LYMINGTON AND PENNINGTON TOWN COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities include open spaces, play areas, sports and other facilities, allotments and some events

Lymington and Pennington Town Council is the first tier of local government serving approximately 15,000 local residents across both Lymington and Pennington.

The aim of every Town Council is to work towards improving community well being and providing better services at a local level. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve quality of life and community well being.

Through an extensive range of discretionary powers Lymington and Pennington Town Council provides and maintains a variety of important and visible local services. Their day to day responsibilities, maintenance and administration include:

Open Spaces

• Woodside Park, Rookes Lane, Lymington SO41 8FP
• Pennington Common, Ramley Road, Pennington SO41 8HF
• Chequers Green, Lymington S041 8AH
• Woodley Gardens, Alexandra Road, Lymington
• Forest Gate, Lymington
• Old Orchards, Lymington
• Meadowlands, Pennington
• Farnleys Mead, Lymington
• Vitre Gardens, Lymington
• Grove Gardens, Grove Road, Lymington SO41 3RF
• St Thomas Park, Lymington
• Priestlands Pond, Lymington

If you would like to apply to use the land at Woodside, Bath Road or Pennington Common for an event – please complete an Open Spaces form available from the council offices (call 02380 285893)

Play Areas

• Emsworth Road Play Area, Emsworth Road, Lymington SO41 9AW
• Deneside Copse Play Area, Deneside Copse, Pennington SO41 8JJ
• Howards Mead Play Area, Howards Mead, Pennington SO41 8GH
• Pennington Common Play Area, Ramley Road, Pennington SO41 8HF – to be completely refurbished summer 2017
• Woodside Park Play Area, Rookes Lane, Lymington SO41 8FP
• Woodside Park Skatepark, Rookes Lane, Lymington SO41 8FP
• Bath Road Play Area, Bath Road, Lymington SO41 3SE
• Lymington Meadows Play Area, Lower Buckland Road, Lymington SO41 9DH

Take a look at Lymington.com's article about Lymington's playgrounds (by 3 intrepid 'experts')

Sports Facilities

• Woodside Pavillion: Rugby, Cricket, Football, Croquet, Netball (Tennis Courts in Woodside Park have no charge but are on a first come/first serve basis). The pavillion underwent a complete refurbishment in 2016.
• Pennington Recreation Ground, Lodge Road, Lymington SO41 8HH (Football and Cricket)
• Lymington Sports Ground, Southampton Road, Lymington SO41 9AS (Football and Cricket) – an extensive £344,000 refurbishment programme is currently underway (spring 2017) and the Town Council has appointed contractor HH Drew to deliver the programme which once completed will provide new changing rooms and toilets plus improved disabled user facilities and an upgraded and extended clubroom. The scheme is being funded with grants from the Football Stadia Improvement Scheme and the ECB, plus developer contributions and Town Council resources.
• Lymington Bowls Club, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9PA
• Lymington Tennis Club, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9PA is owned but not run by the Town Council. Find out more about Lymington Tennis Club. 
• Petanque Court, Emsworth Road, Lymington SO41 3SE. Players meet on Tuesday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm. Newcomers are welcome and can be supplied with all the kit required. A social session takes place each Thursday from 6pm. If you would like to get involved, you are welcome to turn up at 2pm on Tuesdays or call Chris on 01202 425063 or 07968 486762 for more information. It is free for anyone to use during daylight hours.

Allotments

You need to live within the respective ward to apply for an allotment.

• Deneside Copse Allotments, Deneside Copse, Pennington SO41 8JJ
• Marsh Lane Allotments, March Lane, Lymington SO41 9EW
• Woodside Park Allotments, Rookes Lane, Lymington SO41 8FP

Other Facilities

• Band Stand, Bath Road, Lymington
• Lymington Sea Water Baths, Bath Road, Lymington. This is currently run by Lynx Management.
• Lymington Charter Market, High Street, Lymington (Saturdays only)
• War Memorials: Pennington, Walhampton and St Thomas Church in Lymington
• Clocks: St Thomas Church and Pennington
• Bus Shelters: Lymington and Pennington
• Woodside Public Conveniences, Rookes Lane, Lymington SO41 8FP
• Pavilions in Pennington and Woodside

Lymington & Pennington Town Council organises the following events

• Lymington Charter Market every Saturday
• Christmas in Lymington High Street (This year 24th November 2017 from 4pm to 8pm)
• Remembrance Day Parade (This year 12th November 2017)
• Italia Festival (July each year)

Other occasions including Fireworks, Donkey Derby etc. are organised by outside parties (such as the Rotary Club) who apply to use our Open Spaces for such events.

