Deliver me a curry!

At times I feel it is only fair to give my wife a rest from cooking (& me a rest from eating it. I blame her mother!) Therefore, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that our very own Milford on Sea Indian restaurant is now doing a home delivery service. Now, for some this will answer all of their wishes, & I am sure I will be taking full advantage on a regular basis. However, my excitement was curtailed a notch when I realised that the new delivery service has now removed my excuse to have a sneaky pint at the Smugglers when collecting from Zaika. Ah well, all that glitters isn’t always gold.

More Snow Anyone?

Tuesday evening’s TV news bulletins were full of severe weather warnings for the south, with Milford on Sea right in the centre of the weatherman’s map. Childish as it may seem, I was getting quite excited about seeing snow on the beach. Of course I knew the practical chaos that was coming shouldn’t be looked forward to, but my inner child couldn’t help itself. After watching Celebrity Big Brother, (no I have no idea why I was watching it either) we took to our bed, me excited about the following day’s white vista, & my wife looking for the thickest nightdress she could find.

Personally, I felt that the woolly hat & gloves that followed were unnecessary, but I decided it would be wise to keep my thoughts to myself. Bright & early Wednesday morning I was up & straight to the window to see nothing... absolutely nothing. For some obscure reason the snow gods had missed us out, probably because I didn’t tell my wife how lovely she looked at bedtime. Around nine o’clock I realised my missed compliment was not the issue, as the snow gods started to dump cold white flakes across the village. In around two hours there was no sign that the snow would be stopping, and a few inches of snow now covered the ground. Suddenly, a strange woman appeared from the other room dressed like an Eskimo. It was only when she spoke through her fur hat that I realised that it was my wife dressed ready to take the dogs for a walk. I gave some helpful advice on how to walk in the snow without slipping, and it was fortunate that the scarf wrapped around most of her head muffled what I suspect was not a polite reply. I of course would have joined her, but I had bigger plans – I had to get out to take some photographs.

As I was packing some sandwiches, Kendall mint cake, filling a hip flask & was about to advise the coastguard of my adventure, my Eskimo returned. When she saw my preparations she delightedly assumed I was leaving home, but when she realised I was only going to take some snapshots she coolly asked whether it was about time that the village found a new idiot. I decided to curtail my preparations & risk going out without my provisions or the cover of the coastguard. To be fair I was only going to the seafront fifty metres away, so I reckon I still had a fair chance of survival. A deserted seafront greeted me with a chill wind & a pristine white beach. The snow was so thick that the beach pebbles didn’t even move underfoot, and the beach huts near the Needles Eye Cafe, (which had already been barricaded in by the shifting stones) had snow halfway up the doors. Strangely the front of one of the beach huts had been cleared? The door was closed, so I just imagined an old couple sitting inside on deckchairs, reading the paper & musing on why their neighbours were missing a great day out. On the way back families were now out in force, one group were making a snowman on the beach, with others having snowball fights on the green. Simple pleasures being had by some, as the country around us had ground to a halt. It seemed unfair to return home without a present, however my wife didn’t find the snow I put down her back as funny as I thought she would. As I got up from her swift left hook, the midday news came on & it was obvious that chaos was gripping the nation. I have to say I felt I should feel a little guilty for actually enjoying the snow, but to be honest the guilt wasn’t as big as it could have been.

See the pictures on the ‘Gallery Page’ - www.milfordonsea.org/gallery-mos-today

A sneak tour of the Marine Cafe

The progress at the old Marine Cafe continues to intrigue passers-by, of which I am one. No longer able to contain my curiosity, I asked Richard & Sue (the owners) how things were going & being as friendly as ever, they invited me to take a tour. Even before entering the building the attention to detail that was going into the build was obvious. Richard explained how the terraces were designed to accommodate sections for dog walkers, smokers & heated eating areas. The wall height had even been designed to ensure the views are not obscured when sitting at a table. The building also has significant green credentials with solar panels & a clever eco friendly heating system that I didn’t understand! The car park beside Sturt Pond will become a pay & display to service the new cafe customers. Venturing inside, it is clear that there is still a lot of work to do, but first impressions are of the impressive curved wall of glass doors, which have been designed to make the most of the great views across Sturt Pond & along Hurst Spit. The downstairs room will contain a bar, tables & casual seating, where you can grab a coffee, snack or classic English meal. The rear room downstairs will be a comfortable lounge with a plasma TV where people can choose to chill out in peace. The room features a glass covered wine cellar with a spiral staircase access, & will also have the latest Audio visual equipment which companies & groups can hire for presentations or meetings. The finish throughout reflects the ‘art deco’ style with cutting edge contemporary design & fittings. The high-tech kitchen includes some side serving windows onto the terrace, which will provide hot snacks, teas & ice creams for walkers.

