THE Mendip Ploughing Match was a wonderful celebration of local traditions, as well as being a very pleasant social event. We’ve pictures from there and news of how one of those traditions – dry stone walling – is receiving a welcome boost across the area.
Chris Sperring and Mary Payne write about how animals and plants have been preparing for winter, as have our local carnival clubs. We’ve pictures from Frome and Castle Cary and details of the big winter carnivals coming up this month.
As communities plan their Remembrance ceremonies, we have the news that, after years of research, Lamyatt has earned the title of Thankful Village.
Somerset Community Foundation has been celebrating its 20th anniversary by announcing it’s now awarded £20million to local good causes. Many of those have featured on our charity and community pages.
We’ve the first of our festive features, with a Focus on Chew Valley, and a packed guide to future events.
TELEVISION celebrity presenter Judge Rob Rinder visited Croscombe to open the first phase of the village’s refurbished children’s play area.
But the criminal barrister, host of the reality shows Judge Rinder and the Rob Rinder Verdict, couldn’t resist some of the treats on offer in the village hall at the autumn Charter Market. Rob was invited by village resident and parish councillor Sarah Fawcett-Fice, who was a fellow law student at university.
The new-look play area – costing £40,000 – was made possible with funding from organisations including the National Lottery Community Fund, Somerset Community Foundation, Mendip District Council and Glastonbury Festivals. Villagebased building firm Oatley Construction cleared the site for free.
Fellow parish councillor Ben Gudzelak said the next phase of the project would be to upgrade and extend the sports area.
THE Mendip Hills Fund is now open for community and environmental grants. The fund is supported by “visitor-giving” schemes at local campsites, outdoor activity centres and event organisers.
Grants will be awarded to support community and voluntary group projects that:
Conserve and enhance the landscape
Increase awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the area
Support social and economic initiatives including enhancing community facilities or support for start-up of social enterprises, e.g. local food initiatives.
Grants of up to £2000 are available for projects in the Mendip Hills AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and through East Mendip to Frome.
Jim Hardcastle, Mendip Hills AONB manager, said: “It’s more important than ever to help nature across the Mendip Hills but funds can also be awarded for projects that help people in the area as well.
“Grants in the past have helped some brilliant projects like restoring a bit of wasteland next to a village hall or providing tools to a conservation group. But grants have also gone to helping long-term unemployed people learn new skills and a film
project to combat isolation in rural areas.
“Many of the businesses that support the fund are having difficult times at the moment and we are really grateful that they have kept their donation schemes open. Recent contributions have been strong and we are able to open the fund in a good position.”
The fund was set up with the Mendip Hills AONB Partnership and Somerset Community Foundation.
SOMERSET Wildlife Trust is hosting its third virtual auction with money-can’t-buy experiences and prizes from local businesses and artists from across the county to support its vital work to protect and restore Somerset’s wildlife and wild places.
Registrations for the auction are now live, with live bidding commencing at 7pm on Thursday, November 3rd. Bidding closes on Thursday, November 24th at 9pm.
Kate Wilson, community and events fundraising manager, said: “We have always been overwhelmed by the success of our online auction in previous years and wanted to bring it back this year in a big way.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to buy some unique experiences and lovely gifts for the art or nature lover in your life, so dig deep and #BidForWildlife.”
CROSS and Compton Bishop Climate Action Group is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Last December a group of local people were talking about the need to do something about climate change and biodiversity.
They formed the group which now meets every six weeks at Cross Memorial Hall, usually attracting around 17 regulars – with more welcome.
Recently its first public meeting was attended by nearly 60 people, with experts and local residents sharing their knowledge.
Organisers said it was an impressive and educational evening with lively chat and questions, with plenty of food for thought to take home.
FIVE key wildlife and habitat sites in the Somer Valley are to benefit from an improvement grant of almost £1m.
Somer Valley Rediscovered, a strategic green infrastructure project led by Bath and North East Somerset Council, Wessex Water, B&NES Public Health and Natural England, has secured funding from the West of England Combined Authority Green Recovery Fund.
The £923,000 grant will be used for nature recovery projects such as grassland restoration and the management of woodlands and watercourses which will benefit a whole host of wildlife including insect pollinators, bats and wild orchids at Haydon Batch in Radstock, Waterside Valley in Westfield, Midsomer Norton Town Park, Wellow Brook Walk and Staddlestones Open Space in Midsomer Norton.
B&NES councillor Sarah Warren, deputy leader and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel said: “Securing this funding will allow us to improve biodiversity in support of our ecological emergency commitment. The five sites will make it easier for residents to access greenspaces within walking distance of their home, which has proven benefits for mental and physical health.
“The grant will also fund improvements to make the sites more accessible including welcoming entrances and better paths which will enable more people to enjoy the sites and to spend more time in nature.”
The scheme proposes to set up a new volunteer group to carry out practical conservation tasks across all the sites and will also work with Natural England and the local primary care network to provide Green Social Prescribing activities. There will be opportunities for all to learn more about local wildlife with events running throughout the seasons.
Somer Valley Rediscovered includes Radstock, Midsomer Norton, and Westfield, the large villages of Paulton and Peasedown St John and the surrounding smaller villages and countryside. It’s an area that has been profoundly influenced by the former coal mining industry.
MENDIP Rocks! 2022 blasted off in style at Westbury Quarry, above Westbury-sub-Mendip, with a day of family-friendly events which included a demonstration of a car being blown up with explosives.
Luka, aged 11, of Wookey, won a raffle to detonate the Mercedes saloon deep in the quarry operated by explosives experts Alford Technologies. Beforehand, company boss Roland Alford paid tribute to the late Nigel Taylor, his former colleague and close friend.
Dozens of people gathered on two viewing platforms to witness the controlled explosion taking place, detonated from a bomb-proof bunker close to the vehicle.
During the day, visitors enjoyed guided wildlife walks with Mendip Times contributor Chris Sperring, geology walks with Professor Danielle Shreve and Dr Peter Hardy and plenty of hands-on activities including abseiling.
Other events during the month-long festival included quarry tours and an open day at the Somerset Earth Science Centre. It was due to end with a tour above Cheddar Gorge on Saturday, October 29th.
MENDIP
VOLUNTEERS from across the country joined people from Shepton Mallet to work on sections of the Strawberry Line multi-user path which will form part of the Somerset Circle.
Teams rebuilt dry stone walls, installed fencing and cleared vegetation as part of a week-long camp organised by the Greenways and Cycleroutes charity.
Mendip District Council has allocated £200,000 to fund the construction of two new sections, one south of the West Shepton Playing Fields and the other at Westbury-sub-Mendip, between Station Road and Erlon Lane. The council secured access via a 50-year, permissive path lease agreement, which ensures long-term right of access for users.
An additional 2.3km of dust surface standard path will be created with works expected to be completed by the end of this year.
As part of its corporate priorities, Mendip District Council is working to develop sections of the Strawberry Line with the aim of connecting communities, reducing car travel, cutting carbon emissions and promoting active lifestyles in the district.
When completed, the Somerset Circle will form a 76-mile traffic-free circuit. A new section of multi-user path was opened at Dulcote earlier this year, thanks to collaboration from multiple organisations, groups, councils and volunteers, including funding from the council.
Councillor Ros Wyke, leader of Mendip District Council, said: “We are another step closer to completing the Somerset Circle and I’m thrilled that Mendip communities will soon benefit from the additional paths.
“It will encourage more people to get outside, explore the area and enjoy our beautiful landscape.
“I must applaud the many landowners, communities, volunteers and parishes for their perseverance and dedication. It is satisfying to know that our joint efforts will soon come to fruition and that we will leave a legacy for Mendip.”
WEhave some award winners on Mendip! Well done to Andy Wear and Jen Hunter who farm at Fernhill Farm and won the Sheep Farmer of the Year Award at the recent Farmers
Weekly awards ceremony. The judges took the view that what Andy and Jen have been doing at Fernhill for many years was exactly what consumers and the environment need. Good wholesome food produced in a sustainable way.
What makes them better than many is that they aren’t just sustainable. Their production is regenerative before becoming sustainable. The damage that had been done in the past is gradually
being repaired by their methods of farming.
It’s not an overnight fix. Andy and Jen’s work will last a lifetime and that is on a traditional Mendip farm which has never been farmed intensively. Allied to the method of farming is the output.
Traditional breeds of sheep at Fernhill provide lamb, mutton and wool. They make the most of every life produced on the farm, marketing each product as close to home as possible. As consumers we need to consider where our food comes from and how it has been produced.
This is easy to say and I appreciate in the current economic climate not everyone can make their consumer choice based on food being produced on their doorstep. That said, the choice between spending a bit extra on locally produced goods rather
than buying food that has been shipped around the world could form the basis of a change of shopping philosophy.
Buying a lesser cut of meat but still spending the same amount is a possibility. Buying local doesn’t mean we have to buy less. We just need to consider what we buy and what we do with it more.
After the long hot summer farmers are seeking some normality. Grass finally started to grow in September and there has been an extension to the grazing season and some late silage cuts. The South West has come through the drought of 2022 relatively unscathed.
A friend in Suffolk who normally expects 30 tonnes of carrots an acre to sell to the supermarkets has written his crop off. He is letting his sheep into the fields to graze just three tonnes an acre.
AROUND 100 competitors took part in the 152nd Mendip Ploughing Match on Yeo Valley-owned farmland at Yoxter.
The match attracted ploughmen – and at least one woman –from Cornwall to Carlisle along with many regular Mendip competitors.
Hedge laying, dry stone walling, forage and fodder competitions took place alongside the ploughing.
Stone waller John Barber, of Hay-on-Wye, was crowned champion of champions.
FARMER Bob Watts, from Foxcote, went to the match to return a silver cream jug presented to his grandfather, who farmed near Blagdon, in a hedge laying competition from the turn of the last century.
The trophy, which has no inscription, has been in his family ever since but Bob’s sister, Molly Salvidge, decided it was time to hand it back to the society.
EMERGENCY alerts is a new service from the UK government, which will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby. It should be launched soon.
In an emergency, your phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.
Emergency alerts are broadcast from mobile phone masts. Every compatible mobile phone or tablet in range will receive an alert. The government does not need your phone number to send you an alert.
Your phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent,
vibrate or read out the alert. The sound and vibration will last for about ten seconds.
You should then stop what you’re doing (find somewhere safe to stop before using your phone or tablet) and follow the instructions in the alert. Sometimes an alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information. They did some test alerts earlier this year.
If you want to see an alert again, you can find current alerts and past alerts at gov.uk/alerts or on your phone or tablet – just search Alerts on android or Find Alerts on iPhone.
You may get alerts about severe flooding; fires; extreme weather; public health emergencies.
Emergency alerts will only be sent by the emergency services or Government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies
Although that all sounds a bit scary, the chances of this happening are really low, but necessary if one of them does arise.
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TWO thousand metal-stemmed poppies will once again be planted at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells this year, in time for Remembrance weekend in November.
Originally, 2,989 poppies were made by local school children in 2018 –one to mark each serviceman lost from Somerset during WWI. Some were sold to raise money for SSAFA and the Wells Branch of the Royal British Legion.
After the original project finished it was agreed that the palace should retain 2,000 poppies in order to continue to display them inside the grounds, as they had been taken to heart by local people. Each year since, they have moved to a different location in the gardens and this year the poppies will be on display from November 5th-20th on the palace moat bank.
The poppies will be put in place by Dan Vidler, who conceived the idea.
l A Remembrance Service will also be held at the Bishop’s Chapel on Friday, 11th November. All are welcome.
The palace poppies will return in November
THECo-ordinating Committee of Bristol Airport Action Network (BAANcc) will be arguing in the High Court that the decision to allow Bristol Airport to expand was not lawful.
Estelle Dehon (King’s Counsel, who with Leigh Day solicitors is acting for BAANcc) has identified six areas where they consider that the decision making process was unlawful.
BAANcc were successful in getting the case heard at Bristol based on the high level of interest from local people in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and B&NES.
Of the 11,000 comments on the original application, 77% were against expansion, but when drilled down to local responses, 84% of those who objected were from North Somerset and 93% were from the Chew Valley. These are the communities beneath the flight path
North Somerset Council turned down the original application, but Bristol Airport successfully appealed the decision.
The public are being invited to join a vigil outside the Bristol Civil Justice Centre in Bristol during the hearing on November 8th and 9th, 9am-4pm.
Details: BAANcc@protonmail.comTRUSTEES of the Glastonbury Community Fridge project are appealing for new suppliers of food as the cost-of-living crisis hits their levels of stock.
A large proportion of the foodstuff comes from local supermarkets who, until recently, were donating surplus discounted lines which could no longer be sold at the end of the day. But the trustees say families feeling the squeeze are now buying more and more discounted food.
The fridge and larder are based outside Glastonbury Town Hall and are open from 9am-4pm every day of the year. The trustees are also appealing for more volunteers – known as “fridge guaradians” – to join them. The project was founded by Gina TyWharton in 2020 to reduce the amount of food going to landfill and to help people struggling with the costs of food.
Supplies of perishable foodstuffs are complemented by donations from allotment holders, offering people who use the fridge the chance to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables. Trustee Miranda Millan said: “The crisis is definitely affecting us in terms of the amount of food we can collect or which is donated.”
One visitor said she uses the fridge regularly to support her daughter who is having issues with benefits. Another travels each Thursday morning from his home in Compton Dundon. Users are limited to five items each. The fridge project is also linked to a scheme in the High Street where people can donate items such as tinned food which have a long shelf-life.
MONEY raised from this year’s Frome Carnival collections will help a number of local organisations and help to ensure the future of the annual event.
Beneficiaries from the £4,400 donations included Wessex Counselling & Psychotherapy, Fair Frome, Coleford Scout Hut and Frome Community Wardrobe as well as the carnival itself, which is unique in being run as a charity.
The children’s afternoon procession kicked off proceedings from the town’s Victoria Park before large crowds gathered to see the evening procession make its way through the town.
EVERYBODYand every business has a carbon footprint. The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Farming in Protected Landscapes team are offering farm businesses within the AONB the opportunity to apply for up to £1,500 to help them understand and reduce their carbon footprint.
Generally, carbon is used as shorthand for greenhouse gases, the various gases that include carbon dioxide and methane which trap heat and warm the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases have led to changes in the climate, and the effects are now becoming noticeable here.
A carbon footprint (strictly speaking it should be greenhouse gas footprint) is the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organisation. We all have a carbon footprint.
As we live in a fossil fuel based economy and the use of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it is very difficult at present not to have a carbon footprint. Net zero carbon is a method where although a business has a carbon footprint, this footprint can be reduced by providing greenhouse gas absorbers. The classic greenhouse gas absorbers are trees. But trees are not the only ones. Grassland that has been undisturbed for decades is also excellent at storing carbon in its soil. Wet peatlands are also superb at storing carbon.
So, what’s this got to do with farming and the Mendip Hills? Well, it can be easy to forget that farms are businesses. Within the Mendip Hills AONB there are something like 240 farm businesses contributing to the economy, providing employment and income as well as food and produce. Farming has shaped the landscape for centuries and is part of what makes the Mendip Hills AONB landscape so special. Farming is in an almost unique position to tackle climate change and the industry has recognised it has an important role to play. Farming is reliant upon one thing more than any other, land. Land is required for food production but it is also vital in the fight against climate change, be that for solar farms, tree planting or improving the carbon stores in soil.
So how can a farm business know their carbon footprint and work towards reducing it? Well, to get an accurate measure of the carbon footprint is very difficult. But, and this is an important but, an accurate measure of a carbon footprint is currently not the most important thing. A measure of how a carbon footprint changes has most value.
So long as the way you measure a carbon footprint stays the same, you can measure change. And it is the change, working towards net carbon zero, that is vitally important. To measure change a farm business can use a Farm Carbon Calculator. A Farm Carbon Calculator is an internet-based tool that is specifically designed to help collect and record carbon data and calculate a farm’s carbon footprint.
The Mendip Hills AONB Farming in Protected Landscapes team are offering farm businesses that farm within the AONB boundary the opportunity to apply for up to £1,500 towards tailored one-to-one advice from a Farm Carbon Calculator Advisor to start their journey towards reducing their carbon footprint. If you don’t understand your carbons, you can’t control your carbons. And by cutting your carbons you can cut the costs to your farm business.
There are 237 farms, 39 are over 100ha. In 2021 there were 152 farmers as part of the 576 people employed on farms. In the same year there were 14,000 cattle in the AONB and 38,000 sheep. These farmers and other land managers care for the nature reserves that cover a quarter of the AONB.
(serves four plus a couple of portions of soup)
4 chicken quarters
100g chopped onions
250g chopped carrots
150g dried soft apricots
100ml white wine
600mls of chicken stock
This dish produced loads of sauce, which I gave to my mother as soup for lunch and she said it was absolutely delicious!
In an ovenproof dish, brown the chicken on both sides and remove. Fry the onion, carrots and apricots for five minutes in the same pan. Add the wine and then, two minutes later, the stock. Bring to the boil, lay the chicken back on top and cover the dish with a lid or foil.
Cook at 150°C for two hours (or in a slow cooker on high for 45 mins). When done, remove the chicken and blend everything left in the pan (I used a stick blender). Serve the chicken on rice or mash and pour over the sauce. Don't forget to enjoy the soup for lunch the next day!
(for six people)
6 medium-sized tomatoes
175g cream cheese
2 tbs of pesto
To serve: soldiers, breadsticks or carrot sticks
You could use any cheese in these, even a hard cheddar, or a goat’s cheese mixed with sweet chilli sauce. I'm using cream cheese and pesto as that's what my grandchildren like best.
Slice the tops off the tomatoes, scoop out the insides and set these aside. Mix the cheese and pesto together and spoon into the tomatoes and replace the lids. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 160°C.
Mix the leftover tomato bits with a spoonful of pesto and large dollop of cream cheese and bake alongside the tomatoes. Whizz up the mixture and you've got yourself a delicious pasta sauce for another meal.
Whisk together, the eggs, sugar, butter, milk, cinnamon and fold in the flour and baking powder followed by the apples. Pour into an oven proof
(makes 10-12 squares)
3 eating apples cut into small chucks
3 eggs
150gr soft brown sugar
80gr melted butter
180ml milk
300g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp of cinnamon pinch of salt
dish (I used a lined roasting tin) and bake for 35-40 mins at 160°C. We enjoyed ours warm with clotted cream, but it’s just a good cold with a cup of tea!
THIS month’s recipes are not only hearty and warming but –as we all count the pennies and tighten our belts – leftovers from the starter and main course can make two different dishes for another day.
