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ISSUE 09 .1
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I think April will be remembered for two reasons. The passing of HRH. Duke of Edinburgh after a lifetime as the Queens consort. Then the beginning of the end (we hope) of the Coronavirus in the UK. At last that light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter and for the first-time things are slowly getting back to some sort of normality. We have all been tested in one way or another, financially, mentally and resourcefully. Let’s hope we have learnt something from this, the building bricks we put together can fall down. It’s now time to rebuild, re-establish those links we had. For our local traders we need to use them to rebuild our local economy and our way of life. For many it’s given us the chance to re-think and change the way we do things. For us we have changed the magazine from bi-monthly to monthly. Our Taunton magazine has been turned into 3 magazines. Instead of one covering 30000 homes we now have 3 of 10000 each. Giving our advertisers more choice in areas, size and budget. Together with our West Somerset magazine we can offer good coverage too. Well let’s look ahead and be optimistic, and roll on June so we can socialise as we were meant to.
Clive
From cover image: Mark Stothard Photography www.n2p.uk
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Periton Mead Sadly, many people were unaware of this Minehead Country House tucked away from sight in 3.6 acres of grounds, until they read about the recent fire that took place there. At the turn of the 19C Periton was still a small village surrounded by open fields. By 1904 a redbrick villa had appeared amidst the fields. In 1913 it was inherited by Mr C.S. Orwin , an authority on agricultural economics and Director of the Institute for Research into Agricultural Economics at Oxford (1913- 1946). He wanted a family seaside house so decided to enlarge the existing villa. He chose the acclaimed architect Percy Morley Horder who had designed the Institute building where Orwin worked. It is a significant example of Horder’s Arts and Crafts interpretation of a Tudor Building with stables and coach house. He even drew up a complete plan for the garden. Work on the house started during WW1 and was not completed until 1923. The west front of this two storey building has an imposing Tudor style appearance. It has a central entrance with projecting wings on either side opening on to a cobbled courtyard laid in a 4.
geometric design. The entrance is in a projecting porch with a gable surmounted by a ball finial. The oak front door has a Tudor arched head and long iron strap hinges,a decorative wrought iron latch and is studded with iron nails. The east front ( photo) which opens on to a terrace is more vernacular in style. The chimney stacks are very tall from this side of the roofs. The southern wall still has a mounting block set against it. Both Mrs Orwin and her daughter enjoyed riding. Inside, original fireplaces, slate floors and window sills, Tudor roses , library panelling and bookcases, and oak floors remain. The design was very much influenced by the availability of local materials . Orwin did not like the redbrick of the existing villa and although the local red stone would be much preferable, also readily accessible and reasonable in price, he wanted something else. On a visit to Cleeve Abbey he saw what he wanted - a clean grey stone. Nearby the slate quarry at Treborough could supply any amount of varied grey slates not only for the roof but also very thick slate for terrace walls and paved
walkways. Even the undersides of the eaves were formed with slates let into the walls. As Cleeve stone was used for the walls Orwin felt that stone windows and mullions would enhance it, so Doulting stone from Norton -sub- Hamdon was used, together with iron casements. His one extravagance was his use of local oak for the doors and sitting room floors. The Hall floor was Treborough slate. Lt Colonel William Hartley Maud and his wife Isabella were living in Periton Mead by 1927 and became local benefactors. Isabella died in 1935 and William in 1948 .Both are buried in Minehead cemetery. It then became an open air boarding school ; later an independent Special Needs establishment until closure. In 2015 the house was granted Grade II listed status along with garden features such as walls, piers ,cobbled courtyard, raised terrace and sunken garden. The house has now been granted listed building consent for 14 apartments. Information compiled by Sally Bainbridge of Minehead Conservation Society.
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Kids and Uncertainty Helping young people cope in uncertain times
The COVID-19 pandemic turned our lives upside down. As adults we’ve had too many questions and too few answers, and many of us felt overwhelmed in the face of so much uncertainty.
The idea of Plan B is NOT to give up on Plan A, but rather to postpone it, while still moving forward in other areas.
Now imagine what it’s like to be a child or teenager in this environment.
Tolerating uncertainty is a skill that can be learned by practising how to respond in the best way we can to what’s happening in the present. Try doing small things together differently, such as preparing a meal without a recipe using only what’s in the cupboard or picking a random film to watch or podcast to listen to without knowing anything about it.
Young people don’t have the cognitive development, life experience, and coping skills to deal with all the uncertainties we face. So even though we may be struggling, it’s up to us as the adults to help them manage these feelings.
It’s not unusual for young people to be anxious about the future, especially as they near the end of school, or transition from one school to another. They might be stressed about the uncertainty surrounding exams, or what might happen about their university place. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created more uncertainty than usual. As a parent, it’s hard not to have answers and reassurances. If your child or teen is anxious it can help give them the sense of some control. Help them to develop a plan A and a Plan B
Plan A - The ideal plan they would have followed in normal times. Plan B - An alternative if plan A isn’t viable right now. Plan A may have involved taking a year out to travel overseas.
Plan B may be to complete some online training then volunteer for a charity, with the intention of switching to Plan A several months down the line. 6.
Show your child how to be okay with uncertainty
Validate your child’s feelings and concerns.
