The Dove July & August 2020

j u ly & a u g u s t 2 0 2 0

brewham, bruton, pitcombe, redlynch, shepton montague & wyke champflower

Beautiful weddings all year www.longhouseweddings.co.uk call Matt 07855 361 652

issue number 116

this issue, the double summer one, covers two months. Let’s hope that by the September issue we can revert to having a Diary of Events once more.

One thing we can all do, once we’re allowed: support all our restaurants and pubs. The owners or landlords have been having a really hard time, and we cannot allow these institutions to disappear – their loss would change the face and character of Bruton and the Benefice villages for ever. I assure you I will be doing my bit!

So many lovely summer events have had to be cancelled this year, including the local fêtes – Bruton, Batcombe, Shepton Montague. They are always full of community spirit, with everyone clearly having a terrific time. We’ll look forward to their return next year.

One date that is certain to be marked is VJ Day on 15 August. A lot of people will have a socially distanced celebration on the anniversary of the day that finally marked the end of World War II. As Simon Bate points out (page 43), there are residents of Sexey’s Hospital who remember the day and the rejoicing.

Reports of the activities of our many excellent organisations are necessarily lacking. But we have some fascinating articles: Charles Brook on the British response to the pandemic (page 29); Michael Parroy on avoiding the catastrophe of a cathedral or church being destroyed by fire (page 41); Katherine Grugeon on using map references to woodland to navigate your way on a long walk (page 35).

The Dove committee joins with all our contributors in hoping you keep well and safe. Elisabeth Balfour a

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contents A Message From Prebendary Mark Ellis 5 Who, What and Where 7 Q&A: The Centenarian 9 Town Council News 13 Community News 17 Parish News 49 In the Vegetable Garden 55 Schools Desk 57 Useful Information 63 Where to Eat and Drink 67

bank holiday (31 august) refuse collections

Crossword 68

Garden refuse Friday 4 Sept. Black bins and recycling, normally Friday 4, now Saturday 5

Contact us 68

Deadline for all contributions and advertisements is the 1st of the month preceding month of publication

www.brutontown.com

Cover photo: Paul B page 1

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a message from prebendary mark ellis

Benefice Associate Priest Dear friends, as this situation has dragged on many people have been telling me just how much they have missed going to church. To be honest I feel exactly the same. Our regular Sunday worship is such an important part of our rule of life that we seem to have lost something very dear to us. This dreadful pandemic has had a major impact worldwide on every part of society and on every part of our lives. We are fortunate that modern technology has proved its worth by keeping us in touch with some aspects of the worship of the Church. But I am sure we are looking forward to the moment when we are able to re-establish that essential fellowship with other worshippers in our church buildings.

When the pandemic broke out, the Church set a good example to the nation by carefully following instructions from the government designed to reduce the spread of the virus. Now, after what seems a very long time, there are welcome signs of an easing of the restrictions. If the recovery strategy is a success, we will soon be allowed to unlock our churches once more. It will be only for the purpose of private prayer at first – but at least that is a step in the right direction. I know our Diocese will be contacting all the clergy and churchwardens to give expert advice on dealing with social distancing, personal hygiene measures and the deep cleaning of our church buildings. We may still have to wait a considerable time before we can get back to the worship together that we all enjoy and miss so much.

Meanwhile please be patient and go on praying. I can promise that we will do everything possible to get things going again as soon as we can.

I am saying Morning and Evening Prayer quietly at home and praying for all the churches of our Benefice.

I am always glad to hear of any names for intercession. Please do not hesitate to phone me any time.

With my prayers, Mark page 5

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who, what and where (phone code throughout The Dove 01749 unless otherwise stated)

Priest in Charge Senior Associate Priest (days off vary) Benefice Treasurer Benefice Office

Brewham Bruton Pitcombe Shepton Montague Wyke Champflower Roman Catholic Methodist Quaker Baptist

[Position vacant] Prebendary Mark Ellis, The Parsonage, Gold Hill, Batcombe, Shepton Mallet BA4 6HF, 850 074; rosemarie.ellis584@btinternet.com Jeremy Collyer, 812 363; jhcollyer@tiscali.co.uk Jane Bennett, Office Administrator, Bruton & District Benefice, Plox House, Silver Street, Bruton BA10 0ED, 10am–12.30pm, Wed & Thurs, 813 080; benefice@stmarysbruton.org churchwardens of the benefice David Cowie, 850 524; david.cowie.uk@btinternet.com Zena Dabinett, 850 441; zena.dabinett@gmail.com Juliet Bowell, 812 422; julietcapulet@btinternet.com Harry Mills, 812 114; harry@opendium.com Philip Pidsley, 813 842; philip.pidsley@btinternet.com Jeremy Collyer, 812 363; jhcollyer@tiscali.co.uk Erica Douglass, 813 743; edouglassuk@gmail.com Elizabeth Winkley, 813 203 and in other christian traditions . . .

Father Louis Beasley-Suffolk, The Presbytery, South Street, Wincanton BA9 9DH, 01963 34408; hope@stlukeswincanton.org.uk Rev. Craig Manley, Broadclose, Station Rd, Ansford BA7 7PA; 01963 351 598; Rev. Jill Warren, 01373 462 207 Religious Society of Friends, Wincanton Meeting, High Street, Wincanton; Clerk Ray Leary, 01963 350 980; mclachlan3@mac.com South Brewham Baptist Chapel; Hazel Gulliford 850 267 brutontown.com stmarysbruton.org.uk pitcombepc.org.uk sheptonmontague.co.uk bruton town council See also page 15 Clerk: townclerk@brutontowncouncil. gov.uk; 813 014

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22 years in Castle Cary

WineWizzard Affordable wines you can be proud to put on your table We buy, sell and broker fine wines Undertake cellar management for individuals and companies Supporting the hospitality trades for over 50 years Stockists of fine Havana cigars

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Woodcock Street, Castle Cary ba7 7bl Telephone 01963 351 919 info@winewizzard.com www.winewizzard.com

Selected wines also available at Church Bridge Stores, Patwell Street, Bruton.

Open 7am–7.30pm Monday–Saturday, 7am–5pm Sunday

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the centenarian elisabeth balfour talks to albert agutter Albert is one hundred years old on 30 June. He has been a familiar figure in Bruton for nearly 19 years, moving here in November 2001 with his late wife Joyce. His son David is well known in the town, and his daughter Helen comes often to visit him. His family includes six great-grandchildren.

eb What brought you to Bruton? aa After their term as house-parents at

Millfield came to an end, David and his wife Barbara started living in Bruton full-time. We had reached our eighties, so we decided to make the move to be closer. eb I know you had a long and happy marriage – tell me about your late wife, whom I remember as a delightful lady, and how and when you met and married. aa I was demobbed in May 1946 and returned home to North Wembley. I met Joyce at the Sudbury Court Sports Club, where she was secretary of the tennis section. We married on 13 September 1947 and remained happily together for over 63 years, until she died in January 2011. eb Tell me more about your children. I know David well, of course, and have met Helen several times. I know about the tragic early deaths of David’s wife Barbara in 2006 (whom I knew slightly and liked a lot) and son Tom, aged 30, in 2013. aa David came to Somerset in 1992 to take up a post at Millfield School in Street.

Helen, who now lives in Surrey, is a historian and worked extensively as a librarian. eb Many congratulations on your hundredth birthday! Where were you born? aa I was born in 1920 at Acton, West London. My family moved to North Wembley in 1928, and I lived there until I joined up in 1940. eb Where were you before you came here? aa From February 1949 until we moved here we lived in Bushey, Hertfordshire. eb What did you do first of all in your working life? aa My father had a plastering contracting company which was engaged in the prewar housing boom. That’s how we finished up in Wembley. On leaving school I joined the company and learned the trade. eb You saw war service? aa Yes, I was called up in November 1940 and joined the RAF. When I went for a page 9

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Bakery Restaurant Winestore Clubroom Terrace Bedrooms High Street Bruton Somerset BA10 0AE 01749 814 070 www.atthechapel.co.uk

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medical the first chap I saw was a corporal who used to work for my father. He said, ‘Tell them that you know the Morse code.’ I did and I ended up as a wireless operator. eb Did you see much momentous action? aa In June 1944 I was off the Normandy coast – Juno Beach – on HMS Hilary, which was the flagship of J Force. As you can imagine, those days were busy times for signallers. eb How did your war end? aa I was lucky enough to get to London for the VE Day celebrations, but it turned out that was not the end of it because in June 1945 I found myself on HMS Bulolo sailing to the Far East, preparing for a possible encounter with the Japanese. eb What memorable moment of the war do you recall? aa On 12 September 1945 I got shore leave in Singapore and was fortunate enough to witness the ceremony marking the Japanese surrender, and the signing by Lord Mountbatten and the Japanese generals. eb Were you able to go home immediately after that? aa It was not until May 1946 that I was demobbed. I returned to Wembley and rejoined the family business, now run by my brother and brother-in-law. eb What have you been involved with since you arrived in Bruton? aa The British Legion, of course, and the RAF Association. Joyce and I regularly attended St Mary’s. And more recently I’ve been going to the Monday Club in the Community Hall – sadly suspended at this time. eb What do you enjoy most about life in Bruton? aa I would use the words peaceful and friendly to describe it. There’s nothing I dislike about it! I feel very at home here. My grandparents came from Weston super Mare and Bristol. eb What are you most proud of in your life? aa I am proud of my service medals – the 1939–45 Medal; the Defence Medal; the France & Germany Star; the 1939–45 Star and the Burma Star. But even more so of my marriage to my dear wife; and of my brilliant son and daughter and their families. eb Tell me about your hobbies and pastimes. aa As a young man I was a good footballer. In April 1939 Sudbury Court won the Middlesex Cup – we had a really good team, but of course that was the last time it ever played together. I was also a keen cricketer originally for Sudbury Court, but after we moved to Hertfordshire I played and then umpired at Radlett for 20-odd years. eb I have to ask you this: you share your unusual surname with that of a famous and very fine actress. Are you related to Jenny? aa My great-great-great-grandfather Joseph was the brother of Jenny’s great-greatgreat-grandmother Rachel. eb Thank you, Albert, and happy birthday! page 11

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bruton town council news

As I write at the beginning of June, our schools have begun to re-open, some elements of coronavirus lockdown are being relaxed, and football is due to re-start soon, to empty stands. From here, it is even more difficult than usual to forecast how July and August will find us. This relaxation may prove too soon, so we may be facing a second wave of infections; or maybe the worst of the pandemic will be past us.

