Spectacular Aerial Tour of Milford on Sea

The Visit Milford on Sea YouTube channel has published a spectacular aerial view of Milford on Sea.

The impressive drone footage was taken by talented 16-year-old Finn Gabriel, and shows Milford on Sea in all its glory from the air.

To view the video, please click here.

Visit Milford on Sea provides occasional e-newsletters which keep people informed of the latest events, tourist information for visitors and voucher offers for locals in Milford on Sea.

It is easy to get your free copy, simply just click here to subscribe.

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About Visit Milford on Sea

Visit Milford on Sea is an independent website run by two village entrepreneurs who are looking promote Milford on Sea to visiting tourists and to support village businesses by keeping local people informed on what they have to offer.

You can sign up to get their news bulletins by entering your email on the 'Stay in touch' section at the bottom of the home page. Please click here. You can also follow them on Facebook from the link below.

The site is definitely worth a look around, you might even find something you did not know was in the village!

Visit Milford on Sea
hello@visitmilfordonsea.co.uk
www.visitmilfordonsea.co.uk
www.facebook.com/visitmilfordonsea

Winter Concert by Solent Concert Orchestra

Solent Concert Orchestra are pleased to be bringing their music to Milford on Sea! The concert is on Saturday 26th November at 3pm at All Saints Church Hall.

Tickets available on the door for £10 - or in advanced by clicking here. 

This concert will be supporting Milford-on-Sea Primary School Parents Friends Association (PFA) "Little Wandle" Early Reading fundraising project. 

The Little Wandle program for phonics and early reading includes whole class teaching as well as catch-up intervention for children that fall behind. This includes struggling readers that are in KS2 as well. In order to teach this, the school needs enough decodable reading books for children at all different phonic levels. This is crucial for reading development and a key priority for Ofsted and the DFE.

click image to enlarge

The hope is that the Winter Concert will bring an entertaining celebration of wintertime music, with an opportunity to support this far-reaching local Community project.

Please support this worthwhile fundraising for our local schoolchildren if you can.

Milford on Sea Primary School PFA

mospspfa@outlook.com

www.facebook.com/PFAatMOSPS

Only 4 Weeks to Magical Milford

Less than four week to go until the switch on on the Milford on Sea Christmas lights & decorations.

Magical Milford Organisers, Diana & Tracy have again been working hard to raise funds to enhance the lights and decorations around the village centre and the Justgiving page allows local people to make a contribution by clicking here.

The Magical Milford team are really please to welcome The Smugglers Inn as the Gold Sponsor.

Important support is also coming from Silver Sponsors; Nixor Build and Bronze Sponsors; Solent House Dental Surgery and Milford WI.

Other valuable supporters include: MD Window & Gutter Cleaning, Visit Milford on Sea, Plover Cottage, Ray's Italian Kitchen, Milford 'mobile' Valeting.

If you would like to become a sponsor of one of the Christmas Wheels this year then please drop an email to the team: magicalmilford@gmail.com

Raffle for Michael Turner Lily

Simon Heaps, a Milford on Sea resident, Great Britain Double Amputee Table Tennis player and European Veterans (over 40) Champion is holding a raffle to raise funds to travel Costa Rica to represent Great Britain.

The prize is a fantastic stainless steel lily created by renowned local Milford on Sea sculptor, Michael Turner and each entry is just £5. 

Each flower has enough petals for a little message underside, which the winner can choose.

The Flower comes standing upright. on a hardwood plinth. Lily dimensions: approx. 45cm long.

For additional cost you can add a butterfly or anything that may be your personal preference. 

To enter, or find out more, please click here.

Simon Heaps

07710 354640

simon@simonheaps.com

Michael Turner Studios

www.michaelturnerstudios.co.uk

Charity Shop Christmas Fair on Saturday

Come along to the Village Charity Shop Christmas Fair at Milford on Sea Community Centre on Saturday 5th November 10am to 2pm.  

A big fundraising event with all profits going to the Community Centre. There will be stalls selling festive items, Toys and games, clothing, cakes, tombola.  

The café will be also be open for drinks and cake. 