Accept how they feel and resist the urge to “fix” them by minimizing their worries or making promises that are not within your control to keep. Instead encourage them to be kind to themselves and realistic in their thinking. Listen to them and remind them that this is a very unusual situation; it would be weirder if they weren’t anxious! Talk about the things they value
It’s usually possible to find something, even a small thing that they value or appreciate. Help them to refocus on the good things in their life. Share some of the things you are grateful for.
It’s difficult for most of us to remain calm and focused at the moment, and we all have to accept that we can’t predict the future. It helps our kids to see us focus on the things we can control. We can model strategies and show them that whatever happens, we can cope with it together.
By Kate McCarthy
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01643 707707 paulparkslane@aol.com www.parkslane.co.uk 5 Parks Street, Minehead, TA24 5NQ.
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Jo Middleton is the owner of the longrunning and hilariously funny parenting blog, Slummy Single Mummy and author of ‘Playgroups and Prosecco’.
I’m writing this, mid-April, the very day after my first dose of the Coronavirus vaccine. I know, I know, I don’t look old enough - the official line is that we’re in the over 45s round and I’m only 42 - but who am I to argue with an official text message? I did once get invited to have a flu vaccine, now I think about it, on the grounds of an underlying health condition. I phoned my GP surgery and asked them exactly what the condition was, as it was news to me, but they weren’t able to shed any light on it either. Perhaps I have a box ticked somewhere deep within the NHS systems. Anyway, whatever the reason, it’s done, another rung climbed in the ladder to freedom. Or is it? The further along the roadmap we travel, the more I’m beginning to wonder whether I actually want to find my way out at all. I wrote on Instagram recently about feeling a reluctance to give up my own company, and a lot of people admitted they felt the same.
Over these last couple of months in particular, I finally feel like I’ve found my rhythm. I’m enjoying early morning walks alone before settling down to work at my little desk at home. Whereas earlier in the pandemic I was longing for the days when I could work in the noisy hubbub of a cafe or co-working space, now I find myself relishing the peace. I feel in a lot of ways like I am on the cusp of something, a turning point in what has turned out to be a year of self-discovery. I don’t feel like the same person that I was a year ago, but this new person still feels fresh and not quite formed. I want more time with her. I want more time to solidify the thoughts and feelings that have been developing in me since the New Year. I worry that the pressure to return to ‘normal’ is going to be overpowering, that the softness of this newly formed shape will be crushed and forgotten, and I don’t want to forget. While on the one hand I do want to venture back out into the world and reconnect with people, on the other I want to cherish
both the stronger sense of community and the lessons I’ve learned about myself, to hold onto this easier, more peaceful version of me. Peaceful in the sense of enjoying the quiet, but also in terms of being at peace with myself. Without external pressures we’ve been able to peel back the layers a little haven’t we? To be a more honest and authentic version of ourselves, with less fear of judgement. Last week I turned down work because saying ‘I don’t think this will allow me to thrive’ - 2020 me would never have dared to be so real. So yes, let’s look forward to those evenings in the pub garden, let’s follow the roadmap, but let’s do it with thoughtfulness for the journey we’ve travelled so far. Copywriter, author, speaker, self titled ‘word whore’.
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MARTIN G STRAUS - 0747 007 8131
Asparagus & Bacchus A divine wine & food pairing
TH E DYMON D GEEZER
The English asparagus season is upon us, but asparagus is notoriously hard to pair with wine. Traditional wine pairings are Sauvignon Blanc or Alsace Muscat (dry), but I do my best to seek good English wine equivalents - many years ago I discovered the Bacchus wine grape is a perfect match. I always look for an award-winning regional wine if possible, and this year I’m recommending Sharpham Bacchus 2019 11% abv. (£17.20 + Carriage by post from Sharpham or buy from their shop at the Estate). Off dry and aromatic, this wine has consistently won top awards in national and SouthWest competitions. Not too heavy in alcohol, it makes a great lunch wine, or with a first course. Sharpham also produces excellent cheeses, and is located near Totnes. Sharpham Estate: Totnes, Devon, TQ9 7UT 01803 732 20 www.sharpham.com/shop/wine/ For the asparagus, wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always looked for a nearby farm, as this guarantees maximum freshness – and we need to support local farmers more than ever! Last year I had some outstanding quality asparagus on my first order. However, Royal Mail let me down very badly on the second order, as it was delayed so long in the post (First Class), it was rotten when it finally arrived. This year you need to check whether deliveries by post are to be restarted, but I personally will collect from the farm! Withycombe Asparagus: Court Place, Withycombe, Minehead, TA24 6QB 01984 640 236 / 07974 218 696 www.asparagusby post.co.uk contactus@asparagusbypost.co.uk
Over the past year, my friend Geoff Dymond has phoned me every day to know I’m OK, a blessing in these challenging times. At Christmas he gave me a bottle of Lyme Bay Elderberry & Port Liqueur and asked me to see what cocktail I could make from it. I wanted to use local alcoholic ingredients, and I therefore opted to include the outstanding Tors Vodka, made from soft British winter wheat spirit and Dartmoor spring water (70cl £32 + Carriage from Tors, or check for local stockists – none in Somerset at time of writing). Lyme Bay Winery, Shute Rd, Axminster EX13 7PW 01297 551355 www.lymebaywinery.co.uk info@lbwdrinks.co.uk Tors Vodka, Unit 22, Fatherford Farm Industrial Estate, Okehampton, EX20 1QQ. 01837 354 100 www.torsvodka.co.uk info@torsvodka.co.uk The Dymond Geezer (created by Martin G Straus) Dedicated to Geoff Dymond, Chairman, Taunton 41 Club
• 40ml Tors Vodka, 40% abv • 40ml Elderberry & Port Liqueur, Lyme Bay Winery, 17% abv • 20 ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice • 15 ml Sugar Syrup (to taste) • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters • Garnish – Slice of Lemon SHAKE over ice cubes and STRAIN into chilled cocktail glass (Martini or Coupe) The sweetness of the liqueur and sugar syrup are perfectly balanced by the acidity of the lemon and the body of the vodka. The liqueur also adds a fruity/ tannic note and the Angostura bitters a touch of spice.
