Word Gets Around Magazines - West Somerset - Issue 34

Tel: 01643 703347 or 707707

Email: info@parkslane.co.uk

Parks Lane, Minehead, TA24 5NU

5 Park St, Minehead, TA24 5NQ

We are proud of our fantastic reputation for professionalism and product quality, together with excellent customer care and service.

Parks Lane Furnishers and Interiors, a family-run business since 1979, provide professional made-to-measure blinds, curtains, internal shutters and awnings to both domestic homes and commercial companies throughout Minehead and surrounding areas. We have arguably the best carpet, vinyl, rugs and luxury vinyl tiles in the area. Choose from a wide stock range of furniture, beds, mattresses, sofas and rise and recliners with FREE delivery in West Somerset.

Home Accessories

Carpets and Flooring

Made to Measure Curtains and Blinds

Sofas, Furniture and Beds

Accessible Transport in West Somerset

Our Slinky Service is an accessible bus service funded through Somerset Council for people unable to access conventional public transport.

Slinky is for anyone of any age who does not have access to their own vehicle or who would have difficulty using public transport due to lack of availability or through health or other problems. There are two buses operating within the district of West Somerset (west of the Quantocks).

Journeys must be booked in advance and are on a first-come-first-served basis. (They cannot be booked more than a fortnight in advance.

The service is available Monday – Friday 9.00am5.00pm. The service is not available on Public or Bank Holidays or at the weekends.

Register for Slinky

If you wish to register or have any questions regarding Slinky please call our dedicated Slinky phone line on 01643 707090.

The line is available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm. Except for Bank Holidays.

For more details are our timetable please visit our website below.

Shopper Buses

Our routes pick up in villages around West Somerset and take passengers into Minehead (town or supermarket).

Travel is on an easy-access minibus with passenger lift if required. The friendly driver is trained in passenger care and some services also have a passenger assistant to help carry the shopping on the return journey. The bus will collect passengers from their home or nearby pick-up point, and return them to their home.

All passengers must be registered to use this service. To register, or pre-book your seat please call 01643 709701.

Clive Smith Editor

Call 07779 653120

clive@wordgetsaround.co.uk

ABOUT US

Established in 2014, Word Gets Around Magazine is an independent community magazine and family business, run by father and son team; Clive and Paul Smith.

We aim to spread the word about local events and services and to encourage our communities to use local businesses.

The more we are supported by advertisers the more pages we can grow to support the community.

Taunton

We deliver 24,000 magazines per issue across Taunton direct into homes in TA1, TA2, TA3, TA4.

West Somerset

We deliver 10,000 magazines per issue across West Somerset direct into homes in TA24 and TA23.

To get in contact please call us on: 01823 7655045 or email: info@wordgetsaround.co.uk

OUR ADDRESS

Word Gets Around Magazines

Hestercombe House, Hestercombe Gardens

Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton, TA2 8LQ.

Socials:

www.wordgetsaround.co.uk

Booking deadline for the next issue is 20 th August

It is with some sadness that the Watchet Festival has come to an end this year. I think we all have to take our hats off to Mark and Jackie Bale for their years of service. It will be missed by many in the community.

They raised thousands of pounds for different charities over the years, but also helped to raise the profile of Watchet as a destination of note. On top of that, they gave smaller bands a profile too. Watchet is the place to go to, the community spirit is very much alive and kicking, and the entertainment vibe is still as strong as ever, and long may it continue.

At Word Gets Around Magazines we are often asked if we have any free space to promote various events, and to profile local clubs and societies. As with any business we have our costs to cover, but we always do our best to shine a light where we can. For years we have been wanting to do more, without the associated costs that limit us.

We are delighted to share the news that we now have a solution, in our digital version of the magazine! If you have an event that needs some publicity then please add this for free on our new What’s On guide. You can add the dates and a category so readers can easily see find out what’s going on locally.

If you run a club, group, society or charity then we can also offer a free space on our new Directory, to tell us about what you do and your contact details. Our aim is that our digital magazine is an online extension to the printed copy, and the two can complement each other to do more for our community.

We are constantly updating the online magazine with new articles and encourage you to make the most of what we can offer. We will be sharing these across our social media channels and with your support we can make it a key community resource. If you have any ideas or feedback then please get in touch. Enjoy July and August!

Clive

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Green ngers… the Alan Titchmarsh column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and allround horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the maintenance of pathways and walkways in our gardens.

It’s only right we spend so long obsessing over the green spaces in our garden, and at the heart of that is plants, flowers and, of course, a gorgeous, lush, green lawn.

