The Visitor Magazine Issue 480 November 2023

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

Issue 480 November 2023

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tep inside Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford and the first sight you encounter is the red collection – row upon row of red cars including classics of 60 and 70 years ago and super sporty models of the 21st century. It’s a stunning introduction to the museum’s collection of almost 400 cars and bikes, some dating from the early 1900s, and to its newlyopened ‘Life on Two Wheels’ motorcycle exhibition.

At nearby Yeovilton the Fleet Air Arm Museum contains Europe’s largest naval aircraft collection with the first Britishbuilt Concorde and the replica of an aircraft carrier flight deck being major attractions.

A new addition to the collection in September was a reconstructed Barracuda torpedo-bomber. And at Cranmore the East Somerset Railway has an interesting collection of steam and diesel locomotives, carriages and old freight stock plus a restored signal box, a large engine shed and a museum depicting the line’s 150year history.

Judging by the crowds I saw at all three attractions this summer, transport and its history are of interest to a great many people. And it’s not just a male interest and it’s not just nostalgia. Mothers with young children appeared to be happily engrossed in the broad range of exhibits.

And on the few occasions a steam-hauled excursion train passed through Visitorland it drew countless people to bridges and stations to capture it on video and audiotape – among them, parents showing their children the railway as they themselves like to remember it. Preserved lines and locomotives are major tourist attractions, as the folk at the restored Shillingstone Station, Yeovil Railway Centre and the Gartell Light Railway at Templecombe will testify.

It was 73 years ago last month, on 11th October 1950, that the preservation movement started with the formation of a society to save a Welsh narrow gauge railway from closure. When the society ran

its first train on the Talyllyn Railway the following Whitsun the line became the first volunteer-run steam railway in the world.

One of the principal instigators of the society, Tom Rolt, was an engineer and writer with a particular interest in industrial archaeology, and transport and its history were dear to his heart.

Before his involvement with the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society he had been instrumental in forming the Inland Waterways Association in 1947 to campaign for the restoration of canals for commercial and leisure use. And earlier still, in 1934, he was one of the founders of the Vintage Sports Car Club – he had inherited a 1924 four-seater Alvis from his father, and bought a 1924 two-seater Alvis in 1935 – and he remained a member until his death in 1974. Were he alive today, he would surely applaud Visitorland’s innovative transport attractions and the massive public interest in transport and its history. And would doubtless spend many happy hours amidst the vintage cars at Haynes.

NN.

Advertising Deadlines December Issue Deadline: 20th November December Issue Published: 30th November

PO Box 5522, Castle Cary Somerset BA9 0BP Tel: (01963) 351256, 351998 Email: info@thevisitormagazine.co.uk Website: www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk facebook.com/thevisitormagazine twitter.com/thevisitormag Editor Max Dunion Advertising Kerry Edwards Julie Horn Managing Director Helen Dunion © The Visitor Ltd. 2023

(Items marked ©GT are the copyright of Geoff Thompson)

CONTENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS & CLASSIFIED ‑ 42 ANTIQUES ‑ 17 CASTLE CARY ‑ 20 CROSSWORD ‑ 42 FESTIVE FOOD, DRINK & GIFTS ‑ 26 FESTIVE VENUES & MENUS ‑ 30 GARDENING ‑ 34 GLASTONBURY BUSINESS FOCUS ‑ 28 HOUSE & HOME ‑ 32 LEISURE ‑ 15 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‑ 4 LOOKING GOOD For Autumn & Winter ‑ 17 MENTIONED in DISPATCHES ‑ 6 MOTORING ‑ 16 NOTICE BOARD ‑ 15 PHONE‑A‑FIRM ‑ 41 POP QUIZ ‑ 15

NOTE TO ADVERTISERS

PUBS ‑ 38

Advertisements are accepted subject to our standard terms and conditions as printed on our rate card, available upon request.

REMEMBER WHEN ‑ 40

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

THEY SAY ‑ 39

STREET BUSINESS FOCUS ‑ 24 SUDOKU ‑ 15 WINE & DINE ‑ 36 Cartoons by GEOFF THOMPSON

THE VISITOR November 2023 3

Badgers of Corn

Sir, I have recently been researching a possible connection, between my mother’s family and Scottish cattle drovers. My wife’s family also had one on their side, but he got a free passage to Australia, before his droving career really took off.

Anyway I stumbled upon an Act of Parliament which governed the licensing of Drovers, and came into force near the end of the short reign of Edward VI in 1552, he died in July the next year. His uncle the first Duke of Somerset would have had a hand in this too, but unfortunately lost his head the same year.

But this Act also covers the Badgers of corn ( and other victuals ), I immediately thought of The Visitor’s little badger.

In those times Badgers and Drovers were important people, who had to be licensed and trustworthy.

The Act as modified in the reign of Elizabeth I deemed that these two groups should not be just work-shy common labour, but men of sterner stuff.

They needed to be over thirty years old, married householders, and settled for at least three years in the place where they resided. The act also restricted: speculative accumulation; buying ahead the cattle or goods before

they had got to market; and regrating (buying and selling within the same market or one within four miles of it). Not something the modern City trader would like.

Why were they called Badger?

This is not clear, but current think is it is a corruption of “baggers”. I have different interpretation which I would like to put before your readers.

That is the Badgers were a hang over from the earlier legal travellers: pilgrims; and the badged retainers of local Lords.

Their lordships gave the latter group livery badges (of cast pewter or ones of the lead alloys), which bestowed favour upon the

wearer, for being willing to fight (and even die) for their squire when needed. It is this group I believe that gave the Badgers of corn etc. their name. Because with their badges came a small amount of influence, reflected from the Squire.

The pilgrims collected badges, as they went from holy place to holy place, like the one Annette Burkitt illustrates in her book “Flesh and Bones of Frome Selwood”, (the little man on a horse found at the Temple near Bruton). These although of souvenir-type status also perhaps gave the pilgrim wearers some self bestowed authority to travel.

In those days settlement was everything. A parish need not look after a stranger or vagabond/vagrant, if he was without means of support and became destitute in their village.

So badges in medieval times to some extent set these groups apart.

I have been reading a more modern slant on this in Micheal McGarvie’s transposition of “Thomas Horner’s Kings Justice” a diary of his cases in 18th Century Mells, Frome and thereabouts. The majority of the cases were bastardy and vagrancy, two quite distinct groups. By then it was the duty of the parish to pay for the movement of members of the latter group to their correct place of settlement. Horner lists one case where a poor Scottish woman, was given help, including a sea passage from Bristol to get back to Glasgow.

By the 19th Century vagrancy contractors were appointed to move displaced person from parish to parish by cart. Perhaps another less sinister origin of the expression “he’s in the cart now”.

I wonder if there are any other interpretations of how the Badgers of corn got their name?

Yours sincerely Possible Drover’s Descendant

Have your say: December deadline: 20th November 4 THE VISITOR November 2023

THE VISITOR November 2023 5

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Dispatches Wincanton Christmas Fair is now in its 19th successful year!

ALWAYS a fantastic Christmas shopping experience where there’s something for everyone.

50 independent stalls selling unique and quality products : Fabulous clothes, toys, decorations, homeware, gardening, food and drink. Gifts galore - they have it all!

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Get all your Christmas shopping done in one place, under one roof, warm and dry, hassle free. The Fair is held in a huge marquee at Wincanton Racecourse on 21st November, with ample free parking.

Refreshments and delicious homemade light lunches are available all day at their caravan café. Entrance to the Fair is £5 for the Children’s Hospice South West. For more details please visit the website www.wincanton christmasfair.co.uk.

The Unsung Women of Somerset: A new book

Most people feel a sense of curiosity about the place they live in and/or grew up in. A new book

will reveal little-known information about women who lived in Somerset in years gone by, women with courage, kindness, innovation and even some who smashed the rules!

On 20th November, Unsung Women in Somerset by Helen Pugh will be released. This is a book of real-life and legendary women who lived from preRoman to modern times.

We meet most women through a short story, followed by historical notes about the woman and a chapter bibliography that shows the meticulous research that has gone into the book. Most chapters also include a Quick Tribute section that briefly mentions other interesting women from the same century.

This book is not a conventional narrative of Somerset’s history in

that it focuses on women and celebrates the diversity of Somerset’s past as well. For instance, readers will meet the African princess who survived and thrived despite the odds and

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Dispatches the openly gay artists whose generosity touched their neighbours’ hearts.

Plenty of places are specifically relevant to readers of The Visitor, such as Wells, Glastonbury, Evercreech, Bruton and Crewkerne. Even a few places in northern Dorset are mentioned, including Shaftesbury and Sherborne. The handy A–Z index outlines every Somerset place name mentioned in the book.

There are over 160 in total!

Unsung Women in Somerset will be available as a paperback, hardback and ebook. The ebook can be pre-ordered using at: https://books2read.com/unsung.

Helen is a first-generation ‘Somersetonian’, who grew up in Chilcompton. She went to secondary school in Bath, then attended the University of Bristol (only just over the border!) After more than 8 years living abroad, she returned to Somerset in 2018 and lived in Shepton Mallet with her family for 4 years before

moving to Midsomer Norton.

Helen is currently working on a Junior Edition of this book and has already published books about South America, including Jungle-tastic Tales and Incatastic Tales.

‘Nobility Without Pride’ The horse in art from Ucello to Hockney

An illustrated talk by Richard Kay, Lawrences’ Picture Expert, on Wednesday 22nd November.

Long Sutton Village Hall TA10 0NT 6-15pm for 7-00pm. Tickets: £18 (to include a glass of wine & canapés). Telephone: 01458223613.

Payment to Barclays Bank Branch Code 20-68-95. A/C no 93032671. A/C name Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRef: 798565 + your surname. In aid of RNLI - Saving Lives At Sea.

Calling all paddle boarders, kayakers , canoeists & anyone who enjoys water activities & being by the sea !

In 2022, RNLI lifeguards saw a staggering 155% rise in paddle board incidents compared with 2021 while volunteer lifeboat crews saw an increase of 20%. In the 10 years 2012-21 the RNLI saved the lives of 300 kayakers & canoeists and helped 6,361

people. We are a small fund raising group who desperately need more people to help. Can you spare an hour to help with our collections ? Would you be able to help with other events we put on during the year? Any assistance would be welcome to fund our selfless lifeboat men, women and lifeguards who drop everything and work voluntarily to save lives at sea and around

the coast. If you are interested in helping this vital non government funded lifesaving institution please get in touch with: Mary Mullineux, Secretary to Somerton & Langport Area Branch RNLI on: marybmullineux@gmail.com.

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THE VISITOR November 2023

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Dispatches Cary regains crown as Family Carnival

Encouraged by great weather, an enthusiastic crowd of revellers gathered in Castle Cary on Saturday 14th October to celebrate the tradition and creativity of carnival! The big carts lit up the narrow ancient streets, with incredibly creative walkers, top twirling majorettes and tip-top bands completing the wonderful procession.

“The biggest cheers of the night went to the local entries, especially the primary schools, families and youth groups” said new Carnival Committee Chair, Simon Duck. “The numbers of children and the creativity of the

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entries was great to see!”

North Cadbury Primary School’s Cadbury’s Chocolates, narrowly squeezed Queen Camel and their hoards of Little Misses and Mr Men of Countess Gytha into second place in the Inter Schools Cup. The spectator’s

choice award went to local family, the Wixeys, and Super Mario Bros – Bowsers Revenge.

Onto results for the big carts, best tableau going to the mesmerising entry The Shortest Day from Magnum Carnival Club, with best overall entry Hot Rock Carnival Club bringing South America to Somerset with Samba! Setting the standard of walking entries was high-flying Dee Gees Carnival Club, and Roger Muspratt with Emporer Ming, and the hilarious dancing can-cans of ABC Carnival Club – yes really?! Some of the most-

hard fought entries were in the Juvenile categories, so huge congratulations to parents and participants! Especially Alice Loftus (best Individual Masquerader), Infinity Dance Group (best Group Juvenile) and Mini Reveller’s Mario cart.

Finally, congratulations to the sparkling Illumination Twirlers who came first in the majorettes’ competition.

“Over 70% of the collection goes to local charitable causes so we’re delighted to say that that from both carnivals we raised £2,300.

A very big thank you to our evergenerous community!” said Wendy Hunt, Carnival Deputy Chair. The Carnival Society would like to thank everyone; our sponsors, marshals, collectors and the 100’s of other people who help make our big night out happen. Carnival spirit is alive and well in Cary!

For full Carnival results, and more about Castle Cary’s carnivals, see www.ccacs.org.uk.