Follow Martin’s Drinks Club on Facebook and on YouTube for a wonderful blend of recipes for you to mix, and enjoy at home.
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Justin Jasper
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.11
What are the benefits? The benefits of anything, landscaping included, are often subjective; however, there are some broader benefits to landscaping that we think most people would agree on…
Landscaping creates beautiful spaces
What is landscaping, and do I need it? By Angus Tookey To definite it literally, landscaping is “The process of making a garden or other piece of land more attractive by altering the existing design, adding ornamental features, and planting trees and shrubs”. In practice, a professional landscaper should bring much more to the table than simply the labour of planting trees and shrubs: Planning - Before any physical work is started, everything must be planned. If the work is being carried out by an external team rather than a DIY project, this phase will include discussing your needs and desires. This would include discussions surrounding the scope of your particular project and your budget. Plans can then be created, which will outline all of the details needed in order to progress. Ground Preparation – Frequently, the ground in the area must be prepared prior to any form of installation or build. This can be anything from simply removing grass or existing obstacles to large-scale debris removal and ground levelling. This step is crucial not only for effective installation but for hassle-free maintenance too. Installation - Now that everything is planned, prepped, and there’s nothing left to get in the way, the installation of landscaping elements can begin. Hardscape elements (such as patios, fences, walkways and retaining walls) are often installed first. This provides a good, defined outline and framework that can be built upon/planted throughout the rest of the installation. Maintenance - The installation’s done, the space looks beautiful - but that’s not the end of the process. Maintenance is required to keep your newly-landscaped area looking (and living) the way it deserves to. The amount of maintenance required will vary depending on the project. Generally, maintenance involves taking care of the plants (weeding, irrigation, fertilising etc.), as well as maintaining any wooden structures or stone paving and bricks.
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You wouldn’t think twice about why it is a good idea to hire an interior designer when you are redesigning a room in your house, and the same goes for a professional landscaper. A good landscaper has an eye for what works and what doesn’t, can call on their experience to make suggestions in-line with your desires, and, ultimately, help create a beautiful outdoor space. The visual appeal of a well designed and landscaped space is good not only for property value but also for personal happiness and calm. Imagine the feeling you get from tidying up the lounge, putting everything in its correct place and neatly organised. This calm feeling derived from the transition of messy to neat is the same feeling you experience in a neatly organised and landscaped outdoor space.
Increase the value of your property As we alluded to earlier, landscaping can improve the market value of your property. The outdoor spaces around your property are akin to the packaging of a product or the presentation of your favourite dish at a restaurant. Although it isn’t ‘the main event’, it is a major contributory factor to how ‘the main event’ is perceived. Spending time and money on the space outside of your property can help bring in a better return on your investment should the time ever come that you decide to sell up. Professionally-landscaped outdoor spaces are a major selling point for your property, and studies have shown could see a market value increase of up to 20%. On a few hundred thousand pound house, that percentage represents a fair amount of return.
Landscaping can protect the environment Many landscaping projects help to create unique habitats and microclimates that can aid both the fauna and the flora in the surrounding area. Particularly if the natural surroundings are incorporated, and native plants are used, these outdoor spaces become beautiful, safe havens that require less long-term resources to maintain. The bees will be particularly grateful. Plants and shrubs attract essential pollinators to the area, helping them survive and thrive whilst also ensuring the continued development and health of our planet. And well, if that isn’t enough reason to undertake a little garden landscaping, then I don’t know what is?
