The Visitor Magazine Issue 366 May 2014

Feeling moody this May? Do come our way Ceres can help add a spring to your day

Your local independent monthly journal  01963 351256 · www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

Issue 366 May 2014

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Now in its 62nd Year ...

Agatha Christie’s

The MouseTrap has been

thrilling audiences in London’s West End since opening in 1952. It continues to attract audiences from around the world.

■ St. Martin’s Theatre, London, is offering Visitor readers the chance to win 3 pairs of tickets to see the world’s longest running stage production. All you have to do is send your name and address on a postcard to: The Mousetrap Ticket Offer, The Visitor Limited, P.O. Box 1, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7BG. Or email: info@thevisitormagazine.co.uk ■ Please include your postal address and telephone number on your entry.

Closing date: Monday 12th May. Please see page 6 for more information.

Inside features on: Gillingham; Truffles Brasserie, Bruton.

Business focuses on: Ilchester & Along The Fosse; Mere; Yeovil Independent Traders.

Business profile on: The White Hart, Sturminster Newton.

Plus regular features on: Antiques; Business; Cycle Babble; Gardening; House & Home; Leisure & Travel – Out & About Over The Bank Holiday; Looking Good & Feeling Fine; Motoring; Pubs; Wine & Dine – National Vegetarian Week.

WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE MOUSETRAP IN LONDON

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In Passing ...

T

hIS yEAR we commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and shortly, on 6th June, it will be the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings that led less than a year later to the end of World War II. War raged across Europe and beyond for a third of the period from 1914 to 1945. Since then, Europe has experienced its longest period in recorded history without international conflict; ‘peace in our time’ indeed for the under-70s, the majority of British people.

Strange, then, that most political pundits are predicting a woefully low turnout in the European elections in Britain on 22nd May. have we really grown so accustomed to peace that we can’t be bothered to take sufficient interest in Europe to go out and vote? Or is it that we have got so embroiled in emotive arguments about sovereignty, the Euro and the constitution that we have lost sight of the role of the European Parliament and the influence that our elected MEPs can wield in it? Regardless of whether you think that Britain should be in or out of the EU or just sitting on the fringe and whinging, the fact remains that we’re in it at the moment and need a strong voice to ensure that Britain’s interests are protected and promoted.

Visitorland’s farmers know only too well that they have a lot to gain or lose from changes to the common agricultural policy. Likewise, Visitorland’s manufacturers and exporters who are affected by changes to regulations governing conditions of employment, use of raw materials and chemicals, safety, transportation and, above all, fair competition.

But that’s only part of the story. It’s no longer just a common market, a European Economic Community. Nowadays it’s the European Union and it’s concerned with issues that know no national barriers; issues like climate change, coastal erosion, airborne pollution, water quality, over-fishing, drug smuggling, organised crime, terrorism, immigration and Europe’s relationships with the wider world. Issues which affect us all in one way or another.

Arguments about sovereignty, currency and membership will rightly continue long

after the election. And the EU is certainly in urgent need of reform, especially now that its membership has swelled with the admission of the East European nations.

Reforms are needed to curb the EU’s financial extravagances, correct its dodgy accounting practices, create greater accountability for its decisions and actions and keep its bureaucrats’ meddling hands off matters that rightly belong to each separate member state.

So the question for 22nd May is which party appears to have the best policies for ensuring that Europe tackles the multinational challenges in the best interests of Britain and of mankind, and the best policies for making the European institutions more accountable, efficient and cost-effective. Our answer – and our vote – matters. Apathy and indifference will be no way to commemorate the sacrifice and ultimate achievement of those who bravely took part in the two World Wars.

NN.

Advertising Deadlines June edition published Thursday 22nd May Deadline Monday 12th May Wells Frome • Shepton Mallet Glastonbury Bruton Street Castle Mere Cary Somerton Wincanton Gillingham langport ilchester Shaftesbury Martock Marnhull Sherborne Stalbridge • ilminster Stur. Newton Yeovil Crewkerne

Note to Advertisers Advertisements are accepted subject to our standard terms and conditions as printed on our rate card, available upon request. We cannot guarantee any specific page or position, but will always do our best to comply with clients’ wishes.

ArtWorK Artwork & design by our production department and photographs taken by our photographers are the copyright of The Visitor Ltd. Clients or agencies supplying artwork or images should send uncompressed TIFs, JPEGs or PDFs, 300 dpi minimum if actual size, or at a higher resolution if smaller than size required, along with a hard copy print-out.

For advertisement sizes see our Rate Card.

The views expressed in articles & letters contributed to this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Ltd.

PO Box 1, Castle Cary Somerset BA7 7BG Tel: (01963) 351256, 351998 Fax: (01963) 350552 Email: info@thevisitormagazine.co.uk Website: www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk facebook.com/thevisitormagazine twitter.com/thevisitormag Proprietor, Accounts & Subscriptions Helen Dunion Production Manager Jeff Farrow Advertisement Manager & Features Editor Michelle Trulock Printed by The Blackmore Press © The Visitor Ltd. 2014

(Items marked ©gt are the copyright of geoff thompson)

CONTENTS Our FRONT COVER is almost entirely due to the continuing popularity of theatre ALONG THE FOSSE & ILCHESTER - 34 ANNOUNCEMENTS & CLASSIFIED - 48 ANTIQUES & COLLECTING - 18 BUSINESS - 33 CROSSWORD - 50 CYCLE BABBLE - 20 GARDENING - 42 GILLINGHAM - 13 HOUSE & HOME - 7 LEISURE & TRAVEL - 18 LETTERS - 5 LOOKING GOOD & FEELING FINE - 22 MENTIONED in DISPATCHES - 6 MERE - 17 MOTORING - 32 MUSIC for the MONTH - 24 NOTICE BOARD - 20 PAPERCHASE - 47 PHONE-A-FIRM - 48 PUBS - 28 THEY SAY - 30 TRUFFLES BRASSERIE, Bruton - 26 WHITE HART, Sturminster Newton, profile - 29 WINE & DINE inc. National Vegetarian Week - 24 YEOVIL Independent Traders - 35 Drawings by GEOFF THOMPSON

ThE VISITOR May 2014 3

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Letters to the Editor Bigger Please!

Sir, I have regularly picked up the Visitor from my local Newsagent (Papertrees Wincanton) for the past 10 years and much enjoy its interesting content.

My only ‘negative’ concerns the very good Crossword. My problem is that the Font Numbers of the clues and also on the grid are too small and indistinct for my eyes to cope with. I don't suppose that you can do much about that, but I am sure that I am not alone in trying to cope with a small and indistinct type-face.

I shall endeavour to continue to cope with the magazine and crossword with the help of stronger and stronger magnifying glasses!

Please keep the Visitor coming.

It is a very welcome visitor here.

The Rev. Canon Alan Watson

By Email

men’s places on the farm or in the factory – working as nurses in the hospital at Norton sub hamdon, or further afield. What was life like in Stoke in war time with all the men away fighting?

We want your pictures – we will scan your originals and let you have them back right away. We want your stories. No story too small. Please contact any of the members of the history Group (listed).

If you have any 1st World War memorabilia which you think people would be interested to see on display at the exhibition, please do contact a member of the history group so that we can

take your name and visit you closer to the time to arrange to collect them.

The stories of the men from Stoke who died in the War will be on the village website in due course - http://www.stoke-subhamdon.co.uk/ - so that they will be available to everybody.

Angie hodges history Group Stoke-Sub-hamdon Carol Parker 01935 825393 Norman Patch 01935 822792 Derek Coward 01935 822435 Roy Watson 01935 822999 Min (Angie) hodges 01935 823928

Glastonbury Feature

Sir, I have read your article in the April issue about Glastonbury and am disgusted that you have made no mention

of Chalice Well. People come from all over the world to visit this place, sample the healing water and soak up the atmosphere in beautifully maintained gardens.

It is a haven of refreshing peace for me, and many others, much preferable to the busy high Street. how could you have missed it?

Ann Procter U.K.C.P.(Retd).

By Email I’m sorry you feel ‘disgusted’ that the Chalice Well wasn’t mentioned in this year’s Glastonbury feature.

However, if you are a regular reader of The Visitor, you will no doubt remember that we gave extensive coverage to this tranquil spot in our April 2013 issue. Just in case you missed it go to: www. thevisitormagazine.co.uk/read, Ed.

We will certainly have a go for you, Ed.

1914 – 2014

Sir, To mark the centenary of the beginning of the 1st World War, the Stoke Sub hamdon history Group will be putting on an exhibition in the Working Men’s Club in November this year, and we need your help.

Every man from Stoke who served in the War - whether he died or whether he came back deserves to have his picture displayed in the exhibition and to be remembered. Please, please search through your old photo albums to see if you can find pictures of any of your relatives who lived in Stoke and served in the War. If you know of families who have moved away from the village and you are still in touch with them, let them know so that they can look too.

We also want to think about what the girls did – taking the

All these men from Stoke Sub Hamdon served in the 1st World War. Was one of them your relative?

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 9am – 12.30pm, or by appointment

Morley House, Market Place, SOMERTON, Somerset, TA11 7LX • www.awruleandson.co.uk ThE VISITOR May 2014 5

Mentioned in

Dispatches The Mousetrap - Ticket Offer

Agatha Christie’s murder mystery The Mousetrap has kept audiences guessing for six decades ...

A radio, that has accidentally been left on in a guest house in Berkshire, reports that a murder has recently taken place in London. What is the connection with the owners, Giles and Mollie Ralston, a young, newly married couple who are awaiting their first guests in their recently converted country house, Monkswell Manor? There’s a blizzard outside and they are far more concerned that the heavy

snowfall may prevent the four guests from reaching their destination.

The guests arrive safely, an architect, who seems more equipped to be a chef; a cantankerous old harridan; a retired army major and a formidable spinster. But who is the fifth, unexpected guest, who claims his car has run into a snowdrift?

The snow continues to fall heavily and they are snowed in no one can reach the house ... or can they? A policeman arrives on skis, suspecting one of the seven occupants of murder ... but which one? The phone line is dead, must be due to the weight of the snow ... or has it been cut?

The queen of crime, Agatha Christie, begins to weave her spell.

The first ever National Tour of this record-breaking production opened on 11 September 2012 in

Canterbury. It toured throughout 2013 breaking all box office records and continues to tour throughout 2014 due to unprecedented demand, while it continues to play in London.

PLeAse Note: The Ticket Offer only applies to performances on Monday Thursday, with a matinee on Tuesday, and not on a Bank holiday. The prize should be used within three months.

Expedition members sailed across the South American river network in traditional reed boats built by Bolivian Aymara Indians, to prove that the ancient people of the region used similar boats to navigate the waterways for trade and exploration. The series of expeditions was named ‘Kota Mama’ which means ‘Mother of the Lake.’

Talk at Market House Castle Cary

Colonel John Blashford-Snell will give an illustrated talk on Saturday 7th June, 6.30 for 7pm, at the recently renovated Market house, Castle Cary.

The theme of his talk In Search of Lost Civilizations is about a series of thrilling expeditions he and members of the Scientific Exploration Society (S.E.S) have undertaken in South America.

John will illustrate the important scientific and community work undertaken and recall encountering many dramatic moments including navigating severe rapids on the Amazon, surveying a meteorite crater, (believed to be over 2000 years old) using paramotors brought over from the UK, the transport of a pedal organ from Dorset to the Okaji tribe in Bolivia and the re-discovery of a 2 nosed dog!

The evening promises to be educational and entertaining!

Tickets are £15 per person to include first drink and canapes.

Please send cheque payable to S.E.S. + enclose an s.a.e. to: Sarah Lewis, Priory Farm, Wheathill, Somerton, Somerset TA11 7hG.

Flower Festival

Compton Dundon is holding a Flower Festival in St Andrews Church on Saturday May 24th until Monday May 26th, 2014.

The church will be open for viewing from 10am until 5.30pm, except Sunday when it will commence at 12.30pm. ‘Nursery Rhymes’ is the theme this year and the local children from Brookside School will also be making scarecrows for the church path, as well as providing an arrangement on the font.

Refreshments will be available and everyone is welcome to this most enjoyable event. If anyone would like further information or would like to sponsor an arrangement in memory of a relative, or help in any way, please call 01458 272371 or 01458 272344.

6 ThE VISITOR May 2014

Mentioned in

Dispatches New Building Opens for Haynes International Motor Museum

Two and a half years in the making and following a £5 million investment, the official opening of the haynes Motor Museum took place mid April. Over 400 cars and motorcycles from across the globe and ages, dating from 1885 to the present day are housed in this new building most in working order.

The impressive glass s-shaped double storey entrance foyer leads into the Museum where there are four new exhibition spaces and two modernised exhibition halls as well as the cutting edge virtual reality Paint-a-Car activity.

Beyond all the exhibition halls, there is haynes Motorland Children’s play zone, a new café 750 and the ‘Engine Rooms’ suite of function rooms.

The new interactive Museum, which has more exhibits than ever before, provides a stunning backdrop for this amazing display of cars, motorcycles and motoring artefacts.

Cary Brook Residential Home

Cary Brook resident Anne Simons is becoming a celebrity ‘stalker’.

She met John Craven of BBC

Country File, in the town when he and his crew were filming in Castle Cary. To her delight she had a photograph taken with him. Then a few weeks later, Anne met Valerie Singleton of Blue Peter fame. Ms Singleton paid a visit to Cary Brook with her neighbour, Jenny Dowdell, one of the care assistants. Anne is now being teased by staff, asking her who the third celebrity will be.

Now the warmer weather is coming along, activities organiser Barbie is planning their monthly outings, so far they hope to go to West Bay, various Garden Centres, haynes Motor Museum and Chew Valley Lake.

Coffee Morning

A Coffee Morning is being held on Saturday 26th April at Castle Cary Museum along with a Raffle, Cake Stall and Living history Stall.

If you have some spare time on your hands you may like to consider becoming a Voluntary Steward, call into the Museum and enquire. Open April – October Weekdays from 10.3012.30 & 2.00-400, Saturdays 10.30-12.30, including Bank holidays. Admission is free.

New Displays this season include: Commemorating World War 1 and Celebrating 50 years of Centaur Services.

Castle Cary Museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year - here’s to the next 40 years.

Wincanton Film Society

The next film to be held in the Sweetman hall at The Bear is The Lego Movie (PG) on Monday 5th May at 7.30pm. This original 3D computer animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO mini-figure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. Price - £5 on the door.

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The Old Police Station, Carrington Way WinCanTOn Ba9 9JS Tel: 01963 31310

House & Home Secure your Heart and your Home

What’s your most treasured possession? There are many different things people consider to be most valuable to them, whether it’s a top of the range TV or simply a photograph of a loved one.

According to a recent survey*, 74% of homeowners say their most expensive possession is not the most valuable to them. 41% of homeowners identified photographs as their most treasured possession, followed by items that have been inherited at 13%, letters at 12% and jewellery at 10%.

Statistics show that jewellery is the most common item to be stolen by burglars. It is easy to transport, easy to turn into hard cash and can often be sold for a high value, without any way of tracing the original owner, meaning less than 5% of stolen jewellery is ever recovered.

The security experts at yale appreciate that – unlike a TV set - items of sentimental value are irreplaceable so with this in mind, yale’s ‘heart & home’ campaign is designed to help you protect everything that is dear to you in

2014.

Whether you’re heading to work or enjoying a day out with the kids, it’s important to know you will return to find your home just as you left it, so it’s therefore important to make sure your front door is well secured. If you have a timber door, use a mortice lock and /or nightlatch that meets British Standard BS3621 (thief resistant lock assembly). If you have a PVCu or composite door it’s also a good idea to upgrade the euro profile cylinder in your multipoint lock to a British Standard Kitemark TS007 cylinder.

Police research reveals you are far less likely to become the victim of a burglary if you have a correctly fitted and wellmaintained home alarm as they act as a great visual deterrent, as well as alerting neighbours in the event of a break-in. home safes are another excellent way to secure precious jewellery, photographs and other irreplaceable items. Just make sure your safe is bolted securely to the floor or wall to avoid a burglar leaving with it in tow.

Safes can be cash rated, depending on the value of your

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House & Home items. The cash rating is an indication of the highest level of money that should be kept in the safe. Depending on your postcode and the cash rating, an insurer

can cover the contents of the safe.

The cash rating can be multiplied by 10 for jewellery and other valuables, meaning up to £20,000 of goods can be stored in a £2,000

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For more information on keeping your family, valuables and treasured possessions safe in 2014 please visit www.yale.co.uk, search for /yaleUK on Facebook or follow @yaleSecurityon Twitter. *source: www.confused.com

Interested in Fabrics? Then this lecture is for you!

The Tythings Commercial Centre Southgate Road, Wincanton

Soft furnishings and fabrics are very much a personal matter. you may prefer plain fabrics in pastel colours or patterned fabrics in bright bold colours. Whatever your taste, if you’re interested in fabrics, you may be interested in a lecture taking place in May. The Neroche Decorative and Fine Arts Society have organised

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a lecture on Monday 12th May at 7.15pm at Dillington house, Ilminster.

The audience is promised a glimpse of India’s rich heritage when Jasleen Kandhari visits Neroche DFAS to talk on The Indian Textile Trade: Kashmir Shawls to Chintz.

Jasleen is a lecturer in Indian art and Asian textiles for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education. She also works for the Ashmolean Museum of Art and is a former Curator of the Asian collection at the University of British Columbia, and of the British Museum and British Library.

Clearly a must for anyone with an interest in fine Asian fabrics, her illustrated talk will focus on the many sumptuous textile exports from India to the west, looking at costumes, shawls and furnishing fabrics from the 17th century to the present day.

Neroche DFAS is a lively, local Arts society that meets in the theatre at Dillington house with wine and other refreshments available before each lecture.

Visitors are warmly welcomed for a suggested donation of £5 per person, per lecture.

For more information, visit www.nerochedfas.org.uk

May Open Days at Harriet Sandys - unusual and exotic rugs and gifts from around the world

harriet Sandys’ Barn at the Manor house, West Compton, Shepton Mallet, BA4 4PB will be open for the May Day Bank holiday on Friday and Saturday 23rd & 24th May 2014, from 2pm to 5pm when the new stock of oriental rugs, runners, kilims and costumes from Central Asia and India will be available.

Situated in the small hamlet of West Compton, the barn is an

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House & Home Aladdin’s cave of colourful and exotic textiles and unusual gifts.

Oriental carpets line the walls and there are intricate embroideries from Uzbekistan known as susanis, oriental rugs, runners and tribal kilims from Afghanistan and Iran. Furniture includes carved wood chests and tables from the mountain villages of Swat in northern Pakistan. On sale too are table lamps, block printed tablecloths, bed spreads, quilts, cushions and throws from India.

So if you’re looking for something exotic for your home visit harriet Sandys. Credit and Debit cards are accepted. For further details and directions visit: www.sandysorientalcarpets. co.uk or telephone 01749 890582. harriet Sandys is also open by appointment. harriet will be at the Sherborne Country Fair on Bank holiday Monday!

Needful Things

As spring finally gets underway, Needful Things of Castle Cary have filled their store with Faux flowers and plants, even topiary trees, and all the pots and planters, baskets and vases to go with them! Plus, a super range of garden-oriented gifts; gloves,

kneeler pads, seed markers, exfoliating soaps and rich hand creams etc., they even have garden themed cards and gift wrap! So if you are into your garden and conservatory, or you know someone who is, pop into Needful Things and experience all the joys of Spring!

Visit our newly redesigned kitchen showrooms

A Genuine Offer for Victims of Flooding from Sherborne Kitchens

Sherborne Kitchens & Construction, the well-established kitchen company based in half Moon Street, Sherborne, has a genuine offer for victims of the recent winter floods.

Malcolm helyar, Director of Sherborne Kitchens knows only too well the distress caused by flooding having seen first-hand the devastation caused at property belonging to his in-laws.

