Picture the scene, if you will. A blustery, overcast, and cool late spring Sunday morning at a local park.  On every spare piece of green there are children playing cricket, their parents wrapped up against the cold, brothers and sisters running around; pretending to take an interest. A scene played out all over the country.

There was one difference on this particular Sunday morning, 20^th May 2012. Tucked away in a distant corner of Turn Pike playing field in Hedge End there was a game going on, between Hedge End Junior CC foundation side and GE Hamble junior CC. What makes this so different?, you may think. The answer to that question is this game was the very first match to be played by the boys and girls from Hamble.

They have been training hard for 12 months now indoors and out, since the club was started in April 2011, with an open day at GE sports field in Kings Avenue; and has continued to grow with the generous sponsorship from HugoFox.com.

The Hamble Juniors await their turn to bowl at their first match of the season

The excitement was tangible as the players prepared for the match, with some catching and bowling practice. Then the game started with Hamble batting, the first runs scored by Alison Burgess, were greeted with a cheer more suited to a goal being scored at St Mary’s! GE Hamble junior cricket club was now off and running! The result of the game was not at all important, the fact that it took place was what really mattered to the coaches and club chairman (Terry Gover)……………………….For the record Hamble achieved a narrow victory.

As a club the one thing we that we need is more children to come along, we can provide all the playing kit, we have ukcc qualified level 1 and 2 coaches, but with more players these games will be a regular occurrence, as we start entering leagues.

Though you will never replace the excitement of a first game………

Anybody interested in coming along please contact Andy Burgess andyburgess518@btinternet.com or 07949848496. Alternatively, contact the HugoFox News team for more information.

HugoFox helps Karen with her work and studies via this super iPad3!

By signing up to receive email offers through the local listings website, Karen became eligible for our fab competition in which a HugoFox.com user is randomly selected each month to take home one of Apple’s trendy gadgets. What’s more, Karen was doubly lucky, as this month HugoFox.com was able to upgrade her prize to a yet-flashier iPad3.

Karen first heard about HugoFox.com when the site was recommended to her by Colin Murphy of JEM Tennis, Southampton. Colin told her about HugoFox.com’s recent sponsorship competition, in which 23 sports clubs competed for a jackpot of £1000 extra sponsorship from the site. By registering with HugoFox.com, Karen was able to boost JEM Tennis’s score, bumping up their points. Now that the competition has closed, those precious points will be transferred directly into sponsorship for JEM Tennis, even though the club didn’t manage to nab the coveted £1000 top prize.

Karen tells HugoFox News how keen she was to support Colin’s club. “Colin is the hardest working person I know, and is very committed to supporting the local community to enjoy affordable tennis,” Karen says. “My son was just three years old when he began playing tennis with Colin in 2006, and has been playing ever since.” Watch out, Andy Murray!

When Karen heard that she’d won the iPad3, she didn’t initially believe it, and had to send a text to Colin to check that we weren’t pulling her leg! “When he confirmed it was true, I was absolutely thrilled,” she told HugoFox News. “Things like this do not happen to me!” We beg to differ, Karen!

Karen is the proud (and surprised!) winner of HugoFox.com’s fourth iPad giveaway.

As someone who is both working and studying, the iPad3 will be a great asset to Karen in her busy life. “I am currently working as a Classroom Assistant in a Primary School and studying a part-time degree at the University of Portsmouth to train as a teacher, so the IPad3 will be really useful to help me with my studies and future career,” she tells us.

“I would like to say a very big thank you to HugoFox for the IPad3,” Karen adds, “and especially to Victoria Poolman, who has been great with keeping me informed.”

HugoFox News is very pleased to hear that the prize will help Karen in her various endeavours, and wishes her the best of luck for the future.

Want to be next month’s iPad2 winner? Getting involved is easy: just sign up as a HugoFox.com user, and you will be entered into the draw every month that you are active on the site.

Funds from the canoe trip will go to the Piam Brown Ward at Southampton Hospital, helping them to continue providing expert care for children with cancer.

