Mendiptimes - Volume 9 Issue 4

Mendip Times

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FREE

Celebrating life on the Mendips and surrounding areas

SEPTEMBER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE: HARVEST HOMES • MENDIP REMEMBERS • MUSIC • CAVING SPECIAL • FOOD & DRINK • EDUCATION Local people, local history, local places, local events and local news

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MENDIP TIMES

CONTENTS

Welcome

IT is the season of ploughing matches and harvest homes as the summer draws to a close – and what a summer it’s been!

There were record crowds at local events and we have pictures from many of them, including a splendid MidSomerset Show and Priddy Sheep Fair, plus a comprehensive guide to what’s coming up this month.

From abseiling down a church tower to skydiving, we meet the daredevils raising money for charity, including a mum and young daughter planning to drive around Europe in a car that’s already done a million kilometres.

In Coleford, we meet a group of community-minded villagers who are determined to revive its annual show day.

In history, we hear of a remarkable diary of the First World War and meet the former Italian prisoners of war who stayed on at the end of the last world war. We also hear of plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Strawberry Line.

We’ve devoted two pages to caving this month to show Phil Hendy’s beautiful pictures of underground Mendip. There’s a special feature on education, as well as all of our regular features and contributors.

We also reveal how a famous Priddy pub sign ended up in Australia!

October 2013 deadline: Friday, 13th September 2013.

Published: Tuesday, 24th September 2013.

Editorial: Steve Egginton steve@mendiptimes.co.uk Mark Adler mark@mendiptimes.co.uk Advertising: Ann Quinn advertising@mendiptimes.co.uk Marjorie Page marjorie@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 or: letters@mendiptimes.co.uk www.mendiptimes.co.uk Design and origination by: Steve Henderson Printed by: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ Copyright of editorial content held by Mendip Times Ltd. and its contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the Publisher. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the publisher or its associates.

Front cover: Ladies with lunch at Wedmore Harvest Home: Louise Seymour, Alison Slade, Alison Wilkinson and Victoria Tinney.

Photograph by Mark Adler (see page 36).

Michael bubbly – dive club’s boat launch

5

23

Skyfall – why a WI club held its breath

79

Their aim is true – Nunney’s medieval celebrations

98

Return to Avalon – Ferry across the abbey

Plus all our regular features Environment...................................6 Farming Mary James MBE..........10 Arts & Antiques ...........................16 Food & Drink...............................24 Internet and Crossword..............38 Business ........................................40 Wildlife Chris Sperring MBE .......57 Walking Sue Gearing....................58 Outdoors Les Davies MBE ..........60 Gardening Mary Payne MBE ......62

Property........................................73 Family Mendip Mum....................74 Health Dr Phil Hammond.............74 Community Simon Selby .............76 Charities .......................................80 Caving Phil Hendy........................86 Homes and Interiors....................90 Golf..............................................100 Riding Celia Gadd ......................102 What’s On ..................................108 MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 3

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MENDIP TIMES

Palace has new chief executive

THE Bishop’s Palace, in Wells has a new chief executive, Rosie Martin, who has lived in Wells since 2007, and formerly ran the social justice charity African Initiatives in Bristol.

She said: “Undertaking the role of Chief Executive here really means everything to me. Some may wonder why I have moved from social justice to heritage. There’s a simple answer; this is my chance to work in my own community and to develop the palace for the people of Wells and beyond.

“I honestly can’t think of a more perfect job. I am completely dedicated to improving access and developing community support and involvement to ensure a successful future for the palace – a place that is very dear to me and my family.”

Rotary’s new governor

BRIAN Kirkup, from Cheddar, president of Wrington Vale Rotary, has been elected District 1200 Governor for the coming year.

His theme will be The Spirit of Youth, hoping to inspire, challenge, motivate, inform and celebrate Rotarians’ work with young people across the District. He was head of Churchill School before retiring in 2001.

50 not out

AMBULANCEMAN, Dennis Oakes, from Sandford, has just completed 50 years of service and has received a special award from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.

Dennis started in July 1963 and still works part-time on patient transport, despite being treated for prostate cancer. He is a keen golfer and also works part-time as a ranger at Mendip Spring Golf Club.

He’s pictured receiving his award from Dr Anthony C. Marsh, chairman of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.

Stars having a smashing time

NEWS

Miranda and Michael launch the boat

BBC Coast presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff and Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis “launched” Street Divers Sub Aqua Club’s new boat in the traditional way – but in true Somerset-style!

They used bottles of cider rather than champagne at the ceremony in Clarks Shopping Village in Street.

The club – known as Street Divers – raised much of the money towards the boat by running a café in the Family Camping Field at the festival.

Member of the dive club outside their festival cafe

Celebrations after the boat is launched by Michael and Miranda MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 5

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Beaches clean-up

THE 20th annual Beachwatch Big Weekend, organised by the Marine Conservation Society, will take place over the weekend of September 20th.

MCS Beachwatch officer, Lauren Eyles, said: “Beach litter has steadily risen over the two decades we’ve been recording it on UK beaches and we need more people to join us as volunteer beach cleaners to help make this 20th anniversary event the most

comprehensive collection of data yet.

“Somerset is home to the Marine Conservation Society’s flagship beach, Sand Bay near Weston-super-Mare where we’ve cleaned and surveyed the beach since 1999. As a celebration of Beachwatch’s 20th anniversary, we’re making a big deal of the Sand Bay beach clean.

“In addition to cleaning and surveying the beach, you can take part in a wildlife Details: www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch

Museum decision is close

THE result of a bid for £720,000 of Heritage Lottery Fund money towards the redevelopment of the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury is expected to be announced in September.

The museum is one of Somerset’s most popular visitor attractions but has not benefitted from major refurbishment since its creation in the 1970s. It is run by the Somerset County Council’s Heritage Service, which is working with the Friends of Somerset Rural Life Museum, the HLF and other partners to raise the £1.8 million needed for the redevelopment.

The focus of activity in recent months has been on completing detailed plans and raising the money to allow the project to go ahead. The Round Two bid to the HLF for £720,000 was submitted in May. The bid is currently being assessed and is expected to go to the HLF Committee in September.

Depending upon the outcome, the heritage service says it is delighted to report that other in-principle bids for the project have been successful. Viridor Credits Environmental Company has allocated in-principle funding of £750,000 and David Heeley (centre) with some of the friends and curator Emma Munn (left).

walk, hear our turtle experts ‘talk turtle’, see amazing art created from beach rubbish and join in with other marine themed activities.”

the Garfield Weston Foundation has awarded £150,000.

Somerset County Council is contributing £170,000 towards the project and the Friends of Somerset Rural Life Museum have given £15,000. Two grants totalling £44,000 have also been received.

The Friends had already donated £10,500 to support the project’s development to this stage. The £15,000 cash boost will go towards the site redevelopment works, which will include a new learning centre, re-display of the museum galleries and conservation improvements to the 14th-century Abbey Barn.

Friends chairman David Heeley said: “The Friends bring together people who are passionate about Somerset’s past and future. We are pleased to be so closely involved in the museum’s redevelopment and are excited about the benefits that will come from this.”

Councillor David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Heritage, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Friends of Somerset Rural Life Museum, who have made a vital contribution towards securing the museum’s future development and success.”

Ruling the roost – Henry, a grey Dorking rooster in the museum courtyard

For further information on the museum redevelopment project visit: www.somerset.gov.uk/srlmproject PAGE 6 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Photograph by Jacki Clark

MENDIP TIMES

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ENVIRONMENT

Geology is fun!

MENDIP Rocks! – the annual festival celebrating the area’s geology – began with a bang with a day of events at Cheddar Caves.

The Rocky Roadshow featured a series of hands-on experiments for all ages organised by the Somerset Earth Science Centre team and the Bristol Dinosaur Project.

G The festival is a joint effort between the Mendip Hills AONB Parternship, the SESC and Somerset Wildlife Trust.

It continues in September with a range of events including walks, talks and tours. For information, visit: www.somersetwildlife.org

Ready to rock – the team in Cheddar

Blowing its top – can you tell when a volcano is about to erupt? The aim was to suspend as many 100g weights as possible beneath a party popper before it exploded

Protecting and discovering Black Down BLACK Down and Burrington Commons – one of the most iconic and popular areas of the Mendip Hills – now has its own project officer. Stuart Bardsley is leading Discovering Black Down, with support from the Mendip Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the three-year £280,000 project will raise awareness of the wildlife and archaeological value of the Black Down and Burrington Commons.

Activities this month will include an introduction to orienteering and earth art, plus walking, riding and cycling tours exploring the area’s long human history.

Stuart worked previously for Natural England in Wiltshire and as a countryside officer in South Gloucestershire. He said: “I’ve lived in Bristol for the last 20 years and Black Down has been my playground. I just love the area, so this job is the perfect combination for me.”

Its popularity is part of the problem, with increasing visitor numbers putting pressure on wildlife habitats as well as

damaging paths and archaeological sites.

Stuart said: “My role is to work with all the user groups – walkers, riders, bikers, cavers, climbers – to raise awareness of what’s here and to fully understand the importance of what we’ve got.

“Physically I’ll be working with volunteers and local interest groups to survey and monitor problems like erosion and safeguard the many important archaeological and wildlife habitats that we have. Going forward it’s the users who will have the dominant role in safeguarding the area.”

Details: 01761 462338 sbardsley@somerset.gov.uk • www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/Discoveringblackdown project.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 7

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MENDIP TIMES

ENVIRONMENT

Hogging the limelight

M E N D I P

W E A T H E R

S C E N E

Prickles Hedgehog Rescue in Cheddar has its own royal baby. They’ve been hand-rearing a baby hedgehog, born on the same day as Prince George, and have named the tiny hoglet HRH Her Royal Hogness.

The Cheddar-based charity that cares for injured, poorly and orphaned hedgehogs, has been handfeeding the new arrival every 30 minutes day and night, after her mother rejected her.

She weighed in at 17 grams and is now 147 grams, but still fits in the palm of the hand. The centre is currently caring for 92 hedgehogs, 81 of them orphans.

Founder, Jules Bishop (pictured), said: “It is quite an achievement hand-rearing something so small.”

The charity, which cared for more than 500 hedgehogs last year, is currently looking for more volunteers and may have to move to find premises with more space.

It’s holding the Hedgehog Hop, a barn dance, on Saturday September 7th at the Church House, Cheddar. For tickets call 07806 744772.

A true Mendip summer

NOBODY can argue we didn’t have a proper summer this year.

After a dry June with lots of sunshine early in the month, July was the best such month since 2006. Pressure rose early in the month to give the long, hot spell which only just failed to beat that with DAVID year, with a mean of 19.5 Celsius – MAINE 30C was reached on three occasions here in East Harptree during the month and there were eight consecutive days when the temperature reached or exceeded 80F (26.7C). Wow! What a change from the last six years!

The weather was kind to most outdoor events – even for the Bristol Balloon Fiesta where they managed to get at least one big mass balloon ascent. What a spectacle! If you had an outdoor event that was rained off, then you were very unlucky; the opposite has been true for the last few years.

All the heat and energy which built up in the atmosphere during the hot spell resulted in the inevitable spectacular thunderstorm on the night of July 22nd when we had continuous lightning and an inch of rain (25mm) in little over half an hour. The storm was very localised, however – an ex-colleague of mine in Nailsea recorded just four mm during the same night. Such is the nature of these summer storms.

All in all, it was not just a true Mendip summer, but a true British summer with the jet stream in the right place to the north of the United Kingdom. A lot of research is

PAGE 8 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Should you come across a hedgehog needing help, call 07806 744772.

Not so lucky: a cloudburst over Nunney Street Fair towards the end of the afternoon’s festivities

currently going on into why it moves around so much from year to year (and the consequent changes in our weather), but it will be some time before we know the answer.

I do hope you all enjoyed it though, as we can’t be too sure how long it will be before we get another one like it.

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GUY SALMON LAND ROVER BRISTOL

Defender and Red Arrows

Guy Salmon Bristol flying high

BACK in 2011 we were approached by Dave Turley, trainee hot air balloon pilot and son of Guy Salmon Bristol Land Rover employee Lyn Turley with a unique opportunity to support a Hot Air Balloon Team.

We are now well in to our third season with the team and continue to support them with the use of a Defender 110 as their balloon retrieve vehicle. Dave and the rest of the team participate in all major public events where hot air balloons are welcomed and do a fantastic job of promoting the dealership and the Land Rover brand.

Only recently we were approached by Dave and asked if we would like to support him at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford and we jumped at the chance.

Dave said: "The event is the largest military airshow in the world and it is fantastic that our balloon team were invited to participate. Despite the beautiful hot sunny weather, it was sadly not flyable due to high winds but I did everything I could to make it worthwhile having the Defender there and came up with an idea.

“After lots of last minute talks with the Red Arrows crew chief and manager along with the airshow management team, I managed to secure a 15 minute window whereby I could be escorted out on to the airfield taxiway and down to where the Red Arrows were parked for a quick photo shoot opportunity.

“It is an extremely rare thing to be granted permission of this kind so we were all very excited. I insisted that one of the ‘Red's’ chief mechanics position the Defender where I wanted it; if anyone was going to crash in to a multi-million pound jet fighter I would rather it was them than me! In the picture is myself (right) along with our balloon team pilot Doug Hoddinott. I think you will agree

the picture came out great and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity.”

Guy Salmon Bristol were also supporting Dave and the team at the The Balloon Fiesta

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and turned out in force to man their stand at the Mid-Somerset Show in Shepton Mallet.

The team at the Mid-Somerset show

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 9

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MENDIP TIMES

Ploughing on towards autumn

LAST month I mentioned the photos and information I received about the Claverham Guernsey herd which George Dee Shapland founded in 1929. Hubert Weeks, father of Cilla Hobbs, who sent me the information, was the herdsman dedicated to the Claverham herd and worked so hard to produce all the With MARY cows to prize-winning standard. I am pleased JAMES MBE to say that all the material is going to the archives on Guernsey Island.

A few facts and figures from the dairy industry this month: in 1990 there were approximately 32,000 dairy herds in the UK, now there are just over 10,000. So many issues have driven dairy farmers out, such as price, TB, foot and mouth disease and bad weather. This means that many herds get bigger in order to survive.

Some 38,010 dairy cows were slaughtered because of bovine TB in 2012. Also last year an additional 5,109 farms got the devastating news that their business had been struck down by the disease. Bovine TB takes a terrible toll on cows, wildlife, farming families and rural communities. For more facts about bovine TB log on to the NFU www.nfuonline.org.uk Weather-wise we have had a kind spring and summer but the situation is not brilliant because of the poor quantities of silage made last year and farmers were buying in supplementary feed as the winter ended. Some are already feeding silage that has been made this year, so feed stocks are lower than normal. There is

Built in Britain for British Farmers

some nice quality grass at present so things are improving but it will take until next year to catch up.

If you have a rural business connected to the countryside there is an organisation called the North Somerset Rural Business Forum that you may like to join. Current membership includes farmers, farm managers, bankers, consultants, accountants, vets etc. There are interesting winter meetings which include a buffet supper. The cost is £20 per year for members or non-members are welcome at a cost of £7.50 per meeting.

There are some excellent meetings coming up namely October 17th The Thrust Project – creating the 1,000 mile per hour car; November 21st Yeo Valley – from conception to consumption the Yeo Valley Way; January 16th Professor John Wibberley – Polish perspective on Rural Business; February 20th – Great Western Air Ambulance and March 20th – Wiltshire Chilli Farm – growing hot stuff.

It’s a great group of people; we meet at Winford Manor Hotel.

For further details ring our secretary Andy Dodd 07759586321.

I regret to say the proposed Great British Beef Lunch on October 10th has been cancelled. But the ploughing matches are on: North Somerset on September 14th at Moorledge Farm, Chew Magna; NS Vintage at Pagans Hill on September 22nd (see page 43) and the Mendip Match on September 25th at Green Ore.

Help is at hand

THE Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest is launching its new Rest Assured Project to help elderly and struggling farmers across the region.

It says it has identified three main issues: financial hardship; the complexity of regulation; and what will happen to their farm when they are gone.

The project will seek to tackle these issues by creating more formal links with charities like the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Addington Fund, as well as with young farmers clubs.

It will offer free visits to give advice to elderly farmers, or any farmer struggling with or challenged by the demands of regulation, and also draw up a farm heritage report to capture the detail of farming traditions and preserve the farmer’s knowledge of the land and the wildlife it supports.

Details: FWAG SouthWest: 01823 355427 or email jenny.phelps@fwagsw.org.uk

Available now from your local dealer

UPHILL & SON LTD Chewton Mendip 01761 241270 Main JCB agriculture distributors for Somerset, South Glos. and West Wilts.

PAGE 10 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

EVERYTHING FOR THE SMALLHOLDER AND YOUR PETS Pig, goat, sheep, turkey, poultry and horse feeds Complete dog food, 15 kilo bag – £9.50

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Crime on the menu

RURAL communities will have a chance to meet Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens when she hosts her first rural crime forum at the Dairy Show at the Royal Bath and West Showground on Tuesday, October 2.

Ms Mountstevens will be discussing her plans to establish a rural crime forum in Avon and Somerset; rural crime encompasses everything from protecting and securing your home, property and livestock to fuel and metal theft.

The meeting, due to take place in the Lecture Theatre during the one-day event, will enable the PCC to introduce her vision and objectives for tackling crimes against rural communities and for rural communities to have the chance to be able to share their thoughts and best practice.

The specialist show is the biggest of its kind and attracts thousands of farmers and their families from across the south west and further afield The commissioner said: “I have experienced a real desire from the rural community to engage with the police and I feel that a Rural Crime Forum, which will be at a very strategic level, would facilitate this.

“We have some fantastic schemes including Farm and Rural Watches, proving to be very successful in Avon and Somerset, and in the areas where initiatives are working particularly well I want to share this best practise further.”

Rural, Farm, Horse and Neighbourhood Watches look after property through the sharing of intelligence between the community and the police. If you would like to join your local watch please call 101 or visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

FARMING

MENDIP PLOUGHING MATCH

Beekeepers’ course

MENDIP Beekeepers are staging a six-week course for beginners starting on Friday, November 8th, 7.30pm, at Chilcompton Church Hall, costing £30 for the six sessions.

Details: Alan Weaver 01761 417604.

Mendip Times reduces travel costs 100,000 potential customers just a few miles from your business

at GREEN ORE FARM, GREEN ORE, WELLS, SOMERSET on WEDNESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2013 Commencing 10am • Modern, Vintage Tractor and Horse Ploughing • Hedge Laying and Dry Stone Walling Competitions • Farm Produce Show • Trade Stands • Refreshments and Licensed Bar • Free Car Parking.

Further details, schedules and entry forms from the Hon. Secretary Jim King Mob: 07810 413664 email: jimking@btinternet.com MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 11

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MENDIP TIMES John Hewson and Eric Stokes admire some of the cheese entries

Roy Trott and Cathy Snook were honoured with lifetime achievement awards. Cathy, of Pilton, has worked with The Shepton Veterinary Group for 46 years. She joined when it was called L P Stafford.

The Wurzels’ Tommy Banner

Florence Sheppard, from Radstock Showjumping was one of the main attractions in the main arena

Wendy and John Richards, from Westonsuper-Mare, with their whippets at the dog show PAGE 12 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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One of the shire horses which competed in the main arena

MID-SOMERSET SHOW 2013

The bar at the popular pre-show party was run

by Shepton Mallet AFC

Obedience

Tania and Summer with Carol and Shay. Tania and Carol were helping Globe Carnival Club during the Wurzels concert The Wurzels once again played to a packed Village Green

A great day out – organisers were predicting record crowds

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 13

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Volumes of village history

THE latest book of a series detailing the history of people and organisations in Peasedown St John has been published by villager Dick Graham.

Called “A Look Back in Time – the Band, the Schools, the Sports”, the book is Dick’s third and a fourth volume is already in the pipeline.

The village band was formed in the early 1900s and Dick has found records of it playing at countless football matches, fetes and flower shows. Another task was to trumpet royal events.

There are some lively anecdotes in the book – one tells the story of a charabanc trip when a bandsman missed the bus home after getting locked in a cupboard by a flirtatious kitchen maid who wanted to hide him from her mistress.

The first village school opened in 1876 with 140 pupils. The main school building, which has just celebrated its centenary, had 862 scholars – Peasedown’s population had grown enormously. Dick has used a mass of school logbook records to describe its day-to-day life.

Peasedown Cricket club was founded in 1895 for “healthy recreations” and here are also lots of stories about Peasedown AFC, so poor just after the Second World War that players appealed to villagers to donate clothing coupons so that they could acquire new kit.

Much of Dick’s research takes place at Radstock Museum, where the latest book is currently on sale. Dick said: “Compiling the books has needed a lot of work and time but it has been a pleasure to do something for Peasedown St John.”

Dick’s first book in the series was published in 2012. He is a founding member of the museum. He said: “I joined the day

NEWS

Dick Graham at work in Radstock Museum

that Dr Charles Chillcott set the museum up, about 24 years ago.”

Dick has worked at the museum, first set up in a barn at Haydon and now based in Radstock’s Market Hall, ever since.

His fourth book will be about the people of Peasedown, employment, about pub games like skittles and about the Brownies and Scouts. Anyone who can help Dick with his research into the scouts should contact him via the museum.

“A Look Back in Time – the Band, the Schools, the Sports” is on sale in the museum bookshop price £11.

Hall takes shape

THE builders are hard at work and the first phase of the refurbishment of Radstock’s Victoria Hall is nearing completion.

The Sue Hill School of Dancing hopes to be up and running on the ground floor of the complex by early September whilst work continues upstairs. The £660,000 refurbishment programme includes studios and an arts theatre, community space, meeting rooms, exhibition area and coffee bar.

A craft market will be held on the second Sunday of every month as part of the drive to open up the hall to the whole community.

Councillor Paul Crossley, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, which is spearheading the project, said: “We are delighted with our investment here. We believe this will become the cultural centre for the Somer Valley area.”

Guests on a tour of the refurbishment, led by B&NES surveyor Keith McCombie (right)

Sue and son Graham Hill in one of the rooms which will become a meeting space and studio

PAGE 14 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Jackets G Fleeces G Walking Boots G Bags G Hats, Gloves G Travel Clothing G

No. 1 Broad Street Congresbury BS49 5DG 01934 877333 www.countryinnovation.com

Our Services Include: Commercial and Residential Property Wills and Probate Litigation and Personal Injury Criminal and Family Law Agricultural, Business and Commercial Employment Shepton Mallet: 57 High Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5AQ. Tel: 01749 343091

Glastonbury: 11 Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8DL. Tel: 01458 832510

We get a good cross-section through our doors, including the odd eccentric. I thought we had come across one earlier in the year, though it turned out not to be the case.

One wet early spring morning, with lots to do I was in the office very early. About 6am our doorbell rang, still dark, windy and raining. I opened the door with slight misgiving (who calls on a solicitor that early?), nobody there; stuck my head out, looked up the road to see a figure in bare feet and a short black robe looking like a refugee from a wet Glastonbury Festival.

I was about to shut the door as he was probably only a reveller homeward bound playing “doorbells” when he turned, ran back (what now, has he got a hidden weapon?) and asked politely for help. He had woken up, realised he had forgotten the empties for our commendably early milkman, dashed downstairs in his dressing gown (well, it did look like a kaftan in the dark), popped out with the bottles and a gust of wind slammed and locked the door. His only way back was via the rear of our property and a ladder which fortunately I could provide.

Moral one: don’t judge a book by its cover. Moral two: take your key with you when putting out the milk bottles.

By the time you read this, our excellent and increasingly successful Mid Somerset Show will be over. We are pleased to support something traditional and local, to renew old friendships and make new ones. anks to the faithful Box Brownie camera, we can even include a photo – this one is of Sophie Spacey, a member of our team in Shepton Mallet.

Bill Bartlett, Partner

Castle Cary: Old Bank House, High Street, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7AW. Tel: 01963 350888

Cheddar: Roley House, Church Street, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3RA. Tel: 01934 745400

Website: www.bgw.uk.com

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MENDIP TIMES

Art group’s thanks DURING a lunch celebrating its eighth anniversary, Compton Dando Art Group committee presented a cheque for £150 to Compton Dando Village Hall.

One of the art group organisers, Sonia Priest, said: “Thanks to Lorraine and the hall committee, who provide us with this wonderful hall.”

The art group was founded in July 2005 after a previous art

class in Saltford, which members attended, had closed.

The new group in Compton Dando has retained the 23 founder members and gained many more. The group now takes a break until October when once again classes will resume and an open demo will again be held. Details: from Sonia on 01761 490551.

Pictured: Ross Durber (right) presenting the cheque to Jenny Davis (left), who represents the hall committee, with (left to right) art group members Trish Baker, Christine Walchly, Graham Crimmings, Doug Matthews and Carol Vaughan.

From Guinevere to Gromit

Ian with Sir Gromit, outside St George’s

THERE is still time to enjoy the Gromit Unleashed public art exhibition in Bristol, which includes a sculpture by Mendip-based artist Ian Marlow.

Ian, of Buckland Dinham, near Frome, was among the artists who contributed to last year’s massively successful Swans of Wells event, which raised thousands of pounds for local charities.

Led by Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and Aardman Animations, Gromit Unleashed is a public art exhibition in which giant sculptures of Gromit, decorated by invited artists, have been unleashed on the streets of Bristol and the surrounding area.

In a similar way to the Swans of Wells, at the end of the event the sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity.

The sculptures remain on show until Sunday, September 8th – Ian’s interpretation of Sir Gromit, a knight in shining armour, is on show outside St George’s hall on Brandon Hill.

Ian was the artist behind Guinevere which can still be enjoyed on the moat around the Bishop’s Palace in Wells.

Ian said: “As with Guinevere, where I kept the swan as a swan and enhanced it, so I approached Gromit in the same way, kept him as Gromit and ‘enhanced’ him, creating a new Gromit character which is embellished in stainless steel.”

Ian was inspired by his work on the Bristol project to write a short story for children. Brynn the Beagle, a Knight’s Tale, is the first in a series of fantasy adventures about Brynn and his owner Smithy.

To find out more about Gromit Unleashed, visit: www.gromit-unleashed.org.uk and to find out more about Ian’s work and his new book, published by Raven Art, visit: www.marlowsculpture.co.uk

PAGE 16 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Silver dish by Georg Jensen

TAMLYNS’ Antiques auction on October 29th will include this little silver pedestal dish by Georg Jensen, the renowned Danish silversmith.

Dating from between 1925 – 1932 it is typical of his understated stylish designs with its cast foliate and beaded base and hand-beaten finish. Most people associate Jensen with jewellery and many of his designs are still being made today, but there are keen collectors of his silverware and this little dish is estimated at £150 – £200.

The sale also includes a good selection of gold jewellery, gem set brooches and rings, wristwatches, pocket watches, paintings, ceramics, glass, bronzes, early books, silver, treen and decorative furniture.

Entries are now being accepted, contact the auctioneers on 01278 445251 for further details.

