Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 1

Contents:Useful Numbers/Regular Bookings/Singles Club - Page 2Supper Dance/Coffee in the Garden/Primary School Fete - Page 3Steam Fayre/Hearing Dogs for Deaf People/100 Club Winners/Unwelcome Visitors - Page 4West Monkton Churchyard - Page 5St Augustine’s Church - Page 6West Monkton and Cheddon Church Services/100th Edition - Page 7Bathpool Chapel/Slimbridge Visit - Page 8Butterfly News - Page 9Gardening Corner - Page 10West Monkton Pre-School - Page 11Phoenix Photographers/Keep the Wheels Turning - Page 12Message from the Headteacher of the Primary School - Page 13News from the Parish Council - Page 14Village Hall News - Page 15‘Pay What You Decide’ Tacchi-Morris - Pages 16 & 17Primary School News - Page 18Evening WI/WM Cricket Club - Page 19 Monkton Players/Quantock Music - Page 20Tacchi-Morris 16th Anniversary/Companion Animals - Page 22 WI 50 years on/IT Tips - Page 24Here Comes the Summer Sun - Page 26 For Sale/Blood Donors/Help Needed/CCS - Page 30Table Tennis @ Farriers Green/Wayfarers Cafe/And Finally ... - Page 32

Village NewsMonkton Heathfield,West Monkton and Bathpool

Issue No. 100July - August 2016

Publication in the Village News does not imply an endorsement. The Editors cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.The information contained within this publication is published in good faith.

Volunteers deliver this publication to homes in West Monkton, Monkton Heathfield, Bathpool, Gotton and Goosenford.

www.louisegardner.com

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 2

USEFUL NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Lay Reader: Kevin Davenport - 01823 413628Churchwardens: Brian Hill - 01823 443503 John Roynon - 01823 442997P.C.C Secretary: Hazel Adams - 01823 443027P.C.C Treasurer: Rachael Baker- 01823 413761Captain of Bell ringers: Pearl Jeanes - 412804Church Flower Organiser: Angela Dill - 412395Mothers’ Union: Betty Stone - 01823 331723Parish Council Clerk: Tricia Cavill - 413524Parish Council Chairman: Hazel Ellis - 412485West Monkton Primary School Head: IanRobinson - 412582Heathfield Community School Head: Peter Hoare -412396Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre: 414141Taunton Deane Community Transport: 01823331266 Slinky Bus: 01823 331266 Mon-Fri. 9 am to4 pm (24hrs notice).Neighbourhood Beat Manager: PC 4250 AndyBeakePolice Community Support Officers: 101 and askfor PC277 Steve Linton or PCSO 8412 Claire EscottVillage Hall :Telephone, incoming calls only - 01823 412068Booking Officer: Mrs Lyn Batt Tel: 01823 412089Chairman: Joyce Keyte 01823 412294Vice Chairman: Iris Pigott 01823 413552

Useful E-Mail addresses & websitesCommunity Website: www.somersetrcc.org.ukParish Council Website: www.westmonkton.netLitter Hotline: 01823 356356Saturday Morning Music School   Mike Riches- 01823 412416 mikeriches@btinternet,comVillage News Editor: Please forward informationfor the next edition to the Associate Editors,Lorna Walters, Tel. 01823 412017lc.walters33@btinternet.comDawn Watts, Tel. 01823 412201dawnwattsdk@yahoo.co.ukVillage News Treasurer Ken JonesDistribution of the Village News is organised by:Barry Gage, Maggie & Gordon Little and DavidPearson. Submissions to Village News may be madeby e-mail or by hard copy. Please ask for a receipt toyour e-mail to ensure that it arrives. Please only useblack text so that information may by copied easily intothe Village News. Items submitted will be subjected toediting if necessary. The deadline for submissions forthe September - October 2016 Village News is 1stAugust 2016.

Regular Bookings at the Village Hall

West Monkton Pre School:Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:15 am to 3:00 pmandTuesday and Friday 9:15 am to 12:15 pm during termtimeWriters Club:7:30pm to 9:30pm Mondays and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pmThursdaysPhoenix Camera Club: 7:00 to 10:00 pm MondaysWest Monkton Salsa Club: 7:00 to 10:30 pm MondaysPilates: 9:30 to 10:30 am Tuesdays and 9:30 am - 10:30am Fridays, Heathfield HallBrownies: 6:00 to 7:30 pm TuesdaysModel Boat Club: Tuesday evenings once a month 7:30to 9:30 pmMonkton Players: 8:00 to 10:00 pm TuesdaysTaunton Ladies Chorus: 7:15 to 9:15 pm TuesdaysBadminton: 2:00 to 3:00 pm Tuesdays & 8:00 to 10:00pm WednesdaysParish Council: 2nd Wednesday of every month 7:00pmBizzy Boots Line Dancing: 7:00 to 9:45 pmWednesdaysNational Childbirth Trust:10:00 am to 12 noon Wednesdays, Heathfield HallCoffee Morning: 10:00 to 11:30 am ThursdaysFitness for Fun Classes: 6:00 to 7:00 pm ThursdayMonkton Evening WI:7:30 pm on the fourth Thursday of the monthLadies Afternoon Tea: 2:30 to 4:30pm, Heathfield Hallon third Thursday of the month.National Trust: 1:30 to 4:00 pm Monthly on a SaturdayTrams and Railways: 2:00 to 4:00 pm Monthly on aSaturdaySouth West Orchid Society:2:00 to 5:00 pm once a month on a SundaySGI Buddhist Group 10:00 am to 1:00pm on secondSunday in the month.Model Railways Quarterly on a Sunday

To get a copy of the Village News emailed to youplease email thelocalvillagenews@live.co.uk

Singles Club

· July 12th - a visit to The Old Mill at BishopsLydeard, tour around the Mill and tea.Please contact me with your names, DianneBesley 01823 412857.

· No meeting in August .

Any single person is most welcome. We meet onthe second Tuesday in the month for a variety ofactivities. It is a very friendly group of about 35people.

Just give me a ring if you would like to come:Dianne Besley 01823 412857.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 3

Parishioners of West Monkton and widerplease come along and join our annual school fete

Saturday 2nd July 2-4 pmat West Monkton Primary School, on School Road

Stalls including tombola, lucky dip, face painting, ice creams, BBQ, beer & wine.Tug of war competition, including competitors from Devon and Somerset Fire Service and Royal

Marines Association.New Directions Twirlers performing their latest act.

This will be our last fete on the current school site, our aim is to raise as much money as possiblefor outdoor sports and play equipment at the new school site.

So please come along and join the fun and raise money for your local primary school.

Entrance: £1 AdultsChildren, School Age 50p

Hosted by West Monkton PrimarySchool Parent Teacher Association

Light Supper and Dance

at Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall

Saturday 16 July7:30pm – 12 midnight

Dancingto Live Band

£15.00From Lesley Harold 01823 412304

Bring your own drinksand glasses

Raising funds instead of sponsorship forthe Rotary Club Moonraker Challenge,

charities are:Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance

& Taunton Opportunity Group

You are invited to join us for ourCoffee in the Garden Event

on Saturday 9th Julyat 53 School Road,

Monkton Heathfield, TA2 8PE

Various stalls: homemade cakes & jamsGrand raffle

TombolaPlants & Vegetables

And more

10:00 am until 12 noon

Entry £1 to include Coffee & Biscuit

All proceeds to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 4

A BIG Thank you ...

To everyone whosupported our Tea& Cake afternoonon 8th May at theVillage Hall.Wow - what a turnout. A super afternoon and youwere all so generous, as always. We actuallyraised £880.50 on the day and then we had somedonations which, hopefully, will take us to £1000.This amount will be shared between S.U.R.E. andHearing Dogs for Deaf People.As always a special thank you to my wonderfulhelpers - you are brilliant!Also thank you to all who donated or contributed tomake it such an enjoyable and successfulafternoon.

Many thanksLin (Keitch)Taunton and Dis F.R Branch53 School Road, TA2 8PE01823 412888

Unwelcome VisitorsAn area of the village, Mead Way, was recentlytargeted by bogus RSPCA Inspectors. Two peopleknocked on doors and displayed, what looked like,genuine RSPCA identification badges. They said thatthe RSPCA was looking to re-house dogs. This, ofcourse, allowed them to find out which housesalready had dogs in them, where people were out atwork during the day and maybe even a peep in thedoor to see the kind of house interiors there were.One vigilant inhabitant contacted the RSPCA, whosaid that the identity papers being shown were 10years out of date and that they never go from door todoor in this way.So, unfortunately, the message is to not trusteveryone who comes to the door. Always checkidentities, do not let people in unless you are surewho they are, say that you will contact theorganisation to find out more (if they are genuinethey will be quite happy for you to do this.)

West Monkton Church100 Club Prizewinners

The May draw was held onWednesday 4th May 2016First Prize: £106.00Won by Lucy DaltonSecond Prize: £53.00Won by Tiggie ReevesThe sum of £371.00 will go towards the repair ofthe church roof.The number of £5.00 shares entered in the drawwas 106.

The June draw was held onWednesday 1st June 2016First Prize £105.00Won by Isabelle RollsSecond Prize £53.00Won by Steve BargeThe sum of £367.00 will go towards the repair ofthe church roof.The number of £5.00 shares entered in the drawwas 105.

CONGRATULATIONSto the winners!

Your turn next month?If you would like to join or hear more about the 100

Club, please contact:Kate Gynn 01823 413873

Steam Fayre and Vintage RallyWest Somerset Railway Associationat Norton Fitzwarren railway fields,

TA4 1BHSaturday 6th & Sunday 7th August

10am to 5pm both days

Free entry for children and just £10 for adults,£8 seniors

Enjoy a great day out for all the family.Mighty steam engines; trusty tractors; vintage carsand motorbikes; military tanks and displays; shirehorses and miniature railway.Take a trip along the old Barnstaple Branch line ona ‘brake van’ towed by a steam engine, or try yourhand working a pump trolley along the rails.

Refreshment tent,children’s entertainment,

arena parades,food, trade and craft stalls.

Details and advance booking – both days for theprice of one at www.steamrally.org.uk

A Wonderful Way to Spend a Day!

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 5

West Monkton Churchyard

The churchyard of St. Augustine's is one of thelargest in Somerset and consists of three sections,the 'old' churchyard, the 'new' churchyard and thenew churchyard extension.The whole churchyard is a place of great peace asmany who come here to relax and unwind willtestify. There are a number of significantmemorials and chest tombs in the old part. Thesecommemorate those who played important parts inparish life over the years, such as WilliamKinglake, Rector for 43 years in the 19th century,and the Thurston family, whose sons fought inboth world wars.The two large yew trees may be the oldest inSomerset and a magnificent magnolia tree iscertainly one of the largest. Wild flowers grow inspring, bird life is rich, and a recent surveyidentified many interesting lichens on theweathered stones. Of historical interest are the oldstocks and whipping post to the south side of thechurch, nestling under one of the yews.The old churchyard is closed, which means that nomore interments can take place here. Theresponsibility for cutting the grass rests withTaunton Deane Borough Council, who perform thistask for all closed churchyards in the Deanery.Some additional maintenance has to take place,such as tree surgery and extra grass cuttings tomake the churchyard presentable for weddings,and this is done on a 'best endeavours' basis byvolunteers.Taunton Deane assumes no responsibility for thenew churchyard and its extension. Despite animpression some have, the onus falls entirely onthe church. Until very recently maintenance herehas been performed by volunteers and can bequite demanding, particularly in the summer when

the need for grass cutting is at its height. Most ofthe volunteers have now aged to such an extentthat doing the work required is difficult.

