John Milhofer is our Membership Secretary.

Chance brought me to Broadstone in 1986. I had lived for 20 years in Burnham Beeches (between Slough,Windsor and Maidenhead) when my next door neighbour was granted planning permission to develop his garden into a small housing estate. (Other sold off their rear gardens to the developer-sounds familiar?)

Having decided to move away from the ever increasing noise of aircraft,but wishing to stay in the south,it seemed natural to explore the possibilities in a county where we had enjoyed several holidays.

It really was chance that a friend,who was also considering a move,passed over an estate agent's details of a property in Broadstone. We didn't buy that one,but the simple fact of moving out of the London computer zone meant that we could afford a property that we could only have dreamed of in South Bucks.

Somebody told me that if I was going to live in East Dorset,I should check out Ferndown,Parkstone and Broadstone Golf Clubs. Being in walking distance of one of Peter Alliss's top 100 courses meant that there was no contest: I joined Broadstone.

I still had 10 year's work in me. Fortune found me a warehouse on the Ferndown Industrial Estate where I plied my trade as a wholesaler of towing and trailer parts.

In 1993 I was persuaded to take over the advertising responsibilities of the Broadstone Residents'sAssociation.

1997 was a year that I remember fondly as it was then that I sold my business and retired. I was assured that in my retirement I would have ample time to combine the role of editor with my advertising duties. I carried out the dual role until 2007 when I did not seek reelection to the committee.

I still wanted to give back something to a community that had given me so much and for the last year I have tried to help a very worthy Chamber of Trade as membership secretary.