Issue 3 - Volume 16 - Mendip Times

Mendip Times

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VOLUME 16 ISSUE 3

FREE

Celebrating life on the Mendips and surrounding areas

AUGUST 2020

IN THIS ISSUE: MICHAEL EAVIS • VILLAGE CRICKET • RIDING • CHEW VALLEY WALK • HOMES & INTERIORS • WILDLIFE Local people, local history, local places, local events and local news

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MENDIP TIMES

CONTENTS

Welcome

THE Glastonbury Festival should have celebrated its 50th anniversary this year until it was called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But festival founder Michael Eavis has been busy working on other local projects – we catch up with him and his cows in front of a silent Pyramid stage.

Elsewhere flower power has seen a resurgence in many of our towns and villages as communities respond with floral decorations to lift the gloom of lockdown. Dr Phil Hammond gives us his assessment of the current situation.

Sue Gearing returns this month with a stunning walk around the Chew Valley, as restrictions slowly ease, and we also report on the return of cricket and the reopening of some local attractions. But there are worries about campers and camper vans staying illegally across the Mendip Hills.

We have more than a dozen heartwarming pages of community news and some humorous memories of bygone times from local writer Dinah Read. We also have our busiest ever business section.

As Les Davies says in his West Countryman’s diary where is there a better place to live? Let’s make the most of summer.

Thanks to our contributors, advertisers and readers – we will publish despite the bug!

September 2020 deadline: Friday, 14th August 2020.

Published: Tuesday, 25th August 2020.

Editorial: Steve Egginton steve@mendiptimes.co.uk Mark Adler mark@mendiptimes.co.uk Advertising: Ann Quinn advertising@mendiptimes.co.uk Rachael Abbott rachael@mendiptimes.co.uk What’s On listings: Annie Egginton annie@mendiptimes.co.uk Accounts accounts@mendiptimes.co.uk Publisher: Mendip Times Limited Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Somerset BS40 7RG Contacts: For all enquiries, telephone:

01761 463888

or: email: news@mendiptimes.co.uk www.mendiptimes.co.uk Design and origination by: Steve Henderson Printed by: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ Copyright of editorial content held by Mendip Times Ltd. and its contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the Publisher. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the publisher or its associates.

Front cover: Michael Eavis in front of the Pyramid stage.

Photo by Mark Adler. See page 23.

38

Living the dream – Rob goes back to the land

51

Showing my emotions – artist responds to the virus

77

58

Breathing more easily – Siobhan welcomes new drug

Cricket’s back – William is man of the match Plus all our regular features Health Dr Phil Hammond ...............5 Environment ...................................6 Farming Nick Green .....................10 Internet and Crossword ..............12 Food & Drink ...............................16 Arts & Antiques ...........................24 Business.........................................28 Wildlife Chris Sperring MBE .......39 Walking Sue Gearing ....................40

Outdoors Les Davies MBE ..........42 Gardening Mary Payne MBE.......44 History...........................................48 Caving Phil Hendy ........................55 Charities........................................56 Community ...................................62 Homes & Interiors .......................68 Riding Rachel Thompson MBE....74 Cycling Edmund Lodite ................76 MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 3

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MENDIP TIMES

HEALTH & FAMILY

The road to recovery – putting our health first A KEY ingredient of health is our ability to adapt to the environment and to recover when we suffer harm or are under threat.

Everyone must learn to live with loss eventually – a loved one, a livelihood, a liberty or a bodily function – but in global emergencies the losses come thick and fast,

By Dr PHIL causing a second wave of fear and anxiety.

HAMMOND In Mendip, we’ve had some of the lowest Covid-19 infection rates in the country and yet too many people have been made fearful by the incessant TV and press coverage of death. It’s time to start living again, but in a kinder gentler way.

Understanding evolution The Sars-CoV-2 virus may have originated fairly recently in live animal markets or it may have been hiding out in bat caves for years waiting for the right moment. But in over-crowding and over-consuming, humans have created the environments that now allow ever-adaptable microbes to kill us.

Deforestation, burning fossil fuels, polluting water, dumping waste, mistreating animals, overusing drugs, tolerating extreme poverty and ignoring large scale displacement – all have created a perfect storm for harmful microbe evolution and uninhabitable weather (2020 started not with Covid-19, but horrific bush fires).

Health and wellbeing of people and planet must now be the paramount political concern. Economic growth must not happen at the expense of global health.

Vaccines for all?

A vaccine may yet allow people to live, work, travel, learn and socialise together safely again, but it’s a big ask. It’s hard to produce a new vaccine that is both safe and effective. Some 95 percent of vaccine attempts fail and the previous fastest turnaround was four years, for mumps.

There are currently around 200 candidates in “preclinical evaluation” for a Sars-CoV-2 vaccine, and 16 in clinical trials.

Who gets there first (China, America, UK, Germany, South Africa or India) may determine who gets the vaccine first. The idea of the whole world coming together to roll-out a single vaccine for everyone is a pipe dream. If an American or Chinese company comes up with a vaccine that works, it is likely to stay in the home country first. Vaccine nationalism could get ugly.

Imperial ambitions London’s Imperial College vaccine team is hoping that instead of growing the whole virus and then killing or weakening it to use in a vaccine, you can just use viral “spikes” to get a big enough immune response. These surface spikes allow the virus to get into human cells. The hope is that genetic instructions can be inserted into human muscle cells to get them to churn out the spikes in the same way a Sars-CoV-2 infection would, tricking the immune system into thinking there’s an infection.

Imperial, with philanthropic and UK government funding, has formed a social enterprise that aims to ensure fair distribution by waiving royalties for low-income countries so the poorest get it for free, and the richest pay a bit more. Human trials start in October and Imperial is looking for volunteers http://imperial.crf.nihr.ac.uk/volunteering/healthy-volunteer/ Oxford union The team at Oxford University’s Jenner Institute is using a “viral vector”. This is a weakened common cold adenovirus that infects chimpanzees that is then tweaked for humans and has the

genetic material to build Sars-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins inserted into it. This in turn should trigger an immune response.

The Oxford team are starting phase three human trials.

However, the prevalence of Sars-CoV-2 infection in the UK is now so low (good news, unless you’re in research) that trials are being extended to Brazil, South Africa, the US and elsewhere.

The collaboration with Astra Zeneca has US and UK funding and is also looking for volunteers https://covid19vaccinetrial.co.uk/participate-trial Post-viral fatigue The toll of post-Covid fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms, is likely to be significant and there are currently no drugs to magic it away, although research is underway and there are coping strategies.

Remember, the basic ingredients of health are well-known, well-evidenced and fairly easily remembered using my mnemonic CLANGERS, as in: Connect; Learn; (be) Active; Notice; Give back; Eat well; Relax; Sleep.

Friendship and a feeling of belonging; an ability and curiosity to learn and adapt; purposeful physical and mental activity; observation and appreciation of the environment; compassion for others; food that is both delicious and nutritious; an ability to switch off and relax and regular, restorative sleep – collectively these daily joys of health are more powerful than any drug.

The privileged can do them every day, even in lockdown. If we all managed them, we would barely need the NHS. But if you’re living with debt, discrimination, depression, domestic abuse, drug addiction, dementia, etc, they are much harder to achieve.

In our post-Covid recovery, we need to aim for CLANGERS for all, from cradle to grave, in schools, communities, homes, care homes and workplaces. This focus on prevention, helping others and lifestyle medicine is a lot cheaper and more enjoyable than medicating for diabetes and depression.

Indeed, it’s the one thing that can keep communities alive and health services viable. I work in this field and have produced a short film on coping with post-viral fatigue and how to get your five portions of fun a day www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbdlMWXiHoc l Mendip v Coronavirus – see page 50.

Dear Mendip Times, I’ve read, heard, listened to enough often conflicting views on Covid-19 so ditched my usual Times for the Mendip one and guess what the first main article was about (Health and Family July)?

But this was different, just one page explaining simply the problems and approach to this pandemic and offering some sensible reminders.

Perhaps we could vote for this Dr Hammond to be on the inevitable who to blame inquiry where some concise unbiased knowledge might be more useful than the “who can I blame” members who have an axe or two to grind.

The important thing as Dr Hammond says is to own up to the errors made and to learn from them. A great article, glad I read it.

Thanks, Mike Thompson Portishead

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 5

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MENDIP TIMES

Mendip tree guide

Bees heading for Mendip on sea!

The Mendip hills AONB unit has released a guide to help landowners decide what trees to plant to help combat climate change and help nature recover.

Woodland cover across the Mendip hills AONB is 12% (2376 hectares). The AONB Partnership would like to increase this to 13.5% (2664 hectares).

But it says the right trees have to be planted in the right places, since the hills are extremely important for a whole range of habitats including grassland, heathland, wetland, caves and woodlands.

It says the combination of these habitats is important, since they are home to many rare species. Generally the best place for new trees is along the north facing slopes where there are already woodlands that can be connected and the grassland is not as wildlife rich as the south facing slopes.

Jim hardcastle, Mendip hills AONB manager, said: “This guide is to help landowners, no matter how big or small their land, to get the right tree in the right place that will help nature recover and keep the special character of the area that people treasure.

“We've designed it as a flowchart so you can see other options that may be more suitable for helping wildlife on the land you own. By using the process and links in the guide here you’ll be able to help wildlife and protect the character of this nationally designated and protected landscape.”

The island of steep holm out in the Bristol Channel could become a haven for the rare native British black honey bee.

It was once thought to be extinct in the Uk but efforts are now being made to reintroduce colonies to sites that will avoid cross breeding.

The island’s trustees have given the go ahead for Devon naturalist Michael leigh-Mallory to site five full hives and 30 mini hives on the island.

Native black honey bees are better suited to surviving the British climate and it’s hoped they could hold the key to reversing colony collapse.

The trustees have cancelled all sailings to the island for the rest of the year because of the coronavirus epidemic.

They say the gulls are enjoying the break from visitors.

The ideal Mendip landscape

Details: www.steepholm.org.uk

Hedgehogs in need Details: https://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/2020/06/29/new-treeplanting-guide-for-the-mendip-hills-aonb//

PrICkles hedgehog rescue in Cheddar are now operating with limited volunteer help to achieve social distancing. But during the lockdown increased garden clearance has resulted in the arrival of disturbed nests of hoglets and pregnant females searching for suitable nest sites.

With so many hungry mouths to feed, they would welcome sachets of Whiskas kitten food and Felix cat food in jelly. Boxes of Nitrile gloves would also be most welcome.

Campers told to use official sites

The Mendip hills AONB service is expecting an influx of visitors with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and is urging people to use official campsites.

They say this will help the rural economy recover and visitors won't have to worry about a landowner or the police knocking on their windscreen or tent.

Camping and overnight stays are not allowed on any of the visitor car parks, nature reserves or open access areas.

Jim hardcastle, AONB manager, said: “We're regularly finding piles of single-use wipes and toilet paper behind bushes near visitor car parks as many of the camper vans we see staying overnight clearly don't have toilets facilities in them. This creates a real hazard for wildlife and other people.”

Details: www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk

PAGE 6 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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How nature could help tackle the climate crisis The Wildlife Trusts have published a report on how nature’s recovery is essential for tackling the climate crisis.

The report shows how a variety of natural landscapes in the Uk can store carbon and could absorb a third of Uk emissions if degraded habitats were expertly restored. It makes the case for addressing both the climate and nature emergencies together, head on.

The trusts are calling on the government, industry and local authorities to step-up investment in nature’s recovery and climate change mitigation by restoring a wide range of land habitats such as grasslands, peatlands and wetlands to store carbon.

It wants to identify, map and protect a wide array of ecosystems and restore them locally as part of a national Nature recovery Network.

It says restoring nature at sea can be done by introducing effective management for our network of Marine Protected Areas and by designating a suite of highly Protected Marine Areas, bringing our oceans back to health and enable them to function properly and absorb CO2 emissions.

The report says restoring nature also delivers many other benefits. Better natural habitats reduce the risk of flooding, help prevent coastal erosion, improve people’s health and ensure thriving ecosystems which provide the pollinators, soils, food and water which sustain us.

It says nature is, itself, at risk from climate change – yet its potential to store carbon means it can help us address the climate catastrophe.

The Mendip Hills will rock again in 2021

ENVIRONMENT

Georgia stokes, CeO of somerset Wildlife Trust, said: “If we are to be successful we need to change the way we think about nature. Our nature reserves and green spaces provide vital homes for wildlife but they are so much more than that.

“They are the life support function for our lives, our communities and our local businesses. restoring nature at a massive scale also happens to be our best hope of storing carbon to mitigate against the effects of the global climate crisis. “somerset Wildlife Trust’s grassland nature reserves for example cover 252 hectares, capable of storing 554 tonnes of carbon per year. Our peatland reserves, such as Westhay Moor are currently already storing a huge amount of carbon, so it is vital that we keep them wet and healthy allowing them to continue providing this carbon sink.

“And given 75% of somerset is farmed, there is a huge opportunity to ensure that hedgerows and field margins are also making an even greater contribution.

“As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, with many of us having relied on nature for our physical and mental wellbeing, we must take time to reset. “somerset Wildlife Trust have worked with many partners to develop a blueprint for a nature based recovery and deliver somerset’s Nature recovery Network involving communities across the county, and embedding a Green recovery in our decision making processes – but there is much more we need to do.”

The report: “let nature help – how nature’s recovery is essential for tackling the climate crisis.”

Details: www.somersetwildlife.org

OrGANIsers of the annual Mendip rocks! festival that celebrates the geology of the Mendip hills have postponed this year’s events due to take place in september and October.

The festival has run for the last eight years attracting thousands of people to lots of events, including tours of working quarries, armchair caving, art workshops, big family events and lots of walks with interesting experts.

Jim hardcastle of the Mendip hills AONB Unit said: “This has clearly been a very unusual start to the year and all the partners would be well underway planning this year’s event.

“As we have more than 30 events that form the programme it takes a lot of planning and we can't just rush at it later in the year.

We look forward to a whole new series of events next year.”

Hello deer!

The quiet of lockdown has encouraged roe deer to be seen on the Uphill reserves and even in the village on occasions.

Green space guaranteed

THERE is a secure future for the open green space at Tor Sport and Leisure in Glastonbury with the dedication of the land as Fields in Trust, which is an independent national charity which champions and supports our parks and green spaces by protecting them for people to enjoy in perpetuity.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 7

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MENDIP TIMES

ENVIRONMENT

Still wild about Frome

lOCkDOWN brought some long-term environmental benefits to Frome with the town’s open spaces becoming a little “wilder”.

During lockdown Frome's Town rangers were unable to carry out their normal grass cutting which led to the emergence of some wonderful wildflowers. The rangers are back servicing the parks and open spaces around the town and have been creatively managing the areas.

Deputy mayor, Andy Wrintmore, said: “As part of our Wild about Frome project, we tailor our management and maintenance techniques in certain areas to

encourage biodiversity in the town’s parks and green spaces, by doing this we are creating a variety of different and complementary habitats, which help to support our wildlife and plant life.

“One way of achieving this is cutting the grass less frequently and letting the grass and wild flowers grow in-between.

The rangers are now busily planning their end of season cutting programme for our parks and open spaces which will take place in August.”

One resident commented: “Thank you to the town council for the incredible and well thought out management of open spaces around the town during the current

Volunteers with a mountain to climb

Over 20 people responded to a call to help clear lords Wood, Pensford of himalayan balsam. It was organised by simon Jackman, who moved into a farm near the wood a few months ago.

The woods are owned by Andrew and Judith hillman, who were very grateful to the volunteers. Andrew said: “Despite this wonderful effort, which has definitely cleared some important areas, there remain many areas infested with balsam and it will take several years with perhaps two such efforts a year to start winning the battle.” simon said: “I decided to get involved as himalayan balsam is invasive and out-competes our native species.

The landowner had told me he had been trying to control it himself by pulling and although we are new to Pensford I have seen that there is a thriving community spirit and thought people would be keen to help.

“Afterwards Andrew and Judith were good enough to provide a plentiful supply of burgers and hot dogs washed down with beer and cider. It was worth the effort just for lunch and chatting and was a good activity for social distancing!”

It’s reckoned the volunteers pulled up 50,000 plants.

PAGE 8 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

crisis. The well-cut paths, and picnic areas through the old showfield and adjoining fields, the Millennium Gardens, the paths through the wooded area at North hill, have made walking and exercising so much easier and more enjoyable.”

The grass verges around Frome have also got a little wilder over the past months. responsibility for these areas is shared and Frome Town Council is working with Mendip District Council and somerset County Council to see whether they might want to leave some of the areas that they look after to create even more Wild about Frome areas around the town.

Two of the young volunteers

(Photographs courtesy of Bev Nichols)

Wildlife after lockdown in Frome

The Wild About Frome initiative had taken hold even before grass cutting was suspended

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MENDIP TIMES

FARMING

Missing all of our country shows

With NICK GREEN

COVID-19 hasn’t made a huge amount of difference to many farmers in their professional lives. The nature of their job is isolated so no problem social distancing; you can’t furlough livestock, they still had to be tended; and the nation still wanted to eat, so crops needed to be grown, dairy products produced and all the other things leaving the farm destined for the food chain needed to be

sorted.

What has changed is the social aspect. Many farmers’ social calendars are based around events staged from the end of one winter through to the start of the next. In 2020 few have been, or are likely to be staged.

The Wrington and Burrington Hedging Society and Mid Somerset just about squeezed their 2020 matches in but that is virtually it. The North Somerset Show, Bath and West Show, MidSomerset and Frome Cheese Show and whole host of rural events have been held in abeyance for 2020.

Knowing the organisers of these events, each will return in 2021 stronger and ready to open their gates to everyone as though this year was a minor irritation. The biggest impact will be felt by those who treat these events as part of their recreation.

Royal Bath and West Show 2019

It doesn’t just have to be a day wandering around a show, hedging match or ploughing match. The person in question could be showing stock, laying a hedge or doing their best ploughing a ben of land with an ancient tractor and plough. The issue is not having an opportunity to take a day off the farm, do something they enjoy, and see friends and acquaintances.

Zoom meetings have become very popular recently. They are a great way of communicating but they are no replacement for a group of friends chatting whilst leaning against a pen of something at a show or walking around a ploughing match field. These events deliver much more than just a day out.

It looks like 2020 is going to be a write off. Let’s hope Covid-19 becomes a thing of the past and we can look forward to 2021 getting back to normal, whatever normal might be.

Nick Green is Farms Director for Alvis Bros Ltd based at Lye Cross Farm. He is responsible for the farming and estate business and is passionate about British food and farming. As well as the business, he is involved with a number of local and national farming charities.

Contact: 01275 472471 • www.jwandtjpearce.co.uk St Katherines Farmhouse, Downside Road, Lulsgate, Bristol BS48 3DZ

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PAGE 10 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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INTERNET

Patient Access

PATIeNT Access www.patientaccess.com is a free to use online service for you to access your doctor for repeat prescriptions, view and book appointments, book video physio assessment, send a message to your practice for online help etc. You can also get a proxy access for someone else.

It’s very easy to use and very helpful, especially now with social distancing being with us, possibly for a while. All your details will be protected by online security.

Ordering repeat prescriptions is very straightforward, you just sign in (more info below), go to the Repeat Prescriptions dept and if the doctor has approved it, you can just click the + sign next to what you want, ask where you want it to go (pick up at surgery or local chemist etc).

I have found the messaging service very useful. You sign in and ask to send a message for non-urgent enquiries. You have steps to follow and then you can ask for simple advice such as “I am due for another DeXA scan – what should I do?” It will send a message to your practice, who should respond via email, with advice, usually within a day or two.

First, you need to check if your practice uses it, and then get a registration letter (you will need proof of identity when you collect it), then follow the steps below.

