Intro
Hey, and welcome to the Waterlooville podcast. Here is the news coming to you this week from Waterlooville. This is Waterlooville This Week.
We have drive-thru dates, Romans at Butser and a 107-year-old who runs on jelly babies. These are the 10 stories that Waterlooville are talking about, counted down 10 to 1: a fake Halloween event, a cat-shooting appeal, a new pair of Hawks bosses and the date you can finally get a drive-thru flat white.
10. Christmas lights date
So of course, in 10: it is mid-October, so obviously the Christmas lights date is out. Saturday the 28th of November. Waterlooville Community Events has confirmed this year the Christmas market and the lights switch-on will happen the same day. That is Saturday the 28th of November 2026. Put that in your diary.
The market runs through the day and the big switch-on follows in the early evening. An exact time hasn't been published, but last year's switch-on was a Thursday, the 27th of November. So it's moving to a Saturday, which means a full day out rather than a dash after school. Put it in your calendars now. A Saturday switch-on: the best chance for years to have the whole family attend.
9. Lollipop patrols axed
And in 9: 11 lollipop patrols axed to save £66k, while £229k went on Facebook and Google ads. Can you believe this? Hampshire County Council this week have released that they are withdrawing 11 school crossing patrols because, hey, who needs to save children, hey, across the country? And it's expected to save £66,000 a year.
Now, that's a bitter, bitter pill to swallow when you realise that between January and July 2026 that same council spent £229,459 advertising on Google, Facebook and Snapchat. So yes, you can entertain your kids with social media, but they probably will be run over. Fantastic.
Two of the patrols are in Havant, so please be careful if you are used to seeing lollipop ladies and men at St Albans Road, Littlegreen Avenue and Mill Road. No Waterlooville, Cowplain or Purbrook crossings appear to be on the list so far. That's the good news for our Waterlooville residents.
Defending the cuts, Cllr Steve Broomfield said finding new lollipop staff is "not a popular job". No, nor was being the ambulance people that go to them when kids get knocked over. But don't worry about that.
8. White Dirt Farm
Number 8: White Dirt Farm, up to 135 homes planned on fields turned down once before. The developer, Hallam Land, is drawing up plans for up to 135 homes on a 9.7-hectare site at White Dirt Farm. It's between Horndean, Clanfield and Catherington, with 40% affordable housing. No planning application has been submitted yet.
Residents took their worries about flooding and the pressure on the roads, schools and GP surgeries to a Clanfield councillors' surgery. Cllr James Hogan: "We've been here before, as a proposal for this site was turned down in 2014." Cllr Chris Tonge warned that because East Hampshire has no up-to-date local plan, there's a presumption in favour of sustainable development. Add Charity Farm and Sunderton Fields and more than 500 new homes could come to the Clanfield area.
Let me know your thoughts on that. At this moment, people can still shape it. The developer consultation closed on the 14th of October. The formal application, when it lands, will open a new comment period.
7. Romans at Butser and what's on
And in number 7: Romans invade Butser Ancient Farm this weekend, and the rest of what's on. Butser Ancient Farm hosts a Roman reenactment weekend on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of October, with living history and combat from the Butser IX Roman Legion. It runs again on the 31st of October and 1st of November. The spooky storytelling nights in the Great Roundhouse on the 16th and 17th of October have already sold out.
And on Friday the 16th of October, Hambledon Vineyard's Harvest Party, 7 to 11pm: £65 a head with fizz, a harvest cocktail, canapés and live music from Carterello. Nice. The vineyard and the winery are closed to tours during the harvest, so it's the only way you're going to get your wine fix this month.
And on Sunday the 18th of October, the Hawks Women play AFC Varsity in the Hampshire Women's Senior Cup. After beating Whitchurch United 5-0 a fortnight ago, you will not want to miss that.
And coming up, we have Fairport Convention playing Barton Hall at Horndean Technology College on Tuesday the 27th of October. Denmead Horticultural Society's Pumpkin Show is on Wednesday the 28th of October at the Memorial Hall. And yes, the one we've all been waiting for: the Denmead Beer Festival is Friday the 30th of October, not Saturday this year. A proper weekend on the doorstep, from Roman legions to English fizz, without going near the M27. Nice.
6. Cat appeal at Wecock Farm
And number 6, sad news: police hunt whoever is shooting cats with an air weapon around Wecock Farm. Hampshire police are investigating several reports of cats being injured or killed in the Waterlooville area, where an air weapon is suspected. One cat shot on the 27th of September had to be put down.
At least five cats are known to have been hit, with only one surviving, and two have had air rifle pellets removed. One resident believes more than 10 local cats have gone missing. Most incidents have been reported around Wecock Farm, though neighbours think it may be wider.