Yet there is many a beautiful baize spoiled by the constant plodding of human feet, and when the colder, rainier months come around, that gentle path leading to the shed can rapidly come to resemble a muddy mess.

That’s why providing a practical route for people to be able move through a garden is so important. Paths and walkways obviously serve a practical function in providing safe and easy access to the decorated corners of your garden, whilst

also offering a visual and aesthetic element, guiding the eye, offering a contrast between natural and manmade materials, whilst creating, as well, an invitation to explore.

Maintaining a pathway, or perhaps even a larger paved area, almost always means turning to concrete. It is hardwearing, inexpensive and versatile, while in terms of durability you’ll struggle to find anything better. Yet for those who want a look that’s more natural or rustic, use something like gravel, wood or natural stone. These materials can create a softer, more organic look that blends in well with the surrounding landscape.

Either way, focus on colour and texture. Look at the other shades in your garden and try to match tones; also mimic shapes in flowers and plants by selecting concrete elements that are styled and intricately designed, focusing on curves, lines and detail.

In terms of laying a path, plan every stone before you start, aiming for flow, perspective and a pattern that guides the eye. Ensure the ground you are laying the path on is well drained, and while the temptation is to lay each slab level, you may want to factor in a slight tilt so that rainwater runs off it rather than pooling on top.

Finally, when laid, gravel or mulch around the sides of the path will hold it in place and allow it to soften as it naturalises with your garden.

As the years go by, regular cleaning and repairs will keep your path in optimum condition. Jet washing is a great way of bringing it back to life.

Ultimately, while concrete often carries with it an unsteady reputation as far as our gardens are concerned, we’d be stuck without it!

The Usborne Official Spy’s Handbook

From cracking secret codes and creating effective disguises to tracking and decoding signals, this book encourages kids to be creative. It’s the essential guide to spying – keep it close to hand but hidden from the unknown enemy! – packed with useful skills and tips, and spies in training can use the activity pages to create camouflage headbands, shake off a trail and spot enemy spies in crowds of people.

Don’t Shake the Mango Tree by Graeme Forbes Smith

Graeme’s childhood ambition to climb Kilimanjaro and subsequent visits to Africa made him fall in love with the continent, so when he and his wife Candy have a mid-life crisis at the age of 50, they abandon their comfortable Edinburgh life and move to Tanzania. The warmth and welcoming nature of the locals swiftly found them work managing a luxury safari lodge, and tales of their new life with its up and downs in Africa unfold. Each tale is told with a touching blend of humour, tragedy, gratitude and joy.

City on Fire by Don Winslow

Exploring classic themes of loyalty, betrayal, honour, and corruption on both sides of the law, this is the first instalment of an expansive new trilogy from one of the world’s most eloquent crime writers. Danny Ryan is a hard-working longshoreman, loving husband, loyal friend, and occasional ‘muscle’ for the Irish crime syndicate that oversees much of the city. He yearns for something more and dreams of a fresh start somewhere far away. But when a modern-day Helen of Troy triggers a war between rival mob factions, Danny is embroiled in a conflict he can’t escape…

All You Need by Katie Piper

In her debut children’s picture book, best-selling author and TV presenter Katie Piper OBE invites young readers aged three to five to join Teeny Mouse in a wonderful tale of empowerment. Teeny Mouse is going on a big adventure, a journey she’s never taken before. And though it’s big, and fun, and exciting, she suddenly feels a little bit small...but she discovers all you need is to have a little bit of faith in yourself. A perfect read to share with young children fearful about trying new things.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

One for the older teens, this historical romance is inspired by the real-life story of C.R. Patterson (the first African-American automotive manufacturer) and his family, the Davenports are one of the few black families of immense wealth and status, their fortune made through a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. It’s now 1910 and we follow the fortunes of four determined and passionate young black women – Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose and Ruby – discovering the courage to steer their own path in life…and love.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different – and far more satisfying – than he ever imagined. A fable about undauntedly following one’s dreams, listening to one’s heart and reading life’s omens, The Alchemist is currently the most-translated book in the world by a living author. It has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world.

Whatever your plans this holiday, there’s nothing better than a great read. Here are some for everyone of all ages to enjoy!