Thrifty flavours for the winter months ahead
WELLS Food Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary with a feast of treats from more than 150 stallholders offering flavours from close to home to far afield.
FRESH from winning the title of Best West Country Street Food at the Wells Food Festival, Will Willmott has his sights set on taking his Smokehouse on the hill
BBQ to even more events next year.
His “low and slow” pork and chicken wowed the judges with jackfruit as an option for those wanting a non-meat dish.
Will, of Oakhill, began smoking pork and other meats as a hobby around 20 years ago as a way to unwind from his career in the publishing industry.
Now Smokehouse on the hill is in big demand at weddings and other bespoke events with Will’s emphasis very much on quality street food served with style and with the emphasis on offering a relaxed and fun eating experience, whether that’s locally-sourced meat – with rolls from Shepton Mallet bakery Denelas – or GF, vegetarian and vegan options.
For details, find Smokehouse on the hill on Facebook
“IF you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise” . . . words from the old song Teddy Bears Picnic. Now you don’t have to “disguise” yourself as a teddy bear to go to the woods but at this time of year you could well be in for a surprise. After the dry summer spell, this autumn has proven to be rather spectacular for mushrooms but not just the edible ones.
Poking through the grass at the base of a tree are bright red caps, with white spots and fleccy stems – the toadstool Fly Agaric. You definitely can’t have a “teddy bears picnic” on these as they are poisonous, so don’t even try. However historically it was collected by people not for making a tasty stroganoff dish but for another reason altogether, more on that later. So technically you could eat it but then you could regret doing so for the rest of your life . . .
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) has a cap 10 to 20cm across, bright red (sometimes a bit orangey) and covered in white movable spots. The stem is 8 to 20 cm tall, 1 to 2cm wide in mature specimens, is white, fleecy with a swollen base and fleecy bands. The ring is simple and pendulous, gills and flesh white. Very common under birch and pine trees in the autumn and early winter months.
So what is the surprise? Unlike the teddy bears one must always “have cares” and apparently if consumed Fly Agaric has powerful psychoactive properties (Ibotenic acid) with numerous scary symptoms including nausea, vomiting, spasms, confusion and floating/flying sensations.
Scandinavian Sami reindeer herders were known to consume this toadstool not for leisure but to commune with the ancestors as part of their shamanic tradition. Their reindeer can eat it without harming themselves (their biology being different from ours) and they also collected the urine as the psychoactive compound passes through intact, so is recyclable too.
Not my cup of tea. And of course there is the association in our own country with witches, taking the toadstool (probably for the same reasons as the Sami) and is likely the origin of the tales of witches flying on broomsticks.
So when you are out and about “beneath the trees where nobody sees” make sure of your edible mushroom identification and avoid poisonous toadstools at all costs so that you can, like the teddy bears of the song, continue “having a lovely time today”.
Adrian Boots is a Landscape Ecologist, Wild Food Forager and Adventure Activity provider. You can visit his website: www.gowildactivities.co.uk to learn more about wild food foraging and activities you can do with him on the Mendip Hills.
A COUPLEof months ago I wrote about a flour corn we were trialling called “Magic Manna”. At the time of writing in mid-August our harvest wasn’t yet in but it was looking promising – in the end the corn ripened easily by midSeptember and the grain is now all separated from the cobs and dry. We were concerned that mould might take hold in the cobs so we finished off the drying in our dehydrator.
With JAKE WHITSONAll told we got harvested around 750g of dry grain per square metre from our patch, which we are really impressed with considering that we neglected the patch somewhat, letting creeping buttercups invade.
“Magic Manna” is an unusual corn. It was bred by plant breeder Carol Deppe in the US, and is essentially four types of corn in one. The cobs come as single coloured ears in one of four colours – red, white, ivory and brown (although the seed we have bought is a little mixed up, and needs a little reselection to get back to the original).
All can be ground together to make a delicious corn flour, but the different colours have their own distinctive uses too. The brown corn makes a good flour for savoury corn breads, while the white and ivory corns are sweeter and make delicious pancakes or sweet breads. The red is the only one we have experimented with yet, however, and this colour is great for parching.
Parching corn isn’t something I knew about before reading Carol’s books. It is perhaps best compared to popcorn – the kernels are toasted over a dry heat until they audibly pop. They don’t explode like a popcorn kernel, but rather simply crack and puff up a little.
Flour corns are much softer than popcorns however and the result is a very savoury, substantial, crunchy and chewy snack with a lovely corn flavor. Given that you go straight from grain to an edible end product with no grinding or milling is also a very attractive, minimally processed staple.
We’re really excited about this corn and plan on growing much more of it in the future – keep your eyes peeled for more experiments in the coming months!
Jacob Whitson is a chef, food writer and smallholder –he divides his time between the Mendips and Pembrokeshire.
BEING part of the community was always at the heart of Nikki and Mark Hutchison’s plans for the Horse and Jockey at Binegar when they took over the inn six years ago and it remains the case today.
The couple want the inn to be a place where everyone feels welcome and part of the pub “family” even if it’s someone’s first visit there for a drink or a meal.
The Horse and Jockey boasts a famous “cider bar” snug area, where everyone is encouraged to join in the conversations over a pint or two, a main bar, restaurant and skittle alley, which is home to six teams.
Food is served seven days a week with menus ranging from pub classics to a thin and crispy range of pizzas, Sunday lunches and weekday specials. Cheesecakes are specialities on the dessert menu and all menus can be found on the inn’s recently-revamped website which includes some stunning imagery by local photographer Paul “Chip” O’Shaughnessy.
Nikki and Mark also aim to give something back to the village and the wider area by supporting good causes, such as the Somer Valley Foodbank.
The now famous Binegar’s Bonkers Wheelbarrow Race will return over the Christmas period, taking place on Bank Holiday Tuesday, December 27th, raising money for the foodbank. Meanwhile, the couple’s son, Jack, raised £1,000 for the Mendip
School’s Pool fundraising appeal by completing the Wells 10K. Jack, 16 and now a student at Bath College, attended the school.
Nikki said: “When we redecorated the main bar and restaurant we used the specials blackboard as a welcome sign to say ‘There are no strangers here at the Jockey, only friends you have yet to meet’ and that’s as true for the team here as it is for our customers.”
Dating from the 18th Century, the Horse and Jockey offers a cosy cider bar, main bar and restaurant where we serve traditional home-made meals, pizza menu and a popular Sunday roast.
Nikki, Mark, their family and the team welcome you to a rare little jewel on the beautiful Mendip Hills in the village of Binegar.
Restaurant open: Monday-Saturday: 12-2pm & 6-9pm Sunday: 12-3pm
Bar open: Monday-Friday: 12-3pm & 6pm-close Saturday: 12-close Sunday: 12-5 Dogs welcome in the bar
Thank you to all our amazing customers and Jockey Team who have supported us over the past six years; we love being part of the community!
Whether it’s for a drink and a catch-up with friends or to relax over a lovely home-cooked meal, the welcome will always be warm and friendly.
Follow us for news, events, live music and disco dates (firework night disco Sat, Nov 5th)
The Horse and Jockey, Binegar Lane, Binegar, Radstock BA3 4UH. Tel: 01749 840537
www.horseandjockeybinegar.com
FOR a family day out to visit somewhere a little further afield and get Christmas-ready, eat:Festivals are organising five food and drink festivals around the region during November and December.
Teignmouth takes place on Saturday, November 19th, Taunton on Saturday, November 26th, Nailsea on Saturday, December 3rd, Yeovil on Saturday, December 10th and Weston-super-Mare on Sunday, December 11th – all unique in their own way.
Organiser, Sarah Milner Simonds, said: "Each event is a representation of the place where we are being hosted and the scale has to be right too. So, at Teignmouth, which takes place in The Triangles we have around 60 producers but the Taunton event planned for November 26th is the largest Christmas market in Somerset with more than 100 stalls and stretching for ½-a-mile through the town centre.”
The Yeovil festival coincides with the postponed Super Saturday activities throughout the town. The food and drink producers are within the Quedam Centre. eat:Weston is inside the Winter Gardens. Nailsea promises to have 100 producers and will be held within the Crown Glass Shopping Centre and the High Street.
Father Christmas will be a guest at all the markets and all are un-ticketed and free to attend.
THE Tucker’s Grave Inn, at Faulkland, will host another of its famous charity afternoon tea parties in December, combined with a Christmas Fair.
Taking place on Sunday, December 4th, the event will raise money for the Bowel Movement cancer charity. A similar party earlier this year raised thousands of pounds for the charity –with tables laden with cakes and other goodies – and people have been asking when the next one will be held.
It’s just one of many events being held at the famous inn in the coming weeks, with live music in the barn every Saturday night in November.
On the evening of Friday, December 16th, visitors are welcome to join in a carol concert with mulled wine and mince pies on offer.
And, looking further ahead, plans are underway for another wassail which is guaranteed to draw a big crowd.
Tucker’s has also just launched the third in its range of ciders unique to the inn. Mango joins Mother Tucker’s and Mind yer Ed and is available alongside the inn’s wide range of traditional ciders, along with Mallets and bottled ciders.
DANand Jess Pardoe are the new landlords at the Blue Bowl in West Harptree, returning to be nearer family after many years away keeping country pubs.
They originally worked for Butcombe, first at the Queen’s Arms in Bleadon, then at the Ring O’ Bells, Compton Martin before running the Royal Oak in Much Marcle, Herefordshire for three years and then the Farmers Arms in Apperley, Gloucestershire for ten years.
Jess is from Compton Martin and Dan is from Shipham. Dan took a degree in hotel management and catering, before training as a chef in Paris. Jess started her training at the Ring O’ Bells before working her way up to be head chef with Hilton Marriott.
Dan said: “Everything we serve will be home-made, freshly prepared on site, with local ingredients from within 20 miles. It will be traditional pub fare, with a bit of extravagance on the a la carte menu.”
There will also be food theme nights, featuring more exotic dishes from around the globe.
But while building up the food side, they aim to keep their local customers happy. After refurbishment, the bar is still separate and there’s still a dart board on the wall.
The whole interior has been given a fresh new look,
particularly the dining area.
They also have plans to turn the Blue Bowl into an events venue, with music nights and festivals, making use of the extensive garden.
Dan said: “We know some of the best tribute bands in the business, but I’m also keen on classical music, so we aim to have something for everyone.”
The pub also offers bed and breakfast accommodation, which is popular with fishermen visiting nearby Chew Valley Lake.
EXHIBITORS turned back the clock at Somerset’s Festival of Transport at the West Woodlands Showground near Frome.
From traction engines to tractors and motorcycles to militaria, the weekend celebrated all things mechanical.
Modern heavy goods vehicles were also on show, as was an impressive radio-controlled model layout.
“We are thrilled to have over 40 artists taking part in local community venues and artists’ studios during the trail for this special year. We can’t wait to see their creations.” during the arts trail some artists will also be offering frEE taster workshops. There are nine workshops to choose from and as spaces are limited, bookings should be made on the website.
You can celebrate with the artists and join them on the trail on Saturday, 5th and Sunday, 6th november 11am–4pm daily. The arts trail will host local artists across 14 venues.
WinfordArt Group held an open morning, which was attended by pupils from the local school next door.
School head, nik Gardner, said: “initially we were invited as a one off, but we hope to be invited again in the future as it is a real way that the school and the community can work together where everyone benefits.”
Leader of the art group, Ann Baber, said: “Quite a few of our group are ex-teachers and they loved having the youngsters visit us. They created a lovely atmosphere and everyone felt that the morning’s session had gone extremely well.”
ThiS november sees the Cam Valley Arts Trail celebrate its tenth year. Karen George, chair of the group, said: “Ten years of art trails is a huge achievement to everyone involved.
ChAirSare works of art. Well, not all chairs but some chairs – particularly danish ones. Admittedly, as someone who has worshipped at the (very stylish) altar of danish design since John Major was P.M., i suppose i would say that. for a design addict like me, denmark is a place of regular pilgrimage. Go to denmark and you’ll soon discover that the danes take design very seriously.
longer than you might think. it was among denmark’s fishermen and farmers, building boats, houses, and furniture for their own use that a strong crafts tradition developed.
With CHRIS YEOThat this should be the case really isn’t all that surprising. in the harsh climate of the north, the home becomes more than purely where you eat and sleep, it’s the centre of family life and the place where you socialise with friends. for the danes, the home and its furnishings are of special interest to everyone.
So how did this small country of modest people get to such a position of pre-eminence in the design world? The roots of danish design are far
Crucially, danish craftsmen and designers stayed loyal to these traditions long after other countries had moved on to more modern materials and manufacturing. in doing so the danes developed an expertise working with wood that other countries simply couldn’t match.
one of the most iconic chairs ever made was designed in 1955 by designer Arne Jacobsen. With a curved plywood seat and back and on spindly metal legs, design aficionados know it as the 3107 but you probably recognise it from its scandalous 1960s associations.
it’s that chair from that photograph of Christine Keeler, fresh from the Profumo scandal, provocatively straddling the chair wearing a coy expression and very little else. Except, it isn’t.
if you take a closer look, you’ll see that, unlike the genuine article, hers has a handle cut into the back. reader, they gave her a cheap copy!
MENDIP
AfTEr meeting each week for more than ten years, members of the friday morning art group at the Crispin Community Centre in Street have staged their first exhibition.
All are welcome to join the group, which meets from 10am until midday and sits together to work on their individual projects.
ELLA Phillips Ceramics is introducing classes in wheelthrown pottery this autumn/winter at the forge Pottery in Cheddar.
The building from which Ella Phillips runs her classes was previously the blacksmith’s forge and workshop of her father, Peter Phillips.
Ella is pleased to be able to share her experiences of more than 20 years in the field of ceramics through the lessons she is now running at the workshop.
Classes and courses will be focused on wheel-thrown pottery. however, Ella also offers sessions and have-a-
go experiences for small groups, giving people a taster of various ceramic processes.
if you are looking for a new hobby or an activity to focus the mind and help you relax, pottery could be the answer.
Starting in late october, the six-week throwing course is held Monday evenings or friday mornings during term times.
For details, visit: www.ellaphillipsceramics. co.uk
iT almost seems natural for the team at Killens to bring together the world of sport with fine wines and spirits in their bi-annual Sporting, fine Wines and Spirits sales. We are at that time of year when it is tempting to slumber on the sofa at the weekends to watch the rugby, racing or football with glass in hand or to be out in the field enjoying the contents of a hip flask.
At their lates sale at the end of September, there was a good entry of sporting items, including an array of guns and air rifles, as well as fine wines and spirits. fishing equipment including rods and reels met keen demand with hardy reels selling well.
The sporting section showcases all sports with an excellent entry of
football memorabilia including programmes from over the decades for which there was keen online interest.
Amongst the fine wines and spirits, a bottle of The Macallan ten-year-old old single highland malt Scotch whisky achieved £320, a bottle of The Glenlivet 25 year old royal Wedding reserve whisky £590, a bottle of Krug 1985 vintage champagne £400, two bottles of Sauternes £1200 and a bottle of Ardberg whisky £1000. in november, three sales will be staged. Valuations can be undertaken on a drop-in basis at the auction rooms between 10am and 3pm Monday to Thursday and Killens have professional valuers and experts on hand to advise. Alternatively, our valuers are able to conduct free home visits.
dorE & rees are looking forward to a highly successful fine Asian Art auction on Monday, november 7th.
The Imperial Dragon moonflask: estimate £30,000-£50,000
The auction features works of art of Chinese, Japanese and South East Asian origin including ceramics, bronzes, jades, furniture, sculpture, pictures, robes and books and includes a number of private collections.
Amongst the lots is a collection of South East Asian sculptures, gathered by Angela Trueb, a passionate collector with an interest in the religious sculpture and art of india where she grew up and enjoyed researching and travelling widely, visiting temple sites during the mid-twentieth century ahead of returning to Somerset. A fine Chola period bronze figure of Parvati leads the collection, finely cast in the classic style with tall headdress and draped in jewels, beads, armlets, bracelets and anklets, offered at an estimate of £30,000-£50,000.
An exceptional pair of damascene bronze and silver vases by Kashima ippu (1828-1900) lead the Japanese works of art section of the auction. finely crafted with intricate designed panels depicting carp, duck, fishing boats and mountain landscape views they sing of quality and are offered at an estimate of £25,000-£35,000.
The vases come from the collection of Joshua neale, who along with henry West set up neal and West Ltd in 1885 as fish merchants in Cardiff. The trawlers were given Japanese names such as fuji, oku, Kyoto following a friendship with a Japanese businessman. during World War i, most of the neale and West fleet was taken over by the Admiralty, mainly for use as minesweepers; seven were lost to enemy action.
The Chinese ceramics section of the auction features a rare imperial famille rose “dragon” moon flask with flattened globular body finely enamelled on each side, depicting iron-red bat in flight above peaches, flanked by two pink scaly confronted five claw dragons between lotus blossoms and is offered at an estimate of £30,00-£50,000.
Looking forward to december, the fine Jewellery and Watches auction will be taking place on Tuesday, december 6th, with lots of beautiful pieces on offer just in time for Christmas.
Keep an eye on www.doreandrees.com or follow us on instagram (doreandrees_auctions) and facebook (dore & rees) to keep in touch with events and auctions.
INHERITANCE claims by unmarried couples have surged, as lawyers blame the common-law spouse “myth” for people wrongly assuming they will inherit assets.
Couples who have lived together for some time may believe the widely held misconception that they become “common-law spouses”, a term that is frequently used but has no legal recognition.
Many believe, incorrectly, that they automatically acquire the same legal status as a married couple but when unmarried couples separate, or one of them dies, they are not afforded the same rights as married couples.
The number of legal actions brought by individuals wanting a share of estates left by partners has increased fourfold over the last 15 years, according to data published by the Ministry of Justice.
In 2007, there were 43 inheritance claims, but by 2020, this figure had risen to 192 and remained high at 165 the year after. It seems that many unmarried men and women are simply unaware that they would have to make
a claim to be entitled to assets left by their partners.
The size of this increase might seem surprising but it should be remembered that there has been further growth in the number of couples who live together without marrying.
The value of estates has also increased, principally due to a tremendous rise in house prices across the UK. Despite both of those things, many individuals are still not undertaking any financial planning, such as making a will, to make provision for their loved ones.
There are still many people who assume that they would simply inherit their partners’ assets when, in fact, they are not automatically entitled to anything. They only become aware that the idea of common-law spouse is just a myth when realising that they actually need to make a claim in order to stand a chance of inheriting anything at all.
It is a reality which often compounds the shock and distress of having lost a loved one, yet can be avoided so relatively easily by making a will.