Christmas Raffle for Oakhaven at No64

Clare, owner of No64, Milford on Sea's designer home boutique is doing their first ever No64 Christmas Raffle in aid of Oakhaven Hospice Trust.

Clare writes: 

Thank you to all those of you who joined us for the long-awaited return of our Christmas Launch Evening, it was a fab night I hope you’ll agree!

If you weren’t able to attend, we also launched the first ever No64 Christmas Raffle, all proceeds from which will be donated to our chosen local charity, Oakhaven Hospice Trust.

To be honest, neither Glenn or I imagined the generosity and willingness of pretty much everyone we approached for a prize; our ‘gesture’ of a raffle turned into a ‘monster’ of a raffle very quickly!

Tickets are on sale in-store now, they are £5.00 per strip of 5, or £20.00 for 5 strips (of 5).

We can only take cash, or bank transfer payments (if you can’t make it to our shop), as if we take payment through our business it makes things tricky (if we take a card payment we then need to pay VAT, but of course we’re not benefitting as all proceeds go to Oakhaven…….hope that makes sense!).

So, without further waffle from me, here are the (amazing!) prizes on offer from the very first No64 Christmas Raffle:

• Midweek lunch & wine for 2 at The Pig, Brockenhurst

• Breakfast for 2 at the Lighthouse, Milford on Sea 

• A beautiful Hamper from Rays Italian, Milford on Sea

• A 1-hour consultation with Helena Impett Interior Design

• A private makeup lesson from Nikki Hambi (Dame Shirley Bassey’s makeup artist!)

• Signed CD from Dame Shirley Bassey

• A No64 hamper includes: a handmade wreath & a goody bag

• A 1 hour, 2-1 private lesson from The New Forest Paddle Board Company

• 2 x £5.00 Gift Vouchers from Saltwater, Milford on Sea

• £25.00 Gift Voucher for Sassy’s, Milford on Sea

• The Perfume company, Lymington - Clarins goody bag

• £25.00 Gift Voucher for The Cave, Milford on Sea

• A bag of sweeties from The Beach House, Milford on Sea

• £25.00 Gift Voucher for The Lazy Lion, Milford on Sea

• No.7 Gift Selection from Boots, Milford on Sea

I hope you agree that there are some amazing prizes up for grabs here, and we thank all of you who have been kind enough to donate.

We are waiting for a few more prize donations and so this list will grow, we’ll keep you posted!

The last opportunity to buy your No64 Christmas Raffle tickets is close of play (5pm) on Wednesday, 30th November.

The draw will be made by Jill West, Community Fundraising Manager for Oakhaven Hospice Trust, the following day (Thursday, December 1st).

So, for your opportunity to win one of these amazing prizes, please get yourself down to No64 Biscuit House and buy your tickets (by the end of November). If you can’t make it in person, give us a call on 01590 643765.

See you soon!

Clare & Glenn

No64 Biscuit House

You can follow the Christmas Raffle by clicking here - or on No64's Facebook or Twitter pages (@no64bh).

No64 Biscuit House

64 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

01590 643765

www.No64.co.uk

www.facebook.com/No64BH

New Beginners Salsa Class

Ever fancied learning to Salsa? Well, now's you chance.

A New Beginners Salsa Class starts at the Dance Studio in Milford on Sea Community Centre this Friday and runs weekly on Fridays from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. If you miss the first week you can still join in. 

Classes will be running until Friday 16th December and then restart after Christmas on 6th January 2023.

Suitable for complete beginners or those with some experience of salsa.

No partner needed. £8 per class.

Learning Salsa is a great way to meet new people and get moving to high energy music. Option to head to the pub together for a drink after class.

To book, please click here - or text 07787 428714 to book your place & pay in class.

Your teacher:

Danie Louise says: I've taught and performed salsa all over the world. I have over 15 years teaching experience and I'm now a professional mindset coach - this class is all about bringing those two disciplines together - to move great and feel great!

I love teaching salsa because it's a lot of fun and I've seen how it's helped so many people (including myself) to feel more confident and happy!

My aim is to help people gain the confidence and technique to enjoy dancing salsa, while creating space to have fun and forget about life's challenges for a little while. As someone new to the area I'm also looking to meet new people and I've learned that salsa is one of the most fun ways to do that!

