THEREcan’t be many small villages where an army of volunteers can put on a show like the Priddy Folk Festival. It was another amazing event despite heat which saw the roads up there melting.
We’ve pictures from Priddy and many other events, fetes and festivals, as summer on Mendip got into full swing.
A packed What’s On section is our comprehensive guide to school holiday activities, with a look ahead to Frome Cheese Show.
Both Priddy and Peasedown village schools have won prestigious awards. We have a special education feature this month.
The weather continues to cause concern. Nick Green says the wheat harvest has been the earliest in memory; Chris Sperring reports it’s been a terrible breeding season for owls; Mary Payne warns drought tolerant plants might struggle with the wet in winter.
It’s the school holidays, so it’s bound to rain! We also have news of a new arts centre in Axbridge and a new music festival in Wells.
With all of our regular contributors and features, welcome to our window on Mendip life.
September 2025 deadline: Friday 15th August
Published: Tuesday 26th August
Editorial:
Steve Egginton steve@mendiptimes.co.uk
Mark Adler mark@mendiptimes.co.uk
Advertising: advertising@mendiptimes.co.uk
Lisa Daniels lisa@mendiptimes.co.uk
What’s On listings: Annie Egginton annie@mendiptimes.co.uk
Accounts: accounts@mendiptimes.co.uk
Publisher: Mendip Times Limited
Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Somerset BS40 7RG
Contacts: For all enquiries, telephone: 01761 463888 or email: news@mendiptimes.co.uk www.mendiptimes.co.uk
Front cover: Chewton Mendip school and village fete. Photograph by Steve Egginton. See page 65.
Fifth trip to Ukraine
WRINGTONVale Rotary Club member, Bob Preedy, has completed his fifth 1,400-mile trip taking aid to Ukraine, accompanied this time by Dan Cotterell from Thatchers.
On their first night in Lviv they had to go to an air raid shelter to escape missiles which were landing some way off.
The trip followed a successful appeal to buy a van. Any surplus will go to aid for Ukraine. The van was packed with medical equipment and other kit requested by the Ukrainians.
It was handed over to a charity called Hell’s Kitchen in Kharkiv, which provides food for displaced people and the local orphanage.
The club said: “We all salute Bob and Dan for their efforts and gallantry in the Rotary spirit of Service above Self.”
Wellwishers gave them a good send-off from The Railway at
That’s entertainment
–the
Amulet is back in action
MARK Chadwick, lead singer with The Levellers, played to a sell-out crowd at the reopening of the Amulet entertainment centre in Shepton Mallet.
Volunteers have turned the ground floor of the 1970s
building into a multi-purpose venue, including a small cinema area and pop-up performing and arts space. It is also open for community use, run by a charitable community benefit society.
Mark (centre) with some of the team behind the venture
Sandford
Mark Chadwick on stage on the opening night
Bob at the cemetery in Lviv
Photos celebrate Somerset’s environment
A NEWexhibition celebrating the creativity and perspective of young photographers from across Somerset will open to the public on August 1st at The Engine Room, Bridgwater.
The Somerset Young Photographer Showcase will present the world around us as captured through the lens.
Organised by Somerset Film, the Bridgwater-based media charity, this new exhibition features 30 images that have been submitted from photographers as young as 12 up to 25 years old.
Somerset Film’s creative cirector, Deb Richardson, said: “This is our first Young Photographer Showcase and we were thrilled with the number and quality of submissions.
“It’s a real joy to offer space to celebrate Somerset’s young creative talent. We hope the community will come and experience these stunning images for themselves.”
As part of the initiative, one photographer will be honoured with the Robert Richards Award, which recognises work that celebrates the environment or raises awareness of climate change.
The award is presented in memory of Robert Richards, the charity’s former chair of trustees, who worked at Glastonbury Festival with Michael Eavis and was also a trustee for Glastonbury Abbey.
The exhibition will be open to the public from Friday 1st August to Friday 29th August, 10am to 3.30pm, closed on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Details: www.somersetfilm.com
Baby beaver
Taking stock of Somerset’s wildlife
Goldfinch
SOMERSETWildlife Trust’s The Big Count initiative saw 800 people surveying wildlife over a ten-day period and they recorded nearly 100 different species across the county.
The count, which is a joint initiative between the trust and the Somerset Environmental Records Centre (SERC), has now generated over 3,000 species records since its launch in 2022.
There were 630 new records in this year’s count. Those most recorded were:
l The white-lipped snail (46 observations)
l The red fox (44 observations)
l The garden snail (41 observations)
l Common bird’s-foot trefoil (39 observations)
l The brown-lipped snail (28 observations)
l The European goldfinch (27 observations)
Becky Fisher, Head of Engagement at Somerset Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many people getting involved in The Big Count 2025, and we would like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who got stuck in!
“Citizen science is such a quick and easy way of helping wildlife at home –or from anywhere across the county.”
HEALSomerset, the rewilding charity based at Witham Friary, near Frome, has announced the first confirmed sighting of a baby beaver born on their site. Trail cameras set up along the River Frome show a kit swimming alongside an adult –likely its mother.
Beaver activity was first recorded at Heal Somerset in early 2024, with a pair confirmed by August of that year.
In the months since, the beavers have been hard at work, constructing several new dams, which have created deeper pools that are now attracting a variety of wildlife, including ducklings and even otters.
The charity hopes to see more kits, since beavers generally have two or three.
Details: www.healsomerset.org.uk
Upside Down Wembdon by Kieron Lloyd
Farming and nature
THE Community Farm in the Chew Valley is holding an evening of talks about wildlife-friendly farming with guests from the Mendip Hills National Landscape and CPRE, The Countryside Charity.
Sarah Pitt of CPRE will talk about the rich landscape of hedgerows in Britain, the plants and animals that use them and how we can maintain healthy hedgerows for future generations to enjoy. There will be an organic farm tour with Tom Richardson, talking about supporting wildlife through our everyday food choices. Nathan Orr from Mendip Hills National Landscapes will talk about the programme of nature recovery that they have embarked on.
The event is on Wednesday, August 13th, 7-9.30pm. Spaces are limited.
THE Land Yeo Friends (LYF) have been clearing the river in Clevedon with the support of local company the Hydro Group. In total four large bags of litter were recovered.
There was no maintenance or weed clearing carried out by the Environment Agency last year and due to funding constraints, it isn’t looking likely that anything will be done this year either.
The group says some sections have not been cleared for five years and this has coincided with the appearance and rapid spread of branched burr reed, a native invasive species.
It says the vast amount of vegetation is now restricting flow in the river, while the growth on the bank is restricting access.
Secrets of a churchyard
RESIDENTSof Stowey and surrounding areas joined a team of ecologists from the Bristol Zoological Society in a bioblitz to help investigate and record the species living in the churchyard of St Nicholas and the Blessed Virgin Mary Church at Stowey. The church has undergone restoration after obtaining a grant of £249k from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve its facilities.
Elaine Daly, who is the church’s activities co-ordinator, said: “My role is to set up a rota of events over the next three years, which will encompass all age ranges and attract as many local individuals, groups, schools etc, through the activities we will provide.”
The bioblitz idea came from Dr Jen Nightingale, who has been overseeing the project of protecting the white clawed crayfish, which is the UK’s only indigenous freshwater crayfish, which are in the stream that runs alongside the church.
About 70 people took part, including brother and sister, Jamie and Emma, who said: "We had lots of fun finding interesting bugs and meeting lots of new people. The highlight of our day was finding a rare spider and we hope to take part in another biobltiz event soon!"
Leila and her younger sister Heidi
Emma (left) with her brother Jamie as Gina from Bristol Zoological Society looks to see what Jamie has caught
How to help wildlife this summer
AFTERbountiful plant growth throughout the spring and summer a calmer period is leading us to autumn and then winter. Less weeding and dead heading and more time for reflection for us but a busy time for other wildlife. Change is in the air. The meadow fields are about to be cut and the evocative smell of new-mown hay will be around.
Sweet vernal grass is earlier to flower than most other grasses and contributes to the characteristic sweet smell of newlymown hay emitting a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance when cut due to the presence of coumarin, a chemical compound also found in cinnamon and sweet woodruff.
The smell persists and my sheep love to nuzzle through the hay in winter to find the sweetest smelling meal. The aromatic scent of sweet vernal grass makes it an excellent choice for dried flower arrangements or potpourri. It has been known to retain its scent for years.
Maybe grasses are overlooked by most of us being cut short weekly but grasses have flowers that are attractive but not so colourful as those that need to attract bees for pollination. Grasses are wind pollinated so need to produce much pollen so contributing to hay fever.
Grasses are used by insects such as butterflies for egg laying especially those that grow in dappled shade at woodland edges. For example, Yorkshire fog is used by the speckled wood and skipper butterflies.
Skippers are small brown butterflies that have a darting flight close to the ground. They tend to lay their eggs singly on the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch in
about three weeks depending on the weather. The larvae hide at the foot of the grass clump going through their four or five stages to become a caterpillar then an adult in spring or early summer.
It is very tempting to start tidying up the garden now. Please try not to! There are alternatives that help wildlife hugely. One option is to leave plants that have gone to seed as winter food for birds such as the tit and finch families.
Any woody stemmed plants can be gathered into a stick pile in a sheltered and quiet part of the garden as a home for insects and amphibians which in turn may provide food for birds such as wrens and blackbirds. Log piles are another choice for similar reasons.
More ambitious is to create a dead hedge. Two rows of stakes are inserted and between and around these more robust cuttings from trees can be laid. This hedge may be used to camouflage unsightly objects such as oil tanks. Better though they provide shelter, protection and food for a range of wildlife including, if lucky, hedgehogs.
As it rots down, the nutrients are recycled back into the earth below. This means that garden “waste” needn’t go into garden bins or bonfires. Creating a dead hedge is an ongoing activity, which can be added to every time a tree or shrub is cut back. Just to give colour and more wildlife opportunities climbers such as honeysuckle and clematis may be used to scramble over the hedge
Bees are also beginning to change their lifestyles in August as supplies of pollen and nectar gradually decline. At the height of summer there may be up to 60,000 worker bees, all female. They carry out all the hive tasks including the making of
honey (that we may later steal) ready for winter shortages.
The drone bees are all male and there may be up to 15,000 of them at the height of the season. They have only one task and that is to mate with a queen bee on her nuptial flight. That is all they do. They are even fed by workers.
There is one queen who does not lay eggs in the winter months. She is nurtured by the workers. There may also be some larvae. The worker bees that survive these leaner months are called winter bees. They are adapted to live longer than the usual three weeks. They have many tasks including keeping the queen warm by incessantly beating their wings to keep the hive at a consistent temperature.
They leave the hive occasionally for cleansing and perhaps to collect pollen or nectar on a warm day. But what happens to the drones? They are killed not directly by the workers though they may cut their wings off. Some fly outside but if they are strong enough to return guard bees do not allow them in!
It is vital to replace honeycomb taken from the hive with a container of sugar and water as a substitute.
DIANA REDFERN
The weather causes an early harvest
I’VEwritten previously about changing weather patterns. In 2025 we’ve had the driest spring in 132 years, our warmest June on record and now, closer to home, we have harvested wheat in July. This might not sound a big deal to those not involved in farming but locally, no matter who I’ve spoken to, no-one can remember wheat being harvested in July.
And we haven’t just made a start. At the time of writing, we have almost finished our wheat harvest. Even though we have had a hot, dry season, yields have been reasonable, quality good and moisture excellent.
The dry grain means we haven’t had to spend money drying it which helps when prices are low as they are at the moment. The early harvest is unprecedented but I think it is a sign of the changing climate we are experiencing.
It might not happen every year, we might be back to starting in the middle of August next year and struggling to finish by the middle of September, but I do believe it will start happening on a more regular basis.
While the 2025 weather has helped our arable farming, our maize is maturing a month earlier and will result in reducedyields but better quality. Grass growth has all but stopped. This means we have been feeding next winter’s feed for almost a month which will leave us short.
Let’s hope we get some rain soon to make the grass grow again. It will be up to farmers to adapt to the changing environment and change what is done to produce food.
With the holiday season in full swing, I’m pleased to see the Government have taken action to stop personal imports of dairy products and selected meats such as lamb, pork, goat and venison from the EU.
It’s not just joints of meat and cartons of milk, it includes things such as sandwiches, cheese, sausages, butter, salami, yoghurt and pate regardless of whether they are sealed, store bought or duty free.
This is an attempt to stop the spread of infectious diseases such as Foot and Mouth, African Swine Fever, Pest des Petits Ruminants and Lumpy Skin Disease. Each of these have the potential to decimate UK farming if they ever got out of control.
Let’s hope our border control actually checks people’s luggage and applies strict controls to make sure these things aren’t bought into the country.
Having travelled to New Zealand in the past and seeing an apple confiscated when being taken into the country because of the risk of transfer of disease through the pips, I hope GB apply the rules to the same degree and makes our agriculture as secure as possible.
With NICK GREEN
Nick Green is Farms Director for Alvis Bros Ltd based at Lye Cross Farm. As well as the business, he is involved with a number of local and national farming charities.
13. Duck! Fifty no longer required to reach test match interval (3)
14. Went away in luxury Somerset hotel (4)
16. Taking off (7)
18. Heavenly (7)
21. 13 Across caught in local river (4)
23. Dismiss Mendip runner (3)
24. Infrequently (6)
25,27, 28 & 30 A 1 Down running through Bath (6,3,4,5)
27. See 25 Across
28. See 25 Across
29. Apart from (7)
30. See 25 Across DOWN
1. Peculiarly awry a wet river (8)
2. Leave a hot place (6)
3. Bird heard in nearby flower (7)
4. North of the border (8)
5. Firearm (6)
6. Battle (9)
8. 1 Down for Congresbury, Cheddar, Mark, Lox and Land (3)
15. Maelstrom (9)
17. Swimming in at deep current (4,4)
19. Girl is a dish but can also be a tart (8)
20. Downturn upsets pleaser (8)
22. Serious missing a title for Hemingway (6)
24. Decrease (6)
26. Spring to fall (3)
This month’s solution can be found on page 94
Flights over the Chew Valley, Mendips & Somerset Levels
By Fairlight Cryptic Clues are in italics
Understanding the view
NATIONALLandscapes are not museums. There will always be a need for new farm buildings, homes and extensions, tourist and commercial development and infrastructure such as transport, energy and water supply networks.
Often, change and development can be planned in ways which mitigate any impacts on the protected landscape. As a specialist consultee, we work closely with local councils who are responsible for making decisions on most types of planning and development. We make suggestions on how they should write their local plan policies to ensure they are guided by a robust understanding of local landscape character, and that the area’s outstanding beauty is put front and centre in deciding future individual planning proposals.
We also make comments and suggestions on individual planning applications. There are all sorts of ways in which the details of a new development can make all the difference in avoiding harm to our precious landscape, or providing enhancements. This could mean considering the bulk, height and/or siting of new buildings and soft landscaping to provide visual screening. Or it could mean selecting suitable colour palettes to blend into its setting. This is particularly important for agricultural barns or stables where large roof areas could be
conspicuous in the
from distant
As dark skies are an important quality of the area, it could also mean carefully considering the amount and positioning of glazing and outdoor lighting. We produce our own design guidelines to help the local planning authorities decide what makes an acceptable scheme.
Some of our greatest successes in protecting the Mendip Hills are things you’ll never see.
highly
landscape
viewpoints.
(Photograph courtesy of Lucy Masters)
Feeling the heat at Priddy Folk Festival
Kathy Judge, compere in the Eastwater Marquee on the opening night
Members of the Bonfire Radicals, who got the party underway
Brolly good fun in the sun
Village favourites the Drystones who are moving on to new musical ventures. They first played Priddy when they were 14
Christian, who set up an impromptu stall on the edge of the festival
An impromptu session at the Queen Vic
Some of the Priddy Singers
Sloe Jam – all the way from Nunney to appear on the festival fringe stage
Kathryn Roberts and husband Sean Lakeman in the Swildons marquee
Sounds of Selwood, a Morris side from Frome
Festival chairman Dean Collier
Finding room to dance in the Queen Victoria pub
The village school's PTA ran the Green Cow cafe
Dancers from the village school
One of the Priddy Rising sessions
With KATY BEAUCHAMP
Simples! Tasty recipes for summer evenings
These dishes make the best of simple ingredients with an added twist or two. They’re meant to fire the imagination and to enjoy on the patio – if you have one – with friends.
MUSHROOM CUPS
It’s a wrap – they’re ideal as a nibble with drinks or a starter
These delicious cups are not a pastrybased but use tortilla wraps pressed into a muffin tin!
METHOD
Fry the leeks and mushrooms until well soft, take off the heat, add in the cheese and parsley and combine. Cut six circles of wrap and place in a greased muffin tray, divide the filling between them and bake for 10 minutes at 180˚C. Serve warm or at room temperature. To use the tortilla off-cuts, cut into shapes and bake alongside for decoration.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 6)
250g finely chopped mushrooms
1 medium sliced leek
150g of garlic and herb soft cheese
A handful of chopped parsley
Two tortilla wraps
FAJITA BOWLS
I used pork in this recipe, but you could easily use chicken or fish.
METHOD
Roast the potatoes in half the spices and olive oil until crispy. Pan fry pork, peppers and onions in the rest of the oil until cooked. Make up your bowls to suit each guest’s tastes.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 5 portions)
500g diced pork (I used pork loin chops)
800g small cubed potatoes, skin on
1 small chopped onion
200g sliced red and green pepper
4tsp cumin
4 tsps garlic granules
2tsps salt
FOR THE ACCOMPANIMENTS
Guacamole
Grated cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Spring onions
BALSAMIC AND BASIL STRAWBERRIES
Not your usual strawberries and cream for dessert
This makes a change from plain strawberries and cream.
METHOD
Mix together the sugar and vinegar and pour over strawberries. Mix intermittently for half an hour or so, until more juices are extracted from the strawberries. Stir in half the basil with the mascarpone or whip them into cream (if using). To serve, make a flat pile of cream on a plate, spoon the strawberries and all the juice over the top and decorate with the rest of the basil.
INGREDIENTS
(For one person!)
However many strawberries you want sliced into a bowl
1tsp icing sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6 torn basil leave
Mascarpone cheese or double cream
A taste of Mexico in a bowl
Wells restaurant gets a stunning makeover
SADLERSWine Bar, Lounge & Restaurant has recently taken over the Courtyard Restaurant in Wells at 9, Heritage Courtyard, run by Emma and Jason Woodcock, who are locally based in Wells.
They say their family business is an important part of their future plans with their son Cameron training to be a chef, currently working in the kitchen around his educational commitments.
