Yeovil Press - Issue 31 - April 2021

YEOVILPRESS

AP 20 RIL 21

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www.yeovilpress.co.uk | Edition Number 31 | FREE

THE ANNUAL WORLD BOOK DAY WAS CELEBRATED AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE YEOVIL AREA. – TURN TO OUR PHOTO SPECIAL ON PAGES 48-49 A FOUR-PAGE SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE LATEST NEWS FROM KEY YEOVIL EMPLOYER – LEONARDO HELICOPTERS. – TURN TO PAGES 39-42

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EIGHTY YEARS ON – WE REMEMBER FIREFIGHTER CHARLIE GILLARD WHO WAS KILLED WHILE SERVING THE COMMUNITY DURING AN AIR RAID ON YEOVIL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. – TURN TO PAGES 54-55

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INSIDE

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IMPORTANT INFO FROM CITIZENS ADVICE ‹‹ 9

REST IN PEACE

EVIE'S MAYOR ELECT ‹‹ 15

YEOVIL TOWN FC CAPTAIN, LEE COLLINS, DIES AT THE AGE OF 32 TURN TO PAGES 14 & 76-79

OPEN 9.15AM TO 1PM – MONDAY TO FRIDAY OR PHONE FOR AN APPOINTMENT

NEW ONLINE SHOP - WWW.ATOUCHOFGLASSYEOVIL.CO.UK ONLINE NOW – HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO 1 Church Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HE Phone: 01935-411088 / www.atouchofglassyeovil.co.uk For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

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EDITOR'S NEWS IN BRIEF NOTE WELCOME to the April 2021 edition of the Yeovil Press community newspaper and I hope that everybody had a lovely and relaxing Easter break – but now the diet kicks-in to make amends for all that over-indulgence in chocolate eating!

Great to see that as of Monday (April 12) we will be taking another step along the Government’s Road Map out of Lockdown with more restrictions being lifted. Good news for hair salons etc!

Dare I suggest – quietly - that the light at the end of that very long tunnel called Covid-19 is beginning to get brighter?

Fantastic to see that events are now being planned for the future such is the growing optimism that we are finally turning the tide in the battle against the pandemic.

Turn to Page 45 and look at the advert for the planned Flashback Festival which will be held at Yeovil Showground on May 28-30 featuring some great bands including Black River Sinners, Filta, Snakebyte and Storm. Tickets are selling fast – so don’t miss out!

This month’s edition is a bumper 80-page publication with lots of news, photos, features and sport from Yeovil and the surrounding area.

Thank you to those that have advertised in this edition – your support is very much appreciated during these difficult times.

Many thanks to James Healey, of JRH Media, for his help with design and layout, and photographer Christine Jones for her support.

The next edition of Yeovil Press will be out on Friday, May 7, 2021. If you would like to get in touch – please email yeovilpress@gmail.com .

May I finish by passing on my condolences to the family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town FC following the tragic death of club captain Lee Collins. News of his passing certainly put everything into perspective.

Take care, keep well and please keep safe.

Best wishes - STEVE SOWDEN - Editor

Photo of the month

NEWS IN BRIEF >> IF any business would like to advertise in the next edition of Yeovil Press – out on Friday, May 7 2021 - please get in touch by emailing yeovilpress@gmail.com or by phoning 0777-319-8081. >> KEEP up-to-date with the latest news from Yeovil and surrounding area by logging onto the Yeovil Press website at www.yeovilpress.co.uk >> SOME of the photos printed in the April 2021 edition of Yeovil Press may be available to be purchased.

Anyone wanting to buy photos included in this edition – please drop us a line at 0777-319-8081 or email yeovilpress@gmail.com >> GET IN TOUCH: If you have a story or an event coming up you would like to possibly see covered in the next edition of the Yeovil Press get in touch by emailing yeovilpress@gmail.com

THE Yeovil Press received this super photo from reader Carole Britton which she took last month of four Canadian Geese flying over East Chinnock as the sun was rising. If you take a photo which you think could be included in our Photo of the Month feature – please email us at yeovilpress@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your photos.

What's in your new local newspaper Pg 04: Congratulations to Cake Box Bakery!

Pg 06-07: Coffee Break Chat with Kara Bignell-Bird Pg 12-13: Around the Town Pg 14-15: News from Yeovil Town Council Pg 20-21: News from the Octagon Theatre Pg 22-23: News in Photos Pg 24-25: News at a Glance Pg 26-27: On Our Doorstep Pg 29: Yeovil Hospital's Breast Cancer Unit Appeal News Pg 30-31: Coming out of Covid-19 Pg 32-33: Together We Are Stronger Pg 34-36: Family Announcements Pg 37: Remembering Jimmy Quinn & Trevor Peacock Pg 39-42: News from Leonardo Helicopters Pg 43: My Top Ten Pg 46-50: School News Pg 52-53: Flashback - April Pg 54-55: Remembering Charlie Gillard - 80 Years On Pg 56-57: Yeovil History Files Pg 58-59: Down Memory Lane Pg 60-61: Old Pubs of Yeovil Pg 62-69: Sport News Pg 70-71: Alec Stock Remembered Pg 72-73: Book Review - Gerry Gow Pg 74: Glovers Glory Pg 76-79: RIP Lee Collins For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

>> YEOVIL Press is published by Steve Sowden, of Yeovil Press, and printed by Newsquest at Fleet House in Hampshire Road, Weymouth, Dorset, or at Newspaper House in Osney Mead, Oxford, Oxfordshire.

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It will cost £25 a year to have the Yeovil Press posted to your home each month.

Email yeovilpress@gmail.com or phone us on 07773-198-081 for further details.

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Cake Box Bakery victory at Somerset Business Awards IT is hoped that the Yeovil-based Cake Box Bakery will be the only ever winner of an award handed out last month at the annual Somerset Business Awards.

The Cake Box in Wessex Road was triumphant in a special category entitled Outstanding Covid-19 Response.

This hopefully one-off award recognised the outstanding response of a business either to diversify and survive the challenges posed by the pandemic, or which went above and beyond to support the UK’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Maybe a business produced PPE or made changes to existing products or services to help others on the frontline or to enable people to stay safe in the workplace. Alternatively, they may have launched a new initiative to protect jobs as a direct response to the pandemic.

The Cake Box went the extra yard during lockdown to ensure that people who needed bakery provisions got them.

Deborah Gingell, of Cake Box Bakery,

said: “It’s amazing to win! We cannot thank our customers and all our hardworking staff enough for all the support they have given us over this past crazy year. We are all absolutely thrilled.”

A record number of businesses once again entered the awards and around 1,000 people logged-in to watch the ceremony live online on Friday, March 26, and hosted by BBC Somerset journalist and presenter Claire Carter.

The 2021 finalists came from all corners of the county, including Cheddar, Langport, Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury, Taunton, North Petherton, Roadwater, Frome, Highbridge, Wellington, Somerton, Baltonsborough, Westonzoyland, Midsomer Norton, Axbridge, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Compton Martin, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare and Chard.

These were the 16th awards and it was the 11th time local South West-based chartered accountants, tax consultants and financial planners Albert Goodman

had been the main sponsor of the event.

Stephen Henagulph, Somerset Chamber’s chief executive, said: “I am extremely proud of our county’s businesses and it’s an honour to be able to celebrate the many individual achievements and the outstanding work done by our businesses in these difficult last 12 months.

“Our winners and finalists come from all corners of the county and from a wide range of sectors and industries. Thank you to everyone who entered the awards

and thank you to our judges and sponsors who continued to support us and enabled us to make these the biggest and best business awards in Somerset.”

Runners-up in the Outstanding Covid-19 Response category were Petruth Paddocks Ltd of Cheddar and the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance charity which has its office headquarters in Wellington.

PHOTO: Awards ceremony presenter Claire Carter speaks to victorious Cake Box Bakery owners Rob and Deb Gingell who were joined online by their daughter Elizabeth.

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS COVID-19 RESPONSE Sponsored by

At the Cake Box Bakery, we would like to say a massive thank you to our dedicated team and our loyal customers for their support throughout the global pandemic. Without you all we would not have recieved this prestigious Somerset Business Award!

Now we have enjoyed our Easter hot cross buns, we would like to remind our customers that we are still offering free delivery in the Yeovil area on orders of £6 or more. Or come into our shop on Wessex Road to choose from our selection of delicious bread and cakes!

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COFFEE BREAK CHAT

35 questions in 60 seconds WELCOME to the Coffee Break Chat feature to the Yeovil Press – YOUR monthly community newspaper – in which we ask somebody from the local community a set of random questions.

Each month we will pose 35 questions to a member of the local community and they will give their truthful and honest answers about their likes and dislikes, hopes and aspirations and childhood memories.

It is all a bit of fun, but might provide some interesting and discussionprovoking questions along the way for Yeovil Press readers.

This month’s Coffee Break Chat spotlight falls on Kara Bignell-Bird – who was part of the team which co-ordinated the fantastic Yeovil Window Wanderland project earlier this year which was featured in last month’s Yeovil Press.

Coffee Break Chat has been kindly sponsored by the No5 Café Diner which can be found at Kingfisher Close in Gazelle Road on the Lynx Trading Estate.

The No5 Cafe Diner has an extensive breakfast and lunch menu and is also offering Evening Meals on a takeaway

basis. Depending on what the latest Covid-19 rules are – depends on whether No5 is open for just takeaway or whether people can sit inside the diner for meals.

PHOTO: Kara Bignell-Bird.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – a 2000 film starring Jim Carrey. Turn to Question 13.

1: Name: Kara Bignell-Bird

we all have a hidden super power.

2: Occupation: Teacher with Apricot Learning Online and a freelancer with Yeovil Art Space

10: What is the one thing you cannot resist? My partner Julian; he’s the kindest and most romantic soul I have ever met. Plus he makes me laugh so much. I know exactly what he’ll say when he sees this: “I’ve just been sick in my mouth.”

3: Live: Yeovil 4: Places of education: I’ve been all over - Northampton, Essex, Bedford, Bath, and Yeovil!

5: Who was/were your best pal/pals at school? My mate Michelle - we are still friends now after 36 years. We miss each other terribly as she still lives in Northampton, where I grew up and we haven’t seen each other for a couple of years.

6: What was your favourite lesson at school? I absolutely loved English and it is not a surprise that I became an English teacher. As an able reader I was introduced to the dark side of Roald Dahl’s Kiss Kiss and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World which fed my love of science fiction.

7: What is your proudest moment? There’s not just one as I have three amazing children of whom I am so very proud. They have been through so much and are carving out successful and productive lives. They are also very funny people and make me giggle far too much!

8: What is your favourite meal? Easy one!

Roast beef dinner. When I met my partner, he invited me round to his flat after he’d done a long day at work, he produced an amazing roast beef dinner and I knew that a man that went to all that effort for little old me was a keeper.

Kiss Kiss is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. Turn to Question 6.

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Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman in the hit TV series of the 1970s. Turn to Question 9.

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9: What was your favourite TV programme as a child? I had a few favourites - The Bionic Man, The Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman. I loved the idea that ordinary people had hidden powers and alter egos and l think

11: What is your greatest fear? I’m not afraid of much but I do have Vasovagal Syncope which makes medical procedures problematic as my blood pressure can drop suddenly meaning I can faint very easily. So, my worry is that one day, I’ll faint and not wake up!

12: What is your favourite drink? A good old British cup of cha!

13: What is your favourite film? This really depends what mood I’m in. I absolutely love sci-fi as a genre and tend to prefer ‘box-sets’ on streaming sites rather than films as when I worked in a secondary school for years, I was so tired all the time, I could only manage hour-long episodes. I love anything that makes me laugh too. The Grinch is put on every Christmas by my partner, just so he can watch me laughing at the film, which in turn, makes him laugh.

14: Who is your favourite singer? Me! I cannot sing but I sing songs about anything and everything, from getting up in the morning to going on holiday, to loading the dishwasher.

15: What was the first record you ever bought? Ghost Town by The Specials! Such a classic song and I never forgave my sister for snapping the 7”!

16: What is something you’ve never tried but want to? Retiring.

17: Cinema or Theatre? I love both. In normal times we do Airbnb and have a lot

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of actors stay with us so it’s always great to go and see them in action at the Octagon.

The best cinema I ever visited was the art nouveau Tuchinski Theatre in Amsterdam. It was founded by a Jewish man who was sent to Auschwitz.

18: Going out or staying in? We have surround sound at home so sometimes, we get a comfier cinematic experience at home but again it depends on mood. We love to entertain and are looking forward to having friends and family over when we are allowed.

19: What is your favourite sporting moment? Finding three million excuses to get out of PE at school.

20: What is your favourite holiday destination? I’ve always visited the Isle of Wight regularly as my grandparents lived there so it is like a second home.

21: Do you believe in ghosts? I’m still on the fence with this. My partner and I have done the ghost hunt at Shepton Mallet Prison which was actually amazing and very interesting.

22: Do you collect anything? The whole family collect patches and badges. This started in my guiding days and now all my children and step-children collect patches.

23: What is your favourite board game? I don’t really have a favourite board game but we play Cards Against Humanity a lot, which has us in stitches.

24: If you won the National Lottery, what is the first thing you would do? I would invest in property and a scheme which would help people get on their feet. I like the Buddhist idea of helping people to help themselves.

25: If a film was made about you – what actor would you want to play you? I’m not sure about an actor but when I was at one of my universities I was nicknamed Ruby - after Ruby Wax - as I used to have curly permed hair. I am supposed to be very funny so I think she’d make a good me!

dead, who would you meet? I’d spend a day with my Nan. She was only 56 when she died and we were so close and we would spend so much time together.

27: Which TV programme makes you pickup the remote and switch channel? Wheeler flippin’ dealers. I live with two car mad men and that and Top Gear always seem to be playing! If I hear another,’ you’ve got yourself a deal’ I’ll scream!!

28: Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?

I have ridden in an ambulance as my maternal Grandfather was an ambulance driver and used to give me and my mum lifts in it!

29: Which three traits define you?

Organisation, determination, kindness.

30: What is the best book you have ever read? There are actually a lot but as a teenager I had to study ‘Middlemarch ’by George Elliot and loved the character of Dorothea Brooke.

The Tuchinski Theatre in Amsterdam. Turn to Question 17.

31: How many bones have you broken?

Just my little toe.

32: When you were little, what did you want to be? I always wanted to be a teacher and therefore fulfilled my ambition!

33: What’s the best (clean) joke you’ve ever heard? What’s brown and sticky? A stick.

The Tuchinski Theatre in Amsterdam. Turn to Question 17.

Ghost hunting at Shepton Mallet Prison.

Turn to Question 21.

The Middlemarch novel by English author Mary Anne Evans, who wrote under the pen-name of George Eliot. Turn to Question 30.

34: Would you rather go into space or to the bottom of the ocean? Oh, space, definitely. Let’s overlook the fact I get horrendous motion sickness but the idea of endless travel enthrals me.

35: Tell us something that might surprise us about you. I cause the ‘marmite’ effect in people as I call it. I’m either very well liked or completely hated! One of my best friends bought me a mug that says ’Your enthusiasm is scaring everybody’! I always smile and treat people kindly but once crossed, I’ll never forget!

26: If you could meet anyone, living or

WE ARE STAYING OPEN DURING THE LATEST LOCKDOWN FOR DELIVERY AND TAKEAWAY BOTH DAYTIME AND EVENING ORDERS FULL MENU IS AVAILABE FOR TAKEAWAY AND DELIVERY YOU CAN ORDER ONLINE, BUY PHONE OR MESSAGE US ON FACEBOOK

The Stig from TV’s Top Gear. Turn to Question 27.

Three ways to pre-order your food for collection or delivery: 1: Phone 01935-433665 2: Email orders@number5catering.co.uk 3: Direct message on No5 Catering’s Facebook page.

Or you can come to the diner and place your order over the counter.

Number5Catering.co.uk | 01935 433665 facebook.com/No5Diner | twitter.com/no5cateringltd Ghost Town by The Specials. Turn to Question 15.

Entertainer Ruby Wax. Turn to Question 25.

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1 Kingfisher Close, Gazelle Road, Lynx Trading Estate, Yeovil BA20 2PJ YOUR new local newspaper that covers YOUR local area

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Unique learning project has set up its very own base in Yeovil town centre THE Rendezvous Youth Services charity has set up base in Yeovil with its unique learning project offering local people aged between 16 and 25 FREE maths and English one-to-one tuition working towards functional skills qualifications.

Doors open at the Methodist Church at the bottom of the Quedam Shopping Centre on Tuesday mornings for oneto-one learning sessions by prior arrangement.

Helped by funding from Somerset Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Recovery Fund, The Rendezvous Learning Project supports young people to gain their qualifications so they can join the job market, go to college, or join an apprenticeship.

Learning manager Julie Bartle, who has headed a similar project in Sherborne for the past six years, said: “It was really exciting to open just prior to Easter. Our

first Yeovil tutor is Paul, an ex-naval and prison officer, who sat down to English Level Two with 17-year-old Luke who wants to do a veterinary apprenticeship at the practice where he works.

“And Chris, a retired scientist from Yeovil Hospital started maths tutoring with Tyler, also 17, who missed out on lots of school.

“Some volunteer tutors have a teaching qualification, but it’s not essential. They need GCSE level competence, but most important of all, a great deal of patience and kindness and an ability to explain ideas calmly and clearly.

“Volunteers need to have two to three hours free a week and we give them an induction, support and a mentor as well as safeguarding training.”

Learning associate Faye Dimdore added: “Some young people miss out the first-time round at school for all sorts of different reasons.

“Their confidence and self-esteem can be really low and they are stuck without the qualifications they need.

“We do Pearson’s Functional Skills maths and English which is practical and recognised by employers colleges and apprenticeships. It enables young people to move onto their next steps in life. And we see them really gain in confidence along the way.

“Working one to one with an adult tutor is a new and positive experience for our learners who found classrooms a struggle; some pupils found it difficult to get the attention they needed when they didn’t understand so they found themselves falling behind. With us they can go over things at their pace and take the exam when they are ready so our pass rate is high.”

Anyone who needs their English or maths Level One or Two is welcome to contact Faye and Julie at the Rendezvous.

Likewise anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a Volunteer Tutor in Yeovil. Please email Learning@ therendezvous.org.uk and visit www. therendezvous.org.

PHOTO: New learner Luke is pictured with Faye Dimdore and new tutors Paul and Chris at the Methodist Church in Yeovil town centre.

People asked to be careful with barbecues after Ninesprings fire

FIREFIGHTERS were called out on Easter Monday (April 5) to deal with an incident at the Ninesprings area of the Yeovil Country Park.

People had left unattended a barbecue, which was still alight, and fire spread to a tree.

Firefighters not only had to deal with the fire, but also carried out some litterpicking of the area to remove rubbish which had been left behind.

A spokesman for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “Please dispose of your rubbish correctly and be careful with your barbecues.”

The Fire Service has issued some advice on barbecue safety: Make sure your barbecue is in good working order.

Ensure the barbecue is on a flat site, well away from a shed, trees or shrubs.

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Keep children, garden games and pets well away from the cooking area.

Never leave the barbecue unattended.

Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies.

Ensure the barbecue is cool before attempting to move it.

Charcoal Barbecues: Use only enough charcoal to cover the base to a depth of about 50mm (two inches).

Only use recognised fire lighters or starter fuel and only on cold coals – use the minimum necessary and never use petrol.

Never put hot ashes straight into a dustbin or wheelie bin – they could melt the plastic and cause a fire.

PHOTOS: The scene at Ninesprings in Yeovil. Photos courtesy of Yeovil Fire Station’s social media Facebook page.

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Keep busy, be humble and have a great sense of humour!

AN AMAZING woman who helped to make ropes for parachutes during the Second World War has celebrated her 100th birthday.

Back in March 1921, David Lloyd George was Prime Minister, King George V was on the throne and the First World War had been over for three years.

But, more importantly, March 27, 1921, was a very special day locally as Eileen Hawkins came into the world – born in West Coker in a house on the High Street.

Eileen, who was born Eileen Trask, has lived in West Coker all of her 100 years and she marked her big day with a Covid-19 secure small get-together with family in her “social bubble.”

She married Ronald Hawkins on December 21, 1940, when he was home on Christmas leave – he was stationed in Norfolk in the catering corps. He sadly died a number of years ago.

Eileen left school at 14 and worked at the Twine Factory in West Coker where she helped making ropes for the parachutes during the 1939-45 war.

She has one daughter, one

granddaughter and five great grandchildren.

Her favourite memories include visiting Weston-super-Mare as a young family after the war and enjoying family parties; plus riding pillion on her husband’s motorbike for more than 30 years!

Eileen said that the secret behind 100 years of life was to “keep busy, be humble and have a great sense of humour.”

Her big day was marked by receiving a birthday card of congratulations from Her Majesty the Queen.

Above: Eileen Hawkins on her 100th birthday – holding her birthday card from The Queen. Left: Eileen Hawkins pictured in 1930 outside her house at 29 High Street, West Coker. The house does not exist anymore as it was pulled down.

Citizens Advice South Somerset We are open and here to help Free phone Adviceline: 08082787842 10.00am – 4.00pm daily Or email via link on our website www.citizensadvicesouthsomerset.org.uk For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

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Community hero award for dedicated Lord's Larder volunteer THE driving force behind the Lord’s Larder food bank operation in Yeovil has been recognised as a true community hero.

The food bank has always provided crucial support for those families who find themselves in financial difficulties, but it has come to the fore over the past year with more and more people needing its help due to the pressures of Covid-19.

Now Mat Callaghan, who has volunteered at the Lord’s Larder for many years and raised £50,000 for donations in 2020, has received a Census 2021 Community Hero Award.

A total of 22 unique purple plaques – one for each census that has taken place have been awarded to community heroes up and down the country.

With census day having just passed ordinary people have been celebrated for the extraordinary contributions they have made and to highlight how census data helps to build better communities.

From volunteering during the pandemic, to supporting those with mental health issues, the winners have made an amazing difference during a difficult time.

Mat said: “I am truly grateful to have received the Census 2021 Community Hero Award, amongst the hundreds of entries that were submitted.

“The Lord’s Larder food bank is a true passion project of mine - I am honestly thrilled to have been selected for this award.”

The entries were judged by a panel of noteworthy community champions, led by actress and presenter Joanna Page.

“In what has been a difficult year for so many of us, this was a great opportunity to say thank you to the people who go above and beyond to serve their local community,” she said.

The census, which took place on March 21, will shed light on the needs of different groups and communities, and the inequalities people are experiencing, ensuring the big decisions facing the country following the pandemic and EU exit are based on the best information possible.

Census 2021 will inform decisions nationally and locally on vital services and issues. Ultimately it ensures millions of pounds are invested in emergency

services, mental health care, school places, hospital beds, houses, roads, GPs and dentists’ services - all based on the information people provide.

PHOTOS: Mat Callaghan.

Zero waste is the Healthy Weigh to shopping

SHERBORNE’S NEW ORGANIC ZERO WASTE SHOP Enjoy an affordable, healthier lifestyle whilst having a positive impact on our planet.

High quality sustainable produce, much of it locally sourced Tofu, Tempeh, Komboucha, Pasta, Herbs, Spices, Coffee, Preserves, Chutney, Olive and Rapeseed oils + much more.

Orders now being taken for bespoke Easter hampers please visit our shop or email for more details The Healthy Weigh, 6 Swan Yard, Cheap Street, Dorset DT9 3AX sales@thwsherborne.co.uk | 07772 505571 www.thwsherborne.co.uk 10

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A NEW shop which focuses on zero waste has been opened just down the road from Yeovil by husband-and-wife team Tim and Lisa Stevens.

The couple, who have been married for over 25 years, have opened The Healthy Weigh in Swan Yard in Cheap Street, Sherborne, and it has been a dream come true.

“We have been focussed on running a zero waste shop for many years,” they said. “Due to a redundancy, we decided that this is the right time to make plans and start doing something for ourselves, which will hopefully have a positive impact on everyone’s health and wellbeing with the added benefit of looking after our fantastic planet.”

The Healthy Weigh provides an organic zero waste shop and a big alternative to the customary supermarket.

Tim and Lisa added: “Most of our products are organic whilst using the minimal amount of packaging and the products sold in packaging are recyclable or reusable.

“We are passionate about offering our customers the best products that money can buy at an affordable cost.

“We offer a full range of products where you can buy as much as you want this could be as little as 30g or 100g depending on what your need is to whatever amount you wish to buy.

“By selling produce in this way you get the quantity that you want, the planet doesn’t suffer, and you don’t waste money.

“We have searched the local areas and have found some fabulous local suppliers right here on our doorstep. We believe in what we sell and have tasted our products, we will not disappoint.

“We believe in giving our customers what they want and if there is anything that you need that we have not got in our shop then we will ensure that we source this for you, just ask us and we will do all we can.”

See The Healthy Weigh’s advert on this page.

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Friends Charlotte and Izzy put their best foot forward for charity A YEOVIL teenager has done her military family and community proud as she completed a walking marathon in a day while raising much-needed funds for hundreds of bereaved Armed Forces children and young people.

Charlotte Smith, whose dad, Warrant Officer Colin Smith, currently serves in the Royal Navy, took to the streets of Yeovil on March 13 to complete the marathon distance of 26.2 miles and all to raise money for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a national charity which offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent in the Armed Forces.

Growing up in the Forces community, Charlotte herself knows how important charities like Scotty’s are and wanted to help in any way that she could. She had already planned to do a marathon walk as part of her Duke of Edinburgh award, alongside her friend Izzy Short, and decided to raise much needed funds for a worthy cause in the process.

“Charlotte immediately said she wanted to raise money for Scotty’s Little Soldiers,” said proud mum Gail. “The charity means a lot to us and with Colin also serving in the Navy, we all know what an important role it plays within

their families enough for getting behind Scotty’s and helping us to raise funds we most desperately need.”

Izzy and Charlotte setting off on their Marathon challenge

the Forces community.

“Charlotte has really enjoyed taking part in the walk, even the practice walks which have taken her almost 12 hours to complete. She’s done incredibly well in drumming up donations, even before the walk she surpassed her fundraising target of £150 and we hope that amount continues to grow.”

Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which was set up in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott, offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces.

The charity does lots of things to

support its members, including providing access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing care, offering outstanding development opportunities through a range of activity and educational grants, and Scotty’s helps put smiles back on those brave faces by organising events, providing respite breaks, posting them birthday and Christmas presents and remembering the anniversary of their parent’s death.

Nikki said: “What inspiring young ladies Charlotte and Izzy are. They’ve both done so well as walking a marathon in one day is no easy task.

“I can’t thank Charlotte, Izzy and

Charlotte Smith.

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AROUND THE TOWN

Support grows for council's defibrillator project

WORK is ongoing on sorting out locations for new potentially lifesaving defibrillators to be installed in Yeovil.

It was agreed earlier this year by Yeovil Town Council that it would make £9,000 available from 2021-22 to fund four defibrillators.

Members of the public will be able to access these defibrillators at any time of the day or night and use them on somebody who is having a cardiac arrest.

Council clerk Amanda Card has been kept busy investigating four locations for the defibs – the Westfield estate near

the Co-op store on Stiby Road; the Forest Hill shopping centre; the shops along St John’s Road; and the town centre near Boots in Middle Street.

Miss Card told the council’s buildings and civic matters committee on March 16 – via the Zoom conferencing technology – that getting the required permissions has not been straight-forward.

“This is a big project and bigger than you would expect,” she said.

Miss Card said that shop owners were in support of the project, but they would need to get the permission of the building’s landlord.

A HAIR and beauty salon in Yeovil has won the support of town councillors in a bid to expand its facilities.

The Lounge Hair and Beauty salon in Preston Grove had applied for planning permission to convert an existing garage outbuilding into two beauty therapy rooms.

Members of Yeovil Town Council’s planning committee were told – via the Zoom conferencing technology on March 15 – by the applicants’ agent, Martin Wilde, that the garage was currently used for storage and was a “dumping ground.”

He explained to councillors that the project would see the creation of two therapy rooms along with a waiting area and toilet facilities.

Councillors were told that there had been concerns in the past about a lack of parking for clients using the salon.

Mr Wilde explained that the salon had a “gentleman’s agreement” with the Westlands Yeovil entertainment venue about people being able to use its car

park around the corner in Westbourne Close in return for a donation to charity.

Councillors voted in favour of supporting the application and Cllr Evie Potts-Jones said: “I would like to wish the business the best of luck for the future.”

A highways consultant at South Somerset District Council, in a planning report, said: “I see that the development proposal does not appear to have attracted any local opposition and is supported by the town council.

“I am mindful that the road network in that area is very generous in terms of its width and therefore should a small increase in on-street parking occur as a result of this scheme, in the event that the informal agreement with Westlands comes to an end, I do not believe such parking would cause a significant highway safety concern, especially given the relatively short stay nature involved with such parking.”

The application was granted permission by the district council on March 26.

The Lounge gets expansion plan green light

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Councillors were told that the Nationwide Building Society opposite Boots in the town centre had agreed to take a defibrillator and would like to arrange some fundraising to help contribute towards the costs.

Miss Card said that other offers of support had come in from the community for the project.

Cllr Tony Lock praised the town clerk for all the work she had so far carried out on the initiative.

“This is a lot of work,” he said.

“Councillors might not actually realise

how much work is involved in this.

“I think we should let Amanda run with this and bring back more news about this to the committee at a later date.

“We aren’t going to get all of our questions answered straight away so let’s allow the town clerk to get on with this.

“We can talk and talk about things, but we have to wait for the work to be done.”

If any business would like to get involved financially with the defibrillator project with sponsorship – please call Yeovil Town Council on 07773 162369 or email ytc@yeovil.gov.uk .

Catalytic converter thefts are on the increase

POLICE in the South Somerset area have recently seen an increase in thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles.

Catalytic converters are positioned underneath a vehicle and can take less than a minute to cut and remove, usually taken as they contain precious metals like platinum, palladium or rhodium which are valuable to metal dealers.

And thieves are being brave enough to carry out the thefts in daylight hours as well as after dark.

Anyone acting suspiciously under a vehicle please report it immediately to the Police on 999.

Crime prevention advice • Park your car in a locked garage where possible, but if this isn’t an option then park it in a well-lit and wellpopulated area.

• In order to steal the parts, thieves need to slide under the vehicle and use cutting tools to detach the box from the pipes around it. This means parking your car close to fences, walls or kerbs will make theft much more difficult.

• Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road, this may make it easier for thieves to access the catalytic converter.

• If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other cars facing your bonnet towards the wall if possible. With the catalytic converter positioned at the front of your vehicle, this will make it harder for thieves to get close enough to steal it.

• If your catalytic converter is bolted on you can ask your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove. You can also purchase a ‘cage clamp’ which is a caged device that locks around the converter to make it more difficult to remove.

• You can also etch a serial number onto the converter to assist Police should yours be stolen. Some garages will do this for you, you will also be provided with a sticker to be displayed in your window that indicates your catalytic converter is marked which prevents offenders from targeting your vehicle.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

Have your say on Mudford Flats plan for town centre hotel Road development plans PLANS have been unveiled to turn a town centre hotel into 14 flats in Yeovil.

An application has been submitted to South Somerset District Council for the changes to be made at the Terrace Lodge hotel in South Western Terrace.

Planning documents indicate that the flats will be one and two bedroom with lounges and kitchens.

“Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic the hotel is seen as unviable and an alternative use is required to keep the building occupied,” said a spokesman for

the applicants.

The application has yet to be discussed

by Yeovil Town Council’s planning committee, although a final decision will be made by South Somerset District Council.

The building was home to the Alexandra Hotel for more than 100 years before it closed in around 1995 and has since then re-opened under several different guises.

For more news about its previous life as the Alexandra Hotel – turn to our monthly Old Pubs of Yeovil feature on Pages 60-61.

Yuck! Used condoms found left lying about skate park

A PUBLIC consultation is still open for people to have their say about plans for a 250-home development on land on the outskirts of Yeovil.

The planned development site comprises 57 acres to the north of Mudford Road – starting on land virtually opposite the junction with Lyde Road.

A public consultation about the development has been published by Land Value Alliances “We want to share our emerging plans with people, understand what issues

are important to the community and get feedback on our proposals,” said the document. “The proposals show overall a development of up to 250 homes.”

The public consultation runs until April 18 and people can look at the documents via this link at https://lva-mudfordroad. co.uk/welcome .

PHOTO: The planned development site north of Mudford Road which runs from the bottom left up to the top right of the photo, with Lyde Road running off to the right.

Anti-social behaviour problems in Sherborne Road

COUNCILLORS screwed their faces up in disapproval when they heard that a number of used condoms had been found discarded at the skate park on the Abbey Manor estate in Yeovil.

Cllr Jeny Snell said before the start of Brympton Parish Council’s monthly meeting on March 24 – via the Zoom conferencing technology – that she had received a complaint from a member of the public about the unsavoury discovery on the estate’s well-used Oak Tree Park recreational area.

