Christmas orders now being taken
IT’Stime to invoke the spirit of Christmas. Somerset Community Foundation says 11,000 pensioners in the county could find themselves in fuel poverty this winter.
It’s suggesting those pensioners who can afford it should donate part or all of their winter fuel allowance to help those in more need.
In various places, warm spaces are being organised and libraries will welcome people who need somewhere to keep warm. Food banks are at full stretch helping families.
But communities are ready to respond. As usual we devote many pages to charities and voluntary groups, including news that Promiseworks has won a national award.
Jane Paterson reports on the remarkable legacy of event rider Hannah Francis in raising funds for cancer research.
Despite the economic situation, Christmas festivities do help lift the gloom. We’ve special features on plans in some villages and a busy guide to Christmas events.
Mary Payne has a gift guide for gardeners while Katy Beauchamp suggests what to do with Christmas leftovers. Sue Gearing suggests a festive walk near Blagdon Lake.
With all of our regular features and contributors, may we wish you a peaceful Christmas.
AS a child at Uphill Primary School, GwenllianJane Williams was encouraged by her teacher, Gerry Williams, to learn history, write and tell stories.
When she was nine he asked what she wanted to be. She said: “A writer”. He said: “Go on then!”
Fifty years later, after a career in international consultancy, she returned to Uphill and took up writing again. Mr Williams joined her on stage for the launch of her debut novel, a murder mystery set in Tudor England.
The book is getting five-star ratings on Amazon with reviewers comparing it to CJ Sansom’s Shardlake series. It is on sale through Amazon and also in Uphill’s Boat Yard Café and the local pubs.
Gwenllian said: “My teacher, Mr Williams, never knew how he inspired a child and that his words were never forgotten.”
The book, The Conjuror’s Apprentice, a medieval murder mystery, is published by RedDoor Press, £9.99 paperback and £2.99 on Amazon Kindle.
THEBritish Hen Welfare Trust’s team of dedicated Somerset volunteers have operated in the county since 2008 and on Sunday, October 30th held their 100th rehoming in Oakhill.
Ex-commercial laying hens are typically sent to slaughter once they reach 18 months old; however, the BHWT works with farmers to rescue and rehome as many as possible.
The Somerset team is headed up by co-ordinator Hayley Spencer, who has been volunteering for the charity since February 2012. She said: “I applied for the role to help all the hens who deserved more than life in a commercial farm.”
Details: www.bhwt.org.uk
YEOValley is hosting another round of their popular A Night at Yeo fundraising events at the Canteen in Blagdon.
The last series was held in 2019 and helped a variety of charities and CICs, including Avon Wildlife Trust, Farmlink and Young Bristol, raise over £100,000!
There will be six evenings available, where Yeo Valley donate “the venue and the menu”, with use of the HQ Canteen, plus a three-course menu and the team to prep and serve it to 100 of your guests.
This leaves the charity or organisation free to focus on fundraising for the event. Yeo Valley like to do things differently, so do get creative with your plans for the evening!
The deadline for completed forms is January 15th and the successful applicants will be informed by the end of January. The evenings will take place between June 2023, and May 2024. Watch this space for further news!
Details: events@yeovalleyfarms.co.uk
THEMendip Hills AONB service is looking to recruit a new cohort of volunteer rangers to join their existing team of 40.
The rangers have been a key part of their service since the 1980s.
It’s holding an open evening on Wednesday December 7th, 6.30pm at the Charterhouse Outdoor Centre near Blagdon BS40 7XR.
Details: andy@mendiphillsaonb.org.uk eventbrite.co.uk
DITCHEATresidents
Somerset’s Catch the Bus Campaign.
The chair of Ditcheat Parish Council, Charles Evans, said: “The maintenance of a local bus service through Ditcheat is vital for many people both young and old.
“In these days of rising costs, using the bus is a very economical and stress-free way of getting about, and for older people who use a bus pass, it is even better. However, to keep buses available, they need to be used.”
He said public transport is also a vital link to the nearby railway station at Castle Cary from where many depart for longer distance commuting.
CHEWStoke Church School has been working with Modeshift Stars, a national scheme, which promotes safe, active and sustainable travel, including cycling, scooting and walking.
The school has now achieved the highest accreditation, The Outstanding Travel Plan (Platinum) Accreditation. They won STARS Local Authority Primary School of the Year and STARS South West Primary School of the Region.
As a result, they were entered into the STARS National School Travel Awards held in London. Only five other primary schools nationally qualified.
Deputy head, Vicki Hennessy, who coordinates the scheme in the school, said: “Chew Stoke Church School was not the overall winner, but the children had an amazing day seeing the sights of London, sharing and celebrating the hard work of all the schools who have taken part in the scheme.”
Reimagining the Levels has been planting trees and hedgerows throughout the Somerset Levels and surrounding hills. The results have been incredible, surpassing their most optimistic estimates. With the help of over 80 volunteers, they have enabled over 60,000 trees and shrubs to be planted increasing woodland and hedgerows, worked with over 110 private landowners to plant suitable schemes and helped over 20 community organisations, schools, village halls, recreation grounds etc. to plant up their land.
It says climate change means we need more woodland and hedgerow to address prolonged flooding, provide wildlife habitat, sequester carbon and increase biodiversity.
They are reaching out to landowners and community groups to find suitable land to plant. They provide practical support, subsidised trees, stakes and guards, along with expert guidance on where, what and how to plant.
Their partners, the Woodland Trust, Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West are helping to provide trees, stakes and grants again this year. Mendip District Council helped them plant 4,500 trees and shrubs.
For plantings that address flood risk there is an extra grant available. Other plantings may be eligible for subsidised trees and advice. They may be able to advise with planting fruit and nut orchards.
A spokesman said: “Tree planting will provide a wide range of benefits for both people and the natural world and improve the wellbeing of all involved. Spread the word! Help us find new land to plant.”
Details: www.reimaginingthelevels.org.uk katetowers.rtl@gmail.com or Kate on 07872 664543
AN “exceptional” collection of fossils and minerals – many found more than 100 years ago – has been donated to the Somerset Earth Science Centre at Stoke St Michael.
The Kingswood Collection originated at Kingswood School in Bath and was used as a GCSE and A Level geology teaching aid for many years until the National Curriculum was introduced in the late 1980s. Interest in teaching the subject declined and the items were stored in a basement.
David Brown, a former teacher at Kingswood, rescued the collection and gave it to Fran Britten, who ran Shute Farm Studio – an art studio – at Downhead, where he taught letter cutting.
Just before the pandemic, Fran contacted the SESC who agreed to take on the collection and began to sort, clean and label the fossils and minerals to put some of the more important and interesting items on public display. The SESC says there is still much more work to do.
Simon Carpenter, a palaentologist who has been working with the SESC, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to examine an important historic collection, containing some exceptional fossils and minerals, many found over a century ago, many of which are of museum quality, and cannot be collected today. It has been immensely satisfying to see this old collection rescued and restored and a real delight to handle so many fascinating fossils.”
Part of the collection went on show during an open day at the centre – next to Wainwright’s Quarry – as part of the Mendip Rocks! Festival.
Meanwhile, the centre has gained funding from the Mendip Hills Fund and Somerset Community Foundation towards a project to create a geological time trail around the site and to install a “Mendip Rocks Column” containing stone from Mendip quarries illustrating the rock sequence from Silurian to Jurassic, topped with grass as the land is today.
BACKin August, Tony Dawson was alerted by a fellow member of the Priddy Toad Patrol group that ponds were drying out at Charterhouse and Priddy, putting fish in danger. After work, he collected equipment from his home in Locking and went to investigate and found only a tiny pool of stagnant, stinking water with thousands of desperate fish.
He said: “Hundreds had already died and the smell of death was filling the air all around. This was a pond I had visited for over 40 years. It holds a special place in my heart as I used to enjoy picnics there with my family.”
He managed to collect 565 Rudd using a bucket and put
them in a disused paddling pool, loaned by a friend. Returning the next day, he found only three fish left alive.
He said: “I waited and waited, watching for any signs of life, but there was none.”
But he managed to keep all 568 Rudd alive in the paddling pool, at considerable expense, before releasing them back in the pond at Charterhouse on November 4th.
He said: “It was quite an emotional moment as I remembered all of those thousands of fish that had perished a few months earlier.
“The really lucky ones had found their way into my net.”
Tony travels from Locking to Yeovil every weekday to repair old military helicopters and build new ones at Leonardo Helicopters.
HEDGE layer Colin Clutterbuck, from Stanton Drew, took top honours at the rural craft’s national championships in Oxfordshire.
Colin was crowned overall champion for the length of hedge he laid in the North Somerset style. Earlier he had won the open
section, with other Mendip area hedge layers, Alex Bown second, Chris Chivers third and Paul Gulliford fourth.
The competition was held at Clacks Farm at Wallingford, by kind permission of Crowmarsh Battle Farms.
IT’Sfair to say farming has had its fair share of challenges in 2022. Unprecedented weather brought its own challenge with a cold, wet spring followed by recordbreaking heat through the summer and more recently one of the wettest, warmest starts to November on record. The conflict in Ukraine has disrupted global grain markets and restricted the supply of fertiliser in Europe.
To cap it all, the poultry sector has the challenge of Avian Influenza aka bird flu which appears to be worsening. Bird flu affects both domestic and wild birds.
Ultimately, birds die of it but before death, symptoms include a swollen head, closed and runny eyes, eating and drinking less than normal and for laying hens a stop or significant drop in egg production.
Over the last 12 months there have been 200 cases with 80 of these being confirmed since the start of October. It is impossible to control the transmission of bird flu in the wild bird population but it can be controlled in domestic birds.
As well as strict biosecurity measures by all those involved with looking after poultry on farms, the government have made it law that all poultry kept on farm needs to be housed. This doesn’t affect those farmers who keep their birds inside all the time.
But those farmers who are doing what the market asks for by allowing their chickens, laying hens and turkeys to be free range have had to suddenly find houses to put their poultry in.
This might not be a problem for someone with just a few hens but those turkey producers who have been building up their flock both in numbers and size ready for Christmas have had to magic up a lot of suitable buildings to house their turkeys 24/7 and install suitable feeding and watering systems.
Farmers are a resilient bunch and no doubt they will cope in one way or another. It’s another one of those 2022 challenges that needs to be met headon. Let’s hope bird flu is controlled and those of us who want seasonal poultry are able to. Here’s to 2023!
TREEplanting has been a hot topic in newspapers over the past few years as a key tool in mitigating the impact of climate change. The Mendip Hills AONB Partnership has set a target to increase the tree cover from it’s current 12% to 13.5% to help with this global emergency.
However, tree planting should never come at the expense of other valuable habitats.
The Mendip Hills AONB is famous for its limestone grasslands, which host many rare and important wildflowers and fungi. Planting trees in these places could cause the destruction of a valuable habitat and might not have such a strong benefit for the climate.
The right place for tree planting will be different in different areas: on the plateau, new individual trees, small clusters or lines of beech, or thin shelter belts work well with the landscape character; on the south-facing slopes, new hedgerows incorporating standard trees are effective, and in the Valleys (Chew/Blagdon/Winscombe Vale) and north-facing slopes, both new hedgerows and new woodlands are suitable for the area, particularly where they link up with existing woodland features.
Planting the right combination of native tree species for a local area is important for
ensuring local wildlife can thrive and the character of this beautiful landscape is preserved. Guidance on what species are likely to do well in your area can be found from a simple walk around your village, seeing what old trees are growing in hedgerows or churchyards, as they will probably do well on your land too.
More information about Right Tree, Right Place, including a helpful decision-making flowchart can be found in a booklet produced by the Mendip Hills AONB Service, find it on our website or request a copy from us.
The right tree, in the right place, can have enormous benefits for the landscape – the grand English Oak supports a mammoth 2300 different species and a single hectare of 20-year-old trees can also absorb around 40 tons of carbon each year.
If you are looking to understand more about how your farm emits and absorbs carbon, in terms of tree planting and beyond, the Mendip Hills AONB Service is offering funding for farmers within the AONB towards engaging a farm carbon advisor to assist with the Farm Carbon Auditing process. To find out more or receive an application pack, contact the Mendip Hills AONB Service using the details at the side.
The AONB Service has produced a variety of documents to help landowners with identifying the right tree and the right place. Download the Tree Planting Guide for the Mendip Hills AONB here: www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/ caring-about-theaonb/planning
NOTso many years ago voice recognition software packages appeared on the market. Offering to allow verbal dictation to be converted to text on a PC screen, they proudly announced that their product was 90% efficient.
However this meant in practice that on average one word in ten would need correction. Not so wonderful if you wanted to transcribe long documents. Of course things have progressed since then and dictation and voice recognition software is far far better.
Now there are numerous devices and systems that can recognise verbal instructions, using various assistants like Google, Siri, Cortana, Alexa which all listen in for your commands and cope with to a certain extent with noisy backgrounds.
There are applications appearing that can produce an image on a command. However, asking for an image of a Springer Spaniel eating a carrot suggests they are not quite there yet.
AI (artificial Intelligence), as it’s called, is being incorporated into many devices particularly where image recognition is required for security purposes. Some phones will allow you to edit your photos by tapping an object or person to select them and then remove them from the image, automatically filling the space “intelligently” with something to match the background.
AI image manipulation is getting far smarter if you look at high-end image manipulation software such as Lightroom, Luminar Neo, etc. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube to help you make the most of your photographs with such programs and overcome many of the limitations of your camera. Can the old adage of “the camera never lies” be perhaps consigned to history?
So what is AI? The definition of Artificial Intelligence is somewhat loose. It is said to be the mimicking of human intelligence by machines especially computers. Examples include speech and language recognition and imaging processing, allied to acquiring large amounts of data which become actionable by rules (algorithms).
So, as the processing power and storage capacity of computers continues to expand we may expect to see more and more use of AI appearing on our devices.
This article is for guidance only, and the opinion of the writer. I.T. for the Terrified <it4ttcvh@gmail.com> Submitted for IT for the Terrified by Nick Sparks
ACROSS
There is a layer of this in the Earth’s lower stratosphere (5)
Fairy story presented as a seasonal, comical stage show (9)
This village, between Bath and Bristol, was recently, deemed, by the Daily Telegraph to be one of the 20 best in Britain (7)
Self worship (7)
The essence of a speech (5)
The borough of New York hosting Wall Street (9)
Sir Ed Davy is leader of this political party (7,8)
Household revenue (9)
Weapon named after Thomas A. Swift's electric rifle (5)
Gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual (7)
1200 hours (7)
Solved an anagram (9)
wearing a head covering (5) By
DOWN 1 Pawn a bottle of wine (4) 2 Breed of working country dog (6) 3 Tympanum (10) 4 Place, invention or discovery named after a person or place (6) 5 Long thin sensory appendages found in pairs on the head of some insects (8) 6 Sport played on horseback (4) 7 Member of the clergy (8) 8 Name of the oilrig moored at Weston-super-Mare (3,7) 13 Thankful Village on River Frome and 6 miles NE of Frome (10) 15 Punctuation mark indicating possession or the omission of letters (10) 17 Where secret, administrative or supporting work is done (4,4) 18 Gabriel and Mark share a distinguishing feature (8) 20 Assemblies of clergy in division of a Christian church (6) 22 Radio 4 presenter Justin Webb went to a Quaker school here (6) 24 Supermarket chain from Essen, Germany (4) 26 Toy to walk the dog with (4)
(serves four)
160g cooked salmon (I used a tin)
50g melted butter
100g ricotta or double cream Juice and zest of a lemon
10g dill (fresh or dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine everything together in a blender and whizz until smooth. Divide into four ramekins and chill in the fridge for half an hour before eating. Serve with crackers or toast with a wedge of lemon.
This makes 15 little pies or one big one to serve four people.
Unroll the pastry and sprinkle the stuffing over the surface and give it a light roll with a rolling pin. Cut out 15 circles and place in a greased muffin tray, saving the leftovers for decorations.
Combine the turkey, cheese and herbs (if using mince, cook it first and let it cool before mixing in the cheese). Add salt and pepper to taste and spoon into the muffin tin.
Spread cranberry sauce over the top, add your little pastry decoration and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
You could serve them as canapés at a Christmas party with some Somerset mulled cider!
This makes about 15 pops (three per portion) but they were so delicious that my son and I ate them all between us.
Crumble the cake into a bowl and add a splash of cream or milk to make it doughy. Roll into walnut-sized balls and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them.
Whisk the batter together, it needs to be on the thick side. Dip the cold cake pops in the batter (I used a skewer) and deep fry them for about two minutes until
crispy. Serve with whatever you have: ice cream, cream, custard or the elite of dairy products . . . clotted cream!
400g of Christmas cake or pudding
Splash of cream/milk
For the batter:
150ml milk
150g self raising flour
Tsp ground cinnamon
1 pack of readymade short crust pastry
20g dried stuffing mix
300g shredded turkey (I used turkey mince as I don’t yet have any leftover turkey)
100g grated cheese (I used Stilton but you could use any hard cheese you have left over from the cheeseboard)
1tsp mixed herbs Half a jar of cranberry sauce
These sweet treats are pop-tastic!
This month’s recipes are dishes that you can make with your Christmas Day lunch (or dinner) leftovers and serve for a Boxing Day brunch, lunch or holiday get together with friends and family.
CASTLE Cary Market House hosted the town’s annual Apple Day events, which featured juice pressing, artisan food, live music and family activities.
People who brought their own fruit for pressing were encouraged to make a donation to the local community group Cary Cares.
WHATred berries were said to foretell a bad winter after a heavy crop? What red berries were historically known in Somerset as “bird’s meat”, “hags”, “pig-haw”, “pixie pears” and “haws”? The answer is dog rose hips and hawthorn berries!
It’s unclear why these different species shared the same old names, but one can have fun imagining the conversation: “Pig haw? No. Hags? No. Haws? Yeah . . . no. You know –the red ones.” My favourite name has to be “pixie pears”; one can only guess at this but maybe they were picked in pairs.
Dog Rose (Rosa canina) has red fruits and was supposedly distinguished from cultivated roses by being prefaced with the word “dog”. This addition may have originated from the word “dag” or thorn.
The name is also linked to the tale of a soldier who was cured after being bitten by a mad dog. Not sure what his name was. Or the dog’s. What we do know is the “hip” of rose hips comes from an Old English word “heope”.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) on the other hand is thorny, has dark red fruits (haws) and appears not to have any confusing explanations as to the origins of its common name.
Traditionally, both are harvested from October but can survive until December. Just. Both are very common in the UK and are found in hedgerows, woodlands, scrublands and heathlands.
Hopefully, one would have already picked one’s pixie pears but unlike previous years they are disappearing fast. Did you have a heavy crop this year?
We had very few where I live so maybe it will just be a bad winter where you are. They do become quite mushy picking this late in the season which makes for an interestingly sticky experience.
There is no better way to preserve and enjoy pixie pears than as a replacement fruit for sloes in gin or in a fruit brandy or whisky.
I have to admit if you are doing this now, it’s probably too late for this Christmas, yet the mushiness will help the infusing process but not its appearance in the bottle I’m afraid.
There goes the homemade Christmas gifts idea. So now all that’s left for me to do is wish you all a pixie pears Christmas!
Adrian Boots is a Landscape Ecologist, Wild Food Forager and Adventure Activity provider. You can visit his website: www.gowildactivities.co.uk to learn more about wild food foraging and activities you can do with him on the Mendip Hills.
