50 B4 50-Social Eating House

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It it not often that you visit a restaurant that has been awarded a Michelin star within months of opening. This however is the case at the Social Eating House in Soho, London. They opened on 18th April 2013 and by the time we arrived in December, the star was firmly in place.

 

Situated over 3 floors, we started at the top in The Blind Pig bar. An exciting array of unusual cocktails jumped from the drinks menu and were very much in tune with the ambiance. The decor was mainly dark wood and glass with an antique mirrored ceiling, giving a warm cosy feel, whilst mixing eclectic design and an obvious level of unpretentious class. The staff were friendly and really helpful.

 

My wife and I were with our great friend Viv. We were celebrating her surprise birthday, she was 50 and I was surprised she wasn't older.

 

The girls were soon tucking into gin & tonic's whilst I was charmed by the London lager served in a old style metal tankard.

 

The restaurant is Jason Atherton's second Michelin Star establishment in London, the other being his first restaurant, Pollen Street Social. Jason is one of a very few British chefs to spend time working in the kitchen at the world famous El Bulli in Spain.

 

The Chef Patron is Paul Hood who worked alongside Jason at Maze & Pollen Street Social, and today they continue to develop dishes together, the contemporary and complex dishes on the menu reflect Paul's personal style of cooking and has a clear influence from their time in the kitchen together.

 

As we moved down to ground floor 'No 58' Restaurant dining room the place was already full and buzzing. The decor included exposed brick walls, with a white-washed copper ceilings and a mix of classic wood & leather seating. It immediately felt welcoming and gave a feeling of being a good place to be.

 

The menu was as vibrant and exciting, as it was intriguing. We went for the (surprisingly good value: £23) 3 course set menu, and choosing ultimately proved easy, as the starter of Slow Poached Hens Egg, Coq au Vin, Smoked Bacon and Onion Soup sounded too good to miss, and it was! We had also been fascinated by the 'Jars' offered on the menu in The Blind Pig upstairs, when we asked our waiter if we could also have a 'Jar' of Confit Duck Rillet, Spiced Mango & Chicory (£5.50) he did not flinch, just smiled and added it to our order.

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My wife went for the Crisp Pearl Barley & Portobello Risotto, Savoy Cabbage Pesto & Parmesan, and she was pleased with her selection. In fact, she was really happy with my restaurant choice, which has to be said, is a bit of an unusual result for me!

The entire dining room team were dressed in a smart casual style which created a relaxed atmosphere in itself, their friendly manner just made everything a pleasure.

The comprehensive wine list offered a wide choice and the sommelier gave us a knowledgeable hand.

All of us chose the same main course; Stout Braised Beef Feather Blade, Chestnut Mushrooms, Shallots with Smoked Creamed Potatoes. To this we added a side portion of Duck Fat Chips. The silence as we ate proved we were all fully focused on eating as we as enjoyed yet other fabulous flavoursome course.

When I asked Martin, the maitre' de, if we could see the 'Employees Only' dining space (the private dining section), he did not hesitate to escort us downstairs to show us the eight-seater wrap-around bar, directly looking over the pass in the busy open kitchen.

The desserts were Burnt Butter Treacle Tart, Lemon & Whipped Clotted Cream, and Poached Williams Pear, Mulled Wine Soup, Milk & Honey Ice Cream. We of course had three puddings for two pudding eaters. The two treacle tarts simply had all the flavour and memories of great treacle treats of yesteryear, but managed to somehow taste 'light'. Before we tucked in our waiter appeared with what look like a weird bunch of bananas, this turned out to be a 'Buddha's Hand, a citric fruit that was grated onto our sweets. A nice touch of theatre and new experience.

The pear gave a taste of Christmas in a bowl. My wife even had a bit, and fortunately I managed to stop her singing any carols!

This is certainly a restaurant we look forward to returning to.

Social Eating House
58 Poland Street, London W1F 7NR
020 7993 3251
www.socialeatinghouse.com

 

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50 B4 50-DINING CHALLENGE
Michelin Stars Collected So Far: 26

3 Michelin Star

London | Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester - www.alainducasse-dorchester.com

Berkshire-Bray | The Waterside Inn - www.waterside-inn.co.uk

2 Michelin Star

London | Hibiscus - www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk

London | Pied a Terre - www.pied-a-terre.co.uk
Buckinghamshire-Marlow | Hand & Flowers - www.thehandandflowers.co.uk (*3 Times!)