The council chairman, Cllr Keith Weston, quipped: “At least they were being responsible.”

During the actual meeting Cllr Josh Williams, who represents Brympton at Somerset County Council, said: “I have received a number of reports this month of instances of substance abuse and drug paraphernalia being left at Oak Tree Park.

“Residents have been advised to call police on 101 if they witness any illegal activity and provide, if safe to take them, photographs of any evidence of substance abuse as well as times and dates to follow

up with the police.”

Cllr Snell said: “I have had a number of complaints from people about rubbish, glass and used contraceptives up there.

“One lady told me she’d gone back home and got a pair of gloves and went back and removed them!”

Cllr Snell added: “There were a few used contraceptives found at the back of the skate park. I’m not sure if it was the same person or several people – not that I really want to know!”

Councillors discussed whether the police should be asked to carry out more patrols of the area in a bid to deter future anti-social behaviour.

But Cllr Stephen Attrill said: “It might be unrealistic and not the best use of police time to keep them going around there.

“I think it’s up to residents to keep an eye out and perhaps film things if they can and it’s safe to do so.”

Councillors have suggested they discuss again the possibility of taking the sides off the skate park’s shelter – so that it is not enclosed.

Grit bin support for churchyard

POLICE are experiencing an increase in anti-social behaviour problems in the Sherborne Road area of Yeovil.

Reports have been received that groups of street drinkers are gathering near to local businesses causing fear, intimidation and significant harm to the local area, as well as leaving large amounts of bottles and litter behind.

A police spokesman added: “In relation to this there was an incident between a male and female in the car park in front

of Majestic Wines.

“This was at 1.30pm on Thursday, April 1, and a number of members of the public were present and are also believed to have filmed the incident on their mobile phones.

If anyone can provide any information, please call 101 quoting reference number 5221069893.

PHOTOS: Litter left behind in Sherborne Road by street drinkers.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

COUNCILLORS have agreed to fund the installation of a grit bin at St John’s Churchyard in the centre of Yeovil.

Members of Yeovil Town Council’s buildings and civic matters committee agreed – via the Zoom conferencing technology on March 16 – to support request.

The bin will be placed at the rear of the church and allow people to spread grit over the churchyard pathways during icy

weather when they become slippery.

Town clerk Amanda Card said: “We have had a number of people come to us with concerns about the paths around the church icy weather.”

The council receives several requests for grit bins from people across the town who feel their area deserves support.

Committee chairman, Cllr Rob Stickland, said: “We take each request for a grit bin on its own merits.”

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Council holds minute's silence in memory of Yeovil Town footballer COUNCILLORS held a minute’s silence on Tuesday (April 6) in memory of Yeovil Town footballer Lee Collins who died on March 31.

The minute’s silence was held at Yeovil Town Council’s full meeting and was led

by Rev Jim Pearce, who is the Mayor’s Chaplain, and is also the chaplain to Yeovil Town Football Club.

Rev Pearce, speaking via the Zoom conferencing technology, said that Easter was always a “time of reflection” but added that it had taken on extra significance this year because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the recent sudden death of 32-year-old Mr Collins.

“I have been particularly affected by the death of Lee Collins,” said Rev Pearce.

“It has been a difficult time and I haven’t been able to get into the club to see the players and staff.”

The Mayor, Cllr David Recardo, added his condolences to everyone at Yeovil Town FC on the sudden loss.

“Lee Collins was a leader on and off

the pitch,” he said. “Our thoughts go to his partner and children and all at Yeovil Town FC.” The death of Mr Collins, who was the club captain for the Glovers, has rocked Yeovil Town FC to its foundations.

The team manager Darren Sarll, in a statement on the club’s website, said: “Nothing in life can prepare you for what has happened in the last week.

“The sadness that has consumed all of us at Huish Park has been overwhelming – each of us attempting to cope in our own different ways.”

Police confirmed they were called to a property in West Coker on March 31 at around 5pm where the body of Mr Collins was found.

Mr Collins leaves behind partner Rachel and three young daughters.

More tributes in memory of Mr Collins can be found on Pages 76-79 of this edition of the Yeovil Press.

PHOTO: Lee Collins.

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Council proud at making a real difference to home schooling THE leader of Yeovil Town Council has suggested the authority should have been “more generous” when making emergency funding available for local schools to buy laptops for homeschooling students.

The council’s policy, resources and finance committee agreed in January to make £21,000 available which would be shared out equally between the town’s three secondary schools – Buckler’s Mead Academy, Preston School and Westfield Academy – to help buy extra IT devices for disadvantaged school children being educated at home during the Covid-19 lockdown.

And the council’s leader, Cllr Graham Oakes, said on March 30 at the committee’s latest meeting that – in hindsight – they should have made more money available.

“I know it was an incredible thing we did,” he told council colleagues via the Zoom conferencing technology.

“But perhaps we should have been more generous? We just had to guess really at the time and hope that we were doing the right thing.

“But I’m very proud of this committee and the funding would have made a real difference to a large number of school pupils across the town.”

Cllr David Gubbins, who had initiated the project, said he was “chuffed to bits” with how the funding had helped and the Mayor, Cllr David Recardo, gave his civic seal of approval.

Town clerk, Amanda Card, told

councillors that she had received positive feedback from all three secondary schools who had thanked the council for its support.

The £7,000 given to Buckler’s Mead had seen the school buy an extra 43 devices on top of the 170 laptops it had already given out.

Acting headteacher Mark Lawrence, in a letter, said that Buckler’s Mead had received IT requests for assistance from 230 students since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As I am sure you are aware Buckler’s Mead Academy serves a community where there is a good deal of disadvantage,” he said.

Preston School and Westfield Academy had bought 30 and 33 devices respectively for students.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

May the Fourth be with you Cllr Evie Potts-Jones!

COUNCILLOR Evie Potts-Jones has been nominated to become the new Mayor of Yeovil from May 4 (writes Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden).

Members of Yeovil Town Council met on Tuesday (April 6) – via the Zoom conferencing technology – where Cllr Potts-Jones was nominated as the Mayor Elect to take over from Cllr David Recardo who has served from 2018.

Cllr Recardo nominated Cllr PottsJones to be his successor and this was seconded by Cllr Gordon Hunting.

Cllr Potts-Jones, who has been a member of the town council for a number of years, said she was more than happy to accept the nomination.

The position of Deputy Mayor is set to be taken by Cllr Andy Kendall. He was nominated for the position by Cllr Tony Lock which was seconded by Cllr Karl Gill.

It is understood that Cllr Helen Stonier, who has served as Deputy Mayor for the past year, was not looking to be reelected in the role.

Cllrs Potts-Jones and Kendall will be formally elected to their new roles as the civic heads of Yeovil at the annual MayorMaking evening which will be held – via Zoom – on May 4.

The serving Mayor, Cllr Recardo, thanked councillors for their support over the past three years with Tuesday’s meeting being his last full one in the chairman’s position.

Readers may remember that Cllr PottsJones was embroiled in an unsavoury Mayor-Making night two years ago in 2019.

Cllr Potts-Jones had previously served as Deputy Mayor to Cllr Recardo from 2018-19, but was then seemingly stripped of that title when her council colleagues decided to elect Cllr Pauline Lock as the new Deputy Mayor for 2019-20.

There were vociferous protests from members of the public as it was the longheld tradition that a Deputy Mayor served two years and then went on to become Mayor. Heartbroken Cllr Potts-Jones left that meeting in tears.

But despite the bitter disappointment of two years ago Cllr Potts-Jones has remained a conscientious member of the town council.

It would seem as if that loyalty and dedication to her role as a town councillor has finally been recognised by her colleagues and Cllr Potts-Jones will become Mayor on May 4.

Mayor Elect – Cllr Evie Potts-Jones.

Deputy Mayor Elect – Cllr Andy Kendall.

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Cllr Evie Potts-Jones at the controversial Mayor-Making ceremony of 2019.

The 2021 MayorMaking ceremony on May 4 – via Zoom should be much less contentious. Photo: Christine Jones.

Evie's set to be only the ninth female Yeovil Mayor in 167 years COUNCILLOR Evie Potts-Jones is all set to join an exclusive club when she becomes Yeovil’s first female Mayor in 20 years.

Members of Yeovil Town Council agreed on Tuesday, April 6, that Cllr Potts-Jones to be Mayor Elect in readiness to take over the civic role for 2021-22 from May. Cllr Potts-Jones is now set to become only the ninth female Yeovil Mayor since mayoral records began in 1854.

The first woman to ever be Mayor of Yeovil was Dorothy Vincent who served as the town’s civic head of the Yeovil Borough Council from 1956-57.

She took on the role again from 195960 and was then followed by Ivy Seed from 1965-77 and Hazel Clara Brown from 1972-74.

But considering Yeovil Borough Council ran from 1854 to 1974 and there were only four female Mayors during that

time it just illustrates how women were not necessarily deemed “suitable” during those days to be Mayor.

The Yeovil Charter Trustees sat from 1974 to 1982 and during that time the only lady Mayor was Kay Heath who served from 1974-76.

But things definitely changed following the re-organisation of local government and the formation of Yeovil Town Council in 1982.

Joy Stanton served as Mayor from 1983-87 while Bridget Dollard is the only female Mayor to have served two different terms of office from 1987-89 and then again from 2001-02.

Jennifer Vickers was Yeovil Mayor from 1991-93 and Patricia Martin from 199597.

Mrs Dollard’s second term of office in 2001-02 was the last time Yeovil had a woman Mayor.

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PLACES WHERE YOU CAN PICK-UP A COPY OF YOUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION

MAIN OUTLETS:

Tesco Extra store in Yeovil Morrisons store in Yeovil Palmers Garden Centre in Yeovil Yeovil Library Iceland store in the Quedam Shopping Centre

OTHER OUTLETS:

The Tesco Express stores in Cavalier Way and on Abbey Manor, Yeovil; the Co-op Garage on Sherborne Road, Yeovil, the Spar Post Office community store on West Coker Road, Yeovil; No5 Cafe Diner on the Lynx Trading Estate in Yeovil; the Co-op store on Stiby Road, Yeovil; Sonni's Cafe on the Lufton Trading Estate, Yeovil; Montacute Service Station, Montacute; the Co-op store in Stoke-sub-Hamdon opposite Stanchester Academy; and West Coker Garage in West Coker.

More outlets will become available once we are out of the Covid-19 lockdown.

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15

Old Mill acquire 65-year-old Yeovil family accountancy firm FINANCIAL experts Old Mill has acquired the long-standing Yeovilbased family accountancy firm Ivan Rendall & Co. Rendalls, established in 1956 by Ivan Rendall, is one of the longest-established accountancy firms in Yeovil and services businesses of all sizes and across a wide range of sectors including agriculture, construction, manufacturing and retail.

It is currently run by Ivan’s youngest son, Stephen, 61, who has been managing director since 2011.

Mr Rendall needed to find a new home for the business if he was to be able to retire and chose Old Mill because of its people-centric approach, broad range of expertise and excellent career development opportunities for staff.

Old Mill’s head of accountancy, Kevin Whitmarsh, said: “When you own and run a successful family firm like Rendalls, the decision to retire is not an easy one, as you are so invested in the business – both in terms of the clients and staff. You need to know that they will be as well looked after by the new business as they were with you.

“At Old Mill, we are known for our personal, professional, and friendly approach and our commitment to putting our clients’ needs at the heart of everything we do. This is a philosophy we share with Rendalls and is why we are confident that this acquisition is going to be so successful.”

Old Mill was formed following a buyout in 2006, but its roots go back to the 1920s. The business currently employs 300 staff across its four offices in Yeovil, Wells, Exeter and Melksham, offering services to more than 5,000 clients.

The Rendalls acquisition will bring

around 500 accountancy and tax clients into Old Mill’s 17-strong Yeovil-based owner managed businesses team.

Stuart Grimster, who is head of Old Mill’s property and construction team, will lead the project, supported by Mr Rendall, who will take on an ambassador role to help ensure a smooth transition for his staff and clients.

“We are delighted to welcome Stephen and his team to Old Mill,” said Mr Grimster. “I have no doubt they will seamlessly complement our existing owner managed businesses team, strengthening us to further support our growing client base here in Yeovil.”

Old Mill has a number of specialist sector teams, including rural, food and drink, owner managed businesses, property and construction and wealth management, as well as experts across key service areas, including audit, tax, payroll, auto-enrolment, corporate finance, digital and financial planning.

Mr Rendall said: “Rendalls was started by my father back in 1956 and has enjoyed 65 years of success here in Yeovil.

“We are proud of our long history and family centred approach - it is what makes the business what it is - so it was important to find a buyer that understood that. We are therefore really proud to have been acquired by Old Mill - a brilliant local firm that shares our values.

“With Old Mill, we are confident that our business is in good hands; our clients will have access to a broader depth of services while our staff now have a wonderful place to continue their careers.”

Turn to Old Mill’s advert on the back page of this edition of Yeovil Press.

4Louis provides lots of care and support THE 4Louis organisation is a UK charity that works across the country to support anyone affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and the death of a baby or child just like Yeovil couple Francine Pendlebury and Paul Lewis (see story on Page 17).

The charity also works to improve the care bereaved families receive from health care and other professionals.

The 4Louis charity was founded by Louis’ family in 2009 who found that there was very little access to support and memory making following his stillbirth at 38 weeks gestation.

Parents and families who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, baby or child death are still at the core of everything we do.

A spokesman for 4Louis said: “We provide staff the tools and equipment to provide excellent care to these bereaved families by prompting them to offer the opportunity to capture precious memories, take special photos and giving the families extra time to spend with their baby or child in a safe comfortable environment.

“We have funded many study days for trusts across the UK and even funded for individual health care professionals to attend conferences, study days and courses to help improve their knowledge and approach to these families.

“Thanks to the hard work of our supporters we are able to ensure our services are available to a wide range of hospital trusts, hospices and any professional who may deal with miscarriages, baby or child deaths.”

Miscarriage or the death of a baby or child is not a rare occurrence. Every day in the UK around 15 babies die before, during or soon after birth, while one in four pregnancies sadly end before the reach 12 weeks.

The charity spokesman added: “It’s heartbreaking to imagine that a lack of available resources reduces the precious memories and keepsakes captured in the short time the family spend with their baby or child.

“Having no dedicated bereavement rooms on hospital wards which means mums and dads have to spend precious time with their baby or child in a normal hospital room surrounded by unsuitable adverts on the walls, sounds of a busy ward and being able to hear babies/ children around them.”

The hand and feet imprints of Francine Pendlebury and Paul Lewis’ baby Grace – the imprints being part of the memory box provided by the 4Louis charity.

Top left: Stephen Rendall – who has been managing director of Rendalls since 2011.

Above: Kevin Whitmarsh – Old Mill’s head of accountancy.

Left: Stuart Grimster – Old Mill’s head of property and construction.

16

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Skydive charity plans for Francine in memory of baby Grace YEOVIL woman Francine Pendlebury will be conquering her fear of heights later this summer to raise money for a charity that has become very close to her heart after suffering the ultimate heartbreak.

Francine and her partner, Paul Lewis, were over the moon when they found out they were going to become parents.

“It was one of the most amazing days of our lives when we found out last year we were having a baby,” said Francine.

“Earlier in the year, like many others, we had to postpone our wedding due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so having this news was so exciting for both us and all our family too.

“Seeing baby at the 12-week scan and hearing the heartbeat at my 16-week appointment made everything feel so real and we couldn’t wait for the 20-week scan.

“The night before the scan we had decided we wanted to find out baby’s gender and the family were messaging with their guesses of Team Boy or Team Girl.”

But, then, cruelly that excitement and expectation came crashing down in tragic circumstances.

“Our excitement was unfortunately cut short when we were told there were complications, followed by an agonising few days where we had to go for further scans, to then be told that our baby wasn’t going to survive,” explained Francine.

“Words cannot describe the heartbreak we felt and the next couple of weeks went by in a blur.”

Francine described that the hardest day of her life came on February 18 this year when she gave birth to their beautiful baby girl, Grace Victoria Lewis, who was born sleeping at 10.59pm.

“We couldn’t have got through this without the love and support of our family, friends and the amazing staff at Yeovil District Hospital,” said Francine.

But Francine and Paul want to do something for a charity which supports people who go through a similar awful experience in the future.

“Leaving the hospital without our baby girl left us with a feeling of emptiness like nothing we’ve ever felt, but the little memory box from 4Louis brought us some much-needed comfort,” said Francine.

“So on July 3 I’m facing my fear of heights by doing a 15,000ft skydive to raise as much money as I can for this charity - in the hope that they can continue to support families who find themselves in the same position as us.

“This is something nobody should have to go through, but sadly happens far too often.”

Francine has set up a JustGiving online

A 15,000ft skydive awaits Francine on July 3.

fundraising page which can be found on this link https://bit.ly/3cVQxGA . She had set herself a target to raise £500, but she has already raised a fantastic £1,640.

Francine and Paul would like to thank everyone for their support so far.

The couple saw their planned wedding cancelled in November 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they should finally be getting married this coming November.

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Francine Pendlebury and Paul Lewis – pictured in happier times.

Would you like to buy a back-copy of the paper?

Memory box provides much-needed comfort

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It will cost £5 per copy to include post and packaging.

Email yeovilpress@gmail.com or phone us on 07773-198-081 for further details.

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co-owner, New club chairman and tempted Scott Priestnall, could not be the to do the traditional “scarf above for this! head” photo, but we’ll settle Photo: Steve Sowden.

By Steve Sowden yeovilpress@gmail.com

of Yeovil THE new chairman and co-owner Priestnall, has Town Football Club, Scott good times back said he wants to bring the to the club. negotiations The long drawn out ownership September 20 and were finally completed on over the club Mr Priestnall, who has taken first official press with Errol Pope, held his conference last week. that it felt a “bit And Mr Priestnall admitted club’s new owner surreal” to finally be the club for the past as he had “been around the three months.”

Press as to He was asked by the Yeovil club chairman whether he would be the new be the case. and he confirmed that would – yes,” “I am going to be club chairman to be. It’s a he said. “I actually want my mind on position that I’ve kind of changed

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THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN YEOVIL TOWN CENTRE WERE OFFICIALLY SWITCHEDON DURING A FUNFILLED EVENING OF FESTIVITIES! MORE PHOTOS  TURN TO PAGES 30-31

outside the club. with the club, if “As I’ve got more involved six or seven the completion had been maybe have done. I weeks ago, maybe I wouldn’t I’m hoping to think I’ve got the bug now, and I’ve really earn my stripes as a Glover It’s kind of got me got excited about games. to be honest with interested in football again, you. over the “It was a really easy decision become chairman. last couple of weeks to fans.”

Hopefully I’ll do right by the timed his press Mr Priestnall could not have the Glovers having conference any better with on the bounce won six consecutive games in succession on which became seven victories with a 3-1 success Saturday (September 28) Bromley. over National League table-toppers

engage with the He said that he wants to have been left supporters and get those who in recent years disenchanted with the club back through the turnstiles. overnight, But he knows it will not happen will get on board but hopes that that people with the new look Yeovil Town. just about the Mr Priestnall said it was not about a change change of ownership, but also new, something of “culture, ethos, something different.” make the club He said he wanted to but hasn’t been “something like it once was, years.” in recent John Fry He confirmed previous owners, now no longer and Norman Hayward, were part of the club. hopes for Yeovil And when asked about his he said: “I would on the pitch this season – but the aim is love us to finish in the play-offs, to get the players playing well.”

Pages 76-78.

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YEOVIL AMATEUR PANTOMIME SOCIETY PUT ON A FANTASTIC SHOW AS IT TOOK AUDIENCES OFF ON A MAGICAL PANTO JOURNEY TO SEE THE WIZARD OF OZ. FOURPAGE PHOTO SPECIAL ON THE CENTRE PAGES ‹‹ 35-38

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his stripes as a Glover

since I started.

I didn’t think “When I first started out actually looking about being chairman. I was it, both inside and at potential people to do

MA 20 RCH 20

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THREEPAGE PHOTO SPECIAL OF YEOVIL YOUTH THEATRE GROUP’S FANTASTIC MUSICAL PRODUCTON OF CHICAGO ‹‹ 45-47

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New chairman wants to earn

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healthcare professional as a small ice breaker when engaging with the family.

This gives them something to talk about and encourage the family’s involvement in capturing these precious keepsakes.

The 4Louis charity currently supplies eight different style memory boxes.

Francine said the memory box they received for baby Grace brought them some “much-needed comfort.”

If anybody would like to sponsor Francine in readiness for her 15,000ft skydive on July 3 – please go to her JustGiving online fundraising page which can be found on this link https:// bit.ly/3cVQxGA .

1st edition published in July 2018.

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THE 4Louis charity aims to provide hospitals free of charge with memory boxes to be given to bereaved parents who suffer the trauma of stillbirth or neonatal death.

Each box contains a clay impression kit for hand and feet imprints, teddy bears and an angel, which signifies a born sleeping baby, and other items for the parents.

The 4Louis memory boxes are tailored to suit the needs of various units and contain many items to help inspire bereaved families to capture mementos of their baby or child.

They are also a useful tool to the

We have copies available dating back to the

Town council's slice of Council Tax goes up by just £1 a month

By Steve Sowden

yeovilpress@gmail.com PEOPLE are being asked to pay just over £1 a month extra to help Yeovil Town Council deliver a £1million-plus budget in the next financial year.

Members of Yeovil Town Council agreed on Tuesday (February 4) to set a budget of £1,152,589 for 2020-21.

It is only the second time in the council’s history that a budget of more than £1million has been set and follows the £1,033,517 agreed in 2019-20.

But what difference will it make to people’s pockets in order to help finance the extra £119,072 needed by the town council when the annual Council Tax bill falls through letterboxes in April?

Remembering the homeless at Christmas

By Steve Sowden

UKULELE FESTIVAL ‹‹ 30-31

yeovilpress@gmail.com A NEWLY-FORMED organisation in Yeovil is asking people to remember those who will be homeless at Christmas.

The Homeless and Vulnerable Outreach Network was formed earlier this year and volunteers meet at the bandstand area of Yeovil in Lower Middle Street on a Wednesday evening where they provide hot food for the homeless, vulnerable and lonely.

But the group has plans to grow over the

months ahead by expanding its services by providing warm clothes and bedding for the homeless, haircuts as well as assist other agencies in their work.

With Yeovil being on the Dorset/Somerset border, it’s first major milestone is to raise enough funds to purchase a horse box converted into a catering trailer, allowing volunteers to take their service into nearby towns and access the smaller homeless communities.

If anyone wants to help fundraise in order to help achieve this then they should e-mail

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havon.fundraising@gmail.com.

The group was created by Ricky Gleeson who found himself homeless at a young age and spent time living on the streets of North East England.

Thankfully Ricky – despite having problems along the way – has been able to turn his life around by joining the Royal Navy where he serves today at RNAS Yeovilton.

But he has not forgotten his difficult past and wants to help those who find themselves in troubled times.

THE END OF JANUARY 2020

1 Church Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HE Phone: 01935-411088 / www.atouchofglassyeovil.co.uk 1

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MAYOR'S CHARITY BALL ‹‹ 20-21

It means that average households in Yeovil – in the Band D bracket – will be paying an extra £13.08 a year which equates to around just 25p a week or £1.09 a month more than in 2019-20.

This is an 11.53 per cent increase, but in real terms works out the price of just one decent packet of biscuits once a month.

The overall slice of the Council Tax going to Yeovil Town Council from individual Band D households in the town will be £126.55 a year – as opposed to £113.47 in 2019-20.

It should be stressed, however, that the town council only takes a small share of the overall Council Tax bill so the final total will be a lot more.

Somerset County Council will take the largest amount with South Somerset District Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for

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Avon and Somerset, and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service also getting a slice of the Council Tax cake.

The town council agreed to ask South Somerset District Council – the Council Tax billing authority – for a precept of £1,152,589 which will be used to finance the services it provides during the next financial year along with special projects.

Among the initiatives planned by the town council will be a £10,000 contribution to the St John’s Road play area; a £5,000 contribution towards improvements at the Yeovil Recreation Centre; a £12,600 contribution towards the restoration of the fountain at Sydney Gardens; and £35,000 for the planned VE Day 75th Anniversary celebrations.

For more news from Yeovil Town Council – turn to Page 4.

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Posties are on cue for charity pool tournament POSTAL workers at the Yeovil Sorting Office have been raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support by holding a charity pool competition in the staff canteen.

The past year has been particularly hard and stressful for the posties with longer hours and additional deliveries due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rick Boon said: “We have a pool table in the staff canteen at the delivery office.

Some posties choose to play pool at the end of the day to relax and unwind before going home.

“A few weeks back, myself and my work mate Adam Miller came up with the idea to hold a knockout pool tournament.

When Adam and I approached the managers about it, they suggested that we could raise some money for charity at the same time.

“One of our colleagues was recently diagnosed with bowel cancer and is going through chemotherapy treatment.

We asked him which charity of his choice we could play for and he suggested

Macmillan Cancer Support.”

Thirty-two posties have been taking part in the competition with other friends, managers and members of staff contributing by donating money towards the cause.

The pool-playing posties have really got into the spirit of things with some wearing their own waistcoats – just like the top snooker players seen on TV – and one even had his own walk-on music ahead of a match.

Rick said: “The tournament has had a very positive impact on our wellbeing in the office.

“It has definitely put a smile back on some people’s faces which is great to see.

This idea has been a lot of fun and has brought us closer together as a unit and we are raising money for a good cause at the same time.”

The organisers had an original target to raise £100, but the total so far tops and amazing £300.

“I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported this,” said

Rick. “I’d also like to give a big shout out to Adam Miller as without his help and enthusiasm, this event could not have taken place.”

PHOTOS: Just some of the postal workers who have been taking part in the charity pool competition.

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Town centre dispersal order A NUMBER of individuals were ordered by police to leave Yeovil town centre following a space of anti-social behaviour.

Police reported on April 7 that a group of people had been given a dispersal order and directed to leave the town centre for a 24-hour period.

“A dispersal notice can be used when a person who is in a public place is displaying behaviour that is likely to result in any member of the public

being harassed, alarmed or distressed, or the occurrence of crime or disorder,” said a police spokesman on the Yeovil Neighbourhood Policing social media page.

“A dispersal notice is just one of the tools being used by the neighbourhood policing team and partners to address anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

“This has now resulted in arrests for individuals who have failed to disperse when requested.”

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

Special garden will be owned and cared for by the local community THE Westfield Community Garden in Yeovil will be nurtured into a wonderful place for people to enjoy.

The garden is being created on a waste piece of land along Stiby Road next to the Co-op store and is being is being developed by the hard-working Westfield Community Association.

Work is ongoing and despite the obvious delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic it is hoped that the garden will become a welcoming and rewarding space to celebrate renewal and good times in the future.

An association spokesman said: “The community garden will offer opportunities for social interaction and learning through horticultural, educational, health-related and other activities.

“Key elements are allotments for growing, an event/community space, an outdoor gym, bee/insect hotel as well as seating areas for socialising and

relaxation. A timber trail is also proposed to engage with play in an interesting and naturalistic way.

“Our aim is for this garden to be a place that enhances the local community, promotes wellbeing and interaction, and gives a sense of pride to all who live and work in the area.”

The Westfield Community Garden will be owned and cared for by the local community.

Through the WCA, the garden needs and will be dependent on your help and support. If you would like to volunteer your time, enthusiasm and experience in any way at all, no matter how practical, social or other, do please get in touch using the WCA Facebook page, or contacting Mike Chant via email mchant@hotmail. co.uk.

The Westfield Community Association and the Westfield Community Garden project team have a variety of partners and supporters including The Ministry

of Housing, Communities and Local Government, South Somerset District Council, Yeovil Town Council, Somerset County Council, Wessex Water, Jones Building Group, Abri, Bradfords, Somerset Spark, YMCA, Westfield Academy, Creation Generation, Yeovil Manshed, Ryalls Park Medical Centre, Westfield Co-op, St Peter’s Community Centre, Yeovil College and others.

The garden will develop on one part of the site alongside a new car park for St Peter’s Community Centre in Coronation Avenue on the remaining part of the land.

A planning application has been submitted to South Somerset District Council for permission to go-ahead with the car park proposal. The aim is for the car park to be for centre-users in order to free-up street parking areas for other people.

“This project has been brought forward following great efforts of the community group for the benefit of the whole

community,” said a spokesman for the car park project.

A layout of the planned community garden which is taking shape on the Westfield estate in Yeovil.

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£10 million boost in budget paves the way for Octagon Theatre redevelopment THE Government’s budget announcement last month featured a major boost for South Somerset with £10million being pledged to support a regional cultural infrastructure project in Yeovil.

The Yeovil Press featured the news on the front page of the March edition of the paper with the announcement coming just as we went to press.

The investment will help to fund the refurbishment and development of the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil and transform it into a flagship venue for arts and entertainment, fit for the people in towns and villages across South Somerset.

Helping to boost the local economy as well as the physical, social and cultural regeneration of South Somerset, the Octagon Theatre project will cost up to £23.01million and the £10million grant confirmed goes a long way to help reach that target.

Members of South Somerset District Council’s executive committee also agreed on Thursday, March 4, to recommend to Full Council, to approve

the underwriting of the total costs of the theatre redevelopment project by the authority. Further fundraising and grant applications will be made by The Octagon Theatre towards the remainder of the capital sum.

The project at the Octagon Theatre will see it add a fly tower and a new circle that would take the seating capacity from 622 to 900 - this will mean the venue will become accessible to larger touring productions from plays to musicals.

The work would also see the venue become fully accessible throughout, and add two additional boutique spaces which could potentially be a cinema/studio plus and additional cinema. The venue would also see purpose built studios created with an improved community Café Hub and separate restaurants areas.

The council’s arts and entertainment manager, Adam Burgan, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to see the £10million funding confirmed in the Chancellor’s budget.

“With this money, plus the recommendation from District Executive

YEOVIL TOWN COUNCIL

Defibrillators in Yeovil Where’s your nearest defibrillator?

To help increase awareness of the locations of publically accessible defribrillators – we need your help! We want a definitive list of those defribillators which are available for public use. If you are aware of a defribillator in Yeovil, please let us know.

“Guardians of the defibrillators” We want to increase the number of defibrillators in Yeovil and investigating installing one in each of the following areas: • • • •

Westfield (near the Co-op) Forest Hill shopping precinct St John’s Road Shops Town Centre (near Boots)

We are “guardians” to the defibrillator at Milford Hall.

Business contributions/sponsorship Do you know a local business that would like to contribute towards the costs?

07773 162369

ytc@yeovil.gov.uk

@YeovilTownCouncil 20

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to move the decision to Full Council, we are hopeful that will we get over the final hurdle and start to make our final plans that we can share with the public for their views on the redevelopment of the Octagon Theatre.”

The Octagon has been entertaining audiences since 1974 and attracts many visitors from far and wide with a diverse range of artists and events from big name comedians, classical music and opera to rock and folk music, the very best in variety alongside superb plays and ballet, and not forgetting the blockbuster pantomime.

The theatre is also the home to many local community groups where local talent is regularly celebrated. Last year 125,000 people bought a ticket for an event at The Octagon Theatre whilst

thousands more took part in one of the weekly classes as part of our Octagon Academy participatory programme.

The council’s health and well-being spokesman, Cllr Mike Best, said: “This project adds a lot of value to South Somerset and will be a major boost to the local economy as we attract more visitors.

The funding announcement came as a surprise but it is very welcome because it’s a very large chunk of the funding that will be required for the work.

“The redevelopment would see major investment into our local economy and huge benefits to the health and wellbeing of our residents.”

PHOTO: How the extended auditorium in the Octagon Theatre will look once the redevelopment has been completed.

Photo courtesy of South Somerset District Council.

Arts Council looks forward to Octagon Theatre revamp THE Arts Council England is thrilled to be involved with the £23m redevelopment of the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil.

Area director for the South West region of the Arts Council England, Phil Gibby, said he was delighted that the Government had recently made £10m available to the Octagon project.

“We look forward to working more closely with the Octagon Theatre and South Somerset District Council on this major capital development that will transform this regional theatre’s space,” he said.

“The project will mean more people in Somerset will have the opportunity to experience the life enriching benefits that culture brings to individuals and communities.“ The council’s District Executive committee voted unanimously in January 2021 in favour of agreeing in principle to proceed with the exciting project.

That enabled council officers to being the process of applying to potential

funding bodies that would reduce the amount of initial capital required by In January 2021, South Somerset District Council’s District Executive committee voted unanimously in favour to agree in principle to proceed with the project. The agreement in principle enabled officers at the Council to begin the process of applying to potential funding bodies that would reduce the amount of initial capital required from the council and the amount loaned for the project that would be repaid by the theatre and also look into VAT implication.