The Wash House in Good Beer Guide again

Once again, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) have listed The Wash House in Milford on Sea in their The Good Beer Guide 2023.

The Wash House loves great beer, stocking ales from talented local brewers. There are also, ciders, gins, wines and a great choice of organic soft drinks.

They are constantly on the look-out for new craft ales to offer the beer lovers.

This cosy venue also holds live music and rocking party nights, so it is always worth keeping an eye on their Facebook page to see what is happening.

So, if you are partial to a variety of quality real ale, you don't have far to go!

The Wash House Micro Ale Pub

27 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QF

01590 644665

www.thewashhousebar.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thewashhousemilfordonsea

Music for Remembrance this Saturday Afternoon

If you haven't got tickets already, here is a quick reminder about the remembrance concert this Saturday afternoon:

click image to enlarge

Choralia Milford with be performing in a concert entitled Music for Remembrance & Reflection on the afternoon of Saturday 5th November - which means that people can be home before dark, fireworks and in time to watch Strictly!

The event will take place in the atmospheric All Saints' Church and supports the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Tickets are now on sale from the The Village News, or Community Centre Box Office.

About Milford on Sea Charitable Trust

Milford on Sea is renowned for people volunteering and helping others, but did you know that we have a village charity whose purpose is to support the village charities and community groups?

The Milford on Sea Charitable Trust (MoSCT) was established in January 2017 to serve as an umbrella charity for voluntary community organisations in Milford on Sea, Keyhaven and Everton. 

They provides a bank account, insurance, DBS checks for volunteers, and general advice to various Milford on Sea voluntary organisations. 

The members of the charity belong to the Milford on Sea Community Panel, a networking group of individuals who represent a range of local voluntary organisations. The aim is twofold:

• To support existing groups
• To support new projects which benefit people living in the parish of Milford on Sea.

Any Milford on Sea voluntary organisation whose members think they could benefit from coming under the umbrella can join the Community Panel. Existing members, and any new members of the Panel are eligible to be members of the charity, which is administered by its  Trustees. The panel meetings are the main forum for monitoring existing projects, and discussing new projects and ideas, and how they might be introduced and managed. 

The Charity is registered with the Charity Commission and also registered for Gift Aid. When an individual makes a donation, they can make it directly to the group or project they wish to support, or can donate to the charity itself. Any general funds which are donated will be allocated to new or existing projects.

They are constantly looking for ideas for new projects to come forward from the Community, which would, in turn, attract more donations.

The Charitable Trust currently support the following groups:

Milford Volunteer Drivers (MVD)

The Milford volunteer drivers provide a valuable service in transporting anyone in the village who may struggle to get to a medical appointment. Supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community is a very rewarding and valuable role.

Volunteer drivers are always welcomed.

For more information or to book a journey, please contact Jenny on: 07740 481378 - 

Magical Milford at Christmas

Founded by Tracy Haupt and Diana Brushwood in 2018, Magical Milford at Christmas has brightened the village at Christmas time.

The impressive village decorations are funded by generous community donations and sponsorship support from local businesses.

To find out more please visit: www.facebook.com/MagicalMilford

Dementia Action Group

The Milford on Sea Dementia Action Group was set up to run free information sessions for organisations, businesses, families and friends of people living with dementia, helping to build a dementia friendly community. 

It also provides information on where and how to access local groups for those living with dementia and their carers. It is responsible for running some of those groups and they also work with groups from the Alzheimer’s Society. 

To find out more please visit: www.milfordonseadementia.co.uk.

The Minibus Project

This initiative is aimed to make a huge difference to the lives of people in the village, particularly in providing social support for residents who have no other form of transport available, and who might otherwise become isolated. It also helps to make Milford “greener” by encouraging residents to use their cars less. In time the project would like to look for grants to provide an electric vehicle.

Milford Mutual Aid

Milford on Sea Mutual Aid was a local group that was set up at the beginning of  the  Covid-19 lockdown to connect volunteers with vulnerable people in the community who were self isolating. 

The volunteers helped people in our community with all sorts of things, such as shopping, picking up prescriptions, general errands or just a friendly chat.