So, in summary, if you are cohabiting
you have less protection from the law than if you were married. Consequently it would be sensible to make a will and ensure that any interest you may have in a property shared with your partner is clearly documented to set out the extent of your share.
EDWARD LYONS
THE success of the Carrier Bag Levy charging initiative continues and has enabled us to determine which community causes should benefit. The society received a number of suggestions as to where the funds should be directed.
CEO, Don Morris, said: “In the current economic climate, and with our society values and principles in mind, the aim of this donation is to empower and educate the local community to become self-reliant whilst ensuring they have access to essential food supplies.
“We are delighted to be able to make a significant donation totalling £25,000 to the following:
Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea Local Pantry, The Sydenham Pantry, Friends of Grove Park, Swallow, Writhlington School, Crispin Community Centre, Rockaway Park Community Forest Garden, Willowdown Primary School, The Volunteer Network's Growing Happiness Sessions, Shared Earth Learning, The Mendip School, Feed Avalon/EAT Project, The Food Forest Project, The Walled Garden at Mells, The Nelson Trust – Somerset Women's Centre, The Trussell Trust, Avanti Schools Trust Primary School, Seed of Hope, The Huntspill Primary Academies, HAMP Pantry and The Rosary Nursing Home.”
Penny Russell from the Trussell Trust said: “The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of 1300+ food banks to provide emergency food and practical support to people facing hunger. Together, they’re working towards a future
where everyone can afford life’s essentials.
“The donation means the charity can remain agile in the challenging circumstances, to ensure that food banks continue to provide the lifeline of emergency food and additional support for people facing hunger, whilst also moving forwards with important work to tackle root causes of poverty and campaign for longterm change.”
Natalie Donbavand, Friends of Grove Park, said: “Thank you so much, the donation will make a massive difference, we will be able to work on changing an underused area of the park into a community gardening area.
“This area is one of the few pieces of flat unused land in the park so it will be great for people with mobility issues. We will need to create a path and make planters, so this money will really help support that work.”
Emma Larkham, head teacher at Castle Mead School, said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen to receive this donation – it means so much that members of the community have thought of us in this way.
“A donation towards our gardens will be put to good use as we are trying to get our school garden back into good shape after it was not able to be used during the Covid pandemic.
“We will buy seeds and plants as well as some new tools for the children in the club to use. Our Before School club will use some of the donation to buy games as these are always needed and the children will really enjoy having some new activities each morning.”
IF you’re looking for a Christmas present with a difference and want to help a charity in its mission to preserve local archive film, then take a look at what’s in the Windrose Rural Media catalogue.
From royal pageants and steam trains to buckets and spades holidays by the sea and old skills like rope making and pottery, there is a great selection from which to choose. The films were shot in Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Devon.
Windrose is a registered charity. Proceeds from DVD and CD sales go to saving more old films, many of which were put together by keen amateur filmmakers from years gone by, providing a fascinating glimpse into the region’s social history.
DVDs cost £10 and CDs £5, including postage and packing. Orders should be sent to Windrose Rural Media Trust, Corner Cottage, Brickyard Lane, Bourton, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5PJ.
PENSFORD Local History Group has arranged a series of three monthly talks, after a gap of several years. Group member, Paul Cooper, (pictured) gave an illustrated talk on the History of All Saints’ Church in Publow.
Following the presentation, Andrew Hillman, churchwarden, said: “The large audience really appreciated the talk and the interest generated among the community as a whole bodes well for the future of the building both as a religious centre and as a community asset.”
The group’s next talk will be on Monday, November 7th, 7.30pm in Pensford Memorial Hall with Collin Budge talking on “Mills, Coal and Glass (from Stanton Drew to Publow).”
A GROUP of local history enthusiasts are preparing to publish their latest – and final book – after defying the challenges caused by the pandemic to explore and research the parish of Nunney.
The History Group first came together as a group of likeminded friends more than 20 years ago to research the history of Leigh-on-Mendip. Since then, they have published two books on Stoke St Michael, Leigh itself and, finally, Wanstrow in 2016. The books are all still available.
Saturday, November 12th between 11am and 3pm. Books will also be sold at the White Hart in Trudoxhill.
Joyce Jefferson, who has led the group throughout, said: “We thought that as it is a large parish, it would take us some years to investigate. However, after our third or fourth visit, much to our amazement, we were informed that neighbouring Trudoxhill was also in the parish until 1950.
“The initial research was going really well and then – wham, a pandemic arrived. Any research became difficult. Lockdowns, restrictions on group meetings and visiting archives were disastrous for a group like ours, which relies on talking to people, looking at the landscape and going through both the deposits at Somerset Heritage Centre and any private collection of local archives. Zoom meetings and emails are really not a substitute!”
During all the restrictions, Joyce started to write up the research they had done, noting omissions to be covered later and photographs, diagrams and maps needed. Since Covid problems have eased and members have been meeting monthly, rather than weekly, to complete the project. Some group members have also managed to talk to residents and looked through photographs and memorabilia. Others have taken photographs, drawn maps and diagrams.
l The 140-page book will cost £10. All profits will be donated to Nunney Community Association and Trudoxhill Village Hall.The cover of the group’s final book
A Window on Nunney and Trudoxhill will be launched at an event at Nunney Village Hall on
Details: pensfordhistorygroup@gmail.com
A SPECIAL church service is to be held in November to mark confirmation that Lamyatt – between Evercreech and Bruton –has been designated as an official Thankful Village.
Lamyatt joins nine other villages in Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset to enjoy the status. The term Thankful Village applies to a community in which all who went to fight in the WWI came home safely.
The confirmation came after some ten years of research by members of the Evercreech History Society who were puzzled that the village – with a current population of less than 200 –had neither a war memorial or list of ward dead in the parish church.
Gill Lindsay, from the society, said: “We began to look at the possibility that Lamyatt should be granted Thankful Village status. First, we looked at the names of those who were known to have served between 1914 and 1918 to see if any of them were recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves website; none were.
“Then we searched numerous archives, including the wonderful Golden Book in Wells Cathedral, no deaths were recorded for Lamyatt. On behalf of the village, we applied to have Lamyatt given Thankful status.”
But one name could not be traced, that of Frederick Garland, whose twin brother and twelve other men from Lamyatt returned home. Gill added: “A note was put in the visitor’s book in Lamyatt church asking for information about the Garland family. Earlier this year we finally had a hit, a lady who lives in Hereford travelled to Somerset to track her Garland family tree and reopened the trail.
“With her help and that of an archivist at the Somerset Heritage Centre we discovered that although Frederick enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry, he was transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers a regiment we never thought to look into.
“Then we could prove that Frederick Garland, like his twin brother and twelve other men who went to fight from Lamyatt all returned safely. We applied again and on the day that the Queen died we heard that Lamyatt has been accepted as a Thankful Village.”
Frederick Garland was born on December 28th, 1895. He died on January 23rd, 1982, at The Hayes nursing home in Sherborne.
Before the confirmation of Lamyatt’s status, there were 56 Thankful Villages in England; Somerset has more than any other county: Aisholt, Chantry, Chelwood, Holywell Lake Rodney Stoke, Shapwick, Stocklinch, Tellisford and Woolley.
The thanksgiving service will be held in St Mary and St Johns’ Church on Sunday, November 6th. No decision has yet been made about whether to mark the village’s new status with a road sign like those in Rodney Stoke.
NANCYThorne, from Claverham, has produced a book called Embarrassing Moments to support BRACE, the dementia research charity, based at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
Celebrities and MPs are among those who have revealed some of their nightmare moments, including Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, and the Rt Rev Mike Hill, former
Bishop of Bristol.
Nancy said: “I first became aware of BRACE a couple of years ago when I attended a local fundraising event. They are a small charity which funds dementia research. I was amazed to hear that the government offers NO funding for this.
“Last year my lovely dad died with dementia. After 71 years of marriage mum rapidly went downhill and is now in a care home living with the same. I was wracking my brains: what could I do to help? That was when I came up with the idea of a book.
“Supporters of BRACE started sending
me stories of their experiences of living with dementia hence the word ‘poignant’ in the title. So I decided to give these a section on their own.”
The book is 80 pages long and includes stories to make you laugh . . . and cry. It costs £4.95 and all proceeds go to BRACE.
MIDSOMER Norton-based charity PEOPLE has opened a special area at the back of their fundraising shop as a reading and coffee room for the public and the people they work with.
The Latte Lounge also offers a book exchange and will act as a training facility for the charity and other groups. It was set up with help from the SSE Programme.
PEOPLE offers help and support to low-risk male ex-offenders who have recently left prison.
Local writer Karla Neblett cut the ribbon to open the Latte Lounge, in the High Street, and signed copies of her latest novel, King of Rabbits, about a boy growing up in a mixed-race family on a council estate in Somerset.
DOROTHYHouse is launching its most ambitious fundraiser ever, hoping to raise £500,000 in 36 hours for its Always Here Appeal to fund its work.
The appeal takes place in November and for the first time they will be using the online crowdfunding platform, Charity Extra.
Thanks to a generous group of donors, they have secured pledges that will mean all donations will be doubled.
The hospice said: “This is an incredible opportunity, which will help us raise the vital funds we need to sustain our compassionate, dedicated care for patients facing the end of their life.”
They are looking for “Champions” to
reach out to friends, family and contacts during the appeal asking if they will make a donation.
It says research shows that by 2025 over 5,200 people each year across B&NES, parts of Wiltshire and Somerset will need palliative and end of life care –a striking increase on current levels.
Dorothy House’s ambition is to significantly expand and enhance services over the next three years. Their
projections show that they will need to raise an additional £2 million, on top of their general fundraising, to achieve this. The Always Here Appeal aims to raise £500k of this funding shortfall.
Don Kennedy, head of fundraising engagement, said: “It is vital that we act now and invest in the future of hospice care if we are to meet the growing need for our services. This new fundraising idea is both simple and accessible so we hope as many people will join in as possible.
“You don’t have to leave your house, or even directly donate to make a huge difference. It’s about spreading the word!”
FROME-based charity Cats in Distress has held a fundraising and awareness day at its satellite rescue and rehoming centre in Oakhill.
Visitors were taken on tours of the cattery at Bramley Farm and met volunteers who care for the animals.
Cats in Distress will be holding a Halloween Fair at Beckington Memorial Hall on Saturday, October 29th from 10.30am-2pm. There will be a black cat theme and visitors are being encouraged to wear fancy dress.
AROUND 70 people walked, ran and cycled the annual Mells 10k charity event in aid of children’s charity Young Lives vs Cancer.
This was the penultimate 10k for organisers Su and Nige Crutchley, who live near Vobster and who have been fundraising tirelessly for the charity – formerly known as CLIC Sargent – since the death from a brain tumour of their son Ben “Benny Boy” in 2012.
Su and Nige say the amount raised from the morning is expected to top £4,000 –which means the 10ks alone have raised £76,000. The 2023 Mells event will bring their fundraising campaign – which has so far raised more than £1m in total for the charity – to an end.
PUPILS at Bishop Henderson Primary School in Coleford enjoyed a week of special activities aimed at developing their wellbeing.
The school already boasts 25 wellbeing “pupil champions” who take it in turns during break times spending time looking
after children who may be feeling upset or not included. They also take part in assemblies raising awareness of different ways to look after themselves, such as healthy eating, exercise and the importance of sleep.
Volunteers spent time teaching the
children new hobbies and skills to help them look after themselves. Activities included a sensory music workshop, archery, dance, storytellers, forest school, a bus from the I Can and I Am confidencebuilding charity and therapy charity Dogs for Health.
SARA Box of Temple Cloud has raised over £500 for the charity Livability by running this year’s London Marathon. This is the second marathon she has run after raising over £800 for the Royal British Legion last year.
Sara said: “Yet again, I decided to run the London Marathon. You would have
thought last year would have put me off. But no, I laced up my trainers and set off again.
“I ran for an amazing charity called Livability which helps disabled people live in the community with all the help and support they need.
“I had the most amazing time and met incredible
people on the way. I met the most amazing lady called Joyce who was ready to give up at 11 miles –and yes . . . we both finished it!
“I wasn’t as quick as last year but the London Marathon is not about time. It is about the memories you make, and the people you meet on your journey.”
THE Witham Friary Conkers Competition has celebrated its tenth anniversary with more than 120 players bidding for the title of champion. Held in the garden of the Seymour Arms, the event is organised by the village’s conker committee who raise funds each year for good causes through the competition and other events. This year’s competition raised £1,000 for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.
The garden was packed for the fundraising event
Members of the conker committee gather by the scoreboard
MENDIP TIMES
C on ke r c o mp e t i t i o n i s a t en - e r!Poppy taking on Fynn
ONour page in September we were anticipating a busy autumn to come –and how right we were; Mendip life is fairly hurtling along! But before we showcase what is to come this month, we must congratulate our chairman, Tina Bath, who was placed second in the hedging competition at the North Somerset Ploughing match, Claverham, in September. All first three winners will be meeting again at the National Hedging Championships in Wallingford, Oxfordshire on October 29th; all our best wishes go with her.
We have also been part of two exciting events which will undoubtedly be well reported on elsewhere in these pages. The opening of the Mendip Rocks! Festival 2022, went with a bang at Westbury Quarry. Most of the gazebos and displays managed to survive the slightly inclement weather and attendance was good in spite of it.
A week later came a big weekend on the Hills with The Mendip Way Relay Walk taking place. This was part of the Mendip Hills 50th anniversary celebrations, working together with the Ramblers, the Rotary and ourselves.
Groups from either end of the well-known long distance walk met up in Wells where a new plaque was unveiled by our president, Les Davies MBE, to mark the meeting of the two routes, the West Mendip and the East Mendip Ways.
Our stage of the relay was the one between Priddy and Wells; the wooden baton carried from the start in Weston-super-Mare was received outside the Queen Vic by Richard Frost from Kelly, an AONB Volunteer. Also part of the group handing over were Jim Hardcastle and Megan Godley, of the AONB plus four Rotary members.
There are still several events in the Mendip Rocks! programme until the finale in Cheddar Gorge on October 29th
and then for the society, November will be just as busy. We have teamed up with Windrose Rural Media Trust to help the Mendip Hills AONB mark their 50th anniversary at the end of this year with a celebration show “50 Years, and more, of Mendip in Film with Songs and Music” at Shipham Village Hall, on Saturday, November 19th, 7-9pm.
Some of the films will be from the silent era so the cast of volunteers from the trust will accompany the films on screen with the songs and music on the stage. Windrose Community film archive is an important catalogue of rural life, rescued and restored by those same volunteers; it receives no external funding save that which it can raise itself.
The show will be a not-too-often seen chance to relive and enjoy old memories and can be booked on eventbrtight.co.uk (search for title above), adults £10, U-16s £5. Alternatively ring 01761 221995 or 462338 to pay by cheque. All profits will go to the trust towards the very expensive digitisation rescue process.
Many of the songs from the show will be among those folk songs collected and saved for posterity by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century. To link up with the show in Shipham there will be a society talk in the Wells & Mendip Museum on Tuesday, November 15th, 2pm, entitled “Cecil Sharp and Folk Songs of Somerset” by Chris Storie.
Chris will be accompanied in some of the songs by Bernard Coulter. No need to book for this talk, nonmembers £3, info from Richard 01275 472797.
JUDITH TRANTERon www.themendipsociety.org.uk/events
IT is interesting that seeds and fruit have been in abundance in recent weeks, despite the pressure the trees and shrubs have been under following the extreme heat and dry conditions of the summer.
literally hundreds of these small nuts stored by an individual mouse.
By CHRIS SPERRING MBE
However, that pressure is likely to be the reason for the bumper harvest; it’s forcing the plants into survival mode.
Walk along any beech tree avenue during November, especially this year, and you will hear the beechmast nuts crunching under your feet; this sound will alert many species that an easy source of food is being opened for them.
Local chaffinches, for example, will be joined now by bigger flocks of finches that are overwintering with us; these may have come from Scandinavia to escape the harshness of the cold winter there that will follow. These mixed-finch flocks will be watching as we crunch our way over the beech nuts making their job easy for them as they descend en-mass to the ground to feast on the inside of the nuts.
Not just beech but also acorns. Trees along roadsides will also create these gatherings of seed feeding birds as, of course, the cars will crunch open or smash flat the nuts. At night, small mammals will take over from birds as they use the cover of darkness to dart out from scrub or log cover to pick up nuts and dash back to cover to create the winter store.
Wood mice and bank voles will do this along with brown rats and, of course, grey squirrels. One of the highlights for me is finding a wood mouse food store; if you look below a tree in the root system and then scrape away a layer of leaf litter, you can often find these stores. If the store contains cherry pips, you can sometimes find
But wherever you get an animal desperately feeding or storing food for the winter, then predators will never be far away. When small birds gather around feeding areas in sometimes large numbers, their constant calls will attract a sparrowhawk to dash in at lightening speed, the opportunist that it is, hoping a slow and not-so-fit bird can be caught for its own meal.
Likewise, at night our small mammals run the gauntlet of predators such as foxes who will watch and listen from the sidelines for the mouse or rat that ventures too far into the open to gather its nuts.
Also, if you’re visiting one these areas during the later stages of dusk, and providing the leaf canopy is off the tree leaving the tree itself bare, then study the branches above where most of the nuts are; watching from its vantage position in the tree for a mouse that dashes out will be a very still and silent tawny owl with its eyes and ears locked onto the ground waiting for any familiar noise or sight that tells it to plunge to the ground and feast on the mouse, rat or vole.
Autumn is a very exciting time for observing nature; many summer birds have left but are replaced by the arrival of winter birds, there’s still some insect activity particularly under the leaf litter and, of course, around the late flowering ivy.
Finally, thanks to everyone for their comments on last month’s article about rewilding; so many people still seem to possess common sense, it’s heartening to read such positives.
l The next Hawk and Owl Trust Wildlife walk at Shapwick Moor Nature Reserve will be advertised via www.facebook.com/HawkandOwlTrust
These walks are free, but you must book your place through the trust.
If you wish to contact me it’s Chris.Sperring@btinternet.com call 07799 413918, or message me via my Facebook Walks and Talks page @ChrisSperringwildlife
MENDIP
THISis an East Mendip walk of great variety that circles round from Stoke St Michael starting out up an old banked trackway, through open fields, wonderful beech woods and past impressive Cranmore Tower folly on the highest point of the East Mendip Way. It takes the walker alongside quarrying and for much of the way has good open views across the high countryside. The walking is gentle up and down and some of the way we follow quiet lanes. It’s a circle of quite a few wooden and stone slab stiles. We pass close to a pub after about 1.25 miles and then reach the historic pub in Stoke St Michael at the end. Refreshment might be available at Cranmore Tower which you can climb (see details at end of walk).