Venturing upstairs, we came to what will be the formal restaurant. The restaurant will serve quality traditional dishes to compliment the best offerings in other local restaurants. Once again the room is still a shell, but you are immediately captivated by the breathtaking panoramic sea & coast views, there surely will not be a more spectacularly situated room to eat in the country. The restaurant also features a giant glass pyramid skylight where it is planned an ‘art deco’ style chandelier will hang. Richard explained how the restaurant will contain a bar, with the room in a subtle combination of art deco & modern decoration. The first floor balcony is going to contain tables & seating for diners, plus a staircase leading to the roof terrace where you can enjoy your meal alfresco. The roof terrace will have a raised central decking to ensure you have uninterrupted 180 degree views from wherever you sit. It appears no expense is being spared to ensure that the village has somewhere we just want to keep visiting. At the rear on the first floor is Richard & Sue's family flat, & yes I did get a sneak visit! The art deco & contemporary design mix continues in the only completed part of the building, and if the quality of finish & design features in the flat are anything to go by, the finished cafe is going to be more than impressive!

I also discovered that the cafe will reopen under a new name of ‘The Marine’. The change is to reflect that the new business will now be a Cafe Bar & Restaurant. During my visit I also met Marcus, the General Manager, he has an infectious passion to make everyone welcome & said “We are hoping people will visit us at all times day & night. We aim to make everyone welcome whether popping in for a coffee or snack, or joining us for a quality meal in the restaurant. Our key aim is to provide quality & value for money to keep people coming back!” He also shared some ideas they have for regular events, all of which should keep us well entertained & fed! Richard is keen for The Marine to become a key part of the community & to reflect this they are planning to have a ‘Discount Card’ for local Milford on Sea residents. Whilst still coy on an actual opening date, it was clear Richard wants to get everything perfect before opening his doors. The best guess at the moment is for a grand opening in the summer, & from what I have seen it will be worth waiting for!

Tennis Club commence rebuilding process

Following the fire which destroyed the Milford on Sea Tennis & Squash Club on Boxing Day evening, the committee are working hard to reopen. At present the premises remain sealed off due to asbestos lying around the building & on the courts. Once this is removed it is hoped that the tennis courts will once again be available within the next two weeks. It is hoped a small area of the clubhouse can still be used until the rebuilding work starts. Linda. the club secretary and her committee are doing all they can to get the club up & running as soon as possible, with a meeting of Club Members next on the agenda to plan the full course of action. Ironically the club had helped out by hosting some events whilst the Community Centre is shut, they of course are now also having to look for new venues. The Jazz/Swing evenings have fortunately been able to find refuge at South Lawn Hotel until May, with their next meeting to be held on the 22nd January.

Mulberry Barn wins Five Star Award

Mulberry Barn in Church Hill, Milford on Sea has been awarded a 5 star gold certificate by Visit Britain. Mulberry Barn is the only self catering property in the village to have this accolade and one of just two such awards in the whole of the New Forest. Only completed in October 2008 this traditionally styled house was carefully designed to fit into a conservation area surrounded by grade 2 listed buildings. Handmade tiles and bricks, serpentine walls, cedar cladding and a well laid out garden all ensure the house adds to the character of this special area of Milford village. Inside, Mulberry Barn has a modern and contemporary design. The ground floor is dominated by the large open plan kitchen, dining and living area which leads out through French doors to the south facing terrace. The kitchen is fully fitted and has a bar complete with stools and a wine fridge. Also downstairs is a large study complete with work area, a downstairs cloakroom with a generous shower cubicle and a large utility room with butler sink, washing machine and tumble dryer. The oak staircase leads up to two large en-suite bedrooms. The master bedroom faces south and has views over Christchurch Bay and the Isle of Wight. Other facilities include a 37 inch wall mounted plasma screen TV with surround sound, DVD player, amplifier, CD and radio, and free broadband. Garden furniture and a BBQ is also provided. Mulberry Barn is ideally located and within easy walking distance of three pubs and five restaurants. The sea front is a five minute stroll away whilst the whole of the unique New Forest area is minutes away by car. For further information contact David Danby on 01590 642138, email david@oldwalls.com or visit http://www.oldwalls.com/

