Welcome Home For Young Sailor

More local news from Dibben and Dibben as the teenage sailor Mike Perham gets a hero's welcome as he returned back to the UK after becoming the youngest person to circumnavigate the world. The 17-year-old arrived to cheers from the huge crowd who gathered at Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, where he set sail from in November 2008.

During the around the world trip he fought gales and 50ft waves in a voyage which took him via Portugal, the Canaries, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Mike had to travel via the Panama Canal after missing the weather window to sail around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.

He was 16 when he set off from Portsmouth and celebrated his 17th birthday in the South Indian Ocean on March 16. A representative from Guinness World Records presented him with a certificate confirming his record. To satisfy the requirements of the world record, the solo circumnavigation has to cross the equator and every line of longitude.

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Hampshire Showcase For Budding Artists

More local news from Dibbben and Dibben as local libraries across the Hampshire region are to showcase work by local artists as part of a month-long festival sponsored by the council. Now more than 50 local artists who have never held a solo exhibition of their work will get to show off their art at libraries across Hampshire throughout the month of September as part of the New Art festival.

The focus of this year’s festival is textiles and libraries will be adorned with inspirational designs using weaving, hand and machine stitching, beading, heat distressing, photographic screen printing, hand dying and felting.

Margaret Snaith, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for culture, communities and recreation, was quoted as saying: “This is a great opportunity for local people to get their work known amongst the local community."

She went on; “I would like to thank all those who submitted their work to our panels.”

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John Lennon Art Display

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. Agreed around the globe as one of the greatest songwriter of the 20th century and of course a member of most famous 60's pop group of all time, John Lennon was also known as an artist. Now a Hampshire village art gallery has struck a major coup by landing an exhibition of his artwork. Courcoux & Courcoux in Stockbridge High Street is staging the exhibition from September 5-23. Art by the former member of the Beatles, who was shot dead in New York in 1980, is rarely shown in this country, especially outside of the capital.

One of the originals on display may be offered for sale with a potential asking price of over £10,000. The gallery staged a show of John Lennons work way back in 2004 which attracted hundreds of people. Ian Courcoux from the gallery explained how the artwork was obtained: “I’m not blowing my own trumpet but I think we are regarded as one of the top regional art galleries. It will bring something fresh and a bit different to Hampshire. The last time we had a Lennon show here we were mobbed, which was great. The people coming were right across the spectrum."

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Rise In House Prices Hits High

More news about the economy and UK property market from Dibben and Dibben. As widely reported in the UK national press this week, house prices in England and Wales rose by 1.7% in July compared with June - the biggest monthly leap in house price value since July 2004. A report from the Land Registry shows that every region across the UK recorded a monthly rise in prices, with the average home valued at £155,885.

The Land Registry, which records all completed property sales in England and Wales, is widely regarded as producing one of the most authoritative house price reports, although it does lag behind data from lenders. It compares the price of properties sold now with the price paid when they were sold previously. However, repossessions and property transfers following a divorce are excluded from the sample.

The recovery in the housing market has been revealed in a series of surveys in recent months, including the Nationwide building society's index which is based on mortgage data, which this week revealed prices had risen by 1.6% in August compared with July.

On a national and regional level, the biggest month-on-month rise in property values came in Wales, where prices rose by 3.1% in July compared with June. At the other end of the scale, prices rose by 0.9% during the same period in Yorkshire and the Humber. The Land Registry analysis is one of the very few reports that maps out house prices changes at a local level.

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Escala At The Southampton Boat Show

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. Escala are the four girls who have breathed life back into classical music. Escala orignally hit the headlines after making it to the final of stages of the hit ITV show Britain’s Got Talent last year – and now they are scheduled to make an appearance at the PSP Southampton Boat Show. The girls will be performing a number of classical hits – including their top 40 single Palladio – at the launch of one of the most luxurious boats at the show - the Sunseeker Predator 130 motoryacht.

Sunseeker chief executive officer Robert Braithwaitewas reported as saying: “We are eagerly awaiting the launch of the outstanding Predator 130 and with Escala joining us at the show the launch is sure to turn heads for several reasons.” Escala are due to perform at the PSP Southampton Boat Show on Friday, September 11 at 11.30am.

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Free Bank Holiday Transport

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. As reported yesterday in the local Hampshire press all bus journeys within Southampton will be totally free this bank holiday weekend. As the city of Southampton gets ready for one of its busiest weekends for many years the city council has invested almost £40,000 so that all bus journeys are completely free. The journeys will be free for anyone as long as they start and finish within the city’s boundaries.

