Save Our Post Office: Update

The MoS Save Our Post Office group (SOPOg) has now met twice to discuss the future of one of the most essential services in our village. The situation in brief is as follows:

1. The existing Post Office will likely close when the Post Mistress sells her premises. There is no guarantee that a new Post Office will be approved by the PO authority for the existing building.

2. The SOPOg members have contacted the PO authority offices and have visited retail outlets in MoS that they feel could possibly be interested in having a Post Office in their premises. 

3. The PO authority has invited ‘Expressions of Interest’ from business places in MoS on their website. This invitation will close at the end of July when the selection process will begin. 

4. The PO authority offers signage, alarm system, safes, open plan service desk and full training for the successful applicant and staff.

5. We understand that at least two retailers have expressed interest with the PO authority and are waiting for the opportunity to put forward a business plan when the PO asks for one.

6. Any new PO operation will be on commission instead of salaried and therefore suits a retailer who is not looking for any significant income from the PO services but will benefit from the extra footfall that will be drawn through his or her retail premises.

7. The PO authority will provide a temporary PO service in a suitable village community facility (library, church hall, community centre etc.) if the length of process of approval, training and opening a full new PO business leaves the village without service.

8. If you have an interest in finding out more about running a Post Office in Milford on Sea then go to www.postoffice.co.uk and at the bottom of the page click under the heading Post Office Corporate, click Business Opportunities,then Latest Business Opportunities.

You can then explore the information and instructions in the Menu down the left hand side of the page. Register an Expression of Interest leaving email and other details with the PO authority and they will contact you.

The SOPO group will be happy to assist in any way we can with information or help in the process of establishing a new PO operation in our village. Just contact Dick Coe at: rwtcoe@gmail.com.

Milford Bowls Club Winners

Last Sunday saw over a 100 members, families and guests spend an enjoyable day at Milford on Sea Bowls Club to celebrate Presidents Day with this years Club President, Mrs Chris Capron.

L-R: Chris Capron  & Dennis Robinson Welsh
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In 'good old English style' an afternoon of bowls was followed by a grand tea provided by club members, the event is organised by this year's Vice President, Dennis Robinson Welsh.

The members send a big thank you to all who worked so hard to give Chris such an special day.

Milford on Sea Bowls Club 

www.milfordbowls.co.uk

A club with a view!

Verveine goes to London

Ever in demand, David Wykes, chef/patron at Verveine was invited to join a special event promoting Hampshire food in London this week.

He joined chef James Durrant (of The Plough in Longparish) and other notable faces from Hampshire. James is the first Food Tourism Ambassador for the county. In fact, he's the first official food ambassador for any county in Britain.

The Taste of Hampshire lunch was hosted at Angela Hartnett's Merchants Tavern restaurant in Old Street, London. 

David prepared the fish course and transported everything from the rocks, to the dry ice, to complete his dishes to London. All that tasted it, said it was the stand out dish and all the journalists were apparently speechless!

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His fish course was a Milford on Sea food story on a plate (or rock!) Dave had sourced the sea bass from a local fishermen and the seaweed and sea herbs were from Milford beach. The frozen rock it was served on had local sea water poured over shells with liquid nitrogen to release a salty mist. the course was accompained by a New Forest inspired martini, infused with burnt wild sage syrup and Douglas fir vodka, served with Pernod-soaked grapes - all of which were hand made in David's kitchen.

To read the full experience, please visit: 

www.greatbritishchefs.com/community/a-taste-of-hampshire

Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant
98 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE
01590 642176 - info@verveine.co.uk

www.verveine.co.uk

Time for Fishing

Milford on Sea Beach and Hurst Spit are very popular with fisherman, and with the wide variety of fish to be caught that is of little surprise.

Dependant on the time of years the sea around Milford are great for catching many species, such as Rays, Sole, Bass, Bream, Turbot, Rockling, Dogfish, Pollack and even Smoothounds. In the winter months Cod, Pout and Whiting can be caught.

The bridge at Sturt Pond also provides a fun place for the kids to do some crabbing, providing great childhood memories.

We were recently sent a picture of a starfish found at low tide on the beach by The Marine. Thankfully it was not a jelly fish!

So, if you have a rod, grab some bait and see what bites!

Sam takes over at La Perle

Sam Hughes has become the new Chef/Patron at La Perle in Milford on Sea, after Lio & Emily decided to move on to pastures new. As a friend and former colleague of Lionel's, Sam is excited to be taking La Perle into the future and building on the restaurants already excellent reputation.

Sam Hughes
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Sam is a talented chef who loves to create imaginative dishes, some will already know him from when he was the Head Chef at The Marine when it opened in 2010. Most recently he has been heading kitchens in some top London restaurants.

In his early career Sam worked at the award-winning ‘The Sir Charles Napier’ in Chinnor, Oxfordshire. He also has many years of experience working with some of the country’s finest chefs including Mark Broadbent at Mortons of Mayfair, Raymond Blanc at Le Petit Blanc, and Pierre Chevillard at Pebble Beach, following a 3 year apprenticeship in the kitchens of Kensington Place.

The ‘La Perle’ restaurant name will not change, but Sam is changing the emphasis of his menu to 'seasonal, local and ethical'. The concept is to source fresh local produce from Hampshire and Dorset using small local producers. The dishes will be seasonal and sustainable, and of course tasty!