A council spokesman said: “The decision on March 4 by the District Executive committee reaffirmed commitment to contribute to the economic as well as the physical, social and cultural regeneration of South Somerset, which in time will attract new and increased investment, creating jobs and opportunities for local people.

“Many of these benefits are in alignment with the 2021-22 Council Plan.”

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

Benefactor's great grandson backs Octagon Theatre redevelopment

COUNCILLORS have unanimously agreed Mr Dunseath said: “I am delighted to to invest £23million in the development support this project and endorse it on behalf of the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil and arts of my family. My great grandfather did so and entertainment in South Somerset. much to ensure the people of Yeovil and the Members of South Somerset District surrounding area had access to excellent Council voted unanimously in favour on cultural and sporting facilities, so I wanted Thursday, March 25, of the redevelopment to play my part in the development that will of the Octagon which will see the theatre bring happiness and wonderful opportunities transformed into a flagship venue for the for generations to come.” arts and entertainment in this region.

The pivotal vote to proceed with the The Octagon Theatre originally opened as development follows the Government’s The Johnson Hall in 1974 and was named Budget announcement on March 5 which after local businessman and philanthropist featured a major boost for the project with W. Stanley Johnson who gifted £40,000 £10million being pledged to help fund the towards the building of the hall in 1950 – refurbishment of the venue. which would be the equivalent to just under The council’s arts and entertainment £4.5m in today’s money! venues manager, Adam Burgan, said: “The The council meeting on March 25 was team at the Octagon and I are delighted that opened with an impassioned speech from the project has been approved and we can Adam Dunseath, W. Stanley Johnson’s now move forward in refining the plans for Simply great Bathrooms & Bedrooms 14x4 v3.qxp_Ad-style 02/05/2018 11:16 Page 1 grandson, who has had a successful the development of our theatre. career performing and working in West End “We know how much the Octagon means and commercial theatre, and has recently to our audiences and artists and we can also relocated back to Somerset. see the huge potential for developing the

theatre to bring bigger and better shows and provide opportunities for everyone to benefit from the arts and entertainment.

“After what has been a very bleak time for theatre and live entertainment the future looks very bright and incredibly exciting.”

The project, set to cost in the region of £23million excluding VAT, will see the theatre based in Yeovil, add a fly tower and circle that will take the seating from 622 to 900 - this will mean big advances in productions that could attend the venue including touring plays and musicals.

Work will also see the venue become fully accessible throughout, add two additional boutique spaces which could potentially be a cinema/studio plus an additional cinema.

The venue would also see purpose built studios created with an improved community Café Hub and separate restaurants areas.

News of the council’s District Executive meeting of March 4 can be seen on Page 20 of this edition of Yeovil Press.

How it was reported back in February 1950 about the donation by Mr W. Stanley Johnson for £40,000 – just under £4.5million at today’s value – towards the new hall in Yeovil. Photo courtesy of the A to Z of Yeovil History at www. yeovilhistory.info .

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NEWS IN PHOTOS

Flying the flag for Somerset Day Did they have you fooled on April 1?

The Flag of Somerset.

The Battle of Edington of 878.

YEOVIL Town Council will be flying the county flag on May 11 to celebrate Somerset Day. The annual Somerset Day looks to celebrate the county as a fantastic place to live, work, play and learn.

The town council has been asked by the chairman of Somerset County Council, Cllr Nigel Taylor, and the LordLieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, to take part in the celebration by getting involved with the Flying the Flag for Somerset campaign.

Members of the town council’s

buildings and civic matters committee unanimously agreed – via the Zoom conferencing technology on March 16 – to support the proposal and fly the flag from the Town House in Union Street.

May 11 was chosen as Somerset day because it is thought to be the date of King Alfred the Great’s defeat of the Danes in the 878 Battle of Edington.

Alfred, the King of Wessex, gathered all the people of Somerset to march against and defeat the invading Vikings.

More information about the celebrations can be found at www.somersetday.com .

THERE was plenty of jesting on social media on April 1 with individuals and groups trying to trick people with April Fools’ Day pranks.

Pen Mill Ladies Football Club in Yeovil took to Facebook on April 1 and said that its new stadium was taking shape at Johnson Park.

“As football returns to we cannot wait to see the finished stadium at Johnson Park ready for the new season to welcome our fans,” said a post on the club’s social media page. “Building works are well underway and we’re delighted to see the first stand up already!”

Yeovil-based South West Coaches reported on social media on April 1 it had come up with a “solution to road closures” in conjunction with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton.

“We are going to utilise helicopters

to carry our service buses from either side of the road closure,” said its spoof post on Facebook. “Customers may have the opportunity to be dropped off at points within the closure, just ask for a parachute ticket.”

And not to be outdone were the Somerset Liberal Democrats who announced on April 1 that they had come up with an answer to the county’s transport problems with their proposal for a Somerset monorail stretching from Frome to Minehead and from Bristol to Crewkerne.

“It is envisioned that the system will operate like the London Underground,” said the LibDems’ post on Facebook.

“Instead of the Metro it would be known as the Scrumpo and rather than an Oyster card, residents would receive an Orchard card. The carriages will be known as Apple pods.”

The sign says it all - this store is now closed South West Coaches take off to get round road closures.

Somerset Liberal Democrats come up with their monorail system known as the Scrumpo (rather than Metro).

Pen Mill Ladies like their new stadium at Johnson Park.

Marathon challenge raises funds for Mind

YEOVIL town centre looks to have lost another one of its long-standing shops for good with the final closure of the Argos store in the High Street.

The store had been closed since the onset of the Covid-19 lockdown last year and there had been concerns that the branch of the national chain would never reopen.

And it looks as if that is very much the case with the windows completely boarded up with the message that “this store is now closed.”

The Argos store in Yeovil first opened its doors back in 1980 when legendary comedy great Ernie Wise – one half of the

22

famous Morecambe and Wise double act – cut the ribbon to signal the start of what had been four decades of happy trading.

Argos still has a presence in Yeovil with a store albeit on the out-of-town Babylon Hill retail park.

The High Street in Yeovil is now looking desperately sad with the Argos store boarded up – right next door to the closed Beales department store, while other shop units are also closed.

PHOTO: The boarded up shop unit in the High Street, Yeovil, which had been home to Argos for 41 years. Photo: Steve Sowden.

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WELL-KNOWN local musician Cal Shortland hosted a 20-hour charity live online charity event with all proceeds going to mental health charity Mind.

Cal, who works as a creative industries technician at Yeovil College, and his pal Sam Puplett went online and carried out challenges for charity in return for donations.

The challenges included £10 for 20 press-ups, £20 to sing a song of the donor’s choice, £50 to eat spicy hot wings smothered in hot sauce and £50 to shave off their beards, which they did!

Currently the amount raised stands at £820 which is simply incredible and for such a brilliant cause.

You can still donate to this amazing cause here - https://tiltify.com/@vicewolfpack/game-on-for-mind .

“We want to say a huge well done to Callum,” said a college spokesman. “We

are super proud of all your efforts!”

Cal appears in a number of local bands including glam rockers Snakebyte and he can’t wait to get back to live gigs when the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions allow.

“We are beyond humbled and proud of this massive achievement and so thankful to everyone who donated, watched, played games with us and stayed with us until the end of the 20 hours,” said Cal on social media Facebook.

PHOTO: Cal Shortland.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

Freewheelers are absolutely fabulous THE Yeovil Freewheelers charitable organisation has been described as “absolutely fabulous” for its vital round-the-clock work.

The voluntary Freewheelers – often referred to as the Blood Bikes – transport medical supplies and equipment to hospitals around the South West region.

The charity’s work has been even more important over the Covid-19 pandemic with hospitals stretched to the limit.

The group applied to Yeovil Town Council for a grant for £1,500 and members of the authority’s policy, resources and finance committee were actually somewhat disappointed that the charity had not asked for more.

Cllr Andy Kendall, speaking at the committee’s meeting on March 30 via the Zoom conferencing technology, said: “It’s great what these guys do and I would like to give them more.”

But he said he would have liked to have seen more information in the group’s application to show how it had fared over the past year with fundraising.

“That information might have given us more leverage to have given them some more money,” he told councillors.

It was said during the meeting, however, that giving grant support for more than what had been applied for was not within the committee’s policy and would have to go through the process of getting ratification from the full council.

Cllr Wes Read said: “It’s incredible what they do 24-7, 365 days a year. What they are asking for is a drop in the ocean.”

Cllr Dave Gubbins said: “I would be in support of awarding what they are asking for.”

Cllr Royston Spinner said: “The Freewheelers have asked for £1,500 and I think they would be very grateful for it.”

And Cllr Tony Lock said: “I can never remember doing what Andy Kendall has suggested. You have to make a decision on what is in front of you.”

Cllr Graham Oakes said: “It is an excellent organisation. Those guys and gals are absolutely fabulous – real heroes.

They are one of the best charities around here.”

The committee unanimously agreed to support the Yeovil Freewheelers with its grant application for £1,500.

Council locks up disused phone box YEOVIL Without Parish Council has taken action to stop a disused phone box from being used as a drugs den.

Cllr Mike Lock mentioned at the council’s February meeting that the phone box, which sits on the main road through the village of Yeovil Marsh, had become a focal point for anti-social behaviour.

Parish clerk Dan Ledger had previously told the Yeovil Press that the phone box was going to be removed by British Telecom as it was no longer used, but the parish council adopted it late last year with a view to using it for community use.

Among the possible future uses for the phone box are for it to house a public access 24-7 defibrillator for the village which could be used on someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest or it to become home to a community book library.

But until a decision has been made on what to do with the phone box, the council has now wrapped a heavy duty chain and padlock around the door so nobody can get into it.

PHOTO: The disused phone box in Yeovil Marsh.

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Police appeal after van fire on Abbey Manor estate ARSONISTS have been blamed for a van being badly damaged by fire on the Abbey Manor estate in Yeovil.

One fire engine from Yeovil was mobilised at 10.30pm on Saturday, March 3, to the incident in Lower Ream with the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service having received “multiple calls” about the incident.

Firefighters confirmed that the fire involved the engine compartment of the vehicle.

Fifth per cent of the van was damaged by fire and a nearby garage received smoke damage.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate,” said a Fire Service spokesman.

Police released CCTV footage which showed a man wearing dark clothing starting the fire before running off from the scene.

Investigating officer PC Luke Rennie said: “From the footage it appears the man made off in the direction of Stourton Way. “Were you in the Lower Ream/ Stourton

area on the night? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously?

“Do you live in the area and have a doorbell camera or CCTV? If you do, does the footage capture the offender?”

He added: “Given how close the man was to the vehicle when it went up in flames there’s a possibility he suffered burns to his clothing or even skin.

“If you know someone who has new or unexplained injuries please do get in touch as it could help our inquiry.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and provide the call handler with the reference 5221048628.

PHOTO: CCTV caught the moment the van was set alight – in the background of the image.

Police gain success in County Lines drugs arrest AN 18-year-old man was arrested and a vulnerable man safeguarded by police officers in Yeovil.

It came as part of Operation Remedy – a co-ordinated effort launched in April 2019 by Avon and Somerset Police to target residential burglary, the illegal supply of controlled drugs and knife crime.

Officers attended an address in Yeovil on Sunday, March 14, after receiving information drugs were being sold from it and to check on the welfare of its resident.

They found the teenager inside the property along with cash and quantities of what are believed to be heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

It is suspected the teenager, from Birmingham, was involved in a County Lines operation and the resident, a man in his 40s, had been cuckooed.

The 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs before being released under investigation to allow further enquiries to take place.

A police spokesman said: “If you are concerned someone may be at risk of cuckooing – when drug dealers use violence, exploitation and intimidation to take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to use it as a base for drug dealing – you can contact us via our non-emergency number 101.”

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or go to its anonymous reporting page via its website at www.crimestoppers-uk.org .

No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers.

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NEWS AT A GLANCE HERE are some news stories from the Yeovil and South Somerset area.

If you have any news you would like to feature in a future edition of the Yeovil Press community newspaper – please email us at yeovilpress@gmail.com.

THE death of a man in Yeovil has not been treated as suspicious following results of a post-mortem examination.

Radoslaw Lewandowski, 22, was found with serious injuries at an address in Manor Road at about 8pm on Tuesday, March 2.

He passed away two days later and his next of kin were informed.

A police spokesman said: “His death was initially treated as unexplained, but we’d like to reassure people that following the post-mortem we do not consider the circumstances that led to his death as suspicious.

“Enquiries will continue to be carried out on behalf of the coroner.”

And the spokesman added: “We’re grateful to everyone who responded to our appeal for information.”

PEOPLE across Yeovil and South Somerset will have the chance to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset Police in May. The PCC elections are held every four years and the position has been held by Sue Mountstevens since 2012.

She announced in January 2019 that she would not seek re-election for a third time.

The candidates for the new Avon and Somerset PCC are: Cleo Lake (Green); Kerry Barker (Labour); Mark Shelford (Conservative); Heather Shearer (Liberal Democrats); John Smith (Independent).

The election will be held on Thursday, May 6, and people should have started receiving their polling cards in order to vote.

In order to vote people must be on the electoral register. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday, April 19. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote .

There are a number of town/parish council elections also taking place in South Somerset on the same day – Chard Town Council (Holyrood Ward); Crewkerne Town; Haselbury Plucknett; Kingsbury Episcopi; Somerton Town; South Petherton; Wincanton Town.

If you would like more information about registering to vote – please call

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South Somerset District Council on 01935462462.

A CHARITY which provides healthy lifestyle education to local school children has been awarded a grant of £2,205 by Yeovil Town Council.

Life Education Wessex (LEW) – which has been running since 1993 – provides a health education programme for young people.

The charity works across Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Hampshire providing programmes in schools that give children the skills and knowledge to make healthy choices in life including the adverse effects of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and psychoactive substances.

Members of the town council’s policy, resources and finance committee unanimously agreed the grant application at its meeting – which was held via the Zoom conferencing technology – on March 30.

ALL of Somerset’s 16 recycling sites – including the one in Yeovil – have switched to their summer opening timetables but for essential journeys only to start with.

When open weekdays they will continue to start at 9am, but now close an hour later at 6pm. Year-round Saturday and Sunday hours remain 9am-4pm at all 16 sites.

In line with government guidance, Somerset Waste Partnership is still advising residents to only make trips if they really have to, for example because waste at home is causing some kind of risk.

This advice will be reviewed as part of the national lifting of lockdown restrictions but will not change until April 12 at the earliest. On-site safety precautions continue including social distancing, no staff assistance with unloading, gloves must be worn.

Members of the public are asked to consider wearing a mask.

Please check Government restrictions on travel and Somerset Waste Partnership safety measures before making a visit somersetwaste.gov.uk/allatall/ .

Latest site details including opening days can be found at somersetwaste.gov.uk/ recycling/centres .

With an impressive average recycling rate of well over 75 per cent, Somerset’s recycle site network is open every day of the year apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to take dozens of materials.

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Winter hours - 9am-5pm when sites are open weekdays - resume on Friday, October 1.

A YEOVIL Town Council is waiting to see what happens elsewhere in the country before deciding on what to do with future meetings.

The Government announced on March 25 that the coronavirus regulations allowing for parish, town and city council meetings would be extended beyond May 6.

This effectively means that all council meetings scheduled for May 7 or later will have to be held in public, face-toface – rather than virtually on Zoom or other IT technology.

But that does not necessarily fall into line with the general road map out of lockdown and could present problems for council meetings across the country.

Clerk to Yeovil Town Council, Amanda Card, said: “It is not clear how council meetings stand within this road map and as such there are concerns that without an extension to the date to which these regulations apply, the business of the council is unable to be conducted democratically.

“In addition, many members of the public may not be vaccinated and will not be able to exercise their right to attend.

“Although our council chamber is fairly large, it would still remain a challenge to be socially distanced.”

A legal challenge has been launched

by Hertfordshire County Council but this will not be heard until later in April and planning should now be made to either pull forward meetings before May 7, postpone meetings or determine Covid secure meeting facilities for the council and members of the public.

Yeovil Town Council’s policy, resources and finance committee met – via Zoom – on March 30 where the potential problems were discussed.

The Mayor, Cllr David Recardo, suggested that perhaps a webcam could be used so that councillors could attend meetings in person, while the public could watch proceedings virtually.

Cllr Andy Kendall supported the Mayor’s suggestion and said the webcam idea had been “poo-pooed” previously.

“We ought to look at webcams again,” he said. “It doesn’t actually mean we have to use it.”

Town clerk Miss Card told the meeting: “There are many town and parish councils in the same boat with this. We need to watch what happens, but our hands are tied behind our backs at the moment.”

The lack of face-to-face dealings within the council might also cause problems when the authority’s practices are looked at by external auditors.

But Cllr Graham Oakes said: “I would listen more to what Public Health England have to say rather than auditors.”

The Annual Town Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the Town Council are scheduled to be held on May 4 with a reconvened Annual Meeting of the Town Council taking place on May 11. It is expected that the “reconvened meeting” will be held on May 4 as well.

The Mayor said that his annual report would be “very short” as there has not been much to report on over the past 12 months because of Covid-19.

POLICE have been increasing patrols in the Wyndham Park area of Yeovil following an increase in complaints about anti-social behaviour.

People have been encouraged to report further issues by phoning 101 or, in the event of an emergency, to dial 999.

PEOPLE have until April 30 to have their say on possible plans to establish a community-led electric car club in South Somerset.

A short online survey is being promoted

by South Somerset District Council and would give affordable access to electric cars for everyone whilst also supporting the shift to zero carbon transport.

Since the announcement of the Government’s 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, interest in electric cars has surged hugely, but they remain too expensive for many people.

An electric car club would address these challenges by locating cars across the district, bookable from as little as half an hour for one all-inclusive price.

This would give members’ access to electric cars without having to own one.

Furthermore, by switching to using an electric car club and getting rid of an occasionally used personal vehicle, members could save money whilst also helping reduce the area’s congestion,

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parking and pollution problems.

The council’s environment spokesman, Cllr Sarah Dyke, said: “Our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 remains our priority and we’re determined to keep pushing to meet the key milestones set out in our environment delivery plan.

“We are already successfully delivering an electric scooter hire trial scheme in Yeovil and this has been extended to Crewkerne and Chard, so this electric vehicle hire scheme is a natural next step to provide eco-friendly transport choices for our communities.”

The survey is available at https://bit. ly/SSomerset and is open until April 30, 2021. The results of the survey will not only help establish the viability of the project but will also be shared with the council to assist its planning.

A VEHICLE was badly damaged by fire during an incident late on March 22 in Yeovil.

One fire engine from Yeovil was mobilised at just after 10pm to the incident in Brunswick Street and firefighters found one vehicle well alight.

They quickly got to work in dealing with the situation, but the vehicle still sustained 50 per cent damage by fire.

CHILDREN at Preston Primary School in Yeovil have been learning all about the Great Fire of London and what it would have been like to have been a firefighter back in 1666.

Pupils tried their hand at writing using a feather quill just like diarist Samuel Pepys, learnt about artefacts from the fire and worked in groups to use a bucket to put out “the fire.”

POLICE in South Somerset have seen an increase in rural crime in the area.

Officers are now asking people living in rural communities to continue to report any suspicious activity to the police.

“The advice from us would be to make sure you have all serial numbers and identifying marks to hand just in case you are a unfortunate victim of rural crime,” said a police spokesman. “This helps us massively in returning stolen property if we manage to locate it.”

The spokesman added: “We have had a few success stories recently which include several items of stolen property being recovered.

“We have also successfully stopped a mini digger and trailer being stolen thanks to a call from a member of the public late at night. Further to this we have seized a car which we believe was linked to rural crime.”

The spokesman concluded: “Please help us with the fight against rural crime and report any suspicious activity and if you have any information relating to rural crime please let us know.

“Remember if you see something in progress ring 999 and if it has already happened and is non urgent please call 101 or report online.”

A FANTASTIC pupil at Preston Primary School in Yeovil raised £425 after completing a 46-mile bike ride.

Jackson, a Year Five pupil, completed the bike ride in stages as part of the Mount Fuji Virtual Challenge which replicates the length of the journey to the summit of Mount Fuji – the highest volcano in Japan.

He raised £425 with which he bought 425 Easter eggs and donated to key workers within the West Abbey Care Home, Royal Mail, Yeovil Police, St Margaret’s Hospice and the school.

LOCAL communities in Somerset have received a share of £1 million to help them tackle the impacts of Climate Change in their area.

Somerset County Council leader Cllr David Fothergill announced the Somerset Climate Emergency Community Fund last year to encourage innovative community projects that share the authority’s vision of working towards a climate resilient area.

Community organisations and city, town and parish councils in Somerset were invited to bid for grants of between £5,000 and £75,000 for projects that can make a real difference, reduce carbon levels locally and improve our environment.

The funding will pay for projects which will not only aim to reduce carbon emissions but will help to reduce waste, raise community awareness of Climate Change and enhance the natural environment.

More than 136 applications were submitted and Somerset County Council is delighted to announce that 40 projects across Somerset have been awarded grant funding.

Brympton Parish Council was successful in its bid for funding for the development of three aquatic habitats, while Chilthorne Domer Parish Council was successful in its bid for solar panels and battery.

Yeovil Town Council, however, was not so lucky and was unsuccessful in its attempts to receive funding support for an electric vehicle and solar panels projects.

LAW firm Battens Solicitors has announced a change of ownership with five senior solicitors taking over the reins.

After many years as majority shareholders, chairman David Stephens and commercial property director Ray Edwards, will step down with five of Battens’ senior solicitors becoming the new owners and directors.

The five new owners include Ceri Stephens, who will take the reins as managing director, and Peter Livingstone, who will become chairman.

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They will be joined in the running of the firm by equal shareholders Katherine Gilmour, head of company and commercial; Louise Gidley, head of family; and Naomi Dyer, head of private client.

Despite interest from external parties in the 150-strong firm, with offices across Somerset, Dorset and beyond, the former owners wanted to prioritise passing the firm on to existing members of the Battens team.

Former Battens chairman, David Stephens, said: “Ray and I are both absolutely delighted that it has been possible to pass the ownership and running of the firm on to existing Battens team members.

“Ceri and Peter will continue as directors, and Louise, Katherine and Naomi who are becoming directors have been well versed members of the management committee for some time, so we’re leaving the business in really safe hands.

“What’s tremendously important and particularly beneficial is that all five have been with the business for at least ten years and in fact, Ceri, Naomi and Katherine have been with us since joining as trainees. We wish the new team every success, and naturally we will be on hand to ensure a smooth transition.”

Battens chose to make the announcement on International Women’s Day on March 8 to celebrate the fact that four of the five new owners of the firm are women.

This year’s IWD Choose to Challenge theme fitted the firm’s commitment to equal opportunities for all and reflected its new structure as a majority femaleowned and led law firm.

Ceri Stephens, managing director, said: “We are all really excited to be at the helm of Battens and writing the next chapter of the business.

“I hope that being a board made up of 80 per cent women will inspire others, both within the firm and externally, to fulfil their potential.

“With all five of us already involved in the running of the firm and having a fantastic team of people behind us, we are looking forward to keeping the business going from strength-tostrength. And despite the challenges the pandemic has brought over the past twelve months, it has given us insight into new ways of working and how to remain agile and customer-focussed in a fast-moving market.

“We will definitely take what we have learnt during this period of change forward with us as we continue to evolve and develop as a firm, for the benefit of our clients and our staff.”

Chairman of Battens, Peter Livingstone, added: “Given the turbulence of the past twelve months with the virus and of

course Brexit, we are extremely grateful to David and Ray for helping us to steer the ship and for waiting for the right time to make these changes.

“We are very pleased that they will continue to work alongside us. Ray will remain working with us in the commercial property department and with the Battens Charitable Trust and David will continue his invaluable compliance work. We are very thankful for all their support in making this happen.”

MANY people in Yeovil may remember hearing a loud bang at around 3pm on Saturday, March 20, which led to a surge of theories being discussed on social media.

The Ministry of Defence quickly ruled out the “huge bang” was anything to do with RAF aircraft, while RNAS Yeovilton said the same.

But it emerged the following day that the loud noise was created by an extremely rare meteor known as a daytime fireball.

The sonic boom-type noise was heard in Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Jersey with a number of people catching the meteor on camera.

COUNCILLORS in South Somerset have unanimously called for Government action to resolve an issue which is causing long delays in the consideration of planning applications.

Somerset’s four district councils and the county council have been working hard to minimise delay and uncertainty around planning applications following recent guidance over unacceptable amounts of phosphates in an area of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

The local authorities are working in partnership to develop a way forward after Natural England advised that they should undertake a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) before determining applications that may give rise to additional phosphates in the catchment area.

At a meeting of South Somerset District Council on February 25, councillors from all parties unanimously resolved to call on the Government to urgently intervene.

The motion was put forward by Cllr Mike Stanton who said: “We are exasperated at having to explain to our constituents the recent and continuing long delays in consideration of most residential applications. This is not a problem of our making and one which we cannot as a council resolve.”

The resolution calls on the Government to accelerate adoption of The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill, which will limit discharge of raw sewage, and to add a requirement for biological or naturebased phosphate removal treatments to be installed in all sizes of sewage works by water authorities as a matter of urgency.

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ON OUR DOORSTEP News from around South Somerset

Ilminster Midsummer Experience will be back this summer - fingers-crossed!

ORGANISERS of the annual Ilminster Midsummer Experience festival are delighted to have announced that the event will be making a return in 2021!

There were no real shocks when the IMEx had to be cancelled last year due to the country being in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

And there were question marks over whether it would be able to happen this year because of the continuing situation with Covid-19.

But the organisers have discussed in detail about whether it could go-ahead – taking into account the Government’s plans to ease out of lockdown with all restrictions set to be lifted on June 21.

So it is planned that the 2021 Ilminster

Midsummer Experience event will be held from Thursday, June 24, to Sunday, June 27. This is two weeks later than normal, but will fall into line with the Government’s Road Map out of lockdown.

Ilminster’s wonderful Flag Festival, however, will be extended and will run from May 31 to July 4 where the town will be festooned with beautifully decorated flags.

Not all of the events will be able to goahead as normal because of Covid-19, but the ever-popular Food and Craft Market in Silver Street, Ilminster, and the Whitelackington Art Show will be held on Saturday, June 26.

The following day on Sunday, June

27, attention will turn to the Ilminster Recreation Ground and there will be a Classic Vehicle Show, a Family Dog Show, Community Lunch and a Food Court with delicious things to eat and drink. There will also be a Children’s Fun Fair and it is hoped that there will be some musical entertainment throughout the day.

In addition, hopefully there will be the entertaining Scarecrow Competition; the Strolling Garage Sale; together with the History Trail and Three Peaks Walk.

It is expected that a number of venues in and around Ilminster will be showcasing what they offer.

Chairman of the Experience Ilminster CIC group, Michael Fry-Foley, said: “We

believe that it is right to re-schedule the Ilminster Midsummer Experience taking account of current Government regulations.

“However, we are fully aware that this may have to change as we approach the new date, depending on the situation at the time. I can re-assure everyone that public safety is our top priority.”

And he added: “It may be a slimmed down version of previous years, but I am hopeful that there will be an Ilminster Midsummer Experience for everyone to enjoy this year.”

Keep up-to-date with more information on the Ilminster Experience website at www.ilminsterexperience.co.uk.

Bike shop attack in Crewkerne Covid-19 has proven to be the POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an early morning burglary at a bike shop in Crewkerne.

The incident happened at around 2.25am on Thursday, March 25, at the business in East Street.

A police spokesman said: “Four men arrived at the scene in a dark-coloured van and threw a concrete block through the window, before kicking the window several times to gain access to the premises.

“A passer-by scared the group off and they fled the scene, driving off towards Crewkerne’s High Street, without stealing anything.

“One of the offenders is described as aged around late 20s or early 30s, of medium build, and wearing a lightcoloured hoody with a hat on and possibly grey jogging bottoms. The other three all appeared to be wearing dark clothing.”

Their vehicle has been described as a dark-coloured large Transit-style van.

The police spokesman added: “The number plates were covered up, but the covering on the rear plate had slightly come off and we believe the last two letters were UO.” Police would urge anyone with information to call 101 and quote crime ref 5221063591.

Lincoln's rescued from rabbit hole FIREFIGHTERS helped to rescue a pet dog which had got stuck down a rabbit hole in Bower Hinton near Martock.

Lincoln the terrier was safely released and reunited with his owner on March 16 following the incident in Gaston Road.

One fire engine from Martock was called out to the incident in Gaston Road along with the Urban Search and Rescue Team.

On-call firefighter Paul Cregan caught

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the moment Lincoln was rescued on camera and shared it on social media.

“Lincoln the terrier successfully rescued by fire crews from Martock and USAR after seven hours trapped in a rabbit hole!” he said. “Protecting people, property and pets!”

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service described the rescue as “almost like the moment a baby is delivered!”

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final blow for Arts Society group THE Arts Society Neroche South Somerset group has decided to call time on its activities after nearly half a century of supporting and promoting the decorative arts.

The society has been in existence for 47 years, but chairman David Hussey said that now was the right time – sadly – to bring things to an end.

“A local distribution of remaining funds to promote the arts has been agreed,” he said. “Details of other groups of the national Arts Society organisation can be found at www.theartssociety.org.”

Mr Hussey added: “Our membership levels have been falling for a number of years and Covid-19 has proved the final blow.

“It has further reduced membership and obviously prevented normal meetings

from taking place for a year now.

“Even with vaccination, I suspect it could be some time before people feel confident to return to ‘group’ meetings. I am sure many other organisations are in a similar position.”

The Arts Society Neroche South Somerset had been offering members a vibrant and interesting programme of lectures, study days, visits and other artsrelated events since it was founded in 1973.

It was part of an internationally strong organisation – The Arts Society - made up of more than 380 UK societies and additional ones overseas.

Part of the local society’s name was taken from Castle Neroche which once stood on the edge of the Blackdown Hills.

Folk Fest will return bigger and better in 2022 THE Petherton Folk Fest in South Petherton will be returning in 2022 after organisers decided to cancel attempts to hold the festival this summer.

Although this year’s festival has been cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organising committee says the event will be back “bigger and better” next year and have already announced the date as Saturday, June 18, 2022.

“It was not an easy decision to forego this year’s Folk Fest but it is important that the event takes place in an environment where everyone is safe, so

it is sensible to hold off until next year,” said Pete Wheeler, chairman of the Folk Fest committee.

“We are already planning for 2022 and looking forward with huge enthusiasm to welcoming hundreds of people to a memorable day of music, dance and children’s entertainment.”

Full details of the programme for 2022 will be released early next year and will feature events in South Petherton in the Market Square, The David Hall, The Brewers Arms pub, St Peter and St Paul’s Church and The Blake Hall - together with stalls, and other attractions.

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Missed contact with friends and family CHILTHORNE Domer dairy farmer Paula Dowding was delighted to join in with the recent Window Wanderland project.

Around 200 homes and businesses took part in the first-ever Window Wanderland in the Yeovil area has been hailed a glowing success.

Kara Bignell-Bird and the project cofounders were amazed by the response and have thanked everyone for making it such a fantastic event whereby people decorated their homes with pictures which came alive after dark with illumination during the event which ran

from February 15-28.

While not working on the farm, Paula is also a supported employment coordinator for Discovery and helping people with learning difficulties to find paid employment.

“I have been lucky enough to have been able to continue to work throughout the pandemic,” said Paula.

“I have been lucky enough to have helped a customer find paid work packing eggs, which is wonderful during these hard times.

“So nothing has changed too much

work wise, but as for mental well-being it has been difficult not being in contact with friends and family for months at a time.”

And Paula added: “I have always enjoyed gardening and floral art, which I have done more of recently, and I have hung various themed wreaths on my front door as we have had so many walkers passing us recently and I hope they have cheered people up.

“So I was more than happy to get involved with the Window Wanderland project.”

Tragedy avoided thanks Chinnock Hollow could to a working smoke alarm be closed for six months A WORKING smoke alarm possibly saved a tragedy from unfolding at a house fire in a South Somerset village.

Firefighters from Martock, Yeovil and Ilminster were mobilised at just after 2am on Tuesday, March 16, to the incident at a home in Folly Road in Kingsbury Episcopi.

On arrival at the scene they found a fire in the kitchen of a two-storey home and they quickly got to work dealing with the situation.

Five occupants of the home – two adults and three children – had thankfully left the building by the time the firefighters had arrived.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the two adults suffered smoke inhalation and were

given medical support before they were taken to hospital for “precautionary observation.”

And a spokesman for Martock Fire Station added: “The occupants of the property were alerted to the fire by a working smoke alarm which gave them crucial minutes to evacuate and call us out.

“This was a fantastic example of the importance of having and maintaining smoke alarms.”

The kitchen of the property was damaged by fire and smoke while the remainder of the property suffered smoke damage.

For smoke alarm tips – please go to http://orlo.uk/4xrWg .

Motor home fire near Langport FIREFIGHTERS from Martock and Somerton were called out after getting reports of a motor home on fire near Langport.

