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Archive 4 For news from beg July 2000 to end December 2000 (scroll from bottom up!) News from week ending 31st December 2000 BURGLARS BINGE IN MILFORD Mid-December saw a rash of petty burglaries across the village where entry was made through the forcing of back doors and windows. Items of jewellery and cash were taken. Doubtless some of the jewellery eventually turned up as 'a present for Mum' on Christmas Day while the cash was frittered before the event on the givers' innards.
PENITENTIAL SERVICE PULLS IN THE SINNERS St. Francis of Assisi Church was full for a penitential service before Christmas as its congregation prepared for the celebration of 2000 years since the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. All the local Churches were well attended for the festive season and the Christmas decorations were even better than usual. Restoration of St. Francis's crib figures in honour of the Millennium made the presentation of the Christmas story brighter than in more recent years and it is hoped that more interesting lighting which doesn't depend on the restorers using torch batteries will be devised for next year! An ecumenical celebration of the New Year held in the Baptist Church on the evening of Sunday, 31st December was very well attended in spite of extremely heavy rain which fell before, during and after the service. The singing was excellent, helped no doubt by the splendid organ playing and refreshments after the service were a welcome chance to postpone braving the rain which eventually calmed down about half-an-hour after the end of the service.
MILFORD WI PULLS IN THE MONEY Mrs. Pam Payne, who chaired the first meeting of her Presidency of the WI, was delighted that final figures showed the Autumn Fair raised almost £600 toward the cost of a new piece of equipment for the Health Centre, due to open some time in 2001. It has been a successful period for the WI, since they also achieved second place in the Save the Children decorated Christmas Tree competition held in the Church Hall on 16th December.
NATIONAL PARK STATUS FOR MILFORD? The Countryside Agency will be presenting its draft proposals for the Boundary of the New Forest National Park at Milford-on-Sea Parish Hall (Village Hall, Park Road) from 2nd to 6th January during library opening hours. Members of the Parish Council will explain why they are pressing for Milford not to be isolated from Keyhaven by its exclusion from the park, since Milford and Keyhaven are both included in a single parish.
News from week ending 24th December 2000 BADDIES ON THE PROWL AGAIN IN MILFORD Residents are warned again about checking that doors and windows are properly closed after a burglar recently hit a house in Church Hill, making off with a selection of jewellery. This is particularly important at this time of year, and it would be a kindness to keep an eye on a neighbour's house if you know they are not at home.
REPRINT OF LOCAL WRITER'S BOOK Mrs. Mary Trehearne, herself a resident of Keyhaven, is the writer of a book about the place call 'An Odd Sort of Hamlet'. Such has been the interest in the tales of the past from Keyhaven that St. Barbe's Museum in Lymington is bringing out another edition of the book, currently on sale for £3.50. The book gives a fascinating glimpse into the past, where characters such as Theresa Whitby, whose marble memorial in All Saints' Church covers many of her exploits, dazzled the local population with her energy and talents.
SPIRIT OF THE SPIRE HITS FINANCIAL HEIGHTS The venture dreamt up by John James raised more than £14,300 for charities for the young in Milford. Ian Shipp, Treasurer of the Milford Village Community Committee, said he was overwhelmed by this staggering total. Such an amout raised in a village is even more amazing when the joint population of Milford and Everton, only in the low thousands, is taken into consideration. The massive
cheque was handed over by Sonya Collyer, who directed the show, in the Il Mulino
Restaurant while outside the rain lashed down in what is becoming the norm for
this Autumn and Winter. In a speech paying tribute to those people who had
worked so hard, John James commended particularly Sonya Collyer and Roland
Ebbetts for all their hard work. He also thanks firms along the coast from
Poole to Southampton for their support and sponsorship, the local businesses who
advertised in the £1 souvenir programme. Audio-tapes of the performance can
still obtained at Gwens, Milford Post Office and Everton Post Office & Stores. SAVE THE CHILDREN TREE COMPETITION This new addition to the Christmas scene in Milford got off to a brilliant start. The Church Hall looked beautiful with trees all the way up one side, down the other and across the stage. The hard work of weeks and months came to a satisfactory conclusion as the combination of so many people's effort produced a handsome profit for the charity. Details will be published as soon as they are available. The driving force behind the venture, Mrs. Mickie Banks, was ably assisted by her committee, her husband Ken, volunteers too numerous to mention and Sidney Lock, definitely big in the local area Save the Children Fund, who was bravely battling illness during the final push for the great day. Congratulations to all concerned. The trees were divided into two groups for competitive purposes - children and adults. The 1st Prize in the children's section was one by children aged 3 - 5 yrs old, and consisted of a tree covered with stars, the centres of which were photographs of the children who made them. They are members of All Saints' Satellite Group, and the large cup presented to the winners was accepted on Satellite's behalf by Charlotte Brown. The tree designed by the Guides' Bluebells Patrol came second followed by another Satellite offering inspired by the Christmas Star which took 3rd place. In the
adult section, the Milford Gardeners' Club took the honours with a coloured and
witty tree decorated with better weather in mind, little golden flowerpots
adding the gilded glamour. The WI's bright and colourful entry took second
place and the Winter theme in white, green and silver on a snowy tree on behalf
of Barnado's brought up the final placing. Mrs. Jo Bulloch had reluctantly, and
probably very wisely, decided not to add her enormous white spiders to the
Barnado's display after several viewers at the preparation stage suffered near
hysterics. MILLENNIUM STAMPS ON SPECIAL OFFER! Noel Baptiste's 'baby' - the Millennium Stamps of Milford - are on special offer at the moment from the Village Post Office, the Old Smithy and Gwen's. This will please the purists who begged to differ about the date of the start of the Millennium in the changeover from 1999 to 2000 on December 31st last. They will be able to celebrate their REAL MILLENNIUM with cheaper stamps. On a serious note, Mr. Baptiste must be congratulated on the huge effort he has put into organising these stamps, which have raised £1,800 for our village's Millennium Hall. Whatever people's views are about whether we actually need another hall, it would be good to support such a sterling effort from Mr. Baptiste and cool to keep up with H M The Queen, who is in possession of a set!
BYE-BYE TO MILFORD COUNTRY CLUB Since 1928 the Milford Country Club has amused the generations in assorted social activities, from Tennis and Squash to Table Tennis, Bridge, and Mah Jong.... together with one of the highlights of the Milford Summer to many who are now more staid - namely the Disco which took place at the end of the Milford Open Junior Tennis Tournament. There were also interesting evening social goings-on behind the squash courts, which bring a smile to many a wrinkled cheek these days. However, there is not need to wipe away a tear at the disappearance of the club - it is only the name which is going to change, apart from generally up-dating the way the club is run. To be known in future as the Milford Tennis & Squash Club, the club aims to open its membership and it will be much easier to join. There will no longer be the need to to have proposing and seconding of new members and application forms are available from the Hon. Secretary, Milford Tennis & Squash Club, Lucerne Road, Milford-on-Sea, Lymington Hants. SO41 0PL. The proposed system makes it possible for the club to acquire additional funding for expansion from such sources as the National Lottery, the Lawn Tennis Association and others.