PARK: Stoke St Michael recreation ground car park on the western edge of Stoke St Michael in Frog Lane.
START: Cross the recreation field diagonally aiming for the far corner just beyond the children’s play area. Take the Tarmac path out through gates to the road in the village. Turn right for about a minute.
Then take the signed public bridleway by
stone boulders on the left (known as Red Lane), just past the Slow sign on the road. This very old shaded sunken thoroughfare between high banks gently climbs. After levelling out, look for a bridleway on the right through a gate. Shortly, reach a large gate on the left marked with a footpath sign. It is very stiff to open.
Once through, go across this high open field on the public footpath. Over left is a bund (bank) round a large limestone quarry. After a stile, turn right and then go through several fields along the left fence and over stiles getting good open views. Reach a stile on the left into a small piece of woodland and cross another stile. Continue on the path with a quarry on your left. Then bend right to an old stone slab stile, unusually with carved grooves to hold the large slab. Head diagonally left up the field. Go through a gap and then aim diagonally across this next field towards a large corrugated Dutch barn in the far corner.
Notice a couple of installations in this field to monitor dust pollution in the air presumably in association with the quarries.
A Bristol Gate leads onto the busy Old Frome Road. A short step right along the road is the Waggon and Horses if you want refreshment now. To continue, cross the main road with care to the smaller road almost opposite. Follow this along to a crossroads and then turn left
downhill for about eight minutes coming to a lane on the left.
This unclassified road (Newman Street) leads along to Newman Street Farm. Opposite the farm, the East Mendip Way (EMW) comes in from the right.
The EMW together with the West Mendip Way makes up the 49 miles Mendip Way from Uphill to Frome. As part of the promotion of this Way, in this 50th anniversary year of Mendip AONB, a new plaque was put up outside Wells Museum – which I, together with Les Davies, had the pleasure to unveil.
Shortly, past the farm, follow the EMW left up through a field, with a solitary standing stone over left, and pass close to a small clump of trees. On the far side are two kissing gates (KGs). Then head across the next field going near a wind turbine minus its sails. Cross a wooden barrier (the top rail lifts) and a stone slab stile and follow a short path. Enter a field and head straight across to yet another slab stile onto a lane.
It's left now, and then turn right down Ball Lane. This leads to a crossing road in the hamlet of Waterlip by the Primitive Methodist Chapel.
Cross the road and follow the EMW to a stile opposite onto a wide grassy track. This soon bends right. Then head up to go through a wooden KG into a field. Cross this and the next field. Near the far left corner look for a KG hidden next to a large gate on the left. Head across this
field, past a fence corner, to another KG on the far side. After crossing a small wood, turn left through a KG and go up to a track. Turn right past a house and enter a field. Now just follow the right edge through two large fields.
Take the hunting gate in the corner and go right still on the EMW. Soon, reach a junction and a small clearing and turn up left through a KG into a field. This next section is uphill. Cross a stony track on the way and follow the path as it continues up and gradually bends right. There are good views south across country. At the end a KG leads into a field. Turn up the left edge and soon another KG takes you into beautiful beech woods.
Go straight on, quite close to the wood edge.
Soon reach impressive Cranmore Tower in a clearing on the right. For a visit to the tower and a climb to the top, see details at the end.
This is the highest point on the Mendip Way. It was part of the fancy of landowner, John Paget, who lived below the hill in Cranmore Hall, and as was the fashion, wanted a folly, so it was built in 1862-4. During WW2 it was a lookout tower for the Home Guard and Royal Corps of Signals, but afterwards fell into disrepair before being rescued by the current owner, Farhad
Shahbahrami.
The 184 steps take you to the top, at 45 metres. There are breathtaking views. Go straight on past the tower, still fairly close to the edge of these magnificent woods. The EMW goes off to the right, but you maintain direction, dropping down and join another track. Keep straight on and when the track forks, go left and soon reach the main road.
Cross to the lane opposite. Follow this quiet route for about 0.75 miles to the end, ignoring a lane going right. At the main road on the edge of Stoke St Michael, turn right.
Reach a junction in the village by the 17th century Knatchbull Arms.
It is named after the one time Lords of the Manor, the Knatchbulls, a wellknown English blue-blood family on the Mountbatten side. Nicholas Knatchbull, aged 14, and a local boy were killed in the IRA assassination of his grandfather Lord Mountbatten aboard his fishing boat in County Sligo in 1979.
During WW2 the pub played host in secret to the largest single gathering of American generals away from American
soil – Joseph Stillwell, Omar Bradley, Henry 'Hap' Arnold, George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall.
Go straight ahead to the right of the pub. On your right is an attractive roofed arch leading to a pleasant spot by the stream with a bridge and seat. The church is a little further on. As you come alongside the church, turn left up a Tarmac drive at the side of Bentleys Cottage. The path goes uphill and then forks. Go straight on, not right, and follow it all the way along to the recreation ground. Go diagonally across to the starting car park.
l Cranmore Tower. The owner, Farhad Shahbahrani, is beginning to reopen the tower for visitors. So you can take pot luck and knock on the door if you want to go up the tower. Or, ring him beforehand and arrange to go. There is a small fee of £4. For groups, Farhad will also provide tea and cakes. But please make sure you honour your booking. Phone 01749 880742, or 07931 136091.
MENDIPwho prepare all year for this iconic event.
With LES DAVIES MBEI AMready to declare that autumn is here. My Virginia creeper in the garden has turned a wonderful crimson colour and the misty mornings are making themselves felt. Don't forget to change the clocks at the end of the month as we get that extra hour’s sleep. The downside to the clock change is darker evenings, although mornings should be little better. I must admit I have never really noticed it! Thankfully these days I am not one who has to leave home and come back in the dark.
For me changing the clocks is all part of seasonal diversity. I remember the only time they played around with daylight saving, it turned out to be a disaster back in 1969. Let’s leave it as it is because I think we all look forward to the change back in springtime.
This year’s Mendip Ploughing Match was one of those occasions that brings me both joy and a little sadness. Sadness that such a wonderful day must end, as all things do. The very last of the Summer Wine was played out against a backdrop of fine weather and good soil conditions.
The preceding rain was enough but not too much, making no difference to the 100 ploughs that took part on the day. A rainbow hung over the field in the morning, giving its blessing to the event that has become the “go-to” countryside event on Mendip.
The marquee was there, providing as it does every year sustenance, shelter and a meeting place for those who attend. A well drilled team of ladies run this vital part of the day with enthusiasm and dedication. They are as much a part of this tradition as the ploughmen, wallers, hedgelayers, stewards and judges.
How many other societies can proudly proclaim that sandwiches are cut with tea provided, for every competitor on the day and delivered to the headland, wall and hedge. None of this could happen without the support of those who take part, those who sponsor and support the event and those members of the society’s committee
I have been taking a close look at the trees, not only those in my orchard, but those in the field wood and hedgerow. They are gambling! Some have decided to start closing down early and are pulling back all they can from the leaves and pumping anything they don’t want back into them.
This is where the colours come from as the food producing green chlorophyll is taken back into the tree to be used again next spring. Other trees are hoping there is more sunshine and mild weather to come, producing extra food to be stored in the root system during the winter.
A few of my apple trees have de-foliated during the dry weather in an attempt to conserve moisture. They will come back again next year but have made a conscious decision to cut down on food production in order to survive. Up-turned branches, like arms reaching up to heaven, will capture every drop of rain and funnel it down to the ground to be stored for next time.
Everything seems late this time and it’s no doubt to do with the dry summer. The last cut of silage in many respects looks minimal, but everything is going to be needed if winter tightens its grip . . . we simply don’t know what’s ahead.
Having the apples a little later this time has eased the pressure, or has it just put it back? I’ve managed to get the apples picked up for juicing and in for pressing. The sugar content will be high after a hot summer but the juice quantities may be lower. As my dear old Mother used to say . . . it is what it is!
Halloween at the end of October is when everybody goes “spooky”. I am not a great fan of following the American road with this celebration. The origins of this early winter celebration may have its roots in the Pagan celebration Samhain.
This Gaelic word, pronounced “Sow-in” was a preparation for winter after the harvest. Like many such Pagan celebrations it was absorbed by Christianity to become All Saints’ Day and has today changed through time and many cultural influences to portray something a little more macabre.
Whilst on the grizzly and macabre
theme, November 5th is bonfire night, (that’s if modern Health and Safety rules allow such a thing). For many years it was called Guy Fawkes’ night and small boys used to wheel around a scarecrow-like image of the hapless Guido Fawkes in an old pram whilst appealing for donations of a “Penny for the Guy”.
Small family bonfires were the norm in the back garden. Simple homespun things with a few fireworks and sparklers. Sparklers were those white hot fizzling sticks of burning chemical that would burn you to the bone if you picked them up the wrong way. Nobody ever did to my knowledge.
Having been arrested in connection with an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the failed Gunpowder Plot, 1605, he was tortured and sentenced to death. Apparently he fell from the gallows and broke his neck, thus escaping the horrendous sentence of being hanged, drawn and quartered. He has been vilified ever since and joked about by many as having been the last person to enter Parliament with genuine intent!
Thank you all those who expressed their enjoyment about the “commando” hedgehog Herbie, who scaled my stairs to wake me in the early hours. I’m happy to say that Herbie is still in the garden and regularly patrols Springfield Terrace at night.
I leave him/her/it cat biscuits every night and in appreciation I have occasionally found hedgehog poo on my doorstep in the morning. Is this a sign of appreciation, affection or just a statement?
This month’s picture is non-hedgehog related, but tree-related. The horse chestnut changing into its autumn wardrobe.
Happy Samhain!
CHEDDARis famous for its gorge, caves, strawberries and of course cheese. Cheddar cheese is one of the oldest dairy products and the most popular world-wide. It is classed as a hard cheese, one of few British hard cheeses, although there are many European varieties. British hard cheeses include Red Leicester and Double Gloucester, both of which are orange due to addition of annato, a colouring agent. There is also Wensleydale. They also tend to be younger and softer than Cheddar.
With PHILIP HENDYAlthough it is likely that this cheese first came to prominence in this region of Somerset, today the name refers to the manufacturing process – cheddaring – rather than the location.
Cheddaring is the manner in which the curds are turned after the addition of rennet. Cheddar cheese was already famed in the 13th century and it is a pity that the dairymen of the time did not think to patent the process and apply for a Protected Designation of Origin, as has been applied to Stilton.
Today’s local Cheddar comes from the milk of cows feeding on the lush grass of the Somerset Levels and some of the cheese is made at the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, located in the Gorge itself.
The end result is hard and slightly crumbly and graded according to the length of time during which it is allowed to mature. Mild cheese is aged for three to six months, Sharp for nine to 12, and Extra Sharp for up to two years, sometimes as long as ten years.
If you have read this far, you are probably thinking that I have forgotten about the caves. Not so, for caves can play a unique role in the ageing process. Finished cheeses are wrapped in muslin (cheesecloth) and left to mature, which means ripening and enhancing the flavour.
Today, most Cheddar is aged in climate-controlled stores – it
must be kept cool. Long before the modern age, dairymen realised that cellars and caves were ideal for the purpose.
In 2006 the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company obtained permission from Longleat Estates to store and mature some of their cheese in Gough’s Cave. Some refer to it as ageing, but it boils down to the same thing.
Capacity was doubled in 2009, so successful was the concept. The large truckles are kept in wire mesh caves in an extension to the side of Heartbreak Hill, to allow the air to circulate. For obvious reasons the cages are locked!
A constant temperature of around 11ºC and bacteria and moulds unique to caves give the cheese a distinct flavour. The truckles are turned and wiped regularly, until they are ready for sale at around nine months. There is distinct cheesy odour as visitors pass by and, strangely, the roof of the cave here is covered with a type of moss found nowhere else in the cave.
Down the road, cheese is also aged in Wookey Hole Cave. The concept is the same, but this cheese is made by Ford Farms of Dorset. Cave Aged or Matured Cheddar is very tasty and goes down well with crusty bread, maybe with apple and onion, washed down with a draught of local cider, another Somerset speciality
Continental dairymen also matured their cheese in caves. In 2002 members of the Wessex Cave Club explored the Grotte de la Vacquerie in France’s Herault region. Situated far from any settlement, a small opening in a wall built into a cliff face led straight into a large cavern, some four metres high and 18 metres wide.
Stone steps led down to three paved terraces, where there was a series of stone pillars which at one time supported thick slate shelves. It was so large that the cheese must have been made by a commune of small farmers, as the herds of cattle at that time were very small.
The only form of light would have been candles or blazing torches, so the walls and roof were blackened with soot. A small opening to the outside was probably where the cheese was brought in and out, possibly using a small tramway.
At the lower end of the chamber was a small water cistern. The rest of the cave is long and complex, which gave us a pleasant afternoon of exploration.
So, cheese, caves and possibly some cider – how better to enjoy a visit to Cheddar?
beans, such as ‘Aquedulce Claudia’ can still be sown outdoors.
For windy sites, try ‘The Sutton’ as it is a shorter growing variety. Pigeons will be keen to feast on your brassicas so ensure your net is secure. Garlic likes a period of cold, so should be planted now.
With MARY PAYNE MBE
NOVEMBERis a very busy month in the garden. Mother Nature is telling us she wants to hibernate for the winter months and many of us would like to too and emerge in spring with renewed vigour. Plants have been triggered into “shut down” by changes in the day length and the nights getting colder. They have taken the “winter fuel” made during the summer months and stored it in their stems or underground roots or tubers and are prepared to sit it out until the temperature rises in the spring. So, there is plenty to do.
Cutting back perennials that have finished flowering is an obvious start, but before you “clear fell” everything, stop and consider what value the seed heads have, both for wildlife and for winter effect, especially if we get a hoar frost.
Rudbeckias, phlomis, verbena, ornamental grasses and many more have an excellent winter presence. Hostas, on the other hand collapse in a heap of mush and should be cleared away onto the compost heap.
Leaf sweeping can seem to be a neverending chore for some. Leaves on borders can be left as a mulch, but not if they are sitting on the crown of any vulnerable plants such as alpines. On lawns, they are best removed by mowing.
This has the added advantage that the leaves are chopped up and the grass box can then be emptied into a leaf heap, easily constructed from four posts surrounded by chicken netting. The grass clippings are rich in nitrogen and will aid the decay of the leaves.
Oak and beech leaves are slow to rot as they are full of tannin and may take two years or more. The “leaf mould” produced from such a heap is highly prized and can be used to supplement potting composts or used as a soil improver.
Autumn is a good time to spread garden compost on empty vegetable beds, so the worms can be active over winter incorporating it, thus avoiding the need to dig your plot. Hardy varieties of broad
Before the winter storms creep up on us, check all tree ties and stakes to ensure they are secure and not too tight. November is the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs, while the soil is still warmish and moist. New roots will grow and aid establishment for the year to come. It is the ideal time to move evergreen shrubs.
If pruning is required on birch, vines, or walnut then it is important to do it while they are dormant. Once the sap starts rising in early spring cut wounds will “bleed”. Vigorous shrubs that flower on current season’s growth, such as buddleja, lavatera, late summer flowering clematis, and tall bush roses can have their tops reduced by about one third. This helps prevent wind rock which can lead to root damage. Further pruning should be left until the spring.
Hardwood cuttings can be made from the prunings of all these plants. Trim lengths of about pencil thickness, to 12-15” cutting above a bud at the top and below a bud at the base. Insert into deep pots or the ground, so only the top third is exposed. Leave until next autumn when they will be ready to plant out.
Check fruit trees, especially plums, for mummified fruits that are still hanging on the tree. These should be removed as they are the source of reinfection the following season with brown rot. Windfall apples showing the classic concentric rings of creamy coloured spores should be picked up and disposed of, for the same reason.
Other windfalls can be left for wildlife to consume or be composted. Fruit that has been stored should be checked regularly for decay.
November and early December are the best times for planting tulips as they are less likely to be affected by a fungal disease called ‘tulip fire’. This affects the flowers and foliage with scorch-like lesions. This problem is often associated
with wet winters and poorly drained soils, so you can help by planting tulips on a handful of grit, and using a well-drained compost in containers.
Pots of tulips can have the surface planted up with pansies, polyanthus, or forget-me-nots. You may well have plenty of young plants of the latter that can be moved. Pigeons are also rather partial to pansies, so if you are using these in pots, I suggest you cover with a piece of black netting.
Evergreens in pots, such as camellias, rhododendrons and bay laurel are very vulnerable to frost damage. If the root ball freezes then the plant cannot take up water, but is still losing it by transpiration from the leaves. Either move the pots to a protected site, or wrap pots with hessian, bubble wrap or make a duvet from a straw filled bag.
If you have not already done it, clean the greenhouse glass. Our light levels in winter are very low so “every little helps”. Remember to ventilate the greenhouse on milder days as the air circulation will help prevent grey mould fungal disease and pick off dead or affected leaves promptly. Keep watering in a greenhouse to the absolute minimum until temperatures start to rise again.
You can now relax, with your feet up and browse through the multitude of seed catalogues that will be plopping through the letter box. Look for varieties that are good for pollinators and are resistant to disease. Your wish list will be far too long!
Gardeners are always optimistic and next year MAY be the year when everything goes right – rain by night and glorious sunshine by day. We can all dream.
• Check fruit trees for signs of canker. Cut off infected shoots if small but for larger important branches it will be necessary to brush away the dead loose cankered tissue, tidy it up with a sharp knife and then paint the wound.
• Attach sticky glue band traps to the trunks of fruit trees. These will trap the winter moth on its way up the trunk to lay its eggs. Do the stake too!
• Apply Winter Wash to fruit trees and bushes now to control any insect pests that are over-wintering in cracks and crevices.
• Remove any fruit that has brown rot. Burn or bin it. This infected fruit often hangs on the trees as mummified clusters lurking ready to infect next years’ crop!
• Pinch immature figs off outdoor plants. These will not grow on if left but will rot on the tree so are best taken off now. Anything smaller than the size of a pea can be left to grow on and should survive the winter to ripen next summer.
• Check stored fruit regularly. Remove and eat any that are ripe but check for any that are rotting and remove them promptly.
• Plant fruit canes and bushes. Many varieties of containerised and pot grown in stock now.
• Complete autumn digging in the veg patch, leave the ground rough and let the frost and rain break it up. Add plenty of organic matter to improve heavy clay soil and very light sandy soil too.
BANWELLGardening Club’s horticultural show was well attended with 36 adult exhibitors, 25 children and most of the 98 classes had a wide selection of excellent entries, considering the two droughts this summer.