More than 12,000 extra vehicles are expected to cause the heaviest congestion seen in the city since the opening of Ikea earlier this year.With nine cruise ships – and almost 50,000 ship passengers – passing through Southampton city within just 48 hours, council bosses want residents off the roads and to leave their cars at home. The council has teamed up with Bluestar, First and Unilink and Black Velvet Travel to provide free bus travel until 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

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Junior Sailing Club Marks 25 Years

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. This year sees the Royal Lymington Yacht Club’s Wednesday junior sailing programme marknig its 25th year. It has been teaching children the basics of sailing and over the years has helped thousands of youngsters learn how to sail – and even has even given rise to some of the UK's Olympic best performers. To help mark the celebrations in style, the club had a visit from its royal patron Her Royal Highness Princess Anne who saw the club in action at first hand.

Club secretary Kevin Podger was reported as saying; “Wednesday sailing was started in September 1984 by Jonathan Rogers and Tom McEwen, who got together because their kids were at that age of learning to sail and they thought there should be some weekly session to teach them. Around half a dozen kids started out but the numbers quickly grew – it just went from there.”

Wednesday Junior Sailing now has around 200 children on its books and up to 100 often turn up to one of the two-hour sittings.

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Hampshire Steam Car Team Break Record

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. A team of Hampshire engineers has finally broken the longest-standing world land speed record in California. The steam car, called Inspiration, recorded an average speed of 139.843mph (225.06km/h) at Edwards air base, in the Mojave Desert, smashing the long standing 1906 record. For the Federation International Automobile record, the Hampshire-based team had to finish two runs in opposite directions, less than an hour apart.

The team only had until Wednesday to attempt the record before they were due to return home. Its first attempt was dashed when the car's turbine became stuck on Wednesday, 19 August.

Speaking from California, Mr Burnett the teams main financer was quoted as saying; "I wouldn't like to leave it this close again, it was the last but one day we had to do this. It was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed every moment of it. The car really did handle beautifully. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance."

The car will be brought back to England and will end up at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

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Festibelly 2009

More local events from Dibben and Dibben. The forthcoming August Bank Holiday weekend sees the return of Festibelly and after the sell out success of 2008, Festibelly have developed their boutique festival for another wonderful weekend this summer. Set in the peaceful surroundings of the New Forest, Festibelly provides a chilled day, party night time, camping and - what so many festivals lack - intimacy, with a capacity of only 1000 people.

2009 features musical performances from some of the most exciting talent to emerge from the indie, rock, pop, acoustic, and reggae scenes. After his astonishing 2008 performance, Festibelly welcome back 'folktronica' wizard James Yuill as headliner. Signed to Moshi Moshi Records, James has released a plethora of hits, such as 'No Surprise' and 'This Sweet Love' gaining huge support from BBC Radio 1 and was even an iTunes track of the week.

The strong line up continues with Rough Trade signings Micachu & The Shapes, grime pop upstarts Man Like Me, critically acclaimed ensemble Laurel Collective and future-romantic pop group ColouringIN. They are joined by London's favourite reggae party, Reggae Roast who will be 'dubbing' it alongside live performances by Brother Culture and the heavyweight 9-piece brass band, Brass Roots.

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Mortgage Rate Approval Increases Again

More economic news from Dibben and Dibben. As widely reported today in the UK national press the number of mortgages approved for house purchases by the major High Street banks has risen for the seventh month in a row. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has reported that mortgage approvals in July stood at 38,181, a rise of 7.4% compared with June. The report suggests that the rise in proprty market activity and house prices could stretch into the autumn.

The BBA said slower housing market activity meant it was taking longer for mortgage approvals for house purchase to work through into the gross and net lending figures. It added that the number of people remortgaging continued to be subdued, with only 30,600 loans arranged by people switching to a better deal during the month. But the group said the figure appeared to have stabilised and was slightly up on both the previous month and the recent six month average.

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Centenary Of Flying

More local event news from Dibben and Dibben. 2010 is a very special year for Southampton Airport, as it marks 100 years since the first ever flight at the airport. Back in 1910, a local man, Edwin Rowland Moon, triumphantly flew his homemade Moonbeam II aircraft from the fields of North Stoneham Farm (which is now Southampton Airport), at a time when aircraft were in their infancy. This demonstration of innovation and ingenuity inspired many more local people to design and build aircraft around the south Hampshire region, including the world famous WWII Spitfire aircraft, and Skeeter helicopters to name but a few.

Today, thousands of local people are employed in aviation and aerospace industries in a range of businesses functions from supplying materials and providing services, to specialised aeronautical engineering (i.e. space satellites).