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Dunster’s Tithe Barn Dunster’s tithe barn was indisputably used to collect tithes for the adjacent priory and in 1535, shortly before its dissolution, was recorded as passing on £6 13s 7d of income to its superiors in Bath. Records of tithes passing through Dunster can be found as far back as the eleventh century and this extensive past also suggests that the current building, thought to be sixteenth century, was built upon the foundations of previous barns. A plan of the area from 1735 clearly shows three rooms built into the thick walls of the current barn, marking them as straw houses, and these interesting features remain today as utility rooms for the barn’s event hosting and wedding receptions. The barn’s current appearance, restored to a very high standard, resulted from many elements of a project by the Dunster Tithe Barn Community Hall Trust, who sought assistance from the Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust, the Crown Estate and local authorities to secure and use the £555,000 needed to tastefully and considerately form an appropriate amenity for the village. The interior, now a bright white, still retains the countless daisy wheels etched into the walls, corner rooms and aged timbers
Above and opposite: : Dunster Tithe Barn. One of many notable landmarks in the historic village. (Author, with kind permission of Dunster Tithe Barn)
(carbon dated to 1614) but is enhanced by its mezzanine floor, underfloor heating and modified acoustics, as well as an attached reception building and spacious courtyard. Its well-kept historical features, well-documented place in Dunster’s past, and the affection in which it is held by those involved with it are no doubt responsible for its capacity to intrigue tourists and please locals in equal measure: a common theme in this part of Somerset. Extract taken from ‘Tithe Barns’ by Joseph Rogers, Amberley Publishing, available 15th June 2021. A fascinating look at an interesting and important part of Britain’s heritage and its landscape with Tithe Barns. www.amberley-books.com
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Be Fire Safe with a Fire Safe If your house caught fire, would your important documents be safe? We should be proactive about protecting critical information in case of a fire. Although lots of us have gone digital when it comes to storage of personal information, certain items still need to come in hard copies. And some things, other than papers, also need to be stored in a safe place. Ask yourself what you need easy access to when you’re in an emergency fire crisis? Original birth certificate
Property deeds
National Insurance details
Wills
Business documents
Passports
Insurance documents
Heirlooms
Spare keys for your house/car Irreplaceable items
Cash
Other documents
A file containing information: emergency numbers of insurance companies, bank, lawyer, family members, medical prescriptions, GP, and vet details. A fire safe is a box designed to protect valuables from heat damage and smoke caused by fire. The level of protection is determined by the type of fire safe and its fire rating.
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Not all fire safe boxes are alike. Standard fireproof safes protect valuables against intense heat and smoke damage for periods of up to 120 minutes. But it depends on what you want to store. The fire test standards require that the critical maximum temperature of the following media cannot be exceeded: Digital media: 120˚C; Computer data: 52˚C because electronic media melts at a lower temperature than paper combusts. A fire safe rated suitable for paper documents is NOT suitable for digital media. Most homes don’t have a fire safe…but can you afford to be without one?
By Tom Hancock
Get in touch today and discuss your project. 01823 765045 info@wordgetsaround.co.uk www.wordgetsaround.co.uk
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.15
Few will be unaware of the wonders of Steven Heard in the Minehead and West Somerset area. He’s been on national television, in the national press, and his smiling face has become a comforting and familiar sight throughout West Somerset. He started as a dog poo campaigner, begging residents to clean up after their pets on walks through the town’s parks and beauty spots. But it wasn’t enough, every venture outside he could see things that needed doing, which, if completed, would show Minehead to be the beautiful and proud community that it is. So he moved on to litterpicking, cleaning away graffiti, fixing walls and planting flowers. He didn’t stop collecting dog poo - he just started doing everything else too. The council served him an antisocial behaviour order, as thanks. So he became, to our knowledge, the first deaf town councillor that the UK had ever seen, and he stuck it out for far longer than he should have, with the lack of provisions made for him to be involved in meetings. Steven is entirely deaf, and needed a sign language interpreter in order to take part in meetings. Sadly, there wasn’t enough money to pay for one, and the town lost a man who literally lives to serve it and its people from their town councillor selection. It became too distressing for Steven to attend meetings, only to be, as he said, isolated from discussion and decision-making. When the country went into its first national lockdown, Steven, being clinically vulnerable himself, was forced indoors. 16.
There aren’t many individuals on this earth who spend so much of their time (and find so much joy in) working outdoors for no wage, and both Steven and those close to him were more than a little concerned for his mental health. How would he keep himself occupied, if unable to leave the house? Steven is an accomplished and skilled carpenter, but health and safety laws don’t allow him to work his trade any more - he has a supportive family and friendship network, and his voluntary activity in town to keep him occupied, and that’s it! A long term sufferer of a variety of physical and psychological conditions, the idea of him being unable to do what keeps him positive and productive was quite terrifying to all who know him. Luckily, Steven is not one to allow a worldwide pandemic to stop his charitable work! Almost instantaneously, he taught himself to weld and began creating the now famous Minehead Metal Heads!
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www.facebook.c om /stevencleanup minehead Since March 2020, Steven has made over eighty of these quirky and fun characters, donating them to key workers around the town and ranging from Minehead Hospital to local bakers, fishmongers and mechanics! Those who work with him are now raising funds to have a specific Minehead Metal Heads Trail around the town, the funds from which will help maintain Steven’s charitable ventures.
Beautiful blooms for every occasion, houseplants and more!
He aims to complete over a hundred - an incredible achievement for someone who, at times, has felt persecuted by townspeople and officials for simply trying his best to care for Minehead, and the enjoyment of its residents. However, he’s never let that stop him, and he never will! Who knows what this local hero will do next?!e
By Shonie Millward-Usher
Call us on: 01643 706944 Email: floristminehead@gmail.com 4 Floyds Corner, Minehead TA24 5UF
BRAIN TRAIN
Cognitive training is a program of regular activities that help to maintain or improve one’s cognitive abilities.
Hi! I’m Petee. My friend Charlie the Chameleon is great at hiding. He’s hidden somewhere within this magazine. See if you can spot him and email us with where he is. Email.... info@wordgetsaround.co.uk*
Across 1 4 8 9 10 11 13 15 17 20 21 23 24 25
Where’s that to?
Ok, get this one... What 4-letter word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right? 18.