New Housing Development on Cliff Road

Driving along Cliff Road you are likely to have spotted the demolition of the former Hordle Cliff House Care Home in preparation of a new development for Milford on Sea. At their meeting on 9 December, New Forest District Planners granted planning permission for redevelopment to modern four-storey block of eight luxury apartments and six family houses. Apparently concerns were raised by Milford Parish Council to the height of the block of apartments; to access onto Cliff Road; and alleged overdevelopment. However, the Planning Committee accepted the arguments put forward by Pennyfarthing Home’s planning consultants, Tanner & Tilley, that the development would be of outstanding contemporary design that would compliment this important cliff-top location. The New Forest Planners commented that the proposed development would be a significant improvement on some of the unfortunate and unsightly blocks of flats that had taken place along the Milford Cliff top during the 1960’s and 70’s. I guess not many can argue with that point!

Danestream, or Danes Stream, who knows?

I was feeling a bit mischievous today, and I was trying to gather the courage to put a big plastic spider in my wife’s knicker drawer. To kill time whilst I was waiting for her to come out the bedroom, I decided to find out which of my arms were the longest. As I used a six inch ruler to measure, I recalled the News Story I had written in these pages a few weeks ago, which investigated whether ‘Milford on Sea should contain hyphens or not’? The story concluded with some ‘comedian’ then asking me another question; ‘which is correct, Danestream or Danes Stream?’

Well, no time like the present I decided, and my latest nonsensical research was soon under way. Local addresses would be a good indicator I thought, & I was soon to discover that Sea Road contains both a Danestream House and Danestream Court. Hampshire County Council also list our waterway as Danestream in their Hampshire treasures pages. Danestream Farm Shop in New Milton had also obviously decided that a space was not for them. To try & get another clear opinion I called my mate Dan, he was however less than helpful, as he reckoned it was named after him. The New Forest National Park Authority has both versions (cunning move boys), plus two of our local B&B’s also go for Danestream. Just as the opinion was going strongly one way, the tide quickly turned, as I spotted that the Environment Agency, the New Forest District Council, and Hampshire County Council, all go for Danes Stream, & as they control the public signage I reckon they have an advantage on this one. Our own Parish Council website however goes for Danestream, they even go further by explaining that got its name from a local legend about when the Saxons once fought a fierce battle against the Danes nearby, and every year on the anniversary of the battle the water turns red! Danes in Milford on Sea? This sounded a bit farfetched, until I remembered that today we have Inger Lise’s Coffee Shop in the village High Street. Inger Lise’s is run by a real live Swedish lady, & they serve smorgasbord, waffles, Danish pastries & reindeer sandwiches. (I made one of those up.) Perhaps Milford on Sea has a mystical power to draw in Scandinavians? Alternatively, it was historically a place where people just turned up for a fight, as there was also the reputed 18th Century Battle of Milford Green between smugglers and the militia, so it looks like Milford on Sea was a bit like a dodgy nightclub in the olden days.

I was sure someone in the village must know, so off I went. I approached several people but all they wanted to talk about was: ‘why is the High Street now made of custard?’ My dilemma did not look like getting resolved, so I soon went home again. I then decided to view our own (this) website for the correct terminology, this was totally inconclusive, as I have used both versions to ensure that we have it correct sometimes. My final research really perplexed me, as I found several entries on the web for a new singular version: ‘Dane Stream’, I however dismissed these, as I was getting bored by now. Anyway, whatever the stream is properly called, I do know that it flows through The Pleasure Grounds. To be factual, the Danes Stream forms part of the Milford on Sea conservation area & runs the length of the parish, through the Pleasure Grounds, Westerly through Studland Common & Sharvells Copse, & Eastwards along the rear of the village shops exiting into Sturt Pond. The Pleasure Grounds have 14 acres of ancient woodland with a network of footpaths along the Danes Stream as it runs parallel to the coast.

