Two Milford Restaurants in Hampshire Top 10

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In a few short years, Trip Advisor has become the oracle for dining reviews. The number of diners that now regularly contribute is astonishing.

Top chef's have always had a high regard for achieving a listing in publications such as the Michelin, Harden's and The AA Guides, but today their Trip Advisor rating can be almost as important to them. It certainly is to many of their customers.

Indeed, who can resist a look at Trip Advisor before visiting any new restaurant?

It is therefore fair to say that Trip Advisor is pretty useful and a good reflection of peoples experiences.

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When we heard that Trip Advisor has published 'Hampshire's Top 10 Restaurants', we were delighted to see that both Verveine and La Perle in Milford on Sea are getting the high recognition they deserve!

Verveine sits at No. 4, and La Perle at No.7 in Hampshire's Top 10 Restaurants - and this is out of a total of 3,250 restaurants across the county!

Well done guys, a very impressive acheivement!

See all of Verveine's Food Week Events - click here

See all of La Perle's Food Week Events - click here

Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant
01590 642176

98 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE

david@verveine.co.uk 

www.verveine.co.uk

La Perle 

01590 643557

60 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

info@laperle.co.uk  

www.laperlerestaurant.co.uk

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here

Full Food Week Programme Launched

The Milford on Sea Food Week Programme containing details of all of the events taking place is now online at: www.milfordfoodweek.org.

Add caption

This year will be biggest and best Food Week yet. We have 168 events happening - many are free, there is plenty for the kids, and all will be fun!

The Celebrity Shows are selling fast, so please be quick to book (We don't want you disappointed.) Check out the online programme to see what you want to come to!

The printed Free Food Week Programmes will arrive Mid-February, with 20,000 free copies available across Milford on Sea village. (3000 copies are generously being delivered to every home in the village by the team that distribute the Community Centre What's On Magazine.) 

In addition to this, we are printing 25,000 Food Week Flyers which will delivered door to door in nearby surrounding areas from Christchurch, and across the New Forest to Lyndhurst.

I get the feeling everyone will hear that something special is happening in Milford on Sea!

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

Join the Food Week Volunteer Team

Would you like to help out at Food Week? We do not need much time, and it should be fun.

We are looking for volunteers to take any shift they would like in the Food Week Information Centre.

This year the Food Week Information Centre is in the comfort of the Community Centre, rather than the trailer we have had on the village green in previous years.

The job is pretty easy, just meet visitors and direct them to events, hand out programmes, answer questions etc. 

You would be paired up with other people, so a good opportunity to meet new people from within the village, or you can do shifts with your own friends (with a perfect excuse for a good old catch up!) if you prefer. Each day has two shifts: 10am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm.

The only qualification required is a helpful and friendly personality, and a sense of humour would be an advantage!

To join the Food Week Team, or ask any questions at all, please email: Amanda Tanner - amandatanner@sky.com

Milford on Sea Food Week
Bank Holiday Monday 28th March until Sunday 3rd April 2016
www.milfordfoodweek.org

Would You Like Your Dog Walked?

Local resident and animal lover, Kait Houching has started up a dog walking and dog sitting service in Milford on Sea.

Kait is a self-confessed animal lover and herself has two dogs; 'Alfie' the black and tan cavalier, and 'Amber' the ruby cavalier. She also enjoys horse riding, and comes from a long line of professional jockeys.

Her dog walking services can be on a regular or occasional basis, as she just loves being out and about walking dogs. 

Kait has lived in Milford on Sea for about two and a half years, and before that thirty odd years in Burley, where her mum still lives.

Animals are a clear passion for her, but she also like humans! -

Kait also runs Kait's Mobile Hairdressing and she has been a qualified professional hairdresser for 32 years.

If you are interested in having your hair done at home, or would like your dog walked, simply get in touch with Kait as below:

Kait Houching

Kait's Mobile Hairdressing 

Tel: 01590 719406 - 07799 947718 

kaithouching@yahoo.co.uk

Creating Food Week: The Statistics

Since being launched in 2010, Milford on Sea Food Week has grown in so many ways.

The initial concept was born out of wanting to boost local village trade by promoting Milford on Sea as a 'Foodie Heaven', - and with 20 great places to eat, what better way for Milford on Sea to celebrate than to have an entire week dedicated to the joys of food!

