Mendiptimes - Volume 9 Issue 4 by Media Fabrica

Mendip Times

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VOLUME 9 ISSUE 7

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Celebrating life on the Mendips and surrounding areas

DECEMBER 2013

A Merry Christmas!

IN THIS ISSUE: FESTIVE FOCUS • CARNIVAL FUN • FOOD & DRINK • ARTS & ANTIQUES • WHAT’S ON Local people, local history, local places, local events and local news

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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 343091

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

We have mentioned previously the old gentleman who left his house to his daughter and his “personality” to his son. Perhaps he did think his son should inherit his own grumpy and awkward character but almost certainly he meant “personalty” (solicitorspeak for personal property). is highlights the wisdom of spending a relatively small amount on solicitors’ fees for a will to make sure your assets are dealt with as you want. Forty or 50 years ago when small dairy herds could provide a living, a Mendip farmer decided to save money on solicitors’ fees and write his own will. He had three sons and 17 cattle, plus a common-sense brother. By his will George divided his herd, half to George junior, one third to Sid and one ninth to Bert. e mathematicians among you will see the problem, 8½ cattle to one son, 5.66 to the second and 1.88 to the third, none getting a round complete number. George died; then the manure ﬂew. George junior said that Sid and Bert should settle for six and two cows respectively with him having the odd extra numbers, the others said he should settle for eight with each of them having the extras. Feelings were at fever pitch, it was either pickaxe handles at dawn or they would spend their new inheritances on solicitors’ fees and suing one another. “It’s a matter of principle”. en along came Uncle Bob saying: “Yer, tell ’ee what, I’ll chuck one of my beasts in to help solve the problem if I have’m back at the end.” So Bob’s cow was put with the other 17, making a total of 18 which were then divided according to the will. George junior had nine, Sid six, Bert two, making a total of 17 and Bob had back the 18th. e moral? Don’t be stubborn, principles can be expensive, use common sense ﬁrst.

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

Cheddar: Roley House, Church Street, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3RA. Tel: 01934 745400

Website: www.bgw.uk.com

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MENDIP TIMES

CONTENTS

Welcome

FIRSTLY may we wish all of our readers, contributors and advertisers a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Once again we’ve a bumper issue for you full of festive ideas, including recipes from June Macfarlane, plus a walk around Wells with Sue Gearing to help overcome any seasonal excesses. We feature several new businesses this month, which is perhaps a sign that the recession is coming to an end, while chartered surveyors are reporting a record demand for houses. We also have our biggest-ever charity section, a reminder of those in need this Christmas. We’ve followed the carnival circuit – we have a picture special – and we have more remarkable pictures from our caving expert Phil Hendy, who goes deep underground near Bath. We report on a detailed Tudor map of Compton Martin, a new collection of songs from the old North Somerset coalfield and how one giant supermarket remembered Armistice Day. Both Adrian Boots and Chris Sperring have been out mushrooming – while Les Davies has been cider making. With all of our usual features and contributors, let us keep you company this Christmas. January 2014 deadline: Friday, 6th December 2013. Published: Tuesday, 17th December 2013. Editorial: Steve Egginton steve@mendiptimes.co.uk Mark Adler mark@mendiptimes.co.uk Advertising: Ann Quinn advertising@mendiptimes.co.uk Marjorie Page marjorie@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: CBeebies presenter Katy Ashworth with Valentina and Rocco. Photograph by Mark Adler (see page 94).

Scouts honour – planting for the future on Mendip

Here’s looking at you – carnival spectacular in pictures

Lizzie and Les – making cider the old-fashioned way

Just the ticket – first festival run for charity

Plus all our regular features Environment...................................6 Farming Mary James MBE..........18 Internet and Crossword..............20 Food & Drink...............................22 Arts & Antiques ...........................34 Business ........................................44 Wildlife Chris Sperring MBE .......49 Walking Sue Gearing....................50 Outdoors Les Davies MBE ..........52 Gardening Mary Payne MBE ......54

Family Mendip Mum....................64 Health Dr Phil Hammond.............64 Caving Phil Hendy........................62 Charities .......................................68 Property........................................79 Homes and Interiors....................80 Music.............................................86 Riding Celia Gadd ........................88 Sport..............................................90 What’s On ....................................95 MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 3

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MENDIP TIMES

Next chapter for Eileen

A VOLUNTEER who delivers library books and other items to housebound people in Bath and North East Somerset has been honoured for 30 years of service – and she says she has no intention of retiring! Eileen Colburn, of Midsomer Norton, is a Library Coordinator organising home library visits for those with physical or mental health disabilities or carer’s Bookworm: Eileen has no plans to responsibilities. retire from her role The volunteers deliver material including large print books, music CDs, DVDs and ordinary print fiction and non-fiction books to those who would otherwise be unable to access libraries. In her role, Eileen has been the inspiration to others to take up voluntary work within the library service. Her area includes Peasedown St. John and Bishop Sutton. A party was held at Midsomer Norton Library to mark Eileen’s work. Several current and past Midsomer Norton Area Group Volunteer members joined in the celebrations. Councillor Neil Butters, chairman of Bath and North East Somerset Council, and June Brassington, head of Library Services, made a presentation to Eileen. Councillor Butters said: “Volunteers like Eileen, who are beavering away unseen, are more relevant than ever now because of cutbacks in services and the loss of some mobile libraries. They are bringing the libraries to the people.” Eileen said: “I really enjoy the work. The best part of it is meeting people. I certainly don’t want to retire!”

Blagdon remembers

NEWS

BLAGDON rainbows, brownies, cubs, guides, scouts and venture scouts made quite an impact when they attended the Remembrance Service at St Andrew’s in Blagdon. With a record attendance, the venture scouts had to stand behind the scouts as there were no seats left.

Church backs credit union

THE Diocese of Bath and Wells has become one of the first in the country and the first in the South West to sign up as a corporate member of a local credit union, with a deposit of £15,000 with Somerset Savings and Loans. Diocesan Secretary, Nick Denison said: “Credit unions offer a competitive, ethical alternative to high street lending; they’re community based, and owned and controlled by their local members. We hope this money will enable Somerset Savings and Loans to continue offering its valued services to local people.” Somerset Savings and Loans treasurer, Paul Urch, said: “This is a very welcome vote of confidence in Somerset Savings and Loans and the Credit Union movement. We now need to use this impetus to spark a close and effective working relationship with the Church of England. “The aim is to bring together the needs of parishioners and the services available through the credit union and work together to meet the affordable and realistic goals of those less advantaged in our society.” The Archdeacon of Bath, The Ven. Andy Piggott, visited a branch of Somerset Savings and Loans in Weston-super-Mare, and said: “People are worried about payday loans and credit unions represent a positive and realistic alternative. We can all help make our local credit unions stronger by using their services.”

Rescuers in demand Councillor Neil Butters helps Eileen cut a celebration cake

For information about the free Home Library Service visit: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/libraries-andarchives/access-all/home-library-service

AVON and Somerset Search and Rescue were called out 31 times in the last 12 months, spending a total of 1,670 volunteer hours searching for and rescuing people. The average call-out lasts five hours. The majority were land searches followed by cliff and water rescues. Members were among representatives of mountain and cave rescue teams from across England and Wales who staged an exhibition and reception in Parliament to highlight the value of their work, in the hope of gaining funding support from central government. MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 5

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The path of true happiness

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Wells Rec: plans out soon

A packed audience in the Bishop’s Barn for the Great Milk Debate, during the Wells Food Festival

Rob and Robin on the pit path

THERE’S finally been a resolution to the row over the upkeep of the historic pit path that runs along the parish border of Westfield with Midsomer Norton, with Bath and North East Somerset Council agreeing to adopt the path and take care of it. So after many years of brambles, annoyance, nettles, complaints from residents, letters to various councils and companies and general overall unhappiness with the mess, the breakthrough has been made. The history of the path goes back some decades, to when it was covered in Tarmac by Coates factory, on the understanding that they would not be responsible for its upkeep. This helped their employees get to work. B&NES councillor Robin Moss said: “This is a victory of persistence by local residents, the parish council and local councillors, who have all been pushing for years for the path to be maintained on a regular basis.” Another B&NES councillor Rob Appleyard said: “At last, after many years! I know that the old Norton Radstock Council tried to solve this problem and I think even Wansdyke Council were involved at one point. We all kept pushing and pushing, it’s good the matter has been resolved, but it is a real shame it has had to take so long.” PAGE 6 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

AN action plan setting out the options for the future of Wells Recreation Ground could be published by Christmas. A meeting of the Wells Recreation Ground Trust due to be held in November was postponed while Mendip District Council and Wedmore-based architects B2 finalised the options appraisal for the site. Councillor John North, chair of the trust, said: “A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to finalise a plan for the future of the recreation ground and Bishops Barn. “It’s important to stress that any potential enhancements to this site are likely to be heavily dependent on grant funding, so it’s vital that we finalise a proposal for which we have a good chance of gaining funding and which can be delivered on time and budget. “I would like to thank the people of Wells for their patience while we finalise this important project.” Working in partnership with the Somerset Building Preservation Trust, Mendip District Council commissioned an options appraisal for the recreation ground which assessed what could be done to improve the site and make it more attractive to local residents and visitors to Wells. Wells City Council also contributed to the project. A commercially viable option is being sought, which improves the range of facilities, increases public use of and access to the site, especially the medieval Bishop’s Barn, and improves the setting of the barn. Whatever the conclusions of the appraisal, the recreation ground will stay as open space for recreational use by the local community, in line with the original aims and objectives of the Wells Recreation Ground Trust. A new date for the meeting will be advertised on Mendip District Council’s website – www.mendip.gov.uk – and interested parties will be notified.

Nature’s legacy

A PROJECT to reconnect people of all ages with their environment and locallyproduced food has inspired one group of students to take it in a new direction. Sue Padfield, whose family farms at Stratton-on-the-Fosse, has been working with Let Nature Feed Your Senses for the past four years. As well as encouraging youngsters to visit local farms, Sue decided to create links with the Fosseway House residential home in the village. She worked alongside staff to encourage the residents to learn to grow their own food

Sue with one of the residents during an art session at Fosse House

(Photograph courtesy of Duncan Simey)

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Frome cleans up!

Clean-up volunteers at work by Button Bridge in Frome

REGULAR street-by-street community clean-ups could be held in Frome after the success of the first town-wide event. The first Great Frome Clean Up was organised by DorothyAnn Bryant as part of Participate Frome week and saw groups of local people meet in seven different places around the town to tidy the streets. Dorothy-Ann said: “The clean-up was a great success, with so many people taking part. Most of all though, we were so pleased to see such an improvement in the state of our streets since the last event. Well done Frome.” Some town centre businesses including National Westminster Bank, Fat Face and Superdrug have pledged their on-going support to keep the areas outside their shops clean and tidy, along with monthly clean-ups to keep on top of the weeds. Shoppers and the community generally are being encouraged to play their part too. Paul Wynne, clerk of Frome Town Council, said: “If everyone picked up just one piece of rubbish and put it in the bin every day our town would be spotless.” Keep Frome Clean is calling on residents across the town to keep their own streets clean with regular events.

Scouts’ legacy

ENVIRONMENT

Mudlarks – the team carried on planting despite heavy rain

MEMBERS of a recently-formed scout group have already made their mark on the Mendip countryside. The 1st North Mendip group has helped to plant more than 400 trees in Binegar, near Shepton Mallet, in a joint project with the parish council, villagers and the Woodland Trust. The native trees have been planted at Binegar Bottom and include oak, birch, hazel and hawthorn. The group had been a satellite of the Shepton Mallet Scout Group for around 40 years but decided to become a stand-alone organisation once it had sufficient young people and leaders. Launched in August, it is one of the newest groups in the country and is now 25-strong with six leaders. The group, which attracts young people from villages including Stoke St Michael and Chewton Mendip, meets in Binegar Memorial Hall with regular outdoor activities on nearby land which is owned by the council.

Anyone who would like information on how to organise a clean-up should contact the town council. Visit: www.frome-tc.gov.uk

which the home’s catering team now use. Dobbies Garden Centre in Shepton Mallet supported the project with donations of plants and equipment. A stand at the village’s fete in September – where a scrapbook about the success of the scheme was on show – attracted a group of students from Downside School, who volunteered to visit the home on a regular basis to make friends with the residents. Sue said: “It’s a wonderful outcome. Let Nature Feed Your Senses has been a fantastic experience for me and I was so pleased when the students approached me.” Let Nature Feed Your Senses project, an England-wide project that connects people with nature through food and farming, is run by the Sensory Trust. Working closely with the organisation LEAF, it has been coordinating thousands of visits across the country for people who would not normally have the chance to visit a farm - all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Everything stops for tea!

For more information about the group, visit: www.1stnorthmendip.org.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 7

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Solar and turbine plans – have your say

M EN D IP

WE AT HE R

S C E N E

MEMBERS of the public are being given the chance to have their say about the impact of wind turbines and larger sized solar farms on the Mendip area as part of a project to better understand the positive and negative impacts of the installations on local communities. A special meeting is being held on Wednesday, December 4th in Wells Town Hall when speakers will have 10-minute slots to argue their case. The research has been set up by Mendip District Council in response to a number of planning applications across the district. Amongst its aims are: To look at the benefits and adverse effects of renewable energy infrastructure on local residents and gain their views on this infrastructure. To weigh up the opportunities and threats to the Mendip area from the development of large scale renewable energy infrastructure and consider what would be an appropriate way forward. To develop a technical understanding of the impact of wind turbines and solar farms on local communities and consider scientific data to quantify the benefits and risks around these installations. To gain an understanding of why national politicians are encouraging councils to agree to the construction of large scale wind turbines and solar farms, including clarification on the guidelines coming from central government and the actual legal obligations that the council must follow. Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, portfolio holder for built environment, said: “I welcome this piece of work as it will allow councillors to cut through the myths, assess the facts surrounding renewable energy installations and get a clearer picture of the where legislation that supports renewable energy sits in the planning process.”

As part of this work, the council is requesting written submissions from anyone who has evidence they feel should be considered as part of the investigation. Anyone wishing to submit written representations or request a speaking slot should contact Nick Jagger on 01749 341315 or nick.jagger@mendip.gov.uk Those people given a speaking slot will be sent details of the time or, if all the slots have been allocated, will be asked to make a written representation instead. The task and finish group will consider all information received and report back to the Scrutiny Board in March 2014.

Protective fence

PART of the Mendip Society’s Slader’s Leigh reserve now has a protective fence thanks to these students from the Countryside Skills course at Radstock College and their tutor Dan Frost. It’s been put up to protect two small-leaved limes (tilia cordata) at the top end of the reserve.

A festive quiz – what’s your forecast?

with DAVID MAINE

TO help brighten up the dull days and maybe provide a little light entertainment for your festive gatherings, I have prepared a little meteorological quiz. No prizes, but it will test your knowledge of the subject a bit (answers on page 89). May I wish Mendip Times readers a very merry Christmas!

1: What temperature would read the same on both a Fahrenheit and Centigrade thermometer? 2: What cloud would normally be associated with a thunderstorm? 3: What does freezing fog consist of? 4: Which is the higher of these two cloud types – Altocumulus or Cirrus? 5: What compass bearing would equate to a wind from the southeast? 6: On a weather chart, if a cold front catches up a warm front, what type of front does it become? 7: What number on the Beaufort scale is a gale?

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ENVIRONMENT

8: And a hurricane? 9: What is usually meant by a “wintry shower”? 10: Under what circumstances can a frost occur if the air temperature remains above zero C? 11: What was the name of the BBC Points West weatherman (and former Stoke St Michael resident) who left to join Al Jazeera television in Qatar? 12: Which occurs first, thunder or lightning? 13: What are the lines called that join places of equal wind speed? 14: What instrument measures humidity? 15: An inch of rain would be roughly equal to what depth of snow? 16: What weight of water is produced by an inch of rain falling onto a one acre field? 17: What is the highest temperature ever reached in the UK (to the nearest deg. C)? 18: And the lowest? 19: Which way do the winds blow around an anticyclone? 20: How much snow does it take to make a white Christmas?

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MENDIP TIMES

Dear Mendip Times, A warm welcome to all of you at Mendip Times. Yesterday my wife and I journeyed from Newbury (Berkshire) to visit the Clarks Outlet Village in Street, which we do around four times a year. We are not avid ‘shoppers’ but find that this particular venue has a good mix of stores that suits us well. Whilst in the Tourist Information Office there I picked up a copy of your publication – you could hardly miss it as it was on display on the rack facing the doorway – a coup for your marketing people perhaps! Anyway, I have been reading it this morning and thought that I must make contact to thank you for such an interesting magazine – a very good balance of useful advertisements and interesting articles. I am an active Rotarian locally and the level of activity of the Rotary Clubs in the Mendip area is really heart-warming, but even more so is the amount of coverage that your publication gives to them. I only wish that we had a similar magazine in our own area that we too could have such a similar close link with. As with all charitable organisations, publicity is of paramount importance, not so much from the viewpoint of the charity ‘blowing its own trumpet’, but from the public awareness perspective. Your articles this month have certainly given me inspiration for initiatives that we could take up here in Newbury. Your publication displays most ably the community spirit that obviously thrives in the Mendip area and the publicity that your magazine provides must surely be a great encouragement to all who participate in charity work – be it the fundraisers themselves or those who support the various events. We both have a love of Somerset, which has been reinforced by our frequent visits to the area. However, we now have an even closer link with the county as our daughter-in-law’s maternal family come from the farming community close to Glastonbury – her uncle still indeed farms there. We have often considered moving to Somerset but the arrival of grandchildren has put a hold on that for now. Our son lives very locally to us and for us to live at a distance from his children would be unthinkable – if only we can persuade him to move to Somerset as well? With best wishes for your flourishing publication, Chris and Felicity Buckingham Newbury

Dear Mendip Times, Jean is blind and has various health problems but no local family. She cannot go out alone. Pictured with her is her volunteer, Margaret, who has been visiting Jean in her care home since 1998. Margaret met her as a result of the Visiting Service for the blind run by local charity Somerset Sight and has visited Jean nearly every week for the last 15 years. She takes Jean out, helps her with shopping, reading, writing cards and provides her with company. Jean says that Margaret’s company makes a huge difference to the quality of her life. The Visiting Service for the blind and visually impaired has had funding from Somerset County Council since the 1990s and has supported over 1,000 people. Many of the 130 people currently being supported are deaf as well as blind, resulting in their extreme isolation from the world they live in. PAGE 10 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

LETTERS

The knowledgeable and caring volunteers help them to cope with their sensory loss both practically and emotionally through regular visits and support. Somerset County Council is now threatening to withdraw funding from this service which supports some of Somerset’s most vulnerable people, most of whom are elderly and many of whom have no one to visit them other than their volunteer. If you oppose the cutbacks to this valuable service please sign Somerset Sight’s petition on their website or on www.change.org and write to your local MP or county councillor in support of the continuation of this local service. If you would like to join us or can help in any other way please contact Somerset Sight’s main office on 01823 366143 or contact me. Claire Packwood Local Co-ordinator Somerset Sight 01643 708382 Dear Mendip Times, In your November issue, Tim Mead asked: “Does supporting British matter?” The answer is a very strong affirmative “Yes”. The rise of local companies like Yeo Valley just shows what can be achieved by a young entrepreneur who has a good idea. There’s a very similar example just down the road at Thatchers, not to mention the steady expansion of your own marvellous magazine. So how is it then that so much else has been lost? Why is it that Britain, once the workshop of the world, has become the dustbin for any old rubbish that China produces? While Tim writes that his company is swapping German (Audi) cars for Hondas (Japanese) I suppose we do get the benefit that they are made over here. What a shame we don’t mass produce our own cars anymore. What a shame that so much of our manufacturing base has disappeared and that we have become a nation of dull supermarket shoppers. I can only wonder that anyone continues to bother making anything, given the bureaucracy and red tape that strangles initiative. I’m sure the great and greatly missed Alan Goode would have had some answers. I fear I am only qualified to pose the questions. George Jackson Midsomer Norton

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MENDIP REMEMBERS

Store falls silent

ONE of the biggest supermarkets on Mendip fell silent on Armistice Day to honour the dead of two world wars and other conflicts. Sainsbury’s store in Frome invited war veterans, serving military personnel and representatives of the emergency services to take part in the service. Shops, schools and other institutions across the area also observed the silence. It was the third year that staff had

Standards are lowered for the two minute’s silence

Loving cups commemorate war dead ARTIST Kate Wilson has won praise for an installation at Wells Cathedral inviting visitors to remember the more than 400 British service personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan. The Last Full Measure of Devotion, in the Lady Chapel, featured regimental rows of 446 unique porcelain loving cups. Kate made each cup individually from 300 grammes of porcelain – the average weight of the human heart. Kate, of Wells, created the installation as part of a Phd she is undertaking at Bath Spa University. It was inspired by a commission from the Shepton Cider Mill to study the history of its unique collection of priceless cider mugs. In front of the cups were 11 stitched kneelers bearing the lines of a poem by her uncle Roy Tuck, a veteran of the Second World War. Kate said: “This has been two years in the planning and the feedback from visitors has been that they’ve found it very

Kate in front of the installation in the Lady Chapel

us to sell poppies for two whole weeks in the lobby.” Store manager Ian Chappell said: “The service is something that no other Sainsbury’s store does in this area and this was our biggest to date.”

Photograph courtesy of Kevin Redpath

The Poppy Appeal in Frome raised hundreds of pounds

decided to stage the ceremony and it was thought to be one of the biggest of its kind to be held in a Sainsbury’s store. Jane Norris, chairman of the Frome branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “The store was very generous in allowing

A close up of the loving cups

thought-provoking and poignant. “The Last Full Measure of Devotion uses this tradition of commemoration not only to acknowledge but also to quantify the loss of British armed service men and women during the conflict in Afghanistan.” Perhaps most poignantly, a green cupboard which is part of the installation held spare cups; Kate’s hope was that they would not be needed. “We shall in future years, At the appointed time, Whilst standing in fallen leaves, Remember you With deepest pride…” From The Cost, part of Fragments of My Past, by Roy Tuck

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 11

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Get your own cutting of Glastonbury’s Holy Thorn

Glastonbury have sourced a supply of Crataegus Monogyna Biflora cuttings (The Glastonbury Thorn) which are now on sale. For further information contact Malcolm Slocombe on 01458 831243.

lllllllllllllllllll THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT

A GLASTONBURY HOLY THORN TREE Crataegus Monogyna Biflora – It’s The Real Thing!!! Available from Malcolm Slocombe Four Seasons 16 High Street, Glastonbury Somerset BA6 9DU Telephone No: 01458 832061

Buy a new bike for Christmas WITH ONLY A 10% DEPOSIT!

PAGE 12 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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A CUTTING of the Glastonbury holy thorn, which flowers in spring and at Christmas, can now make an ideal gift. Associated with the legend of Joseph of Arimathea, these trees have been propagated by grafting since ancient times, and a flowering sprig is sent to the British Monarch every Christmas. Legend tells us that following the crucifixion of Christ, Joseph of Arimathea arrived at Glastonbury with the Holy Grail. Tired and weary, Joseph thrust his staff into the ground on Wearyall Hill where it took root and grew into the Holy Thorn. The plant’s flowering just past midwinter was thought to be miraculous. Four Seasons of Street and

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Christmas at Browne’s

CHRISTMAS 2013

BROWNE’S Garden Centre is a traditional family-run garden centre situated on the Glastonbury road, Wells, where the family have been trading since 1806. They have a small coffee shop and offer a wide variety of trees, shrubs, fruit trees, roses, herbaceous perennials and houseplants, together with an excellent range of gardening sundries. As we run up to Christmas they will have a large selection of real Christmas trees, Nordmann spruce non-drop and traditional Norway spruce, both freshly cut and pot grown, cut holly and mistletoe, holly and mixed shrub wreaths all hand made on the premises, plus English grown cyclamen and poinsettias.

BROWNES GARDEN CENTRE GLASTONBURY R OAD W EL L S Tel: 0 17 49 67 305 0 E m a i l j o n @ b r o w n e s - g c .c o . u k

Come and relax & enjoy a coffee and cake in our coffee shop, then wander through our indoor display area where we have a colourful display of cyclamen, poinsettia, jasmine & mixed bowls. Large selection of trees, shrubs & roses plus all your garden sundry requirements National Garden gift vouchers•Nordmann & Norway spruce Christmas trees Christmas wreaths & chaplets hand made on the premises•Also snow sledges & rock salt•Delivery service available Open 9-5pm Mon–Sat 10-4.30pm Sunday•Coffee shop 10.30-4pm Tuesday–Sunday

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 13

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MENDIP TIMES

Christmas wonderland

The Almshouse Tea Shop

John & Nicky @ The Almshouse in Axbridge would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’ We reopen in the New Year on Wednesday 15th January. e Square, Axbridge, Somerset BS26 2AR

01934 733720 www.thealmshouseteashop.co.uk Open Weds – Fri 9am-4pm, Weekends & Bank Holidays 10am – 4pm

Tel: 01934 842004

A Christmas Gift with a difference!

Would you like to try this?

For a gift with a difference take a drive out with our magnificent Friesian horses with the chance to take the reins! Gift vouchers available

Contact Nicky or Mike Lyons on: 01761 462250 / 07889 976498

www.blagdonhorsedrawncarriages.com

Blagdon Horse Drawn Carriages PAGE 14 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

NEEDFUL Things of Castle Cary have proved, once again, that you don’t have to break the bank to decorate your home and trees this Christmas. Their exciting displays include decorations for every budget, starting at 99p for a hand-made glass angel! Visit this delightful store for all your Christmas gifts, stocking fillers and decorations. It’s a winter wonderland waiting to be discovered. Meanwhile, in their ladies’ clothing shop next door, find winter woollies and coats, scarves hats and gloves to keep you toasty-warm this season.

Hair and beauty

AT Acutabove Hair salon and Beautyabove, their team are experienced, friendly and will strive to meet your individual needs providing the highest standard of creativity and service. Visit them to see their range of limited edition Aveda gifts, perfect for stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts or team them with gift vouchers for the perfect Aveda experience. They are open six days a week, late on Thursdays.

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Stress-free Xmas shopping

THE Country House Gift Company based in Winscombe are showcasing their new winter collections. October saw their first fashion show in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the sell-out event, enjoyed by all, featured models parading many items from the new season’s collection. With Christmas fast approaching they will have a Christmas wish-list letter box for the children. Father Christmas will be visiting the shop on Thursdays from December 5th, 4pm to 8.30pm (every Thursday until Christmas) and every Saturday from December 7th, 1pm to 4pm until Christmas. The company are also making the store available for private shopping evenings. All you’ll need is to have 10 friends or more, who can enjoy a glass of wine, the chance to shop to their heart’s content, with a gift-wrapping service, allowing everyone to catch-up in a way that takes the stress out of Christmas shopping. Details: Book through Jeni or Elaine by email, phoning either 01278 751904 or 01934 842125.

