issue number 50

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this issue of The Dove sees the completion of its first five years. It is unquestionably a joint effort – some forty contributors send in articles or information every month, the distributors do their bit uncomplainingly, and the committee work hard at their various tasks. We are about to bid farewell to our Treasurer and Advertising Manager, Greg Beedle, who has masterminded the complicated job of dealing with the adverts and the funds since we set up the magazine in December 2008. We are enormously grateful to him for his dedication and time in the midst of his own busy contents schedule. The two jobs will now be split, and from 1 January advertising will be run by Pennie Dunn, while Who, What and Where 2 Ed Tickner becomes Treasurer. We welcome them most Parsonage Ponderings 3 warmly and are delighted that they have agreed to take on these two tasks. Pennie is at 07855 856 640 or patrick. Diary of Events 5 [email protected]. Q&A: Return to Bruton 11 The Late Night Shopping evening is on Wednesday 11 December, and it is, as usual, something for every Community News 17 resident of Bruton and the surrounding area to look forward to. This year the Chamber of Commerce has Church Services 36 secured permission to close the High Street to traffic Parish News 41 for two hours, enabling everyone to wander freely and safely from stall to stall and make the most of the Durslade Beds and Orchard 50 treats on offer. See page 17. Schools Desk 51 Once again, we would like to remind you that subscriptions are due for renewal, and we would be Town Council News 63 delighted if any new readers, or regular readers who Useful Information 65 pick up the magazine from the various outlets, would like to subscribe now. We can’t guarantee that you will Where to Eat and Drink 71 always find a copy in a shop or restaurant, but with a Crossword 72 subscription you will be sure to get it every month. Contact Mike Kelham (address on page 72). contact us 72 Elisabeth Balfour a www.thedovemagazine.blogspot.com national parish magazine of the year 2012

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who, what and where (all codes 01749 unless otherwise stated)

Priest in Charge (day off: Friday) Senior Associate Priest Benefice Treasurer Church Office

Brewham Bruton Pitcombe Redlynch Shepton Montague Wyke Champflower

Roman Catholic Methodist Quaker

Father Justin Bailey, The Rectory, Plox, Bruton ba10 0ef, 812 616; [email protected] Prebendary Mark Ellis, The Parsonage, Gold Hill, Batcombe, Shepton Mallet ba4 6hf, 850 074; [email protected] John Knight, 813 635; [email protected] Sharon Daniels, Rectory Annexe, Plox, Bruton ba10 0ef (through back gate), 10 am–12.30 pm Monday–Wednesday, 813 080; [email protected] churchwardens of the benefice John Mott, 850 336 Mrs Denise Hastings, 812 525; [email protected] Harry Mills, 812 114; [email protected] Charles Brook, 01963 351 492; [email protected] (Vacant) Jeremy Collyer, 812 363; [email protected] Mrs Andrea Ketley, 01963 350 159 Mrs R. Winkley, 813 203 and in other christian traditions . . . Father Louis Beasley-Suffolk, The Presbytery, South Street, Wincanton ba9 9dh, 01963 34408; [email protected] Rev. Ken Chalmers, 2 Parsonage Crescent, Ansford ba7 7lt, 01963 351 598; [email protected] Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Wincanton Meeting, High Street, Wincanton; Clerk Andy Hall, 01963 353 452 church websites stmarysbruton.org.uk pitcombepc.org.uk sheptonmontague.org.uk bruton town council (See also page 69) Clerk: Kathy McCarthy ([email protected]; 813 014)

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parsonage ponderings

What has happened to Christmas? Have you noticed that in recent years Christmas Day is seen as the culmination of the festival? We all look forward to it with great anticipation, eagerly buying and wrapping our presents, singing our carols, watching the children’s nativity plays, enjoying a drink or two at the office party, putting up the decorations and greeting everyone with a hearty ‘merry Christmas’. Go into a big town on Boxing Day and you will see stores displaying posters proclaiming ‘after Christmas sale’. I always want to protest, ‘No, this is not after Christmas – this is still Christmas.’ I wish we could reclaim the traditional Christmas season of Twelve Days which is clearly provided in the liturgical calendar of the Church. In past years the Twelve Days of Christmas were always celebrated with appropriate festivities. It was a time of merrymaking when various local communities kept alive their particular traditional customs, which took them gratefully out of the old year and pointed them to the hopes of the new year. In Tudor England the tradition of the Twelve Days of Christmas was so firmly entrenched in popular culture that William Shakespeare used the title Twelfth Night for one of his best-loved and most amusing plays. I think it is important to observe the Twelve Days of Christmas as they lead us through the Christmas season until the Epiphany. They take us from the Incarnation to the Revelation. If we think Christmas is over on 25 December then we have misunderstood the message that is central to the Christian faith. The Twelve Days of Christmas help us to ponder what God has done for us in the birth of the Holy Child of Bethlehem. We shall see that God is calling us to take our part in making Christ real to the people we meet day by day. Christmas Day is the beginning of the story. How that story now unfolds depends upon all of us who in baptism have received the light of Christ and have been challenged to ‘shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father’. May I wish you all a very happy Twelve Days of Christmas. Prebendary Mark Ellis page 3

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O P E N I N G 2 0 14

General Enquiries +44 174 981 4061 Stockwell House, 13 High Street, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0AB page 4 www.hauserwirthsomerset.com

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dec & jan diary of events See also Church Services pages 36/38 Coffee mornings are held on Saturdays, 10am–12 noon, at Bruton Community Hall, on behalf of the following organisations: 7 St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice 14 Bruton Community Hall 21 St Mary’s Church december Monday 2 • B&D Flower Club AGM, followed by refreshments, 7.30pm, Bruton Community Hall. • Pilates class, 6.15-7.15pm, Bruton Club (and every Monday). Mo 07815 748 518 or [email protected]. • WITS meeting, 8pm hosted by Katie Mills, Marksdanes, Frome Road (813 329): Just a Minute teams, gift exchange; bring small plate of nibbles. Tuesday 3 • Somerset Wildlife Trust talk: Birding with the Summer People by James Packer. Caryford Hall, Castle Cary/Ansford, 7.30 for 8pm. £2.50, children free. • Stretch ‘n’ Flex, 5–6 pm, Hadspen Village Hall (and every Tuesday). Sue 07801 279 074. Wednesday 4 • Pilates class, 6.30-7.30pm & 7.30-8.30pm, Charlton Musgrove Village Hall (and every Wednesday). Mo 07815 748 518 or [email protected]. • Sexey’s School Senior Citizens’ afternoon Christmas Concert. • Bruton School for Girls Winter Concert, 7pm, Main Hall. All welcome. • Sunny Hill Nursery Parent & Toddler Group, Sunny Hill Prep School. 10.30–12 noon, free, all welcome (and every Wednesday in term-time). • Hadspen Short Mat Bowls Club, 7.15–9.15 pm, Hadspen Village Hall (and every Wednesday). Carole Wyatt 01963 350 222. Thursday 5 • Bruton School for Girls Sixth Form Lecture, 7pm, Hobhouse Studio Theatre: Jackie England, Business Manager for Natwest. Free, all welcome. 814 400 or [email protected]. • Cary Reels, Caryford Hall, Castle Cary/Ansford, 7.30pm. Bring your own bottle and food. Enquiries 01963 350 276. • Bruton Festival of Arts AGM, 7.30pm upstairs At the Chapel (in the gallery). All welcome, but please let Lisa know you are coming: [email protected]. Friday 6 • Bruton Active Living Christmas lunch with music, Bruton Community Hall, 12.45pm. (NB: no meetings in January.) Saturday 7 • Bruton School for Girls Christmas Craft Fair, all day, Main Hall and Centenary Room. All welcome. Sunday 8 • Wincanton Choral Society Christmas concert, Wincanton Leisure Centre, page 5

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z

WineWizzard Affordable wines you can be proud to put on your table

Woodcock Street, Castle Cary BA7 7BL Telephone 01963 351 919 [email protected] www.winewizzard.com page 6

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Tuesday 10

Wednesday 11

Thursday 12 Friday 13

Sunday 15

Wednesday 18

Thursday 19

Friday 20

7.30pm. Tickets £15 on the door. • Mid-Somerset Decorative and Fine Arts Society illustrated lecture, ‘Jewellery of the Renaissance’. Caryford Hall, Castle Cary/Ansford, 11am, £6. All welcome. Further information 01963 350 527. • B&D Women’s Institute Christmas lunch, 12.30pm, Bruton Community Hall. • Bruton Christmas Shopping Evening, 6–8pm, arranged by Bruton Chamber of Commerce. High Street closed to traffic. Santa with presents for the children, Ghost Walk, Treasure Hunt, live music etc. • King’s Bruton term ends. • Community Carol Singing at the Montague Inn, Shepton Montague, 7.30 pm. • Bruton Active Living Christmas get-together and games, Bruton Community Hall, 2pm. (NB: no meetings in January.) • Batcombe Film Society special French evening, Jubilee Hall, doors open 6pm: The Women on the 6th Floor. Sit at a café table, enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and nibbles, then watch the film. Members free, guests £4.50. • South Somerset District Council Surgery, Methodist Church, Bruton, 9.30am– 12.30pm. Advice on welfare benefits etc. Every other Friday. amber.eales@ southsomerset.gov.uk or 01935 462 943 to book an appointment, or just turn up. • Sexey’s School term ends. • Santa Dash at Yeovil College for St Margaret’s Hospice. Adults £7.50 (£5.50 if England Athletics Club-affiliated), children £4. Team challenge: four people, £25. 0845 345 9671 or [email protected] to register. • Poppy Travel excursion to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Octagon Theatre, Yeovil. Matinee performance. Details Lynne Hawkridge 812 916. Non-members welcome. • Bruton School for Girls term ends. • Bruton Choral Society’s Carols by Candlelight, Bruton School for Girls, 7.30pm. • Chris Kelham’s one-man show, Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Charlton Musgrove Village Hall, 7.30pm. Tickets £8 including a glass of mulled wine, children £4. • Carol Service at St Peter’s, Shepton Montague, 6.30pm. • Chris Kelham’s one-man show, Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Hobhouse Theatre, Bruton School for Girls, 7.30pm. Tickets £8 including a glass of mulled wine, children £4. • Mill on the Brue closes, reopening Thursday 2 January. • Bruton Primary School term ends.