The restaurant has been completely renovated showcasing a relaxing dining ambience, lounge areas and alfresco heated seating area. Their food is freshly prepared for lunch and dinner, stocking over 30 different wines.
They say: “We are very proud of our restaurant which we have created for the lovely people of Somerset. We would like to thank celebrity chef Lesley Waters for opening Sadlers which has proved to be a fantastic success.”
She is pictured with Emma and Klara-May Woodcock.
As we step into summer, join them for a light lunch, family dinner or sample their delicious Sunday roast or sip cocktails alfresco style in the Courtyard, open Monday to Sunday.
They are extremely excited to launch their new summer menu
featuring spicy cauliflower steak, seafood linguine, seared duck breast, truffle mushroom risotto, beef short rib bourguignon, pan roasted sea bass, Moroccan spiced lamb tagine and Burnham-onSea mussels in a white wine sauce.
WILD FOOD
The best food
A MEMBERof the rose family, the fruit of this plant was associated with the Virgin Mary and Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Known for its “firmness of fruit and delicacy of flavour”, it’s common and widespread on rough, grassy ground in woods and on calcareous soils. Wild strawberry is often confused with barren strawberry (Potentilla sterilis).
One can tell the difference by the leaves; those of wild strawberry are much lighter green and the hairs are flattened. The barren strawberry has dark green leaves with erect hairs and as its name indicates, is without fruit!
The fruits are a fantastic treat eaten raw, a great reward for the hard effort of finding and picking them.
Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is one of the first wild fruits of the year to ripen, seen first in June and continuing through August. They have distinctive bright red but diminutive fruits.
The leaves are made up of three oval leaflets, coarsely toothed with hairy undersides. The delicate flowers are 10-18mm across appearing April to July with white flowers consisting of five petals and yellow stamens.
What seems like many years ago now, I took my dearest friend wild camping (with landowner permission) and collectively had three amazing experiences. The first was the trek to our campsite.
After walking up what seemed like a hill that never ended, either side of the track we were following suddenly became bejewelled with wild strawberries.
It was like finding buried treasure, except it was berries above ground. Not buried.
After the obligatory sampling finished, we filled our foraging containers and continued on. Once esconced at our site, the second experience was witnessing a young roe deer buck and doe performing their ritual dance (with associated noises) right next us, totally oblivious to our presence.
For the roe deer, Venus was indeed smiling that afternoon. And finally, after making our fire and cooking dinner we incorporated the foraged wild strawberries into campfire Bannocks for dessert, the red fruits bursting into sweet, jammy loveliness all washed down by a hot cups of tea.
After a long and fruitful (!) day immersed in nature, with the fire gently crackling away and good company, I can honestly say the best food is always wild food.
Adrian Boots is a Landscape Ecologist and expert forager running wild food forays, events and activities. Please visit: www.hedgerowcottage.co.uk for more information or email him at: hello@hedgerowcottage.co.uk
GARDEN FOOD
Full beds
I ONCEhad a visitor tell me that the pak choi I was planting after clearing soybeans “will fail, because nothing likes to grow straight after soybeans!” It was the first summer I had grown soybeans so I had no evidence that she was wrong. I just continued planting and the pak choi grew marvelously. It’s definitely best to ignore such negative “advice”. Follow your own desires for food.
When following each planting, does rotation matter? With second plantings, I don’t find it important; I sometimes plant broccoli after broccoli, for example.
On the one hand, first plantings have been in the ground for only a few months. On the other hand, there are plenty of vegetables to choose from for August plantings, see below. Most of them are from different families.
Options include carrots followed by brassicas, onions by chicories, potatoes by leeks, and beetroot by celery.
l These options require having transplants ready.
l If you are sowing seeds in August, the options are fewer –make a note for next July to have plants ready by August.
Regarding soil diseases such as white rot, no dig helps to restore soil health, making rotation less important for avoiding diseases. And late blight of potatoes and tomatoes does not persist in soil. The disease spores need living plant tissue to survive.
Timings of sowings in August
These become more critical as summer ends, because of diminishing light and warmth. Sow any of these, for autumn and winter harvests.
Chinese cabbage, no later than 10th August and best before 5th.
Florence fennel before 5th.
Winter radish of many kinds, by end of the first week.
Kale for salad leaves in first week.
Spinach before 20th, for cropping until next May.
Oriental leaves, salad rocket and land cress, preferably by mid-month, for salad in autumn and through winter.
Sow in the last week
Salads for autumn and winter, such as claytonia and lambs’ lettuce. Herbs such as chervil and coriander. Spring cabbage and spring onions, check that the varieties are described as suitable to over-winter and then harvest in spring.
Charles Dowding has made no dig popular with millions of readers and viewers. Currently he grows vegetables in Somerset. He has written 14 books and gives talks plus courses at home and abroad.
With ADRIAN BOOTS
With CHARLES DOWDING
Celebrating 40 years
DEREK and Sue Clarke and their son Allan will celebrate 40 years at the Waldegrave Arms at Chewton Mendip on August 19th.
Derek was working in factories and doing some bar work, while Sue was in catering, when they decided to find their own pub.
Friends Chris and Ginger Cook, who lived next door, suggested they go for the Waldegrave Arms. A short tenancy has turned into a long career! Kirsten Deane joined them in 1987 and is responsible for their very popular home-made food, with fresh cod and haddock from Brixham on Fresh Fish Fridays.
There’s a choice of roasts on Sundays in three different sizes. Sue still makes her popular cheesecakes and Bakewell tart.
The pub hosts darts teams twice a week and a popular community night, Down the Waldy, once a month. There are winter and summer quiz leagues on Sunday evenings.
It’s famous for its hanging baskets, which have won many prizes.
Amazing gardening volunteers of Chilcompton!
These lovely ladies have been working on the kitchen garden at The Redan Inn since January 2025, battling all sorts of weather from freezing cold, rain and searing heat throughout the year and they have transformed the garden. James Pounds (Operations Director), Simon Dodd (General Manager) and Rhys Brooks (Head Chef) said: “The work these amazing ladies have done over the course of the year has been phenomenal, they have transformed our kitchen garden which had been neglected for years.
“We now have fresh produce that Rhys can use on his menus every day; we also have people come and walk round the gardens. The ladies were also part of the hugely successful Chilcompton Open Gardens Day in June.
“We appreciate everything the ladies have done this year and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
The gardeners, Lynne Thorne, Heather Mitchell, Val Bolton, Toni Spearing and Alison Jukes also help out Root Connections, a community interest company (CIC) based in Somerset, which has a market garden working to end homelessness.
CANINE companions can be certain of a warm welcome at the award-winning Alhampton Inn – they even hosted a fundraising fun dog show to prove it!
Actor and TV presenter Martin Clunes took on the role of celebrity judge at the event in the garden of the community-run pub nestled between Shepton Mallet and Castle Cary.
The history of the Alhampton – known affectionately as the “Ally” – dates back 350 years but closed in 2022 only for local residents and supporters to join forces as a community benefit society to buy it.
Open Mondays to Fridays from 4-10pm, Saturdays from noon-10pm and Sundays from noon to 7pm, the inn serves food on Saturdays and Sundays with regular pop-up events on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
The Dog’s Day Out event raised almost £1,500 for the
Forever Hounds Trust which also received a further £1,000 donation from Animal Friends Pet Insurance.
Martin with Aleka and Reese – winners of the best rescue class –with owners Philip and Pat and FHT volunteers
Waiting for judging
In the pink – Suki the poodle with Rebecca
Let’s talk –project involves young and old
THEWessex Learning Trust and The Frankie Howerd OBE Trust have launched an intergenerational project with a shared goal to strengthen community inclusion within the local area they serve. It follows a meeting between Gavin Ball, chief executive of the WLT, and Phil Davies, chair of the FHT, which runs the Frankie Howerd café at Loxton.
They say a common thread in the discussion was the demise of face-to-face conversation not only within their own age groups but between age groups.
Noon-11pm (Mon-Sat) • Noon-10pm (Sun)
Tucker’s Grave Inn, Faukland, Radstock, BA3 5XF.
T: 01225 962669
E: info@tuckersgraveinn.co.uk
W: www.tuckersgraveinn.co.uk
They hope the project will bring young and old together to share knowledge and experience.
Students at Nailsea School, Kings Cheddar, Crispin Street, Fairlands and Hugh Sexeys have been working on the project since the beginning of the year. On July 1st representatives from the schools met at Kings in Cheddar to share their thoughts with elderly representatives from the FHT’s Rural Friends Group.
They said: “Rural Friends members were hugely impressed by the breadth of the students’ ideas and it soon became clear that both groups felt they had something to give to each other.”
Throughout the next school year it will run as a pilot scheme. If successful FHT president, Dame Joanna Lumley, and patron, David Walliams, will hope to develop it at a national level.
LET THE MUSIC PLAY AT TUCKER’S
Sat 2nd – Sad Dad Club 8.30pm
Sat 9th – Brit Pop Revolution 8.30pm
Sat 16th – The Tracks Band 8.30pm
Fri 22nd–Sun 24th –Cider and Music
Festival – music Friday night, from midday Sat and Sunday afternoon/evening.
Fri 29th –Disco Dave 7pm
Sat 30th – Max output 8.30pm
Sun 31st – Tuckers charity Classic Car Show 10am to 5pm
LIVE MUSIC EVERY SUNDAY FROM 1.30pm to 5pm. NEW: COCKTAIL BUS! Open every Friday and Saturday night from 6pm to 10pm.
Parlour/Café:
Baguettes, locally produced pasties and sausage rolls available Friday 8am to Sunday 5pm
Breakfasts Saturday and Sunday 8.15-11.30am Friday/Saturday evenings 6-9pm – Fish and chips, gourmet burgers, freshly made pizzas and more. Look out for the specials board!
Food available Sunday
Venue Hire • Camping • Holiday Cottage
Geology exhibition
A UNIQUEphotography exhibition that considers how landscapes are shaped by a combination of geological processes and human actions is coming to the Wells & Mendip Museum this summer.
The experimental artwork called 'Menhir', by Somerset artist Elizabeth Woodger, is an exploration of the Mendip Hills National Landscape.
Tim Haselden, Project Development Officer for the Mendip Hills National Landscape team said: "The exhibition was originally projected onto the rocks of Cheddar Gorge on one unforgettable winter's night when over 2,000 people came to experience the work.
“Ever since, we've been keen to showcase the artwork for a longer period of time in a setting where people can learn more about the multi-layered nature of the project and geology of Mendip."
The exhibition will run from August 13th until the end of October, encompassing the Mendip Rocks! Festival of Geology. It will be shown in the newly refurbished and renamed "Jean Imray Room" in memory of a trustee who did a great deal for the museum.
We
We only close on Tuesdays
Art group’s celebration
COMPTONDando Art Group recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special morning at the parish hall, where they meet.
The 18 members each took along one of their completed paintings and they exhibited these along with a selection of memory books showing photographs of past members and artwork over the years. Sonia Priest, who has organised the group since its inception, said: “I hope the group will continue for many years to come and that members will continue to enjoy the art as well as the social contact, which is equally as important.”
Eco arts on show
AN art exhibition celebrating water life has gone on show around the Shepton Mallet area.
Eco-Arts runs until August 30th with a series of sculpture trails around the town and neighbouring villages of Doulting and Cranmore.
Working in partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust, artists of all ages and styles have been working with local people to create the sculptures.
Trail maps are available from The Art Bank, library, One-Craft Gallery & Station Cafe, Cranmore.
Members standing by one of the displays of work with original members seated (l to r) Maureen Baker, Sonia Priest and Trina Pope
Action Man toys –nostalgia fuels soaring prices
ACTIONMan, the iconic British action figure first launched in 1966, is enjoying a surprising resurgence and this time among adults willing to pay premium prices to recapture a piece of their youth. Once a staple of childhood bedrooms across the UK, Action Man figures are now commanding high prices at auction, driven by a wave of nostalgia and renewed interest in vintage toys. Initially created by Palitoy as the UK version of America's G.I. Joe, Action Man came with a vast range of uniforms, accessories and vehicles from arctic explorers to secret agents. For many, these figures weren’t just toys they were cherished companions in epic adventures. Today, that emotional connection is proving powerful enough
to loosen wallets.
Collectors and former owners alike are now seeking out pristine or boxed versions of their
childhood favourites, and at the Salerooms, prices for rare items, such as ‘Soldiers of the World’ packs, prove popular with bidders, routinely selling in the mid-hundreds of pounds
Much of the demand comes from adults in their 50s, and 60s. For them, buying back these figures offers more than just a physical object, it’s a return to simpler times, a tangible reminder of imagination and adventure before the digital age.
In a world increasingly dominated by screens and virtual entertainment, vintage toys provide a comforting sense of authenticity and permanence.
This resurgence has also led to reissues by companies like Hasbro and Art + Science, aiming to tap into the growing collector base. But for true enthusiasts, it’s the originals that carry the most meaning.
Whether displayed on shelves or carefully restored to mint condition, Action Man toys are no longer just for kids. They’ve become cultural artifacts and sentimental treasures.
Recent results for Action Man items at the salerooms include a rare Palitoy Escape from Colditz play set, which fetched £400, Soldiers of the World 'British Infantry Man’, selling for £500, and even a collection of loose action figures and accessories selling for over £400.
With HENRY MICHALLAT
Art deco enjoying a revival
THIS has been a year of many changes but the jewellery and silver markets remain buoyant, not only because of the high gold price but as with other areas there will always be styles that are more in demand.
We are still seeing strong interest in good quality period jewellery, including mourning, early Georgian era pieces and the Art Deco.
Authentic Art Deco items have been enjoying a movement of revival in all areas, with makers such as Archibald Knox, Rene Lalique and Clarice Cliff drawing strong bidding.
The Art Deco period was one of great innovation in interiors, jewellery and silver. The focus on clean lines, symmetry and geometric shapes were a reaction to the intricate and more fussy nature of the preceding Art Nouveau style. It seeped into homes, businesses and open spaces, many of which can still be seen today.
Over the last four years of our Specialist Fine Jewellery Sales, we have sold several beautiful pieces of Art Deco jewellery. Some items from this period have an almost timeless feel to them. The heavy use of diamonds contributes to this, especially when they are set into the innovative “invisible” or “mystery” settings that were developed during this time.
We will be holding valuation days across Somerset in preparation for our November Specialist Fine Jewellery, Silver &
Watches Sale. Please see dates below, if you would like to book an appointment for a valuation day or would like a free home visit then please contact our office directly on 01373 852419.
An Art Deco diamond ring, possibly French, with two bands millegrain set with old cut diamonds, the bands interlocking to form a pointed oval shape, with two rub-over set old cut diamonds to the centre. Sold £3,500
If you would like any items valued, be that an individual item, a collection, probate or house clearance please do get in touch with the team on 01373 852419 or salerooms@cooperandtanner.co.uk. Please note that fees apply for probate valuations.
VALUATION DAYS
Friday 29th August – Bluebird Café and Bar, Wedmore
Monday 1st September – Cooper and Tanner Street office
Monday 2nd September – Cooper and Tanner Frome office
Friday 5th September – Cooper and Tanner Midsomer Norton office
Monday 29th September – Cooper and Tanner Warminster office
Tuesday 30th September – Cooper and Tanner Wells office
Friday 3rd October – Cooper and Tanner Castle Cary office
Monday 6th October – Cooper and Tanner Bridgwater office
Oakhill soaks up the sun
TRUSTEES of Ashwick and Oakhill Village Hall are celebrating the installation of solar panels on the building after receiving a £15,000 grant from the Somerset Community Foundation.
The panels – seven on each side of the hall roof – are complete with a battery back-up system. The hall, on Zion Hill in Oakhill, was built in 1986 and hosts a number of regular activities including the Oakleaf Community Café, open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Almshouse appeal
THEBlue House almshouse in Frome has received a donation of £1,000 from The Inner Wheel, Frome, towards their tricentennial fundraising campaign.
The Blue House has a target of £500,000 for essential repairs to protect the Grade 1 building and to safeguard a wonderful community for older people.
Pictured (l to r) are Anne Oakes of the Blue House, Sheridan Curtis, president of the Inner Wheel, Jim Dowling of the Blue House and Pam Brewster, secretary of the Inner Wheel.
Details: www.thebluehousefrome.co.uk/fundraising
In memory of Mark Phippen
Mark and Aly
ALY Spencer has always been keen to tackle physical challenges –swimming the English Channel and, more recently, completing an Ironman to raise funds for different cancer charities – several of which are very close to her heart for family reasons.
In April Aly and two friends cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in ten days to support Prostate Cancer Research. Fortunately, day three saw the route go through the Chew Valley and they could stop to visit her father, Mark, who was receiving chemotherapy treatment.
But Mark’s prostate cancer metastasised into multiple areas of the body, including becoming a large brain tumour. He deteriorated very quickly in May. He was cared for at home by his wife, Jean, with support from his family before he had to be admitted to Dorothy House Hospice for his last few days.
Mark and Jean Phippen met at Bath University where they studied horticulture and are both well known in the Chew Valley, as they ran a “pick your own” fruit farm near Chew Magna for many years.
Mark’s funeral will be held at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, on August 5th at 2pm followed by a wake at Folly Farm, Stowey.
Aly’s JustGiving is still open for anyone who wants to donate to either Prostate Cancer Research or to Dorothy House Hospice in memory of Mark and in lieu of flowers.
Details: Aly Spencer is fundraising for Prostate Cancer Research www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/support-us/donate/
History of “lost” theatre space now preserved
AN archive developed by the founder and president of the Frome Festival explaining the history of a “forgotten” theatre space with links to the Royal Shakespeare Company has found a permanent home.
Martin Bax has finally achieved recognition for creating an innovative theatrical space for experimentation, training and creativity – one of the very first of its kind across the country –in a former tearoom in the grounds of the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1970.
Called the Roundhouse, it closed a few years later but is thought to have been the inspiration for a later small theatre which became known as the Other Space. Martin presented his research at a Frome Festival event.
l All the research material – and a film – is now part of the Birmingham University Shakespeare archives.
Our current Chair will be stepping down in 2025 and we are looking to recruit a new Chair to lead our board of highly motivated trustees. We’re seeking someone to lead the charity into an exciting new chapter of growth and innovation.
Our 33 historic Almshouses are centrally located in the City of Wells and the Charity traces its origins back to the fifteenth century. In recent years we have undertaken the modernisation of our historic properties and the refurbishment of our Grade 2* listed medieval Chapel.
Looking ahead, we’re eager to expand –whether by creating new almshouses or acquiring properties –to offer even more high quality affordable homes to those in need.
