Page 58 • The HERALD • 7th December 2023 v THE NEXT HERALD IS OUT ON 4TH JANUARY v Fred Hurst 023 8084 2191 or 07761 467217 • Grass Cutting • Garden Clearance • Hedge Cutting • Fallen Trees Cleared • Mini Digger Hire with Operator • Property Clearance • Small Demolition • Tractor Flail Cutting FULLY INSURED v FREE QUOTATIONS Smithwood Landscaping Professional Gardening & Landscaping • Garden Redesign • Astro Turf • Trees & Shrubs Carefully Pruned • Rockeries Designed • Fencing • Ground Cover • Seasonal Tidy Ups No Job Too Small as I am a Local Gardener Any advice over the phone is freely given Contact Gary (Master Landscaper) 07707 433194 ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ Bidding Farewell to the Haven Christine Bennett, Head Gardener and Event Organiser at the Healthy Haven Garden, has decided to hang up her gardening boots a er four and a half years working in the garden. e garden o cially opened at the beginning of May 2019, and Christine went along in the third week of May with some plants for the garden. Someone else had brought some plants, and had not planted them, so she set to and planted them all. For the rst three months she looked a er the four raised beds on her own, until she was able to recruit more volunteers. Christine has actively fundraised for the garden, and has raised over £30,000 which has helped buy a new Summerhouse, tools, plants and other equipment. Christine invited Alexis from BBC Solent TV to do the weather forecast from the garden, and they have been on the TV twice. She also entered the BBC Radio Solent ‘Make a Di erence’ award and they were one of the runners up. It was her idea this year to enter the Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at Beaulieu and enter the Beautiful Borders competition. ey won a Silver Merit. Christine organised and made cream teas, as a way of getting the public into the garden which was very successful. Other events she has organised included: Children’s Easter egg hunt, Summer Fayres, Christmas Carol singa-long and the King’s ‘Big Help out Day’ in May 2023. Most days Christine has done something involving the garden, whether bringing in topsoil, manure and woodchips, or collecting donated plants or equipment. e public have been very generous, and pre-Christmas Christine has gone and collected Mistletoe and Holly to sell on the very popular plant and produce stall at the front of the surgery. Christine put on daily blogs on the Healthy Haven Facebook page, and every three weeks sent an article to e Herald to gain publicity for the garden. A lot of hard work has gone in to the garden to make it an oasis of peace and calm for the public to visit. e garden is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Christine has built up a wide following, with people as far away as Australia, USA and Canada. Christine is holding a Carol Sing-aLong on Sunday 10th December from 2pm to 4pm, when there will be free tea/co ee and mince pies plus the Christmas ra e will be drawn. So go along and say goodbye to Christine. She thanks you all for the support you have given her over the past four and a half years. Get ready for some Christmas sparkle when the stunning Steam Illuminations returns to the Watercress Line this festive season, until 6th January. Festive fun is guaranteed when you take a ride on the magical heritage steam train which will be lit up, on the outside and inside, with thousands Christine Bennett Light Up your Christmas with the Watercress Line’s Spectacular Steam Illuminations Prepare to be dazzled at The Watercress Line’s stunning Steam Illuminations (Credit: Steve Morley) of constantly changing LED lights to create a kaleidoscope of di erent colours and ashing patterns. Brand new for this year is the Festive Canopy of Lights to enchant visitors and add to the delightful Christmas atmosphere. e Steam Illuminations is fantastic for friends, families, couples and corporate gatherings, with a brilliant ‘sound to light’ show inside every carriage. e interactive experience will be hosted by the legendary ‘Voiceover Man’ (as heard on Britain’s Got Talent and X-Factor), who will keep everyone entertained with memorable music, corny jokes, and encourage passengers to compete against each other in the singalong FlashyOke game. All visitors to the spectacular light show train rides will be given a LED wristband which interacts with the on-board music and lights. e journey will be lled with the seasonal sounds of the Watercress Line’s Christmas Chart Crackers DJ mixup until Christmas Day, followed by the Pop Anthems Journey, featuring favourite tunes from the 1960s to present day, until 6th January. e trains depart from either Alresford or Alton and completes a round trip. e experience lasts approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Festive treat boxes and drinks boxes can also be pre-ordered and collected on arrival. e Watercress Line’s CEO Rebecca Dalley said: “We can’t wait to see Steam Illuminations back on track at the Watercress Line during the festive period. Simon Horn, our lighting designer, has designed for some of the UK’s great pop gigs, as well as being a volunteer train driver. He has married his knowledge of the Watercress Line with his hi-tech expertise to create a GPS-enabled internal and external display. It uses the unique terrain of cuttings and stations, as well as the internal carriages and ‘smart’ wristband lights, to create a journey that is as spectacular from the inside as it is on the outside. This fun event is very popular, so book your tickets as soon as possible online.” Find out more and reserve seats at: watercressline.co.uk/steamilluminations/ SHOP LOCAL THIS CHRISTMAS WITH FREE PARKING IN HYTHE! New musical version of the classic family tale to come to May ower eatre from 22nd October 2024! is new musical is written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris and is reimagined from the acclaimed Regent’s Park Open Air eatre production in 2022. When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups. is classic canine caper is brought to Why not support your local independent shops and do your Christmas shopping in Hythe this Christmas, thanks to NFDC it will be FREE to park in Jones Lane Car Park and New Road (Library) Car Park in Hythe on Saturday 9th December, Saturday 16th December, Sunday 17th December and Saturday 23rd December. life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and irresistible puppies! Tickets for 101 Dalmatians (Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 26th October 2024) are now on sale: may ower.org.uk or 023 8071 1811. 101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL 101 Dalmatians The Musical Tour (Photo credit: Oliver Rosser, Feast Creative)
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