Community

Buyers boost memorial fields project

a JUMBLe trail around Charlton Mackrell, near somerton, has raised more than £1,300 for a project to breathe new life into a community space in the village.

Buyers from as far afield as weymouth strolled around the village looking for bargains on more than 20 stalls set up outside homes and even the post office.

The event was organised by Project Charlton, a five-strong group of residents who are fundraising to improve play equipment for youngsters on the Memorial Field and working with the Community Hall Trust to create a new vibrant outdoor area – including a sensory garden – for all.

Lily King and Angela and Jordan Boobyer on their stall in Broad Street Four of the Project Charltons team (l:r) Andrea de Beker, Dawn Richards, Nina Gronw-Lewis and Jody Allen

Visitors were encouraged to buy trail maps in aid of Project Charlton whilst stallholders were asked to donate takings to the fundraising campaign Claire Church, a nurse, with her craft stall in Broad Street

Keen gardeners wanted

Peasedownst John’s new community centre is appealing for volunteers to help look after its outside spaces.

The Hive, located on Bath Road next to the village primary school, opened earlier this year and has proved to be a big hit with people living locally.

It’s home to the village’s Post office, community library and the new swallow Café.

Joy Fraser, chair of the management committee, said: “outside there are also plenty of opportunities to be creative with the space we have. as well as mowing and strimming, ideas already put forward include vegetable patches, small allotments, flower beds, raised beds, attractive seating areas and tree planting.

“what we are looking for is a group of volunteers who have a passion for gardening to come and get stuck in! The time requirement would be half a day a week or fortnight.”

Jumble trail for Norton food schemes

Two up-and-coming projects to offer food essentials to people facing hardship were amongst community organisations and charities to benefit from a jumble trail around Midsomer norton and the surrounding area.

The trail – featuring nearly 60 stalls – was organised by Kate Turner, who set up the Midsomer norton Community Pantry at the town’s Methodist church, with some of the proceeds going to the scheme.

Meanwhile, Kate’s friend Fi Cantillon has turned the front garden of her home in silver street into a community vegetable and salad area with raised beds and pallet growers for people to enjoy. Fi said: “we need to do more to encourage people to eat fresh food, especially those on low incomes. I wasn’t using the front garden at all and it complements the work that Kate is doing in providing tinned and packet essentials.

“People can come and pick what they need and can also help with the planting if they want.”

Fi and her family sold homemade cakes and games in aid of her Free Food for all scheme and the children’s charity BIBIC.

Sheila Baker ran a stall in aid of the Children’s Society and Cats Protection League Kate Turner at the pantry next to the Methodist church

Fi Cantillon in the front garden of her home in Silver Street

Couple bid farewell

GRaHaMand Johanna Brown have left Blagdon stores after 21 years, saying they have loved their time there but feel the time is right to move on.

They are pictured with their team amy, Karen, Becky, Gabe, Matt, Jane, aggi, Tom, Imy, neve and Ben.

They said: “The support they have given us and the village, especially at the height of the pandemic, has been amazing. we genuinely couldn't have done it without them.

“Thank you to our all our customers, whose support we never took for granted. we will miss the chats and the occasional rant (you know who you are!)

“on a personal note, thank you to all the amazing people in the village who have had such a positive influence on our children and made Blagdon such a special place to live. we know they will cherish their memories of Blagdon, as indeed we will.”

Blagdon stores is now run by amar dhillon and Laura Hancock, who are both experienced retailers, having run several convenience stores in the past.

Rotary’s Snowdon challenge

MeMBeRsof wrington Vale Rotary Club decided to do a sponsored walk up snowdon to help make up for fundraising lost through the pandemic. In the past 15 months the club’s limited resources have been directed almost exclusively at supporting local charities.

These have included the Cheddar Food Bank, weston Hospice, Macmillan support, north somerset People First, Banwell Buddies, weston speakability Group, the autism society, Valley arts, axbridge Men’s shed and the axbridge alzheimer singing Group.