WE’VErecently been experimenting with making pure corn flour bread from the “Magic Manna” corn we grew this year. Because maize doesn’t contain gluten, corn bread tends to be more of a cake, risen with baking powder and/or bicarbonate of soda. Cornmeal these days tends to be an industrial product made from dent corns, which were bred as animal fodder and yield a low quality, coarse flour.
With JAKE WHITSONSo recipes tend to specify adding a rather large amount of white wheat flour to yield a bread that is less dense. But true flour corns yield a soft fluffy flour with minimal grinding, “Magic Manna” is a true flour corn and we were keen to see what kind of bread we could make with it alone. We started off by running the kernels through our Bulldog malt mill - it was quite a cheap option when it comes to mills and can be powered either by hand or drill.
It’s really meant for crushing malt for home brewing but performed admirably at first cracking and then grinding the corn kernels down into a fairly coarse flour. Once that was done we ran the flour through a fine sieve, re-grinding whatever didn’t pass through in a coffee/spice grinder.
The resulting flour was quite fine and we started to experiment baking, at first following the recipe that the breeder of “Magic Manna” sets out in her book, which calls for a portion of the flour to have boiling water poured over it, resulting in a semi-cooked paste that helps the cornbread hold together without wheat flour.
From there we developed our own recipe, the result of which is pictured here. It has an incredible rich nutty flavour and crumbly soft texture totally unlike any cornbread we’ve had before. If you can get hold of some decent cornmeal or grow you own, here’s how to make it:
First bring 240ml of milk and 110g of butter to a boil, and pour it over 170g of cornmeal, stirring until incorporated. Allow to cool, then beat in two whole eggs. Sift together another 170g of cornmeal with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of baking powder, then mix that into your paste.
Pour into a skillet pre-heated in an oven set to 190c. Bake for around 30 minutes until set and golden on top. Serve warm with butter.
Jacob Whitson is a chef, food writer and smallholder –he divides his time between the Mendips and Pembrokeshire.
NESTLEDin the picturesque hamlet of Nempnett Thrubwell above Blagdon Lake, Nempnett Pastures is led by George Ford, sixth generation farmer on this small family farm.
Specialising in pasture-raised, grass-fed chickens and turkeys, but also this year having introduced holistically-managed and grass-fed beef to their range, Nempnett Pastures are on a mission to produce high quality, nutrient dense food from high welfare systems which build soil and enhance our environment, rather than deplete it.
The idea for Nempnett Pastures was born after learning more about the regenerative farming practices that previous generations on the farm would have followed.
Bringing them into the modern day using the knowledge and experience that
has been built up over time, George and his family are still on a journey of discovery when it comes to regenerative agriculture as new techniques evolve, making it an even more exciting time for this growing business.
From welcoming people to the farm for
Details: www.nempnettpastures.co.uk
the first ever Farm Safari in September and planting over 500 trees around the farm, to introducing mobile chicken tractors and hosting numerous pop-up shops and BBQs, 2022 has seen Nempnett Pastures go from strength to strength.
LIKEso many farm shops across the region Peasey Farm Shop is expecting a busy run up to Christmas. The shop is full of everything you would expect to find, local food that if not supplied by the farm itself, has been sourced from local suppliers. A recent and popular additionis the Peasey Pit Stop meaning you can enjoy a tea or coffee before or after you shop giving you the perfect opportunity to relax.
Peasey will host their first Christmas Fayre this year on Saturday 17th December between 10am-4pm with fun, food and entertainment for all ages. There will also be an opportunity to create your own hamper.
Details: Facebook Peasey Farm Shop
THEinspiration behind Brent House Farm milk store couldn’t have occurred any further away from Somerset.
Owner Sarah Coles said: “Five years ago I was dairy farming on a working holiday in New Zealand and I noticed that many of the farm shops had milk machines where customers could buy milk direct from the farm. The idea came home with me.”
It may have taken her a little longer than planned but having opened their newly-built shop in February, Sarah couldn’t be more pleased with how things have gone.
She said: “I’m over the moon with what we’ve achieved so far. It’s down to a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”
The highlight of the year is still to come with their first Christmas Market on Saturday 10th December, 10am-3pm’, with lots of different local craft stalls booked.
Frankie Howerd
Hub and Cafe is run
Frankie Howerd OBE Trust and opened in September this year. Patrons of the trust include Joanna Lumley and Griff Rhys Jones. Already proving to be a popular stop-off point for cyclists, the hub is located in Loxton, near Axbridge and Cheddar. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 8am-3pm for breakfast and light snacks as well as a full range of cakes. All profits go to the trust.
The next project is to raise money for a minibus and a defibrillator for the community.
Details: www.aeddonate.org.uk/projects/the-frankiehowerd-obe-trust
AROUND80 households have been referred to Wells Vineyard Foodbank this year by agencies such as Citizens Advice and the Job Centre for emergency food parcels.
They are also collecting Christmas gifts for children and families. Good quality items can be dropped off at LA Moore Demolition, Old Railway Yard, Haybridge, Wells, BA5 1AH. The deadline for donations is Friday, December 10th.
Details: www.wellsvineyard.com
LOCATEDin the beautiful setting of West House Farm in the Polden Hills, J’s Bistro offers a wide range of coffees, cakes and light meals six days a week (closed Mondays). Very popular with locals and people just passing through, J’s has a burgeoning reputation as the ideal place to stop, rest and recharge the batteries in the most peaceful of surroundings.
J’s will be part of the annual artisan West House Christmas Market being held on Friday, December 2nd, 2-7.30pm when there will also be live music, food and parking is free.
IThas certainly been a year to remember for all at Rich’s Cider. The opening of their new farm shop back in the summer is an obvious highlight along with the awards that both the shop and cider production have won this year.
General manager, Molly Scott, said: “It’s been a fantastic year for all of us at Rich’s, a real team effort. It’s been a pleasure working with some wonderful local businesses, all of whom show the best that Somerset has to offer.”
The farm shop was her brainchild and since opening in July has flourished. Rich’s has as many local suppliers as possible to showcase and pride themselves on providing high quality, local and sustainable products at a fair price.
December will be a busy time for Rich’s. The restaurant is hosting a number of events, including the popular breakfast with Santa between December 19th -22nd and the shop will be selling a range of Christmas trees and wreaths from the end of November.
A spectacular Christmas Fair is on December 1st, 5-9pm with more than 30 stalls already booked as well as food and live music.
Molly said: “It’s the perfect opportunity to come along to try out some amazing local produce and meet the amazing people who make it.”
AYESHA Kalaji, co-owner and head chef at the Queen of Cups gastro pub in Glastonbury, was named winner of the Middle Eastern Food of the Year category at the BIH Spotlight Awards.
The Queen of Cups gastro pub is situated in Northload Street, Glastonbury. Ayesha said: “We feel so honoured by the recent award wins and positive feedback, but we couldn’t have come this far so quickly without our amazing team and the local community.
Ayesha at the BHI Spotlight Awards
Ayesha is also a finalist for the 2022 Best Pub Chef (national) and the Queen of Cups are up for best Casual Dining and Best New Business at the Somerset Bath and Bristol Tourism Awards which will be announced in Weston-super-Mare on December 1st.
The BIH Spotlight Awards is the first ever UK awards to celebrate diverse talent in the hospitality industry.
Queen of Cups, 10-12 Northload Street, Glastonbury, BA6 9JJ. T: 01458 831255. E:reservations@queenofcups.co.uk W: queenofcups.co.uk
THIS community event for all ages is taking place outside the Church Centre in Woodborough Road, Winscombe on Saturday, December 10th.
It will include community singing of favourite carols and Christmas songs accompanied by the Weston Brass Band. Refreshments will be on sale including hot dogs, mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies.
Santa will be arriving at 4.45pm and children will be able to visit him in his grotto. The community singing will be taking place from 5.30pm.
There is limited car parking for the disabled on-site but organisers ask people to use the village car parks or consider walking to the event.
In the event of inclement weather the event will take place inside the church centre. It will raise funds for the foodbank at the All Healthy Living Centre and St James’ Church, Winscombe.
AFTER being postponed for two years during the pandemic, Mells festive market is returning on two Sundays, December 4th and 11th.
It promises artisan shopping, lively music and good food, with plenty of mulled wine to keep you warm, some lovely walks nearby and fun activities for the kids.
Profits raised will support the village school, the community café and the Walled Garden Plant Nursery, a nonprofit organisation that provides social and therapeutic projects in the community.
The fayre will take place 10am-4pm at the Walled Garden at Mells and the Tithe Barn.
Details: www.thewalledgardenatmells.co.uk/winterfayre
PEOPLEacross the Chew Valley are busy packing shoe boxes with gifts for those less fortunate than themselves through the annual Operation Christmas Child project.
It is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, run by the Christian relief and development organisation, Samaritan’s Purse.
Chew Stoke resident, Mel Jameson, is collecting boxes and held a coffee morning to show what goes into them and to raise funds towards transport.
Mel said: “This year 75% of the boxes are going to Ukrainian refugees in Poland and surrounding countries and they hope some will go to orphanages in Ukraine too.”
The coffee morning raised £360. She is appealing for more boxes.
PENSFORD’Sannual
The life-size figures are the work of local man, Paul Baxter, who modelled the faces from local people in the village.
Details: mel.jameson@hotmail.co.uk
ST Cuthbert’s Church in Wells will be holding its annual Crib Festival with a display of crib sets from around the world.
There will also be seasonal refreshments, creative crafts, a raffle and a chance for parents to get a special Christmas photo of their children.
Contact the parish office if you would like to add to the display.
The festival runs from Friday, December 2nd – Sunday, December 4th, 10am4.30pm (Sunday 11.30am-4.30pm).
LIBRARIESacross Bath and North East Somerset are offering a warm welcome to residents struggling with rising energy costs this winter.
As well offering a warm space where you can access library services and free Wi-Fi, the libraries can provide information on how to save energy at home and signpost people to partner services offering advice and information on money matters, benefits, jobs, wellbeing services and food support.
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, and Communities, said: “We welcome anyone who is struggling to pay their energy bills this winter to visit our libraries, keep warm and use the wonderful facilities.
“Across Bath and North East Somerset there are currently 17 warm spaces opening their doors to people struggling with their heating bills this winter, and we hope more will come forward as the temperature drops.”
IT will be free to park in all Mendip District Council-owned pay and display car parks for one week, from Saturday, December 17th until Saturday, December 24th and is also providing free parking all-day on Sunday, January 1st.
On Small Business Saturday, December 3rd, there will be a feefree day at Cranhill Road in Street, St John's car park in Glastonbury, Union Street in Wells, Great Ostry in Shepton Mallet and the Cattle Market in Frome.
SNOWWhite and the Seven Dwarves was the first panto Sutton Theatre Company ever did when they were launched in Bishop Sutton by the late, great Pete Wells back in 1982.
It returns 40 years later with Rachael Abbott’s hilarious version of this famous fairytale, Snow White and Seven Silly Super Heroes, with plenty of humour, slapstick, singing, dancing, an ultra-violet scene and much more.
Performances are on both Saturday, November 26th and Saturday, December 3rd with a 2.30pm matinee and an evening performance at 7.30pm on both days at Bishop Sutton village hall, with mulled wine and mince pies available.
Details: www.suttontheatre.com
THEFriends of St. Andrew's Church, Congresbury, have revived the village Christmas card after a gap of four years, painted by village artist, Richard Brooks.
It will be sold at village and church events from now until Christmas and at a coffee morning in Congresbury Methodist Hall on November 26th, 10am-noon.
Over the last 20 years the friends, a registered charity, have raised thousands of pounds for repairs and improvements to the church.
THERotary Club of Wrington Vale have produced a calendar to raise funds for local good causes. It’s on sale at local shops, including the Alvis farm shop, Suzi’s Salon, Langford, and Thatchers Cider Shop, price £9.
PENSFORD
Church’s Tower Friends are selling Christmas cards to help pay for the regilding of the clock face at St Thomas a Becket Church.
Sarah Pattimore, whose dad the late John Pattimore, regularly wound up the clock, said: “We would like to thank KC Printing, who sponsored the cards, which are on sale at Pensford Post Office. They will also be on sale at Publow Church’s Christmas market on Saturday, December 3rd.
Details: https://gofund.me/3c119adf
Beatrice Walters (left) and Jess Greig on their stall
VISITORS to the Bishop’s Palace in Wells were able to browse and buy at around 70 artisan stalls and enjoy live music in the chapel during a festive weekend market.
the stalls in the Undercroft
CITYof Wells Lions, in conjunction with The Bishop’s Palace, have again organised a “Tree of Light” in the “free area” of the palace. It is an opportunity for members of the local community to sponsor a star in memory of a loved one and reflect on their lives.
Application forms are available at The Bishop’s Palace ticket office and donations may also be left there. They are also available at the Wells Tourist Information Office.
The Bishop’s Palace pastor, Rosey Lunn, will give the dedication on Wednesday, December 21st, 4.30pm, at which the names will be read out.
All proceeds will support other groups and organisations within the city and local area.
Details: Ian Williams cityofwellslions@gmail.com or call 0345 833 6736 to speak to president Alan Sanderson
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Football skills masterclass for all ages from 8 x Guinness record-holder Dan Magness.
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Dan Magness football freestyler
ONthe evening of November 12th the Old Schoolroom in Chew Magna was abuzz with the Young Film Makers awards ceremony organised by Chew Valley Films with Mendip Times.
Thanks to the generous sponsors, all the finalists received a trophy and cash prize, £50 from Webb Tree Care and Brock and Houlford for runners-up and £100 for winners from Joanna Tiley Estate Agents and Mogers Drewett solicitors, plus a £50 voucher for Debbie Fortune Estate Agent’s favourite film and £200 from the Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce for the best film in the competition.
Darcy Spours-Baliff, aged 12, was individual film maker runner up for Grief. The judges thought her film tackled an important and difficult issue with sensitivity and skill.
Clementine Pover and Jessica Wookey, also aged 12, were group film maker runners up for Untitled. The judges thought this film had some lovely visual touches and that the story was well told.
Joshua Pritchard, aged 14, was individual film maker winner for Herbert the Scarecrow.
The judges thought he showed great visual flare and particularly liked his use of locations.
This was also Debbie Fortune’s favourite film.
Harry Panter, Bryson Petty and Harry Wilton, all aged 15, were group film maker winners for Paranormal Investigators, a mock documentary which the judges thought cleverly parodied modern documentary techniques and created great atmosphere in the night scenes. It also won best film in the competition.
All the finalists said they had enjoyed taking part in the competition and were thinking of making more films.
Pete Brownlee of Chew Valley Films was compere for the evening.
Details: www.chewvalleyfilms.com
A PREVIEWof a short fiction film, The Nixie, was given a screening at the Wells Film Centre to an invited audience at the end of October. The film was written and directed by John Adams with local actors.
John has lived in Butcombe since 1996 and has worked in film and theatre throughout his adult life as a writer, director, university teacher, journal editor and academic researcher.
The story is set some years in the future as a woman looks back to an encounter with a water sprite on the Mendip Hills, where she had taken refuge from rising sea levels.
The two main
parts are played by former Chew Valley School pupils, Henry Hicks and Lucy Payne.
John said: “This film reflects a profound and long-standing concern about the climate crisis, especially the consequence of rising sea levels and the impact of man-made interventions on global hydrology.”
In addition to large-screen presentations to international festivals and conferences, the film will be available for schools and community groups, supported by a teaching pack.
Details: jrjadams@gmail.com 07796 950346
Tazia Fawley, aged 52, from Highbridge has enjoyed much praise for her artwork, participating in exhibitions in New York, London and Manchester.
Tazia describes herself as an artist who just happens to have Down’s Syndrome and hopes that her work will challenge the limiting stereotypes of people who have the condition.
Despite Tazia’s past success, the pandemic, and ill-health within her family, have had a big impact on her life. She is no longer able to show her work in galleries and exhibitions as she once did.
Now a new online-only social enterprise, Art Rabble, is able to share Tazia’s latest paintings with art lovers around the world, along with other artists with disabilities.
Founder, Lisa Lim, said: “Tazia’s Raging River and Sunset & Flowers are best sellers on the Art Rabble website, a great source of pride for Tazia.
“Art Rabble allows Tazia to paint in the comfort of her own home in Highbridge, happy in the knowledge that the work she pours her heart and soul into, will go on to be enjoyed by audiences far and wide.”
ANexhibition of textiles and mixed media is being staged at Som-Art-On, a new gallery in West Street, Somerton by HEPTAD, Marie Andrews, Jenny Blackburn, Hilary Farthing, Thelma Masters and Heather Robinson.
It’s a new venue for this established group of textile artists. The group aims to dispel conventional expectations of traditional embroidery.
Their work demonstrates innovative design, incorporating fabric, thread, paper and mixed media, together with dyeing and printing.
The exhibition is open from December 6th-17th, 10am–4.30pm and on Sunday, December 18th, 10am–2pm.
IFyou’re planning on throwing a festive gathering this Christmas and wondering what culinary delight to serve to your guests, might I suggest a jelly? You may be sceptical but hear me out. Having spent decades in the gastronomic wasteland, the wibbly-wobbly stuff is shaking off its homespun image and enjoying a renaissance amongst the influencers of social media. For once, I’m in total agreement with the too-cool-for-school brigade.
After all, who but the most po-faced amongst us hasn’t been captivated by the sight of a spectacular shimmering jelly. Jelly provides a slice of theatre that brings out the child in everyone. Those in search of seasonal “wow” factor, should look no further.
It’s unfortunate reputation as children’s party fodder belies the fact that for centuries jelly was synonymous with the most ambitious haute cuisine. No grand Georgian banquet was complete without an array of jellies to tickle the palate.
During the Victorian era jelly making reached heights of
gravity-defying brilliance, as chefs in the great aristocratic houses and best London hotels competed to create showstopping wobblers that were as much design statements as culinary ones.
Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the British became undisputed masters of the jelly mould. Manufacturers adapted the die-stamping techniques of their colleagues in the silver trade to the mass-production of copper moulds in elaborate shapes –each one a miniature architectural masterpiece – lined with tin.
The tin was important because it stopped the taste of the copper tainting the jelly and, more importantly, prevented your guests from dropping down dead with Verdigris poisoning.
By the late 19th century, manufacturers were illustrating hundreds of designs in their catalogues – fantastical, multi-tiered geometric crowns, turreted castles with scrolling minarets, embossed with all manner of birds, animals, fruits and flowers.
So esteemed were British jelly moulds that chefs from the Continent were known to cross the Channel in search of the ultimate mould. They are still. Collectors have been known to pay over £1,000 for rare designs. If I find one in my stocking, I shall be very happy. Merry Christmas!
“IT is the enormous variety that makes this work so interesting,” says Clevedon based Chartered Arts & Antiques Surveyor, Toby Pinn MRICS.
During a year which has included the discovery in a drawer of a carved marble big toe “lifted” from a Roman sculpture on display in the Vatican by an unscrupulous 19th century grand tourist; to a watercolour valued at £350,000 for inheritance tax purposes, it has certainly been a fascinating year.
Preparing valuations of art and antiques to the stringent RICS standards has meant that Toby’s services are called upon from not only the local area, but this year he has completed certified valuation work from London to Cornwall.
