Internet and Crossword

Market moves as town centre is “transformed”

Cidermaker Alan Stone – a regular stallholder – serves a customer

SHEPTON Mallet’s weekly Friday market has relocated to part of a car park whilst the first phase of a £300,000 project to enhance the town centre is carried out.

The Market Place and Town Street are being resurfaced to improve their appearance. Work should be completed by June when work to re-modernise the library – also in the Market Place – is also due to end. Businesses in the area remain open.

The project is jointly funded by Somerset County Council, Mendip District Council and Shepton Mallet Town Council and is being managed by the county council.

Whilst work goes on, the market has moved to nearby Great Ostry car park.

Royal funeral duties for Toby

A FORMER Shepton Mallet Air Cadet was a member of the guard of honour at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh. Senior Aircraftsman Toby Stratford, whose family still lives in the town, is part of the RAF Queens Colour Squadron and was guarding St James’ Palace when news of the duke’s death was announced. Toby was selected as one of the 70 RAF personnel to represent the service on parade at Windsor Castle Toby is currently a member and took his place as a member of of the RAF Queens Colour the guard of honour in the Inner Squadron Quadrangle.

Toby joined 1182 (Shepton Mallet)RAF Air Cadets aged 13. He particularly enjoyed the ceremonial aspects of the training and progressed to be the Squadron Standard Bearer at ceremonial parades including the Shepton Mallet Remembrance Day services.

The former St Paul’s Junior School and Whitstone Academy student joined the Royal Air Force in January 2019. He is becoming a service helper to visit and support the Shepton Mallet cadets and provide an insight into life in the RAF.

Toby’s grandfather Flt Lt John Stratford DFC was a Lancaster pilot with 166 Squadron during WWII. Toby’s father, Peter, served in the Royal Navy for 20 years.

Charter fair cancelled for another year

A previous charter fair in Wells

WHAT should have been the 820th Wells May Charter Fair will not be held this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Wells City Council says Mendip District Council was unable to give permission for a road closure order for the Market Square. The fair would have seen the 30th anniversary of the civic opening of the fair and lunch at the Swan Hotel. Instead, the city council and fair operators Shaun Rogers say they will pull out all the stops to offer Wells something special if the event can go ahead next year.

Richard Green, co-ordinator for the city council and the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, said: “We are not alone this year; the likes of Helston, Torrington and even Hereford, who were to celebrate their 900th anniversary, will all have to wait another year for their charter fair events.”

Protecting dogs from thieves

A NEWgroup which aims to prevent dog theft has been established in our area, following an increase in dog thefts nationally during the pandemic. Marianne Streather has volunteered to run a group for the national DogHorn campaign in the Chew Valley and already has nearly 300 people signed up on their Facebook Marianne Streather with her rescue dog Lucy and WattsApp groups. She said: “This campaign aims to build support networks for local communities to share information on dog thefts, advise people how to keep themselves and their dogs safe and assist in sightings of thieves/vehicles in the event of a theft taking place.

“There’s a lot of fear in the dog walking community. We want to build a protective community that makes people safe to get out walking their dogs.”

A software developer and designer with Rolls-Royce, she lives with husband, Jason, a cycle coach, and son Reggie, aged three, on a farm at Norton Malreward.

The organic beef farm is owned by her parents Jill and Paul Britten and is run by her sister Fiona Penfold.

Long Ashton war memorial dedication and unveiling

LLs cadet, Bethany Scott, releasing the Union Flag for Mrs Maw The finished memorial

Long Ashton residents had planned to welcome the Princess Royal back to the village when she was due to unveil their new war memorial on Monday, April 12th, 80 years to the day from when the Mill Cottages were bombed, killing five of the inhabitants.

Sadly, and understandably, she had to cancel late on the Sunday night following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. Annie Maw, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, was kind enough to attend and unveil the new memorial for them.

A socially spaced group of residents gathered to hear Cllr Charles Cave, chairman of the Long Ashton War Memorial Trust, dedicate the memorial to the 104 former residents named on it, who lived and died in the service of their country.

During the ceremony, representatives of village organisations read poems by Rupert Brooke, John Masefield and John McCrae and the chairman of the Bristol Anglo-Polish Society read quotations from the wartime polish leaders in exile based in London during WW2.