Malcolm would genuinely like to help flood victims by offering them a 20% discount off their new kitchen.

Sherborne Kitchens have a wide choice of traditional and contemporary kitchens to suit all tastes and budgets. With free quotations, free planning, free design and work that is project managed from start to finish, this

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High Street, Castle Cary, BA7 7AN  01963 351352 www.needfulthings.uk.com

Tel: 01935 817111

Email: sales@sherbornekitchens.com www.sherbornekitchens.com ThE VISITOR May 2014 9

House & Home is a kitchen company that takes pride in quality workmanship.

If you have been affected by flooding and are looking to replace your kitchen units give them a call on 01935 817111.

Time for a New Bed?

Buying a bed should be a happy experience and the bed that’s right for you is an individual choice. This is based on your own subjective assessment of what Pictured left: whether you are looking for a brand new kitchen or just want to give your existing kitchen units a face-lift with new doors and drawer fronts, visit Homemaker in Shaftesbury. See their advert on the inside cover.

for excellent picture quality ...

save up to 20% off seLeCteD ex-DispLaY Televisions

Don’t miss your favourite TV programme ever again!

The exciting new range of 2014 TVs arriving shortly with on Demand and Catch up features + 5 Years warranty Call in and see our comprehensive range Free loCal Delivery, inSTallaTion, anD DiSpoSal oF olD applianCe

Greenhill, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4Ew  01935 813451

Spoilt for choice!

Visit our new showroom to see our extensive range of flooring ■ Carpets ■ Vinyls ■ naturals ■ Woods ■ laminates ■ tiles

Wincanton

We are now pleased to offer rOll stOCk Carpets and Vinyls Carpets from ... £6.50 psm Vinyls from ... £8.00 psm domestic & Commercial flooring • friendly & helpful advice free measuring & Quotation • free parking Outside the door • Call in tOday

10 ThE VISITOR May 2014

lidl

southgate road nc .t ow n

also at: High Street, Tisbury  01747 871178

fire station

Wi

SJH CArPETS, Southgate road, Wincanton  01963 824418

neW sJh tythings Centre

Old sJh

morrisons

you find comfortable - so there are no quick fixes, and probably, a number of possible and suitable options.

A good bed should be a priority, after all, we spend more than a third of our lives in it.

Shop around and don’t buy the first bed you try. It’s a big investment. A good retailer will be able to help you, but at the end of the day it’s your decision.

Don’t rush. Set aside some time - with your partner if you share a bed - to test out a selection carefully.

So many beds look much the same, it’s hard to appreciate why prices vary so much. Of course, there are literally hundreds of variations, far too numerous to mention, as every manufacturer devises its own constructions and combinations.

The most common mattresses have a spring interior which comes in many variations but there are other options.

Flotation Beds

Water beds offer even distribution and support of your body weight. This can help eliminate the discomfort caused by pressure points on the body.

They are also hygenic and good for allergy sufferers.

A water-filled vinyl mattress is supported around the edge either by a firm, normally wooden frame or by soft sides of foam. Most have a heating system under the mattress to give a comfortable - even cosy temperature. The support is determined by the design and the amount of water used. The level of motion can also be varied, depending on the construction. Mostly available through specialist retailers, water bed prices are generally in the mid to higher range.

Futons

A Futon is a Japanese invention consisting of a firm, unsprung sleeping surface, generally made from layers of cotton wadding, which moulds itself to the shape of the body. In the UK they are often sold as sofa beds with slatted, convertible frames.

Futons need good ventilation and should be regularly plumped up for maximum effectiveness.

Prices are generally in the lower to middle range and their life expectancy is generally shorter than a conventional bed.

House & Home Foam Mattresses

Most foam mattresses are made from layers of different densities of material which impart the required degree of comfort and support. Better quality mattresses (with a density of at least 35kg per cubic metre) do

not need to be turned regularly.

They are also particularly suitable for use with slatted bases. These days, all foams used in beds must be combustion modified to meet stringent fire safety regulations. There are three main types of foam in use.

1. Polyurethane foams are the most common and versatile, with performance and price varying according to density and quality.

2. Latex, a premium quality material, in its natural form is produced from the sap of rubber trees. It is known for its distinctive resilient feel and durability and is available in a range of comfort options. The latest mattresses are anti-microbial and offer benefits to many allergy sufferers.

3. Visco-elastic foams are a

relatively new option, developed as a result of the US space programme. Also known as rebound foams, these premium quality foams are highly responsive to pressure (taking on the exact shape of the object pressed onto them) but recover to their original shape when the pressure is removed.

For more information on the type of bed best suited to your requirements, visit your local bed specialist who will be pleased to advise.

KEVAN DAVIS Plumbing & Heating Ltd Reg. No. 177361

Cleverly designed to make the most of the space available, this wardrobe has drawers, shelves and hanging rails - all you could possibly need in one piece of fitted bedroom furniture. Chameleon of Somerton offer a design service making best use of space available.

4 Fairview Terrace, Castle Cary Telephone: 07976 741029

Bryan G. Paulley Ltd Domestic / Commercial Installations / Replacements

Plastic / Metal Tanks • Temporary Tanks Leaking Tanks • Tank Cleaning / Moving / Disposal Above or Below Ground Tanks

Tel: 01963 363870 • Mob: 07836 502683 office@halletsfarm.fsnet.co.uk • www.bgp-oiltanks.co.uk

SEwING MACHINE SERVICE CENTRE Repairs & Servicing To All Makes - Domestic & industrial Collection and Delivery Available

Embroidery Engineering Services Suppliers of Computerised embroidery Machines Telephone: 01963 350068 • Mobile: 07947 725315 Email: robert _churches@hotmail.com UniT 8, TorbAy inDUsTriAl EsTATE CAsTlE CAry bA7 7DW

New to Wincanton

Beds and Mattresses 3a Church Street, Wincanton, BA9 9AA ★ ★ ★ ★

MAttreSSeS from ............... £65 MeMory FoAM from ...... £150 PoCket SPrung from ... £175 BedSteAdS from ..................£79

Free local delivery, assembly, and removal of old beds and mattresses After hours viewing by appointment

www.bedswarehouse.net

08000 612 512 07901 593959 ThE VISITOR May 2014 11

House & Home

KeMPF COnSerVatIOn SPECIALISTS IN REPAIRING DECAYED STONE & METAL FEATURES Over 30 Years Experience Residential and Ecclesiastical

01460 241288 • 07502 400986 Old fashioned craftsmanship at sensible prices Mullion Windows • Flagstones • Fireplaces Lime Plastering • Porches & Doorways • Brickwork Steps & Iron railings • Metal Window Casements etc.

12 ThE VISITOR May 2014

A & R Tiles of Shaftesbury have spent the last year filling their showroom with exciting new ranges.

Why not pop in and have a look?

Green Farm Paints -

Premium Quality Recycled Paint

Green Farm Paints opened in October 2013 on the Kingsmead Business Park, Gillingham. A locally based eco project set up to recycle the waste paint left at 12 recycling sites in Dorset. It is estimated that 50 million litres of paint is discarded each year in the UK which is presently

incinerated at a cost to councils and the environment. The recycling of unwanted paint is a new concept driven by the realisation that we cannot continue to damage the atmosphere with the burning of toxic waste.

Paint reprocessing is a specialised field - at present there are 2 companies in the USA, one in Canada and, with the opening of Green Farm, 2 in the UK. Alan Phillips, owner and director of Green Farm, is a paint chemist with over 35 years experience in the paint industry.

Green Farm Paint has a minimum 95% recycled content, it has good coverage and a smooth, blemish free finish. The exceptionally high recycled content allows them to provide a high quality, tough and durable paint at affordable prices - around 40% cheaper than new.

Paint in any colour, quantity or finish can be supplied and it can also be mixed, at no extra charge.

See the advert for Green Farm Paints in the Gillingham feature.

GILLINGHAM ThIRTy years ago Gillingham’s population was around 6,000.

Nowadays it is around 11,000, with housing estates filling the fields north to Peacemarsh and beyond to within half a mile of tranquil Milton-on-Stour. In the next 20 years the town is likely to continue expanding dramatically, this time to the south. The Local Plan currently being finalised by North Dorset District Council envisages around 1,800 more houses being built in the next two decades, mainly in the area between Lodden Lakes, ham and Park Farm. The result will be another huge expansion of what had long been a small agricultural town in the remote northernmost tip of Dorset – remote certainly until the coming of the railway in 1859.

It was the railway and the subsequent development of the local brickfield that sparked some early growth, most notably at Wyke on the road to Wincanton.

It was in this hamlet that the Matthews family built a brewery in the 1860s and erected cottages for their workers. In those days many landlords brewed the beer they sold from their premises, but the Matthews family owned a string of pubs in the area and brewed on a much larger scale.

The brewery and the tied pubs were taken over by Blandford brewers hall and Woodhouse in 1963 and brewing at Wyke ceased shortly after, but fortunately the building still stands, its twin towers a prominent landmark on the western edge of Gillingham. It

has been sensitively converted into apartments and stands as a reminder of Gillingham’s 19th century period of expansion.

Wyke’s beerhouse down the narrow Lydfords Lane opposite the brewery was called the Drum and Monkey but renamed The Buffalo by the Matthews as this was their company trademark.

Even today it retains the appearance and atmosphere of a village ‘local’ and its restaurant, now named Ristoranti Da Massimo, is fast gaining a good reputation for its Italian food. housing estates began to encroach on the fields between Wyke and the town centre in the 1970s and by the end of the

In early April the riverside path from the High Street to the Waitrose store was fringed with a carpet of daffodils.

Common Mead Lane, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4RE

Turn into Broad Robin off B3081, continue past Mellowes Residential Home: Thorngrove is next on right

 01747 822242 Email: thorngrove.staff@scope.org.uk

Beautiful Hanging Baskets For Sale or Filled To Order ...

Spring Bedding Plants own grown ✿ Extended range of Herbaceous Plants own grown TREES – SHRUBS – HERBS – SUNDRIES Hanging Basket workshops: 7th, 8th and 9th May, £2 to inc. refreshment, 2pm – 4.30pm Thorngrove Garden Centre was set up by Scope.

Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Until then, we’ll be here.

OPEN: 9am – 5pm EVERY DAY including SUNDAY the

Phoenix

Now available 5 Tonne Load deLiveries by small lorry

neW

SAND & GRAVEL

PRE-PACKED COAL AVAILABLE

large and small loads Trade enquiries Welcome

We can deliver to your area inc. Castle Cary, Bruton, Sherborne, Wincanton etc.

For advice or information ring Tim or Heidi or call in and see us the Visitor can now be read online … www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

The Square GillinGham Dorset SP8 4AY

Beer Festival Saturday 10th May 8 Ales plus Ciders

LIVE MuSIC with ‘under the Counter’ From 9pm

Open 7 days a week Serving Hot Drinks and Snacks from 10am Food served daily from 12pm until 3pm seniOr citizen 2 cOurse lunch £6.95 Monday to Friday eveninG FOOd served Wednesdays to Saturday from 6pm until 9pm sunday lunch 12noon until 3pm, choice of 3 meats ... with fish and vegetarian options - £7.95 or 2 courses for £10.95 live music Sunday 25th May - ‘May Contain Rock’

tel: 01747 823277

email: thephoenixpub@hotmail.co.uk

ThE VISITOR May 2014 13

GILLINGHAM century almost the entire area had been developed. Particularly pleasant are the roads around Broad Robin, the thoroughfare

created southwards from Wyke Road to link it with Common Mead Lane and enable the latter to be closed to through traffic.

The area is served by a small parade of shops on Broad Robin including a well-stocked convenience store housing an off-

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licence, bakery and post office, and two of Gillingham’s thriving businesses that draw their customers from a wide area – AJS Computing and the Utopia hairdressing salon. A colourful window display reminds clients that Utopia celebrates its 15th anniversary in June (and reminds me that last year the salon came joint first in a national window display competition for hair and beauty salons). AJS Computing is also long-established and stocks computer hardware, software and consumables and undertakes repairs and upgrades. Well worth a visit if you’re having computer problems.

Also worth a visit is the excellent Thorngrove garden centre, run by the charity Scope, formerly called the Spastics Society. A drive along Broad Robin and Common Mead Lane will bring you eventually to Thorngrove house, built in Victorian times on the site of the earlier Queen’s Manor and purchased by the Society in the 1960s for conversion into a residential horticultural training centre. Scope no longer owns the house but still runs the adjacent garden centre to provide training and work for people with cerebral palsy.

Writing about Gillingham in last October’s Visitor I wondered whether the town’s beleaguered high Street was on the verge of recovery. After meandering around Wyke and Broad Robin I ventured into the town centre to take a look, and I am confident that it is. The first thing that struck me on reaching Spring Corner was how much smarter the western end of the high Street is looking. The pair of

ACF WindoWS ANDY FElTHAm

Unit 11, Brickfields Business Park, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4JX

Tel: 01747 826714 / 826721 www.townandcountryaerials.co.uk

On demand and Catch up services require a broadband connection 14 ThE VISITOR May 2014

UPVC REPLACEMENT WINDOWS, DOORS, CONSERVATORIES, WOODEN FRAMED WINDOWS, FASCIA BOARDS, CLADDING, GUTTERING, ALUMINIUM WINDOWS & DOORS ETC.

The old Well House shepherds Hill, Buckhorn Weston GillinGHam, dorset sP8 5HX Tel / Fax: 01963 371715 mobile: 07802 393344

GILLINGHAM shops that were for so long boarded-up eyesores – the former Tudor Newsagents and Stationers – have recently been renovated, reopened and given a new lease of life by a local high-tech business, Netplay, which had outgrown its previous premises. Nearby the riverside path from the high Street to the Waitrose store was fringed with a colourful carpet of daffodils and was being well used

by people heading for the supermarket or the library or just taking a stroll.

Further along I noticed that one of the vacant units next to the former Co-op store has reopened as the Planet Juice offlicence, conveniently situated in the middle of the high Street next to a car park. Across the road the café and card shop both appeared to be doing well. Round

Sales, Repairs & Servicing of PCs, Laptops and Peripherals The computer shop and hairdressing salon are both long-established businesses in the pleasant area of Broad Robin.

BOOKS! BOOKS!

We have the best selection of art books in the area ★ ½ PRICE SELECTION ★

HigH Street, gillingHam tel / Fax: 01747 824050

email: scenesol@aol.com • www.scenes-online.co.uk

excellent & Professional Service & Support 27 Years of experience in Computers established reputation

18 Broad Robin, GILLINGHAM SP8 4PJ Tel: 01747 821063 www.ajscomputing.co.uk email:sales@ajscomputing.co.uk

One stop shop for all your computer needs

Gillingham & Shaftesbury

AGRICuLTuRAL Show ‘the show where town & Country meet’

Wednesday 20th August 2014 8.30am – 6.30pm at the

Motcombe Turnpike Showground SP7 9PL 2 miles north of Shaftesbury on B3081 signed ‘Agricultural Show’

ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE: The White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team Light and Heavy Horse Trade Classes Show Jumping & Private Driving Terrier & Ferret racing ★ Birds of Prey OVER 500 TRADE STANDS INCLUDING: 14 Tractor Dealers ★ 90 Agri Suppliers

... one of the biggest displays of tractors and machinery in the south west

COMPETITIVE CLASSES FOR: Dairy & Beef Cattle ★ Sheep ★ Poultry Grain, Fodder & Maize Horses ★ Ponies ★ Dogs ★ rabbits Homecrafts ★ Handicrafts ★ Horticulture ★ Art Floral Decoration ★ Photography ★ Honey ... with many classes especially for children

SChEDULES & TRADE APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW

Call: 01747 823955

Email: enquiries@gillshaftshow.co.uk Web: www.gillshaftshow.co.uk ThE VISITOR May 2014 15

free presCriptiOn sunglasses Or free spare pair with any frame from our £75 range or above

GILLINGHAM the corner the two shops that had been a discount bookseller since 2006 and a sports equipment retailer since 2010 have both closed, but one has already reopened as the Little Poland grocery and delicatessen and was looking very smart and inviting.

The other, currently being altered and redecorated, is apparently going to be occupied by the Cooperative Funeral Service, not a shop I’m planning to use in the foreseeable future. Opposite, the large shop on the corner of School Lane formerly occupied by Witham house Designs is now a Costa Coffee café. The front windows, which face south, have been set back to provide an outdoor area where customers can sit and enjoy their drinks in

the sunshine, and this appeared to be popular.

Despite all these changes since my last visit, most of the high Street shops remain the same – and most seemed to be thriving.

Crockers traditional ironmongery has long been an attractive feature on the high Street and its extensive window displays were tempting people to part with their money. The recently refurbished post office was busy, as was the Suite and Bed Centre by the river bridge. I came away with the impression that Gillingham is well on the way to recovery, and with further substantial growth planned for the town in the years ahead its future could indeed be rosy.

Roger Richards.

Crockers traditional ironmongery has long been an attractive feature on the High Street and is a stockist of the new Green Farm Paints.

Premium Quality Recycled Paint Minimum 95% recycled content

★ now available from: Crockers, High Street, Gillingham ★ Visit us at: GREEn FaRm PaintS, Unit 10 Kingsmead Business Park GillinGHam, Dorset, SP8 5JG

eyes right OptiCians St. Audries Station Road, Gillingham Tel: 01747 831010

3 Market Place Sturminster Newton

Tel: 01258 473992 lOW priCes and Quality serViCe *30% OFF spectacles applies when choosing any frame from our £75 range or above. Excludes “free spare pair / prescription sunglasses” offer.

Pick up a leaflet or ask our staff for full offer details.

16 ThE VISITOR May 2014

Contact us on: 07906 707481 or 01747 824946 email us at: sales@greenfarmpaints.co.uk ★ www.greenfarmpaints.co.uk

all size skips available

When hiring skips we can fill with aggregate - one delivery ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

Call for enquiries Grab / beaver tail / tipper hire Screened or as dug soil Sand and gravel supplies 25 kilo bags Bulk bags Plant and tool hire All size deliveries Collected or delivered

Trade & DIY Welcome • Ring for enquiries • All rubbish clearance undertaken

gillingham 01747 826107

MERE Katie McAtamney, pictured right, is celebrating her first anniversary at KM Beauty in Mere, where a range of attractive gifts has now been introduced.

watt. They have in stock 60w, 100w, 150w, and 200w lamps which have already ceased manufacture, plus energy saving lamps (dimmable).

Jeans are now able to supply and fit Solar Panels – using their own qualified technicians.

For further details call in or telephone.

End of an Era for Mere

Royal Mail was established in the UK in 1516 and post has been collected and sorted in Mere for hundreds of years. Sadly, not long after privatisation, a decision was taken to close the operation in Mere, and this was implemented on Saturday 29th March, 2014 the last day Mere had a Royal Mail sorting room. Until recently Mere had up to six post men / woman working in the Post Office. The ‘posties’ present on the last day were Mel Wilkinson, Caroline Morton and Simon King.

Mere’s new Skate Park is a huge success. Opened recently, it took around 5 years from conception to completion and about £70,000 to develop. If the number of children using it already is anything to go by, it was worth every penny.

Prop. Katie McAtamney

first year Celebration Offer

£5 Off next treatment ...when you spend £15 or more!

Plus 10% OFF GIFTS over £5

Manicures • Pedicures • Spray Tan • Facials • Waxing • Bio Sculp Nails & More

Salisbury Street, Mere, Wiltshire, BA12 6HF Tel: 01747 860081

JEANS ELECTRICAL Established 1916

DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL Rewires and Repairs – Extra Sockets etc.

Electrical Condition Reports All work given Full Certification Repairs of Washing Machines, Cookers, Freezers etc.