The six men will begin their epic journey on Monday 4th June, when they will be taking the plunge into the River Wye at Glasbury in central Wales. From there, they will paddle their canoes the 100 miles downriver over four days, passing through Hay-on-Wye and Hereford before arriving at Chepstow on Thursday 7th June. Stuart Allen, Michael Barclay, Andy Galvin, Gary Osmond, Andy Regan, and Lee Verney will all be completing the trip, camping along the way and assisted by their crewmen Zeb Inker and James Hall.

In memory of Zeb’s son Aiden Inker, the expedition aims to raise money for the Piam Brown ward at Southampton Hospital, where Aiden received all his treatment for leukemia before sadly losing his brave battle with the cancer.

As the Wessex Paediatric Oncology Centre, the Piam Brown ward cares for seriously ill children from across the area, treating all kinds of cancer in children ranging from a day old to eighteen years of age. The ward aims to support the child and their whole family, and along with specialist treatment it also organizes outings for the youngsters and their relatives. Each July, teenagers attend a fantastic weekend at Avon Tyrrell, where they participate in a variety of outdoor activities including orienteering, cycling, rock climbing, swimming, tennis, horse riding, and yes – canoeing! Younger children are treated to day trips at Paultons, Chessington, and Marwell Zoo. On occasion, the ward has managed to organise a trip to an Army camp where the children have clambered over assault courses and even ridden in tanks!

The dauntless team are looking jolly before their 100-mile trip down the River Wye… We hope to see those smiles at the end of it, too!

Funds raised from the River Wye canoe trip will be vital to the Piam Brown ward, helping them to continue improving their facilities, treatment, and care. The money will go towards more advanced medical equipment, comfort amenities for parents, toys and activities for the playroom, a variety of items for the school including computers and stationary, staff education, and will also be put towards the children’s outings.

The intrepid Hampshire team has already raised over £2000 for the ward, but they are still seeking more donations in order to reach their target of £3000. Anyone with a few pounds to spare is encouraged to visit the team’s JustGiving page, and give whatever they can in aid of this immensely worthy cause. Any donations will be gratefully received, and will make a real difference to the children and families treated by the Piam Brown ward whose lives have been affected by cancer.

In addition, readers local to Glasbury or Chepstow might think about lending their support in person by heading along to the expedition’s starting or finishing points and cheering the team on! We at HugoFox News would certainly like to raise a resounding hurrah for the adventurous canoeists, and wish them the best of luck both in their fundraising efforts and on the 100-mile journey itself.

Ready, set, GO! Runners get off to a good start for the second of the day’s sponsored fun runs

A Fun Day was had by all at the DRT’s recent event, which took place on Saturday 19^th May and involved two sponsored fun runs taking place around the beautiful Oxford University Parks.

With dozens of fabulous stalls set up, selling books, wedding favours, toy stalls full of weird and wonderful amusements amongst other goodies, there was plenty of entertainment – including a bouncy castle, face painting and lucky dip for the children.

Adults weren’t left out, with the afternoon’s raffle prizes including a Champagne dinner for two courtesy of The Randolf Hotel, spa memberships from David Lloyd gyms, paintball experiences and even ‘Deal or No Deal’ tickets, donated by Endemol UK plc.

Professor John Stein, co-founder of the DRT, and his brother, celebrity chef Rick Stein.

The Family Fun Day was set up and ready to go at 10am, with nearly one hundred runners gathering to race in the two fun runs arranged and zumba-style warm ups courtesy of Georgina from the Amanda Alder Dance Academy.

We were delighted to see so many taking part, with runners of all ages and abilities donning their tracksuits to raise money for the Dyslexia Research Trust – clearly a cause that is close to the hearts of so many.

A castle fit for a (very small) king!

Those competing were rewarded by a number of enticing foodie stalls, including a barbecue, Sasi Thai Cuisine stall, as well as chefs from Padstow’s famous Seafood Restaurant cooking up a storm with their Fish Taco Bar.

Celebrity guest of the day was Rick Stein, brother of the charity’s founder, Professor John Stein. Any sibling rivalry from the past was awakened when the two went head to head for the second race of the day, but all was in the name of a good cause, with total funds raised by those involved amounting to an incredible £3500.