Very soon this concept grew to involve the local community en-mass in organising and participating in events, promoting the quality local producers that surround us, and adding celebrity shows to enhance the enjoyment and to raise the profile of Food Week.

This year the ever popular Milford on Sea Food Week returns from Bank Holiday Monday 28th March until Sunday 3rd April 2016, and this time it is bigger than ever, with over 10,000 people attending the 150 events (many of which are free). Actually, it is 168 events to be precise!

Food Week Purpose: 
The core purpose of Food Week is to boost and promote village trade, and to inform, educate and entertain the local community and visitors.

Creating the Food Week Events
It is important to us that as many corners of the entire community are directly involved as possible.

To create so many events, there are as you might expect, a lot of people across the village that get involved, whether as a business, local organisation, club or as an individual. A quick count tells us that to create all the Food Week events means that 129 people are organising or participating in one way or another.

We also have 80 local producers who attend the Food Market as stallholders.

Behind the scenes there is a Core Organising Team of 7 volunteers who make sure everything is in place, prepare the events, create the marketing, raise the income, manage the finances, and keep an eye on things throughout the week.

Finally, there are also 43 important and enthusiastic volunteers who work on the event preparation, and provide day to day services and specialist support. Plus, an awesome team of 44 people who do a great job selling Food Week raffle tickets.

So, that's 303 people to make Food Week happen!

Funding Food Week Events
Food Week is run on a shoestring, and we are fortunate that many skills that organisers of other events have to pay for, we are able to do for free thanks to the expertise and time investment of our volunteers.

However, one main element that has to be outsourced is the printing of the publicity collateral, and it is surprising how substantially the cost of publicity material mounts up. Things like local advertising, village banners, window posters, flags, signage, and 20,000 Free Food Week Programmes for the village and 25,000 Flyers for the surrounding areas do not come cheap!

The celebrity events are always a risk, as good ticket sales are essential to ensure that we do not make a loss on any show.

Food Week could not happen without donations, and we are fortunate to get excellent support from Brand New Forest at NFDC, local councillors, our local MP, 6 local main sponsors, 67 local businesses as gold or silver sponsors, and 41 local residents as Friends of Food Week. Food Week 2016 has so far raised £15,425 from these generous supporters.

Food Week is not a charitable or fund raising event, however we do encourage local charities to take part in order to raise funds for their own good causes.

Should Food Week make any profits, donations are made to local good causes and also spent on projects that may benefit the village overall. Since 2010 Food Week has made contributions of £20,738.

Spreading the Food Week Message

Prior to the fun of Milford on Sea Food Week, there is the little matter of making sure that as many people as possible know that the events are taking place.

As previously mentioned, we do as much as we can without costs and through volunteers, such as; the website, all design and artwork, PR, marketing, social media, e-shots, blogs etc.

Spreading the Food Week message is a multi-level marketing activity, and we regularly use the following:

• The MoS News Website. Which has 20,000+ page views a month. (www.milfordonseanews.org) 

• The MoS News Bulletin. This is sent directly to 2,626 email addresses in the village. (NB: Milford on Sea has around 5000 residents in total.)  -  Perhaps surprisingly, we have a further 201 people who we know live in Milford on Sea, but have chosen to 'Unsubscribe' from receiving the News Bulletin. (This might be something to do with some of the nonsense we publish!)

• The Food Week News Bulletin: This is sent directly to another of our databases, which contains 1,543 email addresses of 'Foodies from outside of the village'. 

• Facebook: Milford On Sea Page: We have 1,109 Page Likes.

• Facebook: Milford On Sea Food Week Page: Only recently started, and we have 172 Page Likes to date. (Currently growing by around 80 per week.)

• Facebook: Post Boosts: Used tactically to spread the word about Food Week and specific events.

• Twitter: 86 Followers. No idea what Twitter is all about really, we just randomly put stuff on it and hope that someone sees it!

• Streetlife: This is a local social network, so we are also giving this a go.

• Press Advertising & Editorial in Advertiser & Times, New Forest Post, Village Voice, Lymington Directory, Barton Bugle, Highcliffe Eye, Christchurch Eye, Hampshire Life and a few selected other local publications and magazines.

