Perhaps this is not the time to say you should think about saving our wildlife species, probably saving our own species is more important. Well I believe we should do what we can in winter to feed our native garden birds; once they are gone it will be a sadder place.

Last year was particularly bad; the main photo was taken on December 2^{nd 2010} and we have had a pretty mild winter so far,  but that is not to say a cold snap will not arrive soon.

Get prepared with a wonderful supply of home grown wild bird seed and dispencers.

Welcome to our bird seed business !

The Really Wild Bird Food Co.

We are Richard and Lesley Smith and we run our own family farm in Hampshire, UK, where we grow a wide range of crops specifically for our bird food business. High on taste, high on quality, low on air-miles and low on carbon emissions, our local option is the best option for your garden birds – guaranteed !

In addition to our home produced wild bird seed mixes and straight seeds, we also sell a wide range of suet and fat products, mealworms, bird feeders, nest boxes, bird feeding accessories and much more !

We hope you enjoy shopping with us.

2012 in Hampshire offers visitors a wealth of events that will suit all tastes and interests. Agent Smart has been collecting quality events for over 3 years and has a database of the very best that Hampshire can provide in a format that is unique to Agent Smart.

Family Attractions.

The largest collection of James Bond vehicles the world has ever seen Opening January 2012 at Beaulieu.

Over 25 quality events up till July 2012, more to come for the remaining year. Add your event if you think it is worthwhile.

Food and Drink.

Many attractions including Farmers markets, Beer and Food Festivals and other Foodie Shows.

Sports and Recreation.

Fantastic Motor Racing at Thruxton in 2012.

This is a big year for sport in the South. Can Southampton gain promotion to the Premier League, and the Olympic Torch comes to the South, don’t miss out and see more info on these events and many more at Agent Smart.

Theatre & Entertainment.

Apart from Amateur Dramatics, Musical Festivals, Agent Smart has the very best guide to Cinemas, Theatres, Pubs with bands nights and Pubs that offer Quiz Nights.

We celebrate in England some pretty odd events in History, the botched attempt to kill a Monarch on November 5^th, so why not celebrate the birth of one of Scotland’s best loved poets on January 25th, seems perfectly logical to me!

If you want to have a few friends around on Wednesday 25^th January and enjoy some inexpensive traditional Scottish food, here are some facts and guides as to how to go about it.

‘When Scotland forgets Burns, then history will forget Scotland.’

Robert Burns has been a landmark in Scotland’s national history and identity. Everyone, everywhere, who joins in the celebration of Scotland, Scottish Heritage or Scottish Culture, will witness references to Robert Burns.

The ploughman poet, the national bard, the man of the people, the lover of the good life…are only a few of the characteristics that have been attributed to Burns, who is definitely the best loved Scottish poet, admired not only for his fascinating work, but also for his extraordinary life.

Burns will remain in our memory for many reasons, but most of all, because through his poems he asked us to embrace his dream of true brotherhood and celebrate our common humanity. From being an opponent to the slave trade to being a member of the Freemasons society, his fight against social inequalities and pursuit of justice for all people, played a key role in his life.

But apart from his strong devotion to the common good, he was also famous for his character, his high spirits, his hard drinking and his passion for the lasses, which is quite obvious in most of his poems.

Born on January 25, 1759, he was the son of a farmer and grew up in a small cottage in the village of Alloway near Ayr. He lived a childhood of demanding physical work and poverty through which he experienced and developed his acute awareness of the social injustices around him.

From his first works in April 1786 his talent became obvious and by his mid 20s he was already an accomplished poet and songwriter in his native Scottish Dialect. Some of his first works include “The Cotter’s Saturday Night”, “To a Mouse” and “To a Mountain Daisy,” which earned him much critical acclaim. Poems such as “Tam O’ Shanter”, “Holy Willie’s Prayer” and others established him as Scotland’s national poet. One of the most famous songs of the world today, “Auld Lang Syne” is also written by him and sung every New Year’s Eve.

Burns died at the age of 37 of rheumatic fever, but has always been remembered as one of Scotland’s most important gifts to the world and his poems and songs are still as popular as they were when first written. After his death, his closest friends started the ritual of the Burns night, which has remained largely unchanged today, celebrating his memory and keeping his legend alive.

So, let’s pay tribute to him, as he so highly deserves, on this significant anniversary, along with countless people all around the globe. No doubt if he were alive today, he would have joined us in the celebrations with a wee dram himself!