The judges were Steve Hartree, Carl Geode and Debbie, Celia Wilson, Chris and Tina Hynes and Carole Taylor.
Their next meeting is on Thursday, October 27th, 7.30pm, when Julie Grice will speak about “Gourdes”.
MEMBERS of Frome Selwood Horticulture Society joined forces with students at the town’s Selwood Academy to plant a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
The scheme has been extended until the end of March next year to give people the opportunity to plant trees in her memory. Selwood School were already working on a Year 5 Legacy Garden Project.
Perfect Pave, based on the Valley Line industrial estate, in Cheddar, has built an enviable reputation over the last 16 years for the quality of its work installing block paving and other landscaping products. Now founders Alex Howley and Simon Bethell have set up a new service run by James Starmer supplying these products to both the trade and public, as well as continuing to expand their installation team. e company now has contracts all over the South West and offers a wide choice of projects.
It’s not only friendly, professional service that sets us apart, we can’t be beaten on price and ensure our prices beat those of builders’ merchants and garden centres.
Showroom open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12noon Sat
THE20th anniversary Chew Valley Arts Trail was a great success with visitors flocking to the area to appreciate the skills of so many creative people, showing paintings, sculpture, jewellery, photography and glassware.
They have had phenomenal interest in their website with literally hundreds of visitors. That will remain available so you can still view the work of the participants.
Details: www.chewvalleyartstrail.com
Sandy Bell (left) and Sue Martinez
MENDIP
THEchildren of Chew Stoke Church School, with the guidance and help of their teachers, prepared a service to celebrate harvest at St Andrew’s Church in Chew Stoke, with the Rev Dr Ian Mills and Angela Fraser, the school’s chaplain.
School head, Ben Hewett, said: "We had a very generous amount of harvest gifts, with over 300 items of food being donated by the children. This has been passed on to the Community of the Sisters Church in Bristol, who help support families and homeless charities in Bristol."
The school’s Macmillan coffee morning raised more than £500. Teaching assistant, Sue Lewis, is pictured (below) with some of the children.
ST Andrew’s Church in Chew Stoke held a festival of angels and harvest festival service, which included a zip wire from the church tower for intrepid teddies.
One of the organisers, Hazel Wedlake, said: “It was a most enjoyable weekend for St Andrew`s Church.”
CHEWValley Cycling Club raised £450 for East Harptree primary school with their annual hill race climb up the rather steep Smitham’s Hill to the top of the Mendip ridge. Pictured (left) is Andy Collins, who won the veterans trophy, with club chairman Mark Jerzak dressed as a cow, with two other rather bemused competitors looking on.
Mark explained: “Our club logo is a cow; we chose it because the Chew Valley is known for its dairy farming. Many thanks to the PTA who for their cakes, coffee and bacon sandwiches. The sun shone and the cows stole the show!”
SANDYand Ian Bell have a lifetime of experience in communications and creativity, including 20 years with the BBC, which they will call on to help you to get your message over at a reasonable cost, whatever the audience.
That could be getting your stories in the papers or magazines, refreshing the content of your website, producing blogs to spread your influence or producing in-house reports for your staff.
They can carefully research topics, analyse complex issues, represent your interests in the corridors of power and Ian can facilitate meetings to reach the best possible outcome.
Sandy is an artist and illustrator, whose work does not only grace the walls of many a Chew Valley home, but can also be seen in a pet shop, fish restaurant and village pub. She is always happy to take on a commission to create the perfect artwork for you.
MASTER glass maker, Steve Baker, has been making the famous Bristol Blue Glass for over 25 years. Two and a half years ago he opened Chew Valley Hand Made Glass at New Manor Farm, West Harptree BS40 6HP.
Making not only Bristol Blue Glass, the studio specialises in one-off art pieces, along with glass maker Chris Pons. The art of making Bristol Blue Glass was always in Steve’s blood, as was its historic links to Bristol.
The studio also offers the unique opportunity to make your own glass with two very talented artists.
They offer a three-hour glass making course for £175. A jewellery making two-hour course for £110. Or you can blow a bauble in about 45 minutes for £29.99.
They invite you to go and view their unique range of glass.
INJuly this year Chew Valley Films with the Mendip Times launched a Young Film Makers Competition for U-16s living in the Mendip Times distribution area.
The closing date was September 10th and since then the judges have been busy selecting the finalists. The judges are all professionals working in the local media and film industry.
They are Peter Brownlee of Chew Valley Films who has worked for over 30 years as an editor on many documentary and wildlife films including Frozen Planet 2; Steve Egginton, editor of the Mendip Times and a very experienced television journalist and producer; Kieran Hayhow, an assistant director on many productions including Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws; Tina Gibson, a very experienced drama producer, writer and journalist who has just produced the international Wildscreen Film Festival; Olivia Tonkin who has worked on Springwatch and Autumnwatch and also helped produce Wildscreen; and executive producer
Jonny Young who has worked on many wildlife and documentary series but made his first film when he was at Chew Valley School.
Jonny said: “They are all strong films in all sorts of ways.”
The judges agreed that all the films entered showed remarkable skill and creativity which has made their job very difficult but they have ended up with four very worthy finalists.
Joshua said: “Since I was young I’ve always had ideas for films which I’d kind of edit in my mind”.
The boys all live in the Chew Valley and go to Chew Valley School. This spoof documentary references many modern film techniques. It parodies spirit hunting TV shows and films like the Blair Witch Project. This is a genuinely funny film which they obviously enjoyed making.
Harry Panter said: “I have a lot of ideas for other films.”
Darcy is 12, lives in Chew Magna and goes to Chew Valley School. Grief is a powerful film exploring the emotions of loss and depression. Darcy was only 11 when she shot the film and she also plays the main character.
The message of the film is a positive one, that friendship and sharing your feelings can help you to move forward. Darcy said: “I just wanted to highlight teenage mental health problems and show that it’s OK not to be OK.”
Joshua is 14, he lives in Nailsea and goes to Nailsea School. This is a heart-warming tale of a divided family brought back together again by a Herbert, a scarecrow they made as children. Joshua uses interesting locations throughout the Mendips and the film also features music he wrote himself.
Clementine and Jessica are both 12 and live in Bishop Sutton. They have been friends since they were babies and this film celebrates that friendship but also the fear of losing a friend. It is also a warning about trusting social media. Like the other films it is well shot and skilfully edited.
Clementine said: “We had fun but the hardest thing was the editing.”
The judges now have to decide which are the very best films and the winners will be announced at an awards evening in Chew Magna on November 12th.
Thanks to our generous sponsors all the films will win a prize. The main competition sponsor is Killens Estate Agents with individual prizes sponsored by Brock and Houlford Opiticians, Webb Tree Care, Joanna Tiley Estate Agents, Mogers Drewett, Debbie Fortune Estate Agents and the top prize of £200 for best film in the competition is sponsored by the Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The films are available on YouTube. Full details of the winners in next month’s Mendip Times
HUNDREDS of villagers and visitors watched Pensford’s duck race, organised by the village tennis club in the garden of the Rising Sun. One of the organisers, Elaine Davidson, said: “We raised several hundred pounds to help towards payment of our lovely pavilion, which was built at the end of September.”
STANTON Drew and Pensford Preschool, now based at Norton Malreward, celebrated the building of an outside shelter, which allows the children to play outdoors in all weathers.
They are now fundraising for a mud kitchen to go in the outdoor space.
KILLENSwork as a dedicated team able to offer a wide range of property advice. With experts in the fields of residential sales, lettings, commercial and rural property, they are readily available to provide advice and they are now offering free property consultancy sessions from their offices in Chew Magna one evening each week.
Do you require marketing advice or have an issue regarding tenancies, managing land or needing valuation advice? Well the Killens team can help.
Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, clients can have confidence in the advice they are receiving. The roots of Killens are firmly planted in the local community and the experts at Killens sincerely want to help their clients to achieve their objectives.
The Chew Valley consultancy sessions are being held by Tom Killen on November 10th, 17th and 24th between 5.30pm and 8pm at the offices of Killens in South Parade.
VALLEYArts sixth annual Fringe Festival returns in November at venues across the Chew Valley and tickets are selling fast! This year sees an even more diverse range of professional performances, sure to delight adults and children alike.
The Syrian Baker, is a wonderful play about homecoming. Both entertaining and riveting, it promises an evening of storytelling, hope, fresh bread and Syrian coffee. See it in Ubley on November 6th.
Over in Bishop Sutton on November 12th, An Indian Abroad is a shrewd and bitingly funny send-up of the “spiritual journey”. A story of escaping middle-class India to discover the exotic island of Great Britain.
The Bard’s Head sees Shakespeare meet Alan Bennett, giving two of the Bard’s classics a truly entertaining makeover. This promises to be an evening of laughter and surprises in Chew Magna.
Godot is a Woman is a cheeky take on Beckett’s classic play, delivered in a brilliantly funny, pop-culture performance, that was praised by The Guardian newspaper. Catch it on November 25th.
Meanwhile a relaxed and inclusive performance of Hansel and Gretel takes place in Winford, for families with deaf, autistic and the visually or physically impaired, so that everyone can be involved in the story.
BROCKand Houlford Opticians have moved from Chew Magna High Street to new state-of-the-art premises at Westway Farm, Bishop Sutton - the first tenants of a new development there.
The partnership was founded in 1931, and they’ve been in the Chew Valley since 1995. Their new practice was designed from the ground up, incorporating all of the latest technology, with the advantage of free parking and level access.
Senior Partner Mark Houlford, grandson of a dairy farmer, said: “What could be better than being based on a working farm?”
The other partner is Nicola “Dee” Deacon, who designed the fabulous interior of the new build. The practice has two optometrists, three dispensing opticians and five front of house staff.
Their promise is to provide “expert eyecare” which, as well as routine and extended eye exams, provides specialist
services for dyslexia, sport vision, glaucoma, dry eye and myopia (short sight) management, which is an increasing problem among the young.
Mark also has an independent prescribing qualification which means he can prescribe any medication for eye conditions without referring people to a GP.
Mark said: “Patients tell us we are superb on the examination side of things and superb at helping you find the perfect spectacles or contact lenses. We are friendly and approachable which means people enjoy their time with us, including some of those who now travel from across the South West & South Wales to consult us.”
I WAS expecting to be given the keys to No 11 again this week, but the honour went to Jeremy Hunt. Having dodged the C word all his life, he must have been as surprised as anyone to be made this month’s Chancellor judging by his emails on the previous day. His October 13th constituency update declared of his predecessor’s fiscal plan: “I for one will be watching carefully to see what the implications are for NHS and social care funding… We will also find out if the government has decided to uprate benefits in line with inflation as I hope it does.”
By DrPHIL HAMMOND
Hunt’s Patient Safety Update is even more illuminating: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is back and the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Maternity and Baby Loss have published the results of a survey into maternity services which highlights the really worrying impact staff shortages are having on the provision of maternity services.
“Social Care Crisis Intensifies. A shocking report by Skills for Care showed that despite the pressures in social care and despite 13,000 NHS beds being occupied by people who should be in the community the care workforce has actually fallen by three percent.
“The report finds that there has been a 52 percent increase in vacancies in the sector which are now significantly more than in the NHS. The government could do worse than respond to the recommendations of the Select Committee report on this topic which is currently overdue.
“More worrying for those in the field of mental health is what will
happen to mental health funding if the NHS has to fund much higher pay rises than planned because of inflation…. All the research in the world won’t make any difference if the government dials back on the childhood obesity measures designed to stop us being the second fattest nation in the world.”
As chair of the Health Select Committee, Hunt spent much of his time championing health and social care issues he was unable to tackle as health secretary because of austerity.
Preventable harm and death is caused by poor public health, poor quality healthcare and the lack of a fully costed workforce plan predicting how many health and care workers we need now and in future.
Hunt has campaigned vigorously for pension changes to stop penalising senior doctors who want to work more. In March, he joined forces with the BMA in a campaign to “rebuild general practice”.
Despite not preparing us for a pandemic as health secretary, he was the leading voice in a joint select committee report that branded the UK's failure to do more to stop Covid spreading early in the pandemic as “one of the country's worst public health failures”.
Out of power, Hunt seemed to understand that a properly functioning health and care system is not a drain on the economy but essential to economic growth. With so many people unable to work because of chronic ill health, and seven million people now waiting for treatment.
Will Hunt finally help improve the NHS? Or will more austerity and Chancellor Hunt’s warning of “major real term spending cuts” once again trump health improvement?
NOVEMBERhas always been quite an interesting month for you human beans, with bonfires and fireworks coming so soon after Halloween, then lots of huge carnival parades through some of your towns.
I like November, when I can curl up to sleep under a pile of damp, warm leaves, until someone comes along and decides to kick them all in the air.
Or rest cosily by the fire on the neck of a dog which has just been rolling in badger poo. Charming creatures.
But a lot of historic events happened as well, some of which I actually watched.
It seems like only yesterday that King Canute died. That was back in 1035, a blink of the eye for a water droplet like me, but long, long ago in human years. He was actually Danish you know. I hadn’t learned how to write then, so I only have vague memories. To be honest I’ve seen so many kings and queens I get a bit muddled.
King James 1st was one of them. I expect you all know who he was? How about Guy Fawkes? Yes he was the man who tried to blow the king up.
It’s a bit odd that you still have a Guy Fawkes’ night on November 5th in his memory but nothing to celebrate the king.
Bonfire nights have meant I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been evaporated out of a bonfire while sleeping inside the bark of a tree. Far better to leave both me and those trees alone.
But your fireworks are nothing like the din you get from guns. It was in November 1918 that WWI came to an end. There was an eerie silence across the battlefield when it stopped then afterwards poppies started to grow everywhere and cover the devastation. That’s why people wear poppy badges for Remembrance day every November.
I don’t want to see anything like that again. You are the only creatures I know who can spend so much time and effort working out ways to kill each other. But you’re not all that mad, I know.
We are entering winter, my favourite time of the year, when I can look my best, glittering like a star in snow or shining like a diamond on frosty leaves. Or making bubbles in your Coca Cola.
It will soon be Christmas.
PROFESSIONAL ear specialist Sherri Gardiner is celebrating after opening her new Clear 2 Hear clinic in the centre of Midsomer Norton.
The clinic is based on the top floor of the Holly Court Arcade, a short and level walk from the South Road free car park. It can also be reached from the High Street. There’s a spacious reception area and separate treatment room.
Sherrie is a fully trained and qualified specialist with more than ten years’ experience in treating ear conditions and is also an NHS registered nurse.
Clear 2 Hear specialises in ear wax removal/irrigation and, as well as the new clinic, offers home visiting services to the Mendip and the Bath and North East Somerset areas.
Ear wax removal services are carried out using irrigation/ear syringing. This method has its own benefits and drawbacks and Sherri can advise on the best way forward. Irrigation is a relatively simple process in which a gentle stream of water is used to loosen and remove the wax from the ear canal. Ear wax removal service can be carried out at either the clinic or at home, although there can be a long wait for a home appointment. Sherrie also offers aftercare to keep ears staying clear.
One of her first clients at the clinic was Stan, who had
travelled from Bath because he could not find anyone locally to unblock his ears. He booked a session with Sherri after finding her Clear 2 Hear website.
Sherri said: “Clear 2 Hear prides itself on offering a friendly, professional one-to-one service in our easy-to-access clinic or in the comfort of your own home.
“I’d been looking for new premises for my clinic for a while and this unit – with so much free car parking nearby – is ideal.”
FROME Town Council has welcomed two new roles on their team to help support the refugee community in Frome and the surrounding areas.
Dmytro Romaniuk has taken on the role of hub co-ordinator and Iryna Ladyzhenska has joined as social facilitator. Both are Ukrainian citizens and so are well placed to understand the needs of local refugees and will assess what is working well and what needs developing, in order to shape a service that positively engages with all nationalities of refugees in the town.
Iryna said: “These roles are really about assisting and empowering refugees to become independent and integrate into their local, and wider, communities. We have found Frome an extremely friendly and welcoming place and are eager to engage with refugees as they arrive as well as those already living in the area, so please let us know you’re here and how we
can help.”
Iyrna got off to a flying start by inviting local refugee families to take part in a fun cookery session. The people who came really enjoyed taking part saying it was a great opportunity to learn something new as well as practice their language skills.
The team will link in with local existing services and opportunities, be a point of contact for refugees, signpost to regional
and national services for practical support, and offer cultural opportunities. They will also help to progress the work that community group Frome Welcomes Refugees and the many volunteer English tutors have already achieved in making connections and assisting those in need.
Frome Town Council is working with CHARIS Refugees and Somerset County Council to provide this wrap-around resettlement service in Frome for the refugee community. Find out more about this project at: https://charisrefugees.org/welcome-hubs
l There are still many families fleeing conflict in Ukraine and looking for a home. If you are able to offer space in your home, are a landlord with an free property, or an Airbnb host with space available, find out more about sponsoring a family at www.somerset.gov.uk/ukraine/refugeeresettlement
COURTHouse is a beautiful care home situated in the heart of the lovely village of Cheddar.
Its location ensures that residents can continue to be part of the local community –there are many shops, hairdressers and a post office within level walking distance.
Court House has been run by the Dando family since 1986. They have always maintained a friendly, homely and comfortable setting.
Residents can have their own furniture and staff do not wear uniforms. There are 26 en-suite rooms in three different areas of accommodation.
The impressive main Georgian house has 12 residents’ rooms plus a grand entrance hall, dining room and drawing room. The Mediterranean style courtyard has six rooms, which also
have an optional use kitchenette. The peaceful cottage has eight rooms, all of which have bags of character. All of the rooms have TV and call bell points as well as a telephone. There are currently ground floor rooms available.
The friendly well-trained staff are on hand 24 hours a day to offer help with all aspects of residents’ life when needed –as much or as little help as required, including full personal care. They have a good variety of activities for residents to choose from if they so wish.
The award-winning staff team hit the headlines during the Covid pandemic when they took the decision to move into Court House for three months to protect the residents from the virus.
They were voted “Best Team” in the nationwide, “Who Cares Wins Awards 2021” which were attended by Prince William, Boris Johnson, David Beckham and many other celebrities.
e Care Home with a difference. We offer all that you would expect from a high quality, family run Care Home set in a Georgian House in the lovely village of Cheddar, Somerset.
can live your life to the full and choice is our favourite word. Rooms now available with full en-suite facilities and total personal care is offered.
Rated by the CQC as good in all areas
PARISHIONERSin Peasedown St John’s St John’s Church have given away almost £9,000 this year to local, national and international causes.
