12.04
Where can we go from here?
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[ HOME ] Period to end of April 2008 COMMUNITY CENTRE'S FIRST BIRTHDAY This was celebrated in style to the musical accompaniment of Milford's own swinging band, Windmill. The achievements of the VCCC (Village Community Centre Committee) have been little short of miraculous in their first year. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the initial supposed need for such a meeting place in the village was absolutely correct. The range of clubs, functions, entertainments offers something to almost everyone in the village, and we shouldn't forget the young people either.
INVASION OF THE BANDS There's no doubt about the emergence of Milford as a local entertainment centre. 23 Bands are booked to appear at Shorefield next weekend for a festival to celebrate the popular local fiddler Rob (known as Cob) Cook, who died of a heart attack two years ago after swimming at Barton. He was a member of The Cropdusters, a group which has really flourished since their first explosive appearance on the local scene in 1986. Other bands include Pronghorn and Lady Winwood's Maggot. Tickets at £15 each are available at The Thomas Trip and Forest Records in Lymington and Simply Guitars in New Milton. Doors open at Shorefield 5.00 pm on Friday and mid-day on Saturday. Money raised will again be presented to the Wessex Heartbeat charity.
WATCH OUT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF 'CIVIL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS' These imposingly titled guardians of civil order are about to appear on our streets. Formerly they had another name: they used to be known as 'parking attendants'. The change of name has obviously been chosen to cow those whose manners towards the previously-known-as 'parking attendants' have left a lot to be desired. It does seem, however, to be in line with the tendency to generally impose power from the centre on citizens - aka voters - by a government who responds to every misdemeanour by taking control over everyone. Thinks: does the appointment of 'Civil Enforcement Officers' suggest a militant tendency?
CALLING ALL ARTISTS
For the second year the Lichfield Artists' Centre (formerly the
Lichfield Gallery) in Lymington is organising an exhibition and
sale by Silent Auction of Paintings to raise money in aid of the
Naomi House Children's Hospice and for Jack's Place, the new
hospice for teenagers. There are 100 canvasses for oil
paintings and watercolour or pastel paper for those who prefer
working in those mediums. Go to the Lichfield Artists'
Centre for more information.
The art sale will take place in the Robert Hole room at the
Lymington community centre on 8th April. Last year the event
raised £1,633 which was sent to a small school in Ghana.
Robert Merrick, the gallery owner and .organiser, explained that
the artists received nothing for their work and last year many of
those involved said that 'they enjoyed being asked to use their
talent to help others' and considered it much more satisfying than
to just dig into a pocket or purse to produced a little cash.
While the Exhibition takes place, there will be art demonstrations
by some of the well-known artists who tutor in the area. The
entire sum of money raised will go to the named charities, and the
costs are 'being covered privately' said Mr. Merrick.
 MILFORD SET TO BECOME THE EATING CAPITAL VILLAGE OF ENGLAND? Applications for turning every empty shop in this village into some kind of mouth-stuffing establishment are pouring into the local planners like the blizzards we never had during the so-called winter. Since the arrival of our excellent Zaika, which took the place of a previously long-standing eating place, we now see a Thai restaurant on the threshold of opening. Fine, that is not a change of use. However, plans are being put in motion for an additional eaterie in the centre of the village - almost bang next door to the already well-established Piccolo Mondo - in the space left by the sudden departure of Maison, where Jonathan and Stacey, late of Piccolo Mondo, hope to return to rest before launching into the purchase of our beloved Monks, to which they propose adding a fish restaurant, eminently suitable for a seaside village. There are also well-developed plans, it seems, for an Internet Cafe to be set up in the place of the magnificent and much-regretted hardware store which disappeared with the death of its former long-time owners. In addition to all these proposed developments, we already have two large hotels with restaurants, four pubs in the immediate village, several clubs including the new Community Centre and we have a fish and chip shop, a coffee shop, a take-away sandwich and bread shop, a tea and cake shop which also does light lunches, both Braxton and Everton garden centres offer food, and there is yet another excellent pub at Everton. We have one very well patronised cafe on the sea front, and another restaurant in embryo at the Hurst end of the road which one of these days will get itself organised. Does this suggest an enormous lack of originality? Will they all survive? Obviously the visitors won't die of starvation but they are only here in the summer and bank holidays to enjoy all these eating opportunities. Are our locals going to be able to support so many food outlets? Of course, at the back end of all this activity is the apparent easy granting of planning permission. There must be people who consider the opening of yet more feeding stations in one medium-sized village worthwhile. Oh, a sudden thought: Milford's population is bound to expand because of all the new housing which is appearing these days - maybe that's why the planners are granting all these planning applications. Perhaps they know more than we do,, our hard-working councillors! Mmmmmm..... In the meantime, bon appetit!
THE TRAINLINE - BE WARNED It is, of course, fun to plan trips by train, find the cheapest fares at the time you want to travel, and thetrainline website is moderately user-friendly but, and there is a very big BUT. . . The smallest mistake can be costly - it doesn't have to be a big one and although you might have insured against a cancellation, that doesn't cover you unless you have spent a hug amount, say buying First Class return tickets to John o' Groats from Penzance. Take a return ticket from Brockenhurst to Birmingham, with an excellent cheapo one way, and an ordinary single for the return journey, add your insurance, an extra £2.50 to use your credit card and your total comes up to £38.45. If you are as absentminded as one of our staff - who is happy to hold up hands and admit to buying the tickets for June instead of July - you will be refunded £17.05. Why the difference? None of the cost of the cheapo ticket of £7.90 which is non-refundable, plus £2.50 for payment by Credit Card plus the additional cost of insurance, which might be recoverable at a later date when the cover note has been received, plus a delivery charge of £1 plus the administrative charge of £10 for cancelling the ticket and making a refund. So, there's a valuable lesson learnt when dealing with thetrainline: use their website for all the information you need, then go and buy the ticket/tickets at your local railway station. You'll have more time to think and avoid making errors. Travel by Coach? Bournemouth to Birmingham Coach centre - 6 hr 55 min. The journey according to the AA is approximately 160 miles but the coaches go through London. Why was the A34 built, I wonder?