So there you go another fine piece of investigative journalism, with absolutely no conclusion whatsoever. On her eventual exit from the bedroom, (Why is it that women spend so long getting dressed?) I asked my wife her valued opinion on my latest cutting edge village research, & she calmly asked me, “have you thought of moving?”, “why’s that monkey?” (Monkey?! Perhaps a story for another day) I warmly replied, she swiftly retorted “because there must a another village somewhere that needs an idiot!”. It is hard to believe that she actually quite liked me on our wedding day. Fortunately, my wife’s sharp wit did not spoil what had been a good day, as I was happy that my mini ruler had revealed that both of my arms are the same length. Now, where’s that plastic spider.

PS: Dan just called, (still insisting the stream was named after him) (- & my wife thinks I am the one who is an idiot?!), he now wanted to know the difference between a stream & a river! Will my quest for answers never be over!

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.

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!

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

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, of course we did not refuse. 

Things were going well, so on to 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 as her body is a temple, mines more of a waste bin. I nobly tasted 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 up her startled friend as 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  making cunning 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 re-join my wife outside of Piccolo Mondo a few yards away, I ate the cup cake. Her conversation over, I explained to my wife 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 through 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), and 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 Nick, 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 & a punch in my rib cage. 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!

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 Nick’s plans will now be, we certainly wish him well whatever he chooses to do.

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!

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.

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!

www.milfordonsea.org/

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.

www.milfordonsea.org/

It all happening with Milford on Sea Food Week.

Since the launch of Milford on Sea Food Week a few weeks ago, things have really take off. We now have scores of events being planned, spanning across the whole week, and we have loads of local businesses, clubs & individuals which have already volunteered to join in. Throughout Food Week the village will be alive with dining offers & themed events, cookery experiences & demonstrations, educational events & talks, children’s fun cooking competitions, & the chance to buy local produce at our very own food market.

There are events for every age group run by various local eateries, clubs & organisations. We are going to put on some great entertainment for everyone in the village throughout the week, & hopefully also draw in plenty of visitors to boost our local village trade. The plan is to finalise the events before Christmas & then to start our publicity campaign in the new year. We are also looking for your favourite recipes to add to our online ‘Recipe Book Page’, simply e-mail your recipe to me & I will add it. We are hoping we can collect enough recipes to print a ‘village recipe book’ for the year after our first Food Week. You can also donate your old recipe books with Lesley at Sullivan Mitchell Estate Agents, Lesley already has recipe books there for people to now swap or buy, with all profits going to the Community Centre.

If you want to add a new event to Food Week, it’s not too late to join us, simply let me know that you would like to get involved, we are up for any ideas! Finally, If you are planning to go away next Easter why not change your plans, the Food Week starts on Easter Bank Holiday Monday & events run every day through to the following Sunday, when the finale is a Food Market in the High Street. Why not stay at home & join in the events – it will be fun! To see what we have planned so far please visit Milford on Sea Food Week website. http://www.milfordonseafoodweek.org/

Where has the Milford on Sea Beach gone?

Anyone who has visited the beach since the recent storms will have noticed that most of the stones from the beach have disappeared. Well not actually disappeared, they have just decided to take themselves to barricade the beach huts, or to add a new layer to the car parks. It was fun to watch people steadfastly braving the beachfront as the stones hurled at them hidden in the massive waves. Of course it is very funny to see someone get an unexpected soaking, particularly when it was my wife & our two straggled dogs.

The prime views of the storms were of course from the cars at the sea edge in the Hurst Road car parks. Most sat with the obligatory bag of fish & chips from Mr Pinks (I suppose it is a bit like going to the cinema with popcorn), and some, I am convinced, watched happily as their bonnets & windscreens were peppered with pebbles, occasionally commenting to each other, ‘not to worry dear, it will be covered by the insurance’. Nothing stops us Brits from being by the sea!

