Mary Payne MBEGardening

•Make sure that your potatoes don’t run short of moisture at this time. the new tubers should be forming now and will respond well to a thorough watering. •Plant out those annual herbs (dill, pot marigold, basil, coriander, etc) that often resent being planted too early. •Plant outdoor tomatoes, ridge cucumbers, courgettes and marrows. these can all be easily grown in large pots or growbags on the patio. •Most herbs will benefit from being cut fairly hard now. the young shoot tips are generally the tastiest parts to use in cooking. •there is still time to make a sowing of perpetual spinach leaf beet. this is a really useful vegetable that can be harvested right through the winter. •A late sowing of parsley can still be made and, even if you don’t have a veg. patch, curled parsley will not look out of place in the flower border! •Spray your apples to stop Codling Moth grubs boring into your fruit. Pheromone traps, now widely available, give good non-pesticide control but need to be installed early enough to get control. •remove (by snapping them off) side shoots from cordon (non bushy) tomatoes. Stake and support them. feed regularly with tomato feed, it improves the flavour! •Prune plums and cherries. If wall trained, new shoots can be pinched back to encourage more branching. tie and support new shoots. Heavy crops can be thinned next month if necessary.

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Plant sale supports church

eLAINe Avery has set up a plant stall once again outside her home to raise money for St Mary’s Church in West Harptree.

She started off in a small way back in 2005, raising just over £100 that first year. Since then she has raised over £11,000, growing most of the plants herself, with others donated by local people. elaine said: “During lockdown plants have sold particularly well while many people were reluctant to travel farther afield to garden centres. Last year it raised about £1,800 for St Mary's which was very welcome because the pandemic prevented us from holding many of our usual fundraising events.”

Parishioners will be holding their annual pavement sale for St Mary's on Saturday, June 5th, with stalls outside the church from 10-12noon. If wet, the sale will be held in West Harptree Memorial Hall.

Cheddar summer challenge

Instead of their traditional indoor event Cheddar flower Show committee are inviting people to take part in a village-wide event in August, a flower and Scarecrow trail.

Show chairman, Chris Sims, said: "Many people have enjoyed walking, gardening and creative crafts over the last year and we wanted to combine these in a celebration of summer. "We are asking villagers of all ages to join in our Summer Challenge by making a scarecrow, or by planting pots, hanging baskets or flower beds, or decorating their gardens with homemade flowers, pom-poms, garlands or bunting, or even yarnbombing.

“All featured items must be in front gardens and visible from the pavement or gate, so no-one will go into the garden." the trail will run from Saturday, August 14thAugust 28th, when everyone's handiwork and green fingers can be admired by people following the trail map. It will not be judged, but every participating household will receive a small memento.

Chris said: “During August we will also have a virtual show on facebook, when people can post a photo of anything they have made or grown, such as craft, cookery, flowers, or artwork, just for kudos, no prizes, but there will be a prize for the tallest sunflower in the Grow a Giant Sunflower Competition for families.

“We hope that Cheddar folk will enjoy this Summer Challenge."

Details: Cheddar Flower Show Facebook Page or contact cheddar.flowershow@yahoo.com

WI gardeners

tHeGarden Gang has been in action again, providing plants for Bishop Sutton playing fields. Members of Bishop Sutton and Stowey WI took on the planters there last October, when they seemed to be neglected.

President, Jenny Harris (pictured), has donated a wide array of plants, tended by herself and members.

PERFECT PAVE

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.

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Wrington gardens

Homemade teas at Mathin Cottage, plants for sale. Opening details: Wednesday, June 9th and Sunday, June 13th, 2-5.30pm. Admission: Combined entrance for all gardens £5, children free, pay at the gate. Address: School road, BS40 5NB.

Watcombe, Winscombe

Mature three-quarter acre edwardian garden with colourthemed, informally planted herbaceous borders, pergola with varied wisteria, two formal ponds and growing collection of clematis. Opening details: thursday, June 10th, 2-6pm. Admission: £4, children free. Please book ahead on www.ngs.org.uk Address: 92 Church road, Winscombe, BS25 1BP.

