Issue 9 - Volume 14 - Mendip Times

Mendip Times

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VOLUME 13 ISSUE 9

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FREE

Celebrating life on the Mendips and surrounding areas

FEBRUARY 2018

IN T H I S I S S U E : • WASSAIL CELEBRATIONS • MUSIC AND THEATRE • SPRING WEDDINGS • F O O D & D R IN K • BUSINESS

Local people, local history, local places, local events and local news

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Welcome

THE first snowdrops are through, heralding the start of spring! We have details on where to see some of the best of them. Even they have been upstaged by the primroses at the Bishop’s Palace, in Wells, as Adrian Boots reports.

Mary Payne continues our horticultural theme, with advice on creating raised beds – and growing more colourful vegetables.

We have the remarkable story of the lost manuscript of Mendip man Alfred Plumley, now published after some fine detective work by writer David Wilkins, who would like your help in tracking down a photograph and more details about him.

We are also looking for your memories of one of the momentous events of the last century – the Great Flood of July 10th, 1968. Let us have your stories and photos. Phil Hendy starts with details of how the floodwaters surged through Mendip’s caving system 50 years ago.

We’ve news of how Mendip is leading the way in banning plastic and on a tiddlywinks championship with royal connections! Naturally the local wassail celebrations have had our full support and we have photographs from many of them. We also offer you the chance to win tickets to the West of England Game Fair.

With all of our regular features and contributors, let’s look forward to spring on Mendip.

March 2018 deadline: Friday, 9th February 2018.

Published: Tuesday, 20th February 2018.

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 Publisher: Mendip Times Limited Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Somerset BS40 7RG Contacts: For all enquiries, telephone:

01761 463888

or: email news@mendiptimes.co.uk or: letters@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: Wassailing in Glastonbury. Photograph by Mark Adler.

See page 59.

42

A Mendip childhood – revealed in a lost manuscript

CONTENTS

Riding high – hunt celebrates the new year

5

55

Wassail Shepton style – ceremonies across Mendip

85

Mudlarks on two wheels – motocross on Mendip Plus all our regular features Environment ...................................6 Farming Mary James MBE ..........10 Food & Drink ...............................14 Business.........................................22 Charities........................................34 Internet and Crossword ..............36 Arts & Antiques ...........................38 Wildlife Chris Sperring MBE .......45 Walking Sue Gearing ....................46 Outdoors Les Davies MBE ..........48

Gardening Mary Payne MBE.......50 Education ......................................56 Health Dr Phil Hammond .............60 Community ...................................64 Caving Phil Hendy ........................68 Homes and Interiors ....................72 Music & Theatre ..........................78 Riding Rachel Thompson MBE.....80 Sport ..............................................82 What’s On.....................................86 MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 3

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HALF PRICE WINTER SALE UP TO 50% OFF SELECTED ITEMS

Our Services Include: Commercial and Residential Property Wills and Probate Litigation and Personal Injury Criminal and Family Law Agricultural, Business and Commercial Employment Shepton Mallet: 57 High Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5AQ. Tel: 01749 330330

Glastonbury: 11 Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8DL. Tel: 01458 832510

Tel: 0800 097 8611

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WESTON-SUPER-MARE | BRISTOL | CLEVEDON | YATTON | WEDMORE

So, January is almost over, the days are getting slightly longer and spring will be here in a few weeks’ time.

The winter is, traditionally, a quiet time but the property market seems to have sprung to life very early this year with plenty of new transactions coming in already.

Many of us have not completely given up on our New Year’s Resolutions yet. Anyone who does not have an up to date Will or Lasting Power Of Attorney should have resolved to put that right this year and now is the time to do it.

With that in mind you may wish to know that our Cheddar office will be participating in the Weston Hospicecare “Make A Will Week” from 19th-23rd February. Under the scheme we will prepare a certain number of simple Wills and donate our fee to Weston Hospicecare to help with the excellent end of life care that they provide to sick people. Numbers are limited so book early if you want to participate.

To end on a cheerful note. Only 57 days to go until the Spring Equinox!

Castle Cary: Old Bank House, High Street, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7AW. Tel: 01963 350888

Cheddar: Bath Street Chambers, Bath Street, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3AA. Tel: 01934 745400

Website: www.bgw-solicitors.co.uk

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NEWS

Hunt meets at Ston Easton

Huntsmen and riders gather before the start of the meeting

MEMBERS and followers of the Mendip Farmers’ Hunt gathered in the grounds of Ston Easton Park for their traditional New Year’s Day meet.

Heavy rain fell as the hunt set off

Enjoying a glass of port before the start

Waiting for the start

Some of the youngest riders were led on their ponie

Tourism ambassador is made of the write stuff

BESTSELLING author Jeffrey Archer has lent his support to Visit Somerset to help promote the county around the world.

The writer will become an ambassador for Visit Somerset, the official destination management organisation for the county.

Lord Archer, whose hits include Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less and The Clifton Chronicles, grew up in Weston-super-Mare.

Visit Somerset CEO John Turner said: “Having Jeffrey,

such an eminent and prolific author of international standing as a Visit Somerset ambassador, is going to give a huge boost to the marketing efforts of the Somerset region.”

Lord Archer said: “I am proud to be an ambassador for the greatest county in England.” ● Lord Archer will be one of the guest speakers at the Weston-super-Mare Literary Festival – "An Evening with Jeffery Archer" – at Weston Museum on Saturday, February 24th.

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No plastic – fantastic!

MEMBERS of Frome Town Council have voted for the authority to end the use of “single-use” plastic.

They join Mendip District Council and Glastonbury Town Council in banning the materials from council activities.

Staff at Frome town hall will be phasing out the use of unrecyclable single-use plastic products in all council activities

by April 2018. The council will also be talking to businesses and organisations in the town, promoting alternatives and encouraging a move towards biodegradable and paper options.

Several cafes in the town have agreed to phase out plastic straws, to reduce straws used and to replace plastic straws with either biodegradable or paper ones.

Frome town councillor Peter Macfadyen said: “The UK throws away 1.5 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year. The decision for Frome Town Council to actively move away from plastic was a no brainer. It’s a huge problem and we all need to do more to combat it individuals and organisations alike. Tiny things like straws and condiment packets all add up, and are often the worst offenders when it comes to landfill and pollution.”

There was cross-party support for a motion by Green Party councillors on Mendip to back the material. The motion, proposed by Frome councillor Shane Collins, said: “That this council will become a 'single-use plastic free' council by phasing out the use of 'single use plastic' (SUP) products such as bottles, cups, cutlery and drinking straws in council activities, where it is reasonable to do so, by April 2018 and to encourage our facilities' users, local businesses and other local public agencies to do the same, by championing alternatives, such as reusable water bottles.”

The decisions were followed by an announcement by Somerset Waste Partnership that 12 recycling sites across the county now have special skips to take single-use plastic. The exceptions are at Castle Cary, Cheddar, Somerton and Dulverton, because the sites are too small.

Cups and cartons are not yet taken in Somerset kerbside

Staff at Frome Town Hall are making a stand against “single use” plastic

collections, but SWP says this will change when the new Recycle More service is rolled out from 2020.

SWP managing director Mickey Green said: “Reusable mugs or taking coffee in a flask are the best on-the-go alternatives to single-use cups, but it’s great news that single-use cups are now easier to recycle. It’s important that these will be recycled in the UK, helping us maintain our track record of recycling 96% of materials we collect in the UK.” A SWP spokesperson made it clear that while single-use cups can be recycled at the dozen Somerset sites, plastic items, such as straws, cup lids and stirrers cannot, so these should be added to residents’ rubbish, but Recycle More will enable residents to recycle much more plastic waste at the kerbside.

For details, visit: www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/plastic-free/

Where should new homes be built?

AROUND 1,500 more new homes could be built in the Mendip District Council area under amendments to the Local Plan now open for consultation.

The plan was adopted in 2014 and the latest stage – part two – identifies sites which have a potential to deliver the homes over the remaining plan period to 2029. The consultation lasts until Monday, February 12th. The plan will then be submitted for examination by the Secretary of State Phase two follows the principles of the strategic plan to direct growth to Mendip’s towns and larger villages. It also identifies existing and additional local green spaces to be protected from development. Other policies give greater recognition to PAGE 6 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

existing employment and commercial areas and possible locations for future growth.

In Frome, new sites need to be found for around 170 new homes; the figure is at least 120 in Glastonbury and 65 in Street.

No new sites are needed in Shepton Mallet because of ongoing construction projects or those about to start.

The latest proposals also look to identify green spaces which should be protected.

As part of the consultation Mendip District Council is also asking for comments on a new “exception” policy which would allow single self and custom build dwellings for households with a local connection to a village.

Councillor Nigel Woollcombe-Adams,

Mendip’s portfolio holder for planning, growth and housing services, said: “This consultation offers residents the chance to feed into part two before it is submitted.

“The Local Plan is an important document shaping the future of our district and I would encourage people to engage with the consultation to ensure this plan is responsive to the needs of the communities across the district.” ● The pre-submission Local Plan part two and supporting documents can be viewed at www.mendip.gov.uk/localplanpart2 or by visiting the council offices at the Shape Mendip Hub, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5BT or one of the Council Access Points in Frome, Glastonbury, Street and Wells.

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ENVIRONMENT

How a community works

YEAR 5 pupils at Fairlands Middle School, in Cheddar enjoyed a week focusing on how their local community works.

They met and found out about many local people who work within the Cheddar area, ranging from the emergency services, a vet, local councillors and the mayor and town crier of Axbridge.

The pupils visited Batts Combe Quarry and various businesses and facilities in Cheddar. One small group was also involved in a police speed watch, with a ride in a police car. The pupils

designed speed watch posters which were judged by one of the local PCSO’s, Jake Dade.

Throughout the week, the pupils decorated outdoor rubbish bins sited around the school in a “Glastonbury Festival Style”. Founder Michael Eavis donated three bins, one of which he signed, and Mark Cann from the festival explained how the bins are decorated.

They joined an assembly where the bins were on show.

Restoration work coming to an end

WORK to complete the improvements to the Boyle Cross area of the Market Place in Frome is due to finish at the end of February, according to the town council.

After a break for Christmas, contractors have returned to lay new paving around HSBC and the lower part of Cheap Street. Other work will include the replacement of paving outside TSB, Eyetech and the former Elizabeth Lee Interiors shop.

Electricity and water connections will enable the restored

The Boyle Cross area in Frome – the fountain will soon be back in use

Andrew James, of Carved Stone Letters of Batcombe, was commissioned to create a commemorative flagstone

cross to once again be used as a fountain and new seating will be installed at the top of Boyle Cross.

Councillor Mel Usher said: “Our contractors will work closely with local businesses to minimise disruption in the New Year. Pedestrian access to business premises and between Boyle Cross and Cheap Street will be maintained at all times.

“Once the final elements are in place, those running markets and events will find the facilities much improved including for the first time, power on site to run electrical equipment.”

The total cost of the restoration work is expected to be around £273,000. The figure has been questioned by some residents in the town.

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ENVIRONMENT

Do you remember the Great Flood?

THE night of July 10th, 1968 is seared in the memories of many people. That night torrential floods brought death and destruction to many parts of our area. The photograph shows the scene in Cheddar Gorge.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the floods, we want to have your stories and photographs. Were you one of those trapped by the rising waters or a rescuer trying to get to them?

How did the broken bridges and damaged homes and

Supporting Mendip projects

THE Mendip Hills Fund has awarded six grants to a range of community and environmental projects, totalling £6,000.

They were awarded to East Harptree School Environment Club to buy new equipment and Blagdon Primary School for weekly forest school visits. Osprey Outdoors were given a grant so they can maintain their conservation volunteering for mental health service users, drug and alcohol rehabilitation clients and long term unemployed.

Blagdon Orchard Group have been given a grant to design a book to celebrate their community orchard and St Andrew’s Church in Blagdon got a grant for the architects’ fees for restoration of the Grade II Listed lychgate.

Somerset Wildlife Trust were also given a grant for an interpretation board for Mascall's Wood, Cheddar.

businesses affect life where you lived? This month Phil Hendy writes about how the surging water opened up new areas of Mendip’s caves, graphically showing the power of the floods. His column is on page 62.

We would like to hear your stories over the coming months to record for posterity one of the most momentous events in our area of the last century. Write to: The Great Flood, Mendip Times, Coombe Lodge, Blagdon BS40 7RG, email news@mendiptimes.co.uk or call 01761 463888.

The Mendip Hills Fund is a partnership between Somerset Community Foundation and Mendip Hills AONB Partnership providing a community fund to conserve and enhance the environment, communities and economy of the Mendip Hills.

Jim Hardcastle, manager of the Mendip Hills AONB said: “It’s great to see such a wide variety of local people benefiting from the fund. The panel who make the decisions were really pleased to see the number of children who will benefit from grants to get out and about in the area.”

Funds are raised from businesses and visitors who wish to give something back to the area, helping to conserve and enhance the special qualities of the Mendip Hills, and benefit local communities.

Details: To donate visit mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/mendip_hills_fund

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Celebrating the old and adopting the new

THIS month a look at the old and an attempt to look through the Brexit maze, as far as farming is concerned, for the new.

In January my husband and I visited the refurbished With MARY Somerset Rural Life Museum in JAMES MBE Glastonbury and what a treat it was. The architect has done a splendid job of blending the new facilities with the old.

See the displays and discover more about the county’s heritage including its landscapes, food and farming, working life and rural crafts. After that enjoy refreshments in the café/coffee shop which is open to the public as well as museum visitors. Look out for the sculpture of a working horse made entirely from waste rusty iron. Very clever.

Now for the new. Articles and hundreds of words are flowing from farming organisations, the agricultural press and famous farming people as to how farming will evolve or how they would like to see it evolve when we leave the EU. I have been scanning many of these articles to hopefully give readers an idea how things are moving. There is now some clear sensible advice coming forward, mixed with a bit of “crystal ball gazing”.

FARMING

No matter what happens we farmers are very good at solving problems – we have plenty of experience. Look at the current problems such as fluctuating milk prices, TB, the weather and before that there was BSE and foot and mouth.

We survived and we will survive the current turmoil.

There are messages coming through such as subsidies will be with us until 2024, but they will be different, because our government will decide where the money will go. There will be more emphasis on environmental measures, and perhaps a bias towards small farmers and hill farmers. There will always be regulations though.

Certainly the emphasis is on increasing productivity, farmers will need to have business plans and targets and rely more on technology. Younger farmers are definitely embracing technology and moving forward. It can be an exciting time for them. Whether we like it or not technology is here to stay.

There are many positive things about British farming that we need to shout about. Amazing British food which has developed so rapidly in the last 25 years, higher standards of production, more artisan food producers, more farm shops and more chefs using locally produced food.

We do have the highest animal welfare standards in the world. It makes me really mad to see certain organisations using pictures of animal cruelty in other countries and implying it happens here.

On a different note, is there a retired farmer in our area perhaps who would like to have a role talking to school children and being part of Farmlink? Look at the website for more info and who to contact.

Details: www.farmlink.org.uk

Hedging and shearing

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THE Wrington and Burrington Hedging Society’s 186th annual match will be held at Fernhill Farm, Compton Martin on Saturday, March 24th, courtesy of Andy and Jen Wear.

The farm will also host the Somerset one-man-and-his dog competition and the World Shearing Championships on the same day.

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Victorian values as town comes together

EVENTS

UP to 3,000 people were estimated to have visited Shepton Mallet’s first Victorian-themed market.

The event was organised by Nick Reader as a replacement for the town’s Sunday market and he was supported by Shepton Mallet Town Council and a host of volunteers.

Many stallholders dressed in Victorian costume and there was traditional entertainment for children.

Throughout this year, Shepton Mallet will celebrate the 700th anniversary of being granted market town status.

Stiltwalker Charly Riddett, from Fusion Performance

Paul and Jane Wood were selling traditional toffees and fudge

Town crier Andy Neal is joined by café owner Karen Mercer in the market PAGE 12 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Market organiser Nick Reader (right) with Dave Wright and his Victorian-style street organ. Dave, of Wincanton, is a member of the British Organ Grinders Association and raises money for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Sam Winter, deputy clerk to Shepton Mallet Town Council, on their stall

Lisa Ramsey, from Nunney, with her range of natural cordials

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Sweets for the sweet

FEBRUARY brings two traditional celebrations, Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday, February 13th and St Valentine’s Day the following day.

The first is the last day of consuming rich things before Ash Wednesday and is characterised by the eating of pancakes; the With JUNE origins of the second are hazy, but in 1913 MACFARLANE Hallmark Cards produced the first Valentine card. Now it is the cue for anything red and shiny, or made of chocolate, or fizzy.

Now there is a new tradition (well, it began last year). The Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival on February 16th-18th celebrates a tiny white winter flower with no pretensions, but great powers of survival. We herald all three!

Burning love – these crêpes are ideal for Pancake Day or Valentine’s

CRÊPES SUZETTE

This is a dessert that in 1895 nearly went badly wrong when the alcohol caught fire.

Saved by the fact that it was completely delicious it was named for Suzette, a guest at the table of the Prince of Wales, soon to be Edward Vll. Very easy, and involving pyrotechnics, this is a thrill a minute.

METHOD Keep the crêpes/pancakes warm. Put all the remaining ingredients into a frying pan, bring to the boil, light the alcohol fumes. When the flames have subsided fold the crêpes into quarters and nestle in the sauce. Warm through for a few minutes and serve on hot plates.

SHEPTON SNOWDROP

We need no excuse to invent a new cocktail, so here is the Shepton Snowdrop! With the colours of the flower and the kick of ginger it should restore your equilibrium after any previous excesses. The ginger and lemon syrup is good for colds too!

INGREDIENTS

(For two) 50ml vodka 50ml Cointreau 50ml ginger & lemon syrup* 2 twists of lime juice of 1 lime

Shake all of the above with ice. Strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with a twist of lime.

Celebrate a new Mendip festival with this cocktail

*To make the Ginger & Lemon syrup Makes 1 litre 500g root ginger rind of 2 lemons 130g sugar 10 fl ozs water

Chop the ginger (no need to peel), whizz in a food processor with the rind, simmer with sugar and water for 15 mins. Strain, cool, bottle. Keep in fridge.

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INGREDIENTS

(for two) I pack crêpes/pancakes, or 4 homemade 50g butter 3 oranges, 1 zested, all juiced 1 lemon, zested and juiced 3 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp Grand Marnier 2 tbsp Cognac

PASSION FRUIT MERINGUE TARTLETS (for four tartlets) 4 blind-baked tartlet cases 1 jar passion fruit curd, chilled 130g caster sugar 4 egg whites 3 passion fruit 1 tbsp Cointreau/apple juice

INGREDIENTS

Surely made for St Valentine’s Day! Passion fruit curd is surprisingly easy to make but there are good locally made versions available too.

Look out for The Bay Tree’s award winner.

METHOD Preheat oven to 150°C. Whisk the egg whites in an electric mixer on medium until frothy. Warm the sugar gently for a few minutes. Pour in the sugar all at once and whisk on high for about five minutes until shiny and stiff. Fill the tartlet cases three-quarters full with curd. Pipe the meringue over the curd. Put in oven to brown slightly, three-five mins.

Scoop the seeds from the passion fruits and mix with the liqueur/apple juice. Drizzle over the tartlets and serve.

Passion about meringues – time to get fruity

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What’s new from

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FOOD & DRINK

A round-up of events from Thatchers Cider in Sandford

Winter Wonderland

Supporting entrepreneurial spirit

OUR apple orchards are such a fantastic place to observe the changing seasons. Our photographer, Neil Phillips, has been out and about over recent weeks capturing some magnificent images of our orchards in Winter. We feel so lucky to live and work in such stunning surroundings.

Reducing plastic packaging

THE use of plastic packaging is the hot topic for 2018. Over the last twelve months we’ve been developing and introducing recyclable cardboard for our four-packs of canned ciders, Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Haze. That means we no longer use plastic ring carriers on our packs of ciders – a big step towards reducing our own use of plastic.

Valentine’s Day at The Railway Inn

LET The Railway Inn romance you this Valentine’s Day with a decadent evening of seasonal offerings.

Book now for a relaxed, romantic evening to remember. Our special Valentine’s menu includes a glass of Thatchers Family Reserve. Phone 01934 611518 for reservations.

A career at Myrtle Farm

HAVE you ever thought about what it’s like to work at Myrtle Farm? Well, if you’re a school or university leaver, you can find out with the launch of our Young Talent programme. We’re holding a Careers Day at Myrtle Farm on 24th February, when we’ll be talking about the varied job roles and training opportunities we have here, from orcharding and primary process; to engineering and distribution; through to finance, marketing and sales.

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in attending the Careers Day, please email careers@thatcherscider.co.uk for more information.

Cheers from us all at Myrtle Farm

THIS year we’re supporting the food and drink industry in Somerset with two brilliant initiatives. ● We’re working with Eat:Festivals to provide a bursary, which will offer the chance for producers with an entrepreneurial spirit to make their first steps into trading with a free pitch at one of the 2018 Eat:Festivals. The bursary is for food and drink producers who have not engaged in retail trade before, more details can be found at www.eatfestivals.org. Applications need to be in before 23 February.

● To celebrate the official opening of The Royal Bath & West of England Society’s new Rural Enterprise Centre, we’ve teamed up with the Society to offer a new award, that will offer one up-andcoming food and drink producer at the start of their business journey the opportunity to spend some time with Martin Thatcher here at Myrtle Farm. For more information about the new Enterprise Centre, visit: http://bathandwestinnovation.com/ We look forward to bringing you more news of both these initiatives throughout the year.

www.thatcherscider.co.uk • Don’t forget you can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Thatchers Cider, Myrtle Farm, Sandford, Somerset, BS25 5RA

MENDIP ENDIPTTIMES IMES••NFOVEMBER EBRUARY 2017 2018 • PAGE 15 M

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Get your skates on

NEW to Farrington’s this half term comes a skating experience with a difference – a synthetic ice rink, all under cover.

As well as being environmentally friendly, synthetic rinks offer a fun and safe skating experience for all the family! It’s open from Saturday February 10th – Sunday February 18th, 10am–6pm daily. Tickets cost £5.50 per person.