Last summer the council spent months laying hundreds of tons of stones to the beach, but a load of the little blighters have now done a runner. Long term this must be a concern to people more sensible than me, and thankfully there help is at hand! Colin, our intrepid reporter, had discovered something quite interesting, & your incompetent story writer failed to publish this information for you in time. Anyway, just to tease you about what you missed, there was a Shoreline Management Plan Roadshow held at 'The Beachcomber' at Barton on Sea, last Tuesday. The event showed anyone who attended, (None of us I guess, as I didn’t let you know), about the plans for Milford on Sea’s beaches in the future. The good news is they are holding another roadshow in Christchurch, the bad news is it was last Monday. (He,he,he, you have missed that too!) Feeling slightly guilty, I felt it my duty to find out what the plan was, so I asked Colin. As he is much more studious than me, he discovered that the plan recommends maintaining the existing shoreline, so it looks like our ‘pebble replacement teams’ from the council will have plenty of work for several years to come. If you have time on your hands & can be bothered to trawl through ‘council speak’, you can read the Shoreline Management Plan yourself, this can be found on the Two Bay website.

http://www.twobays.net

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A new art gallery for the village

We have a new art gallery opening Monday 7th December in Milford on Sea village. All the works featured in Landfall Gallery are from local artists, or to be more specific artists, who Sally can reach in a cycle ride. Fortunately for Sally (& her legs) she is also featuring artisans from within our own village. This concept for product selection intrigued me, & I considered whether I could open a village shop on the same basis.

To test Sally’s concept I squeezed myself into my wife’s lycra yoga outfit, or was it spandex, I never can tell. Anyway, I found my bike & set off pedalling to see how far I would have to travel for the stock for my new shop. However, struggling to breathe & conscious of bulges which I had never noticed when my wife wore this outfit, I only reached the Pleasure Gardens before the police stopped me. They returned me home, but only after my wife promised that she would not let me out again in her attire. I wasn’t really bothered anyway, as I couldn’t see much of a market for large trees & shrubs inside a village shop. Not unusually I digress, so back to the real story.

Sally’s new gallery opens on 1st December & after having had a sneak preview, I can confirm that it is worth a visit. The new gallery will feature paintings of local scenes, pottery, cookware, hanging glass, ornaments, presents, gifts, cards & crafts. The newly renovated shop breathes new life into 98 High Street (next door to Monks), which has been empty, & in a sorry state for several years. Sally is not new to the area, as was once a pupil at Priestlands school & she is excited to also now be living in the village. Good luck Sally & thanks for choosing Milford on Sea for your new venture.

http://www.landfall-gallery.com/

Blimey, we're shortlisted in the Hantsweb Awards!

Following on from our recent nomination in the Hantsweb Awards 2009, we have just discovered that we have been shortlisted in the Best Tourism and Leisure website category. I am not quite sure how this has happened, as it appears that we are up against many professional organisations that do this for a living, and ours is just me, my keyboard & a regular refreshment of scotch & coke. Perhaps the judges like our quirky little village, or possibly they like the strange view we take in our news, or perhaps they simply consume more scotch & coke than me? Either way, 147 Hampshire website builders will now no longer visit Milford on Sea, as we somehow got their place in the final ten! Not really what I set out to do when starting this site, but who wants sulky people visiting the village anyway.

Ah well, as the famous Irish philosopher (Ronan Keeting) said ‘ life is a roller coaster’, and while our local community website is on this ride in the final ten we will enjoy it. I expect the ride will end here, but it’s been fun! www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebawards.htm

Open Meeting for Food Week – Come & join us!

We would like to invite you to the launch of Milford on Sea Food Week next Wednesday at South Lawn Hotel. This is an additional meeting you can attend if you missed the initial launch last Friday. The Food Week event is new for our village & is being organised by the Milford on Sea Community Tourism Group. We are hoping that every place to eat, village shop, school, club and organisation in the village will participate in some way, hopefully by coming up with an idea for a food related event they can host, or participate in. We also want to let all of the villagers know our plans & you can join in if you wish.

Our village has twenty two places where we can eat, dozens of clubs, great shops, excellent places to stay - & we would love everyone to participate in some way. We hope that you can find the time to make the meeting, but if not, please feel free to send a representative. Also please invite anyone else you feel would be interested in participating in, promoting, sponsoring, or simply hearing about our new village event.