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january 2014 Monday 6 • Pilates class, 6.15–7.15pm, Bruton Club (and every Monday). Mo 07815 748 518 or [email protected]. • Sexey’s School term begins. Tuesday 7 • Stretch ‘n’ Flex, 5–6 pm, Hadspen Village Hall (and every Tuesday). Sue 07801 279 074. • King’s, Bruton School for Girls terms start. Wednesday 8 • Pilates class, 6.30–7.30pm & 7.30–8.30pm, Charlton Musgrove Village Hall (and every Wednesday). Mo 07815 748 518 or [email protected]. • Sunny Hill Nursery Parent & Toddler Group, Sunny Hill Prep School. 10.30–12 noon, free, all welcome (and every Wednesday in term-time). • Hadspen Short Mat Bowls Club, 7.15–9.15 pm, Hadspen Village Hall (and every Wednesday). Carole Wyatt 01963 350 222. Thursday 9 • Museum talk by metal detector David Crisp, Saving our Heritage, based on nearly 30 years of finding items from the bronze age and earlier. 7 for 7.30pm, Bruton Museum, High Street. Friday 10 • Batcombe Film Society presents A Hijacking. Batcombe Jubilee Hall, doors open 7.15pm, film starts 7.45pm. Members free, guests £4.50.

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Saturday 11 Wednesday 15 Friday 17 Sunday 19 Monday 20

Tuesday 21

Friday 24

Tuesday 28 Friday 31

• South Somerset District Council Surgery, Methodist Church, Bruton, 9.30am– 12.30pm. See Friday 13 December. • B&D Horticultural Society Winter Lunch, 12 for 12.30pm, Montague Inn, Shepton Montague. Booking essential: www.brutonhorticultural.org.uk. • Bruton Choral Society rehearsals resume in the John Davey Room at King’s School, 7.30pm. • Yarlington Wassail, 7pm: assemble at the Stag’s Head, collection for Rotary charities. Bruton School for Girls Classical Concert, 2.30pm, St Michael’s Somerton. All welcome. • B&D Horticultural Society talk: Past secrets which have bearing on the Stourhead of today, by Julia Mottershaw, followed by the AGM. 7.30pm, Bruton Community Hall. www.brutonhorticultural.org.uk. • Mid-Somerset Decorative and Fine Arts Society illustrated lecture, ‘Painted People, Portraits plain, pleasing or puzzling’. Caryford Hall, Castle Cary/Ansford, 11am, £6. All welcome. Further information 01963 350 527. • Batcombe Film Society Members’ choice, from No, Quartet, Silver Linings Playbook, Untouchables. Look at local posters nearer the time. Batcombe Jubilee Hall, doors open 7.15pm, film starts 7.45pm. Members free, guests £4.50. • Caroline Donald (Gardening Editor of the Sunday Times) talk, ‘What is a Garden For?’ in aid of the Pitcombe Church bell project. Hobhouse Theatre, Bruton School for Girls, 7 for 7.30pm. Tickets £10 from Tina Harley, 813 262 or tina. [email protected]. • South Somerset District Council Surgery, Methodist Church, Bruton, 9.30am– 12.30pm. See Friday 13 December. • WITS Winter Party at the Bull Inn, Hardway: three-course meal £20. Contact Jocelyn Crawford (812 333) or Katie Mills (813 329). • Bruton School for Girls Woodwind Recital, 1pm, Prep School Hall. All welcome. • Camelot U3A: talk on running a lavender farm in Somerset – plus samples. Caryford Hall, Castle Cary/Ansford, 2.30pm. • Bruton School for Girls Acoustic Evening, 7pm, Hobhouse Theatre. All welcome.

Sat 1 February • Sexey’s School Boarding Information Morning, 10am–1pm. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR REFUSE COLLECTION Usual day Wednesday (Christmas Day): collected on Friday 27 Dec; Thursday (Boxing Day) on Saturday 28 Dec; Friday 27 Dec on Sunday 29 Dec. Mon and Tues 30 and 31 Dec as usual; Wed 1 Jan on Thurs 2 Jan, and one day later than usual for rest of week; normal service resumes Mon 6 Jan. page 9

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q & a: return to bruton matthew keegan talks to nic green The adage that variety is the spice of life is one apposite to describe the comings and goings of Nic Green. Born – in a thunderstorm – and raised in Bruton, Nic was drawn by his artistic flair to the swinging streets of London to study fashion and then work in the capital’s theatreland as a costume designer, before the gravitational pull of his Somerset heritage propelled him back westwards to a quite different career.

mk  Was Christmas a time of plenty in the Green household, with groaning tables of food, piles of presents in the living room and roaring fires? ng  In a word, no. We didn’t have much of a Christmas when I was a child because we had no money. Dad’s bus and taxi service – The Brutonian – was financially similar to the local geography: up and down. But we had a house that looked good because my parents made sure it was nicely decorated. Our home, Quaperlake House, had six windows on the ground floor. My mother placed a decoration in each one with a candle, and these were lit on Christmas Eve before we went to Midnight Mass. The holly and ivy were the result of Dad’s foraging missions from various spots near Druley Hill, and the Christmas tree’s provenance was from another location near Shearwater. mk  I’m not sensing the warming glow of a Hollywood production here. Did the festive season hold any highlights? ng  Well, there was enough food because Dad kept poultry on land where the Tolbury Mill houses now stand, but my Christmas morning pillowcase was never overflowing and was more likely to reveal a pair of woollen socks knitted by my Aunt Ethel – the ones that never stayed up. One year I was desperate to be given a monkey and woke to find a budgerigar; later on the cat tried to get it and in the kerfuffle it escaped from its cage. But I was always thankful to Ethel because if it wasn’t for her I doubt I would have lived to see any Christmases. My birth was very difficult. Mrs Smith, who was a sort of unofficial midwife, had been with my mother during labour but had to fetch the doctor page 11

Wishing all of our customers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

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as her condition deteriorated. Once I had been delivered I was thrown aside – a poorly baby, having been starved of oxygen – and the doctor concentrated on saving my mother. Ethel warmed me up while they took care of Mum, and we both survived. mk  The scriptwriters are now putting on their gloves to keep out the chill of this narrative. Let’s look to sunnier climes before North Pole clothing is issued. Tell me about your time in London. ng  I had won a place to study for a degree in fashion at St Martin’s School of Art, having completed my A Levels and pre-diploma course in art at Yeovil. I began my student life in some style, as I rented a flat in Cadogan Gardens off the King’s Road. Despite the fashionable address, the flat was rather grotty and too expensive for an impoverished student. After four months I found lodgings with an Irish family in a house in Scrubs Lane in Hammersmith, just up from Wormwood Scrubs prison. mk  I guess the London you experienced must have been a lively place for a young fashion student. How did you eke out the grant money then available? ng  Most of us did some part-time work but I suppose the jobs I undertook were of a more unusual nature. I had lasted for about a month as a barman at the Valbonne Club in Kingly Street, and then ended up with two friends from St Martin’s – Jo and Pam – as cage dancers at the Phone Booth club off Baker Street – this lasted for around nine months. My other money-earning venture was to open Bruton’s first, and possibly the region’s only, high-fashion boutique shop in the cottage next to our house in Quaperlake Street. It was called Nic In Gear and the clothes came from a variety of sources but mainly from the work produced by my fellow students at St Martin’s and friends from Yeovil. While I was in London it was run by Jenny Bingham, another friend who lived in Bruton. mk  You left St Martin’s with your degree but turned down a place at the Royal College of Art, which must have been a hard decision. ng  Well, it was tempting but I really wanted to get a job. I didn’t want to take the Bruton shop any further and that was wound up. Soon after graduating I had an interview to be a designer with Browns but that didn’t come to anything and my next interview – successful – was for a job as a theatrical costume designer with a company based in the West End. We produced the sort of glitzy outfits that appeared in shows ranging from the London Palladium to end-of-the-pier theatres all around the country – from Bognor to Blackpool. It was great fun and lasted for around ten years. After leaving I decided to return to the West Country. My next job was completely different – working for the Post Office as a telephone operator, based first in Yeovil and then Shepton Mallet. mk  You’re right. I can’t quite make the connection from Soho razzmatazz to Somerset switchboards. But, no doubt, you found it a stimulating career. page 13

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I Y E N G A R YOG A Barbara Saunders offers mixed ability classes suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Yoga encourages good posture, builds strength, improves flexibility, has a positive effect on all the main body functions and relaxes and energises.

batcombe, Jubilee Hall, Mondays 10–11.30 am bruton, King’s School, Mondays 7–8.30 pm evercreech, Thursdays 10–11.30 am For more details please call 01749 831 283

ng  Actually, it was a good move and proved to be stable and interesting. What surprised me when I got the job was being asked to sign the Official Secrets Act, as all employees of the General Post Office were technically civil servants. As well as the day-to-day work, all the staff were encouraged to join the Royal Observer Corps. This was a mainly volunteer organisation tasked from the height of the Cold War with reporting on nuclear attacks from blast-proof bunkers dotted around the country. I joined up and really enjoyed it, even though the uniform was a rather sub-standard copy of the Royal Air Force’s and I was banned from wearing my much-loved white socks with it. We had to train one day every week and there were regular weekend exercises. mk  What was it like down the bunker rehearsing for all-out nuclear war? ng  The regional command bunker was at Hendford Hill in Yeovil and we would act out various scenarios during three-day-and-night exercises. It was completely sealed off from the outside world and provisioned to be self-sufficient and radiation-proof. However, because I was deemed to be expendable I was given the role of leaving the bunker to check radiation levels outside. Mind you, this was not such a bad thing in peacetime, as invariably the underground kitchen was badly stocked and it gave me the chance to nip down the shops and get a pint of milk when we ran out. I’m sure we could have written a comedy about it considering some of the farcical things that went on – ‘Hello? Hello?’ rather than ’Allo, ’Allo! mk  Finally, if you couldn’t have a monkey for this Christmas, what would you like? ng  Oh, that’s easy: a facelift. mk  Thanks, Nic. a page 15