Lympsham gardens

Cream teas, plants for sale. Opening details: Saturday June 19th and Sunday June 20th, 2-5pm. Admission: Combined admission for all four gardens £6, children free. Pre-booking available on www.ngs.org.uk but not essential.

Frome

three contrasting town gardens: 1/3rd acre with views at Catherston Close; a former bramble strewn wasteland which has become a secret, walled garden at elmfield House and another transformation in Lynfield rd, showing how 1970s conifers can be replaced with colourful mixed borders. Opening details: Sunday, June 20th, 12-5pm. Admission: Combined admission: £6, children free. Must be pre-booked via NGS website.

Penny Brohn UK

teas and plants. Opening details: Sunday June 27th, 11am–4pm. Admission: £4, children free. Pay at the gate. Address: Chapel Pill Lane, Pill, BS20 0HH.

Honeyhurst Farm

Cream teas and plants available. Opening details: Sunday, July 4th & Monday, July 5th, 25pm. Admission: £4, children free. Address: rodney Stoke BS27 3UJ.

Popular sale

John Parkin and his sons Frederick and Franco with some of the plants they had bought

Judith Manning and her granddaughter Elizabeth, who was celebrating her seventh birthday

tHe annual plant sale at St Laurence’s Church, east Harptree raised about £715 for Christian Aid.

Organiser, Hazel rider, said: “Despite a wet forecast, it was a mostly sunny day and the attendance was good especially during the morning. Our grateful thanks to all who grew plants and came to this popular annual event.”

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Foodbank veg challenge

GArDeNerS are being asked to sign up to a challenge to help Wells foodbank by donating surplus fruit and veg or by growing larger amounts of crops if they have space.

During the coronavirus pandemic, more people than ever have been turning to the foodbank for help and organisers say it is vital that enough fresh food is provided to help everyone in need. the Veg Patch Challenge is an opportunity for growers to pass on spare produce to people in need.

Sue Marland, senior pastor of Wells Vineyard which is behind the challenge, said: “If you’re planting fruit and veg crops this spring, please think about growing a little more this year to share with foodbank clients.

“every week the local supermarkets donate fresh produce which supplements the tins and packets that shoppers give, but we also buy additional fresh food to ensure all foodbank clients can receive a balanced and healthy diet.” the idea came from rod Major, president of the City of Wells Lions Club, who added: “We all know people who struggle to use up crops in the summer and we thought it would be a great use of spare produce if it could be given to the foodbank. Many people in need would be delighted to receive fresh, healthy food in their food box and it would be wonderful to see homegrown food going to such a good cause.”

To sign up for the challenge, email info@wellsvineyard.com or message via Facebook.

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Village says Happy Birthday

Pictured (l to r) Ron’s son Ian, granddaughter Freya, Roko the dog, Ron Waker and grandson Harrison

RonWaker, from Compton Dando, was unable to throw a big party for his 90th birthday because of Covid restrictions.

Instead villagers and family members decided to do the next best thing and celebrated with a banner, balloons and by ringing the church bells. Ron was a dedicated member of the church’s bell ringing team before Covid put paid to that. He is also a church warden at st. mary’s and is well known throughout the village as the first to volunteer to help at any village event.

Together with mervyn Cox, Ron maintained the churchyard for many years and created and tends the beautiful garden behind the tower. He has also been popular as a dog-sitter for favourite village canines.

Thanks to the “rule of six outdoors”, Ron and his family were able to enjoy a private garden picnic to mark the event.

Covid winner

Jamesstewart, aged 14, from Felton has won first prize in a school literacy competition with a piece describing how the pandemic affected him and his family.

He said: “I wrote about how I wasn't able to play rugby and how I had to stay home. It was a sad time. I just wrote about how it felt to be living in a global pandemic and how it changed my life.”

He attends the Voyage Learning Campus in Westonsuper-mare and is pictured with his prize, an amazon fire tablet.

Special delivery –John’s home service

DuRIngthe pandemic, communities have found various ways to adapt. In Hutton Mendip Times readers have been fortunate enough to carry on receiving the magazine thanks to local resident, John Chatburn, and his trusty bicycle. magazines are usually picked up from the village hall. However, due to various restrictions on movement and the closure of public buildings, this has proved difficult for residents with the hall being closed.