But they have a long-standing association with dipshikha school in nepal which was destroyed by the 2015 earthquake. Through the shiva Charity they have funded a brick-making machine and rebuilding works to provide earthquake secure classrooms.

The school rebuilding is now well advanced but there were insufficient funds for a new toilet block at the school where some 50 children had access to only one toilet. so, it was decided to do the sponsored walk up snowdon to raise the £1,800 already committed. after setting off at the break of dawn, a small team from the club completed a long, gruelling walk to the summit of snowdon, a return trip of eight and a half miles and a climb of some 900 metres.

They hiked up the lesser-known route from Rhyd ddu – by no means the easiest path up the mountain.

Their fundraising total (with Gift aid) has now topped £2,400. The extra money will go towards providing a Reverse osmosis water filtration system at the school to provide clean safe drinking water for the children.

Details: find them on Facebook or call Ivor Metherell on 01761 462607 or Angie Biggs on 07790 400718.

Housing plans dropped

MendIPdistrict Council has withdrawn its plans for social housing in Frome because of objections from people living next to the proposed sites.

The Fair Homes Project proposed that up to 30 social rented homes be built across several, small plots across the town to meet the desperate need for homes. There are more than 500 households looking to find affordable housing in the town.

It says project members, Frome area Community Land Trust, selwood Housing Group and the council itself will continue to discuss the provision of much-needed social housing.

Project members have been discussing potential sites with local residents and have set up a website for feedback.

Details: selwoodhousing.com/fairhomesproject

Plant swap

THefirst Pensford Village Plant swap, held at the village allotments, was a great success, with more than 100 plants going to new homes.

Plant swap organiser, scarlett swallow, said: “we began a seed swap whatsapp group during the first lockdown, when it was as tricky to get hold of gardening supplies.

“The plant swap event was a natural progression for the group and it was lovely to put faces to names after so many months of whatsapp messages and leaving seed and plant packages on door steps!”

Hall gets a new lease of life

ConGResBURywar Memorial Hall is 101 years old this year and was showing its age until a group of dedicated volunteers got to work.

They have spent months during the pandemic tidying up the interior, painting most of the surfaces and fixing a number of roof leaks.

The floor has been sanded and they plan to install roof windows to let in natural light for the first time in many years.

It is a large site which includes a main hall, skittle alley, snooker room, club room and other associated facilities. From being a very popular venue in the 1980s the site was neglected until this year.

Volunteers say they are determined to bring it back to a condition which will encourage local organisations and clubs to consider using its facilities.

They say it is an exciting as well as a daunting project and they need all the help they can get.

a spokesman said: “If you are passing during late morning and Covid is a thing of the past, why not take a look inside to see what is going on. we do have a kettle and coffee at hand.

“The war Memorial Hall is not only a memorial but one of the village’s most important buildings. we have a duty to try to bring it back to a condition in which the residents of our village will feel that it is attractive to use.”

College racers

sTUdenTsat Frome College have received a donation of £5,000 from local quarry company, wainwright & Co for their school’s Greenpower racing team.

Their car called Footsprint is taking part in the engineering initiative to get more people interested in science, Technology, engineering and Maths subjects and careers.

Pictured (l to r) Dan Webber, co-head of science, Jack Haines, Luca King, Jack Norris, Joni Stoker, Josh Seviour, Ben Godman, Jamie Paterson, Summer Vowell, Andrei Bujor and principal, Emma Reynolds

Details: DWebber@fromecollege.org

Poignant service at Wells Cathedral

an evensong service at wells Cathedral celebrated both the centenary of the national Royal British Legion and the 100th anniversary of the wells branch.

Branch representatives from across somerset attended the service, which also saw legion standards decorating the nave. The branches included Frome, winford, Clevedon, Keynsham and Burnham-on-sea.

Guest of honour at the service was Brigadier david Godsal, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of somerset, and was also attended by Philip and Caroline welch, the mayor and mayoress of wells. Poignantly, it coincided with the 77th anniversary of the d-day landings.