To mark the centenary year in 2010, a series of events are being planned throughout Hampshire by various organisations, to celebrate Hampshire’s rich and proud historical links to aviation and aerospace industries. The activities aim to celebrate the innovation that continues to grow today, and further encourage inward investment to the region.

More details about these great events for next year to follow :

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House Builder 'fairly optimistic' about the future

More property and economic news from Dibben and Dibben - as reported over the weekend in the UK press 1 of the UK's largest firm of house builders has resumed work on nearly all of the projects it put on hold in Wales last year at the height of the recession. House Builders Redrow has suffered heavy losses like many other of its major competitors, which has seen cuts in almost half of the workforce across the whole of the UK. At its peak, the Flintshire firm was building more than 800 homes a year, but that was cut dramatically.

The company has reported that the market changed in the spring time and that work had increased ever since. In south Wales, work has started on building between 30 and 350 homes across 10 sites, where over 400 sub-contractors are being employed. Over the next year Redrow predicts that more than 370 homes will be built from scratch or finished off at the sites it stopped work on last year.

The company said the new levels of activity showed an increased confidence in the market and greater affordability.

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Isle of Wight Scooter Rally

More great local events from Dibben and Dibben. If you fancy something a little bit different to your usual seaside attractions why not plan your holiday to coincide with the annual Isle of Wight Scooter Rally? The thought of thousands of colourful vintage scooters and their even more colourful owners may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it really is a site to behold, especially the mass ride out which takes place on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. Around 5000 scooters take part in the organised ride out, so be sure to have your cameras ready for the awesome spectacle, the scooters leave Ryde at 1pm.

The friendly scooterists have been coming to the Isle of Wight every August bank holiday for over ten years and the rally seems to get bigger each year. Over the weekend the Ryde Ice Stadium hosts most of the main evening entertainment, where bands and DJ’s play until 4am (admission prices are around £7). There’s also a massive custom show at the Ice Stadium on Saturday, where the countries hottest scooters compete for a prestigious trophy. Top custom scooters can cost in excess of £15,000 to build, so the show is well worth a visit (admission is around £3, kids are free and it runs from 10am till 4pm). Ryde is the focal point for the scooter rally and most of the pubs are full to bursting point over the weekend.

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International Kite Festival

More local events from Dibben and Dibben. This bank holiday weekend see the Portmouth International Kite Festive held annually at Southsea. Portsmouth International Kite Festival will take place on Southsea Common from the 29th - 31st of August for the 18th time and will be bigger and better than ever. A huge range of guests will attend, both old favourites and new discoveries.

Highlights will include:An amazing array of soft inflatable kites, from giant salamanders, to awe inspiring jesters and devils Beautiful artistic creations by celebrated kite fliers from all over the world, including award winning intricately appliquéd kites. Skilled team flying by champion two line fliers, displaying in fantastic routines set to music.

These events will take place in the main display arena. There will be a continuous display of kites in the other arenas. Large, Small, Soft and Rigid. Single line and Multi-line. A free children’s kite making workshop is available. Robert Valkenburgh will have his windgarden.

A great FREE day out for all the family.

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9 Ships Hit Southampton August Bank Holiday Weekend

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. It has been reported in the local press that the City Of Southampton will get a £8.5m cash windfall when nine of the world’s largest cruise ships arrive in the city next weekend In what promises to be a spectacular sight Southampton will see the arrival and departure of the most number of passenger ships during a 48-hour period in recent times. To coincide with the very busy bank holiday weekend, the port of Southampton is to throw open its gates on Saturday and Sunday to free, open-top bus tours of the docks for a close-up view of the luxury ships.

In excess of 45,500 passengers, more than the total population of the city of Salisbury, will embark and disembark ships in the docks during the weekend, sparking a busy time for Southampton’s hotels, airport, shops, coach companies and taxi drivers. A report for Southampton City Council says each passenger joining a cruise in the port generates on average £380 for the local economy.

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council Traffic Management was reported as saying; “We want people to come to Southampton this weekend and enjoy their time in the city. However, I would urge motorists to plan their journeys, avoid peak traffic times if they can and consider using public transport during the weekend.”

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Burseldon Brickworks Open Day

More local events from Dibben and Dibben. The Burseldon Brickworks Open Day 23rd August. There is the chance to see the workings of Bursledon Brickworks at a special open day on Sunday. Other family activities include miniature train rides, bouncy castle, steam engine trailer rides, fire engines, veteran cars and garden paraphernalia as well as the steam driven Industrial Museum.

The brickworks was a family run concern until after the Second World War when it amalgamated with the Sussex and Dorking Brick Company and became Redlands in 1959. It remained open until 1974 when a combination of factors, including the decline in quality of the clay, problems with its extraction and increased labour and running costs and the interruption caused by the construction of the M27, meant the works were no longer viable and it was closed.