Never shy of hard work, Sam aims to make virtually everything himself on the premises, such as the bacon, sausages, bread and butter, pickles, preserves, ice cream and more.

Since opening in April 2011, formers owners, Lio and Emily created a delightful restaurant with an excellent regional French menu, this was in addition to the warm and friendly service that everyone appreciated when they went out to dine. They are now moving on to other things, and our thanks go to them for what they have added to the village, and of course we wish them, and their young family, well for the future.

Sam, 35, is pleased to be returning to his roots, & the area where his family still live. He is setting up the business with the help of his brother Adam, and close family friend Ben, who will also be helping Sam in the restaurant by bringing his excellent knowledge of wines and spirits to enhance the dining experience. 

Sam will be re-opening La Perle on Friday evening 19th June, and thereafter will be opening all day, six days a week for Breakfast, Lunch, Cream Teas and Dinner (closed Mondays). Without doubt there will be no shortage of local diners looking forward to trying out Milford on Sea’s latest dining venue!

As a passionate chef who excels in creating fine dishes, Sam is excited about the people of Milford on Sea enjoying his creative food & I am looking forward to eating it!

La Perle
60 High Street, Milford on Sea
Tel: 01590 643 557
Email: info@laperle.co.uk
www.laperle.co.uk

Milford and Nelson’s Navy

The Milford on Sea Historical Record Society is engaged in a project to conserve the grave of Admiral Cornwallis and Captain & Mrs Whitby (all in the same vault) in All Saints churchyard and to repair and relocate the memorial to Admiral Peyton inside the church.

To do this the Historical Society and The 1805 Club need to raise nearly £6,500 incl. VAT and are hoping that some kindly local folk might feel it worthwhile enough to make donation.

If you would like to make a donation please send an email to david@milfordonsea.org in the first instance.

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Milford on Sea’s connection with Nelson’s Navy

Most local people will recognise the names Cornwallis and Whitby, if only from the village roads bearing their names, but they have a much wider significance. Admiral William Cornwallis and Mary Anne Theresa Whitby are possibly the most important figures in the story and development of Milford, along with Mrs Whitby’s descendants, the Cornwallis-Wests. Milford on Sea would not be as it is today without their influence.

Mrs Whitby was the widow of Captain John Whitby who was Cornwallis’ flag captain and friend.

Cornwallis acquired Newlands, between Milford and Everton, in 1800 and the Whitbys came to live with him. Whitby also served for a while under Nelson in the Mediterranean and died here in 1806 at the early age of 32. Cornwallis was regarded by Nelson as a friend, having brought Nelson back from the West Indies when he was seriously ill.

Experts and enthusiasts in the navy of Nelson’s time are of the opinion that Cornwallis is hugely under-recognised for his contribution to the wars with France in the final years of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Had he not commanded the blockade of the French channel ports with such efficiency, it is unlikely that Nelson would have been able to engage in, much less win, the Battle of Trafalgar. Andrew Lambert, professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, in his entry on Cornwallis in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says:

“……Cornwallis demonstrated the highest qualities of an admiral,……………only the accident of history, the one that denied him a great battle has kept him out of the pantheon of naval immortals. …………..His blockade of the coast of Brittany, through all seasons and all weathers, remains the ultimate achievement of seapower in the age of sail.”

Admiral Cornwallis
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In his later years Cornwallis was a modest and retiring person; although willing to accept the recognition of his professional capabilities by promotion, he abhorred personal glorification. 

Unlike virtually every other ranking officer of his time, there is no known portrait of him above the rank of post captain. When he died, he left instructions that he was to be buried with his friend Whitby and that no memorial should be erected in his name. With the approach of the 200th anniversary of his death in 2019, we feel that the time has come for him to receive the recognition he deserves for his outstanding service.

Theresa West, Mrs Whitby’s daughter, felt such “affection, gratitude and admiration” for Cornwallis that she went against his wishes when her mother died 31 years after the admiral and had a memorial in the church made to the admiral and her parents. The memorial indicates that the remains of her parents and those of Cornwallis are together “in a vault at the western end of the churchyard”. For many years it was thought that the vault was either unmarked or lost.

All Saints, Milford is also the resting place of two other important admirals of the Georgian navy, John Peyton and Robert Man. 

Admiral John Peyton was one of Nelson’s ‘Band of Brothers’, captains who fought with him at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, and had a distinguished naval career. Thus he is another nationally important naval figure. He retired to Priestlands, Pennington, then in the parish of Milford.

David Wykes creates a unique evening

During the Milford on Sea Food Week, Julian Whittle successfully bid for meal at home cooked by David Wykes of the award winning Verveine Restaurant in Milford on Sea. Fourteen months later Verveine relocated to George Road for one night only. 

David created a mouthwatering menu and an amazing experience for this very special evening.

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Julian explained:"Last year we won the auction to have David Wykes cook a meal for four at our home, he also promised to do the washing up. At the time of winning we didn’t have a kitchen and the rest of the house was full of dust. Since then life has moved on and some fairly significant building works have been completed. So a couple of Sundays ago, Michelin trained David and Chef Helen brought the famous Verveine taster menu to our humble abode.

