Michael Auger and Suzie Wilde brighten up a dull Petersfield morning with cheery chat and essential information.

What does Michael and his band Collabro have planned for Christmas, what car does Suzie drive and which of them is most excited about Strictly?

All that, plus your essential local information for today in Petersfield’s Morning Report.

You make it shine

Send your information updates, and questions to team@petersfieldradio.uk or phone 01730 555 500.

Information transcript

Surprise! It’s Michael Auger with you. And the date is Thursday the third of September.

Back to school with a smile and a wave for many in Petersfield. If you’re heading back to the classroom today at TPS good luck and don’t forget your packed lunch.

Suzie Wilde is with me, and has today’s local news next… after our morning update of national and world stories.

I’m Suzie Wilde at Petersfield’s Shine Radio.

Coronavirus cases in our area have doubled in a week.

14 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in East Hampshire in the last week, at a rate of 11.4 – that’s a rolling seven-day total of confirmed cases per 100,000 people.

That figure, for the period to August the 29th, is up exactly 100 per cent on the previous week, which saw seven cases at a rate of 5.7

The size of the party in The Square, which accompanies the switch-on of the Christmas lights in Petersfield, hangs in the balance.

The countdown to the switch-on is overseen by Petersfield Town Council, and staged by Hometown Events, of Stafford Road, which normally lays on entertainment from late afternoon onwards in the closed-to-traffic Square.

But a spokesman for the town council has confirmed there are currently two options being discussed: a big event as in previous years, or depending on advice, a low-key socially-distanced event.

A decision needs to be made by the end of September so the programme can be put together if the event goes ahead, but the spokesman admitted although the council has to err on the side of caution, no final decision has yet been made yet.

The budget proposed by Hometown Festivals for this year’s event was £3,308, a figure approved by council in January.

More on that and other stories in this week’s Petersfield Post.

As TPS students go back, parents of younger children are being asked to prepare for Monday.

Our largest local Junior School, Herne, starts its Autumn Term after the weekend.

The school says that all children will be required to wash their hands and use hand sanitiser when they first go in. They will also have their forehead scanned for a temperature.

If you have a child at Herne and would like to provide your own hand sanitiser, they ask that you mark it clearly and it can stay in school on your child’s desk and left in their tray at the end of the day.

During classes, children at Herne Junior will stay in the same seat every day and have their own tray under their table.

The desks will be in rows with two children sitting next to each other and all tables will be facing the front of the classroom.

The school will not require pupils to wear a face covering, but is asking parents to have one available at home for each child.

The school will review its policy every week.

Petersfield is now one of the most expensive places to live in Hampshire.

Online property website Zoopla has ranked Petersfield eighth in its price list for the whole county.

The average property price during the past 12 months in Petersfield was £487,504, while the county-wide average was more than £100,000 less at £354,870.

Liphook and Liss were 10th and 11th on the list at £480,825 and £460,469, respectively.

If you’re looking for a cheap property, Gosport is the place to go with an average price of £213,535, while, if money is no object, head to the New Forest and the village of Brockenhurst, where an average property will set you back a whopping £863,279.

Some of Britain’s rarest reptiles will be on show this weekend.

Hatchling lizards that only live on lowland heathland will be stars of this year’s Secrets of the Heath event – via webcam.

Local lizard specialist Ralph Connolly says the scaly creatures are particularly well suited to the conditions around Petersfield:

IN: “They’re real…”
DUR: 39”
OUT: “…going about their business really”

And the Secrets of the Heath event takes place online from tomorrow at the South Downs National Park website.

CHEERY CHAT WITH SUZIE AND MICHAEL – listen to the programme for all the goss

PETERSFIELD’S WEATHER

Dull and mostly cloudy. Some rain this afternoon before a brighter evening. Max 19 degrees.

TRAVEL

SSEN continues its trench warfare across Petersfield – the battleline is now drawn along Windsor Road but you can now get into the Waitrose Car Park via Chapel Street and Park Road once more —– so the hummus rationing is over.

There’s resurfacing work at the top of Stoner Hill near the Trooper in Froxfield.

Compton Down Road is closed so West Sussex County Council can take out trees that have Ash Dieback.

In Liss there’s traffic control on Andlers Ash Road.

Look out for work at the top of Princes Road where it meets Winchester Road – there’s a new crossing and traffic lights going in there.

And if you live on lucky Larcombe Road – you’ll get a whole new road surface very soon.

… and if we’re not saying what you’re seeing, please let us know – you can reach us on Petersfield 5 55 500 or via email, team@petersfieldradio.uk

And that brings you up to date but do stay with Petersfield’s Shine Radio right through the day if you can.

Dave Bowers is here from 9, Laura Sheppard takes you through the morning from 11, Meg Allin is here at 2pm and Harrison RB will be here at 4pm with a full-length interview with Mark Marande.

Loads of local information and great music all day long in the brighter mix of Petersfield’s Shine Radio.

You can listen live at any time on any connected device at petersfieldradio.uk or enable our skill for Alexa.

James and Jeff will be with you on the Morning Report tomorrow but from Suzie and me – have a great day and if you’re going back to school I hope you really enjoy seeing all your friends again.