The congregation follows the biblical principle of giving away the first ten percent of its income each year in a bid to practice what it preaches. Over the last 11 years, the church has given away £109,000 in charitable giving.
Church leader, the Rev Matthew Street, said: “The team here at St John’s feels extremely blessed to be in a position to donate this money each year.
“As we continue to move further into a culture of collaborative working, with grassroots organisations running services, the church can play an increasingly key role in supporting projects which in the past would have received their support from elsewhere.”
Details:
MIDSOMER Norton and Radstock Inner Wheel club has donated more stock to the Somer Valley foodbank. Sue Hopkins (left) and Elaine Muir set off with a crammed car to the foodbank HQ. Members have supported the foodbank’s work with donated produce for over three years and say they fully recognise the vital work it carries out in these difficult times.
A CABARET night, held by the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge, proved to be a huge success, raising over £800 for the club’s charities.
More fundraisers are being organised, with an on-line auction launching on November 5th.
Details: https://www.rotaryribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1649
TUNLEYRecreation Centre holds monthly coffee mornings on the third Sunday of the month and all are welcome to enjoy lovely homemade cakes and a chat.
You might even be lucky enough to spot a few classic cars from the Norton Radstock Classic Vehicle Club!
This year, the funds raised at these coffee mornings have been used to purchase a new wooden bench to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It will now hopefully be a lasting memory of Her Majesty’s service. Other events such as a quiz night, craft fair and carol service are planned.
SOMERSET Community Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary and an incredible milestone, having awarded £20 million of funding to thousands of Somerset’s local charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises since 2002.
Chief executive, Justin Sargent, said: “If you had told me 17 years ago when I joined SCF that we would be here today having awarded £20 million in funding, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
“But I have always believed in the fundamental ability of communities to change the world for the better.
“I am tremendously grateful to the supporters, volunteers and charities who, over the last 20 years, have put their trust in us, who have shown the courage to tackle the most pressing challenges in our society, and who have worked in true partnership with us to make Somerset a better place for everyone.”
Guests at an event to celebrate heard from Glastonbury-based charity Children’s World and Axe Valley Men’s Shed – two of the many groups that SCF have funded over the last 20 years.
l The foundation’s Cost-of-Living Crisis Appeal raised over £100,000 in its first month to fund local charities and community organisations supporting those in most urgent need.
It’s suggesting people consider donating some or all of their energy rebates if they can afford it.
Details: https://tinyurl.com/SCFCOLRebate
RADSTOCK Museum is looking for volunteers to help during a new season of free community cafes in its tearoom.
ALMOST £4,000 was raised by people taking part in the second 40 For the Federation fundraising walk across East Mendip.
A total of 28 walkers completed either a 14 or 26-mile route starting and ending at Stoke St Michael Nursery and Primary School and passing checkpoints at Mells, Cranmore Tower, Kilver Court in Shepton Mallet and Croscombe Primary School.
The money raised will go towards Mind in Somerset’s youth services as well as essential mental health and wellbeing resources at the two schools, which are federated.
Organiser, David Richardson-Aitken, said: “A huge thanks go to Cookswood for sponsoring the event, the Evercreech Co-op for suppling all the refreshments for the walkers and all the volunteers who helped to make the day such a success.”
The popular events were brought to an abrupt halt by the pandemic, but the museum has now appointed a community engagement manager, Anne-Katell Peton, to oversee their return. AnneKatell says she plans to add further cafes next year for former coal miners and friends, a local history café and memory and wellbeing cafes.
The cafes will be running on Monday mornings, Monday afternoons, and Tuesday mornings for a couple of hours. Some will be monthly, others every other week and some are likely to be weekly.
Museum treasurer Jos Bins said: “Before Covid, the museum used to run community cafes for various groups who benefited from the opportunity to meet in the museum surroundings. Thanks to funding from St John's Foundation, we have recruited a new part-time member of staff who will be responsible for restarting these cafes.”
For details, visit: www.radstockmuseum.co.uk and to volunteer, email Anne-Katell at: events@radstockmuseum.co.uk
beautiful sunny evening visiting Fenny Castle Vineyard, where they were given an in-depth talk by the owner James Cummings.
Details: https://u3asites.org.uk/wells/home
WEDMOREReal Ale Festival celebrated another record year of ale drinking and fundraising with the organisers pouring out £20,500 in donations to local worthy causes, their largest donation yet.
Some 18 organisations were handed cheques at the annual presentation evening at Wedmore Masonic Hall to celebrate a very successful 21st year. This year’s beneficiaries included Children's Hospice South West, Weston Hospicecare, Weston-super-Mare Samaritans, Somewhere House (Somerset) Limited and Wedmore & Axbridge Community Health Fund.
IThas been a busy time at Tabor Independent Church in Timsbury. Members decorated the church with produce and non-perishable foods in readiness for the harvest service.
During the day the church was open for families to catch harvest mice and enter into games and competitions, including Harry and Poppy Brinkworth and Reggie King (pictured).
Proceeds were donated to the Disasters
Emergency Committee Pakistan Appeal and Somer Valley Foodbank. The Tabor Ringers have also been busy, with the diary beginning to fill up for Christmas.
Details: Tabor Church Mr & Mrs G Shute 01761 568524.
Tabor Ringers Barb Spalding 01761 752177
PATIENTSand some colleagues gathered at Ston Easton village hall to bid farewell to Dr Dana Parr, who was senior partner in the Harptree and Cameley medical practice. She began as a GP in 2007 and joined the practice in 2014, becoming senior partner in 2020. Patients paid tribute to her, saying:
“Dr Parr was so highly regarded by her patients. Her dedication, exceptional qualities and professionalism when giving time in caring and administering medical knowledge was unsurpassable.”
SHEPTON Mallet Town Council has announced a £200,000 redevelopment of Collett Park's playground, thanks to support from charitable donations.
Collett Park is described as the “jewel in Shepton's crown” and the council says the new playground aims to reflect this, with a dynamic and inclusive play area suitable for a wider age group. Construction of the new playground is
expected to start in the new year and open by the end of March.
Matt Harrison, chair of Shepton Mallet Town Council, said: "Shepton Mallet is a growing town with nearly a fifth of the residents children or teenagers; we love our park but need to ensure it has the facilities to reflect the town’s needs.”
A JOINT initiative between the Dry Stone Wallers Association and the National Hedgelaying Society has been offering people the chance to learn an ancient skill on the edge of Shepton Mallet.
Called the Rural Skills Hub, professional dry stone waller John Diment, has been running free taster sessions at Five Trees Bowlish, a community project to establish a natural wild cosmetics garden and a food-for-free linear allotment.
Work on the project began in June last year with support from Somerset Skills and Learning.
BLAGDON'Sannual big breakfast for Weston Hospicecare was again a big success, raising around £1,100 for the hospice, including £400 from the sale of hospice Christmas cards.
One of the organisers, Tina Smith, said: “It was a very busy morning with seating running out at one point so another table had to be put up.
“It is always a good community event for villagers to get out and catch up with neighbours and friends. It was particularly good this year to see young families coming in after football practice on the playing field and some of our Ukrainian visitors too.
“All in all there was a real buzz in the hall most of the morning.”
The team now look forward to their next event, their annual Christmas Fair, on Saturday, November 19th, 10am-12noon at the Village Club.
MENDIPVolunteers, including some of the team from Shepton-based British Solar Renewables, gather at the bandstand in Collett Park
VOLUNTEERS have been busy planting more snowdrops in Shepton Mallet ahead of the town’s annual snowdrop festival.
This autumn’s efforts have been concentrated on Collett Park, but 8,000 bulbs were planted along a new section of the Strawberry Line multi-user path at West Shepton which is currently being brought into use.
Next year’s festival takes place from February 13th-19th. Entries for the poetry and photographic competitions – on the theme of Let Nature Thrive – are now open. The poetry competition closes on January 8th with last entries for photographs on January 30th.
The festival celebrates the work of Victorian Shepton resident James Allen to hybridise the snowdrop
For details, visit: www.sheptonsnowdrops.org.uk
THEKathleen Jones Family Charity has placed a village information board at the entrance of Banwell car park to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen.
Pictured are Margaret McCarthy, parish councillor, with Wally and Roy Rice, two of the trustees of the charity.
SHEPTON Mallet’s annual lantern parade will be on Saturday, December 17th with the theme of “Wild Things”.
Lantern-making workshops will take place on Saturday, November 26th and Sunday, November 27th and also the following weekend at the Paul Street Community Centre. The workshops are free to attend, with a small charge for materials.
Organisers are appealing for more volunteers to steward during the parade, which leaves Collett Park at 5pm, or for the workshops.
FORMER solicitor turned crime writer, Damien Boyd, was the guest speaker at a recent meeting of Weston Rotary Club.
From Burnham-on-Sea, he is the author of the DI Nick Dixon series, set in the Avon and Somerset area. The 13th book in the series is due to be published next June.
Rotarians were joined by family and friends for Damien’s talk at Weston Golf Club.
TWO new tapestries have been added to the walls of the Community Hub in Coleford to update a project by villagers originally created to mark the millennium.
One is a tribute to the work of the recently disbanded Coleford Revival Group, by one of its members, Tina Wadley; the second is of the Gospel Hall in the village.
Artist Janette Kerr worked with dozens of villagers to create the original timeline which was supported by Artseed, Coleford Parish Council, Help the Aged, New Horizons Trust. Take Art! And Wells Craft Centre. The works, in historical sequence, take up two walls of the hub.
l To arrange to view the tapestries when the building is not open, contact parish council chairman Philip Ham at: philipjham@hotmail.com
MENDIP
FARMBOROUGH held its first ecofair, organised by Farmborough Futures, Farmborough Parish Council’s climate and nature emergency working group, in conjunction with Farmborough All Saints’ Church, as part of the Bath and North East Somerset’s climate festival.
Some of the committee (l to r) back row Alistair Fleming, the Rev Guy MartinScott and Chris Lovell; front row Sam Ross (left) and Charlotte Douglas
Council chair, Sam Ross, said: “Farmborough Futures will now be looking at ways the community can reduce its carbon footprint as well as sustainability initiatives and feeding back recommendations to the parish council.”
CHELWOOD Bridge Rotary Club has launched two fundraising schemes to help its support for good causes. They are a 100 Club monthly lottery and an online silent auction, which launches on Saturday, November 5th. It would welcome more items.
Details: robmert72@gmail.com
KEYNSHAMFoodbank is looking for volunteers, including a trustee and project manager. It says with the cost-of-living crisis really starting to bite, it’s gearing up for a busy autumn. It’s also asking people to consider donating money instead of food to help pay for the warehouse, van and council tax.
Chair of trustees, Gwen Edwards, said: “If you don't know how you are going to afford to feed yourself or your family, please don’t wait until the cupboard is bare. Please get in touch and ask for help.”
“We offer far more than food. We also have toiletries, household cleaning items, sanitary items, nappies, some petfood (usually), and other things. Just ask, and we will see what donations we have and do our best to help you.”
Details: www.keynshamfoodbank.org
A CAKEsale was held by Temple Cloud parish council and organisers of the pump-track project to raise money towards the cost of the new track, which is planned for the village playing fields.
Councillor Helen Neary, who is one of those behind the project, said: “The reason for selecting a pumptrack as an addition to the village is that it is a multi-wheels track allowing anything from skateboards and balance bikes to roller skates and BMXs.”
The cake sale raised more than £400 on the day and a further £200 from T-shirt sales. This QR code gives details of a crowdfunding campaign raising funds for seating areas and benches around the track.
THEsale of pottery by Kim Hacker and paintings by the late Robert Bailey helped All Saints Church, Publow raise £310.25 for church funds at its monthly market. The next will be on Saturday, November 5th, 10am-11.30am.
EVERYyear an organisation called Estate Agents Masters carries out a rigorous independent assessment of 25,000 branches across the country. They look at a wide range of factors and after carefully measuring them, decide on a rating, awarding “Excellent” to only the top five percent.
I am proud to announce that we were given that accolade in London at the UK’s largest estate agents’ awards ceremony, recognising our marketing, service and results. We had no idea the process was underway as the judges gather all the data themselves without any input from the agents, but what a thrill it was when our name was announced at such a prestigious event.
We have always aimed for a consistently high level of performance based on our three watchwords of Dedication, Imagination and Delivery. Now we have the formal confirmation from our own
industry that we have achieved that and can now point at an award that is the estate agents’ equivalent of three Michelin Stars for a restaurant.
From day one I have set the highest standards and as my team has grown, we have continuously improved the level of our service for both sellers and buyers. That has translated into strong levels of instructions, rapid sales and most crucially, sale prices which are usually higher than the guide price, sometimes considerably so.
Clients regularly thank us for making what can be a stressful experience as smooth as possible and even though there will sometimes be bumps in the road my experienced team provide a personal service which means we are there to handle whatever issues arise and ensure the sale goes through.
But we are not satisfied with just being an estate agent who markets and sells a property. Some people are anxious about
putting their homes on the market because they are afraid they may not able to find something suitable to move into, especially when demand for houses in the Chew Valley is so high.
We can help with the next move too, by taking the time to fully understand your requirements and then giving you first refusal on your ideal home when a suitable property comes onto our books.
You can trust us to do the best with your most valuable asset, safe in the knowledge that you will receive an “Excellent” service – and that’s official!
JOANNA TILEY MENDIPWRINGTON Vale Rotary’s classic car and bike show attracted about 130 beautiful cars and 50 motorbikes.
It was held at Lye Cross Farm courtesy of the Alvis family, with a Big Breakfast BBQ and Suzi’s raffle.
The club said it would also like to thank Inner Wheel ladies and Garry Carr. Much of the money raised will support local schools taking part in their Youth Speaks, Young Musician, Young Chef and other programmes.
TWO children’s charities have joined forces with professional artists to create a new mural for the Glastonbury Mural Trail.
The latest project is on the wall of a barn at the Paddington Farm Trust site at Wick, on the edge of town.
Members of Children’s World’s youth committee worked on the project with help from artists Angela Bolton, Mark Noble and Kim von Coels, from the mural trail.
The project, which began in July, was made possible with funding from the Asda Foundation’s community fund.
from High Littleton joined scyther Colin Wisbey to cut the wildflower meadow created last year in the cemetery of Holy Trinity Church.
The High Littleton and Hallatrow Environmental Group planted a wildflower mix in 2021 with the support of the church and the parish council and this was the second year of cutting the flower stalks after they had set seed in the autumn, following a summer of colour.
The creation of the meadow furthered the aims of the Wilder Churches initiative, initiated by the Diocese of Bath and Wells and the Somerset Wildlife Trust to create more space and opportunities for nature to thrive on church land. The meadow will be seeded again in the spring.
Pictured (l to r) front row Hilary Sawtell and her little helpers, Calvin, Roy, and Diane Turner, with back row (l to r) Lin Paul, Dami Howard, Beccy Angell and Doris Gentle
Mark sometimes prefers to paint using his fingers: “to get a better feel for the paint”
MEMBERS of Temple Cloud in Bloom has planted the border at Peterside with plants donated in memory of Janet Brown by some of her friends.
Janet lived in and around Temple Cloud all her life and in the bungalow above the border for about 60 years and was a supporter of Temple Cloud in Bloom. Hilary Sawtell, one of her friends who helped with the planting said: “The bright, cheerful plants will provide a lasting memory of our friend.”
The group’s next meeting is on Saturday, November 12th, at the village hall, 1am-12noon. New members are always welcome.
Details: tcibinfo@yahoo.com
ALHAMPTON ASHCOTT AXBRIDGE BALTONSBOROUGH BACKWELL BADGWORTH BANWELL BARROW GURNEY BARTON ST. DAVID BASON BRIDGE BAWDRIP BECKINGTON BISHOP SUTTON BLACKFORD BLAGDON BLEADON BRENT KNOLL BROCKLEY BRUTON BURCOTT BURNHAM-ON-SEA BURRINGTON BURTLE BUTLEIGH CAMERTON CASTLE CARY CATCOTT CHARTERHOUSE CHEDDAR CHELYNCH CHEW MAGNA CHEW STOKE CHEWTON MENDIP CHILCOMPTON CHILTON POLDEN CHURCHILL CLAVERHAM
CLEEVE CLUTTON COCKLAKE COLEFORD COMPTON DANDO COMPTON DUNDON COMPTON MARTIN CONGRESBURY COSSINGTON COXLEY CRANMORE CROSCOMBE CROSS DITCHEAT DRAYCOTT DUNBALL DUNDRY EAST HARPTREE EAST HUNTSPILL EASTON EDINGTON EDITHMEAD EMBOROUGH EVERCREECH FARMBOROUGH FARRINGTON GURNEY FAULKLAND FELTON FLAX BOURTON FROME GLASTONBURY GREEN ORE GURNEY SLADE HALLATROW HIGH LITTLETON HINTON BLEWETT HIGHBRIDGE
HEWISH HOLCOMBE HUNSTRETE HUTTON KEINTON MANDEVILLE KILMERSDON KNOWLE LANGFORD LEIGH on MENDIP LITTON LOCKING LONG ASHTON LYDFORD ON FOSSE LYMPSHAM MARK MARKSBURY MASBURY MELLS MIDSOMER NORTON NAILSEA NETTLEBRIDGE NORTH WOOTTON NORTON MALREWARD NORTON ST PHILIP NUNNEY OAKHILL PAULTON PAWLETT PENSFORD PILTON POLSHAM PRIDDY PURITON PYLLE RADSTOCK REDHILL REGIL
RICKFORD RODE RODNEY STOKE ROOKSBRIDGE ROWBERROW SANDFORD SHEPTON MALLET SHIPHAM SOMERTON STANDERWICK STANTON DREW STANTON WICK STOKE ST MICHAEL STONE ALLERTON STRATTON ON THE FOSSE STREET
TARNOCK TEMPLE CLOUD TICKENHAM TIMSBURY TRUDOXHILL TYTHERINGTON UBLEY UPHILL VOBSTER WALTON WANSTROW WATCHFIELD WEARE WEDMORE WELLOW WELLS
WEST HARPTREE WESTHAY WESTONZOYLAND WEST PENNARD WESTBURY SUB MENDIP WEST HUNTSPILL WHITCHURCH WINFORD WINSCOMBE WITHAM FRIARY WOOKEY WOOKEY HOLE WOOLAVINGTON WRINGTON WRITHLINGTON YATTON
AS founder and managing director of Westwind Oak, Rupert Newman has been actively involved in carpentry for over 30 years and quickly developed a passion for building timber house frames, roofs and other large structures.
Based in the village of Claverham, Westwind Oak carry out work all over the UK with their team of 11 highly skilled carpenters, all of whom share Rupert’s passion for high quality design and craftsmanship. From initial concept to the
full design and construction, the Westwind team are able to achieve the best design for your requirements.