New in Axbridge

THE Almshouse in Axbridge has added to its current gifts by adding a new range of glass made locally in Somerset by Shakspeare Glass. Their current opening hours are WednesdayFriday, 9am-4pm and weekends and bank holidays 10am-4pm. They will close for Christmas on December 22nd.

THE IDEAL GIFT

FLY A GLIDER!

CHRISTMAS 2013

Mendip Gliding Club is located near Cheddar and offers a variety of Glider Flying packages including Trial Lesson Vouchers (from £35), or regular membership and “Fixed Price to Solo” options. The Club is open all year on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Suitable for ages 12 upwards – no upper limit! Fly with BGA rated instructors in dual control gliders. For further information please visit our website at www.mendipglidingclub.co.uk or contact the Club Secretary on 01761 232080

Give a unique gift this Christmas! Gift Vouchers for Wild Food Forays With Adrian Boots

Join me next year on a fantastic wild food foray. Enjoy the best wild edibles the spring, summer and autumn seasons have to offer!

Please call 01761 463296 to book your voucher or for more info visit: www.gowildactivities.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 15

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MENDIP TIMES

Carnival results

HERE are the county results of this season’s Somerset Carnivals: Feature: 1-Ramblers 2-Gremlins 3-Masqueraders 4-Harlequin Tableaux: 1-Gemini 2-Huckyduck 3-Pentathlon 4-Wills Comic: 1-Newmarket 2-Cary Comedians Juvenile: 1-Marina Sydenham 2-Hillview Single juvenile: 1-AJ 2-Izzy Wheeler Single adult: 1-Roger MusprattHamilton 2-Andy Tizzard Disabled: Academy of carnival Pairs: 1-A&A 2-Dee Gees Juvenile group: 1-Crusader cubs Adult group: 1-Motiv8 2-Xtreme Driver: 1-Globe 2-Gemini

Towing vehicle: 1-Ramblers Most original adult: Ramblers Adult costume: Ramblers Most original juvenile: Marina Sydenham Juvenile costume: Maria Sydenham Typical carnival music: Renegades Best generator: Masqueraders Technical achievement: Ramblers Courage Trophy: Gremlins Chairmans choice: Ramblers Top table choice: Ramblers Presidents choice: Ramblers Public choice: Gemini

Griffins CC, from Bridgwater, lit up the sky in Shepton Mallet town centre with Steampunk

Masqueraders in Bridgwater

Oasis CC, from Frome, with their tableau A Knight’s Dream PAGE 16 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Wells-based Globe CC’s entry Headhunters

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SOMERSET CARNIVALS 2013

The Highland Flingers – members of 2R’s club from Temple Cloud

Huckyduck on the streets of Bridgwater with Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds

Bridgwater-based Wills CC with Priscilla

Costumes and make-up by Huckduck CC, from Coleford, scored highly with the judges

Cobra CC, from Wells, with Rio Birds

Some of the Globe CC team MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 17

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MENDIP TIMES

Don’t waste food this Christmas

IT saddens me to see the amount of food wasted in this country – the time, energy and expense in disposing of it – and to add to the irony of it all the number of food banks in each town is increasing. What are the supermarkets doing about it – will they really stop BOGOFs? It is not With MARY just food waste, the vast amounts of plastic JAMES MBE packaging have to be disposed of as well. So how do farmers feel about it? Just imagine how you would feel if you had gone out of your way to make something for someone and although they say thank you when they receive the gift it doesn’t get used or consumed; in other words your effort has gone to waste. That’s just how farmers feel when the all too-regular headlines outline in detail how much food goes to waste in the UK every year. It’s not just a shrug of the shoulders and acceptance of payment (if they are paid), it’s about product they have taken many months or years and serious financial investment to get to the market place in perfect condition: fresh dairy products that are delivered daily, salad crops that have been harvested in the middle of the night to ensure freshness, the animal that provides the meat that the stockperson has nurtured through its life. Wasted food is not just a headline, it’s about supporting those who have produced it and ultimately sharing it with some of

Club’s busy year

those in the world who are less fortunate than ourselves. Looking back on 2013 it has certainly been a better year from the farming point of view, with better hay and silage crops, even if some were somewhat sparse to start with, a kind cereal harvest, a reasonably good maize harvest, followed by good conditions in which to cultivate a good seedbed for planting cereals and oilseed rape. New shoots can already be seen but the pigeons and slugs are ready to gorge themselves so we need to be on the look-out. Meanwhile the majority of dairy cows have been housed for the winter. They are tucked up in their nice warm barns with food and water available to them 24/7. All they have to do is eat, drink, socialize and sleep. What a life! Christmas looms and we start thinking about food, especially turkeys and chicken. Whatever you choose this year look out for the best of British, preferably produced locally. So many farmers in our area have diversified to produce some fantastic food, cheeses, sausages, ice-cream, jams and chutneys etc. If you are a small producer who is making a new product you can get help on marketing, packaging, rules and regs from Taste of the West www.tasteofthewest.co.uk Farmshops are a good place to find exciting local foods or your local pub or restaurant may be using them. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, not forgetting all those who have to work on Christmas Day.

Details: Andy Dodd on 07759 586321

FROME Young Farmers have had a busy few months, appearing at Frome Carnival dressed up as Smurfs Gone Farming, and also celebrating their 80th anniversary, which saw 180 people enjoying a three-course meal, speeches, raffle and a good disco to dance the night away, while raising £681 for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The club also held a special meeting, where it presented Frome Guide dogs branch with a cheque for £500, raised at the dog show the club held earlier in the year. You don’t have to be a farmer to be a young farmer!

Details: Naomi Coltman 07825 223106. PAGE 18 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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Contractor of the year

FARMING

Flying high

Part of last year’s AMES event

THE search is on for the top agricultural contractor in the South West, with the winner being announced at the 2014 Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Show in Shepton Mallet. The competition is organised by the Royal Bath and West of England Society, which is organising AMES at the showground on Wednesday, February 12th. Again sponsored by accountants Old Mill, the competition is open to all agricultural contractors who are based in Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Short-listed contractors will be visited by the award judges who will look at all aspects of the farm or business and the machinery involved. The overall winner of the competition will receive £500 in prize money plus an invitation to the show, engraved glass bowl and framed photograph of the occasion. Entries for the competition close on Friday, January 20th and entry forms are available at: www.bathandwest.com

First crop for vineyard

A VINEYARD at Butcbome has produced its first grape harvest less than three years after it was planted. Thanks to this year’s good summer and hours of hard work from the vineyard owners – father and son team Luke and Ian Ford – the one hectare vineyard overlooking Blagdon Lake has produced two tonnes of grapes, with sugar and acidity levels just right for wine production. Four generations of the Ford family and more than 30 friends and extended family joined forces for the “picking party” at Sutton Farm. Luke, 26, a surveyor with David James and Partners, said: “It's been a fantastic vintage which has culminated in a great first harvest. The picking in particular has been brilliant fun with friends and family all getting involved. “Although it’s been over five years since I first started planning the project, this is just the start and I hope to get around 25 harvests from these vines.”

Pictured (l to r) Emma Cotton, Gemma Reed, Sue Medlicot (hospice representative), Amy Gould and Katie Uphill.

WELLS and Glastonbury Young Farmers raised £500 for St. Margaret’s Hospice in Taunton, with a balloon release held at Gould’s Farm in East Pennard. Anyone interested in joining them should contact wellsandglastyfc@btinternet.com or send a text to 07816 277839.

COUNTRY CLOTHING & GUN SHOP Major brands including:

Luke with grapes

And many others stocked

Southfield Sporting, Southfield House, Whatley, Frome, BA11 3JY shop@southfieldsporting.co.uk Twitter @southfieldsport www.southfieldsporting.co.uk

836 339 013O73 pening Times:

day-Friday 10am-6pm Wednes 9am-1pm and by appointme ay d r nt Satu

Open as usual until the 20th Dec 21st: 10am-6pm 22nd: 10am-1pm 23rd: 10am-6pm Closed: 24th Dec-7th Jan

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 19

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INTERNET

Christmas shopping

WITH the Christmas period very close, I thought a few addresses for shopping might be helpful. This is a sort of brief overview of a few suggestions, but hopefully will be of some interest. You can, of course, simply do a search for your favourite charity to see if they do any online items. Always make sure you are on a secure site when entering details such as card numbers, etc when shopping – e.g. you have https:// at the beginning of the address and a padlock symbol somewhere – usually on the end of the address bar. Always use PayPal or a credit card, not a debit card. Don’t forget to check delivery dates to make sure they can deliver in time for your needs. As ever, excercise caution when shopping online. If you are not sure about a site, check whether they are a reputable company with Companies House – http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk. I’ve included the full address, but you don’t need to type the http:// bit – the computer will insert that bit automatically anyway. There are lots of charity sites, which makes a sort of two-giftsin-one sort of situation, as the site will benenfit as well as recipient. Then if the receiver doesn’t like it, at least some good has come out of it! Such as: http://shop.helpforheroes.org.uk http://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk http://shop.gosh.org http://shop.breastcancercare.org.uk http://www.children1st.org.uk/shop http://www.bluecrossshop.org.uk http://www.rspcachristmas.co.uk http://www.dogstrustgifts.com Plus there are sites where you can buy a present for a third party in someone’s name – such as a goat to a family in Africa in the name of a friend: http://www.oxfam.org.uk or http://www.sendacow.org.uk or http://www.charityvouchers.org or perhaps http://www.charity-gifts.org or http://shop.savethechildren.org.uk or http://www.wwf.org.uk If you have a Nectar Card, then going through http://www.nectar.com/eshops/index.rnectar will help earn points as you go – a little gift for self for once! If you are not sure about shopping online, then why not book a 1:1 session with us? Whether it’s a desktop, laptop, iPad, Tablet or smartphone – we can help guide you through. N.B. On a very un-Christmas note – there is a nasty virus going round, and the best thing to do is to make sure that you don't open any zipped attachments (that applies as a general rule as well). And, as ever, make sure your work is backed up. And last but by no means least; we would like to wish all our trainers, customers, friends, supporters and colleagues, past; present and future a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year. Submitted by IT for the Terrified : The Old Cowshed, Station Road, Cheddar BS27 3AG 01934 741751 • www.itfortheterrified.co.uk This article is for guidance only, and the opinion of the writer. For more in depth information, please contact us. We offer individual training, either one-off sessions or a series, at a pace to suit you; a session lasts 2 hours and costs £10. See our website or contact us for further details.

PAGE 20 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

CROSSWORD

The Mendip Mindbender

ACROSS 1 Expect burning to harm local walk (10,3) 9 High spots lead to the downs (3) 10 Cup fit for Glastonbury visitors (7,4) 11/23 Watch shy hero outdo provider of care in Bath (7,5) 12 Craving for strong drink could last five years (7) 13 Request for princess’s joint near Badgworth (9) 15 Sleep-over for fibbers? (32) 16 Miss out ride in the dark – show gratitude for a change (5) 18 Difficult to fathom room implied by the farthest reaches (4,5) 20 Can he clone such parts ... or is it just another line? (7) 22 Pay for your own ... ticket to Amsterdam? (2,5) 24 Range within which home is most valued (4,3,4) 25 Unsound, but has minimum French asset (3) 26 Country home recipe for smile – takes the biscuit! (7,6)

DOWN 1 Obliged to leap forward (5) 2 Colourful city allegedly “half as old as time” (4-3)

3 4 5 6 7 8

13 14 15 17 19 21 22

Measurably stupid – as a plank? (4-5) Train for bankers? Tasty! (5) From meal I can produce something inspirational (9) Cads stick them in obstinately (5) Scaremonger drops rags to become edgy tennis champ (7) Dance Bach might have enjoyed? Saucy! (9) Beer to finish? Totally unacceptable (6,3) Aida and he made a thoughtful move, in fact, they ... (3,2,4) Where to attempt the final stand? (4-5) Demonstrate graph as iconic of incapacity with language (7) His heart is technically on the stage (7) File as the kind of statement soonest mended (5) Single bed contains ecclesiastical valuable (5) See 11 Across

Answers on Page 97

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GUY SALMON LAND ROVER BRISTOL

Guy Salmon Land Rover – Proudly Supporting Poppy Day

AS part of the annual National British Legion Poppy Appeal, 2013 saw the first ever Bristol Poppy Day on November 7th. This event saw serving Armed Forces Personnel, together with a number of veterans, and members of the cadet forces collecting not only on the streets of Bristol, but also in several participating businesses within the city. Guy Salmon Land Rover Bristol were approached by the organising team, and were delighted to be able supply two vehicles for use on the day. The vehicles were utilised as transportation for collection teams, and for V.I.P.s, to ensure that all were relocated to

the right place at the right time, in accordance with the minute perfect schedule provided by the British Legion. The day was an enormous success, and raised a total of £21,477.50, far exceeding the target figure of £15,000. This figure made this the largest street collection outside of London. As well as raising money, the objectives of raising the profile of the Royal British Legion, its beneficiaries and the Armed Forces were firmly met. Most importantly, the general public thoroughly enjoyed seeing their Armed Forces (and our vehicles), on the streets of their city and we are certain every one

of them finished the day with an extremely positive impression. Bristol Poppy Day is set to return next year, with a provisional date of Thursday November 6th. Guy Salmon Land Rover Bristol plan to be on hand once again to lend their support. The plan is to make Bristol Poppy Day 2014 even bigger, not only to raise more money for the Royal British Legion, but also because 2014 marks the centenary of the start of The Great War. Despite all the lessons identified over the decades, our Forces still require the support of the Legion as much now as ever before – throughout the year.

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 21

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MENDIP TIMES

T’was the night before Christmas . . .

BY the time I get to Christmas Eve I’m looking forward to a short pause before the big day, a chance to draw breath before the hectic morrow. Like many people we have our own Christmas Eve traditions – carols from Kings College and a classic dinner of boiled With JUNE gammon and parsley sauce (the leftovers will MACFARLANE make great sandwiches) and then some quiet last minute preparations. You can buy all manner of clever Christmas nibbles but the ones you make yourself will get the most applause, so here are some ideas using filo pastry. And a lovely salty hot chocolate fudge treat for a gift, or a night time fridge raid, or a surprise for Santa.

And please don’t forget an apple and a carrot for Rudolf! Have a very happy Christmas – we’ll see you in the New Year!

CLASSIC BOILED GAMMON AND PARSLEY SAUCE Simmering the gammon slowly in dry cider is the trick to this. I promise it will deliver the best ham ever!

METHOD

Put everything in a very big pan. Bring slowly to the boil, skim off any scum, cover with a lid askew, turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for a couple of hours on top of the stove (or in a slow cooker on low for about five hours). Check the ham is cooked and turn off the heat. You can leave it in the stock for at least an hour. Make a roux with the flour and butter, add the milk slowly, beating thoroughly to remove lumps. Stir in several grates of a nutmeg and lots of chopped parsley. Serve ham in thick slices with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

FILO PASTRY BITES INGREDIENTS

1 roll filo pastry melted butter Suggested fillings: Somerset goats cheese & cranberry jelly caramelised onions & anchovies grilled streaky bacon & butternut squash chilli jam & crushed cashew nuts cooked & squeezed dry spinach & cream cheese

It’s remarkable what you can make with a roll of filo pastry and a little imagination. The pastry is light and flaky so people have room left for the Main Event. Fillings should be vivid and tasty to sharpen the appetite. Serve as a nibble or as a starter.

METHOD

Take a stack of two sheets of pastry, wide side facing you (keep the rest covered to stop drying out). Brush top sheet with butter. Place 2tsp of filling at three intervals along sheet and roll up tightly. Cut into three and twist ends to form bonbon shapes. Or: Cut buttered sheet into four rectangles, place filling in the middle, fold sides over to make a package. Or: Cut buttered sheet into four rectangles, place filling in the middle, bring corners together to make a scrunched bag. Or make triangles, or rolls, or cones, or anything really! You can now cover the shapes with cling film and refrigerate overnight. Brush with melted butter and cook in preheated 200C oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.

PAGE 22 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

INGREDIENTS

A 1.5-2kg piece of boned gammon, unsmoked, tied, soaked overnight to remove salt 2 leeks 1 carrot 2 ribs celery 10 black peppercorns 6 parsley stalks 2 bay leaves 500ml chicken stock Dry cider to cover (probably two bottles) 25g flour 25g butter 500ml milk nutmeg chopped parsley

SALTY HOT CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE

As we try to eat less INGREDIENTS salt it has become a 250g salted butter piquant treat, showing 50g dark chocolate up in caramels, or 50g cocoa powder spiced with seaweed, 150g sugar and here adding a 300ml double cream flavour layer to a fudgy 2 scant tsp salt sauce. It makes a lovely 2 tsp vanilla extract home made gift. Heat it up and pour over ice cream, or spread it on your croissants, or keep it in the fridge and eat it with a spoon!

METHOD

In a heavy based pan over a low heat melt the butter and chocolate. Add the cocoa, sugar and 3/4 of the cream. Stir to mix until sauce is just heated: do not allow to boil. Add remaining cream and stir until sauce is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add salt and vanilla (add salt carefully and taste, it should not overpower.) Pour into sterilised jars, allow to cool, then cover and keep in fridge.

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Gearing up for Christmas

RIGHT through the month of December Somerset Farmers Markets notch up a gear or two with local producers pulling out all the stops to ensure that you can purchase as wide a range as possible of festive food with the added bonus of luxurious treats and gift buying opportunities from artisan producers. From poultry and mince pies, to traditional truckles of cheese and award-winning wines and ciders, our local farmers markets are an important part of the traditional build up to Christmas, also offering prize draws, carol singing, decorated stalls and a great shopping atmosphere. If you haven’t shopped at a farmers market before find out what is on offer – and buy your Christmas pudding from the person who made it or your chipolata’s from the farmer who raised the pigs! It is advisable, though not essential, to pre-order some items such as your Christmas birds, puddings, hams, whole cheeses either at the markets or contact the producers direct. Details: www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk or call 01373 814646 for contact details.

FOOD & DRINK Country shopping at its best

New Manor Farm Shop, North Widcombe, West Harptree, Bristol BS40 6HW SHOP EXTENDED – EVEN MORE CHOICE CHRISTMAS WREATHS AND HYACINTHS

Season’s Greetings from Somerset Farmers Markets

DECEMBER 2013 DATES

Wells: every Wednesday 9am-2.30pm at the Market Place All other markets 9am-1pm unless otherwise marked*

Sunday 1st Frome Supermarket (10am-4pm)* Friday 6th Wincanton (9am-12noon)* Saturday 7th Midsomer Norton & Axbridge Saturday 14th Frome & Keynsham Friday 20th Cheddar Friday 20th Burnham-on-Sea Saturday 21st Crewkerne Saturday 21st Glastonbury (9am-2pm)* Sunday 22nd Axbridge (10am-1.30pm)* Sunday 22nd Frome (10am-1.30pm)* Sunday 22nd Yeovil (10am-2pm)*

Powering Farming’s Future Tel: 01225 667151 Web: www.yourenergyuk.com

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH US!

Feast with us this Christmas

Geoff’s fresh fish every Friday and Saturday

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

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

NEW FUNCTION ROOM NOW 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 - 4.30pm

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

Farm Shop: 01761 220067 Tea Rooms: 01761 220172

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 23

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MENDIP TIMES

FOOD & DRINK

Sweet Cumin wins gold

BINI Ludlow set up Sweet Cumin to pass on her knowledge to budding cooks, young and old, who want to understand the importance of using spices, trying new flavour combinations and how to create and develop their own dishes. Cookery courses for adults come in short, half day and whole day classes instead. The novice course is also taught to school-age children and at parties. Sweet Cumin reached the finals in the People’s Choice Award in this year’s UK British Cookery School Awards. Bini said: “This is amazing news and I would like to thank everyone for your support and for voting for me. “I was also short-listed as a contender as the best takeaway in the South West against a pizza company based in Cornwall. It wasn’t my time to win the overall category, but will try next year. However I am still pleased to have achieved a Gold in my first year.”

Bini has also been working with the Sensory Trust at Fosseway Nursing Home, demonstrating all the spices and vegetables she uses in her cookery classes. She said: “It was a revelation to see the elderly enjoying spicy food, talk about Details: www.sensorytrust.co.uk

their trips to India and bring back positive memories; and they were keen to get involved with growing vegetables and herbs for the cookery school. It is a great way to help those who are unwell; to do something active with their mind and body.”

Indian Cookery School

Unique Christmas Gift Idea Authen c Indian Cookery Classes

E E E E E

Gi vouchers are available to the value of your choice Cookery Classes for all ages and abili es Enjoy learning in smaller class sizes Discover new skills Take home the food with recipe and spices “Brilliant day, I had a lovely me and learnt a lot. You are a very good teacher.” www.sweetcumin.co.uk

Tel: 07961 320 193 | Email: bini@sweetcumin.co.uk | Clapton | Somerset | BA3 4EB

PAGE 24 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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MENDIP TIMES

Double celebration for family business

Christmas orders now being taken

Wishing all our customers a very Happy Christmas

llllllllllllllll;

llllllllllllllllllllllllll;

THE centenary of a family-run G. Mitchard and Sons butcher’s shop near Midsomer Norton was marked with a party attended by around 500 guests. And there was another reason to celebrate: Brian Mitchard, whose grandfather Gilbert founded the business, reached 70. Cheers: Chris and his wife Sarah with parents Mitchards, in Barbara and Brian beneath a new sign made Westfield, has for the shop by local craftsman Alan Eyles to always stayed mark the centenary true to the family tradition of offering quality and service. Brian was 15 when he left school to work in the business; today he is helped by wife Barbara and son Chris. The couple have another son Jeremy and daughter Beverley. Brian said: “We have always sold locally-sourced meat. We cure our own hams and make our own pies.” Mitchards has also won many awards for its own sausages and bacon. It also offers a cutting and butchery service for private stockholders with further processing such as sausages, home cured bacon and ham plus burgers. Barbara added: “The party was lovely with so many friends and colleagues there. Those friends include our customers; we don’t call them customers, they are friends.”

llllllllllllllllllllllllll;

BEAH

English & Mediterranean Restaurant, Wells Nicola & staff wish all our valued customers a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Don’t forget our New Year’s Eve Quiz Night For more details call 01749 678111, pop in at Union Street, Wells or log on to www.beah.co.uk it’s on our events page! Relaxed and friendly dining in the heart of Wells

PAGE 26 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

The shop as it was in the 1930s

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GARDEN FOOD

Waiting for oca

WELL, my confident prediction last month that my oca harvest would be in before the next issue has not been borne out. I’m writing this in mid-November and so far the frosts have not been severe enough to kill off the oca’s foliage – ideally you should wait two weeks after With JAKE the foliage has been killed by the frost for WHITSON the maximum yield of tubers. I have, however, noticed the tubers forming, not only below the soil but even on the lower parts of the stems. Indeed a mild autumn is exactly what you want with oca – the tubers grow in response to shortening days, so the more short days you get before frosty conditions set in the more time the plants have to lay down tubers. To maximise the harvest, and protect the tubers from frost, I have been ramping up the trailing stems of my oca plants with lots of extra soil. The tubers in the picture shown here I scrabbled up just to show you what you can expect – the variety pictured here is ‘Helen Mackie red’. Shortly after I took this picture I had my first taste of oca! Raw, it is crunchy, very slightly sweet and sour, perhaps somewhere between radish and raw, forced rhubarb. Boiled, they become very starchy – like new potatoes with a lemon-y tang. I would imagine that raw they would be very nice shredded up into a salad and cooked they would be good served alongside fish. I am told by a New Zealander friend of mine that in New Zealand (where they are very popular and known, confusingly, as ‘yams’) they are cut and fried like chips in fish and chip shops. As soon as I have enough, I plan to try this and let you know how I get on.

Jacob Whitson is a chef and food writer who has worked in many of the West Country’s most prestigious restaurants. He is currently working on his first book, a travelogue detailing the regional foods of Japan.

FOOD & DRINK

WILD FOOD

Name the woodland king

FIRST off, I would like to thank all the people who came on my Fantastic Fungal Foray on November 3rd – you know who you are. We had a superb day on the Mendips (even if it did hail) finding many edible species in a variety of habitats which I will briefly regale you all with here. With ADRIAN The first woodland we visited was BOOTS dominated by pine trees where we found many examples of Common Yellow Brittlegill (Russula ochrluca) mildly peppery, Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) and Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) which have a lovely soft white interior and quite a strong smell. Then the discovery of a stunningly vast ring of Wood Blewitts (Lepista nuda) with their bright purple/lilac colour, created much excitement within the group. Moving on to deciduous woods, mainly consisting of beech, we found Hedgehog Mushroom (Hydnum repandum). Strikingly different looking with an irregularly shaped cap the texture of chamois leather with neither gills or pores but ‘spines’, a clue is in the name. Heading up to some spruce woodland we found two large Ceps (Boletus edulis) hiding under a low slung spruce bough. What a find! Massive brown caps, like a hot cross bun (without the cross), thick swollen stems with fine white tubes or pores. These two would feed an army and that’s pretty much what we did. I removed a small gas stove, pan, oil, seasoning and cooking utensils from my bag and proceeded to cook up our finds. The aroma of fried mushrooms on this cool autumn day was truly otherworldly. So who’s up for the title of Woodland King? Well, it’s down to the two best finds of the day, both woodland species and both delicious. Place your bets gentle folk, it’s a flavour match between the Cep, our reigning champion, and the Wood Blewitt contender. Unanimously the group preferred the Wood Blewitts, regardless of my culinary skills, so we can officially crown them ‘Woodland King’. Hurray! So as dusk settled we ended the day at the pub (of course!) with a pint and an ID session of our finds. I hope we didn’t lose too many mushrooms under the table. If you find any, there is a reward. Have a joyful Christmas and a prosperous New Year and maybe I’ll see you on a Wonderful Wild Food Foray or Fantastic Fungal Foray where you can decide who should be crowned next year’s Woodland King! Christmas gift vouchers are now available for the forager in you or your family and friends. Adrian Boots is a Landscape Ecologist, Wild Food Forager and Adventure Activity provider. You can visit his web site www.gowildactiviites.co.uk to learn more about wild food foraging and activities you can do with him on the Mendip Hills.

