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FOSSE TRINITY NEWS
Serving the communities of Ditcheat, East Pennard and Pylle
december january 2013 2014
2
HELEN BUSHROD
LOOSE COVERS,
CURTAINS, CUSHIONS, etc.
Made to your requirements
FREE ESTIMATES
Tel: 01749 860546
THE ALHAMPTON INN
ALHAMPTON,SHEPTON MALLET
TEL: 01749 860747
Open All Day
Excellent home cooked food Mon-Sat 12.15 - 8.30
Sunday Roast 12.15-2.30pm
booking advisable
Buffets quoted for on request
Fish and chips takeaway available
Travellers Rest Stone, East Pennard (on the A37)
01749 860069
OPEN ALL DAY
from 12.00 noon
Traditional pub food
Tea / Coffee
Sunday Roast Quiz Nights/Skittles/Pool/Darts
B & B en-suite rooms
www.travellersrest.org.uk
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Letter from the editors
It is once again hard to believe that Christmas is here,
and as we edit this magazine, we marvel in the delights of all the festivities you wonderful people put together, as well as taking part, we also look forward to hearing
about the fun times had by all.
Do take a good look at the ‘Dates in your diary’, you
are sure to miss something if not! First up for December, the Pylle Winter Warmer (p18) And our Christingle service in East Pennard (p34). Exotic and
unusual Christmas presents from Harriet Sandys (p42). These will certainly get you into the Christmas spirit, but before you tempt yourself into the attic for the
Christmas decorations and the madness of the season begins, don’t forget your greenhouse & your veg patch, fallen leaves and vulnerable plants, see Jane Follis
(p37) and be sure to read the Remembrance poem written by one of the Ditcheat School children (p11) very touching.
For those into music, Wincanton Choral Society are putting on their Winter Concert (p36), and don’t forget
Ditcheat Players’ “Babes in the Wood” (p6).
Finally to help you recover, there is the Boxing day
walk, to get the blood flowing again.
We wish you all a very merry Christmas
and happy New Year to all.
The FTN Team
www.fossetrinitynews.co.uk
This Month 100 Club 47
Advertiser Index 58 Alhampton News 19 Book Group 50 Children's Page 54
Church Services 30 Diary Dates 4 Ditcheat Ch. Rota 53
Ditcheat Player’s 6 Ditcheat School 11 E.P. News 12 Folk Dancing 28
Garden Section 37 Happy Landings 41 Letters 35
Mothers Union 35 Moviola 27 Natural World 23 Parish Plan 20
Pastoral Message 33 Pylle News 17 Rendezvous 28
Royal Brit. Legion 43 Scout Group 8 SMuTS 38 Travellers Rest 55
Village Lunch 25 Wastenot wantnot 47 Who's Who 56 Wildlife Group 26
The Fosse Trinity News is a community magazine owned by the Fosse Trinity Advisory Committee. It is financed by advertising and donations. It is delivered FREE to every
household in Ditcheat, Alhampton, East Pennard and Pylle. We welcome any contribution from anyone in the community of any age!
Send copy by 15th of each month to [email protected]
or to The Editors, 1 Folly Drive, Ditcheat, BA4 6QH
For enquiries about advertising in the magazine, please contact
Marcus Wyburn-Mason 01749 860067 or email [email protected]
Closing date 10th of each month
Dates for your Diary
new entries are shaded
Every Week
Mon Pilates (9.00)
Tai Chi & Qigong(10.30)
Ditcheat Badminton Club (8.00)
Diana 860224 Mimi 08453038381
James 860355
Tue Art Group – Fortnightly (10.00) Liz & Stewart 860755
Wed Ditcheat Badminton Club (2.00) Ditcheat Short Mat Bowls (7.00)
James 860355 Martin 860780
Thu Keep Fit (9.15) Diana 860224
Advance Notices
December 2013
Sun 1st 12.00 Winter Warmer Lunch, Pylle Village Hall Joanna 838757
Sun 1st 4.00 Christingle – East Pennard
Tue 3rd 8.30 Travellers Rest – Fun Quiz Night Ian 860069
Fri 6th 12.30 Ditcheat Christmas Village Lunch –
Jubilee Hall Jessica 860205
Thu 5th 8.15 The Alhamptonians Louisa 860252
Thu 5th 7.30 Ditcheat Players – Jubilee Hall
“Babes in the Wood” Gaye 860081
Fri 6th 6.00 West Pennard Christmas Fair – at the
School Tracy 765604
Fri 6th 7.30 Ditcheat Players – Jubilee Hall
“Babes in the Wood” Gaye 860081
Sat 7th 2.30 Ditcheat Players – Jubilee Hall
“Babes in the Wood” Gaye 860081
Sat 7th 7.30 Ditcheat Players – Jubilee Hall
“Babes in the Wood” Gaye 860081
Sun 8th 3.00 Light up a Life - Ditcheat
Sun 8th 6.00 Travellers Rest – Jamming Session
(open mic) Ian 860069
Sun 8th 7.30 Wincanton Choral Society
Winter Concert John 01963 351916
Tue 10th 10.00 Rendezvous – Jubilee Hall Diana 860224
Tue 10th 7.30 Fosseway Gardening Club
Christmas Meal Maureen 890426
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Dates for your Diary cont'd.
Tue 10th 8.00 Royal British Legion – Chairman’s House Jon 850241
Wed 11th 12.00 Pylle LWP - Threshing Mill Joanna 838757
Thu 12th 2.30 MU Baltonsborough Church room Yvonne 851480
Fri 13th 7.00 Pylle Carol Service
Fri 13th 7.30 Folk Dancing – Jubilee Hall Deirdre 860594
Sat 14th 7.00 Ditcheat Christmas Ball – Jubilee Hall Jo 860898
Sun 15th 4.00 Pennard Christmas Party – Church Room Jacinth 860632
Tue 17th 8.30 Travellers Rest – Fun Quiz Night Ian 860069
Sat 21st 6.00 Ditcheat Carol Service
Sun 22nd 6.30 East Pennard Carol Service
Tue 24th 4.30 Christmas Nativity – St Mary Magdalene
Tue 24th 11.30 Midnight Communion – Ditcheat
Thu 26th Boxing Day walk to Castle Cary Linda 860067
January 2014
Thu 2nd 8.15 The Alhamptonians Louisa 860252
Tue 7th 10.00 Rendezvous – Jubilee Hall Diana 860224
Wed 8th 12.00 Pylle LWP – Coffee Den Joanna 838757
Fri 10th 7.30 Folk Dancing – Jubilee Hall Deirdre 860594
Sun 12th 11.30 East Pennard Church – full peal Mervyn 440180
Sun 12th 6.00 Travellers Rest – Jamming Session
(open mic) Ian 860069
Tue 14th 7.30 Fosseway Gardening Club – Pylle Village
Hall. “Gardens of the NGS” Maureen 890426
Thu 23rd 7.30 Moviola presents – Jubilee Hall
“About Time” Sally 860457
Sat 25th Burns Night
Tue 28th 12.30 Ditcheat Village Lunch – Jubilee Hall Jessica 860205
February 2014
Thu 6th 7.00 Ditcheat Jubilee Hall AGM Peter 860081
Thu 6th 8.15 The Alhamptonians Louisa 860252
Tue 11th 10.00 Rendezvous – Jubilee Hall Diana 860224
Tue 11th 7.30 Fosseway Gardening Club – Pylle Village
Hall. “Bonsai Basics” Maureen 890426
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DITCHEAT CHURCH PRESENTS
A FAIRYTALE
CHRISTMAS BALL
SATURDAY, 14th DECEMBER
7pm – LATE
AT THE JUBILEE HALL
SPECIAL GUESTS
INCLUDING
THE SHEPTON MALLET BIG BAND
BAR, MUSIC AND RAFFLE
BRING AND SHARE SUPPER
£5 ADULTS/ £3 CHILDREN
POSH FROCKS & LOUNGE SUITS
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HOST A
TABLE PLEASE CONTACT
JO CURTIS 860898
ELEANOR YEOMAN 860337
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1st Ditcheat Scout Group News It’s been a busy month for us, starting with all Cubs and Beavers passing their Emergency Aid Levels 1 or 2 badges.