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community news b&d women’s institute The October meeting was a little different when our speaker, Angharad Rhys Roberts, arrived carrying boxes of scraps of materials, wool, paper and glue. She showed us how to make our own Christmas decorations, covered boxes and corsages. Some members produced professional results, while others used a lot of glue and enjoyed a good chat! We have been asked to make up shoe boxes for gifts suitable for teenage boys and girls. At the meeting on 12 November Mrs Sarah Buttenshaw spoke on ‘India’s people and wild life’. Her illustrated talk showed the northern and central areas of India, including tiger reserves and small rural towns. Agneta Hickley

bruton chamber of commerce Wednesday 11 December from 6 to 8pm is our Christmas shopping evening. We have permission to close the High Street to traffic for those two hours; there will be parking as usual in Higher Backway, the station car park, and at West End at Mill on the Brue. I wrote in the November Dove that we are hoping as many people as possible with brackets will pay for the outside Christmas trees throughout the town, so that we can make it look as festive as possible. With an exciting programme of events throughout the evening including Santa’s Grotto with presents for the children, a Ghost Walk, a Treasure Hunt, Lucky Dip, face-painting, plus stalls, carol singers and live music, let’s hope the weather will be kind. The bin saga at Church Bridge: apparently it was sealed because rotting food waste was put in it. I can understand that the bin cleaners were not happy at having to empty it but should it then be sealed for weeks and the innocent penalised? It seems now it is going to be taken away and placed somewhere else because there are three bins around the bridge – one would have thought the visible one (the sealed one) would have been left there, as it is just where the children wait for the school bus, but unfortunately that is going and the one you can’t easily see, over the wall, is remaining! We hope the bridge at Castle Cary station will be reopened soon – as everyone knows the closure has caused much more traffic to come through Bruton, particularly heavy vehicles, with subsequent jams, and scrapes and irritation to both residents and businesses alike. We have a growing membership, which is encouraging, and there have been many instances this year of businesses working together, communicating and benefiting from the contacts and networking opportunities. In the New Year the Chamber will be in touch with the Wincanton Chamber and also Castle Cary’s; as with most organisations the more members the more voice, the more influence. Tricia Rawlingson Plant page 17

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bruton players agm

new local website

The Bruton Players held their Annual General Meeting on 28 October, and attendance was very thin. We decided to, in effect, put the Players into hibernation. We have no plans for any new productions. Since the great success of ’Allo ’Allo! in April 2012 and the much smaller production of a Murder Mystery in April this year, we have been struggling to attract new members and to generate enthusiasm and ideas. In the New Year we will attempt to resuscitate the organisation, through publicity and regular play readings. But we will not be successful unless we can find some more volunteers. The Bruton Players need YOU! If you are keen to get involved you can find out more by talking to Juliet Bowell (812 422), Roger White (813 788) or Graham Lilley (342 951).

Localeyez is a new online publication inspired by the amazing number of creative individuals, artists, businesses and entrepreneurs residing in Bruton and the surrounding area. The face of Bruton will be changing with the opening of Hauser & Wirth Somerset next year. Localeyez will provide Bruton with an online presence and promotion tool to meet this exciting new venture, and help local businesses and creatives keep pace with these new developments. It will also allow for advertising and promotion capabilities way beyond local boundaries, and will attract new business opportunities and outside investment. As well as the fortnightly features, there is an events listing page, and a community-driven blog covering new business and creative initiatives as well as local issues. Every fortnight there is a new feature focusing on a local creative or entrepreneur. Each feature has a face-to-face interview and a dedicated photo shoot, designed to reveal the inspiration and creative energy behind each person, and to present them in a unique and compelling way. Localeyez runs on a sponsorship basis, and in return can provide advertising space and other online promotion opportunities. Visit www.localeyez.co.uk and for more information contact [email protected]. Phil Simpson

tithing of chancel repairs Some among us will feel relieved, others not, to know that the Parochial Church Council has informed the Land Registry, through the Diocesan Registry, that it has rejected the right to maintain claims based on tithed land towards the cost of repairs to the chancel of St Mary’s. So people can sleep easier if they want to buy or move house in Bruton, where they should no longer be advised by a solicitor or conveyancer to take out insurance against that risk. Most of the parcels of land shown on the Tithe Apportionment maps, dating from the Middle Ages, are not in Bruton, and the titles would be difficult to trace without a great deal of expense. Our architect is happy that the chancel is unlikely to be in acute page 19

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Church Bridge Stores 14 Patwell Street, Bruton Tel 01749 812339 Proprietors Chris & Sharon Daniels welcome existing and new customers to your local convenience store

Supporting the local community with newspaper and home deliveries; and local suppliers: Gilcombe Farm for meat & poultry Somerset Dairies for milk & cream Kelway Foods for cheese & cooked meats and Taylors Bakery for fresh bread & cakes daily Thank you for supporting us

8 High Street, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0AA

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a christmas carol ‘Bah, humbug!’ If you missed it last time, don’t miss it this year! At 7.30pm on Thursday 19 December in Charlton Musgrove Hall and Friday 20th in the Hobhouse Theatre, Bruton School for Girls, BBC awardwinning actor Chris Kelham will perform his unique version of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. This ghostly adventure into Victorian England is the perfect way to start your Christmas celebrations, with a free glass of mulled wine. Tickets £8 (£4 for under 15s) are on sale at Church Bridge Stores, Bruton Pharmacy, or ring 812 281. On the door £10 and £5. A treat for the whole family.

camelot u3a We have had an entertaining start to the autumn with a talk on running a village shop and volunteering in a Moroccan girls’ school. We do not have a meeting in December but on 31 January we have a talk on the work entailed in running a lavender farm in Somerset – plus samples. The monthly meetings are held at Caryford Hall, Castle Cary, and start at 2.30pm. Jane Rentall

need of such funding, and the PCC is unanimously opposed in principle to retaining the right. We don’t think we are likely to be challenged by anyone in the parish about the irresponsibility of such a decision! Some unwary people have landed themselves with such charges where Church Councils have been advised that they can and should enforce the right to keep the chancel standing by billing an owner. Our forebears have served us better than that, being good custodians of their legacy, and we trust that parishioners will continue to be generous in our hour of need, should it arise. In the meantime, expect news of new projects for the nave of St Mary’s. John Bishton

santas to paint the town red On Sunday 15 December Santas of all ages will congregate at Yeovil College to take part in the annual Santa Dash, a great event for all ages to raise funds for St Margaret’s Hospice. The Dash is a 4km run (or walk) from Yeovil College to Goldenstones Park and then through the park. It is once again being supported by local accountants Milsted Langdon. The run is suitable for everyone in the family and every finishing Santa will receive a medal. Adult entries £7.50 (£5.50 if you are England Athletics Clubaffiliated), children £4. A team of four people can take part in the team challenge for only £25. The first 100 people to register for the Santa Dash will receive a Santa Suit to wear on the day. Register at www.somerset-hospice.org.uk/Fundraising/santadash. For further information, please contact the fundraising team on 0845 345 9671 or [email protected].

museum news By the time this is printed I hope things in the Museum will have changed. A new reception area will be largely completed, with a deadline of 11 December for the Late Night Shopping evening. We will still be waiting for the arrival of our model railway layout but the case for it has a perspex lid and meanwhile can be used for other displays. An alternative static model railway display will be a short-term palliative! page 21

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tibetan medicine A leading Tibetan doctor (or Amchi), Dr Tsetan, will be available for consultation in Mells, Frome, between 28 December 2013 and 1 January 2014. An Amchi trains for twenty years, developing a profound knowledge of medicines, astrology, anatomy, physiology, psychology, philosophy, diet and nutrition. Dr Tsetan has been practising medicine in Europe for twenty-three years, and speaks excellent English. For appointments or further information, please contact Angela Long, 01373 813 779; 07779 677 362, or preferably by email: [email protected].

bruton community hall We have been asked to clarify that Coffee Morning bookings should be made with Jane Mayes, 812 407, janemayes@ hotmail.co.uk, while all other bookings for the hall should go through Fran Steele, 813 161, fransteele@ tiscali.co.uk. See also www. brutoncommunityhall@ yolasite.com.

A choir from Bruton School for Girls will again be singing in the Museum on 11 December. This is the third year they have come and they are really good. This just about completes the refurbishment that has been going on for a few years. Lots of people helped but without Jackie Brooks, Clare Chapman and Lucy and Robert Carter it would not have been achieved. In case anybody wonders how we could afford it, it was mainly paid for by grants from Viridor, who distribute landfill tax locally; we are close enough to Dimmer to be eligible. The Town and District Councils have also given grants and most recently the reception area received a Small Grant Big Improvement one from a regional museum body. A fresh talk by David Crisp, the finder of the Frome Hoard of 50,000 Roman coins, has been rescheduled for Thursday 9 January at the usual time of 7 for 7.30pm. David’s illustrated talk on ‘Saving our Heritage’ draws on nearly thirty years of metal detecting and he will be bringing along finds he has made from prehistory, the bronze age, Roman times and later. He gave us a very entertaining talk in May about the Frome Hoard (actually found in Witham Friary). This should be the first time we use our new larger screen, which should greatly improve visibility without having to peer around the person in front. David will explain the laws and the standards of proper metal detectorists, rather than those who just pocket what they find. When he found the Roman hoard, the British Museum was immediately called in and the coins can be seen in the Museum of Somerset in Taunton. Casespace this month has a display by conceptual modelmaker Tom Bayliss entitled This is Bridge. The display covers December and January. Douglas Learmond

batcombe film society On Friday 13 December we will be showing The Women on the 6th Floor at a special French evening. Sit at a café table, enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and nibbles, then watch the film. Doors will open early, at 6pm. On 10 January we will show A Hijacking. On 24 January page 23

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members will have chosen the film from No, Quartet, Silver Linings Playbook and Untouchables. Look out for local posters nearer the time! All films start at 7.45pm and doors open at 7.15pm except on 13 December. For all films members have free entry, guests pay £4.50. Mary La Trobe-Bateman, 850 442

trains and buses at bruton Travelling over the holiday period? Be aware that your plans could be upset by engineering works, so it is always advisable to check with National Rail Enquiries either by phone on 08457 48 49 50 or on our website (see below). This applies especially to trains through Reading. Station gardening has finished for the year; we were hard put to it to keep our colourful planter pots watered over the dry summer. At the end of October we replaced the geraniums and begonias with winter pansies. We’ll start again in March, when we expect to see the Bruton Valley Rotary crocuses and the daffodils there to welcome us back. We now know that First Great Western have a further extension of their franchise until the end of 2015 or thereabouts, after which we trust the new full-term franchise will have been let, running for a good number of years and encouraging serious re-equipment. From the Community Office you can get copies of the Heart of Wessex Line Guide with its large-print timetable for services from Bruton Station on the Bristol to Weymouth line, and also our mini-timetable showing the times of all buses serving Bruton. Much more information