Go to www.patientaccess.com and select Register now. enter your personal details. Anything optional will be marked, the rest must be filled in.

Accept the Terms and Conditions. Select Create account.

You will need to verify your email address. An email will be automatically sent to the email address you recorded. This will provide you with a link to verify your account.

Once you have done that you can then click Sign in to Patient Access.

Now choose Link your GP practice (you can skip for now, but probably as well to get it done at the time) and then enter the practice postcode or name of where you are currently registered. Select (click or tap) Search. Select your practice from the list provided. Select Continue. Below the question “Have you received a registration letter from your practice?” select Yes. enter the Linkage key (which is recorded on the registration letter). enter the Account ID (which is recorded on the registration letter). Select Confirm. Check your personal details and enter either your house number, flat number, or street number, then select Continue. Confirm (enter) your password, then select Link Account. On the confirmation screen, select Done. Your account has been linked to your practice and all the services should be there for you to use.

When you sign in with your ID and password, you will then get a screen with various boxes, and will be asked to click or tap according to the criteria – maybe all the traffic lights – to be sure you are a real person and not a computing hacker.

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CROSSWORD

The Mendip Mindbender

ACROSS 1 A postscript could be so construed (12) 9 A fine grained starch used in cookery (9) 10 More than one that (5) 11 What you are trying to find (6) 12 On a hill near this village is the Admiral Hood Monument. A stone column 110ft high (8) 13 Incumbency or holding (6) 15 Vitamin B1 (8) 17 Nocturnal, flying mammal (3) 18 Tie or cravat (8) 19 Poise (6) 21 Abnormally sensitive or obsessive (8) 23 A drink served 22 down (6) 26 Tedium and lassitude (5) 27 Acting against the law (9) 28 Habit of not being careful (12)

7 8

14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24

MP with strong political views (8) Informal term for expert in computing (6) A short romantic musical composition (8) Sailor found alongside nicotine (3) Plant of the lily family that produces edible spears at the start of spring (9) Mythical reptile hatched from a cock’s egg by a serpent (8) Not far from Frome this village has a moated castle (6) Where one is going when the head hits the pillow (3-4) Plan being held back is said to be this (2,3) This village is halfway between Bruton and Glastonbury and home to the church of Thomas a Becket (5) In Chelsea besides (4)

25 DOWN 1 Steadfast Stuart Goddard (7) Clues in italics are cryptic 2 Michaelmas, Hilary and by greendandelion Trinity (5) 3 If you were going to walk to Dolebury Warren iron age hill fort you might meet at the Swan pub here (9) 4 Where a blacksmith will work on a horse (4) 5 How our children have been since lockdown (8) 6 . . . and this will not have opened since (5)

This month’s solution can be found on page 73

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MENDIP TIMES

NEWS

Safer walking and cycling scheme unveiled

FROME Town Council has launched its Walk Ride Frome project, an interactive map asking the local community to feed in ideas about which areas would benefit from safer walking and cycling routes.

The council wants to hear from everyone, whether individuals, local walking groups, cycling enthusiasts and the wider community to gain information and to help develop a plan.

Its vision is for an accessible, well-connected town that enables the whole community to travel actively and safely without needing to use a car for short journeys. The additional benefit is that it will also boost air quality and wellbeing.

The ideas gained will be used to work with Somerset County Council’s highways team and Mendip District Council to enable safer routes in the town. One idea being explored is how Frome could have “pop-up” cycling and walking routes, as well as highlighting opportunities for permanent routes across the town.

Councillor Paul Horton said: “The Coronavirus crisis has shown how many more people walk and cycle when roads are

Work is underway in the Market Place in Frome to ease congestion and make the town centre more pedestrian-friendly. The key improvements include the replacement and widening of pavements, new pedestrian crossings, new bus shelters and a new loading bay outside the George Hotel. The work was due to last 16 weeks

quiet. We want to use this opportunity to increase the number of people who feel safe enough to walk and cycle instead of using cars, thus boosting health, cutting air pollution and reducing emissions.” l The map is available at: https://walkridefrome.commonplace.is/

Hugh-ve been great! School says thank you to caretaker FOSSE Way Special School in Radstock has bid a fond farewell to caretaker Hugh Howells after 30 years in the post.

Hugh was first appointed to the positon of “temporary caretaker” in 1991. When the school closed for the summer holidays, Hugh said: “These last 30 have been the best years. It’s been fantastic!”

Welsh-born Hugh, 72, moved to Bath in 1961 to take up an engineering positon with C.I.C Ltd, a subsidiary of the Clarks shoe company and later transferred to Clarks’ factory at Rush Hill in Bath.

When Clarks announced the closure of the factory in 1991 Hugh and his wife Angela moved to Westfield where he saw

Back on track with a new loco

Artists Roger F. Jones has taken up residence in the line’s discovery centre. He’s pictured putting the finishing touches to a painting of Binegar station PAGE 14 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

TRAIN journeys have resumed on the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore after lockdown with a new star in the making.

Locomotive 4555 – on loan for three years from the Dartmouth Steam Railway – was finally able to make its debut, hauling passengers with new restrictions, such as advance set bookings and distancing in place.

an advertisement for a short-term caretaking position at Fosse Way. Over the years, the school expanded with new buildings erected and student numbers soared from about 70 to more than 200. Fosse Way’s Executive Principal, Emily Massey, said: “Hugh is a much-loved member of the staff team at Fosse Way. He will be greatly missed. We all thank him for his dedication to the school, staff and children over his 30-year career. His cheerful whistling and ‘nothing is too much trouble’ attitude cannot be replaced. It’s been a pleasure to work with Hugh and we all wish him a very happy and restful retirement.”

Driver Alex Hopkins (left) and fireman Phil Wilson in front of 4555

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Caravan Repairs South West

www.caravanrepairs-sw.co.uk Caravan Repairs South West expands again

Motorhome and caravan repair specialist, Caravan Repairs South West, has moved to spacious new premises just down the road from their old base at Marchants Hill in Gurney Slade.

They have taken over the former Volvo truck and bus centre, used more recently for training, opposite the village post office.

It not only gives them a big increase in workshop space, but more room for their offices, shop and parking.

THE NEW SHOP

The company is run by Steve Case and his partner Linda and Pete Adlam and his wife Sandra. Started in 2008 in Temple Cloud, they moved to Marchants Hill a year later.

Steve said: “We had just outgrown it all. The expansion in our business has just been amazing.”

The company now employs ten people and has taken on a new manager, Stuart Edmonds. As an approved workshop they can work on all makes and models of caravans and motorhomes.

MASSES OF SPACE

THE NEW WORKSHOP

l Caravan Servicing l Annual Habitation Checks l Alu-Tech Bailey Approved Repairers l Warranty Maintained l Damp Repairs l Accident Repairs l Insurance Repairs l Accessory Fitting l SpeedCoat l Motormovers fitted

OUR SHOP STOCKS A FULL RANGE OF ACCESSORIES AND EQUIPMENT Open Monday - Friday 9am–5pm; Saturday 9am–12 noon

Approved

A37 • Gurney Slade • Radstock BA3 4TQ Call: 01749 841051 • Mob: 07778 465520 Email: sales@caravanrepairs-sw.co.uk

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MENDIP TIMES

FOOD & DRINK

So many good things

IS it going to be hot in August?

Who knows, but here’s a fish dish for eating outside, or inside if needs must. And this month the fruit and vegetables just keep With JUNE coming. You may have a glut of MACFARLANE beans, or a heap of soft fruit.

Here are some ideas for dealing with too much good stuff before you give up and freeze it.

TEMPURA GREEN BEANS

Tempura green beans – you could also make this with courgettes

I love French beans, but sometimes they just don’t stop! This is a fairly healthy snack, with a delicious spicy sauce. Works with courgettes too.

METHOD Whisk the egg whites to soft peak. Whisk in the flour and soda water.

Refrigerate the batter until needed. Warm the mustard, honey, soy and harissa in a small pan until combined. Reserve. Heat oil to 175°C in a sturdy saucepan.

Dip the beans into the batter and lay individually into the oil so they don’t stick together. Fry until just colouring, about three mins. Drain on kitchen paper.

Season with salt. Serve immediately with the warm sauce.

OVEN BAKED SEA BREAM WITH HERB SAUCE INGREDIENTS

(for two) 2 sea bream, gutted, trimmed and scaled Olive oil Salt & pepper ½ tbsp each chopped flat leaf parsley and coriander

Baking fish in a packet in the oven is a fail-safe method, but you could grill this on the barbeque too.

Sea bream is a wonderful sweet-fleshed fish, but you could use mackerel.

METHOD Preheat oven to 200°C. Lay tinfoil in a baking tray; lay baking paper over and add a dash of oil. Slash the fish three times on each side and lay on paper. Season inside and out.

Scatter herbs over. Wrap up fish tightly in a package. Bake for about 25 mins until fish is opaque.

Put all the sauce ingredients in a blender and whizz. Taste for seasoning. Serve with the fish.

Sea bream with a herb sauce

PAGE 16 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

INGREDIENTS

(for two) 200g green beans, washed and trimmed 2 egg whites 200g plain flour 375ml soda water 750ml vegetable oil 50g Dijon mustard 2 tbsp honey 2 tsp light soy sauce 1 tsp harissa Salt for finishing

BERRY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

120ml vegetable oil 120ml milk 2 large eggs 1tbsp vanilla extract 175g + I tbsp golden granulated sugar 190g + 1 tbsp plain flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp sea salt 285g soft fruit, cleaned

Berry cake – just about any soft fruit will work

You can use almost any soft fruit for this moist, light cake. I eat it for breakfast with yoghurt!

METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin. In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.

In a second bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

Mix all together until just combined into a batter. Toss berries on a plate with 1 tbsp flour to coat. Fold into batter. Pour into tin. Sprinkle 1tbsp sugar over. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55 mins. Allow to cool a little in tin before removing.

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MENDIP TIMES

• Fresh produce and dairy • Freshly baked food to go • Smokin’ Bean coffee to go • Fresh flowers • Local Suppliers • Laithwaites wines • Remarkable COOK ready meals We would like to thank our local suppliers, particularly Arthur David, Greenacres Farm Eggs, Cam Valley Foods, Lye Cross Farm, Hunts Foodservice, Cotteswold Dairy, Chew Moos and West Country Honey, Butcombe Brewery, Twisted Oak Brewery and Rapide Stationery Supplies

SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Grants will help local food growers

SOMERSET Community Food, a grassroots charity which aims to re-connect people with the social, health and environmental effects of growing, buying, preparing and eating local food, has made a number of grants to projects in the Mendip area.

The £100-£500 grants support established community food projects and also support new projects getting off the ground.

They include voluntary sector and not-for-profit projects e.g. growing projects, healthy eating and cooking projects, food co-ops, Community Supported Agriculture projects, food poverty projects, projects helping vulnerable people access locally grown food etc.

Plotgate Community Farm at Barton St David, a CSAE, will receive a grant towards a new website.

Glastonbury United Reform Church, in conjunction with Glastonbury Growers Group and Paddington Farm Trust is in the process of bringing a small area of land behind the church into use to develop a community growing space. The grant will be used to buy start-up tools and equipment.

Seeds of Hope, which facilitates community gardening for mental health and wellbeing, with projects running in Watchet, Cannington and Glastonbury, receives funding to develop urban food growing areas in Bridgwater.

EatFestivals, which run food and drink festivals in town centres across Somerset to showcase local food and drink producers, receives a grant towards printing and distribution costs of their magazine.

Root Connections, a CIC set up to improve health and wellbeing for adults with complex needs and those who are homeless and rough sleeping, has been awarded a grant to expand their veg box scheme to enable the provision and delivery of locally grown produce to people most in need at this time.

The Heads Up charity at West Horrington, near Wells runs garden sessions for people with mental health problems and dementia for health and wellbeing. The grant will provide garden equipment and supplies to keep the project going throughout the season.

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business PAGE 18 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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WILD FOOD

Spotted from two wheels

YOU know the saying “hope for the best but prepare for the worst” well I hope this is true of the current situation and the slow easing of lockdown restrictions.

People have been out in significant numbers aided by the exceptional weather. Saying that, we have had some With ADRIAN damp spells and this combination has BOOTS encouraged our fungal friends.

I’ve said before don’t wait until the autumn, good edible mushrooms start making an appearance in the summer. So I’ve determined to show you four beauties that I have bumped into in the last couple of weeks to demonstrate the point.

In previous articles, I’ve banged on so much and so long about whatever plant, fruit or nut in question that there hasn’t been any room for pictures! Being dimly aware of this, I have determined to keep the wordage to a minimum and keep the images to a maximum. Well for this piece at least.

As many of you may know, I’m a keen mountain biker (reliving a misspent youth no doubt) and it’s usually when I’m whizzing along a bridle track that I spot the aforementioned mushrooms. As you can cover a distance in a shorter amount of time, I’m able to pass through a variety of habitats from heathland, woodland, meadows to limestone grassland and back.

So here you go, four fantastic fungi (top left clockwise: Scarletina waxcap, Meadow waxcap, Meadow puffball, Shaggy inkcap) that have decided to pop their caps above the parapet and show themselves to be ready for the pot. All spotted from two wheels. Enjoy!

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.

FOOD & DRINK

GARDEN FOOD

Knowing your onions

OnIOnS are something we’re just starting to get our heads around. There are so many different options when it comes to growing onions that it can be hard to work out what the best is in your situation. Generally speaking, there are four options – the first and most common With JAKE being to sow onions “sets” in the spring, WHITSON mid-March to mid-April.

Onions need a long season to form good bulbs, and sets are popular because they have already been grown on for a season beforehand, giving you a head start the following spring.

Onions can also be grown from seed, but to get good results there are three options – the first and most usual being to sow them very early in January or February, when you might sow chillies, with a bit of heat – once germinated they will grow on quite happily in a conservatory or greenhouse, before being planted out at the same time as sets.

Another option is to sow directly outdoors in March, though with this method you’ll definitely get smaller onions. A third option, though riskier, is to choose an onion variety known for overwintering, and plant them in midAugust. This can apparently yield very large onions, and this is what we are planning to do in a few weeks, and we’ll let you know the results!

Onions are so universally used, in almost every cuisine in the world, that nobody will be worrying about how to use up onions they’ve grown. They are not very often celebrated as a vegetable in their own right however – more often they form the base to other dishes.

I often like to serve them as the star of the show – quartered roasted onions with a Sunday lunch are one of my very favourite ways of eating them. I also love them finely chopped in the classic Mexican salsa pico de gallo, a salsa with tomato, lime juice, coriander and salt, to be eaten with cooked black beans and rice.

In fact sometimes when we are short on tomato we make the salsa with onion alone – if they are picked fresh, like the one pictured, we add the whole lot, green parts and all, and very good it is too.

Jacob Whitson is a chef, food writer and smallholder.

He is currently working on setting up a small sustainable goose farm in Somerset with his partner Johanna.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 19

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MENDIP TIMES

Country shopping at its best

North Widcombe, West Harptree, Bristol BS40 6HW Opening times:

Farm shop: Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am - 5.30pm Sunday 10am - 5pm • Tea Room: Monday to Sunday 8.30am - 5.30pm Wheelchair access, children welcome, free parking, coaches by appointment

COME AND ENJOY OUR FRESH BARBEQUE MEATS

Emma Bridgewater china and other gifts

A fine selection of cheeses and provisions

Milk – plastic free from our own dairy

Meat from our own farm, fresh fruit and veg

FREE HOME DELIVERIES – Please phone the Farm Shop 01761 220067 or go to: www.newmanorfarmshop.co.uk

PAGE 20 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

The Stable Tea Rooms contact number 01761 220172

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Re-acting to restrictions

HOW exciting it was to re-open for vineyard tours and welcome visitors back to Aldwick Estate on July 12th. Family members, Howard Grant and Ollie Luck, took to the helm to guide guests through the vineyard and offer a full tasting in the new barn with all government guidelines in With SANDY place.

LUCK Family and close friends attended a training tour on the previous Friday evening to ensure that safe social distancing could be achieved without changing the Aldwick experience. All agreed it was a great success.

The decision has been taken not to re-open for the hugely popular Sunday lunches for the foreseeable future but they have been replaced with picnics which have proved to be the perfect alternative. Filled with local produce including Somerset Charcuterie, Lye Cross cheeses, Cheddar strawberries and Aldwick wine what better way to spend a sunny afternoon than in an English vineyard.

With so many people looking to stay local this year, our tours and picnics are the perfect solution for a day visit to the Somerset countryside. Do not leave it too long though as dates are filling up fast. Tour season concludes Sunday november 1st. We look forward to welcoming you.

For wine & vineyard tours visit www.aldwickestate.co.uk Sandy Luck Managing Director

FOOD & DRINK

butchers * fishMongers * delicAtessen We are still open as normal and are also offering a next day delivery service for the elderly, vulnerable and self-isolating. Please respect our signs to social distance whilst shopping with us.

May we take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their support. And from all of us, we send you our best wishes. Please stay safe and stay well.

open: Monday – saturday 7am-6pm • sunday 10am-4pm

e cross, union street, cheddar, somerset bs27 3nA 01934 742521 • email cobbsofcheddar@outlook.com

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 21

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MENDIP TIMES NOW AVAILABLE – DRAFT MILK

High Class Family Butcher

Quality you can trust

Lynda’s Loaf Bakery and Pop-up shop!

Delicious home-made breads, cakes, savoury pastries Plus groceries and other essentials

Traditional service In difficult times Thanks for your patience

INN OL D

DOW N

Supporting the local community

BARBECUE MEATS AVAILABLE

High Street, Chew Magna Tel: 01275 332417

FOOD & DRINK

Open 9am-1pm Tel: 07913 690583 Email: lyndasloaf@hotmail.co.uk

H Now fully open (bookings advisable) H Well-spaced tables inside and out H Freshly decorated

H Extensive menu inc. Sunday lunch

H Good selection of real ale and cider H Accommodation

e old down inn, emborough, radstock bA3 4sA • w: www.theolddowninn.co.uk t: 01761 232398 • w: theolddowninn@hotmail.co.uk PAGE 22 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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Michael Eavis – still a farmer at heart?

PROFILE

By Mark Adler

MASTERMINDING 50 years of festivals? Being hailed as one of the most influential – and instantly recognisable – people in the entertainment industry worldwide with a string of awards? Michael Eavis, what are you most proud of?

In 2015, the dairy herd at Worthy Farm – said by some to be the most pampered in the country – was named the UK’s finest by industry experts, winning the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers gold cup.

Michael said: “Being judged the best in the UK – that really was special, a great honour.” So much so, that he and the farm team are going to enter for the 2021 award. “We had to wait for a few years after winning before going in for the competition again and I’ve told them that’s what we should do. It’s a long, thorough process. The judges look at all aspects of the farm.”

Right now, the cows are enjoying grazing the fields where – had the coronavirus pandemic not struck – the clear-up after the 2020 festival would have been at its peak. This year may have been cancelled, but Michael is confident Glastonbury will take place next year.

Having enjoyed watching the BBC’s extensive coverage of Glastonbury from years gone by, Michael has much more on his mind: “I’m so pleased with the milk deal we have struck In a field of his own – Michael Eavis at Worthy Farm

No Glasto… no worries! Villagers in Stoke St Michael held their own festival-themed weekend

At the opening of the village Co-op flanked by Co-op chief executive Jo Whitfield (left) and shop manager Vicki McLaurie. Jo has been attending festivals for 30 years

with Wyke Farms to make cheese. My grandfather made cheese – Caerphilly – 100 years ago, but went bankrupt, so the farm will be involved in cheesemaking again for the first time after all those years.”