We do anticipate economic effects of coronavirus to continue for some time. The generosity of our community has so far raised over £10,000 to fund the new Food Drop Service (including £2,000 from Somerset Community Foundation), helping Brutonians suffering severe reductions in their usual income. This need will, we hope, reduce, but it is unlikely to disappear in the near future. Please support the ‘GoFundMe’ crowd-funder if you can spare some money, or contact Councillor Lisa Pickering, the organiser of this volunteer-led service.

On the evening of Tuesday 28 May, we held a ‘virtual’ Bruton Town Forum, over Zoom. Representatives of about 30 Bruton community organisations, including some from neighbouring parishes, gave updates on their year just gone, and their hopes for the year ahead. You can read my report of the Town Council’s year on our website, and may recognise some of the content from previous monthly Town Council News articles in The Dove! You can even replay the Forum on the Town Council’s YouTube channel, should you so wish. The evening was a timely reminder of the strength of Bruton’s community, as has been exemplified by so many throughout these coronavirus times.

Something we in Bruton have learnt from has been the example set by our neighbours Castle Cary, who raised £14,000 (including £2,500 from Somerset Community Foundation) very quickly for their community response, through the simple resilience and preparedness of having a Parish Charity in place. We need to collectively ensure that Bruton is better placed to handle the next crisis, in addition to the more predictable infrastructure and services that require more than the Town Council Precept.

Last year, we proposed a Bruton Fund to make the necessary investments for Bruton to get fit for the 21st century – making the town carbon-neutral by 2030 along the way. UK local government finance does not currently offer generous funds, so we in the resourceful Bruton community must take this challenge on ourselves. We will bring the Bruton Fund proposal to our July Finance Committee meeting – please get in touch if you can offer business skills and energies as a Director of a new Bruton Community Interest Company.

Our new Safe Walking and Cycling Group, which I highlighted in April’s Town Council News, has found even greater resonance in a world of physical distancing. A page 13

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new £2.5bn Active Travel Fund was announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 9 May. James Hood is leading efforts on behalf of the Town Council to ‘join up’ thinking across Somerset, and ensure that a fair share of this new funding reaches our county, and Bruton’s immediate surrounds.

As I write, Somerset County Council has announced that they are releasing a ‘One Somerset’ survey to consult residents and businesses on proposals to transform our current Principal Authority structure of County Council, plus four Districts, into a single Unitary Council. Bruton Town Council has, through the Somerset Association of Local Councils (SALC, the Town & Parish body), been participating in a project to consider the role of Parish Councils in the event of such a local government reorganisation in our county, from a perspective that there is great potential for devolution and democratisation of local services. We had invited David Fothergill (Leader of SCC) and Val Keitch (Leader of SSDC) to our 31 March Town Council Meeting before this was cancelled because of the pandemic. We will endeavour to provide further opportunities for Brutonians to engage fully in this consultation process.

And finally, thank you to my fellow Councillors for their trust in re-electing me as Chair and Mayor at our Annual Town Council Meeting last week. I will again endeavour to live up to this. Ewan Jones, Chair of Bruton Town Council town councillors

Ewan Jones (Chair), ewan.jones@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Justin Robinson (Vice-Chair), justin.robinson@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Stuart Anderton, stuart.anderton@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Abi Baker, abi.baker@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Karen Baker, karen.baker@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Mike Brownlow, mike.brownlow@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk James Buckland, james.buckland@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Jocelyn Crawford, jocelyn.crawford@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Shelagh Day, shelagh.day@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Steve Hall, steven.hall@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk James Hood, james.hood@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Lisa Pickering, lisa.pickering@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Piers Skinner, piers.skinner@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Stephen Hill, Town Clerk, townclerk@brutontowncouncil.gov.uk

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community news essentials The list below is updated regularly on the Town Website: brutontown.com/coronavirus advice – please check before you use it. Phone numbers have code 01749 unless otherwise stated.

Please tell the website compilers if anything needs to be updated: email Toby at tmbimm@ gmail.com or Dilly at dillybrownlow@hotmail.com.

Many thanks to Councillor Stuart Anderton for allowing us to reproduce this list and to Jane Durney (and Dilly, Christine and Toby) for compiling and updating it.

Coronavirus Local Resources line: 717 002. 24-hr service. NOT an emergency service, and does not offer health advice Bruton Buddies: relaunched by Bruton Town Council; a volunteer scheme to help the most vulnerable in Bruton. To volunteer, visit www.brutontowncouncil.gov.uk Bruton Phone Buddies: organised by St Mary’s Church and Harry Mills. Call for help, advice, or just a chat: 321 742 Somerset Coronavirus Support Helpline: help and advice, seven days a week, 8am–6pm; food parcels for those in urgent need. 0300 790 6275; www.somerset.gov.uk/coronavirus/covid-19latest-advice/#79741 Bruton Pharmacy 812 342 or bruton.pharmacy@gmail.com. Mon–Fri 9.30am–1pm, 2–5.30pm; Sat 9.30am–12.30pm. Deliveries to vulnerable/at risk people under 70, and anyone over 70. Ideally use the online method as phone lines are extremely busy. Prescriptions are taking longer than the standard three days, so please allow extra time for collection Bruton Surgery 812 310. Only contact if you have a medically urgent concern. All routine/nonurgent care (e.g. annual review) is postponed until further notice. www.brutonsurgery.nhs.uk/ news,55770. Repeat prescriptions: phone or email Dental treatment: emergency, Somerset Dental Helpline, 0300 123 7691. Dental Surgery, Quaperlake St: now open. Please check on 812 461 Bruton Food Larder/Food Bank: open Fridays 8.30am–9.45am at the Bruton Unionist Hall. Donation point for non-perishable dry goods at Bruton Wholefoods. Contact Jane Shakti via Facebook Food Drop Service – each Sunday for the foreseeable future volunteers will be bagging up food packages and household essentials to deliver to people and families in need in Bruton. This is for people struggling on low and zero incomes. Full details and sign up: https://brutontowncouncil. gov.uk/food-drop-service/ page 17

CafĂŠ & restaurant Accommodation in Bruton

Coombe Farm, Bruton ba10 0qp 01749 813 048 www.onthebrook.co.uk brutononthebrook

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Bruton Veterinary Practice – contact by phone 813 291, Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 10am–12 noon.

Will deliver pet food and medication to vulnerable people Somerset Waste Partnership – all recycling centres now open. For times etc.: www. somersetwaste.gov.uk/reopen/. Kerbside recycling and rubbish collections as normal

food shopping, takeaways and deliveries All Bruton’s restaurants, pubs and cafés are closed, but check for re-opening information. Many are offering takeaway and deliveries. Some of these services are for vulnerable, elderly and selfisolating customers only. Please be patient. Payment by card is preferred.

Akbar’s Kitchen at the Sun Inn – takeaway and deliveries of food: Mon–Thurs 6–9pm, Fri 5.30–9pm, Sat 12–9pm, Sun 12–8pm. 813 777 or 07888 704 515; www.akbarskitchen.com Annie Austin – The Table Catering and Events. Drive-by paella Fri 5.30–7pm from The Gates at Mill Cottage, Brewham Rd, BA10 0JJ. Text full order each week by Thurs midday for delivery Fri 5–7pm to Bruton and local villages: 07834 487381 Bean Shot Coffee – takeaway Wed–Fri 9am–12 noon, delivery www.beanshot.co.uk Bill the Butcher (Spar) – 8am–7pm. Delivery service to vulnerable people, call 812 388 Brickell’s Ice Cream – ice cream delivered to addresses with BA postcodes. £3 delivery charge or free for orders over £15 (use code BA-FREE). www.brickellsicecream.co.uk/online-order Brixham Fish – Fri 7am–1pm at Godminster shop car park. Jon 07971 163247 Bruton Burger Drive-By – order by text Tues, 07834 487 381; takeaway Wed 5–7pm. The Gates at Mill Cottage, Brewham Rd, BA10 0JJ. www.facebook.com/groups/brutonsomerset/ permalink/10163323351010576/ Bruton Convenience Store (Premier) – 8am–6pm daily. Free delivery to those self-isolating and those who cannot leave their homes; especially for the elderly. 07402 326 301 with shopping list and address; or Facebook messenger (follow us on Bruton Convenience Store) Bruton Wholefoods – Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm, Sat 8.30am–1.30pm, 814 811 Budgens – Mon–Sat 6am–10pm, Sun 7am–10pm. Deliveries for vulnerable and elderly. 812 167 Catley’s Chilled Foods – box deliveries to limited locations including Bruton. Phone orders taken Fri delivered Sat, 01373 465 874. www.facebook.com/catleychilledfoods/ posts/2640060129562417 Church Bridge Stores – open 9am–6pm (5pm Sundays). Deliveries for vulnerable and selfisolating people: 812 339 page 19

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Crafty Nectar – cider delivered directly from a selection of UK producers. craftynectar.com Dowding’s Cider and Apple Juice – local deliveries from Shepton Montague: www.applesjuice. co.uk; 812 652 Event Wine Solutions – wine deliveries from local supplier. eventwinesolutions.com George Hotel, Castle Cary – hot lunches and dinners delivered daily: 01963 350 761; www. facebook.com/georgehotelcastlecary/ George’s Greengrocer and Fruiterer – deliveries from Castle Cary, 07483 890119 Gilcombe Farm Shop – 8am–5.30pm Mon–Sat; 10am–4pm Sun. Milk station available 24 hrs.