• Press Releases: Articles are sent to local press and food/lifestyle magazine publications.

• Free Food Week Programmes: 20,000 free copies distributed within Milford on Sea village. (3000 of which are generously delivered to every home in the village by the team that distribute the Community Centre What's On Magazine.) 

• Food Week Flyers: 25,000 delivered door to door in nearby surrounding areas from Christchurch, and across the New Forest to Lyndhurst.

Then of course, we have the messages that everyone sees, like the village banners, window posters, flags and signage.

Summary
Milford on Sea Food Week is very proud that it is a not for profit community event entirely coordinated by a small dedicated group of volunteers who provide their expertise and time for free.

The Food Week organisers are more than satisfied that their sole reward is in seeing the enjoyment gained by people enjoying the events. 

Food Week is truly a ‘By the community, for the community’ event, so please come and join in or simply enjoy!

Milford on Sea Food Week
Bank Holiday Monday 28th March until Sunday 3rd April 2016
www.milfordfoodweek.org

Ray of Hope in the Village

Did you know that Milford on Sea has a charity which is helping children many miles from our comfortable lives here in the UK?

Steve Jennings and local
Ray of Hope School children

Friends of Ray of Hope Uganda is a small charity that came into being after local resident Steve Jennings, and his wife Liz returned from a month’s visit to Kampala, the Ugandan capital, in the summer of 2007.

Since then, Steve, Liz and a small group of local trustees have been raising funds to help one particular school and its children.

One regular event held is the Saturday Coffee Morning with cakes and scones - In aid of Friends of Ray of Hope, which is hosted by new trustee Sue Forward. 

The Saturday Coffee Morning takes place from 10am to 12noon on the first Saturday in every month at 33 Whitby Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0NE. Don't be shy, everyone is invited and gets a warm welcome, and you are not pestered to donate. The Friends of Ray of Hope are happy that the price of a cup of coffee really helps their work.

So, go along as this is a great place to meet new people, have a chat with old friends, and for the price of a cuppa help some kids a long way away.

Steve and his team will also be at Food Week 2016. The local Ugandan village hand-make a range of colourful woven bowls which Steve bring home to sell to raise funds. You will be able to choose your favourite at the CakeFest! in the Community Centre on Saturday 2nd April 2016.

If you would like to make a donation, sell some bowls, get involved in this worthwhile cause, or simply want to find out more, please contact Steve:

Friends of Ray of Hope - Steve Jennings

www.friendsofrayofhope.com

friendsofrayofhope@yahoo.co.uk

Registered Charity Number: 1149786

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More About Friends of Ray of Hope 

Mission Statement: To advance the education of the pupils at the Ray of Hope School, Uganda, by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities (not required to be provided by the local education authority) for education at the school and to assist in such ways as the charity trustees think fit for the public benefit.

We went there wanting to be ‘useful’ but not knowing what we were letting ourselves in for. We met Emily, a Ugandan lady, who in 2000 saw the need for the children of the slums to be educated. Emily gave up her job teaching in the State school system and began by teaching just eight children in her own home.

The Ray of Hope project has grown since then, going through many tough times and now has a school that caters for over 100 junior school age children. A further 150+ older children are sponsored to enter the State school system.

Liz Jennings and local Ugandan children

We returned home inspired by the vision and commitment of Emily and her staff, and totally captivated by the children and horrified by their plight. We had to do something!

We didn’t set out to run a charity, but rather just returned home determined to help Emily as best we could. We took every opportunity we were given to speak about our experiences at Ray of Hope – and still do! – and it wasn’t long before family and then friends and others became involved.

In our first full year of 2008 we were, through the generosity of our friends, able to send £6,000 to the project. In 2009 that sum increased to £8,000. Friends support of the project has now reached a point where it is absolutely crucial to the ongoing work of Ray of Hope. This is sobering, because there can be no going back. We must double and re-double our efforts – so many now depend on it.

The needs of the poor world-wide are too great to consider, but Ray of Hope gives a focus to a small part of that need and at a scale that we can address. The children of the slums have so little and are so appreciative for what Ray of Hope can offer them.