Abbey House Warming: 17th March

F E B R U A R Y D AT E S A l l m a r k e t s 9 a m -1 p m u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e m a r k e d *

SAT 3rd Axbridge & Midsomer Norton SFM@Frome Independent – No market in February, resumes March SAT 10th Keynsham and Frome (C&G Market Hall) SAT 17th Crewkerne FRI 23rd Burnham-On-Sea SAT 24th Glastonbury* (9am-2pm)

One delicious day, one stunning venue, two ginspired events G&AfternoonT (from 3pm): Gin & prosecco cocktail & gin-themed treats. £25pp.

Gindulgence (6-10pm): Gin festival with artisan producers, nibbles & more. £18pp.

(Combined ticket £35pp) LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FROM www.therollingcocktailco.com @therollingcocktailco

Abbey House, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury BA6 8DH

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It’s a gin thing – make it a treble!

THE Rolling Cocktail Company is back for 2018 with three new, gin-themed events across Mendip.

The first event – Ginner – will be hosted at the Shepton Brasserie on Saturday, March 3rd. Ginner is a two-course, ginthemed meal served with a gin and prosecco cocktail for just £19.50.

On Saturday, March 17th, the Pilton-based cocktail caravan and mobile bar business will collaborate with Glastonbury Abbey at their stunning new venue – Abbey House – to deliver a ginthemed afternoon tea with cocktails followed by a gin festival in the evening.

The gin festival has attracted Elephant Gin, a well-known artisan producer from London, as well as local favourites Gin Jar, Silver Fox and E18hteen Gin, making up some of the six producers offering more than 20 different samples between them.

Gin festival tickets are £18 and include a tote bag, free drink and glass as well as access to the exclusive Abbey House and its stunning views of the Abbey.

The Wild Picnic Company will also be serving pre-ordered Somerset cheeseboards. Afternoon Tea tickets are £25pp and a combined ticket for both events is available for £35pp.

For details and to book, visit: www.therollingcocktailco.com or email info@therollingcocktailco.com

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GARDEN FOOD

Winter light

FEBRUARY is one of the grimmest times of year in the garden, but I've found something which has helped me to start enjoying the winter months a little bit more – LED grow lights.

These ultra, low-energy bulbs can help you keep a supply of soft herbs like basil With JAKE and coriander going through the winter WHITSON and give you a hand getting off to an extra early start with long season crops like chillies and peppers.

In the old days growing lights were big and power hungry, which made them the preserve of commercial greenhouses (and other more illicit trades), but a revolution in lighting technology has seen grow lights get small and efficient enough to be useful to the home gardener.

I've currently got several of these bulbs on the go, to help my baby chilli plants not get too straggly in the grey weather and to extend the daylight hours for some coriander and basil. I think next year they might even help me overwinter my potted chilli plants indoors as perennials, without them suffering so much as they usually do.

If you have a double-glazed conservatory or the like, you could also try them to keep your tomatoes perennial and even overwinter them and they'd also be helpful for citrus trees and even sub-tropical plants.

I love coriander and this year thanks to the lights it looks like I'll even have a little crop for February. I love to add as much as I can to salsas to eat with rice and beans – here's my current winter variation on that theme.

Finely chop a large onion and add to it the filleted segments and juice of one orange, a big handful of finely shredded coriander, a tiny pinch of sugar, and salt, to taste. Stir well and serve with refried beans, rice, sour cream and tortillas.

I often mix up the salsa by adding the grilled, peeled and finely chopped flesh of a chilli, or slightly bigger chunks of roasted pepper, or even a little chopped avocado – in any case, the perfect thing to take your mind off the grey British weather!

I often mix up the salsa by adding the grilled, peeled and finely chopped flesh of a chilli, or slightly bigger chunks of roasted pepper, or even a little chopped avocado – in any case, the perfect thing to take your mind off the grey British weather!

Jacob is a former chef turned food writer, smallholder and mycologist. He divides his time between the Mendips and his nine-acre forest garden project in Pembrokeshire. Details: www.chaosfungorum.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK

WILD FOOD

Green shoots emerge

A PIECE of springtime received wisdom is that white flowers appear first followed by yellow. For example, snowdrops as a rule of thumb are followed by primroses. Daffodils have already sent their flower stems up in my garden and along the hedgerows, poised ready to rise up once the ground has warmed With ADRIAN sufficiently.

BOOTS However there is always an exception to the rule. At the base of the south facing walls above the moat around the Bishop’s Palace in Wells, there is a profusion of primroses. They have completely stolen the march on white flowers. Even with freezing temperatures, snow, wind and rain they have simply refused to give up, go away and hibernate. Good for them.

Now I’m not saying you should eat wild primroses; I’m saying you could technically as they are indeed edible. Under the 1981 Wildlife and Conservation Act it is actually illegal to uproot and destroy wild flowers such as bluebells and primroses that you do not own yourself or have permission from the owner to do so. Therefore please leave the Bishop’s flowers right where they are, thank you.

Historically, primrose flowers were collected and prepared with a sugar Primrose (Primula vulgaris) solution to create frosted cake decorations. You really can’t do this with bluebells as they are poisonous. I once knew someone who attempted to copy Ray Mears from one of his TV shows.

He tried to use bluebell bulbs to create a glue for attaching fletchings to an arrow by chewing the bulbs up and spitting the masticated mess onto the arrow. He accidently swallowed some and subsequently had intimate knowledge of just why one shouldn’t eat bluebells for the best part of a week!

Anyway I digress. Back to the much more delightful primrose which does not necessitate frequent trips to the loo! As I have my own personal stash of primroses I can selectively pick a few flower heads and I can tell you they taste quite pleasant with a hint of sweetness from the little nectar that each flower head stores to tempt insects in for pollination.

They also cheer up a cold spring walk no end with a splash of early colour that reminds us to look forward to all the other exciting edible green shoots that will soon be appearing throughout spring.

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.

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 17

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THE NATTERJACK INN Evercreech Junction OPEN ON SUNDAYS FOR FOOD SERVED FROM 12 UNTIL 4.

CHOICE OF 4 ROASTS AND REDUCED SUNDAY MENU PLEASE NOTE: CLOSED ON SUNDAY NIGHTS

FULL MENU SERVED LUNCH AND EVENING THE REST OF THE WEEK WITH CHEFS SPECIALS BOARD 9 B&B ROOMS ALL 4 STAR RATED AMPLE PARKING

SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE BATH AND WEST SHOW GROUND AND MANY OTHER LOCAL ATTRACTIONS ALWAYS DOG FRIENDLY

The Burrington Inn Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills

Jason, Sharon and the team offer you a warm welcome Restaurant • Bar • Function Rooms • Live music

EVER CHANGING LIST OF REAL ALES The Natterjack Inn, Nr Evercreech Junction, Evercreech, Somerset BA4 6NA Telephone: 01749 860253 Facsimile: 01749 860757 Email: natterjack@btconnect.com Website: www.thenatterjackinn.co.uk

The Burrington Inn • Burrington Combe • Nr Blagdon North Somerset BS40 7AT 01761 462227 • Email: enquiries@theburringtoninn.co.uk

CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S WITH US!

Country shopping at its best

Centred around a traditional farm courtyard near Chew Valley Lake – the very best in local produce and gift ideas

Sarah Raven seeds and Spring plants

MEAT SUPPLIED FROM OUR OWN FARM

TEA ROOMS

Hot & cold meals Delicious cream teas Full English breakfasts Come and enjoy our lovely Sunday roast lunches

FUNCTION ROOM AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE HIRE

Opening times: Farm shop: Monday to Friday 9am - 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am - 5.30pm • Sunday 10am - 5pm Tea Room: Monday to Sunday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Wheelchair access, children welcome, free parking, coaches by appointment

New Spring Emma Bridgewater collection

Enjoy a good Sunday roast Geoff’s fresh fish every Friday

North Widcombe, West Harptree, Bristol BS40 6HW Farm Shop: 01761 220067 • Tea Rooms: 01761 220172

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Familar faces at the Burrington Inn

Jason and Sharon Buxton, with Linda Young (left) and Daniel Flinders (right)

SHARON Buxton and her husband Jason have taken over the Burrington Inn, in Burrington Combe, following the retirement of John Godfrey after 30 years.

It will mean work as usual for Sharon, who has worked there for 24 years, and for other members of the team – front of house supervisor, Linda Young, who has been there six years, and chef, Daniel Flinders, five years. He is fiancé of the Buxtons’ daughter, Amie.

Jason, from Ubley, will continue running his security business, while helping run the pub. He said: “We are a little bit nervous, but excited as well. It’s a challenge, but we hope to breathe some new life into it.”

The pub/café has been popular with locals and visitors since it opened 41 years ago, replacing the chalet that had been on the site, and is used as a venue for various events and by several local organisations. Jason and Sharon plan to start providing breakfasts from 8.30am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and may turn the Mendip Lounge into an outdoors bar for cavers, cyclists and walkers. They are also looking for local acts to play at the pub’s regular music nights. Singer/songwriter Holly Gray will perform on their opening night on February 3rd.

The pub and neighbouring area have been bought by Holt Farms, the company behind Yeo Valley, who have agreed a two-year lease with the Buxtons while they consult widely on the long-term future of the site.

FOOD & DRINK

A L D W I C K V I N E YA R D

Weather – or not

AS the new year unfolds, each day of winter-pruning the vines extends imperceptibly, allowing an incremental extra minute or so of ambient light at both start and finish.

Where limited daylight hours may restrict physical labour input, they With enable greater investment in research, ELIZABETH analysis and forward planning.

LAVER Grapes may well be a high-value crop, but ultimately Vitis vinifera is a vine. As with all gardening, success appears contingent on observation, questioning and seeking information – especially with a view to profiting from mistakes.

Weather remains the great imponderable. The recent Royal Horticultural Society report “Gardening in a Changing Climate” proposes some unsettling conclusions. The West Country may well experience a longer growing season, but also higher rainfall, both in summer and winter. Eight of the ten warmest years in the UK have occurred since 2008, with seven of the ten wettest since 1998. Mild winters encourage pests and diseases. Key risks include flooding, water-logging, soil erosion – and more extreme weather events.

Who could deny a forecast of more extreme weather events? On the 7th of January, East coast America was hit by a “bomb cyclone” of arctic cold, while in the Southern hemisphere, temperatures soared to 47.3ºC (117ºF) in Sydney, Australia.

Here at Aldwick there’s no denying the need to prepare for what lies ahead. Managing Director Sandy Luck, Farm Manager Tim Mewton, and I are drawing up plans for future contingencies: improving drainage, minimising soil compaction, reinforcing the trellises against battering winds. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Elizabeth Laver is Vineyard Manager For wine & vineyard tours visit www.aldwickcourtfarm.co.uk

(Photograph courtesy of Rob Lewis)

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NEWS

Council supports rescue team

CHEDDAR Parish Council has donated £500 to Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue to help them buy new ropes for their important role in Cheddar Gorge. The gorge has the highest inland cliffs in the country and is a hot-spot for visitors, climbing and, sadly, suicides.

Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue started in Cheddar Gorge in the 1970s. It is now an emergency service staffed by volunteers who are on-call 24/7, 365 days a year. They search for and rescue people from cliffs and floods and other difficult situations in the countryside typically getting called out over 30 times a year.

Sadly Cheddar Gorge and Avon Gorge, along with other cliffs and quarries, are often used by people attempting to commit suicide or where people get stuck. Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue operate alongside the other emergency services to help these people and recover bodies when needed.

Peter Colton and Martin Kay (pictured) from Cheddar Parish Council visited the team in Cheddar Gorge to see the

new ropes. Steve Rumney, team leader, said: “By the nature of our work we have to replace ropes on a very regular basis.

“The kind donation from Cheddar parish council has helped us with getting replacements. They will be kept along with our other specialist rescue equipment in a store room kindly donated by Cheddar Caves for instant access when we need them.”

STAFF at Fosse Way School in Westfield, for children who find it difficult to attend mainstream schools, say they are delighted with the findings of their latest OFSTED inspection.

The school has been rated outstanding for the sixth consecutive time. In a letter to executive principal Emily Massey, inspector Tonwen Empson said the leadership team has “maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since Longfellows Café is open to the the last inspection.” public and students learn skills The inspector noted which can lead to careers in “relentless efforts by staff to hospitality look for creative solutions ensure that every pupil is able to thrive” as well as “the real commitment to ensure that pupils build not just their academic skills but also develops their confidence and independence so that they can go on to lead fulfilling lives”.

The school sixth-form students spend their final year on-site at Bath’s Royal United Hospital to develop employment skills.

Others attend Norton Hill School. Meanwhile, the school’s newly refurbished training café Longfellows, where students develop skills in customer services, cake-making and serving customers, also comes in for praise.

Emily Massey said: “I am absolutely delighted with this outcome and feel it reflects the hard work and dedication from pupils, staff, parents and governors who all contributed to the inspection not only on the day but also throughout the school year to ensure our school remains outstanding. Without there continued support this outcome would not be possible.’’

AN ambitious project to restore parts of St John’s Church in Glastonbury and make the building more community-friendly has cleared its first major hurdle with a development grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The initial £32,400 award will allow the team behind the Securing the Future project to develop their full plans ahead of a further bid for £465,500.

Securing the Future aims to celebrate the heritage of St John’s, a grade 1 listed building, by providing a better welcome and interpretation of its long and significant history, and building closer relationships with different communities in Glastonbury, including disadvantaged groups and young people.

The project includes making urgent repairs to the fabric which will bring areas of the church back into use following major safety concerns over the collapsed floor of the nave, and make the building easier and more efficient to run. It also hopes to provide permanent interpretations about its heritage and activities programmes involving a wider audience, including local schools, historical societies, adult learners, visitors, and tourists.

There are also plans to install modern and gazed porches at the south and west entrances as well as flexible, multifunction lighting and audio-visual facilities and modernising the servery.

Project manager Larry Schenck said: “We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players. St John’s has been at the centre of Glastonbury for over 1,000 years, offering time and space for personal prayer, meditation, conversation, history and heritage information, and social and entertainment events. We serve as the civic hub for many of Glastonbury’s annual events such as Mayor’s Service and Remembrance Sunday. Medieval buildings, especially churches, require continuing maintenance and repair, with significant restoration work every 150 or so years – now it is our turn. This award will allow us to do just that.”

School judged “outstanding” for sixth year running

PAGE 20 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Church plans go to next stage

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MENDIP TIMES

LECATCHER MO

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CAMELEY LODGE LAUNDRY

Duvets & Bedspreads washed & dried Sheets and Duvet covers washed and pressed Professional efficient service Collection & delivery service in the Chew Valley

Tel 01761 451787

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In business small is beautiful TO be honest with you, the word “business” conjures up a sense of boredom – even in me, and it is the world I have chosen to inhabit!

Here's the thing though, in order to keep the wheels of our communities turning smoothly, we need some means of earning a shillin' and somewhere to spend it, so apart from buying nice stuff, and I'm really good at that, ask my poor husband, we can help sustain the economy.

Now, local communities have relatively few independent businesses left and our keen eye for a bargain often lures us to out-of-town malls or online to shop. OK, there is certainly a place for these, but independent businesses can also offer something of great value and will be allowed to fade away at our peril.

They needn't even be the main source for our spending, just a sensible proportion of it.

Let me explain my support for small businesses. All over the UK, there are communities like ours which are watching their high streets turn into homogenous replicas of each other. Not only is this a real shame, robbing smaller towns and cities of their individuality, but it will deprive small towns of a generation of entrepreneurs and

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their workforces.

If we become communities which can only access jobs provided by big companies, what happens when future recessions hit, as they undoubtedly will from time to time? Will all our young folk “get on their bikes” and ride off into the sunset?

I have mentioned before the proliferation of very small businesses which survived and thrived during the last economic slump. In my view, we need to cherish them and their like so we have the creativeness and abilities within our community that we shall need in the future.

I would suggest that we all make an effort this year to keep using our local independent businesses. Let them know we want them to stick around for us and for the good of our young generation to ensure that they too can live and work and have their being right here.

That way we are less likely to turn into an area of retirees, with too few younger, vibrant people who can afford to live in the area and keep it vital and relevant.

Have a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.

Jane Bowe Probusiness

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Time to shine – the Mendip Business Awards 2018

THE Mendip Business Awards are now open to entries from all businesses with premises within the district.

The awards are now in their fourth year and are set for success following the impressive standard of entries received last year.

The awards are held to recognise and celebrate some of the 5,700 independent and vibrant businesses based in Mendip. The real highlights for the judges and the rest of the team involved in the awards is the opportunity to read about and uncover the history of many of our local successes.

Winning an award not only offers a fantastic opportunity for extensive free marketing, but can be a real boost for the whole team, whilst offering reassurance to any potential customers that they’re using an award-winning firm. The 2017 Business of the Year was won by Westcombe-based Wild Beer Co – an international brewery that prides itself on a deep-seated passion for fermentation, flavour and creativity. The business has also been recognised by the Bath Good Food Awards and the BBC Food and Farming Awards. Wild Beer Co also achieved great phenomenal success with their recent crowd-funding campaign of £1.79million for a new, second brewery at the Bath & West Showground.

The 2017 New and International Business of the Year award was won by Frome-based, Living DNA. Managing Director, Hannah Morden said that winning an award was “a great

BUSINESS

The winners of the 2107 awards

confirmation of the direction we are heading in. It also shows other businesses that no matter where you are located, it is possible to go global”.

This year’s awards have a category for every type of business, including a new category “Apprentice of the Year”, recognising the talented stars of tomorrow. Entries in this category come from the employer, making it a great way to recognise hard work and talent.

Entries close at noon on Friday, March 23rd, with the final results announced at the awards evening on Thursday, May 31st.

The awards will be hosted by ITV Somerset’s Ben McGrail and also offer a fantastic opportunity to network with Mendip’s finest. Tickets go on sale on Monday, March 5th and are £30pp which includes entry to the evening, drinks reception and a delicious three-course meal of locally-sourced produce.

To submit an award entry, register your interest in tickets or for more information please visit: www.mendipbusinessawards.co.uk or email bizawards@mendip.gov.uk

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Planning for the future

THE team at Walton Press in Glastonbury has seen a huge amount of change over the last 30 years, not least the shift from traditional litho print to the latest digital technology, but they’re never content to take it easy!

Directors Sandy and Martin Smith have Members of the Walton Press team always managed to keep outside their Glastonbury premises a clear focus on the – Sandy & Martin Smith (front needs of their customers, and rear) with Kevin and Joanne adapting and embracing new technologies – whilst ensuring that they continue to offer the friendly, personal service which sets them apart.

With customers ranging from some of Somerset's largest businesses to small start-up companies and individuals, they're used to dealing with orders for thousands of leaflets or brochures to exhibition banners and a box of business cards!

Last year saw the launch of a marketing plan to take them into the 2020s, a new website and plenty of ideas for the year ahead! Sandy, Martin and the Walton team look forward to working with you in 2018.

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BUSINESS

Home & Kitchen expands

ONCE again The Home & Kitchen Store, in Wrington, has gone from strength to strength. Owner Nick Dury said: “Every year we think we cannot get busier and the following year just surprises us.

“As we manufacture and install more kitchens – the more clients are recommending us which is a great feeling. We truly believe that customer service is just as important as the beautiful furniture that we create and I think this is why people are so happy to recommend us.

“Last year we expanded with new flooring displays and went into partnership with Everhot which is keeping our showroom gloriously warm! This year we have decided to expand again by offering a different range of kitchens.

“We are thrilled that our bespoke kitchens are so highly sought after. However, we recognise that not everybody has the budget for a hand-made kitchen. This is why we have carefully researched all of the other pre-made kitchens in the country and have chosen to stock JJO kitchens.

“JJO is a family-run company that share our passion for high quality kitchens with a strong customer ethos. We have expanded the showroom to display their ranges and are extremely happy with the quality and feel of the cabinets.

“This means that no matter your budget you can still benefit from our five-star service whether it be hand-made or pre-made.”

Still offering a free, no obligation design service from their beautiful showroom in Wrington – now there really isn’t any reason not to visit them.

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BUSINESS

TOPSOIL AND STONE SUPPLIES Dry high quality screened or unscreened Topsoil. Recycled aggregates and quarry stone supplies, road planings and building stone.

DEMOLITION AND STRIP OUT All types of demolition works. From small household to main contractor projects, including rail, schools and city centre redevelopments. Complete range of specialist equipment and services available.

ASBESTOS Asbestos removal and collection. Roof sheets, tiles and guttering. Call for information.

TRANSPORT 4,6 and 8 wheeled tipper Lorries for hire and muck away. Low loader, beaver tail and road brush hire.

PLANT HIRE Wide range of plant. 360 excavators, Dumpers, Bulldozers and Crushers.

EXCAVATIONS Large and small excavations. Specialist works include Equestrian all weather surfaces, drainage and bulk excavations.

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Customer care at the core

Regional Winner 2017 in the Golden Leaves Customer Care Awards

Marquee Staff

One full time vacancy Summer staff (ideal for students)

To work in a small team, later running your own team. Erecting marquees, installing furnishings. Must enjoy working outside, around the local area.

Help make someones’ event special.

No experience required, will be trained.

Pay £7–£11 per hour Monday – Friday 8.30- 5.30.

Must have own transport to drive to work.

CV to Jeremy Griffin, JG Marquees, Nettwood Farm, East Harptree, Bristol, BS40 6DA. Tel: 01761 221366 email info@jgmarquees.co.uk

SERVICE with a smile may sound like a cliché, but it has helped Rod Major, who runs Wells Funeral Services, achieve a prestigious award.

Rod has been named the 2017 regional winner of the Golden Leaves Funeral Plans customer care award. He works as an agent for the company.

Rod, who can be found each Wednesday on his stand at Wells market, said: “I always strive to give the customer what they want at a price they can afford and I’m very proud to be able to call myself an award-winner.”

Rod is pictured (above left) with Terry Buckley, general sales manager for Golden Leaves in the south west and Wales, who said: “He has a very good customer attitude.”

Balloon flights over the Chew Valley, Mendips and Somerset Levels

P & C Logs C al l P h i l o n 0 7 7 3 4 0 9 8 3 2 3 , o r C o l l ee n o n 0 7 7 8 5 2 5 0 0 3 3 o r o n E v e n in g s 0 1 9 3 4 7 4 1 9 4 1 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).

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Challenging a Will for lack of financial provision IN our modern society with a wider spectrum of social structures than in the past there is an increasing potential for Wills to be challenged for failure to make reasonable financial provision. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 the law identifies a range of people who may challenge a Will for lack of financial provision.