The event was organised by derek Cooper, from the wells RBL branch, and was first mooted two years ago in a conversation with the dean of wells, the Very Rev dr John davis. derek said: “It was a vision I had at the time and I am delighted to see it come to fruition, especially as it coincided with the anniversary of the d-day landings.”

RBL Somerset county chairman Major (retired) Rob McDonald (left) with Aaron Cooper-Collett, chairman of the Wells branch

Wells branch stalwarts (l:r): president Robin Dowdeswell, standard bearer Janet Boyce, chairman Aaron Cooper-Collett and secretary Becky Cooper-Collett

Spreading the word

Wells mayor, Philip Welch, with u3a members

weLLsu3a, University of the Third age, had a stall at wells Market to celebrate national u3a day and to make the general public aware of the benefits of belonging to such an organisation.

The day was successful, recruiting several new members on the day and others taking away membership forms to join at a later date.

There was the recipe book on sale, compiled and illustrated by members of their tried and tested recipes and leaflets about the group were available.

There was a visit from the Mayor of wells, Philip welch, and the Town Crier, Len sweales, included a message in his cry to visit the stall.

Details: www.u3asites.org.uk/wells/home

Raising the roof

a PaVeMenTsale outside st Mary's Church in west Harptree raised £775, which will go towards roof repairs to the church.

The churchwardens said they would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way to the success of the sale.

Connie Hardwick and Damien Rochford serve Christopher Burt with his dog Biscuit

Life getting back to normal

CoMPTondando used to hold a monthly coffee morning in the village hall as a free community event for villagers to meet and catch up. Covid-19 put a stop to that, but this month a coffee morning was held outside on the millennium green with quite a large turnout. one of the organisers, Jenny davis, said: “It was our first since March last year and it was good to be back and see everyone again. "after a week of cold and rain the sun did shine on us for a while. we hope to resume our monthly coffee mornings back in the village hall once all restrictions are lifted."

They hope to start these on saturday, July 10th, from 10.30am–12 noon, and all villagers are invited along. The cakes and drinks are free, subsidised by the Compton dando Community association. apart from coffee mornings, st Mary’s Church’s popular Teas on sunday afternoons are due to start up again on July 4th, running through to the end of august, 3-5pm.

Summer walk followed by fish and chips

Pictured (l to r) Cheryl Taylor, Lillian Baker, Nita Wendover, Julia Young, Cynthia Holman, Jenny Harris, Dinah Read and Marion Mason

BIsHoPsutton and stowey wI have been able to resume their monthly walks after restrictions put a stop to them.

Members set up their walking group last october and it proved to be very popular, with walks to many interesting places, including smitham's Hill chimney in east Harptree and other local walks.

Their latest walk was to Chew Valley Lake, where they enjoyed fish and chips before setting back off home again. President, Jenny Harris, said: “we walked down leafy lanes erupting with cow parsley, germander, speedwell and campion, over the footbridge where a mother moorhen guarded her fluffy chicks with the tiniest wings and on past acres of buttercups gleaming so brightly on such a perfect sunny day –it must be the first day of summer?”

Vintage market’s delicious fundraiser

CaKes, jams and chutneys on sale at Castle Cary’s first vintage market of 2021 have helped raise further funds for the town’s all saints’ Church.

The church has been undergoing major repairs and renovations since an architect’s inspection in 2016 highlighted faults to the roof and masonry. at the same time, it was decided to renovate the interior to make it more suitable for community use.

Castle Cary has welcomed the Rev elisabeth Isted as the new priest-in-charge at all saints’.

Brian Hunter and Sarah Stringer on the All Saints’ stall in the Market House

Farewell to Dinah

dInaHRead, author, poet and painter, is leaving Bishop sutton to live with her daughter in nottingham. Mendip Times has been proud to print some of her lovely family stories of life in the Chew Valley before some of it was flooded to form the lake. as a child, dinah’s family were bombed out of their home near Bristol docks. as a teenager in 1946 she crewed a sailing boat before marrying nelson Read and moving to his family’s farm at whitehall, near Chew stoke. dinah remembers helping her husband to pull on a rope to deliver a calf when she was herself almost ready to give birth to her first child. “as heifer heaved I heaved with her!”