In February 2010 Friends began to finance a feeding programme, giving the children a meal during their school day, as most are undernourished. This is a major undertaking but we are committed to meeting the challenge of raising the £250 a month needed.

We Friends have found that being part of Ray of Hope, albeit only providing the means by which others deliver the benefits to the needy, is such a blessing. If you would like to play a part please get in touch for more information.

Rosemary Shrager & The Real Marigold Hotel

Having recently announced that Rosemary Shrager, one of Britain's best loved TV Celebrity Chefs is coming to Milford on Sea Food Week, we can now reveal that Rosemary's latest TV appearance will start on Tuesday in the much publicised; The Real Marigold Hotel.

L to R: Sylvester McCoy, Bobby George, Wayne Sleep,

Rosemary Shrager, Miriam Margolyes, Jan Leeming,
Roy Walker and Patti Boulaye
click image to enlarge

This is a delightful 3 part series which features celebrity pensioners visiting India, and starts at 9pm on Tuesday 26th January 2016 on BBC2. This will be followed in the Spring 2016 by her newest show; The Chopping Block on ITV1.

The Real Marigold Hotel, takes an all-star cast on the journey of a lifetime.

The series, inspired by but otherwise unrelated to the blockbuster film, documents the authentic experience of eight famous senior citizens as they head to India on an experimental adventure. 

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The series follows actor Miriam Margolyes OBE, dancer Wayne Sleep OBE, actor Sylvester McCoy, comedian Roy Walker, chef Rosemary Shrager, darts champion Bobby George, singer Patti Boulaye OBE and former news reader Jan Leeming for three weeks to see if they would consider spending their golden years retiring to the other side of the world.

Four thousand miles from home, the group will land in colourful Jaipur, capital of the state of Rajasthan in Northern India, to test whether they can set up a better, more rewarding retirement here than in the UK.

In the scorching heat, the group will take over a haveli - an Indian private mansion - and from the moment they arrive they will have to work out how to set up home together: from who’ll cook and clean and whether they will hire staff, to how they will get around and spend their time.

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Their unforgettable Indian adventure will see the group fully embrace Indian culture, from the surprises of the capital’s largest slum to meeting Jaipur’s Royal family at the opulent Rambagh Palace. As they settle into local life, members of the group will take to yoga and learn some Hindi, experience shopping in the hectic streets, hunt for potential properties and take advantage of the medical care. We’ll see them visit the Ganesh Chaturti festival, ride elephants, make a trip to one of the holiest Hindu cities in India, Varanasi, and also test out long-distance travel by embarking on a 150-mile trip to the jewel in India’s crown, the Taj Mahal.

From the environment to the food, the transport to the customs, moving away from the UK is guaranteed to be a culture shock for our cast - as they leave routines and loved ones behind to adapt to living together and to a completely new way of life.

Rosemary was asked; "How did you find the food out there and as a cook, what did you find impressive?"

She replied: "We were fortunate to be staying in a proper Indian home where the food was fantastic. We had feasts every day with ingredients that cost very little and it gave us a taste of the real India.

What I found fascinating was the variety of choice, the intensity of flavours, and the attention to detail. We had a cooking class which was a revelation that opened me up to a whole load of new ingredients and processes. I have come away from India knowing that I want to learn more."

She didn't mention she was looking forward to coming to Milford on Sea Food Week, but that would only be because Rosemary had not been booked when filming took place!

To read more about The Real Marigold Hotel, please click here.

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AN AFTERNOON with ROSEMARY SHRAGER

Tickets: £12.50 | Click here to buy | *Tickets also available from Community Centre Box Office.
Friends of Food Week receive 10% Discount on all tickets purchased for this event - click here to find out more.

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

New Owners at The Village Coffee Pot

The charming Village Coffee Pot in Milford on Sea High Street has new owners.

Today they had a formal reopening. Well, I say formal, but I think a toilet roll instead of a ribbon makes more of a fun reopening!

It is clear that the new owners, Alex and Leslie have a sense of humour and they are delighted to now be serving the residents and visitors to the village with breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas.

Former owner, Bev Hayes has set high standard for this delightful small café, and I am sure we can all continue to enjoy visiting as Alex and Leslie conjure up a treat.