So a spouse, civil partner, former spouse/former civil partner, cohabitee, a child or any person being maintained by the deceased at the time of death may challenge the Will if it fails to make reasonable financial provision for them.

“Reasonable financial provision” for a spouse/civil partner means such provision as would be reasonable for the individual to receive whether or not it was required for his or her maintenance.

In any other case it is such provision as would be reasonable for the person concerned to receive for his or her maintenance.

So as far as spouses/civil partners are concerned the court is more likely to adapt the approach it would have done in

considering a split of the assets in divorce/dissolution proceedings. In that event the longer the relationship the more a court would be inclined to adopt equality of division of the assets.

In the remaining categories “reasonable financial provision” is limited to maintenance of the individual concerned for instance: • A voluntary carer (not necessarily a cohabitee) who was looking after the deceased up until the time of death and who had become financially dependent upon the deceased.

• An adult child, whether or not still living at home, who was still financially dependent upon the deceased.

• A cohabitee living with the deceased for at least two years immediately prior to the time of death.

In considering these “dependency” claims court will have regard to all the circumstances including the size of the estate, any other competing claims, any obligations and responsibilities which the deceased had towards any applicant or any beneficiary of the estate and any other

BUSINESS

matter including the conduct of the applicant or any other person which in the circumstances the court may consider relevant.

If a claim is to be pursued court proceedings need to be started within six months of the date on which representation of the estate is taken out. Anyone thinking about making a claim would be sensible to take independent legal advice.

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

Westbury-on-Trym 0117 950 6506

Kingswood 0117 967 5252 MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 29

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NEWS

The first world war in Somerset

THE many ways in which rural Somerset was affected by events in the First World War is the subject of a new exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury.

Part of the new WWI exhibition at the Using objects, Somerset Rural Life Museum archive documents and photographs, the exhibition – Echoes of War – reveals how the conflict profoundly changed rural communities. Somerset was used as a place of respite and recuperation for wounded soldiers. Red Cross hospitals were set-up across the county and many country houses and schools were converted for military use.

Echoes of War is part of series of events and exhibitions from the South West Heritage Trust, which runs the museum, that reveal more about the First World War and its legacy. The trust is part of the First World War Centenary Partnership led by the Imperial War Museum.

Sam Astill, curator of military history at the trust said: “The Somerset countryside played an important role in the rehabilitation of thousands of the wounded. Soldiers from the allied nations came to Somerset to recover and the sight of soldiers in ‘convalescent blues’ became a familiar sight in villages.

“Local people organised special events such as garden parties, concerts and whist drives to support them. Items to comfort soldiers and sailors were made by people of all ages and backgrounds. Socks, balaclavas, blankets, shirts, towels and even plum puddings were sent from Somerset to local men serving abroad.”

Enjoying the great outdoors ECOWILD, which promises to bring people closer to the beauty of the natural world, is offering new courses this year in some stunning locations.

The free courses include meditation and crafts, with venues like the Community Farm at Chew Valley Lake and the magical Greyfield Woods, near High Littleton.

They have courses for both adults and children.

Organiser, Emily Malik, said: “At EcoWild, everything we do works to support you to come back to yourself and the natural environment. We do that by keeping in touch with what is there. Huddling by the fire when the sky is heavy;

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Wildlife support

AVON Wildlife Trust’s Chew Valley Group had crowds queueing for their January jumble sale, which raised £830.

Chief organiser, Claire Croft, said: “A big thank you to everyone who helped and everyone who came. We couldn't do it without you.”

Claire Croft with Tara and Archie holding their bargain buys

walking and building when the sky is light.”

EcoWild is a community interest company, supported by the Wellbeing College, backed by Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group and B&NES.

Details: www.ecowild.org.uk

It says: “Our courses, most of which are free of charge, are provided by a wide range of established voluntary sector groups and health and social care organisations and are delivered in small groups to enable people to feel comfortable to attend.”

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Holbrook Manor showcase

HOLBROOK Manor will be holding two wedding showcases. Go along and view the Georgian manor set up for a wedding and showcasing their function rooms and grounds as the perfect venue for your special day.

Their highly experienced wedding team will be on hand to offer help and advice on everything from prices and catering to bedrooms and preferred partner suppliers.

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Arrive in style

QUALITY, reliability, professionalism, affordability are just some of the qualities you will find in Silverline Wedding Cars.

They have a great reputation for top of the range cars and experienced courteous, professional drivers; and will go that extra mile to provide you with something special for one of the most important days of your life.

Their cars include a brand new, white, E220 AMG Mercedes, which makes the perfect bridal car, and a top of the range Titanium six-seater people carrier. Ribbons in the colour of your choice will be provided as well as a first class, immaculately turned out chauffeur.

Not only do they have luxurious cars for weddings, Silverline Wells can supply vehicles to transport all guests, whatever the distance. Do not hesitate to call them to discuss your requirements further.

FOCUS ON WEDDINGS

Silverline Wells Wedding Car Hire Kerry Haines

07904 732204 silverlineweddings1@gmail.com

Swans – a symbol of love

WITH enduring popularity, Erica Sharpe’s Swan Collection was the first she designed. Inspired by the beauty and movement of wild swans, it captures their elegance perfectly in a range of alluring and stylish forms.

Swans form lifelong bonds with their partners, which emphasises the collection’s significance of love and commitment – perfect for engagements, anniversaries and Valentine’s gifts!

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 33

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Students support charity

Tractor fans help hospice

Leading the way – Rob Uphill was in charge of the route

A TRACTOR ride around Mendip – along with a raffle – has raised £500 for Dorothy House Hospice.

The ride was organised by Rob Uphill and coincided with the fundraising event at the Old Down Inn at Emborough.

Drivers each donated £10 to take part in the ride.

STUDENTS at Frome College raised over £1,000 for children in Need by paying £1 each for not wearing uniform and with a cake sale. Principal, Emma Reynolds, congratulated the students at a cheque presentation.

Some of the vehicles which took part were less conventional

Choirs help charities

Lions’s golf day

AFTER another great year raising many thousands of pounds for charity, it was a special day for Terry Phillips, concert secretary of the Mendip Male Voice Choir, when he presented cheques for £3,500 to the South West Children’s Hospice and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Representatives of the four choirs involved in a recent concert at Wells Cathedral, which raised £7,000, were at the hospice at Wraxall for the presentation. They were from Taunton, Glastonbury, Avon and Somerset Police and the Mendip choir.

Now it’s back to business for the Mendip men, starting the year with recording more pieces for their forthcoming CD. There are many concerts already arranged for the choir, with the first at the Camerton Community Centre on Monday March 26th, raising funds for the centre.

It’s a great time for men to join the choir, with nothing to pay for the first term. Rehearsals are every Monday night at 7.15pm at St Mary’s School, Timsbury.

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YEO Valley Lions Club will be holding its sixth annual charity golf day on Thursday April 19th at Tall Pines Golf Club.

The previous events have raised more than £20,000 for a number of causes and this year’s chosen charity is Blind Veterans UK (St Dunstan’s) and, in particular, a project to refurbish buildings at their Llandudno centre for which the Lions Clubs in the British Isles have committed to raise £100,000.

The cost for a team of four is £175, which includes a round of golf, a buffet meal and other refreshments, as well as the opportunity to win great prizes and also help to raise funds for this very worthwhile cause.

Details: Entry forms can be downloaded from www.yeovalleylions.org.uk or obtained from Derek White on 01934 877407.

Raffle aids homeless

LANEY and Mark Landon James excelled themselves this Christmas. The Paulton couple visit the homeless in Bath every Saturday and distributed 60 Christmas gift boxes this year.

Their Christmas raffle, which supports their work, attracted 179 prizes, with more than 2,000 tickets sold.

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Food for good

Volunteers preparing a meal for 100 people at the Connect Centre in Wells

CHARITABLE organisations in Somerset joined forces with Glastonbury-based local food supplier Somerset Local Food Direct to launch a pilot project to help families in need over the festive season.

Village agents from Somerset Community Council identified households with young children unable to afford fresh fruit and vegetables.

Customers of SLFD, part of the Somerset Local Food community benefit society, donated items and agents delivered more than 20 boxes to homes in Wells, Burnham-on-Sea, Williton and Watchet. Surplus produce from Christmas orders was also shared with the local community, including as a donation toward Christmas lunch for 100 people at the Connect Centre in Wells.

Philip Sharratt, CEO of Somerset Local Food, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our customers and will look to see how we can continue providing fresh local food for people in need beyond the Christmas period.”

CHARITIES

Frome Frome to India

TWO Rotarians from Frome will be part of a massive aid dash to India to take part in a life-saving polio programme.

The plan is to vaccinate more than 170 million children, aged up to five years old, on one day – Sunday, January 28th – thanks to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.

Dot Cretney and Becky Bird will join 90 Rotary volunteers from across Great Britain and Ireland who are flying out to India to join local Rotary members and health agencies for the programme.

Dot, a member of Frome Rotary Club and Becky, a new Rotarian from the new Frome Town Rotary, will be working alongside local volunteers in Bhiwadi and surrounding highrisk villages.

Dot has made the trip before, but this is a first trip for Becky. They said: “Although hugely rewarding this will not be an easy trip. We will see startling sights of poverty, people literally in gutters trying to make a living and people who have been crippled by polio and can barely crawl let alone walk.

The knowledge that we are helping others to have a better life, through End Polio Now and other active Rotary projects, keeps everyone motivated. We see with our own eyes just how important it is to keep on immunising these children and bring back the message that this is a vital job.”

Becky and Dot

Bereavement charity in the SOUP

A FULL house warmly applauded all four charities which took part in the latest Wells SOUP. But the one narrowly gaining most of the audience’s votes was Cruse who went away with a £350 cheque. Their representative, Pat Manchip, told how their charity provides free advice, care and support for anyone who has been bereaved, which can be a devastating experience. With more money they could provide more help.

Wells Little Theatre duo Niamh McGrogan and Sandra Marshall gave a lively and entertaining case for their organisation with a specially-written poem. Next up was Caroline Tollworthy who explained that the Wells Almshouses provide homes for older people in need. In the last five years £5 million had been spent upgrading the properties for the residents but surveyors said another £100,000 needed to be found.

The other presenter was Holly Sutton, from Somerset Sight, which supports 3,500 people with vision problems across the county. In the Wells area there were 140 needing their services but the charity was able to visit only ten of them because of a lack of resources.

Paddy O’Hagan congratulates the representatives of the four charities

All the three runners-up were presented with cheques for £118 at the event in Seager Hall. Master of ceremonies, Paddy O’Hagan, said: “SOUP is organised by Wells Independents, a non-party political group of volunteers who feel more needs to be done for charities.”

They have helped 32 so far and another four will benefit from the next SOUP which will be held in Seager Hall on Saturday, April 14th at 1pm. Paddy thanked the sponsors, Greenslade Taylor Hunt estate agents of Wells who match-funded £350 taken on the door, and Twentyone café and restaurant of Wells.

Philip Welch

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 35

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INTERNET

iPad tips – part 2

IF you want to use your iPad in the kitchen, you run the risk of splashes on the screen, and you can’t touch it with sticky fingers, of course. So if you use a clear shower cap, you can put it across the screen and it will still work, then when you have finished, just throw the sticky shower cap away.

If you need to charge your iPhone quickly, put it on Airplane mode for a faster charge. Or the same applies if you want to preserve battery life. Texts and emails will still come in, you just won’t get a warning. And Airplane mode is the way to make sure you don’t get any annoying beeps or vibrations when you are in company. Just swipe up from the bottom and tap the Airplane icon.

A lot of iPads are wifi only, so if you want to use maps whilst out and about, just find the area you want to use and in the search bar, type "ok maps" and the map will be cached for offline use.

If you accidentally typed an extra digit on your calculator, just swipe from left to right (as example) to remove the last number.

You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad or iPhone.

When surfing the web and you’ve scrolled down to the bottom of the page, just tap the top bar to return to the top of the page.

If you find the screen a bit too glaring at night, you can try inverting the colours, which will turn the screen black and the text white for less eye strain. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility. Turn on "Invert Colors." (US spelling, of course).

Submitted by IT for the Terrified: Cheddar Village Hall, Church St, Cheddar BS27 3RF 01934 741751 (usually goes to answer phone) www.itfortheterrified.co.uk itfortheterrified@btconnect.com I.T. for the Terrified – for all your computer training needs. A skill-sharing, community project.

Run by a Committee – Staffed by Volunteers Registered Charity No. 1130308 : Company No. 06779600 This article is for guidance only, and the opinion of the writer. For more in depth information, please contact us.

We offer individual training, at a pace to suit you. We can cover a range of subjects – including absolute basics; photo management; shopping online; emailing; Word processing, spreadsheets; basic web design; etc. on a range of devices, including Windows: Macs: Tablets: iPads: smartphones.

PAGE 36 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

CROSSWORD

The Mendip Mindbender

ACROSS 1 _____ Town FC play their football in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier League (5) 6, 12A & 8A Now defunct local train line. Also a public house in Burnhamon-Sea (8,3,6) 8 See 6 across 9 North Somerset village between Chew Stoke and Redhill (5) 10 & 5D Holy well found in the Vale of Avalon (6,4) 12 See 6 across 14 & 24A The southern terminus of the West Somerset Railway can be found in this village (7,7) 16 & 22A Founder of the Ponies of Britain Club, the World Horse Welfare’s Somerset base is named after this lady (6,7) 19 & 11D Moated medieval fortification near Frome (6,6) 20 ______ Court, designer village on the eastern edge of Shepton Mallet (6) 22 See 16 across 23 Somerset village formerly belonging to Wiltshire (4) 24 See 14 across

DOWN 2 Avalon _______, wetland on the Somerset Levels (7) 3 Chilton ______, rural village next door to 7 across (6) 4 & 15D National Trust-owned property in Muchelney (7,5) 5 See 10 across 7 Rural village situated on the north side of the Polden Hills adjacent to 3 down (8) 11 See 19 across 13 ________ Abbey Church, one of only three minor basilicas in England (8) 15 See 4 down 17 ______ Park, adventure park and leisure complex at Hewish, west of Westonsuper-Mare (6) 18 Bath-born Mary _____, famous TV presenter and food writer (5) 21 Wookey ___ Caves, a series of limestone caverns near Wells (4)

Answers on page 90

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London, New York, Wells

KEVIN Jones describes his work as consistent, yet diverse, with line, space and colour being its main elements. It is a form of linear abstraction combined with expressionism.

He said: “I work against expectations; experimenting in a type of controlled freedom. Intuition, innovation and improvisation prompt direct meaningful expression which is both original and fresh.

“Many pieces are overlaid several times producing multipleimage compositions which are complex and thought-provoking.

Often they contain planes of colour which takes the viewer in and out of the work or the lines vary in density, so as to create the same effect.

“They also can evoke sculptural themes and group encounter; their main influences being the human form, geometry, architecture, landscape and music.”

He uses pastel, conte crayon, charcoal, pen, marker and graphite on varying types of acid-free paper. He is continually rubbing back the line and mixing colours with his fingertips, saying “this is how I love to work”.

Recent sales have been in London, New York, Washington DC and Miami. In May 2017 one of his artworks was selected by Rebecca Wilson, chief curator at Saatchi Art, for the joint launch with Samsung of their latest product called The Frame.

This is a concept TV which also displays artwork. In addition his work is registered with some “high-end” interior designers both in London and New York.

CHARLES JARVIS LTD Bespoke shepherd’s huts • Guest accommodation • office space • somewhere to relax

1, Madbrook Farm, Chalford, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3RB Telephone – 01373 858241 • Email – kim@charlesjarvisltd.co.uk PAGE 38 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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Maori spoon serves up a surprise WITH many auction houses not staging sales in January, the team at the Mendip Auction Rooms carried on regardless and there was a busy start to the New Year.

On January 9th, the first Victorian and Later Effects sale of the year saw an excellent seasonal entry of almost 500 lots go under the hammer with a good attendance of buyers seeking a bargain or something of interest.

This was closely followed by the monthly sale of Antiques & Collectables held on January 13th with a further 500 lots on offer The keenest bidding was seen for a 19th century portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots in an earlier frame and this saw bidders on the telephone, internet and in the room battle it out. A local buyer in the room managed to see off the opposition eventually securing the picture for £3,800.

Collectables always make an auction interesting and, in the current market, they are

ARTS & ANTIQUES

often sought after. A Japanese Meiji period bronze figure with an estimate of £80 – £120 sold for £900 and a Maori spoon generated very keen interest and sold for £520, well above the estimate of £100 – £150.

With not quite so much jewellery on sale, good prices were achieved for those items on offer. A charming 1960/70s ruby and brick-link bracelet achieved £1,400, an early 20th century 9ct rose gold fancy link watch chain or albert £700, a late Victorian curb link guard or muff chain £440 and a further pair of silver partridges £1,500.

The team at the auction rooms will be staging a valuation morning on Wednesday January 4th, 10am-1pm at the offices of Killens in Sadler Street, Wells so do go along and take advantage of their expertise.

Otherwise, valuers are on hand every weekday morning to accept entries or are happy to undertake free home visits.

Also ensure that you follow the auction rooms on Facebook to see the latest news or register with them to receive the catalogues.

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 39

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Wildlife artists wanted

THE Somerton-based charity ACEarts is working in partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust on an Open Wildlife Art Exhibition and is seeking submissions from artists and creators.

The submissions will be judged in May by a panel which includes wildlife broadcaster Simon King, Stewart Geddes, president of the Royal West of England Academy, Katie Arber, director of fundraising and marketing, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Nina Gronw-Lewis, curator of ACEarts and Frank Martin, trustee of ACEarts.

The exhibition will take place at ACEarts in the old town hall in Somerton between October 6th and November 3rd.

Details: www.acearts.co.uk

Shining a light on silver

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JEWELLER Caroline Tetley says: “Silver is a wonderfully resilient material. It responds to shaping and holds its form – unlike clay.

Enamelling on silver can be difficult but its translucent and vibrant lustre lasts forever.”

Caroline showed me around her wellequipped, but chilly, workshop in her Arts and Crafts house in Wookey Hole: “The changing colours of each season inspire the new ideas for my next piece of jewellery.”

Caroline loves setting the enamel between One of Caroline’s silver and enamel silver in her designs for pieces rings, pendants and earrings. Trained at Bristol Art College and the London College of Printing, she now trains the next generation in the skilled techniques she uses. It is over 30 years since she took the big step to leave her career in publishing and turn her passion for enamelled jewellery into a business – and she has never regretted the satisfaction she has found in it.

In that time, she has constantly experimented with new techniques such as cloisonne (delicate enamel on a wire frame) and in firings in her kiln – marvelling each time the design emerges fiery red from the kiln before cooling to her chosen colours – and being disappointed should it turn into sludgy brown – perhaps from too many seconds’ exposure. A true red is particularly challenging. She loves surprises – making a silver piece which opens into a box of secrets or a ring which separates into two.

Caroline has had many exhibitions of her work in London, Bristol and elsewhere – for example at the Guild of Enamellers.

She makes many bespoke commissioned pieces. You can also find some of her pieces at the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen shop in Wells.

Christopher Bond

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If you go down to the salerooms today . . .

ARTS AND ANTIQUES

interest from around the globe. If you prefer a sleeker look then this fine early production example of a design classic, the Charles Eames lounge chair and ottoman in olive hide and in remarkable condition is estimated at £2,000 – £3,000.

The salerooms are holding one of their popular free jewellery, watch, silver and gold valuation days at the salerooms on Friday, February 16th, 10am – 4pm, where gemmologist John Kelly will be on hand to appraise all jewellery.

CLEVEDON Salerooms are currently inviting entries for their Quarterly Specialist Sale on February 15th. Consignments include this charming late 19th/early 20th century carved Black Forest child’s stool measuring 56cm wide.

Estimated at £400 – £600 this playful pair are bound to attract

For more information contact the salerooms on 01934 830111 or visit www.clevedon-salerooms.com Every lot in every auction, illustrated and sold with live internet bidding Our Free Valuation Days can be a rewarding experience!

RESULTS FROM THE NOVEMBER SPECIALIST SALE:

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

FREE ANTIQUE VALUATION DAYS 12th & 13th February

9.30am–1pm and 2pm–5pm Held at the salerooms – no appointment necessary Sales of Antiques, Interiors, Collectables & Jewellery 8th and 22nd February SALES START AT 10.30am

Viewing on day before sale, 10am – 6.30pm

Tel: 01934 830111 or 0117 325 6789

The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6TT www.clevedon-salerooms.com

18ct Rosette link chain (102cm) £3,100

Zodiac Stainless Chronograph £2,200

9ct gold cigarette case £2,500

Victorian diamond brooch Sold for £1,600

Cartier 18ct Panther brooch £2,100

We have buyers around the globe seeking pre-loved Rolex and Omega. Condition unimportant

Free Jewellery, Silver & Watch

Valuation Day

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A l f re d J a m e s P l u m l e y – t h e l o s t m a n u s c r i p t d escrib ing Victor ian life on Me ndip Author David Wilkins describes discovering the lost memoir of a 19th century Mendip childhood – and the stroke of good luck that helped him identify the anonymous author.

ONE miserably cold afternoon in January 2014, I pulled a large, grubby, decades-old envelope from one of the cardboard boxes full of bafflingly assorted junk that sometimes turn up in my local auction saleroom. The envelope contained maybe 100 typewritten sheets held together in small batches by rusted staples.

The paper was tatty and the typing was wonky but as my numbed fingers turned the pages, I could see that the document was interesting. It was some kind of personal memoir, written apparently by an elderly man, describing his early life in the Mendip Hills in the 19th century. I circled the lot number on my catalogue.

By the end of the sale the next day, the box – and the document in it – was mine.

I’ve always collected old written material – personal diaries and notebooks, shop ledgers, collections of letters and so on. I love the stories of lives past that such material can tell. For years, I had been telling myself that one day I would turn one of these items into a book.

I read this latest acquisition that same evening and wondered if this was my

PAGE 42 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

opportunity. The memoir was simply but charmingly written. It spoke in the authentic voice of a West Country working lad. It was full of forgotten historical detail about life in the Mendips in the 1880s and 90s. It was rich in anecdote. It was full of warmth. It had comedy but did not shy away from tragedy. It had gossip about the upper classes. It had the worst snowfall of the 19th century. It had steam trains! It genuinely deserved a wider audience.