Our good friends James and Tamsyn went in on the auction with us. James and I agreed our limit without consulting either of our wives (brave or what!), so on one of my ‘working from home days’ I was entrusted to bid on the team’s behalf. I knew the hours honing my skills on ebay would pay off eventually - victory was ours!

David Wykes & Helen Hatch
from Verveine
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So a fortnight ago James and Tam joined my wife Sarah and I for the fabulous night. David even threw in a bottle of Champagne and a Beaujolais (served chilled – who knew!). The food was spectacular and surprising in equal measure, David and Helen were great company and taught us lots (most of which we’d forgotten by the end of the night thanks to our own additional vino). My description of the menu would not do it justice, but it included:

· Smoked mackerel pate with edible soil and radish

· Crab and samphire

· Lymington lobster

· See bass with white chocolate

· Sasheemi Tuna

· Burnt chocolate ice cream

· Panacotta

· Doughnuts

· Chocolate and beetroot stones

· Petit fours with edible rappers and fisherman’s friend macaroons

We all went to bed with bellies full and heads slightly spinning, a perfect Saturday night (unfortunately it was Sunday, so not the most enjoyable Monday commute – it was worth it).

A huge thank you to David and Helen for feeding us on their day off and their generosity, the new kitchen is well and truly christened. Also, a big thank you to the people of Milford for not out bidding us. In case you were wondering, yes they did do the washing up as promised – what service!"

The Food Week Team were delighted that Julian & Sarah and their friends James and Tam, had such a great evening, and we send our sincere thanks to David & Helen for their hard work and fabulous generosity.

Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant
98 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE
01590 642176 - info@verveine.co.uk

www.verveine.co.uk

MCV Sturt Pond Projects

This Sunday 7th June the Milford Conservation Volunteers team will be working alongside the New Forest Area Conservation Volunteers at the Bird Hide, next to Sturt Pond, Milford on Sea. There is vegetation to prune back and repainting of the hide, plus a litter pick around The Marine, salt marsh and paddock.

There is plenty to do for all abilities, and newcomers are always welcomed.

Paintbrushes for wood preserving would be useful, plus gloves, hedging tools, loppers etc. Don't forget the water if it is a warm day.

Meet time: 10am at Bird Hide.

On Friday 12th June the MCV team will be setting up Bill Smith's Tern Raft at Sturt Pond. A spare hand or two would be useful, and support for the occasion would be good. Pete Durnell is sending a helper and a boat to help tow the raft into position. If you would like to go along, please contact MCV as below.

Milford Conservation Volunteers (MCV)

www.milfordcv.org or call 01590 645825

Everton Arts Festival

Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural Everton Arts Festival, the Village is all set to do it again from Wednesday June 24th until Sunday 28th June! 

This year’s Festival gets ahead of itself with an early musical taster on June 6th when popular ukelele based trio, Empty Frets set to strumming a wide variety of songs from Buddy Holly to Paloma Faith at Everton Nurseries. The fun starts at 11.30 outside Camellias Restaurant, (inside the Nurseries) which is also hosting a display of local art from that date onwards. There’ll be an opportunity to pick up a Festival Programme and buy a Raffle Ticket too. 

The Festival fun takes off in earnest on Wednesday June 24th with a Guided Walk to view the Sculpture Trail at Gordleton Mill. 

Andrew Doig

On Thursday evening, the Everton and Lymore Social Club will be opening their doors wide to host a Writing Workshop run by prize winning novelist Andrew Doig at an informal evening of Storytelling and Selfpublishing. Andrew is an Associate Professor at Solent University, amongst other things he has an MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, but in Southampton he’s dealing mostly with online educational developmental work. However, being as he’s a professional writer and editor, he still finds time for some freelance writing projects, one of which is to run the ‘Storytelling Nights’ at the Filly Inn outside Brockenhurst.

Story telling is just what it says, an open invitation to anyone to come along, bring their own material and tell their stories. But he’s the first to point out...you don’t have to, it’d be great if you just come along and listen!

Andrew’s novel ‘Wee Davy’ was the winner of the Daily Telegraph Competition ‘Novel in a Year’2007. 

On Friday you can polish up your dancing shoes for a 1940’s themed Tea Dance, at which spare dudes will be available! More information can be found on the website, detailed below. 

Under the direction of Steve Adams, local musician, The Festival Weekend, 26th to 28th June once again caters for a wide variety of musical tastes. Steve points out that ‘ At various venues around the Village you’ll find Folk, Jazz, Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Classical concerts. the aim is to offer something for everyone. On Saturday the musical focus is on the Festival Field (Everton’s Recreation Ground) with a great line up from 10.30am through to 5pm.’

Whilst rocking along to the sounds, visitors to the Festival Field can enjoy various attractions such as vintage cars, pottery, woodcarving, wood turning and a variety of craft stalls, a hog roast, wraps, tea and cakes, and there’s ice cream and a wine and beer tent too! The music continues in the evening at the Social Club where all are welcome. 

Art and Photography enthusiasts are well catered for, close by on Farmer’s Walk, where not only will there be plenty of exhibitions, but scheduled intimate talks by artists which will be held at various times during the weekend. 

The Festival also offers local Poets and Photographers the chance to enter Competitions which will be judged prior to the event. Entries need to be submitted by 6th June.

