings in place for coastal flooding, forecasters are predicting more rain tonight and up to 30mm to have fallen by the end of tomorrow, Friday 3rd January .Friday will also see strong to gale force winds with gusts of 45-55mph inland, but possibly up to 60-65mph along the coast. The gale force winds, low pressure and high spring tides are likely to lead to some coastal flooding issues, with the threat at its highest between 1115 and 1215 tomorrow.  Residents are being advised only to travel if necessary but if they do have to travel on the roads, to take extra care as flooding is expected. Flood alerts have been issued across all coastal areas of Hampshire and this is likely to trigger nine flood warnings. Due to a combination of strong winds, large waves and high tides, coastal paths and promenades could also be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline. Further heavy rain is also expected on Sunday afternoon and evening, and strong to gale force winds will again accompany the rain on Sunday. The Met Office has issued a Yellow Rain Alert to cover Sunday’s rain.  The heavy rain and strong winds may once again lead to some flooding issues as well as disruption to power and transport as trees are damaged or come down. Hampshire County Council will work with the emergency services and the Environment Agency to make sure collaborative resources are deployed in the best way to try to protect Hampshire communities. Priority has had to be given to fixing problems on the main routes. While some minor roads are still affected, teams are aware of issues on these routes and will attend to them as soon as resources permit.  With such large numbers of incidents it may take some weeks to clear up and the Council is asking people to bear with them during this extremely busy period. Highways teams have been working round the clock to help residents during the difficult weather conditions. Winchester Today Main Website

Winchester Railway Station - New Move On Safety?

There could soon be a positive outcome on safety to and from Winchester's railway station, as outlined in the current issue of Winchester Today. 

MP Steve Brine hosted Rail Minister, Stephen Hammond, this morning (Monday 9 December) to view the various works taking place at Winchester railway station and follow up on some key issues raised at a recent public meeting in the city.

Mr Hammond, who grew up in Chandler’s Ford, was able to see for himself the work being done to introduce a new decked car park at the station and the footbridge being constructed as part of the ‘Access for All’ scheme. 

He was also able to join discussions Mr Brine is having with South West Trains around late night safety for travellers, including the access road leading to Andover Road, which was highlighted as a key safety concern at the local MP's recent Ask SWT session.

Steve says he welcomes the visit: "There is significant investment taking place in Winchester right now so it was important to have the Minister visit and check on progress. 

"It was really useful also to brief him on my recent meeting with South West Trains and local rail users and for him to hear what looks like good news on our work to improve late night safety, especially for women, in and around the station."

The Minister heard how South West Trains and Network Rail are working with Hunts Foodstuffs, who own the land, to create a safe pedestrian walkway from the car park out onto Andover Road.  Constituents have told the MP they feel unsafe using the route which is pitch black after dark.

Steve says the discussions will continue: "A further meeting is planned between South West Trains, its contractors and Winchester City Council in January to agree the details and we're very hopeful the work can be completed before the new decked car park opens in March.  I will be staying very close to this one."

The group also discussed the possibility of Winchester Station being staffed beyond midnight in future. At present all shifts end at 10pm.

Me Hammond says the year-on-year increases in demand makes it important that investment keeps coming forward: "These seem like much-needed schemes.  I was really impressed with the benefits these projects will bring for Winchester.  

"Steve has already briefed me on his ASK SWT event and I know he’s working hard on various issues... such as addressing the valid concerns local travellers have around their safety.” 

Picture: Steve Brine MP, Stephen Hammond MP with Andy Mundy (SWT Project Manager) and Winchester Station Manager, Danny Maile.

Another Triumph for The Cheriton Players

'An Inspector Calls' - The Cheriton Players, Cheriton Village Hall, Thursday 5th December 2013.

The fact that the Cheriton Players' production of 'An Inspector Calls' sold out more than 3 weeks in advance of curtain up is testament to the hard work that the society puts in to every production.

The Players themselves describe it as: "A fantastic situation to be in... showing they have a growing, loyal audience."

Because of its moral content, the play is well-known to many people who have studied it at school. In simple terms, an entire family is involved in the mysterious demise of someone else through various means. It's very cleverly written. Yes, if you haven't seen it, you can probably guess the ending well before the actual ending.

But, as the Inspector - David Cradduck - told me, because of the play being so well-known, they simply have to be word perfect. He is, of course - you would expect nothing less!