ARTISTSare being invited to register for the Frome Open Art Trail 2023, which will run from Saturday, July 8th16th, at the same time as the annual Frome Festival.
Artists will open their studios in the town and surrounding villages exhibiting the fruits of their creativity including paintings, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, glass work, photography, jewellery and metal work.
Entry to all venues is free. The trail brochure, with opening times, maps and listings of all participating artists, plus local galleries and art retail outlets, is a great tour-planning aid.
The distinctive art trail logo is inspired by the Art Nouveau lamps around Frome. Their ornate leaf pattern is a design by the Cockey family, who started up by casting church bells in 1685.
Frome had gas street-lighting as early as 1831. The listed lamps are unique to Frome’s rich and varied industrial history.
Details: https://www.frome-open-art-trail.co.uk
IT’S a time of focusing on family and friends as we run up to the seasonal celebrations, we’d like to wish all readers a merry Christmas.
At Dore & Rees we have you covered for ideas for gifts for your nearest and dearest. The December calendar includes something for everyone with jewellery, watches and automobilia auctions, starting estimates range from £20 to £20,000.
The Fine Watches and Jewellery live auction on December 6th has lots of sparkles and diamonds to tempt us. Top lot is a a brilliant cut and baguette cut diamond ring at 5.3 carats and an estimate of £20,000-£30,000. A Georgian shell cameo necklace, circa 1800, will appeal to those with a love of the antique and is offered with an estimate of £4,000-£5,000. An elegant Rolex Cellini wristwatch cuts a dash at £900-£1,100.
The timed online Jewellery auction will go live on November 29 and end from 2pm on December 7th; it is the perfect gifting auction. It features antique and costume pieces with well known names such as Butler and Wilson and Chanel represented. Lots of fun pieces pepper the auction offering affordable, colourful and wearable gift ideas. Estimates start at £20.
If you and your loved one are attracted to the world of motoring, the automobilia live auction on December 13th will offer you lots of choice. From posters to mascots to models and more, your favourite marques and makers will be represented. A Bugatti Automobiles et Autorails poster by Geri circa 1938 is offered at an estimate of £650-£750. An Alfa-Romeo P2 tin plate toy by CIJ will bring back memories of younger years and is offered at £2,000-£3,000.
Live auction: Tuesday 6 December at 10:30am
JEWELLERY
Timed online auction: starts 29 November, ends from 2:00pm on Wednesday 7 December
Viewing for both auctions: Saturday 3 December & Sunday 4 December 11:00am to 3:00pm; Monday 5 December 10:00am to 4:00pm
AUTOMOBILIA
Live auction: Tuesday 13 December at 10:30am
Viewing: Monday 12 December 10:00am to 4:00pm Keep an eye on www.doreandrees.com or follow us on Instagram (doreandrees_auctions) and Facebook (Dore & Rees) to keep in touch with events and auctions.
ESTIMATE: £5,000 - £7,000
6 DECEMBER 10:30am
VIEWING
Saturday 3 December 11:00am to 3:00pm Sunday 4 December 11:00am to 3:00pm Monday 5 December 10:00am to 4:00pm
www.doreandrees.com enquiries@doreandrees.com 01373 462 257
Dore & Rees
Auction Salerooms Vicarage Street Frome BA11 1PU
HUNDREDSof paper flowers appeared in Blagdon at the beginning of November to celebrate the Dia de los Meurtos, or Day of the Dead.
This was the first new event from the recently formed Blagsaey Arts CIC, which has been behind pop-up installations around Blagdon over the past few years and Blagdon Lantern Parade.
A representative said: “We were always helping each other out with projects so thought it made sense to combine into one.
“We’re currently looking at taking over the running of the Blagdon Advent Windows and of course prepping for 2023’s lantern parade.”
Details:
THE Somerset Guild of Craftsmen gallery in Wells will be offering a 10% discount off all purchases –and free gift wrapping – at its “Winter Warmer” event on Wednesday, December 7th.
These are exciting times at the guild as makers bring together their work for the festive season.
New work by glass artist Claire Hall is particularly stunning and Rod Page has just delivered his exquisite and intricate latticework bowls. They also have Anna Falkes’s famous wristees, now available in children's sizes, the perfect stocking filler in all the colours of the rainbow – including rainbow!
During December the guild will be showcasing a gift-a-day on its Facebook page so do give them a follow.
A spokesperson for the guild said: “We look forward to helping you with your gift buying and are happy to offer personal shopping and, of course, gift wrapping.”
THENovember 5th auction of Fine Art, Silver & Jewellery at the Mendip Auction Rooms was a huge success, including jewellery selling for excellent prices.
The star of the show was a gold and diamond ring with a weight of 4.17cts which was met with strong bidding from across the world with many internet bidders, excellent interest in the room and five telephone bidders.
After fierce bidding, the ring sold to an Israeli buyer for a staggering £54,000 (including Buyers Premium).
Notable prices were achieved for other pieces of jewellery including a further 18ct gold and diamond seven stone half-eternity ring and a pair of 18ct gold and diamond solitaire stud earrings, which achieved £1,600 and £1,100 respectively. Many pieces sold for prices in excess of £1,000.
An excellent entry of watches and clocks had been received and there was strong interest for the array of watches on show. A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 18ct gold ladies wristwatch achieved £4,600 whilst a further vintage gentleman’s Rolex Oyster date precision manual wind wristwatch
made £1,400. A charming Victorian 18ct gold cased open face pocket watch sold for £1,150.
The team were delighted to see strong interest for collectable items with a 19th/20th century Chinese Imperial silk dragon robe achieving a notable price of £2,600 being sold to a buyer from Chicago.
A bible, imprinted in London by Robert Baker in 1603, realised £850. Quality ceramic pieces continued to attract interest with a Zsolnay Pecs Art Nouveau pottery green glazed vase making £1,100 and a further Art Nouveau blue glazed ewer realising £740.
Killens are now consigning for their future sales. For valuations and sales advice, please contact our specialists or call into the auction rooms.
MAKEa date in your diaries for Friday, December 2nd when, as usual, Cheddar will be lit up and buzzing for its highly popular and much-loved Festive Night!
The fun will start at 6pm with the launching of a rocket from St Andrew’s Church tower following a church service at 5.30pm to announce the beginning of the festivities.
This year, there will be a host of events for all the family to enjoy, including a hog roast and choir outside The Bath Arms Hotel, carols and seasonal fayre at the Methodist Church and an open-air street market in the Cliff Street car park.
Many of the shops in Bath Street will be staying open late while in the gorge itself, retailers, eateries and pubs will be opening their doors, alongside numerous stalls.
At the top of the gorge, Cheddar Caves will also be joining in the fun, with singing in the caves, mulled wine in the café and more opportunities for shopping in its gift shop.
Gough’s Cave will be open to visitors for a £5 donation to Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue.
Santa will be travelling, as usual, on Cheddar Fire Service’s sleigh so keep a look out for him as he makes his way around the village!
It’s
Organisers
COX’SMill Hotel, in Cheddar Gorge, is being demolished after standing empty for years. Owners, Longleat, say repairs would have cost too much.
It will become a car park, with some landscaping, though future development of the site hasn’t been ruled out.
CHEDDARArts Quarter is bringing Window Wonderland to the Cheddar Valley for the third year, promising some stunning displays.
It’s been commissioned by the arts charity, Seed, and is sponsored by Cheddar Parish Council. It’s an event that brings neighbourhoods together, helping to reduce social isolation and inspire creativity.
The community arts centre at the foot of the Gorge provides artists’ studios, shop, gallery and community classes.
The event will take place from December 1st–11th, 6-8pm.
For information visit www.theartsquarter.com
FORthe second year running and to celebrate World Polio Day, members of the Rotary Club of Mendip planted 4,000 purple crocus corms on the island in Cheddar Gorge.
When these plants bloom it will remind passers-by about the continuing work of Rotary to eradicate polio from the planet.
From more than 125 countries and 350,000 cases of poliovirus in 1988, there remain only two countries with endemic polio, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Until the end of September this year there have only been 27 cases of the wild polio virus.
But as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting this terrible disease. So Rotary continues its work in conjunction with UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the Gates Foundation and others.
Most of Mendip Rotary’s projects are local, benefitting the community of the Cheddar Valley.
Details: mendiprotaryenquiries@gmail.com
CHEDDARVale Lions Club’s Tree of Light is now in its tenth year and will be lit on Wednesday, December 7th, 5.30pm at the Bath Arms in the village.
It gives members of the local community the chance to sponsor a light in aid of a loved one. All proceeds will be used to support organisations in the Cheddar Valley area.
The club meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Sharpham Road Community Pavilion.
Details: President Sylvia Cook • information@ cheddarvalelions.org.uk • www.cheddarvalelions.org.uk
SEANWilson, the Coronation Street actor, turned chef and award-winning cheese maker, shares his passion for Cheddar cheese in a unique recipe book featuring contemporary dishes with the nation’s favourite cheese.
A modern cookbook that gorges on Cheddar, he fuses Cheddar with dishes from around the world. Some of the 60 delicious recipes are quick and easy to rustle up, others are for the more adventurous home cook, but all are achievable when you know how to source great Cheddar.
THE Rt Rev Michael Beasley has been installed as the new Bishop of Bath and Wells at a ceremony at Wells Cathedral.
Bishop Michael, formerly the Bishop of Hereford, donned the Coronation Cope during a short service inside the chapel at the Bishop’s Palace before processing past large crowds to the cathedral where he was formally enthroned.
Earlier, he had travelled from Bath Abbey to Wells by various means of transport, including a tractor.
A BOOK about Nunney and Trudoxhill has gone on sale, thanks to the efforts of a group of keen amateur historians.
Members of Nunney History Group worked during the pandemic to research the book – the latest in a series of Mendip communities – but were hampered by lockdown restrictions, delaying its publication.
The book is available from the Spar shop and the George Inn at Nunney, Oldhams at Nunney Catch, the White Hart at Trudoxhill and Frome Museum and the town’s Hunting Raven Books, priced £10.
A MOTHERwith three children makes a will splitting her estate equally between them. However some time later she makes a lifetime gift to one of those children (let us say, for example, a son) to help fund his expensive divorce settlement. However she neglects to then review that will to take account of the gift. What can the other siblings do to get their mother to change her will to even things up?
Care must be taken not to be seen to force someone to change their will as that could be construed as coercion which could lead to a will being successfully challenged. However that is not to stop someone reminding their mother what has happened in terms of the gift to one of the siblings and that it has led to an imbalance within the family. Such a suggestion should be in writing and any written response from the mother as to how the lifetime gifts should impact upon the final distribution of her estate would be helpful. This is important because of the legal doctrine of “hotchpot” which states that if a fund of some kind (for
instance the mother’s estate) is to be split up between a certain class of persons in a particular way (namely between her children equally) then a party who has already received a share should have that taken into account in the final distribution. In other words, if the mother does not change her will before she dies, on her death it could be argued that the son, having had his divorce settlement funded by his mother, has already had his share. However such arguments are not guaranteed to succeed and could involve significant court costs.
To try and avoid these arguments it would be helpful to have clear evidence of the mother’s intentions when she advanced the lifetime gift to the son concerned. This is because firstly the son, who has already benefited, may not readily accept hotchpot as having occurred (he may say it was understood he would still get his share under the will and advance evidence to support that) and secondly he may argue that the gift was to his ex spouse and not to him so that hotchpot is not applicable
to the transaction.
The best way of avoiding these issues would be for the mother to change her will of her own volition to take account of the gift she has made. More generally it is always wise to review a will periodically so as to address any change in circumstances which, if ignored, could lead to an unfairness in the division of the estate.
EDWARD LYONS
ALTHOUGH established only recently, Wedmore Men’s Shed is going from strength to strength and already has more than 60 members.
It’s based in the old Methodist Chapel, which they are working to maintain, which gives them space, parking and even a kitchen for a plentiful supply of tea and coffee.
They also have a dart board, pool table and table football, all donated. Meetings are Tuesday mornings 9.30am-12noon and Thursday evenings 7-9pm.
They are currently making bat boxes and bird boxes to raise funds and will have them on sale at Wedmore by Lamplight.
They have been refurbishing tubs for Wedmore in Bloom and notice boards for Green Wedmore and the parish council. As they build up their equipment, they plan to offer Repair Shop style services.
They have also had trips to the naval museum at Yeovilton and Haynes Motor Museum and are planning a Christmas lunch and a visit to Rich’s Cider Farm.
They acted as Covid car park marshals and have a weekly bike ride. Next year they plan to offer cooking lessons and even build a boat. All are welcome.
Chairman, Dave Kirley, said: “It’s important we get involved in the community as much as we can.”
Details: wedmoremensshed@outlook.com
GIVENthe lockdown restrictions just after the festive period last year, many grandparents will not have seen their grandchildren during this special time and will be looking forward to being able to do so this year now that restrictions have eased.
However, for grandparents who have a child(ren) that have separated, Christmas can be a difficult time of year, regardless of Covid, when it comes to spending precious time with their grandchildren.
The family team at Mogers Drewett often get asked what rights grandparents have to see their grandchildren when their parents have separated.
The law and legal process
Unlike the children’s parents, grandparents have no automatic legal right to see their grandchildren. Grandparents seeking to establish or maintain contact with their grandchildren following a separation have two options open to them:
• Agreement with parents – be that directly, at mediation or via solicitors
• An application to court for a Child Arrangements Order
For grandparents, an application to court is often a longer and as a result more expensive two-stage process, as they will need to request permission from the court to make an application in the first place.
Court proceedings are the last resort and wherever possible you should try and reach an agreement with the parents.
Tips for the Christmas period
Given that Christmas often becomes a very emotive time of year, with separated parents themselves often finding it hard to agree arrangements, communication and discussion early on is key.
Don’t take sides
Whilst communication with the parents can be difficult, try not to take sides and remain neutral. The festive period can be a stressful and hectic time for parents and so offering some respite to both parents during the holidays can provide them with support and also allow you to spend time with your grandchildren.
If seeing your grandchildren on Christmas Day itself is not possible, explore other opportunities for contact in the lead-up to Christmas and in the New Year. It may be that you pick a day and treat is as your Christmas Day where you exchange Christmas gifts and have festive treats. There may also be opportunity to attend school plays/carol concerts this year as restrictions ease.
If seeing your grandchildren in person is not possible, perhaps due to location, then make arrangements for a Skype/Zoom or telephone call where, for example, you can watch them unwrap your Christmas present and play games remotely.
If you are not able to reach an agreement before the Christmas break and would like some advice on your rights as a grandparent, the Mogers Drewett family team are here to help.
I HAVEto confess it worried me considerably that moving house would mean we would no longer see the happy group of little birds who came to our feeders regularly outside the kitchen window of our former home.
However, having brought our secret weapon with us (a massive bag of sunflower hearts, which seems to be irresistible to all birds, including goldfinches), we set about seeing if we could attract some of the local avians to our bird diner.
Before a week had passed, I am delighted to report that we had the full set! I suppose it was too much to ask that the visiting great tit would tap on the feeders when they were empty like our previous little chap did, but nonetheless, one of his cousins is coming to feed.
We are also enjoying the visits of a Charm of goldfinches. Lovely name, isn’t it? And the group name of Charm suits them so admirably. All of which set me to thinking what one would call a group of accountants?
Might they be a Calculator of Accountants? A Suit? A Tax Return (which reminds me, please get those records in yesterday, if you haven’t done it already!)?
Whatever your term of choice, while there may not be a name for a group of accountants, never let it be said that their plumage denotes a lack of diversity within the group.
If you ever wonder how there can be an accountant for every problem, let me take you on a whistle-stop tour of our company. (Though to save their blushes, I won’t be naming names!).
There is, in every firm, a wide variety of skill sets, and ours is no different. Catering at a management level; owning and running a publishing company abroad; administration; forensic accounting; carriage driving; working for HMRC (secret weapon!); running a family business - which gives a unique insight into issues we all face; and opera singing –yes, professionally.
Amongst the group there are degrees in Classics, Theology, International Relations, Music, History, Law and others I may have overlooked. These are the people who, luckily for us, decided that they wanted to work in a sector that helps people set up and run small businesses successfully.
In fact, there are as many types and
styles of accountant as there are different clients.
Accountants generally don’t view their work as simply getting figures right or reconciling bank accounts - vital though this is. They see their work as a people business. The inspiration that drives them to turn up for work is their ability to help people run their businesses successfully and safely within the laws of the land and a wish to do so.
Of course, things don’t always run to plan, but believe me, in the vast majority of cases it’s not for the lack of trying!
So, when you feel fed up at having to deal with mountains of paperwork, don’t forget that there are people who are available to help and advise. People who will receive it in carrier bags, if necessary, and sort it out, put it on the computer and let you know what you have to do next.
Within every firm of accountants, there will be a variety of very different people. Find the right one for you, and you will eventually, and you’ll never look back.
Happy Christmas one and all, from this Diversity of Accountants!
JANE BOWE PROBUSINESS
By CHRIS SPERRING MBE
I CAN’T believe it: another year has gone racing by. The question I’m asking myself is it’s nearly Christmas so do the birds need feeding or not?
I’m writing this article on November 11th and the temperature outside is 19°C. By now I at least expect to be feeding the birds once again in the garden, but none seem interested. A speckled wood butterfly flies around the garden and many wasps are still gathering around the last of the flowering ivy, who are in turn joined by European honeybees, who are probably from a local hive.
Pinching myself because of unseasonal weather is now becoming so regular that I’m beginning to hurt. Yet, however nice it might be, the delayed shutdown of insects and others due to no frost and above average temperatures may be extremally problematic as the winter progresses.
Birds such as redwing that visit us in the winter from their more northerly breeding areas such as Iceland and Scandinavia are less numerous and this will be simply because it’s still very mild
in the north as well. Dwindling food supplies will get them moving south but, as has been found in recent years, less are needing to make the journey.
This, too, is a dangerous manoeuvre, because the aforementioned insects need to shut down; a queen wasp, for example, that wakes through the winter will be using up vital food stores and energy during mild winters, because there will be cold days or very cold snaps which give them a false indication that winter has finally started only to wake again in more mild conditions within days or a week.
The chances then for that queen to survive the winter and start a fresh colony in the spring are hampered. Many of you are probably thinking “great” because you don’t like wasps, but some wild bees will be going through the same issues as the wasp.
For birds that stay in the north and risk not heading south, their problem will be that winter will come and hit hard at some stage. Indeed, as my friends in central Sweden say, the pattern recently has been for unusually mild weather up until January or February when winter seems to be lasting then into early spring. So, the birds that stay will get caught out. Christmas and New Year are a time when people like to go for walks and
Bright, colourful – and loud
maybe, if you do, you will come across a singing bird. Actually, there are a few birds that can sing in the winter but of course the one I’m thinking of is the robin, and what an incredible bird it is for this time of year.
It may be dull and dank, with little or no sunshine, but the robin is always bright, colourful and loud. As we approach the longest night (shortest day) spare a thought for the robin and birds of equal and smaller size, for, weighing only a few grammes, they have to go through a 14-hour period of night time with very slight chances of feeding so will lose a gramme or two overnight. Meaning, of course.
When it finally does get cold, our robins will have to puff up their feathers to prevent their body heat from leaving their bodies just to keep warm.