Amundsen Barbosa Bass Boone Cabot Cartier Columbus Cook Cortes Dias Drake Eriksson Fawcett Flinders Gray Hawkins Heriolfsson Hudson Kingsley Magellan Park Raleigh Scott Shackleton Sturt Tasman Tenzing Vancouver Vasco de Gama Vespucci
Rip-off, hoax (4) Twirling (8) Foetus (6) Be angry about (6) Circle (4) Striped feline (5,3) Monty Python’s, ____ __ Brian (4,2) Native American home (6) Another word for aubergine (8) Small round salty cracker (4) Cavern, den (6) Womb (6) Supply, material (8) Seize, grab (4)
Down 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 14 16 18 19 22 19 21
Mixing (9) Phenomenon (7) Crow, flaunt (5) Welsh_______, cheese on toast (7) Delicious (5) Female member of religious order (3) Dumbfounded (9) The essence of a food (7) Ardent, impassioned (7) Paved garden area (5) Accord, amnesty (5) Fish eggs (3) Dock, levee (5) Bald, Golden or Pygmy (5)
Sudoku The scientific term for brain freeze is “sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia”. If a Polar Bear and a Grizzly Bear mate, their offspring is called a “Pizzy Bear”. The first movie ever to put out a motion-picture soundtrack was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. At birth, a baby panda is smaller than a mouse. Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.
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The Last Word-Book Review With John Fish
The Lamplighters By Emma Stonex
Skylarks with Rosie - A Somerset Spring
Published by Picador (Released: 4th March 2021) 368 Pages HB £14.99
Published by Saraband Books: (18th March 2021) 208 Pages PB £12.99
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex is based on real events and the novel is a compulsive mystery and beautifully crafted. It is New Year’s Eve 1972, and a boat is approaching the Maiden Rock lighthouse off the Cornish coast. This lighthouse is far off the coast and the three men that take turns at manning the lighthouse are isolated and when a storm starts the sea that surrounds them is a boiling sea that lashes the lighthouse. The boat has come to take the three men back to shore to be with their families after months at the Maiden Rock, but something is not quite right. There is no sign of Bill Walker, Arthur Black, or Vincent Bourne, they have vanished mysteriously. But how is that possible, as they are miles from anywhere, just the sea for company.
Once inside the Maiden Rock lighthouse nothing seems as it should. That alone is enough to send a shiver down the spine. What has happened to the three men? Was it suicide, or murder or something more ghostly? It is now 1992 and the mystery remains just that, there are now explanations and for Helen, Jenny, and Michelle, how can they move one when they do not know what happened to their loved ones and the mystery has only driven a wedge between them. But now a writer has come forward and wants to speak to the three women about their memories and now the three women talk their theories, and so we also get to see the days of the three men at the lighthouse. The Lamplighters is beautifully written and an impressive mystery and atmospheric novel. One of my novels of 2021 so far.
By Stephen Moss
None of us are going to ever forget 2020 and the first lockdown. Nature has played a noticeably big part in getting many of us through the difficult months. We are incredibly lucky to have one of the countries most leading nature writers living in Somerset and recently released is Stephen’s latest book: Skylarks with Rosie: A Somerset Spring in which Stephen Moss describes the Spring of 2020 and then the first lockdown. The countryside is alive with birdsong that heralds Spring, but this is not going to be a normal springtime and now his daily walks with Rosie his Labrador are going to be a loop close to his home on the Somerset Levels. While out on his walks overhead there are Buzzards, and the trees and hedgerows are alive with the songs of Chiffchaffs and Robins and the first butterflies are spotted. As lockdown meant we were kept apart from family and friends we found new ways of keeping in touch and here in Stephen’s latest book, here he talks to us about the friends and his relatives that he was missing and finding ways in our modern world of keeping in contact. As the world around us became suddenly quieter due to little or no traffic and no aircraft overhead the dawn chorus suddenly became more prominent. Can this be a sign that more people are taking note of the natural world around them. Hope for the future perhaps? There is something so calming about walking in the countryside in the spring and hearing the song of a skylark and then stop to look skywards in the hope of spotting one of our most beautiful of songbirds.
Read more of John’s book reviews at: www.thelastwordbookreview.com 20.
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Ginger George West Somerset’s Top Cat - The word on the street. Well what a beautiful Bank Holiday and it’s actually sunny and warm for a change. There is nothing warmer than the sun’s rays. Time for an extended sleep in some warm spot. Next door’s shed roof is always a good spot. I curl up, get myself in a comfortable position and I’m just nodding off when the shed door opens and the lawn mower is dragged out. Not the old pull and push quiet one but the loud hover sort. I can’t put up with the noise so I make my way across the fences and spy another good spot on a shed roof. This garden has no grass so no fear of the lawnmower coming out here. I settle down when all of a sudden something is plugged in and now it’s ‘wash the patio time’. This device is louder than the hover mover, and has a long gun thing spraying water everywhere. I’m getting wet now, so I’m off. I escape over more fences and check out the next few gardens. Eventually I find one, grass already been cut, and no patio. I’ll find a nice spot, peaceful and warm. Ten minutes in the back doors open, out run four little girls dragging a plastic paddling pool. They are shrieking with delight. To make things worse there is already a trampoline which the girls dive on and bounce up and down. “Look at me Mummy, look at me”. What is it with young girls they have to scream continuously? The pool is filled and every possible plastic item is thrown in there, including water pistols. I’m off at that point. Next garden, demented Jack Russell continuously barking its head off. Shall I try the allotments? The trouble is the old boy with the rake chases us off. He has an inherent dislike to cats; he thinks we use his garden for a toilet. Well ok, so we do but is the rake necessary? Still, worth a chance for some peace and quiet. As I approach, he’s got a nice smoky bonfire going. He’s more inconsiderate than we are, bet those with the washing out love him! Give that place a miss. I’ll try the park. Loads of dog walkers but, I can find refuge up a tree, out of harms way. I scamper up and find a nice branch in direct sunlight. I’m just about to nod off when this thing flies past my head, buzzing as it goes. 22.
