New Milton Advertiser 27th Nov 2020

12 · Friday 27th November 2020

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New pool saves swimming school from going under

Plans to freeze village share of council tax

CALLS were rejected to in- crease next year’s council tax bill for Brockenhurst residents to spare them a bigger “shock” in the future. Cllr Michael Harris told mem- bers it was intended to freeze the parish council’s share of the charge at £42.49 for a band D property in 2021/22. The combined average band D council tax bill in the New Forest currently stands at a £1,836, including demands from parish, district and coun- ty councils, plus fire and police services. “We are going through extraordinary times and we just do not feel it’s the right time to be putting up the precept when we have reserves

we can call upon,” Cllr Harris said. He qualified that the final vote will not take place until January, warning the council cannot continue using its re- serves in future years. However, other members were concerned it would merely delay an inevi- table future rise. “A small increase makes a big difference to us,” Cllr Rosam- und Bowles stressed. “It stops us putting up the precept by a larger amount in the future, which could be a lot for local houses to stomach.” Cllr John Wingham agreed, adding: “I know things are go- ing to get a lot more difficult. God knows what will happen next year.”

due to the pandemic has re- affirmed my gratitude to this swimming school. “It makes perfect sense to expand and modernise the pool so they can carry on providing this amazing service.” Urging the council to support the application, another said: “There is such a great demand for swimming lessons and not enough suitable pools to teach in. This is a great opportunity. Swimming lessons are so important, especially as we live by the sea.” A report to the district council by case officer Jim Ben- nett, who recommended the application was approved, said: “The proposed development is likely to make a positive con- tribution to the local economy and provision of a community facility, which are considered to weigh heavily in favour of the development. “It is the view of officers that subject to conditions, the mat- ters which weigh in favour of the development clearly out- weigh the harm to the Green Belt.” The A&T contacted the swim school for a response but the couple were unavailable for comment. Teen given suspended jail sentence A LYMINGTON teenager was handed a suspended 12-week prison sentence for his part in an attack. Alfie Lancaster (19), of Sam- ber Close, admitted jointly causing the male victim actual bodily harm in Milford in May. Southampton magistrates said: “This was a serious unpro- voked group attack on a person who the defendant thought had grieved him without justifica- tion.” Lancaster’s term was sus- pended for a year. He was also given a supervision order, placed on a three-month elec- tronic curfew from 9pm-7am, and told to pay the victim £500 compensation.

Plans approved for facility after 190 letters of support

BY CAROLYN GRIFFITH

THE future of a swimming school has been secured after plans were approved for a new pool in Hinton backed by nearly 190 letters of support. As reported in the A&T, Dee and Michael Finlay, who run Seabrook Seals Swim School, thought they might be forced to close as they struggled for the past three years to find a new HQ. The school, which has around 550 pupils, is currently based at the couple’s Rothesay B&B in Lymington Road, but it is due to demolished in January to make way for a development of flats. They teamed up with Meyrick Estates on proposals within des- ignated green belt land for a new high-quality, 20-metre pool on farmland next to The Retreat, a hotel and wellness centre in Lyndhurst Road, Hinton. It will be housed in an agri- cultural-style barn, glazed on one side, and would be used pri- marily by the swim school and those staying at The Retreat. CATTLE will not be inspect- ed and branded before being turned out onto the New Forest next spring, the verderers have confirmed. The decision has been taken in response to ongoing Covid-19 social distancing requirements, and marks a departure from the standard practice of agisters in- specting and marking each an- imal. Minutes of the verderers committee revealed changes have been driven by the poten- tial health and safety risk to the agisters team. It cautioned: “The Covid sit- uation is deteriorating and the court feels that, unfortunately, it is likely to get worse as the winter progresses.” However, three cattle own- ers have asked the verderers to A FORMER Sway parish coun- cillor and chair of the village Conservatives group, Norman Yates, has died at the age of 93. A well-known figure in the Sway community where he lived for three decades, Nor- man was also the longstanding church treasurer and instru- mental in the planning of the church rooms. Born in August 1927 in Not- tingham, Norman was educated at Forest Fields junior School and High Pavement Grammar School. He left at 17 to join the Nottingham city treasurer’s de- partment. He met his future wife Mavis when they were still teenagers, through the friendship of their parents. They married in 1949, at St Augustine’s Church in Nottingham where Norman was a sacristan and churchwarden. Their honeymoon should have been on board their boat, but unfortunately it sprang a leak the night before and they ended up in a hotel. They were married for 71 years, receiv- ing three cards in recognition from the Queen. They had two daughters, Alison and Lesley. In 1945 Norman was called up and elected to join the navy, and after basic training he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm, supplies branch. He served in Lee-on-Solent, Northern Ire- land and the Far East. He spent time in Trincomalee, Singapore and Hong Kong developing a lifelong love of east Asia. After demob in 1947, Norman rejoined the city treasurers where he became an account- ant and later an auditor. In 1964 he joined Lloyds Bank in Not- tingham as a late entrant and served there until 1971 when he was promoted to a manag- er in the executor and trustees branch in Southampton, retir- ing in 1987. Soon after moving to Sway in 1972, Norman joined the parish council later becoming chairman until he left for Wim- borne in 1984. He was an active supporter of the youth centre and church treasurer responsi- ble for the funding for the new church rooms. On his return to Sway in 1992, Obituaries

