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Hampshire Open Studios returns this month 22nd-31st August. In the week leading up to the August Bank Holiday Monday, galleries, artists and art groups across Hampshire open their doors to the public, showcasing their original artwork. It's a wonderful opportunity to discover the talented creatives on your doorstep. Not only can you admire their work, but you can also purchase a unique piece to take home.

Don’t burn your bras - donate them instead! Stick with me… What’s your bra situation? Do you have any that no longer fit, or ones you simply don't wear anymore? Rather than leaving them at the back of a drawer, why not put them to good use? Drop them off at the Bra Bank at Solent Funeral Services on the High Street in Lee-on-the-Solent. Every bra donated helps fund vital research into the prevention, detection and treatment of secondary breast cancer. You'll find all the details on page 24.

After great feedback on last month's savoury recipe, I've decided to share another! We all know lentils are good for us, but it can be difficult to know how to turn them into something delicious. This month, I'm sharing Meera Sodha's Potato and Lentil Salad with Pistachio Chimichurri. It's delicious served warm, at room temperature or chilled, making it perfect for summer lunches, picnics, barbecues or those occasions when you're asked to bring a dish to share. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!

There are plenty of events to enjoy this month too, including Summer in Lee, the Gosport Rotary Vehicle Rally & Family Fun Day, live jazz, summer fayres, shop openings, coffee mornings and much more. Whatever you're into, there's bound to be something to tempt you!

The monthly gardening guide is inside too. I've been picking tomatoes and my sweet peas are still going strong. You'll find a simple, not-tootaxing list of gardening jobs on page 22.

Have you spotted the lions in Southsea? Have you heard about Stokes Bay Rowing Regatta? We’ve got news of both inside.

You'll also find plenty of wonderful local advertisers ready to help, with many offering exclusive deals and special offers. If you visit them or use their services, please let them know you found them in Choice Magazine.

Are you a local business looking for more customers? Book an advert in our next editionI'd love to help, so get in touch!

Have a lovely August, everyone! And a very happy birthday to my Mum!

Alverstoke Village Podiatry

Another savoury recipe this month! One that works for this summer weather. Great for a meal at home, a picnic or when you’re asked to bring a plate of something for a gathering. Don’t be put off by the hour long cooking time you can water the garden whilst it’s cooking!

Prep 15 mins

Cook 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500g cooked puy lentils (or 230g dried puy lentils)

• 600g new potatoes, washed and halved

• 2 large fennel bulbs (600g), trimmed and cut into 2cm wedges

• 2 red onions, peeled and cut into 2cm wedges

• 2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges, 1 juiced

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 1½ tsp fine sea salt

• 50g picked flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 2 green jalapeño chillies, stems removed, flesh chopped

• 40g unsalted shelled pistachios

Recipe

POTATO & LENTIL SALAD WITH

PISTACHIO CHIMICHURRI

Method

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. If you’re cooking the lentils from scratch, rinse them well, tip into a small saucepan for which you have a lid, and add enough cold water to cover by 2cm. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, put on the lid and simmer for 12 minutes, until the lentils are cooked but retain a little bite. Drain and leave to cool down in a sieve, so they don’t continue cooking.

Put the potatoes, fennel, onion, lemon wedges and six of the minced garlic cloves in a large roasting tray, pour over 75ml oil and sprinkle over a teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat everything, then roast for 50 minutes, until all the vegetables are looking bronzed, the potatoes are crunchy and the fennel is starting to crisp at the edges. Add the lentils, stir everything together, then return to the oven for five minutes, to warm the lentils through.

While the vegetables are roasting, whizz the parsley, the remaining two cloves of minced garlic, the chillies, pistachios, two tablespoons of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of salt and 75ml (or another five tablespoons) of oil to create a thick sauce, then leave to marinate.

To serve, stir most of the chimichurri dressing into the hot vegetables and toss to coat. Turn out on to a platter or individual plates and top with a little more chimichurri.