CHRISTMAS FAYRE BRINGS IN THE MONEY! Mrs. Ghislaine Campbell's team, recruited from all over the village for a massive two day 'Christmas Fayre' held at Westover Hall a couple of weeks ago, raised over £3,100. This money will be going to help funds for new medical equipment to kit out the transformed Health Centre later in the year. Mrs. Campbell insisted this was the last time she would go through the agonies of organising such a show and constructing her splendid three-dimensional displays which have varied from banana trees in the Tropics to shops around our Village Green - as well as the unforgettable portrait she made of All Saints' Church. Congratulations to all concerned.
PRICEY PELICAN! Undoubtedly the difficulty of obtaining Lollipop People to help children cross the road outside Milford School has led the Council to consider either alternatives or something to give more power to the elbow of any Lollipop Man or Lady at a time when drivers are less and less considerate about any delay on the road. Mel Kendal did his best to explain to astounded colleagues on the Parish Council why the project is likely to cost £40,000, finally insisting that 'Nothing comes cheap'. Brian Giles will not be alone in his astonishment at the size of the estimate - most of the population would be fascinated to know why such a simple job should cost so much.
News from week ending 16th December 2000 JUDGMENT DAY IS HERE! While the stars twinkled in the sky outside yesterday evening, inside the Church Hall, bare-branched Christmas trees were being dressed for to-day's competition in aid of Save the Children. First come first served was the order of the day on choice of tree, but on the whole the trees were a good selection as far as shape was concerned. To-day, hopefully in the sunshine, it's your turn to take the spotlight and judge the decorated trees. There is to be a 'Silent Auction' for the Right to Give a Tree a Home, which means writing what you would be willing to pay on an entry form and submitting it. BUSY MILFORD SHOPS PREPARED TO WELCOME LATE-NIGHT GIFT HUNTERS There were high hopes that Milford would be buzzing on Monday evening when some shops planned to open and welcome residents with something warming to drink and mince pies to eat while they shopped while listening to the band playing carols on the Green. Everybody hoped that the rain would go away for long enough for people to enjoy this now traditional prelude to village festivities. In the event, a few residents ventured out on a mild but damp evening as the rain increased steadily to a persistent heavy drizzle. Some misery with power dictated that the Christmas tree on the Green should be unlit on safety grounds.... The band arrived in dribs and drabs and found that no place had been prepared for them. They settled on the pavement by Gwen's and did their The Santa Wagon did its tour of the village, somewhat discreetly, and was finally spotted bereft of Santa and friends parked by the bus stop more or less opposite the Red Lion! Yet another village venture spoiled by this year's appalling weather, but well done those shops that opened. They all seemed to be well patronised as a reward by the shoppers who made the effort to get out, and the glasses that cheer and mince pies were plentiful.
CHRISTINGLE SERVICE The annual Christingle service will be held this year on Sunday 10th December at 6 pm in All Saints' Church. Money donated will be used by The Children's Society for some of the children who run away from home or from care - as many as 100,000 every year. The Children's Society itself helps almost 40,000 children and it needs to raise something in the region of £1,000,000 - preferably over that amount - to continue this work. Any money raised for this event can be presented at the service, and Julia Badham would love to hear from you on 642131 if you plan to do this. The Christingles will be made on Friday 8th December at 2.15 pm at the Church Hall, and anyone who has a little time to spare is asked to go along to the Hall.
News from week ending 9th December 2000 CO-OP MAKES COLOURFUL ENTRANCE A pair of multi-coloured windows made their appearance on the corner of the Green as the Co-op opened its doors on a bright sunny morning on Saturday last. Two red-clad members of staff inherited from Milford Dairies sparkled with excitement as they served customers and the transformation of the old shop over a single week is impressive. Comments heard round Milford suggest that there is still confusion about whether the Co-op is a political animal....is it - oh, horror of horrors! - Labour coming in through the back door? The Co-op separated its political links some years ago, and although it still offers benefits to members from way back, 'divis' don't happen any more. Residents may be worried about the lack of space for all local advertising, but sharp eyes may have discovered a new site in the Spar store, for which they will be grateful. All previous advertisements have moved round the corner, so Milfordians will have to walk just a bit further if they want to find out what is going on. Competition between Spar and the Co-op should mean good value for Milford, but it has to be hoped that there is sufficient business available to keep two quite big food shops flourishing. We wish them both good luck.
CHRISTMAS IS COMING Christmas trees are up and flashing all along the High Street after several days of hard work putting them up. Many of the windows are already decorated to reflect the season and the Christmas season is definitely beginning to permeate the air. The owners of the businesses are hoping that local residents will spread some seasonal cheer locally, to which end they have checked around for interesting goodies and gift ideas.
INTERESTING PARKING IDEA An inspired bit of parking faced shoppers earlier this week: the enormous 'hatched' area outside the Co-op, with parallel lines more or less at right-angles to the pavement, was seen by some dippy driver as a new car-parking area. The sight of a car parked between the lines, nose to the pavement, caused quite a few giggles as new heights in Milford's carefree parking/abandonment system were reached....
News from week ending 2nd December 2000 ST FRANCIS of ASSISI FAIR BEST FOR YEARS In spite of torrential rain, St. Francis' Church found themselves over £900 better off after the Christmas Fair, which was open from 10.30 am to noon on Saturday. The enthusiasm of the parishioners made this fair a real success, and tribute must be paid to Father Vervenne, Parish Priest of New Milton, who volunteered to take on St. Francis after the retirement of Father Thomas Dunne in September 1999. His hard work has made it possible for the Milford parish to survive, and the effort that went into producing this year's Christmas Fair is one way the parishioners are able to show how much they appreciate what he has done for them.
ELEPHANTS IN MILFORD Indalo Arts has filled the store opposite the Red Lion. The premises, previously mothballed for some years, now offer a spot of the exotic in Milford, and give residents the chance of buying something unexpected as a gift. Silver jewellery prices are reasonable, and the coloured lights do add a bright glow through the incessant rain. It's worth a browse and offers goods which vary from Thai carvings of elephants to Moroccan inlaid boxes, Mexican hammocks to colourful Spanish rugs
METAMORPHOSIS FOR MILFORD DAIRIES Milford Dairies as a name will disappear from the fascia of the grocery shop at the bottom of the hill. The premises will close from 24th November to 2nd December for refurbishment, and will open as the Southern Co-op. We wish it well in its venture News for period ending 30th November 2000 SERVICE FOR RICHARD CHEYNEY A Thanksgiving Service for Richard Cheyney will be held at All Saints' at mid-day on Friday, 15th December. Donations in his memory will go to the All Saints' Church choir music fund, an interest close to his heart, for he was a member of the choir for over 50 years. Donation can be made c/o House & Sons, funeral directors, of Lymington. Richard Cheyney's death earlier this month means a loss to Milford of a charming and well-loved man, and we offer our condolences to Freda. As a couple they have both worked selflessly for many years with various charities, most notably the British Legion, Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Girls Guides, and Richard was awarded the Legion's gold badge for his services to the charity. He was the Milford's standard bearer for over a quarter of a century. One of Richard's loves was his accordion, whose music would often accompany the Brownies' May dances and as well as assorted groups' Christmas carolling around the village. From the age of 14 Richard Cheyney worked as a compositor with a New Milton firm of printers, and in 1928 helped hand-set the first edition of the famous 'New Milton Advertiser', now better known locally as the 'Lymington Times'. He retired full-time work at the age of 65, with an interval for wartime service with the Royal Welch Fusiliers which included time in India and Burma. He continued part-time for a further three years, at which point he could no long stand to do his work.