All work Insured and Guaranteed DOMESTIC APPLIANCES SAME DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE on stock items from our Chapel Showroom FOR ALL TV REQUIREMENTS Aerial, Freesat & Sky Installation Repairs ★ New installations ★ Upgrades Realignment ★ DAB Installations ★ Retunes Magic Eyes ★ FM Radio Aerials ★ Sky & Sky HD Freeview ★ Freesat and Freesat HD SOLAR PV PANELS Looking for Solar PV panels? make sure that you purchase them from an established company. We can now supply and install (subject to survey).

01747 860215 Salisbury Street, MERE, Wiltshire, BA12 6HB sales@jeanselectrical.co.uk • www.jeanselectrical.co.uk also: Chapel Showroom, Boar Street, BA12 6DD

BEKO • GLEN DIMPLEX • ELECTROLUX • INDESIT

Jeans of Mere are well known for their excellent choice of white and brown goods. As part of the Euronics buying group they supply goods at competitive prices and offer a Cash & Carry service or same day delivery on all stock items from their Chapel showroom in Boar Street.

Stocked in their Salisbury Street shop is a wide range of small electrical goods such as hairdryers, blenders etc. They are also stockists of Roberts Radios.

They endeavour to offer useful sundry items such as vacuum bags, hand tools and cleaning products and stock Calor gas (this can also be delivered).

They have an on-the-premises workshop to undertake a wide range of electrical repairs and will, if possible, upgrade or refurbish your old table lamp.

Their customer service is excellent.

They have a large stock of traditional lamps and are happy to order lamps for customers if they are still obtainable. This includes candle, golf ball and old fashioned light bulbs in 10 to 100

BEKO • GLEN DIMPLEX • ELECTROLUX • INDESIT

Jeans Electrical

ThE VISITOR May 2014 17

! t Let’s go u o out ... and ab tickets go on sale for Home Farm Fest 2014

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Home Farm Fest music festival, now in its ninth year, which will take place from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th June.

Organised by Somerset-based disaster relief charity the Piers Simon Appeal, this familyfriendly outdoor music festival has grown in size and popularity year on year, with 2014 expected to be the biggest and most successful yet. More than 50 bands and artists are expected to perform over the three day event, at the charity’s base in Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil.

Ticket prices have been frozen, with a full ‘Weekender’ ticket including camping costing just £30 per adult. Day tickets start from £10 per adult, with half price discounts for those aged 317 and free entry for children aged 2 and under.

The previous eight Home Farm Fests have raised a combined £119,000, with £24,000 raised last year alone. For more information and to buy tickets online, visit the Home Farm Fest website at www.homefarmfest.co.uk

Blandford Georgian Fayre 5th may 2014

The biennial Blandford Georgian Fayre takes place on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May, between 10am – 6pm. As one of

The Spirit of Milborne Port

the largest Fayres in the south it is always well attended, attracting visitors from far and wide.

This year’s highlights include: Railway exhibition; Large covered craft area; Farmers markets; Town criers competition; Falconry display; Ferret racing; Rural crafts display; £500 Cash Prize from returned programme slip; Huge range of music to suit every taste; Fun fair, including the wonderful carousel, set in the market place; Wimborne Militia Re-enactment Society, living history display, Nothe Fort artillery musket firing; Fire juggling, circus skills work shop, stilt walking, climbing wall, Juggins the Clown, storytelling and much much more The Fayre is a non-profit making charity that asks the

public to donate voluntarily on admission to the town. This year the fayre with be supporting the Weldmar Hospice Trust – a charity that specialises in providing palliative care to cancer sufferers in Dorset. Over the last 22 years of the Fayre links have been forged throughout the local community, bringing offers of help that has ensured its success.

‘We couldn’t do it on our own’, says Janice Driscoll, President of the organising committee, ‘It really is a testament to a whole community pulling together. Time and commitment are given freely by the committee and the many people and organisations throughout the town’. Funds raised by the Fayre have directly benefited Blandford and its local community in excess of 1 million pounds.

‘Working together for our Community’

Saturday 7th June

Summer Fete & Party @ The Port

Summer Fete

2pm – 5.30pm BBQ ★ Stalls ★ Car Pageant ★ Tug o’ War

Party @ The Port

6pm – 12pm ‘NEW’ Festival Marquee Live Bands ★ Licensed Bar Traditional Beers & Ciders ★ BBQ For more information or to purchase tickets for Party @ The Port call one of the numbers below ...

Claire Andrews: 07729 582669 Andy Maidment: 07973 987523 Fancy joining the team? Call one of the numbers above

Antiques -&Collecting Gold & Silver Jewellery Wanted Best prices paid for wedding rings, pendants, chains, bracelets, and broken items, etc.

Phone Jenny Martin Castle Cary

01963 350733

Beaminster Antiques, Vintage & Collectables Fair Saturday 17th May Public Hall Beaminster Dorset

9.30am – 4.00pm

✱ NexT Fair ✱ Saturday 12th July Bookings & Enquiries Meadow Fairs 01297 24446

Pastimes of sherborne We pay top prices for old toys - any condition trains • Cars • Lorries • soldiers • etc.

Britains * Dinky * Corgi * Hornby Meccano * Tri-ang * Etc. Shop Open Mornings 9.30am - 1.00pm Monday to Saturday

tel: 01935 816072 Mob: 07527 074343 HOMe viSitS by arrangeMent

3 Westbury, sherborne, Dorset Dt9 3eH 18 THE VISITOR May 2014

Georgian long service Naval Flintlock Pistol with tower and proof marks. 19 inches, fine overall condition - P.O.A. Just one of many interesting items available at Quillon House Antiques, Bruton.

Quillon House Antiques 16 HigH Street, B ruton H H H H H

17th / 18th C. oak & Country Furniture Arms & Armoury equestrian Paintings Valuations undertaken Antiques Purchased

 19th C. limited edition, signed contemporary bronze Cape Buffalo, 19" L, 13" H, P.o.A.

 01749 812269

open: tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm

! t Let’s go u o out ... and ab The Fayre opens at 10am with a parade through the town and there will be entertainment throughout the day in the Market and Crown Meadows. Free parking is available in several places around the town, shown on the map available at www. blandfordgeorgianfayre.co.uk/ See their advert on the cover.

Party by the Parrett

Kingsbury Episcopi’s Party by the Parrett is back on Saturday 5th July 2014. Gates open at 2pm for a day packed with a huge variety of bands and musicians playing music from different decades and genres. The line-up includes The Alibi, Land of the Giants, Disguised as Diamonds, Flatland Boogie Band and The Hipcats plus talented students from local schools and colleges.

A wide range of locally prepared hot and cold food will again be on sale plus a full licensed bar featuring Glastonbury Ales, Burrow Hill Cider and a Pimms bar.

Tickets are on sale now, they sold out quickly last year, so to avoid disappointment go to www. partybytheparrett.co.uk to get yours today!

Latvian and Wessex Folk music and Dance

Sherborne will host the first live appearance in the UK by the Celaji Folk Band from Riga, Latvia on Friday 9th May in the new

Wincanton Tennis Club

OPEN DAY

Saturday 26th April: 10.30am – 1.30pm ● Free Coaching ● all Standards Welcome ● refreshments Just turn up on the day, or ring for more details

01747 841396

Greenfield Hall at the International College, Sherborne. Doors open 7.30pm, the concert with dancing begins at 8.00pm.

Four members of the Celaji Band will perform a mixture of Latvian folk music played on traditional instruments and will be joined and ably supported by the Wessex Morris in an evening titled Latvian Folk meets Wessex.

The event is being organised by Sherborne Douzelage as one of its regular fund raising activities to support the aims of the organisation by enabling citizens of Sherborne of all ages to learn about other European cultures thorough educational, cultural and other types of exchange. There are 26 towns in the organisation; one for each member state of the European Union. Sherborne is proud to have been a founder member of this strictly non political organisation.

The Celaji Folk Band will fly to England specially to perform in Sherborne and their appearance is made possible by the generous support of Valmiera Glass UK Ltd of Sherborne. Valmiera is a Latvian owned company formerly known as Marglass Ltd. The International College, Sherborne has been equally

generous in making their new state of the art Greenfield Hall available for the night and thanks go to both for making this event possible.

Craft & Garden Fair sherborne Castle

Craftworkers and garden suppliers will gather at the grounds of Sherborne Castle - the magical setting for the Craft & Garden Fair to be held over the three day MayDay Bank Holiday week-end.

In large marquees erected on the lawns craftworkers will show their latest designs. Unique glassware, woodwork, handmade jewellery, art, designer handbags, lacemaking, designer hats and a host of other crafts will delight visitors. Many of the craftworkers will demonstrate their skills and will be happy to give advice on how

to take up a new hobby.

Among the demonstrators, Richard Boyes will demonstrate chainsaw woodcarving, Daniel Keller will show spoon carving and pole lathe turning.

Garden lovers will have a wide selection of unusual plants and shrubs to choose from and there will be a range of garden furniture in wood and metal, terracotta pots, sculptures, garden ornaments something of interest for everyone.

Children will be entertained by Mr Merlin and OkeyDokey the Dragon. This popular pair have tricks to amaze and gags to amuse the young and the young at heart.

They have even performed in front of Royalty!

A wide choice of refreshments and New Forest ice cream will be available and there’s plenty of

MISTERTON VILLAGE FETE Sunday 18th May, 12noon – 4pm at the Village Hall, Unity Lane, Misterton, TA18 8NA Great Family Day Out with an italian JOB Theme, Live Music, Stalls, Children’s Entertainer, Displays, Art Marquee, Inflatable Slide, Archery ... and much, much more!

Great Selection of Hot and Cold Food.

FREE ENTRY & PARKING ★ Enquiries  Diane Bradly 01460 76761

Latvian Folk Meets Wessex Live Traditional Folk Music & Dancing with THE CELAJI FOLK BAND ... from Latvia and WESSEX MORRIS MEN ... from Dorset

Friday 9th May

Greenfield Hall, International College Sherborne, DT9 4EZ • Doors Open 7.30pm tickets £10, Concessions £5 – inc. Light buffet Cash bar tickets from Sherborne tourist information Centre 01935 817120 or Mary Clothier 01963 251255 This event is generously supported by Valmiera Glass UK and The International College, Sherborne

✱ alibi ✱ Land of Giants ✱ Flatland Boogie Band ✱ Disguised as Diamonds ✱ The Hipcats ... and more For full line-up see website

TICKETS

early Bird ‘til 1st June ... £8 after 1st June ............ £12 5 – 15 Years Old ............ £3 4 and Under .............. Free BriNG yoUr owN cHair.

DO NOT bring food or alcohol into the venue. Sorry, DOGS are NOT PERMITTED. challenge 25 – PLeaSe BriNG i.D. (Passport or Driving Licence) Free ParkiNG Enquiries: polly@partybytheparrett.co.uk For full terms & conditions see our website: www.partybytheparrett.co.uk

kingsbury episcopi rec • Ta12 6ax

✂

CUT OUT

✂ THE VISITOR May 2014 19

Cycle-Babble On the 7th May, 96 of the world's greatest women cyclists, clad in the colours of 16 different international teams, will roll out from Oundle in Northamptonshire and straight into history as the much anticipated and long awaited inaugural Women's Tour takes its first pedal strokes.

An oft used phrase over the past few years in this column has been that cycling in this country is on a high. Be it Olympic glory, Tour de France heroism or the sheer weight of numbers of cyclists who are now squeezing into lycra and mounting their carbon built steeds, there has really been only positive news to convey. But whilst our national men's tour has gone from strength to strength, a continued source of frustration has been the poor deal that the women cyclists of this country have been dealt.

On the track, the four year Olympic cycle, and the world championships that punctuate it, have brought a tidal-wave of Olympic and world titles for our women riders. But whilst for a day or two during a world track championship or an Olympic Games, names like Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell and Dani King grace the sports sections of our papers, those days are short-lived and with little other top quality competition for the papers to report on, they soon disappear from the public's consciousness.

And our road cyclists fare even worse. Whilst our papers are now full of stories of Cavendish, Wiggins and Froome all year round (which of course is a good thing), away from the Olympics or world championships our top women roadies get virtually no recognition or coverage in the mainstream media. They get precious little even in cycling's specialist publications.

And that is why the Women's Tour is so important. By bringing world-class women's road competition to Britain, it is starting to redress the balance in some, albeit small, way.

Starting on the 7th May, the five day route is just shy of 495km.

After an opening 94km stage from Oundle to Northampton, the riders face the longest stage of the race, a 118km ride from Hinckley to Bedford. There follows stages from Felixstowe to Clacton, (90km) and Cheshunt to Welwyn Garden City, (90km) with the finale being a 108km stage from Harwich to 20 THE VISITOR May 2014

Bury St Edmunds. There the very first Women's Tour winner will be crowned.

There are a number of different classifications for the taking. The yellow jersey will be awarded to the overall race winner (the rider with the lowest aggregate time) with the points jersey going to the rider who has amassed the most sprint points along the way. There are also jerseys for the leading young rider on general classification (under 23) and for the leading British rider.

Perhaps one of the most coveted jerseys will be that of the Queen of the Mountains. The race's orange polka-dot jersey echoes the red polka-dots of the iconic mountains jersey of the Tour de France. With two classified climbs on each of the five stages, it is sure to be hotly contested.

Among the 96 riders fighting it out wheel to wheel for those five May days will be the legendary Marianne Vos. Vos rides for the Dutch Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team and is simply the finest cyclist of recent times of either gender, winning multiple Olympic and world titles on the road, track and in cyclo-cross, and claiming virtually every other major race along the way. Vos is the female peloton's Eddy Merckx, arguably even more dominant than the allconquering ‘Cannibal’ of the 1960s and 70s. Vos is looking forward to the race, saying: ‘The times that I've raced in Great Britain – with of course the London Olympic Games fresh in my mind – I have been amazed by the huge crowds and the enthusiastic people. I'm sure it will be a fantastic event and I'm looking forward to competing here with the best riders from all over the World.’

Readers might well remember her sprint to gold in London. On that occasion she pipped Britain's Lizzie Armitstead to the line.

Now, a little over 22 months later, Vos will return to line up in Oundle. Not too far away from her, among the large British contingent, will be a certain Armitstead. Armitstead is the current UCI Women’s Road World Cup leader and will be determined to reverse their respective fortunes of the day they last met on British roads.

It promises to be a fascinating five days. You can follow all the action with highlights of every stage of the Women's Tour being shown on ITV4.

Giles Belbin.

Let’s go ou t space for picnics. Entrance is only £5 and includes the Craft & Garden Fair as well as the Gardens and Grounds. Children under fourteen go free. With plenty of free parking near the show, parking and facility for the less

Celebrates 110th anniversary

able, the Craft and Garden Fair at Sherborne Castle will be open on Saturday 3rd, Sunday 4th and Bank Holiday Monday 5th May from 10am to 6pm. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

Wincanton Choral society

The WCS Spring Concert takes place in the Wincanton Sports Centre on Sunday 18th May 2014 at 7.30pm. The 100 strong

PaiNTiNG coMPeTiTioN Open to Amateurs & Children any medium • Not to exceed a3 a selection of entries to be displayed in Shop Window Winner Prizes £50 Voucher for amateur £25 for Child entries must be received before end of July WiNNer to be announced in The Visitor September issue artworks to be collected from shop after competition Further information call at

12 Cheap street, sherborne

tel: 01935 817100

May Notice Board CUrry riVeL

Curry Rivel Village Hall presents Through the Years by Bookends - a tribute to Simon & Garfunkel - 30th May at 7.30pm.

Tickets £12 from Curry Rivel Post Office or ring 01458 251773.

HeNstriDGe

Blackmore Vale U3A, Tuesday 6th May, 2.30pm at Henstridge Village Hall. Non-Political Talk, Behind the Scenes of Parliament by Regional Outreach Officer Elizabeth Price. Members / guests £1.50.

KiNGtON maGNa

Kington Magna Street Fayre, Saturday 7th June, 11am - 4pm.

Stalls still available. ring Alma 01747 838669.

martOCK

Martock Church Friday 23rd May at 7.30pm the Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band from Newcastle, with Steve Graham, during their West

Country Tour. Tickets £6 from 01935 822706 or £7 on the door.

sOmertON

'Electro-sensitivity' awareness evening with Peter Gane and Dr Andrew Tresidder, Parish Rooms Somerton May14th 7pm 9.30pm. Admission £3 (proceeds to charity ES-UK) Further details 01935 423002.

sOUtH PetHertON

South Petherton Art Society Paintings Exhibition 2014, from Friday 23rd to Monday 26th May. Blake Hall open 10am - 4pm daily.

WeLLs

Wells Lions Mayday Fayre, Wells Market Place, Monday 5th May, 11am - 4.30pm.

Maypole / Country Dancing / City Band / Soulas / Mendip Drummers / Vehicles Bygoneage. Charity Stalls.

aDVertise yOUr JUNe eVeNt Here!

A listing under our Notice Board costs just £5 - send details of What? When? Where? to The Visitor, P.O. Box 1, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7BG. All entries to be pre-paid, maximum 20 words.

Extra words 30p each. Deadline for June issue, Monday 12th May.

! t Let’s go u o out ... and ab choir and soloists will sing La Petite Messe Solennelle (Little Solemn Mass) by Rossini. The work will be accompanied by two pianos and a harmonium. The soloists for this performance are Anna Gregory, Soprano, Arabella Heaton, Alto, Paul Bedley, Tenor and Philip Smith, Bass.

Tickets will be available at the door on the night at £15.00.

Advance tickets at a reduced price of £13.50 are available up to 12th May from choir members or from www.netaticket.com or by telephone (01749 813899).

and homemade cakes. All products are locally sourced and homemade. A special blend of 918 coffee is served in the tearooms. A take-away service is also available.

The tearooms can seat approximately 28 plus there is an attractive courtyard - ideal in the sunny weather.

Beautiful 1930s preserve and honey pots are on sale as well as vintage china. A percentage of the profit from the sale of china Under New Ownership ...

MINSTURS

minsturs

Minsturs of Sturminster Newton has recently changed ownership and is now run by Louise AddleySamuel and her mother Wendy.

This traditional tea room offers delicious cream teas, light lunches Don’t forget to ring Kate, pictured left, to book for the popular Supper Club on Thursday 22nd May at Living Pretty in Curry Rivel.

SANDPITS

HEATING & HOME STORE

Relax In Our Traditional Tea Rooms ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

To be redeemed only at the BuTTerCross Tearooms market Place somerton The BuTTerCross Tearooms

Takeaway Service Available Open for Evening Meals via bookings OAP Nights – 2 Courses £9.95

 01258 471808 www.minsturs.co.uk

Buy 1 Cream Tea and geT The 2nd Free

Valid until 31st October 2014 - VM

Cream Teas & High Teas Pastries and Cakes Warming Menu Light Meals Wholesome Meals

Sturminster House Bath Road Sturminster Newton DT10 1AT

goes to Cancer Research. A selection of Red Bush teas and preserves are also on sale.

market Place, somerton (01458) 273168 Homemade Cakes & Scones Morning Coffee, Cream Teas Lunch Served 12 – 3pm open: mon – sat 9 – 5pm

Inspirational ideas for hearth and home ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Over 200 stoves / fires on display Working models Traditional and contemporary Full installation service Hearth and home accessories Chimney sweeping Katie and Rosie welcome you to Wheathill Garden Centre Tea Rooms where you will find a delicious selection of cakes.

Celebration cakes made to order.