France | Georges V Hotel, Paris - www.fourseasons.com/paris

1 Michelin Star

London | L’Autre Pied - www.lautrepied.co.uk

London | L’Escargot - www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk

London | Quilon - www.quilon.co.uk

London | Social Eating House - www.socialeatinghouse.com

London | The Savoy Grill - www.gordonramsay.com/thesavoygrillLondon

London | Veeraswamy - www.veeraswamy.com

Hampshire | Terrace Restaurant (Montague Arms) - www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk

Hampshire | Vetiver (Chewton Glen Hotel) - www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant

*To read the review on any of the above restaurants, put 'restaurant name' in this blog's search box.

 

50 B4 50 Challenged explained: click here

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No Michelin Stars, but restaurants visited since July 2013 that are worth a mention:

 

London | Benares - www.benaresrestaurant.com (Michelin Star, but no wife!)

Atul Kochhar's Indian fine dining with a contemporary British twist. Lamb ‘Livers and Kidney’ Masala Pie fabulous! Service stylish & impeccable.

Surrey | Penny Hill Park - www.pennyhillpark.co.uk (2 Michelin Star-Afternoon Tea only)
Indulgent cakes, all the afternoon cream tea trimmings and fizz. Sense of tradition, occasion and glamour. Tea Guild 'Top City & Country Hotel Tea Awards 2012'.
Milford on Sea | Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant- www.verveine.co.uk

Amazing fish restaurant, creative dishes and flavours. A Michelin Star is surely only a matter of time.

London | Franco's - www.francoslondon.com
Smart Italian restaurant. Truffles abound and lasagne is excellent.

Milford on Sea | La Perle - www.laperlemilford.co.uk
Charming French bistro with classic dishes authenticly served, delightful desserts, good value and friendly service.

Mudeford | The Jetty - www.thejetty.co.uk/
Great restaurant in a spectacular waterside location on Christchurch Harbour. Top quality experience in the extensive menu, ingredients and service.

Yarmouth, IoW | The George - www.thegeorge.co.uk
Fine fresh crevettes & lobster dishes with delightful beachside dining on sunny days.
 

London | Dishoom - www.dishoom.co.uk

Described as a 'Bombay Café in Covent Garden. Completely different Indian dining, unexpected menu serving tasty spicy tapas style dishes.

 

London | J Sheeky Oyster Bar - www.jsheekeyoysterbar.co.uk

Excellent fish & seafood restaurant. Voted 3rd in Zagat ' Best Seafood Restaurants in London' .

click here

 

Free Cakes for Kids

A national network; 'Free Cakes for Kids', which very much operates on a local level, is now being represented in Milford on Sea by Sarah Clayton.

 

Sarah is now the the Milford group coordinator. You may also know Sarah through her business, as she also owns the highly regarded Bay Trees B&B in Milford on Sea High Street with her husband Mark.

 

Free Cakes for Kids provide birthday cakes for children who otherwise would not have one. We all recognise the importance of celebration and everyone involved believes that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy their birthday.

 

Sometimes parents are unable to provide cakes for their children for a host of reasons and everyone should be aware of the high levels of poverty that exist in the New Forest and surrounding areas.

 

Free Cakes for Kids is a local enterprise and Sarah wants to tell Milford on Sea residents what it is and how it works. As the Milford group coordinator she has recruited a group of talented local volunteer bakers. The cakes they make will be completely homemade and as good as they can be. Fortunately Sarah as a professional cake maker in the group which is brilliant, together with others who simply enjoy baking.

 

Cakes by 'Free Cakes for Kids' are free to the family and volunteers provide their own ingredients.

 

They will receive requests for cakes from any professional agency for example, playgroups, schools, health visitors as well as family centres. Homestart have kindly agreed to also support then.

Sarah has said they they are on the lookout for more bakers, so if you fancy getting involved you can contact her on: 01590 642186 - sarah.clayson@btinternet.com 

 

Should anyone know a child that could benefit from this new venture, please feel free to contact Sarah to make a request for a cake.

 

Sadly, there is no organisation called 'Free Cakes for Old Blokes', should anyone fancy starting one these goups just let me know!

Free Cakes for Kids
www.freecakesforkids.org.uk

 

Bay Trees B&B
8 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD
01590 642186
www.baytreebedandbreakfast.co.uk

 

Milford's Oldest Postcard?

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The postcard to the left appeared on eBay today, and I wonder if this is the oldest postcard of Milford on Sea?

The card is postmarked 1912, and from a time when Milford on sea was still car free.

 

The actual written message is quite fun, ...if only they could see the traffic of today!

My Dear George, Have been to Milford today. The weather is lovely after yesterday. Only had to walk 4.5 miles from Lymington, they want a few of our London motors down here.

Hope you are well, looking forward to Sunday coming.
With love, Clara

 

New Dining Tours Launched

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Since the launch of the Milford on Sea Great Dining Bus earlier this year, scores of happy diners have eaten their way across the village!

