Parish Newsletter - March 2023

Clover Close Trees

If you walk the footpath from School Lane to Peak Lane you will have seen some activity part way along. The scheme started a couple of years ago with the help of James Chapman and Kate Towers in getting a grant from https:// reimaginingthelevels.org.uk/ to plant trees and a hedgerow. Reimaging the Levels is funded by Somerset Rivers Authority. The plot of land is known as Clover Close as it existed 200 years ago and can be seen on the Tithe Map:https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/.

Firstly a fence constructed by David Edwards, Lance and Ashley Hill (still needs a gate).

The trees and hedgerow planted by David Shears and the Parish Volunteers will be finished soon. All the plants are native species and have been planted randomly in the plot. If you spot two of the same species next to each other then that is purely luck. Many thanks to tenants Will and Harriet for making Clover Close available for planting.

Village Lunches

The village lunches are at 12-30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every ALTERNATE month.

**Next Lunch: - March 29th**

Other d ates for 2023: -

May 31st July 26th September 27th

November 29th + Christmas lunch

Please contact either: - Ally Dore 01458 840595 (allydore51@gmail.com) or Pauline Atkins 01458 272485 (paulineatkins1944@gmail.com)

Newsletter deadline for April issue

Friday 24th March 2023

To submit news items/information for the newsletter, please contact Alan Dean either by telephone (01458 270057), or email to alangdean@btinternet.com

Submissions for publication: - The quality in print of your submitted items depends on the standard of the image or documents if in PDF format. Items of poor quality may prove to be unusable.

For the latest community news and information, follow Compton Dundon on Facebook: www.facebook.com/comptondundon. Most past issues can be seen at this website:https://issuu.com/gregjones44/docs

Meadway Hall Ham Lane

Compton Dundon

Annual A.G.M.

March 14th at 7 p.m.

Everyone Welcome Come and see what goes on in your Village Hall Wine and

nibbles available

The Meadway Hall Trustees were most grateful for the responses to our recent questionnaire. We are currently discussing which of the suggestions may be feasible and affordable, but would also welcome any further inputs from residents or hall users at our Meadway Hall AGM. Please come along and participate.

(See the February village newsletter for the questionnaire findings)

Meadway Village Hall

Weekly Events

Short Mat Bowls - Monday evening and Thursday afternoon

Dance group - Monday afternoon and Thursday evening

Toddlers & Baby group - Tuesday morning

Pilates and Kettlebells groups - Tuesday 4 to 6.30pm and Friday

morning 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Line dancing - Wednesday morning and evening

Table Tennis - Wednesday afternoon

Yoga - Thursday morning

Music With Mummy - Thursday morning

Fortnightly events

U3A sewing bee - in meeting room Tuesday afternoon

U3A quilting for all - Thursday morning in the main hall

Craft Club - 1st & 3rd Tuesday 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Monthly events

Avalon Quilters - the first Saturday in the main hall

Women's’ Institute (WI) - second Wednesday - the meeting room

CAMEO (Come And Meet Each Other) - Coffee mornings 1st

Wednesdays 10-30 a.m. to 12 noon (see page opposite)

Gardening Club - first Monday - Meeting Room at 7-30 p.m.

All groups are open for you to join

(Hall timetable - please see the website:https://comptondundonvillagemeadwayhall.co.uk/)

Hall monthly meetings 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m.

Are you able to give some time to help in some way?

If interested please contact Janet Davies ( Chairperson) 01458 272877 or Tiffany Kearton ( Secretary) 07855 328979

Please ensure their dogs are kept on a lead at all times when in the Village Hall playing field and children's play area. We have had complaints that dogs have been off their leads and fouling in these areas without the owners clearing up.

Ladies, we need you!

Our Women's Institute is hoping to celebrate our 95th Anniversary in 2024 but we'd love to have a few more members now to help us reach this milestone. Could this be you?

We usually meet at 2 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month in Meadway Hall. You don't have to live in the village to attend. We have Speakers, Competitions, Outings, Fun and Social events. We are a cheerful group and would welcome new members.

