After a gap of two years, members were delighted that Milford on Sea Historical Record Society (MOSHRS) could now hold its first 'post-Covid' annual outing.
The Day Trip held in July visited three historical sites in the Hampshire area on a day which was sunny and warm, but which broke no high temperature records.
The first venue was the National Trust property and gardens at Hinton Ampner. The property was inherited by in 1935 by Ralph Dutton, 8th Lord Sherborne, who set about creating his vision of a historic country state.
This 20th century 'Neo-Georgian' house was painstakingly rebuilt and furnished following a devastating fire in 1960. What MOSHRS members enjoyed seeing was Ralph Dutton's vision for a home and grounds which recalled the past while embracing the present.
Following lunch at Hinton Ampner, the outing party travelled south to Southwick House. This is late Georgian Grade II listed 19th century manor house, built around 1800, which now serves as the home of the Defence School of Policing and Guarding. In 1944, during the months leading up to D-Day, the house became the HQ of the Allied Supreme Commanders. Members passed through military security and first visited the D-Day 'Map Room' where the curator, Richard Callaghan, gave an absorbing lecture on Operation Overlord, the run-up to D-Day, as well as the security measures taken by the military when installing the map. Numerous members commented that they felt a "sense of history" from being in the very place where such fundamental decisions were made which were still so critical in shaping the world in which they had been brought up.
Picture Above: Some MOSHRS members loiter in the Map Room to inspect the map (made by the Tri-Ang toy company) whilst others have moved on into the room where the D-Day decision was made. It was here that, after hearing the forecast of a favourable weather window, General Eisenhower uttered his famous response; "Let's go!"
The third, and final, venue for the day was a visit to The Golden Lion public house in the village of Southwick, which had served as an Officers' Mess for not only Ike and Monty, but leaders such as Jan Smuts and, at other times, Prince Philip and Lord Mountbatten. Here MOSHRS not only enjoyed a cream tea but learnt more from the landlord, Greg, about some of the "goings on" between Golden Lion patrons and the most significant figures from Southwick House, which are not generally recorded in history books.
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About the Milford on Sea Historical Record Society
MOSHRS is one of the oldest local history societies in the country.
The society is ideal for anyone interested in hearing about local history and meeting others with similar interests.
MOSHRS have an active membership with a programme of informative talks and an annual outing.
The society also has an excellent website with a lot of historical village information and interesting pictures of Milford on Sea in the past.
The MOSHRS meet 5 times a year and membership is just £10.
MoS Historical Record Society