Rick Stein swaps his wooden spoon for a baton to conduct the Abingdon Brass Band

Professor John Stein commented: “Thanks to all the loyal and generous supporters of the DRT, the Fun Run Day was a tremendous success.  Nearly one hundred runners, including Rick Stein, nearly thirty stalls and other attractions, including Sasi Phasori’s delicious Thai dishes, Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant fish taco bar; Catermaster’s Barbecue, The Cellar beer tent and lots and lots of children’s activities made for a thoroughly enjoyable family day – all in the aid of a hugely important cause, helping children to learn to read.”

Congratulations to all runners who took part in the fun runs – especially this little one, whose one mile effort must have felt like the London Marathon!

Rick Stein tweeted: ‘What a magical day.  All the colourful stalls; all the excited children. A wonderful occasion for all - in aid of such a worthwhile cause, the Dyslexia Research Trust’.

The HugoFox News team wishes to congratulate John, Clarice and everyone who made the day such a joy to attend, and a hugely successful fundraiser for supporting the important work which goes on at the DRT.

If you’d like more information on coming events arranged by the DRT, please get in touch by emailing info@dyslexic.org.uk

Heytesbury and Sutton Veny first XI occupy the top spot in their division after two impressive wins. Keep it up, lads!

As the summer’s cricket league begins, HugoFox has been trotting out onto the pitch as well as the players! The local listing website’s logo proudly adorned the shirts of Heytesbury and Sutton Veny Cricket Club as they got off to a flying start to the season this month, with both first and second teams winning their opening fixtures.

Enthusiastic about supporting community projects and sports teams, local listings website HugoFox.com signed a three-year deal with the cricket club, with funding going towards the upgrading of facilities and equipment, along with general upkeep. The sponsorship was finalised in September of last year, and since then it is clear that both of Heytesbury and Sutton Veny’s teams have been putting in the hours, readying themselves for this summer’s league. Indeed, as the results of their first matches show, they were more than ready to face the opposition as the season opened.

On Saturday 12^thMay, Heytesbury and Sutton Veny’s first XI opened their league campaign by beating Warminster’s fourth XI by eight wickets in a game lasting a total of 41 overs. Heytesbury and Sutton Veny’s Captain Kitley won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. Warminster opener Gregory (23) got his team off to a good start, and against some wayward bowling they reached 26 from three overs. However, when Cooke took Davidson’s wicket in the fourth over, the game took an unexpected turn in the home team’s favour.

It’s all smiles for the second XI after their victories — and HugoFox is pleased to be there too!

A lack of application and patience by the visiting team’s batsmen allowed Heytesbury and Sutton Veny to seize the initiative. Warminster’s poor shot selection meant the home team’s rusty bowling captured wickets at regular intervals. With a different mindset Warminster could quite easily have posted a competitive score, as this was by no means a vintage display from the bowlers. But amongst the rash stroke-play wickets continued to tumble and Warminster were all out for 84 in the 22^nd over. Bowlers Barnes (4 for 37) and Cooke (3 for 34) recovered well after shaky starts to find some form with the ball and Olly Hares chipped in with three wickets at the end.

Heytesbury and Sutton Veny’s reply began in strong fashion as Ed Read (44) and Justin Wagstaff (26) guided the hosts to 52 from 11 overs. A wicket each for Conway and Waterland in consecutive overs gave Warminster a brief glimmer of hope. However, Read was in no mood to let the game slip and took the home team to victory in the 21^st over.

But one victory wasn’t enough for Heytesbury and Sutton Veny Cricket Club, and Saturday 12^th also saw their second team best Winsley third XI by three wickets.

The following Saturday brought further triumph for both teams. The second XI faced Wanborough 2, snatching a win by one wicket, whilst at Bathford the first XI defeated the home team in a one-sided contest, winning by 203 runs.

Having been asked to bat by Bathford’s captain, first XI openers Wagstaff and Read began the innings perfectly with a solid opening stand. Read punished the bowling with a series of punchy cover drives; Wagstaff was more cautious, but still dispatched any loose deliveries with ease. A change of bowling failed to stem the flow of runs or find the breakthrough wicket, and when Read was finally out for 69 in the 26^th over the pair had added 130 for the first wicket. Brand then joined the fray and runs continued to come freely. Wagstaff made the home team pay for dropping him on 47 and jogged easily to a memorable century. Heytesbury and Sutton Veny’s score passed 200, and a useful 17 from Joe Dufosee pushed the visitors’ total to 232 from 45 overs.