This coming month, on 8th March we are holding our meeting in The Castlebrook Inn at 12:30 p.m. and enjoying a Carvery lunch. If you wish to join us, please ring our Secretary Janet Davies on 01458 272877 to reserve your place with us. (Normal Carvery charges apply).

Further meetings include: -

12th April, an open meeting (bring your neighbours and friends) with Bring and Buy. Our Speaker Michelle Blackmore will talk about her owls and may even bring a live one!

10th May, Our speaker will be Barbara Spencer Jones talking about "Hanging Up My Pen".

14th June, Our meeting will be a practical craft afternoon.

12th July, Brian Wright will tell us about the history of Nursery Rhymes.

13th Sept, Richard Raynsford will talk to us about "The Glastonbury Festival : Views of a villager."

We also have some outings organised, so we do plenty to provide something of interest for all.

Compton Dundon Women's Institute

Report of meeting of Compton Dundon WI held on Wednesday, 8th February 2023

Sally welcomed all to the meeting. The Minutes of the previous meeting had been circulated so were taken as read. The remainder of the business matters were briefly itemised including: -

March 8th - carvery lunch at the Castlebrook. Contact Janet Davies on 01458 272877 if you wish to join us and reserve your place.

March 31st - Skittles evening at Ashcott Ring of Bells pub at 7 for 7.30 Subs due at the April Meeting

12th April - OPEN MEETING with speaker Michelle Blackmore with a talk about owls (possibly bringing one of her live owls too.)

10th May Speaker – Barbara Spencer Jones talking about ‘Hanging up My pen’.

13th June - Visit to Woolavington to see the Red Dress award winning embroidery project

The remainder of the meeting was taken up with much hilarity during a Beetle Drive. Some members obviously had ‘the touch’ in being able to complete their beetle whilst others were still waiting to start theirs. Life isn’t always fair!!

We hope that we shall be able to welcome some new faces at our open meeting or perhaps our lunch at the Castlebrook.

⧫⧫⧫100+ Club⧫⧫⧫

All the 100+ (150) tickets have now been sold ready for the first draw to take place on the second Wednesday in March.

Good luck to you all.

The prizes have increased to £20, £15, £10, £5 March to November and the December draw will be £100, £75, £50, £25, £15, £10, £5.

For more information, please contact me:janetdavies123@btinternet.com or 01458 272877/07971 834166

Compton Dundon and Littleton Gardening Club

The talk on 6th February was by Claire Hart on 'Plants for Problem Areas. There was a good turn -out by members interested in this subject. She immediately gained our interest by showing us a map of the Hall's postcode in terms of an analysis of the soil through the website www.landis.orh.uk/soilscapes. Though mostly of clay, there were areas of acid peaty soils and loam with high groundwater content, but the whole area had good fertility. She described the different textures that enable you to recognise your soil; clay rolls into a ball easily, sandy soil is drier and gritty, loam feels sticky and gritty and is considered the perfect soil. Her recommendations for dealing with clay was to use raised beds, the addition of grit or sand to assist drainage and to consider a 'no-dig' regime as advised by Charles Dowding. Woodchip and mulch can be obtained from South Petherton Bio Digestor Frogmary Green https:/ freewoodchips.co.uk and http://freemulch.abouttrees.com. What thrives are summer crop vegetables, fruit and ornamental trees and perennials. Root vegetables not so well.

Plants that cope well include Roses – 'Blanche Double de Coubert', Anenome – 'Honorine Jobert', Flowering Currant – 'Ribes sanguineum 'Pulborough Scarlet'', Laburnum, Philadelphus 'Manteau d'Hermine' and Helenium. Plants for wet soils include Hyrdangeas, Hostas and Primulas.

For boggy areas Astilbes and Ligularias do well. For further research she recommended Roy Lancaster's book 'What Plants Where' and the RHS website. There were questions from members. For dry shade, she recommended Vinca minor alba 'Gertrude Jekyll' and grape hyacinths. It was an interesting and diverse talk and much appreciated.