Local Author & the Railways

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Milford on Sea resident, Peter Tatlow is a local author with a history and more than a keen interest in British railways.

So keen in fact, that he has just published his fifteenth railway related book entitled: The Dingwall & Skye Railway.

Peter was born during the age of the ‘Big Four’ Great Western Railway (GWR), London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Southern Railway (SR), and some of his earliest memories are of journeys undertaken during World War II.

Following military service in the Royal Engineers, he joined the Chief Civil Engineer’s Department of the Southern Region of British Railways. 

He left British Railways over ten years later having qualified as a chartered civil engineer and then worked on the design and construction of bridges, in both the United Kingdom and overseas. 

He is now retired from full-time employment. He has two boys who and two grandchildren. He and his wife moved to Milford on Sea nearly ten years ago, since when we have been active members of All Saints Church and the Probus Club of the New Forest. He has, however, recently been widowed. 

An interest in railways and railway modelling has been his main pastime since he can remember. This has led to his writing numerous articles in the prototype and model railway press and in specialist journals on a wide range of subjects. 

Over the past forty years he has had fifteen books published, dealing with carriages and wagons, the Highland Railway, railway accidents and the dispersal of troops following the evacuation of Dunkirk. 

Peter's book 'The Dingwall & Skye Railway' can be ordered from a local bookseller, or contact the publisher Crecy Publishing Ltd at enquiries@crecy.co.uk

Rosemary Shrager; From India to Food Week

Rosemary Shrager is without doubt one of Britain's best loved TV Celebrity Chefs and Cookery Teachers, and she is coming to Milford on Sea Food Week!

Rosemary's latest TV appearance is in The Real Marigold Hotel, a delightful 3 part series featuring celebrity pensioners visiting India, and which starts at 9pm on Tuesday 26th January 2016 on BBC2. This will be followed in the Spring 2016 by her newest show; The Chopping Block on ITV1.

She is also well known for appearing on many TV cookery programmes including; Ladette to Lady, Rosemary Shrager’s School for Cooks, This Morning and The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Pic includes: Sylvester McCoy, 
Bobby George, Wayne Sleep,
Rosemary Shrager, Miriam Margolyes, 
Jan Leeming, Roy Walker
and Patti Boulaye
click image to enlarge

Rosemary also endeared herself to the nation when she took part in the ‘I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here’ Jungle TV Show, where she proved that she can cook just about anything anywhere!

Rosemary’s professional career includes a period working for Pierre Koffmann (at London’s internationally famous Tante Claire restaurant) and with Jean-Christophe Novelli. She later went on to become the Head Chef at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle on Scotland’s Isle of Harris. Today she has her own highly renowned cookery school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Come and spend an afternoon with Rosemary as she demonstrates some special recipes and shares some stories from her jungle and TV show exploits. Rosemary loves talking about food as much as she loves cooking, and she is a natural extrovert and communicator, it will be a fun afternoon – so don’t miss this one!

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AN AFTERNOON with ROSEMARY SHRAGER

Tickets: £12.50 | Click here to buy - *Tickets also available from Community Centre Box Office.
Friends of Food Week receive 10% Discount on all tickets purchased for this event - click here to find out more.

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

Blue Horizon Breakfast & Prosecco!

After the disappointing loss of The Marine Café/Bar, the Blue Horizon restaurant on the first floor remains very much open, and everyone is still able to enjoy the spectacular sea views as they dine or enjoy a daytime refreshment.

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Not only do Blue Horizon offer some rather tempting dinner menus, they also are open for breakfast, morning coffee and afternoon tea.

So, not only numerous opportunities to visit, but also the perfect place to savour the fabulous views on sunny days, or the dramatic winter seas as you sit in the comfort.

Throughout the day everyone is welcome for an informal visit to relax and while the day away any Wednesday to Sunday. Groups and parties also welcome.

During January and February, anyone taking lunch or dinner from Wednesday to Friday will be given a complementary glass of Prosecco (or fruit punch).

Plenty of reasons to visit then!

To book please call: 01590 642003 - or just pop in.