BATTLE OF THE PLASTIC BAGS Local residents seem to be making an enthusiastic start to current moves to get rid of the thin, free and flimsy plastic bags which have been littering so much of our countryside and beach areas, often making life difficult or impossible for animals which cone into contact with them. They originally came in as a counter-measure to shoplifting as goods were packed at the tills and filled under the eyes of cashiers or even by the cashiers themselves. People became quite happy to pick up more than enough bags for their shopping. The problem was what to do with them afterwards. They became containers for unwanted items and once food remains and other unsavoury items filled a bag, the top was tied and the contents out of sight and mind. While many people carry on doing this, often fighting down a twinge of conscience, other are finding a use for the heavier bags, purchased over the last few years at 10p in the 'bag-for-life'. Well-organised shoppers can see pulling these carriers out of handbags, undoing the elastic bands which keep them neat and tidy and packing their shopping away. Poor ones, like our staff, get to the till and find no neatly folded plastic carrier bags in the right place: they seem to have been forgotten either at home or stored in other plastic bags in the boot. It is becoming noticed that some shoppers are now walking out of the supermarket, bold as brass, trolley loaded with unwrapped goods. If you think of doing this, you must keep your receipt in your hand to be able to prove you have indeed bought the goods you are 'trolleying' out of the store towards your car! Better still, keep the neatly folded bags either in a pocket or handbag or in the front of your car. The latter will give you a good chance to remember to take them with you. Or don't use plastic at all - buy or make a canvas bag or even go back to the good old shopping basket!
BUS COMPANY CARES FOR ITS ELDERLY CUSTOMERS . . . Or does it? The bus company in question, which operates out of the Lymington Bus Station in the middle of the High Street - could it be the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company? - doesn't seem to have much inclination to do this. The buses are an hour apart, and on Tuesday last week, a rather bleak and cold day, an 86-year-old resident of Milford had occasion to go to Lymington for attention to her hearing aid which had broken. She arrived at the depot just as the bus to Milford and all points west was about to leave. The elderly lady waved frantically, making it quite obvious she wanted to get on the bus. The bus driver paid absolutely no attention to her, refused to stop and left behind it a very cold would-be passenger who needed to get home. When she complained at the office she was informed that once the bus had left its dock, it couldn't stop for anyone. Perhaps 'wouldn't' might have been a more accurate choice of word. This gentle elderly lady then tried to get a taxi, which took almost an hour to arrive, by which time she was icy cold. Does the bus company want to give a service to the public or do they want merely to go through the motions of being a proper bus company?
MP BERATES HIS IMPOTENCE TO ACT At a Fair Trade Breakfast held recently at All Saints' Church Hall, Mr. Desmond Swayne, MP, announced he was getting a more-than-fair income from his work in parliament, said he was ashamed to be taking the money when he felt the restrictions placed upon him by the fact that this country is to much under the control of the EU. We were being dictated to by countries whose trading heritage did not include considering the idea of fairness in dealing with poor countries. He felt that Britain should be 'driving forward the negotiations at present taking place 'at the very heart of the world trade negotiations which were reaching 'a critical stage in the run up to Easter'. All this, said Mr. Swayne, made him wonder why he had been invited to the Fair Trade breakfast: was it, he suggested, because his being present might add a certain 'glamour to the occasion?' His angry reaction to the whole situation could only be solved 'when the British people are angry enough' to be seized with a will to do something about it. Certainly encouraging Fair Trade goes some way towards improving the situation a small degree, but refusing to buy products from people in the so called Third World will, as Enoch Powell said, '. . . starve the poor by refusing to buy their food from them.' which is the only product they have to trade in any quantity on the market.
FURTHER NEWS FROM SOUTH WEST TRAINS
We have
been informed by TheTrainline.com in an email that the ASLEF Industrial
strike has been suspended
It seems to have been all action in the village yesterday as 'Maison', who have been on of our most constant supporters since arriving in their shop on The Green, packed up and left. We very much hope that they will be retaining their shop in Ringwood. We shall be in touch with them in the next few days and let you know whether you will still be able to support them when you are looking for that special little something for a loved relative or friend. We thank them for the pleasure they gave us with 'Maison' and wish them good luck as they fight to survive today's increasingly painful financial bite.
SOUTH WEST TRAINS TO STRIKE We have received an email from The Train Line which we are printing to keep our visitors 'in the picture', stranded on the platform, stuck in a traffic jam or sleeping on in the morning - whatever . . .
WITNESS ON THE GREEN 2008 After dire weather warnings, the sun looked kindly on the residents of Milford as they gathered to witness to their Faith on the Green. It was a bit sad he brought his mate the North Wind to keep him company! Compare the clothes from this year and last year! Though the sun shone even more brightly this year the temperature was way, way down. Brrrr! To have a look at the two pictures [ Click here ]. Amazingly there seemed to be even more people present than last year, but as the pictures were taken from different angles it is difficult to do an estimate from the pictures shown here. Children from the local school acted and danced their way through a presentation of the days between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. They included a performance by a young man, Finley Mills, who took the role of Jesus, which was very moving. If you click on the pictures below you will get to the page with larger versions.
BRAVE LITTLE DAISIES!
