New Milton Advertiser 4th Dec 2020

Friday 4th December 2020 · 11 News

news@adt.press · advertising@adt.press · 01425 613384

‘Grinch’ thieves raid town festive display

Doorstep debit card request POLICE were alerted after a man called at an elderly woman’s home and asked to borrow her debit card. The pensioner answered the door of her property in Shirley Road, Bransgore, to the young caller who made the suspicious request shortly before 8pm last Tuesday. She refused and shut the door. A Hampshire police spokesperson said officers provided her with advice about potential scams and fraudulent activity. Zoom ban sees police absent POLICE will be temporarily absent from Ringwood Town Council online meetings as the Hampshire force will not allow officers to use the Zoom platform. The town council has had problems using the Microsoft Teams programme, which is preferred by the constab- ulary. Until an alternative platform is found, members will have to find other ways of engaging with officers who at- tend a council meeting once a month to provide updates.

BY CAROLYN GRIFFITH CCTV hope as lights are targeted for the second year running THIEVES have stolen Christ- mas lights equipment in Totton for the second year in a row. Volunteers from the town’s Christmas lights committee were checking the fixtures on the town’s main roundabout on Saturday morning ahead of the switch-on when they discov- ered electrical cables had been stolen. Totton and Eling town coun- cillor Neville Penman, who is also a member of the lights committee, wrote on Facebook: “Someone has cut the wires on the boards and stolen leads from the stars. “We do have CCTV on the roundabout so I am going to see if New Forest District Coun- cil can help but, we now have to go out and buy more cables, lights and fittings.” He added: “This year has been hard to raise money but it is the hard work that volunteers put in and the help we get that makes all of it worthwhile for the residents – and especially this year, with the virus, we are

Audrey celebrating her milestone birthday

Audrey with her late husband Ray on their wedding day

Audrey hits her 100th with a virtual party

THE 100th birthday of Bar- ton resident Audrey Miles was marked with an online Zoom party and slap-up meal of dressed crab. Audrey’s daughter, Gill Thomas, said they had hoped to celebrate with family and friends, but lockdown restric- tions put paid to that so, in true pandemic style, a surprise virtual party was thrown in- stead. Audrey also enjoyed a special lunch with Gill and her part- ner Nigel, along with grandson Lewys (23). “Mum has always been very active, and until well into her 90s continued to play soft tennis and do keep-fit,” said Gill. Audrey was born in Wembley on 27th November 1920. The second child of Hilda and Syd-

ney Lane, she had an older sis- ter, Margaret, known as Peggy, and younger brother Alan. At the age of 19, she married George, known as Ray, a friend of her sister Peggy’s husband, and the couple moved to Faw- ley. After the Second World War, he and Audrey lived in a cara- van in Sway until they were able to buy their first home. They later moved to Barton where Audrey ran a small hab- erdashery business, and in 1958 had their first child, Gill. Two years after Ray’s death in 1987, Audrey moved to a smaller bungalow in Barton where she still lives. Asked the secret to a long life, Audrey said “staying ac- tive” and keeping up with hob- bies like sailing. Audrey has two grandsons, Lewys and Christo- pher (28).

Neville Penman (inset) said the theft of cables from Totton’s Christmas lights was disheartening

raged at the latest theft, with one commenting online: “Some- body is being like the Grinch. “I hope whoever has been stealing gets caught and pun- ished.” Another added: “99.9% of the people of Totton really appreci- ate all of your hard work trying to spread a bit of joy to every- one in what has been a depress- ing year. It’s such a shame that the odd few spoil it for everyone else.”

A fundraiser set up earlier this year to pay for the upkeep of the lights and a new artificial Christmas tree for the town has so far raised £810. Todonatevisitwww.justgiving .com/crowdfunding/xmas-lights

trying to brighten everyone’s Christmas and this happens, just like last year. “It is so disheartening, be- fore we even finish putting everything up.” As reported in the A&T, last November thieves took two large, star-shaped motifs which had been left at the base of a lamppost in Commercial Road ahead of volunteers installing them later that morning. Residents have been out-

Christmas & New Year advertising deadlines

Friday 18 th December edition  Display: 5pm Monday 14 th December

Plea to stay local and save town’s struggling shops

 Classified: 10.30amWednesday 16 th December  Family Announcements: 12noon Wednesday 16 th December  Death notices : 5pmWednesday 16 th December Friday 24th December edition  Display: 5pm Friday 18 th December  Classified: 3pm Monday 21 st December  Family Announcements: 3pm Tuesday 22 nd December  Death notices: 5pm Tuesday 22 nd December Friday 31st December edition

SHOPPERS are being en- couraged to “think local” this Christmas by supporting retail- ers in Lymington rather than going online. Civic group the Lymington Society has relaunched its “shop local, save shops” appeal as non-essential retailers re- opened on Wednesday follow- ing the second England lock- down. Describing the “terrible toll” the month-long closure had on town traders, society spokes- person Don Mackenzie said: “Major chains with a presence in the town have been hit bad- ly, with the likelihood that the town will lose several more shops as well as those already closed.” Four large banners promot- ing the message have been dis- played at key locations in the town and posters are being dis- tributed to shops and commu- nity facilities. Dr Mackenzie continued: “Under the new slogan ‘Shop local, save shops, support Lym- ington this Christmas’, the soci- ety would like everyone to think about keeping their shopping pounds in Lymington to sup-

 Display: 10am Tuesday 29 th December  Classified: 3pm Tuesday 29 th December

 Family Announcements: 3pm Tuesday 29 th December  Death notices: 9.45amWednesday 30 th December

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WALK THROUGH THE FESTIVE LODge AND WAVE TO FATHER CHRISTMAS!

Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday throughout December (plus 22 nd & 23 rd Dec)* *opening dates subject to Government lockdown policy.

Full schedule of animal activities throughout the day. Tel. 023 8029 2837 See website for more details & Booking - www.longdownfarm.co.uk

Lymington mayor Cllr Anne Corbridge with Donald Mackenzie and Pam Morrissey of the Lymington Society

port retailers and jobs locally and help boost the local econ- omy.” The message to residents is to “think before they click” and try to do as much of their festive shopping on the High Street rather than online. Dr Mackenzie added: “Whilst shopping on the web has its place, there’s nothing to beat shopping in your own town where amazing, exciting and different things can be found

from local retailers. “You can also get a coffee or a bite to eat and you’re bound to meet someone you know and have a quick catch up – you can’t do that online in the same way. “There is also the wonder- ful Lymington market, with its friendly stallholders and ex- citing stalls with an amazing range of local and artisan items that you simply can’t get on the web.”

NU R S E R I E S Shallowmead Est.1947

Purchase your Christmas tree and turkey here or online: www.shallowmeadonlineshop.co.uk. You can also reserve all your food for your Christmas meal.

Visit our Farm Shop for a range of local produce or shop online using the website above. We offer free home delivery on online orders over £20.

We’ve got a range of winter bedding plants available at the nursery as well as gift options for Christmas. All of which are available to purchase here or online.

Shallowmead Nurseries, Boldre Lane, Lymington, S041 8PA Opening Times: 9am - 4pm, Sundays 10am - 4pm 01590 672550 | mail@shallowmead.co.uk | www.shallowmead.co.uk