What the Town Council does NOT do

There is sometimes confusion about the responsibilities of the different councils in the region. The Town Council is NOT responsible for the following areas which are the responsibility of the respective authorities listed.

New Forest District Council is responsible for housing, council Tax, local planning, garden waste, benefits, car parking, road closures, recycling and waste collection. You can contact NFDC at: New Forest District Council, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9ZG. Tel: 02380 285000

Hampshire County Council is responsible for roads and footpaths, education, highways and strategic planning within the county. You can contact HCC at: Hampshire County Council, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UJ. Tel: 0300 555 1375

New Forest National Park Authority is responsible for trees and planning in the National Park. You can contact NFNPA at: New Forest National Park Authority, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9ZG. Tel: 01590 646600

Contact the Town Council

The Contact details for the office are:
Lymington and Pennington Town Council, Town Council Office, Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9ZG.
Tel. 01590 630830
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Updated 2020

CRGV (Alabama ROT) NOT JUST in the New Forest

Be vigilant and seek advice if your dog develops unexplained skin lesions. 

Updated January 2023

In recent years, you may have heard about a mystery dog illness that causes symptoms similar to Alabama Rot. The correct term for it is idiopathic Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV) - Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown.

The mystery illness is not limited to the New Forest; there have been a total of 191 confirmed cases across the UK since 2012. The first reports came out of the New Forest but it has also been confirmed in many different counties in the UK. Greater Manchester, Dorset, Devon and the New Forest in Hampshire have seen the highest number of cases. Dog owners are not currently advised to avoid any particular locations. Although an environmental cause for this disease is considered possible it has not been proven with testing to date.

In recent year more CRGV cases have been seen between November and May than between June and October, suggesting a possible Winter / Spring seasonality. CRGV has not been seen in animals other than dogs. Owners of dogs affected by CRGV have not been affected by this illness.

The advice for dog owners is still to be vigilant and to seek advice from their local vet if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions or sores. Although an environmental trigger for this disease is suspected, this has not been proven.

Click here for help recognising some of the signs and confirmed cases near your location

Click here to read latest news about Alabama Rot in the UK including Hampshire.

What is CRGV?

Alabama Rot is a disease that has been known about since the late 1980s in the USA, caused by a toxin released by E.coli bacteria.

CRGV has similar symptoms to Alabama Rot, it is a condition that causes acute kidney failure usually with concurrent skin wounds. Despite extensive testing the actual cause is still unknown. The disease does not appear to pass from dog to dog. It hasn't been seen in animals other than dogs and owners of dogs affected by CRGV have not been affected by this illness.

In a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph (March 2018), David Walker from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, said diagnosis could not be confirmed until the disease had spread to the kidneys as currently the disease cannot be diagnosed on the basis of blood tests.

What to look for

* Is there a wound, lesion or blister on your dog’s leg or face?

Affected dogs develop sores on their limbs usually below the elbow or knee. These can appear as swollen lumps that ulcerate or skin wounds. If you notice a wound, lesion or blister on your dog's leg or face, then you should seek veterinary attention. This may be hard to spot but you may notice your dog licking itself more than usual. Most lesions will not be caused by this condition.

Most of the time a skin problem will not be caused by CRGV; however, the sores in CRGV can be difficult to distinguish from cuts, wounds, stings or bites, so if in doubt it is better to seek advice from your vet. Even if the skin changes are caused by CRGV, many dogs will not develop kidney problems and will recover fully.

* Is your dog quiet, has it started vomiting or stopped eating?

Within 7 days dogs then start to vomit, lose their appetite and become tired. The kidney failure can be irreversible and lead to death.

A presumptive diagnosis is made on clinical signs. A definitive diagnosis requires post-mortem examination of kidneys and skin and can take 4-6 weeks to be confirmed.

If you are at all worried about your dog then visit your vet as soon as possible. Should your dog be affected then early recognition and aggressive management of the condition is likely to lead to the best outcome. 

