The Word-July

The Word
Wincanton Community Magazine
July 2020

Welcome to July
Welcome to July, and another edition of our
online magazine. Hopefully most of your
regular favourites are here again along with
some other interesting articles. The primary
school has sent in a very thought-provoking
article giving us an insight into the workings
and efforts of the school through these difficult
past few months.
June was another strange month, this time
in semi-lockdown, the high street began to
change, a few shops pensively re-opened
their doors. July, on the over hand, brings
the promise of slightly more freedom, we will
see bigger moves, more shops, hair salons
and possibly a few of the pubs will invite us
over the threshold. We should though all
proceed with caution and ‘Stay Alert’. But
there will be few more things to look forward
too.
In March professional football and rugby
came to an abrupt halt and as summer got
underway this year, there was a noticeable
lack of leisure sports around us too. There
were a some cyclists and a lot of walkers
but tennis courts, cricket pitches and other
summer pastime areas were eerily silent and
deserted.
But, as we were slowly released back into the
wild one sport in particular took off like an exploding
rocket, Golf. It was considered to be
safe, and indeed it is. You drive separately,
you’re outdoors and can ‘socially distance’
with ease all the way round the course.
Which is why, for this issue we took a stroll
round our local course with the resident professional
Andrew England, featured here in
the cover picture, where there’s a lot on offer
for golfers of all abilities.
All of us here at The Word are still missing
delivering you the printed version of the
magazine. However, as times are changing
somewhat, it may be possible to return to the
press for the August edition and post a hard
copy through your doors once again. For
now though, thank you to all our advertisers
who have supported us through the past
months and, for those who are planning to
return now their businesses are opening up
again.
And finally, please, please don’t forget to
pass the onLine magazine link to anyone and
everyone you know. Have a wonderful July
and lets hope the sun shines, very brightly.
ppRobin Price
Liz Carter
Editor is away
A huge thank you to everyone involved
with the production of this months
magazine. Thanks go to our Advertisers
for their continued support and all our
wonderful volunteers, especially Viv
Armson and Steve Mcauliffe.
This Month’s Cover
Wincanton Golf Course.
Pic: Robin Price
The Word
The Cottage,
Nursery Lane, Church Street,
Wincanton BA9 9AA
Email:thewordwincanton@gmail.com
Facebook:thewordwincanton
Instagram:@wordwincanton
Twitter:@thewordwincan1

Pay & Play
at Wincanton Golf Course
Golf has taken off in a big way, so it
seemed the right time to explore our
own local hidden gem.
Nestled in the centre of Wincanton Racecourse,
the course is hidden from view, even
for the majority of race-goers, it’s pretty much
out of sight.
But, once you do find it it’s really superb,
and as the resident professional at the club,
Andrew England, describes it: “a challenging
inland Links course, very flat with deep
bunkers, big greens and lots of wind.”
He is of course absolutely right, the 9-hole
doubled up to 18, par 70, measuring 6,266
yards is a challenging layout for golfers of
all abilities. Built in 1992-93 and opened in
‘94 having been built to US specifications,
all the greens are constructed to a very high
standard, with the main hazards along the
way being the long grass, long holes and
sometimes the wind.
It’s a very welcoming club, anyone can turn
up to pay and play for the £10.00 green fee,
although with the current virus rules at the
moment one must ring to book a Tee Time in
advance. Andrew commented: “Since people
have been allowed to return to golf, we’ve
seen a massive upturn. Some years ago
we saw a fall in numbers as people took to
cycling, but they are returning in droves, it’s
great for the game and the clubs.”
Not only have so many dusted off their clubs
and are enjoying the sport again, Andrew
has been giving lessons to an eclectic mix of
newcomers to the game, he added: “It’s been
great to see a lot of both men and women
starting up, they are all out there now
relishing their new hobby. And, don’t forget,
golf is a game for life, you don’t need to be
super fit to play on into old age. Another
attraction is that nine holes of golf doesn’t
take as long as is often imagined, you can
be round the course inside an hour and a
half.”
They have a charming barn conversion
clubhouse, which houses a well-stocked
Pro Shop and a pleasant cafeteria with
coffee and alcoholic beverages available to
members and non-members alike, to make
the tenth, or nineteenth hole more rewarding.
In normal times they even have four
rooms upstairs for Airbnb.
Andrew, says: “There’s a healthy membership
here too and the seniors especially
are very active, playing competition rounds
twice a week. The course is looking good
at the moment, Matt our Green Keeper
has been doing a wonderful job given the
difficult weather conditions we’ve had so
far this year, the greens are in magnificent
shape. We’re also very lucky here as in
winter it’s the driest course in the westcountry,
the drainage is brilliant so we never
have to use temporary greens.”