Thanks to the generosity of Sponsors the Festival can offer, once again, free entry to all events, so look out for a Programme which will be widely available throughout June. Although entry is free to everything, reserving tickets is recommended for some indoor events, to do this or for more information please contact Cheryl Fillmore (Festival Co-ordinator) on 01590 644865.

To find out more, please visit website below:

Everton Village Arts Festival

www.everton-lymington.co.uk

Dismantling of Milford Beach Huts

On the 1st June work started to remove the damaged concrete beach huts at Milford-on-Sea, which will be completed in time to allow full use of the promenade and beach during the summer.

The beach huts, which were severely damaged or destroyed in the storms of last winter and spring, will be carefully dismantled by specialist contractor Keanes Ltd, appointed by New Forest District Council. The contractor will set up their site compound in Hurst Road West car park on 28 and 29 May, with work commencing on 1 June and planned to last for up to 6 weeks.

George Mackay, contracts manager for Keanes Ltd, said “We will be removing the beach huts in a controlled manner to ensure public safety and minimise inconvenience.”

An NFDC clerk of works will be on site daily to ensure the smooth running of the project. Lorries removing materials from the site will avoid Milford village and turn left out of Hurst Road West car park to follow the coast road.

Hurst Road East car park will remain open throughout the demolition, while part of Hurst Road West car park will be closed for use by the contractors. The promenade footpath between the Needles Eye Café and the White House will be closed off while the works are carried out. Footpath users will be diverted onto the footpath along Hurst Road. Every effort will be made to open the promenade to the public at weekends. Access to the public conveniences will not be affected.

NFDC’s head of environment services Colin Read said: “We’re sorry for any short term disruption, but I’m pleased that we are going to be able to restore the promenade and beach for residents and visitors to enjoy this summer. We do ask that people take notice of the signage and diversions while the works are going on.”

He added: “We would also encourage people to take advantage of the new coastal footpath to the west of the White House, which has now been reopened following the severe damage caused to it during the 2014 storms, while the promenade is closed.”

In March this year NFDC’s planning committee granted outline planning permission for the replacement of 119 beach huts and the concrete slab on the lower promenade at Milford on Sea. Detailed designs for their replacement will be developed to be taken forward as an application for full planning permission later in the year.

New Forest District Council

www,newforest.gov.uk

Sean Wins Junior Lawyer of the Year

Sean Reeves
click image to enlarge

Many in Milford on Sea will know, or recognise Sean Reeves, who was the Chairman of the Arts and Music Festival until last year. 

Most recently, Sean has been made a Salaried Partner at Bernard Chill & Axtell Solicitors effective from 1st June 2015, and last week Sean won the Junior Lawyer of the Year at the Hampshire Law Society Annual Awards.

Sean learnt his trade at Hugh Whitlock Solicitors in the village before moving on to Bernard Chill & Axtell only 18 months ago. 

In this time Sean has demonstrated that he is a dedicated and talented conveyancer with an extensive experience in domestic & commercial property and the preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. He has also already helped to transform the Conveyancing Department with his extensive knowledge and impressive work ethic and he played a key role in integrating the company's new Case Management System, 

Sean said: “I am so excited about becoming a Salaried Partner at Bernard Chill & Axtell. It’s a real honour to be part of such a great team, and I owe a great deal to the Partners at the firm, who have given me so much help and support since I started here. I am looking forward to working closely with them in my new role, and to benefiting even more from their knowledge and experience.”

Congratulations to Sean on his award and good luck as his career.

Sean Reeves

sean.reeves@bcasol.com

American RV Club at Carrington Park

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The American RV Club held a rally at Carrington Park last weekend. 

The numerous rigs were very impressive and they certainly seemed cause some interest as they came through the village.

The visit also means the owners spent money in the local hostelries, shops and restaurants, so that’s good news all round!

American RV Club

www.arvclub.co.uk

Carrington Park

www.carringtonpark.co.uk

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Marc van Hasselt Awarded Légion d’honneur

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Local Keyhaven man, Marc van Hasselt (formerly Captain van Hasselt) has been presented with France's highest military honour, the Légion d’honneur. 

Marc served in the Essex Yeomanry during World War Two, and his honour was made for services rendered to France during WWII.

His Légion d’honneur was presented to him in Lymington Council Chamber by Honorary French Consul Captain Francois Jean. Also witnessing the presentation were Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, Royal British Legion members and three standard bearers. The award is France’s equivalent to a knighthood in the UK.

Serving as a Forward Observation Officer on D-Day, Marc's destination was Gold Beach at Arromanches. 

A detailed account of Marc's WW2 reminiscences and experiences that led to his Légion d’honneur can be read on the Tinstar website by clicking here.

Verveine Makes Tatler Guide

The team at Verveine were delighted to hear that they had achieved an entry in the Tatler Restaurant Guide 2015. The guide features the best 300 restaurants in UK, so it is a significant accolade.

David Wykes, is the Chef/Patron of the award winning & Michelin recommended Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant in Milford on Sea. In both 2012 & 2011 David was recognised as 'Hampshire Chef of the Year', and it is believed by many that Verveine is fast on its way to being awarded a first Michelin Star.

The new recognition will come a little surprise to anyone who had dined at Verveine, as Dave's dishes are a amazing fusion of taste, flavour, creativity and art.