Sainsbury’s increases business with Perthshire butcher by 250% to satisfy UK demand for haggis

Over the next couple of days, Simon Howie Ltd, a small family butcher’s from Dunning in Perthshire, Scotland, will for the first time be supplying all Sainsbury’s in the UK with haggis for Burns Night (January 25). This increases the butcher’s order with the supermarket by 250% and helping Sainsbury’s to meet the increasing demand throughout the UK for haggis.

Staff at the Simon Howie are currently working over time for this Burns Night as Sainsbury’s expects to sell 30% more haggis than last year. Simon Howie Butchers will be providing nearly 1/4million individual haggis (77 tons) to stores around the country.

Sainsbury’s Haggis buyer, Lindsey Napier said: “Eating haggis to celebrate Burns Night is becoming more and more popular around the UK. We’re sure that Simon Howie’s delicious recipe, which was chosen for its great spicing and texture, will encourage people not only to eat haggis on Burns Night, but all year round!”

Simon Howie Butchers is one of ten small Scottish food businesses which won contracts to supply Sainsbury’s UK wide after going through the company’s Scottish Supplier Development programme.

Four varieties of Simon Howie haggis will be available at Sainsbury’s under The Scottish Haggis Company brand: original, synthetic, vegetarian and hot and spicy.

Available from Sainsbury’s priced £2.00 or try your local Butcher.

More info on the menu for Burns Night, poems and how to enjoy yourselves.

LET US KNOW YOUR FAVOURITE WINTER DISH, IS THERE A TRADITIONAL HAMPSHIRE WINTER RECIPE? 

I hope you are not thinking Christmas this year is all about sitting in front of the TV and vegging out, well Agent Smart has come up with some indoor and outdoor activities to get you out of the house and keep you entertained.

Inside DNA: A Genomic Revolution

21 November 2011 – 27 March 2012

It’s all about you…….. your health, your inheritance and your ancestry. It is a unique new exhibition investigating developments in the fast-moving field of human genomics, and the ethical issues that they raise. Inside DNA is your opportunity to explore the developments and hear from leading researchers. What are their views and experiences of genomic research? And what impact will their research have on you and on your family’s future?

More info

Winchester Cathedral Ice Rink

24 November 2011 – 2 January 2012

Winchester Cathedral Ice Rink is uniquely situated at the foot of the Cathedral in the historic Inner Close. Surrounded by one of the country’s finest German-style Christmas Markets (until 19th……

More Information

Adult Christmas Activity day including Christmas Lunch

1 December 2011 – 23 December 2011

Why let the kids have all the fun, why not try out our adults activity day this Christmas, all for only £60 + VAT per head – we’ll even through in a superb Christmas lunch for the…… More Info

Teamsport Indoor Karting

From Wednesday 7th December, to say Happy Christmas from TeamSport we’ve created three special free Christmas gift vouchers packages that can give you a massive saving of up to £20 making a perfect gift for racing fans! Happy Karting!

More Info

Calshot Activity Centre

19 December 2011 – 21 December 2011

During most school holiday periods, we run our incredibly popular Action Adventure days. We would recommend booking early to get the day you prefer as courses fill up very quickly. Activities will usually include a mix of some of the described below.

Calshot is approved by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority to provide a wide range of activities to young people. We conform to the strict guidelines laid down by all the major sporting governing bodies. All Centre staff are highly trained and experienced and will both instruct and supervise groups for the duration of the day.

More Info

Agent Smart has come up with 10 fantastic Experience days for you to enjoy in Hampshire. No third party booking, deal direct with the people who provide the service, cheaper and more reliable. Whether it be driving a Super Car, taking to the air in a Glider or Powered Light Aircraft or simply relaxing by a lake being taught the art of Fly Fishing, we can provide most, apart from rock climbing, experiences here in Hampshire. See our Directory also Special Offers.

Also Check out Gift Vouchers

As a way of saying thank you for liking Agent Smart and encouraging more followers to ‘Like’ us, we are offering a fantastic way to enjoy Christmas with a chance to win one of the 4 Box Selections shown below from the award winning organic farm of Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, Hampshire.

Get us up to 250 followers on our Facebook page and one lucky winner will be chosen at random, their name will be posted on our facebook wall to claim their prize. Delivery included.