The alarm was raised on Easter Monday, April 5, at just before 9am to the incident at Pibsbury.

The crews found the motor home to be well alight and quickly got to work to deal with the situation, although they could not save the vehicle from being

severely damaged.

Oxygen therapy treatment was given to the driver of the vehicle as he had inhaled quite a bit of smoke from the fire.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “A paramedic also attended the scene as a precaution to check the driver was ok.”

Photo: Courtesy of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

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A ROAD on the outskirts of Yeovil which is used as a short-cut by motorists coming in and out of the town could be closed for up to six months because of a landslip.

The Yeovil Press reported last month how the landslip on February 25 at Chinnock Hollow had closed the road.

And it looks as if the road will be closed for sometime as highways engineers from Somerset County Council carry out work to ensure it is safe for people to use.

Chinnock Hollow is off the A30 at East Chinnock and is a well-used route into Yeovil via Odcombe and removes the need for motorists to take the busier main road route through West Coker and onto the town.

A survey has been undertaken on the affected area for engineers to understand the cause of the landslip and to work out whether further incidents are likely.

A Somerset County Council spokesman said: “We understand the public are keen to see the road cleared and reopened and we are working to achieve this.

“As the highways authority we have a duty to ensure the safety of road users and the public, and therefore we need to understand fully how this happened and what needs to be done to secure the embankment to make it safe “For this reason, regrettably, the road must remain closed until investigations are complete and any necessary repairs have been undertaken. This is likely to take between three to six months based on similar cases, but at this point it is not possible to give a precise timescale.

“We’d urge the public not to use this route either on foot or cycling as it may not be safe to do so. Rest assured this process is underway.”

Firefighters support Devon colleagues at thatched roof fire FIREFIGHTERS from South Somerset were called out on Easter Sunday to help colleagues over the border in Devon deal with a thatch roof fire at a home.

The alarm was raised at just before midday on Sunday, April 4, to the incident on the A35 at Wilmington which is near Axminster.

Eight fire engines from Devon were initially mobilised to deal with the situation but during the day those crews received support from firefighters from across the region including Martock, Chard, Crewkerne and Yeovil.

The property sustained extensive damage in the incident which was deemed to have started by accident.

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Friendly & Helpful Service Local & Long Distance Immediate and Advanced Bookings Taken Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles 4,6,7 & 8 Seaters Available 16 Seat Minibus We charge less than the meter, so you can travel cheaper

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Super prizes up for grabs in hospital appeal charity raffle A FANTASTIC raffle is being held by the Mayor of Yeovil, Cllr David Recardo, to help raise much-needed funds for Yeovil District Hospital’s ongoing Breast Cancer Unit Appeal.

The Mayor has been supporting the appeal – which is looking to fund the creation of a breast cancer unit under one roof at the hospital – during his 2020-21 term of office.

But due to the various Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, Cllr Recardo has sadly not been able to host his usual diary of fundraising events over the past year.

The Mayor, however, wants to end his three-year tenure as Yeovil’s civic head on a high with a superb end-of-term raffle The raffle is being coordinated by Yeovil Hospital Charity volunteer Karina Parsons and a fine list of around 40 prizes has been put together.

The draw will be made on May 4 – Cllr Recardo’s final day as Mayor – on local radio.

Among the prizes are restaurant and

hotel vouchers, Quedam car parking season tickets, meals out, hampers, Yeovil Town FC tickets and other merchandise – a full list of prizes is available from Karina.

It will cost £2 per raffle square and people can contact Karina via Karina.

Parsons@btinternet.com or email the Mayor at david.recardo@me.com for further details on how to get involved and buy your raffle tickets.

“We’ve got some wonderful prizes and I would like to thank everyone who has very kindly donated to the cause,” said Karina. “It would be great to have your support – so please buy some raffle tickets.”

The Mayor added: “Covid-19 has prevented me from fundraising in 202021, but I am delighted that I have teamedup with the Yeovil Hospital Charity to hold a raffle.”

The planned new breast cancer unit – once it has been built – will bring all of the relevant services together under one

SUPPORT OUR NHS STAFF

roof at Yeovil District Hospital.

Patients will be able to have their clinical examination, an ultrasound scan, a mammogram, a biopsy, a prosthesis fitting, an appointment with a doctor and

an appointment with a specialist nurse all in one place.

There will be shorter waiting times and no need to move around the hospital and get undressed in multiple locations.

Yeovil Hospital Charity volunteer Karina Parsons with an array of raffle prizes which have been donated.

HOW TO SUPPORT THE APPEAL

We need you now more than ever...

Your donation could help us to purchase more equipment and support our staff During this CORONAVIRUS emergency, our staff need all the help they can get. You can help by donating:

www.justgiving.com/yeovilhospital or

Email fundraising@ydh.nhs.uk for more info Making a difference for patients For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

ONLINE: www.justgiving.com/campaign/breastcancerappeal CHEQUE: Make payable to ‘Yeovil Hospital Charity’ and send to Breast Cancer Unit Appeal, Yeovil Hospital Charity, Higher Kingston, Yeovil, BA21 4AT PHONE: 01935 383020 to talk to the fundraising team EMAIL: fundraising@ydh.nhs.uk YOUR new local newspaper that covers YOUR local area

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College students return to campus YEOVIL College students and staff have returned to the campus following the latest Covid-19 lockdown - although a lot of work will continue from the safety of homes.

The doors were reopened on March 8 as part of the Government’s Road Map out of lockdown and the college began a “blended learning timetable” which sees students maximise their practical time in workshops and real-world environments, while continuing to learn theory remotely at home via conferencing facilities.

The college principal and chief executive, Mark Bolton, said: “It was uplifting to see students return to campus.

There was a real buzz on campus, the sun was shining and you could visibly see that people were happy to be back.”

Yeovil College was one of the first colleges to introduce a ‘lateral flow’ test and trace testing centre to a college

environment in Somerset, and this, along with many other safety measures, has played a key role in enabling students to safely return to site.

Mr Bolton continued: “The safety of our students and staff continues to be our first priority and our guiding principle to reopening the college has been one of extreme caution.

“Our testing centre has been a real success and I would like to thank staff who have worked tirelessly to make it so.

“It is once again business as usual for our students and staff who are now extremely familiar with our blended approach; the result being that not a single day of education has been missed at Yeovil College.”

The “blended timetable” will continue to limit the spread of coronavirus and limit disruption to learning.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Len Copland.

Holding hands with a loved Help at hand to make one - a magical moment businesses Covid-19 safe FOR residents at the West Abbey care centre in Yeovil the long-awaited reunion with a family member or friend became a reality on March 8.

Under the Government’s Road Map out of lockdown it was allowed for residents to meet face-to-face a regular nominated family member or friend.

There had been much careful planning and preparation for that moment behind the scenes at Barchester Healthcare, who run West Abbey, since the announcement

by Boris Johnson in February of lockdown restrictions being eased.

Whilst some visiting continued in a specially designed visiting suite where screens divided relatives from their loved ones to keep residents safe, now meeting in the same room feels a great step towards normal visiting once again.

West Abbey’s general manager, Caroline Carter, said: “This has been a much welcomed development in what have been very challenging times.

“The visits are safe and well organised, the visitor takes a lateral flow Covid test and we ensure the result is negative before the visitor enters the home for the safety of all our residents and staff.

“March 8 was a lovely day to welcome in our first visitor and we will be welcoming more throughout the week.”

The first visitor was a Mr Loader who was thrilled to see his mother, Joyce, face-to-face.

“Thank you for making it possible to see my mother,” he said. “I’m looking forward to holding her hand again very soon - you should all be very proud of what you have achieved during these

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OFFICERS at South Somerset District Council are working with the Health and Safety Executive to make sure businesses are Covid-19 secure.

Businesses around the districted are being contacted to check they have the necessary Covid-secure measures in place to help tackle coronavirus in the local area.

A council spokesman said: “We are also working alongside local public health authorities to support the understanding of any patterns in confirmed coronavirus cases in the area.

“During the checks we provide advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors but where some businesses are not managing this, we will take immediate action.

“This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.”

Being Covid-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus.

Council leader, Cllr Val Keitch, said: “We are talking to local businesses, and visiting and inspecting sites in and around South Somerset to understand how they are managing risks in line with challenging times.”

PHOTO: Mr Loader – the first visitor at the West Abbey care centre in Yeovil on March 8.

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their specific business activity.

“Becoming Covid-secure needs to be the priority for all businesses in South Somerset, it is a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus.

“This means making business adjustments to become Covid-secure.

We advise employers to work with their employees when implementing changes, to help increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community.”

HSE and local authority inspectors are finding some common issues across a range of sectors that include: failing to provide arrangements for monitoring, supervising and maintaining social distancing, and failing to introduce an adequate cleaning regime particularly at busy times of the day.

Cllr Keitch added: “All businesses are in scope for spot checks which means businesses of any size, in any sector can receive an unannounced check to ensure they are Covid-secure. By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, we can benefit the health of the local community as well as support the local and national UK economy.”

For the latest information and safer business guidance, see www.gov.uk .

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Hospital exceeds target in leading Covid-19 research MORE than 500 members of Yeovil District Hospital staff signed up to Public Health England’s SIREN Study to help understand whether prior infection with SARS-CoV2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - protects against future infection with the same virus.

The SIREN Study has been live since June 2020 and has tested tens of thousands of NHS staff across the country.

At Yeovil Hospital, the clinical research team has been testing staff from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds every two weeks for signs of new Covid-19 infections and antibodies and feeding this data into the national study.

The project had a target of recruiting 250 staff members by the end of September 2020 but found an outstanding 569 employees stepped forward to volunteer.

Consultant cardiologist at Yeovil Hospital, Dr Andrew Broadley, who was keen to be part of the study, said: “Taking part in the SIREN trial is very worthwhile.

This is the only urgent public health trial that can answer the important questions about how long Covid-19 immunity lasts and what the risks of re-infection are.

“Health workers are in a unique position to be able to help with this question, because our risks of exposure to COVID-19 are, by the nature of the work we do, higher than the general population.

“My experience of the SIREN study is entirely positive. I like knowing that I’m playing a part in the research effort to overcome Covid-19, even if it is just a tiny part.”

Senior clinical research nurse Sarah Board, who is leading the study at Yeovil

Hospital, said: “Clinical research trials are so important in striving to find new treatments for diseases and conditions that affect millions of people worldwide and Covid-19 has been no exception.

“Over the last year, we have learned so much about the virus. From the results of the study so far, we now know that past Covid-19 infections does provided some immunity for at least five months; however people may still be able to carry and transmit the virus, therefore it is still extremely important that people follow all government guidelines and stay at home when possible.”

Although the vaccine is being rolled out across the UK, the Siren Study continues to be important for increasing understanding as well as alerting staff as to whether they have Covid-19 and

Nominate county's unsung heroes for a Somerset Medal FROM vaccinators to van drivers and from health staff to home-schoolers, countless people have kept Somerset going over the last 12 months – and now Somerset County Council is honouring them with a new accolade.

March 23 marked one year since the first lockdown was introduced and now it also marks the launch of the Somerset Medal in tribute to all those who made superhuman efforts during the pandemic.

The Medal is designed to say a heartfelt thank-you to the best of the best, nominated by the people and presented on behalf the people on Somerset Day, May 11.

Council chairman, Cllr Nigel Taylor, said: “Somerset is full of fantastic communities made up of remarkable individuals doing great things – and that has never been more true than during the

very difficult year we have all shared.

“This is an opportunity to recognise them for the difference they make, and I’d like to hear about as many potential award-winners as possible from across the county.”

It has been a year like no other.

Community groups were created or strengthened to help those in need of food, medicines, protective personal equipment or simply a friendly voice at the garden gate or on the phone.

So many people, from teachers and nurses, police and fire officers, carers, shop workers, volunteer drivers and waste collectors have all gone the extra mile – or ten – to make sure that every effort was made to support communities.

And the commitment continues.

This is your chance to celebrate the

exceptional, shine a light on the many unsung heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. So, if you know someone who has really made a difference to you or your community, please nominate them telling us why you think they deserve a very special tribute.

Anyone wanting to make a nomination should submit a maximum of 250 words, providing the nominee’s name and location and describing why they deserve the medal. Please provide your own name and contact details, too. Please email DemocraticServices2@somerset.gov.uk and put ‘Somerset Medal nomination’ in the subject field.

Nominations close on April 23 with the inaugural Somerset Medal award winners unveiled on Somerset Day, May 11.

Care home welcomes visitors after lockdown A CARE home in Yeovil Marsh welcomed its first visitor in more than a year after putting a series of measures in place to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The first emotional meeting took place at The Elms Residential Home on March 8 - the day lockdown measures were eased.

Manager Louise Turner said: “What a happy day at The Elms. I cannot express how emotional it was to see relatives with their loved ones for the first time in over a year.

“Our first visitor was Gareth Jones, son of resident Margaret Jones - 89 years young. Gareth was worried that his mother would not recognise him with all the PPE he was wearing.

“When he came into our visiting room his mother was sat waiting. The first thing she said was ‘That’s Gareth’.

In order for this day to come, staff and residents have all had the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The care home has been following Government advice for the visits, including testing visitors and asking them to wear PPE and keeping physical contact to a minimum, although hand-holding is allowed.

For Louise, visiting has been crucially important for the well-being of residents, family and friends but she said the care home must not let up its guard in the fight against Covid-19.

“We want to keep The Elms open to visits where possible and safe,” she said.

“We recognise that visits are important for residents but if we cannot make them safe, we may have to require the home to close to visitors.”

The Elms has gone out of its way to

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keep residents happy during the past year when they were unable to have visits.

PHOTO: Gareth Jones visits his mum at The Elms Residential Home when lockdown rules were eased on March 8.

Photo courtesy of The Elms.

are transmittable to patients and the community.

Clinical research nurse Nigel Beer said: “I am really glad I signed up to the Siren Trial, to be a part of a possible solution.

The data has already made a difference to how we understand the virus and it was important to me that I could have reassurance that I was not going to be transmitting Covid-19 to either my patients or my family.”

Yeovil Hospital staff have joined thousands of others around the country stepping forward and helping the world edge closer to an end to the pandemic.

The next stage of the study is beginning to take place and staff here at Yeovil Hospital, the fantastic research team and supporting staff will continue to do their part and help put an end to Covid-19.

ROAD MAP OUT OF LOCKDOWN KEY DATES (Subject to change) APRIL 12, 2021 All retail Personal care Libraries and community centres Most outdoor attractions Indoor leisure including gyms Outdoor hospitality eg pub beer gardens Indoor parent and child groups – up to 15 people MAY 17, 2021 Indoor hospitality Indoor entertainment and attractions Organised indoor sport (adults) Up to six people or a larger group from two households can meet indoors Indoor events 1,000 people or 50 per cent capacity (whichever is lower) Outdoor events 4,000 people or 50 per cent capacity (whciever is lower) Domestic overnight stays International travel (subject to review) JUNE 21, 2021 Nightclubs can reopen All restrictions lifted

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Art project telling the stories of bravery and kindness across generations A NEW community art project created

by Yeovil Art Space and artist Natasha Rand entitled Together We Are Stronger – involving recorded stories of isolation, bravery, and kindness during lockdown – is aiming to reconnect generations and foster a sense of community via digital storytelling.

Artist Natasha Rand, founder of Creation Generation, has been interviewing residents and staff from Somerset Care and local elders from Yeovil to ask how they have been coping and to share their life experiences of difficult times from their past.

It captured significant moments of their life from travel to friendship, war time hardship to mental health. These conversations have been translated into a series of 18 podcasts which are being released each week on the Yeovil Art Space website www.yeovilartspace.

uk/together and will subsequently be shared in the care homes as well as via the Somerset Libraries’ Spotify account.

“Irene is 91 years old and happily living in a Somerset Care home,” said Natasha.

“Her interview took place in December of 2020 over a Zoom call, where she shared her life story.

“Not wanting to ask her parents for the money for art school in 1943, Irene got a job at a fashion house at the age of 14 and worked her way up to the design room and dressed film stars and royalty.

“She talks of her early morning journeys up to London, her father and his secret code breaking work and the joys of motherhood.”

Emma Brown, from Somerset Care, added: “We are delighted that residents and staff from our Burnworthy House care home have been able to share their stories as part of this project.

“At Somerset Care we support our residents to live the life they choose, and these podcasts show that they are very definitely living life to the full!

Their stories are fascinating, inspiring and a real tonic during these challenging times.”

Using the podcasts as a springboard to wider community connections, Natasha and Yeovil Art Space are coordinating a response from young people in the local area, families, and creatives, including artworks and writing from workshops and artist commissions.

A creative family activity pack has been put together by Natasha Rand and will be distributed from Yeovil Library.

These engagements will be followed by a range of creative responses to share with the public, including window displays in the town centre and an exhibition at Yeovil Art Space.

National Intergenerational Week, which ran from March 8-15, saw a social media takeover on the Yeovil Art Space Instagram and Facebook platforms @ yeovilartspace, sharing activities that have been taking place behind the scenes and inviting the wider community to take part.

Natasha added: “The aim of the Together We Are Stronger project is to create more opportunities for intergenerational work

Irene – who took part in the Together We Are Stronger project.

in Yeovil and support cohesion and new partnerships, linking different groups and organisations together.

“We would like to thank, for their generous support, the individuals and organisations who have made this project possible.”

Natasha Rand and Yeovil Art Space are working in partnership with Eastville Project Space, Somerset Care, Somerset Libraries Yeovil, Love Yeovil, Yeovil College, Buckler’s Mead Academy and the Quedam Shopping Centre with support from The National Lottery Community Fund, Somerset Community Foundation, South Somerset District Council and Arts Council England Lottery Fund.

New premises set to open for Yeovil Art Space THE Yeovil Art Space group will be reopening and in a new premises later this month in the town centre which will open up a whole host of exciting projects.

April 21 will see an additional Yeovil Art Space venue open in the Quedam Shopping Centre which will be the place to be for exhibitions, shop and workshops.

It will become a smart new space to house the group’s upcoming programme including the exciting new Together We Are Stronger exhibition being held in May and June including a group show from the Yeovil Creatives and contributions from the community.

The existing shop space will be the new base for the Eastville Project with a record shop and music and digital focus.

A spokesman said: “We are really excited about expanding the projects we have been working on and giving wider access to the community.

“Together We Are Stronger has been a really exciting and successful project so

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far with wonderful responses from the public to the series of podcasts available on the Yeovil Art Space website.”

The group has coordinated Creative Writing Workshops and Art Clubs for young people aged from 7-16 and an activities booklet created with Somerset Libraries Yeovil.

The spokesman added: “This has really evolved into the vibrant collaborative intergenerational project that artist Natasha Rand envisioned.”

Opening times from April 21 will be 11am to 2pm Wednesday to Friday and from 11am to 3pm on Saturday.

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Fantastic project is going from strength to strength in Yeovil STARTING with a series of podcasts recorded in a Somerset care home and with elderly residents in Yeovil the Together We Are Stronger project has unfolded to other groups in the community as planned.

An online art club facilitated by lead artist Natasha Rand for 16 youngsters has been a great success with poster work being made in response to the podcasts and the stories told from the past.

The project has also seen online creative writing workshops for teens, led by Kara Bignell-Bird, with both groups having a really positive response and appealing to a demand for creative opportunities for younger generations in the Yeovil area.

Natasha said: “I enjoyed connecting the young artists with the life stories of the elderly voices.

“They listened intensely and responded by seeking for positivity in the narratives and then expressing these messages their art.

“What I really loved was the eagerness to share their response to the very people who had inspired them. The intergenerational connection became real.”

Together We Are Stronger artist Natasha and Yeovil Art Space has also produced 2,000 booklets in connection with Somerset Library Yeovil and distributed from there to the public and to local schools.

The 12-page pack includes family friendly activities around the themes of bravery and resilience, inviting the community to listen to the podcasts, to be inspired and to follow the activities which also relate to the last years context

of a global pandemic.

This booklet is still available as a free download on the Yeovil Art Space website yeovilartspace.uk/together where you can find all the details on how to get involved and you can still hear the podcasts.

The group also has a call out for the public to join in with its social media campaign. Find a piece of A4 size paper/card write ‘Together, we are... (something cheerful and positive) then post your picture on your social media such as Facebook & Instagram with #TogetherYeovil so Yeovil Art Space can find yours and share. And if you would like to have your picture shown together with others as part of of the Window Art Trail in town email your image to togetheryeovil@gmail.com by April 15. Full details for this are also on the website at https:yeovilartspace.uk .

Twelve artists from the Yeovil Creatives are contributing to a group exhibition to be held in the Yeovil Art Space in May and June. The artists have all produced a piece of art in response to the theme of Resilience and when the exhibition is over the works will all be donated to the Somerset Care home where the podcasts were recorded. It is really important to all the artists involved that this is a full circle project and that each generation is recognised for its contribution and importance.

Natasha added: “We are really looking forward to opening the doors of Yeovil Art Space again and sharing back with the community all of the wonderful creativity that these groups have been producing as a result of these amazing

Della was delighted to take part in the Together We Are Stronger project.

Ruth told her story for the Together We Are Stronger Project.

podcasts.

“They are a real point of connection for the community and really resonate today.

It’s been a positive and heartwarming experience for everyone involved.”

People can follow @yeovilartspace on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

The Together We Are Stronger podcasts have proved really popular.

Della talks about her childhood during the Blitz in London when she looked after the children who lost their families following the bombing. She talks about the impact of this trauma, and how it led her into a career in nursing.

After the war, Ruth trained to be a teacher and went to work in the Australian outback for two years. She talks of the excitement, the lifelong friends she made and how it became an experience she never forgot.

And When she was young, Irene did not want to ask her parents for the money to go to art school, so she got a job at a fashion house at the age of 14 and worked her way up to the design room, eventually dressing film stars and royalty.

Millie, aged 11, created this poster as part of the project.

A Zoom meeting for the project.

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FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS Let us know your family news WELCOME to the Family Announcements feature in YOUR monthly Yeovil Press community newspaper.

We will be delighted to publish your announcements – whether it is Births, Birthday Greetings, Congratulations, Marriages, Anniversaries and Good Luck Messages.

We will also hopefully be working closely with local funeral directors on the sad event of death announcements and possible obituary reports.

People can submit their Family Announcements by emailing the Yeovil Press at yeovilpress@gmail.com.

Steve Sowden, editor of the Yeovil Press, said: “Family Announcements are

part and parcel of any local newspaper and I’m delighted to offer this service to the people of Yeovil and surrounding area.

“The Yeovil Press now has a print-run of 5,000 copies a month and these are distributed at various outlets within the Yeovil area where people can pick them up.”

Lineage announcements can be published for free, but if you would like to add a photo to your message there will be a charge of £7.50.

So if you have any Family Announcements that are coming up in 2021 – please let us know.

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SEND US YOUR FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEATH ANNOUNCEMENTS (Details are correct at time of receiving information)

CHICK – JOHN RAYMOND: Passed away unexpectedly at home on February 18, 2021, aged 75 years. Loving husband to Valerie and a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A member of Long Sutton Friendly Society and Long Sutton Bell Ringers Club. Now reunited with his daughter Nicola. Private service to be held due to current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you wish to make a donation in lieu please forward a cheque made payable to the British Heart Foundation direct to funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

GIBBONS – SHANE JOHN: Passed away suddenly at home on February 18, 2021, aged 38 years. Son, partner, father, brother and good friend to so many.

Private service to be held due to current global circumstances. We ask for family privacy during these very difficult times. All enquiries please via funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

BRAGG – PETER: Passed away peacefully at Yeovil District Hospital on March 18, 2021, aged 81 years. Loving partner to Ann for many years.

A private service to be held due to current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you wish to make a donation in lieu, please send a cheque made payable to the Macmillan Unit at Yeovil District Hospital directly to funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

BARTON – MARIAN AUDREY: Passed away peacefully at Bridgwater Community Hospital on February 22, 2021, aged 95 years. Private service to be held due to current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you wish to make a donation online at Alzheimer’s.org.uk in Marian’s name the family would be grateful. All enquiries via funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

JENKINS – NORMA: Sadly passed away at home on February 22, 2021, aged 59 years. A muchloved wife to Jonathan and a devoted mother and grandmother who will be greatly missed. A private service to be held due to current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you wish to make a donation in lieu, please forward a cheque made payable to Crohn’s and Colitis UK direct to funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

NORRIS-COUSINS HEATHER: Sadly passed away at home on March 4, 2021, aged 73 years. A muchloved sister, cousin, aunt, great aunt and known to so many. Private service to be held due to current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you make a donation in lieu please forward a cheque made payable to the British Heart Foundation direct to funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

EVANS – SHIRLEY JUNE: Of Yeovil, passed away peacefully in Grovelands Residential Home in Yeovil on March 6, 2021, aged 85 years. She was much loved and will be sadly missed by all her family. Due to current restrictions a private service will take place. Donations in memory of Shirley for Cancer Research UK may be sent c/o Clive Wakely, A J Wakely & Sons, 33 Sparrow Road, Yeovil BA21 4BT. Phone 01935-479913 for further information.

WHITTLE – MARGARET (Mary): Passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on March 13, 2021, aged 90 years. A loving wife to Les and a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Private service to be held due to the current global circumstances. Family flowers only, but if you wish to make a donation in lieu, please forward a cheque made payable to Cancer Research direct to funeral director c/o Stuart Foster Funeral Services, 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HZ. Phone 01935-508971 for further information.

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

Births, Birthdays, Marriages, Anniversaries, Congratulations LISTINGS ARE FREE ADD A PHOTO FOR £7.50 Email - yeovilpress@gmail.com Phone - 07773-198-081 CURTIS – DEBS: Many happy returns for your 40th Birthday on April 20. Love from all your family and friends. XXX

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GEMMELL – DEBS: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 1. Lots of love from all your family and friends.

REEVES – RICHARD: Hoping you had a fantastic Birthday on April 2. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

REEVES – RICHARD: Here’s hoping you had a SuperCiderAtHomeDay on April 2 for your Birthday.

Best wishes from the Yeovil Press.

HOLT – NIKKI: Hoping you had a great Birthday on April 2. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

LLOYD – INDIA: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 2. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

LLOYD – INDIA: Congratulations on your Birthday on April 2. All our love from your “family” at the Castaway Theatre Group.

DEXTER – KAREN: Happy Birthday Mum! Hope you had the most amazing day for your Big Birthday on April 6. Thank you for everything you do for us both. Love you loads – Josie and Owen. XXX DEXTER – KAREN: Hope you had a wonderful 50th Birthday on April 6. Love you loads – Neil. XXX DEXTER – KAREN: Wishing our lovely daughterin-law a very, very Happy 50th Birthday on April 6.

Lots of love from Janet and Vic. XXX DEXTER – KAREN: Happy 50th Birthday on April 6. We hope you had a fabulous day. Lots of love from Mum and Dad. XXX DEXTER – KAREN: Hoping you had a fabulous 50th Birthday on April 6. We will definitely have to celebrate in style when we are all able to do so.

Lots of love from the Santiago, Rendell, Gilbert and Haynes families. XXX DEXTER – KAREN: A very, very Happy 50th Birthday to my very, very special friend. I hope you had a wonderful day on April 6. See you soon! Lots of love from Jo. XXX

WAY – JO: Many happy returns for your 50th Birthday on April 7. Love from all your family and friends. XXX

DEXTER – KAREN: Many happy returns for your very special Birthday on April 6. We hope you had a wonderful day. Best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Press.

HEMMINGS – JONNY: Hoping you had a wonderful Birthday on April 7. Love from all your family and friends.

HEMMINGS – JONNY: No comedians please!

We could go into a Churchill-style speech about wishing you a great Birthday on April 7 – but we won’t! But here’s hoping you had a great day! From your pals at the Yeovil Press.

WAY – JO: Happy 50th Birthday on April 7! Hope you had a great day and we will celebrate with cake and lots of fizz and hugs soon. Lots of love from all your family. XXX WAY – JO: We would like to wish a very special friend a fabulous 50th Birthday on April 7. Hope you had a wonderful day and look forward to celebrating with you properly after lockdown. Lots

of love form Karen, Neil, Josie and Owen. XXX WAY – JO: Welcome to the 50-Club on April 7. Love and best wishes from your pals at the Yeovil Press.

WAY – JO: Many congratulations for your 50th Birthday on April 7. Best wishes from all your friends from the Huish Primary School Class of 1982!

HOUSE – KATIE: Here’s to a fantastic Birthday on April 8. All our love – your family and friends.

MAPLETOFT – DERRICK: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 8. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

MAPLETOFT – DERRICK: Congratulations on your Birthday on April 8. Have a great day. Love from all your pals at the Yeovil Sports and Social Club at Johnson Park.

MAPLETOFT – DERRICK: Congratulations Derrick on another Birthday on April 8. Hoping you had a great day and it’ll be your round at the bar when we can! Best wishes from everyone at Pen Mill Football Club.

MAPLETOFT – DERRICK: Many happy returns to a true Yeovil Legend! Hoping you had a great day Sir! From your friends at the Yeovil Press.

MATTHEWS – SALLY: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 8. Love from all your family and friends.

MATTHEWS – SALLY: Congratulations for your Birthday on April 8. Hope you have a great day!

Best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Press.

MATTHEWS – SALLY: Hoping you had a super day on your Birthday on April 8. Love and best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society.

WATTS – SACHA: Many happy returns for your 50th Birthday on April 8: Love from all your family and friends.

WATTS – SACHA: Welcome to the 50-Club on April 8. Love and best wishes from Preston School’s Class of 1982-87!

VINCENT – ADRIAN: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 8. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

VINCENT – ADRIAN: Wishing you a fantastic Birthday on April 8. Best wishes from your pals at the Yeovil Press.

EASON – JON: Happy 51st Birthday on April 9. Hope you have a fab day! Love you millions – Leeann. XX EASON – JON: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 9. Love from all your family and friends!

EASON – JON: Congratulations for your Birthday on April 9. Up the Glovers! From all your chums at Yeovil Town FC. EASON – JON: Have a great Birthday on April 9.

Hopefully we’ll soon have a beer to celebrate your 50th from last year! All the best from your pals at the Yeovil Press.

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PURCHASE – MANDY: Lots of love on your Birthday on April 10. Love from Garry.

PURCHASE – MANDY: Here’s hoping you have a fabulous Birthday, Mum, on April 10. Love from Natalie, Connor, Catherine, Reece and Reagan.

PURCHASE – MANDY: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 10. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

PURCHASE – MANDY: Have a fantastic day on your Birthday on April 10. All the best from the Yeovil Press!

SHIRE – SHARON: Have a wonderful Birthday on April 10. All our love from your family and friends.

SHIRE – SHARON: Congratulations for your Birthday on April 10. Love from everyone at the Castaway Theatre Group.

SHIRE – SHARON: Here’s hoping you have a fantastic Birthday on April 10. Best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Press.

HAYWARD – ANASTACIA: Have a fabulous Birthday on April 11. All our love – your family and friends.

HAYWARD – ANASTACIA: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 11. Have a great day! Best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Press.

STILES – SEAN: Happy Birthday to you on April 14. Here’s looking forward to a few drinks together – eventually! All the best from your friends at Yeovil Town FC. SIMON – CELIA: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 18. Love from all your family and friends.

SIMON – CELIA: Hoping you have a terrific day on your Birthday on April 18. Best wishes from your friends at the Yeovil Press.

CURTIS – DEBS: Happy 40th Birthday on April 20 to a fabulous wife and mum. Love from Matt, Holly and Jake. XXX

GILBERT – JAMES: Many happy returns for your 50th Birthday on April 22. Love from all your family and friends. XXX

CURTIS – DEBS: Happy 40th Birthday on April 20 – hoping you have a great time. Love from Mark, Debbie, Sophie and Hope. XXX CURTIS – DEBS: Wishing a bubbly sister and auntie a very Happy 40th Birthday on April 20!

Have a fabulous day! Lots of love and hugs from Simon, Amanda, Matthew, Daniel, Jaz, Katie and Rowen. XXX CURTIS – DEBS: Wishing you a very Happy 40th Birthday on April 20. Lots of love from Mum and Dad. XXX CURTIS – DEBS: Welcome to the 40 Club! Have a wonderful day on April 20 and we look forward to celebrating together soon! Lots of love from T, Mark, Aaron and Tia! XXX

CURTIS – DEBS: Happy 40th Birthday on April 20.

Lots of love from Harvey, Bella, Caroline and Matt.

XXX CURTIS – DEBS: Hoping you have a fantastic 40th Birthday on April 20 – keep the faith! Best wishes from your chums at the Yeovil Press!

TURNER – CRAIG: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 21. Love from all your family and friends.

TURNER – CRAIG: Best wishes for your Birthday on April 21. From your friends at the Yeovil Press.