Rupert is also a published author. His first book “Oak Framed Buildings” is a practical exploration of the techniques used in oak timber-frame construction for carpenters, builders and aspiring self-builders, a great source for inspiration and practical advice to anyone contemplating an oak-frame project.
AUTUMN is here.
Misty chilly mornings, falling leaves, and glorious light in the late afternoons before we get the horses in. Any minute now the clocks will go back and we will be wearing our head torches again. Oh no!
With JANE PATERSON
But there’s a lot going on and more to look forward to. Team Ditcheat down at Paul Nicholls’s yard must surely have been celebrating after the first of the season’s Chepstow jump meetings.
Three great wins for jockey Harry Cobden will have given Paul’s campaign for a 14th National Hunt Trainer Championship a cracking start. We wish him all the best for another fantastic year.
Lots of our local riders were at Mendip Plains competing as individuals, in pairs, and in teams. It was an exciting day in beautiful sunshine.
Dido Harding and her daughter Emma Penrose from Winscombe produced a
lovely clear run in the nearest to the optimum time to secure first place in the teams event; Samantha Busbridge was 4th in the 80cm. class, and Frankie Drury came 8th in the 70cm.
Many more local riders went clear, including Safia Woodward, also Jason Hobbs and Tom Sloper out with their young horses from Ham Farm Yatton. All did well but it’s only those who get nearest to the optimum time who get the rosettes.
However, to get round without any refusals or run outs is an achievement in itself, so there were plenty more who went home happy, and some who will work on what went wrong to get it right next time.
The event was a qualifier for the Eland Lodge National Hunter Trial Championships, so the first three in each class will be qualified to enter that in 2023 at Eland Lodge near Derby.
This year, Izzy Penfold and William Falango, both ten-year-olds from Mendip Farmers Pony Club, qualified for the 2022 final in the 70cm class in the national championships, and travelled up together with their mums.
Both were very excited and certainly William had also been a bit apprehensive in the run-up, so even a fortnight beforehand it was not at all certain that he would be able to hold it together and manage to complete the course.
But conquer his nerves he did, and rode a lovely fluent round almost bang on the optimum time, winning first prize out of 81 competitors! Everyone was ecstatic and speechless, then laughing because Izzy, who had also ridden an amazing clear round, was a whole minute too fast!
William won £60 in vouchers to spend at the tack shop, as well as a rug for Just be Jack, a lovely sash, rosette, and other bags of goodies to take home. Definitely worth the trip, William and Jack are already honing their skills ready to try for the 80cm. class next year.
They were off to a good start with a steady clear round at Mendip Plains, confidence restored. Izzy and Eclipse will try to slow down just a little, and will no doubt be joining them for another go.
DESPITE reports of riding schools up and down the country having to close down for all sorts of reasons, the Divoky Riding School near Shepton Mallet is thriving, with 25 horses in residence, including the little Shetland pony.
The indomitable Pat Bishop, with the help of her very devoted staff, runs classes for all abilities. Ages at the moment range from around five to adult, to quite old!
Classes include the popular Pony Stars scheme and the Changing Lives programme, both helping to keep young people busy and active whilst learning valuable skills not just in riding, but also in building confidence, increasing knowledge about the environment and learning how to socialise with other people and make friends.
It’s a really happy atmosphere at Divoky, with everyone being there because of a shared love of horses. Everyone can learn at their own pace, there is no pressure, and that seems more important than ever these days with all the outside influences which bear down on young people.
At Divoky they can just be themselves. It’s relaxing and friendly. I decided to join a session on Coffee Club morning to see at firsthand what goes on. I thought I had hung up my hat and jodhpurs for good a few years ago when I fell off the mounting block at home, getting on my grandson’s whizzy pony in a high wind with my enthusiastic daughter saying: “Come on mum, we’ll just take them round the block.”
But once at the Coffee Club morning, with Holly saying “Do you want to borrow a hat?” I found myself feeling quite excited at the thought of another chance to be in the saddle.
There were only two of us as it turned out, so it wasn’t too intimidating and Holly was very encouraging, so after grooming and tacking up I was duly launched into position atop a very willing cob called Tommy, with my seasoned class mate Claire on a Shire cross horse called Nobby, who amazed me with his athleticism and agility, flying round a course of poles and looking the business.
Holly is a fantastic teacher, so if anyone out there is hesitating… don’t. You will be fine. Claire and Nobby had more stamina than me, but I enjoyed my lesson before heading back to the barn to take the tack off and go for a cuppa and a chat before heading home.
What a lovely morning. Leave all your troubles at home and go and do something different. It’s so good for the soul.
Mondays:
5pm and 6pm: flatwork and jumping according to the group you choose
5.30pm: riding for fun. An hour in the saddle in the school with a different theme each week. A fun group for those who just want to ride without the structure of a lesson (coaching help always available)
Tuesdays:
4.45-5.30pm: Jump Club
5.30-6.30pm: Dressage Club Fridays:
5.30-6.30pm: Riding Club (a mix of flatwork and jumping)
Hacking available most days and times during the week.
DOZENS of horseriders took to the home of the Glastonbury Festival for the return of the Festival Ride, organised by Mendip Bridleways and Byways Association. With a choice of a nine or 11-mile route over farmland, tracks and bridleways, the riders were joined by a number of people on foot or on bikes.
Kate Nutt (left) and Carol Vincent, with the Pyramid stage structure behind them
Judy Hallam trotting up a steep bank
The weather stayed fine for the event
Eva Hamilton (left) and Grace de Alvaro next to the galleon in the Greenpeace Field
Heading out
Posing for a photo next to Steanbow Farm
BOTHwalkers and cyclists are increasingly relying on technology to navigate a route. Now, some may argue that by doing so we are losing our navigational and observational skills and becoming too reliant on technology. Conversely the argument could be made that our minds are adapting and learning to absorb complex information streams quicker.
with EDMUND LODITE
that the screen might not be as good for reading detailed maps.
Whichever side of that argument you side with it is safe to say that being lost on a bike ride is not much fun.
There was a time when navigation on a bike ride relied on using signposts and taking a paper map – not the easiest thing to manage in the wind or rain! Cyclists recorded their rides with dedicated devices that by today’s standard were incredibly rudimentary, only measuring distance and speed.
Nowadays you can plan and record a ride by using a GPS bike computer or smartphone mounted on the handlebars. They also collect what feels like every metric under the sun to get an incredible amount of insight into how you have performed on your ride.
Routes can be built or copied online at dedicated cycling websites like Komoot and then transferred to the device. Once the route is started the screen then displays a route line on a map and warns of turnings ahead – just like a sat nav in a car.
Although bike computers and smartphone cycling apps both help with navigation there are several differences between the two.
The most obvious one is that bike computers are smaller. Although they take up less space on the handlebar it means
The battery life of each device matters depending on how far the ride is. Using GPS tracking on a smartphone will significantly impact its battery life. As a result, it is unlikely to be able to record long rides.
However, bike computers are designed to be used for extended periods and have a longer battery life. It’s also a good idea to preserve your phone’s battery life in case of an emergency.
Price is an important consideration. There are bike computers which are inexpensive that provide some useful metrics. But to get feature-packed GPS computers that also monitor your performance, will cost more.
Investing in a bike computer may seem an unnecessary luxury when navigation apps for a smartphone are free or have a small annual subscription fee. However, they are designed to be waterproof, withstand impacts and harsh conditions so keeping your smartphone out of harm’s way may seem a worthy investment.
After the ride, data can be uploaded onto cycling websites like Strava to compare against previous riders – and either held privately or published for others to view.
Both bike computers and smartphones have their pros and cons.
Bike computers are weatherproof, crash resistant and have sufficient battery life to collect data during long rides. Bike computers also link up to other cycling smart devices.
So, if you’re looking to up your training to the next level with a power meter or cadence sensor, it’s unlikely you’ll have to worry about compatibility issues.
There aren’t really any disadvantages to bike computers when it comes to cycling, but the cost might be off-putting.
The big advantage with a smartphone is that you may already own one. So, all it will take to start planning and recording rides is to download an app like Strava or Komoot at no extra cost. This makes a phone a brilliantly easy and affordable way to get greater insight into your riding.
The downside is the limited battery life when using GPS tracking and the risk of damage from rain and any knocks.
So, which is the best option? The answer is both – it depends on your needs.
Bike computers are made for the job. If you spend a good amount of time riding your bike, then a bike computer will give you far more insight.
A smartphone is an ideal way to dip your toes into recording rides and on-bike navigation. If you are just starting out or don’t fancy spending money on another smart device yet, a smartphone is the place to start.
SEVERAL hundred motocross riders took advantage of the latest practice weekend organised by Frome MCC to hone their skills – and have some fun.
Bikes and sidecars were joined by quads for the two days of high-speed action at Leighton. Support from Aggregate Industries and Kelston Sparkes enabled the weekend to go ahead with perfect track conditions.
Riders were split into classes such as “speedy” and “not so speedy”
THEMendip Hills Hash House Harriers held their 13th annual relay race from Uphill beach near Weston-superMare to Wells Cathedral Green. The route follows the West Mendip Way footpath and covers 29 miles of the beautiful Somerset countryside.
The relay can be run as an ultra-marathon or in teams of up to five runners; entries were up this year and saw 25 teams take on the challenge. The event is non-profit making and all monies raised are donated to the club’s chosen charity, which this year was Boys in Mind.
It was particularly poignant as one of the club’s members had tragically lost their son earlier this year.
The overall winners were from Clevedon running club and the ladies prize went to Burgess Salmon Solicitors; mixed relay was won by Burnham and the ultra by Avon Valley.
The total raised this year from race entries and tea and cake sales was £1500.
Mark Allemby, the Hash’s grand master, said he wanted to thank Morrisons for donating water and Rugatinos restaurant for providing power for the tea and cake stall.
A NOVEL scheme to allow youngsters who have outgrown their sports boots to swap them for a bigger size for free will return next summer.
The boot swap was organised by the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Rotary Club who say hundreds of pairs of boots of all types and sizes and in good condition were exchanged at a rotary stall outside Sainsbury’s in Midsomer Norton. The programme ran from the middle of August until the end of September.
DAMON Smith, of DS Racing Kawasaki, has had a successful season, finishing fourth overall in his class out of 22 competitors.
The final round was on the Anglesey circuit in North Wales. The Street-based rider said: “We had an excellent weekend, PB laptime has been smashed by almost two seconds. The bike felt good and performed without any problems.”
SOMERSET Miners Welfare Trust has presented Peasedown Miners FC with a defibrillator for use at its ground on the edge of the village.
Ground trustees Peasedown Parish Council has recently carried out improvements to the facilities on the trust field, including a tea hut and toilet. Money for the defibrillator came from miners trust funds.
WINSCOMBEU-13s had their most successful cricket season ever winning every match they played, beating their nearest challengers Blagdon by three points in the league. They played 13 games and won all of them, scoring over 1500 runs. Top scorers were Ben Osmand, Ethan D’Ovidio and Josh Palmer, with top bowling figures from captain Fin Bawden, Noah Shoesmith and Adam Shoesmith.
There were many other noticeable batting and bowling performances.
In the final league game of the season needing to win Winscombe batted first against Uphill Castle and scored an amazing 224-0 with all the top five batsmen having to retire on 30 not out.
Winscombe also won the plate cup final. Playing Clevedon U13s in the final Winscombe batted first scoring 138-6, with top scorers Ethan D’Ovidio 33 not out and josh Palmer 31 not out.
In reply Clevedon were bowled out for 72 in an outstanding bowling and fielding performance with Sai Patel taking three wickets for nine runs in his two overs.
The U-13 team had four players representing Somerset during the summer, all doing well. These players were Emmy Griffiths, Josh Palmer, Adam Shoesmith and Om Patel.
CHEW Valley have beaten previously unbeaten league leaders Camborne 18-14 to go one point behind them in their first season since promotion to the Tribute South West 1 rugby division.
The Chew Valley side showed five changes since the last outing due to injury and unavailability, with first appearances at this level for Jack Summers at scrum half and Ross Harding at openside. Player coach Dean Brooker scored the try that clinched the game.
After losing their first away fixture at Exmouth 20-15, Chew Valley have been rampant, beating Weston-super-Mare 51-10, Lydney 53-15 and Drybrook 41-26.
CHEWStoke Church School were winners of the Chew Valley Football Tournament held in Stockwood.
The mixed team played four matches against teams from other primary schools in the Chew Valley area.
Head teacher, Ben Hewett, said: “We are so proud of the whole team. This is one of the first matches they have played together and, not only did they play some brilliant football. but they also showed great team spirit.”
THEREwas a standing ovation for Nigel and Rita Day at the annual presentation evening of Timsbury Cricket Club which was held at Camerton Village Hall.
After serving both the cricket and football clubs behind the bar at the clubroom for the last 23 years, the pair have decided to take a well earned rest and warm tributes were paid for the great contribution they have both made to the development of the club.
Club chairman, Ben Hosford, who was celebrating his second year at the helm, said he was delighted at the way the club had developed over the last year.
The main award winners were: First team player of the year, Mark Sage; second team, Adam Workman; third team, Martin Richards; club person of the year, Dan Hill; junior club person, George Webb.
THEladies of Midsomer Norton and Radstock Inner Wheel group were entertained at the Old Down Inn by pantomime dame Tim Mayo.
Tim is a retired assistant headmaster with three children and six grandchildren. Since retiring he has become a major contributor to Avon tapes and books for the blind. But all this has not stopped his pantomime dame activities and he has just started rehearsals for this year’s season as Dame Trot in Jack and the Beanstalk. It was unanimously agreed that it had been one of the most entertaining evenings of the Inner Wheel Year. Several other speakers are lined up for November, including a very entertaining evening of humorous Christmas poems.
Details: Sue Hopkins 07944 298036 or Elaine Muir 07543 973666
THE Croscombe & Dinder Frolics Society put on an evening performing funny sketches and some very silly songs to a packed Croscombe Village Hall that raised £1,680 for the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
The Frolics also staged a very successful murder mystery play last winter created by one of the group. They continue to invite touring professional shows to Croscombe via Take Art and are also now busily preparing their February 2023 pantomime of Aladdin.
UKELELE group The Frukes – The Frome Ukelele Club – have donated £351 to Fair Frome after a performance at the Tree House during this year’s Frome Festival.
Meanwhile, Frome-based musician and singer Paul Kirtley has launched a year-long £10,000 fundraiser for Fair Frome through busking and charity gigs with his “Fair Frome Tribe” of fellow musicians. Fair Frome champions greater financial, educational, social and health equality for people living in Frome and the surrounding areas.
BRENT Knoll’s singing postman, Timothy Dean, delivered his “Songs of Somerset” programme to a sell-out audience at The Princess Theatre, Burnhamon-Sea raising more than £1,000 for the Somerset Crisis Fund.
Well known on the local folk circuit, Tim has spent years researching the many myths, legends, and stories of Somerset’s history.
Event organiser, David Stugess, said: “We could not have been more pleased. The theatre was full to hear the extraordinary talent of Timothy Dean and learn so much more about our county’s history.
“This also enabled us to raise more than £1,000 for the Somerset Crisis Fund, which will be crucial for too many of our neighbours facing the dire choice between heating and eating in the coming months of the cost-of-living crisis.”
The dates for the Somerset carnival circuit are: Bridgwater: Saturday, November 5th Burnham-on-Sea: Monday, November 7th Weston-super-Mare: Friday, November 11th North Petherton: Saturday, November 12th Midsomer Norton: Monday, November 14th Shepton Mallet: Wednesday, November 16th Wells: Friday, November 18th
MENDIP
SHEPTON Mallet’s monthly independent Sunday market comes to the end of its 2022 season with their Autumn Market on Sunday, October 30th – but there’s something special to look forward to in November!
The market will boast live music from local bands in the Market Place, a free carved pumpkin competition for under-12s, and lots of artisans, crafters, bakers, and makers bringing their unique products in time for some festive shopping.
Sunday, November 27th sees the return of the ever-popular “Victorian Fayre” with a fancy dress competition, stalls selling handmade crafts, plants, Christmas trees, cakes, mulled cider and rum, street food and more.
Both events run from 10am-3pm. Jude Jackson, a spokesperson for The Shepton Experience, said: “There have been a few months where the weather was not kind to us but overall, everyone has had a great time. We are really looking forward to coming back next year with our first market on Sunday, March 26th.”
For details, visit the market’s Facebook/Instagram page: @thesheptonexperience, www.thesheptonexperience.co.uk or email: info@thesheptonexperience.co.uk
Walkers gather outside the Cheese & Grain for the start of last year’s festival
FROME Walking Festival returns in November with some regular favourites and some new additions.
The 2022 programme, developed by Frome’s Walkers Are Welcome and Frome Town Council, boasts 19 walks centred around history, nature, the countryside and even dancing. It takes place from Friday, November 11th to Sunday, November 13th and features guided tours, countryside hikes and self-guided activities with a special walk on the Sunday around Frome’s war graves to mark Remembrance Day.
The festival will, for the first time, be offering an accessible walk highlighting the town’s history, a “buggy walk” and familyfriendly trails.
Meanwhile, schoolchildren are being encouraged to take part to “walk to Poland” as part of the festival; to collectively walk to Frome’s twin towns in France, Germany and Poland. During the week leading up to the festival, primary school pupils who walk, cycle or scoot to school will have their active travel miles counted and combined to see how far Frome can “travel” across Europe together.
During the 1,260 mile trek, there are three key stops: ChâteauGontier in France; Murrhardt in Germany; and finally RabkaZdrój in Poland which are its twin towns.
For details, visit: www.discoverfrome.co.uk/fromewalking-festival/
THE Bishop’s Table café, located in the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace in Wells, has been awarded a prestigious Quality Food & Drink Accolade by VisitEngland.
Assessments are based on scores gained during an annual Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment by VisitEngland. Marks were allocated for the outstanding experiences attractions provide to visitors across a number of categories.
Head of Catering at the Palace Trust, Nick Hampson, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the Bishops Table café has been recognised in this way. Our staff always go the extra mile to offer a warm welcome to all visitors as well as delicious, locallysourced food and drink.”
WEAVINGtheir story-telling magic and exalting the true spirit of Christmas with hauntingly joyous music, the Mediaeval Baebes are performing at St John the Baptist Church, Glastonbury on December 17th as part of their MydWynter Tour.
Evoking thoughts of the of the winter festival and its pre-Christian origins, the Mediaeval Baebes will be performing Christmas carol classics, traditional folksongs and showcasing arrangements from their new MydWynter Album.