Yes, the play is a 'classic' and many people want to see it - but you still have to deliver. And boy, did the Players deliver!

Mike Cornter (Arthur Birling) shows yet again that these kind of parts were written especially for him many years ago!

I simply cannot believe that Jules Anderson has only been acting since 2007 (and then after being press ganged into taking a small part) - as this is the finest I have seen him. As Gerald Croft, he has the chance to reflect on his own errors. He was dominant near the front of the stage for a significant amount of time; he gazes into the distance, trying to explain away his actions. Such was the attention on him, I swear you could have heard a pin drop in Alresford.

On the night I attended, I was aware that Tracey Anderson (Sheila Birling) was not well. Had I not known, I would not have realised; she showed her usual bright personality which always seems to shine through.

However, by the Friday, Tracey had to pull out altogether. Step forward Rebecca Leadley - who's only just joined the Players! By all accounts, she proved that in a crisis, the show goes on. With 45 minutes' notice!

Credit too to Charlie Hellard and Helena Gomm who make up the rest of the family as Eric and Sybil - Eric who seems to love the bottle, and Sybil who ends up in complete despair and disbelief at what's going on around her.

There aren't any set changes; we are all transported just to the dining room of a house in the North Midlands in 1912. The backstage crew could therefore take their time in creating something that looked beautiful. The set is a credit to the design and construction team. As are the costumes - simply beautiful, accompanied by plenty of sparkling jewellery!

Pauline Cornter's direction is well-paced, and brings the best out of everyone.

A triumph then, in more ways than one. I loved it. Congratulations and 5 stars. KG

God Bless Us, Every One!

God Bless Us, Every One! David Cradduck awards 4 stars out of 5 for the production of 'Scrooge' at the Mayflower in Southampton - just don't take it too seriously...

Scrooge, Mayflower, Tuesday 12 November, 2013

It might be a step too far to imagine Charles Dickens turning in his grave, given the plot of A Christmas Carol and the moral story contained therein.

But, thinking about it, he wasn’t averse to cashing in on Christmas, by all accounts – publishing the story on 17th December and clocking up 5,000 sales by Christmas Eve.

Well, Christmas arrived early at The Mayflower in Southampton. A high-budget, slick, no-scrimping, big band, Broadway style version of this much loved story came to town with the ageless Tommy Steele heading the cast as Scrooge.

The packed audience groaned but laughed at - and with - the veteran performer’s wisecracks which were more Tommy Steele than Ebenezer Scrooge.

The children’s story book picture of a Dickensian Christmas scene, created by designer Paul Farnsworth, was colourful, noisy and atmospheric.

As the complex scene changes unfolded with desks and beds sliding in, doors and inns dropping down and special effects galore to feast our senses on, the whole show was a set designer’s dream.

The trouble for me – and I hasten to add that this was a personal slant - was, despite being a great personal fan of Tommy Steele (I had his 45rpm single of ‘A Little White Bull’ and wore it out through overplaying) and knowing that he has played this role many times before, I never actually believed in him as white-haired Ebenezer. Only as the white-dentured, forever young, cheeky Cockney chappy, Tommy Steele - however hard I tried.

I think part of the problem was that his accent swung dramatically between East End and West End and the characterization of such a well known character cannot afford to be anything less than 100%.

It has to be glowering, mean and unbelievably cruel to start and a truly reformed and lovable character by the end. Tommy was always Tommy for me.

The rest of the cast were fortunate in not being so well known, perhaps with the exception of Hi-de-Hi’s Barry Howard as Marley, and faithfully stuck to their characters like glue, thank goodness.

There were some really touching scenes of the Cratchett family’s and nephew Harry’s Christmases, and the crowd/chorus scenes were jolly, well choreographed and entirely convincing.

Halcro Johnston as Mr Fezziwig stole the show for me with his pure Dickens-style idiosyncratic appearance and antics, along with Sarah Joyce as Mrs Cratchett.

An imposing James Head played the larger-than-life Ghost of Christmas Present and, of course, young Tiny Tim - whose voice was a lot clearer to me than some of the main characters, including Scrooge.

The music, by Leslie Bricusse and directed by Stuart Pedlar was beautifully played but totally over-engineered and, frankly, could have fitted into any number of big musicals. The sound balance wasn’t perfect and I occasionally had trouble picking out lyrics amongst the fine, loud and rounded orchestration. I yearned for a little more light and shade and mused at what the original author might have made of it all?