We then spent the first weekend of half term camping in Pylle Village Hall (despite the forecasted gales!). 6 of our 9 children attended and had a great
time, cooking the meals for the weekend earning Chef and Health Eating Badges. Everyone has a great time, even managing to keep fires lit for long enough to roast giant marshmallows...
After a well earned week off we returned in time for Remembrance Sunday. Sadly most members were unable to attend but Kyle and Harrison represented the Group fantastically on parade.
We are currently working on Global Challenges and learning about the USA
before having our own Thanksgiving before a few weeks of preparing for Christmas. We continue to fundraise by collecting used printer cartridges (except Epsom,
refilled and compatible cartridges) as part of our ongoing fundraising. If you have any to donate please bring them to the School between 1800 and 1915 any term time Thursday or contact me to arrange collection.
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Cubs and Beavers are open to boys and girls aged 5 ¾ to 10 ½.
We meet every termtime Thursday in Ditcheat School Hall.
New members welcome - come along and meet us or contact Elli on
07754812872 or [email protected]
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The Queens Arms, Wraxall, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6RQ
WE ARE OPEN SO COME & SEE WHAT YOU’RE MISSING!
NEW MANAGEMENT – NEW MENU – NEW START!
Mezé & Tapas Menu
Authentic Greek Kleftika Evening (24hrs notice required) Lunchtime Light Bites
Traditional Sunday Roasts
Bookings now being taken for Christmas Parties & Christmas Day & Evening
and New Year’s Day Champagne Full English Breakfast
Perfect for seeing in the New Year in style!
Bookings advisable
Call us on 01749 860201 or email [email protected]
www.thequeensarmswraxall.com
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BEAUTY AT THE PARLOUR
Beauty Salon offering a wide range of
treatment in a peaceful and tranquil
location with easy parking.
Beauty Therapist with over 5 years’ experience.
Waxing
Manicures/Pedicures
Tinting
Massage
Facials
Reflexology
Hopi Ear Candles
Call for Appointments:
01749 860964
0792257697
Produce sourced from
Somerset Organic farms
Pick your own produce
From our extensive list
Also available: Somerset
Yoghurts, cheese & preserves
www.hembridgeorganics.co.uk
Tel 01749 860693
The Batcombe Family Practice
Kathrine Read Violette Aubry
BSc(Hons)Ost
Structural & Cranial Registered Osteopaths
Osteopaths are trained to recognise and treat many causes of pain and can help
with a wide range of complaints including:
Back,Neck, joint or muscle Pain
Nerve pain or injury
Post accident or injury
Arthritic Pain
Head & Facial pain
Postural Problems
Sports Injuries
Pregnancy & Birth related issues
Treatment of children For more information or advice call:
(01749) 830439
www.mendipfamilyosteopaths.co.uk
Pet Portraits
Commission a unique
Pastel Portrait of your Pet
Painted from detailed Photographs Gift vouchers Available
For further information please call
Joanna Miln 01749 838757
www.joannamiln.co.uk
My work will be exhibited in Trowbridge Gallery
Castle Cary
from 1st Nov until end Jan 2014
News from Ditcheat Primary School This morning two of our classes marked Armistice Day by observing two minutes’ silence at the War
Memorial in the village. The children made poppies and crosses and talked in classes and in assembly about the meaning of the day and the symbolism
of the poppies they wore or had made. Our oldest children in Willow class wrote poems and we shared some of those before and after the silence. We were amazed by the quality and the sentiments in all of the children’s work
and I would love to share them all here, but unfortunately we don’t have enough room. However, here is one written by Peony Guy.
Remembering those who fought in traumatic wars, those who gave their lives
and those who survived
Emotions of loss, sorrow and grief dig deeper into the trenches inside my
heart
Mourning for a brother, a son, a father, who will never, ever return
Everyone is touched by the tragedy of war, and so, we commemorate by
sharing a moment
Memories of how he softly squeezed my hand are still vivid in my mind
Bombs rained down on Britain like a battalion of tears
Red, like blood, the poppies stood together like one, big, broken heart
After life is empty and desolate and cold, there is no laughter, no tears, no
warmth
Nothing will ever be the same again, my mind is broken like the city around
me
Crosses all lined up side by side like spirited soldiers who once stood,
shoulder to shoulder
Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, do you remember?
With very best wishes, Amanda Seager, Headteacher
Children’s version of the Christmas story
- When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.
- When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta
- Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
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EAST PENNARD NEWS East Pennard Parish Council Meeting - 16 January 2014
Please note that on the agenda for the January meeting is car parking in East Pennard. This includes parking during the Glastonbury Festival and at other times during the year. If you have any concerns or wish to express an opinion
then please come to the meeting. The meeting will be in the Church Room and will start at 7.30pm. If you are unable to come but wish to comment then please write to the
Chairman, Adrian Pearse or to the Secretary, Audrey Dyson.
East Pennard’s Halloween Party
Witches, ghosts and vampires came to haunt East Pennard's church room for the recent Halloween Spooky Disco. Children from tots to teens filled the hall for traditional games including Apple
Bobbing, Pass the Pumpkin, Make a Mummy (with rolls of toilet tissue!) and the Ghost Walk. The atmospheric event, organised by the School Room Group, was enjoyed
by all. In the words of one young party goer: "That's the best Halloween party I've been to."
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EAST PENNARD CHRISTMAS CARDS
AND NOTELETS
Donation From Sales For The
SCHOOL ROOM GROUP
Packs of Five Christmas Cards or Notelets @ £5 ~ Featuring a watercolour painting from the 1850s of East Pennard church and village are
now available from Anna Gifford ~ 01749 860347
Flower & Cleaning Rota December: Yonnis Gregory
Ruth Gregory January: Jean Hoare
Joan Beer ADVANCE NOTICE
We aim to do an annual clean of our church sometime in the New Year and would welcome any help possible.
There has been a great response from the ladies in the past and the church has really benefited from this cleaning.
There will be a reminder in the FTN in 2014 but in the meantime thank you for all your help. Pam
Visiting Bell Ringers
We have a band of visiting ringers coming to East Pennard on Sunday 12th January 2014 to ring a full peal. This will start at 11.30am and finish at approx. 3.30pm. Mervyn Buckley Tower Captain - East Pennard
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Higher Farm,
Sutton, Nr Ditcheat,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
BA4 6QF
Opening hours
Mon-Sat: 7.30am to 6.30pm
For
Tool Hire
&
Repairs.
Tel 01749 860199: Mobile 07771632221
How To Find Us
Turn off the A371 Castle Cary to Shepton Mallet road,
between Moff Motors and The Brook House Inn, and
then take the first turning left to Sutton. Follow this
road until you see our signs on the right, and then turn
right.
Hope to see you soon!
16
W.J.TROTMAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS (incorporating Oswald Clarke Funeral Directors of Bruton)
Ashdene, Cranmore, Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 4QQ
Telephone: 01749 880271
A family run business for over four generations.
Private Chapel of Rest
Pre-Paid Funeral Plans Available
N E MOTORS
Engine tuning and Servicing Rolling Road Diagnosis Bay
including EFI and ABS problems solved.
For friendly local service telephone 01749 860123 or call at our workshop
in Harvester Yard, Ditcheat
Longhill Farmhouse
Bed & Breakfast (4 star en-suite rooms)
Self Catering Cottage (5 star luxury accommodation)
Situated on the outskirts of Ditcheat in tranquil countryside for a quiet and
peaceful stay.