THE VISITOR November 2023 9

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Dispatches The trumpet shall sound

The South Somerset Choral Society, augmented by four brilliant young soloists, a professional orchestra, and led

by John Jenkins, the new Musical Director, will perform Handel’s immortal Messiah at 7.30pm on Saturday 18 November in the Church of St, Peter and St. Paul,

South Petherton. Tickets, priced £22.00, inclusive of programme, (£5.00 for children under 15) are available from: tickets@south somersetchoralsociety.org.uk.

Other ticket outlets in Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster and South Petherton are listed on the website www.southsomerset choralsociety.org.uk. Hallelujah!

A wild deal for Somerset residents

Environmental charity Heal Rewilding (www.healrewilding .org.uk) recently opened Heal Somerset (www.healsomerset .org.uk), its first nature recovery site near Bruton, and is offering

people who live in the county the opportunity to join their Friends of Heal scheme at a special discounted rate.

Somerset residents can become Friends of Heal with a discount of 15% or more on the packages in the scheme. These monthly, yearly or lifetime donations give the charity vital ongoing support for its work on nature recovery, climate action and wellbeing. As a thank you, Friends are given preferential early booking for selected Heal events and a PDF guide to rewilding.

Friends of Heal Somerset packages are available for individuals, couples, families,

young adult and for a lifetime.

Examples of the packages are Individual Friends of Heal, donating £3.50 a month under the discount scheme and young adults, giving £1.70 a month. All Friends of Heal packages can also be given as gifts, a wonderful way of giving a present with meaning and purpose.

Human health and wellbeing are at the heart of Heal’s mission.

With the aim to acquire and rewild a site in every English county, the charity wants to make rewilding and nature accessible to everyone. This new discount for county residents is intended to involve local community in the

Environmental charity Heal Rewilding have opened Heal Somerset, its first nature recovery site near Bruton.

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Dispatches project and for them to feel proud to be part of creating a new place where people and wildlife can thrive.

Jan Stannard, Heal’s Chair of Trustees, said: “Our Friends are the drumbeat of support for our core work and they’re a vital part of the Heal family. We hope that lots of people who live in this beautiful county will be interested in supporting our work by becoming a Friend.”

The Heal Somerset site is open 50 weeks a year, 24 hours a day, so that people can come early to hear the dawn chorus or after dark to see and detect bats. Prebooked parking is essential if coming by car, arranged via the Heal Somerset website. Entry to the two large publicly accessible areas is free with a requested voluntary donation. The Southern Fields are open to anyone aged 14 and over (age restriction to keep children safe) and the Eastern Fields to all ages. Both of these areas have mown paths, with almost 8km of walking in the Southern Fields and just over 2km in the Eastern Fields.

You can become a Friend of Heal Somerset at www.heal somerset.org.uk/friends-of-healsomerset.

Mere Amateur Dramatic Society Autumn update

The MADS 2023 autumn production is dedicated to the memory of Diane Potter, a stalwart of the society for nearly six decades, who died earlier this year. Di - as she was known never trod the boards of Mere’s Lecture Hall stage but she helped ensure that those who did gave a good performance on a well presented set. Over the years she served MADS as a member of its backstage crew, as a stagemanager, the ticket sales organiser and front-of-house lady, and as the respected director of many successful productions.

Di directed a number of comedies including work by Peter Gordon and his play, Murdered to Death, has been chosen by MADS for her memorial production. It is described as a ‘hilarious spoof’ in the Agatha Christie tradition. Thus, as you would expect, the play is set in a country house where the residents are murdered one by

one and the local sleuth, Miss Joan Maple, feels obliged to assist the hapless police.

Performances on Mere’s Lecture Hall stage are Thursday to Saturday, November 23rd, 24th and 25th at 7.30pm.

Tickets @ £8 are available now: via the MADS website: mereamdram.co.uk, by telephone on 01747 861257, in person from Mere Library or Sprout & Flower, or on the door if space permits.

filled with a variety of enticing stalls offering hand-made and unique gifts; the perfect inspiration for those difficult-tobuy-for friends and family.

And if all the shopping leaves visitors in need of refreshment, the Bishop’s Table café will be serving a seasonal menu with views over the croquet lawn.

The event is a fundraising event in aid of The Bishop’s Palace which is owned by the

Church Commissioners and operated by The Palace Trust, a registered charity which manages the site as a heritage visitor attraction. Reduced price admission tickets on the day include access to the Artisan Market in the Palace building AND the 14 acres of RHS partner gardens and can be purchased online or on site. £8 Adult, Child 5-17 £4. Under 5’s and Palace Members are FREE.

The late Diane Potter, stalwart of MADS for nearly 60 years.

The popular Christmas Artisan Market returns to The Bishop’s Palace on 4th5th November (10am-4pm)

There’ll be plenty of gift inspiration, decorations, cards and live entertainment in the inspirational setting of the medieval Palace building as the medieval rooms of the Palace, upstairs and downstairs, will be

THE BUTTERCROSS TEAROOMS

Market Place, Somerton (01458) 273168 Homemade Cakes & Scones Morning Coffee, Cream Teas Lunch Served 12 – 3pm Open: Tue – Sat 9am – 4pm

THE VISITOR November 2023 11

Mentioned in

Dispatches Julius Roberts presents The Farm Table at Castle Gardens, Author talk and cooking demonstration on Wednesday 8 November

First generation farmer and chef, Julius Roberts will be visiting Castle Gardens in Sherborne on Wednesday 8 November, for a special event held to celebrate the launch of his new cookbook, The Farm Table. In association with Winstone’s Bookshop in

Sherborne, Castle Gardens will stage the event in The Butterfly House from 7pm, where Julius will share tales from his Dorsetbased farm and demonstrate recipes taken from the new book.

Making the most of simple ingredients, Julius’ recipes are thoughtful yet simple to prepare, all created to help home cooks to reconnect with nature and the seasons. Offering a collection of dishes that involve a few good things on a plate, assembled with joy and ease, The Farm Table includes seasonal recipes such as an elegant, fuss-free winter dinner of roast pumpkin, mozzarella, hazelnuts and sage, a baked fish with herbs and asparagus for springtime, a ratatouille galette for summer

Julius Roberts.

Image: Elena Heatherwick.

and an autumnal smoked haddock and leek rarebit.

Having grown up in London, studied sculpture in Brighton and worked as a chef in the capital,

all before embarking on his journey to become a fully-fledged, self-taught smallholder, Julius is able to share honest stories of the unique challenges and joys he encountered while becoming a first generation farmer, alongside the recipes he created along the way.

Tickets cost £5 per person and are available to purchase from Winstone’s Bookshop on Cheap Street in Sherborne, as well as online at: shop.winstonebooks .co.uk. Doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

Superstar racehorse Frodon and his jockey Bryony Frost delighted children at Wincanton Primary School

The pair have combined to win no fewer than 11 races together and made history at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019 when Frodon carried Bryony to victory in the Ryanair Chase – the first time a female jockey had won a Grade One race over fences at the event.

They also teamed up to win Jump racing’s Christmas highlight – the Grade One King George VI Chase at Kempton Park – on Boxing Day in 2020 and their most recent success together came in the 2022 Badger Beer Handicap Chase at nearby Wincanton Racecourse – a contest they will attempt to win for a second time on Saturday 11th November.

But on Wednesday October 18th they swapped the racetrack for the playground, thrilling pupils and teachers alike.

The visit was organised by The Jockey Club - the largest employer in British horseracing which also operates Wincanton Racecourse - alongside RacingToSchool, an educational charity which aims to inspire young minds through the provision of free, interactive and healthy outdoor educational events for schools, staged at a variety of racing venues.

“It’s really exciting, my grandad watches horseracing and it was really cool to look at a horse”, “I loved how he had his rug on’” and “I was surprised by 12 THE VISITOR November 2023

how big he was!” were just some of the reactions during the visit.

Jockey Bryony was equally thrilled to be showing off her equine partner to the youngsters and said: “It’s been absolutely awesome and the kids and Frodon loved it. They were chanting his name and saying you’re going to win!

Crown & Victoria Inn wins the crown in Channel 4’s popular b&b competition

South Somerset bed & breakfast establishment, The Crown & Victoria Inn, Tintinhull, was declared the winner in their series of the new 2023 season of Channel 4’s Four in a Bed national television competition competing against 3 other B&B businesses in the South West region.

The show, televised over 5 episodes, sees four bed and breakfast owners host one another, and at the end of their stay, rate one another’s hospitality skills. At the end of the week, they all sit down to talk through their feedback - both the positive and the negative, with one bed and breakfast owner being crowned the winner.

Owner of The Crown & Victoria Inn, Surinder Hothi-Bellamy, only purchased the property at the end of April 2022 solely to provide a bed & breakfast offering for the customers of her other award-winning food events business, Pure Punjabi, which is a winner of The Federation of Small Business’ Family Business of The Year South West 2020, and named top 8 Indian cookery courses in the UK, by Olive magazine “We’re absolutely delighted” said owner Surinder, who was on the f:Entrepreneur 2022 winners list that highlights inspiring female business leaders across the UK, and a VIP judge at the BBC Radio Somerset Make a Difference Awards 2022 and first round judge in 2023.

“When we viewed the Crown & Victoria Inn, it was sadly empty and came with no existing trade, food- stock or room or restaurant bookings. We also had the challenge of redecorating all four B&B rooms, but we were ready to take it on, and also wanted to re-open it in a new viable and sustainable format. Then one day, out of the blue, I received a phone call from Studio Lambert who make the show for Channel 4, asking if we would come on the show – we were quite taken aback and explained that we had only recently taken on the building and were in the process of a

complete redecoration. However, we were up for the challenge, with only 6 weeks to get the rooms ready for the filming”.

“Filming the show was great fun, though the days were long”, said Safia Hothi-Bellamy, Surinder’s daughter and business partner who accompanied her on the show. The other contestants and their businesses were all really different, but we all got along well, though the payment day was not what we expected at all!

“When we went on the show, we all hoped to be the winners, but what mum really wanted to do was showcase The Crown & Victoria Inn and the beautiful area of South Somerset. For every person that sees the shows and comes to stay with us, that ensures The crown & Victoria Inn survives and that there is more spend for all the other hospitality businesses in the region. Being the winners is an extra bonus which will add to the prosperity of not only our hospitality business, but South Somerset tourism”.

or just for the spare room, the Shepton ticks all the boxes.

To mark the occasion, Jessica and Anne will be at The Emporium, Yeovil, Saturday 25th November from 10.30-2.30. Join them for coffee and in welcoming the new Shepton, you can scoop up a 10% discount off all the wonderful bedding.

Crown & Victoria, Tintinhull.

Southdown Duvets launch a new duvet

The legend continues! Local Southdown Duvets, suppliers of the famous wool bedding, is excited to launch a new duvet.

“We have called it the Shepton,” says Jessica, the company founder. “To mark our happy anniversary in Somerset and it's an absolute sweetie”.

Perfect for the budget-conscious customer who still wants a fabulous, quality duvet, either for themselves, for family members

THE VISITOR November 2023 13

Mentioned in

Dispatches Settle yourself or a loved one into a new home this winter

As the winter months are now here, Care South is welcoming new residents to stay warm, safe and cared for in its care homes.

Families and friends are also welcome to visit their loved ones to share in the Food, Fun and Friendship on offer at each care home.

Whether you’re looking for a short stay, a change of scenery to give you and your family members a break, or even a new home, Care South’s care homes offer comfort, security, and peace of mind.

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Fern Brook Lodge in Gillingham is owned by Care South, a not-for-profit charity and leading provider of residential and home care across the south of England. Offering high-quality residential, respite and dementia care, tailored to the needs of residents in a safe, home-fromhome environment.

Care South is welcoming new residents to stay warm, safe and cared for in its care homes.

With hearty, nutritious meals on the menu and a wealth of fun and engaging activities that appeal to everyone, rest assured that your loved ones will be comfortable, safe and expertly cared for.

The activities teams promote variety in their engaging activities programme, whether it’s a pamper day in the salon, reliving cherished memories and getting active, or welcoming special guests, entertainers and performers.

For further information about Fern Brook Lodge call 01747 449812 or visit www.caresouth.co.uk.

November Notice Board GILLINGHAM

CHARITY Christmas Fair in aid of the Air Ambulance at The Vicarage School Rooms, Gillingham on Saturday 25th November 10am-3pm. Lots of stalls, coffee/tea/soft drinks & cakes.

MARTOCK

Talk on the Occupation of Jersey on Thursday 16th November at Martock Fellowship Hall; TA12 6JN. 2.00pm. Tickets: £5.00 at Guardianstickets@gmail.com /07547 213992/Martock Gallery/ Martock Newsagent (CASH ONLY). www.martockonline. co.uk/events. Richard Brisset was a young boy during the invasion and occupation of Jersey by the Germans during WWII. This illustrated talk describes life under German rule and his views of the occupation.