We’re looking for someone who is:
l A proven leader with the confidence to guide a skilled Board
l A strategic thinker capable of steering the charity’s long term direction
l Collaborative in approach valuing collective decision making and dialogue
l Aligned with the values and charitable aims of CWA.
To find out more and obtain an information pack, please contact our CEO, Michelle omas on 07764 791087 or Email: ceo@wellsalmshouses.org.uk. or visit the news page of our website: www.wellsalmshouses.org.uk
closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 22nd August 2025
Update from Tessa
Hello everyone,
As MPs give way to tourists in Parliament for August, I’ll be running lots of ‘surgeries’ here in Somerset, so please feel free to come along. I am always happy to hear what matters most to you, whether it’s a local, national or global issue.
In Westminster, I’ve raised the matter of speeding. I know this affects many of you and it’s so frustrating that often the law exists, ready to be used, but there are not enough Police to take action when laws are broken. I am deeply concerned about the speed of traffic across the area and will continue to press for stronger action. Thank you if you’ve contacted me about this.
In Parliament over the last month, I’ve also spoken about:
l use by the NHS of different computer software systems –even across departments in the same hospital – which can’t ‘talk’ to each other, therefore compromising patient safety and care l water safety and the need for everyone to learn to swim
l the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 outbreak
l management of the contract for electronic tagging of prisoners once released
l the few excluded from the Government’s Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
l improved access to up-to-date radiotherapy machines in the South West
Here are some of my ‘surgery’ dates: please call or email for the full list.
Friday 1st August
08:00 to 09:00 The Mendip Pantry, Chewton Mendip
10:00 to 11:00 The Market Kitchen Café, Churchill
12:00 to 13:00 The Red Cow, Brent Knoll
18:00 to 19:00 Ashcott Village Hall Pub Night
Saturday 2nd August
08:30 to 10:00 Coffee#1, Wells
11:00 to 12:00 The Lamb Inn, Axbridge
Friday 8th August
08:00 to 09:00 Edelweiss Café, Cheddar
10:00 to 11:00 Congresbury Community Café
Saturday 9th August
09:00 to 10:00 The Bluebird Café, Wedmore
10:30 to 11:30 The Hive Craft Café, Shepton Mallet
15:30 to 16:30 The Coffee Bank, Winscombe
Thursday 14th August
12:00 to 13:00 The New Inn, Blagdon
Friday 15th August
09:00 to 10:00 That Coffee Place, Yatton
Friday 22nd August
18:00 to 19:00 The Bell Inn, Banwell
No appointment is necessary – it’s first come, first served. If you can’t come to meet me, I’ll come to see you.
Over the summer, I’m running surgeries exclusively for young people aged 12-18. Please contact me for information.
Thank you.
Tessa
Compton Martin church and village fete
The bottle stall
Cakes and preserves
Human fruit machine
The Compton Martin community orchestra
Catch the egg
The PTA hat making competition
Having a smashing time
Congresbury fete and flower show
Brownies Janice Cumming (left) and Tigger, Teresa Aldridge. They are looking for a new leader –call Teresa 07739 178307
Congresbury WI
Congresbury Brass managed to find shade
Children's Hospice South West (l to r) Kathleen Chaplin, Penny Baker and Rose Osborne
Winners of the fun run
The flower show
New networking event
LOCAL businesses in advertising, media or related industries no longer have to travel far to network, as a new event has been launched on their doorstep.
River Axe Networking (RAN) has been launched in Winscombe and takes place on the last Thursday of every month. Unlike many networking events it is focused specifically on creative industries and emphasises “Collaboration over Competition” – so there are no pitches or pressure to find referrals, just an opportunity to connect with other businesses.
Each RAN event includes a guest speaker (in the form of an informal “fireside chat”) and focus topic, offering something to learn, discuss, and immediately apply. During the first networking in June, attendees heard from Tim Martin of Selling Service about the importance of good copy in your marketing; the August session will hear from the awardwinning graphic designer and author Ben Mears.
RAN is the brainchild of River Axe Media, based in Axbridge. Co-founder and Head of Post-Production, Xander Wild, said: “RAN are networking events with a difference. We want every person who comes along to walk away with a tangible benefit; be that gaining a new job opportunity, a potential collaborator, somebody they can consult for advice, or fresh insight which they can immediately apply to bolster their branding, media and marketing efforts.”
The next RAN event takes place on August 28th at the Woodborough Inn, Winscombe, from 6.30pm.
Details: Media & Marketing Monthly: Connection and Collaboration Tickets, Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 18:30 |
100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business
Landlords beware: new standards for tenanted property
SINCE April 2020, it has been unlawful to permit or continue to permit any private rented property in England and Wales with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below E unless a valid exemption is registered. Penalties for non-compliance can reach up to £5,000 per property.
Under the proposed new standards, the government, through its Warm Homes plan, is currently consulting on raising the minimum energy efficiency standard to EPC band C, with the aim of applying these standards to new tenancies from 2028 and all tenants by 2030. Key measures include upgrading insulation in the loft, cavity wall, and floors, installing double glazing, installing efficient boilers, heat pumps, or smart meters, and potentially incorporating renewable installations such as solar panels. A cost cap of £15,000 per property (or £10,000 under affordability exemption) is presently proposed.
If a landlord reaches the cost cap and still fails to achieve EPC band C, they may register a 10-year exemption.
In terms of a landlord’s ability to let a property, there are consequences of non-compliance with the above requirements.
It will be unlawful to commence new tenancies unless EPC band C is met or an exemption is in place. Fines could
potentially reach up to £30,000, although this has not yet been confirmed.
The current cost cap (since 2019) is £3,500 (inclusive of VAT). If landlords are unable to bring the property up to EPC band E despite spending up to £3,500, they may register a “High Cost” exemption, which is valid for five years. After this period, landlords must re-attempt compliance or reapply for the exemption.
What counts towards the cap? All eligible energy efficiency improvements (listed on the EPC or recommended via Green Deal advice Report) are eligible. Only measures undertaken after 1 April 2017 count. You must obtain three installer quotes to confirm that the improvements would exceed £3,500.
In response to the forthcoming legislation requiring that all new tenancies must meet the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) grade C by 2028, a proposed new cost cap of £10,000 (inclusive of Value-Added Tax) has been introduced. Under the government’s proposed measures, a £10,000 limit will be applied to each property per compliance period. If all “relevant improvements” (as defined by the EPC) cannot elevate the rating to band C within £10,000, the landlord may register an exemption on the Property Register of Savings (PRS)
exemptions register. This registration will grant compliance for a five-year period, during which the exemption must undergo review. It would be sensible for landlords to carefully assess their current EPC rating. Subsequently, they should plan upgrades to attain EPC level C, ensuring that the cost of these upgrades does not exceed the established £10,000 limit. If the cost of upgrades exceeds the limit or appears unreasonable, landlords should proactively apply for exemptions. It is also essential to register any exemptions on the official PRS exemptions register.
EDWARD LYONS
•Specialist scaffolding for unique or challenging construction projects.
•Domestic scaffolding for home maintenance or renovation work.
•Commercial scaffolding to include temporary structures on larger buildings like office blocks and industrial facilities.
Backwell walking carnival
Bubbles of fun
Supporting Backwell Climate Action
Backwell village club ran the bar
The Ambling Band lead the parade
North Somerset Master Composters won first prize
The team from Five Acre farm
School playtime
TWO local schools, Priddy and Peasedown St John, have received top Platinum awards from the Outdoor Play and Learning organisation.
Its founder, Michael Follett, who lives in Blagdon, founded OPAL 20 years ago and the organisation has support from Sport England to put mentors into schools to develop outdoor activities.
Presenting the award at Priddy, which is federated with St Lawrence in Westbury-sub-Mendip, he said it was remarkable that a small school on the top of Mendip should be one of the best schools for play in the world.
Peasedown headteacher, Ruth Noall, said: “Our OPAL initiative enables children to be creative and adventurous with loose bits and bobs. Whether it is plastic milk crates, traffic cones, wooden spoons, old brooms and buckets – we can make use of them and encourage children to make the most of playing outside.”
It’s the second time Peasedown has received the award.
Michael Follett and Priddy head teacher Sharon Foxall
Priddy School playground
Ruth Noall with Peasedown’s award
Playtime in Peasedown
Priddy pupils celebrate
School to specialise in music, maths –and football
WELLSCathedral School has announced the launch of its new football specialism – a high-performance football pathway created in association with Chelsea FC, one of the world’s most successful football clubs and brands.
The specialism will launch in September 2026, with registration of interest open now and applications officially opening on September 15th.
There will be a variety of steps including interviews and submission of a football CV. Potential candidates will then be invited to a trials’ day.
It says the Wells Cathedral School Football Specialism will offer aspiring footballers – both boys and girls – aged 11–18 (Years 713) a unique opportunity to combine top-level football coaching with first-class academic as well as broader holistic education.
Open to UK as well as international day and boarding pupils, the school says the specialism is tailored for young athletes already playing club football and who are ready to take the next step in their academic studies and football development.
The specialism includes a permanent Head of Football from Chelsea FC based at Wells Cathedral School and training sessions at Chelsea’
The school said: “This is a one-of-a-kind programme where all pupils successfully enrolled on the football specialism programme
will continue to study towards their GCSEs or A Levels, fully supported by Wells Cathedral School’s experienced awardwinning academic and pastoral teams.
“The uniqueness of the specialism ensures pupils excel not only on the pitch, but in life – embodying the school’s and Chelsea’s ethos of educating the whole child and developing good young people.”
It says football will become a core sport alongside their other highly successful sports such as hockey, netball and badminton. It already has hugely successful specialisms in music and mathematics.
National recognition for headteacher
EXECUTIVE headteacher Chris Chorley, who leads schools in Chilcompton and Doulting, has been awarded the Inspirational Educator Award for Early Years Education by the Educator’s Trust.
Chris, who runs St Vigor & St John Church School and The Mill Nursery, at Chilcompton, and St Aldhelm’s Church School in Doulting, received the award at a glittering ceremony at the Merchant’s Hall in the City Of London, where they were joined by an array of trustees and educators including special guest speaker, Baroness Floella Benjamin,
Chris was originally nominated by Bath Spa University and, in making the award, the judges highlighted his schools’ commitment to creative learning opportunities for all children, his involvement in developing the “School Without Walls” approach with other educational partners, an ambition for a 0-11 curriculum and the high outcomes his schools have achieved during this time.
Every year the trust, the charity of the Worshipful Company of Educators, confers awards — prizes and bursaries — on professional educators who may be in full-time or part-time employment or self-employed.
The awards include all levels of education – from early years to research institutes – and all settings in which learning takes place – from educational institutions to art galleries, theatres, outdoors and community spaces. Some are dedicated to particular fields of education, such as art, business and performing arts.
Chris said: “I’m very grateful to everyone but this stuff really belongs to all the brilliant staff I have been privileged to work with; they are the ones who make good things happen. The best bit was meeting Floella Benjamin; Play School legend!”
Meanwhile, pupils at St Aldhelm’s have been celebrating the regeneration of an unused area of the school into a sensory wellbeing garden. Claire Newman, the senior mental health lead, worked with the Advocacy Group, who are trained Wellbeing Champions. Claire said the team have felt strongly about creating more areas in the school to support everyone's wellbeing in the school community. Overtime, they have had support from different organisations to prepare the land and install a shepherd's hut. Local companies including Etavoni, of Holcombe, stepped in to help with the project.
School says goodbye to Elaine
ELAINEBlackmore has retired after 34 years from Red Room preschool in Chewton Mendip, after caring for generations of local children.
She played a key role in the preschool’s successful relocation from Ston Easton to Chewton Mendip, as well as proudly leading the team to an Outstanding Ofsted rating.
A special end-of-term celebration was held with children, staff, and former colleagues, who presented her with gifts and a scrapbook of memories.
Adults pictured (l to r) ex-staff Vicky King and Hayley Morris, team member Alice Brooks, Elaine Blackmore and new leader Jenny Pike.
St Aldhelm’s School pupils along with two of the Etavoni team
Chris with his award
Hiking under the stars
THE Youth Adventure Trust has launched “Summit Under Stars”, a hike by moonlight up Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.
The event on Friday, September 26th is to raise funds to support vulnerable young people across Wiltshire and Somerset.
Mark Davey, CEO of the Youth Adventure Trust, said: “Summit Under Stars is more than just a hike – it’s a powerful symbol of the journey our programme participants go through.
“Every step taken up Pen y Fan helps us support vulnerable teenagers who are climbing their own personal mountains every day.”
The route is expected to be completed by midnight, making it a powerful but manageable undertaking for a wide range of fitness levels.
Cross’s coach trip to War Horse at the Bristol Hippodrome in June was trip number 300 over 21 years, so they had a bit of a party on the coach!
They are now booking for shows for the rest of the year. All profits go to the Red Cross.
Details: www.charitytheatretrips.com Chris 01458 273085
Going on a bear hunt –all the way to Peru
TWO friends, Amy West and Ellie Ellis from Coleford, are preparing to swap home comforts for high altitudes as they prepare to trek the legendary trail to Machu Picchu in April 2026 –all in aid of Dorothy House Hospice Care.
The ten-day challenge in Peru will see the duo covering more than 45 miles of mountainous terrain, navigating high altitudes and remote paths. Their goal is to raise £12,000 in support of the hospice.
Ellie said: “This trek is both a personal and physical challenge, but every step we take is for the patients and families who rely on the exceptional care and compassion of Dorothy House. We’re inspired by the hospice’s work, and this is our way of giving something back.”
To support their efforts, Amy and Ellie are calling on the community to donate unwanted gifts, attend fundraising events, and contribute directly via their donation page.
THESpace charity in Cheddar, which supports young people, has opened a coffee shop as a community hub, called Coffee@The Hub. Chief executive, Lisa Clark, is pictured behind the counter.
Details: http://www.thespacesomerset.org.uk
Silver anniversary
DORSETand Somerset Air Ambulance marked their 25th anniversary with a celebration at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, at Yeovilton.
It brought together volunteers, former patents, crew members, and supporters and featured a screening of a specially produced video highlighting the exceptional work
The Jail or Bail line-up
Support for animal charity
of the charity’s critical care team.
Chief executive, Charles Hacket, said: “The 25th birthday gathering was a powerful reminder of what Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has become over the past 25 years.
“It was a celebration not just of our service, but of the extraordinary community that has stood with us – our donors, patents, volunteers, supporters, team members and partners. Every mission we fly is made possible by their generosity, commitment and belief in what we do.”
l Nine civic and business leaders took part in the charity’s Jail or Bail event at Shepton Mallet prison, spending 24 hours inside until they could raise £800 in “bail” to support the charity.
OLIVIAGrant, a Year 12 student at Wells Cathedral School, is aiming to raise £2,000 for charity by completing a 15km tough mudder and running four half marathons by August. She is taking part in the Youth Ambassador Programme for the animal charity International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA), a cause she says she is incredibly passionate about.
Olivia, aged 16, lives in Wells.
Mental health walk
THISyear’s Mendip Mental Health Hike raised more than £10,000 for Heads Up Somerset, based in Wells, which helps people with mental health issues.
Walkers were welcomed back at The Wookey Hole Inn by friends, family, and supporters for an evening of celebration –complete with a delicious BBQ.
Young charity runner
JAMESPopham, aged seven, from Mark, ran a mile a day for the whole of June to raise money for the charity Help the Child. He said he chose Help the Child because he has always liked helping and supporting others.
His goal was to run a minimum of one mile a day but at least once a week he ran a full 5k. So far he has raised nearly £800. Committee members of the charity presented him with a certificate and trophy to say a big thank you.
Celebrating 50 years
AVON& Somerset Search and Rescue, a volunteer-run charity providing lifesaving search and rescue services across the Avon & Somerset area, will mark its 50th anniversary with a special fundraising night on Friday, October 3rd at Yeo Valley Canteen. It promises great food, live entertainment and a few surprises in store, hosted by Dr Phil Hammond.
The team are raising funds to replace their ageing incident control vehicle, a vital hub for coordinating search and rescue operations.
Details: Buy tickets – Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue: The Big Fundraiser – Yeo Valley Canteen
Twilight shift
Record year
THE Great Western Air Ambulance had a record year in 2024, when its specialist crew were called to a recordbreaking 2,272 critically ill or injured patients.
In the first six months of this year, there have been no signs of slowing down with the crew attending 1,181 patients from January 1st to June 30th, a rise of 22 compared to the same period in 2024.
Tim Ross-Smith, operations officer at GWAAC said: “We mustn’t forget that behind these statistics are people likely experiencing the worst day of their lives with friends and family being affected too.
“Sometimes our crew is someone’s last chance and what they bring to the scene - their skills and equipment - can really make a difference to someone’s survival and long-term recovery. GWAAC keeps families together and we can only do it with your help.”
Details: www.greatwesternairambulance.com
DORSETand Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) hosted its fourth annual 5K Twilight Shift bringing together supporters from across the region for a wonderful evening of fun and fitness. This year’s event helped celebrate 25
years of service, providing critical care to people across Dorset and Somerset.
Alana Hardy DSAA’s Event Officer said: “This year’s 5K Twilight Shi felt truly special, it was amazing to see so many people coming together, not just to
raise funds, but to be part of something meaningful in our 25th anniversary year.
“From first timers to seasoned fundraisers, everyone played a part in making it a night to remember and we are so grateful to all those who joined us.”
Support for Ukraine
THE latest consignment of 200 boxes from Water Survival Box UK has been sent to Ukraine from their base in Westfield, the 13th shipment since March 2022.
The shipment received generous financial support from their partners in WSB Switzerland.
Hugo Pike, from WSB, said: “Without their continued support our help to the families in Ukraine would not be possible.”
Each box contains a water filtration unit that can provide a family of five with safe water for up to five years and a range of other items essential to help them rebuild their lives.
Details: https://watersurvivalbox.org
Charity’s new name
ONEof Somerset’s longest-standing charities has unveiled a new name and identity. In future the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) will be operating as Thrive.
It says the move marks a new phase in the charity’s growth, making it easier for people across Somerset to understand and access the support it provides – from tackling poverty and isolation to strengthening local networks and supporting unpaid carers.
Chief executive, Val Bishop, said: “For years, people didn’t realise we were a charity – or what we did. As Thrive, we can tell our story more clearly. It’s a positive, active name that reflects our mission to help people and communities not just survive but thrive.”
Details: www.thrivesomerset.org.uk
Freemasons support Frome charity
SOMERSET’SFreemasons, through the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), have announced support funding to Frome Birth Talk, totalling £9,445 over three years.
Originally set up by a midwife who wanted to support local mothers in the perinatal period, Frome Birth Talk offers free and low-cost counselling for local people who are pregnant or have had, or lost, a baby within the last two years.