ARTS AND ANTIQUES

A new novel by Joyce

MORE Hamlet than Ulysses, it has taken retired teacher Richard Joyce almost 50 years to see his first novel published.

Partly autobiographical, A Premature Affair charts his real and imagined time at a small private school in Dallas, Texas, at the time of the Kennedy assassination.

Richard, a Cambridge University graduate who used to teach languages at King’s School in Bruton, began writing about his experiences after returning from the United States in the mid-1960s. But family and career intervened and the manuscript remained untouched until five years ago when Richard decided it was time to revisit the work.

Richard came to live in Somerset in 1987. He and his wife Carol live in Lamyatt, near Bruton, where Richard set to work to revise the manuscript. He said: “There was rewrite after rewrite and I had to edit a lot of the content.”

A Premature Affair is a novel of young love and youthful rebellion and echoes the 60s atmosphere at the time and the utter shock of the assassination.

A Premature Affair by Richard Joyce is now available on Amazon and at Waterstone’s and Blackwells. An official launch will be held in September.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 17

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MENDIP TIMES

Bears heading home to the US

AT their sale of antiques, fine art and collectables on August 17th, Killens attracted a strong crowd in spite of the summer holidays and the auction rooms experienced the highest level of internet interest since opening in June 2012.

There was a good and diverse entry of items with a particularly strong entry of jewellery and silver. Items selling to advantage included a bronze Chinese bowl (£650), a box of First Day Covers (£420) and a large collection of autographs (£420).

The show was stolen however by a black forest bear decanter stand that attracted strong interest on the internet and in the room which eventually sold well above estimate for £2,400 to a buyer from the United States.

The next sale at the auction rooms will be a further sale of antiques, fine art and collectables on September 14th. A further general sale of Victorian and later effects will take place on September 24th. Entries are invited for both sales.

PAGE 18 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Art for Eady

AN art auction has raised more than £3,500 to help a young child from Shepton Mallet who suffers from a rare condition.

Eady Body suffers from a neurodevelopment disorder which means she has failed to reach milestones in all areas of development. Currently, Eady is working on sitting unaided but it’s a slow and difficult journey - one which can be helped with better therapy and equipment currently unavailable on the NHS. Over the past nine months, friends and family have rallied around to raise enough funds for Eady to attend two private therapies, Snowdrop and Brainwave, and also for Eady to attend regular music and equine therapy sessions. To keep Eady at this level of therapy costs more than £2,000 a year.

The money raised to date has also helped to buy equipment that helps Eady function daily and also makes the lives of her parents – Matt and Charly – a lot easier. A specialised car seat to help get Eady in and out of the car is £1,900 and a trike to help strengthen Eady’s limbs and

Eady’s grandparents Jeff (b Horseshoe Inn, artist Alce H auction

to provide lots of fun for t £1,500.

The biggest cost of all w computer to ultimately giv

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ARTS AND ANTIQUES

Morph goes under the hammer

LONG before the first ball of modelling clay was fashioned into the well-loved characters Wallace and Gromit, an entire generation grew up watching the antics of Morph, the charming creation of Peter Lord of Aardman Animations.

Morph first appeared on our screens in 1977 on the BBC children’s art programme Take Hart and more recently celebrated his 30th birthday at an event

eff (back right) and Teresa (front right) Body with Ken Turner, from the Alce Harfield, Annette Moon and Sue Ayton who helped to organise the

for the toddler costs

f all will be a £10,000 ly give Eady the means

to communicate. Organisers said the Art for Eady Auction at the Horseshoe Inn at Bowlish went a long way towards meeting those costs.

in Bristol in 2007.

This particular model was created by Peter Lord during a charity dinner and was subsequently sold to the highest bidder on the night. The auction of Morph at Clevedon includes a photograph of the vendor taken with Peter Lord and Morph at the event.

In the same spirit that this figure was created, Clevedon Salerooms will donate their commission from the sale of this figure to the Bristol Children’s Hospital Grand Appeal.

Estimated at £200 – £300 the salerooms expect lots of interest at the specialist sale on September 12th and have already received an enquiry from a Wensleydale cheese enthusiast on behalf of his dog, who apparently is keen to snap this lot up!

To see Morph and all the other works of art, antiques, jewellery, silver, furniture, collectors’ items etc visit the salerooms’ website www.clevedon-salerooms.com

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

Quarterly Specialist Sale of Antiques, Fine Art & Collectors Items Thursday 12th September at 10.30am Viewing Tues 10th September 2pm - 5.30pm Wed 11th September 10am - 7.30pm Sale day from 9am On-line catalogue available from 1st September Refreshments • Ample Free Parking

Tel: 01934 830111 or 0117 325 6789 The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6TT www.clevedon-salerooms.com

Beryl Cook (1926-2008)

‘The Waiting Room’ Oil on board – 38cm x 51cm

Estimate £10,000 - £15,000 On-line catalogue at www.clevedon-salerooms.com MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 19

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ARTS AND ANTIQUES

The Frome five

‘FIVE of the Best’, a highly professional group of Somerset artists, with a diverse range of specialisms, will be exhibiting at Ian Marlow’s beautiful sculpture gardens and studio near Frome, during Somerset Art Weeks this month.

The exhibition features the garden ceramics and thrown porcelain of Christine-Anne Richards, which are influenced by her remarkable journeys to China and Japan. Precious jewellery and supporting art-work by award winning jeweller Erica Sharpe of Wedmore, show a unique embodiment of story, colour, heritage and emotion.

Steve Frey, will be exhibiting his fascinating carved and coloured glass sculptures which are inspired by soft curves and natural forms, creating mesmerising optical qualities.

Surfaces, textures and colours from the natural world inspire the abstract collagraphs, etchings and collages by the artist Karin Campagna. Leading sculptor, Ian Marlow ARBS, creates distinctive steel and glass sculptures that are an exploration of our place within the natural world, inspired by the natural forms from the surrounding Somerset countryside.

The group have been brought together by their shared mind-set and approach towards their individual disciplines and love of the surroundings in which they are exhibiting.

The exhibition is open from 11am – 6 pm each day for the two weeks. At least three of the artists will be there each day to chat about their work, and free tea and coffee is available.

The Sculpture Gardens (Venue 85), Ebenezer Chapel, Buckland Dinham, Nr Frome, Somerset, BA11 2QT www.marlowsculpture.co.uk

PAGE 20 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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MENDIP TIMES

Dear Mendip Times, We started advertising with you on a regular basis at the start of 2012, acting on the advice of our advertising agents, Fox Marketing.

The results have been quite outstanding and have considerably exceeded our expectations. We not only get a very steady flow of enquiries, we also get feedback that tells us that awareness of our company has increased dramatically.

In short we’re delighted with the Mendip Times and would happily recommend it. The only downside for us is that our competitors have cottoned on to how effective it is.

Please feel free to publish this letter if you feel it would be helpful to you – and keep up the good work.

With kind regards, Kevin Fisher On behalf of Kingfisher Windows Dear Mendip Times, Being able to see is something that we can easily take for granted but when someone starts to lose their sight the results can be devastating. People, who have often led extremely interesting and independent lives, can suddenly find that the simplest tasks such as reading, writing a cheque or going out for a walk alone seem impossible to do.

Dear Mendip Times, You can take a man out of the Mendips but you can’t take the Mendips out of the man.

It was unfortunate for us to hear that the New Inn in Priddy was to be closing permanently after so many centuries of being the watering hole for generation upon generation of village folk and travellers.

Famous for the Mendip Hunt opening meet, Priddy Fair, and as a meeting place for so many other people to get together for so many other interests.

Now it’s gone I daresay it will never return to its former glory due to changes and economic pressures of the modern day. I remember the days of Emily Speed who in her later life could only serve one customer one drink at a time by candlelight.

The old settles (the ancient high backed wooden seats) – where have they gone? Then Fred Owen bought the New Inn and changed the whole character of the pub from what it was

PAGE 22 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

LETTERS

This is why our charity, Somerset Sight, has a county-wide volunteer visitor service matching up local volunteers with people who are visually impaired to give them regular company and support.

Please consider being a volunteer visitor with us! You need no particular skills other than a little time to give and a willingness to help someone local to you who needs friendship and company. You can be flexible in your visits around your daily life.

We ask for one hour per week or two hours per fortnight as the average from our volunteers. This is not a lot of time but knowing that they have a regular person visiting can make a huge difference to someone who is feeling isolated by their sight loss.

We will give you support in working as a volunteer and pay any expenses that you incur; many of our volunteers say that they enjoy visiting as much as the people they go to see!

If you are local and have a little time to spare please contact Claire Packwood the volunteer co-ordinator on 01643 708382 for an informal chat about the service we offer.

Thank you so much, Claire Packwood Somerset Sight (charity number 203296).

New Inn Priddy, as it looks today

to what it has been for the last few decades.

My friends who have travelled from Australia have had memorable times in the old watering hole, one who insisted that his glass be refrigerated before having beer served (Aussie style) and had his way.

At the time of the recent auction, my wife happened to be visiting her family in Blagdon, and was determined to purchase a souvenir on my behalf. Fortunately she was able to secure the large pub sign off the front pub wall. As a Priddy-ite this means a lot to me, and now I have it hanging in my outdoor bar half a world away, in Perth, Western Australia!

I would be very grateful if you could publish this so that those interested enough to want to know the fate of the front sign will know where to find it! If anyone wishes to contact or e-mail me, perhaps they may be able to do so by contacting The Mendip Times for my details (e-mail address).

By the way, the on-line version is excellent, we really enjoy keeping up with local events from afar via your publication.

Regards, Barry and Belinda Nurse Ex residents of Priddy from early 1950s until 1970s, formerly of “Belmount” Perth, Australia

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Retired teacher takes to the skies

A BLAGDON WI member scared the daylights out of the other members when she announced she was booked to tandem skydive last April. Retired teacher Paddy Brading had the jump cancelled four times because of bad weather.

She has finally managed to complete it this month. She said: “I’ve always wanted to skydive, so when a good reason to do it came along I just had to grab the opportunity.”

Paddy, aged 67, who taught at Chew Valley School, completed a tandem jump from a plane over Dunkeswell Aerodrome, near Honiton, in Devon, to support her son Peter, a lawyer in Edinburgh, in raising funds for Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland (SCOREscotland ). He ran the London marathon.

Blagdon WI members say they are very proud that Paddy could even contemplate such a bold way of fundraising and also look as if she was actually enjoying the experience too. Paddy also keeps bees, a hobby which keeps her feet firmly on the ground!

Judith Tranter

Rock of Ages

NEWS

THE exceedingly hot weather this year kept numbers at the Rock of Ages Service in Burrington Combe rather low and the number of hymns sung had to be cut over fears of heatstroke in the audience of predominantly older people.

As the old picture shows it was a different story back in 1931, when 30,000 people attended!

Led by the Rev. Jane Chamberlain of St Andrew’s Church, Blagdon, the service naturally included “Rock of Ages, Cleft for me” written by the Rev. Augustus Montague Toplady in 1763, after he had apparently sheltered under the rock from rain.

This year the service was accompanied by the very local brass band, ‘Burrington Brass’, under Bandmaster Amy Dixon.

Digital challenge

PENSFORD Primary School’s parent and school association has presented a cheque for £3,590 so that the school can buy some long-awaited ICT equipment.

Head teacher, Lorna McIsaac, said: “We are buying ten new laptops to enable pupils to engage in digital learning. I want to say a very big thank you to the PSA. We are very grateful to them for all their hard work in raising this much needed money, especially after the Government removed the funding stream for ICT.” She’s pictured (right) with PSA chair Trina Anstey (left) and former PSA chair Helen King.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 23

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MENDIP TIMES

A bountiful month

THE first month since April with an “r” in it means fresh oysters and mackerel are back on the menu too!

Harvest blackberries from the hedges, make jam with damsons, store apples for winter. September is also the month for using up the bounty of fresh produce while it is still in tip-top condition.

Home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and With JUNE beetroot will all be at their best thanks to the late start MACFARLANE to the season and we may even have an Indian summer in which to enjoy them – or maybe not! I’m off to my allotment!

BROAD BEAN, SPINACH AND GOATS CHEESE TART This makes a really good dish for lunch or a light supper. It is fresh and tasty with the lemony tang of the goats cheese for added zing. (Enough for four).

METHOD

Remove pastry from fridge in advance. Pre-heat oven to 180c.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Rinse the spinach in cold water and put in a large saucepan with just the water still attached to it. Cook for a few minutes until wilted. Drain, and when cool enough to handle squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands. Set aside.

Cook the beans in boiling water until tender. Drain. Slip the skins off the beans while still warm.

Chop the spinach, combine with the beans, season with a little salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg. Crumble in the goats

DEEP FRIED COURGETTES WITH TOMATO AND ANCHOVY SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Oil for deep frying.

2 large or 4 small courgettes 100g plain flour 2 tbsp sunflower oil 175 ml chilled fizzy water 3 tomatoes 6 anchovy fillets 3 tbsp olive oil small sprig rosemary 1 clove garlic

When you can’t think of anything further to do with the courgettes this will delight you! A very light, crispy batter, the softness of the courgettes, and a stunning sauce. Serve while still warm as a starter or as nibbles with drinks. (Serves four as an appetiser).

METHOD

First make the batter.

Combine the flour, sunflower oil and the water and beat to make a paste. Allow to rest for 30 mins.

For the dressing: pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for twenty seconds, drain, remove skins and seeds and chop small.

Drain anchovies and pat dry with kitchen paper. Chop small. Put tomatoes and anchovies in a small pan with olive oil and cook slowly. Add garlic, peeled and sliced, and rosemary leaves chopped fine. Season with pepper but not salt. Cook until all ingredients are combined and soft. Keep warm.

Heat oil for deep frying. A cube of bread should just be golden in just a few seconds. Cut courgettes into bite sized pieces and then into halves. Drop into batter and then into oil. Fry until pale golden and crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

PAGE 24 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

INGREDIENTS

cheese and mix evenly.

400g spinach, washed Unroll the puff pastry 200g broad beans, shelled and roll out evenly. Using a weight large plate as a template cut 125g goats cheese out two circles of pastry.

375g ready-rolled puff Divide the spinach mixture pastry evenly between them to Salt, pepper, nutmeg cover half the pastry only.

1 egg, beaten Fold over the pastry, using a little of the beaten egg to stick down. Roll over the edges of the pastry to seal. Brush top of pastry with beaten egg. Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pastry to allow air to escape.

Place on baking tray and bake in oven for about 20 mins, until golden and crisp.

CHAR GRILLED MACKEREL WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER

Mackerel is in INGREDIENTS season now. It is a 2 whole mackerel, cleaned, sporty fish, lean and or 4 fillets tasty, with lots of olive oil healthy oils. You can 1 cucumber either cook the fish 50g caster sugar whole, or as here, 50ml white wine vinegar ask for fillets. The 2 tsp chopped fresh dill pickled cucumber is easy to make and cuts through the oiliness of the fish. (Enough for two).

METHOD

Peel the cucumber, discard the skin. Continue to peel in ribbons, stopping before you reach the seeds. Put the ribbons of cucumber in a colander, toss with a little salt and allow to drain for a few minutes. Put the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Rinse the cucumber in cold water and squeeze. Put into a bowl and pour hot vinegar mixture over. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan and add a dash of olive oil. Season the fish and cook skin side down until browned and crisp before turning. About three minutes each side should be enough, but check it’s done. Drain cucumber and add chopped dill. Serve mackerel with pickled cucumber and, optionally, a dressing of crème fraîche and horseradish sauce (1 tbsp crème fraîche to 1 tsp horseradish).

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Har ve st at West B radley Orchard s

SEPTEMBER offers a rare chance to visit one of the most innovative and varied apple orchards on Mendip.

Award-winning West Bradley Orchards, near Glastonbury, is opening its farm gates for the public to pick their own fruit and – weather permitting – maybe enjoy an Indian Summer picnic.

Owned by Edward Clifton-Brown, 83, the 50-acres of orchards are managed using progressive, vineyard-style methods and the results – both in terms of their commercial success and the environmentally-friendly benefits – are catching the eye of many other apple growers whether for juice or cider.

West Bradley was named the the Best Cider Orchard at this year’s Royal Bath and West Show. Judges described them as: “A first-rate modern, intensive orchard of Falstaff and Red Windsor on canes supported by post and wire. The whole orchard is immaculately clean and tidy, scoring highly for attention to detail in the tree training, presentation and well maintained grass alleyways.”

Edward is delighted to have won the award which he says is a tribute to Orchard Groundcare, of Hornblotton, near Shepton Mallet, who manage the orchard and the Orchard Pig cider company, which is based there. Edward said: “I thought it was very brave of the judges to award us the top prize because we are no longer a traditional cider orchard.”

West Bradley supplies fruit to Orchard Pig, Thatcher’s Cider and the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill. Neil Macdonald, who runs Orchard Groundcare, said: “West Bradley demonstrates the modern orcharding techniques that we can apply. It is

FOOD & DRINK

(l:r): Eloise Harris, Ieuan Pitts, Kitty Bartlett and Ben Pritchard harvesting green walnuts at West Bradley Orchards

commercially driven but is also about sustainability. Somerset has been losing ground to other counties such as Hereford and Kent and we are working alongside growers to develop the county’s potential by thinking a little more outside the box.

There are great new opportunities for the industry because of the renaissance in the cider and apple juice market.”

Orchard Groundcare, which has a full-time team of five in addition to seasonal staff, is always happy to talk to orchard owners.

G West Bradley Orchards is celebrating another success – its biggest green walnut harvest to date. They’ll be put into brine in time for the Christmas market. Most pickled walnuts are grown in mainland Europe and West Bradley is the only commercial grower in the country.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 25

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MENDIP TIMES

Gold for Jon Thorner’s

Somerset butcher Jon Thorner’s bagged a total of five gold stars at the Great Taste Awards, the world’s largest and most rigorous food awards scheme, involving over 400 judges and thousands of hours of blind tasting.

The Pyllebased producer was awarded two gold stars for its steak and kidney pie which was described by judges as a “handsome looking pie…lovely chunky pieces…” and two gold stars for their steak and ale pie which was said to have a “nice crisp pastry and meaty filling.” They also received a gold star for their smoked bacon and leek quiche, which was only introduced to the range last year.

There were nearly 10,000 products entered and only a third of these entries received gold stars. Jon Thorner’s head chef, John Emery, is pictured with the award-winning pies.

Popping up at Somerton!

SOMERSET Farmers’ Market has received the go-ahead from Somerton Town Council to hold a one-off, pop-up market.

It will be in the Market Place on Saturday, August 31st, from 9am to 1pm. There will be up to 20 producers offering a range of local produce including organic beef, award winning cheeses, local cider, plants and Cheddar Valley strawberries.

The Town Council may offer an information stall and there will also be a free pitch available for local charities. A spokeswoman for SFM said: “Local traders have been very supportive and we hope that the town as a whole will benefit from the event.”

For more information, call: 01934 733212

Pop-up market in Somerton! Saturday, August 31st (9am-1pm). Market Place (opposite the Market Cross)

SEPTEMBER 2013 DATES Wells: every Wednesday 9am-2.30pm at the Market Place All other markets 9am-1pm unless otherwise marked*

Sunday 1st Frome Supermarket (10am-2pm)* Friday 6th Wincanton (9am-12noon)* Saturday 7th Midsomer Norton & Axbridge Saturday 14th Frome & Keynsham Friday 20th Cheddar Saturday 21st Crewkerne Saturday 28th Glastonbury & Yeovil (9am-2pm)* Friday 27th Burnham-on-Sea follow us @SFMMarkets For more information phone 01373 814646 or visit www.SomersetFarmersMarkets.co.uk

Powering Farming’s Future Tel: 01225 667151 Web: www.yourenergyuk.com PAGE 26 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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John calls it a day

FOOD & DRINK

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01761 221429

AT EAST HARPTREE

Tuesdays

Steak + Pint Night – £9.00

Wednesdays

Fish & Chips + Pint Night – £6.00 September 12th Paella & Tapas Night!

BLAGDON butcher John Lyons is retiring after 49 years, having taken over Mendip Farm Butchers from his parents Roy and Joan Lyons.

From an early age he accompanied his mother on her butcher’s rounds in Blagdon and the surrounding villages, before joining his father in the business at the age of 17.

He and his wife Naomi, who have two children and three grandchildren, have invited all their customers for a farewell bacon roll or hot dog on the morning of Saturday September 28th.

John said: “We would like to thank all customers far and wide – London, Bath, Bristol, and of course locally from Blagdon and the surrounding villages in the Chew Valley, for all their support and continued visits to the shop.”

That support means the shop will stay open – the new man on the block is James Hancock, aged 24, who has moved to the village with his partner Hannah and two young children. John will be helping him two days a week to begin with.

G John was the subject of prize-winning paintings by Blagdon artist Martin Bentham.

REMEMBER! Book for Christmas

The menu will be on the website soon: www.thewaldegravearms.co.uk Church Lane, East Harptree BS40 6BD www.thewaldegravearms.co.uk • email: waldegravearms@btconnect.com

NEW WEEKDAY TEA DEAL Free piece of cake with a cup of tea or coffee 2.30pm-4.30pm Monday to Friday FISH AND CHIP RESTAURANT

12noon to 2pm and 5pm-7pm CAFE OPEN 9am-5pm midweek Saturday 8.30am-7pm Sunday 8.30am-4pm for breakfasts and Sunday roasts

Function and conference rooms now available for parties, meetings and training

Traditional Fish and Chips, Sunday Roasts, Cream Teas and Ice Cream

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 27

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MENDIP TIMES

EVER-CHANGING SPECIALS BOARD with extensive menu and seasonal daily specials

G Bed & Breakfast en suite bedrooms in the attached refurbished Cider House always available to book on any night.

Ideal location close to the Bath & West Showground and other local attractions.

G Cask Marque Ales G Somerset Ciders G Dog Friendly G Our popular Quiz Nights restart from Monday 9th September and then subsequently on the 2nd Monday each month G Our Christmas Menu will be ready for early September, please see the details on our website for individual and party bookings

THE RED LION VILLAGE PUB & RESTAURANT

Sutton Hill Road, Bishop Sutton BS39 5UT 01275 333042

natterjack

BEAH

English & Mediterranean Restaurant, Wells

Traditional Village Pub Offering 4 fabulous Ales

Great Pub Grub

Home-made and using locally-sourced produce Friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices

Christmas

(Christmas Menu now available) Christmas Fayre served from 1st – 24th December

Christmas Day Menu

12 midday – 2pm (booking only) Special prices for children and OAP’s Opening times: 6pm-11pm Monday and all week 12noon-2.30pm Tuesday to Thursday Open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday PAGE 28 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

A la carte menu

(including authentic Moroccan tagines)

Two-course £12 dinner menu served Monday – Thursday from 6pm Two-course £10 lunch menu served Monday – Saturday from 12 noon – 2pm (3pm Saturdays) Having a party? Come and see our beautiful upstairs function room ideal for all occasions, menus to suit all budgets Christmas Party Menus now available For more information call Nicola on 01749 678111 email info@beah.co.uk • www.beah.co.uk

Relaxed and friendly dining in the heart of Wells

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GARDEN FOOD

Blue heaven

THIS year is the first that I’ve got a significant crop of blueberries off my bushes which I planted in the spring of 2012. The key thing to ensure with blueberries is that you plant them in an acid soil.

Most garden soils in this area are With JAKE naturally acid to some degree, but you WHITSON must pick a suitable variety (such as Hardyblue) if your soil is closer to neutral. Another thing to be aware of is that concrete is strongly alkaline – many people fail in growing blueberries by planting them too close to concrete walls and the like.

If you are unsure about your soil then you can always dig a hole and fill it with ericaceous compost (there are a few good peat-free ones on the market now) or else grow them in containers.

It is difficult to get blueberry cuttings to succeed, so the propagation method of choice is layering. This basically involves pinning the middle of a young stem down to the ground or in a large pot filled with earth – I use a small forked stick or piece of wire to pin it in place, scraping away a little of the bark and ramping up earth around it.

If kept well-watered, with a bit of luck the stem will send down roots and in six months to a year’s time you will be able to remove it from the mother plant. I must confess that thus far I have not succeeded with this method, though this is entirely due to my not keeping the layered stems consistently moist.

I never have enough blueberries and they are too expensive when bought in the shops to do anything elaborate with them.

More often than not they are just eaten straight from the bush,or mixed with other berries and served with ice cream.

One day, when I have many, I plan to make a blueberry sorbet, which I’m sure would go rather well with something chocolate-y.

Jacob Whitson is a chef and food writer who has worked in many of the West Country’s most prestigious restaurants. He is currently working on his first book, a travelogue detailing the regional foods of Japan.

FOOD & DRINK

WILD FOOD

A land of opportunity

I NEVER tire of the excitement at finding wild food when I am out and about in the countryside. You may have noticed!

Sometimes, though, you make a discovery in the most unexpected places, places you have visited or walked through many times before and have just not seen ‘the wood for With ADRIAN the trees’.

BOOTS I recently found a walnut tree this way, one normally expects to see them in parks, orchards or gardens but in the middle of no-where surrounded by scrub, bracken and few other trees? The answer is: yes, of course it can be anywhere so you better keep your eyes open to the possibilities of discovering a new tasty morsel. We really do live in a land of opportunity.

Originating from central Asia, walnut was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans and has been present in Britain for at least 500 years if not longer. It is now widely distributed in the central core of England but scarce in the far South West, the North East, Wales and almost entirely absent in Scotland and Ireland.

Common walnut (Juglans regia) is a deciduous tree with a spreading crown, grey fissured bark reaching up to 30m in height. The leaves are 20 to 35cm long, pinnate with 5-9 individual leaves, with the terminal leaf at the end being the longest. When flowering the male catkins appear on new growth and the female flowers form clustered spikes. The fruiting body is egg shaped with the nut encased in a green, fleshy husk. This husk splits in September/October to November releasing the nut and the prize kernel within.

The leaves give off a pleasant aroma but the chemical present in them serves to inhibit the growth of plants beneath the walnut tree – what a clever way to stifle competition for resources. I can assure you that there is no point in collecting the young walnuts before they ripen. Why? Well they are very watery and almost completely tasteless at this time. The only thing you can do is pickle them which to be honest just gives them the flavour of vinegar with a bit of crunch and not much else.

Personally, I much prefer the mature kernel with its excellent oil rich flavour great for just munching on or as an ingredient to flavour home baked bread or cakes. If you were feeling really enthusiastic why not try pressing your own walnut oil? But for me, nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread that contains foraged ingredients – you just feel like you’ve earned it.

Adrian Boots is a Landscape Ecologist, researcher and farm conservation advisor. You can visit his website www.walkthemendips.com to learn more about the Mendips and his Wild Food Walks.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 29

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MENDIP TIMES

30 years of quality – that’s Burns the Bread FIRST and foremost it’s a business, but Bob Burns and his family who run the award winning local bakers, Burns the Bread, believe it has to be more than that in order to flourish.

Attention to detail and quality underpin everything the family and the incredibly loyal staff try to achieve, whether it be a simple sandwich or their unique Torsy Moorsy cake.