A wasp? No, some kid with a drone flying this thing up and down. I give in. I make my way back home and I think I’ll just hide under a bed. I pass the guy tinkering with his motorbike, revving it up, the kid in his garage playing the drums, the house with a disco at full blast with the windows open, the family drinking wine next to the well smoking barbeque. The other family and their new fire pit. What is it with humans, you get a nice sunny bank holiday and they have to ruin it? I reach home to find my food bowl is empty, they have forgotten to feed me. I walk in the lounge and my mummy carer is watching something on TV. I give a gentle “meow” reminder that I need food and she turns around and goes, “Oh George, QUIET now!, I’m watching Bridgerton”.
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Little by little we are coming out of lockdown, which is exciting, with many of us making plans for the 17th May onwards, how we want to embrace and celebrate the coming summer. Seeing family and friends indoors and outdoors, picnics, meet up in cafés, visit your favourite local restaurant, trip to the seaside with a stay in a hotel, but in the same breath we are all aware of still needing to be cautious and for some of us there will be an overwhelming feeling, of nervousness and anxiety to step out of the safe bubble we have been in for the past fourteen months. Mindfulness and Compassion is very much about your awareness of your experience here and now in this moment, with compassion to others and self. Over the coming weeks we all need to embrace humanity with kindness and understand how we are all one, but very individual, show compassion and empathy to others you meet, as you may not be aware of their circumstances, feelings, overwhelmed having lost loved ones or suffered themselves or their families with Covid and continue with Long Covid. Let us aim to respect, and be spatial aware, when someone looks at you nervously, passing, queuing or sat on the next table, and you cannot see quite why? Enjoy this fabulous feeling of escapism and stay safe. Do not forget there are, Psychotherapist, Counsellors, Therapists, Mindfulness and Compassion Teachers, and Helplines if you need additional support to embrace these new times.
Are you struggling with Anxiety, Stress or Chronic Pain? Mindfulness and Compassion has helped me for 9 years, as I have Psoriatic Arthritis and Idiopathic Anaphylaxis.
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Have you ever wished you could grow fresh fruit in your garden but worry the space is too small, or it won’t look pretty, or it’s too difficult? What if I was to tell you that even a beginner can successfully grow a wide variety of fruit from apples and pears to plums, cherries, blueberries and raspberries, and possibly even figs or nectarines?
The first thing you need to know is that the sweeter the fruit is meant to be the more sun it will require. Sun boosts sugar levels. If you have a sunny wall it’s an ideal place to train a sun-loving fruit tree like a peach or an apricot. Plant the tree at the base of the wall but not too close (about 30cm is about right) in soil enriched with fertiliser and good quality compost. As it grows splay the branches evenly and attach them to the wall. As the plant grows gradually cut out old straggly branches and tie in new healthy branches. The idea of splaying or ‘fanning’ is that as much sun as possible gets to the fruit, so it can ripen beautifully and maximise your crop. It also has the benefit of being a great space saver. Choose a variety that won’t grow too large.
I have a tiny orchard of minarettes - space-saving apple, pear and plum trees bought as single vertical stems which I grow in pots. They grow to a maximum of 6 feet / 2m high and no wider than 45cm. My children love them!
Simply cut back the side stems to about 10cm at this time of year and you’re good to go. Just remember that pot-grown plants rely totally on you for their food and water. Thick glazed / non-porous pots are best because they retain water and act as insulation in extreme cold.
Use the correct compost and food for the plant but most will do well with a regular high potash liquid feed from early spring to late summer. As a gardener I was quite late to fruit-growing, but I realised quickly that it becomes an addictive hobby. And as a complete bonus I’ve noticed a definite increase in my bee population over the past few years. Free food, and good for the environment too. What could be better?
By Rachael Leverton
In slightly shadier spots you can grow gooseberries or raspberries, or my favourite morello cherries. Most of these come in compact varieties and can also be fan-trained against a wall if space is an issue.
To advertise please call us on 01984 573025 or email info@wordgetsaround.co.uk
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Welcome back to the libraries – see you soon! @SomersetLibrariesUK
We are delighted to announce that libraries in West Somerset have re-opened for you to come and choose your books, talking books and DVDs and use our computers. Our shelves are crammed with some fabulous brand-new books and did you know, you can borrow up to 20 at a time, all for free! Come and visit Minehead Library in its temporary home at the Old Hospital off Blenheim Road, whilst anticipated refurbishments are undertaken to modernise and improve the existing library. We’ll still have Covid secure measures in place to keep you and staff safe and you can still use the click-and-collect ‘Library Choice’ service and/or the mobile library or Home Library Service.
This may be the first time you’ve used your local library in a while, so If you want to check that your membership is still active then just use the simple ‘membership checker’ form on www.somersetlibraries.co.uk or pop into your local branch where staff will be happy to help. To make sure you keep up-to-date, register for our newsletter via our website, or by speaking to any member of staff in the library. Jobseekers can also borrow an internet-ready tablet for free for up to six weeks – great for job searching, developing a CV or finding out how to perform in an online interview.
