link up - kstm.uk · 3 church contacts rector rev’d mary styles 451189 associate vicar rev’d...
TRANSCRIPT
Link–Up
February
2019
E-Magazine
2
From the Editor February 2019
Our contributors have been busy this month with the
result that there are many interesting articles in this
issue of link-Up. Apologies to those whose pieces
have been squeezed a little in order to fit everything in.
What a poorer place our villages would be without this little gem
dropping through our letter box every month but we would still like
more help producing this magazine, whether you could find a spare
couple of hours a month to help at collation, deliver the magazine in
your area or are brave enough to give editing ‘a go’ you would be
made very welcome. Details and how to contact us on page 2.
Nature looms large in this month’s issue and quite rightly so, plant
sale notices are starting to appear and the ever optimistic gardeners
are watching the first bulbs bravely pushing through the soil.
February is the time to go out and about and enjoy the snowdrops that
we are so lucky to have growing in abundance in the area.
Please note the early closing date for the March issue.
Lindy Mansfield
This month to Maisie Henderson and
Humphrey House LINK-UP is the community magazine for the parishes of Broomfield, Cheddon Fitzpaine and Kingston St Mary. Any views in LINK-UP are not necessarily those of the Editor(s), the editorial staff or the LINK-UP Board. The Board gratefully acknowledges the support of all whose advertisements appear in our magazine. However, the inclusion in LINK-UP does not imply recommendation. The LINK-UP Board reserves the right to accept any material and advertisement at its discretion. The LINK-UP Board will only use personal data for the purpose for which it was provided.
3
CHURCH CONTACTS
Rector Rev’d Mary Styles 451189
Associate Vicar Rev’d Jim Cox 333377
Benefice Office Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 9.00am-2.00pm 451257
CHURCHWARDENS
Broomfield Bez Purdy 451632
Cheddon Pauline Stone 277637
Kingston Richard Flood 451181
Julia Hammett 451642
LINK UP OFFICERS & STAFF
Chairman Sheila Jones 451170
Secretary Jean Alger-Green 451732
Treasurer Jackie Aldrich 451696
Advertising Manager Annie Trolley (yellow pages only) 451312
Distribution Manager Carol Platt 451605
Duplication Manager Corrine McMylor 0773 088 4413
Editor this month Lindy Mansfield 451374
Editor – church pages Esmé Padgham 451559
Editor next month Yvonne Harris 451883
DEADLINE FOR March magazine: FRIDAY, 8th. FEBRUARY 2019.
Hard copy 10.00am ‘Tara’ Cheddon Fitzpaine (Bungalow next to church) contributions 10.00am Fyne Court Farm, Broomfield by: 12noon Benefice Office, The Vicarage, KSM
Email contributions to the editor by:12noon Friday 8th. February
Collation: 2.00pm at KSM Village Hall, Thurs, 21st. February 2019 Distribution: From Friday, 22nd. February
Only emails clearly marked ‘Link-Up’ will be opened and acknowledged
4
Jim our Associate Vicar writes . . . . . .
Curious thing: candle flames are basically the same size and shape regardless of the height or thickness of the candle. There are circumstances when this can be altered - lack of oxygen, lack of gravity (in space) and length of wick. But a candle one-inch thick and a candle two inches thick have a similar flame. Certainly the height of the candle makes no difference.
In February the church marks Candlemas (or Presentation). It is technically the 'end' of the Christmas/Epiphany season - though nobody cares about that by February! Some churches try to maintain the Christmas energy and do Christingle at this time, but it is usually an uphill struggle.
But the Feast of Presentation marks the time when Jesus was 'presented' in the Temple as a baby and the candle represents the light coming into the world. Christians - in theory at least - are supposed to bear this light of God into the world.
There are all sorts of reasons why Christians fail in this most basic of religious duties, but it would be a travesty to let our weakness become excuses - the most common of which can often be laziness parading as modesty: what can I possibly do?
The Christian faith teaches that all people have something of this light within them. Indeed, like the candle - tall and proud or small and modest, brightly coloured or plain white, with a long time left to burn or short - the light is potentially exactly the same. I would hope that we can all - Christian or not - avoid starving the flame of oxygen and then maybe the light can continue to shine in the darkness.
Jim
Young Michael was rather tired of the long sermon in church so he whispered to his mother, “if we give him the money now, can we go?”
5
Bishop Peter writes . . . . . .
Taking care of God’s gift
This Lent as a diocese we will be thinking in different ways about what it means to care for the world in which we live. Our care for the environment and for all that God has created is an obligation for us as Christians and part of our response to the gospel.
Reference is sometimes made to the Five Marks of Mission and one aspect of mission is ‘to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.’ What we now know about climate change and the impact we humans make on the world we live in, means that it is imperative that we take this responsibility seriously. The Earth is our home. It is beautiful beyond words. It is God’s gift to us and so we must take care of it! The Psalmist reminds us that: ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.’ (Psalm 24:1)
President Barack Obama recently said: “For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change … we must act before it’s too late.” He was not seeking to be alarmist in saying this, he was reminding us that climate change is already affecting agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas and also having a serious detrimental impact on human health.
We do need to be more responsible, more faithful and more diligent in the way we care for God’s creation for a number of reasons. Firstly, a clean environment is essential for healthy living. Secondly, as the overall temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans increases so too does the frequency of dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms. We are stewards of what God has given us and we have a responsibility for future generations and we cannot deny that the way we live is stoking up problems for our children, grandchildren and all who follow after us. Biodiversity, the variety of plants, animals, and other living things in our world, is important and we know that human activities are having a negative impact on it. Finally, it matters because the way we treat the environment also mirrors the way we treat each other.
6
Mahatma Gandhi the Indian civil rights activist once said: “What we are doing to the forests of the world is a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”
So what might it look like to show that we care about the environment? I have found these three simple words helpful as I have thought about this. The three Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Those are three words we might think about this Lent.
