Milford on Sea Local News Archives

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Local Milford on Sea News Story Archives

4th December 2009: Filming in Milford on Sea can be taxing.
A few weeks ago we ran a story about a film that was being made at various locations across Milford on Sea village. The DVD film was written by Jonathan Golding, a writer on taxation issues and a resident of Milford. He was commissioned to make the film for ’LexisNexis’. (Yes, this is a real company, & not a James Bond villain.) The film was officially launched at Milford’s very own ‘red carpet’ event at Westover Hall yesterday. The usual canapés & drinks were enjoyed by all of the local cast, plus Colin, our intrepid reporter. The scenes are played out at businesses local to Milford with the cast being those who run the businesses whose premises have been used. The ‘new local film stars’ had not previously seen the results of their performances and were invited to see themselves on the ‘big screen’. To date none of our local cast have been offered roles in Hollywood, but it is early days yet! Jonathan’s work is a training film targeted at audiences of accountants and solicitors. Scenes were staged at Hordle Manor Farm, The Red Lion, Polly's Pantry, Cliff House Hotel and Gates' Butchers and includes inbuilt humour and interactive multiple choice questions from which Colin was mercifully shielded. (Accountants, solicitors & humour, now they are not three words you normally associate with each other?!) It is not expected to see the work in our local cinema’s, but let’s hope the accountants and solicitors have a whale of time.

5th December 2009: Village Tree Planting Record attempt.
On Saturday, the combined Milford Environment Group and Wildlife Recording Group, participated in the UK's National Tree Week’s record-breaking mass tree-planting exercise called Tree O'Clock. This was an initiative to plant more than the current word record number of trees in an hour. The Milford on Sea group of around 40 weren’t doing them all, but were planning to plant a targeted 125 native species between 11.00am and noon. The final national results are still be collated, but we hear it is looking good.

8th December 2009: Threshers now Wickham Vineyards.
Good news, it looks like we are keeping our local off license. Our local Milford on Sea Threshers shop was threatened with closure after their parent company 'First Quench' went into administration recently. But we hear that Wickham Vineyards has now purchased our local store, together with 13 other ‘Threshers’ shops. The existing store manager will now work for the new owners, so good news all-round. Wickham Vineyards are producers of English wines from a vineyard located between Southampton and Portsmouth. If you are quick, there is presently a 25% reduction on 'liquidated (Ex: Threshers) stock!

 
8th December 2009: New owners at Piccolo Mondo.
Our local Italian restaurant is now in the ownership of Nick & Val, together with their son Calum. They also run a company called the 'New Forest Pizza Partnership', who supply to local restaurants. Recently they have been at Lymington Market, & having met the family and tasted their fresh pizza’s & exotic breads, I am pretty confident that we will now have another gem in the village. Good value fresh food for the family, will be their theme, & if you made the Christmas Fayre last night you may already have tasted what they have to offer. I am sure our new restaurateurs will get a warm welcome to Milford on Sea, and although we are not sure what David’s plans will now be, we certainly wish him well whatever he chooses to do.

8th December 2009: Christmas Fayre & Carol Singing on Milford on Sea village green.
There is only one place to be next Monday evening, & that is in Milford on Sea village centre. The village is going to be alive with Christmas festivities for the whole family. Starting around 6pm there will be Childrens road train rides, Santa’s Grotto in Ashtons, Organ music, Lymington Town Band, Nativity Scene, Treasure Hunt prize presentations, Teddy Bear shop and Village stalls. Our local shops are also having a late night opening, including Inger-Lise's Coffee Bar which now stocks hand crafted chocolate & stocking filler Christmas figurines. It doesn’t end there, the Christmas Fayre also have Mulled wine, Mince pies, Pizzas, Burgers and hot dogs, Chilli meals, Tombola, Raffle - & of course the highlight of the evening with the choir singing Christmas Carols on the Green around the Christmas tree at 7pm. There will even be Free parking in the Sea Road car park from 12.00 midday. The evening is all for local charities, so please go along!

8th December 2009: A more than Fayre Carol Night!
Not a great start to the day in Milford on Sea, torrential rain in the morning, followed by an afternoon of horizontal stair rods. Thankfully, the evening changed miraculously to a dry crisp winters night. So, around 6pm we set off for the Village Christmas Fayre & Carol Singing Concert. As we approached the village centre we could already hear the sound of merriment, with Christmas music & lively voices. To start our evening we made our way to Monk Fishmongers, soon to discover that they had a new name, ‘Verveine’, on the front window (Verveine is of course a citrus herb. Yes, OK, Stacey had to tell me what it meant!). The new name is part of the rebranding for the new restaurant which is due to open early next year. As soon as we went in we were offered mussels by Dave, followed by a taste of a chocolate & fig compote, which was excellent. Next we popped into Inger-Lise’s & were forced to try some traditional Norwegian biscuits, if only we were not so polite. Things were going well, so onto the opening night of the Landfall Gallery. Now we know the new art gallery contained mince pies, but the thronging crowd inside prevented us reaching Sally’s generous offering. I suppose I have to be honest at this point, & explain that when I say ‘we’ in respect of food, my wife is normally a spectator. I nobly taste everything on behalf of us both. (I know, she is so lucky to have someone so caring.) Now off to the centre of the High Street, on the way admiring the Christmas decorations in DJ Gregory’s Butchers & the impressive nativity scenes created in Ellis’s Hairdressers window. Feeling peckish we (I) spotted that Dave Gates was providing Hog Roast Baps & Sausages in Rolls for a charity donation. It just seemed my duty to help the charity. My wife opted for a bag of chips, & of course I would do anything to keep her happy, whatever the expense.