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 27

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NEW START – NEW MANAGEMENT – NEW MENU

A family-run country inn and restaurant with a diﬀerence

Taste of the Med on Mendip Sharran and Emma in the cosy dining room of the Queen’s Arms at Wraxall

Mezé and Tapas are our specialities. Try our authentic Greek Kleftiko Evening – a taste of true Greece on Mendip for £27.50 per person (24 hours notice required. Min 2 people) Now taking bookings for traditional five-course Christmas Day luncheon and evening dinner and Christmas parties Join us for a New Year’s Day Champagne Full English Breakfast – what better way to recover from the night before? (bookings advisable)

We are open for light bites and traditional Sunday roasts Open: Tues-Fri: 11am-3pm & 6pm-11pm. Sat: 11am-11pm. Sun: 12pm-6pm (closed Mons) e Queen’s Arms, Wraxall, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6RQ. Tel: 01749 860201 • www.thequeensarmswraxall.com e-mail: emma@thequeensarmswraxall.com

UÜxtw 9 UxçÉÇw

TEA ROOMS AND PROVISIONS GIFTS AND CARDS • GLUTEN-FREE CAKES

[ÉÅx@ut~xw c{ÉàÉzÜtÑ{|v Y|ÄÄxw ÜÉÄÄá? àxtá? uÜxtw? vt~xá? ÑÜ|Çàá yÜÉÅ vÉyyxxá? ÄâÇv{xá? ÑÉÜ~ Ñ|xá yÜÉÅ à{x ÑÜxáxÜäxá? fÉÅxÜáxà@ Ñ|v~Äxá? }tÅá utáxw eÉzxÜ hÇâáâtÄ cÉÜ~ c|x VÉÅÑtÇç tÇw v{âàÇxçá [çÅtÇ tÇw Ñt|Çà|Çzá uç cxàxÜ ]tç Alice and her team welcome you to Chewton Mendip’s village store – newspapers and general goods also on sale Open: Monday-Friday 7am-5.30pm Saturday 7.30am-5pm

UÜxtw 9 UxçÉÇw

High Street, Chewton Mendip, BA3 4LJ

01761 240820 PAGE 28 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

A REFRESHING Greek salad, garlic king prawns and homemade hummus with pitta – how does that sound for lunch? The family which has taken over the Queen’s Arms at Wraxall, near Shepton Mallet, is bringing a true flavour of the Mediterranean to Mendip with their exciting mezé and tapas menu. Michael North, his wife Sharran and daughter Emma are using their experience of living in Greece to offer an authentic menu where the emphasis is on sharing and conversation. As well as the mezé and tapas menu, paninis are available and traditional Sunday lunches are also served. Sharran is the cook and is especially proud of her traditional Kleftiko dish – mutton or beef cooked slowly with fresh olive oil, potatoes, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, lemon and oregano. Traditionally eaten just with bread to soak up the juices, Sharran is also more than happy to service it with Mediterranean vegetables or Greek salad. The family is gradually bringing the Queen’s Arms back to life. The 20-seater restaurant is open but people are welcome to eat in the bar if they wish. Sharran said: “We want to bring some love back to the place. This is a family-run business and we hope people will share the journey with us.” Sharran praised local businesses including Old Mill accountants, Wells Reclamation and florist Lynnsey Kelly for their support. Beers and ciders come from Moles Brewery in Wiltsire. Emma, who looks after front-of-house, said: “We want to offer something different to other country inns on Mendip.” Keen-eyed visitors may spot a little bit of Greek superstition in the building. The number 13 is considered lucky and many items on show reflect that. The family moved into the inn on August 13th and believe finding the premises in 2013 has been another lucky omen. The Queen’s Arms will be open on Christmas Day for traditional Christmas lunch and also, unusually, for dinner. And rather than celebrate New Year’s Eve with a party, the family are keen to welcome people on New Year’s Day for a champagne breakfast to get 2014 off to a flying start! Emma added: “We are very keen to hear people’s comments about the Queen’s Arms; we very much hope they will enjoy the Mediterranean experience.”

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Rewarding loyalty

FOOD & DRINK

LYE Cross Farm have launched a new loyalty scheme, whereby customers collect points every time they spend within the farm shop. Gift cards are now available and their Christmas range is also in stock, with lots of fantastic gifts and Christmas favourites The Bus Café is now being run by Lye Cross Farm, promising delicious food, great coffee and a friendly welcome. Opening hours have been extended and the menu is sourced locally with home-made fillings for their jacket potatoes, all-day breakfasts and great lunchtime specials.

Barrow Gurney BS48 3RY

01275 472282

THE ROAD IS OPEN! Enjoy our ever popular Saturday breakfast and Speciality nights Open 10.30am till late 7 days a week

e-mail: katedinham@ymail.com

Barefoot Stonebaked Pizza Co.

Mobile Catering for Events Delicious authentic Italian pizzas cooked the traditional way in a wood-fired oven. Contact: Gill & Rob on 07443 465425 www.barefootstonebakedpizza.co.uk + follow us on facebook or twitter

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 29

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Open night at Jon Thorners

MEMBERS of the Street Sings Choir will be welcoming guests at the anticipated Jon Thorner’s Christmas Open Evening on Friday November 29th, raising money for charity. The free event is an evening of local and festive fare, with tastings from local goose supplier Cracknell’s Farm, Ashdale’s West Country beef and Jon Thorner’s vast range of kitchen ready products, including pies, quiches, cakes and desserts. There will also be cheese, chutneys, jams, preserves and snacks to try from the abundance of local suppliers in the region. So you are invited to join them for a complimentary drink and mince pie whilst enjoying Christmas carols sung by the men’s choir and ladies quartet. It will be a great opportunity to get some fantastic deals on the night, especially on their newly introduced range of international wines, with exclusive offers on single bottles or cases of wine. The Christmas Open Evening and wine tasting is being hosted on the site of Bridge Farm Shop in Pylle, which is just three miles south of Shepton Mallet on the A37 on November 29th, from 5.30pm to 8pm.

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Christmas at Cadbury House

DOUBLETREE by Hilton, Cadbury House reckons to be the South West’s premier venue for weddings, conferences and events. Located in the rolling North Somerset countryside, there is no better setting to celebrate the festivities. With an onsite spa, health club and exclusive Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill, Cadbury House never fails to provide guests with the wow factor. And this Christmas will be no exception with the venue pulling out all the stops for a glistening festive season. Party nights are available throughout December with fantastic tribute acts and a three-course dinner. There is also the option to book your own party. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is also taken care of in the MPW Steakhouse as well as in the elegant Great Room. G With the added incentive of amazing offers of up to 15% off, a SALE offer of only £19.50 on December 4th and 18th December, as well as the party organiser going free with an overnight stay for them on party nights and 132 luxurious bedrooms onsite, you’re sure to have a Christmas celebration to remember! *(terms and conditions apply).

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FOOD & DRINK

YTHING W

IN E

PRIDE

There is something for everyone this Christmas at the Butcombe Brewery shop in Wrington, just off the A38, 20 minutes South of Bristol. We have great beers in a variety of sizes and containers including our beautiful Christmas beer, the 4.2% ‘Christmas Steps’. We have great gifts in the form of clothing including branded fleeces, T-shirts and hoodies as well as gift packs, key rings, pickles and our new ‘Cooking with beer and cider’ Butcombe cookbook Shop opening hours: Sat 14th: 9am-2pm • Fri 27th: 9am-3pm • Sat 21st: 9am-3pm • Sat 28th: 9am-2pm • Tues 24th: 9am-3pm • Mon 30th-Tues 31st: 9am-3pm • Weds 25th-Thurs 26th: CLOSED All other days: Normal working hours (9am-5pm Mon-Fri; 9am-12pm Sat; CLOSED Sun)

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 31

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Winford Manor’s top award

Now taking orders for Christmas

A FESTIVE EVENING! Monday December 2nd from 5pm Tasters and Tipples – Beef • Turkey • Mulled wine Mince pies • Cider • Cheese and pickles

Christmas food, drink and gifts

Pictured (l tor) Tracey Beck, Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence and Ecologist magazine who presented the awards, and hotel director James Fahey

WINFORD Manor Hotel has been judged the most environmentally friendly hotel in the country, after winning a Green Oscar from the world’s leading sustainable tourism accreditation programme at a conference in

Bristol. The 2013 Green Tourism Goldstar Awards saw more than 2,400 contenders whittled down to a shortlist of 61 businesses nominated for 15 awards. The finalists were chosen from over 2,400 green tourism companies assessed for their innovation, cost savings and green ambassadorship during 2012-2013. Winford Manor’s general manger, Tracey Beck, said: “Everyone here is delighted to have achieved this prestigious award for our commitment to environmental issues. We are all encouraged to do our bit for the planet and whether on a business or a leisure trip it makes perfect sense to stay at a green hotel.”

All turkeys are home produced All other meat is home produced or locally sourced Fresh fruit, vegetables, ciders, wines

Wedding Open Day Open: Tues–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm Sun 10am–4pm Extended opening hours for Christmas THE PLOUGHMAN'S FARM SHOP MANOR FARM, TARNOCK BS26 2SL

01934 750615

PAGE 32 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Sunday 5th January 2014 11am–3pm Meet the team and our preferred suppliers in beautiful surroundings

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FOOD & DRINK

Children at the hart of fundraising

STAFF and customers at the White Hart in Trudoxhill, near Frome, have raised more than £1,500 for Children In Need by taking part in a sponsored bike ride – without ever leaving the inn. Local MP David Heath opened the event and Frome mayor Dickon Moore and local vicar, the Rev. Anthony Dickson both cycled for 30 minutes and both covering just over 12.5km. The total ride was 650 km and the fundraisers started cycling at 8:30am and hit our target (Glasgow!) at 9.50pm Landlord Graeme Barry said: “It was a fantastic community event with more than 50 cyclists doing a half hour ride. Local companies donated many prizes for the raffle so a big thanks to Event Horizon, The Acoustic Café, Paul Ryman Fitness, The Bodhi Tree, The Wiltshire Smoke House and many many more who donated. The Train Station Gym need a huge thank

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Mendip Times

Graeme and his wife Crystal pedal away in the White Hart as local triathlete Mark Poole, Sharon Gait and Nicole Coia check their times

you for loaning us the bikes making the event possible and to Nicole Coia and Sharon Gait for doing all the main event planning for this great event.

“We are already planning for next year’s event which we are going to make tougher and hopefully smash this year’s target!”

Tel: 01373 836324 • Web: www.whiteharttrudoxhill.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 33

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Antiques and so much more

A FORMER workshop in Rickford is home to the Old Curioddity Shop, a new business offering a range of antiques and collectibles in four light and airy rooms, spread over 100 square metres. Steve Baldwin was a criminal lawyer in the heart of Bristol before setting up the business. Currently he represents 15 different traders, stretching from Blagdon to Pembrokeshire, and has everything from fine 17th century antiques to 20th century record players. The space means there are separate rooms devoted to bedroom furniture, dining rooms, kitchen – and shabby chic, an eclectic collection of newly-restored everyday items. Steve said: “The emphasis is on the range of unusual collectible items and the fact that we can show them in a way that isn’t cluttered.” The shop will have its grand opening on November 30th, 10am-4pm, with free valuations by Mendip Auction Rooms, refreshments and the chance to enter a free raffle for an 1894 Royal Doulton Norfolk Pattern jug.

Student’s award

A MOODY seascape has earned a Weston College student two coveted awards in a national photographic competition. Ed French, aged 16, entered the National Historic Ships Photography Competition with a picture he took by Marine Lake, Weston, and was presented with the awards at a ceremony on board HMS Belfast in London by BBC TV presenter Julia Bradbury.

THE Old CuRiOddiTy SHOp Antiques and so much more . . . 100 square metres of beautiful items for your home . . . . . . A warm welcome and a no pressure environment is guaranteed. Browsing is positively encouraged . . . Shabby Chic room . . . with decorative items including restored furniture and interesting fabrics . . .

Tel: 07812 501546 Email: steviejb2002@yahoo.co.uk e Workshop, Rickford, North Somerset BS40 7AH www.theantiquesloftatrickford.com Opening Times (Winter) 10am – 4pm (Tues – Sat) 10am – 1pm (Sunday)

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Mulled wine anyone?

PERHAPS you have invited a few friends over for Christmas Eve and intend to serve mince pies and mulled wine? The owner of this large solid silver punch bowl sold at Clevedon Salerooms for £19,600 will certainly need to make a couple of trips to the wine cellar in order to fill it! If you are looking for something a bit different or perhaps an unusual gift, there is one last chance to go along to Clevedon Salerooms before Christmas, on Thursday December 12th. The sale starts at 10am with viewing from 9am or the day before from 10am – 7.30pm.

Clevedon Salerooms wish their customers a

Merry Christmas Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

FREE ANTIQUE VALUATION DAYS 2 3 4 December 16 17 18 December 9.30am–1pm and 2pm–5pm Held at the salerooms – ample free parking no appointment necessary

Looking for that unique present? Come to our final auction before Christmas

Tel: 01934 830111 or 0117 325 6789 The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6TT www.clevedon-salerooms.com

Thursday 12th December 10am Viewing: Wed 11th December 10am – 7.30pm, sale day from 9am Catalogue on-line: Tuesday 10th December

www.clevedon-salerooms.com MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 35

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Vintage ventures in Midsomer Norton MIDSOMER Norton’s first vintage market has been hailed a big success, with many stallholders telling organisers they will return. The market was the brainchild of former teacher Sarah Brereton, who opened her fashion exchange shop, The

On e ird Saturday Of Every Month At “e Hollies Gardens”, Midsomer Norton High Street. 8am-2pm. Vintage fashion, crockery, furniture, ephemera and a whole lot more. Next market, Saturday, December 21st!

For more information or to book a stall, please contact us on: 07840 858549 Sponsored by Midsomer Norton Town Council

Way Forward, in the High Street, in April. Working with the support of the town council, Sarah attracted more than a dozen stallholders to the Hollies Gardens, with some coming from Wells and Frome. The markets will be held on the third Saturday of every month for a five-month trial period; the next will take place on December 21st. It will be open from 8am and visitors are being encouraged to arrive early to snap up the best offers! Sarah says there is a growing passion for “vintage” clothing and accessories; her shop sells everything from Victorian items to modern-day wear on a commission basis. She added: “I have always loved vintage items and the response from customers to the

Becky Connell, Sarah’s friend and assistant on the market

shop is that there is definitely a market out there.” Canopies for the market were loaned by Somerset Farmers’ Market, which takes place in Midsomer Norton on the first Zara York ran the Wells Trading Post stall

An eye-catching display PAGE 36 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Saturday of the month. Sarah said: “We believe we will complement each other and encourage more residents and visitors to come to the town centre.”

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Specialist auctions

AT Tamlyns’ recent autumn antiques auction, a small oil on ivory panel of a gentleman in a theatre box and in original decorative brass frame sold for £2,000. The artist’s signature was difficult to decipher but the work was of high quality. Sadly the panel had been broken in two places and repaired; however this did not seem to deter buyers as seen by the price realised! Elsewhere in the sale a Swiss-made 18ct gold cased gentleman’s wrist watch – the dial enamelled with an image of Saudi Arabia – sold for £1,600; a beautifully illustrated book – Iqbal Poet of the East made £650; a collection of old indentures £420; a Gordon Highlanders diamond set regimental sweetheart brooch £480; an early Victorian 18ct gold cased pocket watch £410 and a Royal Worcester porcelain model of a Hereford bull by Doris Lindner £370. Tamlyns have recently reintroduced these specialist catalogued antiques auctions and plan to hold three in 2014 with the first taking place in the spring. Anyone interested in entering items into this or any of Tamlyns future sales can contact the auction rooms on 01278 445251 for further information.

ARTS AND ANTIQUES

Here’s to 2014!

SCULPTOR Ian Marlow will begin the New Year in exactly the same way as he saw out 2013 – with some of his work taking a starring role in a major outdoor exhibition at a famous West Country garden. Ian, from Buckland Dinham, near Frome, had eight pieces of work accepted for the Winter Sculpture Exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Rosemoor Garden in Torrington, North Devon. The exhibition opened on November 26th and will run until February 26th. It marks the end of a highly-successful year for the sculptor who specialises in using stainless steel. Ian is hoping to hear very soon whether he is to be commissioned to create a landmark piece for a major new public building in Somerset. Although Ian has exhibited in galleries, his preference is for commission-based work where he can liaise one-to-one with clients. Meetings are often held at his home, where his garden is a showcase for some of his work and where people can gain inspiration. Ian said: “Working this way is much for flexible and intimate. I really enjoyed taking part in the Somerset Arts Weeks because I met so many people. “I can then visit them at their home or workplace and do three or four rough sketches once I have got a feel of the place.” Ian’s biggest one-man exhibition was staged at the Bishop’s Palace in Wells and he also contributed to last year’s Swans of Wells art event.

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 37

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Tardis in Shepton Mallet

THERE’S no mystery about Somerset Antiques and Interiors in Shepton Mallet – it’s simply the amount of space inside! As Dr Who celebrates 50 years on the nation’s television screens, the team at the centre believe they have their own Tardis: 3,500 square feet of furniture, paintings and collectables, from contemporary to antique. Since opening in Shepton Mallet two years ago – they used to run the Wells Emporium – Somerset Antiques and Interiors has seen a big increase in visitors, many coming from Bath and Bristol to browse and buy. It has also seen a big increase in online sales.

No. 2, The High Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5AN Telephone: 01749 345468 www.somersetantiques.co.uk enquiries@somersetantiques.co.uk PAGE 38 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Mark is a winner

THE Somerset Guild of Craftsmen celebrated its 80th birthday at the Courthouse Gallery in Somerton, with a weekend of events, which included inviting its members to enter a piece of their craft into a competition The Best of the Best. A total of 18 craftsmen of various Joanna Foster and Mark White with the winning table disciplines entered and visitors to the gallery were asked to vote for their favourite piece and the top five went on to the final. The guild was proud to have Joanna Foster, chair of the Crafts Council and president of the Oxfordshire Craft Guild, to officiate. A side table made in ash and walnut by Glastonburybased furniture and cabinet maker Mark White was Joanna`s choice as winner, with the second award going to Will Shakspear, a glass artist based in Langport, and both received cash prizes. Mark said: “I can`t believe I have won, everyone’s work is of such high quality. To be the choice of Joanna Foster of the Crafts Council really is a great achievement for me. I read she is passionate about textiles and ceramics so I didn`t think my table was in with a chance.” This is the second competition Mark has won at the guild; last year he won the first furniture award given by the guild in conjunction with Somerset Art Weeks with a walnut and ebony writing box. He said: “I am a new member of the Somerset Guild. Since joining last year and winning the first competition people have shown a lot of interest in my work and I am getting new commissions. I would recommend joining a guild to all craftsmen.” The birthday celebrations were also attended by David Heath MP and Lady Elizabeth Gass, guild president. The Somerset Guild is one of the oldest Craft Guilds in the country and has been promoting excellence in design and craftsmanship for 80 years. The Courthouse Gallery in Somerton is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and will be open on Sundays from November 17th, 11am to 4pm.

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Plenty of variety at Mendip Auction Rooms THE rare and unusual met with strong interest at the monthly sale of Antiques, Fine Art and Collectables held by Killens at the Mendip Auction Rooms on November 16th. An excellent collection of autographs including those of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones stoked up interest in the room, on the internet and on the telephone, with the item eventually being knocked down for a price of £2,200. A Saxon or Roman sarcophagus that was unearthed in South Gloucestershire in the 1950s when a new sewer was laid also

ARTS AND ANTIQUES

generated interest selling for £850. Telephone bids were in abundance on the day with three such bidders going into battle to secure a fine 19th century stick barometer by Dolland of London with it eventually selling for £850. There was a diverse entry of items with other star performers including an art deco style 18ct white gold and diamond ring selling for £800; an oil on canvas entitled “The Musicians” by Frederick Goodhall RA £800; a Victorian mahogany four tier whatnot £460; a four piece Indian white metal tea service £410; a claret jug in the form of an owl £270 and “The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales” achieving £255. The next sale to be held at the auction rooms is a further sale of Antiques, Fine Art and Collectables on Saturday December 14th at 10am. Further entries are invited.

The auction rooms are open from 10am – 5pm Monday – Friday and free valuations can be given. Alternatively, the team are also able to undertake free home visits. Log on to www.mendipauctionrooms.co.uk for more information.

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 39

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Wedmore’s aim – power to the people

Book now for Christmas

PISCES will be open for Wedmore by Lamplight, as the planning for Christmas is in full swing, with the advice to order early for Loch Fyne smoked salmon and fresh fish for both Christmas and New Year, since there are no fish markets between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. So book now for your New Year’s dinner party! Pisces also have order forms available for fruit and veg, so that it’s ready for you to collect – and the job’s done in minutes.

New CB office in Wedmore

CHARLES Barnard Estate Agents are an expanding business having recently opened a new office in the thriving village of Wedmore. The independent company which specialises in residential property sales has an existing and successful office in Shepton Mallet and an office due to open in early 2014 in Sadler Street, Wells. Wedmore resident of 27 years, Sally Wilfort, has joined the team in Wedmore. Sally has been working in the Wedmore property market for many years and is says she is excited by the prospect of working with a company that has a very modern approach to sales but still maintains the traditional values clients have come to expect of a trustworthy estate agent. Sally and the staff of the Charles Barnard Estate Agents Wedmore Signature Homes team will be open and available to meet the public on Lampnight. They welcome previous, current and future clients to join them for a drink at Saxon House, The Borough, Wedmore.

PISCES

FISHMONGER & GREENGROCER

Direct supply of Cornish Sea Food. Loch Fyne Smokehouse stockist. Northern Water and Continental seafood specialists. Fruit and vegetables personally selected at market, exotics and the unusual, fresh herbs and the best local produce. Selection of culinary ingredients. Open all day Tuesday to Friday plus Monday and Saturday mornings.

5 The Borough Mall, The Borough Wedmore, Somerset BS28 4EB Tel: 01934 710318

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LOCAL investors in Wedmore have created a £1.1 million community solar plant – and celebrated the opening with a glass of sparkling local cider. Around 150 people have ploughed funds into Wedmore Community Power Co-operative to create the one-megawatt plant. Their investment has enabled almost 4,000 solar panels to be installed in two paddocks just outside the village in only six weeks. The electricity generated is enough to power 55,000 light bulbs or more than 1,100 microwaves. The majority were attracted by a lower investment threshold of £250 for local residents and a desire to reduce their community’s carbon footprint. Local MP Tessa Munt said, “This is an inspirational project, and an exemplar to other villages in the area. It is a small site but contributes a big chunk of electricity. It is so refreshing to see a community taking the initiative with a project that brings so much benefit to the local area and not shareholders scattered around the

OFFICE/STUDIO TO LET IN THE BOROUGH MALL WEDMORE New lock-up shops/offices available in the New Year Details on request.

Call Ian Leavey on 01934 712081 Email: ileavey@btinternet.com THE BOROUGH MALL CO LTD

PAGE 40 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Live, work and shop locally

world who are only in it for the profit.” Every year the plant will save around 450 tonnes of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be produced through burning fossil fuels. Sheep will graze the grass below the solar panels and new hedges of native species will be planted in the coming weeks to help screen the site. All of the co-operative’s profits will be ploughed back into the community in the form of grants for local organisations and charities. Co-operative secretary Robin Mewes, said: “We are delighted to have opened our solar energy plant, enabling our community to reduce its carbon emissions and take control of its energy production, thus becoming more resilient.” Vanessa Becker Hughes, a director of Wedmore Community Power Cooperative, cut the ribbon to open the new solar power plant.

Proud supporters of:

Wedmore by Lamplight Night 2013 Charles Barnard Estate Agents and its entire staff would like to wish all previous, current and future clients a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year Feel free to join us for a drink on Lamplight Night at our Wedmore Office

Charles Barnard Estate Agents Saxon House, The Borough, Wedmore BS28 4EB t: 01934 7105 510 e: wedmore@charlesbarnard.co.uk

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Happy first birthday

NANNY Ida’s Family Restaurant and Tea Garden in Wedmore is about to celebrate its first anniversary and is busy gearing up for Christmas. Although fully booked for Christmas Day, its Christmas party menu is still available, offering great value at three courses for £18, ranging from bubble and squeak soup to traditional turkey with all the trimmings. Its winter menu is steering away from its popular light salads to more substantial dishes like a specialist stew or jackets and fillings, all for £6.

New for Christmas

THERE is an exciting new arrival at Erica Sharpe Fine Jewellery in Wedmore, launching just in time for Christmas and Wedmore by Lamplight. Erica said: “I am pleased to reveal that I have created a Golden Swans addition to my Swans collection complete with rings, earrings and pendants created from 9ct ‘eco’ recycled or Fairtrade gold. “There is also a very special 18ct edition of the pendant set with stunning diamonds.” Visit www.ericasharpe.co.uk for further information.

Wedmore

Jewellery, Sculpture, Ceramics, Paintings, Glassware Each piece is uniquely made by talented British mainly Somerset artists. The Cottage Gallery offers you a host of opportunities to purchase a unique piece of art at realistic prices to treat yourself or as a fantastic inspirational gift. Wedding Presents, Birthdays, just to say I love you days . . . come take a look at the Cottage Gallery! Simple one-off style and guaranteed things you will love! Come take a look.

FOCUS ON WEDMORE

Wedmore by Lamplight

ANYONE who loves Christmas will want December to add this date to their diary as Christmas will officially start in Wedmore with the delightful evening of Wedmore by Lamplight. All the traditional favourites will be there – St. Mary`s Church crib service together with the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree, the children’s fancy dress competition, while Burtle Band will play traditional carols to get everyone full of festive spirit. Wedmore’s shops will be open for the evening from 6pm to 9pm offering a multitude of delights and the centre of the village will be alive with traditional merriment, pig roasts and mulled wine. And they’re promising some extra surprise entertainments too! Wedmore is always a beautiful village but it always looks that bit more special by lamplight on this lovely village evening, which provides a delightful opportunity for families and friends to combine the traditions and fun of Christmas with shopping! Once again, there will be a competition for the most imaginative and delightful window displays. If you would like to help, organiser Jan Beer would like to hear from you. Details: The Cottage Gallery 01934 712617 or email Jan janicebeer@btinternet.com

SALE NOW ON at PEGGY LIPPIATT SHOES SHOES AND BOOTS Also big reductions on special occasion shoes and matching bags

3, The Borough Mall, Wedmore BS28 4EB. Tel 01934 713382

The Borough, Wedmore, Somerset BS28 4EG

01934 712617 MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 41

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Book now for Christmas

SHARON Lewis is celebrating her first anniversary in charge of Essence, in King Alfred Mews, Wedmore since taking over from her aunt and uncle, Trevor and Jane. Sharon said: “I’d like to thank all of our customers for their amazing support. We are so busy we are opening more hours to meet demand for appointments and Dani will be working more hours in the run-up to Christmas, so book now for your Christmas party hair.” They will be open for Wedmore by Lamplight on Wednesday December 11th, for a glass of wine and a few nibbles, while running a raffle for BIBIC, the charity that helps brain-injured children. Why not pop in and say hello?

c a r b o M i s

Special offer: Until December 31st choose any three treatments for £65 GELeration File and Paint (fingers or toes) St Tropez spray tan Lash flicks (half set of eyelash extensions) Mini Dermalogica facial (30 mins) Back neck shoulder massage (30 mins) Half leg and eyebrow wax

Telephone: 01934 709878 2, King Alfred Mews, Church Street, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4AB

PAGE 42 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

t S d i M o s p

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Songs of bygone times Cecil Sharp

FOCUS ON WEDMORE

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business CHARLIE Wills learned his songs by ear. In January at Wedmore Village Hall his flickering image and timeless voice will kick off an evening evoking the sights and sounds of a bygone Somerset. Trevor Bailey and Amanda Boyd Charlie was captured singing on film in the 1960s – aged 94! His story, along with footage of Cheddar in the 1910s, of the push-pull rail service to Clevedon, and of the Chew Valley before it became a reservoir are now all part of a remarkable collection of West Country films looked after by the Windrose Rural Media Trust. These and many other local archive films will be one ingredient of the evening. The others will be live music and storytelling. The revival of English folk music can largely be attributed to Cecil Sharp who began his famous song collection in Somerset. For the evening in Wedmore, Amanda Boyd has delved into Sharp’s songbooks. Accompanied by instrumentalist Nick Cocking, she will sing the songs of the Mendip Hills - her home area - and remember Henry Tidball one of the Wedmore people who sang for Sharp. Many of the early films have no sound, so Amanda will sing with them. She admits the challenge of synchronizing her performance to the films will make for an exciting evening! Trevor Bailey will be the narrator, binding films and music into a story of bygone times. So let the years melt away; join Amanda Boyd, Charlie’s flickering image and Cecil Sharp’s legacy at Wedmore Village Hall on Friday January 24th, lights down at 7pm. Tickets, £12.50 to include an interval pasty, will be available in Wedmore Village Store after Christmas, and now on 01934 863074.