With warm greetings to readers.
TO ALL CHURCH MEMBERS
As we do every six years, we have to create a brand new Electoral Roll for 2019 before our Annual Parochial Church Meeting. This means that EVERYONE will need to complete a new electoral roll form this year as any previous ones must, by church law, be disregarded.
This is also a good opportunity for those who attend and have not been on the electoral roll before to do so.
Please do collect a form from your church when the new roll is being prepared (in later February and March, though exact dates will vary in the different churches) complete and return it to your church Electoral Roll Officer or a Churchwarden.
Family Announcements Funeral On 11 January at Broomfield Church followed by burial in the churchyard, Margaret Duval-Smith
Burial in Churchyard At Kingston on 18 January,John Stone
7
Lent begins on 6 March
This year’s BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship) Lent book is “At Home in Lent” by Gordon Giles. Each week is spent in a different room gleaning spiritual lessons from everyday household objects.
Running as a thread through it all are the seven Rs of Lent: Regret, repentance, resolution, recognition, reconciliation, renewal and resurrection.
Cost is £8.99 and the book can be obtained from BRF or through local bookshops.
THIS MONTH'S ROTAS
Broomfield Church Cleaners
2 February Nancy Lyons
9 & 16 February Andrea Duncan 23 February Bez Purdy & Mary Johnson
Kingston Altar Linen and Floor Lucy Hay
Kingston Flowers
Volunteers needed !
Broomfield Flowers
9,16,23 February Lindy Mansfield
CHEDDON CHURCH 100 CLUB
The winners of the January draw were
£60 – Hilary Shaw £15 – Phillip Cracknell
8
Want to know about the Bible ? then this 8 week
course is for you! Course Book £4.99
2 Start dates:-
Wed 20th Feb 7.30pm OR Thur 21st Feb 2.15pm
Contact 451257 to book asap or see flier in church
SUNDAY SEEDLINGS
On Sunday 6th January the South Quantock Benefice introduced
Sunday Seedlings. This short service 0930-1000, offers families with
children aged 0-5 years a friendly and informal space to learn more
about Jesus. It is an ideal environment to meet others with children of
similar ages and is a good place to connect, particularly for those
considering baptism for their children. Our first service was lovely!
We were delighted to welcome three families as we enjoyed learning
new songs, taking part in a story and having creative fun by
decorating prayer stars. There was also plenty of time to get to know
each other over coffee and pastries.
Sunday Seedlings take place on the first Sunday of the month at
Cheddon Memorial Hall TA2 8JY and on the third Sunday at The
BACH next to West Monkton Primary School TA2 8FT.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Tracey Hallett, Church in Community Pioneer Ordinand.
Guess the Weight of the Christmas Cake!
Thanks to those who participated in guessing (comparing bags of sugar and/or baby weight, or questioning pounds or kilograms, etc) at the Crafts Fair and at the Nativity shows. The weight was 5lbs2oz and Jenny Davies in the village won it!! Well done Jenny!! KSM School PTFA --------------------------------------
KSM School PTFA's Quiz Night Friday 15th. March 7.30pm
Tickets will include food. BYO drinks. Put the date in your diary for a fun evening out! More details in next month's Link Up!
9
WINDOW ON THE PAST
MEDICAL MATTERS
VITAMIN C In World War II we collected rose
hips from the hedges (fruit of the wild rose) to make rose hip syrup
for infants. It contained a higher proportion of Vitamin C than any
other common fruit or vegetable, it was said that a cupful gave more
than 40 fresh oranges and it is still available today.
CONSUMPTION (Tuberculosis or T.B.) was so common in the 19th
century that is was said to have killed more sufferers than smallpox,
typhus, scarlet fever, measles and whooping cough put together! As
the importance of fresh air and good food became recognised, deaths
became fewer. The Quantock Sanatorium, once home of the one and
only Lord Taunton at Over Stowey, was established in the 1900s.
More than one person from our parishes was successfully treated
there. It continued until 1962, a special bus for visitors ran on
Sundays.
DAFFY’S ELIXIR was a favourite treatment in the 18th Century and
later, especially for children, ‘Possesses extraordinary powers in
purifying the blood of phlegm, humours, vapours and rheums’. It was
concocted by Parson Duffy who sold it through his son’s apothecary
shop. The dose was five drops (No doubt it’s popularity was
increased by the good name of its clerical inventor).Another
household remedy known as POORMAN’S FRIEND was widely
advertised. It was a ointment made up in part by a Bridport Chemist
and it could be purchased at Beach & Barnicott’s in
Taunton. Applied to the skin, it was an irritant apparently
to bring out blistering. Containing mercury, it would
probably kill eventually!
SMALLPOX was rife in this area in the 1700s and there were many
deaths in all three parishes. Amongst them were several at Tetton: 2
coachmen, 2 gardeners and an Italian musician. A book of remedies
from Hestercombe recalls that the disease affected all
classes of society and those who recovered could be
disfigured for life. Inoculation was tried on 12 poor
people of Broomfield at the cost to the parish of about 3
shillings (15p) each. It was some years before vaccination proved the
10
answer, better than wrapping the patient in red flannel!
SORE THROAT gave John Wesley some trouble since he used his
voice so much, he applied bruised garlic to the soles of his feet. But
an agricultural labourer would tie a sock around his throat, preferably
with heated salt in it.
HOUSEMAID’S KNEE is sometimes said by a hypochondriac to be
one of the few problems he/she had not got. But Jane Hobbs of
Cheddon claimed to have suffered from it in 1838.
WORKHOUSE DEATHS were frequent of course.
Some due to natural deaths, one due to ‘Visitation by
God’ but many due to ‘atrophy due to malnutrition’. Thomas Hardy
tells of a dead shepherd boy who only had raw turnip in his stomach.
And of Jude’s eldest son who killed himself and 2 other children:
‘Tis done because we are too menny’.