The memoir was divided into three parts and the bare bones of the story are easily summarised. Part one began with the writer’s first day at village school, aged five. It described rural family life with great affection. It recalled a boyhood spent playing outdoors with boisterous and funloving pals. This was a joyful life, despite the best efforts of a terrifying schoolmaster and the poverty that affected many families in the writer’s local community.

At the age of 12 the writer left school and the second part of the memoir began.

He was taken on as a boy servant at the grand house on the hill overlooking his home village. Here, the cheerful maids treated him like their favourite little brother and the eccentric butler turned out to have a wide range of hidden talents. There was plenty of below stairs gossip too – still vivid in the writer’s memory after more than 60 years. He stayed here for four years.

In the third part of the memoir, the considerate mistress of the grand house decided that the writer should look for a proper trade rather than spend his life in service. She encouraged him into an apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway and he was sent to work as a "lad porter" at a seaside village station, 20 miles away. This meant leaving home for the first time (although his beloved Mendip Hills were still in sight on the horizon).

He was greatly supported in his new life by a motherly landlady and by his kind and benevolent station-master boss. Gradually

Burrington Combe as it was

he adapted to the tough, physically demanding railway work and began to feel like a proper railwayman. In particular he grew to love the G.W.R.'s great locomotives with their gleaming paint and polished brass.

The only blot on his young life was a brief spell when he was despatched to gain work experience in the grim and chaotic engine yards at Bristol Temple Meads. Life in the “great city” did not suit him and he was delighted when he was sent back to the village station.

Piecing together the clues, it was possible to work out that the memoir had been written in the 1950s when the author was in his 80s. The big challenge though, was to identify him. He had named himself just twice in 40,000 words; once as "Alfred" and once, by reference to his surname, simply as "P". He was not just secretive about himself either.

Although there were dozens of “characters” in his story, only a handful of them were given a name. Most were referred to by some kind of neutral designation – for example; “father”, “mother”, “Schoolmaster”, “Squire”, “my lady”, “Station-master”, “my pal” and so on. This was undoubtedly a conscious decision.

The writer wanted to tell his story but he also wanted to maintain the privacy of the people involved. It also turned out that all the place names in the memoir were invented – although this only became evident to me after a frustrating hour spent poring over increasingly large scale maps of Somerset looking for villages that didn’t actually exist!

It looked like the memoirist might be impossible ever to identify. Indeed, I couldn’t even know for sure whether he was really called “Alfred P”. For all I knew this might just be a name he had made up for himself. Without names for people and places the story could never become real. I knew that meant it would be impossible to

(Photograph courtesy of the Stan Croker Collection)

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Photograph courtesy of Stan Croker Collection (original c. 1935 by George Love Dafnis)

interest a publisher.

There was just one glimmer of hope. On page 84 of the typescript the writer mentioned a five digit number. That number – 15718 – turned out to be the code that would unlock every secret in the story. It was the writer’s number on the G.W.R. staff register.

I couldn’t know whether the writer had given his real G.W.R. staff number or not – but the staff records of the G.W.R. are now stored at the National Archives in Kew, so it was possible to check. The records are not filed in numerical order, so the only way to track down our man was to look up every individual Alfred who started work with the G.W.R. in the later 1880s and early 1890s, and look at the staff number he had been allocated.

I can tell you that Alfred was a very popular name during this period! That afternoon I ploughed through the names of dozens of ghostly Victorian signalmen, porters, engine drivers, booking clerks, fitters and coach-builders named Alfred.

The time wore on and my heart began to sink as I realised I was approaching the end of the documents for the period.

But then, just when it seemed it was not going to happen, the number in the right hand column of the staff records suddenly produced a match for the number in the memoir. I double-checked. It was correct.

There, blinking in the daylight, after more than a century shut away in the G.W.R. staff ledger, was the author of the memoir – Alfred James Plumley.

A quick cross-reference to the 1881 census immediately found the very same Alfred Plumley, then aged six, living with his family in Lower Langford. Alfred’s

Mendip Lodge now demolished

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GWR staff at Weston-super-Mare station 1890s

father’s occupation was given as “coachman” although it was a while before I was able to find out for sure who he was coachman to.

Eventually, though I was able to give a name to practically every person and location in Alfred’s story, including the two inter-related families of local “Quality” (as Alfred called them), living at Langford Court and Mendip Lodge. It was at Mendip Lodge – now sadly demolished – that Alfred worked as a servant from when he was 12 until he was 16.

I should add that none of this detail could have been achieved without the willing and generous help of the local history societies in both Langford and Worle (Worle Station being the place where – so it turned out – Alfred’s working

HISTORY

(Photograph courtesy of STEAM Museum of the GWR, Swindon)

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life on the railways began).

Over the months that I was working on the book, I had to read the original memoir many times. Before long, I began to see and hear the young Alfred in my mind. I wouldn't precisely say that he felt like someone I actually knew. It was more as if, by some odd quirk of history, he had become an actual ancestor of mine – one of my great-grandfathers perhaps – just by virtue of my having stumbled upon his story on that cold afternoon a couple of years earlier. I felt connected to him.

My only slight regret is that my researches failed to turn up a photograph of Alfred. I would have liked to know what he looked like. There may be such a photograph in an old shoebox in an attic somewhere – but it is probable that the person who one day finds it will scratch their head and wonder just who this old chap was. It is the fate of most of us to be forgotten after a couple of generations and the same is likely be true of Alfred.

There is no way of knowing whether Alfred intended his memoir to be published although his protection of people’s identities suggests that perhaps he hoped it would. If so, I am delighted to have brought that about for him, albeit more than 60 years after his death. It’s been a pleasure and a great satisfaction, to have taken all those long forgotten incidents and put them back, in ghostly form, in the Mendip settings where they occurred. I hope Alfred would be pleased. I like to think he would.

Schoolboy, Servant, GWR Apprentice: The Memoirs of Alfred Plumley 1880 – 1892, edited by David Wilkins, is published by the History Press at £12.99. It can be ordered from any high street bookshop or online retailer. It is also available as an e-book at £4.99.

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NEWS

A nod and a wink to royalty

This year is a very special one in the world of tiddlywinks – the 60th anniversary of a “Royal Match” between the legendary Goons and a team from Cambridge University.

And once again, Mendip can be proud of playing its role in the continuing popularity of the game. Mark Adler reports.

IMAGINE the scene: it’s March 10th, 1958 and fans of The Goon Show are huddled around their wirelesses to listen to the first broadcast of episode 24 of Series Eight.

The show is titled Tiddlywinks and the team has been inspired by the infamous match between themselves and the Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club held a few days earlier. The reasons for the match taking place in the first place are somewhat arcane but involved CUTwC challenging

Tim Hunt, the eventual winner, prepares to play a shot

This year’s competitors

the Duke of Edinburgh – he, in turn, nominated The Goons to represent him.

Ned Seagoon (Harry Secombe): “Curse. Curse. Curse.

Curse. Curse. Cambridge should never have beaten us. Curse it!”

Cyril (Peter Sellers): “Sir?” Seagoon: “Any message of consolation from the Palace?”

Cyril: “Er, no sir. No.” Seagoon: “He's a lot of good, isn't he? My life. There we were, dressed up like idiots, popping little buttons into a cup and still no signs of a knighthood.”* The Goons then proceed to shoot a photograph of the victorious Cambridge team…

Fast forward to 2018 and most of the council members of the English Tiddlywinks Association (mostly members of CUTwC) are deep in concentration over two tables in the function room of an otherwise empty Old Down Inn at Emborough.

They are there to play the Somerset Invitational, an annual fixture which used to be held just down the road at the Somerset Wagon in Chilcompton, but something is amiss.

For the first time, the tournament is being held on synthetic, rather than felt, mats and – for these experts in the game – they are struggling with the challenge as their “squidgers” react differently on the surface when they flick their winks.

Think Ronnie O’Sullivan down the Dog and Duck on a beerstained snooker table playing with a borrowed cue.

The mats are, however, used by CUTWC’s nearest rival – the Society of Tiddlywinks, University of York, represented

by Cambridge graduate Phillip Buckham-Bonnett. Not that it seemed to give him any advantage. Tim Hunt, a Cambridge post-graduate, who works in IT Delivery with the Open University and is based in Milton Keynes, took the title.

Sarah Knight, chair of the ETwA council and another exCambridge student, said: “I’m sure we will mark the 60th anniversary of the Royal Match in some way. In 2008, Cambridge played the Savage Club, Prince Philip’s royal champions, and some of the original members of the 1958 team were there.” * With thanks to www.thegoonshow.net

To read a full report about the Cambridge University match against The Goons, visit: www.etwa.org/history/history2-3.html

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WILDLIFE

Where are the rabbits?

HAVING been alive for as long as I have, I have witnessed some notable bird declines over the years.

Two obvious ones that were considered

By CHRIS as pest species in my SPERRING youth are the house MBE sparrow and the starling. Now both are on the Red List of the Birds of Conservation Concern. With a majority of wildlife conservation resources being focused on rare species we shouldn’t forget to take care of those which are common, because otherwise they can slip almost unnoticed into scarcity themselves.

Whilst there’s been much talk about significant declines in bird species, along with more charismatic mammals like water vole and otter, I have been noticing recently that rabbits are considerably less common than they were five years ago. In some places they are absent all together.

Now this may be a localised occurrence, and you may think that it’s not happening where you live, but what if it’s not? What if, like so many other species that we once took for granted, the humble bunny rabbit is going the same way? As unlikely as it may seem, what could the implications be for other species?

First of all, let’s review some basic information about wild rabbits. It was thought that rabbits were introduced to Britain by the Normans around 1,000 years ago, who produced the now famous “warrens”. However, fossil remains of rabbits have now been discovered which prove that rabbits were present in Norfolk around 2,000 years ago, meaning that they were more likely introduced by the Romans.

Rabbits are, of course, herbivores, eating

I spy lunch – a fox chases a rabbit

predominantly low-growing plants. They are prolific breeders. Although it’s often stated that they don’t have a breeding season, the first litters usually appear above ground during February.

After a gestation period of around 30 days, the doe (female) is ready to be mated again the day after the young are born. I have heard it said that a single doe could produce up to 100 kits (young) in a single year.

If half of those kits are does, then each one of those could produce 100 kits in a year, and so on. Of course, this doesn’t take into account the very many predators that prey upon rabbits, and other dangers like diseases, roads and hunting, which all play a part in keeping rabbit numbers in check.

Unlike brown hares, rabbits live in colonies and build underground warrens or burrows, some of which are interconnected. A doe with kits not yet able to come above ground will block her young in with an earthy/grassy door across the tunnel entrance, so that she can go off feeding above ground and come back periodically to feed her kits.

Rabbits do an awful lot of damage to farmland if their numbers build up in one area. In Britain in 2005 it was estimated that rabbits cost the economy £100 million through crop damage and forestry A wild rabbit on the Isle of Mull

protection measures.

Two diseases that have been used in the fight against rabbits are Myxomatosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD), both of which are highly contagious and indeed RHD was released or escaped from laboratories in Australia in 1995 and killed an estimated ten million rabbits in eight weeks.

Now what if my local observation about the decline of rabbits is right? So what?

What did the bunny ever do for us? Well, rabbits can be very important for maintaining a low grass sward, indeed many of my botanically-minded friends state that these intensively rabbit-grazed areas produce some very rare lowflowering plants species, which in-turn create food for some specialist pollinators.

Then there’s the balance of nature, with fox, badger, stoat, weasel and buzzard (to name but a few) having adapted to a rabbit inhabited landscape. What would the impact be for them? It’s well known that rabbits like to keep grassland open so they will nibble away at scrub plants which try to swallow up the open grasslands through natural succession.

The wild rabbit, like all wildlife, has its place and is firmly embedded into the British landscape. Like everything else in nature its presence affects so much else.

So, what would its absence do, and say, about the future of our natural landscape?

As always, I’m keen to hear what you’re observing, and it’s an easy one this month.

Have you got wild rabbits close to you? Or maybe it’s not so easy.

Please get in touch if you’d like to hear about wildlife walks and other events that I will be leading throughout the year. I will also be leading some wildlife holidays in the south of France in June and November.

Please visit the Into the Wild website (www.intothewildholidays.com) for further details, or message me directly.

Chris Sperring is Conservation Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust Contact him on 07799 413 918 or chris.sperring@btinternet.com

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 45

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Viewing the valley

THIS is an interesting West Mendip circle from Banwell exploring the Lox Yeo Valley. Although this area has been split by the M5 for over 40 years it still retains much beauty. The motorway has tended to divide the area in terms of walking but this circle crosses the valley, going across farmland and through woods each side with beautiful views to Crook Peak and to the south.

We cross the motorway twice and take in the old part of Banwell, including the old High Street, well and pump, the cart wash, as well as Banwell Hill, the Norman church of Christon and Banwell Castle. Not surprisingly there is a hum from the motorway for some of the route.

I have tried to select tracks and lanes that are reasonably dry to make this an ideal winter outing. A steep hill confronts us near the start as we climb out of Banwell and there are a two or three other hills en-route as well as a few stiles. It’s a great ramble ideal for both man and dog.

Walking is mainly dry but expect mud in some places after heavy rain.

There is no refreshment on the way, but it is possible to have a cream tea at Banwell Castle (see details at the end).

The Brewers Arms pub in Church Street is at the end too.

PARK: In the free car park in the main road opposite the primary school.

With Sue Gearing PAGE 46 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

START: Turn right along the pavement.

Cross and shortly go up the marked footpath on the left just past a close.

Continue on this, going over a crossing residential road, climbing quite steeply until you reach the crossing old High Street.

1. HIGH STREET Turn left with good views over the village and valley. Soon pass the old well and pump. The street narrows and by Rock House turn back sharply right up Hill Path, continuing the steady ascent.

Carry on all the way up until the track becomes a footpath by a house and takes you on into woodland. Maintain direction along the end of a field and reach the end of a crossing track on Banwell Hill.

2. BANWELL HILL Turn right a yard or two and then go left on the marked footpath through into a field. The low stone memorial you pass on your right by a group of trees, is known as Beard’s Stone and marks the reburial in 1842 of an ancient human skeleton found by amateur archaeologist William Beard near his house by Banwell Caves.

The poem reads: Beard in his kindness bought me to this spot As one unknown and long forgot He made my grave and bought me here When there was no kind friend to shed a tear.

My bones are here, my spirit fled For years unknown, numbered with the dead Reader, as I am, so shall you be,

Prepare for death and follow me.

Not very cheering! At the memorial go ahead, but bear away slightly right to go through a kissing gate in the hedge (you may have to go round mud etc.). Once through, follow the arrow diagonally across the field aiming to the left of a house by a telegraph pole. Cross the stile and go ahead down to a large gate onto a crossing track.

3. TRACK Turn right and continue on the track for about three quarters of a mile. Eventually come down past a farm with buildings in various states of repair and onto a lane.

Not far away, up right is remarkable Banwell Caves containing thousands of prehistoric animal bones about 60,000 years old. The site also has grottos and follies, bone repository and Banwell Tower. Tours for groups can be arranged from the spring (see details at the end).

4. M5 BRIDGE We go left down the lane and shortly, on the bend, turn right and cross the M5 bridge. Continue up the lane/track on the other side – a gentle climb for roughly half a mile.

5. FOOTPATH As it starts to level out, go left over a high stile by a gate on the marked footpath into a field. Follow the left edge and soon climb a little more. Find another high stile and then follow the remains of a grassy track ahead and cross the field with great views across the valley to Crook Peak. Ahead of us down below is the small hamlet of Christon.

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WALKING

On the far side of the field follow the track as it bears left alongside the hedge.

Stay close to it along the bottom of the field. Then turn right through a recently installed gate and down a track and past Manor Farm.

L

6. CHRISTON Reach Christon a small hamlet nestling below the hill. To the right is the beautiful old Norman church of St Mary’s with a distinctive arched door and porch.

Turn left on the road and follow it to cross over the M5 again and continue on for about a further quarter of a mile.

7. YARBERRY Reach the small settlement of Yarberry and a left bend. You can take the footpath ahead through the farm and then into a field and diagonally across to rejoin the lane by a crossing footpath. But in winter it is probably best to stay on the lane round the bend and then take the first turning right and reach the crossing footpath. Follow the footpath left through the kissing gate and head straight across aiming for the white house up on the top (not the one over right) Go through a hunting gate and go up ahead bearing right through another gate and then on up a little steeper, aiming for the top right corner. Take the gate onto the track where you were earlier (3.TRACK). Turn right.

Stay on the track, going through a gate and then along through a field to join a lane.

8. LANE Go straight on. In the bumpy grassy field on the right, evidence of Roman and Medieval occupation was discovered in

5.4 miles, about 3 hours walking. OS Explorer 153, Weston-super-Mare & Bleadon Hill, Grid ref: 396 592.

the ‘60s. Continue along the lane and then down to the main road on the edge of Banwell by Banwell Castle.

9. CASTLE The Victorian castle, built in 1847, remains very much a family home but is also a hotel and a restaurant.

Chickens and peacocks run free in the grounds with rare sheep, wild deer, badger, pheasants and bats also resident. Cream teas are served in the castle in season – see details at the end and ring before you go. Cross the main road with care and go down Dark Lane opposite to Banwell.

10. BANWELL At the main road, cross towards the old Banwell Abbey, built as a bishop’s residence in the 14th and 15th centuries and turn left. Almost immediately, just past the small building that houses fire station memorabilia, turn right on the path between walls leading to the church of St Andrew’s. Go into the churchyard to the right of the church.

Just before the actual church building note a memorial to William Beard, “the bone cave man” on the left, topped by a sculpture of Beard. Go on through and down steps the other side out to a lane.

The Brewer’s Arms is a few yards to the right. Go across the lane to the old cart wash and up steps to the bowling green, the site of the former village pond and spring where the River Banwell rises.

Go round the bowling green on the path to the right. Continue up to the main road and turn right on the pavement back to the start.

Banwell Castle, 01934 822263, open from March to end of October for cream teas, but larger groups can pre-book the teas at any time Banwell Caves. From May groups may be able to book a tour.

Go to the websites: Booking Form Banwell Caves or Organise a Tour Banwell Caves

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 47

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OUTDOORS

West Countryman’s diary

FEBRUARY derives its name from the word “februare”, to purify, or from “Februa” the Roman festival of atonement, which was celebrated through the latter part of the month. One important feast to occupy this month is Candlemas Day on February the second, when all the candles for use in the With LES church throughout the year would be blessed.

DAVIES MBE This is probably the beginning of a desire for longer days and better weather. It could be heralded as the harbinger of doom for a coming summer or the herald of good times to come: “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight; but if Candlemas day be clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.” Well we can only hope!

Once again I turn to Edith Holden’s wonderful book, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, to find out what was going on in February, 1906 at her home in Olton, Warwickshire: Feb 1. Dull day with slight drizzle of rain in the morning but bright and mild in the afternoon.

Feb 2. Candlemas day. Wild and stormy!

Feb 3. It says in today’s Chronicle that at Dover a blackbird’s nest with two eggs has been found; at Edenbridge a hedge sparrow’s with four eggs and at Elmstead, a robin with five eggs.

Quite clearly this must have been a slow news day indeed to feature what we might consider to be such trivia. It does show however that even back then the weather could play tricks on the natural world, just as it is does today. I am already seeing snowdrops pushing their heads above the ground to see what's going on.

Much of the wildlife will have had a tough time as well, but hopefully things will begin to get better from here on. Beware however the fickle climate of Mendip, where all four seasons may be experienced in just one day… still time for a little more snow?

The farming world is waking up as well. I have seen new lambs in fields, born into an uncertain and at times hostile world. I still hear of sheep worrying, where thoughtless people who have no control over their animals stand by helpless and hopelessly in a situation they should never have gotten into in the first place.

The countryside is a place of farm livestock and not just grass and crops. Neither is it a “playground”. Access to the countryside brings with it responsibility and respect, which I have to say, can at times be sadly lacking. One incident recently ended with the offending dog being shot. The ensuing situation, as you can imagined was somewhat “charged” on both sides.

It is not a decision taken lightly when such an animal has to be destroyed, but the damage that this dog inflicted was pretty horrendous to say the least. I do not want to go into further detail because there will be an inquiry underway. Suffice to say this is not the way to end a day on Mendip or anywhere else in the countryside. Dogs on leads don’t do this!

Not quite so wonderful as Edith Holden’s Diary, but none the less useful and informative (at times), is my Mendip Hills Warden’s log. I thought I would take a few extracts for February 1991 and see what was happening back then. The month begins with heavy snow overnight of January 31st and February 1st.

Quite a bit apparently, being followed by clear cold weather.

The snow returns again over the evening of Thursday 7th and Friday 8th, just before the weekend. My entry on Sunday 10th

shows: “Everybody and his brother is out today! Snow and sunshine.” By Friday 15th the snow had all but gone and by Sunday 24th we were back to wet and cold weather with thick mist. Charterhouse Centre was being re-fitted, after a storm on Christmas Day 1990 had torn the roof off its western end and uprooted trees on the northern edge of Nether Wood.

What we considered back then to be a “freak” storm is now what we are accepting as the norm. I remember roof slates buried in the side of the wooded classroom, just like hatchet blades . . . glad I wasn’t in the way!

Whilst on the subject of Charterhouse Centre, I would like to share with you some of the recollections written down by a man called Terry Mathews. Terry was the head of centre at Charterhouse during the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Much of his work has never been seen before, so it’s time it was. I have edited this piece a little.

Terry begins: “It’s not unusual for people to wander into the centre, yet on one particular day, whilst working in my office, I was aware of someone who was taking more than a passing interest in the place. An elderly gentleman appeared at my office door with tears in his eyes and yet totally at peace with the world.

His name was Geoff Ball.”

Terry, only too pleased to have such an opportunity to gain firsthand information about the school, invited Geoff in.

Geoff had been a pupil at Charterhouse school from 1921 until 1923 and lived at Charterhouse Manor Farm before his family emigrated to Australia. This had been the first opportunity to return to his roots, something he had dreamed of for over 60 years.

Geoff had been quietly sitting in his old school place recalling his days there in the 1920s, before getting up and introducing himself.

Over the coming weeks Geoff helped Terry put new pieces into the jigsaw of Charterhouse’s history. He knew the lay-out of buildings long gone, agricultural field patterns and of mining pits long abandoned. Even in Australia he had kept his contact with Mendip through local papers, even naming his house Charterhouse.