GILBERT – JAMES: Happy 50th Birthday to an amazing husband and father on April 22! Wishing you a fun-filled fabulous 50th year full of laughter and great memories. Enjoy your big beers! With lots

of love from Kerry, Lucas and Jacob. XXX GILBERT – JAMES: Have a wonderful 50th Birthday on April 22. Can’t wait to celebrate with a big beer! Lots of love from the Rendell, Santiago, Dexter and Haynes families. XXX GILBERT – JAMES: Welcome to the 50-Club on April 22. Love and best wishes from Preston School’s Class of 1982-87!

CHEETHAM – GAV: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 22. Love from all your family and friends.

MARSHALL – TIM: Wishing you a very happy Birthday on April 22. All the best from The 48 Boys!

GOACHER – SIMON: Welcome to the 50-Club on April 23. Love and best wishes from Preston School’s Class of 1982-87!

GOACHER - SIMON: Wishing you a very happy 50th Birthday on April 23. All the best from The 48 Boys!

HASKELL – AUDREY: Hoping you have a lovely Birthday on April 23. Love from all your family and friends.

FRANKLIN – BECKY: Welcome to the 49-Club on April 24. Love and best wishes from Preston School’s Class of 1982-87!

BLACKMORE – ANDREW: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 25. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

RENDELL – TERESA: Have a fabulous Birthday on April 27! Love from all your family and friends.

RENDELL – TERESA: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 27. See you soon – hopefully - for a few drinks at an event, no doubt! From your pals at the Yeovil Press.

ROSSITER – ANDY: Many happy returns for your Birthday on April 27. Love and best wishes from all your family and friends.

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Tributes pour in for Yeovil Town's famous fan Trevor Peacock ACTOR Trevor Peacock may have been best known by millions around the country as bumbling Jim Trott in the hit TV show The Vicar of Dibley, but to Yeovil Town FC fans he was “one of them.”

He had appeared in The Vicar of Dibley from its first episode in 1994 and continued to appear in the BBC sitcom until 2015 and was well-known for his catchphrase of “no no no no no yes.”

Trevor passed away in East Coker on March 8 at the grand young age of 89 after several years battling dementia.

He had a career on stage and television for most of his working life and in his later years he became a regular at the Glovers’ Huish Park stadium on match days.

He was a Yeovil Town fan through and through and would often enjoy a prematch drink in the marquee bar ahead of a home game where he would mingle amiably chatting with fellow supporters.

Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden said: “Trevor would often get roped in to announcing the winners in the pre-match raffle in the bar and away fans would look on with somewhat disbelieving expressions when it was announced that a “celebrity” would be doing the draw.

“But their faces were priceless when they suddenly realised it actually was Jim Trott from the Vicar of Dibley fame saying “Ticket Number 112 has ..... No, No, No, No, No, No .. Yes! won the first prize.”

“A wonderful chap who will be deeply missed I am sure by all those that knew him.”

Social media was flooded with tributes locally from fellow Yeovil Town supporters who had got to know Trevor.

Well-known Yeovil fan Mark Kelly said:

Former Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson shares a laugh and a joke with Trevor Peacock at Huish Park.

Trevor Peacock at Huish Park – home of Yeovil Town FC.

“Trevor was a lovely man. He made many away fans’ day in the beer tent when he was doing the draw.”

Fellow fan Dougie Bond wrote: “Lovely bloke.”

And former Yeovil Town media department officer, James Healey, added: “A lovely chap. He would always help out when I needed a video or something

doing at the club.”

Glovers’ fan Sara Kelly said: “I was gutted to hear the news about Trevor. He was such a down to earth, lovely man who I had the pleasure of sharing many a drink with in the beer tent while he amused us with his stories of his exploits on stage and screen.

“He liked coming in the tent with us and winding up the away supporters and getting up to mischief.”

And Yeovil fan Heather Harper added: “He was a lovely man – such good fun, especially when the away supporters were in the beer tent and he did the raffle

Trevor Peacock (standing second right) as Jim Trott with his fellow cast members in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.

in his Jim Trott character.”

Trevor was born in London in May 1931 and enjoyed a successful career as an actor, screenwriter and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, later becoming known for his Shakespearean roles.

But he will be best known for playing cheeky rascal Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley.

Dawn French, who played the lead role of Rev Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, led the tributes when news broke of Trevor’s death by posting a photo on social media Twitter of them together and she wrote: “Night Trev. I love you.”

She finished her post by adding a broken heart emoji.

Trevor lived in East Coker with his actress wife Tilly Tremayne. He has two sons, Daniel and Harry Peacock, and two daughters called Sally and Maudie.

Among his song-writing credits were Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter

by Herman’s Hermits, Made You by Adam Faith and Billy Fury’s Stick Around.

Actress Dawn French posted this simple but heartfelt tribute on social media when she learned of Trevor Peacock’s death last month.

Final round of applause for well-known local comedian Jimmy Quinn A LONE piper walked slowly in front of the hearse as well-known Yeovil comedian Jimmy Quinn made his final journey.

Family members walked behind the hearse and well-wishers lined the road to give Jimmy a final round of applause as the funeral cortege made its way into the grounds of Yeovil Crematorium on March 18.

The cortege had visited Yeovil Town Football Club’s Huish Park stadium where players and staff paid their respects before it moved on to the Airfield Tavern where they were joined by the piper and members of Jimmy’s family then walked the last part of the journey.

With Covid-19 restrictions in place only a small limited number of people could actually attend the funeral service.

Jimmy passed away at the age of 75 on February 23 at a Taunton nursing home

less than three years after he was first diagnosed with dementia.

He had spent many years in the Royal Navy and had served in the Falklands War of 1982 and later spent time running a comedy bar in Tenerife.

But back home in Yeovil he had loved his football and was a regular at Yeovil Town FC and provided entertainment for many a social event, while he was often found out on the golf course.

An online Just Giving fundraising page raised £600 which will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of Jimmy.

A family message read: “We lost our fabulous dad and husband on February 23. He touched so many people’s lives here and anywhere he travelled. He will be so missed, but he will never ever be forgotten.”

Jimmy was married to Jan and they had two children Natalie and Darren.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

A lone piper walks in front of the hearse ahead of Jimmy Quinn’s funeral service at Yeovil Crematorium on March 18. Photo: Christine Jones. Inset: Jimmy Quinn who passed away on February 23.

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37

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LEONARDO HELICOPTERS FOUR-PAGE SPECIAL ON NEWS FROM YEOVIL'S KEY EMPLOYER

Bright future ahead for Leonardo in Yeovil THE managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK – a Yeovil lad through and through – has said that the future looks bright for the town’s key employer.

Nick Whitney, who is a former Westfield Academy and Yeovil College student, took over the role of MD in May 2020 at a time when the world was in the midst of a global pandemic with the onset of coronavirus.

But Mr Whitney told members of Yeovil Chamber of Trade on March 11 – via the Zoom conferencing technology – that Leonardo Helicopters had managed to effectively trade during the difficult conditions.

“The impact of coronavirus has been huge and will continue to be so for some time,” he said. “But we have maintained business and we haven’t furloughed any staff.

“I am proud of how we have risen to the challenge during these unprecedented times.”

Leonardo helped with the Covid-19 national effort with the making of safety visors for the NHS and care industry.

Mr Whitney’s working career began at Plessey Marine where he undertook an engineering apprenticeship, but he joined Westland Helicopters’ engineering

division in 1983 working on a number of different aircraft programmes.

And despite furthering his career development at Marshall Aerospace and Boeing Defence from 2012-20, he has worked in various departments at Leonardo and its previous name guises.

“I have been in the belly of the beast,” he told Chamber members.

He said he had seen a lot of changes over the years, but done more than in the past 12 months with the implications of Covid-19.

“We’ve had to make a number of changes to implement Covid-19 safety measures,” he said. “Office staff have worked from home and those that haven’t been able to, have come in. Everyone has adapted to the changes and been hugely positive.

“Hopefully we are now seeing the green shoots of recovery and the Government’s Road Map out of lockdown to some sort of normality.”

But while Mr Whitney said that Covid-19 had been damaging in so many ways, he said that the pandemic had provided opportunity.

“We’ve moved on 20 years in the space of a few months in our approach to home working,” he said. “We will continue to do that going forward. The days of staff

coming into the office five days a week are over as we won’t need to that.

“The pandemic has been hugely disruptive, but it has brought about change much faster and we wouldn’t have made those changes had it not been for Covid.”

He said he would like to congratulate the workforce for helping to keep Leonardo Helicopters at the forefront of rotor craft development.

PHOTO: Leonardo Helicopters UK managing director Nick Whitney.

Yeovil should be proud of Leonardo Helicopters THE president of the Yeovil Chamber of Trade, Dave Woan, has said that local people should feel proud that they have a “world class” company like Leonardo Helicopters in the town.

Mr Woan was welcoming the managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, Nick Whitney, to the Chamber’s recent breakfast meeting held on March 11 via the Zoom conferencing technology.

“I know I’m very proud that we have a world class company on our doorstep here in Yeovil,” said Mr Woan.

The Chamber president said he had spoken with dozens of local companies over the past 12 months who have been battling with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said that each company had given him a different outlook for the future, but he was pleased to hear that the picture looked bright at Leonardo.

“It’s great to hear that optimism and drive to create new opportunities,” he said. “The seeds that are planted now will

drive our economy in the Yeovil area.”

Mr Whitney said the future was looking good for Leonardo and that he was keen to see the company locally playing a key role in the local community.

“If I wake up in the morning and moan and groan about having to into work that will be the day I give up,” he said. “I first joined in 1983 and it’s given me a great career. I love coming into work.”

The meeting was well-attended by Chamber members emphasising the importance of what Leonardo means to the Yeovil area – a key cog in the town which it has been ever since JB Petter & Sons of Yeovil first founded Westland Aircraft Works in 1915.

Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden, who attended the Zoom meeting with Mr Whitney, said: “It was an informative presentation and certainly painted a buoyant picture.

“I always remember an adage I was told in years gone by that if “Westland sneezes, Yeovil catches a cold,” but I

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Some of the attendees at the Yeovil Chamber’s breakfast meeting with Leonardo Helicopters UK managing director Nick Whitney (top row, second from right).

came away from that meeting confident that Leonardo Helicopters will be coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown without a

runny nose.

“It was an extremely positive presentation from Mr Whitney.”

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39

LEONARDO HELICOPTERS - FOUR-PAGE NEWS SPECIAL

Apprentices drive on Leonardo's managing director THE next generation of workforce at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil is vital for the company’s development.

Managing director Nick Whitney congratulated the company’s existing apprentices who make a significant contribution to life at Leonardo.

“I love dealing with the younger generation – the apprentices are what drive me on,” he told members of the Yeovil Chamber of Trade on March 11 via the Zoom conferencing technology.

“For our business to survive we need the apprentices coming in.”

Mr Whitney said it was important that the company invested in all the necessary latest technology to keep the business at the forefront of the helicopter manufacturing industry, but Leonardo needed new blood.

“Attracting young talent to Leonardo and retaining them within the company

is important for the Yeovil site,” he said.

Leonardo’s training academy in Yeovil specialises in military rotorcraft training, pilot and aircrew ground school training, as well as technician and manager training.

In addition to the delivery of courses specifically dedicated to military products - the AW101, AW159, Lynx and Sea King - the academy provides “instructional design and development services” to support customers in the design and in the development of tailored training solutions to meet their specific training needs.

In 2019, the academy trained more than 2,100 students, which meant almost 7,000 simulator hours and 750 live training hours in an aircraft.

The Academy also completes in-house training.

Despite the pandemic, the training

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academy has seen more than 3,000 personnel undertake training – a large proportion of these are maintenance technicians, in addition to aircrew.

The academy recently went through an upgrade to its site facilities to enhance the user experience and reinforce Leonardo’s commitment to offering modern training solutions.

Mr Whitney said the academy had been a big success and a high percentage of the 3,000 personnel were maintenance technicians.

He told Chamber members that it was also an “exciting time” with the iAero innovation centre.

“I drive past that building every day coming in and out of work and it’s a great new centre and the sky’s the limit,” he said.

“It is a truly exciting time, seeing a facility such as this coming to fruition. Not

only is it a fantastic piece of architecture, it is a visible sign that Yeovil is a key centre of innovation in the aerospace sector in the UK. “The new centre will deliver against the Heart of the South West’s forthcoming Local Industrial Strategy, which aims to increase our area’s contribution to the UK’s economy by capitalising on our key opportunity sectors, which include aerospace and advanced engineering.

This is due in no small part to the global role that Leonardo has played in recent decades as a world leader.

“The world faces an increasing climate emergency, innovation, technology and skill will be needed to rise to the challenges of our modern world. These challenges mean that we need to do things differently and it is facilities such as the iAero building that will enable the best minds to find the solutions we need.

“Leonardo is actively pursuing engagement through collaboration on a wide range of technologies that will not only move its business forward but also industry as a whole at the centre.”

Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil supports around 2,800 employees on site and produces helicopters such as the Super Lynx 300, AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin.

Gate guardians will be great symbols for Yeovil's history with aerospace PLANS are in the pipeline to install two “Gate Guardians” at the entrances to the Leonardo Helicopters site in Yeovil.

The managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, Nick Whitney, told members of Yeovil Chamber on March 11 – via the Zoom conferencing technology – that a Lynx 108 helicopter would stand at the main factory entrance at Lysander Road.

He added that a replica of the G-Lynx helicopter – which broke the world speed record in 1986 – would be installed at the Bunford Lane entrance; possibly on the Bunford Lane roundabout with the Cartgate link road.

Yeovil Chamber president Dave Woan said: “This is fabulous news. To have the G-Lynx on the roundabout at Cartage would be amazing – what an entrance into Yeovil!”

It was on August 11, 1986, when the G-Lynx flew over a measured 15km course and achieved an average speed of 400.87 km/h.

Mr Whitney said: “Since 2019, a small team of trainees at Leonardo in

Yeovil have been developing an aircraft restoration project as part of their training programme within site facilities.

“The project objective is to showcase Leonardo products at the Yeovil site, providing a platform to highlight our aircraft legacy, passion, pride and expertise in what we do.

“This project is continuing to progress through engagement with a local architect to develop an innovative platform in support of an aircraft. In October 2019 Leonardo in Yeovil received planning permission for an aircraft to be placed near the entrance at Lysander Road. There is a desire for another at the Bunford Road/Western end of the Yeovil site.

“We are continuing to make progress towards final approval. There is an ambition for one of the aircraft to be representative of an AW101 and the other a G-Lynx.”

Mr Whitney said: “These eye-catching Gate Guardians will be great symbols to the community and visitors of the long history Leonardo and Yeovil has had in aerospace engineering.”

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LEONARDO HELICOPTERS - FOUR-PAGE NEWS SPECIAL

The i in iAero stands for innovation THE iAero Centre, a cutting-edge aerospace innovation facility in Yeovil, is flying high with completion of construction work and the start of the centre’s fit-out.

Somerset County Council has worked with a range of partners to develop the iAero Centre which will provide highquality workspace and specialist support services to facilitate collaboration and innovation amongst local aerospace supply chain businesses.

Contractor Willmott Dixon has now completed construction of the building on land owned by Leonardo Helicopters and the building has been handed over to Somerset County Council defect-free.

Internal fit-out is now under way with the centre – which is in Bunford Lane opposite the airfield for Leonardo Helicopters - expected to open its doors to tenants and users later in 2021.

County council leader, Cllr David Fothergill, said: “We have reached a major milestone in a project that will make sure Somerset’s key position in the aerospace industry is secured and advanced.

“I must congratulate everyone involved throughout this very challenging year – projects like iAero will be vital as we start our journey towards recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Aerospace is a global industry and it’s never been more important to make sure Somerset remains an attractive place for these businesses to stay, grow and innovate.”

Neal Stephens, Willmott Dixon’s managing director, said: ‘‘This was

a fantastic project to be involved in, working closely with our valued client Somerset County Council and the other stakeholders to deliver an inspiring space that will help the continued growth of the aerospace sector in the South West.’’

The iAero Centre construction has been funded by Somerset County Council, Government’s Local Growth Fund as part of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal and the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme.

Fit out of the centre is being funded

by Government’s Getting Building Fund with these monies secured by Somerset County Council via the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership.

Karl Tucker, chairman of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the iAero Centre with funding from our Growth Deal and Getting Building Fund allocations, which are both designed to support projects that will contribute to local economic growth and create jobs.

“The Heart of the South West area and in particular, Somerset, has a wellestablished, nationally significant and globally competitive aerospace cluster. iAero will provide an important facility for enabling innovation and collaboration in the sector, as well as supporting it to transition into sustainable and smart technologies, proving that the South West can be at the cutting edge of reducing emissions.”

Nick Whitney, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, said: “The “i” in iAero stands for innovation, a keystone that supports the technological exploration, the skills, and progression in aerospace technologies that will be made at the iAero Centre.

“Leonardo is actively pursuing engagement through collaboration on a wide range of technologies that will not only move its business forward but also industry as a whole. “iAero can complement our business and others by rapidly testing and proving new ideas. I look forward to seeing stakeholders educating and engaging with the local community on iAero’s potential and seeing young people getting involved in the science and engineering

of aerospace on their doorstep.”

The two-storey building will provide flexible office, workshop, collaboration and meeting spaces, as well as specialist innovation support services.

Somerset County Council and Willmott Dixon made sure the project delivered additional benefits throughout the construction programme, including apprenticeships, work placements, jobs for the local community, and donation of resources to local community projects.

In addition, more than half of the people working on the project were from within 40 miles of the project and the building is on track to achieve a ‘BREEAM Excellent’ rating for its environmental sustainability performance.

PHOTO: The iAero Centre in Yeovil.

Work goes on for Leonardo despite the Covid-19 pandemic THE Yeovil base of Leonardo Helicopters is continuing to work on completing a 16-aircraft order with the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Leonardo successfully delivered the tenth AW101 all-weather search and rescue helicopter to the Norwegian authorities on March 4.

And Leonardo Helicopters UK managing director Nick Whitney said: “The remaining six aircraft out of 16 are currently being assembled, integrated and tested at Leonardo’s site in Yeovil.

“Furthermore, Leonardo has managed to maintain the drumbeat of its planned capability upgrade for the Brazilian Navy, with the fourth out of eight upgraded Super Lynx Mk21B helicopters delivered successfully at the end of last year in the UK. We are currently upgrading five Lynx

MK95A aircraft for the Portuguese Navy.”

Mr Whitney said that despite the problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic investment continued in both AW159 and AW101 helicopter programmes.

“Leonardo is working closely with current customers and potential customers to understand their requirements and needs,” he said.

“Leonardo is proud to support the UK Carrier Strike Group’s deployment later this year which will see the AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin helicopters embarked on several units delivering the best maritime capability available today and demonstrating worldwide interoperability within the Task group and alongside other key assets of the Royal Navy, NATO, and allies.”

And Mr Whitney added: “In relation

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to the future, Leonardo is looking at several different ways to introduce modern vertical mobility technologies and capabilities - tiltrotors, hybrid and electrical etc.

“It is worth remembering that Yeovil has been involved in various projects

including tiltrotor and ‘green’ helicopter technologies to reduce emissions and noise in recent years, so I’m sure our facility will still play an important role in ongoing and future programmes of the company.”

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LEONARDO HELICOPTERS - FOUR-PAGE NEWS SPECIAL

Helicopters are in the DNA of the Wilson-Chalon family ONE family has celebrated more than 100 years of links to Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil while the iconic Lynx helicopter has chalked up half-acentury since its maiden flight.

There cannot be many people in Yeovil who do not know somebody who is not associated with Leonardo Helicopters – which is still very much known locally as Westlands.

Leonardo is the only British company to design and manufacture helicopters onshore. The company is part of Somerset’s DNA and with many families throughout the region working on-site in Yeovil and helicopters is very much in their blood.

And that is very much the case for the Wilson-Chalon family who has been involved with the company since the 1920s.

In 1915, the Westland Aircraft Works was founded as a division of Petters, in response to government orders for the construction under initial licence of 12 Short Type 184 seaplanes. It was only a few years later in the 1920s when Percy Wilson-Chalon joined Westland.

Percy’s son Peter followed in his father’s footsteps and began his apprenticeship at Westland in 1955. After completing qualifications in mechanical and electrical engineering, it was in 1969, after three years in the flight test department, the family’s links to the Lynx really began.

Back then, the aircraft was known as the WG13, and Peter’s job was to work on the rotor rig at RNAS Yeovilton. It was in the early 1970s that Peter led the Naval development programme, which included ship trials, avionics development, cold trials and improvements to performance and engineering. On March 21, 1971, the Lynx took to the skies for the first time.

Peter said: “I believe one of the great features of the Lynx which has carried over to the Wildcat is its ship operating capability in extreme weather and sea conditions.”

In the 1990s, Peter’s son Louis was flying the Lynx as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Navy. Louis was flying the Yeovil-built aircraft, which his father had flight engineered, and his 1,000th flight hour was achieved from the airfield in

Yeovil on-board a Lynx Mk3.

It was in 2011 that Louis became commanding officer of 815 Squadron, the front-line Lynx Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton. Under Louis’s leadership were around 400 personnel and 25 Royal Navy Lynx aircraft, one of the largest helicopter Squadron’s in the world at the time.

“What I liked about flying the Lynx was its performance and agility – it had the tendency to give you just that little bit more, just when you needed it,” said Louis.

After retiring from the Royal Navy, Louis joined Leonardo in Yeovil in 2016 as a military marketing manager.

The next-generation of Wilson-Chalon to enter the Leonardo gates on Lysander Road in Yeovil was Louis’ nephew Eddie in 2016. Eddie started on Leonardo’s graduate programme.

Leonardo’s award-winning graduate programme develops promising young graduates into engineers and business professionals of the future.

Eddie joined the Lynx Systems

Engineering Department, which works on the Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) AW159 Wildcat programme.

He is involved with developing and running system tests.

“I love working on the latest evolution of the popular Lynx multi-role naval helicopter, the AW159 with its advanced situational awareness capabilities and fully integrated avionics, it truly is a fantastic machine,” he said.

PHOTO: Pictured (from left) are Eddie Wilson-Chalon, Louis Wilson-Chalon and Peter Wilson-Chalon. This photo was taken prior to Covid-19 and social distancing.

Fifty years on from maiden flight for the iconic Lynx A BRIGHT yellow Lynx prototype helicopter took off from Yeovil for the first time on March 21, 1971, meaning it is 50 years since the now-iconic aircraft first took to the skies.

The Westland Helicopters’ Lynx XW835 was piloted by Ron Gellatly and completed two short flights of ten minutes and 20 minutes respectively.

In addition to the chief test pilot, his deputy Roy Moxam occupied the copilot’s seat and Dave Gibbins flew as the flight test engineer responsible for instrumentation management, stress data monitoring and back-up observations.

And 50 years on Leonardo Helicopters – now the name of Westland Helicopters – is continuing to play a leading role in the helicopter market of aircraft of that Lynx size/weight.

The Lynx’s design and further development has met operators’ demands and changing requirements on land and at sea, which has led to the introduction of several variants in line with newly emerging technologies.

The Lynx legacy also strongly contributes to the protection of the mainland and surrounding waters in the UK, ready to counter any potential threats in the maritime environment, in addition to performing in a combat helicopter role among others.

More than 500 aircraft in this class have

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been built, serving operators worldwide.

There are nine customers still using the aircraft today for missions such as antisurface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, battlefield, search and rescue, coastal protection, light utility amongst many others.

Current operators of Lynx variants include the Brazilian Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, and South African Defence Force. The Brazilian Navy has been operating Lynx helicopters for more than four decades. At the end of last year in the UK, the Brazilian Navy and Leonardo completed the Factory Acceptance Test for the fourth out of eight upgraded Super Lynx Mk21B helicopters.

Leonardo continues to support its global customer base that still operates the Lynx.

Leonardo at its Yeovil site is currently upgrading five Lynx MK95A aircraft for the Portuguese Navy. Modernisation work includes new engines, a new glass cockpit with Integrated Display Units amongst many other technologies.

The origins of the Lynx development started as part of an Anglo-French three aircraft programme. The basic Lynx development was carried out utilising five prototype aircraft, each of which was painted a different colour: yellow (XW835), grey (XW836), red (XW837), blue (XW838), and orange (XW839).

The early flight test programme involved

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13 aircraft.

More test flights, developments and modifications were carried out before the first production Naval Lynx (XZ227) flew for the first time on February 10, 1976, and the initial order of Lynx helicopters was delivered to the Royal Navy just five months later.

The British Army Air Corps started to receive deliveries of the Lynx in 1978 and by the end of the year the Lynx was deployed in Germany.

The Lynx featured new technologies at the time including the British Experimental Rotor Programme (BERP) blades able to increase maximum speed and lifting capabilities, later adopted also for all Lynx/Super Lynx variants and for the AW101.

The iconic aircraft broke the world speed record 35 years ago on August 11, 1986, as the so-called G-Lynx reached speeds of 249 mph/216 knots/400 km/h

over the Somerset skyline.

The AW159 represents the most recent capability offered by Leonardo in this market segment, continuing its leadership.

It is designed to operate safely from the smallest ships decks in the harshest environment of poor weather and high sea states, whilst delivering high availability for immediate mission prosecution.

A Leonardo spokesman said: “The AW159 is not only key to the protection of today’s and tomorrow’s UK Royal Navy vessel fleet but is also in-service with export customers delivering multi-role capability for surface and sub-surface operations.

“For the UK Army it is an integral part of the 1st Aviation Brigade in the strike coordination and reconnaissance role with utility across the spectrum of operations.”

PHOTO: The Lynx XW835.

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MY TOP TEN

When Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Shadows and Walker Brothers were top of the pops we will delve back decades into the annals of musical history many of us will still know the songs and instantly, in the main, recognise the artistes.

If you would like to feature in the My Top Ten feature during your birthday month please get in touch with us at yeovilpress@ gmail.com and let us do the rest.

The My Top Ten feature is sponsored by Jody Parks, of ML Property Management, which deals with general building, roofing, commercial and domestic clearance, garden clearance and maintenance, interior/exterior painting and window cleaning. Contact details are on the sponsorship panel at the bottom of this page.

WELCOME to the monthly series called My Top Ten where we go back into the musical history books to see what songs were topping the charts on the day that local people were born.

In this month’s feature we welcome three very well-known lads from the Yeovil area Derrick Mapletoft and Richard Reeves, both distinguished in local sporting circles; plus roofing extraordinaire and social media Facebook comedian Jonny Hemmings, of the Odcombe Pickling Club.

Best wishes go to Derrick, Richard and Jonny and everyone else celebrating their birthday this month.

The wonder of music is that even though

NAME: DERRICK MAPLETOFT DATE OF BIRTH: April 8, 1955 INFORMATION: Yeovil Legend!

My Top Ten: 1: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Give Me Your Word.

2: Ruby Murray, Softly Softly.

3: Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and his Orchestra, Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White.

4: Ruby Murray with Anne Warren, If Anyone Finds This I Love You. 5: Ray Burns, Mobile.

6: Joan Regan, Prize of Gold.

7: Nat King Cole, A Blossom Fell.

8: Dean Martin, Under the Bridges of Paris.

9: Eddie Fisher, I’m Always Hearing Wedding Bells.

10: Ronnie Hilton, A Blossom Fell.

NAME: JONNY HEMMINGS DATE OF BIRTH: April 7, 1966 INFORMATION: Yeovil Legend!

My Top Ten: 1: Walker Brothers, The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore.

2: Spencer Davis Group, Somebody Help Me. 3: The Hollies, I Can’t Let Go. 4: The Kinks, Dedicated Follower of Fashion.

5: Bob Lind, Elusive Butterfly.

6: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, Hold Tight.

7: Val Doonican, Elusive Butterfly.

8: Yardbirds, Shapes of Things.

9: The Bachelors, Sound of Silence.

10: Eddy Arnold, Make the World Go Away.

Top right: Jonny Hemmings Left: The Hollies Above: The Bachelors Right: Walker Brothers

NAME: RICHARD “DICKIE” REEVES DATE OF BIRTH: April 2, 1963 INFORMATION: Yeovil Legend!

My Top Ten: 1: The Shadows, Foot Tapper.

2: Cliff Richard, Summer Holiday.

3: Billy Fury, Like I’ve Never Been Gone.

4: Ned Miller, From a Jack to a King.

5: Springfields, Island of Dreams.

6: The Bachelors, Charmaine.

7: The Beatles, Please Please Me. 8: Joe Brown, That’s What Love Will Do. 9: Cascades, Rhythm of the Rain.

10: Gerry and The Pacemakers, How Do You Do It?

Top right: Derrick Mapletoft Right: Ruby Murray Below: Nat King Cole Left: Tennessee Ernie Ford

Top right: Richard Reeves Left: The Shadows Right: Billy Fury Above: Gerry and The Pacemakers

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ML PROPERTY MANAGEMENT General Building - Roofing - Garden Clearance and Maintenance - Interior/Exterior Painting 07375 889716 - www.mlpropertymanagement.co.uk - Find us on Facebook The Battle of Isandlwana by artist Charles Fripp.

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Fantastic fundraising and getting into shape during lockdown A PERSONAL trainer from Yeovil challenged her team with daily activities to raise money for families with children in hospital.

Ellie Barter, owner of Squats & Tots pre/postnatal health and fitness group, got her team to take part in a different challenge each day during March to increase happy endorphins and improve overall health during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The team collectively raised a fantastic £5,633 which will help to provide a place to stay for families with children in hospital just like Ellie’s sister Danielle Lock and friend Alexa Richardson.

Ellie, speaking about her support for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, said: “My sister and brother-in-law were able to stay in the Ronald McDonald House in Southampton to be near their baby’s bedside when diagnosed with a pulmonary stenosis and needing specialist treatment.

“Four years later my sister again needed support from the charity when rushed to Southampton Hospital to be induced when a cyst in my niece Bethany’s chest

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was detected preventing her lung from inflating.

“Ronald McDonald House in Southampton meant my brother-in-law and their son Toby, who was four at the time, could stay within minutes’ walk of the hospital to help and support, keeping the family together.

“Without the charity my sister would have really struggled, feeling very lost and alone during what was a horrific, terrifying time.”

Friend Alexa Richardson, a team member of Squats & Tots, has also stayed twice at Ronald McDonald House in Southampton when her daughter underwent heart surgery.

Ronald McDonald House in Southampton is just one of 12 houses across the UK situated in or near hospital grounds to enable seriously ill children to have their families close by when they are undergoing treatment and to maintain a degree of normal family life.

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ SQUATSANDTOTS for more information of the Move for March event and to make a donation.

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Drama group looks for new blood THE Tintinhull Drama Group is looking forward to the theatrical world opening up again soon and hopes to perform later this year.

The group is in the process of planning another of their successful Supper Evenings on October 1-2 in Tintinhull Village Hall – this year to be a short musical or comedy play.

But to do this they need more adults

of all ages to join them and share their talents; whether that be acting, singing, or behind the scenes skills such as stage hands, sound and lighting, costume making and make-up.

If you are interested in taking part do please contact the secretary Julia Rogers as soon as possible on 07824 368527 or via their Facebook page @TintinhullDramaGroup.

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Celebrating a world of books at Milford PUPILS and staff at Milford Infants’ School and Pre-School in Yeovil had a wonderful time celebrating World Book Day. Children in school and at home dressed up as their favourite book characters for the ever-popular World Book Day on March 4.

The school was very impressed with everyone’s fantastic efforts considering the current situation.

The children in school and at home completed a number of wonderful activities throughout the day including designing their own book mark, creating a book character model, building story

dens, guessing which teacher was hiding behind their favourite book cover and sharing stories with friends.

The staff and governors recorded over 30 story videos to create a virtual library for all the families to share at home.

A school spokesman said: “The staff at Milford Infants’ School and Pre-School have been very proud of the incredible resilience all our children and families have shown this term. We were all very excited to welcome everyone back to school and pre-school on March 8.”

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Milford Infants’ School.

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Travelling the world through books EVERYONE at Preston Primary School in Yeovil was invited to attend school dressed as a character from a book to help celebrate World Book Day. Class activities had a theme of Travelling the World through Books. Each year group chose a country and shared a

selection of books from this country and around the world.

Book reviews were created and the children also looked for similarities and differences between the cultures shared.

Photos: Courtesy of Preston Primary School.

Pupil/Student News - Sport News Academic News - Club News Fun News - Dramatic News Success News - Good News Send us your photos and reports to yeovilpress@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you 46

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Bonkers for books at Buckler's Mead THE Buckler’s Mead Academy in Yeovil celebrated a socially distanced World Book Day in a variety of ways.

Students were treated to a Masked Reader competition, a Spot the Shelfie competition and, most brilliantly, a huge 300 book socially distanced giveway on March 4.

Books were hung all along the school fence where students and their families were invited to come and choose a book as part of their daily exercise.

English leaders, Megan Dunsby and Kate Vella, said: “We were absolutely thrilled with the response from the community - it is very clear to see that we are building an enormous love of reading in our students.

