Wildlife Gardens Initiative

Milford Conservation Volunteers have embarked on producing a Wildlife Garden Initiative, as part of the Biodiversity Action Plan for the parish.

This is where wildlife habitats and species important to the area will be summarised, and actions to conserve them agreed. Gardens can provide excellent habitat for wildlife and can be given a helping hand by making a few simple changes to the way we manage them.

This initiative is aimed at getting Milford residents, and of course MCV members actively participating in this project. So whether you have a large, medium or small garden, or even a small window box or a corner of your garden that you are prepared to give over, they can all be modified and made better for wildlife.

Have you got a Tiger in your garden?

Have you seen in your garden any slow-worms, garden tiger moths, stag beetles, or early bumblebees?

Tiger Moth

Do you encourage wildlife to your garden with plants rich in nectar and pollen – especially in early spring and late summer? These do not have to be wild flowers although that helps to bring back disappearing plant species.

Can birds, creepy crawlies, little mammals, etc. find a few small and untidy spots for nesting and hibernation (even if they haven’t used them yet, as far as you know)?

Do you have a fish-free pond or little basin surrounded with plant cover, which might encourage reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies, etc. (they can be quite easy to please)?

Information about what uses your garden is needed to encourage the rest of us make space for wildlife.

The MCV aim to compile and make available a sample of successful Milford on Sea wildlife gardens.

Gardens will not be formally accredited, nor publicised by name or address without your permission, so can remain anonymous, nor will you be under pressure to open yours to the public (although this can be very enjoyable and rewarding), nor will you be press-ganged into conservation working parties!

So if you have a garden that’s good for wildlife, please get in touch with your contact details (Name, E-Mail Address, Tel No. & Home Address), without commitment, and we will arrange to talk with you. If you are looking for new ideas or advice we may be able to help you, free of charge!

Have you seen the Milford Conservation Vounteers webite? It is definately worth and look: www.milfordcv.org  You might even want to join, membership is just £5 per person, with children & students free.

If you would like to join in with the Wildlife Gardens Initiative please contact:

Giles Darvill, Co-ordinator, Milford BAP Wild-life Garden Project. Contact on 01590 642558, giles-darvill@foxhat.freeserve.co.uk, 10 Studland Drive, Milford SO41 0QQ

Milford Makers are coming

Milford Makers are forming a community of local makers of arts, crafts, jewellery, books, local produce and more…

Milford and the surrounding villages are brimming with local talent and this group has recently been created as a network to support and encourage one another and to promote this talent.

Over the next few months, the Milford Makers will be creating an online directory and website, where you will be able to browse and contact our local makers, and informing you of the great things you can buy as gifts for friends & family, or treats for yourself.

The ‘Milford Makers’ are also planning some events. The first is taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May from 10.30am until 4pm in the Community Centre.

This event will showcase some of the local talent. You can also get involved in a variety of making activities, and MICO will be running fun activities for the children. So please pop in, meet the ‘Milford Makers’.

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If you are a local maker of products or produce and want to join the group, or are interested in being involved in the launch event, then Victoria would love to hear from you.

Please email milfordmakers@gmail.com or call Victoria on 07720 842374
or visit www.milfordmakers.co.uk for more information.

Cowboys in Milford on Sea

A favourite restaurant in Milford on Sea village is holding another Wild West Party Night.

During last year's Milford on Sea Food Week, The Raft held their first Wild West Party Night, and people really got into the spirit of the events.

As I made my way around visiting various village events that night, the sight of cowboys, indians and squaws strolling the streets was causing a fair amount of amusement and confusion!

One particular guy was meandering in a turban, either had misunderstood the actual theme, or had a weird sense of humour!

There is one sitting for the evening which starts at 7.30pm. After you have dined from an special all American menu, party time starts with Wild West music, and there might even be a bit of line dancing! 

Cowboy & Indian fancy dress is encouraged but optional, with a prize voucher for a Pizza & Glass of Wine for 2 for the best costume. 

Bring your pard'ners!

Tickets are £30pp - To book please call: 01590 645300

wwwtheraftmos.co.uk

Ashtons Shut Doors

Ashtons Estate Agents in Milford on Sea High Street has closed and the village now has another empty retail building.

It is unclear why Ashtons has shut, but with three other estate agents in the village, and the current depressed property market, it is no surprise.

Sarah and her team were always very friendly and supporters of village events, so they will be missed in the village.

As Ashtons was in a prime location and one of the most attractive buildings in the village centre, it is hoped a new business moves in soon. 

So, the village now has 6 empty shops, Gwen's, the old HSBC Bank, Majories Greengrocers, Ashtons, The Salad Bowl and the new building opposite The Smugglers. Wishful thinking would be that a bakers or Chinese restaurant/takeaway move in.  Other ideas, such as a bookies or kebab shop are likely to get less support. 