He’s right again, they are looking excellent.
Asked what his favourite holes were
Andrew quickly replied: “the 5th par 3 with
it’s raised, well protected green and a
prevailing wind blowing from the right. And,
the par 4, 1st hole has a clever dogleg, it’s
also had some dangerous new bunkers put
in place recently to protect it.”
Yes, it can be a bit windy up there on
occasions, but then again you have far
reaching views and a great open feel. Golf
is after all often described as a really good
walk - spoilt by golf - and this course would
be a wonderful amble on any day, even if
the clubs aren’t doing quite what you want
them to!
Station Road, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7BX
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At Wincanton Primary School we have been
working hard since lockdown began to support
all our children and their families. Key
worker families have been able to send their
children into school every week day throughout
this period, including half terms, Easter
and Bank holiday times. Currently we are
also welcoming Reception, Year One, and
Year Six pupils as well, as advised by the
government.
The way that we have planned our work
encompasses all pupils, whether at home
or in school. To make life easier for all those
parents who have become their children’s
teachers we have planned our learning so
that all year groups are following the same
theme across the school.
So far children have enjoyed a varied and
exciting range of learning experiences. We
have covered the story of Wind in the Willows
based on an animated film, following
the antics of Ratty, Mole and Toad in Kenneth
Grahame’s timeless story.
Mary Anning – the famous fossil hunter from
Lyme Regis – and Grace Darling, of lighthouse
keeper fame, have kept our history
links alive. Another focus allowed pupils to
become film makers, creating their own ‘stop
animation’ films.
Children became superheroes for two weeks,
designing their own superheroes and villains,
showcasing their amazing imagination.
Castles has been another focus for learning
incorporating historical knowledge and imaginative
writing.
We have been very
impressed by the amount
of work families have
sent us, showing
huge creativity and
dedication, to continue
children’s
learning over this
Fossils, superheroes & a gentle row up river
News from Wincanton Primary School
period. If you visit our website and look on
the class pages you will see our class planets,
by clicking on a planet you will be taken
to a class and can see a selection of work
submitted to us by our children.
Teachers have spoken frequently to parents
and children over the phone to ensure we
keep our links with them alive. Teaching
assistants have supported teachers and children
in school and ensured, with our cleaning
staff, that our school is sparkling clean and
germ free.
Our classrooms don’t look
like they normally do.
We operate on a basis
of up to ten children
in a room, each
with their own
desk and
equipment.
Very conscious of
hygiene, children and staff frequently wash
hands and socially distance all the time. Our
play areas are zoned so that each ‘bubble’
of children only mix with each other. All our
children returning to school have been happy
and enjoyed their slightly different school day.
As I write we are planning our all-important
transition work. Our Year Six classes will be
leaving us for pastures new; just before the
lockdown began we held a leavers service,
not knowing whether we would see our
pupils again before the end of the school
year. We recognise that for these children
this has been a very difficult and confusing
end to their primary years and send them all
our very best wishes for the next part of their
educational journey.
Other children will be meeting their new
teachers, albeit virtually, as the term draws to
a close. For our new Reception children, we
still have activities planned in our extensive
school grounds to introduce them to their
new school and teachers, as well as virtual
story times.
Although we are still celebrating our welldeserved
‘good’ judgement from Ofsted, we
continue to evolve and improve our school,
currently we are enhancing our grounds and
the inside of the buildings; redecoration of
the old building takes place over the summer
and a beautiful new shelter graces our
playground for children to enjoy.
At the time of writing we do not know what
September holds for us, whatever the guidance,
you can be assured that staff will continue
to do their best to support families and
children across Wincanton and the surrounding
area. All too aware that this has been a
challenging time for many, it has also allowed
lots of us to have developed new skills and
hobbies and enjoy more family time. We all
look forward to a return to our new norm and
celebrate the time we can all be together
again in our school community.
We would like to thank our team of volunteers
who spare a few precious hours each
week to come into school to support our
children in many different capacities. Once
we reopen fully we are aware that, as it will
be across our country, children may face
challenges and gaps in their learning. If you
feel that you could spare a little of your time
to come into school to support us then do,
please, contact the school as we will value
any help and support that you can offer.
As always we hope you are well and safe
and continue to follow the guidance to ensure
we are all safe and together as soon as possible.
Best Wishes,
Everyone at Wincanton Primary School

The Word Wincanton
Community Magazine
Trading
Places
Business Questionnaire
What’s the name of your company
and where are you based?