Adorning the verge approaching The Orchard . . . well, today is the first day of Spring after all, and you don't need just the traditional indicator which is 'If you can cover 7 daisies with one shoed foot, it's Spring.'! Spring is obviously here, and as always, fickle. Best keep your woolly vests handy!
WITNESS ON THE GREEN AGAIN FOR TODAY, GOOD FRIDAY
The lovely picture above was taken last year. Sadly, because of the very early Easter we have this year it won't look anything like this tomorrow. The 'earliest Easter' has now been updated: it seems the last time Easter fell so early was in 1913 according to the BBC this morning. More checking will be done later today. and we will find out the actual dates for 1913 and 1856. Regrettably the forecast is all gloom and doom and if you [ Click here ] you will be able to see that we are completely wrapped in cloud and that the direction of the wind is north. Those attending will probably be done up with wellies and brollies this year rather than the T-shirt and shirt sleeves in the picture above. Still, we could all put on our faux furs . . . The Witness Service is an ecumenical one supported by all the local Churches and will take place at 12 Noon on Friday. The brave will be seen to be present!
"Ahem, ahem . . ."
MESSAGES FROM DEL
Del, of course, is not
Derek Trotter, but PC3075 Derek Jones who has now taken over the
beat report from Steve Jennings. We think it's a case of
'Welcome back'.
Some of the old
faithfuls - the bad old faithfuls even - have turned up again.
Maybe they're the originals, maybe reincarnations, but they're
back trading as tarmacadam people: "Can we do your patio?
Drive?" and under their breath mutter to themselves, "And you,
madam?" Don't get taken in! Just say the usual 'Not
today, thank you' and firmly close the door.
Nobody who turns up
cold-calling should be given the light of day and certainly no
money. Del also advises that there are also 'Tree-cutters'
on the loose, who may well have a go at your trees without knowing
anything about caring for trees and who will finally end up by
killing your much-loved trees.
Some door-step traders
have been known to turn up with large dogs. Though there
have been no reports about these in Milford, if one days, the same
principle applies: a nice smile, a firm 'Not today, thank
you' and a closing of the door. This sort of caller though
should be reported to the police, but wait till they've gone and
remember to give a good description. It is selling with
menaces which is a crime.
We have been reminded
of another scam which is creeping in again. If you get home
and find a postcard telling you you have received a parcel, and to
ring some phone number, usually starting 09. . .
The right number to ring is
0845 045 45 45 or you can email
postmaster@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
immediately.
COFFEE MORNING TODAY
Milford Hospital's Friends will be holding a fundraising Coffee
Morning in All Saints' Church Hall on Saturday 14th March.
COMING IN THICK AND FAST!
Many of our visitors over the Christmas period last year may remember the Pottery Exhibition we advertised for David Roberts. Their charming residence in Vinegar Hill is now well-established as an individual B&B. Lucy, David's wife, in now running that side of the business and is ready to welcome people to their home as we are to welcome them to local business sponsors who support this web site. [ Click here ] for further details.
SPRING STORM SPARED US
The great winds and deep depression of Monday, where barometers
were at their lowest for years, left Milford largely unscathed as it
passed by yesterday. Combined as it was with excessively high
tides we were lucky to escape flooding as well although neighbours
as close as Christchurch saw serious flooding in its harbour area.
Away from Milford there were problems for motorists, both along the
coast and to some extent inland where forest streams overflowed
their bank and trees were blown over as their roots failed to hold
in the soggy soil. Rainfall was patchy. While some areas had
thunder and lightening with heavy rain others, like Milford, escaped
the worst of the precipitation.
Thank God!
PS Later reports indicate that several beach huts
were severely damaged. Sympathy to those who have at least
temporarily lost their fun fine weather beach retreats. Let's
hope they can be repaired in time to enjoy any sun that might be
coming our way as the year progresses.
MONDAY 10th MARCH 2008
08.48
Keyhaven upgraded to Flood Warning 12.04
MILFORD MENACED BY MASSIVE STORM
Meteorologists are forecasting a huge storm as clouds wind
themselves into a powerful cyclone in which is moving across the
North Atlantic. It is expected to hit the western reaches of
the British Isles in two bites - the first overnight tonight
reaching its worst early tomorrow morning. This is expected to
abate in late morning, followed by an even more ferocious attack
after the 'eye' of the storm has passed over to reach winds of 80
mph and over.
It is recommended that lighter items of furniture in the garden,
especially anything made of a lighter material such as
fibreglass, be removed if possible to a garage or shed. Travel
is best avoided during the period of very strong winds and the recommendation is to
avoid driving if at all possible until the worst of the storm has
passed, make sure to shut all doors and windows tight - then pray!
SPECIAL SHOWING OF AL GORE'S CLIMATE CHANGE FILM
Today there is a film showing at The Village Community Centre in Sea
Road which everyone should see. It is the film by Al Gore,
'Climate Change' which has caused a furore all round the world.
'An Inconvenient Truth' is showing on Thursday, 28th February at
5.00 pm and 7.00pm. There will be a charge of 50 pence to cover
expenses. Tickets can be pre-booked on 01590 643174.
This project is part-financed by the New Forest National Park
Authority's Sustainable Development Fund and managed by New Forest
Friends of the Earth.
Before moving on, we note that people can now
have no doubt that National Park Status has descended on the New
Forest. With sections entitled the New Forest National Park
Authority's Sustainable Development Fund it is easy to see the
influence of the Government. Why on earth didn't they think up
something a bit snappier? Does an immensely long title just make the
people who work within it appear more impressive to their friends or
acquaintances? If not, what else can be the point? Nobody will
remember it - outside the National Park!
