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MINEHEAD&EXMOOR CHRONICLE a free digital newspaper for the communities of minehead and exmoor
The Original Sailors Hobby Horse Story on page 7
issue 5 may - june 2018
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NEWS
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
Welcome to the fifth issue of the Minehead & Exmoor chronicle a free digital newspaper for the local community.
MINEHEAD&EXMOOR CHRONICLE
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One of Minehead’s annual traditions that marks the passing of the year is ‘Hobby Horse’ season, the rude early morning alarm call of the beating drums has echoed in my life from my earliest memories – Its great to see this deep rooted pagan practice still being carried out today by the current volunteer custodians of the ‘Hoss’, so a big thank you to the Thresher family, some members of the James family and all the others who work so hard to keep this tradition alive. So many of our ancient customs fall by the wayside – being crushed by the steam roller of progress which our modern world drives relentlessly forward and its heartwarming to me that little outposted conclaves such as Minehead and Padstow keeps some of these customs going. With the silencing of the melodian and drums comes more clement weather, its hard to imagine now that in the last edition of the Chronicle we featured photographs of storm Emma or the beast from the east as it became known which delivered deep snow, plummeting temperatures and empty supermarket shelves to our area.
mineheadandexmoorchronicle@gmail.com
chronicle
noun. a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence. synonyms: record, written account, history, annals, archive(s), register; log, diary, journal, calendar, chronology; narrative, description, story verb. record (a series of events) in a factual and detailed way. synonyms: record, put on record, write down, set down, document, register, report, enter; narrate, relate, recount, describe, tell about, retail “the events that followed have been chronicled by many of those who took part”
As I write this article I can hear the ceremony of the Royal wedding on the TV in the background and whatever any of our personal opinions are of the Royal Family – I wish Harry and Meghan a long, happy and peaceful life together. Before I bring this to a close I’d like to thank you (the readers) for taking the time to read the chronicle I hope you enjoy it and perhaps try and support the local traders who advertise here and thank you to the folks who have taken the time to write articles and features as with out them there would be no chronicle.
Star letter Once again our most dedicated correspondent takes up his pen to tackle a topical issue.... Regular correspondent J Hogarth Trusspot has words of encouragement for those whose activities in public life are under attack. Sir It has come to my attention that currently a most vile and mean-spirited campaign is being organised in order to discredit a number of local councillors, those selfless public servants without whose dedication and determination the wheels of local democracy would grind, shudderingly, to a halt. I have not seen any of the vituperative comments that have been posted on the so-called ‘social media’; however their distressing content has been relayed to me by Mrs Trusspot who (in her rare moments of lucidity between assisting the upward movement of the share prices of Messrs Gordons and Schweppes) follows such matters on the ‘platforms’ she refers to as (I believe) Arsebook and Twatter. I have every sympathy for those who find themselves so unfairly and unjustly vilified, having suffered much the same treatment during my short tenure as mayor of Pokington-on-Sea, in Sussex. It was suggested, for example, that I had unlawfully sold the town hall for a peppercorn sum to Trusspot Developments, a company headed by one Bastable Trusspot who, I was able to demonstrate, was but very distantly related to me. The usual tendering process was, indeed, not followed in this instance but merely in the interests of saving the council time and expense: Trusspot Developments’ admittedly modest offer of £50 arrived within hours of a report from Trusspot Spong Associates, architects and surveyors (again with only a most remote familial connection) suggesting that the building was in imminent danger of collapse and that such an event would inevitably incur catastrophic costs for the council, with the additional, attendant possibility of adjoining landowners suing if their properties suffered any damage. The fact that, following a rapid sale to remove such a threat, the town hall was found, on the contrary, to be perfectly sound and fit to be converted into eight luxury flats – in respect of which I exercised my executive powers and granted planning permission – is neither here nor there: anyone can make a mistake and I would merely point to the additional council tax thus generated for the authority. Then there was the matter of Miss Norma Stitz, the town clerk I appointed, and the scurrilous suggestions that were made to the effect that not only was she grossly overpaid but that she got the job not on
the basis of any legal or administrative experience but because she was – as one critic put it so crudely – ‘a bit of a goer’. This is a monstrous suggestion, as was that that Miss Stitz was given free access to the services of the council’s manual workforce in order to effect extensive improvements – including the installation of a jacuzzi suite and massage room - to the elegant town clerk’s house I adjudged it was necessary for the authority to acquire in order to attract the appropriate calibre of applicant for the vacant post. This arrangement was part of the agreement Miss Stitz and I arrived at during my initial interview with her, conducted on the occasion when she and I coincidentally both found ourselves staying at the same hotel in Brighton one week-end. Like councillors in this area, I found myself a target for incessant and unwarranted criticism, though if I have any advice to those currently voicing their grievances over the conduct of some members of the local authority I would suggest they seek redress not by repeated sniping on social media but by resorting to direct action, descending mob-handed on a council meeting, removing the alleged miscreants and throwing them into the harbour. Such a course of action can have an immediate and salutary effect, as I can personally testify. Meanwhile I wonder whether any readers might be able to assist me in further reinforcing my theory that the Romans were once encamped above what is now Wydon Farm, just to the west of Minehead. I raise this matter because of various items of apparently Roman origin I have unearthed there while pursuing my calling of an amateur archeologist. The latest, and most complete, is a shallow, lipped, pottery vessel of some 14 inches in diameter and with a single handle – though presumably there were once two. Around the rim I have been able to make out the inscription: ITI SAPIS SPOTAND ITI SABIGONE. Despite my degree-level knowledge of Latin I have been unable to decipher the text but from the appearance of the vessel it may well be non-Roman in origin and if so is quite likely to be an example of the everyday pottery ware the Romans imported from Mesopotamia. In which case the text may represent a phonetic rendering of the original Etruscan. I should, of course, be grateful for any light that can be shed on its origins. J. Hogarth Trusspot
THE M IN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
NEWS
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A DV E RT S
THE MINEHEAD AND EXMOOR CHRONICLE
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THE MIN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
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Shore anglers have been targeting spurdog from deep-water rock marks when conditions permit with some success. Cameron Atkinson took advantage of a break in the weather and was rewarded with this potential British shore record spurdog of 18lb.