They also provide two weekly support groups, as well as a monthly group for people who have experienced baby loss.
Frome Freemason, Andy Baird, said: “For a small charity, Frome Birth Talk offers astonishing levels of dedicated service and support to those members of this community for whom childbirth, or new parenthood, has caused them unforeseen difficulties.”
Details: https://www.fromebirthtalk.org.uk/
ELAINE Davidson from Pensford was among 14 women who raised £2,000 for Cancer Research UK in Bath’s annual race for life.
All had either had cancer or knew people who had. This was Elaine’s 25th Race for Life and she said she was doing it “to thank everyone who helped her in gaining those extra years of health”.
Pink ladies
Volunteers welcome –in Tanzania
IANand Liz Dagger from Bishop Sutton raised £795.50 at a tea party in the village for a charity they support in Africa.
They volunteer to work for NETHO (New Everlasting Tremendous Hope Organisation), a community based and led charity, serving the village of Nkoanrua, near Arusha in North East Tanzania.
Compared to western standards they say the people are poor and live below or only slightly above World Health Organisation poverty lines.
They said: “In the time we have spent volunteering in the local orphanages and schools we identified that the water supply was becoming less reliable.
“On our last visit, at Christmas 2024, there were times when every other day there was no supply to our host’s house. This could last for a few hours to nearly all day. We were told that demand was exceeding supply.”
They have pledged to raise £4,000 for materials to take water from a second stream 1km away. The village will supply the labour.
They said: “We have found that volunteering in this community is incredibly rewarding. Yes, we can give money but we can also give our time and this is so precious to those children in the orphanages and schools.
“Their smiles, the greetings, and the undivided attention demonstrates that they really value our presence. Volunteering through NETHO is much more cost effective than volunteering through some of the bigger charities.”
One of the stalls
Lin Johnson (left) and Catherine O'Malley
Ian and Liz Dagger
Freemasons’ gifts
THEForest of Mendip Lodge, who now meet at Yatton Masonic Hall, celebrated the end of the year with Bubbs Burbage as their master by making presentations to local charities.
The first was a donation to Blood Bikes of £500; the next to Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue of £1,000; the third to Bristol After Stroke Association of £1,000.
All the president’s men
KEITH Jenkin, whose career in book publishing spanned more than 40 years until early retirement, has succeeded retired solicitor Robin Weelen as president of the Rotary Club of Shepton Mallet.
On moving to Somerset, Keith joined Glastonbury & Street Rotary Club in 2005 and was elected President in 2010. Following the club’s closure he moved to the Shepton club.
Valley winners
CHEW Valley primary schools took part in their annual rounders competition at Chew Valley School.
The competition is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge who provide the cup and medals each year. President John Butler and Rotarian Ken Biggs are pictured with the winning team from Chew Magna.
Past president Robin Weelen welcomes incoming President Keith Jenkin (left – right): Keith Hazeldine (president elect), Keith Jenkin, Robin Weelen and Andrew Shaw, junior president
Bristol After Stroke Association
Blood bikes
Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue
Here’s to 2027!
Photos by Mark Adler
THE Glastonbury Festival may be over but fans are already looking forward to its return after a fallow year in 2027.
Around 200,000 people attended the four-day-long party at Worthy Farm in Pilton where headliners such as Sir Rod Stewart and Olivia Rodriguez took centre stage but there were plenty of other performers – from up-and-coming bands and singers, circus acts and poets – to ensure there was something for everyone.
Triumphant debut for young singer
FRIENDS and family packed the front-of-stage area when upand-coming singer/songwriter Jo Hill from Cheddar took to the stage at the Glastonbury Festival.
A festival fan since childhood, Jo had long dreamt of appearing at the world-famous event. Her breakout debut album, “girlhood”, released in November 2024, showcased her signature blend of indie-pop-rock-and soul. One of her most personal tracks, “Glastonbury”, inspired by the festival itself, featured in her set on the prestigious BBC Introducing Stage.
Jo said: “It was crazy. I looked out into the crowd and could see literally everyone from my village there. Teachers, ex’s, old friends and childhood sweethearts all staring up and cheering for me.
“I swear I almost had an out of body experience when I was walking onto stage as I was so shocked by how big the crowd
Follow Jo on Follow Jo Hill: KOMI |
Rhian Teasdale, frontwoman of Wet Leg, on the Other Stage
Jo Hill says she was “born to play at Glastonbury”
Neil Young on the Saturday night
Festival poetin-residence
John Berkavich
Not the real Ali G –spotted at the Cider Bus
and former footballer
was. There were also equally loads of people I’ve never seen before there and it just felt like people showed up for me!!!
“This was hands down one of the best experiences of my life and just affirmed Glasto is the festival I was born to play at.”
irlhood (u got this babe)” is available via UROK
Broadcaster
Gary Lineker was in a relaxed mood during a conversation with host Andy Cato on the Information Stage in the Silver Hayes area
Friends and family at the front of the BBC Introducing Stage
Walkabouts in the Theatre and Circus Field
Dressed to impress: a Supergrass fan in front of the Pyramid Stage
Summing up the sheer size of the festival site
Rod Stewart-style wigs were the order of the day ahead of the singer’s Legends spot
Ellie Rowsell, from Wolf Alice
Normal for Glastonbury
Uphill fete and duck race
The Steepholmers were promoting Weston's sea shanty festival in August
Uphill Society cake stall
Soft toys tombola
The bottle stall PTFA members Cassie Brice-Bennett (left) and Charlotte Rooney
Tombola was popular
Uphill school choir
The duck race raised funds for Children's Hospice South West
As requested, an owl update
By CHRIS SPERRING
I HAVE received quite a few requests to give an owl monitoring update because of the late winter, spring and now summer weather conditions.
My first look at how the owl nesting season was going was from March to May in connection with tawny owls. For those who may not know is this the “hooting and screeching” owl of woodland and really anywhere with any tree cover, found in heavy woodland, parks and even gardens in cities.
In March, just as pre-breeding activity commenced, it was clear that many pairs were not in the mood and this was the first early sign that the season for tawny owls was not going to be good.
Whilst they are egg-laying and incubating, I do not go near their nests, but time my visits when they have young; as with other owls the parents will roost away from the children when they get too noisy.
After a very intensive early-to late-May monitoring of tawny owl nests, I found very few owlets. Those that had young had only one, not the UK norm of two, but the vast majority of nests were empty. Clearly their prey base had been affected by the
weather conditions as, with it being so dry, should have made ideal conditions for hunting, but the slow growth of vegetation was having a major impact.
Further proof that there was a problem was the amount of tawny owls that were calling, this because if they have young then the adults should be much quieter. Although the vast majority nests I monitor are local to the Mendip Times area, I do also monitor boxes in Wales and Scotland and the same result was found in these areas as well.
Barn owl nest monitoring is now in full swing, but this has started up to two months later than normal because of the later egg-laying time. In the case of our webcam box on the Somerset Levels they laid a month and half later than in the last three years.
The late start is a direct response this time to grass growth. Grass and length of grass is very important to the barn owls’ main prey item, the short-tailed vole. Early spring was dry, sunny and cold, which led to the voles’ normal fast-breeding cycle slowing to almost a stop. As spring progressed with no real rain to produce an abundance of fresh grass growth then this situation continued.
Some barn owls, though, did try nesting and a few were abandoned due to the lack of food. One 12,000-acre farm that has ten barn owl boxes normally gets between six and eight boxes used most years, but this year – and in more than 30 years of visiting this farm – no barn owls bred at all, indeed there was no sign that they were even around.
Whilst checking boxes on Exmoor it was much the same except for one farm that was close to the estuary. Upon arrival at
the farm I commented to the farmer on how green his grass was compared to the others which look parched, He replied by stating that every evening the estuary mist rolls in over the farm and they’re getting a fine drizzle coming out of the mist, indeed his barn owl nest was the only one with young: three owlets all healthy and well fed.
I should also mention the little owl which has been on a steep decline throughout the area, However I’m going to leave this for now as I’m hopeful that I may be doing a little owl conservation workshop for the Mendip Farmers cluster group this Autumn. I will have more news then.
In the meantime, our Somerset barn owl webcam still has four owlets from an original six, all doing well so far. The webcam is running 24 hours a day, just visit: www.hawkandowltrust.org.uk and select webcam.
A lack of grass means a lack of prey for owls
A barn owlet
An adult tawny owl
Following the old canal
THIS exhilarating circle takes us away from the Mendip landscape to a very different countryside – gloriously leafy paths and valleys near Bath with superb views and an industrial history linked to the Somerset Coal canal and railway. From Odd Down Park and Ride we drop down into the valley of Cam Brook and then Midford valley following the towpath on the Coal Canal Walk. Pass two pubs and later take a route which is one of the easiest ways out of the valley, but still quite strenuous. Your reward is arriving at a superb old pub now run by the community in South Stoke with a wonderful garden and views.
Have a torch handy to get you through a short, dark tunnel under the old coal canal near the start. Apart from several modest uphills, there is also a short steep ascent, as well as one or two stiles. At the end,
With Sue Gearing
instead of returning along a lane, we go through a pleasant housing development which almost takes us back to the parking.
PARK: Park in Odd Down Park and Ride car park. People not going in the bus are asked to pay £2.50 all day.
START: Exit the same way you came in and turn right at the roundabout towards Combe Hay and Wellow, and then right again in the same direction. Turn down Combe Hay Lane on the pavement and cross to take the next turn right – Hay Lane – which is fairly quiet.
1. TRACK
On reaching large arrow signs at the bend, take the Tarmac track left a few yards and immediately turn down a path on the right which leads down to a Bristol Gate. Follow the small path into a field and follow the right side. Go through Kissing Gates (KGs) at the foot and along a dry, stony track right. Soon pass a beautiful old Bath stone farmhouse, Fortnight Farm. Further down, keep your eye open for a footpath on the left which takes you along a narrow footpath between fences. Stay with it along the foot of a field and through woodland and arrive at a tunnel under the old canal.
2. TUNNEL
This is where a torch could be handy, although the tunnel is not long. It can be a little wet near the end. Continue on along the path, cross a small stream and go on through woods. You can see we are
continuing on the Coal Canal Way. Go over a stile, up steps and join a main track at the top. Turn right and it soon becomes Tarmac and takes you down to Combe Hay and the popular pub the Wheatsheaf.
3.
COMBE HAY
Follow the lane left climbing gently for a few minutes and at a signposted junction go ahead to a wooden kissing gate (KG) ahead on the left. The path now parallels the road. It’s not long before you go left down steps and turn right on what could have been the old railway. Stay with it between high banks. Further on ignore steps going up left. Eventually reach the road by a rail tunnel on the left.
4. COAL CANAL WAY
Cross the road onto the path signed as the Limestone Link, Circuit of Bath and Coal Canal Way which you follow for just over a mile to Midford. En-route come to where some kind of excavation is taking place on the old canal. Bend left and then right and behind you see the blocked-up entrance to the old canal which you have just crossed. Soon go up steps, turn right and immediately left through a KG down steps into a meadow. Go the full length, walking up on the left bank – the old canal towpath. The old railway ran parallel to the canal up left.
The Somerset Coal Canal, built around 1800, began its route in basins at Paulton and Timsbury, ran to nearby Camerton, over two aqueducts at Dunkerton, through a tunnel at Combe Hay, then via Midford and Monkton Combe to Limpley Stoke
6 miles, allow at least 3.5 hours for time to stop, stare, and enjoy the views and the pubs OS Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath, Keynsham and Marshfield, grid ref: 737 615, Postcode BA2 8PA, What3words: this.focus.hunt.
where it joined the Kennet and Avon Canal. There were several methods at Combe Hay to overcome height differences between the upper and lower reaches: initially by the use of caisson locks, which didn’t work, and then by an inclined plane trackway; and finally a flight of 22 conventional locks.
This canal link gave the Somerset coalfield (at its peak 80 collieries) access toward London.
You are in the valley of the Cam Brook which is over on the right. After a KG, continue on, through another, and along a path. Reach an impressive old brick railway viaduct close to the brook. Go under and on through a KG and continue alongside the old canal which has appeared again on the left. Pass an old canal bridge on the left and then over right you can see a large bridge spanning the brook. Keep on, go through a gate and take a path along by the old canal, now on your right, and part of a garden. Come alongside a high wooden fence, under a metal bridge and up to the main road in Midford opposite the Hope and Anchor.
5. MIDFORD
Cross the busy road with care to the lane opposite, Old Midford Road, just above the pub on the left. Pass the entrance to the pub car park and continue uphill on the lane which is quiet. Pass a noticeboard for
South Stoke Parish Council. At a crossroads turn left down Tucking Mill Lane which takes you down to the main road. Again, cross with care and turn right on the pavement. Shortly, at the bend, take the footpath on the left over a stile. Cross the middle of a field, go over a stile and then left through a KG and steeply down the grassy hill. There’s another KG by buildings and continue out to the lane through another KG.
6. HAMLET
Don’t go up the lane, but instead take the footpath track parallel on the right, on the flat, taking you past one or two houses in the small hamlet of Upper Midford and through a KG. Now, we approach the main hill of our walk up to South Stoke, just over a mile away. Simply follow the path on in a small valley. There are both steep and flattish sections. Go through fields, KGs and woodland. Start to see houses up on the skyline in South Stoke. The path becomes steeper. Eventually reach a stone house or barn wall directly ahead with a gate on the right. Turn left into South Stoke.
7. SOUTH STOKE
Go right up the lane and soon reach a beautiful old pub, the Packhorse, now a successful community pub (check opening hours) with a lovely garden and great
views. Continue uphill to a T-junction with the road through the village and turn left. Or, if at the pub, go on through the garden and follow the small path which bends up by the church and reaches the same road. Turn left. At the end of the road, go on through onto the broad public footpath. At a fork, go up right and continue along climbing gently to a gate.
8. VIEWPOINT
Here on the left is a fine Millenium Viewpoint with a curved stone seat. Then continue on the flat.
9. PATH
After several minutes when the Tarmac ends, turn right on a small path. Keep on, ignoring a left path, go through a gate and on towards new houses. Follow the path left and then reach a pavement in the development and follow it straight on. Cross over to the right at Peacock Way onto a Tarmac path. This leads out to where you were earlier. Turn right and then cross over the island at the end and continue to the Park and Ride.
Look up the opening hours of: The Wheatsheaf at Combe Hay (01225 833504), the Hope and Anchor, Midford (01225 832296) and the Packhorse, South Stoke (01225 830300)
West Countryman’s diary
THE month of July and at the time of writing this it’s hot! That said by the time you’re reading this it may well have changed. I am not complaining, because in the depth of winter I shall be dreaming about days such as this when the sun was high in the cloudless sky and the cool evenings were a blessing put aside for a cold beer and reflections of the day, as the few swifts that still come to us twist and turn around the sky like flying sickle blades in search of insects.
I’m writing this column at the beginning of the month as I prepare to leave for another tour with the University of Georgia USA. There will be more about this trip in the next edition. Suffice to say that I’m about to leave the sanctuary of my “telephone box” for one of those outings into the outside world.
I see it through my little square windows and will occasionally venture outside to look at the world beyond Somerset. I am always pleased to return to its tranquillity and comfort, because to really appreciate something you have to leave it sometimes and come back again.
For a man whose understanding of the “Far East” is Shepton Mallet, losing sight of Glastonbury Tor is a moving moment. Some good friends have however promised to send me pictures of the tor to ease any anxiety I may have.
With all joking put to one side, when my daughter Elizabeth left to work in China seven years ago, I gave her a painting of the tor so that wherever she may be, she would only have to look at it to remind her of home.
July is the month when everything is at full stretch in the countryside. In the days before full scale silage making, hay was the main winter fodder for livestock. June hay was the best with high sugar and nutrient levels. July hay was the later cut and quite often the mainstay.
This later cut has become a different mainstay for wildlife meadows now farming has changed. Plants are allowed to seed and will therefore drop them before the grass is removed. With everything growing now at full stretch, this is the month in which agricultural operations other than haymaking were carried out.
Bracken control is still carried out in July when the plants have fully extended their growth. From now on the nutrient will be dropping back into the underground rhizome system and stored over winter ready for the following year. It’s just at this stage that the plant becomes vulnerable.
Crushing the stem or even cutting prevents the nutrient frrm dropping back and will weaken the plant. What has given this plant its success, a vascular system that allows the movement of nutrient and water up and down the stem, has become its potential downfall.
Similar plants that use a rhizome system are nettles and creeping thistle, both of which are not welcome in the agricultural environment. I am not talking about conservation where they all have a contribution to the bigger mosaic of habitat.
When it comes to cutting thistles, also known as “skimming” or “thistle dodging”, I would be delighted to hear of any other such local terms, a simple rhyme exists to remind the farmer when to strike:
A thistle cut in May will be back within a day;
A thistle cut in June is cut too soon; A thistle cut in July is surely going to die.
As always at this time of year I like to remind everyone about the riskier side of Mendip. Not only adders but the ticks are going to be about. Blood sucking hitch hikers who like to get up close and personal . . . yes very personal when they seek out those soft southern parts of the body that need to be checked after a day on the hill.
They like dogs as well so don’t forget a
dog check and in the days when Bob my cat used to come inside at the end of the day, he would often bring one with him. Remember, “be aware, but it’s not a scare”. Make sure you wear long trousers and sleeves rolled down when you’re in high vegetation.
Stop occasionally to check yourself and brush off any unwanted followers; lighter coloured clothing does help. If you have become a host do not panic. Smother the “little critter” in sun cream because it breathes through the abdomen and gently remove it with tweezers. There are special extraction tools made to make things easier so check everything out online or speak to your local GP if you’re worried about Lyme's Disease.
Harkening back to over 80 years ago and the need for daylight saving meant that every bit of daylight was needed for those who worked the land. My mother told me of “double summertime” during the war years and how they would still bring in the hay at 10pm at night.
It would make a lot of sense today, especially in hot weather such as it is now. Working in the cooler parts of the day was also something that was introduced in 1976-77 when we had similar hot summers . . . anyway I mustn't get too excited, it could just as easily rain tomorrow!
Finally, an archive picture from my book Follow the Plough. Taken by my mother at the end of a day’s haymaking are my three uncles, Geoff, Len and Dennis. She wrote on the back of the print “Fed up 1954”. You may have seen it before, but here it is again.
Don’t forget you can always email me on: Les.davies@westcountryman.co.uk
With LES DAVIES MBE
Oh dear, it’s August again!
AFTER the heatwaves of June and July, it is not surprising that our gardens are looking under par. August is always a tricky time anyway, as the later flowering perennials have not started to perform and the earlier ones have finished. This is reflected in the number of gardens that open for the National Gardens Scheme in this month.