Orders can be collected from farm shop: orders@gilcombefarm.co.uk. Free home delivery to local area for orders over £25. 813 710; www.facebook.com/gilcombefarm Godminster Cheese – online orders only, www.godminster.com; 813 733 Hillside Farm – farm shop deliveries. Order Mon for delivery Tues. 07947 084326; www.facebook. com/HillsideFarmSimonAndCheeses Jane Hodson – Thursday delivery of weekly menu. Email jane@janehodson.com Jon Thorner’s – meat, dairy, grocery deliveries, free over £30. https://shop.jonthorners.co.uk Keren’s Comfort Kitchen – hot, chilled and frozen meals delivered. www.eventshorizonofficial. com/keren-s-comfort-kitchen; 07940 042 058 Kimbers’ Farm Shop – Tues–Sat 10am–4pm. Delivery available. 01963 33177; info@ kimbersfarmshop.co.uk for list. Pickers meals also available Thurs, Fri (see below) La Chasse – catering wholesaler based in Zeals now supplying domestic customers. www. lachasselimited.co.uk Levant, Castle Cary – home-cooked meals for collection or delivery: 01963 350 248; 07779 093020; tanya@levantcatering.com Matt’s Kitchen – order takeaway for collection 5–7pm, Thurs–Sat. Also deliveries to those who genuinely need it. See website for menu. 812 027, www.mattskitchen.co.uk MoreWine – www.morewine.co.uk The Nestcake Caravan – delivering sweet and savoury cakes and baked goods from Shepton Mallet; 07805 238 360; facebook.com/thenestcakecaravan/ Mobile Newt from The Newt in Somerset – order by 3pm (min. £35) for delivery next day (within 15 miles of estate) from farm shop: 01963 577 727; shop@thenewtinsomerset.com/mobile-newt/home page 21

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Morrisons, Wincanton – delivery to vulnerable people, https://mymorrisons.com/doorstep/ deliveries; 0345 611 6111 On the Brook – 813 048. Order and pay by 11am, delivery or pick-up 5–6pm same day. Open for limited takeaway 8–8.45am weekdays, 11–12 noon daily. See menu on website: https:// onthebrook.co.uk/eat Osip – order online www.brutonprovisions.com; 07825 732 900 Palette & Pasture – ice cream and sorbet deliveries to Frome, surrounding villages, and Bruton. For more info: www.facebook.com/paletteandpasture/paletteandpasture.co.uk; 01373 836 249 Pickers Delivery – hot meals, wine, free delivery within 5 miles of Bruton. Email suzy@ pickerscatering.com for menu and order form Premier: see Bruton Convenience Store Rickshaw – Chinese takeaway Wed–Mon 5–10.30pm, closed Tues. 812 188 Somerset Blissful Bakes – cakes and desserts delivery: www.facebook.com/ SomersetBlissfulBakes/ Southdown Cider – cider and artisan apple juice delivered from Shepton Montague. 812 069; 07796 987 281; enquiries@southdowncider.com Spar – see Bill the Butcher The Avenue Cookery School, Batcombe – meals suitable for freezing delivered: www.facebook. com/groups/brutonsomerset/permalink/1016326999802576/ Westcombe Dairy – free local home deliveries: cheeses, cured meats. www.westcombedairy.com/ Wild Beer Co & Westcombe –deliveries of beer, spirits: www.wildbeerco.com Wincanton Tandoori – takeaway deliveries to Bruton Sun–Thurs. 01963 31033/31933; www. wincantontandoori.co.uk/ Wine Wizzard, Castle Cary – FREE local deliveries. Minimum order 6 bottles. 01963 351 919 or 07789 190 849. info@winewizzard.com

other services Brue Computing – providing remote IT support for home and business users. 07789 050 987; info@bruecomp.co.uk; www.facebook.com/BrueComputing/ Bruton Country Centre – Mon–Sat 9am–4pm. Delivering anything they sell; hardware, pet or garden items: 812 743 page 23

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Bruton Motor Services – open as usual: 812 992 West End Garage – open as usual: 813 655 DC Electrical Services – emergency call-out service for essential electrical work, 07834 198 040 GD Plumbing and Heating – emergency call-out service for essential plumbing and heating work, 07583 030 368 Librarieswest.org.uk – online services for holders of Somerset, North Somerset, Dorset, South Gloucestershire, Bath, Bristol and Bournemouth library cards. Includes free download of ebooks and magazines. www.librarieswest.org.uk Mainstone Electrical Ltd – 24/7 emergency call-out service for essential electrical work, 07885 625 456; office@mainstoneselectrical.co.uk Otter Garden Centre – seed hotline. Order packets of seeds for delivery by post. 01404 816 833; 01404 816 844; 01404 816 822. www.ottergardencentres.com/2020/04/22/

other help HMRC – Coronavirus helpline (for businesses and self-employed) – 0300 456 3565 South Somerset District Council – www.southsomerset.gov.uk/your-council/coronavirus-covid-19information-and-guidance/ Somerset County Council www.somerset.gov.uk/coronavirus/ Spark Somerset – info for community groups and charities: www.sparksomerset.org.uk/covid-19 Pre- and post-natal support: if you are pregnant and isolating, Sarah Holmes answers questions (first port of call being midwife/medical advice). She cannot assist at births but if you’re going into labour she can offer support until you get to a birthing centre or medical professionals get to you.

Within BA10 postcode. Facebook or email brutonreikidoula@gmail.com Emotional support: if you’re isolated with an abusive/alcoholic partner/parent, please contact Sarah Holmes as above

warnings Beware people offering or suggesting these things: Door-to-door Covid-19 testing – there is no such thing. Do not trust anyone who comes to your door suggesting there is.

Dog quarantine – people are knocking on the doors of dog owners saying that they need to page 25

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remove any dogs to quarantine due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Do not comply.

HMRC/GOV/NHS/COV19-VIRUS payment. Fake text message saying that HMRC/Government/ NHS have made a goodwill payment to you. Do not click the link. ***

the situation for businesses in bruton Fortunately, quite a few businesses here have been able to continue trading throughout the pandemic and lockdown, either online or through deliveries. However, residents are possibly not aware of the number of local businesses in the arts/events/leisure/hospitality and tourism sector which have been closed since 20 March and, being unable to provide social distancing, are the last sector to be allowed to reopen. As such we have had no income for the last three months; this is the height of the tourism season, and because the business interruption insurance will not include viruses we have had to refund customers or defer until 2021. We will effectively have no income for most of 2020 – as someone said recently, three winters one after the other.

Tourism is a huge earner for the UK – £145 billion in 2018 and 2.6 million jobs. It is now also a major sector in Bruton, and most of the businesses affected (some 17 in number) have written collectively to our MP David Warburton to ask whether he can use some influence with the Chancellor for more help for us. The furlough scheme has been a huge aid, as have business rate relief and grants, but when businesses have to find 20% of furloughed staff’s salaries plus National Insurance contributions from the beginning of August some very tough decisions are going to have to be made. We fear that some could cease trading if the situation continues for much longer. We are all praying that a solution can be found to the social distancing and that we will soon be able to do what we do best – running our businesses successfully, contributing to the economy of Bruton, employing local people where possible, and adding to the vibrant life of the town. Thank you to all those who have offered support – it really has helped. Tricia Rawlingson Plant

somerset sight: volunteers required Do you have a few hours to spare a month to visit someone in your area?

Being visually impaired can be very isolating, and to help with this, we are looking for people to befriend someone in your local area who needs a little company just to:

Sit and chat over a cup of tea; or maybe go out and visit a Garden Centre; or help with correspondence and maybe some personal shopping.

Volunteering for Somerset Sight is a very rewarding and fun thing to do and many of our volunteers and visually impaired people make lasting friendships.

We give full training and reimburse all reasonable expenses.

If you feel that this is something you would like to do then please contact: Christine Crossing, Visiting Co-Ordinator, 01823 333 818 or email christine@somersetsight.org.uk. page 27

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the downside of communication, transport and 24-hour news By 7 pm BST on 15 May there had been 4,500,476 cases of and 304,835 deaths from Covid-19 worldwide. We are in a panic and, reportedly in the UK, heading for the worst economic recession in 300 years. Why? Is it through the rapidity of spread of the virus, because of our previously frenetic lives and the ease of transport? Or just because we all know what is happening all over the world 24 hours a day?

Polio, another viral disease, was recorded in Egypt in 1400 BC, and was with us until the vaccines of Salk and Sabin eradicated it – and now anti-vaccinators have reared their ugly heads and polio is coming back. The outbreaks in the 1940s and 50s caused 500,000 deaths worldwide annually, mostly among the affluent white populations; I remember living through the outbreak in London in 1947–8 when all ENT operations were suspended because tonsillectomy, the commonest operation, was associated with an increased incidence of bulbar polio leading to respiratory failure – and there were no ventilators then. The consequences in some survivors are still seen. But we still went on Sundays to the Albert Hall concerts.

Consider Spanish flu, 1918/19 (50–100 million deaths) and the 2009 H1N1/09 flu pandemic (1 million deaths – and that was considered mild). There have been five flu pandemics (as opposed to seasonal flu outbreaks) in the last 140 years. We had to live with them until specific vaccines were developed.

Remember the effects of Yersinia pestis (the bacterium causing the plague, the Black Death).

This was first encountered in 541 CE; the outbreak in Europe, which peaked in 1348, killed between 75 and 200 million people. There were 10 million cases of and 1.5 million deaths from tuberculosis worldwide in 2018 – and that is a treatable and preventable disease.

We have to learn to live with this virus as we have done with so many other infectious agents over the years. It’s clear that we have no effective treatment at the moment and no preventative measures other than lockdown, testing and isolation. This is well described in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 13. The test for leprosy then was the priest’s eyes and repeated testing of the isolated patient was carried out at seven-day intervals. No change there, then... Charles Brook

bruton community library Over the past year or so Bruton Community Library has steadily built up quite a lot of support for the young people in our town and surrounding areas. From lovely local author events to tech sessions for older children, we are trying to find ways to keep our young people entertained, inspired and looked after. The Library has a great selection of fiction and non-fiction for young and old and has invested in decorating, reorganising, wonderful fun furniture (inspired by Richard Scarry and kindly donated by Hauser & Wirth) and colourful, comfortable rugs, all making a very welcoming environment for children to spend time in choosing and sharing books. One of the most popular ways of sharing our Library with young people and their families in our community has been the introduction of a weekly Rhyme Time. page 29

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These volunteer-led sessions run every Friday from 10.30 to 11am in term-time and are a great opportunity for those with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers to come and have fun with other parents and grandparents. We read stories, sing songs and nursery rhymes and have great fun.