Edd Kimber’s Olive Oil, Pistachio And Lemon Snack Cake

Introduction

Delight your afternoon tea guests with this joyous one-tin bake from The Great British Bake Off’s first ever champ, Edd Kimber. This simple pistachio cake is made in a food processor, so it takes just minutes to prepare, and the machine does all the heavy lifting for you. Serve it with a simple lemon and sugar glaze and sprinkle with a few roughly chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4. Lightly grease your 15x40cm baking tin and line with a strip of parchment paper that overhangs the long sides, securing it in place with metal clips.

2. Place the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until they are finely ground. Tip into a large bowl along with the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and salt and mix together.

3. Put the sugar, eggs and lemon zest in the processor bowl and

Ingredients

(10 to 12 servings)

For the cake

• 200ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing

• 140g shelled pistachios, plus a few extra for decoration

• 65g ground almonds

• 65g gluten-free plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 200g caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• Zest of 1 lemon

For the glaze

• 200g icing sugar

• 2–3 tablespoons lemon juice

• Pinch of fine sea salt

• Chopped pistachios

• Dried rose petals

process for about a minute. With the machine still running, slowly pour in the oil. Once fully combined, add the mixed dry ingredients and process for a second or two until evenly incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly.

4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until lightly browned and the cake is set in the middle. Set aside to cool completely in the tin before using the parchment paper to lift it out.

5. For the glaze, mix the icing sugar, lemon juice and salt in a bowl until you have a thick but pourable paste. Pour it over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with a few extra chopped pistachios and dried rose petals to decorate.

Top tips

• To make this cake vegan, swap out the eggs with this alternative: 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water for every chicken’s egg

• If stored in a sealed container, the cake should keep for 3–4 days

There ain’t nothing like a Dame!

She’s cooking royalty: having risen through the royal honours ranks from OBE to CBE and then a DBE in 2020, Dame Prue Leith is best known to millions as one half of the judges who gets to crown the winner on TV’s jewel-in-the-crown baking show.

Prue, 83, has revealed that Bake Off is her “dream job”, adding: “It’s the nicest possible job, isn’t it? All we do is walk on, eat cake, say what we think, walk off.” Prue is delighted that This Morning’s Alison Hammond is joining the show. Working alongside Paul, Noel and Matt, she admits: “The problem for me is that I’m such a different generation from those three men that I never get their famous Bake Off innuendos. They’re like four-year-olds. So, I’m looking forward to having a woman around.”

A new batch of fans

It’s been a busy year or so for Dame Prue, who in September 2022 saw the relaunch of her updated autobiography, I’ll Try Anything Once It was originally published as Relish in 2017, when Prue had just joined the show. The riveting memoir tells the story of her incredible appetite for life, from her childhood in South Africa to becoming a Dame in the 2020 New Year’s Honours list.

Prue colours

When she moved to the UK, Prue become the first woman to open a high-end restaurant in London, Leith’s, which went on to gain a Michelin star. Alongside her continued involvement with

the prestigious Leith’s School of Food and Wine, which she established in 1975, she keeps on top of her property and online business. Then there’s also been the launch of her vibrant and joyful tableware collection in collaboration with homeware brand BlissHome (available exclusively on www.uniqueandunity.co.uk).

Journey of discovery

It wasn’t until Prue left her native South Africa with a degree from Cape Town University to go to the Sorbonne in Paris, that she first discovered her love of food.

“I suddenly realised it was something I could do.” Clearly not a skill she’s learnt from her mother Peggy. Says Prue: “She was the worst cook in the world. But my very first book, Leith’s All-Party Cookbook, had the dedication, ‘For my mother, who can’t cook for toffee, but gave marvellous parties anyway.’ I wanted to make the point that food isn’t the only thing that goes into a party –your friends have not come to judge you.”

No stranger to mixing with members of the royal family, Dame Prue recently joined the Duke of Edinburgh, along with faith leaders, at Westminster Abbey, for a special Coronation Big Lunch – where the Duke ruled out a ‘bake off’, as he brought along a coronation quiche, baked by Buckingham Palace staff. The coronation quiche – the recipe chosen by the King and Queen – was given Dame Prue’s stamp of approval, praising the bake as “absolutely delicious”.

On a hot day in Paris, the Eiffel Tower grows taller. The tower is constructed from iron and when this is warmed it expands, causing the structure to grow by up to 17 cm.

What’s worse than a worm in your apple? Half a worm.

What do insects learn at school?

Mothmatics

Why was the centipede dropped from the insect football team? He took too long to put his boots on!

