Local Cheese & a Little Port

As I popped to the village to grab something for our lunch, I was soon drooling at the delicatessen counter in Hollands of Milford.

My eyes soon spotted a rather tasty looking new cheese which I hadn't seen before. It turned out to be locally made by Fernhill Cheese Company, an Artisan Cheese maker based on a farm in Sway. The makers, I discovered are Clare Elizabeth Holmes and Sara Jordan, and the cheese is a Brie type made from organic pasteurised cows milk. A wedge of the French style classic was first in to the basket for my lunch quest. 

This was soon followed by a freshly baked stick of French baguette. I then decided to add a jar of Pretty Pickle made by Claire at Spice & Easy in Milford on Sea.

My impromptu plan for our French lunch had suddenly taken shape. I am not sure the girls behind the counter had not realised my shopping adventure had turned French, and they looked suitably bemused as I chatted away in French and asked them if they took Euros.

Arriving home, my wife was slightly nervous of what was going to be revealed from my shopping trip, particularly as I have returned in the past having totally forgotten to buy the lunch I had been sent out for. However, she was pleasantly surprised when I showed her the cross-channel lunch theme contained in the bag.

She was somewhat less impressed with my rendition of 'Alouette'. As I reached the verse with 'Je te plumerai la têt, Je te plumerai la tête' for the ninth time, she emerged from the kitchen brandishing a knife, advising me if I wanted to keep my head I should refrain from singing any more. I mumbled; 'You don't scare me' in French and under my breath, thankful she did not hear me.

Lunch was soon served, and it seem appropriate to have an accompanying glass of port, or two.... My wife declined a glass, but I am not sure if she understood my invitation in Gallic.

As we ate lunch, my wife shared her wisdom; - 'You know what happens when you drink at lunchtime; you will be asleep in half an hour'.  'Not me' I insisted as I poured another glass, 'Being almost French, I am genetically built for a continental lunch'.

The cheese was excellent, creamy & flavoursome, the bread fresh, soft and full of memories of our past emigration to Deauville. The chutney added another dimension and the port felt like liquid sunshine lighting up the orchestra of flavours.

An hour or so later I awoke on the sofa with the verses of 'Alouette' still ringing in my head. A note was on my chest. 'Gone to see Stacey. Told you it would put you to sleep'. Don't you just hate it when you wife is always right!

Hollands of Milford

www.hollandsmilford.co.uk

Fernhill Cheese Company
www.facebook.com/pages/Fernhill-cheese-company/627959613897422

Milford to Andalucia

Casa Girasol

Milford on Sea contains many people who have relocated to be by the sea, with familes spread far and wide, so connections to Milford on Sea are not surprisingly spread across the globe.

When travelling, the mention of Milford on Sea, either prompts a vacant blank look, or a response like; "Oh, do you know so & so".

One such couple is Nigel & Wendy Swann, who's eldest daughter, Debbie, is now settled in Spain.

Nigel & Wendy's eldest daughter, Debbie, has recently featured in a couple of UK publications about life in Spain, and the casita she has renovated with her partner, Jay.

In addition to running an adjoining small self-catering apartment, Debbie also runs small classes teaching English to the Spanish, which could be a useful addition to my excellent version of French.

Casa Girasol is situated in breath-taking olive groves in the heart of rural Andalucia between the ancient and historic cities of Granada and Cordoba at the gateway to the Subbetica National Park.

Debbie and Jay offer you a casa-rural teaming with rustic charm married to breath-taking vistas and old fashioned comfort. Having renovated their 'forever' home and attached guest casita on the edge of the friendly Spanish village of Las Navas they are proud of every stone and paint-stroke.

Untouched by time, Andalucia still offers goats with bells, hand made cheeses, free tapas with your rioja, paellas big enough to feed the village, fiestas, siestas and a chance to sample the real Spain.

I hear that the local wine and cava is extremely inexpensive, which is another good reason to visit in itself.

If it sounds the sort of place for you, you can find Debbie & Jay at:

Casa Girasol (Sunflower House)

Las Navas 78, Priego de Cordoba, Cordoba, 14800, Spain

www.casagirasol.co.uk

Handy Lionel

If you have ever needed anything for a DIY project, or any general household hardware or car accessory item, it is quite likely that you have visited 'Hardware @ Milford' in Keyhaven Road.

The store is a surprising Aladdin's Cave, with everything you may need for your home, garden or car, and plenty you wouldn't have expected to be available in Milford on Sea. You can even get a new key cut and fun stuff for the beach.

Lionel Illgner, the stores owner, is now providing even more services through Lionel's Home Maintenance. He is now offering general domestic home repairs, tiling, assembly of furniture, bathroom & kitchen fitting, painting, decorating, fencing, plus a gardening service for lawn mowing, strimming and hedge cutting.

No job is too small, so I am about to give hom a call to sort out the bathroom light bulb that needs changing!