FJ Chalke & Vale Motors, Wincanton Business
Park
Tell us about your business and what
you do.
Representing Abarth, Fiat, Isuzu, Nissan, Suzuki
and our exclusive truck brand EV-R FJ Chalke &
Vale Motors has become a well-known, reputable
name. In addition to hundreds of new and used
vehicles, we have a team of skilled technicians
providing exceptional service throughout the
bodyshop and aftersales departments.
How long have you been trading in
Wincanton?
FJ Chalke has had a presence in Wincanton
since 1985, Vale Motors since 2007
How many employees do you have?
Approx 120 across the FJ Chalke & Vale Motors
Group
Can our readers/the general public
call into your premises to purchase
goods or do you only supply trade?
Our dealerships are open daily to the public and
trade.
Do you have any key messages or
information that may be of interest to
our readers?
We would like to thank everyone for their
patience, loyalty and understanding whilst our
dealerships experience the challenges of reopening
during these unchartered times.
We can confirm that our dealerships comply with
the Government guidelines on reopening and
managing the health and safety and wellbeing of
our staff and customers.
We look forward to welcoming back all of our
customers new and old!
How do you advertise staff vacancies
when you have any?
Internally & Externally
What’s the best thing about your
company?
Our customer service, for customers new and old
What’s the best thing about being
based in Wincanton?
It’s within easy reach of so many places of interest
And perfectly located just off the A303!

SHOW HOME
NOW OPEN
Open Daily 10am-5pm
Uncle Crippen’s
Photographs
CALES REACH WINCANTON
2, 3, & 4 bedroom homes built by
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For more information call 01963 458011
or email calesreach@cavannahomes.co.uk.
Off Dykes Way, Wincanton BA9 9FQ.
www.cavannahomes.co.uk
‘Sanctuary, darling. Sanctuary!’ ‘C’ (my other
half) looks up from his computer, grunts and
shakes his head. He can’t understand why I
have to archive the family photographs but I
believe it is my duty to do so.
As I require an anaesthetic to cope with this
arduous task which has befallen me, I top
up my wine glass and indulge in a large sip.
We still remain in ‘The Story Book,’ having to
date, managed to avoid hostile viruses.
We also survived a small part of ‘Lockdown’
with my Aunt Lucinda
and her boisterous,
overweight Bengal
cat. After her rapid
departure back to
London due to the destruction
of our dining
room and sitting room
we took several days
getting back to normal
and managed to repair
much of the damage
brought about by Boris.
Also, up until this weekend
the garden looked
amazing due to ‘C’s’
persistence that Boris should only be allowed
out on a lead. Had he escaped I believe the
bird population in this part of Somerset would
be severely diminished.
We have now painted and creosoted
anything that was stationary and washed
everything that moved and for a day or so
everything looked perfect. However, the
weather has changed so I must now get on
and attempt to sort out my late Uncle Crippin’s
photographs, there are thousands of the
things, spanning over a hundred years. Not
to mention the hundreds of snaps left to me
by my parents. I remember my father saying
to me, ‘I don’t envy you sorting this lot out....’
I begin by emptying the boxes of photographs
onto the dining table, several tumble
to the floor. I start to turn them face up, so
many pictures, each one with their own tale
stare back at me. Family portraits, days out
at the seaside. The great days of steam
railways, soldiers on horseback.
A picture of my father in the second world
war. He had lied about his age and joined
the navy at the age of fifteen. He looked so
young and proud in his uniform. I turn the
picture over and it says.
‘Dear Mum and Dad. From
your ever loving son. Xmas
1940. I feel an overwhelming
sense of nostalgia and
put that picture aside.
After several hours in the
company of those who
have walked this earth
before me plus a few that
are still here. I am wishing
that Kodak had never been
invented.
I must take stock of the
situation as I may die of old
age myself if I spend much longer doing
this. Picking out a hundred or so familiar
faces I place them carefully in a shoe box
and shove the rest into a black bin liner.
Creeping up into the attic so as not to alert
‘C’ of my intentions: I hide the black bag behind
the numerous boxes of shoes I can no
longer wear and loathe to get rid of. I smile
and think of my father and say to myself. ‘My
dear children, I don’t envy you one bit when
you come to sort this lot out.’
Sharne Compton

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This is Speculative Fiction at its finest! If
the after-life is what we perceive it to be, the
author offers a fresh yet plausible perspective!
It is underpinned by the ideas of 18th
century visionary Poet
and Artist William Blake
including the magical versus
the mundane and to
create our own system
or “forever be enslaved
by another man’s”.