With three shops in Glastonbury, further outlets in Street, Wells and Castle Cary, and their immaculate fleet of delivery vehicles, Burns the Bread is a familiar sight around Mendip.

Many months were spent searching for the perfect location, and in early 1983 the bustling High Street of Glastonbury was chosen by the Burns family to launch their new venture, BURNS the BREAD. After a great deal of hard work, determination and commitment the bakery proved to be a huge success and the opening of further outlets followed over subsequent years.

As the business continued to grow, storage space at the bakery became a problem. To overcome this issue, a storage unit was taken over at Adlam’s Central Park in Glastonbury. January 2013 saw the opening of a small shop on the first floor of this unit.

BURNS the BREAD @ UNIT 12 was born! This small but efficient outlet mainly services local tradesmen, but also attracts other customers because of its free onsite parking facility.

The original plan was to sell a limited range of bakery products, but because of the constant demand from customers there is now a wide range of freshly baked bread available.

The most recently-opened shop is situated at St Dunstan’s car park in Glastonbury, and is proving extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.

Recently, the idea of relocating the bakery to an industrial unit was considered but discounted almost immediately as the family felt that it would rip the soul from the business. So behind the original shop, lies the beating heart of the operation where the dedicated team of craft bakers arrive in the early hours to ensure that freshly baked products are available daily.

Bob, who lives in Baltonsborough, said: “We feel it is very important to us to be part of the local community, and we have to continually strive to make the business the best we can.”

FOOD & DRINK

Bob’s daughter Terri Petherbridge, a director of Burns the Bread, with her father outside their shop in Glastonbury High Street

The family’s commitment to the development of their 70 staff can be shown by their Investors in People award. The business vision statement reads: “A quality business not just a business that produces a quality product, but a business where quality exists throughout – such as the cleanliness of the bakery and shops, the way in which staff are treated, efficiency of service, appearance of staff, how courteous the van drivers are to other road users, how goods are packaged and delivered, are just a few examples of what contributes to making a quality business.”

Bob Burns: “We wish to build on the past success of the business and secure the future for all of those involved in it.”

PAGE 30 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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BURNS the BREAD AWARD – WINNING – BAKERS

For all your bread, sandwiches, savouries, cakes and pastries – choose award-winning BURNS the BREAD *Including gluten-free products!

Celebrating 30 years of quality in central Somerset

Find it difficult to park in town?

Are you fed up with trying to find somewhere to park, or resent paying parking fees for just a few minutes while you pop in to your local bakery – don’t despair. A full range of our breads are now available at our Glastonbury shops situated at St. Duntstan’s car park and Unit 12, Adlams Central Park, (behind B&Q) Quality, Commitment and Passion are the key ingredients to our success

Shops located at: Glastonbury – Street – Wells – Castle Cary

Remember – anybody’s butter, but BURNS the BREAD is best!

01458 831532

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FOOD & DRINK

P O H S E N I W E TH 25 1AB

, WINSCOMBE BS

RD 21 WOODBOROUGH

0-6.30 .3 9 T A S N O M N FFEE • WE’RE OPE WINE • TEA & CO

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THE WINE SHOP 21

, WINSCOMBE WOODBOROUGH RD

TASTING BENCH OPEN ALL DAY, POP IN TO TASTE IT’S FREE!

DAY 01934 708 312

BS25 1AB CALL TO

The Wine Shop is a place where you can come and browse the wines of the world discover new wines and revisit familiar ones.

Wine can often be quite daunting when you are faced with row upon row of bottles with unpronounceable names or not knowing if its the grape or region!

We want to make your wine shopping fun and informative, so whether your buying a wine to relax at the end of the day or a gift to impress, we have it covered and can help you make the right choice at the right price!

Our monthly bakers dozen case goes down at treat at £90 including free delivery. We select six white and six red wines for you to enjoy and the thirteenth bottle is free and one chosen by you.

Its both fun and important to taste, so every Saturday we open a bottle or two on the tasting bench for you to sample. Please pop in and see what we have open.

KELLI COXHEAD founder of the The Wine Shop says “I have to confess, I used to be a three-for- £10 girl, but while traveling in New Zealand in 2006, my passion for wine was born. I was lucky enough to visit a handful of wineries and, unexpectedly, I found the experience enchanting. That was it, I was hooked. I created The Wine Tasting Co. out of a passion and love for wine, and a desire to share this with other people. I look forward to seeing you soon”.

Kelli recently gained her diploma in wines and spirits with a merit. So what does this mean? It means Kelli has the letters IWS (Institute of Wine and Spirits) after her name, which shows a professional qualification within the wine and spirits trade which is highly sought-after and regarded.

We are open Monday – Saturday 9.30am - 6.30pm • 21 Woodborough Road, Winscombe, BS25 1AB 01934 708 312

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 33

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FOOD & DRINK

Preparing for new food and drink festival

TRADE stand space is filling up for the first Somerset Food and Drink Fest, being held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet in October.

More than 100 exhibitors will be taking part in the weekend event which will showcase some of the best produce that Somerset and the surrounding area has to offer.

GWP Events, based at Dean, near Cranmore, which is organising the weekend – on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th – have chosen the local charity Children’s Hospice South West as the main beneficiary of the celebrations.

Graham Walton, from GWP Events, said: “The Somerset Food and Drink Fest aims to bring the best of the region to one place for a rather special weekend of great fun for all the family to enjoy.”

Children are being encouraged to get involved by taking part in a competition to bake the best brownie. Entry forms can be found on the event website – www.somersetfoodandrinkfest.co.uk.

PAGE 34 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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FOCUS ON BACKWELL

My Backwell

BACKWELL has always been a very special place to my wife and I and our family. We moved here 33 years ago and immediately fell in love with it. The people, the amenities and just the pace of life in general were wonderful.

Having moved down from London we thought we were on holiday for the first three years and should send postcards to our friends. We joined several clubs and participated in lots of village events run by an army of different volunteers ranging from the parish council chairman to some of the most amazing characters who ran some of the 40 organisations involved in our village.

They organised events like the festival fortnight in which something was arranged for the children to do for two weeks from pet shows, sports days, trips to Minehead, Easter egg hunts, wildlife walks, talks, film shows and a picnic in the park.

The two theatre groups wrote special plays for our entertainment and even the Men’s Club contributed. The 30 shops in the village formed a group and organised some fun times, which we will never forget.

At present we are lucky to have four of the top schools, a lake full of wildlife, three

Festival for all

recreation areas, with all the usual play equipment, transport links to most places and an organisation for every age and ability whatever you fancy.

But times have changed and I am pleased to say that the parish council with many helpers is trying to bring back the village feeling. We must protect Backwell from unreasonable expansion as we are doing with our Neighbourhood Plan where we have a say in Backwell’s future.

I think we all need to involve ourselves and support the village amenities, including our village shops, and make Backwell a better place for our children and grandchildren.

Bob Taylor Parish council chairman

The cafe and bistro that offers something for everyone Cafe Tues-Sat 9am-6pm Wine bar and bistro Tues-Sat 5.30pm-11pm Sundays – cafe 9.30am-5pm • Sunday lunches – 11.45-4pm

01275 463744 21, West Town Road, Backwell BS48 3HA

THIS year’s Backwell Festival on September 7th and 8th not only delivers quality live music across two stages, but also boasts a special Foodies Tent with free demonstrations by award-winning chefs.

Freddy Bird from the Clifton Lido, Lewis Griffiths of Flinty Red in Cotham and Matt Pennington from The Ethicurean in Wrington will share their culinary expertise on Saturday. Advance booking is essential. The musical line-up covers all genres with professional and semi-professional artists including The Bristol Metropolitan Strings, upcoming pop sensation, NANCY, The International Banjo Circle, Mangetout, Rosie Southern, and the Backyard Band with Ben Waghorn, Jerry Crozier Cole, Richie Blake, Danny Cox and Paul Quinn.

Backwell Festival also showcases talented young performers.

Actress Lisa Coleman, aka Cam from Tracy Beaker and Nurse Jude from Casualty, is guest compere on the Saturday afternoon which has lots of entertainment for children. Sunday is a chilled lunchtime Jazz ‘n’ Swing concert – children free. Food and refreshments include Hog Roast, Indian Kitchen, Beer Tent, Pimms Pergola and Kids Kaff.

Backwell Festival is supporting Backwell Junior School and Children’s Hospice South West.

Details: backwellfestival.co.uk Location BS48 3JJ.

Backwell’s hidden gem

THE 21 West Café Bistro in Backwell is a perfect example of an excellent independent, neighbourhood bistro, the sort that becomes the bedrock of the community. A café/coffee house by day, serving breakfasts and lunches, it then becomes a wine/cocktail bar and bistro in the evening.

It has something for everyone - fantastic Illy Italian coffee, a little rascals menu, breakfasts and morning snacks, quick bites and lunches, stone baked hand-made pizzas, a full bar serving soft drinks, wine, beer, spirits and cocktails and a delightful range of dinner menus with something special every day.

The bistro runs a very popular programme of monthly theme evenings and also caters for parties, celebrations, weddings and private hire. It is recommended by Trip Advisor and carries a 5-star food hygiene award.

Estate Agents

Successfully selling homes in Backwell and North Somerset for 23 years.

FREE VALUATIONS

1-3 Station Road • Backwell • BS48 3NW Tel: 01275 463096 • www.parkers-estate-agents.com MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 35

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MENDIP TIMES “Good friends, Good meat – the words of the Rev Eddie Wi

Cheers to Wedmore Harvest Home!

Photography by Mark Adler

Wimbledon – complete with royal guests – in Wedmore

The procession makes its way past St Mary’s church on its way to the playing fields PAGE 36 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Taking their easel – Matthew and Finlay with their Albert Einstein’s Crazy Blackboard entry

Ken Chick (left) and Bob Jackson

Tour de Wedmore: young members of Wedmore Twinning Association with their guests from St Medard-de-Guizieres

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WEDMORE HARVEST HOME eat, Good God, Let’s eat!”

Wills, blessing the harvest lunch.

Carnival Queen Isla Gardiner with princesses Jessica Reeson, Jessie Bartys and Minni Andrew More than 500 people sat down to lunch. A sports day for children was held in the afternoon before live music in the evening

The Grey Dogs jazz band play as lunch is served

Toby and Clara as Worzel Gummidge and Aunt Sally

Wedmore Beavers on the fundraising trail MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 37

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INTERNET

Online calendars part three

IN this issue, we’ll look at setting a reminder on your online calendar (specially applies to Google calendar, but the basic principle applies to other calendars online and also apps).

The main benefit of having appointments, birthdays etc set, is so that you can have a reminder set up with a suitable amount of notice. For birthdays, for example, two weeks might be a good idea to allow time to find a suitable present. You can use the default, set a reminder at the time or change it later.

To add a reminder, just click Edit Event when you first set the appointment, or after you have clicked on a preexisting one.

In this example, it has only offered a Pop-up (does what it says on the tin – pops up on your screen!!), but if you think an email would be more useful, you can just click the down arrow and change from Pop-up to Email and set how long before the event you want this to happen. If you think having an email as well would be sure to make sure you don’t miss it, just click on the Add a reminder link.

You can also set a colour to coordinate with other similar appointments, or to make it stand out from the others – just click on coloured box you want to use.

Once you’ve set a reminder, if you hover your mouse over the event, you will see a little alarm clock next to the appointment.

You can Invite a Guest – e.g. send an email reminder to committee members a day or so before a meeting etc.

Be sure to click the Save button when you have finished.

To change the default reminder time – click on the cog icon (usually top right of your calendar) and click Settings. Click Calendar (top left) and then the Reminders and Notifications link and click to add any reminders you want, or change the length of the default time.

Submitted by IT for the Terrified : The Old Cowshed, Station Road, Cheddar BS27 3AG 01934-741751 www.itfortheterrified.co.uk This article is for guidance only, and the opinion of the writer. For more in depth information, please contact us.

We offer individual training, either one-off sessions or a series, at a pace to suit you; a session lasts 2 hours and costs £10. We can cover a range of subjects including absolute basics on Windows XP/Vista/W7/W8; photo management; iPad; Tablet computers; basic web design; Word processing etc. We will reopen from our summer break on 4th September 2013.

Open House sessions will be on 11th September at 1.30 and 13th September at 10 am. Pop in to find out more about us and book up if you wish. See our website or contact us for further details.

PAGE 38 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

CROSSWORD

The Mendip Mindbender

ACROSS 1 Wild horse torments whole district (5,8) 9 Talking clock in jewel – the best (7) 10 Small business representative not coming back for cricketer (7) 11 Bad luck . . . for residents of Cheddar? (4,6) 12 Exist before morning ray (4) 14 The limb made for sewers (7) 16 Dance cancelled, but batsman still scores (2,4) 19 Unabating but lacking nasty heart condition (6) 20 Hangs on for leftovers (7) 23 It can be a thrill to put the boot in (4) 24 Give minion a nod to tell the time (4,6) 27 Moved near lip for fattening confection (7) 28 Knighthood not barrier to being a clever clogs (4-3) 29 Divert spy pinning kid to unrestricted swimming (6,7)

DOWN 2 Parrot or other pet swallows revolver (5) 3 Give shelter at Advent . . . return of the Prodigal ?

(10) 4 Sun-screen city . . . of fuel producers? (3,5) 5 Cut out . . . the tax man?

(6) 6 Pushes umpire into sink (4) 7 I rent bath set up in historic store (5,4) 8/22 Breeze to grind Jimmy into area of Glastonbury (8,4) 9 This spot home to Roman emperor (4) 13 Mao opts out of cooking up tasty starter (6,4) 15 Excellent educational opportunity for skiers?

(0,4,5) 17 Bowler bets leg caught by awkward delivery (8) 18 Labour in the grass gone over again (8) 21 Lock up houseman (6) 22 See 8 25 Gershwin fronts TV quiz in Middle East (5) 26 Play snatch of Bach if I have my sound gear (2-2)

Answers on Page 113

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MENDIP TIMES CAMELEY LODGE LAUNDRY

Duvets & Bedspreads washed & dried Sheets and Duvet covers washed and pressed Professional efficient service Collection & delivery service in the Chew Valley

Tel 01761 451787

www.cameleylodgelaundry.co.uk

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

100,000 potential customers within a short distance of your business

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Need a new website?

WE seem to live by them; it’s the way we all seem to find products or services. But what if you’re on the other end – the business or organisation that needs, or has, a website? What is it that the people searching for you need from you to find them, choosing you above the many millions of other sites and services offered?

Peppercorn Projects say you need simplicity of use, logical navigation, to make it easy on the eye, and it works. There are plenty of flashy tweaks and gizmos that a web developer can give you, but are you going to be more attracted to a site because it has a spider crawling across the screen – they think not.

Your website is reflection of you and your business. Like any publicity or marketing material you may have, it has to ‘sit well with you’. You shouldn’t find it a hindrance, you need to be confident using it, enhancing your business.

Gone are the days of the website that was a ‘cover all’ mentioning all of the local towns and villages and every part of your service to attract the Googling population. Your website needs to be an honest reflection of what you do and where you are, well written text, attractive images, sound back of stage software and a strategic logic applied – you’ll be ahead of the game.

New dance classes

PETER and Julie Purdie are a husband and wife team who teach dancing throughout Somerset, from Bristol to Wells, from disco to ballroom, from Monday to Sundays.

They founded PJ’s Dance Academy together in 2001 and they both hold full professional qualifications. Between them they have over 30 years’ teaching experience and have not yet met the “unteachable” pupil.

There are new beginners’ classes starting in both Winscombe on a Sunday evening and Croscombe on a Monday evening, designed for couples who are going on a cruise, or who feel it is something they have always wanted to do - plus a ladies’ class for those who love the Latin/Disco rhythms.

So even if you’ve never danced a step, you can give it a try. For more information about these classes or about classes in other areas, call on 07855 827 464 or email julie@pjsdanceacademy.co.uk

Dance Classes Six Week Crash Courses Start in Winscombe St James’s Hall on Sundays starts 15th September Croscombe Village Hall on Mondays beginning 9th September Beginners Ballroom and Latin Social Dancing (Couples) at 7.30-8.30pm Classes

are lots of Ladies Latin in Line/Disco at 8.30-9.30pm

fun and great music!!

Telephone/Text Julie 07855 827464 For more details or just come along on the night wwwpjsdanceacademy.co.uk PAGE 40 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Photo by Ignyte Limited, Radstock.

New store opens in Winscombe

BUSINESS

The team: Elaine, Sam, V, Jenni and Jackie

THE Country House Gift Company has just opened a new store in the centre of Winscombe, the brainchild of two entrepreneurs Elaine Coles and Jeni Coles. The shop will stock beautiful objects, gifts and cards under one roof. Elaine said: “We've seen a rise in the quality of shops in Winscombe, we feel lucky to have premises next to The Wine Tasting Co.” Elaine and Jeni have always been in business, running businesses or helping other to grow. Elaine runs a property development company, has been an interior designer and ran a hair salon. The staging of interior through her property development business has inspired her move to help others create beautiful surroundings. She's says: “I like making people feel better about themselves through their surroundings”.

Jeni has travelled the world as a buyer and manager for the likes of Laura Ashley, and more locally Sanders Garden World.

Jeni said: “Our aim is to source from suppliers within the UK or Fair Trade Organisation, bringing style and beautiful gifts to our store.”

The Country House Gift Company will a place to have a relaxed shopping experience, and have a gift wrapping service.

We're open at 17-19 Woodborough Road, Winscombe, BS25 1AB. Opening hours 9am till 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am till 4pm on Saturday.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 41

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MENDIP TIMES

WRINGTON APPLE DAY SUNDAY OCTOBER 6th from 12.30pm

HIGH STREET, WRINGTON, SOMERSET BS405QA,

01934 862871

• Traditional apple pressing • Hog roast • Live music from ‘the fallen apples’ • Apple games for all the family • Fantastic art activities • Cider tasting, and much more!!!

PAGE 42 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Made in North Somerset

MADE in North Somerset, a festival of local producers, artists and artisans, takes place from September 14th – October 6th.

Organised by North Somerset District Council, the annual event raises awareness of the various highquality independent food, drink, art and craft businesses there are in the area.

Both Butcombe and Thatchers will be holding open days, while the 170th North Somerset Ploughing Match, Backwell Village Market and Wrington Apple and Cider Days at The Plough in Wrington are among the events taking place.

Across the three-weeks the festival provides many unique opportunities to go behind the scenes and see just what goes into making, creating, growing and producing some of these fantastic products.

There are daily events across North Somerset including cookery workshops, demonstrations, brewery and orchard tours, farm open days, apple pressing, wild foraging walks and tasting evenings.

The festival also falls within British Food Fortnight and their campaign this year is to ‘Bring Home the Harvest’ so it’s an added reason to support both your local and British producers.

Details: www.innorthsomerset.co.uk/madein

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Vintage ploughing

THE annual ploughing match organised by the North Somerset Vintage Tractor and Engine Club takes place on Sunday, September 22nd at Pagan’s Hill, near Chew Magna.

As well as Kevin Patch, of Winford, chairman of the vintage ploughing club and Colin Patch, of Stanton Drew, a and hedging committee member competitions, there will be a demonstration of dry stone walling. Weather permitting, organisers also hope to put on a demonstration of steam-powered ploughing by Alan Sparkes and his team as well as shire horse ploughing.

For the first time, Blagdon Horse Drawn Carriages will be offering rides around the venue. The day begins at 10am and will raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society and Diabetes (South West) UK.

MADE IN NORTH SOMERSET

NORTH SOMERSET

PLOUGHING MATCH with Crafts & Produce Show

SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER

Moorledge Farm, Chew Magna BS40 8TL From 10.00am – parking free Adults £3 • Children free

Rural crafts, trade stands Food & Licensed bar all day

Tel: 08456 342464 tim@nsas.org.uk

A great day out for all the family – all welcome

Anyone wishing to have a free stall at the match to display or sell their wares or to demonstrate a craft is very welcome. Please contact Sheila for further information on 01275 474649 or Kevin Patch on 01275 474527.

27th September to 6th October

Celebrating National Cask Ale Week & Made in North Somerset

Why not come along to the annual BUTCOMBE BREWERY OPEN DAY – Saturday 28th September 11am–3pm

G Loads of fantastic Butcombe beer & Ashton Press Cider, all Free of Charge G Regular Brewery Tours . . . hosted by the Butcombe Brewers G Mendip Morris Men G Food . . . from the fantastic local Story Meat Company G Tractor Rides . . . and other entertainment

G The Lamb – Axbridge G Queens Arms – Bleadon G Colston Yard – Bristol G Malt Shovel – Cannington, nr. Bridgwater G Ring O’ Bells – Hinton Blewett G The Cottage Inn – Bristol G Frog & Fiddle – Cheltenham G The Rose & Crown – Hinton Charterhouse, nr. Bath G The Old Crown – Kelston, nr. Bath G Queen Victoria – Priddy G The Cross Keys – Rode, nr. Frome G The Swan – RowberrowG Bell – Stokes Croft, Bristol G Prince of Wales – Westbury on Trym, Bristol G Woolpack – Worle, Weston-super-Mare G Fox and Hounds, Charlton Adam, near Somerton G Mill – Rode G Pig & Fiddle – Bath BUTCOMBE BREWERY LTD, COX’S GREEN, WRINGTON, BRISTOL BS40 5PA. Tel: 01934 863963 G www.butcombe.com

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 43

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MENDIP TIMES

Another year of outstanding success

FROM an early age, Hazlegrove is passionate about providing its pupils with a breadth of opportunity to develop their abilities and potential while enjoying the benefit of a caring, structured and secure environment.

This is key in today’s rapidly changing and demanding world where these children will need to be ready to face unknown challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead. This means that alongside academic endeavour, all pupils participate in sport, music, drama, art and outdoor education.

Given the varied curriculum, it is all the more remarkable that the Year 8 pupils achieved 22 scholarships and six awards to a wide variety of senior schools and all pupils taking Common Entrance at 13+ gained a place at the senior school of their choice.

Exams out of the way, every year Year 8 has a ridiculously short amount of time to pull off a major musical production. This year, the pupils

PAGE 44 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

followed magnificently in the steps of their predecessors to put on a fantastically entertaining production of “Bugsy Malone”. There is no doubt that the children enjoyed the song and dance routines as well as the chance to dress up or be gangsters.

Putting the “splurge guns” into action and throwing the “custard pies” was just the icing on the cake for many! That these children have been involved in a

major “year group” production every year at Hazlegrove no doubt helped them learn the complex dance routines, the songs and the lines to produce an end result that certainly “wowed” the audience.

The new academic year has started with pupil numbers remaining buoyant and work on building the exciting new teaching and learning centre underway.

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A new approach at All Hallows

EDUCATION

IN the independent education sector, traditionally, parents can enrol their children as either day pupils or boarders. All Hallows Preparatory School, founded in 1938, at Cranmore, Shepton Mallet, is leading the way, once again, in original thinking in tune with modern parents’ requirements by establishing a new, contemporary package that works in harmony with modern family life.

Day-Plus-Boarding is a child-focused, innovative concept that marries traditional approaches to holistic education with the recognition of recent dynamics in family life. Headmaster Ian Murphy explains the principles: “All Hallows is a vibrant, thriving community and a wonderful place to learn, live, love and grow 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Day-Plus-Boarding is a gift to parents wanting affordable flexibility to dip into as suits their family circumstances whilst adjusting, constantly, to changing preferences and needs. It is a logical ‘next step’ in terms of working in harmony with parents in the best interests of the child in the 21st century world of education.”

Practically, the package offers 75 nights boarding within a single academic year (in celebration of the school’s 75th ‘birthday’ in 2013) with each night representing a significant saving on typical one-night ‘Flexi Boarding’ costs. In even more practical terms this offer equates to far less than the cost of an evening’s babysitting and the children have far more fun!

Nights can be taken as and when required, subject to availability. Consider, currently, how much excitement, enjoyment and experience children gain from occasional ‘sleep-overs’ with day-time friends and multiply those lasting benefits in a modern boarding school environment as the children take part in a wide range of after school activities, with life-long friends, in a safe and familiar confidence-building environment.

For busy parents, the package offers the knowledge that you are providing life-forming opportunities and experiences for your children – the best legacy we leave to the world. Day-Plus Boarding offers parents the ability to reduce travelling or simply to restore much-needed balance in fast-paced lives, without guilt, fear or favour.

The lifestyle, finances and predilections of all families do not, necessarily, subscribe to the undoubted benefits of full-boarding; nor do the modern needs of families fit easily into the ‘day-pupil’ option. Day-Plus-Boarding is more than a convenient ‘half-wayhouse’ option; it presents a proactive, reactive, viable solution to certain needs.

It is anticipated that Day-Plus-Boarding will give parents living and working further afield, occasionally or regularly, the opportunity to give their children a rural, dynamic prep school experience without the need to relocate.

All pupils at All Hallows are welcomed into a stunning manor house within magnificently rolling estate grounds with all the comforts of home, facilities galore, dedicated and professionallyorientated family staff expertise with wrap-around life-skills, learning opportunities and superb, genuine pastoral care. Resident staff and their families reinforce the feeling of community and vital family values which parents and wider families value so highly.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 45

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Stepping stone to university

ST. BRENDAN’S Sixth Form College in Brislington, Bristol has been providing post-16 education for the young people of Bristol, Bath and the surrounds since the 1970s. It is a state-run sixth form college that specialises in A-levels and BTECs as well as GCSEs and the International Baccalaureate.

It is one of only two dedicated sixth form colleges in the South West and offers over 70 different courses which, because of its size (over 1600 students), can be taken in any combination, which is not always the case in smaller sixth forms. The teaching staff are experts in their fields and all facilities are specific for 16-18 education.

St. Brendan’s is something of a secret world; it nestles behind a big wall on the A4 between Bristol and Bath and many people do not even realise it is there. Yet once through the gates you see that it is a modern, purpose-built campus sitting on huge grounds with fantastic facilities both inside and out.

Its location, right opposite the Brislington Park and Ride, makes it easy to get to from a large geographical area, and the college subsidises public bus passes as well as running its own coaches.

In October 2012 it was inspected by Ofsted under the new much tougher inspection framework which focuses more strongly on the quality of teaching and learning provided, and it was rated ‘Good’ in every single inspection band and was praised highly for its teaching and also for its wide range of enrichment activities that are on offer to all students.

Students at St Brendan's Sixth Form College

It features in The Good Schools Guide which says: “Welcome to the real student world! More of Bristol’s young adults see this as the right compromise between school and university or work. Staff strike us as in tune with this age group and the whole place buzzes.

A great place to make friends and learn independent study skills.

University would be less of a cultural shock after two years here.”

St Brendan’s is holding a series of Open Events in October starting with an open day on Saturday October 12th (10am-2pm) then two open evenings on the 23rd and 24th (5-8pm) for those who are interested in studying there in 2014 – all are welcome to attend and to bring along their friends and family for a look at the facilities and to talk to staff and students about courses and college life.