Tea Shop & Interiors

Serving breakfast, lunch & afternoon tea: do call in

Fully licensed • Gift vouchers available Celebration cakes to order Monthly Supper Club ... thursday 22nd May Bookings now being taken

Tel: 01458 253357

www.livingpretty.co.uk

High Street, Curry Rivel, Langport OPEN Tel: 01458 251476 Mon. – Fri. 9 – 5.30

www.sandpitsheatingcentre.co.uk

Sat. 9 – 1

Relax and enjoy a slice of chocolate cake at

The Tea Room Wheathill Garden Centre — Open Bank Holiday Monday —

morning Coffee * Lunches * Daily specials teas * Delicious Homemade Cakes Celebration Cakes to Order  SundAy RoAST £8.95  Main & Dessert - booking advised

Wheathill Lane, Milborne Port  01963 251500 THE VISITOR May 2014 21

LOOKING GOOD suttons stairlifts

Suttons Stairlifts is a family business set up by Mark Sutton with the help of his sons, offering a range of new or refurbished Stairlifts for purchase or rental in the Somerset and Mendip area.

The reasoning/aim for starting this business is to offer a fair, ethical, reasonably priced and friendly service for people with mobility issues who wish to remain independent in their own home.

Suttons Stairlifts offer a range of Handicare stairlifts for sale or rent, new or refurbished to suit most pockets.

A demonstration unit can be found at the Haskins Retail Centre in Shepton Mallet and one of the Suttons staff can demonstrate at least one of the

options available before a site visit is arranged.

Mark’s father, who died Christmas eve 2012, made the mistake of telephoning a national company who not only quoted an inflated price without giving any reasonably priced options but then telephoned daily trying to pressure him into signing up for a vastly overpriced stairlift. Luckily his family took a hand in seeing off this pushy business and sourced a different company to install what turned out to be a far less expensive but necessary solution for just a few months.

Family Health with

Jenna evans Feed your mood

WE KNOW THAT what we eat makes up our bodies and can affect the quality of our physical health - but what about our minds and moods? In this article we’ll be taking a look at foods to boost our moods and increase our feelings of wellbeing.

Apricots - Rich in vitamin B5, supportive to adrenal gland health (and nicknamed the antistress vitamin) and tryptophan, a precursor to the feel good brain chemical serotonin. Apricots are an ideal mood boosting snack.

They also provide an abundance of beta carotene, which has antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic

properties, as well as iron and vitamin C, useful for anaemics.

Avocado - Packed with B vitamins and healthy omega fats, avocados are a great support to the nervous system. As well as being considered anti-depressant, the fats in avocado increase feelings of satiation, making people less likely to binge on unhealthy foods. They also contain anti-oxidants C & E, tryptophan, and potassium which staves off fatigue, depression and helps manage blood pressure.

Sweet Potato - We often seek out stodgy foods in Winter and it is thought that we crave the carbs to boost our moods in the darker months. Sweet potatoes are a perfect wintry comfort food, full of fibre and nerve nourishing B vitamins. They also provide a good nutritional punch of iron to beat fatigue, and the anti-oxidant beta carotene.

Spinach - Loaded with carotenoids, B vitamins, Vitamin C, folic acid and the minerals

Lifting your expectations NEW from £1250 RECONDITIONED from £749 RENTAL from £52 per month

Tel: 0800 999 5432 www.suttonsstairlifts.co.uk In store at Haskins, Shepton Mallet Demonstrations by appointment Tel: 01749 346900

ALISYA Couture Bespoke Dressmaking Service Alterations Ladies Evening & Bridal Wear

BY AppoIntmEnt onLY

www.fashionbyalisya.co.uk Yeovil • 07790 889948 staff@fashionbyalisya.co.uk

The Dress Circle

This attractive vintage style bag from the Envy range is just one of a new collection now in at April’s of Castle Cary - priced at £29.99. w Ne

iN

Colourful T-Shirts inc. Large Sizes and Polo Shirts Envy Handbags Beautiful Scarves − £9.99 inc. Marilyn Monroe Design Amari Tunics and more ...

Vintage Collections - Gifts - Cards - Crafts

April’s, e Black & White Shop 13 Fore Street, Castle Cary Somerset, BA7 7BG  01963 351626 Email: aedmills@btinternet.com

Dress Agency

Quality fasHiOn iteMs wanted tO sell On a cOMMissiOn Basis Wedding hats, wedding outfits, cruise wear and good quality casual wear and accessories, accepted every day ...

10am - 4pm Monday - Friday 10am - 2pm Saturday For large quantities collections can be arranged

4 Brunel Shopping Centre Somerton TA11 7PY  01458 273485 22 THE VISITOR May 2014

Est. 1983 A LADIES ONLY SALON

Élégance

Beauty Therapy Clinic Sandie Barrett M.B.A.B.Th.C. • C.I.D.E.S.C.O.

NEW MAkE-Up RAnGE aloe based mineral make-up

8b Church Street, Wincanton (01963) 34115

With the wonderful choice of summer fabrics now available - why not make your own summer wardrobe with this easy to use Janome Sewing Machine (Model 2090) priced at just £99. It has 14 stitch options, auto 4 step button hole making and more! Available from Hanson’s Fabrics & Crafts of Sturminster Newton.

iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Spinach is an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, fatigue busting superfood. So eat your greens to beat the blues!

Quinoa - An excellent plant based protein providing all the essential amino acids. Quinoa’s B vitamin content helps our resistance to stress and its good mineral yield helps with the growth and repair of our bodies.

Quinoa is considered by some to be an almost perfect food and a great tonic for our systems.

Almonds - Packed with healthy fats, proteins, minerals and B vitamins, almonds are a super snack food. They are high in fibre compared to other nuts, helping to keep the digestive system functioning well - and we know how badly that can be affected when we are strung out!

Brazils - For a super dose of mood lifting, anti-carcinogenic and immune boosting selenium, look no further than a handful of Brazil nuts. They also contain vitamin B1 and magnesium both important nutrients for the nervous system.

Sunflower Seeds - If you’re stressed out and running on empty, grab a fistful of these creamy seeds. Loaded with ‘anti-

stress’ nutrients such as B vitamins, selenium, magnesium and essential fatty acids, they are the perfect pick-me-up for that afternoon slump.

Until next month, happy snacking!

Jenna Evans ©2014.

Ceres Natural Foods, Yeovil stock a wide selection of dried fruits, nuts and seeds. For more information on healthy eating and remedies to help your mood, pop in and have a chat with one of the team. Jenna is available instore at Ceres to advise by appointment, please pop in or call 01935 428791 for details. Always check with a health professional before making any dramatic changes to your diet and lifestyle or starting a new supplement, especially with any existing health conditions.

& FEELING FINE Debra Jane

Following in the footsteps of Jane’s high standards Debra Jane will be selling quality pre-loved clothes and accessories on a commission basis. Now is the ideal time to update your summer wardrobe at a fraction of the cost of new, or turn your unwanted clothes into cash.

Debra Jane has introduced a range of up-cycled fabric brooches, and an exciting range of individually designed handbags.

The first floor showroom now has a ‘Sedgemoor Sugar Craft’ one-stop wedding shop display.

Debra Jane is also a local agent for Gibbs dry cleaning - who are

Harriet sandys

Open over the May Bank Holiday weekend on Friday & Saturday 23rd & 24th May is Harriet Sandys - oriental clothing and gifts from around the world. Here you will find hemp ‘coin’ jackets from Yunnan in south west China, Nepalese felt slippers for adults and children, and a fabulous assortment of hand woven silk and wool scarves.

Silver and semi-precious stone earrings made by craftsmen living in the desert villages of Rajasthan is also on sale.

Needful Things, Castle Cary have a lovely range of easy to wear spring/summer clothes now in.

summer stripes!

Just one of many stylish easy to wear ladies fashion items at

Jenny Vestey

ITEC - Reiki Master - EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner level 3 Jenny Vestey is an experienced health practitioner who has been working with complementary therapies since 1989. She specialises in Reflexology, Reiki and EFT. In 1991 she set up the complementary therapy department for the NHS in the Dorset Cancer Center at Poole Hospital, offering patients a full range of holistic therapies to support their medical care.

She uses this knowledge in helping people through their cancer journey, be that emotional or physical or both.

Jenny holds private clinics in Dorset and Somerset and can be reached on 01749 880199.

JENNY VESTEY I.T.E.C Reiki Master EFT Practitioner Level 3 Holistic Therapist Specialising in

Needful things

Pomodoro, Intown, Saskia and Great Plains brands are lifting our spirits this Spring at Needful Things of Castle Cary. These bright and cheerful clothing ranges are proving so popular in this pretty Market Town; exquisite prints and designs bursting with colour; Needful Things Clothing is proving, once again, that you can achieve an affordable, stylish wardrobe with their inexpensive separates and dresses, scarves and accessories.

New this year is Chris Lewis, designer silver jewellery ... this hallmarked silver range is modern, great value and truly unique!

offering customers a discount throughout May, so hurry along!

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) EFT and CANCER CARE REIKI HEALING REFLEXOLOGY For appointments contact Debra (new proprietor) looks forward to welcoming customers old and new at her Dress Agency in Somerton (formerly Jane’s).

Jenny on Tel: 01749 880199

Email: jenny.vestey@virgin.net

We are a Clothes Agency selling your Clothes and Accessories on a Commission Basis We stock Casual & Smart Wear and Occasion Please come in and say “hello” – we just may have what you are looking for!

MAY PROMOTION

Standard Dry Cleaning only 7 High street, castle cary, Ba7 7an  01963 351352 www.needfulthings.uk.com

... brought to Debra Janes

1st Floor Sedgemoor Sugar Craft The One Stop Wedding Shop

20%

OFF

The Triangle, Somerton, TA11 6QJ • E: debrajanedressagency@outlook.com THE VISITOR May 2014 23

Wine & Dine National Vegetarian Week 19th - 25th may

RESULTS from a recent study

by University College London revealed that we should all be eating 7 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day - much healthier for us than the 5 portions previously recommended. We are told, this can cut the risk of dying prematurely by up to 42%. So, with National Vegetarian Week coming up from 19th - 25th May are you ready to take on this new

veggie challenge? How about switching your diet for a week to discover a whole new world of tasty and tempting dishes?

Whether you are getting acquainted with a wider selection of fruit and veg, doing it for a bet, trying to boost your seven a day or you’re looking to expand your choice at meal times while doing your bit for the planet, visit www.nationalvegetarianweek.org where you will find fresh recipes and meal ideas, tips and hints, shopping advice and support.

Farm Shops & Local Produce Fresh English Asparagus! tasty Jersey Royals english Strawberries & Tomatoes ... TASTE the DIFFERENCE

Cut Flowers ★ Charcoal ★ nuts & Snacks - £1 Packet

T & VI N E ROO Prop. Sue McShane your local independent greengrocer

Market place, Sturminster newton Orders Tel: 01258 472576

Bower Hinton Farm shop - martock OPEN DAY: Saturday 24th MAY Fine Food tastings ...

Locally Sourced Wine - Cheese - Sausages Cakes - Fudge - and More HoME GRowN STRAwbERRIES ... available 3rd week in May LoCAL ASPARAGUS OPEN: Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

Just off the B3165 at the top of Bower Hinton tel: 01935 827743 • www.bowerhintonfarmshop.co.uk

One vegetable that is available all year round thanks to the glorious climes of Kenya and Guatemala, is Tenderstem® but if you like cutting down on air-miles and insist on buying from ‘local’ producers, you’ll be glad to know the British season is approaching, and this delicious vegetable will be available from June to November.

tenderstem® & Cambozola tartlet

Ingredients 200g pack Tenderstem® broccoli 1 packet ready-rolled puff pastry 200g Cambozola Method Easy yet impressive, these tartlets are ideal for alfresco eating or an indulgent dinner party dish.

5. Season with a grind of black pepper and a little sea salt, and bake for about 8 minutes in a really hot oven. Serve with a punchy rocket salad.

root & Vine

Sue at Root & Vine Sturminster Newton says ‘Now is the time locally grown fruit and vegetables start appearing in the shops - you can really taste the difference!

Tender asparagus, Jersey Royal new potaoes and English Strawberries - plus of course fresh salads’.

Support your local producers and taste the differnce for yourself!

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. 2. Blanch the Tenderstem® for 1 minute in boiling water whilst you prepare the pastry.

3. Take 1 packet ready-rolled puff pastry, cut it into 4 rectangular pieces and place it onto 2 baking trays lined with parchment.

4. Arrange the blanched Tenderstem® floret-to-stem along the pastry and top with thin slices of Cambozola, taking care to cover the delicate tips with cheese to prevent them scorching.

The Visitor can now be read online www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

MU April 25th 25th 26th 26th

si

C

FOr

Tender, locally grown asparagus with melted butter - one of the delights of spring!

May 2nd - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil 17th - White Hart, Sturminster newton

THe

M

On

TH

aN aDVerT iN THe PUB PaGeS eNSUreS a Free MeNTioN Here!

reDHiLLBiLLies - Unicorn, Wincanton QUiCKsiLVer - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil COLiN sHOre - Wyndham arms, Kingsbury episcopi tHe LeVeLs - Unicorn, Wincanton

May 2nd 4th 4th 8th 9th 10th 10th 10th 10th 16th 23rd 23rd 25th 25th

CHris raiNBOW - Wyndham arms, Kingsbury episcopi tHe iNtrUDers - Lord nelson, norton Sub Hamdon tHe ray JONes BaND - Wyndham arms, Kingsbury episcopi GUy JOHNsON - natterjack, evercreech Junction Pete CHristie - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil UNDer tHe COUNter - Phoenix, gillingham tHe DisCiPLes - Muddled Man, West Chinnock Barry PaULL (elvis) - Lord nelson, norton Sub Hamdon NiCK tatUm - Marston inn, Marston Magna PaUL smitH - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil JULie DUNN - White Hart, Sturminster newton marK VeNUs - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil may CONtaiN rOCK - Phoenix, gillingham traNsitiON COVers OriGiNaLs Lord nelson, norton Sub Hamdon 30th mr. D’arCy - Quicksilver Mail, yeovil

24 THE VISITOR May 2014

THE VISITOR May 2014 25

—— truffles Brasserie —— Bruton

TRUFFLES has always been the home of outstanding food in Bruton, but it lost its way early in this century as it strove to evolve with the changing demands of you, your family and your friends. Truffles has been put back on track, the new owners clearly understand the direction Truffles should take, they have spent two years growing their vision with the local people to give them the restaurant both Bruton and Somerset deserve!

Richard and Barbara Sorapure, the owners of the business have a connection to the past incarnation of Truffles.

They came here as customers while their children attended Kings School. These children, now adults, form the backbone of the new Truffles Brasserie.

Simon is the manager, Matt

The Sorapure family at Truffles Brasserie. From left: Richard, Matt, Barbara, Simon (manager), and Nicola.

assists in the kitchen and Nicola and Natasha form the front of house team.

Richard spends his time travelling the world ensuring that our modern society has the energy we need, often putting himself in harm’s way, in places such as East & West Africa

where he has encountered modern day pirates (see his blog on their website), to Grimsby which brings its own difficulties.

Barbara is heavily involved with the local music, arts and culture scene and supports local artists at Truffles through their

JON THORNER’S FARM SHOP

Pylle, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6TA Purveyors of premium locally sourced meats ... are pleased to supply Truffles Brasserie and wish them continued success

ENquiRiES: 01749 830138 www.jonthorners.co.uk

The tasteful first floor dining room.

Wishing Truffles every success

26 THE VISITOR May 2014

—— truffles Brasserie —— Bruton

‘Art on the Wall’ initiative which gives a platform to the Somerset arts community to express themselves.

The Sorapure family has shown an enormous commitment to Bruton and its surroundings and are very proud to have a long term love of the beauty of the area stretching back a generation. The kindness of the people they have come to know over many years defines their joy of being a part of our community.

Being such an integral part of their community has been a massive asset in their adoption of Truffles, they spotted that a very rare thing in Somerset was about to be forgotten and lost, so in 2012 they hatched a plan to save it for us all.

What is this place we were losing, it is after all only somewhere to eat out, isn’t it?

No, the rare thing about Truffles Brasserie is it is a RURAL RESTAURANT, we are surrounded by wonderful Pubs and Hotels serving food but that is only part of what they do, Pubs serve drinkers and Hotels also serve the travellers.

Truffles Brasserie stands or falls on the quality of the food

they sell you, NOTHING ELSE! With this in mind they engaged the best Chef in the area, Simon Jones, who is trained in the classic French style of Escoffier, having over thirty-two years experience cooking, with twenty years living and working within ten miles of Truffles Brasserie. There are very few chefs with his knowledge of the best and the worst of our local producers. Working with local producers over many years he has helped shape levels of quality only dreamed of by newcomers to the area. What chef do you know that has seen nine generations of a beef herd get better and better after being involved in what he wants for the cut on his plate!

Truffles Brasserie has redefined the eating experience by bringing it full circle, it is a RESTAURANT not an event, it is a RESTAURANT not a pub, it is a RESTAURANT not a hotel.

When was the last time you went to a proper restaurant?

Check out the menu at Truffles Brasserie and read their trip advisor reviews. You will get the very best the West Country can offer. Most of all enjoy yourself!

A Visitor Advertisement Feature.

C’est la vie! Alfresco dining at Truffles Brasserie.

newly RefuRBisHed

Have you discovered …

truffles BrASSErIE 95 High Street • Bruton • BA10 0Ar imaginative cuisine served in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere Brunch: 9am – 11.45am Lunch: 12noon – 2pm Tuesday – Sunday Prix Fixe Lunch: 3 Course £13.95, 2 Course £12.95 Dinner: 7pm – 9.30pm Wednesday – Saturday Full Brasserie Menu available Lunchtimes and Evenings

fresh seafood a speciality sunday lunch with a difference!

FreNch BUFFet LUNch

see us at Packhorse fair Bank Holiday Monday 26th May and sample tasters of our menu A taste of France comes to the South West

fOR ReseRVatiOns tel: 01749 812180 Chef, Simon Jones.

www.trufflesbrasserie.com

THE VISITOR May 2014 27

The

Pub Pages

Camra Cider Pub of the year 2014 – Heart of Wessex Branch

The Heart of Wessex Branch of CAMRA has named the Unicorn Inn, Bayford, Wincanton, as their Cider Pub of The Year 2014. The Unicorn was chosen from a number of real cider pubs out of the 90 or so pubs in the branch area and will now go forward to

compete in the Wessex Regional Championship. The Wessex Region covers East Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, South Wiltshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands and if The Unicorn is successful, it will then compete against the other 15 regional pubs for the title of CAMRA National Cider Pub of The Year.

Chosen for its continued support for real cider and the enthusiasm of landlord, Richard Cummins, there is always a choice of competitively priced farmhouse ciders available as well as four real ales. Cider festivals are often held, the next of which is 25th to 27th April with music all sessions. The welcome is always warm and jovial with enthusiastic attendance to all customers.

The Unicorn has been, variously, a coaching inn, cider house and pub for about 250

Home-Made Food Served 7 Days a Week

years and sits alongside the old London Plymouth coach road. The pub is very compact with a single room divided into three areas

with a central fireplace and beamed ceiling. There is a small outside area and car park (through the narrow archway).