FUTURE CENSUS IN SIGHT 2001 is Census Year, as Government agencies will soon be reminding us. Current available figures put Milford's population at 4,636, of which 720 at the last count were under 19 while 51% of all Milford residents were under 60. It will be fun to find out how the figures might have changed after the new census.
SHOOTING IN MILFORD Part of Milford was brought to a standstill this morning as shooting went on outside the Il Mulino Restaurant for a new drama by the BBC. Cars advancing on Milford from either direction were diverted through the mini car park opposite the restaurant as a large number of men in navy blue with fluorescent vests prevented anyone getting anyway near the action. The only clue that things were not what they looked was a large fluffy microphone. It was with a general feeling of relief that the public discovered it was not an indeterminate number of men from the Highways Authority dealing with paving stones by the local bus stop. The BBC have been working on a drama to be televised in the Spring - 'Murder in Mind'. The episode being filmed, starring Rees Dynsdale and Susannah Harper, was shot during the last week with scenes from Lymington, Keyhaven, Hurst and Milford. It will be seen under the title 'Motive' and we shall all be able to look forward to the fun of seeing strange connections between the local shots and the continuity of the story itself.
CHRISTMAS FAYRE SUCCESS A combination of Ghislaine Campbell's driving spirit and Dr. David Badham's active assistance mustered tremendous support for this year's Fayre from many willing helpers from the village, and Westover Hall's hosting of the event, which Mrs. Campbell declared would be her last effort. Current indications suggest that profits from the Fayre will be a great help to the equipping of the new Medical Centre. The presentation of the Fayre at Westover Hall was enhanced by Mrs. Campbell's individualist diorama of the Milford shops around the Green, festively decorated with snow to fit in with the Christmas season. The shops, slimmed to fit the space, were back-lit and wittily portrayed - particularly Mr. Gates Butcher's Shop, with an enthusiastic butcher swinging sausages around with gay abandon in each window of the double fronted shop. Figures will be published as they become available.
News from week ending 18th November 2000 SAND BAGS AT THE READY Fortunately for Milford the modest pile of sandbags dumped near the telephone box was not required. In spite of horrendous weather forecasts for the weekend the days passed for the most part in glorious sunshine, and although there was very heavy rain on Saturday night the anticipated floods stayed within bounds in the flood areas designed to protect Milford itself. Let us hope recurrence of the wet weather will not turn out to be a regular pattern of the coming winter.
CO-OP COMES TO MILFORD With the retirement of the previous owner, Milford Dairies was transformed into the Co-op on Sunday morning. It looks the same, sells the same - at the moment, and the only visible difference was the new Co-op plastic bags. Problems of loyalty now out of the way, it will be interesting to see some real competition with Spar, and hopefully the local residents will be the ones to benefit. We do hear that Spar is now offering home deliveries, which will be a relief to people who were afraid that the service formerly offered by Milford Dairies might be discontinued.
LIKELIHOOD OF EXTREME POLITICAL PARTIES IN MILFORD? Not a chance, according to Tim Willcox at a meeting of the Parish Council. A suggestion that the Village Green should not be available for use for funding events by political parties was firmly rejected by the Parish Council at a recent meeting. Elizabeth Everard felt that as long as all parties were treated equally, they should be allowed to use the Village Green. She pointed out that Milford was very lucky to have a village green, and that any use of it contributed to keeping the village alive. Keith Metcalf did underline the fact that there was no charge for any political party to book the green. This suggested there was absolute fairness in the arrangement no matter what size of party, which led Brian Giles to comment that extreme parties might exploit this. At this point Tim Willcox, the chairman said that he couldn't imagine that any 'way out' political party would have a great following in Milford.......
HAVE YOU BEEN BURGLED RECENTLY? On 18th November a haul of burglars' booty will be on show at Kidner's sale rooms in Old School Square, Pennington. The public are invited to go along to see whether any of their stolen objects might be among those displayed. 87 items stolen over the last six months were recovered, and Dc Ian Hookway of New Milton says that if any of the items are recognised, people will need to provide some sort of proof of ownership such as a photograph, insurance certificate or valuation after which the Police will make arrangements for the item/items to be returned to the claimants.
MOORING FEES CARROT? It is proposed that difficulties in collecting the mooring fees at Keyhaven might be smoothed by an inducement to encourage people to pay on time. Perhaps it is more of a boot than a carrot, since the proposition is that those who do not pay by the due date in January will be charged an extra 10% penalty. This would be to cover the extra administrative expenses involved in chasing the money due.
SUCCESS OF MUSICAL CAVALCADE Those who attended the Millennium Choir's concert were delighted with the choice of music, and more particularly with the excellent standard achieved by the performers. Particular congratulations are in order to John Wheeler, who in addition to his work at All Saints' as choirmaster and organist, has devoted himself to setting up the Millennium Choir. Milton Primary School's children presented two modern hymns and a first-class rendition of England's oldest written song, 'Summer is i-comen in'.
LAUNCHING CHARGES AT KEYHAVEN The sign with the charge rates for launching boats, dinghies and canoes at Keyhaven is to be replaced in such a way as to avoid spoiling the view from the yacht club but more visible to intending sailors. A licence can be bought for £52 a year, or individual payments per launch of £3 for smaller vessels and £10 for larger boats. Contact the River Warden at Keyhaven.
BACK TO THE QUESTION OF SKATEBOARDING ETC. Chris Hobby and Keith Metcalfe are producing a comprehensive survey of present and proposed leisure activities for the young in Milford. As well as a skateboard park, options now include a basketball goal, a BMX track at Studland, a Petanque terrain at the putting green and a recreational facility at the eastern end of the village. The young await hopefully.....
News from week ending 11th November 2000 HORRENDOUS WEATHER Last week's storms were survived well by Milford, thanks to the flood relief work done on the upper section of the Danestream. Tiles and the odd wooden fence were affected, and Barnes Lane was partially blocked by a tree at the village end. There was some flooding at Keyhaven, but the shingle bank seems to have held without any serious damage. However, this afternoon's heavy rain has already resulted in the flooding of Park Lane by the bridge, and as this is only two to three hours after the start of the rain, the outlook is not too good. Watch for reports later on.
MILFORD-0N-SEA PROTECTION SOCIETY Juliet Phillips is encouraging people who share her and others' concerns that being left out of the New Forest National Park, Milford will become the victim of development profiteers. If planning permission is granted for the demolition of Kivernell House, the conviction is getting stronger that other developers will be encouraged to make the most of being on the edge of a National Park and that Milford will be raped in the hunt for profit. Residents are urged to complete the form sent by The Countryside Agency, giving the many good reasons why Milford-on-Sea should join Keyhaven in becoming part of the New Forest National Park. If you don't have the form to hand, write to The Countryside Agency, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, Glos. GL50 3 RA. Their website is www.countryside.gov.uk where you can probably get at them over the internet. Residents who are interested in joining the Milford-on-Sea Protection Society, which is just setting up, are requested to contact Julie Phillips on 641008.
News from week ending 5th November 2000 MILLENNIUM CHOIR'S MUSICAL CAVALCADE Milford - and some individuals in particular - have worked very hard to mark the Millennium, and a concert, with all participants from Milford and Everton, will take place in All Saints' on Wednesday and Thursday, 1st and 2nd November at 7.30 pm. The Milford Millennium Choir - remember their performance of Stainer's Crucifixion? - will be performing as well as All Saint's Choir and musicians from Milford Primary School. Christine Andress and Michael Minten will be singing solos. For the most part the music will be familiar, and the concert will take about an hour and half. Admission will be by programme, and these are on sale from Gwen's, Monks and the Parish Office in the Church Hall. Programmes: £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16. All the proceeds will go toward local charities for young people. Cushions are recommended!
