Mentioned in
Dispatches ‘After a tough year for everyone, we are thrilled to be able to go ahead with a festival which provides fantastic entertainment for both the local community and for visitors from across the country’ said Cliff (Fred) Bassett, Chair of Somerton Music and Arts Festival. The festival, which started in 1987, is an annual event in the historic Somerset market town; providing entertainment across the week including a family fun day, local bands, classical music, talks & workshops to name just a few. The festival culminates in
Somerton Music and Arts Festival is to go ahead as planned.
a one-day music festival, Somerstock. Attracting top bands, this year’s headliners are pop and soul legends The Christians. A further 14 bands will perform across three stages providing nonstop family entertainment, and a wide variety of food, bars and stalls will ensure that there’s something for every taste. As well as providing entertainment, the festival raises money for charity and Fred continued, ‘we look forward not only to being able to put money back into the community again but also being able to celebrate safely once more this summer.’ Full details of the festival will be released soon, but to find out more about Somerstock and buy tickets head to the website: www.somerstock.com.
Mendip District Council is to enable the planting of more than 500 trees with the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Unit.
The move supports the Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency commitment by increasing the carbon absorption potential of the district’s landscape, in addition to helping alleviate some of the current issues faced in the Mendip Hills,
Perfect partnership: The natural beauty of the Mendip Hills where 500 trees are to be planted, thanks to support from Mendip District Council.
including tree loss due to ash dieback disease. The initiative will add to the District Council’s many planting schemes already carried out in areas such as those seen at Binegar Bottom, at Tor Hill in Wells, and Pomparles Bridge, Glastonbury. Deputy Leader of Mendip District Council, and Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services, Cllr Josh Burr, said: ‘We are really happy to be giving additional financial assistance to the Mendip Hills AONB Unit to coordinate and oversee the planting of native tree species for hedging and woodland creation, including oak, birch, beech, hazel, rowan, small-leaved lime, and holly. ‘The tree planting will greatly add to efforts underway across
Mendip by the District Council, our parish councils and numerous community groups.’ The native trees will be planted by the AONB’s dedicated volunteers around Ebbor Gorge and Rodney Stoke National Nature Reserve to make the woodland areas bigger, better and more connected. Jim Hardcastle, Manager of the Mendip Hills AONB Unit, said: ‘The detailed planting schemes will be made in conjunction with Natural England and local landowners such as the National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Somerset County Council. ‘We are very grateful to Mendip District Council, a long standing member of the Mendip Hills AONB partnership, for this additional financial support. It will have a huge impact on what
THE VISITOR April 2021 5