“One local resident came outside to tell us that, when she opened her curtains that morning, it was like a ‘fantastic fairytale’ seeing all the books lined up ready to be gifted to our wonderful students.”

They added: “Parents commented on what a wonderful and Covid-safe event it was, that showed the students that the school cared about them, ahead of their return to school on March 8.

“We were lucky to receive support for this event from the local Tesco and Co-Op stores, who supplied some hot chocolate sachets and marshmallows for the students to enjoy with their books.”

Headteacher Mark Lawrence said: “Following our excellent feedback letter from Ofsted in which they highlighted the academy’s priority of reading, it is fantastic to be able to celebrate World Book Day in such a creative way.

“All of our teachers have been working incredibly hard to support our community and ensure our students are getting the very best deal. Once again our English department have gone above and beyond for our students.”

PUPILS and staff at St Michael’s Academy in Yeovil would like to thank the local Morrisons and Tesco stores for their donation of free books for the school.

Headteacher Mathew Vella said the

donations were very much appreciated and helped everyone at at St Michael’s to celebrate World Book Day that little bit extra.

Photos: Courtesy of St Michael’s Academy.

Jake Greenbaum

James Firth

Kaytee-Mia Ball.

Book donations at St Michael's Academy

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Excellent feedback from Ofsted following remote inspection of Buckler's Mead STAFF at Buckler’s Mead Academy in Yeovil have been pleased with positive feedback received following a recent monitoring visit by Governmentbacked Ofsted inspectors.

An intensive two-day inspection was carried out by two Ofsted inspectors on February 2-3, but had to be done virtually because of the Covid-19 restrictions.

The inspection focused on what has taken place to improve the academy since the last inspection in November 2019 and the remote provision that has been in place since January.

Since September 2019, Buckler’s Mead Academy has undergone significant changes. A full review of behaviour has taken place with a new policy introduced; a full curriculum review to ensure that all students receive a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares the students for their next steps and progression; the introduction of the learning cycle as a

way of securing consistency and high quality teaching in all lessons.

The report said Buckler’s Mead had introduced personal development as a separate lesson in order to secure a high quality personal, social and health education (better known as PSHE) provision and promote fundamental values such as democracy, diversity, tolerance, mutual respect and the rule of law.

The school had introduced Read to Succeed which ensured every student reads challenging and inspiring texts widely and often, plus it had brought in split lunchtimes to reduce pressure on the dining hall, create more space for recreation and contribute to a positive atmosphere around the site during these times.

The inspection report said Buckler’s Mead had created and developed areas to offer more outside spaces so students

could ‘play’ at break time, while the introduction and growth of a Student Service Centre so that students always had somewhere to go should any issues arise had been a success.

There had also been significant changes to leadership across the academy including new leaders of key subject areas.

A school spokesman said: “We are in

the process of joining The Midsomer Norton Partnership Trust, a successful Multi Academy Trust, with a proven track record for school improvement.

“We are delighted to report that many improvements were recognised by the Ofsted team as they judged leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances.”

Acting headteacher Mark Lawrence said: “The whole Buckler’s Mead Academy community should feel justifiably proud of the comments made in this Ofsted report.

“While it does not change our overall grading, it does show the exceptional progress we have made across the academy since September 2019.

“This is thanks to the hard work of everyone linked to the academy, including our families, our teaching staff, and our support staff and of course our students.”

Easter raffle winners at Westfield Fantastic donation from Asda store CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Easter Raffle which was held at Westfield Academy in Yeovil and raised just over £70 for Comic Relief.

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Darcie Weston was the lucky winner of the first prize with Grace Mitchell, Kyra Davis, Sophie Lawrence and Ellie King winning the runner up hampers.

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PRESTON School in Yeovil was delighted to receive ten laptops and support bundles from Asda Stores and the Asda Foundation.

The new equipment donated is of a very high specification and includes ten of the following items - a Dell Latitude laptop, a Wifi dongle a headset with microphone, SIM card and a Dell laptop bag. Each of

these bundles add up to about £650!

A Preston spokesman said: “We would like to say a massive THANK YOU to our local Asda store in Yeovil who were able to organise this fantastic gift.

“The technology will be incredibly useful to our students in helping them access their curriculum remotely and thus allowing them to reach their potential.”

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Super heroes raise funds for Comic Relief THE pupils and staff at Preston Primary School in Yeovil celebrated Comic Relief by dressing up as Super Heroes with masks and capes.

Much fun was had during the day and the school managed to raise an amazing £389.85 in the process for charity.

Science is fun at Preston PUPILS at Preston Primary School in Yeovil had fabulous fun recently during a special Science Week of activities.

They took part in a variety of scientific experiments which may have sparked an interest in some pupils into becoming

scientists of the future and if we have learnt anything over the past year and Covid-19 ..... we need our scientists!

Science Week managed to look at various aspects of the subject, but also cover other curriculum areas.

Switch it off!

THE School Council at Preston Primary School in Yeovil – in conjunction with the Eco Police – ran a poster competition designed to encourage people to switch off lights and plugs.

Pupil Natalia, from Preston’s reception

class, won the Switch It Off Fortnight poster competition in Key Stage One, while Jackson from Year Five won the school’s Key Stage Two competition.

PHOTO: Natalia with her prize-winning poster.

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EAST Coker Primary School has received a kind donation of reading books for children in the upper year groups from the Morrisons store in Yeovil. Staff and pupils would like to thank the store for this wonderful donation.

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History on the timetable at new Somerton school PUPILS will be stepping into history when the new King Ina Church of England Academy opens its doors for the first time.

Somerset County Council has invested £7.3m to develop the new primary school which can accommodate up to 420 pupils and 52 early years children, with 14 classrooms, a pre-school, a school hall, a production kitchen, sports pitches and a multi-use games area.

The facilities were designed and built by BAM Construction who used innovative design and construction techniques to ensure the school has strong environmental credentials.

Plans for the school to open in September 2020 were delayed due to archaeologists uncovering evidence of an Iron Age settlement at the site ahead of construction.

The Wessex Archaeology team carried out excavation and discovered ancient burial sites that have shed significant light

on life and death in Roman Somerset, as well as evidence of roundhouse buildings and other artefacts including pottery.

Once the archaeological work was complete, construction of the new school went ahead, and pupils are due to start attending after the Easter holidays.

To mark the historic significance of the site, a circular stone bench area which can be used during breaks and for external lessons has been built using stone reclaimed from the site, and will be located in the area of one of the roundhouses.

The new facilities will have a positive impact on the day-to-day running of the school with staff and children no longer having to travel between two sites.

King Ina currently operates across two locations at opposite ends of the town, with pupils and staff having to travel between Etsome Terrace and Kirkham Street on a daily basis.

Children from King Ina Academy had the chance recently to visit their new school.

Left: A Roman 4th century AD ware jar cleaned up and reconstructed from the fragments uncovered during the excavation.

Right: A coin with head of the emperor Vespasian issued in AD 71.

Yeovil Community Arts Association launches children's writing competition BUDDING young writers have still got time to take part in a competition being organised by the Yeovil Community Arts Association.

The competition is open to all children in Years 4-6 who would like to challenge their imaginations and let their creativity go wild.

The Yeovil Community Arts Association is running a free-to-enter 500 word short story competition with the theme NOW WE ARE FREE. A YCAA spokesman said: “How would you spend your time, and where, in your adventure? Who will be your main character – a young or old person, or perhaps even an animal? Give your characters names in your imaginary world, explore and have fun. You are free to choose what you write about and the story that you tell.

“The YCAA raises funds to nurture

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local talent in the arts, and we know that writing is a very popular hobby for many young people.

“Covid-19 has prevented us from running our annual creative writing workshops at Yeovil Library – those will return in the future – so instead of meeting up to write together, we are running a short story competition that you can do it at home.”

It is free to enter this writing competition, but there are prizes for the three best stories. The winners will also be published in the Yeovil Press.

Send your 500 word story to the YCAA along with your name, age, and parent/ carer’s contact details before Friday, April 30, 2021, to: YCAA, 22 Kenmore Drive, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 4BG. Entries will be judged by author Tracey Gemmell.

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FLASHBACK

IN this month’s Yeovil Press community newspaper we take a pictorial look back at some of what was featured in the corresponding April editions of 2019 and 2020.

The April 2019 paper was Edition Number 7 and April 2020 paper was Edition Number 19. If you would ever like a back copy of the Yeovil Press please email us at yeovilpress@gmail.com . Past copies of the Yeovil Press are priced £5 which includes post and packaging.

Members of the Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society performed the musical production of 42nd Street at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil. The April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press published a special photo feature looking back at the show. Photos: Christine Jones.

Hundreds of runners took part in the annual Yeovil Half Marathon which was officially started by the Mayor of Yeovil, Cllr David Recardo. A special souvenir pull-out feature of the event appeared in the April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press. Photos: Christine Jones.

ORGANISERS of a Silent Disco held at the Quicksilver Mail in Yeovil had plenty to shout about it after it raised a fantastic £1,100 for charity. The event was organised by party girl Jane Helyar, of HellYeah Events, and she was chuffed to bits at the support she received. This photo appeared in the April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press. Photos: Christine Jones.

CHILDREN at All Saints Primary School in Montacute had an environmentally friendly way of celebrating Comic Relief. Instead of donning the traditional plastic red noses – the girls from the Odcombe-based Pop-Up Eco Supermarket went along and painted red noses on all the children. Gaynor Soulsby and Claire Ashton, of the Pop-Up Eco Supermarket, are pictured with pupils on Red Nose Day. This photo appeared in the April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press. Photo: Christine Jones.

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THE Helen Laxton School of Dance thanked everyone who donated to collecting buckets held during the run of its Everybody Dance show at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil.

A fantastic £1,560 was raised and this was presented to the Breast Cancer Unit Appeal at Yeovil District Hospital.

Photo: Submitted.

ORGANISERS of a hugely-successful Peaky Blinders charity party night in Yeovil handed out cheques worth £6,000 to two deserving causes. Jane Helyar, Louise Lee, Adam Burgan and Darren Santiago handed £3,000 each to St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice and the Prostate Cancer UK charity with proceeds from the party held at the Westland Entertainment Venue. This photo appeared in the April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press. Photo: Christine Jones.

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FUNDS for the Yeovil Hospital Charity and the Yeovil Freewheelers group were boosted at a fundraising race night held at the Westland Entertainment Venue.

The race night was provided by Funtasia Entertainment Ltd with well-known Steve Carpenter as compere. The event was hosted by the Mayor of Yeovil, Cllr David Recardo, and he would like to thank everyone who attended. This photo appeared in the April 2019 edition of Yeovil Press. Photo: Christine Jones.

The April 2020 edition of Yeovil Press ran a feature on the ever-popular World Book Day which was held in schools before the introduction of the first national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Photos: Submitted.

A CHARITY night at the Quicksilver Mail pub in Yeovil with local band Snakebyte proved a huge success and raised a fantastic £1,725 for Prostate Cancer UK. The Byte Back Against Cancer night was held just before the coronavirus outbreak restrictions kicked-in. Photos: Christine Jones.

THE doors to the Beales department store in Yeovil finally closed for good – pushed on by the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus outbreak. Beales had gone into administration in early 2020, but had been running a closing down sale in recent months. This story appeared in the April 2020 edition of the Yeovil Press. Photo: Steve Sowden.

Yeovil town centre was ghostly quiet as the harsh reality of lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic continued. The Cooper’s Mill pub in Yeovil used its outside notice board to thank NHS staff and key workers for their efforts in the ongoing health crisis. These photos taken by Steve Sowden – appeared in the April 2020 edition of Yeovil Press.

The introduction of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic saw Year 11 students at schools across the country leave school earlier than expected and without taking their final GCSE exams. Here we see students from Preston School, Stanchester Academy and Westfield Academy on their final day at school. These photos appeared in the April 2020 edition of Yeovil Press.

Photos: Submitted.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

The April 2020 edition of the Yeovil Press ran a special photo feature of the Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society’s production of The Sound of Music which was held at the Octagon Theatre and had to be cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions. Photos: Christine Jones.

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Remembering brave Yeovil firefighter Charlie Gillard - 80 years on AUXILIARY Fire Service Patrol Officer Charlie Gillard was killed following the sixth German air raid on Yeovil in the early hours of April 12, 1941, during the Second World War. Several delayed action high explosive bombs fell on the Yeovil town centre on the evening of Good Friday, April 11, 1941, and one landed on the Corn Exchange in High Street.

Soldiers of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers were billeted in the Corn Exchange, four of whom were killed and five injured.

The Corn Exchange was nearly completely destroyed in the air raid and a fire was raging in the ruins. Patrol Officer Gillard was killed when a delayedactivating bomb exploded as he fought the fire in the building. He was aged just 37.

The official summary of the raid suggested that incendiary bombs had been attached to the fins of the bomb as the flames of the fire were described as being of a yellow colour as from broken gas pipes and the water sprayed on the fire caused it to roar.

Eighty years on and the memory of Patrol Officer Gillard will be remembered

in a short ceremony which will be attended by the Mayor of Yeovil, Cllr David Recardo.

The Mayor, speaking at Yeovil Town Council on April 6, via the Zoom conferencing technology, said Mr Gillard had been a brave man doing his job for the community.

“The bomb that killed him had a delayed fuse,” said the Mayor. “He was in the building and then the bomb went off which killed him.”

Charlie Gillard was born in Yeovil in 1903 and he and his family lived in the ostler’s accommodation situated in stables belonging to the Three Choughs Hotel located at the junction between Hendford and West Hendford that later become the Chough’s garage and car park for guests and residents.

Charlie married Ada Sutton in Yeovil in 1923 and they lived in Hillcrest Road and they had one son, Dennis.

He joined the Auxiliary Fire Service when it was first formed in 1938 and he served for three years before his untimely death.

The AFS was created as part of Civil Defence Air Raid Precautions to supplement the work of the regular fire

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A memorial is placed on the last remaining piece of the Corn Exchange wall in Yeovil – tucked in behind Yeovil Library.

brigades.

Charlie was awarded a ceremonial funeral with a procession through the town where his coffee was placed on the back of one fire engine and another was used to carry numerous flowers.

A section of a military band, the Pipes Band and Section of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, led a procession of

many organisations from King George Street to the cemetery on Preston Road where a large number of friends and townspeople were gathered to pay their last respects.

RIP Charlie Gillard – never forgotten.

Photos and information courtesy of the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www. yeovilhistory.info

Anyone related to First World War veteran James Few? MYSTERY surrounds a letter which has been received by Yeovil man Dave Trevett in relation to an old soldier called James Few of the Somerset Light Infantry.

Mr Trevett got in touch with the Yeovil Press to see if readers might be able to shed any light on Private James Few who served with the 2nd Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry during the First World War. “It is really strange,” said Mr Trevett. “I received a letter and some personal effects of James Few from somebody in Scotland who said that it belonged to my family – but I’ve never heard of James Few! “Why it has arrived at my house I have no idea, but perhaps somebody reading this might know of the family?”

Research has shown that Private James Few was awarded the British War Medal for his service in the First World War before being discharged from the regular army and going back to the reserves in January 1920.

He then went to India where he was awarded the Indian General Service Medal with clasp entitled Afghanistan on March 4, 1924, and his address was given as Goldcroft, Yeovil.

“I don’t know why I’ve been sent these effects of James Few because I live in Tintagel Road in Yeovil – not Goldcroft,” said Mr Trevett. “But I’ve been sent something of his from his time in India and it might well be of interest to his descendants.

“I’ve written back to the people who sent me the letter from Scotland and have told

them that I will try and track down his family.”

The mystery letter has led Mr Trevett to doing some of his own detective work and he found that James Few came to a tragic death just before the start of the Second World War. Newspaper reports of the time reveal that police found the body of Mr Few at the bottom of a cask elevator at the brewery of Messrs Bruton, Mitchell, Sons and Co in Clarence Street, Yeovil, on April 18, 1939.

Mr Few had been employed by the firm for 14 years – first as a lorry driver and later as a labourer.

Reports said Mr Few was married to Ruth and had two daughters.

If anyone can help Dave Trevett please call 07949791944 or email davetrevett@ hotmail.com .

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

The funeral of Charlie Gillard.

Names of other people from Yeovil who lost their lives during the Second World War – as seen on the War Memorial. Photo: Steve Sowden.

The name of C. H. Gillard inscribed on the Yeovil War Memorial in The Borough. Photo: Steve Sowden.

Unfortunately the memorial to Charlie Gillard cannot be seen at present as a storage container has been placed in front of it. Photo: Steve Sowden.

The last remaining section of the Corn Exchange wall with the memorial to Charles Gillard.

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YEOVIL MUSEUM CAMPAIGN The Three Choughs garage and car park – formerly the Choughs’ livery stables, with the Ostler’s house at the rear where Charlie Gillard grew up – is seen with Hendford running off at the left and the narrow entrance to West Hendford at centre, next to which is the Oxford Inn, the even narrower entrance to Waterloo Lane and then the Cottage Cafe.

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Charlie Gillard’s funeral procession marches along Kingston towards the cemetery.

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YEOVIL HISTORY FILES Stories about the town's past, people and places

Operation Sextus - mock H-Bomb fallout on Yeovil A MEETING was held in Yeovil back in September 1958 where civic leaders and volunteers gathered to study the problems which a nuclear attack could cause.

Back in those days of the Cold War Years the threat of nuclear holocaust was only too real with relationships with the Soviet Union on a knife edge.

Around 150 civil defence controllers, heads of section and volunteers from Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Langport and Wincanton met in the Territorial Army Drill Hall in Southville, Yeovil, to look at the prospect of a nuclear bomb being dropped.

Operation Sextus envisaged the explosion of an H-Bomb over a large city and the radioactive fallout would have severely contaminated the Yeovil area.

The exercise divided into six syndicates and showed that although a great deal could be done to lessen the loss of life following a nuclear attack, the need for more volunteers to join the Civil Defence Corps was as a great in peace as it was in war.

Local historian Jack Sweet recalled: “When I was working in the town

clerk’s department of the old Yeovil Borough Council, I was standing in for a colleague who was clerk of the council’s Civil Defence Committee and went to Crewkerne in 1966 with several town councillors for a private showing of The War Game.

“This was a documentary-style film depicting the effects of a nuclear attack on the UK and which for many years was not released for public showing as it was considered too graphic and not good for public morale.

“I must admit that it was pretty scary and a nightmare scenario because it could have been all too real if war had broken out. However, the film was finally released and broadcast on BBC 2 in July 1985.”

Exercises such as Operation Sextus were regularly held in the following 30 or so years of the Cold War, but now the nation’s civil defence services as they were then organised have all but disappeared, and the local command bunker under the Ambulance Station on Reckleford, Yeovil, was closed down more than 25 years ago.

NOTE: Many thanks to local historian Jack Sweet for this story.

Orchard Street could have been Cider Street THE Orchard Street in Yeovil we all know today could have possibly been called Cider Street when councillors discussed its name nearly 130 years ago.

The improvement committee’s recommendation to the Yeovil Borough Council on April 10, 1893, agreed to adopt the line of two new roads from Huish to West Hendford.

The committee chairman stated that the roads would be called Beer Street

and Orchard Street to which somebody suggested that the latter should be changed to Cider Street.

But, alas, Orchard Street remained.

Orchard Street was a development started in the mid-1980s by local businessman, town councillors and local character Levi Beer.

He named Orchard Street after Daniell’s Orchard that it was built on, while Cllr Beer was also responsible for Beer Street, named after himself.

Orchard Street in Yeovil photographed from near its junction with Huish in around 1895. Photo courtesy of the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

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Left: Operation Sextus looked at how the Yeovil area would survive a nuclear attack. Right: The War Game docu-drama was first made in 1966, but was not broadcast on the BBC until 1985.

Greyhound Inn servant jailed for arson A FIRE broke out a pub in The Borough of Yeovil on a Saturday night in April 1790 and destroyed the cellar and several outhouses.

The pub in question was the Greyhound Inn which once stood in The Borough and should not be confused with the later Greyhound Inn in South Street.

A second fire was discovered in some outbuildings a few days later, but was put out before the flames could spread to the inn.

When another fire broke out soon after in the smithy next door, arson was suspected and 19-year-old Alexander Pearce, a servant at the Greyhound, was arrested.

He was put on trial at the Somerset Assizes, found guilty and hanged at Ilchester Gaol on August 20, 1790.

It is believed the Greyhound Inn pub in The Borough closed for good between 1842 and 1852.

This drawing, by Leslie Brooke, based on an 1810 painting shows the Greyhound Inn on the left in The Borough. In the far distance looking down the High Street is the Angel Inn which is the site now of the NatWest Bank.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

Town centre rocked by bombings of 1979 MANY people will remember the day when Yeovil town centre was rocked by two large explosions during the afternoon of Friday, February 24, 1979.

The first bomb to explode, hidden in a shopping bag in the paint department on the first floor of the Woolworth’s store in Middle Street, detonated at just before 3pm. A second bomb exploded in a van parked in the Petters Way car park.

A 19-year old man, Shayne Ring, suffered serious leg injuries in the explosion at the Woolworth’s store. He later had an operation on his leg in Yeovil District Hospital.

He was said to be “helping the police with their enquiries” and the police maintained a “bedside vigil.”

Two days later Ring, of King’s Stanley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, was arrested and charged with causing an explosion. He was tried at Dorchester in November 1979 and was sentenced to

nine years imprisonment.

He had placed the bombs around Yeovil town centre in an attempt to create a diversion while he robbed Barclays Bank.

Three other people were treated in hospital - two girls for shock and minor injuries and a man with damaged ears due to the blast - before being released from hospital.

The police promptly sealed off the town centre and ushered around 300 shoppers away from Middle Street. The Army Bomb Disposal Unit were quickly on the scene, searching for further devices and checking suspect packages in Tesco, Halfords, Great Mills Discount Store and the Trustee Savings Bank. The sealed-off town centre was not re-opened until shortly before midnight.

More news about Yeovil’s past can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

Police move shoppers away from Middle Street towards The Borough in Yeovil following the first explosion at the Woolworth’s store.

A man is removed from the Woolworth’s store in Middle Street with serious leg injuries. This man was Shayne Ring who was later arrested and put on trial for the bombings and sentenced to nine years imprisonment.

Marks and Spencer’s store staff were evacuated to the safety of St John’s Church doorway after the first explosion.

Councillors get to the root of the problem over window smash YEOVIL Borough Council was in for a shock at its meeting in July 1922 when it was presented with a bill which equated to around £1,000 in today’s money to replace and fix two plate glass windows for Messrs Hill and Boll’s showrooms just off the town centre.

Hill and Boll Carriage Builders’ covered a large area on the corner of Park Road and Princes Street where it moved into Kingston – long before the transformation of that part of town

with the “hospital roundabout” and the Reckleford, Queensway and Kingston dual-carriageways.

The council was landed with a bill for £32 10s. 0d. after two windows had been smashed when some council workmen blew up the roots of a nearby tree without taking the necessary precautions to prevent blast damage.

Councillors were more than annoyed to find out that the man in charge of the demolition team had ignored advice on

appropriate precautions.

Hill and Boll of Yeovil were among just 36 motor car manufacturers which exhibited at the Motor Exhibition at Olympia and the White City in November 1922.

NOTE: This story is courtesy of local historian Jack Sweet.

This colourised photograph taken from Bide’s Gardens on the northern end of Princes Street and southern end of Kingston most likely dates to the early 1920s. At the right is the shopfront of the sales rooms of Hill and Boll’s carriage works.

Photo courtesy of the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www. yeovilhistory.info .

Perhaps they should bring back the stocks? Dentist Ewens was lost at sea in torpedo strike IT is now 175 years since the last person was placed in the stocks – a form of punishment where an offender’s ankles or hands were placed and locked through two holes in a heavy wooden board – in the centre of Yeovil and ridiculed by passers-by.

The stocks were used as punishment for minor offences such as drunkenness, being rowdy, fighting, cursing and causing minor damage to property.

In Yeovil the town stocks were sited within the Market House in the Borough.

Offenders were forced to carry out their punishments in the rain, during the heat of summer, or in freezing weather, and generally would receive only bread and water, plus anything brought by their friends. As well as being publicly humiliated in Yeovil’s market square, offenders might occasionally have things other than insults thrown at them.

In 1830 Michael Dawe was confined for an hour in the stocks for drunkenness and disorderly behaviour and on September 24, 1846, a man named Stoodley was confined in the stocks for three hours for being drunk on a Sunday afternoon. This

was the last occasion the Yeovil stocks were used.

The Market House in the Borough was demolished in 1849 and the stocks were removed at the same time.

More news about Yeovil’s past can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info.

Top: A painting made in 1810 of the Borough of Yeovil looking towards High Street which runs to the distance at left. The building at the centre of the painting was the Market House, built in 1740, which contained the stocks.

Bottom: An enlargement of the 1810 painting – showing the stocks in the Market House.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

DENTAL surgeon Frederick Paul Ewens was killed just over 80 years ago when the ship he was serving on was torpedoed by a submarine during the Second World War. He was serving as a Surgeon-Lieutenant on HMS Bonaventure, a Royal Naval Light Cruiser, escorting a convoy to the southeast of Crete when she was torpedoed on March 31, 1941, by the Italian submarine Ambra.

HMS Bonaventure sank with the loss of 139 members of the ship’s company, while there were 310 survivors.

Surgeon-Lieut Ewens was one of the unlucky ones who perished. He was aged just 25.

His parents, Mr and Mrs Fred Ewens, lived on West Coker Road in Yeovil.

He went to Bristol University in 1932 and took a degree to become a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 1938 and it was conferred on him by the Chancellor of the University, none other than the Right Hon. Winston Churchill.

Later he was appointed house dental surgeon to the Bristol Royal Infirmary and later appointed to the Royal Navy.

He was a good tennis player and captained the Bristol University team and was later selected to represent the Royal Navy in the Inter-Services tennis championships at Wimbledon.

Surgeon-Lieut Frederick Paul Ewens’ name is inscribed on the War Memorial in The Borough of Yeovil.

More news about Yeovil’s past can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

HMS Bonaventure which was sunk on March 31, 1941, during the Second World War.

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DOWN MEMORY LANE

Wyndham Hill - one of Yeovil's most beautiful scenic landmarks YEOVIL Press editor Steve Sowden recently ventured to the top of Wyndham Hill in a very rare and spontaneous show of healthy activity.

But once at the top he wondered why there were only four trees? He instantly knew where to find out the answer on getting back home – to check out the excellent A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

And, sure enough, the hugely informative website did not disappoint.

The lime trees were planted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee in 1862 although photographs show that more than four trees once stood there.

Wyndham Hill was earlier known as Kingston Penn, Windmill Hill and Victoria Hill. It only got its present name in the 1890s and was named as such for the first time in the 1891 census.

During the Second World War, Wyndham Hill was the location of a barrage balloon site and was designed

to help protect the Westland airfield and factory from German aerial attack.

The future of Wyndham Hill came under threat in the 1990s when supermarket chain Sainsbury’s was planning to build a store on it along with an access road.

The Wyndham Action Group was formed in May 1993 after it became clear that the planned store would be built on the lower western flank of Wyndham Hill and that a service road would be created along the old railway line with two roundabouts either end at Pen Mill and Newton Road – basically destroying the Railway Walk footpath which runs along the side of the River Yeo between Sherborne Road and the Yeo Leisure Park.

Sainsbury’s eventually withdrew their application, but Wyndham Hill was still under threat from further possible development and the Wyndham Action Group maintained an active watch on goings-on.

Eventually the threat to Wyndham Hill

Crowds gather at Wyndham Hill in 1887 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. At this time it was known as Victoria Hill and the lower slopes known as the Fete Field.

began to diminish when it was included

by South Somerset District Council in 2002 as part of the Yeovil Country Park – a 127-acre countryside site including Wyndham Hill, Summerhouse Hill, Ninesprings and Penn Hill.

But if it was not for the actions of Wyndham Action Group who knows what might have happened to one of Yeovil’s most beautiful scenic landmarks?

The Down Memory Lane feature – which has become an extremely popular section in the Yeovil Press - is supported by the amazing A-to-Z of Yeovil’s History website which has been created by Bob over many years.

Bob’s fantastic work has seen him put together a website of more than 10,000 images looking back at Yeovil’s history over hundreds of years.

He has also compiled more than 20 books on an eclectic range of subjects including many about Yeovil’s past.

Go to www.yeovilhistory.info to have

a look at Bob Osborn’s amazing website and delve further into Yeovil’s past.

PHOTO: The four lime trees on top of Wyndham Hill. Photo by Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden on his recent walk over the Yeovil landmark.

Wyndham Hill dominates this scene of Yeovil Town Railway Station photographed around 1880. The station is now the home of the Yeo Leisure Park.

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This stone lithograph entitled View of Yeovil from Babylon Hill by Henry Burn was published in 1839. It shows Summerhouse Hill to the left, Penn Hill behind it and Wyndham Hill at the right.

Wyndham Hill dominates the scene of Lyde Road. Photographed in 2013.

The trees surrounding Wyndham Hill – 25 trees were planted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee in 1862.

The view across Yeovil from Wyndham Hill dates to about 1900 – note all the glove factories at the centre of the photo and factory chimneys.

A postcard of Wyndham Hill as seen from Summerhouse Hill in 1911.

A hand-coloured postcard of the 1920s looking along the Yeo valley towards Newton House.

The view across Yeovil from Wyndham Hill – a postcard dating to the 1940s.

A poster produced by the Wyndham Action Group when the future of Wyndham Hill was under threat from development in the early 1990s.

Crowds play in the snow on top of Wyndham Hill in February 2009.

THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY: AN A-TO-Z OF YEOVIL'S HISTORY www.yeovilhistory.info - Find out more about Yeovil's past For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

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OLD PUBS OF YEOVIL Milford Inn closed its doors nearly ten years ago THE former Milford Inn in Yeovil was first built in 1949 to serve the local neighbourhood in the Milford Road area.

A skittle alley was later given the goahead in 1954.

It served the community for many years as a pub and B&B facility, but during the ten-year period up to 2007 there was a significant decline in trade.

This combined with the indoor smoking ban made the business unsustainable financially.

Proposals to bulldoze the pub and

replace with it with a block of flats were given council permission, but never actually materialised and the Milford Inn continued to keep serving the beers until “last orders” were finally given in 2012 and it closed for good.

The pub building began to fall into disrepair until South Somerset District Council gave planning permission for it to be converted into nine residential units in late 2014.

More news about Yeovil’s pubs can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

WELCOME to the latest instalment of this monthly feature looking at the Old Pubs of Yeovil – there have certainly been a few come and go from the town.

Information and photos for this feature has come from the fascinating website of The A-to-Z of Yeovil’s History which can be found at www. yeovilhistory.info and created by local history Bob Osborn.

There is so much history to be had from public houses and it is fantastic that Bob has been able to put together a comprehensive record.

In this month’s feature we take a look at the former pubs of the Alexandra Hotel, Green Dragon, Hole in the Wall and the Milford Inn. If you would like further information about these old pubs then we would highly recommended you take a look at The A-to-Z of Yeovil’s History website.

Left: The Milford Inn photographed in 1960 by Charrington & Co Ltd’s surveyors as part of a “stocktaking” exercise of photographing Brutton’s pubs prior to the brewery takeover. Above: The Milford Inn in Milford Road, Yeovil, photographed in 2012.

Green Dragon opened in time for Christmas THE former Green Dragon pub in Yeovil was officially opened in December 18, 1957 – perfect for the Christmas trade – and was built to serve the new estates being constructed with the town ever increasing in size.

The opening ceremony at the new pub in St Michael’s Avenue was performed

by Mrs Pope, wife of the chairman of the brewers Eldridge Pope & Co of

Dorchester. The first landlord was Percy Hawkins who had previously run the Greyhound Hotel in South Street.

The pub closed around five years ago and demolished and the site cleared to make way for a Co-op store.

More news about Yeovil’s pubs can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info.

The pub’s demolition underway in March 2016. Inset: The old pub sign at the Green Dragon.

The Green Dragon in 2013.

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An old newspaper advertisement for the Green Dragon.

The Green Dragon pub site is now home to a Co-op store.

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Wine Street was once called Grope Lane THE former Hole in the Wall pub in Wine Street, Yeovil, was originally known as the Queen’s Head and had been trading since at least 1766.

It changed its name to the Queen’s Arms in around 1840 and by 1866 it had become known as the Royal Oak. It was not until the late 20th century when it became the Hole in the Wall – a name which holds fond memories for many Yeovilians of a certain age.

The Hole in the Wall closed and the building was later converted into the Green Room restaurant in around 2005.

Back in the 1800s there were no shortage of beerhouses in Wine Street – Sun Inn, Case is Altered, Royal Oak (Hole in the Wall), Full Moon, Running Horse, Bunch of Grapes and Wine Vaults.