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The current pool is at Rothesay B&B, owned by Dee and Michael Finlay (inset), which is set for demolition

Jeremy Hinton, speaking for Meyrick Estates, said the or- ganisation was “delighted” with the decision. “We are grateful the council has managed to turn the application around so quickly,” he said. “The positive responses from the public regarding this devel- opment have been overwhelm- ing and it is very clear that peo- ple are really keen to have this

space made available.” Mr Hinton said the estate was in the process of applying for funding from the Rural De- velopment Programme for En- gland and was hopeful the de- velopment would be complete by September 2021. The application to New For- est District Council was sup- ported by Bransgore Parish Council, which said: “The pro-

posed swimming pool building will provide a welcome amenity in the area and will have little impact on the surrounding area.” It received 187 letters in support from users of the pool and the wider community. One wrote: “You only appreci- ate something when you don’t have it and not being able to go swimming at Seabrook Seals

No checks or branding for Forest cattle turnout

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one agister to be present, along with a vet to undertake an an- nual TB test. They continued: “It is imper- ative that the agister assess- es both the temperament and condition of the cattle at close quarters before they are ap- proved for turn-out.” They also pointed out that the practice of marking allows new commoners to seek expert advice from agisters. In response, the verderers re- affirmed that marking will not take place in 2021, but agisters will undertake visual checks of cattle as part of their everyday duties. They also said unfit animals will be removed from the For- est as necessary. The practice is expected to be reinstated in 2022.

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Some cattle owners have asked for the decision to be reversed

rethink the decision and point- ed to recent welfare checks of ponies which went ahead as planned during the annual drifts. Cattle owners Debbie Stokes, Robert Stride and Charlotte Lines, who is chair of the Co- moners’ Defence Association,

made an appeal to the Verder- ers’ Court. They wrote: “We are con- cerned that the cattle will be not be subject to the same wel- fare checks as the ponies.” The trio pointed out that the practice of marking only required the cattle owners and

Norman Yates Former Sway parish councillor enjoyed a raft of sporting pursuits

Michael Rickman Heating engineer won Crufts merit

Local press three times more trusted than social media Local press three times mo e tru ted than social media Three quart rs of people (74%) trust the information they read in their local paper in print or online. Only 22% trust local news they read on social media platforms. Three quarters of people (74%) trust the information they read in their local paper in print or online. Only 22% trust local news they read on social media platforms.