If you plan to go, the evening a la carte or tasting menus are a feast for your eyes as well as taste buds, and the lunch menu provides amazing value with Two courses for £17, Three courses for £21, or even Six courses for just £33.

The pictures of Dave's creations below should make the temptation to go to dine irresistible!

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Lick screen to taste!!

Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant
98 High Street
Milford on Sea
SO41 0QE
01590 642176 - info@verveine.co.uk
www.verveine.co.uk

The Milford Girls Still 'Can-Can'!

The 'Can Can' Girls
Mary Wheatley, Jill Reid
Suzie Watson and Val Brace
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As part of its continued commemoration of World War I and to celebrate VE Day, the Milford on Sea Branch of the Royal British Legion hosted a French themed four course lunch at the Community Centre on 15th May 2015.

The event was attended by some 90 members and friends, and the lunch was preceded by a glass of fizz and wine, which continued to flow freely during the course of the afternoon.

As light-hearted entertainment, a show of singing, dancing and sketches was performed by Legionnaires and their friends which was well received by the audience, - the 'Can Can' drew special applause - and the picture reveals the girls in all their glory!

Beach Huts Coming Down

Following their destruction in the Valentine's Night Storm of February 2014, the Milford on Sea seafront beach huts are being demolished prior to reconstruction.

click image to enlarge

Colin Read, Head of Environment Services at New Forest District Council said: "It is anticipated that these works will be completed within 6 weeks starting on the 1st June. We are aware of the impact this may have on local businesses and we will aim to keep the disruption to a minimum. This week we will send letters out to the Bowls Club and the Café as well as those residents overlooking the huts."

The NFDC are also hopeful that there will be no demolition works taking place at the weekends, and that the promenade can be opened up for normal use. The aim in the have this work completed by early July before the start of the peak summer season.

Matthew & New Forest Business Expo

Matthew Lawson, who lives in Milford on Sea is keeping himself pretty busy at the moment, fulfilling two important roles as Managing Director at Escape Yachting, and also as chairman of the New Forest Business Partnership.

His current project is the New Forest Business Expo, which will be held in Lymington on 3 June, and which aims to connect and promote local business.

Matthew would be delighted is some of Milford’s businesses to exhibit, or even share a stand. He would also love to see business visitors from Milford.

The first New Forest Business Expo will be held at Berthon Boatyard, Bath Road, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 3YL in Lymington. The venue provides a stunning backdrop within a vibrant marine setting adjacent to the Lymington Waterfront.

The event, the first of its kind in the region, aims to attract New Forest businesses from a range of sectors, including Marine, Engineering, and Hospitality. Visiting the Expo will provide business owners, entrepreneurs and start-ups the opportunity to network with local businesses of all sizes, meet with industry experts and specialists, make new contacts, grow connections and demonstrate growth and entrepreneurialism in the New Forest region. 

Organising partners of the event are Brand New Forest, New Forest Business Partnership, The Best Of New Forest, Lymington Retail Group, Lymington.com, and Escape Yachting. The Expo is supported by New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council. The business to business exhibition will feature over 50 exhibitors, to help provide imaginative ideas, leads and potential future clients. With an increasingly vibrant and ever dynamic local economy, The New Forest Business Expo will provide a superb business-friendly environment, making it a great opportunity to expand the participants’ business. 

Non-exhibitors are welcome to visit the exhibition free of charge. Local entrepreneurs, business owners, company buyers and members of the public are all invited to make the most of this exclusive opportunity to view, question and connect with a wide variety of New Forest businesses. 

The exhibition will be outdoors under cover of marquees, and refreshments will be available throughout the day. Fine Food 4 Sail, one of Lymington’s most prominent restaurants - who are based at Berthon Marina - are planning a special BBQ and a suitably tasty menu for exhibitors and visitors alike. 

​Other attractions will include an opportunity to take a pre-arranged tour of Berthon Boatyard, a world class boat-building and refitting yard. The Expo will be supported by local celebrities and dignitaries and will also feature a reception the night before, which will be aimed specifically at apprenticeships and showcasing young talent. 

Anthony Climpson, Employment & Tourism Manager at New Forest District Council said “We’ve been trying to find the right type of event to showcase local business excellence for a number of years. The New Forest has some world class marine, engineering and hospitality businesses and the concept of the New Forest Business Expo is a great opportunity to showcase their offer to regional buyers, local decision makers and the general public. We are looking forward to working with all our partners to deliver a great show in a great location”. 

The New Forest Business Expo runs between: 10am and 4pm on Wednesday 3rd June 2015.

For more information and to book exhibition places or visitor tickets please visit:

www.brandnewforest.com/new-forest-business-expo-2015

There is also a dedicated twitter feed that will provide new and information in the run up to the event @NForestBizExpo

If you would like to speak to Matthew, you can contact him below.

Matthew Lawson | Chairman
New Forest Business Partnership

- & Managing Director 

Escape Yachting 
01202 313607

matthew@escapeyachting.com

www.escapeyachting.com

Nepal Update & Clothes Sale

The team from Freedom to Learn, the Milford on Sea based charity, have reported that it has been a tense week with a second earthquake in Nepal on Monday. 

After two weeks of fundraising, Joey left the UK last Friday with almost 300kg of donated tents and tarpaulin, with the aim of providing shelter for those who need it. 