All rooms en-suite with free Wi-fi internet access, TV/DVD, tea & coffee making facilities,
hairdryer and luxuriously comfortable beds. Our brand new, five star cottage benefits from a
large south-facing garden with BBQ
Tel: 01749 860189 or 07880770887 Email:[email protected]
Website: www.longhillfarm.co.uk
PYLLE NEWS Church Flowers and cleaning December Helen Bushrod
January Hilary Tudsbery-Turner February Teresa Rossiter March Joanna Miln
If the church is locked please contact the church wardens Teresa 831419,
Hilary 830538, Carolyn Fussell 830120, or Alan Cary 07896945936 to obtain a key. Ladies Working Party - Joanna Miln 838757 Only a small group of us met at the beginning of November and made the
final arrangements for the Winter Warmer lunch on 1st December, and organised the mince pies for the Church Carol Service. We will take a break from the normal routine by meeting this month on 11th December at 12
noon and will have lunch at the Threshing Mill with Joanna Miln, followed by a film with Marie and Roger Hyman. Raffle prize from Teresa please. Our first meeting in 2014 will be at the Coffee Den on 8th January Raffle from Joyce
Cock please. Marie Hyman will phone to take your food order 830704
Pylle Photos To celebrate 50 years since the village hall opened we are going to hold a Pylle in old pictures exhibition. This will take place over a weekend in the
spring, possibly 5th-6th April. We would like to display as many old photos of Pylle, its residents and the surrounding area as possible so please could you look out any old photographs that you are willing to lend and contact Stephen
Tudsbery-Turner 830538. The photographs will be scanned and reprinted as A4 images and returned to you as soon as possible.
Calling all local craftsmen and women At next summer’s Fosse Trinity Benefice Fete we are hoping to put on a
display in the church of crafts made in our villages. This could be any form of art or craft, as long as it can be safely transported to and displayed in Ditcheat church. Suggestions would include; pottery, glassware, knitting,
sewing, art, willow work, metal work, lace, jewellery, woodwork, photography, sculpture - in fact anything that is made by hand locally. The items will not be for sale so you don’t need to part with your precious
treasured items. We hope to have items entered by children too. There will be more details to follow in the coming months but in the meantime please get making!
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Pylle Carol Service
The Carol service at St Thomas a Becket Church Pylle will take place on Friday 13th December at 7.00pm. It will be a service based upon the traditional nine lessons and carols as popularised by King’s College Cambridge. The Rev.
Frank Fisher will be presiding and added attractions will be the presence of a ladies’ choir and our usual team of bell-ringers. It promises to be a memorable introduction to the Christmas period as well as a special village
event, so do come if at all possible. Mulled wine and light refreshments will be provided at the end of the service.
Pylle Village Hall £7.50 per hour - £6.50 per hour for more than 4 regular bookings For more information and hall booking contact Joanna Miln 01749 838757
Winter Warmer lunch Pylle Village Hall
Sunday 1st December 12 noon
Lunch Adults £6, Children £3 Beef, Chicken, or 3 bean (v) Casserole
Father Christmas Grotto Father Christmas £2
Please book in advance: Joanna Miln 838757
All funds raised will go to Pylle Village Hall
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Alhampton news
First of all many apologies for missing the deadline last month. This was no fault of the editors – they reminded me – just an inability to believe that the days are actually
going by as fast as they are! I was in Yorkshire without my laptop when I realised. I wonder what the weather will hold for the Haddon wood planting. Last time was so
wet – this time it looks as if things might be better but who knows? Christmas is a busy time for all those involved in the food trade whether selling,
cooking or eating, and the Alhampton Inn is no exception. They do an excellent Christmas meal as well as their ordinary – and very good – menu but do ask that you should book beforehand (860747). Their maximum at one sitting is twenty. Also there will be the now traditional singing of carols and other Christmas songs in the
pub on Christmas Eve. It is amazing that something that started as a casual conversation between three friends in the pub a few years ago should have grown so much. We start at 6.30 p.m. and sing for between half an hour and an hour
depending on the wishes of the singers. In the normal Alhampton way everything is very casual and will depend on how things go! Come along if you can – it is a chance to wish your neighbours well and to relax for a little before tackling the things you
haven’t got done! You don’t have to have a great voice – or sing at all if you don’t want to – just come and join in a happy evening.
Congratulations to Kevin and Katy, who live in the Rank, who have just had a little girl. It is great to be getting so many younger members of the community coming along – helps to bring the average age down! Not that there is anything wrong with
age, just that a few years ago there were only about three people under twelve in the whole village.
Congratulations also to Jo Curtis and her helpers who produced such a good evening at the Bake Off. That was definitely one of the things I should have mentioned in last month’s news had I got round to doing it! A splendid idea, meticulously organised and well supported – who could ask for more for a village event. One ‘taster’ had the
brilliant idea of taking some of her allowance home as she ran out of stomach space – why didn’t I think of that? There were so many tempting things there and I only managed to taste four! She is full of good ideas – we are all looking forward to the
Christmas ball. Getting back to Christmas one of the best tips I have read is to have two identical
stockings, one full and one empty. Then all you have to do before going to bed on Christmas Eve is to swap them. I wish I had known that idea when my children were small!
The Alhamptonians will meet on the first Thursday of each month - as always everyone is welcome.
May you all have a happy and merry Christmas and a good 2014
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Ditcheat Parish Plan Everyone in Ditcheat Parish should now have received a copy of the Parish
Plan, delivered to their home. It represents the nature of our Parish at this time, along with an idea of the things we value and concern we have about living here.
The Plan was officially launched on the 26th October. Thank you to those of you who came along to the Jubilee Hall, and to the people who donated the
free cakes and refreshments!
You will all know from the Action Plans that there is still more to do to ensure that our Parish develops in the way most of us would like, and for that to happen, we need to work on the Action Plans. The steering group will remain
involved, although it is only a small group and for that reason we need some extra help. Some people signed up as volunteers at the launch, but we still need more. If you would be willing to become involved in making the Action
Plans happen, please contact us just to register your interest. Helping could mean anything from delivering to houses in the Parish to
counting traffic to writing reports. Signing up would not commit you to anything as we always ask people if they are willing to take on whatever is needed, and you can say yes or no at that point. Without enough people to
do the work necessary, the Action Plans simply can’t be carried out. Many thanks to all of you who have helped in so many ways to get us to this
stage, and if you’d be prepared to volunteer, please contact Hilary Harrison on 01749 860615 or [email protected]
Erratum: Page 10 of the Parish Plan, in the chart ‘What age group are you?’ the figure for 0-4 years should be 14.
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Yenstone Walling and Paving
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All types of stone walling Small and large jobs undertaken
Landscaping / groundworks and
site clearance undertaken
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07791588141 [email protected]
www.yenstonewalling.co.uk
NATURAL WORLD
Only infrequently do I use this article to express an opinion, but I feel moved to do so now. I really do appreciate the predicament that farmers face with
regard to the devastating menace that is Bovine Tb, but I further believe that they have been misled and badly served by successive governments over the past 42 years. It’s not just me. Some of the most respected names in wildlife
conservation and science are speaking out against what can, at best, be described as a placebo.
This is a direct quotation from Sir David
Attenborough. ‘In 1971 a dead badger was
found that was infected by bovine BTb. It was a serious problem to farmers, so the government instituted an enquiry to establish the facts and
they were that TB can be passed from cattle to other cattle but also to badgers, and that badgers can pass the disease to cattle. The
situation was very serious, so the government instituted another major enquiry to establish, scientifically, the facts. That involved culling 11,000 badgers – and the results, as assessed by the government advisor to that
independent scientific group, were that culling is not a viable policy option’.
Well known broadcaster, naturalist and local lad
Simon King OBE says: ‘For it to work, a huge number of animals have to be killed. They have to
be killed in areas that are, to a certain extent, controlled at the perimeter. It has to be a completely inclusive kill, so that there are no
animals wandering around. Basically, total eradication. And there are other factors that have to be in place. Many of those points are
unachievable, and far more likely, if a cull were to go ahead, is a disturbance of badger populations and as a consequence, (this word which is bandied about), the perturbation effect, what does that mean? It means badgers,
terrified naturally, running out of their normal homelands and into adjacent territories. Now, should one of those badgers - and let’s face it, not many carry the disease - but should one of those badgers be carrying BTb it’s going
to infect the neighbouring population, which might be perfectly healthy, and this has been shown again and again through scientific process. I want to make it absolutely clear that everybody, myself included, want to see Bovine
Tuberculosis controlled in the United Kingdom and there is nothing more tragic than a farmer, somebody whose livelihood and indeed their life,
revolves around cattle, being destroyed as a consequence of this rather
23
evasive disease, and in order to achieve that goal, we have to look at the best
way to get to that point’. You have to remember that the culls have failed to kill the target number of
badgers, even when the numbers were juggled to reduce the estimated overall population by 40% and when they were extended by three weeks.