SEA BALL BOAT

KITE

SAND

BEACH

GAMES

WAVES

PICNIC

PARASOL

ICECREAM

SUNCREAM

DECKCHAIR

ADELAIDE AUSSIE BEACHES BOOMERANG

BRISBANE CANBERRA CORAL SEA

DESERTS DINGO EMUS KANGAROO

KOALA MARSUPIALS OCEANS PERTH

RAINFORESTS SEAFOOD SHRIMP SYDNEY

TASMANIA VICTORIA WOMBAT

Across

1. Short play preceding the main performance (7-6)

7. Diplomat having less authority than an ambassador (5)

8. Small axe with a short handle (7)

9. Egyptian royal tomb (7)

10. Plain dough cake, often griddled (5)

11. John ___, English dramatist whose works include Look Back in Anger (7)

17. Minor parish official (5)

18. Mass of precious metal (7)

20. Territory occupied by a nation (7)

21. One of the two main branches of orthodox Islam (5)

22. Native of Freetown, for example (6,7)

Down

1. Causing a sensation as of things crawling on the skin (6)

2. Large streams (6)

3. Bottomless gulf or pit (5)

4. Skilled craftsman (7)

5. Educational institution (6)

6. Having decayed or disintegrated (6)

8. Large body of water in north-east Canada (6,3)

12. Knitted jumper (7)

13. Appliance that corrects dental irregularities (6)

14. Food that is discarded (as from a kitchen) (6)

15. Character created by A A Milne, ___ the Pooh (6)

16. Native of Mumbai, for example (6)

19. Long noosed rope used to catch animals (5)

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open. Honey never spoils. The shortest war lasted 38 minutes. The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer. The average person blinks around 15-20 times per minute. The Sun is 4.6 billion years old.

LIST YOUR CLUB, GROUP, ORGANISATION, SOCIETY or CHARITY FOR FREE oN OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE!

We are often asked if we can showcase and promote various clubs and charities for free in our printed magazine. Unfortunately due to associated costs it has always limited us in the past. We are delighted to announce that we have the answer, in our NEW Directory on our digital magazine!

We can now give a spotlight to clubs, groups, organisations, societies and charities to help promote what they do, raise awareness and allow them be found easily. For residents it will serve as a vital directory, housing useful information and contact details in one central place.

Help us to grow this across Somerset by spreading the word. It’s quick and straightforward to list your group.

Visit: www.wordgetsaround.co.uk/directories

Together we can make this work, so let’s all get connected!

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE

Not only can you list your group for FREE, but you can promote your forthcoming events for FREE as well. Check out our growing What’s On section of our digital magazine at:

www.wordgetsaround.co.uk/whats-on

We’ve created a great resource for anyone looking to explore their community and find out about events and activities happening in your area. Here you will find upcoming concerts, festivals, exhibitions, theatre productions, and listings for local markets, fairs, sports fixtures, and community initiatives.

We hope they will help you to discover new interests, meet like-minded people, and make the most of what the area has to offer.

To add YOUR events go to:

www.wordgetsaround.co.uk/submit-an-event

We offer ice cream, desserts, savouries and sweets from our shop in Blackbrook. We also deliver same day to the whole of Taunton, Bridgwater, Wellington, Chard and surrounding areas via the delivery platforms:

PLUS We provide custom cakes (anniversaries, birthdays and weddings) and sweet carts and other catering.

Come

contact@sianssweettreats.co.uk

A GREAT SOMERSET DRINK BUT A BAD CIDER SYSTEM.

West Somerset used to be home to multiple orchards. Every village had them. The fruit was regarded as very important hence the age old practice of ‘wassailing’ the trees to ensure the next year’s crop would be bountiful. Carhampton is the village which has continued this practice for decades though some villages like Dunster and Porlock have now reinstated the custom.

Apple Day is another annual feature on the Carhampton calendar which I have attended every year for the past 20 years. You can get apples identified there as well as buy a wide variety of English apples, apple chutneys and apple cakes. You can also get your apples juiced there or buy juice made from the village’s community orchard apples. All great fun.

Somerset, along with Kent and Hampshire, were historically the three principal cider producing counties. It has been famed for good scrumpy for 100s of years using the traditional method of making with a sharper type of cider apple. Cider was traditionally seen as a health supplement

beneficial to the skin as well as being an enjoyable alcoholic drink. This led to a proliferation of cider mills.

Sheppy’s has been producing cider for over 200yrs and Thatchers has been making it at Myrtle Farm since 1904. They both still use their own apple orchards to brew their cider. The UK drinks more than any other country in the world although its popularity has fluctuated. There was a time when it was drunk at breakfast! Then it took a back-seat to imported wines and ports but is once more enjoying a resurgence.