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BIG POLLACK ON SOUTH COAST
SOME GREAT POLLACK ACTION TO BE HAD IN BRIXHAM
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FISHING GUIDES DIARY
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SOMERSET FISHING GUIDE
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H E A LT H & W E LLB E I N G
HOLISTIC THERAPY AN INTRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION By Lydia Hodder My name is Lydia, and I provide a range of holistic therapies in my very own treatment room. My aim is to care for every client by meeting their own individual needs, and empowering them to look after their own wellbeing whether in a session with me or back at home. The therapies aim to rebalance and harmonise the body and mind, aiding overall health and happiness. A little bit about me and how I came to be a holistic therapist. My background is working with young adults with additional needs, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and met my Reiki master whilst doing this job, as she visited and gave treatments to the young adults I worked with. I began to see her for Indian Head Massage after suffering with stress, the sessions benefited me massively and I looked forward to my sessions with her. I then got taken to hospital suddenly and was very poorly for a while, I had an Indian Head Massage/Reiki session and I could not believe how much better I felt, mind and body, afterwards. This was really something amazing, and I felt compelled to learn this myself. So here I am, three years down the line, with a toddler who keeps me on my toes, and more courses under my belt within that time, than I probably have ever done. I love and believe in the therapies I offer to my clients, making it not just a job but a passion. So, what is Reiki? Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by laying on hand and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low or out of balance, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress,
and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results. A lot of friends have been sceptical until they have a treatment. Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.
Not one person will experience Reiki the same as another, everyone has their own personal needs and so the experience will be as individual as we all are. During a treatment you may feel heat, or cold, see colours. All of this is normal and you will leave a session feeling rebalanced and restored. Next time we will explore the benefits of Indian Head Massage. To book an appointment or to ask any questions please look on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ lydiaroseholistics/
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
THE M IN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
T H E H O B BY H O RS E
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THE ORIGINAL SAILORS HOBBY HORSE Intro by Adam James - Picture kindly supplied by Saffy Saphire “I recently read an article recanting a story of a group of Padstow fishermen who were caught out in a terrible storm and how the poor souls were driven by gale force winds up through the Bristol Channel. The tale goe’s on to say that they made landfall at Minehead and were promptly taken in by the kindly folk of Quay town (now known as Quay Street in Minehead). After being dried, warmed and revitaled they stayed a while in the town and were witness to the annual ceremony of the ‘Hoss’. So impressed were they by this spectacle that on returning to Padstow they started they’re own hobby Horse tradition. And so today the parading of the Padstow horse has become a yearly tradition for which the whole village and many visitors turn out in celebration. They’re may be some truth in this fable or it maybe just a fiction, and who knows may be the Padstow Horse is a nod to the kindly folk of Minehead for looking after Padstow’s shipwrecked sons”. This is an old May Day custom from the Quay, Minehead, Somerset, which has
continued for hundreds of years. The custom is so old that there is no accururate record of its commencement. In fact, the origin is lost in mists of time. The Sailors Hobby Horse comes out on the eve of May Day, and for the first three days of the month dances and frolics freely around the streets. It attracts considerable interest locally and further afield. The Horse’s frame is made from withy sticks lashed together with tarred cord into the shape of a boat with a dome shaped head and a tin painted face. A mast is made fast to the head and spliced to the after end is a length of rope with a cows tail made fast. The whole frame, head and rope tail is covered with brightly coloured ribbons and attached and draped to the ground from the frame are sacks - brightly painted with different coloured rings. This is the so called ‘Horse’. The Horse weighs about one hundred weight. It is carried by one man and dances to the sound of melodions and drums, and if folk fail to give the ‘Horse’ a coin the ‘Horse’ aims its tail at them.
The Sailors ‘Horse’ is accompanied by a drum which has a date inside it which dates back to the seventeenth century. It is legend that the original intention of the ‘Horse’ was to scare away Danes and others from the coast as invaders.
The booting is then repeated in Wellington Square, in the centre of town, and it is here that the old ‘Horse’ takes his final bow of the festive season and after a light refreshment returns to his stable at the Quay until the following May Day eve.