This dwindling band of volunteers has now fallenin numbers to such an extent that maintaining thechurchyard to the standard we would wish hasbecome impossible. We now employ a

contractor to cut the grass during the summerand will soon need to extend this responsibility togeneral maintenance of the graves andsurrounds.To support the churchyard financially we haverelied on a small amount of grant aid, which maysoon end, and, in particular, legacies anddonations. Although we may have sufficient tofund work for the rest of 2016, churchyard fundsare steadily diminishing and will soon reach acritical level.Many of us in the Parish have loved ones restingin the churchyard and we know that thechurchyard has many visitors throughout theweek, all of whom are welcome. Some of us will,ourselves, rest there one day.

The Parochial Church Council would like toappeal for your financial support. Anydonation, however small, will greatly assist usin our task. In order to help, envelopes will beavailable by the new churchyard notice boardand these, when filled, can be placed in theoffertory box just inside the church.Alternatively, donations may be given directlyto the Churchwardens or any member of thePCC.

Thank youBrian HillChurchwarden

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 6

From St. Augustine’sChurch

A time of celebration!Congratulations to allinvolved in achieving theimportant milestone of 100editions of the VillageNews, local celebrations forthe Queen’s 90th Birthday,good news on theappointment of a newRector and on progress onthe St Augustine’s HeritageProject.I’m sure most of you are aware that since Rev.Geoff Boucher moved to Cambridge in January lastyear, our Benefice which includes West Monkton,Cheddon Fitzpaine, Kingston St. Mary andBroomfield has been without a Rector. Thewonderful news is Rev. Dr. Mary Styles hasaccepted the appointment. Mary is presentlyserving in the Diocese of Europe, and she and herhusband live in Rome. Mary hopes to move to thenew Rectory at Bathpool in July and her LicensingService in church is planned for 7pm on 3rd August.I very much hope we have a full church to welcomeMary.Many of you will have seen the extensivescaffolding on the South Aisle side of St.Augustine’s at present. I have regular opportunitiesto inspect the on-going urgent repairs, and at thetime of writing (mid-May) works are on schedule,with completion anticipated by mid-June.The revealed timber roof structure has proved to bemost interesting, so this was a great opportunity toinvite history students and staff from HeathfieldCommunity College to come along to inspect amedieval church, its construction and the method ofrepair. Our visitors looked at aspects of the Grade 1Listed building, parts of which date from the 13thcentury, the 14th century tower, the main sectionsdating from the 15th century and late 19th century

additions. They then inspected the roof repairs withrepresentatives from our architects, Benjamin &Beauchamp of Wedmore and our conservation-specialist builders, Ellis & Co. of Shepton Mallet.

The students were provided with packs whichincluded explanatory leaflets on St. Augustine’s anda short introduction to career opportunities inconstruction, architecture and surveying. I amdelighted we were able to extend the invitation, andI’m grateful to our architects and builder for their

help. Thanks also to the Heritage Lottery Fund andViridor-Credits for their funding support for theProject.The South Quantocks Heritage Trail is part of the StAugustine’s Heritage Project, which includes thechurch repairs, the extension of the church car parkand a new church toilet to replace the facility lostwhen TheRectory wassold. Existingstake-holdersin the Trailproposalswere WestMonkton andCheddonFitzpainePrimarySchools,HestercombeGardens Trust and the Canal & Rivers Trust, but I’mdelighted to say new potential stake-holders includeSelworthy School, the National Trust at Fyne Courtand Heathfield Community School. Meetings andcommunications with officers from both TDBC andSomerset County Council regarding footpathslinking Fyne Court, Broomfield with the otherparishes in our Benefice are proving very promising.Another ’Experience Day’, this time with CheddonSchool children in Cheddon church on Monday 11thJuly will include working on illustrations for the Trailleaflets and maps. If you are able to help on theExperience Day, then please let me know.By the time you read this, many of you will belooking forward to Summer holidays or days out.Enjoy! For those of you staying at home, try and puttime aside, and hopefully sit awhile in the sunshine..Kevin DavenportReader, St Augustine’s, Tel: 01823 413628.

Visitors from Heathfield School inside St Augustines withrepresentatives of architects and conservators.

Checking out the roof structure

Outside the church tower

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 7

Saint Augustine, West Monkton andBlessed Virgin Mary, Cheddon Fitzpaine

Please note these services are subject tochange and are for West Monkton and Cheddononly. Full details of all services can be obtainedfrom the Benefice Office on 451257

Church Services During July and AugustSunday July 3rd9:30 am Family Service Cheddon Fitzpaine11:00 am Family Service West Monkton 6:00 pm Holy Communion West MonktonSunday July 10th8:00 am Holy Communion West Monkton9:30 am Holy Communion Cheddon Fitzpaine6:00 pm Evensong West MonktonSunday July 17th9:30 am Parish Eucharist West MonktonSunday July 24th8:00 am Holy Communion West Monkton9:30 am Holy Communion Cheddon FitzpaineSunday July 29th10:00 am United Benefice Service West Monkton

Services from the beginning of August arelikely to change and are unavailable atpublication time. Please contact the BeneficeOffice for details.

Rev Mary Styles (New Rector)will be licensed at a service

at 7:30 pmat St Augustine's

on Wednesday 3rd August

Enquiries and requests forpastoral care toChurchwardens,John Roynon 01823 442997and Brian Hill 01823 443503

From the St Augustine’s Church records:

Baptisms:We welcome the newly baptised into thecommunity of the church of Christ and pray thatthey may grow in the life of the Holy Spirit.

Archie Kelly 17th April

Funerals:May the souls of the departed rest and grow inpeace and rise in glory.

Bev Marks 23rd May

Village News 100th Edition

Issue Number 1 of the ‘Village News for MonktonHeathfield, West Monkton & Bathpool’ was publishedin January 2000, it had balloons and champagne onthe front (see our cover) and was eight pages long. Itwas the first edition of the combined magazines fromthe Church and Village Hall and was put together byBob Wimbury and Pearl Heard who carried onproducing the News for many years.The Village Hall newsletters had started in 1977 andwas called ‘Silver 77’ as that was the Queen’s SilverJubillee and the start of the fund raising efforts to raise£10,000 towards the cost of building a permanentvillage hall.A ‘Grand Fete & Gala’ were to be held on Jubilee Day,Tuesday 7th June 1977 and as Mr Len Hardy (Chairof the Parish Council and Village Hall Committee) saidon that first single page letter to the parish ‘These areambitious plans to base on voluntary effort. We intendto see the projects through to a successfulconclusion.’He also says, ‘Our village has grown and it ischanging; the Jubilee Year provides an opportunity forrenewal and for getting together to bring enjoyment tovillage life.’ I wonder what he would think of thechanges to the village now?Issue No 1 of the Village News had a lead articlecalled, ‘An Arts Centre for a New Millennium’ aboutthe opening of the Tachi-Morris Arts Centre. On Page22 of this 100th edition you can read about how thefirst 16 years have gone for that amazing villageorganisation.A great number of village organisations wererepresented in that first edition, most of which stillexist and flourish, such as evening WI and the CricketClub. Others, such as The Saturday Club (forchildren) and the Golden Chain (for over 55s), havegone but other things have taken their place.Strangely, at the time of that first edition StAugustine’s was also in an interregnum period andCanon Jack Pigott was acting as Parish Priest while anew vicar was found. He wrote an article called‘Thoughts for the Millennium’ a paragraph of whichseems very appropriate to this 100th edition:‘What is the way forward? To learn to be sensitive tothe needs of others. To take up and use for mankind’swelfare the exciting advances that this modern age isbringing. There has to be a sense of purpose anddirection in society. Indeed most of us need a newdiscipline for living. The benefit of the washingmachine or the computer should release us to domore for others and not simply for ourselves. We allneed a wider horizon and a world view.’The Village News is dependant on its advertisers,without them we would not be able to survive and it isamazing to see that some of the advertisers from thatfirst edition are still supporting us - Nigel Ford, Gurds,Croft Garage, Fouracre Plumbing, Monkton Elm andIan Thomas amongst others. Thank you to them for alltheir support, to our contributors, distributors andreaders and onwards to edition 200!

Dawn Watts (Co-editor)

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 8

Sunday morning service normally starts at10:30 a.m. so if you are new to the areaor looking for a Church you will be mademost welcome.

Services in July & August:July3rd July - Communion Service with Rev David Thirkell10th July - Colin Figures17th July - Hazel Hare24th July - 10:00 am ‘Footprints’ * See below31st July - Jacques Rouffett, Salvation Army.August7th August - Dick Brumitt14th August – Communion Service with Rev DavidBarge21st August - Rev David Thirkell28th 10:00am ‘Footprints’. *See below* ‘Footprints’ - Breakfast and discussion. On the 4thSunday of the month we share a continental stylebuffet breakfast from 10 until 10:45, followed by arelaxed informal discussion on a topic of interestlinked to our faith. This also includes song, praise, andprayer.

Forthcoming Events:Forward notice: On the 18th September we will becelebrating Harvest and having a midday lunchpreceded by a time of worship followed by a seasonalmessage. Rev Tony Tamburello, a retired Pastor andHospital Chaplain from the Church of the Nazarene,will be our main speaker. Expected starting time12:30pm. This is a time for all in the community to jointogether and celebrate God’s wonderful provision. Fulldetails later on the Notice Board.Saturday Breakfast from 9:00am on the firstSaturday in July and August followed by our regularCoffee Morning and Bric-a-Brac sales from 10:00amFolk Music Group - On the first Wednesday eveningof the month we have a local group meeting in theChapel from 8pm until 10:30pm, singing and playing avariety of music some of which are originalcompositions. If you play an instrument, sing, readpoetry, or would like to come along and enjoy the

BATHPOOL CHAPEL ambience you are welcome. For further informationcontact Dave or Jane Cooke on 07879812077/07900570369.Community Prayer GardenNow in its second full year of planting the variousplants, bushes, bulbs, and climbers on the pergola,are getting well established. Spring saw a gooddisplay of bluebells, daffodils, polyanthus and forget-me-nots amongst other things, not forgetting thebeautiful clematis ‘alpina’, viburnum x bodnantense,and the gorgeous scented yellow flowers of thehamamelis (witch hazel).The summer months on the pergola will bring ushoneysuckle, passion flower and the grape vine, allof which have now climbed up and over the topforming a shady canopy. If the weather is suitablethere will be grapes a plenty for picking. The raisedbeds now a have a good variety of sensory plants totouch and smell. Following a mulch in the spring thewhole garden is looking good and we look forward toa great display of roses with a long flowering seasonlike last year. The same goes for the hop whosebright green leaves turn golden the flowers of whichare a delight to behold. Many other plants have beenadded to the original planting which gives a muchgreater variety to enjoy all the year round.With plenty of seating - take some time to visit andenjoy this place which is open 24/7. See thebutterflies on the nectar rich flowers and if you arefortunate there may even be a cup of tea if thegardener is about or someone is in the chapel. Don’tforget there is full disabled access from the road.Finally an assurance from God for all those whobelieve in the Lord Jesus Christ written by Paul theApostle:For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neitherangels nor demons, neither the present nor thefuture, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, noranything else in all creation, will be able to separateus from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus ourLord.Romans 8 verses 38 & 39(NIV)

Further enquiries about our Chapel should bereferred to the Church Secretary Clive Hooper on01278 457221 or 07889 228002

Slimbridge Wetland CentreThe visit, arranged by Anne Davenport and the StAugustine’s activity group, was a great success. Annereports:Thirty-eight of us enjoyed a super day atSlimbridge, one of the many highlights being the talkand feeding of the three resident otters - mum and hertwo daughters. As expected, there was a vast variety ofbird life of all sizes, colours and breeds including a fewbabies, if you were lucky enough to see them.Our visit to Dr Jenner’s House and Museum wasexceptionally interesting, with the majority of us learningthat Dr Jenner was responsible for the discovery of thevaccine to combat Smallpox. Coffee and biscuitsfollowed by an excellent video and tour of the museumand gardens was a good start to our day.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 9

Butterfly News(Just as a change from the birds!)