There is plenty more that Michael is proud of. For the first time in ten years, Pilton has its own shop once again. The post office and meeting room below the Working Men’s Club has been converted into a Co-op store; the post office facilities remain. That was another long-term project.

Michael invested £50,000 to create a cold store alongside the shop, dressed in matching stone.

Just up the road lies the Methodist church, so close to the hearts of Michael and his family. Work on the new Sunday School Room – another of Michael’s pet projects – is almost complete and work is underway also on more social housing in the village.

What began as ten affordable homes at Oathills in 1990 was expanded with the completion of John Burns Cottages – opened by Prince Charles – then a further 13 nearby called Maggie’s Farm; David Beckham visited those. By the time Michael is finished there will be a total of 53. He added: “We have such nice people living there and it’s our new generation, using the schools and local facilities and bringing the village to life.”

Until the opening of the shop, the pandemic had also put on hold Michael’s seemingly never-ending list of public engagements whether opening a village fete, speaking to a Women’s Institute branch and Rotary club or fulfilling national engagements. He said: “I’m very flattered that people ask me and turn up in huge numbers to hear me give a talk. I’ve missed those.”

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 23

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MENDIP TIMES

Taking comfort from art

Ian in his sculpture garden at Buckland Dinham

SCULPTOR Ian Marlow believes people may be turning to works of art to compensate for the knock-on effects of the coronavirus lockdown.

Ian, who is based in Buckland Dinham, near Frome, enjoyed a good number of visitors to his sculpture garden and studio which were open during what should have been the duration of the Frome Festival.

He said: “I am lucky because it’s relatively easy to be sociallydistanced in my garden whereas other artists might not have that option.

“And if people are unable or unwilling to – perhaps – go on holidays abroad, they’re deciding to invest in a piece of art instead.”

They’re ready to open!

GLASTONBURY’S latest arts space – the Heart of The Tribe Gallery – is to open to the public on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31st.

Delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak, the first exhibition is called Diversity and showcases original work by the gallery’s 19 core artists. The gallery is based in the High Street and also features workspace and a garden. The artists say: “We look forward to welcoming you into our beautiful space.” l Social distancing measures will require limiting the number of visitors in the gallery space and gardens and strict hygiene protocols will be in place.

For details, visit: www.heartofthetribe.com

PAGE 24 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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ARTS & ANTIQUES

Online bidding proves successful at Clevedon Salerooms

CLEVEDON Salerooms’ first Quarterly Specialist Sale since lockdown will take place on Thursday, September 3rd. The online only bidding format that has proved so successful will continue for this sale.

Consignments include this fine pair of silver stirrup cups dated 1906 and estimated at £1,000 - £1,500. One of the more unusual items in the sale is a charming early 20th century dog cart in red, offered for auction with neither a large dog or small child, the

One from a selection of John Brunsdon prints £100 – £150

Pair of silver stirrup cups £1,000 - £1,500

carriage is estimated at £200 - £300.

A pristine collection of John Brunsdon 1960s signed prints includes this colourful example of Durdle Door, captured by the artist with none of the crowds present in June of this year.

Entries close for the sale on August 4th and so if you have items you may be thinking of selling, why not attend the free “drive through” valuation days on Monday, 3rd and Tuesday, August 4th or better still email us images of the items.

The online catalogue for the specialist sale will be available from Saturday, August 22nd. For more information contact the salerooms on 01934 830111.

ONLINE ONLY SALES PROVE A GREAT SUCCESS

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

FREE & Safe, Drive-through VALUATION DAYS

Bracelet of French gold coins Sold for £2,000

Clive Madgwick Oils Sold for £350

3rd and 4th August Call for Final Entries for September Specialist Sale 9.30am–1pm and 2pm–5pm Held at the salerooms – no appointment necessary

WE ARE SAFE TO VISIT Tel: 01934 830111 The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6TT www.clevedon-salerooms.com

Collection of Matchbox cars Sold for £1,900 1930’s Hazell ‘Streamline racket Sold for £280

Antiques, Interiors, Collectables & Jewellery Sales Auction date: Thursday 13th August at 10.30am (Internet Auction behind closed doors – no public access) • Limited Viewing – Strictly by Prior Appointment (Do not arrive unannounced and expect to view the sale)

VIEW THE SALE CATALOGUE NOW AT WWW.CLEVEDON-SALEROOMS.COM MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 25

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MENDIP TIMES

We’ve got it covered Mendip Times Distribution Points

= Mendip Times Distribution area

Mendip Times is available from over 900 outlets across the Mendips from superstores to village stores and post offices, farm shops, supermarkets, garden centres, pubs, inns, hotels and restaurants, doctors’ surgeries, libraries and tourist information centres.

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CLANDOWN CLEEVE CLUTTON COCKLAKE COLEFORD COMPTON DANDO COMPTON DUNDON COMPTON MARTIN CONGRESBURY COXLEY CRANMORE CROSCOMBE CROSS DITCHEAT DOULTING DRAYCOTT DUNDRY EAST HARPTREE EASTON EAST PENNARD EMBOROUGH EVERCREECH FARMBOROUGH FARRINGTON GURNEY FAULKLAND FELTON FROME GLASTONBURY GREEN ORE GURNEY SLADE HALLATROW HIGH LITTLETON HINTON BLEWETT

PAGE 26 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

HOLCOMBE HUNSTRETE HUTTON KEINTON MANDEVILLE KILMERSDON LANGFORD LEIGH on MENDIP LITTON LONG ASHTON LYDFORD ON FOSSE LYMPSHAM MARK MARKSBURY MASBURY MELLS MIDSOMER NORTON NAILSEA NETTLEBRIDGE NORTON MALREWARD NORTON ST PHILIP NUNNEY NYLAND OAKHILL PAULTON PENSFORD PILTON POLSHAM PRIDDY PYLLE RADSTOCK REDHILL REGIL RICKFORD

RODE RODNEY STOKE ROOKSBRIDGE ROWBERROW SANDFORD SHEPTON MALLET SHIPHAM SOMERTON STANTON DREW STANTON WICK STOKE ST MICHAEL STON EASTON STONE ALLERTON STRATTON ON THE FOSSE STREET

TARNOCK TEMPLE CLOUD TIMSBURY TRUDOXHILL TYTHERINGTON UBLEY UPHILL VOBSTER WALTON WANSTROW WEARE WEDMORE WELLOW WELLS WEST HARPTREE

WEST PENNARD WESTBURY SUB MENDIP WHITCHURCH WINFORD WINSCOMBE WITHAM FRIARY WOOKEY WOOKEY HOLE WRINGTON WRITHLINGTON YATTON

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ARTS & ANTIQUES

Online bidding proves successful at Clevedon Salerooms AS we head out of lockdown, Killens have announced that room bidding will return to auctions staged at the Mendip Auction Rooms starting at their Victorian and Later Effects Auction on Tuesday, August 11th.

Responding to requests from clients to reopen, Killens will be employing strict measures to ensure a safe environment with all attendees to wear masks, use hand sanitisers on entry and practice social distancing by sitting and standing at designated points.

Tom Killen said: “The safety of our clients and staff comes first but, with theatres having opened, and recognising a real enthusiasm for us to allow room bidding again, we feel that the time is right to do so. We will be imposing strict measures but we really hope that we can generate an auction atmosphere once again.”

For those preferring not to attend, Killens will continue staging all their auctions online through the auction rooms’ website – www.mendipauctionrooms.co.uk – or thesaleroom.com so it is easy to bid live or by submitting commission bids.

Tom said: “Conducting all our sales online has been a real challenge as we have gone from photographing 700 lots per month to almost 3,000 and we have been exceptionally busy as clients have clearly been hoarding lots to sell during the lockdown.”

With auction houses now fully open to the public, Killens are now conducting valuations at the auction rooms and carrying out free home visits. It is also possible to view future auctions on viewing days.

The next sale of Antiques and Collectables at the Mendip Auction Rooms will be on Saturday, August 15th with Antiques Road Trip present and will be preceded by a sale of Victorian and Later Effects on Tuesday, August 11th. A further sale of Victorian and Later Effects will be on Tuesday, August 25th.

Contact the auction rooms on 01749 840770 or email enquiries@mendipauctionrooms.co.uk for further assistance.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 27

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MENDIP TIMES

Is a change to Agricultural Property Relief inevitable?

AgriculturAl Property relief (APr) and Business Property relief (BPr) are both ways of passing on assets without needing to pay inheritance tax (iHt). the reliefs can currently achieve up to a 100% tax saving, meaning assets that fall into these categories – such as family businesses, AiM shares, agricultural land and farm buildings – can be passed on to children tax-free. the prospect of a reform to Agricultural Property relief, an inheritance tax relief which is incredibly valuable for farmers and landowners, has long been expected.

So far it hasn’t happened, but with the treasury under increasing pressure to recover some of the huge spends dealing with the effect of coronavirus, it is becoming more likely that the relief will be changed or incorporated into a more general Business Property relief.

Politically it is seen as more “acceptable” to tax those who the

Georgie Collett

general public see as wealthy landowners rather than increasing taxes on income.

With all this in mind, it’s a good idea to review your circumstances now to ensure you make the most of the reliefs

while they’re still available. in these uncertain times it’s best to prepare in any way possible, and getting ahead of the curve now will pay off in the long run should APr and BPr reliefs be reduced.

Call our Agricultural Team on 0800 533 5349 or email Georgie.Collett@mogersdrewett.com

PAGE 28 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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The Bowe biscuit test . . . tHe thing about digestive biscuits (apart from the fact that they are the Biscuit of choice chez Bowe) is that while you know exactly what you are getting when you buy them and you can be sure how many you will require to get you through to the next meal (if you are Mr B you can, anyway), the thing you can’t tell is, when you are trying to break one in two to share with Archie the-Biscuit-Worshipper-Bowe, the resident golden retriever, whether the biscuit will break in two nice, tidy halves or whether it will go rogue and divide into three, when chaos can ensue.

A trying “broke into three moment” called to mind the current uncertainties we all face in business. i mean, how can any of us be sure what awaits after the pandemic subsides? Well, in so many specific ways we can’t, not at all.

We can take a look at history and realise that the previous pandemic, the Spanish Flu which visited these shores in 1918 and 1919 hot on the heels of the end of the great War, eventually, after a particularly vicious second spike, dissipated.

We can be grateful that we don’t have to

deal with the aftermath of a truly dreadful conflict, but we all know that the loss of over 44,000 lives is more than enough for our battered psyche to deal with. Now, after all of this, we are emerging blinking into the light and being encouraged to pick up the reins and carry on.

We all know that it isn’t quite as easy as that! Many of us will not know what to expect and neither will our client base. take a look at the pubs and restaurants for example, who, despite so many preparations, found that far fewer people than expected chose to use them. An event which was followed by the immediate closure of several due to visitors being tested positive for covid-19.

All we can be sure of is that something unexpected is likely to happen. this should not, however prevent us from preparing and planning! consider your postpandemic plan to be your digestive biscuit.

You have all the necessary ingredients for success and you know what your business is going to look like. then, however, you need to be prepared for the unexpected Break into three

BUSINESS

moments. Be ready to make quick changes, but ensure that you have thought them through carefully and fully understand the financial implications. this is where you can make good use of your accountant.

Make sure you get the best out of them now and be ready to move quickly to make changes when you have made any necessary informed decisions.

So, stay light on your feet! Which i suppose means, like Archie, have a severely restricted intake of digestives – however much you like them. good luck in these strange and interesting times.

Jane Bowe Probusiness

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 29

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MENDIP TIMES

Wells gets the green light to become a Gigabit city

tHe digital era has firmly arrived in the historic city of Wells, as truespeed gives the city the green light and has commenced the rollout of its ultrafast, full fibre broadband. the brand-new network began its build in June, and will bring with it gigabitcapable broadband for Wells’ residents, schools, gP surgeries and businesses. An entirely new infrastructure, the network will bring Wells out of the digital slow lane and will deliver rock-solid reliability and the speediest of connections, even at peak times, for decades to come.

Having commenced the roll-out in June, truespeed has already connected Wells’ first customers to the ultrafast network who are now enjoying 200Mbps guaranteed speed connectivity. the goal is to connect people who have signed up to truespeed’s service within two-three weeks of their building being passed by the network and the entire infrastructure roll-out is on track to be complete by the end of the year.

A city steeped in culture, protecting the heritage of this historic city is a top priority. truespeed’s teams of engineers can be spotted in the city delivering the firm’s signature low-profile infrastructure as they work to connect residents and businesses desperately awaiting better connectivity. With an array of deployment techniques at their fingertips, truespeed minimises local disruption by connecting the fibre-optic cables to existing ducting and poles carrying telephone and power lines.

Alongside this, any additional building or roadworks are kept to

an absolute minimum and only carried out when there is an absolute necessity. truespeed hopes that its low latency, full fibre network will help Wells to bounce back faster from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic. gigabit-capable broadband connectivity is a musthave not only for digital businesses but for people working from home, pupils and teachers reliant on digital schooling, and gPs conducting video appointments. tessa Munt, Somerset county councillor for Wells, said: “i’m delighted that truespeed is bringing ultrafast broadband to Wells town Hall as part of their community work. everyone using the building, whether visitors, staff or those like me who attend council meetings and events will benefit greatly from this highspeed facility as life slowly returns to a different normal, saving taxpayers’ money, the climate and time.”

Steve luck, town clerk, Wells

city council, added: “For too long Wells' businesses and residents have had to put up with poor connectivity. Wells city council fully supports truespeed in bringing ultrafast fibre broadband to the city where it has never previously been available.” evan Wienburg, ceO of truespeed, added: “We set up truespeed to bring affordable gigabit-capable broadband connectivity to areas in the South West such as Wells that have been ignored by larger providers. And to do it differently. While other providers force multiple customers to share one fibre-optic cable, truespeed customers get their own exclusive cable right to their door. “this is important because it is the difference between getting the digital equivalent of the fast lane on the motorway all to yourself 24/7 – even during rush hour – and being shunted into the slow lane when there is insufficient bandwidth to cope with customer demand.”

To benefit from ultrafast connectivity for yourself, simply visit www.truespeed.com or call the team on 01225 300370 to place your order

PAGE 30 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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BUSINESS

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 31

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Sharing the same values

tHe opening of the new co-op store in Pilton is the latest sign of an increasingly warm relationship between the retailer and glastonbury Festival. last year, the co-op was selected as glastonbury’s first retail partner with a 6,000 sq. ft store being erected on site for the duration of the festival. co-op chief executive Jo Whitfield – a festival-goer for 30 years – said: “co-op’s arrival in Pilton is extremely symbolic for us and encapsulates the way in which our stores sit right at the heart of local communities.”

Jo added: “We and glastonbury Festival have so much in common: community spirit, ethics, values and care for the environment.”

Pilton’s co-op is also set to provide a funding boost for local causes including evercreech Sports club, Friends of Ditcheat School and Somerset and Wessex eating Disorders Association through its membership scheme. Members receive a 5% reward on purchases of own brand products, and the retailer donates a further 1% to community causes. last November, the retailer shared £17m with more than 4,000 community groups uK-wide and this April the co-op shared £46,900 across 90 Somerset causes.

Vicki Mclaurie, Pilton co-op’s store manager, who also currently runs the co-op in evercreech before going on maternity leave, added: “We want customers to know that they can become a co-owner and member of their co-op. Our members help us to make a difference locally, raising money for local causes simply by swiping their membership card when they shop with us.”

ECATCHER MOL

NO MOLE NO FEE Telephone 01761 417100 www.mendipmolecatcher.co.uk

PAGE 32 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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BUSINESS

Inheritance tax review iNHeritANce tax receipts have reached record highs – £5.4bn in 201819 – and more of us than ever are paying the dreaded tax. Both the number of estates liable to pay the 40pc death toll and the treasury's annual haul have increased every year for a decade.

More than 28,000 people were forced to pay in 2016-17, the latest figures available, and the average bill costs families passing wealth down to their children and grandchildren around £180,000.

Middle class families sitting on vast property wealth thanks to steadily increasing prices over recent years but who have few other assets may find it difficult to satisfy the taxman without selling the family home. this is despite new allowances that allow you to pass on more when you die.

So how do you calculate what you have to pay, who exactly qualifies for these new protections and how has the system changed?

How does inheritance Tax work? each individual is taxed at a rate of 40pc on all their assets above a threshold.

At the moment this threshold is £325,000, but from April 2017 a new, higher threshold including a “family home allowance”, began to be phased

in.the taxman raked in £5.4bn from the death tax last year and expects its haul to total £7bn by 2023.

How has it changed? the 2015 Budget introduced a new provision, allowing individuals and married couples to pass on their main home with added protection from the taxman.the allowance began to be phased in at £100,000 in 2017-18, increasing to £125,000 in 2018-19, to £150,000 in 2019-20, and finally to £175,000 in 2020-21. this means that married couples will eventually be able to pass on estates worth up to £1m to their heirs.

However, the catch is that this total must include a “family home”, which must be the main property, and the property must pass to a direct descendant. Buy-to-let and second properties will add to the total size of the estate as normal. estates over £2m lose the relief at £1 for every £2 over the threshold. Your estate will have no "family home allowance" at all if worth over £2.2m.

What if I downsize?

People who sell an expensive property will be eligible for an “inheritance tax credit” so can still qualify for the new threshold, as long as most of the estate is left to descendants.

How will this affect my tax bill? recent changes are helping to

bring down costs for all estate sizes including family homes. Small estates are still exempt from inheritance tax and larger estates worth £1m that include family homes will have up to £140,000 extra tax-free allowance by the time the full home allowance is completely phased in. However, the additional allowance will be gradually withdrawn for properties worth more than £2m. these are issues on which it would be prudent to take legal advice which may include reviewing your Will to ensure that any dispositions you make are tax efficient.

EDWARD LYONS

Email: enquiries@lyonslaw.co.uk Website: www.lyonslaw.co.uk Telephone: 01275 332168 An established and progressive law firm providing a personal and cost-effective legal service for commercial and individual clients.

l Family & Divorce Law l Co-habitation disputes l Inheritance disputes l Wills and Living Wills l Powers of Attorney l Administration of Trusts l Property – sales and purchases OFFICES AT: Chew Magna 01275 332168

Westbury-on-Trym 0117 950 6506

Kingswood 0117 967 5252 MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 33

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MENDIP TIMES

P & C Logs

Summer priceS now on Call Phil on 07734 098323, or Colleen on 07785 250033 or on Evenings 01934 741941 Friendly prompt service from Phil & Colleen at their farm in Charterhouse Quality seasoned beech and ash hardwood, chopped and split into a variety of load options (with free delivery).

Help with dog training

SArAH Blackbourn is a qualified animal behaviour therapist working in the Somerset area. Friendly and one to one, she is providing help and support for prospective owners choosing a new dog and foundations skills for new puppy owners.

Sarah also provides help for owners that are finding training difficult, or where the bond between dog and owner has broken down. Help with problems such as recall, lead walking, food guarding, barking, fear and aggression are some of the areas worked with.

Sarah has worked as a qualified veterinary nurse for many years and also runs clinics at local surgeries.

One to one training New puppy advice • Lead work Recall • Fear • Aggression

WEST COUNTRY TREECARE & GARDEN MAINTENANCE

ALL TYPES OF TREE WORK UNDERTAKEN

NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL ALL WASTE REMOVED AND JOB LEFT TIDY DRIVEWAYS, PATIOS AND MUCH MORE

PLEASE ASK FOR RYAN or JAMIE T: 0800 292 7079 M: 07480 592 759 – Ryan M: 07719 563 961 – Jamie REGISTERED WASTE HOLDERS UNIT 4, BRISTOL ROAD

We offer a 14-day cooling-off period PAGE 34 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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BUSINESS

OPENING SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST THE SHOP IN A SHOP H Traditional Sweet Shop H Greetings Cards H Bath Handmade Glass H Candles and Accessories H Gift Ideas FREE CAR PARK TO REAR OF BUILDING Clare Willcox has been running Radstock Carpet and Bed Centre for five years, supported by husband, Kevin, daughter Philippa and son Hugh. Based in the former Old Palais Cinema they pride themselves on quality displays of carpets, bedding and fabrics – and now plan to open a traditional sweet and gift shop inside!