Bathford’s reply began in disarray, with opener Merritt chipping a cover drive straight to Wagstaff in the 3^rd over. Opening bowlers Rob Barnes and Rob Cooke then began to dominate proceedings, and the home team’s innings unravelled in spectacular fashion. Barnes in particular was on the verge of something special – no batsman could settle or get anywhere near him. Cooke at the other end bowled a tight line and length, increasing the pressure. When Lee and Gurney both fell to Barnes, and Julian Allard ran out Vowles, Bathford were 15 for 4 and staring down the barrel. Wickets tumbled under Cooke’s bowls, and he finished with excellent figures of three for 11. However, it was Barnes who stole the show with a devastating spell of bowling. He claimed six wickets for just nine runs, and Bathford collapsed to 29 all out.

With these impressive results already under their belts, the two teams hope to continue their winning streaks and push through the rest of the season on top form. As for HugoFox.com, we’re delighted to be able to help support such a promising club, and the Fox is thrilled to be present at the games, gracing the club’s kit!

If you run a local sports team and are interested in getting HugoFox involved with your club, be sure to keep an eye on HugoFox News. There are changes a-happening at HugoFox.com – you may have already noticed the new look over at the listings pages! As part of this summer’s revamp, we will also be refocussing the way we support local teams, and there’s one HUGE competition on the horizon (think this, only bigger)! Stay tuned with HugoFox News to find out more in the near future!

HugoFox News would like to thank Adam Pratt and Justin Wagstaff, and all our contributing club coaches for the wonderful match reports.

As catering manager of the Rogers family, Sandra’s dinner-time menu left a little to be desired…

Where would we be without our Mums? Unable to eat, dress, conduct ourselves socially and with nobody to wipe our faces after dinner. 

In fact, if you were to search on our Jobs section for a Mum, you’d probably need to include quite a few keywords: caterer, housekeeper, dry cleaning services, head of entertainment, nurse, taxi-driver, counsellor, teacher, relationship therapist, accountant, personal shopper, estate manager, travel agent, animal trainer… the list goes on. Which is precisely why Mums are so great at multi-tasking (thank goodness!).

With several mums amongst the HugoFox team, we know exactly how important it is to handle your time effectively. If you are not juggling saucepans, separating whites from colours and changing nappies all at once now, you’re probably planning how to manage the growing list for tomorrow. Makes you tired just reading about it all, doesn’t it? Luckily for Mums throughout the region, HugoFox is here to help.

Here on HugoFox.com we have tried to keep this in mind as we constantly update our news, events, jobs and offers to keep your life ticking along consistently: after all, having a ‘one stop’ site where you can organise most of your ‘duties’ in one hit is a time-saving luxury.With constant updates on our many sections, we can help you find a local football club, book a birthday party, search for some great local shopping deals and much more – even better, everything is local to you, saving time, money and a whole lot of additional effort!

Whether you need a new car for your growing family (Hummer, anyone?) a part-time job to fit around your family needs or you are looking for ideas to help the finances go further, there is a category to fit the bill. HugoFox.com has great ideas for keeping the family happy on a weekend or school holiday with events from fun days to family musicals  - and if you are on a budget, it’s always worth a browse through the Offers section for discounts and savings on your doorstep.

Being a mum is the best feeling in the world… but sometimes we all need a little time-saver to help make the job a bit easier. Search HugoFox.com for ideas.

The business section has listings of the services you may need for organising a holiday, coffee shops and beauticians to unwind, to specialist food retailers if you are trying to work around your vegetarian/intolerant/generally picky brood. Need a regular babysitter or a nanny? Why not post under our Jobs section (posting costs from just £24) where local, well-known and reliable people will be looking for this type of work – after all, as events manager and head of recruitment, this is part of your role too!