Audrey Mead
Kingston St Mary W.I. The January meeting was held in the village hall. The President, Kathy Pugh, introduced the speaker, David Moranion, whose talk
was called ‘Grumpy Travels America.’ He had embarked on a 6 month, 24,000 mile trip, starting in Alaska and ending in Argentina. He travelled on a British-made Triumph motor bike. Members were shown beautiful and varied scenery – snow capped mountains, blue lakes, waterfalls, sun capped forests, brown bears and many other bikers who were also travelling his way. He had made many friends and the hospitality was wonderful. He left us at the borders of Mexico. And he has been booked to return in June and tell members about the second half of his adventures, Mexico onwards. He was thanked by Jane Templeman. In a brief business meeting it was agreed to hold the Group Social Evening on 29th March, and a fund raising Horse Race evening in May. Next month the meeting will be on February 6th. Speaker: ‘Freewheelers – Blood Bikes’ Competition: Something Red.
Janet Lovell
11
GROWING MISTLETOE While young and living in Kent, I imagined the orbs that grew in lofty trees were birds’ nests similar to those in a nearby rookery. Later, in Somerset, these familiar shapes grew in stooped apple trees within reach of inquisitive fingers. Between the forks many globes pro-duced semi translucent sticky berries in autumn, each hiding a single seed. The berries reminded me of snake eyes, and death! for you were unsure of what was going on inside. This aura of mystery increased when adults cut bunches and shrouded them in hessian ready for Christmas markets. An in-formant said the swellings in trees branches,[Haustorium] from where the mistletoe was cut, were full of ‘stored sugars’ and left to facilitate regenera-tion. I never tasted anything sweet but learned about kissing girls beneath a sprig.
Between May to November farming neighbours positioned berries onto branches of various orchard trees. They experimented with concoctions in-volving lime, marl and mud, sometimes mixed with horse and cow dung or piddle. I recall a sheep dog owner following the creature until it cocked its leg, the nonchalant owner, dish in hand, trying to catch the result. Of course the dog stopped watering at every intrusion. The problem only solved by roll-ing a ball of mud around a piddle puddle. Pig piddle concoctions failed be-cause of the high ammonia content and pure clay or flour proves unsuccess-ful as they rapidly harden excluding air. Another neighbour was knocked “a… over tip” by a Suffolk ram while attaching mistletoe seed to an ailing orchard apple tree. I had the impossible task of not laughing while extricating the en-raged and bloodied man from the now fallen tree. This neighbours father in-cluded the plant in home-made medicines for working horses suffering bloat, or after eating inferior chaff/oats and for colic after foaling. An overdose would kill! Mistletoes ability to flower and set multiple seed is dependent on a warm spring following periods below freezing. Wind speed/chill and the host’s wel-fare also play a part in multiple seed set. The separate male and female plants use wind for pollination, although honey bees, other insects even mice assist in mild weather. The female flowers between February and May, like the hazel bush; a clever way of having seed available over an extended pe-riod. Seed set is revealed as ever swelling greenish yellow berries. From August a semi-translucent glutinous berry develops, on ripening, the fleshy pericarp reveals the mysterious seed (a drupe) inside. With few
12
exceptions it is the succulent flesh not the seed that birds and mice seek and seedling growth is not always due to birds depositing seed in droppings as fruit falls to fresh branches naturally. Berries are also transported on strong winds and furry feet.
European mistletoe (Viscum album) having green chlorophyll is a hemipara-site not a parasite. The usual host is apple, sorbus, hawthorn, lime, poplar, acer. Other hosts are fruit trees, laburnum, privet and acacia, occasionally gorse, and hazel, rarely birch, oak or damson; never conifers. It is suspected that the plant is made up of numerous sub- species Propagation is most successful in the West Country, but I have reared it on rambling roses in Es-sex clay and onto a mature London medlar. My first success occurred on a branch of a hollow trunked apple tree. This aged ‘Sheep’s Nose’ tree lived a further 50 years; the mistletoe having died five years earlier.
There are various methods of propagating. Mistletoe prefers mature or stressed hosts, preferably the Rosaceae family. A stressed tree may be of any age but certain characteristics can be noted. For example, some orna-mental sorbus are supported by weak root systems barely able to supply the trees needs above ground, Another with weak roots are the cider apple King-ston Black, yet the vigorous rooters Tom Putt and Devonshire Quarrenden are difficult, to establish mistletoe onto. This assumes the berry was lodged in a small fissure where seed will not be desiccated by heat or dryness and the tree probably a prolific fruiter.
Mistletoe with Berries can be left in a cool place or frozen until May, once de-frosted use soon after. I prefer them freshly picked. If there is insufficient sticky pericarp to hold seed to live wood, a dab of semi- mature cow pat (not fresh) or adhesive soil will help. This should remain moist for twelve weeks without obliterating all daylight thus killing the seed. You can scrape the bark surface, avoiding cutting into cambium which stimulates the production of flu-ids that repel invaders. A single greenish yellow protuberance denotes suc-cess months later, so patience and a good memory is required. Success rarely occurs where volumes of water run down branches, nor at places of thick bark or decaying timber. You imitate a natural process by placing a bunch of berried mistletoe onto a selected host allowing birds to eat the ber-ries but the chances are the seedlings will not be on your chosen host! COUNTRY NATTER
13
Across the Field
You can tell it is cold because the blackbirds have moved in – we
usually have the one that has been around for years. Now we have
six or seven. They are mostly male and they are always fighting. The
’house’ bird comes to the back door, looks in and ‘asks’ for meal
worms. The other birds are learning and creep in trying to grab a
feed. The robin just comes and helps himself. The long tailed tits
come to feed on the fat balls, as does the spotted woodpecker. Two
young starlings still come regularly, but they are still brown.
All through the summer, and still, we have two magpies around. We
used to hear them in the distance, but now they are in the trees all of
the time. We have had a single wagtail here for ages. It has got very
tame and likes to come with the robin for mealworms.