Another person whose name you may recognise, Mark Carwardine, BBC wildlife programme maker and camera man, thinks as I do. Indeed, he is one of the people who has influenced my thinking. There is a BTb vaccine for
badgers, but to immunise the badger population, one by one, would be even more ineffectual than the culls. The EU will not allow the vaccination of cattle against Bovine Tb and so no drug companies are actively pursuing that
avenue. In the meantime, it appears that the government are giving the farming community a sacrificial lamb, or rather, badger. This is the third
session of pilot culls in my memory and none has achieved its stated aims. I have mentioned this before, and I apologise, but the last cull, conducted by
Professor Lord John Krebs, of Wytham Kt FRS F Med Sci Hon DSc, advisor to the government, was halted, because it wasn’t achieving the desired results and recently Lord Krebs said, ‘I would go down the vaccination and
bio-security route rather than this crazy scheme that may deliver very small advantage, may deliver none. And it's very hard to see how Defra are going to collect the crucial data to assess whether it's worth going ahead with free
shooting at all’. I can see that a badger cull demonstrates to the agricultural community that something is being done, but people with much larger brains than mine think that it’s not producing a sustainable or measurable result.
It appals me that a large amount of misinformation is being disseminated about badgers, so that they are seen as villains of the piece. Intelligent
people have told me that the decrease in Hedgehog numbers is largely attributable to Badgers. This is bordering on the bizarre. Next they will be
accused of taking babies from their prams. There have been badgers and hedgehogs in the British countryside for millennia. The staple diet of badgers is earthworms, slugs and snails. In times of extremely dry weather, they may
cull the odd hedgehog, but my bees are in far more danger, as they prefer honey to hedgehogs. Their habits haven’t changed. The chances of anyone in the upper echelons of the EU seeing this are remote, but if you have a
member of the European Parliament up your sleeve, give them a good shaking and tell them to start vaccinating cattle, for everybody’s sake, but especially cattle, badgers and farmers. One thing you can be sure of, is that
there are no grey areas when it comes to badgers. It’s all black and white. Stewart Gould – [email protected]
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VILLAGE LUNCH
The Village Lunch will now routinely be on the last Tuesday of the month
in the Jubilee Hall at 12.30pm.
Menu for 28 January
Steak & Kidney Pie Rabbit Stew & Dumplings
Homity Pie ~~~~~
Selection of Puddings ~~~~~
Tea or Coffee. £4.00 per person.
If you would like to come let either Jessica Leach (860205) or Vee Lees
(860542) know by the previous Wednesday, (22nd). There will be a raffle as usual - any prizes will be welcome.
25
The Wildlife Goup Update
This time of year we tend to get caught up with our preparations for
Christmas, but over this winter we hope to make some headway with preparing to receive our harbingers of Summer the Swallows and House Martins.
I have a distressing story to share with you which underlines my fears and makes it ever more important to help these birds wherever possible.
IS THIS THE FUTURE?
A local site used to have up to 9 pairs nesting in an unconverted barn and a "semidetached" out house. When the barn was converted all the swallows nested in the semidetached out house, all 9 pairs!!
This was about 4 years ago, this year there were no Swallows nesting even in the semi.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE AREA please read this..... When you see a community for the first time, that is your reference point, that is the community you have moved to and you accept it how it is. The
fact that there are considerably fewer Swallows will not be something you can picture.
Please consider the wildlife you may have displaced by moving into a barn conversion, or if you have a new house make it a habitat both in the garden and the house, this is after all the countryside where wildlife should be able to
live alongside people.
My particular worry is the Swallows as they depend on the old agricultural barns (few left as they are being converted), outhouses, stables, woodsheds, and garages. The latter could be homes for them, but people don't like the
bird poo on cars (understandably) or other items stored in these places, so often the birds are discouraged by blocking access or even knocking down nests.
It doesn't have to be this way. You can live alongside wildlife if you just give a little thought to the problem. We will be putting forward tips to help you. Watch this space...
If you are an encourager of wildlife, please contact the group so that we can share your experiences and all learn from each other.
Contact Bridget: 01749 860240
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The Rendezvous
Tuesday 10th December &
7th January 10-12
Ditcheat Folk Dance Club
F Din the ubilee Hall
Caller Peter Boltonwith Rough Round the Edges
Entrance £ inc ludes l ight refreshments
Deirdre
Ama
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Thomas Kenrick
Re- pointing
Re-Pointing Specialist. Building Conservation. Stone Masonry.
A l h a m p t o n 8 6 0 9 2 9 M o b 0 7 7 4 6 2 1 8 0 6 2
www.Repointing Somerset.co.uk
Mike Doyle
Home Maintenance
All types of property maintenance
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Insurance Quotes/Work
Undertaken
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Upcycle your old curtains into
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Jude Herlihy
07817809989 [email protected]
CHURCH SERVICES FOR DECEMBER
Sunday 1st
Advent Sunday
9.30am Parish Communion at Ditcheat - Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
4.00pm United Benefice Christingle at East Pennard – Mrs Jean Halford
Sunday 8th 2nd
Sunday of Advent
11.00am Parish Communion at Pylle – Revd. Stuart Munns
3.00pm Service of Light Up A Life at Ditcheat – Revd. Trevor Cranshaw
Tuesday 10th
10.00am Midweek Communion at Ditcheat - Revd. Stuart Munns
Friday 13th
7.00pm Carol Service at Pylle - Revd. Frank Fisher
Sunday 15th 3rd
Sunday of Advent
8.00am Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion at Ditcheat –
Revd Trevor Cranshaw
11.00am Parish Communion at East Pennard – Revd Frank Fisher
Saturday 21st
6.00pm Carol Service at Ditcheat – Mrs Jean Halford
Sunday 22nd
4th
Sunday of Advent
9.30am Parish Communion at Alhampton – Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
6.30pm Carol Service at East Pennard – Revd. Stuart Munns
Tuesday 24th
Christmas Eve
4.30pm United Benefice Crib Service at Ditcheat
11.30pm Midnight Mass at Ditcheat – Revd Stuart Munns
Wednesday 25th
Christmas Day
9.30am Family Parish Communion at Pylle –
Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
11.00am Family Parish Communion at Alhampton – Mrs Jean Halford
11.00am Family Parish Communion at East Pennard –
Revd. Christine Donkersley
Sunday 29th
Thomas Beckett, 1st Sunday of Christmas
10.00am United Benefice Parish Communion at Pylle –
Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
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SERVICES IN JANUARY
Sunday 5th Epiphany
9.30am Parish Communion at Ditcheat - Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
11.00am Morning Prayer at East Pennard – Mrs Jean Halford
Sunday 12th
Baptism of Christ, 1st Sunday of Epiphany
11.00am Parish Communion at Pylle – Revd. Stuart Munns
Tuesday 14th
10.00am United Benefice Midweek Communion, at Ditcheat –
Revd. Stuart Munns
Sunday 19th
2nd
Sunday of Epiphany
8.00am Book of Common Prayer Communion at Ditcheat –
Revd. Richard Reakes
11.00am Parish Communion at East Pennard – Revd. Canon Tony Birbeck
Sunday 26th
3rd
Sunday of Epiphany
9.30am Parish Communion at Alhampton – Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
SERVICE FOR FEBRUARY
Sunday 2nd
Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
9.30am Parish Communion at Ditcheat – Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
11.00am Morning Prayer at East Pennard – Mrs Jean Halford
FROM THE REGISTER
FUNERAL
We remember those who have died and pray for all who are bereaved. 14
th October Reverend Vernon Francis aged 97years
followed by interment in the churchyard
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A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE As we approach the climax of the season, how are you feeling? Rushed? Frazzled? Overwhelmed?