She travelled to Kushadevi first, where they had a planning meeting in the remains of project manager SK's beautiful home and the SPACE base of Kavre. Joey said; "Spirits were up and the sense of community spirit is palpable.....there is a lot to do but everybody knows we can do it."

After a second earthquake and a major landslide, people were scared and buildings reduced further to rubble. Thankfully, there were no more fatalities in the Freedom to Learn areas. 

The team sadly couldn't join their friends up in Mendho as planned, due to tremors, but they did deliver 64 families with shelter and food - enough for the monsoon! Joey said; "They were wonderful to be with and they had a great time all shoved in the back of the truck and exploring the mountain road together, before the people headed up the mountain trail 2hrs to Mendho".

The Freedom to Learn Team will join them next week when hopefully the tremors have settled. The situation can then be assessed for re-building plans in the Autumn. Today's essential supplies would not have been possible without the immense support from so many people in Milford on Sea.

Follow more progress with Freedom to Learn on Facebook: click here.

If you wish to donate, please click here.

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This Sat 16th May (tomorrow!): 

Second Hand Clothes Sale For Nepal 9.30am to 1pm at Aubrey Farm, Keyhaven

We have heard that there will be lots of great items many well-known brands and designers, something for everyone. 

Indeed, there are so many clothes that they are unable to be priced! Instead, people will be asked to pay what they think the clothes are worth and what the are happy to pay. There are labels on a lot of the clothes, but please ignore them!, but do remember all the money from the sale goes to the Freedom to Learn charity and will help the people in Nepal.

Freedom to Learn

www.freedomtolearn.org.uk

Pop Up Restaurant at Lisa's Larder

Lisa's Larder have announced they will be holding a pop-up restaurant created by Winchester based, Savage Kitchen.  

Lisa has been working closely with their head chef and they have created a rather special 4 course “Taste of the New Forest Menu”, representing the very best that the local area has to offer. 

Dinner will be served on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th July at 7pm, and the venue will be in the grain store (next to the shop) and Lisa said; "We will do our utmost to surprise you with warm and imaginatively created surroundings". 

As the dinner will be held in a farm building, a jacket or wrap may be appreciated as the sun goes down! Your pre-dinner drinks which can be enjoyed outside whilst overlooking uninterrupted views of our fields and the Keyhaven sunset.

The evening will be informal with long tables of 10 guests served in a family style with an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work. Whether you come as a group, or on your own, the team will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful, fun and fulfilling feast! 

Please bring your own beverages, corkage will not be charged. 

Lisa’s Larder will not be open, but they will have a selection of our items for you to sample and purchase prior to dinner being served; including soft drinks.

Tickets cost £32.50 per person and must be purchased in advanced from www.savagekitchen.co.uk where you can find a copy of the full menu etc. (Disabled access is not a problem but please note that the only toilet is located upstairs).

Happy 7th Birthday to Us!

We launched our first Milford on Sea village website on 20th May 2008, so this month we will be seven year old - and I don't look a day older!

Since launching the main website has had over 1.2 million visitors. In addition to this, the Village News website has now grown to over 500,000 page views! - Extraordinary how many people have nothing better to do! 

When we decided to create these websites, 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 some story lines) & our two dogs (who contribute much less than they should!)

From day one we have always loved our independence, and we have never take a penny from anyone. This means we can say & do exactly what we like! As a result, we now have a number of spin offs which have been created for specific purposes.

We never really considered that people would enjoy what we built, however it is very satisfying to provide a number of free services to inform and entertain the local community. Surprisingly, some people even seem to see a value and enjoy some of nonsense published!