It is an important custom that the ‘Horse’ proceeds from the Quay over the hill through Minehead Old Town, known as higher town, to arrive at white cross at 6 AM on May 1st.
By invitation the ‘Horse’ and its attendants have appeared twice at the Royal Albert Hall, London, - The Commonwealth Institute, London, The Universities of London and Exeter, two of the World trade fairs, at Brussels in Belgium and Olympia in London, the television programme ‘Pebble Mill at one’ from Birmingham and the Assembly Rooms, Derby. The spectacle has also been filmed for television and other purposes on numerous occaisions.
It is legend that on that day and at that time a Dane was killed there. Also on this day it is a custom for the ‘Horse’ to proceed to to Dunster Castle where the May Queen is crowned. On the third night there is a booting at Cher steps, on the outskirts of Minehead, when victims are caght in the street and are booted ten times by the heavy fore bow of the ‘Horse’ while being held by the arms and legs by two members of the crew. There is then a further penalty of the victim to dance with the ‘Horse’ while avoiding being lashed by the tail.
Why not come to Minehead next May Day and see for yourself? Those connected to the ‘Horse’ give their services freely and money collected and donations received are disbursed to Minehead Mencap and the Minehead Branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Instsitution.
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T H E RE GA L
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
WHAT’S ON? AT THE REGAL THEATRE
LISTINGS A CELEBRATION OF NEIL DIAMOND with Wayne Denton Friday, 25th May 2018 - 7:30pm TICKETS: Adults £14.00, Friends of the Regal £13.50, Students/ES40’s £8.00 A Celebration of Neil Diamond promises an unforgettable night out! Hits such as Sweet Caroline, Love OnThe Rocks, and Forever In Blue Jeans evoke memories in us all, transporting us back to a time when the singer songwriter ruled the UK and US charts. PATSY CLINE & FRIENDS Thursday, 31st May 2018 - 7:30pm Tickets – Adults £18.00, Friends £17.50, students and ES40s £10.00 Tribute Concert to Patsy Cline – Hank Williams – Jim Reeves 2018 is 55 years since losing Patsy Cline, so with all the wonderful recordings she left behind this will be an evening to celebrate the power of her Music. The Velvet Country voice of Patsy Cline caught the imagination of Sue Lowry, who has been a lifelong fan of Patsy Cline and Country Music! Please wear your Western wear and join us for a Hayride of a Show! Suits all ages, as long as you’re prepared for a ‘Honkin Tonkin’ good Time! Pure Country Magic! Produced by A.M. Productions.
FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT Friday, 1st June 2018 - 7:30pm TICKETS: Adults £10.00, Friends of the Regal £9.50, Students/ES40s £6.00 The Adur Concert Band Your favourites from Films, Shows, Musicals
Visit the Adur Youth Concert Band’s Website HAPPY END - Regal Film Society Tuesday, 5th June 2018 - 7:30pm TICKETS: £5 (Regal Film Society members £3) Open To Members and their Guests Dir Michael Haneke France/Austria/Germany 2017 – 107 mins Isabelle Huppert stars in a characteristically forensic and unflinching examination of middle class family life, set against the background of the refugee crisis, from the master of unsettling observations. Subtitled. Tickets not available online. Tasha Leaper as MADONNA Friday, 8th June 2018 - 7:30pm Tickets: Adults £15.00 / Friends £14.50 / Students and ES40s £10.00 Into The Groove, Holiday, Like A Prayer, Vogue, Beautiful Stranger, Hung Up, True Blue, Material Girl… The hits just keep on coming in this dynamic tribute to the undisputed Queen of Pop, Madonna!! After a very successful evening at the Regal in August, Tasha is delighted to bring her show back once again in 2018. Taking you back through the years performing all of Madonna’s greatest hits, she has the looks, the voice AND the moves to make for a truly authentic experience. With a live band and professional dancers this show gives you replica dance routines, iconic costume changes and overall a high energy concert experience. You will be literally dancing in your seats! MINEHEAD SCHOOLS SINGING CONCERT Monday, 11th June 2018 - 7:30pm All details to follow SWAN LAKE - Regal Film Society
Tuesday, 12th June 2018 - 7:15pm PLEASE NOTE START TIME
Tickets: Adults £16.50/Friends £16.00/ Students and ES40s £8.00
TICKETS: £15 (Regal Film Society members and Friends of the Regal £12.50 / Students £10.00) NOT available on line
Now in its eleventh successful year touring the UK, “Broadway and Beyond” is a dazzling performance not to be missed – a thrilling and entertaining mix of musical wit from the most popular musicals of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Live from the Royal Opera House Approximate running time: 3 hours, including two intervals. New Production of Tchaikovsky’s Classical Ballet Choreography Marius Petipa & Lev Ivanov Additional Choreography by Liam Scarlett & Frederick Ashton Designs by John Macfarlane Swan Lake has had a special role in the repertory of The Royal Ballet since 1934. In this new production, Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett creates additional choreography and brings fresh eyes to its staging in collaboration with his long-term designer John Macfarlane. Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a beautiful woman, Odette, he is enraptured. But she is under a spell that holds her captive, allowing her to regain her human form only at night THE MILL ON THE FLOSS Thursday, 14th June 2018 - 7:30pm Tickets: Adults £9.50 / Friends £9.00 / Students and ES40s £4.00 Bristol Old Vic Theatre School By George Eliot, Adapted by Helen Edmundson Directed by Paul Clarkson They had entered the thorny wilderness, and the golden gates of their childhood had for ever closed behind them. In this fluid and visceral re-imagining, George Eliot’s unforgettable story of first love, sibling rivalry and regret is turned into a wonderfully theatrical examination of the psyche of one of classic literature’s most charismatic heroines. BROADWAY AND BEYOND Friday, 15th June 2018 - 7:30pm
An Evening with PETE ALLEN & SEAN MOYSES Saturday, 23rd June 2018 - 7:30pm In the Regal bar. All tickets £10 An evening of happy upbeat music with songs & fun combined with a musical style and stage presence that has created an enthusiastic following from those who enjoy happy music and songs PETE ALLEN (clarinet & saxophone) – Britain’s most exciting clarinetist & honorary citizen of New Orleans USA with SEAN MOYSES (banjo) – Easily one the world’s finest banjo entertainers – A top class act THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI - Film Society Tuesday, 26th June 2018 - 7:30pm TICKETS: £5 (Regal Film Society members £3) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (Cert 15) Dir Martin McDonagh UK/USA 2018 115 mins Oscar- and BAFTA-winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comic drama about Mildred Hayes, a single mother who is frustrated by the ineptitude of the local police in solving her daughter’s murder and decides to take matters into her own hands by erecting three billboards on the road leading into her home town with a controversial message for the town’s chief of police.