Twenty years passed and the old brickworks fell into a state of dereliction and were in danger of disappearing altogether, when it was saved and given listed status.

The brickworks was sold to Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust, for a token sum, as a result of an agreement with Redland plc which included an endowment to provide some of the funds needed for the restoration of the buildings. Restoration began and is still an ongoing operation, which means there is plenty to keep visitors interested and find out just how much more there is to making a brick than you might think.

Open Days are well worth coming to, as in addition to the unique Museum with the Woods of Wigan steam engine and pugmill being demonstrated; there are steam engines in the yard being put through their paces by their owners. Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust Members operate their light industrial railway.

Other exhibitors change from month to month and may include historic cars, lorries, coaches, and emergency service vehicles in the yard while models, crafts, flowers and traditional crafts, including woodcarving, stained glass and lace making demonstrate in the upstairs exhibition hall.

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Rose Bowl Hotel Gets Approval

More local news from Dibben and Dibben. A £30M deal to transform the Rose Bowl cricket ground in Hampshire has been given a rousing welcome by business leaders. Thanks to cash backing from the local authority, a 175-bedroom hotel has been given the thumbs up and could go ahead as soon as October 2009 at the West End site. With no commercial backers Eastleigh Borough Council announced it will borrow to fund the project. The move has been branded 'a vote of confidence' in the region which will help to raise its profile and prestige.

Captain Jimmy Chestnutt, director general of the Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce, said: 'From our point of view it's great because we get a better venue for Hampshire. They've taken a view on it and decided it's worth that level of investment, and that they'd get their money back.

'I'd look at it as a vote of confidence in the Rose Bowl and in Hampshire and I'd personally applaud Eastleigh Borough Council.'

After it is built the council will be left with ownership of the hotel, which it will lease to the Rose Bowl. As well as the hotel, new stands will be built with capacity for a further 5,000 spectators, increasing permanent capacity to 15,000. The current nine-hole golf course in the Rose Bowl's grounds will undergo a major redevelopment to become an 18-hole championship course.

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Bournemouth Airshow

More local events from Dibben and Dibben. Awesome air displays, attractions and fantastic evening entertainment – Bournemouth is ready to welcome you to the UK’s biggest free aviation Festival! 20th - 23rd August - BY THE SEA & COMPLETELY FREE! The More Bus Bournemouth Air Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better than 2008. With more aircraft, more on the ground attractions and more awesome ‘Night Air’ evening entertainment it promises to be a must-see 4-days of breath-taking aviation action!

Sponsored for a second year by More Bus, the Festival will bring a spectacular line-up of entertainment to hundreds of thousands of visitors from Thursday 20th – Sunday 23rd August. For 2009 Bournemouth is the regions premier event for the Royal Navy Fly Navy 100 Naval celebrations - with plenty of fantastic interaction, hands on action, displays and demonstrations.

Watch out for an incredible line-up of civilian aircraft including: the world’s only formation wing walking team - Team Guinot, Yakovlevs Aerobatic Team, The Blades Aerobatic Display Team, The Matadors, Spitfire, Mustang, Sally-B, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Eurofighter Typhoon and three displays by the Red Arrows.

On the ground, between the Piers there will be 1.5 miles of stalls, attractions and displays.

'Night Air' 2009 from 7pm, includes The Band of Her Majesty Royal Marines, a hot air balloon glow, displays by the Royal Marines Combat Display Team, street entertainers, world record attempt Roar on the Shore, fireworks display.. something to keep everyone entertained!

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Mortgage lending still increasing

More news from Dibben and Dibben. As widely reported in the UK national press this week - mortgage lending continues to rise, according to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Gross lending in July stood at £16bn, 26% higher than in June, though still more than a third lower than in July last year. Mortgage lending, house sales and property prices have all picked up in the past few months after a dramatic slump caused by the banking crisis.

Typically, would-be borrowers now have to put down an average deposit of 25% if they want to take out a mortgage. The latest "Trends in Lending" report, from the Bank of England, said there had been little sign of this rationing of the home loan market easing up.

"In line with rising mortgage approvals, gross lending for house purchase has continued its recovery since the beginning of the year, but remortgaging activity remains very subdued," the Bank said in its August report.

"The major UK lenders reported that over the past month there had been no further increase in their appetite to lend at high loan-to-values (LTVs)," it added.