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Please phone for showroom opening hours

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SALLY CANTWELL Hygienist RDH JANE FELLOWS Hygienist RDH

JENNY MURRAY Hygienist RDH RDT Preventative, conventional and advanced cosmetic treatments

New Patients Very Welcome Please phone or call in for an information pack

Coronation House, The Borough, Wedmore, Somerset BS28 4EG Tel: 01934 713013 • www.wedmoredental.co.uk email: reception@wedmoredental.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 43

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Tincknells pops-up at Clarks Village

CLARKS Village have announced the arrival of their latest new store just in time for Christmas, with the addition of Tincknell Country Stores, a local family run business, bringing a wide range of farm and country toys, clothing and footwear, including brands such as WOW Toys, Bruder and Lamaze, as well as Le Chameau, Muck Boots and Jack Murphy. Centre manager, Geoffrey Nidd, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the long-established local retailer Tincknells to the already impressive store line up at Clarks Village, promising a further fantastic offering to our customers in the lead up to Christmas.” Diana Tincknell said: “It is such an exciting time for our company to be opening our first ever pop-up store and at such a prestigious retail centre whilst at the same time also launching our newly designed website where all our toys are available to buy online.”

Do you hate working from home? Here are 5 reasons you should try the Mendip Hub in Wells:

SUPERFAST 100/100Mbps Internet Desks for hire full time or part time Flexible, all inclusive terms offering great value Regular business and social events, friendly people A stylish office environment – lots of natural light Find out more: Judith Ludovino, Tel: 01749 686776 Email: office@mendiphub.org Mendip Hub, Mid Somerset House, Southover, Wells. Or contact via: www.MendipHUB.org

PAGE 44 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Superfast broadband arrives in Wells

Thinking outside the box – the launch party for Mendip Hub

UNLIKE a certain pub company which boasts “We’ll build it in a week”, the team at Mendip Hub co-working centre suspected that having a fibre optic internet connection installed in Wells would prove to be a time consuming challenge. Firstly, there was the wading through of the conflicting information and advice, the general confusion around whether Wells telephone exchange has the infrastructure for fibre (it does) and, if so, why isn’t Wells mentioned in BT’s plans for superfast broadband rollout? (Good question, answers not forthcoming). Having established that it is possible for a business to have fibre in Wells there were the challenges around the installation. Appointments for surveys, more surveys, more confusion, health and safety issues, more health and safety issues, problems with blockages in underground pipes, more blockages, more pipes and lots and lots of cables until eventually a fine orange cable about the width of a toothpick arrived. Success after a mere 16 weeks of trying! So Mendip Hub has proved that it is possible for businesses to have a fibre connection in Wells, as long as they refuse to take no for an answer, are prepared to fight hard for progress, then pay for it – and the sums involved would make a casual internet user’s eyes water! Luckily the whole purpose of the Mendip Hub is for businesses to share facilities, so for the Hub users the costs of blisteringly fast broadband become manageable. What is using 100/100Mb internet like? Well, the main difference is how long it takes to upload and download things, particularly large files like images. Instead of going to make a cup of tea and then finding the file isn’t moving, you just think about making a cup of tea and the transfer has finished. You start to realise that it is no longer the internet that is slowing things down, but the capacity of your PC or tablet - so there is still a weakest link! Fibre broadband makes internet telephony a compelling choice and makes the picture definition of video conferencing spookily good. Video calls across the world happen with no time delay, no “buffering”; the quality is so good it is like you are talking to someone over the garden fence. Judith Ludovino Mendip Hub Ltd

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A community year

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BUSINESS

Photo by Ignyte Limited Radstock

WHAT with one thing and another, this year has been one where the community has been important in so many ways. When I was a child, the community was naturally ‘there’ and was crucial to our lives. Many of us will remember being ticked off by someone else’s parent and then being ticked off again at home for daring to get into trouble! In the village I grew up in, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, there was an ancient local custom at New Year, where a ‘Kilennig’ (an apple, mounted on three hazel twigs, with box twigs with dried fruit tied on to them stuck in the top of the apple) would be presented to local householders. This was put on a window sill and, as long as the apple stood on the twigs – even if it was rotten – good luck would prevail in the house. Here in the Mendips, those community aspirations are still strong. We celebrate the community as a whole and we celebrate smaller communities within it. We have celebrated music, literature, local food and drink at various festivals in Wells; we’ve celebrated our older residents at The Lawrence Centre, local businesses at the Mendip Hub, the donations by the wonderful Swans of Wells and so much more that I can’t mention them all here. As Christmas approaches, may I offer a metaphorical ‘Kilennig’ to one and all and wish you a peaceful and contented Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year and may your apple not collapse throughout 2014! Jane Bowe ProBusiness

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 45

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MENDIP TIMES

Happy landings

AS usual Red Berry Recruitment have chosen a charity to help for Christmas. They have helped numerous charities over the years and this year the Shepton Mallet branch have chosen to support Happy Landings Animal Shelter in Shepton Mallet which can house 100 domestic animals and many more. They work alongside authorities and have experienced staff dealing with difficult situations concerning animal neglect and cruelty. Red Berry are asking clients and the general public to donate food or any other items by Friday December 13th at their office in Shepton Mallet.

New school seeks support THE Mendip Partnership School is a pupil referral unit (PRU) which incorporates the Key Stage 4 Mendip Centre, the Mendip Link Education Centre and The Mendip Inclusion Project. They work with children and young people who are either at risk of permanent exclusion or have been permanently excluded find

ECATCHER MOL

NO MOLE NO FEE Telephone 01275 332966 www.mendipmolecatcher.co.uk

a way back into engaging with their education. They also work with those who are not able to attend school for medical reasons gain the confidence and education to progress onto college or back into their mainstream school. Having recently been registered as one school in September 2013 they are in the exciting stages of shaping and establishing themselves as an integrated Pupil Referral Unit. Their Mendip Management Committee is seeking new members to be part of shaping and challenging the way in which their school develops. You don’t need knowledge of education as they need people from all sorts of backgrounds. If you are up for this, want to challenge preconceived ideas and support their development then they would love to hear from you.

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• Accounts preparation for sole traders, partnerships and small companies • Business taxation and self-assessment returns • Payroll services • Small business start-up advice • Free initial consultation

PAGE 46 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Do you have a desire to help the community and are not afraid to challenge assumptions and express your opinion . . ? Then become a Governor for the Mendip Partnership School!

No qualifications required, just an interest in and commitment to, children’s learning and well-being and the desire to make a positive contribution.

If you’re a good listener, able to read and absorb information easily, prepared to provide some time and have an interest in children’s education then please contact us for further information. Contact: Vicky Willett / Judith Walker Telephone: 01749 678500 Email: office.662MPS@somerset.gov.uk

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BUSINESS

New role for Steve

THE publisher of Mendip Times, Steve Egginton, has been installed as Master of the Guild of Guardians of Bristol, a charity which supports the office of Lord Mayor and the city’s Mansion House. He’s been a member of the Guild, which has an invited membership of around 60 of Bristol’s leading companies, since he joined as HTV’s representative 15 years ago. After leaving ITV he founded Worldwide Media, publisher of Mendip Times, which is now the most popular local magazine in the area. He is a former director of the Society of Editors, and former chairman of its South West branch, and for six years served as a trustee of Quartet Community Foundation, one of Bristol’s leading charities. He first worked in Bristol for the Western Daily Press, where he was at various times chief reporter and deputy news editor. He subsequently held senior management roles at GWR, the BBC and finally ITV. Steve said: “There can be no greater honour than to be asked to support the office of Bristol’s First Citizen and it’s a privilege to be asked to take this on. I aim to celebrate Bristol’s culture, history and trade links

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during my year in office.” The highlights of his year will include a summer event on the SS Great Britain, where the Society of Editors held its annual conference five years ago, and a formal visit to one of Bristol’s twin cities, Hannover.

BUILDING DESIGN & DRAWINGS • PLANNING APPLICATIONS • BUILDING REGULATIONS • STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS Contact: Neil or Stuart Email: Email: neil.dando@purpleplan-it.co.uk stuart.cload@purpleplan-it.co.uk Mobile: 07966 398076 M: 07792 632492

www.purpleplan-it.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 47

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Finalists this time – winners next year?

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BUSINESS

THE 3 Solutions property management company based in Shepton Mallet is determined to go one better next year after making the finals of the prestigious 2013 Somerset Business Awards. It was the company’s first time of entering the awards which celebrate the county’s vibrant business community. 3 Solutions Ltd. was created two years ago and was entered into the category of Business of the Year with 26-50 employees. It is based at Downside and covers all aspects of property maintenance, from plumbing 3 Solutions managing director Tony Guidi (centre) with Andy Mortimer (left) and Rich and heating to roofing and electrical. Watts (right) Rich Watts, one of the three directors of the company, said: “We three of the Somerset Business The criteria for entry is that businesses are always looking for new challenges Awards, especially in our first year of must believe they excel in their entering.” activities and who believe also that and that is why we entered the awards this year.” The awards – now in their ninth year they would be worthy winners of a Somerset Business Award 2013. Fellow director Andy Mortimer – are organised by the Somerset added: “This is a great achievement Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction Winning companies are innovative and progressive. for 3 Solutions Ltd. to make the final with main sponsors, Albert Goodman.

PAGE 48 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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WILDLIFE

I HAVE been inspired to write this month about one of my favourite fungi, the iconic fly agaric. Though in December it may be too late to see these magnificent mushrooms in the flesh, they will no doubt be dropping through many letter boxes as depictions on Christmas cards. By CHRIS These fungi have appeared in art work, SPERRING literature and folklore for many centuries MBE and in many countries. We are all aware of their association with pixies and fairies, as well as children’s stories like Alice in Wonderland and even computer games like Super Mario use fly agaric toadstools to give super powers. It has been suggested that the hallucinogenic properties of fly agarics were used to send Vikings into a more berserk rage before battle and that Santa Claus’s reindeers could only fly after being fed these “magic” mushrooms. Perhaps even the red and white of his coat could be attributed to this mushroom’s colour and presents under the fir tree could have begun with brightly-coloured fly agarics under pine trees in the forests. Don’t be fooled by the happy childhood associations with this mushroom though, as we all know red means danger. It’s Latin name of Amanita muscari should trigger warnings straight away as it shares its genus name (Amanita) with two of the most deadly mushrooms found in this country Amanita virosa, which has the English name of The Destroying Angel, and Amanita phalliodes, the notorious Death Cap, which have both been attributed to many deaths. Fly agarics, though not usually fatal (scientists suggest a healthy adult would need to eat around 15 before death was likely), they are highly poisonous and should not be eaten. In some parts of the world, however, they are still eaten after being very well boiled to detoxify them and may still be used as a drug.

Photography by Chris Sperring

The Fly Agaric

Like many fungi, the fly agaric lives in symbiosis with trees; releasing vital nutrients from the soil and receiving sugars from the tree in return. For most of the year the fungus is hidden from view; its mycelia strands forming a web below the ground. But, in the later stages of summer, the mycelia become tightly knotted in parts and nodules develop which are the beginnings of the fruit body that we later see above ground. As the fruit body forms, it is white and protected by a universal veil. As it grows, it emerges above the surface and at this stage is spherical. As the stalk grows, the veil breaks, leaving parts of the veil as spots on the now emerging red mushroom. Eventually the dome of the mushroom cap opens up into the familiar upturned-umbrella shape, exposing the white gills on the underside which release hundreds of new spores. The now familiar fly agaric is formed with its deep red cap and white spots giving way to the tall white stalk with a skirtlike ring near the top. The life of the fruit body is short, usually just a few weeks, although some have been recorded in dry conditions to last for months. With time, though, the deep red colour fades and the white spots are often washed away by rain, so for photographic purposes you really need to catch them soon after they emerge. I’m sure everyone is familiar with fairy rings in grassland (the dark green circles of grass), well fly agaric form fairy rings of their own inside woodlands, so you will often see these mushrooms growing in circles. Fly agaric is a fairly common mushroom which can be found by looking underneath the various host trees. When I’m looking for them I choose birch trees; however other hosts are also used such as pine, spruce and cedar and indeed many others. Great places to see this mushroom would be in the Mendip forests from late summer until the first frosts of winter. Fungi are fascinating and diverse. Neither plants nor animals, they are a kingdom of their own and come in an enormous variety of shapes and colours. To learn more visit The British Mycological Society website www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/society/ Also go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03gtnnj to hear my interview about fairy rings with Professor Lynne Boddy, as part of the BBC radio 4 series ‘The Living World’. I would like to wish all Mendip Times readers a very Happy Christmas and a golden and prosperous New Year.

Chris Sperring is Conservation Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust Contact him on 01275 849287 or via chris.sperring@btinternet.com

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 49

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A warming winter walk from Wells A CIRCLE that captures the Christmas spirit and the peace of the countryside, taking in Wells Cathedral, the festive lights of the market square, the Bishop’s Palace, moat – and then heads out to Dinder. It’s a good winter warmer and a refresher after the celebrations. For the sake of local villagers remember to look at the dragon of Worminster en-route! It is short, relatively flat and fairly good underfoot but may be muddy in parts after heavy rain. Start at the amazing West Front of the cathedral and follow the moat round the Bishop’s Palace before joining the East Mendip Way trail into Tor Hill woods, along the hill with good views and then drop down to pretty Dinder. The second half crosses fields before joining the dry hard track across The Park back to the welcoming sight of the cathedral. There are only two or three stiles so it’s a good walk for dogs. There are plenty of places for refreshment back in Wells including the cafe at the Bishop’s Palace, or in the Cathedral itself. PARK: Somewhere in Wells.

START: At the main door to the cathedral. This great cathedral façade is often considered to be the finest west front in Europe. The cathedral was begun in the 12th century using mainly the beautiful yellow rock from quarries at nearby Doulting. Later Chilcote Stone was used as a replacement when the Doulting quarries were under the control of Glastonbury Abbey and unavailable. It was obtained from small quarries between West Horrington and

With Sue Gearing PAGE 50 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Shepton Mallet. With your back to the main door, facing cathedral green, go left past an information board about Wells Cathedral Green being a medieval burial ground. Head through the Penniless Porch where beggars over the centuries have asked for alms. In the beautiful Market Square turn left past the National Trust shop and left under the arch into the grounds of the Bishops Palace. Follow along Moat Walk under a line of limes, with the moat on your left. Expect, at this time of year, to see swans sheltering under the palace walls, along with various mallards, coots and other water birds as well as friendly doves. Bend left round the moat and at the next corner look along the moat to the left and see the waterfall from the wells or springs that rise in the grounds of the palace. They feed the moat and give the city its name.

The springs begin life on the slopes of Beacon Hill to the north-east of Wells. After leaving the moat, it flows into Keward Brook and after about a mile joins the River Sheppey in Coxley. 1. MOSAIC Pass on the right the Worminster Dragon Mosaic, fashioned by artist Kate Rattray with six local schools and community groups in 2001, and installed here along Moat Walk to celebrate the legend of the Worminster dragon which is said to return every half century to eat the villagers of Dulcote, Dinder and Croscombe unless remembered. Every 50 years since then a celebration of the slaying of the dragon has been held. The centuries-old legend of the Dragon of Dinder is documented on illuminated transcript in Eton College Library Records. The legend goes that a terrible dragon was terrorising both livestock

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and villagers. The then Bishop Jocelyn was called upon to help and he rode out with his men at arms, but then commanded them to stay back while he rode on and single-handedly beheaded the beast. Leave Moat Walk and cross the road. Go ahead on Torhill Lane track for a few yards. 2. TOR HILL Turn right up the marked footpath up a flight of steps onto Tor Hill into the National Trust woodland – this, by the way, is the only real hill of the walk. You are now following the East Mendip Way. Continue through the woods where there is evidence of former quarrying for limestone over the years. A gate leads you on into a field and then carries on in woodland. Bend round and come out into a long field with Strawberry Woods left and a quarry right. Bend round with the field a couple of times and leave over a stone stile onto a broad track. 3. TRACK Follow this left, soon passing part of the golf course. 4. KING’S CASTLE WOOD Enter King’s Castle Wood where you can take a detour up left to the ramparts of the Iron Age hill fort. Carry on and until the golf links end on the right.

5. BRIDLEWAY Take a path forking right. Go through a gate and down the bridleway in woodland with the golf course on your right. Stay with it all the way, through the woods, through a field and then, after a gate, join a hard track downhill. Notice on the way more of the anti-tank

WALKING

OS Explorer map 141, Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West, grid ref: 551 459 4.5 miles, about 2.5 hours walking.

boulders you may have seen earlier. These, together with pill boxes and bunkers, built in 1940 and 41, were part of the Green Line defence against a possible invasion. Pass the impressive gates and pillars of Sharcombe Park.

6. DINDER Reach a T-junction in the tranquil estate village of Dinder. Pretty limestone cottages of varied styles and sizes form the heart of the village which clusters round the two large house of Sharcombe Park and Dinder House. A quick detour left will take you along a pretty part of the village to the leat which runs along the side of the road in front of the old school and school house. Opposite is the church with its

remarkable beamed lychgate and rest house. For a view of Dinder House, walk round to the main door of the church. This Grade II Regency house was built in 1801 by the Rev William Somerville and was the home of the Somervilles until the 1970s when it was bought by the Mycock family. The last Somerville resident was Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, in charge of the British force that sank the French fleet at Oran, Algeria, in 1940. After World War II, Somerville was made Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and ended his days in Dinder. Come out of the church and turn left, passing a glorious house whose draping wisteria almost conceals the shell porch. At the end, go into the recreation ground following the footpath to Wells (not Dulcote). 7. FIELDS Cross the rec and then carry on through two fields. Then, in the next field, go in a few yards and turn left on the path in the same direction as before. Continue through two fields, passing a brick pill box, part of the Green Line. Over left see the sentinel of Glastonbury Tor. Come out through a gate onto the Dulcote Road.

8. DULCOTE ROAD Cross and go up the Tarmac path opposite and through a gate onto the footpath which now heads all the way to Wells with a great view of the cathedral en-route and The Park on your right. Reach the moat and make your way back to the start. MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 51

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MENDIP TIMES

West Countryman’s Diary

CHRISTMAS already and in this bumper edition of Mendip Times there will be a lot going on. I have my usual round-up together with a look forward to a couple of events coming up in the New Year. I’ll talk a little bit about Christmas past and the joys of trying to find suitable presents for everyone. With LES Sometimes I was successful, other times DAVIES MBE not so creative. Finally, there will be MY letter to Santa. Sometimes ‘nice guys’ get forgotten, so I thought it was time that me and ‘Santa baby’ got things sorted out a little! I had a great day at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury at the end of October at their Apple Day and plenty of people turned up to see how cider used to be made. I do the demonstration pressing every year, but for me the nice part of this year’s cider pressing was that my daughter Lizzie was able to come and help me during one of her trips home from Cardiff. I also managed a radio broadcast for Glastonbury FM, which was so ably produced and edited by Paul Lund, who I have worked with many times before. People really like to see the ‘cheese’ being built on the cider press bed and using long straw can make it look quite impressive, as each layer is bound together to give the whole structure strength to resist the downward pressure of the screw gears when the pressing begins. When the apple juice begins to flow it really is all hands to the pumps to get the juice out of the tub and into containers. There’s a jar bubbling away quite nicely in the back conservatory at the moment, for which I have high hopes and great expectations. If you would like to come and join me at the Rural life Museum for the Wassail, and help a good crop of apples next year, then please contact the museum for your tickets. It’s on Saturday January 17th. If you miss that one, there will be plenty more going on in and around the Mendip villages. What to buy at Christmas is one of the greatest tests of ingenuity and creative thinking that anyone can ever enter into. The days seem long gone when relatively simple and practical gifts were well received and needed. Today’s catalogue of electronic games, technological wizardry and high fashion seem a long way off from the days when I started work and was able to buy something meaningful for family and friends. Back in 1968, as a 16-year-old boy working at the Long Ashton Research Station, my money was £5 per week. Not much compared to today’s rates, but everything is relative. There will be those reading this who will have started their working lives on a lot less than me. By saving I was able to venture into Bristol on the bus at Christmas and take part in some real festive retail therapy. To escape relatively undamaged from that urban environment was a major achievement for this country boy. Gifts were inevitably practical; slippers and bed socks would be a safe bet if all else failed (and still is). One year I bought my grandmother a coal scuttle from what was then Lewis’s department store on the Haymarket. She was delighted with it, but I would not recommend anyone does such a thing today! Winter coats and new boots would help keep out the winter chill, whilst gloves were always a welcome addition. I bought my grandfather a new pocket knife one year. It was a Taylor’s lamb foot, with the trade mark of an eye on the blade. PAGE 52 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

OUTDOORS From: Les.Davies@westcountryman.co.uk To: Santa@greenland.org Copy: Mendip Times.

Dear Santa, It’s that time of year when again you will be facing a very heavy mailbag from all the children as they write to with their wishes. You will have to prioritise, so dump that lot and get on with mine! I have over the many years of writing to you, found that expectation management from Greenland is sadly lacking. I can only put this down to some of those lazy, good-for-nothing elves, who have obviously misfiled my requests. For example, where is the Land Rover Defender TD5 I asked for? Where is the 3.5 tonne Ifor Williams low loading trailer, and where oh where is that top of the range Italian Alpine tractor so desperately needed and asked for last year? I have to say, that this is not the first time such requests have been overlooked. I distinctly remember asking you for the ‘Dan Dare Cosmic Alien Blaster’ gun when I was seven years old. Luckily we were not invaded from outer space that time, but it could so easily have happened! When I have received the correct items they have in some cases been of somewhat questionable quality, if not misleading in description. For example, those Safety Matches you gave me weren’t all they were cracked up to be. A friend of mine had some, and he burned down his garden shed with them; I don’t call that very safe, do you? Now we come to service delivery. Let’s be honest about it Santa, you seem to be piling on the pounds a bit lately, and are starting to look like a joint of Christmas beef tied up with butchers string. How do you expect to get down the chimney in some of those new houses? Well I’m here to help, so there won’t be any mince pies and sherry at mine this year, but instead some tonic water and fat-free crispbread. I’m sure you will soon feel the benefits. Also, can you please clear up after the reindeer? Putting it into bags and throwing it into the bushes does not qualify as festive decorations in my book. Finally, you will notice that I have marked this email as high priority and flagged it for receipt. If you could give some idea of delivery this year (see attachment) that would be useful, as I won’t bother going to the expense of having the chimney swept if you are coming down anyway. I know that you will take this email in the Christmas spirit in which it is intended. Les Davies, aged 61 and a half

When I presented it to him on Christmas Day he immediately thrust his hand into his pocket and produced a coin which he insisted I took. I was mortified, and protested that it was my gift to him. I was totally unaware of the superstition surrounding sharp blades, that they had to be bought, and by doing so they couldn’t do the recipient any harm. Does anyone else have recollections of this, and have I got that right? I know that he always did this whenever he was given a new knife. A bit of quality and pampering at Christmas does no harm at all. To this end I feel that I must inform Father Christmas of my seasonal expectations, although over the years they seem to have been somewhat overlooked. Today’s world of product liability, customer expectation and service delivery must also be taken into account.

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YEO VALLEY ‘Over the next few months Yeo Valley will be bringing you a wide selection of guest writers from different areas of the family farm. Ranging from news from the garden, the farm team, the Mead family plus many more, we’ll be sharing a little about what’s going on behind the scenes here in the valley. Happy reading!’

SARAH MAYOR, AUTHOR OF YEO VALLEY’S THE GREAT BRITISH COOKBOOK

MARMALADE-GLAZED GAMMON

Serves 8, plus plenty for cutting cold 1 x 4kg piece boned and rolled middle gammon At least 3 litres dry, inexpensive cider 2 large carrots, peeled and quartered 2 large onions, peeled and halved 2 large celery stalks, quartered 12 cloves 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns A large sprig of fresh bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the spiced marmalade glaze: 8 tbsp fine cut marmalade 6 tbsp demerara sugar ¼ tsp ground cloves Approx. 40 whole cloves

IT’S been an exciting year for us all. Our new HQ is up and running; we have a great relaxed and friendly restaurant to enjoy and share with staff and visitors. For me personally, publishing the Great British Farmhouse Cookbook has been a real highlight. Bringing together my experience as a trained cook and using inspiration from the farm and local seasonal produce has been a great experience. I enjoy nothing more than sitting around a table with friends, family and good hearty food. Sharing some wonderful recipes, as well as recognising the importance of taking care of our countryside, animals, soil and crops has been a real privilege. All our delicious produce can only be as good as the soil it has come from, therefore nurturing and conditioning our soil gives greater success when sowing the seeds and in turn produces a healthy crop. The provenance of food is so important, and sourcing local ingredients is also a great way to support local British farms. Why not get outside and forge the hedgerows and fields for blackberries and damsons to create wonderful puddings to go with a yummy meal. Christmas is fast approaching, and I am already looking forward to the marmalade glazed ham that we have each year over the Christmas holidays. Its great hot or cold, although we are lucky to get a second bite, as there is usually a hungry crowd around! The run up to Christmas is one where the whole family gets stuck in with cooking, having a sneaky taste of our homemade sloe gin, baking Christmas treats and preparing the turkey in the early hours of Christmas morning. I think it is safe to say Christmas is a great time for all to get involved and give cooking a go. Just enjoy and a Happy Christmas to all! Alongside the publishing of our Great British Farmhouse Cookbook, we have created a year’s seasonal menu for our HQ restaurant. You can join us for Christmas Lunch on Wednesdays throughout December, and we have a special Christmas supper on the evening of the 11th December. To book or find out more, call 01761 461425 or email spaces@yeovalley.co.uk 1. Cover the gammon in plenty of cold water and leave it to soak for 24 hours, changing the water every now and then. To check its ready, cut off a small piece of meat, cook it in simmering water for a few minutes, then taste it. If it’s still very salty, give it longer. 2. Put an upturned plate into a large, deep pan add the gammon and cover it by at least 3mm with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, then drain, add the cider and top up with water if necessary. Return to the boil, add the veg, cloves coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves, lower the heat until the water is at a slight tremble and cook for 1 ½ hours. Check the gammon regularly towards the end of cooking times- it’s ready when the skewer slides easily into the joint’s centre and is hot to the touch once removed. Set aside and leave the gammon in the liquid until cool enough to handle, then lift out, remove the string and carefully pull away the skin without pulling away any fat. 3. Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Lightly score the gammon fat into diamonds with a sharp knife, then place in a foil-lined roasting tin. Mix the marmalade, sugar and cloves and spread thickly over the gammon, pushing a clove into the centre of each diamond. Roast for 20 minutes or so until the fat is a deep golden brown. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes. Carve and serve with delicious side dishes like potato gratin and spiced red cabbage.