If you have anything that needs doing, it sounds like it is worth having a chat with Lionel.

Hardware @ Milford
20 Keyhaven Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QY
01590 641684 | 07814 456963
www.hardwareatmilford.co.uk


Opening HoursMonday to Friday: 9.30am - 5pm
Saturday: 8.30am - 5pm

See the Methodist Makeover

The refurbishment of the Milford on Sea Methodist Church is now completed and the team are holding an Open Morning to show everyone the new facilities.

The Open Morning will take place on Saturday 6th July from 10am to 12 noon. The church's website also show all the refurbished work that has been completed. This includes a hearing loop system in the Santuary which is a system that links any hearing appliance to the broadcast sound system for discrete hearing support.

There is also a video projector, full central heating. Behind the main worship area there is a medium sized meeting room which can be hired by any club, organisation or group by contacting Sheila Hall. As can the good size and well equipped kitchen. The toilets have also been upodated and now separate gents & ladies, and a toilet for the disabled in the entrance lobby, which also has baby changing facilities.

The Methodist Church in Milford on Sea is situated in the heart of the community it serves. They try to meet the needs of their own members as well as those of others who live in the village along with the many holiday makers that are attracted to the area. The church are now hoping to get planning permission sometime in the future to modernise the front of the church. A key mission is to extend the hand of fellowship to all in the community.

MoS Methodist Church, 108 High Street, Milford on Sea,SO41 0QE
www.milfordmethodist.org

Sheila Hall: bookings@milfordmethodist.org

40 B4 40-East (Ventura at Sea)

No. 34: East (Ventura at Sea)

Three generations were off on a three night P&O cruise and life could hardly feel better. A short drive to Southampton, and then straight through the port gates to the drop off area. A quick check in, and our cases were taken from the boot next to be seen in our cabins, as our car keys were handed over for valet parking. The welcome from everyone was friendly and smiling, and these seemed people who actually enjoyed their job and were genuinely happy to help. A simple 20 yard walk into the terminal, up the escalator, through security and we were onboard Ventura. This is how simple cruising from Southampton is.

First stop, of course, was The Beach House Restaurant, - and the holiday had started!

My Wife, my Mum, my Son Matthew, and his lovely fiancée, Kayleigh, were soon surveying the tempting delights on offer, as we watched the tiny outlines of people below boarding and preparing the ship for our voyage.

As Matt & Kayleigh were tucking into lunch, they were still trying to comprehend the size and grandeur of the ship. Mum has cruised before, so she was concentrating on her prawns.

click image to enlarge

Over the next 3 days we would explore a number of the various restaurants for breakfast, mid-morning snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and even a midnight buffet. (But not all, as we ran out of time and stomach capacity!) Room service was also available, but we never got that peckish!

My wife even seemed to like me, with no imminent threat of her wanting to push me overboard, so things were going pretty well.

I could write about so much; the great live entertainment, the quaint beauty of Bruges, the pleasure of sitting around the pool drinking Pina Colada’s in the sunshine overlooking St Peters Port Guernsey, the efficient and friendly crew, the fabulous food that is available 24 hours a day, the swanky bars, the laughter and great moments, and the warm glow of spending relaxed quality time with people you love. However, I am going to stick to one special meal that stood out amongst all others.

Throughout the ship, the quality of dining and snacks were of a high order everywhere, and a highlight were the curries served in the self-service restaurants. They had a real authentic feel, which was likely to be a reflection of the Indian members of the kitchen team. My wife could not comprehend how I could eat a curry, then pickings of various other personal favourites, and then finally a treacle sponge. But I guess she is the one missing out on the celestial delight of culinary grazing.

The ship had two fine dining restaurants for a small supplement; The White Room with a menu by Marco Pierre White, and East with the dishes created by Atul Kochhar.

Atul was the first Indian chef to be awarded a coveted Michelin star in Britain. He made his name, and was awarded his first Michelin star, in 2001 at London's acclaimed Tamarind restaurant. In 2007 he founded Benares, where he earned his second Michelin star in his own flagship fine dining Indian restaurant in Mayfair, London.

The White Room menu did not really excite us, but the menu at East certainly did. So, on the formal black tie evening, we booked a table and were greeted by a charming waitress with a warm personality and great sense of service and fun.

Some dishes on the menu looked familiar, but we were to discover that each had a twist and flavours that delighted the taste buds and mind. Top chef’s that put their names to restaurants are often a disappointment, this was not one of those occasions.

East is an Asian Fusion restaurant that features various dishes with Chinese, Japanese and Thai influences, and all recipes are created by master chef Atul Kochhar. The deep red and dark wood interior give it a distinctive Oriental feel and an intimate atmosphere. Quite an experience to feel like you are in Mayfair, yet actually cruising in the middle of the English Channel.

click image to enlarge

Our meal started with an unexpected complimentary Prawn Spring Roll, as we enjoyed explosive Singapore Sling and Rose Petal Martini cocktails.

