From Our Files: Forest camping increase...skateboarder praise...derail threat
50 YEARS AGO
OVER the past few years, the sudden influx of campers to the New Forest campsites at bank holiday weekends has caused serious traffic hold-ups, frustrations and irritation to campers seeking camp accommodation, especially when the Forest campsites are full.
The Forestry Commission will as an experiment be operating over the spring bank holiday this weekend a major camper control and information service from the old airfield at Stoney Cross.
The Forestry Commission says the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserves will be providing comprehensive information and a control service for campers to seek accommodation.
In the 24-hour period the camping population will grow from 600 to 22,000.
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FOREIGN lightweight motorcycles will have to be purchased for Hampshire police use because, says the Chief Constable Sir Douglas Osmond in his annual report: “There is literally no satisfactory lightweight motorcycle suitable for police work and regrettably it will be necessary to purchase some foreign machines until such time as the British motor industry can provide the answer.”
The BSA 250 used by police forces has gone out of production, as has the Velocette.
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EIGHT-year-old Richard Butcher of Milford was happily playing soldiers with friends on a building site when the game ended in real life rescue with the arrival of police, ambulance and fire engines.
Richard was looking for a good vantage point from which to engage the enemy and slid into a three-foot drain pipe embedded in earth so that only his head and toy gun emerged from the opening.
A neighbour noticed his plight but when attempts were made to pull him free, he became more stuck. The battle ended with firemen manhandling the pipe out of the ground and pulling Richard through it.
25 YEARS AGO
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A 14-YEAR-OLD schoolboy has been praised by Milford-on-Sea Parish Council for his efforts to get a skateboard park for the village’s youngsters – but village bobby Keith Mitchell has been criticised for making “negative” comments about the proposal.
Mark Moon has phoned local councillors, attended council meetings, given a presentation and produced a petition with 40 signatures supporting the plan.
“It seems to me something that Milford badly requires,” said council chairman James Scobie who congratulated Mark on his work.
Mark has suggested the skatepark could go in the car park behind the Marine Cafe, but one councillor suggested it would be better near the bowling club at the seafront
But PC Mitchell suggested everyone should pay a visit to the skateboard park in New Milton saying: “We have all sorts of problems there, drugs, all sorts.
“You have to consider if you want it near your bowling green as you might find you haven’t got one.
“We won’t be able to be down there all the time.”
This prompted a resident to tell him: “As a mother of two teenage daughters, I am very discouraged and disheartened to hear you speak like that. Surely we need to be doing something positive for our young people.”
Dr Scobie told the police officer: “Milford is quite different to New Milton.”
Councillor Mel Kendal added: “I think 90% of our young people are good people and we can not not provide facilities because 10% are bad. I think Mark Moon is to be encouraged, if we had more youngsters like Mark Moon we would have less drug addicts.”
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THE mother of a 17-year-old who ended up partially paralysed after breaking his neck in three places has issued a stark warning about the dangers of diving into shallow water.
The boy was dramatically rescued from Lepe beach after diving into water that was just 2ft deep. He was rushed to Southampton Hospital where he is on a ventilator.
His mother said: “I don’t want anyone else to go through what we have, it has been devastating.”
Her son is able to move his arms, but not his legs and cannot speak. He broke his neck in three places and doctors do not know what his recovery will be.
His mother said: “I just want to put the warning out, because all it takes is one minute of not thinking.”
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A CONCRETE and metal obstruction placed on the railway track at Walkford could have derailed an 80mph train and led to a diesel leak and fire similar to last year’s Paddington crash which killed over 30 people.
The driver of the train spotted the obstruction near Holly Lane bridge but could not stop in time. Vandals had placed a concrete slab and a metal chair frame on the track.
The chair was forced under the train puncturing the diesel tank and shorting the electricity on the third rail. The train driver managed to plug the leak with a piece of wood which stopped the fire breaking out.