Nicholas Farraway is
dead. Since arriving
in heaven he has appeared
quizzical and
unsettled which hasn’t
gone unnoticed by
Post-Death Counsellor
Vallance. Upon his
arrival he was automatically
assigned
the role of Closed-
Circuit TV analyst on
behalf of God which
he finds unfulfilling.
Although he misses
his ‘earth partner’
Wendy, Farraway is
yet to uncover the
route cause of his
dissatisfaction.
However during an unexpectedly
frank discussion with the almighty himself,
he reveals he is losing his identity and has a
burning desire to disturb the status quo.
In this bittersweet gem, McAuliffe cleverly flits
between the comedic and the philosophical. I
never envisioned the almighty to be quite so
humble and almost ‘blokeish’ in his behaviour
but perhaps it reassures the reader that the
concept of God and heaven is more accessible
than we think.
However ultimately it conveys his belief in
the freedom of the individual and the power
of the imagination in reconstructing
reality. He
challenges the idea
that individuals are
a product of society
and believes they
have the power to
shape it themselves.
He also argues that
we greatly undermine
human potential.
We are not mindless
automatons preprogrammed
with a
set of in-built thoughts
but we are in charge
of our own perceptions
and have boundless
potential.
It is therefore only
through innovative thinking
and challenging the
social order that we will
really flourish. “To enjoy
heaven properly, you need
wings”.
This is just a glimpse of
the author’s own formidable
imagination in this unique, delightfully
witty take on the ‘other side’.
Alice Glover

July in
the Garden
Episode 7
of our new
monthly
gardening
feature
Flaming June is over and no flaming rain to
speak of!
If you have been able to water, your rewards
are an abundance of every thing from roses,
clematis and floriferous borders, to plentiful
scrumptious vegetables and salads. Early
sown tomatoes giving juicy sweet fruits. We
all know tomatoes are a fruit but a bit strange
in a fruit salad.
Not too late to add some more colour to the
borders in the shape of late flowering annuals,
still available at garden centres. This
year has been so difficult in so many ways
but at least compost, plants and other garden
sundries are now available.
It’s a good time to feed your roses now that
the first flush of blooms are finishing, this will
encourage more flowers.
Cut back the stems of lupins down to the
base for a second coming next month. Keep
dead heading to tidy up and encourage more
flowers. Hardy geraniums will flower again
later on after a haircut. (I could do with one
too)!
Feed peonies once you have removed the
seed pods and water well.
If you’ve got a veggie patch, this month you
should be looking to sow things like lettuce,
rocket, spring onion, radish, oriental leaves
like pak choi and chinese cabbage, maincrop
carrots, peas, swedes sweetcorn. French
and runner beans, courgettes, squashes and
pumpkins.
If you are new to gardening, make a note of
successes and failures, take some photographs
to remind you what to repeat or abandon
next year. If something failed check soil
requirements and test your soil ph. It’s easier
to go with the flow. Anything that needs
special soil, for example camellias plant in
ericaceous soil in a pot.
Don’t struggle. This is the time to sit back,
enjoy your endeavours and relax, until of
course you spot that pesky weed that just
has to go!
The Garden Fanatic

Robin Price
Sssh, quiet please! Who’s hiding in the Library?
Jane Langton is the most delightful, calmly
enthusiastic - especially on literature - and
inspirational person I could have had the
pleasure to sit in the park with on a balmy
summer afternoon. By the time I arrived, and
I was on time, she had already nabbed two
chairs from the café and was comfortably
waiting on one for our respectfully distanced
meeting.
She is, by most accounts, a relative newcomer
to the town, but in the four and a half years
she’s been here made quite an impact on the
literary, and more recently, the environmental
happenings here.
Her career, as is still her passion, was with
the library service. Starting out in publishing
Jane later took time out to gain a degree
in English and History. She tried to follow
this up with a PhD, but completing this from
home with two children proved an ordeal too
far. She did however promote it to a Masters
degree through the Open University, an
meets
Jane Langton
organisation she sings the praises of.
She worked for the library service in Somerset
for just over twenty years from 1991, and
it was shortly after retiring that her and her
sister moved to Wincanton. Her participations
in schemes and achievements here are, in
the same way as all her opinions, very considered
and modest. Which is why it’s very
hard to find out quite how near the forefront
of everything she’s involved in she actually
is. I suspect she is a major driving force with
them all.
Still a volunteer at the library, Jane is involved
with most of the activities surrounding
it, from the children’s events to the poetry
group. The children’s days are some of her
most rewarding, stories and craft events
are well attended, Jane, said: “It helps get
children into the library habit, owning books
and reading them isn’t so prevalent now, and
most importantly reading is really good for
empathy.”