The price of all drinks onboard was very reasonable, with cocktails at around £5 and a bottle of decent wine from about £15.

As you may expect, we were more than happy, so we ordered a bottle of light and cheeky Beaujolais wine to go with our starter course of Chiang Mai Pork (Braised Ribs marinated in Candied Ginger, Garlic and Chilli) and Thai Fish Cakes. The ribs simply jumped from the bone as the fork approached, and the tender meat was infused with a myriad of exotic spices.

For our main courses we had chosen the 24 Hour Slow Cooked Lamb Rendang, and Atul’s Signature Plate (Khmer King Prawns, Thai Green Chicken Curry & Lamb Korma), - nothing was as expected, as an explosion of contrasting flavours just kept revealing themselves, - pure delight!

To complete our meal we had the guilty pleasure of Deep Fried Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Fondue, and Sweet Rice Pudding with Mango. The meal and experience was a triumph at every level.

Our adventure on the seven seas was over far to quickly, and you know you have had a great holiday when you are a little sad to leave the place and people you have been spending precious time with.

We were a little sad, but extremely happy to have shared great memories on a wonderful cruise.

About Ventura
Ventura was launched in 2007 and is one of the largest cruise ships in the P&O Cruises fleet. It features 14 passenger decks, carries up to 3574 Passengers and has 1220 Crew.

She has a large choice of facilities with 7 bars, 11 restaurants/diners, casino, 4 swimming pools, a sports court, spa and theatre. For entertainment the ship has a theatre with full production shows, a cinema, two lounges for cabaret, comedy and dancing and even Metropolis, an atmospheric bar with a panoramic video wall brought to life by a different city skyline each evening.

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P&O Ventura

East - Atul Kochhar Restaurant
www.pocruises.com/cruise-ships/ventura/ship-overview

Benares
12a Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS
www.benaresrestaurant.com

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

Squirell's Home

After last week's story about a missing family cat, Squirell, we are pleased to let you know that he is now home safe and well.

 

Clare Johnston wrote to us to say: "I’m very happy and relieved to be able to let you and your readers know that Squirrel returned home early this morning. He was very hungry and tired but otherwise seems none the worse for his adventure.

 

She also said: "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our kind neighbours who checked their sheds/garages, kept a lookout for him and phoned us with sightings. Everyone we spoke to during our search was so sympathetic and concerned for him. It has just confirmed to us that moving to Milford is one of our best decisions in life (not that we ever had any doubts). There is a real sense of community and looking out for each other. We kept saying to each other 'you wouldn't get this in London'. "

Jamming Sessions at The Gun

The Gun Inn in Keyhaven have launched regular Jamming Sessions on every other Thursday evening.

All are invited to come to enjoy the music, or to rock up and play a song or two at the live music night. Everyone is welcome from the ages of 18 to 80+.

The evenings are all acoustic, and a lot of Milford on Sea’s musical talent is anticipated to come along.

The Gun Inn is run by Paul, Jackie & Nathan Hill and is well-known for their extraordinary whisky selection and local crab sandwiches & dishes. Over 240 malt whisky’s are on offer, each with their own tasting notes. Could be quite hobby to work your way through the entire list!

Since being built in the 1700’s The gun Inn has had a number of incarnations, including being a mortuary and bakers.

The next Jamming Session at The Gun is next Thursday 6th June, and then every other Thursday from then onwards. Entry is free, so why not pop along and check it out!

The Gun Inn
Saltgrass Lane, Keyhaven, Lymington, SO41 0TP
01590 642391
www.theguninn.com

Check out event dates in: www.milfordonseacalendar.org

 

Milford Businesses Come Together

If you run any type of small home-based business, or retail shop operation in the village, you may find this of particular interest.

Local village businessman, Paul French, is forming the Milford Business Forum. Having had a successful career, Paul is looking to give something back, by bringing together our local village business owners.

The primary purpose of the Milford Business Forum is to provide a relaxed, friendly, supportive network where local new or long established businesses can meet people, make contacts, exchange ideas and develop their business. The feeling of isolation is a problem for many business owners, especially small business owner-operators who sit, alone, in front of a computer all day or those with few staff members to bounce ideas off and look to for guidance when issues arise.

The Milford Business Forum meetings will be relax, as business issues are discussed over a coffee. The forum is also completely independent and non-profit making.  

The business topics to be discussed will be wide and varied, and indeed tailored to fit the requirements of the group. Subjects such as; Business Planning, Financial Management, E-mail Marketing, Google, Networking Skills are all possible, as are many others that people may wish to include.

The Milford Business Forum is normally free to attend for all businesses in the village, with regular meetings every Friday morning in the Milford Community Centre between 10:30 and 12:00am. There will be occasional workshops or meetings at other times at other locations as shown on the local event diary which may incur a small cost.