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Housing Recovery Improves Furniture Sales

More news from Dibben and Dibben - as reported in the UK press this week the recovery in the housing market drove sales of furniture and electrical items last month and helped retail sales rise by an unexpected 0.4 per cent, according to the latest official figures. The rise sent annual growth to its highest level for 14 months, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The recorded sales of household goods on a month-on-month basis soared to their highest level since August 2006, this is a reflection of a recent upturn in the UK property market. Food store sales have so far been resilient amid the recession, but ended a five-month run of increases last month with a 1% fall.

James Knightley, economist at ING Bank, said the figures were good news for the UK economy.

''The gains in retail sales give us greater confidence that gross domestic product will rise in the third quarter, meaning that the UK exits recession,'' he said.

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Penguin Gets Sunburn Wetsuit

As widely reported in the UK National press last week, a bald penguin has been given a wetsuit to wear at a Hampshire wildlife park to protect him from sunburn. The a nine-year-old Humboldt penguin called Ralph, lost all of his feathers in one day while moulting, instead of the usual month to six weeks. It has left him with a very sensitive pink skin, so Marwell Wildlife keepers cut up an old wetsuit to make the kit. It will protect the penguin until the new feathers have grown, which could take up to a month to grow back.

A spokesperson from the zoo was reported as saying, "At first the other penguins were curious but it wasn't long before they recognised and accepted Ralph again." They continued ; "He doesn't seem to mind the wetsuit and is able to swim and move around normally.

Although they cannot fly, penguins have specialised feathers for swimming and each year undergo a complete moult. They normally shed their feathers at the same time as new ones come through. Humboldt penguins are native to the cold coasts of Peru and Chile.

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Charity Challenge For Hampshire Grandfather

As reported in the local press this weekend, a long and hard trek from one end of the country to the other was not enough for one intrepid Hampshire grandfather who has cranked up the challenge to raise around £10,000 for charity. will not only Not only will Steve Hughes, 54, be walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats but he has chosen a route that will also have him climbing four mountains and treking across remote moors and peat bogs.

Steve, of Waltham Chase ,is carrying a 40lb rucksack, sleeping rough and battling the elements for most of his journey, only stopping to refill his water from various streams along the way. It is planned that he will only sleep in any bed and breakfast accommodation once a week to wash his clothes and shower.

The expedition, which is expected to take about four months, is being carried out in memory of his father, songwriter Phil, who died of cancer earlier this year and to celebrate the arrival of his first grandchild. Steve’s brother Paul is also suffering from lymphoma.

Go for it Steve !

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Local Charity Raises 1 Million

As reported in the local Hampshire press this week a Hampshire hospital will be equipped with a state-of-the-art scanner costing almost £1m – thanks to another massive donation from volunteer fundraisers. A brand new extension housing a state of the art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device is about to be built at the Lymington New Forest Hospital, which opened two years ago.

Amazingly the £940,000 scheme is being funded by the League of Friends, which also donated £1.5m towards the cost of the original hospital. However, the highly successful fundraising group still has about £500,000 in its coffers as a result of legacies and other sources of income. Lymington, famously described as “too posh for Argos” after the company attempted to open a store in the town, is one of the richest communities in the south.

However the wealth and generosity of residents has enabled the League to raise vast sums of money for the hospital. Another key factor is Lymington’s loyalty to the three-storey complex, which prevents patients having to travel to Southampton or Bournemouth for treatment.

Clifford Jakes, the League’s chairman, acknowledged that the group’s fundraising record was “pretty impressive”. Asked about the £940,000 it had donated for the MRI scanner he said: “We looked for a major project that would make a big difference.People are enthusiastic about supporting their local hospital.”

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Europe Out Of Recession?

More economic news from Dibben and Dibben. As reported in the world press today is would appear that the French and German economies both grew by 0.3% between April and June 2009, bringing to an end year-long recessions in two of Europe's largest economies. French Finance and Economy Minister Christine Lagarde was reported as saying; "The data is very surprising. After four negative quarters France is coming out of the red." Very few analysts expected the economies to come out of recession this early.

But economic activity in the eurozone fell by 0.1%, showing the region as a whole is still in recession. Both the French and German economies last grew in the first quarter of 2008.

The German economy, Europe's largest, contracted by a revised 3.5% in the first three months of the year. And while exports rose 7% in June, the fastest pace in nearly three years, few analysts had expected a return to overall economic growth so quickly. The country's Federal Statistics Office said that household and government expenditure had boosted growth. It added that imports had declined "far more sharply than exports, which had a positive effect on GDP growth". First reports suggest that analyst reaction to Germany's recovery was mixed.

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The Number Of Mortgages On The Increase

News from Dibben and Dibben. The number of mortgages for homebuyers granted in June in the UK rose by around 23% compared with May, according to UK lenders. Around 45,000 home loans were granted for house purchases - just 6% lower than the same month the previous year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported today. The CML also said the mortgage market had stabilised, although this was far from a return to the housing boom. First-time buyers were still being squeezed, as they required to find an average deposit of 25% of a home's value.