When it gets to Christmas Day – will you wish it was all over?
One way to avoid all that is to take a break every time this happens, sit back (or stand still) and switch off from all the rush – stop thinking of the presents, the cards, the holiday meal options, the decorations and all that fuss – and
remember what Christmas is really for.......... remember that “Christmas” is really “Christ’s Mass (or feast)”
If we believe in a loving God – then we know that He sent His Son, as a baby, to live on earth with us – a living example of love, joy and peace. Not as an
excuse for all that overspending, overeating, overdrinking, and general excess. We can share in God’s love without any of that! If, instead of the above, we enjoy a peaceful family meal, with an exchange of loving tokens,
and have the space to enjoy ourselves together instead of that dreaded ”timetable” which allots precise time slots for everything.
If you don’t believe in a loving God – what are you celebrating anyway? Whatever your beliefs, we in your Benefice Churches wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas – hoping to see you all sometime and somewhere.
And may the love of the Christchild, the joy of Mary and Joseph, the wonder of the shepherds go with you; and may the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be with you the Christmastide and for ever. Amen. Happy Christmas Jean, Reader of this Benefice
West Pennard’s Christmas Fair It is on Friday 6th December from 6 pm till 8 pm at West Pennard School Festive fun, with craft, gifts, games, refreshments, raffle, carol singers and Santa's Grotto!
A lovely Christmas event for everyone to enjoy! For more information please contact Tracy on 07958 765604 or West Pennard School on 01458 832866
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Christingle Sunday 1st December
at 4pm
All Saints, East Pennard
Followed by refreshments
Light up a Life In aid of St Margaret’s Hospice
Sunday 8th Dec
at 3pm
St Mary Magdalene, Ditcheat
Followed by tea
Carol Services Friday 13th, 7pm, Pylle
Saturday 21st, 6pm, Ditcheat Sunday 22nd, 6: 30pm, East Pennard
Christmas Nativity Christmas Eve
at 4.30pm
St. Mary Magdalene, Ditcheat
Midnight Communion Christmas Eve
at 11.30pm
St Mary Magdalene, Ditcheat
Christmas Day Family Services 9:30am, Pylle, Revd. Canon Graham Hendy
11am, East Pennard, Revd. Christine Donkersley 11am, Alhampton, Jean Halford (Reserved Sacrament)
34
Letters Page Community Hospital Shepton Mallet
I have been collecting subscriptions for the Hospital League of Friends for more than 40 years and I now need someone to replace me in Ditcheat. Numbers have dwindled to about 10 (annual subs.).
Would anyone be willing to take my place?
Details from Margaret Dyke 01749 860543
Joan and Richard Ashdown send to everyone their best wishes for an enjoyable Christmas and a joyous and peaceful New Year. (We will be making a donation to the Fabric Fund of Ditcheat Church in lieu of sending out Christmas cards.)
St. Dunstan’s Mothers’ Union Branch met in Baltonsborough Church Room on
Thursday November 14th. The meeting was taken by Mrs. Emma Stevens,
with prayers being led by Mrs. Anne Speirs.
The speaker was our own Revd. Judith, who spoke very movingly about her
two visits to India, first in 2004, during a vacation whilst she was at
Theological College, and again in 2008, sponsored by Gloucester Diocese,
when she and two colleagues, took a party of fourteen teenagers from the
Diocese. Her talk was illustrated by some excellent slides, which provided us
with a real insight to daily life in Bangalore, which was where they were
based.
She brought home to us what a life of contrasts India is, great wealth, and
aspirations to be a 21st century Country, alongside appalling poverty, which
the Church of South India, which is interdenominational is striving to relieve.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, December 12th at 2.30 pm. in
Baltonsborough Church Room, entitled “The Promise of Christmas”, when we
will hear music and readings to prepare us for the celebration of the Birth of
Christ. All are welcome.
Beryl Knight.
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“A CHRISTMAS CONCERT” The Wincanton Choral Society is
performing at the Wincanton Leisure Centre on the evening of Sunday 8th December, and is offering a thrilling
evening’s entertainment. This year the 100+ choir will be singing beautiful and seasonal works by Elgar, Vaughan Williams, carols, Negro Spirituals and a ravishing 20-minute piece by Ariel
Ramirez with Guitar, Strings and percussion accompaniment.
The first half begins with three short but delightful Motets by Elgar. This will be followed by the 5 Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams. These songs mix serenity and drama with true English beauty. Then follows the Navidad
Nuestra (“our Christmas”) by Ariel Ramirez from the Argentine - in many ways the high point of the evening, the music is exciting with its Latin American rhythms, haunting melodies and itself flows with the tenor of the gauchos and
the warm airs of Buenos Aires. The second half of the performance will begin with Vaughan Williams’
‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols’ which is based on four well known carols and provides intricate and heart-warming choral lines. The rest of the programme contains Christmas Carols and Spiritual Music from the deep South of the
United States. As always the audience will be have a chance to participate in some familiar numbers.
Alongside the Choir and its Musical Director Simon Twiselton will be soloists Paul Badley (Tenor) and Tom Hunt (baritone). Instrumentalists Jacqueline
Bevan (piano), a string quintet led by Edward Burns, guitarist Richard Hill and percussionists led by Dan Priest will provide an array of colours to enhance the singing.
The performance begins at 7.30pm. A bar will be open for wine and soft drinks both before the performance and
during the interval. Tickets will be available at the door on the night at £15.00 but can be obtained early before 25th November at a discounted price of
£13.50 from choir members, through the box office (www.netaticket.co.uk) or by telephone to Anne Bridge 01963 31983 and John Cole 01963 351916.
Seating is limited and early booking is recommended. Wincanton Choral Society is a Registered Charity – No. 1029009
36
Gardening Page I am not sure where the year has gone. We had such a late spring and early summer I thought we would never catch up and then I find myself picking my
last tomatoes and peppers right into November. It just goes to prove what a wonder nature is. I keep hearing ominous forecasts for a harsh winter. All I hope is that we get a decent spring and I get a better chance to produce
some decent plants for the summer fete. I have lots of little seedlings and small plants growing on apace so I really hope the winter is not too bad. I may have to invest in some cold frames!
I did hear on the radio the other day that frosts are imminent in Scotland. It
won’t be long before they get down here. If you do have any tender plants, invest in some fleece and get some straw from the pet department of the garden centre. Keep an eye on the forecasts and if in doubt get out and
cover up the plants in anticipation. The garden has lots of treats to bring in for Christmas decorations. The
obvious choices are holly and ivy but what about variegated leaves in the garden such as Euonymous, the crinkly leaves of Pittosporum and varieties of anything that might have berries or hips. Be imaginative – seed heads look
wonderful and the children might like to decorate them with glitter or spray. An easy idea for a decoration is a swag to go on the mantle piece above the fireplace. I roll two pieces of newspaper from corner to corner to form a tube
and fasten with cellotape. When I have enough tubes to go across the top of the mantel and down the sides I slot each roll into the other to form one long tube. I then find as much greenery I can from the garden and poke it into
the newspaper. It helps to use a small sharp knife to make an incision. Make sure you cannot see any of the newspaper. I then look for berries,
variegated leaves and dried seed heads to give interest. I sometimes add ribbon and baubles but prefer the totally natural look. I find if you make this a couple of days before Christmas it does last for quite a few days before it
starts to dry out. The best news is it costs nothing and keeps children occupied for quite some time.
If you find time this month it is worth collecting up those last leaves. My garden is covered as I write this. I am hoping for a dry weekend as I want to remove any that are covering plants that are vulnerable to winter damp. As a
general rule of thumb the ‘vulnerable’ are often silver-leaved plants such as Anaphalis. The leaves are also a slip hazard and will damage lawns if left to lie for too long.
I am still busy tidying perennials and splitting and dividing to give me more plants for next year. If the garden is looking a bit dull now that the Autumn
37
colour has gone, add some plants with wonderful winter stems, such as
Dogwoods. If you want to see some fine examples try and get to Kilver Court in spring – they have some magnificent examples.