SHERBORNE

STOURHEAD

Christmassy Mind Body Spirit Fayre at Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne Dorset DT9 3AA on November 25th. 11 to 5.

Entry £1. All welcome.

TO ADVERTISE your event here, email info@thevisitormagazine .co.uk or write to: PO BOX 5522 Castle Cary, BA9 0BP. 20 words for £5, 30p per additional word.

December deadline is 20th November!

Antiques, Arts, Crafts, Food & More. Sherborne Digby Hall Monthly Market. Saturday November 4th. 10-3. Cafe, Toilets, Parking & Up to 70 sellers.

Trader enquiries Tel: 07717 454643.

Stourhead Antique & Vintage Fair – 4th & 5th November 10am – 5pm. Stourton Memorial Hall, Spread Eagle Courtyard. For more info 07720 896129.

So, you think you know your Pop music, do you?

By John Osborne  Answers can be found on page 39  1) Who are the veteran rockers that are 'Angry' at the moment?

2) Name the band who had 'One Day Like This' in 2008.

3) Lyrics: 'I met my old lover on the street last night, she seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled' 4) 'With or Without You' a single from which Irish rockers?

5) Eldorado, Time, and Discovery are all albums by which band?

6) Name the duo who sang 'When you're gone' in 1998?

7) Gnarls Barclay was 'Crazy' in which year?

8) Name the band making 'Waves' at the moment.

9) The Beatles released their first album 60 years ago this month, November 1963. Name it.

10) Name the band who were 'Beggin' in 1967?

BonusQuestion: Brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill are all members of which band?

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.

Solution to October Sudoku on page 39.

Great Quotes in Music (151) 'I'd rather die than be 45 and still singing satisfaction' – Mick Jagger

Dating Ideas for Autumn with Alison at Just Somerset Introductions

Autumn colours are wonderful this year due to the weather over the summer, so what a lovely time to get out and see the autumn colours as the weather allows. A good time to get out to meet new people, make new friends and maybe that someone special.

We offer social events for our members and one to one introductions. We are an Introduction Agency for single people of all ages 25- 95, younger members are welcomed - who are looking to meet someone for a relationship and new friendships. We offer a confidential, personal, professional service. We are part of the Just Introduction Group and you can meet members across the group. All members are interviewed in their own

home and ID checked. For more info and testimonials of our successes, please look at the NEW website and give us a call! What’s stopping you - you might at least make a new friend … broaden your horizons and friendships!

THE VISITOR November 2023 15

MOTORING VINTAGE Motorcycling with Rod Hann I RECENTLY took part in a two day event in Mid Wales which was called the Girder Fork Experience and true to the title it had been organised solely for girder forked machines. Based at Cilmery near Builth Wells we had a couple of days riding around the mountains of central Wales and up and down the valleys with huge reservoirs and dams.

The scenery was stunning.

The roads were very traffic free and the roads themselves were smooth and well maintained, unlike the roads in my vacinity.

There were plenty of sheep to avoid and many hundreds of motorcyclists on modern machines all enjoying these surroundings. It was the first time this event had taken place and the forty entrants thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was so good we immediately made an entry for next year's event.

One of the machines doing our Welsh weekend was a Triumph dating from 1928. I and many others never knew that Triumph had ever made a machine with an overhead cam engine. The bike is the subject of this month's photograph. You can clearly see the engine arrangement and the cycle parts are all factory ‘Parts Bin’ items from other models in the range at that time.

Apparently Triumph's made just the one such machine as an experiment and development bike but alas it never got as far as the production stage. It certainly galloped around the mountains of Wales with ease.

Riding events continue throughout November but of course are less frequent these days. The Somerset Section start with their club night at Cossington on the 2nd and that will be a guest speaker. The Dorset Section has its club night at Pulham on the 8th and this will be a quiz. This is followed on the 11th with the Memorial Run which starts at Gillingham.

The Wessex Veteran and Vintage 16 THE VISITOR November 2023

1928 Triumph.

Section have a speaker for their club afternoon meet at Silton Hall on the 13th. Virtually every club and the differing Sections of the VMCC will always allow interested potential members to come along to a few meetings and the riding events to get a taste of what we do, and if you like what you see then our hope is that you may wish to join us and become a full member. You can get details of any of these events by ringing me on 01935-872528.

Of particular interest in November is the Somerset Section's Autojumble being held at the Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet on the 4th. Always a popular and social event and well worth the £4 entry fee. This event is a must for all motorcycling enthusiasts.

Our government has at last realised that all new cars and bikes after 2030 must be electrically powered was an unrealistic pipe dream. We simply do not have the infrastructure, nor will have by 2030, to service a rapid increase in electric vehicles. I therefore come back to my preference of developing Hydrogen as the fuel of the future.

Using Hydrogen as a fuel can be done in two ways. The first is to use it as a fuel cell. This works similarly to a battery with anodes and cathodes separated by an electrolyte. These can be

refuelled rather than recharged like a battery. The hydrogen fuel can be stored in pressurised containers and fed to the fuel cell. When empty the canisters can be exchanged for full ones.

All you need is an electric motor and control just like any other electric vehicle.

The second method would be to use an engine similar to a conventional four stroke engine.

The hydrogen gas would need to be force injected into the cylinders after the valves had closed so as to avoid displacing air in the combustion chamber.

After that the engine would work as per a normal engine. Again the hydrogen would need to be stored in the same pressurised containers as in option one.

Either way the result would be clean energy with only water vapour being omitted from the exhaust. The canisters could be exchanged at a normal

garage/service station in a few moments rather than wait for batteries to be recharged.

The only downfall with the hydrogen options is the handling and storage of the high pressure canisters. This is the problem that all the major manufacturers are endeavouring to overcome as any accidents and the canisters would explode like bombs. With a sensible solution this must be our best option for the future.

With petrol or battery power there are still risks involved, it is the control of those risks that must be got right.

For me November means the end of autumn so preparations should be made to winter-proof my old bikes so I can keep riding throughout the winter ahead.

There are still some cracking good riding days to be had during the season before us and I intend to use as many of those as I possibly can. Keep riding.

Yeovil Auto Tuning  

CLASSIC CAR REPAIRS ● Repairs and Servicing Specialists Established OVER ● MOT Testing – Classes IV, V and VII also Motorhomes 30 YEARS ● 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)

9 Oxford Road, Pen Mill Trading Estate, YEOVIL Tel: 01935 426515 / 01935 411946

Celebrating 75 years of the Land Rover Series 1

A FITTING celebration of the Land Rover Series 1 will take place at the Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show on 4/5 November. “This anniversary is significant for Land Rover enthusiasts; we are so looking forward to having this historic moment recognised” says show organiser, Elizabeth Halsall.

Minerva Land Rover.

INSTANT CASH FOR YOUR OLD TOYS!

PASTIMES Of Sherborne (near the Abbey) • Over thirty years of dealing in antique and Collectible Toys • Established business paying BEST prices for old toys in any condition

ANY TOYS CONSIDERED

TOP PRICES PAID for old toys Those magical names  Britains  Matchbox  Subbuteo  Triang  Spot-On

 Dinky  Timpo  Corgi  Meccano  Hornby

Covid Safe Home Visits • Tel: 01935 816072 / 07527 074343 Email: info@pastimes-toys.co.uk

Looking Good for Autumn & Winter

Family Health with

Jenna Evans AS I WRITE this, there's a distinct chill in the air. After a warm start to autumn, I feel it will soon be time to don the hats and scarves and cosy up with a warming brew! This month we'll be finishing our tour of the medicinal mushroom allies – many of which can be added to our winter cuppas for an extra boost of immune support.

Snow Fungus. Image: Shutterstock.com/tyasindayanti.

Snow Fungus (Tremella fuciformis) – This mushroom is popular in both culinary and medicinal applications. It is quite beautiful with its folds of iridescent white tissue – a little

like loose folds of brain tissue.

Interesting, as one of its therapeutic applications is as a neurological aid. Also known as white jelly mushroom and silver ear mushroom, snow fungus is traditionally used to clear 'heat and dryness' in the body. Think of dry coughs, inflammation and radiation (including some research into support during radiotherapy). Snow fungus is gaining popularity alongside lion's mane as a neuroprotective agent, improving mood, memory and age degradation. It is also used to help manage cholesterol and protect the cardiovascular system and is a useful source of Vitamin D2. It's most famous use however is in skincare. Snow fungus helps boost hydration in the skin, aiding moisture retention, flexibility and vascular integrity. Legend has it that one of the Four Great Beauties of Ancient China, Yang Guifei, used snow fungus to maintain her youthful glowing complexion.

Snow fungus is being used in many skin lotions and potions to smooth out fine lines and plump the skin. You can also take it as a supplement or (if you can find it) cook with it. A rough dose is 1-3g of extract a day for general

health and skincare, 3-6g extract a day for radiotherapy support.

As a widely consumed food mushroom, Snow fungus has an excellent safety profile – but always check with your health professional if you are taking medication. Snow fungus has a theoretical contraindication with blood thinners as it possesses mild anti-coagulant activity.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) – This polypore mushroom (meaning it has pores on the underside to spread its spores) is found in temperate forests all over the world. With its coloured bands, the fruiting body resembles a turkey's tail (imaginatively named these shrooms aren't they!) Turkey tail is packed full of those immune enhancing beta glucans we have been talking about this series and also two special and highly researched proteoglycans – PSP (polysaccharide peptide) and PSK (polysaccharide K). PSP & PSK have been the subject of much interest in cancer care. They are used in the East to support the immune system, increase survival times and ameliorate the effects of conventional cancer treatments. As we have seen, many mushroom have shown

potential benefit for cancer patients, but this one has to be the star – always talk to your oncologist about including any supportive remedies. Most of the research has been carried out on PSP & PSK but that doesn't negate how useful people are finding whole mushroom extracts.

Turkey tail may also be considered for support with viruses such as HIV & herpes and in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I hope the last few months have inspired an interest in our mushroom friends! I have to say the feedback in Ceres continues to be great and as always do let me know your experiences! © Jenna Evans 2023.

•Jenna is a Holistic Health Coach and creator of bespoke beauty products. She can be found on Facebook at ‘Alchemical Beauty UK’. Jenna is also a multi-award winning Product Advisor at Ceres Natural Foods, Yeovil. To make an 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.

THE VISITOR November 2023 17

Looking Good for Autumn & Winter Seasons Boutique: Sherborne’s Hidden Gem in Ladies Clothing

Step into the world of Seasons Boutique, where history and fashion blend together. Nestled behind a magnificent fifteenthcentury facade, lies a hidden treasure trove of contemporary fashion and timeless style.

Did you know that Season’s Boutique is not just any ordinary clothing store? It is (probably) the smallest ladies clothing boutique in town, making it a unique and intimate shopping experience.

Inside you will discover designs from over twenty different fashion labels, with each piece

handpicked from across the UK and Europe.

At Seasons Boutique, we pride ourselves on offering something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking the latest runwayinspired looks or timeless classics, we have it all. Our dedicated team are always on hand to assist you in finding the perfect pieces for any occasion.

So why settle for mainstream when you can embrace the extraordinary? Visit Seasons Boutique today discover the charm of our boutique, as well as clothing options that will truly make you stand out from the crowd.

Bridge Street Barber Shop Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 8.30am – 6.30pm Friday 8.30am – 7pm Saturday 8.30am – 4pm 3 Retsel House, Bridge Street, STURMINSTER NEWTON Tel: 01258 472615 • Mobile: 07782 222590

18 THE VISITOR November 2023

Seasons Boutique, Sherborne.

Looking Good for Autumn & Winter Kookoon, Wincanton

Recently relocated from Wilton to Wincanton, Kookoon is a long established Dress Agency offering a very personal service.

Proprietor Sally has an amazing collection of high quality designer dresses and outfits, but she also has the gift of picking fashion items you will ‘love to wear’.

Her loyal customers return year after year, partly because

they find it hard to find individual pieces elsewhere, but also because they appreciate the one to one styling advice. Even their partners are impressed!

And you can walk away knowing that you have helped the environment by giving ‘nearly new’ another lease of life.

Kookoon is open Tues-Sat from 9.30am. Tel: 01963 846551. Find out more at www.kookoon dressagency.co.uk.

Kookoon is a long established Dress Agency that has recently relocated to Wincanton.

ears 0 y ers 7 r m ove usto for rk for c e shop d he ar Pa f th blis C ar o Esta Free at re Ward & Sibley - the jewellers of Yeovil.