Recipe by Meera Sodha meerasodha.com

Wall germander, Teucrium chamaedrys, is a small plant in the family Labiaceae. Other members of the family are mint, rosemary, thyme, lavender and dead nettle. Like most members of the family, T. chamaedrys, has a square stem together with fragrant leaves and flowers. In Crescent Garden this plant is most easily seen surrounding the roses in the circular Repton Basket near the centre of the western lawn of the garden. It was planted 2 years ago and is now developing into a hedge-like structure with clusters of purple/pink flowers from July to September. It has small, shiny almost oak shaped leaves which stay on the plant all the year round, giving winter interest. These leaves give the plant its specific name, chamaedrys, from two Greek words, khamai meaning ‘on the earth’ or ‘dwarf’ and drus meaning oak. Historically the plant was often called ‘ground oak’. The generic name, Teucrium, comes from an ancient king of Troy called Teucer, who is said to have used the herb medicinally.

In medieval times it was used extensively for medical purposes. It was, for example thought to cure dropsy, jaundice, gout and relieve head colds if inhaled regularly. If the flowers were steeped in wine for 24 hours, this drunk over a period of time would kill worms. In more recent times it could be

Crescent Garden

IN AUGUST

bought in health food shops for various uses including slimming diets and treatment for mild diarrhea. T. chamaedrys leaves have also been used to flavour liqueurs and wines. It was, however, banned in France in 1992 and USA in 2017. It is said to cause liver damage. For some people it is a skin irritant, so it is best to wear gloves when handling it.

Wall germander is native to a wide area, throughout Europe (including the British Isles) and east as far as Iran. It will happily grow in almost any type of soil as long as it is not waterlogged. It flowers best in plenty of sunshine and can withstand drought conditions; so a good plant for your garden if UK is to continue having summers like this one is turning out to be. (I wonder if it will be pouring with rain when this is published in August!!) It is generally pest and disease free and the fragrant flowers attract bees and butterflies to collect the copious nectar. For these reasons, and also that the leaves emit a spicy aroma when brushed past, it has long been a staple of “Cottage Garden” planting schemes. It was also very commonly used in Elizabethan times to create the formal geometric gardens known as “knot” gardens. If cut back carefully after flowering it can still be made into a small hedge, so if you are wondering what to have in your garden instead of a box hedge stricken by the box moth this may be the answer.

So; an attractive, easy to grow plant. Good to have in your own garden perhaps.

■

HVR GARAGES

With 3 sites in the local area, all of our Garages are high ranking members of ‘The Good Garage Scheme’ and ‘Checkatrade’. Our Garages

MOTs | Servicing | Repairs

All Makes and Models catered for.

Solent Airport MOTs, Unit il1-3, Illustrious Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive, Lee on the Solent PO13 9FX

Elkins Motors, 99b Mays Lane, Stubbington PO14 2ED Locks Heath Garage, 212 Hunts Pond Road, Locks Heath PO14 4PG

CUSTOMS

Specialists in VW’s, we also cover many other makes and models in the full or part conversion of camper vans, kombi vans and caddy’s. We manufacture and design custom built camper interiors for Volkswagens and other makes.

Full

Part Conversions

VW Transporters, Campers, Kombi’s and Caddy’s

HVR Customs, Unit il3-4, Illustrious Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive, Lee on the Solent PO13 9FX

CARS AND VANS ALWAYS IN STOCK FOR SALE!

Specialising in transporters and small low mileage cars. (The cars are ideal for ﬁrst time drivers.)

Around the garden

• Summer prune wisteria by shortening all long sideshoots to about 20cm

• Deadhead your dahlias

• Prune lavender

• Prune climbing & rambling roses once they've finished flowering (unless they’re repeat-flowerers in which case leave them).

• Sow hardy annuals

• Plant autumn bulbs

• Remove suckers from roses

• Keep deadheading to encourage more flowers

• Collect seeds from your favourite flowers to sow next year.

• Order spring-flowering bulbs ready for planting next month

In the greenhouse and on the veg patch

• Keep harvesting courgettes before they become too big!

• Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce fruits that have time to ripen

• Remove lower leaves of cordon tomatoes up to the lowest truss, to let more light and air reach the fruits

• Lift onions and shallots once their tops die down, then leave to dry in the sun

• Cut back herbs to encourage a new flush of leaves that you can harvest before the frost. Any not used fresh can be dried or frozen.

• Sow salad leaves and a last sow of beetroot

• Cut back leaves on grapevines to let the sun ripen the fruits

TOP TIP: Plant up pots with 'Paper White' narcissus bulbs for fragrant indoor displays this Christmas

If you’ve got any bras that:

• No longer fit

• Are no longer your style

• Are sitting in a drawer thinking, “What was I thinking when I bought this?!”