The Committee is presently putting together the Village Show booklet. Advertising in it can cost as little as £5.00. If anyone local wishes to advertise in the booklet, would they please contact Lynda Lofthouse at martinandlyda105@btinternet.com by 15 March at the latest.

The talk on 6th March will be 'Seed to Fork' with Greg Morter and the annual plug competition.

The talk on 3rd April will be 'Success with Rockeries' and Bring & Buy of your split perennials. Proceeds will go to the Earthquake Appeal, so bring your plants along to make as much money as possible.

Golf Society Report February 2023

Spring is sprung, up peeps the hellebore

Hark! Did I hear someone yellin’ “Fore!”? Oh! Yes, dear readers – that time has come So cheer up and don’t feel so glum

For Compton Dundon Golf Society is starting again To try to play golf, whether in hot sun or rain. And members will tremble - lest, perish the thought! They might appear in the Parish Newsletter report. New members are welcome – come along and see Expertise is not needed and the laughs they come free!

The first visit is to Wedmore Golf Club on Wednesday 15th March contact Simon Dore (01458 840595 or simondore545@gmail.com) for more information or to join us on that day.

The other visits this year are to Orchardleigh (April), Minehead (May), Honiton (June), Long Sutton (July), Warminster (August), Brean (September) and Wheathill (October).

Advance Notice

The Sons of Pitches 2023 Show

To celebrate 10 years of A Cappella adventures, The Sons of Pitches are getting back on the road to bring you their ‘Best Bits’.

15th July 2023 from 7 p.m. Meadway Village Hall

See April newsletter for all the details

Coronation Coins

If you would like your youngster to receive a Coronation coin from the Parish Council and they are 18 and under and LIVE in Compton

Dundon or Littleton please can you send an e-mail asap with their name(s), address and age to diane.churches@live.co.uk

Quiz Night

Next Tuesday 7th March 7.30pm for an 8pm start £2 per player

(food will be available to purchase)

Teams of up to 6 (no minimum size)

Please book in your team early with Rob at the pub 01458 781178 to ensure a place

On the first Wednesday of month (1st March)

10-30 a.m. to 12 noon

Compton Dundon Village Hall

Meeting Room For Everyone

Coffee, tea, delicious cakes

VILLAGE CALENDAR 2024

It is hoped to produce a Village Calendar next year so any photographers, please send your photos, in landscape format, of activities and places around the village for the months of January to December 2024 to linney.chris@gmail.com

Compton Dundon Cricket Club

Compton Dundon Colts

Following the success of Dynamos cricket here at Compton Dundon the club are keen to ensure the boys and girls maintain their enthusiasm for the game as they get older. With this in mind we are keen to introduce entry level hard ball cricket by forming an under 12 team to play in the Mid Wessex Cricket League.

The cricket coaching (aimed at developing key cricketing skills) would take place on a Friday evening from 6.00 pm at the Hayes Road ground for 8 weeks between May to July. There would also be a series of matches (played home and away) over the same period with other teams in the league. These may take place on Monday evenings.

The cost of the coaching would be £40 per child and each would receive a branded Compton Dundon CC playing shirt. Match fees will also be payable, further details to follow although we don't expect these to be excessive. The club will also provide bats, pads, helmets etc. although you may of course use your own kit of preferred.

The club will continue to run the Dynamos sessions for new entrants aged 8-11 years rather than join the under 12 team.

The under 12 matches are 8 a side and played in such a way that all children will be involved as much as possible, get to bat etc. with an innings being a maximum16 overs.

We envisage needing a squad of around 10 players, to take account of illness, holidays and so on. To gauge if the formation of a team in the under 12 league is feasible we would be very grateful if you could let me know if your child is keen to be involved?

This is the first step in forming junior teams at all ages as young people move up through the club. We are happy to hear from young people of other ages as we can provide coaching and possibly competitive cricket for all ages.