During the quiet months of July and August, whenmost birds have finished breeding and becomesecretive during moult, many birders switch theirattention to butterflies.Setting aside the European rarities that reach ourshores, Britain has around sixty butterfly species,although many of these have very limited distribution,some occurring at only one or two sites. All butterflieshave particular flight periods, and some can only beseen for three or four weeks during the year.Somerset does quite well for butterflies, holding mostof the common species and one real speciality, ofwhich more later. Garden watchers can expect to seeour earliest butterflies from April, the pretty OrangeTip, yellow Brimstone, Holly Blue, the only 'blue' likely

to be seen in a typical garden, and the Green-veinedWhite, similar to 'cabbage whites' but not a threat tothe gardener. Peacocks, Red Admirals and SmallTortoiseshells will also be emerging from hibernation.By midsummer our migrant butterflies will be arrivingand one of these, the lovely Painted Lady, makes anextraordinary journey for such a delicate insect.Painted Lady larvae feed on thistles, and thegeneration that reaches us hatches out in NorthAfrican countries such as Morocco. As temperaturesrise over Europe the adults, on emergence, movenorth with the favourable weather, many of theseeventually reaching Britain. As with all migratoryspecies, numbers vary from year to year, but in goodyears many thousands can be seen. They cannotusually survive the winter, but there is evidence thatadults perform a reverse migration southwards inautumn. During a good year, Painted Ladies can beseen in the garden taking nectar from a wide variety offlowering plants.So what of the Somerset speciality? Most of us knowfrom our schooldays the extraordinary metamorphosisthat butterflies undergo, but some butterflies have alife cycle that is almost incredible.Butterfly collecting was a popular activity for theVictorian country gentry and many knowledgeableand skilled lepidopterists were active, rearing adultbutterflies from the egg stage. Despite providing the

right food plant and, on the face of it, ideal conditionsnone were ever able to raise adults of the Large Blue,

a beautiful species that, despite its name, is not muchbigger than the more common blues. This remained agreat puzzle until recently when, with a painstakingstudy, a team of scientists revealed the key to theLarge Blue's development was a dependence on aparticular species of ant.Many species of blue butterfly have a symbioticrelationship with ants. The ants offer a measure ofprotection to the larvae and in return, take nectarsecreted by the caterpillars. With the Large Blue thisrelationship is particularly intricate. Female LargeBlues lay eggs on wild thyme, upon which the larvaefeed for a short period on hatching. After growing for awhile, the grub-like larva drops deliberately to theground where it is discovered by the ant and mistakenfor one of its own grubs, which it resembles. Theworker ant takes it into the nest, where chemicalsecretions discourage attack by the colony. Duringthe rest of the year, and through the winter, the larvaremains in the ants’ nest feeding, rather ungratefully,on the ant grubs, until emerging the following June asan adult butterfly, all the while protected by itschemical defences.With such a specialised life cycle the Large Blue hasalways been rare and, indeed, became extinct inBritain during the 1950's. Somerset was one of the fewcounties where Large Blues could be found before itsdemise. The good news is, that armed with knowledgeof this butterfly’s very precise habitat requirements,and those of the species of ant it depends on, butterflyexperts have been able to re-establish it at a handfulof its former sites.One of these is the National Trust site at Collard Hillnear Street. The butterflies emerge in the first twoweeks of June on the steep grassy hillside and arebest seen in the morning. News of their emergence iseagerly awaited and 'googling' 'Large Blue' will giveyou all the information you need on butterfly numbersand visiting details. There is usually someone aroundto find you a Large Blue, and I do recommend goingthere to see this remarkable and attractive species.Brian HillSomerset Ornithological Society welcomes people whatever their level ofinterest in birds. Our next outdoor meeting is at the Avalon Marshesmeeting at the reserve car park at Ashcott on Saturday September 10th at9:30 am. Please contact me on 01823 443503 for further details.

Painted Lady in West Monkton Churchyard

Large Blue

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 10

Gardening Corner

To celebrate 100 editions of the Village Newshere are my Top 100 Garden Tips

Top 10 gardens to visit: (I’ve tried to keep it local!)1) Hestercombe - obviously2) Great Dixter – it is a long drive …but you HAVE

to go.3) Forde Abbey - stunning bog garden4) Barrington Court - so romantic5) Knightshayes - great vegetable garden6) Castle Drogo - some nice techniques in the

formal garden and a beautiful walk to the pubat Fingle Bridge!

7) Bodnant - so much to see, great plant selection8) Biddolph grange - very playful, ‘Alice in

wonderland’ style, the Victorians at their best9) Heligan - for the history10) The garden house - perennial wildness

Top 10 trees for smaller spaces:1) Malus floribunda - Crab apple2) Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’- Rowan3) Amelanchierla marckii4) Acer griseum - maple5) Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’- Hawthorn

6) Cornus kousa - dogwood 7) Styrax japonica 8) Oleaaria europaea - olive 9) Mespilus germanica - medlar 10) Laburnum x watereri ‘Vossii’

Top 10 plants for winter interest:1) Cornus siberica ‘Alba’- dogwood2) Hellebores3) Snowdrops4) Mahonia x medis ‘Charity’5) Hamamelis mollis - witch hazel6) Skimmia japonica7) Sarcococca hookeriana - winter box8) Eranthus hyemalis - winter aconite9) Cornus mas10) Clematis cirrhosa

Top 10 plants for best scents:1) Rhododendron lutea2) Philadelphus3) Rosa ‘Blanche Double de Coubert’4) Dianthus ‘Miss Sinkins’5) Smilascena racemose6) Honeysuckle7) Stauntonia hexaphylla8) Wisteria sinensis9) Heliotrope10) Cimonanthus preacox

Top 10 plants for Autumn colour:1) Liquidamber styraciflua2) Acers3) Cercidyphillum japonicum4) Euonymus europaeus

5) Parrotia persica6) Malus hupehensis7) Cercis canadensis

8) Ceratostigma plumbaginoides9) Miscanthus sinensis10) Cotinus coggygria

Top 10 plants for formal hedging:1) Myrtle2) Box3) Phillyrea angustifolia4) Olearia macrodonta5) Hebe6) Yew7) Portuguese laurel8) Beech9) Escallonia10) Photinia

Top 10 plants for native/wildlife hedging:1) Field maple2) Spindle3) Blackthorn4) Hawthorn5) Beech6) Hazel7) Rosa rugosa8) Viburnum opulus9) Dogwood10) Privet

Top 10 plants for groundcover:1) Epimedium2) Vinca3) Geranium4) Trachystemon5) Bergenia6) Wild strawberry7) Bugle8) Ivy9) Iberis sempervirens10) Lamium

Top ten shade-loving plants:1) Lily of the valley2) Dicentra Formosa3) Alchemillamollis4) Dryopteris affinis - golden shield fern5) Asplenium scolopendrium - harts tongue fern6) Acanthus mollis - bears breeches7) Astilbe8) Tiarella cordifolia9) Ajuga reptans - bugle10) Smilascena racemose

Top 10 plants for best late border colour:1) Rudbeckia2) Helenium3) Echinacea4) Aster cordifolius5) Aster amellus6) Leucanthemum7) Gallardia8) Verbena bonariensis9) Dahlias10) Colchicums

Claire Reid, Head Gardener, Hestercombe

Acer

Dahlias

Snowdrops

Heliotrope

MyrtleRosa Rugosa

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 11

The pre-school would also like to congratulate thevillagenews ontheir100thedition!What anamazingachievement, asthe pre-schoolhas beenin thevillagefor over30 yearsnow, itslovely for us to be able to share all our lovelystories, and because of the village news we areable to do this, thank you.Some of our children have been working on letterrecognition and forming the letters of their names.We have been using small coloured stones to helpwith hand to eye coordination, as well as helping tomake the letters more visual . The children havereally enjoyed this, especially making the first letterof their name really come to life off the page.As a charity run pre-school, we are lucky to havethe support of the local community for fundraisingevents. June Pinney has once again very kindlyoffered to hold apsychic eveningon the 15th ofJuly, donating allproceeds to thepre-school!Tickets will goon sale at theend of May. Amassive thankyou to June whodoes this everyyear for the pre-school, raisinglots of money.We will be getting ready to say goodbye to ourolder ones soon, as it will be the last term beforethe summer holidays. It is always so sad to seethem leave but it’s always so lovely to see themready for the next steps in their journeys.We do have a waiting list for September with a fewspaces available, for any questions please do nothesitate to contact us on 01823 412068 or07960654709Many thanks Gemma Maxwell Pre-school Manager

West Monkton Village Hall,Monkton Heathfield,Taunton TA2 8NE

Tel: 07960654709

westmonktonpre-school@hotmail.co.uk

At West Monkton Pre-School we like to encourageindependence, it’s a great way to build confidence

and self-esteem.Thechildrenhave beenhelping topreparesnacks,talkingabout howto be safe,how wemake sureour handsare niceand clean,why this isimportant

and what healthy foods we like to eat. This timetwo children had asked for bananas and satsumasfor snack time. They washed their hands and cutup all the fruit with the help of one of our lovelypractitioners.The children have been expressing a greatinterest in footprints this term, which has lead to alot of imaginary play. The children shared some oftheir favourite books where the animals in thestories had bigfeet. Afterreading theGruffalo thechildren thentook part in anature walk,using a Gruffalofinding sheet,and binocularsthat the childrenmade in thesetting. Thechildren lookedfor all sorts of different things they would seeoutside, like butterflies, grass, flowers, birds,insects etc.The children have been talking about birthdaysand celebrations this term, as it has been theQueens 90th birthday, the children have looked atthings we might do to celebrate, as well as talkingabout the queen and how important she is.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 12

Phoenix PhotographersPassion, skill, love of her home county, the ability to create beautiful images of a disaster came acrossfrom Matilda Temperley at a recent presentation. The subject being the serious flooding the Somersetlevels have suffered over the last few years. Seemingly becoming more severe with eachseason!Reproduction in dramatic monochrome added to the impact of the suffering of folk whose lives were socruelly disrupted by nature. Although many believe that the severity could have been tempered if properdredging and maintenance had been carried out on the drains and rivers.Another aspect of Matilda was her photography of people. Shots of native African's showing bodilyadornment, such as wooden plugs through their lips and ear lobes. Very colourful in contrast to the firstpresentation.Another Monday there was a critique of members’ images by George Leekie from Taunton Camera Club.Advice and tips on how photos could be improved, perhaps by a slightly different viewpoint, avoidingobjects that added nothing to the image, perhaps even being distracting. Working with editing softwareon areas to accentuate the qualities within the picture, to lead the viewer’s eye where the photographerintended. Emphasising that the eye is led to the brightest part of the picture. ‘Never stop learning’ isGeorge’s mantra, good advice from an experienced photographer and competition judge.Bob, Kay, Alan and Nick, all members of Backwell Camera Club gave a presentation of their workin an inter club exchange at a recent meeting. A wide range of subjects were presented, in digital,projected and AV format.‘TrainSpotting’: very ethereal shots of steam locomotives in their own environment, trains within the land-scape, many shots from the sixties taken originally on black and white film, giving a very strong feeling ofconnection with that time.‘What ever the Weather’: gave members examples of what can be done with determination andobservation if the sun is not shining. Examples of how rain can enhance colour in nature. Livening drybrowns into a golden sheen. Close ups of textures on trees, rocks, lichen, etc showed that photographyneed not be just a fine weather affair.‘A Bit of Everything’: close ups of residents in Bristol Zoo, carefully framed so as to exclude any evidenceof them being in captivity. Close eye contact with primates and a very large lion enhanced this verydramatically; there were flowers, red squirrels, insects, dragonflies, butterflies in vivid colours. Internalshots of local great cathedrals, using HDR technology to cover the wide range of light levels in suchbuildings. A cat obviously with it's own bus pass appeared in several shots at various locations. We alsolooked at using the magic of modern software, for example wedding shots where head swapping isnecessary to obtain a group shot where everyone is looking into camera at the same time.