Vinny celebrates on the 23rd April in his local

Real Ales - Garden Skittle Alley

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY PUB Serving Sensibly Priced Food & Drink Dinnington, Nr.Hinton St. George • Tel 01460 52397

The

Lord Nelson

Rectory Lane Norton Sub Hamdon

Mark, Helen and staff welcome you to ‘The Nelson’

GooD FooD - GooD Beer - GreaT aTMoSPHere Sunday 4th May: The Intruders Saturday 10th May: Barry Paull as Elvis Sunday 11th May: Quiz Night – hosted by Pete & Hazel Saturday 17th May: HAMDON HA HA – tickets £8 from pub Sunday 25th May: Transition Covers Originals MID-WEEK LUNCHTIME SPECIAL 2 Courses for only £8 Monday – Friday Lunchtime Gluten Free Dishes Available coUrTyarD H Beer GarDeN aT rear aMPLe ParkiNG oPeN aLL Day FriDay, SaTUrDay & SUNDay

Tel: 01935 881473 www.thelordnelson.biz

Dean & Lou welcome you to the

Marston Inn Marston Magna nr. Yeovil

Delicious Food, Great Service, Fantastic Atmosphere Buy One Main Meal get the Second FREE every Tuesday "Dessert Club" every Wednesday FREE DESSERT with any Main Meal Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 11.00am – 5.00pm Large Restaurant ... available for Private Evening Hire Three Outdoor Seating Areas ThE ARCh in Swan Yard Off Cheap Street ShERBORnE, DT9 3AX Tel: 01935 817022 Email: thearch.dorset@gmail.com www.thearch-sherborne.com

Heart of Wessex cAMrA real cider pub of the year 2014

unicorn Inn

The Bayford • Wincanton • BA9 9NL  01963 34941 ThANk you to all our genuine and loyal customers for their continued support at The unicorn Inn

OPEN bank holiday Mondays for Lunch

excellent Real Cider & Real Ales

LIVE MUSIC

We are pleased to offer Good PuB Food including a New Fish Menu, Steak Specials and excellent Sunday Roast Lunches

Saturday 10 May – NICK TATUM th

Sunday Carvery using quality loCal SoMerSet MeatS Main £8.50 • Two Courses £11

Join us for a deliCiouS

Tuesday – Saturday: Lunchtime Special – Two Meals for £12 Thursday: Steak Night – Two Steaks £14 Friday: Beer Battered Fish Supper £5.50

 01935 850020 28 THE VISITOR May 2014

Real Cider Festival Weekend 25th, 26th, 27th APRIL

With “A Taste of Somerset” and with LIve MuSIC The Redhillbillies Country Music on Friday and The Levels with their unique brand of “Limestone Rock” on Saturday

The

Pub Pages

at The Royal Oak, Over Stratton whose good lady gave birth to baby Oscar on Mothering Sunday ... and the recent Greek Themed evening at The New Farm Restaurant was very popular - but there was no plate breaking!!

Careering on to Kingsbury Episcopi where the popular annual May Festival will be held once again this year and at The Wyndham Arms, there will be

real ales galore, plus live music and a BBQ ... excellent value food at The Rose & Crown Bower Hinton ... and good luck and farewell to Anne at The Lime Tree, Thornford and welcome to new host Terri.

Breezing on to Bayford where congratulations go to landlord Richard Cummins at The Unicorn, named Cider Pub of the Year 2014 by the Heart of Wessex Branch of CAMRA . Don’t

Adrian and Kate invite you to

Sunday 4th May

natterjack Annual sponsoREd BikE RidE

AROUND THE

H O U S E S IN YEOVIL ... The Quicksilver Mail has a brilliant function room, ideal for all your celebrations ... at The Great Lyde reaching a thousand ‘likes’ could prove to be a ‘drag’ for Ryan Hamilton ... early booking advised for the forthcoming Hamdon Ha Ha - comedians from the Valleys - Boyo at The Lord Nelson, Norton Sub Hamdon where tickets are now on sale ... the up and coming Charity Night to be held at The Muddled Man West Chinnock has some superb prizes - from pamper packages through to an iPad - why not pop along?

Congratulations go to chef Dan,

miss their Cider Festival this weekend 25-27th April ... live music with the Bell Street Jazz Band on the 25th May at The Dolphin, Wincanton ... don’t miss the Beer Festival with live music at The Phoenix, Gillingham ... breakfast is now served from 8am at The Walnut Tree, Mere ... and in Sturminster Newton The White Hart welcomes new skittles, darts and pool teams.

11.30am Start from Pub

✴ 25 Mile course ✴ Taking in Ditcheat, Butleigh, Glastonbury, etc. ... arriving back at the Pub for BBQ at 3pm ✴ Hi-Vis Vests Provided ✴

sponsor Packs available behind the bar or from website In aid of PrOstatE CanCEr Charity and avOn & sOMErsEt sEarCh & Cliff rEsCuE thursday 8th May

EXCELLENT ACCOMMODATION

5 EnsuitE LEtting Rooms Disabled Access - Viewings Welcome

email: natterjack@btconnect.com website: www.thenatterjackinn.co.uk

Live music with guy Johnson Singer & Songwriter

Monday 12th May Fun Quiz: teams of 4 – 6 Starts 8.15pm • £5 Per Team inc. Bowl of Chips!

the natterjack inn, nr. evercreech Junction evercreech, somerset, Ba4 6na

Welcome to

The White Hart Market Cross, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AN Tel: 01258 475391

info@thewhitehartsn.co.uk * www.thewhitehartsn.co.uk A reAl fAMily cOncern – Jeanette Willis took over the White Hart at Sturminster Newton in January together with her sister Trudie (front of house) and mum Helen (Head Chef).

Landlady Jeanette Willis (left) and Since taking over they have given this character inn a fresh new look and introduced delicious Trudie look forward to welcoming you. new menus. The inn also has three comfortable letting rooms.

Food is served seven days a week from 11am – 8pm Monday – Thursday; 11am – 9pm Friday and Saturday and 12noon – 4pm on Sunday.

The menu offers variety and is well priced. Starters include Homemade Soup and crusty bread £3.50 and Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on a bed of toast £4.75. ‘Harty’ meals include such dishes as Tuna & Spring Onion Fishcakes; Beef Lasagne; Ham topped with fried egg and Steak & Tanglefoot Ale Pie all at just £9.95. An ever changing specials board supplements the menu. A range of salads have been introduced now that the weather is warmer. If you are looking for a lighter meal the Light Bite menu from £5 is ideal! Consisting of freshly filled baguettes and panini plus a variety of filled jacket potatoes.

The ‘build your own breakfast’ is proving popular! Select the breakfast of your choice from the extensive menu. Priced from £3.50 it is available from 11am – 6pm. Special themed menus priced at £7.50 are available on a Saturday evening.

A fixed-price 2 course Sunday menu is available for £9.95 and is excellent value - a starter or sweet plus a main course. There is always a good choice – and includes a roast, pasta dish, fish dish and a vegetarian option. Booking is advised to avoid disappointment. Don’t forget there is a delightful patio garden at the rear in which to relax as well as a seated courtyard area. The first floor skittle alley doubles as a function room with its own bar and entrance. Private parties are most welcome The attractive patio garden.

– menus to suit. Seating for approximately 45, Buffet for around 60.

Live music is usually held on the last Friday of the month. Regular Karaoke is planned and Quiz Night is the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Diary Dates: Friday 23rd May – Music with Julie Dunn; Karaoke Saturday 17th May; Quiz in aid of the Air Ambulance Tuesday 13th.

So whether you are taking the family out for Sunday lunch or meeting friends for a relaxing drink, call into the White hart, where a warm welcome awaits! Ample parking through the archway. new skittles, pool and darts teams welcome.

THE VISITOR May 2014 29

They Say That the bumble bees are so fat in Charlton Mackrell this Spring they have been unable to enter the daffodil trumpets.

That Castle Cary’s Brian Singer likes his 3-wheeled golfing trolley that has no engine and no wheels.

That an enthusiastic crowd gathered on the banks of the River Tone in Taunton recently to see Olympic Gold Medalist James Cracknell.

That petal power, in flowers, comes from ‘periodic ordering of nanoscale structures in the petal epidermis’ - according to a Cambridgeshire parish magazine.

That Dawn Weeks of Wincanton has taken to having her night time beverage in the morning.

That it was all a bit of a ‘pain in the derrière’ for Seb Pitman when Ansford’s Charlie Anderson fell on a cactus in Tenerife.

That turning your sausages with tweezers can be almost as difficult as plucking your eyebrows with kitchen tongs, according to Sprowston’s culinary queen Janet Feakins.

That the idea is being mooted for a flyover in Castle Cary’s High Street, so that John Lawrence can cross the road safely.

That Petula White of Steanbow now officially grown up - can often be seen ‘lounging’ around with her ‘Penn’ friend and convent classmates!

That some mornings in Chiselborough there is definitely a case of camera over-exposure.

That whilst researching his family tree, Johnny Vegas recently called in for a pint at The Natterjack Inn, Evercreech Junction.

That after a recent extensive search, Mike Orchard of Norton Sub Hamdon can now hear you loud and clear - unless you want a discount of course!

That to put you in the picture, the Martock Gallery flood appeal canvases (as featured on last month’s cover) have raised around £1,000 so far.

That when dining out, Mrs Ann Davis of Castle Cary will not be having dessert - because she has not “mush-room” left!

That a certain Chiselborough dog thought that an Easter Egg Hunt was a jolly good idea.

That many congratulations go to residents of Charlton Musgrove and Gillingham whose recent ploughing match raised £1,700 for charity.

30 THE VISITOR May 2014

Pete Lambden & Staff welcome you to .....

168 Hendford Hill YEOVIL

“youth’s a mask and it don’t last Live it long and live it fast” FirSt PerSOn to tell me the above song gets a free drink! Last month Karen anderson of Bower Hinton remembered that it was Kate Bush and “running up that Hill”.

Had a great month up here at the top of the hill celebrating 12 years of trying to make this a nice place to be . a very special thank you to all the team at The Visitor Magazine for a great feature in last month’s edition. and thank you to all of you who came along to help me celebrate at my party. the fabulous snake Davis performed alongside mr. D’arcy knocking out all the hits into the early hours. a splendid time was had by all!

We had a couple more notable parties this month. marie Firth had a great little soiree here to celebrate her retirement after 40 years working at YDH! Loads of nice people, little bit of food, all for a very nice lady.

Congratulations Marie .

Julia evans celebrated The Big 5Ohh here on the 11th. a great bunch of friends, a curry, a few beers, and a game of killer skittles for about 50 people, made for a super evening. and on the same evening my son and heir Harry celebrated his 12th year on the planet. Where does the time go? it was nice to see Gordy Gardner popping in with his much younger wife and taking advantage of our Pensioners Lunch Offer . next month we have Karaoke on the 2nd, on the 9th Pete Christie will be here live in the bar. On the 16th Paul smith makes a welcome return, as does mark Venus on the 23rd. rounding off a fantastic month for music mr. D’arcy will be here on the 30th.

Finally: i went to Acorn Record Shop and i said “What have you got by the Doors?” He said: “a bucket of sand and a fire blanket!”  tOOt tOOt!!!

BOOkINGS

 01935 424721

The

Pub Pages

Winding on to Wraxall ... where there’s a regular fortnightly Flea Market at The Queens Arms on a Sunday ... Fundraising event being held at The Cross Keys Inn, Lydford on the Bank Holiday Weekend at the end of May ...

download or pick up a sponsorship form for the Annual Charity Cycle Ride hosted by The Natterjack Inn at Evercreech Junction ... good choice of fresh seafood at Truffles Brasserie in Bruton ... Sean likes to keep fit at The Montague Inn, Shepton Montague ... music and hog roast at The Queens Arms, Corton Denham on Bank Holiday 5th May ... The Marston Inn at Marston Magna will be open on the Bank Holiday Mondays for Lunch ... and finally, don’t forget that The Visitor will be out on Thursday 22nd May, prior to the next May Spring Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. This is an ideal time to promote your Bank Holiday events and activities, and of course, Fathers Day.

The Rose and Crown

Bower Hinton • Martock • TA12 6JY  01935 822393 HOmemADe FOOD available from our Bar menu for £7 ... plus Light Bites including Baguettes and Jacket Potatoes We host regular Live music on Saturday evenings ... plus a Fortnightly Friday Quiz Come and watch all the Live Sporting Action on our Large TV Screen with Surround Sound For further information and details of more events please see our website: www.therosiebowerhinton.co.uk Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12pm ‘til Close

The

Wyndham Arms

KingSbUry ePiSCOPi nr. MartOCK SOMerSet ta12 6at

LIVE MUSIC saturday 26 th april – Colin shore from 9pm – 12 midnight

★ Function room & skittle alley available for private hire / parties ★

May Festival Weekend LIVE MUSIC Friday 2nd may – Chris rainbow sunday 4th may – the ray Jones Band from 9pm – 12 midnight

monday 5th may – may Day Sorry, no pub food on the Monday but ...

there will be a BBQ in the PUB GrOUNDs in aid of our local Sports Field

OVer the WeeKeND there is a choice of 15 REAL ALES and on monday the main Bar / Upstairs & Canopy / real ale Bar are all open!

PLeaSe nOte: Pub car park is closed to vehicles on bank Holiday Monday Only alternative parking available in the village

tel: 01935 823239 Please visit us on our website: www.wyndhamarms.com

Badger launches Billy stinger for spring-time drinking

To celebrate the arrival of spring, Badger is launching Billy Stinger, a new tongue-tingling seasonal cask ale brewed with nettles, which will be available throughout the estate during April and May 2014.

With a gloriously grassy aroma, this 4.5% zingy beer is sure to lift the spirits and have Badger lovers everywhere queuing up for its deliciously refreshing herbal flavours.

Commenting on the latest

countryside-themed seasonal beer, Head Brewer Toby Heasman explains, ‘Billy Stinger is brewed with nettles and has a subtle herbal character that lingers on the palate, so it’s great paired with a fragrant Thai curry or Asianstyle fishcakes, but also works just as well with a succulent roast lamb for Sunday lunch.’

Billy Stinger is made with Dorset spring water that has been naturally filtered for up to a century through the Cretaceous chalk downs and drawn up 120ft from the Brewery’s own wells.

Billy Stinger will be available in all Hall & Woodhouse houses.

Beer & sKittles will be back ... next month

your hosts, mick, Jean and Garry welcome you to

The mUDDLeD

maN

Lower street, West Chinnock a charming country inn serving home cooked fayre lunchtimes and evenings

CHARITY nIGHT Saturday 10th May

Entry £5 in aid of village School / Playgroup LIvE MUSIC with The Disciples Silent Auction: bobby Charlton Memorabilia Designer Dining table and 4 Chairs RRP £2500 (by PearsonLloyd) pRIZE DRAW inc. 16m iPaD air and Luxury Spa Pamper Package Something for everyone! Prize tree and more!

Sunday Lunch £7.95 • Fresh Fish Fridays Steak Special TWO 8oz Rumps £16.50 rEaL aLES – LOvELy gardENS – SkiTTLE aLLEy – daiLy SpEciaLS – accOMMOdaTiON

Tel: 01935 881235

Chris & Jill welcome you to the ...

rOyaL OaK Over stratton, south Petherton tel: 01460 240906

A Charming Country Inn

offering delicious home-cooked food ...

Delicious LUNcHTiMe SPeciaL 2 Courses £8.50 • Tuesday to Saturday weDNeSDay & THUrSDay SPeciaL

SUrF, TUrF, SwiNe and wiNe NiGHT

tWO rump steaKs or tWO Beer Battered HaDDOCK or tWO Gammon steaKs or AnY TWO with a ...

CaraFe of WiNe £20.95 per couple — booking Advised —

Steak Night Every Monday

Ribeye, Pork Loin or Salmon with Salad and Fries for only £10 per head

Simple Supper Every Tuesday Delicious 2 course set menu for only £10 per head

Open Lunchtimes Bank Holidays

RACING

Evening Racing with Sean Thursday 8th May – Wincanton Cream tea, taxis, premiere enclosure tickets plus supper £40

RACING

Tuesday 13th May – Wincanton Early lunch, taxis, premiere enclosure tickets plus supper £40

Thursdays are now SuMMER SIzzLER NIGHTS Try out our gourmet burger and grill selection for a tenner!

QuIz SuPPERS

Wednesday 30th April • Wednesday 21st May

Traditional ★ SUNDay roaST ★ THE VISITOR May 2014 31

m O tO r i N G ViNtaGe motor Cycling AS I RIDE around the countryside I appreciate how lucky we are to live in this green and pleasant land. Early April and the hedges and trees are showing that fresh green colour of spring. The warmer temperatures and better weather have allowed us to get out on the bike more frequently and somehow I can accept and appreciate the wonders of nature more when riding a bike than I ever can when shut in a tin box.

A query on my motorcycle insurance has recently thrown up an anomaly. I have one machine, which is quite rare and of some value, for which I have no registration number or documents. It transpired that insurance companies can no longer insure a machine which does not bear a registration number. My bike requires a full rebuild and so will not be roadworthy and able to be registered for some time. It will remain uninsurable for that duration. Many enthusiasts have old vehicles awaiting restoration and must be in a similar situation. I have my machine very secure and advise others to do likewise.

The Chancellor in his budget made a few changes which affect our hobby and which few people have picked up on. The rules which have allowed pre 1973 vehicles to be exempt from paying road tax (yes I know we still get a tax disc which is free) have now been changed into a rolling 40 year exemption. Therefore whenever a vehicle becomes over 40 years old then this exemption will kick in. So next year it will be 1974 and the following year 1975 and so on.

Other changes are being talked about concerning Vehicle

Excise Duty. From October 2014 it is likely that no actual tax disc will be issued at all. The authorities can check instantly by computer if motorists have a valid insurance, MOT and have paid the road tax. In addition, when an owner sells a vehicle they will be responsible for claiming the refund of any unused road tax. It will be for the new owner to then tax the vehicle afresh. There is even an idea afloat that everyone will have a registration allocated to them and that number will stay with them for life. As you change vehicles then the number will be changed accordingly. As I learn more of these matters I will update you.

Club events now come thick and fast. During May the Somerset Section has a film show at its club night on the 1st. They have an evening meet at Weston Zoyland on the 14th, and on the 25th they have the All Day Breakfast Run at Spaxton. The Wessex Veteran and Vintage Section has a Table Top Trial for its club night on the 12th. The Dorset Section has its Lunch

BREWERS GARAGE LTD air COnDitiOning • DiagnOStiCS tyreS • MOt ServiCing • rePairS Telephone

01935 812720 Western Ways yard Bristol road, sHerBOrNe, Dorset Dt9 4Hr 32 THE VISITOR May 2014

Meet on the 7th followed by an Evening Run for its club night on the14th and on the 18th will hold its premier event of the year which is the Weymouth Run which starts on the seafront.

Lastly they have their Breakfast Meet at West Stour on the 31st.

All three Sections will be taking part in the Relay Rally on the 4th. This is where every Section in the country has at least one check point and where riders can sign on at any check point they wish, then ride as far as they wish visiting as many other check points as they want to. It all makes for a very social days riding with no rules or specified routes to follow, it is always a popular event.

Next, another date for your diary as the Wells Classic Motorcycle Club holds its annual Tortoise & Hare Run on Sunday 8th June. Starting from Wells Football Club there are two routes to cater for all types of machines, a coffee stop is organised and lunch stop, presentation ceremony and even a licensed bar. It all sounds like the makings of a thoroughly good day out and all proceeds will go to the Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance. Definitely a win win

situation for all. Go to www.wellsclassicmotorcycleclub. co.uk for more information.

Another event of note is the Country Fair at Sherborne Castle on the 26th May. A static show as far as the cars and motorcycles are concerned but it always makes a pleasant day out seeing the animals and all the country pursuits and skills on display.

There is always Dragon Boat racing on the lake which makes for quite a spectacle. This is a large show and it takes quite a few hours to see everything.

There is bound to be something of interest to everyone and makes a jolly good day out for all the family.

Old motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes, as do their owners and riders. Some of the small volume producers made some very interesting machines and one such concern was Cotton motorcycles made at Quay Street, Gloucester. This is another marque which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Cotton did make ordinary road going machines but mostly they produced machines of a sporting nature. Later they concentrated on Scrambles, Trials and Road Racing machines. They were always quite inventive and one early example was the invention of frames made entirely of straight tubes. This gave great rigidity and improved handling characteristics. It is nice to think that in the mass produced world there was always room for a small manufacturer able to make something just that little bit different.

My picture this month is included just to show that we do actually go and ride these old bikes. It depicts a group of riders and machines outside the Corn Exchange at Blandford awaiting the start of the recent Dorset Section Run. A jolly good event and a hint of even better things to come throughout this glorious summer we are about to have.