If you would like some more information then please contact

David Morgan

davidjmorgan1963@gmail.com

The Parish Council

Parish Council Members

Cllr Geoffrey Walker (Chair) 446487 geoffwalkercdpc@gmail.com

Cllr Diane Churches 442078 diane.churches@live.co.uk

Cllr Kevin Fleming

Cllr Steve Lawrence (Vice Chair)

Cllr John Rowlands 07976 631321

Cllr Martyn Say

Cllr Chris Swain

440405 Cjswaintransportservices@gmail.com

Clerk: Helen Richardson Email: comptondundonclerk@gmail.com

Tel: 0789 9970173 Website: www.comptondundon-pc.gov.uk

The next Parish Council meeting is on Wednesday 1st March 2023 at 7 p.m. In the Meadway Village Hall, Ham Lane, Compton Dundon

Chairman’s Blog

The Parish Council are purchasing Coronation coins which will be available for any youngsters 18 and under and who LIVE in Compton Dundon and Littleton. Please see the advert elsewhere in the newsletter to apply for the coins.

Dean Ruddle is our County Councillor and a District Councillor for the Wessex Ward (Somerton and Compton Dundon)

For an appointment call 07976 556054 or email at deanruddle@icloud.com

Tim Kerley is South Somerset District Councillor for the Wessex Ward (Somerton and Compton Dundon)

For an appointment to see Tim, email at tim.kerley@southsomerset.gov.uk or call 07949 798507

Neighbourhood Watch Reports

If you wish to contact the Police about an incident, please call 101 or Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 Local village contacts for concerns or to report problems or about participation in the local scheme: -

COMPTON – Simon Dore – simondore545@gmail.com

DUNDON – John Gordon – johngordon1952@hotmail.co.uk

Speed Indicator Device

9th to 23rd January 2023

Parish Council Planning Business

The following planning items were discussed at the Parish Council meeting held on 1st February 2023: -

a) To receive notifications of district council planning determinations : None

b) To agree responses to planning and legal consultations:

i) 22/03541/FUL: The Mallards, Peak Lane, Compton Dundon: Change of use of land for the Installation of tennis court, associated groundworks and landscaping

c) Enforcement issues:

i) Access to Aphrodite House/Clarendon house

ii) Blocked Footpath L7/30

Please report all crime and vandalism - phone 101 Make your local police support officer aware of what is happening in the village.

Newsletter of St Andrew’s Church - Compton Dundon

The Herald

Reverend Ana Lawrence –Rector

Tel: 01458 841373 or email: revanalawrence@gmail.com

Mrs Sonia Beaty - Benefice Administrator

Tel: 01458 442671 or email: churchoffice8@gmail.com

Church Warden: Pat King 01458 274926

Services & Events - 5th March to 2nd April 2023

All services start at 10.00am unless otherwise stated

Check ‘Upcoming Events’ at www.swcd-churches.org.uk

Date Service

Sunday 5th March Morning Worship

Sunday 12th March Holy Communion

Sunday 19th March

Mothering Sunday Morning Worship

Sunday 26th March Holy Communion

Sunday 2nd April

Palm Sunday Holy Communion

Full details of the Easter Services at St Andrew’s will appear in the April Herald.

Thank You

Over the coming weeks our church treasurers will be writing to all members of our churches as we wish to thank people for their financial giving over the last year. If you don't receive a letter please do contact our church treasurer, Julie Gordon. This is the first time that we have tried to do this, and it maybe that our records are not completely accurate! Please bear with us!

Dear Friends, ‘Dust & Glory’

This year, the Church of England’s Lent material, ‘Dust and Glory’ incorporates key themes of faith, failure and forgiveness inviting us to find God in the mess of our everyday lives. Whether or not you are in a house group or have joined a Lent group, whether or not you have purchased a copy of ‘Dust and Glory’, can I encourage you to use this 40-day period as special time with God, in prayer, bible reading, reflection and study. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians reminds us that it is only by grace that we are saved, God through Jesus has done it all for us.

Our mission statement for SWCD Churches, launched in January this year, reminds us that we are seeking to ‘worship God, love our communities and grow in faith’. As many of you will know by now, I am by no stretch of the imagination a gardener, but I do know that when a plant ceases to grow, it dies. This is a challenging analogy to apply to our faith. Are you growing? Are you learning new things about all that God is and has for you or are you just relying on the former things?

