Good Samaritan for Mother in Law

Whilst no one was seen pushing my mother in law over (I was at home with my wife, honest), at around 10am on Tuesday a Good Samaritan walking his dog came to her aid as she laid spreadeagled and bleeding on the ground on Church Hill.

The story goes that she was heading back to her car after beauty treatment at Tu Sei Bella (my wife told me to say they she doesn't really need it - and I have been instructed not to comment), as she meandered along, she tripped over on the pavement outside the old HSBC bank building. 

She said she was heading to her car, but we all know that The Cave is in that direction.

After spectacularly breaking her fall with her chin and generally making a bloody mess of the pavement, with the help of a passer by she made it to her feet again. (Good job it rained later otherwise Dave Gates Butchers Shop may have been questioned.) 

The kind man on a dog walk even offered to walk her (and his dog) to the Medical Centre. Sadly, he did not give his name, but you know who you are and are very kind. She sends her belated thanks, as her mouth wasn't working too well at the time.

Naturally I am full of sympathy for my mother in law's plight and her swollen face, and like any dutiful son in law I was trying to find ways to help. The toffees I bought were apparently 'thoughtless' and the mask suggestion described as 'stupid'.

So, I found the ideal get well gift. I managed to get hold of some of the 'Tripping Hazard Signs' pictured above, Then, when she was out, I put up a number of the yellow signs at the top of her house stairs, above her bed, in the front garden and one on the side of her car for luck.

She hasn't thanked me yet, but I suspect it is because she can't say much as talking still hurts at the moment. (Every cloud has a silver lining!)

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My Mother in Law claims that she is normally steady on her feet, but I think that this old holiday snap from the 1970's tells different.

In fact, I would make a case that it runs in the family, and her daughter is no better as a picture below of her returning home from The Cave shows.

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Note to self  - buy mother in law some beauty vouchers for her birthday, she might need them more than ever now.

The Community Centre is Buzzing

If you have never ventured into Milford on sea Community Centre, you are missing out on a welcoming hive of activity.

There are a wide variety of classes and clubs to join, you can volunteer and meet lots of friendly new people, and of course there is entertainment of all types and styles.

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One good example is the ever popular Peter Snipp who is coming to the Community Centre on Saturday 28th February. 

When Peter last visited he did a quite amazing tribute to Matt Monro, this time he will be singing all of your favourite songs from West End Shows.

Similarly, Graffiti Classics have thrilled local audiences a number of times before, and are now back on Saturday 12th March. In fact, it is quite unusual for an act to be invited back so many times, must be because they provide such a great night out!

We could go on as there is so much happening, including showings of the latest films and live screenings of opera and ballet.

To see all that is happening and to book a fun night out, please visit: www.moscommunitycentre.org.uk or www.ticketsource.co.uk/milfordonseavcc

Culinary Masterclass at Food Week

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Food Week are delighted to bring together the most highly renowned chefs from across the New Forest.

Five Chefs will be on stage from the Michelin star Montagu Arms, the classic Chewton Glen, the impressive Hartnett Holder & Co Restaurant at Lime Wood Hotel, the highly acclaimed kitchen garden restaurant at The Pig, and the award winning restaurant & grill at The Jetty.

Alex Aitken, a former Michelin star holder himself, will be our compere for this fun filled afternoon of gourmet dishes and culinary tricks from the masters!

----------------------------------------------------

CULINARY MASTERCLASS

Tickets: £9 - Child: £4 (Must be accompanied by an adult) | 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.

Objection to Sea Road Garage Development

Planning Objection Letter
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It is easy to miss, but between the Community Centre and Sea Road Car Park, is an old wooden garage on a narrow strip of land.

It hardly looks big enough for a garage, but a planning application has been lodged with the New Forest District Council to build a house with parking on the site. 

The trustees of the Community Centre have lodged an objection to this application which you can read on the image to the right. (If your eyesight is good enough!)

If you want to make your own individual comment, you can do so by emailing: dev.control@nfdc.gov.uk (or write to: Development Control Appletree Court, Beaulieu Road, Lyndhurst, SO43 7PF)

Community Centre Planning Objection letter in full:

Reference: 16/10068

Land adjacent Community Centre 9 Sea Road Milford on Sea

House, parking; demolition of existing garage

The Trustees of Milford on Sea Community Centre object to the above planning application.