 

The entire concept of a ‘Dining Tour with each course being served in a different village restaurant’ is a unique concept to Milford on Sea, and one that is proving popular with diners who want to experience a different way of dining, and at the same time try out the various excellent Milford on Sea restaurants.

 

New Dining Tours: Due to the popularity of the Dining Tour concept, we are launching some new tours: the Thai Dining Tour, The Curry Dining Tour, and a Wednesday lunchtime Ladies Only Dining Tour, giving you an option of an aromatic or spicy tour of our local restaurants, or a great day out with the girls.

All of the new tours have now been added to the programme, and can be viewed on the website. We also have some pre-Christmas Dining Tours with available places, so why not treat someone special?

In January, we will holding a bespoke 'Private Party Dining Tour' for 16 people, they chose their own dates, restaurants and courses, and now everyone is looking forward to an exciting day for their celebration. If you have a special occasion coming up, you could do the same by just dropping us a line.

 

Interestingly, around 40% of diners joining one of the range of dining tours are from outside of Milford on Sea. Diners have already come from as far afield as Salisbury, London & Eastleigh to name just a few places.  Welcoming new people to discover our restaurants, is good for the village and hopefully they will return at another time.

 

If you have not yet joined a dining tour, or are looking for a unique Christmas present, now is the time to book, as one of the 3 Dining Tours in December is already sold out.

 

The Great Dining Bus tickets can be purchased in two ways: Online at: www.greatdiningbus.co.uk – or In Cash from: The Community Centre Box Office, Sea Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PH or from:  The Cave, 2 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH. 

 

To find out more please visit: www.greatdiningbus.co.uk - www.ticketsource.co.uk/greatdiningbus

 

If you have any queries at all, please contact: info@greatdiningbus.co.uk

 

Salterns Hit £100k Target

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Over 100 of our local young Sailors showed great stoicism when they “Sailed through the Night” in cold temperatures at the Salterns Sailing Club Children in Need 24 Hour Sail-a-Thon.

 

Collectively they raised stunning £17,500 (and still growing). this has now smashed the club's 15-year accumulated £100,000 target for Children In Need, raising it to £109,500! Not bad for a small, children’s sailing club in Lymington.

Our intrepid young members managed to keep a minimum of one boat on the water between 4.30pm on Friday 15th to 4.30pm on Saturday 16th November. Many did not sleep, sailed in near to freezing but gentle wind conditions and kept focused on the job in hand which was to raise money for children far less fortunate than themselves.

On Saturday morning the Club was buzzing with visitors who enjoyed an informative RNLI briefing by former Salterns Commodore (1961) – Joe Blatchford and Salterns Sailing Champ Hannah Snellgrove who presented prizes to our overnight sailors and winners of our Parent and Child around the Islands Time Trials. The Junior Committee and our members ran a cake stall, sweet & candy floss stall, nails & tattoo parlour and fun games and everyone was encouraged to buy tombola tickets, a delicious hog roast lunch and to bid on the Silent Auction.

 

The club's silent auction raised in excess of £9,000 and everyone at Salterns sends a big thank you to all those who donated prizes, bid, took part, baked cakes, gave your time and of course, they also thank their generous sponsors.

 

Salterns Sailing Club

www.salternssailingclub.co.uk
 

Milford from the Sky

If is always fascinating to see things from a different angle, and seeing places you know from above gives a completely new perspective.

 

Recently we met a successful local businessman who has a dual hobby, flying his light plane and capturing pictures of the beautiful area we live in. In his spare time he loves to get above Milford on Sea and the surrounding area taking aerial photographs, and of course simply enjoying the amazing vista’s.

 

After a little bit of persuading, we now have permission to show you some of his work, and as you can see from the few images below, the photographic results are quite spectacular.

 

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

Image Courtesy of Strawberry Marketing
www.strawberrymarketing.com

 



New Milton Kicks Off Xmas

New Milton comes together to celebrate at the Town’s Christmas Festival on Saturday 30th November between 12noon and 5.30pm.

For us Francophiles there is an authentic French Street Market and the Military Wives Choir will be performing on the Central Stage at 12.10pm. There will also be a Street Crafts Village, an Entertainment Village and a Community Village and more. Fred Dinenage of ITV Meridian will be switching on of the Town’s Christmas Lights at 5.20pm.

 

You can view all the events and times at: www.newmiltonchristmas.co.uk

New Milton Christmas Festival
Alan Watson   
xmas@newmiltonevents.co.uk
www.newmiltonchristmas.co.uk

 

The White Horse on Facebook

The new owners at The White Horse, Benjamin & Vikki Renouf, have been putting their own touches to this historic Milford on Sea village pub. Since arriving in July, a new childrens play area has been installed in the pub garden and the interior has had a makeover.