Milford on Sea Charitable Trust is looked after by a board of trustees; Jenny Whitley, Margaret Clarke, Tony Harrison, Peter Stockwell, John Whitley and Jacqueline Peacock.

Milford on Sea Charitable Trust

Charity Commission (1172750)

www.milfordonseacharitabletrust.com

Red, Green & White Lights at Hurst Lighthouse

On an early morning walk to Hurst Castle last week (Around 5.30am), some dramatic images were captured by Patrick Ley-Greaves of what could have appeared to have been a light show at Hurst Castle Lighthouse.

Photos by Patrick Ley-Greaves
click image to enlarge

Sailors will no doubt immediately recognise this activity.

After some research on the Marine Gyann website it transpires that this is a 'Sector Light'. 

The website explains; A sector light is a fixed aid to navigation that displays a light of different colours and/or rhythms over designated arcs. The colour of the light provides directional information to the mariner.

After all these years in the village this is not something I have seen, or was even aware off. - Everyday's a school day!

Birding for Beginners with Milford Conservation Volunteers

Milford Conservation Volunteers (MCV) have a number of Birding for Beginners mornings coming up and anyone is welcome to go along. 

Local bird experts are available to help identify birds and answer questions. Over 120 species of birds have been recorded in recent times. Equipment is provided, all you need to do is simply turn up and see what’s happening.

The Birding for Beginners sessions are available on the first and third Saturday mornings of the month at two alternating locations in Keyhaven and Milford on Sea. (Next dates: 10am to 12 noon on Saturday 5th and 19th November and Saturday 3rd & 17th December 2022.) 

• 1st Saturday of every month at Keyhaven Observatory: 10am to 12noon. 

click image to enlarge

The observatory exists through the generosity of  the J & D Edgar Ltd. family with assistance from Simeon Morgan Farming, MCV has been given an occupancy licence for a redundant farm building (old pumping station) at the westernmost end of the Ancient Highway.  The brick-building has been converted into a small Bird Observatory looking up The Pans and across to the lower Avon Water.  The Pans has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its gatherings of winter wildfowl. 

Directions: From Milford village, turn left at the bottom of the green towards Keyhaven. Pass the Keyhaven War Memorial green on your left and The Gun Inn on your right. Turn left into the NFDC car park. Pay and park and walk towards the track that leads round the northern part of the quay towards the coastal footpath and Iley Lane. After about four hundred metres, you will see the Bird Observatory gate and Welcome sign on your left. For location, please click here. 

• 3rd Saturday of every month at Sturt Pond Bird Hide: 10am to 12noon.

Sturt Pond is a haven for swans, ducks, Brent geese, mallard, teal, shelduck & grebes. Two wooden bridges cross the stream which runs from Sturt Pond to the salt marshes. The bird hide is a hidden sanctuary to observe Keyhaven nature reserve.

click image to enlarge

Sturt Pond Bird Hide is open to the public every day from 9am to 5pm, or dusk if earlier. (Locked at night.)

Directions: The bird hide is located immediately behind the Lighthouse restaurant on the Hurst beach side. The bird hide can be found at the end of the concealed metal gated path between the Lighthouse restaurant and the black council sheds.

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Milford Conservation Volunteers also run other events related to local nature such as:

• Guided local Nature Rambles are held on a monthly basis.

• Creeks and Saltmarsh Boat Trip each month. Sailing from Keyhaven Hurst Ferry Pontoon. This is a boat trip around Keyhaven Creeks and Saltmarsh, led by a Bird expert. Space is limited so pre-booking is essential.

To see details of all MCV events, please click here.

Milford Conservation Volunteers (MCV)

www.milfordcv.org

Village Pantomime looking for props

Milford on Sea Village Pantomime is looking for some props for January's shows.

If anyone can loan any of these items they would be very grateful:

• A beekeeper’s headdress
• A child’s blackboard with easel
• A very large beach ball

Brenda also sends her thanks for the very generous donations of paint after the previous appeal.

If you can help please contact Brenda on 07702 858987 or brendavoce@hotmail.com

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Tickets are now on sale for this very popular annual event. Not only is it a great village spectacle, the tickets are also great value so that everyone can come.