THE M IN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
T H E FI S H I N G FO RE C A ST
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and now the
FISHING FORECAST issued by James Wigglesworth at 04:00 on the 15th May 2018 So its with great pleasure that I can report that the fishing has really kicked off in recent weeks. Catches from the shore and boat have really picked up with the boat anglers having the best of the sport now that the seasonal Smoothounds have made an appearance. Armed with buckets of crabs and boxes of squid they’ve been setting off on their day afloat readily prepared to do battle with this hard fighting summer visitor. The shore anglers had hoped that they may have moved inshore by now but with catches at a minimum its not quite happened just yet That being said its only a matter of time and I’m sure the next set of good tides will seem them push closer to the shore in search of the crabs and shrimps that inhabit our coastline. The rays have certainly awoken from their winter lull and are most definitely on the feed. Some respectable blonde and spotted rays have been gracing the beaches from Selworthy up to the gasworks beach and even Minehead Harbour itself has seen some nice fish in the past weeks Those opting to fish from a boat have had some great specimens and as we go to print the first day of the annual Alykat Ray Comp has just drawn to a close with over 20 rays boated. The Shore anglers haven’t been too hard done by though as there have
been some very respectable bull huss landed and there’s still always the chance of a nice spring codling. With the recent rise in water temperature we have seen the first of the tope from the boats. Most of these have been from the boats situated in north Devon but there have been a few caught in porlock bay and things can only improve on this front once we see the mackerel in larger numbers.
pollack
blonde ray
pollack
Without going into too much political rubbish regarding the “Bass Ban” I will just say that they are there to be had Even though you’re not permitted to take any for the table they can provide excellent sport on the right tackle and with the evenings getting longer and lighter what better way to wind down from a days graft than having a stroll on the beach with your lure rod. For those who just want to go out and get a few bites then there is an abundance of dogfish around at present which have been pestering many a specimen hunter but at the end of the day they save a blank and keep the tips bouncing. A wise man once told me that if you’re catching dogfish you’re doing it right. For more in depth info then take a visit down to Westcoast Tackle on Minehead Harbour and see Craig who is always more than happy offer advice and point you in the right direction. Stay safe and fish hard!