Choice 1

Dinner for 2

Our NEW Dinner for Two box brings you a trouble-free 3-course dinner menu in one box – ideal for spending the night in with your special person. Perfect for the man wanting to cook up an impressive meal, or for the busy lady wanting a hassle-free evening.

Box includes: -

Starter – A choice of paté (100g) plus award-winning Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese(1x 5x25g balls)
Entrée – Two award-winning buffalo fillet steaks (pack weight 340g)
Pudding- Sticky Toffee pudding (700g) & buffalo milk custard (450ml)
After Dinner Treats – Buffalo milk fudge (125g) and chocolate (46g) to compliment your after dinner coffee

Choice 2

Buffalo Meat Taster Box

Designed to give you a broad introduction to the unique foods we produce here on the farm, this box contains some of our most popular and most unusual products. There’s enough to make up to 16 gourmet meals, all with the amazing Laverstoke flavour.

Your box includes:

*Organic Ribeye Steak 400g
*Organic pork loin Chops 450g
*Organic Lamb Cutlets x360g
*Organic Dry-cured Back Bacon 184g
*Buffalo & Smoked Bacon Sausages 400g
*Naturally-reared Buffalo Burgers x 5
*2x Buffalo Mozzarella 125g

Pieces per-pack : 8
Min Pack Weight : 2.8kg

Choice 3

Bangers, Burgers and Beer

A fine selection of meats for the BBQ and bottles of each of our organic real ale and organic real lager to wash them down.

This box contains: -

1x pack Organic Beef Minute Rump Steaks – 500g
1x BBQ cut Jointed Organic Chicken – 1.4kg
1 pack Traditional Boerewors Sausage – 400g
5x 6oz Buffalo Burgers
1x pack Organic Pork Belly Slices – 500g
1x Organic BBQ Marinade – 280ml
2x Organic Real Ale – 500ml
4x Organic Real Lager – 330ml

Choice 4

The Dairy Box

The dairy box brings you a selection of our award-winning dairy products including a selection from our award-winning ice creams, buffalo cheeses and smooth creamy buffalo milk.

This box contains: -

Buffalo Milk – 2x 750ml cartons
Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese – 2x 125g pots
Buffalo Ricotta Cheese – 1x 300g pot
Buffalo Burrata – 1x 150g ball
Buffalo Milk Custard – 1 x 450ml
Buffalo Milk Ice Cream – 4x 450ml pots
(choose from 15 flavours flavours above).

Our smooth, lusciously creamy buffalo milk ice cream is also enhanced with Jersey cream. (Unsuitable for those with lactose intolerence).

Our buffalo mozzarella is like the fresh mozzarella you find in Italy and has beaten Italian mozzarella in many blind taste tests (note for vegetarians – animal rennet is used in this product).

See more from Laverstoke Park Farm

Southampton and Portsmouth are separated by hundreds of years of inter-city conflict. The bad feeling between the clubs, who have met relatively few times, is a reflection of history. From the twelfth century onwards until 1835, Southampton officially owned the port of Portsmouth, which led to constant disputes over who controlled trade in the docks. Therefore the animosity between the two cities is one that stretches back for almost 800 years. The ill-feeling between Southampton and Portsmouth stems more from civic rivalry than from any true animosity between the clubs.

Taken from http://www.footballderbies.com

Read more about Southampton V Portsmouth history

Agentsmart supports Wikipedia, perhaps you should?

The Olympic Torch will travel around the UK for 70 days and will be passing through Hampshire between Wednesday 11 and Monday 16 July 2012. With the torch passing through Basingstoke, Andover, Winchester, New Forest, Southampton, Gosport and Portsmouth – Hampshire is lucky enough to see more of the torch than any other county outside of London.

Check out the route and let us know of events that coincide with the torch arriving in your town.

For an easy to see guide, go to FIND IT IN HAMPSHIRE and click on Olympic Torch relay in Hampshire.

For information on the Games, Venues etc. Click on Olympic Games 2012

If you are thinking of staying in Hampshire during the Games, check out our hand picked Accommodation Directory.

Santa’s Grotto

8 November – 24 December

Santa will be waiting in his Grotto ready to receive Christmas wishes from local children.

For just £4.50 per child, children can have a turn on the Bauble Ride, be given a present and have their photo taken with Santa. Visitors can pre book and check opening times at www.festivalplace.co.uk or, just come along!

Christmas Light Switch On

18 November from 5pm

Hosted by TV presenter Olly Smith and featuring Hollywood stars Alvin & The Chipmunks, this event is a great start to the festive season.