Personally, I think we should have a shop with internal chocolate walls at 50p per lick, a fountain of beer in the centre and waitresses in roller skates serving plates of curry & pizza.  My wife considers this a bad idea, but she has never run a shop.

It is not all bad news, as one empty building, the previous WineShak/Threshers, is currently going through a complete transformation and a new exciting business 'The Cave' will be with us soon. www.thecavemos.co.uk 

Whatever the future of the empty premises it is hoped they soon contain new people joining our community, and that we all want to shop with them.

New Milton Crafts back

Wooden Pens and Writing Gift Sets, made from materials only grown in Hampshire and Dorset, several Crafters from Milford on Sea, Paintings by local artists, a unique hand-made ceramic kitchen tool and handmade quilts will be among the new craft exhibits on display at the Spring New Milton Crafts 2013 Fair on Saturday 13th April, 2013. 

The start of the third season of New Milton Craft Events is expected to draw large crowds to The New Milton Memorial Centre between 10:30am and 4:00pm. Being the largest indoor venue between Southampton and Bournemouth – The Memorial Centre provides a unique venue for almost 70 stallholders to display their crafts, whilst also providing our visitors with a welcoming and informal atmosphere to peruse the hundreds of items on display. Visitors will also be able to relax and enjoy homemade cakes with hot and cold drinks being available throughout the day. 

The Event on Saturday 13th April, will be the first of three Craft Events this year organised by The New Milton Town Partnership. 

The Memorial Centre will also play host this year to another first for a number of years – with a Two Day Antiques and Collectables Fair being held on Saturday and Sunday 13th and 14th July – another event not to be missed in the New Milton Events Calendar.

www.newmiltonevents.co.uk

New Faces at The Red Lion

Having heard that Paul & June had moved on from The Red Lion in the heart of Milford on Sea High Street, it seemed only neighbourly to pop in to meet the new landlords. A warming welcome was immediate from our new mien-hosts, Stuart & Jayne Grieves.

As we chatted, I explained that I whiled away a few hours by doing some local web stuff in the village, fortunately this did not stop them from continuing our friendly chat.

I discovered the Stuart & Jayne were originally from Watford, and had previously lived in New Milton, Stuart working in kitchen fitting and Jayne in the motor trade.  However, Jayne had always fancied running a B&B, and Stuart a pub.  Watching how they welcomed the customers coming into the pub, it was obvious that they enjoyed the company of people, so the perfect new career was having their own pub with rooms.

Jayne explained that they loved a pub to be traditional, as well as a place to eat, so they wanted people to be able to simply enjoy a drink around a welcoming bar.  Being a dog friendly pub, it makes it easy for anyone wishing to slip out for a sneaky pint, simply to pretend they need some exercise and take the dog for a walk to the pub.  If you don't have a dog, perhaps you could borrow one from a neighbour for an hour or so?

As we all know our village is blessed with places to eat, from top class restaurants, cafés and of course the other village pubs, The Smugglers, The White Horse and The Gun Inn. The Red Lion has become know for wholesome homemade 'pub grub' at a great price, and Stuart & Jayne intend to continue to offer great value and tasty dishes.  Everyday there is a changing 'daily special' for £6 and the Sunday roasts are well worth a try at only £10 for two courses.

Over Jayne's shoulder I noticed a bottle of beer.  Not surprising in a pub I guess, but this particular bottle was a Benskins beer brewed to commemorate Watford FC's appearance in the 1984 FA Cup Final. 

The significance of this will mean little to most, but it was evident to me that I was in the company fellow of Watford Supporters.  Stuart and I were soon talking of our experiences following The Hornets, and that our children had even been born in the same hospital right next to the Vicarage Road Stadium.  Having spent many years as a season ticket holder and following the boy's in yellow around the country, my memories were stirred. Normally my Watford FC stories fall on deaf ears, but Stuart was attentive to my recollections of the many exciting away trips my wife & I had enjoyed, my day's out with the Watford legend Luther Blissett, the glorious day at the old Wembley watching Watford return to The Premiership in the Play Off Final, and even the freezing Tuesday evening I spent at Hull, when I was one of only 14 Watford supporters at the game.

Back to the pub. Stuart & Jayne are planning to keep people in the village well entertained.  Only last night they held a successful Charity Quiz Night with a full house having a good time, a bingo evening is also being planned, and Live Music is going to take place every few weeks.  The events below are already booked, so why not put them in your diary, or pop in before that to say hello. 

Saturday 27th April: The Elastic Party Band - www.theelasticpartyband.com
Saturday 25th May: Dog Ruff

These events along with other things happening in the village can be found at: www.milfordonsecalendar.org   

The Red Lion
32 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD
T: 01590 642236 | www.theredlionmilford.co.uk

40 B4 40-Bluebird

No. 32: Bluebird, Lymington 

As we could not decide where to go and eat with our friends Colin & Tricia, we decided that Tricia could make it a surprise. 

