From our Files: Cotton wool kids...homes’ prison view...stolen monkeys
50 YEARS AGO
A LAUNCHING party in London is being held for New Milton authoress Mrs Grace Foakes (78) to mark the publication of her second book of reminiscences of her London Dockland childhood.
“My Part of the River” tells of the hard life lived by her parents and of her own privations and marriage.
She described her childhood when children were often sewed into cotton wool, having to wear it all winter to keep warm, and when it came to spring it was “black and smelly”.
Despite the poverty of her childhood Grace says she “never worried then over the conditions as I saw them”.
“I along with the rest of the children were happy, noisy, cheeky and cheerful. We enjoyed life.
“People of that era knew how to make the best of every situation. “
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A DRIVER who parked too long in Lymington High Street was fined £3 when he appeared at Lymington Court on Monday.
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THE removal of a planning condition that there should be a wall surrounding the Bure Housing Association’s 84 bungalows and flats in Mudeford is to be sought by Highcliffe Citizens Association.
Colonel M. Menage, who first raised the matter referring to the colour of the yellow bricks, said anyone who was dropped from a helicopter and saw the development for the first time would think they were at a Foreign Legion station or a souk in Tunis.
The homes have been designed to let to those who are retired and whose capital is tied up in homes they have purchased which are too big for them.
Colonel Menage said their view will be “like one from a prison”.
25 YEARS AGO
THOUSANDS of volunteers took part in New Forest Pride Week, and they worked hard to collect 8,000 bags of litter.
Many strange things were found including a frozen turkey and a vacuum cleaner, which was viewed by many as highly appropriate.
The scheme, which was launched by TV personality Chris Packham, was a success but despite this, NFDC will still have to pay around £700,000 a year collecting litter by road sweeping and street cleaning.
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BOBBIES on the beat are not as effective at responding to 999 calls as officers in patrol cars, the head of New Forest police has warned.
Superintendent David Ball explained to members that Hampshire police were under pressure to deliver a service within the resources available.
“It's often imperative that police are in cars – and you will probably see fewer and fewer officers on foot.
“An officer on foot would be hard pushed to get to all the people who require his or her services,” he said.
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A PRIVATE members bill which would have ended fur farming in the UK, and which had cross-party support, has been talked out by three Conservative MPs.
The Fur Farming Prohibition Bill failed to complete the report stage on Friday in last week because of more than 30 amendments tabled by MPs.
A MORI poll commissioned by the RSPCA showed that 74% of British people support a ban on such farming.
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A 24-YEAR-OLD man denied receiving eight monkeys stolen from a house at Sway when he appeared at Southampton Crown Court.
The marmosets, said to be worth £4,000, belonged to Anthony Ward, of Middle Road.
The defendant from Downtown is alleged to have received the monkeys in December last year.
He entered a plea of not guilty and the case was adjourned.
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NEW Forest residents are being urged to sign a petition objecting to the Forest being turned into a national park.
The Commoners Defence Association, Commoning Protection Society, Animals Protection Society, Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, Stallion Syndicate and parish councils in Denny Lodge and Boldre want to show their opposition to the local authorities being given any more control over the Forest and weakening the existing protection.
However, various bodies have stressed their support for any new planning powers that would enable the councils to protect the fringe areas around the Forest.
“We should be seen by all the association members that are fighting to the bitter end, we want to be seen to go down fighting,” said Mike Cooper, chairman of the Commoners Defence Association.