It is good to see the regular Quiz Nights and Live Music Nights are still going strong, with events happening on both of the last Saturdays in November. (see www.milfordonseacalendar.org).  There is also a new 'Tapas Menu' being served alongside many of the old favourites, and an extensive Christmas menu is now being promoted in the pub.

The latest thing we have spotted, is that The White Horse now has its own Facebook Page, please click the link below to visit and find out all that is happening.

 

www.facebook.com/WhiteHorseMoS

  

 

The White Horse
16 Keyhaven Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QY
Tel: 01590 642360 
www.facebook.com/WhiteHorseMoS
 

From Bank to Beauty

What is a man to do? So many beauty salons and not enough time to try all the treatments!

 

Looking good in Milford on Sea has always been easy, the backdrop is always attractive and with two fine beauty salons in the village, plus another in The Granary at Newlands Manor Farm, we have all been spoilt for choice.

 

Well, that choice is about to become harder, as a popular beauty specialist is opening a new beauty boutique at what was previously HSBC Bank in Church Hill, Milford on Sea.

Tu Sei Bella's founder is local girl, Caileigh Mann, her original beauty boutique was based in Sway, and she is now relocating to Milford on Sea village centre. Caileigh will be holding an Open Day next Saturday, 16th November 2013, where everyone is invited.

My own experiences of beauty salons can best be described as chequered. After a particularly good night out in London, a 'good' friend shaved my eyebrows off when I was asleep. I was later informed that this 'is funny'. (Only to the perpetrator me thinks.) The next morning I discovered to my disappointment that beauty salons can only pluck eyelashes, and not replace them.

 

On another occasion, I was on a particularly lively stag weekend, when one of the gathered bunch of idiots thought it would be a good idea if we all got our bits waxed. Fortunately, the majority disagreed.

As the stag evening progressed, the majority opinion slowly moved with each pint, and by 7pm we were all on the beauty parlour table being covered in hot liquid, ...with each tear of waxing strip creating a pitiful muffled group scream. None of us wanted to show our suffering, as we were of course 'real men'. Well, that was until one guy burst into sobs of tears, followed by a dozen guys wailing like a riled bunch of banshees. (This could have been a lot worse, as someone else had suggested a tattoo. Thankfully I prefer to personally choose my tattoos when sober, rather than them being chosen by a inebriated mob of imbeciles, or 'friends' as they like to consider themselves.)

 

These stories probably shouldn't be shared, but if it helps just one poor man along the way, then it will have been worth it.

 

Anyway, back to today's events. Tu Sei Bella (Italian for 'You are beautiful') is opening next Saturday (16th November). The professional and friendly new boutique offers you a wide range of beauty treatments in the heart of Milford on Sea.

Caileigh has lived in Milford on Sea since 2004 and is a qualified beauty specialist trained at VTCT. Her numerous qualifications include; Beauty specialist level 2, Reflexology level 2, Swedish massage level 3 and Electrolysis level 3. Most importantly, she loves making people look and feel great!

Tu Sei Bella welcomes female and male clients to relax and enjoy the treatments on offer, and the treatments can be adapted to suit your individual needs. Their services include; full body massage, luxury manicure, Eve Taylor facials, Hopi ear candling, Waxing, Pedicures, Reflexology, Fake Bake spray tanning, Lash and brow treatments.  If there is anything not on their list, they are also happy to do their best to accommodate you.

Right, I am off to book a 'Beauty Tour', with a treatment in each village beauty establishment. I will start with a full body massage, then a bit of exfoliation, a slim wrap, followed by a fake tan, and finally to compliment my new look, I shall finish with a complete gentleman's waxing.

I haven't told my wife, but I am sure it will give her a thrill, or perhaps a mild heart attack!

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Tu Sei Bella Open Day | Saturday 16th November - 10am to 4pm

Everyone is invited to go along, take a look around and to meet the team.

20% Discount for any bookings taken on the day | Winter Warmer Offers.

Enjoy a coffee or glass of wine whilst you are there.

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BEAUTY SALONS in Milford on Sea

 

The Retreat Beauty Salon

Tel: 01590 645151
www.retreat-milford.co.uk
76 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

JW Health & Holistics
Tel: 01590 645947
www.jw-milford.com
The Old Bank House, 5 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QF

Acacia Beauty Academy
Tel: 01590 645547
www.acaciabeautyacademy.co.uk
The Granary, Newlands Manor Farm, Milford on Sea, SO41 0JH

Tu Sei Bella
Tel: 01590 719384
www.tuseibella.co.uk
5 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH

 

 

Thai goes Tapas

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The Britannia Thai restaurant in the heart of Milford on Sea village has launched a new 'Tapas Menu'.

 

The new menu has been added to the existing A La Carte, Set Lunch & Takeaway Menu options, and now enables you to have as many small dishes as you wish at excellent value for money.