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is on our website: www.brutoncarytrains.co.uk. Friends of Bruton Railway Station (Secretary: [email protected])

hauser & wirth somerset As we near the end of 2013, we know we are a step closer to opening Hauser & Wirth Somerset to the public. The construction work at Durslade Farm has had its challenges, including preserving the habitat of great crested newts, and the heavy rains at the end of October. However, the project receives an enormous amount of support from the local community and beyond, many of whom are contributing towards making the gallery a reality. As part of Bruton’s Late Night Shopping on 11 December, Hauser & Wirth will be opening their office, 13 High Street, Bruton, and welcome all local residents to find out more about the development of Durslade Farm and the plans for the new gallery when it opens next summer. Season’s greetings from Hauser & Wirth Somerset. We wish you the very best for the holiday season and look forward to welcoming you to the newly restored Durslade Farm in 2014! Alice Workman

the royal british legion (bruton branch) On 17 October in the Community Hall we sponsored a new type of event: ‘Poppy Songs’. With a little help from the rest of the RBL Bruton Branch Committee and friends, Lynne Hawkridge put together a wonderful afternoon of music, songs, films and a delicious tea. Just over forty people attended and were greeted with Pimms and punch. The table was groaning with sandwiches, cakes on three-tier stands and other fancies. Incidental music was provided by two young ladies from Bruton School for Girls playing the violin, accompanied by their music master; they were followed by Joss, on guitar, who introduced some of the more senior tea-goers to Cold Play! The main attraction was Sarah, also known as ‘Miss Cherry Bomb’ – what a voice! She gave us Gershwin, Cole Porter, and hits from Chicago, among other favourites new and old. People sang along with gusto and some even got up and danced. Her two sets ‘book-ended’ some home movies from David Mills, clips from recent Poppy Travel trips. They were fun to watch and provided great amusement, especially the sight of the poor Poppy Traveller who really did not enjoy the funicular railway journey. We are indebted to all those who baked and made sandwiches; thank you Linda, Mary, Moyra, Brigit, Carol and Jill. We also thank the other members of the Committee who moved chairs, laid tables and did the raffle. But most of all, our thanks and congratulations go to Lynne Hawkridge, whose idea it was; her vision and incredibly hard work ensured that the afternoon was a great success. Graham Lilley

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M A R T Y N T R E V E L L Y A N designer and maker of original free-standing and fitted furniture

We can make anything in wood from antique restoration through joinery to complete kitchens and libraries.

www.martyntrevellyan.co.uk Workshop – Hatherleigh Farm Lawrence Hill, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 8AB 07988 913006 Home – Oak Cottage, 19 Coombe Street, Bruton Somerset BA10 0EN 01749 813 694

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b&d flower club We have had a great year at Bruton Flower Club (our 32nd year) – we have enjoyed several very talented demonstrators showing us how to arrange lovely flowers. Several members have displayed their talents by giving us practice evenings, and we have run children’s workshops. Our two coffee mornings were very successful – thank you to the residents of Bruton for supporting these events, which provide valuable funds for our relatively small club. Our open Demo at the Hobhouse Theatre was well supported and enjoyed, and it is such a lovely venue. We have our AGM followed by eats and drinks on 2 December at the Community Hall. Our next meeting will be in February and I can update you on the 2014 programme in the next issue of The Dove. May I take this opportunity of wishing you all a peaceful end to 2013 and a good start to 2014. If anyone would like details of Bruton Flower Club then do contact me on 07894 063 238. Judy Hayter

bruton choral society Carols by Candlelight will be at Bruton School for Girls on Wednesday 18 December at 7.30pm. This popular evening of seasonal music and readings includes light refreshments. There will be well-known carols for audience participation as well as some less familiar items. This will bring our twentieth anniversary year to a close, enabling us to look back to the first ever performance of Sweet Somerset at the Summer Concert, and the Sunday Teatime concert at the beginning of November. Preparations for next summer’s concert will begin in earnest when rehearsals resume on 15 January in the John Davey Room, King’s School, at 7.30pm. Dan Richards The Teatime Concert At Mill on the Brue on 3 November, a packed audience was treated to a delightful performance of light music, starting – of course – with ‘Tea for Two’. Other favourites included page 27

Bedrooms

Bakery Restaurant Winestore Clubroom Terrace Bedrooms page 28

High Street Bruton Somerset BA10 0AE 01749 814 070 www.atthechapel.co.uk

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the dove | december & january 2013 /2014

the dove | december & january 2013 /2014

THE BARN at LOWER FARM Self-catering short breaks & weekends Listed 18th-century barn, with soaring beams, lime-washed walls, wood floors Crisp cotton sheets & downy duvets Featured in Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay Susie Dowding, Lower Farm, Shepton Montague, BA9 8JG [email protected] www.lowerfarm.org.uk 01749 812253

‘The Man I Love’, ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, ‘A Nighingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ (for the Bruton connection, I suppose), and Beatles and Beach Boys songs. The choir, soloists Angela Ashworth and Malcolm Parr, and pianist Ashley Marshfield with percussionist Floyer Sydenham gave of their best under their brilliant director Barbara Jenkinson. The music was followed by tea and a profusion of scrumptious cakes. Something different and a lot of fun! EB

wincanton choral society christmas concert The Society is performing at the Wincanton Leisure Centre at 7.30pm on Sunday 8 December, and is offering a thrilling evening’s entertainment. This year the 100+ choir will be singing beautiful and seasonal works by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, and carols, spirituals and a ravishing new 20-minute piece with guitar, strings and percussion accompaniment. This composition, Navidad Nuestra (‘Our Christmas’) by the Argentinian Ariel Ramirez, will be in many ways the high point of the evening. The music is exciting with its Latin American rhythms and haunting melodies, flowing with the tenor of the gauchos and the warm airs of Buenos Aires. Alongside the choir and its Musical Director Simon Twiselton will be soloists Paul Badley (tenor) and Tom Hunt (baritone), with instrumentalists Jacqueline Bevan (piano), a string quintet led by Edward Burns, guitarist Richard Hill and percussionists led by Dan Priest. As always the audience will have a chance to participate in some familiar numbers. There will be a bar both before the performance and during the interval. Tickets will be available at the door on the night at £15. Seating is limited, and booking opened in November, so check availability on 01963 351 916.

sexey’s hospital news Hallowtide and the celebration of All Saints and All Souls took place on 3 November, with the now established custom of named candles for the departed residents and page 29

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loved ones being lit for our Sunday services, as well as the recitation of the names of the faithful departed. This year had a double significance since we marked the death of one of our residents, the Revd Vernon Francis, a loving husband, father, grandfather and devoted parish priest for many years. Our condolences go to his wife, Margaret, and her family. May he rest in peace and rise with Christ in glory. As far as we are able to ascertain, this has been the first time that Sexey’s Hospital has been officially represented at the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial on 10 November, when the Master laid a wreath on behalf of the Hospital. Our Service of Readings and Carols by candlelight is at 3pm on Sunday 22 December. Family members and friends of the Hospital residents are welcome, but please let the Master know in good time so that seating can be guaranteed. Epiphany will be celebrated on Sunday 5 January with the customary presentation of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The opening to the East Garden has now been completed, allowing better access to a beautiful and relatively unused part of our gardens. Much scaffolding has appeared around the Hospital for essential masonry work, especially to the bellcote. Further quinquennial work will be carried out in the New Year under the able direction of our inspecting architect, Stephen Patten, who is also involved with the Durslade Farm project. A number of you have already contacted us regarding the updating of our applications records. If you have registered an interest for a place will you kindly re-confirm with more details e.g. email address, change of address, mobile telephone number etc. We intend contacting prospective applicants on a quarterly basis in 2014. Canon Paul Jenkins, Master, 813 369; [email protected]

community policing Please pay special attention to any properties that may be empty over the Christmas period and please report any suspicious activity using the 101 non-emergency number, or page 31

                                                                                                               

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Victorian  town  house  in  the  centre  of  Bruton  

 

We  have  two  individually  decorated  rooms  with  super     Victorian   the  centre   of  Bsruton   king/double   beds;  tbown   oth  hhouse   ave  min   odern   en-­‐suite   hower  rooms     with  all  home   comforts.       with  super     We  have  two  individually   decorated   rooms   king/double   beds;   both  hlocally   ave  mpodern   en-­‐suite   shower  rooms     Home   cooked   roduced   breakfast.   with  all  home  comforts.       Contact  Olivia  –  01749  813  015    Email  –  [email protected]   Home  cooked  locally  produced  breakfast.   www.highhousebruton.co.uk  

 

Contact  Olivia  –  01749  813  015    Email  –  [email protected]  

         

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999 if you believe there might be a burglary in progress. If you are going away, ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house and consider using timer switches on lights and/or a radio. Consider asking a neighbour to park on your drive while you are away or even put the bins out. Over the festive season, please try to avoid leaving valuables and presents in open view, either in house windows or in cars parked on the street. They are an open invitation to thieves. Remove Satnavs and other electronic devices from show and preferably from the vehicle. Remember also to remove any suction cups and then wipe the windscreen to remove all trace of the equipment. Take care on the roads and drive according to the conditions. Ensure your vehicle is well maintained and that the tyres are in good condition to maximise your grip on slippery surfaces. Please remove any snow or ice from all windows before starting your journey. Current Policing Issues in Bruton Graffiti – please report graffiti on 101, especially if you see the offender. Names and descriptions are always gratefully received. PC 1164 Sara Stephenson/PCSO 7467 Tim Russell

abbey park The management of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme on behalf of the two owners of the Park, the Visitors of Sexey’s Hospital and King’s School, has run its ten-year course. This coincides with the introduction of new schemes from Europe and Whitehall, targeted at areas including Scheduled Monuments, which this is, because of the ponds and the Dovecote. So we qualified initially for Natural England’s new Higher Level Scheme. That offer was withdrawn because of competition and uncertainty about whether we could guarantee to meet the requirements in the contract. So we were then offered Entry Level Stewardship, carrying much lower payments, which work for much larger holdings already in good condition. This does not include support for projects such as are envisaged for the ponds. We must work for the next two years to complete the contract that has been agreed with Natural England and we remain subject to inspection. We have the money in hand. We have decided that, if the owners are happy, we will carry on independently, seeking funds from elsewhere. A lot of progress has already been made and another few years could see an enrichment of the quality of the sward and in the value of the ponds as well as their appearance. Now the emphasis changes. In December, we shall welcome officers from English Heritage, whose approach to the ponds and their potential has changed greatly, following the success of the Abbey Field archaeological dig. The Park and the town are now being seen more as a whole. But money will have to be sought from other sources. We have been well served by the officers at Defra, with an understanding of rescue operations. We are currently in discussion with the owners about the future management of the grazing, to make it possible to achieve a path from the allotments to the entrance at the bridge, to provide a pen to make cattle control easier for the farmer, and to obtain easier access to the southern field. page 33

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DESIGN AND BUILDING OF BEAUTIFUL HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE AND KITCHENS