It's never to early to get your tickets!

Blood Pressure checked for around 10% of village

The Milford on Sea League of Friends Health Hub’s 4 week-long Blood Pressure Check came to a close on Saturday. The campaign saw 649 people take advantage of a free blood pressure check which is nearly ten per cent of the Milford on Sea village adult population. 

Visitors were welcome also to have their blood pressure checked by the team of volunteer nurses who gave up their time for this worthwhile event. 

Over 70% of those checked were reassured to have a normal result while over 29% had high results and were advised to follow up for further monitoring and treatment with their GP. For some 188 individuals of which 134 from Milford this campaign may well have been lifesaving. 

 Left untreated or uncontrolled High Blood Pressure increases your risk of vascular dementia and over 50% of heart attacks and strokes. Doctors recommend that everyone takes their blood pressure at least twice a year. 

League of Friends Health Hub volunteers and the team of nurses who gave their time to make this 4 week-long event such a success were gratified that the programme was so well supported by the public and for the positive comments they received from those who came to the Community Centre for a check.

The campaign by the League of Friends Health Hub to continue supporting the health of the residents of Milford on Sea has the support of the Milford Surgery, the Milford Pharmacy, and the NHS Primary Care Network.

For more information:
Paul Highett-Smith
phighettsmith@compuserve.com
07770 236642

Takeaway Sunday Roasts back at Pickled Weasel

Takeaway Sunday Roasts and Desserts are back at the Pickled Weasel Bakehouse & Takeaway from Sunday 6th November.

Call the team on 01590 641155 or drop by the shop before 12 noon on Fridays to book your collection time.

Slow cooked Lamb or a hearty Chicken Casserole will be on offer Tuesday to Saturday. Who can resist a hearty winter hot meal!

Pickled Weasel Bakehouse & Takeaway

54 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

01590 641155

www.facebook.com/PickledWeasel

Swim Sunday Sale

The New Forest Paddle Sports Company are holding a Swim Sunday Sale this Sunday 6th November.

There will be 15% off all Winter swimming essentials for one day only.

Items include: dryrobe - robies - beanies - caps - gloves - socks - tow floats and wetsuits.

The sale takes place at the company's container at Keyhaven Quay. (Near The Gun Inn.)

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More about the The New Forest Paddle Sports Company

 

Sean and his team provide hire & retail water sports gear & equipment as well as: Courses for paddleboarding, kayaking, wingsurfing and wingfoiling. If you fancy getting some fun and exercise on the sea you can find more details on the links below:

The New Forest Paddle Sports Company

Keyhaven Quay
01590 645270

info@thenewforestpaddlesportcompany.co.uk

www.thenewforestpaddlesportcompany.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thenewforestpaddle

7th Birthday for New Forest Paddle Sports Company

Village business, New Forest Paddle Sports Company are celebrating their 7th birthday.

Owner, Sean commented; "We can't believe where the time has gone. Lots of happy memories getting people on the water either with lessons or buying kit. We have meet some amazing people and had some incredible experiences.

The business has changed a lot since we started in our little shop in 2015 and we continue to grow and develop giving our customers the best experience possible. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far and here is to the next 7 years!"

More about the The New Forest Paddle Sports Company 

Sean and his team provide hire & retail water sports gear & equipment as well as: Courses for paddleboarding, kayaking, wingsurfing and wingfoiling. If you fancy getting some fun and exercise on the sea you can find more details on the links below:

The New Forest Paddle Sports Company

Keyhaven Quay
01590 645270

info@thenewforestpaddlesportcompany.co.uk

www.thenewforestpaddlesportcompany.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thenewforestpaddle

Holly Gardens raises over £2500 for MacMillan

The Holly Gardens MacMillan Coffee Morning held on Saturday 17th September raised £2,610.

The organisers are delighted, as no doubt will be all who attended this annual community event and enjoyed the cakes & refreshments, plant stall, games for adults & kids and a Raffle, Tombola & Auction supported by local businesses and residents.

Kids Halloween at Milford Tennis Club

Forty children had a lot of fun at the Milford Tennis Club Halloween Party on Friday afternoon.

