New Milton Advertiser 23rd Oct 2020

14 · Friday 23rd October 2020

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Charity garden visits hit record numbers

Retired dentist died at sea A RETIRED dentist from Lymington died at sea in Cro- atia, an inquest has heard. Robert Cook, of Almansa Way, had been in the village of Saplunara when he passed away on 26th August. A hearing was opened at Oxford Coroner’s Court as his body was repatriated from Croatia to the county. The recent hearing was told the precise medical cause of the 68-year-old’s death was yet to be established. Man fined for drugs o ences POSSESSING cocaine and cannabis resulted in a Mil- ford man being fined. When he appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, Kerry Vickery (50), of Keyhaven Road, pleaded guilty to having the class A and B drugs on him. He was also fined £100 and ordered by the Bench to pay £117 costs. Replacment for old bus shelter A BUS shelter in Pennington will be replaced after falling into disrepair. Members of Lymington Town and Pennington Coun- cil’s policy and resources committee agreed for an al- uminium and glass structure to replace the wooden shelter near the Shell petrol station. Relocating the bus stop further up the road was mooted, with some members arguing its current position was causing congestion on the approach to the rounda- bout. It was agreed to revisit the issue later. A NEW Milton man will be sentenced for harassing care home staff by making unwant- ed telephone calls. Gordon Reeve (68), of Badgers Copse, pleaded guilty to targeting the town’s Engle- burn Care Home between 31st January and 10th February this year. He also admitted breaching a court order by making con- tact with a man and placing adverts in a paper, and doing so while on a suspended sen- tence order. Reeve was granted bail by Southampton magistrates for a psychiatric report to be prepared for sentencing on 30th November. Man admits harassment

Thousands pop into disability trust’s site since reopening

Dancing and laughter as Ada hits 100 mark

BY CHRIS MARCH

A NEW Forest garden run by a charity which supports people with learning disabilities and autism has blossomed since lockdown with its highest ever number of visitors. The Minstead Trust’s Furzey Gardens was unable to wel- come people from late March when the severest restrictions were imposed by the govern- ment in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, since reopening in June, the attraction has re- ceived more than 15,000 visitors and seen over 800 people sign up for its annual membership this summer – the most in its history. Furzey Gardens manager Adam Dodd said: “At one point this year we wondered if the gardens would be able to open at all due to coronavirus. “So the response from visi- tors and the incredible num- ber of new members we have gained this summer has been amazing. “We have had lots of sold- out days and it’s been lovely to see the gardens full of hap- py visitors of all ages sharing NONE of the bids for a share of £159,000 from the government to help high streets navigate the pandemic have been suc- cessful, a district council meet- ing heard. Towns and villages are being invited to apply for the cash through New Forest District Council, which has been allo- cated the money to help local economies recover from declin- ing footfall and the impact of Covid-19, while also following government guidelines. It was revealed at the coun- cil’s latest full meeting that so far none of the money had been made available in the district

FRED Sirieix, the maitre’d who found fame in TV’s First Dates show, visited Lymington this week to film a special pro- gramme about some of the best places to eat in the UK. The Frenchman, who has appeared in a string of foodie shows, was in town on Tuesday to enjoy a meal at the Elder- flower restaurant which fea- tures in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant on the cob- bles is run by chef patron An- drew Du Bourg and his wife Marjolaine. It has won awards for its fine dining which is de- scribed as “modern British with a sprinkling of French”. Earlier Mr Sirieix was spot- ted on Town Quay where he popped into Coffee and Drift for a spot of breakfast. Owner Grace Murphy said: “He was absolutely lovely and totally charming. He ordered pancakes with fresh fruit and when it came, he said to the A 1920s themed party was held at Woodside Lodge care home to celebrate resident Ada Webb’s 100th birthday. Staff dressed in costumes from the era, and photos of Ada (pictured) throughout her life adorned the home. A specially baked caked from Elizabeth Bakery in Bransgore, where the home is, was created and balloons were put up spell- ing out her name. Home manager Charlotte Bale described Ada as a “well known, loved and respected member of the Bransgore com- munity”. Villagers sent their best wish- es, including videos from local vicar Ben Sargent and Brans- gore Primary School which also

sent a birthday card with mes- sages from the children, as did Mudeford Junior School and Bethany School. Ada also received cards from the All-Weather Lifeboat Cen- tre in Poole, and Harrow Wood Farm arranged for a flower truck to hand-deliver a bouquet of flowers. Cllr Fran Carpenter sent a card on behalf of Hampshire County Council, and there was the traditional birthday card from the Queen – which Ada was delighted with. Covid-19 restrictions had to be followed during the celebra- tions but according to Ms Bale there was still lots of “dancing and laughter” with other care home residents joining in.

A youngster enjoys an autumn visit to Furzey Gardens

scones. Activities taking place this autumn include a children’s scavenger hunt during the half- term holiday and an end of sea- son plant sale. Membership offers unlimit- ed visits all year, with the fee recouped after three trips and 10% off in the thatched tea rooms. Entrance is by suggest- ed donation, and all visitors must book their slot at www. furzey-gardens.org

of pounds in income from the lockdown closure, it has praised all those who donated to its re- opening fundraising appeal, vis- ited the gardens and took out membership. The trust said visitors had praised the attraction’s Cov- id-secure measures, which in- clude pre-booking, a new en- trance and one way route to aid social distancing. The tea rooms are currently serving a takeaway menu including sand- wiches, cakes, cream teas and

happy times during difficult times.” Furzey Gardens, which is maintained with help from peo- ple with learning disabilities, is known for its collection of over 40 fairy doors, rustic thatched structures and informal wood- land planting. The trust said feedback from visitors of all ages showed they took solace in the peaceful, woodland garden during a par- ticularly difficult year. Having lost tens of thousands

Sirieix appeal as TV foodie Fred hits town

Bids fail for £160k Covid funding

because applications had not met strict criteria. In response to a question from Cllr Hilary Brand on how much of the pot had been shared out so far, cabinet member for eco- nomic development Cllr Michael Harris explained: “None of the applications have been eligible. “The reopening the high street grant is paid retrospec- tively, so the council must re- claim the money from central government once spending has been incurred. But the criteria is quite narrow.” Cllr Brand asked for further clarification on what this cash can be spent on. “Some guide-

lines for parish and district councillors would be really help- ful,” she said. Cllr Harris pointed out there was a link on NFDC’s website to a government site outlining the criteria. Speaking to the A&T after the meeting, Cllr Harris explained the cash was specifically to make high streets “safer”. “There are seven or eight vil- lage and town centres that will take advantage of this,” he said. “The money can be used for pavement markings, signage, barriers, additional parking – anything that makes centres look and be safe so shoppers can

feel confident and traders can get through these times.” He added: “There is no dead- line, and we are working closely with parish councils to get this money out. “We have an economy to sup- port, and this requires people to work and pay taxes and go shopping. But on the other hand there is a pressure to stop all economic activity – we are all trying to find a way through this dreadful dilemma.” For more information on cri- teria for accessing the fund, go to www.newforest.gov.uk/ ar t i c l e / 1436 / Pl ann i ng- Sup port-for-Businesses-reopening

girls, ‘Ooh la la!’ which made them laugh. “He asked for our Instagram account then posted a photo of his breakfast with the hashtag ‘delicious’ with a thumbs up emoji which was just amazing.” Fred Sirieix (right) in Lymington

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