STOP PRESS Fire engines massed outside Westover Hotel Fire engines were called to the Westover Hotel this evening just after six o'clock. Although there were no visible flames, an hour later one of the engines had its ladder up to one of the 2nd storey windows. So far it is not thought to be very serious as there were no police cars or officers directing the passing traffic but we will report any further news as it comes in.
TEMPT THE TASTE BUDS SAYS ZAIKA Another boost for Oakhaven Hospice funds is being made at the Zaika Indian Restaurant on Thursday, 21st February. There are two sittings, 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm when a special Indian buffet evening has been arranged @ £14.95 per person. For full details and a booking form contact the Events Team on 01590 613038 or visit one of the3 Oakhaven shops in Highcliffe, New Milton, Lymington or Hythe.
TAXI FARES SET TO RISE 6%
Higher fares will be coming into force in the next few months
because the NFDC has allowed a rise in the fares - which usually
only rise once in every couple of years or so - because of the
vastly increased prices of petrol and diesel. This increase
applies only to Taxis, which carry a light on the top and can be
hailed. Private car hire is differently licensed and owners
set their own prices. These prices can be negotiated - or at
least discussed - at the time of hiring.
MILFORD SCHOOL OPEN DAY  This was a tremendous success - cars were lined up ready for school opening as though it was a normal day - well, almost! Promptly at 9.00 am although it was a Saturday, there were grown-ups ready to inspect Milford's school. After all the building and inconvenience of the past year and more, everyone was desperate to see what had happened to Milford School, operational since the middle of the 19th Century and cherished in the hearts of many of Milford's residents. All that can be said is that if anyone missed the Open
Day, it is a loss in the pleasures of their life. It was a
triumph, and somewhat surprising that the Headmaster and Staff appear
to have normal sized heads! They must be thrilled to bits with
the whole thing and proud that they managed to survive what must have
been a very difficult period while carrying on teaching.
Milford's C of E Primary school is quite wonderful and
the children of Milford who go to the school should be immensely proud
and thankful that they have the opportunity to be pupils at this
superb school. It almost goes without saying that the school is
vastly over-subscribed. . . [
Click ] to see the famous
Milford-on-Sea tiled wall!
URGENT WARNING!
Milford-on-Sea Online thanks AOL for the information below and are
happy to publish it in the interests of safety.
'Shoppers who bought one of Asda's £22.75 own brand microwaves are being told to return the ovens immediately because of fears they may catch fire. Three customers have told the supermarket chain their Durabrand microwave overheated during use. A spokesman for the supermarket chain said: "We are glad to say that no-one has been hurt. As we are concerned that this is a fire risk, we have taken the decision to recall this model." The microwave has the model number XB2316 and the barcode 5050854397271 Anyone who bought one of the ovens is asked to disconnect it from the mains power supply and stop using it immediately. They should take the microwave to their nearest Asda for a full refund. Neither the box nor the receipt is needed to gain a refund. Meanwhile, B&Q has issued a recall notice for its Airforce 2000w convection heater because of fears that it, too, could overheat and catch fire. The heater has the model number ND20-7AJ and the bar code 05164837 The affected models were sold between November last year and last month. Anyone who bought one of the heaters is advised to stop using it and return it to a B&Q store for a full refund' OPEN HOUSE AT MILFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL ON SATURDAY 9th FEBRUARY
Milford-on-Sea C of E Primary School opens its doors so we can all
admire the new buildings and see what an excellent school our
Milford
 children have on their doorstep. They are all
delighted with their new classrooms and we hope to b e able to get
some photos on the big day.
It would be really satisfying for the staff and the pupils to know
their open day has been a great success, so let's do what we can
to make them all happy!
ALWAYS MORE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE
To greet 2008, the Milford Community Centre - or the people behind
it - have put in an enormous amount of work to make the whole
thing the real Buzz for Milford. They have now developed a really
good website which gives all the details about what is going on
there so when you visit this web-site, make sure you Click the
link picture above.
To get yourself in the picture about what is going on
and for all details calendar-style - then choose
Agenda from top right then
[ Click here ] to see lists and timing of all the fascinating choices you can make If you've made any interesting Resolutions to carry a better YOU through 2008 you might find there is something to help you achieve your ambitions now lined up for your life at the Community Centre.
Why not give yourself a treat if you live alone and take
yourself off to the New Sunday Lunch Club? A two-course meal
will cost a Simple Fiver (yes, £5.00! ) at the Milford Community
Centre which is of course in Sea Road. To book your place at the table call
Marguerite on 644212 or Sue on 643404.
Keep your eyes open to
see what else the Community Centre is going to offer us!
Not
just here, but all round the village. . .and keep checking its [
Web
Site ]
Period to end of January 2008
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY - AND MORE!
The Service for Christian Unity was very well-attended on Sunday
and there were a goodly number of representatives from all the
Milford churches, many of whom, thanks to the joint celebrations
and services to the village community, now know each other well.
Certainly no one seemed to be in any rush to leave at the end of
the Service as we enjoyed the refreshments at the back of All
Saints' Church.
The next occasion for us all to meet will be the Women's World Day
of Prayer, which is not, as many men suppose, a service for
women. It is designed by women for everyone,
and we look forward to seeing a mixed congregation of the sexes as
well as the churches! This service is being hosted by St.
Francis this year and takes place on the first Friday in March at
2.30 pm.
On Wednesday of this week, 30th January, there is an event, again
put together by the Milford Churches to publicise Women's World
Day of Prayer and all are invited. to this service. This
year the women of Guyana have put the afternoon together: and how
much do any of us know about Guyana? Not a lot if you're
anything like me! Well, you will know lots more after a trip
to the slide show and tea this Wednesday and everyone is invited
to All Saints' Church Hall for 2.00pm..