Check out the club’s website pgop.org.uk. All are welcome to come and see what we do, Monday eveningsMonkton Heathfield Village Hall at 7:30pm

Help Us Keep the Wheels Turning!You may already be aware of our magnificent heritage railway that runs between Bishop’s Lydeard (nearTaunton) and Minehead? www.west-somerset-railway.co.ukThe West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) is a charity that raises money to support the railway.We have a number of fundraising ventures, one of which is an annual Steam Fayre & Vintage VehicleRally. This is held on the WSRA’s own land at Norton Fitzwarren near Taunton on the first weekend ofAugust each year (6th & 7th this year).A small committee and lots of volunteers work hard all year in order to put on a stunning display of steamand vintage vehicles which attracts more than 5000 visitors over the weekend.We are looking for more volunteers who can help us inthe ticket office, on entry gates, in car parks, sellingprogrammes or simply directing visitors around the site. Ifyou can spare some time over the weekend of 6th & 7thAugust we would love to hear from you. If you have aninterest in the railway, old vehicles or farming heritageyou will enjoy volunteering with us even more!You can see more details of the rally and photos atwww.steamrally.org.uk.If you are interested in lending us a hand, please emailwsrarally@gmail.com or call the Rally Administrator on01823 433856.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 13

West Monkton C of EPrimary School

Each year, early in the Autumn Term, we take Y6to Kilve Outdoor Centre. This is an opportunity atthe beginning of an important year for the childrento develop skills such as teamwork, resilience,determination, whilst also having lots of fun.Amongst the many activities available, there is aclimbing wall and a high ropes course. I recall oneof our girls a couple of years ago absolutelyterrified of taking part in the high activities. As Irecall it on the first day her fears overcame her andshe could not climb very high up the climbing wall.However, on the second day, she had to face thehigh ropes course; a series of wire ropes anddiagonal logs to traverse and zig zag to the heightof a two storey building. Trusting in the courseinstructor and with the encouraging words of herclass mates; along with my own words ofencouragement, she bravely made it to the top.It was a demonstration in determination andovercoming one’s fears and I believe this set herup for what turned out to be a fantastic year six.Now, more recently I was reminded of this eventand of my own words of encouragement, as I stood

atop Uphill Quarry,preparing to abseil downthe sheer cliff. ‘You cando this. You’ll feel reallypleased with yourselfwhen you’ve done it…’Having encouraged manyreluctant children to facetheir fears, here I washaving to put my moneywith my mouth was, so tospeak. There was no wayof backing out and, afterall, it was an actualdemonstration of the

resilient qualities we are always tryingcommunicate to the young people in our school.And so I got on and did it! And no I didn’t enjoy it,and no I don’t want to do it again. But most

importantly,thanks tothegenerousdonationsof thosewithin andbeyond ourcommunity,the eventraised over£1000.

Perhaps even more significantly, it has goteveryone thinking; if we want to create the verybest learning environment for the children moving tothe new school site in the autumn, we are going tohave to do it ourselves. There is no money foroutside equipment, so whatever we want to putoutside we are going to have to raise it ourselves.Before the May half term break, the children fromthe school council began to consult with thechildren in their classes about the kind of

equipment they would like in the new schoolgrounds. They have really clear ideas about whatthey want. In the coming weeks I, along withmembers of the school council, will be meeting withsalesmen, sharing with them our ideas and askingthem to draw those ideas into a plan and quoting todo the work.We already know what the children want, and Iwant to support them in getting, is going to cost inexcess of £20,000. The PTA has already workedincredibly hard to get us towards a healthy £12,500to spend on the play equipment by the end of thisacademic year. Following my abseil, the childrenare now starting to come up with all of their ownideas for fundraising and you will see advertised in

the magazine ourupcoming summer fete.This is enterpriseeducation in practice, thechildren have been askedwhat they would like in thenew grounds and are nowbeing encouraged to findways, with the rest of ourcommunity, to raise themoney in order topurchase it. There will then

be the opportunity for them to complete theprocess, by deciding on what play equipment willbe bought and finally seeing it beingbuilt in our new school grounds.Please support the fete and look outfor other upcoming fundraisingevents that you can support.

Ian RobinsonHead Teacher

Children have drawn up ideas for their ‘Wish List’ for thenew school.

From a Wishes

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 14

News from the Parish Council

Friends of FarriersWest Monkton Parish Council is very pleased to beable to report growth in the Friends of FarriersGroup. Headed up by Andy Pritchard, the grouphas been busy continuing the refurbishing work thatbegan last year, litter picking and generally lookingafter the park, which is a marvellous communityasset. Andy has set up a ‘Facebook’ page, soplease sign up to see what’s happening!Table tennisThe table tennis table, purchased by West MonktonParish Council with a Well-Being grant fromSomerset County Councillor D Fothergill has proveda great success. As well as family and friendshaving fun, the table has attracted the attention of anational table tennis player who lives nearby; andnow the Parish Council is looking at how the TableTennis Group could be offered practice facilities inour Parish.GrantsThe Parish Council continues to be able to makegrants to people with projects that will enhance thesocial, economic and well-being of our Parish. Ifyou have an idea that needs help to get started,look up the Grants Policy on West Monkton website, or phone any Councillor for a preliminary chat.Latest poll on websiteRegular visitors to the web site will have seen thatthere is a ‘Poll’ on the news page. A Poll to assessthe community’s views on a clock or piece of publicart ran for a couple of months. The result was thatpeople are not very enthusiastic about a public clockor piece of public art at the moment. With so muchbuilding going on it’s hard to visualise the idea, sothe Parish Council has decided this idea should beconsigned to the ‘back burner’ for the time being.The Parish Council will run the poll again whenmore houses in the area are occupied and residentscan assess better what such an installation wouldlook like.Meanwhile the next Poll is running, it’s all aboutwhat you, the community, would like for the BrittonsAsh Community Hall. This will be housed under thesame roof as the Primary School, but will be run bythe community for the community. What do youwant to see happening in the hall? Visitwww.westmonkton.net and take part in the poll. (Nonames, no registration and free of charge). If youare a bit unsure about using the web site, pleasecontact any Parish Councillor or the Clerk, who canassist, as this is one of the major communicationstools the Parish Council uses.Mailing ListsIn addition to checking the web site for regularupdates and information, there are two mailing listsyou can sign up to free of charge, in order to receiveregular emails. The first list is the ‘New Buildingsand Development’ run very ably by the

Communications Volunteer Mrs J Belsey, whichwill give you the latest about the Urban Extensionand associated development. The second mailinglist is the ‘West Monkton and Cheddon FitzpaineNeighbourhood Plan’ which brings you regularupdates about the progress being made towardthe production of the Neighbourhood Plan for ourtwo parishes. If you want to be on either or bothlists, please contact any Councillor or the Clerk.Dog foulingDo you tidy up after your dog? It’s hard to imaginethat anyone would say ‘No’, but the fact remainsthat dog fouling is continuing to cause disgust anddistress to residents of the Parish. Some of theposters from the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ campaignhave gone up and more will follow. The mostrecent reports of dog fouling are on the grassoutside the bus stop by the Spitalbungalows…and yet there is a dog bin barely 5yards down the footpath by the bus stop.Other areas where dog fouling is common includethe canal towpath, Farriers Green safe routes toschool, and the embankment on the A38 EasternRelief Road. Please tidy up after your dog.If dates, times and other details can be providedthe matter can be reported to the Dog Warden atTDBC.Unfortunately, dog and litter bins and other streetfurniture cannot be installed in the UrbanExtension at Monkton Heathfield until the area isadopted by Taunton Deane.If you would like to see dog bins anywhere else inthe Parish, please get in touch with any ParishCouncillor or the Clerk.AllotmentsThere is one vacant allotment at the moment,please contact Cllr Haskins or the Clerk if youwould like to become an ‘allotmenteer’. Rent is£25.00 per calendar year payable in advance on1st January every year.Parish Council meetingsMembers of the public are welcome to attend anyParish Council meeting on the secondWednesday of the month at 7:00pm in WestMonkton Village Hall. If you are on the electoralroll you can speak on any matter (not necessarilyon the agenda) for 5 minutes. Please makeyourself known to the Clerk at the start of themeeting. Agendas are posted on the web sitewww.westmonkton.net and on the eightnoticeboards around the parish.Parish Council meetings: 13th July, 10th August,14th September, 12th October, 9th November,14th December.Gallery/ArchivesThose interested in the history of the parish maywish to know that the old minute books are held atthe Somerset Heritage Centre at NortonFitzwarren, they are available for anyone toaccess.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 15

Additionally, there is a gallery/archive section onthe new parish website, and there are alreadysome photos of old Bathpool for you to see. Ifanyone else wishes to add photos to the web sitearchive please get in touch with the Clerk.If you have an event with some photos that youwould like to put on the website, please contact theClerk.Below are a couple of photos from the ‘OldBathpool’ photo gallery on the village website anda section from an article in Edition No 1 of theVillage News entitled ‘Memories of Bathpool’.

‘My recollections start in 1923 when Bathpool was asmall village with a post office, four small shopsincluding a butcher, two coal merchants, a bakeryand the Bathpool Inn. This was the only pub and wasset in fields on which the landlord reared a few pigs.As a small boy I was fascinated by his pet monkey.Near the inn was the football field; no changing roomor sheltered stands, but Bathpool Rovers were astrong, well-supported team.The water-powered Bathpool Mill was still in use, inpart as a flour-mill and bakery, having been damagedby a fire during the First War. The damaged sectionhad been patched up for farm animalaccommodation. What remains of the mill is occupiedby Westwood Fencing.The nearby Creechbarrow House - now CreechCastle Hotel - was built by the owner of the bakerybusiness in the Mill complex, who built an overheadwalkway to connect his business and his home. Aninventive retired naval captain, he devised one of thefirst ever bread-ovens heated by steam, andintroduced a turbine, driven by the waters of the RiverTone to generate electric power.’