More details can be found on the college website: stbrendanssixthform.com

PAGE 46 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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AS the school heads towards its 150th anniversary and the Junior School moves to its stunning new home at Cranwell House in January 2014, it is an exceptionally exciting time to be part of the Royal High School, Bath’s vibrant and dynamic learning community for girls aged between 3-18.

Belonging to The Girls’ Day School Trust, the school’s specialist expertise and rich heritage in girls’ education and boarding have shaped the school physically and intellectually.

It is continuing to evolve to ensure its students emerge into the adventures of tomorrow’s world with confidence in the contribution they can make; commitment to pursuing paths that will see them be the best version of themselves that they can be; composure to overcome difficulty and to help others do the same and with the courage to stand up for the values, ideas and aspirations in which they believe.

Open days: Sixth form open evening Tuesday October 1st, 7pm-9pm Junior open morning Thursday October 3rd, 9.30am11.30am Senior and sixth form open morning Saturday October 12th, 9.30am-12noon

EDUCATION The Royal High School Bath new Junior Head Miss Heidi Hughes

Visits to Cranwell House can be booked for Thursday afternoons 1.30-2.30pm, w/c August 19th. Please contact the school on 01225 313877 or email royalhigh@bat.gdst.net

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 47

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A Level success continues at King’s Bruton KING’S Bruton pupils have maintained the school’s recent academic success with another set of impressive A Level results: 65.4% of A Level grades were awarded A*-B and again there was a 100% pass rate.

The majority of pupils gained places at their first choice university and the overall mean UCAS points achieved was 345, which is equivalent to grades A, B, B. Half of all grades in Economics, French, Maths, Further Maths and Physics were awarded A* or A, over 60% of grades in Spanish and Philosophy and Ethics were A*/A, while the Geography Department excelled with 83% of grades A*/A. Ten pupils were awarded straight A* or A grades; Tom Deaney achieved three A*s and William Sharpe was successful in gaining the straight A grades he required to take up his place at Oxford University. The pupils who took the Extended Project Qualification all gained A* or A. Ian Wilmshurst, the headmaster, commented: “I am delighted that our Upper 6 pupils have maintained the recent academic success at King’s. There are some outstanding individual results here and I am grateful to all the teachers at King’s who have supported our pupils both inside and out of the classroom.

“I know that this is a stressful time for our pupils, and their parents, and I am confident that this year group have a very bright future ahead of them.”

The next King’s Bruton Open Morning is at 10am on Saturday September 21st.

PAGE 48 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Clifton High School launches new programme CLIFTON High School is introducing an innovative and exciting new programme for Year 10 and 11 from September 2013. A new Life Skills and Competencies programme of courses will extend life skills and give pupils a wider education, greatly augmenting their academic qualifications.

A huge variety of extra-curricular opportunities and clubs are available at CHS through which young people gain life skills in leadership, winning and losing. The new Life Skills and Competencies programme will enhance and formalise this offering further in Years 10 and 11 with core transferable competencies such as study skills, communication, financial management and independent learning being studied alongside a range of flexible options for developing a particular skill or experience such as photography, food hygiene, Chinese language, journalism, Shakespeare, Duke of Edinburgh or sports leadership.

Many options will lead to an extra valuable qualification or certification and a final element of the programme will involve undertaking work in the local community, providing extra further valuable experience of making applications and being in the workplace.

Head of School, Dr Alison Neill said: “We are very aware that universities and employers are increasingly taking academic qualifications as a ‘given’ and are looking beyond this for what else individuals can offer in terms of transferable skills, competencies, other qualifications and personal qualities. This course is designed to help our students develop a range of these valuable extra strings to their bow alongside their academic studies in order to help them stand out in the competitive recruitment market later on.

“Whereas the current modular style of GCSE courses has made it more accessible for young people to achieve highly in ten or more subjects, the linear nature of the new courses starting across the UK this September has led to Clifton High School increasing teaching time for each course to a level we are confident will enable our students to achieve their best.

“After much consultation with universities, employers and recently qualified graduates we firmly believe that this new course

EDUCATION

running alongside will enable our students to have significant advantages in today’s highly competitive market place and is an excellent and valuable use of the extra timetable time available for Year 10 and 11.”

For developing the well-rounded individual with small class sizes, excellent pastoral care and the personal touch, CHS is the best option in Bristol for realising any child’s individual brilliance.

Find out more and experience the unique atmosphere for yourself; visit www.cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk or contact the school to arrange a visit or a Taster Day: 0117 9339087 or admissions@cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk

Norton Radstock College offers courses for everyone

NORTON Radstock College has been in the business of training people since 1947, successfully developing individuals and local businesses with the skills to find work and create jobs and careers for thousands in the local community.

Whatever stage of your career, there’s a huge range of training and courses to suit your individual needs. The college has a wide range of part-time courses starting this autumn suitable for adults who are looking for extra qualifications or to develop or change their career.

Learning doesn’t always have to be about qualifications and careers. The college also has leisure courses at different local venues. Whatever your age, it’s a great chance to meet new people, do something with your spare time and learn things you have always wanted to.

Details: www.nortcoll.ac.uk or call 01761 433161

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 49

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Students thrive at Strode College

THIS September hundreds of school leavers will embark on new and exciting courses at Strode College in Street that will help shape their future. Studying the right course at the right college will make a big difference to their success; they can be confident that they will thrive and reach their full potential at Strode.

Strode’s approach to learning and supporting students and the high levels of achievement at the college, were praised by Ofsted in June last year. And, the latest outstanding set of results for A Levels and vocational courses, announced in August, prove that Strode students consistently attain excellent results, significantly above the national average.

Strode’s results match those achieved at the college last year which ranked Strode as the best performing college

for A Levels in the South-West (January 2013 D of E league tables).

Strode offers the widest choice of A Levels in Somerset, an impressive 40 A Levels, 35 vocational courses and over 40 different Apprenticeships. With so many courses available, school leavers can find the right course and mix of subjects to suit their future ambitions.

School leavers who haven’t decided

what to do next should find out about courses available at Strode starting in September.

Strode also offers quality and affordable Higher Education courses, including university level Foundation Degrees, Higher National Diplomas and higher professional qualifications, as well as hundreds of part-time courses for adults.

For more information on the opportunities available at Strode College call: 01458 844400 or visit the website: www.strode-college.ac.uk

Specialists and pioneers

SHAPWICK is a pioneering co-educational day and boarding school that occupies two separate sites situated on the delightful Somerset levels. As a CReSTed category ‘SP’ School, Shapwick specialises in the education of young people aged 8 – 18 years with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and associated speech and language needs.

Shapwick’s motto ‘The same road by different steps’ rings true in everything throughout the school. Shapwick provides specialist teachers to small classes, they employ a team of speech and language and occupational therapists who work in conjunction with the teachers to help to achieve an ethos where the emphasis is based on making maximum demands on the strengths of their students, whilst providing specialist support across their whole curriculum through a holistic, multisensory approach.

Shapwick does not believe in specialist dyslexic units situated within a mainstream school. If you have a poor working memory and weak phonological processing then you have those weaknesses in every lesson, activity and break, not just in a daily literacy lesson.

Pupils therefore no longer feel different, and as a result their self-esteem and confidence grows. They feel happy, fulfilled, confident and most importantly of all they are given the same opportunities as children who do not have dyslexia.

Shapwick teachers understand the things that make a difference and their experience, results and feedback from parents, pupils and teachers demonstrates that Shapwick’s unique formula works.

PAGE 50 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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EDUCATION

Prior Park celebrates excellence in all areas

PRIOR Park College, the UK’s largest Catholic, co-educational, independent senior school, is celebrating another outstanding performance from A Level students. With a pass rate of almost 99%, 78% of pupils achieving the top A*- B grades, with one in every two entries achieving grade A or better, the vast majority of their leavers have gained entry to their chosen universities.

Prior has lived up to its reputation as a school that delivers excellence in all areas of the curriculum. With two students heading to Cambridge to study the natural sciences and classics respectively, one awarded a place at the London Academy of Dramatic Art, another attending the Royal Northern College of Music, and their captain of rugby studying business economics at Exeter.

Headmaster James Murphy-O’Connor

is delighted with the results and said: “We are of course very proud of our top achieving students who through their own natural ability and hard work have attained the outstanding grades of which they were capable and will now attend their first choice universities – Cambridge, UCL, Durham and Edinburgh to name a few.

“But we also acknowledge those students who through sheer diligence and determination have exceeded their own expectations. This is Prior’s true legacy – a supportive environment and a dedicated group of outstanding staff who make each student’s learning journey as individual and as stimulating as possible.”

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 51

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MENDIP TIMES

Compton Dundon Village Show

YOUNGSTERS in the Compton Dundon area set a fine example with their entries at the village show – but organisers are appealing for more to get involved.

The village school closed two years ago and Kathy Chiffers, secretary of the village gardening club and one of the village show organisers, said: “One of the knock-on effects of the closure has been that we have lost our main way of reaching the children in the area. We would love to see more take part.”

Twin sisters Nicole and Abi Marshman, 10, with some of their prizewinning entries

Harvey Taylor, eight, is all smiles after beating grandfather Les Taylor to third place in the carrot class

Paulton plays

DESPITE the foul weather, those who turned up to Paulton Rovers for Paulton’s Community Games had a wonderful time. Chairman of the organisers, the Rev Audrey Simpson (pictured, with Cameron Curtis, who won a gold medal in the penalty shoot-out), said she was delighted to see the children enjoying themselves.

Liz Hardman, ward councillor and treasurer of the games committee, said: “We are grateful to Dave Bissex at Paulton Rovers for allowing us to use their grounds for the games and lucky to have the Rovers’ clubhouse to shelter in from the rain!”

PAGE 52 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Retired head teacher Simon Dore won best in show for his homebaked bread. Perhaps one of the secrets of his success was the fact that both his grandfather and great grandfather were bakers!

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EVENTS

Clutton Flower Show Martha (left) and Grace Redfern

The winning entry

Louise Bowen entered Robbie in the dog show

In charge of teas (l to r) Nick Cherry, Elaine Hazell, Isobel Fryer, Liz Carter, Gill Hazell, Karen Raisbeck and Maggie Cherry

Mendip Brass Band

The show marquee was packed MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 53

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Sun shines on Priddy Sheep Fair

Page 1

PRIDDY SHEEP FAIR 2013

By Mark Adler

SEVERAL thousand visitors descended on Priddy to enjoy the sights and sounds of the historic sheep fair.

Cancelled last year due to waterlogging on the village green, this year’s fair enjoyed fine weather.

Priddy Sheep Fair moved from Wells in 1348 because of the Black Death. The fair is held on the nearest Wednesday to August 21st – and this year fell on exactly that date.

The fair has been continuously held every year since 1348, apart from the 2001 and 2007 foot-and-mouth epidemics and last year’s cancellation.

G A date for the annual deadstock fair of farm implements and memorabilia has still to be confirmed.

Farmers surround the sheep pens as the auction gets underway

Members of the South West Dry Stone Walling Association demonstrated their skills

Jayne Biggs, of Shepton Mallet, was selling Billy, a four and a half year-old pony, at the horse fair Traditional skills on the village green: Will Rumney, from Cotswold Woodland Crafts

Farmer Andy Wear commentates on a sheep shearing demonstration PAGE 54 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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MENDIP TIMES

WILDLIFE

THE transition from summer to autumn is already in full swing.

Most resident birds have finished their summer moult, and birds such as finches

By CHRIS and tits have now SPERRING formed larger feeding MBE groups. Most summer migrants have left for warmer climes and woodlands are bearing the fruits of autumn.

If, like me, you have buddleia in your garden you must have noticed how well butterflies have done this summer, especially compared to the previous cold and wet summers. Like most insects they are generally showing signs of winding down now, but there is one which is still very active on mild sunny days.

The small tortoiseshell is a common butterfly which can still be observed whether you live in urban or rural areas; however it appears to be declining across the UK and mainland Europe at the moment. This is one the most colourful of British butterflies, with bright red-orange wings, surrounded by black spots and a line of iridescent blue spots along the rear of the wing.

When alighting on plants they often open and close their wings quickly to confuse and deter predators by flashing the full colour of the upper-side of the wings, which are starkly contrasted by the dull, perfectly camouflaged underside.

Small tortoiseshell close up

Small tortoiseshell feeding

The life cycle for this species is quite long for a butterfly: in spring, adults emerging from hibernation will mate and lay their eggs. The clusters of around 80 tiny, green eggs are laid on the underside of common nettle leaves. The small black and yellow caterpillars hatch after about 12 days and are initially protected by a silk web that they spin around themselves as they begin feeding on the nettle leaves.

The cluster of caterpillars grows quickly and the web becomes larger and more noticeable. Eventually, the group breaks up and they become solitary as they near the time to pupate. Once sufficiently grown, they leave the nettles that have sustained them and find a suitably safe place to enter the pupae stage, usually on a tree, hedge or stone wall.

Adult butterflies emerge after about 12 days. In southern England we have (depending on weather) two broods within each year; the first from the parents which have hibernated the previous winter, and the second are the offspring of the first hatch. It is these later emerging adults which will now be feeding frantically in preparation for this winter’s hibernation.

Fully fed and with cold weather approaching, the small tortoiseshells will soon be looking for suitable places to hibernate. They are not the only butterfly to hibernate, as red admiral, comma and peacock will

Photography by Chris Sperring

T h e s ma l l to r to i s e s h e l l

go through the winter as adults as well, but the small tortoiseshells are perhaps the most noticeable as they often seek to spend the winter with us.

They particularly like disused buildings, garden sheds and farm buildings, sometimes gathering in their hundreds when they find a suitably dry, sheltered place. Ideally, hibernation places should have an even temperature, but on milder days they can become active, hence during a mild Christmas period it is not unusual to see a small tortoiseshell fluttering around the garden.

So this is a butterfly that can be seen in every month of the year. Problems really occur when they fly into open windows of houses or offices to search for somewhere to settle for the winter, as the central heating will wake them and cause them to use their vital body energy with no chance of finding flowers to feed on.

You can help small tortoiseshells in your garden by allowing space for nettles, ideally in a sunny spot. You will be rewarded with a bumper crop of our most beautiful butterflies throughout the summer, including peacock, comma and red admiral – and these caterpillars only feed on nettles, so won’t attack your cabbages!

You can also move any small tortoiseshells that come into your nice warm house during the autumn into a shed or other outbuilding where they won’t be woken by heating in the winter. To learn more about butterflies and how to help them in your garden visit www.butterflyconservation.org

Chris Sperring is Conservation Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust Contact him on 01275 849287 or via chris.sperring@btinternet.com

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 57

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MENDIP TIMES

Come to the combes THE valleys to the south of Bath, on the edge of East Mendip, once thriving, noisy, working places along the rivers and canal, are now fertile agricultural areas and scenic tranquil havens. There are good wild flowers and great views. This circle climbs out of the valley from Wellow, near Peasedown St John, and goes down into picturesque Combe Hay and the valley there along the Cam. It then circles round, up out of the valley and drops down with good views over Wellow back to the start. After rain, expect mud.

Walking is on field footpaths and good tracks. There is a popular village pub in Wellow and the inn at Combe Hay which describes itself as ‘a haven of contemporary rustic chic’.

PARK: In Wellow, north east of Radstock and Peasedown St John. As you approach the village from the roundabout near Peasedown St John, go down into Wellow village. Look for Station Road on the right (opposite the recreation ground and village hall car park). Down here at the end is a large free parking area on the site of the old railway.

START: Walk up out of the car park, past the old station now converted. Wellow Station, on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, closed in 1966. The station building was converted into a house by the artist Peter Blake and his then wife Jann Haworth in the mid 1970s. The railway followed the route of the Radstock arm of the Somerset Coal Canal which had been unsuccessful as its connection to the main canal at Midford

involved transhipment via a tramway. The canal was mainly obliterated by the railway trackbed, which east of the village is now part of national cycle route NCR 24, the Colliers Way. At the village road turn left and follow this along past the community shop.

Leave the village and just past the speed restriction measure and derestriction sign take the bridleway on the right.

1. BRIDLEWAY This is the start of the climb out of the valley. Pass a barn and continue on. Climb steadily for a few minutes, flatten out and then climb again. The track bends left and becomes almost level. In the corner go through a gate right and then head across left to a visible stile. Once over, continue across this next field towards a pylon. The route is not well marked. Stay to the left of the pylon and then continue up parallel with the power lines. Cross over in the corner onto a flat stony track.

2. TRACK Turn left. There are good views now to the north across to the Cam valley where we are heading. Stay on this main track (ignore a left fork) and start to descend on this pretty lane fringed with wild flowers.

Pass Home Farm and a beautifully converted stone barn and soon after a lane joins from the right. Continue to a fork a short way on at Springhill House.

With Sue Gearing PAGE 58 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

3. FORK Take the right fork up a small hill alongside Springhill House and then continue the descent.

4. MAIN ROAD Carry on all the way to the main Bath

road. Cross with care onto the track opposite. Up here a short way go right down the first turn and through a large metal gate into a field. Go down keeping the hedge on your right (don’t turn into the field on the right). Follow this old grassy track down. Go through gates, through an area which can be muddy and wet because of springs in the area. Come back on to the main road. Turn left.

5. CAM BROOK Cross the Cam Brook. The river which rises near Hinton Blewett joins the Wellow Brook at Midford to form Midford Brook before flowing into the River Avon close to the Dundas Aqueduct.

Along its length are the remains of the Somerset Coal Canal which originally took its water from Cam brook and serviced the Somerset coalfield.

Immediately go across the road and down the steep steps over a stone stile onto the Limestone Link long distance path. Now simply follow the Cam on your right through a very large field. Cross a footbridge and continue on. At the end of this next field cut across to a stile and come onto a lane.

6. LANE Go left and then immediately right and continue on the Limestone Link along the Cam and then follow the path as it bears left uphill away from the stream. Go through a wooden kissing gate leaving the conservation area. Continue up across rough grass and then under trees to the road in Combe Hay. 7. COMBE HAY Combe Hay was known in the Domesday Book as Cumb. The village includes a

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church with a 15th century tower, the Georgian Combe Hay Manor and Georgian rectory and several fine old stone houses. Just to the east of the village was the site of a series of locks, dating from 1805, on the Somerset Coal Canal, one of the only Caisson locks ever built. From the 1880s until 1980 the village had active mines extracting Fuller’s earth and during World War II production expanded to supply foundries and paint production.

Turn right into the village, named by the Times a few years ago as one of the most desirable villages to live in England.

Stay up on the road and, if you wish, soon bear right to visit the village church, also used as a community library.

Unusually it is a parish church with no saint. There was an abortive attempt to find a saint but to no avail.

Then drop down left. Continue on and start to climb out of the village. Look out for a bridleway on the right by a sign for the unusually named house, Hen and Chicken Court. But, to take refreshment at the renowned Wheatsheaf Inn, go up the lane for a couple of minutes, no more.

The Wheatsheaf was originally a farmhouse built in 1576 before becoming an inn sometime in the 18th century.

8. WEIR To continue our route, go down the bridleway and soon cross the Cam at a picturesque spot with a stone stepped weir on the right. Follow the bridleway on and up into a field and on, now climbing out of the Cam Valley. Continue on through another gate and up a wide track, past a possibly boggy patch.

Continue to climb, going up through trees on the path. Then go across an open area,

WALKING

OS Explorer 142, Shepton Mallet & Mendip Hills East, grid ref: 738580 6.2 miles, 3 hours walking

through a gate and follow woodland on your right, still with beautiful views. At the top, stay in the field and turn left with the hedge on your right. Follow this along and round, walking along the top of the valley spread out below you on the left. A gate at the end leads onto a track.

Turn up right towards the hamlet of Twinhoe.

9. TWINHOE At the T-junction turn left and soon bend round right and reach another junction.

Turn right and then follow this lane uphill for several minutes.

10. BEND On the right hand bend, ignore a kissing gate and go straight ahead through a small metallic gate. Follow the left edge of the field heading towards Wellow down in the

valley. Reach the hedge corner. The footpath maintains direction at this point across the field but was not too clear, so people had tried to make a path a bit further on. But to stick to the proper route from the corner head across the field a few yards and soon see Wellow church tower down in the valley. Also see the metal kissing gate in the hedgeline on the other side of the field. If you are really confused simply follow the left hand side of the field round two more corners and come back to the kissing gate.

11. KISSING GATE Go through the gate and on downhill enjoying good views over Wellow valley.

There’s another metal kissing gate.

Maintain your line of walking down across the next field heading to the right of Wellow church. Aim for the twin trunks of an ash in the hedge ahead. Find a path here under the ash and then come onto a path through a kissing gate. Follow this fenced path down and then bend right. It is very well marked. Follow the track uphill. Go through a kissing gate on the right. Go along the fence and make a left turn down the side of the church wall and out onto the road in Wellow.

12. WELLOW Turn right. Pass the village school and then the popular and comfortable village pub, the Fox and Badger and keep straight on to reach the car park.

The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, 01225 833504, closed Mondays The Fox and Badger, Wellow, 01225 832293, open daily.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 59

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West Countryman’s Diary

SURELY no one can moan about the summer we have had! Not even the farming world has cause for complaint, although the continued dry weather did play havoc with grass growth. There was many a lawn (or in my case a patch of grass) that burnt up and turned brown, only the deep-rooted weeds With LES showed any green at all on my patch.

DAVIES MBE August was named after the Roman Emperor Augustus, not because it was his birth month, but it has been said that in this month his greatest good fortune occurred. What this good fortune was, I am not aware, but it originally had only 30 days in the month, so another day was tactfully added in order that Augustus should not be outdone by that other Caesar, Julius, whose month had 31 days.

This is also the month of Saint Bartholomew’s Day, August 24th: “If the 24th of August be fair and clear, then hope for a prosperous autumn this year.” So I am watching the apple crop in the hope that this will indeed be a vintage year with high sugar content and lots of juice. My summer pruning is now complete, but there is still time to do your plums and damsons once the fruit has come off. With the tree still active the wound will heal quickly and there is less chance of disease getting in.

Still plenty of harvest yet to come and I hope that the weather holds to bring it all in. I still remember the reaper binder at work in the fields. Many of these were adapted for the tractor from their horse-drawn origins. All pretty ‘low tech’ when you compare them to today’s combine harvesters with computer technology and dust-free, air-conditioned cabs.

The reaper binder’s power came from a land drive wheel that transmitted drive to the working ‘guts’ of the machine. Knotters are still a mystery to me today and, when anyone tries to explain the intricacies of their operation, I must admit I tend to glaze over. After all there must be some things in life that remain a mystery, surely?

After the binder came the thresher. Lots of hard work for those involved in its operation, including the dogs that would lie exhausted at the end of the day, after killing so many rats that had been living within the corn ricks. Corn ricks are something you will never see today, the only reference will be in paintings or old photos, yet to build them was almost worthy of a design award in itself.

No one would have the time to build such a thing these days, yet alone to thatch it against the elements until it was ready to be taken down. It was a temporary structure that was both aesthetically pleasing and functional in its application. I still have my grandfather’s shears that he used to thatch the corn ricks and hay mows during his time; now I use them at cider making time to trim the ‘cheese’. They are still cutting straw, but with a different purpose.

I am getting ready to go on holiday! As if my daily existence wasn’t ‘holiday’ enough, I still feel the urge to travel – but not too far. I’m off to Pembrokeshire again to check on the state of the potato harvest and to look at a coastline that is so like north Cornwall, but without the people. Even this short trip is enough of an absence from Mendip for me to really appreciate the ‘Hill’ when I get back. How do people ever manage when they have to fly away to a foreign country for a couple of weeks!

OUTDOORS

Now it’s September and I can’t believe that this year is going so fast. For Mendip, autumn will have begun with Priddy Fair.

The evening temperature will drop and the mist will form in hollow and dip. Summer on the Hill goes all too quickly, it’s a short growing season with a vast amount of activity before the onset of autumn and then winter again. Autumn however does hold a special attraction, the changing colours of the leaves and that low light that will show every hump and hollow in the land.

It will be a time for walks and sitting beside the fire once more.

If you would like to go on a guided walk, then check out the Mendip Society website ( www.mendipwalkingfestival.org.uk) for details of the walking festival at the end of September. There will be something for everyone, be it long distance or just a local circular. I shall be leading a walk for the Royal Geographical Society on Saturday September 28th around the former lead works at Charterhouse, so if you would like to know more get in touch with me and find out what it was like on “Wild West Mendip” in the 1800s.

This year’s Mendip Ploughing Society match will be held on Wednesday September 25th at Green Ore. If you would like to come along for the day you will be most welcome. Just bring some good weather with you!

Finally thank you to all those who emailed me about the photo last month. It was a drag shoe or “drug shoe” that was used as a downhill brake on horse-drawn wagons. Mine is relatively intact and had not had excessive use; it also carries the markings that inform the user that it was for a three and a half inch tyre. I’m off to the Somerset Rural Life Museum next month to see what I can find there in the way of curiosities.

This month’s photo is my grandfather Charlie Tavener on his way to thatch a corn rick at Hales Farm in North Somerset. It was taken before my time, but I note that he’s not wearing his customary boots and leggings. The look says it all! Any ideas for a caption please let me know.

I’m always happy to hear from you, so drop me a line at Les.Davies@westcountryman.org.uk

PAGE 60 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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YEO VALLEY

‘Over the next few months Yeo Valley will be bringing you a wide selection of guest writers from different areas of the family farm. Ranging from news from the garden, the farm team, the Mead family plus many more, we’ll be sharing a little about what’s going on behind the scenes here in the valley. Happy reading!’

JAIME GARDENER, YEO VALLEY HEAD CHEF

What do you do?

WE are often asked what we do, and when we say we’re the chefs at Yeo Valley, the most common response is, ‘You’re a chef?

You make yogurt then ?

So, you’re a yogurt chef?!’

We’re the chefs at Yeo Valley HQ, and we love it when people ask, because we know what comes next, job envy!

We take great pride in talking about where we work – an amazing spot on top of the Mendips overlooking Blagdon Lake, which on any day looks beautiful with the green hills and the tops of houses from the stunning village of Blagdon.

What’s more, we’re proud to say our HQ is not just any old HQ. Firstly you can actually see the chefs at work in the kitchen from both the restaurant and the main entrance hall. We often look up and have a little audience watching us rolling out the bread or whipping up a cake ready for afternoon tea, but we don’t mind at all, we want people to see that their food is fresh.

So ‘What sort of food do you cook?’ they ask next. Well the family have recently published, ‘The Great British Farmhouse Cookbook’ which gives you an idea of the sort of food we do. It’s Great, it’s British, and all about good hearty Farmhouse recipes. We’re quite famous for our own 12 hour slow roasted beef, which is like butter to cut and just melts in your mouth – paired with good gravy and homemade Yorkshires there’s nothing better. Our salads are quite special too, with The Organic Garden growing delicious fresh produce for us. We do use yogurt too but not always, it all depends if we’re helping write a recipe for the website, or testing one sent in by a customer.