We still have a few apples on the ground – they are soon hollowed
out by the pheasants and blackbirds. The wild rabbits, which have
been around for years, have cleared a lot of them on the grass verge
under the Bramley tree.
I had an interesting report given to me. On the
evening of December 13th a large otter crossed the
road from Lodes Lane towards the Old Post Office. There used to be
trout in the Post Office stream. It’s the first sighting that I have heard
of. Years ago there was a dead one at the Nailsbourne turning.
There used to be an Otter hot line number. I expect you have to go
on-line now.
Rainfall: Dec 2018 100mm Dec 2017 94mm
Janet Lovell
LINK UP GARDEN CLUB. Our speaker for February is Darren Atkins who will tell us about 'The History of Kelways Nursery,
Langport.' Doors open at 6-45pm for a 7-15pm start and we look forward to seeing you in the Kingston Village Hall on the 20th February. As usual, entry is free for club members and £4 for non members.
14
KINGSTON ST MARY SCHOOL
I am writing this in the first week of the spring term and as we adjust to getting up and coming to school after the Christmas break the traditionally manic last week of the autumn term is just a happy memory of Christmas songs, plays and fun activities. This year I was particularly pleased that some of our children were able to go into the community. Woodpecker Class went along to the December Wednesday Club to sing songs from our Christmas Concert, they also delivered Christmas Cards they had made for people who may be alone at Christmas. We had a choir sing carols at the Christmas Fair. They did particularly well as they had to sing acapella due to a technical hitch with the CD. We have received some lovely comments about both performances, thank you; I know the children enjoyed the opportunity to share their singing. It was a pleasure to welcome Rev. Jim Cox to our school last term; he joined us for our Remembrance Service, along with Rev Mary Styles. He also led an assembly in school and our Christmas Concert at St Mary’s Church. We are looking forward to future joint services. Mrs Diana Taylor has continued to support us with our church services and again shared her wisdom and knowledge at our Harvest Service. We had wonderful support from local residents for our Jumble Sale in November. Thank you to everyone who supported this event by giving us your unwanted items or attending. In addition to raising money for the school and as a part of our British Values and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health & Emotional) curriculum, the children took part in fundraising activities for Children in Need, The British Legion and Save the Children (through Christmas Jumper Day), raising over £350 in total. Well done and thank you to all our families. Kim Greenslade, Headteacher
BROOMFIELD PLANT SALE
We will be holding our annual plant sale on May 11th.
Offers of help for the growing of plants would be
greatly appreciated. We can provide the plants, if you can provide the
growing and nurturing! Helpers on the morning would be made very
welcome. Information Bez 451632, Jane 451619
15
News from Cheddon Fitzpaine Parish Council Meeting
On 10 January 2019:
Opportunities galore for 2019 as the Parish expands:
The ‘pioneering’ work at Northwalls by enthusiastic individuals is
growing the community; as such a new Community Facebook page
has been set up. This is linked to other websites for information in
the area.
www.facebook.com/groups/2147333575328105/?ref=share
-The new Nerrols school is rising fast, and at present is ‘on time’ for
the September 2019 opening.
-David Wilson Homes have reinstated the planting surface of the
Crown Medical Centre roundabout. There are drifts of crocus
planted on the outer edge, and wild flowers seeds in the inner section.
-DLO have attended to tree pruning requests within Waterleaze;
willows will be pollarded more frequently to stop them getting so
large.
-The ‘whips’ (1m high trees/shrubs) have arrived for the Somerset
Wood. The first volunteer sessions will have taken place in January
when you read this article.
-The wood chippings from Waterleaze have been recycled to provide
the mulch for the Somerset Wood trees; in keeping with ‘green’
principles!
Do take a walk around the area to see vistas from new angles; we
have been amazed at how undulating the landscape is that we had
previously thought of as flat!
Next meeting, 7.00pm. Thursday 14th. February,
Denise Webber/Chairman 07788
522266 [email protected]
Jo Pearson/Parish Clerk 07891
529809 [email protected]
www.cheddonfitzpaine-pc.org.uk/council
Jo Pearson, Parish Clerk 07891 529809
16
Kingston St Mary Parish Council
At the parish meeting on the 14th January, Somerset County Councillor Rob Williams gave a brief resume of several issues that have been discussed at County level. Of particular interest to KSM is that bus subsidies are to continue even though the County is still under severe financial restraints. However one consequence of the restraints is that the SCC highways section will no longer advise on road safety issues where there is no evidence of serious accidents. This could well impact on resolving traffic safety issues within KSM.
A new notice board at Fulford Cross has been ordered but not erected yet.
It seems likely at the present that there will be vacancies on the Parish Council when elections are held in May. So if you are interested in standing please feel free to have a discussion with any of the present members or come along to one of the meetings and get a taste of what is involved. The next meeting is on 11th February at 7:30pm when the acting chair will be Cllr. Marcus Anderson.
Acting Chair Cllr Andrew Wilcox (451402) Clerk: Katie Gibbins: [email protected]
“Litter and Recycling boxes
A lot of litter was in evidence post Christmas around the village
which most likely was blown out of recycling boxes.
We can prevent this by compacting down our plastic milk containers,
cans and cardboard boxes to ensure they don’t blow out. It all helps!!