DEATH OF MRS. EDNA ADAMS Many local people will be saddened by the news of the death of Edna Adams, who died on 20th October. Her deep Christian faith dominated all she did to put her talents at the service of Church and community, and her passing will leave a big gap in the lives of many. We offer our condolences to her family and friends in their loss.
OAKIE-POKIE IN THE FOREST FOR MILFORD The proposed boundary for the New Forest National Park chops Milford in half, so only part of the village can count itself part of the New Forest. Needless to say this has caused consternation for both residents and Parish Council. Major Chris Beeton, MBE, Chairman of the Milford-on-Sea Parish Council has expressed their dismay in strong terms. The PC feels that having the village divided between two separate planning authorities, would, in the words of Major Beeton, be 'tantamount to throwing Milford-on-Sea to the developers.' The feeling is that the village should be entirely within the boundary or outside altogether. This decision was made in spite of strong representation by the Parish Council who made both verbal and written requests that a firm decision be made either way instead of coming down in the middle. While one can sympathize with the problems faced by the planners over this particular development, it is difficult to feel too sorry for those who have given planning permission to other developers in our area for properties out of size and keeping with the feel of the village or the roads in which they are situated.
News from fortnight ending 21st October 2000 ROUND AND ROUND THE LAMP POST - PART 2 The first week of waltzing round the lamp post has gone by and residents of Milford as well as strangers and delivery lorries have had their first taste of the new system. Pedestrians seem to be benefitting in one direction: it's much easier to get from, say, Milford Dairies to the lamp post island. However, once there, it takes much longer to escape and get to the chemist shop side. Big vehicles like coaches ignore the new layout and invariably go up Church Hill on the present wrong side. Stranded pedestrians waiting on the island could be involved in any collision resulting from this.
MILLENNIUM HALL PROJECT The exhibition of future plans held in the Church Hall on 14th October was well attended in spite of the weather. A full report will appear here in the next few days.
MUSCLE FLEXING FOR OAKHAVEN Many are not aware that one of the main causes for the refurbishment of Oakhaven is to comply with new EU requirements. At the same time, the new day care unit is under way. All this, on top of the normal running expenses, is throwing a huge strain on resources, so a fund raising challenge has been organised. It is targetting the muscles of the fit members of our society by encouraging them to use their legs on bicycles or feet. There are all sorts of walks, rides and categories to choose from, and all courses are off-road around the New Forest and along the Solent coastline. The event takes place on Sunday 8th October, and the target is £15,000. Anyone, from families to organised groups, like schools and social clubs are invited to take part, and details are available in Oakhaven shops, or you can call 01590 672251 or 643849. Advance registration is £3 for adults, £1.50 for children, or £10 and £5 on the day.
News from week ending 7th October 2000 MILFORD ART GROUP Lillian Ogilvie, long serving secretary of the Milford Art Group, has retired from the committee. At the Group's AGM on Thursday last (October 5th), she was thanked by the President on behalf of the entire group, and in recognition of her hard work she was presented with an arrangement of plants in a basket. It was hoped that the plants would live for many years under the care of Lillian's fingers, which not only wield a paintbrush or pastel with real talent, but are definitely green with her plant care skills. Milford Art Group is fortunate to have two volunteers to take over Lillian's work, and Joyce Grainger and Christine Rix now take over as Membership and Programme Secretaries respectively.
MILFORD-ON-SEA ONLINE NOW ONE YEAR OLD! It's just a year since Milford-on-Sea was launched on to the World Wide Web. Give us a cheer! We should like to thank our advertisers and visitors very much for all their support.
THE GREAT PUMPKIN BATTLE - RESULT! The sun shone for the pumpkin growers this morning after a very chilly start to the day. There was a buzz of excitement in the sizeable crowd as the first pumpkins were rolled for weighing. With Milford weighing in at over 200lb on a regular basis, Everton had to wait for some time before their first entry topped that figure. Milford pressed on relentlessly, culminating in a mighty 312½lb monster bred by Den Head. The weighing continued while the hearts of Everton supporters sank, cheered only by Bob Dore's entry clocking up 217½lb. The final tally of 1,271¾lb for Everton against 2,547¼lb gave victory to Milford by 1,275½lb. That figures compares with last year's difference of 1,128½lb, so Everton socks will need a lot of pulling up before next year's competition! Den Head was declared Champion for this year, although his pumpkin did not beat Ian Paton's record from last year of 430lb. Peggy Head's darling at 223¾lb was the heaviest of the ladies' entries.....a well-matched couple obviously! Well done to all who took part, giving a lot of people a lot of fun. We will let you know the charity collection total as soon as it comes to hand.
ROUND AND ROUND THE LAMP POST..... ...or not? Milford found itself covered with interesting new white lines earlier in the week as the powers-that-be decided it would be better for us all to circle round the George & Mary lamp post and use it as the centre of a roundabout.. Going down Church Hill, to go right it is no longer permissible to use the short curved road in the easier direction. Instead, the cars have a left hand curve leading to Keyhaven, and to go towards the main shopping area, a sharp turn right from the left curve is now necessary. At the same time, traffic coming up from Keyhaven, often obscured by parked delivery vehicles on the left-hand side of the road, will have poor vision until the last minute. While cars may find turning right at that junction possible, cars towing caravans and large vehicles delivering goods to the shops to the right will undoubtedly have problems, particularly as cars park on the opposite side of the road outside the chemist's shop leaving very little room for manoeuvre. Rubber-necking was the order of the day at its first introduction, and the general feeling in the village is that we are now waiting for an accident to happen at this perfectly designed site.
News from week ending 7th October 2000 REST FOR THE GOLDEN OLDIE LEGS Pennyfarthing, the developers of the maxi house/mini garden site in Church Hill have dug into their profits to provide a bench there in memory of Dorothy and Chris Everett, on the site of whose pleasant house and wooded grounds the new development stands. How kind....
BAD NEWS FOR WANNABE SKATEBOARDERS! Plans for a skateboard park have been abandoned for the time being. In spite of strenuous efforts to find a suitable site, no particular solution has turned up, and a suggestion that use of the field beside the village school be used, the Parish Council pointed out that it was not in their power to make a decision about this, since such a proposition could only be decided by the District Council and the County Council since the Highways and the Education Departments would be involved in such a venture.
FERNS GIVEN A REPRIEVE One of the aspects of community service which many people don't know about is that over the last few years much of the bracken in the area has been cleared under the auspices of the Probation Service. However, due to the fact that now is the time ferns give off their spores, the bracken clearing has been halted by this means because of health fears due to the carcinogenic properties of the spores. Those undertaking community service will now have their talents directed at attacking the ragwort instead. As far as the bracken is concerned, past work has led to a big reduction in its growth, and other means will be considered to further its eradication.
