Beer Hackett

BEER HACKETT REP: John Parker johnwincanton@gmail.com DISTRIBUTOR: Susan Ferdinand

St. Michael’s Church

Fond memories at St. Michael’s

On 30January, a large congregation of 40 came to our Candlemas service, during which Revd. Tony Gilbert dedicated the votive candle stand designed and made by John Atyeo, one of our life-long Beer Hackett residents.

Candlemas, an ancient festival marking the midpoint of winter, is a traditional Christian festival when candles are lit to remind us of Jesus as ‘the light of the world’.

When Revd. Michael Anderson died in April 2019, he left a legacy to St. Michael’s which was used to provide the candle stand. Tony wove a warm appreciation of Michael into his sermon on the importance and power of prayer, something which Michael had often personally experienced and in which he believed strongly during his long life of service, latterly to our local parishes.

It will be there in years to come for anyone to light a candle and offer their own prayer.

We were glad Michael’s widow, Alicia and her daughter Victoria, were able to be with us and share in the celebration.

John Bingham

A Beer Hackett childhood

Kathy Smyth doesn’t currently reside in Beer Hackett but is an active supporter of St. Michael’s PCC and the Church ‘Friends’. An accomplished vocalist, Kathy often performs in the Church. She spent a fond childhood in Beer Hackett and loves to be associated with our hamlet.

Here she recounts some of her childhood memories of Beer Hackett.

“Until I was four, I lived with my parents in the Salvation Army Caretaker’s house in Yeovil. The three of us moved to Beer Hackett (BH) in 1949. My Dad worked at Marks family farm, Knighton, two miles from BH and, prior to moving, used to cycle the 16 miles round trip from Yeovil to Knighton daily. Once we were at BH, Dad could just cycle to work up Knighton Hill.

Our council house home had a paddock alongside. My father bought two

goats, and we reared chickens, so we had a good supply of eggs.

I do remember that we were fairly poor. My mother used to supplement the family income by working hard on her treadle sewing machine, making gauntlets for the Police and Armed Forces. They would be delivered to her in boxes, mostly precut. But sometimes she had to cut them out then get sewing. She was very good at this job. There were about 40 glove factories in Yeovil at this time, so she worked for two or three of them.

I remember there were food rations stacked in the storehouse down the road (now the Brotherwoods site). WW2 ended in 1945, but Mum still had ration books for many years after that; sugar, butter, flour, and bacon were all rationed. I used to milk the two cows by hand at Perrots Farm, by the road bridge. Outside our front gate, Mum had a milk churn which was kept replenished regularly by Perrots, once I started school and could no longer milk the cows and fetch jugs of milk.

There were only about 60 people living in the hamlet at this time and we knew every family. There were one or two wealthy people in the old, large houses but everyone was friendly with each other, no class distinction or superiority. In the adjoining council houses were the Dawes, the Langleys and the Butchers families. On our right at Church Farm were Col. Strang and his wife. Opposite our houses lived a Mrs Chant and Mr and Mrs Tizzard with their daughter Janet.

Aged five, I began at Yetminster School under Miss Couch, a very strict headmistress who walked with a stick and would cane pupils, especially the boys. A minibus collected Peter Lawrence from his house a mile away from BH, then it would collect six BH children, then the Knighton children, including Monica Wills, and then through Yeatman Farm to collect Peter Yeatman, and on to Yetminster. There were three classes in the school. I remember teachers Mr Gardiner and Miss Hawkins. Miss Couch took the older children. In my last two years, I shared a desk and inkwell with Peter Shutler, later of The Yetties.

At lunch times we would walk in double file up to our canteen to eat ‘horrible food’. The canteen is nowadays the Old School Gallery of Boyles old school.

On Fridays Miss Couch would use a Dansette record player in the hall, (now the rebuilt Jubilee Hall) opposite the old primary school (nowadays a private house) in Church Street. We did an hour of folk dancing, boys and girls, I especially remember the Edinburgh Reel.

In BH, aged eight, I began weekly piano lessons at The Old Rectory (nowadays John and Maureen B’s house) with Muriel Day, the stepdaughter of Mrs Day, the Rector’s widow. Muriel Day would rap my knuckles with a pen if I played a wrong scale.

At BH church there was a Special Occasions choir; my parents joined this choir and I recall sitting quietly in the church one evening whilst the choir sang ‘All in the April Evening’. I was so impressed, even at my young age.

On 24 March 1953, I was in the kitchen with my Mum when Big Ben tolled repeatedly in a solemn way on the radio. I asked why this was happening. Mum said that Queen Mary had died.

My life in BH and at Yetminster school was not fully appreciated by me as a child, but it was a great foundation and I benefited from living in the idyllic, peaceful hamlet of BH. With just a handful of children with whom to play, we could not afford to fall out with each other very often”. Kathy Smyth (nee Read, daughter of Marjorie and Douglas Read)

Friends of St. Michael’s Church

“Come and Sing”

Classical Choral Workshop and Concert

at St Mary’s Church, Bradford Abbas 23rd April 2022

with Alice Dicker BMus(Hons) DipABRSM(perf) Musical Director & Kris Emmett BA(Hons)

Organist/Accompanist Come and join this joyful event!

In aid of St Michael’s Church, Beer Hackett

Works to include Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Handel’s “Messiah”

“Come and Sing” Workshop

Singers are invited to join the workshop which will be held in St Mary’s Church and will run from 09.30 until 17.00 on 23rd April 2022. The workshop singers will then perform the works practised during the day at an evening concert also in the church. Workshop cost is £20 reduced to £10 for students including in both cases a refundable deposit of £5 for music hire.

“Come and Sing" Concert

The concert starts at 19.00 and all are welcome. Tickets are available in advance for £4 or at the door for £5. Bar and refreshments available with profits to St Mary’s Church PCC.

For full details, including works to be performed, and application form please visit: www.friendsofstmichaelschurchbeerhackett.org Application forms are also available from retail outlets in Yetminster, Thornford and Bradford Abbas. Sponsored by: Brotherwood, Beer Hackett