 

You can choose Three items for £10.95 which makes this choice ideal for a light sharing lunch, or for a relaxed and inexpensive evening supper with a glass of wine or lager.

You can check out the Tapas pictures to the left, the full menu below, or even better just pop in - and treat yourself to few dishes!

 

Even better, Suhel and his team invite you to: 

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Britannia Thai Tapas and Thai Wines Open & Tasting Evening

 Friday 29th of November between 5pm to 6.30pm

Customers are invited to come along and enjoy Free Samples from the Tapas Menu in an informal atmosphere

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Britannia Thai Tapas Menu

Three small dishes: £10.95

Additional small dishes: £3.65

 

Chicken Satay
Grilled marinated chicken in a bamboo stick, served with peanut sauce and vinaigrette dressing

 Sweetcorn Cake
Sweetcorn mixed with flour and coriander, deep fried and served with sweet chilli sauce

Thai Fish Cake

Spiced fish with curry paste mixed with chopped lime leaves and long beans, served with sweet chilli sauce

Vegetable Spring Roll

Stir fried cabbage, carrots, Chinese mushroom, and glass noodles, wrapped in a Thai pancake served with sweet chilli sauce

Steamed Mussels

Mussels steamed with lemongrass and basil leaves served with a seafood dip

Crispy Tofu

Golden fried tofu served with a sweet chilli dip with crunchy peanut, cucumber and coriander on the side

Prawn Tempura

Prawns deep fried in tempura batter, served with sweet chilli and plum sauce

Duck Spring Roll

 Deep fried spring roll filled with roast duck, carrots and mushroom, served with sweet chilli sauce

Scallops

Steamed scallops served with a seafood dip

 

Prawn Salad

Medium spicy prawn salad mixed with chilli oil paste, lemongrass, coriander, red onion and mint

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Since its official opening in 2008 The Britannia Thai Restaurant in Milford on Sea has received regular acclaim from diners, and has established itself as the premier Thai Restaurant in the The New Forest.

The atmosphere is relaxed & informal, with friendly traditionally dressed staff making a visit anytime of day a pleasure. Added to this, the opulent and comfortable restaurant interior sets the perfect scene for an authentic Thai dining experience.

 

The authentic wide selection of Thai dishes are prepared using the finest ingredients. Speciality a la carte dishes include Mixed Britannia Thai Starter, Roast Duck Tamarind and Sweet and Sour Pla (Fish).

 

Whatever the occasion, Britannia Thai offers good value for money, the finest Thai dining, and a stylish Thai restaurant experience that you will not forget in a hurry.

Booking in advance is recommended at weekends, but they love for you to just pop in whenever you fancy a quick bite to eat.

Menu Options

A La Carte Menu | Set Lunch: £7.95 | Tapas: 3 small dishes for £10.95 | Takeaway with 20% Discount

 

Britannia Thai Restaurant
1 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QF
Tel: 01590 642226 & 01590 642212
www.thairestaurantnewforest.co.uk

Opening Times
Lunchtime: Daily: 12.00 noon to 2.30pm
Evenings: Sunday to Thursday 5.30pm to 10.30pm - Friday & Saturday 5.30pm to 11.00pm

Closed every Tuesday (Seasonal)
 

Scouting for Adults

Many of us will recall with affection our time in the Cubs, Scouts, Brownies or Guides.

 

My personal scouting history was mixed.

I was thrown out of the Brownies a number of times. Despite my best efforts, they were constantly insistent that only girls could join, and that wearing a skirt did not constitute a change of gender.

After this, I joined the Cubs and managed to become a 'Sixer' with an arm full of proficiency badges. I remember enjoying 'Bob a Job Week' at a time when it was considered OK for kids to talk to adults, and visa versa. I also remember vividly being on camp reluctantly doing the washing up, when Akela sent me to the camp shop for some 'Elbow grease'!

 

During these formative years the Cubs & Scouts taught me some handy skills, discipline, respect, independence and which was the correct way that the Union Jack should be flown.

I suspect that we would all like the young people in the village to experience the same, and with a little bit of effort, you can make sure they do.

Milford and Keyhaven Scout Group are very short of adult volunteers and our local Scout Leaders need people to to help or lead meetings, and to organize charity fund-raising.  They also we need experienced sailors to teach the children how to sail, so they can keep the long heritage of Sea Scouting at Milford and Keyhaven.

If you can spare a few hours to give some of your life experience to our local young people, please click here to contact Matthew. Simply e-mail him your contact details and he will get in touch to chat things through.

 

Milford and Keyhaven Scout Group

15th New Forest South

info@milfordseascouts.org.uk

www.milfordseascouts.org.uk

 

 

A Soapy Breakfast

Popular village residents, Katie & Simon Kemp, started a small charitable activity some time ago to help and support an Egyptian family in Cairo.