DEATH OF WELL-LOVED VILLAGE SHOPKEEPER Ian Stovey, known to so many people in Milford as 'that nice man in the hardware shop', suffered a heart attack and died on the night of the Milford Carnival this year. This sad and even shocking news has only just come to our notice and we feel that a tribute is deserved by a man who has been at the service of Milford residents for over 25 years and also to people in the surrounding areas. Mr. Stovey's immense knowledge of anything related to building and DIY made him a perfect adviser on what might be needed for a particular job, and almost invariably that item could be found in the treasury of his shop in the High Street. He leaves a widow, Doris, who herself suffered and conquered a serious illness last year. Our sympathy is with her in this great loss, and Ian himself will be very much missed by everyone in Milford who has ever needed his help in the field of DIY.
MILFORD COUPLE CELEBRATE THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING John and Beryl Pither, both of whom have devoted 18 years of service to the community of Milford in many ways, including the Milford Care Group, the Chariteers, Talking Books for the Blind, Milford Flower show, teaching, and now voluntary teaching of French, recently celebrated their Golden Wedding. Beryl served on the Parish Council for 8 years, and is also a Liveryman of the City of London, a role she inherited through her father who was a Master of the Worshipful Company of Pewterers. John and Beryl have two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandsons.
THIEVES ON RAMPAGE AT KEYHAVEN Thieves ended up with a motley collection of goodies stolen from cars and boats at Keyhaven this week. Clothes, a handbag, video camera, fishing rods and reels, and a blue 2-stroke Yamaha outboard are among the stolen items. Any information to help recover the goods and apprehend the baddies would be appreciated. Ring the New Milton Police on 0845 045 45 45 if you can help.
SEPTEMBER 2000 News from week ending 30th September 2000 A VILLAGE TALE - SPIRIT OF THE SPIRE Memories of the evenings spent at the Son et Lumiere production of 2000 will live long. The production was of a very high professional standard, and although the first part was perhaps a little lacking in substance, the interest generated in the portrayal of the more recent past was full of interest. Interspersing the television pictures with real actors was great, and particular mention must be made of the children. It was remarkable when they performed their roles how well they knew the words of the pre-recorded passages as they mouthed their words in perfect synchronization. The optional dinner which included roast sucking pig with roast potatoes, scoring full marks, as did the ratatouille followed by a delicious Dutch apple pie made a splendid overture to an enjoyable evening. The floral decorations were magnificent, particularly the tapestry panels. Well worth a visit while they last to admire them in daylight. The only slight downside was experienced by those with less well-padded rears. The seats were a bit hard..... All in all though, huge congratulations to everyone concerned - oh! when does Milford next have something in the way of a major anniversary to celebrate?
SUDDEN DEATH OF LOCAL MILKMAN Neil Brown, who worked for Avonmore Dairy and who was a popular and friendly milkman who served Milford, was a remarkable man who died suddenly earlier this week. Only 40 years old, he leaves a widow, Karen, who for several years was the receptionist and membership secretary at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, and two teenage children, Lauren and Max. Neil was a man of many parts and great enthusiasms, whose interests ranged from caring for animals, sculpting in clay to karate and sabre fencing. In his work as a milkman he took a real interest in his customers, and on one occasion called an ambulance to the rescue of one elderly lady who had collapsed overnight. While he will be very much missed by his family and friends, he will live in the memories of many people as a charismatic figure who brought much pleasure to many people. We offer our sympathy to his family and all his friends.
DOGS BANISHED FROM SHOW Dogs and their aspiring owners have been removed from the New Forest Show Competition, with little notice to the organisers and no consultation of the members. Such high handed behaviour will shock the many Milford devotees of the show who always make a bee-line to the Dog Tent among the ever-rising number of stalls selling Saturday market type products. Pity.
TANKER ROLLS IN UNDER COVER OF NIGHT Milford's petrol supplies are returning to normal, although there is still a limit on how much any one person can buy, and in theory at least, emergency supplies are paramount. How one defines emergency in an area almost bereft of alternative forms of transport is a problem, but orderly and shortish queues of cars wait happily and good-temperedly for a partial fill-up. It's worth noting that during the time petrol was unobtainable in the village there were a lot of comments about how pleasant it was to see less traffic around. Cars that were on the roads were driving so carefully there was a great deal less noise and hassle in the village - all a bit reminiscent of life in earlier days....
SPIRIT OF SPIRE AUCTION HIT About 20 enthusiastic would-be bidders made their way last Wednesday to Westover Hall to make their bids in the Auction of Promises to raise funds towards the Spirit of the Spire show which takes place this week. However it was decided that the problems of transport had successfully ruined the evening, and it was decided to postpone it. Current thinking is that it will be moved to a date to be decided towards the beginning of November, and that it will take place at a celebration where a cheque will be handed over in aid of Village Charities.
News from week ending 17th September 2000 FUND RAISING RESULTS Earlier this year, the members of the Guide Hut committee ran a book sale. They were delighted with the response from members of the public who not only donated books but subsequently re-appeared to buy some of them! In all the coffee morning raised £200 towards the funds for the Hut. The Midsummer Christmas Concert was a great success in raising money towards the Music Fund at All Saints, in spite of the strangeness of the experience of devouring mince pies while the sun shone. The fund was better off by £435 after the event.
MAN FROM MILFORD IN GLOBAL CHALLENGE Logica hit by sneak fishing boat! 12th September 2000 Logica was hit overnight by a fishing boat which failed to stop to investigate any damage it might have caused. The skipper, Jeremy Troughton, confirmed that it was decided to press on with the first leg of the voyage to Boston, in spite of the damage incurred. Mike Villis of Milford-on-Sea is part of the crew of Logica.
MILFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY EXHIBITION Coming hard on the heels of the successful Milford Carnival, this exhibition of the history of Milford-on-Sea and Keyhaven deserves the highest praise, and it is only a pity that it will now have to be dismantled and stored around Milford until the next time the collection of fascinating historical details relating to our area can be laid out for public view. Such
generous work by individuals on behalf of all who live in Milford and Keyhaven
must be appreciated, and details of what the Historical Society does can be
found by clicking An interesting offer through some of the literature available at the exhibition is to order an aerial photograph of your house from part of the Millennium Map. To find out about this, go to www.local-history.com, but if you decide to order, come back to this Web Site by using your 'back' buttons (top left of your browser page). If you download and print the order form by [ clicking here ] your order will help towards the purchase of a county edition of Domesday Book for the Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society.
OAKHAVEN MISSES OUT ON LOTTERY The news that Oakhaven Hospice is not to be awarded funds from the Lottery raised eyebrows locally after the generous donation to the already sinking fund of the Dome. It seems unreasonable that when so much money has been collected locally to put the Hospice on a firm fitting and at a time when Oakhaven is facing a heavy cost to implement improvements dictated by the EU, the Lottery gurus choose to waste their largesse in trivial directions.
SIEGE MENTALITY RULES In the wake of the petrol tax fiasco, Tesco, Safeway and all food shops showed to-day what happens when the British think food will not be available daily! Most of us do have the option of shelves full of tins bought 'because it seemed a good idea for a rainy day', packets, and freezers filled with things we cooked because it was an economical thing to do with 6lb of chicken legs going cheap or whatever. NOW is the time to see what we can do with all these things before the dreaded 'Sell by' or 'Use by' dates mean instant consignment to the bin. Do it!
SPIRIT OF THE SPIRE LATEST The final fundraising event is on Wednesday 13th September at 7 pm at Westover Hall. Professionally managed by George Kidner, there are some exciting promises waiting for buyers!