Between the C16 and C17s the world experienced a period of cooling. This drop in temperature killed off grapes in Britain but apples survived so cider became the leading beverage. Then during the Napoleonic Wars 1792 – 1815 British farmers were pressurized to produce grain and livestock to ensure domestic supply so cider orchards were neglected.

The first orchards in Somerset appear to have been planted by clerics and religious orders. Many people in the SW believed cider had a religious significance and it was not unusual for babies to be christened with cider until the C15. Bishop Beckingham is recorded as having planted ‘a most beautiful orchard with divers fruits ’ at Banwell whilst there in the 1400s and Bishop Selwood of Glastonbury planted an orchard of over 3 acres of apple and pears trees around 1475. These orchards seem to have been pleasure grounds like the one associated with Orchard Wyndham, which belonged to Cleeve Abbey until 1287.

Maps and surveys of West Somerset show that every estate and small holding had an orchard.

A survey taken in the mid 1700s shows this to have been true in Carhampton and map of 1827 show the centre of the village as a mass of apple trees. Woodcombe too was dominated by orchards. The first written record of cider as payment dates back to 1204 to a manor house in Norfolk. For centuries wealthy landowners paid their farm labourers up to 8 pints a day.

Some visitors travelling by stagecoach to Minehead in the 1800’s were told by the driver that a labourer’s wage was 12s, rent for his cottage 1s –1s 6d. A quart of cider supplemented his wages which if given in too great a quantities rendered the man unsteady on his feet! I found this extract from ‘The ‘Romance’ of the Peasant Life’ written by Francis George Heath in 1872:

“One great difficulty with the peasants in Somersetshire is what is called ‘the cider question’. This county being one of the finest cider-producing ones in England, the system prevails of giving the labourers daily, in small kegs

Compiled by Sally Bainbridge on behalf of Minehead Conservation Society.

or firkins,a certain quantity of cider, seldom less, I believe, than 3 pints a day. I obtained the testimony from an old man, who had been a farm labourer for 50yrs who gave me a truthful description of the horrible liquor that was given to the agricultural labourer under the ironical name of cider.

It is a well known fact that a farmer nearly always keeps ‘two taps running’, one for himself and his friends and one tap for farm labourers. The farmer’s own cider- I can speak from my own knowledge –is most carefully made. The very best apples are selected and the manufacturing process is carefully gone through, and real cider produced. If a stranger to the county wants to taste the cider, the farmer will give him what he tells him in confidence that he keeps ‘for his own drinking ‘. Now the labourer’s cider is tap number 2. The very worst apples are, in the first place , selected - the windfalls; and these with dirt and slugs are ground up for the peasants. When the windfalls are used for feeding the pigs, the labourer has what is called the ‘second wringing’ – that is to say the apples from the farmer’s own drinking cider are put into the press and after the best part of the juice has been extracted , the cider ‘cheese’, as the mass of apple in the press is called, is subjected to yet greater pressure and what is expressed from the ‘cheese’ on this occasion is called the ‘second wringing’.

This is greatly inferior to the ‘first wringing’. To complete the process and make a liquor worthy of tap number 2 , the following plan is adopted:- To every hogshead of the ‘second wringing’ is added 4 gallons of hop-water. This is added for the purpose of preserving the ‘second wringing’, which without such addition would from its thinness and inferiority turn into vinegar.

My informant, to give me some idea of the difference in quality between the two taps said that the good cider usually costs about 30s, whilst the ‘second wringing’ was worth only 10s a hogshead.

There is no doubt that the cider system is a very bad one. It would be infinitely better that the peasant should be given the value of the cider which, bye the bye, is generally estimated by the farmer to be worth considerably more than it is really worth, in money. To a man with such wretched wages every penny is of value. But the system is unfair to the labourer because under the ‘cider system’ his wages are greatly over-estimated; and I believe the horrible compound which farmers call cider, but which I think should properly be called vinegar, works the most pernicious effect upon the constitution of the rural labourer.

Francis Heath born 1843 in Totnes and educated in Taunton was a writer, conservationist and supported the open spaces movement.

A campaign to stop payment in the form of alcoholic beverages brought about the addition of a clause to the Truck Act 1887 which prohibited wages in this way. In 1901 a group of farmers in Worcester appealed against The Truck Act prohibiting the use of cider as wages but its use gradually died out.

“I’ll never get Scrumpy here” sang the Wurzels. Oh yez you will!! Cheers.