And there’s been the two Book Festivals,
both have been a great success with this
year’s in March just nipping in before lockdown.
She was also behind the crime event
at the library which thirty people attended.
Jane said: “It was a fantastic day, there are
readings and parts played by some participants
and through the day everyone discusses
the comings and goings to attempt to find
the murderer, it’s like a living Agatha Christie
novel.”
One of her great loves is being
involved with the poetry group.
In normal times the group gather
in the library to read and discuss
their favourites but currently, as
Jane explained: “We are doing
it online, as with most things at
the moment, but it works well.
It’s always on a theme and people
send their choices by email.
The best thing about the poetry
group is having to research
the material, it makes you hunt
through the bookshelves to find
the right pieces. It can turn up
anything from Wordsworth to
Pam Ayres, and we never analyse,
we only discuss.”
On another level she’s very
keen on the ‘Shared Reading
Group’. This is where people
read out loud, often slowly.
It’s not about Great Literature,
they read anything they enjoy
– sometimes sad, sometimes
hilarious, from Winnie-the-Pooh
to Wordsworth, from Animal
Farm to the Diary of a Nobody. It
brings everyone together on an
equal level.
Jane is, and this is one thing
she has had to get to grips with,
the Facebook guardian for the
library, she’s not that technically
minded, she admittedly struggles
to get pictures onto the site.
which is strange considering her
next project.
Which, is to be a repair shop for
the town. As a member of One
Planet Wincanton, she was keen
to bring one of these spaces to
the high street. Made popular by
the BBC programme, they are
an antidote to the throwaway
culture, not so much re-cycling
as re-generating. It stops one
throwing away perfectly good
items and repeatedly having to
buy new, when what you had
has many years service left in it.
She’s underway with possible
funding and has been offered a few spaces
to consider but, what she will be most be in
need of are volunteers with a widespread
array of skills to ‘man the shop’.
A most enjoyable afternoon’s discussion,
Jane concluded: “I like volunteering, it’s better
than work, because in the end it’s up to
you how much time and effort you give.” One
thing is for sure, Jane certainly puts in a lot
of effort.

THE SOLITARY
COOK
Unfortunately our Solitary Cook is away this month, so
here at The Word we have come up with a couple of our
favourites which we hope will be a modest substitute for
Maura’s excellent recipes
PASTITSIO
Although July is a time when we would rather be lighting the BBQ and preparing salads, l
have a slight suspicion it could cloud over and rain for the odd day or two. So, this Greek
staple, not dissimilar to the Italian Lasagne, is a great comfort supper whether it’s rain or shine
and as a bonus you get to use up a little of the salad normally in the fridge at this time of year
to accompany it.
Not the quickest to prepare but, if the rain brings you indoors early, you’ll have the spare time
to settle into getting this one ready.
250g penne pasta
1 egg, beaten
25g parmesan cheese
1 tbsp melted butter
10g fresh white breadcrumbs
WHITE SAUCE
60g butter
60g plain flour
600 ml milk
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
MEAT SAUCE
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 celery stick
500g beef mince
200g chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
small cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
Start by heating the oil for the meat
sauce, add the onion, celery and
garlic, let them just turn brown. Add
the meat and cook for five minutes
before adding the tomatoes, purée,
cinnamon, cloves, oregano and bay
leaves. Pour in 50ml of water and
season with salt and black pepper.
Leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile boil the pasta and at
the same time pre heat the oven to
180˚/Gas Mk 4 while you prepare
the white sauce. Melt the butter in a
non-stick pan, add the flour and stir
in the milk, season with the nutmeg,
salt and pepper. Keep stirring well.
Grate the parmesan and
breadcrumbs (I normally
use a crust that no one
else wants). Drain the
pasta, return to the pan
and add the beaten
egg, half the parmesan
cheese, about a fifth of
the white sauce and stir
well.
Take an oven proof bowl
and start to layer the
meat and pasta three
times over, finish by
pouring the remaining
white sauce over the top.
Mix the rest of the parmesan
and breadcrumbs
together and cover the
sauce before placing
in the oven for appx 40
minutes.
Serve with green salad
and crusty bread, the
dish will be enough for
four servings.
CARROT &
CORIANDER SOUP
This is one of my favourites, especially good for
a lunch time. As a lot of us are at home, working
or otherwise, at the moment it’s simple and quick
and will keep for day or two if you don’t finish it too
quickly. Snatch some crusty bread to go with it and
you’re sorted until supper time.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
450g carrots
1 potato
1 tsp ground coriander
1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
bunch of fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper
(splash of Lea & Perrins sauce)
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and add the
chopped onion. Fry for 5 mins until softened. Stir in
the ground coriander and the chopped potato and
continue to fry for a couple more minutes.