News from week ending 10th September ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH Father Gerrit Vervenne, questioned about all the building work at present going on at St. Francis, vehemently denied a rumour that it was all being done prior to selling the building for conversion to a night club! He said that he had every intention of ensuring that the RC parishioners of Milford-on-Sea would always have access to their own church and the newly installed cross over the church would certainly suggest that a night club was unlikely. DOLPHINS VISIT HURST According to an RSPB representative aboard a Wightlink Ferry to Lymington last week, a group of four dolphins recently swam round Hurst Point and found themselves cut off on a falling tide. In their efforts to regain the sea they damaged their tummies, but were eventually rescued by the Riverwarden and returned safely to deep water, where they appeared to swim away not much worse for their adventure. MILLENNIUM HALL Those visitors who are now anticipating some amazing revelation about the Millennium Hall are sadly going to be disappointed! Rumour was rife over the Bank Holiday that one room was finished and would be filled with 12 computers together with a course on how to use them due to start on 11th September. Alas, it turns out that this splendid venture will actually be taking place in the Lymington Community Centre. Mind, viewing the outside of the building did make the rumours look unlikely so it is not really a huge surprise! Developments with our own Millennium Hall are rather slower. On 14th October there will be a meeting in the Church Hall when architect's plans will be revealed for the alterations to the hall itself together with the proposed extension. After those formalities, application will be made to the Millennium Lottery Fund. RECORD COLLECTION AT MILFORD CARNIVAL The counting of the pennies must have been a monster task this year as it totalled £2,938.98, and the fund was increased by a further £395 raised by the Keyhaven Fishermen's Association from their barbecue and stalls on the Green. The entire sum will be devoted to village charities and organisations. A full list of prizewinners is available this week in the 'Advertiser & Times' together with lots of pictures of the celebrations. IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR HOPEFUL A-LEVEL STUDENTS! A-level students celebrating their results have been warned by Hampshire County Council of the importance of acting immediately if their want to see their student loans available at the start of the term. Initial application forms can be downloaded from the website at http://www.hants.gov.uk/finance/stusupp
AUGUST 2000 News from week ending 27th August 2000 BIGGEST AND BEST CARNIVAL FOR YEARS! Milford's Carnival Organisers woke up on Saturday morning to find heavy grey skies and rain, and their hearts must have sunk. As it stopped around 10.00 am, they were seen working like Trojans all over The Green and through Milford, teeth gritted in determination to enjoy the day whatever the weather. By 6 o'clock, when the Carnival was due to start, the sun was shining out of a cloudless blue sky and the village was fuller than it has ever been to enjoy the pleasures of the Carnival. Led by a colourful clown and a pipe band, kilts a-twirling, the parade wound its way through the High Street. There were a lot more individual entries this year, including a Birthday Girl whose outfit immediately brought to mind the most famous centenarian in the country this Millennium! The Royal British Legion turned out a replacement cast for Dad's army, armed with brooms and plungers, who attacked a trailing German tank, reducing the poor chap inside to make occasional appearances waving a white flag in surrender to the victorious army. Robin Hood and his Merrymen strolled past and the Friendly Doggies sporting T-shirts and other gear enthusiastically followed a gigantic black Newfoundland pulling a little carriage. A Rotweiler sporting a striped T-shirt looked as friendly as a teddy bear. Among the many floats, the Brownies and Rainbows with their Brown Owl and her assistants caught the eye as Winnie the Pooh and friends. Many of the costumes showed the influence of Notting Hill, with delightful fairies in traditional Caribbean-style designs. The evening WI ladies, complete with Queen Bee, clustered round their honey pot and intermittent groups of young ladies throwing their wands high into the air and for the first time in living memory faces sporting lovely smiles added to the gaiety of the parade. In a different approach the Wessex International Majorettes congoed their way along the street in smart black and white outfits. One lady walked along with a wonderful gadget blowing bubbles as she made her way along the High Street. It's impossible to include descriptions of all the floats -- suffice to say that the delights seemed endless. However, the very best was left till last, when a group of real Caribbeans lit up Milford with a display of authentic West Indian Carnival in huge and absolutely stunning costumes to the music of a steel band. Their appearance was greeted with amazement, cries of 'How beautiful!' and loud applause. The Committee must be congratulated for the brilliance of organising the whole thing and bringing in the Notting Hill flair to make this the best Carnival Milford has ever seen - and probably the best Carnival the New Forest area has ever experienced.
MILLENNIUM HALL There are some interesting developments to report on the MILLENNIUM HALL project, but due to pressure of the last Bank Holiday of the year, family commitments have seriously hampered writing of the Milford-on-Sea Online web pages this week. Further news will be forthcoming tomorrow so don't forget to visit us again!
INTERESTING COMBINATION OF TALL SHIPS & CANALS! Roy Ellis
will be giving a talk on 'Canals, Waterways & 1990 Tall Ships'
NO CHAINS FOR CHAIRMAN After last year's Remembrance Procession, when it was realised that the Chairman of Milford's Parish Council had no formal regalia, quotes are to be hunted down to supply the gap. Milford's Chairman was the only dignatory present without something to show his standing, apart from the placement among his peers.
While England rejoices in the spectacular win in the latest Test Match against the West Indies, the grass grows fast under the feet of Milford-on-Sea's cricket team. A bill, hopefully presented to the Milford-on-Sea Parish Council, for £490 to cover the cost of a motor mower bought by the Cricket Club, was deemed to have been submitted inappropriately. The Parish Clerk, Mr. Keith Metcalfe, had advised the club earlier to make a written application prior to making any claim, but the club, trying to avoid penalisation by the Cricket Club Association about the condition of the pitch, bought the mower first and then applied for it to be subsidised. Members did agree that any future problems would receive more sympathetic consideration, but that the Parish Council should be approached in the first instance and the Clerk would inspect the problem.
GREEN TO GROW? Proposals have been mooted by the Parish Council to incorporate the land between the existing Green and the George and Mary Lamp post, thus removing the slip road for traffic turning right from Church Hill to the High Street parking areas. That would mean the bottom of Church Hill would become a 'T' junction. Some of the very large vehicles which deliver goods in the village might find turning right at a T-junction, which slopes fairly sharply to the left, extremely difficult. Elizabeth Everard said that because something was proposed in the conservation document, it did not necessarily mean it was going to happen.
According to the recent questionnaire handed out at the open day to test public opinion about plans to enhance Milford's appearance leisure opportunities for the younger members of the village, opinions were fairly closely divided for and against the present proposed site for a skateboard park at the end of Hurst Road. Chris Beeton admitted that another possible site for the skateboard park was at the former Hordle House School. One might hope that if that option were taken, skateboard youngsters would not be encountered by unsuspecting drivers on the narrow curvy road to New Milton!
CARIBBEAN FLAIR FOR MILFORD CARNIVAL? Renegade of Mas, expert designers of the fabulous costumes associated with the Notting Hill Carnival, are the leading inspiration behind a plan to share those skills with the aspirants to glory in the Milford Carnival. Workshops - day and evening sessions - are to be held from 14th to 26th August in the Scout Club at Keyhaven. The courses are free, and run from 10.00 am in the morning to 3.00 pm in the afternoon, and from 6.00 - 9.00 pm in the evenings. All you need is to take material for your costume. At the same time, those running the course would be very pleased to receive contributions of ribbons, sequins, trimmings etc. from the public, so check our your old unused remains from years of sewing!