Paul Kieve’s illusions were, of course, impressive; there were one or two moments when you knew something scary was going to happen but they still took you by delightful surprise when they did. Magic is still magic after all.

Nick Ritchings' superb lighting helped with the illusion, and choreography by Lisa Kent completed the colourful, busy imagery. So perhaps my gripes with the overall effect are probably more about me being more grumpy than Scrooge.

Clearly this well polished, big budget show entertained everyone of all ages, brought a smile to everyone’s faces and will be a huge hit, especially with those who like their Christmas to be traditional Victorian theatre with a large dollop of glitz and cheeky humour.

As long as you don’t take it too seriously, this old story of morals, mixed with 21st century showtime is sure to be a great favourite.

Until Saturday - then playing at: 17 Nov - 7 Dec 2013 Grand Theatre Leeds
 9 - 15 Dec 2013 Broadway Theatre Peterborough.
16 - 21 Dec 2013 Opera House Blackpool
23 Dec 2013 - 4 Jan 2014 Brighton Centre
6 -11 Jan 2014 Venue Cymru Llandudno

REVIEW: Slava's Snowshow @Mayflower

REVIEW: Slava's Snowshow, Mayflower Theatre, Friday 4th October 2013 - Kevin Gover gives 5 stars to an astonishing performance which is sheer magical wonder.

When one of our staff members, Dilyara, heard that Slava was coming to Southampton, she could hardly believe it. Dilyara is Russian, as is Slava. Everyone but everyone in Russia knows about Slava's character Assissiaï, about the yellow clown, about the blue canary, about leaping up and down: all this was an essential part of university life back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Little could Dilyara believe that part of her youth would be in Southampton in 2013. Here on stage are all the elements of those early TV appearances in Moscow in a huge stage show. Not an easy task, because some of those sketches always were intimate. You are at one point sharing the loneliness of the clown and genuine, poignant moments - at other times roaring with laughter with the whole team of clowns on stage.

You never knew what was to come next. A man next to us was heard to say:"This is weird!" Yes it was. What appeared to be aimless wandering around the stage was in reality beautifully choreographed wandering. Everything had a point. Because there's little dialogue, the show is universal around the world. Sydney, Moscow, Barcelona: awards have been stacked up across the globe.

As a whole, I share with one of the comments in the programme, that this show was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in a theatre - although I had thought this long before I saw those printed words.

As I write this, I am STILL laughing about the spider. You will see this show one day, so I won't spoil it for you by telling you what happens. I think about the mind of Slava. It is running at genius level.

I also loved the 'farewell' - the goodbye to a lover which is performed with interaction between the clown and a coat on a hanger - where the clown splits himself in two and plays both parts by slipping an arm into the coat. Not easy to do, and even harder to do it well.

The snowstorm scene (pictured) was terrifying and totally wonderful in equal measure. it was quite simply one of the best things I have ever seen in a theatre. Ever. 

Afterwards, Dilyara managed to speak to the man who had entertained her in the Ural Mountains from Moscow, via the telly. She asked him if she was a little old to have her picture taken with him as she looked around and found herself alongside all the other children who were patiently queuing: "Not at all," was the reply. "We all have the child within."

Winchester's MP - One of the Most Powerful Visits

Winchester's MP Steve Brine says a visit to Tower House Horses was "one of the most powerful" that he has ever made. Winchester Today Home Page >>>

During the visit to the equine assisted learning centre at Micheldever Station, Steve presented 13 year old Tia Yeates from West End with a certificate to mark the achievement of an NOCN (National Open College Network) Unit. 

Director of Tower House Horses, Susie Little, says Tia deserves to be very proud: "This is the third Unit she has completed using our herd as her teachers, and she has been a star learner.”

Steve agreed and says it was inspiring: "The results they achieve for clients speak for themselves. I am committed to ensure as wide an audience as possible hears about this facility and understands its potential.”

Equine assisted learning is proving beneficial for a broad range of user groups, from young people who find traditional education environments challenging, to adults with substance misuse issues, depression or anxiety.

Through guided activities they learn to recognise the impact of their behaviour on the horses, which drives changes in their own internal state. The result is greater calmness, improved confidence and the ability to better manage one’s emotions and behaviour.