Library computers are also available, but you may need to pre-book a time slot in advance.
You don’t need to be a member of Somerset Libraries to access events and/or online activities, but if you do join the library you’ll get free access
Come in & browse Updated collections & new books for all ages Computers available FOLLOW US
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Visit: www.somersetlibraries.co.uk for more information on joining and for other useful updates on opening times and our wide range of services.
Local chef James Bellamy now has his own plaice When James Bellamy was in his teenage years he used to pop into the Bampton Street Fish and Chip shop for a takeaway, then go home to watch Gladiators on the TV. Little did he know that one day he will be the new proprietor of that takeaway shop in the far and distant future. James has always had a love of food and cooking. His first job was at the Northfield Hotel and took on a 5 year apprenticeship. He started life on the preparation side and later as an assistant chef learning the craft. His skills took him off to other restaurants in the area and learning all the time from other chefs. He worked at The Blue Ball at Triscombe for 5 years and learnt how to cook game. 26.
Other local venues came his way, the Royal Oak at Luxborough, Woods Restaurant in Dulverton and The Dragon House at Bilbrook. Always learning new skills and styles. He finally took over the job as assistant catering manager at Dunster Castle. Then Covid hit us. His hours were cut and he needed to do something. With all the pubs and restaurants now closed he took a bold move and took over the chip shop in Bampton Street and his own destiny. It had been closed for years and needed a lot of work to bring it back to a working take-away. You would think a chef of James’s skill would find this fayre easy, but he enrolled in a course with the National Fryers Association and learned how to cook fish and chips to perfection and they are too.
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Perfect Coconut Ice Cream
Cool, creamy and delicious -Serves 6 Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins plus chilling/freezing time Ingredients
1 x 400ml can coconut milk 150ml double cream 1 x 160g can coconut cream 50g golden caster sugar 4 large egg yolks 25g desiccated coconut, toasted Method: Whisk the sugar and the egg yolks in a bowl until thick and creamy. Pour the coconut milk, double cream and coconut cream in a saucepan and heat until it almost reaches boiling point. Pour this coconut milk mixture in a slow stream over the egg yolks and sugar, whisking constantly. Rinse out the saucepan (important to stop any burning and tainting of the ice cream) and return to a low heat. Pour in the custard mixture and stir in the desiccated coconut. Continue to stir constantly for 5-10 mins until the custard thickens slightly and you can trace a line through it with a wooden spoon.
Pour into a bowl and cover the surface of the custard with cling film...to prevent a skin forming), allow to cool, then chill for 30 mins. At this point you can use your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker transfer the chilled custard to a small freezer-safe container with a lid and freeze for 1 hr, then use a fork or electric whisk to really churn through the ice cream to break up the ice crystals so that the mixture is the same consistency all the way through. Pop it back into the freezer for another 2-3 hrs, whisking it about every half hour, then cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and freeze with the lid on until as firm as ice cream. Take out of the freezer 10 mins before serving so it’s easy to scoop.
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Film locations in West Somerset By Clive Smith (Editor)
There has been a few films and TV locations used in this area. The West Somerset Railway has been host to Miss Marple, Shoestring, The Flockton Flyer and an episode of Casualty. I remember Dunster Village being the back drop to an episode of super sleuth Hercules Poirot. If you were born in the fifties, you could have seen The Beatles boarding the train in Minehead, in the making of A Hard Day’s Night. With Exmoor on our doorstep it’s no wonder it has been used for film settings. Lorna Doone comes directly to mind. Some scenes of the 1941 version were shot in Somerset, but the re-make in 2000 as a TV Movie, was actually shot in Brecon in Wales, much to the disgust of the Exmoor inhabitants. Then of course we had the children’s TV series Maid Marian and her Merry Men starring Tony Robinson. Based in a wood on Porlock hill, it ran for 26 episodes using Porlock beach as a setting too. Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley had a brief encounter with Exford. A film of little praise called ‘Turtle Diary’ about a couple who stole a couple of turtles from London Zoo, not happy with their confined space, then releasing them in Cornwall. The Exford service station was used to fill up their van, refill the turtles tank, have a comfort break and motor on. There was three days filming with locals on horseback, tractors all arriving
to accompany the scene on cue. The late Tony Melody played the pump attendant. Another film shot around Exford was ‘Return of the Native’. This was Thomas Hardy’s sixth novel about a man, Clement Yeobright—who gives up a business career in Paris to return to his native Egdon Heath to become a ‘schoolmaster to the poor and ignorant’. The film starred a young actress called Catherine Zeta Jones and a much sort after Clive Owen. Joan Plowright has a role in there too. The Crown Hotel in Exford was used as their film base and many of the locals were used as extras. At the time I was driving taxis and remember driving an unsteady Catherine from a Dunster pub back to Exford. I did feel sorry for the filmmakers as it must have been the wettest summer for years. It must have rained every day. Porlock Weir was another venue for the closing scenes of a H.E.Bates novel, The ‘Feast of July’ starring Embeth Davidtz, Tom Bell, Gemma Jones and James Purefoy, here dressed as a soldier in the photo. For the ending (all of 10 minutes), the Anchor Hotel was painted yucky brown, a fake building placed on the jetty, telegraph poles made to look like trees, road markings blanked out and a host of extras dressed to the shoot. Just for your information James Purefoy is a Taunton boy and the real star (the ship) is the Irene, the last ship to be built in Bridgwater.