Treatment

If your dog develops a skin lesion your vet will be able to advise you on the most appropriate treatment and will decide if your dog needs antibiotics and if the area needs covering. Some forms of painkiller (called non-steroidals) may be best avoided. Dogs developing kidney failure (acute kidney injury) will need much more intensive management and your vet may recommend referral to a specialist.

Advice about walking your dog in the New Forest

As the actual cause or trigger of the disease is unknown it is very difficult to give specific advice on prevention. Suggestions from The Dogs Trust include the following:

• Where possible stick to dry paths and keep your dog out of muddy or wet areas
• After a muddy New Forest walk, wash your dog thoroughly.
• Examine your dog after every walk for lesions or wounds and if you spot any go to your vet (this is also good practise to check for ticks)
• If your dog licks a specific place repeatedly check it for skin lesions. If you find anything that looks like a lesion go straight to the vet.

Remember:

Although the problem is being treated very seriously, many thousands of dogs are walked in the countryside every day and it is important to remember that only a very small number of dogs have been affected by CRGV.

Investigations into CRGV

Research into new diseases requires a lot of funding. This pays for the development of new diagnostic tests, investigation of the causes of the disease and ultimately the development of more effective treatments. The Alabama Rot Research Fund (ARRF) is a national charity aiming to raise awareness and funds for Alabama Rot (CRGV) research. The first CRGV conference took place in May 2017 to progress the ongoing research.

Locally, research has been supported with financial assistance from New Forest District Council, Forestry Commission, Bridge Pathology and Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists. A large amount of work has also been performed on a goodwill basis by interested scientists. To help facilitate further investigations into this disease, New Forest Dog Owners Group has set up a fund and collect donations. The fund will be opened with a donation of £2,000 from NFDOG and all contributions are welcome.

Heather Gould (Chairman of NFDOG) said, “Since the fund opened we have collected over £15,000 to help this research. Projects authorised have covered histology, microbiology toxicology, ricin intoxication and genetic faecal testing. A number of possibilities have been ruled out, but, as yet, nothing definite has been identified. This makes it really important that, while cases continue to occur over the country, this research should continue.”

You can donate via the NFDOG website at: www.newforestdog.org.uk/researchfund. 

Testing

Tests have been carried out on both the environment and the affected dogs. All of the more common, well-known causes of acute kidney failure were excluded in all of the dogs. Detailed further investigations have been performed on blood, urine, faeces and post mortem tissue. This has included bacterial (including e-coli), viral, and heavy metal testing, which has been negative.

Additionally, kidney tissue has been examined by a number of Veterinary pathologists and human nephropathologists (specialist kidney pathologists). Water testing for hazardous chemicals in the New Forest was also performed. Testing is ongoing and any significant results will be made available.

For more information about CRGV, visit the Anderson Moores website or the The Alabama Rot Research Fund (ARRF).

Donate now and help up stop Alabama Rot. To donate, visit http://www.arrf.co.uk/donate.html 

Published May 2017. Updated March 2018.

LYMINGTON'S Curious Arts Festival unveils exceptional 2017 line up

LOCAL LEGEND AND FESTIVAL FAVOURITE, JOHN ILLSLEY TO PERFORM AT CURIOUS ARTS FESTIVAL!

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that local legend and festival-favourite John Illsley, founding member and bass guitarist of Dire Straits, will be performing as a guest vocalist at this year’s Curious Arts Festival with the London Whoredogs on Saturday 22nd July. 

Mark Knopfler and John are the only founding members of Dire Straits to remain in the line up from 1977-1995 during which time they sold over 120 million albums. John Illsley has four solo albums and two live albums to his credit for more info go to www.johnillsley.com

If you've not already booked your tickets for Curious Arts then don't delay - day tickets are still available for adults and families and if you do fancy making a weekend of it, there remain a few weekend tickets - and camping is FREE!

Click here to book tickets!

FULL PROGRAMME for the 2017 festival

The Curious Arts Festival programme for the weekend has now been announced. Whether you are planning to camp (or glamp!) over for the weekend or can only make one of the days, take a look at the fantastic line-up, showing the music, literature, comedy, childrens events and other workshops and curiosities happening each day. This year's line up is truly brilliant, we're sure you'll agree!

Take a look at the 2017 Curious Arts Festival programme here!

Plan your days and book your tickets now! Weekend tickets and day tickets are still available - but are selling fast, so don't delay! 

Click here to book tickets!

