From Our Files: Free drinks, glasses extra...bomb death...kettle collection
Then & Now (with St Barbe Museum + Art Gallery): Fred Keeping Motors, Milford, circa 1910
At the turn of the 20th century, the site on Milford’s High Street was home to Fred Keeping Motors, a bustling hub of early motoring where locals brought their new automobiles for fuel and repairs.
Next door was Milford Dining and Tea Rooms, welcoming visitors with home-cooked meals and seaside charm.
Over the decades, the village evolved, and so did its buildings. By 2025, the same location houses Hayward Fox Estate Agents, Ray’s Italian Kitchen and Neat hair salon. ‘The Garage’ still offers MOTs, servicing, tyres and repairs from the adjoining premises.
50 YEARS AGO
A Lymington man’s “answer to the licensing law” to give drink away and charge a rental for the glasses after he was refused a justice’s licence to sell alcohol at the buffet at Brockenhurst rails station resulted in his appearance at Lymington Magistrates.
He was convicted of selling alcohol without a licence despite telling magistrates he was “exercising his rights as a full blooded Englishman to make a decent and honest living.”
He was arrested after two undercover policemen were charged 38 pence for two glasses of lager and lime.
They had entered a door saying “Doubles Bar” where another notice said that the “drinks were free and only a rental charge was made for glasses.”
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Was a former Barton man in the process of stealing a package in Piccadilly last week when a 5lb gelignite bomb it contained blew him up?
Graham Tuck, 23, was a “shirtless young drifter” and “small time crook”.
He may have been following the person carrying the parcel and so went to his death.
Tuck worked in Barton until two years ago. He has been ruled out by the police as having any involvement in bombing.
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When police were called to traffic accident in Matchams Lane the driver of the car volunteered that he was driving without insurance, driving licence and that two tyres were bald.
He told the officers “There’s no point bulls***ting about it, so you might as well know.”
He was fined a total of £75.33 at Christchurch magistrates court.
25 YEARS AGO
Christchurch Chamber of Trade has called for an assessment of the town centre traffic scheme due to be implemented shortly, to avoid a repeat of the Stoney Lane roundabout fiasco.
The scheme involves the introduction of traffic lights to reduce traffic going through the High Street and the improvement of pedestrian safety through widening the foot paths.
The chamber has never been keen to see traffic lights fearing they would hit business but did prefer them to the previous plan for a one way system.
It said that as the same Dorset County Council were responsible for the Stoney Lane roundabout and the problems that had been experienced there, they were calling into question “the judgement of these experts on whom the council are now putting total reliance”.
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A new taxi sharing scheme in Lyndhurst and Fordingbridge could end social isolation in the rural Forest villages.
Passengers can be picked up from their homes in one journey and driven to Fordingbridge for the evening.
The taxi, or minibus, will be arrive in Fordingbridge at 7.30pm and leave at 11.40pm.
The taxi shares costs £2 return. The Lyndhurst scheme is for residents around it including Minstead, Firtham and Emery Down.
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New Forest residents have been collecting free power-sharing kettles which could save them £10 a year on their electric bills.
The kettles have a gauge showing the water level so no electricity is wasted boiling water that is not needed.
They are being distributed by the district council.