Or is that just wishful thinking?

Rod Hann.

GLiDerOL GArAGe DOOrs All garage doors are different, so as a roller door specialist, (I don’t replace windows, etc.) I can survey, quote and install to your requirements and make the most of your garage opening, as generally no frame is necessary. With the option of automated operation with remote control, a top quality garage door need only be a phone call away.

G.H. saLes. tel: 01935 891414

robert stone & Co., Chartered accountants and tax advisers in ilminster answers questions from small businesses in somerset Q1. i've recently made a gain of £62,000 by selling the shares i acquired though emi options issued by my employer. Does that big gain push me into a higher tax bracket for income tax?

What tax should i expect to pay on the gain? robert stone replies :

The gain made in 2013/14 by selling the shares you acquired through the EMI share option scheme should qualify for entrepreneurs' relief and thus be taxable at 10% after deducting your annual exemption of £10,900. However, entrepreneurs' relief will only apply if you were still employed by the company at the time you sold the shares, and the period between the grant of the share options and the date you sold the shares was at least 12 months.

The amount of the gain in 2013/14 will not affect the top rate of income tax you pay for that tax year.

Business Does this payment have to be reported on the form P11D? if so, do i pay tax on the membership fee? robert stone replies:

If your company does not already have a ‘dispensation’ from reporting P11D business expenses for 2014/15 it could apply for one by 5 April 2015 using form P11DX or on the HMRC website. That dispensation will cover payment of the APM fees as the APM is on HMRC's approved list of professional bodies.

If the dispensation for 2013/14 was not in place the APM fee should be reported on the form P11D for that tax year. You should then enter the P11D figures on

Chartered Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors

robert stone replies:

Yes, if your company is making a profit it can make charitable

If you have an urgent query contact Robert Stone on 01460 55661.

Business Opportunities

BUsiNess opportUNities ~ at ~

Stationery, Cards and Gift Wrap

Woodside Court, Sparkford

Office Equipment & Furniture Printer Inks and Toners Competitive Prices FREE Local Delivery See our extensive new range of

26 Lower Woodcock Street Castle Cary BA7 7BH Tel: 01963 351052

Quality nOteBOOKs

business and limited company accounts, self assessment tax returns, vat, Payroll, book-keeping and training

Also Stockists of Lamy Sheaffer & Parker Pens Filofax & Collins Organisers

Personal and professional service

Q3. Can my company make regular donations to charity and receive tax relief for those gifts?

See the new range of Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks on display at Midwest the Stationers in Cheap Street, Sherborne.

Q2. i am a member of the aPm (association for Project management) and my company pays my membership fees to the aPm on my behalf.

MAx FOOTe Associates Ltd

your 2013/14 tax return and make a claim on the same return to set the APM membership fee against your taxable earnings. As a consequence of that claim on your tax return you should not pay tax on the membership fee.

donations and get relief against corporation tax. It should claim the total donations made in the accounting period on the corporation tax return for that period. However, the deduction of donations cannot change a taxable profit into a loss, or increase a taxable loss. In those cases there is no tax relief for the donations.

Although, if your company is part of a group of companies, the relief for the excess donations may be passed to another member of the group.

The recipient charity cannot claim gift aid relief on the company's donation.

various colours / sizes / formats from leuchtturm1917

Call at our shop ...

21 Cheap Street, Sherborne Tel: 01935 814225 or visit our website ...

www.midwest-office.co.uk

CG Accountancy Offer Professional Services

Office spaces to let in this pleasant well appointed business centre attractive out of town premises within easy access of the a303 ideal for start-up / expansion businesses Full amenities – including toilets, kitchen, meeting room facilities and ample free parking Competitive rental – flexible tenancies non restricted opening hours

including

Book Keeping • Management & Year End Accounts Budgets and Forecasts • Payroll and V.A.T. company Secretarial Services Tel: 01749 677929 or 07989 364521 Email: clive.greener@googlemail.com

Enquiries: Maryanne Stokes 07747 676833 or email: info@woodsidecourt.co.uk www.woodsidecourt.co.uk THE VISITOR May 2014 33

the Queens Arms Wraxall

Mother and daughter team Sharran & Emma took over The Queens Arms Wraxall in October 2013 and have been busy putting it back on the map for good food.

Sharran is passionate about cooking so the menu offers delicious home cooked pub favourites such as steak and ale pie and award winning sausages and mash. For those who enjoy a taste of Greece, authentic meze and tapas menus are also available in the evening.

Sundays are traditional roasts only and reasonably priced at £8.95. It is recommended to book

due to their popularity.

Diners may eat in the restaurant or the relaxed bar area.

Families are most welcome – including the dog (bar only). The attractive beer garden to the rear is ideal to relax in.

Within the pub there is a shop/tasting area called The Olive Trail where you can buy/taste seasonal fresh olive oils and vintage balsamic vinegars, which are also used in the kitchens.

A flea & collectors market is held fortnightly on a Sunday from 9am until noon. Indoor and outdoor pitches are available for £7 with free entry to the public.

— The —

Queens Arms Wraxall, Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 6RQ Delicious home cooked food ...

Pylle emporium & gallery Pylle

Situated on the main Fosse Way (A37) a couple of miles south of Shepton Mallet, the Pylle Antiques Emporium and Gallery is well worth visiting.

There is a diverse range of collectables and antiques displayed in 5 showrooms something to suit every taste and budget. Quality furniture such as dressers, tables and chairs, chests of drawers, desks, and wardrobes are for sale. The Emporium also has books, porcelain, glassware, silver, and many vintage items.

There are now more cabinets displaying various small and collectable items. Cabinets are also available for rent.

Do call in, the stock is changing regularly. There is ample free parking outside the door, and Jon Thorner’s farm shop and café are next door.

ruby & roses Pylle

STeAK NIGhTS: Thursday, Friday & Saturday Evenings 2 x 8oz Rib eye Steaks and 2 x 175ml Glasses of house Wine only £25 Booking essential • Offer Ends 31st August

Ruby & Roses Antiques of Pylle was established two and a half

Traditional PuB ClASSICS: Served Thursday to Saturday Lunchtimes & Evenings Thursday and Friday 12noon ‘til 3pm and 6pm ‘til 9pm Saturday FOOD SeRveD All DAy 12noon ‘til 9pm Why not try our authentic Meze & TAPAS MeNu? Thursday to Saturday Evenings only Sundays: TRADITIONAl SuNDAy ROAST MeNu only 12.30pm ‘til 5pm – Booking advised

Antiques Shabby Chic Vintage & Interiors

Lunchtime Light Bites • Childrens Menu • Beer Garden with Stunning Views Children & Dog Friendly • Ample Free Parking at Rear Open Thursday & Friday 12noon ‘til 3pm and 6pm ‘til 11pm Saturday 12noon ‘til 11pm, Sunday 12noon ‘til 6pm • Closed Monday to Wednesday Call us on

01749 860201 or

email emma@thequeensarmswraxall.com www.thequeensarmswraxall.com

Stockwood Business Park Pylle, Shepton Mallet Somerset, BA4 6TA Tel: 01749 830774 Mobile: 07826 558315 www.rubyandroses.co.uk

years ago by Michelle Brereton.

Michelle has antiques in her blood as her mother too was an antiques dealer, so it was natural for her to go on to study antiques formally and eventually start her own business..

With a good eye for antiques in general, much of her stock is sought after by interior designers and she has supplied leading names such as Clarks, Anna Ryder Richardson and the National Trust. There is an eclectic mix to choose from including leather Chesterfields, Victorian dining tables and chairs – through to retro cabinets and oriental china.

Stock is constantly changing.

Michelle undertakes commissions for painted furniture and is an affiliated member of Antiques are Green – who promote the ethical side of antiques – reducing the carbon footprint.

Bruton tree Care West Lydford

Bruton Tree Care, situated on the Fosse, offers a full range of tree care services whether you want a tree making safe after all the recent bad weather or a stump removed from your garden - they can help.

Planting new trees, estate management and removing diseased branches are just some of the services they offer. Fully experienced and insured. Do give them a call.

Ilchester town Hall & Community Centre Ilchester

Ilchester Town Hall & Community Centre, The Square, Ilchester BA22 8NQ - offers a first class venue for your business or social function with a choice of four rooms. The main hall holds

Tree Surgery SpecialiSTS

Units 3a & 4a Stockwood Business Park Pylle (on A37), Shepton Mallet, BA4 6TA Tel: 01749 838783 Visit our website: www.pylleemporium.co.uk Ring for opening times

34 THE VISITOR May 2014

Crown Thinning and Reduction Dead and Dangerous Trees Removed New Trees Supplied and Planted Tree Stumps Removed Approved Contractor to Somerset County Council and Local Councils Phone B. P. MontgoMery for a FREE Estimate tel: 01963 240532 Mobile: 07970 397248 Email: brutontreecare@hotmail.com

YEOVIL HElPING to bring some sunshine to Yeovil this spring has been the magnificent display of daffodils as you approach the town. Yeovil is home to a wide range of independent businesses, both in the town centre and on the trading estates on the outskirts.

The A P Kitchen Solutions Showroom in Ilchester has over ten kitchens on display. Proprietor Adam Porter will be pleased to discuss your kitchen requirements, from a refurbishment through to a completely new kitchen.

Adam offers a personal service with a free no obligation quotation.

You can also see A P Kitchen Solutions on display at Yeovil Tiles.

100 people seated, the courtroom seats 40 people, while the committee room seats 12.

The Community library is open whenever the hall is open.

There are two kitchens; the hall has facilities for the disabled and a lift.

The Museum opens from Easter until the end of September every Thursday and Saturday from 10am until 4pm, entry is FREE! For further information please contact the caretaker on 01935 841247.

Ilchester Sports Field Fund

CHArIty CAr Boot SALeS EvEry Sunday Gates Open 7am for Sellers 7.30am for Buyers off A37 / A303 Ilchester roundabout

Sellers: from £4 per Car or £7 Car and Trailer or Van per Pitch Buyers: £1 per Car before 9.30am or 50p after 9.30am

07967 280754 (weekends only)

Sensible

PRICES

Personal

SERVICE

Excellent

QUALITY KITCHENS

Why look further?

No obligatioN quotatioNs To discuss your requirements call Adam

01935 849559

or visit our showroom AP Kitchen Solutions, Northover, Roman Road ILCHESTER BA22 8LD www.apkitchens.co.uk

Whether you’re in the centre of town looking for a special piece of jewellery, on the Pen Mill Trading Estate looking for an outof-town furniture restorer, or even if you are trying to give up smoking - in Yeovil you’ll find a business that is able to help.

Ward & Sibley, a family run jewellers, who offer an extensive range of jewellery and watches together with an excellent repair service.

Ward & Sibley The Jewellers of Yeovil

Our repair SectiOn Of the buSineSS iS pleaSed tO Offer:

 FREE clean and setting check on gemstone rings during May

 Complete refurbishment of jewellery –

soldering charms onto bracelets, sizing rings, repairing chains, jewellery cleaning

 Watch and clock repairs including battery replacements

 Jewellery handmade to your own design  Jewellery re-modelled  Seal, hand, and machine engraving  Valuations for insurance and probate  Pearl and bead re-threading fOr a prOmpt and reliable Service The CaskeT, 103 Middle sTreeT, Yeovil Tel: 01935 474065 Car Park at Rear for customers while visiting the shop THE VISITOR May 2014 35

YEOVIL – independent traders 10th Anniversary for UCy

On Friday 25 April 2014, the University Centre Yeovil is holding a special open event from Noon - 2pm as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations.

Situated on Preston Road, the University Centre is a partnership between Yeovil College, Bournemouth University, the University of the West of England, the University of Gloucestershire and University of Wales Trinity Saint David. It was created to give people in Somerset, Dorset and the surrounding areas access to

relevant, high quality Higher Education (HE). At the open event, potential students can find out about the wide range of full and part-time qualifications on offer.

Access courses are also available for those who want to build knowledge and confidence before embarking on a HE course.

Since opening its doors in April 2004 more than 3000 students have graduated from the institution, gaining qualifications in a wide variety of subjects.

Students wishing to attend the Open Day on 25th April should

register at www.ucy.ac.uk.

Yeovil College is also holding a Taster Day for Year 10 students on Tuesday 1 July from 9.30am - 2.30pm. This will give students an insight into college life, a chance to view the facilities, meet the new Principal and attend taster sessions in subjects

Flowers say so much!

“Thank You” - “Well Done” - “Congratulations”...

BouqueTs • arrangeMenTs • PlanTs As an extra treat why not add a Box of Chocolates or a Teddy?

Andrea’s of yeovil 78 Middle Street, Yeovil BA20 1LT Freephone: 08000 92 93 50 Telephone: 01935 706526

36 THE VISITOR May 2014

Andrea’s of Yeovil always has a wonderful choice of flowers for every occasion. Your local Interflora agent.

of their choice. To take part they should either enquire through their school, call 01935 845360, or visit www.yeovil.ac.uk to complete a booking form. Forms must reach Yeovil College by 19th May 2014.

the Bed Specialist

A good night’s sleep is priceless – so choosing the right bed is an important decision. At The Bed Specialist in Yeovil you can be sure of a quality bed at a sensible price.

A family-run business for nearly 50 years they stock leading brands such as Myers, Hypnos and Vi-spring. Whether you are looking for a stylish sleigh bed, a drawer divan or perhaps bunk beds for the kids, The Bed Specialist can help. They offer unbiased, friendly and helpful advice. Delivery is free (40 mile radius), your new bed is assembled and your old bed disposed of – plus a price match promise. Mattresses can be purchased separately.

In addition to beds a range of

YEOVIL – independent traders chairs and sofa beds from Sherborne Upholstery are also available.

Find them at Huish opposite the Yeovil Mail Sorting Office – ample free parking outside the door. Visit their website for further details: www.thebed specialist.co.uk

Aurora Care More about Home

Home is very important to all of us and there are few of us who would choose to leave the home we have known and loved for many years. When the time comes to do so, it’s vitally important to be able to make the

place we go to our home once more. At Aurora Care we do everything we possibly can to help you make Hendford Care Home your own home.

The room you choose is your room. If you want to bring your own furniture, we’ll remove ours to make room for yours. If you want to put up shelves, pictures and so on, you’re welcome to do so. We positively encourage you to

make holes in the walls! It’s your space – you do as you choose with it.

Please don’t ask us what the visiting hours are – there aren’t any. It’s your home – your visitors come and go as you please. If your relatives would like to take a meal with you, just let us know the day before. There’s no charge – it’s entirely complimentary. And by the way, telephone calls are

sale noW on 44 Princes street, Yeovil somerset Ba20 1eq Intoto Kitchens in Princes Street offer a stylish range of kitchens - do call in and see for yourself.

Tel: 01935 473638 www.intoto.co.uk

private nursing Care from £700.00 per week The Aurora Care Group offers private nursing care in our Somerset nursing homes at prices from £700.00 per week

www.hendfordcarehome.co.uk 166 hendford hill, Yeovil, BA20 2rG 01935 470400 info@auroracare.co.uk

our homes are spread across south Somerset and variously offer: ● 24 hour nursing care in purpose built accommodation ● Large single en suite rooms with ensuite wet rooms ● Comprehensive social programmes with several activities a day, designed to stimulate physically, intellectually and socially ● Restaurant standard dining in own rooms or dining rooms ● Frequent trips out in our own minibus ● Beautiful landscaped gardens with breathtaking views over the Somerset countryside

www.hurstmanor.co.uk hurst, Martock, TA12 6JU 01935 823467 info@hurstmanor.co.uk

www.elliscombehouse.co.uk higher holton, nr. Wincanton, BA9 8eA 01963 33370 info@elliscombehouse.co.uk THE VISITOR May 2014 37

YEOVIL normally free of charge at Hendford Care Home as well.

But when all is said and done, what makes home home, is how you’re treated there. That’s why we’re very choosy indeed about the people we employ. Not

everyone at Hendford Care Home starts out as an experienced person – some gain their experience with us and many never leave us. But what we do ensure is that everyone, from the most junior to the most senior,

SpecialiST SerViceS

including

● Leather and Suede – cleaning & repairs also replacement zips ● Wax Garments – cleaning & rewaxing ● Wedding Dresses – cleaning & finishing also boxes available for long term storage ● Repairs & Alterations to most garments ● Large Agency Network – contact us to find your nearest agent

Helen Lacey, Managing Director of Red Berry Recruitment in Yeovil and Shepton Mallet, celebrates the opening of her third office, in Taunton.

shares a vocation to care, to give and to love. It’s what makes us who we are.

Puffin Cleaners

Puffin Cleaners not only offer a first class dry cleaning service they also offer special services such as repairs and alterations, replacement zips and specialist cleaning on suede, leather and wedding dresses.

With spring cleaning in the air why not take in your bulky bedspreads and curtains and get them professionally cleaned?

JoHn HAMBLIn Specialists in the repair and restoration of Antique Furniture Bespoke Furniture • French Polishing

17 / 18 Bond Street, Yeovil

Tel: 01935 421238

UnIt 6, 15 oXForD roAD Pen MILL trADIng eStAte yeoVIL, SoMerSet, BA21 5Hr tel: 01935 471154 cabinet Makers • antique Furniture restorers

john@jhamblin.fsnet.co.uk

Situated in Bond Street there is parking at the rear of the store for easy delivery and collection.

Commercial enquiries are welcome for laundry such as sheets and table linen etc.

Call for further details.

John Hamblin

John Hamblin has a wealth of experience in the restoration of furniture and particularly of antiques.

He offers a French polishing service, the re-leathering of desk tops and refinishing of table tops.

If you have experienced flood damage to furniture in the recent spate of bad weather – John is just the man to see.

In addition to repairs John also offers a bespoke furniture making service and has undertaken a wide variety of commissions from dining sets through to cabinets for individual collections.

norris Body repairs Ltd

Norris Body Repairs is a familyrun business near the town centre which carries out car body repairs and re-sprays.

If you have an insurance claim you can choose where your car is repaired and Norris Body Repairs offer a friendly alternative to the larger body shops. Richard Norris has over 21 years experience in the industry and will ensure you receive individual attention – together with a free estimate and

NORRIS BODY REPAIRS LTD ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Insurance Claims Private Jobs Restorations Resprays Welding Work

South Street YEOVIL • BA20 1QQ  01935 411095

email: norrisbodyrepairs@gmail.com Fax: 01935 473119

38 THE VISITOR May 2014

YEOVIL

Dog tired of high prices? visit

Crossroads PeT suPPlies suppliers of

• Pet Foods • Bird & Pigeon Seeds • Full range of Toys, Hutches, Accessories ... all at competitive prices Ample FREE PARking outside the Door Find us at Forward Garage on the main A30 between Sherborne & Yeovil

Tel: 01935 411859 .

Servicing on all makes of Cars & Light Commercials General Repairs • MOTs • Welding

Specializing in VW, Audi & SAAb Free Local Delivery / Collection Service

Recently opened in Glovers Walk is Vaper Trail. Vaper Trail can help you cut down or give up smoking altogether. The friendly and helpful staff will be pleased to advise. Over 50 flavours available from tobacco to coffee - with or without nicotine.

highly skilled repair.

They also specialise in vehicle restorations offering a chance for the customer to inspect and instruct as the restoration is carried out. Norris Body Repairs also carry out welding work on vehicles that may have failed their MOT. Call Mary Norris to book your car in for repair today!

Crossroads Pet Supplies

At this time of year the family pet can pick up a few unwanted visitors - Crossroads stock a full range of flea and worming products for your family pet.

The better weather means holiday time - travel baskets and cages, travel sickness pills, collars and leads, and of course, plenty of toys are all readily available at Crossroads. You will also find a wide range of feed for two legged, four legged, furred and feathered friends so do call in, friendly and helpful advice always on hand and sensible prices! Plenty of free parking outside the door.

tr Autos

TR Autos of Yeovil are celebrating their second year of trading, owned and run by business partners Tommy Butler and Dave Cumberbatch – both experienced mechanics.