Don’t forget your greenhouse. Mine is full of my little seedlings and although they don’t need a drink every day they don’t want to get too parched. Try and keep things tidy and pick over your plants once a week to remove any
dead leaves or flowers. This will minimise fungal diseases. Incidentally, I had no tomato rot this year. If you remember I used some bombs in the spring and scrubbed all surfaces with a strong mix of fluids. I shall do the
same again next year. My plants did, however, suffer from blossom end rot which is supposed to be caused by lack of calcium and can be righted by adjusting the watering. It doesn’t ruin the crop but they are not very
attractive. I still have one large bowl left and have fed my B&B guests all summer on fresh fruits from the vine. Produce couldn’t get more local.
The old veg patch could do with digging over. It is so worthwhile at this time of year because the frost really helps to break the soil down ready for sowing new crops in the spring. It is also a good time to add some garden compost.
If your soil is clay it is better to stay off it until the weather is dry.
If all goes according to plan I shall be moving from the Barn to another
property in the village. I hope by the time this drops through your door I shall be resident in my new home. I shall be itching to get at the garden which is much larger than mine here.
Happy gardening and wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas and New Year.
SMuTS SMuTS (also known as Strode Music Theatre Society) are planning to hold a
concert next June in Ditcheat. We could do this just for our own funds but would prefer to split the proceeds with a charity. Ideally the charity representatives would run the evening – though obviously those of us in the
choir who live here would help – and the choir would provide the entertainment. The proceeds would be split 50/50 up to a maximum of £300 (£150 each) with the charity taking anything over that. If anyone has a
charity dear to their hearts and is interested in joining us for such an event please could you get in touch with me as soon as possible on 01749 860252 or [email protected].
38
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Happy Landings In this our 30th year of helping animals we have been able to celebrate our anniversary in
style. We have had sponsored events and we have been out and about during the summer to fun days, fetes and other events. We have
taken part in street collections, shaken our collecting tins at Garden Centres and at the annual Avalon Vintage Vehicle Road Run. The
culmination was our fantastic dog show and fun day where so many ex rescues joined us
for a big reunion. We have had a fantastic year of celebrating and remembering. So many animals helped, so many new owners made happy, so many homes made whole again!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has given something to Happy Landings this year. We have been quite literally
overwhelmed by the support and generosity of people. Donations of all kinds have come in thick and fast, everything from coffee, tea bags and biscuits for staff, to paper, pens and other office stationery; washing powder, blankets
and duvets; all kinds of animal foods, dog coats, poo bags, toys; to the simple and hugely useful donations of money. We really cannot thank our supporters enough. Although we often get to see the worst of human nature,
we also get to see the best. People reach out and help us in our efforts to help the deluge of unloved and unwanted animals, and so many of you do. It has brought a real lump to our throats to realise how many people really do
care and want to help us to help the animals. Thank you.
On behalf of everyone at Happy Landings we wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year
41
Harriet Sandys
invites you to
Exotic gifts from around the world. Unusual Christmas presents from
the Barn at the Manor House, West Compton
BA4 4PB Blue glass from Afghanistan, felt slippers from Nepal, wool coats from India, Kashmiri painted boxes, cushions, table
lamps, tribal jewellery, scarves, cushions, block print bedspreads, throws, carpets, rugs and lots more!
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December 2-5pm
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December 2-5pm
Saturday 21st December 2-5pm
01749 890 582 www.sandysorientalcarpets.co.uk
Percentage of proceeds to Shepton Mallet
Community Hospital
In this season of endless parties, socialising and constant hospitality, please remember: No woman ever yet shot her husband while he was washing the
dishes. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear
bright until you hear them speak. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
Everyone has a photographic memory. But sadly, some don't have film.
On the other hand, you have different fingers. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it. Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they will never
cease to be amused. Woman’s ambition: to be weighed and found wanting.
42
Royal British Legion – East Pennard
Come on now, confess, who watched the Festival of Remembrance on the tele on Saturday night the 10th November? Of those of you who did watch it,
were you reduced to tears, as we were in our house, when that girl out of the Poppy Girls ran to her Dad? She had just been singing the Legion song of the moment thinking her Dad was away on deployment with the Royal Navy and
then suddenly he was there in the Royal Albert Hall. She ran across to him, still holding the microphone, and it was one of those very memorable moments which you feel you ought not to be watching but are unable to drag
your eyes away from the drama. We thought it was a lovely moment and captured the raw emotion of families being separated because of service to our Country.
Remembrance……………….it is a very emotional time of the year. Perhaps not for everybody but certainly for me. It's not just because I have a military
background, because thank goodness I was spared all the horrors of recent conflicts and didn't lose many pals whilst I was serving, but, for me it does
seem to be more embracing than just the military connection. I can't help but think of all my friends and family who have died, and I find it is a good time to remember. I could have said that it is a convenient time to
remember, but that would suggest that I don't think of them at any other time. That isn't the case, but I'm more in the mood to remember, if that makes any sense. I expect to be sad and I'm certainly more emotional at this
time of the year; when I go out on my poppy round Sue can tell if that particular outing has been successful or not by my mood; I'm quite irritable at home until I've got the Remembrance Day jobs allocated, and I'm like a
wet leaf after the two parades have happened without too many mistakes. It's the remembering time; I'm glad it comes every year but I'm certainly glad when it is all over. Does that make sense to anyone out there
or is it just me rabbiting on as usual!
But what about the Remembrance that everybody shared this year? On
Remembrance Sunday the weather was absolutely perfect and we were hopeful for a bumper turn out. Yet I thought the numbers were down, certainly there were fewer Legion members on parade and I got the distinct
impression there were fewer people in Church. I wish I could fathom out what makes the numbers vary so much; are people disillusioned about Remembrance or is it pure coincidence that people are away? Before I forget
to comment, don't you think that a bugler/trumpeter makes a huge difference to the overall feel of the proceedings? To me it makes it more
emotional…………..Oh! Here we go again, stop it! It's very noticeable on a weekday service, as it was this year at Pennard for the 11th, when we don't have a bugler. For a start I have to time the two minute silence myself,
which I do by counting, but then I run out of fingers and it is a bit
43
embarrassing holding up one's fingers to see how much longer to go. When
the bugler is there then he does the timing. Talking of East Pennard, we did have quite a good turn out there despite the miserable weather so thank you to everybody who made the effort both at the Remembrance parade and also
the one on the 11th. This is a very personal comment, but I would like to thank Stuart Munns for taking both Services and making his Sunday sermon so relevant for Remembrance. I was getting worried when he started talking
about Christmas, I was wondering where he was going, but it worked out in the end. Thank you Stuart.
I realise that you are all desperate to know how much we collected during the Poppy Appeal, but as I prepare this article for transmission to the FTN editors, we still haven't done the count. Sorry! It really is a question of getting all
the counting team together at the same time and that is not as easy as it should be, especially as our Appeal Organiser and esteemed Chairman has so
many other commitments. By the way, thank you to all of you who have volunteered to help with the count. We are very grateful, but it is one of those occasions when too many people can complicate matters and we like to
stick with the same team. But 'thanks' anyway. We will let you know the total in the next article.
We didn't hold a meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of November because of the late get together in October and the planned Annual General Meeting which is going to be on 26th November. So really there's nothing to tell you about
Branch business because at the time of writing we haven't had the AGM yet. ‘Caught in limbo’, so to speak. However our next monthly meeting is Tuesday 10th December 8pm at the Chairman's house. If you don't fancy the
idea of going there but feel you have something to say then don't hesitate to let one of us know and we can represent you.
44
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Flute and Music Theory Tuition
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46
Roll Up! Roll Up! YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE DITCHEAT AND
ALHAMPTON
ONE HUNDRED CLUB
December’s Big Draw
At The Rendezvous
ALL PROCEEDS TO GO TO THE UPKEEP OF DITCHEAT CHURCH &
ALHAMPTON CHAPEL
WE DONATED OVER £800 IN 2013! CONTACT JOANNE CURTIS 01749 860898
Or [email protected] FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIMPLY SIGN UP TO WIN!