John came to the rescue by voluntarily delivering the magazine by hand to 60 grateful residents over the past 12 months.

It is hoped that, with the “road-map to recovery” being implemented, residents will once again be able to get their monthly shot of mendip stories and events from the hall which was hoping to carry out cautious re-opening from the middle of may.

John is pictured with his trusty bicycle getting ready to deliver the may edition. originally in hotel management, he received the mBe for services to the local community over many years. He will be 80 next year.

We hope to feature more of our own unsung heroes of the pandemic in future issues.

Young rangers are back

menDIP Hills aonB has welcomed back its young rangers more than a year after its programme was disrupted by the pandemic. They were greeted by some of mendip's finest weather, rain and fog!

Leader, Lauren Holt, said: "We found it really difficult to have the same impact running sessions online as the objective of the programme is to be an outdoor learning experience.

“We decided that the best thing to do would be to offer an extension of the programme instead. our current cohort started in september 2019 and would normally graduate this July. However, they will now be graduating in July 2022.

“This means they will have another year to make up for all the time we lost and get the experience they signed up for.”

For their first session back the young rangers were handson supporting a local community tree planting group and tending to some newly-planted saplings on one of mendip's nature reserves. They plan to continue helping with this project in autumn.

THePeasedown Community Trust, founded last year, has relaunched its grant scheme to support projects in the village.

Chair of trustees and director, gavin Heathcote, said: “our grant giveaway will hopefully go a long way to support those Peasedown projects that need help getting back on their feet.”

Grants available

Trustees Gavin Heathcote and Cllr Karen Walker

School beats Covid restrictions

Pictured (l to r) Dave Wiltshire, school head, Ruth Motion, school chaplain, and the Rev Stuart Burns, vicar of Cheddar

KIngsof Wessex school has managed to maintain a leavers’ tradition dating back to 1883, despite Covid restrictions. since then students have celebrated their moving on to pastures new by climbing the tower of st. andrew’s Church in Cheddar on ascension Day, Thursday, may 13th and singing the ascension Hymn.

It’s thought the tradition was brought to the school by a former headmaster who had seen similar traditions at magdalen College, oxford. after a short service in the church, the oldest children climb the tower, while the youngest watch from the vicarage garden with sticky buns.

Covid-19 restrictions meant the school was forced to move things online to keep the tradition alive and keep children and staff safe.

The school shot a short ten-minute service from the church for children to watch in classes, followed by a montage of drone footage from the top of the tower in a bid to bring the experience of ascension back down to earth!

The trust’s chief executive, gavin Ball, said: “although the last year has been tough, to keep these traditions alive feels immensely important and something I am very proud of the staff at the Kings of Wessex for working so hard to do.

“We are incredibly pleased that the tradition of ascension Day has been able to continue here at Kings, and although we hope that we will be able to get back to normal next year, for now we’re grateful to be able to do something to mark all the incredible achievements of our children!”

The video is available to watch via the Wessex Learning Trust’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/9ElYNOThUvs

Support for young victims

Lockdown walkers

Pictured (l to r) Kate Dewfall, Clevedon Aid, Pearl Cross, JHF, Julie Buck, JHF and Jane De Budé Clevedon Aid

TWonorth somerset charities formed a partnership to provide Covid-19 recovery and support for vulnerable young people.

Clevedon aid allocated £4,000 of a £26,000 government grant to the JHF Youth Charity, the Jack Hazeldine Foundation, for mental health and outdoor learning workshops this spring/summer.

This allocation of funding comes as the two charities forge a stronger alliance, working together to provide Covid-19 recovery and mental health support for vulnerable young people disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

JHF’s managing director, Pearl Cross, said: “We have more young people desperately in need of funding and this comes at the perfect time.”