A huge thank you to our loyal local customers. The response from re-opening has been tremendous. Given time we will return slowly to get used to the “new norm”. We will continue the appointment system for the foreseeable future as it has worked well regarding safety for customers and staff. We are looking forward to the “Shop in the shop” where we have sourced products only Made in Britain, again showing our support for local small businesses. Look forward to seeing you all.

NEW BEDDING DISPLAY AREA 10% OFF WHEN YOU QUOTE THIS ADVERT

10% OFF WHEN YOU QUOTE THIS ADVERT

STOCK RANGES ON ROLL IN STORE Opening times: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm • Saturday 9am-4.30pm

THE OLD CINEMA, COOMBEND, RADSTOCK BA3 3AW 01761 432808 – sales@radstockcarpetandbeds.co.uk

BUY BRITISH – SHOP LOCAL AT A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 35

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MENDIP TIMES

A window of opportunity

At the start of 2020 the biggest challenge for the housing market was Brexit: was it going to result in a downturn even though we had certainty about which direction we were heading? But none of us knew that covid-19 was just around the corner which was going to affect every single one of us.

During lockdown for those of us working, we knew the demand for houses was growing and that there was likely to be pent-up demand when restrictions were lifted. the result was that we have had one of our busiest periods in the past weeks – for selling and buying. there is no doubt that demand for lettings and sales from those who have been living in cities has significantly increased. the combination of wanting more space inside and out, as well as realising that working from home could become a permanent

arrangement, accelerated some people’s plans and made them realise that relocating to the countryside could become a reality.

For others whilst spending more time in their houses than ever before, lockdown gave an opportunity for reflection and, as a consequence, have decided that it is time to move on.

With the recent news that the government has provided an incentivisation for purchasers by reducing (or eliminating) Stamp Duty, this has focussed minds even more.

Purchasers and sellers realise they have now a window of opportunity and are pushing on with their plans.

So, with active buyers and sellers there is a sense of urgency in the current housing market and the result is that lodestone is very busy. We would be very happy to offer advice if you are thinking of marketing your home or if you are just starting out on

BUSINESS

Charlie Armytage

your search, please call us on: 01749 605099 or email me at: charlie@lodestoneproperty.co.uk

Charlie Armytage is the manager of the Lodestone Property Wells office which is selling the Richmont Place development in East Harptree.

PAGE 36 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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MENDIP TIMES

Rob Handy and his forest garden Words and pictures by Ros Anstey

Tucked away in east Harptree on the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills and overlooking chew Valley Lake, is an oasis of bio-diversity and abundance – the dream of local man Rob Handy, who is creating a forest garden, which will eventually enable him to be completely self-sufficient.

It was back in 2013 when Rob bought the one hectare field, which didn't have anything growing in it except grass. He now has around 370 edibles growing, as well as the meadow flowers and the various mushrooms and fungi he’s introduced. He is aiming for nearer 500 in a couple of years.

He said: “I spent the first year rabbit proofing the site and walking around every day to assess the land, like where the shadows fell, where the rain naturally pooled and flowed, where the frost pockets were and which direction the wind most blew from.

“I also marked out where the flowers were that I wanted to keep. These areas are now dedicated wild flower meadow areas that probably take the most maintenance by having to be artificially grazed annually by either scything or strimming.

“I wanted to explore, experiment and ultimately demonstrate the optimum way of using a hectare of land, and I’m beginning to get there!”

A hectare (approximately 2.5 acres) of forest garden can provide enough food for ten people all year round, he says, whilst simultaneously creating an abundance of food and habitat for a plethora of wildlife whilst restoring the environment and sequestering carbon.

He said: “In terms of maintenance, it takes quite a bit of setting up but once it’s done, it’s done – for generations, with just a day or two a month ‘tweaking’ it.

“By planning so meticulously I’ve seldom had to move anything. Though as many of you gardeners will have realised, many plants move to somewhere more favourable all by themselves!

“I’m doing all the hard work of setting it up now so that in ten or even five years’ time I can enjoy and share the fruits of my labours whilst teaching others to also obtain their own food security.

“By having sedum roofs on the various structures (the duck

Feeding the geese

Outdoor cooking

house, toilet shed, yurt classroom etc) not only does it provide excellent insulation but no growing space is lost. Sedum needs no watering and provides some welcome extra forage for the bees!”

He relies on a trickle of a spring for all his water needs so when it occasionally dries up, as it’s inclined to do with worryingly increasing frequency as weather patterns change, it really is a challenge! Rob also keeps ducks, geese and bees.

Rob has lots of interesting facts to pass on, including details of a plant called Wild Verbascum or Great Mullein, which can be used as toilet paper!

His work can be seen on YouTube and he appeared on BBc’s Gardener’s World last September. He has also been giving talks and lectures to schools and gardening clubs on all things permaculture since 2014.

Rob, who was born in 1983, said: “Most people in the chew Valley would know me from having worked on and off in chew Magna co-op for 13 years.”

His mother, Rosemary, and her husband live in east Harptree, along with his last living grandparent, the infamous Beulah Branch, who ran the village shop for decades. His father, Stephen, and his wife live in draycott, on the sunny side of Mendip. His brother, Tom, is the vicar of South Petherton.

Rob with some of his plants

Details: www.robsfoodforest.site or contact him on his Facebook page PAGE 38 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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Now wash your hands, and the feeders

I HAVE seen many items on social media and TV about how well nature has done during lockdown. But it's not all so rosy in the garden, I’m afraid.

From my experience, the human disturbance factor alone had been huge in the garden and this has an effect on bird

By CHRIS SPERRING productivity.

MBE During my daily exercise walk, I had noticed from March until the end of May a real lack of certain species of bird and for me the big one missing was the chaffinch; this bird used to be so familiar but each year its numbers seem to tumble away. In a way, it’s the same as the story of the song thrush which I wrote about in this magazine some years ago.

The chaffinch, a bird that was so common in my garden then disappears and now, to see and hear one, I have to travel further and further away from home with each passing season. When I mention this on Facebook and Twitter I get back a barrage of comments of “still lots of chaffinches here”, and so these localised declines do happen, but with species such as chaffinch there has been a quite widelyreported and big and worrying drop in the population.

Trichomonosis is a disease caused by a parasite affecting a number of species of birds, but probably more noticeable for people is the effect on garden dwelling chaffinches and greenfinches; some birds with this disease have been observed by people as looking lethargic, damp, with ruffled feathers and too easily approached.

Hygiene of the bird table and feeders is of paramount importance to stop the spread of any avian disease; there are various safe cleaning aids which can be purchased for bird feeders, but you can’t really beat good old soapy hot water. I always scrap off all old food and droppings, then soak the Are numbers of chaffinch declining?

WILDLIFE

feeders in warm soapy water and scrub the bird table with the same; and, of course, really important to remember is that if you have a water dish for the birds that this is also kept clean, with a top-up of fresh water every day, unless it has rained.

How often you do this might actually be determined by your observations; what I mean is, if you are seeing birds that fit the above description of looking sick, then you will need to deep clean thoroughly to stop the spread of the disease. We tend to deep clean every three weeks in the summer and more often in the winter. Oh, yes always wear gloves; I always do just as a precaution. It’s rare that any avian disease jumps to us, but in these weird times you never know…

The congregation of a wide diversity of bird species and at times large number of birds in one spot, namely the bird table or feeders is not really natural, but bird feeding can bring you so much joy. It’s well known that being close to nature like this is great for our mental wellbeing. During lockdown I know a lot of parents who have used bird feeding in gardens as a part of their children at home education. Yes, birds can help teach you maths, English, biology, adaptation and even history and geography, there’s probably many more subjects besides these. So, by inviting these amazing animals into our gardens, let’s help them by providing a clean space for them to live.

For anyone who finds birds, hedgehogs or amphibians looking sick there is a brilliant website at https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org Here you can report any observations you have and receive the best possible advice.

Also, don’t forget if you find wild injured or sick birds and other animals, then always keep the Secret World Wildlife Rescue phone number with you. Their website is: https://www.secretworld.org/ and their all-important phone number is 01278 783250. l I’m hoping to start some wildlife walks again soon. Keep watching out for the latest information on my Walks and Talks Facebook page @ChrisSperringwildlife

Chris Sperring MBE is conservation Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust. For news of any public walks or talks coming up please visit via Facebook @ChrisSperringwildlife

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 39

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MENDIP TIMES

Sue’s back – with a super walk around Chew Valley

BOOTS on! After a break from walks during the Covid-19 crisis, I’m putting my best foot forward with a good leisurely, pastoral summer walk in the Chew Valley area. It’s virtually flat but gives great views over lake and valley.

Start on Herriots Bridge causeway in the southern corner of the lake, go through Widcombe common and then cross country before taking an old trackway into West Harptree. Follow another old

lane and then go across the side of the hill overlooking the lake. An interesting section along the course of the old Roman road follows before following the Roman route again which now leads nowhere, and then it is through fields back to the start. There is a pub and shop in West Harptree and another popular pub at White Cross about two-thirds of the way round. Some of this is not very well walked so a stick could be handy particularly at this time of abundant hedge growth. There are only two stiles en-route. Your dog should like this circle too.

PARK: The long parking area on the causeway at Herriots Bridge on the A368 Bishop Sutton to West Harptree Road.

With Sue Gearing PAGE 40 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

START: Herriots Bridge is named after a mill of that name submerged when Chew Valley Lake was created in the 1950s.

Walk in the Bishop Sutton direction, passing an information board. At the end of the lay-by, cross to the other side.

Soon, at a junction, cross back and take the lane on the right to North and South Widcombe.

This is a pleasant section which soon brings you alongside Widcombe Common well planted with a line of oaks. Pass houses and ignore a footpath.

Then when the open strip on the right becomes wider, and just before Widcombe Farm, look for another

footpath sign on a telegraph pole pointing to the right.

1. FOOTPATH Go across the common and through a Bristol gate. Head down the full length of the field, bearing slightly left, keeping fairly close to the hedge. You will see a gate ahead. Cross the footbridge and follow the path. A short way along look carefully for a small path on the right.

Don’t miss it. It is not marked or very clear at first but soon becomes more defined. Cross a footbridge over the stream which comes down from Coley reservoirs. You can see a pond here too.

Go through a gate, passing a pretty area by the stream.

2. FIELDS Carry on along the path in the field following a small stream on your right.

Go through a kissing gate and keep straight on along the field edge. Notice the abundance of oaks in the area on this walk and around the area. They are unlikely to all be the result of natural seeding but have been planted. They are all veterans and could perhaps have been planted in the early 1800s to ensure a ready supply of oak for ship building.

These so-called Napoleonic oaks still survive to this day. Perhaps the Hill family from East Harptree, a Bristol ship building family, had a hand in some of this?

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WALKING

Continue to the end of the field, going over a crossing track on the way. Cross a slab stile and cross this field to a visible opening in the far hedge. This is a mixture of a slab stile and metal gate.

This field was a picture full of red clover and cool blue flax when I came. Turn right along the edge after the stile and gate. Carry on round the field, having now joined the Limestone Link, a 36mile long distance footpath joining the limestone region of the Cotswolds to that of the Mendip Hills. Alongside a square stone building that looks like a Bristol Water installation, go right through a gate and over a footbridge over Molly Brook that flows down from Harptree Combe. Almost immediately ignore a gate left and just continue on the path to another footbridge and gate and join an old hedged track, Whistley Lane.

3. WHISTLEY LANE Follow this for over half a mile, passing a farm, and up to a junction in West Harptree.

4. WEST HARPTREE Go straight on along the main road with a village shop left and the Crown Inn on the right. And along a little further is the 12th century church with its distinctive copper spire. By the church is a centuries old manor house, Tilley Manor and opposite the church sits 17th century Gournay Court, a grade II listed country house, the home of Jacob Rees-Mogg.

To continue our round, turn left at the side of the village shop up Ridge Lane.

Just before the de-restriction sign, go right into a field on the Limestone Link.

Go ahead with an emerging hawthorn hedge on the right. At the end, there’s a kissing gate. Bear right along the end of the field to another kissing gate. Cross a stone bridge over a small stream and join a path under trees. Go through a kissing gate and maintain direction in the next field along the bottom hedge-line and through another gate. Drop down at the end, turn left for a few yards, then go up the bank to the right and across the field aiming to the left of the house ahead.

After a slightly awkward kissing gate, join a concrete track, still on the Limestone Link. Go left, but then stay on the concrete, not forking left.

5. COWLEAZE LANE This is an old route called Cowleaze Lane. Tarmac gives way to grass and later becomes even more narrow and bumpy.

Le

5.5 miles, about 2-3 hours walking.

OS Explorer 141, Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West, Grid ref: 572582.

Nearest postcode: BS40 6HW.

6. HARPTREE HILL Continue all the way to Harptree Hill.

Turn left with care up the lane which may have traffic, and shortly, go up right through a Bristol Gate on the Limestone Link into a field. Head across to a power pole and then continue on along the field edge with the Mendip Hills rising on your left and wonderful views right over Chew Valley. In the far right corner, go through a kissing gate.

Go straight down to a kissing gate ahead and on down to another kissing gate in the corner. Maintain direction along the right hedge and tucked away in the bottom right corner, another gate takes you down to the Compton Martin Millennium stone.

7. ROMAN ROAD Cross and go up through a kissing gate joining the route of the Old Roman road – Stratford Lane – a trackway which is on a raised bank with a ditch on one side. This is probably an “agger”, an embankment that gave Roman roads the proper draining base. Basically the agger is a ridge that supports the road surface. The Romans mined lead at Charterhouse and farmed at Chew Park, now under Chew Valley Lake and this was the linking route. It is under a line of trees and uneven underfoot. Stay with it for over half a mile going through gates and over footbridges. Come into a

field and follow the right edge. Near the corner go right through a kissing gate and along a path to a junction at White Cross.

Look out for traffic as you cross and go left to reach the Blue Bowl Inn, a great place for a stop.

8. STRATFORD LANE Alongside the pub take Stratford Lane which is a continuation of the Roman route and takes you for over half a mile to just before the lake.

At the end, reach Moreton Lane, named after the village submerged under the lake. Go across to steps and through a kissing gate and ahead to a Bristol Gate on the far side. Once through go on along a grassy track. The lake is very close but all you can really see are reeds at this point. Go through two gates on the way and then almost immediately, just before the farm, go right through into a field. Turn up left along the edge, round the barns and to a kissing gate in the corner.

9. MAIN ROAD Come out with great care and turn left along the A368 to Herriots Bridge. With a bit of luck the ice cream van will be there!

The Crown, West Harptree, 01761 221432.

The Blue Bowl Inn, 01761 221269.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 41

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MENDIP TIMES

OUTDOORS

West Countryman’s diary

I AM told that we are now returning to the “New Normal”. I have difficulty in grasping this and have a great deal of nostalgia for an “Old Normal”. We With LES all dance around one DAVIES MBE another in an attempt to maintain “social distancing”. I have people recoil from me with a look of horror on their face when they have come a little too close for their own liking.

I see people wearing masks everywhere and standing, waiting their turn to enter the shop or supermarket and even the shopping village, where they will stand in more queues. Yes, I know that it is all very necessary to prevent the spread of this horror that grips our lives, but I would much prefer to run away and hide in the countryside, where no one can find me and then they will be sorry!

Escaping to the countryside is just what a lot of people are doing. Perhaps more of us will spend our holiday within the UK to bolster the hospitality and leisure industry at home. I have met people from other areas who are coming to take a break in this part of the kingdom. They like it here!

After all what’s not to like about the premier county in the West Country? The land of the West Saxons, the very best land that King Alfred kept when he banished King Guthrum and his Nordic followers to the “Dane Lands” in the east.

This “land of the summer people” or as we know it today, Somerset, has a rich and varied landscape. Renowned for its cider and cheese image, it has so much more to offer. A fertile dairy county producing good quality grass that was recognised as far back as Tudor times, when brood mares were grazed on what we now call the Levels.

This landscape has been shaped by natural and human influences. Many will know of the mining on Mendip and of agriculture, both have been key players in this change. The balance of this landscape is however quite fragile. What would happen if we were not around? What would happen if we abandoned the small village settlements and left the countryside to look after itself?

The answer is that nature would take it all back through a process we now call “Climatic Succession”.

To see the result of abandonment, you need only look to the former Roman settlement at Charterhouse on Mendip. What happened to this settlement once it was abandoned around AD 410 and where are the remains?

Nature has claimed it all back, with only the outline of some buildings and roads visible to those who have the eyes to see such things.

Decay, combined with the harsh Mendip climate and the apathy of the succeeding Saxon culture, led to its downfall. When you consider that this township was bigger than Bath was in the first century AD, it’s hard to comprehend just how it could have disappeared. But it has. In its place is grazed farmland that maintains a short sward through sheep grazing since the Middle Ages. Had it not been for this human influence “Natural Succession” would have begun and it would have returned to scrub and woodland.

Whilst at Charterhouse, take a look at the Blackmoor Reserve. This delicate habitat is managed by the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) unit.

Here was a thriving lead mining industry that scarred and poisoned the Mendip Hills. It is now one of the most varied and diverse habitats anywhere.

It is an industrial wasteland that has been transformed by the natural environment into the very watchword for biodiversity. I always find it quite comforting to know that whatever damage we humans do (within reason) to the land, nature will take it back and improve it. In the Blackmoor Reserve it has done just that.

The “fen” area is the same habitat as the Somerset Levels, only much smaller and at around 800 feet above sea level. The reed beds contained within the old settlement ponds not only slow the movement of water, which is something we are becoming more aware is critical in flood control, but they also lock up heavy metal contamination from this site’s past use.

It acts as a home to a wide range of wildlife, from fish to amphibians, birds and mammals that have moved in. I always remember being told that if you get the habitat right then the wildlife will return.

Climatic succession begins here on the banks of the fen, as dead plant material

breaks down allowing plants to gain a toehold in the hostile environment of the former waste slag from lead smelting. Its black shiny glass that warms up in the sun and slowly releases its warmth through the colder part of the day.

Check out the little red “velvet mites” that run around on the large blocks. These are storage heaters that also support the early plant life of mosses and lichens. You don’t have to look far for the next stage of grasses and scrub that follow. The fen itself is changing as well. Willow and other wetland trees start to grow on the dense mat of dead and decaying reeds.

These trees start to dry the fenland out as they extract water and increase their root systems to anchor themselves. Before long they fall over and die to provide yet more growing medium that locks up carbon and nutrients within the carbon cycle. This we know as “Carr” woodland and a major part of the Nether wood is built up on this system of pioneering trees whose sole purpose is to make way for the very kings of climatic succession.

Top of the succession chain are the oaks, ash and beech trees who make the forest.

Oak and ash will allow light through to the woodland floor so that a secondary, lower cover can grow. So how do we fit into all of this? We are but a “pin prick” in time but our influence is significant. Humans have been able to hold climatic succession at any stage.

We maintain open grassland, scattered scrub, high forest and linear trees and shrubs as hedgerows. We are the masters of the landscape, capable of controlling and manipulating it to serve our need, but take us out of the equation and nature will do what it has always done!

This month’s picture is of Gog and MaGog, two veteran oaks from Glastonbury. It is said they may well have seen the dawn of Christianity, over 2000 years ago, but have now reached the end of their days.

