Celebrating Mothers Everywhere
A bit of a colour clash above but hey ho, for me this feminine-feeling-photo captured the spirit, for mothers everywhere and everywhen. Happy Mother's Day on Sunday.
By the way, a real treat today or tomorrow if mum hasn't already seen it, would be a visit before it finishes to the really lovely Kurt Jackson: Lymington River exhibition at St Barbe. Each painting is a part of the river’s journey, from its beginnings in the heart of the New Forest to the crowded waters of the Solent shore. It really feels like taking a virtual walk down the river to the sea, incorporating parts of it that most of us have probably never seen!
Celebrate Mother's Day, the Balmer Lawn Way
Enjoy time together, beautiful surroundings and a little indulgence in the heart of the New Forest at the Balmer Lawn Hotel, perfectly situated on the open New Forest just outside Brockenhurst, with plenty of free parking behind the hotel:
Afternoon Tea with Fizz
A relaxed and elegant way to celebrate, time to gather, raise a glass and enjoy an afternoon that feels truly special: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March, 15:00 to 17:00
Lunch
A classic way to celebrate, bringing everyone together for beautifully prepared dishes and easy conversation over the weekend: Set Lunch Menu is served on Saturday, with the traditional Sunday Roast on Sunday: 12:00 to 14:30.
Gift Vouchers
For a flexible option, Gift Vouchers can be used towards dining, spa days or overnight stays.
BALMER LAWN HOTEL FOR MOTHER'S DAY
Spring Includes - Spring Cleaning!
If you've been meaning for ages to get your legal affairs in order, consider spring cleaning them!
As the days grow longer and the first signs of spring appear, many of us turn our attention to a familiar ritual - the annual spring clean. Cupboards are cleared out, paperwork is sorted and plans are made for the months ahead.
Scott Bailey Solicitors often talk about giving your legal affairs a “spring clean”, too. When you are in the mood to get your house in order, it can also be a good opportunity to review your important legal documents. Many are created at key moments in life, but they are rarely revisited unless circumstances change dramatically. Over time, those documents may become outdated, incomplete, or no longer reflect your wishes.
One of the most important documents to revisit is your will. Many people write a will after a major life event such as marriage, the purchase of a home, or the arrival of children. However, it is easy for many years to pass without reviewing whether it still reflects your current circumstances.
Another area that is often overlooked is Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA). These documents allow someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you lose the ability to manage your affairs. It is very important, once you have assigned somebody as your LPA, to update this immediately if your circumstances change and they are no longer the best placed to make important decisions on your behalf.
If you own property, it may also be worth checking how it is legally held. For example, couples who own property together may hold it as joint tenants or as tenants in common. The way property is owned can affect what happens to it if one owner were to pass away.
Spring clean your property affairs
If you are living with your partner but are unmarried, it is important to understand that unmarried couples do not have the same legal rights as those who are married or in a civil partnership. Putting a cohabitation agreement in place can be a sensible step, particularly where couples share property, finances, or have children.
Spring clean your family legal arrangements
For business owners, reviewing the long-term future of your business should form part of your legal spring clean.
Scott Bailey's experienced lawyers regularly assist individuals and families with wills, lasting powers of attorney, estate planning and property matters.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR LEGAL AFFAIRS WITH SCOTT BAILEY!
Bonkers but Brilliant - Dogstival!
On 30 & 31 May, Burley Park will be transformed into a doggy paradise with totally unique and bonkers canine fun:
- Pop up Beach Resort with palm trees, sun loungers and paddling pools with foam parties, DJ’s and a 100-piece Rock Choir
- Healthy Hound Kitchen - four-legged gourmets can try their paw at sausage-making, creating delicious dog pizzas and a Lady and the Tramp themed afternoon tea
- Barking bingo, doggy quizzes and breed meets at the Muddy Paws Tavern Pub
- A third diving and splash pool exclusively for petite pups, stand-up paddleboarding for dogs and a doggy skateboard park
- Crowd favourites including flyball, agility, lure racing, scent work, scurries and the ever-popular Barkour Adventure Playground
- Dogstival’s own Pup Art Café with workshops for dogs to emulate Pablo Picasso’s abstract flair using peanut butter on canvas or painting with their paws
- Ladybug Art Memory Garden - celebrating every dog who has shaped our lives, past and present
- Street performers and comedy shows from leading festival performers and paw-tapping live music all weekend
- Plus, over 130 amazing retailers to shop and sniff around
As we said: Bonkers but Brilliant!
Explaining ULTRACK 50
Last week's mention of Hammersley Homes' upcoming event now needs explanation!
Ultrack50 is a fundraising event to be held in Battersea Park Millennium Arena on Saturday 28 March, of which the Lymington based charity which provides vital local support for vulnerable adults living with enduring mental ill-health, is proud to be a part.
The challenge invites runners to complete 50km by running 125 laps of a 400m track.
In other words: this is a fun but also a serious, running event! And first and foremost the charity is hoping to enlist a few more runners to join in. Specifically, they're looking for individuals who are keen runners and would run the entire 50km with the chance of winning £1,000, and/or teams of say 5 people, to run 10km each.
They're also inviting anyone who fancies a fun day out to go and watch - there will be food & drinks vendors, music and lots of people enjoying the day's events. And, they're looking for sponsors to perhaps fund their timing equipment, or the track rental for the day - the more sponsorship they can encourage, the more much needed money will go to the charity.
World Book Day at Durlston
Despite being an avid reader (currently just finished James* by Percival Everett and starting on Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell), I missed that it was World Book Day last week. But pupils at Durlston School didn't! They took part in a full day of activities and adventures with a focus on books and reading. They welcomed visiting author Jamie Littler (author/illustrator and the creator of the best-selling Frostheart and Arkspire series) who gave lessons in how to write books and the art of illustrating, and local author Angus Watson, who shared extracts of his latest children's book and answered questions about being an author. The day culminated in a Book Swap, which gave the children the opportunity to discover new adventures like those of Huckleberry Finn* - 'Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain't got no business doing wrong when he ain't ignorant and knows better.'
*Huck is the co-star in James, which is a very thought provoking read...
See Events Calendar and Diary below for Easter Holiday Camps and Football Training Camps at Durlston!
And More Culture
Let's hear it for Lymington! Lymington and Pennington Town Council has entered us for the first UK Town of Culture 2028, and the chance to win a £3m fund to put on cultural events. Each entrant has to demonstrate the unique story of its town, and the ability to design and deliver an inclusive year-long cultural programme. Lymington has a number of cultural venues of course including the fabulous St Barbe Museum & Gallery and the Community Centre's Malt Cinema, and top class cultural events including the annual Solent Music Festival and Lymington Seafood Festival (more about these next week). As Cllr Jack Davies from the town council said, the competition is an opportunity to showcase what else we have to offer, from our salt producing and ship building heritage to our traditional Victorian and Georgian style and cobbled streets. Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition; two runners-up for the main prize will get £250,000 to deliver elements of their vision. Go Lymington!
And finally on that theme, a shout out for the Lymington Society's talk next month at the Community Centre: HMS Victory - The Big Repair. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy and learn so much, at these brilliant local explorations of our national marine and maritime heritage!
With best wishes,
Best wishes Jane
Read the rest of this week's newsletter here
And check out What's On in the Diary of Upcoming Events!
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