…please donate them!

At Solent Funeral Services 82-84 High Street, Lee on the Solent

Local Events

HAMPSHIRE OPEN STUDIOS 22nd - 31st August

In the week leading up to the Bank Holiday Monday, galleries, artists and art groups open their doors to exhibit original artwork to the public. See what studios are open at hampshireopenstudios.org.uk

GOSPORT ROTARY CLUB VEHICLE RALLY & FAMILY DAY 10am-4pm Monday 31st August. Stokes Bay Field. £4 per adult. All ages welcome - the annual event attracts over 300 cars and 100 motorcycles from all decades, plus entertainment, refreshment stands and market stalls.

COFFEE MORNING Alverstoke Parish Centre 10.30am-12noon. Fourth Tuesday of the month. £4 for coffee/tea & cake. Book stall and raffle. All proceeds towards Regeneration Project.

GOSPORT CATS PROTECTION STALL AT Stubbington Fayre 31st Aug 10.30am-4.30pm. Cat-themed merchandise, new & nearly-new donated goods, jigsaws, craft items for sale.

SHORE LEAVE HASLAR MEMORIAL GARDEN Wednesday 12th August 11am-2pm. Crafts, plants, produce for sale. Homemade cake and drinks. Walk around the peaceful garden. Please park in main Haslar site. Free entry. Donations gratefully accepted.

SEW TRIBAL TEXTILES STUDIO GRAND OPENING 8th August 3pm 5 Bemister's Lane, Gosport

A vibrant new creative hub will celebrate its launch with the Mayor of Gosport.

W L S

Do you have important legal documents in place to protect your interests and make life easier for you and your family, whatever the future brings?

If you have received a diagnosis of dementia, or are concerned about becoming ill and unable to cope with paying your bills, wouldn’t it be helpful for a family member to be able to step in and deal with your finances? If your family member needed to make decisions for you, instead of just acting on your instructions, they would need your formal written authority to do this.

Formal authority can be given by creating a Lasting Power of Attorney. This document will allow your family member to take over managing your money, either temporarily or long term.

You can also create a Lasting Power of Attorney which allows your family member to make decisions for you about medical treatment, if you are unable for any reason to make your own decisions. This is not the same as an Advance Decision, which is a document which sets out your decision to refuse medical treatment in the future, under specific conditions.

If you are caring for an elderly relative, or are likely to be doing so in the future, a Lasting Power of Attorney will mean that you can provide the support your relative needs and access services on their behalf, without the difficulties, stress and resistance you would otherwise encounter.

Having a Will gives you peace of mind that your money, property and personal possessions will be going to the people you have chosen to benefit. An out of date Will can cause problems within the family or mean that a chosen beneficiary receives nothing.

If you have any unanswered questions about Wills or Lasting Powers of Attorney, Christine will be pleased to help, so do please get in touch for a free, no obligation, chat.

Call Christine Davies Solicitor on 07860 772274 or email: christine@winterbornelegal.co.uk

Christine is a Fully Accredited Member of Solicitors for the Elderly and a Dementia Friend. Christine will visit you in your own home and aims to provide a warm personal touch to every meeting.

Christine Davies Solicitor

& DONKEY DERBY

Monday 31st August

Stubbington Recreation Ground 10:30am - 4 pm

GOSPORT

Local Events

SUMMER IN LEE - SEAFRONT PROMENADE

Marine Parade, Lee on the Solent

Friday 21st Aug 7-11pm

Saturday 22nd Aug 10am-10.30pm

Sunday 23rd Aug 10am-7.30pm 10th Anniversary of this amazing free event for the public to attend raising funds for Children with Cancer UK. Music performances on Friday evening, Saturday & Sunday. There’s children entertainment with circus tricks/balloon animals and a bubble man, climbing wall and the Smile Emporium. montserratevents.co.uk

STOKES BAY WI Meet 3rd Tuesday of the month. St Mary’s Parish Centre, Alverstoke. 10am-12noon. www.stokesbaywi.co.uk

THE LEE HUB 14 High Street, Lee-on-the-Solent 15th August 2pm AGM. All members welcome 1st & 3rd Mon of month Over 60s Luncheon £5 meet up with other folk, natter & enjoy lunch. Hub open Mon-Friday from 9:30-4.30 Saturdays 10-1.30. www.leehub.co.uk 02392 551047

GOSPORT JAZZ CLUB - AUGUST 8-10.30PM Gosport Rugby Club, Dolphin Cres, Gosport 12th - Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends

26th - Dwyer’s Bix & Pieces

G/NM £12. Book by previous Monday. gjcreserve@gmail.com or 02392429302. Further details on gosportjazz.org.uk or Facebook.