Letting go was something he felt he could never do – now he was back. This a wonderful example of the effect that Mendip can have over you: “You can take the boy out of Mendip, but never Mendip out of the boy!”

Finally this month’s photo is somewhat pastoral, but they are so at risk!

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

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Colour your vegetable garden

VEGETABLE gardens do not have to be areas of the garden to be hidden from view. They can be things of great interest and beauty.

Make 2018 the year you divide up your vegetable area into convenient timber edged beds. The advantages are many, With MARY provided one gets the size of each bed PAYNE MBE right 12 feet by 4 feet (approx. 4m by 1.2m) is ideal as one can reach across to half way from each side and it is not too far to walk around the edge.

Any longer and the temptation to walk across the bed may become too great! Once prepared there is no need to dig as there is no need to compact the soil by walking on it.

Organic matter can be spread on the surface in the autumn leaving the hard work of incorporating it to the worms.

It is easy to make the beds raised which, for those on heavy soils, will improve the surface drainage and allow earlier sowing. The beds can easily be protected from flying insects such as carrot root fly or cabbage white butterflies by hoops of alkathene water pipe draped with fleece or Enviromesh netting.

Not only have you got the aforementioned advantages, but have also elevated the status of your vegetable patch to a “potager”.

So, perhaps it is also time to add ornamental value to your potager, by selecting some of the more ornamental vegetables that are still worth eating.

Runner beans are attractive, but a mix of red and white flowered types could be used. The variety Firestorm has been around for a few years now and has the huge advantage of setting well in less favourable conditions due to the presence of some French bean genes.

The white flowered Snowstorm has similar parentage. If you would prefer red and white flowers on the same plant, then St George is for you, but it does not have the advantage of the French bean genes.

Climbing French beans are delicious and keep the pods out of harm’s way of soil splash and slugs. Try a combination of the round podded yellow podded Monte Gusto, the green podded Monte Cristo, and the purple flowered, purple podded Carminat for a decorative wigwam.

Purple flowered, purple podded peas look most attractive climbing a chicken netting frame. Sadly most purple podded vegetables lose their colour when cooked, but Shiraz (mangetout type) or Blauwschokker (podded type) are worth a try.

Beetroot is very trendy these days for its admirable betalain content, now regarded as being very good for us. Try the yellow, striped and white rooted varieties as a colourful addition to the vegetable garden.

Carrots are now being offered in shades other than orange in the supermarkets so perhaps try the cream rooted Creampak, yellow rooted Golden Nugget, or purple rooted Purple Sun. All these three varieties are F1 hybrids which exbibit uniformity and vigour, ideal for the amateur grower.

Another so-called “superfood” is kale, that stalwart of the winter vegetable plot. Curly kale with deep crimson leaves named Scarlet, interplanted with the green leaved Dwarf Green Curled, would add impact and colour. For the PAGE 50 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Pak Choi Rubi

adventurous white leaved Peacock White would look at home in the vegetable or flower garden.

Sow kale in May and transplant to its growing position ready to autumn crop through autumn and winter. The white colouring on Peacock White will not develop until the weather gets cold.

Purple-leaved leeks (Northern Lights F1) will also add ornamental value over many months, while red salad onions such as Apache or Redmate are growing in popularity with the modern chefs who are increasingly looking for interesting colour to add to dishes.

A July or August sowing of red leaved Chinese Cabbage Scarvita or purple leaved Pak Choi Rubi helps prevent premature bolting, and gives good autumn crops. Pak Choi can be used young as salad leaves or matured into heads for use in stir fries.

Vegetable colours have tended to revolve around the greens, purples and yellows but by adding some edible flowers to your potager the garden will really spring into life.

Nasturtiums are an obvious choice for both their peppery edible leaves and flowers. Choose non-climbing (sprawling) varieties, such as Peach Melba to dot in spaces, or a climbing type e.g. Orange Troika which also has variegated foliage mixed with peas. Have you tried pinching off the tip of the spur and sucking out the nectar? – yummy!

To add the finishing touch, try growing the flamboyant Callaloo (Amaranthus tricolor). This is related to Love lies Bleeding and is closely related to the fashionable grain quinoa. The leaves develop red, yellow and green colours and can be eaten as salad leaves or as an alternative to spinach. It apparently tastes of a mix of spinach, broccoli and watercress. Sow direct in the soil in late May, or early June for harvesting in late summer/autumn.

For the adventurous try Strawberry Spinach (Blitum capitatum), another relative of quinoa. Don’t get too excited about strawberry flavoured spinach. The green leaves can certainly be used as spinach, but after flowering the seed heads are red and vaguely strawberry-like and can be added to salads. I shall certainly be giving both these a try.

Now that your potager is not only productive, but looks beautiful as well, you will need a seat nearby from which to admire it and enjoy a Pimms, so we had better grow some blue or white flowered borage to decorate your tipple.

Simply sow direct where you want it to grow in April or May and sit back. The bees will love it too.

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FEBRUARY GARDEN TIPS

Sow geraniums, fibrous rooted begonias, antirrhinum, lobelia, petunias and impatiens. Make sure you use fresh compost, clean seed trays, some heat and fresh water!

Sow sweet peas in long tube pots or Rootrainers.

Buy plug bedding plants to take home and grow on in cell packs. These can even be grown on the windowsill for a while.

Trees that have lost their leaves can be pruned now.

Harden off forced hyacinth bulbs after they have finished flowering. Then plant them out in the garden where they will thrive and flower for many years to come.

When snowdrops finish flowering lift crowded clumps, carefully divide them and replant immediately.

Snowdrops hate to have their roots broken so be careful but this is the best time to plant them!

Don’t forget to buy seed potatoes and set them up to shoot - “chitting”. Early varieties like Rocket will benefit but later varieties will yield better too if encouraged into growth before planting out. If you have room for only one variety, grow Charlotte.

Lots of vegetable plants can be sown now e.g. turnips, lettuce, broad beans, peas, stump rooted carrots, early cabbage, cauliflower and spinach in trays on the windowsill. These could be planted out later this month.

Raspberry canes and rhubarb can still be planted now.

Courtesy Cleeve Nursery

Seed Potatoes due in January

Snowdrops on show

SHERBORNE Garden will be open again under the National Garden Scheme on Sunday February 11th and Monday February 12th, with visitors also welcome on other days.

There is a holly and snowdrop wood but snowdrops are also clustered around in the rest of the four-acre garden, where they increase annually along with the crocus and anemones.

Pamela Southwell has had her usual battles with the moles, squirrels and the heron – but has survived along with the thousands of snowdrops. Do go along and see the lovely garden.

Details: 01761 241220

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Mendip Times reduces travel costs

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Snowdrops emerging – festival plans revealed ORGANISERS of the second Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival have announced a fun and fascinating lineup of events – with something on offer for all the family.

The festival takes place from Friday, February 16th to Sunday, February 18th across the town. Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis will open the celebrations at 10am in the Market Place on the Friday.

The opening coincides with the weekly market which will will have a special emphasis on snowdrops, flower arranging and specialist arts and crafts exhibitors.

The Snowdrop Festival is an initiative of the Shepton Mallet Horticultural Society, which has planted more than 200,000 snowdrop bulbs around the town to bloom during the weekend and beyond.

The festival celebrates the life and work of Shepton’s own James Allen, known as the Snowdrop King in

Victorian times. Three of his residences in the town will open their gardens on the Friday afternoon for accompanied visits, with the added bonus of hidden pots of special snowdrops to be discovered throughout the town.

Saturday will see more snowdrop bulbs on sale in the Market Place, along with flower arranging, children’s workshops, face-painting and other stalls. The Wandering Street Poet will invent inspired poems on the spot for adults and children. There will be a children’s fancy dress parade, with the theme of The Secret Garden. A procession to James Allen’s grave in the town’s cemetery will take place at 3.15pm.

On Sunday, the festival will host an illustrated talk at St Paul’s CofE Junior School by author and broadcaster Naomi Slade, focusing on how to get the best out of snowdrops in the garden. Naomi will be signing and selling copies of her recent book The

GARDENING

Preparing planters of snowdrops which will decorate the town

Plant Lover’s Guide to Snowdrops.

Sunday will also see an outdoor snowdrop ramble in the local countryside.

The deadline for entries to the poetry competition has closed, but entries for the photography competition are open until Sunday, February 11th. Prizes will be presented by the main competition judges, poet Alison Brackenbury and photographer Bill Bradshaw, on the Saturday of the festival.

For full details and to book tickets for Naomi Slade’s talk, visit: www.sheptonsnowdropfestival.org.uk

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 53

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GARDENING

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EVENTS

Wassail has the wow factor

THERE were plenty of smiles at the annual Mid-Somerset Agricultural Society wassail at North Wootton, near Shepton Mallet.

Wassail king Joshua (right) with Lily and Amber The Langport Mummers

The Straw Folk band take shelter

A huge bonfire welcomed wassailers

The wassail ceremony begins

Joshua, the wassail king (centre), is helped by dad James and Bill Bartlett, the wassail organiser, as he lights the bonfire

Master of ceremonies Alan Stone

A scene from the mummers play MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 55

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Priddy Pre-school open morning

PRIDDY Pre-school is holding an open morning for all interested parents and carers on Thursday March 1st, 9.30am12pm. Go along and discover for yourselves what this beautiful rural pre-school has to offer your child.

Situated in the heart of the Mendip Hills, Priddy offers the perfect natural environment for a pre-school centred around outdoor learning and creativity.

This small, child-centred pre-school has recently undergone changes in management and received local funding to offer high quality care with a “freedom to learn” ethos and strong focus on art and music.

Priddy Pre-school aims to encourage a love for nature and the great outdoors and instil a sense of freedom, adventure, fun and independence.

Children spend roughly 50% of their time outdoors and thanks to funding from Priddy Folk Festival are also able to benefit from specialist music and art sessions.

Priddy Pre-school offers term-time care with the option of breakfast club and hot meals for two-four-year-olds. Make sure you bring your wellies!

We’ve got it covered Mendip Times Distribution Points

Details: www.priddypreschool.org or phone 01749 870755 for further information.

= Mendip Times Distribution area

Mendip Times is available from over 800 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.

ALHAMPTON AXBRIDGE BALTONSBOROUGH BACKWELL BANWELL BARROW GURNEY BARTON ST. DAVID BATCOMBE BECKINGTON BISHOP SUTTON BLACKFORD BLAGDON BLEADON BRENT KNOLL BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BROCKLEY BRUTON BUCKLAND DINHAM BURCOTT BURRINGTON BUTLEIGH CAMERTON CASTLE CARY CHARTERHOUSE CHEDDAR CHELYNCH CHEW MAGNA CHEW STOKE CHEWTON MENDIP CHILCOMPTON

CHURCHILL 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

PAGE 56 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

HALLATROW HIGH LITTLETON HINTON BLEWETT 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 STRATTON ON THE FOSSE STREET TARNOCK TEMPLE CLOUD TIMSBURY TRUDOXHILL TYTHERINGTON UBLEY UPHILL VOBSTER WALTON WANSTROW 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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Expert tuition in music

JANE Ballantyne has recently moved to the area and from her new home in Coxley, Wells, she provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn.

Students of all ages can ask questions freely without the embarrassment of being wrong, for as she says the main aim is to enjoy music and playing a musical instrument.

Jane is a violin and alto sax music teacher (for beginners through to advanced), incorporating, if the pupil wishes, the ABRSM grades 1-8, and theory grades 1-5.

With an MA degree in music theory from Bristol University and an L.T.C.L teachers diploma from Trinity College of Music, London, the lessons are tailored to pupil’s requirements, whether old or young, a complete beginner, or to improve technique.

Details: Consult Jane on 07759 195322 via email janesabode@btinternet.com or see www.musicteachers.co.uk)

New nursery at New Manor

EDUCATION

Carnival time in schools

A PROJECT to raise awareness amongst children of the famous Somerset carnivals is hoping to increase its work in schools in the county.

The Carnivals in Somerset Promotion Project has visited more than 70 different schools with its specially-designed van since it was launched in 2011. CISPP’s annual meeting will be held on Sunday April 8th at 2pm at the Glastonbury Committee Shed at the Butler Carnival Park.

For details about CISPP’s work in schools, visit: www.cispp.org.uk or email sue@cispp.org.uk

JANE BALLANTYNE MUSIC TUTOR

Qualifications: LTCL Teachers Diploma MA Music Bristol University

Violin & Alto Sax All ages welcome

Mob: 07759 195322 www.musicteachers.co.uk Janesabode@btinternet.com

THE Nursery at New Manor, North Widcombe, will be opening its doors on Monday, February 26th, taking children aged four months to five years.

It will be run by owner and qualified teacher, Rosanne Pool, with manager Lynne Vivian, who has been head of early years at Sidcot School since 2011.

Rosanne said: “We truly believe in the power of the natural outdoor environment and our wonderful rural location at New Manor Farm will enable us to easily bring the outside into our learning environment.”

The nursery will be open 51 weeks of the year and can offer flexible sessions on a first-come, first-served hourly rate on an ad-hoc basis.

Rosanne Pool

Lynne Vivian

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 57

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Bishop Sutton Wassail

Men of Chew were in fine voice

BISHOP Sutton’s first wassail, organised by the village primary school’s PTA, was a huge success, culminating in a bonfire and party in Abby and Ali Pearson’s orchard.

The association’s chairman, Lisa Elliot, said they were delighted by the amount of support it had received.

Wassail queen Isla Pearson, aged nine, with Master of Ceremonies, Colin Emmett

Somerset Morris led the dancing

Blagdon Wassail

The Apple Queen leading the crowd from the New Inn along to Eldred's Orchard.

The shotgun party (l to r) Del Dowling, Phil Gibson, Ben Dowling and Bob Samwell

PAGE 58 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Pictured (l to r) organiser, Julie Chamberlain, Apple Queen, Suzanne Bowerman and shooter Alan Barwick.

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EVENTS

O’ Glastonbury, we wassail thee FEW communities can boast hosting two separate wassail ceremonies – let alone on the same day – but Glastonbury can be proud of that fact.

First, wassailers gathered on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor for a ceremony in the National Trust orchard.

Druids and storytellers mingled with families and there was entertainment from Glastonbury Barker Morris.

The wassail was followed by sell-out celebrations at the Somerset Rural Life Museum for the first wassail in three years since the museum re-opened.

After a traditional ceremony around the oldest tree in the museum orchard, local band Rapscallion led dancing in the historic tithe barn.

Daniel North and Kathy Skelton, from Glastonbury Barker Morris, who performed on the Tor

Visitors prepare to wassail one of the apple trees on the Tor

Farmer Les Clapp fires a shotgun into a tree at the museum orchard to frighten away evil spirits

Ash Grove Druids gather at the Tor

National Trust volunteers Robin, Maggie and Ronnie

Les Davies, master of ceremonies at the Somerset Rural Life Museum wassail, crowns Lizzie Heck as wassail queen

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 59

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Happy Birthday NHS?

THE NHS is 70 this year, a cause for celebration amidst the winter crisis. The current political wrangling about how much we can afford to put into health and social care overlooks the fact that the NHS was born when the nation was bankrupt after the most expensive war in history.

And yet it still happened despite intense

By Dr PHIL opposition from the very people most needed to HAMMOND make it work. Doctors feared becoming slaves of the state and losing their private income. Nye Bevan, the visionary health and housing minister (pictured), had to stuff our mouths with gold.

GPs were allowed to remain self-employed and consultants were allowed to opt out of full-time NHS work to moonlight in Harley Street.

Although there was cross-party support for the idea of an NHS in the wartime coalition, it wouldn’t have happened without Bevan’s determination. A working-class miner from Tredegar, he lost three siblings at a young age before his father died from pneumoconiosis caused by coal dust. He left school at 13 and had a terrible stammer.

But his passion reversing the injustices he saw amongst the poor lead to a determination to become one of the most effective and inspirational socialist politicians in history.

So where would we be without the NHS? We may soon find out. In 1948, most poor people died well before the age of 65 and many in childhood. The death rates from infectious disease and poverty-related illnesses were truly staggering because people simply couldn’t afford healthcare.

The NHS overnight provided access to health care for all, regardless of ability to pay and funded through central taxation, so the rich were paying for the poor. It remains the most efficient and altruistic way of funding universal care.

We desperately need cross-party and public agreement for long-term funding for health and social care and it needs to be more than we put in now. Between 2003 and 2015 the population of England increased by 10 per cent, from 49.9 million to 54.8 million and the number of people aged over 85 has increased by nearly 40 percent.

But the biggest rise in demand has come from people living with multiple long-term conditions, who are often poorer and socially isolated and arrive in hospital cold, malnourished and dehydrated alongside their diabetes, dementia and heart failure.

So 70 years after Bevan’s baby was born, the rich still live a decade longer than the poor and the poor can expect 20 years more suffering from chronic diseases than the rich. Clearly, the crisis in the NHS will never be resolved without addressing the crisis of poverty.

Nye Bevan died at 62, but millionaire Jeremy Hunt could still be our health secretary at 100. Happy New Year.

Dr Phil’s new show Happy Birthday NHS? is at Frome Merlin Theatre on April 15th and Bristol Tobacco Factory on April 29th.

He is at Arnos Vale Life, Death and the Rest Festival on Feb 22nd.

PAGE 60 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Plop the Raindrop

I’VE been sitting on a bird feeder all morning. It’s interesting to watch how birds behave. Sparrows chatter away and have an occasional sparrow spat, fighting around the feeder. But mostly they patiently wait their turn.

Then there seems to be a secret signal, which sends them all diving back to hide in the bushes. A minute or two later, they creep back one by one.

In the spring their chicks sit like woolly balls of fluff waiting to be fed – some of them bigger than their parents.

Starlings look magnificent with their sparkling feathers and pointy beaks. But it only takes two of them to start an argument, flapping and squawking to claim the feeder for themselves. If they took it in turn, there wouldn’t be a problem.

That’s a lesson that some greedy people could learn.

As it is, they spill more seed than they eat, which suits the dunnocks, blackbirds, robins and wrens, who prefer to pick up their food off the ground.

The collar doves come and sit nervously on top, watching all the small tits pecking away at the peanuts.

But if you put out fat balls, the peace is disturbed. Jackdaws come swooping down, before being chased away by magpies. All the small birds keep out of the way. Very sensible.

For about half an hour I didn’t see any birds, apart from a heron standing hungrily by the pond, hoping to catch a frog or tadpole.

Even the bird song had stopped. It was a bit of a mystery. I looked round to see what the problem might be – and there sitting on the shed roof was a sparrowhawk, looking for a tasty snack.

Eventually he got bored and flew away. A few minutes later all the little birds were back, twittering like mad.

Someone wrote a poem once about taking the time to stand and stare. I don’t get much choice, as a water droplet, since I can’t move far on my own. But it really is a lovely thing to do.

Whether you are watching birds or butterflies, a rainbow or the sea, there’s so much in the world to enjoy.

I was day dreaming when a spotted woodpecker landed on the feeder, shaking it so much that I was thrown in the air.

Down below a robin was foraging among the weeds and flowers and I landed on her back. Now I’m sitting in her nest, surrounded by six hungry chicks.

It really is amazing that such a small bird can have such a big family. How would you like to have five brothers and sisters?

I hope you wouldn’t quarrel like the starlings.

Mendip Grandad

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HEALTH & FAMILY

• Rented self contained, en suite accommodation for the active elderly • A home cooked 3 course mid-day meal • 24 hour emergency cover • Lift to first floor & sitting room • Independent living within private community • Close to the centre of a thriving, picturesque village • Spacious landscaped gardens • Friendly, home from home • Activities and outings • Guest accommodation • Views of the Mendip Hills • Welcome to people of any faith or none • Charges are fully inclusive For news on current vacancies please contact the Resident Warden 01934 843746 • warden.sewell@btconnect.com Sewell House, Belmont Road Winscombe BS25 1LQ www.sewellhouse.org.uk

Sewell House is managed by Sidcot Friends Housing Society Ltd – a not-for-profit organisation

COURT HOUSE A beautiful Georgian Retirement Home set in the lovely village of Cheddar, Somerset.

You can live your life to the full and choice is our favourite word

The Manager – Chris Dando 01934 742131 chriscourthouse@gmail.com Court House Retirement Home, Church Street, Cheddar, Somerset BS27 3RA MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 61

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Funds for those with disabilities

Improved local access to lifechanging dental treatment

NEW grants of up to £1,000 are available for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or both and living in Somerset or Devon to take part in music therapy, music experiences and outdoor adventures. The grants are made possible by a new fund called Mary’s Beat, which has been created in memory of Mary Christabel Dyer.

Administered by Somerset Community Foundation, Mary’s Beat will consider funding for individuals to participate in an activity which would not otherwise be available to them. Eligible activities include music therapy, one-off concerts, and outdoor activities that will build self-confidence, encourage participation and inspire hope for the future.

Mary, who sadly passed away last year, was born with severe disabilities and required constant care. However she lived a rich and rewarding life. She loved attending live music concerts and enjoyed the great outdoors, camping, walking in her adapted wheelchair, and cycling in her Duet wheelchair bike.

Details: 01749 344949 or visit www.somersetcf.org.uk

Foot Faerie Podiatry Practice Unit 11, Rookery Farm, Binegar, BA3 4UL Tel: 01749 372404 Web: www.footfaerie.co.uk PAGE 62 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

ACCESS to life-changing tooth implant treatment in the Wincanton area is being improved with a special event staged by a Somerset dentist.

Dr James Main is inviting people with one or more missing teeth to discover how dental implants could help improve their quality of life and increase self-esteem at work and at important social occasions.

The event is on Saturday February 24th, 10am until 1pm, at Wincanton Racecourse. Everyone attending will receive a free preliminary consultation, enabling them to discuss their individual requirements with Dr Main.

According to Dr Main: “One of the first things that people will notice about you, is your smile. They will often formulate their impression of you based on how your smile looks. I see many patients who find social events embarrassing or who are restricted in their food choices.

“For people with missing teeth, failing bridges or loose and uncomfortable dentures, dental implants can be the answer. Several of my patients who have been held back by their teeth, have told me that tooth implant treatment has helped to improve their confidence and oral comfort considerably.”

James Main has extensive experience in cosmetic and implant dentistry. He has been treating implant patients for more than 12 years and has placed over 900 implants. Often the procedure can be completed in a single day, providing fixed teeth that look, feel and function just like the real thing.