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

 ~~~~~   ~~~~~~   ~~~~~~

Websites & Events

Connecting the Village: We now have over 2400 local people who regularly receive our e-mail News Bulletins, and around 250 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. We can then ensure all of our community are kept informed of local news, which on some occasions contain actual facts!

Milford on Sea Village Website: 

This site provides local information on Milford on Sea for visitors and locals alike. Discover what toi do, where to eat, where to stay ...and lots more.

Milford on Sea News: Our News Blog keeps people informed of village stories. Some are factual, other embellished, and others simply made up. Over 15,000 page views per month, with around 350 pages getting read every day. It also seems most people choose to come back! www.milfordonseanews.org

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'. Over 500 people regularly visit to see what is going on.  www.milfordonseacalendar.org

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

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: This biennial event is a true celebration of Milford on Sea as a Foodie destination, with over 100+ events that create a week of fun and eating, what could be better! www.milfordonseafoodweek.org

Love Milford Week: This event has shows and events providing opportunities to meet and discover; local artisan producers, craft makers, home businesses, tradesmen, professions, artists, authors, gardeners, environmentalists, clubs, classes and charities.

There is also a Kids Day for our young people to have a good time, and village musicians busking on the village green. We even have exciting cars from the village in an Exotic Car Show. To ensure the week is a true celebration, we add a weekend of comedy and music shows to let your hair down! www.lovemilfordweek.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. 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




The 'Eat, Shop, Play & Stay' Village Guide, is for Milford on Sea villagers and tourists alike. As titled, it carries details of all our village eateries and shops, gives ideas on thing to do and visit in the village, where to stay, plus community information, medical services & support groups, village charities, events and local clubs & classes for both adults and children.


The Village Tradesmen & Professional Services Guide is for everyone in the village to find village businesses that they may find of use - and there are a lot of them!

This guide will give you details of village builders, handymen, plumbers, electricians, home cleaners, hairdressers, painters & decorators, plasters, tilers, window cleaners, gardeners, car repairers etc.  Plus professional village services such as; architects, interior designers, web designers, photographers, marketing services, consultants and solicitor. The guide even has all our local cake makers, chutney maker and so much more...

The two new free Village Guides were published in Spring 2015, and are now available in the village newsagents and most village shops, cafés and pubs. Collectively, the two guides have over 900 entries, and all are in Milford on Sea!  It is quite unbelievable how much goes on in our small community.

These guides were designed and created for free by www.milfordonseanews.org, and the printing costs funded by Food Week. The guides were also generously sponsored by the Brand New Forest Card and Hall & Woodhouse, owners of The Beach House, both of whom are great supporters of events & activities in Milford on Sea.

Pick up your free copy in the village newsagents today.

You can also find us on Facebook when we find the time to add stuff!

Just visit: https://www.facebook.com/david.milfordonsea to become our friend.

Village Library Doing Well

The Milford on Sea Community Library committee would like to thank everyone who has supported and donated to the library during its first month of operation as a community library, with special thanks to the Milford on Sea Music and Arts Festival for their generous donation.

Do drop in when you are in the village. You will always receive a friendly welcome from the volunteers on duty.

As well as library books, they also have a second hand book stall, especially good if you are looking for some holiday reading and don’t want the worry of a library book getting lost or damaged. Donations of books and DVDs for the stall will be gratefully received.

The group are also planning some fundraising events, which we will feature when launched.

Milford on Sea Library 

Located in the Village Hall, Park Road, Milford-on-Sea SO41 0QU

(Behind Mr Pink’s Fish and Chips)

Opening Hours

Monday 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Tuesday 2.30pm to 4.30pm

Wednesday 10am to 12.30pm

Thursday 10am to 12.30pm

Friday 10am to 12.30pm

Help out in the Charity Shop

The Village Charity Shop always provides a wide range of interesting items, and at the same time raises value funds for the Community Centre.

On any brief visit, it is clear that the Charity Shop volunteers are having a good time, and you could join them!

You can now become part of the dedicated team in this busy busy shop; make new friends, and find a bargain or two whilst enjoying being in the hub of the village!

Volunteer Shifts run from 10.30 to 1.30 or 1.30 to 4.30 Monday to Saturday. The morning shift would suit those with children at school.

To get involved with a shift or two, please call into the shop and ask for Penny or Daina. Alternatively, please contact the community centre volunteer coordinator Ann at annhoulihan@hotmail.com

The shop is a wonderful place to volunteer and you would be made very welcome.

Paul Does It

Paul Fisher, a Chartered Architectural Technologist in the village, completed his 65 mile sponsored walk on 2nd-3rd May in aid of Help for Heroes.

The walk took just under 28 hours (including checkpoint stops). It was hard but very worthwhile, and not made any easier by the pretty awful weather conditions during the night, which accounted for a 44% drop out rate!

Paul would like to say a big thank you to all who have donated. He is now just £65 off his £950 target.

Should anyone still wish to make a donation to make his sore feet worthwhile, you can do so by clicking here to go to Paul's Just Giving page. Every little bit helps, as they are aiming to raise £950.

Paul Fisher BSc (Hons) MCIAT

Chartered Architectural Technologist

57 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QG
Tel: 01590 642773 - Mbl: 07968 971811
info@planit-design.co.uk 

www.planit-design.co.uk

Save Our Post Office - Update

A meeting of the ‘Milford on Sea Save Our Post Office’ Group was held at the Community Centre on 28.04.15.

The small group that have taken the baton from Michael Penney agreed that the sole objective of the group was to ensure that, going forward, there is a Post Office service in Milford on Sea. 

It was agreed that the main reasons for ensuring that there is a continuing Post Office (PO) facility in the Village are as follows:

• MoS demographic perhaps requires physical PO more than other places (rather than online)
• In addition to mail and other traditional Post Office services, both individuals and businesses can enjoy ATM and branch facilities of free banking for most banks – especially important now we have no Banks in Milford.
• If businesses cannot bank takings/withdraw cash easily, mail services are curtailed businesses will be compromised/closed and the Village suffers.