Not only did we not know where we were going, but we did not anticipate we were also going back in time. 

click image to enlarge

A short drive to get there, and then even more miles covered looking for a parking space, we were eventually strolling through the cobbled streets at the foot of Lymington High Street. Charming as ever, but the biting wind had Colin & I walking at a pace not normally associated with our normal stroll. 

Our destination was The Bluebird Restaurant. Having passed by this quaint looking building many times, this was our first visit to dine. 

from the outside the Bluebird displays signs for its various offerings, part café, part restaurant and a B&B. Stepping inside I had visions of the 1980's. The tables & chairs were all made of wood, and the walls adorned with a mish-mash of pictures featuring racing drivers, sea and country scenes. 

A friendly greeting from the waiting team, and we were soon at our table. The laminated menus were certainly reminiscent of a café and the selection not to exciting, however the breakfasts looked good. 

click image to enlarge

The 'Specials Board' provided much more inspiration, with a great selection of fresh fish, homemade dishes, and a homemade pudding menu that was going to create an issue for me when it came to choosing.

It didn't take long for our drinks order to arrive, followed by the rolls, which were OK, but not homemade. The butter was in little foil wraps, a small pet hate of mine.

The food was to prove a lot better than the decor. For our starters my wife and Colin had tasty Calamari with Sweet Chili Mayonnaise, and my Deep Fried Goats Cheese with Pineapple Chutney was spot on. Both dishes came with a salad of mixed leaves, peppers, cucumber and carrot on the side of the plate, which raised a nostalgic smile.

Our main courses arrived and the main ingredients looked as good as they proved to taste. The girls and I had Grilled Whole Dover Sole with Lemon & Parsley Butter, and Grilled Halibut Fillet with Creamed Leak & Saffron Sauce.  Colin, being a major carnivore & offal eater, went for Liver & Bacon.  Each meal was fresh and well cooked.

The fish courses where normally served with new potatoes and vegetables. However, we all fancied chips, and the front of house team were happy to change our order. When the chips were served they were hot, crispy. and everything you want in a chip.  The vegetables were served in individual bowls and instantly bought back memories of how dishes were served a couple of decades ago. I really felt I should have been wearing flares, a tank top and platform shoes. Fortunately Colin was, so he felt right at home.

Time travel aside, the food had been very good and it was now time for sweet.

As much as I was being nice to my wife, offering her all sorts of inducements and even offering to put the bins out, she resolutely insisted she did not want a sweet. Of course, my real point was she ordered one for us to 'share'. On my last pleading attempt, I could see from the steely glint in her eyes that I was a nano-second from getting a fork in the eye.  This development encouraged me to abort my 'dual delight' mission.

It would have been easy to order six or so puddings from the comprehensive list of homemade delights.   However, my wife tends to torture me for several weeks with low fat food if I order more than one, so as a result only two puddings were ordered, but I never got a look in on Tricia's Forest Fruit Pavlova. She has perfected the art of speed eating when dining with me.

I have forgo the Apple & Rhubarb Crumble and creme brulée, and settled for the Chocolate Marquise, which was delicious.  Tricia's pudding was also sweet and tasty, or so I was told.  

As Colin was the day's nominate driver our alcohol intake was less than usual, however that will be rectified next time.  Well, it will be if I can convince my wife to drive.  Looks like I will have to make a concerted effort at a period of good behaviour.  Wish me luck.

Bluebird
5 Quay St Town Centre, Lymington SO41 3AS
www.bluebirdrestaurant.co.uk

If you are wondering what the 40 B4 40 Dining Challenge is all about, please click here and all will be explained.

The Last Train in Milford

Milford on Sea resident and author, Maureen Farenden has just published her latest novel, The Last Train. 

Below is an extract for the book that will give you a flavour of the story: 

All aboard, one stop only, destination unknown,’ announces the Conductor, smiling an eerie, almost sinister sneer as the train departs. And so the nightmare journey begins… Six strangers’ lives will unfold as the phantom train travels into the abyss and they discover that each of them possesses a ticket that is stamped ONE WAY ONLY – NO RETURN JOURNEY. Who amongst them has the darkest secret? Be careful what you do in life and how you hide your sins for the LAST TRAIN will always come to collect… Are you brave enough to mount the step, close the carriage door and await the final judgement aboard THE LAST TRAIN? 

Maureen sends her thanks to everyone in the village who supported and read her previous book, The Diary. 

The Last Train, is now available on www.amazon.co.uk and can be purchased in e-book and paperback form. 

Paperback 

www.amazon.co.uk/The-Last-Train-Maureen-Farenden/dp/1909224383

Kindle 

www.amazon.co.uk/The-Last-Train-ebook/dp/B00C2TJPXK/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364989569&sr=1-5

A Token for the Kids'

The Milford on Sea C.E Primary School have been selected to have a 'Green Box' at Waitrose in Lymington. 