‘But who do you cook for? Other yogurt people?’ The simple answer is lots of people, ranging from our farm team who look after our lovely herd, the Yeo Valley office staff to the customers who are using our funky HQ conference facilities; we believe everyone should eat great quality fresh food no matter who you are. The general public also have a chance to enjoy some of our delicious food by visiting the Organic Garden where we keep the Tea Room stocked with brunch, lunch and afternoon tea on garden open days. We are also open to the public at our HQ for special occasions too, like Christmas (yes would you believe it we are already planning and taking bookings!). If you get a chance to pop down to the garden this summer or join us for a Christmas meal this winter we hope you’ll see what we’re really about – first class food, with every detail taken care of – so you’ll want to come back for more!

‘We’re not just Yogurt chefs, we’re Yeo Chefs’.

Find out more at www.yeovalley.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 61

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MENDIP TIMES

L o o k f o rw a rd to s pri ng A VISIT to your local garden centre this month will reveal a display of bulbs in tempting, colourful packets designed to lure you into buying With MARY with the promise of a PAYNE MBE dazzling display of spring flowers in your garden. Bulbs are easy and rewarding to grow, because the actual flower buds are usually already sitting inside the bulb, just waiting for the right conditions to develop and flower.

In some cases, such as the Paperwhite Narcissus, only water is required. The bulbs can simply be grown indoors on a windowsill in a bowl of gravel and watered to produce scented blooms in a matter of weeks.

When selecting bulbs look for those that are firm and relatively heavy, as this means they have not dried out too much, and the sooner you buy them the better.

Many can, and should be, planted immediately, notably the Snakes Head Lilies or fritillarias. These tiny bulbs desiccate very easily and may fail to grow. Tulips, on the other hand, are best stored somewhere cool and dry, delaying planting until November.

There are many ways to use bulbs in the garden. Planting in pots, so that your display can be moved around, is ideal for smaller gardens or where a spring feature is required in a prominent position. Both narcissus and tulips are perfect for this, and plenty of bulbs can be planted to give a spectacular display. Layer the bulbs in the pot, rather than planting a single layer. This ensures a bold mass of flowers.

It is even possible to put layers of different bulbs in the same pot. Plant say tulips near the bottom, with narcissus next and finish off with some crocus on top but you will not get such a spectacular display as from one sort per pot. There is no need to use bulb fibre – ordinary multi-purpose compost will be fine. The pots can be stood out of the way and then moved into position for flowering.

If you have been troubled by badgers or squirrels digging up your bulbs in pots, or even in the garden, try shaking the bulbs in a bag with a generous amount of hot chilli powder before planting. As the bulbs start to emerge in the spring dust the top of the pot again. Mr Brock or Squirrel Nutkin might dig up one bulb but will PAGE 62 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

surely not be back. I’ve tried it and it works.

Naturalising narcissus bulbs in rough grass can be very attractive, but a natural looking distribution of the bulbs is not easy to achieve. Books will suggest that you toss the bulbs around and then plant them. What they do not explain is that you will spend a lot of time trying to find each bulb that was “tossed around”.

Dotting single bulbs around also looks very artificial.

Another approach is to try to mimic the development of a natural colony. Start by planting a cluster of say five to seven bulbs in one hole. This represents the mother plant from which the colony has developed by shedding seed, so around that initial clump plant several smaller groups. Repeat this process radiating, somewhat randomly, out from the initial clump, reducing the number of bulbs per hole. Then start another colony in another area.

For best effect and convenience always use one variety. If you use mixed bulbs then they will flower at different times, which sounds ideal BUT if you wish to mow the grass later you will have to wait until after the last variety to flower has finished and this can be as late as midMay for the Pheasant Eye narcissus, meaning you cannot mow until early July.

Choosing all early flowering types will make a big difference.

You do not have to wait for the bulb foliage to have died off completely before mowing or cutting off unsightly foliage in borders. Simply wait 6-8 weeks after the flowers have faded. Many famous gardens went through a phase of trying to “naturalise” tulips in grassland only to discover that tulips do not come up again in sufficient numbers the following year

Anemone blanda

and so had to be planted every year.

Tulips and daffodils certainly give us bold colourful displays, but there are many small bulbs that can be used to enhance the spring garden. The ground beneath shrubs that lose their leaves in winter often looks bare, but is an ideal spot for dwarf bulbs that take advantage of the light available before the leaves emerge on the shrubs in late spring. One of my favourites for this sort of location is Anemone blanda, a relative of our native wood anemone.

This comes as a wizened small tuber which is best soaked overnight in a shallow dish prior to planting. This allows it to absorb water and swell up. Plant the “bulbs” about 10cm (4”) apart. You can choose blue, pink or white flowering forms and again straight colours will look more effective than mixed. Another good choice would be Scilla mischenkoana, a horrid name for a pretty, very pale blue dwarf bulb. There is a delightful pale blue form of our native wood anemone called Anemone nemorosa ‘Robinsoniana’ that will self-seed and form large patches if left undisturbed.

Crocus, in all their forms, need sun to open their flowers in spring, so plant them in more open situations, or under deciduous trees with a high canopy. For mass planting the very early flowers of the pale lilac Crocus tomasinianus, or darker purple Crocus vernus are probably the most reliable. Planting thousands of these small bulbs in grass can be tedious to say the least. The easiest method is to lift the turf, scatter the bulbs and replace the turf.

Planting bulbs in the autumn gives us the expectation that spring is just around the corner and we can look forward to a colourful display.

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SEPTEMBER GARDEN TIPS

GARDENING

G The first spring flowering bulbs will be in soon, with most available by the end of the month.

G Plant snowdrop bulbs and anemone corms just as soon as you can. They can be difficult to get going but by planting really early they establish much more readily.

G 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’.

G Dead flowers, and a little bit of the stem below, should be trimmed off lavenders now. If they have become straggly a harder pruning should be delayed until late spring.

G Roses tend to succumb to attack from blackspot, mildew and rust at this end of the summer and you must not let down your guard against these diseases now!

G Prune climbing and rambling roses now (if not done last month).

G Plant Hydrangeas. Plant all in soils that stay moist or that you can mulch generously.

G If you want your blue Hydrangeas to stay blue use Hydrangea Colorant during the growing season.

G Pot up prepared hyacinths to get them in flower for Christmas. Get them potted this month unless you are happy to have them in flower in January. Try some in water-filled glass jars!

G Gladioli corms of the non-hardy type (the majority) should be lifted, dried off and stored in a frost-free place.

Courtesy Cleeve Nursery

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 63

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MENDIP TIMES

The perfect lawn

NGS GARDEN OF THE MONTH

Midney Gardens

SHERBORNE Turf prides itself on quality and service and currently has around 150 acres of quality farmland dedicated to the production of their Trent Turf, which is grown from seed.

Suitable for domestic lawns, their turf is lifted to order and delivered using their own vehicles. Although the trade standard for delivery is ’kerb-side’ they realise this is not always practical and so their drivers always endeavour to place the items as conveniently as possible for you, a service not always offered by other companies.

They also supply a full range of screened topsoil, compost, bark and mulch, as well as top dressing, fertiliser, wildflower seeds, rakes, pegs, and much more.

Details: www.sherborneturf.co.uk or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

SEPTEMBER with its fruits, seeds and beautiful colours seems to bridge between summer and autumn. It is a particularly lovely time of year at Midney Gardens, near Somerton, where the developing autumn colours, swathes of grasses and layers of planting create some lovely vistas and a real feeling of abundance.

Midney Gardens will be of interest to garden lovers as it contains unusual planting combinations and design ideas which could be used in any garden. It is laid out as a series of interlinked areas with beautiful colour themes, interesting features and unusual touches!

In addition to the gardens inspired by the seaside, by Clarice Cliff’s designs and by colour, the unusual layout and planting in the vegetable garden make this an area which is both productive and beautiful. The new woodland walk and wildlife pond area provide a more natural area of garden completely in keeping with its surroundings.

NGS opening details: Friday September 20th, 11am to 5pm.

Admission: £3.50, children free.

Contact Information: David Chase and Alison Hoghton, Telephone: 01458 274250, Email: davidandalison@midneygardens.co.uk Website: www.midneygardens.co.uk Address: Midney, Somerton, TA11 7HR. To see more gardens open for the NGS, see The Yellow Book, or Local County Leaflet, available from local Garden Centres, or go to: http://www.ngs.org.uk

PAGE 64 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Harvest time

THE seventh annual Glastonbury Harvest Show is being held at the Town Hall on Saturday, September 14th.

Organisers say this year’s event will be bigger and better, with more activities, workshops and stalls to encourage people locally to grow their own food. There will also be film showings and local ‘Master Gardeners’ on hand to answer gardening queries.

Organiser, Caroline Lewis said: “This is a harvest show with a difference! We’re not about who has the straightest carrot or the biggest pumpkin; this is about nourishing, cookable produce.”

The show highlights the importance of local food and community and celebrates the joy and benefits of growing your own food. The programme is available online with details of all the classes including home-grown vegetables, fruits and flowers, as well as home-made bread, cakes and preserves. There are also “just for fun categories” For more information visit: www.glastonburyharvestshow.org.uk

PERFECT PAVE LTD P a t i os Bl o c k P avi n g Driveways

GARDENING

Norton Green Farm Nursery and Garden Centre AUTUMN 2013

Autumn bedding (available soon), including Pansies, Wall Flowers and more, produced in our own nursery

Compost, mulches, bark etc. Fresh delivery of Glazed and Terracotta Pots

Selection of autumn shrubs and plants now in stock

Also available: • Spring Flowering Bulbs & new seed collections due anytime soon • Wild Bird food and feeders • National Garden Gift Vouchers sold and redeemed • Decorative aggregates, sand, gravel, paving & walling, etc.

• Fencing, posts & trellis etc.

LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE Open: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 10.30am-4.30pm

Wells Road, Chilcompton, Nr. Bath Tel: 01761 232137 E. nortongreenfarm@tiscali.co.uk

Timberwork Buildings Bespoke buildings to suit you We specialise in the manufacture of quality standard and bespoke garden buildings to suit your individual needs including:-

t: 01934 740163

www.perfectpave.com

WORKSHOPS/GARAGES GARDEN SHEDS SHELTERS & STABLES PLAYHOUSES

Professional Tree Surgeons and Consultants 01761 241871 info@alltree.co.uk www.alltree.co.uk

Let our dedicated team assist you in your choice whatever your budget . . . Full design, installation and delivery service available – customise your shed to suit your needs

We also do: Chicken Houses Dog Kennels • Bin & Log Stores YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT US AND SEE OUR SHOW MODELS – OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

THE TIMBERYARD • SHUTE SHELVE • CROSS • NEAR AXBRIDGE Tel: 01934 732 396 • www.timberworkbuildings.co.uk e.mail: timberbuildings@aol.com

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 65

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MENDIP TIMES

Gardens fit for wildlife INCREASINGLY, more and more people are looking to encourage wildlife into their gardens, adding a whole new richness to their outdoor space.

There is a misconception that wildlife friendly gardens are often untidy and wild at the expense of a traditional view of a nice garden.

However, Earth Timber Stone blow this myth away, with their stunning garden designs – stylish, relaxing and beautiful, yet completely at one with nature.

Each of their gardens is a haven for wildlife, creating homes for birds, butterflies, bees, hedgehogs and newts.

Every design is fully thought through, combining their customers’ requirements with the needs of their garden wildlife.

Garden Design – specialists in Wildlife Gardens From whole garden design and build, to revitalising old beds and borders, we can deliver your dream garden. Book us now for winter – the perfect time for garden restructures.

Late flowering plants

AS we move into autumn and the vibrant displays of summer begin to fade from the garden, there are an abundance of plants we can choose that will continue to produce flowers for months to come.

Common favourites like Asters, Echinacea, Phlox, Rudbeckia and Japonese anemones come into their own from August to October, but there are plenty of others to maintain a colourful show.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabele’ will produce huge flower heads well into Autumn; contrast these with the flower spikes of Persicaria, Verbena or Lythrum to create vibrant long-lasting displays.

Evergreen back-drops of ferns such as Dryopteris affinis, Polystichum setiferum or Blechnum spicatum provide lush textures and Hellebores begin to show their subtle colours throughout winter and into early spring.

Remember, if you want a display for the end of the year, plant these so they can be seen easily from the house when you might be less inclined to venture out into the deteriorating weather, and plant lots of them so the show is worthwhile.

If you would like planting advice for all seasons, contact Alistair Barlow at Lowarth Garden Design on 01373 812031 or www.lowarth.com

Contact us for a free consultation or visit our website to see more of what we can offer.

Don’t forget to find us on Facebook for regular wildlife garden tips.

Weston Garden Machinery

Garden Machinery Specialist

Arborists!

“C” FIVE

New range of Krieger clothing in stock Hutton Garden Centre, Banwell Road, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset BS24 9UB

Tel: 01934 813261 www.westongarden.co.uk PAGE 66 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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GARDENING

Ground attack

GROUND Level have recently been investing in new machinery to further enhance their capabilities. Their latest tracked grinder is able to traverse rough ground and steep slopes, meaning many previously untouchable stumps are now within reach. The excellent manoeuvrability afforded by a tracked unit coupled with a width of 900mm allows the machine to reach areas with poor access as is often the case with rear gardens. Business has been growing steadily for Ground Level who aim to deliver a highly competent and timely service to the market whilst remaining competitive.

Ground Level have the resources to meet the demands of larger commercial projects whilst retaining their small company ethos.

Lowarth Garden and Landscape Design Chelsea Flower Show Silver Gilt medal winner

< Beautiful, practical gardens < Inspiring planting < High quality hard landscaping < Treehouses and other structures < We aim to exceed your expectations

Please contact us to arrange a free consultation Alistair Barlow Mobile: 07971 264261 Tel: 01373 812031 Website: www.lowarth.com

As one of Somerset’s leading suppliers of garden machinery, we stock a wide range of garden tractors, mowers, strimmers, chainsaws, rotavators etc from most leading manufacturers, including the Husqvarna ‘Auto Mower’ Situated between Street & Bridgwater, please come and visit our showroom.

As well as garden machinery sales, we have a service centre and spares department and our Country Store sells almost anything from DIY items to kitchenware, sweets, ice creams, cakes and biscuits.

If you need it – we've probably got it!!'

BROWNES GARDEN CENTRE Come and relax in our Coffee Shop and then select from our large selection of container grown shrubs, roses and perennials Huge selection of terracotta and glazed pots plus all your garden sundry requirements

Spring flowering bulbs now in stock

Open 9–5:30pm Mon–Sat 10–5pm Sun Coffee Shop 10.30-4pm Tues—Sun

GLASTONBURY ROAD WELLS. TEL 01749 673050

Tree Stump Removal and Stump Grinding • Services throughout the South West

See our website at www.groundlevelcontractors.co.uk or e-mail us at info@groundlevelcontractors.co.uk Prefer to talk to us? Tel: 01934 710135 • Mob: 07799 014639 MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 67

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Parish celebrates its centenary

IN the spring of 1913 an order was signed in Council which created the parish of Blagdon with Charterhouse on Mendip.

This order was signed by King George V, as head of the Church of England, and was the final signature on a submission that had been initiated by the rector of Blagdon, the

By ADRIAN Rev. George Menzies Lambrick.

LITTLEJONES He had managed it through the various levels of the church, needing the approval of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt. Rev. George Wyndham Kennion, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Randall Thomas Davidson.

It was complicated because before Charterhouse could be attached to Blagdon it had to be detached from the parish of Witham Friary to which it had been joined for over 700 years.

Charterhouse had only recently gained its own chapel. On March 27th 1909 the Chapel of St Hugh was licensed and dedicated by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and made ready for use by St Hugh’s Day, November 17th of that year.

Prior to that services had been carried out at the nearby school, but even this had only begun in 1894. For the previous 450 years, since the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, Charterhouse had been, from an ecclesiastical standpoint, extra-parochial, being some 20 miles from its parish church of Witham Friary.

The first mention of the need for on-site religion at Charterhouse is a report in the Bath Chronicle of August 1893 when the then Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt. Rev Lord Arthur Hervey, highlights the lack of facilities for people in the area to take part in religious activity and states the need for a mission hall and dedicated clergyman.

This issue must have been simmering for a while because George Wyndham Kennion, Bishop of Bath & Wells (1894-1919)

PAGE 68 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

St. Hugh’s, Charterhouse

other voices were now heard, in particular Prebendary Coleman, vicar of Cheddar, who at the Bath and Wells Diocesan Conference held in October 1893 issued this statement.

“There is a tract of country on the summit of the Mendip Hills known as the Liberty of Charterhouse, with a population of some 90 persons engaged in agricultural pursuits. It is named the Liberty because the inhabitants are exempt from payment of tithe, and all other ecclesiastical dues. It is the Liberty of Charterhouse or more properly Chartreuse because in 1181 the 2500 acres it contains were taken out of the parish of Cheddar and assigned to the Carthusian House at Witham in East Somerset near Frome.

“At the dissolution in the 16th century, Charterhouse, distant from Witham some 20 miles, became to all intents and purposes, extra-parochial, and as far as spiritual matters are concerned, has continued to be so to the present day. It has no church, no clergyman, no services of the church on Sundays or weekdays. To remedy this state of things has been for a long time, the desire of the Bishop and the clergy of neighbouring parishes.”

Accordingly it was decided to make an effort to raise a fund of £150 for five years, for a clergyman’s stipend, and if possible money to provide for a small mission church which would accommodate from 80 to 100 people. This would allow the people of Charterhouse and a scattered population of a further 90 to 100 people belonging to Blagdon, Ubley, Cheddar and Compton Martin to attend regular worship.

The need having been established, a clergyman was now required. This position was filled by one of the great characters of Blagdon history, George Menzies Lambrick. Lambrick was born in Plymouth in 1860, the elder son of a general in the Royal Marines. Educated at Repton and Trinity College Cambridge he became a priest in 1884 and in the same year took up a curacy in Stepney.

This was a tough assignment because in the neighbouring parish of Whitechapel, Jack the Ripper was active. Lambrick’s parents retired and moved to Clevedon, and it must have been during a visit to Somerset that he met Maria Louisa Newnham of Blagdon Court. They married in 1890 and returned to London. Clearly the new Mrs Lambrick found Stepney too different to Blagdon because in 1894 Lambrick was appointed to the new post of Mission Curate to Charterhouse on Mendip and he and his wife took up residence in Cheddar.

Between 1894 and 1908 Lambrick took regular services in the classroom at Charterhouse School and during that time he

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HISTORY

George Lambrick

baptised 92 children, using the tiny Cornish Font which now sits on the window-sill of St Hugh’s chapel. He also took the responsibility for services at the nearby Nordrach TB sanatorium when it opened its own Anglican chapel.

All this time the fund grew and significant families added large donations. A Deed of Conveyance dated August 1908 assigned to the Bath and Wells Diocesan Trust “a site for a

Preserving some of Somerset’s church history

Mission Room or Church at Charterhouse.” The land formed part of the estate of Lady Annaly and was one of a number of generous donations made by the estate as her uncle, Lord Clifden, had given the land for the school in 1861.

The well-known church architect William Douglas Caroe was employed and the chapel was completed and dedicated ready for use by St Hugh’s Day, November 17th 1909. The dedication was to Hugh the Prior of Witham who had been instrumental in establishing the first Carthusian House in England in the late 12th century and negotiating the charter which included this area of Mendip.

Meanwhile in 1908 George Menzies Lambrick was appointed to the Living of Blagdon following the retirement of the Rev. Gilbert Lyons. Lambrick insisted that he be allowed to bring St Hugh’s Chapel with him into his new parish, although the chapel was outside the existing Blagdon Parish boundary.

Once established in Blagdon, Lambrick set about producing further plans and with the backing of Bishop George Wyndham Kennion of Bath and Wells he developed the scheme for extending his new parish. The document can be found in the Somerset Records Office at Taunton, and I used it extensively in my article in the History of Blagdon Volume 2 (2006).

It used the Pluralities Act of 1838 which required that lands be contiguous to the mother church of a parish and also that clergymen should not be absentee or remote. Both these states were occurring in the case of Charterhouse with Witham Friary and thus Lambrick’s proposal cleared the various hurdles and was approved.

On March 17th, St Patrick’s Day 1913, the new parish of Blagdon with Charterhouse on Mendip came into being.

IN the 1880s, William Harvey Pridham, the son of the vicar of West Harptree, set out on his bicycle on a mission – to record all of the ancient church fonts in Somerset before they were lost to the ravages of over-zealous Victorian architects, builders and clergy, victims

of what was known as the Gothic Revival.

In Somerset, Pridham found that only 85 out of the 481 ancient parish churches had lost their old fonts, whereas counties such as Berkshire had lost over 50 per cent. He set about measuring, describing and recording as

The church at West Harptree

much detail as he could for every ancient font that he could find.

Now the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society has published Harvey Pridham’s Somerset Church Fonts (£20), edited by Adrian Webb with a foreward by Julian Orbach, with 400 of Pridham’s illustrations.

Details: ISBN. 978 0 902152 25 0 Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, TA2 6SF. Reg’d. Charity No. 201929. 01823 272429 office@sanhs.org • www.sanhs.org

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 69

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Prison camp memories

RELATIVES and friends of former Italian prisoners of war gathered at the site of a former camp in Wells to remember its liberation 70 years ago.

Amongst them were people who were children when Penleigh Camp, on Wookey Hole Road, was in use. The site of the camp is now disused after the electronics firm Thales left the city.

The mayor of Wells, Theo Butt-Phillip, told guests: “It is important that we remember these moments in our history.”

Wells is twinned with Fontanellato and Bob Reynolds, from Wells Twinning Association, said: “I am very pleased to see so many people here today.”

Michael’s story

“I WELL remember the fun we had with the prisoners as they exercised by walking from the camp to Milton Hill above Wells. I can recall marching alongside the men with a friend called Aileen Salmon.

“The prisoners seemed to enjoy our company and they gave us sweets. We were aged about seven or eight. The column would be around 20 or 30 with guards at the front and back.

“We ‘marched’ up Ash Lane, via Milton Lane, past Underwood Quarry and down Lime Kiln Lane to Wookey Hole, then back to the camp.”

Michael Baker, a retired teacher, who now lives at Henton, near Wells PAGE 70 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Guests on the site of the former POW camp

Guiseppe’s memories “THERE were numerous huts housing a few hundred Italian prisoners of war – one of which was a ‘hospital’ hut in which I was sent to work. Together with an Italian doctor and another nurse we treated injured prisoners and camp staff. As part of my role I used to give injections and massages to both Major Bell and Captain Haydock who were in charge of the camp.

“The Italian prisoners were sent out daily to work on the local farms under supervision. However the doctor, myself and the other nurse were given the special privilege of being allowed out unaccompanied for walks between two and six pm or six and ten pm every day as long as our duties had been completed.

“It was during one of these walks that I met the beautiful woman who was to become my wife, at Upper Milton Farm. She was busy milking the cows at the time but I struck up a conversation by asking her the time (even though I was wearing a watch). After that I made frequent visits to their family farm and later

did small building jobs for her parents around the farm as I had been trained as a builder by my father before joining the army. During some of the visits to the farm I would trap rabbits and take them back to the Camp to cook for meals.

“One day Major Bell called me in and said that I had been reported for becoming too friendly with one of the local English girls. He told me to be discreet because he didn’t want to have to send me away to another camp as he wanted me to continue giving him his injections – apparently I was gentler than the doctor! I was still

allowed out for walks but was more discreet and so I managed to stay in Wells, thankfully, due to my nursing skills.

“We were treated very well at the camp. As well as being allowed out for walks we enjoyed regular games of football and also used our artistic talents to make rings, belts, cigarette lighters etc. We also played music – I used to play the saxophone, which the camp provided. After the war, on my return to England I played for a local band, earning more money for playing the saxophone than for building work.”

Guiseppe Ambrosini, pictured today and as a corporal serving in the elite Bersagliere regiment of the Italian army.

He was part of the medical team, working as a nurse. In mid-1942 he was posted to Tunisia as part of Mussolini’s plan to control North Africa but was captured by the Allied forces in Jan 1943. He was eventually repatriated to Italy in 1946 but returned to England to settle.

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HISTORY

Grandad Bill’s “very hot time” UNDERSTATED and concise, Bill Dickson’s pocket diary of his time in the trenches in the First World War could be mistaken for being distinctly matter-offact.

So it was only when his grandson Geoff Dickson, of Wells, began comparing the neatly-written pencil notes with military records that he began to appreciate just what horrors the stretcher-bearer and musician had experienced.

Bill had sometimes spoken of his war service when Geoff, a retired school keeper, was a youngster and he remembers the German souvenirs – helmets and a bayonet – on the dark wood sideboard in the front room of his grandparent’s home in Fulham, West London.

Geoff Dickson at work on Grandad’s Diary

After he was left the fragile diary and some other artefacts in his grandfather’s will, Geoff decided to do some research.

His grandfather, born in 1886, was a drummer in the 13th London Regiment and a stretcher bearer. He went over the top alongside the regular soldiers; his only protection was his stretcher bearer’s armband and the stretcher itself. He was wounded on three separate occasions, each time being sent back to the front.

Geoff said: “The diary was very delicate so I wanted to preserve it. As I was reading parts of it I decided to check out exactly what was happening on a certain date and place with Regimental histories; the more I discovered, the more I had to find out and research, it was fascinating and horrendous stuff.

“He would talk about having a ‘very hot time’ which I later discovered meant he had experienced something very horrible that day.”

The diary begins with Bill’s journey to France in November 1914 and ends, abruptly, in December 1917 when he returns to the trenches for the last time. At one time, his captain was Cecil Dickens, who turned out to be the grandson of Charles Dickens.

Keeping a diary was almost certainly forbidden in case a soldier was captured, so its existence is even more remarkable, said Geoff. After the end of the war, his grandfather became an accountant The diary and Geoff’s research is now in production as a book – Grandad’s Diary – which Geoff hopes will be published in time for Christmas.

GEOFF said one diary entry contrasting with what his grandfather told him stood out: “May 1915, Fri 9th, Started the attack for the Aubers Ridge at Festubert.

Bombardment started at 5am till 5.30am. Then the mine was exploded under the German trench, and we charged and took the first three trenches. Were met with awful machine gun fire. Dick Pedder and H. Champion killed and myself wounded in the arm. Our Regiment cut up, and the remainder taken out of action. Went to Estaires hospital and on to Merville by Motor Ambulance.”

Geoff remembers his grandfather’s verbal account of that day: “Me and another S.B. (stretcher bearer), (one of his close friends) came across a German officer who had been shot through both legs. He was semi-conscious, and I started to bandage and tourniquet his legs. Well he comes round, and sees this British soldier in front of him, well he then pulled a small revolver he had hidden inside his tunic, and as I turned towards him he aimed and fired.

“I raised my left arm to protect myself. I know it seems daft trying to stop a bullet with your hand, just instinct I suppose, it all happened so quick. As the German fired, the bullet smashed into my arm just below the elbow. It must have been a small calibre weapon as the bullet was deflected. My mate managed to wrest the gun from him and then emptied it into the German’s face.”

Geoff added: “He would show me the scar on his arm and say ‘stupid, stupid, we were only trying to help him’.”