They agree with the planning officer’s observation that the proposed dwelling is cramped, awkward and dominant and consider the proposal an inappropriate development of the site.

The close proximity of the proposed dwelling to the Community Centre would have an adverse effect on the amenity of the Community Centre and be visually detrimental to the street scene in which the Community Centre is a significant focal point.

The design and access statement supplied by the applicants states that the new dwelling would be adjacent to other and similar two storey residential dwellings and therefore would be ‘appropriate’ in its setting. This is factually incorrect. There are no such residential dwellings adjacent to this site. It is bounded by a car park, public lavatories and the Community Centre. The nearest dwelling is a bungalow set well back in its garden on the opposite side of the road. There is a house at the far side of the guide hut situated at the end of a long drive. The Trustees therefore consider that a residential dwelling in this location would in fact be inappropriate.

In addition the Trustees consider that the quality of life for future residents of the proposed new dwelling would be compromised not only, as the planning officer comments, by the presence of the adjacent public lavatories and the car park but also by a very active and busy Community Centre.

The footfall to the Community Centre exceeds 40,000 a year and continues to grow; the Centre is in use continuously from 9am and often up to 11pm. The Trustees are therefore most concerned that cars reversing either onto or off the proposed parking area would create an additional hazard for the many pedestrians who must walk in front of the site to the entrance to the Community Centre from the car park or from the village.

The design and access statement suggests that the site will remain vacant if this application fails. The Trustees consider that future community use of the site would be both viable and appropriate to meet the need for expanding community activities.

Bob Bishop

Chair of Trustees Milford on Sea Community Centre

Christine wins Lottery

Milford-on-Sea resident, Christine Boyce had a massive surprise when she discovered that she had won £25,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Picture from Daily Echo

The unexpected windfall will enable Christine, who lives in Knowland Drive, to take a trip of a lifetime to visit her son in Australia.

Christine had only been playing the lottery for two months before she scooped the Saturday Street Prize where each winning ticket is worth £25,000, - great to see someone given such a great opportunity.

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

Tram Re-Discovered in Milford

Photo by Mark Clayson
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Photo by Mark Clayson
click image to enlarge

Since publishing an article last week; Anyone seen a Tram? (click here to read) - We have had some interesting replies.

It appears that the tram carriage sits in undergrowth on the left hand side of a private drive down to The Old Mill off Barnes Lane.

We have also been told that last year there was a suspected arson attack on the mill building and it now been enveloped in a scaffold and a large polythene covering.

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Another reader, Ethan told us of the location, and about how he and his friend recently used the driveway containing the tram to film their media GCSE trailer, which is horror themed. You can view the trailer by clicking here.

Photo by Mark Clayson
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Amazing what you discover when you look for something!

Baptist Church 200th Anniversary

Milford on Sea Baptist Church is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2006.

About Milford on Sea Baptist Church

The church building is one of the oldest Baptist churches in the New Forest region. It was founded in 1816 by Mr Evans, who in a period of five years saw over one hundred people join the congregation. He also oversaw the building of the church in Barnes Lane. Under the subsequent leadership of Rev Turquand, the original manse was added, and the Jireh chapel in Tiptoe (now Wellspring Church) was founded.

In 1964, by developing land surrounding the Church, the present manse and church hall were built, along with additional car parking. Later in the 1990's the organ was up-dated, and a new floor and baptistry installed.

As we moved into a new millennium, multi-media and a new PA system were installed. In September 2010 a tea point area was added to the rear of the Church, enabling a time for refreshments and fellowship to take place at the end of the services. 

Church Activities

The current minister, Rev David Hellsten was inducted at Easter 2011.

David is originally from Sweden and today he leads a church that is known for being a friendly and welcoming for all ages. He can also be found sharing his thoughts on Twitter!

Sunday services have an average attendance of 45-50 people, with most ages represented, they are quite informal, and David energetically mixes different traditions, old, new and in-between. Occasionally a 'Café Church' is held instead of the regular evening service.

This month 80 people attended a loud and lively youth service, of whom 50-60 were teens. I hear that they like their music and singing down at the Baptist Church!

