From Our Files: Dense site for homes...troublesome horses...McDonald’s fight

Then and now (with St Barbe Museum + Art Gallery): Mew Langton & Co Ltd/The Coastal Bakery, Milford, circa 1940

The Coastal Bakery occupies the distinctive mock-Tudor building on the corner of Milford High Street and Milford Crescent.

In the 1930s this was an off-licence, operated by the Isle of Wight brewers Mew Langton & Co Limited, serving locals for more than three decades.

Jack Meffen managed the business, living with his wife Vera and their children in the flat above.

The shop remained an off-licence until at least the mid-1960s, before later transformations brought new life to the corner premises.

Today, as The Coastal Bakery, it continues the building’s tradition of local service – offering fresh bread and coffee where once beer and spirits were sold.

50 YEARS AGO

“Too long have we borrowed, lived on credit. The sad truth is that we have now reached the end. There is no quick solution, problems are very deep-rooted. What our resources must be channelled into is import save sing export effort, “

Speaking to the members of Christchurch Labour party at their annual dinner was Rt Hon the Lord Shepherd, Privy Seal, who continued: “Whatever our dream or aspirations there is little we can do until we build up our resources.”

* * * * *

Plans for the acquisition of 24 acres and the construction of 339 homes on that and other land owned by Christchurch Borough Council have been approved.

A density of 28 dwellings to the acre, proposed at Somerford Way, was queried by Councillor Stickley who said it was twice the density on the other sites.

But Councillor Jefferies replied that the buildings to be erected there were old people’s flatlets and that density had already been established there.

* * * * *

A New Milton woman who brought a ticket from a “student like person” was later found to have travelled to London with an invalid ticket.

The woman had bought the ticket for £1.50 dated July 18th and used it to travel on July 25th.

She was ordered to pay the £3.31 cost of a single fare to Waterloo and £5 court costs.

25 YEARS AGO

When Mrs Stella Bucksey became ill and went into Royal Marsden hospital in London, Britain’s leading cancer research hospital, she volunteered to be the subject of clinical trials, despite being warned this would probably hasten her demise.

She bravely explained: “I am going anyway, so I might as well do something useful.”

She had moved to Beaulieu from London where she became the highest paid lady at G.E.C.

* * * * *

A newly formed action group in Milford is calling on villagers to fight off developers.

The residents of Kivernell Road are incensed at moves to bulldoze historic Kivernell House and put up flats.

Keith Phillips, spokesman for the residents, said: “It will take the efforts of all Milford-on-Sea people to fight off these self-interested people.”

* * * * *

For the second week running New Milton fireman have been called out to assist a horse in trouble.

A gelding was stuck in a water-filled ditch in Wooton. Farmers used a tractor forklift and strops to keep the exhausted animal on its feet.

Fireman Pip Smith kept the horse’s head above water during the two-hour ordeal.

* * * * *

A planning decision which went against a fast food giant was hailed at the weekend as a “victory for people power”.

Waterside residents were jubilant after McDonald’s announced it no longer planned to build a drive-through restaurant on the Heath Garage site at Dibden Purlieu.

Twelve hundred villagers had signed petitions and 400 had sent written objections to the district council.

They said more litter, noise and traffic problems would result if McDonald’s got permission.