Add the now peeled and chopped carrots along with
the vegetable or chicken stock and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and continue to cook for a
further 20 minutes or until the carrot is soft.
Grab your handheld blender (transfer to food mixer if
you don’t have one) and blend until smooth. Add the
cropped fresh coriander and, if you’re partial to it, the
splash of Lea & Perrins, stir, reheat and serve.
Maura Dillon-Malone
is away

News from
Wincanton
Town Council
WINCANTON SEED MARKET
AND KNITWITS!
TOWN
COUNCILLOR
QUESTIONS :
How long have you been a Councillor?
I have been a town councillor for about 15
years, in that time I have been a planning
officer and deputy mayor.
What made you decide to join the Council?
I thought I would follow in my Uncle’s footsteps
as he was mayor of Weston Super
Mare. As I have lived in Wincanton for 48
years I thought I could help the town by becoming
a town councillor.
Are you involved with any projects or
organisations in the Town?
I am a member of Wincanton Museum and
History Society, I also call bingo for Common
Road sheltered homes and for other local
bingos in the town.
Sue Hinks
A better bus service for the town and the
local areas.
A lorry park in town so that the truckers don’t
have to park in the lay-bys and it would be
good for the town.
Last but not least, a nice toy shop so that we
can shop locally.
If you have noticed all the colourful, uplifting knitted
flowers and figures all over Wincanton, you might
be curious to know the story of where they came
from.
The summer of 2019 a collaboration of local
friends led by local Wincanton retailers, SEED’s
Lynne Franks, Safia Shah of Bootmakers and
Claudia Cole of Cole’s Yard instigated the Wincanton
SEED Market as a monthly outlet for our
local makers and creators, as well as bringing life
to Market Place on a Saturday which traditionally
closed down at mid-day.
Organised by Lizzy Ralph a newly CO-OPTED
Town Councillor in June and supported by the
Town Council to hold the event on the third Saturday
of every month, which included live music. The
SEED Market brought a lot of new visitors to Wincanton
and was building up to being recognised a
must-visit Wincanton Saturday, especially with the
Teen Food Market in Cole’s Yard.
The current situation put a halt to the Spring launch
and it is very good news that now with the easing
of lock-down regulations, the Market will be reopening
in a smaller format this coming Saturday,
20th June accompanied by uplifting music from our
local duo, Left, Right and Centre.
In the meantime, the team decided at the beginning
of the lock-down, that it would be a good idea
to introduce Knit Wits to Wincanton, where creative
knitters would make uplifting, colourful shapes and
figures to be put around the town to cheer up
the community.
Knitted and crochet flowers and pompoms can now
be seen in Cale Park, on a tree by the care home
behind the Co-op, around the schools and in
individual front gardens but the stars of all are the
Knit Wit characters created and made by Knit Wit
Queen, Councillor Vicky Vagg whose latest purple
witch has joined her other characters on the bollards
in Market Place, alongside the knitted artwork
by textile artist, SEED’s Tamsyn Gregory and the
knitted snake from Bootmakers.
Vicky has now got her sights on the rest of the bollards
on the High Street including introducing some
of her beloved Terry Pratchett characters near to
Disc World.
The Wincanton SEED Market team are also
working closely with the Wincanton Town Council,
South Somerset District Council, One Planet
Wincanton and the Balsam Centre in developing a
number of other sustainable community initiatives
as part of the Wincanton for the Future Programme
including vegetable planting, community fridge,
repair café, share library, skills training for women
business start-ups and healthy cooking.
For further information please contact: Wincantonseedmarket@gmail.com
or visit the Wincanton
SEED Market Facebook page.
My heartfelt thanks to all the members of the community
who have contributed to KnitWits, the support
of the local businesses plus of course Tamsyn
and Councillor Vagg for her creative additions to
our market place which has made people smile!
Looking forward, it will be great to have the SEED
Market and live music in our market place.
What five things would you like to see in
the Town going forward?
I would like to see a café where the teenagers
can hang out in the evenings.
Councillor
Vicky Vagg
with one
of her
creations
Sue
Cllr Shelbourn-Barrow

Visit our showroom, in Orchard Park Garden Centre, Gillingham, SP8 5JG
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FREEPHONE: 0808 100 1387
Opening Times
Weekdays
9am – 5pm
Saturdays
9am – 12 noon
Kevin Higgins is based in
Bayford Somerset and is
the proprietor of Bayford St
George Plumbing and Heating
Services supported by his wife
Sarah.
