Page 38 • The HERALD • 27th August 2026 v THE HERALD - ENCOURAGING LOCAL ENTERPRISE v SPECIALISING IN HOUSE RENOVATIONS THE FITTING OF BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS CARPENTRY, GARAGE CONVERSIONS PATIOS AND GENERAL BUILDING Family-run business with over 30 years of experience Tel: 07774134992 w: southernhomedevelopments.co.uk PJ-T DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIRS • Misted Units • Locks • Handles • Hinges • Door Adjustments/Repair • Cat Flaps Paul Jackson-Turner 07708 620910 pjtrepairs65@yahoo.com uPVC & Aluminium Free Quotes Fully Insured THE CALSHOT ORCHIDS by Robin Somes, Fawley and Blackfield Memories Orchids are rather mysterious things, at the best of times. Some years they can appear in great profusion, other years not at all. Many of our native orchid species are named for their owers’ resemblance to insects, animals, and even humans; in many cases the ower has evolved to resemble an insect, to trick them into believing it’s another insect, and in attempting to mate, carrying pollen away to fertilise another orchid ower. e bee orchid, for instance, really does resemble a fat, furry bee. Many orchids, too, depend upon fungi living in and among the roots, to assist in germination and growth by providing essential nutrients to the plant. In my younger days, and still to some extent now, I was prone to wandering around with a camera, exploring places which, while not strictly forbidden, are a little o the beaten track, and not always easily accessible. So it was that in June 1988, I found myself exploring a rough patch of ground, just by the car park at Calshot beach, where the bus stops. is patch of ground wasn’t overgrown, but at some point a few years before, several loads of soil, rubble and all sorts of other things had been dumped there - legally or not, I have no idea. is was in the process of being colonised by all sorts of plant species, and among them, I found growing a profusion of bee orchids. e bee orchid is well known for colonising areas disturbed by human activity, o en within a town or city, and the dumping of soil and rubble from other areas is a factor in their spread. Apart from the orchids, I also found sulphur cinquefoil, viper’s bugloss, spiny restharrow, and yellow-wort, none of which were really suited to the surroundings, but somehow they were still thriving. Naturally I took photos, and reported the nding to Paul Bowman, the County Plant Recorder (an incredibly dedicated and well-respected botanist, who sadly lost his life in a swimming accident o Calshot Spit a few years later). Whilst the bee orchid is a very e ective coloniser of new territory, it’s not so good at remaining there, especially when it becomes overgrown with taller shrubs and trees. So it was with the little patch at Calshot - within a few years, it was completely overgrown - in which state it remains, covered by trees. Now just another area where no-one really goes, and no-one really cares, but somewhere in the County wildlife archives, there’s a record of what was once, and brie y, there. Bee orchid, by Robin Somes Langley Hub Update Do you enjoy live music? en join Langley Hub for a musical evening with e Henrys. A father and son duo who perform a mixture of music from the 50s to the 80s as well as many Beatles songs. It will be a great evening of music, socialising and dancing, at e Royal British Legion, Exbury Road, Black eld, SO45 1XD on Saturday 12th September. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £13.01 each, available from: www. ticketsource.co.uk Sorry, no tickets will be available on the door. You are welcome to take along your own table nibbles to this event. All proceeds from the Co ee Morning on 17th September, will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support to raise money to help fund medical, emotional, and nancial support for people living with cancer. Co ee Mornings take place at the Empower Centre in Langley, 10am-11.30am for co ee/tea/homemade cake and biscuits. Please note dogs are not allowed in the Centre. Saturday 5th December, 7.30pm, Liam White will be performing at Blackfield British Legion Club, booking details for this event will be available soon. If you are interested in joining a great group of friendly people, to help out at an occasional event, simply to join the Langley Hub meetings to learn more about what they do or even to become a Committee member, they would be delighted to hear from you. Please email: sandra.langleyhub@gmail.com if you want to have a chat and nd out more! www.langleyhub.co.uk HYTHE OF ACTIVITY Hythe of Activity is taking place on 5th September, 10am-3pm, running alongside the Fete at St John’s Church. Hythe of Activity is an opportunity for all the clubs, charities, social groups, societies, lunch clubs, community groups, support groups and more to ‘set up stall’ in Hythe Village Centre. is gives everyone the chance to promote their activities to the community. Hythe is rich in support and things to do but many people are still not aware of all that’s available, hopefully this will bring in new members as well as volunteers and even sponsors. ere will be a trail map for children and a goodie bag at the end. Each stall is encouraged to have a game or interactive element so there will be lots to do.
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