Time & place  |  3pm: Wednesday 25th November 2009

South Lawn Hotel, Lymington Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0RF  |  Tel: 01590 643911

*We expect the meeting to last approximately one hour.

You may have heard that we were very pleased with the positive response we received at last Friday’s launch & we already have 32 village businesses onboard. We are now getting into full swing to get everything in place. If you would like a sneak preview of the website, you can see the initial ideas we have had for activities so far (Now we are looking for volunteers to do them!). All we need now is your help to make these ‘real events!’, and for more ideas that you may have that can be added. Throughout the Food Week we are hoping to encourage local people & visitors alike to enjoy a great choice of dining experiences, and to attend the numerous & varied food related fun & educational events we hope to create together. (There will be a variety of events for both adults & kids.) This new event, is fundamentally not a fund raising activity, it is something for all of our local community to enjoy & to boost trade within our village. Any profits made will be donated to the Community Centre.

If you have any questions at all please e-mail me on: david@milfordonsea.org

We look forward to seeing you, anyone else you think might want to get involved, or those that just simply want hear what we are doing on Wednesday. http://www.milfordonseafoodweek.org/

The White Horse rides again!

Our local Milford on Sea village pub not only took part in the recent New Forest Bike & Hike Charity Challenge, but they also managed to raise an amazing £10,028 for Oakhaven Hospice.

The sterling efforts of landlady Pat Ogden again represented the village admirably, as her team, plus around 25 regulars & local kids took part in the various day’s events. Jackie, who spends most of her time behind the bar, was resplendent in her shorts as she attempted to remember how to ride a bike rather than a horse. Jo kept her amused throughout their ride together, particularly when she fell off her bike twice, when actually standing still. Fortunately, they both sustained their energy to the end with copious amounts of chocolate. Chris Smith was the leading fund raiser from the pub and Sharon Parr was the first girl to reach the finish line. It probably won’t surprise you that Jackie & Jo reached the end quite a while later!

We also hear that Bob had some ‘undercarriage problems’, but we felt it was best not to investigate this further. Anyway, it seems everyone had a great time for a good cause, with the day coming to an abrupt end, when the beer tent run out of ale! - a problem you never have at the White Horse. Well done all!

www.milfordonsea.org

The police are after you!

I was contacted by the police tonight. My first reaction was of course, that they had heard about my recent escapade investigating Monks on your behalf. Whilst I was rapidly considering how I would get out of my latest scrape, it soon became apparent that they were not after me, but they are actually looking for you.

Neil Chippindale, our local Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant, is looking for local people to join a database of community contacts, who will receive a bi-monthly e-mail bulletin relating to Milford on Sea. The bulletin would cover local beat reports, and requests for feedback of areas of concern. To register please contact the New Milton Safer Neighbourhoods Team on:

new.milton.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk.

Ideally they would like your name, address (so they know to keep you informed about Milford on Sea.) All e-mail addresses will be protected. 

www.milfordonsea.org/

Fishy changes at Monks

Over the past months I suspect that we have all spotted the ongoing changes to Monks Fishmongers. Since Stacey & Dave took over ownership from Chris Monk, who of course has long been a stalwart of the village, our local Milford on Sea fishmongers has been slowly evolving. Having seen the building work progress & most recently a painting makeover take place, I decided it was time to find out exactly what was going on.

Now, I already knew that there were plans to open a restaurant at the rear of the fishmongers shop, but how this would all look cannot be seen from the front.

I then had a brilliant idea, and decided that I would carry out a ninja operation in a ‘milk tray’ style, I had a black shirt & black trousers in the wardrobe, a black briefcase, a torch & gaffer tape which I could use to stick the torch to my head. (I am not sure what I needed the briefcase for?!) To get over the back fence I decided to take our two dogs, then when in position I would stand one on the other, to create a canine ladder to scale the wooden obstacle. 

My wife had decided she wanted no part of this particular escapade, and just said she wouldn’t visit me in hospital (or prison) when it all went wrong. 

Undaunted my plan remained intact, but I decided that I had better add some gloves ‘so I left no ‘dabs’. To complete the outfit for my undercover spying raid I decided the final component was to wear a pair of my wife’s shoes to leave confusing footprints. (Which should be fun as she is a size 6, & I am a size 12). Once over the fence, I could then quickly see the results of the building work & then return the way I came. (That is as long as I didn’t break a heel). My mission complete, I would then report back to you all without anyone knowing I had even been in there.