Chapel Down and Curious Drinks official beer and wine supplier at Curious Arts

England’s leading winemaker, Chapel Down and Curious Drinks have become the Official Beer & Wine supplier of the Curious Arts Festival this summer. The Curious range of award-winning beers and cider, along with Chapel Down’s unbeatable range of sparkling and still wines, will be served at the main bars. The English wine producer will also be hosting a series of free wine and beer masterclasses throughout the weekend.

Chapel Down Group CEO, Frazer Thompson, said: “Britain is known as being a global hub of creativity and the Curious Arts Festival is a celebration of this. We are delighted to be supporting this glorious event and will be aiming to surprise and delight festival-goers throughout with the best of British drink from Curious Drinks and Chapel Down.”

Curious Arts Festival Director, Patrick Keogh, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Chapel Down and Curious Drinks to the Curious Arts Festival 2017. Our festival is a celebration of British eccentricity with a food and drink offering that is focused on quality, provenance and a sense of fun - and so Chapel Down and Curious Drinks represent a perfect partner for us.”

Seeking a curious forager!

The Curious Arts Team are seeking a forager (ideally who lives locally) for the festival as there are a number of authors who will be talking about foraging. If you can help, please contact the Curious Arts team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

POET-EXTRAORDINAIRE MURRAY LACHLAN YOUNG JOINS FANTASTIC CURIOUS LINE UP

Satirical soliloquy, rock-n-roll reverie and ditty comes to the New Forest with news that BBC 6 Music and Radio 4 regular Murray Lachlan Young will be performing his stunning new live 'up-close and personal' show – How Freakin’ Zeitgeist Are You? - at this year’s Curious Arts Festival.

A delightful romp into the bizarre facets of fame, fashion, people, politics, a mild erotic folk ballad and the space-time continuum, this is unique stand-up comedy/spoken word performance, from one of the very best in the business. Always topical, his show effortlessly addresses the way we live and our trying to make sense of society.

Murray is a playwright, actor, screen-writer and poet-extraodinaire who made his name in rock clubs and underground cabaret venues in London in the 1990s when he was signed to EMI. Celebrated for his hybrid mix of stand-up comedy with delightful commentaries on contemporary life, expect flamboyant, punchy wit, brooding subtext and empathetic humour.

We thoroughly recommend this local festival which really does have something for everyone; a delightful combination of music, literacy and art, for adults and children alike. 

Curious Arts Festival 21st-23rd July 2017

Now in its fourth year, the Curious Arts Festival is an eclectic boutique festival now firmly on the culturally-minded festival-goer’s calendar given its creative programming spanning music, literature, comedy and thought-provoking inspirational events. This year, Curious will be taking place between Friday 21st and Sunday 23rd July 2017. The festival is set in the glorious grounds of Pylewell Park near Lymington, home to the Hon David and Melanie Roper-Curzon. Positioned on the south coast in the New Forest with a large agricultural and sporting estate, the house sits majestically surrounded by traditionally laid out parkland with unrivalled panoramic views over the Solent along the South coast. The sea serves as a stunning backdrop to the grounds, which include 27 acres of pleasure gardens and a 15-acre lake.

This year's Curious Arts Festival is setting new standards for illuminating green field arts festivals. 

Renowned for attracting the cream of UK and international literary talent this unique festival offers a glittering array of the cultural, creative and curious including comedy, music and a packed children’s programme. From life drawing, midnight bat walks and cocktail masterclasses to snail racing, poetry workshops, pop up fine dining and even an opera and a cricket match no other festival offers anything like this dreamy, fun, eccentric and ultimately inimitable weekend. This year’s packed programme of events, activities and experiences will delight the Curious of all ages.

Curious partnership with Coda Music Trust

And the Curious Arts Festival is now reaching out further than ever before. The Festival announced recently a three year partnership with local music charity Coda Music Trust, which will see the festival supporting the charity until 2019. Coda Music Trust is an award-winning, innovative charity, based on the Dorset/Hampshire border, which uses music as a tool for personal and social change, often tackling issues of social deprivation, isolation, ill-health and disability. Find out more.

Paradise will not be lost at this year's Curious Arts Festival!