Over the time we have been running we have collected a lovely group of children and families and we are always delighted to welcome newcomers to the friendly group. During our time at home because of Covid-19 closures we even recorded ‘Rhyme Time from Home Sessions’ and online stories to keep our group entertained. All of these are available for viewing on our Facebook page (Bruton Community Library) and on our Bruton Community Library – Children’s Events Group (also on Facebook). We also have a Bruton Community Library Twitter feed (@BrutonLibrary) for those on Twitter. On all of these pages we share all our events and book-related ideas, discussions, lists and articles. We hope that by the time this is published we will be welcoming back our visitors, but if not we will continue our ‘Virtual Library’ offerings. Rachel Guest

switch on, tune in and connect!

Somerset Wildlife Trust are pleased to announce the launch of SWTtv. Accessed through the website, SWTtv comprises six ‘channels’, including Kids, Make & Do, CampaignTV, and Learn & Explore, where visitors can view a range of video content from around the Wildlife Trust movement, including ‘how to’ activity videos, kids content, campaign films, webcams and much more. Viewers can get a nature fix even if that has to be just on a screen in their own front room.

Wherever you are, SWTtv will bring nature to you!

With so many people now working from home, self-isolating or social distancing, the new area of the website aims to bring wildlife closer to people at times when they may not be able to visit their favourite natural places. Somerset Wildlife Trust will be adding to the channels regularly so the content will stay up to date and fresh.

Head of Communications Kirby Everett says, ‘We have an even warmer audience for naturebased content than ever before and the potential to bring more people on board. SWTtv provides a range of channels and videos to suit a range of interests, whether you are a parent looking for some things to do with kids at home, or are interested in learning more about our work and specific campaigns, or just want to watch wildlife go by on webcams from around the country. You can also access an audio channel through the SWTtv home page, where you will find recently launched brand, Sundays@6.’ Check it out here: www.somersetwildlife.org/wildlife/swt-tv.

somerset art weeks open studios 2020 Since its inception in 1994, Somerset Art Weeks has become an important event in Somerset’s calendar, delighting art lovers near and far. The event alternates each year between Somerset Open Studios and Somerset Art Weeks Festival.

This year’s Somerset Open Studios (19 September–4 October) will go digital. Through an page 31

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interactive brochure, visitors will be able to curate their own tours of artists’ works, see into studios and hear how they develop their work through films. Audiences will be invited to get hands-on and interact with artists through a programme of talks, workshops, demonstrations and artists’ films hosted on the Somerset Art Works website.

Somerset Art Works are working hard behind the scenes to transform Open Studios 2020 into a digital event, developing skills and resources as well as supporting artist members to showcase their work.

Much of what is developed for this year’s event will inform how future Open Studios events are produced.

The difficult decision was taken not to invite people to visit artists’ studios in person this year, but instead to develop the event digitally. As a board and team, Somerset Art Works are determined not to leave a gap in the county’s cultural calendar in 2020, maintaining their annual offer to showcase the creative breadth and talent of Somerset’s artists.

Please join Somerset Art Works for what promises to be an exciting programme to celebrate and share Somerset’s artistic talent. For more details, please see: somersetartworks.org.uk/whatwe-do/art-weeks/ or contact me at paul.newman@somersetartworks.org.uk. Paul Newman

bruton choral society Sadly it is too early to plan future concerts and to make a decision about returning to our regular rehearsals, so I thought you might be interested to learn some facts about the history of our choir. In Bruton Museum there are concert programmes for Bruton Choral Society from different eras. The earliest reference to Bruton Choral Society can be found in The Diary of a Wessex Farmer by Josiah Jackson of Durslade Farm, now of course the home of the Hauser & Wirth gallery. On 3 April 1902 he mentions attending a ‘Choral Concert’, and again on Thursday 7 May 1903 he attended a Choral Society Concert held in the Wesleyan School Room (now the Red Cross Hall). Unfortunately his diary stops in 1904, and then there is little recorded about the Choral Society until the 1930s when a series of concerts was held in successive years, the programmes for which can be found in the Museum.

These concerts were held in 1932, 1934, 1935 and 1936, at first in the Wesleyan School Room and then in King’s School Memorial Hall (where of course we still regularly perform). The music varied between classical and folk. After 1936 there is scant choral activity recorded, although the late Mary Tyndall’s daughter tells of her father, John, then a young master at King’s School, singing in a performance by Bruton Choral Society of Bach’s B Minor Mass. This was performed in the parish church for the installation of the new rood screen. It must have been 1939.

I am not aware of any other information recorded for the next 40 years so we would welcome any material, including photos anyone might have, about Choral Society activities at this period. It would be lovely to know a little more about the composition of the choir and the standard to which they performed in these years!

It will be wonderful to welcome you back at some time in the future when life returns to normal.

Perhaps you would like to join our numbers as a singer or maybe you would like to be involved and page 33

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support us behind the scenes as a Friend of Bruton Choral Society: in either case please ring 813 161. Full details of the Society are available on our website www.brutonchoralsociety.org.uk. Barbara Jenkinson

bruton art society This year, unfortunately, it is not possible to mount our Annual Art Exhibition, the 67th, as a physical event. It will, however, be viewable as an online display. This will be launched on our website on 15 August. As usual the exhibition will consist of works by members of the Society.

They will be available for purchase from the artist.

For further details please consult our website; www.brutonartsociety.co.uk. Will Vaughan

bruton flower club We are of course currently ‘in recess’ like all similar clubs and associations around the country. I hope circumstances will permit us to meet again in the not too distant future, but in the meantime we are keeping in touch to make sure all our members are safe and well. There are lots of flowers to pick in the gardens now, if only to make a modest arrangement in a tin can (I find that cat-food tins are good) or a jam-jar.

In my last article I mentioned that I had been doing some yarn dyeing. After the success of dandelions, for my next experiment I picked a few leaves from each of the apple trees in my orchard.

The important calculation is the ratio of the weight of plant material to the weight of yarn. As a general rule you need at least as much plant material as yarn. So, I had 4oz of yarn and about 6oz of leaves. It doesn’t matter so much about the volume of liquid because the amount of dye extracted will dye the same amount of yarn however much liquid it is diluted into – if that makes sense. So I soaked the leaves in plenty of water for a couple of days and then simmered them for about an hour.

The resulting liquid looked promising as it had turned a light brown colour. I plunged in my yarn, which had been mordanted with alum to improve the colour-fastness and light-fastness. I simmered the pot for about 45 minutes and then left the yarn in the dye pot to soak overnight. It was worth the effort as this produced a lovely light mustardy-orange shade. I then put my second 2oz skein in and repeated the process, and out came a lighter but still acceptable shade of yellow.

The less said about the pear-bark dye pot the better, but I did end up with a bucket of very murky water which no self-respecting wool addict would put any of their stash in. However, I am not deterred by this. I have just had another order of lovely yarn arrive, ready to go. I am going to try oak leaves and bracken next.

I hope to be able to revert to real Flower Club news as soon as possible. Judy Hayter

bruton walkers: navigation using trees Most of the churches I listed last month have been around for hundreds of years, with Yarlington Church the oldest, built in the 11th century. (The Roman Temple is just a site, not a building.) page 35

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I looked for another symbol to find. Given the season I chose trees, or more precisely ‘collections of trees’ which covered woodland of different types or orchards.

If humans built the churches, how did the woods get there? Which is the older?

From early times most of the UK was covered in woodland. As humans began to settle they made clearings in the wood. Agriculture developed and land was cleared for animals to graze and to grow crops; they left thin strips of woodland between fields. As time went by, land use changed from woodland to agriculture and back to woodland. Urban areas developed. The kings took back land to form the royal chases. Cannock Chase and the New Forest are just two of these areas still largely clear of both agriculture and settlements. Instead of royal playgrounds they have become important leisure areas for ordinary people to walk, picnic, bicycle and ride horses in.

So when we see a wood today, there is no easy way to tell how long it has been a wood. There are a very few areas of ancient woodland left; here in Somerset we have the remains of Selwood Forest, thought to be part of the original forest, but recorded as forest only since the Middle Ages.

Many of our small country churches predate those records. There are scraps of forest in Scotland, the remains of the Caledonian forest which is thought to have been continuous forest from about 7000 BC when the first pine trees grew in the UK.

In Britain today woods exist where they do because mankind wants them there. While providing habitat for nature and wildlife, they are not entirely natural. They provide good shelter belts for farmsteads and livestock; they provide wood and nuts. Coppicing, the practice of cutting trees down and allowing them to grow again from the mature roots, provides heavy crops of wood for fuel or fencing and nuts from a tree of a manageable size. Edible wildlife, deer and rabbits live in woods. The shooting industry manages large amounts of woodland to rear and release pheasants: the woods will have been planted to provide good lines of flight for the birds to fly over the guns.

Some woods will have been planted simply for aesthetic reasons – they look nice. Near Stonehenge in Wiltshire a landowner is alleged to have planted small areas of woodland in his large fields to show the position of ships in one of Nelson’s battles.

On the map woodland is shaded green. For coniferous woods the green is overlaid with a simplified Christmas tree symbol. Coniferous trees generally produce cones and have needleshaped leaves which they retain in winter. Conifers include Scots pine, juniper and yew and there are plantations of larch, Douglas fir and spruce (Christmas trees) among others. If the wood contains deciduous trees then, in a darker green, there is a simplified outline of an oak tree. Deciduous trees, among them oak, ash, sycamore, birch, beech and many more, lose their flat leaves in winter.

Areas of coppice, where trees have been regularly cut down and allowed to regrow from a stump, are shown again with green shading but with the symbol of two tall sticks and two short sticks in a row.