smooth hound
bull huss
thornback ray
cod
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FE AT URE D P H O T O GRA P H E R
STUART WARSTAT
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
I’ve been taking photos since I was six after being given a camera for Christmas. At home there was a box of family photographs which we would all look at together. I loved how a moment in time could be captured and saved for ever. My photography continues this theme. Landscapes are my passion but I will take pictures of anything that catches my eye. Walking my dog Polar gets me out of my home, on the edge of Exmoor. He’s the best photography accessory I have! See more at www.stuartwarstatphotography.co.uk
THE M IN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
FE AT URE D P H O T O GRA P H E R
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RE C I P E S
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
DUNKERY BEACON COUNTRY HOUSE AND COLERIDGE RESTAURANT Built in the late 1800’s, Dunkery Beacon Hotel or Dunkery Beacon Country House as it is now known, has become acclaimed for luxury accommodation and its award winning restaurant. Having been in the capable and experienced hands of John & Jane Bradley since 2102, the hotel has undergone a complete renovation of all the bedrooms and public areas together with the opening of the Coleridge
Loin of Somerset Lamb Wellington with Girolle Mushrooms & Blackcurrant Jus Serves 4 Prep Time 30mins Cooking time 12mins
Restaurant in 2013. The hotel’s eight bedrooms now offer a high level of comfort with pocket sprung mattresses, Egyptian cotton bedding, En suite bathrooms and Nespresso Coffee machines together with a selection of teas from the local tea blenders ‘Mr Miles’. All the rooms benefit from South facing views out over Exmoor National Park looking towards Dunkery Beacon, the highest
Ingredients 250gm Ready to roll puff pastry Loin of Lamb taken of the bone and trimmed of all fat and sinew 200gm Baby Spinach 150gm Girolle Mushrooms Seasoning Olive Oil Butter 1 egg beaten For the Sauce 1 Glass of Port Beef or Lamb Stock 50gm Blackcurrants (Frozen is ok) Method Pre heat a fan oven to 230 deg C Generously season the loin of lamb and seal the outside of the meat in a little olive oil in a hot frying pan. Remove from the pan & leave to rest. Add a knob of butter to the frying pan and add the Girolle mushrooms and cook until just slightly soft. Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Roughly chop two thirds of the mushrooms and keep the rest for garnishing the final dish. Wipe out the frying pan and add a little more butter. Once the butter is foaming, gently wilt the baby spinach. Place in a sieve and allow the juices to drain off. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle approx. 3mm thick and big
point in the South West. The Coleridge Restaurant, based within the hotel, is open to the public Wednesday to Saturday for evening meals and also Sunday Lunch and offers a relaxed, yet sophisticated atmosphere in which to enjoy John’s locally sourced fine dining menu including some local favourites such as Withycombe Asparagus and Porlock Bay Oysters. Alongside their A la Carte
enough to wrap around the loin of lamb. Distribute the wilted spinach into the middle of the puff pastry, ensuring an even coverage leaving a 1 inch margin on each edge to create an overlap when rolling. Then spread the chopped Girolles across the spinach before placing the sealed loin of lamb in the centre. Egg wash the blank margins of the pastry and then lift the nearest edge of the pastry and roll over the lamb. Then bring the far edge over the lamb and ensure the pastry is sealed to its other edge. Tuck in the ends and again ensure all is sealed. Roll the wellington over so the seal is on the bottom & egg wash the outer surface. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place your pastry parcel on and place in the oven for approx 12 minutes or until golden brown. The oven needs to be pretty hot to cook the pastry quickly and not overcook the lamb, which should be pink in the middle or to preference. Whilst this is cooking, pour the port into a sauce pan and reduce to burn off the alcohol. Add the stock and reduce by half. Add the fruit and simmer until this is soft. Blend this liquid with a hand blender or liquidizer and sieve to remove the fruit seed. Season the remaining sauce. We have served the Wellington with Potato Beignets, Girolles and Ribbon Courgette.
menu, Jane has brought her extensive experience to create a unique wine list, supplied by her old employers Berry Bros. & Rudd. Dunkery Beacon Country House is located in the pretty village of Wootton Courtenay, just 5 miles from Minehead. T: 01643 841241 E: info@ dunkerybeaconaccommodation.co.uk
ALL RECIPES KINDLY SUPPLIED BY JOHN BARDLEY CHEF PATRON OF DUNKERY BEACON COUNTRY HOUSE AND COLERIDGE RESTAURANT
THE M IN EH EAD & E X M O O R CH R O N I CL E
RE C I P E S
Bitter Chocolate Tart with Honey Comb and Barraquito Ice Cream Serves 10
For the Sweet Pastry 125gm Butter (room temp) 90gm Castor Sugar 250gm Plain Flour 1 Egg Place the butter in a mixing bowl together with the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the egg and resume mixing adding a little flour to help combine. Add the remaining flour and beat quickly until the mixture has formed a dough. Remove from the mixing bowl and wrap in cling film and refrigerate to rest for 20mins. Once rested, roll out the pastry to 3mm
thickness and line a 30cm tart case. Using either rice or baking beads and parchment, the pastry base is blind baked at 185 deg C for 12 minutes. At this point the rice/beads and parchment must be removed and the tart put back in the oven for the pastry to cook through a little more (approx. 4 minutes) Now turn the oven down to 110 deg C. Allow to cool and then move on to prepare the chocolate filling. 300ml Double Cream 80ml Milk 350gm Dark Chocolate (use good quality min 70 cocoa solids) broken in to pieces 3 Eggs Beaten To make the filling Place the milk and cream in to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour the milk/ cream mixture over, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Whisk in the beaten eggs until fully combined. Pour the filling into the tart case and place in the cooled oven for 20-25minutes or until the filling has just set but with a slight wobble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour, dust with a little coco powder and then serve with Clotted Cream and fresh red fruits such as Autumn Raspberries.
The Honeycomb Butter for greasing 200gm Caster Sugar 2tbsp Golden Syrup 2 level tea spoons Bi Carbonate of Soda Grease a 20cm square tin with the butter. Mix the caster sugar and syrup in a heavy bottomed saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted. Try not to let the mixture bubble until the sugar grains have disappeared. Once completely melted, turn up the heat a little and simmer until you have an amber coloured caramel, then as quickly as you can turn off the heat, tip in the bicarbonate and beat in with a wooden spoon until it has all disappeared and the mixture is foaming.(be careful not to splash any mixture on yourself as the mixture will be very hot) Scrape into the tin immediately The mixture will continue foaming in the tin, simply leave it in a cool place (but not the fridge) and in about 1 hr- 1 hr 30mins the honeycomb will be hard and ready to crumble or snap into chunks. Barraquito Ice Cream (make a day ahead) This ice cream came from an idea I had after having a Barraquito Coffee in Tenerife one winter. The coffee is particular to the Canary Islands and contains a liqueur known simply as Liqueur 43. Ideally, an ice cream maker would be best to make this but can be made using the chilled bowl and freezer method. Alternatively you could buy a good quality coffee ice cream to substitute.