News from week ending 12th August 2000 ROYAL BRITISH LEGION WOMEN'S SECTION FAIR SUCCESS Gross takings for the show came to over £4,000! Heralded by the joyful strains of military music, this year's Fete opened in warm sunshine. The attendance was up on previous years, and by the time the band performed its marching display at the end of the afternoon, there was hardly room to stand on The Green. Teas at the Church Hall did a roaring trade and the washers-up were hard-pressed to keep pace with the thirsty visitors.
RECOGNITION FOR BARTON CENTRE The excellence of the Barton Centre is beginning to be recognised as the staff have been shortlisted for the Hospital Doctor team of the year award. The team, under the auspices of the Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust, is one of three finalists in the dementia category. The finalists have been chosen from throughout the country, and the winner will be named at a ceremony to be held in London in November. Congratulations on their excellent service being commended so highly, and our best wishes for them as they go on to the final selection.
DEATH OF MILFORD CENTENARIAN Lilian Prince died recently in Milford at the age of 101. A remarkable lady, it is interesting to note that she worked at the Milford House Hotel until the age of 70. She obviously felt young well into what previous generations considered venerable old age, and maybe this is one of the factors which contributed to her longevity! She is now buried in Milford churchyard, and donations in her memory will go the Wessex Heartbeat, of which one of her nephews Alan Prince, who lives in Minstead, is the chairman of the Board of Trustees.
CHILLIEST JULY FOR A HALF CENTURY Records show that wooly jumpers had a better time on parole from the wardrobe this July than for the previous fifty years! Nights were also cold, giving a better night's sleep for many than in previous Julys. Hopes must now be fading for any glorious Summer days running one into the other for August and advantage should be taken as and when the sun deigns to grace us.
JAUNDICED VIEW OF MILFORD A couple of disillusioned visitors wrote to the A & T this week complaining of the state of Milford's cliff top, particularly as compared with Barton's. Apart from unkempt grass and weeds, there are complaints of rubbish, though they did admire the view!
VROOM-VROOM! Admirers of Harley Davidson motor bikes will be thrilled to learn that a parade of over 500 of the beautiful machines will be parading through Bournemouth to Pier Approach on Saturday, 23rd September to take part in the fifth Harley Davidson Rally. The event will also support the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Peter Cole who passion was fishing has died suddenly from a major heart attack. His interest led to him working with his father in a fishing tackle and hardware business in the shop now used by Davies' Funeral Services, and formerly Spreadbury's, for four years before his father died. Peter then returned to plumbing. As much time as he could spare though was spent fishing from Keyhaven until last Christmas, when the boat he shared with his friend Keith Perrett was lost after breaking her moorings in the Keyhaven River. Donations in his memory will go to the British Heart Foundation or Cancer Research, and details can be had from House & Sons in Lymington.
MORE SPACE FOR TOURING CARAVANS IN MILFORD Touring caravans will find seven more spaces available when they visit the Lytton Lawn Caravan Park in Milford, which will be a relief because it is not as easy as it used to be to find such sites. However, it must be hoped that better warning is given before reaching the access from the site to the main road, since cars travelling on that road towards Milford are often going very fast. Where a car might get on to the road without too much trouble, a trailer on the back stands a high chance of being hit!
News from week ending 5th August 2000 BRAINS AND BEAUTY IN CARNIVAL QUEEN Francesca Farrow, a 16-year-old resident of Carrington Lane, beat several competitors for the title of this year's Carnival Queen. A young lady of many parts, whose interests range from wine-making through animals and needlework to palaeontology, Francesca should be able to offer a lot to her new role. She has recently completed her GCSEs and hopefully the challenge of being Milford's Carnival Queen will take her mind off the long wait for her GSCE results! She plans to become a vet after she has completed her A-level studies in Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Studies and English. Francesca is ready the owner of a dog, three cats and a trio of chickens, so do come along on Carnival Night and egg her on! The carnival takes place on Saturday, 26th August from 6.00 pm.
TRIPS FOR TEENS The South West Hampshire Rural Transport Partnership is introducing a new scheme to enable young people to get around at night to local centres of entertainment where a mini-bus will provide a fortnightly evening service. The first, which collects young people from Boldre, Pilley, Norleywood, East End, East Boldre and Beaulieu started on Friday 21st July. They will be whisked to Southampton with a return journey at 11 pm. It is planned that a similar service will be available from Keyhaven - and presumably Milford - in the Autumn and that destination will be Bournemouth. Since the service will not be part of the public transport system, the young people who wish to use it will have to register to book a seat, and the charge is expected to be £2. The system will be run by The New Forest Voluntary Service Council and anyone interested in registering should phone the Transport Office on 01425 482773. (Amended number)
NEW WEB SITE FOR THE FOREST AREA A new
website for the Forest area was launched at this year's New Forest Show. It
has been running quietly since January 2000 and aims to concentrate on business
and services available in the area. Called New Forest On Line, the company
sponsored the world Pole Climbing Championship at the Show.
MILFORD ART GROUP ANNUAL EXHIBITION Milford Art Group's exhibition closed on Saturday last after a successful fortnight. Over £2,200 worth of paintings were sold, and the Group would like to thank everyone who visited the show. They would also like to express many thanks to their sponsors, Balmer Lawn Garage, for their support and encouragement.
MILLENNIUM FLOWER FESTIVAL St. Mary's will be continuing their Millennium celebrations with a Flower Festival and Craft/Talent exhibition this week. The flower arrangements will be ready for viewing on Friday, from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, and will continue on Saturday. On the Saturday there will be a musical interlude from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. The Festival is organised by the Everton Ladies Flower Guild.
JULY 2000 News from week ending 29th July 2000 MEAN SPIRITS AT WORK A large banner advertising the Milford Art Group's Exhibition and which was fixed to a house on the corner of Church Hill on the main Lymington road into Milford, was stolen overnight. It has probably been chucked somewhere, since it is absolutely no use to anyone, so if you find it lurking in your garden, it would be kind of you to return it to the Church Hall, where the Exhibition is being held. Some people's idea of fun is weird!
News from week ending 15th July 2000 GOLD MOSAIC FOUND IN WHITE HORSE INN! Mosaic - Milford-on-Sea Active Investment Club - achieved a bull's eye when they won £1,000 in a competition run every month by the Daily Mirror. The competition involves serious decision-making about which way shares are likely to go over the next few weeks. One far-sighted member found his expertise hit the target. The money will be used to invest in future meetings. Whether this will be for the inner members' sustenance or companies on the stock exchange we cannot say, but doubtless there will be at least one toast to this achievement! Colin Phillips, secretary of the group, expressed Mosaic's delight in view of their hitherto lack of 'brilliant success'. We wish them all very well.....
KEYHAVEN MOORINGS FOR LOCALS ONLY The Keyhaven River Consultative Committee have agreed that the prime objective as far as the Keyhaven River is concerned is that locals - defined as taxpayers of the NFDC - should have precedence in the case of moorings on the river. This would mean that those who at present have moorings, but who live out of the area and perhaps use it only for week-ends and holidays, would have to move their boats elsewhere or buy a local property in order to qualify for keeping their boat at Keyhaven on a mooring. There was a certain sympathy felt for people falling into this category, and it was decided to give them two years to find an alternative mooring. On another matter, at the same meeting, it was decided to put signs up at Keyhaven, particularly around the quay, warning against swimming in the area due to the danger of boats.