Find out more at www.yeovalley.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 53

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MENDIP TIMES

Gifts for gardeners

KEEN or even novice gardeners are easy to cater for when it comes to Christmas gifts without resorting to the stand-by gift voucher, although the With MARY Horticultural Trades PAYNE MBE Association vouchers, available from all garden centres, can be exchanged for a wide variety of products or plants. Books are always welcome and for the novice gardener the Expert Series, written by Dr David Hessayon, gives sound information in a readily accessible format. The New Vegetable Expert is particularly good while for those who prefer to do their gardening beside the fire, The Armchair Gardener is full of interesting anecdotes, ideas and information. For the real enthusiast I recommend two books published by the Royal Horticultural Society. Propagating Plants, published by Dorling Kindersley, will help you to discover how to raise new plants by a wide variety of techniques including cuttings, or seed, while the Pruning and Training Handbook, also published by DK, will unravel the mysteries of pruning, especially when your bush looks nothing like the one in the picture. Secateurs are always a welcome gift as they have a nasty habit of disappearing into compost heaps or bonfires. However, it’s often better for the recipient to choose a pair that suits their hand size, although this sadly eliminates the element of surprise. Make sure the clip that keeps the secateurs closed is easy to operate as the sure way to lose the spring is to put down secateurs with the handles open. A gift subscription for a year’s membership of the Royal Horticultural Society would open up the opportunity of free visits, not only to the four main RHS gardens, but also their numerous partner gardens and their monthly magazine. Rosemoor, near Barnstaple in Devon, is our nearest RHS garden and a very fine one it is too. Well worth a visit at any time of year. Alternatively a subscription to a magazine such as Gardens Illustrated or The English Garden or, for more practical guidance, perhaps The Allotments Gardener, which caters for organic gardeners. For those with an eye on the weather PAGE 54 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

there are a number of devices, such as Weather Eye, that monitor the barometric pressure, indoor and outdoor temperatures and relative humidities, ideal for the amateur forecaster. A simple maximum/minimum thermometer would be ideal for the greenhouse gardener. Stocking fillers for gardeners could include packets of plant labels and a permanent marker pen, although a soft leaded pencil is the most effective and long lasting implement for labelling. Balls of twine are always handy. I prefer the soft jute string rather than the violent green coloured polypropylene type which is ideal for stringing tomatoes in a greenhouse, but can cut into soft plant stems. Flexi-Tie is a brown plastic tie, without a wire core, that stretches as the plant grows, holds a knot well and blends into foliage. Handy snippers are perfect for dead-heading flowers, when you cannot lay hands on the secateurs. As we get deeper into winter an extra roll of horticultural fleece would be appreciated to protect those precious plants from the worst of the frost. Garden gloves always make welcome gifts, especially the strong leather ones with which to tackle the pruning of spiny roses or berberis. Packets of seeds also make good stocking fillers, but unless the recipient is experienced, it may be best to stick to simple to grow, but effective annuals such as Calendula (Pot Marigold) or Cornflower. If you wish to give a flowering pot plant as a gift, please ensure that it does not get chilled. Never purchase a house plant that has been displayed outside a shop and take care getting your purchase home. Do not leave a house plant in a car on a cold day. The moth orchids have become deservedly popular since they are

Hellebores

easy to look after and flower for such a long time, thriving in domestic house environments. Cyclamen, on the other hand, suffer badly in centrally heated rooms and should be kept as cool as possible and given plenty of light. The ubiquitous poinsettia dislikes draughts, but requires plenty of light. Allow the compost to dry slightly before watering. The compost for indoor azaleas, on the other hand, should never be allowed to dry out, and can be kept standing in a quarter of an inch of water, preferably rainwater. Hardy outdoor plants are less easy to choose unless you know the recipient’s garden well. An obvious choice would be a Christmas rose or hellebore which will flower in the New Year, and are easy to grow in a wide range of conditions. The Lenten Lily, Helleborus hybridus, is one of the showiest offering single or double flowers in a wide range of shades, from nearly black through pinks to white. Unfortunately the dark colours do not show up well against dark earth on dull winter days, but look stunning against a carpet of snow or even snowdrops. If you already have some in your own garden don’t forget that now is the time to cut off the old foliage. This helps to stop a fungal leaf spot disease spreading from the old leaves to the flowers and from them back onto the new leaves. Finally, those huge amaryllis bulbs, complete with pot and compost, will give much pleasure a few weeks after Christmas and will herald the start of spring, with the snowdrops also putting in a welcome appearance. A very Happy Christmas to all gardeners and may your garden thrive in 2014. I shall be opening mine next year in aid of the National Gardens Scheme. More details later.

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DECEMBER GARDEN TIPS

GARDENING

G Prune raspberries, blackberries, logan berries and other hybrid fruits (if you haven’t already done so). Cut out all old stems that bore fruit this year. G Blackcurrants, if they were not done in the summer, can be pruned. Cut old wood to ground level. Also keep a look out for any swollen buds which are infected with big bud mite and remove them as they can spread the disease ‘Reversion Virus’. G Prune apples and pears to improve their shape, encourage younger growth, remove diseased branches and to control the amount of fruit bud they have. G Grape vines should be pruned before Christmas. If pruned late, the sap will often be running and they will ‘bleed’. Magnolia, Japanese maples, walnuts, hornbeams, mulberries and laburnums may bleed too if pruned late in winter. G Forcing of established rhubarb crowns can be started towards the end of the month, pack with straw or straw/manure and cover with a forcing pot or upturned dustbin. G You can still plant fruit trees and bushes right through until spring if the weather and ground conditions are okay, i.e. not frozen or water logged. G Get on with digging whenever the weather allows you too, but pace yourself if not used to it! Dig in Vitax Clay Breaker to improve the structure of heavy soils. Courtesy Cleeve Nursery

PERFECT PAVE LTD

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Christmas gifts for gardeners

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www.perfectpave.com MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 55

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GARDENING

Design guru’s rare talk

Sir Roy Strong at The Laskett Gardens Tree Stump removal and Stump Grinding Services throughout the South West

PENNY See our website at www.groundlevelcontractors.co.uk or e-mail us at info@groundlevelcontractors.co.uk Prefer to talk to us? Tel: 01934 710135 • Mob: 07799 014639

R M (PLANT HIRE & DEMOLITION) LTD Ston Easton

Christmas greetings to all our customers

TOPSOIL

High quality dry screened or plain

CRUSHED CONCRETE

All sizes graded and single size

ROAD PLANINGS LIAS STONE

Hand dressed for house building

Large or small quantities supplied Delivered or collected

01761 241387 www.pennyplant.com PAGE 56 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

THE visionary garden designer and historian Sir Roy Strong is to give a rare lecture about his work to create the largest private formal gardens in England since the Second World War. Sir Roy will be talking at Yeo Valley’s headquarters in Blagdon in support of the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust. Tickets for the event, taking place next May, are now on sale. The Laskett Gardens, in Herefordshire, were created by Sir Roy with his late wife, the designer Dr Julia Trevelyan Oman and include a series of stunning garden rooms, vistas, ascents and descents. Now 40 years old, the gardens have been transformed. Sir Roy served as director of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum before becoming a fulltime writer, broadcaster and consultant. He has written extensively on the country’s history and culture as well as on garden design. All funds will go to support the SSIT, a charity set up to assist people with spinal cord injury, enabling greater independence and quality of life. G The day will run from 10.30am to 3.30pm on Friday, May 16th. Tickets are £60 per person and include tea and coffee on arrival with homemade biscuits, two-course lunch with wine, and tea and cake in the afternoon. After lunch there will be a tour of the Yeo Valley Organic Garden by a member of the garden team. Tickets are available to book via the website – ssit.org.uk – or by calling 01985 841194.

Timberwork Buildings Bespoke buildings to suit you We specialise in the manufacture of quality standard and bespoke garden buildings to suit your individual needs including:-

WORKSHOPS/GARAGES

GARDEN SHEDS

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Let our dedicated team assist you in your choice whatever your budget . . . Full design, installation and delivery service available – customise your shed to suit your needs We also do: Chicken Houses • Dog Kennels • Bin & Log Stores

YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT US AND SEE OUR SHOW MODELS – OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK THE TIMBERYARD • SHUTE SHELVE • CROSS • NEAR AXBRIDGE

Tel: 01934 732 396 • www.timberworkbuildings.co.uk • e.mail: timberbuildings@aol.com

(Photo courtesy of Jonathan Myles-Lea www.myles-lea.com)

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Compton Martin on the Tudor map THE Compton Martin History Society has just published a book on the history of a unique Tudor map produced around 1570 and which offers a snapshot of the village and the Mendip Hills above from 450 years ago. This map is about 1m square; one of a very few from the 16th century which is pictorial like present day maps, to scale and in beautiful colour. It is painted on sheep skin parchment sewn together and the original is held flat and protected from the light by being mounted on a board with cover which we assume is of the same age. This map was largely unknown until its re-discovery in the Somerset Heritage Centre about nine years ago. Members of the society have undertaken painstaking research since then and have managed to interpret and piece together the history of the map from its origins and this fascinating story is the subject of the new book.

It seems likely that the map was originally drawn in connection with a dispute about grazing rights on Mendip between villagers of West Harptree and Compton Martin that reached the High Court in London. This is a remarkable work with amazing detail, clearly showing many features and buildings still in existence after 450 years. This map is a local gem of considerable historical importance and an exciting addition to the historical record of Mendip and the Chew valley. B&NES Council assisted with the costs of publishing the book through the award of a Cultural Olympiad grant. The society have also commissioned and obtained a full-size reproduction of the map. The original resides in Somerset Heritage Centre, in Taunton. A presentation on the map has already been given to the children of Ubley School who were able to view this reproduction and explore this colourful window into

HISTORY

Viewing Tudor Map at Somerset Heritage Centre

our past. On Thursday December 5th, from 3pm to 4.30 pm in the Old School Room Compton Martin, the society will hold a Christmas tea at which the book and fullsize colour reproduction of the map will be available to view and an expert will be on hand to explain the content and history of the map and why it is of such significance. This event will also be the official launch of the book, which can be purchased there for £4 or by telephoning Barbara on 01761 221540 for £4.50 including postage. Barbara Wakeling

The map maker looks south (no convention yet of north at the top) across from Bickfield Manor House, now Moat Farm, to the village and church of Compton Martin and up to the bare open top of Mendip. The map covers an unusually large area for a 16th century estate map. The top of Mendip is out of sight but is represented by village churches from Shepton to Axbridge. There is much emphasis on tracks and landmarks on Mendip and the lanes of Compton Martin are prominent and many easily identified today. East and West Harptree are shown in some detail and Ubley and Blagdon churches are depicted. Four panels of written description are sewn into the map.

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 57

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MENDIP TIMES

Wrington Dickensian Night

December

WRINGTON will hold its 11th Dickensian evening on Friday December 13th, offering a variety of stalls selling gifts, a pig roast, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and entertainment from the junior choir from Wrington Primary School, the youth drama group, Wringbeats (a fantastic drummer band) and Joyful Spirit. This is followed by carols in the Plough, where the event is being held. The organisers are encouraging people to dress in Dickensian style and all the children who do so will get a bag of chocolate farthings. The event starts at 6.30pm, with the lighting of the Christmas tree at 6.45pm.

) " &' $ &!# ($# OFF LICENCE NEWSAGENT MAGAZINES GROCERIES TOBACCO FROZEN FOOD CONFECTIONERY SOFT DRINKS DVD RENTAL PET FOOD

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM 5:30am un(l 9pm Mon-Sat, 7pm on Sun " % $#

PAGEP?? AGE •M 58ENDIP • MENDIP TIMES TIMES • DECEMBER • DECEMBER 2011 2013

Wallace gets to it!

IT’S been a fantastic year of fundraising for Debbie Fortune Estate Agents, with visits from Wallace, Debbie’s Austin 7 Chummy, to fetes and events all over the region. Debbie said: “We haven’t added up our total yet but it will run into thousands and we are so pleased to have supported so many community events, clubs and charities.” Further afield, the North Somerset Show was a great success, with them winning first prize for the best stand in the show, while the highlight of the year was when Wallace met Gromit, raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital. The fundraising has continued with a Children in Need Day on November 15th and they are sponsoring the Wrington Dickensian Fair on December 13th, raising money for Wrington Minibus all day and on into the evening festivities. If you have a charity event and you want a visit from Wallace to raise funds, give Debbie or Mark a ring on 01934 862370 – but be quick the diary for 2014 is filling up fast!

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FOCUS ON WRINGTON

Local service – warm welcome from Wrington Motors WRINGTON is fortunate to still have many thriving local businesses, offering a range of convenient and friendly services to the local community. Wrington Motors has been carrying out MOTs, servicing and repairing cars for over 21 years and has earned a respectable reputation for good workmanship and courteous service. The business has continually upgraded its workshop equipment and tooling to keep abreast of the latest vehicle technology. They now have new diagnostic equipment which has the same capabilities as main dealer systems, including ECU software updates, key coding and performance upgrades to Audi, BMW, Mini, VW, Seat, Skoda, Land Rover and Range Rover. This tool is enhanced with technical support from marque specific master technicians. Another recent acquisition is a computerised wheel alignment machine that not only checks the tracking but also the camber, caster, kpi, steering thrust angle and axle set back, producing a full vehicle alignment report. Wrington Motors runs a small fleet of loan cars, both manual and automatic, and a small van, to keep you mobile whilst your vehicle is repaired. They can also give you a lift back home or to work locally, or collect, repair and return your vehicle to your work or home. Wrington Motors is proud of its 21 years’ service to the village and surrounding communities and you will find a warm welcome and expert problem solving for your car.

YOUR LOCAL GARAGE – OPEN MONDAY–FRIDAY 8am–5.30pm

# MOT Testing, Repairs and Servicing to most makes using manufacturer’s schedules # Dealer level diagnostics with software updates for Audi, BMW, Mini, Land Rover, Range Rover, Seat, Skoda and VW # ‘On Car’ Shock Absorber Tester # Manual and automatic loan cars and loan van # Batteries, Tyres, Exhausts and computerised 4-wheel Alignment # Air Conditioning servicing and repairs

The Garage • Wrington North Somerset BS40 5NA www.wringtonmotors.co.uk Tel: 01934 862297

Bennetts is a niche and boutique commercial law firm operating out of modern offices at Barley Wood Stables, Long Lane,Wrington. Our lawyers combine specialist legal knowledge with broad practical experience. We can be relied on to give clear and positive advice on a wide range of complex or routine matters whether preventative or remedial.

Bennetts Solicitors Attorneys & Notaries Barley Wood Stables Long Lane Wrington Bristol BS40 5SA Phone: (44) 1934 862786 Fax: (44) 1934 862404 Webpage: www.bennettlaw.co.uk e-mail: info@bennettlaw.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 59

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MENDIP TIMES

GOLDEN LION

We look forward to seeing you during this year’s Festive Season TEL: (01934) 862205 • Email: phil@giorgetti.co.uk • www.goldenlionwrington.co.uk

Marian Donovan OPTOMETRIST BSc, FCOptom

Broad Street, Wrington

01934 862933 Tues, Wed, Thurs 9am – 5.30pm

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

Currently, sight tests not available on Thursdays

100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business

Home visits available on request

FOCUS ON WRINGTON

Popular new pool attracts both young and old

OUR Pool is now coming to the end of its second quarter and is going swimmingly! Feedback from clients shows they are really enjoying the privacy of the pool and the fact that it is heated to 30 degrees. Night time swimming with just the interior pool lights is very popular and very relaxing. Both swim schools, Little Swim Company and Puddleducks, are up and running and their classes are proving very popular. Children and babies seem to be progressing very quickly and the fact that they are in a warm smaller environment is a great confidence booster. Many different groups of people are now using Our Pool. They are doing a Christmas Cracker offer from December 16th until January 5th, see their website for details. Make it your New Year’s resolution to keep fit by swimming at least once a week in a pool which can be your own private pool with just your friends and family.

so s

Y o u r C h an c e t o S wi m wi t h a P i g!

Mar"n and Debbie Ford, who own Yeowood Farm in Wrington, have opened an eco-friendly swimming pool, to be operated on a 'swimshare' basis. ‘Our Pool’ was born when they decided to give up pig farming and were le with a number of empty buildings. As well as free-range hens and ca#le, they grow 50 acres of miscanthus (aka elephant grass) which is used to create energy to heat the pool. The farm has its own borehole, which is used to fill the pool. They have also fi#ed solar panels which are used to power PAGE 60 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

the pool building, the pool "les are made from recycled glass and the exterior of the building is being clad in English Cedar. The pool is 12 metres long by 6 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep (or 40 feet by 20 feet by 4 feet if you’re a tradi"onalist!) and has a resistance stream to allow distance training without having to turn. All areas of the building are accessible for wheelchair users. From the pool swimmers will be able to enjoy views over the Somerset countryside to Crook Peak

or, if they prefer a more private environment, will be able to close the privacy blinds built into the fulllength glass windows. One word of warning though – don’t be alarmed when you see a pig in one corner of the pool – it’s a mosaic reminder of the previous occupants of the building! Our Pool, Yeowood Farm, Iwood Lane, Wrington, North Somerset, BS40 5NU. Phone: 01934 876393 e-Mail: bookings@ourpool(me.co.uk website: www.ourpool(me.co.uk

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MENDIP TIMES

TO the north of Mendip, mainly to the east of Bath, lies another mass of limestone. Unlike our local Carboniferous With PHILIP Limestone, which is HENDY generally found in shades of grey, this Jurassic Oolite is a pale yellow colour. It was found to be an ideal building stone and was used to construct most of the major buildings in Bath and many ordinary houses, from Roman times up to the present. It is called freestone because, although it is bedded, it does not cleave in any particular direction, and is therefore ideal for shaping into blocks, or carving. Examination under a hand lens shows that the rock is composed of millions of spherical grains, likened to fish eggs, hence the name. It is very soft and easily worked when freshly quarried, but as it dries out, the rock becomes very hard and durable. The quarrymen soon realised this, and began to extract the rock from underground. This also saved them from having to strip away the overburden to find the best beds, as has to be done in opencast quarrying. So although many people refer to them as stone mines, they are in fact underground quarries. Most have been abandoned now and some are lost. A few have found a new lease of life for underground secure storage, or growing mushrooms. Several were of great importance during the Second World War, being used as underground ammunition depots, as at Monkton Farleigh or Corsham. Others were used as factories, for making war materials. Exploring these old quarries is rather different from caving under the Mendips. They tend to be a maze of grid-like passages, which can be between two and ten metres wide, and up to ten metres high. This is called ‘pillar and stall’ working which makes the best use of the resource without unduly weakening the roof. The quarrymen were always on the lookout for the best stone, and so there are occasional vast cathedral-like chambers.

Loading Bay

When the good stone ran out, the men abandoned work, so it is not unusual for a large passage to suddenly stop at a dead end. Only the workable stone was taken from the quarry; broken pieces were stacked along the walls or used to backfill abandoned passages. These piles of rock are known as ‘deads’. Sometimes it is possible to crawl over this rubble, where it has not been filled to the roof, and come to a part of the quarry which has been lost and all but sealed up. The stone was extracted by using picks and hand saws, some three metres long, to cut a large block from the side or end of the passage. Wedges were then driven into the base to crack the stone, and cranes were used to drag the block out to where it could be worked on. The stone was then taken to the surface, making sure it was not attacked by frost, and allowed to harden before being sold. Because these quarries are like mazes, with each passage looking much the same as the rest, it is easy to get lost, and many adventurous schoolboys (and older individuals!) have had to be rescued when they failed to find their way out. When cavers began to be interested in the quarries, many of the main routes were marked, but almost every group since has made their own marks, which adds to the confusion as well as being a form of vandalism. The quarrymen themselves made marks on the walls, which are now of historical

Photography from Browne’s Folly Mine by C. Haskell

Bath stone quarries

interest. Often they are tallies, to record the amount of stone quarried and its value. Sometimes there are signatures, and caricatures, usually of foremen. There are, in some quarries, marvellous drawings of warships and aircraft of the day (sometimes dating back to the First World War), local pubs, and even pornography. It is interesting to see that many of these pictures have been defaced – many quarrymen were strict Chapel! If these marks are obliterated by modern spray paint, they are lost forever. The observant caver will be able to identify different methods of working, which help to put a date on when that part of the quarry was being worked. In places the roof is now very unstable, and many collapses have taken place over the years, sometimes completely blocking the passage. A lot of the quarrying equipment was left in the mines when they closed, but much has been subsequently removed by collectors and thieves. However, there is still quite a lot to see in many quarries. The most spectacular machines are the cranes, although many are in a precarious state, and some are partly buried under rockfalls. There are also some carts, and rails, though most of these have been taken for scrap, and only the impressions of the sleepers remain. Early transport underground was by pony. These animals were stabled in the

Phil is a member of Wessex Cave Club and has been caving for the last 44 years. Still active, his main interest is in dig Swildon’s Hole – 100 Ye

PAGE 62 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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quarries, and some of their quarters can still be seen. In one or two places hoofmarks are still visible in the muddy stone dust floor. Drinking water was provided by collecting drips from the roof into stone troughs, and some of these still remain. There are also ‘breakfast rooms’, where the men could shelter from draughts while having their meals. Stone benches with a long slotted stone on top were used to sharpen the saws, and some of the files the men used are still present. Some blocks of worked stone still lie in stacks, waiting to be taken outside to weather. Several quarries are now gated, to prevent access by the inexperienced, or to protect bats. To those interested in industrial history, these abandoned workings are of great interest, although they must be explored with great care because of their instability, and the vulnerability of those artefacts which still remain.

Clapham Junction

Water Troughs

n digging to try to find new caves. He has published a caving cartoon book and collaborated on the recently-published 00 Years of Exploration. MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 63

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Why no-one should play on after concussion

IF a sportsman (or indeed anyone) who’s been whacked on the head answers “I can’t remember” to the question “Were By Dr PHIL you knocked out?” HAMMOND take them away from further harm (i.e. off the pitch). It’s a simple and obvious decision to prevent the human brain (essentially a life-critical blancmange in a box) from sustaining further damage and to allow further careful assessment of any harm already done. Alas, professional sportsmen are not always blessed with great judgment, especially after a head-on collision, and the pressure to play on may be huge if the reserve goalkeeper is a fumble-fingers. That’s why we invented doctors. To tell us what to do, based on the best available evidence, to prevent further harm. Of course, this only works if doctors follow the guidelines, managers and players take notice of the doctors and referees have the balls and authority to order a player to be replaced for his own safety if he’s refusing to go. But let’s start with the guidelines. If anyone (kid, adult, male, female) shows any signs of concussion (severe blancmange wobble) after any injury, they need to be properly assessed by someone qualified to do so. This could either be at the pitch-side if a doctor or paramedic is available or in hospital. The things to look for are loss of consciousness (however short-lived), stumbling or unsteadiness on the feet, not knowing where they are or what the time or day is, confused or hesitant answers, or looking completely vacant. Some sportsmen have some of these characteristics all the time. It’s the

subtle or dramatic changes you’re looking for. Head injuries sometimes go with neck injuries, particularly in rugby where the tackler has got his head in the wrong place or a scrum has collapsed. So it’s really important to get an expert assessment if you think this has happened before you move a player. Both Fifa and the International Rugby Board print their own clear guidance on this which all pitch-side first aiders should carry and follow. The IRB set up a protocol two seasons ago, requiring a player who had suffered a head injury, to go off the field for a five-minute assessment. This wasn’t for concussion to be diagnosed – it can take far longer and require more observation – but to gauge whether it might be a possibility. Any suspicion and the player should not return to the field. Sadly anyone who’s played rugby for any length of time will have known of someone who came off with a head injury, seemed alright during beers after the game, and then was later found dead in his bed. I remember this happening to a fellow student at university. The real danger of head collisions is often the slow bleed of torn blood vessels combined with swelling of the brain that isn’t immediately obvious. Anyone who has suffered concussion should not be left alone for up to 48 hours after their injury. This is possible if you have a partner but the single student or young bloke living alone is at high risk. This is when you realise a team sport extends beyond the game. If a friend has been hit in the head, get him off the pitch and get a proper medical assessment. Don’t go out on the beer, go home and stay with him for a night or two. You’re looking out for a headache that gets worse, blurred vision, drowsiness and confusion. If it happens, get help urgently. Sportsmen can pretend to be indestructible, but they’re not. And however much muscle you have, your brain will always be a blancmange in a box.