Paul still runs his own video Production company, and is also a Micro-Business Mentor working with Job Centre Plus ‘New Enterprise Allowance’ project, where he is appointed by JCP to assist persons develop their Business Plans etc. He was also a past chairman of both the New Forest branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, and the New Forest Business Partnership. 

Paul would love people to come along experience the concept. Everything is very informal, and there is no commitment, simply come again if you can see a benefit for your own development or benefits for your business.

The first meeting of the Milford Business Forum will be 10:30am of Friday 7th June in the Committee Room of the Milford Community Centre. 

For more details, or to register your attendance please contact:

Milford Business Forum
Paul French MIOEE
Direct Line: 01590 645578 | 07525 405999 | paul@vidibiz.co.uk
12 Greenways, Milford on Sea, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 0RU

 

Music on a Lazy Sunday

Local singer, Hannah Evans, will be performing live during ‘Lazy Sunday’ at The Cave in Milford on Sea this coming Sunday afternoon (2nd June). Then, there is more live music on Fathers Day afternoon with a trio named ‘Captain Crash and the Magic Hats'. They will be playing bass guitar, acoustic guitar and single drum. (Fathers Day is 16th June, for anyone who has forgotten!)

Hannah will be accompanied on guitar by Josh Lines, whose parents, Paul & June were landlords of the Red Lion until earlier this year, after which Stuart & Jayne Grieves took over. (The Red Lion is of course another place who hold regular live music worth listening to.)

Hannah is an accomplished and keen singer, and she has previously appeared on stage at the Milford Arts & Music Festival.

In April 2004, when just 13 years old, Hannah appeared on national TV in the ‘Stars in their Eyes Kids show’. TV audiences saw her battle it out with five other contestants, as she was transformed for the broadcast into US singer Vanessa Carlton. After undergoing a full makeover and sporting a brown wig, Hannah sang one of her favourite tracks by the American artist, A Thousand Miles.

Despite not reaching the glittering finals, Hannah was delighted to get as far as the hotly contested heats, beating off competition from thousands of other hopefuls. But in the end, it was 14-year-old Kenny Davies from Leeds who wowed the audience with his performance as Bobby Darin singing jazz classic Mack the Knife.

 

Hannah and Josh will be playing numbers to suit the mood of a relaxed Sunday afternoon, whilst further entertainment can be had in The Cave, with a Beer Tasting by Hunters Brewery from Newton Abbott in Devon.

 

The cave will also be serving their full wine list and nibbles as usual.

Lazy Sunday: 2pm to 5pm | Free Entry | Live Music & Beer Tasting

The Cave, 2 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH

 

Find out more at: www.thecavemos.co.uk

 

Anyone Seen Squirrel?

A well loved family pet has gone missing, and we have been asked to see if anyone can help please.

He is called Squirrel and has been missing from Pless Road since Monday evening (27th May). He is 16 years old and is wearing a red collar with id tags (unless he’s lost it). Picture attached.

If anyone has found him or seen him, it would be great if you could please contact: Clare or Peter Johnston via this sites contact details.

They would be very grateful, and no doubt relieved.

The Tudors are Coming!

A friendly invasion is on its way to Milford on Sea, as Tudor and Stuart History Comes Alive at Hurst Castle.

Pop along between 10.30am to 5.30pm on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd June 2013, to see the Tudor and Stuart re-enactors at Henry VIII's original castle, with authentic costumes, demonstrations of crafts and skills (including net-making, a barber surgeon and lace making) and a special focus on dining, food and etiquette.

 

 There will also be lots of opportunities to interact with period soldiers and learn about their weapons or the games they used to pass the time, and even serve as a juror on a court leet.

We have heard that there will be things to see and do all day, with special events timetabled throughout, so plently to interest the whole family.

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The event jointly mounted by: St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery and Hurst Castle

Castle Admission: £4.50 adult - £4.00 senior - £2.50 child

Return Ferry from Keyhaven: £5.50 adult - £3.30 child

For more information contact: Hurst Castle | T: 01590 642344

www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/hurst-castle

Musical Milford

click image to enlarge

Milford on Sea is not only a great place to live, visit and eat, but is also the home to a plethora of talented people.

Behind the scenes, the village has quite an amazing number of musicians, artists and authors.

One is a local band named Allegro, a Female Contemporary Trio. Jo Vezey formed Allegro in 2008 when she couldn't find a local group who performed her type of music, so she set about forming her own!

Allegro are a contemporary trio who enjoy performing both together and as soloists, singing all types of music from Chicago to Eva Cassidy, from Adele to Paloma Faith.

Jo says: "For as long as I can remember, I have always loved music and grew up listening to my Dad strumming his guitar and singing 'Puff the magic dragon', (Ed: They don't sing this one any more!) 'Mull of Kintyre' & 'Yesterday'. This is where my love of music began."