You can always contact me through my website: Westcountryman.co.uk

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MENDIP TIMES

Butterfly bushes, their friends, and relatives

THE buddleja or butterfly bush must be one of the most popular of our garden plants. Easy to grow, loved by butterflies, bees, moths and other insects and yet often much despised for its ability to seed freely onto railway embankments, derelict With MARY buildings and even chimney pots, PAYNE MBE earning it the post war name of “bombsite plant”. The common form of this plant B. davidii is banned in some US states due to its invasiveness. Some modern hybrids are sterile so avoid this problem.

Buddleja was named by Linnaeus posthumously in honour of the Rev Adam Buddle (1662–1715), an English botanist and rector. For many years the name Buddleja 'Petite Blue Heaven' was spelt “buddleia” but nomenclatural convention dictates that it must be spelt as Linnaeus wrote it in his (common on verbascum plants) who can defoliate a bush in a “Species Plantarum” (1774), with a “j” hence buddleja, since matter of days. Buddlejas are its second most favourite meal.

2006.

Many hybrids using B. davidii as one parent have arisen There are very many species of buddleja from around the and one of the best is the variety Lochinch, with orange-eyed world but relatively few have found their way into the magenta flowers and white, thickly felted undersides to its English garden. The commonest, by a distance, is B. davidii foliage, it makes it a handsome shrub. which was introduced from C. China and named by Linnaeus Earlier flowering in June and equally common in gardens after the French missionary and explorer, Pére Armand is the deciduous, orange ball-shaped, honey scented flowers David. of B. globosa, also known as the Chilean orange ball tree.

This buddleja is easy to grow in a wide range of soils, in This is a very large shrub and can grow to five metres high sun or part shade and is remarkably drought tolerant. What it by three metres wide. Its pruning regime is very different hates is wet feet in winter, so reasonable drainage is from that of B. davidii and requires little, if any attention, required. It is so valuable for summer and later summer but can be shaped immediately after flowering. colour, for the back of a border.

A hybrid between this and B. davidii is B. x weyeriana There are countless colour variations to choose from, Black which has orange yellow ball-shaped heads, tinted with Night, Royal Red, White Bouquet, to name a few, but I am mauve along slender panicles in summer. wary of white varieties as the flowers tend to discolour badly Well worth growing as a standard is B. alternifolia and I am sure you do not wish to be constantly dead-heading Argentea. Totally different in habit from all the above, it your buddleja. produces long slender arching growths of silvery foliage one For those with plenty of space to fill, the variety Dartmoor year which are wreathed in lightly fragrant lilac flowers the is magnificent, bearing huge panicles of flowers on wide following summer. Prune out the shoots that have flowered arching branches. This was spotted in a ravine near Yelverton and thin out some of the old growth each spring. on Dartmoor in 1971 by a retired American gardener and For those with friends who are about to celebrate a “silver introduced to commerce in 1973. anniversary” then how about a gift of Buddleja Morning Mist Modern trends in plant breeding are always searching for also known as Silver Anniversary. It has silvery grey foliage shorter growing forms of many plants that are more suited to on a compact bush bearing white honey scented, sterile, smaller gardens and this common buddleja has produced white flowers with a dark eye over a long season. Plant in a some excellent forms. The Buzz Series are well worth sunny position and prune back hard in spring, as for B. searching out, growing to around 1.2 metres (four feet). For a davidii. It would make a change from a rose or silver birch. sunny bank I suggest you try one of the completely prostrate The good news is that buddlejas are very easy to forms, such as one of the Flutterby Series, bred in the USA, propagate. Either take semi-ripe cuttings of side shoots now. which have the advantage of setting no seed.

Pinch out the tip and put round the edge of a pot of well The pruning of this buddleja needs regular attention. In the drained compost, cover loosely with a plastic bag and keep autumn reduce the height by one third. This helps prevent out of any sun. Alternatively take 30cm lengths of this year’s “wind rock” which can lead to root damage during the winter wood in the autumn, cut above a bud at the top and below at months. The following April all the previous year’s growth the base and stick them in the ground with only one third can be hard pruned back to a couple of inches from the base. above ground, two thirds buried. Leave for 12 months and If this is done too early, then any new growth may be “Bob’s your uncle” – new plants for free. severely affected by frosts.

There are many other garden worthy buddleja species for The main pest of buddlejas are capsid bugs, who pierce the milder parts of the UK or suitable for training onto sheltered very young foliage which then expands into ragged holes. walls, but the common one, especially in its newer forms, is Rarely is any control necessary, but do watch out for the still a very worthwhile garden plant and will guarantee your voracious feeding of the caterpillar of the mullein moth garden is visited by a wide range of butterflies all summer.

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AUGUST GARDEN TIPS

• Cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and other Brassicas get a multitude of pests at this time of year. Use Agralan Enviromesh to protect vegetable crops against flying pests, it is particularly effective against carrot and cabbage root fly and caterpillars.

• Fill spaces in the veg patch by sowing quick maturing items such as turnips or, better still, varieties that will provide tasty winter salads.

• Prune fruit trees that have fruits containing stones rather than pips now. Plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines are best pruned during the summer when they are less likely to get infected with the incurable silver leaf disease. Immediately paint any large cuts (over 1” diameter) with Prune & Seal wound healing paint.

• Sow seed of autumn onion (sometimes called Japanese onion) now for the earliest crop of next year.

• Keep picking runner beans and courgettes regularly. If you don’t they will stop producing more. Both can be used to make excellent chutney or can be given to neighbours and friends.

• Dig up your potatoes; dry and store undamaged tubers in a dark frost-free place for winter. Late maincrop and winter salad potatoes will need a little longer in the ground and may put on a lot of tuber growth in the next few weeks. First early and most second earlies will be ready to lift now. Keep spraying with Bordeaux mixture to protect against blight (tomatoes too).

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MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 45

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MENDIP TIMES

N GS GA R D EN OF THE MON TH

Garden open for NGS

Volunteers back in action

Pictured (l to r) Jenny Cleeve, Lin Paul, Lins Herbert and Diane Turner

PARK Cottage on Wrington Hill, will be opening for the NGS on the weekend of August 1st and 2nd.

Four slots are available between 11am and 5pm. Tickets need to be booked on the NGS website.

Details: www.ngs.org.uk

PAGE 46 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

VOLUNTEERS from Temple Cloud in Bloom have resumed their working parties, following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

One of the organisers, Beccy Angell, said: “There was lots to do, two beds to weed and prune, a new base to be dug in preparation for a concrete base for another bench and of course stopping for a coffee and chat.”

New volunteers are welcome. The working parties will meet again on Saturday, August 15th and Saturday, September 19th, meeting at 10am at the end of Paulmont Rise.

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MENDIP TIMES

Dinah Read – the art of storytelling

Dinah Read, of Bishop Sutton, would be the first to tell you that she has lived a very full life. As a child, her family were bombed out of their home near Bristol docks. As a school leaver in 1946 she crewed a sailing boat over to Dublin and as a young farmer’s wife her home was compulsorily purchased then torn down as Chew Valley was flooded to form the lake. Without the farm her husband, Nelson, began to sell farm machinery and Dinah trained as a teacher. She taught for 25 years in deprived areas of south Bristol which “worked” with bringing up their four children. She also wrote and painted, producing beautiful poetry and short stories, many of them illustrated herself.

She contributed to several local history books and a couple of CDs of stories in dialect.

Dinah’s second collection of poems “Long Ago and Far Away” was published as recently as 2017. Now, in her 90th year, we are proud to be able to publish again some of Dinah Read’s work. Especially some of the lovely family stories in her booklet “Chew Valley Voices”, now out of print. Some names have been changed.

Our Mary

Our MAry were a beauty. A shire she were, and she ‘ud pull ‘er heart out fer I. I’ve sin ‘er strain till ‘er belly were touchin th’ ground almost. I’d just say “C’mon Mary…Hup!” and she’d give it all she had. not that I ever asked her to do more than she were capable of. never ask a hoss to do the impossible. They ‘ave to trust you y’see. They need th’ confidence.

Only one thing ever scared ‘er. During th’ war it were. she were turned away up in Breach Hill grounds…a mile and a half from home, and one night Jerry dropped a stick of bombs (on ‘is way back from Bath I reckon).

Learning to drive

Well, they landed along the ridge and the last one come down in Woodsmead where our Mary were, and she took off…bolted!

Bert summers said she frightened the life out of him. On his way home from th’ pub he were, and this gurt white hoss came down Breach Hill Lane, and out onto the main road gallopin’ flat out in th’ moonlight.

Down through the villace she went with ‘er great shoes hammerin’ on the Tarmac and ‘er mane flying, along the farm road she went and straight in through the stable door . . . took it lean off it’s ‘inges – and stood up there

I CAn remember the first car I ever saw. Came up over stoke Hill and couldn’t hardly make it to the top. Then in a few years more and more people got them. It did maek a big difference. Going to Bristol and back in a hoss and cart was a long job.

The day my father bought his fust car was a big day for me. Of course he never drove it. He took me with him to collect it, and the garage man showed me how it worked and I drove it home, and by the time I got there I reckoned I could drive.

Weren’t no driving tests in them days.

A cousin of mine, he and his mates learned to drive in the vicar of nempnett’s car. not that the vicar knew. He ‘ud go to take the service of a sunday morning and leave ‘is car parked outside th’ gate and they lads’ ud come along and start ‘er up – drive round th’ lanes for half an hour ‘r more and put the car back where they found it without anyone bein’ any the wiser.

They used to time it to be back in time fer the last hymn. Mind you it were a near thing once ‘r twice – if they went a bit farther than usual, or the sermon were a bit on th’ short side. One time the fust people were just comin’ out of th’ church when they got back.

Johnny he stopped th’ engine and they all jumped out and pushed ‘er th’ last few yards, keepin’ their heads down below th’ wall, out of sight. Then they sauntered back down th’ road whistling as if nothin’ had happened.

One or two people gave them an old fashioned look, but nobody said anything.

They do call it joy riding these days I suppose.

PAGE 48 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

streaming with sweat and trembling all over. And she had smashed through five solid five bar gates on ‘er way like they was matchwood.

I heard all the racket and I come down wondering what th’ hell it were. I put my hands on ‘er and talked to ‘er until she quieted down and stopped shaking. Then I rubbed ‘er down with straw and went back to bed.

The strange thing was, next day there wasn’t a mark on her – though she were off ‘er feed for a day or two, which weren’t like her. I kept ‘er in the home grounds after that. she were a good ‘un our Mary.

Machine breakers

As is well known the introduction of farm machinery was received with great antagonism by the farm labourers of England who feared for their employment. Chew stoke was no exception.

Farmer Benjamin Walker of Whitehall was one of the first in the area to avail himself of the new technology when he had a brand new reaping machine made and set it to work cutting corn. At midday he returned to his house for meat and drink.

Half an hour later the prized new machine was found to be irreparably damaged – smashed by a battery of crowbars and mallets. suspects were arrested and put on trial.

Mrs Walker, who was swedish by birth, caused some amusement when giving evidence in her broken and heavily accented English. “Twelve o’clock,” she declared “sheen alright. Half past twelve, “sheen mash marter!”. Whatever that meant!

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Exploring Frome’s prehistoric past

MICk Davis has produced what he says is the first comprehensive guide to neolithic and Bronze Age barrows in the Frome area.

Many of the sites were first recorded by John skinner, vicar of Camerton from 1800 to 1839. His diaries have been stored away in the British Library since his death in 1839 and his descriptions and the drawings of local sites are reproduced in this book for the first time.

Mick says the area around Frome is richer in these prehistoric remains than is generally supposed. As well as making skinner's research available to a wider audience, he has visited and photographed each site still in existence.

He worked for one of London’s top criminal defence lawyers before retiring to Frome. He is a committee member of the Frome society for Local study and next year takes over the editorship of the Frome yearbook.

The book, Of Mounds and Men, is available from FsLs at info@fsls.org.uk 01373 836595 and priced at £14.50 including postage and packing. Please contact for wholesale rates.

Mining memories

MEMBErs of Pensford local history group are asking for help in producing a book on mining in the area, in particular at Pensford (Broadoak) and Bromley collieries.

It follows the success of their book “We remember It Well” marking the 50th anniversary of the great flood of 1968.

They are looking for stories and memories from people who worked at the collieries, or stories handed down from family or friends, with any photographs or written accounts.

Meanwhile they are looking for information about this photo, thought to be a miners’ reunion at radstock Museum. The late historian robert Bailey, from Pensford, is pictured third from the left.

Details: ppw.publishing@gmail.com or call 01761 490418

HISTORY

Ancient stone uncovered

A FAsT disappearing prehistoric stone has been rescued from an overhanging hedge, vegetation and soil to be enjoyed by those interested in local history and archaeology.

The Hautville Quoit, thought to be part of the stanton Drew standing stone Circle complex, lies on Quoit Farm nearby.

Dom Lowe from Pensford first found the stone with his daughter about a decade ago. He said: “When I returned last year I saw it had virtually disappeared underground and decided to contact Historic England to see what could be done.”

He met inspector of ancient monuments, Mel Barge (pictured with him) after clearing the area and she was impressed with what she saw. she said: “Hautvilles Quoit is a rare survival of a large prehistoric stone thought to be part of the stanton Drew stone Circles complex. This dates to the neolithic (about 6,000 years old). The stone is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. This act restricts certain works to these monuments to prevent damage to them.

“Despite its rarity not many people know about the Hautville Quoit as it is hidden in a hedge. The earliest mention of the stone is 1664 and it was lying flat then.

There was a second stone which is thought to have stood by the side of the road about 1.4km from Hautvilles Quoit towards Chew Magna. no trace of this stone now remains.

“Dom’s interest in the site is very welcome and his enthusiasm for the history and promotion of the site to ensure it isn’t forgotten is also very welcome. We have agreed with Dom that regular clearing of fallen vegetation and cutting back of the hedge on and around the stone will keep it exposed without damaging it.”

Dom hopes more people will want to see the stone. He said: “That’s really down to the landowner but it’d be nice to see a parking spot and directions to it and a history board outlining what it is/was and why it’s here.

“Perhaps one day a year we could have a gathering there for anyone who may be interested then a short walk to the stone circle nearby.”

Farmer Mark Tibbs, said: “We are fine with people visiting as long as they respect our land and livestock by parking sensibly, closing gates behind them and leaving no litter.”

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 49

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MENDIP TIMES

Amidst all the gloom and uncertainty, here at Mendip Times, we thought we would celebrate some of the positive stories still happening around the area we cover.

Free meals for key workers

RoTARIAn Anwar hussain, a member of the Rotary Club of Mendip, based in Cheddar prepared and cooked 70 takeaway meals for nhS employees, care home staff and other essential workers.

This is the fourth occasion he has prepared and served meals and the club has sponsored this twice as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Club president elect, Ceri Davies, said: “We are extremely proud of what Anwar hussain has done to support the dedicated key workers who either live or work in our community.

“We thank Anwar’s family for their help and for giving up their kitchen for a day and Sedgemoor District Council for providing a distribution venue. Whenever and wherever in the world there is a human crisis, you will find Rotary quietly at work.”

This year Mendip Rotary Club is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Anyone living in the Cheddar valley wishing to find out more about what local Rotary does, can visit the club’s Facebook page.

Volunteers wanted

SoMeRSeT Skills Bank, run by Somerset Community Foundation in partnership with Spark Somerset, aims to encourage more volunteers to donate their time and expert skills to support local charities.

If you're looking to develop new skills and experience, or have been furloughed, they would like to hear from you.

Details: www.somersetcf.org.uk/skillsbank email info@somersetcf.org.uk or call 01749 344949.

Coronavirus pilgrimage

The bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Rev Peter hancock, has made a series of pilgrimages on foot around the diocese, as churches begin to reopen, praying for the communities he passed through. he carried food, water and hand sanitiser with him and returned home each night, ensuring he followed social distancing and all other guidelines at all times.

The first three walks took him past West Mendip hospital, Musgrove Park hospital and the RUh in Bath, all of which have cared for patients with Covid-19. he said: “As lockdown eases and churches are able to open their doors, it’s a joy to be able to go out and walk and pray for those who live and work in Somerset.

“So many people have suffered and are hurting from the last few months – whether from loss and illness through Covid-19, or loneliness and isolation.”

PAGE 50 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Community funding

Sue Mountstevens (right) at a cheque presentation

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, Sue Mountstevens, is encouraging projects impacted by the demands of coronavirus to apply for extra funding from the Commissioner’s Community Action Fund (CCAF).

She has allocated an additional £200,000 to support local charities, voluntary organisations and community groups to help deal with the consequences of coronavirus. Such initiatives across Avon and Somerset are urged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 by the end of november.

She said: “I hope that this additional funding will ensure that we can support and strengthen those hardworking local organisations who have been a lifeline to local people during these challenging times.

“I am committed to making sure that such organisations can continue their essential work so local people are supported as we emerge into the recovery phase of the pandemic.”

Since 2013, the CCAF has distributed £1,049,987 to local initiatives.

Details: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/apply/policecommunity-trust/

Help for victims

Avon And Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Sue Mountstevens has secured £505,983 of additional funding for 17 local support services who help victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

She said: “We know lockdown had a significant impact on victims who were living with perpetrators, who were even more isolated from loved ones and who felt that there was no way to escape. With restrictions lifting, we are entering the recovery phase of the pandemic and we need to ensure that all victims and survivors who have been at risk during lockdown know that help is out there.”

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MENDIP V CORONAVIRUS

Showing pride in their village

The cancellation of Britain in Bloom hasn’t stopped Paulton looking as pretty as a picture. The order for 85 hanging baskets had to be cancelled. Instead the village is festooned with flags covered in flowers.

It’s the work of Pride in Paulton, a group of seven set up eight years ago with the aim of keeping the village looking colourful and tidy.

They clean road and street signs, restored the fingerpost sign posts, buy, grow and plant flowers at various sites around the village, installed planters and have completely renovated the front of hill Court.

They also put decorated Christmas trees up in December, poppy flags up in november, as well as the hanging baskets in the summer.

In 2018 they created a huge poppy display to commemorate the end of WW1, with over 3,000 knitted or crocheted by people who lived or visited Paulton. The following year Paulton Junior School asked for flowers to create a flower wall and again they received hundreds.

In 2018 they won the Best Large village in the South West

Thoughts over the garden fence

ARTIST Melanie Thompson has turned the front garden of her home in Glastonbury into an outdoor gallery to illustrate the range of emotions she has experienced during lockdown. over the last three months Melanie created “viral texts” - a single statement on a blackboard with white lettering all starting with the letter “I”.

Melanie said: “each week I have put up a new board responding to the week before. What I was hoping was that my feelings over the weeks resonated not just with me but others passing by as well.

“I have had many conversations about the work over the fence and have even been given money.”

The next part of the project is to

Paulton PiP members before lockdown

in Bloom award and in the last seven years they have won Community, Best newcomer, Gold and Silver Gilt awards.

With the competition cancelled because of Coronavirus, they decided to look for another way to brighten up the village.

Pip secretary, Gail Garlick, said: “We had seen painted flags before but we hit on the idea of creating the flags using all the knitted/crocheted flowers we already had to create our own flower display.

“Members of PiP made the flags using their own stashes of material and the flowers donated by villagers. They are very popular with villagers and best of all they don’t need watering!”

The photograph shows PiP members, including founder member Ida Anscomb, who died earlier this year.

Gail said: “In 2012 she got a few villagers together along with Liz hardman and John Bull, BAneS councillors and PiP was born. Without Ida there would have been no PiP, our condolences go out to her family.