Orchards, of which there are many in our area, are shown by the symbol for a deciduous tree, in a regular pattern, on a white background. Orchards are associated with apples and other fruits, but nuts are also grown in nut orchards, which have the lovely name ‘nutteries’. page 37

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For navigating, it’s best to keep out of the woods, since they can be totally disorientating as you lose sight of a horizon. There are usually lots of little paths not marked on the map. You start by following one which appears to go in the right direction, but slowly it changes direction and you leave the wood in a completely different place from where you had hoped. Only very competent compass users can pinpoint exactly where they are within a forest. On a large D. of E. expedition I saw 12 teams set out from a car park in the middle of a large wood near Marlborough. Only two came out of the wood in the correct place – they were following the line of a large earthwork, a bit of the Wansdyke.

But woods can be useful: they are big, have distinctive shapes, and contain different types of trees.

The woods behind my house are mostly deciduous, but have two huge Scots pines, clearly marked on the map. Do beware, as unlike churches woodland is easily cut down, although not removed.

To date Bruton Walkers have visited orchards, nutteries, coppices and woodland of both conifers and deciduous trees with undergrowth of wild garlic or bluebells and a beautiful arboretum with trees of many different colours. Woods are not as easy to name as churches, though. Katherine Grugeon

did you know?

There is no doubt that Hugh Sexey was born in Bruton or very close by, a fact acknowledged by his own Trustees as early as 1623, just four years after his death. In 1579 at a time when Sexey was starting to build up his property portfolio in the town, he received a letter from Thomas Sherwood of Bruton to inform him that ‘yor grandmother Hiam’ was dead and three years later another letter from Sherwood in which ‘yor grandmother commends her unto you’ – clear evidence that in the 1570s both of his grandmothers lived in the town. Throughout the 17th century there are many references in the Sexey’s Hospital archives to men and women from Bruton who claimed to be related to Sexey: Thomas Higham ‘a neare kinsman unto sd (said) Hugh Sexey’, and Richard Hyam ‘of neare kinne’. Peter Randell

community policing Policing during the current Covid-19 situation has been very different from our normal procedures.

Our Chief Constable has encouraged us to engage, explain and encourage when we are dealing with situations where people have misunderstood the Covid-19 regulations or where they have chosen to ignore them. Enforcement is used only if we have to deal with repeat offenders who refuse to take the advice offered. The situation is very fluid and by the time you read this, I’m sure the rules governing social interaction will have changed again. Please take time to keep up to date with the latest guidance on the GOV.UK website.

On the whole, Bruton has had few breaches of the regulations and patrols around the town have shown nearly everyone to be taking the threat seriously and ‘staying safe’. Please continue to do so. This summer, it is highly likely that most of the town’s residents will page 39

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be at home. Enjoy our great town. Make the most of the open spaces and the surrounding countryside. Comply with whatever regulations are in force and hopefully we will move towards normality as the year progresses.

Current Policing Issues in Bruton Thefts of power tools from sheds and vehicles.

Anti-social behaviour – please call 101/999 if you observe or are a victim of ASB.

Please stop either myself, Sara or Jan for a socially distanced chat if you would like to discuss the above or have any other policing issues. Wincanton Rural East: PCSO Tim Russell, PC Sara Stephenson and PCSO Jan Sparkes

diy questions answered during lockdown Foundations Up workers are volunteering to answer the burgeoning number of questions from DIYers and home improvers who are setting out to repair, maintain and improve their properties while the lockdown is in place.

Foundations Up Construction Ltd is a building company based near Frome and is the sister company to DIY Doctor, the biggest UK-based online Home Improvement website. It has a multitrade team competent in larger-scale building and renovation projects, as well as smaller works for both residential and commercial properties.

Its tradespeople will be monitoring the DIY Doctor forum pages and answering users’ questions.

The team works at various sites and on many projects, using new and traditional tools and materials, plus filming and photographing to get content that helps everyday DIYers via DIY Doctor.

DIY Doctor offers online help and advice to DIYers, homeowners and the trade on all aspects of home improvement and DIY, and they have noticed an increase in visitors to the website needing help with their DIY issues: www.diydoctor.org.uk/forum.htm.

forethought and planning On 15 April 2019 the world watched in horror as the roof of Notre Dame de Paris blazed. In the streets all around Parisians stood and stared and prayed in silent disbelief. The roof timbers gradually collapsed and then, suddenly, the spire, La Flèche, fell into the crossing.

All through this the firemen, gallantly fighting the inferno, sent up continual jets of water, tons of it.

Once photos of the interior appeared there was surprise that the vault was all but intact, except where La Flèche had crashed through. Aerial shots showed the top of the vault covered in a black layer of burnt roof timbers.

Not long before this, my stone carving group had enjoyed a guided tour of Wells Cathedral. We climbed up and up and then, going through a low doorway, found ourselves in the roof space above the vault. We went along a narrow wooden walkway. Above us there was a profusion of medieval oak roof page 41

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beams, below us the top of the vault, under its thick covering of mortar. The shape was, of course, the mirror image of that inside the nave, so that, on each side, there were very deep triangular pits.

Our guide drew our attention to metal cages in the bottom of each of the pits. He explained that if the roof caught fire the ancient, dry wood would burn fast and fiercely and the vault would not suffer from its falling. However, the weight of water from the fire hoses would be enough to collapse it. Behind each of the metal cages in the depths of the pits was a big hole disguised with a polystyrene bung. If water gathered in the pit its weight would be enough to force the bung out and let it cascade into the nave. Certainly the chairs would be soaked but the nave would suffer no real damage and the medieval vault would be saved.

I don’t know whether Notre Dame had had the same wise and clever trick done to save it, but I suspect it may well have.

It shows it is a good idea to try to foresee problems and have measures in place to minimise their impact, and not just in cathedrals! Michael Parroy

hugh sexey’s hospital It is very difficult to write a meaningful article in Week 11 of the COVID-19 lockdown. The Hospital and the residents are concentrating on staying alert to the risk and taking proper precautions in line with the government’s policies on the virus. That said, we were able to socially distance ourselves to celebrate VE Day on 8 May and thank those who had given so much. We plan to do the same again on 15 August for VJ Day, as many of us can remember these days so vividly.

We continue to thank all those who are helping and supporting us, particularly our carers and helpers, our shoppers and delivery people and those in the High Street. We can all look forward to a big party when this is all over! Simon Bate

friends of bruton railway station The Friends met for the first session, in May, to plant up the pots with summer flowers to ensure that the platforms are kept looking bright and colourful. We were not able to obtain the traditional colours of red, white and blue this year, but luckily the garden centre sourced some alternatives for us. We are grateful as ever to Gordon Fry for supplying us with water to keep them going in the hot weather.

Because of Covid-19, there are still no printed railway timetables available. In late May Great Western Railway emailed us timings for all their trains at Bruton and all main-line trains at Castle Cary. After a break in service some South Western Railway trains are running on our line again, to our great relief. We have to expect further variations in timetables as the health situation changes.

We continue to show the available information on train and bus services on our website www. brutoncarytrains.co.uk. If printed timetables do become available we will put them in the racks outside the Community Office and in the shelter on each platform. Howard Smith, Chairman

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bruton & district horticultural society Our gardens are all looking superb at present as we have had so much extra time to look after them.

This year we should have had a talk and then a visit to Bristol Botanic Gardens, a visit to the Lift the Latch garden which we heard all about in a talk last autumn, a coach trip to Wisley timed to see the best of the roses, our annual garden supper in a member’s garden and a visit to Hestercombe.

We were wondering if our show should go ahead in August. We put off printing the show schedule until the situation became clearer. The decision could not be put off any longer and sadly we have decided not to have a show this year. Our next show will be our 96th, even though it will be in 2021 not 2020.

We hope to put all these cancelled talks and visits on next year’s programme. Information on when we resume will be on www.brutonhorticultural.org.uk. Alison Bleasdale

one planet bruton In early June, lockdown is just beginning to be eased; we’re allowed to meet as a group of up to six people outdoors. Shops are beginning to re-open and we’re allowed to travel.

Apparently, during the first few weeks of lockdown, Google searches for ‘How to live a sustainable lifestyle’ increased by more than 4,550% over a 90-day period. In May, the Sustainable (-ish) online festival took place with 40 talks providing inspiration for anyone wanting to try to live a more sustainable life and reduce their impact on the planet. You can find it on YouTube and via www.asustainablelife.co.uk.

The One Planet Bruton WhatsApp group has enabled lots of seed and seedling swapping and sharing of ideas. One thing we’ve noticed during the pandemic is positive moves towards a more sustainable way of living. We’ve seen people spending more time in their gardens and in nature, more making, mending, swapping, sharing, cooking from scratch, baking and making bread. Technology has been hugely useful, with Facebook and WhatsApp enabling mutual aid neighbour support pods.

On the flip side, we see the fragility of our system. Social distancing and self-isolation have shown many of us what’s important to us, such as contact with friends and family. Zoom just isn’t the same but it’s been a helpful substitute.

Bruton seems to have fared better than many places, perhaps because there is a strong sense of community and networks. Our local shops and businesses have been amazing, keeping shelves stocked and delivering to vulnerable people. Let’s continue to support them and other places as they reopen. Spending money locally has a positive effect. A higher proportion of money re-spent in the local economy means a higher multiplier effect as more income is generated for local people.

Many of our local businesses have products and services that enable us to lead more sustainable lives, use less plastic and refill containers.

We’re sad that so many exciting things have been postponed or cancelled. I hope by the time you read this we’ll have been able to hold a couple of our rescheduled talks. Keep an eye out for posters or events on Facebook. Sign up to our email list and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.

One Planet Bruton is looking for ways for us to lead happy, healthy lives within a fair share of the earth’s page 45

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resources, leaving space for wildlife, using Bioregional’s One Planet Living Framework. www.oneplanetbruton. org has lots of useful information. To sign up for email updates or join the WhatsApp group, email info@ oneplanetbruton.org. Follow us on Facebook @OnePlanetBruton. Jane Durney (Allwood)

ladybirds pre-school Ladybirds has managed to open and operate under all the new guidance for staying safe, during this summer term. This has been achieved, first, by continuous cleaning of all areas of the building, and hand-washing. The second phase has been to arrange the classroom into four pods, each with a small group of children. We have all been very impressed with the children’s ability to stay with their group of friends. Well done to all our Ladybirds – we are very proud of you.