The Baptist Church is a child-friendly church, and children can either stay for the whole service, or leave before the sermon for Sunday school. There are toys at the back for those that are too little to enjoy Sunday school.

Tea and coffee is served after the morning service and everybody is made to feel welcome, both residents of the area and holiday-makers, whether believers, seekers or sceptics.

To celebrate their 200th anniversary the church are putting on a number of special events this year, in addition to the regular quizzes and worship services. 

The first such event is a concert with Colin and Pippa Judson at the end of February. After that there is a Café Church in February, a Missions Day (5th March 2016) and a concert with a young singer-songwriter whose grandparents are members of the church (26th March), a Flower festival in May and an Anniversary Concert with Boscombe Salvation Army on the 2nd July 2016.

If you are interested in the history of the church, a closer look will take place at the Anniversary Café Church on 26th June 2016. The official 200th Anniversary celebration will take place on Sunday 3rd July 2016. 

Everyone is invited to attend these any of these events, and will receive a warm welcome.

Milford on Sea Baptist Church
Barnes Lane, Milford on Sea SO41 0RN
01590 645469

pastormosbaptist@gmail.com 

www.milfordonseabaptist.org.uk

Milford's Oldest Charity

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Did you know that Milford on Sea's oldest surviving charity dates back to before 1926, and is still running today?

The Milford United Charities (MUC) have been registered with the Charity Commission since 1926, although some of the MUC charitable work had been active from very much earlier. 

In its early days, MUC had considerable funds and did an excellent job benefiting many of the less well of residents of Milford on Sea Parish. Alastair Dunn, (Vicar at All Saints' Church Milford on Sea from 1990 to 2004) was the main trustee until he asked Christopher Beeton to take over a few months before he left the church. At that time, there were funds of only a few thousand pounds to help out deserving people in the village.

In spite of the Welfare State now providing much of what MUC used to, there are still gaps that they can sometimes at least partially fill. 

In recent years Milford United Charities have contributed towards educational and vocational course fees, travel costs to college and exceptional costs to visit sick relatives. They currently also encourage pupils at Milford Primary School Academy to provide a significant contribution to the life of the School during their time at Milford. Each year, Milford United Charities present a £50 book token to up to four school leavers who have made a significant contribution to the life of Milford-on-Sea Church of England Primary School Academy.

Milford United Charities are also able to offer limited financial support on a one-off basis to those people who live within Milford-on-Sea parish and who need financial help to further their education or training, or who face a financial demand to respond to a personal emergency.

Currently Milford United Charities has four trustees but still very low funds. So, in order to raise at least something towards increasing the invested base, the trustees of Milford United Charities (MUC) will be having a table top stall during Food Week at the CakeFest! (in the Community Centre from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 2nd April 2016.) They aim to sell unwanted cookery and recipe books to raise funds, so if you have any cookery books you could donate, please contact Christopher below. 

If you would like to find out more about MUC, or to contribute some funds, please contact:

Milford United Charities (MUC)

Christopher Beeton

christopherbeeton@btinternet.com

(Charity Commission Registered Number 234709)

Anyone seen a Tram?

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A gentleman from Lymington has contact us to say that a friend of his has informed him that somewhere in Milford on Sea is an old Bournemouth Tram body, perhaps in a garden or woods?

This is not something we are aware of, but after a bit of research we discovered an article online about the mystery tram carriage in 2013 (Click here to read the article)

The article did not identify where the tram body actually is, so if you can throw any light on this mystery, please let us know at david@milfordonsea.org

The BBC think Milford in Barton

On Monday BBC reporter, Duncan Kennedy stoically tried to say standing up in force of Storm Imogen. As he interviewed some hardy walkers on Milford on Sea seafront, gusts of 96mph were recorded at the Needles, Isle of Wight.

Only thing was, he thought he was in Barton.

Click here to see video.

White Goose in Milford

Milford on Sea local residents, and mother and daughter team Jan and Poddy combine 50 years of experience in the property industry to provide local people with a broad range of services and a large spectrum of design styles and expertise. Classic country homes to contemporary new builds, White Goose offers services to help you from starting with a plot of land to freshening up your home.