 

As Katie explains: "We started 'Rope Sole' around 10 years ago, the aim was to be a 'drop in the ocean' against the hopelessness we saw when visiting Egypt.

 

So we found Egyptian potters, artists, and artisans, set up the business and imported their wares. Many people in Milford on Sea supported us and (even though our particular drop only involved 4 containers of goods) now the Missionary led enterprise, South of the pyramids, which we bought from, is entirely run and owned by locals. Proving that Drops do work!"

Recently Katie & Simon had sad news from their adopted Egyptian family in Cairo that they looked for another 'drop' opportunity.

 

Whilst spending the last few month's aboard their boat (also named Rope Sole) in the Greek Mediterranean, they were bargaining for their usual garlic and tomatoes when they spotted a lovely stall with beautifully packaged jams, olive oils and ...a box of whitish blocks of Soap! After the usual game of Anglo/Greek charades and some dredged up English,  they understood that the soap is entirely natural and hand made by the Greek wife's father, and that it is great for hair/skin/feet and even clothes...and also for leather...that means leather sofas too.

 

Katie's business card used to describe her as ' Merchant of Artisan Wares' and that old self hove into view. Katie and Simon went back to the market and explained the plan, which was to buy lots of this fab Greek soap and bring it back to the village to raise funds for their adopted family. Their new soap making friend was so chuffed with their plan, that he gave them a 'special price'.

 

At the next Big Breakfast: This Saturday: 16th Nov: The BIG Community Breakfast: 9am to 10.30am at The Community Centre, they will have a basket and anyone who would like to support Maken and his family can make a donation in exchange for some great local Greek soap.  As a result One little village by the sea will be able to send a chunk of cash to a suffering little family in Egypt.

 

Everyone is invited to The BIG Breakfast, so why not pop along. it is a great way to start a day!
 

Meet a New Face at The Marine

The Marine
Stephen Caunter-Ryan Smith
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Richard Thompson, founder of The Marine is extremely pleased to announce that Stephen Caunter, co-founder and former partner of The Lord Bute in Highcliffe, has joined the team.

Stephen is also joined by Ryan Smith as Duty Manager. Ryan previously worked at Captains Club in Christchurch.

With many years' experience in the hospitality industry, Stephen is a very welcome addition to the Marine Team, and he will be taking full responsibility for the Management of The Marine Cafe Bar and Restaurant.

Stephen brings with him many exciting ideas, which should really help to make The Marine one of South Coast's favourite restaurants.

Stephen & his team, shared some of his plans with the people who attended the Open Days held on Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th November. The guests and visitors also enjoyed canapés and a complimentary drink, whilst experiencing Guided Tours of The Marine behind the scenes.

The Marine is now taking Christmas bookings which you can check out on their website.

 

The Marine
Marine House, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PY
01590 644369

www.themarinemos.co.uk

Bowls Club Present Charity Cheque

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Milford on Sea Bowls Club held their club Presentation dinner at Bashley last Wednesday.

 

Club President Ron West presented Jill West from Oakhaven Hospice (the club charity for 2013) a cheque for £3350 which had been raised by the club and its members during the year.

 

Free Parking Day

New Forest District Council are holding a 'Free Parking for Small Business Saturday' where they are offering free car parking on Saturday 7th December to support local businesses.

Shoppers will be able to park for free in all council-run car parks to mark the UK’s first ‘Small Business Saturday’ – a national campaign aimed at encouraging people to shop local and support independent shops.

Leader of New Forest District Council, Councillor Barry Rickman, said: “We are pleased to show our support for local businesses by waiving our parking charges and I hope everyone will take the opportunity to shop locally in the run up to Christmas and support local businesses.”

The 2014 Brand New Forest card will also be launched in Burley on 7th December. The card scheme, now in its fourth year, is designed to stimulate local business activity by providing cardholders with special offers and discounts throughout the New Forest. The cost of a card is £5. For more information visit www.brandnewforest.com

The New Forest Business Partnership will be working alongside Brand New Forest to promote local businesses in the lead up to Christmas.

Cllr Rickman added: “Small businesses count for a significant part of our local economy. Small Business Saturday gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the role small businesses play and our own commitment to helping them to promote themselves to our residents and visitors. There are over 6000 small businesses in the New Forest and we are very pleased to help raise their profile on this important day.”

For more information on Small Business Saturday visit www.brandnewforest.com/sbs13

The free car parking offer only applies to car parks that are managed by New Forest District Council.

 

Salterns 24 hour Sail

Salterns Sailing Club
CiN 2012

Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington is once again supporting the BBC Children in Need Appeal by running their annual 24 hour Sail-a-thon on Friday 15th November for its young members.