“We could not achieve all this without the help and support of the people of Paulton, local businesses and Paulton Parish Council and we thank them all.”

create boards for people to exhibit in their own gardens or houses. All 12 of the original boards are due to be

exhibited in the garden of the new heart of the Tribe Gallery due to open at the end of August.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 51

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MENDIP TIMES

Saying it with flowers

Tia Robson (right) with (l to r) Jackie Willis, Deb Tilzey, Sarah Bull, Kate Abbott and Laura Cannon

eAST harptree will have a living memorial to lockdown – a tiny patch where people will be able to cut British flowers.

The patch, just 1.13 metre square, may be small, based on the site of the old village pump, but it was given a big launch.

The project was started by Tia Robson from The Botanical Yard in the village. She is a local floral designer and flower grower and a member of Flowers From the Farm (FFTF), a non-profit organisation which supports British flower growers.

She is enthusiastic about championing British flowers and says the project is a great way for the village to experience them, as well as saying a massive thank you to everyone who made living through lockdown feel less scary.

The village nominated local lockdown heroes, the Crafternooners, to cut the rainbow ribbon. The friends have been sewing endless scrubs, scrub bags, masks and anything else which was Anélie Mitchell, aged eight, Sarah needed.

Mitchell and Dan Rogers once the ribbon was cut there was music from Sarah Mitchell, a professional violinist, and her partner, Dan Rogers, a professional drummer. Anélie Mitchell, aged eight, declared the patch open.

Tia said: “This is a wonderful representation of how the village have pulled together in times of hardship. everyone is welcome to visit and if anything is in bloom treat yourself to some fresh British flowers.”

The flower patch is in Middle Street, east harptree.

It contains sedum, Ammi, cosmos, stocks, scabious and calendula.

PAGE 52 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Cheering up Chilcompton

PATRICIA Ardron’s lockdown project has created a stir, having now been featured on local Tv and radio. She emailed friends to suggest they decorate the bridge over the River Somer in Chilcompton, knitting or crocheting any spare bits of wool they had.

She said: “It’s cheered a lot of people up and it’s slowed the traffic down.”

She’s been teaching “embroidery” at classes in St John’s Church hall in Chilcompton for ten years and taught in adult education in Wells for 22 years before that, during which time she co-ordinated the Wells Millennium Tapestry embroidery, which is now permanently on display in Wells Town hall.

She and her helpers used the patterns from the poppies they knitted and crocheted for the 100 year war celebration in Wells Cathedral which she designed.

The others involved were Jane Winsley, Ann Brown, Sue Coombs, Sue Lyons, Laura Coghlan, Jenny Jones, Sylvia Ingham and Chris Kane.

Food bank donation

WRInGTon vale Rotary Club has donated £900 to Cheddar valley Food Bank, which has seen a 300 percent increase in demand during the Covid-19 crisis.

Trustee, elaine Reynolds, is pictured with new club president, Roger vincent (left) and treasurer, Tony Poole.

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Knitters’ thank you is a “wheel” delight

MENDIP V CORONAVIRUS

MeMBeRS of the Radstock Knitters Group turned to social media to work together to create this thank you sign to keyworkers.

Unable to gather as a group to knit and chat, members used Zoom and other ways to stay in touch and work individually on the artwork.

It hangs from the miners’ wheel in the centre of town where the knitting group’s annual poppy is placed. Crew members from Radstock Fire Station put up the display.

E

C

Tying up the loose ends: one of the fire crew makes the artwork secure

College says thanks

In the seven weeks before the end of term, 420 meals were delivered to the students at Frome College. ebbie's Kitchen prepared all the food and only charged actual costs and Wainwright Quarries paid for it.

It was delivered by Rotary clubs from Frome and Midsomer norton. one of the college’s english teachers, Sophia Wells, wrote a letter of thanks: “Thank you so much for funding the meals for our students. As a teacher who has been supervising them for some of the time since lockdown, I have really noticed the positive benefits of their meals. “of course, they have provided them with a nutritious meal, but for me what I particularly noticed were the positive outcomes of students sitting down to a social meal together which was the stimulus for shared discussion and giving us a sense of community.

“Lunchtime on these days was without a doubt the most positive social experience of the day for our students. Thanks again.” Sophia.

Job done! The knitters took about six weeks to create the rainbow

Rotary food delivery

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 53

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A wander along Wadbury

IT is good to get out for a proper walk at last and although not up to Sue Gearing’s standard, a stroll along the Wadbury Valley between Mells and Great Elm, along the Mells River, is full of interest. There is parking at each end of the walk, though that at the upstream, Mells, end is rather limited.

With PHILIP As well as caves, of course, there are old HENDY ironworks, and a detour takes you to a famous geological anomaly. Most of the caves are short and inaccessible, only really of interest to cavers who like to tick sites off in their guide books.

Starting at Mells, the first site of interest is the Upper Ironworks, which together with the Lower works and those at Great Elm, Nunney, Chantry and Railford, were worked by various branches of the Fussell family, famous in the 19th century for all sorts of iron products, particularly edge tools.

The iron was variously mined between Nunney and Emborough and also at Witham. They were all small-scale enterprises. Little remains of the Upper works except a dam with a sluice to control the water level, a chimney, and some pits.

A few metres downstream, the water outflow from a quarry cascades through a pile of boulders. Nearby, to the left, Mells River Sink is seen as a gash in the hillside on the far bank of the river. This intriguing feature is known as an estoval, because in winter it is a resurgence (emitting up to two million gallons daily), while in the summer, it acts as a sink for some of the river water.

It was dug and investigated by the late Willie Stanton, who found bones of rhinoceros and horse and a Roman toga pin.

Further on down the valley, past the foundations of buildings and a wheel pit built into the hillside, the extensive Lower Ironworks are seen. They are now gated and locked. This was excavated by John Cornwell and others in the 1980s, until the site was trashed by vandals.

The buildings, of which only the walls remain, are probably offices and possibly a smith’s workshop. When I last looked there were traces of plaster on the walls and evidence of fireplaces.

There is the frame of a waterwheel, and culverts which conveyed water to various parts of the site.

There is supposed to be a tunnel, now blocked, which led down from Wadbury House. Thomas Fussell, who lived there, used it as a short cut down to the ironworks – and it also probably gave him the opportunity to appear suddenly, on the chance that he might catch his workers slacking.

Spleenwort Shelter

(Photography by Phil Hendy)

CAVING

Upper Ironworks sluice

Only a short way on, it may be possible to spot the alliteratively-named Fox Fur Fungus Fissure on the far bank.

When this short cave was first entered, cavers found a reddishbrown furry mass in the cave, which they thought was a dead fox.

Closer examination showed it to be a fungus.

A little further down, there are three shallow cavities in a private garden on the left bank. They may be partly artificial and were reputed to have been filled with slag and clinker from the ironworks, hence the name Clinker Caves. Continuing on, and ignoring the footbridge, the obvious opening of Dorm’s Den can be seen in a low cliff on the left. It has been dug, with little success.

The path continues uphill to join the road, which leads down to the river bridge in Great Elm, where there is a beautiful pool below the bridge. Crossing the bridge, a gate on the right takes you to the path on the other side of the river. A footbridge crosses the smaller stream running through Fordbury Bottom, with a path beside it.

Taking this path, after a couple of hundred metres steps on the right lead up to an abandoned quarry. The floor here is horizontal, but the limestone has not been levelled by human activity, but by wave action millions of years ago when this part of Mendip was at sea level. The beds dip steeply to the north, at around 60 degrees.

Above this wave-cut platform are the horizontal beds of younger yellow Doulting stone, technically the Jurassic Inferior Oolite. The junction between these rocks, differing in age and bedding, is the famous De La Beche unconformity, which was first described in the 19th century by Buckland and Conybeare. It was named after De La Beche, who illustrated it in the Geological Survey’s first memoir in 1846.

Continuing up Fordbury Bottom eventually leads to Elm Cave, which is 30 metres long and 11 metres deep. At the bottom is a pool, the level of which fluctuates with the level of the valley stream. Returning to the footbridge, the path can be followed up the right bank of the Mells River.

Here the steep limestone is seen as a high smooth mossy slope.

Some of the beds have weathered away to form the roomy but short Spleenwort Shelter. There is a small attic. The path leads past some overgrown quarries on the left and then the footbridge can be crossed, and the route retraced back to a footbridge over the Whately Bottom stream.

This is a popular walk, with plenty of points of interest. The caves are short, but the valley has a rich and varied history, with plenty to see.

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

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 55

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MENDIP TIMES

Mendip diabetes group wins award

A DeDICATeD children and families group covering the Mendip area has scooped an Inspire Award from leading charity Diabetes UK. Chair, Julian Collins, was delighted to accept the award on behalf of other members at a virtual ceremony. Julian, together with his wife Annabel and emma and Mike Clarke, set up the group over ten years ago after both their children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

He said: “We are an incredibly supportive and inclusive group which really enjoys getting together and sharing experiences and expertise through all the challenges. It’s wonderful to be acknowledged in this way for the work we do.”

The award recognises a local group which has worked tirelessly to support people living with diabetes in their area as well as positively promoting the campaigns, initiatives and services of Diabetes UK. The Mendip group met monthly prelockdown at the Children’s Link Centre in Coleford, near Radstock, as

A previous Frisbee challenge

well as organising an incredible array of events – from Frisbee golf to pantomime trips to tech talks.

Currently the group, which usually has around 20 youngsters with diabetes as well as their siblings and parents at their regular meet-ups, is maintaining contact over Facebook.

However, all members are looking forward to a time when they can be together again.

Phaedra Perry, Diabetes UK South West regional head, said: “The truly inspiring members of the Mendip Children and Families Group do a brilliant job of showing how living with diabetes doesn’t have to stop you from tackling anything. They are an amazing bunch of positive, creative and all-round inspirational people. Our warmest congratulations go to them all.”

Details: email south.west@diabetes.org.uk or call 01823 448260

Charity begins at Jill’s second home

JILL Rowe is back behind the counter of the Glastonbury charity shop she calls her second home after it reopened its doors to customers.

The 84-year-old is now in her 31st year of volunteering in the Cancer Research UK shop in the High Street.

Town mayor Jon Cousins joined Jill and store manager Maria Gregg to cut a ribbon to reopen the outlet.

Jill said: “I started here in 1989 shortly after having treatment for breast cancer. My husband saw an advert in the shop window for volunteers and he suggested I should go in.

“There wasn’t a lot of people talking about cancer then and so I felt as though I was in a shell-shock state really. Volunteering helped me and it was great therapy going to work and still is.”

Maria said: “To save lives tomorrow, we need the public’s support today so we want people to know we’re making every effort to create a safe shopping experience.

PAGE 56 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Jill Rowe (centre) prepares to cut the ribbon to reopen the shop helped by mayor Jon Cousins and manager Maria Gregg

“COVID-19 has hit us hard and after three long months we’re delighted to be able to welcome new and familiar faces

back through our doors again, as well as a host of new donations.”

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Getting to grips with rural crime

CHARITIES

THE charity Crimestoppers has asked Mendip Times to publicise how we can all help to tackle the problem of rural crime.

Karen MacDonald reports:

We are very lucky in Somerset to be blessed with stunning countryside. However, as a result, some of the crime that our more rural residents suffer from is unique and must be tackled in a slightly different manner to the crime our more urban counterparts experience.

Whether we live, work, or spend our leisure time in the countryside we all have a responsibility to work together to combat criminal activity.

Are you aware that there is a “Rural Crime Hotline” for farmers and the public to give information anonymously about rural crime?

Launched in 2018 by the National Farmers’ Union, in partnership with the charity Crimestoppers, farmers, rural businesses and the public can ring 0800 783 0137 or visit www.ruralcrimehotline.co.uk to anonymously give information about crime relating to: • Theft of major equipment including tractors, all-terrain vehicles, diesel, chemicals, chainsaws and other plant machinery • Livestock theft, worrying and killing • Hare coursing • Poaching • Heritage crime • Arson & vandalism • Fly-tipping Hare coursing is a particular problem in late summer. It involves dogs being used to kill the animals for entertainment and gambling. It is illegal throughout the UK. Hare coursers give no consideration to landowner’s property and crops and coursing is often associated with violence.

Coursers often have a sophisticated information network and they invariably know about vulnerable properties in the area, short cuts, and escape routes.

Farmers often work alone in the field and can experience fear,

Preventing domestic abuse

A NeW study based in Somerset hopes to find the most effective way to tackle domestic abuse by recruiting local men who want to change their behaviour.

Barnardo’s has been funded by the University of Bristol to deliver weekly groups to help such men and improve safety for their partners, ex-partners and children.

“Reprovide” is a two-year study which began in March, offering weekly sessions of education and support. Sessions have been halted during lockdown but are due to restart soon.

The charity is keen to recruit men from across the county who are aged 21 or over and who are worried that their own behaviour in relationships with women might be abusive.

Men can refer themselves, but the charity is also keen for

intimidation and threats of violence as large gangs descend on their property.

Hare coursing activity rises in late summer once fields have been harvested. In this period, hare numbers are still high and the dogs have wide, unobstructed areas to run across.

There is also a pattern of crimes associated with illegal hare coursing; the act of coursing involves trespass, criminal damage, illegal gambling and wildlife crime and organised criminals will use the opportunity to scout for other criminal opportunities on the farm with the prospects of thefts occurring a few weeks later.

Anyone who has experienced, witnessed or has any information about rural crimes, but doesn’t feel they want to report directly to the police, can call the Rural Crime Hotline free on 0800 783 0137 or report on-line www.ruralcrimehotline.co.uk Your information could be extremely valuable. With relevant information being passed to the police, this service helps to provide key leads in the pursuit of these criminals.

Speak up, Stop crime. Stay safe. 100% anonymous. Always.

We won’t ask who you are, Crimestoppers are just here to listen on the phone or online.

GPs, social workers, health visitors, police officers and domestic abuse services to support men to get in touch with the team.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the police recorded 599,549 domestic abuse-related crimes across england and Wales in the year ending March 2018 – an increase of 23 per cent from the previous year.

Men who are interested in taking part in the study will receive further information and then potentially be invited to a meeting to assess their eligibility for the programme.

Following completion of a questionnaire, they will be allocated to one of two groups – a weekly evening group in Taunton or Shepton Mallet or a “control” group with no additional support.

Details: 07870 376548 reprovide-men@bristol.ac.uk or visit www.bristol.ac.uk/group-intervention-for-men http://www.somersetsurvivors.org.uk/barnardos-reprovide-service/

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 57

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MENDIP TIMES

New medication brings hope SIOBHAN Coles from Pensford, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, has welcomed news that the triple combination medication Kaftrio (Trikafta) will be available on the NHS after a deal was finally struck.

Siobhan, who is an ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: “This is a major breakthrough for the cystic fibrosis community. Kaftrio has been developed to treat up to 90 percent of the cystic fibrosis community with

Siobhan with the medication she has to take

Exercise helps her lungs

New date for charity event

THe popular and well-established Rotary Nailsea and Backwell charity walks and runs, usually held in June, is now planned for Sunday, October 11th.

Graham Hunt of the organising committee said: “This event is always important for local charities and good causes, many of whom gain significant, much-needed funds from those taking part.

“This year, those organisations’ funds have been badly hit during coronavirus lockdown so they need the financial boost provided through this event even more than before.”

incredible results including lung function going up from 32 percent capacity to 80 percent.

“Only weeks ago the odds seemed against us and it was looking as though final negotiations for Kaftrio would have to be pushed back by months due to the coronavirus pandemic but like the cystic fibrosis community on a daily basis we fought the odds and WON!” She said fears of coronavirus have caused many worries for those with cystic fibrosis and herself personally.

She said: “However scary it may seem I am doing my very best to stay optimistic and embrace all the good

Some of those at a previous event

things that are happening around me.

“I am staying fit and active by doing a daily workout regime which consists of completing five laps twice a day round our paddock alternating between a walk, run and roller pushing! It’s hard work but fantastic for the lungs.

“I would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who continues to support me. I am really lucky to have such an amazing, supportive community.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the chosen charity of Tony Quinn of Chelwood Bridge Rotary during his term as president.

Details: http//www.facebook.com/nailseacharitywalks/ email grahamjeanhunt@tiscali.co.uk or call 07970 771845

PAGE 58 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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CHARITIES

Rachael’s close shave

Lions go walkabout

CHeDDAR Vale Lions had to cancel their usual duck race – so they are doing a duck walk instead, raising funds for Children’s Hospice South West.

It involves walking 100 laps of a paddock over a month. Organiser, Janet Clark, said: “Traditionally this event has raised thousands of pounds for them so I felt we couldn’t let them down.

“They need the money more than ever as all their fundraising events have been cancelled too.”

Details: to donate https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/cheddar-lions-july-walk

Helping the homeless

THe homeless charity Billy Chip is running a national photography competition to be judged by worldrenowned photographer, Rankin.

The theme is Generosity is Priceless with a closing date for entries of August 20th. First prize is a work experience placement with Rankin himself, with runners-up winning professional photography equipment.

It’s part of the national roll-out of the charity, set up originally in Bristol in memory of Billy Abernethy-Hope from Bishop Sutton, who suggested giving the homeless £2 tokens, which they can exchange for food and hot drinks.

Details: www.billychip.com

Event expert is new club president

CITY of Wells Lions Club has announced that local businessman Rod Major has become its new president.

Rod, a funeral director, succeeds Paul Clegg. It is Rod’s first official role within the club since joining more than four years ago but he is well-known as one of the key organisers of its major charity fundraising events, including the annual Moat Boat Races and May Day celebrations.

Rod said: “This year’s planned events might not have happened, but we have been fundraising as hard as ever to support our community. In fact, we’ve raised as much as we did last year!

“We’re hoping to build on that by increasing club membership to attract some new people and new ideas.”

Rachael before . . .

RACHAeL Watts from Stoke St Michael had her head shaved at the Knatchbull Arms in the village to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She said: “I have decided to brave the shave as cancer has destroyed so many lives. Two of my best friends lost family members, many more have had friends and family fight to survive, my dad has faced his own battle as did my husband’s mum.

“With Covid-19 a lot of the funding has had to stop - but funds are still needed so much. Cancer sufferers lose their hair due to the harsh combinations of chemicals pumped into their bodies. The least I can do is use my hair to raise money for Macmillan.”

She’s raised about £800 in sponsorship so far, with her hair donated to the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs to young cancer patients.

Take time for tea and help SWALLOW

A MIDSOMeR Norton charity supporting teenagers and adults with learning difficulties is appearing to people to get behind a vital fundraising initiative throughout August.

As with many charities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, SWALLOW is struggling to raise the money it needs to continue to offer its services. It is now asking people to put the kettle on and take part in its Great Afternoon Tea event.

The charity, based in Westfield, suggests holding tea parties in gardens, holding bake off competitions or visiting their community café in Radstock which will be serving cream teas to takeaway.

For details and an afternoon tea pack, contact Charlotte Sayers at SWALLOW: fundraising@swallowcharity.org

. . . and after

Details: https://bravetheshave.macmillan. org.uk/shavers/rachael-watts

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 59

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MENDIP TIMES

IT was a case of hair today, gone tomorrow for Hallatrow’s Simon Cox after he shaved his head for the charity Teenage Cancer Trust.

Held at Sweeney Todd Barbers in Midsomer Norton, the shave has raised over £1,000 so far to help provide care

Simon before . . .

for young cancer patients throughout the South West.

Donations have come from family, friends and colleagues at Dignity Funerals, where Simon works and the local team from B H Mears Funeral Directors on Midsomer Norton’s High Street.

Simon said: “Like many people, lockdown has left me in need of a

haircut, so when the restrictions were lifted I thought why not make it count and fundraise at the same time.

“I know Teenage Cancer Trust will welcome the support given the significant impact of the coronavirus crisis.”

The trust funds 28 specialist units for young cancer patients, including ones at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre and Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Details: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simon-cox38 • www.teenagecancertrust.org/donate

Lions back in action

AS lockdown restrictions are slowly lifted, Radstock & Midsomer Norton Lions Club will again be out fundraising for local and international causes.