WARD & SIBLEY The Jewellers of Yeovil Our repair section of the business is pleased to offer

AUTUMN PROMOTION FREE clean & setting check on gemstone rings

 Complete refurbishment of jewellery – soldering charms onto bracelets, sizing rings, repairing chains, jewellery cleaning  Watch repairs including battery replacements  Jewellery handmade to your own design  Seal, hand, and machine engraving  Valuations for insurance and probate  Pearl and bead re-threading

THE CASKET, 103 MIDDLE STREET, YEOVIL Tel: 01935 474065

FREE Car Par k at rear of shop for customers while visiting

THE VISITOR November 2023 19

I SUSPECT that to most outsiders Castle Cary and Ansford are one and the same place. Certainly there’s very little in the way of countryside separating the two, but around 30% of the town’s properties are in the parish of Ansford, not Cary.

Maps of a century or more ago reveal a very different picture, with the village of Ansford stretching along what was once an important coaching route from the Dorset coast to Bath, and the town of Castle Cary nestling down in the valley beneath Lodge Hill.

Housebuilding in the 1970s and 80s effectively transformed Ansford into a suburb of Cary although the town was already spreading tentacles of development towards the village much earlier in the last century.

And Cary had long been a thriving market town servicing the surrounding villages, just as it does today. The combined population of the two parishes is

MAX FOOTE Associates Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants 2 Bailey Hill Castle Cary BA7 7AD Tel: 01963 351052

large enough to support the many shops and services that fill the town centre, but not large enough to attract the major supermarkets that would put many of these shops out of business. As I have noted in previous Visitor articles, no comparable settlement in Visitorland can boast such a hive of retail activity or such a diverse range of shops. It is full of small, independent businesses offering personal service, and whatever you’re seeking, the chances are that you can buy it in Castle Cary.

It’s certainly bustling and it attracts shoppers from far and wide. It still has a traditional street market on Tuesday mornings and it has embraced the 21st century café culture, although you won’t find Costa or Starbucks here. Instead Cary is well-provided with characterful cafés and pubs including the 17th century George Hotel on the Market Place, offering a wide choice of fare for those wanting coffee or lunch.

The town’s history stretches back to Anglo-Saxon times, although archaeologists have unearthed evidence that there were people in the area in prehistoric times. And a Roman villa is believed to have been sited in what became the estate of Hadspen House just a couple of miles from Cary. The house and estate are now The Newt in

Business and limited company accounts, self assessment tax returns, VAT, Payroll, Book-keeping and Training Personal and professional service

20 THE VISITOR November 2023

Quality service assured at Phillips Tyres, Castle Cary.

A recreated and impressive 4th century Roman villa at The Newt in Somerset.

Somerset, a luxury hotel and spa surrounded by gardens, orchards, farmland, farm shops and cafés, and the owners have recreated an impressive and wellresearched 4th century Roman villa for visitors to explore.

Membership to gain entry to The Newt estate appears at first glance to be expensive, but it lasts for a year so you can make multiple visits (it needs several to see everything and to appreciate the changing seasons).

There’s a large discount for residents of the surrounding postcode areas, and the ticket also gives free admission to a dozen other gardens including the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan so it’s really a bargain.

By the time of Domesday Book, William the Conqueror’s massive survey of landholdings in the year 1086, the area was extensively settled. Ansford is recorded as Almundesford, a small estate with nine farmers or smallholders and three serfs, and has Castle Cary as Cari, the ancient Celtic or pre-Celtic name of the little

Dave Marsh on Fore Street.

river that rises there. Cari was clearly a flourishing place at that time with land for 20 ploughs, which suggests that around 2,000 acres were being farmed, plus 100 acres of meadow, a sizeable area of woodland and three mills. 57 workers are recorded so the total population would probably have been around 250. But there was no castle!

King William’s tenant-in-chief of Cari, in effect the lord of the manor, was Walter de Douai, but whether or not it was Walter who built the castle is not known. He died in 1107 or thereabouts and the first documented reference to the castle is not until 1138 when it was besieged by King Stephen, so it must have been erected before then. It stood on the hillside overlooking the settlement, and if you stroll up the footpath alongside the George Hotel you can see the site in the field beyond the gate at the top of the path. The surviving mounds suggest that it must have been a sizeable fortification – indeed, an archaeological excavation in 1890 revealed the remains of a stone keep almost 78ft square with walls 15ft thick.

The castle was besieged again in 1147, this time by the troops of the Earl of Gloucester, and the newly-built stone fortifications in front of the original castle were

In bygone days it was common for cobblestones, called pitchings, to be laid in a special way on steep hills so they stayed firmly in place and weren’t hazardous for people, animals and carts to pass over.

Pitching stones survive on the ground and in the name of the hill next to the Market House.

reputedly levelled to the ground.

But the short-lived castle must have been significant for in 1237 the place is recorded as Castelkary and the name stuck.

In the medieval period Castle Cary was administered as part of the Catsash hundred, a division of Somerset which belonged to the Crown, and inside it the tithings were the most local government unit. Some parishes within the hundred were so small they were administered jointly with others, such as Ansford with Castle Cary in what was known as the Caryland tithing. Thus today’s Visitorland embraces the medieval Caryland – and Ansford again seems to many people to be part of Cary.

I’m writing this in early October. I’ve always sworn that I would never mention Christmas

A medieval survivor is The Old House at Cockhill, a little more than mile south-west of Cary.

Built around 1440, it is a typical timber-framed house with a central hall and a bay on either side – and a small jettied room above the front door that was added by the early 1500s.

shopping until December but having just got home from a wander round Castle Cary I’m prepared to break my resolve this year. It is an ideal town to scour for gifts for any occasion – even Christmas! Pay it a visit and you’ll discover that it is still a thriving market town that retains much of its past to admire. And although more of its distant past has been lost, the researches of historians and archaeologists have helped us discover a little of what life around here must have been like in those early times. As a volunteer at the town’s museum told The Visitor: Castle Cary is just the right size, in exactly the right place, with a centuries-old tradition of comfortable continuity rather than the get-rich-quick mentality which has despoiled much of our country.

Roger Richards.

Castle Cary scoops a Gold Award and prestigious Trophy at the South West in Bloom Awards

Castle Cary Town Council and Ansford Parish Council are thrilled to announce they are winners of the top Gold Award in the Ayre Cup (the small-town category) in the South West in Bloom awards that took place in Truro Cathedral. The councils would like to thank everyone involved in the Community who contributed to this incredible achievement and helped to adorn Castle Cary with colour! A special mention and thanks to the Deputy Town Clerk of CCTC Katie, for all her hard work and whose idea it was to enter the Britain in Bloom competition.

The Councils were also delighted that EatCary were announced as winners of the Gordon Ford Trophy: ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ award. This is presented to: a group eager to make a difference developing an idea or project for positive change.

The judges were so impressed, following their visit on the 6th July, that they nominated

EatCary – Gordon Ford Trophy and Certificate.

EatCary for this award. EatCary is a community-run garden, situated next to Ansford Academy. The garden is managed by residents, who grow fruit and vegetables to eat and share with others. Any excess produce is kindly donated to the Millbrook Hub Community Larder in Castle Cary. By winning this award, EatCary were chosen out of 500 other entries! CCTC and APC are so proud of this initiative and those involved and hope their project will inspire others.

In addition, as if it couldn’t get any better, Castle Cary Railway Station Volunteers won a – ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’, Level 4, Thriving award.

Cary Kebab & Pizza House

Opposite the Horsepond you will find a great takeaway at 4 Fore Street. You can now order your favourite meals online from love-

CCTC with their awards: From Left to Right - Judi Morison (Chair of CCTC), Katie Armstrong (Deputy Town Clerk) and Philippa Biddlecome (Councillor and Chair of Properties and Infrastructure).

takeaway.com or download the app. They offer a wide selection of takeaway foods to choose from on their menu, kebabs, pizzas, burgers, wraps etc. including kids meal deal.

Delivery is available from 5pm -10pm (minimum spend £12).

Their delivery areas are within a 7 mile radius of Castle Cary to include: Ditcheat, Alhampton, Bruton, Sparkford, Queen Camel, Galhampton, North Cadbury and South Cadbury, and delivery charges apply. Open every day 3pm - 11pm. Tel 01963 359666.

THE VISITOR November 2023 21

As Raw As - artisan chocolate made in Somerset

As Raw As is an artisan chocolate company based in the heart of Somerset specialising in Dairy Free Unroasted Chocolate. As Raw As chocolate is only made with organic, natural and ethically sourced ingredients; lovingly handmade in small batches to ensure the highest possible quality.

All products are made without using any Dairy, Refined Sugars, Gluten, Soy or anything artificial. They are also vegan friendly. Made in Emily’s dedicated kitchen which also handles nuts, peanuts and sesame. They offer a range of

Handmade ‘Raw’ Chocolates, ‘Raw’ Fridge Bars, Bespoke ‘Raw’ Puddings, and Monthly Subscriptions. All packaging is eco-friendly … no plastic in sight! Emily now runs Workshops from her Chocolate Kitchen.

As Raw As is supporting www.onetreeplanted.org so every order helps to reforest the planet!

For further info please email: info@asrawas.com.

South Cary House, Residential Home

Situated in the pretty market town of Castle Cary, South Cary House is a Grade II listed Georgian property set in its own beautifully maintained grounds

Artisan chocolate made in Somerset by As Raw As.

of approximately one acre.

In the comfort and security of South Cary House they provide a relaxed, comfortable and happy environment for their residents.

They place a strong emphasis on the preservation of dignity, privacy and respect for each individual's choice of lifestyle.

They are delighted to have been awarded an ‘Excellent’ for Care by the Care Quality Commission.

South Cary House is within walking distance of the town and there is also a convenient regular bus service to Yeovil and Shepton Mallet. Should you wish to travel further afield trains go to London and Plymouth from Castle Cary railway station.

budgets, everything a home could possibly need. Pop into their beautiful, well organised shop, open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm and Sundays from 12th November until Christmas Eve.

Vale of Camelot Growers, Sparkford BA22 7JR

Derryn and Oliver Coulsey have been running the Vale of Camelot Growers for the last 16 years, once producing soft fruit but now concentrating on quality plants and Christmas trees.

The Christmas season is always a busy one and if you want a genuine, locally grown Christmas

The tranquil garden at South Cary House.

Castle Cary Antiques & Interiors

DE LIV FRO ERY 5pm M -10 pm

22 THE VISITOR November 2023

Castle Cary Antiques & Interiors will be celebrating their first Christmas in Castle Cary this year. In the heart of the town, 2 Market Place, the shop - a quirky sixteenth-century building is now a haven for a large number of experienced antique dealers.

There is a tremendous variety of quality antiques with exciting pieces being sourced worldwide.

There is a full eclectic range of antiques, collectibles, jewellery, home interior soft furnishings, and courtyard gardenalia. It really does have something for everyone, all occasions and

Inside Castle Cary Antiques & Interiors, and outside below.

tree, this is the place to go. You can walk amongst the tied-up trees to get a full view of their shape and size, in order to choose the perfect one for your home. It could be 3ft tall to stand on a table or a full 12ft one for your ballroom - there are shapes and sizes for everyone! Choose from a cut nondrop Nordman Fir or a traditional, scented Norway Spruce, or there are also pot-grown trees available up to about 5ft tall ... if you’re lucky you might even see Father Christmas busy amongst the trees!

In the ‘polytunnel turned grotto’, you’ll find a selection of holly wreaths, festive planters and other gift ideas and Derryn makes bespoke wreaths ‘to order’. You could also meet Romeo and Dazzle (the resident shetland ponies) who like to pretend they’re reindeer (only Sundays 3rd and 10th December, 10am-1pm).

If you want an earthy, slightly rustic Christmas tree buying experience where the environment is also considered (netting is biodegradable), the Vale of Camelot hits the spot! Oh and remember to wear your wellies!!

Open from November 25th.

Cooper and Tanner

For over 100 years Cooper and Tanner have been well recognised in the West Country as the landed property professionals and auctioneers.

They operate 12 offices in Somerset and Wiltshire, providing professional estate agency and surveying services to the residential, agricultural and commercial property sectors. Their established and thriving Castle Cary office, headed up by Nathan Sinden, has a friendly and knowledgeable team who deal with all aspects of selling and letting properties in the town and the surrounding villages.

For those thinking about a move in 2024 now is an excellent time to make the preparations. They invite those contemplating a sale or let to pop into the office for a chat with the team for honest and constructive advice.

25 years of Needful Things' Christmases!!

Yes, that's right, Needful Things are starting their 25th Christmas season in Castle Cary with so much fun and seasonal cheer in store! They have worked out that,

over those 25 years, they have decorated over 450 christmas trees and hung over 100,000 baubles in our displays!! They have have created over 80 Christmas Window displays and supplied a staggering 15,000 Christmas Crackers! So when you're planning a special Christmas, they’re definitely worth a visit.

Pop in and see the traditional and humorously themed trees and garlands. They have all your needs this year from crackers and napkins to cards, wrap, tissue and tags; Christmas gifts galore and the most beautiful scented candles, soaps and scented reeds.