Many thanks
Jean Alger-Green”
17
SERVICES IN THE PARISHES FEBRUARY 2019
3 February Candlemas 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Kingston
9.30am Sunday Seedlings Cheddon Memorial Hall
10.00am Holy Communion West Monkton
10.00am Family Service Kingston
11.00am Family Service with Baptism Broomfield
6 February Wednesday 2.00pm Holy Communion The Vicarage,Kingston
10 February Fourth Sunday before Lent 8.00am Holy Communion West Monkton
10.00am Holy Communion Kingston
10.00am Family Service Cheddon
6.00pm Evening Prayer West Monkton
17 February Third Sunday before Lent
8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Kingston
9.30am Sunday Seedlings Brittons Ash Community Hall
10.00am Holy Communion West Monkton
11.00am Holy Communion Broomfield
20 February Wednesday 2.00pm Holy Communion ‘Chatri’ Cheddon
18
24 February Second Sunday before Lent 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) West Monkton
10.00am Holy Communion Kingston
10.00am Holy Communion Cheddon
6.00pm Evening Prayer Broomfield
3 March Sunday next before Lent 8.00am Holy Communion Kingston
10.00am Holy Communion West Monkton
10.00am Family Service Kingston
11.00am Family Service Broomfield
Sunday Seedling
15 minutes of songs, stories and fun for
0-5s & their families to learn about Jesus
Then coffee & delicious pastries
9.30am Sundays:
3 February Cheddon Memorial Hall
17 February BACH (next to West Monkton Primary School)
19
What’s on … in February 2019
page Fri 1 Film night, KSM Village Hall 7.00pm 23
Sat 2 Film night, Broomfield Village Hall 7.00pm 22
Mon 4 Dragon Quilters. Lavender Barn, Broomfield 1-4pm
Mon 4 Quiet Day, KSM Village Hall 10-3pm
Wed 6 WI KSM Village Hall 7.30pm 9
Fri 8 Youth Club, KSM Village Hall 7-9pm 24
Fri 8 ‘Escape to the West Country’ Cheddon Church 7.30pm 30
Mon 11 Kingston Parish Council Meeting 7.30pm 15
Wed 13 Wednesday Café. KSM Village Hall 2.00pm 21
Wed 13 Walking for Health. Kingston 1.45pm 21
Thur 14 Cheddon Parish Council Meeting 7.00pm 14
Fri 15 Film night, Cheddon Village Hall 7.00pm 22
Mon 18 Dragon Quilters, Lavender Barn, Broomfield 1-4pm
Wed 20 Gardening Club 7.15pm 12
Fri 22 Youth Club. Cinema trip 7.00pm 24
Tues 26 Broomfield PC meeting 7.30pm
Thur 28 ‘Plane Speaking’ Cheddoners, Cheddon Hall 7.30pm 30
….in March
Fri/Sat 1-2 ‘Plane Speaking’ Cheddoners, Cheddon Hall 7.30pm 30
Tues 5 Pancake Lunch. KSM Village Hall 12-2pm 28
Fri 8 Youth Club. KSM Village Hall 7-9pm 24
Fri 15 PTFA Quiz. KSM School 7.30pm 7
Sun 17 Litter pick. Kingston 10-12noon 24
Fri 22 Youth Club Film Night, The Grange 7-9pm 24
…. and in May Sat 11 Plant Sale, Broomfield Village Hall
Sun 19 Plant Sale, KSM Village Hall
Wed 29 WI Group Social Evening
Regular Events
Bell ringing. Tuesday evenings. KSM Church 7.30pm
Badminton Every Monday. KSM Village Hall 7.45pm
Baby and Toddler Group. Every Monday. (Term time only)
KSM Church 9-11.00am
Facebook: Kingston St Mary Baby and Toddler’s group
Pilates 11.30am and Keep Fit 12.45 every Tuesday (term time only)
KSM Hall. Contact Alison Roberts 07850 507489/01823 672617
Art Group every Tuesday. Broomfield Village Hall. 2 – 4pm Sunday Seedlings. 1st. Sunday of the month. Cheddon Hall
20
If you would like to flag-up a forthcoming event in any of our three
parishes occurring in the next 12 months, please let the next editor know.
Please include a contact number so anyone else planning an event may
telephone you.
This list is intended as a guide only to aid event planning.
Don’t forget to look at the village WEBSITES
Kingston St Mary: www.kstm.uk
Broomfield: www.broomfieldparish.org
Cheddon: www.cheddonfitzpaine-pc.org.uk
Kingston Facebook Kingston St Mary’s Events
Did you know Broomfield has a facebook page ? If you are a
facebook user and 'like' it then you will be able to keep in touch with
news affecting the Parish
www.facebook.com/broomfieldparish
Northwalls Grange now has a new facebook page called Northwalls Grange Residents Community Page: www.facebook.com/groups/2147333575328105/
HOSPITAL TRANSPORT & EMERGENCY PRESCRIPTION SERVICE
The following people have kindly offered to collect your prescription or take
patients for admission to, or discharge from hospital
For Residents of Kingston Parish only
Jenny Fisher 451332* Fay Huleatt Boyd 451891
Sonia Pether 451311 (* Prescription only)
For Residents of Cheddon Parish only
Mary Gunning 412179 Ann Pugh 412810
Liz Thompson 451529
Offers of transport for this service it would be gratefully received
21
Kingston Community Partnership
Support for KCP activity:
A TDBC/Somerset Community Foundation Grant was awarded to the KCP of £995.55 in February 2018 to support activity across KCP’s environment, broadband, community assistance, and youth groups. In the light of circumstances some of these funds have been redirected to community causes. The money is going towards the following:
Hosting the KSTM website : £120 Litter Picking equipment : £100 KAPACC Cycling event : £200 Playing Field furniture : £100 Wednesday Cafe : £200 Youth Club equipment : £125 KCP publicity/admin : £150
For 2019 following the SCC cuts to youth club funding, sponsorship has been sought elsewhere, and TDBC/Somerset Community Foundation have awarded £1000 to fund our youth workers. KSM Parish Council have awarded £500 for the hire of the village hall. A BIG thank you to both.