Lent is not the only time when I will be encouraging us to grow in our faith; it is, after all, something that should only end when we stand before our maker in glory. But Lent is perhaps a good time to re-focus and restart that growth, giving as it does a pattern and a discipline as we journey through the 40 days towards the events of Holy week and Easter when we see the glory through the dust.

With my love and prayers, Ana

Concert with Gregory Steward

On Saturday, March 25th we welcome singer Gregory Steward to St Andrew’ s Church, Compton Dundon (for details of the concert see the separate poster.) Greg is starting out on his professional career so we are pleased to support him and look forward to a wonderful musical evening. Gregory Steward, 22 yrs, graduated this summer from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with First Class Honours. Prior to this Gregory, from Taunton and with a passion for opera, was a specialist vocalist and trumpet player at Wells Cathedral School. In 2016 he won the Taunton Young Singer Competition. He has sung with acclaimed vocal ensemble Tenebrae and the Choir of St John’s College Oxford. He successfully auditioned for the BBC National Chorus of Wales and has performed at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

“

For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..” Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8

You are invited to come and share a cream tea on Saturday March 4th from 2 p.m. to 4.p.m.

Join us in the Meadway Hall, Compton Dundon for an afternoon of good food and good conversation. We will be asking for donations for the work and mission of St Andrew’s, Compton Dundon, but we promise we won't be checking whether you put your jam or cream on first!

It’s election time!

Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting, which should last no longer than an hour, will take place on 18th April at 7 p.m. in St Andrew’s. It is open to all and we hope many of you, particularly those on the electoral roll will be able to attend. As well as looking back and looking forward, these meetings are the place where we elect our representatives including Church Wardens, PCC members and, this year, Deanery Synod reps.

Have you considered standing for one of these vital roles? Even if you may have served in the past, this should not preclude you from serving again and you may find that PCCs are quite different these days, whilst Deanery Synod has some vital issues to wrestle with over the coming meetings. Nomination forms will be available in our churches but if you don’t think this is you, who should it be and could you nominate someone?

Weddings

It is always a joy to be part of the celebration when couples decide to get married in one of our churches. Current and many former residents of our parishes have an automatic ‘qualifying connection’ which allows them to marry in ‘their’ parish church. However, this qualifying connection also extends much further, meaning that family members of those currently living or who have formerly lived In Street, Walton or Compton Dundon may also be able to be married here as of right, so do discuss with any family members who might be considering ‘tying the knot’, even those who have ‘moved away’, the option of getting married in one of our beautiful churches.

The Church of England website has a full list of qualifying connections or please contact the church office who can also provide this list as well as information about other ways in which you can still get married in our churches even without such a qualifying connection.

Children and the church, some good news and a challenge!

Although we don’t see so many children in church these days, for many reasons, all generations - children, grandchildren, neighbours and others - are very welcome in any of our churches at any of our services, particularly those with more of an all-age focus. However, even if Sunday attendance amongst children is not as it used to be, we are still seeing children in our churches through three initiatives we are involved in.

‘Open the Book’ and other schools initiatives. Each week a team from SWCD churches and the Baptist Church takes interactive assemblies into a number of our local schools, telling Bible stories and sharing good news. Ana and her colleagues also have the opportunity to take increasing numbers of assemblies, RE lessons etc in our local schools.

‘Little Stars’, our term time pre-school group in the Mission Church is seeing growing numbers of families attending for a time of play, friendship and a Christian story or song.

‘Messy Church’. This is now running in both Walton and Street and is seeing more primary school age children and their families coming along for a time of worship, stories, craft and food.

Children are coming to our churches and hearing the Christian message even if this is happening in a new way! Little Stars and Messy Church are, of course, open to children from Compton Dundon.

And now to the challenge. All of the above activities need people and all of them would welcome new people (you!) to get involved. If you feel you would like to help and are interested in getting involved or would like to find out more on behalf of your own children, please contact the Church Office on 01458 442671..