Mendip remembers

T H E G R E A T WA R 1 9 1 4 - 1 8

Some of the artefacts left to Geoff by his grandfather

“Sun 14th Had a sleep last night in our dugout. Germans still

shelling us. One shell has just gone through an ambulance wagon, cutting one man in half and wounding the others again.

The driver and horses were not hurt.”

Tue 18th Had a good night in dugout. Have just crawled over to the Germans late trench, and brought back, 6 helmets, 2 water bottles and 1 bayonet.

Trenches 3ft of stinking water.”

“Thur 11th Working hard all night and today feel absolutely whacked. Germans still shelling us, pretty hot. Went as far as the village (Neuve Chapelle).

Hundreds of dead Germans.

Bombardment still going on from both sides. Went to find Grant, but he was buried.” *Drummer J. Grant, age 24, stretcher bearer, buried at Touret, Pas-de-Calais MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 71

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MENDIP TIMES

HISTORY

Bikers tour of Thankful Villages

Mendip remembers

T H E G R E A T WA R 1 9 1 4 - 1 8

Villagers gather to welcome the bikers

CHELWOOD was one of the villages presented with a plaque by two Welshmen, Medwyn Parry and Dougie Bancroft, who were hoping to raise

The slate commemorative plaque and certificate

£50,000 for the Royal British Legion, by visiting the 51 Thankful Villages who lost no-one who served in the First World War. Chelwood was represented by Pete Sherborne, who is the nephew of the three Sherborne brothers, all farmers, who came back from the war. The other survivor was William Maxwell, who also left farming to go to war, before returning home and marrying the sister of the Sherborne brothers.

Around 100 people turned out in Chelwood to welcome Medwyn and Dougie and their companions who rode along with them that day. They were treated to tea and cake in the village hall,

(L to r) The leader of B&NES district council Paul Crossley, Dougie Bancroft and Medwyn Parry.

before setting off for the next village.

Apart from Chelwood, the other Thankful Villages in Somerset are Aisholt, Chantry, Holywell Lake, Rodney Stoke, Shapwick, Stocklinch, Tellisford and Woolley.

Somerset prepares to remember – you can help A PUBLIC appeal has been launched by the Museum of Somerset to help tell the county’s story during the First World War. The museum wants to reveal previously untold stories that emerge from people’s family albums, diaries and other memorabilia. The results could be displayed at an exhibition in July next year called Sommerset Remembers.

The team at the museum in Taunton are interested in items relating to agriculture, munitions, rationing, voluntary organisations, hospitals and

nursing. Any items relating to prisoners of war, war memorials, soldiers’ charities and family life are also of interest.

The exhibition is part of a wider Somerset Remembers project, launched

by Somerset Heritage Service and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war in 1914.

The project will explore the impact and long-term effects of the conflict on Somerset, and look at the many ways in which Somerset people, their families and communities have

remembered the war.

David Hall, Somerset County Council Cabinet Member for Heritage Services, said: “The stories which emerge from First World War photographs, letters and other objects are powerful reminders of what the war meant to Somerset. We hope people are willing to lend some of these precious items for the exhibition and so help us to preserve the memory of how the war changed so many lives.”

To keep up-to-date with discoveries, or for further information, please visit: www.somersetremembers.wordpress.com

If you have First World War objects, photographs, letters, postcards or other memorabilia which show the impact of the war on Somerset, the museum would like to hear from you. You can contact the project team on 01823 278805, or email somersetremembers@somerset.gov.uk

PAGE 72 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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New development

WORK has started at The Drapers, a new £3million development of 20 affordable homes – eight flats and 12 houses – in Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury. The new homes, due for completion next year, are being built on the old factory works of luxury leather goods manufacturer Drapers of Glastonbury. The factory will be demolished in September.

Raglan Housing is working in partnership with Mendip District Council and regional builder Carter Construction.

Pictured (l to r) Jonathan Layzell, Raglan Assistant Director of Development, Cllr John Brunsdon, Nina Richards from Mendip District Council and Cllr Nick Cottle.

Recovery continues

THE South West housing market appears to have finally turned the corner with buyers returning to the market and house prices expected to continue to rise, says the latest RICS Residential Market Survey.

In the South West during July, the amount of potential buyers looking to enter the market rose again, as a net balance of 36 per cent more chartered surveyors reported increases in demand in the region.

In tandem with rising buyer confidence, more potential sellers looked to test the market and place their homes up for sale, with 40 per cent more respondents reporting rises rather than falls in new instructions.

Since the start of the year, buyers have gradually been returning to test the market across the country – thanks in no small part to government finance initiatives. Significantly, this growth has now been mirrored in each and every part of the UK as the recovery, initially focused in the South East, spreads.

Looking ahead, it seems that prices in some parts of the region are going to continue to rise, with a net balance of 29 per cent more surveyors predicting increases – the largest figure since December 2009 – demonstrating the renewed confidence in the region’s housing market. Meanwhile, transaction levels are also expected to grow, as 51 per cent more respondents expect sales to rise rather than fall over the coming three months.

Despite the increasing appetite to purchase property and the added support to do so, the rental market continues to be important in providing housing. Overall demand for rented property in July remained high with 32 per cent more surveyors expecting an increase in demand rather than a fall.

PROPERTY BROCKLEY, NR. BRISTOL

Brockley Court is an imposing and substantial Grade II Listed building set in picturesque surroundings and located in a rural yet accessible location. Approached down a long drive with interior accommodation amounting to 10,218 sq ft. Planning has been obtained for change of use.

PRICE GUIDE £700,000

STONE ALLERTON, SOMERSET

A superbly presented and recently renovated period detached house with well proportioned ‘Georgian’ accommodation, offering easy family living, combining style and tradition beautifully. 4 reception rooms, family kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, offices and games room. Sweeping drive to extensive outbuildings.

Garden and paddocks. About 7.51 acres. EPC rating D. Ref: 2458 PRICE GUIDE £985,000

Wrington Tel: 01934 864300

MTENDIP • JUNE 2013 • PAGE 73 47 MENDIP IMES T • IMES SEPTEMBER

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MENDIP TIMES

We shall overcome (with or without BANES)

READERS of this column are doubtless looking forward to the public inquiry into the proposed Stowey Quarry asbestos dump, scheduled to start at Fry’s in Keynsham on September 3rd in front of a planning inspector. In the blue corner, the valiant Stowey Sutton Action Group, Bristol Water,

By Dr PHIL over 4,000 concerned petitioners and their HAMMOND loyal council BANES, and in the red corner, the quarry developer.

I’m no stranger to public inquiries. I gave evidence to the Bristol heart scandal inquiry in 2000, having exposed it in 1992, so I know how long it can take for the truth to come out. But in my experience, the higher up the tree you go the better legal minds you encounter. This case will be decided on planning and environmental law, and it takes a fine mind to untangle all its complexities. I have faith in the inspector, whoever he or she is.

All we can do is stick together and present our case as best we can. So I was a little concerned to get an email from BANES informing me that the quarry developers are trying to amend their proposal at the last minute, to try to get around the Environment Agency’s objections, and if they were to succeed, BANES would cave in and not represent its constituents at the public inquiry.

Even worse, the new proposal would still mean the same vast dump of asbestos along with inert waste rather than other stable non-reactive hazardous waste as previously proposed. There are lots of important issues here for the planning inspector to determine. Can the quarry developers make such a late change to their proposal without giving us all proper time to counter it?

At the first appeal (which we won unanimously) BANES planning committee minuted not just the EA’s objection, but all our other objections on the basis of land stability, traffic, noise, ecology, inadequate environmental assessments and – most importantly – the dispersal of potentially lethal asbestos fibres on the wind and via water onto surrounding farmland.

The planning inspector must consider all these objections and you’d think BANES would stand shoulder to shoulder with its 4,000 plus concerned, passionate, well-informed residents who signed the petition against such madness. But it appears they may not.

The carefully chosen words of the environment agency don’t help. Is leachate containing asbestos contaminated? Only a lawyer can decide. The EA previously said the quarry must have an unsaturated zone. It doesn’t have any. At wet times of the year, water pours down to springs in fields below, and flows on into Chew Valley Lake. Contamination is a real and unacceptable risk.

With or without BANES, we will continue the fight and can only trust in the expertise of the planning inspector.

On our side, we have hired a brilliant planning solicitor whose representation led to the earlier approval being quashed. We need to raise money for this and would welcome your love and support (and money). Please enjoy the Pony and Trap Moroccan Takeaway, Friday, September 13th, and my ALL NEWISH comedy show, Games to Play With Your Doctor, at Bath Komedia on Thursday, September 19th. All profits to the cause, feel free to heckle.

Details: www.stopstoweyquarry.co.uk

PAGE 74 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

So where are you going to?

MENDIP Dad and I usually stock up on painkillers before we go camping. This year middle child decides she suffers from car sickness and needs medication to counteract the queasiness. She has never actually been sick in a car. She takes herself off to a pharmacy while Mendip Dad and youngest son are at the barbers.

Pharmacist: “So where are you going?”

Middle child: “I’m just walking over there to see my dad get his hair cut.”

Pharmacist: “No, where are you travelling to?”

Middle child: “We’re going camping.”

Pharmacist: “Where is that?”

Middle child: “About two hours away, I think.”

Pharmacist: “Are you ill at all?”

Middle child: “No I feel perfectly fine.”

After confusing the pharmacist, middle child helps us pack. Packing takes a whole day and I feel uneasy. The weight of expectation is hanging over this camping trip because about a month ago elder child announced that she would not be coming camping as it is “soooo boring”.

We let her choose the destination. It is over three hours away. Mendip Dad and I choose the campsite. The website warns us that only the most basic of facilities are available. “It’s not just a field is it?” Eldest child, questions us suspiciously. “No, it’s right by the sea,” I answer politically.

It’s not a holiday park with nightlife, swimming pools etc. but it’s near one. Mendip Dad and I hope we can use the facilities if it all gets desperate.

When we arrive everyone is excited by the proximity of the beach. The campsite is nestled in the dunes and provides everything we could possibly need. Two out of the four days are sunny and most of the rain falls at night.

Youngest son finds a Polish friend (with a curious Lancaster accent) of a similar age who is happy to play cricket and football constantly too.

This gives everyone else a break which is fortunate because I begin to wonder, after the first day and five hours of beach cricket, if I’ve brought enough painkillers.

On the last day we enjoy ice-creams at the holiday park.

I dare to ask eldest child what her favourite day of the trip has been: “Today, I think,” she says. I wonder if it’s because we’re leaving but she reassures me it is because the sun is shining and she’s enjoyed the coastal walk and picnic with her family in the dunes and the ice-cream. I hope we can persuade her to come again next year.

MENDIP MUM

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MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 75

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Credit where credit’s due

HAVING retired from the constabulary I tend not to look back very often and have focussed on throwing myself well and truly into new projects; however it is still nice to hear now and again from colleagues I worked with in the past.

One such example is an e-mail I recently

By SIMON received from an old colleague from my SELBY Wells days, Andy Leafe.

Andy will be known to many for the many years he has devoted to local policing, including charity events such as the very successful Police Ball and numerous other excellent initiatives. He even played a key role in advising the team that made the hit film Hot Fuzz.

So, perhaps not surprisingly for someone awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, Andy’s latest project has seen him working with – a Royal Canadian Mountie! He’s developed a Positive Ticketing Scheme – being piloted in Wells to recognised young people who make a positive contribution to their community. It’s been in conjunction with Wells Blue School.

Here, Andy explains more: “We have been liaising with a Corporal Wes Heuchert who operates a similar scheme in Saskatchewan. Having assessed and evaluated their scheme, we decided to pilot our scheme working in partnership with The Blue School. Their deputy head teacher, John Reay, commented that schools do not operate in a bubble, what happens in school impacts upon events in the local community and vice-versa. Initiatives of this type should make a positive contribution towards community cohesion.

“How will the scheme work? The Police and Police Community Support Officers will issue a Police Community Credit ticket to young people for making a positive contribution within the community. The young person will keep one copy and a copy will be sent to The Blue School. The school operate a credit system to recognise student achievements; within this different achievements will carry a different tariff. The proposed police credit will be allocated a high tariff. The accumulation of credits not only

PAGE 76 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Cpl Heuchert

benefits the individual student but also contributes to the overall total for the tutor group.

“At identified points during the year, the students’ achievements are recognised and rewarded, in the form of retail vouchers. Achievements are recorded in SIMS (School Information Management System) and parents, via a secure logon, can access live information about their child which includes their achievement log. In addition, a young person could make reference to the Police Community Credit on their Curriculum Vitae (CV). This can be evidenced, as the police keep one copy on their records.

“There are a lot of advantages to introducing this scheme. It has the potential to offer opportunities for young people to have beneficial experiences following interactions with the police, and will create positive role models in our societies. This scheme evolved from an Anti-Social Behaviour ‘Choice and Consequence Workshop’ that we developed, as it was recognised that young people need positive role models in society.”

Young people in Clevedon have been working with Mendip artist Fiona Campbell to transform “found” objects such as litter into pieces of sculpture.

Fiona, who lives in Cranmore, was joined in the project by the YMCA in Clevedon.

The scheme was part of an initiative to encourage young people to clean up areas where local people have complained of nuisance problems – then working with local artists to transform the litter into artworks.

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COMMUNITY

If they can do it . . .

By Mark Adler

… THEN why not us? That is the challenge a group of villagers in Coleford, near Frome, have set themselves to improve life in their community.

Calling themselves the Coleford Revival Group, the villagers’ first aim is bringing back the annual Village Day, which died out in the 1970s.

The group – they describe themselves as “enthusiastic Colefordians dedicated Coleford Carnival in 1919

Some of the members of the Coleford Revival Group on the field behind The Eagle

to putting Coleford on the map” – looked at events such as fetes organised by neighbouring communities and decided it was time that Coleford should have its own day of celebration.

Coleford already boasts a very popular flower show, held each August, but the group believes it can also sustain a full show. There’s no shortage of volunteers: around 20 meet on a regular basis at The Eagle to discuss the plans.

They’ve already held a quiz and a table top sale to kick start the long process of raising enough funds to stage the day – already in the diary for the August Bank Holiday Sunday in 2014 –

Sunday best – a church fete in 1921

on the playing field, which is home to the village football team, behind the pub.

But the CRG’s long-term aim is that the village day should be able to raise funds for other community activities such as its two carnival clubs and to improve the facilities Coleford already has to offer.

Barry Hill, one of the committee members, said: “There have been occasional events such as a party for the Millennium but nothing sustainable.

“Our first target is to raise enough money to put on a village day and we are seeking support for that.”

There are plans for further quizzes and table top sales and also a Halloween event on Saturday, October 26th.

CRG held a table top sale at Coleford Flower Show and also laid on a bouncy castle for children to enjoy

If anyone wishes to get involved or can offer support, they should contact Barbara Ferguson from the Coleford Revival Group on: 01373 813378 or email: bj_ferguson@hotmail.com MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 77

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MENDIP TIMES

Wired for pounds

A ZIP wire and abseil from the top of the tower of Priddy church has raised hundreds of pounds for church funds.

Organised for the second year by Pam Main, who lives in the village, young and notso-young made the descents.

Priddy vicar the Rev Paula Hollingsworth after abseiling from the tower

Event organiser Pam Main

Ryan Brooks, six and his sister Jessica, ten, show the way PAGE 78 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Smile please – local photographer Duncan Simey

Lily Burgess, 11, from West Harptree

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EVENTS

Nunney Street Fair

Stallholder Ann Noonan enters into the medieval spirit of the event

Charlotte Thomas and Nibbles were a big attraction

1

Pic 1: Louis Parmigiano and Jimi Caerphilly, two members of the Bristolbased gypsy band Fromage En Feu Pic 2: Michelle Rainey, from Frome Town Archers, who were giving demonstrations next to the castle car park Pic 3: Nunney First School – including members of the Mucky Pups gardening club – ran a stall at the fair Pic 4: Lucy White, Ailsa Williams and Nicole Poole are part of a seven-strong team from Frome Swimming Club who will be attempting to swim the English Channel in September in aid of Dorothy House Hospice and Positive Action on Cancer. For more information or to support them, visit: www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/channels wim Pic 5: A bit of a squeeze: Bathampton Morris musicians

2

5

3

4 MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 79

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MENDIP TIMES

Foundation expands SOMERSET Community Foundation has announced the appointment of three new team members.

Mary Hancock has joined the organisation as Deputy Chief Executive, Magdalena Kobylinska supports the team in the role of Marketing and Communications Executive and Lizzie Little is the foundation’s new Executive Assistant.

Based at the Royal Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet, the foundation’s main goal is to direct grants to local charities and voluntary organisations.

Formerly a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility team at Clarks, Mary is responsible for fostering relationships with new and existing corporate supporters and managing staff development. With more than ten years’ experience of working in the community and social care sector under her belt, Mary strengthens the management team led by Justin Sargent.

Magdalena has previously worked as an account manager for a PR consultancy in Bath where she was involved in promoting local causes, managing community relations and creating extensive communications campaigns.

Lizzie is a recent graduate from the

(l:r) Mary, Lizzie and Magdalena

University of Bristol where she read Social Sciences and Psychology. Lizzie has a keen interest in social research campaigns and charitable work.

G SCF is seeking individuals who are able to give a couple of hours of their time each month to make a difference to young people in the community.

Over the past two years, the foundation, in partnership with Crispin School in Street, has been piloting a programme to raise the aspirations and attainment of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the first

two years, 80 volunteers from local businesses and the wider community around Street have been trained to mentor pupils from Year 7 through to GCSE. Mary said: “We are working with researchers from the University of East London to evaluate the impact of the programme and, although it is too early to comment on any quantitative changes in aspirations and attainment, when we look at the data collected last year there is evidence of emerging themes that look very promising in terms of programme impact.”

For more information, please contact Jocelyn Blacker at Somerset Community Foundation on 01749 344949.

Just scrumps-tious!

CUSTOMERS of a popular fish and chip shop and restaurant in Street, who donated their spare change for those delicious bits of chips called scrumps at the bottom of the fryer, have raised more than £400 for charity.

Rose Holsworth and Teresa Stoodley, who run Rose and Tere’s in Silver Road, have split the £450 between Avalon Special School in Street and the Beacon Centre for cancer patients, in Taunton.

Staff at the Beacon Centre receive their cheque PAGE 80 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Rose and Tere with assistant Niki Street (centre) and the collecting bottle

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Photo courtesy of Cathryn Gallacher

We like a challenge

(l:r): Tom Barnard, Martin Bax, Nigel Arbury and Stuart Mardon

A GROUP of friends is planning a London to Bath cycling and walking challenge for charity which will test their powers of endurance to the limit.

Nigel Arbury, from Frome, is aiming to walk the 160 miles from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster to Bath’s Royal United Hospital in just 48 hours. Meanwhile, Stuart Mardon and Tom Barnard will “race” Nigel by cycling 250 miles in daylight hours only on a route that will take them via the Thames Valley Cycle Route to Oxford, then on through Witney to Lechlade. They will then double back to Reading and carry on their journey along the Kennet and Avon Canal to Bath.

This challenge is to raise funds for the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’s appeal to purchase a Positron Scanner for the RUH. The trio will set off at 1.30 pm on Thursday, September 12th after a lunch at the Houses of Parliament hosted by the Somerton and Frome MP David Heath. Joining the send-off party will be John Carter, the chairman of the cancer support group. Don Foster, MP for Bath, and the vice-patron of the appeal, is backing the challenge.

The participants aim to arrive at the RUH just before 1.30 pm on Saturday, September 14th where they will be welcomed by the Mayor of Bath Malcolm Lees, who is the patron of the appeal.

Heading the support team will be Martin Bax. This will be the 11th challenge that he has organised with Nigel. The first one was 16 years ago – also for the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group to raise money for a radiotherapy scanner.

The RUH will be the first district hospital in the country to get the very latest Positron Scanner that will transform the treatment of cancer. For more information please visit the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’s website at www.bcusg.org Anyone wishing to support the challenge can donate by visiting www.virginmoneygiving.com/westminsterchallenge

CHARITIES

Emma’s epic journey

EMMA Herbert and her three-yearold daughter Lola are preparing to drive around Europe in a 34-year-old Peugeot 504 that has more than a million kilometres on the clock.

Emma, from Radstock, is raising money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, in honour of her dad, Herbert, from Timsbury, who suffers from the condition.

The car, called Clancy, started life in Australia and had already done 500,000 kilometres when the owner decided to drive it half-way round the world to trace his family roots in Ireland.

He then contacted Club Peugeot UK to ask if anyone wanted to buy it. Emma said: “My dad was its secretary at the time and so we welcomed it into the family. He’s had a love affair with Peugeot cars and has owned some 28 over the years. He still has six today.”

The trip will add another 5,000 miles to the car, which has done 1,017,675 kilometres – equivalent to driving round the world 25 times. Peugeot UK is supporting Emma’s journey and has had the car into its Coventry HQ Technical Centre workshop for safety checks.

Emma said: “I’m very grateful to Peugeot and other supporters who have made this trip possible for me. It’s a dream come true to be doing this with my daughter, Lola. I will be going down the back roads and off the beaten track.

For me, it’s about the journey as much as the destination.”

Successful first year

WELLS fundraisers are celebrating raising more than £6,000 during their first year supporting Cancer Research UK. The Wells Fundraising Teresa Tully (left) and Donna Hand, her Committee held a daughter Pink Evening at the Pound Inn, collections at Tesco supermarkets, a quiz evening and sponsored walk.

Committee chairman, Teresa Tully, said: “I volunteered because I was affected by breast cancer two years ago and it has affected most of my family over three generations. I would like to extend our grateful thanks the generous nature of the people from Wells and surrounding area.

“They’ve always been very supportive of the work that we do and are the main reason that we have been so successful in making this amazing sum of money.” They have set themselves a target of £10,000 for the coming year.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 81

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National award

SOMERSET volunteers with Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE) have been named Animal Charity Team of the Year at the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes’ award ceremony, organised by Petplan.

The team rehomed 616 greyhounds and lurchers last year but has just one paid employee. Rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming are carried out by volunteers who also raise funding for the independent charity.

Details: www.grwe.com

Peter’s challenge

WELLS-based grandfather, Peter Gatenby, aged 69, has finished his mammoth walk to the extremities of the British mainland with a cream tea party at Henton Village Hall just outside Wells. Over 70 villagers and friends from further afield welcomed Peter back.

There was a great display of Peter’s pictures from across the country showing his epic walk covering over 1,823 miles in sun and rain. There were some fantastic raffle prizes donated by local businesses and Peter was thrilled that the afternoon raised £250.

The money will be split between the five charities he has been walking for. Peter said: “It has been a great afternoon and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, I am going to take a rest and then think up my next challenge.”

Peter has been walking for Soundabout, Happy Days, The Tree of Hope, Sense Scotland and Christ Church Henton PCC. Details: www.theextremities.co.uk

Star attraction

THE Wells-based charity Somerset Trust for Arts and Recreation will benefit from the arrival of Brenda Whitchurch as the new president of Midsomer Norton and Radstock Inner Wheel.

Brenda has chosen STAR as her charity of the year and invited Steve Clark, its fundraising co-ordinator, to talk to club members about its work.

STAR works with children across Somerset aged between five and 25 years old who are disadvantaged through poverty, physical and mental health issues, crime, abuse and isolation or who are at risk of offending.

Through its Promise scheme, funded by Somerset County Council, trained mentors befriend and improve the young people’s wellbeing by developing their talents and willingness to learn, giving them positive experiences within the community and helping them find employment.

G The new chairman of Somerset County Council has also chosen STAR as one of the charity’s he will support during his time in office. Councillor David Fothergill, who said the National Autistic Society will also benefit, added: “It is a really worthy cause and as corporate parents, I’m sure our staff in particular will really want to get involved.”

Andy Shepherd, trustee with STAR was also enthusiastic. He said: “This is great news for STAR and will be really welcomed

PAGE 82 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Brenda Whitchurch (left) with Rob Porter, president of the Rotary Club of Midsomer Norton and Radstock and Steve Clark

by all children we support. We are all about building relationships, helping our children develop resilience, enjoy themselves and have some fun. Any funds raised through this new exciting relationship will be put to the best possible use.”

Councillor Fothergill is already looking at various fundraising activities including a formal launch event in September and a charity auction early next year. Somerset County Council staff and councillors are also being encouraged to run their own events raising funds for the two charities.

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CHARITIES

Exclusive auction aids teenage cancer victims Helping the hand of friendship

THANKS to a generous grant from Somerset Community Foundation, Evercreech Friendship Club is now able to offer free transport to their meetings from sheltered housing in Evercreech.

It will also help with the running costs of this popular club, which has been active in the village and surrounding area for 38 years, providing support, up-to-date information and entertainment for senior citizens.

One member said: “I really look forward to our club meetings, it’s the only time I get out and chat to old friends. I always seem to win a raffle prize, that’s the icing on the cake for me.”

Justin Sargent, chief executive of Somerset Community Foundation, said: “One of the key focus areas for our grantmaking programme is the older generation. We are keen to support projects that tackle isolation and help older people remain part of the local community which creates a support and friendship network.

“In fact in the past year the foundation has awarded over £130,000 in grants to organisations such as Evercreech Friendship Club which help older people enjoy better quality of life in Somerset.”

Details: www.evercreech.org.uk www.somersetcf.org.uk • 01749 344949.

Some of the members of the Inner Wheel Club of Chelwood Bridge, who accepted an invitation to tea from fellow member Alma Smith at her home in Camerton, raising funds for the club’s benevolent fund.

AN exclusive auction where the general public can bid to holiday in luxurious homes in locations such as The West Indies, Marrakech, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and London, is now live and hopes to raise thousands of pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Twenty two properties have been donated as part of the Langford Live Auction of Holidays fundraiser with accommodation ranging from farmhouses, to 18th century cottages, to apartments, barns, chateaus and even a tree house!

The tree house at Harptree Court, is one of many unique holiday homes under the hammer. Others include staying in Dar Musique, a beautifully restored traditional riad situated on the edge of the desert in Marrakech and features its own in-house chef and housekeeper. These and other luxurious properties are now available to bidders at www.langfordliveauction.co.uk until September 27th.

Organised and hosted by Lady Paula Wills, who is chair of the Teenage Cancer Trust’s South West fundraising appeal, all money will go towards the first specialist cancer unit for young patients living in the South West.

Work has now started on the state-of-the-art £2.5million unit in the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre and is part of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. The home-from-home unit will be over two floors with one floor dedicated to in-patients featuring five ensuite rooms, a social area which includes a pool table, jukebox and gaming equipment, a quiet room, TV room, kitchen and dining space.

The other floor will be for day patients, featuring three treatment pods, two consulting rooms, a procedure room, social space which includes entertainment and gaming facilities, a waiting area with cafe and staff office.

The charity has already raised £1.5million towards the £2.5million build but a further £1million needs to be achieved before the unit becomes operational in early 2014.