The fun begins at 5pm in Festival Square with singing and dancing from The Chipmunks.

The lights will be switched on by Alvin and the Chipmunks at 6pm following a dance routine with local dancers playing the part of the Chippette, and spectacular firework display that promises to wow!

Then, from 6.30pm, you can meet Alvin and his friends, but the fun doesn’t stop there…

…from 8pm Fil Straughan and friends will be performing live until 10pm. Definitely worth staying late for!

Santa Parade and Fun with Santa

4 December

This exciting event will start at 12pm when Santa drives the smallest car in the world, as featured on Top Gear! He won’t be alone on his journey… the parade will also include music, comedy and Christmas characters for all the family to enjoy.

Having made his journey to Festival Place, at 1.30pm and again at 3pm, Santa will be hosting fun sessions for children, including games and storytelling. The cost is just £5 per child to take part.

But, be warned, places are limited so book soon! Tickets are available now from the Customer Information Desk at Festival Place.

Nativity Petting Farm

10 & 17 December 11am – 3pm

Festival Square

Festival Square will play host to animals from the traditional Nativity Story, all gathered in a special petting farm. Staff will also be on hand, all dressed up in the holiday spirit!

Christmas Storytelling and

Nativity Treasure Hunt

22 & 23 December

Upper Level

More details to follow….

Live Nativity

24 December midday

After a small parade from the upper level to Festival Square, visitors will be treated to live dramatisation of the Christmas story, acted out by local church groups, followed by carol singing.  Live animals to add to the warmth of this firm Christmas favourite, this event promises to be exciting!

There’s also a lot going on in Festival Place itself over the Christmas period, with extended seasonal shopping hours throughout the festive season. These are available at www.festivalplace.co.uk so you can make sure you don’t forget a thing for that special someone!

What’s more, you won’t even have to wrap anything! On special days during the festive season, a gift wrapping service will be available for just a minimum donation of £1, with all proceeds going to Basingstoke Shopmobility. Located near to TK Maxx, the team of happy helpers will be on hand to help you make sure every gift looks perfect.

The service will be running on the following days:

Monday – Friday

9-23 December

10am-5pm

Saturdays

10-24 December

10am-5pm

Sundays

11 and 18 December

11am-5pm

For more information on the service, visit www.festivalplace.co.uk.

PLACE: St Anthony’s RC Primary School, Titchfield Common

DATE: Saturday November 5

TIME: Gates open at 4pm

FOOD: Refreshments available

PARKING: Free parking at Argos nearby

COST: Adults £4, children £3

CONTACT: (01489) 579100

Fireworks, Music and Fun

Ranvilles Fireworks

PLACE: Ranvilles Junior School, Fareham

DATE: Saturday November 5

TIME: Gates open 6.30pm, fireworks at 7pm

PARKING: No parking available at school

COST: Adults £4.50, children £2.50, family £10

CONTACT: (01329) 841679

ENTERTAINMENT: Funfair from 1pm

FOOD: Variety of stalls

COST: Adult £5, child £3

CONTACT: (023) 8083 3333

Bonfire and Fireworks Display

PLACE: Stockheath Common, Havant

DATE: Saturday November 5

TIME: Fireworks at 7.45pm

ENTERTAINMENT: Funfair

FOOD: Hot dogs and candy floss

PARKING: Use Havant Borough Council car park at Greywell, a 10-minute walk away

COST: Free

CONTACT: (023) 9244 6019

Wickham Scouts Bonfire & Fireworks Display

PLACE: Glebe Field, Wickham

DATE: Saturday November 5

TIME: From 6pm, fireworks at 7pm

FOOD: Soup and hot dogs

PARKING: Free near site

COST: Adults £4, children £2

Fireworks Spectacular

PLACE: Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower, Gosport

DATE: Sunday November 6

TIME: From 5pm, fireworks at 7pm

ENTERTAINMENT: Funfair, children’s activities, storytelling

PARKING: Free parking

COST: Adults £5, children £2.50, family £12

CONTACT: (023) 9250 5600

Fireworks Display

PLACE: Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley

DATE: Sunday November 6

TIME: From 6pm, fireworks at 7.30pm

FOOD: Chestnuts, candy floss and more

PARKING: Free

COST: Adults £7 (£4.50 in advance), children £5 (£3.50 in advance)

CONTACT: (023) 8045 5157

SEE INFO ON MORE DISPLAYS