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT

Visit gosportchoice.com and head to the ‘submit an event’ button from the menu.

Lions have arrived across Portsmouth, each one uniquely designed and painted by talented artists and sponsored by local businesses. As part of The Pride of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth 100 celebrations.

Leo, Jewel of the Sea is created by local Hill-Head based artist Ruth Hudson. Ruth creates bright, bold and graphic imagery inspired by rainbows, sitting somewhere between surrealism and pop art. Working with both acrylic paint and digital design, her style is immediately recognisable for its dreamlike feel and confident use of colour.

Her work explores themes of inclusivity, identity and joy, often using recurring motifs such as drips, eyes, clouds, rainbows and stylised shapes. Influenced by pop art and surrealism – including artists such as Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein –she blends playful symbolism with contemporary design, celebrating diversity through vibrant, unapologetic artwork.

Alongside original paintings, she also creates digital

Meet Leo

JEWEL OF THE SEA

designs that are sublimated onto clothing and everyday products, bringing art into daily life. Her pieces are often described as the brightest works at any event, created to stand out and encourage connection.

Leo, Jewel of the Sea takes inspiration from Portsmouth’s crest and coat of arms, drawing on the city’s maritime history and the sea lion found in the original emblem. Elements such as the sea and the anchor run throughout the piece, reflecting Portsmouth’s long-standing naval heritage and its close relationship with the water.

These traditional symbols are reinterpreted through the artist’s distinctive style of neon rainbows, flowing drips and bold graphic shapes. The design blends heritage with modern expression, celebrating Portsmouth as both a historic port city and a vibrant, inclusive community. The lion also aligns with Portsmouth being named the UK City of Pride in 2025, marking a moment of visibility, celebration and unity.

The sculpture trail has started already and runs from the 13th of July to the 13th of September, so it's purrrrfect for a family outing.

Check out more details about the trail at prideofportsmouth.co.uk

Find out more about Ruth Hudson at elysiancharmstudios.co.uk

TUESDAYS 7-9pm Wednesday 9.30am-12noon

What started as a simple idea a few months ago has already become one of the highlights of the summer at Stokes Bay Sailing Club.

The enthusiastic crew of Crazy Daisy, a Gosport based Bursledon Gig rowing team, approached the club with a mission – to bring the enjoyment of coastal rowing to this corner of the Solent. Their first step was a "Meet the Rowers" afternoon in May, where club members had the chance to climb aboard and have a go for themselves. The event attracted local rowing clubs and even Gosport's Mayor, Kirsten Bradley, who came along to lend her support.

Fast forward to 5 July, and that enthusiasm had grown into the inaugural Stokes Bay Rowing Regatta.

Eight boats from four local clubs – Seafarers, Hamble, Tudor and Stokes Bay Sailing Club –lined up for a fun mixed-crew race across the bay. With sunshine, calm seas and just enough breeze to keep everyone cool, the conditions couldn't have been better, creating a fantastic spectacle for spectators both ashore and afloat.

After nearly an hour of determined rowing, Navigator from Tudor Sailing Club crossed the line first to take the honours, while Stokes Bay crews claimed an impressive second and third places and 'Frienship' another Tudor boat taking the ladies first prize. Mayor Kirsten Bradley once again joined the festivities, following the race from an accompanying boat before presenting the prizes to the smiling crews back on shore.

The energy, laughter and friendly rivalry brought by the Crazy Daisy crew and their visiting rowing friends made for a memorable day and showed just how much fun rowing can be. Judging by the smiles at the finish, this is only the beginning, with plans already underway for an even bigger Stokes Bay Rowing Regatta in 2027.

Fancy giving it a go? Drop an email to gosportrowing@gmail.com or keep an eye out around the club for the unmistakable Crazy Daisy crew in their bright turquoise team tops –they'll always be happy to tell you more.