Details: www.langfordliveauction.co.uk katie.crossey@teenagecancertrust.org or call 07507 600286.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 83

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MENDIP TIMES

Coffee for charity

ONCE again Liz Balmforth from Bishop Sutton hosted a coffee morning for the Chew Valley branch of Arthritis Research UK in her gardens at Bishop Sutton, raising £272.25 for the charity.

Organiser, Mrs Jean Owen, said: “Liz has hosted this event for four years now and the committee is very grateful for her kindness. It continues the tradition begun by Peter and Celia Handley.”

The group will be holding their next coffee morning on Wednesday October 9th, 10am until 12 noon, at Winford Manor.

Pictured (l to r) Alan Morris, Ellen Tillman, Bettina Cohn, Cynthia Castle, Jean Owen, Liz Balmforth, Liz Shorney, Bridget Gracey, Ann Morris, Sheila Rice and Joan Barnes.

Circle cheque

Hub in a pub

CHARITIES

AGE UK B&NES is running a free taster session called IT and Biscuits for older people in the Chew Valley. It will take place at the Hub in a Pub, The Stoke Inn, Chew Stoke on Wednesday September 18th, 10am – noon.

Those who attend will be able to find out more about using computers, tablet computers, and the internet. There will also be a tutor giving a demonstration on digital photography. It will coincide with the community library service session, which runs there every Wednesday, 10am – 12 noon.

The Hub in a Pub is a partnership between The Stoke Inn, Age UK B&NES, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Library Service and Bath College Community Learning.

Karen Lyne is Age UK B&NES’ new community development worker in the Chew Valley. Her role will include working with local organisations and older people to develop the Hub in a Pub as a social centre for older people.

Details: Contact Karen on 07581 318978 Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays or email hub@ageukbanes.co.uk

Open day celebration

THE Bristol Children’s Help Society is celebrating its 125th anniversary with an open day on Saturday September 28th at Barton Camp near Winscombe, where it’s been providing disadvantaged children with free or subsidised holidays since 1888.

Starting with a prefabricated building in which children slept in hammocks, the camp now has a range of facilities, including a swimming pool, and can accommodate 99 children.

It was formed in 1884 as the Penny Dinner Society to feed starving children, mainly from Bristol, but now takes children from across the area.

The open day is from 1.30-4.30pm. Details: www.bartoncamp.co.uk

Pub donation

MEMBERS and friends of Norton Radstock Ladies Circle gathered to present a cheque for £900 to the charity Group B Strep Support, which campaigns for greater awareness of the infection in newborn babies Last year’s circle chairman, Emma Conneely, presented the cheque to Jane Plumb MBE, chief executive of the charity which offers information and support to families affected by group B Streptococcus.

During the evening, outgoing Honorary President, Sadie Robinson, handed over to Alex Chard, the new President for 2013/14. The event was held at The Connies Tea Room in Timsbury.

PAGE 84 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

THE Seven Stars Pub in Timsbury has been raising funds for Greenhill House, a Leonard Cheshire Disability care home in the village, which cares for 37 disabled adults.

It will be spent on their Sensory Room project. Ann Chinca, volunteer co-ordinator at the house, said: “We are so fortunate to be part of a highly supportive village community.”

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MENDIP TIMES

THE caves of Mendip have all been formed by the action of weakly acidic rain on the calcium carbonate component of limestone.

Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in water to form carbonic acid and this gas, plus organic acids from decaying plants and animals in soil, is carried down With PHILIP through cracks in the rock, slowly dissolving HENDY the rock. The insoluble parts of the rock remain in the caves as sand or clay deposits.

Calcium carbonate reacts with carbonic acid to produce calcium bicarbonate, which is soluble in water. However, when this solution enters the air, carbon dioxide is released, and the pure calcium carbonate is precipitated as calcite. On the surface, this gives rise to the so-called petrifying springs and wells, where objects placed in the water can be coated with a layer of calcite.

There is such a spring in Harridge Wood near Ashwick.

In caves, the calcite deposits have many names, depending on their shape and location. They can only form when air is present, so cannot begin to grow until the cave has largely drained of water. Most people know of stalactites (which tend to be carrotshaped and hang from the roof) and stalagmites, which are shorter and fatter, and form on the floor.

Often a stalagmite is located under a stalactite and, in time, they may grow and meet, when the composite formation is called a pillar or column. They can be quite short, but some can be much larger, such as those in the Frozen Deep in Reservoir Hole which are four metres high. Calcite deposited on cave walls is called flowstone.

The growth rate of stalactites varies according to several factors, including climate and rainfall. They generally grow fastest during warm, wet conditions, and as our climate has varied so much over the last half a million years, they often show concentric growth rings when seen in section.

Absolute dating can be done by using highly technical methods such as electron spin resonance and by comparing the uranium– thorium ratio. Calcite is deposited, on average, at around one cubic centimetre every thousand years, but will cease during periods of drought or during prolonged heavy precipitation. It may even be redissolved. There are, however, instances where

Curtain Passage in Fernhill Cave PAGE 86 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Flowstone cascade in Shute Shelve Cavern

deposition can be quite rapid. In Shatter Cave, for example, marker tapes were irretrievably cemented into calcite in less than ten years.

Sometimes water runs along a sloping crack in the cave roof and calcite is formed along its length. Sheets of calcite are known as curtains, and some can be quite large. They can also form as projections from the wall of a cave. Although calcite in its pure form is white, minerals in the overlying rock can be incorporated into the deposit, leading to interesting colours.

A lot of Mendip limestone contains small amounts of iron ore or ochre, which is basically iron oxide, or rust. Thus brown and yellow formations are quite common. Sometimes the impurity can give a striking blood red colour. Such formations led to the naming of Ruby Chamber in Banwell Bone Cave.

Cave straws are thin, parallel-sided stalactites. They are hollow (the Americans call them soda straws) and grow longer as water drips through the tube and calcite is deposited on the tip. Some on Mendip can be up to a metre long, though caves in other parts of the UK have much longer straws. Any static pool of water which can evaporate tends to have a crystal lining.

Sometimes the crystals can take the appearance of water lilies.

Some caves have small shallow pools where tiny rock fragments

Crystal Pool

Photography by Phil Hendy

The splendour of Mendip’s caves

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CAVING

Helictites in Shatter Cave

are constantly agitated by dripping water. Calcite can be deposited evenly in layers around the surface of the fragment, and cave pearls are formed, often in nests with surprisingly large numbers.

Sometimes a strange growth can develop, either on an existing ‘normal’ formation, or growing out of the cave wall, floor or ceiling. Thin twisting threads develop, which can become quite contorted. These are helictites, probably the result of aberrant crystal growth.

All formations are delicate and can be easily damaged. They can be spoilt by muddy hands and even the simple passage of cavers over time will dull them, as dust from clothing coats their surfaces. Broken formations take millennia to grow again. Most popular caves have suffered terribly over the years, often by people who want a souvenir of their trip.

Elephant’s Trunk Chamber, Withyhill Cave

Column in Shatter Cave

Calcite, though, is intrinsically valueless and stalactites taken from a cave soon dry and become dull and uninteresting. Better by far to leave them in the cave, where they can continue to be seen and admired by all. Not all damage has been caused by cavers; many caves visited by miners were plundered, as in days gone by stalactites were sold to collectors and as souvenirs for visitors.

It is now known that the damage to the massive flowstone deposits in the Goatchurch Cavern entrance gallery was caused by miners. Alexander Pope, the poet, paid miners to remove formations from Wookey Hole Cave to decorate his grotto at Twickenham. Even Richard Gough was not above acquiring formations from other caves to enhance the cave now known as Gough’s Old Cave.

Even the well-trodden caves can provide some interesting calcite formations, but sensibly, over the years, responsible cavers, working with landowners, have gated the most beautiful caves, only allowing access to experienced and conscientious groups, often with the supervision of a leader. In this way, we hope to preserve the best of our caves for future generations to enjoy, and marvel as we have done.

Pillars in Fairy Cave

Phil is a member of Wessex Cave Club and has been caving for the last 44 years. Still active, his main interest is in digging to try to find new caves. He has published a caving cartoon book and collaborated on the recently-published Swildon’s Hole – 100 Years of Exploration.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 87

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MENDIP TIMES

Barton St. David Carnival

Squash player Joey Barrington (left) with his father Jonah, a former world squash champion, who live in Glastonbury, opened the carnival. Jonah still teaches at Millfield School and Joey commentates on squash tournaments on television. Joey is also part of the team bidding for the game to be given Olympic status; they hope to hear in September if they’ve been successful.

Members of the Barton St David scout group took time out before their stewarding duties began to enjoy some fun on the Mega Drop Slide

Spot the royals – William and Kate (complete with baby) amongst the competitors in the fancy dress competition Retired farmer Brian Grover, from Ashcott near Street, with his 1971 Buick Le Sabre which was making its show debut at Barton St David

Cousins Lewis Marsh and Ella Warner won prizes in the fancy dress competition PAGE 88 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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Mark Harvest Home

EVENTS

Faye Gardner, Polly Hall and Jendy Weeks

WITH over 460 people sitting down to feast on locally-sourced meats, bread, cider and ale, this year’s Mark Harvest Home was a day to remember.

The afternoon had children’s sports, tea and cakes, with the return of the annual tug-of-war competition in the evening, before music and dancing until midnight.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 89

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MENDIP TIMES

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FOCUS ON KEWARD PARK

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MENDIP TIMES

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PAGE 92 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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JACKSONS

Jacksons Fencing – news, topical treats and more . . .

Well, we’ve had some glorious summer weather at last, it certainly makes up for the dreadful start to the year, when you can bask in the sun and enjoy being in your garden, rather than staring gloomily out the window at the rain, yet again!

LET’S hope it will continue into an Indian summer – remember you’ve still got time to take advantage of our latest offer on half price delivery, so why not go for it and perk up your garden with a pergola, or a dreamy deck to enjoy the autumn sunshine on. Details, as usual, are on your local page: www.jacksonsfencing.co.uk/bathlocal That brings us neatly around to the subject of decking. I’m a great advocate of decked areas, they can add a different dimension to your outside space.

Speaking from experience, a couple of years ago we cleared flowerbeds and an old arch from the bottom of the garden, raised the level by creating a sizeable deck with a couple of steps up onto it.

We also installed a single pergola and lattice trellis panels along the tatty old end fence and, hey presto, we now have a wonderful area to Anti-slip decking enjoy the evening sun.

The garden feels airy, bright and spacious down there now.

So I’m a fan of decking, as long as it is well looked after, if it’s not brushed and hosed regularly it can easily build up slippery areas.

The evening sun deck with single pergola and premier lattice trellis panels

To this end we’ve introduced slip-resistant decking boards at Jacksons. Available in 3 metre lengths, these anti-slip boards still feature grooves, as with our standard decking and are made using the same Jakcure treated softwood that is guaranteed for 25 years. However they have the additional benefit of two grit strips per board (as seen in the image on the left), which will increase grip considerably and help make them less slippery.

They are great for steps, to give an extra grip, and if you are lucky enough to have a swimming pool, they are just the job.

There’s more info on these, as usual, on the local page. louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk LOUISE TOMLIN

WIN

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To be in with a chance to win one of our raised bed kits simply log on to your local page, address below, and follow the easy instructions on how to enter. The draw closes 30.9.13. Previous Prize Draw winners are posted on the web page. To enter go to: jacksons-fencing.co.uk/bathlocal

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 93

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MENDIP TIMES

HOMES & INTERIORS

Revamp at Lanes

LANES Home Hardware in Cheddar have relocated and revamped their television and audio department at the rear of the store, alongside the white goods department. Their aim is to create a “store within a store”, stocking everything from a 19” portable television to a 55” smart television, pocket analogue radio to a DAB component system.

Why not call in and let their friendly and knowledgeable staff demonstrate the latest technology to you? They have on display a large range of Panasonic televisions, Blu-ray players, hard-drive recorders, sound bars and hi-fi systems, plus Roberts analogue, digital and internet radios.

To celebrate their relocation, they have many special offers with up to £120 off selected Panasonic televisions, a tablet or MP4 player by redemption with other selected models. They also have 10% off all Roberts Radios for a limited period.

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Telephone: 01761 452171 Fax: 01761 453342 PAGE 94 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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MENDIP TIMES

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PAGE 96 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Mendip Times reduces travel costs

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The heating’s coming on soon

WITH the night’s drawing in and the heat from the barbecue seeming a distant memory, thoughts turn to how we can heat our homes in the autumn and winter months, when the boiler, oil or gas, needs to come on.

Both gas and oil prices are at record highs for the year and with the troubles in Libya and Egypt have hit a record for the year of 108 dollars a barrel, so you will notice the difference when you fill your tanks.

There is a solution to this problem and that is where Natures Flame have the answer. They can take you off oil and gas and let you reap year-on-year benefits. Their own working fullycontrolled heating system went the whole of the extremely cold last winter with no gas or oil.

Returns of over 35% on investment can be made year on year, index-linked to the price of fuel. Just imagine not having a gas or oil bill again and the financial freedom this would provide with. They also supply and fit woodburners.

Details: www.naturesflame.co.uk call 01761 439408 or www.wantastove.co.uk

HOMES & INTERIORS

We will supply and fit an AGA Wenlock Classic Multi Fuel Stove/Woodburner with 10m of liner and all the connections for a staggering £1499 inclusive of VAT, to your existing opening and hearth dependent upon site survey to confirm legality.

(Builders work to opening or works to hearth not included).

Visit www.wantastove.co.uk for the exceptional value on woodburners

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Give us a call on 01761 437440 or visit website: www.naturesflame.co.uk

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 97

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MENDIP TIMES

G l a s t o n b ur y E x t r a v a g a n z a Photography by Mark Adler

The legendary Bryan Ferry – along with his orchestra – was the star of the evening

Make Me Smile – Steve Harley had the crowd up and dancing

Abbey and ivory

ABBEY Piano Services in Chilcompton is continuing to enhance its reputation as one of the premier outlets in the south west the sale of new and used instruments alongside repairs and restoration.

With their new-look showroom downstairs now complete, attention has turned to expanding the workshops upstairs to include new spray and sandblasting rooms.

The extraordinary range and variety of pianos on sale in the showroom immediately catches the eye and attracts buyers from far afield, whether it’s a first piano for a child eager to learn or a luxury gift for an enthusiast.

Run by Mark and Rebecca, of Midsomer Norton, Abbey Piano Services opened five years ago on the New Rock Industrial Estate in Chilcompton.

Sadly, pianos are no longer made in the UK, although Rebecca (Becky) said that one company was attempting to build a quality instrument that could be produced in sufficient quantities to be commercially viable.

Non-pianists – and even musicians – may be surprised to learn that a piano is made up over more than 5,000 parts; there are more than 100 components to just one note! Perhaps that is one reason why repairing and restoring a treasured instrument is a labour of love.

Mark and Rebecca are keen that a visit to their showroom should be “hands-on” – people are welcome to try out any of the pianos.

Becky said: “We would like to say thank you to all our customers who have supported us over the past five years and may they continue to make Abbey Piano Services so successful.”

Abbey Piano Services’ showroom on the New Rock Industrial Estate in Chilcompton

10% off

all items in store in September on production of this advert

Ready to party – the audience enjoy the late summer sun PAGE 98 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

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MUSIC The choir in front of the pier at Westonsuper-Mare

One, two – one, two for Winscombe Choir

WINSCOMBE Community Choir is catching its breath after completing two days of singing during the BBC’s The One Show roadshow in Weston-super-Mare.

The choir – along with children from Winscombe School Choir and Winscombe Youth Choir – were chosen from several in the area to appear with vocal coach Carrie Grant.

Choir director Emma Worthy said: “We are all still reeling at the amazing experience we have all had. We were chosen as the best

choir from several in the area to appear with Carrie.”

The choir recently took part in a charity event for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and are now busy rehearsing for various other events including a Paul Field concert in Winscombe on Saturday, September 14th, Winscombe Michaelmas Fayre, a trip to Disneyland in Paris and then a major fundraising event on Saturday, December 14th at The Meeting Rooms in Sidcot on behalf of The Jessie May Trust.

The choir is very keen to hear from new members – especially men! For more information, visit: www.winscombecommunitychoir.org.uk

The choir perform during the roadshow

St. Cuthbert’s Music Festival

WELLS will soon see the start of the highly popular, annual St. Cuthbert’s Music Festival, which runs from Sunday September 1st-7th. There will be an emphasis on local musicians, young ones in particular, but with others from further afield – many with broadcasts and recordings to their credit.

There are free concerts each lunchtime, from Monday to Friday, and evening concerts at £10 from Monday to Saturday (£1 for accompanied children).

The music is guaranteed to suit most tastes, with highlights such as the Croscombe Orchestra and Yeovil Town Band. Other events include organ, baroque, jazz, Somerset songs and sea shanties, classical groups, and excellent singers. They also have, once again, first-class young musicians from Wells Cathedral School.

Be sure to book early, as some of these events will be extremely popular and you don’t want to be disappointed.

Tickets can be obtained from the parish office in St.Cuthbert’s Church 01749 676906 and from the Visitor Information Centre in Wells and Mendip Museum, 8, Cathedral Green 01749 671770.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 99

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MENDIP TIMES

Di scores a hole in one

MENDIP Spring’s Di Yates scored a surprise hole in one in the recent Mixed Open Greensomes competition held at the Kendleshire Golf Club in Bristol.

The dream tee-shot came on the 127 yard Par 3 sixth hole.

Di didn’t realise she had holed ‘in one’ until her playing partner, husband Martin, told her, and then there was a celebration all round.

An active member of the Mendip Spring ladies’ section, Di was Lady Captain in 2010 and continues to serve on the ladies’ and social committees.

Golfing record

THE Rotary Club of Weston-super-Mare held their 17th annual golf day at Weston Golf Club, raising over £11,000, pushing the total amount raised by this event over the last 17 years to more than £150,000.

On the day £1,200 each was presented to four charities, Crossroads Young Carers of Weston, RNLI Weston Branch, Cancer Research UK and Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Stewart Evans, president of Weston Rotary Club said: “A huge thank you goes to all the golfing teams and business sponsors who continue to support this event magnificently and of course to all the Rotarians and members of Inner Wheel who freely give their time to make it happen.”

Details: www.westonrotaryclub.org.uk and www.facebook.com/westonrotaryclub or telephone secretary Peter Castell 07904 925048.

PAGE 100 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Busy time at Mendip Golf Club

THE ladies at Mendip have had a busy time enjoying wonderful weather for both the Ladies Captains Day and the Ladies Past Captains Day. On Ladies Captains Day, the sun shone brightly and the fairways and greens of Mendip Golf Club were at their best.

Ladies Captain Linda Brobson, played host to the Ladies Section who enjoyed their golf and the fine food afterwards.

Prize winners were: Nearest the Pin winner: Silver Jo Espley, Bronze Carol Mosley.

The Longest Drive winner: Silver, June Millington, Bronze Anita Butcher.

The Best Bowmaker team: Libby Bellew, Diane Stanton and Kay O’Connor.

The Cooper Goblet winner: Jo Espley.

The Gladys Shepherd winner: Sandy Roper.

Ladies Past Captains Day (pictured) is one of the most enjoyable golf and social Events at Mendip, when as many as possible of their past captains meet for golf and dinner afterwards. Jill Jestico was the winner of the trophy on the day.

Meanwhile Mendip Captain’s Charity Day attracted 29 teams of four and was organised by Hugh Glandfield this year’s captain, in aid of The Multiple Sclerosis Society.

1st Overall Brett Halling Brown, Steve O’Connell, James Herniman, Lee Archer - 94 points.

2nd Overall Andy Jones, George Morgan, Pat Berwick, Sean Burchell – 93 points.

3rd Overall Fran Davies , John Davies, Marian Speed, Rod Speed – 91 points.

Best Ladies Cora Pavey, Chris Williams, Anne Hopkins, Lulu Carolan – 88pts.

Best Mixed Patricia Rawlins , Elaine Kitchenham, Tony Griggs, Martin Wilkins – 88 pts.

After the prizes had been presented, an auction of donations with club president Les Kew as auctioneer, raised about £2,000 for the charity. This will be added to the funds already generated by the day and a donation to the MS Society will be made at the end of the year.

In the last 15 years Mendip Golf Club has raised over £150,000 for various charities.

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GOLF

Orchardleigh champions

GOLFER Sara Tunstall has won Orchardleigh Golf Club’s Lady Club Championship for the fifth consecutive year!

Sara sealed her title by playing 36 holes over two days, scoring 173 gross, three shots ahead of Ann Regler.

Meanwhile, Liam Copp was named the 2013 men’s champion with a gross score of 158, two better than runner-up Rob Edney.

Dave Jukes with Liam Copp and Sara Tunstall

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MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 101

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Fun with the Banwell

THE well-established local pony club, Banwell are holding their annual open show this year on September 15th at the North Somerset Show Ground, Wraxall.

This Pony Club is well known for its well-run shows and rallies and caters well for riders of all levels from very novice With CELIA through to those more experienced people GADD who are working hard to get onto teams etc.

The show is open to anyone and has several rings including

an Open Show Jumping ring with classes up to 3’3” and a smaller jumping ring with classes starting at 1’.

There are all the normal showing classes on offer including working hunter and novelty classes with the popular ones such as “The Thelwell Lookalike”, and “the pony the judge most wants to take home”.

There will also be a clear round jumping ring, handy pony and a large range of gymkhana games which is sure to be competitive as well as fun. There will be refreshments, trade stands and an on-site photographer.

Details: www.banwellponyclub.co.uk or call Angela on 07801782004.

September 2013 show dates

Sunday 1st Clear round show jumping and XC at Urchinwood Manor, Wrington Wednesday 4th Lower evening show jumping at Badgworth Arena, Axbridge Sunday 8th Unaffiliated One Day Event at Urchinwood Manor, Wrington Charity Fun Ride at Stockland Lovell Manor, Fiddington Unaffiliated show jumping at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Tuesday 10th British Dressage at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Wednesday 11th Higher evening show jumping at

PAGE 102 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Badgworth Arena, Axbridge BSJA Seniors at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Friday 13th – Sunday 15th Carriage Driving at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Sunday 15th and Monday 16th British Eventing at Pontispool Farm Wednesday 18th Lower evening show jumping at Badgworth Arena, Axbridge Friday 20th Unaffiliated dressage at Urchinwood Manor Sunday 22nd Brent Knoll Riding Club unaffiliated dressage and combined training at Home Farm Livery, Langford

Unaffiliated dressage at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Wednesday 25th British Dressage at Stockland Lovell Manor, Fiddington Higher evening show jumping at Badgworth Arena, Axbridge Friday 27th – Sunday 29th BSJA Seniors at The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon Saturday 28th Unaffiliated dressage at Pontispool Farm, Norton Fitzwarren Sunday 29th Clear round show jumping and XC at Urchinwood Manor, Wrington

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RIDING

Carriage drivers compete

MANOR Farm at Doulting hosted a British Driving Society treasure hunt to raise funds for Somerset Levels Riding for the Disabled.

Helen and Neil Edwards, of Manor Farm, organised a 10-mile trail around the local area followed by an obstacle and cones course as well as a quiz.

Turnouts came from Somerset and Devon to take part. The day finished with a raffle, raising £160, which was presented to members of the Somerset Levels Riding for the Disabled.

Helen said: “We hosted the event, as we have enjoyed many a Drive that has been put on by other members of the Driving Society (normally quite a distance from us, the other side of Somerset, Devon, and into Wiltshire) and being blessed with beautiful surrounding countryside wanted to share this with other members.

“The RDA does a huge amount of good work. Today they have 30-plus clients including wheelchair users who are now participating in national competitions – and many others who

Somerset Area Commissioner Kathleen Hill and Emma with King

just enjoy the therapeutic experience of a weekly carriage-drive.

Their operations are wholly dependent upon the charitable donations they receive, and we wanted to be able to ‘give something back’.”

To find out more about carriage driving in Somerset, visit: www. somerset.britishdrivingsociety.co.uk

Festival ride

A previous Festival Ride

MENDIP Bridleways and Byways Association has again been granted unprecedented access to the 16 miles of tracks and farmland on the Glastonbury Festival site, courtesy of Michael Eavis and local landowners.

The stones during the festival

The event, on Sunday, September 29th, will be a unique opportunity for horse riders and cyclists to ride through the famous festival fields passing the site of the pyramid stage, the healing ground, dragon field and standing stones before riding up the steep escarpment to the summit of Stickleball Hill.

The ride will continue through the picturesque villages of East Pennard and Pylle using local bridle paths, droves, fern-filled woods, orchards, farm land and quiet lanes before returning to Worthy Farm. There will be cross country as well as coloured jumps in varying heights en route.

Money raised by the event will go towards the cost of improving the condition of other bridle paths throughout Mendip.

MBBA is the largest bridleway association in the south west of England with more than 500 members and the fourth largest in the country. The association promotes horse-riding as a safe and healthy leisure activities for all ages and backgrounds.

For further details visit the mbba website: www.mbba.org.uk or telephone Mrs. V. Jones 01749 831276.

MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 103

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Keep on running

Photography by Mark Adler

SOME 750 runners of all abilities took part in the second Frome half marathon event, which also featured shorter races including a one kilometre dash for kids.

Individual runners and teams are expected to have raised hundreds of pounds for the charities of their choice but the event – organised by the Rotary Club of Frome and Frome Running Club – also raised funds for the Devon and Somerset Air Ambulance and a legacy trust fund to improve sports facilities in the Frome area.

Somerton and Frome MP David Heath with some of the winners

Members of Frome Running Club PAGE 104 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Runners set off at the mass start outside Frome Town Football Club

Runners need a lotta bottle: James Pearce, Katie Herd and Dide Lucas prepare to hand out water to the finishers

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SPORT

Youngsters before the start of the one kilometre race

Anthony Watts and Jon Rowe, from Wells City Harriers, who finished first and second in the 5k race

Paul Ryman, from Frome Running Club (left) won the 10k race. He is pictured with Oliver Thwaites, from Team Bath Athletics Club who finished second

Paralympian Stephanie Millward was the guest starter

The second Frome half marathon has been hailed another success

Sophie Voller, from Bristol, was the first woman home in the half marathon

Daisy Turner, from Standerwick, near Frome, won the women’s Somerset Road Race Championship

The Mells Scenic 7 will take place on Sunday, September 29th, starting at 11am. It is organised by Frome Running Club.

For more information, visit: www.fromerunningclub.org.uk MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013 • PAGE 105

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MENDIP TIMES

Somerset trio are UK champions

COLIN Moore, from Midsomer Norton, a member of Bath Visually Impaired Bowls Club, together with team mates Bob Rossiter from Weston-super-Mare and Patrick Lovell from Bridgwater have won the UK Visually Impaired Triples Championships held recently in Scotland.

The championship is held bi-annually and involves the top two triples teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Somerset team and Metro from London represented England.

The Somerset trio won all their games except one, where they lost to the Scots by one shot.

The gold and silver medals rested on the last game of the competition, Somerset against the other Scottish team, North Ayrshire. This game was tough and close, finally being won by Somerset 13-10; a great achievement for the team after a tiring few days.