So, the image of the Christmas robin looking fat on the Christmas card is not the image of over-indulgence, but in fact one of them desperately trying to keep warm.
I would like to wish all the Mendip Times readers a safe, warm, and very happy Christmas.
WITH wine flowing during the festive season, it is appropriate that this circle takes the walker through a beautiful English vineyard on south facing slopes near Blagdon Lake. We also follow the shore of the lake with its fine views, water birds and fishermen. Walking is on field footpaths and tracks and for a mile along a quiet lane. There is only one stile. The main hill up to Blagdon is at the start and walking after that is easy with downhill, flat and some gentle hills.
PARK: Down by the dam across Blagdon Lake. I favour parking in Park Lane which runs along the side of the lake on the south side (Blagdon side) of the dam or you can park on the roadside on the north side of the dam. Either is fine. From Blagdon village High Street turn down the road by the Village Club and drop down to the lake. Just before the dam, turn right on Park Lane, or proceed to the other side of the dam.
START: Go along Park Lane away from the dam with the lake on your left. If you are parked on the other side of the dam, cross it and turn left in Park Lane. After a few minutes go round a bend and take the first right.
This is a sunken thoroughfare called Dark Lane. Almost immediately, go up steps right and follow the higher path above Dark Lane. It is quite a gentle ascent. Pass a seat and then drop down steps back onto the lane and turn right to a junction on Blagdon Lane.
Turn uphill left more steeply – but not for long. Before you get to the top, opposite Station Hill Cottage, turn right towards a garage and Headland and immediately turn left up a grassy path. At the top turn right into Garston Lane.
At the end take the footpath down the concrete drive on the right. Continue down when it becomes a narrow path between hedges. Go through a kissing gate and carry on down and after the next gate enter a field. Here follow the right side down and then it bends left across the field. Bear down slightly right still descending, clipping a hedge corner on the way down.
Below you behind a hedge is the line of the old Wrington Vale railway close to the former Blagdon Station, now a private house.
Go through a gate at the end and here you cross the old line, although there is nothing now to see. Continue down the grassy track. Ahead is a small sewage farm but don’t go that far. At the hedge corner, turn left along the top of this narrow field. Go along a path in a wood. Cross a footbridge over a stream. Soon, turn left towards a gate into a field. Head along the bottom to the end.
Don’t go ahead into the next field, but instead turn right over a large old stone slab footbridge (Uxford Bridge). Walk near to the bottom of this next field by the stream. You may have to go round a large clump of thistles of which there are
many in this field, but basically continue to follow the stream. Near the field end, bear across and round to the right corner, crossing a small stream/gully with no bridge. Turn left in the same direction as before along the bottom of this field and at the end turn uphill right to a metal gate above.
Now, on the top, go straight ahead along the fence line. In the corner there’s a gate and footbridge to cross.
Go ahead to follow the track uphill. Ignore the misleading footpath marker and gate into the field. You couldn’t get out the other end when I came. The track is leading you up to Aldwick Estate and vineyard.
This is not just a wine producer but also a beautiful wedding and special events venue.
Near the end of the track, go through a large wooden gate on the left following the footpath arrow. Bend right along the edge of one of the vineyards. At the end, cross a footbridge and reach the lane at Aldwick.
You will follow this for 0.8 miles. Turn right passing the farm right and more vineyards on the left. Stay on the lane which is very quiet, going past a line of houses, and then between high banks. Observe the “see and be seen” rule as you go along the lane. It is much safer than the old rule of facing the oncoming traffic.
Reach Uncle Paul’s Chilli Charity. This is a chilli farm providing learning
Length 4.2 miles, about 2-2.5 hours walking. OS map 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West 141 and 154 Bristol West & Portishead. Postcode: BS40 7SB for Park Lane and BS40 7TA for the Village Club – then drive downhill to the lake.
and employment in a unique environment for young people and adults with social and learning difficulties.
A little further on pass Butcombe Farm with its holiday cottages.
Not much further on, at the T-junction, turn left on the lane in the direction of Butcombe. But we have just under another 0.2 miles lane walking.
Arrive at an entrance on the left to White Cottage and the Hermitage. On the other side of the road, are two large field gates. Cross the stile at the side of the second gate. Head down to the bottom right corner of the field, and through the opening. In this field bear down and across to the bottom left gate. Come
onto a footpath and turn right. Shortly a kissing gate leads you left. Go down a few yards and then take the path right (Ignore the bridge ahead). You are now heading along towards the main part of Blagdon Lake.
After our very dry summer, the lake is very low so it will be a while before you actually see the lake waters.
Cross a long footbridge and carry on getting close alongside the lake with good views across to Mendip and Blagdon village. There are one or two seats along here, ideal for a picnic or just watching the lake birds.
Eventually come out onto the road by the dam. Turn back to where you parked.
Up in Blagdon village there are pubs and also Coco’s coffee and fashion shop just up alongside the Village Club.
CHRISTMAS approaches and I wonder how it got here so fast. The clocks have only just gone back, yet before we know it the shortest day will have come and gone. I am determined to make an effort at Christmas this year! Part of me thinks “Well it’s just another day” but another voice in my head says: “Yes, but do something just a little bit different.” Nostalgia certainly isn’t what it used to be, but every generation will look back to a time when they felt life was simpler.
No doubt there will be the usual classics on our television screens: White Christmas, perhaps a Carry On film or two with Hattie Jacques and Sid James’s distinctive laugh. I also hope for an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol with exaggerated acting and lots of affected “Cockney” accents.
Anyone who has watched that classic film Mary Poppins will remember the way in which Dick Van-Dyke murdered an East end London accent.
I have recently come into possession (that sounds a bit dodgy) of a full DVD set from the Black Adder series. I’m not very keen on the first series with Brian Blessed shouting a lot and Rowan Atkinson playing the buffoon, but the rest are pure gold, especially the Regency period.
That’s going to be my Christmas entertainment! That Dickens story, Christmas Carol with Ebenezer Scrooge is the basis of my story this time. So, more than slightly adapted, here is my version.
Sitting in front of the wood burner is one of the pleasures that winter brings. It also brings feelings of drowsiness that can lapse into pleasant sleep. So begins my story of one of those wonderful dreams that takes me back with the Ghost of Christmas past.
I am now in the kitchen of No 1 Hales Farm Cottage and cannot have been but a few years old. Even though electric lighting was installed the day my mother brought me home from the nursing home in 1952, the oil lamp is still in use. It sits
on the pine kitchen table that was always covered with a plasticised linen tablecloth.
I can still recall the smell of that wooden table. The light casts a golden glow around the room, but never really enough to read by. I’m scooped up by my mother and taken lovingly up the twisting stair to bed, where she would read a bedtime story.
There was never any problems sleeping way back then, it’s only in my later years that I wake in the early hours with some sort of thoughts going through my head.
As I grew older and more aware of things, Christmas became the most exciting day of the year. Christmas Eve is still in my memory as being cold and frosty. I would stay outside as long as I could even after dark. In those hedonistic days of a belief in Father Christmas and all he brought, sleeping on Christmas Eve was difficult.
I would go to bed with a new sock that my grandmother had knitted and eventually sleep would gather me until the morning. I awoke in the half light to view the angular shape of the sock that hung from the bottom bed post. What had the man himself brought for me this time?
When I was eventually allowed to empty its contents on the bed there would be some nuts, fruit and a few small toys. All this sounds very boring by today’s standards of merchandising, but to a small boy growing up in an era where money was not so free flowing, it was still special.
The day would come and go all too quickly and with it a feeling of loss that something so special had to end, as all things special eventually do!
My dream now fast forwards to Tickenham Junior School at Christmas. There would be a party with games and a lesser emphasis on learning during that last day before the Christmas holiday. It seemed that just for once the drudgery of school had been relieved.
There was laughter, a Christmas lunch and small presents from the tree for everyone. A nativity play complete with shepherds who wore tea towels on their heads was delivered. Carols were sung and eventually in the growing darkness, we were all escorted up the road to catch the
bus home. A release from the penal colony of school for a couple of weeks!
I am now a silent watcher in the assembly hall at Clevedon Secondary Modern School. How different this is from Tickenham! I am starting to achieve things as my confidence grows and teachers take an interest in my development.
The assembly hall with its stage is the centre of communal life within the school and it’s the Christmas party laid on for the first year pupils of 1963. There are lots of quizzes and games led by the teachers.
A truly fun time that in future years matures to meet the growing needs of our age. Games become replaced by a disco and again the teachers join in. School plays are laid on and I get the lead role of Toad in a first year’s production of Wind in the Willows
Leaving school to start work means a real grown-up Christmas party at the Long Ashton Research Station. An early finish to work on the day of the Christmas lunch starts with a visit to what was then the Robin Hood’s Retreat pub.
As an onlooker in my dream, I watch the orchard team mix and share jokes before we all go down for a lunch and home-spun entertainment in the staff canteen. Nowadays my staff Christmas lunch will be a pork roll, (with all the trimmings of course) at the Pit-Stop sandwich van in Wells.
My mind also wanders back to Christmases of my children’s childhood and the time they were so excited that my late wife Sue and I didn’t get any sleep on Christmas Eve. I could re-live the joy of Christmas through their excitement once again.
My son Daniel is doing the same with his family in Cambridge. My daughter Lizzie is with a new school community in China, where with other Western teachers she will no doubt have a better Christmas this year than she did the last!
As for Christmas future . . . well who knows what that will bring. None of us can predict the future, but the most important thing is to treasure what we have. Happy Christmas everyone no matter where you might be!
Will it be a white Christmas?
INnormal years (not this one) the impervious sandstone summit of Black Down collects rainwater, which forms streams which flow down the hill. Over countless millennia these streams sank underground where they met the more absorbent shales and limestone and formed the swallet caves which are so popular with cavers today. Most of the Burrington caves no longer swallow surface water, except in very wet weather, although the exceptions are Read’s cavern and East Twin Brook Swallet.
Some such as Goatchurch Cavern and Pierre’s Pot have small streams flowing deep in their inner recesses.
South of the hill, the streams are larger and more persistent, and there are a number of active swallet caves south of the road from Charterhouse to Tyning’s. The largest is Charterhouse Cave, which has been proved to take the water from nearby G.B. Cave, once itself one of the largest and most impressive on Mendip.
Longwood Swallet is a long and sporting wet cave and there are several caves in the Blackmoor area of Charterhouse, although you have to go underground to find their streamways.
Between G.B. Cave and the Blackmoor swallets, there is an active stream sink in the shallow valley below a farm. Manor Farm Swallet first drew the attention of cavers from a variety of clubs as early as 1947. Initially they dug at the actual place where the water sank underground.
The shaft was very unstable and collapsed several times, until in 1966 members of the University of Bristol Speleological Society entered a small chamber at a depth of 20 metres. Once again the shaft collapsed, but spurred on by their discovery, the diggers decided to blast a shaft in solid rock a short distance away.
Work continued until July 1968, when the unprecedented storm which caused extensive flood damage to the north, as far as Bristol, caused a huge collapse which re-opened the chamber. The shaft in solid rock was then extended sideways to connect with a choked rift at the base of the collapse. The original shaft was then backfilled with rubbish.
The North Hill Association of Advanced Speleologists (NHASA), a group drawn from various Mendip clubs, then took the dig over in 1972 and entered the cave proper a year later. Below the entrance shaft, a five-metre shaft, September Rift, leads into the cave itself. It can be free-climbed, but many cavers prefer to use a ladder.
At the bottom of this pitch is the start of a larger passage, where the stream is first encountered, if it is running. The way descends to Curtain Chamber, with its impressive formation. A six-metre pitch then follows, which can be bypassed. Here an inlet passage, Upstream Passage, is met with. This has a small stream, and at around 80 metres long runs up to end quite close to the surface.
The main passage is roomy and leads past the two three-metre climbs, the Fluted Pots, to a squeeze, Albert’s Eye. Albert Francis, one of the NHASA diggers, got grit in his eye here while excavating. The squeeze can become a sump in wet weather, which then becomes the end of the cave.
In dry conditions, cavers can continue, the cave descending all the while, past false floors and inlets and a sharp bend, John Ham’s Corner. John, another NHASA stalwart, was trapped here for a while when a rock fell onto him. Eventually the cave terminates in a choke, where the stream is lost.
There are four main side passages or inlets, the longest being NHASA Gallery, reached by ascending a black calcited ledge and climbing up through a small gap between boulders. The Gallery runs above and beyond the main passage for
around 100 metres. There are some fine formations.
At the end of NHASA Gallery, there is an unstable extension, Silence of the Lamb, dug into by a group calling themselves the Fat Belly Boyes in 2009. Fleet Street, another inlet, begins at Stream Junction, a short way beyond Albert’s Eye. A difficult ascent leads to a polluted stream passage.
After crawling through a muddy pool, Boulder Fall Chamber is reached. This is 12 metres high. A climb up a boulder slope and a crawl along a muddy ledge leads to two awkward passages. This inlet is a real collector’s piece, found by London cavers in 1980.
Just before NHASA Gallery the Salisbury Caving Group climbed up into Sarum Inlet in 1975. This series is difficult and like other inlets, polluted, but there are some small well-decorated grottoes.
Manor Farm Swallet is adjacent to a footpath and, at the farmer’s request, the entrance was made more secure recently by the construction of a locked blockhouse. Permission to enter (with a goodwill fee) is usually available at the farm, although in the summer months, high levels of carbon dioxide may lead to access being denied.
In any case, this interesting cave is much more sporting when a good stream is running.
Phil has been caving for more than 50 years and is a member of the Wessex Cave Club. He has been involved in producing several caving publications and until his retirement was a caving instructor at Cheddar. His main interest is digging for new caves
With PHILIP HENDY
HAVINGput the garden to bed it is time to snuggle up in a chair with a seed catalogue and plan your growing for the new year ahead. However, I suppose our thoughts must also turn to the “C” word, which is approaching fast, and what to give our nearest and dearest, to say nothing of our gardening pals.
Garden related gifts are always going to be appreciated by fellow gardeners and it is an ideal opportunity to encourage others to take a small step into this allabsorbing pastime for their wellbeing.
At this time of year, the garden centres and supermarkets have Amaryllis bulbs stacked high and these are easy to grow and flower, if the instructions are followed. The excitement of potting up these enormous bulbs tends to mean the instructions often stay in the box unread.
First dampen the compost provided and, after potting, avoid overwatering while the bulb starts into growth. The golden rule is not to bury the bulb, as one does with tulips, daffodils and the like. The “shoulders” of the bulbs should be above the compost level.
Stand the potted bulb at room temperature. It does not need light until the flower bud starts to emerge. Then full light on a south facing windowsill is ideal. Insufficient light will cause the stem to elongate and may not be strong enough to support the flower head.
Garden tools are always welcome. My most treasured garden tool is a now 50year-old, stainless steel trowel. Stainless steel tools are so much easier to use and clean. I also value my stainless hand fork for the same reason and boxed sets of these are readily available.
Another favourite tool is a Japanese style herbaceous sickle (Burgeon and Ball). This is a short handled serrated sickle that is ideal for cutting back the growth of herbaceous perennials. It is so
much faster than tediously cutting each stem with secateurs, and ideal for ornamental grasses too.
For those with woody shrubs and trees a folding pruning saw is a “must have”. Pruning saws cut on the “pull stroke” which makes it easier when cutting branches above you. The tip of the blade of these saws is quite narrow too, which makes it easier to get between stems and into awkward places. They are often brightly coloured to avoid getting lost in a pile of prunings.
A hamper made up of smaller items will be very well received. Try to make the contents “plastic free” although wooden plant labels are pretty useless. Plastic plant labels written on with a soft pencil can be re-used by scrubbing off the writing with a Brillo pad; a good rainy day job.
Include jute string for tying in sweet peas or clematis, with a pair of snippers for dead heading and perhaps a sachet or two of Root Grow mycorrhizal fungi to use when planting. Add a packet of “quick and easy” seeds such as Virginian stock or cress or even some green manure seeds and pack in a decorated box.
Every garden has a small area of land that is awaiting further development. An ideal way to use it for the summer is to sow an annual meadow mix. These are readily available in garden centres, but I urge you to try those produced by Pictorial Meadows.
One of their mixes was used to great acclaim in the Olympic Park in London in 2012. They start flowering six weeks after sowing and will still be flowering well into the autumn. I have used these so often and never been disappointed.
We are all trying to garden in a more sustainable way so a gift of a paper pot maker, which converts newspaper or old magazines into compostable pots in which to start your seedling and young plants, might suit. This involves a wooden mould and I imagine a bit of practice, but the results look very useable. Another rainyday job, perhaps for the grandchildren.
There are so many “how to do” books on gardening that I hesitate to recommend one but for sheer photographic excellence Clive Nichols’ new book Amazing English Gardens would make a lovely gift for a coffee table (if one had one!), reminding us that despite all the current gloom and doom we have a superb climate and some of the best gardens in the world.
For a gentle entertaining read I can thoroughly commend Tamsin Westhorpe’s Grasping the Nettle. This humorous account of her life in horticulture will keep you rooted to your armchair on winter evenings. Tamsin was the editor of The English Garden magazine and is now the head gardener at the Stockton Bury Garden in Herefordshire – a garden well worth a visit.
For those wanting to understand a bit more about plants and how they grow, the RHS Botany for Gardeners explains and explores the art and science of gardening while its sister publication Latin for Gardeners unravels 1,500 plant names and the secrets they contain. This subject is a lot more fascinating than you might think!
A subscription to a magazine also makes a welcome gift. Gardening Which keeps us up to date with current trends and Best Buys plus lot of “what to do now” tips. Gardens Illustrated is the Rolls Royce of garden magazines, taking you to serious gardens both home and abroad while The English Garden sits happily in the VW Golf bracket. Both have amazing photography.
Perhaps you would prefer to have an imaginary gift of a garden without weeds, flowers blooming every day of the year and someone to look after it for you –dream on!
• Move pots of tender plants inside or close to the house walls. The shelter of the house wall can make a big difference!
• Dead-head pansies, violas and cyclamen to encourage more flowers. The autumn-sown sweet peas should have the tips pinched out after the second pair of true leaves open.
• Dormant trees and shrubs can be moved now. Minimise root disturbance to increase chance of success and rapid reestablishment.
• Prune out old wood to rejuvenate shrubs. Wisteria pruning can be completed now along with vines.
• Plant roses, fruit trees and bushes. Transplant trees and shrubs that lose their leaves in winter now.
• Fork over borders and dig some goodness back into the soil.
• Move potted “prepared” hyacinths into warmer rooms to gradually force them into flower in time for Christmas. If they are coming on too fast move them back into the cool again.
• Don’t worry if there are bulb shoots already appearing outside in the garden, they are very tough and will generally survive very low temperatures. However, bulbs in thin sided plastic pots will need to be sheltered from wind driven hard frosts.
• Feed the birds regularly so that when a cold snap comes they know where to get food easily.
HENTONand District Gardening Club were delighted to welcome Matt Biggs of Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time to their October meeting.
His talk on The Wonder of Plants was both humorous and awe inspiring. He encouraged everyone to look at their garden plants in detail and to research their original habitats, the ways they have adapted to our climate and how they encourage pollinators.
FOR the fourth year running, Glastonbury has gained a gold award in the South West in Bloom competition, winning the Preece Cup.
An award was also presented to the town for the Glastonbury Mural Trail with a cup for the Best Community space going to Manor House Road Community Garden. The ceremony took place in Crewkerne.