A garden that is brave enough to open in August is usually well worth seeing, as the owners are confident that there will be the required 40 minutes of interest.
No doubt the press will be telling us to plant drought tolerant plants and will forget that they all hate wet roots in winter!
August often falls foul in gardens, often because our enthusiasm in the spring has waned, or we have had a drought and heatwave putting pressure on watering. We tend to plant for summer colour using the wealth of options that are on offer in nurseries and garden centres.
We ought to be concentrating on a succession of flowers throughout the summer and well into autumn, not only for our pleasure but to give the bees something to browse on. To try to achieve this I work in six seasons rather than four i.e. December/January, February/March, April /May, June/July, August /September, October/November.
If you choose plants that perform in more than one of those six seasons you are sure to have a “garden for all seasons”. When planning or improving an existing border, I list the plants that perform in each season. This shows up where the deficiencies are. You can then focus on selecting appropriate plants.
For structural shrubby plants for August, we are looking for plants that flower on the growth they have made this year, as those that flower on the previous season’s growth tend to flower in the spring and early summer.
There is a useful selection to choose from. Slow growing but performing exceptionally after a sizzling summer are
hardy hibiscus (H. syriacus), now available in a vast range of colours. These are wellbehaved shrubs requiring minimal attention.
Buddleja also now come in a range of sizes to suit all positions and will certainly attract the butterflies. Provided they have had enough water, hydrangeas will still be looking good, especially if planted in light shade, including the oak leaved type.
No garden should be without an Abelia grandiflora if space allows. Growing to two-by-two metres or more they will be covered in blossom in August. I wish I could include fuchsias and hebes in this selection, but sadly I no longer plant either of them, due to fuchsia gall mite, or downy mildew on hebes, especially the larger leaved types.
Florists know all about the value of the berries on Hypericum x inodorum and they should be used more in gardens. They flower on current season’s wood so can be hard pruned in the spring to encourage new growth that will bear yellow flowers and berries.
This useful shrub is a hybrid between our native, rather a nuisance, tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) and the unfortunate goat-like smell of H. hircinum
Perennials that flower in August are easier to come by. Indeed, some can be persuaded to delay their flowering by chopping them back in May; this is known as the “Chelsea Chop”.
Provided you like yellow there are plenty to choose from with rudbeckias leading the field. ‘Goldsturm’ is the industry standard, but for those who prefer a slightly looser plant and a less harsh colour then R. fulgida var. deamii can also be relied on.
Perennial forms of sunflowers (Helianthus & Heliopsis) also fit the bill. Gardeners either love or hate Japanese Anemones. They are a stalwart of the late summer garden, but do tend to go walkies, even if they have suffered during the heat wave and may not be able to perform as well as expected.
Sedums truly are drought tolerant and come in many sizes and shades to suit all tastes. Their appeal seems to have waned since their name was changed to the
unpronounceable Hylotelephium, but I especially like the green heads of ‘Gooseberry Fool’, and they are all so good at attracting butterflies and providing winter interest from their seed heads.
One of the most effective ways of getting colour in August is to use tender perennials. Dahlias can be relied on to flower until the first frosts, if regularly dead headed. There are many salvias that may overwinter unprotected in welldrained soil.
The aptly named ‘Hot Lips’ is well known for its red and white flowers on a shrubby plant that is best cut back in the spring. Taller, but well worth seeking out, are deep purple ‘Amistad’, blue ‘Super Trouper’ and the best large flowered true blue is Salvia patens ‘Giant Form’.
Cannas will add drama with their large leaves and striking orange, red or yellow flowers with the green and yellow striped foliage of ‘Pretoria’ standing out from the crowd.
Finally try adding some groups of gladiolus into your border. Planted in May, they should perform on target. Groups of five dotted in spaces between earlier flowering perennials are ideal. You do not need to have the tall ones, which may need staking. The shorter “butterfly” varieties are ideal.
My favourite plant, Cyclamen hederifolium, will be flowering all through August and September and is perfect for mass planting beneath deciduous trees, with a carpet of attractive mottled ivy shaped leaves all winter.
Gardeners are always optimistic – next year will be a better year, hopefully!
Stanton Drew Flower Show is on Saturday, August 30th in the village hall and paddock 1.30–4.30pm. See What’s On for details of other local shows.
With MARY PAYNE MBE
Salvia patens 'Giant form'
• Reliable hardy annuals and biennials can still be sown. Californian poppies are so easy and should be sown directly into a well-prepared seed bed in full sun where they are to flower.
• Keep the show going in your pots and baskets by increasing feeds and regularly removing fading flowers (don’t let them set seeds!)
• Prune climbing and rambling roses now, and Wisteria (if not done last month).
• Plant snowdrop bulbs just as soon as you can. They can be difficult to get going but by planting really early they establish much more readily. The longer they are out of the ground the more dormant they become and difficult to reawaken.
• Autumn flowering crocus should be planted as soon as possible, as they will flower this October. They flower before the leaves appear earning them the common name “Naked Ladies”.
• Cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and other brassicas get a multitude of pests at this time of year. Regular sprays of Garlic Barrier keeps them all away without making your vegetables taste like garlic!
• Prune fruit trees that have fruits containing stones rather than pips now. Plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines are best pruned during the summer when they are less likely to get infected with the incurable Silver Leaf disease.
NORTON GREEN
GARDEN CENTRE
FANTASTIC SELECTION OF HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL PLANTS AVAILABLE NOW!
GREAT CHOICE OF GLAZED & TERRACOTTA POTS & PLANTERS PLUS EXCITING NEW RANGE OF STONE STATUES & GARDEN ORNAMENTS
Westbrook House NGS GARDENS OF THE MONTH –AUGUST
ROAD, CHILCOMPTON, RADSTOCK BA3 4RR Telephone: 01761 232137 Open Mon–Sat 9am to 4pm •
LAYOUTand planting began in 2003 by a garden designer and a painter over four acres comprising three distinct gardens around the house with exuberant mixed herbaceous and shrub borders leading to a meadow and orchard with wildflowers, masses of spring bulbs, species roses and lilacs.
Address: West Bradley BA6 8LS.
Contact: Keith Anderson and David Mendel, 01458 850604, andersonmendel@aol.com, www.instagram.com/keithbfanderson.
Opening date and time: Saturday, August 23rd, 11am-5pm.
Admission: £6, children free, cash only. Donation to West Bradley Church.
Opening by arrangement: May 1st to September 6th for groups of ten or more.
The Pony
DESIGNEDby garden designer Jon Wheatley and his daughter Lizzy on the gentle slopes of the Chew Valley, near Chew Magna BS40 8TQ.
Opening date and time: Tuesday, August 12th, 10am-3pm
Admission: Adults £7, children free.
Other Gardens Open for the NGS
To see more gardens open for the NGS, see The Garden Visitors Handbook, or the Somerset County Leaflet, available from local Garden Centres, or go to: https://ngs.org.uk/
Show’s 40th anniversary
CHEDDAR Flower Show will celebrate its 40th anniversary with its show on August 16th in Cheddar village hall, 2pm. This is an Open Show, so all readers of Mendip News are welcome to enter exhibits. The 96 classes include Produce, Flowers, Floral Art, Cookery, Preserves, Photography, Arts and Crafts.
Entries cost only 25p per class, and the ten children's classes are free. Admission is £1, children free, with raffle, tombola and refreshments.
Details: cheddar.flowershow@yahoo.com
WI show
CHEWStoke WI’s annual members’ show was well supported by a good number of entries. After judging, the show was open for nearly an hour for family, friends and villagers. Pictured (l to r) are Jessica McInnes, Julie Hughes and Hazel Poynter.
WWII theme for flower show
THISyear’s annual 136th Writhlington Flower Show and Fete will be held on August 16th and will be opened by committee president Mrs Hilary Denning.
This year, to Commemorate 80 years of VE/VJ Day, organisers have included some classes in the schedule for VE/VJ Day and will have a VE/VJ Theme for the fete.
The committee early this year won funding from both Radstock Town Council and the Dragons’ Den.to repair and replace some of our Flower Show equipment and the village hall skittle alley.
Once again, The Mendip Brass Band will be joining in with a programme of some military music and some popular war time tunes. There will be donkey rides with Kelly’s Donkey’s and some Norton Radstock Classic Car Club members will be in attendance.
The Writhlington Flower Show has always supported the protection and promotion of and Mendip Beekeepers Association members will be on hand to offer advice and anyone who would like to keep bees or learn about honey. Meanwhile, entries are open for the 125th Coleford Flower
Show, taking place on Sunday, August 10th at the Royal British Legion Hall in the village. Exhibits will be open to the public from 2.30pm.
For details and schedule, contact chairman Rob Langley 07970708216 or secretary Helen Gulliford
or find them on the Writhlington Flower Show Facebook Page
Paulton Party in the Park
Dancers from Paulton Infants School
A new group Paulton on the Wildside launched at the event.
Pictured (l to r) Andy Cunningham, Ruth Eversley and Jane Stephenson
Paulton Rovers netball club members Mia Church (left) and Emily Stiff
Gardeners Haley Shackleton and Hilary Smyth
Midsomer Norton RBL members Chris and Kate Copeland
Holy Trinity, Paulton
Tombola was popular
The cave digging awards
APART from a few notable exceptions, the caves under the Mendip Hills have nearly all been discovered by cave explorers who have removed blockages and constrictions to gain entry.
Even those caves with naturally open entrances have often been extended considerably following the removal of infill blocking the furthest reaches. Cavers describe the act of removing the spoil or blockage as “digging”, and those who remove the spoil are referred to as “diggers”.
Cavers go digging for many reasons, but the most common is the lure of the unknown and the desire to discover what lies beyond. When a digging team has a breakthrough and finds a new, previously unknown cave passage, they experience the thrill of being the first people to see and explore the newly discovered passage. Indeed, caves offer one of the few opportunities on the planet where people genuinely are able to set foot in places where nobody has ever been before.
As well as a rewarding experience, digging is also a sociable activity, with team members meeting up regularly for a couple of hours of industrious activity followed by a post-dig debrief in the local pub, usually the Hunters’ Lodge Inn in Priddy. Digging is a physically strenuous activity, and teams are always happy to welcome new caving members who want to lend a hand and assist with the spoil removal process.
Several factors influence the choice of a site to dig, including a combination of scientific research (are there any indications of where the water or air would go?), historical research (has any cave passage been recorded by old miners but subsequently lost?), intuition (does this location “feel” like a good place to dig?), logistics (how easy is it to access the dig site and remove spoil?), and, most importantly, has the landowner granted permission for the dig to take place? Discussions of the merits of various potential dig sites often lead to lengthy and passionate debates over drinks in the Hunters’.
One of the most celebrated Mendip diggers was the late Tony “JRat” Jarrett, who famously ran “Bat Products” in Wells until his untimely death in 2008. Tony was involved with many different digging teams and would dig most evenings, always ensuring, of course, that activities finished in time for some suitable refreshment.
As a celebration of Tony’s lifelong dedication to digging, an award is presented to the team that finds and surveys the most new passage each year. The award is presented
during an evening celebration each November, on the closest Saturday to Tony’s birthday, where diggers and other cavers gather to celebrate their successes and discuss the potential and relative merits of their own and rival dig sites. The coveted award is a plaque featuring a digging shovel engraved with details of the winning entry, which is on permanent display in the Hunters’ bar.
The most recent winners were the team digging at Gibbets Brow Shaft, situated on the hillside above West Harptree who, during the course of a year, found and surveyed an impressive 355 metres of new passage. This site has seen attention from members and friends of the Shepton Mallet Caving Club for many years, partly because it offers good potential to connect to known passages in Lamb Leer Cavern.
First entered by lead miners in the 1700s, this was once the deepest known cave in the world and includes a “Great Chamber”, a large void over 30 metres high. In 1938, Professor LS Palmer undertook a series of resistivity tests on the surface above the cave, which successfully detected this chamber, along with a second unknown void that was apparently of similar size. This, as yet, unentered second chamber has since been named “Palmer’s Chamber” and although doubts have recently been cast as to its actual existence, it still remains a tantalising prospect for diggers in this area of the Mendip Hills.
Runners-up last year were the team digging at White Rabbit’s Hole in Priddy, who found and surveyed 71 metres during the same period. This site is a jumble of boulders located at a small cliff at the head of a dry surface valley, in a promising location partway between Swildons Hole and Eastwater Cavern, two of Mendip’s longer caves.
Several other digging teams continue to make slow, if steady, progress at sites spread across the whole of the Mendip Hills. This year’s award ceremony will take place in the Hunters’ on November 22nd, where cavers will gather together once again to discover which of them has earned the right to have their names engraved on the coveted shovel.
The MCRA is a registered charity, a non-profit making organisation staffed entirely by volunteers
The victorious team celebrate
With JAMES BAGLEY
James is an active cave digger and member of the Shepton Malllet Caving Club
Chewton mendip fete
Former members of Chewton Mendip WI which has closed after 104 years
Scarecrow competition
Tombola was popular
Dancers from the village school
Farrington Gurney Young Farmers Leah Selway (left) and Phoebe Burrows
Time for Pimms (l to r) Sarah Peel, Ros Miles and Anna Wheeler
Back to the issue of assisted dying
By DrPHIL HAMMOND
I’Mpleased the assisted dying bill is crawling through the Lords but understand the opposition concerns. There is no foolproof legislation. It can be very hard to predict if someone has less than six months to live, particularly with “end stage” diseases of the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys and many neurological conditions. Some people may choose to die when they would have lived longer than six months.
Many others may be denied choice in dying because doctors can’t agree on their prognosis. If the legislation goes through, legal challenges to broaden the scope are inevitable.
You may never be certain someone hasn’t been coerced or guilt-tripped into choosing to die, all you can do is put in reasonable safeguards, but not so many the patient dies waiting for an oversight panel.
I don’t agree with health secretary Wes Streeting that we cannot afford assisted dying, given the costs of keeping the terminally ill alive when they wish to die, but it will certainly take time and staff away from other tasks.
The cost of ensuring everyone has access to decent palliative care at the end of life is substantial, but that is a separate (and equally important) issue. I strongly disagree with opponents who argue assisted dying using barbiturates is an unpleasant way to die, as anyone who has seen a pet dying this way will testify.
However, pet deaths happen because of the active intervention of a competent vet. Assisted dying requires patients to either swallow a lethal dose of barbiturate (usually phenobarbital) or open a valve to allow it to be administered intravenously.
The iv route is quicker but it requires someone competent to measure up the
correct dose and insert the cannula correctly. I won’t tell you what the dose is, because some angry reader will accuse me of encouraging it.
And I wouldn’t encourage the DIY route because you never know what you’re buying off the internet and if it goes wrong, you may end up worse off than when you started.
With the iv route administered professionally, death occurs within one minute. Death can take longer if phenobarbital is swallowed.
Unconsciousness usually follows within three minutes. Breathing usually stops within 20 minutes. Cardiac arrest around 10 minutes later.
No-one who has swallowed this dose at the Swiss Dignitas clinics has failed to die, according to their records. Rarely, absorption takes longer for anatomical or physiological reasons, delaying death for several hours but not preventing it, unless the patient vomits or takes so long to swallow that they go unconscious before taking all the medication.
Unsurprisingly, most people prefer iv administration when offered the choice. The question is, do we have sufficient health professionals prepared to assist assisted dying, to make sure it’s done properly? Time will tell . . .
COI: I am a patron of My Death, My Decision
PS Apologies to readers who felt I was trivialising how hard it is to prove what chromosomes you were born with when using a public toilet. I wasn’t – I just don’t know how you can enforce the law.
I also had an interesting email from a trans man (born XX but now looks very masculine) who was thrown out of a women’s toilet even though the law now dictates this is the one that everyone born XX should use.
Meanwhile, men intent on abusing women will sadly do it anywhere, regardless of what the law says. Perhaps CCTV at public toilet entrances is the answer?
Dr Phil’s columns on the Trial of Lucy Letby are free to access at https://www.private-eye.co.uk/special-reports/lucy-letby
HELLO there! You probably think that I’ve had the summer off, because it’s been so hot and dry – but I was far away high up in the sky.
But look carefully first thing in the morning now and you’ll see that we water droplets shine in the dew like crystals. Every blade of glass coated and glistening in the morning sun and blobs of us shining on every spider’s web.
We don’t hang around for long though. As soon as there’s enough warmth from the sun we are evaporated back up into the clouds.
Most of our big adventures start from clouds. Sometimes, we get rained down all at the same time and become floods. But mostly we float around dreamily.
If you had a choice, what would you prefer? A day filled with adventure or the chance to sleep the time away?
For us water droplets summer is a chance to recharge our batteries after a hectic winter and spring. A hurricane one day, a tidal wave the next, not to mention avalanches and thunderstorms is all just a bit too much. Exhausting.
Can you imagine, billions of tiny water droplets like me? When there’s only a few dozen of us we’re just a dribble down your window, but put enough of us together and we can literally move mountains.
Over the past few thousand years, I’ve seen how you human beans can do the same, building Stonehenge or the pyramids in Egypt with hundreds of people working together, willing or not.
Ants are really very good at working well together. I sometimes wonder whether, after millions of years, they might develop brains as big as yours?
I once spent a very cosy winter in an ants’ nest, until in the spring someone decided to mow the lawn and cut the top off it. That’s how I came to be swallowed by a green woodpecker.
But that’s a different story.
MENDIP GRANDAD
Ask Dr. Hannah
Cadbury Hall’s glorious garden party
CADBURYHall Care Home in Yatton opened its doors to families, friends and the local community for an open day and garden party – and not even the unpredictable English weather could dampen the spirit of the occasion.
The morning began with a live performance by Elizabeth Glenn, who delighted the crowd with mellow jazz, musical theatre favourites, and timeless classics. In the afternoon, residents were thrilled by the return of Chris Auburn, a firm favourite at Cadbury Hall.
A much-loved highlight was the opening of Cadbury’s private beach, specially created in the garden for the day. Residents and visiting children enjoyed buckets and spades, paddling pools, and traditional seaside games.
Guests were treated to delicious homemade cakes and refreshing drinks, including non-alcoholic summer coolers and the ever-popular Pimm’s, enthusiastically served by the team.
General manager, Audrene Abrigo, thanked the whole team for their hard work and dedication in preparing for the day and gave special recognition to the staff members who attended with their own children to support and share the event with residents – a true display of Cadbury Hall’s family ethos, she said.
One resident said: “It was the best day we’ve had in a long time – like being on holiday!”