VILLAGE HALL NEWSThe Spring Market raised £600.00 for our HallRefurbishment Fund. Thank you to everyone foryour support.We are still investigating the possibility of installingWIFI at the Hall.A reminder that the main hall building will beclosed during the most of August for redecoration.Tuesday 12th July 2:00pm has been booked tocarry out our annual inventory, in particular thecrockery/cutlery, etc in the kitchens. If anyonecould spare an hour or two to help us wewould be very grateful. Cutlery can be countedsitting down if you, like me, find standingtiring! If you would like to help us pleasecontact Joyce Keyte 01823 412294.Refreshments provided.The next few weeks will see us sprucing ourselvesup ready for the Hallmark Judges who are due inon August 5th.Hallmark 1 – is judged on the Hall’s Administrationand ManagementHallmark 2 – is judged on Health, Safety, Securityand LicencesHallmark 3 – is judged on Community/SocialAwareness, Forward Planning and Development.The awards come round on a 3 yearly cycle andthe last time we succeeded in achieving all ofthem.It is worthwhile doing as it, not only, helps to keepus up to date but is also required if we need toapply for grants for improvements.September 23rd – Special Event – An event tocelebrate 10 years since the inauguration of theCoffee Mornings. An Afternoon Concert by the JSingers of Bridgwater followed by Afternoon Tea.All profits from the event will be donated to TheBeacon Centre. Ticket £10.Fundraising still has to continue to help withrefurbishment work at the Hall with the next eventsbeing:-October 21st – Supper Evening Speaker – DanRuffell - End of an Era.November 11th – Salsa EveningFor more information on anything relating to thehall you may contact Joyce Keyte 01823 412294or email: joyce.keyte@virgin.net

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 16

Tacchi-Morris Arts Centrehas just the ticket for local residents thisseason!

Ever wanted to go to the theatre but didn’t wantto risk it in case it wasn’t your cup of tea?Do you feel you’d like to try out a show beforecommitting the cash?If so, Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre has just theticket.This month sees the centre launch its autumnseason with a brand new concept: Pay What YouDecide – a dynamic new pricing structure thatallows audience members to book to see a show atthe arts centre without handing over a penny.Each of the three shows that are part of the schemewill have all seats up for grabs to be reserved withno charge attached: in total, the theatre will beallocating over 750 seats with no up front charge.Tickets will be available to book in advance as usual– online or through theBox Office – but unlikenormal there is noobligation to pay. Afterthe show has finished,audience members candecide individually on aprice based on theirexperience andenjoyment of theevening.Pay What You Decideis about opening up the doors and encouragingpeople in. It’s about encouraging existing audiencesto experiment and try new things. It’s also a bigstatement of confidence in the artistic programme.Programming more live productions than any othertheatre in the region, Tacchi-Morris Arts Centreboasts a full range of professional acts: comedians,contemporary theatre, international dancecompanies, as well as a fantastic range ofcommunity and amateur productions – boasting aprogramme for all ages.Co-Directors Louise Lappin-Cook and Elaine Faullcommented: “We programme 160 evenings of liveperformance annually: from national names tocommunity shows, from touring ballet to some of theUK’s finest speakers and musicians. While we knowcomedians and top international speakers such asSir Ranulph Fiennes will instantly capture thepublic’s imagination, there are thousands ofstaggeringly good national and regional theatre anddance companies that remain somewhat under theradar. This scheme is about profiling thosecompanies – who are at the forefront of inventionand creativity – and expanding audiences.”The programming team at Tacchi-Morris ArtsCentre have hand-picked a selection of showswhich give a real flavour of the kind of drama theylike to showcase – from bold, imaginative theatre for

younger audiences from Paddle Boat TheatreCompany, to some of the finest comic acting andsocially engaging work produced in the UK, asPaines Plough explore depression in the critically-acclaimed Every Brilliant Thing, to spell-bindingstorytelling, puppetry and physical theatre fromSmoking Apples Theatre Company who presentIn Our Hands.“We know for many families money is tight, and ifyou are going to spend your hard-earned moneyit’s safer to go with what you know – children’stheatre is a prime example of this,” said Elaine.“Well-known texts and acts sell brilliantly andpanto-style, up-tempo shows always capture thepublic imagination. But Britain is home to some ofthe world’s most imaginative children’s theatre:interactive shows, puppetry, circus-inspiredproductions and children’s book adaptations.Paddle Boat are a wonderful example of a young,cutting edge company bursting with imagination;we can’t wait to share their work more widely withlocal audiences.”At the core of the Pay What You Decideprogramme is experimentation and encouragingaudiences to try new things: be it a new kind ofstorytelling or seeing puppetry for the first time.“We want this to be a personal thing,” said Louise.“Going to the theatre is about entertainment andexperience, not money, and while staging andtouring shows undeniably cost, we want people topay because they value and appreciate whatthey’ve seen rather than feeling contractuallybound. We are especially hoping that those localresidents who have not yet had the chance to seea show in our lovely venue, or new families thathave just moved to the area might come along andsee what all the fuss is about. We’ve got astaggering autumn season and we’ve picked arange of shows to reflect this. PWYD (Pay WhatYou Decide) allows audiences to be moreexperimental by removing the financial risk ofbuying a ticket. It’s quite simple: if you don’t like ityou don’t pay. No guilt. No hard-sell. This is aboutresponding to what you see, voting with your feetand enjoying the magic of a live show.”As well as the PWYD scheme, this season seesthe arts centre launch a host of opportunities foraudiences to get more involved in their work. Aswell as launching a Friends and CorporateMembers scheme the centre will also be running aprize draw (winners to be announced inDecember) to win a pair of free annual passes toall productions throughout 2017. And on SaturdaySeptember 17th the centre launches a ‘Have a Go’day where adults and young people can try out theincredible array of community classes for free.“We are always looking for new ways to engagewith audiences and encourage new people to visitthe centre – be it through our community ticketsscheme, open days, community classes,

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 17

productions and workshops or outreach work.PWYD is our way of making a statement tovisitors,” said Elaine. “We are so confident that theywill enjoy themselves that they can come and seesome of our highest quality drama for free. ”Thescheme, which has also been trialled in venues inStockton and Yorkshire has seen huge successesand record audience attendance. So book early toavoid disappointment!

To book, or for more information ofTacchi-Morris Arts Centre’s programme visit

www.tacchi-morris.com

Information on participating shows in the PWYDScheme:

Sat 17 September 2:30pm, Paddle Boat TheatreCompany: Margo & Mr Whatsit

Margo and MrWhatsit is PaddleBoat TheatreCompany’s latestfamily show.Founded in 2014 byfour ExeterUniversity graduatesPaddle Boat TheatreCompany combineskills in performing,producing, writing,directing, puppetry,storytelling and livemusic to developshows and tell

stories guaranteed to set little imaginations alight.They visited Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre earlier in theyear with their beautiful and stunningly inventiveshow ‘According to Arthur’ and so spell-bound werethe audience that we couldn’t resist inviting themback with their new show: Margo & Mr Whatsit! Aplayful family show about imaginary friends andgrowing up.Mr. Whatsit is Sophia’s best friend. He’s alwaysthere with a new joke to tell and a new game toplay – that is, until the day she un-imagines him.Now Sophia has a new imaginary friend – the tea-drinking, lipstick-wearing, ever-confident Margo.Can Mr. Whatsit’s childish playfulness keep himfrom being unimagined forever? A lively, make-believe tale full of clowning, puppetry, live musicand object play!

Mon 19 Sept 7:30pm - Paines Plough andPentabus Theatre: Every Brilliant ThingEvery Brilliant Thing comes to Tacchi-Morris ArtsCentre fresh from an international tour spanningSpoleto  Festival USA, Melbourne, criticallyacclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival, NewYork’s Barrow Street Theatre, and  a UK tour.

Described byLondon’s TimeOut as a“beautiful, heart-wrenchingand very funny”play EveryBrilliant Thing isabout findingreasons to livewhen all hopeseems lost. Aman looks backat a  list hebegan as a childto help hisdepressedmother rediscover joy—a list of

“every brilliant thing” worth living for. Beginningwith “1. Ice cream,” the list grows as theboy grows up, and soon takes on a life of its own.Performed  by Jonny Donahoe Every BrilliantThing  explores the lengths people go to forthose they love.“A piece that  demonstrates why life is worthliving—you’ll leave feeling  elated” (TheScotsman).

Tues 1 Nov 7:30pm - Smoking ApplesIn Our HandsLast year they wowed us with Cell. This yearSmoking Apples return with the story of Alf, atrawler fishermanwhose experience,camaraderie andloyalty have puthim and his boat atthe top of thegame. But timesare changing andso is the industry.How will Alf adaptin order to survive?Follow a fish’sjourney from sea toplate, watch aseagull’s ridiculousattempt to find food,and witness afather and sonreunite.In Our Hands will transport you out to sea, underthe ocean and onto the deck of the Catcher’sFortune. Using innovative puppetry, a striking setand an original score, join Alf as he journeys fromthe depths of despair to rise again and rescue thelife he loves. Smoking Apples are an awardwinning puppetry and visual theatre company andone not to miss!

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 18

News from West Monkton Primary School

Jellyfish and Seahorse Class TripsBoth classes had a great day at Rodway Farm,Cannington. The children learnt a lot and wereabsolute stars with their questions! A credit to WestMonkton!One Year 3 said: "It was great fun to see everythingon the farm. I liked stroking the lambs best. Theinformation Dani gave us was very interesting.”Space Ambassador Visits Reception ClassIn April, the Reception classes were visited byJoanne Richardson, a Space Ambassador from theUK Space Education Office. Joanne came in for themorning to run workshops relating to the Tim PeakePrimary Project. This aims to use the subject ofspace to increase the engagement of primary schoolchildren with science, numeracy and literacy.The children learned about gravity, made rocketsand launched them outside using special launchingingredients and plenty of excitement andenthusiasm!They were able to view images of the Earth takenfrom the International Space Station and pick outstreets and landmarks in and around Taunton. Thiswas followed by a live link to the International SpaceStation, where the children could ask the manhimself all important questions such as,“How do yougo to the toilet in space?” Tim was able to showthem the vacuum toilet and answered lots of otherquestions as well.Mrs Laurie, Turtle Reception Class teacher,commented,“The children really did have an amazingmorning. It is a visit that has fired a lot of imaginationand one that will be remembered for a long time tocome.”Take One Picture Project

We are one of ten schools across Somerset takingpart in the museum’s annual Take One PictureProject, which uses collections to support pupils’learning. The focus this year is a large-scale oilpainting of 1890 by the artist Charles Napier Hemycalled ‘Oyster Dredgers at Porlock Weir’. Thepainting, which is on permanent display at themuseum, links the past with the present with newoyster beds currently being established in PorlockBay.

We started off the project with a ‘WOW Day’ wherethe painting was revealed and children took part invarious workshops. There are lots more activitiesplanned as part of this project, including during theOpen day.Hix Oyster Restaurant Visit Y3/4As part of the Take One Picture Project, Jellyfish andSeahorse Class had an inspiring talk from a cheffrom the Hix Oyster and Fish House Restaurant,Lyme Regis. Charlie gave a great talk and now weare all oyster experts! Many thanks to Giles (fororganising this) and Charlie for giving the talk.EDF Engineering Project

Before half-term,Seahorse andJellyfish Class werelucky to have a visitfrom an EDFengineer. AdamWalton gave a talk tothe class discussingwhat an engineer is,then he worked with agroup of children whocreated a movingvehicle. This testedtheir ability to workwith others, make

adjustments and be flexible. Now the group aregoing to help the rest of the class with their movingvehicle!Sporting NewsWell done to the Tag rugby team who came 3rdin the county out of over 270 schools.This is a massive achievement for the school andwell done to all the children who participated.The year 5/6 athletics team did fantastically wellcoming 13th out of 40 teams. Well done to TullulahWatson, who came 4th overall out of 160 girls.Rounders: The newly formed Year 3/4 roundersteam showed great enthusiasm and were quick topick up the rules during recent friendly games. Wewere very proud as they won several matches andwe look forward to playing again later in the term!Thank you to the parents who provided great moralsupport as well as transport!Cricket: Our Year 4/5 Cricket team played a greatgame. They narrowly lost their first two games butwon their last game. In a dramatic final over LloydGriffiths-Jones got two wickets to win the match. Welldone team!