TRIBUTES have been paid to an “honest, hard-working and trustworthy” Sway heating engineer whose love of dogs led to winning an accolade at Crufts. Michael Rickman (87) was born and bred in Sway and re- tained a close affinity with the local area all his life. One of his biggest pleasures was walking his beloved Burmese mountain dogs in the New Forest. Having grown up with dogs, Michael first owned corgis but later became an admirer of the Burmese breed. He went on to own several, entering them in dog shows and winning tro- phies. One year he went to the Crufts competition and was chuffed to take a second place merit award in a junior catego- ry. His friend Suzanne Thurgood said: “He was a really good man. Honest, trustworthy and hard-working, he’ll be greatly missed.” Born in Sway to parents Wil- liam, a gardener, and Enid, who worked at Wellworthy’s, he loved football as a young man and due to his fast speed was jokingly nicknamed Treacle. “There was a running joke at the time that they’d have to put treacle on his boots to slow him down,” son Martin explained. Michael attended the village school and was a member of the church’s choir, before he went off to his National Service at Blandford Camp as a driving instructor for tank carriers and lorries. After he was demobbed he became an apprentice for Kemp’s at Sway, undertaking his training in plumbing and heating before moving to In- grem Heating Ltd. There he progressed all the way up the ladder from ap- prentice to director of the firm before he retired decades later, latterly working alongside his business partner Ken Briggs. He marriedMargaret Coombs at St Luke’s Church in Sway, and the pair had two children, Martin and Jonathan. “Dad was so helpful to me, helping with all the DIY and all

Norman became involved in politics, becoming a member of the local Conservative party, acting as treasurer and finally chairman. Away from work Norman en- joyed fishing, sailing, shooting and motor racing and rallying either by car or motorcycle. He also played bridge and mah- jong. He started fishing as a small child and especially loved occa- sional salmon fishing in Scot- land and sea fishing. He en- joyed fishing trips to the North Sea via Grimsby and later combined visiting his daughter Lesley in America with trips to Mexico hunting for marlin and shark. In his later years he enjoyed fly fishing as a member of a pri- vate trout fishing club on lakes and a tributary of the river Avon near Fordingbridge. In his youth Norman was a keen motorcyclist. His first bike was a Francis Barnet, followed by a Velocette and finally a Nor- ton trials bike. He started in grass track racing with Mavis riding pillion as his mechan- ic. He later enjoyed car rally- ing which involved night driv-

ing through Derbyshire in all weathers. When the couple moved again to Sway, Norman took up dinghy sailing and joined the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, progressing to a small, four-berth sailing cruiser called Red Dragon. He enjoyed many days pottering on the Beaulieu River and Poole harbour. Shooting was also a lifelong passion of Norman who en- joyed both rifle and clay pigeon shooting and, until later restric- tions, also pistol shooting. He was a member of the Carbery Rifle and Pistol Club. Holidays were often spent in the US or Germany visiting daughters Alison and Lesley. Norman and Mavis finally left Sway in 2003, moving to a flat in Lymington. Until he developed Alzheimer’s about five years ago, Norman kept up inter- ests in politics, shooting, trout fishing and social events at the yacht club. Norman remained at home with Mavis three months be- fore his death, supported by his daughters Lesley and Alison. He is also survived by his grand- sons Daniel and Christopher.

sorts of things,” said Jonathan who continued to live with his dad for many decades. “He was a really good man.” Michael counted football and tennis among his hobbies, and was a season ticket holder for Saints – sitting close to his sons on match days. He was also a keen crosscountry runner. He loved going on driving hol- idays in his Volvo around the coroners of the British Isles, and was a member of the New Milton Round Table and the 41 Club. As reported in the A&T, Mi- chael died after going missing off Hurst Spit on 4th Novem- ber. The opening of his inquest heard a post-mortem exam- ination determined his death was caused by shock and water immersion, as well as hyperten- sion and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The full hearing is due to take place in July 2021.

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Local press in print and digital (74 per cent) is the most trusted source for local news and information, ahead of local commercial TV and local commercial radio (both 73 per cent), search engines (43 per cent), social media (22 per cent) and other websites (39 per cent). (YouGov 2018 commissioned by Local Media Works). Local press in print and digital (74 per cent) is the most trusted source for local news and information, ahead of local commercial TV and local commercial radio (both 73 per cent), search engines (43 per cent), social media (22 per cent) and other websites (39 per cent). (YouGov 2018 commissioned by Local Media Works).

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