In the town’s own competitions, Best Front Garden was awarded to Gez and Bev Eatwell who also won Best Rear Garden. Best New Entry was achieved by Cavendish Lodge. The Beckets Inn was named the Best Pub and the Heart of the Tribe Art Gallery the Best Shop. Best Allotment was given to the Newton Family; Manor House Road Community Garden was awarded first place for Best Pollinator & Wildlife Garden. Judges were Glastonbury in Bloom volunteers Mark Penton and Gerald Morgan.
WHENBarny Lee and his wife Emily bought some land at Cocklake near Wedmore, they could not have imagined how successful their businesses would become. Starting off living in a mobile home, they applied for planning permission to build their own home and stud farm, which is now home to their two sons, Jonny aged 15, also a keen event rider, and George aged 11 who prefers art!
The couple met while competing for GB at U-16 3-day eventing. Emily continued to turn this into a career competing at top level including Badminton, and running the stud farm. Since the arrival of Jonny and George, Emily has focussed on coaching and is a South West of England regional U18 coach for British Eventing.
Barny grew up in Somerset and went to UWE to study Business Studies and Finance. During his summer holidays he worked for a marquee company which gave him the inspiration to start his own
company in 2003.
Barny Lee Marquees has grown from strength to strength offering a family run luxury marquee service for everything from weddings to film sets, and providing a complete service including trailer loos, lighting, generators; they can even recommend caterers, florists and bands.
From the success of the marquee business, Barny and Emily created a new luxury glamping site in 2017 for Glastonbury festival goers and The Glastonbury Retreat was born. Offering proper beds, luxury tents, award-winning food in their beautiful restaurant, a wellstocked bar, and lots of lovely personal touches, The Retreat has proved very successful.
With their insight into the eventing world, it was a no-brainer to build on the success of Glastonbury and offer the same luxury glamping service at Badminton Horse Trials and so The Badminton Retreat
began in 2019 with scores of returning guests this year, and many already booked for 2023.
Barny said: “I think what people like is that we are a family run business and that they have local people with local knowledge looking after them. We don’t just supply the marquee, we can put a whole package together.”
Barny Lee Marquees’ strong reputation, thanks to thousands of satisfied clients, has seen the marquee business expand to cover all of Southern England, Wales, and the South West. The Retreat glamping sites continue to grow and thrive under Barny and Emily’s committed attention to detail.
Dental
Jane
Dental
As we look ahead to the New Year, we will be without a familiar face at the practice. After 27 years at Wedmore Dental Practice, Pete will be hanging up his dental drills and enjoying a well-deserved retirement. Nikolai, Alison and I look forward to providing gentle and outstanding dental care to Pete’s patients into the future. From all of us at the practice, we wish Pete good luck and a fond farewell!
Our reputation for personalised patient care means that we continue to welcome a steady stream of new patients to the practice. We provide routine dentistry as well as cosmetic treatments such as whitening, veneers, antiwrinkle treatment and fillers. Do get in touch if you want to discuss how to make your smile healthy and beautiful. Did you know?
• At a dental examination we check for neck lumps and assess moles, freckles and crusting areas on the face.
• We take a detailed medical history so that your dental treatment can be tailored appropriately. If you have a complex medical history, with your consent, we liaise with your hospital consultant on your behalf. This reduces the need for dental hospital referrals and enables your treatment to be carried out safely in practice.
• All patients have the option to join Denplan, helping to spread the cost of treatment.
• Denplan dentists have access to world-class speakers and hands-on training.
• Private dental care is worth the investment – we use premium dental materials and laboratories.
Wishing all our patients a healthy and happy 2023.
FORTHE most wonderful start to Christmas . . . this is a must date for your diary! The Borough will be closed until 9pm and there will be music, food, drinks, carols and all things festive… Wedmore style.
It all starts at St Mary’s Church with carols under the tree at 5.30pm and then you can meander down to The Borough, the village’s main street.
The village’s wonderful independent shops will be open and the air will be alive with carols. As well as the live music there will be stalls, mulled wine, a bar for beer and wine lovers, mince pies, hog roast, cocktails and hot chocolate obviously!
There is even a rumour that Father Christmas may pop by . . . what could be more perfect?
NOWin its fifth year, Wedmore’s Living Calendar starts on December 1st, with different window displays then opening each night until Christmas Eve. They all then stay lit until the end of Advent, January 6th.
It’s popular with families following a map around the village – with mulled wine and mince pies on the way!
VARIOUS organisations have combined to support the Warm in Wedmore initiative to help people keep warm this winter.
Village clubs and associations will take turns to host a few hours of “cheery, community conviviality” on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Masonic Hall, 10am2pm.
The initiative is supported by Wedmore Parish Council, Wedmore Community Power Cooperative, St Mary's Church, Wedmore Health & Wellbeing and The Isle of Wedmore Good Neighbours.
The hall opens for the first time on December 7th.
PISCESin the Borough Mall, Wedmore is preparing for its usual Christmas service by offering a pre-order form for the Christmas week. Dean Downer and his staff will pick your order ready for collection on your selected day from produce personally selected at market by Dean on his daily trips to the Bristol Wholesale Market in Christmas week.
Dean says Pisces is proud to source your fish requirements for the festive period but reminds you to order early to avoid disappointment as landings dwindle towards the holiday.
Fish markets will be closed over the Christmas holiday, with the last delivery expected on Friday, December 23rd.
WEDMORE Friends of Weston Hospicecare want to thank all those who supported their Big Drop event in spite of the rain. It was a very successful morning.
Chair of the Friends, Shirley Wederell, said: “All donations will be sold in aid of the hospice and thank you to everyone for their kind and generous support and also to those who worked so hard to process the donations.”
WEDMOREJeweller Erica Sharpe is delighted to have completed several intricate and “emotionally significant” remakes in recent months. One very special ‘Bird Ring’ incorporated the gold and stones from the customer’s original engagement ring into a new unique ring based on specific meanings in their personal love story including the pair of birds and stunning aquamarine representing the couple’s memory of the proposal.
WENDYRider has qualified as a Level 5 clinical reflexologist, the highest level of professional reflexology qualification in the UK. This adds to her skills in holistic and facial reflexology, honed over 30 years.
As a result, she can now receive referrals from medical professionals – as well as treating those who just want to be pampered in luxurious surroundings.
Her skills cover a wide range, including fertility and palliative care, and are provided either at home or in her own private treatment rooms that opened in the Borough Mall, Wedmore last January.
Wendy lives in Wedmore and also works for the village pharmacy, where she has been in charge of their vaccination programme.
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She says losing weight with the 1:1 Diet also gives important health benefits: “So you not only look good on the outside, more importantly, you're healthier on the inside too.”
She keeps a fully stocked range of delicious products and flavours to choose from, which she says will keep you full up and not hungry, with safe, rapid weight loss results.
WEDMORE’S spoof art award has attracted several entries, including Yew Crane, by Tim Flooks. The winner will be announced at The New Inn, Wedmore on Wednesday, December 7th, 6.30pm.
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IT’Sgreat to earn a living out of thinking. You just have a good ferret around in your subconscious, add in a few nuggets you’ve picked up in the news or from your neighbours, and voila, you’ve got a column or a comedy routine. Now all you have to do is persuade someone to pay to read or hear it. Hit the jackpot and you’re Peter Kaye or Adam Kay.
By DrPHIL HAMMONDBut life is still pretty good amongst the also rans. I’ll never play Wembley but I can still halffill a chilly provincial theatre and I’ve written for Private Eye for over 30 years now and the Mendip Times for perhaps half of that.
The downside of thinking for a living is that it’s hard to stop. Even when you go on holiday, you take your brain with you. It takes me ages to wind down and I’m very bad at “doing nothing”.
I have friends who will happily spend a day in bed but I’d worry about getting a pressure sore and keep shifting from one buttock to the other. Whenever I slow down physically, I think more mentally.
I’ve even perfected the art of slow exercise – moving just fast enough to be slightly breathless but never so fast as to be thoughtless or speechless. I can never clear my head of thought even when I’m asleep.
“The slow movement” sounds lovely but try it and you think about it all the time. Life may not always have been sweet for a medieval peasant, but they had more public holidays and far fewer key performance indicators than us.
During the Industrial Revolution,
the work ethic was rammed home from the pulpit and you were made to feel guilty if you didn’t enslave yourself to the production-line machine. Time and energy are both limited, and if we burn too much up chasing dull, repetitive, unrewarding targets, the only escape is to try to squeeze in some instant gratification after work.
So a bottle of wine or a six-pack of Stella disappears in half an hour and you have to do tomorrow’s dull repetitive tasks with a jackhammer in your brain. Some people manage to get pleasure from work, but you have to enjoy what you do.
As Tom Hodgkinson, founder and editor of the (twice-yearly) Idler magazine puts it: “A characteristic of the idler’s work is that it looks suspiciously like play. This makes the non-idler feel uncomfortable. Victims of the Protestant work ethic would like all work to be unpleasant.
“They feel that work is a curse, that we must suffer on this earth to earn our place in the next. The idler, on the other hand, sees no reason not to use his brain to organise a life for himself where his play is his work, and so attempt to create his own little paradise in the here and now.”
This got me thinking. I think for a living because I enjoy it. When I disappear inside my head, I discover a few things that aren’t printable in a family magazine, but nothing too unpleasant or unsettling.
And there are some fabulous memories tucked away in there, some of which might even be true. Even better, your brain uses up more energy than any other organ, so it might even be possible to think yourself thinner. That’s my excuse anyway.
Details: www.drphilhammond.com
IT’S been a funny old year. Let me rephrase that. It’s not been that funny, given the wild weather we’ve had. Raindrops like me have been frazzled by droughts or flung into raging floods with crazy changes all happening at the same time somewhere in the world.
Some of us have been freed from glaciers and ice fields after being trapped for thousands of years –I’ve met friends and relatives I haven’t seen since the last Ice Age.
It probably means buying more Christmas presents . . .
But I have seen worse. About 250 million years ago a series of huge volcanoes led to the extinction of most of the life on earth at that time.
I spent a fairly lonely and pretty boring five million years before bugs started appearing again. Those slimy bits eventually developed into more complicated life forms like insects, fish and animals – then human beans like you.
I’ve seen so many changes, mostly in the years before you evolved. I still miss riding on dinosaurs’ noses and cuddling down in the soft fur of a mammoth’s neck.
It feels like they disappeared only yesterday. In terms of my great age, that’s true. I still miss Magnus the mammoth, who I’ve not seen since some of your lot went hunting one day. And Doris the dodo, who was doing just fine before you lot arrived. You do have a lot to answer for.
But there have been some benefits. I spent one year stuck in a bottle of whisky, which wasn’t too unpleasant. Then some fat, red-faced chap drank it at Christmas – so you can imagine where I ended up.
Actually, I’m quite fond of toilets, they’re like one of those gateways to another world that you hear about sometimes. One flush and you’re on a journey into the great unknown – usually in the sea or a river. That’s something else that’s down to humans.
At the moment I’m sitting in the middle of a big, juicy Christmas pudding, waiting for the day when I’ll see lots of happy, smiling faces beaming around the table. Then after a big lunch the grown-ups might have a snooze, leaving you to play with your new toys.
Spare a thought for me – I know where I will end up. Merry Christmas!
MENDIP GRANDADSOMERSET Community Foundation has launched its Surviving Winter appeal encouraging people to donate all or part of their Winter Fuel Payment if they don’t need it.
It says the cost-of-living crisis means that this winter will be one of the toughest we have faced for decades. Many older people are already extremely anxious about rising bills and around 11,000 Somerset pensioners will find themselves living in fuel poverty this year, double the number in the same situation last year.
The team says that with many years’ experience of running their appeal, many of the poorest pensioners may not turn their heating on at all, or will cut back on food to save money as they are forced to choose between heating and eating.
And with everyday costs like food and fuel rapidly increasing, this winter will see many of our most vulnerable older neighbours struggling to cope. Many will stay at home to save money and will find themselves cut off from family and friends.
Around 800 older people in Somerset are supported through the Surviving Winter appeal every year with a cash grant to support their energy bills. This year the grants are increasing from £300 to £500 and there will be even more help for people
to buy essential items to stay warm and help make their homes more energy efficient.
The foundation says: “For many local people who don’t need their Winter Fuel Payment, it is an easy way to make a huge difference to the life of one of their neighbours. Help Somerset Community Foundation to help more isolated and vulnerable older people stay warm, safe and well this winter.”
Details: www.somersetcf.org.uk/winter 01749 344949
SOMERSETCounty Council’s fleet of 23 gritters is ready to be mobilised in the coming months and this year a call is going out to farmers across the county to support the council’s winter services with snow ploughing duties should conditions become challenging. Farmers
important
undertake
A SPECIAL church service has been held in Lamyatt, near Evercreech, to celebrate its official status as Somerset’s latest Thankful Village – awarded to communities where all the men who served during WWI returned home safely.
As reported in the November issue of Mendip Times, it took several years of research and detective work by Gill and David Lindsay, from Evercreech History Society, with the help of an archivist from the Somerset Heritage Centre in Taunton – and a piece of good fortune – to establish that all 14 men who went to fight from Lamyatt had survived. The missing name was Frederick Garland, who enlisted originally in the Somerset Light Infantry but had been transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers where his safe return had been recorded.
Now the village has joined nine other Thankful Villages in Somerset out of 56 nationally – Somerset has more than any other county.
Members of the Garland family, from Hereford and Sherborne, attended the service, which also paid tribute to those who did not return. Simon Laing read out letters from the Front sent by his great-uncle 2nd Lieutenant Edward Huddart who was killed on the Somme in 1916, whilst Mark Schofield read one from Thomas Upshall, of Evercreech, who was killed in action in 1915, aged 29. His body was never recovered and his name is on the Menin Gate.
Lay reader Jen Richards, who led the service, said: “This morning was amazing. It was far more emotional than I thought it would be.”
POPPIESappeared throughout Clutton, including the gate and railings of St Augustine’s Church, thanks to a small group of willing helpers.
Former WI president, Edwina Morris, said: “We started knitting the poppies when we had a WI in the village and several people have continued to knit throughout the year even though our WI has closed.”
HUNDREDS of passers-by have been admiring the 2,000 poppies planted by the Bishop’s Palace moat in Wells.
The metal-stemmed poppies were created in 2018 by Dan Vidler with the help of local schoolchildren. Originally 2,989 poppies were made –one to mark each life lost of Somerset servicemen during World War One – but some were sold to raise money for SSAFA and the Wells Branch of the Royal British Legion.
DO you know that feeling when you’ve had a foreign holiday and the temperatures have been really high every day as you are basking around the pool? Then you get back home to a lovely English summer’s day somewhere in the mid-20s and you think “this is a little cooler but just right”. Well that’s how the property market in the Chew Valley looks right now.
We have had a very unusually superheated period when properties were literally flying off the shelves. I suspect there were many people who said that anyone could have been an estate agent in that market.
But now we are seeing a change and a return to what I consider, with my long experience in this profession, something more like normality.
To be honest, in some ways that is a relief to me. There is less pressure so that buyers can take a bit more time to have a
think about a purchase before they commit to their perfect property and sellers can put their houses on the market knowing they have some leeway whilst they find their next home.
No matter what changes we see in the national property market there will always be places which are in great demand. The Chew Valley is one of those, being a beautiful rural area in close proximity to Bristol and Bath.
What has changed is that the heat has been turned down a bit. We still have lots of keen buyers who want to experience the lifestyle on offer, but they are being a bit more cautious before they commit to a purchase.
This is where my years of experience working in different market conditions comes into play. I feel sorry for young agents who have only seen recent conditions and will struggle to adapt. You can rely on me and my team to provide
realistic advice when it comes to price and know that I will use my know-how to negotiate constructively to deliver the best outcome.
There are times when an agent needs to change tack, dig deeper and work harder. Those are the challenges that inspire my team as we adapt to changing circumstances. Our watchwords have always been Dedication, Imagination and Delivery and when you add Experience to that list you will find a combination you can trust, just when you need it.
JOANNA TILEYSANTA has come early this year for house-hunters looking to move as housing developers Redrow Southwest are selling readymade, brand new, energy-efficient homes in Winscombe which are ready to move into by Christmas this year.
The Cambridge, a readymade fourbedroom home in Woodborough Grange, is complete with a well-designed floor plan and spacious open-plan family area.
A sophisticated lounge, a modern contemporary interior and an extensive inflow of daylight complement a marvellous en-suite to the main bedroom, a generous garage, and an equipped kitchen with an integrated dishwasher and downlights. Families can move into
this readymade home by Christmas for the competitive price of £519,995.
Buyers can also benefit from Redrow’s Help to Sell scheme, receiving a tailored contribution to agency fees and assistance with selling their existing home and access to their Energy Efficiency Calculator, which has not only helped their homes become more energy efficient but also will help movers save additional costs to mitigate the rising
energy prices.
Woodborough Grange, nestled in the beautiful and in-demand village of Winscombe, has accessible links to the centre, schools and surrounding green spaces. Just off the A371, it provides easy access to the nearby towns, especially Bristol which is only 14 miles away. With various three-, four- and fivebedroom homes on offer, it has a house to suit everyone’s needs.
THEREwill be a Dickensian Christmas Fayre in Wrington this year, following a two-year gap because of the pandemic.
It will be held on Friday, December 9th in the grounds of The Plough Inn, starting with the lighting of the Christmas Tree at 6.30pm. Entry is free of charge.
There will be numerous stalls and entertainment.
Chairman, Jeremy Birkett, said: “I just thought you would like to know about another bit of village life that is gradually returning to normal in North Somerset.”
SAMGlenn is busy gearing up for a very busy World Cup and Christmas period. It’s three years since he took over the Golden Lion in Wrington.
Newly-decorated and with a new roof and heating in the courtyard, it’s one of the busiest pubs in the area – and one of very few that doesn’t offer food.
There are bar snacks, Scotch eggs and pork pies, otherwise customers are free to provide their own.
Boxing Day will be an exception –with hot food served outside and a visit by Mendip Morris dancers. The pub will be open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day from 11am and will have extended hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
It will be open at 12noon every day in the week after Christmas.
Before that, there’s the World Cup to
look forward to with four TV screens and a projector inside and three TV screens in the courtyard, which has infrared heating, gas patio heaters, lighting, music and enough seating for 50 people.
Sam ran various pubs before taking over the village stores in Wrington. When he left there, he got in touch with Wickwar Brewery, owners of the Golden Lion, and offered to take it on.
It has their full range of beers, as well as ciders and guest ales.
Sam said: “It’s a hub for the whole village, family friendly and with a wonderful atmosphere. We’ve even been asked to host afternoon functions, which we are happy to do free of charge, as long as people supply their own food.”
Wickwar is run by an old friend, Mike Flavin, with Ian Frost.MOT testing, Servicing and repairs to most makes including full electric and hybrid vehicles
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GREENSLADETaylor Hunt are celebrating their first year at Redhill, just south of Bristol. The firm opened the office, just off the A38, last year to expand their offering to both existing and new clients in the area. The office is conveniently located at the foot of the Mendip Hills, with good links to Bristol and the surrounding area.
From the Redhill office – the firm’s 19th - the leading property professionals provide a range of services including farm and rural agency. A delightful smallholding, Woodmans Cottage, Wrington, in the Wrington Vale has just been launched to the market by the office.