‘Oyster Dredgers at Porlock Weir’by Charles Napier Hemy

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 19

West Monkton EveningWomen’s Institute

Greetings from West Monkton Evening WI Group,summer seems to be here at last, hooray.Our meeting in April attracted a lot of visitors, and itwas really good to see so many people welcomeMalcolm Welshman to our Group. Malcolm is a Vet,and he enthralled us and kept us amused with hisfunny, and some sad stories of his life as a Vet.He was brought up in Nigeria and animals werepart of his life from an early age, his favourite petand one which you could see was an importantpart of his life, was Polly the African Grey parrot.His stories of the intelligence of his feathered friendwere incredible. Polly sadly had a tumour and wasnot expected to recover, but rather than to give upMalcolm operated on her himself and she survived– she lived for 23 years. He has worked at LondonZoo with the exotic animals, and also lectured oncruise ships. He told many stories of his life as aVet and the animals he encountered, like Boltonthe monkey for instance who was aptly named, ashe had many operations to remove ‘bolts’ from hisintestines as he continually tried to escape.Great evening, thank you Malcolm.We held our AGM and Resolutions in May, but wealso asked along John Scott from SWEEPS to giveus a talk on his work in Romania. Based inBridgwater, SWEEPS are a small charity, with asmall team of workers in Brashow, Romania.There is a lot of poverty in Romania, and the teamhelp and support people living in the area, giving

them a better quality of life.TB is prevalent thereand there are a lot of people with various forms ofdisabilities, the team ensure they have therequired medicines and have a proper diet. AtChristmas they transport shoe boxes filled withChristmas gifts for children, teenagers, and menand women of all ages. As a WI our members areplanning on filling as many shoe boxes aspossible to send out later in the year.We are a very friendly group, and if you like thesound of what you read about us, why not comealong for a taster?New members and guests are very welcome,we meet in the Annexe of West Monkton VillageHall at 7.30 for 7.45pm start the fourth Thursdayof each month (unless we are having an outingand we do not meet in August); just ring ourPresident Ann May on 01823-334168 for details.The annual cost is £37.00 (plus tea/coffee) –what a bargain and a great way to meet newfriends. To whet your appetite this is theprogramme for the next few months. A specialthanks to Sylvia Renshaw for the hard work shedoes in producing such a variety of speakers forus.Forthcoming programme:June 23rd Aloe Vera in today's modern worldwith Janet NewisJuly 28th Work of the League of Friends with LizShirley SmithAugust 25th Taunton Town Guided Walk, withsupperSept 22nd Halcon Community work with AndyMurphy

West Monkton Cricket Club are currently in the process of formalising their relationship with HeathfieldCommunity School. They hope to be able to offer weekly after school practice sessions for any interestedyoungsters.With any luck this should be arranged in the next couple of weeks.Forthcoming home matches are listed below:Sat 11th June - 1st XI v Bishops HullSat 18th June - 2nd XI v Dunster CCSat 25th June - 1st XI v Lydeard St LawrenceJust a reminder for any budding cricketers that evening practice sessions are heldat the club every Thursday evening. All are very welcome.Sadly, the club have had no concrete news regarding the development funds orthe club’s tenure at the ground recently so, as yet, have nothing to tell the villageabout that.

West Monkton Cricket Club

For more information about WMCC please contact:Ned Binding – 1st XI Captain - 07811 346306, John Salter – 2nd XI Captain – 07534 225467Nick Hutchings – Vice Chairman – 07810 226843 or visit our website:http://westmonkton.play-cricket.com/

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 20

News fromThe Monkton Players

The Monkton PlayersAutumn Production will be

‘Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders’ by DerekWebb and directed by Tim Hiscock.Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty) is a crimenovelist. She's also pretty adept at solving crimes.And when her sister-in-law Alice invites her to spenda few days with her in the village of Chortelby, it's notlong before she gets caught up in a series of murderswhich seem directed at members of the All SaintsVillage Hall committee.From Toby, the Vicar, and Eleanor, Chair of thecommittee, to Harry Knott the caretaker and identicaltwins Olivia and Oliver Truscott-Pratt, there are plentyof suspects. And with an investigating officer asincompetent as D.I. Twigg, there are plenty of laughsas the murders begin to pile up.But, while packed full of wit and very funny scenes,this is also a genuine murder mystery with aningenious plot which will tax the little grey cells of theaudience at the same time!‘Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders’ will beperformed at West Monkton Village Hall on October27th – 29th at 8pmTickets will be available on our website:www.monktonplayers.co.ukalso at Changes Hair Salon,

Book by emailing: quantocks@live.co.uk or by visiting the website: www.musiconthequantocks.co.uk.

South Quantocks Heritage Trail

A Heritage Trail is in preparation which will cover thefour Benefice churches of West Monkton, CheddonFitzpaine, Kingston-St-Mary and Broomfield.Additionally the Heritage sites of Fyne Court (NationalTrust) and Hestercombe will be included. Directionswill be available to encompass the Church PrimarySchools at West Monkton and Cheddon along withpointers to the Taunton/Bridgwater Canal which wasonce an essential passage for bulk goods, coal etc,from Bridgwater docks.The majority of the locations are below the QuantocksHills at the southern end of the Benefice whileBroomfield Church and Fyne Court, which are virtuallyadjacent to each other, are located a few miles to thenorth up on the Quantocks. As such to cover thecomplete trail on foot will require seasoned walkers oralternatively bicycle or car. The southern group,however, can be mainly covered in whole or part onfoot, and of course by bicycle or car.It is the intention to have details of the trail available byfree leaflets in all the churches, which are normallyopen during daylight hours,and also at Fyne Court andHestercombe. There is alsoa National Heritage day,usually in September, whenlight refreshments will beavailable at a number of thelocations.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 21

293 Cheddon Road. TauntonMon-Fri (8 am to 5:45 pm)

50 weeks of the yearFor children 3 months to

school ageFully qualified staff

Excellent Ofsted reportAccepts Nursery Vouchers

‘Offering a secure, stimulating andfun filled home environment for the

best start in life’For more information please contact:

Ruth West on 01823 288681

NIGEL DAVIESPainter and Decorator

High Quality Interior andExterior Work

Friendly and ProfessionalService

Competitive Rates All Work Guaranteed Free Estimates Fully Insured Private and Commercial

Work Undertaken

Tel: 01823 277026Mob: 07915 061314

70 Station Road Taunton TA1 1NX

Large size specialist 60 chest & waist

Tel/Fax: 01823 333169E-mail: post@gurds.co.ukwww.gurds.co.uk

J Warman Carpentry &Property Maintenance

Doors, skirtings, built inwardrobes, cupboards etc

TEL: 01823 412721Mobile: 07734307887

Local, friendly service byqualified carpenter

Small jobs welcome

RIVERSIDE BUTCHERS“Meat to please you,Pleased to meat you”

Suppliers of high qualitylocal produce

Local Beef, Pork, Lamb,Veal, Poultry and Game

Award Winning HomemadeSausages, Pies, Faggots,

Bacon and Black PuddingHome Cooked Meats

Free deliverywhen you spend £25 or more

Supplying to the public and cateringtrade

Tel: 01823 289097Riverside Place, St James Street, Taunton

www.riversidebutchers.co.ukFeatured on thebestoftaunton.co.uk

Dave TerrellPLUMBING & HEATING

Tel: 01823 333332 Mob: 07811166829www.daveterrell.co.uk

email: dave@daveterrell.co.uk45 Farriers Green,

Monkton Heathfield TA2 8PP· New Central Heating Systems &

Upgrades· General Plumbers· Complete Bathroom Installations· Approved Gas Installer· Free Estimates

Boiler Repairs &Servicing

Quality Workmanship

Cumbrian Holiday Home

3-bedroom dormer bungalowIn the picturesque village of Beckermet

overlooking tranquil countryside.Enclosed garden with lawn & patio

areas, fully equipped,sleeps up to 9 but also ideal for 2.Easy access to the Western Fells

& Lakes, Georgian town of Whitehaven& St Bees Beach.

Village pubsin a short walking distance.

Pets are welcomeDiscounts available

by quoting ref. VN2016For details contact Corinne on

07527890378or corinne_stbees@hotmail.co.uk

Traditional Men’s Wear

BEN GRAYCARPENTRY

Fully Qualified CarpenterFor All Your Carpentry

Needs

T: 07540328951E: benfgray@gmail.com

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 22

Benefits of companion animals

It is well known that owning a pet can posemany benefits to both our physiological andpsychological health. Many studies havebeen carried out to demonstrate howanimal ownership can improvecardiovascular health, drastically reducestress levels, decrease loneliness andsignificantly boost social interactionsamong those who choose to own pets.Companion animal interaction can loweranxiety levels in humans, thereforedecreasing the progression of stressrelated conditions. Furthermore, it isthought that pet ownership can cause areduction in blood pressure. One studyestablished that spending a quiet 30minutes with a dog can increase the levelsof dopamine and endorphins in our system,both of which are hormones associatedwith happiness and wellbeing. The studyalso showed a decline in levels of cortisol,a stress hormone.Further studies have looked at thecontribution of pet ownership topsychological wellbeing. For example, inelderly generations who may lack socialinteraction, owning a companion animalcan often cause them to experience lessdepression while additionally giving them asense of support and purpose. One studyreported that 40% of homeless adolescentsfound their dogs helped them cope with theloneliness they experience.Service dogs not only provide obviouspractical benefits to their owners, they alsoimprove psychological wellbeing. A studyrevealed disabled individuals inwheelchairs accompanied by service dogsreceived a significantly higher level offriendly approaches from members of thepublic compared to those without.Findings from these studies indicate thatcompanion animal ownership can oftenplay a huge supportive role in our lives.This can lead to decreased depression,loneliness, anxiety and can boost generalhappiness and wellbeing.