School is a big part of family life so being able to read about what the local schools are up to can give an insight into the activities in which they encourage their pupils to participate. Our News site is well worth keeping tabs on – not least because we avoid the sensationalist and just generally depressing stories in favour of what’s really relevant to you – read about the Dyslexia Research Trust here to find out how this charity changes children’s lives, and of all the great charity work which is being done to help raise funds for such worthwhile causes.

And if, after all that, you still have a spare few minutes each day to run a business of your own, then the site is a fantastic way to list and promote your services: there are guides to help you use HugoFox to your advantage and develop your business, whilst still reserving precious time to wipe little Johnny’s nose and release the cat’s tail from Molly’s ‘death grip’. All in a day’s work…

Keep up to date by following us on Twitter or checking the Facebook page, where you can have your say, make suggestions and leave comments. The team are always glad to hear any thoughts and ideas, so do get in touch by emailing us at news@hugofox.com.

Small, nifty, and environmentally friendly? Now that is smart!

Want to buy a used car, but having trouble deciding which one? We understand. With HugoFox.com’s dedicated Cars section bursting with fantastic deals on second-hand vehicles, the choice seems overwhelming. But not to worry! HugoFox News is here to give you a helping hand. Just answer the questions in our fun quiz below, choosing whichever option is most true for you, to find out which motor meets your requirements. At the very least, the route you choose should help to spark some ideas as to where you should be looking for your ideal auto… So what are you waiting for? Give it a go, and see which driver’s seat you should be sitting in!

1) I’m counting my pennies.

Yes, money’s tight at the moment – go to 2.

No way! I’m splashing out on my new wheels – go to 7.

2) I like my cars compact.

Yes, I like nipping through the traffic – go to 3.

No, have you seen what I have to fit into this car? – go to 4.

3) I try to reduce my carbon footprint wherever possible.

Yes, my choice of car reflects my concern for the environment = SMART fortwo.

No, that’s not my top priority right now = Nissan Micra

4) Will you be delivering the goods, or the kids?

“Now watch out for the headlights, Bond. They’re actually laser beams capable of killing pedestrians at 100 yards. Use them responsibly, won’t you?”

The goods, I need a vehicle suitable for my business needs = Ford Transit

The kids, I do the school run every day – go to 5.

5) I’m giving the oldest a lift to university. I don’t understand why they need so much stuff!

Yes, I need a hatchback for sure! – go to 6.

No, my kids aren’t yet old enough for that, thank goodness = Volkswagen Passat Sport

6) I want a 5-door car.

Yes, we need all the doors we can get! = Renault Clio

No, a 3-door will do nicely, thanks = Vauxhall Corsa

7) Will you be speeding through cities or cruising through the country?

Cities, I’m an urban driver – go to 9.

Country, I live out in the sticks – go to 8.

8) Big or VERY BIG?

Big is big enough: = Land Rover Freelander

Very big – size matters, you know! = Land Rover Discovery

9) There’s nothing like a Bond movie to liven up a Sunday afternoon.

Yes! I admit, I’m a bit of a Bond wannabe – go to 10.

No, that spy’s far too suave for my liking – go to 11.

10) I prefer Goldfinger to Moonraker.

Yes, Sean Connery made a great Bond, and you can’t go wrong with Oddjob as a villain = Aston Martin Vantage

No! What about Roger Moore and Jaws? Come on, Moonraker was the best! = Bentley Continental

11) I may not be keen on Bond, but I’d prefer a British-made car.

Yes, I’m feeling the Jubilee spirit = Jaguar XF

No, I couldn’t care less, just give me something fast = Porsche Carrera

Which car did you arrive at? Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it; there are plenty more motors for you to browse in our Cars listings. However, we hope that our little quiz has helped point you in the right direction… Consider HugoFox News your own personal ‘sat nav’!

You don’t need to sit behind the box or venture down to your local pub to watch a great match… local mini sporting heroes, The Rustington Otters’ U10s have proven that local sports teams are just as much fun to support with their spate of recent wins putting them top of the pile. Here they are celebrating winning the Wick Tournament.