HELP REQUIRED URGENTLY
We received an email this morning which I am printing out below.
It seems a little thing to ask for a lady approaching her 90th
Birthday, and we have been contacted to see whether we can help
trace her dear friends.
Please ring Gwyneth direct if you think you can help - but do let us know of any success story!
OCEAN CARS EXPANDS MILFORD SERVICE
Jan, of Ocean Cars, has now expanded her taxi service in Milford
and the surrounding area. The taxi will be based in
the village itself and potential customers will be able to flag it
down as their own energies start flagging! It can be booked
on the new numbers - 01425 612211 or 07733 318619.
The great thing about the new service is that the vehicle chosen
is 'wheelchair friendly' which means that people who have been
restricted to the Milford area itself will be able get out and
about much more easily to see old friends who live further away
and get more variety in their shopping expeditions.
"IT WASN'T ME!" INSISTS MILFORD'S INTERNET VIP James Horsley, a keen amateur photographer, got the shock of his life while walking along the spit at Hurst when he spotted quite a large Grey seal basking in an odd bit of sunshine. At first James, a self-employed electrical engineer, thought it might be a dead dolphin but then, he said "I saw its whiskers and it blinked". The fortunate thing was James always remembers to carry a camera and he was able to snap the animal before it was disturbed by the Hurst Ferry and ambled further down the beach but he managed to watch it for a full 20 minutes. Although seals are spotted occasionally round here they are usually seen in large colonies on beaches in the north east of the country or in Scotland or Ireland..
Certainly, our local resident from Debrett's
Peerage,
Sir Sealy Bell, denied that it was
he. "Out on the Spit at this time of year? Good grief!"
he exclaimed, "I spend all this time of the year tucked up in bed
with me electric blanket! Too old for anything else nowadays,
more's
Here is where we start the year 2008 AD Period to end of December 2007
MORE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE
 Do
you live on your own and sometimes get the feeling you'd quite
like a bit of company, without having to do extra cooking?
Forget the cooking altogether - and the washing up - and take
yourself off to the New Sunday Lunch Club. A two-course meal
will cost a Simple Fiver (yes, £5!) at the Milford Community
Centre in Sea Road. To book your place at the table call
Marguerite on 644212 or Sue on 643404.
To see all the pictures
of last month's even grander opening than the one in the Spring [
Click here ]
Keep your eyes open to
see what else the Community Centre is going to offer us!
Don't
just here, but all round the village. . .and keep checking its [
web site ]
1,200 DUMMY RUNS GETS MARRIED COUPLE WORD-PERFECT FOR THE DAY Louise Clayton and Steve Palfreyman had plenty of practice before finally settling on the ideal church in which to marry. The pair, Louise born in Newcastle and Steve in the Isle of Man, chose to wed in All Saints' Church, Milford-on-Sea for a very simple reason: Louise's parents now live in Milford-on-Sea! For the last three years Louise and Steve have been playing opposite each other in Willy Rushton's comedy 'Blood Brothers' in which they finally celebrate their wedding after a boy/girl relationship since childhood. However, for the real thing they had the chance to get in a bit of practice - 3 years and twice on Saturdays! We wish them best of luck in their new base in Barton as they start living happily ever after - with occasional refresher courses if required?
MILFORD COUNCILLOR HIGHEST PAID One does have to question whether we need spend quite so much money on a part-time player on the Council. With the possibility that the hike in local taxes is set to rise well above the rate of inflation, it does seem rather a waste of money to see how much some of those who offer their services to HCC can earn. In fact, it is a surprise that there aren't a great deal more people willing to serve on councils when there is so much money apparently up for grabs. Maybe some people are better at it than others. [ Click here ] for details, courtesy of the Daily Echo.
YESTERDAY'S TREASURES FOR CHRISTMAS? The Christmassy dressing of Brocante's window draws the eye of the passer-by, inviting Christmas shoppers to drop in and browse. You will be welcomed by Julie who doesn't pressure you to buy but is only too pleased to talk about the history of the items in which you might be interested. She has a stock which rarely has time to accumulate any dust. Her eye for a good piece is well respected in Milford and her prices are fair. But gifts from the past don't always fit your Christmas hunting bill. It has to be said that all the Milford shops are excellent value for those looking for just that perfect gift. The Old Smithy. run by Sarah, carries a range of what could loosely be called 'Lifestyle' modern items which are just so pretty! Then opposite her we have 'Maison' for that je ne sais quoi touch of French flair, where even in the winter there is a suggestion of the summer elegance of Deauville or the charm of Brittany which offer something just right for those who are fortunate enough to live by the sea, or perhaps for those who dream of sun and escape from the dreariness of an English winter. Gwen's range of clothes and dress jewellery is always stunning and don't forget a pair of the more glamorous variety of tights - give yourself a break from the heavy duty everyday variety. . . (here I should emphasize I am talking to the lads!) Do make the tour of our shops when you're in Milford and short of presents as you near Christmas. . . Good heavens! Did I forget Chris Monk? Now you can certainly count on Chris, recommended by none other than Rick Stein in his book about where to buy fish in England. He will certainly be open for delicious nibbles on Monday 10th December - party night!