The group started through an advert in the Lymington Times, from which Jo met Joy & Pam who immediately committed to regular rehearsals. From those somewhat erratic meetings, 'Allegro' was formed.

Agreeing a suitable name for the group was their first challenge. They all put several suggestions into the pot, and because they particularly wanted something related to music, they chose 'Allegro' - which is a musical term for cheerful or brisk, & also a term that most definitely applies to the girls at times!

Sadly, shortly after 'Allegro' formed, Jo's Mum, Anne, who had been in remission from skin cancer, became ill again, and she passed away on the 21st August 2009. 

Anne became the focus and inspiration for 'Allegro's' first charity concert, 'Seasons of Love', in her memory. 'Seasons of Love', was a huge success & something Jo is immensely proud of.

At the time, Jo was a member of Milford on Sea's Total Voice Choir & she asked choir leader, Christine Mulgrew, if the choir would like to support Allegro at the brand new Community Centre in the village centre. The collaboration worked brilliantly, and they raised almost £3,000 on that very special evening.

Since then 'Allegro' haven't looked back, and they have raised close to £5,500 for their favourite local charities; Oakhaven Hospice, the Piam Brown Ward in Southampton Hospital & Wave 105's Cash 4 Kids appeal.

Jo originally moved to Milford on Sea with her Mum, Anne Metcalf, her Dad, Keith Metcalf, & two younger brothers just before she turned 16. Jo say; "I think I sulked for several weeks after leaving all of my friends behind!"

Anne worked at Milford Medical Centre in Milford for around 20 years & was well known to many in her role as Practice Manager. Not only could she pronounce all sorts of seemingly impossible medical words, but she could also spell them! Keith is Parish Clerk in Milford on Sea & has many other hobbies outside of work that keep him extremely busy. Not least, the Milford Conservation Volunteers.

Jo said: "When we first moved to Milford, he and my Mum ran one of the youth Lymington Sprite teams & would often fine the boys for not tucking in their shirts! I'm sure it stood them in good stead for the real world!"

Jo initially trained as a Dental Nurse, a job she really loved & returned to briefly after she had her children. After meeting her husband, she made a career move to Imports/Exports & she is still happily commuting to Southampton each day. (Except on the days when the traffic is appalling & Jo is feeling a little grumpy!). Jo and her family moved to Hordle in 2000, when her daughter, Emily, was barely a year old. As her family continued to grow, so did her house and the long term extension project is nearly completed!

Because Jo has a full time job in Southampton, Joy, who travels to rehearsals in Hordle from the other side of Southampton each week, acts as 'Allegro's' Admin Assistant. Joy is the bands right hand and provides a huge amount of support in organising events & dealing with all sorts of communications. Even more importantly than this, Joy has always loved singing musical theatre and pop songs, and she is viewed as a talented vocalist. Allegro has provided Joy with a great platform to experience the buzz of performing and to share her vocal talent.

Pam has always been involved with local bands and musical theatre, and in the 70's toured the UK, Europe and the USA as a session singer. Her experience gives 'Allegro' a unique flavour, as well as her very honest opinion!

The musical talent continues in Jo's family, and 14 year old daughter, Emily has a wonderful talent for singing. This would be confirmed by anyone who heard her sing at The Milford's Got Talent Night at the Marine. Emily made her debut performance at 'Seasons of Love'. As well as singing 'Castle on a Cloud' from Les Miserables beautifully, she sang the duet 'For Good' with Jo in tribute to Anne.

The group goes from strength to strength & as Jo says: 'It is a great hobby to have!'

You can catch Allegro performing live at The Marine on Saturday 15th June:
 

click image to enlarge



Allegro: www.allegro.me.uk
The Marine: www.themarinemos.co.uk
Milford Conservation Volunteers: www.milfordcv.org
 

 

 

Splashing Around in The Solent

This July, Joey Owen, local Milford on Sea villager and leader of MiCO (Milford Community Organisation), is taking part in 'Swim the Solent'.

 

My own training is also underway.

 

Swim the Solent will place on Sunday July 21st 2013 starting from Hurst Castle on the mainland at 9.40 am.

 

Joey is determined to raise as much as she can for the Samaritans even though as she puts it; 'It is quite a task because the sea is freezing and the tides are strong!'

 

Joey and fellow swimmers have been training all winter, bravely wearing swimming costumes in the waters at Milford on Sea beach. She is hoping that plenty of people sponsor her, so that she doesn't 'chicken out at the last moment.......'

 

The Samaritans provide such an important service on the island and this is their main fundraiser of the year, so every penny means an awful lot to them and their dedicated work.

 

As I mentioned, I am also in training for the same event.  The full body waxing took some doing, and whilst my 1985 Speedo's are a bit tight, I am willing to take the pain for a good cause.

 

Call me old fashioned, but there is something pleasurable about covering yourself head to toe in lard before wandering down to the seafront for training.