Cadbury Hall says its values are dignity, joy, and personalised care at the heart of everything, with a varied life enrichment programme that keeps residents active and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Cadbury Hall is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers.
New scanner appeal
THE official charity of the Bath RUH, RUHX, have launched a £4million fundraising campaign to expand innovative new PETCT scanning technology at the hospital.
The RUH Medical Physics and Radiology teams currently perform over 1,700 individual scans annually and demand is increasing every year. The new scanner and treatment rooms will mean they can carry out up to 5,000 scans per year.
Head of Nuclear Medicine, Sarah Cade, said: “This advanced technology will enable us to detect and diagnose conditions like cancer, dementia, and rheumatology diseases with unprecedented accuracy and at much earlier stages.
“With the help of RUHX supporters, we can maintain our position at the forefront of medical innovation and continue to deliver the very best healthcare services to our community.”
Details: www.ruhx.org.uk/pet-ct/
Villagers’ big day out
RESIDENTS of Charlton Mackerell and neighbouring Charlton Adam – and the surrounding areas - once again joined forces to ensure the success of the annual Village Day. And there was a special reason to celebrate with the announcement that the Charltons Community Centre was to receive a National Lottery Community Fund grant to provide a new roof, solar panels and to carry out other work on the building.
Grace (left) and Isobel, with their handmade jewellery. The pair had been up all the previous night making their items in time for the event
Plume of Feathers duck race Rickford
Professional musician Tom Toomey, who performed with his band
Kat, raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Research
Rick Harrison, one of the event organisers
Chasing the ducks
The barbecue crew
Trying to keep cool
Chasing the sun for the legion
Peter and Marie at the end of the challenge
THE president of the Midsomer Norton and Radstock branch of the Royal British Legion has completed a 200-mile cycle ride in one day to raise funds for the organisation.
Group Captain (retired) Peter Daulby, set off from Whitley Bay at dawn on June 21st to complete the Chase the Sun challenge, reaching Ayr well before sunset.
Peter was joined by five other members of Somer Valley Cycling Club in the challenge, raising £1,500 for the RBL. Peter and his wife, Marie, recently moved to Midsomer Norton after 39 years’ active service in the RAF.
Meanwhile, branch treasurer, Will Nicol and his wife Pattie have completed a 30-mile sponsored walk, starting at Ston Easton Church and finishing at Downside Abbey, Strattonon-the-Fosse, visiting 16 churchyards and cemeteries where Commonwealth War Graves are situated.
At each site a posy of poppies was affixed to the gates or railings to remember the fallen. The walk has so far raised £450 for branch funds.
Church teas
Alison back at the wheel
THE 2025/26 president of the Inner Wheel Club of Mendip is Alison Webb, who has taken over the role once again. Alison succeeds Helen MacCann, who raised £4,115 during her year in office for Guide Dogs for the Blind, which has enabled the club to sponsor a puppy through training.
Garden party for breast cancer care
FUNDRAISER Rosemary Blatchford has received a prestigious Rotary Club award for hosting an annual garden party for the past decade in aid of the RUH Breast Care Unit.
A total of 150 women attended the 2025 garden party and raised £6,000, bringing the total to date to £44,000.
Mr Richard Sutton a Consultant Breast Surgeon from the Royal United Hospital, was in attendance to personally thank Rosemary for her tireless efforts.
ST MARY’SChurch in Compton Dando has had its most successful Sunday tea yet, raising more than £300 for church funds.
Teas will run every Sunday, 2.30-5pm until August 24th, plus August Bank holiday Monday, August 25th.
Debby Huxham, president of the Rotary Club of Midsomer Norton & Radstock, surprised Rosemary with a Paul Harris Fellow Award presented to a rotarian or a member of the community who has made an outstanding contribution to the community.
Concert cheque
AFTERholding another successful concert featuring the Twerzels, members of Bishop Sutton & Stowey WI handed over a cheque for £350 to Bishop Sutton primary school PTA.
Alison (left) with Helen McCann at the handover
Richard Sutton, Debby Huxham and Rosemary Blatchford
Hannah Maggs serving tea
Making merry in Wells –the Italian job returns
THE annual Fiesta Italiana Romulus and Remus returned in style to Palace Farm in Wells for an afternoon of music, dance and food celebrating the city’s links with Italy.
Dozens of families gathered to share picnics and soak up the atmosphere of the festival, which dates back more than 20 years, raising thousands of pounds for local good causes including the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Wells RFC, Wells FC and the city’s skatepark project.
The links between the city and Italy date back to the Second World War when there were three Italian prisoner of war camps in Wells. In 1945 one of those POWs made the Romulus and Remus statue that sits on the A39 Wells to Bath road.
The official opening was performed by Wells mayor Louis Agabani
Soaking up the atmosphere
Tony Guidi, one of the organisers, with grandson Lucas
Performer Morgan Pandolfino demonstrates the Tarantella, a folk dance with its origins in southern Italy
Marvin Muoneké, a singer and all-round entertainer with a huge voice
Dancing to the llve music
Many families brought their own picnics
New president
MEMBERSof Glastonbury and Street Lions Club gathered for afternoon tea at Ashcott Village Hall for the club's presidential handover, with Derek Green passing over the chain of office to Peter Cole.
This next year sees the club celebrate its 50th birthday and it is especially appropriate that Peter is the president because he is one of two charter/founder members still in the club. The other is David Wall of Glastonbury.
Meanwhile customers and staff at Tesco in Glastonbury have raised £250 for the club through the sale of second-hand books.
Members of the club visited the store and met the store's community champion, Kristie Mynott, who presented the donation to Peter Cole.
Lions roar into action
CITY of Wells Lions is only a small club but they keep themselves busy! They were able to secure an international environment grant to help clear a space and create a garden outside the Lawrence Centre.
They made a £1,000 donation to Marie Curie’s daffodil appeal and also support the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. They’ve also taken to the streets to help keep Wells tidy.
Their big event of the year is the annual raft race on the Bishop’s Palace Moat on Bank Holiday Monday, August 25th. They are looking for volunteers to help and teams to take part.
Flying the flag
The link with the French club was first established in 2006.
MEMBERSof the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge enjoyed a visit to Bordeaux as guests of the Rotary Club of Blanquefort En Medoc.
Sunshine in Shepton
Always time for tea and cakes in inside Create #8
DOZENS of families enjoyed taking part in the annual All The World’s Our Playground community arts festival in Shepton Mallet.
Organised by Make the Sunshine, a community interest company based in the town, the event featured inclusive performances by circus acts, street performers and artists.
WI members enjoyed a session of line dancing at a recent meeting. They said the wearing of Stetsons, boots plus occasional whoops made up for the odd faltering step and hop!
Stand and deliver – youngsters make a pirate ship out of recycled materials
Cirque de Silk presented Gravity Unbound in the Market Place
Make the Sunshine founder Louise LappinCook
Ballooning around: Dizzy O’Dare
Group’s new website
WESTON-super-Mare & District Family History Society has a new website. It says the new site is more visual than the old one and is easier to use.
The society covers the whole area covered by North Somerset Council as well as the old Axbridge registration district and villages including Wedmore, Axbridge, Yatton and Nempnett Thrubwell.
The society, started in 1983 by a few dedicated family history class students, now has a membership of more than 200.
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month, except for August, at Our Lady of Lourdes church hall in Baytree Road, Weston.
The website has transcriptions of most of the parish records in the area, which are available free of charge to members.
Recent projects have included researching the Weston Worthies, a collection of 40 portraits, painted in the 19th century, which hung for many years in the town’s Railway Inn. The website also has a complete study of Axbridge workhouse.
Volunteers from the society are available on the first Saturday afternoon of the month until 3.30pm at Weston library to help people with their research. They have also just started sessions on the third Monday of the month, 10.30am-1pm.
They will be attending Hutton Festival Week at the end of August.
Details: www.wsmfhs.org
Laid to rest
THEremains of three Romano British people, found in Banwell during excavations in 2012, have been interred in the village cemetery in a service conducted by the vicar, the Rev Matt Thomson.
An exhibition featuring many other finds was held in the youth and community centre.
Life in the Chew Valley
LOCAL historian, Robin Cade, is hoping to publish a series of books on life in the Chew Valley. The first covers the period from 5000 BC to around 2000 BC, when the Neolithic civilisation flourished.
They built the complex at Stanton Drew, which includes, by diameter, the world's 2nd, 3rd and 4th largest stone circles.
Thanks to new scientific research, details of Neolithic food and utensils have been identified, along with the largest wooden ring post circles and wooden platform in the world.
The next in the series will be covering mills and bridges along the River Chew.
Robin, from Chew Magna, used to work in finance, and is a voluntary guide for English Heritage at Stanton Drew, where he conducts tours and with his thoughts about the people who built it.
He says: “They appear to have lived for the benefit of one another and their communities, building the complex as part of their respect for their ancestors.”
He’s also involved in plans to restore the medieval pound in Chew Magna.
Details: The book, £15, is available from Robin Cade rcade47@gmail.com
Remains of the pound in Chew Magna
This
The barbecue crew
Hundreds packed into Lympsham's Manor Garden
There was an impressive display of classic vehicles
Hook-a-duck for grown-ups!
Banwell village picnic
Charlotte Membery with sons Noah, aged five, and Luca, aged three
Banwell FC Sarah, Chris and Teresa
Sarah Harding (left) and Ann Lee on the parish council stall
Chelsea Jackson, who makes cupcakes
Ubley village fete
Face painting
Wellie wanging
Serving cream teas
Tombola was popular
Bowls
Alice, Isobel and Abigail making candyfloss
The barbecue team
Three “Ps” can spell success
AS YOUmove around the Chew Valley you will probably notice quite a lot of “For Sale” signs and it’s true there is a good supply of available properties. It means buyers can afford to pick and choose so it’s more important than ever that your home should stand out from the crowd.
The best way you can do that is to come and talk to me and my team and we’ll let you in on the secrets of our success, which has meant that yet again we have hugely outsold every other local agent in the first half of this year. The numbers don’t lie, so if you want to get moving you know what to do!
I love this kind of market because it sorts out the sheep
from the goats and rewards the agent who is prepared to go the extra mile and provide clients with the very best service. At the moment this means concentrating on the three “Ps” – Presentation, Promotion and Price.
You only have one chance to make a first impression, so we will take a close look at your property through the eyes of a would-be purchaser. We will advise on all the small details that will make a big difference to the look of your home. Some people have the imagination to see beyond what is in front of them, but it’s much better not to rely on that.
Minor flaws can be ironed out so that we don’t get into a
situation where you miss out on a sale because someone else has done a better job of tidying up the garden, cleaned the windows and got rid of the spiders’ webs in the porch.
Once your property is spick and span, we’ll get started on our renowned photography which will illustrate the lifestyle that a new owner will enjoy and we’ll unleash all our creativity to produce a marketing strategy that will draw in potential buyers.
At the moment I would estimate two thirds of purchasers are moving from outside the area. They greatly appreciate our in-depth local knowledge which helps them appreciate what it will mean to live in our beautiful Valley.
However, no amount of Presentation and Promotion will work if you don’t get the Price right. You can rely on us to use our wide experience of the local market to give you the best advice. The days when you could name your own price are gone.
Purchasers and lenders are now much more cautious, so it’s vital to be realistic when it comes to valuation and getting that right will pay dividends and get you moving.
JOANNA TILEY
Autumn Property & Land Auction October 2025
We are now taking entries for our Auction which is to be held in October 2025, we have already got a variety of entries from Agricultural land to Building Plots.
Summer Auction Results July 2025
Lot 1 - 3 acres Investment land at Lascot Hill, Wedmore. Sold £26,000 per acre
Lot 2 - 21.78 acres of Agricultural Pasture Parkland at Velvet Bottom, Charterhouse on Mendip. Sold £11,478 per acre
Nancekivell & Partners are pleased to announce that after last year's successful Machinery Auction we will be holding a Machinery Auction on Saturday 27th September 2025 at Winchester Farm, Draycott. Please email chloe@nancekivellandpartners.co.uk for any further information. Further details will soon be available on our website.
Fayre play as town celebrates
MIDSOMER Norton’s annual Town Fayre was a day-long celebration of the area’s community spirit.
Held at the Somer Centre and the neighbouring town park, the event featured live music and entertainment as well as stalls and a marquee featuring the best handicrafts, vegetables and many other classes as well as a maypole dancing competition involving local primary schoolchildren.
The fair, the tenth, was organised by the Midsomer Norton Community Trust and was opened by Anna Sabine, MP for Frome and North East Somerset.
Alex Davis, from the community trust with Anna Sabine MP
Maypole dancing in the car park of the Somer Centre
The team from the Fashion Museum Bath, who took part in the fayre for the first time
Judging underway in the marquee
Cornet section: Radstock and Midsomer Norton Silver Band cool off
The team from Midsomer Norton-based child bereavement organisation Hearttalks CIC on their stand
East Harptree village fete
Croscombe village fun day
Hazel Rider on the plant stall
Claire Greenhaugh painting the face of Ailish, aged 3
Pictured (l to r) shows Becky, Evie, Laura and Ella on the bottle tombola
The WI cake stall (l to r) Mary Cookson, Jenny Cruse and Tilly Joskey
Zara Osborne, aged eight, with her handmade jewellery she was selling to raise funds to take part as a member of the GB team in the Matt Fiddes International Martial Arts Championships in Australia in 2007
Lynne Elstob (left) and Felicity Salter, from Festival Medical Services, are offered tea and cakes by Caroline Crumlin and Val McRobbie from Croscombe Charter Market
Compton Dando village fete
Michelle Borer with a happy painted face
Sarah Wilson on the plant stall
Start of the duck race
The egg throwing competition
The Avon Needs Trees team
Chew Stoke school
Marley and Iris enjoying the PTA teddy bear stall
Nieve and Anna performing in the Hedgehog Dance
Chew Magna party in the paddock
The tug of war Time
The event was organised by the Chew Magna Society and cricket club
The sack race
Quarry supports village causes
MORE than 100 people took part in the annual Whatley Quarry loop challenge – a 4.5-mile circular walk around the perimeter of the site.
The walk was organised by community group, Friends of Whatley and Chantry and supported by Heidelberg Materials, which owns the quarry, and donated £1,000 to village funds.
Richard Evans, parish councillor for Whatley and Chantry, said: “This year’s loop challenge has been another great success, and we’re very pleased with the turnout – especially in the hot weather.
“A huge thank you to everyone who took part and to the team at Whatley quarry for their continued support.”
Vincent Pitt, area manager at
Mendip Times debtors
MENDIPTimes only exists thanks to the many advertisers who support our efforts to publish a quality local magazine. That has kept us going for 20 years on a very tight budget.
Unfortunately, there are one or two advertisers who do not respond to requests to pay despite the time and effort spent in asking them to do so.
Reluctantly, we publish details of these debtors, rather than
Heidelberg Materials UK, said: “We’re delighted to support the loop challenge again this year. It is great to support local initiatives that involve the wider community.”
waste time chasing them through the small claims court. Stuart Moore of Obscura had three adverts worth £216 when his business was based in Wedmore. He is now based at Saxon Place in Cheddar.
He has refused to pay and threatened to sue us if we publish news of this debt.
Pensford loses its sorting office
PENSFORD Post Office has lost its sorting office and left owners Umang and Vaishali Patel with big financial challenges.
Deliveries for Pensford, Hallatrow, Clutton and Paulton are being centralised at Gillards warehouse at Clutton by Royal Mail’s private owners.
The couple reckon it will cost them about 60 percent of their income, leaving them on less than the living wage to run the Post Office itself.
Umang said: “The backbone of the business has been taken away, but we are determined to carry on for the sake of the community and our staff.”
The posties were given a farewell tea
prepared by Jane Flower and Janet Smith.
The closure came as Umang was preparing a memorial service in Pensford for his father, Kirit Patel, who died in the Indian air crash. He was on his way to spend the summer in Pensford.
The village rallied round to pay for Umang to fly to his funeral.
Umang said: “The support we have had from the local community has been tremendous. It’s given us the strength and financial help to carry on.
“We are very grateful for the support we received from current posties Eddie, Barry, Andy, Matt and all the others who worked at Pensford Post Office in the past.”
Umang’s father Kirit Patel who was killed in the Air India crash
Honorary degree
FASHIONdesigner, Alice Temperley, whose business is based in Ilminster, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Bath Spa University on her 50th birthday. She founded her label Temperley London just a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins.
She said: “My journey into fashion began, rather humbly, making and selling pieces from my flat to fund my studies. One shop led to another, then another, then a few VIPs, then before I quite realised what was happening, I’d built a brand.”
Heritage on show
DAIRY farming down the years was celebrated at a special event in Witham Friary, near Frome.
It included a display of old and new equipment and a steam engine, along with farm walks, milking demonstrations and a talk on cheese making by John Longman.
The day was sponsored by Shepton Vets, Golden Hooves and Read Agricultural Services.
Clutton’s fairies
raised about £300 towards a new building with a fairy trail and art show. They have planning permission –but just need to raise the money.
Members of the Nicholls family and their 1929 Universal Road roller
Hudson, aged two and from Mells
Time for lunch served in the garden of the Seymour Arms
CLUTTON Playgroup
Community show
VALLEY Arts’ Hidden Voices project, celebrating its tenth year, ended with a series of performances at the Community Farm, above Chew Valley Lake.
30 years of song
BACKin 1995, a creative Gala Day was held in Radstock. One of the activities was a West Gallery Music workshop, led by Mike Bailey, a visiting expert in this style of 18th and 19th century sacred music.
In July, Mike returned to the area, to participate in a “church crawl,” led by the group which sprang from his original workshop, Called to be Saints choir, which is based in Nailsea.
It invited past members to join them on visits to the parish churches in Chelvey and Wraxall, to have a good sing of this lively music followed by a celebration anniversary tea.
Seaside shanties
THEWeston-super-Mare Sea Shanty and Folk Music Festival is the largest sea shanty festival in the West of England and will be taking place on the first weekend of August, from Friday, August 1st to Sunday, August 3rd.
It will feature around 60 bands from all over the world, playing at venues across the town. Admission to all venues will be free of charge, with a small charge to enter the Grand pier for nonresidents.
Last year’s festival raised £2,000 in donations for Weston-superMare RNLI and the Weston-super-Mare Lions Club.
It’s organised by local band The Steepholmers, supported by North Somerset Council, Weston-super-Mare Town Council and a host of sponsors.
Details: https://www.wsmshantyfest.com/
Purbeck Storm
old chapel
New arts centre
AXEVale Arts has launched in Axbridge, where a community group is transforming the old Methodist church on West Street into the Axe Vale Arts Centre.
The launch day on July 6th saw a day full of events; a chance to experience the range of activities that they are planning.