KCP Activity in 2018 Litter Picks: Thank you to all volunteers who took part in the village litter pick on Sunday 25 November, when twelve bags of litter were collected. The next litter pick will be on Sunday 17th March from 10.00 am to 12.00pm Traffic: A bid to SCC Highways to reduce speed limits through parts of the village and along the Kingston Road has been drawn up. A Speed Watch scheme established to discourage speeding and to gather data towards the bid. The proposals include a Speed Indicator Device which Kingston Parish Council have agreed to fund. The Kingston Area Pedestrian & Cycle Campaign was established to create an Active route (a safe pedestrian and cycle route) from Kingston to Taunton – and onto the Quantocks - and to encourage an interest in cycling. In June KAPACC organised the Family Fun Cycle Ride around the Parish and the plan is to continue this as an annual event. Community Assistance: Volunteers have been looking at areas where Kingston residents of all ages might need support, and at what would make their lives better. They have looked into Good Neighbour offerings of a number of organisations and are being supported by Community Council for
22
Somerset (CCS)’s Village Agents. A number of specific ways of supporting residents are being developed and will be announced shortly. Youth: The Kingston Youth Club’s future is secure for another year following the awards from the Parish Council and TDBC/SCF. The KCP’s work continues into 2019 and you are welcome to find out more about any of the groups and how to contribute to them at www.kstm.uk/content/cp/communitypartnership For general inquiries about the Community Partnership's working groups contact David Stripp on [email protected] or call 01823 451455.
Wednesday Café - Kingston St Mary Village Hall, 2.00pm (Every second Wednesday of the month) On behalf of everyone involved with the monthly Wednesday Cafe, we would like to express our thanks to the KSM Community Partnership for providing funding (from the TDBC/Somerset Community Foundation grant) which will help immensely. Also, a big thank you to the children from KSM School who, just before Christmas, entertained us with their beautiful singing. Along with the mince pies and mulled wine it made for a very festive afternoon.
We next get together on 13th February, Please come along. All welcome.
If you would like more information phone: Annie Trolley 01823 451312 or Serena Lumley 01823 451877
Walking for Health – meet at KSM Church Car Park, 1.45pm (every second Wednesday of the month) The cold January weather didn’t stop the walk being enjoyed by all who came along. As usual we finished at the village hall where we enjoyed a cuppa and cake. Next walk 13th February.
If you would like to join us our next time either just turn up (with suitable footwear) or phone for further details:
Jackie Aldrich 01823 451696 - Paul Trolley 01823 451312
Heather Saxton 01823 451210 - Nigel Hounslow 01823 451358
23
BROOMFIELD COMMUNITY CINEMA
Mamma Mia – Here we go again!
Saturday February 2nd
Arrive from 7pm for refreshments Film starts at 7.30pm
Tickets: £5 on the door at Broomfield Village Hall
The feel-good movie to watch in the depths of winter. Come along and enjoy it all. Beloved by audiences across the
country, it has also received rave reviews for its comedy, its clever allusions to other films, and the singing and dancing skills of its all-star cast.
Please just turn up on the night, no booking required.
Certificate 12, Running time 91 minutes
CHEDDON & WEST MONKTON FILM CLUB
FRIDAY 15th FEBRUARY 2019
THE CHILDREN ACT
As her marriage to Jack (Stanley Tucci) flounders, eminent High
Court judge Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) has a life-changing
decision to make at work - should she force a teenage boy, Adam
(Fionn Whitehead), to have the blood transfusion that will save his
life? Her unorthodox visit to his hospital bedside has a profound
impact on them both, stirring strong new emotions in the boy and
long-buried feelings in her.
Drama
Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall
Doors Open – 6.30pm for refreshments
Trailer &Short Film – 7.00pm Main Film – 7.20 pm approx.
[email protected] 01823 412278
24
KINGSTON ST MARY FILM NIGHT
‘King of Thieves’
Friday 1st February at KSM Village Hall
The incredible true story of a group of elderly men who successfully
break into a Hatton Garden vault and pull off the biggest heist in
British history. This film has a smart and witty script and stars Sir
Michael Caine, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone,
Tom Courtenay and Charlie Cox.
Certificate 15, running time 108 mins. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
“A Star is Born”
Friday 1st March at KSM Village Hall
A multi Bafta nominated film remake starring Bradley Cooper and
Lady Gaga. This is an iconic love story about a seasoned musician,
who helps and then falls in love with an aspiring singer.The struggles
their relationship faces as she becomes more and more successful
makes this a bit of a heartbreaker, so you may need tissues…
Certificate 15, running time 136 mins
Tickets £6.00 on the door
Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start
Refreshments available (including wine, beer and cider)
KSM’s next film night 5th April…………
Kingston Youth Club
As well as the regular sessions in the Village Hall, we had a number of trips in 2018 – Hollywood Bowl, Vivary High Ropes, Flip Out, and ice skating, along with Taunton School International Middle School students from the Grange.
Youth workers are provided by Youth Unlimited. SCC’s funding of youth clubs across Somerset has however been withdrawn and their Youth & Community Service is being closed under the spending cuts. Funds to continue beyond Easter have been sought elsewhere, and the awards from TDBC/Somerset Community Foundation of £1000 towards funding our youth workers and from KSM Parish Council of £500 for the hire of the village hall secures the future of the club for another year.
25
Meetings 7 – 9pm. Activities for the Spring Term 2019 will be:
February
8th Making Valentine
cards / Karaoke
Village Hall
22nd Cinema Trip
March 8th Pancakes Village Hall
22nd Film Night Grange
April 5th Chill & chat Village Hall
Other activities run alongside the main programme during all sessions: pool, table tennis, wii, board games, chill & chat and refreshments. For more details on the club please contact our Youth Worker: Emma Goldsworthy: [email protected] 07771 778 552
Kingston St Mary Parish Litter-Pick
Date for your diary – the next KSM Parish litter pick will take place on
Sunday 17th March 2019 between 10.00am and 12.00pm
Either meet at KSM Village Hall to collect equipment at 10am
Or start from your home and bring your bags of litter to the village hall.