 

The club, in its 15th year of Children in Need fundraising, hopes to smash a £100,000 target.

 

This year the club is running a series of on-going events, which started with their Children in Need Parent & Child Round the Islands Time Trials in September and a cake sale on Lymington High Street which raised an amazing £1160 - brings their tally to a very impressive £93,000 over the last 14 years.

 

The climax is the annual 24 hour Sail-a-thon running from 16h30 on Friday November 15th to 16h29 on Saturday 16th, where the children will keep a boat afloat for 24 hours. This year the fundraising is even more focused as the child who raises the most Sponsorship will win a priceless private lesson with Olympic gold medalist and America’s Cup hero - Sir Ben Ainslie CBE!

 

On Saturday 16th as the Sail-A-Thon continues, the club is organising a series of fun activities, kicking off with a presentation by the RNLI. There will also be a funky nail bar, throw a welly, guess The Pudsey competition, a temporary tattoo parlour, and a tombola – these will all encourage the strong turnout that is anticipated this year from the 200 families that make up the club’s membership.

 

Everyone is invited to visit the club for tea and homemade Pudsey cakes during the two-day event.

 

There will be a silent auction with lots including a ride on a Severn Class Lifeboat, a Gite in Cognac, a children’s “Survival” party, a Mercedes Day out for Four, a signed Americas Cup shirt signed by Sir Ben Ainslie CBE, a family day out on a yacht - to name just a few!Our Salterns donation to CiN charity sets us apart as a club for children and run by children giving tangible support to much less fortunate children.

Salterns Sailing Club
www.salternssailingclub.co.uk
 

 

 

Remember Them on Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is a time to reflect and honour all that have laid their lives for this country.

Milford on Sea's traditional remembrance services take place this Sunday and everyone is welcome to go along.

 

Sunday 10th November | 2pm: Keyhaven War Memorial

Service at The War Memorial at Keyhaven.

 

2.30pm: Village Green

Keyhaven War Memorial
click image to enlarge

The village uniform organisations Explorers, Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies together with the standards of The Royal British Legion will gather on the Village Green, if fine, and will move in procession up to All Saints' Church. Following the service, during which young people will take a poppies up to the altar during the reading of the names of the fallen, a wreath will be laid at the grave of the Unknown Sailor who is buried in the churchyard.
 

click image to enlarge

3pm: All Saints' Church

The main village service will take place at All Saint's Church.

 

Monday 11th November: Village Green

The two minutes silence will be observed on the Village Green at 11 o'clock followed by prayers and wreath laying at the War Memorial Hospital (Which contains the Milford on Sea War Memorial Plaque.) in Sea Road.

 

If you can make it, please go along.

To read the stories of the men commemorated on Keyhaven War Memorial, please click here.

A Family Story for Remembrance Day, please click here.


Keyhaven War Memorial
Keyhaven Triangle, Harewood Green/Keyhaven Road, Keyhaven, SO41 0QZ

All Saints' Church
Greenbanks Close, Milford on Sea, SO41 0SQ
www.allsaintsmilford.co.uk
 

Dine in The Village this Christmas

Christmas is a time for celebration, and of course special meals! Our local Milford on Sea restaurants and pubs are now taking bookings for their special festive dining menus over the Christmas period, or even for Christmas Day.

Check out all of the menus below, and book now so you don't miss out!

La Perle
Christmas dining with French flair.
Festive Set Menu: 2 Courses £20.95 - 3 Courses £26.95 - click here to view menus
Not Open Christmas Day
01590 643557 - 60 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD
www.laperlerestaurant.co.uk

The Marine
Modern Classic Great British Christmas dishes.
Christmas Menu (Weds to Sat: Dec 4th to 21st) | Lunch: 2 Courses £15.95 – 3 Courses £19.95
Christmas Menu (Weds to Sat: Dec 4th to 21st) | Dinner: 3 Courses £24.95
Christmas Party Night Menu with Entertainment: £29.50 - click here to view xmas menus 
Christmas Day 5 Course Menu: £85 - click here to view xmas menus
01590 644369 - Marine House, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PY
www.themarinemos.co.uk

Verveine
Fine fish served with a Willy Wonka style Christmas twist.
'A Very Different Christmas' Menu:
6 Course Lunch £25 | 6 Courses Dinner £39 - click here to view xmas menus
Not Open Christmas Day
01590 642176 - 98 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE
www.verveine.co.uk

The Beach House
Traditional Christmas dining.
Christmas Celebration Menu: £18.99 - click here to view xmas menu
Christmas Day Menu: £49.99 - click here to view xmas menu
01590 643044 - Park Lane, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PT
www.beachhousemilfordonsea.co.uk