Congratulations to Callum, Ottie, Theo & Izzy for their fabulous outfits and Mathilda and Aurelia for their awesome pumpkin creativity.

Dan, Ian M, Martha & Libby kept the children entertained on court while Lucy W, Cathy and Elaine provided a selection of Halloween inspired treats and ensured the kitchen ran smoothly, Di C provided some deliciously ghostly brownies and Mark & Norma kept everyone suitably refreshed behind the bar.

The organisers send a big thank you to one and all, for making a roaring success of a party.

click images to enlarge

If you’re already a member of the Milford Tennis Club the coaching timetable will restart as normal on Monday the 31st October. 

For anyone who isn’t part of the coaching programme but would like to join please contact Dan on headcoach@milfordtennisandsquash.net or click here to follow the ClubSpark link to see the sessions the club runs.

All junior coaching sessions are open to members and non-members and adult non-members may attend Cardio, Improvers & Beginners, or why not join as a member and experience it all.

The next junior event will be the Christmas party on Friday 16th December.

Milford Tennis & Squash Club

Lucerne Road, Milford-on-Sea, SO41 0PL

www.milfordtennisandsquash.net

www.facebook.com/milfordtennissquash

Royal British Legion: Remembrance Services

The Royal British Legion Milford on Sea Remembrance Services will be held on Friday 11th and Sunday 13th November 2022.

Everyone is invited to pay their respects.

• Friday 11th November on the Village Green at 10.45am
• Sunday 13th November at Keyhaven War Memorial at 2pm
• Sunday 13th November at All Saint Church at 3pm

Remembrance Day 2020
Photo by Kerry Bacon
click image to enlarge

Update on Hurst Castle collapsed East Wing

A recent article by local Advertiser and Times reporter, Roz Waters reports that the next phase of work to strengthen Hurst Castle against coastal erosion has been launched alongside in-depth investigations to plan for the future.

English Heritage contractors are working to strengthen the fallen wall and checking ground conditions, geology of the spit and integrity of the castle’s foundations since the collapse of part of the east wing.

To date 22,000 tonnes of shingle and rock armour has been positioned to provide protection for the next 50 years.

To read the full article with more information, please click here.

Read more about the initial wall collapse in February 2021 by clicking here.

Picture by Graeme Blackwood

‘Wildlife Vision’ Talk this Friday Afternoon

 

~ Inspiring People & Enabling Wildlife Recovery ~

Retired parish clerk Keith Metcalf, local wildlife author and spokesperson for Wings Wildlife Vision is speaking at the Sea Road Community Centre this Friday (28th October) at 3pm.

His talk looks at the problems facing our seabirds, farmland birds and habitats and the possible ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to do something to protect and enhance the birds using our coastline.

Keith told me; “With sea-level rise, expected to rise by over 1m in the next 100 years, we need to look at what we can do to protect and enhance our declining seabirds, farmland birds and local habitats. Individually, we might not be able to do a lot, but collectively we can do a great deal to help”.

click image to enlarge

Keith, along with Keyhaven resident Ben Collins are members of the Hurst Spit to Lymington (HS2L) strategy stakeholders group. Keith continued; “From all that we have learned over the past two years from the Environment Agency and NFDC (joint leaders of the strategy) there is a strong desire to work with nature rather than against it. Therefore, I envisage that some hard sea defences (sea walls and protective embankments) will be removed to allow the sea to migrate inland to where it went before man-made barriers were put in its way!

I think it inevitable that managed realignment (sometimes referred to as managed retreat) is likely to be one of the short-listed options the EA and NFDC will favour for the ongoing management of our local coastline. Wildlife will be affected and we need to do something now to pave the way for nature’s recovery.

At the talk I shall be explaining the problems our birds face and some possible solutions that will be quite unique to help save our declining seabirds by the introduction of a ‘seabird sanctuary’ a protected breeding area for our terns, gulls and waders that could be second to none around Britain’s coastline”.

The meeting takes place at 3pm this Friday (28th October) at the Sea Road Community Centre. A £5 entry donation is requested which can be paid at the door which will go towards the hire of the hall and one of Wings ‘Nature Recovery’ projects.