Did you enjoy this article?

You can now find our archive online at: wgalink.com/local-history

Rainbow Garden Plant Sale

Plus Preserves, Herbal Remedies

Porlock Rec Fair

Sunday 6th August

Allerford Hall

9th July and 19th August

125 YEARS

• The world’s first advertisement for a motor car appeared in newspapers in the USA. The ad for the Winton Motor Carriage Company in Cleveland, Ohio invited readers to ‘Dispense with a horse’.

30 YEARS AGO (1993)

• In 1993 the UK saw one of its biggest recessions since World War II. In 1990 the average house price had reached £57,683. By 1993 it was averaging at £51,210 (c. £133,500 at today’s prices).

• Caleb Bradham’s carbonated soft drink ‘Brad’s Drink’ was renamed ‘Pepsi-Cola’. (The name was shortened to ‘Pepsi’ in 1961.) singles charts included ‘Pray’

100 YEARS

• The Hollywood Sign was officially dedicated in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was originally erected as a temporary advertisement for a housing development and read ‘Hollywoodland’.

• The Matrimonial Causes Act 1923 came into effect in the UK. For the first time, both men and women had the equal right to petition a court for divorce on the basis of their spouse’s adultery.

• The fi rst issue of the BBC’s radio and television listings magazine, Radio Times, was published.

60 YEARS

• The Great Train Robbery, Ledburn, Buckinghamshire. £2.6 million was stolen in one of the UK’s most infamous robberies. The bulk of the money was never recovered.

40 YEARS

• Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov averted a full-scale nuclear war when he identified a computerised missile attack warning as a false alarm and chose to disregard it.

• Chart-toppers in the music singles charts included ‘Pray’ by Take That and ‘Creep’ by Radiohead.

• Sir John Major was Prime Minister (Conservatives), staying in office until 1997.

25 YEARS

• The Apple iMac (G3) was released. It was noted for its distinctive egg-shaped, coloured, translucent plastic shell. It helped revitalise the company, which had been facing financial ruin.

• Google, the internet search company, was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both students at Stanford University, California, USA. The company was initially based in a friend’s garage in Menlo Park.

20 YEARS

A team from the BBC reported that the Loch Ness monster did not exist. They had combed every inch of the loch using 600 sonar beams guided by satellite navigation and found nothing. The search operation was covered in the documentary Searching For The Loch Ness Monster.

Around’ when you contact one of our advertisers.

Apple iMac (G3), Felix Winkelnkemper, Wikimedia licensed under CC BY 2.0

If you have any questions regarding moving into Wyndham House, please do not hesitate to call a friendly member of the enquiries team.

Sorrento is a sun-soaked slice of paradise, where lemon-bearing trees and pastel-painted buildings meet turquoise waters framed by mountains.

With the likes of Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast all within easy reach, Sorrento is the perfect base for a holiday that can be as relaxing or active as you like. Here are just a handful of the best things to do in and around the town.

Stroll through Piazza Tasso

Piazza Tasso is the beating heart of Sorrento. This ‘Old Town’ is a treat for the senses: shop for souvenirs with the sun on your back and the smell of fresh lemons in the air, before soaking up the ambience from a pavement café, gelato in hand.

Cruise along the Amalfi Coast

There are a few ways to explore the Amalfi Coast. While the buses are often crowded and driving the twisted roads is not for the faint-hearted, booking a boat trip will allow you to enjoy the precipitous crags, cliffclinging hotels and hidden coves – completely stress-free.

Many boat trips will include stops at the towns of Amalfi and Positano, where you can take a dip in the turquoise waters for one of the most scenic swims in the world.

Spend a day in Capri

A favourite haunt for celebrities and the super-rich, Capri is a mind-blowingly beautiful island off the coast of Sorrento. It takes luxury very seriously, with no shortage of expensive restaurants and boutiques to splash your cash. However, Capri is much more than a shopping haven: soak up the views from the Monte Solaro chairlift, walk the cove-studded coastline or visit the Blue Grotto – a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue.

Piazza Tasso - Sorrento. Berthold Werner. CC BY-SA 2.0

Discover Pompeii

You can’t visit Sorrento without taking a day to explore the nearby ancient city of Pompeii. Simultaneously destroyed and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, it remains a remarkable example of how the Romans once lived and a dark reminder of the destructive forces of Mother Nature. Walk down Roman streets and explore millenniaold houses, temples, shops, cafes, amphitheatres – and even a brothel.