If you thought last week’s Premier League final was good, you’d better get on side for local team, the Rustington Otters. Sponsored by HugoFox.con, the club’s star team players may only be under ten years of age, but they certainly know how to score a goal or two…

Fresh from their recent success of winning the league and cup double, the U10FC team at Rustington Otters have had a fantastic start to the tournament season.

At the Wick Dynamos Tournament on Saturday 12th May, at The Littlehampton Academy, the Under 10FC side carried on their brilliant league and cup form, running out winners of the tournament with an excellent record across their 7 games: winning 6, drawing 1, scoring 12 goals and conceding none!

The quality of football on the day from all teams involved was amazing, and it was great to see the boys enjoying themselves in the much shorter tournament style matches after such a long, hard season.

But it’s not just the littlies who are on top form: On Friday, 11^th May, at the Worthing United Tournament, the U11FC team from Rustington Otters played brilliantly to finish as runners up. They lost narrowly in the final, 2-1, to Hangleton Rovers, after a hard-fought tournament under the floodlights at Worthing United’s home ground. Well, you can’t win ‘em all.

HugoFox News team send their congratulations to the teams and their coaches. We are proud to have our Fox backing the Rustington Otters and look forward to hearing more winning results this season.

How do you untangle this thing? Fear not, those behind the scenes at many of our listed film events across the region know what they’re doing. You just need to buy the tickets. And the popcorn.

As followers of film will no doubt be aware, 16th May saw the opening of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Cinema fans and impresarios from all over the world flock to this prestigious event which, through screenings and awards, promotes accessible arthouse films by sharing them with wider, passionate audiences. This is all extremely laudable, of course – but what about those of us who are languishing on the wrong side of the channel?

Luckily, HugoFox.com is just the place to find local events that will satisfy your cinematic needs. As our Events listings show, it’s not necessary to travel all the way to Cannes when there are plenty of opportunities right on your doorstop. What’s more, in the spirit of Cannes, HugoFox.com can help you to sniff out the less commercial options. If you’re tired of the glare and blare of big-chain cinemas, HugoFox Events has a number of artsy alternatives.

The classic approach: film screenings

Movie lovers can help to support local arts venues by checking out their film programmes. There are some real cinematic gems to be found at fantastic locations in and around the South. For example…

Carnage (2011) – Farnham Maltings, Surrey (23rd May)

Directed by Roman Polanski, this modern comedy of manners has a simple premise: two sets of parents hold a civilised meeting after their sons are involved in a playground scuffle. But the façade of middle-class politeness soon breaks, as the couples’ behaviour soon escalates to truly juvenile levels! Starring Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster, and John C. Reilly.

This mischievous movie is showing at Farnham Maltings, a venue in the heart of Farnham which, in their own words “provides a place in which people can imagine, create and discover.” Hosting craft workshops, theatre, and festivals besides films, the Maltings is a place for creative types to keep an eye on!

If you want a taster, why not also go along to the Future Shorts Festival, a pop-up film festival that the Maltings is hosting on 22nd May? Showcasing the most exciting short films from around the world, it will introduce you not only to the venue, but to the works of seven fantastic film-makers too!

Lights, camera, action! Film fans are in for a treat with events such as Summer Screens’s outdoor showing of The Dark Night in Forbury Park. Visit HugoFox.com’s Events page for more of what’s on near you

Albert Nobbs (2011) – The Corn Exchange, Newbury (1st-7th June)

Earning an Oscar nomination for her role, Glenn Close co-directs, produces and stars in Rodrigo Garcia’s sophisticated film. The actress dazzles as Albert Nobbs, a character that has fascinated her for over 30 years, ever since she first played her in a 1982 stage show. The story of a woman’s struggle for independence in the strongly patriarchal society of 19th Century Ireland, the film tells how Close’s character is forced to disguise herself as a man in order to gain a job in a fancy Dublin hotel. For more details of the Corn Exchange’s showing, click here.

The Corn Exchange is Newbury’s premier arts venue. With a main house for theatre and films, a studio space, as well as a gallery and artist studios, it helps foster creativity of all kinds.