JessicaLuxmoreBVScMRCVS

ToneVeterinaryCentre

01823333909

Tacchi-Morris Arts CentreCelebrates 16th Anniversary

Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre (TMAC) isa not-for-profit organisation that hasestablished itself as a hub ofcreativity for the local community toenjoy. Developed through support from Kathleen Tacchi-Morris, it opened in January 2000 following a £1 milliondonation from the Tacchi-Morris Trust, together with a £2.1million grant from National Lottery Funds. Its state-of-the-artfacilities include a 250 seat theatre, large open-plan foyer andprofessional drama and dance studios. Run by a smalldedicated team of staff and a host of fabulous volunteers,TMAC’s work with local schools and community groupscelebrates the important role the arts can play in developingskills, improving health and well-being and building confidenceand self-esteem.The programme now includes over 160 evenings ofperformance annually, and over 900 hours of communityclasses. About 90% of these events are live publicperformances, with approximately 10% being conferences andprivate hires. That’s over 2,250 days of amazing events overthe course of 16 years. In addition TMAC run up to 20community classes per week and are currently developing aseries of writing workshops with published authors which areproving to be very popular. TMAC has also developed adedicated exhibition space which local artists can hire for free.Over the years TMAC has enjoyed many highlights, welcomingeveryone from renowned national touring theatre companiessuch as Blackeyed Theatre Company, Angel Exit, Pop-UpOpera, Tangram Theatre, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School andVamos, to talented local amateur groups such as TAOS,Taunton Thespians, and @2k. It also hosts the annualHeathfield Drama Festival and shows by The SPACECompany. Its dance programme has featured top companiessuch as Jasmin Vardimon, Tavaziva and Ballet Theatre UK,many of whom return year after year, plus Spring Forward -Take Art’s annual dance platform that attracts hundreds ofyoung dancers from across the South West. Household namesthat have appeared include Nicholas Parsons, RogerMcGough and Brian Moore, and comedians Jenny Éclair andPete Firman. The forthcoming sold-out evening with SirRanulph Fiennes, in aid of St Margaret’s Hospice, has becomethe fastest selling show TMAC has ever seen. TMAC is alsothe place to catch top tribute bands such as Bookends andVoulez Vous and popular regional groups such as TauntonConcert Band, Taunton Deane Male Voice Choir and AJ’s BigBand.In Spring 2014 TMAC and Taunton Youth Dance Companywere awarded a £9,800 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund’sFirst World War: then and now programme for a county-wideinitiative called War and Peace: Commemorating theCentenary through Dance. In October of the same year, BBCQuestion Time was broadcast live from the centre, which wasan amazing experience for staff and students alike, some ofwhom got to enjoy a tour of the set and operate some of thecamera and recording equipment with the production team. Inrehearsals students got to chair a mock debate on set withDavid Dimbleby himself. Here’s to another fantastic 16 years!Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA28PD.Box Office: 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com.info@tacchi-morris.com

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 23

LANDSCAPING & ARTIFICIAL LAWNS

Garden Landscaping Patios/Stone Walling/Decking/Pergolas Commercial & Resdidential

· Laylawn Artificial Grass Licensees for theSouth West

Contact: 01823 252023www.englishgardenco.co.ukwww.lazylawntaunton.co.uk

The Village News is Printed by the Print Department at Somerset College, Taunton

HILARY NORMAN Foothealth Practitioner

RFHP

GENERAL FOOT CARENail Cutting & filing, Corn & Callus removal,In-growing toenails, fungal infections andgeneral advice on the care of your feet.

Treatment in the comfort of your own home01823 48116007969 448793

hilary.norman@btinternet.com01823 481160 07969448793

Tel: 01823 259808Mobile: 07850437994

Please call for an appointmentThe Coach House, Hyde Lane, Bathpool, Taunton TA2 8BU

Belle AmieBRIDAL BOUTIQUE

Works: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, SaturdayFree on street parkingOpen late Facebook: Hair by Chelle01823 277977 07854272925

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 24

West Monkton WI 50 years on

AugustHoliday month!In West Monkton, as in mostother places, very few meetingsare held in August.One exception was the SummerSale of the British Legion

Women’s Society on August 13th. Profits from thisand the July Whist Drive were given to the LegionChildren and Rest Homes.At the Primary School work began on muchneeded extra classrooms.Susan Edmonds represented West Monkton atthe very enjoyable Church of England YouthHoliday Conference at St. David’s College,Lampeter.Geoffrey Hoet, a chorister at the parish church,was awarded the Challenge Cup by TauntonTechnical College as the best apprentice painterand decorator for the year.A gift was made to the church in order that theLady Chapel, which was abolished after theReformation, should be restored. Gifts totalling£70 were also received for the Parish ChurchyardFund.A virus infection was found again. It was notserious, but was accompanied by a sore throat,which the District Nurse said was an unusualcombination.

Harvest Thanksgiving Serviceswere held on September 26th atboth the Parish Church andGreenway Mission Hall. Gifts fromthe church congregation were sentto Trinity Hospital.Greenway Mission Woman’s

Meeting had their second outing this year on 2ndSeptember, when they went to Becky Falls,Widecombe and Torquay.The B.L.W.S. Visited Morland’s Factory atGlastonbury. In a two-hour-long tour they wereshown the almost unbelievable transformationfrom the raw sheepskin to the elegant finishedgarment. After a most welcome tea theycontinued the journey through Wells and Cheddarto Weston where they had supper.Later in the month they had a talk and film fromthe Superintendant of the County Councilreception Home at Milverton about the work ofthe S.C.C. For children in need of care.The W.I. had a demonstration of yeast cookery.Examples showing faults in bread-making whichwere passed around the audience caused muchamusement.The newly formed Over Sixties Club held its firstmeeting which concluded with a Beetle Drive.Mr David Rodgers, Lay reader at the ParishChurch for some years, was ordained deacon atBath Abbey by the Bishop of Taunton on 19thSeptember. Parishioners presented him with awhite stole as an ordination gift.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 25

ADVERTISING The Advertising rates cover 6 issues of the Village News. The current rates, up to 30thApril 2017 are £70 for a larger advert and £45 for a smaller advert (Pro rata if you start during theyear). One off adverts £50.Please contact the advertising editor, Lorna Walters, Tel. 01823 412017 lc.walters33@btinternet.com

Nigel K. FordIndependent Funeral Directors

Dedicated to upholding a traditional 24 hourservice with kindness, respect and dignity tofamilies in Taunton and all the surrounding

villages.

Tastefully Appointed Chapel of RestTaunton 01823 338369

North End, Creech St Michael, Taunton45 Station Road, Taunton

Janes’sFriendly, Reliable,

Affordable, Fully Qualified

Day, Evening and Weekend Appointments Available

Telephone 01823 410010

to book anappointment

Your LocalMobile

Hairdresser

· Natural Gas & LPG· Oil Installations & Servicing· Boiler Installations &

Servicing· Central Heating Systems· Power Flushing· Bath Rooms/Shower

Rooms· Cloakrooms/Kitchens

· Residential Park Homes &Caravans

· Cookers/Fires/WaterHeaters/Space Heaters

· Vented/Unvented Water Systems· Energy Efficiency Qualified

Technician· General Plumbing & Heating

Maintenance· Call Outs and & Emergencies

Welcome

Household Cleaning Undertaken20 years experienceCaring person who is willing to do allhousehold tasks. Will also help with shopping,collecting prescriptions, accompanying toappointments etc.References can be supplied.

Reasonablecharges.

Phone Angie on

07807892128

A. STEWARTPlumbing & Heating

Call Ashley on: 07590729084 / 01823 412263Email: info@astewartplumbingandheating.co.uk

www.astewartplumbingandheating.co.uk

The Financial DetectivesFinancial Advice is elementary to usWills and Estate Planning Service

Without a valid Will and careful inheritanceplanning:

· Your husband, wife or partner may not automaticallyinherit

· Your home maybe sold without your consent and theproceeds used for care home fees

· Your loved ones could be liable for a 40% tax bill· Guardianship of children under 18 maybe unclear, leavingthe courts to decide their welfare

30% DISCOUNT UNTIL END OF JUNECALL 01823 210386 FOR A LOCAL, PROFESSIONAL AND

COURTEOUS SERVICE FROM A FAMILY RUN FIRM1 Chartfield House, Castle Street, Taunton, TA1 4AS

www.tfdetectives.co.uk andy@tfdetectives.co.uk

Advertising in the Village News

The Advertising Year for the Village News runs from the May/June edition to March/April of the following year.Our advertisers are the reason that you, and all your neighbours, can get a free copy of the News every othermonth.We hope that you use the local businesses who advertise in the News and that you tell them where you sawthe advert so that they keep on advertising with us.We do have a couple of advertising spaces left so please get in contact if you are interested.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 26

Here Comes the Summer Sun ...

With the summer months fast approaching it’s important to look after your skin. If you are someone whodoes have moles, it is particularly important to take extra care when you are out enjoying the sun.Moles are small coloured spots on the skin made up of cells called melanocytes, which produce thecolour (pigment) in your skin. They are often a brownish colour, although some may be darker or skin-coloured. They can be flat or raised, smooth or rough, and some have hair growing from them. Moles areusually circular or oval with a smooth edge.We usually recommend checking your skin every few months for any new moles that might develop.Things to look for include:· Moles with uneven colouring· Moles with an uneven border· Bleeding, itching or crusty moles· Moles that are increasing in size bigger – most are no bigger than the width of a pencil

It’s as simple as ABCDE…· A – asymmetry· B – border irregularity· C – colour change· D – diameter· E – elevated (raised) or enlarged

If you notice any of these changes to your moles or are concerned about them, see your GP for a molecheck. Changes to a mole may be an early indication of a type of skin cancer called melanoma.

Here are some top tips for staying safe in the sun:· Stay in the shade during the sun’s strongest hours (11am-3pm)· Cover with loose clothes, wear a sun hat and sunglasses· Use a high-factor sunscreen (minimum SPF15) and reapply it regularly. Remember to re-apply

after swimming· Avoid sunbeds as they give out harmful UV rays

So finally...Stay safe in the sun and enjoy the summer!From Lyngford Park Surgery

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 27

A.G. PURCHASEALCM, LLCM, FLCM

PIANO TUITION

Dodhill Green,Nailsbourne

Taunton TA1 8ADTel:01823 451342

ChangesUnisex Hair Salon

Professional Stylists Specialising in Cut &

Colour Friendly Relaxed

Atmosphere Competitive Prices Free Parking

Tel: 01823 412776

15a School Road,Monkton Heathfield,

SibleysGardening andLandscapingFor everything in thegarden: Preparation, planting,pruning, mowing, strimming andtidying.Trees, hedges, beds, borders,pots, lawns, pavings etc.A friendly personal service.For advice or a free quotationcall Mike on01278 663441/07930383390

Call our officein Taunton on01823 444700

Agent of The National Farmers Union Mutual InsuranceSociety Limited

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 28

DISTINCTIVE MEMORIALSBY

MANNING & KNIGHT

Also added inscriptions and maintenancework on

existing memorials

164A Kingston RoadTAUNTON 275755

www.manningandknight.com

Alex Holley FlooringFor all your flooring requirements

Your local specialist for:Carpet, Vinyl, Kardean,

Wood and Safety Flooring

Tel: 07734860724

4 Vicarage LawnsCreech St Michael, TA3 5EZ

IAN THOMAS AIP, RP

Plumbing & HeatingServices

Telephone: 01823 444332Mobile: 07885829858

Email:ian.thomas.plumbing@gmail.comwww.ianthomasplumbing.co.uk

Fireplace ShowroomChimneys Relined & New Build

IICTAS registered Installers

Tel: 01460 74612

Fireplace Showroom, Tull MillLane, Merriott TA16 5PF

www.wicksheating.co.ukNO JOB TOO SMALL

E S Pet Care & Dog Walking

· Dog Walking· Cat Sitting

· DogBoarding

· SmallAnimal Care

· Horse &Small Holding

Care

Five Star References and Fully Insured

Tel Emma: 07443 647 389www.espetcare.co.uk

Email: emmasmith0311@hotmail.com

Sims Paws Dog Grooming Parlour

Providing a professional service for you and your dog

City & Guilds Level 3 QualifiedFully insured

Mobile: 07508021512Greenway, Monkton Heathfield

Email: simspaws@btinternet.com

Thank You

Thank you to all our advertisers,you keep our magazine going and wehope you get lots of business from our

readers.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 29

MOTWHILE YOU WAIT

CROFT GARAGE LTDMonkton Heathfield

01823 412393

Repairs & ServicingFree Collection & Delivery

Bathpool Chiropractic Clinic152 Bridgwater Road

Bathpool, Taunton, TA2 8BJ(200 yards along from Taunton Land

Rover/Jaguar on A38)

Come and see one of our BCA &GCC registered Chiropractors,

specialising in:· Back Pain· Muscle and joint pain· Neck and shoulder pain· Sports injuries· Migraines· Arthritis support· Headaches· Hip/knee/ankle/foot problems

Treatments include spinal andextremity manipulations, mobilisation,remedial massage, dry needling andposture and lifestyle advice.