This spirited show of beguiling choral music will also include innovative settings of ancient and romantic poetry, along with captivating storytelling that uncovers the origins and folklore behind the lyrics.
Accompanied by a dazzling array of exotic and period instruments, this unique take on early music, traditional culture and the magic of folklore brings a unique opportunity to be uplifted and enchanted in this beautiful, historic church.
The Mediaeval Baebes are one of the most successful female-led, early music and folk ensembles in Europe. They have won an Ivor Novella award for their performance on the BBC serialisation “The
Virgin Queen” and have received two Emmy nominations, in addition to a Royal Television Society award alongside composer Martin Phipps for their soundtrack to ITV’s hit period drama, “Victoria”.
Their unique, classical vocals have led them to perform in many historically significant venues across the world, embracing castles and caves through to nightclubs and renaissance fayres; as well as touring with Jules Holland, supporting Michael Flatley in Hyde Park, and performing at the The Game of Thrones Festival in Canada.
MydWynter is the 11th studio album and due for release on November 25th, with many of the tracks being performed live for the very first time in this Christmas celebration. Tickets cost £26.50 each and £11.50 for a child.
MENDIP
SAVE the date! Mendip District Council will host its famous Christmas market in Wells on Saturday, December 17th!
The traditional “Christmas in Wells” market will operate from 9am-3pm, with up to 100 stalls expected to line the Market Place for half-mile through to the Bishop’s Palace Green.
Visitors will be treated to seasonal gifts and local food and drink in the beautiful city centre and can embrace the holiday season with live music and entertainment to enjoy.
The council aims to deliver an unforgettable experience and hopes residents and visitors alike will join in the Christmas spirit and support stall holders at this important trading time.
Councillor Simon Carswell, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, said: “I'm very excited that our much-loved Christmas market is returning to Wells.
“Anything that brings extra footfall into the city will be welcomed by the whole business community in Wells.
“It's a busy time of year and I'm sure that the atmosphere will be wonderful. I'm certainly looking forward to attending and stocking up on gifts.”
For details visit the Facebook and Instagram pages at @WellsChristmasMarket, or www.mendip.gov.uk/markets
THE popular Christmas Artisan Market returns to The Bishop’s Palace in Wells on Saturday, November 5th and Sunday, November 6th.
Running each day from 10am until 4pm, visitors can get their Christmas shopping started with a bang as the medieval rooms of the palace, upstairs and downstairs, will be filled with a variety of stalls, along with live music.
The market offers people the chance to buy hand-made and unique gifts that could be the perfect inspiration for those difficult-to-buy-for friends and family, whilst also supporting local small businesses from the south west.
The Bishop’s Table café will be serving seasonal drinks (including the always popular flavoured hot chocolate) with views over the croquet lawn.
The event is in aid of The Bishop’s Palace and tickets include the market and free access to the palace gardens.
Available at a special reduced price (£8 adult, child 5-17 £4, under 5’s and palace members free), they can be purchased by telephoning 01749 988111 or online at: www.bishopspalace.org.uk
Covid cases are rising quickly again so please check before travelling that events will take place. We’re happy to list entries for non-profit community groups and charity fundraisers free of charge, but please send them as a succinct single paragraph, in the format below, to annie@mendiptimes.co.uk Entries that take time to re-write may have to be charged for at the commercial rate, £25.
Thursday October 27th
Avon Wildlife Trust talk by Alys Laver, site manager, Steart Marshes: “Reshaping the Coastline for our Future” 7.45pm Chew Magna Old School Room, £2.50.
“Destiny” 7pm Croscombe village hall. Details: www.takeart.org/whats-on
Saturday October 29th
Vintage Model Railway Show 10am-4pm King Alfred Academy, Highbridge TA9 3EE. Details: www.somersethrca.org.uk
Glastonbury Zombie Walk 5pm, Dragons parade 3pm. In aid of Children’s World.
Mendip Rocks! “Gorge-ous Cheddar! Details: www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/events
Congresbury Folk Evening, 7.30pm War Memorial Hall.
Fauré’s Requiem, a tribute to Queen Elizabeth, 7.30pm Cheddar Catholic Church. Details: www.somersetchoralsociety.com
Cats in Distress Halloween Fair, 10.30am, Beckington. Gifts, competitions, produce. See p43.
Sunday October 30th Sing for Ukraine, St. Peter’s, Draycott, 5pm.
Details: sfu301022@gmail.com
Timsbury Craft Fair 10am-4pm, Conygre Hall, BA2 0JQ. Details: 07410 452685.
Monday October 31st Wessex Stationary Engine Club meeting 8pm Old Down Inn, Emborough.
Tuesday November 1st Yatton Local History Society talk by Roy Ackrill on “Backwell and the brickworks” 7.30pm Yatton Methodist Church. New members welcome. Details: www.yattonlocalhistorysociety.co.uk
‘Bruegel: The Seasons and the World’ talk by Gavin Plumley to The Arts Society Mendip, 11am Croscombe village hall & Zoom. Guests welcome £6. Details: www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk
Wednesday November 2nd Backwell & Nailsea Carers Support making Christmas floral decorations, 2-3.30pm, Backwell WI Hall.
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in first Wed every month, 5.30pm-7pm, Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com
Thursday November 3rd
Cheddar u3a Bob Burton talks about '150 Years of the Clifton Suspension Bridge' 2pm Cheddar village hall.
Friday November 4th–Sun December 4th Valley Arts Fringe Festival www.valleyartscentre.co.uk See p64.
Friday November 4th
Save the Children lunches 12.30pm alt. Fridays, Shipham village hall, BS25 1SG. £4.50.
Trio Paradis concert 'Travelling with the Gypsies' 2.30pm Leigh-on-Mendip village hall. Fireworks, Chew Valley Rugby Club. See p59.
Saturday November 5th
“Big Drop” for Weston Hospicecare, bring items for donation to Wedmore First School, 9.30am-12.30. Good condition, please. Details: Shirley 01934 712089.
Kingston Seymour Market 10am-12pm Village Hall. Butcher, veg. cakes, books etc. Details: 07525 040472.
Frome Society for Local Study 'Autumn Fires' lecture by Tim Hill, 2.30pm Assembly Rooms, BA11 1EB. Non-members welcome, £3. Details www.fsls.org.uk
Jumble Sale Winscombe, 2pm Community Centre, in aid of Old Station Millennium Green. Please bring jumble that morning or call 01934 843461.
Saturday November 5th and Sun Nov 6th Mendip Christmas Fair 10am-4, Aldwick Estate, BS40 5AL. £4, children free. Profits to BCH and Children’s Hospice SW. See p94. Cam Valley Arts Trail. See p30. Artisans Market, Bishop’s Palace. See p95.
Sunday November 6th Mendip Hills Area SWT walk, River Axe, 10am. Details: www.somersetwildlife.org/events
Monday November 7th RAFA meeting “An ordinary wartime airman 1942 to 1945”, 11am Street Inn, BA16 0DR. Optional pub lunch. Details: 01458 224057 or rafa.midsomerset@gmail.com Congresbury War Memorial Hall Club Friendship evening & bingo, 8pm. All welcome.
Fosseway Gardening Club, Roy Cheek: “My Low Maintenance Garden” Pylle village hall. Visitors £2. Details: Jill 07772 008594.
Tuesday November 8th to Sat Nov 19th Wells Painting Group exhibition 10am-4 Tues to Sat Wells & Mendip Museum. Admission free. Details: 07779 259190.
Wednesday November 9th Kilmersdon Gardeners talk by Mervyn Reed on David Austin roses, 7.30pm village hall BA3 5TD. Visitors welcome £3, incl tea /coffee www.kilmersdongardeners.org
Mendip Storytelling Circle 7.30pm Ston Easton village hall, BA3 4DA. Folk tales and more. £5 donation requested. Details: mendipstorycircle@gmail.com
CAMEO, Anita Wright will describe being an
ex-pat in the Middle East & India, 7.30pm, Congresbury Methodist Hall, £2 inc. tea /coffee. All welcome.
Community Café East Somerset Railway 10.30-12. Come along for a natter & wander around! £2pp for hot drink & cake. Please book: contact.bistrocatering@gmail.com
Avon Wildlife Trust ‘Somerset Wildlands’ with Alasdair Cameron, 7.30pm Baptist Church Hall, High St, Keynsham. Members £3, visitors £4.
Friday November 11th to Sat Nov 12th
History Hut Open Weekend Hext Hill, Low Ham, TA10 9DR. Rural life during both world wars.10.45am-4pm. Free. See Facebook.
Friday November 11th to Sun Nov 13th Frome Walking Festival – see p92.
Saturday November 12th
Brent Knoll bazaar & farmers’ market 10am-12, parish hall. Details: 01278 760308. Nailsea Concert Orchestra, 7.30pm Nailsea School, in aid of Winston’s Wish. Details: www.nailseaconcertorchestra.org
Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books etc.
RNLI Winscombe Folk duo Alden & Patterson, 7.30pm Church Centre, Woodborough Rd, BS25 1BA. £14 from 07703 538861 or winscombe.folk@gmail.com
Come & Sing Brahms Requiem 2pm St John the Baptist, Glastonbury. £20 to incl music. Performance 5pm, no tickets, just donation. Stanton Drew community café, village church, 10am-12noon.
Parkinson's NW Somerset Support Group meeting, 10.30-12.15, St Francis Church, Nailsea. Coffee, friendly chat and quiz. The Stowes, Gaelic jigs, reels and blarney, 8pm Cossington village hall TA7 8JN.
Reserved seats £12.50. Details: Roger Collett 07726 911484.
Saturday November 12th and Sun 13th Christmas Fair St Bridget's Chelvey,10.30am4pm, local artists, crafts, home-made cakes etc. Parking, BS48 3JJ.
Monday November 14th
Nailsea & District Local History Society talk: “The architecture, sculpture & symbolism of a Victorian garden cemetery” 7.45pm Nailsea School. Details: www.ndlhs.org.uk
Tuesday November 15th
Mendip Society talk ‘Cecil Sharp & folk songs of Somerset’ 2pm Wells & Mendip Museum. Non-members £3. See p48.
“Little Jumpers – a cricket or a grasshopper?” talk by Fred Giles for Mendip Area SWT, 7.30pm Cheddar Pavilion. Details: www.somersetwildlife.org/events
Wednesday November 16th
Henton & District Gardening Club Nigel Cox on “Permaculture & Polytunnels” and the Bleadney Bow Project, 7.30pm village hall. Visitors welcome £5. Details: Hentongardenclub.weebly.com
Mendip Gardening Club “Organic gardening” with Olly Jones, Ammerdown Centre. 7.30pm Ston Easton village hall.
Thursday November 17th
Shipham & District Gardening Club talk by Paul Evans about the gardens of Tyntesfield, 7.30pm, Shipham village hall, BS25 1SG. Cheddar u3a Coffee morning, 10am village hall.
Rotary Nailsea & Backwell whist drive, Tithe Barn, 2pm, £3 inc refreshments.
“Gardening for wildlife” talk by Colin Higgins for Yatton & District Horticultural Society 8pm Hangstones Pavilion BS49 4HS.
Friday November 18th Shipham Save the Children Lunch, soup & cheese, 12.30pm village hall. £4.50.
Saturday November 19th
Congresbury Singers: "Songs for long nights” – winter tales & tunes. Memorial Hall. Tickets £10 from PO, Re-Store, on door.
Frome Society for Local Study 'Storyland' author Amy Jeffs in conversation with folklorist Lisa Kenwright, 2.30pm Assembly Rooms BA11 1EB. Non-members welcome, £3. Details www.fsls.org.uk
Blagdon Christmas Fair 10-12, village hall. “50 years, and more, of Mendip in Film” Shipham village hall. Tickets £10. See p48 and www.themendipsociety.org.uk/events
Litton Coffee Morning 10.30am-2.30pm village hall BA3 4PW. Wiltshire Air Ambulance fund raising
Claverham village market 10am-12, fresh produce, preserves, crafts etc: 01934 838017. Bleadon village market, 9.30-12, Coronation Halls, BS24 0PG. 30+ stalls, see Facebook.
Saturday Nov 19th to Sun January 22nd Group 7 – Connections: paintings, prints, sculpture: www.blackswanarts.org.uk
Monday November 21st
Congresbury War Memorial Hall Club Friendship evening with bingo, 8pm. Timsbury Natural History Group talk by David Goode, “My local patch” 7.30pm Conygre Hall, BA2 0JQ. Visitors welcome £3.
Chew Valley u3a David Thomas with sea shanties, 10am Ubley Parish Hall. All welcome. Tuesday November 22nd Winscombe Folk Club 7.30pm Winscombe Club BS25 1HD. All acoustic; performers & audience welcome, £2. Details: 07551 197685 winscombefolkclub@gmail.com
Chilcompton Gardening Club Myra Cox with Christmas fun and flowers, mulled wine, mince pies. 7.30 pm village hall BA3 4EX.
Thursday November 24th Reptiles & Amphibians of Mendip talk by
John Dickson for Avon Wildlife Trust, 7.45pm Chew Magna Old School Room, £2.50.
Friday November 25th West Mendip Orchestra Concert 7.30pm All Saints Church, WSM, BS23 2NL at 7:45pm. Tickets £10 on door. Details: www.westmendip-orchestra.org.uk.
St Margaret’s Hospice Christmas Market, Tithe Barn, Haselbury Mill, Crewkerne, 124.30pm, craft stalls and festive entertainment. Whitchurch Art Club Craft Fayre. 2.306.30pm Fortfield Rd Community Centre BS14 9NT. Free entry and affordable gifts. New members welcome any Thursday 7-9pm. Details: avril.csve@gmail.com
Glastonbury & Street Lions Music Quiz, 7.30pm Ashcott village hall. Teams up to six, £5pp, take own refreshments. Details: 01458 210926 or 210445.
Saturday November 26th Festival of Carols, Cheddar 7.30pm Catholic Church: www.somersetchoralsociety.com
Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books etc.
Congresbury Christmas Sale, 10am-12 Methodist Hall. Coffee, plants, crafts.
The Note Warehouse Concert 7.30pm St Mary’s, Yatton. See: www.yms.org.uk
Timsbury Christmas Gifts & more, St. Mary's Church, 10-3.30pm.
Tunley Craft Fayre 10am-3 Recreation Centre BA2 ODZ.
Downside Abbey Concert, 6.30pm See p98.
Sunday November 27th Shepton Mallet Victorian Fayre. See p92.
Monday November 28th
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm St Mary's Church, Timsbury. Donations, refreshments available.
Wessex Stationary Engine Club meeting 8pm Old Down Inn, Emborough.
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in, 24pm Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com
Wednesday Nov 30th
Backwell & Nailsea Macular Support meeting 1.30 pm Backwell WI Hall. Details: Sheila, 01275 462107.
Harptrees History Society Dr Amy Frost on the WW2 Bath Blitz, 7.30pm Harptree Memorial Hall. BS40 6EG. Visitors welcome, £3. Please book: info@harptreeshistorysociety.org
Friday December 2nd
Save the Children lunches 12.30pm alt. Fridays, Shipham village hall, BS25 1SG. £4.50.
Trio Paradis 'Winter Wonderland' 2.30pm Leigh-on-Mendip village hall.
Leigh-on-Mendip Christmas Fair 6pm St Giles.
Cheddar Festive Night, from 6pm, with
music, stalls and shopping through the village and Gorge.
Friday December 2nd to Sun Dec 4th Crib Festival St Cuthbert’s, Wells. Worldwide nativity sets on display, with music, refreshments. 10am-4.30pm, Sun 11.30am4.30pm.
Chew Magna Christmas Fair see p58. Churchill Music! Leia Zhu on violin, 7.30pm All Saints Church, Wrington BS40 5LF. Details: tickets@churchillmusic.org.uk
Bleadon Christmas Market. 9.30-12.30, BS24 0PG. Over 50 stalls, see Facebook.
Costanzi Consort 7.30pm All Saints church, WSM, BS23 2NL.
Timsbury Festive Coffee Morning 10-12 St. Mary's Church. Free entry & glass of sherry. Coffee, mince pies, gift stall.
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm St Phillip & St James Church, Norton St Phillip. Details: www.Mendipmen.co.uk
RNLI Winscombe & District Branch
Reindeer Run, 2K and 5K trails, meet at 1pm for 2pm start: Cricket Club Car Park, BS25 1AZ. Details: Tim@moransonline.com
‘Cartier: Jeweller of Genius’ talk to the Arts Society Mendip, 11am Croscombe village hall & Zoom. Guests welcome £6. Details: www.theartssocietymendip.org.uk.
“Somerset Spiders” talk by Francis Farr-Cox for Mendip Hills Area Group of SWT. Details: www.somersetwildlife.org/events
Bereavement Support Keynsham drop-in first Wed every month, 5.30pm-7pm, Baptist Church Hall, High St. A safe place to meet others who are bereaved. Free, with refreshments. Details: 07776 493221 or bereavementkeynsham@gmail.com
Friday December 9th
Avon Wildlife Trust ‘Wildlife photographs Kenya, Ode to a Snail /Quiz’ 7.30pm Baptist Church Hall, High St, Keynsham. Members £3, visitors £4.
Mendip Male Voice Choir Carols at Bath Christmas Market, 7 to 8pm.
Saturday December 10th
Brent Knoll bazaar & farmers’ market 10am-12, parish hall. Details: 01278 760308.
Mendip Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert 7.30pm Shepton Mallet. Details: www.Mendipmen.co.uk
Monday December 12th
Nailsea & District Local History Society talk: “Historic tunes, dances & songs” 7.45pm Nailsea School. Details: www.ndlhs.org.uk
Wednesday December 14th
Carols By Candlelight 7pm All Saints church, WSM, BS23 2NL
ONSaturday, November 26th Downside Abbey Visitors Centre are presenting an evening of music featuring the abbey’s amazing Compton organ with talented young organist Matthew Walters.
Matthew has carefully selected a collection of pieces from composers such as Bach, Buxtehude, Hans Zimmer, Mendelssohn, Handel and other well-known composers.
The selection not only demonstrates the versatility of the organ but also demonstrates Matthew’s playing ability and understanding of this special instrument.
The Compton organ is the third one to occupy its position in the gallery of the south transept where it sits behind a carved oak screen designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. The organ console was built by the John Compton Organ Company in 1931.
It is a versatile and expressive instrument with a wide range of tone colours. The wood on the console was taken from HMS Bellerophon, the ship which transported Napoleon after the Battle of Waterloo.
Tickets are available from the Abbey visitors centre (open Thursday & Friday 10am–4pm) or online at www.visitdownside.co.uk