28. Remember tofrom mention ‘Word Gets Around’ when you contact one of our advertisers. Photography contributions George Ody.
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Emergency & Useful numbers Emergency Services 999 Police, Fire, Ambulance, Coastguard Unable to speak? Dial 999 and 55 when prompted Non-Emergency Police number Non-Emergency medical call Emergency number world wide Gas emergencies Electric power cut helpline Wessex Water emergency Environmental Agency Flood or pollution Samaritans Childline Taunton & West Somerset Council
101 111 112 0800 111 999 105 0345 600 4600 0800 80 70 60 116 123 0800 1111 0300 304 8000
Pharmacies Alcombe Tesco Minehead Boots Minehead Lloyds Pharmacy Irnham Lodge Porlock Pharmacy Quantock Pharmacy Watchet Dulverton Pharmacy
01643 703478 0117 2913890 01643 702004 01643 702007 01643 862455 01984 631343 01398 323359
Local Surgeries Williton Watchet Minehead Medical Centre Dunster & Porlock Surgeries Somerset West & Taunton Council Minehead Town Council First Bus Somerset Berry’s Coaches Trainline Booking
01984 632701 01984 634365 01643 703441 01643 821244 0300 304 8000 01643 707213 0345 646 0707 01823 331356 0871 244 1545
Health Services & Organisations Barnfield, Minehead Beacon Centre, Taunton Chiropractor (Sally White) Community District Nurses
01643 701 755 01823 344 240 01984 640 625 0300 124 5607
Dental Helpline Midwives Fern Ward-Out of Hour Physio (Bridgwater Booking Office) Somerset Direct (Adult Social Care) Somerset Drug & Alcohol Service (SDAS) Somerset PCT Pals National
0300 127 691 01823 342 571 01278 436 733 0300 123 2224 0300 303 8788 0800 085 1067
Hospitals Minehead Musgrove Park Somerset Nuffield Williton Community
Schools/ Colleges
West Somerset College Danesfield C of E School Minehead Middle School Minehead First School St Michaels First School Knights Templer First School St. Peters C of E First School Old Cleeve First School Dunster First School Timberscombe First School
Other Numbers
West Somerset Radio West Somerset Free Press Minehead Information Centre Minehead Town Council Offices Watchet Town Council Williton Parish Council Minehead Advice Centre Regal Theatre Townsend House Trust Carhampton Rec & Youth Club Old Cleeve Community Hall Tithe Barn Dunster Porlock Village Hall
01643 701701 01823 333 444 0800 015 5020 01984 635 600 01643 706061 01984 632581 01643 704191 01643 704191 01643 702759 01984 634385 01984 632480 01984 640232 01643 821254 01643 841259 01643 652844 01984 632731 01643 702624 01643 707213 01984 633344 01984 633979 0800 8021808 01643 706430 01643 706258 07704 512896 01984 641448 01643 821658 01643 863117
Whilst every effort is made to print accurate information the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors, emissions or changes that might appear. Please contact us should you see any. 30.
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Farmer isaac I goze in chip shop t’other day, he sez,”Chips are dun, the vish won’t be long”. I Sez, “they’m better be fat then”. Polly C. Holder I failed math so many times in school I lost count.
9 Joe King Proof that we don’t understand death is that we give dead people a pillow.
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Amanda Lynn I have an inferiority complex, but it’s not a very good one.
6
Helen Hywater A spa hotel? It’s like a normal hotel, only in reception there’s a picture of a pebble.
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Mona Lott Here’s a picture of me with REM. That’s me in the corner.
10 Lynn C.Doyle Two aerials meet on a roof, fall in love and get married. The reception was brilliant.
6 Herbie Hind The advantages of easy origami are two-fold.
Ok, get this one... Noon
Where’s that to?
Stogumber! A village and civil parish on the eastern flank of the Brendon Hills. Besides Stogumber village itself, the parish includes the hamlets of Ashbeer, Capton, Escott, Higher Vexford, Kingswood, Lower Vellow, Lower Vexford, Preston, and Vellow.
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Learn about photography the social way Join the Photoclub and get active, make friends and explore Exmoor. Why trust Mark? Mark holds a BA (Hons) in Photography from the University of Plymouth; has been awarded Licentiate from The Royal Photographic Society, attended recognised teacher training courses and brings 30 years of commercial photographic experience to our Photoclub. In West Somerset, there is no one better qualified to help you improve your image taking, no matter whether you use your phone or the latest camera.
Regular social events Learning new skills in a friendly and social environment One time joining fee
Photo Walks, discovering the best of Exmoor and beyond
Challenges with the chance to win prizes
Online discussions
Workshops
Lightroom training
Live Q & As
“Many thanks for all the help on your photography workshop in getting me away from auto settings, and understanding depth of field, rule of 3rds etc. It has been a great help in improving my photography skills and making everything even more enjoyable than I ever thought possible. Many thanks, Mark.”
Mike, Taunton, Somerset
Meet us by visiting our website to find out more. 32.
www.photoclub.uk Tel. 01643 888 123 Remember to mention ‘Word Gets Around’ when you contact one of our advertisers.