Climb up Mount Vesuvius

Towering over the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius remains one of the world’s most carefully monitored volcanoes. Having erupted more than 30 times since its infamous explosion in AD 79, the volcano was believed to have once been much taller than its current height (1,281m).

You can take a coach trip to the top from Sorrento or from Pompeii, where you’ll be dropped off and invited to climb the final 30-minute trek to the crater.

Explore on foot

Some of the best sights in Sorrento can be seen by lacing up your walking boots and exploring on foot. There are numerous walking trails leaving from the centre, taking you through lush greenery, gorgeous lemon groves and quaint Italian villages.

One of the most popular walks is the 40-minute trip to Bagni Regina Giovanna, home to a hidden swimming spot and an ancient Roman villa dating back to the first century BC.

Ginger George

West Somerset’s Top Cat - The word on the street

Ants in your Pants

Ooh, I have say, I am enjoying this hot weather. The trouble is that it sends you to sleep all the time. This is something I am quite good at though. I decided to go down to the park and find a shady spot to continue snoozing. When I got there, Blackie (my mate) was already there, curled up and away with the fairies. He’s a sucker for catnip.

I was telling him how I went out last night for a stroll, once the sun had gone down. There was flashing lights coming from the village hall, so I went down to investigate. I perched on the windowsill and peered in. The room was full of a variety of coloured flashing lights and there was a really loud noise coming from inside. There were loads of people in there. How they put up with all that noise, I’ll never know! They were all sat at tables eating food, but all down one end of the hall. Then there was one woman in a big white dress who went down to the other end. I think she was ill, as a man grabbed her tightly and held her up. They were wobbling around the floor and when they stopped everyone was clapping. Why would people clap for wobbling around the floor?

I was so intrigued I stayed there for half an hour, when all of sudden three ladies got up and went to the empty end and they were stamping lightly on the whilst swaying side to side. First the left foot, and then the right foot. They were not walking about, they remained in one spot. “What do you think that was Blackie?”, I asked “Ants mate! Did you say there was food?”, he replied. “I’m guessing, because of this warm weather there were loads of ants coming out and trying to get to the food and these ladies were out there trying to squash them”.

“I think you could be right Blackie, for there must have been an invasion as more and more people got up and joined in the ant squashing. Come to think of it, the ants must have crawled up their legs and as time went on, they got more vigorous in their movements”.

“What I can’t work out Blackie, what were the flashing lights and the loud noise was for?”

“Well you have got me there”, said Blackie. “Shall we have a kip and ponder on it”? “Yea, let’s do just that”…..Snzzzzzzz

Friday 7th July 7.30pm BROADWAY & BEYOND – THE MAGIC LIVES ON. A dazzling performance not to be missed!

HIT THE FLOOR will have something for everyone on 8th July at 2.30 and 7.30 also 9th July 2.30. Please come and support our SDA students for fun filled time for everyone!!!

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN with all proceeds going to the Regal Theatre support fund will be shown on Saturday 15th July at 11.00am

15th July 7.30pm GIMME ABBA After 20 years of performing the band are now established as one of the best-loved UK festival tributes to ABBA.

Sunday 16th July at 2.30pm OKLAHOMA! The magic and energy of live theatre is coming to screens around the globe with the National Theatre’s acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning production.

MINEHEAD AND EXMOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL will be taken place on Monday, 24th July, Wednesday, 26th July, Saturday, 29th July 2023.

BON JOVI UK Friday 4th August at 7.30pm Authentic tribute show, delivering the hits, the energy and the party atmosphere.

Minehead Dramatic Society will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary in 2023, so in conjunction with Hole in the Wall Products they will be presenting “Calendar Girls the Musical”. Monday 21st August – Saturday 26th August. Raising money for two Charities, The MATA Regal Theatre Co ltd and our Local Community Cancer Services.

ANDRE RIEU – LOVE IS ALL AROUND The King of the Waltz invites you to his all-new cinema concert on Sunday 27th August at 2.30pm from his beautiful home.

Monday 28th August 7.30 LET’S ROCK THE 70s. This isn’t a tribute act – these super-talented musicians are Hazel O’Connor’s band!

Tickets for all events may be booked in advance online at www.regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson or from the Box Office (Tel 01643 706430) between 9.30am and 12.00pm Monday - Saturday; or by telephone only from 1.30pm to 4pm.

Looking for a compact EV? Here are five great choices

Small cars lend themselves perfectly to being EVs, typically being used for shorter routes in and around towns and cities, where there’s often better access to public chargers.