Jan set up White Goose in 1995 after 9 years in Interior Design and has since project managed and designed a variety of homes and commercial spaces. Poddy has now joined, bringing a passion for green living and sustainability and extensive experience in property search and new builds. Together they form an all-encompassing team with endless energy and commitment to turning your visions into a reality.

Poddy said; "Our efforts are focussed on resourcing good quality, well-designed and reasonably priced furnishings for renovation or home improvement projects. We provide stylish, well-executed and cost-effective interiors for properties that may need everything from "freshening up" to an entire renovation."

White Goose also offer a depth of knowledge and experience of the property purchase procedure. They will tailor a service to cater to all levels of involvement throughout the search and purchase process, ensuring the service is adapted to suit your needs.

Poddy commented; "We understand that buying a property can be both stressful and time consuming. We remove the hassle from your property search, free up your time and deliver value for money on your purchase."

White Goose Limited
Jan and Poddy
Property Development & Interior Design
info@whitegooseproperty.co.uk
07769 582202
www.whitegooseproperty.co.uk

Another interior design service in Milford on Sea:

At No 19 Interior Design Val Plummer  val@atno19.co.uk  01590 641804 - 07767 342542

www.atno19.co.uk

www.atno19.co.uk

Music success in Milford

Dr Jenny Davies, who teaches many different musical instruments in Milford, and runs the 'Music Lessons in Milford-On-Sea' business, was thrilled to receive an email from the New Forest Business Partnership announcing that her business had won the 'the best music teacher' category in the Excellence in Business Award 2016. 

Jenny has been running the business since 2003 and has taught many children and adults of mixed age and ability to play many different musical instruments including piano, keyboard, organ, guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, recorder, fife, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, accordion, harmonica ... and theory of music. She offers private lessons for individuals, pairs, small groups and larger groups. She also takes her musical and teaching talents into local libraries for 5 week courses.

The ukulele group meeting on Friday mornings began with a group from the library who just didn't want to stop playing when the course finished. Since then many ukulele players have joined. The group do charity gigs in the area.

Please feel free to contact her if you are interested in learning to play a musical instrument.

Musical Muses 

Dr Jenny Davies

07731 852158

jenanda@hotmail.com

www.musicalmuses.tk

Warning to Dog Owners

A report has been received that a large Airedale dog recently attacked another dog with serious consequences.

We understand his took place around the Hurst Spit / Keyhaven area. If you are walking your dog and see an Airedale off the lead, please think carefully before coming in closer contact with it.

Food Week's New Media Partner

Hampshire Life magazine has become Food Week's Media Partner, the publication celebrates that Hampshire has everything – unspoilt beaches, rolling countryside, ancient forests and picture postcard villages. Life in the county is rich and diverse, from farming and fisheries to sailing and shopping. Hampshire Life magazine reflects living in this vibrant part of England and offers readers a mix of features to inspire, educate and entertain.

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Since its conception in 1999, Hampshire Life has undergone a complete transformation both in its editorial content and design to meet the changing face of the county and our readership. Working alongside influential groups such as Hampshire Fare, the magazine now actively promotes local producers of food, drink and crafts across the county and the success of the Hampshire Life Food Awards has meant they are now about to be held for a fifth year.

Keeping content local is at the forefront of what Hampshire Life strives to achieve each month. Focussing on local people, local businesses and local life is what makes Hampshire Life a must-read magazine for those living throughout the county.

To pick up a copy is easy, simply ask at our village newsagents.

Hampshire Life Magazine

www.hampshire-life.co.uk

A small change at Inger-Lise's Coffee Shop

A temporary small change is taking place at Inger-Lise's Coffee Shop.

Christine Quinn, owner and the friendly face behind the counter has had a routine operation and will be off from the café for about 6 weeks. 

Fortunately, her husband Kev is taking the helm and will be doing a sterling job along with her wonderful staff.

However, this mean they will temporarily close on Monday's until the beginning of March when she will be fit and well to get back to the Café. 

Open as normal Tuesday to Saturday: 9.30am to 5pm. 

Get well soon Christine.

Inger-Lise's Coffee Shop

106 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE

www.inger-lisescoffeebar.co.uk

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 (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. She is also fully insured and police checked.

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.