Pictured from left to right: Susie Little, Steve Brine MP & Tia Yeates, with two members of the Tower House Horses herd.

Fiddler Plays My Tune

REVIEW: David Cradduck says Fiddler on the Roof at the Mayflower is simply a must-see. Tuesday 10th September, 2013. Winchester Today Home Page

There are some shows you go to see because you want to, there are some you feel you should see, a few you politely sit through but wish you were elsewhere and others you squirm through and regret wasting your time on.

Well, I have to say that Music&Lyric’s Fiddler on the Roof, at The Mayflower in Southampton and which will be touring the UK for the next few months, doesn't fit into any of these categories. 

It was absolutely stunning from start to finish and, although I wasn't sure it was going to be my cup of tea (musical shows of this kind are not normally top of my list of favourites) I was swept along by sheer professionalism, skill and entertainment at its best.

As one of Broadway’s longest running musicals, most people are familiar with many of the songs from Fiddler: 'If I were a Rich Man' has to be a catchy ditty that most people, even youngsters, will recognise. Topol made the song famous in the 1971 movie and he too became a legend. 

Likewise, those of a certain generation will remember the 70s TV cop drama series Starsky and Hutch, starring David Soul (who later became a crooning pop star) and Paul Michael Glaser. This dynamic duo, though tame by today's standards, were all American, slightly maverick, good guys who always got their man. 

Certainly not the kind of characters you would place in a Jewish settlement in a hostile Russia, you would think, but even before the cult TV series hit our screens, a then 27 year old Paul Michael Glaser had played the character of revolutionary Perchik in the same movie that Topol made his own. Not many people know that.

So what has all this to do with the present production of Fiddler, directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing's Mr Bad Guy judge, Craig Revel Horwood? Well, that young Glaser, now in his late 60s, has come full circle and taken on the lead role of Tevye, the long suffering dairyman gradually coming to terms with a changing world which threatens to rob him of his daughters, his home and even his Jewish faith.

He has made the role his own, with the demeanour, singing voice and acting skills to totally convince us that he really is the man he is playing. Rarely offstage, he could make the show a one man band, he's that good (though on occasions his accent was so thick that I had trouble picking up a few words).

But to be honest, he doesn't need to. This is very much a team effort - and what a team! The cast of 19, often doubling parts, is truly amazing. Casting must have been a nightmare – where do you get such multi-talented performers? It is one thing to be able to act, sing and dance at the same time. But this is the first time I have seen a whole cast doing all three and providing all the orchestration into the bargain and on the move.

There were violins, viola, double bass, keyboards, percussion instruments galore, saxophones, trumpets, flute, guitars, clarinets and more but no sign of sheet music, conductor or other stuff you normally associate with unseen musicians in the orchestra pit. The cast sang, danced, played (sometimes swapping instruments) and acted their way through this moving, funny, poignant show without so much as a note out of place.

Occasionally the instruments looked slightly modern and incongruous and it's not everyday that you sit down to a family meal with one of the family sporting a viola - but somehow it didn't look out of place at all. All the musicians played beautifully but none more so than Jennifer Douglas as the Fiddler, whose ability to blend in with the background was matched by her amazing stage presence and almost ballet-like movements.

The lighting was superb. The sound balance was spot on (no mean feat with all those instruments playing live and moving around the stage rather than being in one spot). The set, with its centrepiece, a revolving Dickensian-looking topsy turvy house that opened up like a doll's house to reveal an equally intriguing quaint interior, was brilliant. It wouldn’t have looked out of place on the set of Oliver! – though it was instantly warm and friendly as well as being atmospheric and curious. How they pack that lot up and transport it from venue to venue I haven't a clue.

All credit must go to Craig Revel Horwood for his direction and choreography (I shall never scoff at his judgements on Strictly again, he does know what he’s talking about) who also made a brief appearance at the curtain call. Somebody should have handed him a tambourine, he was the only one not playing a musical instrument. His vision, coupled with Sarah Travis’s musical direction, ensures a very special evening out.

Fiddler on the Roof runs at The Mayflower until Saturday, when it packs up and moves on to Nottingham and a further twenty venues, finishing in April 2014. If you can get to see it, I suggest you do. More tour details at http://www.fiddlerontheroof.co.uk/#tour