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Ingredients 450ml Double Cream 450ml milk 300gm Caster Sugar 6 Egg yolks 100ml Camp Coffee 2 measures of Liqueur 43 1 Tbsp Glucose Method Heat the milk, cream, glucose and camp coffee until just coming to the boil, stir and remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Pour the cream mixture over your egg mix, whisking steadily until the two have combined and is smooth & creamy. Add the liqueur and return all of this to the pan. Place back on a gentle heat and stir continually with a heat proof spatula, testing the mix every minute or two to check the consistency. The mix will thicken to a pointy where it coats the back of the spatula with a medium coating. (Not as thick as custard, but thicker than pouring cream) Remove from the heat immediately and sieve in to a 2ltr container. Allow to cool until you can hold the container in your hands and place in the fridge for 4 hours. After this fridge time, it can be transferred to your ice cream maker or begin the frozen bowl technique. (this involves partially freezing the mix for an hour or two and removing to whisk out the ice crystals and repeating until you have reached an ice cream consistency.
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E XMO O R P O N Y N E W S
THE MINEHEAD & EXMOOR CHRONICLE
FUNDRAISING FOR THE EXMOOR PONY PROJECT By Dawn Westcott An ancient and iconic part of Exmoor’s beautiful landscape, Exmoor ponies draw admirers from across the world. Visitors and locals alike love to see the incredibly robust, self-sufficient, mealy-muzzled ponies living and grazing in their natural moorland home - as they’ve done for hundreds if not thousands of years. The recent winter gave us a stark reminder of the challenges the ponies can face from both the weather and their environment - but their greatest challenge is sometimes what happens to them when they leave the moor. In 2013, local farmers Nick and Dawn Westcott realised that some moorland foals were facing a bleak future through difficulties their herd owners were having in registering and finding good homes for them. They set up a project, on their farm in Luccombe, to provide moorland foals with a safety net and a good start in life. There are over thirty ponies, from foals to veterans, in their Exmoor Pony Project which is currently looking to raise funds to maintain and evolve this work.
“When we started the project, we were shocked to discover moorland herd owners being discouraged from putting their foals forward to be properly registered as ‘Exmoor ponies’ and facing extraordinary delays in trying to obtain passports for them,” said Dawn. “We also found potential new owners being discouraged from buying foals, including ourselves. These bizarre obstructions were demoralising the herd owners and yet, the moorland Exmoor ponies are of superb quality and so much effort has gone into preserving the ‘true moorland Exmoor type’ over the years - it seemed senseless and heartbreaking to see them put in jeopardy by ‘red tape’. So we decided to take a closer look at what was going on and try and do something to help. We started by offering a lifeline to moorland foals, bringing some to live here on the farm, and securing good homes for others. Over the years the Exmoor Pony Project has evolved to include: 1) Helping to safeguard and promote Exmoor ponies (there were only about 56 female foals registered last year and
Exmoors are flagged as ‘In Decline’ on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s 2018 Danger List). 2) Encouraging better treatment, handling and understanding of ponies. 3) Giving Exmoor ponies a good start and good opportunities. 4) Campaigning for pony welfare and registration improvements. “Working together with other Exmoor herd owners, we’re seeing improvement in breeding practices, and moorland and pony management. We also help owners and enthusiasts gain better understanding of how to connect and win the trust of the ponies - and get the best out of them. Taking on wildborn ponies can be daunting, yet with help, support and sometimes just a ‘sounding board’ to discuss things - it can make all the difference. Exmoor ponies learn quickly and can adapt well to life off the moors - if they’re treated with kindness, patience and respect. Sometimes, they come around to the idea of being handled by people fairly quickly, and others can take months or even years to socialise. These ‘tricky’
characters often turn out to be the most trusting and amenable ponies in the end. Sometimes, new owners really appreciate some reassurance and encouragement to keep being patient and taking the time it takes. We’re seeing the rewards of their efforts now with some beautiful moorland ponies starting to do well in their ridden and showing activities in their new homes. Or just settling in well as part of the family. “The free-living Exmoor ponies are important for bio-diversity and helping to keep the moorland landscape the way we love to see it, and it’s the job of our generation to ensure we hand over stewardship of the breed in a better state than we found it, to the next generations. So, along with some top level pedigree Exmoor ponies, we also have some purebred ponies here on the farm, with bloodlines that need recognition, status and to be properly embraced within the breed’s registered gene pool. Ensuring the inclusion of every possible suitable Exmoor pony is key to the breed’s future health and
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survival. We also respect that careful crossbreeding programmes help to keep pedigree herds on the moor, by producing good quality, larger riding ponies. In 2017 we rescued orphan crossbred foal Tippbarlake Lady Luna from Hoaroak Valley. Her mother had died in an accident and the young foal needed a lifeline and rehabilitation - and with careful nurturing, she is maturing to be a wonderful ambassador for these ponies. “We are evolving a natural management system where the ponies live in herds and can migrate freely from pasture to shelter. We’re learning so much about their social behaviour, the way they interact and learn - and how they like to live. Exmoors have evolved to live in semi-feral herds in a challenging, stimulating environment and we need to factor that into the life we offer them when they come off the moor. An important part of the project’s work is communicating what we’re learning to people who are managing and caring
E XMO O R P O N Y N E W S
for the ponies - as well as helping the general public to appreciate the breed. “We have some incredible characters on the farm, including ponies from Dunkery, Molland, Anstey, Countisbury, Buscombe, Brendon and Winsford Hill. Although people sometimes think they all look the same, the breed actually includes a wide range of colours and sizes, with distinctive ‘types’ from different parts of the moor. There are golden, reddish-coloured ponies through to ones that are almost black. All with their distinctive mealy-muzzles and markings that make them instantly recognisable as being an ‘Exmoor’ pony. They also range in temperament from shy and wary to incredibly bold and mischievous - and they’re all as bright as buttons. You certainly feel like you’re being closely assessed by a thinking, sentient being when an Exmoor turns his gaze onto you. Once carefully introduced to saddle, they make the most fantastic, fun riding ponies who can turn their hoof to pretty much any equestrian activity - including excelling at non-ridden activities like agility and pony walks.