They may have had to cancel the annual duck race but they are still raising money with their easter egg raffle, delayed by the pandemic.

Club members have been embracing technology and holding their monthly general meeting on Zoom, saying the Covid-19 crisis has put a spotlight on just how important and valuable volunteering is to the community.

In April they helped Bath Theatrical Costume Hire volunteer team with donations worth £1,000 to provide key workers with face masks. Some 5,000 masks have been distributed to 28 organisations.

Another £1,000 was awarded to The Dementia Action Alliance, with small grants up to £250 going to Oasis in Bath towards setting up a food pantry at their centre for people experiencing social injustice, the Bath Vegan Food Bank to help toward their food parcels and More Trees Banes to continue their tree planting campaign.

The club is looking at creative ways to continue to raise funds to help more people in need and will soon be able to start their service projects, including litter picks in Radstock and Midsomer Norton, as well as other environmental, health and educational projects, all volunteers welcome.

A spokesman said: “Help us to continue to be the club that keeps on giving. We would love to hear from you to discuss what we do and why being a Lion makes a difference to the local community and how Lions International makes a global impact.”

Details: membership@rmnlions.org.uk or call 0345 8339601

PAGE 60 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Online sale supports WHY

(Photography courtesy of Anna Barclay)

Simon’s fundraiser is a cut above

CHARITIES

. . . and after

FROMe-based counselling charity We Hear You have received a donation of £725 from The Somerset Collective's recent online pop-up sale, featuring small businesses, designers and makers in the county.

Due to coronavirus restrictions, this year's summer sale moved online, with 43 Somerset businesses taking part, all pledging to donate 10% of profits on purchases.

Jess Hyde from the collective is pictured (right) with Lucy McMahon, communications officer at WHY. Details: info@wehearyou.org.uk or call 01373 455255

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Presidential handover – at a social distance

Sheila (left) hands over to new president Liz

LIZ Hamblin is the new president of the Inner wheel Club of wells, receiving her chain of office from her predecessor Sheila Coggan.

Instead of the usual gathering, the handover took place in Liz’s garden watched by some members of the club executive who enjoyed a “distanced” picnic lunch.

Fundraising events for Sheila’s charity during her year in office – the Connect Centre youth section – had to be put on hold but the club is hoping they can be reinstated in the coming months.

COMMUNITY

New trust supports village

A new community trust has been established in Peasedown St John that aims to champion civic and community life.

Set up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Peasedown Community Trust is an amalgamation of several community projects that have decided to join together to form one united charity.

The trustees, a collection of business representatives, community leaders and councillors, have between them years’ of experience of running successful business and voluntary initiatives.

Chairman of trustees and director, Gavin Heathcote said: “Peasedown St John is a fantastic place to live, work and visit – and we have a lot to shout about! with a population of almost 7,000 residents, the village has a need for a civic body that champions good causes and is proactive with ‘getting things done’.”

Projects currently run by the trust are Peasedown Community Library, Peasedown Community Garden and Dementia Friendly Peasedown.

Fellow director and trustee, Cllr Karen walker, said: “The trust will also have a strong environmental angle. we want to champion environmental causes, support projects that encourage sustainable living and foster an approach that protects and strengthens the local habitat.”

The organisation is run by nine trustees: Gavin Heathcote, Karen walker, Laura Bell-Knight, Helen Sims, Sarah Bevan, Craig Gill, Benice Hampton, Sam Heathcote and nathan Hartley.

Details: peasedowncommunitytrust@gmail.com, or call 07557 683834 • chair@projectcharlton.org

Wild Memories – Frome’s nature group for people living with dementia Enjoying the outdoors at Welshmill

A COMMUnITY health project in the Frome area which connects people living with dementia or experiencing memory loss with nature and wildlife has relaunched following the coronavirus lockdown. wild Memories is running weekly outdoor sessions with a current maximum of six people, offering a range of activities including gardening, arts and crafts and nature walks.

The first session saw the group tidying raised beds at welshmill with the help of local conservation group FROGS which works to protect and enhance the town’s open spaces.

Frome Memories is run by conservationist Zak Mather Gratton who said: “The first session went really well with people attending ranging from their

50s to a lady who was celebrating her 88th birthday.

“The participants are mostly people living in their own homes – some with a surprising amount of independence – and we hope that they’ll attend on a regular basis so that we can create some

sort of routine for them.”

The project is supported through the Somerset County Council, with the help of the Hospital Saturday fund and Zak is also talking to other community health organisations such as Health Connections Mendip.

For details email Zak at zak.mathergratton@froglife.org or call 07949 572849.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 61

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MENDIP TIMES

Wessex Pretty as Water’s a picture new foundation

THe new wessex water Foundation says it will focus on supporting people hit hardest by the Covid-19 crisis in its first year, promising to provide at least half a million pounds of funding a year from next year.

This will support community projects, debt advice and charities dealing with those suffering the consequences of poverty through poor mental and physical health, hunger, housing or unemployment.

It will do this in partnership with local community foundations, Somerset, Quartet, wiltshire and Dorset.

Region-wide emergency funding will be awarded to groups on the frontline, including charities and foodbanks, while the wessex water Recovery Fund opens for local applications later this year to help respond to the challenging economic situation. wessex water says it will also continue to fund local environmental projects,

supporting the ambition to rebuild communities with new green infrastructure.

Colin Skellett, wessex water’s CeO, said: “we’re thrilled to be able to launch the wessex water Foundation alongside our friends in the community foundations in our patch.

“Being at the heart of the communities we serve is nothing new for us, but the wessex water Foundation is a new way of making sure we’re helping the people who need it most. It’s been an incredibly tough time for everyone in our region and

Lions support food bank

YeO Valley Lions have helped Yatton Youth Club establish a branch of the Clevedon food bank and regularly take donations of food from their local supermarket to the Clevedon hub. Food parcels are then taken back to Yatton Youth Club for distribution.

Yeo Valley are also keeping in touch, thanks to technology, with the Alzheimer’s society who run the wrington dementia hub and the Yatton coffee morning. Lion president Brian winter is pictured presenting a certificate of appreciation to Yatton Youth Club leader nicci Hook for her work in the community.

Angie makes history

PAGE 62 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

AnGIe Briggs has become the first female member of wrington Vale Rotary Club, after recently moving to Churchill from Cumbria, where she was a member of the Kendal Club.

Rotary has been welcoming women members for nearly three decades and wrington Vale hopes other women will follow Angie’s lead.

Mark nutbeen, from wrington, is another new member, after returning from working in America. In the late 70s and early 80s, he was a regular team member of the successful Bristol Rugby team which won the John Player Cup.

supporting emergency coronavirus response projects is a fitting place to start.”

Justin Sargent, CeO at Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) added: “we’re delighted to continue our successful partnership with wessex water and would like to thank them for their support. Their initial contribution to our Somerset Coronavirus Appeal will be swiftly awarded to local groups and organisations, helping them to continue their good work on the front line, supporting those most in need in our communities.”

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COMMUNITY

Ice cream treat

Supporting young people

Chris Scorah

Two of the school’s teaching assistants, Nicola Evans and Juliette Seabright, collecting the ice creams

AFTeR driving past Clutton Primary school and seeing all the children taking part in forest schools the driver of a local ice cream van rang the school and offered free ice creams for children and also staff.

Head teacher, elizabeth ennew, said: “Can you imagine the children’s faces on such a hot day? They were so thrilled. He said he thought we all deserved a treat after what we had all been going through. what a great guy.”

School fundraiser

InSTeAD of its normal summer of fundraising, Cameley Primary School has decided to organise a virtual 10K race, the Cameley Canter.

Participants have until the end of July to cover the distance, in any way they choose. Frank, Poppy, Mason and Mia are pictured in training.

Details: https://race-nation.co.uk/register/cameley-primaryschool/cameley-canter?fbclid=IwAR2CWS1VLkxbf8iMJmq0xf755mLdIdM63bnLPrXHc9b37RF1f2HIdk29Y or contact the school

Community housing FROMe Area Community Land Trust have launched their new website in readiness for the next stage of their plans to provide genuinely affordable housing for local people in Frome.

The trust is one of many in the UK

PeASeDOwn St John’s new youth worker, Chris Scorah, says that young people now need more support than ever before following months of being stuck at home.

A recent study conducted by Kooth, a youth mental health charity, has shown a rapid decline in young people’s mental health and an increase in domestic abuse due to the pandemic.

Chris, who will be based at the new Hive Community Centre, said: “Young people have really suffered over the last three months. Minimal interaction with their friends and peers and few opportunities to leave the house have left many feeling lonely, isolated and depressed.

“It’s because of this that I’m teaming up with Youth Connect over the summer to offer help and advice to Peasedown’s youngsters.”

Chris will be accompanying Youth Connect’s charitable network of youth workers, who deliver weekly detached, street-based youth work in the village.

He said: “what this practically means is a team of trained, and safely recruited youth workers will walk around the village to meet with young people, checking on their wellbeing, building relationships, helping to ensure that they are staying safe, and pointing to other services where necessary.”

In the autumn, if secondary schools return, Chris hopes to begin to deliver socially distanced sessional youth work in the Hive building on Bath Road.

The Hive will also be launching a survey soon on youth work in the village to shape its future service.

Details: email chriss@bathyfc.co.uk or call 07732 430125 www.facebook.com/HiveCommunityCentrePSJ

and is following the lead set by those in places such as Brighton and Lyme Regis where community-led housing schemes have already been developed for local people.

Mendip District and Somerset County Details: https://fromeareaclt.org/

Councillor, John Clarke, has joined the board. The trust along with their sister organisation Fair Housing for Frome says it has serious concerns regarding the post Covid-19 housing situation in the area.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 63

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MENDIP TIMES

Sheddies find a home

Axe Valley Men’s Shed has found a suitable home in Cheddar. It was formed in 2019 to provide a place for men to get together and provide a forum for activities and fellowship to try to reduce loneliness, isolation and boredom for men living in Axbridge, Cheddar and wedmore.

Until just before the Covid19 crisis the group was meeting in a church hall in Axbridge where much coffee was drunk and plans made to find a workshop where constructive activities could take place.

A home has now been found in Cheddar where a small workshop can be established and plans are in place to open this up, following safe guidelines, to start with constructive activities from the beginning of September.

As the site is being made ready they would welcome any

donation of tools that could be used in the workshop or that could be refurbished to sell to raise muchneeded funds to get activities under way.

Details: Andy Laken 07753 172388 or email at ak_laken@yahoo.com

A welcome wave on busy road

ARTIST Frank Harwood is bringing smiles to the faces of drivers entering Glastonbury with his mural on the side of a house. waving woman took Frank around a week to paint on the property in Chilkwell Street. The artwork is the latest to appear around the town which boasts its own mural trail – complete with map for residents and visitors alike.

Frank, one of the core artists behind the Heart of the Tribe Gallery, is best known for his larger-than-life humorous paintings in bold colours. He said: “There’d been a conversation about a new mural on the way into Glastonbury and I thought ‘I know just the place’.

“It’s a nice welcome to Glastonbury – and the owners of the house are very happy with it, Frank Harwood has lived in Glastonbury for more than 25 years also!”

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Give us a wave – a delivery lorry passes by with its distinctive logo mirroring the mural Frank at work

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Grant for conservation work

Club member John Butler with Harry, a six-yearold cockapoo

MeMBeRS of Chelwood Bridge Rotary Club are holding a virtual lockdown dog show to raise funds for Children’s Hospice South west, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and other Rotary charities.

Rotary club member, Tony Quinn, said: “If you think your pooch is fabulous, photogenic and wants to be shown off then why not enter. There are five categories and you can enter as many of the classes as you like making a minimum donation of £2 per class.”

The top prize is a doggie hamper. All entries must be submitted

by Saturday, August 15th and winners will be notified on Saturday, August 22nd.

Details: www.virtualrotary.org

Men on a mission

MATT escott is chairman of the rebranded Mendip and District Round Table, which was formerly norton Radstock Round Table.

Over the last three years they have had a significant drop in members to a point that they now only have three active members. They are hoping to broaden their catchment area over the Mendips to include wells, Shepton Mallet and Frome.

Matt said: “I am determined to keep this age-old organisation alive as we provide much-needed funds to many groups, clubs and individuals who need it.” norton Radstock Round Table was founded in 1970 by a group of 33 men wishing to get together, socialise and put something back into the community.

In normal times they would meet up in an evening within the first week of the month for a “business meeting” with a meal at a different location to discuss upcoming events, fundraising, donating and general chit chat, then meet again

A TeAM of trained volunteers are looking forward to starting work on a new project to conserve thousands of glass negatives charting the history of Frome’s worldfamous J w Singer art metal work factory.

Frome Heritage Museum has secured a £1,000 grant by South west Museum Development using public funds from Arts Council england and Steve Francis at the launch of the J W contributing local Singer anniversary celebrations authorities towards the work. More funds have come from sales of a book about J w Singer by Sue Bucklow published last year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the pioneer.

The combined funding will enable the Singer negatives to be cleaned, scanned and stored safely. The group of museum volunteers have been trained to undertake the conservation by Sarah Allen, a photographic conservator living in Frome.

They include Steve Francis who rescued the negatives when the Singer factory site was being relocated. The conservation work will start as soon as it is safe to do so. l Updates will be posted on the museum's website: www.fromemuseum.wordpress.com

on the third week in the month to hopefully attend an event.

These might include archery, go-karting, paintballing, brewery tours, vineyard tours, axe throwing or a visit to Bath Rugby. Matt said: “Round Table is about doing something different, something that you would not have done if you hadn’t been in Round Table, socialising with like-minded friends that you make through Table and giving something back to the local community.”

Their fundraising has only come from their annual fireworks display at Midsomer norton Cricket Club, though they are keen to consider other events, festivals and carnival collections.

Details: info@MADRT.co.uk Facebook or go to www.roundtable.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 65

(Photo courtesy of Ellie Shipman)

Lockdown dog show

COMMUNITY

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MENDIP TIMES

Fun with a purpose

New Rotary president

Nick Candy – rotary president for the coming year

THe Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge has continued its weekly meetings using Zoom, including the traditional handover of president’s office from Mike Hedges to Tony Quinn, who said his charity for the year would be the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The guest speaker was Siobhan Coles, from Pensford, a cystic fibrosis sufferer and an ambassador of the trust.

See charities P58.

THe president of the Rotary Club of Midsomer norton and Radstock is appealing for new members to join to allow the group to continue to support the community postpandemic. nick Candy is also keen to reintroduce Rotaract – for 18-30 year-olds – to the area. nick is a former leading member of Rotaract and, after joining Rotary in 2018, helped set up 22 clubs in District 120. nick said: “we would need additional active members to ensure successful implementation of such a project once again.

“Additionally, we need to look at creative and innovative ways of fundraising. The pandemic has certainly made things difficult, however, we need to ensure we are involved in the community and helping out where we can. “we need to continue to bring into our club new members that perpetuate what our club and what Rotary is all about. without new and committed Rotarians we run the risk of stagnation of ideas and energy. And possibly one of the most important goals for this year is that Rotary needs to be fun with a purpose.”

For details, visit: www.rotarynr.org.uk or https://www.rotarygbi.org/join/

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Project Charltons is go!

FUnDRAISInG is underway to create an outdoor activity area for all ages on land next to Charlton Community Centre in Charlton Mackrell.

Project Charltons began in 2019 after a small group of villagers decided to act after the children’s play area next to the centre was closed for safety reasons in the summer of 2018. The five-strong working party launched a plan to raise up to £150,000 to provide a new facility open to everyone, including full access for individuals with physical/mental disabilities.

As well as a new children’s area, Project Charltons aims to create a teenage zone and a sensory garden and adult fitness equipment will also be installed on the field boundary.

Project Charltons chair nina Gronw Lewis said: “Our first task was to find out from our residents what they wanted. So we asked each individual over five-yearsold to complete a questionnaire. we received some very innovative and creative ideas and now the village also knew about Project Charltons.”

One young resident replied: “I am

writing to you to show my support of the remaking of the play park. I am 16-yearsold and have lived in the village all my life, when me and my sister were younger we both loved playing on all the equipment. However, we were both very upset whenever one of them had to be condemned. I know that children would be extremely grateful to have new play equipment to enjoy.

“As a teenager me and my sister are both looking forward getting a place to socialise with our friends. I am also excited at the prospect of getting a place to exercise in the future.”

Fundraising began with a series of outside events in the grounds of nearby country homes, but the coronavirus pandemic meant other events had to be cancelled. Undeterred, the fundraisers have vowed to carry on. nina added: “we did not fall at the first hurdle but continue to work hard and be creative in our bid to raise our target and fulfil our vision of establishing an outdoor activity space on The Charltons Memorial Field that is used and loved by all our residents and those in surrounding villages.”

For details, or to offer to help, contact Nina at: chair@projectcharlton.org

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Blagdon preschool needs help

Happier times

BLAGDOn preschool provides care for local children aged twofive and is part of the Blagdon U-5s group which is a registered charity consisting of Blagdon preschool, Blagdon toddlers and the after-school club.

The charity is governed by a team of volunteers, with most of the funding coming from fundraising events organised by the committee and staff.

Covid-19 put a stop to fundraising and the group did not qualify for the government’s furlough scheme, which leaves the group facing a huge financial loss this year.

It’s launched a fundraising appeal to help the preschool survive.

Details: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-blagdonpreschool?fbclid=IwAR1mQFpYd31NOTqiCsUAvvx4In2 MSJosIBHfu Wt9IcX3XoWgVXRAihDTYYM

Rotary has a field day

COMMUNITY

Farewell presentation

PeASeDOwn St John’s Party in the Park team have said “thank you and farewell” to Joy Fraser, who has served as treasurer since its inception in 2008.

Joy, who is well known in the community and wider Bath & north east Somerset for her voluntary work, is one of the driving forces behind the new Hive community centre and serves as its chairperson.

She said: “I’m the kind of person that helps create projects, supports them in their infancy and hands them over to others to run.

“Peasedown Party in the Park has been different though – I have stayed for 12 years because it has been fun, enjoyable and extremely rewarding!”

Details: www.peasedownpartyinthepark.org.uk and Facebook page: @PeasedownPartyinthePark

Book for youngsters

THe Shepton Mallet Book Roost has been launched to give young readers access to books, while the town’s library is closed. It will be held at the Market Cross every Monday and Thursday, 2-4pm.

It’s being run by the 7 Starlings team who were set up to run the library as a community venue outside professionally staffed hours.

This summer the library will initially be closed, then will offer a limited service. The Book Roost will take donations of books, let them roost (quarantine for 72 hours) and lend them out to young readers.

Details: Lesley Rowan 07930115804 or Facebook

New senior vice president Clive Hawkins (right) receives his regalia from Gary Wilkins

ROTARY nailsea and Backwell got over social distancing restrictions by holding the president’s handover outdoors at the Millennium Park in nailsea using a litter picker.

Gary wilkins was handing over to Ken Rock, while Clive Hawkins became the new senior vice president. Rotarian Graham Foster was presented with an Amazon Alexa to mark his many years of service as club secretary.

Sponsored walk

THe Mendip School is holding a sponsored walk in Collett Park, Shepton Mallet on Sunday, September 27th raising funds towards a £1.1 million appeal for a new swimming pool.

The school, at the Royal Bath and west showground, caters for 141 children from four through to 19 with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders and speech, language and communication needs.

Details: www.themendipschool.com

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 67

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MENDIP TIMES

STUDIO/WORKSHOP REQUIRED Business established in 2000 Seeking new premises To buy or rent 1,000 - 2,000 sq. ft West Mendip/ N. Somerset area

Phone: 07786 862892

PAGE 68 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

A true professional WITH more than 40 years’ experience in the decorating trade, Mike Harding is a professional to his core.