 

My wife refuses to help apply the lard, murmouring something about an 'oversize turkey'. She did however buy me a sea blue swim hat, to replace the bright yellow one I had for safety purposes. Apparently, the new colour 'suits me better', but I suspect her motive is more connected to the hope that I get separated from my safety boat.

 

When I arrive for training on the beach, many people pretend to ignore me and then whisper as I pass, I am pretty sure that this tells me I must cut an impressive figure.

 

So far I have been unable to train with my fellow event swimmer, sadly they are unavailable at any time I suggest, and a few seem to have changed their telephone numbers. It is a shame, as I would like to show them my 'Swimmer of the Year' trophy from 1968.

 

The organisers have recently asked me if I am happy to swim in the opposite direction and possibly on another day. My wife thinks this is a good idea, and that I should increase my challenge by doing it at a time when the shipping movements are busiest.

 

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If you would like to sponsor Joey, you will find her JustGiving page here:

www.justgiving.com/joanna-owen3

 

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Swim the Solent for Isle of Wight Samaritans began in 2007 when the director of Isle of Wight Samaritans at that time, swam from the island to Hurst Castle on the mainland and raised £3,500 in sponsorship for IW Samaritans. It has now become an annual event.

 

The swim date is when the tides are most favourable nearest to that day, and it takes place in the morning when there is least traffic on the Solent. The distance is a mile and a quarter, so swimmers must be fit and able to swim that distance in not a great deal more than an hour.

 

The two Freshwater Lifeboats and some Ribs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) accompany the swimmers, and there are also kayaks to guide the swimmers who are paired up according to how long it takes them to swim the distance in the pool, 90 lengths of a 25 metre pool. The Lifeboats and Ribs take swimmers over from Yarmouth and drop them in at Hurst and they swim from there.

 

For Isle of Wight Samaritans the money raised is absolutely vital, it is half of thierr income and enables them to keep the centre running and phone lines open.

 

Isle of White Samaritans: www.iwsamaritans.org.uk

 

A wander around Milford on Sea

Lymington Tour Tours have published their programme for 2013, which includes visits to Milford on Sea for: The Story of Milford Tour.

 

You can join the village The Story of Milford Tour for a leisurely walk through Milford on Sea on Sunday 26th May. Starting at the Village Green at 11am and ending on the cliff top about 1 hour 40 minutes later.

 

Your guide will explain how the sleepy hamlet of Milford changed its name and tried to rival Eastbourne. Hear the story of the string of Pearls seven yards long. The walk includes some footpaths and some uneven ground.

 

Lymington Tour Tours is run by volunteers and do not make a formal charge, however they will ask for a realistic donation towards their costs.

 

There are five other Milford walks during the season, and seven other walks in Lymington. Please see web-site for details: www.lymington-town-tours.co.uk

 

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These tours are in addition to the 'Discover Milford on Sea Walking Tour', which is a casual stroll around the village with a local guide, who will help you to discover our history & tell some fascinating village stories.

No need to book, just meet on the Village Green at 10.30am.

 

The tour lasts around one and a half hours and ends at All Saints' Church, with a cup of tea!

Everyone is welcome, and there is something of interest for locals and holidaymakers alike.

The 'Discover Milford on Sea' tours are just £1 for Adults and Children Free

 

Why not stick a date in your diary now: 10.30am: Wednesday 5th June, 3rd July, 7th August and 4th September.

Alan Clark hits Hole-in-One

Golf Monthly carried a recent story telling that Milford on Sea golfer Alan Clark, 71, has received a limited-edition BOSS watch after scoring a hole-in-one during a recent competition at his club.

 

His ace was scored on the 140-yard, par-three 11th, at the New Forest Golf Club, when Alan is also a committee member in its 125th anniversary this year.

 

Alan, a 18-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative BOSS watch.

 

Clark, said to golf monthly: "I had just messed up the previous hole, a par-five, where I took a nine - so with a one on the 11th I'd played the two holes to my handicap. "Normally you'd do it six and four but the nine and one had the same effect," he laughed.

 

The luxury German brand, BOSS Watches, has pledged to reward club golfers with an exclusive watch for every hole-in-one recorded during a club competition between April 15 and October 31 this year. And, with nearly 4,000 holes-in-one recorded annually, BOSS Watches could feasibly be giving away £1m-worth in 2013.

Happy Birthday to Us!

We launched our first Milford on Sea village website www.milfordonsea.org on 20th May 2008, so it is now five year old and I don't look a day older!

 

Milford on Sea Website: When we decided to create this website, it was purely as a hobby,  and to provide some more local information about the village. I say ‘we’, but there is only me, my wife (who inadvertently provides story lines) & our two dogs (who contribute much less than they should!)

 

From day one we have always loved our independence, and as we take no revenue from anyone this means we can say & do exactly what we like!

 

We never really considered that people would enjoy what we built, however it is very satisfying to provide a service to the local community which a number of people seem to enjoy.