Blue Horizon Restaurant 

Marine House, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PY

Opening Times | Wednesday to Sunday
Breakfast: 9am to 10.30am
Lunch: 12noon to 2.30pm
Afternoon Tea: 3pm to 5pm (Not Sunday)
Dinner: 6pm to 9pm (Not Sunday)

www.bluehorizonrestaurant.co.uk

See All of the Food Week Events

If you want to get ahead of the game, the full programme of all the Food Week events taking place is now on the Food Week website at:
www.milfordfoodweek.org.

The free printed Food Week programme will be freely available around the village towards to end of February.

This year have 168 events taking place during Food week! (Yep 168!) - Many are free, there is a lot happening for the kids, and of course, some well known chefs and entertaining celebrities are coming along.

If you don't want to miss out on some of the excellent shows taking place, why not book now? You can do this by clicking here, or pop into the Community Centre Box Office today. (Unless you are reading this on Sunday of course!)

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

Post Office to cease in June

Dick Coe, who is heading up the Save Our Post Office team in Milford on Sea has asked us to publish his article below. Naturally, we want to help, and certainly hope that there remains a future for a Post Office in Milford on Sea village:

"The small team that has volunteered to explore ways to maintain a Post Office in Milford on Sea village has been informed that the current PO will cease operations in June this year.

The team and the officers at the Corporate PO Headquarters responsible for finding alternative premises and a new Postmaster, despite direct approaches and advertisements on the PO website, have not been successful to date. There is now a real danger that there will not be continuity of this vital service to the community. 

The SoPO team are appealing to all business-owners in the village to inform one of the team if they have any interest in investing in a business that will: 

• Provide a vital business to MoS village community. 
• Considerably increase footfall through their business premises. 
• Make a significant income contribution to their business overhead costs. 

They should have suitable space in their premises and an existing compatible retail enterprise.

Corporate Post Office finance provide a considerable part of the necessary start-up training, infrastructure, signage and security. 

Do get in touch with any of the SoPO team listed below if you are interested and the team will work with you to ensure that you get all the assistance and information that you need."

Dick Coe: rwtcoe@gmail.com or 01590 719405.

Chrissie Barrs

Rob Askin

Dave Ellis

Peter Ashwood

More information is available on the PO website www.corporate.postoffice.co.uk

New Cookery School coming to Chewton Glen

A new Cookery School is planned to open later this year at the prestigious Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, just a short drive from Milford on Sea.

James Martin

from Wikipedia

click image to enlarge

Celebrity chef James Martin will be very much involved in this new venture as he will oversee the scheduling and intends to invite a number of his high profile chef friends for guest appearances in the kitchen.

James, now the host of Saturday Kitchen, was a pastry chef at Chewton Glen when he was just 20, and he plans to host cookery classes in the new Cookery School when it opens.

Chewton Glen are this year celebrating their 50th anniversary as a luxury country house hotel, and this is yet another milestone in their impressive history.

Planning permission has now been granted, and it is planned for the Cookery School to open in the autumn of this year.

Newcomers Supper in February

At the beginning of each year a ‘Newcomers Supper’ is held to welcome all newcomers to the village at All Saints Church Hall in Milford on Sea.

This year the supper will be held on Saturday 20th February 2016. Anyone that is new to the village since February 2015 is able to apply for an invitation, - and the event is entirely free.

The Milford on Sea Newcomers Supper evening consists of two parts. In the first hour or so, there is a ‘mini exhibition’, where you can wander around and informally meet representatives from the many clubs, associations & organisations in the village. They can tell you anything you want to know, and if you fancy getting involved you can. 

*If you are a village club or organisation and would like to be represented, please contact: Ruth Bufton on: ruth.bufton@btinternet.com or 01590 641875.

The ‘mini exhibition’is then followed by a free sit down supper with the chance to meet new people & have a bit of fun.

Most years the event has over a hundred people attending, and it is a great way to meet new people, and to get a warm welcome to your new home. The village is full of friendly people and the ‘Newcomers Supper’ is a fast-track way of getting to know all about our village life.

The ‘Newcomers Supper’ is funded & hosted by all of the churches in the village & tirelessly organised by Ruth Bufton. 