We have Nut Cracker Soldiers in all sizes, woodland trees, Scandinavian trees and good old traditional Red, Green & Gold!

Their clothes, scarves, hats and gloves this season, are warm and cozy, bold and colourful! Let the fun begin ... here they go again!

Have fun!

"I Remember The War" a collection of stories and memories

‘I Remember The War’ - a collection of stories and memories from residents in Highfield House Residential Care Home, Eastbury House Residential Care Home and Ivelhurst Nursing

Home. Capturing memories before they are lost. To place your order contact Rachel on 01963 350697 or email: manager @highfieldhouse.net. Hardback copy - £19.30 and Paperback copy - £14.35.

HIGHFIELD HOUSE

Award Winning Residential Care Home Passionate about providing EXCELLENT care and support in a homely environment.

Situated in the centre of Castle Cary we benefit from all the delights that Castle Cary has to offer within a short walk. Our calibre of staff is second to none and we are here to cater for each and every individual person.

Please feel free to contact us for any further information.

Telephone: 01963 350697 Email: manager@highfieldhouse.net www.highfieldhousecastlecary.com

Cooper and Tanner, Fore Street.

There’s all sorts to see down at Camelot Growers, Sparkford.

THE VISITOR November 2023 23

Mendip Mobility are proud to be partnered with the Motability Scheme which allows you to exchange some or all of your enhanced rate motability allowance for a scooter or powered wheelchair.

STREET BUSINESS FOCUS The Geeky Gamer - shop local

THE GEEKY GAMER opened in 2020, a friendly game, accessories and collectibles shop, at 14 High Street, in Street. An independent retailer for tabletop games, card games, board games, toys, hobby products and more, including Warhammer 40K, DnD, Pokemon TCG and many more.

Offering discounts on all your

favourite products, priding themselves on fast dispatch, reliable delivery and excellent service.

The community for gamers and geeks is growing and owner Mark has some big plans for the shop and future events to include other locals, businesses and schools etc. … watch this space!

Pay and play for three hours per person, drinks and snacks

The Geeky Gamer, 14 High Street.

available. Contact 01458 841602 or check out the website thegeekygamer.co.uk.

Mendip Mobility

As one of the South West’s leading mobility specialists Mendip Mobility have been supplying the public directly with a vast range of top quality, competitively priced mobility scooters, wheelchairs, beds, riser recliner chairs, stairlifts and daily living aids. As a family-run business Mendip Mobility pride themselves in their aftercare service, offering a comprehensive after sales service including repairs and maintenance.

With stores in Yeovil, Street and Trowbridge you can be sure there’s a showroom near you but if you’re unable to travel, in-home demonstrations of larger items such as riser recliners and mobility scooters can be arranged at your residential address.

Contact your local store if you wish to arrange a suitable time and date to view their larger products.

To be eligible for the scheme you must be in receipt of one of these benefits: • Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance • Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment • War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement • Armed Forces Independence Payment Your lease will be paid directly by the DWP, saving you any time and stress with bills or payments.

Your lease lasts for three or five years depending on your product choice, at which point you return your product and receive a brandnew product to replace it should you wish to renew.

Contact Mendip Mobility today for all your mobility needs, find out more at mendip mobility.co.uk.

Millfield Prep

Millfield Prep is a co-educational day and boarding school for ages 2-13. Set in 200 acres of Somerset countryside, the school offers a diverse range of academic subjects, sports, creative arts and

Inside Mendip Mobilty.

24 THE VISITOR November 2023

Bojangles Hair, 157b High Street.

by arranged appointment. Please get booked in early for Christmas, call 01458 443200.

Millfield Prep pupils enjoying breaktime.

activities, supported by outstanding facilities including: an equestrian centre, 25 metre swimming pool, golf courses, science centre, music halls, tennis bubble and numerous sports pitches. The school’s aim is to ensure that every child can discover their brilliance across all aspects of school life.

Everyone lives by the school values: Be Kind, Be You, Be Challengers, Be Curious and Be Brilliant. Millfield Prep offers full, weekly and flexi boarding from ages 7+, caring for 135 boarders from 27 nations, who share all aspects of school life, offering a rich cultural diversity that all students and staff embrace and learn from.

Full boarders enjoy weekends and evenings filled with trips and activities. Outstanding pastoral care is at the heart of everything, the Wellbeing Curriculum educates pupils about mental health and wellbeing through a series of activities such as Yoga, Movement to Music, Alfresco Pursuits, Mindful Walk and Talk and Meditation. Alumni include Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist swimmer James Guy, England Rugby player Chris Robshaw and singer-songwriter Ella Eyre.

Visit their Glastonbury campus, meet Head Dan

Thornburn and teachers, and learn more about life at Millfield Prep at one of their next Open Days on Saturday 2 March or 11 May 2024. Book online at millfieldschool.com /admissions/open-days.

Scholarships are available in Academic, Art, Drama, Music, Sport and more – apply by 1 December 2023 for September 2024 entry. Apply here: www.millfieldschool.com/admissio ns/scholarship-bursaries.

Bojangles Hair

Opposite the Cranhill Road carpark you will find Nicky and Nigel in a well established (since 1996) unisex hairdressers, offering the full range of hair services, cutting and colouring.

They currently have temporary open hours of Tue-Sat, but can be flexible and open other times

Mystery Diner reviews Bull & Bar in Street

In Street, near the end of the High Street, there is a trendy smokehouse called the Bull & Bar. You will be welcomed by attentive staff, and a themed decor throughout; even the toilet roll holder joins in! They have a good selection of local craft beers and ciders, and other refreshments. The menu has a varied choice if you like meat, with an ample selection for the Veggie and Vegans.

The Smoked Brisket, and Street Dirtiest Chicken arrived in good time, hot, fresh and tasty.

The meals were also a good size portion. If you’re still feeling hungry there is a selection of

Hungry?

delicious deserts, including the Oreo sundae with proper icecream. Whether you are looking for an intimate dinner date or a larger group booking, this is a great venue for a meal out. Their online booking system was easy to use. Good food at sensible prices, highly recommended.

Best (dirtiest) burger in Street?

Available since 1990 138 High St, Street BA16 0ER THE VISITOR November 2023 25

FOOD, E V I T S FE GIFTS & K N I R D Blackmore Vale Butchery of Bowbridge near Henstridge

WHEN IT comes to superb quality meat sourced from local farms and smallholdings for whom animal welfare is a top priority, local family run Blackmore Vale Butchery on the Somerset/Dorset border is hard to beat. Since 2006 it has forged a bond with local butchers and created a trusted local supply chain which supports small family run local farms and puts locally grown and reared beef, lamb and pork on its shelves, as well as other local butchers and farm shops in the Somerset /Dorset border and Wiltshire.

They were awarded the Taste of Dorset Outstanding Contribution to Local Food Development in Dorset as well as the Blackmore Vale Media Business Awards Farm Business of the Year, and has earned a fast-growing loyal retail customer base who choose to go there for meat, based on the short supply chain with full traceability, top quality products.

26 THE VISITOR November 2023

Order your turkey now at The Blackmore Vale Butchery.

“Respecting the animals is a big part of good butchery - we know who raised the animal and where, what it ate, how old it was, where all the cuts of the animal come from and how best to cook them. We can say exactly where our meat comes from because we have seen the animals on the farm where they were raised” said butchery manager Gavin Keen, who along with his staff have more than 50 years experience in the meat trade.

As well as winning the Best Butcher Award in the 2017 Taste of Dorset Awards, recent accolades include Taste of the West champion Product Awards 2019 for faggots and Gold Star for pork pies, and Great British Butcher Awards 2019 Gold for their highly sought after pork and

wild garlic sausages (only available in season) and pork ribeye in chilli and pepper. Most recently they have been given 2 Gold stars for their Dry Aged Tomahawk Steaks from the Great Taste Awards 2022.

A top seller at Blackmore Vale Butchery is South African style dried sausage droewors (drywors) and hand cut biltong, cured in house.

Poultry is from Castle Mead Poultry and Creedy Carver and the Butchery cures its own bacon, offering dry cure (green), black treacle and smoked. Their sausages have won several Great British Banger Awards and their burgers are a favourite staple on barbecues across the region.

Their bacon is nitrate free and there is also a wide choice of gluten free products.

Cabins and Glamping Accommodation at the base of Glastonbury Tor. After opening the new Middlewick Farm Shop and Cafe the business is a finalist for New Business of the Year Award and also Cafe/Tearoom of the Year.

The Middlewick is also a finalist for Dog Friendly business of the year for the Cafe and the Accommodation. And the final award they are finalist in is the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award. As a finalist that means that they are guaranteed to win either Gold, Silver or Bronze in the awards ceremony which takes place in Bristol on the 30th of November.

“With so many outstanding Tourism Businesses in Bristol, Bath and Somerset, I am so

Awards galore at The Middlewick, Glastonbury

Local Glastonbury business The Middlewick have made the final in 5 different categories of the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Awards.

After winning Gold in the 2022 Awards in the Self Catering Accommodation of the Year they are again in the final of that category for their 16 Cottages,

The Middlewick Farm Shop & Cafe, Glastonbury.

thrilled that we have made the finals in all of these categories.

It is so fantastic to get the recognition for the hard work that myself and the team have put in over the past year. We are all looking forward to a fun night out at the Awards Ceremony." says Jill Barker, Owner The Middlewick.

Christmas shopping at Trading Post Farm Shop

If you are looking for something spectacular to go in your Christmas hampers or on your festive table this year pop along to see The Trading Post Farm Shop in Lopenhead, South Somerset. Their Christmas Marquee is packed full of

amazing treats from Christmas puddings and baklava to savoury crackers and a huge range of westcountry cheeses. They have beautiful locally made pottery and fused glass gifts, chocolates, Turkish delight, marzipan sweets, so many stocking fillers and an extensive selection of westcountry gin and spirits. Look out on their social media pages for tasting event and late night shopping announcements.

Wild Cardz, Wincanton

Christmas greetings cards from Wincanton can be found at Wild Cardz. Advent calendars and candles, Diaries and Calendars for 2024 are now in stock. This year they have a selection of gift ideas including their new range of stocking fillers from Christmas novelties to travel soap sponges and scented candles, and individual handmade Christmas baubles. They have an array of

dars

Calen

Christmas cards, personalised, boxed, 3D, charity, and school friends.

They are stockists of King Cole wools in a variety of colours, patterns, haberdashery items, lots of craft kits to entertain the children and Christmas cake frills & decorations. Not forgetting the gift wrapping papers, bows and ribbons. Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-3pm.

They are your local UPS collect and delivery point. If you can’t get to the shop try online version at www.cardswithlove.net.

Inside Wild Cardz, Wincanton.

Wild Cardz

Diari

es

35 High Street, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9JU • Tel: 01963 31234

Cards & Balloons for Every Occasion

Now in ... Christmas Novelties for all your relatives & friends – Christmas baubles LOYALTY REWARD CARD SCHEME

Lots of gift ideas at Trading Post Farm Shop, Lopenhead.

 CRAFT PACKS  Toys – Stocking Fillers – Crepe/Tissue/Gift Wrap Party Items – Wool – Much more UPS Collection & Delivery Point • www.cardswithlove.net

THE VISITOR November 2023 27

GLASTONBURY BUSINESS FOCUS Vintrotique Emporium

NEAR THE TOP of the hill at 67 High Street is a very interesting family-run emporium which is full of beautiful treasures for your home, and for you to wear. This Aladdin's Cave has an affordable, eclectic range of all sorts of antiques, retro, vintage, collectibles, quirky and stylish

items to treat yourself or gift to others.

Vintrotique Emporium is open Thurs-Mon 11am-4pm, closed on Tues & Weds. Extra opening will be 11am-6pm on Carnival day 18th Nov, and 8am-8pm on Frost Fayre 25th Nov. Pop in and see them anytime.

Glastonbury Cantilena Choir celebrates William Byrd featuring Mass for Four Voices, and more on 8th December

This year, the Choir is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of composer William Byrd, featuring Byrd's Mass for Four Voices and more of his polyphonic genius, under the direction of Somerset's own Anthony Bevan and accompanied by organist Matthew Redman (St John's Church, Glastonbury). As in previous Christmas concerts, the Choir will be supporting St

GLASTONBURY POST OFFICE AND CLASS CARDS OPEN: Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm

35 High Street Glastonbury BA6 9HG

Telephone 01458 831536

GREETINGS CARDS • HOLIDAY INSURANCE • FOREIGN CURRENCY • MUCH MORE

M O N E Y G R A M S • MOBILE TOP-UPS

STATIONERY • SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

STAMPS • GAS • ELECTRICITY • WATER • BANKING TRANSACTIONS

All sorts of antiques, retro, vintage, collectibles, quirky and stylish items at Vintrotique Emporium.