Police have stepped up patrols and want to see CCTV, doorbell and dashcam footage from anyone who may have it. So if you have a camera pointing at the street around Wecock Farm, check it and call 101. Cat owners nearby may just want to keep them in after dark.
5. The fake Halloween event
And in number 5: is the scariest thing at Queen Elizabeth Country Park this Halloween a fake ticket website? Well, Hampshire Trading Standards has warned that "Haunted Halloween Escape" at Queen Elizabeth Country Park is fake. It was advertised as 13 nights of sessions until 11pm from the 20th of October, but neither the park nor Hampshire County Council has anything to do with it. Anyone who has unfortunately already paid should contact their bank or card provider, or Citizens Advice. So make sure you check that out if you have booked that fake event.
The real one is QE Park's own Great Monster Hunt trail, running from the 24th of October to the 1st of November. It is just £6 a pack from the Visitor Centre, open 10am to 4pm. Halloween Hollow runs on the 30th and 31st of October, £10 per child, adults free, booking essential. Over at Staunton Country Park, the Curse of Staunton trail runs the same dates for £5 a pack.
And on the 14th of October, Trading Standards said it had stopped a Halloween mask with a suffocation risk and plastic vampire teeth with a choking risk before they reached the shops. If you are buying your costumes, make sure you're doing it from well-known retailers and don't be tempted by any cheap alternatives.
4. New Hawks bosses
So, coming up at number 4, it's football news: two Hawks bosses, a 6-3 defeat and then a 4-1 win, all in four days. Havant & Waterlooville have appointed former Gosport Borough pair Pat Suraci and Joe Lea as their joint first-team managers, after they left Poole Town. They replace Aaron Martin, who left after a 2-1 defeat at Bracknell on the 19th of September.
It's been a wild few days at Westleigh Park: a 6-3 defeat at Wimborne on Saturday the 10th, and then a 4-1 home win over Basingstoke on Tuesday night. Midfielder Brad Tarbuck has rejoined the club, and the company Switch Mortgages has signed up as their new commercial partner.
Next up: Hanworth Villa at home, Saturday the 17th of October, 3pm. Tickets are £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and free for under-16s, so get your kids to support the local football team.
3. Dorothy, 107
And coming up is story number 3 this week in Waterlooville: 107 and still going strong on bacon, eggs and jelly babies. Dorothy Creighton has turned 107 at Pear Tree Court care home in Horndean, where the staff threw her a surprise party and the head chef baked her a cake. How amazing.
Born in Bristol, Dorothy was a self-confessed tomboy who played football with the boys, worked as a hairdresser and joined the Women's Land Army during the Second World War. It's where she met her husband. She has three children and is now a great-grandmother.
Her fuel? "I can't live without my bacon and eggs every morning," she says, "or my jelly babies." Her secret: "Keep everyone around me on their toes." Happy birthday, Dorothy. Somebody get this woman a lifetime supply of jelly babies.
2. Liam's light show
And it's story number 2: 5,000 lights and pyrotechnics. Liam's Halloween light show is back for men's mental health. Now, you've probably heard of this very famous house in Waterlooville. Waterlooville's Liam Mcerlean, 25, is switching on his Halloween light show again, and this year it's bigger and better than ever: 5,000 lights plus pyrotechnics, programmed at his family home.
Liam started the show after a serious battle with depression, to get people talking about men's mental health. This year the show raises money for Andy's Man Club, the free peer-to-peer support group for men, and he is setting up his own mental health charity, I'm Here Mate.
The show launches on Saturday the 17th of October and runs every night from the 23rd of October until Halloween, with free popcorn, photo spots and a tombola. What more could you ask for on a Halloween night? Go and see it, put something in the pot, and while you're there, ask your mates how they are actually doing. If you're struggling, Andy's Man Club runs free weekly groups, and Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night.
1. Costa, KFC and Aldi dates
And the number one story in Waterlooville this week: we've seen it being built, but it's ready now. It's official. Costa opens on the 22nd of October, KFC on the 26th of October, and Aldi at the end of November. Yes, it's what we've been waiting for: more fast food chains and another store from Europe.
After years of diggers, drone videos and the comment sections, Waterloo Park finally has its dates. Developer Hargreaves has been on the site since January. All three businesses are fitting out now, and tree planting and landscaping will carry on for several months after the doors open. The scheme was approved by Havant Borough Council in 2024 despite objections from residents, and reports put the new jobs at up to 16 at Costa and 40 at Aldi.
The town finally gets a drive-thru coffee, then a bucket of chicken four days later. Expect huge traffic all around that area when it opens because, let's face it, people be crazy.
Outro
Have you got a story for next week? Make sure you send it in to the team. This is Dean from Waterlooville.co, and this has been your Waterlooville podcast.