The line up for the Curious Arts Festival is looking increasingly exciting with more artists confirmed including headline music acts for Friday and Saturday nights Izzy Bizu and Tom Odell. At the launch event for this year's festival last weekend at Pylewell House it was also announced that following the success of last year's Sonnetathon, the epic poem in blank verse Paradise Lost has been selected this year and all who wish to try their reading aloud skills  in front of an audience are invited to participate.  It's looking likely that the pop up Choir will be back too - an amazing opportunity to create wonderful, uplifting sound together.  Camping beside the Solent shore is magical as is the whole of this unique weekend!

Read on for more details about the Curious Arts Festival attractions and headliners...

Book tickets for the 2017 Curious Arts Festival 

LYMINGTON'S BOUTIQUE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES KEY ATTRACTIONS AND HEADLINERS

The UK’s most illuminating and eclectic boutique festival has announced key headliners and attractions to this summer’s showcase. Headline music acts include Tom Odell and Izzy Bizu. Other highlights of the 2017 festival will include: 

• The legendary writer, film-maker and publisher Dave Eggers
• The People’s Poet Lemn Sissay
• The foremost chronicler of our emotional lives, Joanna Trollope
• Mock The Week’s hilarious Ed Byrne 

Read on for more details about the Curious Arts Festival attractions and headliners...

The Curious Arts MUSIC Line Up

Music headliners include stellar singer songwriter Tom Odell, Brit Critics Choice Award winner Izzy Bizu, and A&R man turned novelist, John Niven, will be taking to the stage with his new band featuring some extraordinary special guests, to be announced shortly.

The Solent-side music stages will also feature electro-soul act Seramic, Ibibio Sound Machine who blend Nigerian pop and British electronica, Icelandic musician Junius Meyvant, Brighton talent Martha Gunn, Time Out Rising Star Alex Francis with his emotive blend of rock and soul, hotly tipped Jordan Mackampa, 21-year old Irish singer songwriter Aine Cahill and dreamlike pop from Benedict Benjamin.

THE CURIOUS ARTS LITERARY LINE UP

We are delighted that romantic and historical novelist, Joanna Trollope OBE, will be at this year's festival. The outstanding 2017 literary line up also features multi award-winning American author, commentator, writer and editor Dave Eggers; extraordinary poet Lemm Sissay; Matt Haig (REASONS TO STAY ALIVE, A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS) on new book out in July called HOW TO STOP TIME; Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction winner Eimear McBride (A GIRL IS A HALF FORMED THING) on her new novel THE BOHEMIANS and James Stourton who will be discussing his book KENNETH CLARK, LIFE, ART AND CIVILISATION.

Other highlights will include internationally acclaimed British Indian novelist, Hari Kunzru, will be talking about his latest work WHITE TEARS; psychotherapist Phillippa Perry; Peter Dunne (THE FIFTY THINGS:LESSONS FOR WHEN YOU FEEL LOST); Ross Raisin;  American novelist, journalist and art critic Katie Kitamura (A SEPARATION); Jess Kidd (HIMSELF); Andrew O'Hagan (THE SECRET LIFE); Keggy Carew (DADLAND) and Chelsea Flower Show winning gardeners to the aristocracy and Prince Charles Julian and Isabel Bannerman.

THE CURIOUS ARTS COMEDY LINE UP

Comedy curated by Curious Comedy host and Radio 4 regular Simon Evans includes TV stars Ed Byrne and Paul Tonkinson; children’s favourite Howard Read; lightening-quick sketch group The Noise Next Door; the insanely talented Nat Luurtsema and accomplished comedian, jazz singer and actor Charlie Baker.

George Egg will be cooking up a three-course meal on hotel equipment in his comedy show Anarchist Cook; Daphna Baram will be exploring the world of alternative facts and expect long words and beautiful linguistic flourishes from Ivo Graham.

THE CURIOUS ARTS LINE UP FOR CHILDREN

Childrens’ events will include Breath of Life Puppetry workshops, a Jabberwocky Hunt, Ella Berthoud will be offering STORY CURES for children and their families and there will be a series of events with The Week Junior.

Join all of the above for illuminating adventures, lively literary chat, breakfast briefings on the day’s news, cartoon clubs, and a fine array of food providers, including a pop-up restaurant. And what other festival begins with a cricket match??

The Curious Arts Festival is a wonderful experience and goes from strength to strength each year. Be sure to book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Book your tickets now!

Tickets are now on sale at www.curiousartsfestival.com and booking is fulfilled by new festival partner Sky Tickets. Tickets are priced at £128 weekend adult, £300 weekend family, £23 weekend child (5-13), £55 day adult, £20 day child (5-13).