We sent out activity packs most weeks during lockdown, to support our little Ladybirds’ learning at home. This proved very successful, as many of our four-year-old children came back on top form.

Many of them are able to write their names and recognise numerals, so we offer an even bigger ‘well done’ to their parents. Although we are unable to have our Family Graduation Day with all 24 schoolleavers, we will be holding lots of mini-ceremonies with their families present.

We have purchased some portable sink units to ensure that the children have instant access to hand-washing. These have even been with the children on their adventures around the local environment.

We have always believed that Jubilee Park is a perfect location for a pre-school. Such a large outdoor area

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offers our pods of children amazing outside play, while still enabling them to stay safe.

We have already been able to run a successful setting in these extraordinary times; so we are confident we can deal with whatever is expected of us in September.

To know more about Ladybirds, please email (berniepage58@yahoo.co.uk) or message me on 07905 346372, or on the Ladybird Facebook page. Bernie Page

on the brook Behind us are asparagus and elderflower, and we are now looking forward to currants and more strawberries! Cooking for the Bruton Food Drop has been challenging (60 coconut curries is... a lot) but very rewarding. To see the community come together and provide more food drops than the whole of South Somerset District Council has been an inspiration to keep calm and keep cooking! We’d like to thank Bill the Butcher/Spar for their generous donations of meat.

We have an extensive range of vegetable and herb plants available for sale. It’s not too late to get tomatoes, chillies and courgettes, not to mention basil or sage. If you want it, chances are we can grow it.

Notwithstanding the vagaries of our Somerset weather, we will have a BBQ with live jazz on Saturday 11 July (and on 8 August) and a Japanese lunch/afternoon on Saturday 18 July (and on 15 August). Number of places is limited, so call 813 048 or email info@onthebrook.co.uk to book your spot. Pat Blanpain-Forder

hauser & wirth somerset As the sunshine continues, we are delighted to welcome neighbours and friends back to Hauser & Wirth Somerset. We have worked tirelessly to ensure that the garden and galleries are a nurturing and enriching space to come together after a difficult few months for so many. In order to provide a safe and positive experience, we ask that you book a timed reservation via our website and familiarise yourself with our new visitor guidelines.

The galleries will reopen with ‘Don McCullin. The Stillness of Life’ and ‘Not Vital. SCARCH’, two exhibitions that explore a deeply personal connection with nature and work inspired by the Somerset landscape.

We are truly thankful to all our visitors over the past year who helped in raising over £20,000 for Bruton Primary School PSA in entrance donations. Moving forward, our charitable giving will be shared between Black Swan Arts in Frome, Bruton Food Drop and the Balsam Center in Wincanton, supporting their community activities in response to Covid-19 through cultural, social and health initiatives.

For further updates and information regarding future programming and new measures we have in place please visit the website. We look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces back at the gallery this summer. Alice Workman, Senior Director page 47

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parish news bruton, st mary’s When setting out to write the monthly entry I often look back at what was written last year. This is partly to make sure we don’t repeat ourselves, partly for inspiration and partly to see what has changed. Last July we wrote about the exciting year to come: concerts, our toilet/servery project and our breakfast service. Seeing what has changed from this time last year really makes our current situation hit home.

The unknown is very frustrating to deal with – how can we plan anything when we don’t know what the future holds? At a time when some of us need the church to be open, the doors remain closed. This is very difficult to understand, as our church is so large and much smaller buildings are open to the public. However, at the moment we have been told in no uncertain terms that the churches must remain closed. We have searched eBay for crystal balls, but to no avail, and I suspect we won’t know what the right action will be until we have the benefit of hindsight. Until then we have to do the best we can. [Stop press: now open for private prayer.]

With that in mind, Dan Richards has been able to go into St Mary’s and record a short Sunday service each week for the last three weeks. These are available on the church website and the church YouTube channel.

We will keep adding to these as Dan records them and hope that they are of some comfort to those missing St Mary’s. Please remember that you can email wardens@ stmarysbruton.org if you have a question about the church, or would like anyone to be prayed for.

Last month we wrote about our difficult financial situation. This might be a good time to say thank you to the anonymous donor who gives regularly to the church, and has been particularly generous this week. Thank you, page 49

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whoever you are. It is a great comfort that people value the church and want to see it continue as a living and breathing institution. Of course, we would like to thank everyone who supports St Mary’s, without whom our doors would have closed long ago!

If anyone is feeling isolated or low, or simply needs to chat to someone, the Telephone Buddies helpline is there to help. Just leave a message on the answerphone and someone will call you back: 321 742.

For more information about what we are doing at St Mary’s please visit our website www.stmarysbruton.org.

Harry Mills

shepton montague, st peter’s

Odd Jobs For all those jobs you never get around to doing!

General Household and Garden Maintenance inc. Lawn Mowing (4x4 Ride on with high grass mulch deck or collector), Fencing, Removals and Deliveries (Large, Long Wheelbase Van)

Don't Delay, Ring Today Alistair Gillard Tel: 01749 347 331 Mob: 07977 054 036 Email: gillardalistair66@gmail.com

Changes in the rules have enabled us carefully to reengage with friends and family in a way that had not been possible, and to our hectic social calendar we now add distanced picnic (DPic) and distanced coffee (DC) and DT – we look forward to DL, DBbq (there’ll be a test later!) and of course DP (pub) in due course…

It has been very apparent that people are using this quiet period as an opportunity to take more exercise, often in family groups. Very many people from other parishes pass by, and the morning cycle ride through Verrington to the bakery at Wincanton is populated with runners, walkers and other cyclists.

More parishioners are becoming aware of environmental matters locally. At the Parish Council meeting – very effectively conducted online, reportedly with greater attendance than usually achieved at the Village Hall – it was noteworthy that several items related to a variety of environmental matters ranging from the condition of public rights of way to uses of the planning and licensing processes.

A local tendency towards greenwashing is now becoming recognised, handily articulated, perhaps, as ‘tyred of the environment’. On the other hand the page 51

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parish has many sympathetically located solar panels, some of which provide power for electric cars.

Our local cheesemaker’s biodigester ferments cow muck and whey to produce the electricity which heats the water.

While the church building may currently be closed, other forms of religious observance are thriving, as mentioned by Angela Pearce in last month’s Dove.

Rev. Mark Ellis, whose re-licensing as Associate Priest is very much applauded, has sent us regular messages, and Rev. Dan Richards has video-recorded services from St Mary’s, Bruton, and our own St Peter’s. These have been much appreciated.

Mike Bowman

wyke champflower, holy trinity I think we are all finding that weeks slip into months and by the time you read this maybe life will be functioning more normally – I sincerely hope so. We have made a provisional date for our Annual Coffee Morning in aid of our church: Saturday 8 August. If we are able to hold the Coffee Morning here in my garden we will need all the support possible, as like everywhere else the church has remained closed, with no income from services, but bills still have to be paid. Do please come if you can.

Looking at the positive side this lockdown does have its merits – many telephone conversations with friends is my experience, so how grateful I am to BT and Open Reach, as well as to the posties and the refuse collectors, the radio, not to mention regular deliveries from local shops and of course invaluable help from my neighbours. How fortunate we are in this corner of south-east Somerset. I have had positive reaction to my suggestion that all the churches in the Benefice might ring their bells at an appointed time, once we are able to re-open churches and hold services again.

Elizabeth Winkley, Churchwarden page 53

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in the vegetable garden

Sowings and transplanting in late summer Can I sow more seeds this late? Yes, you can still sow kale and beetroot in early July, Florence fennel in late July, spring onions and spring cabbage in late August.

The difficulty may be finding space for your transplants, or seeds sown direct in any gap. Be daring, even where it looks as if no space is free. Often some will be after an approaching harvest, say of onions or carrots.

Which leads to the next question: Companion planting Many people ask about this, but what does it mean? For me it’s mainly proximity, that plants like to be close to other plants. Limit the distancing!

As for variations of friendliness, I have found few problems happening.

Poor bulb fennel has an undeserved bad name, but at Homeacres it flourishes next to lettuce, spinach and rocket. The main thing is that growth patterns are complementary, so both vegetables grow to similar size at similar speed. That’s a lot of possibilities.

BAREFOOTS ORCHARD Do you need extra space when relatives/friends visit?

Comfortable B&B in Bruton between the church and the station.

Family, double and twin rooms.

Level access ground floor room.

Locally sourced produce Book well in advance for weekends.

01749 814930

or www.barefootsorchard.co.uk

Compost problems It upsets all of us to see plants being throttled by weedkiller, and it’s happening too much, in stuff being sold everywhere. Grazon weedkiller is applied to pastures and clopyralid poisons are sprayed on lawns, often by contractors without the owners knowing. This stuff is really out there, in many Westlands compost for example, and pyralids persist for a long time.

Another issue is compost companies making poor ‘peat free’ products. For example, I have been sent photos showing how Bord na Mona potting compost from green wastes grows bonsai tomato plants! However, when you buy a sack, you don’t know this. It seems they are rushed to market without verifications by actually growing the plants.

Charles Dowding a page 55

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schools desk sexey’s school As I write we are entering a new phase of teaching and learning at Sexey’s, with the majority of students still learning at home and online lessons (predominantly) provided by teaching staff via Microsoft Teams.

May we take this opportunity to once again thank all parents and students for all that they have been doing during lockdown – never has it been more apparent that we are in this together!