Details: hello@thejhf.org www.thejhf.org https://www.facebook.com/JHFcharity or call 01275 873962 https://www.clevedonaid.org.uk/

a WaLKInggroup set up by Bishop sutton and stowey WI last october has proved to be a great success. members pictured at the beginning of their latest walk are (l to r) Janet Thornhill, sharon Ryan, sue owen, Julie Le Vaillant, nita Wendover, Denise stirrup, Cheryl Taylor and Cynthia Holman. WInneRshave been announced of the shining Light awards which recognise community heroes in Bath and north east somerset who went the extra mile to help others during the Covid19 pandemic.

Last year’s chair of Bath & north east somerset Council, Councillor andrew Furse, said: “The dedication to the community shown by the winners of the shining Light awards is humbling and they deserve every bit of this special recognition.

“The awards highlight the consistent support vulnerable people have received with the things many of us take for granted, such as posting a letter or popping to the shop.

“They are a recognition of how people have adapted to support the community when we can’t all be together in person. Congratulations to our winners and to all of the nominees too.” one of the winners was Caroline Huins a key worker who has made many people smile with generous gifts of flowers. In march last year, Caroline who works for Tesco’s in Paulton, noticed that there was a surplus of flowers left at her store at the end of the day.

Instead of the bunches being thrown out she asked if she could take them home with her and quietly distributed them on her neighbours’ doorsteps at the end of her late-night shift.

People began to talk about the mysterious flowers left on their doorsteps and a Facebook group and messages of thanks were given to the Flower Fairy of Writhlington. other winners included aimee Philips, aged seven, from Keynsham, who created a book called the Very Hungry Honeybee to raise funds for the nHs.

Wellow Village shop offered a delivery service which they had never done before. sam oliphant and the Chew Chat Team who provided support to older isolated people living in the Chew Valley area.

Denise Perrin and the Wern Covid Vaccination Community Volunteer group that includes a member of staff and 80 volunteers who have supported the roll-out of the vaccination campaign in the Chew and somer Valleys.

Awards for Covid heroes

Writhlington Flower Fairy Caroline Huins at work in Tesco in Midsomer Norton. She made use of unsold flowers at the store to cheer up villagers’ lives

Poems for the pandemic

menDIPDistrict Council has been working with the mental health charity mind in somerset on a creative arts project in Frome that captures the thoughts and feelings of an extraordinary year, following the Covid pandemic.

The series of poems on public display at merchant’s Barton car park were penned by service users and staff at the mental health charity and commissioned by mendip to mark mental Health awareness Week in may.

The inspiration for the poetry pieces were a set of stunning photos taken by Frome photographer Tim gander, installed 18 months ago on hoardings surrounding the town’s saxonvale site.

The chair of mendip District Council, Cllr Helen sprawsonWhite, said: “It’s so touching to read the words of those suffering with a range of mental health issues during this hugely difficult time in our lives, their interpretation of Tim’s images mixed with their own thought and feelings are both emotional and outstanding.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to each of the contributors for their honesty and creativity, and to mind in somerset for facilitating the sessions, as well as Tim gander for his moving imagery. I urge anyone that can, to take the time to visit the site and take a moment to read the poems.”

Earl thanks Covid charities

someRseTCommunity Foundation welcomed the earl of Wessex at The Royal Bath and West showground during his recent visit, where he met staff and trustees, alongside representatives from six charities who were funded by sCF to help them deliver their vital services and support to the community during the coronavirus pandemic. See P82 Royal visit.

Larder on the move in Timsbury

A helping hand. Rotary club president Jackie Partridge (back left) and the club’s Timsbury representative Wendy Simmons (front right) present a cheque to Michelle and Stacey, cofounders of the larder project

a TRIaL community larder scheme run by a small team of volunteers in Timsbury is to expand thanks to the support of the Rotary Club of somer Valley and south Road methodist Church.

The larder was launched in January to offer nonperishable items to anyone in need from the porch of the Timsbury YmCa building. It operated for limited times on three days a week. now the larder is to move to the methodist church where it will be available round-the-clock on a trust basis.

To donate (non-perishable food, toiletries and cleaning products are accepted) or to become a volunteer, email: pantry@timsbury.org.uk

Medal for “unsung” heroes

someRseT County Council used somerset Day to name the first recipients of a somerset medal to recognise their voluntary efforts during the pandemic.