Margaret's Hospice Care.

Friday December 8th 2023, 7:30 pm. St Nicholas Church, Church Street, West Pennard, BA6 8NT. Tickets (cash only): £12.50 Adults; £1 Children under 12 years Available on the door (soon available from Dicketts Stationers, Glastonbury BA6 9DU). With mince pies and mulled wine during the interval!

Tor Multimix - Mixing with the Best

Tor Multimix have relocated to new, bigger and better premises on Dyehouse Lane, Glastonbury with improved facilities for

customers to collect materials.

You can collect ready mixed concrete, floor screed, aggregates, and aggregates in dumpy bags.

Come and try the new collection station!

Tor Multimix delivers quality assured ready mixed concrete throughout Somerset and the neighbouring counties, also delivered are sand cement and liquid screed, a comprehensive range of aggregates and concrete pump hire too!

Give them a call on 01458 830635, choose option 1 to get a great deal and start Mixing with the Best!

Earthfare

Earthfare is your local ecofriendly grocer located at the top of Glastonbury high street.

Serving the community for over 20 years, it offers organic, local and ethical products with an emphasis on sustainability.

Staples include fresh, local artisan bread, plastic free fruit and veg, local honey, eggs and dairy. A variety of plant-based alternatives cater for every lifestyle plus their experienced team of supplement advisors really know their stuff.

Every chocolate lover’s dream

28 THE VISITOR November 2023

Earthfare, 45 High Street.

is hidden inside their doors. An aisle of mouth-watering chocolate awaits you, and their selection of organic wine, local beer, cider and mead is top notch!

A family business with a community atmosphere, there's no place like Earthfare to do your shop. Pick up a Reward Card for special deals and collect points to spend in store.

Constellations Fitness is here for you! They have pole fitness and pole dance classes running 6 days a week, plus 1:1s, workshops and pole parties. All levels and abilities are welcome! Go on give it a go!

Visit the website www. constellationsfitness.com and click the ‘Book Now’ button to book.

There’s a custom-built pole studio in Glastonbury.

cashmere and silk garments to create modern, sensual timeless, and comfortable wear.

As the only brand in Europe and possibly further afield that

specialises in this unique combination, they have been providing conscious women of all shapes and sizes with an eco luxury wardrobe.

Have you ever thought about trying pole? Did you know that there’s now a purpose built pole studio in Glastonbury?

Whether you want a fun way to improve strength and coordination, need some well earned ‘me time,’ are hoping to tone up, or just want to get out and meet new people,

Wardrobe Wellness

The Mudra Collection is truly one of a kind, offering a fusion of breathable bamboo, 100% pure

THE VISITOR November 2023 29

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Your hosts, Mick and Garry welcome you to

The MUDDLED MAN Lower Street, West Chinnock Tel: 01935 881235

Open throughout Christmas and New Year

Christmas Menu

Christmas Day – Limited Space Traditional Boxing Day – All DAY Buffet Curry Special – Thursday 28th December (evening) Wishing all our customers old and new a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

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 Booking essential   www.themuddledmaninn.co.uk 

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Boiler related gas explosions more deadly than a hand grenade

NEW RESEARCH from Fair Fix, the boiler engineer experts, reveals that there were 270 gas explosions in homes across England in 2021/22, 30% of which resulted in significant human injury or death.

Fair Fix has analysed incidents of fire caused by gas explosions in homes in England since 2015 to understand how frequent such incidents are, how dangerous they can be, and the expected cost of repairing damages caused by gas explosions..

The latest figures show that in 2021/22 there were 270 home fires involving gas explosions across England.

The good news is that this figure is -16% lower than it was in the previous year, and the lowest number of annual incidents since at least 2015.

However, fires involving gas explosions in the home remain an extreme danger and the consequences can be far graver than the serious damage caused to a property and the surrounding area.

In fact, in 2021/22, 29% of fires involving gas explosions resulted

32 THE VISITOR November 2023

in human casualty or fatality.

For example, a 2022 gas leak explosion in a home in Kingstanding, Birmingham, killed one person and caused damage to buildings and cars within a blast radius of 35 metres. Police at the scene reported that five or six houses had been damaged in the explosion. It was also found that the boiler in the home was known to be old, dilapidated, and in desperate need of replacement.

The typical gas explosion damage and injury radius ranges between 10-35 metres. To put this into perspective, a hand grenade has a blast radius of 20 metres, making it less catastrophic than the potential blast caused by a faulty boiler.

The blast power of a gas explosion means that if one occurs in the home, it’s incredibly good fortune to avoid human injury or fatality. But even in this best case scenario, the price of repairing damage caused to buildings and cars is still going to be substantial.

The cost of rebuilding a damaged home in England varies between one region and another.

The average expected price is £295,778, but the most expensive

It’s important to have your boiler serviced regulary. If you smell gas call an engineer. Image: Shutterstock.com/Yevhen Prozhyrko.

region to rebuild is London where it’ll cost an estimated £373,000.

In the North East and Yorkshire & Humber, however, the rebuild costs will be an estimated £269,000.

Meanwhile, repairing or replacing a damaged car will, on average, cost between £12,000 £28,000, while even just replacing damaged windows on the home is expensive, costing up to £3,600

per window. In contrast, the average cost of a new boiler comes in at £2,425, making it a no brainer when considering the potential cost you could incur.

Founder of Fair Fix, Tyrone Ekrem, commented: “Gas explosions can be devastating both in terms of force and consequences, and they’re all too often caused or facilitated by old or faulty boilers that have not been properly maintained.

The cost of ignoring or delaying a gas safety check or boiler check is simply not worth the risk and it’s now easier, more affordable, and more convenient than ever to get your boiler checked and serviced.”

Harriet Sandys Closing Down Sale

Sadly, Harriet Sandys is closing down her oriental carpet business in the 17th century restored cider barn in West Compton near Shepton Mallet.

Harriet started her business importing handwoven Afghan rugs in the early 1980’s while working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan’s north-west Frontier and over the past twenty years the barn became a veritable treasure trove of wonderful and unusual oriental textiles and gifts. Carved wood chests and tables from the mountain villages of Swat in northern Pakistan, fabulous assortment of handwoven silk scarves, block printed tablecloths, quilted bed spreads, cushions and throws from India, Persian and Afghan carpets will be reduced in price.

On sale too are colourful animal felt slippers for children, block printed cotton kaftans and jackets, dressing gowns, nightwear, table lamps, gold and silver semi-precious stone

earrings made by craftsmen living in the desert villages of Rajasthan and antique silver Turkoman jewellery from Afghanistan. There will be lots of stocking fillers and Christmas gifts for sale in December.

Directions: Signposted from A361. The Barn at the Manor House, West Compton, Shepton Mallet BA4 4PB.Tel 01749 890 582. Find out more at: www sandysorientalcarpets.co.uk.

November update from Lizzie Price Shading Solutions

The colder days and nights are upon us and the rising cost of heating our homes is at the forefront of our minds. LPSS can offer several options to keep your rooms warmer by insulating your windows with Blinds or Shutters to reduce heat loss.

Externally if you are looking to extend your outside space, they can provide a number of products including Louvred Roof Pergolas, Verandas with glass or polycarbonate roofs which can

also be used for Covered Walkways and Carports.

The range of Awnings and External Roller Blinds provide shading from the sun not only during the summer months but are also great for shading the low winter sun if required.

From the initial in-home consultation, they will identify your needs and then provide you with a quotation for the most suitable solution. All products are professionally fitted and guaranteed.

Contact them for a free in-home consultation by email:

enquiries@lizziepriceshading solutions.co.uk or phone 07879 992000.

Lizzie Price.

THE VISITOR November 2023 33

Luca's Garden

with Bridget Sudworth NOVEMBER is rather a messy month for the garden with last season's dead material still hanging about while new ideas and plans for the forthcoming season vie for space. The former has to be cleared before the latter can take shape.

The trees will have shed their foliage but unlike Sycamore Gap, they at least, on the whole, will not have reached the end of the road. I must confess to actually shedding tears when I saw the first pictures of that pretty tree felled; similar perhaps to seeing a beached whale lying dead on a sandy cove. Very final indeed and for what purpose? We do indeed live in strange times. Some comfort came from devising ridiculous punishments like lashing the perpetrator to the arboreal corpse for a full week to experience exactly what the tree had endured over the years to reach that size and state of health. Contrary to press coverage, the tree was a mere 150 years old approx, having been planted in the late 19thC. We know it well and stood beneath it only last year.

At last, the weather permits us to think sensibly about getting outside and making headway with a big clear up; heat and humidity thus far have been very damaging factors for actually expending much energy in the garden if you are slightly long in years!

Exponential growth has taken over the veggie plot and good intentions in the herbaceous have yet again been foiled, at least here, in overseeing changes for last Springs optimistic planting now overwhelmed with autumn

flowering clumps of Michaelmas daisies. Where are the clematis, agapanthus, roses??? Sharp eyed clearing will be required.

This is the best time of year to start on your dead hedge while you might be pruning shrubs and fruit trees. All you need is two parallel lines of stakes 2 ft apart with a few strands of wire linking them together perhaps 6-8 feet long and positioned where the finished hedge can additionally act as a wind barrier. Then all the branches, stems and soft material that your clearing up process will generate can be laid lengthways. As it slowly composts down, you will be providing a wonderful wildlife corridor of shelter and nutrients that can be added to continuously throughout the year. The branches, which are normally not what you want in your compost bin, will be an essential ingredient as it helps to give a little structure to assist creatures passing up and down.

Toads and hedgehogs will love the bottom section as a good place to spend the winter and insects, rodents and birds will find endless bits and pieces to enjoy.

There is plenty of advice online about how to create and maintain a dead hedge and endorsement of the massive value it will add to your garden.

Doom laden news is continuously thrown at us about the climate changes we should anticipate backed up with statistics of this last year which are all pretty shocking. However, the humble gardener and our small green spaces have a bigger role to play than perhaps we realise. Apart from the obvious benefits of gardening, CO2 emissions are absorbed from the atmosphere by all green things plants are powerful weapons and as we all all know, nature is quite fantastically resilient while fighting all the time to repair, replace and revive that which is

Autumn display.

Harvest fruits.

lost or damaged. Nature is always on your side.

On one of our regular walks, Luca and I pass a particularly fine clump of Old Man’s Beard.

November is the time of year when this otherwise discrete but vigorous climber becomes very obvious. It is, in fact, Clematis Vitalba (Ranunculaceae buttercup family) and can be completely unnoticed when in flower but is known as Travellers Joy because it provides hedgerow interest at a time when all else is over during the dark winter months. We love to gather it early to dry it for use, sprayed, perhaps, as an extra adornment to Christmas decorations.

When the actual beards appear, it is then possible to measure just how extensive the growth can be, sometimes reaching near the top of trees so don’t be tempted to buy one otherwise you can say goodbye to your garden!!!! Leave it for the hedgerows. As a plant, it is valuable to bees, hoverflies and particularly the chalk carpet moth while goldfinches enjoy the seeds. It was traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory remedy and to treat stress and skin irritations!

The picture of the snail was irresistible - it crawled up the window pane (outside!) offering me the chance of a really closeup view. This year has been the year of the snail it seems, so

many in every corner of the garden. The damp weather after the heat of June has really encouraged their growth and there are times when I have watched them with fascination.

Usually, I treat them with sympathetic tenderness and ache with guilt when one gets accidentally crushed underfoot but frankly now, when they emerge from flower pots or wherever, they get brutally thrown over the fence into the neighbouring orchard.

Recent press coverage has extolled the virtue of snails in the diet which reminded me of an exchange with a French friend spending a glorious three weeks in the magical Dordogne area when I was 15 years old. (This being the 1960s, English second home owners were not to be seen!) After a rainy day, us two girls were sent out to collect snails, put them under a flowerpot and then later assist Madame in preparing them for supper. Quite a cultural shock for

Approved contractor to Dorset & Somerset C.C.

an innocent suburban schoolgirl!

For me, they still remain a taboo food but if you are plagued in the garden and heartless (though no different, I suppose, from eating a cow, pig or sheep), a little dish of escargots with butter and garlic will tickle the taste buds and slay some of your garden enemies!

In the meantime, enjoy getting control of your personal wilderness, planting your bulbs (mine are in at last) and getting ready for winter. Rejoice too in the abundance of berries, hips, haws and hedgerow richness enhanced by late October warmth to feed those creatures heading for hibernation!