For quirky customers: cinema with a difference

For those looking to spice up their viewing experience, HugoFox.com has some further recommendations…

The Dark Knight (2010) – Forbury Gardens, Berkshire (8th June)

With better weather (hopefully) approaching, even the most ardent film fans may encounter a dilemma: you want to watch that movie, but you don’t want to be cooped up in a stuffy cinema for two hours. If this sounds familiar, then Summer Screens might be the solution for you! Bringing great films to unusual locations, this cinema events company is behind the screening of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight in Forbury Gardens. Watch this adrenaline-pumping blockbuster while lounging in a deckchair, or even from the comfort of a giant beanbag! This also means that you’ll be ready for the release of sequel The Dark Night Rises in July.

Rip-roaring blockbusters not your thing? That’s no problem, for Forbury Gardens is also hosting Summer Screens’s showing of the charming French film Amelie on Saturday 26th May.

Sing-a-Long Grease – Camberley Theatre, Surrey (13th July)

You all know who you are: when you sit down to watch Grease with your family, you’re the one who gets repeatedly told off for singing every number under your breath. However, with Camberley Theatre’s Sing-a-Long Grease this behaviour will be positively encouraged – in fact, you’ll be able to belt out ‘Greased Lightning’ and ‘Beauty School Dropout’ at the top of your lungs with no fear of reparation! Not only that, but you’ll be treated to a vocal warm-up and some lessons in hand-jiving before the movie begins. Repeat after me: “Summer lovin’, had me a bla-ast!”

Behind the screens: the making of…

Of course, there’s much more to movies than what viewers see in the finished product, and the stories of the stars are often just as fascinating as their on-screen roles…

‘And Furthermore’ with Judi Dench – Winchester Guild Hall, Hampshire (9th June)

As part of Winchester’s Best of British Festival, national treasure Dame Judi Dench will be speaking at the Guild Hall. In conversation with her biographer, John Miller, Judi will be discussing the projects she’s been involved in since her last visit to Winchester in 2009. These include J.Edgar directed by Clint Eastwood, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden, with whom she has previously worked when filming Mrs Brown and Shakespeare in Love. Book tickets for the talk through The Theatre Royal.

Information about all of these great events – and many more – can be found over in HugoFox.com’s Events pages. But make sure to keep checking back, for there are fabulous new local happenings being added every day!

We couldn’t wait to see Anton’s face when he received his new tablet…

HugoFox.com is delighted to announce that Anton Rigg is the winner of February’s monthly draw, taking home a swanky iPad2.

In a competition launched at the end of last year, the local listings website is giving away an iPad2 every month, with winners randomly selected from those who have posted on the website during that time. Anton is the third person to nab one of these nifty gadgets.

As the owner of Camelot Gates and Automation, a Reading-based company that designs, builds, and installs gates and gate-automation systems, Anton told HugoFox News that the iPad2 will be a great help to his business; he plans to use it to upload pictures and videos, thus creating a portable, electronic portfolio that he can take to his customers. HugoFox.com thinks this is a fantastic idea; Anton’s portfolio will now be as slick as the gates he designs!

HugoFox.com was recommended to Anton by Wayne Sangwell of Calcot Hawks

Anton’s listing helped Calcot Hawks win the race to £1000, courtesy of HugoFox.com

football club – one of 23 sports teams sponsored by HugoFox.com. If you’re a regular of our site, you will know about our fab competition which closed just last month, where the Hawks fought off stiff competition to win £1000 by encouraging local businesses to post their services online. By listing Camelot Gates and Automation, Anton earned precious points for the Calcot Hawks by selecting them as his chosen team.

But the listing has not only been of benefit to the Hawks; it has also helped Anton to advertise his business and draw in more customers. In particular, since listing on the site Anton has received many more enquiries from the Reading area, where his company is based: “Before, I would get most of my enquiries from further off, but now I get more people contacting me from Reading itself, which is great. They’ve obviously searched on HugoFox for a local service, and found my business that way,” he told HugoFox News. This is good news for Anton and his customers alike, making it easier for Anton to respond to breakdown and service requests that require speedy attention.

Since being pointed in the direction of HugoFox.com, Anton hasn’t looked back. “It’s a great resource,” Anton says. “It’s very easy to use, and it covers such a broad spectrum – jobs, cars, events, etc. It’s always my first choice.”