He says this really can be life-changing. One of James’s patients who opted for dental implant treatment explains: “It is great to be able to eat anything and laugh with confidence again – no denture, marvellous.”

Another patient adds: “I don’t know the difference between the implants and my own teeth. I can now eat without any discomfort.”

Dr Main said: “Each patient has individual requirements. To be sure of the specific benefits for you and the cost of your individual treatment, the best thing is to come in and see me.”

Details: Contact The James Main Dental Partnership on 01458 832193 or 0845 603 1513.

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HEALTH & FAMILY

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Shi ni n g a l i g h t o n Sh ept o n Ma l l e t THEY came in all shapes and sizes – and that was just the 160-plus lanterns made for Shepton Mallet’s annual community lantern procession.

Most of the lanterns had been created during familyfriendly workshops in December ahead of the parade from the town’s Collett Park to the Market Place. Organisers described the parade as: “the best ever”.

The theme was left to people’s imaginations

The parade arrives in the Market Place

Jamme de Samba led the procession

Shepton cubs and beavers gather in Collett Park

The lanterns in Collett Park

Joining the toy library is child’s play FROME’S toy library has reopened with a new team – and new funding – behind it.

For many years, the library was run by a small and dedicated committee of local parents but now Purple Elephant Productions, organisers of Frome’s Children's Festival Team have agreed to take it over. Funded by Somerset Community Foundation and Frome Town Council, it is hoped that the library will now go from strength-to-strength.

The library is run from Portway Church on Tuesdays and has a range of good quality toys to borrow. Membership costs £10

per family per year.

Organiser Sue Willis said: “It will operate on the same basis as before but with timed craft and music sessions built into the day. We are starting off back at Portway Church but hope to be able to extend our reach quite quickly so please keep an eye out for further information on other play days.”

The sessions cost £1 per child and allow parents to play with their pre-school children in a safe and friendly environment, make something crafty, enjoy music together and have a healthy snack.

The sessions will run every Tuesday from 9.30am to 3.30pm. For more information visit www.facebook.com/fromechildrensfestival/

PAGE 64 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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An excellent year

Committee members of the Farmborough Goodwill Club

FARMBOROUGH Goodwill Club celebrated another successful and enjoyable year which has seen an increase in membership with their annual dinner at the village memorial hall.

An excellent meal provided by Steve Rossiter was followed by entertainment by the popular vocalist Bennie Vee. He was thanked by Ann Bridges who is in her second year as chairman of the club.

The toast to the club was proposed by Malcolm Tucker with Paul Clarke responding on behalf of the club. During the meal the club received their annual visit from the carol singers and handbell ringers from the village’s All Saints’ Church.

The Goodwill Club meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 2.30pm and members enjoy a varied programme of events. Various trips have already been arranged on Tuesdays for 2018. New members are always welcome.

Peace prize

CHEDDAR Vale Lions Club sponsored a Peace Poster Contest.

The posters are judged on their originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the theme, which for this 30th anniversary of the contest, was “The Future of Peace”.

The 1st Cheddar Guides winner was Willow Norman, who was presented with a certificate and prize by Lion president Marion Adcock. Runners-up, Georgia Hemmings and Daisy Thompson, also received prizes.

All 159 pupils of Year 8 at Hugh Sexey’s Middle School also took part.

COMMUNITY

Why every man needs a shed

THE Men’s Shed movement began in Australia when it was realised the value for men in coming together around practical tasks and socially on a regular basis, particularly if they had a designated place or workshop where tools and work in progress could be stored.

It appealed to men both living alone or with partners and at all ages. Although the vast majority of “shedders” are at, or beyond, retirement age, you do not need to be at retirement age to join in. In fact men’s sheds appeal to a wide variety of people.

There are now more than 300 sheds open in the UK, with nearly 100 more being planned. Sheds vary from full-time projects in substantial premises to groups meeting in village halls and community centres for only a few hours a week.

Most sheds have been started by their users with local support, donations of tools and premises being given, borrowed and used often in exchange for repair work. The Shed in Street is at Unit 10, The Tanyard, Leigh Road, Street, BA16 0HD. Most Street buses stop just outside the site and there is limited parking on site.

If you would like to be involved in The Street Men’s Shed or receive more information, get in touch.

Details: www.menssheds.org.uk or contact Brian Bastable 01458 443940 email: brianbastable123@hotmail.co.uk or visit the Street Men’s Shed website www.streetmensshed.btck.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 65

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Birthday celebration

LITTON and Hinton Blewett WI celebrated its 95th birthday in fine style.

Litton Village Hall was resplendent with bunting, bright tablecloths and crackers.

Members arrived Jenny Speed, president, with Joyce Buxton, cutting dressed to the birthday cake “sparkle” and had Prosecco and canapes, followed by a delicious meal accompanied by music from the 1920s and 30s.

Their longest-serving member, Joyce Buxton, attended. She has been a member since she was 18, but attended with her mother from the age of 14, and cut the birthday cake which was decorated with regalia and bunting.

Members say they can’t wait for their 100th birthday celebrations!

Details: If you are interested in joining contact either Jenny Speed (president) on 01761 241393, or Georgina Jefferies (membership) 01761 462269.

Hive of activity

Inner Wheel members hard at work

INNER Wheel Day was marked by the Midsomer Norton and Radstock club with an afternoon spent helping the community.

President Jacky Emm’s home was a hive of activity as members knitted bonnets for premature babies born at Bath’s Royal United Hospital.

They also brought along a bag full of knitted teddies, each of which will top a “School in a Bag” – a charity initiative to help deprived children overseas and, on a more local note, amassed many items to help stock up Somer Valley Food Bank.

PAGE 66 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

Young people in the spotlight

Collections in December by Rotarians in Lidl and Sainsbury stores in Street raised more than £1,000 for the Beckery Resource Centre and Shelter Box

MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Glastonbury and Street will be working with – and for – young people in the coming months.

The annual Rotary-wide Youth Speaks competition gets underway to encourage under-17s to hone their public speaking and presentation skills in local, district and nationwide heats.

Then a concert in Wells Cathedral School’s Cedar Hall in collaboration with Glastonbury Male Voice Choir on Saturday, April 14th will raise funds for the organisation’s annual Kids Out visit to Longleat.

A Rotary fundraising concert by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Commando Training Centre Royal Marines is being held at Bridgwater College’s McMillan Theatre on Saturday, February 24th. Tickets are now on sale.

Camerton events

CAMERTON Community Centre continues its revival with a double bill on Friday February 23rd, at 7pm, with Julie Ann Biggs launching her second book on more local history of Camerton and Bryn Hawkins giving his talk "From Boy To Man in the Somerset Coal Field" about his life as a child in Camerton and working for the NCB until the pits closed in 1973.

For anyone interested in local history this is a not to be missed evening. Admission is just £5 which includes a drink and a biscuit.

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Pensford Evergreens

PENSFORD Evergreen Club will resume on Thursday March 1st after a winter break. After a busy November and December, their year ended with a grand draw, which raised £1,000 to support events this year.

The club was originally started by a small group of people from the village and has grown ever since and now has a membership of over 60. Anyone over the age of 50, living in Pensford and surrounding area can join.

Meetings are every Thursday, 7pm – 9pm, with visitors always being very welcome. The entrance fee is £2 for visitors, which includes tea and biscuits.

Besides enjoying weekly meetings, where they are entertained by various artists, club members also enjoy a five-day spring holiday as well as a tinsel and turkey weekend every autumn.

Details: Robert 01761 490639 or Janet 01761 490584.

Virtual mining

COMMUNITY

Magic of the musicals

Terry Merritt-Smith (front left) and guests at the Christmas lunch

AN interlude celebrating the golden era of MGM Studios musicals entertained guests at lunch after the December meeting of the Mid-Somerset branch of the Royal Air Force Association.

The presentation, at the Britannia Inn in Wells, was given by expert on the musicals, Terry Merritt-Smith. Other guests at the lunch, provided by landlord Rob Rouse, included new member Mike Green, branch president Group Captain Dick Whittingham, chairman Paul Branson, welfare officer Carolyn Browning, social organiser Martin Leach, vicechairman John Hawkins and secretary Noel Pettigrew, along with their partners. ● The branch meets on the first Monday of every month at 10.30am at the Britannia Inn, Bath Road, Wells BA5 3LQ. For details, visit: https://www.rafa.org.uk/mid-somerset or call John Hawkins on: 07710 180847.

TWO students of applied computing have completed an ambitious project to create a virtual reality ride which will be the highlight of the new-look mining experience at Somerset Coalfield Live at Radstock Museum.

Georgina Hill and Barry Lewis, from Bath College, developed the ride for their final foundation degree project. The ride – giving visitors an all-too-real experience of working in a Somerset coalfield – will be unveiled when the museum reopens for the 2018 season in February.

The pair worked with former miner Bryn Hawkins, who helped them recreate life underground, from descending in the cage to Descending into the mine

Visitors will wear special headsets to experience a typical shift down a Somerset coalfield

working seams sometimes just two feet high – and even a rock fall. Georgina and Barry, who are now working towards their bachelor degree, are already planning a new and improved second generation of the ride in which visitors will be able to interact further by picking up implements and using them plus more virtual experiences.

The VR ride will be available at weekends at the museum from Saturday, February 10th. For details, visit: www.radstockmuesum.co.uk

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CAVING

The power of water

IT is common knowledge that our limestone caves have been formed by water flowing through cracks in the rock and dissolving it until large passages have been formed.

Apart from obvious places such as Goatchurch Cavern, at Burrington, and, of course, Wookey Hole, most of the caves we With PHILIP know of today were hidden by collapse and HENDY the gradual infill of clay and stones, even if they were ever actually open to the air.

Water, either in the form of surface streams, or even rainwater saturating the ground, has often been a contributory factor. The process continues and known caves can be lost, albeit temporarily.

Until the entrance gate was altered, the lid of Cuckoo Cleeves near the Hunters’ Lodge Inn was often covered with mud and leaves and the same can happen to any cave where the entrance is set in level ground.

The original entrance to Longwood Swallet was dug open by pupils of Sidcot School in 1944. The Longwood stream sank under a low cliff, except in flood conditions, when it ran on down the valley to sink in several other places. The boys diverted the stream, and removed rock and detritus to reach a rock floor.

Driving into the rock face for four metres, removing seven tons of rock, they encountered a water-worn shaft, which, when cleared, descended 11 metres to unstable boulders. The cave was entered after digging through a low bedding plane. Later a shaft was sunk to intercept the entrance shaft.

This was just as well, because the sink soon became choked with debris again. The new shaft is still the way into the cave. The great storm and flood of 1968 caused many changes to the Mendip landscape, not least to several caves.

Flange Swallet in West Twin Brook Valley at Burrington was a sink which was dug in 1949 by members of the Wessex Cave Club and later by members of the University of Bristol Speleological Society. Following a cliff face down, they found a choked joint 11 metres down.

The dig was then abandoned and gradually slumped, until the 1968 flood completely filled the depression. The council used a digger to clear the debris to prevent the stream from flowing down to the road and spreading it with gravel, but time has restored the status quo, although the normal stream still sinks here.

The gate at the entrance to Thrupe Lane Swallet regularly became blocked by stream-washed debris, which prompted the discoverers, ATLAS (the Association of Thrupe Lane Advanced Speleologists) to try to divert the water. Investigation of the stream bank above the cave led to the discovery of several places where water could be induced to sink and one of them looked particularly promising.

The dig eventually entered the main cave at Upper Butts Chamber. Hobnail Hole, as it is called, will provide an alternative route into the cave, but more importantly, it allows water to be diverted away from the main entrance.

A different kind of flooding was responsible for the loss (to nondivers) of two chambers in Wookey Hole. The dam built in 1852 to provide a head of water for the paper mill raised the water level in the cave and sealed off the fourth and fifth chambers.

In the 1950s, divers found many artefacts in the bed of the river

The entrance to Longwood Swallet

in the large domed third chamber, including human bones. During the Romano-British period, when the fourth chamber was accessible, it was used as a cemetery. Gradually many of the bones washed out, and were carried downstream.

Water can also be responsible for opening up unsuspected holes. The area around Green Ore is littered with old mineshafts, which have mainly been bulldozed flat and lost. It may have been one of these that caused a collapse in a garage forecourt in 1970, when surface water was led into a natural soakaway.

The pit was filled in, but a few weeks later it collapsed again, forming a shaft some nine metres deep and causing structural damage to a nearby building. Several other collapses have occurred around the crossroads in recent years. A lucky caver at Oakhill discovered a cave in his front garden when an unattended hosepipe washed away debris to reveal the entrance.

The great storm and flood of July 10th, 1968 caused a lot of damage on central Mendip and in the valley of the River Chew.

Several caves were affected and temporarily blocked.

At the Charterhouse Manor Farm the University of Bristol Speleological Society had dug a shaft where a stream from Blackdown sank. At a depth of 22 metres, they found a small chamber. When the shaft collapsed, a shaft was mined in solid rock, which it was hoped would connect with the chamber.

It did not, but the 1968 flood opened a shaft ten metres away.

This was very encouraging, as it was 20 metres deep and six metres across. A dig by NHASA (the North Hill Association for Speleological Advancement) dug in this shaft and entered a long decorated cave in 1973.

A little further west, the entrance to G.B. Cave was blocked by flood debris, but when the cave was re-entered, it was found that the main passage, the Gorge, was strewn with mud and boulders from the upper end. A massive shakehole had appeared in the field above, which soon opened up, providing a second entrance to the cave until it was blocked with old cars and allowed to slump.

In the Blackmoor valley, also at Charterhouse, three caves were revealed by the floodwater: Grebe Swallet, Waterwheel Swallet, and Upper Flood Swallet. The first two were altered by lead miners, while Upper Flood is a long, superbly decorated cave.

The storm of 1968 was a freak event, although global warming may increase the likelihood of this happening again. If it does, may be more caves will be revealed. Cavers will certainly be on the lookout for them.

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.

PAGE 68 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

(Photograph by Phil Hendy)

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Brean gears up for annual rally

MOTORING

For servicing, repairs and sales of all makes of caravans and motorhomes

Bailey approved body shop and workshop

Local driver Rick Bliss will be hoping for a good run in his Honda Civic

THE Brean Stages Rally – hailed as the premier rally event in the South West – returns for the 22nd consecutive year over the weekend of 27th and 28th January.

Pre-rally scrutineering of the cars takes place at the Weston College Skills Campus Motorsport Technology Centre on Locking Road on Friday, January 26th.

The rally is promoted by locally-based Club Rallysport West. It is held entirely within Brean Leisure Park and is expected to attract a capacity entry of up to 100 cars. The crews will tackle the 12 special stages over two days around the roads of the park.

Requests for entries have been received from all around the UK and a wide range of rally cars are expected, from the spectacular World Rally cars to the ever-popular Ford Escorts, Vauxhalls and Peugeots. Expected to defend his 2017 win will be the Cumbrian rally driver Aaron Newby in his Subaru Impreza.

Fans will be well looked after with three spectator areas offering excellent views of the rally stages and there will be a covered seated grandstand.

Admission to the scrutineering session is free. For details and rally tickets, visit: www.crswrallies.co.uk

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Marchants Hill, Gurney Slade BA3 4TY Call: 01749 841051 Mob: 07778 465520 Email: sales@caravanrepairs-sw.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 69

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Artists create a body of work Photographs by Mark Adler

GLASTONBURY has hosted its first body art show, attracting models and artists from across the country.

The artists spent a large part of the day working on their creations, ranging from trees to unicorns and fairies before around 30 models took to the catwalk in the Assembly Rooms.

Organised by Steven duRoss and Mel Broom, the theme was myths, legends and mythical creatures and any profits will go to the Glastonbury-based Children’s World charity.

Myths, legends and mythical creatures

Aria in Glastonbury High Street

Steph takes a selfie

Myths, legends and mythical creatures

Dan travelled from Kent for the event

For details, find Glastonbury Body Art Event on Facebook.

PAGE 70 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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Society celebrates

EVENTS

Street panto

THE Glastonbury and Street Musical Society’s Strode Pantomime production was of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Somerset Morris danced

THE Mendip Society’s traditional wassail at the Pheasant Inn, Worth was well supported with singing, Morris dancing, mulled cider and apple cake, before a procession to a nearby orchard, where president Les Davies was in charge of the traditional wassail ceremony.

Barley Rye Choir sang

MOORLIGHT Theatre’s production of Dick Whittington and His Cat was staged at the Meyer Theatre, Millfield over Christmas and New Year.

Wassail Queen Rosa Thomson, aged 12, with mum Emma Anderson and society president Les Davies

(Photograph by Celia Hughes Tyncelyn Photography)

Moorlight panto

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 71

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The Staircase Manufacturing Company Limited, Wellsway Works, Wells Road, Radstock, Bath BA3 3RZ email: stairman@talktalk.net PAGE 72 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 73

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It’s going to be another busy year FROM commissions to install kitchens throughout several prestige property developments to one-off Grand Designsstyle bespoke projects, 2017 was certainly a busy year for family-run Valentino Kitchens in West Harptree.

And 2018 is expected to boost the order book even further with several long-term schemes coming to fruition.

In one case, designer Sam Whitty has been working for several years on a kitchen with a real wow factor. She began by taking photographs of the views from the space allocated for the kitchen in the building plans to locate the units in exactly the right place for the owners to enjoy the surrounding countryside views.

Sam said: “It’s been the sort of challenge I really enjoy and, after several years in the pipeline, it’s now starting to come together.”

The company has 50 years of experience behind it in manufacturing and supply and stay true to their aims of offering quality, good design and real value. In March, Sam and the team will

HOMES & INTERIORS

Valentino Kitchens pride themselves on keeping up with the latest trends

be off to Birmingham for the prestigious Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Show, which showcases the latest innovations in design and colour.

Sam added: “It’s where all the major companies launch their new ranges and styles and a great place for us to find

our inspiration.”

Expect to see some purple magic in the coming months. Ultra violet is being described as a provocative and thoughtful purple and the colour for 2018, embodying spirituality and individuality – why not be bold?

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 75

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Give the birds the bird!

Ariens Apex 48 – zero turn mower

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• CHIMNEY LINERS • SECURITY LIGHTING • ROOF REPAIRS • INSTALLING BIRD GUARDS/MESH ON CHIMNEY POTS ETC. TO PREVENT BLOCKAGES

PAGE 76 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

NOW is the time to consider installing guards and other deterrents against birds nesting in chimneys, says access specialist Jason Beasley.

Not only can their nests and debris cause blockages, but can catch fire – installing mesh or bird guards before the breeding season begins can pay benefits, he says.

Jason, who runs Jason Beasley Access, based at Blackford, has a range of vehicles available which mean he can reach areas – domestic, farming or commercial – often inaccessible without expensive scaffolding.

Council’s £60 fine warning over rubbish

EFFORTS to help Bath and North East Somerset householders to reduce rubbish and recycle more are being stepped up to deter unnecessary additional black bags being left out by some households.

Figures show, on average, a phenomenal 51 tonnes per day more recycling was collected during the Christmas period than over the same time last year. Thousands of households have got on board with the new service however some properties are still putting out extra waste bags with their black bins.

From now on, B&NES won’t collect the excess rubbish placed next to black bins and any properties which continue to put out excess rubbish may even be fined.

Fines could be as much as £60.

The council has already helped advise a number of households who were unsure about what they can recycle, and is reminding everyone that there are no limits to the amount of recycling households can put out for their weekly collection and if extra green boxes, blue bags or food waste bins are needed they can be ordered. ● To order extra recycling containers go online www.bathnes.gov.uk/orderacontainer or Council Connect, councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk 01225 394041.

Containers can also be picked up from the recycling centres and the One Stop Shops at Keynsham and Midsomer Norton.

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(Photograph courtesy of Will Nichol)

End if an era for charity committee

NEWS

Town “ambassadors” wanted

Kaeti Morrison and committee members at their farewell lunch at the Old Down Inn, Emborough

THE Midsomer Norton and Radstock committee for Macmillan Cancer Support has held its last meeting after almost 60 years of fundraising.

Kaeti Morrison, the charity’s regional fundraising manager, was present to thank members for their long service. The very first committee was founded by councillors and business people of the area and since then members have raised thousands of pounds for Macmillan by way of coffee mornings, Christmas fairs, garden parties, craft fairs, supermarket and town collections, bookstalls, concerts, music workshops, quizzes, fashion shows, wine tasting events, collecting boxes and generous donations.

Lasting friendships have been made along the way and fun has been had with organising and taking part in so many events. Unfortunately, due to the retirement of key members of the committee, there will no longer be a dedicated fundraising group to represent Macmillan in the area. Money boxes in shops and homes will however continue to be collected as usual.

Support and advice will be available to anyone who might be interested in taking over the committee’s work in the area. ● Individual donations for Macmillan can be passed onto the charity by contacting the support team on 0300 1000 200. To offer to help in the Midsomer Norton and Radstock area, contact either Kaeti Morrison on 07001 307 063, retiring chairman Ethne Dando, (01761 414165) or retiring treasurer Beth Davies (01761 418787).

Rotary first in Shepton

SHEPTON Mallet Rotary Club has welcomed their first female member. Karen Mercer is a former actress, travel and traffic presenter, who now runs My Coffee in the town’s High Street.

She is pictured with Rotary president Bill Southgate.

FROME Town Council is looking for volunteers to join the team at the Discover Frome information point and become Frome ambassadors.

The information Point is open from Tuesdays – Saturdays (10am–4pm) at Black Swan Arts, and each shift is half a day. The role includes opening up and closing, handling money and communicating directly with the public. Full training will be given.

Mayor Sheila Gore, who also volunteers at the information point, said: “The information point is centred around, arts and culture and events in Frome. People come looking for anything from bus timetables and general directions, to information about events in town. There are also souvenirs and books available to purchase.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to represent Frome and welcome visitors from far and wide.”

For details, email info@frometowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01373 465757

Grant for hill fort project

PLANS to safeguard the future of the Iron Age Worlebury Hillfort near Weston-super-Mare are set to move ahead following the award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

North Somerset Council has successfully bid for a grant of £10,000 to kickstart a project to preserve the fort situated on Worlebury Hill. The fort is designated as a scheduled ancient monument in recognition of its national importance.