Check the website for availability of Early Bird Tickets.

Camping is FREE and GLAMPING options are now available.

New local specialist service for young people with autism and aspergers

Thursday 23rd March saw the launch of a specialist service for young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and associated conditions.

MindSenseAbility (MSA) is the shared vision of an Educational Specialist, Sandra Teal, an Occupational Therapist, Ros Urwin and a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr Fiona Macdiarmid who, together, have many years experience of working with young people with complex needs.

The directors invited families, young people and to celebrate the establishment of their new business. Beck Farm Studios provides therapy and consulting room space and a base for the business.

Visitors were able to view the premises, try out the occupational therapy sensory integration equipment and learn about the Directors’ vision for this new venture.

Families have struggled to get the help they need

In their respective work, Sandy, Ros and Fiona had all found that many young people with a diagnosis of ASD and their families struggled to get the help they needed through fragmented services. MSA tackles this problem by serving as a one stop shop; for young people and their families.

In a presentation to all those who had come to wish the new business well, Sandy, Ros and Fiona explained how their aim was to combine their expertise to guide individuals through the journey of assessment and intervention from start to finish.

Working together MSA provide the full range of therapeutic and educational approaches needed to help a young person move forward – back into education and to be able to participate in everyday life.

MindSenseAbility is based at Beck Farm, Sowley, near Lymington.  For more information visit the MindSenseAbility Website

Lymington festivities lighting up the way to Christmas.

Christmas Lights at Lymington's Late Night Shopping Evening. 

Did you miss the Christmas Lights and Late Night Shopping evening in Lymington on Friday 25 November? Fear not, intrepid local photographer, Steve Elson has taken some wonderful images - both on Friday evening and a quiet times since - which capture the spirit of Christmas in our lovely town....     

Do you have some great photos of Christmas lights in and around Lymington? Send them over to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll share them!

In the meantime, remember the Christmas Fair in Pennington this Friday evening...

Lymington Christmas Tree Festival 2016 is open!

In aid of the Cupola Appeal, at St Thomas Church from 9 - 13 December.

Last year, Daphne Johnston, Chair of the Friends had the fabulous idea of the Christmas Tree Festival in the church, to launch the St Thomas Cupola Appeal. The Festival was beautiful and was such a success that it's being repeated this Chrismas with more events taking place while it's on, over a longer weekend too.

This year's Festival is being opened on Friday morning  by the Robin Choir from Lymington Infant School (10-11.30am) - which based on last year will be FABULOUS and bring tears to many eyes!

It's then open to view (and take in the wonderful scent!) all day, then  from 10am on Saturday 10 December, from midday on Sunday 11 December, and from 10am on Monday 12 December and Tuesday 13 December.

This is the programme of events over the weekend:

Friday 9 th December:  Festival Open!  Robins Choir 10am; Refreshments

Saturday 10 th December: Festival open 10am Cantaras Ladies Choir 2.30pm; Refreshments

Saturday 10th December 7pm Concert “Joy from the World” - see full details here - and NB  wine will be served in the interval!

Sunday 11 th December: Sunday Services 8am – 12 noon Festival open 12 noon; Refreshments

Monday 12 th December Festival open 10am; Refreshments

Monday 12 December 14:30 - 16:30:  special event for people with dementia and their carers organised by Lymington Dementia Action Group. Tea, coffee, cakes and soft drinks will be provided by the church. A violin will be played amongst the trees by the wonderful lady who runs the sessions "Music for peple with dementia and their carers".  This will be very special - do spread the word and bring relatives, friends with dementia to enjoy an event especially for them.

Tuesday 13 th December Festival open 10am; Refreshments Festival closes 5pm

To whet your appetitie you can view the 2015 Christmas Tree Festival here, in all its splendour, with the Google SeeInside Tour which we made last year!  Then go and visit the real thing!

Lymington and Pennington success in South & South East in Bloom Awards 2016.

Woodside receives Gold Award and Pennington Common is Open Space of the Year!

Lymington & Pennington did 'blooming' well this summer by achieving the following coveted awards in the 'South and South East in Bloom' awards:

Pennington Common

Silver Gilt Award AND Commons/Open Space of the Year Award

Woodside Gardens

Gold Award

Lymington & Pennington Towns

Silver Gilt Award

St Thomas Churchyard

Silver Gilt Award

'South & South East in Bloom' is part of the 'Britain in Bloom' campaign where boroughs, communities, residents and businesses can work together to improve their environment.