But whitehall was one of the farms that had to be lost to form the new reservoir in the early 1950s, so nelson began to sell farm machinery and dinah trained as a teacher. she taught for 25 years in deprived areas of south Bristol which “worked” with bringing up their four children. dinah has always written and painted, including beautiful poetry and short stories, many of them illustrated herself. she contributed to several local history books and a couple of Cds of stories in dialect. dinah’s second collection of poems “Long ago and Far away” was published as recently as 2017.

But now that she no longer has any family living nearby, dinah has decided that it is time to move again, to where she hopes to be able to walk with her daughter and her dogs and to do more painting: “a new lease of life is imminent”. we wish her well.

Voluntary groups receive top awards

The team from Active and In Touch

Two groups in somerset have been honoured with The Queen’s award for Voluntary service. active and In touch, a voluntary group based in Frome, provide an inclusive befriending service to combat isolation and loneliness. yFw Blood Bikes (yeovil Free wheelers eVs), is a 24hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year courier service providing invaluable support to hospitals and communities across somerset, dorset and devon.

Representatives of both active and In Touch and the yFw Blood Bikes will receive their awards and certificates from annie Maw, Lord Lieutenant of somerset, later this summer.

Mrs Maw said: “I am delighted that the work of both active and In Touch and the yeovil Freewheelers has been recognised in this way. It is a remarkable achievement and fully deserved. I very much hope that we will see more excellent groups nominated for the award in the future.”

They are two of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.

Farewell gift for Cameley leavers

LeaVeRsat Cameley Primary school have been given hoodies as farewell gifts before moving on to secondary school in september.

Head teacher, Hannah Maggs, said: “our children are now able to wear these hoodies in school until the end of the year, signifying the special year group they are working within.”

Market returns

Pictured last year (l to r) Pauline Parnell, Viv Tattershall, Jane James, Pete and Jenny Gully and Chris James

aLL saints Church, Publow hopes to resume its monthly coffee morning and market on saturday, July 3rd, 10-11.30am, after an absence of more than a year because of Covid.

It will be held in the church rather than Pensford Church Rooms, with home baking, preserves and books on sale, plus a Traidcraft and Fairtrade stall. admission is just 50p, which includes coffee and biscuit, in aid of church funds.

Details: Judith Hillman 01761 490324, Janet Smith 01761 490584 or Gillian Wookey 01761 490336

Pensford’s litter team

Some of the litter-pickers (l to r) Phil Jackson, Dom Lowe, Mike Daniels, Tracy Jones, Cedric Bamford, Elaine Davidson, Janet Bamford and Jon and Gail Lawrence

THeRe’snow a team of 30 litter-pickers at work in Pensford and nearby country lanes, with one or two people assigned to every stretch of road in the area.

For years, the village held litter-picking days a couple of times a year, collecting 20 or 30 sackfuls. one of the volunteers, dom Lowe, said:

“within weeks we would have to watch it start again then slowly accumulate until the next time. a year or so ago a handful of us decided to try something more proactive and get out more regularly to clear the eyesore every week or two and stop it building up.”

Clean Clutton

CHILdRen and some parents joined together to clean up Clutton as part of Keep Britain Tidy's Great British spring Clean. one of the organisers, Jenny Bush, said: “well done everyone and a special thanks to sean Fraser who did a double stint and went all along the main road.”

There are several volunteers who go out litter picking twice a year, but Covid delayed them this year.

Broadband gift

Pictured (l to r) John Dottridge, chairman, Tony Najdoski, Truespeed, Harriette Dottridge, secretary and Ian Collings

TRUesPeedhas provided Compton dando parish hall with free broadband under their pledge to support local communities. Truespeed’s Tony najdoski, presented a plaque to the committee for display in the hall.

Details: Bookings Ian Collings comptonhalluk@gmail.com 07836 2080998 www.compton-dando.org • www.truespeed.com

St. Hugh’s open for visitors

THe lovely chapel of st Hugh’s at Charterhouse is now open every sunday afternoon from 2-5pm, thanks to volunteers from churches in Blagdon, Ubley and Compton Martin.