It is an outstanding example of a coastal headland hillfort, an unusual location for hillforts of this scale, and commands views across the Bristol Channel, Brean Down, Sand Point and Weston Bay. It is one of around only 50 large hillforts with multiple ramparts in England and provides a detailed insight into Iron Age society in this area. Significant features include 93 known stone pits, stone ramparts and ditches.

However, damage caused by trees planted in the 1820s and more recently vandalism has led to it being placed on Heritage England’s “at risk” register. The HLF grant will be used to commission an archaeological condition survey of the fort. An independent, technical expert will be appointed to identify the threats to the monument and recommend solutions to protect it in the long term.

Volunteers, known as the Worlebury Hillfort Group, have been working tirelessly over the last 18 months to help remove scrub and vegetation from the site. Councillor Peter Bryant, the council’s executive member responsible for parks and green spaces, said: “I would like to thank the group for all their hard work.

“We are keen to build on this community involvement and, working with local interest groups, volunteers and local schools, aim to improve understanding and enjoyment of the fort by developing better access, signage and interpretation.

“As the owners of a scheduled ancient monument we have a statutory duty to protect it from harm and preserve it for future generations to enjoy.

“We want to take the site off the at risk register by implementing a long-term plan that will involve the local community in managing the site and safeguarding the future of this outstanding monument.”

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 77

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Wherefore art thou? Actors found for community play Beth and Julian

TWO aspiring actors have been successful in their bid to play Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers in Wells Theatre Festival’s community production of Romeo and Juliet this July.

Beth Millward, 16, from Shepton Mallet and Julian Laws, 15, from Blagdon, have begun rehearsals for the play as organisers continue to search for more members of the cast.

The festival came out of a desire to enhance the professional and experimental theatre available in the Wells area. Organisers hope it will involve the local community. It aims to attract a theatre-going public of all ages, whilst also encouraging young people to participate in theatre practice alongside professionals, through both workshops and performance. Festival patrons are Dame Judi Dench and renowned theatre and film director, Richard Eyre.

Beth, who goes to Strode College, said: “I am so excited to be playing Juliet. I can remember my family always watching me dance and sing in the living room. When I was eight years old, I was cast as Fagin for a class assembly on Oliver Twist. I was centre stage in front of my whole school and my parents.”

Julian, a student at Churchill Academy, said: “I became interested in theatre a few years ago thanks to my drama teacher at Churchill. I thoroughly enjoyed studying Romeo and Juliet, I think the play is a great representation of tragedy, fate and love.

My favourite quote from the play is ‘my lips, two blushing pilgrims’.”

The festival has put a call out for mature actors to come forward to audition for Lady Capulet and Prince Escalus as well as younger actors. Rosalind Johnson, founder and artistic director of the festival said: “We are really keen to cast this production entirely from people in the local community. We are looking for men and women in their 40s and 50s. We are also looking for younger actors for ensemble roles.”

The first festival will run from Thursday, July 12th to Sunday, July 15th and will open with Romeo and Juliet, performed in front of Wells Cathedral. Over the weekend will be numerous workshops and performances across ten venues in Wells including the Bishops Barn, Vicars Close and Hall, Wells Museum, The Greek Taverna and The Bishops Palace.

To audition for a part in Romeo and Juliet or to be a member of the ensemble cast contact ros@wellstheatrefestival.org

PAGE 78 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

New choir in Wells I’d like to teach the world to sing: Grenville Jones in St Cuthbert’s Church

A COMMUNITY choir for people living in and around Wells has been launched and anyone can join.

The Wells Good Afternoon Choir meets on Monday afternoons at St Cuthbert’s Church. It has been established by Grenville Jones, known as Bath’s “Mr Music” who runs similar choirs in Frome, Bath, Devizes, Keynsham, Bristol, Yate, Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury and which already boast more than 500 members.

Dozens of people attended the launch event where they learned more about the aims of the choir and had a chance to sing together for the first time.

The church was packed with people wanting to find out more

The Wells Good Afternoon Choir will meet at St Cuthbert’s Church on Mondays from 2-4pm. For details, visit: www.goodafternoonchoir.org

Young buskers wanted

A BUSKING competition is to hit the streets of Frome in March – aimed at musicians under-25.

Frome Busks – the first competition of its kind – will be held at key outdoor locations on Saturday, March 10th. Performances will change every 30 minutes.

Al O’Kane, Frome Town Council’s performing arts sponsor, said: “With its wide variety of venues and live shows, Frome is well known for its impressive music scene. Frome Busks will be an excellent opportunity to celebrate this passion while supporting its talented young musicians. By holding it throughout the town centre, it will also act as a great excuse to explore the town and visit its many wonderful shops!”

Frome Busks will take place from midday-4pm. For details, visit: www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/frome-busks

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Opera and more in aid of church

PROFESSIONAL singers will perform a night of opera and song in Wells in February to raise funds for further development at St Thomas’s Church.

The concert – featuring Wells-born David Butt Philip, Amy Carson and Tim Dickinson – will take the audience through a musical journey from Mozart to Puccini. They will be accompanied by Nicola Rose at the piano.

It will take place at Cedars Hall at Wells Cathedral School on Saturday, February 10th at 7.30pm.

David, a tenor, attended Wells Blue School before studying at the RNCM, Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music. He has sung major roles at Glyndebourne, Covent Garden and the English National Opera. Amy Carson (soprano) was a soloist last December in the Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society's performance of Handel's Messiah. Tim Dickinson (bassbaritone) began his singing career as a chorister in Westminster Abbey, and has sung at Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera. Nicola Rose is a leading piano accompanist and works with the Royal Opera House and the Welsh National Opera. ● Tickets cost £20 (£10 for children and students) and are available from the parish office, St Thomas's Church (tel: 01749 672335) or from Dr Alan Butt Philip (tel: 01749 675071).

BSO – in Chewton Mendip!

LITTON Hall committee says it’s thrilled to present a concert in Chewton Mendip Church on Friday March 16th, at 7.30pm by BSO Resonate Strings, a small group of gifted strings players from the acclaimed Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

This engaging concert will reflect the diversity of the classical string repertoire featuring music from Vivaldi to Brahms, Mozart to Puccini, Handel to Astor Piazolla.

One of the organisers said: “This a rare and exciting opportunity to hear these talented musicians in our local community.”

The concert is sponsored by Take Art, the Somerset charity that supports arts in the community.

Any proceeds will be shared between the three parishes in the benefice Chewton Mendip, Ston Easton and Litton.

Tickets are £15 for adults, £8 for children and students.

Details: 07940 801407 or from www.takeart.org

Top quartet

MUSIC & THEATRE

YATTON Music Society say they are delighted to host the Lochrian String Quartet’s performance of popular music from the operas by Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, Delibes and Tchaikovsky at St. Mary’s, Yatton on February 24th.

The quartet, based in North Somerset, who performs widely in the UK and Italy and are regular guests at St George’s Bristol, the Potentino Music Festival and the Morellino International Classical Music Festival in Tuscany.

The concert starts at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Yatton.

Ticket prices are £8 members, £10 non-members, including refreshments and can be obtained from the church office or on the door on the night.

Details: www.yms.org.uk or contact David Ford 01934 830255 or e-mail david.ford@yms.org.uk

Concert supports trust

FOLLOWING Nailsea Concert Orchestra’s very successful concert in November, rehearsals are now underway for their spring concert in March.

The programme, aimed at both young and old alike, will include Prokofiev’s classical musical tale of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by John Telfer from The Archers, Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens and the wonderful Harry Potter symphonic suite.

The orchestra will be performing at Nailsea Methodist Church, Silver Street, Nailsea on Saturday March 17th at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £12 (£10 concessions/£2.50 for under 18s) can be bought in advance from Nailsea Music Shop or at the door on the night.

This concert will be in support of Nailsea Community Trust.

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 79

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Winter can be wonderful

MY little horse Tam and I are having the best of winters. Fed on haylage, wintered out, no clip or rug, she has lost her summer plumpness and is lean, fit and – most of the time – strangely serene.

On hacking days (when she comes in dry) we have travelled the Mendips With RACHEL exploring the changing beauty of the THOMPSON winter landscape. We have seen a fox in MBE the snow, a brown hare running in the lane, peewits and starlings displaying above, a buzzard scratching in the plough and a flock of long tailed tits ambushing a sparrow hawk. We have heard the tawny owl hoot in the dawn and the robins singing from the hedgerow and trees tangled with fern and lichen and coated with moss.

On the days when her winter coat has been too wet for a saddle we have practised transitions on the lunge, had fun with poles, loaded in and out of the trailer and long reined up over the moor to the trig point or down the lane to Blagdon to the amusement of fellow travellers and a Tesco delivery lady who happily coaxed Tam past her van.

This week we have ridden through fog, frost and ice following the old lead packhorse route coming home from

Charterhouse to Priddy, almost blown from my saddle on a windy sunny trip to Westbury-sub-Mendip – returning home up the steep valley along the old coffin route and practised trot to canter in the fog up on the barrows.

Today is a lovely beautiful sunny day and our trip has taken us over the hill, through the woods, along paths past pools where the miners once washed the lead ore.

Beautiful Mendip – I hope my pictures will tempt you out to go and see for yourself!

The stillness of Waldegrave Pool

The combe at Westbury-sub-Mendip

Drones warning

A COUPLE who were riding on Mendip are calling for more control over the use of drones after one was flown close by them, startling both horses.

Joanna and Simon Jeans told Horse & Hound magazine they were untacking their horses when they heard an “extraordinary noise” about

Tam at home in the snow

ten feet away from their trailer.

The British Horse Society is asking the public to exercise caution when flying drones near horses, after a rise in calls as more horse owners and riders become concerned about the machines.

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at the BHS, said: “Drones are an

increasing concern for us as they become more popular. While we don’t want to stop people enjoying drones, we are asking that they consider the impact drones can have on horses.

Flying drones near horses can potentially have fatal consequences for horses and horse riders.”

Horse accidents, including incidents involving drones, can be reported to the BHS horse accidents website: www.horseaccidents.org.uk

PAGE 80 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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Pointing to the future

THE Wessex Point-toPoint Area has announced a new sponsorship agreement with Wincanton Racecourse for the current season which recognises the importance of the link between the sport and national hunt racing.

Point-to-pointing is the grassroots of NH racing with both young horses and jockeys starting their careers on the circuit before progressing into the professional arena.

Wincanton Racecourse has announced an award to the leading horse who at the start of the 2017/2018 point–to-point season has not won any race and then wins a maiden race at any of the first 20 meetings to be held at Wessex meetings throughout the season.

Once the maiden victory has been secured points will then be awarded during 2018 for wins and placings in other races during the season with extra points being gained from Hunter Chase successes and placings.

The connections of the winning Horse will be invited to Ladies Day at Wincanton Racecourse on Tuesday, May 15th for a presentation and the opportunity for the winning horse to be paraded during the day.

The Wessex area covers meetings held in Eastern Hampshire, Southern Wiltshire, the whole of Dorset and Somerset and Eastern Devon. It is one of the largest and busiest of the sport's 14 nationwide geographical divisions and has produced winners of both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National.

This year’s Blackmore and Sparkford Vale meeting takes place on Sunday, March 11th at Charlton Horethorne, between Wincanton and Sherborne. The first race is due off at 12.30pm The Mendip Farmers’ Hunt meeting is on Sunday, March 25th at Ston Easton. The first race is also due off at 12.30pm.

There will be pony racing at both meetings.

The point-point season is well underway

RIDING

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Forever’s amazing products are used by many veterinary surgeons, farriers, equine chiropractors and nutritionists. It’s not a coincidence that the coat of arms for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has an aloe leaf on it.

Having spent many years perfecting their range of individual products, Forever Living can help with a variety of problems that affect our equine friends. Forever Living Products are supported by a 60-day no-quibble money back guarantee!

Having grown up on the Mendips with her grandad’s racing and being a member of the Mendip Pony Club, Rebecca Dowds has a passion for horses and their wellbeing.

She’s been using these products for just over a year and says she is amazed at the variety of health benefits – did you know you can drink aloe?

She will be featuring a series of different products over the next few months. Contact her for more information, free trial or to order quoting Mendiptimes for 10% off first orders.

For details, visit: www.pointingwessex.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 81

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e – it’s still a bike

WITH the rise of electric cars something similar is happening to the bicycle. As technology improves we’re beginning to CYCLING see more and more with EDMUND LODITE electric bikes (ebikes) on the road.

Using powered assistance the e-bike allows the rider to travel faster and further than they may be able to on a normal bike. This offers new opportunities for many people (and for commuters means you don’t arrive at work in need of a shower and change of clothes!).

One of the constraints in the growth of this market has been the high cost and weight of the bike. However, this is all set to change with a revolutionary battery design that promises to make electric cycling more accessible – and its creator is a Mendip local!

Now running an e-bike business based in London, Oliver Montague has launched the Swytch e-bike conversion kit that can easily change any existing bike into an e-bike. Oliver has been in the e-bike industry for five years and states: “I developed the Swytch system to solve the three main problems with e-Bikes: until now they were generally too expensive, too heavy, and required too much CO2 to be burned to make them. Swytch solves all of these problems in one go.”

The system connects a power pack on the handlebars to the hub motor on the front wheel. You let them know what size of front wheel your bike uses and they will supply a new ready-built version, for use with the pedal assist system.

To demonstrate that any bike can be converted, Swytch have a fleet of test bikes including road and mountain bikes, small wheeled folding bikes, a cruiser, and even what is believed to be the only electric powered penny farthing in existence!

The beauty of the system is that it is lightweight and not intrusive. The power bag is cleverly designed to make it instantly removable. When detached. the bike looks, weighs, and rides just like a normal bike. This allows flexibility and very importantly is an affordable alternative to buying an

Karate – kids and grown-ups off to Sicily THESE were among the competitors, aged four to 70, who took part in the latest Kia Karate competition in Wrington.

Now they are busy training for their next competition in Sicily.

Details: Anne Smith 07843 946949 PAGE 82 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

integrated e-bike. The really smart thing about Swytch is you can swap from a normal bike to a powered bike whenever you like.

There are those purists who say using an electric bike is cheating. And if you were in a race it clearly would be. The most notable example of this was in the 2016 Cyclo-cross World Championships when a Belgian rider was disqualified after found to be using a concealed electric motor.

But day-to-day cycling is not a race – and with an e-bike you still have to pedal which takes effort and that’s why it is not cheating. The e-bike offers new opportunities to go cycling where a bit of assistance may be needed. Not everybody finds the hard slog up a hill appealing – and if using an e-bike gets more people out cycling that can only be a good thing.

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Cricket club’s appeal total Chapel Piece will be available for all the community

AN appeal to raise funds to secure the future community use of a cricket ground on the edge of Wells has topped the £100,000 mark.

Around 150 individual donations were also made to Horrington Cricket Club’s Chapel Piece Appeal, raising £17,000. The ground, behind the former church at East Horrington, had been privately-owned.

Kevin Russell, the club’s honorary secretary and treasurer, said: “The foregoing represents a remarkable achievement by such a small community in a very short period of time.

“I can confirm that all contributors have been thanked, though should like to issue a final collective message of sincere gratitude on behalf of the club. This includes all of the messages of support.”

Return to the Rebels

THE “Cases” Somerset Rebels speedway side have announced their first signings for the 2018 premiership season.

The first will see a return to the Oaktree Arena at Highbridge for the club's 2017 Rider of the Year, Richard Lawson.

Lawson initially joined the Rebels in May as part of the team changes made by Second time lucky: the club last season, making an Jack Holder has immediate impact and manager Garry finally signed for May was keen that he should return.

Somerset Garry said: "Richard did a superb job for us last season, which was rightly recognised when he was voted as the fans' Rider of the Year, and I was especially keen to bring him back for 2018, with Richard making it very clear that he wanted to return to ride for the club next year.

“I know that Richard's signing will be well received by the Somerset fans, and it is a great way with which to get our rider announcements for next season under way."

Lawson will combine his duties with Somerset with those of Lakeside in the Championship, the sport’s second-tier of racing in the UK. Meanwhile, 2018 will see the 2016 Australian under-21 Champion Jack Holder join the Rebel camp. It is a case of “better late than never” for the 21-year-old. He was originally earmarked to join Somerset in 2015 until a revised starting average saw that move fall through. Holder eventually joined Plymouth, where he was to spend two seasons before riding for parent club Poole in the Premiership last season whilst doubling-up with Championship side Peterborough.

The youngest of three speedway brothers, Jack’s eldest sibling, James, spent two seasons (2010 and 2011) with Somerset, whilst his other brother, Chris, was crowned the World Speedway Champion in 2012.

SPORT

Jens on the button again

TEENAGE rower Jens Hullah has collected yet more honours by winning gold in the 500m under-18s sprint at the British Indoor Rowing Championships.

The 17-year-old, who lives in Shipham, is a member of the GB START programme for rowing.

In the previous two years, Jens has won gold in the under-18s two kilometre race. The ‘A’ Level student at Beechen Cliff School in Bath won the sprint race by three seconds.

Jens is a member of the Bath-based Minerva Rowing Club and was inspired to take up the sport by the success of GB’s rowers in the London 2012 Olympics.

Appropriately, the competition – Sir Bradley Wiggins was amongst the competitors in the men’s open 2km adult race – took place in an Olympic venue: the Velo Park at Lee Valley on the outskirts of London.

Jens will begin competing again in February with the aim of qualifying for the European and world championships.

Jens with his medal

Joey is champion

CHEW Valley Squash Club held their second in a schedule of five open tournaments recently and this final turned out to be an all-valley clash. Drawing Pictured (l to r) Gareth Thomas, MD of entrants from across Integrale, sponsors, Ricardo Paredes, plate the South West the winner, Jamie Watson, plate runner-up, Joey tournament was Williams, tournament champion and Andy held at the Chew Fountain, tournament runner-up Valley Leisure Centre where spectators were treated to a feast of squash.

The knock-out rounds started on the Thursday night and continued into the Friday with the semis and the final being played on the Saturday.

The main tournament final was between Joey Williams v Andy Fountain. Joey, the No1 seed cruised into a 2-0 lead winning 9-4 and 9-0. Andy then staged a massive comeback and took the third game to 7-1; tantalisingly close!

Joey wasn’t having it though and turned it totally around to win 9-7, taking the match and the title 3-0. It was a great result for Joey who went one better than in Series 1 when he was runner-up.

Chairman, Brian Pate said: “It was great to see so many quality players entering Series 2 of the tournament. Better still that Joey, who has come through the club’s youth ranks, took the title on home ground.”

Series 3 takes place from February 22nd-24th, with the series finale scheduled for the summer.

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Date for the diary for ex-Norton players THE 2018 reunion of former players and friends of Midsomer Norton Rugby Club will take place on Saturday, April 7th, organisers have announced.

Norton’s 1st XV are playing back in Tribute Western Counties North after three seasons away and are due to play their last home fixture of the current season on that day Determined: vicecaptain Matt Denning breaks free from a tackle

Norton followed up their wins over Oldfield and Avonmouth with a gritty 29-24 home victory against Old Richians (in blue and yellow).

Norton are pictured here scoring their third try of the first half

Players’ tribute to Mike

against Oldfield Old Boys RFC. The visit to Oldfield’s ground on December 2nd saw Norton come away with a narrow 21-25 win and they followed that victory with an away win 12-29 against Avonmouth OBRFC. Tom Fear is now club captain with Matthew Denning stepping down to become vice captain after a number of very successful years in charge. Following coach Tom Lovell’s departure at the end of last season for work reasons, the club appointed Mark Tyrrell.

CURRENT and ex-players from Midsomer Norton Rugby Club staged their fifth annual Hibbard’s Heroes match – in honour of former coach Mike Hibbard.

The Hibbard’s Heroes side mostly comprised players who had been coached by Mike in their junior years – with the opposition being a Midsomer Norton XV. Hibbard’s Heroes – playing in commemorative red and white shirts – on the attack

The teams line up before the start of the annual contest

For details about the reunion, contact club president Nigel Rowles on: nigel.rowles48@outlook.com PAGE 84 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018

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Mud, glorious mud

THESE motocross enthusiasts were certainly not going to be deterred by heavy rain and a quagmire of a course at Lamb’s Lair near West Harptree.

The New Year’s Day meeting was organised by the Bristol Sporting Sidecar Association, part of the Wessex Centre of the national Auto Cycle Association.

Jason Hamblin in action

Justin Adams ploughs through the mud

Don’t look back in anger – a rider shows his concern for a colleague who takes a tumble

Some of the 60 riders who made the most of the mud

Andy Eddolls plots his route MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018 • PAGE 85

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The ultimate countryside experience THE ever-popular West of England Game Fair returns to the Royal Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet in March with a wonderful mix of demonstrations, have-a-go activities, trade stands and more.

This important countryside event, now in its 22nd year, is supported by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and Countryman’s weekly.

It takes place on Saturday, March 17th and Sunday, March 18th.

The event caters for those who are passionate about field sports with a focus on shooting, gun dogs and fishing and is the perfect event for those interested in the countryside. Activities include archery, air rifles, terrier and lurcher shows, family dog show and clay shooting with Bristol Clay Shooting.

Fascinating demonstrations both indoor and outdoor will feature top names in the

Shotgun training with BASC experts will be on offer The gundog parade is one of the highlights in the main show ring

WHAT’S ON

Falconry demonstrations are always popular with young and old alike

areas of falconry, wildfowling, ferreting, gun dog training, fly casting and more, whilst the shopping village will boast more than 300 companies under cover, selling a range of products from country clothing, guns and accessories, fishing, deer stalking equipment to gundog equipment, country homewares, local food and drink and crafts.

The Westcountry Smallholders Show will once again host a selection of activities, products hand-crafted by smallholders, demonstrations, advice, poultry and livestock.

BASC play a prominent role at the event providing shotgun coaching, gundog scurries and tests and sharing their

knowledge and expertise on their trade stand in the shopping village, with features including a wildfowlers row, artists row, game tasting, shooting clinic and much more. The fishing area has organisations offering advice, a wide selection of rods and fishing accessories, flies, demonstrations, clothing, books and more.

The Taste of Game cookery theatre will host a variety of chefs all with simple, easy to follow delicious game recipes, with the opportunity to buy West Country food and drink from a variety of local companies.

W IN T ICKETS TO THE S HOW

MENDIP Times has once again teamed up with Contour Exhibitions, the organisers of the fair, to offer readers the chance to win a pair of adult tickets to enjoy an enthralling day out.

Three pairs of tickets are on offer.

To enter, please answer the following question: Whereabouts at the West of England Game Fair can you learn about keeping poultry or livestock?