Charles Cave then invited the Lord Lieutenant to unveil the new memorial and a commemorative plaque. A Remembrance time capsule made from a 1916 WW1 British 108mm brass shell case with the cap made from a similar german shell and filled with wartime memorabilia was placed in the foundations of the memorial.

The Royal British Legion Standard, the Polish Air Force Association Standard and the local Scout and guide flags were dipped as local Scout leader Duncan Venison played the Last Post and the Reveille.

The Lord Lieutenant laid the first wreath at the new War Memorial on behalf of the county and other wreaths were laid by family members and village organisations as the 104 names of the fallen were read out by Charles Cave, Alex Burgh, Leigh Woods, Artur Bildziuk, chairman of the Polish Airmen’s Association, and Angela Prosser, great granddaughter of William Walter Wilson who died in the Mill Cottage bombing.

The dedication ceremony finished with Duncan playing the national Anthem. Mrs Maw was then introduced to some of the relatives of servicemen commemorated on the new memorial, before meeting the architect, stonemasons and the memorial mason.

Brownie Edith Warren presented a posy to her, before Mrs Maw presented a keepsake to some of the colour party and others involved in the project.

The new memorial, the only one in the parish to include all known casualties, was the concept of retired local architect Alan Atkins, with black granite panels bearing the names of the fallen. The memorial is Alan’s representation of a family group looking towards Heaven.

The larger panels record the names of WWI and WWII fallen and the smaller panels record the Wilson family of Mill Cottages, with other civilian casualties of the parish and the Polish crew of the Halifax Bomber LL126 who lost their lives when the bomber crashed into the field behind All Saints Church on november 21st, 1941.

The memorial is in a small courtyard with a garden area and seating and is surrounded by walls constructed from stone rescued from the former Village Institute, later the WW2 ARP HQ, and then the Long Ashton branch and club of the Royal British Legion.

Local stone mason Paul Clark and his son Jak constructed the walls and paved area, and nick Johnson engraved the memorial stones. The memorial was funded by the generous donations of local people, local groups, military regiments associated with the fallen and national organisations, at no cost to the local council tax payer.

The Princess Royal last officially visited the village in the 1980s, when she laid the foundation stone for the self-build guides headquarters and then returned two years later to open the finished building.

Table for six, please

IT looks like we will be able to eat together again, even if it is in the garden with blankets! You might like to have a With JUNE MACFARLANE barbecue and just in time here come the wonderful summer ingredients of asparagus and local strawberries. And if you have never made a real strawberry daiquiri, now’s your chance!

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

Raise a glass to eating out together again

This is the real thing! Use the best, sweetest, local strawberries and be glad you live in Mendip! Adjust sweetness to your taste.

METHOD Put all the ingredients except the ice into a blender and whizz to combine thoroughly. Add a good handful of ice and blend again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

INGREDIENTS

(Per cocktail) 7 small ripe strawberries, hulled 50ml white rum Juice of one fresh lime 8 ml sugar syrup Crushed ice

These tasty kofte kebabs can be made in advance

KOFTE KEBABS

INGREDIENTS

Tasty, spicy and a bit like a holiday on a stick, you can make these in advance and keep them refrigerated while the barbie gets to temperature. Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes before using.

METHOD Combine everything in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Take equal portions of the mixture and squeeze firmly around the skewers. Refrigerate, covered, until needed. Brush with oil and grill on each side for one min to seal, then for another eight mins to cook through, turning. Serve with a yoghourt, mint and garlic sauce, salad, and warmed pitta breads.

(for four) 500g minced lamb I large shallot, finely chopped 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped 1 small bunch mint, leaves only, chopped 1 tbsp sumac 1 tbsp Ancho chili flakes 2 tsp salt

ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

English asparagus is the best in the world and the season is underway now. We have until the summer solstice to enjoy it, so let’s make the best of it!

METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C. Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for four-five mins until almost tender, then add the asparagus for another minute. Drain. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and soften the onion. Mix most of the cheese into the eggs and pour over the onion, followed by the potatoes and asparagus. Top with remaining cheese. Transfer to oven and cook until frittata is risen and golden.

Serve with a green salad.

Use English asparagus for this frittata

INGREDIENTS (for six) 200g potatoes, peeled and cubed 200g asparagus tips 1tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 6 eggs, beaten 50g pecorino cheese, grated