Milford Probus Club
After a friendly lunch on February 21, members of Milford Probus Club and visitors - always welcome - will enjoy a talk by Kevin Foo entitled Over 54 years as a mining professional: lessons learnt and concerns for the future.
Kevin has worked in mining as a scientist, miner, mill operator, manager and director. This includes the process development of gold, tin and base metal refractory ores, a ten-year diversion into the oil and gas industry, and 30 years as an entrepreneur in these fields.
Mining of metals is not a remote activity that we can ignore. In addition to its local impact, it has a clear connection with climate change which Kevin will explore, identifying progress and mistakes still being made. It is critical to our lives, the more so now with the demands of the renewable energy industry.
Milford Probus Club is for retired and semi-retired business and professional men and women who enjoy comradeship, informative talks and wider activities.
If you are interested visit www.milfordprobus.com or book a lunch - the Monday before please - with Jon Warnke at [email protected] or on 07818 602699.
The club’s activities include organised outings and enjoyable walks, ending in a fine pub. Established in 1999, it has welcomed women members since 2016 and now has a female president. Prospective members are welcome to join lunches as paying guests while considering membership. Come and try us.
Cycle Alton
Cycle Alton, in conjunction with Cycling UK North Hampshire, is offering some confidence-building bicycle rides during March, aimed at potential cyclists who are hesitant about cycling in local traffic.
Taking place on four Saturday mornings, the rides will start either in Chawton or Holybourne, and be led and accompanied by experienced local cyclists.
The routes will take riders through the town centre and back, covering about five miles in total.
The start time is 9.30am, to avoid the worst of the traffic, and groups will be kept to a maximum of six riders. There will be an optional refreshment stop at the end. For more details and to book email [email protected]
Alton Art Society
Fifteen members of the Thursday Paint Group are holding an exhibition entitled Inspired on Thursdays at the Allen Gallery in Alton from February 8 to 23.
They meet most Thursday afternoons to paint in a group at the Alton Maltings Centre, and this will be their second exhibition since Covid.
On display will be pictures in watercolour, acrylic, oil, pastel, gouache, pencil, coloured pencil, ink and mixed media.
There will also be folios available, and most of the hung paintings and all the folios will be for sale.
Some of the artists will be painting at the gallery on most days and the group hopes to run one or two painting workshops at the gallery for beginners or improvers.
Alton Art Society is a non-profit making society run for artists in the local community and welcomes members of any ability from beginners to professional artists.
It is a very friendly and active art society with an annual exhibition in October, a winter programme of monthly demonstrations, a summer programme of outside painting days, one or two painting workshops and of course the Thursday Paint Group.
The gallery in Church Street is open every day except Monday from 10.30am until 4pm.
Alton Stroke Support Group
The Alton Stroke Support Group, at their January meeting, welcomed an extraordinary man, Alex Lewis - a survivor, an adventurer and a complete inspiration to anyone who meets him.
Alex spoke to us about his life, the tremendous personal difficulties he has overcome, and his equally remarkable achievements.
Alex is a quadruple amputee - he lost both his arms and his legs through illness 12 years ago at the age of 30.
Despite this, he resolved that he had everything to live for, and set about rebuilding his relationships, reinventing himself and finding new purpose in his radically altered life.
He has become deeply involved in the development and refinement of prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and other aids with universities and research organisations, and he frequently demonstrates what these aids can do by undertaking remarkable physically demanding projects and journeys in inhospitable parts of the world.
Among other things, Alex is currently planning to row the Atlantic. He said: “I want to show people that, even with severe physical difficulties, with the right attitude you can achieve anything.”
And Alex certainly has developed the “right attitude” - he is truly inspirational and everyone who heard him at our meeting on January 6 came away totally impressed and resolved to tackle, this new year, whatever difficulties face them in the aftermath of a stroke.
The Alton Stroke Support Group provides help and support to stroke survivors, their families and carers, in Alton and the surrounding villages.
It meets on the first Tuesday of every month at Alton’s Cardiac Rehab centre by the sports centre, and organises a wide variety of events and activities.
It also invites speakers to talk about health and emotional issues and to guide people towards other sources of help and support.
Sometimes it’s just a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chat - the social side is highly valued, as suffering a stroke can be very isolating, life is turned completely upside down.
All stroke sufferers, their carers and families are welcome. For more information visit [email protected] or phone 07340 739251.
Grayshott Folk Club
Des O’Byrne, of Grayshott Folk Club, said: “We welcome back one of Scotland's finest and most enduring folk/rock bands, The Tannahill Weavers.
“They first played for us in November 2021 and won over many new fans with their energetic and rousing performance.
“The Tannies have made an international name for their special brand of Celtic music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms.”
This is traditional Scottish music at its best - as tight and versatile as any band in the Celtic music scene, the Tannies can summon rock ’n’ roll intensity or haunting introspection.
They are an eloquent mixture of the old and the new and the club is delighted to be welcoming them back.
They will be visiting Grayshott as part of their UK-wide tour before heading off to Italy. In April they will be returning to the USA for another tour there.
The Tannahill Weavers are Roy Gullane (guitar, lead vocals), Malcolm Bushby (fiddle, bouzouki, harmony vocals), Ian Magillivray (Highland bagpipes, fiddle, whistles) and Phil Smillie (flute, whistles, bodhran, harmony vocals).
For tickets, priced £18, visit Grayshott post office, call Des O'Byrne on 01428 607096 or visit here.
Grayshott Stagers
Grayshott Stagers will present their popular annual evenings of one-act plays on February 14 and 15.
This year the Stagers have selected two comedies, and the ticket price includes a home-cooked three-course supper, with a vegan option available.
Murder in Little Grimley by David Tristram - directed by Helen Wigram - is the sixth in the popular Little Grimley series, which follows the antics of a hapless amateur dramatic society desperate for audiences. The last in the series presented by the Stagers was Lockdown in Little Grimley in 2022.
Anxious to cash in on the public's appetite for detective dramas, the chairman, Gordon, writes a whodunit, but in a bizarre twist he then finds himself embroiled in a real-life murder mystery that threatens to put him behind bars.
The quarrelsome quartet of actors has been in some sticky situations over the years, but can they possibly get away with murder?
Will's Women by Louise Wade - directed by Brezetta Thonger - sees William Shakespeare hard at work on his new tragedy about a certain Scotsman.
He is visited by the three witches and Lady Macbeth, who are not at all happy with the way they’re being portrayed in the play.
They have something to say about the violence and negative portrayal of women. They try to work out how they can influence the writing of the play, in situations which become increasingly farcical.
In addition the Stagers will present a musical foretaste of their spring show Betty Blue Eyes, which is based on the 1984 film A Private Function written by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray.
These amateur productions are presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd (Murder in Little Grimley) and Lazy Bee Scripts (Will's Women).
For more information and tickets, priced £20, visit www.grayshottstagers.co.uk
The Renaissance Choir
The Renaissance Choir is putting on an afternoon concert to support its tour to Malta at St Peter’s Church in Petersfield on February 8 from 3pm to 4.30pm.
Join members of the choir plus friends to enjoy a variety of solo and chamber vocal and instrumental performances.
Music will include items from the classical, folk and pop repertoire. There will be a retiring collection to raise funds towards the cost of the tour in May, which includes in particular the cost of hiring the Co-Cathedral for a concert in Valletta.
A spokesperson said: “The tour aims to foster international co-operation and understanding through the arts, aligning with the choir’s charitable goal of keeping Renaissance music alive and accessible - so do come and support us!”
Anyone who would like more information about the choir should visit https://renaissancechoir.org.uk/events/fundraising-concert-for-our-tour-to-malta