The event is by invitation only, so if you are new to the village this year & would like to come along, all you need to do is to contact: Ruth Bufton on: ruth.bufton@btinternet.com or 01590 641875

Beach Huts Move Forward & Backwards

The NFDC Planning committee met on the morning 13th January 2016 and approved the planning application for the replacement Milford on Sea Beach Huts.

click image to enlarge

Following representations by beach hut owners, it was agreed that the coloured doors would be of a greater width that the original plans. Also, the balustrade top rail will lean a further 100mm landward with the base of the balustrade being as planned. This is being done to slightly improve privacy for the beach huts.

The engineers and architects now have to complete their work so that tenders to build may be sought. 

click image to enlarge

Nice to see things moving forwards – or backwards in the case of the balustrade!

Santa's House wins Emily a Bike

One lucky Milford on Sea six year-old, Emily Smith won a fabulous new bike for Collins & Butler just before Christmas.

Emily had entered in a contest to create a colour drawing of Santa’s House, which was run by Milford on Sea estate agents, Collins and Butler in partnership with Milford School. The whole idea captured the imagination and saw more than 300 youngsters submit pictures of Santa’s House in all colours and designs.

To find the winner, the entries were judged by a panel from Milford Arts Group.

L to R: Robin Butler, Adrian Smith, Beverley Smith and

Emily Smith with competition judges Tony Clegg and Julia Ayres

*Picture from Advertiser & Times

click image to enlarge

Robin Butler, from Collins and Butler, said: “We were completely overwhelmed with the number of entries we got and the wonderful effort that all children put into their designs. “Emily was absolutely delighted with her new bicycle — which was fantastic to see — and due to the success of the contest we have now decided to make it an annual event.”

Emily’s Santa house is now on display in the window of the High Street estate agents.

Collins & Butler

57 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QG

01590 643033

www.collinsandbutler.co.uk

Enigma Machine Hero Lived in Milford on Sea

Enigma machine

Lieutenant Commander David Balme, who seized the Nazis’ top-secret Enigma machine while raiding a sinking U-Boat has died aged 95, having lived at St George's nursing home in Milford on Sea in his final years.

Lt-Cmdr Balme was born London on 1st October 1920 and joined the navy in 1934.

David served aboard the Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Bulldog, and he led a team that stormed the German ship U-110 and seized the Nazi code machine.

Sir Winston Churchill acknowledged that those involved in the code-cracking operation had helped shorten the war by two years.

DAILY ECHO PICTURE
Lt-Cmdr David Balmeclick image to enlarge

New Forest East MP Julian Lewis presented a certificate from David Cameron to Lt-Cmdr David Balme at St George's nursing home before his passing.

To read the full story in the Daily Echo - click here.

Tastes of France at Blue Horizon

Stephen & Ryan in their new venture at the Blue Horizon Restaurant (above The Marine) have launched a new regular French themed dining night.

These night will take place on every fourth Thursday of 2016. 

The Tastes of France evenings will consist of a 6 course tasting menu with wine accompanying each course, a glass of bubbly on arrival, and coffee & petit fours to finish the meal.  The cost will be £75pp with each menu being published on their website a few weeks before. www.bluehorizonrestaurant.co.uk

Sounds tres bon to moi!

Tastes of France at Blue Horizon
Fourth Thursday Dinner of every month:

February 25th 2016 – Dinner - Brittany
March 24th 2016 – Dinner - Alsace
April 21th 2016 – Dinner - Normandy
May 19th 2016 – Dinner - Champagne
June 23th 2016 – Dinner – Loire Valley
July 21th 2016 – Dinner - Burgundy
August 25th 2016 – Dinner - Provence
September 22th 2016 – Dinner – Rhone Valley
October 20th 2016 –Dinner - Bordeaux
November 24th 2016 – Dinner – Cognac
December 22th 2016 – Dinner (Xmas special) – Central

To book please call: 01590 642003

*Blue Horizon is shutting for 10 days from the Monday 11th January for minor refurbishment. The new opening hours below start from Wednesday January 20th (When they will be doing breakfast and afternoon tea.) 

Blue Horizon Restaurant 

Marine House, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PY

Opening Times | Wednesday to Sunday

Breakfast: 9am to 10.30am
Lunch: 12noon to 2.30pm
Afternoon Tea: 3pm to 5pm (Not Sunday)
Dinner: 6pm to 9pm (Not Sunday)

www.bluehorizonrestaurant.co.uk

Baking with Howard at Food Week

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Any one who is an avid watcher of The Great British Bake Off, will instantly recognise the exuberant and entertaining Howard Middleton.