Call 01823 412489to book your appointment or a free 15

minute consultation.

www.chiropractorbristoltaunton.co.uk

DAVE BAKERFor all your

GARDEN REQUIREMENTS*Fencing

*Hedge Cutting*Drives *Walls *Paths

*PatiosCompetitive Rates

Free estimatesTel: 01278 662238

Mob: 07796658721davebakerlandscapingservices.co.uk.

Messrs. E White & Son(Taunton) Ltd.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

138/139 East Reach, TauntonTel: Taunton 272183

(Day & Night Assistance)

Family Funeral Directorsfor Three Generations

DARREN GRAYELECTRICAL SERVICES

ALL TYPES OF DOMESTICWORKS TO 17th EDITION

REGULATIONS

FOR ALL YOURELECTRICAL

NEEDS

MOBILE: 07764996937

COLESCHIMNEYSERVICESProfessionalChimney Sweep· All Types of Appliance/Chimney· NACS certificate issued· Fully Insured and CRB Checked· HETAS Registered Solid Fuel Installer & Sweep

· Bird Guards and Cowls Fitted

· Chimney Linings Supplied/Fitted

Telephone: 01278 699019 07730 898919

Do you wanta cleaner?

Someone tohelp out?

Or do you justhate housework?

Call Rachel on01823 413382

Friendly, local, reliableWeekly or fortnightly

cleans.We also do

ironing!

CRB checkedand insured

We offer a well-balanced a-la-carte menuwhich includes exotic meats, steak, duck,fresh fish and vegetarian options

Blundells Lane, West Monkton, TA2 8NPEmail: peterval2009@yahoo.com or visit:

www.themonktoninn.co.uk

2-courseLunch & Dinner

Tuesday SpecialsEat quality food with us:Tuesday Lunch - £15Tuesday Dinner £20

Thursday Night isSteak Night

Fillet, Rib-eye and SirloinSteak cut to order at yourtable.Priced per ounce

Come and try our new menu and see ourSouth African Specials Board.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 30

FREE ITEMS/ITEMS FOR SALE/WANTED

Items up to £50 in value are included. We do not make anycharge for this service and take no responsibility for thequality or safety of the items advertised.If you would like to include something in this sectionplease contact Lorna Walters on 01823 412017 orlc.walters33@btinternet.com· Mouse/hamster cage with wheel, waterbottle, tunnel,

coconut hut £10 01823 413382· 15 Donnay golf clubs, bag, tees, balls and gloves. £30

01823 412229· Old white Belfast sink for garden planter/ornament. Free

01823 412780· White plastic jug kettle. 1 litre capacity. 900 w. £6

01823 412017· Good Ideas sun lamp face tanner with one pair of

goggles. £25. Call evenings 01823 710510· 5 ft. long hardwood garden seat. 4ft.6in. X 4ft.8in.

Wooden picnic table. Free. Buyer to collect. 01823 413794

NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR SERVICESessions as follows:There are no local sessions in July or AugustFor further details ring 08457711711 or go online atwww.blood.co.uk

Somerset County Council

Have you heard of the Slinky service?The Slinky bus service provides a vitalservice to people that do not own their ownvehicle, or who cannot access publictransport easily.Slinky will even provide transport for peoplewho do have access to public transport aslong as their chosen destination is notcovered by that service.People who use the Slinky range fromparents and toddlers, to teenagers and theelderly. Group bookings are also welcomed.

· Local health appointments· Going shopping· Commuting· Social service events· Evening classes· Meetings· Connecting to Public Transport

links.Passengers will need to register their detailsto access the service.The membership to the scheme is free but azonal charge is applied to all journeysunless the passenger holds aConcessionary Bus Pass.

Slinky is part of Transporting Somerset, theCouncils Transport department, and can bebooked in advance by calling Tel: 01823331266.

Love Somerset – Support CCS!

Community Council for Somerset (CCS) launches its new individualmembership scheme, available to anyone who lives and works inSomerset.The new membership scheme has local health and well-being offers anddiscounts for you. This is an opportunity to support a local charity that

works across your communities and receive member benefits too.For one payment of £25 you can become a member with CCS. We offer some great member benefits inthe form of discounts and offers from Tone Leisure and Somerset Local Food Direct.To see the complete membership form, visit: www.somersetrcc.org.uk/join-us/Chief Executive Keeley Rudd said: “We are very excited to launch this membership as this is a first forCCS. By partnering with local organisations to secure health and well-being offers and discounts, wefeel we have something really tangible to offer to members. Our charitable work to support communitiesacross Somerset is really valued, but we are operating in an increasinglychallenging funding environment. By joining CCS as an individualmember you can help us to continue our work and also receive greatmember benefits”.CCS offers a unique service through our Community Buildings adviceservice, the Somerset Village Agents project which has supported over1000 clients in the last year with a huge range of issues, our fundingsupport and application advice service has helped groups secure over£815,000 for their Somerset community based projects and much morevisit:www.somersetrcc.org.uk see all the work we do across the county.

Seeking HelpA village resident is looking for the following:

· Gardener required.· Cleaner wanted – 4-5 hours a fortnight.

Please make contact on 07767678280 if you can help.

Community Buildings Training

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 31

SOME TEAM

DÉCOR 8 with AtlasHome & Property

MaintenanceFor all your painting,decorating, carpentry

& maintenancerequirements

Contact Bob on01823 413510

or07790 812327

N & V HANLON

QUALITY BUILDERS & DECORATORSUPVCU SPECIALISTInterior/Exterior,

Wallpapering, Tiling, Glazing,Artexing, KITCHENS &

BATHROOMSCARPENTRY/PLASTERING

COMPLETE ROOFING WORKSWINDOWS - DOORS - FACIAS

CONSERVATORIESTel: Office 01278 427303 or 01823 272281

Mobile: 07872001141Email: nandvhanlon@yahoo.co.uk

Free EstimatesInsurance Approved

NUTLEY DOG TRAININGAND THERAPIES

DOG COACHING, TRAININGAND REHABILITATION

Life skills/dog training for dogs/ownersü Puppy Classes –

Mondays and Wednesdaysü One to one lessonsü Dog Training Classes –

Mondays and Saturdaysü Weekend workshopsü Tellington Touchü Reikiü Harness Fitting

“Kindness and Wellbeing in Mind at all times”Please phone/email/facebook for moreinformationContact: 07717 893087E mail: nutley1@btinternet.comnutleydogtrainingandtherapies.comFacebook:nutleydogtrainingandtherapiesand on facebook nutleypuppyclasses

POTS & FLUESCHIMNEY SWEEPS

ü Complete Chimney & Wood Burner Sweepsü Birds Nest & Vermin Removalü Safety Checks & Smoke Testingü CCTV Chimney Inspections

ü Supply & Fit Carbon MonoxideAlarmsü Sweeping Certificate & Receiptü Lucky Sweeps for SpecialOccasions (Weddings etc.)

01278 427303 01823 27228107817328624 07720976060Email: potsandflues@yahoo.co.uk99 Durleigh Rd, Bridgwater TA6 7JD

Somerset & WestcountryStairlifts Ltd.

Local Independent Reliable

Frobisher Way, Bindon Road,Taunton TA2 6BB

01823 288196www.somersetstairlifts.co.uk

WORKING STAIRLIFTSMOBILITY SCOOTERS

RISER/RECLINERSPRACTICAL DOMESTIC AIDS, USEFUL

GIFTS

CALL INTO OUR SHOWROOMMON – FRI 9.00AM – 5.00PM

SAT 9.00AM – 1.00PM

Get your Village Newsanywhere anytime:

Keep up with village eventseven if you do not get apaper copy delivered.

All you or your family andfriends have to do is email:

thelocalvillagenews@live.co.uk

and then on publication dayyou will be emailed a pdf ofthe Village News which youcan read any time, anyplace.

Copy deadline for September - October 2016 is 1st August 2016

Page 32

And Finally ...

“While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.”Groucho Marx

The Friends of Farriers Greenwould like to present

the West Monkton Parish Table Tennis Tournament

Sunday 17th JulyThe tournament is designed to promote table tennis in the parish at Farriers Green and is our way of celebratingNational Table Tennis Day.There will be senior and junior categories dependent on the number of entries. We plan to start at 11:00am andplay the best of three games up to 11 points.

Please bring along snacks and drinks, and spectators of all ages.We hope to encourage younger players to have a go, and Julie will be at hand to give tips and pointers on thebasics of technique. Table tennis bats and balls will be provided, but if you have your own that would be great.If you would like to play in the tournament please email Julie (juliettsec@yahoo.co.uk) or call Andy (07714184943) by Friday 8th July with details including name, age and ability (beginner, played a little before, quitegood, club player, national star etc.) so we can arrange fair categories and have an overview of who plays when.

Wayfarer’s CafeFrom the Village Hall Newsletter September 1977

The cafe had closed on 28th August 1977, it had beenset up to raise funds by serving tea and cakes topeople in cars on the long journey down to the sun inCornwall and who were often (pre motor way) stuck intraffic jams in and around the village.An extract from the Village Hall Newsletter August1977 in the form of a letter from the Chair of thecommittee:‘To all who helped at the Wayfarer’s CafeFrom comments received there can be no doubt that inmany homes throughout the country the ‘TemporaryStop’ at the Wayfarer’s Cafe in the Parish of WestMonkton will be spoken of in glowing terms. Not onlywere our customers well satisfied with the food anddrinks provided, nearly everyone remarked on the veryfriendly and courteous attitude displayed.My grateful thanks go out to all those who helped tobring this about. I feel we have a wonderful spirit ofgood-will, co-operation and generosity in the parishand members working together in various fund raisingactivities have contributed to this pleasing situation.It is impossible to name all those who took part in thisvery successful venture, but it would be remiss of me ifI did not mention Mrs Joyce Keyte, our hard working,enthusiastic secretary, who gave unlimited time ingetting the project off the ground. Thanks also to MrsRuth Sharland, Mrs Elizabeth Lyth, Mr and Mrs Redlar,

Mr and Mrs Maile and Miss Ruth Schofield whomade such valuable contributions to our effort.I would not be unmindful of the buying group whomade the purchases and all those who cooked athome with such great care.I would also like to record with appreciation thekitchen staff who made seemingly endlesssandwiches of one sort and another. The washers-up, the ‘poachers’ and indeed everyone who madebest use of the existing kitchen facilities.To all the male helpers who looked after the carparking arrangements, who saw to it that order wasmaintained in entering and leaving the premises andso prevented any unfortunate incidents.The outstanding dedication of our Treasurer, MrArthur Rowe, must also be recorded, and the overallcontribution to our funds of £1500 is the result of amarvellous effort.To all those, including our younger citizens, whogave unstintingly, both in goods and time, can onlythe greatest of praise be given.It is hoped we may be able to open the cafe nextyear, giving opportunity for all those who served thisyear once again to join in and encourage others inthe parish to participate.Yours sincerelyDouglas Bowerman’

Of course the £10,000 did get raised and the newVillage Hall did get built!