New Milton Advertiser 16th Oct 2020

Friday 16th October 2020 · 9

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Gourd effort as pumpkin just short of world record

Lesley honoured for £4k mask fundraiser

THE mayor of Ringwood said he is liaising with officers and an MP over drug-related deaths in public spaces as post-lockdown crime in the town has increased by more than a third. Between 1st April and 30th June there were 114 offences in the town compared to 174 between 1st July and 30th Sep - tember, a report to the latest Ringwood Town Council meet - ing revealed. There have also been rises in the “majority” of crimes, in - cluding burglary and violence without injury – up by 13 and 14 respectively – malicious com - munications and harassment offences, criminal damage and vehicle offences. However, anti-social be - haviour crimes have not re- A HAMPSHIRE mum who raised more than £4,000 for the NSPCC by selling homemade face coverings during the pan- demic has won an award. A member of the NSPCC’s Lymington branch, Lesley Yates says she is “amazed” at the amount of money she raised. She began making the masks in March, since when she estimates she has now made thousands. She has now been honoured with the Esther Rantzen Award which recognises extraordinary efforts by charity staff and vol - unteers. Lesley said: “We have been volunteering for the NSPCC for about six years, helping at the events and street collections and when it looked like our up - coming events were going to be cancelled, I thought that face masks would be a way I could help raise some extra money. “At first I set a small goal of £500 which soon grew as we contacted all the other vol - unteers who bought some for themselves and put the word out to all their contacts to pick up from me. “We quickly moved the goal to £1,000 and now we are over £4,000 and still counting.” She added: “It was very nice

But the Lymington twins did improve on their own UK title

BY ROZ WATERS PHOTOS: STEVE WEST

LYMINGTON twins Ian and Stuart Paton have smashed their own UK record for the big- gest ever pumpkin. The 185-stone monster was officially weighed at Pinetops Nursery in Lymington on Sat - urday – but it came up just 31lb short of taking the coveted world record. The super fruit is one of four 2,000lb-plus whoppers the brothers produced this year, with two of them now set to be displayed at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton and Otter Nurseries in Lymington. Ian said: “Once we have grown the pumpkins they are absolutely no good for eating so we always try to find a way they can be used to raise money for charity. “We are not quite sure where the biggest will end up yet but we’re expecting to have lots of interest in the next week or so.” The gigantic squash was cul - tivated in greenhouses at the family-run Pinetops Nursery in Efford, near Lymington, where 59-year-olds Ian and Stuart spent around six hours a day tending to it. At its growing peak it gained an incredible 51lbs a day for 21 days straight. The brothers have long set their sights on breaking the world record, which is currently held by BelgianMathias Willem - ijns with a 2,624lb (187.5-stone) pumpkin grown in 2016. Ian said: “This year our big - gest pumpkin was an absolute monster. We needed two fork- lifts to get it out of the green - house so we knew it was going to come close to the record. “We didn’t quite break the world record this time around – but we are absolutely sure we will get there one day. It is just a matter of time. “We started growing pump-

Lesley Yates

to be nominated for the award but I’m a bit embarrassed by that sort of attention. It wasn’t just me, all of the volunteers did a lot and it’s a nice sense of ac - complishment.” NSPCC supporting manag - er Caroline Morgan said: “We are so pleased that Lesley has won one of our coveted Esther awards this year. “Lesley, supported by the Lymington committee, has turned a difficult situation into a positive. Dame Esther loved her inspirational story, and we are very proud of her.”

Mayor wants action on town drug deaths

Ian and Stuart Paton celebrate breaking the UK record for heaviest pumpkin, with Ian’s two-year-old grandaughter Martha Syrett

kins over 40 years ago, when our biggest weighed 54lbs, and it is absolutely incredible to think that the pumpkins we grow now can gain around that in weight each day.”

This year’s whopper weighed in at 2,593.7lb – bringing it with - in 31lb of the world record and smashing the brothers’ previ- ous UK title of 2,433lb. Ian and Stuart plant seeds from previous supersized pumpkins every April to grow a crop of six plants, which are then used to grow one pumpkin each. The plants are pollinated in mid-June and it takes around 110 days for the pumpkins to reach their maximum size. Ian said: “The seeds can be quite variable. If you look at siblings from the same fami - ly, you can get some short and some tall and it’s the same with pumpkins, you never quite know what you will get. “We always grow six plants but we will inevitably lose one or two along the way.”

