Make Christmas a little greener with a brand new Winchester bag

Winchester City Council has launched a new eco friendly bag just in time for Christmas. Not only is it made from 100% unbleached cotton: the Winchester bag is also designed by a local artist and the final artwork was decided by a public poll.

To help local artist Lucy McLoughlin decide which images captured the best of what the Winchester District has to offer, over 150 residents and visitors took the chance to vote for their favourite icons from a selection produced by Lucy.

Not surprisingly, Winchester Cathedral came out top in the survey, closely followed by the Round Table and King Alfred’s crown from his statue on the Broadway. Other popular icons featured on the bag include a quill, representing Winchester’s literary connections with the likes of Jane Austen and John Keats; a steam train symbolising the ‘Watercress Line’ in Alresford, and theatre masks representing Winchester’s lively arts and street entertainment scene.

The final design brings together the most popular icons in a fun and contemporary style with the strapline 'Winchester - bags to do'.  The City Council hopes that the bag will raise the profile of Winchester and its surrounding area as an exciting destination with activities to suit all ages and tastes, whilst reinforcing local commitment to reducing waste.

Cllr Frank Pearson, Portfolio Holder for Environment, commented:

“The arrival of our Winchester bag marks another step along the road of delivering our Climate Change Action Plan.  The district still has a long way to go, but buying and using a bag like this is the kind of simple but significant action we can all take to help make a difference.”

Lucy McLoughlin said:

“It was a real challenge to create an appropriate design that would appeal to a wide range of people. It was a very thorough process and we tried to get as much input from everyone as possible. I am very pleased that the bag is finally here and I hope that the people of Winchester will like it.”

The bag will make a perfect Christmas gift, a souvenir for visitors or a handy shopping carrier for local residents.  It is now on sale for £2.99 at the Tourist Information Centre on the Broadway, the City Council’s Customer Service Centre in Colebrook Street, City Museum and other local outlets. Visit www.visitwinchester.co.uk for a full list.

Video podcasts launched to deter excessive drinking            

Hampshire Constabulary is launching three video podcasts as part a crackdown on alcohol-related violent crime over the festive period.

Marjorie Golding, James Harper and Spencer Winch were all filmed speaking about their experiences with alcohol.

In one podcast Marjorie Golding, whose son Blake was seriously injured in a glassing incident in December 2004, talks about the campaign she and her husband started following the attack for plastic bottles and glasses to be used at late-night venues. In the interview Marjorie speaks about the attack and urges people to not drink excessively on nights out.

In another podcast Championship footballer James Harper, who plays for Reading FC, describes why being teetotal suits him best and offers advice for those heading out on the town to have fun but stay sensible:  “If you’re planning to have a night out, I’d say you can drink, but in moderation.

“Don’t get smashed so you don’t know what you’re doing.

“You have loved ones out there who will be caring and worrying about you – you don’t want to put them through any pain.”

In the final video Spencer Winch, a paramedic for South Central Ambulance Service speaks about his experiences of being out on the road on a Friday and Saturday night.

Reducing alcohol-related violent crime is the priority for Hampshire Constabulary in the run up to the festive season.

To view the podcasts please visit:

http://www.hampshire.police.uk/Internet/news/campaigns/Video+Podcasts.htm

Hantsweb Awards Success for Olivers Babycare and Nevada

Two companies are celebrating after scooping awards in the 2008 Hantsweb Awards.

Olivers Babycare, based in Winchester, and music retailer Nevada, based in Portsmouth, were joint Runners Up in the hotly contested Best Small Business Website Category. There were a total of 180 entrants in this category.

“To make it through to the last three in this section of the awards was quite an achievement, with so many other good websites in this competition,” said Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers Babycare. “We are delighted to have got so far in this year’s Hantsweb Awards. It is a tribute to the hard work of all our staff, and to the skills of our web designer and e-commerce adviser MAD Productions. It is the latest exciting event in the Olivers story, during what has been a very good year for our company.”(Last month Olivers was named Regional Winner (south) in the Best Retailer of the Year Awards run by the Baby Products Association.

Nevada Managing Director, Mike Devereux, added, “these awards are very important to us, they are a recognition of the talented Nevada Music Team along with Hampshire based consultants MAD Productions, who have developed The “Nevada Music Experience” a site with heart, soul and authority. Customers recognise Nevada Music as an established business, providing the highest levels of service whilst constantly striving to improve the shopping experience.”

Both websites are designed by MAD Productions based in Southampton. Commenting on their success, MAD chairman, Mark Temple, said: “I’m chuffed to bits that the websites we designed for two of our major clients have been recognised in this way. It is a testament to the excellent work of the MAD team. It is very gratifying to have talents of our staff appreciated by experts who really know their field.”

Last year Olivers Babycare was overall winner in the Best Small Business Website category of the Hants Awards. This year, the winner was Real Island Food Company, based on the Isle of Wight. The Hants Web Awards, run by Hampshire County Council, is now in its sixth year. The number of entrants this year was the highest yet.