The CML figures also showed that the number of loans granted in June to people buying a house was at its highest level since July of last year, when the housing market was already entering the doldrums, and amounted to £5.9bn.

CML economist Paul Samter. was quoted as saying; "Low interest rates and realistic selling prices have helped generate a welcome increase in transactions. But there is some way to go before we reach normal levels of activity," He continued by saying ; "There are tentative signs that lending criteria are easing, but remortgaging demand is likely to remain subdued whilst interest rates stay at current levels."

The average house purchase loan rose from £105,000 in March to £111,000 in June, signalling the recent increase in the typical house price.

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A Day Out With Thomas The Tank On The Watercress Line

This is a fantastic family event; The Watercress Line invites you, your family and friends to enjoy a 'Day out with Thomas' from the 8 - 16 August 2009! The Watercress Line advise that you arrive before lunch to make the most of your 'Day out with Thomas'. Trains travel through 10 miles of beautiful Hampshire countryside through the four stations of: Alresford ### Ropley ### Medstead & Four Marks ### Alton.

Your travel ticket includes:

• Freedom to travel all day on steam hauled trains or 'Daisy' the diesel railcar.
• Trains run approximately every 30-40 minutes from 9.35am to 4pm. (last round trip at 2.43pm)
• FREE short rides with 'Diesel' (at Alresford station), 'Thomas', 'Percy' and 'Toad' (at Ropley station).
• FREE 'live' entertainment with Mr. Wizard shows and a bouncy slide on Ropley picnic area.Look out for 'Sir Topham Hatt, The Fat Controller' and other characters.
• FREE colouring competition and 'Thomas' videos showing at Medstead & Four Marks station and Alresford station.
• See 'Bulgy' the bus and a friend of 'Trevor' the traction engine on static display in front of Alresford station.
• Children under 2 years old travel for FREE.

Facilities On Site Include

• FREE car parking at Ropley station in a large field.
• Hot & cold food and drinks available to purchase from stands at Ropley plus the West Country Buffet at Alresford station.
• Toilets available on the steam trains and at all stations.
• Disabled toilet located at Alresford (inside the Old Goods Shed), Ropley and Alton station.
• Baby changing facilities at Alton, Ropley and Alresford Goods Shed building.
• Gift shops at Alton, Ropley and Alresford plus 'Day Out With Thomas' merchandise marquee at Ropley.
• Picnic sites overlooking Alresford and Ropley stations.
• FREE buggy parking, picnic storage, baby feeding and nappy changing in a marquee at Ropley station.
• First Aid from St John Ambulance available in front of Ropley station. Please alert a member of staff if you require first aid at any time during your visit.

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Bright Spots In The Housing Market

Housing market - Summer Report from the National Association Of Estate Agents; THE UK housing market remained in a strong position in July compared to the previous year, despite the traditional summer dip in activity. Despite July and August traditionally marking one of the lower points of the year for estate agents, the average agent sold nine properties last month, according to new figures from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). That is compared to six the same time last year, and ten in June 2009. 22 per cent of last month’s sales were made to first time buyers.

The NAEA’s July market report, released today, also revealed that the number of house hunters is increasing – with 100 more people registering to look for property with each agent than at the same time last year. On average, an agent had 292 house hunters registered in July, compared to 192 in July 2008 and 290 in June 2009.

Supply of houses remains low this year, with 59 properties available at each branch. This means that there are five registered house hunters for every property available.

President of the NAEA, Gary Smith, said: “Estate agents expect a drop in activity over the summer months, but there is no doubt that the market is in a considerably stronger position than a year ago.

“Agents sold more in July than in any month last year. That is concrete evidence that the housing market, while not recovered, has potentially been through the worst.

“It is now up to the Government and the banks to lead the way. The NAEA will continue to lobby hard for responsible lending from the banks and effective Government policy to ensure that they do.”

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Dallas Comes To Eastleigh

As reported recently in the local Hampshire press an oil company is launching a new bid to drill for “black gold” in Hampshire. Northern Petroleum isreportedly in advanced negotiations with the owner of a secret site in which they will erect a 118ft rig and drill 24 hours a day for several weeks. This latest move has sparked majorconcern that the rig could be a blot on the landscape and cause traffic chaos for all the local residents. However oil bosses have refused to reveal the exact location of the site, but have apparently confirmed it was within 400m of homes on the outskirts of Hedge End.