Not everyone can or wants to ride them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have enormous fun with them.” The Exmoor Pony Project understandably requires a lot of time and resource to run and there are few avenues to generate income from Exmoor ponies who, although important, have relatively small market value. “It’s a formidable undertaking and a lot of work, but the ponies are worth it and there are a significant number of them who would not be here today without this project. Every pony is here for a reason and while, from time to time, we can and do find good homes for them, we also accept that long-term and permanent care is an important part of the Exmoor Pony Project. The ponies here play an important role in helping people to get a better understanding of the breed and equine behaviour. A JustGiving Crowdfunding Appeal has recently been set up to invite people who like what the Exmoor Pony Project
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is doing to help and support its work. “The main areas we need to source funding help with are maintaining high standards of care and management of the ponies, replacing worn out pony equipment - and progressing their handling and training so all the ponies can benefit and continue their development.” If you’d like to help and support the Exmoor Pony Project you can donate to the JustGiving Appeal at https:// www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ exmoor-pony-project. Local businesses including Proper Job, McColls Newsagents and Exmoor Store in Minehead and the Lorna Doone Hotel in Porlock, are promoting the appeal and collecting funds for the Exmoor Pony Project. If you’d like to take part please email dawnwestcott@ hotmail.com. Find out more about the Exmoor Pony Project at www. wildponywhispering.co.uk.
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NEWS
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THE PERHAM LINE By Rachel Perham I was born and brought up in the idyllic picturesque fishing village of Clovelly on the North Devon coast whose family are traced back for six generations on my father’s side. The daughter of a late fishermen who made his living catching crab and lobsters in the summer months, along with taking tourists out on his wooden boat ‘Neptune’ for 15 minute pleasure trips to see Clovelly from the sea, and fishing for Herrings in the traditional method of oar and sail in the winter months, a tradition still carried on today by my brothers. My late mother was an artist who not only fell in love with my father but also in love with Clovelly and the many old Clovelly families who lived there at the time she moved in, in the 1960’s. The main subject that she painted was Clovelly harbour and the many characters that lived there, as well as capturing images from the past in which she used old photos for reference. Her style was naive and her medium was oil painted onto board but she also painted fishermen, cottages and donkeys on Clovelly pebbles using acrylic paints and as a small child I use to walk the beach with her to help her collect stones to paint on. My whole life has been dominated by two things the love of the sea and the love of creativity. I spent many hours as a child either in the sea swimming earning the nickname “Water Rat” by the old local fishermen or rowing around in a small wooden punt either in the harbour or just outside the Quay wall fishing for mackerel that I would sell to tourists wrapped in newspaper. When the summer months came to an end I would spend hours obsessively drawing, painting and writing. My mother encouraged me to sell my art and I can remember spending many hours sticking plastic donkeys onto stones and painting grass and flowers on them to
sell in the Donkey Shop up the street. It was while working in the local Tea Room as a teenager that I began my love affair with food, I enjoyed preparing, cooking and decorating food and found I had a real flare for it, especially using seafood. It was another way of creating something and expressing myself as well as art so after school I went to college to train to become a chef. In between studying I would draw cartoons of my fellow students and teachers who liked them so much that they got them framed and where hung in the college café. Over the past 25 years I have had a remarkably journey in catering ranging from working in local restaurants, running an outside catering company and working as a temp chef in North Devon. I ran my own Restaurant at Welcombe in Cornwall specialising in Seafood. I have been filmed cooking with celebrity chefs on the Quay at Clovelly and have worked on various boats and ships as ships cook cooking out at sea in all states of weather for at least fifteen people three times a day. The most recent ships I have worked on were three Tall Ships including ‘The Royalist’, ‘ Kaskalot’, and ‘Irene’. I always carried my art equipment with me but as you can imagine it wasn’t easy drawing or painting whilst out at sea rolling about on the waves but I did manage to draw some of the guests and crew albeit they did turn out a bit wonky at times. So after a long catering career and the final three years sailing around the UK and Europe on ‘Irene’ I decided that it was time to take a break from cooking and go home to Clovelly to take a rest. After taking several months off to sleep and to ground myself I picked up my paintbrushes and began to paint again. I painted on pebbles as I wanted to carry on my Mothers good work but I also painted on driftwood that I found washed up on the beach at Clovelly.
