New Milton Advertiser 30th Oct 2020

12 · Friday 30th October 2020

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News

Iconic firm to create jobs at old garage site

£1 MILLION REFURBISHMENT COMPLETED Osborne Lodge is a well-established family run care home situated within walking distance of New Milton town centre, GP surgeries and community centre Welcoming and friendly atmosphere All rooms have en suite facilities Choice of all meals Long term highly qualified staff Full range of activities RESPITE & DAY CARE FOR THE ELDERLY Are you looking after a loved one at home? Do you need a few hours to yourself? Or are you living alone in need of stimulating company? Have you had a fall and need to regain your confidence? We cater for clients wanting ongoing or short-term day care, or day care that can be called upon occasionally, whenever the need arises HALF AND FULL DAY CARE AVAILABLE Including lunch and activities (full day includes evening meal) Contact tel: 01425 618248 Email: enquiries@osbornelodge.co.uk www.osbornelodgecare.co.uk

Camping brand will relocate national hub to Lyndhurst

The Best Small Shops com- petition, run by the Independ- ent Retailers Confederation (IRC), celebrates independ- ent retailers on the UK’s high streets and the role they play in their local communities. IRC chair Mark Walmsley said this year had been “par- ticularly challenging” for small, independent retailers. “Many have come through to this point through innovation, quality of product and service, a commitment to serve their local communities and a large dose of determination.” “As more and more people have been forced to stay home and work from home, we have seen just how much we all val- ue local independent shops and want to see them not just sur- vive, but also thrive. “These shops offer choice, diversity and genuine custom- er service. And, after what has been a rather dark year, that has to be worth celebrating.” The winner will be announced next month. have acquired Pat’s Garage and bring Dormobile Ltd to the lo- cation it deserves. “Having grown up in the For- est it’s especially important for me to see how we can impact the local area positively, by cre- ating jobs and becoming part of the fabric of this community. “It’s a really exciting time for this iconic brand. Simply, there’s no better location than the magnificent New Forest for Dormobile to start this new chapter.” Recent years have been a far cry from Dormobile’s heyday of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s as part of the Kent-based Martin Wal- ter company and the birth of the first Dormobile-branded Bedford CA van ‘bedroom on wheels’. After unprecedented success, the tail end of the millennium saw a rapid decline in Dormo- bile’s fortunes with rising costs of raw materials, competition and the modern package holi- day leading to the factory’s clo- sure in 1994. Now, driven by the pandem- ic-driven staycations trend, the business is booming with de- mand for conversions and res- torations. Mr Sullivan said: “We are cus- todians of this great name and are determined to keep the leg- acy going.” Job applicants can contact Mr Sullivan on 07513 139875.

BY GLYNN WILLIAMS

A NEW Forest garage closed since May is to be transformed into the national hub for the revival of iconic camper van specialist Dormobile, creating at least a dozen new jobs. Pat’s Garage in Lyndhurst closed when Vauxhall dealer Picador vacated the site which has been a garage since 1936, ending fuel sales in the village. Now Dormobile Ltd, for decades Britain’s biggest camper van specialist, has spent more than £1mbuying the half-acre site in Romsey Road with 200sqm of showrooms and nearly 300sqm of workshops on a main artery through Lyndhurst. The workshops should be reopened within a month, with the business’s official launch early in the new year. Fuel sales will not be restarted, however. General manager Ant Sullivan said: “The brand has been a sleeping giant, and this freehold purchase gives us a blank canvas to transform it to use for camper van fabrications, classic renovations, sales and rentals.

Champagne celebrations for Dormobile’s Ant Sullivan, Paul Street and Sean Bolton. Inset, Pat’s Garage, which shut in May

“We are delighted to be in Lyndhurst, we want to be a pos- itive part of the Forest. “The local community can rest at ease that it isn’t going to be for housing but will bring trade and jobs to Lyndhurst as a camping Mecca. “We will be needing fabri- cators, mechanics, and those qualified in habitation work in- cluding gas and electrics.” The loss of Pat’s had been de- scribed in May as “another blow

for Lyndhurst” but this week parish council chair Cllr Chris Willsher gave the Dormobile news a cautious welcome He told the A&T: “We regret the loss of the petrol station which was a valued community asset. “We have yet to see the de- tailed plans. However, we wel- come the opportunity of new jobs coming to Lyndhurst and hope that the new owners will want to play a wider role in sup-

porting life in the village.” Mr Sullivan, who is running the company with director Paul Street and finance manager Sean Bolton, said it was ex- panding as it transferred from its temporary base at Alder- bury, near Salisbury, after some years at Mill Lane, Nursling, then SHB Romsey, after Mike Street bought the company in 1999. Paul Street told the A&T: “I am absolutely delighted to

Your Home from Home

www.quakerhouse.org.uk | reception@quakerhouse.org.uk

F ollowing the Quaker ethos of kindness, respect & friendship in our care, we welcome anyone to take up our services. Our aim is to make a real difference to the lives of the people who choose to join us at Quaker House.

We pride ourselves on putting you first, tailoring care to your specific needs and wishes, whilst continually promoting your independence. We offer a range of care, from short-term respite and reablement to extra care for those people who need more than their own carers can manage. Our staff have the heart and desire to provide a confident and competent service whilst also being highly trained professionals.