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Another ambition is to transform that field into a wild-flower meadow with species appropriate to the soil conditions. However, for now, top priority is the ponds and their archaeology as well as the bio-diversity they can support, and the pleasure they afford. John Bishton

truffles update Truffles Restaurant was recently awarded a prestigious Silver Award from Taste of the West. This is a great achievement for the first year of operations and reflects our commitment to using locally sourced produce as much as possible. For the first time in five years (remember it was closed for three years), Truffles will be offering a Christmas Day lunch. Details are on the website and, as of early November, we are already half-booked and confident of a full house! From 1 to 24 December we will be running our popular Christmas Party menus at both lunch and dinner in addition to our normal menu. The parties must be booked in advance. There will be a New Year’s Eve dinner, too – details on the website. Finally, many of you are not yet aware that Truffles opens for morning coffee and breakfast every day (except Mondays) at 8.30am, and the Sunday buffet lunches are proving very popular. Truffles has a new website: www.trufflesbistro.co.uk, and as our menus change monthly in addition to daily specials this is the best place to go for a quick update. Richard Sorapure

late night shopping 11.12.13 Enjoy Christmas Shopping Evening in Bruton on Wednesday 11 December 2013 6–8pm Exciting stalls, Father Christmas’s grotto, Christmas carols, Ghost walk around Bruton, Treasure hunt, Facepainting, Lucky dip Programme 6pm Christmas Tree lights turned on at Church Bridge 6:15 Arrival of Father Christmas and his elves abseiling down At the Chapel 6:30 Father Christmas’s grotto opens for the children 6:45 Ghost walk begins from Church Bridge 7pm Treasure Hunt for children from the Pharmacy 6–8pm Face painting at Rachel’s Enquiries Stalls, Mary on (01749) 813 011; Christmas Trees, Rachel on (01749) 813 210; Programme, Martina on (01749) 814 903

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services in the bruton & district benefice

December 2013

1 December

8 December

15 December

Advent Sunday

2nd Sunday of Advent

3rd Sunday of Advent

Brewham

4.00 pm Advent carols

9.30

cw1

9.30

cw1

Bruton

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

Bruton

11.00

cw1

11.00

cw1

10.30

aaw

Pitcombe

9.30

fs

11.00

bcp

9.30

mp

Redlynch

——

——

Shepton Montague

——

9.30

Wyke Champflower

——

——

Parish

—— cw1

—— ——

Additional services Wyke Champflower Redlynch Shepton Montague Pitcombe Bruton Bruton

18 December 19 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 24 December

Carol service, 6.30pm Carol service, 6.30pm Carol service, 6.30pm Carol service, 7.00pm Carol service, 6.00pm Crib & Christingle, 4.30pm; Midnight Mass, 11.30pm

Bruton Methodist Church  10.30 Sunday Service Roman Catholic Mass  9.45 Thursday, St Mary The Virgin, Bruton Sexey’s Hospital Chapel   9.30 Sunday Morning Prayer, 10.05 Holy Communion bcp (with limited seating; please contact the Master on 813 369 if you wish to attend) All services take place in the morning unless noted otherwise page 36

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January 2014 overleaf

22 December

25 December

29 December

4th Sunday of Advent

Christmas Day

2nd Sunday of Christmas

4.00pm Christingle

10.00

fe

——

8.00

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

——

11.00

cw1

11.00

cw1

——

9.30

bcp

9.30

bcp

——

9.30

cw1f

——

——

9.30

cw1

——

——

9.30

bcp

——

bcp

Key to abbreviations aaw bcp cw1 cw1f cw1t ep fe fs hc ifw llp mp

All Age Worship Communion, Book of Common Prayer 1662 Communion, Common Worship Order 1, modern language Communion, Common Worship Order 1, specially for families Communion, Common Worship Order 1, traditional language Evening Prayer, Evensong 1662 Family Eucharist Family Service Holy Communion Informal Family Worship Lay led Praise Morning Prayer, Matins 1662

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services in the bruton & district benefice

January 2014

5 January

12 January

19 January

26 January

Epiphany

Baptism of Christ

Epiphany 3

Epiphany 4

Brewham

10.00

llp

9.30

cw1

9.30

cw1

10.00

fs

Bruton

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

8.00

bcp

Bruton

11.00

cw1

11.00

cw1

ethodist 10.30 * M Church

11.00

aaw

Pitcombe

9.30

fs

11.00

bcp

9.30

11.00

mp

Redlynch

——

——

Sh. Montague

——

9.30

Wyke Ch.

——

9.30

Parish

bcp

——

——

cw1

——

9.30

cw1

bcp

——

9.30

bcp

* Bruton Methodist Church  10.30 Covenant Service Additional services Bruton Methodist Church  10.30 Sunday Service Roman Catholic Mass  9.45 Thursday, St Mary The Virgin, Bruton Sexey’s Hospital Chapel   9.30 Sunday Morning Prayer, 10.10 Holy Communion bcp (with limited seating; please contact the Master on 813 369 if you wish to attend) All services take place in the morning unless noted otherwise See previous page for key to abbreviations page 38

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parish news brewham At our Family service in October, we thought about the building of God’s Church. Alice and Daniel read from John, Chapter 2, where Jesus drives out the moneychangers from the temple and reminds us of the importance of respect for God. In it, Jesus refers to himself as a ‘temple’, a place in which God lives. We remembered that the Church is not really the building where we meet on a Sunday, it’s us, the people who follow Jesus’ teachings. St Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, said that we are members of the household of God. Then we talked about foundations. The children searched around the church for a cornerstone, shaped like a cross, built into the foundations. They were only able to find one that was nearly a cross. We then thought about the cornerstone of God’s Church. This, of course, is Jesus. He should be the stone at the base of the Church, the most important stone, upon which all the other stones rest: Jesus and his teaching are the bottom line upon which not just the Church, but our own individual lives, are built. Our Christmas services are as follows: Advent Carol Service at 4pm on Sunday 1 December; Christingle service at 4pm on Sunday 22 December; Christmas Day service at 10am on Wednesday 25 December. Everyone is warmly welcome to come to any of these services. Why not explore the real meaning of Christmas with us? Helen Saxton

bruton, st mary’s Here we are again, Christmas season – a joyful time of family visits and parties even for the least partyish of us. A good party can be as health-giving as any medicine. Details of the services in St Mary’s are elsewhere but I can tell you that the Carol Service will be on Saturday 21 December (Saturday, not Sunday). By now there should be a cleaners’ rota on the St Mary’s noticeboard in the church. If you have not already signed up, please do so – and get all your acquaintances to do so and then you won’t have to clean so very often. With money set aside for church flowers we have bought some Ikea metal shelves for the vases: this will help in the reordering of the storage area behind the curtain. You may soon be able to reach vases and coffee mugs without tripping over everything else hidden there. In June 2011 the PCC agreed to a project to build a wooden platform in front of the chancel for the Junior Choir, concerts and so on. This has since morphed into the reordering of the east end of the church. Father Justin has written a news sheet page 41

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Food for sharing Levant Catering offers the very best food from across the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Ideal for every kind and size of occasion, from weddings and milestone birthday celebrations to an intimate lunch with your closest friends. • • • • • • • • •

Weddings Anniversaries Birthdays Picnics Drinks parties Small lunches Christmas parties Corporate entertaining Cookery classes and demonstrations

For more details, contact Tanya 01963 350248 07779 093020 [email protected] www.levantcatering.com

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about this, which you can pick up in the church. I find it difficult to follow compass directions inside a building but I can handle front, back and, at a pinch, left and right. So, if you are standing at the entrance, walk straight forward; the three rows of pews before the steps to the chancel are going to be removed, together with the one to your far left; this means the remaining pews will all be in line (except for the one on the far right, but forget that for the moment). At this point you will realise that all the pews stand on a wooden platform. When the pews have been removed, the platform is to go and the floor will be levelled out. What lies beneath the wooden platform? What, indeed. There is more, but read the news sheet for that. Then, in deference to those of us who feel that a loo and servery are more urgent, the platform part of the plan will have to await the installation of said loo and servery. The Christingle Service: the collection does not usually cover the cost of christingles (oranges stuck with cloves and candles), so we will finance them with the help of the St Nicholas Fair. After all, St Nicholas looks after children. Jocelyn Crawford

bruton methodist church We were busy in October with our coffee morning in the Community Hall to raise funds for Water Aid. We would like to thank all those who helped and supported us – we were able to send £273 to the fund. The following morning we had a full church when we were joined by Sexey’s boarders, and Helen Wade led us round the church looking for ‘treasure’. Young and old both enjoy these less formal services, and there is always a message for everyone. In November several of us attended the Bristol District Evangelism Day at Nailsea entitled ‘Shaping Up’. This is organised by the Entheos Trust and aims to encourage congregations as they seek to maximise effectiveness in their work. November also saw the launch of our Circuit review entitled ‘Our Story’, when we remembered God’s work among us in the past, as preparation for future plans. Our Carol Service is on 15 December at 10.30am when our minister, Rev. Ken Chalmers, will be with us. Christmas Eve communion will be at Castle Cary at 11.30pm and other Christmas services will be listed on our Noticeboard. On 19 January we will have our annual Covenant Service when our friends from St Mary’s will be joining us. This is a rather special service in the Methodist year. Services for December and January: 1 Dec – Geoff Chapman from West Camel; 8 Dec – Andrew Pugh from North Wootton; 15 Dec – Carol Service; 22 Dec – Rob Haskins from Cary; 29 Dec at Castle Cary; 5 Jan – Roy Bryant from Glastonbury; 12 Jan – Patricia Fuller from Cary; 19 Jan – United Covenant Service; 26 Jan – Anna Schiffer from Cary and Sing@7 contemporary worship. All are most welcome. Angela Pearce page 43