We are extremely pleased to announce the Lower School Student Leadership roles for the academic year in September 2020, as follows: Head Boy: Henry Ryan; Head Girl: Rosie Goffe; Deputy Head Boy: Thomas Ford; Deputy Head Girl: Lydia Steele Senior Prefects: Hal Andjel-Davies, Zack Balls, Anna Crichton, Emily Dillon, Erin Hazell, Colette Mason, Daisy Spicer-Ralfe and Rosie Straker Prefects: Imogen Bartin, James Carr, Velvet Cook, Nicholas Coombes, Jemima Fowler, Ben George, Jesse Gill, Lucy Hilton-Jones, Tom King-Brain, Melissa Lee, Izzie Love, James Macey, Zac Markusson, Phoebe Marsh, Malika McKenzie, Kamini Patel, Taylan Ross-Greek, Oscar Simms-Preston, Jemima Sparrow, Oscar Sudworth, Archie Sykes, Finlay Wilson, Emma Wood, Zachary Woodham

The process for selection was an extremely rigorous one, including virtual interviews following application, and we particularly commend those students participating virtually during lockdown.

We look forward to the time when we can commend them in person! Sarah Simms

bruton school for girls While school buildings have mostly remained closed, the students at BSG have been keeping very busy with online lessons via Microsoft Teams and a range of creative competitions and challenges, including creating slow-motion videos, sports star of the week and an online talent show, ‘Bruton’s Got Talent’, featuring all kinds of contributions from singing to stitching.

Talented Year 11 artist Bella C now has her artwork on display in the residence of the UK Ambassador to the USA after winning a competition organised by the British Embassy in Washington. Bella, who lives in Washington with her family, entered the Earth Day art competition with a painting of Great Falls Park – a small national park near her home with beautiful waterfalls.

She won the competition in her age group and the Ambassador, Dame Karen Pierce, was so impressed by the painting that she offered to buy it for her residence. Bella has instead made a gift of it to Dame Karen, in return for a donation to ‘One Tree Planted’, a charity that Bella chose.

A group of students and staff came together to create a wonderful lockdown choir with each person recording their section at home. The choir was masterminded by the Director of Music, Matt Dury, and the recording of ‘Amazing Grace’ was dedicated to our outgoing Headmistress, Nicky Botterill, leaving us after eight years. (She will be greatly missed, by pupils, staff and page 57

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Pilates

Monday at Bruton Club: 5.00pm – 6.00pm (All levels) 6.15pm – 7.15pm (Intermediate) Charlton Musgrove Village Hall Wednesday: 6.30pm – 7.30pm (Intermediate) 7.30pm – 8.30pm (Beginners) Thursday: 9.30am – 10.30am (All levels) Private sessions 1 to 1 also available Contact Mo for details on: 07815748518 mospilates@yahoo.com

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governors.) BBC Radio Somerset and The Breeze local radio station both featured the choir, and we shared the recording with the wider BSG community and have received some lovely feedback.

In early June we were able to welcome back girls in Prep 6 and younger children in the Nursery. We were delighted to have some of our young people back on our wonderful site and are looking forward to September when we hope that all students will be back at Sunny Hill.

It has certainly been a very different summer term for us all and this year’s End of Term will be marked not by Speech Day, but with a virtual final assembly for us to say goodbye to Nicky Botterill, to our Upper Sixth leavers, all headed for university, and to celebrate the achievements of all the girls who have shown such flexibility, creativity and resilience during this time. And we will welcome our new Headmistress, Jane Evans, who joins us in September. Carrie Crook

mill on the brue And so it continues – the dreaded virus. As I write, we cannot yet see when Mill on the Brue will reopen. We are in the tourist/hospitality/leisure/arts sector, which is definitely going to be the last to be allowed to trade again. We can make endless plans on how to impose social distancing, which activities are possible, how to feed and accommodate young people on summer camps and school groups in the autumn, but we need the green flag. Hopefully by the time this current Dove has been distributed we will have more clarity.

Thinking about the extraordinary period we have been living through, we are convinced that children and adults could need help and support to begin a more ‘normal’ life, whatever that will mean: children learning how to deal with their fears, which are totally understandable. Will I catch cornonavirus, will I give it to someone, my parents, my grandparents – what happens if they get really ill and die? And more prosaically – I’m missing my friends. I want to see and play with them, or talk to them. Just get back to how it was before.

For years in the outdoors we have banged on about allowing children to take risks or they won’t understand how to manage them when they are older, as life is a risk. A perfect example: the youths tombstoning into the sea off extremely high cliffs, egged on by onlookers, resulting in serious injury. But how can children manage the risk of coronavirus? The fear, the worry and anxiety are palpable. So when we can open again we are planning to run courses on resilience for teenagers led by a psychologist, and hopefully writing a new programme for primary school groups based on coping with these emotions. Support for teachers will be equally important.

In the meantime, with the few staff who have not been furloughed, we are keeping the grounds looking lovely for those anticipated weddings and visitors, the vegetables and fruit are all growing well in spite of the dry weather, the animals are fine and healthy and Rivermead, our separate accommodation for groups, will be ready and furnished. We anticipate there might be many a post-Covid reunion, with family and friends wanting to spend some time together after all the weeks of separation. Tricia Rawlingson Plant page 59

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useful information All telephone codes are 01749 and location Bruton unless otherwise stated.

For ATMs see Shops. www.brutontown.com (with B&Bs, hotels) Acupuncture Star Gifford, On the Brook, 07970 798 549; starlinggifford@gmail.com Jill Spence, 07964 041 495, jillfspence@gmail. com, Bruton House, 2 High St Airport Bristol 0871 3344 444 Art @rt at the Castle Anne Cook, 812 887; julieannecook08@gmail.com Batcombe Film Society Ann Biddle 850 307; bidann44@gmail.com Bath & West Showground 822 200; www.bathandwest.com Bell ringing Bruton: Christine Dunn 812 585; Bruton@bath-wells.org. Pitcombe: Tina Harley 813 262; Pitcombe@bath-wells.org.

Shepton Montague: Jay Bunyan 812 797; SheptonMontague@bath-wells.org Bruton Active Living Cynth Jeffery 812 418 Bruton Art Society Dorrie Peat 01747 838 217; doripeat@bowdensfarmhouse.co.uk Bruton Choral Society Clare Sydenham 813 976; www.brutonchoralsociety.org.uk Bruton Community Hall availability: www. brutoncommunityhall.com. Bookings: Zoe Schoon, contact@brutoncommunityhall.com; Coffee Morning bookings: Lorna Taylor 812 074, 07999 277 822, lornataylor83@talktalk.net Bruton Community Partnership c/o Community Office Bruton Conservation Trust brutontrust@ brutontown.com; Ed Tickner, chair, 812 449 Bruton Freemasons Cyril Price 813 274 Bruton Monday Club (formerly Mini Day Centre) Patricia Whittock 812 035;

patriciawhittock@gmail.com Bruton Players Juliet Bowell 812 422 Bus & coach services Berry’s Coaches Wincanton to London 01823 331 356; www.berryscoaches.co.uk CAT (Community Accessible Transport) to anywhere in Bruton, Castle Cary, Wincanton, Milborne Port, Sparkford area. Hospital appointments, etc. Info 01963 34594; booking 01963 33864 (2/3 days’ notice). Small fee Nippy Bus route 667, Street to Wincanton via Castle Cary & Bruton, timetable 0871 200 2233 South West Coaches Bruton to Yeovil via Shepton Montague, 01963 33124 Car repairs/Garages Bruton Motor Services Station Road, 812 992 West End Garage Station Road, 813 655 Cattery Cats at Batcombe 850 619. Jaquie and John Conway. See also Kennels Chamber of Commerce www.brutonchamber.org Children’s & young people’s groups Brownies brutonbrownies@gmail.com Bruton Rainbows brutonrainbows@gmail.com To join Brownies or Rainbows: Girlguiding.org.uk Community Kids Pre-School & After-School Club Elaine Cox 813 933 1st Bruton Guides Helen Saxton 850 289 Ladybirds Pre-School Bernie Page 813 464 Scouts 3rdbrutonscoutssomerset@gmail.com; Tim Wilson 07889 285 358 Sunny Hill Sunbeams Florence Frost 814 400 Citizens’ Advice Bureau 03444 889 623; citizensadvicesouthsomerset.org.uk Community Office Dovecote Building, 26 High St, ba10 0aa, Mon–Fri 9.30–12.30; Town Council 813 014 Computer repairs James Thorburn, Brue Computing, james@bruecomp.co.uk; 07789 050 987 page 63

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Councillors County Anna Groskop, 812 520; District Lucy Trimnell, 07584 063 844; lucy. trimnell@southsomerset.gov.uk; town councillors see p.15. SSDC 01935 462 462 Defibrillator In red phone box, West End. Dial 999 for access code and instructions Dentist Dr Andrew Keeling, Bruton Dental Practice, Quaperlake St 812 461 Electrician Mainstone’s, 812 316 Farmers’ markets www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk Flower Club Judy Hayter 07788 311 191 Flowers Flowers For You 812 875 The Flower Shop 812 465, 8 High St; jo@ theflowershopbruton.co.uk Border Cottage Flowers 850 477 Friends of Bruton Railway Station Howard Smith (chair) 814 930 Friends of St Mary’s Greg Beedle, greg. beedle@btinternet.com Gas emergencies 0800 111 999 HATS by Emelle, 01963 351 423, emelle7@yahoo. co.uk Health & hospitals Bruton Pharmacy 19 High St; Mon–Fri 9–1, 2–5.30 inc. Thur pm, Sat 9–1; 812 342 Bruton Surgery Patwell Lane; Mon 8.30–7.30, Tue–Fri 8.30–6.30. 812 310 Emergency out of hours dial 111 Minor Injuries Unit Health Centre, Dyke’s Way, Wincanton ba9 9fq, 01963 435 700 Shepton Mallet Community Hospital Old Wells Road, ba4 4lp; 342 931; Treatment Centre Old Wells Road, ba4 4lp; 333 600 Wincanton Community Hospital (formerly Verrington) Wincanton 01963 828 444 Yeatman Hospital, Sherborne 01935 813 991 Yeovil District Hospital Yeovil ba21 4at; 01935 475 122 (has A&E dept) Heating engineer Warm Welcome Heating,