TR Autos have a modern work shop with the latest diagnostic equipment and welding facilities.

They offer servicing and repairs on all makes of cars but specialize in VW, Audi and Saab – offering a quality service at around 50% cheaper than main dealer prices.

A local collection and delivery service is available.

TR Autos also have in stock

T.R. AUTOS, Unit 1, Technine, Guard Avenue Houndstone Business Park, YEOVIL, BA22 8YE Tel: 01935 422364 • Email: enquiries@tr-autos.co.uk Website: www.tr-autos.co.uk The Visitor can now be read online: www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

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Vaper Trails E-Cigarettes produce a vapour which means you can ‘vape’ anywhere with or without nicotine and still feel like you are smoking.

No unpleasant odours in your house, or on clothes or hair.

Over 50 flavours inc. Tobacco, Fruit, Fudge, Coffee, Menthol, etc. • British Made Pharmaceutical Grade To see the full range and for helpful, friendly advice call at

11 glovers Walk, Yeovil, Ba20 1lh Next to the Bus Station

www.vapertrail.co.uk Open: Monday to Saturday 10am – 5.30pm

THE VISITOR May 2014 39

YEOVIL – independent traders parts for older models which are very useful for restoration work and re-commissions which they undertake.

Why not book your car in for a service today, in time for the holidays?

Hooper’s Hats

For hats, hatinators or fascinators visit Hooper’s Hats in Yeovil.

Sally has now completed her new Hire collection for 2014. Her extensive collection is exclusive to her and if you cannot find what you are looking for, Sally can make you something for your outfit to purchase. Hooper’s is an eye opener into the vast range of designs available, the choice, colours and styles are overwhelming. With lots of

helpful advice on offer you will find Hooper’s a pleasurable experience. There is also an abundance of exquisite clutch bags to match her hats, again all to hire. Visit her website www. hoopershats.co.uk and browse through her Gallery for a small sample of what is on offer, or telephone for an appointment.

Hider Heating

servicing; bathrooms; landlord gas safety certificates and general plumbing.

Their Gas Safe registration number is 700 so you can see that they have been in the business a long time, giving you confidence that only the highest standard of workmanship is offered as standard - they also have great testimonials.

Martin & Co in Yeovil has been shortlisted as a top 10 letting agent in the South West (East) Region of the biggest estate & letting agent awards in the UK, known throughout the industry as THE ESTAS. Martin & Co has been recognised for its outstanding customer service to its clients by the largest and longest running

Hider Heating, established since 1973, is an expert in the plumbing and heating sector, working with estate agents, letting agents and the general public in the Somerset area.

They offer their customers all aspects of plumbing and heating including: full central heating installation; boiler repairs and

Hooper’s Hat Hire 100s of exquisite hats and fascinators to hire, buy, or made to complement your outfit

01935 706555 • www.hoopershats.co.uk

Inside Hart Mobility - situated on the outskirts of Yeovil. Here you will find an extensive range of scooters armchairs and mobility aids.

HartMobility Yeovil Disability & Mobility Products

hider heaTing

We offer the best service and the lowest prices in the

Specialists in Installation & Service All Types of plumbing Central Heating Systems, Boiler Replacement Landlord Safety Checks and Servicing Gas and Oil established over 40 years Rely on us for all Plumbing & Heating Needs Specialist in Bathroom Designs including all Tiling & Electrics

Reg. No. 700

Martin & Co

www.hiderheating.co.uk Tel: 01935 426209 • Mobile: 07836 773152 11 hillgrove Avenue, Yeovil, Somerset

South West ★ New Scooter £595 ★ Road Legal Scooter £1,495 ★ Reclining Chairs from £595 ● ● ● ● ● ●

Daily Living Aids Bath Lifts Walking Aids Wheelchairs Power Chairs Stair Lifts

E FRE NCE A R l INSU d lega oa for r sers u

Pre-owned mobility scooters and wheelchairs also available

01935 421111 1 Camborne Grove (Lyde Road) YEOVIL BA21 5DG Scooter Servicing from £35 • FREE parking • FREE battery testing 40 THE VISITOR May 2014

YEOVIL – independent traders award scheme in the UK residential property industry. THE ESTAS determines the best estate and letting agents in the country through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent.

yeovil Auto tuning

Due to expansion, Yeovil Auto Tuning will be moving to new

larger premises at the beginning of May. Their new premises will be at 9 Oxford Road, on the Pen Mill Trading Estate, Yeovil.

Yeovil Auto Tuning is a family run business, established for 32 years. Proprietor Colin Frost runs the business with his wife Anita and their three experienced mechanics Jamie, Ross and Matthew.

They will continue to offer their full range of services which

includes repairs, servicing, engine tuning and MOT testing and will now be able to offer MOTs on Class 7 light Vans. They look forward to welcoming customers old and new.

Also operating from the same premises is Eclipse Custom Campers, converting VW Transporter T4 and T5 vehicles.

the tool Shop & Vice Centre

It is seven years since the Tool Shop & Vice Centre moved from opposite Wilkinson in Middle Street, Yeovil to larger premises.

Situated under the archway just past the nail bar, it is an Aladdin’s cave for the DIY-er and professional alike - everything from screws and hand tools through to compressors and generators. Both new and used equipment is on sale.

There is a good range of electrical tools by leading makes such as Dewalt. Torches, garden shredders, mouse traps, reflective jackets (ideal for travel on the Continent), socket sets, ramps, whatever you are looking for you will find it at the Tool Shop & Vice Centre. Anything not in

stock can be ordered. Helpful and friendly advice is on hand along with very competitive prices. See the Special Offers in store.

SeS Alarms

Security and Electrical Services is a family run company with the owners working alongside their staff to ensure an efficient and well co-ordinated team.

Established since 1984, they are pleased to be able to say that most of the business has been built up as a direct result of personal recommendations. Most alarm engineers are also fully qualified electricians with many years of experience, who work to a high standard of neatness and efficiency. They have been NSI Gold - National Security Inspectorate (NACOSS) approved alarm installers since 1988, and achieved ISO 9000 (BS 5750) in 1993.

Burglar Alarms, Security lighting and lock quotations are issued free of charge following a visit by their surveyor to your premises. Each system is designed around individual needs and requirements - not offered as

New & Second Hand Tools for the D.I.Y. and Professional

Hi-Visibility Vests for All The Family ... an essential when motoring abroad Best for choice! Best on price!

These unusual tiles would look interesting in an entrance hall.

They come in grey or neutral and are available from The Tile Market on the Lynx West Trading Estate. Don’t forget to visit their first floor kitchen and bathroom display showroom.

The Tile Market

Ceramic Tile Specialists ◆ Wall and Floor Tiles Unit 1 Brympton Way Lynx West Trading Estate

YEOVIL BA20 2HP

www.tilesuppliesinyeovil.co.uk

◆ Marble / Mosaic / Granite / Travertine Limestone / Slate ◆ Full Range of Adhesives / Sealants and Tiling Accessories in stock  shoWrooMs over TWo Floors 

Open Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm, Saturday 9am - 4pm

Tel: 01935 426737

107 Middle street, Yeovil  01935 412333 Under Archway next to The Nail Bar

yeovil auto tuning ● ● ● ●

eSTabliShed OVer 30 yearS

Repairs & Servicing Specialists ● MOT Testing ● Engine Tuning Brakes, Clutches, Gearboxes ● Competitive Rates Professional, Reliable, Friendly Service ● Specialising in VW T4 + T5 Vans Revo Engine Re-Mapping (VW and Audi Group)

We are moving – due to expansion to: 9 Oxford road, pen mill trading estate, yeOvil ... at the beginning of may

alexandra road, yeOvil tel: 01935 426515 / 01935 411946 THE VISITOR May 2014 41

YEOVIL a pre-packaged deal. SES only use equipment which they have thoroughly tried and tested and are completely satisfied with its performance and quality.

yeovil Hydraulics

Established since 1968 Yeovil Hydraulics on the lynx Trading Estate offers a professional hydraulic and pneumatic service to both the agricultural and industrial sector. Hose assembly is available while you wait.

They also offer a gas delivery and installation service for central heating systems. This service covers most of the South West.

Make sure your vehicle’s air conditioning service is working properly. At Yeovil Hydraulics they recharge air conditioning units.

The garage side of the buisness offers a full servicing programme on all makes of vehicle and is a MOT Testing station.

Not sure what sort of flooring is best for your home?

You can rest assured that professional advice is always on hand at Walter Wall Carpets and Rugs in Princes Street.

GARDEN gArDenIng MontHLy

by Richard Cumming Orchard Park WHAT A CONTRAST! After the wet comes the dry and the lovely spring weather. We have been so very fortunate this spring, loads of blossom, some gorgeous days with clear blue skies and a gradual warming up of the ground rather than all at once, which gives you the chance to keep up with everything rather than feel you have been totally left behind. Spring is such a powerful season full of hope and promise for the rest of the year. I am determined to enjoy more of it this year in my garden than last [2013 seemed to shoot past in no time at all] and a good start with borders weeded, fed and mulched is essential. I am being a bit more realistic about the veg garden as it is pointless trying to produce more than you can reasonably use, especially if everyone has gone on to a low carb diet! Easter has always been the traditional

starting point of the gardening year for many people but Easter being late this year means that we are already well into the swing of things, and you should have got your seed potatoes in by now!

Plant of the Month

Pelargoniums - It’s Show Time!

May is a marvellous month ... the garden is blooming, plants are beginning to flower and show their true colours and it’s Chelsea Flower Show (20-24 May). We may not all have award winning gardens, but our outside space is beginning to come into its own again - to be enjoyed and experienced by friends and family.

Beds and borders are beginning to fill out and have definition again, and early colour comes from the popular Pelargonium, commonly known as geranium.

 100s of rugs in stock

 Extensive range of quality carpets  Natural flooring specialists

. . . do call in !

34 Princes Street, Yeovil • Tel: 01935 478100

for all your Tool hire requirements including Mini digger hire and garden Machinery Higher Farm, Sutton, Ditcheat Tel: 01749 860199 • Mob: 0777 163 2221

Podimore Recycling Ltd Suppliers of Quality Recycled Aggregates

yeOVil hydraulicS • MayFlOwer hydraulicS • Fluid & Air Power Centre • Hydraulic Equipment Manufacturers • RAM Makers and Repairers • Stockists of all your Hydraulic & Pneumatic Needs • Suppliers of all types of industrial Hoses • Manufacturers of High Pressure Hoses - while you wait!

universal

EnginEERing SERViCES • mot testing • car servicing and repairs • all makes and models • brakes, tyres, clutches, exhausts • air conditioning

01935 475959 Tel: 01935 472233 Fax: 01935 431211

part of Vgg ltd

14 Gazelle Road, Lynx Trading Estate, Yeovil

42 THE VISITOR May 2014

Tel: 01278 450226 Fax: 01278 446670

Symons Way, Castlefield Trading Estate, Bridgwater

ToP soil / suB soil Crushed Concrete All types of Stone • Sand • Tarmac Road Plannings and Screened Top Soil Small Tip for Clean Building Rubble & Bricks Small & Large Quantities Collected or Delivered Site Clearance Specialist • Tipping Facilities Tipper Lorries • 180° - 360° Excavators Fully Mobile Crusher and Screener Hire Barns Down • farm Yard Demolition Yards Crushed • stone supplied digger and Crusher hire availaBle Tel / Fax: 01935 849250 Mobile: 07973 844145

RECYCLiNG FOR THE ENViRONMENT

Spring into the But what is a geranium then? It can be confusing; they all belong to the same family, Geraniaceae, but are two separate genera.

Pelargoniums are the half-hardy or tender flowering plants which were called Geraniums and still are in most peoples’ minds, but true geraniums are hardy herbaceous plants that go from year to year.

Pelargoniums flower from spring right through to late autumn, and if you protect them from frost during the winter months they will continue to thrive for many years.

There are seven different types of pelargonium – Angel, Decorative, Ivy-leaved, Regal, Species, Scented leaf and Unique. They also come in different varieties such as upright, trailing, climbing, ivy-leaf, 'balcon', rosebud and dwarf and are generally great to grow in pots - very easy and simple to look after so ideal for novice gardeners. If you go down to your local garden centre or nursery they can give you planting tips as part of the nationwide ‘It Starts with a Pot’ campaign running through the summer to encourage everyone to give gardening a go.

So long as they have a bit of sun, they can be grown pretty much anywhere, as pelargonium fan Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE says, ‘When I see geraniums my heart sings with joy. They are one of my favourite plants and they are such an easy patio plant to grow. They also look great in flower beds and window boxes and are very versatile’.

‘I particularly love the vibrant flower colours that look stunning against their dark green foliage.

Their scents are irresistible and fill the air with hints of rose, lemon, mint, fruit, nut, and spice.

When they are in full flower they are spectacular and amazingly beautiful. Every year I can't wait for summer to arrive when my patio is full of large tubs overflowing with dozens of pretty

Garden Machinery WanTed Established 1975

Mowers • Ride-On Tractors Strimmers • Hedge Trimmers Chainsaws, etc. anY CondiTion

Tel: 07974 303792

Pelargoniums’.

Recommended RHS AGM varieties include: Pelargonium ‘Apple Blossom Rosebud’ a zonal with variegated leaves.

Pelargonium ‘Chelsea Gem’ a double zonal.

Pelargonium ‘Hindoo’ a regal pelargonium.

Pelargonium ‘lara Starshine’ with lemon scented leaves.

Pelargonium ‘Scarlet Pet’ a Unique sort with larger growth habit.

Pelargonium ‘The Boar’ a zonal with deep green leaves and single soft-orange flowers.

Pelargonium ‘White Glory’ Regal with large plum-edged white flowers.

GARDEN

Dramatic Regal Pelargonium ‘Regalia Lilac’.

Photo courtesy of ‘Farplants’.

We’ve exPanded

Ben (proprietor) and BarrY (engineer) welcome Ylva & JeFF to the team ➤ Ylva joins us as customer liaison, i.T. and accounts, and to generally keep us in good order!

JeFF joins us ➤ as a very experienced engineer. We now have experience totalling over 60 years!

We still offer a superb service ... but now QUICKER! Servicing on all Garden Machinery • Chainsaw Sharpening Re-Grinding • Spare Parts • Puncture Repairs • Tyres Fitted & More sales – serviCe – rePairs

Ben Johnson, 17d Wincombe Business Park ShafteSBury, SP7 9QJ tel: 01747 851021 • www.benjohnsonmowers.com THE VISITOR May 2014 43

Spring into the Jobs for the Month

Warmth and moisture produce fantastic growth! Everywhere you look new shoots and leaves.

Young and freshly planted items will need a little care and support.

Don’t let them dry out as their roots will not yet have travelled far enough to reach lower soil moisture as yet. By the same token don’t drown them by over watering. New gardeners often find it hard to reach a balance and in truth it is a skill that comes with experience.

After the wet winter you do need to watch for damaged growth; prune back as soon as you are sure that things have stabilised and you can tell how

far the damage has gone.

Generally look for the first good healthy bud after the damaged growth. Root death is harder to spot especially where plants have been rocked by wind, and sat for long periods in waterlogged ground. These may suddenly collapse when the plant starts into growth – when the demands of the shoots exceed the ability of the roots to support it. Give encouragement in the form of a feed and mulch and they should recover. Even more important, don’t let spring planted trees and shrubs die for lack of water from the dry spring. Soil moisture has taken a hammering, and young roots will be struggling to find

Approved contractor to Dorset & Somerset C.C.

GARDEN enough water to keep the shoots going. Same with newly sown areas, seedlings do not like to get started and abruptly dry out.

In the vegetable garden, sow maincrop carrots, swedes, spinach and lettuce. Sow runner and dwarf beans in trays or pots.

Sweet corn can go in provided the soil is in reasonable condition, and well manured. Make successional sowings of salad crops [every 14 days]. Prepare the sites for marrows, courgettes and pumpkins (a 1 ft hole filled with well-rotted manure is ideal) which can be planted out in the middle of the month.

Weed control through regular hoeing is always the best

QUALiFiED ARBORiST

ALL ASPECTS OF TREE CARE AnD DAngEROUS TREE REMOVAL

TREE PLAnTing

PHONE: NORTH CADBURY 440660

Utilise the generous grants now available to restock neglected woodland or areas of wasteground

LEE HOLMES

Independent Garden Machinery Specialist • Sales - Service - Repair aTCo quaTro 18s ● ● ● ● ●

Self propelled Briggs & Stratton 140cc engine 18-inch cutting width 60 litre capacity grass collector Complete with mulching kit*

£359 inc. VAT

*As no grass cuttings are collected there is no need to stop and empty, saving you around 30% of the usual time it takes to cut your lawn!

aTCo 36-inch cut gT36h laWn TraCTor ● 36-inch cutting width ● Single cylinder Briggs & Stratton PowerBuilt 4165 AVS engine ● Hydrostatic transmission Including ● Electronic cutter deck FREE Tow Hitch engagement FREE Front Bumper and ● 260 litre capacity FREE Mulching Kit grass collector worth £200 inc. VAT

approach - use it when the soil is dry so that dislodged weeds can’t root again. Keep the fleece handy in case we do get a cold snap. lawns - Feed, weed and kill the moss. lightly fork the bare patches and then rake in fresh seed covered with fine soil or loam based compost.

When you get to the herbaceous border - hoe off emerging seedlings, and mulch with wellrotted garden compost. Pot grown plants can be planted at any time, and don’t forget to provide support for the taller growing plants such as Delphiniums.

This is an excellent time for planting up ponds and marginal areas to give a good effect this summer.

Roses are growing fast and must be cared for. Even though many varieties are less susceptible to black spot, they still do better if treated, and the first spray of the season is the most important. Best of all, feed roses well, mulch liberally, and make sure they don’t go short of water in May and June.

Shrub borders – don’t touch summer flowering shrubs as all you will do is cut the next flowers off, but you can prune the early flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and clip the evergreens.

national garden Scheme garden of the Month - May Stoberry House gardens

£1,999

15 Cary Court, Bancombe Business Park, SOMERTON

Tel: 01458 274261

www.gardenmachineryrus.co.uk

Situated at the top of Stoberry Park, overlooking the historic City of Wells (BA5 3lD) this

All types of Fencing • Gates • Trellis • Fence Panels • Tool Sheds • Summer Houses • Garages • Workhouses • Greenhouses • Field Shelters

Alan Dodge BSc 44 THE VISITOR May 2014

All Buildings are hand-made at Bourton using Scandinavian Redwood Shiplap Timber.

Bourton, Gillingham on the old A303 Nr. Zeals For Free Survey/Estimate/Brochure

Telephone 01747 840752

Spring into the

GARDEN A great variety of flowers and foliage can be enjoyed in May. Two flowering shrubs of particular interest in the garden at the moment are Sophora microphylla 'Sun King' and Genista 'Porlock.' There are wonderful displays of Tulips, planted en masse; 'Queen of the Night', 'Allegretto' and 'Uncle Tom' .

one and a half acre walled garden offers an interesting layout of plants, shrubs and maturing trees.

The garden design is not based around the usual rooms, but around vistas, with sculpture being used as accents.

A garden with your every day plants and also some special little gems.

The dorseT & soMerseT FenCing & gaTe CoMPanY All types of fencing supplied and erected No VAT • FREE Survey & Quotation Pressure Treated Material 10 Year Guarantee Fencing the counties for 30 years

Tel: 01935 330095

Add interest to your conservatory or your garden with a statuette.

You’ll find a good choice at Needful Things in Castle Cary. An ideal gift for Father’s Day – 15th June.

