Milford on Sea News is now 15 years old and continues to go from strength to strength. Hopefully you are enjoying the journey, and we thought you might like to look back to see where we have come from.
From day one we have always loved our independence and enjoyed sharing good news.
Our aim is simple: To inform and entertain people with local village news, local history, random stories, and to promote all that is happening in the village. We also look to help keep the village vibrant by promoting & supporting village businesses the best we can.
All is done purely for the benefit of the community and not a penny is charged for anything.
If it is happening in the village, it is in Milford on Sea News!
OUR HISTORY
We launched our first Milford on Sea village website in May 2008.
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Milford on Sea Village Website: We decided to create our first village website in 2008.
Everything started as a hobby with the aim to provide local tourist information about the village. Over time the site became pretty dated in style, and as the content only focussed on tourism, it was decided to change the focus in 2011.
The Milford on Sea News website was changed to publish local news articles, and comprehensive information on all happening in the village. In 2022 the Milford on Sea What's On Calendar was launched to provide an easy to use & comprehensive source of village events, activities and clubs & classes for adults and children alike.
The original www.milfordonsea.org website had over 2 million page views in the thirteen years before coming offline. The original website now links to Milford on Sea News.
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Connecting the Village: Today we currently have 2,223 people who regularly receive our free weekly e-mail News Bulletin from a village population of c.5000.
We never really considered that people would enjoy or appreciate what we built, however it appears people do, and it is satisfying to provide a service with a smile to the local community.
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MILFORD ON SEA NEWS
This community service is completely independent, and everything is free to everyone. Since launch of Milford on Sea News in 2011, and to April 2023 there has been 4,142 village news articles published with 2,991,358 page views.
Milford on Sea News currently averages at around 45,000 page views per month.
April Fool's Day: We like to have a bit of fun, and our most popular ever article; 'Hurst Bridge Meeting Erupts' was published on 1st April 2017 and has been read over 12,500 times. If you would like to read it, please click here.
On 1st April 2022 we published an article entitled; 'Controversial Floating Pier', and on 1st April 2023 we published 'Fury as unwanted Hurst Spit Observation Wheel Approved', we are pleased to say they both had the desired effect!
At the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic in February 2020 an even greater number of articles were published in order to keep people informed of services available as well as things happening locally.
During the first Lockdown page views increased to over 80,000 a month and registered reader numbers also increased.
We can also be found on
Facebook where we have over 2,000 followers.
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FREE WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN
Each week we send a free e-mail News Bulletin to anyone who wishes to register for a copy.
As of April 2023, we have 2.223 Registered Readers from a village population of around 5,500. There appears to be a lot of people interested in Milford on Sea and our readers continue to grow.
In April 2023 we published No.715 of our weekly e-mail News Bulletin which informs people of the articles that have been added to the news website that week. All news articles relate to what is happening in the village, and we also occasionally drop in some random articles simply to amuse.
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MILFORD ON SEA WHAT'S ON CALENDAR
Around 2016, this extraordinary village has so much happening that it was often tricky to keep tabs on everything, so we decided to put everything that is going on in one place.
The Milford on Sea What's On Calendar was launched featuring all village events, live music, shows, films, talks, meetings, themed dinners, activities, and many clubs & classes. Plus, things to do and places to go in the village.
In fact, we include anything that we think people may be interested in!
If you are looking for ways to enjoy yourself, you will find lots to interest you in the Milford on Sea What's On Calendar!
Promoting anything in the village What's On Calendar is free for everybody.
www.whatsonmos.org
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MILFORD ON SEA CLUBS & CLASSES CALENDAR
In 2023 the What's Calendar became so full, so we decided to separate the Clubs & Classes into their own calendar.
This can be found on separate tab in the main What's On Calendar.
Anyone can add their club, class, or regular activity to this calendar for free.
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The village has so many dining options and a reputation as a great place to visit to dine. It only seemed right that this should get specific attention.
The first Where To Eat in Milford on Sea Guide was published in 2010 and continues to this day online.
The guide features all of the places to eat in the village, as well as the village takeaway & delivery services.
In 2023 a separate dining guide was produced for Kids Dining.
These guides can be found in the right hand column on the Milford on Sea News home page.
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VILLAGE PHOTO ALBUMS
In 2020 over 4,000 historic photos from Milford on Sea were loaded to a Village Photo Album.
The albums include many historic photos from years gone by, as well as a number of past village events.
Milford on Sea Lockdown Villagers on the Doorstep: During the first Covid Lockdown in February 2019 we asked people to send in photos for the Milford on Sea Villagers on the Doorstep photo album.
Lots of people joined in to brighten what was a difficult time for many. The album contains pictures of over 200 villagers showing humour and defiance as they were locked down in their homes for many weeks.
Milford on Sea Unsung Lockdown Heroes: Throughout the pandemic Milford on Sea had many 'Unsung Lockdown Heroes'.
These are people who have helped others with acts of kindness however large or small and we felt it was only right and proper to recognise them.
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PAST VILLAGE PUBLICATIONS:
In 2010 the first Where to Eat & Stay Guide was launched, this was expanded to various Village Guides from 2012 and 2015 which included where to eat, shop, stay, visit and what to do.
In 2010 and 2013 there was a Community Directory published which featured local clubs, organisations, events, home services, charities, churches, kids' stuff, and lots more.
In 2015 a separate Village Tradesmen & Services Guide was published.
These publications are no longer in print as the information is now readily available online.
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Milford on Sea Food Week took place in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2104 and 2016.
Food Week featured over 100 food related events across the village. This included celebrity shows in the Cookery Theatre with appearances from renowned chefs such as Tom Kerridge, Rosemary Shrager, Angela Hartnett, and Dick Strawbridge, to name just a few.
Winners from The Great British Bake Off & Master Chef also appeared.
There were also themed events in the local restaurants, pubs & cafes.
Village groups & organisations also got involved with many of their own demonstrations and events. Added this, there were cookery competitions, food tastings, tours, parties, picnics, entertainment and much more.
The finale of Food Week was the very popular Sunday Food Market, with over 50 food stalls on the village green and surrounding streets.
THE GREAT DINING BUS ran from 2013 to 2015, taking groups of diners for separate course in a variety of restaurants across Milford on Sea. A trip on The Great Dining Bus was not only a unique way to dine, but also a chance to visit many of great places to eat in the village.
LOVE MILFORD WEEK took place in 2015 with scores of events which promoted local shops, village trade services, small businesses, and community groups.
THE EXOTIC CAR SHOW was held in the seafront car park as part of Love Milford Week. The car show featured scores of classic and special cars owned by village residents and gave people the opportunity to enjoy motors which are normally kept garaged and used only for special trips out.
The QUEEN'S 90th BIRTHDAY PICNIC was held in 2016 on the village green for all of the community to celebrate this special occasion.
Villagers bought a picnic and enjoyed live music throughout the afternoon.
The event was organised by the Food Week team.
Photos from all of these village events can be found at:
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JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!
We are always looking for more village people to join our Free Weekly News Bulletin mailing list. (That's people who live in the village, not the YMCA pop band!).
So, if you can spread the word to any friends, family, or neighbours who you think would like to get our newsletter, we can then ensure all of our community are kept informed of local news and event, which on occasions contain some actual facts!
Please send them the link to this article, or ask them to complete the registration form
by clicking here.
Thanks for your support and for as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!
