Local Business

Play to the Crowd, the arts and education charity that runs Theatre Royal Winchester, Hat Fair and Playmakers, announces that Pulse Cargo, worldwide freight shipping experts, have recently become Corporate Partners supporting Hat Fair Festival Logistics. Since receiving the news that the charity would no longer receive core funding for Hat Fair as an Arts

The organisers of Hat Fair, the UK’s longest running festival of Outdoor Arts, are looking for market traders for the festival weekend. The festival, which takes place throughout the streets and green spaces of Winchester over the first weekend of July, will have pitches available for traders on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 July. Market traders will have the opportunity to

by Anita Foxall. Brighton duo, Blood Red Shoes, started this year with the heartbreak of seeing their European tour being cancelled, for the obvious reasons. Musicians are not unfamiliar  with cancelled tours and gigs, with album launches being postponed hoping for more social, better times to do so. Blood Red Shoes decided that, finally having a

Eat cake – tackle loneliness. What is not to like ? Last month saw the launch of a project in Southampton to do just that. Communibakes is a baker’s shop and community hub in Shirley set up by a local charity. The profits from the bakery and shop will be channeled into much-needed work to

Southampton’s radical bookshop October Books, has launched a crowdfunder like no other – this promises a 100% return to all who contribute. The folks at October Books are encouraging the public to buy October Books vouchers via a crowdfunding campaign in order to keep the tills ringing until they can open their doors once more.

by Frances Churchward, additional research by Georgina Morgan. In these very frightening times, one thing that has given a spark of positivity is people coming together as communities and supporting one another. People have stayed in their homes for weeks on end, not only for their own sakes, but also, to protect those more vulnerable.

by Sally Churchward. For the staff and volunteers at October Books, there is delicious irony in the fact that the building in which the radical bookshop is now based used to house a bank. “I love it, it’s so ironic,” exclaims volunteer Glyn Oliver, who has been helping with fixing up the new venue, around