We have a ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (registered provider No. 1-101663819) and are a registered charity (number 1156022)

Business

Naked ambition to be best small shop

A NEW Forest nutritionist has a gut feeling that lifestyles need to change. Nikki Robertson, a registered holistic nutritionist from Mil- ford, said she focuses particu- larly on gut health when giving patients advice. She says she came across holistic nutrition “by accident” while investigating her own health issues as she was suffer- ing with an auto-immune dis- order, migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. “It’s different because it takes a pragmatic look at all areas in your life. For example, stress can hamper digestion and raise blood sugar so we would dis- cuss stress management as well as diet,” she said. “I find people are seeking nu- tritional advice because they A NEW Forest fabric shop has stitched together another branch in the area. Fordingbridge firm Created By You will be taking over Nico- la’s Fabrics in Lymington when the current owners retire at the end of the year. Created By You is owned and run by Kirsty Evans who has known Nicola and Clive from Nicola’s Fabrics for 10 years. “They encouraged me to open the shop in Fordingbridge in the first place,” she added. “I’m really excited about having two spaces and being able to help all the crafters out there. With both shops, I will be able to offer new and different types of stock to beginners and the more experienced quilters try to meet local demand for plastic-free shopping,” ex- plained owner Kathy Sirl. “Since opening, we have signed up to be community leaders for the Plastic Free New Milton initiative, have become a public collection point for the TerraCycle UK recycling schemes, raising money for our local hospice, and have set up a website with both local de- livery and click-and-collect op- tions and now offer a small refill station set up service in other stores.” And the shop’s service did not stop as the pandemic took hold. “During lockdown we asked for community help and were granted two national park rang- ers to assist us with deliveries,” added Kathy. “We offered a full takeaway menu from our coffee shop, with half price food and drink for key workers. “We eased out of lockdown with a serve-at-the-door ser- vice and built a patio area for

NEW Milton’s Naked Pantry is in the running to be named Britain’s Best Small Shop of 2020. The zero-waste grocery and coffee shop on Westcroft Parade has been shortlisted for the cov- eted prize having been open for only two years. The eco-friendly outlet in- vites shoppers to bring their own containers to refill with kitchen pantry items, house- hold cleaning products, person- al care items and toiletries, for example. Its coffee shop, which opened in January, serves locally made produce with no single-use ma- terial in its supply chain. The shop also offers space for com- munity workshops and class- es, and runs regular events for the community such as curry nights, charity quiz events, meetings and games nights. “We opened The Naked Pan-

We welcome families and friends at all times. Why not come and get to know us? You are very welcome to visit us for a day or stay for a short term before committing yourself to this major change in your life. You are equally welcome to move straight in and enjoy everyday life with us.

40-44 Barton Court Road, New Milton BH25 6NR reception@quakerhouse.org.uk | call 01425 617656

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outside seating for the coffee shop. “We are continuing our on- Naked Pantry owner Kathy Sirl

line services and deliveries and are assisting with starting a lo- cal producers’ market.”

We believe that a Care Home is a Home first and foremost…… And there’s no place like home.

Fabric shop sew good it’s expanding

and seamstresses.” Kirsty said that while this year has been hard for a lot of people, she had enjoyed helping many take up new hobbies or revisiting old ones. “Sewing is very calming and good for the soul. Since we have reopened, it’s been lovely catch- ing up with regulars and seeing what they have made during lockdown,” she said. Kirsty also offers classes for quilting, making blinds and sewing at Created By You, which will continue alongside the pottery painting studio which she installed when she opened in 2017. She said: “It’s been great seeing people coming back in for workshops, and the smaller

is no magic pill and looking for realistic preventative measures like holistic nutrition.” Born in Portsmouth and raised in Scotland, Nikki and her husband moved to the area in March from Canada – where she trained at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. She set up Nutrition With Nikki then but, like so many others, the pandemic brought matters to a halt. Now she is operating from clinics in Christchurch, Lym- ington and Lyndhurst, as well as offering home and online consultations. And Nikki is keen to foster an approach focusing on what we eat. “More than 70% of your im- mune system resides in your gut, and 70% of serotonin – the groups have been more inti- mate. Our workshops on how to make your own masks have been really popular and have given me new opportunities to bond with the local community, who perhaps had never consid- ered sewing as a hobby. “Now, I’m looking to get to know some of the faces on the other side of the Forest too as I split my team across the two sites.” Kirsty, along with her partner Nick, will be taking on new staff at both shops as part of the ex- pansion. Created By You won the 2020 Prestige business award for the south, and Nicola’s Fabrics was highly commended in the 2019 British Sewing Awards.

A re you feeling isolated? Do you or a loved one need company in a small,

friendly, family-run home, that is welcoming and engaging, where you can relax and be cared for with delicious home cooked meals, fun activities and trips out as the current situation permits. We provide respite, permanent or even care in your own home whichever care suits your needs. We have a GOOD rating by CQC and have been COVID free throughout the pandemic. We follow all government guidance to ensure that our residents are safe and well.

Kirsty Evans and her partner Nick

Nikki has food for thought on nutrition

Please call Alison or Kate on 01590 642121 for an informal chat, when we can talk through what care would suit you or your loved one best, there will be no obligation to take on the care if you feel that it is not right for you at this time.

happy hormone – comes from there,” she said. “The bacteria in your GI tract eat what you eat, so if you are feeding them sugar and junk foods, the bacteria that thrive on these will proliferate, taking up space of more beneficial bac- teria that could do good work, like communicating with your immune system. “Including a variety of fer- mented foods such as sauer- kraut or kombucha is a great way to introduce new microbes into your system, just by eating food. “For me it’s best summed up by a simple quote from Michael Pollan: ‘Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much’. Advice we could all follow quite easily.” Visit www.nutritionwithnikki. com

We look forward to hearing from you!

www.hillyfieldresthome.co.uk 01590 642121 • manager@hillyfieldresthome.co.uk

Nikki Robertson

are aware now more than ever they need to take responsibili- ty for their own health. We are waking up to the fact that there