City and Guilds qualified – he began his six-year apprenticeship in Bath in 1969 – Mike remains much in demand as a painter, decorator and wallpaper hanger, working in both commercial

M J Harding Painter & Decorator Domestic and commercial painting, decorating and wallpaper hanging Email: mjharding733@gmail.com

07927 198444 City & Guilds qualified with 40 years experience

Looking good: The Old Down Inn at Emborough

and domestic properties.

Based in Farrington Gurney, Mike is happy to travel across Mendip – and further afield – and to work either on his own or as part of a team. During lockdown, he was responsible for the redecoration of The Old Down Inn at Emborough where his work has been widely admired by customers.

Old Down Inn owner Maxine McCluskey said: “Mike has done a fantastic job; the pub is looking brilliant.”

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Keep calm and carry on enjoying their kitchens AS with many other small businesses, Valentino Kitchens have made some adjustments to keep clients and staff safe in the current climate.

When they visit your home, they wear masks and gloves and if clients wish to visit their showroom at West

Harptree, they ask that appointments are made to ensure you are the only customer to be able to peruse at leisure.

The Valentino Kitchens showroom boasts a large number of kitchen displays, doors, worktops and accessories. The design team works

alongside you to create an individual space that suits your requirements.

They say their aim is to provide quality and design, creating timeless kitchens which will be the perfect heart to the home.

The first step is a telephone call or email to organise a visit to your home or to the showroom. Following that the team can then start the design stage. It is great if you are able to give them a wish list, so that they are able to ensure they are working along the right lines.

Once they have come up with some exciting designs for you, a visit to the showroom is next on the list to discuss your budget, thoughts and changes.

They would then arrange a site visit by the team, to look at the electrics, plumbing, building works, decorating and installation.

This enables you to meet the energetic bunch who will create and install your beautiful new kitchen, usually in around three weeks.

The last job is to sit back, admire and enjoy your new room in your home.

MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 69

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MENDIP TIMES

Tony Hucker TV Service – Sales – Rental

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Satellite Installations Aerial Systems TV wall mounting Custom Installations Networking Signal Solutions

01275 332888 www.tonyhuckertv.co.uk Email: tony@tonyhuckertv.co.uk Unit 4, Fairseat Workshops, Chew Stoke BS40 8XF Open: Mon – Thurs 9.00am – 5.30pm Fri – 9.00am – 5.00pm

PAGE 70 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Aluminium Casement Windows

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MENDIP TIMES

Summer at the palace

THE Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells has announced its revised summer family activity programme to keep families entertained during the school holidays.

Due to the current pandemic, the palace has had to cancel its hugely popular packed public events programme, but has plans to help families to enjoy the site in a safe and socially distanced way during July and August.

Its family trails were launched on Saturday, July 25th, based on different weekly themes, leading families around the palace and gardens and, when completed, children will be able to collect a small prize on the way out.

The palace will also run a photography competition for children over the summer holidays. Photos taken in the palace or grounds can be posted/tagged to the palace Facebook or Instagram account with the hashtag #MySummer or emailed to info@bishopspalace.org.uk The Bishop’s Table café will be open daily for takeaways with outdoor seating and offers brunch, lunch, creams teas, cake, ice cream, snacks and hot and cold drinks.

The palace has also announced its revised summer outdoor theatre season. Following the recent government advice about outdoor performances, it has now secured three performances which will take place in the historic palace gardens.

The first performance is a brand new and up to date show

by Heartbreak Productions entitled “Alice in Lockdown”.

The show will take place on August 18th, starting at 7pm,

PAGE 72 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

with doors opening at 6pm.

This is a family show, recommended age five plus and tickets are £15 adults, £10 children, £10 key workers.

The second show takes place on August 26th and is a storytelling evening, with seasoned storyteller Beth Webb telling the story of “Gawain and the Green Knight”.

The final offering is a performance of Shakespeare’s most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet on Tuesday, September 15th. However, well-established theatre troupe The Handlebards, will be giving this classic tale their unique spin, so the audience is guaranteed lots of laughs as well as tears in their slick 90 minute production.

For all performances, audience members will be well spaced and will need to bring their own low-backed seating or rugs. Picnics and drinks are encouraged, and the shows will go ahead whatever the weather, so be prepared!

Virtual festival

VALLEY Fest, cancelled because of Covid-19, will become a one-time-watch virtual event on Saturday, August 1st, between 6pm and 10pm on their website.

The festival line-up from August 3rd next year will be announced during the event, with performances and video messages from Deacon Blue, The Blockheads and many more artists, musicians and DJs, including Junior Jungle, Tropical Tea Party and The Allergies.

Details: https://www.valleyfest.co.uk/live/

Arts under lockdown

PERFORMING arts charity, Valley Arts, has just completed a film celebrating how people of the Chew Valley have coped under Covid-19 lockdown.

Entitled Lockdown Liberation Festival, the 60-minute film is now live on the Valley Arts website and YouTube channel following the premier on Saturday, July 11th. The film is introduced by Valley Arts’ patron Michael Eavis.

The film features local musicians, actors, film-makers, poets, choirs, dancers, artists - in fact a cast of hundreds, from pre-schoolers to self-isolating seniors.

what’s on the cards at literature festival?

WHAT’S ON

ORGANISERS of the Wells Festival of Litertature have confirmed that this year’s celebration of the written and spoken word will take place – but in what format?

The festival will be held from from Thursday, October 16th to Saturday, October 24th, covering a “cornucopia of topics” with more than 30 exciting and challenging speakers on subjects from history and psychotherapy to travel, science, politics, crime, philosophy , arts, fiction and food.

Organisers are listening to experts and watching developments before making final decisions as to the mode of delivery; will it be live and/or streamed from Cedars Hall?

Online from writers’ homes or even a hybrid? It will be revealed.

The majority of speakers have confirmed that they will contribute to the Festival in one form or another from poet laureate Simon Armitage to author Max Porter. New names have now been added to the list including journalist and onceaspiring MEP candidate Rachel Johnson and Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis. In addition, there will be a special ecological event, in partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Around two per cent of every ticket funds the festival’s vital creative projects and literacy support in local schools.

For details, visit: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk

Details: www.valleyartscentre.co.uk

Film festival update

ORGANISERS of the postponed Wells Festival of Film say they are pressing ahead with plans for the 2021 event.

Wells Film Centre and the Bishop’s Palace say customers who had booked for the outdoor screening of Grease in the palace grounds have had their tickets automatically transferred over to April next year. The film centre was due to reopen its doors as Mendip Times went to press but with new social distancing restrictions in place.

For enquiries, email: info@wellsfilmcentre.co.uk

AUGUST CROSSWORD SOLUTION

AcroSS: 1. Afterthought 9. Arrowroot 10. Those 11.

Answer 12. Butleigh 13. Tenure 15. Thiamine 17. Bat 18.

Neckwear 19. Aplomb 21. Neurotic 23. Frappe 26. Ennui 27.

Illegally 28. Recklessness. Down: 1. Adamant 2. Terms 3.

Rowberrow 4. Hoof 5. Untaught 6. Hotel 7. Politico 8. Techie 14. Nocturne 15. Tar 16. Asparagus 17. Basilisk 18. Nunney 20. Bye-byes 22. On ice 24. Pylle 25. Else MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020 • PAGE 73

(Photograph courtesy of Rosalind Furlong)

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Little grey pony

WHILST the attention of the world focuses on the tragic consequences to humans from Covid-19 there is no less of a cost, hidden With RACHEL from public view, to THOMPSON the horses we hold MBE so dear for whom starvation, abandonment and euthanasia, coupled with welfare charities struggling to cope, is an unfolding issue, causing massive and continuing concern.

One little chap, 11-year-old grey 14.1hh Forester pony, proper name Mock Beggar Day Out (Star for short) recently found himself bundled onto a transporter for that last, lonely journey that ends on a hook, fall-out from these troubled times.

Happily, fate sometimes intervenes, a star recognised as too bright to be dimmed just yet, phone calls were made and that wonderful network of concern followed by action alerted and Star was re-sold instead, released from the meat wagon and delivered to Vale Hollow Farm.

Livery yard owner Tabitha Sparkes and her grooms, daughter Emily (“It’s great to breed your own staff,” Tabitha laughs) and Darcy Thompson set about bathing and grooming poor Star and checking his paces at walk, trot, canter

Maximum Power

PAGE 74 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Emily on Star

and jump. Well, what a lovely useful pony, good mannered too, a little angel in fact, just right for the pony club home in East Mendip they found with two wonderful jockeys for six months’ loan with a view to buy.

Tracking Star’s past through his passport it seemed he was sold at the New Forest Sales as a youngster staying in the same home most of his life then sadly outgrown, sold on, not settling, sold on again and again in a downward spiral of doom.

Vale Hollow Farm is a family affair, a dairy farm riding out the peaks and troughs of milk production, “more troughs than peaks”, says Tabitha.

Needing to diversify 20 years ago, building on equestrian management skills in her younger career Tabitha and husband Dean have built up a wonderfully successful and friendly livery business in the heart of the Mendips, starting with two ponies in the barn and saving the proceeds in a jar for summer holidays.

Raising their family here: Emily 22, Georgina, 20, both horse lovers too, and Jack, 19, who loves maths, at Bristol doing a degree. Georgina working with racehorses at Newmarket, a racehorse Maximum Power in trouble too like Star, racing cancelled, furloughed out, sending him home to mum and grass at Vale Hollow. Now Max has been gifted on to a private home, another equine with a reason to be thankful this year.

I wondered what qualities are needed to run a successful livery yard surviving for all these years, coping with people and horses. Tabitha says you have to like people and be kind but stand no nonsense. To that I would add there is clearly a great love of horses and kindness to them too at Vale Hollow Farm.

Can you help? The RSPCA, Blue Cross, Bransby Horses, British Horse Society, Redwings, The Donkey Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare all have plummeting incomes and a rising crisis of equines to cope with. Please donate or consider rehoming if you are looking for a horse or pony; there are many super ponies and horses like Star and Max out there who deserve a chance.

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RIDING

Restricted byways – a reminder MENDIP Bridleways and Byways Association has urged drivers of 4x4s and other vehicles to stay away from restricted byways after a number of incidents of illegal use.

MBBA has been working with Somerset County Council and other authorities to restore many routes to make them more accessible for horse riders – including horse-drawn carriage drivers – cyclists and walkers. But the organisation says its efforts have been hampered by vehicles damaging newly-laid surfaces.

It says: “Coronavirus and ‘lock down’ have not only increased usage of our ‘rights of ways’ but have highlighted how routes owing their origins to the demands of ancient travel – on foot, on horseback or by horse drawn carriage – do not necessarily

This group of riders, whose horses are stabled at nearby Baggridge Farm, stop for refreshments at the nearby Tuckers Grave Inn

Lolly’s on the mend

Lolly (left) with her friend Dime

LOLLy, a 17hh rescued shire horse at equine rescue charity, HorseWorld's farm in Whitchurch, Bristol has had around £3,000 of dental treatment thanks to an appeal for supporters to fund the vet’s bill.

Equine welfare manager, Sarah Hollister, said: "Thank you to our amazing supporters. Lolly's appeal is still running as any excess funds raised will go towards her ongoing care and the care and rehabilitation of over 100 rescued horses on site."

Details: www.horseworld.org.uk/lolly

Signs and new lockable bollards at the entrance to this path near Faulkland make it clear unauthorised vehicles are barred

make easy understanding within the context of modern leisure demands.

“Appreciation of the British countryside is at an all-time high, as the general public reap the benefits in ‘wellbeing’ of being surrounded by our stunning scenery.

“In terms of drawing together estranged town and country folk this has to be seen as a good thing. However, for those who live and work in the countryside an influx of ill-informed people wandering indiscriminately over rights of way and private land can be stressful, challenging and alarming at the very least.” l Bookings open from Saturday, August 1st for the MBBA’s popular Greenscombe Ride, taking place near Bruton on Sunday, September 6th. The event is limited to 150 riders. For details, visit: www.mbba.org.uk

Visitor centres closed

WORLD Horse Welfare has decided to keep its visitor centres closed to the public until February (half-term) 2021, including Glenda Spooner Farm at Kingsdon and its other centres in Norfolk, Lancashire and Aberdeenshire.

Chief executive, Roly Owers, said: “The charity’s priority over the coming months has to be the rehabilitation and rehoming of our horses as each horse that is rehomed makes a space available for another animal in need.

“With all four farms currently at full capacity, making space available for the large number of welfare cases expected later in the year is vital.”

Claire Dickie, of Glenda Spooner Farm, said: “We are really missing our visitors, many of whom we ordinarily see so regularly they feel more like family. We know that our farm and our horses have a place in people’s hearts as well as the local community, but we have to put the safety of our staff and our visitors first.”

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Five reasons to cycle in Mendip

WITH a variety of terrain from steep hills to exposed flatlands, with limestone cliffs, gorges, dramatic valleys and lakes around the corner it’s no wonder that the Mendips is regarded as one of the best locations for cycling in the UK. So, if you happen to be here as a visitor or on a home staycation CYCLING here is my selection of top cycle routes with EDMUND LODITE across Mendip, suitable for all abilities, to enjoy.

Chew Valley Lake Loop Chew Valley Lake covers 1,200 acres and is the fifth largest artificial lake in the UK. It’s a great place to spot wildlife including migrating birds feeding in the reed beds around the lake.

The 8.3 mile circuit around the lake has a couple of picnic sites and several vantage points to admire the views from.

The circular route is popular with cycle clubs for time trialling and in the summer evenings you may see riders racing against the clock, around the lake. Whether you’re interested in wildlife, pushing yourself to the limit or simply enjoying the scenery a ride around Chew Valley Lake is always a good one.

Mendip Hills From all directions there are over a dozen different ways to get on top of the Mendip Hills, varying in difficulty and nature. The breath-taking views on top of the Mendips are well worth the effort in getting there.

The most well known is the iconic Cheddar Gorge arguably one of the most visually spectacular climbs in the UK. Weaving through imposing sections of limestone it easily resembles something out of Jurassic Park.

But don’t be put off by its reputation – there are much harder

hill climbs on the Mendips. The lower section is the hardest, but then it gets easier the further you go.

Burrington Combe is a longer climb leading to one of the highest points on Mendip, while Ebbor Gorge leading out of the city of Wells provides a much steeper climb.

Somerset Levels The hillier areas of the Mendips are blissfully offset to the south by the Somerset Levels, an area which is blessed with pan-flat roads that look like something straight out of West Flanders.

A myriad of quiet lanes and narrow droves weave their way past the water channels across this mythical landscape. The nature reserves near Westhay are renowned for their wildlife and are well worth a visit.

For a more historic perspective, visit Glastonbury Tor steeped in myths and legends about the Holy Grail and King Arthur.

For some easy and peaceful cycling the Somerset Levels is the place to go.

The Strawberry Line Possibly one of Somerset’s most popular cycle paths, the Strawberry Line offers ten miles of beautiful scenery from Yatton to Cheddar.

It follows the former Great Western Railway route of the same name which carried passengers and freight trains from 1869 to 1965. It gets its name from the strawberries that were grown on the slopes of the Mendips and then transported as cargo along the track.

The former disused line has now been transformed into a beautiful corridor passing through countryside, orchards, picturesque villages, a tunnel and other places of interest.

The route, which is mostly flat, offers an enjoyable day out for the whole family.

Off-Road Trails There are miles of mountain bike trails to cater for the novice to more experienced riders. With a network of hills, bridleways, and singletrack trails they’re best ridden through spring and summer when they’re dry.

Black Down at the west of the Mendips is the main ridge with trails across open moorland while Rowberrow Warren has a variety of technical trails through woodland.

Most of these trails are also shared by horse riders and walkers so some care and consideration is necessary when riding.

Nearby, Crook Peak and the grounds of Ashton Court also offer something for the avid mountain bikers out there.

Wherever you ride, enjoy the ride and stay safe.

Can cyclists show more consideration near horses?

AS a horse rider of some 55 years, we are seeing a huge increase in the traffic around “the Bermuda triangle” (Cycling Mendip Times July) and whilst all are welcome to use these lovely lanes to ride their bikes can I please implore them to respect horses.

Horses are flight animals and when approached suddenly from the rear will be startled however well schooled. The majority of cyclists travel at ridiculous speeds around narrow lanes and steep hills and give no warning of their approach to horses.

Please could Ed Lodite remind cyclists of the safety issues whilst riding in country lanes, otherwise there is going to be a

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dreadful accident. A shout out some distance behind would be a good start!

We are unable to identify the bike riders – no registration, helmets and their swift passing leave us stunned by some inconsiderate and downright dangerous riding.

From Bermuda Triangle rider!

PS: Cyclists cannot be blamed for the increase in litter and masks in our lovely lanes – but another illustration of the bad behaviour and inconsideration of some people! What is wrong with people . . ?

Emma’s “insane” run

Other runners joined Emma during her epic effort

NOT content with running 100km in one day around her hometown of Shepton Mallet, Emma Challis has her sights on an even tougher challenge.

Emma called her first epic effort The Ultimate Insane Rainbow Run, aiming to inspire other people to take up running and highlighting the work of the Cats Protection charity for whom she is a volunteer and raised several hundred pounds in the process.

Now she is preparing to attempt to run 100 miles in 24 hours – 16 laps around the town – beginning on the evening of Friday, July 31st, again to inspire and raise people’s spirits, and running through the night.

After the first run Emma said: “Why? For the joy of running. Because I can. I have a very serious blood clot condition, so I'm very lucky to be able to run at all.”

But now she says: “I am the certified utter nutter lunatic runner.”

Emma wore the race number 114 to mark her 114th marathon and ultra-run as well as a rainbow in support of all key workers.

Thumbs up for Tom

SPORT

Tom (left) and Jake arrive in Wells Market Place

WELLS Rugby Club front row forward Tom Palacio has completed a marathon in aid of charity in memory of a fellow player who passed away in 2015.

Tom – who himself admits he is hardly the ideal build for long-distance running – and running partner Jake Smith set off from the rugby club at 7am, completing their marathon in Wells Market Place almost six hours later.

They were running in memory of James “Pud” Pullen, who died of a brain tumour aged just 25. Each year, the club hold a fundraising event in memory of Pud, but this year’s was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Tom’s achievement, which so far has raised more than £3,300 for Brain Research UK is remarkable in that he only started training three months ago when the rugby season Tom in a more was brought to an familiar guise abrupt end.

Croquet club reopens Reaching the finish tape

Anyone wishing to donate to Cats Protection can visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/Glastonbuty-and-Wells

CROQUET is a sport that’s on the up judging by the massive increase in sales of garden croquet sets and was one of the first eight sports that the government allowed to reopen.

Firstly this was for current club members, but now they can welcome visitors and Camerton and Peasedown are offering courses for beginners.

Five sessions cost £25, refunded if you join the club.

Details: Mo Boys 01225 708540 or 07970 922867 email moboys@ talktalk.net or go to www.camertonpeasedowncroquet.co.uk

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Summer has arrived!

CRICKET – of the friendly variety – returned to Cockpit Lane in Batcombe when the village side welcomed neighours Witham Friary to their idyllic ground.

It was the first match since lockdown to take place at the ground at Lower Farm. The land had been home to Batcome CC for many years but fell into disuse before the wicket was relaid in 2014. l Batcombe reached 189 for nine with the visitors falling short at 89 all out.

Witham Friary CC fielded first

SPORT

The ground is high above Batcombe village

The tea interval – players were required to bring their own refreshments

The pavilion was closed for pandemic safety reasons

Lazy Sunday afternoon

William warms up before going in to bat for the home side and winning the man-of-the-match award – aged just eight!

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