BBCA teenager crowned one of the best young poets of the year, a hula-hooping runner breaking a world record and pigs being given longer in the New Forest to hoover up acorns were just some of this week’s most grabbing reads.
We have picked five stories from the past seven days across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.
Glass levy dampens producers’ spirits
Companies, including Mermaid Gin on the Isle of Wight, say they are facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds as part of an initiative to reduce waste.
The first invoices under the Extended Packaging Responsibility (EPR) scheme are being issued this month and the charges are based on weight.
As a result some drinks manufacturers claim it would be cheaper to use plastic instead of glass.
The Isle of Wight Distillery, which makes Mermaid Gin, said it was really disappointing and would cost them about £80,000 a year.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said the scheme would generate more than £1bn annually for councils to improve recycling collections.
Teen beats thousands of entrants with her poetry
MaddMann PhotographyA teenager said it felt “surreal” to have been crowned a young poet of the year.
Fifteen-year-old Ellanya Sivasubramaniam, from Reading, entered this year’s Foyle Young Poets competition with her poem “The Girls Who Grow Antlers”.
She was chosen as one of the top 15 winners out of more than 28,000 poems submitted by entrants from 135 different countries.
Ms Sivasubramaniam said being one of the winners was “affirming” and she was excited to have received the honour at a ceremony at the British Library in London on Wednesday.
Forest pannage season extended into new year
New Forest PoliceThe annual pannage season in the New Forest when hundreds of pigs are let out to forage for fallen acorns was extended into the new year because of an “exceptional” crop this autumn.
Acorns are poisonous to the free-roaming ponies and cattle and the pigs can eat great numbers with no ill effects.
They are owned by New Forest Commoners who occupy land or property with ancient rights and pannage is the only time the pigs are allowed to roam free.
The Commoners Defence Association said the heavy drop of acorns, beech mast and chestnuts had led to the season being extended until 4 January.
Sculpture of dog reinstalled after crowdfunder
Bridport Town CouncilA popular sculpture of a dog was reinstalled to a town following a crowdfunding appeal to get it recast.
Stalking Dog, by Greta Berlin, was removed from the weir outside Palmers Brewery in Bridport in May after corrosion had made it unsafe.
The dog, based on Berlin’s family pet Queenie, had been displayed as part of the Bridport art trail.
Campaigners raised more than £6,000 to get it recast in resin, with a ceremony held to unveil the replica.
Hula-hooping runner breaks world record
“I can hula hoop, and I can run – so I thought ‘why not?'”
Tamara “Tats” Ward, from Middle Barton in Oxfordshire, has raised more than £500,000 for the charity Dravet Syndrome UK over the past five years – but recently took on her craziest challenge yet.
On 12 October she ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London while hula hooping – setting a new world record in the process.
Ms Ward’s nephew has Dravet, a rare form of epilepsy that causes learning disability and a spectrum of associated conditions such as autism and speech difficulties.