SUPER GENEROSITY DOUBLES MUSCLES' FUNDRAISING Oakhaven's annual Bike & Hike fundraising thrash has many devoted supporters, few as faithful and energetic over the last few years than the locals from Milford's White Horse Inn. Pat Ogden and husband Oggy have gathered more than 20 customers who ride with them to support the Oakhaven Hospice and this year's target was £4,000. Conspicuous pedalling was achieved by Andy Parr who flexed his muscles to the power of £1,360. Then came the great night at the end of October when all gathered to mark their great achievement in beating their target by £735 (and three P)! Only £264.97 short of £5,000, after such a tremendous effort it seemed a simple thing to come up with the balance to accept the challenge made by a stranger in the pub that if they could make the £5,000, he'd match it. That very night, another £100 was raised and by the following weekend the £5,000 was on the table, waiting for its match. The second £5,000 was laid beside it by the stranger who represented The Charitable Trust, and it was with great pleasure that the landlord, Oggy Ogden, presented a £10,000 cheque for Oakhaven to Penny Down, who is a voluntary organiser of the Oakhaven Bike and Hike event.
INCREASINGLY URGENT Our attention has been drawn to an important development on the continuing quest for permisision to extract gravel on the Downton Farm property. Reading between the lines it looks as though they are trying to sneak the permission through the back door without residents really being aware of what is going on. A group of local residents has got together a site to organise protests, but there is very little time to do anything. They want protests to be in by December 12th, having allotted a mere six weeks to alert people. . . Extract:
MILFORD'S CHRISTMAS OPEN EVENING Milford's all set for a real good bash to start off the Christmas celebrations this year. In conjunction with the Village Community Committee, which always makes a real effort to promote Christmas festivities here, many of the shops are opening late, Santa has a date, there'll be the delicious smell of roasting chestnuts and a barbecue, mulled wine will be on offer, and a real live reindeer is scheduled to visit us. Well, with Father Christmas on the way, what else would you expect? In addition to all that, there will be a Tombola and other games and one of Santa's outreach Grottos. Santa assures the children that he will listen very carefully to what they'd like for Christmas. Prime spot however will be held by the villagers themselves, as they sing their way through favourite carols accompanied by the Lymington Town Military Band, under the practised guidance of the Reverend Eric Parker. Zaika, our latest new restaurant, is offering another Indian buffet evening where half the profits go to this year's charity. As all the proceeds go to charity, why not make an evening of it? Come and join the party! By the way, the good news is that the weather is looking much better for Monday after it's blown itself silly over the weekend. Further details dominate the second part of our splendid local paper, known by several names but to us, the wonderful 'Lymington Times'.
GO MEET DAVID David is planning a special Christmas Sale which will run from 6th - 9th December from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Wine and/or coffee will be available together with delicious mince pies. For additional details just [ Click here ]
WET, WET, WET . . . WEATHER FOR SUNDAY (This was the same weather for 2nd & 9th December 2007) After a rather pleasant start the weekend seems set to deteriorate today. Chances are not looking for Monday either but it depends on how long it takes for the current weather to move across the Atlantic. It has probably already hit Cornwall and by now is firmly travelling in a Milfordly direction. If you can get your umbrella to stay up today you'll be lucky: home's the place to be, Have a nice day there!
Period to end of November 2007 SMASH AND GRAB RAID IN THE VILLAGE? Most people walking through the village will think that The Old Smithy has been attacked by vandals anxious to sell on some goodies for Christmas to raise money for a drug habit. Fortunately not. Sarah explained with a laugh that she is in the middle of replacing window frames in the shop. Sadly the window-frame carpenters did not liaise with the glazier when they changed the other window away from The Green on the coldest day of last week. This time she insisted they put on some boards where the glass should be so she, her staff and her customers wouldn't again have to freeze to near-death. So there, good news and bad news together but Sarah assures me that as soon as the glass goes in, the windows will be done up ready with Christmas temptations. In the meantime, there are some very pretty things for pressies inside the shop...don't let the wooden boards deter you. . .just go on in and buy something!
MoSVCC Milford-on-Sea Village Community Committee - most usually called MoSVCC - holds its AGM on Tuesday, 27th November in the Community Centre, Sea Road, at 8.00 pm This Committee deals with the Christmas Carol Service, the May Fayre, the Carnival, etc. Help is always needed as well as interest and support. Do come and meet us and air your views! We shall be delighted to see you. If you were at the Newcomers' Supper last week our splendid 'spokeslady', Sally Read, talked to you about this group. She's much too pretty to be called a spokesman and too personable to be quoted as a mere spokesperson!
NEWCOMERS' SUPPER Every year this supper always surprises! Those who arrive are to some extent at least mildly overwhelmed by the unexpected welcome they receive and those who are responsible are always amazed by the way it goes! Every year, lovely new people arrive in Milford and are quickly melded into the delightful world of the Milford-on-Sea. Most of the visitors were impressed by the amount of things available to do in Milford and many of them happily volunteered on the spot to take part in several of the groups, societies, clubs and community ventures available to Milford's residents, new and longer established. Information about churches and clubs are available on this site: go to the Navigation Bars in black and yellow at the left-hand side of this page. Scroll up and click where your interests lie! We look forward with pleasure to meeting them again as Milford continues its round of annual fixtures together with the new ones rising out of the very recently opened Community Centre activities. [ Click here ] Not to mention the Christmas things that take place in Milford. . . even Father Christmas calls here!
APPRECIATION! We print below an email received in this office yesterday. So many people work very hard in Milford to get this supper off the ground and on to the tables every year that it is a real pleasure for them to receive public recognition of something that is so special to Milford and one of the bits of 'glue' that meld new arrivals into the village every year. Yvonne stood up and gave a public thank you at the end of the supper last Saturday, but many of those involved in the event do not actually come to it - there isn't enough room in All Saints' Church Hall!
Thank you to you too, Yvonne!