For Dr Phil’s tour dates, go to www.drphilhammond.com PAGE 64 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

The land of plenty

THE 15-year-old has a social life. This requires new navigation through the parental maze. The only conceivable benefit, as far as I am concerned, is that I can reassure myself that she is not a social outcast. I now spend my Saturday evenings trying to stay awake so I can venture out into the dark and cold at midnight to shuttle eldest child and various friends home. A recent rainy Saturday night found eldest child at a party in a neighbouring village. While she was having fun, I was asleep and Mendip Dad was keeping a watchful (over the alcohol-limit to drive) eye on me so he could wake me up at the allotted time to take up my new job as night-taxi. “I don’t know what’s happened,” said eldest child when I picked her up, “but my phone seems to have died . . .” I was too tired to take in the implications of a 15-yearold without a smart phone seriously but when we all woke up the following day, the phone was truly defunct. There were two possible explanations. Either the new mobile phone operating system that she recently downloaded had destroyed her phone or she had dropped it in a puddle. Mendip Dad went to a special shop to make enquiries. He also spent time listening to muzak (on hold to customer services) in a bid to restore the phone to its former glory but to no avail. Both places confirmed our worst suspicions, the phone had died and with it the 15-year-old’s contact list and contact with various social networking sites. So could it be a new phone for Christmas? No, her old one was the result of Mendip Dad’s upgrade and that’s not going to happen again for a while. The family Christmas budget just does not stretch to any gadget with a prefix of “i”. The phone is now spending the nativity in a bed of rice. This is eldest child’s solution and I don’t want to stand in the way of this kind of creative problem-solving which I’m sure is useful in today’s wacky, tech world. Maybe we can all hope for a Christmas miracle. MENDIP MUM

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HEALTH & FAMILY

IS THE WINTER MAKING YOUR BACK, NECK OR JOINTS ACHE? Hip or Knee Pain, Shoulder Pain, Back Pain, Neck Pain, Pain Between the Shoulders, Headaches, Stiffness . . .

If you are suffering from any of these you may have ARTHRITIS or Wear & Tear in your spine or joints. Here at Wells Chiropractic & Osteopathy Centre, we use treatment methods that research proves help reduce the symptoms of arthritis. To find out whether we might be able to help you we offer a full consultation, spine and joint examination, Myovision Scan and verbal report of findings, all for only £19 (with no obligation to start treatment).

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* In cases of accident or injury it is advisable to seek advice from a GP. These treatments are an adjunct to core osteoarthritis treatments.

PAGE 66 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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UBLEY MOTOR SERVICES

MOTORING

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Marchants Hill, Gurney Slade BA3 4TY Call: 01749 841051 Mob: 07778 465520 Email: sales@caravanrepairs-sw.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 67

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Walk on the wild side

Photos by Mark Adler

GLASTONBURY’S great undead took to the streets of the town in aid of a local charity. A combination of blood, sweat and beer attracted dozens of zombies for the annual event for Martha Care Trust. A big crowd gathered in the High Street to enjoy the sights as the zombies gathered outside the Crown before the procession. Martha Care Trust helps families of children who are admitted to hospital in an emergency. It provides a specialist Martha Care family support worker to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The charity – founded by Maggie Mickshick in memory of her late daughter Martha – aims to provide similar workers to hospitals across the South West.

Maggie (centre) is the centre of attraction for Louise and Jackie Hard day at the office? Tim, Stef, Rik and Paul

Members of Somerset Volunteer Network

Yasmin and Adam

Pippa is an eye-turner

Zombies in the zone

Lucian and Maude with Stella the skull

To find out more about the charity’s work, visit: www.marthacare.org.uk

PAGE 68 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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Rotary support for charities

Why volunteer?

CHARITIES

Volunteers Jess Doyle, Denise Powell and Nikki Ware

Rotarian Dennis Barnard, chairman of the Foundation Committee (left), with District Governor Brian Kirkup

THE Rotary Club of Frome has presented Brian Kirkup, their District Governor, with a cheque for £4,000 towards Rotary International’s continuing campaign to eradicate polio throughout the world. The money was raised in part by the club at a Race Night held in August. Brian, a member of Wrington Vale Rotary Club, told members the battle against the disease had been made especially poignant by the outbreak in Syria. Also present at the meeting were representatives from the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Service and a further cheque for £4,000 was presented to them; £3,000 came from the club’s involvement in the very successful Frome Half Marathon and a further £1,000 came from club president Dot Cretney’s chosen charity fund.

Club president Dot Cretney with supporters of the air ambulance

TWO volunteers at Weston Hospicecare’s shop in Winscombe, have been explaining why they do the work, which gives secondhand items a new lease of life that will raise funds for the hospice. Nikki Ware, aged 55, from Churchill, started volunteering two years ago after her mother-in-law was cared for and passed away in a hospice. She said: “I saw the work that hospices do and decided that I could give back by volunteering at my own local Hospice, Weston Hospicecare. “I get a lot of satisfaction from picking and sorting through donated items, especially when you watch people buying items you have taken time to sort and seen the value of them. I have learnt so many new skills from volunteering at the hospice shop and I can now identify hidden gems, such as different types of china and I know what they are worth. “I really do feel like a valued member of the team, as the items I sort and choose to put in the shop have a chance of drawing people in and ultimately raising more money for the hospice. I’ve met loads of new people and it fits really well into my lifestyle as the hours are so flexible, I enjoy it so much I’m considering volunteering more hours.” Denise Powell, retired, from Winscombe, has been volunteering at Weston Hospicecare for 15 years. She said: “I started volunteering because I wanted to support the work done by Weston Hospicecare; I think everyone probably knows someone who has benefited from this local service and I believe the shop really does serve our village and the community is enriched by its presence. “I love the serendipity of each new donation box or bag and I believe in recycling items; often you find that they can be given a second useful life. Every organisation needs people behind the scenes to keep the flow of stock going, ensuring there is always something new to keep customers coming in and buying these items. “Volunteering for Weston Hospicecare is fun and working within a team you always get the support you need, I love the flexibility of it, the way it fits in with other responsibilities. It’s a great way to give back and have fun. I’d suggest anyone who would like to volunteer to do it and you will definitely get something out of it.” Details: If you would like to volunteer as a picker and sorter for Weston Hospicecare, call 01934 423975 or visit www.westonhospicecare.org.uk/volunteering.

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New look for charity shop

DOROTHY House Hospice Care’s Argyle Street shop in Bath has been given a tenth birthday present – a good lick of paint and some TLC. Over the last decade the shop has raised thousands of pounds for the Winsley-based hospice and is now cleaner and brighter than ever. The new-look shop was officially opened by retail volunteer Marie Rooney, who was the first person behind the till ten years ago. Hannah Harford, Dorothy House Retail Area Manager, said: “We have already seen a large lift in sales which shows it really was worth the time and effort that the team of staff and volunteers put into the make-over.” She said they are always looking for volunteers who have a few hours to spare to work in their retail shops.

Hair of the dog

SOME very well behaved dogs and not too badly behaved owners raised £450 for Children’s Hospice South West by walking from the Stones Cross in Midsomer Norton, via Radstock and surrounding area, and then back to the Stones for a well deserved pint, collecting sponsorship and bucket shaking on the way. PAGE 70 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Charlotte’s on top of the world

CHARLOTTE Owen from Peasedown St John has climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa for Childreach International, a charity that works with some of the poorest children in the world, to help them gain access to healthcare, education, rights and protection. Before she left for the challenge in Tanzania, she managed to raise £2,500 for the charity through fundraising and sponsorship events in her hometown and support from a wide range of people. Charlotte said: “It was the toughest but most rewarding experience of my life! So many memories I will keep forever and I made some amazing friends. “I’ll never forget the feeling from visiting the school and seeing the impact the money has made on the children. Thank you to everyone – what an amazing experience.” Peasedown Councillor Nathan Hartley, who has helped promote her fundraising, said: “Congratulations to Charlotte for all of her efforts and hard work. She has done us proud in Peasedown and is an inspiration to us all.”

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New base for carers

RADSTOCK-based Bath and North East Carers Centre has opened a new building in Bath where carers can take a break from looking after loved ones. The new centre, The Woodlands, on Lower Bristol Road, has been made possible by a £30,000 donation from the Medlock Charitable Trust. The centre recently secured £298,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme to deliver three years of breaks’ programmes and awareness-raising activities for carers. The centre’s Give Us A Break initiative will expand to include training courses, health and wellbeing breaks and opportunities for families to take time out together. Health checks for carers will be on offer with support to improve diet and increase exercise. The Woodlands will be launched in early 2014 and will run alongside the existing base in Radstock. Details: If you are a carer and would like to access support and information contact the Carers’ Centre Freephone: 0800 0388 885 or visit www.banescarerscentre.org.uk

Confidence and hope in Ethiopia

CHARITIES

JACKIE Laws, from Westbury-subMendip, a volunteer for the local charity Send a Cow, has returned from a study trip to Ethiopia. Jackie wanted to see first-hand how the charity’s practical approach is helping farmers break free of a cycle of food aid between harvests and produce food all year round. She said: “I met smallholders, who, with Send a Cow training and several years of support, have the knowledge and skills to farm in this fragile environment. “They eat well, are selling surplus produce to pay for education, healthcare and become self sufficient. Finally, there is a wonderful chain of giving. Each farmer promises to pass on a gift to another family in need – something they thought quite unimaginable – and each gift multiplies. “The help is not just seeds, training, and livestock. I also met families, just starting out with Send a Cow, living in desperate circumstances, who are being given confidence and hope. Their unstinting determination to improve their lives and of their neighbours, I found quite humbling.” Send a Cow has a wide range of “virtual gifts” in its Christmas catalogue which support its work in Ethiopia. A chicken – costing £7 – is easy to look after by children and provides meat and up to 200 eggs a year. A donkey – £78 – shares a family’s burden by carrying produce to market. For more information visit www.sendacow.org.uk or telephone: 01225 874222. Jackie is available to speak to schools and local groups about Send a Cow. Contact her on 01749 870403.

Bikers’ charity gift

Local food banks

CLEVEDON Foodbank is now operating out of Unit 2a, Kimberley Road, Clevedon BS21 6QJ. Project manager Paul Gale said: “We hope that visitors to our new premises will appreciate the fact that we are now on ground level and have more space. We also have greater storage capacity, which is a great help now that our Portishead and Nailsea distribution points are becoming more established.” The Clevedon Foodbank is open every Monday and Friday from 12noon until 2pm and can be contacted on 07722 769529; email info@clevedon.foodbank.org.uk The Portishead distribution point is at 4 Combe Road, Portishead BS20 6BS and is open every Friday from 12 noon until 2pm, telephone 07790 508069. The Nailsea distribution point is at Southfield Church, 85 Southfield Road, Nailsea BS48 1SB and is open every Friday from 12.30 pm until 2.30 pm, telephone 07927 472649. Local people can help to feed families in crisis by donating at the next food collection at the Tesco store in Clevedon on November 29th and 30th.

WELLS Classic Motorcycle Club presented a cheque for £1,500 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance at their annual meeting and awards presentation at the Britannia Inn in Wells. The money was raised with its third “Tortoise and Hare Run”, which attracted 150 entrants from all parts of the country, and the cheque was received by Anita Townsend. For next year they will again incorporate a “Snail Route” for veteran and very low-powered machines, away from the main groups, but with all machines starting and meeting at the same venues. It will be held across the Mendips on June 6th. The club welcomes new members. Details: www.wellsclassicmotorcycleclub.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 71

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Bowls club supports charity scanner

(L to r) bowls charity committee members Eric Obern, Bryn Hawkins and Trevor Francis presenting a cheque for £1,750 to the chairman of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group John Carter.

AFTER eight years of running floodlit bowls tournaments as well as dances, draws, auctions and parties the Midsomerset Bowls Charity has raised over £20,000. Over the years the charity has supported many local deserving causes; this year it was to help to raise £1.2 million to fund the purchase of a Positron scanner which will transform the treatment of cancer at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. Local bowls clubs Norwest, Paulton, Prattens, Purnell, Frome Selwood and Frome Park play friendly floodlit bowls at the end of each season to raise money for charity. This year the fund was helped by a party celebrating Bryn and Teresa Hawkins’ 50th wedding anniversary, featuring Mendip Male Voice Choir with soloist Hannah Lockwood and saxophone player George Beachener.

Helping with Parkinson’s

PEOPLE with Parkinson’s and their carers are very welcome at the Parkinson’s UK, North West Somerset branch coffee mornings held on the second Saturday in the month at St Francis Church Hall, Ash Hayes Road, Nailsea Left to right: John Churchill (rotary), Mike Hatch (walker Banana Bandits), with Bridget from 10.30am to Astley, Tom Phipps and David Whitehead of 12.15pm. Parkinsons UK. The group will be in a festive mood on Saturday December 14th, when there will be musical entertainment from the Magpies, sherry and mince pies and a Christmas themed bring and buy sale. Details: Jill Gilbert 01275 855524.

PAGE 72 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

“Legends” bare all . . . well, almost all

Fully clothed: Ashton Porter (seated) with some of the other stars of the charity calendar at its launch in Wells

AN eclectic mix of Mendip men – and one woman – feature on a new calendar raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The so-called Somerset Legends include Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, musician Chris Jagger, businessman Derek Cooper, several Wells rugby players and even Len Sweales, the town crier of Wells. Photographer Jason Bryant persuaded them to bare all in a good cause. He also persuaded Ashton Porter, of Street, to pose for a picture which appears on the back cover of the calendar. Ashton was photographed lying in cider apples at Bob Wadey’s orchard at West Lydford for the photo. The calendar was launched at the Best Western Plus Swan Hotel in Wells; Mark Tobin, its general manager who came up with the idea, also appears. The calendar, costing £10, is available from Wells Film Centre, City News and the offices of Mid Somerset News and Media in Wells.

Members of the Rotary Club of Mendip raised £1,070 for the people of The Philippines during a street collection in Cheddar and Wedmore

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Waterboxes for the Philippines MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge went into action to prepare hundreds of survival kits to send to the disaster-hit Philippines. They made an immediate offer of Water-Survival Boxes to Edgar Chiongbian, Rotary District Governor (based in Cebu), whose district 3860 covers much of the affected area including Tacloban City in Leyte province. Based at the Westfield Business Centre at Westfield, near Midsomer Norton, the Water-Survival Box project arose from the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Each contains a water purification pack to provide clean drinking water and a range of essential survival items. Tony Quinn, chairman of the charity, said: “We have seen nothing like it since

Rotarian Ray Lithgo shows off a new-style water purification pump which can produce 12,000 litres of fresh water

Rotary aid

Rotarians packing the first of the water-survival boxes at Westfield

the tsunami. As soon as we knew the super-typhoon was coming, we contacted our fellow Rotarians in the area to offer our help.” All the contents are newly purchased and the preferred delivery method is by air freight. Worldwaterworks Limited is managed by six senior members of the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge who are also trustees of the registered charity. Now the charity is appealing for funds to help it replace the boxes with new stock. Each box costs £150 and some 600 boxes were sent out within days of the super-cylone striking. The club is also working with the rescue charity Search and Rescue in Disasters, based in Bath, which has sent a team to help distribute the equipment. Donations to Worldwaterworks can be made online from 10am on Thursday, December 5th as part of the BigGive Christmas Challenge. Alternatively, cheques made out to Worldwaterworks Ltd should be sent to the charity’s

registered office at Westfield Business Centre, Second Avenue, Westfield Trading Estate, Midsomer Norton BA3 4BH.

Chew Magna Baptist Church had a coffee morning which raised £483.75, enough for three water boxes to be sent to the Phillipines. Organiser, Joyce Trendell, aged 91, is pictured (left) with helpers.

WRINGTON Vale Rotary Club has chipped in to help Churchill Parish Council raise £2,500 to install a defibrillator in the village. Nearly 120 people took part in a quiz night in Churchill Memorial Hall, raising over £650, to which the Rotary Foundation has added a £500 grant. MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 73

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HODDERS

HIGH CLASS FAMILY BUTCHERS

Traditional local pub Wide range of real ales Parties catered for Paul’s Causeway, Congresbury, BS49 5DH 01934 832270

Family butcher Local meat and poultry Booking now for Christmas The Precinct, Brinsea Road, Congresbury, BS49 5JG 01934 838844

Quality fish and chips Sunday roasts Also at: 101E Bath Road, Longwell Green BS30 9DD. Tel: 0117 9325179 186 High Street, Oldland Common BS30 9QQ. Tel: 0117 9328120 CLOCK TOWER, 84 Regent Street, Kingswood BS15 8HU. Tel: 0117 9673292 We cater for all functions, Telephone orders welcome Open Monday to Saturday: 11.30am-2pm, 5pm-10pm • Sunday: 11.30-3pm, 4.30pm-9.30pm

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PAGE 74 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

Help your kitchen smile again DREAM Doors held the grand opening of their new store in Congresbury on November 8th. The new bespoke kitchen and door replacement showroom was officially opened by Terry Gilbert of the North Somerset Enterprise Agency. Guests included customers past, present and future, local businesses and friends who all enjoyed a glass of bubbly with nibbles. Colin and Camilla Abbiss, the business owners, expressed their delight at the event’s success. They said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the people of North Somerset into our new showroom to talk to us and where they can have complete confidence in our personal local service, our national brand and our quality product.” You can visit the stunning new showroom at 5, The Precinct, Brinsea Road, Congresbury, BS49 5JG, where you can see a huge choice of doors, worktops, sinks, taps and appliances.

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FOCUS ON CONGRESBURY

Tincknells celebrates 50 years in Congresbury HAVING been in Congresbury since 1963 Tincknells enjoys its relationship as part of the local community – the photo shown here was taken at Burrington Village Hall’s recent Christmas fair where Tincknells were invited to join in the festivities. Tincknell Country Store hopes to be able to support Congresbury Parish council and local residents by having Congresbury’s second defibrillator mounted to the shop wall on Brinsea Road next to the precinct. Nick Burdge, store manager, said: “We value our local customers and pride ourselves as being part of the community, providing a local and trusted service, and are only too glad to be able to offer our help for such a worthy initiative.” Perhaps best known for its garden machinery, having been an approved Stihl and Viking dealer for over 30 years, Tincknells caters for every season and in readiness for those cold winter nights they’ve stoves, logs, coal and fireside accessories in stock now. Tincknells are constantly looking to

broaden their appeal and their latest addition is Le Chameau, complementing their already wide range of footwear, with brands such as Hunter and Muck Boots. And with the winter weather looming they’ve recently expanded their Ladies and Men’s Country Clothing with both fashion and practicality catered for. Ever mindful of the cost pressures everyone faces, not least those with animals to feed, Tincknells have just teamed up with BOCM Pauls to offer their customers leading quality feeds at extremely competitive prices, which

particularly at such an expensive time of year will come as welcome news to those with a few chickens and smallholders alike. Whilst being a traditional business Tincknells still appreciates the importance of keeping pace with the modern day, and with the launch of their newly designed website hope to reach new customers both local and further afield with the website acting as a ‘shop window’ for everything they sell www.tincknellcountrystore.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 75

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MENDIP TIMES Outdoor Clothing, Footwear and Accessories

Gifts for all the family

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OFFERS

Hawk Jacket Was £95

NOW £50!

Walker 3 Socks – 2 pairs Were £15

NOW

£10!

Hillwalker Boots Were £120

NOW

£75!

Broad Street • Congresbury (opposite Ship & Castle)

01934 877333 www.countryinnovation.co.uk

Morgans Local Shop The local superstore! Open: Monday-Friday 7am-10pm Saturday 7.30am10pm Sunday 8am-9pm

Sta on Road Congresbury BS49 5DX morganslocal

01934 832234

morganslocal

FOR almost 20 years Country Innovation have been kitting people out to keep them warm and dry when the good old British weather takes a turn for the worse and this Christmas is no exception with some fantastic offers that are simply too good to miss! They’ve got the fully waterproof and breathable Hawk Jacket at an unbeatable £50, Hillwalker boots from brasher down to £75 and the firm favourite pack of two Walker Socks at a mere £10. In addition there are gifts for all the family. So why put yourself through the stress of fighting through the crowds at Cribbs? Shop local and enjoy the experience of a warm welcome from friendly and helpful staff who will go that extra mile to make Christmas as pleasurable as possible.

Supporting the village

MORGANS Local Shop in Congresbury has been supporting the local community by raising money for the parish council’s defibrillator appeal. Customers donated £56.20, while owner Mathan Param raised a further £110 with a Like campaign on Facebook. The shop now offers a parcels service, as well as having a cash machine, lottery, photocopier and payment point. The local store, which is also a newsagent and off-licence prides itself on the number of special offers it has each month.

Gallery selected for quality by the Crafts Council of Great Britain Open Wednesday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm (or by appointment) Broad Street, Congresbury, Bristol, North Somerset BS49 5DG • Telephone 01934 833660 • www.churchhousedesigns.co.uk

PAGE 76 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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House of quality gifts DELIGHT always comes back into Christmas shopping the moment you enter Church House Designs in Congresbury; it’s like stepping into a jewel box of delights. Within the tasteful display of top quality gift items – gorgeous, subtly glowing silk scarves, exquisite designer jewellery, refined hand-made ceramics and studio glassware – you are sure to find the present for that special person (or even spoil yourself with an artwork for you own collection). Or you might choose something from the wide selection of exciting original contemporary paintings, sculptured figures, drawings, photographs and prints. Church House Designs has been established now for almost 30 years and continues to promote quality hand-made

work by professional artists/craft workers from across Britain. Visit their website at www.churchhousedesigns.co.uk December Opening Times: Wed – Fri 10am – 5pm; Sat 10am – 4pm (closed at lunchtime 1-2pm); open on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th December.

ottage Loaf C Bakery & Sandwich Bar

Craftsman baked bread and Confectionery from your local Master Baker Hot and cold filled sandwiches and rolls Open 7am–5pm Monday–Friday 7am–1pm Saturday

2 The Precinct, Brinsea Road, Congresbury, Bristol BS49 5JG

01934 876969 Keith and Sally Westlake

FOCUS ON CONGRESBURY

Why Standen's heating systems cost less to run than ordinary installations . . .

Standen and Sons have amassed a wealth of experience installing condensing boilers since the mid 1980's and the boilers they now fit are more reliable and cheaper to run than ever before, typically reducing heating bills by about 20% to 35% depending on the old boiler being replaced. Remarkably, running costs have even reduced on less complicated things like radiators too and customers who want to renew their old radiators can expect our Eco-radiators to reduce their heating costs by up to 10.5% with absolutely no loss of heating comfort! Add to the mix Smart touch-screen heating controls which alone can save up to an incredible 30% and then something unique to Standen and Sons: Limescale Control fitted with every boiler. Without which, the efficiency of the boiler could tail off rapidly and running costs start to increase as 1mm of limescale build-up in the boiler can reduce its efficiency by about 10%. "Standen and Sons is a long term solutions plumbing company!" says Partner, Jim Standen

At last! Bath and shower rooms now stay new-looking for longer . . .

Standen and Sons licensed professional plumbers make a really good job of installing your new bath and shower room, beautifully. The mould resistant tile grouts and sealants which they build into your installation keep mould back for longer, making your shower look lovelier for longer. There's additional peace of mind knowing that our price guarantee will keep the installation within budget!

Visit www.standenandsons.co.uk for more details on how we do a really good job for you!

Now selling fresh fruit and vegetables

Telephone: 01934 832250

Open: Monday – Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 9am-5pm

The Precinct, Brinsea Road, Congresbury BS49 5JG.

01934 838020

4, Bridge Farm Square, Congresbury, Bristol BS49 5DF e-Mail: info@standenandsons.co.uk website: www.standenandsons.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 77

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MENDIP TIMES

Welcome to Farrington Gurney RADSTOCK Co-operative Society’s latest store on the site of the former Little Chef at Farrington Gurney, has been welcomed by the local community. The store brings the number of retail outlets within the society’s estate to 13 and has a 20-strong team. Its manager is Tim Schuster, who has transferred from the society’s Chilcompton store. Tim, who has been with the society for the past six years, said: “It’s my first time in charge of a new store and it’s very exciting.” The store boasts an in store bakery, Costa Coffee Express machine, hot and cold ‘Food to go’ as well as the usual wide-range of fresh, chilled, grocery and Store manager Tim Schuster prepares household ranges. It also to cut the ribbon with society vice has an extensive range of president Jeremy Fricker as society local products including president George Donkin and chief beers, ciders and wine. executive Don Morris look on

Pudsey’s playmates

CHILDREN in Pensford Primary School were going Pudsey Potty as they enjoyed a non-uniform day in aid of BBC’s Children In Need. Also raising money for Children in Need were dancers from the Chew Valley, who joined others from Keynsham as they took part in a Tapathon at Fry’s Club. This is the third year that Patricia Veale from Temple Cloud, who runs the Keyford School of Dancing in Keynsham, has organised a Tapathon for Children in Need.

PAGE 78 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

NEWS

Store manager Tim Schuster (back) is welcomed to the new store by Mike Hedges, chairman of Farrington Gurney Parish Council, the Rev. Guy Edwards, vicar of St John’s Church and Jean Welsh, headteacher of the village’s primary school

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House sales record

Page 1

SALES expectations for the next three months in the South West hit an all-time high with 86 per cent more chartered surveyors predicting a rise rather than fall in sales figures over the next three months, according to the latest report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The number of homes sold in the last month also remained high in the South West. In the three months to October, surveyors sold an average of 20 homes, the highest amount since February 2008. Significantly, almost every region of the country saw transaction levels increase which further demonstrates that the recovery is spreading beyond the traditional economic powerhouse of London and the South East. Although the level of new instructions remains reasonable in the South West compared to some parts of the UK, 26 per cent of chartered surveyors seeing a rise in new instructions rather than a fall, supply remains a problem with 62 per cent of chartered surveyors seeing a rise rather than fall in new buyer enquiries. The imbalance between supply and demand is continuing to push prices up in the region with 42 per cent of chartered surveyors in the South West reporting a rise rather than fall in house prices in the last month. Meanwhile, with Help to Buy widening the net of those now in a position to purchase their own home, demand for rented accommodation is decreasing with both tenant demand and landlord instructions in the South West dropping.

PROPERTY OFFICES AND WAREHOUSE AT BROMLEY YARD, STANTON DREW, NR. BRISTOL BS39 4DE

Modern Office Space and Workshop/ Warehouse – As a Whole or In Parts Office – two storey – 335 sq m (3,600 sq ft) £10 per sq ft Workshop/Warehouse – 668 sq m (7,200 sq ft) £5 per sq ft Two storey modern office and a large workshop/warehouse. The property is a large modern industrial unit of steel frame construction with double skin insulated cladding for walls and roof. The workshop/warehouse space has been constructed with a concrete floor and has 4 roller shutter doors. The accommodation benefits from a kitchenette and WC and the office is fitted with suspended ceilings. All areas have fluorescent lighting and is heated via an air source heat pump. Both a burglar and fire alarm are also fitted. ACCOMMODATION Unit 1 a Ground Floor Office 167.5sq m (1,800 sq ft) Unit 1 b First Floor Office 167.5sq m (1,800 sq ft) Unit 2-5 Workshop/Warehouse 668.0sq m (7,200 sq ft) There is car parking for 10 cars within the property's own private car park.

OFFICES AT WESTWAY FARM, WICK ROAD, BISHOP SUTTON, BRISTOL BS39 5XP

Office 2 615sq ft £900 per calendar month Office 3 985sq ft £985 per calendar month Office 6 610sq ft £610 per calendar month Office 7 775sq ft £775 per calendar month

Three office units are available situated in a converted stable block located just off the A368 with easy access to Bristol. Secure parking outside the offices with locking gates at night. Includes heating, intruder alarm, fire detection alarm, fire equipment, reception area, toilets and common areas. Excludes electricity and business rates.