A comprehensive range of services is offered from Redhill including landlord and tenant advice, planning applications, Countryside Stewardship applications,
professional valuations and renewable energy projects.
Since establishing the Redhill office the team has been augmented with the appointment of two graduate surveyors, Henry Worle and Annie Haxforth. They have become an integral part of the operation. They will both be sitting their professional chartered surveying (APC) and agricultural valuers (CAAV) exams in due course as part of the firm’s longstanding commitment to training the next generation of auctioneers and chartered surveyors.
The firm have also recently held their inaugural North Somerset collective land and property auction at Aldwick Estate, which was also livestreamed. It saw a 100% clearance on all lots offered, with prices being achieved in excess of the
guide price.
Robert Baker, who heads up the Redhill office and conducted the auction at Aldwick, said: “We were delighted to hold a property auction at Aldwick Estate and it was good to see a 100% clearance rate on the lots offered.
“We witnessed competitive bidding both in the room and via the internet which now offers an added dimension to our property auctions and allows prospective purchasers from away to bid. We are very much looking forward to offering further auctions early next year.”
0117 203 5577 or robert.baker@gth.net
BATHRUH charity, RUHX, are asking 100 brave individuals to make a splash at their brand new event, the Polar Plunge, being held on Sunday, December 4th at the West Country Water Park north of Bristol.
The event is for everyone, including seasoned swimmers who aren’t ready to hang up their wetsuits yet, and total beginners looking to try a new hobby.
Ellie Wilkinson, Events and Community Officer, RUHX, said: “We know that cold water dipping has a wealth of wellbeing benefits, and we want to put on an event that gets people feeling good, trying something new and joining a like-minded community.”
RUHX is asking those taking part to raise £100 to support its work.
Details: www.ruhx.org.uk/polar-plunge
A FUNDRAISINGbeer festival held by the Cross Keys at Lydford-onFosse raised £2,500 for the mental health charity MIND.
At a presentation evening, pub owner David Grindley, expressed his sincere gratitude for the generous support from both sponsors and volunteers: “In a time when we are all facing challenges and financial pressures it was really touching to be offered so much help from businesses and our local community.”
The presentation was followed by a thank you party with free food drink supplied by the pub for all those who had played a part in the festival weekend.
PROMISEworks, a Mendip-based charity working with disadvantaged young people, has received a Queen’s Award for Volunteers, the highest honour of its kind nationally.
The presentation to the charity and its volunteer mentors was made by the retiring Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, at a ceremony in Walton. More than 50 volunteers attended, along with the mayors of Wells and Glastonbury and Somerset county councillor Tessa Munt, Executive Lead for Children & Families.
Mrs Maw said: “I am presenting this award on behalf of, now, His Majesty to an important group of people looking after our young who are, after all, our future. This is a serious duty for me but also a privilege and an honour.”
The award is a crystal obelisk supported by a citation signed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, one of the final awards given during her reign.
PROMISEworks chairman, Robert Peto, said: “A massive thank you to Annie and her team for supporting
PROMISEworks and recognising the commitment of all our volunteers. We are one of only two charities in Somerset chosen to receive the QAVS in 2022.”
PROMISEworks, based in Baltonsborough, recruits, trains and supports volunteers, to provide one-to-one mentoring to improve the mental health and wellbeing of some of Somerset’s most vulnerable young people, aged from five to 25.
It receives referrals from schools, other professional agencies and voluntary groups, and for a variety of reasons: abuse or neglect; mental or physical health problems and families where parental struggles are impacting on wellbeing.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
A DONATION of £12,000 has been made to The Children’s Air Ambulance by Bath & North East Somerset Council after money was raised from recycled metals reclaimed from Haycombe Crematorium in Bath.
The Children’s Air Ambulance is a national lifesaving transfer service for critically ill babies and children that flies medical teams and equipment to children who are too ill to travel, turning their local hospital into a specialist centre.
Walkers gather at a recently-planted tree on the green marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
A GROUP of walkers who raise money for charity each time they step out have held their second Chris Brodrick Memorial Walk.
The Stumblers Walking Group set off from Priddy Village Green for the five-mile walk which raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Chris, of Norton St Phillip, who died last October, was the brother of Stumblers organiser Zoe Emery.
For details about the Stumblers, find them on Facebook
REVEALEDProjects, which works with young people to teach vital skills around self-esteem and healthy relationships, is hosting a fundraising concert with Weston Light Orchestra at Holy Trinity Church, Weston on Monday, December 12th, 7.30-9.45pm.
The concert will raise money for workshops for young people and parents/carers across North Somerset and Somerset around self-esteem, well-being, and healthy relationships.
Project manager, Adele Sutton, said: “Young people are struggling, in particular because of the pandemic and services like ours are needed more than ever. Every penny raised will help us continue our mission to inspire young people to be confident in who they are and develop skills to build healthy relationships in all aspects of their lives.”
Tickets are £10 per person.
Details: www.revealedprojects.org.uk/news-1 01934 707130
The service provides high-speed transfer of the children and can fly them from one hospital to another for specialist care. The clinically designed helicopter also provides a flying intensive care unit for babies and children. Fiona Franklin, Regional Community Fundraising Executive at the charity, said: “The support of our local communities is so important to our charity as we receive no government funding and rely solely on generous donations like these to remain operational.”
The charity is the second to benefit this year from money raised by the recycling of common items like medical pins, metal plates and artificial joints which are retrieved from cremated remains and recycled through a national scheme.
In February, £15,000 was donated to Josephine’s Star, a charity which provides bereavement support for children and young people.
l Fiona is currently recruiting more volunteers in this area. Visit: https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk/childrens-airambulance/ or call Fiona on 07936 044846.
CABARET impresaria and stand-up comedian, Rose Wadham, is organising a cabaret in Mells Tithe Barn on Saturday, December 17th in aid of Frome-based charity Fair Frome, which provides practical support for people in need.
This will be the third time that Rosie’s cabaret has been to Mells and the event ruffled some local feathers the last time it was held in 2018.
Described by Rosie as “a night of eye-popping extravagance” and promising a concoction of entertainment not often seen in a Somerset village, it proved too much for some Mells residents. Rosie received an anonymous phone call and posters in the village were defaced or simply disappeared.
In the end, the cabaret went ahead with many folk from Mells in attendance. Tickets are £30 available from the village shop or online.
Details: https://bookwhen.com/rosiescabaret2022
Ready for take-off: the reindeer now “fly” over the front of the float
SANTA has a new sleigh for his charity fundraising trips around Frome and the surrounding villages this December, thanks to the support of a Mendip quarry.
The DAKS Trust – run by both Frome Lions and the town’s rotary clubs – had been touring the area for many years each Christmas with its former float but a routine review after last year’s event showed that the vehicle was outdated and nearing the end of its useful life.
Peter Barkwill, CEO of Wainwright’s Quarry at Stoke St Michael, heard about the trust’s plight and suggested the company might be able to provide a replacement. Over the summer, building work was carried out to a Mercedes Sprinter based at the company workshops at Moons Hill Quarry overseen by maintenance supervisor Jason Dando.
The keys to the new float – which features the reindeer and sleigh from the old vehicle and a new lighting and sound system – were handed over to DAKS in time for the start of this year’s visits on December 1st.
The float is due to travel throughout Frome and surrounding villages such as Nunney, Mells, Beckington and Chapmanslade in the run-up to Christmas.
The previous float had come to the end of its useful life
WELLSClassic Motorcycle Club held its 21st AGMand presentation evening at Wells Football Club.
They were joined by the deputy mayor of Wells, Tanys Pullin, and town crier, Len Sweales, along with some of the marshals and helpers, to make donations from money raised by its annual “Tortoise and Hare Run”.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance were presented with £3,000 and Freewheelers “Blood Bikes” £600. To date they have donated nearly£31,000 to the air ambulance and £1,550 to the Freewheelers.
The event regularly attracts entrants from various parts of the country to ride in some of our outstanding countryside, catering for motorcycles and scooters of all ages.
The run will be held next year on the weekend of July 14th-16th. The club is very active, arranging events for members and guests and new members are welcome.
Details: www.wellsclassicmotorcycleclub.weebly.com
THE Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge has nearly 60 lots in its online auction, raising funds for Great Western Air Ambulance, The Friends of the RUH and other local good causes.
The auction will run until November 30th.
Details: ChelwoodBridgeRotary Club Xmas On-line Auction (jumblebee.co.uk)
GREAT Western Air Ambulance’s second annual comedy night will be held at the Bristol Old Vic on Monday, December 5th.
It will feature performances from top comedians from Bristol and further afield, including Stuart Goldsmith, Matt Richardson, Dani Johns, Priya Hall, Morgan Rees, Pravanya Pillay and Firuz Osari.
For details of the route, find Santa Frome on Facebook
Details: greatwesternairambulance.com/comedy/
WINFORDCE Primary School’s current Year 6 pupils were the latest children to have visited Lifeskills, the local safety charity based in Bristol.
Lifeskills teaches children how to keep themselves safe in a 90-minute guided tour of various realistically themed “film set” scenarios. Winford pupils have been going there since 2005.
It was a particularly special day as the children joined in celebrations for volunteer Nick Mayfield, who was recognised for completing over 100 volunteering sessions and having taught over 400 children.
Gemma Graville, centre manager, said: “Teaching children at this age and in such a practical way alerts them to the risks and consequences of everyday life. It’s a valuable element to their education which means that school visits are always in high demand.”
Lifeskills needs more volunteers and is running hour-long “taster sessions” for anyone interested in exploring volunteering with children. Open during term-time only, Lifeskills offers flexible volunteering, pays volunteer expenses, and provides full training and support.
JON Hope from Bishop Sutton, co-founder of BillyChip which supports rough sleepers, will be taking part in the CEO Sleepout in Bristol on November 28th at Clifton Rugby Club.
It will see business leaders, business owners and senior execs from Bristol and the surrounding area sleep outside overnight to raise money and awareness of homelessness and poverty.
Jon HopeRICKFORDresident, Mike Mclennan, has penned a book of poems, raising funds for Children's Hospice South West and Holy Trinity Church, Burrington.
It is called A Mendip Corner –Sketches in Verse and is illustrated by Jeff Martin, with a foreward by Les Davies.
No greater love hath ivy, Than for an old, stone boundary wall, And its love is consummated, When the last few quoin stones fall, To join the others in a heap, That lies unnoticed on the ground, A boundary wall that is now but, A smothered, shapeless mound.
MENTORINGPlus, a Bath-based youth charity which works across BANES supporting vulnerable young people, is selling Christmas trees to help raise vital funds for its services from its youth hub in Bath over the first two weekends in December.
Details: Details: https://mentoringplus.net/
It hadn’t always been like this, When love was fresh and young, And strong green tendrils searched and found, The stones to which they clung, Its growth was irresistible, ‘Love conquers all’ they say, The relationship intensified, And closer grew each day.
A dark green wave grew up the wall, Then down the other side, And love marched on, a rampant love That would not be denied,
An all consuming passion, That stronger grew each day, Nothing now could stop this love, Or from its purpose sway.
Gradually the wall succumbed, It now grew frail and weak, The gaping joints made ready homes, Where roots would slyly creep And force their ardour on the wall, In such a hideous embrace, That passers by could see no wall, But just a misty outline trace.
At last the wall was overcome, Where once its strength was sound, Now ivy scrabbled over stones, Pathetic on the ground, No longer could it climb aloft, And along the coping sprawl, Its parasitic love destroyed The old stone boundary wall.
THE natural world was the theme for this year’s Wells Lantern Parade, inspired by artist Luke Jerram’s Gaia installation hanging in Wells Cathedral.
Dozens of families took part in the event, which began beneath the three-dimensional revolving artwork which measures seven metres in diameter and is created from detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface. The event was coordinated by the community interest company the Project Factory.
l By standing 211 metres away from the artwork, viewers can see the earth as it appears from the moon.
The theme of the evening was the natural world
ASHWICK and Oakhill Village Hall committee will unveil their new community café ahead of a special Christmas market on Saturday, December 3rd.
It will be opened by local author, Cath Weeks who was born in Midsomer Norton and attended Somervale School. She has published four previous books under her own name and now has a critically acclaimed novel, Good Husbands, under her pen name “Cate Ray”.
The committee had received grants and carried out its own fundraising to enable their vision of a community cafe to be built. What was once a garage, storeroom and football changing room is now a brand-new kitchen and indoor cafe seating area.
l The café is due to be opened at 10.45am ahead of the market opening at 11am.
BANWELLWI celebrated its 81st birthday in October and held a craft fayre in November, featuring local artisan crafters, raising £400 for charity.
Their next meeting is on December 8th at Banwell village hall, 7.30pm. New members are welcome.
SAM Chapman, chairman of Inner Wheel District 20, is the latest owner of one of the famous Shepton Mallet sheep after she gave a talk to the town’s Inner Wheel club.
The presentation of a replica sheep –based on the sculptures by Jeff Body on the Cannard’s Grave roundabout – are now a traditional gift from the club to visiting district chairmen. Meanwhile, the club is continuing with its monthly Music 2 Connect sessions following disruption due to Covid. M2C is aimed at older people, particularly those living with dementia and their carers and is open to anyone from Shepton Mallet and surrounding area. Music is supplied by SMUG – Shepton Mallet Ukulele Group – playing familiar and favourite songs.
THEpopular soup and pudding lunch, held regularly in West Harptree Memorial Hall, raised £735 for the village’s St Mary’s Church.
One of the organisers, Elaine Avery, said: “We had 58 guests and the money we raised made a very welcome contribution towards meeting extra expenses incurred this year.”
PATIENTS and staff at Paulton Hospital Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) have a double cause for celebration after the Paulton Hospital League of Friends group donated £115,000 to fund a new X-ray facility as the hospital celebrates its 150th anniversary.
The donation made by the League of Friends includes a substantial legacy left to the group by local man Ray Ashman who was treated at Paulton Hospital and passed away in 2020.
The new X-ray facility has also received funding from the NHS who are covering the cost of building work to accommodate the new machine.
Paulton Hospital was originally opened in October 1872 by Lord Arthur Hervey, Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Today services at Paulton Hospital MIU are provided by HCRG Care Group on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Council and NHS Bath and North East Somerset Integrated Care Board.
Gilly Gould, chair of the Paulton Hospital League of Friends said: “Paulton Hospital has been at the very heart of the local community for 150 years, offering care and support to generations of people.
“We are delighted to be able to support that work and we would like to thank the family of Mr Ashman for their generous donation as well as the thousands of people who have helped the Paulton Hospital League of Friends raise much needed funding through our charitable activities over recent years.”
MEMBERSof Blagdon’s Orchard Group celebrated Apple Day in the village’s Eldred's Orchard. After picking, some apples were taken away for storage while others went into the juicer.
RESIDENTS and businesses in Frome are being asked to bring along old laptops, tablets and smartphones to a “Tech Amnesty” event in December where they’ll be refurbished or recycled.
DonateIT, supported by Frome Town Council and Frome Medical Practice’s Health Connections team will be running the amnesty on Saturday, December 3rd from 10am – 1pm in the car park of the town hall. DonateIT will take the items and securely wipe any data off and either refurbish or recycle them. The repurposed tech will then be distributed among local individuals or groups who need the equipment.
Will Palmer, Digital Connector for the Health Connections team at Frome Medical Practice said: “It makes perfect sense to be able to repurpose old tech, which still has plenty of life left in it, and give to those in Frome who need it to get digitally connected.
“As part of our Digital Connect project and working with local partners, we will be able to link up the refurbished items to those who need it.”
DonateIT have received more than 2,500 devices since they started, and these have been refurbished to families across Somerset or have been recycled. Simon Barfoot, who runs DonateIT said: “So far, we have been able to divert 5.5 tonnes of IT from entering landfill. It’s amazing to think that every year a single laptop is kept working, extending its life, saves 300kg CO2e (embedded carbon).”
Town councillor Anne Hills added: “This is exactly what we should be doing with old tech, it’s the perfect solution; it reduces carbon emissions, safely and securely deals with any data on the device and gives it a new lease of life to someone without digital access in our community, Frome Town Council wholeheartedly supports this project.”
l A full list of items that can be donated can be found at: www.bit.ly/tech-amnesty
THE next community café at St Mary’s Church, Stanton Drew, will feature a sale of paintings by Doreen Bond, who died in July.
The popular monthly café, which started in 2015, will be on Saturday, December 10th, 10am-12noon.
One of the organisers, Anne Bennett, said: “Doreen Bond (pictured) was a much loved and respected artist from Stanton Drew. Her family has very kindly allowed her art works to be exhibited and sold in aid of the church.
“Doreen was a supporter of the church and would be pleased to see her art appreciated.”
As always coffee, tea, cakes and bacon butties will also be on sale.
THERE was a full house for October’s Creative Communities session at Paul Street Community Centre in Shepton Mallet, organised by Make the Sunshine CiC.
The 20 people who attended painted pumpkins, enjoyed a flamenco performance from professional dancer Karina Gracia and put on their dancing shoes to join in.
The group, which meets monthly, is aimed at over-55s, celebrates the seasons and aims to bring people together by sharing a different artform and creative activity each month. The sessions are made possible through support from Mendip Communities Fund, Somerset Community Foundation and Shepton Mallet Town Council.
Louise Lappin-Cook, from Make the Sunshine, said: “Attendees have described the atmosphere as ‘friendly and inclusive’, ‘happy and energetic’ and 75% of attendees report having made new friends and connections through the sessions.”
The next meeting, on Thursday, December 15th, will have a festive flavour with a craft session, singing from St Paul’s Junior School students, as well as a hilarious pantomime performance of Cinderella 2 from Tor theatre company.
Meanwhile, Make the Sunshine is helping to organise Window Wonderland displays in Shepton Mallet and Evercreech. The displays will be on show from 6-9pm from Thursday, November 24th to Sunday, November 27th. l Creative Communities sessions run from 10.30am12.30pm and are free to attend or by £3 donation for those who are able.
Details, email hello@makethesunshine.co.uk or call Louise on 07834 039030
Doreen’s paintings
CRAFT workshops have resumed in Compton Dando after a break during the summer, with some members making gifts for Christmas. Future workshops will be on Thursday, January 5th and Saturday, February 4th.
CANCERsurvivors were among villagers, in the Old School Rooms, Congresbury, who supported a coffee morning, organised by Congresbury Community Library, which raised £220 for Macmillan Nurses.
Meanwhile, volunteers in the library, led by Di Hassan, have been helping adults and children making a banner celebrating St. Congar, which will be offered to St. Andrew's church.
The banner was completed by Ann Kelly and Chris Wilcox.
THE Peasedown Community Trust, which was established in the wake of the pandemic, is setting aside £800 this winter to provide help and support to some of the village’s most needy.
Half the money will support an event at the community library on Saturday, December 10th, where local residents can collect free Christmas and winter supplies.
The other £400 will be available for community groups and residents to apply for as part of a hardship fund.
Details: peasedowncommunitytrust@gmail.com
NAILSEALions Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner where guests included local MP Dr Liam Fox, the Lions District Governor for the South West, Lesley Chudley, representatives from Lions clubs throughout the South West, many former Lions, and friends and partners of Lions.