In those days Wine Street was known as Grope Lane – referring to nothing more dodgy than having to grope or feel your way along in the dark, narrow lane!

Grope Lane changed to Wine Street in the early to mid 1800s at around the time that Union Street was built and probably in reference to the Wine Vaults pub.

The Royal Oak back in the 1960s.

The Hole in the Wall in Wine Street, Yeovil, closed and boarded up in 2002.

The Hole in the Wall in the late 1980s. Inset: Regulars in the bar of the Royal Oak around 1952. Standing far right is landlord George “Jimmy” Neill.

Hotel opened soon after Yeovil Town Station was built THE former Alexandra Hotel in South Western Terrace in Yeovil was officially opened in 1863 and named after the Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

Princess Alexandra became the consort of Prince Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, when they married in March 1863 shortly before the hotel opened.

She was Queen Consort and Empress of India from 1901 to 1910 when her husband ruled as King Edward VII. The Alexandra Hotel and the rest of South Western Terrace was built by Levi Ridout – not long after the last of Yeovil’s four railway stations – Yeovil Town Station – was opened in 1861.

The Yeovil Town Station closed in

1966 for passengers and 1967 for goods and is now the site of the Yeo Leisure Park consisting of the multiplex cinema facilities and the ten-pin bowling alley.

The hotel was in a prime spot opposite the station and ideal accommodation for railway travellers.

The first listed licensee of the Alexandra Hotel was Horace E. Venner in 1871. He was only 26 and became the hotel keeper along with his wife Elizabeth.

It was open for more than 100 years and was a well-used pub and will be remembered by those of a certain age for a vast collection of Yeovil Town FC programmes which was on display in the

1970s.

But, like many other pubs, it struggled financially in later years and is thought to have closed around 1995.

It has reopened under several different guises since then, however, and is now currently The Terrace Lodge Hotel although a planning application has recently been submitted to South Somerset District Council to convert the building into flats. (Turn to the Around Yeovil news feature on Pages 12-13 for more information).

More news about Yeovil’s pubs can be found on the A to Z of Yeovil History website at www.yeovilhistory.info .

The hotel was named after the popular Princess Alexandra of Denmark who became the consort of King Edward VII when they married in March 1863 shortly before the hotel opened in 1863.

Advert which appeared in the 1896 Whitby’s Yeovil Almanack Advertiser (left) and Kelly’s Directory of 1949 (right).

The Alexandra in 1989.

For more news check out www.yeovilpress.co.uk

This photo was taken about 1880 and show the proximity of the Alexandra Hotel (top left) to the Yeovil Town Railway Station

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SPORT NEWS

Yeovil golfers off to a flying start after Lockdown Three THERE was heavy demand for tee times as the easing of the National Lockdown Restrictions allowed golf to return to Yeovil Golf Club.

The first golfer to tee-off in 2021 was Colin Pizzey who, along with three other members, had managed to claim the 7.30am slot on the club’s nine-hole Newton Course.

Even missing the green on the par three first hole did not dampen Colin’s enthusiasm to be back playing golf once again. It was a jubilation shared by playing partner William Bridle who explained that their delight slightly faded as they realised how rusty their games had become; although the jubilation quickly returned when he chipped in from off the green for a birdie two on the par three ninth hole.

First off on the 18-hole Old Course was Simon Coates who teed off alongside club vice-captain Paul Kitto, Andrew Privett,

and Gary Wilshaw. When asked whether they had thought to record this historic moment the vice-captain said they had not because they were too concerned about whether they would hit the ball after such a long lay-off.

Overseeing the restart was John Andrews, the club’s official marshall, who welcomed seeing so many happy faces.

Lockdown Three had been the longest period of cessation of play during his 24year membership of the club.

Local BBC TV was on hand to record the on-course reunion between two of the club’s oldest players - 93-year-old Don Darby and 89-year-old club president, John Knight. Their chip and putt competition from just off the 11th green resulted in a tie when Don managed to match the president’s spectacular 15-foot putt by sinking his own four-foot putt.

Both players were up and down in two to demonstrate that the Lockdown had

Andrew Privett who was among the group were first to tee off on the Old Course in 2021.

Don Darby and club president John Knight being interviewed by the BBC.

Course marshall John Andrews.

Robbie Robinson teeing off in the sunshine on Good Friday.

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not impacted too much on their golfing prowess.

The golf continued all week with many members making full use of the sunny weather on Good Friday. This included the Club’s Hardy B team captain Andrew Spearing who said it was great to back amongst mates enjoying both the social and competitive aspects that golf has to offer. He teed off with Robbie Robinson and Andrew Privett.

Easter Saturday saw the return of competitive golf in the form of monthly medal competitions on both the Old and Newton Courses that saw 33 birdies being recorded.

Seven-handicap Matt Drayton certainly showed no sign of rustiness as he shot a gross 70 (nett 63) to return the best score of the day on the Old Course and win the Division One prize by a clear margin.

Dale Hallett topped Division Two having returned a nett 71 playing off a handicap

Andrew Spearing – 2021 Hardy B captain.

of 14.

It was a closer run thing on the Newton Course with plenty of friendly familial edge as Josh Rigden carded six pars on the back nine holes (five of them consecutive from the 12th to 16th holes) to edge father Chris into second place by virtue of a countback.

Twenty-three-year-old Josh, who plays off a handicap of 12, said: “Like everyone else I was only glad to be out back on the course and to see it so busy.”

Although his first couple of swings may have been rusty, his run of form on the back nine showed how quickly he managed to get it oiled back into form.

Josh certainly echoed the sentiments expressed by those who managed to get one or more games in last week when he said: “Credit has to go to everyone at the golf club who has worked throughout lockdown to make the course look so good!”

Matt Drayton – Division One winner of the first competition in 2021 on the Old Course.

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Have you got any unwanted football and rugby boots you could donate?

A POLICE officer has launched a “Caring for the Community: Football Boots Initiative” which aims to give more children access to suitable football and rugby boots so that they can take part in extra-curricular activities.

After a year since schools first closed to help stop the spread of Covid-19, many children have outgrown their football and rugby boots, and smaller sizes would sometimes be thrown away or left in cupboards.

Neighbourhood Constable Ryan Day, who works as an engagement and prevention officer with schools in Bristol, created the initiative to encourage anyone with old or unused football and rugby boots to donate them at preapproved drop-off points.

The boots are then passed onto children who don’t have suitable sports footwear, which can often exclude them from taking part in extra-curricular activities.

And Preston School in Monks Dale, Yeovil, is acting as a drop-off point for any unwanted boots anytime between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday during

term times. The school will be accepting unwanted boots until April 30 – so there is still time to drop off your donation.

Ryan said: “Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on many families throughout the country, and giving another young person the opportunity to make use of a perfectly good pair of boots can only be a good thing.

“This initiative is all about caring for the community, and aims to give outgrown boots a second life and limit the need for families to buy brand new, and often expensive football and rugby boots. It also provides an opportunity for families with unwanted boots to give back to the community and improve the lives of others.”

“Part of our approach to policing during Covid-19 is to inspire and encourage members of the public to be good neighbours and to look after one another, which is what this initiative is all about. We want to encourage people to donate their old boots to others in their communities who will be able to reuse them and get continued use from them.”

The initiative is being supported by Avon and Somerset Police and the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF).

Any donated boots need to be weatherproof, in good condition and in Sizes 2-11. Anyone interested in becoming a drop-off point for the

initiative please contact Ryan at Ryan.Day@avonandsomerset.police.uk .

The Kits to Kids initiative (see advert below) – which is being run by James Healey of JRH Media – has been in touch with Ryan.

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NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME

www.glovers-trust.co.uk facebook.com/gloverstrust Twitter: @gloverstrust

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Ernest's grave is restored Safeguarding assurance for Yeovil golfers A PROJECT to restore the grave of a former Yeovil Town player who died as a result of an injury he received in a match has been completed.

Yeovil Town fans raised enough money to pay for the restoration of the grave of 22-year-old Ernest Hyman who died on January 7, 1927, after sustaining an injury in a game for the then known Yeovil & Petters United against Taunton United on Boxing Day 1926 at Huish.

Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden visited Ernest’s final resting place just before Christmas in a graveyard at St Nicholas’ Church in Radstock.

Photos of the grave and the barely readable inscriptions prompted fans to

raise money for the work to be carried out.

Supporter Michael West, who takes a keen interest in the history of the football club, said: “The restoration came about after I did some research on the story and realised the tragic circumstances of his Ernest Hyman died.

“I think if ever the club logo ‘Achieve

by Unity’ was proven to be true it was in this project where Glovers fans came together for a player who gave his life for the club, we all love.”

It is hoped that a formal ceremony to mark the completion of the grave restoration will be held once Covid-19 restrictions allow.

The grave of Ernest Hyman before and after the restoration. Inset: The cleaned-up headstone.

WHEN golf resumed at Yeovil Golf Club on March 29 members and green fee players were assured that the club was not only complying with the current Covid-19 regulations but had also been awarded the SafeGolf Club accreditation from England Golf.

Yeovil Golf Club is a private member club with two parkland golf courses - the 18-hole Old Course and the nine-hole Newton Course - and a floodlight covered driving range.

In addition to providing competitions and social events for its members the club also caters for visiting societies and green fee players; and has just received SafeGolf accreditation - demonstrating the club’s commitment to safeguarding children and young people, as well as adults in risk in the sport of golf.

The club’s initiatives to attract new golfers such as the Get Into Golf programme have had to be suspended due to the latest Covid-19 lockdown but these will be reintroduced in a safe manner as restrictions are eased.

The club’s general manager Chris Huggins, who led the club’s push to SafeGolf, said: “Yeovil is a great club; it’s very friendly, welcoming, and forwardthinking.

“This award helps us to spread that message and to tell people that children are safe and secure here and that we understand about beginner golfers.”

The award was presented to Yeovil Golf Club by Tom Jessamine, their England Golf club support officer.

“I’m delighted that Yeovil has achieved SafeGolf and that its efforts to grow the game can be nationally recognised,” he

said.

SafeGolf is primarily a website that can be accessed at www.safegolf.org at which anyone with a concern about the welfare of a player, or the behaviour or practice of a coach, volunteer, organiser, parent, or a player, can contact the lead safeguarding officer at their national governing body.

Club captain Keith Funnell added: “Achieving SafeGolf accreditation provides additional assurance to parents that Yeovil Golf Club provides a safe and positive experience to children and young people whilst playing golf. It is also a standard the PGA apply to our team of professional coaches.”

PHOTO: Yeovil Golf Club’s general manager Chris Huggins.

Pre-season training set to Fingers-crossed for a full start for baseball players summer of cricket action THE Yeovil Whirlwinds Baseball Club will be starting pre-season training in readiness for the 2021 Westcountry Baseball League on Sunday, April 11.

New players are welcome to attend the opening training session of the year on April 11 at Johnson Park in Coronation Avenue, Yeovil, from 4pm.

The club will be following Covid-19 guidelines, but will welcome everyone regardless of ability, male and female.

Fees will be £3 and if you have any questions please get in touch with the club via its social media page entitled Yeovil Whirlwinds Baseball Club on Facebook.

The new independent Westcountry Baseball League will be – hopefully – launching its season in May, Covid-19

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restrictions permitting.

Yeovil Whirlwinds will come against the likes of Exeter Spitfires, Newton Brewers and Plymouth Mariners.

A club spokesman said: “We are delighted to be able to be part of the WBL and to encourage even more men and women to get involved in this sport across the region.

“The South West has seen some of the fastest growth in baseball participation in the UK thanks to the welcoming and competitive environment we have created.

“We will be proud to see the Westcountry Baseball League continue this tradition through the involvement of both highly experienced clubs, alongside teams and players who are new to the sport.”

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YEOVIL Cricket Club will be looking forward to a full season of matches this summer following on from the disappointed of last year when onfield activities were severely hampered because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The first team kick-off the 2021 season in the Premier Division of the Somerset Cricket League on Saturday, May 1, with a trip to Winscombe.

Their opening home league game of the campaign comes on May 8 with the visit of Shapwick and Polden.

The Yeovil 1st Team’s fixtures for 2021 in the Somerset Cricket League are as follows: May 1 – Winscombe (away); May 8 – Shapwick and Polden (home); May 15 – Uphill Castle (away); May 22 – Butleigh (home); May 29 – Long Sutton

(away).

June 5 – Temple Cloud (home); June 12 – Trull (away); June 19 – Wells (away); June 26 – North Petherton (home).

July 3 – Winscombe (home); July 10 – Shapwick and Polden (away); July 17 – Uphill Castle (home); July 24 – Butleigh (away); July 31 – Long Sutton (home).

August 7 – Temple Cloud (away); August 14 – Trull (home); August 21 – Wells (home); August 28 – North Petherton (away).

Yeovil also have full fixtures for the 2nd and 3rd teams, plus other senior sides, and youth teams.

Yeovil take on Butleigh at home on Monday, May 24, in the Somerset Cricket Board Intermediate Knockout Cup with a 6pm start.

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What a team that was! Send us your old sporting team photos If you have any old sporting team photos from when you played local football, rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, skittles, darts etc – please send them via email to yeovilpress@gmail.com along with details about the team in the photograph.

Any sporting line-up would be great so we can publish them in future editions of the Yeovil Press and allow people to reminisce.

THE old Westland Rugby Football Club in Yeovil was formed in 1954, but for two or three years prior to this there was a team known as Lysander RFC in the town.

Westland RFC existed until 1995 when it merged with the old Yeovil RFC and they became Ivel Barbarians until recently when it reverted back to Yeovil RFC. Clive Hawkins who is pictured in this photo of the Lysander team of April 1953 is a vice-president of the club today and attends all home matches.

Pictured among the Lysander Rugby Football Club of April 1953 include John Coyne, Clive Hawkins, Taff Jones, Jim Willmott, John Fleet, Sammy Rattle, Bernard Corrigan, Taff Thomas, Pepi Turner, Ginger Russell and Chris Russell.

Many thanks to Julian Cox for sending us this photo and the details.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR SPORTS NEWS PUBLISHED IN THE YEOVIL PRESS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER EACH MONTH? Youth Sport - Senior Sport Club News Team Sport - Individual Sport Send us your photos and reports to yeovilpress@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you 66

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YEOVIL Rugby Club’s secretary Julian Cox – himself something of a club legend – sent us this photo of the Westland RFC’s first team of 1975-76.

Julian is pictured in the team photo just along a couple of places from the late Dave Devoto who’s grandson, Ollie, currently plays for Exeter Chiefs and has a couple of England caps to his name.

The Westland Rugby Football Club’s 1st team of 1975-76 is pictured with (back row from left) Tiger Boon, Dave Devoto, Richard Hawtin, Julian Cox, Andy Cook, Phil Evans, Tony Streetin, Tony Nessbitt, Dave Prosser and Ken Snook and (front row from left) are Martin McGinty, Pete Martin, Andy Read, Bernie Jarvis, coach Dave Meech and Chris Cox. The Westland and Yeovil Rugby Clubs amalgamated to become Ivel Barbarians RFC, but the club has recently reverted back to Yeovil RFC.

Mixed ability rugby teams are back in action at Yeovil YEOVIL Rugby Club is looking excitedly towards the re-start of its mixed ability rugby teams on April 9.

Rugby is slowly returning and with it some normality and socialising back into players’ lives, but arguably most exciting of all is the return of these two amazing teams.

Yeovil are the only rugby club in the whole of the UK to have a men’s and women’s mixed ability team and they cannot wait to get playing again.

A club spokesman said: “Mixed ability rugby is about what you can do, not what you can’t do and aims to make rugby and sport in general as inclusive as possible for everyone regardless of behavioural, emotional, mental, learning or physical differences.

“The team currently boasts players with Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, mental health problems and learning difficulties.

“They play alongside players from our men’s and women’s team to provide support and facilitate the game.

“There is no pressure on players to know the rules or have any knowledge.

This is rugby for rugby’s sake, rugby for fun. What follows is an improvement in players’ fitness and building friendships.

The sessions don’t just involve rugby, lots of outdoor fun and games form part of a training session and the players can join in and out as they please.”

The spokesman added; “Following the training - in non-covid times - the club opens its newly-refurbished bar with food and drinks available for supporters and players alike. This ensures there are no barriers to experiencing the social

aspect of being part of a rugby team.

“While we can’t get in the bar together yet, we can get on the pitch and the team is seeking new players to join.”

All training is in line with government guidelines and fully risk assessed and the club is supported with specialist coaches from Bath Rugby Foundation.

Ella Sky, who plays for the women’s mixed ability team, said: “I have wanted to play rugby for most of my life but unfortunately I have never really been able to do any kind of sport, especially team sport, because of my autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

“In team sport I am normally left very confused as to what is going on and what I am meant to do; which leaves me very stressed.

“I saw Yeovil mixed ability team on Facebook so thought I would be brave and just see what it was like.

“In the mixed ability rugby team things are explained more clearly and everything is done at your own pace and ability.

“Even though I haven’t been able to play much because of Covid-19, I really enjoy it and can’t wait for rugby to restart. Everyone on the team and at the club are very friendly - it’s one big rugby family.”

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Yeovil women are roaring for Bristol Bears in premier rugby IF you heard a loud roar on a recent Sunday afternoon in Yeovil it was not another ‘sonic boom’, but likely to be the Yeovil women’s rugby team cheering on their teammate!

Former Yeovil women’s player Alice Lockwood scored her first try for Bristol Bears Women’s premiership team in spectacular fashion.

Alice started rugby playing with Dorchester and Yeovil Rugby girl’s teams before progressing to the women’s side with her older sister Amie as a teenager.

Yeovil women’s coaches Francis Long and Simon Chubb were certainly not the first to spot the huge potential she had and are not surprised to see her settle in well at the premiership side.

Forwards coach Chubb explains: “It was an absolute pleasure having Alice involved with Yeovil Woman for her first couple of senior seasons.

“Right from the start she brought a huge amount of energy and positivity which was infectious. Mixing that with lots of natural ability and a hunger to improve it was no big secret that she would go on to further her rugby. Everyone at Yeovil rugby club is incredibly proud of what she is achieving. Hopefully we will all be able to support her in person very soon and not just from in front of a TV.” Alice remains engaged with the women’s team volunteering at events and even running the team’s social media account on game days, always keen to give back to her former club.

Alice, reflecting on the support from Yeovil, said: “The support from my coaches and team-mates at Yeovil were key to the smooth transition to playing for the bears, through the trials and training I know I had 100 per cent

Yeovil women’s player Delaney Burns in action for Bristol Bears Women’s premiership team. Photo courtesy of Martin Edwards of totallyfocused.co.uk on Facebook.

support and belief from them all and it got me through.”

It is this supportive and encouraging atmosphere that not only assists players to progress, but also welcomes and supports new players. As rugby at Yeovil re-commenced recently six new women’s players attended, some of whom had never picked up a rugby ball before!

Yeovil are also hugely proud to see Delaney Burns, a player who also has a number of games for Yeovil Women under her belt, pull on a Bristol Bears shirt alongside Alice and play exceptionally well. Delaney was instrumental in a brilliant try scored in the same game.

Alongside supporting Alice and Delaney tearing it up for Bears, Yeovil also look excitedly towards the start of the Women’s Six Nations competition.

Formerly of Yeovil Rugby Club, Marlie Packer, who now plays for premiership side Saracens as well as representing England.

Supporters dig deep in fundraising campaign YEOVIL Rugby Club has thanked everyone who contributed to a latest fundraising campaign following the theft of a piece of equipment from its Dorchester Road headquarters.

It was announced in early March that the club’s ride-on lawn mower – an Orange Kubota F30.60 – had been stolen from the container unit at the club.

But cometh the hour, cometh the club supporters and an online Crowdfunding campaign has resulted in a fantastic £2,145 being raised to help fund a replacement machine.

Club officials would like to thank everyone for their amazing generosity, but are still hugely disappointed that the mower was stolen in the first place.

“The lawn mower is an essential

machine used regularly for the upkeep of our pitches and grounds,” said a club spokesman at the time of the theft.

“The theft means we no longer have any means to maintain this and are left in a difficult position especially as we head into the spring and a return to training.

“During a difficult and challenging time for us all, Yeovil Rugby Club has prided itself on continuing to improve and update our facilities with the ongoing help and support from various volunteers and local business sponsors.

“This huge knock places us in an arduous situation, as without upkeep of the vast amount of grass area we have we cannot provide the safest possible place for our teams to play and train.”

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Yeovil women’s player Alice Lockwood in action for Bristol Bears Women’s premiership team. Photo courtesy of Martin Edwards of totallyfocused.co.uk on Facebook.

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Yeovil and District Football League – Results for April 3, 2021: Premier Division Queen Camel 2; Odcombe 2, Wagtail Athletic 3; Stoke-sub-Hamdon 2, Manor Athletic 1; Templecombe Rovers 2, Milborne Port 0.

Division One – AFC Strode 4, South Cheriton United 2; Ashcott Reserves 8, Pen Mill Athletic 1; Bruton United Juniors

1, AFC Huish 4; Wyndham Athletic 8, Barwick 3; Ilchester Juniors 1, Keinton Park Rangers 1.

Division Two – Keinton Park Rangers Reserves 1, Ilchester Juniors Reserves 2; Milborne Port A 0, Odcombe Reserves 3; Pen Mill Athletic Reserves 0, Wyndham Athletic Reserves 3; Team Gryphon Saturday 2, Lantokay 0; Zeals FC 5, Martock United Reserves 2.

YEOVIL AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION P Pts Queen Camel 11 24 Milborne Port 10 23 Wagtail Ath 8 2 Templecombe Rvrs 11 15 Stoke-sub-Hamdon 11 15 Manor Ath 10 11 Martock Utd 11 7 Odcombe 8 0 DIVISION ONE Ashcott Res 10 Wyndham Ath 7 AFC Huish 9 Barwick 8 Ilchester Junior 9 Keinton Park Rngrs 8 AFC Strode 10 South Cheriton Utd 10 Bruton Utd Jnrs 8 Pen Mill Ath 9 DIVISION TWO Ilchester Junior Res 11 Lantokay 11 Odcombe Res 11 Team Gryphon 10 Zeals FC 8 Wyndham Ath Res 12 Milborne Port A 9 Stoke-sub-Ham Res 10 Keinton Pk Rngrs Res 10 Martock Utd Res 11 Barwick Res 10 Pen Mill Ath Res 11

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25 21 18 15 13 9 9 7 7 3 23 23 22 22 19 18 12 10 10 9 9 3

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Grassroots football is back with goals galore in the Yeovil League THE Yeovil and District Football League returned to action on April 3 with a full programme of fixtures taking place for the first time since December because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

It meant players having to dust off their shin pads and polish up their boots and make a welcome return back to playing duties.

Queen Camel got back into their stride and to winning ways with a 2-1 success at Martock United with their last outing back on December 12 being 2-1 defeat at home to Milborne Port.

That victory saw Camel move to the top of the table as previous leaders, Milborne Port, suffered a 2-0 defeat at Templecombe Rovers.

Yeovil-based Wagtail Athletic are looking menacing in third spot and remain

unbeaten after a 3-2 win at basement side Odcombe who are still looking for their first points of the campaign.

The Wagtail side contained evergreen veteran Stu Smith, who has just turned 50, and although he had to go off with a hand injury he quipped: “I didn’t put a foot wrong for the ten minutes I was on.”

Wagtail are just two points behind Queen Camel, but have three games in hand on the leaders.

The only other Premier Division game of the day saw Stoke-sub-Hamdon emerge 2-1 victors’ over visiting Manor Athletic.

Division One leaders Ashcott Reserves eased to a comfortable 8-1 victory over bottom side Pen Mill Athletic, while title challengers Wyndham Athletic also hit

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eight in an 8-3 success over Barwick.

AFC Strode gained a 4-2 win over South Cheriton United, while AFC Huish won 4-1 at Bruton United Junior.

The only draw of the game came at Ilchester Junior where they finished 1-1 with visiting Keinton Park Rangers.

Ilchester Junior Reserves went top of Division Two on goal difference from Lantokay after their 2-1 success at Keinton Park Rangers Reserves, while Lantokay went down 2-0 at Team Gryphon Saturday.

Team Grypon are now just a point behind the leaders along with Odcombe Reserves who won 3-2 at Milborne Port A. It looks like it is going to be very close in Division Two with Zeals FC also in

touch with the leaders and games in hand and they enjoyed a 5-2 win over Martock United Reserves on their first day back.

At the bottom of the table there was fresh disappointment for Pen Mill Athletic Reserves when they went down 3-0 at home to Wyndham Athletic Reserves.

PHOTOS – THIS PAGE: Wagtail Athletic (yellow shirts) take on Odcombe in the Premier Division of the Yeovil and District Football League. Photos by Christine Jones, of Yeovil Press.

PHOTOS – OPPOSITE (PAGE 70): Pen Mill Reserves (green shirts) play host to Wyndham Athletic Reserves in Division Two of the Yeovil and District Football League. Photos courtesy of Martin Edwards of totallyfocussed.co.uk – find his social media page on Facebook.

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Yeovil Town’s legendary goalkeeper Dickie Dyke (right) pulls off another memorable save in the FA Cup victory over Sunderland in 1949.

The Yeovil Town officials, players and staff of the 1948-49 season with Alec Stock seated (fourth from right).

Alec Stock and grandchildren at Huish Park ahead of his testimonial match with Fulham in 1999.

Supporters crammed into Huish to watch Alec Stock’s Yeovil team defeat the giants of Sunderland.

Press cuttings of the time from Yeovil Town’s victory over Sunderland.

The party went long into the night after Yeovil Town’s famous win over Sunderland and here is player-manager Alec Stock being hoisted aloft by players and fans.

Alec Stock follows the Yeovil Town mascot out onto the pitch at Maine Road ahead of the FA Cup Fifth Round match with Manchester United. United used Maine Road – home of arch rivals Manchester City – back then because their own Old Trafford ground was out of action because of bomb damage sustained during the Second World War.

The programme cover for Alec Stock’s testimonial game in 1999.

Alec Stock being interviewed by TV football commentator Martin Tyler at Huish ahead of Yeovil Town’s FA Cup Third Round match with Queen’s Park Rangers in 1988.

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Alec Stock back at Huish many years after helping the club become the talk of the football world for FA Cup giant-killing heroics.

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Remembering Alec Stock - the mastermind of Yeovil Town's greatest cup giant-killing IT does not seem possible that it was 20 years ago this month when the new roof over the home terrace at Huish Park was officially opened when Yeovil Town played host to Nationwide Conference title rivals Rushden and Diamonds (writes Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden).

It does not seem possible that it is now 20 years since Yeovil Town fans thought their best hopes of ever winning the Conference and with it promotion to the Football League were fading fast.

The memories are still fresh as if they were only yesterday and yet those events all took place two decades ago.

And it was back on April 16, 2001, when those championship aspirations started to dim with a 2-0 defeat at Dagenham and Redbridge – a result which fell into insignificance for a moment when it was announced after the game that Yeovil Town’s most famous son, Alec Stock, the man who had put the Glovers on the footballing map some 52 years earlier, had passed away at the age of 84.

that had it not been for Alec Stock then the Yeovil Town Football Club we all love today might never have materialised.

Alec Stock made Yeovil Town the talk of the football world; people who might not really care two hoots about 22 men kicking a bag of wind about on a Saturday afternoon would know about Yeovil Town Football Club. And that was down to Alec Stock.

He was only with Yeovil Town three years, but his legacy has lasted generations.

He was born in Peasedown St John near Bath in 1917 and went on to play as an inside-forward for Charlton Athletic and Queens Park Rangers before the Second World War. Following the war he joined Yeovil Town as player-manager in 1946 and he put the club on the map in the famous FA Cup run of 1948-49 which saw a famous Fourth Round giant-killing victory over Sunderland – which is still talked about today with such pride by the Glovers faithful – and made the old sloping pitch

Yeovil Town’s player-manager Alec Stock in his office at Huish.

1968 to reach the old First Division for the first time, while they were also the first Third Division team to ever win the Football League Cup in 1967.

Stock had success with Luton Town who he helped to promotion from the Third Division, while he led Fulham to the 1975 FA Cup Final which they lost 2-0 to West Ham United. The Fulham team that day included 1966 England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore, while on the bench was Barry Lloyd who would later go on to manager Yeovil Town.

But despite all his success in the professional game in which he became regarded as one of the elder statesmen of English football, he always loved returning to his non-league roots and Yeovil Town.

I was honoured to attend Alec Stock’s funeral service at Poole Crematorium in

Dorset back in 2001 which was attended by around 200 mourners.

Among the mourners was Ralph Davis who played in that Yeovil giant-killing cup side of 1948-49. Audrey Hamilton, the wife of the late Bobby Hamilton, who too played in the giant-killing team, was also present.

The Yeovil playing staff of 2001 was represented by striker Warren Patmore, while former Yeovil managers David Webb and Barry Lloyd were also present.

Yeovil Town officials were led by the then club chairman John Fry, while director Norman Hayward, a close friend of Mr Stock, was also there along with executives Brian Moore and Melvin Stroud.

Alec Stock was a legend of the game and will always be remembered at Yeovil Town FC.

Match action from Yeovil Town’s famous giant-killing FA Cup Fourth Round victory Sunderland at Huish in 1949.

How Alec Stock would have loved watching his beloved Yeovil Town in the following years go from being the bridesmaid to the bride with a quick succession of success in the FA Trophy, Nationwide Conference and League Two under the tutorship of Gary Johnson at the helm. What wondrous conversations Alec Stock and Gary Johnson would have had over a cuppa.

But while Gary Johnson may take the title of being Yeovil’s Greatest Ever Manager, there is no question whatsoever

of Huish legendary. Admittedly, Yeovil were soundly beaten away at Manchester United in the Fifth Round, but the club had already etched its name in FA Cup folklore for evermore.

He left Yeovil soon after and went on to manage Leyton Orient, AS Roma in Italy, Queens Park Rangers, Luton Town, Fulham and Bournemouth in a managerial career which lasted until 1980.

He enjoyed great success at QPR and won consecutive promotions in 1967 and

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The team line-ups for the Yeovil Town v Sunderland match in the FA Cup Fourth Round of 1949 – a game which really put the Glovers on the footballing map.

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HE'S HERE, HE'S THERE: THE GERRY GOW STORY

Remembering the one and only Gerry Gow A NEW book looking at the life of former Yeovil Town player-manager Gerry Gow has been published.

The Neil Palmer publication entitled He’s Here, He’s There: The Gerry Gow Story looks back at Gow’s career which saw him become a legendary Bristol City cult figure during the 1970s while the highlight of a move to Manchester City saw him play in the famous 1981 centenary FA Cup Final with Tottenham Hotspur.

Much of the book is devoted – understandably – to his time at Bristol City where he made nearly 400 appearances for them and was a member of the side which achieved promotion in 1976 to the old First Division.

After a season at Manchester City and that cup final with Spurs which had to be decided by a replay and a Ricky Villainspired performance he had spells at

Rotherham United and Burnley before heading back down south to take the player-manager’s job at Yeovil Town in 1984.

Gow was a tough-tackling midfielder who made life difficult for his opponents with a no-nonsense style, but he was highly-regarded and well-liked in football and that comes across in the book.

He was also a devoted family man and this too is echoed in the book with his son Chris, who went to Preston School as a student while dad was with the Glovers, playing a leading role helping the author put pen to paper.

Admittedly, when it comes to the Yeovil Town years in the book it is a little bit annoying to see that the famous old sloping pitch of Huish is incorrectly referred to as Huish Park on every occasion with Huish Park, the Glovers’ current ground, not being built on the

outskirts of town until a few years after Gow had departed the club.

There are a few other inaccuracies, but that should not detract from what is a good read about a man who certainly played his part in Yeovil Town’s history.

Gerry Gow died on October 10, 2016, at the age of 64 following a bravely fought battle with cancer.

Son Chris said at the time: “Today the world fell apart for our family. My beautiful dad passed away in the early hours of the morning; 64 years young he lost his battle to the most disgusting disease.

“Me and my family are broken hearted and nothing will ever fill the void in our hearts. RIP my hero, my best mate, my dad.”

He’s Here, He’s There: The Gerry Gow Story is published by Pitch Publishing and available priced £19.99 from Amazon UK.

Gerry was great as a manager said former team-mate Tom Ritchie GERRY Gow had been interviewed about the vacant manager’s job at Yeovil Town with his playing days at Burnley in the Football League coming to an end.

But it was initial disappointment for Gow when the job went to Ian MacFarlane and despite being gutted at the news he sat out the remaining games of the 198384 season at Burnley.

He was released at the end of that campaign and when the 1984-85 season began Gow was without a club.

But it was not long into the new season before his phone was ringing with Yeovil chairman Gerry Lock asking if he would like the manager’s job at Huish – MacFarlane had departed after losing the first five games.

Gow jumped at the chance and started rebuilding – although probably knowing that the 1984-85 season was already a lost cause – and one of the first players he looked to recruit was his old Bristol City team-mate Tom Ritchie.