Wrington Tel: 01934 864300

MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 79

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Joinery firm celebrates

DB Joinery in Hallatrow is celebrating after completing its first year under new ownership and is expanding. Managing director, Nick Carter, said: “We are extremely pleased with how the business has performed in its first year with both the private and house building departments flourishing. The government’s Help to Buy Scheme has helped to boost sales with the house builders, although a national shortage of blocks and bricks did slow the business down a bit in the autumn. “The private sector has also progressed at a steady pace with many customers deciding to update and extend their current properties rather than face the disruption and expense of moving.” With an additional member of staff, a newly qualified joiner, and some recently acquired state-of-the-art window tooling in place, the joinery is looking forward to some new challenges in 2014.

Traditional service

THOMSON’S Hardware is a proper old-fashioned ironmongers and hardware store. They have been in business for 115 years this year and the staff are always happy to share their expertise. They have a wonderful range of Christmas decorations and lights in stock this year and gift ideas for all the family. They have extended their opening hours and are now open until 6pm Monday to Friday, so it’s easy to pop in on your way home. They are also open on Saturdays 9am – 5pm and Sundays, 10am – 4pm, including December 22nd. They would like to wish all their customers a very happy Christmas!

PAGE 80 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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JACKSONS

J a ck s o ns F e nci ng – n ew s , topical treats and more . . . Don’t make it easy for thieves now the darker evenings are here.

THE shorter days are definitely upon us so I feel duty bound to mention the increase in darkness seems to also result in increases in crime. It doesn’t take Einstein to work out that under cover of darkness it’s much easier to perpetrate burglaries and break-ins, whether they are opportunistic or planned. It’s also the time of year when people across the land put tempting piles of presents underneath Christmas trees and helpfully illuminate them with fairy lights in living room windows, then wonder why they find they’ve unfortunately been stolen when they come home from the well publicised event, that almost everyone in the neighbourhood attended – apart from the burglars of course. They were having a busy evening of a different kind! It’s sad but true. So what can be done to help you avoid being a victim of this sort of crime? Well you can obviously beef up your home security, there are many companies out there that will provide alarm systems and window locks – you certainly don’t need me to tell you that. What I can tell you about is not making it easy for thieves to either enter your garden or to leave it again with goodies they’ve taken from your home.

Adding these strips of security comb to the top of panels and gates can help deter would-be intruders.

A strong high fence could make the difference between them coming into your garden, or choosing another garden down the road that has a lower fence. Having said that, your nice high fence might have a helpful gate, I say helpful because it might just be unlocked. So coming and going under cover of darkness and leaving quickly with their plunder may be pretty simple. Make it more difficult and they will move on to easier pickings! I recently fitted some of Jacksons security comb to the top of a gate in my back garden (pictured at the top of the page, available from Jacksons). I felt that my fence was high and quite secure, especially as I had installed a high, single pergola along the fence line and this has now been covered with thick tangly growth from various climbing shrubs, and doesn’t present a particularly inviting proposition to climbers of the human variety. However my nice little side gate (padlocked, of course), shrieked at me, “Come on over, you can climb me, no problem at all!” Especially when I was on the outside in the back lane, looking at the proliferation of wheelie bins: green, household, recycling – masses of them, all waiting to be made into handy climbing aids for would-be felons. So I have fitted security comb along the top of the gate, making it not quite so inviting! Increase the safety of welcome visitors at the front of your And talking of climbing property after dark by simply installing these verge please make sure ladders and protection marker posts from Jacksons. They define the step ladders are locked away edges of drives and lawns, and help keep everyone on the in your garage or shed, or straight and narrow by showing up with the aid of their failing that, chain and handy reflectors. Seasonal Savers offer 15% off! louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk

I N A JAC KSONS WHEELIE BIN S TORE

Enter the free prize draw and be in with a chance to win one of our very popular wheelie bins, or £150 of Jacksons vouchers. Simply log on to your local page, address below and follow the easy instructions on how to enter. The draw closes 31.12.13. To enter go to: www.jacksonsfencing.co.uk/bathlocal

padlock them to something sturdy, so they can’t be used by those rotten folk who may try to access higher unlocked windows on your property. We’ve got a lot more tips on how to increase your home security if you go to your local page: www.jacksonsfencing.co.uk/bathlocal You can also follow links there to find details of our Seasonal Savers offer – throughout December and January we are offering 15% discount on tool sheds, metal wall trellis, verge protection marker posts, raised bed kits and wheelie bin stores (like the ones in our current Free Prize Draw). louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 81

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MENDIP TIMES

Wishing all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year FAMILY BUSINESS BASED IN THE CHEW VALLEY FOR OVER 100 YEARS

JOINERY

Established 1968

Softwood and Hardwood Windows and Doors Bespoke Joinery For . . . Barn Conversions • New Builds Grade 1 & Grade 2 Listed Properties Machine Mould Sections to Match

SEASONS’ GREETINGS 01761 232723

Windows Christmas greetings to all our customers

THE CHEW VALLEY’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED WINDOW COMPANY WITH A REPUTATION BUILT ON QUALITY AND SERVICE FOR CONSERVATORIES, WINDOWS AND DOORS IN HARDWOOD OR UPVC

HARDWOOD JOINERY SPECIALISTS

Telephone: 01761 452171 Fax: 01761 453342 www.rhwindowsltd.co.uk PAGE 82 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Weston Garden Machinery

Tony Hucker TV Service – Sales – Rental

Garden Machinery Specialist

Merry Christmas from all at Weston Garden Machinery

lllllllllllllllllll

llllllllllllllllllllll • • • • • •

Sky Local Experts Aerial Systems TV wall mounting Custom Installations Networking Signal Solutions

01275 332888 www.tonyhuckertv.co.uk Unit 4, Fairseat Workshops, Chew Stoke BS40 8XF Open: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm and Sat 9am-12 noon

llllllllllllllllllllll

Hutton Garden Centre, Banwell Road, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset BS24 9UB

Tel: 01934 813261 www.westongarden.co.uk

G BI-FOLDING DOORS G SUN ROOMS

ALUMINIUM WINDOWS, DOORS CURTAINWALL ATRIUMS PVCU WINDOWS DOORS AND CONSERVATORIES

Offering the complete service for 30 years Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Techniglaze Team Telephone: 01761 417654 • www.techniglaze.co.uk Facsimile: 01761 417207 • email: office@techniglaze.co.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 83

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MENDIP TIMES

HOMES & INTERIORS

WOODBURNING AND STOVES SHOWROOM IN PEASEDOWN ST JOHN, NR BATH 14 manufacturers to choose from with over 150 stoves in there ranges

www.naturesflame.co.uk 01761 439408

Best prices in the UK

Supply and fit as well as supply

Fully HETAS registered business for all installations Gas and Oil Heating as well as stoves

Hours of business 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday

www.wantastove.co.uk

Braysdown Works Braysdown, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8LL

Give us a call on 01761

439408

We’ve got it covered

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PAGE 84 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

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Grand opening for college building

The new college building replaced the ageing North Side complex

NORTON Radstock College’s new complex has been officially opened by David Medlock, vice Lord Lieutenant of the Somerset and Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Bath. The £3m purpose-built facility replaces the now demolished North Side Building which had been on the complex since the 1950s. Shirley Arayan, college principal, said: “It is has been a long journey to get this building right and we are so delighted with it. The people of Radstock and surrounding area deserve it; it is something we have wanted for a long time.” As part of its new Business Growth Service, the college invited engineering businesses to see the new building at a special forum so lecturers can find out more about what the industry wants in terms of training and potential employees. Peter Hodgson, Vice Principal Corporate, told employers the college had been training people and creating jobs since 1947 and had recognised the need for students to be prepared with the skills needed to deal with the changing technological age and the global marketplace. Barclays Bank provided funding for the development. John Squier, Barclays Relationship Director, Bath, said: “The funding we have provided Norton Radstock College is just one example of how we work with our clients to structure financial solutions to support their long-term plans. We are committed to working alongside our clients to help them prosper, and nowhere does this have such a positive social impact than in the education sector as they teach the next generation and help instil in them self-confidence and ambition.”

David Medlock meets health and social care student Poppy Keen and motor vehicle students Danny Hiscock and Nathan Cox

Time to slow down

NEWS

PETER and Anne Sessford are bidding a fond farewell to Pensford Post Office, which they have run for the last 23 years, though they will still be living in the village. Peter was known locally as Arkwright, because the shop was open all hours, while Anne previously ran

Swags sewing shop in the village. Peter said: “We would like to thank everyone for their custom and friendship over the years; now is the time to semi-retire and spend some time with grandchildren and family.”

Church bells set to ring out for Christmas THE bells of St Matthew’s Church, in Wookey, which have been silent for three years, are due to be rung on December 1st, for the last service to be conducted by the Priest-in-Charge, the Rev Angela Syer before her retirement, and then for Christmas services. Repairs have been made possible by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Church Buildings Council, with funds raised by parishioners and the previous Tower Captain, with smaller grants from specialist national and local charities. Now the six historic Wookey bells have been rehung with new running gear on the repaired ancient bellframe and early foundation beams. Retired local cabinet maker John Alcock is making a working model of the bellframe in the corner of the South West Tower of

John Alcock working on the model of the bell frame of St Matthew’s Church, Wookey

the church to demonstrate the mechanics of the bells for educational purposes. Wookey has a dedicated team of bellringers under a new Tower Captain, Dr Aidan Ancill, who will undoubtedly be proud to ring the bells of St Matthew’s Church once more, and the villagers will be very pleased to hear them.

If anyone wishes to make donations to a remaining shortfall in respect of unforeseen but necessary repairs, please send to the PCC Treasurer, Mrs J. Casey at 3 St Matthews Terrace, Wookey, Wells BA5 1JW. MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 85

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MENDIP TIMES

Band’s success

Christmas single

MEMBERS of the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Silver Band Brass Academy scored some remarkable successes in Launceston’s eighth annual solo and quartet contest. On Sunday December 8th, at 3pm, the brass academy will be joining the senior band for a special Xmas afternoon tea concert at The Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton BA3 2UH. Details: www.midsomernortonandradstocksilverband.org.uk

Tribute to Sheila Rice

sight-reading became apparent. Her first appearance with CVCS was in 1976 as a soprano soloist singing excerpts from Handel’s Messiah. She became CVCS’s regular rehearsal pianist in 1977 for several years before doing a CHEW Valley Choral Society’s four and a half year stint as long-serving rehearsal pianist, musical director, which she Sheila Rice, has announced her recalls with pleasure. She is retirement from the society after most proud of the choir’s 37 years. She studied piano at performance of Puccini’s Messa Bristol’s Garjulo Studios and di Gloria in 1989 under her singing with Margaret Thomas. direction. It was through these studies Sheila recently moved away that her phenomenal gift for from the Chew Valley into Bristol and this has been a major factor in her decision to reduce her workload, though she is maintaining her links Vacancy for Rehearsal with several other choirs. Chair of CVCS, Helen Accompanist Founded in 1976, the society aims to give Boyde, said: “We have been amateur singers the opportunity to privileged to have the services regularly enjoy the pleasure of singing choral works to a high standard of Sheila for so many years. Her sight-reading abilities are We are keen to recruit a piano accompanist for our weekly rehearsals and legendary. She has always made to take charge of rehearsals occasionally in our rehearsals energetic and fun the absence of our Musical Director David Bednall and her wealth of experience Please apply in the first instance to the has been of enormous benefit to chairman Helen Boyde all our members. She’ll be a theboydes@hotmail.com or call 07793 271430 very hard act to follow.” PAGE 86 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

WESTON College Music Department is producing a charity single ‘Hope’ to mark the tenth anniversary of a fund set up after a former student’s death. The Charlie Derrick Music Foundation has seen local musicians, ex-students and staff involved with recording, mixing and filming. College Curriculum Music and Media Manager, Paul Raymond, said: “The single has been written by former student and aspiring singer songwriter Ryan Inglis, arranged by former lecturer Steve Williams and recorded by Tony Hobden with college staff and Worle School’s choir.” Charlie was an exceptionally gifted guitarist who tragically died aged 20 in a car accident during his second year of study in 2003. His mother, Jules Derrick, set up a charitable trust to raise money to support musicians under the age of 25 in North Somerset which has raised more than £20,000 over the last decade for upcoming artists. Paul added: “Jules came up with the idea of a collaborative Christmas single and we are really pleased to work with her and raise money to help other young people achieve their music dreams.”

Choir prepares for Christmas

THE Mendip Male Voice Choir is busy rehearsing on Monday nights at St. John’s School Timsbury, preparing their Christmas programme of songs chosen for the first time by new musical director Jamie Knights. This winter season will also be the first for pianist Jamie Mason who has settled in very well with the choir. After a very busy summer with concerts throughout the area and in Wales, the Mendip Men are looking forward to some great concerts running up to Christmas. The choir’s annual Christmas concert is on December 7th at St. John’s Church in Midsomer Norton, at 7.30pm, when they will be joined by their soloist Hannah Lockwood. Contact them if you are interested in joining the choir. Details: Eric 01761 414070 and Nick 01761 413842

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Memories of the mines

THIS year marks the 40th anniversary of the closure of the last mines in the North Somerset Coalfield and to commemorate the event Dave Byrne is releasing a CD of 20 mining songs, a number of which are from the area and have never been recorded before. The CD is being sold to support the work of Radstock Museum and has been made possible thanks to the research carried out by Tom Randall, a trustee of the museum. Dave has been singing folk songs for almost 50 years and was for many years a member of the folk-theatre band ‘Elecampane’. He was a founder member of the ‘Bristol Shantymen’ – the West Country’s longest-established shanty group – and also sings with the ‘Hotwells Howlers’ who specialise in seasonal music and songs and tunes from Somerset, particularly from the Chew Valley, Mendips and Quantock Hills. He has gathered together a talented group of local musicians and singers specifically for this album. The band is named after the infamous and fiendish device, the guss and crook, which local miners were forced to use to drag sleds or ‘putts’ from the coalface to the main galleries of the mine, often many hundreds of yards away. Among the songs featured on the CD is ‘The Dunkerton Carting Boys’ which tells the story of the battle the men and boys undertaking this arduous work had fighting for a fair and decent wage. Detailed notes on the background and history associated with each of the songs are provided. Dave lives in Midsomer Norton a short distance from Norton Hill Colliery which closed as recently as 1966. He said: “This release represents a unique opportunity to learn, through song, of the hardships, difficulties, joys and aspirations of the colliers whose efforts underground were the bedrock of the North East Somerset economy for so many years.” Details: The CD costs £10 and is available from Radstock Museum or contact Dave 01761 419224 or at davidwbyrneuk@yahoo.com

New music shop

MUSIC

ACCOMPLISHED local concert organist Mark Ireland, who lives in Peasedown St John, has opened a new music shop in Brislington, Bristol just off the Wells Road. The shop specialises in new digital pianos and keyboards from Bernard Caddy (left) and Mark top well-known brands, Ireland Casio, Roland Kawai and Yamaha. Mark created the store from empty premises at 10, West Town Lane, Brislington. One of his first customers was octogenarian Bernard Caddy who purchased a new Yamaha Clavinova CVP-60. Bernard has been a musician most of his life, playing in royal engineers dance bands in the forces, attending local organ clubs and keeping up with the newest instruments. With such a huge range of instruments on the market it has become less easy to make an informed choice without visiting a specialised store so Mark can provide that information and he plans to host regular tutorial sessions for owners of the Clavinova and Yamaha Tyros instruments. Supporting Mark is his wife Michelle, who is the Methodist minister for Bishop Sutton, Chew Stoke, Timsbury and Carlingcott. Christmas is coming so if buying a keyboard or piano perhaps you might like to support a young entrepreneur in his new venture.

Pianos for CHRISTMAS from as little as £499 Special Offer Pre-owned Yamaha Tyros 4 £2,100

Dealer for YAMAHA

New! Call Mark to arrange a demonstration: 0117 9717116 MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 87

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A Christmas tipple maybe?

THIS is the time of the year when most horse owners struggle to keep the ‘joy’ in owning their horses, as the short days mean limited riding, and wet fields often mean that their equine pride and joy are literally bursting at the seams due to limited exercise. We have enjoyed a fabulous summer and With CELIA there is nothing better than a long ride on a GADD summer’s evening but when December hits for those owners who work full time riding does often become very limited. However, personally, I have always quite enjoyed the variety of seasons, and there is something very satisfying in ‘tucking your horse’ into his warm, dry and freshly mucked-out stable, snug in his clean and warm stable rugs while the rain is pouring down outside. Although most horses prefer the freedom of being out in the field, they also seem to like the extra attention and routine of being stabled, as long as they can be given enough exercise. Parts of the Mendip area are suitably drained so that horses are still turned out, even if only during the day; although those living down on The Levels rarely have that luxury and from about now through until April the horses are often confined to the stables and ridden exercise. Owning a horse walker can be very beneficial at this time of

Learn to ride

WELLOW Trekking Centre has been running a six-week course called Take Back the Reins, which is aimed at encouraging riders to rekindle their childhood passions of riding or to introduce people to a new and rewarding sport. Each course last for six weeks in two-hour sessions which include learning how to groom and tack up a horse and some elements of horse care followed by a riding lesson given by a qualified experienced instructor on our reliable horses and ponies. Details: Wellow Trekking Centre 01225 834376 www.wellowtrekking.com email: wellowtrekking@btconnect.com

December 2013 show dates Sunday 1st UK Dog Agility at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Davis Lane, Clevedon Wednesday 4th Higher unaffiliated evening jumping at Badgworth Arena, Axbridge Tuesday 10th British Dressage at The Hand Equestrian Centre Wednesday 11th Lower unaffiliated evening jumping at

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year as this does give another opportunity for the horses to ‘stretch their legs’ and if used as an additional exercise to the riding or lunging where possible a half hour session on the ‘walker’ can make the horses more settled. Getting the feeding right is also very important now, and the key to a happy, healthy horse is usually plenty of fibre, and only as much ‘concentrate’ feed as is absolutely necessary depending on their individual level of fitness and weight. Over-feeding can be the cause of many ailments and incidents during the winter months. If a horse is difficult to keep weight on, then it can be tempting to pile in the ‘hard’ feed although it is usually a good idea to try a ‘balancer’ or pro-biotic alongside good quality fibre where-ever possible to keep the horse as level – headed as possible. Lymphangitis, colic, and azoturia are all winter ailments that are often caused by over-feeding and lack of exercise and all can be very serious. Some horses, of course, are at their busiest at this time of year, in particular race-horses, and hunters and their protein requirements will be much higher than the average ‘hack’ or leisure horse. Small ponies need very little if they are stabled, and can often be the naughtiest to deal with if exercise is restricted so do watch out if it is the first winter you have kept a pony for your children. Even the quietest pony during the summer months can turn into a little devil if they are not allowed to ‘let off steam’ occasionally. However, there is nothing better than a nice hack on a Christmas morning, delivering your Christmas cards to your neighbours and often sharing a warming horseback ‘tipple’ to help you on your way. Happy Christmas to you all!

Badgworth Arena, Axbridge Thursday 12th Clear round jumping at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Saturday 14th Unaffiliated dressage at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Monday 16th – Sunday 22nd Olympia International Show jumping at Olympia, London

Wednesday 18th Higher evening unaffiliated show jumping at Badgworth Arena, Axbridge BSJA Seniors at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Axbridge Sunday 22nd Unaffiliated Christmas Fun Day at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Sunday 29th – Tuesday 31st BSJA Seniors Ding Dong at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon

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A fond farewell

A HORSE which was taken in by the rescue charity HorseWorld when her owner was terminally ill has now found a loving home to live out her twilight years. Twenty-five year old FancyPants had become a familiar face at HorseWorld’s visitor centre in Whitchurch. Recently however, Fancy had become unhappy with her busy life so staff at the charity decided it was time for her to find a family of her own and have a quiet retirement. Fancy says goodbye to her groom, Harriet Ashford Yard Manager, Vicky Greenslade, said: “We watch our animals carefully and as soon as they show signs that they aren’t happy, it’s time to think about what they might like to do next. She has now been offered a lovely loan home along with another of our golden oldies, Charlie. “We will miss her but we know she’ll be happy in her new home and valuable space will be freed up enabling us to rescue more horses and ponies this winter.”

RIDING

FESTIVE QUIZ ANSWERS

1: Minus 40. 2: Cumulonimbus. 3: Liquid water droplets (which freeze on impact with any object). 4: Cirrus. 5: 135 degrees. 6: An occlusion. 7: Force 8. 8: Force 12. 9: A shower that could fall as rain, hail, sleet or snow. 10: It can occur on the ground. 11: Richard Angwin. 12: They both occur simultaneously (light travels faster than sound).13: Isotachs.14: A hygrometer. 15: One foot. 16:100 tons. 17: 38.5 deg C. 18: Minus 27 Deg C. 19: Clockwise. 20: One flake at an official Met Office site, sometime on Christmas Day (lying snow doesn’t count). Scores: 18 or more – you are a budding meteorologist! 14 to 17 – a keen interest in the subject and you are aware of the weather around you 10 to13 – a fair interest. You probably follow the weather forecasts Below 10 – little interest. You probably don’t follow the forecasts or, if you did, you probably wouldn’t believe what the weathermen say anyway!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MURPHYS!

We stock a wide range of equestrian and country gifts for horse and rider! We’re now on Facebook so please like our page and we’ll keep you updated with the latest offers! www.murphyssaddlery.co.uk

Christmas Open Day on Saturday, December 7th Join us for complimentary mince pies and mulled wine Massive end of season sale Talks and demos from equine specialists Prize raﬄe with lots of goodies up for grabs Unit 1, Old Mills Industrial Estate, Paulton, Bristol, BS39 7SU. Tel: 01761 412819. Website: www.oldmillstackshop.co.uk

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(Pictures courtesy of Colin Burnett)

Oh, what a season!

SPEEDWAY team the “Cases” Somerset Rebels are already planning for next year after bringing the curtain down on the most successful season in the club’s history. The Rebels followed up their success in the Knock Out cup final with victory over Edinburgh Monarchs at their home at the Oaktree Arena near Highbridge in the 2nd leg of the Grand Final to be crowned the 2013 Premier League Champions. The club were treated to a civic reception by the Mayor of Burnham-onSea, together with an open-top bus parade through Highbridge and Burnham. At the club’s end-of-season presentation night, promoter Debbie Hancock said: “It has been a tremendous year for the club and one that will live long in the memory of

Rebels captain Jason Doyle and promoter Debbie Hancock with the Championship trophy

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Alex Davies in action at the Oaktree Arena on Grand Finals night

everyone associated with the Rebels. We’ve been blessed with a great bunch of lads riding for us this season and they fully deserve all the accolades that have come their way. “However, this being speedway, we have little time to rest on our laurels and we will soon begin the task of planning towards the 2014 campaign.” The two main awards, Rider of the Year and the Riders’ Rider of the Year, a new award for 2013, were both won by club captain Jason Doyle. Alex Davies collected the Most Improved Rider of the Year trophy, while Nick Morris and Josh Grajczonek both collected a brace of awards, Morris receiving the Fred Fountain Memorial Trophy, and the Somerset Riders’ Equipment Fund’s (SREF) award as their Rider of the Year. Grajczonek was presented with the Merv Marsh Memorial Shield as the Track Staffs’ choice as their Rider of the Year as well as being voted as the fans’ Most Entertaining Rider of the Year.

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Mud and fun on the Festival Run

SPORT

No, not the rush for tickets for next year’s festival. Michael Eavis faces the surge of young runners after starting the 2km race

ALMOST 250 runners of all ages and abilities took to the tracks around the Glastonbury Festival site at Pilton for the first Festival Run for charity. Organised by a group of villagers in aid of Children’s Hospice South West, the event at Worthy Farm began with a two kilometre race for youngsters followed by a competitive 5km run. Support from main sponsor Care UK Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, along with other businesses and individuals, meant that all entry money was able to support the charity; the event has raised around £1,500. Julie Patterson, CHSW Community Fundraiser, said: “It has

Julie Patterson, from CHSW with runner Akom Srithunma, from Street and race helper Ruby McCurda

been a privilege to be part of this fantastic event. CHSW relies on the generosity of its supporters to continue to provide very special hospice care to life-limited children and their families in the South West. Community events like The Festival Run bring people together to achieve a common goal which in turn helps CHSW to make the most of short and precious lives.” Christopher Bond, one of the organisers, said: “We were impressed by the great turn out for this, the first organised run around the festival site, which is great for off-road track running. And what can top running around the Pyramid Stage, the Stone Circle and the Pirate Ship, all set in a huge natural basin?”