Dr Fox thanked the Lions for their hard work and dedication over the years. He emphasised the importance of voluntary organisations like the Lions in their community, as central government are not able provide everything that a community needs.
On behalf of the Countess of Wessex, patron of British and Irish Lions Clubs, District Governor Lesley Chudley presented certificates of appreciation to the club and to two founder members, Peter Bird and John Williams, who are still members.
Last year the club, which covers not only Nailsea but also Backwell, Long Ashton and the surrounding areas, managed to donate £10,244 to 29 local charities and good causes, in spite of the difficulties in fundraising due to Covid restrictions.
Recently they have donated £1,000 to the Southmead Charity to help purchase a robotic microscopic for eye operations and £1,000 to St Peter’s Hospice.
This Christmas the Lions and their partners will be out and about again with their Santa Float. Activities planned for the New Year include a Race Night and their usual Easter egg raffle.
The club is looking for new members to help with its fundraising and social activities.
A CONCERT by Weston Light Orchestra, organised by the Rotary Club of Yatton and District, will raise much-needed cash for local charities on Saturday, November 26th at St Andrew’s Church, Congresbury, 7pm.
Charities benefitting are Weston Hospicecare, Yatton and Clevedon Foodbank, the Scouts and Friends of St Andrews. Tickets, £10, are available from Weston Hospicecare shop, Conger’s café and the Post Office, all in Congresbury.
TWO highly acclaimed and popular singing groups Mendip Folk Choir and shanty group High & Dry are joining forces to put on an evening of seasonal folk songs and sea shanties in aid of the Ukraine War Appeal.
The concert will be held on Saturday, December 10th at Cheddar Baptist Church, Lower North Street, Cheddar. Doors open at 6.30pm with the concert running from 7-10pm.
Tickets £5 in advance only from Issy Emeney issy@emeney.com 01934 741551 or James Barattini winscombe.folk@gmail.com 07703 538861.
WELLS Cathedral Oratorio Society is staging a Christmas performance of Handel’s Messiah at Wells Cathedral on Saturday, December 3rd, 7pm.
They will welcome back the Music for Awhile orchestra, with their leader Maggie Faultless, a line-up of world-class soloists and conductor, Jeremy Cole.
Details: www.wcos.org.uk
£1,000
Sing Your Heart Out, led by Viv Moon, performed in St John’s Church in the village. The concert also attracted five new members.
The choir rehearse every Wednesday evening in St John’s Church Hall at 7.30. New members are welcome.
For details, find Sing Your Heart Out on Facebook
AFTERthree years, the society will present its Christmas Concert in the wonderfully atmospheric St Mary’s Church, Bruton on Monday, December 19th, 7.30pm.
The choir will be singing festive arrangements and there will also be well-known carols for everyone to join in.
The first half of the concert will focus on music inspired by the seasonal themes of winter and yuletide. Faelan Sydenham, now studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, will play an arrangement of Vivaldi’s Winter on recorder accompanied by a local quartet, Stringendo.
Soprano, Angela Ashworth, and baritone, Geoff Allan, will also be providing festive songs. The programme includes music by Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell, Elgar, Parry, Ola Gjeilo and Philip Stopford in addition to many Christmas favourites.
Details: from Bruton Convenience Store, by phoning 01749 813161 or online at www.brutonchoralsociety.org.uk
THIS is Glastonbury Male Voice Choir’s most magical and wonderful night of the year. Enjoy a performance of beautiful seasonal music sung in glorious four-part harmony.
What’s more, get involved by singing some of your favourite carols to really get into the Christmas spirit!
It will be at St John’s Church Glastonbury on Wednesday, December 14th, 7.30pm. There will be mince pies, wine and refreshments.
This has become one of the highlights of the Somerset Christmas season and is a very popular sell-out occasion so be sure not to miss out.
Tickets are available from choir members, and the Glastonbury Tourist Information Centre (next to the Town Hall). A limited number may be available at the door.
DESCRIBED as a true ray of sunshine and self-proclaimed smalltown “POW girl”, Jo Hill is the rising singer-songwriter ready to put Cheddar on the global music map.
With the power to summon summer nostalgia no matter the weather outside with her music, Jo’s ethos as an artist is to stay optimistic and push boundaries to create the most exciting art possible.
Inspired by the timeless greats Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton, and modern pop icons like Kasey Musgraves, BENEE and Charli XCX, Jo creates feel-good music. She says her journey into music was very much an “every cloud has a silver lining” moment. At, Jo had finished school and was unsure of what she wanted to do next. But she ended up going to university to study Arabic and Anthropology which led her down the destined path of meeting some of her now most trusted creative collaborators and spending time living in the Middle East where she first began making music.
Now living in London and having assembled a gang of creatives she entrusts with her POW girl vision, Jo is ready to break out as a pop star in her own right. On Friday, November 18th, Jo was due to release her debut EP Down At the Res (a reference to Cheddar Reservoir) which includes breakout singles 'Other Girl' featuring Delilah Montagu and ‘HONEYMOON’ which have already seen her attract well over one million streams.
WOOKEYTheatre Group put on six sell-out shows of the musical Oliver. Reviewer, Hugh Griffiths, said: “I have seen pretty much every production of WTG and all have been great. Oliver, however, took their performance to a new level.
“The acting, the complex harmonies, individual vocal performances and choreography was as good as you would see on a professional stage.”
Jo will be appearing on Thursday, December 1st at The Cider Barn in Draycott. Find her music on Spotify.
l
Servicing Pianos Throughout Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire
ASwe head into the darker months the sunsets start to arrive earlier and the temperature starts to fall but that is no reason to stop cycling. It's a case of wrapping up a bit warmer and being prepared for wet weather before heading out through the door.
All it needs is an extra layer or two, some thick gloves and overshoes to keep the hands and feet warm and a bike cap or covering for your head.
Rides in the winter months can be amongst the most spectacular of the entire year, particularly when the low sun casts long shadows and produces amazing sunsets and sunrises.
But it’s important to be prepared for the hazards that the low position of the sun can present on our roads. The early and late afternoon sun can cause dazzle and may even blind car drivers to any other traffic and cyclists ahead of them.
In these conditions, it is a case of everyone taking a bit more care and adjusting their driving accordingly. There are however a few things we as cyclists can do to make ourselves a bit more visible.
First is to consider a position further out from the kerb than usual to be extra-sure that drivers will see you at junctions – or that you are not in the shadows along lanes. It helps them see you. The “secondary” position (about 1m away from the kerb) should then be adopted, when safe, to allow traffic to overtake.
Secondly, consider wearing reflective fabric as things get dark. Most cycle clothing now comes with patches of reflective material so that you can be seen from the front or back.
Alternatively, there are low-cost accessories that you can use. A reflective band around the bottom of the trouser leg is more noticeable because it is moving – and also stops it getting caught on the chain!
Tyres with a reflective trim around the wheel also help drivers to see you when you are crossing their path at junctions.
Although reflective clothing helps, a good set of lights is the most important thing that will help others see you in the darkness and, just as importantly, for you to see ahead.
Nowadays, there are plenty of powerful lights available and choosing the right one depends on where you will be riding. For commuting, in towns and cities where there is street lighting, you don’t need a really bright light to see ahead.
Your light doesn’t need to be concentrated into one beam. However, in the depths of darkness and along country lanes a much brighter light is necessary.
The same holds true for the rear light. In towns and cities traffic is slower whereas in the countryside you want a faster car approaching from behind to see you from a long way off.
Most lights nowadays have multiple settings allowing you to vary easily between urban areas and the countryside.
In the winter months, and depending on the conditions, I ride with lights in the daytime as well. It attracts the attention of an approaching car much earlier on faster roads.
Using both a flashing light and a steady beam is a good combination. The flashing light gets attention but the steady beam means a driver can judge how far away you are.
Personally, I think cycle lights are the most important bit of kit that you can have. It’s worth paying a bit more for the best lights you can afford – they are your main defence at nighttime and give fair warning to drivers that you are there.
There is something special about cycling at this time of year even if the light is at its most fleeting. Remember, it’s worth being out there to stay healthy and active and by riding shorter rides, will pay dividends come spring.
Stay visible, keep cycling and have a happy Christmas!
UPHILL Junior FC has been named Grassroots Club of the Year by Somerset Football Association, a year after it was formed.
The club started in 2021 after Covid to try to offer more sport, health and wellness to the community.
Carina Smith, club secretary, works at Broadoak Academy as vice principal and Ian Ridge, club chairman, works for Weston College.
They both felt there were young people in the Bournville, Oldmixon, Uphill and seafront areas not able to access junior football.
They received a grant to offer sport in the community and Cabot Learning Federation, of which Broadoak Academy is a part, gave reduced rates for the Astro and grass pitches.
They were joined by Rosie Dyke, a local primary school teacher (U-7 team manager and coach) and Beth Cottle, who was leaving school at 16 to start a sports course at Weston College (U-11s team manager and coach).
They started with one age group only in the league (U-12) and no coaches or managers. They had 42 children signed up for the club in September 2021, none of whom had ever played football before.
They now have 90 children playing and a team of around a dozen coaches and helpers.
The club says: “Those naysayers who told us no one in the area wanted to play junior football were certainly wrong as none of our players bar two transfers had ever been part of another club and played Saturday matches.
“We keep our costs low and offer reduced prices for those who are in hardship. As the year goes on this year, we see more and more families being squeezed to pay for kit and offer lots of discounts and payment plans. We want all children to have equal opportunities to play and enjoy football.”
In a year the club has grown from one team to five.
These were Somerset FA’s first awards for more than three years. Other winners included: Youth Secretary of the Year, Chris Wilkinson, Frome Town FC; Adult Secretary of the Year, Ian Wiltshire, Weston FC (Bath); Services to Football, Paul White, Banwell FC.
Somerset FA chief executive, Jon Pike, said: “One of the most pleasurable parts of working for Somerset FA is being able to recognise and reward volunteers in the grassroots game in the county.
“I am delighted that tonight we have acknowledged their amazing efforts for football and congratulate them on their achievement.”
CHEWMagna & Stanton Drew cricket clubs, and any others that wish to participate, have come together to form a new initiative, Chew Valley Cricket, to champion the full range and variety of cricket that is available to all the family, men’s, ladies, social, and youth, in the Chew Valley.
Initially this has been set up as a coordinated recruitment drive as most of the clubs struggle to get a consistent 11 out on the pitch on a Saturday.
They believe there is a lot of interest and desire for cricket in the valley if people really understood how to access it. Chew Magna had some success putting together a Wednesday night
social team called The Pirates and ladies cricket at Chew this summer whilst Stanton Drew had over 70 people at their quiz night recently.
They say: “It does feel like our clubs could be on the brink of disaster but at the same time be saved spectacularly if we can get more local people involved.
“We have a very committed and passionate set of volunteers from both clubs who want to make this happen.”
They are Tom Moy, Dave Lawrence, Jamie Dawson, Brian Hawthorn, Claire Wienburg, Steve Croucher, Tom Spencer and Steve Ive
They hope to make enough progress before the season starts in April to offer a full programme of training and events.
www.chewvalleycricket.co.uk
YOUNG fighter Mason Messenger, from Norton Radstock Amateur Boxing Club, has made his skills bout debut against an opponent from Downend ABC.
Mason, aged 13, went three rounds against Essay Zaman, a much taller opponent. Mason’s coach, Sean Jenkins, said Mason was unfazed by Essay, showing good head movement and footwork considering he was at a disadvantage.
BRISTOL Bears and Welsh international rugby player, Callum Sheedy, paid a visit to Chew Stoke Church School and spoke about his job, his journey to becoming a rugby player, his training and the position he plays.
Head teacher, Ben Hewett, said: “He took questions from the children and was inspirational in the way he spoke about how it would be possible for the children to follow in his footsteps.”
Callum has also been involved with coaching at nearby Chew Valley Rugby Club.
Sean added: “Both boys did their club and themselves proud as they both showed respect towards each other.
“With plenty more work to be done Mason will take away invaluable experience from his skills bout which will help him improve as a young boxer starting out. “And I guarantee he’ll be the first through the gym doors come the next training session which just about sums up Mason and his dedication.”
Meanwhile, the club travelled to Taunton with debutant Ethan Carey, who attends Writhlington School, also enjoying his first skills bout. Boxing Palluv Bhandari of the host club Blue Flames ABC Ethan showed great attacking skills to go with his impressive defensive skills. Sean added: "Watching him progress through the various stages of a boxers training has been very enjoyable Ethan's dedication is a credit to him and he loves being pushed.”
Mason with coach Sean Jenkins Mason and Essay
JAYNESmart who runs her own livery yard and teaches at Banwell, has gained the highest possible qualification in the British Horse Society and is now a BHS Fellow (FBHS). She joins an elite list which includes Carl Hester, Yogi Breisner, Ian Stark, Lizzel Winter and Jenni Lorriston-Clarke, all well-known equestrian experts and all at the very top of the tree in terms of their knowledge and horsemanship.
Working towards the qualification is not for the faint hearted. This is reflected in the fact that even though it has been going since the 1940s, there are only around 80 Fellows anywhere in total who hold it.
First a CV has to be submitted and, if that proves acceptable, then a very intense assessment takes place over two full days, where riding and all aspects of equitation are tested in a fast and furious environment at a gruelling pace.
Jayne found it particularly hard preparing for the test. She tells me she had failed all nine “O” levels at school in “spectacular style” and therefore had no idea how to go about revising, so her studying and revision timetable was supervised and monitored by her daughter Emily who was simultaneously studying for her A levels.
Emily made lots of flash cards and mixed them all up so that Jayne never knew what was coming next in the form of questions and in a complete mother/daughter role reversal, they got through it together.
Jayne’s parents had been at a loss as to what she would do when she left school with no qualifications at all at the age of 16. Her only interest was riding horses and so it was suggested that she give that a try as a career.
Lucky enough to start her training with
Kenneth
who
trained some of our top riders, Jayne then went on to become a very accomplished show jumper and event rider in her own right. During her successful riding career she competed at all three of the most challenging courses in the eventing calendar… Badminton, Burghley and Blenheim.
Her top horse, who took her all the way to the Horse of the Year Show, was a mare called Free and Easy, bought in 1985 for £3000, and who became a Grade A show jumper as well as a superb event horse.
Jayne first saw her advertised in Horse and Hound, liked the look of her but thought “no I don’t want a mare”. She went on to look at another horse that subsequently failed the vetting, so had a rethink. Finding the mare still for sale but with someone else interested, she made a quick (and as it turned out very wise) decision to snap her up.
The rest as they say, is history, and now, despite being qualified to teach the
elite and the top teams, Jayne can still be found giving inspiring BS Academy tuition to juniors at Badgworth Arena (usually on cold evenings!) allowing children access to affordable lessons which help them build friendships and learn sportsmanship, all whilst having quality training.
Her recent success in becoming a BHS Fellow is to be applauded and is so well deserved. The certificate was awarded at Newbury Racecourse on BHS Charity Race Day, with Martin Clunes, president of the BHS in attendance. How cool is that?
Jayne said she has a simple phrase that helps enormously – “Every Stride Matters”. Someone suggested that would be a good title for a book, so maybe that will be Jayne’s next project?
It’s a pretty good mantra to remember anyway, whether just out hacking, schooling or competing and how true. Saying it to yourself while riding anywhere could aid your concentration and help to keep you safe.
Clawson, famously With JANE PATERSONIT’Snearly Christmas, a time when we not only celebrate, but also remember friends departed. In May 2015, 17-year-old local event rider Hannah Francis was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. Devastatingly she passed away on August 1st, 2016.
She lived on her family’s farm at Radstock, also home to her beloved horses, Mavis, Chesney, Tom and Doris. Hannah was a talented rider who had been invited onto the Pony Club’s Rider Development Pathway.
This is designed for Pony Club members who show the ability to progress to the Olympic disciplines and which provides opportunities for them to advance in their chosen sport.
Before Hannah set up her charity in March 2016, she helped so many causes. She raised £115,000 for cancer charities, as well as increasing awareness about osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer mainly affecting children. Her greatest wish was to leave a legacy, to be remembered, and to help others in her situation.
Early in her illness, and to keep her company during the hours of gruelling treatment she had to endure, Hannah was given a toy pony by Jayne Smart, who was involved in her training. Hannah named this toy pony “Willberry the Wonder Pony” and he became Hannah’s soul mate, helping her to tell her story to the world.
He kept her smiling and the duo stole everyone’s heart. In a very short time Hannah helped to set up Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity, which has gone from strength to strength, now having raised over £2million.
Famous event riders took Willberry to their hearts. Berry ponies can be seen on the shoulder of many of them as they storm around cross country tracks all over the country and beyond. What’s for sure is that Hannah will not be forgotten!
One very important part of the charity is “Willberry’s Wishes”, helping seriously ill people to have an equine-related wish granted. When Hannah was ill, she contacted many riders and events who opened their arms to her, giving her something to look forward to and helping her to achieve her “smile a day”.
Hannah said it made her feel normal even if only for a little while, taking her out of the nightmare she was living. She wanted other cancer sufferers to have something to look forward to as well, so “Willberry’s Wishes” was launched, and
has now granted over 80 wishes for not only people who have cancer, but their friends and family too, and there are more in the pipeline.
Just before Hannah died, she achieved her dream of riding in GB colours, when she rode as the guinea pig rider at Tattersalls Horse Trials in Ireland. Struggling with immense pain and very limited mobility, she rode like the pro she was and completed her bucket list.
The other part of Hannah’s charity is dedicated to funding scientific research into the causes of osteosarcoma, with the ambition of trying to improve options for those whose lives are blighted by the disease.
So far, it has funded seven projects with leading universities across the UK and is already working on more. Everyone involved with the charity is so proud to support Hannah’s vision. I shall certainly be buying one or two Willberry ponies for horsey friends for Christmas and I would invite readers to do the same.
This will not only help the charity, but receiving a Willberry cannot fail to delight any horsey child (or adult!) and remind us all of a very talented wonderful young woman who inspired so many and who left us much too soon.
Details: www.willberrywonderpony.org
THE Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells will once again be offering visitors the chance to celebrate the magic of the Christmas season with festive events, outdoor Illuminations, workshops, Father and Mother Christmas, music and food throughout the month of December.
The rooms of the medieval palace building will be decked out in their Christmas finery with seasonal foliage from the Palace Gardens creating stunning adornments to complement the historic interiors. Visitors will enter the Entrance Hall with its roaring fire and explore the rooms of the Palace, which will also include the return of the popular local Schools Eco-Exhibition.
Outside, visitors can explore the magical inner gardens which will be illuminated with festive decorations and illuminations during special late-night
openings. The illuminations begin at 3.30pm on the late opening evenings and last entry will be 6.30pm, with the inner gardens open until 7pm.
The Bishop’s Table café will be serving its festive menu and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings Denela’s Bakery will also be tempting visitors with their delicious hog roast. Father and Mother Christmas will be returning to meet local families (very limited tickets available).
Storytellers will also be sprinkling some festive magic with tales of Christmas past on December 11th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st (11am and 1.30pm). No booking is required.
On December 10th and 17th (11am, 12.30pm and 3pm) Wells Theatre Company will perform an epic reading of the classic Dickensian tale “A Christmas Carol” within the atmospheric
Christmas illuminations at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens
Undercroft. Again, no booking is required.