Please send your answers to WCGF Competition, Mendip Times, Coombe Lodge, Blagdon BS40 7RG. Entries must reach us by Wednesday, February 14th. The first three correct entries chosen will each receive a pair of tickets. The editor’s decision is final.

To keep up-to-date with everything happening at the show – including money-saving advance tickets sales – visit www.westofenglandgamefair.co.uk or join its Facebook group or follow on Twitter. For enquiries and telephone ticket sales, call 01392 421500.

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Please send entries for these listings as a single paragraph of approximately 25 words. We’re happy to list entries for charities and voluntary groups free of charge – but please submit them in the format below. Commercial entries cost £25.

Wednesday January 24th Ria the Storyteller: Magical Fairy tales for children aged 4-8 at Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB.,3.30pm, free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Thursday January 25th Rhyme time for babies and toddlers, 10-10.30am then digital drop-in: one-to-one help with IT queries, 10.30-12.30, Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Creating Health Roadshow free advice event Shape Shepton Council Chambers, Cannards Grave Road, from 6.45pm with optional Tai Chi afterwards, booking essential. Details: info@creatinghealth.org.uk text 07904804524 to book your place www.creating-health.org.uk Mendip Society talk: “Not just Orwell; the Spanish Civil War” by Dolores Long, 2.30pm Wells and Mendip Museum, members £2, visitors £3.50, includes refreshments. Details: Richard Frost 01275 472797.

West Mendip Walkers moderate circular walk 6m from the Square, Westbury-sub-Mendip, OS Map Ex141 ST501489, start 12.30pm, park roadside near village cross. Details: Carol Jackson Tel: 01934 733658/07979354530 or caj7599@btinternet.com Chew Valley Wildlife Group: “The Marine Conservation Society: Making a difference to our seas”, creating a sustainable future for our seas, shores and wildlife, Chew Magna Millennium Hall, 7.45pm, £2.50, season tickets available.

Saturday January 27th to 31st March Bruton Museum is highlighting the Amesbury Archer, who travelled from the Alps to Stonehenge in the Bronze Age, more than 4,000 years ago. Free entry. Open Mon-Fri 11am to 1pm, Sat until 3pm.

Bruton, NA10 0AA..

Saturday January 27th Jumble Sale: Winscombe Community Centre, Sandford Rd, 2pm, refreshments available. Please contact Richard Parker, 07899 753063 to collect jumble – or bring to the community centre on the morning of the sale.

Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm at War Memorial Hall, good quality books, jigsaw puzzles, dvds, cds and talking books.

Mendip Society walk, Banwell & Christon, a moderate 5 miles, with hills, ST 396 592, meet 1.30pm, West Street car park, Banwell, BS29 6DB. Details: Richard 01275 852786.

Frome Civic Society and Society for Local Study, Chris Smaje – The Development of Vallis Veg and the future of sustainable horticulture/agriculture, Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm.

Storytime for babies and toddlers, 11-11.30am and stitching group, 1.30-3.30pm at Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Monday January 29th Mendip Folk Dance Club, 8pm-10pm, St James Church Hall, Winscombe, BS25 1AQ, £3pp. Details: Pat 01934 742853.

Feel Better with a Book, 11-12.30pm and Children’s Story Time, 3.30pm, at Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Churchill Young Musician of the Year: music students at Churchill Academy, 6pm – 8.30pm, St. John the Baptist Church, Churchill, BS25 5QW, tickets £8, U18s £4. Details: Susannah Read 01934 844106 or at the door.

Wessex Stationary Engine Club "Battle of Rourke’s Drift" with Peter Lamb, at the Old Down Inn, Emborough BS3 4SA,7.30pm, all welcome, free entry. Details: 01225 754374.

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T i m e s

Congresbury Memorial Hall Club friendship evening with a game of bingo, 8pm, non-members welcome.

Wednesday January 31st Ria the Storyteller: Magical Fairy tales for children aged 4-8 at Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB. 3.30pm.

Free. Tel 0300 1232224.

Thursday February 1st to Friday February 23rd Snowdrop walks through the magnificent gardens of Camerton Court Bath, weekdays (not weekends), groups only: min 15 to max 25. Ffi: Juliann: 01761 479319 or www.camertoncourtbath@gmail.com Thursday February 1st Congresbury Gardening Club: "Looking Forward To Winter – The Garden in January" by Ross Barbour, 7.30pm, Methodist Hall, High Street, Congresbury, visitors welcome.

Rhyme time for babies and toddlers, 10-10.30am then digital drop-in: one-to-one help with IT queries, 10.30-12.30, Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

West Mendip Walkers moderate circular walk, 11m from Holford Bowling Club, OS Map Ex140 ST152412, start 10am, park bowling club. Details: Andrew: 01761 462370 or andrewsmallbone@hotmail.com Fashion Show and sale of goods. King Alfred School, Highbridge. Doors 7pm for 7.30pm start. Admission £5. Bar, soft drinks available. Raffle proceeds to local charities. Tickets from Kelly Rowe 07917 735775, Debbie March 07712 627324 or Material Needs, High Street, Burnham-on-Sea. Ffi: SD Fashion Show Ltd. 0115 9692400 email elainedean@btconnect.com Friday February 2nd Valley Arts presents Reclaimed, Wassail Theatre Company’s play inspired by the 2013/14 Somerset floods. 8pm, Chew Stoke Church (Junior) School, BS40 8UY, tickets £10, via Eventbrite.

Redhill Club Open Mic Night, hosted by Jerry Blythe, 8pm. Join us and unwind! Acoustic singersongwriters at their very best. Details, Jerry: 07900 587646.

Bring Your Own Craft and Chat Session – Craft & Sewing Group, 2.30 pm at Cheddar Library, BS27 3NB, Tel: 0300 123 2224. New members welcome!

Friday February 2nd – Saturday February 3rd Alice – The Panto – a fantastical Wonderland with many favourite panto characters, Draycott Memorial Hall, 2pm & 7.30pm, adults £8.50 U-18s £5 www.themendipplayers.co.uk Saturday February 3rd Mendip Society walk, Nunney, a moderate 4-5 miles to include Nunney Castle, will be muddy alongside the brook, ST 735 457, meet 1.30pm in the Quarry Car Park, BA11 4NL. Details: Roger 07971 245956.

Frome Civic Society and Society for Local Study, Adrian Webb – Somerset Mapped: cartography in the county through the centuries. Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm.

Free events at Glastonbury Library: 11-11.30am: story time for babies and toddlers, 2-3pm, Lego club (please sign up for this) and 3-4pm: folk tales for ages 7 to 12 with Beth Webb, BA6 9JB. Details: 0300 1232224.

Sunday February 4th Wassail Theatre Company production: Reclaimed a story of the Somerset Floods 2013/14, Wells Little Theatre, 7.30pm. Details: www.wassailtheatre.co.uk/reclaimed Monday February 5th Mid-Somerset branch of RAFA. Janet Diamond on Unearthing Egyptology, 10.30am, Britannia Inn, Bath Road, Wells BA5 3LQ. Details: rafa.midsomerset@gmail.com or John Hawkins: 07710 180847.

Feel Better with a Book, 11-12.30pm and children’s story time, with Sarah Mooney, 3.30pm, at

W h a t ’ s

Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free.

Details: 0300 1232224.

Tuesday February 6th Congresbury Over-60’s Club Friendship Hour – tea, biscuits and chat with friends! Congresbury War Memorial Hall, 2.30-4pm. Details: 01934 832004.

From Bristol to the Sea: Artists, the Avon Gorge & Bristol harbour by Francis Greenacre, former curator at Bristol Museum, Bath & West Bar & Restaurant, B & W Show Ground, Shepton Mallet BA4 6QN at 11am, guests welcome. Details www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk 01934 862435.

Friends of the River Frome agm, Canoe Club, Market Yard, Frome, 7.30pm, talk by Zoe Hancock, from the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership.

Taize chants and prayers Ammerdown Centre, Radstock BA3 5SW, 7.45pm. Details: Janet 01225 869337 07376573093 or Ammerdown centre on 01761 433709.

Wednesday February 7th Knit and Natter, 1.30-3pm, Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, free. Details: 0300 1232224. Free.

Thursday February 8th Wells branch Royal British Legion members meeting, Britannia Inn, Bath Road, Wells, midday, everybody welcome; meeting followed by buffet lunch.

Rhyme time for babies and toddlers, 10-10.30am then digital drop-in: one-to-one help with IT queries, 10.30-12.30. Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

West Mendip Walkers moderate circular walk, 6m from Bath Road, East Wells, BA5 3JH, OS Map Ex141 ST558462, start 12.30pm, park in residential roads nearby. Details: Ken: 01749 670349 / 07784 941439 or kenmasters265@gmail.com Saturday February 10th Mendip Society walk, Hinton Blewitt & Coley, a moderate hilly 4.5 miles, ST 594 569, meet 1.30pm at lay-by opposite the Ring O’Bells, Hinton Blewett, BS39 5AN, park considerately nearby. Details: 01275 848053.

Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm at War Memorial Hall, good quality books, jigsaw puzzles, dvds, cds and talking books.

Storytime for babies and toddlers, 11-11.30am and stitching group, 1.30-3pm at Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Opera and songs by professional musicians in aid of St Thomas’s Church, Wells. 7.30pm, Cedars Hall, Wells Cathedral School, tickets £20, children/students £10 from 01749 672335 or Dr Alan Butt Philip: 01749 675071.

The Friends of Westbury Church have an afternoon of music, tea and cake in celebration of the beautful carpet of primroses in the churchyard of St Lawrence's Church, Westbury-sub-Mendip, with popular and versatile Westbury singer/songwriter Lin Phelps, 3pm-5pm, in aid of church funds.

Saturday February 10th – Sunday February 18th Bishop’s Palace, Wells half-term activities, including Heads and Tails trail and crafts. Details: 01749 988111 www.bishopspalace.org.uk Sunday February 11th Yeovilton Military Wives Choir in concert, The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil. 7.30pm. Tickets: £14.50 www.octagon-theatre.co.uk 01935 422884.

Sunday February 11th – Monday February 12th NGS ‘Snowdrop and Hellebore Days’ at Sherborne Garden, Litton, BA3 4PP, 11am – 4pm, adults £4, children free, free tea, coffee and homemade biscuits.

Details: Pamela Southwell 01761 241220.

Monday February 12th Feel Better with a Book, 11-12.30pm Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Mendip Folk Dance Club Evening, 8-10pm, St. James Church Hall, Winscombe, BS25 1AQ, £3pp.

Details Pat 01934 742853.

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Congresbury Memorial Hall Club Friendship evening with bingo, non-members welcome, 8pm, Congresbury War Memorial Hall.

Tuesday February 13th Timsbury Horticultural Society meeting with gardening icon Christine Walkden, Conygre Hall, Timsbury BA2 0JQ, 7.30 pm, non-members £5, includes refreshments.

Wednesday February 14th Nailsea Horticultural Society talk by Don Everitt on Fragrance in the Garden, 7.30pm, Nailsea United Reformed Church Hall, members £2, non-members £3, includes refreshments. All welcome.

Wells Civic Society legacy of the City of Culture bid, Andy Webb, Wells and Mendip Museum, 7.30pm.

Thursday February 15th Rhyme time for babies and toddlers, 10-10.30am then digital drop-in: one-to-one help with IT queries, 10.30-12.30, Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, both events free. Details: 0300 1232224.

West Mendip Walkers moderate circular walk, 10m from Bishops Lydeard village, OS Map 140 ST173295, start 10am, park roadside in Quantock View. Details: Tony Strange 01934733783 / 07415517355 or anthonyestrange@gmail.com Friday February 16th Mendip Society talk: “Starfish & Subterfuge” the 2WW decoy city on Mendip, by Mike Chipperfield, 2.30pm Wells and Mendip Museum, members £2, visitors £3.50, includes refreshments. Details: Richard Frost 01275 472797.

Spring Crafts – a family session for children run by the Craft & Sewing Group, 2.30 pm at Cheddar Library, BS27 3NB, Tel: 0300 123 2224, please book in advance, cost 50p.

Bishop’s Palace, Wells Nature Ninjas family gardening activities. Details: 01749 988111 www.bishopspalace.org.uk Saturday February 17th Storytime for babies and toddlers, 11-11.30am Glastonbury Library, BA6 9JB, free. Details: 0300 1232224.

Mendip Society walk: Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival, a moderate walk of 4.5m along the snowdrop trail, ST 617 436, meet 1.30pm in the Old Market Road car park (charge £1.90) BA4 5DU. Details: Gill 01934 742508.

Folk evening with Churchfitters, Meadway Hall, Compton Dundon, 8pm, doors 7.30pm, tickets £10, Details: Alan Riley 01458 447223 or email alanriley73@gmail.com Sunday February 18th Mid-Somerset Agricultural Society Hedgelaying Match, Tadhill House Farm, Old Wells Road, Leigh on Mendip BA3 5QX, free entry. Details: Christine Barham 01749 938044 or secretary@midsomersetshow.org.uk Tuesday February 20th Congresbury Over-60’s Club Friendship Hour – tea, biscuits and chat with friends! Congresbury War Memorial Hall, 2.30-4pm. Details: 01934 832004.

Midsomer Norton Townswomen’s Guild, 2pm St John’s Church Hall BA3 2HX, speaker Paul Myers, Mayor, “Yes Minister – at local level”. Details: Glen Hepworth 01761 413528.

Sacred Art of Ancient China The Arts Society illustrated lecture, Caryford Hall, Castle Cary BA7 7JJ, 11am, £6. Details: 01963 350132.

Thursday February 22nd Chew Valley Wildlife Group: Bird Watching & Conservation in France illustrated talk by Ken Hall, UK representative for LPO, the RSPB equivalent in France, Chew Magna Millennium Hall, 7.45pm, £2.50 – season available.

West Mendip Walkers moderate circular walk, 6.5m from Swan Inn, Rowberrow, OS Map Ex141 ST451583, start 12.30pm, use pub car park. Details: Carol Jackson 01934733568/07979354530 or

F e b r u a r y

caj7599@btinternet.com Mendip Society talk: The Art of Storytelling in Wildlife TV – a talk by Lizzie Bewick, a producer at BBC Natural History Unit, 2.30pm at St James’ Church Hall, Woodborough Rd, Winscombe BS25 1BA. Friday February 23rd Camerton Community Centre double bill of local history, Julie Ann Biggs second book on Camerton and Bryn Hawkins "From Boy to Man in the Somerset Coal Field", 7pm, £5 includes refreshments.

Saturday February 24th Jumble Sale, 2pm in the Village Hall, Cheddar.

Please bring donations from 12 noon or arrange for collection: Details: 0845 833 7402 or email via website: www.cheddarlions.org.uk Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm at War Memorial Hall, good quality books, jigsaw puzzles, dvds, cds and talking books.

Winscombe Community Association Book Sale at the Community Centre, Sandford Road, 9am 12.30pm, most books are 50p, entry free, refreshments.

Mendip Society walk a moderate 4 miles passing a waterfall, meet 1.30pm, Heron’s Green lay-by on the west side of Chew Valley Lake on the B3114 (BS40 6NL), ST 554 592. Details: Peter: 01761 221995.

Churchill Music Presents: Gesualdo Six + Owain Park, a vocal consort specialising in renaissance polyphony, 7.30pm St John the Baptist Church, Churchill BS25 5QW. Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/387039 or Susannah Read 01934 844106 Dinner celebrating Frome’s twin towns: Murrhardt, Rabka-Zdroj and Chateau Gontier, Trinity Church, 7.15pm, three-course meal celebrating French, German and Polish cuisine. Tickets: Justin Worringham: worringham@btinternet.com £14 members, £15 non-members, U-11s £7.

Somerset Plant Heritage, Members’ Plant Sale, 1.30pm then a talk at 2.30pm: “The Churchyard Yew”

by Mark Hinsley, arboreal consultant, Edington Village Hall TA7 9EH, visitors welcome, £4. Details: 01278 451631.

Lochrian String Quartet’s performance of popular music from operas by Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, Delibes and Tchaikovsky, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Church, Yatton, YMS members £8, non-members £10, include refreshments, tickets church office or on the door.

Details: www.yms.org.uk or e-mail david.ford@yms.org.uk Frome Civic Society and Society for Local Study, building archaeologist Jeremy Sampson on Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey, Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm.

Saturday February 24th and Sunday February 25th Snowdrop Celebration, Bishop’s Palace & Gardens, first to be held, plus stalls in the stable yard. Details: 01749 988111 www.bishopspalace.org.uk Monday February 26th The Green Gardeners welcome Paul Harding for a talk 'Organic Gardening and Pest Control', parish rooms, Somerton, 7.30pm, refreshments, visitors very welcome (£3).

Congresbury Memorial Hall Club Friendship evening with bingo, non-members welcome, 8pm Congresbury War Memorial Hall.

Mendip Folk Dance Club Evening, 8-10pm, St. James Church Hall, Winscombe, BS25 1AQ £3pp.

WHAT’S ON

2 0 1 8

Details Pat 01934 742853.

Tuesday February 27th Chilcompton Garden Club, Chilcompton Village Hall, 7.30, Dave Moon from the National Gardening Scheme on the famous “yellow book”, a talk about some of the wonderful gardens open for charity during 2018.

Wednesday February 28th Backwell & Nailsea Macular Support group, Backwell WI Hall, 2pm, speaker Clare Bailey, Bristol Eye Hospital Consultant. Details: Sheila, 01275 462107.

Friday March 2nd Redhill Club Open Mic Night (BS40 5SG), hosted

by Jerry Blythe, starting at 8pm, join us and unwind with an evening of live music, acoustic singersongwriters at their very best. Details: Jerry 07900 587646 for more information.

Saturday March 3rd Mendip Society circular walk a moderate 6 miles to Eastwater and Priddy – possibly through gorge if dry, meet 1.30 pm in the NT Deer Leap car park, Ebbor, BA5 1EL. ST 521 485. Details: Brian 01749 672457.

Tuesday March 6th The Anatomical drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci – a surgeon’s view by Guy Rooker at Bath & West Bar & Restaurant, B & W Show Ground, Shepton Mallet BA4 6QN at 11am, guests welcome. Details: www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk 01934 862435.

Thursday March 8th Mendip Society talk: “The future of the AONB” by Jim Hardcastle, 2.30pm at St James’ Church Hall, Woodborough Rd, Winscombe BS25 1BA. Talk “Back in Time” Winscombe & Sandford in 1940s with archive photos plus short report of W & S Millennium Green, 7.30pm, Winscombe Recreation Ground Clubhouse, BS25 1AX, all welcome.

Saturday March 10th Mendip Society walk a moderate 4.5 to 5 miles around Winscombe, meet 1.30pm in car park behind Woodborough Inn, BS25 1HD. ST 421 576. Details: Mary 01934 843789.

Frome Civic Society and Society for Local Study, Tom Mayberry on Somerset Rural Life Museum, Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm.

Croscombe Spring market, 10am-2pm at the village hall, Fayreway BA5 3RA, local produce, crafts, preserves, plants, tombola, easter egg hunt, teas and light lunches. Details: marylucia.cadogan@gmail.com or 01749 572875.

Friday March 16th Resonate Strings, a quintet of musicians from Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, in concert at Chewton Mendip church, 7.30pm, adults £15, child/student £8 from 07940 801407 or www.takeart.org Proceeds to local parishes.

West Mendip Orchestra: Concert of English Music, 7.45pm, Christchurch, Chapel Hill, Clevedon BS21 7LL, tickets £10 at the door (concessions £8, students £2). Details: www.west-mendip-orchestra.org.uk Saturday March 17th Mendip Society walk a moderate 4 miles along Brean Down with views to Weston and Steep Holm, meet 1.30pm in the National Trust car park just before Brean Down, TA8 2RS, ST 296 585. Details: Pauline 01934 820745.

MENDIP MINDBENDER ANSWERS FOR FEBRUARY ACROSS: 1 Frome, 6 Somerset, 8 Dorset, 9 Regil, 10 Chalice, 12 And, 14 Bishops, 16 Glenda, 19 Nunney, 20 Kilver, 22 Spooner, 23 Rode, 24 Lydeard.

DOWN: 2 Marshes, 3 Polden, 4 Priests, 5 Well, 7 Edington, 11 Castle, 13 Downside, 15 House, 17 Puxton, 18 Berry, 21 Hole.

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Music in films

THE third annual Wells Film Festival will celebrate music in films, organisers have announced.

It will take place from Friday, April 27th until Sunday, April 29th and will again feature an outdoor screening in the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace on the opening night.

Full details have still to be revealed, but organisers say there will also be a special film show in Cedars Hall on the Sunday. Other events will be held at Wells Film Centre. Last year’s festival celebrated the city’s cinematic success and in the tenth anniversary of cop comedy Hot Fuzz. This year, Wells Film Centre is celebrating its own, 25th anniversary.

From Friday 9th February

From Friday 16th February

From Friday 23rd February From Friday 2nd March

LIVE ON SCREEN FOR FEBRUARY

Princes Road, Wells, BA5 1TD NOW SHOWING:

FIFTY SHADES FREED (18) • JOURNEYS END (12a) BLACK PANTHER (cert tbc) PHANTOM THREAD (15) • THE MERCY (12a) FINDING YOUR FEET (12a) THE SHAPE OF WATER (15) Weds 7th: TOSCA • Weds 14th: TWELFTH NIGHT Thurs 22nd: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF Weds 28th: THE WINTERS TALE

● Book in person ● Online 24/7 @www.wellsfilmcentre.co.uk ● Over the ’phone: 01749 673195

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WHAT’S ON

Half term fun at the palace

THIS February half term, the Bishop’s Palace, in Wells will kick off its children’s activities programme for 2018.

The new Make-it Monday sessions will be run every Monday during school holidays in the Undercroft, beginning with a theme of Heads & Tails.

Children can take the opportunity to make wacky beasts and dastardly dragons, in a variety of craft forms.

This year their popular Nature Ninjas sessions in the gardens will be held on Fridays, giving children the chance to get up close with a range of nature experiences such as pond dipping, minibeast hunting and seed sowing.

Throughout the February half term there will be a brand new family trail based on the Heads & Tails theme, which will finish in the fun-filled Dragon’s Lair, where little ones can let off steam on the play equipment.

Family activities are included in standard admission and underfives are always free. A time slot for the Make-it Monday sessions must be collected upon arrival at the palace.

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