Old Mans Beard

Full ground preparation and laying service available The Farmhouse, Somerton Door, SOMERTON, TA11 6JA Tel/ Fax: 01458 272091 www.evergreen-turf.co.uk • info@evergreen-turf.co.uk

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THE VISITOR November 2023 35

Sip the Seasons: Exploring Alcoholic Apple and Pear Drinks

Gardening Tips from Julie Haylock of Sandhurst Garden Design

The nights have really started to draw in and I have noticed a chill in the mornings when I step outside!

In November there are still plenty of jobs you can do to prepare your garden for winter.

If you have not already aerated your lawn using a pitchfork or special aerating sandals (shoes with spikes) that are available to buy, then it is not too late to do that – aeriation does what it says on the tin, allows air to enter the soil to promote good health and help prevent compaction of the soil.

To further promote the health of your lawn use a rake to remove moss and thatch from the grass, a job guaranteed to help you build up a sweat! If you gather plenty of moss, maybe use some to dress the top of your bulb containers which will make them look

36 THE VISITOR November 2023

attractive as well as protecting the bulbs.

If you have trees in or around your garden, you will certainly have lots of fallen leaves.

Another job guaranteed to warm you up is to rake up the leaves, and if you have space store them in jute sacks, and after a couple of years’ you will have lovely homemade leaf mould that you can put back into your garden.

Finally, if you still have any energy left, November onwards is the perfect time to move deciduous shrubs in the garden and divide perennials.

At the time of writing, we still have some late summer colour in the containers in our garden. I am loathed to take out these plants until I really must so I can enjoy the plants for as long as possible, in the end I think Jack Frost will make this decision for me.

Once these containers are clear, I have all my tulip bulbs ready to go in and dwarf wallflowers to plant on top that will give me colour until the bulbs appear in the spring.

Before I go, we have some exciting news to share – the Container Garden we exhibited at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May has been shortlisted for The Pro Landscaper Awards in The Temporary Installation Category to be held in London in November.

We are keeping our fingers crossed, but whatever the outcome we feel very proud that our garden has been recognised by the judges of these prestigious awards, and for us it is the perfect culmination to what has been a very exciting year.

Until next time, Julie.

NEVER a lover of sunshine and heat, my mood instantly lifts with the promise of cooler autumn days, not least because of the bounty that nature bestows upon us down here in the West Country.

As the seasons change, so too does my palate. Apple and pearbased alcoholic drinks have a long-standing tradition that dates back centuries, offering a delightful blend of fruity sweetness and intoxicating spirits. These drinks are perfect companions for cozy evenings by the fireplace or as refreshing sips as you bask in the last of the warm summer days.

The tradition of fermenting apples and pears into alcoholic beverages is rooted in history and has spread far and wide. Early European settlers brought their knowledge of apple and pear cultivation and fermentation techniques to the New World, where apple orchards thrived and this legacy endures today in a wide variety of forms, from apple ciders and brandies to modern concoctions like apple and pear cocktails.

Cider: Traditional apple cider is perhaps the most well-known apple-based alcoholic beverage.

Made by fermenting apple juice, transforming the sugars into alcohol, the result can range from sweet to dry, still to sparkling.

Ciders often carry the distinctive flavour of the apples they are made from and can vary greatly depending on the type of apples used.

Perry: Perry is the pear equivalent of cider. Made from fermented pear juice, it offers a unique and delicate flavour profile compared to apple-based drinks. Like cider, perry can be crafted in various styles, from dry to sweet.

Calvados & Pear Brandy: These are sophisticated spirits made through distillation.

Calvados, hailing from Normandy, France, is distilled from apple cider, while pear brandy, often referred to as eaude-vie, is made from fermented pear juice. These potent spirits capture the essence of their fruit counterparts and are best sipped slowly and savoured.

In recent years, mixologists and craft brewers have taken

these traditional beverages to new heights, creating innovative cocktails and fusion drinks. Here are some worth trying: Apple and Pear Sangria: A refreshing twist on the classic Spanish drink, this fruity concoction combines apple and pear slices with white wine, brandy, and a hint of cinnamon for a delightful and colourful punch.

Cider Cocktails: Cider serves as an excellent base for cocktails.

Try mixing it with whisky or bourbon and a touch of maple syrup for a delightful autumninspired drink or blend it with ginger beer for a zesty summer refresher.

Pear Martini: Infuse the elegance of pear eau-de-vie into a classic martini by combining it with a high-quality vodka, a splash of lemon juice, and a hint of simple syrup. Garnish with a thin pear slice for an extra touch of sophistication.

Alcoholic apple and pear drinks provide a delicious journey through the seasons, offering a wide range of flavours and styles to suit any occasion.

So, if you are looking to expand your palate, seek out artisanal producers who craft small-batch apple and pear drinks. These often feature unique apple and pear varieties, regional influences, and distinct fermentation techniques. They may produce limited-edition ciders, perrys, or fruit brandies that offer a taste of the terroir.

Top of my list, in part because I like my alcohol to have some oomph, is Calvados. It does not come cheap, although in many supermarkets you can pick up a bottle for around £20.

I have a friend in France who makes his own, which comes out at around 70%abv. – a bit like drinking rocket fuel!

Boulard Calvados Pays d'Auge XO 70cl. 40%abv., £59.99.

Since 1825, five successive generations of the Boulard family have devoted all their life to crafting this XO Calvados Pays d'Auge.

The originality of the XO Boulard comes from the careful selection of 40 varieties of cider apples from the Pays d'Auge.

Avallen Calvados 70cl. 40%abv., £36.99

This is a natural apple brandy from Normandy, made with an eye to environmental sustainability. Every bottle made removes 2.73kg of CO2 from the atmosphere (the equivalent of driving 14 miles in an average car).

Avallen is a Certified B Corp and ‘1% For the Planet’ member, donating to organisations protecting wild bee populations.

On the nose this is fresh apples with a floral honeysuckle. The palate is host to a lingering toffee apple finish which leads to a rich warming finish with a hint of vanilla.

Dupont VSOP Calvados 70cl.

42%abv., £51.99

Etienne Dupont use three types of apples to get a great balance of flavour and offers a palate bursting with vanilla, dried fruits, and a long crisp classic calvados finish.

Calvados shares many similarities with apple brandy (often referred to as cider brandy), but there are some key differences. While both Calvados and apple brandy are made from apples, Calvados is exclusively made in the Normandy region of France and can be made from apples as well as pears. It must be aged in an oak barrel for a minimum of 2 years before it earns its name.

Apple brandy, however, can be produced anywhere in the world, but must be made exclusively from fermented apples. Calvados offers a rich tasting experience, with equally sweet and bitter notes that complement each other beautifully. Naturally, the flavour of Calvados varies according to the variety of apple used. Cider brandy is likewise diverse in its flavour profile, with many of these brandies relying on a mixture of apple varieties to achieve noticeably unique results.

It would be remiss of me not to show loyalty and mention some of the amazing local home grown delights available to us.

coast. Although the barrels never made the voyage to South Africa, they were put to good use on English soil to mature this excellent brandy.

which is then aged in small oak cask to produce a full-bodied warming digestif.

Somerset Kingston Black Apple Aperitif 50cl. 18%abv., £13.15

Kingston Black is a blend of Cider Brandy and a very fine vintage cider to produce a wonderful drink that is sweet with a flavour depth and quality that has become very popular. It makes a superb aperitif or can be served with desserts.

Pommeau de Normandie Pere Magloire 70cl.

17.5%abv., £23.50

If you are looking to reduce your alcohol content, then Pommeau might be the drink for you. It is the result of a judicious blend of the fresh must of cider apples and selected Calvados aged in oak barrels. Specific apple varieties rich in polyphenols are selected and when blended and matured in oak barrels of 3 years it gives a structure, length, aromatic and a mellow wellbalanced richness. To retain its freshness and aromas, it is very slightly filtrated, so some natural sediments may appear. Best served chilled.

Somerset Royal 5-Year-Old Cider Brandy 70cl. 42%abv., £38.45

Pocketful of Stones Cider Brandy 70cl. 40%abv., £41.99

Pocketful of Stones have partnered with several independent Cornish cider producers who throughout the year release different variations, including Jonathan Gould, using apples grown at their Grampound Orchard.

Somerset Shipwreck 8-YearOld Cider Brandy. 50cl.

43%abv., £37.99

Shipwreck Somerset Brandy is aged for eight years in Allier oak barrels that were at one stage destined for the wine regions of South Africa. They were cargo on the MSC Napoli which was beached in 2007 off the Devon

This has lost some of the apple character of Somerset Royal Pomona but is smoother and far more complex with a velvety palate and a sweet spicy aftertaste. It is very much an after-dinner brandy.

Somerset Royal Alchemy Cider Brandy 70cl.

42%abv., £52

The alchemist’s art is evident in Alchemy’s journey from their orchards to a unique golden spirit. A brandy with finesse and apple, mellow, smooth, and long on the palate.

Somerset Royal Pomona 50cl. 20%abv., £15.10

From The Somerset Cider Company, this combines fresh apple juice with apple brandy,

Whether you prefer the classic simplicity of a crisp cider or the refined complexity of a pear brandy, there's a fruity libation for every taste. So, the next time you're in search of a drink that's both comforting and adventurous, reach for a glass of apple or pear-based delight, and savour the essence of orchards and vineyards in every sip.

Cheers to the rich tradition and evolving innovation of these timeless beverages!

L.P-V. THE VISITOR November 2023 37

The

Pub Pages

BEER & SKITTLES P. A. BAXTER CONKERS! Like so many children, the conker season always gave us lots of joy, and despite tales of school children now being banned from playing

by H&S, or at least forced to wear eye-shields whilst partaking in this yearly ritual, it continues unabated. Back in the day, outlandish claims of conkers that had 'conquered' massive numbers of opponents were part of the lore of the game, which we continued until every last conker of useful size had been pummelled to death.

Who the first person was that decided it was a great idea to take the fruit of the horse chestnut tree, drill a hole through it, thread it with string and indulge in a competition we shall never know, although the first recorded game of conkers is believed to have taken place in the Isle of Wight in 1848.

In a Northamptonshire village for well over 50 years now, the Annual World Championships take place to find the 'King Conker'. Starting in 1965 at Ashton the game now takes place at Southwick, unsurprisingly at the local pub, a community-run establishment named The Shuckburgh Arms. It's incredibly well-supported and I salute the organisers, for this innocuous bit of school-boy fun has resulted in excess of £400,000 raised for charities. Competitors come from all over the world, and the first non-Englishman to take the title was in 1976 when Mexican Jorge Ramirez took top honours! In 2000 the first overseas ladies title was

Conker action!

38 THE VISITOR November 2023

claimed by Austria's Selma Becker. There are also three classes for school children. Rules are very strict and as one cannot bring one's own weapon, conkers are provided and are drawn blind from a bag. They're already strung with a leather thong and after that; it's rather up to you! This year for the first time the conkers were baked as the 2023 crop were 'not quite up to it'. A memory of mine is when our then young Godson Richard was staying with us, and yours truly was asked if I could do something to make his conkers tougher than the opposition. Being an obliging Godfather, I do recall having to spend a considerable amount of time cleaning the inside of the microwave oven!

Conker champions.

I've yet to be an enthusiast for shuffleboard and it's variants, possibly because I haven't had much exposure to it. We've probably seen it on the deck of cruise liners in its best-known form, and it's also found its way into some pubs in the miniature version. I'm reluctant to make too many comments about the ins and outs of the game as I know little about it, but being in contact with 'Masters Games' on a regular basis I am updated on trends, and this is a trend that seems to be taking off big time. As I write, the 2023 World Shuffleboard Championships are just a few days away and hosted at the World’s largest and oldest shuffleboard club, at St Petersburg, Florida, USA and runs between 23-27th October.

Players from 8 countries will be competing in the singles and team events. I'm delighted to say we do have players from the UK, Sean and Peter Davies, so we wish them good fortune. London have, apparently, seen a veritable explosion in shuffleboard clubs and I am hoping that some of you good people out there can send me details of the whys and wherefores. I've had a 'personal invitation' to join in at a Shoreditch venue with beer (fizzy bottled stuff, unfortunately) and pizza, where the deck-style game is played, so I'm most flattered!

As to whether this will become a venue which threatens other more traditional pubs, or a mere flash in the pan, only time will tell.

I am only vaguely familiar with

A Sjoelbak board at the now closed Rose and Portcullis.

the miniature version of the game in 'Sjoelbak', the board used for a game of Dutch origin known as Dutch Shuffleboard or Sjoelen.

There are so many variants it's a bit of a mystery where to start on this version, as one can obtain a quality table-top game for well under £200, although I see the very large table versions could set one back some £9,000. It's a game worth investigating and so easy for a pub to have the game to bring out for a fun evening and easily packed away afterwards. A good investment to keep customers happy, I would think.

I've only seen this small version in one pub, the late-lamented Rose and Portcullis at Butleigh.