The centre is the brainchild of local residents Paul Hughes and Pete Harding. Paul said: “There has been a fantastic response from the community with people volunteering to help paint and decorate the school room and outbuildings – and putting in a bar for the teas and coffees.”
Details: https://axevalleyarts.my.canva.site
Wincanton Choral Society
WINCANTONChoral Society’s new singing year –their 35th –begins on Monday, September 8th at King Arthur’s School, Wincanton.
The have a ‘Come and Sing’ choral workshop on Saturday, October 18th based on the beautiful Faure’s Requiem and
Cantique de Jean Racine, which will be taken by musical director, Neil Moore, and accompanied by Jacquelyn Bevan.
The first concert of the year will be a Christmas concert on Sunday, December 14th in Wincanton Catholic Church.
YOU spend the winter wishing it away, then you spend the summer wishing it would slow down! I cannot believe it is August already and it’s slightly unnerving to think we only have a few months of the eventing season left and we have had so little rain. This year my eventing season will end in September.
The South West calendar is terrible for eventing in September and October especially at Novice level and I just have no appetite for any of the events after Cornbury which is a destination event and has been on my eventing bucket list.
The small issue is, to attend Cornbury I will need to enter the 2* so a lot of work will need to go in to prepare for that as a considerable step up in level from 1*.
To cheer myself up for October, I have just booked a trip to Pau 5* in France which is in October. The wonderful thing about continental events is they are seriously good value compared to British ones.
Our tickets for the week including all seating in the stands is £75. Add in finding cheap flights which actually worked for us from Bristol to Bordeaux and a cheap Airbnb which is 20 minutes’ walk from the venue, and we are sorted for around £300 each.
Badminton tickets for the week alone are around £200 including seating in the grandstand and that does not include accommodation.
I have also lined up going to the World Championships next year in Aachen, Germany which are a bit more expensive than Pau for the eventing and we will be looking to drive over for the week and get an Airbnb for five of us.
I have always wanted to go to Aachen so attending for the world championships seems a good time to go. I am a total horse geek and love travelling round Europe for top competition with my friends.
Some people love going on holiday to a beach, I end up in random places in the countryside watching the world’s best compete at top class eventing or showjumping.
Last year, I did a day trip to Dublin Horse Show. It really is the most amazing place. It’s a long day as you catch the first flight out of Bristol to Dublin and the last flight back, but you can see a huge amount. The flights were £40 return.
We watched Irish Draughts, Young Event Horses, Tiny ponies jumping enormous jumps and finally finished with top class showjumping at 1.60m level. Sadly, I am unable to go this year but a really fun way to spend the day and the Irish hospitality is fantastic, and the showground is beautiful. Staying in Dublin is very expensive so going for the day makes it much more affordable.
I have finally started backing my three-year-old homebred Eris. We are now going solo round the arena in walk. I just need to put a
little more steering in, build her up to trotting and a small bit of hacking and she is done for the year.
She will have the winter out in the field and come back to me as a four-year-old. I see a lot of three-year-olds who are jumping and cantering with riders but for me they do not need to do much apart from have the absolute basics in place.
I want my horses to have a long career and the quickest way to break them is to ask too much when they are weak in their bodies. It takes years to build strength in horses and the quickest way is always the slow way.
It is without doubt one of my childhood dreams fulfilled to have bred my own horse from a mare I loved and competed, chose the stallion, watched her be born, waited three years for her to grow up and now I am the first person to have sat on her.
I have always had this ambition of taking her for a hack with her mother Flora, who is now owned by a friend and this ambition is getting closer. Next week Eris is off to Hartpury for the British Breeding Futurity. It’s a way to have experts cast their eye over your homebred and assess their potential.
As she is only three, she will be presented in hand, loose schooled over some jumps and checked over by a vet. As a yearling and two-year-old she was a bit too ugly to attend but has now blossomed into what I think is a very nice-looking horse, let’s just hope the judges agree!
Insey has been wonderful this year and I have just returned from Aston-le-Walls International having done the 1*. In the standard story you often hear, she warmed up beautifully and then we made some big mistakes in the dressage test where tension crept in with so much atmosphere.
She certainly made up for it in the jumping with a super double clear. Sadly, I got lost on the cross country and had a sat nav error which wasted a lot of time and managed to pick up six time faults which had a big impact on the final result.
Lucy Counsell is a lifelong equestrian with a passion for eventing. She set up the riding club, Equestrian Training South West, served on Area 12 Riding Club committee and has her UKCC2 qualification to coach riding
With LUCY COUNSELL
Sitting on Eris for the first time
Transforming young lives
PAT Lawrence, owner of Divoky Riding School, has always believed that horses can play a vital role in developing character and key life skills in young people.
And becoming one of the British Horse Society’s approved centres for a programme aimed at young people who might struggle in day-to-day education, is further proof of Pat’s conviction.
Changing Lives Through Horses has been developed for both students up to 16 years old and post-16. They might be on a reduced timetable or EOTAS (education other than at school).
Pat and her team at Divoky, based at Downhead, near Shepton Mallet, offer up to two days a week for students up to 16 years and up to three days for post 16’s.
The BHS says participants are quickly discovering that the transformative power of working with horses, combined with a focus on developing key skills they can use throughout their lives, can lead to increased confidence and self-esteem, as well as lasting friendships – both human and equine!
Now available: an alternative education programme with horses and equine-based activities at its core.
Developed by the British Horse Society, the programme is:
H Available to children and young people aged 8-25 referred by their school or local education authority (we also welcome inquiries from parents/carers) who have become, or are at risk of becoming, disengaged or excluded from mainstream education or training.
H e main aim of the programme is to develop and support six key life skills: Communication, Confidence, Teamwork, Building Relationships, Perseverance and Responsibility.
H Students will be assessed as suitable for the course and will be supported to work in small groups. A basic interest in horses is key but no experience is necessary.
H We offer up to two days a week for students up to 16 years and up to three days for post 16's (Tuesdays Wednesdays and ursdays 9.30am2.30pm.
Divoky Riding School continues to operate as a riding school open to all, offering lessons and pony mornings. We are now also offering “horse care and riding” half-day sessions to adults on a Sunday (10am-12.30pm).
Two wheels, one better way to work
CYCLEto Work Day, the UK’s biggest celebration of everyday cycling, returns on Thursday, August 7th. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist, a weekend leisure rider, or someone who hasn’t been on a bike in years, this national event invites everyone to get involved and experience the benefits of commuting by bike. But if that date doesn’t work for you, don’t worry – any day you choose to ride to work this month can still make a difference.
Since it began in 2013, Cycle to Work Day has grown from a small initiative into a major event supported by employers, councils, charities, and cycling advocates across the country.
It’s more than just a one-off ride – it’s a chance to reimagine how we get to work, how we use our roads and how small changes to our daily routines can lead to big benefits for our health, our wallets, and the environment.
Cycling to work isn’t just about swapping the car for a bike –it’s a lifestyle shift that can have a powerful impact on how we feel day to day. For many, the ride to work becomes a moment of calm before a busy day begins – a chance to wake up gently, clear the mind, and get the blood flowing.
And at the end of the day, that same ride becomes a natural buffer, helping to unwind and decompress before arriving home. There’s something uniquely refreshing about travelling under your own steam, whether you're coasting along a riverside path or weaving through quiet backstreets.
From a health perspective, the advantages are hard to ignore. Regular cycling has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and a host of mental health conditions. It improves overall fitness and energy levels, and studies consistently show that people who cycle to work arrive more alert, focused, and ready to tackle the day.
Mental wellbeing also gets a boost – cycling is linked to lower stress levels, improved mood, and better sleep. Even a short daily ride can help reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression and many riders find the rhythm and motion of cycling almost meditative.
For the environmentally conscious, Cycle to Work Day also highlights how much of a difference individual action can make. Transport is one of the UK’s largest sources of carbon emissions, and commuting by car remains a major contributor. By switching even just one journey a week to a bike ride, you can reduce your carbon footprint, cut air pollution, and ease congestion on local roads. It’s a simple action that can create a ripple effect far beyond your daily commute.
Not to mention, cycling is cheaper than driving or using
public transport. Once you have a bike, maintenance costs are minimal and you’ll quickly notice the savings on petrol and parking.
Thanks to the Cycle to Work scheme, getting hold of a goodquality bike and accessories has become more affordable too. This government-backed initiative allows employees to save at least 25% on a new bike through tax-free salary sacrifice.
You can also include gear like helmets, locks, lights, and even cycling clothing – making it a great way to get fully equipped without a big upfront cost. And it’s not just limited to traditional bikes; e-bikes are included too, which is great news for anyone with a longer commute, physical limitations, or hilly routes to contend with.
If the idea of cycling all the way to work feels daunting, try easing into it. Combine cycling with driving or plan a quieter, scenic route using local bike paths. Even short weekend rides can help build confidence before committing to a regular commute.
Cycle to Work Day is ultimately about rediscovering the joy of riding a bike. It’s about finding a better way to travel that works for your body, your budget, and the planet. It’s about celebrating the freedom, independence, and simplicity that cycling brings – and maybe even starting a habit that sticks.
Every ride matters, whether it’s five minutes or 50. Whether you're riding solo or with colleagues, whether you're wearing lycra or jeans, whether you’re pedalling a road bike or cruising on an e-bike – it all counts.
So, this August, dust off your bike, pump up the tyres and take to the streets. Join thousands of others across the UK who’ll be pedalling their way to a healthier, happier commute. Who knows? It might just be the start of a whole new way of getting around!
Radstock ABC boxer Shayne Smith, aged 13, won gold boxing for the first time at the prestigious Bristol Box Cup event held in Thornbury.
Going into the weekend, Shayne boasted a record of two bouts and two wins whereas his opponent, Rhys Darwen, had collected six wins from 11 bouts, a considerable difference in experience.
Shayne’s coach, Sean Jenkins, said: “This is just the start for Shayne. He has the ability and determination to do really well and it's going to be a pleasure going on his journey with him.”
Club’s huge medal haul
MARTIALarts athletes from Jamie Woodlands Academy in Radstock have been busy recently, competing on the national, European and world stages. Competing in various disciplines the team have been racking up wins right across the board.
Charis Derrick, Mark Dibley, Ruby Sage, Kitty Howson and Quinn Hutchinson have been to tournaments in Vienna, Germany and at home and have amassed an incredible tally of 14 golds and 11 silvers across World, European and British championships. Mark and Charis are now invited to this year’s world championships in Australia.
A team of students consisting of Kitty Howson, Zeta Dring,
A shooting star
IT’Ssix years since we reported how Chloe Applin, then 16, won a car by winning The Schools Challenge clay shooting competition at her first attempt - when she was too young to drive.
She’s just been in Cyprus as part of the Great Britain team at the world championships and has notched up many other successes in the intervening years.
After finishing her A-levels at Chew Valley School, Chloe studied at the Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester. She is now head of marketing for a butchery company.
For the last five years, she’s been sponsored by RM Penny. She said: “They’ve been just brilliant at supporting me.”
Laura Kingman, John Williams, Fabio Grippa, Max Ransted, Evie Deegan, Charis Derrick and Mark Dibley recently attended the World Martial arts Committee British championships. Again, the team were competing across various disciplines showing their versatility and elite skill level. The overall medal tally on the day was eight golds, five silvers and five bronzes with the team coming in at an overall 7th place.
Academy instructor, Jamie Woodland, said: “I am absolutely blown away and couldn’t be prouder of everyone that has put their skills on the line, tested themselves and come out at the top against some of the best martial artists in the world.”
Shayne Smith with Ashley Hitchott (left) and Sean Jenkins
Golfers enjoy the sunshine
Bowmaker winners (l to r): Tim Dean, Colin Davis and Sue Moon with lady captain Fiona Cruse
WHEATHILLGolf Club held their annual charity mixed bowmaker fundraiser, this year in aid of Cancer Research UK, raising £701.
In all, 66 members took part in this competition and the winners with 90 stableford points were Sue Moon, Colin Davis and Tim Dean.
Meanwhile, the annual Past Lady Captain's competition took place with nine players battling it out to win a pestigious trophy. Melanie Brewin, (Lady Captain in 2018) won with 36 points, closely followed by Jan Street (Lady Captain in 2022) on 35 points.
Runners receive awards
SOMER Athletics Club, Midsomer Norton’s local running club, recently held their annual presentations ceremony to reward and recognise the efforts of its members during the last 12 months.
The Mens and Ladies Club Championship, recognising the best performances over several events over the year, were won by Paul Newman and Sharon Best respectively.
The club also made awards and recognised the efforts of athletes in each of the Seniors, Youth and Juniors sections. Categories included Best Male and Female athletes, Best Newcomer, Most Improved Athlete, as well as a Coaches Award where the Somer Coaching Team selected the individual athlete who has contributed most to the training sessions.
Special awards went to coaches Matt Exley and Claire Blewitt. After many years, both are stepping back from their coaching responsibilities.
New members are welcome. Seniors meet Tues/Thurs at Norton Hill School whilst the youth and juniors meet at Downside School on Thursdays during term times.
For details, email: hello@somerac.org.uk or visit their Facebook or Instagram pages
Bronze winner
YEAR 5 and 6 girls from Chew Stoke Church School took part in the first ever B&NES Girls’ Basketball Tournament at Wellsway Secondary School, in Keynsham, coming third overall.
Fundraising at fun day
RUNNER Emma Woodcock, from Wells, has been given a coveted place in next year’s London Marathon to raise money in memory of her late mother.
Emma has tried to enter the event for more than 12 years without success but, after losing mum Patricia Rix in March from complications caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis, she applied to become the Rheumatoid Arthritis Society’s sole entrant.
Emma, whose husband runs the Sadler’s Wine Bar and Lounge in Wells, runs for Wells City Harriers and has completed several 10kms and half-marathons.
l Sadler’s is holding fundraising bingo nights on the first Sunday of every month. The next is on August 3rd. Eyes down at 6pm. For details, visit: www.sadlerswinebar.com
(Photo courtesy of Colin Davis)
Emma raising funds at Croscombe Village Fun Day
Wells prepares for inaugural free jazz and blues festival!
AN exciting new addition to Wells’ cultural calendar is on its way with the first Wells Jazz & Blues Festival. Set to take place from 26th to 28th September, the festival will be absolutely free for everyone to enjoy!
It is the brainchild of local resident Niamh McGrogan. Driven by a desire to bring something truly special to the community, Niamh has rallied a group of impressive local musicians and to make this dream a reality.
The festival is a not-for-profit community event, run entirely by dedicated volunteers.
Four venues will host up to nine bands and artists throughout
the weekend, with a staggering 24 fantastic bands already confirmed to perform over the three days, guaranteeing something for every taste!
Support for the festival has been significantly boosted with backing from the Wellspring Fund, set up in lockdown to support live music recovery in Wells as Covid restrictions eased. Founded by local sax player Paul Cannon it has raised many thousands of pounds to support live shows.
Paul said: “The fund has done what it was set up for and putting what's left of it into the Wells Jazz and Blues Festival is a fitting finale to its five-year run.”
Support the event by donating at: https://gofund.me/ebc3957f
Hutton gets ready for its annual festival
THETaste of Somerset will return to Hutton on August 27th at the start of the village festival. It will feature a wide range of food, including meats and cheeses, as well as drinks.
There will be a classic car show and a wide range of other stalls, with a bar and music from 11am-5pm.
The village believes in making the most of the marquee put up for the occasion in St Mary’s field, Hutton.
There’s a charity quiz night on August 28th at 7.30pm and two events on the Saturday –the village flower show at 1pm and the Hutton Big Bash at 7pm. The Big Bash raises funds for Hutton’s adopted village, Dabaso in Kenya, where villagers have undertaken several projects over the years.
The festival ends on Sunday, August 31st with Last Night of the Proms, featuring Weston Brass.
Poldark in Holcombe
EVERYweekend in August there will be a display at Holcombe Old Church celebrating ten years since the Poldark BBC historical drama aired in 2015.
Although the series is about Cornish identity, some of the scenes were actually filmed at the church, used extensively to represent the local parish church, known in the series as Sawle Church.
The displays will be held on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am4pm, with a Poldark and Pimms event on August 31st, 2-4pm with an extract reading from a Poldark novel by local performers.
Wrington Vale Rotary Club presents its big breakfast meet of classic cars, supercars, motor bikes and unusual vehicles on Sunday 5th October 2025, 9am -1pm.
Bring your pride and joy, meet your friends and enjoy an outdoor breakfast. As usual Suzi Downs will be selling raffle tickets with some very special prizes.
Venue: Brean Down Car Park, Warren Rd, Somerset TA8 2RS (Opposite National Trust Offices). Leave the A370 at Eastertown.
Wrington Vale Rotary Club is a very active organisation. Over the past 12 months we have organised and enjoyed Jazz in the Orchard, a relaxing afternoon listening to music in the peaceful setting in Thatcher’s orchard. The Family Festival at Mendip Activity Centre was a more lively affair, a weekend of fun for all ages. We have also run an extensive schools programme with Young Musician, Young Chef and Youth Speaks competitions, as well as a weekend for young carers and a special day out at Longleat.
Street collections have raised money in aid of Somewhere To Go, a centre for less fortunate people in Weston-super-Mare and a Wrap Up winter coat collection has helped them to keep warm. For the local community John presided over a fun Frog Racing evening in Shipham, a Classic Car Big Breakfast and much more.
Most Rotarians also donate to our own charity, The Rotary Foundation, which supports projects worldwide, including Mercy Ships, delivering free world class hospital care, transforming the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. The Foundation has contributed 3 billion dollars to almost eliminate polio completely in the world.
The president’s choice –a new prize
A NEW cup is to be awarded at the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Schow in August for the best exhibit in the grand parade of livestock.
The winner of the perpetual cup will be chosen by the show president – this year it is Mark Bagwell, the operations director for Charlie Bigham's who have always been great supporters of the show.
He will choose the overall best in show from the overall champions of each animal class, entirely at his discretion.
A spokesperson for the show, which takes place on Sunday, August 17th on the showground at Shepton Mallet, said: “It will be entirely up to the president to whom the award goes, no prior knowledge of any species/breed is required – just whatever takes their fancy on the day.”
The award – to be known as the Babycham Cup – has been made possible through the generous support of the Showering family.
l There is still time to become a member of the show society and also to buy advance parking tickets.
Update –ticket price and Booking Fee
Thank you so much for your wonderful support. We can now say due to that support we are extending the £5 ticket offer into 2025. (not inc. Event Cinema)
Please note from 1st February our booking fee will be £1.50 per transaction. We are sure you will agree this is reasonable to be able to secure your seat. Many cinemas in the area charge £2 or more per ticket. Your continued support of our Concession Shop and Bar is so vitally important as we don't have to give Film Distributors 60% of those sales as we do for Film Hire.