DUE TO OUR FORTHCOMING ‘DELIVERY’ I WILL BE COLLECTING FROM THOSE WHO CHOOSE ANNUAL PAYMENTS FOR 2014 IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
(*SUBJECT TO 100 MEMBERS)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Someone suggested we start a 'Freecycle' page. The idea is that if you have anything you are thinking of throwing out, but that someone else may get use out of, then advertise it on this page. No money changes hands. If after a while no one has been in contact, then you throw it out. Laura Ashley wedding dress, wide neck, long sleeves, fitted waist and pleated
(not meringue!) skirt. Size 10. Pure cotton so could be dyed if wished. Louisa 01749 860252
Crocosmia Montbretia and Day Lilies looking for a good home. Also Walnut Tree saplings. Ditcheat 01749 860444
2ft x 3ft wood framed mirror Vee 860542
30 unused floppy discs Gerry 860542
47
The Rev Dr Gary Bowness continues his tongue-in-cheek letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’
On how to make the most of carol singing The Rectory
St James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren Carol singing is not what it used to be. My fond memories of a group of choristers, muffled in scarves and overcoats, carrying lanterns and walking from door to door in the snow, as they sang ‘While shepherds watched …’ had to be suddenly revised when I saw your own music group, in T-shirts inscribed with ‘Jesus loves You’, singing ‘Little donkey’, in your shopping centre. I suspect any money you raised would just about have paid for the electricity used to power your banks of electronic equipment. Singing in the main square of the Centre next to the fountain may have looked good, but it seemed to mean that the choirmen were obliged to make constant trips to the lavatory. Here at St. James the Least of All, carol singing is regarded as a staff perk for the choir; the year when the Boys’ Brigade tried to break their monopoly was suppressed with a ruthlessness that would have impressed Genghis Kahn. Our annual carol-singing route involves months of meticulous planning. We find that a transparent collection box is vital, so that donors can see what earlier patrons have given. This means that those who are bound to put in notes must be visited first – ‘pour encourager les autres’. It also needs a detachable base, so that if coppers are given, they can be removed from sight before the next call. Those homes that contain several children are visited just after bed-time, so that parents will give generously simply to get the choir to go somewhere else. Veiled threats to stay and sing more carols (unless they give generously) are usually very effective. Getting whoever looks the most innocent and photogenic to ring the bell and ask for money is a far more subtle way of ensuring a donation than planting any number of mafia lookalikes (such as our church treasurer) on the doorstep. The choir always finishes its evening at the local pub – but again, the timing has to be carefully managed. Too early and there will only be the landlord, his wife and their Labrador to listen; too late and people will be so full of Christmas cheer that any carols will be hi-jacked and become the equivalent of back-of-the bus rugby songs. I am never entirely sure what charity our choristers collect for, but the fact that all the men return to the pub once the boys are taken home does rather give one pause for thought. Your loving uncle, Eustace
48
EASY FUND RAISING Christmas Is Coming and lots of money will be spent on the internet shopping. Join up to Easy Fund Raising and help raise some money for St Mary Magdalene Church, it is no extra cost to you.
So far £152.27 has been raised over the past year, SEE IF WE CAN MAKE £200.00 BY CHRISTMAS
Below are instructions of one way how you can help in your everyday internet life.
It will not cost you a penny but will help us. Log on to www.easyfundraising.org.uk First screen - click on “Create account” in top right-hand corner, press enter
Second screen – click on “ I want to support a good cause” press enter Third screen – Find cause, put in “Ditcheat PCC” and click on Ditcheat PCC when it appears.
Fourth screen – To sign up by clicking in bottom right-hand corner “Sign Me Up” Fifth screen - Follow instructions for registering support for Ditcheat PCC. Press proceed.
So when looking to buy anything through the internet please do it through this web site and the retailer will contribute a percentage sum of money to the cause " Ditcheat
PCC". Many of the retailers one uses support this scheme ie. John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Amazon, Body Shop to name but a few, so please look. This is at no extra cost to yourself but will help us.
Secondly, if you change your search engine from Google, Yahoo or whoever to www.easysearch.org.uk and every time you make a search Easy Fund Raising will
contribute .05p to Ditcheat PCC. Make it your home search page. The only thing you do before you begin your search is to enter the cause, Ditcheat PCC.
For example one would go to easyfundraising to search the internet If a person was to make 3 searches a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year then this would equate to £3.90, ok so that doesn’t seem much but 10 people doing this would turn it into £39. 00, 100 people doing this would suddenly turn it into £390 now does that sound a bit more interesting? I certainly think so, and it will not cost us as individuals a penny, it’s just about re-educating ourselves and going about our internet surfing using a different tool EASYSEARCH. Please note when you use the Easy Search your contribution will not appear straight away as the site is up dated at certain intervals so please don’t
think you are not helping. Thank you for helping us in this small way but with Christmas coming you alone could
make a big difference to a small Parish.
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DITCHEAT BOOK GROUP Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Review by Clare West
When this book first came out in 1960, it was hailed on all sides as a brilliant first novel, and both public and critics looked forward with eager anticipation to its successor. They waited in vain, because Harper Lee never wrote
another, and To Kill a Mockingbird, now recognised as a modern American classic, remains her sole contribution to world literature.
It is a truly magnificent novel. In fewer than 300 pages, we become intimately acquainted with the inhabitants of a small town in the American Deep South – their speech, their routines, their eccentricities, their vices and
virtues. Scout, an eight-year-old girl, tells the story with a directness and candour that is extremely touching. And when her father, the highly respected lawyer, Atticus Finch, is chosen to defend a black man charged
with raping a white woman, people in the community start taking sides – this is mid-1930s Alabama, after all – the pressure begins to build, and we
become apprehensive for the Finch family, as well as for justice in the abstract.
How did Harper Lee do it? Fancy winning the Pulitzer Prize and gaining
international fame and acclaim with your only work of fiction! What is it that has given it such long-lasting popularity – the realistic character portrayals, or
the subtle exploration of different forms of courage? The brilliant, suspenseful courtroom set-piece (ideal for filming), or the balance of tolerance versus prejudice in the study of racism? The loss of innocence that the children
experience and have to come to terms with, or the warmth and humour that pervade the whole book?
She did say once: ‘An author should write about what he knows and write truthfully’, and we know that she based parts of the book on people and events close to home. Atticus was modelled on her own father, an attorney
who in 1919 unsuccessfully defended two black men accused of murder. The character of ‘Dill’ was based on her childhood friend, Truman Capote. There were several real-life cases of a black man being falsely charged with raping a
white woman in her neighbourhood when she was younger; she might have based her accused, Tom Robinson, on any of them. And the ‘tired old town’ of Maycomb is the spitting image of Monroeville, where Lee was born and
grew up.
Lee is not prepared to discuss the book, any interpretations of it, or her
reasons for not writing another. By 1964 she had stopped giving interviews, and has largely withdrawn from public life since then. She has been quoted as saying: ‘I have said what I want to say and I will not say it again.’
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Ditcheat Church Rota
Rota for flowers & brasses:_ Date Flowers Brasses
Dec.1st 8th Advent no flower B & I Rounsevell (3rd&4th weeks) Dec 15th Advent --do-- J.&E Halford Dec 22nd & 29th Xmas tba --do--
Jan 5th & 12th P. Dando E. Yeoman Jan 19th & 26th V. Lees ---do--- Feb.2nd & 9th E. Cobb C. McBain
Feb 16th & 23rd J. Leach ---do---
December Sat 7th / 14th Church Cleaning Pat & Jim Dando Sat 21st / 28th Church Cleaning Any volunteers?
Church Room Cleaning Pat Dando January
Sat 4th / 11th Church Cleaning Eleanor Yeoman
Sat 18th / 25th Church Cleaning Vee Lees Church Room Cleaning Pat Dando
February
Sat 1st / 8th Church Cleaning Jessica Leach Sat 15th / 22nd Church Cleaning Pat & Jim Dando
Church Room Cleaning Pat Dando
Thank you to all arrangers and cleaners and Happy Xmas to all.