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pitcombe, st leonard’s On 10 October a small posse from our parish saw our new bells being cast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Founded in 1570, it bought the site of the Artichoke Inn (1670) and moved there in 1738. The shop entrance dates from then. The foundry and workshops behind the Georgian façade are remarkably small but from them have emanated the Liberty bell (1752), bells for many cathedrals including Lincoln (1834), Montreal (1843) and York (1845) as well as Big Ben (1858), the bicentennial bell (1976), a bell to commemorate 9/11 (2001) and, most recently, the Olympic bell, although that had actually to be cast in Holland using the moulds from Whitechapel because it was so huge. Moulds for bells take three weeks to make: for the inside, a cone of bricks is constructed and coated by hand with a mixture of manure from horses (bedded on straw, not wood chips), goat hair, clay, sand and water. This is smoothed using the inner edge of a stickle, coated with graphite and baked. For the outer surface, the other side of the stickle is used to smooth the same mixture on to an iron shell. Inscriptions can be cast by hammering mirror-written letters into the outer shell casing. When both parts of the mould are solid, the outer shell is placed over the inner core and into the space determined by the thickness of the stickle is poured molten metal (77% copper, 23% tin) at 1100oC and left to cool for at least three days. The size and thickness of the bell are planned to deliver approximately the right note, which is actually an amalgam of about forty discernible tones, but tuning is important. (You taste Christmas pudding, not the separate ingredients, and similarly you hear one note, not forty.) No longer are the edges bashed to alter the sound: now it is done by machine, which when we were there was manned by Nigel, who has perfect pitch and no need for the electronic equipment used by lesser mortals. The last stop is the workshop where all the rest of the processes to hang the bells in their frame and make them able to be rung take place. Among the bells are some from Yeovil, some from two other parishes in Somerset and some from Dumfries. You can also see the various devices used to hang bells. We saw the second-hand bell we have purchased to be our new tenor waiting to be tuned and equipped for ringing. It was a memorable occasion and rather moving to witness history in the making. The family of Alan Hughes, the present owner, has worked since 1884 in the foundry, which has been owned by successive generations for 109 years: as he pointed out, in comparison to bats which have to be considered whenever they move into a church, foundries making bells for change-ringing are a truly page 45

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endangered species – there are only two left. Charles Brook A complete version of this article together with photos of all stages of the process is available on the Dove website: www.thedovemagazine.blogspot.com.

shepton montague, st peter’s The cattle (prize-winning South Devons) are lowing, but there are no babies, waking or otherwise, that the author has seen, and there is only hope that elsewhere geese are getting fat. Despite this mixed summary Shepton Montague moves resolutely towards Christmas! We had a church cleaning session in November to prepare for events to come, and the wall adjacent to the War Memorial was renovated (as it was around the churchyard) in preparation for Remembrance. Looking forward to the Carol Service (6.30pm on Thursday 19 December), I am happy to report that the Shepton Singers will once again augment the lusty singing of the congregation. It is appropriate to use this article to mention the particular contribution of a member of the Parish. Roger Ketley has recently handed over the job of Secretary of St Peter’s PCC after a period of some ten years (with a short sabbatical). During that time he has not only carried out the normal secretarial duties, but also has done a good deal of research, which has been of use in the design of our services and in the conduct of our meetings. Roger remains a member of the PCC; we thank him for his work. Service charities continue to be well supported by the community, and by the time you read this we shall have had fireworks and a speaker dinner at the Montague Inn in support of the Royal British Legion. Those who were trapped in the village during the prolonged period of ice in 2010 will recall the community carol singing at the pub; the same (the singing, that is – can’t promise the ice) is planned for the evening of Thursday 12 December. Wyke Champflower’s eloquent piece (October’s Dove) on the undesirable consequences of the Ansford/Castle Cary railway bridge closure described the situation well. By now the problem should have diminished, but the good advice on lorries from police and PCSO remains valid: report the lorry’s details to 101 or to the Bruton PCSO, Tim Russell, who will then write the necessary letters. Let’s hope the recently discovered village routes are not habit-forming! Mike Bowman

wyke champflower, holy trinity In the continuing mild weather our countryside remained very green right into November. Well before the leaves of their trees turned colour acorns and beech-mast were being crunched underfoot, confirming this year’s fruitfulness. And through October there were mushrooms too. This vast group of interesting fungi hardly page 47

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resembles any true kind of plant, being without leaves and roots. Most of us would know the common names of only a few. Apart from the ordinary field mushroom these might include: Wood Blewit, the Blusher, Shaggy Inkcap, Blue Leg, Penny Bun and Chanterelle. Not all of them are edible and the mystical becomes vaguely menacing by adding the names of Satanic Boletus and Death Cap – enough to put anyone off! What then to make of the appearance in Wyke churchyard of a group of a dozen or so beautiful apricot/yellow fungi on 24 October? The consensus was to leave well alone but to book a place on next year’s fungus foray at Stourhead. October cannot be allowed to pass without mention of the wild storm on the 28th which, although of short duration, proved destructive as it moved eastwards from Somerset. Wyke escaped with little damage to property and it was mostly the old standard oaks that suffered once again, losing more of their heavy limbs. Bounties should be acknowledged in these seasonal notes. Holy Trinity duly held its harvest thanksgiving and a specially written service was well attended. Fine flowers, fruit and produce were arranged in the church by caring hands and afterwards those present were pleased to enjoy the hospitality of Elizabeth Winkley at the Manor House. Christmas will in effect see the close of 2013. Tradition through its cards, present-giving, family days, parties and jollity will have its place but underlying all these pleasures there will be a Birth to celebrate and those glad tidings to exchange. January has no remarkable events planned in Wyke Champflower but we shall doubtless contribute as usual to Bruton’s activities. There is a feeling in the town that the ideas and changes quietly coming to be accepted a few years ago are quickening. 2014 looks set to welcome yet more fresh interests. Opportunity then for Bruton and its villages to enhance their well-founded communities and institutions – this excellent magazine, now entering its sixth year, shows what is possible. Brian Tipping page 49

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durslade beds and orchard

In the two-acre field opposite Durslade Farm, on the other side of Dropping Lane, which Hauser & Wirth have lent to Bruton Council, there are some new fruit trees and beds of vegetables. It is a large plot for gardening, still mostly grass, and with a smart shed refurbished by the owners. One narrow strip along the road wall has sixty raised beds paid for by Bruton Council, leased to gardeners and with mixed results this year. Some people have achieved great results, while others have barely visited their beds, now full of weeds. This makes it difficult for the gardeners as weed seeds fall on to their clean beds. There is still a large pile of Viridor’s compost for anyone to spread on their beds and those who have taken advantage are reaping the benefits. Also this winter you can apply to the Council for allotment plots. At the opposite end of the field is the beginning of a community orchard, mostly apple trees, chosen by me and planted by four of us last December. The Council paid for the trees and guards and organised mowing between the lines: a communal resource for the future. However, we need to work out who does the tree maintenance and who picks the eventual fruit! I am happy to do the pruning this winter, and the trees also need some weeding and re-mulching to keep grass at bay. Next year there may be a few apples as trees are on MM106 rootstock, of medium size and earlier fruiting than standard trees. I chose varieties with scab resistance to have healthy, organic fruit. Charles Dowding

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Stained Glass Ancient and Modern

Lectures, classes, commissions SALLY POLLITZER website www.sally-pollitzer.co.uk Batcombe Lodge Studio 01749880250

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schools desk sexey’s Christmas Concert We are holding a Senior Citizens’ Christmas Concert on Wednesday 4 December. The party will include an interval tea, a visit from Father Christmas and a raffle. We are promised a wonderful spread by the kitchen staff, Pete Prescott and the Site Team are organising the hall and collecting the guests in the school minibuses, Sixth Form students and Lower School pupils are looking after our guests, and music will be provided by Sexey’s Wind Band and Choir, Peter Bettle, Steve Jobbins and Jenna Middleton. Keith Partridge is master of ceremonies. Thanks are due to everyone who has sent in the most amazing presents for the party. Mrs Jocelyn Latif

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Boarding Information Morning For all parents who may be interested in boarding for their sons or daughters Sexey’s will be opening its doors on Saturday 1 February, 10am–1pm. This will give parents and prospective pupils the opportunity to have a look at what boarding at Sexey’s has to offer and will include presentations from key members of staff and a tour of the school and sports facilities. The morning will conclude with lunch in one of the boarding houses. If you would like more information and to reserve a place please contact Mrs Sam Brownlow, 813 393, or email [email protected]. sch.uk. Sarah Stallion, Headmaster’s PA, PR & Marketing Speech Day The annual Speech Day took place on 18 October, celebrating the success of Sexeians past and present. The day was a truly memorable occasion, with every element highlighting all that is outstanding about Sexey’s. The prizes rewarded the effort and achievement of the students in all areas of school life: academic, sporting, page 51

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musical and artistic, as well as in the wider boarding and world environments. Gollege were awarded the prestigious Bint Shield in recognition of their victory in the House Competition and the shield was hoisted aloft by Alex Wilson and Rosie Perrett to rapturous applause, to the obvious delight of the Head of Gollege House, Mr Oats. The guest of honour, Kate Allenby MBE, delivered an engaging, inspirational, interesting and at times humorous talk on her experiences as a two-time Olympian and showed how, with dedication, application and commitment, nothing is impossible, as evidenced by the Olympic Bronze medal she proudly displayed. Tammy Coles (Press Secretary) 813 393, [email protected]; www.sexeys.somerset.sch.uk

bruton school for girls The students and staff took part in a 10km sponsored ‘World Wide Walk’ through the Somerset countryside on 11 October to support girls who are denied access to an education. A total of 88 girls, accompanied by teachers, the headmistress and three dogs, walked to raise money and awareness for the International Day of the Girl. They completed the 10km within three hours, returning to school in time for a welldeserved hot lunch. Bruton School for Girls is a member of the Girls’ Schools Association and was keen to take part in the ‘World Wide Walk’ to support the main charity ‘Plan’, which raises money and awareness to support girls in some of the world’s poorest countries. Our girls are acutely aware of the amazing education they are lucky enough to have, and realise how, for many girls around the world, walking an average of 10km a day just for the essentials of life prevents them from accessing an education. Everyone donated £1 to participate and friends and family were asked to donate through our Just Giving page. Over £300 has been raised so far and further donations are very welcome – please visit: www.justgiving.com/ page 53

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The Dovecote Gallery Picture Framing, Antiques & Interiors tel: 01749 814 852 mob: 07973 380 482 open monday to friday 9am to 5pm saturday 9am to 1 pm unit 3 station road, bruton. ba10 0eh

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brutonschoolworldwidewalk. Sixteen girls from the Senior School, along with our Headmistress Mrs Botterill and our Head of History, have recently returned from a trip to Russia. The girls were fascinated by the history and culture they experienced, and enjoyed visits to many historical sites, such as Lenin’s mausoleum, the Kremlin, Red Square and St Petersburg. Our Arts Week took place in the last week of November, and we were delighted to welcome a number of very talented people, working closely with our girls in a range of workshops, concerts, competitions and drama productions, from a classical music afternoon with the Roaring Fork Wind Quintet and an Indonesian Gamelan workshop to author visits from Sophia Bennett and Joss Stirling. There was a fashion show in which both staff and students could dress up as their favourite book character, and then strut their stuff on the catwalk! Florence Wallace

mill on the brue October continued apace with the new kittens still playing havoc in the offices, and the grape harvest, which was not large but considering the disaster we were facing from vine bot not bad. Considerable interest was shown by the local media in our food waste campaign. This was following the announcement by Tesco that they threw away 33,000 tons of food in the first six months of this year. I was on Radio Bristol and Radio Somerset describing how we had halved our waste and giving tips on how to do it. A debate has been going on for some time about how little time children spend playing outdoors, with new statistics being published recently; only one in ten now plays in open spaces. Children spend 20% less time playing outside, the consequences of lack of exercise leading to high obesity rates and subsequent serious diseases, letters in The Times from Lord Coe and others, including the director of the British Heart Foundation, expressing concern about the page 55

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The Bowen Technique Chartered Physiotherapy Fran Steele MCSP GradDipPhys Cert ECBS ABTER

Early treatment may save weeks of pain

Do phone: 01749 813 161 Home visits possible; HSA Approved

bruton pharmacy Visit your local Pharmacy for a friendly and efficient service. A wide range of toiletries and chemist shop lines available. Special offers each month! Photographic services, including a Kodak Kiosk for printing digital photographs on site.