The site has now taken on a life of its own& amp; a small hobby has now turned into a big one! As a result, we now have a number of spin offs which have been created for specific purposes to inform and entertain people across the village.

To date: www.milfordonsea.org has had 861,285 visitors. We are also averaging around 250 visits to the website every day.

Milford on Sea Calendar: This website details anything we hear about that is happening in the village, plus things that may be of interest nearby. The calendar also contains sections of 'Clubs & Classes', 'Dining Offers' and 'Church Services'. In the past month 438 people visited the site 536 times. www.milfordonseacalendar.org

Milford on Sea Directory: The directory lists as many local village businesses, services, clubs & classes ect. as we know in Milford on Sea. Great if you are looking for something to join in with, or need to get something done.  Our next project is to rebuild in a new whissy style, but not just yet, hoping to enjoy some sun first. click here to visit MoS Directory 

Milford on Sea News: Our News Blog keeps people informed of village stories. Some are factual, other embellished, and others simply made up. Around 260 News Pages get read every day, and it seems most people choose to come back! www.milfordonseanews.org

 

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To make sure that I have as little time as possible to irritate my wife, we also co-ordinate a couple of village events. Both are designed to put Milford on Sea on the map as a 'Foodie destination'.

Again run by volunteers, the aim is entertain local people, and to draw visitors to the village to have a great food experience. At the same time we aim for the village accommodation providers and local shops to benefit from the additional visitors.

 

Milford on Sea Food Week: The next Food Week will take place from the  7th to 13th April 2014. The event is a true celebration of Milford on Sea as a Foodie destination. taking part in the 100+ events are local organisations such as the WI, Brownies ect, clubs, friends, local amateur cooks, restaurants, pub, cafés and lots more. Get those dates in your diary, it is week of fun and eating, what could be better! www.milfordonseafoodweek.org

 

Milford on Sea Great Dining Bus: Dining with a Difference. Enjoy each course in a different village restaurant. A great way to spend time with friends and to enjoy the delights of various village kitchens. The full programme for 2013 is now on the website, and tours are selling fast. If you fancy joining in, tickets start from as little as £24, and can be bought from the Community Centre Box Office and The Cave. Not only is it a great day out, but also a wonderful way to support and experience our fine local restaurants.  www.greatdiningbus.co.uk

 

Connecting the Village: We now have 1833 local people who regularly receive our e-mail News Bulletins, and 179 people who don't want it at all!

 

We are always looking for more people to join us, so if you can spread the word to any friends, family or neighbours who you think would like to get our newsletter, please ask them to send an e-mail asking for the Newsletter, to: david@milfordonsea.org or complete the form here: www.milfordonsea.org/join-us. We can then ensure all of our community are kept informed of local news, which on some occasions contain actual facts!

 

Thanks for your support and for as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!

 

 

Blossoming Morning on the Green

The Milford on Sea Gardeners' Club had a successful Annual Plant Fair last week, with the village green heaving with people from 8.30 onwards.

Jenny Spenser and Jan England have also risen to local celebrity status, having been interviewed live on Radio Solent on Friday.

Prior to the Annual Planet Fair, the club and its event was featured in the Hampshire Life magazine, which no doubt encouraged some extra people to go along.

Alll of the stallholders were very happy, going home with a lot less than they started, and a couple pretty well sold out.

The gardeners' are hoping that the village businesses, coffee shops, pubs etc also benefited from the event. they would love to hear if your trade was positively affected.

The final figures are still being verified, but it appears that the total for various charities is now over £4000.

The Gardeners' Club raised about £1200. The Tools for Self Reliance Charity raised £850, The Mayflower Nursery (which is part of Solent Mind - A mental health charity supporting through horticulture) did particularly well, and the school were also very pleased with their takings.

Jan Egland commented; "It would be quite interesting to work out how much the various and numerous events staged in Milford raise over a year wouldnt it?".  I guess no one actually knows, but with so many events for good causes, it would indeed be sustantial.

All in all a great day in more ways than one!

www.milfordgardenersclub.co.uk

Milford on Sea: Hyphens or no hyphens?

I woke up this morning thinking; 'Who can I annoy today'. Now, my wife had yet to have her second cup of tea, so it would have been unwise to even consider annoying her this early. A quick pop outside, but no one to be seen, so a change of plan was needed.

 

Luckily, there was a subject that had perplexed me for some time, so I decided now was the time for some research on whether Milford on Sea should have hyphens in or not. (We only deal with the big issues here you know.)

 

First point of call was the welcome signs into the village. No hyphens, so this must be right. To double check I took a look at the Parish Council website. The header had no hyphens, but the official address details did, so did a couple of mentions in the site’s text. So ‘1-1’ so far.