There’s a good range of options, with these also being an affordable way to drive an EV. Here are the best small electric cars on the market.

Mini Electric

Mini’s 3-Door Hatch is an icon, and it got even better in 2020 when this British brand introduced the Electric. We’d argue this Mini is even more impressive and fun in Electric guise than petrol versions.

Retaining all the style and high-quality interior of the regular model, the Electric is one of the lightest EVs on sale. As a result, it feels particularly fun and agile to drive, aided by its punchy 181bhp electric motor. A claimed 145-mile range isn’t the longest but should be plenty for many drivers.

Fiat 500

Ever since Fiat revived its 500 in 2008, this has been a particularly popular choice and remains one of the best-selling cars across Europe. Fiat’s electric 500 propels this city car into modern territory.

It might retain similarly chic styling to the standard petrol Fiat 500 but the electric version is an entirely different car and gets a range of new technology and driverassistance features. It’s not a cheap choice, especially by city car standards, but it does offer a 199-mile electric range if you opt for the larger 42kWh battery.

Peugeot e-208

Peugeot’s 208 supermini was the best-selling car across Europe in 2022 and a key factor to its success is the electric e-208. This small EV offers a fantastic, highquality interior and plenty of standard equipment, while it’s good to drive as well. Currently, the Peugeot e-208 offers an electric range of up to 225 miles, but this supermini will be equipped with a larger battery and more powerful electric motor soon, increasing the range to 248 miles, which is great for a car of this size.

Honda e

Honda’s e has only a 137-mile electric range, but for those who stay predominantly local and want one of the coolest small cars ever made, it’s most certainly worth a look.

The rear-wheel-drive layout makes it huge fun to drive, while it’s absolutely packed full of technology with six digital displays in the interior. How this Japanese firm has packed so much into such a small car is seriously impressive.

MG4

The MG4 hatchback might be slightly larger in size than other models on this list but we’ve included it because its £26,995 starting price undercuts every other car here. You still get lots of equipment, such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a digital dial display plus a host of driver-assistance features.

The MG4 is also great to drive and spacious, thanks to it being built around a new electric car-only platform. A seven-year warranty is included as well, while the MG4 offers up to 281 miles of claimed range – again, the most of any car on this list.

Want to make a difference in a job you love?

£11.55 per hour on days. £12.55 day rate weekends. £14 per hour night rate. £65 per sleep in. £100 per Doze over.

Excellent training provided! Full & part time posts available. Both Night and Day staff required.

‘He has done really well with their support. They

‘They are now doing things I never dreamt they would, all thanks to their care.’

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Support Workers on a full-time salary with sleep in £25,000 +

Hi! I’m Petee.

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Farmer isaac

‘ol Minnie Adderblack thinks she mite be pregnant. She goze off t’ chemist and coms back wiv two tests. They wur both positive, noo she thinks she is ‘aving twins..

Across: 3 SUNTAN, 6 ANTS, 9 BEES, 11 SUNSHINE, 12 BIKE, 13 GAMES, 14 GRASS.

Down: 1 BARBECUE, 2 HAT, 4 WASPS, 5 FLOWERS, 7 SEASIDE, 8 CAMPING, 10 FLIES.

WORDWHEEL: DISBELIEF

Across: 1 Curtain-raiser, 7 Envoy, 8 Hatchet, 9 Pyramid, 10 Scone, 11 Osborne, 17 Reeve, 18 Bullion, 20 Country, 21 Sunni, 22 Sierra Leonean.

Down: 1 Creepy, 2 Rivers, 3 Abysm, 4 Artisan, 5 School, 6 Rotten, 8 Hudson Bay, 12 Sweater, 13 Braces, 14 Refuse, 15 Winnie, 16 Indian, 19 Lasso.

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I like to have a ten minute nap on the sofa before going up for my main sleep. I call that a snors d’oeuvre.

To be or not to be a horse rider, that is equestrian.

The other day I saw a two hot dog rolls in a cage at the zoo. They were bread in captivity.

I had an incredible dream that I weighed less than a thousandth of a gram. I was like, 0mg.

To the person who stole my case of energy drinks: I hope you can’t sleep at night.

I joined an amateur autopsy club. Tuesday is open Mike night.

I was listening to Bob Marley on the car radio the other day when I was stopped by the police. They asked for my licence and reggae station.

I couldn’t afford to buy a bag of pasta for my dinner. I’m penneless.

To the guy who stole my antidepressant pills: I hope you’re happy now.