It has been suggested that they believe the homeowners are living above a huge oil field holding up to 30 million barrels which is potentially worth millions of pounds. The development comes four years after the firm’s first attempt to drill for oil in a field close to Woodhouse Lane was scuppered by a huge public outcry.

The firm’s exploration and technical director Graham Heard was reported as saying he was confident the patch of land, north of Hedge End, would get planning permission from Hampshire County Council.

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Stubbington Cat Charity

As reported in the local Hampshire press this week, the sun may be shining but it’s raining cats and kittens at one Hampshire animal shelter. Despite being one of the country’s biggest, the Stubbington Ark in Fareham is struggling to cope with the number of stray and unwanted felines coming through the cat-flap.

Since the middle of June the shelter has had to deal with a barrage of dumped cats and kittens, leaving the Ark full to capacity with 160 unloved cats. Staff believe that a big part of the problem is the failure of some owners to microchip their pet, so when cats arrive at the shelter they cannot trace the owner.

To date, the Ark has 55 stray cats which could have been reunited with their owner for the sake of a chip, freeing up 55 cat cabins that are in big demand. Other problems adding to the flood of felines are owners who refuse to neuter their pets and owners who fail to make sure that their cats are being properly looked after when they go on holiday.

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Undervaluing 'slowing down home sales'

As reported in the UK press today, property sales and remortgage deals are collapsing because some mortgage lenders and surveyors are deliberately undervaluing homes, estate agents say. It has been suggested that properties are typically being undervalued by at least 10%, said the National Association of Estate Agents. It said surveyors afraid of being sued by lenders were being overcautious.

However the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors have strongly denied the claim, claiming that the housing market was constantly changing and still had lots of "imperfections". Mortgage lenders, such as banks, routinely commission surveys to ensure the price agreed for a sale reflects the property's current value.

A spokesperson from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, was quoted as saying; "We are dealing with a market where there are lots of imperfections and there will be a range of valuations that the valuer will look at before they arrive at their opinion of value." He continued; "that opinion of value could well be different from another opinion of value and could fluctuate over a period of time as well."

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Housing Market Autumn 2009

The autumn is likely to bring a flurry of activity from buyers who need to be in a new home by Christmas and sellers who, after not being sure if they should put their home on the market are likely to test it to see if they can sell. However, the number of properties for sale that will sell are likely to remain at an all time low unless the banks that are making money start to lend fairly to buyers.

For the market to have a chance of recovering, lenders need to be offering mortgages with five to 10% deposits. The ‘average’ house price statistics are not at all reflective of what will be happening in YOUR area. Some areas are doing much better and will continue to do so into the autumn, with so few properties on the market, buyers are now offering the asking price and sometimes above. Good properties in great locations are even selling in a matter of weeks.

However, other areas that are suffering economically, perhaps with a large local employer shedding their workforce, are still very much in the doldrums with people offering on average 90% of the asking price, so if a property is up for £150,000, offers of £135,000 are being received. Properties are taking eight to 12 weeks to sell and require a lot of buyers to visit.

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Major New Attraction For Southampton

In an announcement today plans have been revealled for a state-of-the-art tourist attraction based around the Titanic which could have the potential to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Southampton City every year. The waterfront based Ocean Liner Experience, which will host a display of items from the doomed liner Titanic, is work is set to begin within the next three months. It has been estimated the attraction will be seen by up to 300,000 people annually.

Backers of the attraction, which will be built on former restaurant premises at the end of Town Quay, have already secured a prestigious collection of Titanic artefacts which will form part of the permanent exhibition.

Entitled “Titanic Honour and Glory”, the collection has so far been seen by more than two million people at venues all over the country and has been voted one of the UK’s top five exhibitions. Scheduled to open its doors by the end of the year or early 2010, the Ocean Liner Experience is set to be in operation two years ahead of the city council’s ambitious £15m maritime heritage centre.

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£2m Home In Ringwood

As reported in the local Hampshire press today a house that is more akin to something from a sci-fi movie than a family home on the edge of a national park is up for sale. This eye-catching house even has a a very special name to match its space-age sci-fi appearance – but there is nothing down-to-earth about the massive asking price of more than £2m.

The luxury house boasts five bedrooms, three reception rooms and electronic entrance gates, plus extensive sun terraces and balconies. Built to replace an existing bungalow, it overlooks the Avon Valley and is close to the New Forest National Park. However, the futuristic-looking property is nothing like the quaint country cottages normally associated with the Forest.