The Raft
Funky, tasty and modern bistro food.
Christmas Celebration Menu: To be confirmed
Not Open Christmas Day
01590 645300 - 11 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QF
www.theraftmos.co.uk

Smugglers Inn
Christmas Party Menu: £15.95 / £19.95 - click here to view xmas menu
Christmas Day Menu: £59.95 - click here to view xmas menu
01590 644414 - 88 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE
www.pubsnewforest.co.uk

Great Dining Bus
Enjoy different courses, in different village restaurants - click here to see Dining Tours
Sat 21st Dec: Spice Dining Tour - 3 courses: £24
Sat 28th Dec: Strolling Dining Tour - 4 courses: £32
www.greatdiningbus.co.uk

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Pubs, Restaurants and other village dining places to check out for their Christmas Menus:

The Red Lion www.theredlionmilford.co.uk
01590 642236 - 32 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

The White Horse
01590 642360 - 16 Keyhaven Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QY

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

The Crown Inn - www.crowninneverton.co.uk
01590 642655 - Old Christchurch Road, Everton, SO41 0JJ

The Royal Oak - www.theroyaloakdownton.co.uk
Christchurch Road, Downton, SO41 0LA

South Lawn - www.bespokehotels.com/southlawnhotel
01590 643911 - Lymington Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0RF

Britannia Thai - www.thairestaurantnewforest.co.uk
01590 642226 - 1 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QF

Zaika - www.zaikanewforest.co.uk
01590 643084 - 69 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QG

Cafés

The Village Coffee Pot
01590 641414 - 54 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

Inger-Lise's Coffee Shop - www.inger-lise.yolasite.com
01590 643518 - 106 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QE

Polly's Pantry Tea Rooms
01590 645558 - 46 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD

Needles Eye Café
01590 642458 - Seafront Promenade, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0PY

Hurst Castle Café - www.hurstcastle.co.uk
01590 642344 - Hurst Castle, Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QU

Muffins Galore Tea Room - www.atbraxtongardens.com
01590 643601 - Braxton Courtyard, Lymore Lane, Milford on Sea, SO41 0TX

Camellias Coffee Shop & Restaurant - www.evertonnurseries.co.uk
01590 642155 - Farmers Walk, Everton, SO41 0JZ

The Cave Wine Bar - www.thecavemos.co.uk
01590 642195 - 2 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH

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and finally, ...one for your diary: 7th to 13th April 2014

Milford on Sea Food Week | www.milfordonseafoodweek.org

 

RNLI Fair Raises Cash

click image to enlarge

The Milford on Sea RNLI Christmas Fair raised £628 last Saturday, plus another £730 from the sale of souvenirs and cards.

 

Josie Bemmer donated Paddy the hiking bear, who found a lovely new home with a little girl who correctly identified Dundee as the starting point of his long trek to Milford, he raised £35 in the process too!

 

The RNLI Team send many thanks to the team of stalwart helpers who baked, transported and toiled on the day.

 

 

Storm Brings Rare Bird

Last week's St Jude Storm bought a very unusual and unexpected visitor to Milford on Sea.

Red Breasted Goose
Picture By: Bernard Barwick
click image to enlarge

Whilst Sky News were camped out at the seafront awaiting a disaster to report, and a hardy group of bird watches stood in the seafront shelter keeping a keen eye out for a rare find on the strong winds, they all missed a feathered friend, way off course and heading for Carrington Park.

 

Local resident, and keen twitcher, Bernard Barwick was out walking with his grand-daughter, looking to get some dramatic, morning-after seascape photographs.

 

Much was as normal, so the photo opportunities were few. Well, that was until he spotted a very rare vagrant bird sheltering and feeding in the third field at Carrington Park!

 

Sitting happily in a very large flock of Brent Geese and Lapwings was a Red Breasted Goose. They are quite colourful on their own but merge very easily in a large flock of Brent Geese.

 

Bernard told us that "This type of goose is rated as 'V**' indicating a Vagrant seen in the UK only once or thrice a decade, that is quite enough to get the twitchers  juices running."

 

A subject Bernard is obviously well informed on, he went on the say; "Both types of geese breed in the Arctic Tundra, the Brents then fly south to UK and N Europe, whereas the Red Breasts fly much further, to Iraq. Very rarely a Red Breast attaches itself to a flock of Brents as a fellow traveller. This one was fortunate enough to be able to rest and feed up in the very wildlife friendly refuge of Carrington Park. I was delighted to be in the right place at the right time as I have started wildlife photography this year but sadly I did not have my big ‘twitching’ lens handy.  The pictures are not as good as I would have hoped for such a rare sighting, but still a delightful addition to my collection."

 

When you see the picture of the flock, it is quite amazing how Bernard managed to pick out our special visitor. It is clear, this exciting find will have many twitchers wishing that they were there.