The twins have been grow- ing pumpkins competitively for more than 20 years and have made no secret of their inten- tion to take the world record for the largest ever.

Ian said: “We already have lots of ideas of things we will change and improve for next year – we have come so close this time that 2021 really could be the one.”

turned to pre-Covid levels and the police also carried out two positive warrants in relation to commercial burglaries and theft, and increased patrols which led to more arrests. The report, produced by local inspector Mike Minnock, said the force “continues to be ded- icated to high-harm offences and protecting the vulnerable in our community”. Town mayor Cllr Tony Ring said he was liaising with police and Sir Desmond Swayne MP regarding drug-related deaths in public spaces, although there had been none reported recent- ly. He also pledged to lobby the force over issues people had calling 101 and about graffiti in the town.

The twins after finding out they were 31lb short of the world title

Moving the pumpkin into place for the weigh-in

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John enjoying his glass of Pimms in the garden this summer.

appreciated by John Smith, a resident at Colten’s Braemar Lodge home in Salisbury. “It’s a great advantage, a great attribute. If my health changes and I need help then I know nursing support is there. It complements the care from the rest of the sta , from the cleaners to the companionship team. I can go and ask them anything I need. ey are very responsive, kind and sympathetic. ey greet you, asking questions such as: ‘Can I do anything for you?’ or ‘Have you got what you need?’. is is a very comfortable setting te. changes an co e rest of the

at the Outstanding- rated Ferndown home Amberwood House to recuperate after an operation. “All the sta are lovely,” says Mavis.

e sta are very good, well trained people. ey know what they are doing. It’s amazing what they know and how they look after you. You can have con dence in them.” Ken points to a wide range of activities the team provide to ensure residents are happy, comfortable and ful lled. All follow the rules on physical distancing. He cites quizzes and carpet bowls among his personal favourites. “At the same time, it’s easy to nd peace and quiet. I have a computer in my room. I can work on that if I want to or I can go out into the lovely garden, sit by the pond and watch the fountain. It depends on what you want. ere’s always something to do, and that’s down to the sta . I like them very much. ey’re easy to talk to and they’ll do anything for you. ere’s always someone around if you want to ask something.” Ken’s feelings are mirrored by fellow Colten resident Mavis Quincey. She has just spent six weeks

“Before, I had no-one to talk to, now I have everybody to talk to”. So says 94-year-old Ken Vivian, a resident at Colten’s Brook View home in West Moors, Dorset, since June 2020. “I was on my own at home when the virus came. When I came to Brook View I had to self- isolate for a fortnight but it made no di erence to me. It meant I would then have the opportunity to meet with people, have a laugh and make friends. Since then I’ve become very happy here. We have very happy chats. I’m friendly with everyone even if I have a job remembering all their names!

“Before, I had no-one to talk to, now I have everybody to talk to.” Ken at Brook View

“There are trained nurses on hand who could be working in a hospital. That reassurance means there is no reason to go anywhere else if your needs change.” Mavis at Amberwood House

with friendly sta . I am looked after, fed, watered and have a nice room and bed. We enjoy lots of activities including access o , wat

“ ey are very considerate and helpful. I do believe the home is a safe haven. We’ve all been tested and checked, and they have put in lots of measures on things like PPE and distancing. I have made some very nice friends and I would de nitely recommend the home to others. ere is a real sense of community. You can go and mix if you want; not everyone wants to all the time but there are always enough people to speak to. Every day is di erent. As well as seeing other people, I read and do quizzes and wordsearches – all of that is good for my mental health.” One of the main factors that sets Colten apart from other providers is that all its 21 homes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Sussex are registered for nursing care. Mavis says this is an important strength

that gives peace of mind for residents and their families. “ ere are trained nurses on hand who could be working in a hospital. at reassurance means there is no reason to go anywhere else if your needs change.” e ready availability of nursing care is also

to a beautiful garden where you can walk alone or with company. When I made the decision to leave my home and come to Braemar, I knew I was right to do it at that time. And since then, I have never regretted it for a moment. When I made the decisi

At the end of the day, I have got a life to lead and I think it’s easy to have a comfortable life here at Braemar. I am fortunate. I count my blessings.”

Ken about to tuck into a cake freshly prepared by the chef.

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