Creative types may be tempted by two festive workshops – wreathmaking on Saturday, December 3rd (10am-1pm or 2pm-5pm) and candle making on Sunday, December11th (11am-2pm).
The “Swing into Christmas” concert on Saturday, December 3rd at 7.30pm welcomes John Prescott and the Capitol Band who will perform a wide repertoire of songs from the great American songbook.
For full details and tickets, visit: www.bishopspalace.org.uk
NOVEMBER 1992 saw Derek and June Cooper open a one screen cinema in Princes Road in Wells; now celebrating its 30th anniversary under the family’s care, the venue has evolved into a modern, three screen, digital complex.
Sally Cooper, the current proprietor, said: “We are delighted to reach this milestone, especially after the last few years of struggles during the pandemic. We are so grateful to our customers for their support during the lockdowns, not only from the words of encouragement but also for those who kindly donated through our Just Giving page and sponsoring a seat.”
Wells Film Centre offers the city and surrounding areas the latest blockbusters and arthouse movies. Lots of films are shown in the afternoon at their tea matinees. Sally said: “The line-up of films for 2023 is the best it’s been in years. We are pleased to be able to continue to offer a range of products and screenings like our popular tea matinees, autism-friendly shows and our annual outdoor screenings at The Bishop’s Palace, and cannot wait to reintroduce, in 2023, event cinema, Wednesday morning tea matinees, Tiny Tuesdays and Saturday morning family shows. “Times change but what won’t change is our passion and love of cinema.”
For details, visit: www.wellsfilmcentre.co.uk
THERE’Ssomething special this year at Downside Abbey Visitors Centre, an illuminated Christmas nativity trail.
Outdoor rooms of themed lights and effects lead to their life size stable and nativity, with children’s activities along the way to find the lost shepherds and kings with a prize at the end for each child.
Then make your way into the Christmas courtyard where there will be stalls selling gifts, games and of course traditional mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies.
To enhance the Christmas spirit, they have a wonderful vintage fairground organ playing seasonal tunes and at various times they will be joined by their resident Orchard Brass Band with a selection of Christmas numbers.
Entry to the visitors centre, shop, tea rooms and courtyard is free and this is open daily from 4pm to 8.30pm. Christmas week will close on Saturday, December 17th with a special carol service in the Abbey Church, with composer Matthew Coleridge along with a massed choir of up to 100 singers from across the West Country, accompanied by Daniel Robert Cushing on the Abbey’s Compton organ and the Orchard Brass Band.
Details: www.visitdownside.co.uk
THE team at the Somerset and Dorset heritage railway at Midsomer Norton have entered one of the busiest times of the year as they make final plans for a series of weekend Santa Specials in the run-up to Christmas.
The rides begin on Saturday, December 3rd with five journeys on the schedule each day. Santa’s grotto is being prepared and the whole station is buzzing with excitement! There will also be driver experience opportunities between Christmas and New Year on both diesel and steam locos.
On New Year’s Day the railway will be running its steam and mince pie specials, which will be the last chance to ride behind visiting engine, Austin 1, before it returns to its home in Llangollen in early January. But, early in the New Year, they will be welcoming another steam visitor – Cranford, which was built in Bristol – on hire from the Appleby Frodingham Railway in Scunthorpe.
The winter season had begun with a Halloween weekend, where children in fancy dress rode for free. The line was also delighted to welcome a group of people from the Swan Coffee & Chat Group, who enjoyed fish and chips in the buffet car while riding on the train.
For details and to book, visit: sdjr.co.uk
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in the format below, to annie@mendiptimes.co.uk
commercial rate, £25.
Thursday November 24th Reptiles and Amphibians of Mendip, talk by John Dickson for Avon Wildlife Trust, 7.45 Chew Magna Old School Room, £2.50.
Friday November 25th West Mendip Orchestra Concert 7.30pm All Saints Church, WSM, BS23 2NL. £10 on the door. Details: www.west-mendiporchestra.org.uk.
St Margaret’s Hospice Christmas Market, Tithe Barn, Haselbury Mill Crewkerne, 124.30pm, craft stalls, entertainment, refreshments.
Whitchurch Art Club Craft Fayre. 2.306.30pm Fortfield Rd Community Centre BS14 9NT. Free entry, affordable gifts. New members welcome any Thursday 7-9pm. Details: avril.csve@gmail.com
Glastonbury and Street Lions Music Quiz, 7.30pm Ashcott village hall. Teams up to six, £5pp, take own refreshments. Details: 01458 210926 or 210445.
Valley Arts Fringe Festival, Godot is a Woman, Silent Faces Theatre, St Andrew’s Church Hall, Chew Magna, 7.30pm. Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk
Saturday November 26th Festival of Carols, 7.30pm Our Lady Queen of Apostles church, Cheddar BS27 3HU. Tickets: www.somersetchoralsociety.com
Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books etc. Congresbury Christmas Sale, 10am-12 Methodist Hall. Coffee, plants, crafts. The Note Warehouse Concert 7.30pm St Mary’s, Yatton. See: www.yms.org.uk
Timsbury Christmas Gifts & more, St. Mary's Church, 10-3.30pm.
Tunley Craft Fayre 10am-3 Recreation Centre BA2 ODZ.
Bishop Sutton Theatre Co. Panto: Snow White & Seven Silly Super Heroes. Coffee Cakes & Crafts 10.30-1pm Westburysub-Mendip village hall. Entry £2.50 incl refreshments U-11s free. Also fresh produce, white elephant etc.
Congresbury: Weston Light Orchestra Concert 7pm St Andrew’s Church. Tickets £10 from local shops and PO. For local Rotary charities.
Godot is a Woman, Silent Faces Theatre, Axbridge Town Hall.
Valley Arts Fringe, The Return of the Mighty Kids Beatbox Comedy Show, Compton Martin village hall, 3pm. Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk
Saturday November 26th and Sunday Nov 27th
Lantern workshops ahead of the Shepton
Mallet Lantern Festival. Details: www.sheptonlanternfestival.org.uk
AONB meeting: “Seeing the Mendip Hills through new eyes”, hosted by Mike Dilger for their 50th anniversary forum, 1 to 5pm, Yeo Valley Canteen. Free. Details on Eventbrite. Sunday November 27th
Valley Arts Fringe Festival, Hansel and Gretel, PaddleBoat Theatre, Winford Primary School, 2.30pm. Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk Monday November 28th
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm St Mary's Church, Timsbury BA2 0EJ. Donations requested. Refreshments available.
Wessex Stationary Engine Club meeting 8pm Old Down Inn, Emborough.
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in, 24pm Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com Wednesday November 30th
Backwell & Nailsea Macular Support meeting 1.30 pm Backwell WI Hall. Details: Sheila, 01275 462107.
Harptrees History Society Dr Amy Frost on the WW2 Bath Blitz, 7.30pm Harptree Memorial Hall. BS40 6EG. Visitors welcome, £3. Please book: info@harptreeshistorysociety.org
Thursday December 1st Cheddar Valley u3a Christmas Revue 2pm village hall, admission by ticket only: cheddarvalleyu3a.org.uk
Friday December 2nd
Save the Children lunch 12.30pm Shipham village hall, BS25 1SG. £4.50.
Trio Paradis 'Winter Wonderland' 2.30pm Leigh-on-Mendip village hall. Christmas Fair 6pm St Giles Church, Leighon-Mendip.
Cheddar Festive Night: music, stalls and Santa, throughout the village & Gorge. See p36. Friday December 2nd to Sun Dec 4th Crib Festival St Cuthbert’s Wells. Every weekend until Christmas Santa Specials at the Somerset & Dorset Heritage Railway.
Valley Arts Fringe, I’m Super Thanks, Proteus Theatre, Chew Stoke Church Hall, 8pm. Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk
Artisan Christmas Market, West House Farm, Chiltern Polden TA7 9DR. 2pm-7.30, with live music, stalls, food.
Saturday December 3rd Churchill Music! Leia Zhu on violin, 7.30pm
All Saints Church, Wrington BS40 5LF. Details: tickets@churchillmusic.org.uk
Bleadon Christmas Market. 9.30-12.30, BS24 0PG. Over 50 stalls, see Facebook for details. Costanzi Consort 7.30pm All Saints church, WSM, BS23 2NL.
Coffee Morning 10-12 St. Mary's Church Timsbury. Free entry & glass of sherry. Coffee, mince pies, gifts.
Chew Magna Christmas Fair, 3-6pm. Ashwick & Oakhill Christmas market.
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm St Phillip & St James Church, Norton St Phillip. Details: www.Mendipmen.co.uk
Kingston Seymour Market 10am-12pm village hall. Butcher, veg. cakes, books etc. 07525 040472.
Blagdon Christmas Fair 10am-12 at St Andrew’s church, with Father Christmas!
Bishop Sutton Theatre Co. Panto: Snow White & Seven Silly Super Heroes!
East Huntspill Christmas Bazaar 11am in the Church Hall. Crafts, gifts, refreshments, games & family fun. Details: 01278 788665 or allsaintscommunitygroup@outlook.com
Wedmore Christmas Fayre, 9.30-12.30 St Mary’s Church. Children’s activities, market, gifts, music, food.
Handel’s Messiah: Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society 7pm in the cathedral. Details: www.wcos.org.uk
Saturday December 3rd and Sunday 4th Lantern workshops ahead of the Shepton Mallet Lantern Festival. Details: www.sheptonlanternfestival.org.uk
Sunday December 4th
RNLI Winscombe Reindeer Run, 2K and 5K trails, meet 1pm for 2pm start: Cricket Club Car Park, BS25 1AZ. Details: Tim@moransonline.com
Mells Winter Fayre, 10am-4pm Walled Garden & Tithe Barn.
Christmas craft fair and cake sale 1.30-5pm Tucker’s Grave Inn, Faulkland. In aid of the Bowel Movement charity. Free. Stall space available, call Jo: 07849 734307.
Valley Arts Fringe, Cinderella II or Buttons Bounces Back, East Harptree Theatre, 3pm. Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk
Monday December 5th
Congresbury War Memorial Hall Friendship evening & bingo, 8pm. All welcome.
Christmas Coffee Morning 10am-1pm Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, Burnham-onSea. Details: www.helpthechild.org.uk
Tuesday December 6th
Yatton Local History Society talk by Clive Burlton “the Port of Bristol: the gateway to the world”. 7.30pm Yatton Methodist Church BS49 4DW. Details:
yattonlocalhistorysoc@gmail.com
The Arts Society Mendip ‘Cartier: Jeweller of Genius’ 11am Croscombe village hall & Zoom. Guests welcome £6. Details: www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk
Tuesday December 6th to Sat Dec 17th HEPTAD exhibition in Somerton. Textiles and mixed media.
Wednesday December 7th “Somerset Spiders” talk by Francis Farr-Cox for Mendip Hills Area Group of SWT. Details: www.somersetwildlife.org/events
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in first Wed every month, 5.30pm-7pm, Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com
Congresbury Christmas Fair 6pm-8.30pm War Memorial Hall. Wood turning, jewellery, jigsaws, books, preserves, soft toys etc. £5/table: 01934 832004.
Backwell & Nailsea Support Group for Carers Christmas lunch 2–3.30pm Backwell WI Hall. Please book by Sunday Dec 4th: 01275 463215 after 6pm.
Wedmore by Lamplight from 5.30pm. See P57.
Thursday December 8th
Wells Scottish Dancers 6.30-9pm Portway Annexe, BA5 2QF. Beginners welcome. Tel 01934 740065 or email, to check class is on: ann.wellsdancers@gmail.com
Friday December 9th
Avon Wildlife Trust ‘Wildlife photographs Kenya, Ode to a Snail / Quiz’ 7.30pm Baptist Church Hall, High St, Keynsham. Members £3, visitors £4.
Mendip Male Voice Choir: carols at Bath Christmas Market, 7 to 8pm. Folk Dance, Ditcheat Jubilee Hall (opp. church) 7.30-9.30. Beginners welcome. Live music. £4. Bring own drinks.
Wrington Dickensian Fayre See P72.
Saturday December 10th
Brent Knoll Bazaar & farmers’ market 10am-12, Parish Hall. Details: 01278 760308. Brent House Farm Christmas market at the farm shop until 3pm.
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm Shepton Mallet. Details: www.Mendipmen.co.uk
Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books etc.
Winscombe: come and sing carols with Weston Brass Band! Santa arriving at 4.45pm, singing from 5.30pm.
Parkinson's NW Somerset Support Group meeting 10.30-12.15, St Francis Church Hall, Nailsea. Entertainment by The Magpies.
Ragtime & boogie woogie, Mike Denham & Julian Phillips, 8pm Cossington village hall. Reserved seats £12.50. Details: Roger Collett 07726 911484.
Stanton Drew Community Café 10-12. Sunday December 11th
Oxfam Quiz Night at the Tramways, Wells. 7.30pm. Teams of up to six, £4pp. Raffle prizes welcomed. To book: 01749 672342 or email terryricketts1948@gmail.com Mells Winter Fayre, 10am-4pm Walled Garden & Tithe Barn.
Saturday December 10th to Sunday 11th Christmas Tree Festival, St Giles Church, Leigh-on-Mendip.
Monday December 12th
Nailsea & District Local History Society talk: “Historic tunes, dances & songs” 7.45pm Nailsea School. Details: www.ndlhs.org.uk
Weston Light Orchestra fund-raising concert 7.30pm Holy Trinity, Weston. Wednesday December 14th
Carols By Candlelight 7pm All Saints church, WSM, BS23 2NL.
Harptrees History Society, Somerset Stories, with Martin Horler, 7.30pm West Harptree Memorial Hall. BS40 6EG. £10 incl supper. Cash bar. No tickets on door so please book: info@harptreeshistorysociety.org
Weston-s-Mare Family History talk by Margaret Flux: “My wonderful curio cabinet” 2.30-5pm Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, BS22 8HQ.
Glastonbury Male Voice Choir concert 7.30pm St John’s Church.
Thursday December 15th Wells Scottish Dancers 6.30-9pm Portway Annexe, BA5 2QF. Beginners welcome. Tel 01934 740065 or email, to check class is on: ann.wellsdancers@gmail.com
Cheddar Valley u3a coffee morning with songs & carols, 10am village hall.
Yatton & District Horticultural Society: Myra Cox, Christmas Cracker fun with flowers 8pm, Hangstones Pavilion. Members £2, visitors £2.50 incl festive refreshments.
Creative Communities Craft session, Shepton Mallet.
Friday December 16th Save the Children lunch 12.30pm Shipham village hall, BS25 1SG. £4.50.
Saturday December 17th Claverham Market 10am-12pm Village Hall. Butcher, veg. crafts, preserves, books etc. 01934 830553.
RAFA Christmas Lunch Wells Golf Club BA5 3DS. Traditional Christmas lunch. Details and to book: www.branch.rafa.org.uk/mid-somerset Shepton Mallet Lantern Festival, meet 5pm Collett Park then procession to the Market Place. Details: www.sheptonlanternfestival.org.uk Sunday December 18th Service of Nine Lessons & Carols, 6pm St John’s, Glastonbury.
Wells Rotary Christmas Family Fancy Dress parade (instead of reindeers). Priddy Santa Run. In aid of Childrens
Hospice South West. Five or ten-mile run/walk around Mendip. Meet Queen Victoria Inn 10am. FfI: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/markwalton15
Monday December 19th
Timsbury Natural History Group. Chip shop supper & film “The weird fish lady” 7.30pm Conygre Hall BA2 0JQ. Supper must be booked in advance: visitors £7 members £4, by emailing: janemartin75@googlemail.com
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm St John's Church, Midsomer Norton. Details: www.Mendipmen.co.uk Bruton Choral Society Christmas concert, 7.30pm St Mary’s Church.
Chew Valley u3a, 10am Ubley Parish Hall, Christmas nibbles and drinks.
Tuesday December 20th
Glastonbury Brass Christmas Concert 7.30pm, St John’s Church, Glastonbury. Details: events.stjohnsglastonbury@gmail.com
Congresbury Singers & St Andrew’s School Choir: Unto Us a Child is Born, 7.30pm St Andrew’s Church. Tickets £10 inc refreshments, from Congresbury PO & Re-Store.
Wednesday December 21st
Mendip Storytelling Circle Christmas tales & cake, 7.30-9.30pm Ston Easton village hall, BA3 4DA. £5 entry for Trussell Trust Food Banks. mendipstorycircle@gmail.com
Tuesday December 27th
Binegar’s Bonkers Barrow Race. Meet Horse & Jockey, Binegar, BA3 4UH for 3pm start. Fund-raising for Somer Valley Food Bank.
Wednesday January 4th
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in first Wed every month, 5.30pm-7pm, Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com
Monday January 9th
Nailsea & District Local History Society talk: “The Bristol Terriers” 7.45pm Nailsea School. Details: www.ndlhs.org.uk
Tuesday January 10th
Arts Society Mendip ‘Art & architecture: estranged bedfellows’ 11am Croscombe village hall & Zoom. Guests welcome £6. Details: www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk
Wednesday January 11th
Kilmersdon Gardeners talk by Chris Sperring on British Owls, 7.30pm village hall, BA3 5TD. Visitors welcome £3, inc tea/coffee. Details: www.kilmersdongardeners.org
Friday January 13th
Avon Wildlife Trust ‘Seabirds of the Outer Hebrides’ with Bob Medland 7.30pm Baptist Church Hall, High St, Keynsham. Members £3, visitors £4.
OUR fiendish festive competition is back – find the hidden rabbits within the pages of this month’s issue of Mendip Times and you could be the lucky winner of a Christmas hamper of wine and cheese, thanks to Ford Farm Cheese and Wookey Hole Caves!
There are five rabbits to be found and here’s a clue: one is on the advertisement for Ford Farm’s Cave Aged Cheddar; your task is to find it and the four others to earn a chance to win.
The secret to the unique taste and texture of Ford Farm’s Cave Aged Cheddars begins with high quality milk and ends in the maturing process 200-feet below ground in Wookey Hole Caves where they are left to mature. The caves have been used since the Paleolithic period and today the caves are still used to mature the cheeses, as the constant low temperature (11° Celsius) and the humidity ensure spectacular texture, aromas and flavour!
Please send your answers on a postcard to: Cheese Competition, Mendip Times, Coombe Lodge, Blagdon BS40 7RG. Entries must reach us by Monday, December 11th. The first correct entry chosen will be the winner. The editor’s decision is final. We will endeavour to deliver the hamper to you in time for Christmas.
Lanterns assemble in the darkness of Collet Park at 5pm and process through the town. The theme for 2022 is “Wild Things” and a very special lantern is being created by Mandy McKenna, who made The Ram for the parade a few years ago.
Workshops for all the family to create their own lanterns will be held at the Paul Street Community Rooms on Saturday, November 26, Sunday, November 27th and also the following weekend.
The parade is one of the highlights of a series of community-led events in the town being supported by Shepton Mallet Town Council, which has just launched a new website called Hello Shepton to promote the town and surrounding area.
Following last year’s very successful Winter Series, Shepton Mallet Town Council decided to bring back the programme for a second consecutive year.
The series started as a way to support the arts and creative industries post-pandemic, ensuring local people were still able to access cultural activities at a difficult time. The council says the need and importance to bring locally accessible entertainment and activities for all ages continues to be as relevant this year, and with a full programme that runs until March 2023 there is something for everyone.
For details: www.sheptonlanternfestival.org.uk www.helloshepton.com