Residents were invited to nominate someone who they considered was an unsung hero. a cross-party panel of senior county councillors chose the winners who included andy Childs, who runs the Wookey Hub in Wookey, and Ian Jeffries who was instrumental in the setting up of the Burnham and Highbridge Coronavirus Community support group in February 2020. other recipients include vaccination volunteers, food deliverers, PPe producers, pop-up shopkeepers and many others who went above and beyond to make sure somerset kept going during the pandemic.

County council leader David Fothergill, who sat on the panel, said: ”The number and quality of the nominations we received were quite astounding. It was humbling and immensely heartening to read so many stories of how people have responded so positively to the coronavirus crisis, putting others’ wellbeing first and foremost.”

The winners of a second category for community groups will be announced later in the spring. all the winners will receive their medals later this year when Covid restrictions allow.

Back underground and back to the pub!

THE gradual relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions is at last allowing us to get back underground, although social distancing must still be observed. Our huts and headquarters are available for changing, although overnight stays are still not possible. We can now enjoy With PHILIP HENDY a pint of beer in the pub garden after our exertions. Care is being taken to ensure the continuing stability of our caves, as changes could have occurred during our long absence over the winter. Earlier this year, a collapse was noted in one of our largest caves, G.B. cave at Charterhouse.

The 150 metre-long Main Chamber descends steeply over a boulder floor to a wet 12 metre pitch. One side of this, a mass of huge boulders, was beginning to settle. An inspection by members of the Charterhouse Caving Committee early in April found that settlement had continued and the whole side of the pitch is in a very unstable condition.

Several massive rocks have fallen to the foot of the waterfall and the top is a jumble of boulders and mud. Further collapses are expected, especially if the cave takes a lot of water after heavy rainfall. Warning tapes and notices have been placed well beyond the top and bottom of the ladder pitch.

Fortunately, there is an alternative route to the bottom of the cave because below the waterfall a popular high level route leads not been open for long, bats have already colonised, probably up to the large Great Chamber, which is beautifully decorated. attracted by the gnats and midges with which the dig is infested.

As well as sport caving, digging teams have started work again. Over on western Mendip, cavers are keeping an eye on Bleadon Over the last 30 months, a small group of us have been excavating Quarry, where permission has been given for the construction of a a subsidence in a cowshed near the head of Ebbor Gorge. This has small housing estate. The quarry lies in a spur of limestone which made a superb winter dig, as we can park our cars in the shed and runs down the hill. Originally known as Little Down Quarry, it stay sheltered from the elements. was begun in the late 19th century and soon after caves were

After the top layer of mud and farmyard effluent was removed, discovered. the dig twisted down through boulders of conglomerate, There are several caves and some mines in the Bleadon area, eventually aligning itself on a rift. The Dolomitic Conglomerate is none of which is of any great length. It appears that they are partly a tongue of Triassic rock which extends up from the Wookey Hole hypogenic in origin, meaning that they were formed by water ravine – in fact the outer chambers of this cave are in the same welling up from the depths, rather than by streams sinking on the rock. surface.

We are now more than 36 metres down and have not so far Most of the caves in the quarry have been lost, either quarried encountered limestone, which we believe to underlie the away or buried under debris, including the most important, conglomerate. The area was once extensively mined, mainly for Bleadon Bone Cave. Pleistocene bones of several species, iron and manganese, but the dig appears to be entirely natural, including bear, elephant, wolf and tiger were found in 1881 by the with no sign of it being entered previously. Although the shaft has quarry owner, Wadham Pigott Williams and William Bidgood, curator of the Taunton Museum. Many of these finds are now in local museums, but the cave was quarried away. It was known that under the quarry floor there is a water course and several wells have been sunk to intercept it to provide a water supply, mainly for Highbridge. The flow was inadequate for this purpose, but the water has been exploited more locally. Building work may disrupt and pollute the underground water, which rises in springs in rhynes which feed into the River Axe. Excavation for foundations may well expose other caves. No doubt when work progresses, we will have a better understanding of this small piece of Mendip. We all hope for steady progress towards the “new normal” and that all of our outdoor activities can start up again. With summer on the way, the countryside and fresh air is beckoning.

GB collapse