Not everyone took the race seriously

FESTIVAL RUN PRIZE WINNERS: 2K RUN: Boys Race: 1st: Dylan Dukes (age 12). Time: 7’47” 2nd equal Joe Dix (10) and Fynn Gogan (10) Girls Race: 1st: Gemma Phillips (12) 9’03” 2nd Jemma Shaw (10) 3rd Georgia Rogers (13) 5K RESULTS Men’s Race: 1st: Tom Dukes: 18’00” 2nd: Robin Philips 3rd: Owen Astington Women’s Race: 1st: Sarah Knox: 22’23” 2nd: Amy Barlow 3rd: Teresa Holly

CHSW currently has gold bond places available for The Bath Half Marathon on Sunday, March 2nd, 2014. To be part of the charity’s team contact Julie at: julie.patterson@chsw.org.uk MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 91

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Three men and a book

It has been some 16 months since Brian Brooks last wrote an article for Mendip Times about sailing in the Chew Valley. One of the reasons has been that, together with two fellow sailors, he’s been busy writing a book about the history of the sailing club. Here, he explains more. MYSELF and two other sailing colleagues, David Macklin and Peter Cheek (both of whom are founder members of the club), felt that it was about time that we charted the progress of the club from its inception and through its first 45 years. Why not leave it for five years and cover the first 50 years, we were asked? Quite simply because, at the onset of this project some two years ago, Peter and David were well over 80 years old and their memories, mine and that of other long-standing members were fading. This, coupled with the loss of much written historical information, meant that it was a case of striking whilst the iron was hot. David and Peter, like myself, could not lay much claim to being authors and so we found the task to be extremely difficult; there were many occasions when we all felt like giving up, but with much encouragement and a lot of help from our wives we kept going. The book, entitled “The First 45 Years of Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club; 1967 to

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2012”, finally went to the printers and is now available to all members and any exmembers, as well as members of the public who would wish to own a copy. Back on the water: to say it’s been the good year for sailing compared to others could be considered questionable by some of us; on occasions it’s been testing in that the wind strength has put the best of us to the test and in other cases frustrating in that there has been little or no wind. It’s almost been the case that these extremes of condition happen to occur on a Sunday, Wednesday or Saturday. The encouragement the club gets from the most testing of conditions is to see the junior members of the club undertaking sail/race training and then putting their skills to the test almost regardless of the extreme weather conditions. CVLSC continues to run its usual and very successful Open Event series with visitors from other sailing clubs heaping praise on our facilities and our ability to be able to put on large events. Likewise so with the non-racers of the club, who have

had much enjoyment from their sailing both at the club and on inshore waters. The club has undertaken significant changes to its facilities; this is something that will continue as the building continues to exhibit the effects of age and use. We have to remind ourselves that the club and its infrastructure have been in existence for 46 years. Club sailing thrives with a full membership; one thing that we can boast of that many other sailing clubs would love to be able to claim. That’s not saying there is no room for new members; our turnover each year means that we nearly always have room for new members, regardless of their experience. The biggest turnover comes in March and April when we get some indication of those members who are leaving us. Therefore now is the best time to make an application to join the club. You can do so by visiting the club or seeking details and a membership application form from our website: http://www.chewvalleysailing.org.uk/

Brian (left) with co-authors David Macklin and Peter Cheek

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Winscombe go close in rugby final

Winscombe (in red) in action against Bath

WINSCOMBE RFC’s under-12s lost out to an excellent Bath RFC team in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup grassroots tournament at Bradford-on-Avon. The successful series of nationwide tournaments continues to grow and allow young rugby players to showcase their skills and capabilities in a professionally run environment. Players at the festival also had the opportunity to meet Bath Rugby players Stuart Hooper and Ross Batty who took time out to watch the young teams as well as offer some coaching tips between games. Stuart, Bath Rugby captain, said: “It’s fantastic to be here to see all the kids enjoying their rugby. It speaks volumes for the sport when, come rain or shine, hundreds of kids are spending their Sunday morning running around in the mud being supported by their parents.” Bath will go on to represent Bath Rugby at the Aviva Premiership Final next May. Steve Middleton, Bath Rugby Community Manager, said: “The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup continues to grow into one of the most successful grassroots competitions. Clubs travel from far and wide to play clubs they would otherwise never play. This year has been a great event thanks to Land Rover’s Bath played some “fantastic” rugby continued support.” For more information on the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup please visit: www.landrover.co.uk/rugby

SPORT

County players

WRITHLINGTON School pupils Chris Tout, Alex Gapper and Olly Lakey have been selected for the Somerset under16s rugby team. All three play for Midsomer Norton RFC and were selected from the Mendip Lions Squad. They won their first game against Bristol Schools 10 -7 with Lakey kicking a penalty over the posts in the last seconds of the game.

Top award for Liam

Liam, pictured with Martin Bayfield and Fiona Bowen

NORTON Radstock Swimming Club’s Liam Willcox was named as Young Volunteer of the Year at the West of England Sport Trust (Wesport) annual awards evening. The ceremony took place at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel and was hosted by former England and British and Irish Lions rugby player, Martin Bayfield. The 17-year-old club captain was nominated by Somerset ASA President, Fiona Bowen, following the hard work, dedication and commitment he has shown to swimming both at club and County level and also for being such an inspirational role model within his club. In October Liam was selected to represent Somerset as an official at the County Youth Championships in Sheffield. He has now been selected to take part in the National Young Officials Academy, a pilot programme being offered by the ASA, which will start in December with a development camp at Loughborough University. Liam is currently studying for a Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Sports Coaching at City of Bath College and is hoping to pursue a career in sport.

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FARRINGTON’S

Anytime is playtime

CHILDREN’S television presenter Katy Ashworth attracted hundreds of young fans when she opened a new indoor play centre at Farrington’s Farm Shop. Katy, who presents I Can Cook on CBeebies and lives near Bath, cut the ribbon to welcome visitors to the Play Barn, inside a converted cattle shed. The play centre – part of the Cowtastic Play Park – is just the latest development at Farrington’s. The work also included creating a bigger catering operation for the shop and outside outlets with offices and a meeting room – available for hire – above. The site is now a significant employer in the area, with 76 staff, as well providing outlets for other businesses. The farm is part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate. Tenant Andy Jeffery said: “It has taken us four years to get to this stage. We now have a multi-use facility which is an asset to the village.”

Fresh flowers at Farrington’s A FLORIST with a modern twist – that’s how Amy White describes her new venture at Farrington’s. The Flower Cabin specialises in occasion and special gifts with a constantly changing range of flowers. College-trained Amy, 22, who lives at Peasedown St. John, used to work at the farm shop itself whilst learning her craft. Amy said: “When I heard that the unit was being created, I thought it would be the ideal place for my new business. Fresh flowers used to be on sale here and many people have told me how pleased they are to see that they’re available again.” Amy plans to use the newly-created meeting room above The Flower Cabin for a series of seasonal workshops, starting in December with festive wreaths. For more information, visit: www.the-flowerAmy in her new shop cabin.co.uk

Youngsters help Katy cut the ribbon

TLC is the key at Keepers

LESLEY Barber is preparing to celebrate the first anniversary of her Keepers Preloved business at Farrington’s. The former art and design teacher has always enjoyed giving old furniture and other items a new lease of life – and she says interest in “preloved” pieces is growing all the time. Lesley opened the shop last January and runs regular workshops, attracting people Lesley-Ann: passionate about old furniture from across a wide area; Christmas-themed subjects will include Felt and Fabric, Gift Bags, Wooden Decorations and Christmas Applique Cushions. Lesley, who also sells works by local artists and stocks chalk-based Autentíco paints, said: “I’ve always loved the ‘history’ of old furniture and it’s nice to see something a bit old and battered being given some love and brought back into use again.” Details of the forthcoming workshops can be found at: www.keeperspreloved.weebly.com

Keepers Preloved Weddings Funerals Corporate Events Occasions Farrington’s Farm Shop, Main Street, Farrington Gurney, Bristol BS39 6UB Tel: 01761 451298 email: info@the-flower-cabin.co.uk www.the-flower-cabin.co.uk

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Beautiful Hand painted Furniture and Furnishings Hand made lampshades, ceramics, prints,etc Learn a new skill in our Workshops . . . Gift vouchers available Christmas craft parties, decorations, bunting, wreaths etc with Mulled punch and mince pies. Day or evening, just ask! We are proud to be stockists of Autentico Chalk Paint . . . needs very little prep! Find us at Farringtons, Farrington Gurney, BS39 6UB. Tel: 07739 731975 www.keeperspreloved.weebly.com

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Festival book for Laura

Laura with Michael Eavis and Sue Thurgood, mayor of Glastonbury at the book launch

A UNIQUE book containing more than 600 photographs of the Glastonbury Festival and how it touches the town and communities of Glastonbury and the surrounding villages has been published. Photographer Laura Zaky’s “From the Outside In” captures the partying, carnival and artisan experience that Glastonbury is famous for, alongside a rarely seen visual journey of what it takes to make Glastonbury happen. Festival founder Michael Eavis, who attended the launch party at La Terre in Glastonbury, wrote the foreword and 50% of the proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Glastonbury Abbey Ruins Funds and Glastonbury’s community radio station GFM.

Olympic hopeful

BRACES of Bristol, established three years ago, are excited to announce the opening of their new gun room. Shooting is an industry that is little heard about in the mainstream media, other than in negative terms when it concerns issues like badger culls But at Braces this couldn’t be further from the truth – they run a wonderful shooting school, teaching and instructing all ages in the art of sporting clay shooting. After the successes of the England Team at the Olympics there has been an increase in people taking up the sport. Head Coach at Braces and GB team member John Pool said: “Seeing the sport growing is wonderful. The site of stuffy old men in tweed jackets is being replaced with younger sportsmen and women. It is wonderful watching the sport going from strength to strength.” Braces have been supporting young shooters for some time and have one specific prospect, Richard Lane, who may well make the GB team in the next year. With all this in mind Braces would like to invite anyone with an interest in shooting to contact them. They have an official opening night on December 13th, 6pm9pm, where they will be opening their new gun room, with refreshments available and the chance to meet the people who run the shop and club.

WHAT’S ON

Weekly classes in Shipham

EXPERIENCED art historian Jan D. Cox is presenting a series of weekly classes at Shipham to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The course is suitable for all levels, both art enthusiasts and those who have an interest in the period. The course looks at both famous and not so famous artists, those who experienced battle and those who stayed on the home front. As well as paintings, there is some history of the period, allied to film, posters and personal recollections. Jan is on the tutor panel for both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and has lectured at universities as far afield as Montreal and Oslo, and at Tate Britain, Tate St. Ives and the Courtauld Institute.

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business

A series of ten weekly classes will be presented by Jan D. Cox MA in the Thiery Room at Shipham Village Hall beginning on Thurs January 16th at 1.30. Artists will include Nash, Nevinson, and Sargent, plus history, film and posters.

Contact Jan at Jady_Sea@hotmail.com or on 07815 861452. Course suitable for all-comers.

BOXING DAY CLAY SHOOT 10am-2pm Braces Clay Shoot, Maes Knoll Farm, Norton Lane, Norton Malreward BS39 4EZ Beginners/novices Welcome

Tel: 0117 300 9956 www.bracesofbristol.com MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013 • PAGE 95

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M e n d i p

Thursday November 28th Wildlife Trusts – The first 100 years – Sarah Pitt, who made a film to celebrate this centenary in 2012, will show extracts which include an interview with Sir David Attenborough, Chew Magna Millennium Hall, 7.45pm, for Chew Valley Wildlife Group, visitors welcome, £2.50. Friday November 29th Follow that Star, an Advent Concert by The Phoenix Singers at Stoke St Michael Parish Church, tickets £8, including refreshments, from 01749 840660, 840475 or at the door. Saturday November 30th Christmas Bazaar in aid of Weston Hospicecare, at Hutton Village Hall, 10am – 12noon, organised by Hutton Support Group. Details: 01934 813339. Live Music & Supper Night at Redhill Village Club featuring the Harlem Rhythm Cats, a 5Piece Boogie Woogie and Blues band, 8pm, supper available during the break and Movember final shave-off. All welcome, Church Road, Redhill, BS40 5SG. Contact: 01934 862619. Belshazzar’s Feast, returning for Hornblotton Village Hall’s concert season with a seasonal set, delivered with their particular blend of wit, pathos, and spectacular musicianship. Food available,BTO booze.Tickets £12 from 01963 240282 or bowencolin@hotmail.com. Details: www.hvh.btck.co.uk Barn Dance with caller and The Electric Lobster folk band, 7.30pm at St Andrew’s Church House, Cheddar, in aid of church funds, licensed bar, tickets £10, include ploughman’s supper, from 01934 744442 or 744172. St. Andrew’s Church, Blagdon, Christmas Fayre, 10am – 12noon, at Blagdon Village Club, £1 entry to include a mince pie and coffee. Santa will be coming don’t miss out! Haydn’s Creation performed by Chew Valley Choral Society in St Andrew’s Church, Chew Magna, 7.30pm, tickets £10 (£5) from 01275 333014, from CVCS members or on the door, wine available during the interval. Charity Elvis Night at Draycott Village Hall, 7.30pm, optional 60s or 70s dress, tickets £10 – all in aid of local charities – from: 07967 619841, 07788 353988 or 07866 086759. Cash bar, no food. Organised by the Friends of Draycott & Rodney Stoke. Have your cake and eat it! Crafts & coffee in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support, St John’s Church Hall, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2HX. Art display, gifts & cards, stalls. Details: 01761 418089 or d.fisher@tesco.net Christmas Craft Fair, Chewton Mendip village hall, in aid of school funds, 10am-2pm. Sunday December 1st Christmas Fair at The Wellsway, West Harptree, 11am – 4pm, refreshments available. Enquiries: 01761 221382. Chalice Well Garden Creativity Art Workshop for all aspiring artists, working with the element of water, beginners welcome, 1.305.30pm,fee £30. Details: 07599 336623 or PAGE 96 • MENDIP TIMES • DECEMBER 2013

T i m e s

email gwyn@gwynardyth.com Visit www.paintingpanskingdom.co.uk/workshops Coleford Christmas Celebration. 6pm countdown to the turning on of the Christmas Tree lights in Coleford. Coleford Playing Fields. Carols sung by Bishop Henderson School Choir, refreshments, including mulled wine, mince pies etc. Free! Monday December 2nd Congresbury Branch of the Royal British Legion meets at the War Memorial Hall at 7pm, new members will be very welcome Tuesday December 3rd Christmas Shopping Night, Winscombe. Syrinx Ensemble present a musical Cheese & Wine evenng, 7.30pm at Henton Village Hall (on B3139 Wells-Wedmore road), candle-lit supper in cafe-style atmosphere with selection of musical favourites. Tickets £16 on the door, £14 in advance from: jacquelynbevan@yahoo.co.uk or 07595 671116. Mendip DFAS Meet Me at the Wardorf: the extraordinary story of two iconic hotels built on Astor feuds, fortunes and art patronage – a presentation by Mary Alexander at the Westex Suite, Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet. Please contact Tony Lane on 01749 670652 if you wish to attend. Otters On My doorstep a talk for The Mendip Society by Gill Brown, a member of YACWAG, at The Wells Museum, Cathedral Green. Nonmembers £3.50, incl. refreshments. Thursday December 5th Friends of Weston-super-Mare Museum – a seasonal evening with refreshments, quizzes and entertainment by Clarendon Recorders, 7.30pm at the museum, Burlington Street, Weston. Cheddar Vale Lions Club Tree of Light will be lit at Cheddar Garden Centre at 6.30pm, followed by a short dedication service and carols. Music by local schools from 5.30pm. Sponsor a light in memory of a loved one or for a cause – forms on website: www.cheddarvalelions.org.uk Cheddar Valley University of the Third Age Annual Quiz 2.15pm at Church House Cheddar. Entries are via our U3A groups; numbers are limited so please book early. Details: www.cheddarvalleyu3a.org.uk Thursday December 5th Wells Evening Society – Capturing the Moment, 150 years of wedding photography with Paul Atterbury, Wells Town Hall, 7.30pm. Friday December 6th Cheddar Festive Night. Late night shopping and entertainment. Friday December 6th – Sunday December 8th Christmas Tree Festival, All Saints’ Church, Nunney, 10.30am-4pm, free entry, hot drinks available. Open Mic Night at Redhill Village Club from 8pm. Hosted by Jerry Blythe. All welcome, free entry, Church Road, Redhill, BS40 5SG. Contact 01934 862619. Saturday December 7th Christmas Fair at St. Mary’s Wedmore,

W h a t ’ s

9.30am – 12.30pm, surprise stalls and the First School singers, Christmas gifts & cards, homemade cakes and the famous St. Mary’s Fair Trade Coffee Shop. Details: 01934 712216. Bleadon Christmas Market, 9am – 12.30pm, bumper Christmas market with over 50 stalls, gifts galore and stock up the freezer with local produce, raffle, refreshments. Details: 01934 812370, www.bleadon.org.uk/market Kingston Seymour Market in the village hall, 10am –noon. A wide variety of goods including lovely hand-made presents. Father Christmas arrives at 11am! Frome Society for Local Study – Neil Rushton, Churches Conservation Trust, Frome Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm. Yeo Vale Brownies & Guides Christmas Fayre, 11am-3pm at Yatton Village Hall, proceeds in support of “Making the Invisible Visible” – a project to help girls stay safe and to understand more about children who run away from home in the UK. Details: www.girlguiding.org.uk Ashwick Church Christmas Fair, 11am-2pm, with Father Christmas coming for an hour from 12noon to 1pm! Various stalls, including Christmas puddings and decorations and Christmas quiz, hot refreshments, in aid of Ashwick Church. Backwell Christmas Market, 10.30am-2pm at Backwell WI Hall, BS48 3QW. A bonanza of festive local home-made and fair-trade produce and crafts. Carols by a local brass band. Details: www.backwellvillagemarket.weebly.com or 07870 598770. Steiner Academy Frome’s Advent Fair, Rook Lane Chapel, Frome, 11am -4pm, free entry, children’s activities, wholesome food, seasonal stalls, live music & King Winter. Details: http://www.steineracademyfrome.co.uk/ All Saints Church Farmborough Christmas Bazaar, 2pm-4pm at the Memorial Hall, Little Lane, Farmborough, BA2 0AE. Father Christmas’ Grotto, home-made cakes & preserves, gifts, trees & decorations. Parking free. Churchill Music! -“A splash of red” – Ellipsis Wind Ensemble accompany canapés and a wine-tasting selection by John Murray, formerly of Avery’s, at St John the Baptist Church, Churchill, BS25 5QW, 7.30pm-9.45pm. Tickets £18.50 (£16.50) from 01934 852919 or email info@churchillmusic.org.uk Oakfield Choir’s Christmas concert, a beautiful mix of Christmas music and traditional carols. 7.30pm at Christchurch, Frome. Tickets available from choir members and Huntin Raven bookshop, Cheap Street, Frome. All Saints Church Farmborough Christmas bazaar at the Memorial Hall, Little Lane, Farmborough, 2pm-4.30pm. Artisan Christmas Fair Browne’s Garden Centre, Wells. An afternoon of fabulous stalls from homemade chocolates, savoury pies, focaccia bread and yummy cakes to handmade gifts perfect for Christmas. Also local fruit,

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vegetables and cordials as well as a chance to warm up with hand massages, mulled wine and mince pies amongst the Christmas lights. Local choir, Jazzm’tazz will be singing some festive songs. In aid of local charity, Ellie Payne’s Walk – The British Heart Foundation. Saturday December 7th – Sunday December 22nd Holy Trinity Church, Paulton, Christmas Festival, various events and services. Details: www.yourpaulton.org or contact Ruth Batchelar 01761 414087. Tuesday December 10th Congresbury Over-60’s Club Christmas Lunch at Cadbury House. Details: 01934 832004. Jewellery of the Renaissance an illustrated lecture for the Mid-Somerset DFAS at Caryford Hall, Castle Cary BA7 7JJ, 11am, free parking, £6, all welcome. Details: 01963 350527. Wednesday December 11th Wedmore by Lamplight – Christmas shopping and entertainment. See page 40. Congresbury Christmas Fair at Congresbury War Memorial Hall, 6pm – 9pm. To book a table, (£5) please contact Irving Prowse: 01934 832004. Wells Civic Society – Seasonal celebration and wine tasting with expert advice and guidance, 7.30pm at Wells Town Hall with David Schroetter of Santé. An additional charge of £5 for this evening. Thursday December 12th to Saturday December 14th London Assurance – a Regency farce performed by Wedmore Theatre Club, 7.30pm, Wedmore village hall. Tickets from: The Paper Shop, Wedmore, jendyweekes@btinternet.com or 01278 641370. Details: www.wedmoretheatre.com Thursday December 12th Chew Magna Christmas Street Party. Carols by Candlelight at Emborough Church, BA3 4SG, 7pm, a celebration of Christmas in music, song, prose & verse, plus mulled wine and mince pies. Retiring collection in aid of The Children of Chernobyl Fund, Wells and The Churches Conservation Trust. Details: 01761 241588, 01458 446294. Friday, December 13th Wrington Dickensian Fayre, The Plough, 6.30pm, entertainment, food, Christmas gifts. See page 58. A singsong with Barley Rye – listen or join in at this Mendip Society meeting, 7.30pm at St.James’s Church Hall, Winscombe, nonmembers £3.50 – includes mince pies & mulled wine. Christmas Concert with Cheddar Male Voice Choir, soloist Francesca Bowkett and Rodney Stoke First School, 7pm at Draycott Memorial Hall, tickets £8 (U-18s £4, U-11s free) from Draycott PO and school or on the door – in aid of a community defibrillator. Christmas concert with Cheddar Male Choir, Draycott and Rodney Stoke First School and soloist Mezzo-Soprano Francesca Bowkett. In

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aid of a community defibrillator for the village. Draycott Memorial Hall, 7 p.m. Tickets from Draycott Post Office, Draycott Primary School or at the door on the night. £8 adults and seniors, under 18s £4. Free for primary school children. Saturday December 14th Congresbury Book Sale, 9am -1pm at the War Memorial Hall. A wide selection of good quality books, jigsaws, dvds, cds and talking books etc. Radstock Museum Christmas Fayre, 10am 4pm in the Museum. Entertainment all day, many stalls, a café, book shop and book signing, free entry. Sing for Somerset carol service at Wells Cathedral at 7pm, with the Mid Somerset Orchestra and Somerset Voices benefiting Somerset Community Foundation. Entrance free, doors open at 6.15, disabled seating available. Details: Mary Hancock, 01749 344949. Croscombe Charter Christmas Market in Croscombe Village Hall. 10am-12noon. Homemade Christmas goods, gifts, garlands and wreaths, jewellery, wood turned items and much more. Coffee and homemade mince pies and a surprise visitor for the Children! Supporting Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Somerset Singers Christmas Concert. St Cuthbert’s Church, Wells, 7.3pm. Tickets £12.00 in advance, £14.00 on the door (under 18s half price), from Wedmore Post Office or tel: 01934 732855 or 01934 743965 www.somersetsingers.co.uk Christmas with Exit Stage Left. Mardon’s social club,Midsomer Norton, 8pm. Free entry,family event for all ages including Christmas songs and songs from the shows. Raffle and mince pies. Saturday December 14th and Sunday December 15th Santa at the Station – Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust, Midsomer Norton, from 11am each day with Santa’s grotto open from 1.30pm-5pm. Details: www.sdjr.co.uk Tuesday December 17th Congresbury Singers will present their popular seasonal eclectic offering of music and readings in St Andrew’s Church, Congresbury at 7:30pm, tickets £5 on door, incl. light refreshments. The Branch and its Twiggs – an illustrated talk by Terry Temlett about the S&D Railway in Somerset. A Mendip Society meeting at the Catholic Church Hall, Cheddar. Non-members £3.50, incl refreshments. Details: 01934 641461. Centenary celebrations, evening of music and verse, coffee and mince pies, Writhlington

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Methodist Church, 7pm-7.30pm. Thursday December 19th U3A Christmas Coffee Morning at Church House, Cheddar, 10.30am- 12noon. This coffee morning will be a bit special with one or two ‘performances’ both musical and theatrical to reflect the festive mood. Visitors welcome. Details: www.cheddarvalleyu3a.org.uk or 01934 710242. Friday December 20th Christmas Carols at Churchill Post Office and Stores. 5.30pm. Mulled wine and mince pies. Bring the children along to see our wonderful winter wonderland scene. Saturday December 21st Frome Society for Local Study, The Romans in East Somerset, with John Smith, followed by Christmas tea. Frome Assembly Rooms, 2.30pm. Tuesday December 31st New Year’s Eve Night at Redhill Village Club from 8pm –late, live music and a full gourmet buffet sit-down dinner with dessert (black ties & posh frocks optional). Church Road, Redhill, BS40 5SG. Tickets £15 in advance, from 01934 862619. Out of Africa-themed New Year’s Eve party in aid of SOS Africa and Mama Upendo children’s Trust. African food and music, activities for children. Cheese and Grain, Frome. Doors open 7pm. Ffi: SOS Africa office: 01749 344197 or Cheese and Grain: 01373 455420. Thursday January 2nd Wells Evening Society, 50 years of horticulture with Mary Payne, Wells Town Hall, 7.30pm. Tuesday January 7th DFAS Süleyman the Magnificent and Ottoman Art – a presentation by Sarah Searight at the Westex Suite, Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet. Please contact Tony Lane, 01749 670652 if you wish to attend. Wednesday January 8th Wells Civic Society AGM followed by “The history of Wells through local memorabilia”. Wells Archivist Dr Julia Wood will talk about Wells City Archives and members will introduce their own items which illustrate the City’s long and illustrious past. 7.30pm at Wells Museum. Friday January 17th The Yarlington Wassail – originally held in the 17th century – is now organised by Bruton Valley Rotary club in support of Wincanton hospital & Rotary charities. Procession from Stags Head Inn, BA9 8DG from 7pm. Details: www.bruevalleyrotary.org and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarlington_Wassail

ANSWERS TO THE MENDIP MINDBENDER

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ACROSS: 1 Burrington Ham, 9 Ups, 10 Chalice Well, 11/23 Dorothy House, 12 Lustrum, 13 Biddisham, 15 Lie-in, 16 Thank, 18 Deep space, 20 Echelon, 22 Go Dutch, 24 East and west, 25 Sou, 26 Cottage cheese. DOWN: 1 Bound, 2 Rose-red, 3 Inch-thick, 4 Gravy, 5 Oriflamme, 6 Heels, 7 McEnroe, 8 Allemande, 13 Bitter end, 14 Had an idea, 15 Last-ditch, 17 Aphasic, 19 Artiste, 21 Least, 22 Glebe.

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Christmas is coming at Wincanton Racecourse HORSERACING fans will have the opportunity to enjoy some fantastic races combined with a unique shopping experience on Thursday, December 5th at Wincanton Racecourse. The course’s Paddock Pavilion will host the inaugural Clarks Village Christmas Experience giving racegoers the chance to sample a Thorntons chocolate fountain, receive complimentary beauty treatments from The Body Shop and purchase a few Christmas presents from a host of independent traders. Steve Parlett, Wincanton’s General Manager, said: “We have some excellent racedays and our new association with Clarks

Princes Road, Wells, BA5 1TD

COMING UP:

Friday 29th November Friday 6th December

Friday 13th December

Friday 30th December

Free Birds 2d & 3d (U) Saving Mr Banks (PG) Frozen 2d & 3d (PG) The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug 2d & 3d (12A TBC) Walking With Dinosaurs 2d & 3d (Cert. TBC)

G Book in person G Online 24/7 @www.wellsfilmcentre.co.uk G Over the ’phone: 01749 673195

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Village will see the Paddock Pavilion transformed into a shopping extravaganza on December 5th giving racegoers the chance to make a few festive purchases while enjoying rural racing.” And once the meeting is over, the team at Wincanton will be concentrating all their energies on one of the most popular fixtures of the season: the Boxing Day meeting, one of the highlights of the Somerset social calendar. Thursday, December 26th will see great racing staged at a welcoming racecourse, with complimentary tours and trips to the start – all included within entry prices, which starts from £10. And, with complimentary entry to children aged 17 and under, it’s the perfect day out after Christmas excesses. Advance ticket bookings are now available.

COMPETITION WINNERS

LAST month we offered you the chance to win two signed copies of the Bay Tree Home Deli Cookbook by Emma Macdonald. The first correct answers drawn were from Mrs M. Long of Claverham and Mrs L. Brooks from Wells. We also offered the chance to win three pairs of tickets to the West Country Quilt Show at the Royal Bath and West Showground from Thursday November 28th-Saturday November 30th. The winners are Mrs R. Lander, from Meare, Mrs C.J. Hooper, from Lower Writhlington, and Jackie Stuckey from Pilton.

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