NOW OPeN

Say you saw it in The Visitor

Tuesday – Sunday 9am – 5pm

gardeN MachiNery

Great Coffee, home Baked Cakes & Lunches

servicing undertaken

Why not pop in for High Tea for Two over the Bank Holiday? Only £14

No VAT on labour

JereMy wiNdSOr

SPARkFORD Tel: (01963) 440241

( CloseD MonDaYs )

3 x 70 Litre Bags of Compost £15

Selection of finger sandwiches with either two cream scones each, or mini cakes, slices and cookies with tea /coffee

★ Bring your laptop ... we have FREE WiFi ★ Supper Club, Thursday 8th May, American Cuisine, £16 pp

Open Bank holiday Mondays

Suppliers of quality lawn turf Full ground preparation and laying service available Telephone Somerton 01458 272091 Mobile 07850 310998

Wheathill garden Centre – open as usual Spring Planting

Promotions

Tea Rooms

Bedding Plants Herbaceous Perennials • Shrubs Fruit Trees & Bushes Vegetable Plants

John innes Compost Three Bags only £10 -----------------murphy’s Multi-Purpose Compost Three Bags for £10

Open daily for ...

Specials, Light Snacks & Homemade Cakes SUnDAy roASt Main & Sweet - £8.95 Bookings advised

Wheathill lane • Milborne Port • dT9 5eY Tel / Fax: 01963 251500 Open: 9am - 5.30pm Monday - Saturday and ... 10am - 4pm Sunday

THE VISITOR May 2014 45

Spring into the Disability information: Gravel paths, steep slopes. Facilities: Traditional Cream Teas.

NGS opening details: Sunday 11th May from 2.00pm to 5.30pm.

Admission: £5, child free.

Contact Frances & Tim Young, 01749 672906.

For other gardens open for the NGS visit website: www.ngs.org.uk

Julian Shave Landscaping Ltd now offers an even wider range of services!

Julian Shave landscaping ltd offers everything from a one off tidy up for your garden through to estate maintenance and complete landscaping services – undertaking work for both the domestic and commercial market.

They have recently expanded

L t d

GARDEN to incorporate Three Counties Tree Services Ltd and can now offer additional services including:- tree stump removal, making good storm damage, coppicing, pruning etc.

A supply, delivery and planting service is also available for hedging, saplings/mature trees, shrubs etc.

Project design and advice is

offered by the fully qualified staff.

They are fully insured and offer an emergency call out service.

Telephone for a free quotation or visit their shop The Market Garden in Fore Street, Castle Cary, www.julianshave.co.uk.

&

incorporating L t d

Get your garden into shape!

Tree maintenance service

● Regular garden maintenance or single tidy-ups

● Stump grinding, shaping, etc.

● Landscaping – hard and soft

● Supply, delivery & planting service

● Patios ● Turfing ● Fencing, etc.

● Project design and advice

● Hedge cutting, laying, removal

Commercial & Domestic Contracts Undertaken PHONE for a FREE QUOTATION: 07738 524254 / 07852 461843 Or call at: The Market Garden, Fore Street, Castle Cary, BA7 7BG

Lupins - a popular plant in any garden.

GRAS nd to scarif S & B R U u ro g h g u TING ro 160 plan ying, orcha S H C U T T I ta N ROTAVA . Tel: 07659 550 rd s d Tel: 0 tions, play s, paddock G e seed b ing fie 7659 s 55016 lds et , 0 c. hig h lift MI NI DI GG IN G an d 60 01 55 9 65 07 l: Te er. dump ANING MOSS H C L E ng etc.

T PROB A P ti spiking, L P A T I O chanical poin coring, EMS scarify e m Tel: 076 in and 0160 59 5501 g 659 55 60 Tel: 07

qualiTY FenCing Panels and TiMBer CLANVILLE SAWMILLS LTD Clanville • Castle Cary (on the B3153) Monday to Thursday - 8am to 5pm Friday - 8am to 4pm

Castle Cary (01963) 350881 46 THE VISITOR May 2014

celebraTiONS & SaViNgS

Celebrating the completion of the new shop ...

gardeN parTy weekeNd

Sat. 3rd May 9 – 4, Sun. 4th & Mon. 5th May 10 – 4 Many Bargains throughout the Weekend Bedding Plants – Compost – Roses – Vegetable Plants & More

Our Floristry Shop has Flowers for All Occasions WeddingS A SpeciAlity Full Range of Floristry Sundries and Accessories Station Road, Stalbridge, dorset, dt10 2RQ tel: 01963 362355 ▪ email: williamsflorists@live.co.uk www.williams-florists.co.uk

Large Free Car Park OPPOsite

the end bit...

PAPerCHASe

IN THE MARCH Paperchase I commented that the cover price of the Western Gazette had risen from 60p to 90p in three years, far outstripping inflation. What I didn’t know then was that a further increase, to 95p, was about to be imposed in mid-March. Back in January Gazette editor Emma Slee wrote that ‘I want to talk about value for money . . . every week the Western Gazette gives you, the reader, a host of offers and promotions which ensure you get the money you’ve paid for your

Solution to April

sudoku

newspaper back in your pocket – and more’. In March there was scarcely a mention of the latest price rise. Those of us who buy a local newspaper to find out what’s happening in our locality, rather than to get offers which entail spending cash to ostensibly save cash, might find it considerably better value to read the news on the paper’s website instead.

Back in 2010 when the Western Daily Press was given a design facelift, editor Tim Dixon announced that ‘we will give you more opportunities to have your say, share your pictures and be at the centre of debate in the region’.

Sadly this has resulted in the same small group of inveterate (and usually tedious) correspondents airing their predictable views time and time again – and the number of frequent correspondents seems to be growing alarmingly. To me, frequent means at least one letter a week being published, so I decided to keep a tally of the 26 issues of the paper published in March to identify those most addicted to the pastime.

Mr Heathcliffe of Swindon proved to be the most frequent correspondent with 16 letters being published. Indeed in the week beginning 17th March there was a letter from him every day except Friday. Close second was Mr Readman of Bournemouth with 13 letters published. In the week beginning 10th March he was absent only from Monday’s issue. Others managing to get published in more than a third of the issues were the oddball Mr

sudoku

by

T. M.

Fill in the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the numbers 1 to 9.

Craig of All The South Party (is he the only member?) and Helen Capel of Winscombe, closely followed by Councillor Chivers from Melksham and Mr Duller of Salisbury. Other frequent correspondents were Mrs Stuart of Thornbury, Mr Spratt of Zeaxysch Zbrache Bord (the Saxonish language Academy), and linda Piggott-Vijeh of Combe St Nicholas.

So what do these people write about? Mr Heathcliffe is obsessively anti-EU and constantly blames Europe for all of Britain’s woes; Mr Readman and Mrs (I guess!) Capel are persistent grumblers who delight in finding fault with almost everything; Mrs Stuart knows that the answers to almost everything are to be found in the Bible; Councillor Chivers and Mrs (probably) linda PiggottVijeh (who doesn’t declare she’s a councillor) both like to be seen by their electorate to be ‘doing their job’; Mr Spratt prattles on about our supposed Saxon heritage,

language and kingdom; Mr Craig just prattles on, oblivious to facts.

Only Mr Duller appears to have something original to say from time to time, while the others simply repeat their predictable views week in and week out.

Tedious is an understatement.

I was surprised to see that the television guide in the West Country life supplement in the 15th March issue of the Western Daily Press had identical programmes listed for Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th, leaving readers in the dark about what was actually being screened on the Wednesday. It’s not the first time this has occurred recently – late last year the West Country life supplement in the 2nd November issue had identical programmes listed for Tuesday 5th and Thursday 7th. At that time the paper stated ‘To put it briefly, our standards slipped’.

Slipped again, but no apology this time.

Chronicler.

BOOK REVIEW West Country railway Memories By robert Penrose Prance,

The Oakwood Press, 2013.

224pp softback.

ISBN 978-0-85361-731-0. £15.95

THE BOOK’S sub-title provides a concise description of its contents: ‘Rose-tinted reflections of some rural railways past and present’. The author had originally planned to title it ‘loitering with Intent’ because he feels that ‘to loiter on a pretty rural station waiting for the train which may still be many minutes away is one of the great pleasures of life’, and the book is his reminiscences of lines, stations and signal boxes where he has loitered, of railwaymen he met, trains that he travelled on and places he saw. It is pure nostalgia, evocatively written and profusely illustrated.

The author was brought up in Plymouth and Tavistock and it is his vivid memories of the rural lines of Devon and Cornwall that occupy the first part of the book. In the 1980s he worked in Sherborne and still lives locally, at Farnham near Sturminster Newton, so it is perhaps inevitable that two Visitorland railways feature at

some length in the second part – the former main line from Salisbury to Exeter and the Heart of Wessex line from Castle Cary to Weymouth. It is in this part of the book that he reminds readers that there are still some wonderful places where it is possible to linger and savour the pleasures of the rural railway. His list of the ‘Top 12’ West Country loitering places includes no fewer than three in Visitorland – Chetnole Halt, Templecombe and Yeovil Pen Mill – and some delightful stations on the line from Exeter to Barnstaple and on the surviving branches in the far west.

His book probably won’t hold much appeal for the avid railway enthusiast wanting detailed line histories, technical information about locomotives or particulars of the numerous ‘heritage’ and tourist railways of the preservation era. But for those of us who simply remember with affection the rural railways of the 1950s and 60s, many of them slow, labourintensive and hopelessly uneconomic but oozing with charm, this book is a delight and worth every penny. NN. THE VISITOR May 2014 47

Send Details to: The Visitor, P.O. Box 1, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7BG 30p per word (£5 minimum) pre-payment essential



Classified Ads

phONe - a - FirM Fires/Chimneys

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✽ If you require a receipt a s.a.e. must be enclosed with payment

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Passport Photographs

Wanted

PASSPORTS - passports - passports - also studio sittings and weddings.

Any time to suit you. Easy parking.

Tel: Graham Cox, Photographer, 01458 223769.

REDUNDANT MOTOR MOWERS, rotavators, chainsaws, strimmers, cement mixers, etc. Tel: 01460 77844.

Mobile Bars / Catering HARRY’S MOBiLE BARS, all occasions, weddings, parties, etc. Tel: 01747 825553 harry@bars4u.plus.com www.harrysmobilebars.co.uk

Services HOUSEHOLD & GARDEN RUBBiSH CLEARED, old sheds / oubuildings demolished, etc. Tel: 01460 77844.

Storage STORAGE for furniture in locked cubicles. Lock-up garages to let. Tel: Sparkford Storage on 01963 440045 or 440526 or 440692.

DAVE BUYS ALL TYPES OF TOOLS, salvage, bygones and collectables.

Daves Tools - Tel: 01935 428975

Dog Holidays HOLiDAY FOR YOUR DOG. Let your dog stay with us when you are away. 24-hour attention and long walks. Fully licensed and insured.

Vet approved. References available.

Tel: 01963 240650.

T.V. Rental

While you Wait Collection & Delivery Denture Advice Mr. C. Dunn

Registered Dental Technician

01749 812585 www.dunndental.co.uk 48 THE VISITOR May 2014

Domestic Appliances

Pe

PreMIer eLeCtrICS Est. 34 yrs

COVERING THE SOuTH LOCALLy Kitchen Appliance Sales & repairs Ø Repairs to all leading brands of Kitchen appliances Ø 12 months guarantee on all repairs Ø Diagnostic work charged unless work undertaken Ø 24 hour service Ø OAP discounts

teLePHone: 01935 609300 / 01747 470212 / 01460 220660 / 01458 298212 For your nearest technician

taylors Domestic

T.V. RENTAL - long or short term, domestic & commercial, up to 50-inch plasma. H. R. Hodge. Tel: 01460 240645.

appliances Ltd.

The visitor

Sales & Repairs for Dishwashers, Washing Machines, Cookers, Tumble Driers etc.

can now be read online: www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

Denture Repairs

DentUre rePAIrS

07921 074602 • 01749 677440 • Solidfuel3@aol.com

Ridge View, Penmore Road Sandford Orcas DT9 4SE Professional repairs by qualified engineer on most makes of appliances.

are you a denture wearer?

De to m nture smi ake y s o le a gain u !

Denture repairs while you wait ...

terry neW DentAL

01458 210039

Home visits a speciality June Deadline Monday 12th May

01963 220366

Maintenance and Repairs u Can’T i Can PAUL CHEDzOY Property & Garden Maintenance

Decorating, Gardening, Building and General D.I.Y.

 01935 472669 ... or

07884 345511

email: ucantican07@aol.com

Trading for over 7 years CuSTomEr rEfErEnCES AVAiLABLE

Email: info@tda.uk.com Covering the areas between Wincanton Castle Cary, Sparkford, Sherborne and Yeovil

Clock Repairs CLOCk REPAiRS Antique and modern Clock repairs. free pick up and delivery 40 years experience

Tel (01935) 477582

• • • • • • • • •

serviCes

Exterior and interior decorating Gutters cleared and cleaned High level painting and cleaning Conservatories washed down removal of disused sky dishes and cabling repointing of stone and brickwork Patios cleaned many other jobs undertaken no V.A.T. competitive rates for seniors

Contact JaMes Cade on 01963 34272 or 07967 307179

phONe - a - FirM

Electrical Contractors

Transport & Storage The key to all your storage needs!

Fully insured Storage at Highly Competitive Rates Call us today for a quote!

01963 440045 www.sparkfordstorage.com

• open 7 Days a Week • 20 Years Established family Business • modern Burglar-Alarmed Warehouses • Professional & reliable Service • removals To and from Storage • Self Store with Easy Access • Cubicle and Crate Storage • friendly, Helpful Staff

Plumbing & Heating

High Street, Sparkford, nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7QJ Tel: 01963 440045 / 440526 / 440692

Roofing

PARKS

ROOFING LTD.

SLATiNG & TiLiNG SpeCiALiSTS

Specialists in period and listed properties

Leadwork Chimneys Fascias Gutters Flat Roofs

26 Stembridge, nr. Kingsbury, Martock TA12 6BN Telephone: 01460 240229 • Mobile: 07917 411961

Framing Tel: 01747 861479 Mob: 07561 120828 34 White road, mErE, nr. Warminster Wiltshire, BA12 6EX Email: mead208@btinternet.com

SCeneS

Artist Materials & Gallery

« Picture framing « Restoration « Large selection of prints & paintings « Greeting Card Blanks High St. gillingham tel 01747 824050 www.scenes-online.co.uk

TV Aerials

for all your roofing requirements

Flat roofing • Tiling • slating grP roofing

Oven Cleaning

For further information & estimates contact Allan Carey

Mister Oven

all new Work fully Guaranteed

01963 33528 / 07885 723915 Email: allancarey541@hotmail.com

bourton roofing co.

Slate  Tiling  Flat Roofing. uPVC Fascias  Guttering FREE ESt Im At ES

 01747 840064

... or 07866 296453 Email: info@bourtonroofing.co.uk

Services

independent Oven Cleaning specialist Ovens - Hobs - Agas etc

Tel: 01935 475065 Mob: 07752 695264 www.misteroven.co.uk

dave ParMiTer aerials TV AERiAL SERViCE SATELLiTE / ViDEO SYSTEMS CCTV SYSTEMS - PERSONAL SERViCE

Tel: YEOViL (01935) 422088 or mobile 07850 405433 NO CALL-OUT CHARGE

June Deadline Monday 12th May

gOOD POTATOES

Takeaway Bags of Coal • Calor Gas Car & Van Rental Competitive Prices

Anchor Hill Service Station WiNCANTON 01963 32609

Communications

WeStLIne CoMMUnICAtIonS Business Telecom Specialist For all your telecom needs For free, friendly and professional advice call ...

John Penny on 07976 967349 www.westlinecoms.co.uk

THE VISITOR May 2014 49

Security

Prize Crossword No. 331 Set by Frank Butler

SenD CoMpLeTeD enTrieS To: The Visitor Crossword, p.o. Box 1, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7BG to arrive by monday 12th may.

Correct entries are placed in a hat and the winner is the first name drawn. The prize is a £10 voucher to spend with any one advertiser in this issue of the Visitor.

Please do not forget to state your choice of advertiser and your name and address.

1

2

3

7

8

10

Builders

“A company of traditional values” Telephone: 01935 829037 or 07771 907340

5

6

9

11

12

hALLWorTh LTD BUiLDerS

4

13

15

14

16

17

18

19 20

21

22

23

24

A family business with over 30 years of building excellence, Members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, covering all areas of Somerset & Dorset ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Complete design & build package Extensions & alterations Barn conversions renovations

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

refurbishments GrP roofing Commercial works Small works /maintenance also undertaken

please call for a free quoTATion or to discuss your requirements

dave Hoddinott FULLY QUALiFiED BUiLDER - ESTABLiSHED 1973

• Renovations & Extensions FrieNdly & • Roofing + Carpentry reliable • Plumbing & Heating SerVice • Ceramic Wall & Floor Tiling • Painting & Decorating • Electrical Contracting Competitive prices ✳ no vat ✳ no job too big or too small

 01963 440256 / 07974 844682

25

26

Across 7.

9.

10.

11.

12.

14.

15.

17.

20.

22.

23.

24 hour emergency call out • email: hoddaz@hotmail.com

24.

25.

26.

Rattle about between the poles: Slovenly woman! [8] Wears wine on board. [6] Reap what has grown. [4] Expect caper, £0.01 consumed.

[10] Peace broken by last of wars?

Get away! [6] Far down, oddly, with tier for a boundary. [8] Arrange us to be between 90° and 180°. [6] Sew holy one with irritation.

[6] Propellor hangs all hands out to dry. [8] Tumulus with one wheel? [6] Mishmash when hotpot is shared between two small churches. [10] Stop enclosing contents: That's clear! [4] Softly angry, Captain Flint perhaps. [6] Nectar worker? "Hey!" one be ordered. [5-3]

13. unfriendly, against the dance.

[10] 16. Quietly entering, barked and dumped. [8] 18. Hoed around six balls and cleared up. [8] 19. Spell caster follows first treat with a tic. [6] 21. Metal in charge? That's wry.

[6] 22. At the rear, live as a female deer. [6] 24. African antelope, alternatively with two unknowns. [4]

Solution to Crossword 330

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

8.

50 THE VISITOR May 2014

Before score mix-up, Alf was out in the open. [8] Halt when pots are upset. [4] Took food after bed returned leading to discussion. [6] Peggy has wee farmstead beneath a tree. [8] Contender needs optometric change. [10] Girl swallows tawdry articles in effigy. [6] Tell partly (not if you lie!). [6]

The Winner oF oUr ApriL CroSSWorD 330 was Mr. r. putt, of South petherton, who chose to spend the £10 voucher at The Wyndham Arms, Kingsbury episcopi.

CITY DECORATING SUPPLIES Quality Paints & wallpapers

The home of quality timber framed buildings

■ Superb choices of colours and finishes ■ Farrow & Ball main stockists ■ Mylands of London main stockists

FROM START ...

Emma Lee – will be pleased to answer your call and to deal with your enquiry.

■ Paint mixed on the premises – any quantity or finish ■ Specialist decorating materials ■ Expert advice on products for restoration & conservation work ■ High performance paints and wood finishes

“inspirational ideas for your home”

Neale Gear – after listening to your requirements, Neale will design a timber building to suit your needs.

oPEn: Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm Saturday 9am – 4pm

No. 1 The Old Chapel, Union Street WELLS, Somerset, BA5 2PU 01749 677299 Our skilled craftsmen will ensure your building is made to the highest standards.

Nigel Lee – with a wealth of experience in construction, Nigel will site manage the project throughout.

... TO FINISH A quality timber building to last for many years to come.

SpArkfOrd SAwmiLLS Ltd. Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7LH

Tel: 01963 440414 www.sparkford.com Visit our website to see our extensive range or call in to discuss your requirements

next to cAr PArk