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state of the health of our children. With the cost to the NHS increasing alarmingly, surely the government must take the long-term view and prevent this happening? Link this to some rapidly declining bird and mammal populations in the UK – if children understand nature by being outside they will value and take more care of it when they get older. If they are not engaged with it they are not going to feel any need to safeguard it. Twin benefits: getting children outside, exercising and subsequently being more healthy and ensuring a lasting future for our natural environment. There was a Bruton Choral Society Teatime concert in the Longhouse in November (see page 27), followed by more school trips, weddings and preparations for Christmas, including the Christmas shopping evening in Bruton on 11 December – Mill on the Brue is participating quite dramatically! We are also saying farewell to our handyman Frank, who is retiring after seventeen years with us – he has built up quite a fan club and no one will forget his whistle! Winter weddings in December and then we are closed for Christmas. Straight into the New Year with a local birthday party, weddings and the British Activity Providers Association two-day conference at the end of January. This brings together all the major operators in the Outdoor Activity world from around the UK and we were selected as the conference venue. No doubt the restaurants, pubs, and B&Bs will be seeing something of the members! Tricia Rawlingson Plant

king’s bruton As King’s prepares for next year’s First World War centenary, pupils in the Third Form (Year 9) visited some of the battlefield sites with a more than customary awareness of the war’s significance. This has been a much appreciated annual trip for many years, but the anniversary has sharpened everyone’s focus about the importance of ensuring the lessons are never forgotten. Visiting Vimy Ridge, the Ypres Salient, the Somme and the Wellington Quarries in Arras, the pupils were able to page 57

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DENTURE REPAIRS —While you Wait—

Collection & Delivery Denture Advice Mr. C. Dunn Registered Dental Technician

Bruton 01 749 812 585 www.dunndental.co.uk

appreciate the nature of the war, and, as they braved the wet weather at Vimy Ridge and around Ypres, they were also able to experience something of the conditions the men would have fought in on the Western Front. Continuing the military theme, the Military Band spent a fantastic day with the Royal Marines at their School of Music in Portsmouth. The musicians visited HMS Victory and the Naval Museum before being shown around the Music School, part of which is a converted prison. The King’s musicians joined the Marines to form a band of about seventy for a two-hour rehearsal. Then to another set piece in the King’s calendar, the joint concert with Hazlegrove. The concert started with a stirring performance of the ‘March to the Scaffold’ from Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, with four timpani, a bass drum, cymbals and snare drums. The choral music was particularly strong, with a beautiful rendition of Fauré’s Requiem. The large audience also enjoyed the joint Wind Band performing España Cani, while the programme ended with a powerful performance of Splanky from the combined Swing Band. In sport, the Under 14 netball players became the first King’s team to qualify for the South West Regional Netball Finals. The football 1st XI beat Millfield 6-1 away, completing a 100% success this season, while the Senior Boys’ Badminton 1st team beat Millfield and Queen’s Taunton to come second in the top division of their regional badminton division. Jemima Owen, Ellen Barber, Rebecca Ffooks, and Daisy Mant all rode brilliantly in the pouring rain at the first ever King’s Bruton and Hazlegrove InterSchool Show Jumping competition. The BTEC Hospitality students held their first bistro night, preparing and serving a three-course meal for fifteen guests. Gloria Leung took the lead in the kitchen as Head Chef and Bartie Pit-Brown ran the Front of House. Next term starts on 7 January, ending 27 March. Charles Oulton page 59

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bruton town council news

I’d like to echo Tricia Rawlingson Plant’s sentiments from her ‘Mill on the Brue’ article in last month’s Dove. I’m sitting here looking at a blank word document and wondering what to write. The problem with writing a monthly report from the Town Council is that it can get a bit repetitive. The same issues come up time after time. Issues that have seemingly been resolved on paper take months, sometimes years, to actually get sorted. Despite that, we soldier on to the best of our abilities! The first thing to report is that we have co-opted a new councillor, Gary Shipp. Gary is involved with the Sustrans organisation, working with schools and young people to help promote sustainable transport. We hope that his experience in these matters will help the Council to tackle the town’s ongoing problems with traffic, pedestrian safety, parking and so on. Welcome on board, Gary! In addition, I would like to thank Elliott Brook and Roger White for expressing their interest in joining the Council. We, the members, feel this shows that there is a genuine interest in the community in being involved. In fact, with this level of interest, many of us hope that, come May 2015, we will have enough candidates interested in serving on the Town Council to ensure that it won’t be another uncontested election. The most important thing on October’s agenda was the finalising of our Town Plan document. It has been a long journey but there are still a few tweaks to be made. The final document will be finished before the end of the year, and it is a very important document which sets out our plans and wishes for Bruton until 2028. Just to illustrate its importance, let me quote from the Sunday Times of 3 November 2013: ‘[Developers] are targeting greenfield sites in areas where councils have failed to publish their own plans for new housing – allowing the government’s national planning inspectorate to step in and fast-track developments.’ Not a nice prospect for a town like Bruton. On a positive note, the Council will see the return of a much respected colleague in the form of former Mayor Justin Robinson. Subject to a few technicalities, the Council and Justin have agreed to a one-day-a-month secondment in Bruton. The idea is that Justin will be able to continue to help us navigate our way safely through the turbulent seas of local and national politics and policy. Finally, we hope you all enjoy Bruton’s Late Night Shopping event on 11 December. Please remember that the High Street will be closed to traffic for two hours, so think about your transport arrangements. Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for organising what I’m sure will be a memorable event. I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Alex Rubbo, Mayor of Bruton page 63

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useful information (All telephone codes are 01749 and location Bruton unless otherwise stated) www.brutontown.com www.thedovemagazine.blogspot.com (contains list of B&Bs and hotels) Airport Bristol 0871 3344 444 Art Bruton Art Society Frances Neal, secretary, 01963 32719; www.brutonartsociety.co.uk Bank HSBC, 15 High St, Wincanton; 08457 404 404. NatWest, Barclays: Castle Cary Batcombe Film Society Membership & bookings Rob Sage 850 934; robsage@uwclub. net. Film information Elizabeth Hunt 850 304 Bath & West Showground 822 219; www.bathandwest.com Bell ringers Brian Shingler 812 393 Boardroom At the Chapel Business forum. Amanda Riley, [email protected] Bruton Active Living Cynth Jeffrey 812 418 Bruton Choral Society Secretary Marian Kelham, 812 281, [email protected]; www.brutonchoralsociety.org.uk Bruton Community Hall Coffee Morning bookings: Jane Mayes, 812 407, janemayes@ hotmail.co.uk; other bookings: Fran Steele, 813 161; [email protected]. www. [email protected] Bruton Freemasons Cyril Price 813 274 Bruton Players Juliet Bowell 812 422 Bruton The Way Forward c/o Community Office; Chairman Stuart Adlington 813 524 Bruton Trust John Bishton 813 208 Bus & coach services Berry’s Coaches Wincanton to London 01823 331 356; www.berryscoaches.co.uk

CAT (Community Accessible Transport) to anywhere in Bruton, Castle Cary, Wincanton, Milborne Port, Sparkford area. Hospital appointments, etc. Info 01963 34594; booking 01963 33864 (2/3 days’ notice). Small fee Nippy Bus route 667, Street to Wincanton via Castle Cary & Bruton, 0871 200 2233 South West Coaches Bruton to Yeovil via Shepton Montague, 01963 33124 Car repairs/Garages Bruton Motor Services Station Road, ba10 0eh (Rob Mahoney), 812 992 West End Garage Station Road (Gordon Fry), 813 655 Carers Carers UK East Somerset, Caroline Toll 01373 836 438, [email protected]; Sally Corbett 01749 673 111, [email protected] Chamber of Commerce Tricia Rawlingson Plant, Chairman, 812 307, [email protected] Children’s & young people’s groups Brownies Sarah Williams 813 174 Community Kids Pre-School & After-School Club Nikki Dyer 813 933 1st Bruton Guides Carol Hunt 812 194, Helen Saxton 850 289. Ladybirds Pre-School Bernie Page 813 464 Sunny Hill Nursery & Toddler Group Amanda Bentley-Marchant 814 400 Scouts/Cubs/Beavers Philip Clackson 812 918 Citizens’ Advice Bureau 01935 421 167 Community Office Dovecote Building, 26 High St, ba10 0aa; Mon–Thur 9.30–12.30; Town Council 813 014 Conservative Party Ossie Baker 812 478 Councillor County and District Anna Groskop 812 520; South Somerset DC 01935 462 462 Dentist Dr Andrew Keeling, Bruton Dental page 65

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W.J. Trotman Funeral Directors (incorporating Oswald Clarke Funeral Directors of Bruton)

Ashdene, Cranmore, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, ba4 4qq. Tel (01749) 880271 www.trotmanfuneral.co.uk A family run business for over four generations. Private Chapel of Rest. Pre-paid funeral plans available.