01963 440 341; 07792 540 220 Horticultural Society Alison Bleasdale 812 393; www.brutonhorticultural.org.uk Kennels Farringford Boarding Kennels & Cattery, 813 474; www.farringford.f9.co.uk Landscaping SLR Outdoor Maintenance, 07875 561 043 Urquhart & Hunt 01373 888 720 Legal advice Battens Solicitors, Francis House, Castle Cary, 01963 834 477 Library Quaperlake St, Tue 2–5, Thur 10–1, Fri 10–1, 2–5, Sat 10–1, 812 241; renewals 0300 123 2224 Locksmith Matthew Andrews 01747 826 311; 24hr 0800 652 7097 MP David Warburton (Conservative), Unit 9, Woodside Court, Dairy House Yard, Sparkford, BA22 7LH, 01373 580 500; david.warburton.mp@ parliament.uk Museum Dovecote Building, 26 High St, ba10 0aa, 812 294. Chair: Andy Pickering, chair@ brutonmuseum.org.uk, 813 772 Music lessons Maynard O’Byrne 07446 245 334; yojohnnycowpunk@yahoo.co.uk Nutritional Therapy Harriet Bindloss 07816 757 050, harrietbindloss@gmail.com, Instagram, FB Oil heating engineer Oliver Ward 812 238, 07974 816 739, oliverwardheating.co.uk Organic foods Bruton Wholefoods, 57A High St, Mon–Fri 8.30–5, Sat 8.30–1.30, 814 811 Osteopaths Chris Aust 812 310 Dani Crawshaw 07930 383 496 Sarah Hoskins 07421 100 144 Outdoor pursuits Mill on the Brue 812 307; www.millonthebrue.co.uk Petrol Station West End, 6am (Sun 7am)–10pm, 812 832 Physiotherapy Kara Clarke 07850 661 161, karaclarkephysiotherapy@gmail.com Plumber Mike Dudden 812 676, 07974 970 058 page 65

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Police 101 (automatically goes to local police for Neighbourhood Team), emergencies 999 Poppy Travel Lynne Hawkridge 812 916 Post Office Church Bridge Stores, Patwell St, Mon–Sat 7am–7.30pm, Sun 7am–5pm for all P.O. business and banking (ATM). 812 339 Property Lodestone Property, Fry’s Halt, Station Rd, Bruton BA10 0EH. 605 099; www. lodestoneproperty.co.uk Recycling centre Dimmer, Mon/Tues 9am–5pm, Wed/Fri closed, Sat/Sun 9am–4pm. 0300 123 2224; www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling/ centres Reflexology Sarah Crossman 07531 831 553; sarah@lifereflexology.co.uk Sandy Marks 07791 788 375 Rotary Club Brue Valley, Colin Juneman 813 439; colinjuneman167@btinternet.com Royal British Legion Graham Lilley 342 951 St Margaret’s Hospice General and clinical: 0845 070 8910. Fund-raising: 0845 345 9671 Sexey’s Hospital Almshouse, High St: Master, Col. Simon Bate 813 172; 07484 275 835; magister@hshbruton.co.uk Shops with extended opening hours: Church Bridge Stores Patwell St: 9am–6pm (5pm Sundays) 7–5, 812 339 (ATM); Premier High St: Mon–Sat 6.30–8, Sun 8–7, 812 308 (ATM); Spar High St: 8–7 daily (except butchery counter), 812 388; Symonds at Budgens West End: Mon–Sat 6–10, Sun 7–10, 812 832 (ATM) Social Services 01935 420 925 Sports & exercise Aquafit Sexey’s School pool, Vicky Elmore 07941 649 823, vicky@elmoreaquacise.com Bruton Health Walks Bryan Pearson 938 191 Bruton Hockey Club Andy Hoskins 07890 125 296, www.brutonhockeyclub.co.uk

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Bruton United Football Club Austin Fews 813 738, AustinFews@nvbarchitects.co.uk, 07966 202 038; www. brutonunited.co.uk Bruton Walkers Katherine Grugeon 01963 824 119 Netball Bruton Robins, Tash 07966 240 292, pam. tom.henriksen@btinternet.com Short Mat Bowls Carole Wyatt 01963 350 222, carolewyatt@btinternet.com Sports injuries Kate Ward 07729 276 817, katewardsportsmassage.co.uk Swimming lessons Sexey’s School, Jessica Shipp 07926 299 545, brutonswimmers@gmail.com Tennis Mike Kelham 812 281 Tai Chi Shibashi Denise, 07941 796 635, dmtaichi@btinternet.com Thai Yoga Massage & Zero Balancing Nicola Smith 07930 442 639 Yoga Louise Adams 07508 154 476 Blue Butterfly Yoga 07943 826 536 Barbara Saunders 831 283 Taxis Bruton & Mendip Taxis 07984 465 864, bruton-mendiptaxi.com Chinnock Taxis 07703 068 878 Mum’s Taxi 07711 572 038 Train services Bruton, Castle Cary, Gillingham: www.brutoncarytrains.co.uk. National Rail Enquiries 03457 48 49 50 Tutoring English Tutor: A Level, GCSE, Common Entrance. 01963 351 429, hadspentutor@gmail.com Tutoring in sciences and A Level Physics 813 035, brutoneducation@btopenworld.com U3A Brian Hunter 01963 548 533 Vet Bruton Vets, 25 High Street, 813 291 WITS discussion group, Alison Bleasdale 812 393 Women’s Institute Pat Griffin 813 381 Women’s Wisdom Group Sarah Holmes 07748 874 795

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where to eat and drink all closed, but check online/phone for reopening info At The Chapel, High St, Bruton ba10 0ae (814 070). Bakery, Restaurant, Winestore, Clubroom, Terrace, Bedrooms.

The Bruton Castle, High St, Bruton ba10 0aw (812 104).

Food Wed –Sat evg, Sun lunch. Open from 4pm every day.

The Bruton (Unionist) Club, Quaperlake Street, Bruton ba10 0hg (813 244). Closed Sun. No food.

The Bull Inn, Hardway (Brewham), Bruton ba10 0ln (812 200). Open Wed–Sun; lunch 12–3pm, dinner 6–9pm.

Cat’s Café, Premier Store, Bruton High St (07792 063 947).

The Kitchen at Kimbers’, ba9 8hd, B3081 Wincanton to Bruton; 01963 33177. Tues–Sun, 9.30–4.30pm.

Matt’s Kitchen, 51 High St, Bruton ba10 0aw (812 027).

Thurs, Fri, Sat evgs.

The Montague Inn, Shepton Montague ba9 8jw (813 213). Closed Sun evg.

The Old Red Lion, North Brewham ba10 0jl (850 287). Closed Mon. B&B. On the Brook, Coombe Farm, Evercreech Road, ba10 0qp (813 048). Open 7 days, 9am–5pm.

Osip, 1 High St, Bruton BA10 0AB (813 322). Lunch & crossword solutions

dinner Wed–Sun, 12–2.30pm & 6–9pm.

june

Rickshaw Chinese Takeaway, West End, Bruton (812 188).

M H L I OWA AM V V W D E L AWA R M I H E L I UM N A S T O K E R A Y MA I N L E L S A S A V A N N A S S D

R M G E R I C A N P R L E R O A D A O T U R N I P E L D R O O L S R I C T E R N S O G O H O H I O O N S

Closed Mon lunch; Tues.

Roth Bar & Grill, Durslade Farm, lunch Tue–Sun; Thurs– Sat supper & late bar. 814 700, mail@rothbarandgrill.co.uk.

The Smithy, Charlton Musgrove (01963 824 899). Lunch & dinner 7 days.

The Sun Inn, 33 High St, Bruton ba10 0ah (bar: 813 493; takeaway: 813 777). Open 7 days.

The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe, Shepton Mallet ba4 6he (850 359). B&B.

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the dove | july & august 2020 dove crossword 116 ‘Stay Safe!’

Compiled by Colin Juneman. Solutions in next issue.

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contact us Chairman: Anna Groskop Circulation and subscription enquiries: Mike Kelham (812 281; mikekelham@btinternet.com, or by post to the address below) Editor: Elisabeth Balfour, elisabeth.ingles@hchbruton.co.uk Advertising: Eve Anderton, eve@beaconhill.me.uk Distribution: Alan and Moira Ashdown Treasurer: Ed Tickner Designed by Lucy or Robert Printed by Aurora Print & Design Ltd. the dove is published ten times a year monthly (doubles: July/ August, December/January) free of charge, or by subscription, delivered to your door (£15 per annum for ten issues) Comments and contributions to the Editor (email above) or by post to: the dove, Bruton & District Benefice Office, Plox House, Silver St, Bruton ba10 0ed The Editor reserves the right to amend and shorten articles 1

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across 1 Latin man, American, causing illness (5) 4 Minister, once a comedian for 30 minutes at a time (7) 8 Violently break up para treat (4, 5) 9 A Northern Territory six-footer (3) 10 Having died after a specified time (4) 11 Power of the size of the workforce (8) 13 An old mythical bird returns with a halo (6) 14 Someone appearing through a male relative (6) 17 Sheep sent a message and went berserk (8) 19 Clean area of water (4) 22 An illness begins to find Laura unwell (3) 23 Tin of nice variety can cause illness (9) 24 Gentle version of line ten (7) 25 Regulations of sport with the French (5) down 1 It’s crucial that most of Latvia is upset (5) 2 Concerning a performer as energyproducer (7) 3 Sample from Cornish sailor? (4) 4 A toast to fitness (6) 5 Talked trivially – in order to deter ant (8) 6 Nobody called the shorter form of a primate (5) 7 Room for making thick adjustments in two directions (7) 12 Drunken vine visa infringing one’s rights (8) 13 A measured way to spread fuel under vehicle (7) 15 Having a light touch in collapsed sail shows a kind of awareness (7) 16 Become appropriate, as necessary after much inactivity! (3, 3) 18 To express grief is socially acceptable in the early part of the day (5) 20 Gives time-indicators (5) 21 Using only some mascara can cause disfigurement (4)

Summer camps: for further updates see millonthebrue.co.uk

fun freedom friends

Bruton, Somerset BA10 0BA Bruton, Somerset BA10 0BA 01749 01749812 812307 307 www.millonthebrue.co.uk www.millonthebrue.co.uk