Ritchie, speaking in He’s Here, He’s There: The Gerry Gow Story, said: “Gerry

rang me really late at night and told me apparently there was a chance that City would be letting me go.

“Well, this was the first I had heard of it. He asked to see me in the morning which I did after I had spoken to the City manager, Terry Cooper. I think he had already spoken to Gerry about me. I agreed and decided to give it a go.

“A lot of people ask me whether I thought Gerry was managerial material and if I’m honest I thought he would be struggle, but he was great.”

Another former Bristol City team-mate Paul Cheesley, who had been forced to quit the professional game due to injury, was also drafted in by Gow. “After my injury I played a bit of nonleague football, so when Gerry called I was really happy to take him up on his offer,” said Cheesley.

“The set-up was great at Yeovil and although we were struggling with relegation looking a real possibility Gerry and the board knew we would give it a real go, but if it did happen we would bounce back.

Gerry Gow (left) receives a Manager of the Month Award in the Vauxhall-Opel League at Huish with Yeovil Town chairman Gerry Lock (right).

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“Gerry looked after me in terms of my knee and as you can imagine when we finished games I don’t think we left the club bar!”

Following relegation in the 1984-85 season, Yeovil had a good season in the Vauxhall-Opel League (Isthmian League) of 1985-86 where they finished runnersup behind Sutton United.

Midfielder Alan Pardew arrived from Dulwich Hamlet in March 1986 and added some extra class to the Yeovil midfield.

Ritchie said: “Alan did all the running, Gerry did all the tackling and I did all the passing.”

Gerry Gow brought in a young midfielder Mickey Tanner on loan from the Bristol City Reserves during the 198687 season when Yeovil finished runnersup again, this time behind Wycombe Wanderers.

“I loved the bloke,” said Tanner. “When I was a schoolboy at Bristol City, Gerry Gow was my idol. I loved the way he played and I loved to try and emulate him.

“When I was asked to go down to Huish by him I was overjoyed. Yeovil were a great club who had a brilliant set-up and although they were struggling at the bottom Gerry had created a great team spirit.

“They were also getting gates of 3,500 which was brilliant for a youngster like me.”

Tom Ritchie remembered that season and a 4-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers in a cup competition – with Tanner being among the scorers for Yeovil.

“I remember when we were on the coach to come home, Gerry was chatting to one of the Wycombe directors, Alan Parry, who used to commentate for one of the TV companies,” said Ritchie.

“When Gerry got on the coach I asked him what Parry had said and he replied: “He just told me that was the best footballing display he had ever seen by a non league team.” Gerry was so proud. I think it was one of his proudest moments in the game and I will never forget his face.”

Yeovil Town manager Gerry Gow presents a trophy to a youth team following a youth cup final at Huish in around 1985. Among those pictured are Matthew Turner (back row far left), Gary Wookey (standing, fourth from left) and Ian Catton receiving the trophy, along with Paul Watts (front row far left) and Neil Housley (front row third from right).

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HE'S HERE, HE'S THERE: THE GERRY GOW STORY Gerry Gow attracted a new generation of fans to Yeovil Town WHENEVER I see re-runs of that famous Ricky Villa goal where he goes on a mesmerising and weaving run before slotting the ball home to win the centenary FA Cup Final of 1981 for Tottenham Hotspur my eyes are not necessarily transfixed by the Argentine’s nimble footwork (writes Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden).

I tend to focus my attention on the Manchester City midfielder Gerry Gow who looks as if he is about to make a desperate tackle, but then somehow seems to get lost in the Wembley moment and stands back and watches Villa score that goal before he snaps back into the real world and sinks his head in his hands in realisation that the cup is slipping away from his team’s grasp.

Little did I realise back in 1981 that just a few years later and Gerry Gow would be arriving at the sloping pitch of Huish to take charge of Yeovil Town FC as player-manager.

It was a pleasure therefore to receive an email from author Neil Palmer – who has written the recently published biography He’s Here, He’s There: The Gerry Gow Story - asking for a few words about what impact Gerry, a Scottish combative midfielder, had on the Glovers when he set foot into Huish for the first time in 1984.

I was in the latter stages of secondary school when Gerry was at Yeovil and I was at that age where I was allowed to go to games on my own with some pals.

I went to Preston School and was in the same year group as Gerry’s son, Chris, when they first came to town, and I’m sure Chris became a bit of a celebrity!

Neil Lukins was one of those pals and his dad, John, was the sports editor of the

Player-manager Gerry Gow (left) signs legendary England and Somerset cricket legend Ian Botham with chairman Gerry Lock (centre) looking on.

Gerry Gow at Yeovil Town during his time as player-manager.

Western Gazette and we sometimes used to go and sit up in the Press Box with him for the second-half of games at Huish.

When we had to go on ‘work experience’ from school we put down that we wanted to go to Yeovil Town FC. I was no footballer I can tell you, but I was all up for spending a day at the club. So myself, Neil and our other chums, twins Andy and Stuart Smith, went to the club where Gerry looked after us and got us doing some chores around the ground like sweeping the terraces and the main stand.

Gerry then got one of his players, Paul Thorpe, a larger-than-life mean defender, who was doing some DIY work at the club, who still lives in Yeovil to this

Mystery over Gerry Gow's exit from Huish YEOVIL Town were battling for the Vauxhall-Opel League title in the 198687 season when manager Gerry Gow suddenly decided to leave the club which shocked the fans and players.

Former team-mate Tom Ritchie, who had been part of the revolution at Huish under Gerry Gow’s leadership, said: “I still to this day have no idea why he resigned. He was doing a great job at the club with a chairman who loved him, as did the players and the fans.

“I know he was frustrated we couldn’t get to the Football League and that we were not full-time, but I thought he had a real future in management.

“He had proved what he could do in terms of finding players. Alan Pardew ended up at Crystal Palace and John McGinlay played for Bolton Wanderers

and Scotland, yet Gerry found them for virtually nothing.

“He managed on a shoestring so imagine what he could have done with a club with a few bob. It was very sad, but that was Gerry - when he made his mind up it was made up.”

Gerry’s son Chris Gow said: “I was gutted when he resigned. I loved it at Yeovil, they were a good club who thought a lot of dad. I used to go to away games with the supporters and we had a ball.

“I remember Gerry Lock, the chairman, being in tears when he left the house after dad told him he was going.

“We never really spoke about why he left, but I just think he got frustrated that success couldn’t come sooner.”

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day, to take part in a penalty shoot-out competition with us. It was great fun.

And then, after that, Gerry took us into the social club bar where he got us a drink – lemonade I hasten to add – and he took us on in a pool competition.

I went on several work experience weeks around that time from school, but 30-plus years on and it is one of the very few that I actually remember detail by detail and that’s probably a lot to do with Gerry.

It seems strange to think that Gerry’s stay at Huish only lasted one full season,

having arrived after the 1984-85 season had started and departing midway through the 1986-87 season, but his legacy in my opinion is huge.

A generation of Yeovil Town supporters will remember Gerry and the players he brought to the club; the way he energised the club and made people want to go to Huish again; and how he reinvigorated the club within the community.

His time at Yeovil Town was all too brief, but plentiful and I for one am delighted to have experienced it.

Signing Ian Botham was a masterstroke LEGENDARY England and Somerset cricket all-rounder Ian Botham – who was a Yeovil schoolboy – made his Yeovil Town football debut on January 26, 1985, against Northwich Victoria in the Gola League.

His appearance put an extra 1,000 spectators on the Huish gate and the short-term signing was a masterstroke by manager Gerry Gow. And although Botham’s two-month playing presence did not really alter things on the pitch with Yeovil struggling at the wrong end of the table, he certainly rejuvenated interest in the club among supporters.

It was a great signing by Gow and one only too welcomed by club chairman Gerry Lock – without question the highlight of a disappointing season which saw Yeovil finish bottom of the table and relegated for the first time in the club’s history.

Former Bristol City player Tom Ritchie, who had been recruited by his old Ashton Gate team-mate Gow to come and play

for Yeovil, said: “To be honest we were all a bit in awe of Ian Botham for what he had achieved in his sport, but he was really down to earth and a really good bloke who dished out banter and took it in good spirits.

“He wasn’t with us for too long, but he could certainly play and handle himself on the pitch. I think he doubled the home gates for us.”

Another Gow signing, Paul Cheesley, reminisced: “He (Ian Botham) was great for although when Gerry decided to play him at centre-forward I had to sit on the bench which wasn’t great especially when Ian would get the ball on the halfway line and try and shoot for goal.

“I used to say to Gerry “Put me on first.

Let me get a goal then take me off” so the fans could see Ian, but he never did though.

“Ian was really down to earth. He was one of the lads and you can imagine what he was like in the bar afterwards! We had a real giggle!”

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GLOVERS GLORY

The Earl, the scarecrow, the socialist and the thief!

YEOVIL Town fan and a keen historian of all things about the Glovers, MICHAEL WEST, looks back to some of the football clubs’ more interesting characters.

LIKE all football teams throughout the land, Yeovil Town’s history has been built on legendary matches such as Liverpool in 1935, Sunderland in 1949 and Arsenal in 1971 to name just a few.

This was not welcomed by the other players who - at the club’s annual meeting in 1893 where a heavy loss was reported - raised objections at the expenses Arthur Read was receiving.

There was also Gilbert Vasell, the Corinthians player, again seen as not just one of the best forwards in Yeovil, but the whole country. A true sporting hero who graced the Pen Mill pitch who, like Arthur

William Culliford

The 9th Earl of Caven, Frederick Edward Gould Lambart

Games that are long past, but the memories of those matches passed down the generations, to never be forgotten.

Of course, players fit into that category also such as the likes of Dave Taylor, John Clancy, Johnny McGinlay, Warren Patmore and Paddy Madden ... the list is endless.

But, as the history of Yeovil Town Football Club is so long now, the early heroes and characters have been forgotten, yet these people helped to shape and build the foundations of what we know and love today.

Players that go as far back as 1892, with Arthur Read, considered one of the greatest players of his day even getting an England call-up. Somersetborn but residing in London, his services considered so important the committee decided to pay his train fares from London to play for Yeovil in matches at West Hendford.

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Read, received a full England call-up.

One can only wonder what a sight the Yeovil striker Bob Wyatt, a farmer from Maiden Newton, must have been in the early 1900s. At the start of the 1903-04 season those gathered for the opening fixture gasped to see he had been on a diet - he was now only 17stone. Playing in the same side was Sherborne-born, Herbert Seymour, a committed socialist, who when not controlling the centre of midfield at Pen Mill, was often to be seen standing on a box in the Borough, championing the rights for women to have the vote and any other social issue of the day.

Musical talent was also not short in that side in the early 1900s. The bald Harry Herbert would tour the pubs and concerts halls of Somerset, playing piano and violin, and then turn out on a Saturday in defence for the boys in Green and White strips.

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Even the non-playing members of those early days would raise eyebrows by today’s standards. A case in sample being the 9th Earl of Caven who became a vicepresident of the club; a man with such a pedigree that he was a member of Queen Victoria ‘s Privvy Council (as featured in last month’s Glovers’ Glory feature).

One can only hope that he and the Her Majesty discussed the club’s fortunes over a cup of tea.

Later, the wonderfully named Dr Ptolemy Colmer became the club’s president - a man who during the week performed autopsies on the kitchen tables of pubs around the town and who had seen both his parents imprisoned in Pentoville for manslaughter!

William Culliford, treasurer in the early days and later to become president of the club, was also a remarkable man.

Born into abject poverty and no formal education, his first job, when still a child, was being a human scarecrow in a field in Chilthorne Domer.

However from such a humble beginning he self-educated himself to become one of the most respected and loved businessmen in the town.

Moving on a few years to the 1930s, the Glovers signed Mike Connaboy, born in Scotland in 1901. He was by and large a non-descript player, but during his one

and only season at Huish he and two other Scottish team-mates caused what was described as “a stain on the character of Yeovil and Petters United.”

On a cold January night in 1932, a policeman was patrolling around the outskirts of Bruttons brewery, when he saw the outline of three individuals, tools in hand ripping the lead of a roof inside the brewery grounds.

After blowing his whistle, two ran off however one was too far up and was caught by the officer. The culprit was none other than the Glovers’ Mike Connaboy who later admitted his two accomplices were also Yeovil players.

In court, Connaboy and the other two gave the incredible defence that it was not unusual in his native Scotland to look for lead at night and he was sorry any harm that he had caused. The judge let him off with a warning. The Yeovil board was not so lenient and put him on the transfer list within a week he was sold to Wolves.

These are just a tiny example of characters that shaped the club we love, all long forgotten, however all a part of the incredible history of Yeovil Town.

Herbert Seymour

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YEOVIL TOWN FC

FIXTURES 2020-21 Saturday, October 3, 2020 National League Kings Lynn 2, Yeovil Town 2

Saturday, December 26, 2020 National League Torquay United 6, Yeovil Town 1

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 National League Barnet 1, Yeovil Town 4

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 2, Wealdstone 2

Monday, December 28, 2020 National League Aldershot 0, Yeovil Town 3

Saturday, March 6, 2021 National League Chesterfield 3, Yeovil Town 0

Saturday, October 10, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 0, Wrexham 1

Saturday, January 2, 2021 Yeovil Town 2, Torquay United 1

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 National League Sutton United 2, Yeovil Town 1

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 National League Halifax 1, Yeovil Town 1 Saturday, October 17, 2020 National League Dagenham & Redbridge 0, Yeovil Town 0 Tuesday, October 27, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 1, Sutton United 2 Saturday, October 31, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 0, Chesterfield 1 Saturday, November 7, 2020 Bromley 0, Yeovil Town 1 Saturday, November 14, 2020 National League Woking 1, Yeovil Town 1 Saturday, November 21, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 1, Hartlepool United 3 Saturday, November 28, 2020 FA Cup Stockport County 3, Yeovil Town 2 Tuesday, December 1, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 1, Eastleigh 3 Tuesday, December 8, 2020 National League Bromley 1, Yeovil Town 2

Tuesday, January 5, 2020 National League Weymouth 0, Yeovil Town 3 Saturtday, January 27, 2021 National League Maidenhead United 4, Yeovil Town 2 Saturday, January 30, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 3, Dover Athletic 1 Saturday, February 6, 2021 National League Stockport County 1, Yeovil Town 0 Tuesday, February 9, 2021 National League Eastleigh 1, Yeovil Town 0 Saturday, February 13, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 2, Altrincham 0 Saturday, February 16, 2021 National League Boreham Wood 2, Yeovil Town 3 Saturday, February 20, 2021 National League Hartlepool 2, Yeovil Town 1 Tuesday, February 23, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 3, Weymouth 1 Saturday, February 27, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 1, Dagenham & Redbridge 0

Saturday, March 13, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 2, Woking 1 Tuesday, March 16, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 1, Bromley 2 Saturday, March 20, 2021 National League Notts County 2, Yeovil Town 0 Tuesday, March 23, 2020 National League Yeovil Town 2, Notts County 2 Saturday, March 27, 2021 National League Yeovil Town 3, Barnet 1 Friday, April 2, 2021 Good Friday National League Altrincham P-P Yeovil Town Saturday, April 10, 2021 National League Aldershot P-P Yeovil Town (New date to be announced)

Saturday, April 24, 2021 National League Solihull Moors v Yeovil Town 3pm Kick-Off Tuesday April 27, 2021 National League Yeovil Town v Solihull Moors 7pm Kick-Off Saturday, May 1, 2021 National League Wealdstone v Yeovil Town 3pm Kick-Off Monday, May 3, 2021 Bank Holiday Monday National League Yeovil Town v Halifax 3pm Kick-Off Saturday, May 8, 2021 National League Wrexham v Yeovil Town 3pm Kick-Off Saturday, May 15, 2021 National League Yeovil Town v Kings Lynn 3pm Kick-Off Saturday, May 22, 2021 National League Dover Athletic v Yeovil Town 3pm Kick-Off Saturday, May 29, 2021 National League Yeovil Town v Stockport County 3pm Kick-Off

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 National League Yeovil Town v Maidenhead United 7.45pm Kick-Off Saturday, April 17, 2021 National League Yeovil Town v Boreham Wood 3pm Kick-Off

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YEOVIL TOWN FC IN MOURNING: RIP CLUB CAPTAIN - LEE COLLINS

Football unites in sorrow as club comes together NOT long after Yeovil Town FC announced that club captain Lee Collins had passed away at the age just of 32 and the messages of condolence began to pour in.

The club’s social media networks were deluged with messages from people across the country, well-wishers and clubs spanning the football pyramid from the Premier League down to the lower reaches of the non-league game.

An emotional memorial of flowers, shirts, scarves and messages has been created at Yeovil Tonw’s Huish Park stadium where supporters have been paying their own personal tributes to the

skipper.

Words are not needed now to describe the strength of shock, sorrow and sadness that echoes around the stadium grounds as people slowly gather for a minute or two to place their tributes, pause for a moment of reflection and possibly shed a tear.

Football has its critics, but it is during these times of great sadness that the sport really does unite and club loyalties, rivalries and allegiances are put to one side.

Here are some of the messages of condolence which Yeovil Town FC has received on its social media Twitter feed.

Dartford FC: “Our sincerest condolences to everyone at Yeovil Town and to Lee’s family and friends – our thoughts are with you.”

with Lee’s family, friends and everyone connected with Yeovil Town.”

West Bromwich Albion FC: “Such terrible news. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends. Rest in peace.”

Spennymoor Town FC: “Tragic news.

Everyone at Spennymoor Town FC would like to pass on our love and wishes to Lee’s family and friends.”

Milton Keynes Dons FC: “The thoughts of everyone at MK Dons are with you and Lee’s family and friends.”

Reading FC: “Our sincere condolences are with the family and friends of Lee and our thoughts are with everyone connected to @YTFC at this sad time.”

Brighton & Hove Albion FC: “Our thoughts are with you and all of Lee’s friends and family.”

Swansea City FC: “Rest in peace, Lee. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”

Leamington FC: “Sending the best wishes of everyone at LFC to Lee’s family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town and at Lee’s former clubs.”

Burton Albion FC: “The thoughts of everyone at Burton Albion are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town.”

Former Yeovil Town goalkeeper Chris Weale, who played with Lee Collins at Shrewsbury: “Life is so very precious - rest in peace Lee. It was an absolute pleasure to play with you and get to know you at Shrewsbury. Thinking of your family, friends and team mates.”

Hartlepool United FC: “Everyone at Hartlepool United would like to offer our condolences to Lee’s family and friends, as well as the Yeovil Town community.”

Melksham Town FC: “Everyone at Melksham Town would like to send their condolences to Lee’s family. Our thoughts are with you all.”

Taunton Town FC: “Everyone at Taunton Town Football Club sends their deepest condolences to the friends and family of Lee Collins and everyone connected with Yeovil Town at this time.”

Slough Town FC: “Our sincerest condolences to everyone at @YTFC and to Lee’s family and friends.”

Dorchester Town FC: “Such awful news. Our thoughts and condolences are

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Bristol City FC: “Everyone at Bristol City sends their thoughts and love to Lee’s family and friends and all at Yeovil Town.”

Lea United FC: “Terrible news. Everyone at Lea United sends their condolences to those close to Lee at this awful time. RIP.” Tranmere Rovers FC: “Everyone at Tranmere Rovers offers their condolences at this incredibly difficult time.”

West Ham United FC: “The thoughts of everyone at West Ham are with Lee’s friends and family. Rest in peace.”

Scunthorpe United FC: “We send our condolences to Lee’s family and friends and all at Yeovil Town during this time.”

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YEOVIL TOWN FC IN MOURNING: RIP CLUB CAPTAIN - LEE COLLINS

Lincoln City FC: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lee Collins and everyone at Yeovil Town.”

Doncaster Rovers FC: “Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends. Rest in peace Lee Collins.”

FC United of Manchester: “The thoughts of everyone at FC United of Manchester are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone connected with Yeovil Town.”

Norwich City FC: “This is awful news.

We’re sending our love to Lee’s friends and family and everyone at Yeovil Town.”

Dagenham and Redbridge FC: “Everyone at Dagenham and Redbridge would like to offer our condolences to Lee’s family and friends as well as the Yeovil Town community.”

Bath City FC: “Everyone at Bath City sends their condolences to Lee’s family and friends, and to everyone at Yeovil Town.”

connected with Yeovil Town at this very sad time.”

Millwall FC: “The thoughts of everyone at Millwall are with you all.”

Eastleigh FC: “Such tragic news. The thoughts and condolences of the Spitfires family go out to Lee’s family, friends and everyone connected at @YTFC.”

Former Yeovil Town midfielder Shaun MacDonald: “Devastating news – thoughts are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone at YTFC.”

Chippenham Town FC: “The thoughts from everyone at Chippenham Town Football Club are with Lee’s friends and family and everyone at @YTFC at this very sad and difficult time. RIP Lee.”

Watford FC: “The thoughts of all of us at the club are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone at @YTFC. Rest in peace, Lee.”

Oxford United FC: “Everyone connected with Oxford United would like to offer their condolences. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends.”

Bath Rugby Club: “Our sincere condolences to everyone at #YTFC, Lee’s family and friends.”

Weymouth FC: “Our thoughts are with Lee’s family, friends and everybody at Yeovil Town at this time.”

Fulham FC: “Sending our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of Lee Collins. Rest in peace.”

National football journalist Henry Winter: “Terrible news. Thoughts with Lee’s family, friends, team-mates and everyone at the club. RIP.”

Bristol Rovers FC: “The thoughts of everyone at Rovers are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone connected with Yeovil Town.”

Southend United FC: “Everyone at Southend United sends their condolences to those closest to Lee and all at Yeovil Town at this incredibly difficult time.”

Morecambe FC: “Terrible news – our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends.”

Leeds United FC: “The thoughts of everyone at #LUFC are with Lee’s family and friends at this time. #FootballFamily.”

Plymouth Argyle FC: “Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends as well as everyone associated with Yeovil Town at this tragic time.”

AFC Bournemouth: “This is really sad news. Everyone connected with AFC Bournemouth sends our thoughts to Lee’s family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town.”

Crewe Alexandra FC: “Everyone at Crewe Alexandra would like to offer our condolences with Lee’s family, friends and everyone connected with Yeovil Town.”

Cheltenham Town FC: “The thoughts of everyone t Cheltenham Town are with Lee’s family and friends, as well as all

Birmingham City FC: “Devastating news. The thoughts of everyone at #BCFC are with Lee’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.”

Salford City FC: “The thoughts of everyone at Salford City are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town.”

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Tottenham Hotspur FC: “All of our thoughts are with Lee’s family, friends and everyone at @YTFC at this incredibly difficult time.”

Liverpool FC: “Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Lee Collins.”

Sheffield Wednesday FC: “The thoughts of us all at Sheffield Wednesday are with Lee, his family, friends, team-mates and all those connected to Yeovil. RIP.” Newcastle United FC: Terribly sad news. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family, friends and everybody connected to Yeovil Town at this tough time. Rest in peace, Lee.” Nottingham Forest FC: “Such sad news. Everyone at ~NFFC sends their condolences to Lee’s family and friends and all at @YTFC.” Everton FC: “Such terribly sad news.

Our condolences go out to Lee’s family, friends and team-mates at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Lee.” Ipswich Town FC: “Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends as well as everyone associated with Yeovil Town at this tragic time.”

Blackpool FC: “We send on our condolences to Lee’s family, friends and all those connected to @YTFC and his former sides.”

Stockport County FC: “Terrible news, everyone at Stockport County sends our

sincerest condolences to Lee’s family and friends and everyone involved with @YTFC. Rest in peace, Lee.” Torquay United FC: “The thoughts of everybody at Plainmoor are with all of Lee’s family and also his friends at this desperately sad time.”

Chesterfield FC: “So sorry. Our thoughts are with Lee’s friends and family and all connected to Yeovil Town at this tragic time.”

Barnet FC: “Everyone at Barnet Football Club would like to offer our condolences to Lee’s family and friends as well as everyone connected with @YTFC.” Coventry City FC: “Condolences from all of us at Coventry City to Lee’s family and friends and everyone at @YTFC following this very sad news. RIP Lee.” Manchester City FC: “Everyone at Manchester City sends their love and thoughts to Lee’s family, friends and everyone at Yeovil Town at this difficult time.”

South Somerset District Council: “All those at South Somerset District Council, including our leader @ValKeitch, offer their condolences at this tremendously sad time. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and friends and everyone connected with @YTFC.” Bridgwater Town FC: “Such terrible news. Our thoughts are with Lee’s family and everyone at YTFC during this sad time. Our sincere condolences from everyone connected with Bridgwater Town FC.” Yeovil Town Council, writing on Facebook, said: “Lee Collins was a leader on and off the pitch. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all at YTFC.” And the Mayor of Yeovil, Cllr David Recardo, wrote: “So sad to hear of the death of Lee Collins.”

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YEOVIL TOWN FC IN MOURNING: RIP CLUB CAPTAIN - LEE COLLINS

Manager's words speak a sea of tears as he grieves for his captain YEOVIL Town manager Darren Sarll has said that the messages of support which have been received following the death of club captain Lee Collins have proven a real comfort for everyone at Huish Park during the “depths of darkness” of the past week.

He put out an emotional statement on the club’s official website on Monday (April 5) where he thanked people for their “support and love” as he has battled to come to terms with the terrible loss and also help the rest of his players and staff through this awfully sad time.

“Nothing in life can prepare you for what has happened in the last week,” wrote the manager. “The sadness that has consumed all of us at Huish Park has been overwhelming – each of us attempting to cope in our own different ways.

“In the depths of this darkness though I think is it important to acknowledge just how many people have messaged, called and paid their respects to the man we called captain. On behalf of all the players and the management team we cannot thank you enough. The support and love you have offered, once again,

demonstrates the power of football and the family it creates.”

The manager went on: “The ground has been flooded with flowers, scarves, shirts and messages paying respects to Lee. “Seeing this visible representation of our shared love for Lee grow day by day, has brought me great comfort.

“Huish Park is where I spent the majority of my time with Lee, and at the moment this is where I feel his sudden loss most intensely. But this is also where I’ll always feel closest to him. So, sharing this space with so many moving tributes from the fans helps all of us here feel slightly less alone in our grief and for that we are deeply grateful.”

The manager said that Lee’s teammates were dealing with his loss in “their own individual way and we will do all we can to support them through this immensely challenging time.”

“One of Lee’s teammates recently described Lee as “our glue” and I take great comfort in thinking of him in that way,” said Sarll.

Manager Darren Sarll with skipper Lee Collins – the “glue” which kept the team together.

A personal message from Darren Sarll – the Gaffer – left at the memorial at Huish Park which has been created following the death of Lee Collins. Inset: Club captain Lee Collins in action.

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“What better tribute could there be to our captain than that – through his immense skill as a leader he brought the changing room together and when necessary, kept it in line! Even now as we process his loss, we are united again through Lee with our fans and with his family. Once again, he is “our glue”.

“I would like to take the chance to thank the National League and all the clubs that have held a minute’s silence in Lee’s honour over the last week. It is obvious that Lee had a huge effect on everyone he came across and all the wonderful football clubs he represented.

We are very grateful for the love and support.

“As you would expect Lee’s wonderful family are rallying round each other and learning how to cope and move forward in their new reality.

“I would ask that we continue to respect their privacy at this difficult time and allow them the space they need.

“But I would like them to know that the Yeovil Town Football Club family is and will be here for you whenever you need

it. We take care of our own here and Lee was and will always be one of our own.”

And the manager concluded: “Lastly, to Lee. I want to thank him for his unwavering trust and loyalty over the last 20 months.

“To say we were close is an understatement, he was and is ‘MY GUY’. I will remember his strength of character, his undeniable playing ability and his will to win.

“It will always make me smile when I reminisce about our times together behind the scenes at Huish Park and I know all those that shared a changing room with him will understand this sentiment and feel the same. He was one of a kind and I will miss him greatly.

“Lee and I came here to win, to achieve and create the most wonderful lasting memories, and that is what we are going to do, with our #4 always by our side.”

The manager’s statement has received widespread support from supporters many of whom have said on social media that they had tears in their eyes while reading it.

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YEOVIL TOWN FC IN MOURNING: RIP CLUB CAPTAIN - LEE COLLINS

Club in mourning at death of club captain Lee Collins YEOVIL Town Football Club was plunged into mourning following the death of 32-year-old club captain Lee Collins.

The club announced on Thursday, April 1, that Lee had sadly passed away the previous day and “our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

“We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this time,” said a club spokesman. “The club will make no further comment at this time.”

Yeovil Town’s National League game planned for Good Friday (Friday, April 2, 2021) at Altrincham was postponed, while a minute’s silence was held at football matches around the country.

Police confirmed that they had been called to an address in West Coker on Wednesday, March 31, following reports of a “sudden death.”

“Officers attended a report of a sudden death at an address in High Street, West Coker, at about 5pm on March 31,” said a spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police.

“Sadly, the body of a 32-year-old man was located. His death is not being treated as suspicious and has been referred to the coroner. His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them.”

Lee leaves behind partner Rachel and three young daughters.

Lee arrived at Huish Park in the summer of 2019 as Yeovil Town prepared for life back in non-league football following

relegation from the Football League.

He arrived on a free transfer from League Two outfit Forest Green Rovers having helped them to the play-offs in the 2018-19 season.

Having played the entirety of his career in the EFL amassing over 350 league appearances, manager Darren Sarll was thrilled with getting Lee’s signature.

“Lee is a winner and his experience and leadership will make him a big part of this squad,” said Sarll at the time of signing Lee. “He’s yet another player who arrives having been part of a team that reached the play-offs last season and has all of the attributes we’re going to need to be a success in this division.”

Able to operate all across the back four and in defensive midfield, he started out at Wolves prior to helping Hereford United to promotion from League Two whilst on loan at Edgar Street.

A four-year stay at Port Vale followed where Lee made over 120 appearances, before spending time in the Championship with Barnsley.

Stints at Shrewsbury, Northampton and Mansfield followed prior to joining Forest Green in May 2017.

When news was announced of Lee’s sudden death fans quickly took to social media to express their shock and sadness.

Many have since placed flowers, scarves, shirts, messages of condolence and other

Raising funds for Lee's family

tributes at a memorial which has grown day by day at Huish Park over the past week.

PHOTO: Lee Collins on his signing for Yeovil Town in the summer of 2019.

Inquest opens into the death of skipper AN INQUEST into the death of Yeovil Town Football Club captain Lee Collins was opened on Wednesday, April 7, with the consent of next of kin, by senior coroner Tony Williams.

A statement from coroner’s officer Ben Batley was admitted into evidence confirming that Lee Collins was born on September 28, 1988, and was 32-yearsold when he was confirmed dead at Lanes Hotel, West Coker, on March 31, 2021.

The statement read: “Lee was a professional footballer with Yeovil Town Football Club. It was identified that when Lee did not attend for training on March 31, enquiries were made at the hotel where he was staying and he was found in his room hanging.”

Also admitted into evidence was an

interim post mortem report from Dr Adams, a pathologist at Yeovil District Hospital, who confirmed cause of death as – 1a hanging, subject to blood analysis.

The coroner resolved that it would be necessary for further statements and reports to be obtained in respect of the circumstances of Mr Collins’ death and the inquest was adjourned to an internal case management review on or before July 7, 2021.

For confidential support The Samaritans can be contacted for free around the clock 365 days a year on 116 123.

Support is also available from mental health charity Mind in Somerset – website is at www.mindinsomerset.org. uk , phone 01935-474875 or email info@ mindinsomerset.org.uk .

Football is put firmly into perspective AN APPEAL to raise money for the family of Yeovil Town Football Club captain Lee Collins has nearly topped £5,000.

The online fundraising page on the Just Giving website was set up by Yeovil Town fan Simon Woodland and is approaching £5,000 as we went to press on Thursday, April 8.

Simon had initially only set a target

figure of £500, but fans from around the country have been quick to show their support for the cause.

He told the Yeovil Press that he would like to thank everyone for their donations.

Lee Collins leaves a partner and three young daughters.

If anyone would like to donate please go to https://bit.ly/2PXXuy6.

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NORMALLY each month we give plenty of coverage in this newspaper to the latest goings-on from Yeovil Town with match reports, a look ahead to forthcoming fixtures, the comings and goings in playing personnel and off-the-pitch club news.

In light of the tragic events of the death of Yeovil club captain Lee Collins we feel that it would be inappropriate to do so in this month’s edition of Yeovil Press.

It is times like this when football is

firmly put into perspective.

Yeovil Press editor Steve Sowden said: “I cannot try to begin to think how the management, players and staff of Yeovil Town FC are coping with this terrible sense of loss and I send them my deepest condolences at this time and also, of course, to Lee Collins’ family and friends.

“Now is very much a time for reflection and football needs to be put to one side while the club comes to terms with its grief.”

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