The campaign aims to increase the number of people involved in gardening and horticulture and to see the standard maintained or rise wherever possible. It also strives to see improvement in how we care for our environment, including how we care for scarce resources such as water. It is also about how we come together as communities and make a contribution to the above by getting involved and making our neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities better places to live, work and visit.

It's easy to see why when we have such beauty to enjoy in our locality. Many thanks to Steve Elson for these wonderful images. And well done to all who have helped our town achieve these awards. 

Help Dan Snow move the Boldre Hoard back to Lymington.

#MakeItHappen appeal to display valuable collection of Roman coins at St Barbe Museum. 

Last week, well known TV historian, Dan Snow, launched a £30,000 appeal to ensure a valuable collection of Roman coins goes on show at St Barbe Museum in Lymington. Some are already at the award-winning St Barbe Museum but the others have been taken to the British Museum in London. 

Lymington treasure

In 2014, a metal detectorist discovered Roman coins buried in a field near Warborne Farm near the village of Boldre, 1.5 miles from the St Barbe Museum in Lymington. In total 1,608 third century coins were found in situ within a Romano-British pottery vessel. The coins date back to AD249 under the emperor Trebonianus Gallus. The latest coins show the face of Tacitus who was murdered in AD276. There are three very rare coins dating from the 12 week rule of Marius in AD269. The hoard has been defined as a treasure by the British Museum. The coins are known as 'radiates' because the of the crown of sun rays behind the heads.

The hoard is special to because it reveals more about the Roman past in the New Forest, effectively increasing evidence of Roman presence in the area, stretching further than previously though from the Roman Villa at Rockbourne near Fordingbridge. Other local finds include 7,700 coins dug up at Rockbourne, 600 coins found in Cadnam in the 1980s, with other smaller finds near Ashurst and Fawley. Many of these other collections have been broken up, kept privately or sold. St Barbe Museum is determined to keep this latest treasure local and on public display. 

"This hoard is one of the most exciting archeological discoveries in the New Forest in recent history," said Dan Snow, who lives in the New Forest. "The coins were buried 2,000 years ago, possibly for safe keeping. Whoever buried them either forgot about them or never came back to collect them, which is lucky for us. It belongs here for us all to enjoy and admire, and is part of our local story - I hope it remains so. We want them to stay in the New Forest so that everyone can see them."

St Barbe has the opportunity to purchase the hoard and bring it back to Lymington for everyone in the local community to enjoy. The Boldre Hoard #MakeItHappen fundraising campaign aims to secure display at St Barbe Museum telling the story of the treasure, which is today worth an estimated £7,000. In this way the hoard can be easily enjoyed and viewed by the people of the local area. A St Barbe spokesman warned that the coins would either be sold or kept in storage in London unless the appeal succeeded.

#MakeItHappen the Boldre Hoard appeal

St Barbe Museum needs to raise tens of thousands of pounds to buy the whole collection and put it on display to the public. The campaign to raise the funds required was launched on Wednesday 19 October. During the day, children from William Gilpin Primary School and Our Lady and St Joseph Primary School visited Warborne Farm. They dressed as Romans, met Dan and found out more about the coins and their local history through a range of activities.

That same evening, a launch event took place at Lymington Baptist Church in New Street, opposite St Barbe Museum. 150 people attended the event, where Dan Snow and Dr Louise Revell, Roman History expert, answered questions about the Boldre Hoard. Over £5,000 was raised in pledges during the evening. St Barbe is also grateful that the following grants have just been confirmed: £3,650 from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and £2,750 from the Headley Trust.

Please donate today and help bring this Roman treasure home.

"We are delighted that Dan Snow is spearheading our campaign to bring the Boldre Hoard back to Lymington," said Mark Tomlinson, director at St Barbe Museum. "Please give generously so that we can preserve the coins and put them on display. They will be a highlight of our newly-refurbished museum when it reopens in 2017."

Why was the Boldre Hoard buried?

It is a mystery why the Roman coins were buried all those years ago. There are a number of theories. One theory, outlined in the A&T, is that the political turmoil that convulsed the Roman Empire in the third century (reflected by the number of coins during that period) may have reached as far as the New Forest, perhaps forcing the owner of the coins to bury his treasure and flee. Other theories include owners hiding their wealth or covering up a theft.

