26th June 2025 • The HERALD • Page 81 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v Poets Corner FOOD FOR THOUGHT New Forest Food Festival Returns Bigger & Better! Following the success of the inaugural New Forest Food Festival in 2024, the event is set to return in 2025, bigger and better, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August, at the Hinton Admiral Event Field, on the Hinton Admiral Estate. For 2025, the Cookery Demonstration Tent will be run by Hampshire Fare, in collaboration with the Food Festival organisers. Participating chefs will be announced over the coming weeks. ey will demonstrate all the tricks of the trade and show attendees how they can easily re-create the dishes for themselves at home (sit near the front to increase the chance of a tasting!). e Food Festival will showcase local New Forest and regional produce, with a mix of artisan bread, cheese, chilli jams, cakes, chocolates, gluten-free snacks, and shortbread. ose who enjoy a tipple will also be spoilt for choice with a wide selection of drinks including cra ales, New Forest Cider, speciality gins, and more (attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly if driving). When it comes to pop-ups, the New Forest Food Festival will have no fewer than 25 of them (so far) including the Bao Beast (BBQ food), Purbeck Ice Cream, ree Cuts Burger, Holy Crepe, Kraken Seafood Company, plus fresh-squeezed juices and many more – something for every taste including vegetarians and vegans. ere will be over 100 traders displaying their goods, and in addition to the food stalls, there’ll be chef demonstrations in the food tent, bars – including an ale brewed on-site at the festival – plus Coles Fairground (who doesn’t love a coconut shy?), and live music (acts yet to be announced). Another feature of the festival will be the Cra Market, which will showcase work from local and regional cra ers, with a wide and diverse array of stalls. ey will include cra s such as textiles, jewellery, so toys, paintings, wood cra , collectables, ceramics, sculpture, so furnishings – to name just some. e event will also be dog friendly, with well-behaved pooches on leads welcome! For further information and tickets, which cost £8 for adults when purchased in advance for one day (£10 on the day), or £14 for two days (under 16s go free), visit: www.newforestfoodfestival.co.uk A packed line up of food, drink and music entertainment is planned for this year’s Lymington Seafood Festival, held in Bath Road Park, on Friday 11th July 1pm-9pm, Saturday 12th July 11am-9pm and Sunday 13th July 11am-6pm. is boutique festival is crammed full of epic street food and pretty much every shy delight to sample across the three days. e Chefs Stage will once again host the very best local chefs showcasing produce from across Hampshire and the New Forest. e Cookery School will have a range of classes to try and new for 2025 will be drinks masterclasses. The music stage welcomes Genesis Connected, the UK’s number one Phil Col ins and Genesis tribute band on the Friday and e Decatonics return for some banging ska and reggae and head lining on Saturday evening are e Anthems playing hits from Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Artie Monkey’s and Muse, plus many more bands playing across the three day festival. For tickets and the full line-up visit: www. lymingtonseafoodfestival.co.uk/ Lymington Seafood Festival THE WRECK OF A SPITFIRE by Martin Grist© A twisted frame of tangled memories, no longer free in the blue sky, a remnant of a particular defeat. She fell from the sky lled with enemy action. e Pilot, an anonymous Crusader, who lived to ght again. He le behind a symbol of tragedy. She was a victim of a young man’s inexperience. e red, white and blue circles no longer shine in the daylight. ey rust on a camou aged frame, and engineering example gone to waste. MUMBLE, MUMBLE by Dorothy Lockyer© I wish you’d speak clearly, not mumble so! I’m not sure I agree it’s going to snow. No, I said I thought the grass needed a mow. You’re probably right, I’ll let the postman know! I wish you’d speak clearly, what did you say? You want your pullover without delay? No, I said, it’s going to be a nice day! You’re probably right, I’ll throw it away! I wish you’d speak clearly, pronounce your words Yes, I’m sure this world is full of nerds. Unlike me, they don’t confuse nouns and verbs. No, I said, how nice to hear the song birds! I wish you’d speak clearly, what’s that you said? You’re going to clear out that awful shed? Now, I know it’s my hearing or maybe I’m dead! No, you heard right, now I’m off to my bed! Take One Moment by David K Wilson© The forest is singing with silence Just the sound of breeze in the trees Morning dew is still heavy Sunbeams peep through the trees A blackbird is suddenly singing The choir then joins him in song As a squirrel scurries past appetite vast Last traces of night-time now gone The trees are alive now with birdsong As another new day is born Celebrations take place every morning Residents thrilled to see dawn Part of once more another fine day Thankful for blessings sent their way Acceptance always without demand For whatever happens each day We all can learn from the forest But acceptance is seldom our way Demands play part of our daily life Ruling so many each day Seldom do we see a sunrise Or sunsets over the sea We rule our lives with rods of iron Demand our worst enemy Take time out listen to birdsong Sort out the wood from the trees Feel morning dew on soft peaty ground As the breeze whispers high in the trees And Remember All that we have is this moment Yesterday is now in the past There’s no guarantee of tomorrow Seize the moment while that moment lasts And find the forest singing with silence Just the sound of breeze in the trees And whilst the morning dew remains heavy Take one moment and walk beside me! You get older and wiser I’ve heard people say, But it’s not working for me I’m getting more foolish every day. Trying to make intelligent conversation When I can’t nd the right words, en the nal realisation I’ve said something quite absurd. To counteract my wa e With verbal diarrhoea, I pretend I’m referring To a completely di erent idea. I stammer,I stutter, My tongue tied in a knot. I feel so embarrassed, I know I’ve lost the plot. I’ve always liked talking nonsense, It used to make people laugh. But now they are patronising Smiling on my behalf. So I will nod and smile, But just shut me trap. is growing older and wiser Is a load of crap! As we bowed our heads the silence was broken by a blackbird in a nearby tree heralding a new spring day. But our memories drifted back four and twenty years when peace was declared. Now as we reflected knowing that peace was only won by the brave men that gave their lives in those bloody years before. thanks seems a mere token. Now only a few are left to tell the tale of comrades that bravely fell their names now etched in stone throughout the land. As old soldiers fade away families are left with memories passed down through generations never to forget. Older and Wiser by Marlene Parmenter© PEACE IN OUR TIME by Jim Dolbear© EMAIL YOUR POEMS TO US: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk
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