Each month, Waitrose chooses three local charities to support, and donates £1,000 between them, according to how many tokens are in each box. The school has been lucky enough to be chosen as one of this month's charities in their bid to raise £10,000 for an outdoor "Science Hut". The hut will be used by the children to learn first-hand about the subject matter they are studying, while also enjoying the benefits of being in the fresh air. This will support the teachers in helping to deliver the new science curriculum, while also promoting pupils' confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning. 

So, the more green tokens they collect, the more money we will receive! 

Naturally, we would rather encourage you to do your shopping in the village, as it is quite amazing how much you can buy locally and of course every penny spent in our shops maintains the vibrancy of our village community. 

Should you find yourself needing to visit a large supermarket, there is now a good reason to select Waitrose, and if you do, please put your token in Milford on Sea C.E Primary School box.

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Talking of local shops, Hollands of Milford’s new website is worth a visit. Not only does it tell you all they offer, but it has a complete range of special offers that are updated on a regular basis. Click here to visit website: www.hollandsmilford.co.uk

Our Pork & Sausage King!

David Gates, Our award winning local butcher, who is already famous in the village for his sausages, bacon and hog roast, has won another set of accolades to add to his already impressive array of awards.

David has won two golds, four silvers and one bronze awards at the South of England Butchers Road Show for products from their range, including hickory smoked back bacon and Jubilee pork sausages.

The Butchers Shop in Milford on Sea village cure and smoke their own pork and bacon on the premises, which offers us all a excellent selection of local produce.

David also supplies grass fed free range New Forest beef from local farms, free range outdoor reared pork, and local Dorset and Hampshire lamb. It is no surprise to know that David is the current Hampshire Bacon Champion. To compliment their meat products, other quality items such as fresh cheeses, chutneys, pickles, mustards, honey, and local free range eggs from Kitts Merries Farm in Romsey are available.

David also does free home deliveries when you find leaving the house difficult. To complete his range of services, he also does a tasty Hog Roast for parties and events.

We of course are lucky enough to have two butchers in the village, with Dave Gregory also providing fresh meat from his butchers shop in the Keyhaven Road end of the High Street. Enjoy eating local!

The Butchers Shop, 3 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH

Tel: 01590 642136

www.gatesbutchers.com

Money raised on the organ

On Sunday 24th March, the New Forest Organ Society hosted a lunch and concert in support of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Service.

 

The Society is 34 years old, and their home hall is All Saints Church Hall in Milford on Sea, where they regularly enjoy an audience of 180 people.

 

The musicians are all top professionals and arrive from all over the UK bringing their own electronic organs and keyboards. They play a wide variety of music: big band, Latin, jazz, light classical and much more. (Not church music)

 

On this occasion the event was at Hoburne Bashley and all tickets were sold.  The attendees enjoyed a 2 course lunch, an afternoon concert followed by a cream tea and a raffle which raised many hundreds of pounds. The musician was Ian House who plays a Yamaha TYROS4 organ set up. Ian travels a lot for Yamaha playing concerts all over the UK and generously Yamaha sponsored Ian for this special event.

 

A successful and happy afternoon for 216 people resulted in the New Forest Organ Society announcing that £2900 had been raised for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Service.

 

The organisers thank everyone that helped to achieve this excellent sum of money.

 

The New Forest Organ Society has held a concert at All Saints' Church Hall in Milford on Sea every month for more than 30 years!, and has 250 members.

 

Anyone interested in coming to a concert in Milford please contact Sandra Ebbetts: 01590 644724.

 

 

Brownies Got Talent

Last Monday 1st Milford on Sea Brownies put on an extravaganza at Milford Village Community Centre. The girls were kindly given the use of the facilities to stage 'Brownies Got Talent', and were able to showcase the wealth of talent which lies within our local Brownie Pack. They were also lucky enough to secure the services of Adrian Ellis who took control of the sound and lights.

Thirty one girls took to the stage in an evening of song, dance, drama, poetry and magic. Having had very little rehearsal time, and none on the stage itself, the girls confidently performed to a packed audience of family members, Trefoil Guild and representatives from the Guide Hut Committee and VCC.

Muffins baked at their Brownie meetings by the girls themselves, were on sale during the interval and a raffle took place, raising funds jointly for Hampshire West Showtime and 1st Milford on Sea Brownies.

The Brownies are now looking forward to their next event at Milford Community Centre on Friday 2 August when the older girls will host a First Friday Lunch.

If you or your daughter would like to know more about joining or volunteering at Rainbows, Brownies or Guides please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested or call 0800 169 5901. Alternatively you can email the local team at milfordgirlguiding@gmail.com