In order to make best use of everyone’s time and effort, PLEASE let me
know if you are starting from home or a particular area so other
volunteers can litter-pick elsewhere. I can drop equipment to you
beforehand or pick it up from me in advance
If the bags of litter are too heavy to bring back, leave bags in a safe but
obvious place and let me know asap so they can be collected – also let
me know of any fly-tipping
For your safety, you must wear hi-viz jackets and heavy duty gloves
Sorry but no unaccompanied children please – parents/guardians must
take full responsibility for their own children during the litter-pick.
Refreshments will be available after the litter pick.
Jean Alger-Green 01823 451732
26
Citizens Advice in Your Communities By Bill Guerrier
Each Citizens Advice office is an independent charity that gives free confidential and impartial advice to local residents on subjects such as benefits, debt, housing, employment and much, much more. We are also vocal critics of unfair policy addressing, at source, issues affecting our clients.
Within our local group there are four offices, each one’s area of operation described by its local authority borders. Where I work, in Taunton, we assist clients within Taunton Deane Borough Councils’ boundary and an adviser working in Yeovil will be dealing primarily with clients within South Somerset Council’s boundary. The same goes for Mendip and Sedgemoor.
There are around 271 volunteers giving one or more days a week of their time. Between us we contribute over 86,000 hours a year helping around 23,313 clients. This is not to forget the 70 paid staff without whom we wouldn’t be able to deliver the quality of service that we do.
A substantial amount of our funding comes from local government and herein lies our current, rather serious issue. This year it was announced by Somerset County Council that, in April 2019, they would be cutting their contribution to the local group’s budget by over two thirds.
Citizen Advice Taunton’s running costs are around £314,000 a year. The cut of £91,000 equates to almost a third of our annual budget and over three quarters of the budget we receive from SCC. The picture is not much different for the other local offices. This also includes the independent West Somerset Advice Bureau, who do much the same work as Citizens Advice.
We have no wish to close our doors and no intention of abandoning our communities, but we need your help. There are a number of ways of donating: you can find them on our websites. If not money, how about your time? We’re always looking for more help.
There’s good information on our national website, but if you need to get in touch with us, please drop in to your local office or call our Adviceline on 03444 889 623.
27
A Proud Military Wife – part 3 R&R is a two week break within a tour - Rest and Recuperation. Sometimes I think it should be called Resist and Row. Rich always tried to take his break as far towards the end of his tour as possible. So we may get a visit around the 4 and a half month point. This means when he went
back he only had about 6-8 weeks left which was much more manageable. How lucky were we to only have to wait 4-5 months to see him. Many families were separated during the Great War for 4 years; some men I imagine would be meeting their children for the first time. I met a woman whose great grandfather had no idea what his little girl looked like as his wife was pregnant when he left. So he imagined her as a toddler and drew pictures of her to make her seem more real to him. It can be very unsettling when the soldier returns for a short time. They are totally immersed in the war and then are thrown back into home life for such a short time - it has its challenges. They are not really yours for that time. Yes they are in your kitchen, yes they may take the girls on the steam train to Minehead, but they are not really with you. I avoid talking about any difficult conversations. We just live for the few precious days we have together knowing that he has to go back. No big reunions are organized, we try and lock ourselves away and selfishly I don’t want to share my husband with anyone during that time. How on earth would those young men who did make it home from the trenches cope with coming back to the comforts of home knowing the horrors and the hell of what they would have to return to. And then he is gone - Again. And we try to carry on as before - Stiff upper lip. During one tour working alongside Americans, he sent us a DVD of him reading a story book. It is a nice idea to be able to play a disk of Daddy reading a book to his girls. However, Ella just couldn’t understand why daddy wouldn’t wait for her to catch up when she didn’t turn the page quickly enough. Freya wanted to know why her father wouldn’t answer her questions when she started to talk to the
28
telly. A friend of mine had a CD of her husband reading so she could play it in the car on the school run. It completely terrified the youngest child who couldn’t understand why daddy’s voice was coming through the car but he wasn’t there. A very distressed child was dropped off a preschool petrified by the thought that daddy was clearly now a ghost living in the glove box of the car. And then the end is in sight and we make a Daddy Count Down Jar. I fill a jam jar with smarties - 2 for each day for the number of days he will be home. But I add 10 days as I can’t quite believe he will be home in time. Then each day the girls get a smartie and watch the jar empty slowly. When the jar is empty, Daddy will walk through that front door! A big Welcome Home banner is put up in the window. Favourite foods fill the fridge, a nice box of chocolates is bought and a bottle of fizz put by. The washing machine is empty in preparation for the loads of dirty clothes and the spare room is cleared to allow for the sorting of the kit. But the waiting continues. Then I get a phone call from Cypres where they have 24 hours “decompression” before coming home. I finally get a date and a time to pick him up. But the reunion at Brize Norton Airport is anything but romantic. Surrounded by rather smelly, tired and slightly bewildered men and women in Kakhi is not the time for running across rooms into each other’s arms. I have no idea how the front pages of the papers manage to find such heartwarming photos of home comings from war. But the relief is overwhelming. And my shoulders drop about 2 inches from a level that I didn’t realise they had been at for the past 7 months. My soldier is home and we can be a whole family once more. Our soldier came back to our family. Let us remember all those wives, sweethearts, mothers, daughters and spinster aunts whose hearts have ached for a lifetime when their soldier didn’t come home. Caroline Spencer
29
Happy Valley/Gadds Valley
In 2010 the council took over the wooded area of the valley with the
permission of the then owners The Crown Estate and made it into a
Nature Reserve. Now having been sold by the Crown Estate it is
privately owned as from October 2018 so is no longer known as
Gadds Valley Nature Reserve, the council ran out of money so
maintenance by them stopped a while ago. The valley path has never
been a Public foot path nor cycle path just permissive, and as the new
owners we do not wish to close the permissive walkway as it has
been used for many years. There may be one or two of you that have
walked the valley recently that have noticed works being undertaken
which will be continued from time to time, so we wish to ask that it
is walked with respect following the main through path only for your
own safety so it can have continued use and enjoyment for years to
come, basically following the track that runs alongside the stream
from entering and leaving the valley.