 

The Parish Council avenue of research has now opened another dilemma, as looking at the 'Village Crest' not only did it have hyphen's, but also two men in strange attire.  One seems to hold a sythe, the other wearing fisherman boots, - plus a ship, a crown and a flower shape. Could be interesting to understand the meaning, but my hyphen mission had to take priority and be completed.

 

Next, the Community Centre. No hyphens on their website, so ‘2-1’ to the ‘No Hyphens’.

 

The NHS site for the War Memorial Hospital had no hyphens, yet Hospital Friends website were clearly in the hyphen camp.

 

My next investigation should prove telling, so I tracked down the Milford Historical Records Society. Ah, they don’t have the ‘on-sea’ bit in their name. However, Milford-on-Sea does appear in their written text, so now ‘3-3'.

 

Hampshire County Council mentions our village by using both versions, so they have covered themselves well by ensuring they have the correct version somewhere. 4-4 now.

 

Time to hit the streets, and ask a few random people in the village. My first questionee said; ‘You can stick your hyphens where you like’.  I wasn’t entirely convinced he was commenting on my actual question.  The next just looked at me pitifully & enquired whether; ‘I didn’t have something more important to do’. This was not going well, however, it did make me think, and I concluded I hadn’t.

 

In my very weird world, I was convinced that people needed to know the result of my mission. I therefore decided to take a new tact by finding out a bit more about ‘hyphens in names’. 

Not necessarily relevant, but I discovered that the longest hyphenated town name in the USA is Washington-on-the-Brazos in Texas. I considered contacting one of the inhabitants to see if they would comment on my quest, but I decided they might not have heard of Milford on Sea, and even if they had, I am not good with accents.

 

I also discovered that Sutton-under-Whitestoncliffe is situated in the North Yorkshire Moors, and claims to be the longest hyphenated place name in the UK. Again, I never called anyone there for the same geographic & accent reasons already mentioned.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is of course longer, but they missed the chance of this record by not adding any hyphens.

A quick look at Wikipedia, and although Milford on Sea village is mentioned, I am told never to believe anythings I read on that website, so that was disqualified. Ah, the encyclopedia. Oh no, haven't got one of those anymore. 

I finally had a look at BBC News website, but there was no mention of Milford on Sea at all, so no help here then.

 

I then had a brainwave, when does the Oxford Dictionary believe it is correct to use a hyphen? I found they are not sure either. The first editors of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, wrote in their preface to the 1911 edition: ‘We have also to admit that after trying hard at an early stage to arrive at some principle that should teach us when to separate, when to hyphen, and when to unite the parts of compound words, we had to abandon the attempt as hopeless, and welter in the prevailing chaos.’, they conclude ‘Hyphenation in English is highly variable, and in many contexts, it really doesn't matter’.

 

My ‘in-depth’ research therefore left the results as an honourable draw with the ‘With Hyphens-4’ & ‘No Hyphens-4’. So, which is the correct way to write our village name: Milford on Sea or Milford-on-Sea? It seems there is no right answer, so just do what you like!

 

Thinking my mission was over, someone has just asked me which is correct, Danes Stream or Danestream? - Argggh!

 

 

Stroll and Discover Milford on Sea

Did you know that the village has an interesting and rather charming 'Discover Milford on Sea Walking Tour'?

 

The tour is a casual stroll around the village with a local guide, who will help you to discover our history & tell some fascinating village stories.

No need to book, just meet on the Village Green at 10.30am.

 

The tour lasts around one & half hours and ends at All Saints' Church, with a cup of tea!

Everyone is welcome, and there is something of interest for locals & holidaymakers alike.

The tours are just £1 for Adults and Children Free

 

Why not stick a date in your diary now: 10.30am: Wednesday 5th June, 3rd July, 7th August and 4th September.

Anyone for the Dordogne?

click image to enlarge

I have discovered that a well-known and popular Milford on Sea local resident, Richard Poole, has some rather nice properties for holidays in the Dordogne.

Being almost French myself, I am of course an expert on anything to do with France. Some of you will know me to be fluent in my special version of the language, and partial to a frogs leg baguette.

Having emigrated on more than one occasion to Deauville, (my wife’s only regret is that I kept coming back with her), I can confidently say that the Dordogne is worth a visit, not just for the spectacular scenery, but also the French food, and of course the great local wines. Some people even get involved in the many outdoor pursuits, but I much prefer activities that simply involve a parasol and a glass.

Richard is a qualified surveyor and also a sponsor of the Milford on Sea Arts & Music Festival. He is also a supporter of our excellent village restaurants, and I am sure when he regularly visits the Dordogne area, he takes the opportunity to see if the local food they serve can match ours. I bet they lose on the variety on offer!

Having taken a peak at the website, it is clear that each of Richard’s houses have been renovated to a fine standard, and that the properties looks welcoming and comfortable with all mod cons and naturally the much needed swimming pool for the summer.

If you fancy taking a look or even going on holiday, please visit: www.dordognecorreze.co.uk