Each team member was presented with a gold medal by the club’s president, who also presented the large silver trophy, to be kept for two years.

Colin’s success follows on from those achieved at Hastings V.I. Tournament in July, when he won the open pairs with a partner from the Forest of Dean, to whom he was runner-up in the singles, and was also runner-up in the triples, in which another Midsomer Norton V.I. bowler, Jim Goudie, took part.

This was a pleasing outcome for all involved, especially for playing all day during the heatwave!

The players said thanks are due to Juliet Moore, who helped on the greens throughout, and to Bloomfield Bowling Club, Bath, and Specsavers Bath for their support.

If you know someone visually impaired who would benefit from playing bowls in Bath, Weston-superMare, or Bridgwater, Colin can be contacted on 01761 415326.

PAGE 106 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

Club plans expansion

WESTON Bay Yacht Club has won a £50,000 grant from Sport England under the Inspired Facilities programme to redevelop its club house on Uphill Beach. They will build a new extension to provide showers, toilets, teaching and storage space, all with disabled access.

The club are actively looking to recruit sailors, kite surfers, wind surfers, land yachtsmen, water skiers and users of wind and water in the Weston-super-Mare area who can benefit from the new facilities.

Building will start later this year with the intention of having the new club house ready for use by early spring of next year.

Club commodore, Bob Godbold, said: “This is a great day for Weston Bay Yacht Club and all the sportsmen and sportswomen of Weston-super-Mare who use the sea, sand and wind of Weston Bay for all types of recreational activity.

“It will provide first class social, teaching and recreational space along with showers, changing rooms and toilets with access for all physical abilities right on the beach.”

Four paw drive

Alfredo (aka Alfie) with owner Jim, Paralympian Stephanie Millward, Jim’s fellow runner Neil and David Heath MP at the Frome Half Marathon

ALFREDO the dog takes a “paw-se” before embarking on his latest adventure – running 10 kilometres every day in 2013 in aid of charity.

The lovable collie has been joining owner Jim Plunkett-Cole, from Frome Running Club and his fellow club runner Neil Taylor on their daily run, which has included a route around the steel fence surrounding the Glastonbury Festival site and the “Gromathon” – visiting each of the Gromit sculptures around Bristol, currently attracting thousands of visitors.

To support Alfie, Jim and Neil, visit: www.10kx365.co.uk

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SPORT

Youngsters get county coaching

A GROUP of young cricket players from Winscombe Cricket Club were treated to a day at The County Ground in Taunton as part of the community programme set up

by Thatchers thanks to their sponsorship of Somerset County Cricket Club.

The youngsters met county players Gemaal Hussain and Jack Leach; they had a skills training session with the team’s coaches; and even had time to watch the match against Nottinghamshire.

Peter Searle of Winscombe Cricket Club, said: “Over 20 of our boys and girls received coaching from Somerset coaches in the school of Gemaal Hussain (centre) with youngsters from Winscombe Cricket Club excellence which was really special for them. In all it was a fantastic experience for our County Cricket Club has been the opportunity to involve youngsters and a big thank you to Thatchers and Somerset our local community. I’m delighted that this visit to the CCC for making it happen.”

County Ground was such as success for the young Martin Thatcher, Managing Director of Thatchers Cider, players.” said: “An important part of our association with Somerset

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MENDIP TIMES

Stratton’s big day

VILLAGERS in Stratton-on-the-Fosse will be celebrating the success of recent community projects with a fun day in September. Over the past five years, dedicated residents, with support from the parish council, have been working together to raise funds to improve facilities in the village for young and old alike.

The village hall has been vastly improved – concrete temporary buildings have been demolished and a new storage room and disabled toilet added on – and there have also been improvements to the kitchen. The next effort is to Tarmac the car park. In the community garden a second basket swing has been installed and an overgrown copse is shortly to be turned into a picnic area. Partially funded by The Big Lottery Fund, the garden is already a big hit with the community.

Shoot aids village shop

The day promises lots of attractions

The Village Fun Day will take place on Sunday, September 8th from midday to 4pm. It is open to all and traders interested in a stall should call Sue on 0780 1721162.

Wedding Open Day

FOLLOWING on from last year’s successful Mells Clay Shoot, this year’s event, again staged by Mells Village Shop, will be held on Saturday September 21st from 11am to 4pm at Edney’s Fisheries, Mells.

While Mells Clay Shoot is the ideal place to learn the art of shooting clays or to brush up on technique, there will also be a separate 30 target

14th September 2013 11am–3pm Meet the team and our preferred suppliers in beautiful surroundings

MELLS VILLAGE SHOP LTD

SECOND ANNUAL ‘STRAW BALE’ CLAY PIGEON SHOOT 30 BIRD SPORTING SIMULATED GAMEFLUSH

Saturday 21 September 2013 11am – 4pm EDNEY’S FISHERIES, MELLS www.mellsvillage.co.uk PAGE 108 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

competition for seasoned participants with prizes including an evening meal as well as cash prizes.

Free expert instruction will be on hand from BASC and CPSA instructors including the British Open Skeet clay shooting champion and Mells Village Shop manager Mike Phypers (pictured).

Tickets at £10 including free tuition and 30 targets or £15 for the championship competition with cup will be sold at the gate on the day. All profits from the event will go to community-run Mells Village Shop and Café which has successfully achieved its aim since its opening in 2009 of providing a focal point for tourists, visitors and the residents of Mells and surrounding villages.

Details: Mike Phypers on 01373 812 251

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Marking the end of the Strawberry Line

THERE will be various events around Saturday September 7th, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the closure of the famous Strawberry Line, which operated for nearly 100 years, running from Yatton to Cheddar, Wells, Shepton Mallet and then on to Cranmore and Witham, before falling victim to the Beeching cuts.

Colin Forse, fireman, with George Stockham, driver, in the 1950s. Colin died recently.

WHAT’S ON

Colin Forse on the footplate of a steam special through Yatton

Special tours: Three return trips by 1950s Bedford coach from Sandford Station Railway Heritage Centre, visiting Winscombe Old Station Green and Axbridge stations for a nostalgic look at these three attractive sites. Departures: 11am, 1pm, 3pm. To book a seat or further details go to www.sandfordstation.co.uk or call: 01934 843868. Open to all, but limited capacity, £3 to cover tea and cake.

Organised by Sandford Station Railway Heritage Centre Group in collaboration with Winscombe and Sandford Millennium Green Trust and Axbridge Sea Cadets.

Mendip Society: Its nature reserve at Slader’s Leigh will have volunteers mowing the grass by hand, as it would have been when the steam trains first ran past. Why not have a go and learn how to use a scythe properly? Also geocaching for children, hunting for hidden treasures. Details: Judith Tranter, the Mendip Society. 01761 462276 judith.tranter@virgin.net or go to www.mendipsociety.org.uk Explore Shute Shelve Tunnel: Short tours of the former railway tunnel cut through the rocks of the Mendip Hills, next to Slader’s Leigh. Parking in Winscombe, half-mile on foot or by bicycle along the line. Details: Andy Mallender, Mendip Hills AONB service 01761 462338 or amallender@somerset.gov.uk Part of the Mendip Rocks programme.

The Strawberry Line Cafe, Yatton: Fundraising evening at Horsecastle Chapel, Yatton, Wednesday September 4th, 7.30pm, commemorating the closure of the line 50 years ago and celebrating the career of local railwayman, Colin Forse, who died recently. Entry £3 in aid of the café, which helps people with learning disabilities to get work. Details: 01934 834282.

Strawberry Special Walk: Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group (YACWAG) will host a special walk and strawberry cream tea on Sunday September 8th, starting at 2pm from Yatton Station. Places are limited and will cost £4.50 to include a cream tea in the Strawberry Line Cafe after the walk.

Details: www.yacwag.org.uk or 01934 834282.

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Twenty thousand – and counting!

ORGANISERS of the Frome Cheese Show are hoping to beat the record-breaking number of 20,000 visitors who flocked to last year’s event.

With even more stands than before for visitors to enjoy, along with a wide range of other attractions – including some of the best livestock entries – they say their aim is to aim is to create a fun day out with much to see, do and learn.

This year’s show takes place on Saturday, September 14th at the West Woodlands Showground. Free buses will be running all day between a number of locations in and around Frome and the site.

Highlights of the day include demonstrations in the Cheese Pavilion’s Celebrity chef Ed Baines AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre by celebrity chef Ed Baines, one of the judges on ITV 1’s hugely successful Britain’s Best Dish and non-stop action from start to finish with Bolddog Lings the UK’s number one motorcycle display team.

The Rockwood Dog Display Team will take the audience through every aspect of dog training from obedience performed to music, dogs jumping through hoops, agility, fly ball and much more, whilst the Ridgeside Lurchers will invite visitors to experience the full-speed hunting abilities of the lurcher with a fast, action-packed demonstration and informative and humorous commentary.

All that is in addition to the equestrian events in the main ring, the competitions to find the best of the UK’s cattle, sheep and goats, a chance to enjoy some of the finest of local foods, to admire the skills and artistry of the many entrants in the home and handicraft classes and to see how many ancient countryside skills are being kept alive by craftsmen and women on the approach to the fast evolving countryside pursuits area.

Judging of the 1,200-plus cheese entries takes place on the eve of the show when the industry gathers for lunch and prizegiving. But visitors to the Cheese Pavilion on Saturday will still have plenty to enjoy. As well as the cookery demonstrations, there will be cheese grading demonstrations and a cheese auction will also be held in the afternoon.

Show secretary Brenda Scott said: “Last year’s show was the best in our 150 year-plus history and all the signs are that this There will be plenty of year’s will be just as good action in the main arena if not better.”

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Just part of the Cheese Pavilion

Love in a cup at Frome Cheese Show

THE Love in a Cup teahouse will be attending the Frome Cheese Show for the fourth year running, with even more delicious gluten and dairy-free refreshments.

Their new orange and fig slice, blueberry bakes, date and walnut bars, lavender and almond biscuits will be on sale on their stand in the Local Food Hall, Time for tea at Love in a Cup along with savoury bites such as homemade rosemary and olive bread, onion bhajis, seed crackers and a variety of dips.

Love in a Cup is managed by Susan Green and is based at the Lighthouse Centre in the hamlet of Tytherington, near Frome. It is open daily from 10am until 6pm on weekdays and 10am-2pm at weekends. The teahouse has a unique selection of herbal teas, blended in-house by Fiona Pierce, its herbal consultant. The menu ranges from hearty homemade soups and curries to freshly-prepared salads and seasonal specials. Younger visitors have their own menu to choose from also.

The teahouse looks out onto a sunny terrace and across 30 acres of the old Marston estate, with lake and woodland grounds; a great place for anyone looking for a tranquil place in which to relax and unwind.

The Lighthouse Centre promotes health and wellbeing and offers conference and retreat facilities as well as four star accommodation which has proved extremely popular with families on holiday this summer. It has just launched a series of monthly creative writing courses and is also the location for ante-natal and yoga sessions.

G The centre will host a three day retreat from Friday, September 13-Sunday, September 15th exploring the Healing Power of Sound, led by teacher Chris James. For more information, visit: www.thelighthouse-uk.com, call Sandra Vicary on: 07762 568259 or e-mail: sandravicary@gmail.com

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Day of fun at Frome Carnival

ORGANISERS of this year’s Frome Carnival are planning a whole day of events for all the family.

Support from Frome Town Council has allowed them to stage live music and displays in the town centre before the main carnival takes place in the evening. The children’s carnival takes place in the afternoon.

This year’s carnival day is Saturday, September 21st and is part of the Wessex Grand Prix circuit, which also includes Castle Cary Carnival on Saturday, October 12th.

Carnival committee chairman June Barnes, MBE, said: “The backing of Frome Town Council and the town development fund mean we can really concentrate on making it a day to remember.”

Last year’s event raised more than £3,000 for the carnival’s own charity, which funds local project and individual needs in the area. June added: “Once again we would urge everyone who watches the spectacular event to dig deep and fill the collecting buckets.”

G The carnival duck race will be held along the River Frome by the Westway Precinct on Saturday, September 7th and the popular Spot in the Window competition will be held once more.

Carnival Dates 2013

WHAT’S ON

HERE are the dates for this year’s Somerset County Guy Fawkes carnivals: Saturday, November 2nd: Bridgwater (7pm) Monday, November 4th: Burnham-on-Sea (7.30pm) Friday, November 8th: Weston-super-Mare (7.15pm) Saturday, November 9th: North Petherton (7pm) Wednesday, November 13th: Shepton Mallet (7.30pm) Friday, November 15th: Wells (7.30pm) Saturday, November 16th: Glastonbury (7pm) *Midsomer Norton Carnival, which is not part of the circuit, takes place on Thursday, November 14th (7.30pm)

COMPETITION WINNER

Last month we teamed up with Frome Cheese Show for a competition to win a Patrons Membership Package for the show on September 14th. The first correct entry drawn was from John Loxton, of Bleadon.

For more information, visit: www.fromecarnival.org.uk

Open 10am - 6pm weekdays 10am - 3pm Saturdays 10am - 2pm Sundays

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Thursday August 29th Family Harvest Fun Day, various activities, free drop-in, Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury, BA6 8DB. Friday August 30th The Buffalo Gals – Appalachian, Blues, Gospel and Bluegrass with percussive stepdancing. Buckland Dinham Village Hall, 7.30pm, Bar. Tickets £10, 01373 461897 or 464156.

Tuesday September 3rd Congresbury Over-60s Club: Darren Jenkins of Avon Owls will bring along some of his owls. Congresbury War Memorial Hall, 2.30 – 4pm. Details: 01934 832004.

Wednesday September 4th “A Century of Drinking Glasses” – a review by Tony Taylor, Yeo Valley Probus Club. Details: 01275 857769 or mikebrayley@madasafish.com Friday September 6th – Sunday 8th Tenth Wookey Hole Music Festival, Wookey Hole Club, various artists including local musicians’ showcase. Details: www.wookeyholemusic.co.uk Open Mic Night at Redhill Village Club with live music from 8pm hosted by Jerry Blythe. All welcome artists and spectators alike, free admission. Details: 01934 862619 Saturday September 7th – Sunday 8th Strawberry Line Closure – various events.

See page 109.

Railway “Rev Up” 10am-4pm, Meare, Nr Glastonbury, BA6 9SX. Vintage tractors, steam engines, motorcycles and more.

Supporting Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Details: Ivan, 01458 259401 after 6pm.

Fifth Backwell Festival – bands, chefs’ tent, children’s entertainment, plus jazz on Sunday. Money raised goes to Backwell Junior School and Children’s Hospice South West. Details: www.backwellfestival.co.uk Saturday September 7th – Sunday September 15th Cutting Edge Crafts at Tor Hole, Chewton Mendip, BA3 4LS, 10.30am-5.30pm, 12 exhibitors of high quality crafts plus refreshments/cream teas, in aid of Children’s Hospice South West. Details: 01761 241539 or email lesley.irving@mbzonline.net Saturday September 7th Chew Stoke Harvest Home and Horse Show, 12.30– 5pm, (Horse Show 9am), Ogborne Field, Chew Lane. £2.50 (£3 on gate) under 14s free. Various events and stalls. Details: Phil on 01275 331600 or www.chewstokeharvesthome.org.uk Winford Flower and Produce Show, 2.30pm in the village hall. Teas served.

Entries welcome from anyone – registration on Thursday September 5th. Details: 01275 474270 or e-mail philippaherring@aim.com Theale 70th Flower Show: Tent opens PAGE 112 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2013

T i m e s

2.00pm -10.00pm. Family entertainment with attractions, childrens sports, trade stalls and displays. Cream teas, barbecue and bar, entry £2 for over-16s. Children free.

Sunday September 8th Redhill Village Harvest Fair and Produce Show, 12noon-5pm in the village hall and on the field, live music with the Twerzels, bar open all day, barbeque, cream teas, classic cars plus stalls, veg displays etc. Harvest church service 4.30pm. Details: 01934 862619 Stratton-on-the-Fosse Village Fun Day, 12-4pm, free entry, trade stands £10 in advance or £12 on the day – contact Sue: 07801 721162.

Tea Dance. Henton Village Hall, Henton, near Wells. 3pm-5 30pm. Music by John Baker and a delicious home made afternoon tea included in the price of £7. Tickets available from St Margaret's Hospice fundraising office (01935 709485) or contact Sue Medlicott on 01458 851674.

Tuesday September 10th Weston-super-Mare Archaeological and Natural History Society talk on Woodspring Priory with Vince Russett, 7.30pm Victoria Methodist Church Hall, Weston-super-Mare.

Wednesday September 11th “Daffadowndillies”, a talk about the many facets of narcissi by Susan Chouthlay for Nailsea & District Horticultural Society, 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church Hall, Stockway North, Nailsea.

Saturday September 13th and Sunday 14th Chew Valley Beer Festival, Ubley. Details: www.chewvalleybeerfestival.co.uk Saturday September 14th North Somerset Ploughing Match, Moorledge Farm, Chew Magna. See page 13.

Frome Cheese Show. See page 110.

Winscombe Michaelmas Fair, from 1.45pm at the Community Centre, Sandford Rd, Winscombe. Many exhibits, stalls & games.

Entertainment by Bold Brass, Community Choir and Chalice Morris. Enquiries: 01934 843776.

Book Sale at the War Memorial Hall, Congresbury, 9am-1pm. A wide selection of good quality books, jigsaw puzzles, dvds, cds and talking books.

Brent Knoll Bazaar, Farmers’ Market and Café 10am-12noon in Brent Knoll Parish Hall, free admission. Details 01278 760308.

Compton Dando Dog Show – field off Rankers Lane, BS39 4JY, outskirts of village, 2pm. Dog entries £5 plus £2 per Class. Spectators £1, children free. Details: plcm@btinternet.com or 01761 490927.

Glastonbury Harvest Show at the Town Hall from 12.30pm. Activities, workshops

W h a t ’ s

and stalls with local “master gardeners” to answer questions. Details: www.glastonburyharvestshow.org.uk or nicole.vosper@somersetcommunityfood.org. uk Stanton Drew Sportsfield Association open air family film evening showing Despicable Me 2, raising funds to bring better sporting facilities for the village and surrounding area. Details: stephen.jcroucher@btinternet.com Croscombe Charter Autumn Market, Croscombe Village Hall. 10am-12noon.

Stalls, teas, coffee and homemade cake.

Raising money for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Sunday, September 15th Car boot sale. Huish and Langport Cricket Club, Field Road. 1pm-4pm (Sellers Pitch £5. Set up from 11.45am) Monday September 16th The Wells Film Society: opening film of the season is Queen Christina starring Greta Garbo, at The Wells Film Centre, BA5 1TD. Membership £48 for 13 film season.

Students £10. Details: www.twfs.org.uk Tuesday September 17th Congresbury Over-60’s Club: Terry Merrett-Smith will give a talk on Rogers and Hammerstein, Congresbury War Memorial Hall, 2.30 – 4pm. Details: 01934 832004.

Wednesday September 18th Mendip Gardening Club enters its fourth year with a talk by Neil Lovesey from Picket Lane Nursery, 7.30pm, Ston Easton Village Hall. Full members £10 for the year or £2 per visit. The club meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Details: Val 01761 241617 or Karen 01761 241079.

Friday September 20th – Sunday September 22nd Priston Festival, live music and culture in the beautiful village of Priston, near Bath.

Mostly free; some ticketed events in local venues over the weekend. Details: www.priston.org.uk/festival Wedmore Real Ale Festival. Details: www.wedmore real ale.com Friday September 20th Bath Philharmonia with Jennifer Pike, violin, Beethoven Sympony No.5, Brahms Violin Concerto, conductor Jason Thornton, 7.30pm, The Forum, Bath.

Saturday September 21st Bleadon Village Market – 9am – 12.30 in the Coronation Halls. Details: www.bleadon.org.uk/market “A Musical Cavalcade” – A celebration of music through the centuries’ with Sotto Voces, at St Mary’s Church, Yatton at 7.30pm. Ensemble and solo items for voices, organ and piano, from Renaissance to contemporary, sacred and secular. Tickets £10, include refreshments, in aid of Avon

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Riding Centre for the Disabled, from: 0117 9590290 or avonriding@btconnect.com Axbridge annual Blackberry Carnival starts 2pm with procession and floats; funfair in the medieval square. All welcome.

Street Chrysanthemum, Dahlia & Vegetable Society Annual Show, 125.30pm, Crispin Hall, High St, Street.

Refreshments, fee entry, donations appreciated.

Sunday, September 22nd Syrinx wind and piano ensemble present Song of Autumn. 7.30pm, Henton Village Hall (on B3139 Wells-Wedmore road). Enjoy a candlelit supper in a cafe-style atmosphere whilst listening to a varied programme of music. Book a table for six or come along and meet new friends. Tickets £14 in advance, £16 on the door (incl. cheese & wine supper). For info tel: 07595 671116 or e-mail: jacquelynbevan@yahoo.co.uk Saturday September 21st and Sunday September 22nd Harvest Weekend, Writhlington Methodist Centenary Celebrations. Details: Suzanne Fussell 07851363955.

Wednesday September 25th Mendip Ploughing Match, Green Ore. See page 11.

Thursday September 26th Chew Valley Wildlife Trust: “Can we save the Red?” with Richard Brock in the Chew Magna Millennium Hall, 7.45pm, £2.50 inc refreshments. Richard Brock worked with the BBC Natural History Unit for 35 years.

This is his own unique, self-funded, film to promote red squirrel conservation across Britain.

Buckland Dinham History Group, 7.30 pm in BD Village Hall. Local author John Payne, with others, will talk about the book ‘Working Memories: Frome workers tell their stories’ and how it was put together, £3, all welcome. Details: 01373 454648.

Friday September 27th Coffee Morning at Norton Down Methodist Church (on the White Post Roundabout near Stratton on the Fosse) – 10.30am – fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Details: 01761 420538.

World's Biggest Coffee Morning – raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. 10am to 12noon. Salvation Army, Commercial Road, Shepton Mallet. Organised by Shepton Mallet Tangent Club in conjunction with the Salvation Army. Sponsored by Red Berry Recruitment Ltd. £2.00 p.p. to include coffee and prize draw. Cake and home produce stall.

Friday September 27th – Monday September 30th Mendip Society, Mendip Hills Walking Festival 2013. Walk the Mendip Way or pick from a wide choice of other walks, including

S e p t e m b e r

historical and heritage town walks in Axbridge, Frome and Wells. Cost £5 – £20, members free. Details: walkingfestival@mendipsociety.org.uk 08454 092951 • www.mendipsociety.org.uk Saturday September 28th –Sunday September 29th Flower Festival, St. Michael and All Angels, Rowberrow, celebrating the harvest, 11am5pm, with tea, coffee and home-made cakes.

Saturday September 28th Book Sale at the War Memorial Hall, Congresbury, 9am-1pm. A wide selection of good quality books, jigsaw puzzles, DVDs, CDs and talking books.

Winscombe Community Association Jumble Sale, 2pm at the Community Centre, in aid of WCA. Refreshments available.

Please bring any donations after 9.30am that morning. Information: 01934 843184.

Mendip Hills through the Time Tunnel, talk by Les Davies at the Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury, BA6 8DB, 10.30am, £5 coffee included, pre-book.

Bristol Children’s Help Society open day at Barton Camp near Winscombe, celebrating its 125th anniversary, 1.304.30pm. Details: www.bartoncamp.co.uk “A Snapshot in Time” exhibition of photographs and memorabilia. Priddy Village Hall, 10.30am-4.30pm. Various organisations, local institutions and individuals will be contributing.

Refreshments available. Organised by Priddy History Group. Exhibition continues on Sunday, September 29th. For more details please contact Mandy Hutfield (mhutfield@icloud.com) Quiz and Curry Night, Farrington Gurney Village Hall. 7.30pm, doors open 7pm.

Teams of approx. 6-8 people welcome to enter. Tickets £8 per person including a twocourse meal. Special dietary requirements can be catered for if organisers know in advance. Ample free parking and full disabled access. In aid of hall refurbishment funds. Tickets available from Nicky Stone: 01761 470158.

Sunday September 29th Beckington Go-Kart Rally at the cricket club, rally from 12 noon, plus barbecue, music, kids’ activities etc, closing date for entries, Sept 13th – forms, photos and details: www.beckingtongokartrally.co.uk 07884 398557 or 07821 355463.

WHAT’S ON

2 0 1 3

Wednesday October 2nd Yeo Valley Probus AGM. Details; 01275 857769 or mikebrayley@madasafish.com Thursday October 3rd “Archaeological Adventures in Albania” – a talk by Louise Schofield for Wells Evening Society at Wells Town Hall. Refreshments from 6.45pm, talk starts at 7.30pm. Visitors (£7/evening) welcome, details: www.wellseveningsociety.co.uk or valerie@valeriestanford.wanadoo.co.uk Friday October 4th Open Mic Night at Redhill Village Club from 8pm, hosted by Jerry Blythe. All welcome, artists and spectators alike. Free admission. Church Road, Redhill, BS40 5SG. Contact 01934 862619.

Saturday October 5th Quality crafts and coffee morning, Regil village hall (BS40 8BD), 10am-2pm, in aid of Macmillan Nurses and Motor Neurone research. Entry 50p including coffee and biscuits. Details: 01275 472705 Sunday October 6th Classic Cars, Vintage & Interesting Vehicles gathering from 9.30am – 12noon at Redhill Village Club. Join us with your vehicle for breakfast! All welcome plus spectators. Church Road, BS40 5SG, just off the A38. Tel: 01934 862619.

Wednesday October 9th “The Wonders of Westonbirt” – a talk by Margaret Headen for Nailsea & District Horticultural Society. 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church Hall, Stockway North, Nailsea.

Saturday October 12th Barn Dance/Ceilidh with Fougere Rouge in Chew Magna Church Hall, BS40 8RQ, from 7.30pm. Tickets £10, (include ploughman’s), from Chew Magna Post Office or Annie Sewart, 01275 332482. Bar. All ages welcome. In support of The Atamiah Trust.

Farrington Gurney Young Farmers Fall Ball at the Royal Bath and West showground, 8.30pm-2am. Details on Facebook farringtonfallball@hotmail.co.uk "Lift and Divide", a plant exchange event at Moor Plants, Bath Road, Ashcott. In aid of St Margaret’s Hospice charity. 10.30am3pm. Refreshments throughout the day. For more details contact Sue Medlicott on 01458 851674.

ANSWERS TO THE MENDIP MINDBENDER

n

22/8/13

ACROSS: 1 North Somerset, 9 Optimal, 10 Compton, 11 Hard cheese, 12 Beam, 14 Thimble, 16 No ball, 19 Angina, 20 Remains, 23 Kick, 24 Anno Domini, 27 Praline, 28 Know-all, 29 Skinny dipping.

DOWN: 2 Rotor, 3 Homecoming, 4 Oil wells, 5 Excise, 6 Sump, 7 Tithe barn, 8/22 Windmill Hill, 9 Otho, 13 Tomato soup, 15 high class, 17 Backspin, 18 Reworked, 21 Intern, 25 Iraqi, 26 Hi-fi.

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