As we wandered with food in hand towards the now thronging High Street, I helped out by testing her chips, & I can confirm that Mr Pink’s had done a good job. ‘Um, those chips have made me really full up’(?!!) my wife exclaimed, just before bumping into someone she knew. I picked her startled friend up & they started chatting. Whilst I pretended to be interested in their conversation, (you know what I mean guys), I concocted a plan to get myself another Sausage in a Roll. Without a moment’s hesitation, I checked they weren’t looking & then made a quick turn, rushed up Church Hill, and I was back near Dave Gates Butchers Shop. However, I then thought it might appear strange to be back so soon for another one. So, I put on my glasses to act as an effective disguise. As I reached the front of the queue I spotted Dave now had a turkey on his head! I soon worked out that it was actually a turkey shaped hat & not a real one, but I was now perplexed as to whether not only had he seen through my clever disguise, but also whether he thought his disguise would make me think he had a twin brother? I am not sure how a simple evening becomes so complex, but for us it is normal. A second sausage in roll was soon devoured, so I now had to get back without being missed. Luckily, I am good at plans. So, I went to the cake stall outside of Boots. A moment later I was the proud owner of two slices of millionaire shortbread & a cup cake. To give me energy for the journey to rejoin my wife outside of Piccolo Mondo I ate the cup cake. Her conversation over, I rejoined my wife & explained how a large surge in the crowd has involuntarily dragged me off & I had laid unconscious for several minutes before being taken to the St. Johns Ambulance tent, where they revived me. To make the story more convincing, I then explained how on the way back, I had fought the pain to buy her two slices of her favourite millionaires shortbread. In her usual caring way she playfully hit me really hard around my head, clearly stating that there was no St. Johns Ambulance tent (whoops, should have checked), that I still had tomato sauce on my chin, and that millionaires shortbread was a favourite of mine, not hers. To make peace, I offered to show her a penguin, Father Christmas & an elf. How could any girl resist. So, our next destination was Ashton Estate Agents with Santa’s Grotto. I thought it might be best not to stop for a crepe at Christina’s Bon Appetite, or at the mulled wine stall at this stage. At Ashtons, Sarah & Isobel were dressed as Santa’s little helpers & the elf looked very similar to the guy from the Co-op. For some reason there was an under 50 age limit for sitting on Santa’s knee, so I couldn’t have a go, so we left. Outside I was attacked by the penguin, & all I could hear was Lesley for Sullivan Mitchells muttering something intelligible from inside her fur costume. The Village Coffee Shop stood aglow across the road with its colourful Christmas display and the Red Lion seemed welcoming, full of happy diners & even happier drinkers. Shall we...? No we won’t, the carols are starting now, my wife explained with grace & force. Wasn’t thirsty anyway, I said to her, carefully just out of earshot. The Lymington Town Band then fired up against the backdrop of the giant lighted Christmas tree on the green, we (I) quickly grabbed a bag of roasted chestnuts from the barbeque manned by Rob from the Bay Trees. We then bought our carol song sheet from a man in a funny Christmas hat. Moments later we were in a happy crowd humming & miming. Unfortunately, so was everyone else, so the first carol just had a mumbled accompaniment to the band. Not for long though. As the carols progressed, the significant crowd found its voice & soon everyone was joining in without a care in the world. My wife was even impressed that I knew the third verse to ‘O come all ye faithful’ without the song sheet. It is nice to be her hero sometimes. The atmosphere was genuinely delightful, & to feel the community spirit was special. At the close of the carols Reverend Eric Parker was presented with a memento for his retirement by the organising committee. Eric has led the Carol Singing for the past nine years. To round off the evening Father Christmas arrived on his sleigh, (from the North Pole apparently, which I understand is connected to Lymington Rotary Club), he was soon swamped with local children as he handed out sweets to eager hands. Now, I am not one for all of the hysteria around Christmas time, but to see delight on children’s faces genuinely made our night. A big round of thanks goes to Ray Sales & his team of little helpers at the Village Community Committee, plus all of the local shopkeepers, who did a great job for us all. Thanks everybody!

If you would like to see pictures of the night please visit our Picture Gallery. | www.milfordonsea.org/gallery-christmas_fayre

27th December 2009: Blaze at Milford Tennis Club.
Fire Crews from three local fire stations fought a blaze Milford on Sea Tennis and Squash Club for over two and half hours yesterday evening. The fire started around 5.25pm on Boxing Day & the whole building was damaged in some way. Investigations are currently taking place. Read full story on the Daily Echo website: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4821603.Tennis_club_wrecked_by_fire

27th December 2009: We have a clever school!
Our very own Milford on Sea Church of England Primary School in the village has substantially outperformed both the National Average & Local Authority Average in every measured category from recent results published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. This includes high ratings in English, Maths & science. The absence levels are also low, which is no great surprise based on the great work that appears to be going on. The results also include a "contextual value added" (CVA) score, I have no idea what this is, but at 101.1, I reckon it must be good! A great job is being done by Head Teacher Sandra Matthews, her teaching & support teams. Well done everyone, including the pupils aged 4 to 11 years, who are obviously working hard, your village is proud to have you all! http://www.milford-on-sea.hants.sch.uk

3rd January 2010: New Homes for Ravens Way.
A new housing development is planned for the land next to the White House on Milford on Sea seafront. The current buildings were a former NHS care centre & have been unoccupied for some time. Planning documents submitted by Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Pennyfarthing Homes are for a “design-led courtyard development” of 13 homes which would be sympathetic to the Grade II listed White House. Parish councillors will debate the new scheme at a meeting on the January 18 & then make their recommendations to the District Council.