I loved the idea of the journey that the wood had been on and the places it had seen in its time drifting around in the sea. It reflected my own journey and already told a story before I had even began to paint my own artwork on it. I paint on hard board and canvas and have used old milk churns and tin buckets too, basically nothing is safe I’ll paint on anything. I use acrylic paint’s as I adore vibrant colours and it dry’s really quickly so I can paint lots of projects at one a time without having to wait too long for the drying process. I would describe my artwork as naive that has been heavily influenced by my mother’s style though I put my own unique quirky style and twist on the subject I’m painting. Over the years and more recently I’ve been commissioned to paint various projects for different people who gave me an indication of what they would like me to paint for them, as well as a personal list of items that they choose for me to use for their particular piece. I try to use a guide in the size of the artwork and the amount of objects that are included to reflect the price of the finished piece, which I discuss with the client before hand. Some of the commissions include a large stone for a 50th Birthday based on a Spanish theme to include a Spanish bull, paella and the birthday boy. An old milk churn that depicted the lady’s life, her family and some of the fears she had overcome such as skydiving and swimming with turtles. An old tin bucket that was for a wedding gift, which I painted the Bride and Groom, best man and the bridesmaids at the church that they were getting married at. A stone that was commissioned for someone’s parents who had stayed at Clovelly for them to take back to Krakow in Poland so they could remember their stay and a pheasant that has travelled to
Chicago for a man who recently celebrated his 80th Birthday. He was born at a farm at Higher Clovelly and now lives in America so he has been reunited with a stone from home. Birthdays, Anniversaries, New Home, Weddings, Memory Stones to remember lost loved ones are to name but a few of the stones I have painted and one of my more unusual requests was a painted proposal “Will you Marry Me” on it for a gentleman who subtly placed it to be seen when he took his love for a romantic walk, she said yes! When I’m not painting orders I like to paint smaller stones with an array of images on such as Mandala stones using bright vibrant colours, Nautical stones that have Lobster, Crabs, Mermaids, Seahorses, Mackerel and Anchors. I paint Unicorns, Dragonflies, Hearts just to name but a few and to keep my Mothers tradition alive I paint Fishermen, Cottages and Donkeys too. So after a long time creating food I am back home to where my story began and I have a studio overlooking the Harbour at Clovelly, painting and creating using bright vibrant colours in the most beautiful setting doing something I love and if my artwork gives people as much joy as it does to me when I’m painting than that makes me incredibly happy. At present I sell in the Clovelly Pottery (top of the street by the donkey stables). Coming soon I’ll be selling at Merry Harriers Near Woolsery and The Exmoor Store on Friday Street in Minehead. Follow me online on FB The Perham Line and Instagram perhamline. For enquiries email address theperhamline@ gmail.com or mobile number 07929652191
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NEWS
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A RT I C LE
The superior level story starts in the 1960’s, My father was a plasterer and I would go to work with him on Saturdays and during school holidays. My dad’s tools were many and varied, he would look after all of them fastidiously , washing and oiling his trowels, floats and hawks, no plastic, aluminium or fibre glass, his tools were wood and steel, he had his name on them and nobody asked to borrow another man’s tools. His tools were for life. I left school and became a apprentice toolmaker like my older brothers, I made many of the tools I use today during my apprenticeship.
I went on to work in trade shop toolrooms where you got paid a fixed amount for producing a one off piece of tooling, similar to price work in the construction industry. I worked with my older brother Rex in the 1970’s in a trade shop, Rex was the fastest and most accurate toolmaker there and he would often finish his work then pick mine up and help. Rex moved to Wales to be close to our Brother Max and set up a workshop there, Rex died in September 2014 of cancer, during his illness he told me our brother Max had cancer and been given six months. Max did not tell me he was ill and refused
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to have treatment or even discuss it, he carried on as normal. It fell to Max and I to clear rex’s workshop, whilst doing this I came across something I had not seen for 50 years, Dad’s wooden spirit level. Max died in February of 2015.
Oliver took his on site and came back with orders for ten that evening.
Back home in Somerset I slowly got over losing two people I had been close to and admired. There was dad’s level, my son’s Oliver and Will both work in construction so I set about making them a spirit level each like my dad’s but engineered like Rex would have done it.
I was in my workshop using a surface grinder I had inherited from Rex, there on the wheel guard was the name of the machine, ‘SUPERIOR’.
My first levels were produced in 2015,
I now had orders but the levels did not have a identity, I wanted to call them RexMax Oliver said this was not suitable.
The Superior Level ethos is based around British quality products and design suitable for lifetime use by craftsmen. Superior Levels proudly made in Somerset.
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E XMO O R P O DC A ST
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A DV E RT
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