FRESH BREAD IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE BAKERY Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 4.00pm. In store you can buy freshly made pasties and savoury rolls, bread of course, sandwiches and soft torpedo - or are they submarine? - rolls with delicious and nourishing fillings to provide a simple lunch a simple lunch. Hot and cold drinks are available in store and Sarah and her hard-working crew look forward to welcoming you into The Bakery.
CELEBRATION DINNER The Celebration Dinner was an enormous success! The evening was fine and dry and not very cold. Those who attended walked into a warm greeting at the door and the really attractive lighting in the hall with its large round white linen draped tables and its very attractive chairs - particularly the ones with curved backs and fan-shaped cut-outs through which the light shone - shouted excitement and elegance. Winds - Light and Variable's music - played by a quintet of wind players - floated behind the general chatter. They played during the first part of the dinner, to be relieved (hopefully by a glass of wine!) while Kitchen Sinc sang for us during the second part of the meal - a capella for the most part but in one of the songs from equatorial part indigenous instruments were played to add to the atmosphere. The whole evening made a very grown-up impression and was something that has truly been lacking in Milford up to now. The food, Coq au Vin with vegetables followed by a tasty lemon tart dessert with cream, had been prepared by two of the Committee with the help of volunteers, and was delicious. The only comment we have to make here is that as our splendid new Community Centre continues to meet with success after success more people will have to think of terms of offering their skills and talents for the benefit of the whole village - such fun cannot be expected to be always produced by the same, very few, people. At the moment their enthusiasm is all-powerful but it will wane without fresh hands! There aren't many places you can find yourself eating so well in such an attractive room, together with entertainment, for £15. The venture made a profit approaching £1,000, which goes towards the matching of the Lottery Money we will eventually receive to build a permanent hall. A new and exciting idea has now been hatched between the Community Centre Committee and Zaika, the brilliant new Indian restaurant which recently opened in Milford. Tickets will be available from Gwen's for a running buffet at the Restaurant on 29th November. Prices and times will be available here later but don't let that stop you going into Gwen's as soon as possible to make sure you get in. It's sure to be a very popular event. And, of course, it's a Moviola week - Thursday, 15th November at 7.00pm. Fewer tickets will be on sale this time to ensure more comfort so hurry to Gwen's if you haven't yet got yours. To find out more about the film [ Click here ] REMEMBRANCE TIDE
At the tea and biscuits served after the Remembrance Service yesterday afternoon Freda Cheyney M.B.E. announced that in the annual competition between the RBL and the Women's Branch of RBL the ladies seem to have pulled the rabbit out of the bag once again. There was such excitement in the All Saints' Church Hall when the figures were announced that in order to get them clear and believable, they will appear here later on this morning!
NEWCOMERS' SUPPER TODAY Milford's annual official welcome to newcomers to the village takes place in All Saints' Church Hall this evening. All those invited are reminded to be there and have a wonderful evening. It is one of the really good events of the Milford year and one of the ways all the churches work together to make people who have moved into the village over the previous year feel part of Milford. If you are reading this and are wondering why you haven't been invited you will be pleased to know that sometimes there is the occasional oversight and there is absolutely nothing personal about this. Have absolutely no embarrassment in ringing Lesley in the Church Office on 644707 or any member of whichever church you might attend to organise an invitation for you for next year. It doesn't matter whether you attend any church or not, everyone who arrives in the village is welcome. You can be very sure of a warm welcome next November if you didn't receive an invitation this year. Keep an eye on these pages and the wealth of posters in the various shop windows in the village to see what you can get involved in right away - there's so much going on and you will be welcome wherever you go. We love new people - they're all so exciting!
CELEBRATION DINNER - 3rd
NOVEMBER
A Celebration Dinner
will be presented by Whitwell Productions on Saturday, 3rd
November. The evening will be accompanied by music - two
bands: Kitchen Sync and Winds - Light to
Variable.
The reason for the
celebration? It's to celebrate the fact that Milford now has a proper
place to have a celebration in of course!
This year saw the
official opening of the Milford Community Centre and this is the
evening we are going to celebrate all the hard work that went into
its making. Do come and enjoy the fruits of all our
labour!
Period to end of October 2007
CARRINGTON GARAGE OWNER'S REASSURANCE TO MILFORD We have received a long letter from Mr. John Scardifield protesting about the rumours which have circulated around Milford since it became known that he was closing down the garage business in Keyhaven Road. While it is too long to publish on this site we will do our best to present his views as we see them. While we did not in fact mention the garage in question in our article, the A & T (Lymington Times) went to town on the possibility. Mr. Scardifield assured us that while he had little option but to do as he has done, he had tried over a long period to sell the garage as a going concern but had met with no success. The choice appears to have been dictated by business concerns, says Mr. Scardifield. ' and not for lack of trying on behalf of the management or staff. It is obviously the result of many factors not helped by the mounting legislation imposed on all businesses.' There is, of course, also the fact that it is impossible for sole owner garages to offer petrol at competitive prices in an area now well supplied with mass petrol sale outlets. The 'use-it-or-lose-it' factor certainly comes home to roost! Mr. Scardifield explained that the reporter who interviewed him for the local paper 'desperately tried to put words in my mouth by harping on and on about Tesco and the other large developers in this area.' He goes on to say that he tried to put across the 'hard work put in by the management and staff of Carrington Motors Limited and their crushing disappointment' but nothing was mentioned in the A&T article about this aspect of Mr. Scardifield's concern. We quote his last paragraph in its entirety:
DO YOU STILL BLOW
YOUR OWN TRUMPET?
If not, you may be able
to give it a new life! If you do have one you no longer use
which is lurking in a cupboard or on top of a wardrobe somewhere,
consider answering an SOS which appears in this week's A&T.