Howard is looking forward to coming to Milford on Sea Food Week where he will talking about his baking journey so far, including his time on the Great British Bake Off, whilst he demonstrates how to bake some of his delicious recipes from his new book 'Delicious Gluten-Free Baking'.

It may be a baking event, but with Howard's exuberant personality don't expect anything too serious!

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BAKING with HOWARD MIDDLETON

Tickets: £12.50 | Click here to buy - *Tickets also available from Community Centre Box Office.
Friends of Food Week receive 10% Discount on all tickets purchased for this event - click here to find out more.

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

An Enlightening Debate

Have you ever been to The Red Lion for a couple, meandered over to Zaika for a curry and beers, - and then had a nightcap or two at The Smugglers?

Well I know two blokes who did just this other night, and on leaving the pub they were filled with wonderment (and excessive alcohol) as they stood staring at the lamp posts. 

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Not that they hadn't seen the 'gas light' lamp post before, but in the rain there is nothing better than to stand and have a debate as to when they date back to, when the gas was removed and are they made out of plasticine? 

As they (we) stood and stared aimlessly, another futile debate commenced trying to work out who might have stolen the hanging baskets, or if removed for winter, where are they stored?

Obviously these are big questions, and they seem strangely weird now, but perfectly logical at the time!

Naturally, this unexpected and pointless diversion meant we were later home than promised, and I was surprised to find the my wife was not really interested in an in-depth discussion about our village street architecture. 

In fact, it was a bit of luck that we had eaten a curry, as my dinner would certainly have been in the dog that night! 

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Sponsors & Friends flock to Food Week

Since running the article about Southern Coop, previously our largest sponsor, having to reduce their support of Milford on Sea Food Week (read here), local businesses and individuals have really stepped up to the plate to help out, and everything is looking good. 

Milford on Sea Food Week is a community event run entirely by a small dedicated group of volunteers who provide their time and expertise for free. The Food Week organisers are more than satisfied that their only reward is in seeing people enjoying themselves.

As a 'not for profit' community event, the income generated is used to cover promotional costs, and this can be substantial when you consider printing 25,000 free programmes, banners, signs, flags, celebrity fees, insurance, first aid, road closure fees, the list goes on...!

Replacing £3000 of sponsorship is a mammoth task, - but like eating an elephant, it can be done, - if you do it in bite size chunks!

Eating an elephant does not daunt us, because we are fortunate to have a generous group of sponsors, friends & supporters - and many more businesses and individuals have joined us over the last few weeks.

To see our Business Sponsors please click here - to see our Friends of Food Week please click here.

A special mention goes to our Main Sponsors for 2106: Brand New Forest, Hall & Woodhouse (The Beach House), Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, Hollands of Milford, Shorefield Country Park, Co-op Supermarket, Everton Hyundai Garage, The Montagu Arms & Careys Manor and The Cedar Tree at South Lawn Hotel.

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You can help if you would like by: 

• Becoming a Friend of Food Week from £25 (click here)
• or a Business Sponsor: Silver £75 or Gold £150 (click here)

*Friends of Food Week receive 10% Discount on all tickets purchased for Celebrity Events - click here to find out more.

To be in the 25,000+ Food Week Programmes, please let us know by Friday 8th January, after that your support can only show on the Food Week website.

Thanks to everyone who has already given their generous support, Food Week could not happen without you.

MILFORD ON SEA FOOD WEEK

Bank Holiday Monday 28th March to Sunday 3rd April 2016

If you love food, you will love Food Week!

www.milfordfoodweek.org

Want to know more about Food Week? - please click here.

Inger Lise's Gingerbread House Winners

Christine at Inger Lise's Coffee Bar again ran her annual Gingerbread House Colouring Competition over the Christmas period.

Lots of local kids enjoyed the free fun and crayoned to their hearts content.

The winners were sisters Isabelle and Caitlin Johnson, we hope they enjoyed eating their prize!

This year will be different

I will do it, really do it, ...yes really - well maybe. (Hmm, probably not.)