• Availability of a Foreign Exchange/Travel Money facility
• PO will provide all equipment, signage, alarms etc. and ‘hand hold ’ the new owner initially.
• There are PO trained-staff available in the Village and surrounding communities.
• PO can be attractive to businesses that need additional footfall in their premises.

The group shared the feedback they had received after visiting various prospective business places that could accommodate the PO if/when the current PO closes. In some cases this was very positive and they have been referred on to the regional PO authority representatives. 

One of the group had spoken to the regional PO representative who gave the assurance that they were well aware of the situation in MoS and were determined that there would be continued service in the Village. Two business places had been approached by the PO authority but they had declined so that a further attempt would be made to find suitable candidate businesses. 

A retail expert had been assigned this task by the PO authority and the vacancy would be advertised on the PO website. As a worst case scenario, should there be a lapse in full PO service, the PO authority would be prepared to provide a temporary visiting PO service to be housed for a day or more per week in a suitable community facility. 

The SOPO Group agreed to keep a watching and facilitating brief and it welcomes contact from individuals and business places in the Village with constructive ideas or suggestions.

For more information, or to join the Save Our Post Office Group, please contact:

Dick Coe

rwtcoe@gmail.com

01590 719405

Music Festival Coming Soon!

click image enlarge

The dates for this year's Milford Arts & Music Festival are 20th-26th July. There will be various events going on throughout the Village during the week with the main event on the Green taking place over the weekend of the 25th-26th July so there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Monday night will feature Charlie Woodford in the Red Lion. Tuesday night will have Andy Roseby in the White Horse and Wednesday night you can see the Milford Strummers in The Smugglers. 

Events on the Green will begin as usual on Thursday evening in the Marquee and continue on Friday evening. Thursday will also have a free showing of the classic film ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ in the Community Centre. Saturday and Sunday events will be on the Main Stage as well as the Marquee throughout the day.

Also this year for the first time we are introducing more of a 'beer festival' element in the bar as we are offering a wide range of local beers and invitations have just gone out to a lot of new arts & crafts groups to have a pitch at this year's event so there will be even more variety than usual.

Full details of all performers, workshops and stalls will be available soon when programmes go on sale around the village. Don’t forget that although this is free to attend the cost of organising the Festival currently is around £25,000 so as well as raising the finance to cover costs from sponsorship and advertising we rely very heavily on programme and bar sales to keep the whole thing going. So to help this wonderful village event continue please support us in any way you can.

Milford on Sea Arts and Music Festival 2015

www.milfordfestival.org.uk

Free Cruise for Stroke Awareness

Hurst Point Lighthouse will be bathed in Purple Lighting for a good cause on the evening of Monday 18th May - and you have a chance to see the spectacle from Hurst Castle's Ferry, Solent Rose.

This special event is being held to support and recognise the Stroke Association.

Trinity House have given special approval, as a one off occasion, for Hurst Point Lighthouse to be bathed in Purple lighting for two hours starting at dusk.

To be able to see this special event and to more importantly, support the Stroke Association Charity, the large ferry, Solent Rose, will depart Keyhaven at 8.30pm on Monday 18th May and will cruise as close as possible to the Hurst Point Lighthouse and return to Keyhaven before 10pm. There is no need to book, just turn up on the night.

Onboard the cruise will be members of the Stroke Association Charity and some who have recently suffered a stroke, including in particular, Sean Crane. Sean is of course both well known and respected across the village having run Hurst Ferries and been the custodian of Hurst Castle for many years.

The cruise will be Free of Charge but during the cruise, a donation will be collected in aid of this important charity.

Should you not be able to attend this event but would still like to support the initiative behind this evening, then donations can be sent to:

Stroke Association Fundraising 

3rd Floor, Roman Landing, 35-27 St Marys Place, Kingsway, Southampton, Hampshire. SO14 1AF

www.justgiving.com/SouthCEActionOnStrokeMonth

or you can text 70070 with the wording AOSM51£ and add the amount. (For example AOSM51£5)

The evening has been organised by: Yvonne Hobbs - 01425 275139 - 07515 596867 - yvonne.hobbs@stroke.org.uk

Donations for Laughs

At last Thursday's Comedy Club, not only was everyone in a jovial mood after watching the acts (and enjoying the bar!) - but they were also in a generous mood.

It is hard to imagine anyone that has not be moved by the devastating images we have been seeing from the tragedies in Nepal. The earthquake has destroyed families and communities, and it was obvious their plight was not far from people's minds even though they were out for an evening enjoying themselves.

Some quick-witted members of the Community Centre team recognised an immediate opportunity to raise some funds to help those affected by the disaster, by grabbing some buckets to collect donations from the audience as they left.

The great people of Milford on Sea were very generous and the total collection raised £460.

This amount has been donated to ShelterBox by the Community Centre, and the money will soon be working helping desperate people in real need.

Jim Bunting said: "I had not expected so much to be raised, and have checked the Shelter Box website to find this sum could supply shelter and food for two families."

Well done to everyone involved. As Jim also said; "Good old Milford eh!!!!!"

Organ Society Support Hounds for Heroes

The popular New Forest Organ Society meets on the last Tuesday of the month at All Saints' Church in Milford on Sea, and on Sunday 26th April, they hosted a lunch and concert for 200 people in support of Hounds for Heroes.

The founder of the charity, Allen Parten, attended the event accompanied by his two dogs, EJ and Rookie. Allen gave a talk about the charity and what it means to thousands of severely disabled service men and women who get friendship and help from the highly trained dogs.

The event was held at Hoburne Bashley in New Milton where the lunch was excellent and at the end of the afternoon a cream tea was enjoyed by all. 

Directly after lunch the concert was played by the amazing organist and musician, Pete Shaw who played a wonderful and varied programme of music on his KORG PA3X special keyboard set up. 

The Society boasts a large number of talented people who donated items to the very successful raffle. This included two wonderful watercolour paintings which raised extra money for the charity. A very popular tombola added to the funds.

A very happy and successful afternoon was enjoyed by everyone which resulted in the magnificent amount of £2,513 being raised for Hounds for Heroes.

Hounds for Heroes

www.houndsforheroes.com