Jammy Dodgers, retailing mainly French clothes for children, has taken the shop vacated by CT Electric on Church Hill on The Green. Run by two young mothers, as well as clothes there are some delightful soft toys for children, but not the sort of soft toys you might expect! There is a lovely little puppet theatre and the puppets to buy are the finger variety, among which is a charming little lion. There are lovely shoes, and the animal slippers are irresistible. Milford is often thought of as a village of pensioners, but with over 300 children in the local school, there is a much higher proportion of children in the village than most people realise. It is great that parents with very small children will not have to trail them further afield to find smart and reasonably priced clothes for them.
News from week ending 8th July 2000 MILFORD FLOWER & PRODUCE SHOW The Milford Flower and Produce Show opened its doors at 2.30 on 8th July in direct competition with the finals of the Ladies Singles at Wimbledon. There is almost always lower attendance on Flower Show days where this happens, though from next year there will some time before it recurs. The exhibits this year also suffered from the appalling Summer weather which delayed the appearance of much in the fruit sections as well as the flowers. Rain damage much have affected many possible entries, and the roses, usually such a notable part of the exhibits, were more in line with the numbers of other flowers. However, the floral exhibits were beautiful as always, even if lighter on the ground. The most dominant in the whole display of individual blooms must have been the magnificent flowering bougainvillea which only rated a second prize for Mrs. Jan England, Chairman of the Flower Show. Still, her pelagonium had already been awarded first place! One of the most exciting parts of any flower show are the arrangements, which again delighted the visitors. The new section of 'Petite' which replaced the former miniature class represented a golden wedding. Mrs. Marling-Roberts' delightful arrangement which included tiny yellow roses won the Danby Cup. Shirley Grey's elegant 'Culinary Delight' won the large arrangement section and Pat Dodderidge carried off the top prize in the 'Summer Basket' class. The men only section was won by Chris Beeton with his representation of France under a vine-covered pergola. The Jim Asher Cup was awarded to Mrs. D. Cairns. Mention must be made of the beautiful work in the handicraft section, where the winner this year beat the traditional idea that only women worked with their needles and produced an exquisite bell-pull worked in cross-stitch. Tim McArthur was a worthy winner of this year's competition with his delicately worked flowers in multi-coloured threads and flashes of gold. One of the most pleasing aspects of this year's show was the collection of new names, an indication that the Milford Flower & Produce Show goes from strength to strength, and Jan England is again to be congratulated on all the work she does to make Milford-on-Sea ever more flower and gardening conscious. A full list
of winners will be available in the 'A & T' in the next couple of weeks. EXHIBITION OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO MILFORD SEA-FRONT There was a great deal of interest in the Exhibition in the Village Hall, mounted to present the latest ideas on how to improve the sea-front. Architects' plans, photographs of existing conditions and proposed suggestions illustrated in pen and ink, were pored over by visitors to the exhibition. The general feeling leaned towards acceptance of the status quo, but many of the ideas would mean a far more attractive sea-front. The suggestion that a planted area in front of the car park was met with objections that those who drove down to view the sea and were unable to get out of their cars, would be very disappointed. Pitched roofs on the beach huts met with a similar comment although it was agreed that they would be more attractive. While the exhibition was well presented and offered some exciting alternatives, since there is no money to proceed with anything it is difficult to resist a smile at the intensity of some of the feelings aroused.
MILLENNIUM CLOCK Have you seen this clock lately? A recent visitor to Milford, having read about it on the website decided to look for it, and spent quite a while trying to find it. On top of this, Dr. James Scobie comments in the Parish Council newsletter that it is still not yet telling the correct time. What a pity it wasn't installed more centrally and at a level low enough to become part of Milford's way of life! How many people actually noticed that it didn't even tell the time properly?
KEEPING THE YOUNG AMUSED Opposition to the idea of a skateboard park for the younger members of Milford society is hampering a move forward in the plans to provide some entertainment for young people in Milford. While the behaviour of some young people at such places does present the noise and of vandalism problems which encourages such opposition, it is a pity that all young people have to be tarred with the same brush. There is now a movement to site the park where there can be supervision and it could be closed at night, but the actual place is being kept secret for the time being, in the absence of the council chairman. There is, however, a rumour that it might be part of the former Hordle school on the cliff top. We shall see. There was conflict too about the possibility of a basketball arena. Concreting part of the present recreation ground was viewed as ruining the ambience of the area but supporters of the idea of siting it near the proposed Millennium Hall also met with objections. Mrs. Grantham-Hill, apparently losing patience, finally commented that '..whenever something is suggested for the youth of the village there is always someone against it and that is very selfish.'
YOUNG JAZZ BAND EXCELS That Friday Feeling, a group of young musicians studying at the Newcastle College of School Music, recently had a series of gigs in this area. Among the players was Charlie Wise, drummer, who comes from Milford-on-Sea. They had the luck to pick one of the rare fine week-ends to play. Their venues included the new Bandstand in Lymington, the Chequers, where they played outside and had the customers dancing, and the Ship Inn. The team included Andy Worthy, Paul Susans, Mark Williams and Ben Gilbert who had travelled from all over the country to be here, and generous sponsorship was provided by Kingfisher Glass, Milford Body Works, Burkmar Estate Agents, Shorefield Holidays and Lymington Yacht Haven for making the whole venture possible.
News from week ending 1st July 2000 LIGHT FINGERS AND DARK DEEDS Collection boxes intended for the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind are targeted by thieves in retail stores, so that the collections from that source were down on the previous financial year, announced Mrs. Freda Cheney at the 25th annual meeting of the New Forest branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Nevertheless a sum in excess £19,000 was raised by the local branch. As in so many other areas of voluntary work, there is concern about the lack of young people prepared to get involved, but perhaps this has always been the case! LOCALS WOOED BY CONSERVATIVE SHADOW Dr. Liam
Fox, Conservative shadow secretary of health, was down in the Milford area at
Shorefield Country Park. Accompanied by New Forest West MP Mr. Desmond Swayne,
he attacked the recent survey produced by the government to enquire into what
the public thought of the NHS as a complete waste of money. Dr. Fox outlined
Conservative plans for improvements in the NHS, most notably the call for the
return of the Matron to hospital staff.
EVERTON'S RED ROSE HUT CONTINUES TO BLOOM The vacation by the Everton Women's Institute to more modern premises has not allowed the Rose Red Hut in Fry's Lane to fall into disuse. It is now being used as an art gallery. Brian Lee, Vik Hayton and James Murray are exhibiting their work, and the exhibition runs to Saturday 8th July.
SWAY DRAMA CLUB'S GIFT TO MILFORD Sway Drama Club's generous gesture in performing in Milford to help raise funds towards 'A Village Tale' - Spirit of the Spire was well received and the performers played to a capacity audience. Price of the tickets for the 'A Village Tale' are £7 for adults and £4 for children. There will also be a Spit Roast Supper in the Church Hall - price £10 per head and a cash bar. This will be available from 6.30 pm. Reservations only, to include seat reservation in the Church. Tickets are
available from Gwen's and the Post Office in Everton, as well as in the Oakhaven
Charity Shops in Lymington, New
Milton and
Lyndhurst. For telephone reservations, call Virginia Darley on 641843. Keith Metcalfe on 645825 is very interested in forming a Friends of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Milford. This would lead to the organisation of walks of meeting for those who love birds, and would cover all ages.
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