With 35 years in industry, including
lecturing for ten years
at Yeovil College, he has
a wealth of experience and
expertise. He served his fouryear
City & Guilds apprenticeship
under the well-respected Rodney Lowry of
Gillingham and then Bayford Builders of Wincanton.
As a contractor he supervised and carried out
plumbing and heating installations for various house
builders and housing associations including Signpost
Services, Beazer and Wilcon Homes and in doing
so has built upva large following of customers in the
private sector.
Kevin is happy to undertake both oil and gas boiler
servicing, breakdowns and installs, full heating
systems, bathrooms, wet rooms, kitchens and boilers
along with all associated works including carpentry
and tiling. Favoured for his friendly yet professional
approach he wishes to support the local community
by offering a high-quality honest service to both new
and existing customers.
Brue Valley
Like most clubs and organisations, Brue
Valley Rotary Club holds an annual general
meeting when officers for the forthcoming
year are chosen. For us, an important role
to be filled is that of president. Taking up
this post, on 1st July, 2020, will be Andrew
Davies.
Trained as a chartered accountant and having
spent his early career in London, Andrew
arrived in Bruton in 1989. He soon became
involved with the fund-raising and charitable
activities
of Shepton
Mallet
Round
Table. As
a founder
member of
Brue Valley
Rotary Club
in 2010, he
has used
his accountancy
skills
to be our
treasurer for
three years
and to act
as a trustee for our Trust Fund and also of
the charity organising the highly successful
annual Classic and Supercar Show at Sherborne
Castle.
Andrew has many interests including skiing,
cycling, running, table tennis and singing with
the Bruton Choral Society. Besides helping
the club, he has participated in his own fundraising
ventures which, last year, including
running the Yeovil Half Marathon and cycling
the Prudential Ride London 100 to support
Breast Cancer Now.
In 2013, together with four other club members,
he travelled to India to act as an
ambassador for Rotary and to assist the
medical staff on their National Immunisation
Day, a project where 172 million children are
vaccinated in one day in an attempt to keep
India free of polio.
As the club’s international officer for several
years, Andrew organised yearly concerts in
our local towns to raise funds for the Trussell
Trust who were setting up the ‘House of Opportunity’,
a home in Bulgaria where young
people on leaving their orphanages could develop
life skills and their independence. Local
bands and choirs including the Wincanton
Silver Band, the Bruton Choral Society, the
Wincanton Choral Society, the Pilgrim Singers
and many performers from our schools
in Bruton, Castle Cary, and Wincanton all
contributed to these performances.
There is no doubt that, under the current
restrictions forced upon us by the corona
virus pandemic, it will be difficult to plan
future fund raising events and, without this,
to support local charities as we would wish.
However, Andrew Davies with his experience
and energy will be the person to guide and
re-invigorate us through the next year.
If you think that you would like to join our Rotary
Club or you would like more information,
please visit www.bruevalleyrotary.org or give
me, (Roger Lowe) a call on 01963 34965.

WHO (THE HELL) DO
YOU THINK YOU ARE?
Part 2
Small animal veterinary care during the
Covid 19 lockdown.
‘What we can and can’t do.’
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has outlined very clear guidelines about the provision
of veterinary care during lockdown which all veterinary practises must follow. The ultimate
aim of these rules is to protect the public, protect veterinary staff and protect animal welfare.
‘Animals should only be seen in emergencies or where, in the judgement of the veterinary
surgeon, urgent assessment and/or treatment is needed in order to reduce the risk of patient
deterioration to the point where it may become an emergency in the near future (ie within the
three-week time frame currently laid out by the Government for these measures). Routine
treatments, other than those essential to maintaining the future food supply chain, should not
be carried out until further notice.’
If you have any concerns about your pets, please contact us by phone in the first instance.
If we feel your pet needs to be seen we can book you an appointment. Upon arrival at the
surgery car park, please call us and the vet will speak to you over the phone to obtain the history
of the problem. We will then collect the animal from you in the car park and take it inside
for examination. The vet will then call you to discuss their findings and recommendations for
treatment. We will not compromise social distancing so please ensure all cats and small pets
are suitably restrained in a pet carrier.
Examples of routine treatments which we are currently unable to provide include
vaccinations,new pet checks, adolescent heath checks,senior health checks,routine dental
checks, neutering surgery and routine reproductive work. Please contact us if you are unsure
about the urgency of a problem.
