Brockenhurst is often voted the best and most beautiful village in Britain and lies at the heart of the New Forest. Surrounded by woodland with pretty streams. A place where wild ponies and donkeys roam freely. The busy village provides many fine shops, hotels and restaurants.

But what of its people and specifically those of note who lived here? Those who made our world?

For the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee it was suggested to have a blue plaque installed in the village. This would recognise Gordon Jacob who composed much of the music for the 1953 Coronation and lived in the village. But the plan stalled. This was in part because it was argued there should be more than one plaque. And no one else of note had ever lived here. That was the start of a voyage of discovery to find the hundred-plus notable people of Brockenhurst, past and present.

This book is a celebration of them. The doctor who invented the modern heart pacemaker or the inventor of the aircraft 'black box'; the pop impresario (whose house burned down); the Boer War hero who won the Victoria Cross; the lady explorer of central American jungles and the Commander who shaped modern policing. These and a hundred more all lived (or live) in Brockenhurst. Many helped shape the community we enjoy today. They shouldn’t be forgotten. Their stories are all different but equally fascinating.