A Lymington couple, William and Heather Howard have a grandson by
the name of Jack who is filling in time before taking up a place
at Christchurch College, Oxford. He is planning to fill in
time by going to a specialist music at Kolkata in India. The
Mathieson Music School is funded by a London charity, the
Mathieson Music Trust, which aims to give deprived Indian children
a 'rounded education and a future through music'. Jack
himself is a trumpeter and plans to teach some of the children to
play the instrument.
If you have a lurking
trumpet, give Heather or William a ring on 01590 672741.
SUPERB INDIAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN MILFORD ZAIKA This excellent new restaurant's
doors are truly open for business and village chat seems to have nothing
but good words to describe the new
Choice of food is wide, and it can be quite difficult to come to any decision. Yesterday members of our staff who enjoyed lunch there found their taste buds tickled almost to a frenzy by the descriptions. When the food arrived we found it truly delicious, our only regret being our too dainty appetites which meant there was food left over. Much too reluctant to leave anything behind - it all tasted far to scrumptious for that - we were pleased that when we asked if it could be boxed to take home, our request met with immediate success. Certainly a place to visit again! And again and again and again. . . We wish the owners welcome to Milford and best wishes for their success. Oh, you will definitely need to book in the evening, and in a little while it will probably have to be for lunch as well. Tel:01590 643084/645073 (This is in no way an advertisement: it is a news story and the staff paid their own bills. Webmaster).
TOPICAL TALE EMERGES FROM MILFORD'S PAST. . . Leave a house empty long enough
and stories, true or not, or just with a little bit of truth and a load
of imagination begin to circulate. We have passed Ashleigh's letter to the Milford-on-Sea Historical Society and perhaps we can get to the root of the real story of The White House. If you can add any information, email this link: [ this page ]
MILFORD PROPHECIES COMING TRUE When the New Forest National Park came into being, prophets of doom pronounced that the developers would move in to the towns and villages situated close to the periphery. These same prophets can now see the fulfilment of their words as - just to take a couple examples - Milford-on-Sea, Lymington and New Milton - fall into the maws of not only the property developers but also those of the powerful food retailer in this country. Rumours have been sweeping Milford in the last week or so that Tesco is going to install one of its 'MetroStores' in Milford itself. Such an arrival in the village would herald the death of our own shops together with the livelihoods of those who own the present food stores, including our fishmongers and meat shops, our flower shop, chemist, and undoubtedly the Post Office and probably sales of petrol. Tesco so loves to give the impression they have the interests of the people at the heart of their business but the only interests they serve are those of their own greed. They have already expanded into almost all areas of retail shopping and are currently investigating the possibility of turning themselves into estate agents. They want to install walk-in surgeries, gardening supplies, computers, televisions, cookers and so on and so on. . . An attempt to find out just how many of all their stores are located with 10 miles of Milford required much diligent hunting. Is Tesco perhaps just a little ashamed of people using them while they investigate the current plans for national control of the entire commercial network of this country? Certainly a large store less than 5 miles distant towards New Milton which is at present in the throes of expansion, together with a massive superstore a few miles further along the road to Boscombe, not to mention 'little' Tesco bomblets scattered around the connecting roads point to the destruction of any in-town shopping facilities which afford a livelihood to individual citizens and families. Our lengthy search revealed that there are in fact 19 stores within 16 miles of Milford - more than one for every mile. When you visit their store in New Milton, ask yourself whether you are proud to patronize a firm whose greed is becoming more and more apparent. When in a year or two's time you walk through Milford, past empty shops accumulating dust, property deteriorating with nobody paying rent, will it make you regret the passing of a delightful seaside village? You talk of existing landlords? Won't they look after their empty properties? Of course not! They'll be sitting doing nothing, living on existing income accumulated by the recent years' rises in rents for shops and businesses, waiting for the glorious moment when even more property developers move in like locusts, to build the houses to shelter the shoppers to feed the tills of the Tesco shops. Any one want to emigrate? Or shall we stay and fight for independence from Tesco?
MILFORD'S PRIMARY
CHILDREN PRAISED
Martin Pitman,
headmaster of Milford C of E Primary School pronounced himself
delighted at the recent Ofsted report on the school now attended
by nearly 400 young pupils. Interesting to note that
Milford, long thought of as a 'geriatric village', should have
almost 10% of its children aged 11 or under! Milford
is, of course, a wonderful place for children to grow up with the
sea and the New Forest jointly on its front and back door steps.
On the academic side,
Year 6 children's performance is above the national average.
Most highly praised were their sense of community and the strong
grasp they appeared to have on the Christian ethos of the school
itself. This lies at the centre of school activities and as
such contributes to the fact that the children are thought to be
'extremely well behaved'. Especially complimented were the
standards reached in Music and in IT studies.
These achievements are
all the more impressive since much has been disrupted this year
with extensive building works taking place. Everyone is
looking forward to the completion of the new rooms which will
include the new Computer Suite.
MILFORD-ON-SEA COMMUNITY CENTRE Our Community
|
d runs a Bed & Breakfast business,
details of which will shortly be available on this site.
addition to eating out in Milford.
Situated a few steps away from estate agents Collins & Butler, towards
the sea, the decor is very elegant and subtly suggests the vibrant
colours of the sub-continent. The whole effect is enhanced
by two beautiful hand-embroidered wall-hangings at either end of Zaika.
Heavy white linen table cloths and napkins add the quality too often
lacking these days and a well-stocked bar with both alcoholic and soft
drinks will let the time pass comfortably as you wait - not too long -
for your freshly cooked meal. While you enjoy your aperitif,
straight-from-the-pan poppadums will appear in a basket, so light and
delicious when they are dipped into the oh-so-tasty savoury dips.
