From our Files: Baby covered in nuts...Milford sea maggots...handcuff help
75 YEARS AGO
“YOU hear it constantly suggested we should go into the American camp or the Russian camp, but I am certain of one thing, and that is if peace is to preserved, if the British Empire is to be preserved and if Europe is to be preserved, then this country has got to stand independent on its own and rely on help from neither East nor West, apart from what may be possible among friends and allies.”
This declaration was made by Col. O. E. Crosthwaite-Eyre, MP for the New Forest and Christchurch Division, when he spoke to a Conservative rally at Sway on Saturday.
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A PROMPT dash into the sea by a young man and a young lady, both fully clothed, at Highcliffe beach on Sunday morning, resulted in the rescue of a girl who was in difficulties, and averted what might have been the first tragedy of the summer on this part of the coast.
About 11am, she went into the sea on her own and swam to a sandbank about 15 yards out.
She started to walk back, forgetting that there is a deep dip between the bank and the beach. Losing her foothold she found herself out of her depth and shouted for help before “going under.”
Mr Eric Bates, and Miss Cecilia Johnson, were on the beach, heard the girl’s cries, dashed to her assistance. They reached her in time, both of them got hold of her and Mr Bates brought her to the beach where she was able to be taken home.
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MRS LOUISA REEVE, Forty-four Park Avenue, Lymington was pushing her eight-month-old daughter, Janet, in a pram in St Thomas Street, Lymington, during shopping hours on Thursday morning, when part of a five tonne load of boiler nuts fell from a stationary lorry as she was passing and the child was buried shoulder high. She was extricated by her mother, PC Frogley and others, apparently none the worse for the incident except minor scratches and shock. Her mother took her into a nearby shop to wash her.
50 YEARS AGO
AN unpleasant surprise has been awaiting bathers in the sea at Milford during the last few days – for the swimmers have found themselves in the midst of masses of wriggling maggots. Many believed they came from sewage, and have considered it unsafe to go in the water. But on Wednesday a Ministry laboratory at Reading confirmed the opinion of local Chief Public Health Inspector, Mr J. G. Jenkins, with a preliminary report that the maggots came from a seaweed fly.
Mr Jenkins told the “A&T” that those who swam amongst them would come to no harm. “But aesthetically it is most objectionable,” he declared. Unhappily, however, he believes that nothing can be done about them. Cause of the trouble is the large amount of seaweed which has been washed ashore and under which the flies have laid their eggs. Recent very high tides have then swept the maggots out to sea to form large milky white patches.
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AFTER it had been drawn to their attention by the “A&T”, the post office has changed the placard in a public telephone kiosk in Lymington Road, opposite Highcliffe golf course, which identified its position for strangers making emergency calls. The placard now states that the kiosk is at the junction of Pine Crescent and Lymington Road, Highcliffe. What did it say before? For some unaccountable reason it declared “This telephone is at Mudeford Sandbank, near Christchurch”.
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HOPES that an alternative location for the civic amenity refuse tip at Pennington Marshes could be found, were expressed at a meeting of the S.W. Divisional Planning Committee.
Mr Maldwin Drummond told the meeting that the tip should be closed as soon as possible and that a recommendation to that effect should be made. There were not many places, he said, that had a tip in an area of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest.
25 YEARS AGO
ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD Luke Dyson had the unnerving experience of finding himself handcuffed in New Milton police station on Wednesday – as a voluntary prisoner! A couple of years ago he bought a pair of handcuffs at the Army & Navy Stores, adding a little realism to his ‘cops and robbers’ games. On arriving home from Milford village school on Wednesday afternoon, Luke once more fixed his wrists inside the handcuffs – and then couldn’t find the key to release himself! His mother Rowena joined in as they searched with no trace of the missing key.
Bundling the handcuffed lad in her car, she drove him to New Milton police station. None of their keys fitted, so the policemen sent a message to New Milton fire brigade: “We have an eleven-year-old boy that has walked in here. He has locked himself in a pair of handcuffs.” A bright red fire engine duly came wailing up to the police station – where young Luke looked decidedly apprehensive as the firemen introduced a huge pair of bolt cutters. “It took about five minutes to cut through, and it did hurt a little bit,” Luke said.
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RESIDENTS in Goose Green and Church Lane, Lyndhurst, are being made to “jump out of their skins” by the crashing noise from large lorries with empty crates, which regularly pass by every day and night, it was reported at the Residents’ Association meeting. Some are so concerned at the “loud frightening noises,” which cause properties to shake, that they are considering mounting a petition.
Retired police chief superintendent Mike Harland stated the cause in Goose Green was severe undulations in the road surface which, after receiving attention from the County Council, “are as bad again within a month.”
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MUDEFORD lifeboat dealt with engine failure and seasickness in two separate incidents last weekend.
On Saturday the inshore lifeboat was scrambled to Christchurch Bay at around 12.30pm to assist the 45ft yacht “Opportunity” where a female crew member was reported to have severe seasickness.
The casualty was evacuated from the yacht two miles off Hengistbury Head and taken to Mudeford lifeboat house where she made a full recovery.