Hopefully one can see the idea from the photos, where the pieces are 'shuffled' along the board and

into the scoring openings. (There are several videos on YouTube).

This model was purchased from the aforementioned company and they too sell many different versions. The gentleman in the picture is one Simon Donnelly, the landlord of The Rose and Portcullis at the time of our visit.

It was a pleasant co-incidence to bump into Simon Donnelly recently in his position as manager of the community-owned Alhampton Inn, where a shareholders meeting took place in early October. It was a great pleasure to have a chat with Simon, albeit briefly as a landlord/manager on such a night is understandably in great demand! I was also delighted to put faces to the names - Julian and Steve in particular – and hear

Simon Donnelly counts up his score.

They Say

The

Pub

That it has been said that the new pedestrian footways in Yeovil are akin to the Hampton Court Maze.

Pages

The very short alley of The Red House.

BEER & SKITTLES P. A. BAXTER of the plans for the pub as it develops. The grounds of this venue are surprisingly big and the large car park will prove most useful. Despite the dark evening I set off for a quick shufty around and was delighted to see the lawn at the rear is just asking for a game of Bat and Trap, Loggats, Aunt Sally, Boule (no piste area just yet!) perhaps even an ad hoc game of bowls, or indeed all the above! Some will want to relax in the sunshine at tables too I'm sure, but that's all in the future.

I believe that the chance to have your say in the running of the pub by way of shares is still open to investors, so do contact the necessary organisers by the usual method.

Last month we mentioned how the wine growers of France were being effectively subsidised by the government as they were unable to sell much of their product. Hot on the heels of that report comes the news that French vintners have been attacking lorries carrying Spanish Cava and rose wine and smashing thousands of crates and bottles as a protest as it works out that the imported

products work out at about half the price of home-grown wine. I notice how the protests by the French over the raising of the retirement age (I believe it's 62) resulted in massive demonstrations (little reported by the mainstream media, unsurprisingly) perhaps us Brits ought to get a bit more active in our protests over things that truly matter to us.

We've visited some interesting pubs during the past 30 days or so. It was good to again pop over to 'The Brewers Arms' in South Petherton, for an excellent meal served by landlady Nicki, a lady not known for suffering fools gladly (her bar staff neither, whom we noted soon calmed down one excitable customer doublequick!) Some good beers from a Bristol brewer too. Deservedly, the pub is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 2024 – yet again!

We were delighted to skittle at The Red House, on the A37 toward Dorchester from Yeovil.

The alley was rediscovered, thanks to a pub games enthusiast, and the new management had it completely refurbished. Whilst it does vie for being the shortest alley in Yeovil, it plays well and we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening – and we won our first game of the season. We also enjoyed some excellent pints of Butcombe. I'm not too sure about the opening hours, which seem a

little intermittent. Hopefully the pub will thrive again.

So November beckons, and focus has shifted away from outdoor games to the indoor.

Whatever you decide to play, I do hope the cold weather doesn't shrivel your conkers...Cheers! © P.A Baxter 2023. skittlealley@hotmail.com

ANSWERS TO POP MUSIC QUIZ on page 15

1) Rolling Stones 2) Elbow 3) Paul Simon – 'Still Crazy After All These Years' 4) U2 5) ELO 6) Bryan Adams and Mel C. 7) 2006 8) Kula Shaker 9)W ith the Beatles 10) Four Seasons Bonus question: Kings of Leon'

Solution to October Sudoku

That with a certain Yeovil clock stuck at one o’clock, we understand that traffic wardens have been known to put the wrong parking penalty times on cars … meanwhile, the 94 Club have appointed their very own traffic warden, at the rear of Wilko’s.

That despite nearly digging to Australia on a daily basis, contractors still haven’t managed to find the unexploded bomb from World War Two at the bandstand in Yeovil - perhaps they should send for Starmer and Sunack, they are bound to dig up some sort of dirt.

That since a visit to the Exeter Apple Store with his iPad, a certain Chiselborough gentleman can now put his finger on the problem.

That the amusing ’scarecrows’ in the village of Marston Magna make for an interesting journey.

That the recently held Leigh Art Exhibition was a great success, as were the delicious tea and cakes.

That passers-by will raise a smile at the knitted Remembrance Day figures covering bollards in Crewkerne Town Centre.

That punkie carving tuition was recently available in Chiselborough, famous for its Punkie Night tradition. www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk

Vinny does has a sympathetic side

'Wessex Plus' team on their way to their first win of the season.

THE VISITOR November 2023 39

REMEMBER WHEN ... ... 30 YEARS AGO FROM Familiar feelings

WITH THE country’s economy still in recession in the autumn of 1993 the November issue of the Visitor asserted that the ‘once optimistic, rolling wave of what has become known as Thatcherism, despite its considerable achievements in controlling the misuse of trade union power, has finally broken on the shore and is now fast disappearing into the sand. It leaves fraud rampant, the country in serious debt, multinational organisations and big business putting private profit before national prosperity, an increasing number of private monopolies taking the place of public ownership (with shares mainly held by the rich), and the small businesses and traders on which this country largely depends for employment struggling to survive.’ It went on to wonder whether ‘despite our general dissatisfaction, who except party activists has any faith in anyone else in the political arena doing any better?’.

I suspect that much the same could be said in November 2023.

Arson strikes sports club

Arson is a rare occurrence in Castle Cary but in 1993 ‘persons unknown, and for reasons best known to their own perverted minds, decided to set fire to the clubhouse at the club’s Brookhouse Field’. The clubhouse belonged to the town’s rugby football club, and the November Visitor reported that ‘the resulting conflagration completely destroyed the clubhouse together with the two changing rooms, shower room and bar’, adding that ‘fortunately, due to the tenacity and courage of the Castle Cary Fire Brigade, many trophies and photographs highlighting the 105-year history of the club were saved from the flames’. Whether the perpetrators were ever caught and punished I do not know.

A local memory

The Sparkford Inn’s new owners, Nigel and Suzanne Tucker, reopened it as a freehouse in September 1993 having bought it from Bass, the brewery company. A feature in the November magazine (what these 40 THE VISITOR November 2023

days we would call ‘advertorial’) described it as an attractive old building, once a coaching inn, dating back to the 15th century, and stated that ‘the recently decorated spacious lounge bar with its tasteful decor, attractive soft furnishings and subdued lighting is ideal for relaxing in, and you can be sure of a warm welcome’. It added that ‘the public bar is equally as comfortable and is a popular meeting place for the local cricket club’, and that other facilities included a dining room, function hall, conference room and skittle alley – all signs of a thriving country pub despite much of its passing trade being lost when the A303 was made d u a l carriageway and bypassed the village.

To bid or not to bid

‘Second hand motor auctions were once the bastions of dealers and scrap merchants but this is no longer the case.’

So stated an article on these auctions in the November Visitor, reporting that ‘a considerable number of motorists are holding onto their cars for longer periods’ and ‘the upshot of this is that the second hand car market today is absolutely flat’.

According to the writer, ‘previously owned cars can be bought at very reasonable prices’ at auctions, but he stressed that you must ask yourself: are they unsellable on the open market; are they accident damaged; are they really worn out and beyond their useful life’. His advice was that ‘if what looks like a perfectly clean, healthylooking car receives very low

bids from the professionals (car dealers), then avoid it like the plague’. Conversely, he advised not to be afraid of high-mileage cars that are obvious ex-company cars. ‘Most, if not all of these, will have been very carefully looked after and very well serviced’, he stated. There was no thought 30 years ago that petrol-and dieselengined cars would ever be sentenced to extinction.

A pressing present

According to the November 1993 Visitor, ‘the well-pressed look is in again and to achieve this, what better than your own

ARCHIVES trouser press’. Gone, apparently, was the ‘crumpled lived-in look’, and ‘with Christmas just around the corner it could be the answer to many a present problem’. It informed readers that the Morphy Richards trouser presses were available ‘in three styles to suit everyone’s pocket and taste’ and ‘can be wall-mounted or left freestanding and have a trinket tray and a tie rail’ – at prices from £69.99 to almost £100. Will 21st century man be craving for one this Christmas, I wonder.

Roger Richards.

PHONE - a - FIRM • PHONE - a - FIRM Damian Hoddinott PLUMBING SERVICES

01963 441232 07971 676111

TV & AUDIO SPECIALISTS SINCE 1968

● SALES ● SERVICING ● REPAIRS ● INSTALLATIONS Greenhill, Sherborne, DT9 4EW Tel: 01935 813451 www.goddenandcurtis.co.uk

THE VISITOR November 2023 41

Classified Ads Send details to: The Visitor, P.O. Box 5522, Castle Cary, BA9 0BP or email: info@thevisitormagazine.co.uk. 30p per word (£5 minimum) pre-payment essential. Payment can be made by Cash, Cheque, Postal Order, BACS, Credit/Debit Card.

For sale

Storage

BOSCH VARIO Perfect Washing Machine 9KG Capacity. £350. As new, seldom used. Buyer collects 01460 76545 (Merriott)

STORAGE for furniture in locked cubicles.

Lock-up garages to let. Tel: Sparkford Storage on 01963 440045 or 440526 or 440692

Personal

Wanted

www.country-link.co.uk COUNTRY LINK SOCIAL GROUP. Fresh air, fun, food and friendship. Tel: Andy 01225 834834 or Lynda 07970 922762 RICHARD WLTM lady 40s/50s, smallish, leftish, for friendship/relationship 07377 897909

DAVE BUYS ALL TYPES OF TOOLS, salvage, bygones and collectables. Daves Tools, Est. 1989. Tel: 01935 428975

MARTIN 65, loves parties. Would like to meet lady 55-70 that also loves parties 01258 472910

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

Prize Crossword No. 444 Set by Frank Butler

SEND COMPLETED ENTRIES TO: The Visitor Crossword, P.O. Box 5522, Castle Cary, Somerset BA9 0BP – to arrive by Monday 20th November.

Correct entries are placed in a hat and the winner is the first name drawn.

The prize for winning the Crossword is a £15 voucher to spend with any advertiser in this issue of The Visitor. Please do not forget to state your choice of advertiser and your name and address.

REDUNDANT MOTOR MOWERS, rotavators, chainsaws, strimmers, cement mixers, etc. Tel: 01460 7784 COLLECTIONS CDS and Vinyl LPs - must be excellent condition, most genres c o n s i d e r e d . Te l : 0 1 4 5 8 8 3 4 1 0 2 / 07704229979/email: tonyartony@aol.com DIESEL GENERATORS. Any make/model.

Top prices paid. Tel: 07970 74247 1950s/70s PLASTIC TOY Soldiers, knights, cowboys, loose/boxed. Britain’s Plastic Garden, Timpo Trains. Tel: 07823 443474

December Deadline: 20th November Monthly Subscription Get your copy delivered each month for £30 per year. Send cheque to: The Visitor, PO Box 5522, Castle Cary BA9 0BP or Tel: 01963 351256

Clues Across: 7. Brighter downpour as the coffin bearer comes round [8] 9. In favour of offer to prohibit [6] 10. Break returned kitchen-ware [4] 11. Spaniard with reorganised loan between pet and Scotsman [10] 12. She-cat does not obey the rules [6] 14. Cure sore as way of helping [8] 15. Overtake upset BSA spy [4, 2] 17. Tree tin dustbin [3, 3] 20. Claps a very quiet abbey service [8] 22. Up-to-date repair of mend [6] 23. Take a cam to nail about the body [10] 24. Some giggling ladies are happy!

[4] 25. And 3 down. Dismantle and criticise harshly [4, 2, 6] 26. Killed and carried out [8] Clues Down: 1. Exchange vessels managed quiet in backward mine [8] 2. Utter imperfectly when some soul is pierced [4] 3. See 25 across.

4. Vexes at cliff’s collapse [8] 5. Said, “seized” about Ronald [10] 6. Bird has short answer for giants!

[6] 8. Turner to reappear [6] 13. Skilfully surrounding that which dissolves completely [10]

16. Sad to wander listlessly: a rare event! [4, 4] 18. Told taleabout tarn dare [8] 19. Beloved of Eros with spirit or soul [6] 21. Put up with Biro when confined [4, 2] 22. Runner of 5280 feet, about fifty, gets dusty [6] 24. Edible larva [4]

Solution to Crossword 443

Winner of the October Crossword Mr R White of Keinton Mandeville who chose to spend the £15 voucher at The Natterjack Inn, Evercreech Junction.

GUNS WANTED FOR CASH

SOS to all air rifles and pistols any make or model. Any condition.

WE COLLECT IN ANY AREA, TOP PRICES PAID IN CASH ALSO GUNS ALSO GUNSSOLD SOLD

42 THE VISITOR November 2023

07970 742471

ALSOGUNS GUNSSOLD SOLD ALSO