The 9,000 sq ft property includes accommodation spread over three floors, an indoor heated swimming pool and its own cinema. Designed by award-winning architect Peter Thompson, the ultra-modern house can be found on a prestigious private estate near Ringwood

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Housing Boom Slow To Return

As reported today in the UK National Press, it would appear that there is very little chance of a quick return to a housing boom in the property market despite the possibility of UK house prices actually rising over the course of forthcoming year, surveyors say. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has changed its forecast of a price fall of 10-15% this year amid a "considerable shift" in the market.

But it warned that tight credit, limited transactions and job losses could see prices slip back in 2010. The outlook for the next year to 18 months remained "clouded", as spokesperson for Rics said.

RICS senior economist Brigid O'Leary was been quoted as saying: "There has been a clear change in the housing market over the past few months and, as a result, it is unlikely that we will now see the kind of house price falls widely predicted at the start of the year." And then concluded; "Instead, the return of buyer demand and the limited availability of housing on the market could be enough to support prices, so it wouldn't be surprising to actually see prices increase further from here in the short term."

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Park Receives Prestigious Award

As widely reported in the UK Press today a Hampshire a Country park has been given the thumbs-up by one of television’s well known wildlife presenters. Eastleigh Borough Council’s flagship country park has gained its first ever Green Flag Award after being judged to be one of the best in the whole of the country.

The itchen Valley Country Park, in West End area, received the fantastic award from Michaela Strachan for its excellent facilities, which include a new outdoor arena, a woodland classroom and a dedicated disposable barbecue area.

Rupert Kyrle, chairman of Hedge End and Botley Local Area Committee, was reported as saying: “We are delighted and thrilled to receive this award that is confirmation that this park has now, rightfully been formally recognised as a very special place for everyone to enjoy and cherish.”

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Southampton University Get SuperComputer

A multi-million pound supercomputer which is capable of doing over 74 trillion calculations per second is set to be installed at the University of Southampton. The custom-built machine, which is earmarked for cutting-edge research, is going to be in the top 100 most powerful computers on earth. Education bosses say the £3m system will be capable of highly complex computations in a range of many different areas of research.

Deputy vice chancellor Professor Philip Nelson said the huge investment was vital for the university to stay ahead of the competition, he was quoted as saying; “To ensure that we remain at the cutting-edge of research, we must invest in the best facilities for our research staff.

Academics at the university say the computer will result in world-class research. The supercomputer is due to be up and running towards the end of the year, based at the main university campus in Highfield.

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House Sales Slow In July

The latest results from July's Agency Express Property Activity Index show that sales activity is cooling down reflecting the traditionally slower summer holiday season. The index, based on the volume and activity status of for sale and sold boards across the UK, reveals that the number of sold signs instructed by estate agents in July fell by 6.1% compared to June. However, there is still an upward trend in sales.

The three-month rolling average to the end of July increased by 4.3% on the three-month period ending in June. And, compared to December – the lowest month on record - the number of sold signs erected in July was up 150%.

The three cities that experienced the greatest monthly increases in the number of properties sold in July were York that topped the charts with a massive 89.9% increase in sales on June, followed by Leicester up 46.2% and Edinburgh up 36.8%.

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Stars Hit The Solent

They are both known for their previous adventures on the water – but yesterday TV presenter and all round action man Ben Fogle and Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon got the ultimate buzz when they both hit the waves at Hampshire Cowes Week. Fogle teamed up with Hampshire sailor Mike Golding on board his high speed boat Ecover while Le Bon sailed with Isle of Wight-based former Olympian Shirley Robertson for the exciting final day of racing for the iShares Cup.

Television presenter Fogle may have ridden across the Atlantic, but nothing could have prepared him for the adrenaline rush of travelling across the water at speed of up to 45mph. Keen sailor Le Bon, who sailed in the 1985 Fastnet race in which his boat flipped over and he and his crew famously had to be rescued, was reported as saying: “It was very exciting, noisy and a lot of action. I’ve never seen people work so hard on boats before.

The iShares Cup at Cowes Week was won by Hampshire skipper Pete Cumming and his crew on Oman Sail Masirah.

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Lymington Show A Summer Hit

Record numbers turned out over the weekend to see a massive number of vintage and veteran cars at the Rotary Club of Lymington Summer Spectacular. Event organisers believed there was a record attendance of around 2,500 people at the 19th event of its kind. This year the Hampshire event also included a car boot sale as well as a dog show.

The event was free to enter, although all donations made on the day will be distributed between local charities. Vintage cars are described as those built after the First World War and veteran cars those built before the end of 1904.

President of the Rotary Club of Lymington Janet Durrant was quoted as saying: “It’s been a fantastic day, everyone seems happy and the weather has certainly helped us." She went on to say; “It’s a community event that the rotary club puts on each year as we endeavour to work in the community and for the community and the community is here today.”

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