Another, less dramatic suggestion from Dr Louise Revell, was that the coins plummeting value at the time and minimal silver content at the time meant they may have been forgotten as Roman 'loose change.'

Carers shortlisted for prestigious national awards.

Lymington's Colten Care has second biggest number of finalists across all UK care home providers.

Five team members at Lymington-based care home provider, Colten Care, have been shortlisted for prestigious national awards. The colleagues have seen off the challenge of hundreds of entries to become finalists in two separate sets of accolades.

Vying for contention in different categories at the National Care Awards are Lindsay Rees, group-wide Care Operations Manager; Janie Pearman, Home Manager at Belmore Lodge in Lymington; Carol Clapcott, Domestic Supervisor at The Aldbury in Poole and David Jaques, Chef at Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst. More than 400 nominations were submitted and Colten Care has the second biggest number of finalists across all UK care home providers. At the same time, Megan Austin, a Carer at The Aldbury, is a finalist at the National Dementia Care Awards in the category of Care Personality.

A holistic approach to care

'Care' in a Colten home includes many other integral services alongside that provided by the nurses and healthcare assistants. Chefs, waiting staff, maintenance teams, gardeners, companions - to name just a few of the 'care' team -  are all supported by professional central teams. They provide additional expertise and resource to underpin each home’s community of care. Specialist roles don’t tend to present themselves to residents individually. Instead, they complement each other every day to influence the overall standard of care a person receives.​

The whole team at Colten Care homes work together to provide the highest level of care to residents. Mark Aitchison, Colten Care’s Chief Executive, said: “On a daily basis, our whole team tries to exemplify everything that high-quality, person-centred care is all about. David’s nomination is a prime example. He has worked with us for 23 years providing delicious meals but his biggest challenge came when the Woodpeckers kitchen was closed for six weeks for a total refurbishment and he had to use a mobile kitchen.

“At the same time the local village church kitchen was closed for refurbishment and David was asked to provide tea and cakes daily for six weeks. So on top of providing three home cooked meals for 40 of our residents, he made tea and baked homemade cakes for another 25 local parishioners. He took it all in his stride.”

Mark added: “We are naturally thrilled that, as finalists, David, Lindsay, Janie, Carol and Megan are all being recognised externally for their work. We wish them the very best of luck on their awards nights.” 

Colten Care already has a track record of award success including two winning team members at the National Care Awards in the past two years.

Individual homes have also won care, architecture and gardening awards while the management team was previously a winner at the Hampshire Business Awards.

Winners of this year’s National Care Awards are due to be announced at a gala night at the Hilton London Metropole on 25 November. Winners of the National Dementia Care Awards will be revealed at the Brighton Centre on 3 November.

Save Efford Recycling Centre!

Efford Recycling Centre is threatened with partial closure

Are you aware that Hampshire County Council is proposing to drastically reduce the access to the Efford recycling centre?

We have been informed that Hampshire County Council plans to reduce access to public recycling sites across the county, and in particular our local Efford facility.

It's a lovely view,  but we'd rather not queue - any longer than we already do!!

Our local Council is asking those who are willing to do so, to make the County Council aware of our views via email because, whether we personally use this centre or not, it is likely that the changes will affect all of us.

What you need to know before you email - the facts

• from 1st October this year it is proposed to open Efford at 11am (instead of 8.30am) and close at 4pm (rather than at sunset) except for Thursdays when it will not open at all.
• opening will be reduced from 45 hours to 29 hours per week
• average waiting time is currently 15 minutes but will only increase with shorter hours
• an average of 60 cars every hour visit this popular recycling centre so traffic will increase during opening hours
• there are plans for a possible 1100 new homes in Lymington and Pennington in the next few years so capacity needs increasing, not decreasing
• limiting the access to legal recycling increases the likelihood of illegal fly-tipping in the general area

This change is entirely due to a desire to save money. Whilst the necessity of that can be understood, a nominal charge of say £1 per visit levied on all Hampshire's 20 sites would more than meet the savings made through these reductions. This would unfortunately require a change in the law first, but it is clear that such a change would be of continuing benefit going forward.

Our Council urges us to consider taking the time to click This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at Hampshire County Council and let him know what we think.

Please pass this information on to others even if you are not directly affected by this decision.

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.