Sadly when it became a Nature Reserve it was known as Gadds
Valley but all us older folk have only ever known it as Happy Valley
as it has been for generations so it would be nice if the name Happy
Valley is used once again for future generations.
Peter and Kathy Musgrave Upper Cheddon House
Kingston Pancake Lunch
(Village Hall)
Tuesday
5th. March 2019
12 noon – 2.00pm
Adults £7.50
Children 5-14 years £3.00
Children under 5 free
For advance tickets call: 01823 451 112 Charity no. 1003314
30
BORING BUT IMPORTANT:
Democracy involves holding local council elections every 4 years.
This time it will be for the 59 representatives for the new “Somerset
West and Taunton Council” and a new parish council too. On 2nd
May we can choose up to 3 councillors for the new ward of Norton
Fitzwarren & Staplegrove. Each one will represent c.2000 rather
than 1500 residents. The enlarged area with its extensive rural
hinterland will give a totally different character to the district. Add to
this new ways of working and providing services, interesting times
but also new opportunities lie ahead. There will be provision to
create a new Taunton Town Council. Good luck to them!
D. Bradley
Musings from Nick, Millcross
Backsunded = facing northward or in the shade/shadow, a word I’d never come across until recently looking through “SOMERSET DIALECT”, by Louise Maskill, a little treasure trove of mostly lost local folk law. Later that day I experienced the phenomenon, having cycled up from West Bagborough and round Cothelstone I turned right at The Pines and was hit by a blast of cold air as I descended Buncombe, it fair took my breath away, my eyes streamed. Despite the valley being south facing I don’t think it had seen the sun all day and was several degrees lower in temperature than the surrounding countryside I’d ridden through. Had I turned left at The Pines, down Colliers Hill (marked as Three Horseshoes Hill on Google maps!) which is “backsunded” my tears may have frozen on my face. I’m not sure Archie gives a monkeys which way the lay of the land falls, he’s just happy to be out and about on the footpaths around the village. As we walk signs of the turning seasons become apparent. The daffodils are pushing forth, and we have seen a flowering bunch on the lanes, other delights are reminding us of their whereabouts. Although winter is still here I’m sure it won’t be long before I start riding down past the Church in Broomfield to the stream to witness the first new shoots of the wild garlic, Ransom. A couple of recipes will follow next month as careful foraging begins.
31
‘PLANE SPEAKING’ – Second time lucky !!
Following the complete snow ‘wipe out’ of last year’s production,
‘The Cheddoners’ will present ‘Plane Speaking’ at the Memorial
Hall from Thursday 28th
. February to Saturday 2nd
. March.
This home produced play is from the pen of Dick Macey and produced by Malcolm Lown.
The second act of Cabaret will include the ‘HOPE Choir’ from
Musgrove Park Hospital.
A raffle will be held during each performance and offers of prizes will
be gratefully accepted. Donations will be sent to our two charities for
this year, the Children’s Hospice South West
and Love Musgrove.
Ticket prices and details:
Thursday 28th
. February 7.30pm – All tickets £7 to include interval tea and cake
Friday 1st
and Saturday 2nd
March 7.30pm – All tickets £13 to include a fish and chip supper.
Bring your own drinks and glasses. Tickets now available from Thelma Burnett tel: 412 192
& Stuart Triggol tel: 413 459
PETER TRIGGS PRESENTS: An evening of colour slides and stories
Entitled
‘Escape to the West Country’ On
Friday 8th. February at 7.30pm In
Cheddon Church ~ Refreshments Donations towards Cheddon Church Funds
32
We are sorry to read that Chris Mutton’s experience of village halls is Musty. (‘Your Parish Need You to Vote’ article, January Link-Up) This comment will be disappointing to the many volunteers who work so hard caring for our village halls to keep them clean, fresh and according to the many favourable messages we receive, a pleasure to be in. Broomfield Village Hall Committee
CAROLS IN THE CATTLESHED
Thank you to everyone who came to our carol singing evening. Once
again it was a tremendous success and enjoyed by so many. We
raised over £720 for our chosen charities (Broomfield Church and
S.U.R.E).
Thank you for supporting us. The House Family
For Sale/Wanted/Lost & Found There is no charge for a small advertisement. However, due to limited space please keep
wording to a maximum of 50 words.
FOR SALE: Used golf balls. Mixed or by brand
Call Joe to discuss price
Tel. 07541 495695
FOR SALE: 2 x Wrought iron driveway gates.
Total width including posts 12 feet 4 inches
Height 2 feet 6 inches
Plus: 2 x Wrought iron side panels
£25 ONO
Tel. 01823 451 680
Local lady offering an ironing service. Years of experience.
Free collection and delivery
Local references available
Call Jackie on 07834 472 629
33
- Commercial Advertisements 1/3 A5 page – may be placed at a cost of £8.00
at the discretion of, and following discussion with, the Editor.
PATCHWORK AND QUILTING CLASSES Come To Quilt at the Lavender Barn,
Westleigh Farm, Broomfield, TA5 2EH Various workshops and courses starting from the 12th March 2019 Sampler Quilt, a fortnightly class building skills as you progress.
Wild Flower Wall Hanging for those who love applique. NEW for 2019 The Stars in our Galaxy Bed Quilt Sleep under the
stars with this stunning Quilt-as-you-Go quilt! A programme of Day Workshops throughout the year is also planned.
Contact Kate Ranson on 01823 451652 or email: [email protected] or Kerstin on 01823 240041
or email: [email protected] for more details
Glyn Harris
Garden Services
Grass Cutting Patios
Fencing Gutter Cleaning
Please ring: 07866 731 947
Millfield House Pool - Kingston Community Swimming pool available for private hire
Bring your friends, family or community group
Indoor, private and heated
Available for community swimming at a discounted rate:
Only £25.00 per hour with a KSM postcode
www.millfieldhousepool.com
07736221761 or find us on Facebook