History coming alive
FAMILIES across Somerset are invited to explore a world of creativity, science, history, and hands-on fun at the county’s museums.
From robot dogs and Viking invasions to clay modelling and encounters with real-life creatures, the South West Heritage Trust is offering an inspiring programme of exhibitions and activities at its sites including Glastonbury and Avalon Archaeology at Shapwick Heath.
Museums’ Manager Susie Simmons said: “Running throughout
the school holidays, these family-friendly events promise unforgettable experiences that bring the past –and the imagination –to life.”
At Somerset Rural Life Museum families pay once and can come back as many times as they like! All the daily summer holiday activities are included, alongside a new exhibition by local artists, titled “Tractored by Beetles”. There will be a menagerie of animals to meet including donkeys, ponies, shire horses, birds of prey, bugs and snakes. Local artists will also be delivering imaginative art and poetry activities.
Visitors to Avalon Archaeology can immerse themselves in thousands of years of local history as they explore replica buildings including a Saxon longhall and a Roman villa. Familyfun days include “Viking Invasion” with reenactors from Draca Beorder. On “Roman Day” children can meet Marcus the Medicus and learn more about Roman health care. There’s also a chance to celebrate the changing seasons at “Hærfest” when visitors can gather to honour the harvest and ancient traditions.
Somerset Rural Life Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm. Avalon Archaeology is open every Saturday and Sunday during the school holidays.
Step back in time at the Rural Life Museum
(Photo courtesy of Joe
Walking around Frome
FROMEWalking Festival is back from August 8th-10th, offering 19 walks to suit all tastes, ages and fitness levels. Many of the walks on offer are free, although some require booking in advance.
Les Stather, of Frome Walkers Are Welcome, said: “Last year’s festival was enjoyed by nearly 300 people and lots of popular walks are back again in 2025, including history walks around Frome’s blue plaques and war graves.”
WEEKENDcamping tickets for the Rotary Club of Wrington Vale's Mendip Family Festival at Mendip Basecamp, above Churchill dry ski slope on the last weekend of August, have already sold out.
But some evening tickets are still available if you are quick. Catch the Immersive “Harry Potter” Outdoor Cinema Experience on Friday, then dance the night away to legendary Bristol icons, Doreen Doreen, plus supporting bands, on the Saturday.
Two great evenings for all the family, with proceeds to local charities.
Seaside fun –in Midsomer Norton!
THERE will be magic in the air at Midsomer Norton South station on Sunday, August 17th! Back in the heyday of the Somerset & Dorset Railway, summer excursions to the seaside were popular.
A day trip to somewhere like Bournemouth was made easy by the railways with special price day return tickets. In an effort to recreate this, the railway is holding Midsomer Summer – a family fun day with a re-imagined trip to the seaside Midsomer Norton style.
Trains will be running to their usual timetable, with the first departure at 10.30. The trains will be returning to “Bournemouth West”, where passengers can then go to the re-imagined “beach” or enjoy the side shows such as hook-a-duck, tin can alley and hoopla.
Dave Hickory will be entertaining the children with balloon modelling and some magic shows, and there will be a band to add to the atmosphere. Buckets and spades will be ready in the sandpit and the paddling pool will make the beach complete.
You can’t have a day at the seaside without an ice cream so there will be an ice cream van as well as the usual refreshments from the buffet.
So if you want a day of train rides and some beachside fun, go along to Midsomer Norton South station on Sunday, August 17th.
Details: www.sdjr.co.uk
A nine-day feast of literature
A LIVELYline-up of speakers at this year's Wells Festival of Literature features a trio of TV personalities, along with top novelists and the commemoration of three anniversaries.
Familiar faces appearing at the festival in October are gardener Carol Klein, cook Prue Leith and BBC international correspondent Lyse Doucet.
A trio of novelists begins with Sebastian Faulks, author of the best-selling Birdsong, who opens the festival with an intriguing perspective on his life in Fires Which Burned Brightly: Ten Essays in Place of a Memoir.
He is followed by Howard Jacobson who, in discussion with the audience at the Book Group event, brings a touch of romance and a look at late love in his new novel What will survive of us?
Then there is Edward St Aubyn, creator of the Patrick Melrose stories that were made into a Sky Atlantic series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch.
On a more serious note, the 80th anniversary of WW2 is marked by two speakers who give gripping accounts of wartime survival and espionage.
Historian Anne Sebba, in The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, tells the harrowing tale of a 50-strong orchestra of women and young girls forced to play for their lives in the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Former Foreign Office diplomat Tim Willasey-Wilsey, in The Spy and the Devil, tells the long-concealed tale of Baron de Ropp, MI6's top secret agent in Nazi Germany from 1931 to 1939.
A further significant anniversary is that of an accidental discovery which sparked a chain of events leading to the atomic age. Frank Close in The Deep History of the Nuclear Age: 18951965 shows how the initial dreams of beneficial atomic energy were transmuted into nightmares.
On a very different note, comedian Rachel Parris and Oxford professor Ros Ballaster celebrate the 250th birthday of Regency writer Jane Austen.
These and many more promise a nine-day literary extravaganza at Cedars Hall in Wells from October 17th-25th. Join as a Friend of the Festival to receive priority booking and a discount on ticket prices (£10 standard price £12.50).
Details: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
Carol Klein
A fun-packed summer at The Bishop’s Palace
IF the thought of the long school summer holidays is already filling you with dread The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells may have the solution with a packed programme of family-friendly activities and a bank holiday weekend full of medieval re-enactments and demonstrations.
Little ones will be kept busy with family crafting sessions, Nature Ninjas workshops, family trails and encouraged to “have-a-go” at Medieval Ground Billiards with The Time Travelling Carpenter on Saturday, August 2nd.
The Dragon’s Lair play area, fit with a climbing frame, pole jungle, a waterwheel and sluice gates is also the perfect place for little ones to let their imaginations run wild in the palace’s 14 acres of RHS partner gardens.
And medieval re-enactment and combat specialists, Bowlore Medieval, will be bringing the summer holidays to a dramatic close over the August Bank Holiday weekend with a weekend of live displays of medieval weaponry, re-enactments, and expert demonstrations. Encamped in the stunning ruins of the Great Hall from August 23rd-25th, the historical re-enactment group and medieval weapons experts will be hosting lively displays throughout the day, with demonstrations and
choreographed combat.
The Black Dog, Bowlore’s weapons and armour tent, will also give visitors the chance to get a glimpse of medieval life and members of the Bowlore troupe will be on hand throughout the day to share their expertise and answer questions.
l Entrance to the family activities and Medieval Weekend is included with general admission to The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens; there’s no additional charge for the events.
Bowlore Medieval at The Bishop's Palace
T HE M ENDIP T IMES W
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Wednesday July 30th
Frome Society: Kevin Ross reveals stories of Lost Prisoner of War Camp of Frome, 7 for 7.30pm Frome Cricket Club BA11 2AH. Free (charity donation).
Thursday July 31st
Mendip Morris and Mr Wilkins Shilling dancing outside the Prince of Waterloo pub, Winford, at 8pm.
Saturday August 2nd and Sun August 3rd
Open weekend St Andrew’s Church, Blagdon: have a go at bell ringing, playing the organ, arranging flowers or more! Details: www.chewvalleysouth.org
Sunday August 3rd
St Hugh’s, Charterhouse: Arts and Crafts styled chapel, aims to be open each Sunday until 14th Sept, 2pm to 5pm, if we have enough volunteers! Teas and toilets. All welcome, incl dogs. Details: chris.ball66@gmail.com
Nempnett Thrubwell Village Fete 2pm-5pm at the village hall, BS40 8YJ. What3Words: glad.bounded.overtones
Monday August 4th
Congresbury Memorial Hall Club: Friendship evening with bingo, 8pm War Memorial Hall. Visitors welcome.
Wednesday August 6th
Backwell & Nailsea Support Group for Carers talk by Grete Howard "The Golden Eagle festival in Mongolia" 2-3.30pm WI Hall, Backwell.
Pensford Lunch 12 to 2pm, Old School Room. All welcome. Details: Jane 07780 677253. Hiroshima Day – 80 years: Mid Somerset CND and Peace Group will be floating illuminated lanterns made by school children in Hiroshima in the moat at the Bishops Palace, Wells at dusk (approx. 8.45pm). A simple commemoration that will only last about 20 minutes.
Thursday August 7th
Chew Valley Death Café meets 12-1.30pm Community Library Bishop Sutton, first Thursday every month. A safe supportive space to talk about life, death and loss over tea and cake. All welcome. Please contact: bryonyhuntley2019@gmail.com
Paulton Folk Night 8.30pm Red Lion. Music, song and good company! Free. All welcome. Details: richardlm397@gmail.com
Somerset Morris practice every Thursday (except Aug 21st) 8pm-10pm, Marksbury Village Hall BA2 9HP. New (female) dancers and musicians of both sexes very welcome. Parking. Details: somersetmorris@hotmail.com or 07968 229628.
Wells & District Wildlife Group: Glow Worm walk through Westbury-sub-Mendip with expert Peter Bright. 9pm-10.30. Details: www.wdwg.org.uk or phone 07415 350062
Congresbury Book Sale 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books, jigsaws etc.
Sunday August 10th
125th Coleford Flower and Craft Show. Royal British Legion Hall, Anchor Road, Coleford BA3 5PB. Exhibits on show from 2pm.
Monday August 11th
Norton Radstock u3a talk by author Michael Malagham, 1.30pm-4pm Somer Centre, M Norton BA3 2UH. Visitors welcome. Details: www.norad.u3asite.uk
Priddy Folk Session 8.30pm Queen Victoria. Music, song and good company! Free. All welcome. Details: richardlm397@gmail.com
Tuesday August 12th
Frome Selwood Horticultural Society talk: “Climbers and Wall Shrubs" by Alan Eason, 7.30pm, Critchill School, BA11 4LD. Details: 0777 620 8531 or jane.norris9@gmail.com
Wednesday August 13th
Bereavement Help Point, Shepton Mallet: an informal, supportive space where you can meet others who may be experiencing similar feelings. All welcome. Free drop-in, 1011.45am, Shepton Brasserie, 64 High St. Details: 0345 0310 555 or dorothyhouse.co.uk Farming with Wildlife: talks and a tour at the Community Farm, Chew Stoke, 7pm-9.30pm. Details:
www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk/events
Thursday August 14th
Chew Valley Garden Society talk: “Alluring Alpines” by Paul Cumbleton, 8pm Stanton Drew Village Hall. Easy access and parking. Visitors welcome.
Friday August 15th
Wells & District Wildlife Group: visit to the “Heal Rewilding” site at Witham Friary. Details: www.wdwg.org.uk or 07415 350062. Saturday August 16th
Cheddar Flower Show 40th anniversary, village hall, 2pm. Details on Facebook or: cheddar.flowershow@yahoo.com
Writhlington Flower Show and Fete 2.30pm, will this year be commemorating 80 years since VE/VJ Day.
Wedmore Harvest Home. Procession from 9.30, lunch at midday. Speakers, entertainment and evening event. Details on Facebook. Claverham Market 10am-12pm village hall, butcher, veg, crafts etc. Details: 01934 830553. Mary Anning Exhibition Open Day 11am3.30pm Stoke St Michael. Details: www.earthsciencecentre.org.uk
Timsbury Gardening Club Show 2-4.30pm Conygre Hall. Entrance £1. Details: 07975 754956 or keithloraine1@gmail.com
Chew Valley u3a: talk by Neil Sedgwick ‘Safe driving in today’s conditions’ 10 for 10.30am Ubley Parish Hall. Visitors £2.50 inc refreshments.
Norton Radstock u3a Coffee morning 10am12, Somer Centre, M Norton BA3 2UH. Visitors welcome. Details www.norad.u3a.uk
Congresbury Memorial Hall Club: Friendship evening with bingo, 8pm War Memorial Hall. Visitors welcome.
Tuesday August 19th
The Merry Wives of Windsor by Illyria Theatre, 7pm Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Blagdon. Details: www.valley-arts.co.uk
Wednesday August 20th
Friends of Weston Museum visit to Oakham Treasures, Portbury, BS20 7SP. Meet 2.30pm in their car park.
Details: www.facebook.com/groups/ friendsofthemuseum/ Pensford Lunch 12 to 2pm, Old School Room. All welcome. Details: Jane 07780 677253.
Thursday August 21st
Axbridge: Somerset Morris and Mendip Morris dancing in the square.
Saturday August 23rd
High Littleton and Hallatrow village day, with car boot sale, from 12 at the Recreation Ground. Details: Chris 01761 471106 chriswootten@talktalk.net
Wincanton Choral Society will be serving delicious cakes and savouries, 10am-4pm Stourton Memorial Hall, BA12 6QE adj. to Stourhead lake.
Congresbury Book Sale: 9am-1pm War Memorial Hall. Good quality books, jigsaws etc.
Saturday August 23rd and Sunday 24th
Pawlett Art Group Exhibition with refreshments supporting Cancer Research UK. Admission free, 10.30-4.30 Pawlett Village Hall TA6 4RY.
Saturday August 23rd to Mon August 25th Bowlore Mediaeval Weekend at the Bishop’s Palace, Wells
Sunday August 24th
Yatton Station: Vintage Transport Rally & Family Funday 10am-4pm, to raise funds for the Strawberry Line Café at the station. Free rides on vintage buses, fairground organ, classic cars, bouncy castle etc. Entry free. Details on Facebook or davepinnock53@btinternet.com
Bank Holiday Monday August 25th
Wells Lions Moat Race, Bishop’s Palace needs volunteers to help and teams to take part! Details: www.wellsmoatboatrace.com or email cityofwellslions@gmail.com
Winscombe Folk & Acoustic Club 7.30 for 8pm in the quiet “room upstairs”, Winscombe Club, BS25 1HD. Open mic for music, song, poetry. Every 4th Tuesday £2.
G UIDEFOR A UGUST 2025
Wednesday August 27th
Bereavement Help Point, Shepton Mallet: an informal, supportive space where you can meet others who may be experiencing similar feelings. All welcome. Free drop-in, 1011.45am, Shepton Brasserie, 64 High St. Details: 0345 0310 555 or dorothyhouse.co.uk
Wells Folk Night 8pm City Arms. Music, song and good company! Free. All welcome. Details: richardlm397@gmail.com
Taradiddle’s UK Tour: Swiss acoustic trio with beautiful close harmonies, 7.30 for 8pm. Winscombe Folk Club in “the room upstairs”, Winscombe Club, BS25 1HD. Entry free but a hat will be passed to support their travel expenses. Details: www.taradiddle.ch
Wednesday August 27th to Sunday 31st Hutton Festival, various events, starting with Taste of Somerset. Details: www.huttonsomerset.org.uk
Thursday August 28th
Chilcompton Gardening Club visit to the American Museum, Bath. Details on Facebook.
Stanton Drew Flower show, 1.30, village hall, paddock and church. Details: www.stantondrew.org
Wrington Show, Memorial Hall, 2.30pm. Details: wringtonshow@gmail.com
Midsomer Norton Coffee Morning 10am-12 Methodist Church. Raffle & cake stall raising funds for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance and Wednesday Afternoon Group.
Wells Repair Café, 10am-12.30 Wells Library, Union St. Bring clean, broken items of all kinds and our volunteers will do their best to fix them. Bring leads/chargers. All welcome. Details on Facebook or: repaircafe.wells@gmail.com
Sunday August 31st
Cream tea and £1 square raffle, from 2pm, Priddy village hall. In aid of Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. Details: Jo Creed 0796 8033050.
Poldark and Pimms, 2pm-4pm Holcombe Old Church – where some filming for the series took place. The church will also be open at weekends in August, 10am-4pm.
St Hugh’s, Charterhouse: Arts and Crafts styled chapel, aims to be open each Sunday until 14th Sept, 2pm to 5pm, if we have enough volunteers! Teas and toilets. All welcome, incl dogs. Details: chris.ball66@gmail.com Wedmore 40/30 charity cycle ride for
Weston HospiceCare and St Mary’s Wedmore. Details: Facebook.
Monday September 1st
RAFA Mid-Somerset Branch Meeting, 11am Wells Golf Club. Talk “The History of the Royal Observer Corps” by Dave Rogers followed by lunch. Details: rafa.midsomerset@gmail.com or 01458224057.
Congresbury Memorial Hall Club: Friendship evening with Bingo, 8pm War Memorial Hall. Visitors welcome.
Wednesday September 3rd
Clevedon Gardener’s Club 1st and 3rd Wed. each month, 7.30pm Kenn Rd Methodist Church Hall, Clevedon BS21 6LH. Details: clevedongardeners.chessck.co.uk
Backwell & Nailsea Support Group for Carers Visit to Cadbury Garden Centre for afternoon tea – booking essential. Details: Beverley 01275 463215.
Pensford Super Soup Lunch 12 to 2pm, Old School Room. All welcome. Details: Jane 07780 677253.
Thursday September 4th
Chew Valley Death Café meets 12-1.30pm
Community Library Bishop Sutton, first Thursday every month. A safe supportive space to talk about life, death and loss over tea and cake. All welcome. Please contact: bryonyhuntley2019@gmail.com
The Extravaganza is back!
THE Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza will return on Saturday, August 9th, with a headline performance from The Script, plus special guests Steve Whalley and the Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society.
The Irish four-piece band, who played at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, released their album Satellites last August.
Tickets cost £50 for adults and £25 for children aged up to 16. Any remaining tickets will cost £55/£30 on the gate. Glastonbury Abbey PLUS members receive a 10% discount on tickets (you will need your membership card number to purchase).
A park & ride will be running from Clarks Village car park in Street from 3.30pm. Please note that these are not accessible for wheelchairs and electric scooters.
Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed that the singer Raye will headline this year’s Pilton Party.
Taking place at Worthy Farm in Pilton on Friday, September 5th, the party is seen as a thank you to residents for their support of the Glastonbury Festival. It also raises funds for village good causes.
Local DJ Patmandu and the Baggy Monkeys will be in support of the British-born singer/songwriter, who In 2023, My
21st Century Blues was shortlisted for a Mercury Prize. At the 2024 edition of the Brit Awards, Raye broke the record for the artist with the most wins at a single ceremony, receiving British Artist of the Year, Best New Artist, Songwriter of the Year— becoming the first female recipient—Best R&B Act, British Album of the Year (for My 21st Century Blues), and Song of the Year (for “Escapism”).
Raye has twice appeared at the festival itself – earlier this year and in 2023.