I have been arranging Ditcheat church flowers
for more than 15 years and with Anno Domini creeping on I think it is time I thought about handing over, so
if anyone fancies the job please ring me (with no obligation ) and I will explain what it entails. It is not a difficult task
and not too time consuming- please think about it. You do not have to be a flower arranger- I'm not.
Joyce 860493 Joyce Marsh (860493) for flowers and brasses. Vee Lees (860542) for Church
Cleaning. Pat Dando (860448) for Church Room Cleaning.
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CALLING ALL CHILDREN!
It is with a saddened heart that due to a lack of response we will not be
pursuing the Youth Group in Ditcheat
However, we do have a need in the Benefice for young adults and all is not lost.
In June Youth Matters went out to tender for the
delivery of youth work in Castle Cary, and awarded
the contract to Somerset Rural Youth Project (SRYP). SRYP has run an exciting programme of activities
over the summer, including an outing to Splashdown,
drumming workshops, a sports evening, and two days of mosaic making. SRYP has also offered an exciting free 5 day residential at Great Potheridge House in
North Devon – the range of activities on offer is amazing – canoeing, scrambling, rock climbing etc
plus evening arts activities. It’s also a chance to meet new people and make new friends. We’re delighted that ten of our club members are signed up to go.
Vic-Lyn, our SRYP youth leader, has been settling in and also getting to know Ansford Academy, where she will give support to young people during the day.
She’ll also be joining in with the new Rural Growth Project and encouraging community.
Regular youth club evenings are in the Swainson Building on Thursdays 7-9 pm
All 13–19 year olds welcome – just
come along.
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Travellers Rest Stone, East Pennard (on the A37)
01749 860069
WINTER SPECIAL
2 FOR 1 on selected meals
Tuesday – Saturday
DURING DECEMBER & JANUARY
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Who's Who ?
FOSSE TRINITY BENEFICE
Priest in Charge Reader Jean Halford 860422 Fosse Trinity Advisory Committee Jean Heal 860452
Fosse Trinity News Editor Gerry Lees 860542 Fosse Trinity News Advertising Marcus Wyburn-Mason 860067 Fosse Trinity News Distribution Alice Griffith 860870
Prayer Pyramid Co-ordinator { Joe & Jackie Pope Mike & Pearl Hendy
860577 860748
Mothers' Union Yvonne Stokes 01458 851480
Safeguarding Person Bridget Wadey 860240 Children's Society Jo Curtis 860898
ALHAMPTON Chapel Warden / Church Watch John Severne 860362
Assistant Chapel Warden Jo Curtis 860898 Neighbourhood Watch Ian Telfer 860414 FTN Correspondent Louisa Oborne 860252
EAST PENNARD Bells - Tower Captain Mervyn Buckley 01458 440180
Churchwarden { Jean Heal Susie Dearden
860452 860266
Church Council Secretary Jean Heal 860452
Church Room Hire Audrey Dyson 860317 Gardening Club Maureen Harris 890426 Parish Council Chairman Adrian Pearse 890216
Royal British Legion Secretary Jon Dickens 01458 850241 United Charities Chairman Adrian Pearse 890216 Verger Ray Higgins 860339
PYLLE
Bells - Tower Captain Joe King 890357
Churchwarden { Hilary Tudsbery-Turner Teresa Rossiter
830538 831419
Church Council Secretary Stephen Tudsbery-Turner 830538 Ladies Working Party (Chairman) Joanna Miln 838757 FTN Correspondent Joanna Miln 838757
Village Hall hire and keys Joanna Miln 838757
Please help us keep this information up-to-date Email the editors with any changes.
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DITCHEAT Art Group Liz & Stewart Gould 860755 Badminton Club Secretary James Bairstow 860355
Bees – Swarms Stewart Gould 860755 Bells - Tower Captain Roger Yeoman 860304 Bells - Correspondence/Bookings Ben Look 860257
The Other Book Club Gail Dyke 860189 Church Council Secretary Louisa Oborne 860252 Church Room Hire Pat Dando 860448
Churchwarden { Anthony Sutcliffe Eleanor Yeoman
860541 860337
Community Car Service (ADEPPTS) Joyce Marsh 860493
Conservative Party Contact Elizabeth Crossley 860245 Country Dancing Deidre Pezaro 860594
Cricket Club Nick Mann 812304 Ditcheat Big Screen / Moviola Sally Greenhalgh 860457 Ditcheat School Amanda Seager 860329
Friends of Ditcheat School (FODS) Faye Wareham 860329 Ditcheat Players Chairperson Gaye Volk 860081 Ditcheat Players Costume Hire Gaye Volk 860081
Jubilee Hall Chairman Peter Volk 860081
Jubilee Hall Hire { Steve Clayton Andy Davis
860461 860485
Keep Fit Diana Cook 860224 Neighbourhood Watch Jim Dando 860448 Parent & Toddler Group Rachel Dixon 860329
Parish Council Chairman Charles Evans 860336 Ramblers Linda Wyburn-Mason 860067 Rendezvous Diana Cook 860224
Scout Group Chairman Jean Halford 860422 Scout Group – Beavers & Cubs Elli Halford 860422
Sewing Group Molly Yeoman 860525 Short Mat Bowls Martin Edgar 860780 Skittles Shirley Derby 07939198030
Village Lunch Jessica Leach 860205 Wildlife Group Bridget Wadey 860240
GENERAL Community Police Guy Dury 101 Lindsey Rogerson 101
Email contacts are on page 58
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Index of Advertisers
Who's Who ? Email addresses
Fosse Trinity News Editor [email protected]
Fosse Trinity News Advertising [email protected] Fosse Trinity News Distribution [email protected]
Jubilee Hall Hire [email protected] Ditcheat Parish Council ditcheatparishcouncil.org.uk Community Police [email protected]
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Alhampton Inn 2 Medical, Foot Health Clinic 15
Art Gallery, Studio 13 29 Medical, Osteopath, Trevenen Pascoe 51 Beauty at the Parlour 10 Medical, Osteopaths, Batcombe 10 B & B, Pennard House 32 Motoring, Wessex MOT centre 15 B & B, Longhill Farmhouse 16 Motoring, N E Motors 16
Buildings, Timber Frame, W Latta 45 Music Tuition, Clarinet, Anne Perrett 32 Computing, Stable Computers 51 Music Tuition, Flute, Elizabeth Cobb 45 Curtains, covers etc, Helen Bushrod 2 Music Tuition, Piano, Alison Bower 45
Decorating, Ray Ackerman 51 Natural Therapy, Sally Davies 45 Fencing 39 Odd Jobs, Alistair Gillard 2 Food, Gould's Cheddar 59 Pet Portraits, Jo Miln 10 Food, Hembridge Organics 10 Plasterer, Neil Piercy 32
Food, Jon Thorner's 59 Proper Pet Co. 46 Funerals, Connock 51 Queens Arms 9 Funerals, Trotman Funeral Directors 16 Removals & Storage, Armishaws 40 Furnishings, upcycle, Fleriel 29 Roofing, Mark Curtis 52
Furniture, Joinery & Kitchen, Mark White 39 Salvation Army 16 Garage Doors, SDS 51 Solicitors, Bartlett, Gooding & Weelen 16 Gardening, Jeremy Dodd 32 Solicitor, J Derbyshire, Wills 45
Golf, Mendip Club 21 Stone Walling, Yenstone 22 Heating Services, Warm Welcome 29 Storage & Removals, Armishaws 40 Hire Shed 15 Taxi, Tony Chinnock 39 Holiday Cottage, Lower Withial Farm 55 Transport, ADEPPTS 2
Home Maintenance, Mike Doyle 29 Travellers Rest, Stone 2 House Maintenance, repointing 29 Tree Surgeon, Noel Radford 59 Manor House Inn Back Wedding & Events Venue 32
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Seasoned
Logs
Charcoal
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