I was proud of my meticulously thought out plan, but to carry out such an operation it was obviously necessary to ‘case the joint’ first. So, I popped in to Monks on the pretext that I wanted to buy some cockles. 

As I chatted to Stacey I inadvertently asked how the building work was going? My ‘ninja plan’ was wrecked when she asked if I wanted Dave to show me! All that planning for nothing, plus a missed opportunity to wear my wife’s shoe was destroyed. 

I managed to hide my distraught state of mind & accepted Stacey’s unexpected offer. Dave then took me on a tour of the construction site. What you might not know is that Dave is an accomplished chef & is itching to get behind a stove cooking for the good people of Milford on Sea. He showed me where the new open plan kitchen would be, and the new intimate restaurant area, describing in such detail how everything would be. Anyone who has had a conversation with Dave will recognise that this is never a short experience, but boy!, is this guy passionate. He is passionate about the food he is going to cook, passionate about service standards & passionate to ensure everyone has a great time when the restaurant opens.

The new restaurant will be at the rear of the existing fishmongers, the plan is to open to diners in the early months of next year & I for one am looking forward to tasting Dave’s creations.

White Horse Seas

Yesterday saw the most violent storm so far this year at Milford on Sea. For the brave & for the foolhardy, a wander along the seafront promenade was a challenge to even stand up, and it seemed most dog walkers were struggling to keep any of their dog’s feet on the ground. I guess we would all expect to see the front deserted during this ferocious weather, but there was no shortage of photographers & observers lining the shore!

The sea was spectacular, with massive crashing waves & dominant white horses, and the spectators level of wetness was clear indication of that individuals adventurousness. Teletext last night reported the highest recorded wind speeds hit over 100mph at The Needles. A fallen tree near the South Lawn Hotel caused a bit of excitement as half of the road was blocked for a couple of hours, and the Isle of Wight was also cut off as all ferries were forced to stop running. Halfway through the storm, my wife decided a trip to Lyndhurst would be a good idea (apparently shopping always overcomes any form of danger), so we had great fun waiting to see if our car would be crushed on the journey. Nimble at the wheel we weaved between fallen twigs, rolling logs & the occasional remnants of trees, but much more importantly my wife got to visit the shops. Not agreeing to have gone would have been far more dangerous!

The secrets out – We are having a Food Week!

You may recall my previous story about when I went along to the Parish Council’s Community Tourism Groups meeting, & was press-ganged into a project! Well the project is now revealed – we are having a Food Week next Easter!

The Milford on Sea Food Week was officially launched at the All Saints Church Hall last night. The Concept is to create a food event for all of the village to enjoy & participate in, and to encourage visitors to the village to boost local trade. The launch last night was excellent & we now have the enthusiastic support of 32 businesses & organisations in Milford on Sea. Everyone seemed very excited about the idea & have committed to be involved. Just the small job of pulling it all together now! We already have a website which will be constantly changing as we add ideas & events (see link to website on icon below). We hope to involve all of the local eateries, businesses & shops, in addition to this we are looking for clubs and societies to run ‘food themed’ events or talks, so that everyone in the village is involved in one way or another. We are going to all we can to make the week great fun for everyone, from the kids to the ‘young at heart’! If you fancy getting involved or have any ideas for events you could run please let us know. The success of the Milford on Sea Food Week is of course totally dependent on the participation & support of everyone in village. Big or small, any help or event participation is appreciated. The organising group consists of only two people working on a voluntary basis (Jon & David), plus two dogs, Taz & Skye, (who frankly don’t help much, but are very good at sausage tastings). On our own the events would be restricted to a 'hot dog in a telephone box!', but with your help we can have a week full of varied events to be proud of.

Milford on Sea Food Week is being organised by the Milford on Sea Community Tourism Group with the project being coordinated by Jon Crouch & myself, any profits will be donated to Milford on Sea Community Centre. If you would like to be kept up to date with what is happening please go to our ‘Join Us’ page & register for our ‘News Bulletins’.  www.milfordonsea.org/join-us