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Practice, Quaperlake St; 812 461 Denture repairs Chris Dunn 812 585 Farmers’ markets 01373 814 646; www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk. Wincanton, behind Bear Inn, 1st Fri of month, 9am–12 noon Fish Fresh fish delivered to your door, weekly, by arrangement. Ian Clare 07771 648 165 Flower Club Judy Hayter 07894 063 238 Flowers Flowers For You, Mandy Goodland 812 875 The Flower Shop, Jo McPhee-Clarke 812 465, 8 High St; [email protected] Friends of Bruton Railway Station Nick Scott (sec.) 813 485; [email protected] Friends of St Mary’s Jane Mayes, [email protected] Gas emergencies 0800 111 999 Health & hospitals Bruton Pharmacy 3 High St; Mon–Fri 9–1, 2–6 inc. Thur pm, Sat 9–1; 812 342 Bruton Surgery Patwell Lane; Mon–Fri 8.30–6.30 or 7.30 on a rota basis; 812 310 NHS Direct 0845 4647 Shepton Mallet Community Hospital Old Wells Road, ba4 4lp; 342 931 Shepton Mallet Treatment Centre Old Wells Road, ba4 4lp; 333 600 Wincanton Community Hospital (formerly Verrington) Wincanton 01963 828 444 Yeatman Hospital, Sherborne 01935 813 991 Yeovil District Hospital Yeovil ba21 4at; 01935 475 122 Horticultural Society Alison Shingler 812 393; www.brutonhorticultural.org.uk Kennels and cattery Farringford Boarding Kennels & Cattery, 813 474; www.farringford. f9.co.uk. Paula Ross and Duncan Greek

Landscaping SLR Outdoor Maintenance, 07875 561 043/07918 125 226 Liberal Democrats Frome 01373 473 618 Library High St; Tue 2–5.30, Fri 10–1.30, 2.30–6, Sat 10–1; loan renewal 0845 345 9177; www.librarieswest.org.uk. Mike Streatfeild 813 275 Macmillan Cancer Support Penny Steiner (publicity) 01963 359 613 MP David Heath CBE, Lib. Dem. Constituency Office, 14 Catherine Hill, Frome ba11 1bz; 01373 473 618; www.davidheath.co.uk Mini Day-Care Centre Maureen Windsor 812 989; [email protected] Museum Dovecote Building, 26 High St, ba10 0aa; Douglas Learmond, chairman, 812 354 Organic foods Bruton Wholefoods, 57A High St, Mon–Fri 8.30–5 (Thurs till 7pm), Sat 8.30–1 Osteopaths Kathrine Read & Violette Aubry, Batcombe, 830 439 Chris Aust, 812 310 Outdoor pursuits Mill on the Brue 812 307; www.millonthebrue.co.uk Petrol Station West End, 812 832 Physiotherapy Fran Steele 813 161 Police 08454 567 000; new number 101; emergency only 999 Poppy Travel Lynne Hawkridge, Chapel Cottage, West End, Bruton ba10 0bh; 812 916 Post Office High St; Mon–Wed & Fri 9–1, 2–5.30, Thur 9–1, Sat 9–12.30; 812 317 Recycling centre Dimmer, Mon–Wed, Sat, Sun morning 01963 351 725 Rotary Club Brue Valley, www.rotary-ribi.org. Andrew de Mora 07711 183 716 Royal British Legion Graham Lilley 342 951 St Margaret’s Hospice General and clinical enquiries: 0845 070 8910; Fundraising: 0845 page 67

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345 9671 Sexey’s Hospital Almshouse, High St; Master, Canon Paul Jenkins 813 369; [email protected] Shops with extended opening hours: Bill the Butcher High St: 8–9 daily (except butchery counter), 812 388; Church Bridge Stores Patwell St: Mon–Sat 6–7.30, Sun 6–5, 812 339; Bruton Convenience Store High St: Mon–Fri 6.30–9, Sat 7–9, Sun 8–8, 812 308; Symonds at Budgens & Petrol Station West End: Mon–Sat 7–10, Sun 8–10, 812 832 Social Services 01935 420 925 Sports & exercise Bruton Running Group www.brutonrunning. co.uk. Jannine Bowtell 07837 573 718 Cricket Club Matthew Ough 07527 950 868 Football Club Grahame Baker 814 136; www. brutonunited.co.uk Netball Bruton Robins, Tash 07966 240 292 Short Mat Bowls Carole Wyatt 01963 350 222; [email protected] Sport and Fitness Club, Kings Bruton Arron Steeds 814 239 Swimming pool Wincanton Sports Centre, 01963 824 400 Tennis Mike Kelham 812 281 Yoga Barbara Saunders 812 980 Taxis Chinnock Taxis 07703 068 878 Direct Taxi 07597 400 559 Mum’s Taxi 07711 572 038 Train services Bruton, Castle Cary and Gillingham stations: www.brutoncarytrains.co.uk or via town website. National Rail Enquiries 08457 48 49 50 U3A (University of the 3rd Age) Pat Williams (membership) 813 741 Vet Bruton Vets, 25 High Street, Stewart

Halperin, Charlotte Hilleary 813 291 WITS discussion group, Alison Shingler 812 393 Women’s Institute Pat Griffin 813 381 Women’s Wisdom Group Sarah Holmes 07748 874 795; sarah@ nurturingmaternalwisdom.co.uk

Town Councillors • Chairman: Alex Rubbo, [email protected] • Abigail Baker, [email protected] • Juliet Bowell, [email protected] • Mike Brownlow, [email protected] • Trevor Coldman, [email protected] • Afiong Crombie, [email protected] • Steven Hall, [email protected] • Rebecca Hunt, [email protected] • Lesley Hutchinson, [email protected] • John Marsh, [email protected] • Gary Perkins, [email protected] • Lisa Pickering, [email protected]

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where to eat and drink (All phone codes 01749: see also relevant websites) At The Chapel, Chapel Barton, High Street, Bruton ba10 0ae (814 070). Bakery, Restaurant, Winestore, Clubroom, Terrace, Bedrooms. Catherine Butler and Ahmed Sidki. The Bruton Castle, High St, Bruton ba10 0aw (812 104). Open from 4pm (Tue 7pm); bar food Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. Jim Britton. The Bruton Club, Quaperlake Street, Bruton ba10 0hg (813 244). Closed Sun. No food. Chairman Ernie Brixey; secretary Monica Ashton. Bruton Spice takeaway, 9 High Street, Bruton ba10 0ab (812 679). Evgs only, to 10.30 (Fri/Sat 11pm). Closed Mon. The Bull Inn, Hardway (Brewham), Bruton ba10 0ln (812 200). Closed Sun evg, Mon. Martin and Ann Smith. Cat’s Café, rear of Bruton Convenience Store, Bruton High Street (07792 063 947). Cole Manor Tearoom, Cole, BA10 0PJ, 813 676 or 07841 538 939. Diana Scott and Jackie Garrett. Matt’s Kitchen, 51 High Street, Bruton ba10 0aw (812 027). Supper Wed, Thu, Fri; private functions only Sat. Matt Watson.

crossword solutions november B E D E C K R I L I N A S U I T D M B W G O O D C O E N S T D OWN R S E I P A T I E N C O R T K T R U M P S O S E N O T B A D

P S H O R N T A I G E E A I X L H E

Y C H E O V M B R E R N R A C T S H T E S S N A P F A F O L D U E A R T S

The Montague Inn, Shepton Montague ba9 8jw (813 213). Closed Sun evg. Sean and Suzy O’Callaghan. The Old Red Lion, North Brewham ba10 0jl (850 287). Closed Mon. B&B. Tom and Anne O’Toole. Rickshaw Chinese Takeaway, West End, Bruton (812 188). Closed Mon lunch; Tues. Ed and Mai Lee. The Sun Inn, 33 High Street, Bruton ba10 0ah (bar: 813 493; takeaway: 813 777). Mike Clifford. The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe, Shepton Mallet ba4 6he (850 359). Open 7 days; B&B. Kav & Anna-Marie Javvi. Truffles Restaurant, 95 High Street, Bruton ba10 0ar (812 180). Closed Sun evg & Mon. Richard Sorapure.

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the dove | december & january 2013 /2014 dove crossword 50 ‘a puzzle for christmas’ Compiled by Colin Juneman. Solutions in next issue. Solutions to last month’s Crossword on previous page. 7 8 9 10

11 12

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14

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18

19 20

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Chairman: Malcolm Hord Circulation and subscription enquiries: Mike Kelham (812 281; [email protected], or by post to the address below) Editor: Elisabeth Balfour, [email protected] Reporter: Matthew Keegan Advertising from 1 January 2014: Pennie Dunn 07855 856 640 ([email protected]) Distribution: Alan and Moira Ashdown Treasurer from 1 January 2014: Ed Tickner Designed by Lucy or Robert the dove is published ten times a year monthly (doubles: July/ August, December/January) free of charge, or by subscription if delivered to your door (£10 per annum for ten issues) Comments and contributions to the Editor (email above) or by post to: the dove, Church Office, Rectory Annexe, Plox, Bruton ba10 0ef, 01749 813 080 Deadline for advertisements and editorial copy: first of the month preceding the month of publication. Printed by FWB Printing Ltd, Wincanton

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across 1 Skill at the table, revealed through greeting and performing (8) 7 Behind one of her corgis, perhaps, Her Majesty provides a rock for the church (5) 8 Returning afterwards, I swallowed and hit back (9) 9 Troubled, ultimately, as magi were by the start (3) 10 Peer to praise audibly (4) 11 Evil exposed in press, in full (6) 13 Parents find real happiness about shep wandering and sheep returning (6, 3, 4) 15 Fellow leading-light (2 – 4) 16 Return transport for bearer of false witness (4) 18 Song in which first one of two goes missing (3) 20 Illumination around nun’s head is very brief illumination! (9) 21 Be quiet! A number is acting as the light did in the East (5) 22 Poke one young lady – like wasteful son (8) down 1 Behold! Driving group rise for seasonal song (5) 2 Scripture lesson goes, and comes back (7) 3 Prize awarded to plan for uprising capturing fifty (4) 4 Seasonal music revealing a method by which one man is upset with rage (4, 2, 1, 6) 5 Delay finding seasonal birthplace (5) 6 Precocious child will nose around where there is nothing for archaeologists (7) 7 Fried hash replacing a financial reward for treachery (7) 12 One of twelve followers bitter about mail (7) 13 A mostly startled reaction about platform for rival religion (7) 14 First two characters, and I, sound as a bell, as shepherds were in fields (7) 15 Criminal supporting shepherd (5) 17 Drink up – like the King (5) 19 Boss brings together leaders of several trade unions, daily (4)

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The Montague Inn Bookings now being taken for Christmas parties, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. For menus see our website: www.themontagueinn.co.uk New Year’s Eve: live entertainment, three-course dinner, champagne and fireworks at midnight, taxi home (within 10 miles, further by arrangement) £70 Special offers for all Racing Days at Wincanton include lunch, premier enclosure tickets and supper plus taxis to and from the pub Community carol night, mulled wine and mince pies Thursday 12 December Come and see our bar area and private dining room. Cosy fires and a warm welcome await you. Fantastic terrace with far-reaching views.

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