It is an anglican church, dating back to 1908, and is a Grade 11 listed building. It is dedicated to Hugh of Lincoln and was built in 1908 by w.d.Caroe, on the initiative of the Rev Menzies Lambrick from a former welfare hall for the local lead miners.

The roof truss, screen, rood and altar are all made of carved whitened oak with fittings in the arts and Crafts style. The walls are rough brick and it has a tiled roof.

The vicar of st Hugh’s the Rev simon Lewis, said: “st Hugh’s is a small picturesque sacred space up in the Mendip Hills and many people stop at st Hugh’s as they walk this part of the Mendips, either as pilgrims or tourists.

“we have a growing vision for st Hugh’s, summed up in the phrase – The Little Church with a Big Heart.”

The chapel's interior

Quarry company takes centre stage

waInwRIGHTs quarry company, at stoke st Michael, stepped in to help volunteers at Frome Memorial Theatre after a major fault was discovered with the building’s electrical supply.

The theatre was warned that its 25-year-old mains cable was damaged and could fail at any time. The cable runs for 40-metres, much of it underground. The company’s Future Foundations scheme offered to supply a team to carry out the groundworks, which lasted three days. It took 17 of the team to lay the cable.

The theatre has been closed since the outbreak of the pandemic but was still facing costly outgoings before the fault was discovered. Humphrey Barnes, theatre trust chairman, said: “The Memorial Theatre runs a 100 Club and part of the funding was financed that way, so to those members and patrons who support our 100 Club: ‘thank you’. we also had a very generous anonymous donation that financed the rest of the project, for which we were extremely grateful.”

St Hugh's at Charterhouse

Volunteers Claire Lewis and Lella Fountaine

Survey backs Churchill Sports Centre

MendIP Villages Fitness working party got 1,900 responses to its survey about the future of Churchill sports centre, with 98 percent wanting to keep the centre open and 97 percent in favour of retaining the swimming pool.

It says talks between the working party, north somerset Council and other parties are ongoing and are progressing well, albeit slowly.

Its statement said: “we are all well aware of the importance of keeping a healthy mind and body through exercise and Covid has highlighted this more than ever. Leisure centres are crucial facilities in enabling us to achieve this.

“It is a fundamental and necessary skill that every child can swim 25 metres by the time they leave primary education. This emphasises the need for the Churchill sports Centre to retain its swimming pool.

“all parties are in agreement on these points and are working very hard to open the centre again for the rural villages. as soon as we have any further news we will, of course, let you know straight away.”

Details: hello@mendipvillagesfitness.co.uk

Drivers wanted

CHew Valley Community Transport scheme (CVCT) is appealing for drivers to take passengers to their medically related appointments. as hospitals and other clinics are now able to offer more face-to-face appointments it urgently needs more volunteer drivers to help people who do not have any other means of transport.

Details: 01275 333430 or email cvct.coordinator@gmail.com

Rewilding Chew –from garden to garden

RewILdChew, formed nearly a year ago, now has nearly 200 members around the Chew Valley, dedicated to bringing wildlife back to gardens.

It advocates growing plants for pollinators, no-dig gardening, peat-free or home-made compost, no chemicals, using organic seeds, seedlings and plants, letting grass grow and creating a wildlife pond. during the pandemic, contact was mostly digital or through Facebook, but they are now holding visits to members’ gardens. one of the “offshoots” of the garden by garden project is the installation of nesting boxes for swifts and bats.

Classic cars take the road to North Wales

noRTonRadstock Classic Vehicle Club staged its third fiveday run in four years. The trip was provisionally booked for June last year but Covid restrictions meant it was put on hold. The trip was organised by andrew and Lynn Hole, with accommodation at the Tyn y Cornel Hotel at Tywyn, snowdonia.

This year saw an increase to 19 cars, the oldest a 1949 MG TC and the newest classic, a 1994 Rover 216. The club meets on the second Thursday of the month in the evening at Radstock working Men’s Club.