Many owners with ill and debilitated animals will be rightfully concerned about what would
happen if their animal needed to be put to sleep. We are obviously not undertaking home visits
at the moment so the animal would need to be brought to the surgery. We would then take the
pet inside and insert an intravenous catheter attached to a long tube called a giving set before
returning the animal to the owners in their car. This tube allows us to give an intravenous injection
but at the same time maintain social distancing whilst the owner is holding and comforting
the animal.
We are happy to post repeat prescriptions and flea/worm treatments for our clients and payments
can be made over the phone. Our 24 hour emergency service is operating as normal.
Our Wincanton surgery will be unmanned after 4pm, but please call our normal number if you
have any concerns and the vet can come and meet you. Out of hours charges only apply after
6.30pm.
Shaftsbury and Tisbury 01747 852064 . Wincanton 01963 400499
www.longmeadvets.co.uk
(A journey into my family tree)
In many ways it’s hard to believe that Mildred
Tartt was a champion at any sport, let alone
archery.
But there you have it, according to the records
she was actually crowned South East
regional Champion three times. Mildred was
infamous for her confrontational style “she
would loom over and stare down her opponents
prior to a shoot-off” recalls Ralph Ponting
in his classic book “Bullseye: English Archery
in the 19th and 20th Century (revised)”,
he also relates to the enthralled reader
Mildred’s famous showmanship, some would
call it gamesmanship: “as she would pull the
arrows from her quiver, she would buckle at
the knees and stumble as though drunk; she
seemed to take great delight in struggling to
connect the arrow to the bow-string, inadvertently
spinning around and making the crowd
duck and cower in fear”
The genealogist-chap turned to me and
asked, ‘have you ever fired an arrow Harry?’
I thought for a few moments before replying,
‘Other than in anger, no’. And that was the
end of that.
Until 2 days later I suddenly remembered, I
had once fired a crossbow, in Broadcasting
House no less.
You see, I once appeared on the BBC TV
show, The Golden Shot. Unfortunately I
sneezed at the crucial moment and accidentally
took out the lighting rig. Bob Monkhouse
would later say that that was the one and
only time in his professional career that he
ever slapped a contestant.
Following my inadvertent sneeze, no contestant
on The Golden Shot would ever be
permitted to fire the crossbow again. Hence,
Bernie the Bolt became a household name.
Harry Tartt

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Shatterwell
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Karen Russell MAAT 07872 333945
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The Great FloodKaren Russell is licensed and regulated
by AAT under licence number 10426473.
Shatterwell House is now 200 years old.
In that time there is no record of it having
flooded. Until December 2008 when it nearly
did.
It had been a very wet autumn and on 15 December
2008 there was a cloud burst up the
road by the race course. Torrential rain came
down the road into North Street. The river
Cale rapidly rose and started to flood the
bottom of our garden. Soon this continued
to rise rapidly and half the garden was under
water. It must have risen 3 metres. Our large
pond disappeared under water. The balustrade
by the river was hidden. The weir which
normally has a drop of over 2M disappeared
under the horizontal flood. Water was backing
up from the North Street bridge. Because
the drains from the road back into the river
were blocked by leaves instead of draining
into the river 2 houses the other side of the
road became flooded.
We stood and looked. The water was lapping
at the low wall at the edge of our patio by
the back door. If it had gone any higher the
conservatory and kitchen would have flooded
and this could have spread into the main
house. But we were lucky: it slowly started
to subside. Gradually we were able to see
the damage that had been caused. We had
a wooden lean-to by the stone shed next to
the river. We used this to keep logs. But it
had disappeared with all the logs. We had a
small dingy which was kept on the pond (officially
used for removing excess weed – but
usually capsized instead!). It was tethered
to a tree by the pond but that too had gone.
Otherwise amazingly there was no great
loss. Most of the plants that had been
submerged, like the camellias, survived.
Fortunately, the house was safe.
Because of this we are designated a “flood
risk area” with inevitable increase in house
insurance – if you are lucky enough to be
able to get it.
As a result of climate change, it is very likely
that we may see worse flooding over the
coming years.
Drs Richard Gribble
and Garth Robertson

Wincanton and District Gardeners Association
Annual Flower Show
Saturday 5th September.
It is with a very heavy heart that the Committee
have decided to cancel the Flower Show this
coming September 5th 2020.
These decisions were not made lightly, and we
feel we cannot prepare for the show in a way to
make it a success this year.
We apologise to all of those who have started to
prepare for this year, and hope you will all come
back and support us next year, when we hope to
be able to have a wonderful show day.
Many thanks
Gill D’Arcy
(Association Secretary)
Do you have a couple of hours a week to spare?
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